USA > Connecticut > New London County > History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 127
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Martha, the second daughter, went to Lyme, as the second wife of "Lyme's captain, Reinold Maryin." Miriam died unmarried, Sept. 22, 1760, aged eighty- two. Lydia married Eleazer Burnham, a new in- habitant of the Nine-mile square, who came from Ipswich after 1700. Ann, the youngest daughter, became the partner of Josiah De Wolfe, of Lyme. The sons of the proprietor were Thomas, John, and Joseph. Thomas, the first-born of Norwich Water- mans, not waiting to be quite twenty-one years of age, married, June 29, 1691, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Allyn. Their union was prolonged to a term of sixty- four years, and the memorial stones at their graves show that they had both attained their eighty-sixth year, and died within a few months of each other in the year 1755. They had seven sons and two daugh- ters.
Lieut. Elisha Waterman, their fifth son, died in Havana, a victim of the fatal expedition undertaken against the Spanish in 1762. He left a large family.
Asa Waterman, the sixth son, was the father of Arunah Waterman, who was born at Norwich in 1749, and after taking an active part in the various scenes of the Revolutionary war, both as a soldier and as- sistant commissary, emigrated with his family, about the year 1800, to Johnson, Vt., assisting greatly in the growth and prosperity of that town. At Johnson, Capt. Waterman lived to old age, adhering to ancient principles, simple manners, and old customs, grand- father to the whole village, and wearing to the last the long waistcoat, small-clothes, and shoe-buckles of a former generation. He died in 1838.
Nehemiah Waterman, seventh son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Allyn), was the first of the Bozrah line of Watermans. He died Oct. 27, 1796, in the eighty- eighth year of his age. His son Nehemiah was an officer of the Revolutionary army, and the repre- sentative of Bozrah for ten sessions, from 1787 to 1797. He died in 1802, aged sixty-six.
Rev. Elijah Waterman, distinguished as a success- ful teacher of the classics, and an able and fearless preacher, was the son of the second Nehemiah Wa- terman, and born in Bozrah, Nov. 28, 1769. He
graduated at Yale College in 1791, and was ten years pastor of the church at Windham. He was afterwards engaged in the ministry at Bridgeport, where he died Oct. 11, 1825, aged fifty-six. He was a man of large information and an able writer. It is said that he had read "Paradise Lost" several times through before he was nine years of age. He published sermons and treatises ; was fond of poetry, and often composed small poems on fugitive occasions.1
John Waterman, the second son of the proprietor Thomas, born in March, 1672, married, in 1701, Eliza- beth, daughter of the second Samuel Lothrop. They had a family of six or seven sons and two daughters, the youngest of whom, Hannah, was the mother of Benedict Arnold. A branch of the Waterman family settled in Lebanon, N. H. Col. Thomas Waterman, born July 11, 1766, is said to have been the first white child born in that town. His parents, Silas and Si- lence Waterman, were from Norwich.
Joseph Waterman, third son of Thomas Waterman, the original proprietor, married Elizabeth Woodward, and had seven children, viz. : Timothy, Judith, Ezra, Elizabeth, Mehitable, Annie, and Joseph.
Andrew Waterman was probably a son of Lieut. Elisha Waterman, who lost his life in the West Indies in 1762. Andrew Waterman married Elizabeth Fitch, Sept. 11, 1759. Their children were as follows : Elizabeth, Ezra F., Lebbeus Andrew (2d), Betsey, Sarah, and Elisha. Andrew (1st) settled in Lebanon at an early day, about the time he was married. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and was known as Capt. Andrew Waterman. He died Feb. 16, 1822, aged eighty-four years, and his wife died March 25, 1821, aged eighty-four years.
Elisha Waterman, youngest son of Capt. Andrew Waterman and Elizabeth Fitch, was born in Lebanon, Conn., Oct. 1, 1777. He received such advantages for an education as the common schools of his day afforded, supplemented with a few terms at an acad- emy in Lebanon, Conn., taught by Nathan Tisdale. He early manifested a strong desire to teach, and at an carly age began teaching school, and taught sev- eral terms. Sept. 20, 1812, he married Elizabeth Fitch Mason, daughter of James Fitch Mason. (See history of Mason family, Lebanon, Conn.) She was born Oct. 10, 1790. Their children are Andrew (de- ceased), Elizabeth F., James F. M., Elisha (deceased), an infant, Nancy M. (Mrs. James M. Peckham), and Andrew, who is in business with Mr. J. M. Peckham, all of whom were born on the Waterman homestead, in Lebanon, Conn.
Mr. Waterman was a large farmer of more than three hundred acres ; in politics a Whig and Repub- lican. He held all the town offices to the universal satisfaction of his constituents. He several times represented his town in the State Legislature, and district once in the Senate. For many years he was
1 Sprague's Pulpit Annals, vol. ii.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
judge of probate. He was a regular attendant upon the services of the Congregational Church, and was ever ready with an open purse to do more than his share. He was thoroughly posted in business matters, and well read on the topics of the day. He was a man of positive character and very energetic. What- ever he did he did with his might. He had the cour- age of his convictions, and right well did he do his work. He died March 30, 1857. His wife died May 4, 1862, and both were buried on Goshen Hill, Leba- non, Conn. Their daughter, Elizabeth F., married Nathaniel C. Saxton (deceased). He was a farmer in Lebanon, and a man respected.
James M. Peckham .- William S. Peckham was a native of Rhode Island, but moved to Lebanon, Conn., where he resided till the time of his death. He had twelve children, one of whom, Simeon, was born in Rhode Island, April 9, 1794. He (Simeon) came to Tolland County, Conn., where he remained a short time, and then removed to Lebanon in 1820, and resided on a farm one mile north of the Baptist church of Lebanon Centre a short period. After having changed his location two or three times, he finally settled at Lebanon Centre in 1837, and re- mained there until his death, Aug. 17, 1859. He was a large and progressive farmer for those days. He was twice married,-first, to Lucy T. Avery, daughter of Thompson Wells. They had nine children, viz. : James M., George W., Lucy Ann (deceased), an in- fant (deceased), Sarah (deceased), Abby (deceased), Joseph and Mary (twins, the former of whom died young), and William S., now a real estate broker and wholesale grocer in Milwaukee, Wis., of firm of Ro- midy, Peckham & Co. All of the children save James M. were born in Lebanon. Mrs. Peckham died April 26, 1840, and Mr. Peckham married for his second wife Rebecca A. Battey, daughter of Dr. Owen Battey, of Scituate, R. I. They had three children,-Owen D. (deceased), Sarah M. (deceased), who married Dr. W. P. Barber, of Lebanon, and Simeon A., who re- sides on the homestead.
In politics Mr. Peckham was a Democrat. He was postmaster at the Centre many years, was selectman, assessor, etc. He was for a short time in the war of 1812, and was located at New London, and for his ser- vices received a land bounty, and his widow a pen- sion after his death. Both his wife and himself were members of the Congregational Church, in which he was deacon many years. He was noted for his hos- pitality, and his house was always a welcome place to the stranger and the ministry. Prudent, kind, and affectionate, he commanded the respect and esteem of his associates and acquaintances. His second wife died September, 1880.
James M. Peckham was born in Columbia, Conn., Feb. 3, 1820, was brought up on the farm, working summers and attending school winters, until his sev- enteenth year, when he went to Kingston, R. I., and entered the employ of T. S. Taylor & Co., merchants
of that place. With this house he remained ten years, until 1847, when he returned to Lebanon and com- menced business as a merchant. April 10, 1848, he married Nancy W., daughter of Elisha Waterman and Elizabeth Mason (see history of J. Mason). They had two children, Elizabeth W. and Mary E. (de- ceased). He continued merchandising in Lebanon till September, 1848, when he purchased a half-interest with Elisha Waterman, Jr., at Bozrahville. October 16th of this same year his store at Lebanon was burned, and since that time his attention has been devoted to the establishment at Bozrahville. In 1855, Mr. Water- man died, and Mr. Peckham took a younger brother, Andrew Waterman, in as partner, and the business was continued under the firm-name of Peckham & Waterman.
Mr. Peckham also has an interest in various manu- facturing companies, has been director of the Second National Bank of Norwich, and has held various po- sitions of trust and honor, such as selectman, town agent, member of board of relief, justice of the peace ; was in the Legislature in 1855, and Senate in 1858, and has been postmaster about twenty-five years. In politics he was formerly a Democrat, but is now a Republican. In religion both himself and wife are members of the Congregational Church at Goshen, and Mr. Peckham is one of its chief supporters.
His partner, Mr. Andrew Waterman, married Julia Emma Stark, daughter of H. N. Stark, Feb. 5, 1873. They have three children,-Elisha, Clarence M., and Frank E. Mr. Waterman is a farmer as well as merchant, and, like Mr. Peckham, is Republican in politics.
Joseph Holmes, only son of Ozias and Betsey (Tully) Holmes, was born Dec. 17, 1817, at East Haddam, Conn. He received a common-school edu- cation, supplemented with several terms at a select school taught by Rev. George Carrington, and an academy at Mount Parnassus, East Haddam, Conn., under the control of N. Q. Foster, Esq. At twenty commenced teaching, and taught a few terms. His father was a practical farmer, hence Joseph was reared to habits of industry and economy, thus laying the foundation of his future success. December, 1848, he went to Colchester, and began to work for the Hayward Rubber Company, and after two years was put in charge of the grinding department, till March, 1851, when he settled in Lebanon, near Bozrahville, on the well-known Mason farm, since which time he has been superintendent of the Hayward Rubber Company at that place. He has an interest in the business, and their particular branch of the trade is to compound the crude material for the more exten- sive works at Colchester, where it is made into goods. They employ about forty men the year round.
In 1855 he became interested in the manufacture of woolen goods at Rockville, Conn., and subsequently a director in the Rockville Manufacturing Company at that place.
E. Walesmen
AMReekham
Jonph Hohner
Oliver Pettis.
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LEBANON.
Since 1871 he has made valuable investments in real estate, and resides on the original Mason farm, in the southern part of the town of Lebanon, on which he has made extensive improvements. He has been three times married,-first, Maria K. Selden, May 21, 1844. She was born in Greenfield, Erie Co., Pa., April 21, 1824, and was the daughter of Joseph and Mary Ann (Kirtland) Selden. She died in Lebanon, Conn., Dec. 30, 1859. Their children are Mary S., wife of Charles DeKay Townsend, of Boston ; Eliza- beth K., married Prof. Henry P. Johnston, of New York; Harriet T., married Charlemagne Holmes, of East Haddam, Conn .; Adelaide M., married New- ton Rozelle, of East Haddam, Conn .; and Joseph S., married Hattie R. Wade, of Hartford, Conn.
June 19, 1860, he married Sarah Eliza, daughter of Griswold E. and Eliza J. (Saxton) Morgan. (See Morgan genealogy.) She was born April 26, 1838. They have one son, Howard M.
Mr. Holmes married for his third wife Fanny M. Morgan, sister to his second wife. Their children are Dudley T., Grace H., Alice E., Royal G., Bessie E., and Frederick M. Mr. Holmes is a Republican, formerly a Whig. In 1859 he represented his town in the Legis- lature. He has always paid close attention to his busi- ness, and has been successful. He is industrious, fru- gal, shrewd, and honest. He is of a social disposition, and carries a frank, open countenance. He is a lib- eral supporter of the Congregational Church at Boz- rahville, Conn., and was formerly a member of the Congregational Church at Fitchville.
Thomas Holmes1 (2), of whom our only knowledge is gained from the Letter of Directions written by his grandson, married Mary Thetford, and lived in Lon- don, England. He was a lawyer or counselor of Gray's Inn, and was killed in the civil war at the siege of Oxford, probably in May or June, 1646. Their son, Thomas2 (3), was born in London, England ; thence he came, during the "Great Plague," in 1665, to Vir- ginia, and after a few years made his way to New York, where he married Lucretia Dudley, daughter of Thomas Dudley, of London, England. They settled in New London, Conn., where she died July 5, 1689. He removed to East Haddam, with his son John, at whose house he died, Dec. 12, 1723, aged ninety-eight years. John3 (4), son of Thomas and Lucretia (Dudley) Holmes, born at New London, Conn., March 11, 1686 or 1687, married, at New London, Feb. 11, 1706 or 1707, Mary Willey, born at New London, Dec. 10, 1685, daughter of John and Miriam (Moore) Willey. They settled in New London, where in 1710 the townsmen leased to him " an acre of rocky land by Cedar Swamp, where his father hath planted some apple-trees."
He died in East Haddam, May 29, 1734. They had nine children, of whom Christopher was the fifth. Christopher4 (22), born at East Haddam, June 4, 1715; baptized and joined the church, East Haddam, June 8, 1735; married March 2, 1736, Sarah An-
drews, born in East Haddam, Feb. 13, 1715 or 1716, baptized July, 1725, and daughter of Samuel and Eleanor (Lee) Andrews. He was a constituent mem- ber of the church in Hadlyme, June 26, 1745, and she became a member soon after. He was chosen deacon Jan. 18, 1750-51. She died Aug. 12, 1782; he died April 12, 1792. They had fourteen children, of whom Eliphalet5 (48), the seventh, was born in East Haddam, Feb. 3, 1746 or 1747 ; baptized at Had- lyme, March 22, 1746, O. S .; married, Jan. 8, 1772, Anne Gates, born at East Haddam, March 21, 1750, baptized June 9, 1750, and daughter of Joseph and Abigail (Fuller) Gates. She died Aug. 24, 1828 ; he died Feb. 14, 1833. Eliphalet's fourth child, Ozias6 (83), born in East Haddam, April 2, 1789, married, Jan. 19, 1808, Betsey Tully, born March 18, 1787, and daughter of Elias and Azubah (Kirtland) Tully. He died Aug. 26, 1845 ; she died Dec. 1, 1855, aged sixty- eight years.
Mary Ann7 (seventh generation), born Feb. 4, 1809; baptized and joined the church in Hadlyme, Nov. 18, 1827 ; married, Nov. 8, 1829, Joseph Warner, born at Lyme, Conn., Dec. 3, 1792, and son of Selden and Dorothy (Selden) Warner. They settled in Lyme (Hadlyme Society), where he died June 13, 1861. Their children are Nancy H., Elizabeth A., and Jo- seph S.
The Pettis Family .- The paternal ancestor of this branch of the Pettis family was named Samuel Pettis, who came from Watertown, Mass., and settled in that part of Norwich now (1881) known as Frank- lin, where he followed the occupation of a farmer. He had a family of children, one of whom was Peter Pettis, who married Abigail Vail, of Norwich, by whom he had three sons and four daughters. Peter Pettis was a farmer in Franklin. One of his sons was James, born in Franklin, Conn., and settled in Leba- non before his marriage to Temperance Dewey, a de- scendant of one of the early settlers in Lebanon, Conn. Mr. Pettis had four children, viz .: (1) Lu- cretia, married Stephen D. Tilden, father of Hon. Daniel R. Tilden, of Cleveland, Ohio, and a relative of Hon. Samuel J. Tilden, of New York ; (2) Oliver ; (3) Lucy, married Alfred Howes, of Windham, Conn .; and (4) James, who died at twenty-eight years of age. Mr. Pettis died in middle life, quite suddenly, and his death was caused by over-exertion.
Oliver Pettis, son of James and Temperance (Dewey) Pettis, was born in Lebanon, Oct. 18, 1781. He received a common-school education, and several terms at a private school taught by Dyer T. Hinkley, of Lebanon. Oliver was reared on the farm, and farming was his principal business through a long and useful life. In his early life he taught school several terms. Dec. 8, 1807, he married Wealthy Fitch, daughter of Simon Fitch, a lineal descendant of the Rev. James Fitch, first pastor in Norwich. (See "History of Fitch Family, Lebanon, Conn.") Of this union eight children were born, viz .: (1) James
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
F., who died at the age of twenty-seven ; (2) Jane E .; (3) Julian V .; (4) Betsey F., died at twenty-one years of age ; (5) Lucy A. ; (6) Martha L., married Shubael Hibard, of Norwich; (7) Eunice H. (de- ceased), married Daniel Fairbanks, of Truxton, N.Y .; and (8) Oliver Ellsworth. Mr. Pettis and his chil- dren were born on the original Pettis homestead, in Lebanon, Conn., and continued to reside there till 1831, when he purchased the farm on Lebanon Street, in Lebanon, Conn., where he lived till his death.
He was a Whig in politics, and as such held all the important offices of the town. He was a selectman many. years, and represented his town in the Legisla- ture in 1828, and again in 1834. He was judge of probate several years. In all the positions to which he was called he discharged the duties of his position with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constit- uents. He was chosen captain of militia for many years, and was familiarly known as Capt. Pettis. Mr. Pettis was a member of the Congregational Church at Lebanon for a few years before his death, and his wife became one after his death. Judge Pettis kept the South Society records for many years before his death, and was succeeded by Judge Dolbeare, and he by Oliver Ellsworth Pettis, son of Oliver Pettis.
Judge Pettis was a man of great force of character, prudent, of a social disposition, and a man of good executive ability, and by his industry and frugality, assisted by his noble wife, left a competency to his family. He died Dec. 10, 1855, and his wife died Feb. 18, 1864.
Oliver Ellsworth Pettis, son of Oliver, was born March 15, 1825, and was educated in the common schools of his native town and in the academy at Westfield, Mass. He is occupied in farming upon the homestead in Lebanon, Conn. Sept. 6, 1853, he mar- ried Mary Almira, daughter of Jabez McCall, of Leb- anon, Conn. She was born Aug. 19, 1834. Their children are Jabez McCall; Mary Ellsworth, died at three years, July 11, 1864; and Caroline Whitney. Mr. Pettis has held nearly all the important town offices. In 1880 he was a member of the State Leg- islature. He succeeded Judge Edwin M. Dolbeare as clerk of the South Society, which position he still holds. Mr. and Mrs. Pettis are members of the Con- gregational Church at Lebanon, Conn., and he is a deacon of the same.
Peleg George Thomas .- John Thomas arrived in New England Sept. 11, 1635, in the ship "Hope- well." He was reared by Governor Edward Winslow, and settled on a farm given by him for the " better accommodation of a neighborhood" from his tract in Marshfield. He married, Dec. 21, 1648, Sarah Pit- ney, who came to this country at the age of seven years with her parents on the ship "Planter." They had eight children. The sixth son, James, born Nov. 30, 1663, married Mary -, name and date of mar- riage unknown. They settled in Duxborough, and had six children. The fourth son, John, born Nov. 7, 1700,
came to Lebanon with four other families of the same name, who numbered among them forty-eight chil- dren; forty-four of them lived to manhood and womanhood, and married and spread the name from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. John married Han- nah Spafard and had six children ; bought the ances- tral farm of John Robinson, one of the first owners of the town of Lebanon. He deeded the farm to his son Peleg in 1765.
Peleg had a remarkable conversion at the age of three years ; was noted for his piety and honest deal- ing with his fellow-men; was commissioned lieuten- ant by Jonathan Trumbull during the Revolutionary war. He was something of a poet in his old age, and many houses in Lebanon have in them the poems written by him when over ninety years of age. He married Mollie Bartlett, a descendant of Elder Brews- ter, of " Mayflower" memory, and had five children.
His son Peleg married, March 25, 1802, Sally Young, daughter of David Young, and had six chil- dren, viz .: James, David, Edward, Peleg George, Sarah M., and Thomas S., all born in the town of Lebanon, Conn., and all are dead except Peleg George, the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Thomas was a farmer, was a Whig in politics, and for a long time held the office of justice of the peace .. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were members of the Congregational Church, and he one of its deacons for many years. He died Nov. 16, 1860, and she died Aug. 20, 1830, aged fifty-one, having been born in 1779.
Peleg George Thomas, son of Peleg and Sally Young Thomas, was born in Lebanon, Conn., July 24, 1809. He received a common-school education, and at an early age began teaching a district school at seven dollars and a half per month, and twenty dollars a month was the most he ever received, and that was on Long Island. At the age of twenty-two, in 1831, he went to Richmond, Va., where he re- mained one winter, and the following spring returned to his native town, where he has since continued to reside.
He became the sole owner of the homestead by paying the other heirs their proportion, and by add- ing farm after farm he has now (1881) more than one thousand acres. He has dealt more or less exten- sively in wood, which has proved highly remunera- tive.
He is a Republican in politics. He has been jus- tice of the peace and selectman many years, and member of the Legislature in 1861. He is more or less interested in railroads, and has settled several estates.
Jan. 23, 1838, he was married to Mary S., daughter of Josiah Cady, of Providence, R. I. She was born June 18, 1812. Their children are (1) Mary L., de- ceased ; (2) Sarah M .; (3) Mary C., wife of W. W. Gil- lette, and has three children, -- Annie, Louise, and Clara; (4) George H., deceased ; (5) James Y., married
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Ella Avery, of Ledyard, and has three children,- James, Ella, and Eunice ; (6) Caroline S .; (7) George H., second; and (8) William G.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and the entire family are members of the Congregational Church. Mr. Thomas is a man universally respected. He has great force of character, quick perception, a good business tact, industrious and economical.
Erastus Geer .- The subject of this sketch is a son of David Geer and Anna Gallup, daughter of Isaac and Anna (Smith) Gallup, and was born in the town of Lebanon, Conn., Oct. 9, 1823. His paternal an- cestor was George Geer, who, tradition says, was one of two sons of Jonathan Geer, of the county of Devon, England.
George Geer was born in Hevitree, England, in 1621, and his brother Thomas was born there in 1623. They were bereaved of their parents while young, and were put in charge of an uncle. They came to America, and settled in Boston in 1635, with- out friends or money. George Geer became an carly settler in New London, Conn., about 1651, and Thomas about 1682.
On the 17th of February, 1658, George Geer mar- ried Sarah, daughter of Robert Allyn, one of the earliest settlers in New London, Conn. Immediately after his marriage he settled on a tract of land ad- joining or near the said Allyn's land, on the grant of fifty acres made to him by the town of New London, now called Ledyard. He was one of the first officers of the town. He died towards the close of the year 1726, at the age of one hundred and five years. He had a family of eleven children, the eighth of whom was Robert, born Jan. 2, 1675, and died in 1742. Robert married Martha Tyler, and had five children, the second of whom was Ebenezer, born April 1, 1709, and died Aug. 28, 1763. Ebenezer Geer married Pru- dence Wheeler, Jan. 2, 1735. She was born Sept. 25, 1712, and died June 2, 1797. They had ten children, the youngest of whom was David, born June 18, 1755, and died Aug. 31, 1835.
David Geer married Mary Stanton, May 17, 1781. She was born Aug. 28, 1756. Their children were Dorothy, David (2), born Jan. 20, 1784, William S., Prudence, Joseph, Cyrus, Anna, Robert, Isaac W., and Charles, all born in Ledyard, Conn.
David Geer (2) married Anna Gallup, Jan. 11, 1810. She was born Sept. 3, 1787, and died Feb. 12, 1862. Their children are Cyrus G., William F., Thankful S., an infant son, Sarah A., David, and Erastus, the im- mediate subject of this sketch. David Geer settled in Lebanon, Conn., in the year 1817, on the farm now (1881) owned and occupied by his son Erastus. His farm of five hundred acres is in a good state of cul- tivation, and well watered by the Yantic River, flow- ing through it. Among Lebanon's substantial men and representative farmers, none perhaps have accom- plished more as farmers than the Geer family, and much credit is due to the indefatigable energy and
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