History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 175

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317

USA > Connecticut > New London County > History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 175

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1831). Sailed from Stonington, Conn., on whaling and sealing voyages to Cape Horn, South Shetlands and Falkland Islands. Returned to Stonington in ship "Charles Adams," Sept. 1, 1833. The next command was the New Orleans packet-ship "Louis- ville," from New York, October, 1834. Remained captain of this ship until 1838, when he took com- mand of the ship "Shakespeare" for one year, sailing from New York to New Orleans. In February, 1839, commanded the Liverpool packet-ship "Garrick," belonging to what then was known as the "Dramatic Line." Remained in the "Garrick" until October, 1841, when Capt. Palmer took command of the ship "Southerner," in the Liverpool and Charleston trade. Remained in the "Southerner" until 1845, when he commanded the ship "Hoqua" on a voyage from New York to China, being the second ship to enter the port of Shanghai after the port was opened to commerce. Capt. Palmer brought to this country the first Shanghai fowl. The last voyage was made in 1847 to Liverpool from New York in the ship " Southerner."

Capt. Palmer's present house was built in 1852, nearly on the site of the old homestead, burnt down Nov. 17, 1850. Has always been a Democrat in poli- tics, but, although living in a Republican district, has received their votes, which were accepted as tributes of esteem and appreciation of an honest life. Has been elected first selectman of the town twice, viz .: 1858 and 1859; three times State representative, viz. : 1857, 1858, and 1875; and State senator twice, viz .: 1876 and 1877, serving as chairman of committee on temperance, and capital punishment in 1876, chairman of agriculture in 1877, when was introduced the agri- cultural experimental station ; served on committees of finance, State boundaries. An Episcopalian ; junior warden since 1868, and senior warden since 1876, of the Calvary Episcopal Church. Capt. Palmer was married June 19, 1837, to Priscilla D. Dixon, daugh- ter of Hon. Nathan F. and Betsey Palmer Dixon. Children were Nathaniel Brown Palmer, born Nov. 16, 1840; Alexander Smith Palmer, born May 29, 1843; Louis Lambert Palmer, born July 21, 1845; Elizabeth Dixon Palmer, born June 6, 1848. Na- thaniel B. Palmer married Harriet Wilder, Oct. 10, 1872. Elizabeth D. Palmer married Richard F. Lo- per, Jr., Sept. 3, 1873. Priscilla Dixon Palmer died Jan. 12, 1851, aged thirty-five years. Nathaniel Brown Palmer died May 16, 1877, on board steamship "City of Pekin," one day out from Hong Kong; buried at the family burying-ground at Stonington, Conn.

Capt. Palmer's ancestors were among the earliest settlers of the town of Stonington, in the persons of Walter Palmer and George Denison. His grand- father's only brother, David Palmer, was slain in Fort Griswold, Groton, Sept. 6, 1781. Capt. Palmer's father was one of the defenders of Stonington in the attack of the fleet under command of Sir Thomas Hardy, Aug. 10, 1814. Capt. A. S. Palmer has been

instrumental in saving lives; while captain of the "Charles Adams," July 24, 1833, rescued the crew of the English ship "Dorothy," Capt. Garnock and twenty-four men. While in command of the "Gar- rick," 1840, saved the crew of the English brig "En- genia."1 During the winter of 1865 saved alone seven men, being the crew of a schooner (name not remem - bered) which came ashore at Currituck, N. C., during a gale of wind.

Connected by blood or marriage with many leading families in New England and New York, and ac- quainted with the leading men of Connecticut and many of the country, also having a wide personal ac- quaintance, he has strong influence, which has ever been exerted for the good of his town and its citizens, among whom he has lived, except while absent at sea, for three-quarters of a century, and is to-day, wherever known, loved, honored, and esteemed.

Capt. Palmer has always been an ardent sports- man, and realizing the fact that fish and game were of great importance to the country, was mainly in- strumental in securing the passage of the game law that now honors the statute-book of Connecticut.

Silas Enoch Burrows,2 of Stonington, was the son of the Hon. Enoch Burrows, who paternally de- scended from Robert Burrows, one of the first plant- ers of New England, residing first in this country at Wethersfield, Conn., where in 1645 he married Mary, the widow of Samuel Ireland, by whom he had two children,-John and Samuel Burrows. He did not long remain in Wethersfield, for, attracted by the reputation of Mr. Winthrop's new plantation at Pe- quot, now New London, he came in 1651 and located himself on the west branch of Mystic River, on a grant of land embracing the territory now occupied by the village of Mystic River, where he lived the remainder of his days, dying in August, 1682. His wife died before him, in December, 1672. He was an intimate friend of Governor Winthrop, who often visited him after he was domiciled at Mystic. Like most of the leading men of his day, he engaged in farming and stock-raising, marketing his stock and

1 Capt. Palmer received a testimonial from the queen for saving the crew of the brig " Eugenia."

Another testimonial to the captain is a large silver vase, gold lined, standing upon a heavy silver standard. The following inscription tells sufficient : " Presented by the Owners of the Ship Dorothy to Capt. Alex- ander S. Palmer of the ship Charles Adams of Stonington, in testi- mony of his humane and generous conduct towards Captain Garnock and the Crew of the ship Dorothy of Liverpool, which foundered at sea in Lat. 29 S., Long. 20 W., on the 4th of July 1833, who after having been ex- posed in open boats for 20 days, were picked up by Capt. Palmer, and experienced from him the greatest possible kindness during four days they were on board the Charles Adams, and safely landed at Pernambuco. Liverpool, MDCCCXXXIII."

An open-faced gold watch has upon the inside back cover, "Presented to Capt. A. S. Palmer as a token of Esteem, New York, Feb. 12th, 1836" by 25 gentlemen, whose names are there inscribed.

Another communication begins as follows : "I have the honor to in- form you that at the last meeting of the ' Council of the General Ship- wreck Relief Society,' held in Paris, you were elected one of its nine Presidents." Signed by its presidents, Paris, Oet. 31, 1839 (France). 2 By Richard A. Wheeler.

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surplus produce at Boston for a while. Subsequently the planters opened trade with the West Indies, which was continued for a good many years.

His son, John Burrows, married Mary Culver, daughter of John Culver, Dec. 14, 1670, and their oldest son, John Burrows, married Lydia Hubbard, daughter of Hugh Hubbard, of Derbyshire, England, in 1694, and became the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters. Amos, the third son, married Elizabeth Rathbun, of Colchester, Conn., and had ten children, seven sons and three daughters. Silas, their second son, became an eminent Baptist clergyman of the open-communion persuasion. Es- tablished a church at Fort Hill, in Groton, to the inter- est and success of which he devoted his whole life. He married for his first wife Mary Smith, of Groton, April 7, 1764. For his second wife he married the widow Phebe Smith, Feb. 18, 1818, in the seventy- eighth year of his age. By his first wife he had ten children. His third son, Enoch Burrows, was born July 28, 1770, received an ordinary education, and by his own unaided efforts rose to prominence and be- came a merchant and an honored citizen of Stoning- ton. He shared to the fullest extent the confidence of his fellow-citizens, held almost every public posi- tion in town affairs, and was elected representative to the General Assembly in the years 1810, 1811, 1815, 1816, 1817. He was also elected an assistant under the old charter, and State senator under the constitu- tion for the years 1819, 1820, and 1821.

He married for his first wife Esther Denison, Aug. 28, 1791, and became the parent of Silas Enoch Bur- rows, who was born Oct. 29, 1794, who descended ma- ternally from Capt. George Denison, of Indian war- rior fame, and from Thomas Stanton, the distinguished interpreter-general of New England, and from Capt. John Gallup, of Boston, who has the honor of fight- ing the first naval battle in New England waters.

Mr. Burrows was educated in the public schools of his native town, and in early life was trained to mer- cantile pursuits, aiding his father in business at Mystic.

During the last war with England in 1814 he served in a detachment of militia detailed for the protection of Stonington Borough and vicinity, and participated as a volunteer in the heroic defense of that place, August 10th of that year, bringing cartridges from New London for use in the Stonington battery, with which the British ship "Dispatch" was forced to abandon her position and get out of reach of our guns as fast as possible.

After the close of the war with Great Britain, not content with the limited opportunities for business at Mystic, he enlarged his operations and became en- gaged in commercial pursuits in New York, where he not only established a line of packets between that city and Cartagena, New Granada, but became ex- tensively engaged in the whaling and sealing business, many of his vessels having been built at Mystic.

In 1835 he made his first visit to the Brazils and the river La Plata, taking his eldest son Silas with him, returning there again the following year; and, on his return to the United States, in the same year, he sent his son to Buenos Ayres in the United States sloop-of-war " Fairfield," under the care of Capt. Charles Boarman, to be placed in the Jesuit College of that city to acquire a perfect knowledge of the Spanish language.

In 1842, Mr. Burrows having lost his second wife, went with all his children and settled in Montevideo, establishing a commercial house there, and was ac- tively engaged in the shipping business, aided by his two eldest sons, Silas and Ogden Hoffman Burrows. Returned to the United States in 1848, leaving there two sons in charge of his business.

In 1851 he joined them in San Francisco, and then and there the house of S. E. Burrows & Sons was formed, which in 1853 was established in Hong Kong, China, his eldest son, Silas, being the pioneer of the firm in the East, Mr. Burrows following in his clipper-ship, the " Race-Hound," the year after, and his second son, Ogden Hoffman Burrows, the year after that.

Mr. Burrows made several trips to Europe from Hong Kong, taking his youngest son, John Russ Burrows, with him, and in 1859 he left China for the last time, and returned to his native village of Mystic, Conn. Mr. Burrows was a successful business man. All of the enterprises in which he was engaged were made to contribute to his fortune. Possessed of a powerful will and untiring energy and industry, he overcame all obstacles that confronted him. Endowed with a high order of business talent, and fully con- scious of his strength and abilities, he knew no such thing as fear or failure. After his departure from China his sons conducted the business of the house very successfully until 1876, when the business was wound up and they also retired from China.

Mr. Burrows was twice married,-first to Mary Van Buskirk, Nov. 20, 1820, by whom he had four chil- dren, viz. : Enoch, born June 7, 1822, died Aug. 28, 1823; Silas E. Burrows, Jr., born March 28, 1824; Mary Jane, born June 2, 1826 ; Ogden Hoffman, born July 22, 1828. His first wife died in New York, Jan. 30, 1831.

Second, to Mary D. Russ, May 19, 1834, by whom he had three children, viz. : Mary Russ, born Dec. 14, 1836, died April 23, 1857; John Russ, born Sept. 13, 1838, died Aug. 11, 1871; William Henry, born Dec. 21, 1840, died Angust, 1841. His second wife died March 22, 1841. Mr. Silas E. Burrows died Oct. 12, 1870, aged seventy-six years.

The Greenman Family .- There is perhaps no one family more worthy of notice in the history of the last seventy-five years of Stonington than the Greenman family. It has been prominently identi- fied with ship-building in the height of its prosperity, and has furnished employment for many persons, not

Silas Grumman

mario

Geo Grum

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only in ship-building but in other manufacturing. For the sake of justice to coming generations, we will leave a tracing of the various persons of the name who have made their impress upon the town and laid the foundation of success broad and solid, and have, in their way, done so much to make the name hon- ored and esteemed.

Silas Greenman, 1st and 2d .- Silas Greenman, first of the name we can now trace, was a resident of Charlestown, R. I., probably removing from there to Westerly, R. I., as his son Silas, born Sept. 29, 1770, always lived in that town or in Hopkinton. He, Silas, Jr., was a ship-carpenter, and a diligent, honest, God-fearing man, serving, in his quiet, unos- tentations way, his day and generation well. He was of positive character, firm and unflinching in every- thing he deemed right, but did not promulgate his opinions from the house-top. They formed his char- acter, were acted in his life, and were made the fun- damental principles of the education of his family. Devotion to right, loyalty to country, and obedience to law were leading characteristics of his life. He was a devoted Christian, and a member of the Sev- enth-day Baptist Church ; a man of warm affections, but also of a strong sense of duty, which sometimes concealed their expression in words. He married Mary, daughter of George and Esther Stillman. Her ancestors came from England in the early days of New England, and were the progenitors of a numer- ous and able family. Of this union were born nine children,-Sally (Mrs. Joseph Lampher, deceased), Silas, 3d (deceased), Mary (Mrs. Green Champlin, deceased), Lucy (died early), Catherine (Mrs. John Edmondson), George, Clark (deceased), Thomas S., and William (died young). Mr. Greenman died June 5, 1846, aged nearly seventy-six ; Mrs. Green- man in April of the same year.

Silas Greenman, 3d .- Silas (3), eldest son of Silas (2), was born in Hopkinton, R. I., Nov. 26, 1796. He passed the years of his minority with his. parents, and was subject to the vicissitudes incident to the limited circumstances of that early period. His edu- cational advantages were of the most primitive kind, and he, in the labor incident to " earning a living," had not much time to devote to school. Such time as could be given for that purpose was faithfully im- proved. He learned the trade of ship-carpenter from his father, giving him his wages until he became of age. Working steadily at his trade, he soon became an unusually good workman, and went to the head of Mystic River as master-builder for Silas E. Burrows, and in 1827 engaged in partnership with his brother George in ship-building at that place. This copart- nership continued until the spring of 1835, when he removed to Westerly, and continued to reside there until his death. He followed ship-building here also for many years, part of the time alone, and in com- pany with his son, George S. He was a most indus- trious, careful, conscientious, honest man.

He was a Republican in politics, but not an ex- tremist. When, in 1840, the Pawcatuck Seventh-day Baptist Church was organized, he was one of the constituent members, and remained in its fellowship, a worthy member, until summoned up higher, April 6, 1881, at the advanced age of more than eighty-four years. Through life we find him to have been re- garded as an altogether solid, brotherly, genuine man, yet amiable, cordial, companionable, jocose even,- a good laugh in him withal,-and when, in the full- ness of time, he was called away a multitude of friends were left in gloom. He married, Dec. 20, 1821, Thankful, daughter of Samuel and Susan (Potter) Wells. She was born Aug. 7, 1802, and died April 27, 1870. They had seven children,-William, born Oct. 24, 1822 ; followed the sea, became captain ; was twice married ; for first wife married Fannie, daugh- . ter of Stanton and Nancy (Perkins) Hall ; they had two daughters, Mercy (deceased) and Katie. George S., born July 13, 1826; has always been a ship-car- penter ; worked with his father, and in company with him for years, but latterly has been by himself. He married, Feb. 14, 1863, Patience, daughter of Oliver and Hannah (Saunders) Crandall. E. Jane, born Dec. 14, 1830 ; married Welcome Wilcox, September, 1857, and has one child, William. Silas B., born Sept. 16, 1833 ; followed the sea, rose to be captain ; married, Jan. 7, 1856, Ellen L., daughter of Elisha and Lucy (Hinckley ) Peck, and has one son, Earle. Silas was lost on the ill-fated steamship "City of Waco," of which he was captain, in Galveston Har- bor, Texas, Nov. 9, 1875. Susan, born March 8, 1836; married William M. Williams, Nov. 11, 1857 ; has no children. Charles W., born Feb. 13, 1841; never married ; followed the sea, became mate, and was lost on steamship "Constitution," Dec. 25, 1865. Mary C., born Dec. 18, 1845 ; married Merton E. Stillman, Nov. 9, 1874, and has two children, Mabel and Ar- thur.

George Greenman was born at Westerly, R. I., Aug. 27, 1805. During his early years he had the experience that the children of a family of humble circumstances of that day usually had,-labor, inter- spersed with three months' attendance at the common schools in the entire year, and then oftener arriving at the school-room at ten o'clock than earlier. After he was sixteen he learned the ship-carpenter's trade of his father ; remained with him until he was of age, giving him all his wages, and commencing life for him- self with only the capital of the customary " freedom- suit," and not a dollar. In 1827 he went into partner- ship with his brother Silas in ship-building at the head of Mystic River. This partnership continued until 1835, and George continued alone one year, and then admitted his brothers, Clark and Thomas, in company with him, under the firm-name of George Greenman & Co. They could only build small ves- sels on account of the shoal water, and they built one vessel-ship "Jolın Baring"-at the "Narrows" for

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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

Silas C. Burrows, and one-ship "Thomas Williams" -at Westerly for Charles P. Williams. Mr. F. Deni- son, in his " Westerly and its Witnesses," has this to say about this ship : " Near 1822-23 there was built in the town of Westerly, a few rods north of the tan- yard, a fine ship of about three hundred and fifty tons, called the 'Thomas Williams," owned largely in Westerly, and fitted expressly for the whaling busi- ness. On her second voyage, in 1837-38, which was a very prosperous one, she was commanded by Capt. Palmer Hall, and cruised in the South Pacific. On her third voyage, under Capt. Manwaring, she was burned at the Azores, having been fired by the Portu- guese."

In 1838, having a large amount of work to do at Mystic, and being solicited to make larger vessels than could be built at their yards, they removed to Adams' Point, and established the first ship-yard in the place. For a time they built sloops, brigs, and schooners for coasting trade. The first vessel built was schooner "Lion," for Capt. Wm. Clift. They built several for Capt. Clift, Nathan G. Fish, and others at this time. As business increased and their reputation for skill extended, people came for larger vessels. They built brigs "Mayflower" and "Rose Standish" and others for E. D. Hurlbut & Co., of New York, for European trade. Increasing the capacity of their yard, they built ships "Silas Greenman," " William Rathbone," "E. C. Scranton" (largest class ships of that day) for Messrs. Everett & Brown, of New York. At this time their business was so large as to employ from fifty to seventy-five men constantly. They built in 1853 the largest vessel they have ever made, the " David Crockett." She was a three-decked ship, built for Capt. Joseph Spencer by Everett & Brown. She was of about seventeen hundred tons burden, and cost ninety-four thousand eight hundred dollars. She went into California trade, is now (July, 1881) on her twenty-third voyage to San Francisco, and has paid her owners over four hundred thousand dollars. In 1854 they built the "Belle Wood," sixteen hundred tons, for John A. MeGaw, of New York City; then followed several for the same person,-" Caroline Tucker," and in 1856 the ship " Leah," of fifteen hundred tons. She was lost on her first voyage in 1857, never being heard from after leaving New York. The ship " Atmosphere" was built from the same model to replace the " Leah," and in the same and succeed- ing year they built the "Prima Donna," of about six- teen hundred tons. She has been a very successful ship, and the Greenman Brothers have for years enjoyed the reputation of building the most successful flat carrying ships afloat. They owned an interest in all built for Mr. McGaw, and have owned interests in several others, at present in ships "David Crockett" and " Prima Donna" and steamers " W. W. Coit" and "G. R. Kelsey." Among others built for Mr. Mc- Gaw were the barques "Texana," four hundred tons (burned by the Confederates), " Heiress," eight hun-

dred tons, "Diadem," seven hundred tons, " Cremona," six hundred and fifty tons, and ships "Favorita," thirteen hundred tons, and "Frolic," fourteen hun- dred tons. From 1859 to 1864 they built seventeen steamers, among them the " Blackstone," "Thames," "Constitution," "Weybossett," screw-steamers, and "Escort," "Ann Maria," "W. W. Coit," "City Point," and others, side-wheelers.

George Greenman married, Feb. 10, 1828, Abby, daughter of Charles and Martha (Birch) Chipman, of Mystic. Their children are Mary A., born March 7, 1829, married Edwin G. Champlin, and has one son, George G .; Harriet P. (deceased) ; George (died young) ; George H., born April 8, 1837, married, June 13, 1864, Ann E. Bowles, of Allegany Co., N. Y. He has six children,-Annie, William C., Bessie, George B., Laura A., and Mary F. He has been connected with the interests of Greenman Brothers as book-keeper in the ship-building business, as treasurer of the Greenmanville Manufacturing Com- pany, and as treasurer of the Standard Machinery Company. Martha B., born May 5, 1841, married Lon Weston, of Brockton, Mass., and has two chil- dren,-Robert S. and Lawrence G .; Laura A., born Sept. 13, 1843, married Walter Price, Oct. 24, 1872 (died March 17, 1874, in San Domingo); Marie An- toinette (died early) ; Lucia Annette, born May 28, 1852, married Walter Price, Feb. 14, 1877, and has one child, Abby C.

All his life George Greenman has been an indus- trious, faithful worker, not only with tools but with his brain, and he never was satisfied until his work was done in the very best possible manner. To his shrewd common sense, thorough workmanship and ability much of the success of the firm is due. From his early childhood he has been pronounced in favor of everything he deemed in harmony with right and in accordance with Christianity. "There is a minor- ity nearer right than the majority," and with this mi- nority, however small, George Greenman, nor any of his brothers, was not ashamed to be enrolled. " Anti- slavery" when it meant almost social ostracism, " anti- rum" when the first slight swell of the great temper- ance wave was felt, "anti-Mason" because they deemed Masonry anti-Christian, everywhere and at all times they have been true to their professed prin- ciples, and no opposition, however numerous or im- posing, could swerve them from the course of right. And back of all this persistency were warm, loving hearts, and if they erred ever, it was the error of the head, and never that of the heart.

Kind and loving as a father and husband, firm and unfaltering in his friendships, a prudent and wise counselor, George Greenman, in a ripe old age, is es- teemed and honored by all; and in an unusually large range of personal acquaintance none can be found to whisper aught against his integrity or genu- ine Christian worth. He has always been a Seventh- day Baptist, and was one of the constituent members

Thoof Grumman

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of the church at Greenmanville, which owes its or- ganization and continuance to him and his brothers. He is unswervingly a Republican, and a pronounced Prohibitionist. He has been for years a director of Mystic River National Bank.

Clark Greenman .- The following, from the pen of an intimate personal friend, is a just résumé of the character and life of Clark Greenman, and tells the story of his life better than words of ours :

"Clark Greenman was born in Hopkinton, R. I., June 23, 1808, and died at Mystic Bridge, Conn., April 26, 1877, having almost completed his sixty- ninth year. He was the son of Silas and Mary Still- man Greenman, parents of sterling integrity and ex- emplary Christian lives, a fact that was held in grateful remembrance by him, who often declared that whatever eminence he had reached in the line of true manhood and Christian integrity was due to the careful instruc- tion of a Christian mother and exemplary life of a devoted father. Under the pressure of such limited circumstances as was common in primitive days, and with few advantages for mental culture, they felt that the best fortune they could bequeath their children was that of moral power with the ' true riches ;' there- fore they were untiring in their efforts to lead their children in the way of everlasting life.

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History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 175

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1317

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317