USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Torrington > History of Torrington, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1737, with biographies and genealogies > Part 64
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86
I Hartford Daily Courant, Oct. 11, 1872.
2 Manuscript of Dr. E. D. Hudson, New York, 1875.
632
HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
He became highly respected as a physician and citizen, and soon acquired an extensive practice and considerable celebrity. He was very highly esteemed by the noted of the profession, and early re- ceived the honorary degree of doctor of medicine by the State Medi- cal Society. He possessed and exercised that frankness of speech and firmness of character which characterized his father, which, with his active benevolence and philanthropy, rendered him a very useful member of society. He was a member, vestryman and war- den of the Episcopal church.
He was cut down in early life, in his growing usefulness by dis- ease of the lungs and rapid phthisis, that insidious foe to others of his father's family, in 1832, in the thirty-seventh year of his age.
DR. CHARLES WOODWARD 1
Was born in Torringford, August 16, 1798, and was the son of Dr. Samuel and Polly (Griswold) Woodward. He received most of his education by the instruction of his father and at the Torringford academy ; and afterward studied medicine with his brother, Dr. S. B. Woodward. He then received his degree of doctor of medicine from the medical department of Yale college. In 1822, in his twenty-fourth year, after having spent some time with his father in practice, he went to Windsor, Ct., and settled. There he encoun- tered the opposition of physicians, much his seniors in age and prac- tice, who had been trained in the practice of the expectantia system, quite inefficient for the successful treatment of the type of most of the acute diseases incident to that malarious region.
His discriminating sense, studious habits, great fortitude, attentive- ness and sympathy won for him a good business, a commanding ascendancy over his competitors and respect of his professional breth- ren, with whom he maintained an honorable standing. He was an earnest, active member of the Hopkins Medical Society, for the ad- vancement of medical seience, and an honored fellow of the state Medical Society.
Dr. Woodward remained in Windsor ten years when he removed to Middletown to fill the place made vacant by the death of his brother Henry, to whose practice he succeeded with great credit.
Dr. Charles Woodward, probably, inherited more of the tempera- ment and prominent traits of character of his father than any other
I Manuscript of Dr. E. D. Hudson, of New York, 1875.
633
BIOGRAPHIES.
member of the family. He possessed great decision of character, self reliance and adherence. His religious views and practice were similar to his father's ; and in politics he was an active and promi- nent member of the democratic party. He was for several years in succession, alternately a member of the state legislature and senate. He continued in the practice of medicine until nearly the time of his decease in 1872, in the seventy-fourth year of his age.
LUTHER H. WOOD, M.D.,
Son of A. F. Wood, druggist of New Haven, was graduated in Sheffield Scientific school at Yale college, in 1867, and in the medi- cal school of the same institution in 1869. He settled in Wolcott- ville in the autumn of 1872, having previously practiced in Monroe and Southington, and has devoted himself entirely to his profession in which he has had much success.
GEORGE WOLCOTT,
Son of Guy and Abigail Wolcott, was born in Torrington, July 26, 1826, and was one of a family of twelve children. At the age of sixteen, he removed with his father's family, to Tallmadge, Summit county, O., in 1822. His father died the next August, leaving him in care of the farm, assisted only by his youngest brother, where he continued until the spring of 1828. Desiring to engage in business for himself he went to Wadsworth, O., where he purchased on credit, one hundred acres of wild land at four dollars per acre, and commenced clearing it himself. He married Aug. 6, 1828, Mar- garet Hine, of Tallmadge, O., who was born in North Milford, now Orange, Ct. The second day after marriage he took his wife to his new home, beginning married life in a log house with only one room and a chamber. The same autumn he took a contract to fur- nish plank for a large bridge, sawing the lumber himself by night, as the mill was used by others during the day time, and for this work received fifteen dollars, the first money realized after engaging in business for himself.
In 1832, he bought half of a saw mill and engaged in the manu- facture of fanning mills, which enterprise proved successful. In 1836, he sold his possessions at Wadsworth, and made arrangements for finding a home and facilities for water power farther west. Leaving home in March, 1837, he went into Indiana and established his enterprise near the southern line of Johnson township, La Grange
80
634
HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
county, on the middle branch of the Elkhart river. Here he put up a log house and laid the floors, leaving the rest to be completed by the neighbors, while he went after his family. This is the place now called Wolcottville, Indiana. Returning with his family he reached his new home September 28, in the fore part of the day, the weather being cold and rainy, and found his house in the same un- finished condition, without doors, windows and fire-place, as when he left it. He left Mrs. Wolcott and her five children at the nearest neighbor's, Mr. Taylor's, while he and the three hired men, whom he brought with him, gathered stones to build a temporary chimney back, so that fire could be built for the night. This being accom- plished blankets were substituted for windows and doors ; beds put up to accommodate eleven persons, and the family were settled in their western home. By a few days' work the house was made comfortable and Mr. Wolcott proceeded to business " by clearing a piece of land for a mill dam and pond and constructed a race half a mile long. In 1838, he built a saw mill, appropriating a part of it for a temporary grist mill, putting one run of stone for custom work. In 1839, he built a store and a frame barn, and put a few goods into the store.
In 1845 he built a large grist mill with three run of stone, bring- ing the machinery from Ann Arbor, Michigan, on wagons with horses and oxen, a distance of one hundred and sixty-five miles, and occupying from ten days to three weeks in the journey. He ground the first grist November 9th, which made it a day to be celebrated. This same year he built another saw mill. In 1847 he built a new store, putting into it a full stock of goods, and thereby was conduct- ·ing seven different branches of business ; milling, sawing, coopering, blacksmithing, mercantile, ashery and farming.
Having succeeded thus far he turned his attention to another en- terprise. Being anxious to give his children a better education than could be obtained in the district schools he sent to Governor Slade, president of the National Educational Society that met at Hartford, Conn., to send a teacher as governess in his family. The governor sent from one of his classes Miss Susan Griggs, of Westfield, Ver- mont, a lady of culture and true Christian refinement. She taught one year in the family, during which time he had received frequent requests to grant other children to receive the benefit of her instruc- tion. The next year he put up a building suitable for such a pur- pose, and school commenced November 23d, and the institution
635
BIOGRAPHIES.
took the name of Wolcottville Young Ladies Seminary. After- wards young men were admitted. Soon after this he built a board- ing house with rooms for students to board themselves and also to be boarded in the institution, and rooms for a steward and matron.
All the money used by Mr. Wolcott in these enterprises were from his own resources. He also gave largely for the support of the gospel, and was in the true sense of the word the poor man's friend.
He died March 31, 1857, aged fifty-one years, leaving a wife and six children.
GENEALOGIES.
ABERNETHY, WILLIAM, was a native of Scotland, and came to Branford and thence to Wallingford. The name of his first wife was Sarah, that of his second Elizabeth. He was an active energetic man. Children :
I. Elizabeth, b. Oct. 15, 1673. 5. Samuel, b. Jan. 10, 1683, d. Mar. 14, 1723.
2. William, b. Jan. 23, 1675.
3. Sarah, b. Oct. 10, 1677.
6. Daniel, b. Sept. 3, 1686.
4. Mary, b. Mar. 29, 1679.
7. Susannah, b. July 18, 1689.
2. WILLIAM, son of William of Wallingford, m. Mary -, and lived in Wallingford. He d. Feb., 1728, and she d. Jan. 1, 1757. Children :
8. Mary, b. April 30, 1700.
9. Jemima, b. Aug. 20, 1702.
IO. Sarah, b. Dec. 15, 1704.
II. Ann, b. June 7, 1706.
12. John, b. Feb. 27, 1708, killed by light-
ning May 12, 1727, a. 19.
13. Caleb, b. Feb. 11, 1710, m. Lois Gay- lord
14. Susannah, b. April 28, 1712, m. Sam- uel Yale.
13. CALEB, son of Wm. and Mary Abernethy, m. Lois Gaylord of Wal- lingford, Sept. 26, 1733. Children :
15. William, b. July 1, 1734.
18. Mary, b. Dec. 9, 1739.
19. Jared, b. Oct. 31, 1741.
15. DR. WILLIAM, son of Caleb and Lois (Gaylord) Abernethy, studied medicine and settled in Harwinton, as a physician and m. June 20, 1762, Honor, daughter of Abijah Catlin, the first of the name in Harwinton. Dr. Wm. Abernethy was a successful, much esteemed and honored physician in Harwinton, where he d. Nov. 26, 1802, aged 68 years. His widow Honor, d. Sept. 14, 1811, aged 66. Children :
20. Honor, b. Aug. 28, 1763, m. Daniel 26. Andrew, b. April 23, 1776, d. June 2, Catlin.
21. Lorain, b. Sept. 25, 1768, m. Abel Peck.
22. Capt. Wm. Conant, b. May 25, 1770, m. 23. Lucretia, b. June 8, 1772, m. Timothy Clark.
24. Roswell, \ b. June 20, 1 m.
25. Rosseter, J 1774, d. young.
28. GEN. RUSSELL, son of Dr. William and Honor (Catlin) Abernethy, was in Washington, Ct., some time before coming to Torrington. He m. Sept. 17, 1803, Orrel, daughter of Elisha Smith Esq,, who was at that time one of the prominent officers of the town.
Mr. Abernethy became one of the most prominent and highly respected men the town ever had. (See biography.) His wife Orrel d. May 26, 1835. He d. Sept. 16, 1861, a. 81 years. Ch. : 32. Elisha Smith, b. Oct. 24, 1805.
33. Lucy S., b. Sept. 7, 1807, m. George D. Wadhams, Dec. 25, 1829, d. in Wol- cottville.
34. Mary Lucretia, b. Mar. 27, 1812, m.
1782.
27. Huldah, b. Feb. 21, 1778.
28. Russell Catlin, b. Feb. 9, 1780, m.
29. Andrew, b. June 28, 1782, m.
30. Sabrah, b. June 3, 1785, m.
31. Horace, b. June 14, 1787, d. Feb. 12, 1788.
Wm. B. DeForest May 3, 1836, d. in New Haven in 1877.
35. Charlotte Leaming, b. Oct. 2, 1320, m. George P. Cowles Sept. 18, 1844, resides in Ansonia.
16. Mary, b. Nov. 23, 1736.
17. John, b. July 2, 1738.
638
HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
32. ELISHA SMITH, son of Gen'l, m. Charlotte Hugins of New Haven. He entered Yale when 16 years of age and graduated, and studied law and became a lawyer, resided some years in Bridgeport where he died 1869. Children : Helen, m. Oviatt, lives in Bridgeport. Agustus.
Russell, d. in the West.
Charlotte, d. young.
AUGUSTUS, rec'd diploma M.D., at Yale 1864, is a physician in Bridgeport.
AGARD, JAMES, lived in Litchfield, probably not far from the Torrington line, as his children were baptized in Torrington, there being a settled minister at Litchfield during the time. Children :
I. Abigail, b. , m. Joshua Parsons of dau. who m. Chauncey Humphrey of Winchester.
Farmington, April 29 1762.
2. Salmon, b. Sept. 9, 1744.
4. Chloe, b. Dec. 4, 1748.
3. Elizabeth, b. Mar. 19, 1747, m. Benoni Hills of Torrington Oct. 28, 1773, had a
5. Sarah, b. April 9, 1753, m. Friend Thrall, Nov. 23, 1774.
2. SALMON, son of James, m. and lived in the southeasterly part of Newfield where he died, not far from 1800. It is said, the family removed west soon after the death of the father. Children :
6. Salmon, b. ; removed west. 9. Rhoda, b.
7. James, b.
8. Benjamin, b.
10. Olive, b. And probably others.
BENJAMIN, son of Salmon, m. Rhoda daughter of Issachar Loomis of Tor- rington, April 7, 1796, lived in Torrington and Colebrook, and left there in 1816 with his brother-in-law, Joseph Loomis and removed to Wadsworth, Medina o., Ohio. Going in the winter, and after some distance on their way, they took the wheels from their wagons and put them on sleds, with boxes on top with their goods, and traveled most of the way in that manner, on the snow, to Wadsworth. He bought a large tract of land in the northeast part of the town, and cleared a large farm. He was a very careful farmer, of great prudence and economy in saving everything, and keeping everything in order ; always holding an abundant supply of grain for the next year, for fear the next year might not render a sufficient supply.
12. ALVIN, was the eldest son of Benjamin, b. in Torrington Jan. 14, 1797, d. July 29, 1837. He was an industrious farmer, of very diffident and retiring disposition, but little known even by his neighbors. He was a man of much reading, intelligence and observation. For many years he kept a complete meteorological record, on a plan of his own, noting the tem- perature at 6, 12, and 6 o'clock, the direction of the wind, and the fall of rain and snow. He married Lucy, daughter of Salmon Warner.
13. AURELIUS b. March 6, 1799, M.D., of Sandusky City.
14. RHODA b. July 23, 1802.
15. ROMAN LOOMIS, b. Dec. 3, 1804 ; b. in 1805 ; married a Miss Wright. He was a worthy citizen, and a member of the Congrega- tional church. He died June 3, 1846. No descendants of the Agard family remain in Wadsworth.
BRADLEY R., son of Luman Agard of Litchfield, m. Mary A., daughter of Charles S. Church, Nov. 3, 1841 ; and is one of the prominent and reliable men of the town. He has been first selectman many years and has served the town in other offices with unusual acceptance. Children :
I. Arthur B., b. June 3, 1846. ville.
2. Susie Church, b. Oct. 16, 1852, m. 3. Charlie G., b. June 29, 1863.
Gideon H. Welch, a lawyer in Wolcott- 4. Ollie F., b. Dec. 10, 1867.
639
GENEALOGIES.
ALLEN, HIRAM, came from Hebron to Torrington about 1825. He had been m. to a Miss Tinker, a relative of Col. George P. Bissell's mother. He taught school on the Guinea road, near Harwinton line. He m. a Barber and d. Apr. 3, 1826, a. 63. Child : I. William, b. Dec. 26, 1790.
1. WILLIAM, son of Henry and -- (Tinker) Allen, m. Hannah Johnson, Nov. 26, 1816, and lived in Hebron. His wife Hannah was born May 27, 1798, in New London. Children :
2. William, b. Jan. 20, 1818, was a phy- sician and practiced medicine in Meriden, d. in 1850.
3. Edwin, b. Sept. 12, 1818, d. an infant.
4. Harriet N., b. July 16, 1821, d. when 18.
5. Nancy E., b. Jan. 27, 1823, m. C. M. Burt in 1841 ; lived in New Britain, Ct.
6. Caroline A., b. May 27, 1826, m. Lemuel
Pennfield in New Britain.
7. Adaline L., b. Sept. 30, 1828, m. Ist Alfred L. Burt of New Britain ; 2d Milo Shattuck of Manchester, Ct.
8. Hannah E., b. May 13, 1830, d. an in- fant.
9. Henry J., b. May 26, 1831, in Man- chester, Ct.
9. HENRY J., son of William and Hannah (Johnson) Allen, m. Ellen Robin- son of New Britain, Nov. 14, 1853, and came to Wolcottville in 1859, and bought of Charles F. Church the Allen House property, where he has kept a hotel ever since. Children :
IO. Henry J., b. Feb. 20, 1855, in New Britain.
II. Nellie H., b. Dec. 14, 1857, in New
Britain.
12. Hattie B., b. Oct. 5, 1867, in Wolcott- ville.
10. HENRY J. Jr., son of Henry J. and Ellen (Robinson) Allen, m. Mary Walling, Dec. 16, 1875 ; resides with his father. Child :
13. Emma Mary, b. Nov. 30, 1876.
ALLYN," HON. MATTHEW, came from Braintree, Essex county, England, probably, with his sons, and settled at Cambridge, Mass., in 1632 ; removed to Connecticut, 1635 ; may have lived a short time in Hartford, and after- wards settled in Windsor. He m. Margaret - - in England. He d. Feb. 1, 1670. Children :
I. Hon. John, m. Hannah, dau. of Henry Smith of Springfield and died at Hartford.
2. Thomas.
3. Mary, m. Benjamin Newberry of Windsor.
2. THOMAS, son of Matthew and Margaret Allyn, m. Oct. 21, 1658, Abigail, daughter of Rev. John Warham, first pastor at Windsor. He d. in Windsor, Feb. 14, 1695-6. She d. Children :
4. John, b. Aug. 17, 1659, d. Oct. 4, 1659.
5. Matthew, b. Jan. 5, 1660.
6. Thomas, b. Mar. II, 1663, m. Martha
Wolcottt, Jan. 6, 1686, descendants nu- merous.
COL. MATTHEW, son of Thomas and Abigail (Warham) Allyn, m. Jan. 5, 1686, Elizabeth, daughter of Hon. Henry Wolcott and granddaughter of Henry Wolcott the first of the name in Windsor. She inherited from her grandfather an estate situated in the parishes of Tolland and Ledyard Lauran, in Somerset- shire, and at Willington, called Long Forth, in England. The rents of these lands, held by her husband in her right, were disposed of by him in his will, 1740, to their three living sons, and the four sons of his son Thomas, deceased. His estate was £1,806. On his tombstone in Windsor is the following : The Hon. Col. Matthew Allyn, Esq., who was many years the council and judge
1 There was from the first two spellings of this name but the Allen family was not related to the Allyn family. The Allen family came from Enfield and settled in East Windsor. The Henry Allyn family came with Mr. Warham's company, in 1636, to Windsor. Another Scotch family by the name Allyn came fifty or more years later.
640
HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
of the superior court, for the colony of Connecticut, d. Feb. 17, A. D. 1758, in ye 98th year of his age. Mrs. Elizabeth Allyn, consort, d. June 4th, A.D. 1734, in ye 69th year of her age.
" And here their bodies sleep in dust Till the resurrection of the just."
Children :
7. Matthew, b. Aug., 1687. IO. Thomas, b. 1696.
8. Peletiah, b. May 3, 1689.
II. Henry, b. Dec. 16, 1699.
9. Josiah, b. March 9, 1692. 12. Theophilus, b. Aug. 26, 1702.
10. CAPT. THOMAS, son of Matthew and Elizabeth ( Wolcott) Allyn, m. Elizabeth Besides being a prominent military man he was one of the responsible and active men in the first society. He d. Dec. 11, 1738,
a. 42. Children :
13. Thomas b. Nov. 7, 1725, m. Sarah 15. Eunice, b. June 7, 1730, m. Epaphras Phelps. Sheldon, April 30, 1752.
14. Theophilus, b. Nov. 23, 1726, m. Tri- phena Wolcott.
16. Jonathan, b. March 5, 1733. 17. Joseph, b. June 3, 1737.
17. JOSEPH, son of 'Thomas and Elizabeth Allyn, m. Elizabeth Filley, at Windsor, and removed to Torrington and settled on a farm nearly a mile west of Wolcottville, on which he lived until his death. This farm consisted, at his decease, of about two hundred acres of land.
His wife Elizabeth united with the Torrington church December 11, 1763. She d. July 15, 1810, aged 72 years. He d. April 14, 1831, aged 94 years. Children :
18. Elizabeth, b. June 23, 1762, never married, d. Nov. 23, 1843, a. 81.
19. Joseph, b. May 14, 1765.
20. Chauncey, b. Dec. 2, 1767, d. may 20, 1784, a 17.
22. Henry, b. May 20, 1773.
23. Oliver, b. Dec. 15, 1775.
24. Hannah, b. Sept. 26, 1778, never mar- ried, d. Dec. 12, 1836, a 58.
25. Gilbert, b. Oct. 11, 1780.
21. Jonah, b. May 23, 1770.
19. JOSEPH, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Filley ) Allyn, m. 1st, Phebe Smith, March 28, 1793. She d. Sept. 21, 1798. He m. 2d Sabra Loomis, March 18, 1801. She d. Nov. 20, 1833, a. 56. He lived a little east of his father's homestead, and was an active, energetic farmer, until nearly the time of his decease. He d. October 12, 1841, a. 77 years.
2I. JONAH, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Filley) Allyn, m. Laura Root of Burlington, Ct., abont 1826, and lived with his brother Gilbert some years, when he removed to and lived on Gilbert's farm on the Litchfield turnpike. Ch. : 26. Jonah, b. 1827, d. young. 27. Laura Caroline, b. 1831, d. young.
22. HENRY, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Filley) Allyn, m. Betsey Palmer of Windsor, July 26, 1798. He lived some years about a mile north of west from his father's home, on the north side of the road on the hill, where the re- mains of a chimney are to be seen ; the place having been long known as the " old chimney lot." He was a tall, broad shouldered, powerful man. He d. Nov. 25, 1843, a. 71 years. His widow Betsey, d. March 3, 1859, a. 84 years. Children :
28. Henry, b. July 17, 1799.
29. Julia, b. July 4, 1801, m. Lyman Beach of Litchfield, April 7, 1823, and removed to the town and county of Greene, N. Y.
30. Chauncey, b. July 7, 1802, d. Oct. 18, 1851, a. 49, not m. ; built the house across the road a little east of his father's home.
31. Elizabeth, b. Jan. 4, 1804, never m.
32. Leonard, b. Nov. 24, 1807, removed to the state of New York, where he married Laura Bowen.
33. Jonah, b. May 27, 1811, m. and re- moved to Missouri and afterwards to Texas. 34. Amorit, b. Aug. 23, 1812, m. Riley Cook and resides in Wolcottville.
35. Annis, b. Feb. 1, 1814, m. Geo. P. Roberts.
641
GENEALOGIES.
23. OLIVER, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Filley) Allyn, m. Lury Loomis, May 7th, 1801, and settled on the Sarah Higley farm on the hill half a mile north of west from his father's homestead. Two of his deeds were dated, the one in 1799, the other January 30, 1800. His life came to a close while hunting the cows at evening during a thunder storm. Not returning home as expected, search was made for him late in the evening with lanterns but with- out success. In the morning he was found dead in the lot ; supposed to have died of a fit or something of the kind. He d. Aug. 27, 1831, a. 56. His widow Lury d. April 2, 1843, a. 68 years. Children :
36. Amelia, b. July 1, 1803, m. James Whiting, April 10, 1828.
39. Phebe Smith, b. June 8, 1813, never m. ; she collected in part her family gene-
37. Horatio Nelson, b. March 11, 1805. alogy, going to Windsor and making dili-
38. Joseph, b. May 29, 1809. (Town Rec.) gent search; d. May 9, 1862, a. 49 years.
25. GILBERT, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Filley) Allyn, m. Mrs. Phebe Chamberlin. He was an efficient and active man in behalf of the interests of the town and community for many years. He d. Nov. 18, 1850, a. 71.
28. HENRY JR., son of Henry and Betsey (Palmer) Allyn, m. Rheuba, daughter of Giles Whiting, Feb. 17, 1824, lived in different parts of Torring- ton, and removed to Windsor, where he d. Children :
40. Giles.
43. Henry.
41. Chauncey.
44. Charles.
42. Sophia.
37. H. NELSON, son of Oliver and Lury (Loomis) Allyn, m. Speedy, dau. of L. Hamlin Birge June 7, 1832. She was born July 16, 1812. He resides on a farm half a mile west of Wolcottville, a beautiful and picturesque location, as are nearly all the residences on the road running west from the village the distance of two miles. A part of this farm he bought as an out lot or an un- occupied lot, and settled on it as the first resident. It was covered with bushes, briers and weeds wherever the rocks and stones left room for a weed to grow, but it has become, under the energetic hand of its owner, a productive and desirable homestead. It is to be doubted however, whether the success of the farm had been as great, but for the fact that there was as much energy in the house as on the farm. Children :
45. Ellen Eliza, b. April 14, 1833, d. Feb. 27, 1844, a. II years.
46. Alonzo Nelson, b. April 6, 1838, d. Aug. 30, 1839, a. one and a half years.
47. Edward, b. 1840, d. Feb. 19, 1844, a. 3 years.
48. Mary Ellen, b. Sept. 24, 1844, d. Sept. 14, 1862, aged 19 years.
49 Martha Eliza, b. Oct. 2, 1846, m. Sclon
B. Johnson of Cornwall, may 25, 1875, and has a son Sanford Allen b. March 25, 1876; Mr. Johnson is a lawyer and formerly editor at Litchfield, and a farmer. 50. Sarah Elizabeth, b. March 25, 1876, d. a. 7 weeks.
51. Cornelia Dellie, b. Aug. 27, 1850.
52. Charles Edward, b. Jan. 1, 1852, d. Jan. 17, 1874, a. 21 years.
38. JOSEPH, son of Oliver and Lury (Loomis) Allyn, m. Esther dau. of Samuel Westlake, April 17, 1845 ; settled on the farm at the foot of the hill where he lived until his death, and where his widow and her sons still reside. He was a man of considerable public spirit and enterprise, taking special in- terest in the enlargement and beautifying the Torrington burying ground. During the last few years of his life poor health did not allow him to perfect the work about the burying ground as he had purposed, and when he went the work stopped. When Mrs. Allyn was a girl and working by the week, she re- ceived one dollar and twenty-five cents a week which was the usual wages. Work- ing hours ranged in the summer from half past four in the morning until bedtime
81
10.
R.
Ter
642
HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
in the evening, and the work was hard work. The wedding coat of Joseph, the first Allyn in the town, is still to be seen in the possession of this family, also a pair of revolutionary horse pistols, made by Medad Hills. Children : 53. Frederick A., b. Feb. 17, 1846. 55. J. Eugene, b. Aug. 28, 1859. 54. George A., b. Feb. 27, 1850.
APPLY, EZEKIEL, was a revolutionary soldier and settled at Holbrook's mills about 1800. He had children, Josiah, John, Ezekiel, David, Eunice, Charlotte, and Betsy ; the last who m. Hiram Johnson, and lives in Goshen, East street with her son George. She had also Laura, and Caroline. The Apply families were well known many years through their grist mill and other enterprises of labor, as mechanics and farmers, but all are removed from the town.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.