USA > Connecticut > New London County > Ledyard > History of the town of Ledyard, 1650-1900 > Part 8
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Guidon Bill
of British soldiers gained the land and he, with others, who were sheltered by a stone wall near the shore opened fire whereupon the invaders took to their heels and to the boat and rowed back to the fleet, but in their haste to get safely away they dropped several guns and accoutrements ; one of the guns captured he had as a trophy and it is still kept in the family as a souvenir of that affair in the War of 1812. He, however, was never mustered into the government service and did duty only during the at- tack on Stonington. He was engaged for a time in the whole- sale fish trade at the old "Fly Market" in New York City.
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FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES.
Leaving there he returned to Groton and entered the mercantile business in the store which now stands opposite the "parsonage." This business he conducted successfully for a number of years. In those days the spinning of cotton yarn for the mills at Jewett City, engaged the attention of many families, and he procured every two weeks from those factories a supply which was dis- tributed among the people in North Groton for spinning. This product he returned to the mills regularly and this grew to quite a large business in itself. He finally bought a part of two farms lying adjacent to his store, one of which was the old Bishop Seabury place. This Seabury house, now destroyed, was the first parsonage in America. The house on the other place nearest the store, he had remodelled for his own use and at considerable cost for those days. He employed Isaac Gallup to do the work. In the second story he had made a large hall for the accommoda- tion of the Masonic Lodge, of which he was the master, and which since has served as a place for lectures, meetings, dancing, and in later years as a place where the trustees of the Bill Library have held their annual dinners. The Lodge was moved to Mystic Bridge.
He married in Aug., 1821, Miss Lucy Yerrington, of Preston, Conn.
He represented Groton in the General Assembly of 1828. He was a Democrat in politics and a member of the Univer- salist Church of Norwich, Conn., of which church he, in 1820. with David Tracy, H. K. Park and Paul Harvey, was among the founders. He died Sept. 10, 1856, and was buried in the family lot in Ledyard, with Masonic honors by members of Norwich fraternity. The lodge for which he had built a home was later located in the lower village of Mystic where it now flourishes. He left a large family of children, three of whoni died early and eight arrived at maturity. Two daughters, Eliza and Harriet, died at the ages of 16 and 18, respectively. The others were :--
Edward M. Bill, the oldest son, born April, 1822. He learned the carpenter's trade and for a while was located in Norwich and then travelled West, where he married and settled in Iowa, rais-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
ing a family. He was a member of the Iowa Senate for four years, their terms of office being two years. He was also super- intendent of schools of Munroe County for several years. He died in 1886.
Henry Bill-See biographical sketches.
Gurdon Bill, Jr., was born June 7, 1827, and remained on the farm until the age of eighteen, after which he engaged in the sale of books for several years, travelling in many of the Western States, also in New England and the British Provinces. He then engaged with his brother Henry in the publishing business. In the year 1855 he removed to Springfield, Mass., and entered the publishing business on his own account, and continued success- fully in that line until the year 1868 when he sold out to his brother Charles. Later on he became interested in the paper, envelope and other manufacturing enterprises. In 1871 he rep- resented Springfield in the General Court, and in 1885 became the president of the Springfield and New London Railroad Co., and vice-president of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, until the latter road was sold to the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Co. For several years he was the president of the Second National Bank of Springfield ; in 1900 he resigned.
He gave to the City of Springfield the soldiers' monument located on Court Square in said city. By economy and business sagacity, Mr. Bill has gathered an ample fortune. He married May 12, 1853, Emily A. Denison, daughter of Nathan Fish Denison, of Groton. She died Feb. 17, 1879. They had chil- dren :--
Nathan D., b. Oct. 12, 1855, m. Ruth Wight, and lives in Springfield, Mass.
Harriet E., b. Aug. 21, 1857, m. George D. Dutton, and lives in Pittsfield, Mass.
Mary A., b. Sept. 15, 1859, m. E. Howard Beach. She died Jan. 24, 1889.
Edward E., b. Feb 22, 1862, single, and lives in Springfield, Mass.
Charles G., b. Feb. 13, 1870, m. Susan P. Marsh, and lives in Unionville, Conn.
GURDON BILL, ESQ.
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FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES.
Frederic Bill was born in 1833. His early life was spent upon the home farm. He was educated in the public schools, Roberts' Academy at Poquetanuck and Suffield Literary Insti- tute. He afterwards taught school in the "Lester" district in the western part of the town. Though successful as a teacher, he chose a more active life, and travelled in the British Provinces, visiting Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Ed- ward's Island, subsequently spending a considerable time in the South and West in the sale of books. In 1856 he engaged in the publishing business in Springfield, Mass., in connection with his brother Gurdon, who was already established there. In 1858 he spent a winter in Cuba, and in the spring of the same year, married Lucy G. Dennison, daughter of Nathan F. Dennison, of Mystic, Conn. At the beginning of the Civil War he disposed of his interest in the publishing business. In 1865 he became interested in the importation and manufacture of linen goods under the firin name of Tracy & Bill, with a place of business on Franklin street, New York City. After a few years he bought out his partner and continued the business alone, until 1873, when he disposed of his entire interest and retired from com- mercial life. Soon afterward he made a tour of Europe with his wife, spending a year abroad. Since 1872 he has resided in Groton, Conn., near the mouth of the river Thames. His wife died in April, 1894. In August. 1895, he married Julia O. Avery, daughter of E. D. Avery, of Groton, immediately going abroad, visiting many countries on the continent, including Norway, Sweden and Spain, extending his tour to the far East and the river Nile. In 1888 he presented to the village of Groton a library in memory of his deceased sisters, which was incor- porated under the title of the Bill Memorial Library, and in 1890 erected a granite library building at a cost, including grounds, etc., of nearly twenty thousand dollars, which he also presented to the trustees of the library. Subsequently, he gave the board of trustees ten thousand dollars as an endowment fund. He is a director in the Chelsea Savings Bank, of Norwich, and in other institutions. He has always declined political preferment.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
Ledyard Bill, born in 1836. He was brought up on the farm with one season's "working out" for Isaac Avery "thrown in." It was the rule of his father that his boys should have a taste of going away from home to work. It was and is a wholesome rule in the case of boys. He attended school at Norwich and Suffield Academy for a brief period, and then naturally drifted into the business of travelling and selling books. This was fol- lowed for a number of years in about all portions of the country. Finally he was encouraged to settle in Louisville, Ky., with a branch publishing office at that place. He remained there till the Civil War broke out, but, before leaving, he with several other Union men in that city, established the first Union League Club in this country, in time of that war. This society flourished, and saved that border state, it was believed, from secession. Later he removed to New York City where he opened an office at 10 Spruce street, and afterwards, at 75 Fulton street, and con- tinued publishing. He was married in June, 1872, to Miss Sophia Earle, in Brooklyn, N. Y. Subsequently, he gave up business and removed to Paxton, Mass., where he still resides.
Mr. Bill has been for about twenty years chairman of the se- lectmen and chairman of the school board, saying nothing of the other local offices held, temporarily filled, such as town treasurer. town clerk, and overseer of the poor. In 1891 he represented his district, comprising five towns, in the General Court at Boston, and was the chairman of the committee on agriculture, and also a member of that on printing. In 1894 he was chosen to the Senate as a Republican in a previously strong Democratic district. This district comprised 19 towns-three of which, Webster, Southbridge and Spencer, are large manufacturing towns and nearly eligible to promotion as cities. He led every person associated with him on the ticket and redeemed the dis- trict. In the Senate he was the chairman on engrossed bills, meniber of the committee on education, chairman of roads and bridges, a member of committee on agriculture, and sundry other special committees. In 1895 he was re-elected from the Fourth Worcester County district to the State Senate at Boston, without difficulty. He defeated the "Salary Grab" measure in the House
LEDYARD BILL.
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FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES.
in 1891, thereby saving to the State over $70,000.00 per year, also defeated the sportsmen's game law and caused to be enacted the oleomargerin act. In 1894, in the Senate, as chairman of the committee on roads and bridges of the State, he advocated "good roads," and secured, after a hard and prolonged contest, an ap- propriation of $200,000., being the first dollar ever granted in the United States by any State Legislature for State roads, pure and simple. In 1895 he advocated a larger sum, which was given, viz., $300,000. It has now become the policy of the State and to date, something over two millions have been appropriated and over two hundred miles have been constructed at an average cost of about ten thousand dollars per mile for a macadam high- way. Other states have fallen into line and, eventually, this country will have fine carriage roads. Mr. Bill defeated the tuberculin act which was about to sweep the State before much was known as to its merits. Instead of being mandatory the statute is now permissive. Mr. Bill has been mentioned of late years as a possible candidate for Congress. He is a member of the Society of American Authors of New York ; a corresponding member of New England Historic-Genealogical Society, of Bos- ton ; an honorary member of the Wisconsin Historical Society ; a member of the corporation of the Mechanics Savings Bank, of Worcester, Mass .; chairman of the Third Congressional District Republican Committee ; a member of the Republican State Committee, declining further service ; vice-president of the Wor- cester County Agricultural Society, when in its most flourishing condition ; was on the committee to dispose of its fair grounds, obtaining $185,000.00 for the same; president of the Oraskaso Historical Society of Worcester County, Massachusetts, for sev- eral years ; a member of the Patriotic Order of the Sons of the American Revolution of Massachusetts ; a member of the Wor- cester County Horticultural Society, also of the Fruit Growers' Association of Massachusetts, and original projector and member of the Bay State Agricultural Society ; gave the soldiers' monu- ment, now standing in his native town, to the town on July 4, 1873; was instrumental in establishing the free public library in his adopted town in Massachusetts.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
He has written several volumes, namely: One on Florida, also one on Minnesota, one on the town of Paxton, Mass., and compiled a volume on the Civil War, and a genealogy of the Bill family in this country.
Charles Bill, Ph. B., the youngest of the children of Gurdon Bill, Sr., was born June 7th, 1840 and lived at home till 1856,
CHARLES BILL, PH. B.
when he entered the State Normal School at New Britain, Conn., where he remained one year when he entered the Norwich Free Academy, at which school he continued till time of his gradua- tion in June, 1861. He was the valedictorian of his class. He entered Yale in the fall of 1861, taking a scientific course, grad- uating in 1864, taking the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. He won at Yale three prize medals in the course of his studies,
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FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES.
one for declamation, one for the best examination in the natural sciences and one as an essayist. He was later offered a profes- sorship in an educational institution in York State, but on ac- count of his health declined. He decided upon an outdoor occupation and commenced the sale of books by subscription ; finally locating in Chicago, Illinois, at 132 South Clark street, having a general publishing agency. In 1868 he succeeded his brother, Gurdon, in the publishing business in Springfield, Massachusetts, under the firm name of Bill, Nichols & Company. In 1869-70, he, in connection with his brother, last named, erected a large iron block on Main street, in said city. Soon after its completion he met with a serious accident, caused by a gas explosion in the building, which nearly cost him his life. It was a couple of years ere he recovered his usual health, mean- while he disposed of his business to his partners and set sail for Europe, spending a year and more abroad, visiting all portions of Europe and the Holy Land, including a voyage up the Nile. He returned in 1874, somewhat improved in health. He after- wards repeated in part his European tour.
He was a member of the National Academy of Science; also a member of the Yale Alumni Association of the Connecticut Valley ; was a member of the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution; and of the American Economic As- sociation ; also of the Science Association of Springfield; and of the Winthrop and Nyassett Clubs of that city ; a member of the Apalachian Club of New England. He was fond of out-door life and was a well-known amateur ornithologist. He was a member of the South Congregational Church in Springfield, Mass. He made a trip in the winter of 1897 to Florida, and on his return was taken ill at Lithia Springs, Georgia, where he died after a brief illness on April 15, 1897. His public benefactions were many, chief of which were those to the church and library of his native town and six thousand dollars to city hospital of Springfield, and seven thousand dollars to found a free scholar- ship in Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass. The place of his interment was in the family lot at the old homestead in his native town.
8
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
THE BOLLES FAMILY.
(BY AMOS HURLBUT).
Robinson Bolles, oldest child of Amos and Abigail (Smithi) Bolles, was born in New London County, Jan. 25, 1766. When a small boy he went to live with his grandfather, James Smith. He was married Nov. 26, 1789, to Hannah Stoddard. They lived at Gale's Ferry, on the plot of ground now owned by Mr. Frank Brown. In 1810, Mr. and Mrs. Bolles, with nine children, moved to Rush, Susquehannah Co., Pa. They made the journey with their own team, drawn by horses, in twenty-one days, every one of which was rainy. Some of the way their route was through a wilderness where there were no roads, and their course was indicated by marked trees. They located about eight miles from Montrose, the present county seat, near Wyalusing Creek. Deer were very plenty in the region ; and it was no uncommon thing to hear wolves howling about their cabin at night. Mr. Bolles established the first tannery in the region ; and it was patronized by the people for many miles. around. His sons cleared away the forests; and divided their time between hunting, fishing, trapping and farming. The miller, not far away, was generally glad to exchange meal and flour for the meat which they had to dispose of ; so that their larder was always well supplied. Once every year-usually in the winter-they carried a load of meat, furs and leather to New York City. Mr. John A. Bolles, in "The Bolles' Genealogy," says : "In the spring of 1860 I visited Fairdale and the vicinity, in which reside the children of Robin- son and Hannah (Stoddard) Bolles; and a more vigorous and manly race I never saw. The men were farmers, all of them above the medium height-most of them upwards of six feet-and had never tasted ardent spirits or tobacco. I felt proud of this branch of our tribe."
Mr. Bolles died at Rush, Pa., Jan. 28, 1842, aged 76. Mrs. B. died at Jessup, Pa., Nov. 20, 1852, aged 84.
Their children were
Hannah, b. Aug. 29, 1790, d. April 25, 1792.
Simeon A., b. Oct. 13, 1792.
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FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES.
Maria, b. Sept. 26, 1794. Abel, b. Dec. 14, 1796. Nelson, b. May 25, 1799. Elkanah, b. April 28, 1801.
Hannah, b. Sept. 9. 1803.
John, b. Sept. 5, 1805.
James S., b. July 28, 1807. Nancy L., b. May 17, 1809.
Amy Bolles, second child of Amos and Abigail (Smith) Bolles, married Benjamin Bill May 9, 1791. They lived near the present residence of Mr. Moses Baily. They had two children-Fanny Bolles and Sarah. Mr. Bill was lost at sea in the month of January, 1795. Mrs. Bill was married in 1803, to Jonathan Stoddard, by whom she had one child, Hester. With this daugh- ter, at the old homestead, Mrs. Bill spent the closing years of her life. She died Feb. 1I, 1861, at the age of 93.
THE BREWSTER FAMILY.
The Brewsters of Ledyard and vicinity, also many bear- ing other names, such as Avery, Crary, Gallup, Morgan, Roach are descendants of Elder William Brewster, who was the spiritual leader of the Mayflower Pilgrims, who established the first per- manent settlement in New England, at Plymouth, Mass., in the year 1620. He and his associates in this enterprise were fugitives from religious persecution. They were originally from Scrooby and adjacent towns in the east part of England. They had spent a dozen years in Holland before coming to America. But not finding in that country all that they desired they concluded to try their fortunes in the new world. From the time that they left their homes in the father-land on for a good many years they experienced great privations and hardships, but at length suc- ceeded in establishing upon this continent a colony that has been instrumental of unspeakable good to our own land and to the world.
Brewster was pre-eminently a leader, not only in spiritual, but temporal things in this exceedingly difficult undertaking.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
Though a man of education and refinement, educated at Cam- bridge University, and originally possessed of a large estate, he freely consented to share with his fellow-pilgrims in the indigni- ties and penalties that were heaped upon them by tyranical op- pressors, as well as in the arduous labors and extreme sufferings necessarily incident to the planting of a colony 3,000 miles from home, across a stormy ocean, in an unsubdued wilderness and in the presence of untamed savages. Yet he had the happiness of seeing his labors crowned with success, and prospects opening be- fore him and his fellows of the most encouraging character. He was one of the Mayflower Pilgrims who lived to see not a few of the fruits of their great self-denial and arduous toil. As he
drew near the end of life in 1643-4, some of the accomplished re- sults which he had the pleasure of witnessing were: "A Chris- tian colony planted ; the savage foe, to a large extent, appeased, conciliated, and, in several cases, encouragingly influenced by Christian instruction and example. From that one poor settlement had others arisen, now numbering eight towns. Instead of one small church, he could behold eight Christian folds, with their pastors. In room of the small number of fifty souls, spared through the first season, were now eight thousand, with a con- stitution, established laws, and a government defined. Along with their churches, he had witnessed the establishment of schools, to be the glory of New England ; and not only these, but a.college, and its graduating classes, showing their purpose, that freedom, education and religion should go hand in hand."
(Steele's Life of William Brewster. Page 382).
William Brewster was born about 1560, and died at his home in Duxbury in 1644, aged 84. His wife, Mary (Love?), died at Plymouth, where the family then resided, between 1623 and 1627.
Their children :-
I. Jonathan, b. at Scrooby, m. (probably in Holland). Lucretia (Oldham), d. 1661 ; buried at Brewster's Neck, near Poquetanuck Cove. Mrs. B. d. 1671.
2. Love, b. (probably in Holland), m. May 15, 1634, Sarah Collier ; had four children ; lived to 1650.
3. Wrestling. The following things are probably true of him :
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FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES.
m. 1630, Emla Story-settled in Portsmouth, N. H .- had a daughter b. May 3, 1636, named Love Lucretia, d. in 1636, or soon after.
4. Fear, m. about 1625 Isaac Allerton ; had one son, Isaac ; d. 1632.
5. Patience, m. 1629, Thomas Prince ; had three daughters ; d. 1634.
Jonathan Brewster, son of Elder William B. (1560-1644), settled first in Duxbury, Mass., and became a leading man in the affairs of the town. About 1649 he moved to New London, and later to Brewster's Neck, where, on land purchased of Uncas, the chief of the Mohegans, he established a Trading Post.
Children of Jonathan and Lucretia Brewster :-
I. William, b., m. and settled in Duxbury.
2. Mary, b. 1625, in. 1645, John Turner, of Scituate.
3. Benjamin, m. 1659, Ann Dart, of New London.
4. Elizabeth, m. 1654, Peter Bradley, second, Christophers, of New London.
5. Grace, m. 1659, Daniel Wetherell, of New London.
6. Ruth, m. 1648, John Picket, of New London, second Charles Hill.
Children of Benjamin and Ann (Dart) Brewster, who prob- ably resided at Brewster's Neck :-
I. Ann, b. 1662.
2. Jonathan, b. 1664.
3. Daniel. b. 1667, m. 1686, Hannah Gager.
4. William, b. 1669.
5. Ruth, b. 1671.
6. Benjamin, b. 1673.
7. Elizabeth, b. 1676.
Benjamin Brewster died 1710, aged 77.
Benjamin Brewster (1633-1710), who married Ann Dart, had a son Jonathan (b. 1664, m. Judith Stephens), who had a son Joseph (m. Dorothy Witter), who had a son Nathan, who had a son Nathan who was the father of the late Franklin Brewster, of Ledyard.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LEDYARD.
Joseph Brewster, who married Dorothy Witter, had a son Jabez (1747-1802), who had a son John (1782-1848), who was the father of Hon. John Brewster, now (1900) living in Ledyard.
Children of Daniel (b. 1667) and Hannah (Gager) Brewster :-
I. Hannah, b. 1690.
2. Mary, b. 1692.
3. John, b. 1695, m. 1725, Dorothy Treat, daughter of Rev. Salmon Treat.
4. Jerusha, b. 1697, d. 1705.
5. Ruth, b. 1701.
6. Bethia, b. 1702.
7. Jonathan, b. 1705.
8. Jerusha, b. 1710, d. 171I.
9. Ebenezer, b. 1713.
Daniel Brewster died 1737.
Children of John (b. 1695), and Dorothy (Treat) Brewster, who lived some two miles south-west of Preston City :-
I. Oliver, b. 1726.
2. Dorothy, b. 1727.
3. Hannah, b. 1728, d. 1736.
4. Daniel, b. 1731.
5. Sarah, b. 1733, m. Moses Parke, of Preston.
6. Sybil, b. 1735.
7. John, b. 1737, d. 1752.
8. Eunice, b. 1740, m. Oliver Crary.
9. Levi, b. 1743, d. 1750.
Io. Asaph, b. 1746.
Sarah Brewster, daughter of John and Dorothy, who married Moses Parke, had a daughter Parthenia, who married Stephen Morgan, of North Groton. This Stephen Morgan was the grandfather of Stephen Morgan, now resident in Ledyard.
Eunice Brewster (1740-18-). daughter of John and Dorothy (Treat) Brewster, married Oliver Crary. Their children :-
Oliver, m. Desire Aver, had three sons and one daughter. Elisha, m. Nabby Avery, had five sons and two daughters. Sarah, m. Robert S. Avery, had five sons and three daughters.
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FAMILY HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES.
Dorothy, m. Amos Avery, had four sons and four daughters. Nancy, second wife of Robert S. Avery, had no children.
[E. G.]
THE FANNING FAMILY.
About the year 1635-40, Edmond Fanning arrived in Ameri- ca and took his place among the early pioneers; he was fol- lowed by a son of the same, and he by a grandson bearing the Christian name of his grandfather.
A son of the third Edmond had a son William, and he a son George.
George Fanning was the first of this family settling in North Groton, near Lantern Hill, about 1770. He married Eunice Barnes. They had three children, viz .: Eunice, James (b. Aug. 5. 1772) and Keturah.
These children were left fatherless at an early age. The date of his death is not given on the head stone which marks his grave. His widow died Aug. 21, 1829.
The son James was early in life bound to Caleb Tyler, of Preston, with whom he lived till the age of twenty-one, suffer- ing many hardships, as was sometimes wont to be the case under like circumstances. After leaving Mr. Tyler he learned the car- penter's trade and followed that occupation for a number of years. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Williams and located in Preston, where five children were born to them, viz .: George, James, Phebe, William, and Isaac.
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