Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 101

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354

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politics Mr. Hammond is a Republican. Mount Kisco, Westchester county, in connec- tion with Stephen and Samuel Carpenter, he established a local newspaper, known as the Mount Kisco Weekly, of which he was the ed- itor for several years. He was chairman of the Republican town committee, was elected justice of the peace of the town of New Castle, and a member of the board of education of the Mount Kisco Union Free School District. In the incorporation of the village of Mount Kisco he took an active part, and obtained the so- briquet of "Prime Mover."

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In Mount Kisco Mr. Hammond met Miss Isabel Monilaws (who subsequently became his wife), a woman of refinement and culture, the daughter of the Rev. George Monilaws, of Somers, Westchester county, in which village she was born. They were married by Rev. Dr. C. W. Baird, of Rye, July 25, 1875, and three daughters, all born in Mount Kisco, were the issue of this marriage: Marion Isa- bel, Grace Twemlow, and Elsie. Mrs. Ham- mond died at her home, "Spy Hill," Fishkill Landing, N. Y., May 28, 1892, and was buried in the Fishkill Rural Cemetery, Fishkill, N. Y. On April 6, 1897, Mr. Hammond was again married, his second wife being Miss Laura An- thony, daughter of the late Richard Kip Anthony and Ann Bowie Dash, of New York, the cere- mony having been performed by the Rev. Charles W. Fritts, D. D., of Fishkill-on-Hud- son, New York.

Mr. Anthony took up the ordinary duties of a good citizen, and interested himself in the development of his locality. In October, 1889, at the formation of the Union Free School District of Fishkill Landing, he was elected a member of the boardof education, and as clerk to the board took a leading part in the planning and building of the splendid school building which was erected in 1890-91. In 1894 Mr. Hammond was elected president of the board. For three successive terms he was elected president of the village of Fishkill Landing, and close attention to all the details of the position was the marked peculiarities of his term of service. He has served as town auditor, and while a pronounced temperance man was elected, after a hard contest, a mem- ber of the Town Board of Excise, with a handsome majority. The village of Fishkill, because of its situation between great brick yards, is proverbial for its many saloons and liquor shops. Mr. Hammond is a member of the Reformed Dutch Church, and an officer of the same, being for years a Sunday-school teacher, a deacon and an elder. His residence is finely located on Park avenue, overlooking Newburg Bay, surrounded with ample grounds, well-kept and planted with beautiful flowers, shrubs and hedges.

G ILMAN D. HOLMES, a prominent citi- zen of Matteawan, Dutchess county, has been for many years the master mechanic of the N. D. & C. R. R., in charge of the build-

ing and repair shops at Dutchess Junction, and has proved himself an able executive of- ficer in that department, uniting in a rare de- gree practical knowledge of the details of the work with the faculty of managing effectively a large force of men.

He is a "Yankee " by birth, his parents, Lewis and Mittie (Osgood) Holmes, being resi- dents of Francestown, N. H., where his fa- ther was a well-known farmer and miller. There were three children: Sarah A., Mason, and Gilman D.

Gilman D. Holmes was born November 29, 1842. The public schools of his native place furnished educational advantages, of which he made good use until he was twenty years old, when he began to learn the trade of machinist in the railroad shops of the N. N. H. R. R., now the Boston & Maine R. R. Eight years there gave him a thorough mas- tery of the business in all its branches, and he then came to Dutchess Junction, and was em- ployed by the N. D. & C. R. R. for about fifteen years before his appointment, in 1885, to his present responsible position in the car shops. His ten years of faithful work in that place completes a term of a quarter of a cen- tury in the service of the same road. He is loyal to the interests of his fellow workers as well as to his employers, and is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

Mr. Holmes married Miss Emma S. An- son, daughter of Nathan Anson, a native of Stanfordville, and his wife, Catherine (Cashner), a descendant of a well-known family of Rhinebeck. The pleasant home of our subject on Ackerman street, Matteawan, is gladdened by one son, Lewis A., born in 1884. In politics Mr. Holmes is an independ- ent voter, supporting either party under vary- ing circumstances as his conscience dictates. He and his wife are Methodists in faith, and take a generous interest in the work of the Church at Matteawan.

S AMUEL BRYANT, a well-known citizen of Matteawan, Dutchess county, was born February 10, 1833, in Gloucestershire, Eng- land, where his family has resided for many generations. His grandfather, Richard Bry- ant, was a prosperous hat manufacturer there, and his four sons-George, Jonathan, Samuel, and Henry-all lived and died in England,

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and were highly esteemed members of the Established Church.

Jonathan Bryant, our subject's father, was born at the old home, and learned the hatter's trade in his father's factory. He followed this business successfully until his death, in 1875; his wife, Esther Gardner), a native of the same place, died in 1883. Her father, George Gardner, was also engaged in hat manufactur- ing. Of the thirteen children of this union, nine are living: 11) George (deceased) was a hatter in Matteawan, where his son, Albert R. Bryant, still resides; (2) Mary A., a twin of ( 3) Samuel, our subject, married John Skidmore, of England, and lives in that country; (4) Esther married John Connells, of Australia; (5) Henry is a resident of Sydney, Australia; (6) Richard lives at Yonkers, N. Y .; (7) West- ley resides in Sydney, Australia; (S) Albert died in England; (9) Clara married (name not given), of London; (10) Eving and (11 ) Jona- than live in England; (12) Luke and (13) Richard died in infancy.

The subject of our sketch was reared in Gloucestershire, England, learning the ances- tral occupation, in which he engaged in early manhood. In 1855 he came to the United States, his first designation being Yonkers, N. Y. He remained there only a few days, and then went to Riverstreet, N. J., and worked at his trade for a short time. In 1856 he made his permanent home at Matteawan, engaging first in the hatter's business, but since 1885 he has conducted a saloon. He was married, in 1857, to Miss Charlotte Gifford, a native of England and a daughter of Thomas Gifford. They have had six children: Mar- tha M., now the wife of Fred Moore, of Mattea- wan; Clara (Mrs. Richard Van Voorhis), of the same place; Jane (Mrs. George Van Ors- dale), also of Matteawan; Evan and Edward, who are in the saloon business at Fishkill Landing; and Lizzie, at home. The family attend the Episcopal Church. Mr. Byrant has many friends, and takes a loyal interest in public questions, voting independently both on local and national issues.

E LAKIN TOMPKINS, one of the most prominent residents of Fishkill-on-Hud- son, Dutchess county, and the able manager of the Dutchess Hat Works, was born in Ash- land, Greene Co., N. Y., July 9, 1842.

His family is of English origin, and he is of

the fifth generation in direct descent from Stephen Tompkins, who came to America in Colonial times, and, after a short residence in Connecticut, settled in Winchester county, N. Y., where he and two of his sons did good service on the side of the colonies all through the Revolutionary war. He had sixteen chil- dren, and his remote descendants are very numerons. One of his grandsons, Daniel D. Tompkins, was vice-President of the United States from 1816 to 1820, and many other members of the family have held positions of honor and usefulness. The great-grandfather of our subject, James Tompkins, supposed to be a son of Stephen, rendered important serv- ice in the Revolutionary war. He served in the Seventh Dutchess County Regiment under Col. Henry Luddington, and in the company commanded by Capt. George Lane. His son, Solomon, our subject's grandfather, was one of the earliest settlers at Ashland, being ac- companied by his son, Solomon (2), father of our subject, who became a prominent farmer there and married Elizabeth Randall, who sur- vives him and now resides at Matteawan.

E. Lakin Tompkins was educated in the public schools of Ashland, and in September, 1 862, at the age of twenty, went to Matteawan to work for the Seamless Clothing Manufactur- ing Co., with whom he remained eight years. He then clerked for a year or two in a clothing store belonging to his brother Lewis, and in 1872 he and John F. Gerow purchased his brother's interest. He disposed of this, how- ever, and in July, 1874, became superintendent of the Dutchess Hat Works, which Lewis Tompkins established at that time. Our sub- ject has managed this extensive plant ever since, and much of the time it has been under his sole charge, owing to the ill health of his brother and his absence abroad. At the death of the latter Mr. Tompkins was appointed excc- utor of his estate. An able business man, displaying in every enterprise, energy and good judgment, Mr. Tompkins has conducted or assisted in various successful ventures. In 1889 he purchased a tract of land in the north- ern part of the village, and laid it out in fifty building lots, many of which have been sold and are now occupied by dwelling houses. He is a director of the First National Bank, and a trustee of the Mechanics Savings Bank. In politics he is a Republican. In 1878 he was elected trustee of the village of Fishkill-on- Hudson, was re-elected to the position for sev-

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eral years in succession, and served one year as president of the village. In August, 1892, President Harrison appointed him postmaster of his village, and this position he held four years, three and one-half years under President Cleveland's administration. For ten years he was a member of the board of education, being elected term after term successively; but early in 1896 he resigned on account of the demands of other important interests upon his time.

Mr. Tompkins has a beautiful residence, built in 1893, situated on High street and com- manding a charming view of the river. His wife was formerly Miss Cordelia E. Knapp, of Greenwich, Conn., a daughter of the late John E. and Joanna Knapp. Her father spent his last days at their home, and passed from earth Thursday, March 12, 1896, in his eighty-fifth year. Two children were born of this mar- riage, Reta I. and Harry K. Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins are leading members of the M. E. Church, and he is especially active in its in- terest, being a trustee and class leader at pres- ent, and for many years he served as Sunday- school superintendent. He has been a Free- mason for about thirty years, and has held the office of master in Beacon Lodge No. 283, F. & A. M., for two successive terms.

E DMUND H. SHEAFF, the superintend- ent of the Fishkill and Matteawan water works, and widely known as an able and efficient manager of large enterprises, was born in Radnor, Delaware county, Penn., June 29, 1850.

His family is of English origin, and he is a direct descendant of Gen. Sheaff, of the Eng- lish army. His grandfather, William Sheaff, was a wealthy tanner in Pennsylvania, and his father, William Sheaff, Jr., born in 1797, was a prosperous farmer, and also a prominent business man of Delaware county for many years before he retired from active business. His death occurred in Philadelphia August 25, 1861. On May 28, 1828, he married Miss Margaretta Fry Sinquette (a descendant of an old French Huguenot family), who died in 1883. They had eleven children: John, Will- ianı, George, Sarah, Noah, Susannah, Mary, Gertrude, Edmund H., Margaret and Adele.

Edmund H. Sheaff received his education in part in the Philadelphia public schools, in part in Crittendens Business College, same city.

When a mere boy, he enlisted, November 17, 1864, in Company K, 196th P. V. I., under Capt. Edward Lyster, for a term of three months, and served until he was mustered out at the close of the war. He then went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and spent three years on a coffee plantation, and on returning to the Uni- ted States engaged in the transportation busi- ness in New York City. In 1870 he went to Cuba, and took charge of sugar plantations at Sagua de la Grande and Cardinas; but after two years went to New Orleans and then to San Francisco, and in the following year en- gaged in mining at Virginia City, Nev., where he remained several years. On returning to the East, he took up his residence at Hoboken, N. J., and for three years was employed by John H. Starin Transportation Co. In 1881 he was engaged by Decker & Rapp, as wharf- inger, having charge of their docks at New York City. In 1884 he went to Mt. Vernon, N. Y., as superintendent and general manager of the Mt. Vernon water works, remaining seven years, and in 1891, representing the in- terest of Taintor & Holt, bankers, No. 11 Wall street, New York, he came to Fishkill to take the management of the Fishkill & Matteawan system. This duty he discharged most ably, winning the respect and esteem of the entire community. He is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the First Baptist Church, of Mt. Vernon, New York.

B ENJAMIN M. TALBOT, a prominent res- ident of Fishkill-on-Hudson, is a well- known dealer in real estate, and the owner of valuable property in that vicinity.

He is a native of England, and a descend- ant of an old Yorkshire family. His paternal grandparents were Charles and Jane Talbot, whose son Thomas, the father of our subject, was a prosperous cloth merchant at Holmfirth, Yorkshire, England. He married Judith Winter, daughter of Matthias Winter, and reared a family of eight children: Elizabeth, Benjamin M. ( our subject ), Charles, Jane, Richard, Thomas, Matthew and Emily.

Benjamin M. Talbot was educated in the schools of his native town, and in early man- hood came to America, where he located first in Newburgh, N. Y. After one year there he moved to Fishkill Landing, and in 1866 en- gaged in the wholesale and retail liquor traffic,

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continuing until 1886- twenty years to a day. He then sold his business and partially retired from active life, his attention being given to some extent to dealing in real estate. He is the owner of several stores and other property, and in his investments has always shown fine business judgment.

Mr. Talbot has a beautiful home at Fish- kill-on-Hudson, on the corner of Dutchess terrace and Verplanck avenue. His wife, formerly Miss Elizabeth Bates, whom he mar- ried November 9, 1868, is a daughter of Will- iam and Mary Ann ( Rothwell ) Bates, of Yorkshire, England. Five sons have blessed their union, one of whom died in infancy, and another, Frederick, at the age of twenty years. The surviving three are: James G., a book- keeper in New York City; William R., a law student in the law office of J. Hervey Cook, attorney at law; and Henry Talbot, attending school. Mrs. Talbot is a prominent member of St. Luke's Protestant Episcopal Church at Matteawan, and interested in the various lines of parish work. In politics Mr. Talbot is a Republican, but he keeps aloof from partisan strife, and does not seek official honors. He belongs to the order of the Knights of Pythias Lodge at Matteawan.

S ILAS TERWILLIGER, a merchant of Matteawan, Dutchess county, is well known throughout the State as an able and energetic business man, many years of success- ful work as a contractor and builder of impor- tant structures having established his reputa- tion. Among other enterprises successfully carried out by him was the building of large flour-mills and a cotton factory in Columbia county, and for some time was engaged upon the Delaware & Hudson canal, rebuilding the " weighlock " at Eddyville, a very particular piece of work involving the construction of the "cradle" or frame, in which the boats rest while being weighed. He also worked in the State armory at Syracuse, N. Y., and had a contract from a Mr. Austin, the builder, to lay the floors.

His family is one of the oldest and most prominent in the town of Marbletown, Ulster county, and his great-grandfather, Solomon Terwilliger, was the first patriot in that town to sign the following paper. [Copied from the Calendar of New York Historical MSS. Revolu- tionary papers]:

Vol. I, Page 5.

OLD SENATE HOUSE, KINGSTON.

GOSHEN, ORANGE COUNTY, APRIL 29, 1775. General Axsociation:

Persuaded that the salvation of the Rights and Liber- ties of America depends under God on the firm union of its inhabitants, in a vigorous prosecution of the measures necessary for its safety, and convinced of the necessity of preventing the anarchy and confusion which attend a dis- solution of the powers of Government. We, the Freemen, Frecholders and Inhabitants of the county of Orange, being greatly alarmed at the avowed design of the Min- istry to raise a revenue in America, and shocked by the bloody scene now acting in the Massachusetts Bay, do in the most solemn manner resolve never to become slaves, and do associate under all the ties of Religion, Honor and Loveto our country, to adopt and endeavor to carry into execution whatever measures may be recommended by the Continental Congress, or resolved upon by this Pro- vincial Congress for the purpose of preserving our Con- stitution, and opposing the execution of the several arbi- trary and oppressive acts of the British Parliament, until a reconciliation between Great Britain and America, on Constitutional principles (which we most ardently desire) can be obtained; and that we will in all things follow the advice of our respective Committees, respecting the pur- pose aforesaid, the preservation of peace and good order, and the safety of individuals and private property.

From Calendar of New York Historical MISS. Revol- utionary papers, Vol. 1, Page 33, among the Associators in Marbletown appear the names of 292, that of Solomon Terwilliger being the very first.

Solomon Terwilliger and his wife, Helen, (Bodly) had a son Derrick, who was a farmer in the town of Marbletown, Ulster county, and a soldier of the war of 1812. He married Margaret Krom, and had a son William, our subject's father, who became a prominent car- penter and builder of the same locality, fol- lowing that occupation until a few years pre- vious to his death. He and his wife, whose maiden name was Nellie A. Hill, and whom he married August 12, 1829, reared a family of four sons: Alfred, Silas, Edgarand Jacob H.

Silas Terwilliger, our subject, was born June 23. 1834, at Stone Ridge, Ulster county, and after passing through the common schools of his native town attended a select school for two terms. At sixteen he began his business career, learning the trade of mill-wright with Fred Paine, of Connecticut, who took con- tracts in all parts of the country. An appren- ticeship of three years familiarized Mr. Ter- williger with all the details of the trade, which he then followed continuously until 1860, fill- ing many extensive contracts with entire satis- faction to all concerned. In 1862 he took a contract from C. B. Morse to do the wood work on all cotton and woolen machinery made at the Union Iron Works at Rhinebeck, N. Y., and after six years there he moved (in 1868) to Matteawan to take charge of the pattern shop of J. B. Schenk & Sons, with whom he

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remained one year, and then entered the em- ploy of the Matteawan Manufacturing Co., to superintend their building and repairs. He spent eighteen years in this position, and was then compelled by ill health to resign and spend some months in recuperating. In 1888 he purchased the property in Spring street, opposite the Union Free School, where he has since conducted a store, enjoying a fine cus- tom. He also owns three houses and lots in the village, and a farm of eighty acres in the vicinity.

On June 26, 1852, he was married to Rachel Hasbrouck, daughter of Garrett and Martha Hasbrouck. Her death occurred Jan- uary 3, 1873, and Mr. Terwilliger has since wedded Sarah E. Sutherlin, daughter of David and Maria (Schoonmaker) Van Wagenen, who were natives of Ulster county, N. Y. Of the two children of this union one died at the age of seven years, and the other, Nellie A., is at home. She and her mother are members of the M. E. Church, but Mr. Terwilliger, who was reared in the faith of the Reformed Dutch Church, still inclines to that belief. Politic- ally, he is a Democrat, and he was trustee of the village of Matteawan for two years.

T HOMAS S. JUDSON, one of the leading business men of Matteawan, Dutchess county, is the head of the Beacon Ice Com- pany, the superintendent of the mechanical goods department of the New York Rubber Company, and a shareholder in many other prosperous enterprises.

Mr. Judson was born in Newtown, Conn., September 1, 1833, a son of Zenas and Fannie (Torrence) Judson, and grandson of John Jud- son. He is of English descent on his father's side, of Irish origin on his mother's. His father was for many years the proprietor of a merchant-tailoring establishment in New York City. Our subject is one of a family of thir- teen children, six of whom are still living. The public schools of Newtown afforded him his only educational opportunities, and as he grew old enough to help upon the farm his at- tendance was limited to the winter terms. At the age of sixteen he began to work in the village of Sandy Hook for the New York Belting & Packing Company, located in the town of Newtown, and remained in their employ until 1858, when he came to Matteawan as foreman for the New York Rubber Company. This po-

sition he held some twenty-four years, and since 1883 he has superintended the mechan- ical department of those works. He is now a stockholder in the concern, and he has be- come interested in various other business ven- tures. For over twenty years he was the pro- prietor of the Beacon Ice Company, now managed by his two sons, George G. and Will- iam H., and he is a trustee and vice-president of the Matteawan Savings Bank, director of the Matteawan National Bank, stockholder in the "Holland Hotel," and trustee of the Hotel Association. In politics he is a Republican, and in 1879-80 he was collector of the town of Fishkill; in 1881-82 was township super- visor, and in 1887-88 he was president of the village of Matteawan. He is a member of Beacon Lodge No. 283, F. & A. M., and has held the office of trustee for some years. His sound, conservative views, so rarely found in combination with such enterprise as he has always displayed, make him as valued an ad- viser and helper in public affairs as in business concerns.

On July 30, 1854, Mr. Judson married Eliza Glover, daughter of the late Capt. D. J. and Pollie (Briscoe) Glover, of Newtown, Conn. They have three children: Two sons, George G. and William H., and one daughter, Lillian F., married to C. E. Jaynes. The family at- tend the M. E. Church of Matteawan, and take an interest in its varied lines of effort. Mr. Judson has a charming home at the cor- ner of Sargent avenue and Wincopee street.

E MIL PARMENTER, proprietor of the " Mechanics Hotel" at Glenham, Dutch- ess county, was born August 2, 1851, at Strass- burg, Germany. He traces his descent from a family which has long been engaged in agri- cultural pursuits, and his grandfather, Nicolas Parmenter, was a farmer in the Province of Lorraine, where he reared a family of chil- dren, all of whom lived and died in their na- tive land.

Nicholas Parmenter, our subject's father, was born in Lorraine, in 1823, and followed agriculture all his life, his death occurring in 1895. His wife, Caroline Weber, who is still living, was a native of Strassburg and a daugh- ter of Anthony Weber. Her grandfather Weber lost his property during the Napoleonic wars, and nearly lost his life. After their marriage . Nicholas and Caroline Parmenter settled in

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Strassburg, and eleven children were born there, of whom our subject was the eldest: (2) Caroline, widow of John Swing, lives in Strassburg; (3) Lewis resides at the old home, and is now in the employ of the government; (4) Charles, a resident of Nancy, France, is a master carpenter, and was sent to the World's Fair in Chicago to superintend the installation of certain machinery; (5) Magdalene remained in Germany; (6) Edward is engaged in the cooper's trade in Strassburg; (7) Mary mar- ried Xavier Vix, a restaurant-keeper at Nancy, France, and has become thoroughly French in speech and customs; (S) Eugene is a cooper at Strassburg; (9) Albert is a carpenter at Holyoke, N. Y .; (10) August died when about nine years old, and the eleventh child died in infancy.

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 101

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354