Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 41

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

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Mr. Swift was a most earnest and consis- tent member of the Presbyterian Church at South Amenia, in which he served as elder from 1864, and politically was a Republican. His record was an honorable one, and his memory will be long cherished by the many who had the pleasure of his acqaintance, for his sturdy worth and for his countless acts of benevolence and kindness, of which often only the recipient and himself knew. He was an influential inan, and contributed liberally to all good enterprises.

Mrs. Swift was born in the town of Dover, Dutchess county, July 25, 1828, and before her marriage was a distant relative of her hus- band, both tracing their ancestry back to Judah Swift, their paternal great-grandfather. 14 A

The founder of the family in America was William Swift, and from him in direct line to Judah are William, Ephraim and Samuel. Judah Swift, by his marriage with Elizabeth Morton, had eight children: Lois; Samuel; Nathaniel; Moses; Rebecca; Seth, the grand- father of Mr. Swift, of this review; Elizabeth; and Moses, the grandfather of Mrs. Swift. Seth wedded Mary Wells, and they had six children: Henry, Moses, E. Morton, Ann W., Maria and Thomas W. Henry, the eldest, married Rebecca Warner, and to them were born six children: Charles Wells, Maria, John Morton, George Henry, Frances, and James Harvey, whose name introduces this sketch.

Moses Swift, the grandfather of Mrs. Swift, spent his entire life in the town of Amenia. He married Hannah Hurd, of the town of Dover, on June 9, 1785, and one of their chil- dren was Thomas Swift, the father Mrs. James H. Swift. He was born in Amenia, January 24, 1789, and was three times married, his first wife being Maria Barlow, and his second Mary L. Grant. After the death of the latter he married Asenath Cline, the mother of Mrs. Swift. She was born October 6, 1793, and died April 1, 1891. The father was principal- ly engaged in hotel keeping throughout life, conducting the "Forbes House" at Pough- keepsie; the " Atlantic Hotel" at Hoboken, N. J. ; and the " Bull's Head" in New York City. His death occurred January 25, 1872.

E MERY WING (deceased) was born at Wing's Station, on the Harlem railroad, in the town of Dover, Dutchess county, May 20, 1825. There he remained during his youth, attending the public schools.

At the age of twenty-two he went to Al- bany, and clerked in the wholesale grocery store of Cook & Wing; stayed there three years, and then for one year traveled with the circus and menagerie of G. C. Quick & Co; next clerked in the " Northern Hotel," at the corner of Mill and Washington streets, for four years. Mr. Wing was married in the town of Washington to Ann Maria Vail, and then en- gaged in the fancy dry-goods and millinery business at No. 304 Main street, later buying the store at No. 306 Main street, and building the place now occupied by A. B. Stockholm. He remained in business from 1855 to 1877, and in 1872 bought his late residence on South

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avenue, where he passed the rest of his days. His first wife died November 9, 1875, and September 17, 1876, he married Miss Mary Eliza Van Kleeck, a daughter of Levi Van- Kleeck. Of this union there were two chil- dren: Irene K., born October 7, 1877, died August 2, 1878, and Emery, Jr., born March 14, 1880. Mr. Wing had a large orchard, and was a very successful fruit grower, and for the past twenty years of his life he lived retired on South avenue, dying May 9, 1896.

Elijah Wing, father of our subject, was born at Wing's Station, where he spent his youth. He married Lucy, daughter of Brad- ford Holmes, M. D., and children as follows were born to them: (1) John, deceased; (2) Maria H., married (first) to Erastus Burch, and they had one child-Mary E .- and (sec- ond) wedded Edward M. Buckley, by whom there were three children-Charles, Arthur and Emery W. (3) Emery, our subject. (4) Walter F., who was on the whaling vessel, "Yonkers." (5) Hiram. Mr. Wing was a farmer, and gave all his time and attention to that occupation.

Thurston Wing, the grandfather, was born in Rhode Island, and came to the town of Dover when a boy. He married Mary Young- er, and they had the following children: Arch- ibald (deceased), Rhodie (deceased) married Zebulon Ross, Mary Ann became the wife of Theodorus Sheldon, and Elijah and Thurston (both deceased). Mr. Wing died in 1844, an adherent of the Quaker faith.

Thomas Wing, the great-grandfather, was born in England, and came to America, locat- ing first in Rhode Island, and later in Dutch- ess county. He was the earliest ancestor of the Wing family in this country.

KORNELIUS LAMOREAUX CANNON,

the well-known contractor and builder of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, was born February 1, 1850, at the old homestead of the family on South Hamilton street, Pough- keepsie.

His early education was acquired at the public schools of his native place, at the Dutchess County Academy, and at the Eastman Business College, from which he was gradu- ated in 1867. His father, the late Arnout Cannon, was prominent in the building trade, and our subject learned the business thor- oughly under his instruction, serving a three-

years' apprenticeship. He was then made foreman of his father's shop, and held that position until 1873, when he and his brother Arnout, an architect, went into business under the firm name of A. Cannon's Sons. This ar- rangement lasted until 1881, when they sep- arated, our subject continuing his work as builder, and his brother following architecture exclusively. Mr. Cannon is a leader in his line, and employs about twelve men the year round.

On April 28, 1873, Mr. Cannon was mar- ried in Poughkeepsie to Miss Julia E. Schon, a native of St. Croix, Danish West Indies. Her father, James N. Schon, was born in Co- penhagen, Denmark, in 1815, and went to St. Croix when a young man as superintendent of a large hospital. He was married there to Miss Maria Schuster, a native of the place, who had been educated at New Haven, Conn. They had two children, Julia E. and Charles E. After twenty-two years at St. Croix, Mr. Schon came to the United States, spending one year in New York City before making his home in Poughkeepsie. He was for a short time employed as bookkeeper for the iron works of Edward Beck, and then became pri- vate secretary to the late Matthew Vassar. On the foundation of Vassar College he be- came registrar and assistant treasurer, and held those offices until his death, which oc- curred March 26, 1875.

Mr. and Mrs. Cannon have had eight chil- dren, whose names with dates of birth are as follows: Frederick, March 17, 1874; Nellie, October 7, 1876; James Schon, October 25, 1878; Clara Louise, November 22, 1880; Ernest Alton, March 19, 1883; Wallace Cor- nelius, July 11, 1885; Francis Jones, April 3, 1887; and Julia Gardner, November 10, 1889. Politically Mr. Cannon is a Republican, but while he is a stanch and influential supporter of the doctrines of his party he is not an office- seeker. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., No. 297, and of the Royal Arcanum.

C APTAIN LUTHER ELTING, one of the oklest and most highly respected residents of the city of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, was born August 2, 1815, at Highland, Ulster county, then known as New Paltz Landing.

His ancestors were early settlers in that locality, and his grandfather, Noah Elting, was born there, and became one of the prominent

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

business men of his day, being extensively en- gaged in the freighting business and in sloop building; he was also the originator of the ferry line between Highland and Poughkeepsie. He married Hannah Deyo, of Ulster county, and had the following named children: Deyo, Henry D., Philip, David, Abram, Mrs. David Fowler, Mrs. Clinton Woolsey, Mrs. Bradner Woolsey and Joseph.

Abram Elting, our subject's father, was born at New Paltz Landing in 1785, and after acquiring an education in the Dutch schools of New Paltz he engaged in freighting and sloop building, later conducting also a store and a farm, in all of which lines of effort he met with success. He was a leading member of the Presbyterian Church, and stood high in the es- teem of the community. He married Miss Betsey Ransom, of Highland, and had seven children: Noah, who died at eighteen years; Milton, who died at three; Phoebe Ann (de- ceased); Luther, our subject ; Albert (deceased) ; Mary Ellen, who married Ezekiel Elting, of Highland; and John J. (deceased). The mother of this family died in 1851, and the father in IS59.

Capt. Elting's school days were spent in the district school at Highland, and at four- teen and one-half years of age he began the freighting business with his father. After twelve years on the sloop "Intelligence, " he ran a barge for another twelve years. In 1854 he moved to Poughkeepsie, where he had bought his present residence a short time be- fore, and he has since lived a retired life so far as business is concerned, with the exception of four years-1860-64-when he was in the ice business under the name of Rockland Lake Ice Co., now the Knickerbocker Ice Co.

On January 26, 1853, at Middletown, Orange county, he was married to Miss Sarah E. Watkins, a lady of Welsh descent, and a daughter of Hezekiah Watkins. Of their three children, only one, Irving (the second child), is now living. Theodore Hezekiah died in in- fancy, and Eugene at the age of two and one- half years.

Irving Elting, born May 1, 1856, is a prominent attorney of Poughkeepsie. After graduating from Harvard University, in 1878, he studied law at the Harvard Law School, and then in his native city. In 1882 he opened an office there, and has met with great success in cases involving patent rights and copyrights, of which he makes a specialty. On November

5, 1885, he married Miss Susan D. Green, a daughter of Jacob Green, a well-known resi- dent of the town of Poughkeepsie, and to their union has been born one child -- Elisabeth.

A IKEN T. BRILL, a well-known residetn of the town of Pawling, Dutchess county, is one of the leading workers in his chosen occupation of farming and gardening. An apprenticeship of six years with J. B. Dutcher gave him unusual opportunities for perfecting himself in the details of the latter business, and his work as gardener for Miss M. B. Monahan, of Quaker Hill, does credit to both his training and native ability.

Egbert Brill, father of our subject, was one of the patriots who served his country during the Civil war, being a member of Company F, 128th N. Y. V. I. He participated in many engagements, among which were the battles of Bull Run, Port Hudson and Gettysburg. He was finally discharged on account of dis- ability.

Aiken T. Brill is a native of the town of Pawling, and grew to manhood there, acquir- ing his education in the public schools. He married Miss Georgiana Squires, who was born in the same town, August 6, 1867. In her childhood her parents moved to the old home- stead at Roxbury, Conn., and she there at- tended the schools and grew to womanhood; and there also she and our subject were mar- ried. Mr. and Mrs. Brill have four children : Clifton, Mabel, John C., and one whose name is not given.

Mrs. Brill's ancestry deserves especial note because of the patriotic services rendered dur- ing the Revolutionary war by the representa- tives of the family in that day. Her great- great-grandfather, Gideon Squires, was born and educated in Roxbury, Conn., and was captain of a company in the Colonial forces. He lost his life in the struggle for freedom while crossing Lake George. Having raised up in the boat to see where they were, he was shot by an Indian who was on the watch for a chance to take aim at the voyagers. He mar- ried Miss Martha Warner, a sister of Col. Seth Warner, who was second in command at the battle of Bennington. Four children were born to them: Abyathy, Eben, Martha and Mar- garet. Abyathy Squires, Mrs. Brill's great- grandfather, was born at Roxbury, Conn., and made his home there, following farming during

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his manhood. He served throughout the Rev- olutionary war, as sergeant, and drew a pen- sion of $20 per month until his death at the age of eighty-nine years. He and his wife, Rachel Atwell, reared a family of four children, of whom Mrs. Brill's grandfather, Cyrus Squires, was the youngest. Of the others Levi died at the age of ten years; Moses married Clarissa Curtis; and John married Miss Eunice Hunt.

Cyrus Squires was born at the old home in Roxbury, June 24, 1804, and after completing his studies in the common schools there he engaged in farming. He married Miss Sarah Wilcox, daughter of Elisha Wilcox, a leading farmer of the town of Dover, Dutchess county, and his wife, Elizabeth Bircham. Of their two children, the elder, Moses, died at the age of seven years. The younger, George M., the father of Mrs. Brill, was born at the old home- stead, September 13, 1839. He attended the common schools there in his youth, and learned the hatter's trade when it came time to pre- pare for taking a place in the business world; but after following the trade fifteen years he gave it up to engage in agriculture. He served in the governor's guards in the State of Con- necticut, and was drafted during the Civil war. He died May 9, 1897, when he was aged fifty- seven years. His wife was Miss Emily Amelia Woodin, daughter of Henry L. and Laura (Chaplin) Woodin, of the town of Pawling, Dutchess county, her father being a well-known farmer. Mrs. Brill was the elder of two children. Her brother, Origen G. Squires, an adopted child, was born in New Milford, Conn., April 4, 1876, and died at fifteen years of age. He was taken by Mr. and Mrs. Brill when only eight days old and adopted as their own child.

J WILSON POUCHER, M. D., a promi- nent physician of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, and a representative of one of the oldest families of this State, was born July 24, 1859, at Claverack, Columbia Co., N. Y. His family originated in France, but his ancestors fled to Holland at the time of the "Massacre of St. Bartholomew", later coming to the New World.

Simon Poucher (or Boucher, as the name was then given) was born in France, came to America in 1658, and settled upon the Van- Rensselaer estates which included several counties, the site of the present city of Albany

being a portion thereof. He was a millwright by trade, and was employed on the manor by Patroon Van Rensselaer, his home being in the vicinity of Claverack, where his descend- ants have since resided, many of them attain- ing to positions of great prominence. His son, Pierre Boucher, was born about 1675, and died February 19, 1739. One of his sons, Jacob (born January 13, 1715, died in 1786), had a son Antoine (born April 30, 1775, died 1856) who had a son Johannes, our subject's grand- father (born October 11, 1806), who had a son, Peter, our subject's father (born May 5, 1835). With the exception of the last-named these all followed the millers' trade in the vi- cinity of Claverack. Peter departed from the rule, engaging in agriculture exclusively, and being industrious, temperate and thrifty has made a success of a business which is not al- ways profitable in these days. He is a mem- ber of the Baptist Church, and in politics is a Democrat, taking no part, however, in the active work of the organization. He married Miss Mary Cummings, daughter of Jacob Cum- mings, a native of New England, and a prom- inent resident of Claverack. She died in 1870, and of their five children only three are now living, our subject being the eldest.

Dr. Poucher received his primary education at the public schools of Claverack, later attend- ing Claverack College, from which institution he was graduated in 1879, in the classical course. For one year he taught in the public schools, and then entered Union College, graduating in 1883 from the medical depart- ment. Locating at Modena, Ulster county, he established a general practice; but wishing to pursue his studies further, he disposed of his business in 1885 and went to Europe for two years, spending the first year in Berlin, then dividing the second between Vienna and Paris, making a specialty of surgery and gyne- cology. On his return, in 1887, he opened an office in Poughkeepsie, and has since built up a large general practice. Although a general practitioner, he makes a specialty of surgery, in which respect he is widely known through- out this section of the State, and takes rank among the foremost of his profession. He is a surgeon on the staff of Vassar Brothers' Hospital, a member of the State and County Medical Societies, and a liberal contributor of articles to meetings of these societies. He has lately been appointed to the board of Pension Examining Surgcons.

Chinon Pouchen

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In 1892 Dr. Poucher married Miss Cath- erine D. Le Fever, daughter of Hon. Jacob Le Fever, member of Congress, and one child, a daughter, has been born to them. Both the Doctor and his wife are prominent in the social life of the city, and are leading members of the Washington Street M. E. Church, of which he is a trustee. He is a member of the Sons of the Revolution, and Mrs. Poucher's ancestry entitles her to a place in the society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Dr. Poucher is a member of the Holland Society, the Society of Colonial Wars, and the Society of Old Guard. He is inter- ested also in athletics, and belongs to the Tennis, Golf, and Boat Clubs, and to the Amrita Club. Of all movements for local im- provement he is a prompt and hearty support- er, and in political affairs his influence is given to the Republican party. He has served as alderman of the Fifth ward, and at the present time is one of the commissioners of the board of public works, the first member elected to that board, previous ones having been appoint- ed. Socially he affiliates with the F. & A. M., Triune Lodge; Poughkeepsie Chapter and Commandery ; the Mystic Shrine of New York City; and he is a life member of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of New York, which gives him the 32nd degree.

C LARK KIRBY. For over a century the Kirby family has been identified with the interests of Quaker Hill, town of Pawling, Dutchess county, New York.

In 1757, in the village of New Bedford, R. I., was born George Kirby, of English de- scent. In 1780, he came to Quaker Hill and settled just across the road from where the new school house now stands. He possessed about one hundred acres of land at this place, and here made his home for some time, later buying what was then known as the old Reed Ferris farm, but subsequently called the "old Kirby House." Some time afterward he bought the farm consisting of about three hundred acres, and on this he passed his re- maining days. He married (probably after his coming to Dutchess county) Anna Stocum, and by this marriage had seven children - - five sons and two daughters: Clark, of whom special mention is made below; Gideon, who was as- sociated with his brother Clark, and died on

the homestead; Uriah, who lived in Amenia; William, who lived near Poughkeepsie; Hum- phrey, deceased while young; Hannah, who married Akin Taber; and Amy, who died un- married. With the exception of the son Hum- phrey, the entire family lived to advanced ages. The father died in the year 1831, be- loved and respected by his fellowmen. He was one of the leading men in the community, and in his religious faith was a Quaker, prac- ticing in his daily life the simple tenets of that sect, and in his kindly, courteous manner, an- nouncing his unfaltering belief in the Brother- hood of Man. His wife died February 18,

1894.

Clark Kirby, the eldest son of George Kirby, was born on Quaker Hill, February 16, 1794, and made his home there until the re- moval of his parents to the Kirby farm below the Hill. Here he and his brother Gideon owned a large tract of land, some eight or nine hundred acres, and followed farming as an oc- cupation all their lives. In this they had more than ordinary success, and were ranked among the leading men of the place.

Clark Kirby had acquired an education such as was obtained by very few men in these times, and was especially fond of mathematics. He was a natural student, and his leisure time was spent in reading, which covered a wide range, and he became a well-informed man on general topics of interest-ancient and modern.

On November 28, 1833, he was married to Charlotte Hungerford, of New Milford, Conn., and they became the parents of three daughters, as follows: Caroline, who married George Miller, of New York City; Helen, who married William Akin Taber, of Pawling, Dutchess Co. , N. Y. ; and Frances. Mr. Kirby was one of the original board of directors of the Pawling National Bank, and held this po- sition for over twenty years. In politics he was first a Whig, later a Republican, and as a private citizen was much interested in public affairs, though he had no desire to pose before the world in the fierce light that beats on pub- lic officials. In his quiet, unassuming way he served the public only by his conscientious performance of every duty, a worthy example for emulation. Like his father before him, he was a believer in the religion that sprung from the teaching of George Fox. In 1881 this gentle spirit was gathered to his fathers, and 1894 his wife, too, entered upon the unseen life.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

F RANK L. R. TETAMORE, M. D. Al- though but a recent acquisition to the medical fraternity of this section, Dr. Teta- more, of Matteawan, has a reputation, gained in other fields of practice, which has at once placed him in the front rank of the profession here. In 1882 he began his active practice in Brooklyn, N. Y., and continued there until Sep- tember, 1896, when he opened his present offices in Matteawan, and also established a sanitarium for the accommodation of his numerous patients, who will find here pure air, quiet, and the soothing influences of charm- ing natural scenery. Dr. Tetamore has at- tained prominence as a surgeon, and, to quote from the Brooklyn Record, is a "specialist " in those delicate operations which relate to the restoration of the face by transplanting tissue. He successfully demonstrated that the bones of animals could not be utilized in restoring injured portions of the face, but by the trans- planting of tissue he succeeded in constructing an artificial face for a lady from Scranton, Penn., who was fearfully disfigured in an acci- dent on the Reading railroad. " Many natu- ral deformities have been successfully operated upon by him-crooked limbs, backs and necks straightened under his methods."

A brief outline of Dr. Tetamore's history will be of interest to the readers of this vol- ume. His family originated in Holland, the first of his ancestors to cross the ocean being his great-great-grandfather Tetamore, who served in the Revolutionary war. He married an Indian squaw, and their son, our subject's great-grandfather, who was born in the north- ern part of this State, served as a soldier in the war of 1812. William Tetamore, the grandfather of our subject, was born in 1806, in the town of Rhinebeck, Dutchess county, and throughout his mature years made his home in the village of Red Hook, where he died in 1895. For seventy years he was a member of the old Dutch Church of Rhine- beck; his talents were of an unusual order, and he invented the old hay press, which has been in common use for many years, and has not yet been superseded. Hle married Hannah Amie, of the town of Milan, Dutchess county, and has three children: John W .; Anna, who married C. C. Coons, an extensive horticult- urist of Germantown, Columbia county; and Mary E., the wife of V. O. Ricker, a house- finisher at 116th street, New York City.

was a native of Red Hook, where he first saw the light in 1830; he lived in Dutchess county until he was twenty-one, when he went to New York City. He married Elizabeth Martin, a daughter of Robert and Maria (Done) Martin; the former, a well-known merchant and tin- smith of Hudson, N. Y., was a soldier in the war of 1812, and the grandfather, Robert Martin, a native of the North of Ireland, served in the Revolutionary war; Mrs. Maria Martin was a daughter of Ezra Done, of Columbia county.

After their marriage the Doctor's parents settled for a time in Hudson, but at present they reside in Brooklyn. They are both mem- bers of the Baptist Church, although the Tet- amore family have always been Lutherans. In politics, however, J. W. Tetamore agrees with the other members of his family, and is a stanch Republican. The Doctor is the eldest of six children, the others being: Lelia mar- ried Geo. W. Granger, of Brooklyn; Jane T. B. is the wife of E. A. Anderson, an assistant su- perintendent of the New York Life Insurance Co .; Henry M., who died at the age of twenty- eight, was a dentist in Brooklyn; Lewis J., a printer in New York City, is married to Miss Ada Pouch, of Brooklyn; and William, who is now twenty-one years old, resides in New York City.

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 41

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