Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 87

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

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(3) Sons of Moore, of Amenia, N. Y .: Au- gustus, removed to West Michigan, near Kal- amazoo; died leaving a family; Henry resides in Amenia with a family; has two sons married. (4) Sons of Joseph, of New Haven, Vt .:

1 Thomas had two sons and four daughters; died Canton, N. Y .- Gustavus A., born about 1791; graduated Middleton College, 1812; had one son and two daughters; died in Missouri. One daughter, Jane, married Lorenzo D., son of Nath. Bird, of Westfield. Frederic A. had eight sons and one daughter. The daughter married H. Dorrance, Rutland, Vt. The sur- viving sons are Roderick D., Myron L., Charles L., Edwin, Riley and Dr. Amos, supposed without family. Anson is in New Haven, Vt .; has two sons, James and Joseph.

5) Sons of Nathaniel, of Joseph, of Tyring- ham, Mass .: Amos, went from N. Marboro to Westfield, N. Y., 1812; married Mary Grif- fith, IS14; died 1823. Surviving children -- two sons and one daughter. Frederick mar- ried Lovisa Warren about 1823; died 1844; left seven children; two sons in California; a married daughter and the remaining children with their mother at Warrenville. Ira R. was inarried, 1834, to Caroline Beecher, niece of Dr. Lyman Beecher; died 1841; two surviving children-Lorenzo D., born 1813; graduated Yale College, 1839; went to Missouri, 1842; married Jane, daughter of Gustavus Bird, of St. Genevieve, Mo., practicing law in Weston, a town 400 miles up the Missouri river. Charles Lee, born 1816; married Ellen Kent; has one son; has lately gone to California with his family.

(VIII)-(1) Children of George, of New Haven, Conn .: Susan E., Norton S., and perhaps others. Two children of William A., of Black Rock: John H., a physician in Chi- cago; another son educated at Union College. Two other children, daughters. (3) Children of Canfield, of Vermont: Julia, born in New Haven, July 6, 1830; Amos Cook, born Octo- ber 14, 1832; Ellen Sophia, born December II, 1834; James , born in Richland, Mich., February 16, 1837; Elijah Washburn, born in New Haven, September 30, 1840; Emma Melinda, June 26, 1845; Mary Eliza-

beth, November 16, 1848. (4) Son of Har- mon, of Bethlehem: James. (5) Children of Joshua, of Bethlehem: Andrew Jackson, born November 28, 1823, died in 1824; Theodore, June 8, 1825, married Eliza, daughter of Rev. F. Harrison, October 9, 1849; Elizabeth Mary, born October 9, 1826; Samuel Jackson, born August 7, 1828; David, died young; Stanton, born July 3, 1833; Caroline Martha, born Oc- tober 19, 1837; Sarah Imogene, born June 26, IS40 .- Son of David, of Winchester, Sterling. (6) Grandchildren of Daniel, of Michigan. (7) Grandchildren of Chauncey, who moved from Litchfield to Onondaga and to Michigan. (8) Son of Orren, of Sandy Hill. (9) Henry, of Isaac, of Salisbury, has a widow remaining, and a daughter married E. N. Hart, of Still- water, N. Y. (10) Children of Agustus and Henry, sons of Moore, of Amenia, N. Y .; the former are in Michigan, the latter in Amenia. (II) Children of Thomas, son of Joseph, of Bristol, Vt .: One son, Joseph, and four daugh- ters, now living near Canton, N. Y. (12) Children of Gustavus A., of St. Genevieve: One son and two daughters; one of these daughters married Lorenzo D. Bird, son of Nathaniel. (13) Children of Frederick A .: Eight sons and one daughter, viz .: Rhoderick D., of Waynesburg, Greene Co., Penn. (who has a son and daughter), Myron L., Charles L., and as before mentioned M. L. and C. L., have gone to California. (14) Children of Anson, viz .: James, and Joseph, New Haven, Vt. (15) Children of Amos, of Nathaniel, of Westfield, viz .: Philander, merchant, Roscoe, Ill. ; Nelson, of Chautauqua county, a farmer. His daughter married Boilvin, of Peoria. (16) Children of Frederick: Byron B., and Edwin, in California; Ellen D., married to a physician-with Henry and three daughters all in Warrenville, Ill. (17) Children of Ira R. : Two only survive, viz. : Franklin (a printer), western Missouri, and William went to Cali- fornia and China.

(IX)-Children of James, son of Isaac, of Salisbury: Ripley, Virgil, Henrietta married B. Cook, Annis married Eliza Leach, Isaac, Celestia married John Leach, James, Sarah married J. Woodruff, Marion married M. Langdon, George, all born in Salisbury. The family homestead is now in Conklin, near Binghamton, N. Y. (10) Children of Isaac, son of Isaac, viz. : William, born on the island of Malta, August, 1823; graduated Dartmouth College, 1844, married Sarah F. Gordon, of

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Exeter, N. H., February, 1853, resides near Beirut, Syria; Emily Ann, born Beirut, 1825; married Rev. H. J. Van Lennep, of Constan- tinople. Turkey, April, 1850; James, born Beirut, 1826; Martha Jane, born Malta; Mary E., born Beirut; Caroline, born in Smyrna. (IX) It will be seen from the foregoing that a few representatives of the ninth generation had begun to appear at the time of the prepar- ation of the record, among them Virgil Bird, the second son of James, of Salisbury. (X) The children of Virgil and Ruhamer Bird. (XI) The children of Cora C. and Myron E. Gil- lette: Eva May, December 20, 1883. (2) Children of Henry P. and Daisy Bird (none). (3) Children of James E. and Grace Bird: Isaac Knox, born July 20, 1896.

Of the other branches of the family the record, rapidly widening, is not yet written. Of the early ancestors, a few incidents of more than ordinary importance should be noted here. The name of Thomas Bird appears in different records of Massachusetts, and some have suggested that Thomas B., of Scituate, and of Dorchester, Mass., of 1642, might be the same man with our ancestor of Hartford. But the Dorchester Birds seem to have been of a separate origin. Of that family are many of the Birds in Boston and New York, and of the same was the Rev. Samuel Bird, a pastor of one of the New Haven churches, just before the Revolution, and who, though he did not graduate, was educated at Cambridge, in the class of 1744, leaving college a little before the commencement that year. Thomas Bird came to Hartford some ten years after its first settlement, and was proprietor only of a small homestead south of the city limits, and of a par- cel of land of about fourteen acres, constitut- ing, as the records say, "an island in the great river over against the Landing." Whether he removed with his sons to Farmington, or remained and died in Hartford, is unknown. It is remarkable how the male descendants of Joseph, son of Thomas, have been, in the providence of God, removed. He appears to have but three of these representatives remain- ing now alive, one in the VI Generation, one in the VII, and one in the VIII.

Thomas (Generation III) was the only male heir of his father, and was possessed of an estate valued at 550 pounds, a sum which constituted riches in those days. As Noah occupied the place of the second great head of the Human family, so this second Thomas

Bird stands as the great second head of nearly all the families of Birds.

John and Joseph (Generation IV), sons of Thomas, seem to have been men of unusual enterprise. They were pioneers in the settle- ment of Litchfield, and were among the chief town officers. The two home lots of land, that fell to them in the town, are still pointed out S. S. E. of the present village, they being designated on a map published within a few years, with a pamphlet, by G. C. Woodruff, Esq., of Litchfield. John went on in specula- tion in lands farther west. He was one of the company known by the name of The Little Nine Partners, who purchased lands extending from the Connecticut line to the North river. This company became involved, and unable to meet the demands of their creditors, and John, overcome by his disappointments, died, it is said, in a state of mental derangement. He built a stone house in Dover on land, probably, which he owned as one of the company, which house is supposed to be still standing. Joseph must have obtained some addition to his means by his marriage. Deacon Isaac Moore, one of the wealthiest farmers in Farm- ington, had four children, all daughters. Ruth was married to John Norton, Jr., son of a very respectable settler, lately come from Branford. Dorcas, the youngest daughter of this connection, became the wife of Joseph Bird. She was sister of Thomas, father of Lot Norton, the elder, of Salisbury. Joseph, in ten years, while in Litchfield, was chosen nine times to the General Court or State Leg- islature, and was at his death a justice of the Quorum. His grave in Salisbury is marked by a tombstone of Italian marble, lately erected by the children of his grandson Isaac.

Dr. Seth Bird (of the V Generation) was one of the most skillful physicians of his time. It is said of him that he lived on very intimate and friendly terms with one of the neighboring physicians, so that they were in the habit of generously recommending to each other, their own patients, whenever one thought the other to be more skillful in the cure of any particular complaint. He has a marble monument in the cemetery of Litchfield, S. Farms, erected to his memory by his son John.

Jonathan Bird, of Simsbury, brother of Seth, was a physician, and, as it appears, a Freemason. There is said to be extant a eulogy on his character, prepared after his death, and on his tombstone is this inscription:

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In memory of Dr. Jonathan Bird, who (after exhibiting a striking example of Philosophic Patience and Fortitude through a distressing illness) departed this life on the 17th of De- cember, A. D., 1786, in the forty-third year of his age.

FAITH. HOPE. CHARITY.

Stop, brother, and impart a generous sigh, O'crone in prime called to resign his breath ; Since all your social band this scene must try, Square all your work before the hour of death.

Jonathan, son of Jonathan, son of Thomas, was educated at Yale College, graduated 1768; he studied for the ministry, and became a preacher about 1773, though he never was or- dained, and of course is never called by the name of "Reverend." His brethren in the ministry called him a good preacher, and it is related of him, that, happening late in life to be in Boston, Dr. Griffin took him and would have him preach to his people. He addressed them a number of times in the course of a week, and they were so well pleased and so much profited that they presented him with a new suit of clothes. He was a sound theo- logian, but not an awakening, animated speaker. He was embarrassed by deafness, so that, after preaching a while, he betook himself to the practice of medicine. Near the close of his life he prepared a few of his sermons for the press, which, under the direction of Rev. Dr. Bassett, of Hebron, appeared, in a small vol- ume, after his decease. He had had two or three occasional sermons published previously, and was the author of an article in the Boston Panoplist, on Infidelity, it being the substance of a letter actually written and sent to one of his nieces in Hartford in 1811. [See Pano- plist, February, 1873.] His place of resi- dence, at the time he died, was Conway, Mass., but his death occurred in the family of his friend, Rev. Dr. Bassett, at whose house he happened to be on a visit when he was overtaken by his last illness. He had lost both his brothers and his only son, and with him expired his father's male branch of the family.

It seems a matter of some doubt whether there was not another son of John Bird be- longing to this IV Generation, whose name is doubtful, and does not appear in this sketch. The following are the words of William A.

Bird, Esq., of Black Rock, son of John and grandson of Dr. Seth, of Litchfield: "In re- lation to the brother of my grandfather, who went to Philadelphia, my mother knew very well that such a brother resided there. Will- iam, I think his name was. Dr. Seth, she told me, once went to see him, and my father once met a son of his in New York, when he was in the Legislature in New York, say in 1796." May not this be the same case as that mentioned by Gen. David B., of Bethlehem, who says that Atwood B. had a son (name un- known), who went to Cincinnati {Philadel- phia?], became rich and died, and has a son now living in New York? Of the Generatlon just spoken of was Amos, son of Joseph, whose short life may merit a few special re- marks. He is spoken of as a man of great enterprise, and was the leader in commencing the settlement of the town of Castleton, in Vermont, near which a prominent mountain still bears and perpetuates his name. The settlement was yet in its infancy when it pleased the Lord to remove him, and the first products of the first sawmill, which he had erected there, were made use of for his coffin. On a new monument, lately placed over his remains, were the following inscriptions:

(In front.)

Erected October 19, 1842, to the memory of Col. Amos Bird, By citizens of Castleton, and friends, as a tribute of respect to a worthy man. Born at Litchfield, Conn., and died September 16, 1772, aged 30 years. (On one side.)

Col. Bird was the first white man who as- serted dominion in Castleton, where he arrived in January, 1766. He was the first possessor of the soil for civilization, and the first called to resign it, leaving the fruits of his bold en- terprise to others.

(On the east side.)

The mortal remains of Col. Bird were first interred by his direction, near his dwelling in the valley of Bird Creck, and after seventy years disinterred and here entombed to wait the summons that awakes the dead.

It may be added here that the settlement of the town was continued by Noah (after-

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ward Col. ) Lee, who married Bird's niece, a daughter of James, and who had accompanied him in his enterprise. Lee entered into the war of the Revolution, which broke out about this time, and there continued to its close. At his own expense he raised a company of "Green Mountain Boys, " and acted for a time in concert with Ethan Allen. He was after- ward at the battles of Trenton, Princeton and Germantown, and witnessed the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. He died at Castleton, 1840, aged ninety-six years, leaving a large number of descendants.

John B., of the Sixth Generation, son of Dr. Seth, was the second of the descendants of Thomas, of Hartford, who was educated at college. He read law, it is believed, in Salis- bury, Conn., where he had relatives. After this he resided in Litchfield for a time, and then removed to Troy, where he was chosen repeatedly to the State Legislature, and after- ward to Congress. He died suddenly at the early age of thirty-seven. He is universally spoken of, by those who knew him, as a man of extraordinary powers of mind.

Chauncey, son of Atwood, had the reputa- tion among his Litchfield neighbors of possess- ing very eminent natural gifts, not falling, if any, in this respect, much behind his cousin John. But Chauncey had not the advantages of education enjoyed by John, and his line of life was not such as to bring him before the public. Of his later history we have very lit- tle information. He is supposed to be still alive, and somewhere in the State of Michigan.

Isaac, son of James, enlisted about the age of eighteen under Col. Burrall, of Canaan, in the Revolutionary army of the North against the Canadas. The smallpox having broken out in the army, he was among the number that had to be inoculated. In connection with this disease he was seized with remarkable swellings, which greatly debilitated him, and in this condition, by a reverse in the fortunes of the army, he was left, with many other sick men, to shift for himself, and he resolved to attempt finding his way to his sister's (Mrs. Noah Lec's) in Castleton. This he succeeded in accomplishing, and after begging his bread through many weary days and nights of travel, he at length presented himself at the door of the log cabin, in the complete habit and con- dition of a common mendicant. Here, how- ever, he had all the aid which a sister's care, in a new settlement, could offer; but his re-

covery was too slow and too imperfect to en- able him to return to the army. Joseph, son of Joseph, of Tyringham, with one exception was, in 1855, the only living representative of the Generation to which he belonged. He was one of those men to whom we owe so much for having, at the expense of great suffering, and hazard of life, defended our liberties and achieved our national independence. He en- listed in the army in 1776 and spent the sum- mer at Ticonderoga, and in autumn, in com- pany with others, was discharged. He soon after enlisted for three years, or during the war, and went during the campaign of 1777 as an attendant of Dr. Binney, of Tyringham, whose daughter he afterward married. He was in the field at the various battles with Burgoyne. When Gen. Frazier was killed, and Maj. Ackland wounded and taken pris- oner, the latter was brought to Joseph Bird's tent, and there it was that Lady Harriet, of whose character Burgoyne himself has given so affecting a description, came and nursed him. After the surrender of Burgoyne, the soldiers of the Northern army were sent to unite with forces of Washington at Valley Forge, and Bird went with them. When Gen. Clinton commenced his march from Philadel- phia toward New York, the Americans moved also to attack him in the rear. The account that follows is in the language of Roderick D. Bird, of Waynesburg, Penn., grandson of Jos- eph. "My grandfather, " he says, " was sent with a detachment of 2,000 men on the east road, and another detachment of 2,000 men was sent on the west road to harass the enemy until the main army arrived. On Saturday, June 27, Gen. Lee joined us at Monmouth with 2,000 men, and orders to attack Clinton's army. At that point, our army retreated. The British followed until Washington came up and commanded to file to the right and left. My grandfather was with the left wing. At this period the cannon began to boom on both sides, which lasted from one and a half to two hours. Grandfather says he caught a number of cannon balls in his camp-kettle as they rolled upon the ground. The first that he saw coming in that way a young soldier put out his foot to stop, which dislocated his ankle. About 1 o'clock the British right wing undertook to flank our left. Col. Selby called for volunteers to turn it. Grandfather went with others and turned it, and charged and drove thein back. In this charge he received a wound. The

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contending parties were not more than one or two rods apart. He was shot through the left arm, the ball breaking the bone and leaving a detached fraginent of about one inch in length. The ball then penetrated his left side, and re- mains there to this day. He says he well re- members his sensations when the ball hit him. It beat his breath from him, and he staggered a while and fell. When he came to he was lying with his face upward exposed to the rays of the burning sun; he supposed he had simply been asleep, but soon found that he was wounded. That night he was taken with others to Monmouth church, where his wound was dressed. He was then carried to Eliza- bethtown, where he was left, through a dreary night, in a barn, having for his companions the wounded and dying. He suffered most for want of water, and they had no light. The next day they were taken in wagons to Princeton College, where he remained, having the best of treatment." He was considered unfit to re- sume the duties of the army until October, '79, when he rejoined his regiment at West Point, and was subsequently employed, with- out any very important military occurrence, in protecting the inhabitants of the Mohawk Val- ley from the incursions of the British and Indians.

Benjamin Bird, of Connecticut, and Joseph Bird, of Vermont, are now the only living members of the Generation VI; the one de- scended from the elder of the two sons of Thomas, of Hartford, the other from the younger.

It is worthy of remark, that while the liv- ing male members of the family, who stand as guardians of the name, scarcely exceed, if they even reach, the number of fifty; the descend- ants of the female lines probably far exceed a thousand. As we look back upon these sev- eral past generations that have risen and fallen in quick succession, we are forcibly reminded of the rapid flight of time and the shortness of life. " We have here no continuing city." The generations of men have been aptly compared with the waves of the sea. They rise and roll on, each urging his predecessor forward, till, one after another, they dash upon the shore and disappear. We ourselves are pressed on by the resistless tide behind, and there is no escape for us more than for others. But there is a sea, and there is a shore, where no surg- ing and dashing and disappearing exist-where generations of all ages mingle in harmony and

rest, and if our days are but spent in " Wis- dom's ways,"

They'll waft us safely o'er This life's tempestuous sea, And soon we'll reach the peaceful shore Of blest eternity.

P ATRICK ROGERS is numbered among the stalwart and substantial citizens of the town of Dover, Dutchess county, who are of alien birth. He is a native of County Ca- van, Ireland, where he secured his education, and there followed farming until emigrating to the United States in 1846. He is the son of Peter Rogers, whose birth also occurred on the Emerald Isle, and his mother bore the maiden name of Miss Mary Riley. In their family were six children: John; Hugh and Peter, who never married; Patrick; Mary, who became the wife of James McCarty; and Ann, who married John Clark.

On reaching the New World, our subject located in New York City, where he married Miss Margaret Rogers, also of Ireland, who came to America in 1863. From that city they removed to their farm in the town of Dover, where they now reside. They have

been blessed with seven children: John, born October 9, 1864, married Kate Sheehan; Pat- rick, born July 4, 1867, married Mattie Kin- nie, by whom he has one son, Hall; Peter, born April 1, 1869, wedded Mary Hacy; Mary, born April 6, 1871, is the wife of John Bridge- ford, by whom she has one child, Leo; Mar- garet, born May 15, 1874, Catharine, born September 12, 1878, and Thomas, born Janu- ary 10, 1883, are all at home.

Charles Rogers, the grandfather of the wife of our subject, was born, reared and educated in Ireland, where he followed weaving in con- nection with agricultural pursuits. In his fam- ily were five children: Philip, who married Catharine Lynch; Lawrence, who married Margaret McCall; Thomas, who married Mary Lynch; John, the father of Mrs. Patrick Rog- ers; and Patrick, who married Elizabeth Riley.

John Rogers, like his ancestors, was born and educated on the Emerald Isle, where, dur- ing manhood, he carried on the pursuit of farming. He married Miss Ann Martin, daugh- ter of Patrick and Ann Martin, of the same country; and seven children were born to them: Patrick, who married Catharine McBrean; Thomas, who also married a Catharine Mc-

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Brean, no relative, however, of his broth- er's wife; Mary, who remained single: Cath- arine, who married Philip McBrean; Ann, who married Patrick Boyle; Margaret, who married Patrick Rogers, subject of this sketch; and John, who married Mary Coonie.

C HARLES H. SHURTER, a public-spirited and enterprising citizen of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, whose place of business is located at No. 368 Main street, is engaged in plumbing and gas fitting, and also deals in hard- ware and house-furnishing goods. He is car- rying on a successful and well-established busi- ness, occupying an important place among the various industries of that thriving city, and conducted on strictly honest principles. He is looked up to as a useful and honorable citi- zen, one who takes a commendable interest in the welfare and progress of his city and county.

Mr. Shurter was born March 28, 1836, in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and is a son of Isaac H. Shurter, whose birth occurred in Fishkill, Dutchess county. His great-grandfather came to the New World from Holland, and located upon a farm in Ulster county, N. Y., where Frederick Shurter, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was born. After his marriage the latter located in the town of Fishkill, Dutchess coun- ty, where he followed farming, and reared his five children.

In early life Isaac H. Shurter learned the shoemaker's trade, and in the town of Fishkill was united in marriage with Miss Clorinda Wheeler, a native of that township, born of French descent. The young couple removed to Poughkeepsie in 1832, where for about five years the father engaged in the grocery busi- ness, and then began boot making, in which line he continued for a number of years. He was called from life in 1875, his wife in 1872. They were conscientious, earnest Christians, and for about thirty-five years had been men- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Dur- ing his later years the father was an ardent Republican.

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 87

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