Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume I, Part 32

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866-1934, ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 656

USA > New York > Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume I > Part 32

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

of the Albany factory, and conducted it with marked success. Since retiring from manu- facturing he has devoted his attention to the care of his large real estate and other in- terests. Before his father's death he had re- ceived from him the charge of all his large real estate holdings in East New York and elsewhere on Long Island, and was a prime factor in the development of much business and residential property, which he advanta- geously improved, and much of which he dis- posed of to good advantage. In Albany he also purchased and improved much valuable property, contributing in large degree to the advancement of the city in various localities. In 1909 he took up his residence in Congers, New York, noted for its beauty and health- fulness. Here he purchased a fine farm just on the outskirts of the village, and upon which he is now erecting a beautiful modern resi- dence, principally upon his own plans with an eye to attractiveness and the greatest pos- sible utility. In national politics Mr. Pitkin is a Republican ; in local affairs he has always pursued an independent course, supporting stich candidates as were best fitted to subserve public interests. He is a charter member of the Fort Orange Club, Albany. His family are members of the Emanuel Baptist Church, Albany, which he attended while a resident of that city. He has traveled extensively, and in 1905 made a six months' tour of Europe with his family.

Mr. Pitkin married, October 21, 1868, Mary W., born July 15, 1846, daughter of H. C. Southwick, of Albany, New York. Children : John R., born March 23, 1871, died November 13, 1875; Sophia M., born January 20, 1874, died November 13, 1875; Edith Winifred, born March 7, 1877 ; graduate of Wellesley College, and of Tufts Medical College (from which she received the degree of M.D.), and of New York Post-Graduate School ; has had considerable experience in hospitals of New York, Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, and is a capable physician ; resides with her father; Mary S., born December, 1878, died March 20, 1886; Wolcott H., Jr., born Decem- ber 6, 1881 ; graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School; is engaged in the practice of law under United States District Attorney Wise, in New York City.

The family name of Stedman STEDMAN is derived from the word signifying a place enclosed ; a station, or standing-place, thus first applied to a man who undoubtedly dwelt in an enclosed place, as cities were anciently walled, and in the Dutch "stad" and "stede" signify a town.

158

HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS

Evidently when the first man to accept this cognomen appeared away from his home he was hailed or known more or less widely as "the man from the city," or from the place within walls, and so as to distingush him from any others bearing a similar given name, such as John, he was called "John from the city," which was equivalent to saying "John Stedman."

( I) John Stedman, the progenitor in Amer- ica of the Albany branch of the Stedman fam- ily of which any positive record appears, prob- ably emigrated with his brother, Thomas Sted- man, to New London, Connecticut. He re- moved to Hartford, where in 1651 he lived on Wall street, and later he moved to Wethers- field. Connecticut, where he lived on what was known in 1910 as Jordans Lane. He was apparently one of the leading men of the then western part of Connecticut. For several years he was a member of the general court, or assembly, of that colony. As an influential and representative Church of England man, he, with others, signed a memorial demanding to be released from paying taxes for the sup- port of the state church and ministers who would not administer communion to or baptize the children of such men. He was commis- sioned lieutenant of the Hartford County Dra- goons, and while in command of that organ- ization was killed on December 19, 1675, in the Great Fort fight with the Narragansett Indians at South Kingston, Rhode Island. He is buried at Wethersfield, Connecticut. To John and his wife, Elizabeth, according to the records of the First Church of Hartford, were born six children : John, April 5, 1651 ; Mary, September 24, 1653; Thomas, October 9, 1655 : Robert, February 1, 1658, see forward ; Samuel, February 17, 1660; Elizabeth, No- vember 9, 1665.

( II) Robert, son of John and Elizabeth Stedman, was born at Hartford, Connecticut, February 1, 1658. Ile removed to Windsor, Connecticut, about 1690. He seems to have been active in church affairs, having in 1694 signed a petition for a minister in Windsor- Farms, and obtained permission for his sons Robert and Joseph to sit on the beams of the meeting-house during service. Ile had at least two children, Robert, whose birth does not appear to be recorded, and Joseph, see for- ward.

( III ) Joseph, son of Robert Stedman, was born at Windsor, Connecticut, in April, 1686, and according to the records of the First Church in Hartford, was baptized on April 4, 1686. He built the first house in Wap- ping, and thereby aroused the anger of the Indians, who fired on him, and on one occa-

sion an Indian's bullet pierced his clothes and: grazed his skin. The section of Windsor still" known as Stedman Hill is probably the site: of this house. According to Stiles "Ancient. Windsor," he married, January 7, 1709, Sarah Taylor, born July 6, 1679, at Suffolk ; died December 24, 1762. daughter of Stephen and Joanna ( Porter) Taylor. Children: Sarah, born May 22, 1710; Sarah: Stephen, July 30, 1718; Ebenezer, August 31, 1721; Phineas, November 1, 1723.

(IV) Phineas, son of Joseph and Sarah (Taylor) Stedman, was born at Windsor, Connecticut, November 1, 1723. He removed from Windsor, and is said to have lived a short time in Stafford, Connecticut. Later he removed to Chicopee (now a part of Spring- field), Massachusetts, where he is found listed in 1775, with his two sons, for assessment. Children : Phineas, born 1750; married Sarah Howard: John, see forward.

(V) John (2), son of Phineas Stedman, was born in July, 1753, either at Windsor or Staf- ford, Connecticut, and died in Southbridge, Massachusetts, in 1794. The Massachusetts. soldiers' record states that he was a minute- man, and served at least three months in the continental army during the siege of Boston, Copeland's "History of Hampden County, Mass." says: "When the struggle of the col- onies with the mother country broke out at Lexington, messengers were sent to the set- tlements on the Connecticut for soldiers, and sixty-two men from Springfield responded on the moment, of whom Chicopee furnished * * * John * Stedman and Phineas Stedman, Jr. * * * On April 24th, Gideon Burt's company was enlisted for three months' service as follows : privates John Stedman * * * *

John Stedman married, September 25, 1777, Ilannah Howard, born March 28, 1755. died March 26, 1842. at Stur- bridge, Massachusetts. Children: 1. Ben- jamin, born August 8, 1778, died, un- married, January, 1802. 2. Joseph, April 28, 1781, see forward. 3. John, February 3, 1783; married Bathsheba Sherman : died October I, 1857. 4. Elfleda, May 28, 1785, died, un- married, December 5. 1843. 5. Tryphena, May 14. 1788; married Waterman Potter ; died December 17. 1867. 6. Beman, August 22, 1700 ; married Lucinda Tiffany : died June 12, 1865. 7. Lemuel, March 16, 1793: all probably born at Chicopee, Massachusetts.

(VI) Joseph (2), son of John (2) and Hannah ( Howard ) Stedman, was born April 28, 1781. probably at Chicopee, Massachusetts, died at Southbridge, Massachusetts, August 18, 1852. He married, October 19, 1806, at

159

HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS

Southbridge, Massachusetts, Matilda Clark, born, probably at Southbridge, August 22, 1787, died at Southbridge. April 27, 1747, daughter of Lieutenant Isaac and Anna ( Bix- by) Clark. All their children were born at Southbridge, Massachusetts. Children: 1. John Porter, born December 20, 1808, see for- ward. 2. Francis A., July 24, 1810; married Marrietta Hooker ; died at Worcester, Massa- chusetts, March 5, 1847. 3. Lucian, April II, 1812, died in infancy. 4. Caroline, June 29, 1814, died unmarried. January 4. 1885, at Tay- lor's Falls, Minneapolis. 5. Matilda. April 13, 1819 ; married Ward Folsom : died at Taylor's Falls, Minnesota, February 4, 1901. 6. Jos- eph. August 20, 1821 : married Lillie Percy ; died April 20. 1870, at Los Angeles, Califor- nia. 7. William C., January 22, 1826; mar- ried Ruth Ann Brown: died June 5, 1898, at South Boston, Massachusetts.

(VII) John Porter, son of Joseph (2) and Matilda (Clark) Stedman, was born in what is now the town of Southbridge, Massachu- setts, in that portion known as Globe Village, December 20, 1808. There he lived until his death. November 26, 1884. He was educated at the public school of that village. During the whole of his business career he was in the employ of the Hamilton Woolen Company of Southbridge. Beginning as a boy worker in the wool-sorting room, he advanced through successive grades to that of the wool purchaser for the concern, which position he held for a number of years. Having acquired a suf- ficient estate and tiring of the traveling which his position demanded, he resigned his office and devoted the latter years of his life to pub- lic matters. When the First Baptist Church of Southbridge was organized, he was made church clerk, and held this office for many years. He was on different occasions the treasurer of the same church. Several times he was chosen selectman of the town. He was trustee of the Southbridge Savings Bank, 1848-80 : vice-president of it, 1858-74, and its president 1874-80. John Porter Stedman married. at Southbridge, Massachusetts, June 5. 1828, Thais Maria Hooker, born at Charl- ton, Massachusetts, February 27, 1801, died there February 12, 1852, daughter of John Parker Hooker (the son of Amos Hooker, a corporal in a Massachusetts regiment dur- ing the war of the revolution) and Polly (Winslow ) Hooker. Children. born in Southbridge, Massachusetts: 1. John Hook- er, born November 26, 1829; married Sarah Edwards, died October, 1850, without chil- dren. 2. George Lavater. November 3. 1831. see forward. 3. Harriet Maria, May 19, 1834. died in 1837. 4. Maria Clark, May 9. 1837;

married Joseph D. Dexter, and in 1910 was residing at San Diego, California. 5. Mary L., June 13, 1840 ; married Charles B. Sum- ner : died July, 1893, at Pomona, California.

(VIII ) George Lavater, son of John Por- ter and Thais Maria ( Hooker ) Stedman, was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, Novem- ber 3, 1831, died in Albany, New York, March 15, 1808. He received his early education in the public school of his native place and at the high school of Springfield, Massachusetts. Later he attended Worcester Academy and the University grammar school at Providence, Rhode Island. He entered Brown University in 1852. At graduation he was president of his class which inaugurated the modern class- day at Brown. He was graduated therefrom in 1856, second in his class with the degree of A.B., and with the honor of salutatorian. In college he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternities, and his college gave him the degree of A.M. He then entered the Albany Law School, from which he was graduated in 1857 with the degree of LL.B. The same year he was admitted to the bar at Albany, of which city he then became a resident, and in which he practiced law un- til his death. He was there successively a member of the law firm of Stedman & Strong ; Stedman & Shepard; Stedman, Thompson & Andrews, and latterly of Stedman & Stedman, all located at No. 445 Broadway, Albany. In 1871, Mr. Stedman took up his residence in Loudonville, a suburb of Albany. His inter- ests outside of his family, profession and his farm were mainly religious and educational. He was elected trustee of the school at Loudon- ville and mainly through his efforts it was changed from a district school to a modern grammar school. He had in his young man- hood joined the Baptist church in South- bridge, and on coming to Albany became a member of the then Pearl Street (in 1910 the Emmanuel ) Baptist Church, and was closely identified with it for the remainder of his life. At his death he was said to be the leading representative of the Baptists in Albany. He was president of the New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education, 1885-98 ; trustee of the Rochester Theological Seminary, 1885-98: trustee of Colgate University, 1890-98 : pres- ident and trustee of Hudson River Baptist Association North, 1883-98; chairman of its missionary committee, 1886-98, and modera- tor of its meeting in 1883 : trustee of the Em- manuel Baptist Church of Albany, 1883-98, and clerk of the church, 1864-67. He was for many years superintendent of the Loudon- ville Union Sabbath school, and was promi- nent in the founding of the Baptist Social

160

HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS

Union of Albany and Troy, serving as presi- dent of the association for two terms. He was one of the organizers and trustees of the New York and New England Agricultural Association ; organizer and trustee of the peo- ple's Gas Company of Albany, 1880-85 : a life member and at one time secretary of the Al- bany Young Men's Association ; vice-president of the Young Men's Christian Association ; and one of the earliest promoters of the Albany Historical and Art Society. At the time of his death he was counsel for the town of Colonie, in which he resided, and the law for the organization of which he drew. The judgment of his fellows as to his char- acteristics and attainments is attested by the following excerpt from the minutes of a meet- ing of the Albany Bar Association held in his memory. "He became a good lawyer by

doing good work. * * * Abundance of professional work came to him from the first

and he was known to do it well. * * Then, as years went on, great financial in- terests more and more sought his help. Mon- eyed corporations became his clients, large manufacturing establishments invoked his gui- dance, ecclesiastical and educational interests were intrusted to his charge, large estates came under his management. *

He * * was an able lawyer, grounded in the principles of 'law, conversant with leading cases * * * he was a safe, trustworthy, and wise counsellor. * * But Mr. Stedman was * not alone an excellent lawyer : he was a wise counsellor in the practical affairs of life which do not touch the law. He was a kind friend, a consistent and useful churchman, a good neighbor."

George L. Stedman married, Albany, May 6, 1863, Adda Maud Shuler, Woolverton, ‹laughter of George Alonzo and Caroline (Shuler ) Woolverton (see Woolverton VI) ; she was born in Albany, May 29, 1840, died at Loudonville, Albany county, New York, September 28, 1909. Children: 1. George Woolverton, born in Albany, September 9. 1864, see forward. 2. Frank White, Albany, December 7, 1867, see forward. 3. John Por- ter. Loudonville, New York, April 8, 1871, see forward. 4. Charles Sumner, London- ville. November 6, 1874. see forward.

Adda Maud Shuler ( Woolverton ) Stedman was daughter of George Alonzo and Caroline ( Shuler ) Woolverton. She was born at Al- bany, New York, May 29, 1840, died at Lou- donville, Albany county, New York, Septem- ber 28, 1909. She received her education at the Albany Academy for Girls ( formerly the Albany Female Academy), from which insti- tution she was graduated in 1859, and to which

she always gave her affectionate interest, be- ing a member since graduation of its Alumnae Association and of its Semper Fidelis Society. Early in life she became a member of the Pearl Street Baptist Church of Albany, now the Emmanuel, and the early religious influ- ence of her home and church she carried into her maturer years, being a devoted mem- ber of the church until her death, a teacher and superintendent of the primary department of the Loudonville Union Sunday school, the president of the Woman's Baptist Missionary Society of her church from the death of her mother, a former president, until her own death, and an active supporter of all mission- ary enterprises, both home and foreign. She was frequently a delegate to conventions and meetings of religious and missionary societies, joining her devotion to them with her love of travel. Her philanthropic and educational interests were numerous and widespread, es- pecially prominent being her gifts to an art collection at Colgate University at Hamilton, New York, in memory of her husband. Mrs. Stedman's position as president for many years of the Home for Aged Men of Albany, as manager of the Albany Guardian Society, as a member of the Auxiliary of the Young Men's Christian Association, and as manager of the Young Women's Christian Association, and her interest in many of Albany's other philanthropic institutions, all bear testimony to her numerous benefactions. During the many years of Mrs. Stedman's varied public interests and activities, her devotion to her home and friends was never sacrificed, and she is especially remembered as a home builder.

(IX) George Woolverton, son of George Lavater and Adda Maud Shuler (Woolver- ton) Stedman, was born in Albany, New York, September 9, 1864. He removed with his parents to Loudonville in 1871, where he lias since resided, his winter home in 1910 being at No. 100 Chestnut street, Albany. He attended in succession the Loudonville Union Free School, the Albany Academy, from which he was graduated in 1883, the University of Rochester, from which he was graduated in 1885 with the degree of B.S., and the Albany Law School, from which he was graduated in 1887, with the degree of LL.B. While in col- lege he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and in the Law School he joined the Phi Delta Phi fraternity. Later he was given the degree of M.S. by his col- lege. He was admitted to practice law in 1887, and was the following year taken into the law partnership of Stedman, Thompson & AAndrews, of which his father was the se-

161

HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS

nior member. In 1896 his father and he formed the partnership of Stedman & Stedman, and upon the death of the former, the son asso- ciated his brother, Charles S., with him under the same firm name. This' firm has continued to practice law till now, 1910, in the same of- fice where his father studied and practiced at Albany. Mr. Stedman is interested in several religious, educational and financial institutions. He is and has been for over ten years a trus- tee and secretary of the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Albany, of which he is a member ; trustee and president of the Hudson River Baptist Association North, and has been mod- erator of that association; and for over fif- teen years a trustee of Colgate University. He was a trustee of the Albany Academy and the first president of its Alumni Association ; trustee of the Baptist Union for ministerial education : director of the People's Gas Com- pany of Albany, the Park Bank of Albany, and the National Exchange Bank of same city. He is a director of the First National Bank of Albany, the Union Trust Company, and the City Safe Deposit Company, of Albany. In politics lie is a strong Republican. On the formation of the town of Colonie, Albany county, he was elected a justice of the peace and thereby became a member of the first town board of that town. He was a delegate to the state Republican convention in 1894, and in 1897 was elected member of the New York assembly from the fourth district of Albany county, when he served on the impor- tant committees of judiciary and internal af- fairs. He is a member of the Fort Orange Club, the Albany County Bar Association, the Albany Chamber of Commerce, the Al- bany Country Club and of the Albany Insti- tute and Historical and Art Society. On June 18, 1898, at Loudonville, he married Harriet Teresa Mather, born at Albany, New York, December 25, 1865, daughter of Adrian On- derdonk Mather, born at Burlington, Otsego county, New York, May 22, 1835, died July 18, 1883, and Sarah (Whitford) Mather, born at New Lisbon, Otsego county, New York, October 30, 1839. Mr. and Mrs. George W. 'Stedman have one child, George Woolverton, Jr., born at Loudonville, Albany county, New York, September 28, 1900.

(IX) Frank White, son of George Lavater and Adda Maud Shuler (Woolverton) Sted- man, was born at Albany, New York, De- cember 7, 1867. He removed with his par- ents to Loudonville, New York, in 1871, and returned to Albany after his marriage in 1893, and removed to Utica in 1901, where he re- sided in 1910. He attended the Loudonville Union Free School and the Albany Academy.

Starting early upon a business career, he was employed for a few years by the People's Gas Company, of Albany, and by Tracey & Wilson of the same city. For a short time he was a wholesale dealer in coal, and later a manufacturer of paste, all at Albany. On removal to Utica, he entered upon the manufacture of adhesives on a large scale, and after several years of hard work established under the name of

the Tacks Manufacturing Company, a prosperous business with distributing agencies in England and throughout this country. In 1896 he was elected a director of the Albany Art Union. He was one of the first members of Philip Livingston Chapter, Sons of the Revolution. He is a member of the Emman- uel Baptist Church of Albany. He married, Albany, February 14, 1893, Clara H., daughter of Ralph W. and Ann Elizabeth (Glazier) Thacher. Children : Woolverton Thacher, born at Albany, July 12, 1895, and Francis (Frank) White, Jr., born at Utica, January 19, 1909.

(IX) John Porter, son of George Lavater and Adda Maud Shuler (Woolverton) Sted- man, was born at Loudonville, New York, April 8, 1871, died, unmarried, at Albany, New York, March 24, 1910. His earliest edu- cation was obtained at the Loudonville Union Free School, after which he entered the Al- bany Academy, from which he received its mathematical diploma on his graduation in 1890. Shortly afterward he entered the em- ploy of his brother, Frank W., who was then in the coal business in Albany, and remained with him until 1897. He then formed a part- nership with Herbert Best, under the firm name of Best & Stedman, and with him con- ducted a large wholesale drug business for several years at Albany. In 1903 Mr. Sted- man retired from this business, and to regain his health traveled extensively through prac- tically every section of North America. Since that time he also devoted himself to agricul- ture. He was a member of the New York State Fruit Growers' Association and the Western New York Horticultural Society, and had been assistant superintendent of the New York and New England Agricultural Society. By the constant attendance at the meetings of these societies and close study of the latest authorities on these subjects, as well as by independent experiments, he became one of the leading exponents in his county of mod- ern methods of farming, and made of the place where he was born and continued to re- side until his death, a model farm. He was concerned in numerous religious and chari- table institutions. At the time of his death he was a deacon of Emmanuel Baptist Church

162

HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS

of Albany, where he was long an active mem- ber, and president of the board of managers of the Albany City Mission. He had served as moderator of the Hudson River Baptist As- sociation North, and was on numerous occa- sions chosen as delegate to the conventions of various organizations identified with his church and denomination.

(IX) Charles Sumner, son of George La- vater and Adda Maud Shuler (Woolverton) Stedman, was born at Loudonville, New York, November 6, 1874. He was educated at the Loudonville Union Free School, the Albany Academy and Brown University, from which he was graduated in 1896 with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy, and then took the course at the Albany Law School, graduating in 1898. He was admitted to the bar, July 6, 1898, and associated himself with his broth- er, George W. Stedman, under the firm name of Stedman & Stedman, continuing the part- nership which had existed between his father and brother. He has been president of the Brown University Alumni Association of Al- bany; secretary and treasurer of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Association of Eastern New York; secretary of the Albany Baptist Mis- sionary Union, 1896-1906, and its president, 1907-09. He has served continuously on the missionary committee of the Hudson River Baptist Association North since the death of his father, March 15, 1898, who had been chairman for many years. He is actively in- terested in the Young Men's Christian As- sociation of Albany, and has served as director since February 1, 1901. He has been secre- tary and a director of the Albany Academy Alumni Association, an organizer of the Al- bany Industrial Brotherhood, an organizer and treasurer of the Albany Grenfell Association, an organizer of the Committee of Prevention of Tuberculosis of the State Charities Aid As- sociation, charter member of the Albany County Bar Association, and its secretary since January, 1908. He has been a director of the Albany Insurance Company since 1893. He is a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Albany, and has held numerous of- fices in the various organizations identified with the church. He is a member of the Fort Orange, University and Albany Automobile clubs, and secretary of the University Club. He has always maintained his residence at Loudonville, New York. He married at Lou- donville, New York, September 20, 1899, Agnes Lauder McEwan, born at Albany, Jan- uary 28, 1876, daughter of Walter McEwan, born at Glascow, Scotland, June 1, 1843, and of Abby Stuart (McKissick) McEwan, (see Mc- Kissick IV), born May 18, 1851, at Albany.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume I, Part 32

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866-1934, ed Publication date: 1911 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 656

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866-1934, ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 656