Portrait and biographical record of Queens County (Long Island) New York, Part 132

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : Chapman Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1220

USA > New York > Queens County > Long Island City > Portrait and biographical record of Queens County (Long Island) New York > Part 132

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In 1890 School Trustees Bleecker and Munson and Principal Peck, without authority, remove the lyceum piano from the Whitestone village hall to the schoolhouse, and refused to return it on the request of the lyceum. A com- mittee of the lyceum, consisting of members, President H. B. Niles, Secretary Alfred Mitchell, Col. David M. Talmage, Col. W. L. Watson and W. H. Devins, Esq., was appointed to secure its return. Through Mr. Mitchell an action in re- plevin was commenced, and he had the sheriff of Queens County remove the piano from the schoolhouse, and ultimately, after protracted liti- gation and negotiation, the piano was restored to the village hall, where it now remains for the use of the public, as originally intended. This great victory excited considerable public interest and Mr. Mitchell's dogged persistence won gen- eral admiration.

In the notorious Armstrong school-boy lash- ing case in 1895, wherein a lady teacher of that name was accused by newspapers with cruelly

beating scholars in the public school at White- stone, Mr. Mitchell was retained by Miss Arm- strong to secure an investigation and retraction of the charges. The school board declared the charges unfounded, and the "Brooklyn Times," "New York Press," "World," and others made full retraction as demanded, thus completely vin- dicating the young lady from the slanderous un- truths which had originated in sheer wickedness. Through her forbearance, none of them was prosecuted.

During 1895 the learned counsellor success- fully conducted an unusual piece of litigation for a plaintiff based upon the legal rule that part payment of an undisputed debt, even when a re- ceipt in full is given, does not prevent the party who gives such receipt from recovering the re- maining unpaid balance. (48 N. Y., 204.) So clear and convincing was the legal argument adduced by Mr. Mitchell in support of his client's claim that the court at once gave judgment in his favor, and no appeal was taken, although the defendant was a rich and determined man, ex- tremely anxious to secure a contrary decision.

A fearless application of his accurate legal knowledge in his client's favor recently occurred (April, 1896), in a case wherein Mr. Mitchell was counsel for a merchant of Boston, Mass. The judge refused to proceed with the trial on the ground that the plaintiff whom Mr. Mitchell rep- resented was disqualified in law from proceeding with the action, and granted a stay against him for thirty days. Mr. Mitchell told the judge he had no such power, but the judge was equally confident that he had, and would not alter his decision. Mr. Mitchell immediately applied to the supreme court for a mandamus to set aside the stay as being illegal, and after full argument by both sides before Justice Keogh, at special term, the mandamus setting aside the stay was granted by him, and ordering the erring judge of the court below to proceed to trial as required by Mr. Mitchell, and with costs against the judge for his bad law. The judge, of course, now com- plied, and also gave final judgment for Mr. Mitch- ell's client at the subsequent trial.

In divorce matters that have come before him it is his rule to advise the parties that marriage is the most important transaction of a person's life and ought not to be entered upon lightly, nor be sought to be set aside except for the very weightiest reasons. Clients who have con- sulted him for divorce have abandoned their in-

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tentions and afterwards lived happily together as a result of his wholesome counsel.

The agitation respecting the ownership of the shore front of Flushing Town finds in him a very decided defender of the town against the squat- ters now in possession. Millions of dollars' worth of property belonging to the public are to be wrested from usurpers, and hence restoration pro- ceedings have his unqualified support. (153 U. S., I.)

Always a strong advocate of the Greater New York consolidation, the moment Whitestone was struck out of the bill of 1896, Counsellor Mitch- ell at once initiated steps and carried out work which, Senator Lexow afterward wrote him, se- cured the restoration of Whitestone to the Great American metropolis act which is now law.

From all the above it will readily be seen that the learned counsellor is a busy lawyer and yet his varied practice has not prevented him from accepting the highly responsible position of ref- eree, to which judges have appointed him in various litigations.

Privately the subject of this sketch is a gen- tleman of quiet and retiring habits of life, who loves to be at home in his pleasant dwelling near the shore of the Long Island Sound. There he passes his leisure time with his books and family about him. He is fond of discussing legal prob- lems as well as science, literature and philosophy with all comers, backing up his strong opinions and liberal views on men and affairs from Burns, Shakespeare, Milton, Shelley, Carlyle, Emerson, Huxley, Darwin, Tindall and Biblical writers generally, and is, as he says, "always ready to go to law for other people." He does not believe in cheap law, but many are the services he vol- untarily renders without fee or reward where public rights are concerned, or where a client has but a slender purse to back a just case. He is so sensitive that he feels defeat quite keenly, hence he will not undertake cases unless they present a reasonable prospect of success. He is a member of the Bar Association and of various clubs.

Mr. Mitchell's wife is a lady of charming per- sonality and refinement, well educated and highly accomplished, and much esteemed for her dis- interested kindness and amiable disposition which she particularly delights to manifest to- ward children. She is a native of New Zealand and a daughter of Dr. Reginald Francis Weston, a surgeon of the British army. Her extensive

travels have rendered her habits and manner of life exceedingly simple and unaffected, and she is attached to the Episcopal Church, with a strong leaning to the Rationalistic school-of which her husband has been a lifelong adherent. The fam- ily consists of two sons, Francis Weston Mitch- ell, aged sixteen; Reginald Quarles Mitchell, aged eleven; and one daughter, Sadie Alfreda Mitch- ell, aged seven.

G EORGE TRAPP, JR. Identified with the carriage manufacturer's business since a very early period in youth, Mr. Trapp is familiar with its every detail, and his large success in his chosen occupation may be attributed to the painstaking care he has always evinced in its management. The factory of which he is the proprietor is the oldest of the kind in Queens County, having been started sixty years ago by Sandy Parks, and after his death continued by his estate, from which Mr. Trapp purchased the business in 1884. Since that year he has made his home in Flushing and has been associated with many of its most important enterprises.

By referring to the sketch of John J. Trapp, our subject's brother, presented upon another page of this volume, the reader may find the history of the family and a sketch of the life of his father, George, Sr. While the family resided in Manhasset, town of North Hempstead, this county, our subject was born July 13, 1856, being the eldest of five children. In infancy he was taken to Whitestone, where his early childhood years were passed. Until thirteen years of age he was a pupil in the Bayside public school, and then began to work at the trade under the super- vision of his father, who was an expert carriage and wagon maker. He continued with his father until 1884, when he came to Flushing and bought out the old Parks estate, which business he has since continued. In the works, which are located on Broadway and Farrington Street, he manu- factures all kinds of vehicles, the main part of the work being done in the front building, which is two stories in height; the paint shop and ware- room are in the rear. Every facility is to be found here for the neat and accurate manufac- ture of every part of the vehicle, and the utmost care is exercised to provide against faulty and unsatisfactory work.

The marriage of Mr. Trapp in Whitestone united him with Miss Alice Stora, who was born

HERMAN OBERGLOCK.

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in England and is a lady of amiable disposition and noble character, a devoted member of the Episcopal Church, and an affectionate mother to her children, Marguerite, John J. and Ger- trude. While Mr. Trapp is an ardent Democrat and is always to be found in attendance at local conventions of the party, he has never had any aspirations for official honors, but may be relied upon to assist his friends in their candidacy for town or county offices.

H ERMAN OBERGLOCK. Nowhere within the limits of Queens County is there a man who has taken greater inter- est in its agricultural affairs than Herman Ober- glock, or who has worked more continually to promote and advance these interests. Every life has a history of its own, and although in appear- ance it may possess little to distinguish it from others, yet the connection Mr. Oberglock has had with the agricultural interests of this section has contributed to give him a wide and popular acquaintance with many of the citizens of the county, if not personally, then by name. He is now retired from the active duties of life, and is enjoying the fruits of his early labors.

Mr. Oberglock was born in Wittenberg, Ger- many, October 3, 1831, the son of Jacob and Mary (Ocker) Oberglock. Jacob Oberglock's birth occurred in Germany in 1797, and for many years during his early life he was actively engaged in merchandising in his native country. Later he turned his attention to farming, which he con- tinued up to the time of his death. He was twice married and was the father of fourteen children, seven by each wife. Three of the children born to the first marriage are now living and all born to the second union survive. His second mar- riage was with Miss Margaret Ocker, who was a sister of his first wife.

In the common schools of Germany Herman Oberglock received a limited education, and when twenty-three years old he determined to seek his fortune in the New World. In 1854 he crossed the ocean to New York City and for a year was employed in a brewery. Subsequently he worked as a farm hand in New Lots for two years, and the following four years was actively engaged at cart- ing for a street contractor in East New York. Tired of working for other people, he began farming for himself, first as a renter, but after four years he was in a position to buy a place

for himself. In 1865 he came to Jamaica, and purchased his present property.

In the year 1857 Mr. Oberglock was married to Miss Henrietta Shelt of East New York, but a native of Germany. Six sons and six daughters were born of this union, eleven of whom survive: Andrew, who is married and has three children; Margaret, who is married and has five children; William; Mary, who has one child; Louise; Herman; Henrietta, who is married and has two children; Louis; Anna; Michael and Elizabeth. In 1890 Mr. Oberglock sold all of his property except about six acres, on which were his resi- dence and farm buildings, and in 1891 he built his present handsome residence. His sons, Andrew and William, occupy the old home residence and are engaged in the dairy business. Herman, Louis and Michael are actively engaged in the grocery business in Morris Park. Polit- ically a Republican, Mr. Oberglock has ever been interested in the success of his party. In religion he and his family are members of the Dutch Re- formed Church.

T HE HAVILAND FAMILY. Identified with the history of Long Island from an early period of its settlement, this family has been an important factor in the development of its best interests and has aided materially in advancing its welfare. It is fitting, therefore, that considerable mention should be made in this volume of its various representatives, who, through successive generations, have done so much for the advancement of this section of New York.

The earliest record of the family in America is in 1653, when one of that name resided at New- port, R. I. The original ancestors were English. and a connection has been established between them and the Haviland family of England, a his- tory of which was printed, for private circulation only, in London about 1862. It traces the Eng- lish line back without a break to 1467, in the Island of Guernsey. Evidences are presented showing that the family originated in Normandy, where the name existed as early as 888. The earliest evidence of its permanent settlement in Guernsey is in 1179. From Guernsey a branch settled in England in 1471. The book contains one hundred and forty-four pages of printed mat- ter, including documentary evidence extracted from the Norman Archives of St. Lo, the Royal

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Archives of Paris, Public Records of London, English Municipal Records from 1490, Paris Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths from 1538, and Wills from 1509. It includes one hundred and four illustrations of coats of arms of the Havilands and families into which they married. This book, being out of print and but one of the original English edition existing in New York, was photographed and reprinted through the liberality of A. W. Haviland, of Plainfield, N. J.

The noble Norman family of de Havilland (originally Haverland) included the English branches of Havelland of Dorsetshire (now ex- tinct); Haviland of Hawkesbury, Gloucestershire (also extinct), and Haviland of Somersetshire. Of the generations succeeding the first represen- tative in England, we note the following:

3. Sieur de Haverland, mentioned as a partici- pant in the battle of Hastings.

5. Baron Robert de Haverland, a witness, in II30, to the deed of his neighbor, Jordan de Royal, Lord of Barnesville.

6. Robert de Haverland, in 1179, deputy gov- ernor of the Island of Guernsey.

6. Philpin de Haverland, one of the nobles present at the dedication of St. Martin's Church in Guernsey in 1199.

7. Robert Baron de Haverland, a witness to a charter of Philip d'Aubigne in 1299, granting certain lands in Guernsey to the monastery of St. Michael's Mount.

8. Michael and Rochard de Haverland, who each held a fief of the honor of Martain under Philip, eldest son of Philip Augustus, King of France, 1233, which fiefs were forfeited for ad- herence to the English king.

8. William, Lord of Haverland, who accom- panied Richard Coeur de Lion to Palestine.

9. Peter, Lord of Haverland, son of William.

9. Rodulph de Haverland, one of the King's Navasseaurs of the Island of Guernsey in 1248 and Jurat 1254.

IO. Bernard de Haverland, whose name occurs in an insular document, and who was succeeded by his son.

II. William de Haverland.

12. Thomas de Haverland, 1299.

13. William de Haverland.

14. Hamelin de Haverland and Bernard de Haverland, who, with the two before named, ap- pear in the records of 1331 as tenants of the king on the Island of Guernsey.

15. Thomas, Sieur de Haverland.

16. His second son, James, who married Helene de Beauvoir and had four sons and one daughter, Helene, or Elinor; Richard, James, John and William.

17. Helene, or Elinor, married William, son of Nicholas Pitt, who is the first known ancestor of that historic family. From William and Elinor Pitt are descended four titled branches of the Earls of Chatham, the Earls of Londonderry, the Barons Camelford (all now extinct), and the ex- isting Barons Rivers.

17. Richard de Havilland had one son, who died young, and three daughters, namely: Dora, who married Thomas Guilford; Alice, who was married June 15, 1538, to William Newman, of the family of Fife Head; Celilia, who was mar- ried July 30, 1541, to John Hancock, of Christ Church.

17. James, second son of James and Helene, by his wife, Julia, had a son, named

18. Christopher de Havilland, born in 1512, married September 16, 1544, to Celilia Mann, by whom he had several sons and two daughters, the latter being: Margaret, who married Sir Peter Buck, and Elinor, who became the wife of Rev. William Hiley, rector of Poole, from whom was descended the Adington Viscount Sidmonths.

19. Mathew, the only son of Christopher that lived to mature years, was baptized at Poole June 15, 1550, married Mary Kytchen May 9, 1575, and settled at Bristol, being admitted to its free- dom December 15, 1575. He was a stanch sup- porter of the Protestant cause and contributed largely toward the equipment of the fleet sent against the Spanish Armada. He possessed the manor of Hawkesbury and the estate of Albert Grange, also those of Stockland, Bristol, Char- linch and others in Somersetshire. He died March II, 1619.

20. Robert, of Hawkesbury Manor, married Elizabeth, daughter of John Guise, of Elmore, ancestor of the Baronets of that name. He had four daughters: Mary; Florence, wife of Robert Culme; Jane, who married William Tory, of New England; and Elizabeth, who married Thomas Offeld. A member of the family recently saw the headstone of Jane Haviland, wife of William Tory, in a churchyard in Maine. The only son of Robert was

21. Matthew. His grandfather, Mathew (19), had, beside Robert, the following children: John, of Charlinch Hall, ancestor of the Somersetshire

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branch; Matthew, who died unmarried in 1624; William, whose son, Bartholomew, died young; Annie, who married Sampson Lortte, and Mary, wife of Richard Halworthy, Mayor of Bristol, in 1635.

The original ancestor in America, William Haviland, was in Newport, R. I., in 1653, was made a freeman, and in 1656 served as a repre- sentative in Assembly. In 1667 he bought land and established his home on Mad Nan's Neck (now Great Neck), L. I., where he was living as late as 1688. He and his wife, Hannah Hicks, were the parents of four sons, Joseph, Benjamin, John and Jacob. Of these John, the next in lineal descent, was living in Flushing, L. I., in 1698, with his wife and son, John. (Documentary his- tory of New York, volume I, page 651.) Febru- ary 26, 1701, he bought two hundred acres on Mad Nan's Neck, town of Hempstead, of William Sart, the purchase price being sixty pounds. January 12, 1703, he was chosen church warden for the town of Hempstead at a general town meeting. May I, 1706, he bought land on Mad Nan's Neck, Hempstead, for sixty pounds, the former owner having been John Robinson. March 24, 1712, he bought land on Mad Nan's Neck for one hundred pounds. May 7, 1712, he purchased from John Van Horn, for eighty pounds, some property near his former purchase. September 5, 1719, he paid Joseph White three hundred and forty-five pounds for one hundred and fifteen acres on Oyster Bay, and one-half of one hundred and fifty acres elsewhere. March 27, 1725, he bought from Robert White, for one hundred and ninety-three pounds, seventy-eight acres in White Hollow, Oyster Bay. His will was dated February 16, 1738. He left five sons and four daughters: John, Benjamin, Luke, Joseph, Peter, Jane, Mary, Sarah and Bridget.

The next in line of descent was Joseph, born in 1718, and married to Abigail Roe, their children being Joseph, born August 15, 1749; Abigail, November 3, 1752; David, June 13, 1756; Caleb, September 1, 1758; William, September 9, 1761 ; and Roe, September 15, 1767. February 12, 1749, Joseph bought of John Bregart 26x60 feet in William Street, New York City. This prop- erty he sold May 5, 1750, to Godfrey Miller, for sixty-nine pounds. March 3, 1760, he offered a new house at Flushing for sale. The following year he was one of the incorporators of a church at Flushing. February 28, 1763, he offered his farm at Bayside for sale. June 25, 1764, he sold

to John Carle, of Hempstead, for fourteen hun- dred pounds, a house and lot in Flushing, the property in the sale including ninety and three- fourths acres, bounded on the south by land owned by Thomas Hicks, and another piece twenty-nine and three-fourths acres in extent, situated in Flushing, west of the land owned by David Roe, father of Abigail (Roe) Haviland.

William Haviland, who was born September 9, 1761, and died February 2, 1815, was married March 3, 1784, to Elizabeth Allburtis, of New- town, L. I. They were the parents of the follow- ing children: John, who was born March 28, 1785; Abigail, March 19, 1787; William, born October 30, 1789, died in August, 1801; Eliza- beth, born September 10, 1792; Caleb, Novem- ber 19, 1794; Hannah, June 12, 1796; Roe, Sep- tember 10, 1798; Sarah A. Maria, born June 6, 1801, died August 17, 1802; and Maria, born March 9, 1805.

The fifth generation in America is represented by Roe Haviland, born September 10, 1798, died November 7, 1856. His first wife was Mrs. Mary Cutter, and of their marriage, solemnized in 1824, the following children were born: George W., born July 10, 1825; Caleb, born November 21, 1826, died October 28, 1854; Mary E., born November 15, 1828, died December 28, 1892; William Roe, born August 25, 1830, died May 8, 1881; and Julia Ann, born December 16, 1835. Mary, wife of Roe Haviland, died June 9, 1839, aged forty-five years. In 1841 Roe Haviland married Julia MacDonald, of New York, daugh- ter of William and Mary (Smith) MacDonald. Their children were Charlotte, born October 12, 1842; Sarah, December 26, 1844; John, October 19, 1847; Emma, born August 28, 1851, died in 1854; Henry M., born April 17, 1853; and Eu- gene Caleb, March 7, 1856.

Of these children George W. married Mary E. Roe, daughter of Charles Roe, of Bayside, L. I., March 28, 1849. Mary E. became the wife of John Hicks, son of Thomas Hicks, of Little Neck, April 29, 1849; Julia Ann was married in December, 1852, to John Cornell, son of John Cornell, of Little Neck; Charlotte was married June 3, 1858, to Samuel B. Ballou, of Brooklyn, son of Leonard S. Ballou; Sarah was married October 29, 1863, to Henry Cox, son of Peter Cox, of Little Neck; John was married January 22, 1879, to Susan, daughter of Daniel Schenck, of Great Neck; Henry M. married Emma A., daughter of Charles Skidmore, of Jamaica, No-

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vember 21, 1878. Her father, Charles Skidmore, was born February 18, 1823, and died December 20, 1891, being a son of John Skidmore, born April 20, 1799, died June 21, 1877. Her great- grandfather, Michael, was captain in the War of 1812, and died March 21, 1852; he and his brother, Jeremiah, were sons of John J. Skid- more.

Benjamin, Joseph and William Haviland set- tled on Long Island in 1667, and the names of the last two appear on the list of patentees in 1685. They became prominent and wealthy in mercantile enterprises, and were leading men of their community. The most influential member of the family at Flushing during the present cen- tury was Roe, son of William and Elizabeth (All- burtis) Haviland. A farmer by occupation, he owned about one hundred and fifty acres and was classed among the substantial agriculturists of the county, as was his father before him.

May 6, 1757, Luke Haviland conveyed to Jo- seph Hewlett two hundred and fifty acres at Mad Nan's Neck (now Great Neck). The document was found on record by Joseph Kissam, one of his majesty's justices, at the court of common pleas. The property is still in possession of the Hewlett family. Roe Haviland, born March I, 1768, died in 1844, was a military man, and dur- ing the War of 1812 held high official rank in the army. In civic affairs he was also a leader, and was a man of wealth and influence in his com- munity.

H ENRY M. HAVILAND, the popular re- ceiver of taxes for the town of Jamaica, was born at Little Neck, town of Flush- ing, April 17, 1854. The farm upon which he was born has been in the family for more than one hundred and fifty years, and was the birth- place of his grandfather, William, and father, Roe Haviland, the latter of whom was a lifelong agriculturist and a prominent member of the Episcopal Church. Twice married, by his first union he had five children, namely: George W., a retired business man of Flushing; Caleb and William R., deceased; Julia, the widow of John Cornell, and a resident of Little Neck; and Mary, deceased, formerly the wife of John Hicks. His second marriage was to Julia MacDonald, a na- tive of the town of Flushing, where she still lives. By that union he had three sons and three daugh- ters: John, a farmer, living at Lakeville; Char-

lotte H., the widow of Samuel B. Ballou, and a resident of Little Neck; Sarah, who married Henry Cox, of Little Neck; Emma, who died when three years old; Henry M .; and Eugene C., who is engaged in business in New York.

The subject of this notice spent his early life on the old homestead, was educated in the pub- lic schools, and in boyhood started out for him- self as a clerk, later becoming a bookkeeper for Miller & Eastmead, at No. 221 Pearl Street, New York, where he remained for five years. After- ward for ten years he was associated with J. J. Nichols & Co., at No. 26 Barclay Street. During all this time his home was in Jamaica, where he had married, November 21, 1878, Miss Emma A., only child of the late Charles and Margaret P. (Ostrander) Skidmore. In the politics of the town and county he takes a leading part and is recognized as one of the foremost of the local politicians. For several years he was chairman of the Republican town committee, and as the head of this political organization he did much valuable work for his party. To his efforts is largely due the fact that Queens County, from a Democratic stronghold, was transformed into a Republican county. While he is modest and unassuming, he is also shrewd and far-seeing, and these traits of character have combined to secure his success in public affairs. In the spring of 1894 his friends presented his name as a can- didate for the important office of collector of tax- es, and although he was opposed by one of the "war horses" of the Democratic party, he was elected by a large majority, receiving the sup- port not only of his own party, but of many in the Democratic party.

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Portrait and biographical record of Queens County (Long Island) New York, Part 132

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers Publication date: 1896 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : Chapman Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1220

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : Chapman Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1220