USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Families of the Wyoming Valley: biographical, genealogical and historical. Sketches of the bench and bar of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, vol. II > Part 34
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877
ALFRED HAND.
which office he filled at eighteen sessions. The estimation in which he was held by the church is evinced by the fact that they appointed him as their delegate to the assembly which formed the Say-Brook platform in 1708, a work which for over a century and a half has served to preserve the purity and order of the Congregational churches of Connecticut. To have been a member of that body is a higher honor than could have been conferred by any merely civil trust. Mr. Chapman "was twice married, first to Sarah Griswold, a daughter of Lieutenant Francis Griswold, of Norwich, by whom he had nine children. He married second, Mary Sheather, relict of Samuel Sheather, of Killingworth. By her he had four children. He - died suddenly in the court room, at Hartford, Connecticut, soon after the opening of the November sessions in 1711. His tombstone stands in the old burial ground in Hartford, in the rear of the Center church, about a rod north of the monument, on which are inscribed the names of the first settlers of Hart- ford, with this inscription: "Here lyeth the body of Robert Chapman, who departed this life November ye 10th, 1711. Aged 65 years." Benjamin Chapman, son of Robert Chapman by his second wife, was born March 1, 1695, and married a lady whose baptismal name was Lydia. They had seven children. The record of their marriage and decease has not been found. Benjamin Chapman, son of Benjamin Chapman, was born at Say-Brook November 8, 1725. He was twice married, first to Priscilla Jones, second to Hannah Kirtland. The date of neither marriage has been found, nor the respective time of their decease. He had eight children. Benjamin Chapman, son of Benjamin Chapman, was born at Say-Brook Febru- ary 22, 1769. He married widow Lydia Cochrane March 29, 1792, who died at the age of ninety-nine years. By her he had six daughters. He removed to Durham in June, 1793. He was an exemplary christian and for many years an elder of the Presbyterian church of Durham, where he died February 2, 1842. His daughter Catharine was the wife of Ezra Hand. Alfred Hand, son of Ezra Hand, was born at Honesdale, Penn- sylvania, March 26, 1835, and graduated from Yale College in the class of 1857. He read law with William Jessup and Wil- liam H. Jessup, at Montrose, Pennsylvania, and was admitted
-
878
ALFRED HAND.
to the Susquehanna county bar November 21, 1859. He has practiced in the courts of Susquehanna, Luzerne and Lacka- wanna counties and in the Supreme Court of the state. Shortly after his admission to the bar of Susquehanna county he re- moved to Scranton, where he has been one of its most active and useful citizens. He has been a director of the People's Street Railway of Luzerne county, a director in the Jefferson Railroad Company, a director in the Dickson Manufacturing Company, a director, and president for eight years, of the Third National Bank of Scranton, a director in the First National Bank of Scranton, a director in the Lackawanna Mills, presi- dent and director of the Lackawanna Hospital, president of the Pennsylvania Oral School for Deaf Mutes, a trustee of La- fayette College, Easton, Pa., president and director of the Young Mens' Christian Association of Scranton, a director in the Oxford, New Jersey, Iron and Nail Company, a director in the Davis Oil Company of New York, a director in the Lack- awanna Valley Coal Company, and other corporations. He is also a member of the coal firm of William Connell and Com- pany. Mr. Hand was appointed by Governor Hoyt, March 4, 1879, an additional law judge for the eleventh judicial district of Pennsylvania (Luzerne and Lackawanna counties), and in the election of that year he was elected and commissioned additional law judge for the forty-fifth district (Lackawanna county), from January, 1880, to January, 1890. On July 31, 1888, he was appointed by Governor Beaver a judge of the Su- preme Court of Pennsylvania, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Justice Trunkey, and on the same day he resigned his position as judge of Lackawanna county. Mr. Hand has been for a number of years an elder in the First Presbyterian church of Scranton. He has been frequently a member of the Presbytery and at four sessions a member of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church. He is also president of the Lackawanna County Bible Society. Mr. Hand married, September 11, 1861, Phebe A. Jessup, a daughter of Hon. Wil- liam Jessup, of Montrose. She died April 25, 1872. Mr. Hand married a second time, November 26, 1873, Helen E. Sander- son, a native of Williamstown, Massachusetts. She is the daughter of Frederick Sanderson, of Beloit, Wisconsin. Mr.
879
FREDERICK LYMAN HITCHCOCK.
Hand has eight children living-Horace E. Hand, a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1884, a member of the law firm of Jessups & Hand, of Scranton; William J. Hand, a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1887, a law student; Alfred Hand, a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1888, who is now taking a medical course; Harriet J. Hand, Charlotte Hand, Miles T. Hand, Helen S. Hand and Ruth B. Hand
FREDERICK LYMAN HITCHCOCK.
Frederick Lyman Hitchcock, who was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., May 16, 1860, is a descendant of one of the old Puritan families, who founded the New Haven colony. The Hitchcocks were in Wallingford, Conn., as early as 1675, and in New Haven much earlier. Peter Hitchcock, the grandfather of the subject of our sketch, was a native of Claremont, N. H., and his son, Daniel Hitchcock, was born in Wallingford. The mother of F. L. Hitchcock, and the wife of Daniel Hitchcock, was Mary Peck, a daughter of Ward Peck, a soldier in the revolu- tionary army, who served throughout the war. He was a nephew, and named after Major General Artemus Ward, the predecessor of General Washington in command of the continental armies. Ward Peck was but sixteen years of age when the war broke out. His brothers had all entered the army, and he had tried to enlist, but had been rejected because he was too small. He went away and procured a large pair of boots and stuffed them with cloths until he could raise himself enough to reach the stick which was held over the heads of recruits, and was accepted, notwithstand- ing his extreme youth. He was in nearly all the battles of the revolution, including Trenton, where he marched barefooted, his boots being worn out. The route of the American army, he said, could be followed by the blood from the feet of such as he. He was at Valley Forge, and at Brandywine, and was one of the four who bore LaFayette, wounded, from the field. He was remem- bered by the latter, who, on his visit to the United States, showed
880
FREDERICK LYMAN HITCHCOCK.
him marked gratitude and attention. F. L. Hitchcock was born in Waterbury, Conn., April 18, 1837, and was educated in the public schools of his native state. When quite a young man he removed to Scranton and studied law with Samuel Sherrerd, of Scranton, and E. L. Dana, of this city. He practiced his profes- sion until August 22, 1862, when he entered the army as adju- tant of the One Hundred and Thirty-Second Regiment of Penn- sylvania Volunteers. He was in the battles of South Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburg in 1862, and Chancellorsville in 1863. He was twice wounded, and left for dead at Fredericks- burg. He was mentioned by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Al- bright, in his report of the battle, as follows : " The command was meager in officers ; neither the colonel nor major was present, and just as the regiment was moving off to the bloody struggle, Adjutant F. L. Hitchcock, who had been absent on sick leave came to my aid, and assisted me greatly. He conducted himself with great gallantry and bravery, was wounded in two places, but is on duty now. His example on and off the battle field is wor- thy of imitation." The following mention of him is made by Lieutenant Colonel V. M. Wilcox, commanding One Hundred and Thirty-Second Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, in his report of the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862: "I cannot here too highly express my thanks and admiration for the assis- tance rendered me by Major Charles Albright and Adjutant F. L. Hitchcock. They never left the field for a moment, but by their coolness and bravery assisted me greatly in inspir- ing the men with that courage which it was necessary for men to possess under so severe a fire as that to which they were sub- jected." On January 24, 1863, he was promoted to major, and as such commanded his regiment at Chancellorsville. He was mustered out with his regiment May 24, 1863. In December following, he was examined by Major General Casey's examining board, and was awarded a commission as lieutenant colonel of colored troops, and entered on duty at once, and organized the Twenty-Fifth Regiment U. S. colored troops, at Philadel- phia. He was commissioned colonel early in 1864, and served in the defenses at Fort Pickens and Pensacola, Florida, until December, 1865. During most of this time he held the posi-
8SI
FREDERICK LYMAN HITCHCOCK.
tion of inspector general of the district of West Florida, in addition to his duties as colonel. His only brother, Edwin Sherman Hitchcock, enlisted in the Second Connecticut Volun- teers, in the three months' service, under Colonel Alfred H. Terry, in May, 1861, was commissioned captain in Seventh Connecticut Volunteers in the fall of same year, under same col- onel, and was killed under circumstances of great gallantry at the battle of James Island, in June, 1862. F. L. Hitchcock was elected the first clerk of the Mayor's Court of the city of Scran- ton, in 1866, and in 1878 was appointed the first prothonotary of Lackawanna county, and was secretary of the Scranton board of trade in 1869, 1871, 1872 and 1873. He was one of the three ruling elders who were elected and ordained at the organi- zation of the Second Presbyterian church of Scranton in 1874. During his eldership in the Second church he represented the Presbytery of Lackawanna as one of the lay delegates in the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church of the United States, which met in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1875. He was super- intendent of the Sunday school of the Second church for two years, continuing in that office until his removal to Green Ridge, a suburb of the city of Scranton, in 1881, when he severed his membership with that church and united with the Green Ridge Presbyterian church. He was superintendent of a flour- ishing mission Sunday chool for four years prior to his connec- tion with the Second church. In 1883 he was elected superin- tendent of the Green Ridge Presbyterian Sunday school, which position he still occupies. He was elected an elder in the Green Ridge church in 1888, and is still serving in that office. He was president of the Young Men's Christian Association during the years 1875, 1876 and 1877, and has also been treasurer of the same institution. Mr. Hitchcock married, January 24, 1864, Caroline Neal Kingsbury. Her great-grandfather was Deacon Ebenezer Kingsbury, of Coventry, Conn. He was a member of the Con- necticut legislature for thirty-eight years, a military officer of rank, and man of note in the community in which he lived. Her grand- father, Rev. Ebenezer Kingsbury, was a native of Coventry, Conn. He graduated from Yale College in 1783, and studied theology with Dr. Backus, of Somers, Conn. He was pastor of the Con-
882
FREDERICK LYMAN HITCHCOCK.
gregational church at Jericho Centre, Vermont, when he visited Harford, Susquehanna county, Pa., and received a call to settle February 21, 1810. He was installed in August following, and continued his pastoral labors there for seventeen years. He trav- eled over a large part of the counties of Susquehanna, Bradford and Wayne, on horseback, by marked trees and bridle paths, preaching in log cabins, barns and school houses, of which there were a very few at the time, and assisted at the formation of nearly all the churches in that region. He died at Harford in 1842. The wife of Rev. Ebenezer Kingsbury was Hannah Williston, a daughter of Rev. Noah Williston, who was born in 1733, gradu- ated from Yale College in 1757, ordained in West Haven, Conn., in 1760, and was for fifty-two years pastor of the West Haven Congre- gational church, and died there, aged eighty years. His wife was Hannah Payson, of Pomfret, Conn. The eldest son of Rev. Noah Williston was Rev. Payson Williston, who was for forty years pastor of the Congregational church at Easthampton, Mass. Hon. Samuel Williston was founder of Williston Seminary, at Easthampton, to which he gave $250,000. He was also a son of Rev. Noah Williston. The father of Mrs. Frederick L. Hitchcock was also named Ebenezer Kingsbury. He was born in Vermont, June 13, 1804. At six years of age he came with his parents to Harford, Pa. He studied law with William Jessup, at Montrose, and was admitted to the bar September 2, 1828. In 1830 he was appointed deputy attorney general for Susquehanna county. He removed to Honesdale, Pa., in 1833, where he resided until his death, in 1844. From 1833 to 1840 he was editor and proprietor of the Wayne county Herald. From 1837 to 1840 he repre- sented Luzerne, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties in the state senate, and in the latter year he was speaker of the senate. He married, in 1829, Elizabeth Harlow Fuller, a daughter of Edward Fuller, born in Plymouth (formerly Plymouth Rock), Mass. He was a descendant of one of the Fullers who came over in the Mayflower. His wife was Hannah West, a native of Norwich, Conn. They had six children, of which Mrs. Hitchcock, the youngest, Henry A. Kingsbury, general superintendent of stores of the Lackawanna Iron & Coal Company, Scranton, and Edward Payson Kingsbury, late controller of the city of Scranton, and
883
ARETUS HEERMANS WINTON.
present secretary and treasurer of the Scranton Steel Company, only survive. Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock have had a family of seven children-Edwin Sherman Hitchcock, Frederick Kings- bury Hitchcock, Henry Payson Hitchcock, Lizzie Fuller Hitch- cock, John Partridge Hitchcock, Mary Peck Hitchcock, and Carrie Guilford Hitchcock. All are living except Frederick Kingsbury Hitchcock, who died, aged 3 years, in 1872.
JOHN HANDLEY.
John Handley was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., August 21, 1860. He commenced the study of the law at the Co- lumbia College Law School, and finished his reading at Washing- ton, D. C., and was admitted to the Supreme Court ofthe District of Columbia on motion of ex-Mayor Barrett, of that city. Soon after his admission he removed to Scranton, and immediately commenced the practice of his profession. In 1874, when Mr. Handley was less than forty years of age, he received the democratic nomination for additional law judge of Luzerne county, and was elected over his republican competitor, Edwin S. Osborne. Upon the expiration of his term, in 1884, he was a candidate in Lacka- wanna county for the same position, but, owing to dissensions in his party, was defeated, the vote standing-Robert W. Archbald, republican, 7929; John Handley, democrat, 5942, and Edward Merrifield, democrat, 2564. After the expiration of his term on the bench Mr. Handley retired from practice.
. ARETUS HEERMANS WINTON.
Aretus Heermans Winton was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., August 22, 1860. His father is William W. Winton, of Scranton, Pa., who is a native of Butternuts, Otsego county, N. Y., where he was born January 29, 1815. His parents were
884
ARETUS HEERMANS WINTON.
Andrew Winton and Fannie (Glover) Winton, of Connecticut. When W. W. Winton was eighteen years of age his family re- moved to that portion of the city of Scranton known as Providence. Here, during three years, he was engaged in teaching school, and subsequently was employed in the same capacity in Danville, . Pa. While there he read law with Joshua W. Comly, but was never admitted to the bar. In 1842 he opened a store in Walls- ville, Pa. In December of the following year he bought out the stock of goods of Harry Heermans, and C. T. Atwater acted as clerk in that store. In 1844 the Wallsville store was transferred to Abington Centre. He subsequently carried on business in Providence, in connection with Charles T. Atwater as his partner, and later with Hon. A. B. Dunning as his partner. In 1850 he removed with his family to New York, where he was engaged in merchandizing until about 1858, when he returned to Providence. He carried on a private banking business in Scranton, which he continued successfully until it was merged in the Second National Bank of Scranton. In 1865 he organized the First National Bank in Scranton, and ultimately consolidated it with the Second National Bank of Scranton, thereby increasing the capital of the latter to meet the business wants of the people, but, desiring to furnish the people of Providence some privileges, he continued a private bank at that place, under the name of Winton, Clark & Company, which in time was merged into the Citizens' and Miners' Savings Bank, of Scranton, with Mr. Winton as its pres- ident. He is now or has been a director of the Scranton Trust Company and Savings Bank, and late its treasurer, a director of the People's Street Railway Company, treasurer of the directors of the poor of Scranton, a director of the Pittston Bank, treas- urer of the Roaring Brook Turnpike Company, besides holding many other offices of high trust. He was the founder of the Presbyterian church of Providence, gave the lot for the church building, and has always been a large contributor to it, and all its laudable enterprises. Were there nothing else to keep his name in the minds of the people of Scranton, they will read and remem- ber it many years in their title papers, as they peruse convey- ances of lots laid out upon various large tracts of land, known as Winton's addition to Scranton, Winton's addition to Providence,
885
ARETUS HEERMANS WINTON.
Winton's addition to Hyde Park, and Winton and .Dolph's addi- tion to Peckville, and Winton and Livey's addition to Scranton He erected in the square at Providence an elegant drinking fountain for man and beast, at an expense of $1,000, which he cheerfully gave from his own purse. The thrifty village of Winton, in Luzerne (now Lackawanna) county, derived its name from him. He married, while teaching in Danville, Catharine Heermans, the eldest daughter of Henry Heermans, once a prominent merchant in Providence. He was originally from Salem, Wayne county, Pa., where he was elected constable in 1818, and at the November sessions, in the same year he was licensed to keep a public house, which, with a store, he managed for many years. In 1829 he disposed of his property at Salem Corners and removed to Providence. His wife was Fandina Nicholson, of Salem. She was a sister of Zenas Nicholson, father of G. Byron, H. W. and O. F. Nicholson of the Luzerne bar.
A. H. Winton, son of W. W. Winton, was born November 17, 1838, in Hyde Park (now Scranton), Pa. He received his prep- aration for college at Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., and Williston Seminary, East Hamp- ton, Mass. He graduated at Mount Washington College, the valedictorian of his class. After graduation he read law with David R. Randall. Immediately after his admission to the bar he entered the office of Hon. Garrick Mallery Harding, late president judge of Luzerne county, and in the first three months of his law practice he was engaged in the famous Corwin mur- der trial, and in his maiden speech, in this case, at once gained renown as a talented, gifted and powerful debater and orator. Since then he has been engaged in very many of the most prominent criminal and civil cases, where he was associated with or opposed to many of the criminal lawyers, judges and statesmen of Pennsylvania. In 1866 he removed from Wilkes- Barre to Scranton, and at once took rank among the fore- most pleaders at that bar. In 1877 he was the candidate of the prohibition party for judge of the Supreme Court. The Phil- adelphia Times, in noticing his nomination, says : " A. H. Winton, the candidate for supreme judge, is a prominent, accomplished and highly respected lawyer of Scranton, in the prime of life. He is
886
ARETUS HEERMANS WINTON.
not a politician in the generally accepted sense of the term, but posseses all the necessary qualifications for his office. A more worthy and suitable person could not be found in our state, and the convention may be considered fortunate in this selection." In the temperance work Mr. Winton has manifested ability, earnestness and talent. When on his summer vacation in Massachusetts the papers of that state spoke of him as " an eloquent, powerful and very brilliant temperance speaker." In July, 1877, he was the orator on the occasion of a large temperance meeting at Ply- mouth, Pa., and the Scranton Evening Star, in reporting the meet- ing, said : "Mr. Winton was the principal speaker of the evening, and in his eloquent style spoke for an hour, holding his audience spell-bound by his remarkable oratorical powers, apt quotations and wonderful brilliancy in describing the evils of intemperance." Other city papers of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre have noticed his temperance addresses in the most glowing terms. At the organi- zation of the Law and Library Association of Scranton he was made treasurer, and has ever since retained that position and for many years has also been treasurer of the Cour de Lion Commandery of Scranton. He married, May 9, 1865, Alice Collings, daughter of the late Samuel P. Collings, of Wilkes-Barre, and granddaughter of Hon. Andrew Beaumont, also of Wilkes- Barre. Her mother, in the "thirties," was the reigning belle of Washington society. She had an autograph album, which is to be presented to the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society of this city. We copy therefrom the following gems :
"The best wishes of the undersigned is presented to Miss Eliza- beth Beaumont, that she may have a long, useful life and a happy immortality.
1836.
ANDREW JACKSON."
"With the tender of my best wishes for the future happiness and prosperity of Miss Beaumont, I shall be happy to be esteemed as one of her sincere friends.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 1837. JAMES K. POLK."
The following poem is written in the best vein of the author, and should have been published before. It is as follows :
TO MISS ELIZABETH BEAUMONT:
Fair maiden, when the sacred page The words of kindness would impart,
887
FREDERICK FULLER.
The friend, the Lover, Father, Sage Speaks joys in volumes to the heart;
But how shall one in life's decline, Laden with three score years and ten,
Speak to the tender heart of thine Or greet thee with an iron pen ?
Let thine own heart, fair maiden, frame The words thyself would most desire, Fraught with a lover's fervent flame, Chaste with a father's holiest fire.
Then to thyself the words apply, Believe them from my heart to flow, Yet shall they not one-half supply The bliss my wishes would bestow.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 1837.
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
Mr. and Mrs. Winton have two children, Katharine M. Win- ton and Elsie Beaumont Collings Winton. John B. Collings, of the Lackawanna county bar, is a brother-in-law of Mr. Winton.
FREDERICK FULLER.
Frederick Fuller, who was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., November 13, 1860, is a descendant of Edward Fuller, a native of New Haven, Conn., who in 1806, with his wife and fam- ily of five children, removed to Bridgewater, Susquehanna county, Pa. He understood making "wrought" nails, and this of itself was sufficient to make his advent a blessing to the community. He built a large frame house, two stories in front, with a porch and a door opening on it from the second story, while the rear was only one story. It became a central point, being the place for holding elections, and, from the christian character of Mrs. Fuller, the place where the early religious meetings were held. As yet not a man of the neighborhood was a professed christian. Determined to impress upon her children her estimate of the Sabbath, she always dressed them in their best that day, even if that were no more than a clean apron to each one. They learned to be less boisterous than on week days, so praying mothers could meet and sing "the songs of Zion," and occasionally listen
888
FREDERICK FULLER.
to a sermon read by Mr. Fuller or some neighbor. Here the family lived until 1812, when they removed to Montrose, Pa. In that year Mr. Fuller was elected sheriff of the county, which office he held until 1815. His wife was Hannah West, a native of Guilford, Conn. She was the sister of Elias West, who re- moved from Connecticut to Bridgewater in 1801. Mr. Fuller died in Montrose in 1854, in his eighty-sixth year. Mrs. Fuller, the last survivor of the original ten members of the Presbyterian church in Montrose, died in Scranton, also in her eighty-sixth year. Her funeral was the first service in the new Presbyterian church in Montrose.
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