USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Families of the Wyoming Valley: biographical, genealogical and historical. Sketches of the bench and bar of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, vol. III > Part 16
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II. Martha Wheeler Bennett, born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., August 2, 1833. She married, September 20, 1854, John C. Phelps, a native of Granby, Conn., where he was born April 20, 1825. Their children are : 1. Anna B. Phelps, born January 1, 1856. 2. William G. Phelps, born August 17, 1857; married, November 17, 1880, Caroline I., daughter of Hon. L. D. Shoe- maker. 3. Francis A. Phelps, born May 4, 1859. 4. Grace L. Phelps, born March 31, 1863; married November 9, 1887,
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I208
JAMES HOLLIDAY.
Henry B. Platt, son of Hon. Thomas C. Platt. 5. Ziba Bennett Phelps, born December 7, 1870.
The second wife of Ziba Bennett, whom he married November 18, 1856, was Priscilla E. Lee, daughter of the late James Stewart. Lee, of Nanticoke. He was a brother of Colonel Washington Lee. (See page 1079.) She erected the chapel connected with the First Methodist Episcopal church of this city at a cost of $26,000, and presented the same to that society. She might also be called the foundress of the Home for Friendless Children on South Franklin street in this city. On March 22, 1862, a num- ber of ladies interested in benevolent work met at the house of Mrs. Bennett. A board of lady managers were chosen, and Mrs. Bennett was appointed the treasurer. The society was subse- quently incorporated. The management of the Home is in the hands of twenty-four ladies, who meet once a month for consul- tation. For a large number of years Mrs. Bennett has been the president. She has been connected with the First Methodist Episcopal Sabbath school of this city for the past thirty years, and for the past fifteen years she has been the assistant superinten- dent. She still survives, and the hope and prayer of all christian people is that her life may long be spared to bless this commu- nity with her charitable and benevolent work. Her large benev- olences and noble christian character have made her name familiar, and her "praise is in all the churches."
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JAMES HOLLIDAY.
James Holliday was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., April 4, 1842. In the latter part of the following year he removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he remained until his death several years since. He died in the court room there while engaged in trying a case. His wife was Mary Sterling, a grand- daughter of Samuel Sterling, who came with his family from Bridgeport, Conn., prior to 1800, and settled in what is now Mesh- oppen township, Wyoming county, Pa., where he died about
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I 209
AARON KINGSLEY PECKHAM.
1830. He was a descendant of David Sterling, who was born in Hertfordshire, England. He came to this country in 1651 and settled in Charlestown, Mass. The father of Mrs. Holliday .was Major Daniel Sterling, son of Samuel Sterling, who came from Bridgeport with his father's family. He was born there July 8, 1776. He early opened a store and hotel at Black Wal- nut, and bought land on Meshoppen creek near its mouth, where he was for many years extensively engaged in lumbering, grist ยท milling, merchandizing, and farming. He removed about 1837 to Illinois, where he died August 25, 1839. He was married three times, his third wife, the mother of Mrs. Holliday, being Rachel Brooks. Mr. and Mrs. Holliday had two children, Wal- ter Holliday, now deceased, and Elizabeth Holliday. Mrs. Hol- liday subsequently married James P. Whaling, auditor of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad. She now resides at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
AARON KINGSLEY PECKHAM.
Aaron Kingsley Peckham was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., August 1, 1842. He was the second child of Kings- ley Peckham and Hannah Retta Rounds, and was born at Bris- tol, Rhode Island, October 15, 1815. His father was a farmer and while residing in Rhode Island made a bare competence for himself and family. Learning of the cheapness and facility with which land could be acquired in Pennsylvania, he left Rhode Island in the spring of 1829, and after a long and tedious journey, fraught with the dangers, difficulties and discouragements inci- dent to the season and mode of travel, arrived and settled early in the spring in Columbia, Bradford county, Pa. The expenses of the trip left his father little to begin with, but he went earn- estly to work in the heavily timbered forest, soon made a clear- ing, and erected habitable buildings. At this time the subject of our sketch was fourteen years old, just the age when he should have been placed at school and had opportunities for fitting him- self better for his after work. He remained with his father until about the age of nineteen, assisting in clearing, working the land
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1210
WARREN JAY WOODWARD.
and making improvements in spring, summer and fall, and attend- ing the common schools of the neighborhood in the winter. He then procured a tract of land in Armenia township, Bradford county, and went to work for himself. Not a tree had been cut upon this tract when he went upon it. He cut and cleared a number of fallows, set up a good sugar bush, and made sugar several seasons. He remained there until the spring of 1838, when he rented a pail factory. It was shortly after be began manufacturing pails that he determined to study law. He entered his name as a student with John C. Adams, of the Towanda, Pa., bar, meanwhile carrying on his business, and in addition taught school winters. In 1842 he was admitted to the Bradford county bar. He located at Tunkhannock and practiced there. This was a short time before Wyoming county was separated from Luzerne county. He immediately obtained a fair share of business, and by his industry, application and perseverance worked his way into a good practice. In 1860 the late Warren J. Woodward, the then presiding judge of the twenty-sixth judicial district, comprising among others Wyoming county, was elected presi- dent judge of the twenty-third judicial district, and surrendered his commission as the presiding judge of the twenty-sixth. Gov- ernor Curtin commissioned A. K. Peckham to fill the vacancy, in the fall of 1861, which position he held until December 1, 1862. He resumed the practice of his profession at Tunkhannock, con- tinuing there until his death, March 22, 1865. He married Jane A. P. Manville, at Towanda, February 21, 1845. She died at Tunkhannock July 5, 1855. By her he left one daughter, Mrs. N. P. Hicks, of Towanda. Mr. Peckham married a second time -Jane E. Knowles, of Chittenango, N. Y .- November 24, 1858. By her he left one daughter, Mary.
WARREN JAY WOODWARD.
Warren Jay Woodward, who was admitted to the bar of Lu- zerne county, Pa., August 1, 1842, was a descendant of Richard Woodward, who was admitted a freeman September 2, 1635, and whose name is on the earliest list of the proprietors of Water-
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WARREN JAY WOODWARD.
town, Massachusetts. (See page 97.) His grandfather, Abishai Woodward, was the father of the late George W. Woodward. He was an associate judge of Wayne county from 1814 to 1829, and sheriff from 1807 to 1810. The father of W. J. Woodward was John K. Woodward. He was the son of Abishai Wood- ward. J. K. Woodward was a surveyor, draftsman and a good mathematician. When Pike county was created John K. Wood- ward ran the division line of the new county. He was prothon- otary and clerk of the several courts from 1823 to 1827. The wife of John K. Woodward was Mary Kellogg, a daughter of Silas Kellogg, who removed to Wayne county in 1792, from the state of New York. He was sheriff of Wayne county from 1813 to 1816. Warren J. Woodward was born September 24, 1819, near Bethany, Wayne county, Pa .; secured in his youth an aca- demic education at Wilkes-Barre; taught school several terms in his native county; entered the printing office of the Wayne county Herald, at Bethany, and conducted that newspaper for a time in the absence of its proprietor, and was then for about two years connected with the Pennsylvanian, at Philadelphia, in an editorial capacity. He studied law at Wilkes-Barre with his uncle George W. Woodward, and E. L. Dana, and then practiced for about fifteen years with eminent success, holding at the time of his appointment to a judgeship the leading practice at the Luzerne bar. He had the habits and tastes of a student, and was one of the most laborious of men, always disposed to master difficulties and go to the bottom of a subject. A conscientious performance of judicial duty involves much of concentrated attention and effort, quite unknown to the outer world because performed mostly in private. Even in the long run results only become evident; it comes to be known that the faithful judge is a great or accomplished lawyer ; that his work is correctly and prompt- ly performed ; that sound law is pronounced, and impartial jus- tice administered by him ; but little is known by the general pub- lic of the days or weeks or years of patient toil and of self-discipline which have made him what he is-an accomplished minister of justice. The immediate cause of the judge's death was nervous exhaustion, accompanied by an enlargement of the liver. For twenty years he had been subject to recurring bilious attacks,
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WARREN JAY WOODWARD.
which, with overwork, appear to have caused his final sickness and death. His walk was remarkably erect; his limbs and face clothed with little flesh ; but his frame was of fair size, his body substantial, and his head showed intellectual development and power. His eye was kindly, and kindled in familiar discourse ; his conversation was emphatic, without violence, and had the charms of earnestness and variety in intercourse with friends. He read much of general literature, and obtained larger views of mankind and affairs than those of the mere lawyer or plodding judge. But of all his characteristics, conscientiousness was, per- haps, the most commanding and constant. This was the spur to labor and study throughout his career, carrying him with tire- less activity through all the obscurities and difficulties of every case, and presenting to him at all times a wholesome apprehen- sion that some man's right or some principle of justice might be overlooked or neglected. He was never a candidate for political office in the ordinary sense of that term, but by devotion to his profession of the law he qualified himself for high judicial posi- tions, and obtained them without personal solicitations or effort. Although a democrat of the straightest sect, he was appointed by Governor Pollock to be president judge of the judicial dis- trict composed of Columbia, Sullivan and Wyoming counties upon a general request of the members of the bar of both par- ties, and was afterwards elected to the same position by the peo- ple without opposition. Upon the bench he exhibited great ability and impartiality, united with a faithful devotion to the duties of his office. All business before him was promptly dis- posed of, and the intrusion of political feelings or other sinister influence into his courts was sternly prevented. He brought to the bench qualities which had received their training and discip- line under Judge Conyngham, of this county, before whom his professional life at the bar had been passed-an admirable judge and a finished gentleman, whose memory yet holds the respect of the people of all the courts in which his judicial duties were discharged. These qualities, constituting high qualifications for a judge, were great integrity of purpose, great industry, and a most sincere, unassuming devotion to justice. And in social intercourse off the bench his temper was genial and kindly, and
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WARREN JAY WOODWARD.
his friendship was considered a proper object of just and honor- able effort. In 1861 Judge Woodward was nominated by the democrats of the Bucks and Montgomery district as their can- didate for the president judgeship, but he declined. He was then invited to accept a nomination for president judge of Berks coun- ty, and was chosen to that position at the general election of that year by a large majority. In 1871 he was reelected without opposition, for he had then become known to the people of that county as a most admirable judge and an estimable man, and his retention upon the bench was considered an object of the utmost importance to the people of that county. From that position of usefulness, however, he was called to the bench of the Supreme Court by an election in the fall of 1874, taking his seat on the first Monday of January following, so that at the time of his death he had served as a justice of the Supreme Court something more than four years and a half. His opinions, to be found in the books of reports, will remain to bear evidence of his ability, and their language and composition to gratify all readers of sound taste and learning. Judge Woodward was married to a daughter of Judge Scott, of this city. She died many years since. He was a great reader of current literature, and was constantly keep- ing up with all the magazines and new books. He possessed a fondness for literary pursuits, and while still a law student was an editorial contributor to the Pennsylvanian. He was also much devoted to agriculture and horticulture, and on his farm in New York he had all of the best varieties of fruit in cultivation. He was a liberal contributor to charitable objects, and was identified with every movement in the city of Reading calculated to relieve distress. He was president of the Reading benevolent society for a number of years, and presided over the annual meetings. He was a director of the Reading dispensary up to the time of the reorganization of the institution. He was also a liberal con- tributor to the Reading relief society. He took a prominent part in the reorganization of the Reading library company, and was one of the founders of the reading room association. Judge Woodward was the law preceptor of Governor Hoyt, and occu- pied a seat with the latter in a barouche in the inaugural proces- sion in Harrisburg. He also publicly administered the oath to
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WILLIAM HENRY MILLER.
Governor Hoyt upon his inauguration. Many anecdotes could be related of Judge Woodward. He presided with great dignity in the trial of cases ; while off the bench he was a pleasant com- panion. When a young man, like many other lawyers, he fell into the habit of writing an execrable hand, but upon finding one day that he was unable to decipher some notes which he had taken, he determined to improve his penmanship. He adopted the rule to write so that each letter would be perfectly plain, and he persevered until his chirography became a model of elegance. His judicial dockets are remarkable for the neat and legible man- ner in which they were kept, the entries being as easily read as printed matter. In 1875 he received the honorary degree of doc- tor of laws from Franklin and Marshall college, of Lancaster. The severe labors which he had undergone in his long judicial service had, before his elevation to the supreme bench, enfeebled a constitution always frail and delicate. The death of his eldest son, Henry, in 1878, added to his sufferings. In the summer of 1879 he was compelled by ill health to retire to his farm near the village of Hamden, Delaware county, N. Y., and there died, September 23, 1879, and is buried in Hollenback cemetery in this city. Two children survived him-Warren Woodward, a member of the Lackawanna county bar, who died in 1881, and Katharine Woodward, since married to Frank Perley Howe, of Danville, Pa., a son of Bishop Howe, of the Protestant Episco- pal church.
WILLIAM HENRY MILLER.
William Henry Miller, who was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., November 11, 1842, was born near Middletown, Adams county, Pa., January 13, 1820. He studied law with Hon. John Reed, at Carlisle, Pa., and was admitted to the bar at that place in August, 1842, and soon after removed to Luzerne (now Wyoming) county, and located at Tunkhannock, where he prac- ticed law until the latter part of 1843, when he removed to Car-
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MINER S. BLACKMAN.
lisle and practiced there the remainder of his life. He married, May 30, 1843, Jane R. McDowell, who still survives him. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have no children living. Mr. Miller at one time filled the office of district attorney for Cumberland county, Pa. He died in June, 1877. "He lived a long and useful life-an honored citizen, a good lawyer, and an upright man."
MINER S. BLACKMAN.
Miner S. Blackman, who was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., January 2, 1843, was a native of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he was born August 14, 1815. He was a descendant of John (?) Blackman, who was born in England about 1600 and emigrated to Massachusetts or Connecticut about 1635. He had a son John (?), who was born in Connecticut in the latter year. He had a son Elisha, who was born in Connecticut about 1687, married, lived, and died about 1768, in Lebanon, Connecticut. Elisha Blackman, son of Elisha Blackman, was born in Lebanon in 1717; married Lucy Polly, who was a widow Smith; emi- grated with his family to Wilkes-Barre early in the spring of 1772 ; was in the battle at Nanticoke and defeat of Plunkett in 1775 ; was in the skirmish with the Indians at Exeter on July I, 1778; returned to Lebanon after the battle and massacre of July 3, 1778; returned to Wilkes-Barre in 1790; owned a farm ex- tending on both sides of Main street ; one lot west of Academy street; died there in 1804. Ichabod Blackman, son of Elisha Blackman, was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, in 1762; came to Wilkes-Barre with his father's family in 1772; was in the skir- mish at Exeter, July 1, 1778, together with his father and brother Elisha; fled with his father, mother, sisters and brother Eleazer, on July 4, 1778, through the woods to Stroudsburg, and from thence to Connecticut ; returned to Wilkes-Barre about 1784. (See page 931.) In 1786 he married, at Goshen, N. Y., Eliza- . beth Franklin, daughter of Jonathan Franklin. The Franklins were a large and respectable family, distant relatives of Dr. Ben- jamin Franklin. Of the Wyoming family there were seven brothers, all of whom had large families, from whom a numer-
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EDWARD M. COVELL.
ous progeny has sprung. John was killed in the battle and mas- sacre of Wyoming. Mr. Blackman removed to Sheshequin, Bradford county, in 1794. He went up the river on a boat with Judge Hollenback and brought the first cart used in the township. In the month of April, 1798, he was drowned while crossing the river in a canoe on a very dark night. Ichabod Blackman had three sons-Colonel Franklin Blackman, Rev. David S. Blackman, a Presbyterian minister, and Elisha Black- man. The latter was born in Horn Brook, Bradford county, in 1791. His first wife was Mary Searle. The two latter were the parents of Miner S. Blackman. Mr. Blackman was edu- cated in his native town. He read law with H. B. Wright, in this city He served an apprenticeship to the printing business with Asher Miner, at Doylestown, Pa., in his young manhood, and in connection with Dr. Thomas W. Miner published the Wyom- ing Republican, in Kingston, from 1837 to 1839. In 1844, 1845 and 1846 he was one of the trustees of the Wyoming seminary, at Kingston. He was also district attorney of Luzerne county during the years 1841, 1842 and 1843. He was a member of the town council of the borough of Wilkes-Barre at the time of his decease. He was a class leader in the Methodist Episcopal church for a number of years. Mr. Blackman married, Septem- ber 26, 1843, Ann Elizabeth Drake, of this city. She was the daughter of Benjamin Drake, a native of Mendham, Morris county, N. J., where he was born April 22, 1778, and his wife Nancy S. Ely, a native of Abington, Montgomery county, Pa., where she was born February 10, 1788. They were married March 2, 1817. Mr. and Mrs. Blackman had two children, but neither survived. Mr. Blackman died by his own hands, May 25, 1848, while suffering from a severe attack of small pox. His wife is also deceased. They left no children.
EDWARD M. COVELL.
Edward M. Covell, who was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., January 2, 1843, was a native of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. He was the grandson of Matthew Covell, M. D., who was a resi-
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EDWARD M. COVELL.
dent of Wilkes-Barre prior to 1800, and in 1798 he was a justice of the peace for Wilkes-Barre township. In 1811 he was one of the commissioners of the Wilkes-Barre meeting house and bank lottery. The wife of Dr. Covell was Aurelia Tuttle. She was a descendant of Joseph Tuttle, who was baptized in New Haven, Conn., November 22, 1640; married, May 2, 1667, Hannah, daughter of Captain Thomas Munson, born June 11, 1648. Cap- tain Munson came in the Elizabeth to Boston in 1634; removed to Hartford, and was of the Hartford contingent under Captain Mason at the destruction of the Pequot fort ; removed to New Haven 1642 ; offered one-third of an unclaimed allotment in the governor's quarter on conditions that he never complied with, namely, that he would build a house thereon and devote himself to making wheels and ploughs for the good of the colony. In 1669 he was a commissioner with Samuel Bishop and three others to meet five commissioners from Branford to establish bounda- ries. In 1675 he commanded the New Haven troops that, at Norrituck, defended the plantation against the Indians. He was a representative in the general assembly twenty-four sessions, from 1666 to 1683. A complaint against Joseph Tuttle and John Hold was made August 7, 1666, for "tumultous carriage and speaking against the infliction of punishment upon two delinquents ;" fined twenty shillings. "He was excused from 'watching in 1685,'" be- ing an impotent man, having lost the use of one of his feet, and now having two sons in the public service." The same year he was appointed constable, but declined on account of lameness. Ste- phen Tuttle, son of Joseph Tuttle, was born May 20, 1673; removed to Woodbridge, N. J., where his name first appears on land record April 17, 1695, as grantee of six acres of high land, which was laid out to him December 21 of same year. At town meeting January 1, 1697, Stephen Tuttle was chosen constable for the year ensuing. His name stands fourth on the list of church members. He was married in Woodbridge by Samuel Hale, justice of the peace, September 12, 1695, to Ruth Fitz Randolph, of Woodbridge, of the family from which Governor Randolph is a descendant. Stephen Tuttle, son of Stephen Tuttle, was taken young with his father's family to Woodbridge, but returned to Connecticut and lived with Theophilus Munson at New Haven.
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EDWARD GARRICK MALLERY.
He afterwards lived in Farmington, Conn., perhaps with his uncle, Samuel Tuttle. He was killed by lightning while standing under a tree on the Farmington meadows, June 23, 1735. He married, January 23, 1735, Sarah, daughter of Nathan Stanley, of Farm- ington. Stephen Tuttle, son of Stephen Tuttle, was born October 19, 1735, posthumous ; was taken into the Stanley family, and in 1742 removed with his grandfather, Stanley, to Goshen, Conn., where he married, March 23, 1758, Lydia, daughter of Ebenezer Lyman, of Torrington, Conn. He owned land in Goshen, but removed, probably about 1773, to Palmyra, Tioga county, N. Y., thence to Wilkes-Barre, where he died in ISog. His wife was a cousin of Esther, mother of Dr. Lyman Beecher. Aurelia Tuttle, daughter of Stephen Tuttle, who was born June 29, 1764, at Goshen, was the wife of Dr. Matthew Covell. Edward Covell, son of Dr. Covell, was born in Wilkes-Barre May 12, 1792; graduated from Princeton college, N. J., in 1812; studied medi- cine in Philadelphia with Dr. Benjamin Rush, and practiced his profession in this city. He was greatly loved and respected. Married in Wilkes-Barre, May 7, 1717, Sarah S. Ross, a daugh- ter of General William Ross. (See page 293.) Edwin M. Covell, Edward son of Edward Covell, M. D., graduated from Princeton college and studied law in this city. His health failed him and he died at Clifton Springs, N. Y., September 8, 1864. He married, June 4, 1845, Mildred S. Glassell, of Culpepper, Va., a daughter of John Glassell.
EDWARD GARRICK MALLERY.
Edward Garrick Mallery, who was admitted to the bar of Lu- zerne county, Pa., August 14, 1843, was a son of Garrick Mallery and his wife, Sylvina Pierce Butler, daughter of General Lord Butler. (See page 335.) E. G. Mallery was born at Wilkes- Barre, Pa., in 1824, was educated at Lafayette college, where he was the junior orator in 1837, and read law with his father. He practiced law in this city and at Philadelphia, Pa. He was the
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CHARLES PHILLIPS WALLER.
author of the following inscription on the Wyoming monument :
Near this spot was fought, On the afternoon of Friday, the third day of July, 1778, THE BATTLE OF WYOMING, In which a small band of patriotic Americans, chiefly the undisciplined, the youthful, and the aged,
spared by inefficiency from the distant ranks of the republic, led by Col. Zebulon Butler and Col. Nathan Denison, with a courage that deserved success, boldly met, and bravely fought, a combined British, Tory, and Indian force of thrice their number. Numerical superiority alone gave success to the invader, and widespread havoc, desolation and ruin 1 marked his savage and bloody footsteps through the valley. THIS MONUMENT, commemorative of these events, and of the actors in them, has been erected over the bones of the slain, by their descendants and others, who gratefully appreciate the services and sacrifices of their patriot ancestors.
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