USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Poultney > A history of the town of Poultney, Vermont, from its settlement to the year 1875, with family and biographical sketches and incidents > Part 22
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Jonas has been three times married. After the death of his first wife, he married a widow Chase, of Hoosac Falls, whose maiden name was Susan Potter, and by her had five children;
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three died young, two yet live, George W. and Edmund H. His third wife was widow Tuttle, a daughter of Hon. Samuel Moul- ton, late of Castleton.
George W. Gibson married Hellen Wells in 1861; had two children. She died in May 1870. He married Carrie W- in October 1873, and by her has one child. He lives in Schenec- tady, and is in railroad service. Edmund H. married Susan Sheldon, a daughter of the late Joseph Sheldon of Fairhaven. He lives in Greenwich, N. Y .; is a lawyer of some note, and is in company with Judge Lowry. He is an active member of the Baptist church. He will be remembered as a very successful teacher before he entered the law profession. He was for awhile principal of an academy in Union Village.
GIDDINGS .- Benjamin Giddings was one of the early inhabi- tants of Poultney, and came here probably as early as 1800. He was a farmer, and owned and lived upon the farm now be- longing to the estate of his son, the late Benjamin Giddings. He married Martha Seeley, Dec. 29, 1774. Their children were:
Phobe, b. June 17, 1776; m. Luther Hyde, and lived in Highgate, Vt .; d. April 4, 1807.
Eunice, b. Nov. 27, 1782; m. B- Butler, and lived in Can- ada; d. March 18, 1818.
Lyman, b. Oct. 10, 1785; m. Beulah Emerson, of Woodstock, Vt., and resided in Ellisburg, N. Y .; d. March 11, 1822. He had two children, both of whom are dead-Martha Seeley Gid- dings and Lyman Monroe Giddings.
Joseph, b. March. 10, 1788; d. June, 1868, aged 79 years.
Patty, b. July 30, 1790.
Cyntha, b. June 14, 1792; in. Demos Adams, of Poultney; d. Dec. 1, 1812, in the 21st year of her age. She had one son- Demos, Jr .- now deceased.
Demmon, b. July 7, 1796; d. Nov. 27, 1867.
Amanda, b. June 21, 1798; d. Nov. 11, 1816.
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Benjamin, b. May 25, 1802; m. Alma Goodrich, of Wells, who survives him; d. Sept. 7, 1873. There were no children by this marriage.
Benjamin Giddings, Sen., d. April 5, 1815, in the 64th year of his age. His wife, Martha, d. Sept. 11, 1842, aged 84 years.
Giddings, Joseph-Married Almira Andrus, of Ellisburg, N. Y. He and Lyman carried on the clothier and carding business for a time at Ellisburg. At his death he left three children- Henry, Joseph LeGrand, and Benjamin-who are now living at Ellisburg. He had one other son, John J., who died.
Giddings, Demmon-Married Sophia Ransom, daughter of David Ransom, of Poultney, June 7, 1826. She is still living in Poultney. He was a farmer, and lived all his life in Poult- ney. He had six children: Franklin, b. July 7, 1827, d. Sept. 15, 1849; George, b. Oct. 18, 1831, d. March 6, 1832; Amanda, b. March 4, 1834, d. June 22, 1849; Laura, b. Aug. 21, 1836- m. Carlos Loomis and now lives in Poultney; Ellen, b. July 27, 1839, d. September 18, 1849; Demmon, Jr., b. Aug. 30, 1844, d. October, 1845.
Another numerous branch of the Giddings family in Poult- ney has sprung from Solomon Giddings. He was a nephew of Benjamin Giddings, senior; was born in Connecticut in March, 1775, and came to Poultney at about the same time as his uncle. He d. in June, 1840, in the 66th year of his age. He married, in 1809, Miss Martha Paine, of New Milford, Conn., who is still living, in the ninety-fifth year of her age.
Solomon Giddings left seven children:
Laura, b. September, 1802; m. Harvey Parks, of Wells, and had four children: Henry, now a physician at Great Barrington, Mass., James, of Wells, Fanny and Laura, all living. She d. some fifteen years ago.
Orpha, b. Dec. 15, 1803; m. Daniel Hooker, of Poultney, and is now living. The names of Mrs. Hooker's children may be found elsewhere in the notice of the Hooker family.
Armenia m. Wm. P. Merriam.
Daniel Noble, lives at West Rutland, and has two children,
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Solomon P., and a daughter, who is the wife of Norman Clark, formerly of Rutland.
Solomon P., is a Congregational clergymen, and for some time past, on account of failing health, has been in business at Washington, D. C. He has two children living: Mary, who m. George Stickney, of Washington, and Emily, who now lives with him. He has had two sons, now deceased: Leonard Bacon, aged 18 years; and one who d. in infancy.
William Baldwin, d. in the army, in the war of 1861. He left one daughter-Abby-who is married and living at Fort Edward, N. Y.
Mary Louise, is the wife of H. O. Perkins, Esq., of Rutland, and has eight children.
GOODRICH, FRANKLIN - Was born in Benson, Vt., March Ist, 1805. His parents were poor and when eleven years old he was " put out " to live with Amos Frisbie, of Poultney, and lived with him until Mr. Frisbie died, when he completed his time with the widow and took his hundred dollars. He was then in- debted ten dollars, this he paid and had ninety dollars to begin with. He continued to work and manage the farm for the wid- ow as a hired man for six years thereafter, when he bought a farm in Middletown and removed there. He added more to it, and in a few years became a large land-holder. He rented his farm and moved to East Poultney in 1861. He married Catha- rine Scribner in December 1831, and had one child, Mrs. Henry Potter, who now resides in the East village. Mr. Goodrich died January 18th, 1873, in the sixty-eighth year of his age.
GORHAM .- James, Seth and Jared Gorham settled in Poultney very soon after the close of the Revolutionary war; James in that locality called Gorhamtown, Seth on Pond Hill, and Jared south of Ames Hollow. They were three of seven brothers raised in the town of Kent, Conn., and four of those brothers, John, James, Seth and Wakeman, with their father, served in the Rev- olutionary war. One of the seven settled in Castleton, Vt., another in Chittenden, another in Addison county; it is not known where one settled.
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Gorham, James-The oldest of the brothers who settled in Poultney, was twice married. He had two children, Thomas and Anna, by his first wife, and two, Moses and Annis, by his second wife. Thomas married and had two children who went West, and are now there, if living, Thomas died of cancer about fifty years ago. Anna married Levi Gillis and has been dead some years. Moses was twice married. He had four children by his first wife. One daughter was the first wife of Perry Boomer, and Harry Gorham who lives in Poultney be- tween the east and west villages, is a son of Moses Gorham: Harry is married and has several children.
Gorham, Seth - Married Betsey Thompson of Connecticu', and had nine children, Sidna, Chester, Buel, Edmund, Minerva, Horace, Allen, Jackson, and Harriet. Sidna married Solomon Farwell and died many years ago. Chester died at the age of 25, unmarried. Buel married Joanna Smith, and had five chil- dren. Edmund married, and died in Castleton, leaving one son who now resides in that town. Minerva married Eli Ames; she died in Castleton. Horace Gorham, now residing in the east village, is the only one of Seth Gorham's family now living. He married Louisa Buckland, who died June 29, 1868, at the age of 68. He has had six children; four died under ten years of age; Jane E., the widow of Prof. John Nichols, and Merritt W., are the two living, and reside with their father in East Poulney. Allen married Julia Daniels, settled in Michigan and died leaving two sons. Jackson died when six or seven years old, and Har- riet when about four years old.
Gorham, Jured -The third of the three brothers who first settled in Poultney, married Asenath Morgan, and had several children. He died many years ago, and his children are all dead. Some descendants of this branch are left, but the writer is not informed as to where they are.
GRANT .- John and Josiah Grant were among the early set- tlers. John built the house now occupied by Mrs. Paul M. Ross. There is an old "Field Book," over one hundred years old, now in the possession of J. Jeslin, in which the signature of "Test.
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John Grant, Proprietor's clerk," is attached to surveys, etc. He and Josiah left the town quite early in its history, and it is not known what became of them or their descendants, if they left any.
GREEN, RUFUS H .- Came to Ponliney about forty years ago. The Poultney Band, as before appears, was instructed and or- ganized under his direction. He has a rare musical talent and plays on almost every musical instrument known, and on each with about the same ease and skill. For several years after he came to Poultney, he was mainly engaged in teaching bands in this section, and has extensively taught instrumental music in all departments. He has, to some extent, been engaged in the manufacture of musical instruments; some of his own invention. He still lives in East Poultney, and though advanced in years, can play the fiddle, clarionet, bass viol or piano, and tell a story, apparently as well as ever. He married Ann a daughter of Har- vey C. Pond for his third wife, and has two children; one mar- ried Edward Clark, the other Irving G. Bliss.
GREEN, AMASA - Has been many years a resident of Poultney, and now lives on Furnace street. He lost several children, and now has three living; of the three one married Barrett Gardner of Middletown, who now lives on Furnace street in Poultney; another married Warren Earl and lives in Middletown; the other is a daughter and resides with her father.
HARRIS, JAMES S .- Was born in Canaan, N. H., January 27, 1788. He studied law with Richard Skinner in Manchester, in the county of Bennington, and was admitted to the bar in that county at the June term, 1812. What time he came to Poultney we are not informed, but our supposition is that it was not long after his admission to the bar. Mr. Harris was a well read law- yer, and in the early part of his practice, had a good deal of business. He was, for a time, engaged to some extent in me- chanical and manufacturing business. He invented and manu- factured, for a while, a corn sheller, which, in its time, was a good implement. Mr. Harris married Elizabeth Patterson; she
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was a sister of the wife of Dea. Wm. P. Noyes. He had two children, James P. and Elisabeth. Mr. Harris died March 11, 1866, at the age of 78, his wife died Dec. 24, 1852, at the age of 64.
James P. Harris, the son of James S., married Mary A. daugh- ter of Amos Frisbie, and died July 7, 1859. He was engaged in the mercantile business for some years before his death, and was a very worthy young man. He left three children, Esther E., Charles F. and Jeannette P.
Esther E. married Buel S. Whitney Dec. 29, 1869, and now resides in Kirkville, Onandaga county, N. Y. Charles F. and Jeannette reside with their mother in East Poultney.
Elisabeth, the daughter of James S. Harris, died Oct. 28, 1865.
HARRIS, JESSE- A brother of James S. was born in Canaan, N. H. When he left the place of his nativity he first went to Tinmouth, remained there a short time, then went to Rupert, and from thence came to Poultney in 1815. He went into the mercantile business at East Poultney soon after he came to P., and added to this other business. He carried on a distillery for several years, and dealt extensively in hogs, which he drove on foot to Whitehall, and thence shipped to Montreal. He was some time in quite an extensive tin business, and had his shop in East Poultney. Mr. Harris had an extensive business for many years. He was three times married and had seven children, all by his first wife, three only are now living. George in Detaluma, Cal- ifornia, Freeman in San Francisco, and Norman C. in Poultney. Those in California are in active business there, and Norman C. is a machinist and a mechanic of more than ordinary skill. He was engaged by William Wheeler when he commenced the man- ufacture of candlesticks in Poultney and invented and perfected the machinery for their manufacture. He invented and perfect- ed a machine for making slate pencils, the only one ever used for that purpose, and with which the Castleton manufacturers sometimes made a thousand pencils a day. Norman Harris has been twice married, and had six children, all by his first wife.
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One of the sons of Jesse Harris, Eldridge, was drowned about twenty years ago, at the time of a flood. He undertook to save a boy in the water and both perished.
Jesse Harris is still living with his friends in Castleton.
HASKINS, NEHEMIAH - Was born in Salem, N. Y., and came to Poultney from that place in 1826. November 3, of the same year, he married Polly Derby. He has been in Poultney most of the time since he came here. He has had eight children; two died young. The names of six were James, Hiram, John P., Mary Jane, Harriet and Phobe Elmisza
Hiram died in Middletown fourteen years ago, James is married, has a family and lives in Poultney.
HAWES, ELIJAR-Was born in Randolph, Vt., April 18, 1811. His parents were born in Brookfield, Vt, His mother died when he was but five years old, and Elijah was "put out " to a Mr. Lyman, in Randolph, with whom he lived until he was fourteen years old. He then went to live with a Mr. Griswold, in the same town, with whom he lived until he was twenty-one years of age. He then went to Montpelier, and learned the moulder's trade; from thence he came to Poultney, June, 1833. After coming here, he worked at his trade for about 16 years, in the Stanley Furnace, first for Mr. Stanley, and then for Mr. Ruggles.
He married Eliza Horr, November 12, 1837. After his marriage he commenced keeping house on the corner of Grove and Fur- nace streets, recently known as the Daniel Mallary house. April Ist, 1840, he bought the farm on which he has since resided, be- tween Poultney and Hampton. Mr. Hawes has had two children, Lucius A. and Martha. Martha d. Jan. 28, 1852, when about two years and a half old. Mr. Hawes held the office of justice of the peace for several years, was a selectman five years, and has held other town offices.
Hawes, Lucius A .- A son of Ehjah, m. Hattie H. Starks, in May, 1867. He has two children. In 1868, he opened a jewelry store in Poultney, and has since continued the jewelry business.
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HALL, HORACE-Dr. Hall removed from Pittsford to Poult- ney about the year 1841. He was in the practice of his profes- sion from the time he came here until the time of his death, which occurred April 7, 1874; his wife died April 5th, of the same year, and both were interred the same day and in the same grave, an instance which rarely occurs, and it is supposed never but once before in the history of the town. Mr. and Mrs. Hall were exemplary members of the M. E. Church, and were worthy and useful citizens. They left one daughter who, m. Frederick Steele, and now resides in Gloversville, N. Y.
HERRICK, EPHRIAM-Was one of the early settlers of the town, and as elsewhere appears was a tanner, and erected a dwelling house which was first used as a railroad depot. He set out the buttonwood trees now standing in front of the depot, also a row of the Lombardy poplar from the depot premises to the corner on which Dr. Perry's house now stands. Those trees grew up, the last one of which disappeared about the time the rail- road was built.
Mr. Herrick died in 1814. He was shovelling gravel from a wagon on the highway; the horses started suddenly, and he fell out of the wagon on to the ground; he got up and said he felt faint, and bathed his arm, as that appeared to be some hurt; he went home and died in a few minutes. He left a widow but no children.
HERRICK, ARCHIBALD B .- Married Sophia Pember, owned and lived on the farm now occupied by Harvey Marshall. He had four children, Edgar, Alonzo, Frederick and Wallace. Mr. Herrick died Nov. 6, 1862, at the age of 46. His widow after- wards married Dea. Julius Spaulding, then and now of Poultney.
Edgar the oldest som of Mr. Herrick, was a soldier in the war of 1861, and died in the service.
Alonzo married a daughter of Marcus Bliss, and lives on a farm in the south part of Poultney. Frederick is in California. Wallace married a daughter of Dea. Spaulding, and is dead.
HIBBARD - Dr. W W. Hibbard was born in Orwell, Vt., and graduated at the Castleton Medical College in 1848. After he
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received his diploma he was about fifteen years in Hebron, N. Y. and in Wells, Vt. Removed to Poultney in 1861, and open- ed a drug store, which was the first one opened in Poultney. To him must be given the credit of building up the drug business here. He sold his drug business to W. W. Burdick in 1870, and now occupies a part of Derby's block, and deals in books and stationery. Dr. Hibbard opened the first book store in Poultney in 1870. He married Hannah E. Rice, who was born in Brid- port. She was a graduate of the Mt. Holyoke Female Institu- tion at South Hadley, Mass., and spent several years in teaching,
HICKOK .- Thaddeus and Simeon Hickok were born in Wash- ington, Litchfield County, Conn., and emigrated to Poultney quite early, and not long after the close of the War of the Revolution. Thaddeus was a soldier of the Revolution. He settled where L. C. Spaulding now lives, and Simeon where Rodney Rowel lives. Thaddeus was twice married. Keeler Hickok, his son by his first wife, m. Fanny Mears.
Simeon had four children: Simeon, Sally, Sheldon P. and Rus- sel. Sheldon P. m. a Miss Sophia Nichols, went West and died Col. Russel m. Rhodu Mears, and had several children. He was actively engaged in the foundry business at East Poultney for about ten years, commencing about the year 1832. Simeon Mears became a partner with him after the business was started. Col. Hickok was an active, enterprising business man, and. Poultney met with a loss when he left. He has for some years resided in Fort Edward, N. Y.
HOOKER .- The Hookers of this country are the descendants of Thomas Hooker, who was born in Mayerfield, Leicestershire, England, July 9, 1586; he emigrated to America, and arrived at Boston, September 4, 1633, and was one of the first proprie- tors of the town of Cambridge, Mass. Within five weeks from the time of his arrival, he was made pastor of a Congregational Church in Cambridge, the eighth church of that denomination organized in Massachusetts Bay. He afterwards moved to Hartford, Conn .; organized a church there, and died there July 7th, 1647. It cannot be expected that the purpose of this work
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will permit of more than an allusion to this common ancestor of the Hookers, or of his descendants, except those who became inhabitants of the town of Poultney. The biographer of Thos. Hooker says that i.ot less than forty of his male descendants became ministers of the Gospel, and that his female descendants were the mothers of as many more. Among those coming from the female line of descent, were Jonathan Edwards, Timothy Dwight, so long President of Yale College, Thomas H Gallan- det, the founder, and long the principal of the institution for the instruction of the deaf and dumb, and Theodore D. Woolsey, late a President of Yale College. Many of his descendants, coming from both the male and female line, have occupied prominent positions, among whom may be named Hon. Samuel Hooker, the first Mayor of New York city; Hon. Pierpoint Edwards, Hon. George Ashman and Aaron Burr. The biogra- pher has about a hundred names in this list of distinguished de- scendants, and, with the exception of Burr, we recognize in them persons distinguished, not only for talent and attainment, but for great moral worth.
Hooker, James-was the fifth in the line of descent from Thomas Hooker, who first settled in Cambridge. James was born in Connecticut, January 13, 1719. He married Dorothy Parmale, April 1, 1754. He moved to Poultney about the year 1779, and settled in Finel Hollow. He died June 8, 1798, in the 80th year of his age; his wife died April 25th, 1814, at the age of 83 years. James Hooker had eight children, all borr in Connecticut. Two died young, and six, Thomas, James, Samuel, Sarah, David and Josiah became inhabitants of Poultney. But Samuel, Sarah, David and Josiah were not long residents. Samuel moved to Hampton, and lived there on the farm now owned by his son, Martin P. Hooker, until his death, which oc- curred June 7, 1835. Sarah m. and went to Cornwall, and from thence to some place West, where she died. Davil went to Western New York. Josiah m. and went to Middletown, where he lived a few years, then moved to Castleton, and from theace anoved to the State of Ohio.
Hooker Thomas-The oldest son of James, came to Poultney
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some four or five years previous to the time his father came, and first settled on the Hooker farm, in the north part of the. town; soon moved to Finel Hollow, resided there about sixteen years, and then returned to the farm on which he settled, Ho was three times married; the name of his first wife was Ruth Parmalee. By her he had one child, Thomas Gould, who be- came a physician, went to Western New York, and from there to the State of Michigan, where he died. For his second wife, he married Ruth Hickok, and by her had one child, Ruth; she married Sylvester Perkins, moved to Western New York, and has been dead many years. For his third wife he married Mary Coleman, and by her had eight children: Myron, Philomela, Betsy, Truman, Daniel, Chesterfield, David and Alma. Thomas Hooker d. Aug. 31, 1838, in the 84th year of his age; his wife d. Nov: 2, 1858, at the age of 96 years, 9 months and 11 days. Myron, a few years after his marriage, moved to Western New York, and d. there; Philomela m. George Snyder, moved to Western New York, and has been dead many years; Betsey m. John Preston-she and her husband are still living in Middle- town; Truman m. Betsey Griswold, of Castleton, and d. in that town; he had six children, all born in Poultney. Of his child- ren, Newell T. is a farmer, and resides in Castleton; David is a prominent lawyer in Milwaukee,and was recently City Attorney ; Edward P., a clergyman, is settled over the Congregational Church of Middlebury.
Hooker Daniel-Was born in Poultney, August 2, 1795; MI. Orpha Giddings, February 28, 1828; he d. Oct. 9, 1867. His widow now lives in Poultney village. They had six children:
Solomon Egbert, b April 7, 1829
Laura Ann, b. Jan. 28, 1833; m. Castle Spencer, and resides in Wyandotte, Kansas.
Orpha Loretta, b. April 8, 1833; m. A. B. Shafer, and resides in Passaic, N. J.
Cornelia A., b. Oct. 24, 1836, lives in this town; unmarried.
Frances L., b. Jan. 19, 1844; m. Samuel Patterson, and resides in New Bedford, Mass.
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Emily M., b. July 15, 1848; m. Albert S. Hunter, and resides in the State of Illinois.
Solomon E. m. Harriet Johnson, Dee. 3, 1862, and has three children: Elpleder, b. April 9, 1865; Egbert J. and Daniel J. (twins), b. April 6, 1874. Solomon E. is one of the pioneers in the slate business, as appears in the chapter on that subject, and moved to the village in the fall of 1874.
Hooker James 2d-Known as "Colon(1," was twice married; Lucina Christy was his first wife. For his second he married a widow, whose maiden name was Chloe Hickok. He had seven children: Vesta, James, Marcus, Stoddard, Ada C., Herman F., Emily, Maria-all children by his first wife. Vesta m. Merritt Ransom, and d. about 50 years ago. James and Stoddard d. when young men. Marcus d. when about 40 years old. Asa m. Bethia Bliss, and d. August 5, 1848, at the age of 53 years; he had six children, all of whom, except Emily E., are d. Emily E. m. William H. Gandy. Col. James and Thomas Hooker both served in the Revolutionary War.
Hermon Hooker, D. D., was born in Poultney in 28)8. Dr. Hooker was a graduate of Middlebury College, became a clergy- man of the Episcopal denomination, and gained a national repu- tation. He was the author of several well known and popular works, among which are the "Portion of the Soul," "The Philosophy of Unbelief in Morals and Religion," and a volumo of "Maxims." He died at Philadelphia, July 25, 1865.
Emily m. Stephen Ransom; she is still living. Maria m. William Goodspeed, and now resides in the north part of the town, near the so-called Hooker Farm. Mr. Goodspeed, whose name was casually emitted in its proper place, is a farmer, and for about forty years has been one of the substantial citizens of the town.
Hooker Samuel-Married Elizabeth Martin, and had ten ยท children, viz : Laura, Sarah, Mary, Betsey, Samuel P, Olive, James P., Louisa, Martin P. and Cortis P.
Samuel P. was twice married. His first wife was Mary Martin; she d. about 1832. For his second wife he m. Mary Ann Rice. He had two children by his first wife, Marion and Lucius, and
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six by his second wife. Marion was educated at the Troy Con- ference Academy, and m. Prof. A. D. Roe. She was dis- tinguished as a scholar, and for rare excellence of character. She died August 18, 1863, much lamented by all who knew her. Lucius became a physician, and d. in Leroy, N. Y. Samuel P. Hooker moved from Poultney to Leroy about seven years ago, where he now resides.
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