Genealogical and family history of the state of Vermont; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol II, Part 6

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1044

USA > Vermont > Genealogical and family history of the state of Vermont; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol II > Part 6

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

Four years of business life then preceded the continuance of his long cherished plan to study law, and in the fall of 1895 Mr. Conant entered the law office of Colonel John H. Watson in Bradford, as a student. Further study was pur- stted at the Boston University Law School in 1897 and 1898.

In October, 1898, Mr. Conant was admitted to the Vermont state bar, passing the examination with sufficiently high mark to place his name on the honor roll. He began the practice of law in Bradford with Colonel John H. Watson, and on the appointment of that able lawyer to the su- preme bench in January, 1899, succeeded to the office and continued the business for himself. since which time he has had a large and success- ful practice and stands well in the Orange county bar. In 1899 he was admitted to practice in the United States courts.

In 1900 he was elected to the office of state's attorney for Orange county, and filled the position

so satisfactorily to the public as to be reflected in 1902. Mr. Conant has held from time to time important offices of trust. At present he is tru -- tee and treasurer of the Bradford Cemetery Asso- ciation, also one of the board of managers of the Vermont Bar Association.

July 6, 1899, Mr. Conant married one of Bradford's daughters, Miss Mary Ellen Jones, a Wellesley College graduate, and their pleasant home in Bradford is the scene of many delightful social functions. Two fine little daughters are the fruit of this marriage, Dorothy Stewart, born August II, 1900, and Barbara Allerton, born No- vember 7, 1902.

A man of pleasing address, fine bearing and cordial manner, winning friends easily and by his staunch loyalty keeping them as well, Mr. Conant has already gained a wide acquaintance through- out the county and state. Although still a young man in the profession, Mr. Conant has many warm friends, especially among the older mem- bers of the bar, who feel assured that the sterling qualities of his character, combined with a keen mind, good judgment and strong perseverance, will win for him an enviable career in his chosen profession.

EDWARD NORTON.

Edward Norton, deceased, late of Bennington, during a business career of nearly one half a century was one of the most active and useful manufacturers in the state of Ver- mont, and was also one of the most pub- lic-spirited residents of his village, contrib- uting liberally of his time and means to the promotion of all public interests and worthy causes. He was born August 23, 1815, in Ben- nington,. Vermont, and there passed away Au- gust 3, 1885. He was a son of John and Perces (Smith) Norton. The father, whose ancestral history is given in this work in the biographical sketch of Luman P. Norton, was the second son of Captain John Norton. He was a man of af- fairs, was successful as a farmer, merchant and manufacturer, and was prominent in local mat- ters, being a Whig in politics. It was written of him by a distant friend: "His character for fidel- ity to all his business engagements, truth in all his representations, purity of purpose and of mo-

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

tive at all times was proverbial. He sustained a character for honesty not excelled by any man. His social qualities were such as few men pos- sess. The few men of his class are like the sturdy trees of the primeval forest, few and far between." He married Perces Smith, who was born in Bennington, being a daughter of Ephraim Smith, who served in the battle of Bennington. She was one of a large family of children, and died at the age of seventy years, while her hus- band's death occurred at the age of sixty-three years.

Edward Norton, one of a family of six chil- dren, received an academic education in the old academy in Bennington Center. He became a clerk in his father's store, of which he afterward became proprietor in association with Abel Wills. About 1850 he became interested in the Norton Pottery, and his association with these famous works was continued untit his death, a period of about thirty-five years. In 1861 he acquired a one-third interest in the real estate and in 1865 was half-owner. The business was conducted un- der the firm name of E. & L. P. Norton until 1883, when L. P. Norton was succeeded by C. Welling Thatcher, and the firm became E. Norton & Company. In 1884 the house established glass- ware and crockery wholesale and jobbing depart- ments in addition to their manufacturing enter- prises. Mr. Norton was actively identified with the management of the business during its peri- od of greatest development, and much of its success is due to his indefatigable effort and re- markable mercantile sagacity. He was a director in the Bennington County National Bank, and he offered his aid to various other local enterprises. His life was in all respects a bright example of the strictest integrity, and not a suspicion of aught unbecoming a model Christian gentleman ever attached to his name. His death occurred suddenly from heart failure on the 3d of August, 1885. He was a communicant of St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal church, and at the time of his confirmation, among the score and a half who received the rite with him, were several of his employes. For many years prior to his death he served in the capacity of vestryman. He was a Republican in politics, but was too modest to take a prominent part as a leader or to become a candidate for public position. He was prominent

in Masonic circles, having attained the degrees of Knighthood, and he was for many years a trus- tee and the treasurer of Mt. Anthony Lodge.

Mr. Norton was twice married. In Novem- ber, 1856, he became the husband of Miss Helena Lincoln, who was born April 29, 1833, being a sister of the late Charles Lincoln, at one time pri- vate secretary to Hon. Trenor W. Park. Two children were born of this union, the elder, Flor- ence, dying in infancy, the second, Miss Mary P. Norton, who is now living at the Norton home- stead in Bennington. On January 14, 1862, Mr. Norton was married to Miss Sarah Edson, a native of Mendon, Vermont, and a highly cultured lady, who, after obtaining her education in the Rut- land (Vermont) high school and in an academical institution at Fort Edward, New York, was a most capable teacher for six years in the Benning- ton public schools and in private schools. Three children were born of this marriage, the eldest of whom, Emma S., is a graduate of Holyoke; she became the wife of Clark H. Emmons, en- gaged in the railway business in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Helena Norton, the second daugh- ter, was edcuated at Wellesley and is residing with her mother. . Edward Lincoln Norton, the only son, was born on the 20th of March, 1865. He acquired a good common school education, and when seventeen years of age became a traveling salesman for the Norton Pottery Works. After the death of his father he succeeded to the pa- ternal interest, and, notwithstanding his youth, he having not yet reached adult age, entered upon his larger duties with wonderful intelligence and enthusiasm, his special province having been the charge of the traveling salesmen of the es- tablishment, and in addition continued his per- sonal work on the road, he having been the most widely known man in this line in the eastern dis- trict. He was thus actively employed until his untimely death, which occurred .on the 13th of December, 1894, when he was but thirty years of age. He was a member of the Baptist church, a director in the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion, a member of Mohegan Tribe of the Im- proved Order of Red Men and of various other fraternal and social bodies.

The widow of Edward Norton, of this re- view, comes of a New England family of much prominence. Her parents were Cyrus and Sibyl

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

(Wilcox) Edson. Her father was born in Mi- Bott, Maine, but in early life removed to Mendon, Vermont, where he purchased a farm and re- sided for forty years, thence removing in turn to Wallingford and Poultney, this state. He was a prominent man and took an active interest in the affairs of the Baptist church. The last ten years of his life were passed with his daughter, Mrs. Norton, and he died at the age of eighty- seven years. His father, Cyrus, born August 16, 1779. in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, removed to Mendon, Vermont, where he died at the age of eighty years. He was a man of influence in the community. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Hannah Hudson, bore him a family of ten children and died at the age of seventy years. His ancestors were among the original landown- ers at Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and they gave the land and building (yet standing) to the church at that place. Some of their members served in the French and Indian and the Revo- lutionary wars and in the general assembly of Massachusetts. The mother of Mrs. Norton was born in Royalton, Vermont, May 3, 1804, and was a daughter of Amos Wilcox, who was a pio- neer settler in Stockbridge, Vermont. She was married to Cyrus Edson on the 22d of Novem- ber, 1831, and four children were born to them : Melvin, who was a soldier during the Civil war, and Mrs. Norton, both now living; and Amos and Albert, both of whom also served during the Civil war, deceased.

J. ROLLIN JUDSON.

J. Rollin Judson, a prominent business man of East Arlington, Vermont, was born March 30, 1834, in Sunderland, Vermont, a son of Michael Judson. His great-grandfather, Micah Judson, was born and brought up in Stratford, Connecti- cut, which had been the home of his ancestors for several generations, the immigrant ancestor of the Judson family, who came over from York- shire, England, to Massachusetts, in 1634, having settled permanently in Connecticut in 1638.

Michael Judson, the son of one of the earliest settlers of Sunderland, Vermont, spent his sev- enty-nine years of earthly life there and in Ar- lington. He was a farmer by occupation, and

also carried on lumbering. A man of sound judgment, he was often called upon to fill posi- tions of trust, and served in the various town offices, serving also as postmaster at Arlington for a number of years. He married Julia Knights, daughter of Needham Knights, the latter for many years a tanner in Sunderland, where he died at the venerable age of ninety-four years. Julia Knights' maternal grandfather, Simson Hicks, or "Hix," as the name was sometimes spelled, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. She herself was a devoted member of the Methodist Episco- pal church, of which her father was a lay preach - er. To Michael Judson and Julia Knights there were born two children, but one of whom is now living, namely: J. Rollin, the special subject of these memoirs.

J. Rollin Judson was educated in the public schools of Sunderland and Arlington, attending until about fifteen years old, when, in 1849, he entered the employ of Billings & Company, gen- eral merchants of East Arlington, remaining with that firm as a clerk for seven years. In 1856 he was admitted into store partnership with his former employers, and in 1858 in their wooden- ware manufacturing business also, the firm name being changed to Billings, Judson & Company. On the decease of the senior members of the firm, in 1866, Mr. Judson entered into partnership as- sociations with Mr. Martin H. Deming, the firm name becoming Judson & Deming, which con- tinued the mercantile business, and from 1876 the wooden-ware manufacturing also, which lat- ter, prior to that, had been operated by Judson & Billing's, the latter a nephew of the original partner. In 1894 the firm disposed of the mer- chandising business to Hoyt Spellman, and it was subsequently disposed of to the present owners. Upon the decease of Mr. Deming, in 1896, after closing up the business, Mr. Judson became sole owner of the manufacturing, the factory employ- ing about twelve men, the work being principally done by machinery and consisting of miscellane- ous wooden ware. In February, 1897, a stock company known as the Herbert Brush Manufac- turing Company was incorporated, of which Mr. J. Rollin Judson was president. The plant was located at Kingston, New York. It employed about one hundred men, and was operated suc- cessfully during the period of Mr. Judson's con-

- نسخة خفيبــ

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

nection therewith, which terminated four years later.

Mr. Judson has also other interests of im- portance. He was a charter member of the Ben- nington County Savings Bank, of which he was elected trustee in 1888, and in which position he . has served to the present time. He was also a director of the Parker Douglas Company, and of the Caledonia Mining Company, of Nova Scotia, and for many years has been and is at present one of the directors of the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Montpelier, Vermont. He was for a number of years one of the stock- holders of the firm of J. Barton Smith Company, of Philadelphia, manufacturers of files and sub- sequently of saws. He is a stanch supporter of the principles of the Republican party, and active in town and state affairs. For fifteen years he was selectman, and for fifteen years was post- master of East Arlington. In 1872 he repre- sented the town in the state legislature, and served on the committee on banks, and in 1886 was elected to the state' senate, in which body he served as chairman of the committee on elections and as a member of the committees on finance and state's prison. He was elected to the senate by a majority in the town of one hundred and forty- six, and in the county of more than one thousand one hundred. Fraternally he is a member of Red Mountain Lodge, F. & A. M., and of Les Laurentides Fish and Game Club of Province of Quebec. He attends the Episcopal church, of which he is a vestryman.

M1. Judson married, in 1858, Virginia Bill- ings, who was born in Arlington, Vermont, a daughter of his former partner, William Billings, a man of prominence in the town, who served as state senator one term. She died in February, 1901, aged sixty years. She was a member of of the Episcopal church. Of the four children that blessed their union but two grew to years of maturity, a son, Percy O .; and a daughter, An- toinette, who died in 1899, and who left a daugh- ter, Mabel F., who is being educated at Wheaton Seminary, Norton, Massachusetts, while her mother was a student of St. Agnes School, Al- bany, New York. Percy O. Judson was fitted for college at St. Paul's, in Concord, New Hamp- shire, and was graduated from Princeton Uni- versity with the class of 1896. He is now en-

gaged in business on Worth street, New York city, being a senior member of the firm of Patti- son & Judson, importers of China and Japanese mattings, linoleums, etc. He married Gertrude France, a resident of New York city, whose fa- ther came from Yorkshire, England, to this coun- try. They have a daughter, Madeleine France Judson, and an infant son. True to the religious faith in which he was reared, he is a communicant of the Episcopal church, as is his wife.

HENRY W. TRACY.

Henry Warren Tracy, of Shelburne, Vermont, is descended from one of the oldest New Eng- land families, and one of distinguished ancestry in the mother country. The line is clear and dis- tinct to Ecgberht, the first Saxon king of all England, and from him through Alfred the Great to Sir William de Tracy, who bore, before the creation of the Herald's College, a coat of arms: Or, an escallop, in the chief dexter point, sable, between two bendlets gules. Crest: A chapeau gules, turned up ermine, an escallop sa- ble, between two wings, extended, or. The mot- to: Memoria Pii Aeterna. The family name ap- pears in the days of the Norman-French in the form of Traci, and afterwards in the old English style of Tracye.

The founder of the family in America was Lieutenant Thomas Tracy, who probably came from Toddington, Gloucestershire, England, and appears in the records of Salem, Massachusetts, in February, 1636. He removed to Connecticut, and appears, in turn, at Wethersfield, Saybrook and Norwich. It is said he was in the first In- dian war at Westerfield. It is known that he was a commissary in the King Philip's war; that he was early a sergeant of the train band at Norwich, and that he was a lieutenant of dragoons against the Dutch and Indians. Lieutenants Thomas Tracy and Thomas Leffingwell relieved the In- dian sachem Uncas when he was besieged, in the fort at Norwich, by the Pequods and Narragan- setts. For this service the general court granted to Tracy and Leffingwell four hundred acres of land where is now the village of Preston, Con- necticut, and Tracy gave his two hundred acres to his sons Sergeant Thomas Tracy and Jonathan Tracy, and they were the first settlers in that sec-

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

Hot about 168 ;. Lieutenant Thomas Tracy was aik of the foremost men of the region ; he was for It's seven sessions a deputy to the general out, and he long served as a magistrate, and at fines upon boundary commissions. He was three tin married. The mother of all his seven chil dren was presumably the widow of Edward Ma- son. His children were John, Thomas, Jonathan, Mmm (who married Sergeant Thomas Water- many, Solomon, Daniel and Samuel; the last named died unmarried. John was an extensive landowner and was a wealthy man for the times. Solomon was the second physician in the Pres- ton settlement. Lieutenant Thomas Tracy died November 7, 1675.

His second child, Sergeant Thomas Tracy, was born at Saybrook, probably about 1646. The records were destroyed in the burning of the fort there, and the date is fixed by family tradition. To the land given him by his father, as previ- ously stated, he added numerous other parcels. He was a man of enterprise and character, and was active in the affairs of the settlement. He was sergeant of the first train band of Preston, a deputy to the general court a number of times, and was one of the founders of the first church, Congregational. His wife was Sarah, whose family name is unknown. His children were: Nathaniel; Sarah; one unmarried; Daniel; Thomas ; Jedediah, who was deacon of the church for about fifty years; and Deborah and Jerusha, twins. He died in Preston in 1724.

Nathaniel, eldest child of Sergeant Thomas Tracy, was born in Preston, December 19, 1675, but his birth is recorded in Norwich. He was town clerk for one year. May 21, 1706, in Pres- ton, he married Sarah Miner, who bore him four children: Nathaniel ; Daniel, who was captain of the train band; Benajah ; and Joseph.

Joseph, the youngest child of Nathaniel Tracy, was born in Preston, April 2, 1712. He married Mary Fuller, February 14, 1736-7. They were the parents of ten children : Mary, who died about eight year old ; Ziporah, who married Dan- iel Branch; Joseph, who died about five years old; Avery, who was in a Norwich company un- der Major Durkee, and while returning from an expedition to Montreal died at Crown Point, in .1760; Asher, who died one month old; Heze- kiah; a second Joseph, who was blind, probably

from juvenile sickness ; a second Mary, who died aged three years ; Ebenezer ; and Lydia, who mar- . ried Nathan French.

Hezekiah, son of Joseph Tracy, was born in Norwich, Connecticut, April 5, 1746, and was the founder of the family in Vermont, settling at Shelburne about 1780. He served twenty one days from October 12, 1780, as a private in Cap- tain John Stark's company of militia, Colonel Ira Allen's regiment, and received two pounds, two shillings and eight pence. He was also a pri- vate for six days in an alarm in October, 1781, in Captain Zadock Ernest's company in the same regiment, and received seventeen shillings, and he again served all day in the same company at an alarm about May 1, 1782, and received four shil- lings. These facts are draw from the records. He held numerous local offices. He was three times married: to Eunice Rood, to the widow Sarah Peck and to the widow Hannah Hull. He was the father of fifteen children, all by his first wife: Isaac, who settled at Sheldon ; Thank- ful, who married one Downing; Avery, who died at Norwich at two years of age; Ephraim, who died aged six months; Mary, who married Elisha Comstock; Lydia, who married Rufus Trow- bridge : Irene, who married a Howard; Erastus, who married Anna Lake: Cyrus, who is written of hereinafter ; Laura, who married a Shepherd ; Christopher Tillman, who married Clarissa Leach ; Ezekiel, who married, first, Sarah Graves, and then Wealthy Ann Clark; Ira, who married, first, Nancy Graves, second, Huldah (Thayer) Barker, and, third, Priscilla, last name unknown; Lester, who died aged about eleven years; and Diadema, who died aged about three months. Hezekiah Tracy died in Shelburne, July 14, 1827, aged about eighty-one years.

Cyrus, ninth child of Hezekiah Tracy, of the sixth generation from Lieutenant Thomas Tracy, was born at Pawlet, Vermont, May 20, 1785. He filled numerous local offices, serving at differ- ent times as hayward (hog-reeve), surveyor of highways, overseer of the poor, petit juror, fence viewer, highway surveyor, road commissioner and first selectman. He married, Septem- ber 9, 1810, Parmelia Barber. Her father Daniel was one of the very early settlers in Shel- burne. Cyrus gave to his sons names which con- tained only three letters, and to his daughters

مطابع

F.a. Crandall

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

names containing only four letters. His children were: Jay, who died aged three years; Mary, who died unmarried, aged seventy-eight years ; Emma, who married James W. Taggard, and who is living at the age of eighty-eight ; Lee, fur- ther referred to below ; Jane, who married Daniel Rowley; and Alma, who married Alex Campbell.

Lee Tracy, the only son of Cyrus Tracy to come to maturity, was born in Shelburne, April 2, 1817. He was a farmer, and for more than thirty years was a purchasing agent for the Bur- lington Woolen Mills. He was prominently iden- tified with public affairs, and occupied numerous important offices. He was first selectman, a grand and petit juror, and a justice of the peace. He also represented his town in the legislature. He married, February 22, 1844, Amanda Peckham, born February 19, 1822, in Shelburne, a daughter of Nathaniel and Eliza (Harrington) Peckham. Lee Tracy died February 28, 1897, and his wife died April 16, 1896. Their children were Julius Cyrus, Henry Warren and Charles Lee Tracy, all of whom were born in Shelburne, Vermont.

Julius Cyrus, eldest child of Lee Tracy, was born August 30, 1845. He is a farmer by occu- pation, residing in Shelburne. January 26, 1870, he married Mary Edgerton, who was born in West Troy, New York, January 20, 1846, daugh- ter of James M. and Mary (Martin) Edgerton. The children of Julius Cyrus Tracy were thir- teen in number : Lee Peckham and James Edger- ton, twins, who married, respectively, Carlotta Carleton Read and Mary Ruth Long; Adeline Emma, who died young ; Julius Cyrus, unmarried, a merchant in Addison, Vermont; Martin Charles, a dentist in New York; Henry Warren, a clerk ; Silas Edgerton, Mary Louise, and John Jay, students in the University of Vermont ; Han- nah Edgerton; Robert, deceased; Helen Ruth and Margaret Alma.

Henry Warren, second son of Lee Tracy, was born December 28, 1848. He was educated in the home schools and a seminary at Cazenovia, New York. After leaving school he engaged in the mercantile business. For twenty-five years he has been senior partner in the mercantile firm of Tracy & Van Vliet, at Shelburne. He is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is active in promoting its interests ; for several years he acted as treasurer, and is now class-leader.

He is a Republican in politics, and served as town treasurer many years. In 1894 he represented the . town in the state legislature.

Charles Lee, youngest child of Lee Tracy, was born January 2, 1865. He is an accomplished pianist and organist, but recently gave up the organ in order to devote himself to piano instruc- tion and concert work. He studied for two years in Berlin under the instructor of Paderewski. Mr. Tracy occupies a suite of rooms in the Carnegie building, New York city.

HENRY ALBERT CRANDALL, M. D.

Dr. Henry Albert Crandall, an eminent physi- cian and surgeon of Burlington, Vermont, was born in Hartford, Vermont, a son of Jeseph and Abigail Crandall. Joseph Crandall, the father of Dr. Henry A. Crandall, was born in Royalton, Vermont, November 7, 1791, a son of Gideon Crandall, who was born in Westerly, Rhode Isl- and, February 25, 1762, and served as a Revolu- tionary soldier in Captain Christopher Dyer's company and also in Colonel John Toppan's regi- ment from May, 1779, to March 13, 1780. Joseph Crandall attended the public schools of Royalton, and after completing his studies learned the trade of carpenter and joiner, which ocupation he pur- sued with a marked degree of success all his life.

On January 4, 1818, Mr. Crandall was united in marriage to Miss Abigail Fuller, born March 18, 1796, a daughter of Seth Fuller, whose father acted in the capacity of drum major during the war of the Revolution ; he was also with General Washington on that memorable night when he crossed the Delaware on the ice. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Crandall: Mary A., born March 31, 1819, died in infancy; Lois Maria, born December 18, 1820, married Leon- ard Hazen, and her death occurred from la grippe February 13, 1899; William Nelson, born June 15, 1823 ; Amanda B., born August 2, 1827, died June 17, 1856 ; Henry Albert ; and Susan A., born April 6, 1835, died August 4, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Crandall were consistent members of the Congregational church of Hartford, Vermont. Mr. Crandall died August 23, 1856, and his wife passed away July 18, 1862. The Crandall fam- ily are of English descent, the early ancestors in

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

Genealogical and family history of the state of Vermont; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol II, Part 6

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed Publication date: 1903 Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1044

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1044