Biography of Joseph Hutchins

Nicholas Hutchins emigrated from England about the year 1670, in the reign of Charles the Second, and settled in Groton, Massachusetts. His two children were John and Joseph, the former of whom was born in Groton in the year 1678, and married a Miss Whitney. Their five children were: Joshua, John, Benjamin, Sarah and Abigail. Having lost his wife he removed to Plainfield, Connecticut, and married a Mrs. Pierce (formerly a Miss Weyman), whose children by this union were: Joseph, Weyman, Ezra, Silas, Anna, Keziah, Ruth and Mary. Joseph Hutchins was born in 1711, and married Sarah Levins, whose children … Read more

Biography of John O. Fox

John O. Fox was the son of Captain Abiel Fox and his wife Judith Perry. He was born in West Woodstock, July 5th, 1817, and received his education at the common schools near his home, and at the Nichols Academy, at Dudley. His father kept a store at Woodstock, but later removed to Providence, where he was the landlord of a popular public house, well known as ” Fox’s Tavern.” On his decease the family returned to Woodstock. Mr. Fox, before his majority was attained, had formed a copartnership with his brother-in-law, John P. Chamberlin, in trade, and in the … Read more

Biography of John McClellan

General Samuel McClellan, the father of the subject of this biography, was born in the town of Worcester, Massachusetts, January 4th, 1730, his parents having emigrated from Kircudbright, on the Firth of Solway, in Scotland. In the French war he served as an ensign and lieutenant of a company, during which service he was wounded. On his return from the provincial campaign he purchased a farm in Woodstock, and there married and settled. At a later date he engaged in mercantile business and established an extensive trade, not only importing his own goods but supplying other merchants as well. The … Read more

Biography of John Grosvenor

John Grosvenor, the earliest representative of the family in New England and the progenitor of all who bear the name in America, was born in 1641, and died in 1691 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where his burial occurred. His wife, Esther Clark Grosvenor, a woman of great strength of character and self-reliance, came with her family, consisting of five sons and one daughter, to Pomfret, where she engaged in the management of her landed property, and added the practice of medicine to her other attainments. Her son, Thomas, born in 1687, married Elizabeth Pepper, and was the father of Amos, who … Read more

Biography of John A. Carpenter

Robert Carpenter, of Greenwich, R. I., the great-grandfather of John A. Carpenter, on the 26th of October, 1755, married Charity Roberts, of Warwick, in the same state. Their children were: Christopher, John, Phebe and Marcy. John of this number, who resided in West Greenwich, married Sarah Stone, and had children: Christopher, Phebe, Patience, Robert and Amos. The last-named and youngest of these children, Amos, on the 19th of June, 1813, married Mary, daughter of Joseph Bailey, of West Greenwich. Their children were: Maria, Sarah C., Marcy S., Patience S., Olive B., George W., John A., Charles B. and Mary E., … Read more

Biography of Jerome E. Bates

Clement Bates, of Hertfordshire, England, aged 40, with his wife Ann, and their children, James, Clement, Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin, came to America in the ship Elisabeth,” April 6th, 1635, and settled in Hingham, Mass. Clement Bates died in Hingham, September 17th, 1671. His son Joseph, by wife Hester, was the father of Joseph, who was the father of eight children, settled in that part of Scituate now Hanover, in 1695, and died there July 9th, 1740. His son, Joseph, married Mary Bowker, who died a widow, July 30th, 1759. Jacob Bates, the ancestor of the Thompson branch of the … Read more

Biography of James Winchell Manning

The earliest representative of the Manning family in America emigrated from England in 1634 and settled in the suburbs of Boston, Mass. Ephraim, representing the third generation in line of descent, located in Woodstock, Windham county, where he lived and died. His sop William was a patriot, held a commission as captain during the war of the revolution, and served until , the close of the conflict. His children were six daughters and two sons, William H., the youngest son, being a native of Woodstock, where his birth occurred September 10th, 1776. He later removed to Pomfret, where he died … Read more

Biography of James W. and Elisha S. Converse

The descent of the Converse family, of Thompson, from Roger de Coigneries, one of the trusted chieftains of William the Conqueror, has been elsewhere given in this volume, and need not be repeated here.. The first member of the family to emigrate from England to America was Deacon Edward Convers, who settled in Woburn, Mass. His grandson, Samuel Convers, in 1710 removed to, Thompson parish, then Killingly, and became the progenitor of all branches of the family who bear the name, in Thompson. In the line of descent was Edward Convers, whose son Jonathan was the father of Deacon Jonathan … Read more

Biography of James S. Atwood

Born in Scituate, R. I., March 17th, 1832. He was the son of John and Julia A. Batty Atwood, and grandson of Kimball and Selinda Colgrove Atwood. He was educated at the Smithville Seminary in Scituate, and at the Woodstock Academy in Connecticut. At an early age he entered his father’s cotton mill in Williamsville, in the town of Killingly, Conn., and there mastered every detail of cotton manufacture, from bobbin boy to general manager. He was perfectly familiar with the construction and working of every machine. in a mill. September 17th, 1855, he married Julia A. M. Haskell, of … Read more

Biography of James Pike

John Pike, the common ancestor of the branch of the Pike family residing in Connecticut, settled in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1664. He was the progenitor of Jonas Pike, of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, who married a descendant of Peregrine White, the first white child born in New England. Their four sons were: David, Ephraim, Jonas and Jesse. There was also one daughter, Amy. David married Elizabeth Pitman, of Newport, Rhode Island. Their children were two sons, William and James Pitman; and two daughters, Lucy, wife of David Bayless, and Nancy, who married Abijah Prouty. William Pike left Sturbridge in 1810 and settled … Read more

Biography of Hon. James S. T. Stranahan

The Stranahan family had its origin in the Parish of Strachan, Kincardin county, Scotland, whence the name, which has also been spelled Strahan. Subsequently some of the members of this Strachan (now Stranahan) family, yielding to the inducements of King James I. to repeople that section, settled with other Scotchmen in the North of Ireland. Here their thrift, enterprise and success as farmers and manufacturers attracted wide attention, while their rigid adherence to their religious belief was equally conspicuous. They became, as it were, a new and heroic race, whose numbers were greatly augmented by the persecutions of the Stuart … Read more

Biography of Henry N. Clemons

Henry N. Clemons, cashier of the First National Bank of Killingly, was born in Granby, Conn., son of Allen and Catharine Clemons. He was educated in the district school, the Granby Academy, the Suffield Literary Institution and the Williston Seminary, East Hampton, Mass. He began teaching at sixteen years of age, and taught in Hartland, Granby and Hartford. Conn., and Woonsocket and Central Falls, R. I. He was for a while in the office of the commissioner of the school fund in Hartford, Conn. In 1844 he commenced railroading on the New Haven & Northampton road, with the engineer corps. … Read more

Biography of Henry Elliott

The progenitor of the Elliott family in Thompson was Francis Elliott, a mariner, who settled in Salem, Mass., in 1686, and the same year married Abigail, daughter of John Nichols. Their son Thomas, who early in life resided at Middletown, in the same state, in 1723 married Lucy Flint. With his son Joseph he came to Thompson parish in 1749. Joseph Elliott was a revolutionary soldier, and commanded a company at the battle of Bunker Hill. He married Jesusha Bury, whose son Thomas was born in 1759 and died in 1843. He married Chloe, daughter of Issacher Bates, and had … Read more

Biography of Gustavus Davis Bates

Tyler Bates, the grandfather of Gustavus D. Bates, was a prosperous farmer in Thompson. His children were Erastus, William, ‘Welcome, Holman, George T., Ann, Chloe, Betsey and Sally. Welcome Bates, also a resident of Thompson, was formerly engaged in teaching, and in his later years became a farmer. He married Jemima E., daughter of Reverend James Grow, of Vermont. Their children are: Elizabeth G., Hannah Augusta, wife of Horatio H. Hutchins; Sarah, deceased; Marvin G., Gustavus Davis, Sarah Jane 2d, deceased, and Welcome E. Gustavus Davis Bates was born October 2d, 1839, in Thompson, where he remained until his twentieth … Read more

Biography of Guilford Smith

Joshua Smith, the grandfather of Guilford Smith, and a native of Lebanon, New London county, subsequently moved to Windham county, Connecticut, where he was both a weaver and a farmer, and in connection with his trade wove cloth for the soldiers during the war of 1812. His children were three sons, Chandler, Charles and Marvin, and five daughters, Myra, Lydia, Laura, Emily and Mary. Charles, of this number, was born in Windham, and early learned the trade of a millwright. In 1828 he began the manufacture of machinery at Stafford Hollow, in Tolland county, and two years later, having built … Read more

Biography of George W. Holt, Jr.

Jonathan Holt, a soldier of the revolution, was the father of Josiah Holt, a native of Hampton, Conn. who during his active life followed the trade of a machinist. He married Mary Prior, who became the mother of a large family, the eldest son, William L., being well-known as a successful manufacturer, and a man of much mechanical skill, both in New England and in the South, to which section he subsequently removed. Another son, George W. Holt, the father of the subject of this biography, was born March 16th, 1816, in Plainfield, Conn., and in 1831 removed to Slatersville, … Read more

Biography of George Taft Murdock

Elisha Murdock, the grandfather of George Taft Murdock, was a prosperous farmer in the town of Uxbridge, Mass. His wife, a Miss Chapin, became the mother of several children, of whom Fuller Murdock, one of their sons, spent his life in Uxbridge, his native town. He married Esther, daughter of James Taft, of Uxbridge. The children of this union were: Philina, born in 1807; Abbie Eliza, in 1808; Moses Taft, in 1810; John, in 1812; Charles, in 1815; Caleb, in 1817; George Taft, March 18th, 1819; Harriet, in 1821; Chapin, in 1823, and Mary Ann, in 1825. The fifth son … Read more

Biography of George Scarborough

Born in Brooklyn, Conn., July 28th, 1806. His parents were Samuel and Molly Cleaveland Scarborough. worthy representatives of respected ancestors. For twentythree years George Scarborough lived the farmer’s life, early entering on its arduous labors and working from April to December fifteen hours a day. His educational privileges were such as four winter months each year in a country school could afford. This school he attended until he was sixteen years of age, when he became an instructor instead of pupil, working hard through spring, summer and autumn, and teaching during the winter. In his twenty-fourth year, while still teaching … Read more

Biography of George S. Moulton

The subject of this sketch, George S. Moulton, was the son of Harvey Moulton and Anna M. Turner, who were married October 29th, 1828. He was born in the town of Mansfield, Tolland county, Conn., on the 13th of September, 1829, and was the eldest of six children. He received a thorough elementary education, and in youth spent several years on a farm. Being, however, ambitious for a wider field of activity than was open to him in the country, he went to Willimantic and entered the Windham Company’s stores, of which (after a few years of service) he became … Read more

Biography of George M. Morse

George M. Morse, the second son of Milton S. and Susanna Blake Morse, spent his youth in and about the city of Providence. His early years were devoted to study at the schools of Providence, where he remained until the age of eighteen, when on removing to Putnam he interested himself for a year in the store belonging to the company with which his father was connected. Again making Providence his home, he spent several years in that city, and at Putnam, ultimately locating in the spring of 1856 in the latter place, where he was made the superintendent of … Read more