WILLIAM POWERS, an elder brother of the preceding, was born in 1786, and his means of education were similar to those of his brother. He was assistant keeper of the prison at Auburn, N. Y. Having drawn a superior plan of a prison, he was employed by the government of Canada West to superintend the erection of a penitentiary at Kingston, and in May, 1835, was appointed Deputy Warden of said prison. He is now an extensive farmer in western New York.
This name was not found in Cornish until about 1869, when Elijah D. Austin came from Plainfield. He was the son of Elijah and Lavinia (Williams) Austin, b. June 12, 1829, in Plainfield. He had m. May 5, 1863, Martha C. Davidson, dau. of James and Anna (Durani) Davidson, b. Jan. 17, 1831, d. May 27, 1899. Mr. Austin was a farmer and res. several years on the first farm above Windsor Bridge on the Connecticut river. He d. June 7, 1906. Children, the first three b. in Plainfield, remainder b. in the town of Cornish. 1. HENRY D., b. … Read more
7. MOSES5 CHASE (Moses4, Daniel3, Moses2, Aquilla1) b. Nov. 9, 1772: m. Jan. 20, 1800, Deborah Bull. Shed. Aug. 17, 1837. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College. But little can be learned of him. It is supposed that he left town in early life and his home and occupation have not come to our knowledge. He d. Aug. 27; 861. Children: i. EPAPHRUS BULL, b. Oct. 27, 1800; d. at Lyndon, Vt., Sept. 10, 1867. ii. HENRIETTA MOBLY, b. July 21, 801: d. at Gainsville, Ala., April 2. 1873. iii. WILLIAM COLEMAN, b. Dec. 19,1803; d. in Denver, Col. … Read more
1. SAMUEL5 COMINGS, their fourth son was b. in Westford, Mass., Sept. 16, 1718; m. Dec. 1, 1741, Sarah Spaulding. She was b. June 9, 1723. They res. in Westford, Mass., several years and rem. to Dunstable, Mass., in 1757 and lived there till 1773, when they rem. to Cornish. He took a deed of land and a mill of Jonathan Chase, Esq., which for more than a century has been called "Comings Mills." Here they spent the remainder of their lives. He d. June 6, 1796, in his 78th year. She d. Nov. 20, 1801, aged 78. Both were … Read more
MOSES and JOHN WALKER, the former living in the west part of the town, and the latter on the turnpike, were the progenitors of the Walkers.
PETER STOW, a sterling farmer, married Deborah Nettleton, of Newport, and was the father of the Rev. Dr. Stow, of Boston, and Royal P. Stow, former Clerk of the U. S. House of Representatives. While in town he held many important civil and military offices.
WILLIAM HENRY HURD, oldest son of Henry and Abigail Gibson Hurd, was born at Croydon on the 30th of August, 1829. Fitted for college at Kimball Union Academy; studied medicine with Dr. McQuestion, of Washington, and Dr. Justus Hurd, of Mississippi; attended lectures at Cincinnati Medical College, and graduated from Hanover in 1854. H2 commenced practice at Wells River, Vt., but removed to Ashton, Canada West, where he remained until 1858. He then removed to Carleton Place, Canada West, where he now resides. He was married May 10, 1859, to Miss Rosalind Rosamond, daughter of James Rosamond, banker of Almonte, … Read more
COL. OTIS COOPER, son of Dea. Sherman Cooper, was born in 1806. He worked on the farm during his minority, and from seventeen to twenty-one taught school during the winter season with much success. He took a deep interest in military affairs, and rose to the rank of Colonel. He was unanimously chosen deacon of the Universalist Church of Croydon at its organization in 1853. He held the office of Justice of the Peace for twenty years, and was one of the board of Selectmen. He resides on the old farm selected by his grandfather in 1772. He married Hannah, … Read more
2. ASA COBURN, JR., b. March 2,1787; m. Jan. 2, 1810, Sally Page of Cornish, dau. of Joshua and Marjorie ( ) Page, b. April 17, 1785. Their children were: i. ESTHER PAGE, b. Aug. 4, 1810. ii. CHARLOTTE, b. Feb. 7. 1812. iii. ALMIRA, b. Dec. 15, 1813.
12. JOSEPH S.8 CHASE (Henry7, Joseph6-5, Caleb4, Daniel3, Moses2, Aquilla,) was b. Aug. 7, 1857, in Cornish; in. Jan. 24, 1882, Hattie L. York of Cornish, dau. of John Q. and Esther (Corliss) York, b. June 14, 1859. Lived a while on a farm. Afterwards rem. to the Flat where for several years was engaged in harness making in the shop of W. H. Sisson. After this till the present (1910) is a carpenter and builder. Children, all b. in Cornish: i. SADIE E., b. Jan. 23, 1884; m. Dec. 13, 1900, Wentworth Stuart, Jr. ii. LOUIS H., b. July … Read more
EKEKIEL ABBOTT was b. in Bradford Feb. 13, 1796; m. Nov. 20, 1823, Phoebe Morse, a sister of Asenath (Morse) Bugbee and formerly of Reading, Vt., b. May 24, 1802, and d. in Bedford April 13, 1875. He came to Cornish a few years before his marriage and worked at cabinetwork. Remained on the Flat until March, 1834, when they removed first to Bradford, then to Manchester, where he d. Sept. 29, 1880. He was a carpenter and builder. Children, all b. on Cornish Flat: 1. OSCAR DUNREUTH, h. Sept. 13, 1824. A physician and res. in Manchester; m. first, … Read more
MOSES REED, the father of the Reeds, was among the early settlers, and was a cloth dresser at the Flat.
THOMAS ARNOLD ALLEN was b. March 23,1823; m. Lydia N. Dunbar, who was b. June 7, 1828, and d. March 1, 1905. Mr. Allen d. Jan. 10, 1900. They always lived in town, spending their last years on the Flat. They had one child: 1. Clara, b. March 25, 1863. She m. Liberty Kempton and by him had a dau.: A. Lena, who m. Austin Huggins.
William Cant Sturoc, “the bard of Sunapee ,” as he is often called, was born November 4, 1822, in a humble, straw-thatched cottage in Arbroath, Scotland, son of Francis Sturoc and his wife, Ann (Cant) Sturoc. Doubtless, the poetic genius has descended to him from his paternal great-grandfather, James Sturoc, who wrote a book of “Hymns and Spiritual Songs,” and died in Panbride in 1750. Other distinguished members of the family were well known in the church. Among these was the Rev. David Sturoc, who was of ready speech and pen, and two generations ago repeatedly entered public debate with … Read more
GEORGE FREDERICK PUTNAM, youngest son of John Putnam, Esq., was born November 6, 1841; received his literary training at Norwich University, and studied law with N. B. Felton, Esq., of Haverhill, N. H., and was admitted to the bar in 1866.
JAMES W. PUTNAM, Son Of John Putnam, Esq., was born December 15, 1822. He pursued his preparatory studies at Kimball Union Academy, and graduated at Norwich University. He received his theological training at Clinton Seminary, Clinton, N. Y., then under the direction of Rev. T. J. Sawyer.. In 1848 he received the fellowship of the Universalist denomination at the New Hampshire State Convention, and in 1849 was ordained as pastor of the first Universalist society of Danvers, Mass., where after a life of much usefulness and ever-increasing popularity, he died November 3, 1864. He had charge of the public schools … Read more
Arthur B. Chase, book-keeper and paymaster of the Sugar River Mills, was born in Newport, N.H., January 3, 1833, son of Joseph T. and Elizabeth D. (Allen) Chase. Caleb Chase, the grandfather, came to Newport in 1822. He was a native of West Newbury, Mass., and a farmer by occupation. He was a member of the old South Congregational Church for many years. He died at the age of sixty-five years. His wife, Hannah Carr Chase, died at the age of seventy – six. Joseph T. Chase, father of Arthur, followed the shoemaking trade in Newport throughout his life. He … Read more
Alvah B. Chellis, a leading farmer of Plainfield and the senior partner in the well-known firm, Chellis & Stickney, was born here, January 27, 1841, son, of John Pettengill and Lucinda (Bean) Chellis. The first representative of the family in this country came from Wales in 1636. His son John, born in Kingston, N.H., was the great-great-grandfather of Alvah B. Chellis. John’s son Thomas, born in Kingston about the year 1750, was in the Revolution together with all his brothers, and fought at Bunker Hill. The grandfather, Thomas Chellis, Jr., who was born at Salisbury, this State, March 24, 1785, … Read more
LEVI6 CHAPMAN (Joseph5, Benjamin4, Samuel3-2, Edward1) was b. Sept. 13, 1795; m. Nov. 12, 1833, Alice Squires of Cornish, dau. of Justus and Peggy (Mason) Squires, b. July 30, 1813, and d. Jan. 1, 1889. He was a farmer. He d. March 9, 1872. Children: 1. ALICE M., b. July 20, 1834; d. Oct. 4, 1834. 2. LEVI LINCOLN, b. Aug. 30, 1835. 3. MARTHA E., b. Feb. 15,1837; m. , Cheney. Shed. April 6, 1889. 4. HELEN E., b. March 9, 1838; d. May 20, 1858. 5. EDWARD F., b. March 4, 1840; d. Oct. 16, 1865. 6. ISABEL … Read more
JOHN HALL, son of James Hall, Esq., and grandson of James Hall, Sr., was born in October, 1813; studied medicine with his uncle Albina Hall; graduated at Brunswick, Me., and commenced the practice of his profession at Newark, Ohio, where he died. His two daughters, JULIA and MARY, are both well educated and accomplished teachers.