Windham County CT

Windham County occupies the northeastern corner of the state of Connecticut, bordering Worcester county, Massachusetts, lying on the north, and Providence and Kent counties in Rhode Island on the east. New London county bounds it on the south and Tolland on the west. Its greatest length, from north to south, is twenty-seven miles, and its greatest width, from east to west, is twenty-three miles. Its north, east and south sides are nearly straight lines, while on the west side its territory interchanges offsets with Tolland. The greatest. variation in the line made by these offsets, however, does not exceed six miles. This occurs on the northwest corner, where the town of Union makes an advance of about the distance mentioned. We may explain that the longest north and south line would be drawn from the northwest corner of Thompson to the southwest corner of Plainfield, and the longest east and west line would be drawn from the northwest corner of Windham to the Rhode Island line, about the middle of Sterling. The county as now constituted contains the towns of Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Eastford, Hampton, Killingly, Plainfield, Pomfret, Putnam, Scotland, Sterling, Thompson, Windham and Woodstock, fifteen in all; and included in these towns are the incorporated boroughs of Danielsonville and Willimantic.

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

Biography of Abel Child

Benjamin Child emigrated from Great Britain to America in 1630, and became the head of most of the families of that name. A type of character patriarchal in the best sense, earnest in purpose, and in the promotion of that Puritanic stamp of piety for which the Massachusetts settlers were distinguished, he was one of the thirty who contributed toward the erection of the first church in Roxbury. Bearing the name of the youngest son of the head of the Israelites, like that patriarch, ” in the land wherein he was a stranger,” he became the father of twelve children, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Gray

John Gray’s land extended from the river east to the quarter line and included all that part of the village of Sherburne lying north of the State road now known as State street. His log house stood near the site of the Upham block, on the north-east corner of the business part of the village. He was born in Windham, Conn., in 1793, was a revolutionary soldier, and married Elizabeth Skeel, who was born in New Milford, Conn., in 1745, and died in Sherburne in 1824, aged 79. He had six children, all of whom were born in Connecticut: John, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Almond M. Paine

Benjamin Paine, the grandfather of Judge Almond M. Paine, was a successful farmer in Glocester, R. I. By his marriage to Phebe Aldrich were born a numerous family of children. The birth of his son, Ransom Paine, occurred December 13th, 1787, and his death on the 15th of January, 1854, in Glocester, where he followed the trade of a wheelwright, and spent the latter years of his life as a farmer. He married Phebe, daughter of Thomas Smith, of the same town, who was born June 12th, 1794, and died March 12th, 1860. Their children are: Almond M., Mary Ann, … Read more

Lewis and Palmer Cemetery, Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut

Small cemetery located near the Eastford town line. Lewis Lewis, Israel, d. 17 Mar 1840. Lewis, Mary, d.22 Apr 1844, @50. Owen Owen, Emily Maria, d. 20 Aug 1845, @27 [wife of David K. Owen, and dau. of Israel and Mary Lewis] Palmer Palmer, Mrs. Mary, d. 20 Oct. 1846, @77 [wife of Nathan Palmer]. Palmer, Nathan, d. 6 Mar 1852, @85.

Biography of William Clitus Witter

Son of Doctor William Witter and Emily Bingham, his wife, was born at Willimantic, Conn., November 13th, 1842, in the substantial brick house now standing at the corner of Main and Witter (now called High) streets. His ancestry, both on the father’s and the mother’s side, is given with some detail in the sketch of Doctor William Witter at pages 201203 of this volume, where it is seen that he comes from some of the best and oldest New England families, the Witter, the Waldo and the Bingham. The mother of Mr. Witter died when he was five years old … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel B. Sprague

Samuel and Ruhamah Borden Sprague were the grandparents of the subject of this biography. His father, William B. Sprague, was born in South Killingly, and some years later removed to the town of Scotland, then a part of the town of Windham. He married Hannah, daughter of Ebenezer Fuller, of Scotland. The children of this union who grew to mature years were : Samuel B., Hannah M. and James W. Samuel Borden Sprague was born on the 15th of October, 1823, in South Killingly, and after a common school and an academic education spent some time as a teacher. Preferring, … Read more

Biography of Marquis Green

Thomas Green, the progenitor of the Green family in America, came from England in 1635, and settled in Malden, Mass. His son Henry, born in 1638, married in 1671, Esther Hasse. Among their seven children was a son Henry, born in 1672, who married in 1695, Hannah Flagg. Their son Henry, the third of the name, born in 1696, married Judith – , and resided in Killingly. A son John by this marriage, born in 1736, one of six children, was the father of Benjamin, whose birth occurred March 11th, 1766. He married Tamer Moffat, to whom were born four … Read more

Biography of David Greenslit

Elijah Greenslit, a farmer and the landlord of one of the early taverns of the town of Hampton, married Mary Burnham. His children were: David, Elijah, Henry, Ebenezer, and one daughter. His son David spent his life in Hampton, the town of his birth, where he was an industrious and prosperous farmer. He married Nancy, daughter of William Foster, of Canterbury. To this union were born nine children, of whom Lucius, William F. and David grew to mature years. David Greenslit was born June 2d, 1817,’ in Hampton, and spent his early years at the schools in the vicinity of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Timothy Earle Hopkins

The grandparents of Mr. Hopkins were Timothy Hopkins, born in 1751, and Sarah Carver, daughter of Captain Joseph Carver. His father was Carver Hopkins, born October 26th, 1799, who married Abby K. Manchester. Their children, seven in number, were: Israel M., Florinda A., Sarah C., Abby E., Ann E., Timothy E. and Lillian P., of whom all but the eldest son are still living. Timothy Earle Hopkins was born in Burrillville, R. I., December 5th, 1835, of which place he continued a resident until 1682. His education was received in the public schools and at New Hampton, N. H., where … 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 Benjamin F. Phipps

Deacon Jason Phipps was at an early day an extensive landholder and farmer in Thompson parish, as also a justice of the peace, who exercised his prerogative with an inflexible hand. His son Jason, a soldier of the revolution, married Mary Healy, of Dudley, Mass., whose children were: Peyton Randolph, Salem T., Jason, Polly, Hannah, Mary Ann, Rebecca and Persis. Mr. Phipps resided in Thompson, where he became the owner of much valuable land. His son, Captain Peyton Randolph, was born July 29th, 1789, in the same town, and spent his life as a farmer. He also bore an active … Read more

Biography of Waldo Tillinghast

Pardon Tillinghast, the grandfather of Waldo Tillinghast, was an early resident of West Greenwich, Rhode Island, and for forty years a deacon of the Baptist church. He married Mary Sweet, of East Greenwich, to whom were born twelve children. Thomas of this number was a farmer in his native town of West Greenwich, and an ordained minister of the Six Principle Baptist church. He was three times married, his first wife being Mary Howard, of Woodstock, whose children are: Harriet S., Waldo, Henry S., Jared and Caleb E. Waldo Tillinghast was born June 10th, 1833, in Killingly, and when a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jacob Bates

Jacob Bates was born in Thompson, Conn., May 7, 1790, served in the war of 1812, and came to this town in 1865, locating upon the farm now owned by his son, George N., where he died, January 21, 1878.

Biography of David L. Aldrich

Noah Aldrich, a revolutionary soldier and a resident of Scituate, Rhode Island, married Huldah Whittaker, who died in her one hundredth year. They raised a large family of sons and daughters, among whom was David, born in 1770, in Scituate, where his life was spent as a farmer. A public-spirited and influential citizen, he was for many years a member of the town council, director of the Citizens’ Union Bank, since extinct, and a liberal contributor to the Smithville Seminary, now the Lapham Institute, of Scituate. He married Hope Law, of Killingly, Conn., whose children were: George, William, John and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Thurston Murdock

The only son of George Taft and Abbie A. Murdock, who was born July 4th, 1846, in Uxbridge, Mass., at the age of twelve years removed with his parents to Millbury, and later to Worcester in the same state. His education was received at the Worcester and Wilbraham Academies, after which he entered the finishing room of the mills in the former place, and thus became familiar with the first principles of manufacturing. Coming later to New Boston, he filled the position of accountant until 1866, and then assumed the superintendence of the mills. Two years later he succeeded to … Read more

Biography of Aaron White

Aaron White died at Quinebaug, in the town of Thompson, April 15th, 1886, aged 87 years and six months. He was born in Boylston, Mass., October 8th, 1798, and was the eldest of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, of Aaron and Mary White. His ancestry were of the early puritan settlers of Eastern Massachusetts, and among them on the side of his mother, were the Adams’ of Boston, her grandmother being a sister of Governor Samuel Adams, a distinguished patriot of the revolution. His father kept a country store, cultivated an adjoining farm, was a leading man in … Read more

Whipple-Card Farm Cemetery, Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut

Allen Allen, Sarah, d. 21 May 1832, @1 yr 8 mo. [dau. of James and Lucy]. Palmer Palmer, Martha, d. 28 May 1837, @77 [husband of Benjamin]. Palmer, Chauncey, d. 30 Mar 1839, @47. Palmer, Friend B., d. 22 Sept. 1839, @2 yrs, 1 mo. [son of Chauncey and Hannah]. Whipple Whipple, Caroline, d. 2 Sep 1809, @2yrs, 2 mo. [dau. of Samuel and Hannah D.]. Whipple, Reuben Chaffee, d. 21 Jan 1828, @18 [son of Samuel and Mary]. Whipple, Mary, d. 12 Mar 1828, @49 [wife of Samuel]. Whipple, Samuel, d. 9 Nov 1813, @70? [stone fallen, footstone says … Read more

Biography of Edwin Milner

John Milner, the father of Edwin Milner, married Charlotte Dews, to whom were born four children: Edwin, Hannah, wife of Christopher Richardson, of Newark, New Jersey; Sarah, deceased, and John H., of Moosup, who married Mary Fidler. Edwin, the eldest of these children, was born in Horbury, Yorkshire, England, December 1st, 1842, and in his fourth year emigrated with his parents to America, landing in Boston, from whence they soon after removed to East Greenwich, Rhode Island, and resided in that borough until 1854. In 1856 Westerly in the same state became the home of the family, where at the … Read more

Hughes Cemetery, Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut

Farm is at the junction of the Westford Hill Willington Road and an old road leading to the Samuel Walker farm. Near the road is a small cemetery, not easily seen, with several graves in it. The only reference I have found with names states the following: Resting Place of Orin Hughes and Family The Barbour Collection of Ashford Vital Records gives the birth of Orrene Hughes d. Jonathan and Eunice on 14 Nov 1778. This was probably a mistake in the gender and instead of a daughter was a son, Orrin who married Mehitable and had the following children: … Read more