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

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 Edward Spicer Cleveland

The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Hampton, in Windham county, Connecticut, on the 22d of May, A. D. 1825. He was the son of the Hon. Mason Cleveland, who was a man of much influence, and universally respected throughout the state, having been both a representative from his town and a senator from his district, also comptroller of the state and subsequently school fund commissioner. He died in the year 1855, soon after thee expiration of his term as school fund commissioner. E. S. Cleveland was a nephew of Hon. Chauncey F. Cleveland, also of … Read more

Biography of David A. Griggs

Nathan Griggs, the great-grandfather of David A. Griggs, married Elizabeth Sharpe and resided in Pomfret. John Griggs, son of Nathan, married Ruth Ashley and resided in Coventry and Hampton, Connecticut. His son Daniel was born in Coventry, March 24th, 1 7 79. He married Elizabeth Hewitt, daughter of Robert and Abigail Hewitt of Hampton. Robert Hewitt was a patriot of the revolutionary war. Daniel Griggs resided in Hampton, Brooklyn, Pomfret and Chaplin, where he died June 26th, 1862. He was a farmer and large owner of real estate. He had a family of eleven children, viz.: Elizabeth H., married Ephraim … Read more

Biography of Edwin H. Bugbee

The subject of this sketch was born in Thompson, April 26th, 1820. His father was James Bugbee, who was born at Woodstock April 11th, 1788, a descendant, through Hezekiah, James, Samuel and Joseph, from Edward Bugby, who came over in the ” Francis ” from Ipswich, England, in 1634, and settled in Roxbury, Mass. His mother was Elizabeth Dorrance, a descendant of George Dorrance, who came from the North of Ireland with that large Scotch emigration about the year 1715. He received his education in the public schools of his native town, and was early a clerk in his father’s … 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

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

Biographical Sketch of Edwin Scarborough

On Wednesday afternoon, October 10th, 1877, Brooklyn and Windham county lost one of the truest and best of men in the death of Mr. Edwin Scarborough. For several years increasing feebleness of body had warned our esteemed friend that he was walking very near that mysterious line which divides the here from the hereafter, but the marching orders to cross came to him suddenly at last. Mr. S. was a public-spirited citizen; a largehearted, generous neighbor; a loving parent: a man of cultureone who had the courage of his convictions upon political or religious matters, and yet liberal and courteous … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry Westcott

James Westcott, the grandfather of Henry Westcott, familiarly known as the ” Captain,” was born March 5th, 1740, and married Martha Tillinghast. Their son Joseph, whose birth occurred April 9th, 1779, in Glocester, Rhode Island, married Esther Richmond of the same town. The children of this union were: Henry; Almira, wife of Jude Sabin; Elizabeth, married to James Wood; and David. Henry, the eldest son, was born April 18th, 1801, in Glocester, and in early childhood removed to East Killingly, where the primitive schools of the day afforded him a beginning for that practical education which was chiefly the growth … Read more

Biography of Keith W. White

Keith Wood White, a retired farmer now residing in Grangeville, is a native of the far-off state of Connecticut, his birth having occurred in the town of Ashford, Windham County, on the 15th of May 1838. His ancestors came from old England and settled in New England at an early epoch in the history of this country, and there the family remained for several generations. Keith W. White, the father of our subject, was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and married Catharine Farnum, a native of Connecticut. They became the parents of two children, and the father provided for their support … 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 Nathan E. Morse

Nathan E. Morse is a descendant of Anthony Morse mentioned in the preceding sketch. His grandfather, Abel Morse, married Sarah Holbrook. Their son Nathan, born October 14th, 1785, was twice married, first in 1822, to Rebecca Child, and second to Mary Mills. By his first wife he had three childrenAbel, George and Nathan E. Abel, born August 20th, 1823, married Mary Elliott, of Thompson, and died February 25th, 1858. George, born May 19th, 1825, married Sylvia C. May, of Woodstock, and is county commissioner. Nathan Eugene Morse was born in Woodstock November 12th, 1829, and was married August 29th, 1850, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel Strong Moseley

The Moseley family are among the oldest and most prominent in the town of Hampton. The father of the subject of this biography, Ebenezer Moseley, was a preacher of considerable repute in his day. His son, Samuel Strong Moseley, was born at the homestead of the family in Hampton, in 1786, and in his native town the whole of his active life was spent. He received an academic education, and early embarked in mercantile pursuits, to which he later added farming. In both of these branches of industry he brought to bear the ability and thrift which were the inevitable … Read more

Biography of William C. Jillson

The first ancestor of the Jillson family is said to have come over from Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066. The earliest member of the family to sail for New England was William Gilson, who came from Kent county, England, and settled in Scituate, Massachusetts, in 1631. The next on the list to emigrate are Joseph and James Gilson, the latter of whom settled in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, about the year 1666. He is the progenitor of the branch of the family represented by the subject of this biography. James and his wife Mary died about 1712. Their son, Nathaniel, … 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 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

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 Lucius Briggs

Lucius Briggs was born in Coventry, R. I., December 21st, 1825. He is the son of Wanton and Mary Tift Briggs, of Coventry, R. I. Wanton Briggs was the son of Jonathan Briggs, also of Coventry, who served in the revolutionary army from the beginning to the end of the war, taking part in many important, hard fought battles, and received an honorable discharge signed by General Washington himself. Mary Tift Briggs was the daughter of Solomon Tift, of Groton, Conn. He served the cause of his country during the revolutionary period on the ocean. He was taken prisoner and … 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 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