Alfred Fitch, a prominent farmer of Cornish and a descendant of one of the old families of the town, was born May 12, 1861. The first of the family to settle in Cornish was James Fitch, who came from Connecticut. He was born in 1712, and died October 25, 1805. His son, James, was father of Samuel, who was the great-grandfather of the present Alfred. Hezekiah, a brother of Samuel, and who was born in Cornish in 1746, died September 30, 1830, built the house owned by the Fitch family of to-day. Samuel Fitch was born in Cornish, October 15, 1757. He married Thankful Royce, who bore him eleven children. His son, James, born in Cornish, November 16, 1784, married Bethena Bartlett, of Cornish, who bore him four children. These were: Chester, the father of the subject of this sketch; Maria, November 16, 1820; James, born November 1, 1825; and Edwin, born July 21, 1827.
Chester Fitch was born in Cornish, April 23, 1818, and was educated in the town schools and at Windsor, Vt. The Hon. William E. Evarts was one of his teachers. He was a Free Mason, Patron of Husbandry, and a consistent member of the Congregational church. He had great musical ability, and was the organist and a chorister at the church for many years. He married Amy, daughter of John Westgate, of Plainfield. She was born April 13, 1835, and is still living at Claremont, enjoying the best of health. Her six children were: James, Alfred, Willis, Elmer, Jennie, and Frank. James, born April 13, 1859, who is now a farmer, married Almina Demming, and has two children-Chester and Morris. Willis, born September 26, 1864, now a shoe-cutter and living at North Adams, Mass., successively married May Peters and Susan Bryant, both of North Adams. Elmer, born November 16, 1867, now a farmer and milkman, lives at Claremont. Jennie, born August 23, 1871, died July 31, 1873. Frank, born October 8, 1872, died January 15, 1881.
Alfred Fitch received his education in the schools of Cornish. After leaving school, he went to work in a general merchandise store for a short time. He then came to his father’s farm, where he has since been engaged in agriculture. He has held a number of town offices, and is known by his fellowtownsmen as a man of unimpeachable integrity and sterling worth. A religious man, like his father, he is a member of the Congregational church.
On March 27, 1884, he married Ida Williams, who was born at Plainfield, January 11, 1863. Her father, Orville B. Williams, a native of Morristown, Vt., was a farmer on an extensive scale; and her mother was a native of Bradford, N.H. Her sisters, Carrie and Nettie, are school-teachers in Windsor. Four children have been born to them-James B., Bernice A., Harold A., and Frank W. Mr. Fitch is a very enterprising farmer, and his estate is one of the few remaining ones that are still in possession of the families who originally owned them. All of the farms of this part of the town have beautiful situations and fine views. Mr. Fitch’s place is pleasantly located on Dingleton Hill, and the residence is surrounded with spreading meadow and pasture lands.