Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Doctor Fyfe is fifth in line of descent from James Fyfe, who was born in Fifeshire, Scot- land, in 1720 and, coming to America, settled in Massachusetts, was married there and reared a family of children, among whom was a son, Silas, whose birth occurred in 1743 at Berlin, Mass. Silas Fyfe married Miss Abigail Hough- ton, who was born in Bolton, Mass., in 1751, and became one of the pioneers in Troy, N. H. To this union were born nine children, one of whom, John Fyfe, the grandfather of Doctor Fyfe, was born in 1779, at Troy, N. H. Silas Fyfe was a prominent man at Troy, and left a record which his posterity take pride in. He was an officer of a company of " minute-men " in the war of the Revolution. From 1778 to 1815 he was a deacon of the Congregational Church at Troy ; also held various public offices. He died in May, 1836, and his wife passed away in 1823. John Fyfe, his son, married Sarah Seward, whose birth occurred in 1774, and death in 1858. He followed agricultural pursuits, as did his father and grandfather before him, and in connection therewith conducted a general store. He lived until 1843. The six children of this couple were : Abigail married Samuel Str.itton, a farmer of Jaffrey, N. H., whose death occurred in 1847 ; William was the father of our subject ; John, born in 1807, married Caroline Stone, who was born in 1808; Mary died unmarried; and Elmira and Elvira (twins), unmarried, are still living. William Fyfe was born in 1803, at Jaffrey, N. H., and early in life formed a partnership in busi- ness with an uncle, Nathan Fyfe, engaging in a general mercantile businessatlsleau Haute, Maine. Later in life Mr. Fyfe moved to Swans Island, and there, too, for many years conducted a gen- eral store. He was one of the leading men of the community, and figured conspicuously in both social and public life. He took an interest in educational matters, and was prominent in the Church. In politics and in his religious faith he followed in the line of his ancestors, who were Democrats and Congregationalists. He married Ruth Gott, who was born in 18 16, at Mount Desert, Maine, a daughter of John and Ruth Gott. The Gott family were among the friends of James Swan, who induced them to settle there soon after this island, in the south- west extremity of Hancock county, Maine, was deeded to him by Massachusetts for distinguished services in the Revolutionary war. All of these early settlers came from the vicinity of Glouces- ter, Mass. To William Fyfe and his wife were born children as follows: Sarah J., born in 1834, died in 1878, unmarried. Almira F. , born in 1836, married Maurice R. Rich, a farmer and carpenter ot prominence at Tremont, Maine, and died in 1885. John W., our subject, is referred to farther on. • Nathan J., born in 1841, was for a time connected with a newspaper at Elsworth, Maine. He was a bright, promising young man, but his young life was cut short, sacrificed on the altar of his country. During the Civil war he joined the Union army, and died at Belle Plains, Va., in 1863. Dr. John W. Fyfe passed his boyhood at Swans Island and at Elsworth, Maine. He at- tended the local schools, and occasionally as- sisted in his father's store. At seventeen he be- gan the study of law, and for a time later on was connected with the newspaper profession, filling various positions on several papers, including those of editor, manager and proprietor. He dropped the study of law and, while connected with the press, studied medicine, attended the regular course of instruction at the American University Medical College, and was graduated a Doctor of Medicine. Later he furthered his medical studies at the Eclectic Medical College, New York City, entering in 1885, and was gradu- ated with the class of 1888. With the exception of the three years passed in the college just re- ferred to the Doctor has practiced his profession at Saugatuck and vicinity since 1881. He has here made for himself a commendable record as a physician and citizen. He is literary in his tastes, and is an extensive contributor to the medical literature of the day. As a lecturer in the Eclectic Medical College of New York (his Alma Mater) he has gained an extended and en- viable reputation. The Doctor is the author of a medical text book entitled " Essentials of Mod- ern Materia Medica and Eclectic Therapeutics." He is a member of the Connecticut State Eclec- tic Medical Association and the New York State Eclectic Medical Society; also of the Eclectic Medical Society of the City and County of New York. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and has held all offices in his local lodge and also the office of district deputy grand master. In his political views he adheres to the early teachings of the Democratic party. On April 6, 1862, at Kingston, R. I., Doctor Fyfe was married to Mary E. Card, who was born in 1842, in Utica, N. Y., a daughter of Dr. William H. and Mary E. (Hammond) Card, na- tives of Newport, R. I., and of English extrac- tion. To the marriage of Doctor Fyfe and Miss 200 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Card have come the following children: Florence A., born in 1867, was married in 1888 to Isaac B. Wakeman, a real-estate broker in New York City, and John W. , who died in infancy. DAVID FREDERICK HOLLISTER, who, _ ' though now past man's allotted years, is act- ively engaged in the practice of the law in Bridge- port, where upward of forty years of his life he has passed as an honored and useful citizen, is a native of the town of Washington, Litchfield county, Connecticut. Born March 31, 1826, Mr. Hollister is the son of Gideon Hollister, and is of the seventh generation from John Hollister, who came, prob ably, from Weymouth, England, immigrating to this country about 1642, and was admitted a freeman at the General Court in Boston May 10, 1643. Later he moved to Wethersfield, Conn., and was sent from that town as deputy to the General Court at Hartford November 15, 1644; also in 1654 and 1656. He was a lieutenant in the militia. The late Hon. Gideon H. Hollister, of Litchfield, Conn., by investigations made through his direction, was able to obtain a per- fect pedigree Irom this John Hollister, of Weth- ersfield, to the John Hollister who, in 1608, was lord of the manor of Stinchcomb and Burleigh, with many particulars in rt-gard to the genera- tions of the family, their residences and final resting places. The line of our subject's descent is through Gideon, Captain Gideon, Gideon (3) and Gideon (4). John Hollister, the immigrant, married Jo- anna, daughter of Richard Treat, and their children were: Mary, John, Thomas, Joseph, Lazarus, Stephen, Elizabeth and Sarah. The father of these died in 1665 and the mother in 1694. Stephen Hollister was married (first) to Abi- gail, daughter of Mathias Treat, in 1683, and (second) to Elizabeth Reynolds. His children, all e.xcepting Stephen (2), were born to the first marriage and were as follows: Jerusha [says Goodwin] or Jonathan [says Savage], Stephen, Abigail, Ann Gershom, Samuel, Eunice, Gideon, Daniel and Stephen (2). Gideon Hollister, born in 1698, married in 1723 Rebecca Sherman. His children were: Sarah and Gideon. Capt. Gideon Hollister, born September 21, 1725, married (first) in 1750 Esther Preston, who died September 14, I75i,nine days after the birth of her son Preston; he married (sec- ond) in 1759 Patience Hurd, and their children were: Gideon, Anne, Abner, Esther and Pres- ton Sherman and Sheiman Preston (both bap- tized Feburary 11, 1778). Gideon Hollister (3), born January 13, 1761, married in 1782 Currence Hicock. He died Jan- uary 2, 1835, and she May i, 1845. Their chil- dren were: Marilla, born July 4, 1784, married Andrew Hine; Gideon, born February 2, 1792; and Truman, born December 5, 1803. Gideon Hollister (4), born February 2, 1792, married (first) in November, 181 5, Harriet Jack- son; she was born December 18, 1795, and died November 30, 1844. He married (second) No- vember 4, 1846, Widow Lydia J. Minor. His children were: Gideon Hiram, born December 14, 1817; Laura Marilla, born January 2, 1822, married in November, 1844. George Drakely; and David F., our subject. The father of these died September 25, 1867. He was a well-to-do farmer, a man of sterling integrity and of much influence and usefulness in the community in which he lived. David Frederick Hollister until his sixteenth year was a resident of the old homestead in Washington, Litchfield county, but at that pe- riod in his life the family removed to the town of Woodbury, same county, where in accordance with his father's earnest wish he remained on the farm for several years. While thus at home on the farm he had the fortune, good or bad, to cut his foot so severely as to interfere with his active duties for many months, and he finally obtained the consent of his father to prepare for college. He had already received a common-school edu- cation in his native town. He made up his mind to enter the class of '51, having less than a year before the commencement of the term. He made the best use of this time, and presented himself for examination without having completed, how- ever, quite two-thirds of the preparatory course. On leaving home for New Haven, and bidding his friends good-bye he assured them that they would not see him again until he was a member of the class of '51, though he had many misgiv- ings as to his success in passing the examination. To his surprise and delight, , however, he ' ' passed the Rubicon" in safety. This he attributed in a great measure to an experience, serious enough in the time of it, that he had with Prof. Kings- ley, who examined him in Latin. The Professor gave him an exceedingly tough oration to trans- late which he knew at a glance could not be trifled with or extemporized on with safety, and so told the Professor frankly that he could not read the selection. "What, what, young gen- tleman," said the Professor, " did you not know that this book was in the preparatory course .''" "Yes, sir," replied the applicant, "but I did ,.l . . 1 / f'.- ' :■'■ ^M ' I- ',1.'. ..' i' V rite;- ; 1 1, 1 ■ 'II ..;! 1 in j.i't^ ,;■_■'.