Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Dr. Royal L. Higgins passed the first twelve years of his life in his native village, Roxbury, and then removed with the family to Stepney, town of Monroe, Fairfield county, and his earlier education was received in both places, while at the same time, as opportunities offered, he worked on the farm. At the age of seventeen he was teaching school near Monroe Center, and a year later was teaching in Easton. After that he attended Winthrop Institute under the preceptorship of Rev. William Dennison, which school stood between Saybrook and Deep River, Conn. At the end of a year there he again took up school teaching for a time, the scene of his labors this time being near Bethel, but not long afterward he again went to school at Easton Center. While living at Grassy Plain, near Danbury, our subject commenced the study of medicine under I)r. George Benedict, of Bethel, later continuing same under Dr. Robert Hubbard, of Bridgeport. In the fall of 1864 he entered Bellevue Hospital Medical College, and was graduated there in 1867, coming on the first day of March, that year, to Norwalk, where he has ever since remained in the active and successful practice of his profession, being now the oldest medical practitioner in the city. On February 3, 1870, Doctor Higgins was 226 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. married to Miss Mary Elizabeth Wati<ins, daugh- ter of James Y. and Catherine Watkins, of New York City, and they have one daughter, May Jerome, who is living with her parents. Since 1892 the home of the family has been at No. 55 West avenue. The Doctor is a member of the Fairfield County Medical Society, and of the State Medi- cal Society. Socially, he was first affiliated with the F. & A. M. in Eureka Lodge, Bethel, thence demitted to Monroe (now Wash- ington) Lodge No. 19, Monroe; is a member of Butler Chapter and Clinton Comniandery No. 3, K. T. , of Norwalk. Politically, he is a Demo- crat, and he has ever manifested a deep interest in-and taken his part in the support of all meas- ures calculated to prove of benefit to the com- munity at large. His pleasant and affable man- ner invariably wins for him friends, and as one of the popular and honored citizens of Fairfield county he stands second to none. 3;ATRICK KEANE, deceased. Although taken P away at a comparatively early age, while en- tering the prime of manhood, this well-known manufacturer of Botsford had established an intlu- ep'^e in his community which was second to none. Possessing the warm-hearledness for which the Irish race is noted, he had won hosts of friends among all classes, and as a devout member of the Catholic Church his daily life was such as to commend his religion to every one, irrespective of creed. His death, which occurred March 20, 1896, called forth many sincere tributes to his worth as a man and a citizen, and the funeral eulogy of Father Smith, of St. Rose's Church, contained the following touching words: "One has been taken from us who could be truly called a good man. He was truly a practical Catholic. He was a good citizen, and all spoke highly of him without regard to creed or nationality. He had been a dutiful son, a good father, and an affectionate brother: How true these words are touching all his relationships no one knows as as well those who are connected with him. Those who were his neighbors regarded him as kind and obliging." The editor of the Newtown 7!ci-, speaking through the columns of his paper, said in part: " The passing away of Mr. Keane in the prime of his life is sincerely regretted by all our citizens of whatever creed. He was of a substantial type, square in his business dealings, a man who despised hypocrisy and dishonesty in business or wherever it showed its head. If he made a promise his word could be depended upon, a characteristic that is not as universal as it ought to be. His children, yet young, can scarcely realize their great loss in the death of their father and protector, for he was a man deeply attached to his children and chosen friends." Mr. Keane was born March 12, 1853, in County Clare, Ireland, the son of Thomas and Mary (Lillis) Keane, who were both highly- esteemed residents of Botsford. Thomas Keane was born in Ireland December 23, 18 14, and for some years of his early manhood was a farmer in County Clare, but in 1863 he came with his wife and family to America, locating first in Monroe township, this county, where he found employ- ment with a Mr. Booth, a manufacturer of stir- rups. After his son settled in Botsford he also removed there and became interested in the business of button manufacturing, which they carried on successfully for a number of years under the firm name of Thomas Keane & Son. At that time the industry was in a state of decay, but they infused new life into it and made it one of the chief sources of prosperity for the town. The works were enlarged as time passed, and their energetic and judicious business methods e.xtended their trade greatly. Thomas Keane died February 4, 1896, and his wife on De- cember 27, 1890. Two .daughters survive them, Mrs. Dennis Crowe, who has several children, and Miss Norah E. Keane, a lady of fine abilities and rare kindness of heart, who has taken charge of her deceased brother's children since the death of their mother. The subject of our sketch was about ten years old when he came to this country, and was edu- cated in the common schools of Monroe and New- town townships. At the age of sixteen he se- cured a position as clerk with Oliver Botsford, at Botsford Station, remaining there until 1872, when he entered the employ of William Piatt, the button manufacturer of Botsford. A few years later he succeeded to the business in part- nership with his father, and they conducted it with the most gratifying results, as noted above. Our subject, being naturally gifted as a mechanic, put his inventive genius to good account in his own establishment, doing his repairing and mak- ing many of his machines. He accumulated a fine property, all due to his own well-directed ef- forts. In politics he was an uncompromising Democrat, and for several years he was a mem- ber of the town committee of his party, his advice and work being much appreciated. Official honors had no charms for him, however, and although he served at times as a member of the school committee and board of relief he persist- ently refused nomination to other positions. His COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 227 death, which was caused by pulmonary hemor- rhage, was quite unexpected, for although he had been under medical care for several months his condition was not thought to be serious until a few days before his demise. Being naturally of a buoyant disposition, it is doubtful if he realized his own danger. His funeral was largely at- tended by the townspeople, all classes, parties and creeds uniting in the final tribute of respect. The interment took place at St. Rose's cemetery, and was preceded by a solemn high mass for the repose of the soul. Many beautiful floral offer- ings gave token of the grief of friends and rela- tives, and the pall-bearers were leading men of the community. In 1882 Mr. Keane married Miss Margaret Finnell, by whom he had five sons, Mrs. Keane dying April 14, 1890, at the birth of the young- est. She was a daughter of Edward Finnell, formerly a well-known resident of Newtown, and her family is connected by blood nr marriage with most of the old Catholic families, her an- cestors having settled here many years ago. JOHN J. BOOTH. The quiet pleasures of farm life are made doubly enjoyable by contrast with years of active work in business centers, and the subject of this sketch, a well-known re- tired resident of Stratford township, is fortunate an the choice of a home for the "afternoon " of his long and useful career. For many years he •was identified with mercantile pursuits, and has now retired to his old family homestead near Stratford village, an attractive estate to which early associations add an unfailing charm. Mr. Booth is a representative of one of the pioneer families, being a direct descendant of Richard Booth, the first settler in Stratford. Capt. James Booth, our subject's great-grandfa- ther, was a native of Stratford, and made his home there throughout his life. Silas Booth, the grandfather of our subject, was born and reared there, and for many years followed farming upon an estate of which our subject's present home- stead is a portion. He married Ruth (Curtis) Jones, widow of Isaac Jones, a Revolutionary pensioner, and had six children: Isaac P., our subject's father; Eliza, who married Samuel Peck, a farm in Stratford; Maria, who married Henry Beardsley, a farmer in Stratford; Susan, who married Isaac B. Bristol, of Stratford, where their grandson, William B. Bristol, now resides; Nancy, who died in childhood; and Silas C, who resided in Bridgeport, and wasat onetime mayor ■of that place. Isaac P. Booth, the father of our subject, was born in Stratford and became a farmer at the homestead, where his death occurred in 1879. His wife, Abigail (Wheeler), who died in 1875, was a daughter of Nathaniel L. Wheeler, a well known citizen of Stratford. Eight children were born to this worthy couple: Lewis W., founder of the Booth drug store in Bridgeport (he died in 1883); Charles, who died in 1878, in Petersburg, Va., where he was engaged in mercantile busi- ness; John J., our subject; Mary, wife of Charles Fowler, of Galveston, Texas; Elizabeth, wife of Sanford Southwick, of Galveston, Texas; Emily, unmarried; George, who died in Texas, in 1859, aged twenty-two years; and Adeline, unmar- ried.