Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

John J. Booth was born January 31, 1827, in Stratford, and remained at home until he reached the age of sixteen, when he began to learn the tinner's trade in Bridge- port with Porter, Booth & Co. In 1851 he started a retail crockery store at Waterbury, Conn., and this he conducted successfully for about seventeen years. In 1868 he returned to Bridgeport, where he spent sixteen years in the L. W. Booth drug store, and he has since been living in retirement at Stratford, de- voting his attention chiefly to the cultivation of his homestead, which contains about ten acres. Although he has not taken an active part in poli- tics, he has been a stanch Republican ever since the organization of the party, and he is interested in all that relates to the welfare of the com- munity. For many years he has been identified with the Congregational Church, and he and his family have always held a prominent place in social life. On April 29, 1857, he married Miss Jane C. Bunce, daughter of Daniel P. Bunce, of New Haven, and three children brighten the home: Jennie A., Georgianaand Rinnie C. ^ILL W. KIRK, editor and proprietor of '»' the New Canaan (Conn.) Mi-sscngcr, is one of the progressive and enterprising citizens of Fairfield county. He comes of Scotch ex- traction, his great-grandfather, John Ivirk, having at an early day emigrated to this country from Scotland. Born March 6, 1852, in Patterson, N. Y., our subject received his education at the com- mon schools and at Prof. Glendining's Academy at Stamford, Conn., the family having removed to that State when Will W. was a child. At Carmel, IJ. Y. , he learned the printer's trade, and after working nine years in the office of the Stamford Adi^ocatf he, in August, 1879, pur- chased the New Canaan Ah-ssengcr, at New 228 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Canaan, and has conducted that paper continu- ously ever since, having by his abiHty, shrewd- ness and perseverance made it one of the lead- ing and most newsy journals in the county. A leading Republican, Mr. Kirk takes an active interest in the affairs of the party and in its councils. He has been a member of the Board of Warden and Burgesses every year since the incorporation of the borough system. He has been a prominent and enthusiastic mem- ber of the local fire department since it was es- tablished in 1880; is a member of Wooster Lodge, I. O. O. F. ; of Harmony Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and of Stamford Council, Royal Arcanum. For the past four years he has served as Deputy State Factory Inspector. As a loyal citizen, he is true to all the duties that devolve on him, and he deservedly enjoys the esteem and respect of the community. S\AMUEL TWEEDY, one of Danbury's most () able and prominent attorneys, is the senior member of the firm of Tweedy, Scott & Whittle- sey (formery Brewster & Tweedy), and his repu- tation for learning and ability extends far beyond local limits. Mr. Tweedy belongs to a well-known family which has been identified with Connecticut from early times. He is of the fifth generation in di- rect descent from John Tweedy, who came from Ireland to America about 1738, and was married at Woodbury, Conn., to Miss Jane Edmunds, also a native of the Emerald Isle. They had four children: Jane, Samuel, Ann and Smith. Samuel Tweedy, the grandfather of our subject, was born March 18, 1776, and on September 22, 1805, was married to Ann Burr. Of their seven children, two died in infancy; the others were: Oliver B., Edgar S. , Mariette, Edmund and John H. Edgar S. Tweedy, our subject's father, was born May 23, 1808, and was married on June 4, 1834, to Miss Elizabeth S. Belden. Ten children blessed this union: Annie, widow of C. H. Benedict; two daughters, both named Martha, who died in infancy; Edmund; Jennie B. ; John; Samuel; Edgar; Elizabeth, who died in infancy, and Eleanor. Mr. Tweedy, our subject, was born April 21, 1846, at Danbury, where for some time he at- tended the public schools and a private school conducted by Rev. Frederick Jackson in a build- ing which is now known as the ' ' Turner House. " He then entered Prof. Olmstead's school at Wil- ton, this county, to prepare for college, and from 1864 to 1868 he pursued a course in Yale College, graduating in the latter year. Having chosc-n law as a profession, he began his legal studies in the Columbia Law School, New York City, and on returning to Danbury in 1870 he entered the office of Averill & Brewster. In 1871 he was admitted to the Bar and engaged in practice in partnership with his preceptor. Judge Lyman D. Brewster, under the style of Brewster & Tweedy, Mr. Averill having retired from the former firm. The new partnership continued without change until July, 1878, when Howard B. Scott was added, the firm being then known as Brewster, Tweedy & Scott. In September, 1890, Judge Brewster ceased to be a member, and since that time the firm has been Tweedy, Scott & Whittle- sey. They have a large and lucrative practice, being connected on one side or the other with some of the most important cases arising in their locality. While Mr. Tweedy is a stanch Republican, he has never taken an active part in political work. He is, however, to be found as a helper on the right side of any movement which promises to benefit his community, and has given much time to educational work, having served ten years as a member of the board of school directors. In 1879, Mr. Tweedy married Mrs. Carrie Krom, daughter of Ira and Adah M. (Barden) Miller, and one child has blessed the union, Maud Eleanor Douglass Tweedy, who is at home. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church of Danbury, and are prominent in the best social circles. Mr. Tweedy is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, Union Lodge No. 40, F. & A. M., Eureka Chapter No. 23, R. A. M.. Crusader Commandery No. 10, K. T. , and Wooster Council No. 28, R. & S. M. LEMUEL P. WETMORE, deceased. The t manufacturing interests of New England have played such a prominent part in the devel- opment of that region that the public-spirited citizen can not fail to feel a keen interest in the personal history of those who have spent their entire lives in the manufacturing business, and we here present to our readers a brief review of the life of Lemuel P. Wetmore, of Brookfield. He was born October 10, 1825, in Newtown, son of Ephraim P. and grandson of John Wetmore. Ephraim P. Wetmore was born at Newtown, Fairfield Co., Conn., and in his native towru learned the goldsmith's trade, which he followed for some tii.ie. His next venture was the manu- facture of combmakers' tools, which he carried) on for many years, and he finally engaged in tin- smithing. He married Miss Sophia Griffen, daughter of Peleg GrifTen, of Newtown, and they COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 229 became the parents of eight children, namely: Mary Jane, who married Wheeler Wilcox, and is now deceased; Emeline, Mrs. Fairchild, de- ceased; Sarah, deceased; Cyrus, of Roxbury, Conn. ; Lemuel P. ; Henriette, deceased wife of Walter Simpson; Harriet, Mrs. Parmalee,of Iowa, and Cornelia, Mrs. Simpson, of Iowa. The father of this family was active in the work of the Democratic party, and held the office of col- lector and sealer of measures. Lemuel P. Wetmore passed his boyhood and youth in Newtown, where he attended the pub- lic schools up to the age of sixteen, when he came to Brookfield in company with a cooper, working with him at the trade about six months. H.e then worked at the limekiln for awhile, later learning the blacksmith's trade under John L^. Burdick. After serving an apprenticeship of three years he opened up a blacksmith shop for himself and engaged in business for thirty year?. He spent one year in Putnam county, N. Y., and after returning to Brookfield he secured em- ployment as forger with the Tomlinson Knife Company, where he remained two years. He then began forging knives and doing custom work as a member of the firm of Wildman & Wet- more, having bought a half-interest in the old factory. Later Mr. Wildman retired, and the firm became Wetmore & Bennett, John F. Bennett being Mr. Wildman's successor. Mr. Bennett died, and his son, Frederick A. Bennett, took his father's interest. In 1884 Mr. Wet- more retired from the business and bought a farm, on which he passed the remainder of his days in quiet and comfort, reaping the reward of his early industry. He passed away September 17. 1897. and his wife followed him to the grave November 8, 1898. In Brookfield Mr. Wetmore was married to Miss Sarah Anna Reed, a daughter of Tilly W. Reed, and they became the parents of four chil- dren, three of whom are living, viz.: Helen, wife of John Bateman; Mary, deceased; John C. and Vernon C. Mr. Wetmore was a strong Re- publican, politically, and he served his town as selectman. He was a worker in the Sons of Temperance, and his strong, vigorous frame, and clear open face, the picture of health, was one of the best arguments for the cause he aided for so many years, and whose teachings — temperance in all things— he consistently followed. LEWIS M. CURTISS. The Curtiss family, ' which has been prominently identified with this county from pioneer times, is descended from I. William Curtis, who came from England in the ship " Lion" in 1632, and settled in Rox- bury, Mass., where he died late m the year 1634. Like many other emigrants, he left his family in the old country while he was preparing a home for them, and in the spring of 1634 his wife and children joined him in Roxbury. He had five children: William, Thomas, Mary, John and Philip; and the subject of this sketch, who is a. leading agriculturist and dairyman of Trumbull township, is a direct descendant of the eldest son.