Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

VII. Hon. Franklin Pickett Ambler was born at Danbury, June 3, 1797, and died August i, 1873. His youth was spent in poverty, but not- withstanding his disadvantages he rose through his own efforts to wealth and prominence. At fourteen years of age he was bound out to Mr. Hull, a saddle-tree manufacturer in Danbury, and at the expiration of his term he was em- ployed by Benjamin Stiles, of New York, in the same line of business. Later he made his home in Derby, being employed in the Chatfield fac- tory. In 1822 he settled in Trumbull, taking the position of general superintendent in the fac- tories of Reuben and Eben Fairchild. In 1825 he engaged in the business as a member of the firm of Fairchild, Peet & Co., and in 1844 he purchased the plant, which he conducted in part- nership with his three sons, under the firm name of F. P. Ambler & Sons. Later he bought land in the vicinity of Mountain Hill, and built the present factories, which have been enlarged from time to time to meet the demands of the busi- ness. Politically he was a stanch Democrat of the Jeffersonian school, and his fellow-citizens frequently called him to official positions, in which his able and conscientious discharge of duty gained him new honors. In addition to many local offices, he served in the Legislature, and in 1862 he was elected to the State Senate. Socially, he and his family held a prominent place, and for more than fifty years he was a consistent member of the Masonic Fraternity. In all the relations of life his conduct was COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 23 marked by the strictest integrity, and from his youth he was an earnest student of the Bible, which he regarded as the inspired word of God and the guide to salvation. His mental abilities were of a high order, his memory being remark- able, and although he had had but limited school- ing, he gained through private reading a fund of information, which enabled him to converse on equal terms with those who had enjoyed far greater privileges. He acquired a large and well-selected library, and as his memory readily recalled anything which he had once read or heard, his conversation was replete with anec- dotes, information and illustration, which added much to the charm of his genial manner. His home was to him a sacred spot, and to his family was given a warm affection, too seldom seen among business men. On March 15, 1820, he married Eliza Bartholomew, who was born August I, 1 801, a daughter of Jerrod Bartholo- mew, and died in 1853. On October 4, 1854, he married Emily S. (Bacon) Ambler, born Feb- ruary 14, 1813, who was the widow of Joel Ambler, of Danbury. By his first marriage he had four children: Charles, who is mentioned more fully below; George B., born May 17, 1822; MaryE., born September 20, 1823; and Franklin P., Jr., born February 17, 1825. Vin. Hon. Charles Ambler was born March 21, 1 82 1, at Derby, Conn., and is now deceased. He was married October 22, 1844, to Mary E. Curtis, daughter of Joseph L. Curtis, of Strat- ford. They had two children: Georgianna Fran- ces, born March 17, 1847, who married Rev. F. B. Lewis, of Bozeman, Mont. ; and Richard Charles, the subject proper of this sketch. IX. The late Richard C. Ambler, formerly one of the leading lawyers of Bridgeport, was born August 31, 1853, at Nichols, and after at- tending the schools of that village for some years he completed an academic course at Oxford, N. Y. In 1878 he was graduated from the law de- partment of Yale College, and soon afterward he was admitted to the Bar at, Bridgeport, where he engaged in practice with marked success. He died September 12, 1891, at his residence in the town of Trumbull, the sad event bringing sincere grief to a large circle of friends. It had been known for some time that he was in poor health, his illness being doubtless caused mainly by un- due devotion to professional work; but as he had continued his labors, and had even spent the day previous to his death at his usual routine in his office, no one was prepared for the shock of his sudden demise. The respect in which he was held by the community was shown by the large concourse of people who met at his funeral to pay the last tributes to his memory, and by the numerous touching memorials and resolutions which appeared in the public press from various organizations. The following notice, which ap- peared in the Connecticut Reports, gives such an accurate and appreciative view of his life and character that it may well be preserved in this volume: " His ancestors had been for many years among the most prominent business men of this conmiunity; but as their business was al- most exclusively with the Southern States, it was destroyed by the war. This necessarily interfered with his cherished educational plans. Determined not to be deprived wholly of these advantages, he set himself to work, as soon as he had accjuired a common-school education, in a book store, where he devoted all his spare time to reading and storing his mind with useful in- formation. The money he earned was saved that he might take a course of legal training at the Yale Law School. While there he earned, by his industry and courtesy, the high opinion of his instructors and the sincere respect of his fellow classmates. After graduating, he con- tinued his studies in the law office of Seymour ii Seymour, in Bridgeport, for two years, devoting his time to acquiring the details of practice. He then opened an office there for himself, and at the time of his death he was gradually but cer- tainly building up a good practice and acquiring an enviable reputation for integrity, ability and learning. The prevailing characteristic of Mr. Ambler's professional, political, social, and re- ligious life was faithfulness. No client's inter- est was ever neglected. Indeed so far did he carry the idea that he must accomplish all that his client desired, that he was almost martial in regard to it. His client's case was his case so fully that every failure, short of complete suc- cess, seemed a personal failure. " His career was not long enough to gain the first rank in his profession or to reap its highest rewards; but what faithfulness, diligence, up- rightness and intelligence could do to carry him towards that end was done. When that can truthfully be said of a lawyer, what matter when or where he fails.' His eulogy is pronounced; his monument raised. Mr. Ambler was a repre- sentative in the General Assembly from the town of Trumbull, in 1889, and as the only lawyer on the railroad committee he exercised a domina- ting influence in its action through the memorable railroad fight of that year; and though stones of improper conduct were rife, no man dared impugn his integrity. Always a student, he was especially fond of historical research, and he was a contrib- utor to the Fairfield County Historical Society, 24 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. in which for some time he served as curator and treasurer. He was a devout member of the Episcopal Church, and not only represented his parish in the conventions of that body in this diocese, but maintained, personally, as a lay reader, services in the parish Church, in which he also served for a number of years as a vestryman. His brief but useful life left, as such a life could not fail to leave, a fragrant memory of upright manliness and kindly courtesy, that will not soon be forgotten." On October i, 1879, Mr. Ambler married Miss Jennie Beardsley, of Huntington, who sur- vives him with one daughter, Katharine Beards- ley Ambler. Mrs. Ambler is a member of a well- known pioneer family, and is of the ninth gener- ation in descent from William Beardsley, a na- tive of Stratford-on-Avon, England, who came to America in 1635 with his wife Mary, and was among the first settlers at Stratford, this county. The place was named in honor of his old home, and for many years he was a leader in local affairs, serving seven }ears as a deputy from that town in the General Court. The line of descent is traced through Samuel Beardsley and his wife Abigail; Daniel Beardsley, who married Rebecca Jackson; Benjamin Beardsley; David Beardsley and his wife Mary; Stephen Beardsley and his wife Catherine; Stephen (2), who married Susan Nichols; and Stephen Beardsley (3), Mrs. Am- bler's father, who married Jane Shelton. T>HOMAS H. MORISON. The founder of the Morison family in America was one John Morison, who came to this country between 1720 and 1723 from Ireland, whither the family had fled from Scotland during religious persecution. John Morison, was the father of John (2), who was the father of Thomas, who was born in New Hampshire, and had a son Ezekiel. Ezekiel Morison was born at Peterboro, N. H., as was also his son Thomas, who left the Granite State in 1824 and went to New York. Thomas Mor- ison was a tailor by trade, and his practical in- genuity evolved the idea of making shirts as they are now worn, so he abandoned his trade and engaged in the manufacture of shirts, about 1845. In this business he continued the remainder of his life, dying in Brooklyn, N. Y., Nov. 22, 1874. He married Amy H. Hoyt, and in his family was a son Thomas H., who is the subject proper of this review. Thomas H. Morison was born August 24, 1839, in Brooklj'n, and there he passed his early days, acquiring his school education. At the age of fourteen he laid aside hjs te.xt books, and entered the employ of his father. He soon grasped the details, and in 1867 he came to Nor- walk and assumed control of the factory there. For nearly twenty years Thomas H. Morison successfully conducted this factory, and proved himself a man of remarkable e.xecutive and financial ability. When he retired from active business in 1883, he carried with him the genuine respect and esteem of his employes, and of all who had in anyway been associated with him.