Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

father settled there later, and both engaf^ed in agriculture in Grays Plains District, now known as Walkers Farms. He was active in local affairs, and was regarded as one of the lead- ing men of the town in his day. He married Mis. Mary (Salter) Burritt (widow of Israel Hur- ritt), who was born in Anthiego, one of the West India islands, and came thence to Bridge[)ort. The following children were born of this mar- riage: Sally, born October i, 17 — , in Britlge- port, married (lirst) Abraham Blackman, and (second) Abel Curtis; James, born July 23, 17 — , died January 3, 1855; Israel B., born July 26, 1775, died July 25, 1837; Daniel, born January 27, 1781, in Newtown; Eli Gould, our subject's father, is mentioned below; Polly, born August I, 1786, married John Blackman; Nancy, born July I, 1790, married Norman Glover; Eliza- beth, born January 30, 1792, did not marry; and Eunice, born June 6, 1793, married John Black- man. Eli Gould Morris, the father of our subject, was born June 6, 1783, in Newtown, and became a successful agriculturist, being held in high esteem among his associates for his excellent judgment. In 18 19 he purchased from Mrs. Curtis the farm now occupied by our subject, which then comprised eighty-five acres, but by subsequent additions he increased it to about one hundred and thirty acres. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and in politics was a stanch Democrat, although he never aspired to public office. His death occurred January 3, 1856, and his wife, whose maiden name was Lydia Bennett, survived him many years, passing away July 2, 1879. She was born in Trumbull, this county, June 4, 1793, a daughter of Thad- deus Bennett, formerly a prominent resident of Trumbull township. Our subject was the eldest of three children, and is now the only survivor. Hon. Luzon Burritt Morris, the second in order of birth, was born April 16, 1826. He attended school in Berkshire District, Newtown, having, for some of his early teachers, Peter Nash, C. C. Warner, and Charles Beers. At about the age of fifteen he began to shift for himself, and was apprenticed to a blacksmith at Roxbury. Later he was in the employ of Raymond French, of Seymour. After this experience he attended Yale College, where he was graduated, and a year later he was elected to the Legislature from Seymour. In 1870 he represented New Haven in the Legislature, and in 1S74 he was in the State Senate. In 1876 he was again sent to the Lower house. He served some time as judge of the probate court, and in 1878 he was chosen Governor of Connecticut. His death occurred August 23, 1895. (3) Miss Martha Jane Morris, born December 14, 1835, died June 12, 1877. after a successful career as a teacher in the public schools. Our subject was born December 20, 1821, at the homestead where he now resides. His edu- cation was begun in the common schools of Zoar District, Newtown township, and he also at- tended an academy at Roxbury, Conn., for a short time. At the early age of twelve years he took charge of the farm, but during the winter seasons he managed to find time to pursue his studies for a few years longer. These meagre opportunities were quite unsatisfactory to one of his clever and active mind, and after leaving school he carried on an extensive course of read- ing, his fine memory enabling him to acquire a wide range of information. He has alsvays re- sided at the homestead, which now contains about one hundred and seventy acres of land, and in addition to the care of the farm he was engaged in the cattle business from 1853 to 1869. In 1853 he shipped the first car-load of cattle from Sturges, Ind., and during the period mentioned he bought from 500 to 1,000 head of stock cattle per year in Michigan and Indiana for the home market. His ventures in this and other lines have been rewarded with success, and for many years he has been regarded as one of the sub- stantial men of the town. He has always been active in local affairs, and is infiuential in the Democratic organization. For many years he held the office of justice of the peace, and for some time he was selectman of his town, while for fifteen years past he has served as poormas- ter. In 1859 he was sent to the State Legisla- ture as a representative of his town. In religious faith he is an Episcopalian; socially, he is con- nected with Hiram Lodge No. 18, F. & A. M., at Sandy Hook, Conn., in which he is one of the oldest members. In 1850 Mr. Morris was married by the Rev. , Dr. Burhans, then in his eighty-third year, to Miss Jane Elizabeth Chambers, who was born February 6, 1825, a daughter of Thomas O. Chambers, of Zoar District, Newtown township. She died October 4, 1891, sincerely mourned by a large circle of friends. JOHN BENJAMIN. The Benjamin family, one of the wealthiest and most influential in the town of Stratford, has been identified with that locality since 17 10, while the first of the name in this country settled in Massachusetts in 1630. Its members have distinguished them- selves in various lines of effort, and by intermar- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 2SB riages the family has become related to many others of note, one line of descent being traced to Governor Bradford, of " Mayflower" fame. The genealogy of the Benjamin family, which was originally known as Berington,^ runs back to Norman ancestry under William the Conqueror, and is traced through Walter De Lacey, Great Baron (1074); Roger de Lacey (1095) under William Rufus; Ilbert de Lacey (1137), and John de Lacey (1222). Under Henry III the Confederacy of Barons was dissolved, result- ing in the caste known as " landed gentry." These Barons de Lacey were in Hertfordshire after 1222, and in the reign of Edward III the de Laceys appear as landed gentry in Bery- ton of Stoke Lacey, and later as Berington of Stoke Lacey and Windesley Mcjte Hall, Galop, ' Hereford, England. In Edward Ill's reign Bery- ton of Stoke Lacey married the daughter and heiress of Rowland de Windesley, and had by her the ancient seat of Windesley, which has con- tinued in the family ever since; but in later years the family name was changed to Berington. The ancient seat of Windesley, which came into the possession of the Beringtons by the afore- said marriage, lies in the Parish of Hope-under- Uinmore. The coat of arms used conjointly by the Beringtons and Benjamins is supposed to have been granted at the knighting of a Bering- ton July 21, 1403, on the field of Shrewsbury, just north of Hereford. Tratlition says that the Beringtons changed their surname to Benjamin about the year 1494. John Berington (II), l£sq., of Stoke-Lacey (the second John counting John de Lacey of 1222), was heir of Rowland Wyndes- ley, of Windesley. William Berington, lisq., whose eldest son Simon was the great-grand- father of John Berington III, born 16S3. John Berington II, the eldest son, was the ancestor of the American Benjamin family. John Benjamin, the first of that name in America, sailed in the ship "Lion" July 16, 1630, with his wife Abigail. John Benjamin I was a personal friend of Governor Wintlirop, who witnessed his will and gave an account in his manuscripts of the Benjamin house, library, etc. He located at Watertown, Mass., and was appointed high sheriff of Boston May 20, 1633. II. John Benjamin, son of John the pioneer, married Lydia Allen, of Boston, and removed to Hartford in 1664, with his brother, which brother went to Norwich, Conn. The brother of John Benjamin (II), who removed from Hartford to Norwich, Conn., was the ancestor of Park Ben- jamin, the poet, whose daughter married Motley, the historian, and whose granddaughter married Sir Vernon Harcourt, of London, England. HI. John Benjamin, son of John II, married Mary Smith, of Hartford, removed to Stratford in 1 7 10, and was the lirst of the Benjamin family to take up his abode in that beautiful and his- toric town. IV. John Benjamin, born August 28, 1731, was a colonel in the Revolutionary army on General Wooster's staff, and fought with dis- tinction at Redding, Danbury and Ridgefield, Conn., at which latter he received a bullet in his shoulder which he carried the remainder of his life. Colonel Benjamin had extensive cordage manufacturing interests. He married, in 1752, Lucretia Backus, of Windham, Conn., the great- great-great-granddaughter of William Bradford, the first governor of Plymouth, who came over in the "Mayflower" in 1620. Col. John Benjamin fourth (eldest son) had a son John (the fifth), who died without issue, and John's (the fourth) second son. Col. Aaron Ben- jamin, entered the Revolutionary army at the age of seventeen as lieutenant, and the family holds all his commissions, three in number — the first signed by John Jay and the other two signed by John Hancock. In the war of 181 2 he com- manded the important post of New London, Conn. His commission as colonel, signed by James Madison, is also held by the family. Capt. Pulaski Benjamin, the eldest son of Col. Aaron Benjamin, was born in Stratford March 12, 1796. He married Susan Curtis, of Strat- ford. Clara Benjamin, daughter of Col. John Benjamin and sister of Col. Aaron Benjamin, married Josiah Meigs, of Philadelphia. John Benjamin, son of Capt. Pulaski Benjamin, mar- ried Hannah Seely Parkinson, daughter of Leon- ard Parkinson, who was a descendant of Richard Parkinson, of Kinnersley Castle, Hereford, Eng- land. Col. Aaron Benjamin was one of the original members of the order of the Society of the Cincinnati, to which John Benjamin, his grandson, has succeeded. Col. Aaron Benjamin married Dorothy Brooks, who was descended from an old and highly-respected Stratford family.