Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Nelson B. Mead was born March 25, i860, at the old farm at Field Point, and his education was begun in the schools of that locality, with Mrs. Helen Osgood as his first teacher. After attending Professor Shepherd's school at Green- wich village for some time, he was sent to Gun- nery school, at Washington, Conn., where he re- mained three years, and at the age of seventeen he returned home to take charge of the farm. On October 12, 1881, he married Miss Anna Rachel Mead, who was born September 25, 1861, a daughter of S. Merwin and Elethea (Reynolds) Mead, and until the death of his mother he made his home at the old farm. Since that event he has resided elsewhere temporarily, and in 1896 he completed his present beautiful residence at Belle Haven. Of late years he has not given at- tention to agriculture, being engaged e.xclusively in real-estate business, and his large capital and shrewd judgment made him a leader in that line of enterprise. He has a most pleasing address, and is popular socially, sustaining well the envi- able position held in the community by his hon- ored ancestors. He belongs to various societies, including the Royal Arcanum, and the Reform Club of New York City, of which he is a non-res- ident member. He and his wife are prominent workers in the Congregational Church at Green- wich; at present he is serving as deacon, and for several years past he has been superintendent of the Sunday-school. While his first Presidential vote was cast for the Republican party he pays little attention to partisan politics, supporting the " best man " on whatever ticket he may find him. Five bright and attractive children make his home merry: Augustus, born August 7, 1883; Elizabeth Lyon, born June 30, 18S6; George Gordon, born August 4, 1888; Nelson, Jr., born January 14, 1893; and Anna Rachel, born June 9, 1896. ■334 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. WILLIAM J. NICHOLS, a well-known liveryman of Bethel, has been engaged in business there for several years, and by his judi- cious management has won increasing success. Mr. Nichols is a native of the village, and his family has been identified with this State for many years. Philander Nichols, his grandfather, who was a tanner by trade, resided at Woodbury, Conn., during the greater portion of his life. Kellogg A. Nichols, our subject's father, was born in 1830 at Woodbury, Litchfield county, this State, and for some time was engageil in the hatting trade. He died at Haverhill, Ma.ss. , De- cember 25, 1888. He was married in Danbury, to Miss Hattie A. Bell, by whom he had three children: William J. ; Amelia H., wife of W. C. JRobbins, of Acton, Mass.; and Miss Mary E., who resides in Danbury. The mother died June 21, 1898. Mr. Nichols, our subject, was born Novem- ber 10, 1861, and his boyhood was spent mainly in Bethel, his education being obtained in the public schools of the place and the neighboring city of Danbury. He served an apprenticeship to the hatting business with Judd & Co., of Bethel, and continued the trade until December 28, 1894, when an attack of hemorrhage of the brain interrupted his work. In April, 1891, he bought his present livery business from Charles Allen, and there is now no more popular estab- lishment of the kind in the town. On June 4, 1885, Mr. Nichols married Miss Alice A. Flint, a daughter of Nelson Flint, of Bethel, Conn., and they have had one child, a son, that died in infancy. While Mr. Nichols does not take an active part in local affairs, he is well liked socially, and is a member of various orders, including the Knights of Honor. SAMUEL C. MORRISON (deceased) was a J leading resident of the town of Darien, and his death in April, 1891, when he was of the comparatively early age of forty-eight, caused sincere mourning in the community with which he had been identified. His honorable record as a soldier, won during the long conilict between the North and South, was an indication of his high character, and in all the relations of life his sterling qualities of mind and heart were con- stantly winning for him the esteem of those who came into friendship with him. Mr. Morrison was born in 1842 in New York, of Scottish ancestry, his grandfather having come from Scotland to this country. Robert Morrison, the father of our subject, was born and reared in New York State, and for some years previous to his death, which occurred when he was thirty- two years old, carried on a heavy trucking busi- ness. Our subject's mother, whose maiden name was Amelia E. Smith, was born in New Canaan, this county, and after her husband's death re- turned there to spend her remaining years. Of her children only one is now living, Mrs. Agnes Benedict, of West Norwalk, Connecticut. Our subject was educated in the schools of New Canaan, his youth being mainly spent in that town. When the Civil war broke out he was in the first flush of manhood, and he went to the front as a member of Company A, 17th Conn. V. I. He took part in several engage- ments, including the battle of Gettysburg, and afterward was assigned to duty as hospital stew- ard, which he held until the close of the war. On receiving his discharge he returned to New Canaan and, later, he established himself in the drug business in Stamford, this county, where he remained in business during his life. The busi- ness was afterward for a time conducted under the name of S. C. Morrison & Co., his widow keeping the control of his interests, but she has sold her interest in the concern, and the firm is no longer as of old. Mr. Morrison was popular socially, and had reached the Knights Templar de- gree in the Masonic Fraternity. In 1873 he mar- ried Miss Elizabeth Scofield, daughter of Hon. Ira Scofield, of Darien, and his wife, Elizabeth (Gray), who both lived past the age of eighty, and were representatives of some of the earliest families of this county. Mrs. Morrison received an excellent education in the schools of the county, and for some years previous to her mar- riage she taught successfully. She now resides in the old Scofield homestead at Darien with her only son, Robert Scofield Morrison, who is studying art. Her brother, Charles E. Scofield, is a prom- inent citizen of Noroton, where he holds the office of postmaster. He was a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war, and in addition to the hardships of the camp and the battle field, he endured for six months the hor- rors of imprisonment at Andersonville. BiENJAMIN BENTLEY, a successful business ' man of Shelton, is possessed of remarkable vitality, and notwithstanding the fact that he is well advanced in his seventh decade, he con- tinues to devote much of his time and attention to the management of his grocery, a prosperous establishment located on Elm street, Shelton. Mr. Bentley comes of sturdy English stock, and his grandfather, Joseph Bentley, was a loom COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 835 and jenny maker in Bristol, England. Benjamin Bentley (2), our subject's lather, was born in Bristol, and in early life learned the trade of millwright and machinist in his native land. He married Miss Mary \\'ilkinson, who was born near Bristol, some years later coming to America and locating at Woonsocket Falls, R. I. He and his wife were Episcopalians in religious faith, and after coming to this country he became identified with the Church of his faith. He died in Rhode Island in 1865, his wife in 1864. One of their sons, David (now deceased), served in the Union army throughout the Civil war, and of their large family of children, three are yet living, our sub- ject being the eldest; the others are: George, a resident of Madison, Maine, a weaver by trade; and Nancy, the widow of Joseph Mellor, for- merly of Wethersfield, England. Our subject was born July 17, 1823, at Arm- ley, Yorkshire, England, and attended school there. When about fourteen years old he went to Farnley from Armley, and there served an ap- prenticeship of four years to the business of finishing woolens. He then worked for a time with his father as a millwright, and in 1843 he came to America. Shortly after his arrival he was employed as a millwright by Edward Harris, a manufacturer of cassimeres, and for twenty- four years he was in the same establishment, be- ing promoted from time to time until he became general superintendent and manager. During this time he made many valuable improvements in machinery, and although the factory produced only a cheap grade of cloth when he first became connected with it, the quality of the product was improved under his management until it was nec- essary to run the mill nights, which was done for many years, and much better prices obtained for the goods. In 1870 he removed to Water- bury, Conn., where he remained two years, eight months of the time being spent as superintendent of a woolen factory. Later he went to Ludlow, Vt. , to take a position as general manager of a similar establishment; and after three years he removed to Shelton, where he has since resided. For seven years he was manager of the Radcliffe Bros. Hosiery Factory at Shelton, and on leav- ing that position he purchased a mill at Hunting- ton and converted it into a woolen factory, which ■ he conducted for a number of years. In 1895 he opened his present grocery at Shelton, where he has built up a fine trade. Mr. Bentley is a Re- publican in politics, and he is an ardent believer in temperance reform, having united with the Sons of Temperance forty years ago. In Norwich, Conn., Mr. Bentley was married to Miss Mary Waterhouse, a native of Horsforth, England, who came to Northampton, Mass.. when twenty-two years of age. Five sons were born of this union: George A., Benjamin F., James W. (of Rockville, Conn.), Joseph W. (of Hartford, Conn.), and David H. (who is associ- ated with his father in the grocery business). In October, 1898, George A., Benjamin F. , James W. and David H. formed a partnership under the firm name of ISentley Bros., and are at pres- ent manufacturing woolen goods at their father's mill.