Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

JEROME JUDSON. Success in business, sound judgment as to men and affairs, and a hearty sympathy with all forms of progress are among the characteristics which have gained for this well-known citizen of Sandy Hook the confidence and esteem of the community. For many years he and his brother, the late John Jud- son, were prominent in mercantile circles in their locality, and the family name has become asso- ciated with ability and probity. The subject of our sketch was born April 29, 1828, in the village of Newtown, in a house front- ing upon the Street. His education was obtained in the common schools and the academy of the village, and at the age of fourteen he began his business career as a clerk in the store of William B. Glover, of Sandy Hook, with whom he re- mained from 1842 to 1849. By the time he reached his majority he had secured a most ex- cellent training in business methods, and after spending one year as assistant to Daniel B. Haw- ley, of Hawleyville, in connection with the Hou- satonic railroad, he decided to return to mercan- tile life, and in 1850 went to New Canaan, this county, to take a position as a clerk in the store of W. E. Raymond. Two years later he re- turned to Newtown to reside, and soon afterward he was appointed by President Franklin Pierce to the ofiice of postmaster of that village. He held this position until the spring of 1858, having been re-appbinted by President Buchanan, and on retiring he went to Sandy Hook and engaged in general mercantile business in partnership with his brother John, under the firm name of Judson Brothers. Their first store was located where the barn now stands, but as prosperity came to them they purchased from Mrs. Curtis Morris the building now occupied by Terrill, Belts iV Co., and in i 868 opened a store there with a line stock of goods. After the death of his brother Mr. Judson continued the business alone for one year, when he sold his stock of merchandise to L. B. Booth and M. B. Terrill, then associated together as M. B. Terrill & Co. Mr. Judson retained the 336 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ownership of the store building, and not long after giving up the business he took charge of a gristmill property in which he held an interest, the management of this enterprise occupying his time from October, 1883, to the fall of 1892. He then disposed of the property, and since that time he has not been actively identified with any business. His excellent judgment has often led to his being called upon to advise and assist in the administration of estates, and for some time he was a director in the Newtown Savings Bank, a position which he resigned a few years ago. He has also been urged at times to take public office, but, although he is a stanch Democrat, he has not done much party work since his early days. In all local affairs of a non-political na- ture he is prompt to give his endorsement and aid. Mr. judson's reading has been extensive, and this, together with his keen observation, has made his range of information unusually broad for a non-professional man. The late John Judson was born June 25, 1830, and was educated in the schools of the vil- lage of Newtown. When about fourteen years old he became a clerk in the store of D. H. Johnson, of that place, and after spending about eight years in that position he went to Chicago to clerk in the wholesale hardware store of J. B. Botsford. An accident which occurred about three years later compelled him to give up work for a year, and returning to this county in 1857 he decided to locate permanently in Sandy Hook, where he engaged in business in the fol- lowing year. As a citizen he was highly es- teemed, being active in all progressive move- ments, but, like his brother, he did not devote especial attention to political matters. By his first wife, Cornelia (Peck), he had one daughter, Anna C, now the widow of Henry Tucker, of Sandy Hook. By his second wife, Julia A. (Colt), he had two children: Grace L., who mar- ried Herbert Clarke; and Jerome, an employe of Marsh, Merwin & Lemmoiis, private bankers of Bridgeport. M ON. CHARLES A. MALLORY was born in Sherman, Conn., March 30, 1846. After obtaining an academic education and taking a course in a business college, he for many years successfully represented the Weed Sewing Ma- chine Company, of Hartford, Conn., as traveling salesman, and, later, the Wheeler & Wilson Com- pany, of Bridgeport, Conn. At the same time he was engaged in farming, being one of the largest and most successful tobacco growers in the county. Mr. Mallory has had much experience in the settlement and care of estates. While he has never sought an office, the fact of his being so often called upon to fill important positions of trust indicates the confidence and esteem which his energetic and conscientious discharge of duty has won lor him. In 1873 he represented his town in the General Assembly, being with one exception the youngest member of that body. In all business transactions his word is considered as good as his bond, which fact has given him a high standing among business men. Mr. Mallory is a director in the National Bank of Pawling, Pawling, N. Y., also in the State Bank of Anoka, Anoka, Minn., besides having business interests in several of the West- ern States. Socially, he is a member of St. Peters Lodge No. 21, F. & A. M., New Milford, Conn. [For family records see sketch of his brother, Daniel B. Mallory, elsewhere in this work.] HENRY FISHER, senior member of the firm of H. Fisher & Son, the leading drug- gists and apothecaries of Bridgeport, is a worthy representative of a well-known New England fam- ily, and the sterling qualities of character which have marked his long and useful career are char- acteristic of his pioneer ancestry. The ancestors of the Fisher family, of whom we write, came to this country in the " Mayflower," one settling in Massachusetts, one in Vermont, and one in New York State. Ebenezer Fisher, our subject's great-grand- father, was born April 4, 1741, in Brattleboro, Windham Co., Vt., and died January 10, 1831, aged eighty-nine years, eight months and twenty- four days. He married Bathsheba Wilder, who was born February 13, 1751, and died March 19, 1829, aged seventy-eight years, one month and six days. They had a large family of children, the names with dates of birth and death being as follows: Mary, August 24, 1767 — October 7, 1850;. Bathsheba, June 22, 1769 — January 22, 1855; Mercy, July 22, 1771 — 1790; Susan- nah, June 22, 1773 — 1775; Lucy, January i, 1775 — January 2, 1863; Ebenezer, January 14, 1777 — September i, 1833; Abigail, June 14, 1779 — 1780; Anna, September 16, 1781 — De- cember 14, 1863; Susan, August 16, 1783 — 1784; Betsey, March 20, 1785 — November 15, 1850; Sally, April 20, 1787 — March 17, 1886; Lucinda, November 20, 17S9 — 1791; Joseph, December 20, 1791 — October 17, 1867; Benjamin, June 25, 1795— August 3, 1853. Ebenezer Fisher (2), the grandfather of our COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 337 subject, made his home at Brattleboro, Vt. He was married April 4, 1799, to Lucy Fisher, who svas born April 20, 1780, and died April 16, 1863. Ten children were born to them, and the names with dates of birth and death are here given: Asa, April 9, 1800 — March 10, 1880; Elsy (Mrs. Gleason), February 26, 1802 — March 23, 1866; Ira, September 12, 1804 — March 20, 1863; Owen, March 6, 1806 — August 9, 1850; F. Wilder, May 26, 1809 — April 7, 1892; Sybil (Mrs. Shepherd), October 15, 181 1 — March — 1888; Emeline, June 28, 1814 — June 16, 1823; Charles, March 13, 1817 — March 14, 1849; Rus- sell, May 7, 1819 — March, 18 — ; Roswell (twin of Russell), May 7, 1819 — June 8, 1869. Asa Fisher, our subject's father, was a pros- perous agriculturist, and resided for many years near Brattleboro, Vt. He married Mary Lon- ley, an<l had children as follows: Joseph, Ed- ward, Willard, Henry, John, George W., Har- riet Beecher, Harrison, Ezra, Oscar, Roscoe, Eugene and Mary Ann. Our subject was born March 30, 1827, at Jamaica, Vt., and his education was chiefly ob- tained in the district schools of Brattleboro, \'t. On leaving school at the age of si.xteen he tie- voted his time to assisting his father in the work of the farm, but when twenty-two years old he went to Green River, Mass., where he was em- ployed by J. Russell & Co., in their table-cutlery works. He remained with the company for thirty-five years, winning the entire confidence of its members, and for about twenty years he was foreman of the establishment, In 1874 he gave up his position and came to Bridgeport, where he purchased a drug store at No. 144 Park av- enue, and engaged in business on his own ac- count. The venture proved successful, and five years later he bought his present store, which is advantageously located at the corner of Railroad avenue and Broad street. In politics, Mr. Fisher is a Republican, but he has not aspired to official honors. Socially, he and his family are prominent, and he is identified with Harmony Lodge, F. &A. M., of New Britain, Connecticut. Mr. Fisher married Miss Julia A. Russell, daughter of David Lussell, a native of Deerfield, Mass., and his wife, Laura (Hooley), who was born in Utica, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher take much interest in religious work, and are leading members of the First Presbyterian Church of Bridgeport. Five children have brightened their home: (i) Henry, who owns and conducts a grocery business, married Miss Satie J. Coats, daughter of Captain Coats, and they have had two children — Ernest W. (deceased), and A. L. (2) William died in childhood. (3) Hattie E.