Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Hezekiah Ogden, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was born October 28, 1775, and died Janu- uary 21, 1844, leaving a large property and an honorable name as a citizen. His wife, whose maiden name was Hulda Merwin, was born De- cember 15, 1779, and died September 24, 1832. Their family consisted of two sons and four daughters, the former being Horace, our subject's father, and Hezekiah, Jr., who followed farming in Banks South District until his death, some years ago. The late Horace Ogden was born October 24, 1809, and was reared as a farmer boy, his educa- tion being obtained in the schools of the district. In early manhood he married Miss Rachel A. Sturgis, who was born January 20, 1812, a daughter of Wakeman Sturgis, a prominent resi- dent of Weston, this county, and after residing for some time at the Ogden homestead, he bought an adjoining farm and made his permanent home there, building a new house. He was a success- ful farmer, and while he met with occasional losses, he left a comfortable competence, mainly gained by his own industry. Notwithstanding some accidents at various times, he enjoyed robust health during the greater portion of his life. His home was his chief interest, nothing but important business ever calling him away from it for any length of time. In politics he was a Republican, and although he was never an office seeker he voted regularly in the support of his principles. His death occurred January 20, 1891, and his wife, who was a devout Presby- terian, died March 13, 1890, their remains being interred in the Oak Lawn cemetery in Fairfield township. Our subject is the eldest in a family COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 355 of three children; (2) Hulda E., born June 30, 1844, married Franklin Whitehead, of Greens Farms, and has one son, George Burr. (3) Mary E., born July 25, 1849, married Willis Morehouse (deceased), and now resides in Bridge- port. Henry B. Ogden was born March 30, 1838, at the old homestead, and in boyhood he at- tended the common schools of the vicinity for some years, Walter Merwin and Miss Meeker be- ing among his teachers. Later he pursued high- er branches of study in the academies at Greens Farms and Greenfield Hill, and at the age of twenty-two he taught for one winter, his wages being $16 per month. He remained at home un- til he reached the age of thirty-five when he pur- chased ten acres from his father and built his present dwelling house. He has prospered, and now owns seventy-one acres of choice land, en- gaging in the dairy business and general agricult- ure. As is well known, farming has its uncer- tainties, but he succeeds when any one else does and when many do not. He is unassuming in manner, of a quiet disposition, and his reputation is of the best. Politically, he affiliates with the Republican party, but he takes little interest in the issues of the day, and does not even vote regularly. At the age of thirty-five, November 26, 1873, Mr. Ogden married Miss Amelia J. Bradley, of Fairfield township, and one daughter, Beatrice, has been born to them; she has just completed five years' schooling at Greenfield Hill, and she is now at_home with her parents. The family attend the Church at Greenfield Hill. Mrs. Og- den was born June 25, 1844, in Deerfield Dis- trict, Fairfield township, a daughter of Seth and Amelia (Burr) Bradley, and in early life she taught school for a time, receiving $8.00 per month, one term $9.00, and boarding herself. She has one sister, Mary L. , who is the widow •of John H. Fanton, and a brother, Thomas, who is a resident of Deerfield District. CARLES MILLER, Esq., one of Stamford's _ leading residents, has won an enviable repu- tation for ability and sound judgment, and while his long and useful life has been free from am- bitious striving for public notice, he has been frequently called upon by his fellow-citizens to adjudicate their controversies and disputes. For about twelve years he has held the office of justice of the peace, and his impartiality and keen insight into the merits of his varied ques- tions which arise from time to time have shown him to be the "right man in the right phuc." Like many of the successful men of the county and state, he is descended from good German ancestry, his thrift and industry being strongly characteristic of his race. He was born February 22, 1828, at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, and was educated in the public schools of his native land. On completing his course of study he learned the cooper's trade with an uncle, but he never followed it regularly. At the age of twenty-one he came to America, locating first in New York City, where he con- ducted a restaurant and hotel for many years. In 1872 he removed to Stamford, making his home in Glenbrook District, and he has ever since been prominently identified with the inter- ests of that locality, having invested largely in real estate there. Some thirteen or fourteen years ago he purchased the brick block on Main street, Stamford, known as Miller Music Hall. In New York City he was married to Miss Susannah Koehler, a native of Heidelberg, Ger- many. Of the three children who blessed this union only one is now living, Charles H., a resi- dent of Stamford. In politics Mr. Miller is a Democrat, but casts his vote for the one he deems best qualified to fill the office. He has been twice a delegate to the Democratic State Conventions, both times when Cleveland was nominated, and is still serving his town as justice of the peace, which office he has capably filled for fourteen years. Mr. Miller is a self-made man and enjoys the comforts of a fine home on Schlocker avenue, Stamford, which he has equipped with all modern improvements of his own architecture. In 1863 he visited his old home in Germany. M RS. CATHARINE STURGESS was born n the town of Wilton, Conn., June 27, 1828, and received her education in the schools of that town. She married Bradley Sturgess, a native of Wilton. His grandfather was a native of England, and came to the United States when yet a young man, and engaged in farming in Westport. William Sturgess, father of Bradley Sturgess, was born in Westport, was educated there and learned the shoemaker's trade, at which he worked most of his life. Politically, he was a Democrat. He married Miss Fannie Beers, of Cranberry Plain, by whom he had the following children: Martha, who married a Mr. Gregory; Mary F. , who married Erastus Roscoe; Julia A., who married Alvan Roscoe; Jeanette, who mar- ried James Burchard; and Bradley, a sketch of whom follows. Bradley Sturgess was born in the town of 856 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Wilton, Conn., October 31, 1831, and obtained his early education in the common schools of that place. Notwithstanding he learned the shoemaker's trade, he worked at it only a short time, becoming instead assistant foreman of the Lock Manufacturing Company of Norwalk, Conn. When the war of the Rebellion broke out he was drafted, but furnished a substitute. He married Miss Catharine Betts, the subject of this sketch, by whom he had no children. Mrs. Catharine Sturgess has always been connected with the Episcopal Church, has been active in its work, and has been more particularly identified with its charitable endeavors — in short she has devoted her entire life to religious work. Thaddeus Betts, great-grandfather of Mrs. Sturgess, was born in Wilton, Conn., was edu- cated and married there, and one of his children, Thaddeus Betts, Jr., was the father of our sub- ject. He was born in the town of Wilton, was educated there in the common schools, and after leaving school engaged in farming, which occupa- tion he followed most of his life. He served his country as a soldier in the war of 181 2. He married a Miss Mead, by whom he had the fol- lowing children: Zadoc, who married Lucretia Arnold; Nehemiah, who remains single; Aner; Lydia, who married Uriah Betts; Rebecca, who married William Gregory, and Hannah, who married a Mr. Northrop. Zadoc Betts, father of the subject, was born in the town of Wilton, and educated there in the common schools. From early boyhood he was engaged in farming. The house in which he lived until within a few years was one of the landmarks of the Revolutionary war, and since it was burned down it has been replaced by a modern dwelling. Zadoc Betts married Lucretia Arnold, daughter of Isaac and Phebe (Hayden) Arnold, of Wilton, Conn. Their children are as follows: Sallie, who married John Renoud; Eliza, who married Samuel Dudley; Betsey A., who married Thomas Benedict; Caroline, who married Giles Rockwell; Catharine, who married Bradley Stur- gess; and George, who married Susan Betts. JACOB LE GRAND DAUCHY. One of the most prominent and influential pioneer fami- lies of the town of Ridgefield, Fairfield county, is that of which Jacob L. Dauchy is an honored scion— a family noted for the patriot- ism, enterprise and moral worth of its several members. The first of the name which appears in the annals of Ridgefield was (i) Vivas Dauchy, great-grandfather of our subject, who was born in 1707, and came into the town of Ridgefield from New Rochelle, whither his ancestors had fled during the religious persecutions in France, and who, among other French Huguenots, took up their residence in that town. Vivas came to Ridgefield about the year 1725, and first pur- chased land (according to the town record) in 1729, near the center of the village. On No- vember 28, 1732, he married Rachel Wallace, born in February, 171 1, a daughter of James Wallace, of North Salem, and by her had seven children. She died November 20, 1748, and for his second wife Vivas Dauchy wedded, on March 24, 175 1, Hannah Sherwood, born March 7, 1712, by whom he had one son. She died Sep- tember 10, 1754, and for his third wife Mr. Dauchy, in the early part of 1755, married Mrs. Mary Keeler Olmsted, formerly of Milton, the widow of Richard Olmsted, of Ridgefield. By this union he had five children. He died De- cember 16, 1795; his widow, who was born Oc- tober 10, 1725, passed away May 22, 18 16. The children born to Vivas Dauchy, the im- migrant, were as follows: James, born Novem- ber 30, 1734, died in ; Mary (Folliot), born