Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

On February 26, 1836, Mr. Hawley married Miss Susan Blake, who survives him. She was born at New Preston, Litchfield Co., Conn., where her ancestors were early settlers. Her grandfather, David Blake, was a soldier in the Revolutionary army. He married Lucy Mer- chant, of Fairfield county, and their son Joseph, Mrs. Hawley's father, was born in Litchfield county, and became a prosperous business man, nis attention being given mainly to the cooper's trade. He married Miss Louisa Osborn, also a native of Litchfield county, and they had thir- teen children, of whom none are now living ex- cept Mrs. Hawley and her sister Louisa, who married Silas Abbott, of Danbury. The Blake family is of English origin, and has always oc- cupied a prominent position in business and so- cial life. Mr. and Mrs. Hawley had two chil- dren: (i) Margaret married Azariel C. Fuller, a native of Litchfield, and died May 28, 18G4, leaving two sons — Granville H., a member of the firm of Reynolds & Fuller, undertakers in Danbury; and Charles H., a bookkeeper in Mid- dletown, N. Y. (2) Miss Candace, a lady of unusual intellectual and social gifts, resides with her mother, and is identified in a helpful way with many important social and philanthropic movements. The Hawley family, which is one of the old- est in this section, traces its descent from Jo- seph Hawley, a native of Derbyshire, England, wfio was born in 1603, and crossed the ocean in 1629, landing near Boston, Mass. He after- ward settled in Connecticut, and he died in Stratford in 1690. He left five sons: Ebe- nezer, Joseph, Samuel, Ephraim and John. Of these, Samuel, who was born in 1652, had seven children, among who was a son, Samuel, through whom our subject's line of descent is traced. He had ten children: Jonathan, Na- thaniel, Ephraim, Matthew, Obadiah, Francis, Richard, Nathan, Stephen and Benjamin. Benjamin Hawley, who was born in 1694, had four sons: libenezer, Benjamin, Abel and William, who was born in 1732. William Haw- ley had four children: William, Anna, Daniel and Joseph. Daniel Hawley, our subject's grandfather, had four children: Lucy, Eleazer, Charles S. and Sidney E. Eleazer Hawley, the father of our subject, was born probably in Brookfield. In early man- hood he engaged in mercantile business in Troy, N. Y., but later he became a farmer in Brook- field. He married Miss Betsey Sherman, a member of another well-known Brookfield fam- ily, and "had three children: (1) Margaret, mar- ried Dr. Eli Barnes, a physician in Brookfield; (2) George, who was a hatter by trade, married Maranda Beardsley, of the town of Brookfield; (3) Abel S. being the youngest. On the maternal side our subject was descend- ed from Samuel Sherman, who came to Amer- ica in 1634 from Dedham, County of Essex, England, accompanied by a brother John, and a first cousin of the same name. Samuel Sher- man was married after his arrival in this country to Sarah Mitchell, who crossed the ocean in the same ship, and they made their home at Stratford, Conn. Their descendants are now numerous, and among them we may name Hon. John Sher- man, for many years United States Senator from Ohio, and now (1897) Secretary of State under President McKinley. The late Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, whose deeds make a glori- ous chapter in our country's history, was also a descendant of this worthy couple. To Sam- uel and Sarah Sherman eight children were born: Samuel, Theophilus, Edmond, John, 50 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. David, Matthew, Nathaniel, and Benjamin. Of these, Samuel had a son Daniel, who had three sons: Ebenezer, Benoni, and Samuel, who was next in the line of descent which we are now tracing. Samuel Sherman had two sons: Jus- tin, and Jotham, our subject's great-grandfa- ther. Jotham Sherman had sons: Lewis, Sam- uel, Rufus, Jotham, Beers and Cyrus. S\UMNER STOWE. This venerable gentle- „^J man of the town of Redding, Fairfield coun- ty, is passing the evening of his life where its morning began eighty-seven years ago, he having ■been born March i6, 1812. His ancestors were patriots in Colonial days, and again in the days of the early union of the States. Robert Stowe, his grandfather, was a native of England, where his young life was passed, and where his marriage occurred. He emigrated to America long before the trouble- some years of the Revolution, and settled in the town of Redding, near Bethel. Here he bought land and became engaged in agricultural pursuits. On the breaking out of the war of the Revolu- tion he left the plow in the furrow, and went forth to battle for that independence which the colonists felt was due them. He not only en- tered the service of the Continental army, but staid in it throughout the long struggle, and for gallantry and meritorious conduct rose to high rank and honors. His wife was Miss Annie Dar- row, who, too, was a native of England. To their union were born children, as follows; (i) Sumner, by occupation a blacksmith, never mar- ried. (2) Daniel was born July 4, 1779, in the town of I^edding. His chief occupation was farming, but being of a mechanical turn of mind he was engaged in a number of side lines, in con- nection with agricultural pursuits. He was a good carpenter and very handy wifh togls. In- heriting patriotism from his father, he went into the war of 1812, and being a musician he served as fifer. He married Lucy Hoyt, daughter of Thomas Hoyt, of Danbury, Conn., but later of Bethel. Their marriage was blessed with chil- dren, as follows: Robert H. m^irried Mary A. Jarvis; Almira married Ira Williams; Sally mar- ried Jesse Banks; Harriet married Sillamon Judd; Lucy married Horace Couch; Mary married Ager Turney; Polly died in youth; and Sumner is the subject of this review. (3) Abram married Mrs. Julia (Andrews) Osborne. (4) Abigail married Israel Adams. (5) Hulda married Andrew An- drus. (6) Polly married Moses Parsons. Sumner Stowe received his education in the public schools of his native town, learned the business of comb-making, and worked at it for some years. Next he engaged in agricultural pursuits, and continued in same throughout his long active career, which has been a useful one — one full of good deeds. He has for years been a member of the M. E. Church, and has his name coupled with many movements which have arisen in the past having for their object the ele- vation of society and the advancement of' the morals of the public. Mr. Stowe married Miss Marinda Beers, born February 17, 181 5, daughter of Elijah and Esther (Treadwell) Beers, farmers of New Fairfield, Conn. Mrs. Stowe was one of eleven children. Early in life she united with the Church, and re- mained a consistent Christian until life's close. Her life was full of good works, she was charita- ble and kind, ever considerate of others, and on April I, 1892, when she was summoned higher, her death was keenly felt by a large circle of friends. By her marriage with our subject came the following children: Lorenzo, born October 9, 1835, married (first) Adelia Judson, and (sec- ond) Mrs. Sarah Boughton; Leander, born July 3, 1837, died in youth; Ruamah, born January 26, 1839, married William Cole; Leroy, born November 18, 1840, married F"annie Gregory; Lucy M. , born February 28, 1844, married E. Albert Bartram; and George W., born January I, 1854, married Addie Deane. The Bartram family into which Miss Lucy M. Stowe married have resided for generations in Fairfield county. Isaac Bartram, the grand- father of Albert Bartram, was born in the town of Redding. He served as an artificer in the Continental army daring the war of the Revolu- tion. He was a blacksmith by trade, and this, in connection with farming, was his occupation through life. He married Miss Mollie Hamilton, of his native town, and to them were born chil- dren as follows: Isaac H., Daniel, Harry, Willis, Hulda, Lucy and Sally. Of these, Isaac Bartram was born in 1785 in the town of Redding. He learned the mason's trade, which he followed for some years, and then turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. His marriage with Miss Lydia Piatt, daughter of Isaac Piatt, who served as a blacksmith in the war of the Revolution, was blessed with the following children: Betsey (Mrs. Charles Rich), Mary (Mrs. Harrington), Sally (Mrs. Aaron Squires), Lillie (died in in- fancy), Lydia (Mrs. Levi Drew), Adaline (Mrs. Asahel Clapp), Abbie (Mrs. Perry Fairchild), Lucy (Mrs. Charles W. Lockwood), Huldah (Mrs. Comfort S. Blake), Laura (Mrs. Joel Os- borne), Isaac N. (married Miss Helen D. Win- ans), and E. Albert. Of these, COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 51 E. Albert Bartram is one of the well-to-do farmers and substantial citizens of Fairfield county. He was born in the town of Redding in 1843. After his school days were over, he learned the trade of brick mason, and also that of a stone mason. Later he carried on the milling business for eight years. Still later he became engaged in farming. Mr. Bartram was identi- fied with Eureka Lodge F. tS: A. M. at Bethel, but is now a member of Hamilton Lodge No. 54, of Sharon, Conn. He is also identified with the M. E. Church of Bethel. He married Miss Lucy M. Stowe, daughter of Sumner Stowe, a farmer of the town of Redding, and to them the follow- ing children were born: Arthur L. , a machin- ist of Lee, married Jessie Porter, and has one child — Ethel B. ; Leander H., a plumber at Sharon, Conn., married Sarah Brown, and had three children — Harry L, Wilber S., and Chester Raymond; Albert N., who is on a farm in Red- ding, Conn., married Sarah B. Cravagan, and has three children — A. Howard, Herbert L., and Bernice Alberta; and Eugene f., in the machine shop at Salisbury. On December 22, 1897, he married Miss Ada Fenn, daughter of Lyman Fenn, of Salisbury, Connecticut. r WILLIS TURNEY, who died June 30, 1879, was in his day one of the represent- ative, progressive, well-to-do men of his section of Fairfield county. Conn. He was born January 21, 1803, in Stepney, in the town of Monroe, in the house now occupied by Charles Nichols, and his father, Elijah Turney, was also born in the same place.