Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Elijah Turney married Eunice Thorp, and they reared a family of six children: Willis; William, who married Jane Hubbell; Walter, who died unmarried; \Vakeman, who married Rachel Briscoe; Laura (Mrs. Sherman French); and Mary (Mrs. Wheeler Tousey), of Long Hill. The father was a painter by occupa- tion, following this calling all his life in the town of Stepney, where he was highly respected for his thorough integrity, industry and many sterl- ing qualities. He was also engaged to some ex- tent in carpenter work and cabinet making, and made each of his children a set of chairs. He died in 18 — , an Episcopalian in religious faith. In the common schools of Stepney and Easton, Willis Turney acquired in his youth a good practical English education, of which he made the best use. With Ira Hubbell, of Easton, he learned the trade of tailor, which vocation he followed as journeyman for some time after reaching manhood. In 1832 he commenced business on his own account in a modest little shop in Stepney, where by incessant industry and careful management he succeeded in time in build- ing'up a large trade, and, his workmanship being of the best, he became well known in his line all over this section. In 1855, however, he gave up his tailoring business and turned his attention to shirt manufacturing, being the first in that branch of industry in this part of the county, and selling the products of his factory to Judson Bros., who were the first shirt manufacturers in the United States. He was the first to put sew- ing machines in his establishment, where he em- ployed fourteen or fifteen hands, and his factory soon became noted for the fineness and superior quality of work turned out. Endowed with un- usual ability and discernment in business affairs, and strictly honest and straightforward in all his dealings, he acquired an enviable reputation in his community, where none was held in higher esteem. His public-spiritedness led him into active public life, and he was honored by his fellow citizens with election to office in more than one capacity, his principal service, however, be- ing as representative from Monroe to the State Legislature during the "seventies." In Presi- dent Buchanan's term he was postmaster of Monroe. On February 26, 1830, Willis Turney was united in marriage with Harriet Curtis, who was born March 5, 1805, daughter of David and Phebe Curtis, who lived on Cutler's farm, in the house now occupied by Frank Wales. Six chil- dren were born to this union, a brief record of whom is as follows: (1) Sylvia, born December 18, 1831, is married to Alonzo Eastwood, and lives in the old homestead of David Curtis; they have four children — John (who is mentioned farther on), James (an engineer on the Consoli- dated railroad). Miles (a carpenter in Naugatuck, Conn.), and Willis. (2) Eligah, born November 26, 1833, died January 30, 1834. (3) Burr, born December 13, 1834, died December 2, I 876, unmarried ; he had a dental office in Boston. (4) Laura A., born August 1, 1837, married An- drew Patchen, of Bethel, Conn., and passed away October 22, 1895, aged fifty-eight years, two months and twenty-one days; she left two children — Cora E. (Mrs. Willard Oliver), and William T., who married Mary Uykeman. (5) John, born April 6, 1840, is a farmer of Hunt- ington, Fairfield Co., Conn.; he married Ida Walker, of Trumbull, and they have two daugh- ters (twins) — Ada Frances (who is the wife of Joseph Houghton, of Stratford), and Sarah Edith (Mrs. James Meachen). (6) Henrietta was born :-tn r 52 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. June i6, 1842. The mother of this family died April 27, 1859. In 1875, four years prior to her father's de- mise, Miss Henrietta Turney took hold of his busi- ness interests, associating with her her nephew, John Eastwood, and they have carried on the business ever since. Miss Turney has evidently inherited her father's financial ability and busi- ness capacity, for she has manifested a most sur- prising spirit of enterprise and progress in her management of the concern, to which she has given her personal attention and the greater part of her time. After the factory was provided with steam power, the trade was increased per- ceptibly, and as many as 1 50 hands are now given employment, the house meanwhile losing none of its former reputation for high-grade work. They turn out neglige shirts, which wholesale for $75 per dozen, have manufactured goods for John Wanamaker, and also made un- derwear for President Cleveland during his first administration. The industry is one of the most important in this part of the county, and is a credit to the family who founded it and have car- ried it on. John Eastwood was married May 17, 1882, to Miss Mary Etta Birch, daughter of Amos Birch, of Brewster, N. Y. ; she died in January, 1890, leaving two children — Ida Eliza and Elbert Randall. For his second wife, he was married, June 29, 1892, to Miss Agnes Park, by whom he has had one child, Edna Ruth. w ?T|fJALTER J. FITCH, one of the most venerable and highly-esteemed citizens, resides upon a pleasant homestead near Nor- walk, an ideal spot in which to spend the evening of one's life. He is a native of this county, having been born at Norwalk December 11, 18 16. His family is of good old English stock, but his ancestors were early settlers in this section. James Fitch, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Norwalk, and became a farmer in the eastern part of the town. He married Miss Esther Camp, of Norwalk, and had the follow- ing children: Burwell, who ditd near Norwalk, Ohio, where he had been engaged in farming; Esther, wife of George Nash, a farmer of West- port, this county; Stephen, our subject's father; Mary Ann, who married George Day, a potter of South Norwalk, and a son of Rev. Absalom Day, a Methodist minister; John H., deceased, for- merly a farmer in Norwalk; Julia and Susan (de- ceased), who never married. Stephen Fitch, the father of our subject, was born in Norwalk May 7, 1792, and passed his life in that locality, following agriculture as an occupation. During the war of 18 12 he played an honorable part as a soldier, and throughout his life was an active worker in the Whig organ- ization, and in the Methodist Church in his neighborhood. On December 31, 181 5, he married Miss Cornelia Hoyt, daughter of Wal- ter Hoyt, a farmer of the same township. Of the two children of this union, our subject was the elder. Cornelia H., the younger, married James K. Price, a native of Bethel, who is now a hatter in Oakland, Cal. The mother died Sep- tember 12, 1 841, the father on March 31, 1869. Mr. Fitch grew to manhood in the town of Norwalk, his education being obtained in the local schools. He learned the carriage maker's trade, but finding it uncongenial he did not fol- low it. On February 3, 1839, he married Miss Huldah A. Foot, who was born in Weston, this county, a daughter of Reuben Foot, a carpenter, and his wife, Mary. Soon after his marriage Mr. Fitch moved to New York, where he was engaged in the ice business until 1853. He then returned to Norwalk and continued that business for about fifteen years, but he has since lived a retired life. His present homestead was pur- chased soon after his return from New York, and he has made many improvements on the place including the comfortable residence. He and his wife have had three children, none of whom are now living. Mr. Fitch has npt taken an especially active part in politics, but he has al- ways felt an interest as a citizen in the questions of his day, and he is a stanch believer in the principles and policy of the Republican party. MATHANIEL E. ADAMS (deceased). For several generations the name of Adams has been prominently identified with the local history of Fairfield county, and ancestors of this same family have for several centuries been closely connected with the history of England. Nathaniel E. Adams was born in Greenwich, Conn., [uly 7, 1807, a son of John (3), a grand- son of John (2), both well-known citizens of Greenwich, and a great-grandson of John Adams (i), who settled in Greenwich in 1717. John Adams was born April 17, 1779, in Greenwich, Conn., and died October 2, 1826. His entire life was passed in the town of his na- tivity, and there, on February 27, 1804, he wed- ded Mary Hobby, who was born February 14, 1774. Of this union the following children were born, their names, with dates of birth, being: Mary E., May 23, 1805; Nathaniel E. ; Marilda H., September 15, 1809; Susan C, December COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 53 25, 1810; Sarah H., August 10, 1812; John A., August 7, 1814; and Joseph H., January i, 1817 — all now deceased.