Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Hon. Samuel Raymond, our subject's father, began at an early age to show the practical sagacity which later won him a prominent place in business and political life. As his father's little farm gave but a small return for the work bestowed upon its rough soil, he secured per- mission to enter th^ employ of a neighboring farmer, one Matthias St. John, with whom he remained for some time, and who afterward mar- ried an older sister of his young, enterprising assistant. After a time Mr. Raymond was bound out to learn the shoemaker's trade, but at the age of twenty he purchased his freedom and went to Walton, Delaware Co., N. Y., where he re- mained one year. He then returned to New York City and engaged in the manufacture of shoes, in which he was moderately successful, later entering mercantile life in New Canaan, in which he continued until 1842, when he sold the business to his three sons. His ability and pub- lic spirit made him prominent in local affairs from early manhood, and as time passed he be- came known as one of the chief advisors of the Democratic party in this State. For thirteen years he represented his town in the Legislature, and for one year he was a member of the State Senate. He was a champion of many important measures, and, being well versed in law, was the author of many Bills which were passed during his service in the Assembly. His memory was remarkable, and as he was an extensive reader he was a formidable opponent in debate. While he was a strong partisan, his sense of right and J, ,).■■ '-n' ■''-I Jl MOA ! . If; . ' I ; '] J . /". :■. ,f! VfilT riJ'- ,, ^^'^'^^- ^f^^^/^?:.^i<>^^^^ COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 57 honor was so keen that he could never be drawn to support any measure of which he did not per- sonally approve, and on one occasion when he defied a party caucus in a matter relating to the banks of this State, he was "read out" of the organization. From 1842 to 1845 he held the office of sheriff of this county, and his last years were spent in retirement, his death occurring in 1865, in his eighty-second year. His wife, Polly (Selleck), to whom he was married in 1808, was a daughter of Jacob Selleck, a prosperous fanner of the same town, who purchased "the Shaker farm " at the time that society decided to sell and remove to Lebanon, N. Y. Our subject was the youngest of four children, the others being Charlotte, Charles, and Thomas. William Edgar Raymond was born March i, 1 82 I, in New York City. In 1842, at the age of twenty-one, he engaged in mercantile business with his brothers, as has been said. Later, the elder son retired, and then our subject purchased the entire business, which he continued alone un- til 1857. He then sold out and went to Iowa, where he acquired a large interest in government lands. At the time he had some intention of en- gaging in banking there; but as he did not like the prospects on closer v'levf, he returned, in the fall of the same year, and located permanently in this county. As a trustee and, later, as presi- dent of the New Canaan railroad, he did much to insure the success of that enterprise, and at all times he was ready to promote any project for the improvement of this locality. He was a worthy and influential member of the Congrega- tional Church, warm and generous in his friend- ships, liberal in his charities. He also took great interest in political affairs, holding various offices of trust and responsibility. In 1859 he was elected to the State Legislature, and in 1873 he was chosen to the office of State Treasurer, which he filled ably for the term of four years. In his last report to the General Assembly he recom- mended an issue of four and one-half per cent bonds to cover the State indebtedness, and adoption of his plan caused a saving of many millions of dollars to the tax-payers. On February 16, 1852, Mr. Raymond mar- ried Miss Mary A. Cqmstock, a member of one of the most prominenf families of the town of Wilton. Her great-grandfather. Deacon Nathan Comstock, was the owner of a tract of 300 acres of land in that town, and was one of the leading citizens of his day. In 1740 he united with the Congregational Church, and his name is men- tioned as a deacon in the records for December 15, 1766. He was married March J, 1738-39 by Rev. Mr. Gaylord, to Bethiah Strong, of New London, Conn., by whom he had two sons, Samuel and Strong. Strong Comstock, Mrs. Raymond's grandfa- ther, was a farmer by occupation. He married Abigail Westcott, and had two sons, Jabez and Samuel. After her death he married Betty Betts, and had children: Susan, Katherine, Edward, William, Nathan, and Polly. Samuel Comstock, the father of Mrs. Raj'- mond, was born and reared in Wilton, where he received a common-school education. After his mother's death he was adopted by his uncle, Major Samuel Comstock, who is mentioned more fully below. He was active in local politics, holding the office of selectman for some time, and was a leading member of the Congregational Church. His wife, Anna (Dunning), was a daughter of David Dunning, a prominent resi- dent of Wilton, who enlisted during the war of the Revolution and served in Captain Comstock's regiment throughout that struggle. The chil- dren of Samuel and Anna Comstock were as fol- lows: George W. , died in Louisville, Ky. ; Sam- uel Le Grand married Susan, daughter of Col. George Middlebuck; Eliza Ann married Will- iam Chapman Thorpe, of Camillus, N. Y. ; James, married Harriet, daughter of Andrew 13etts; and Susan E., William, and Henry, and Mary (Mrs. Raymond). David Dunning, great-grandfather of Mrs. Raymond, was one of the earliest pioneers of Wilton, and his name is found as one of the signers of the petition for the organization of the parish, in May, 1726. Major Samuel Comstock was born in 1739. He was the son of Nathan, who was the son of Samuel, who was the son of Christopher, who was the son of Frederic Komstohk, who was born at Frankfort, Germany, March 18, 1575. He mar- ried Mary McDonald, of Edinburgh, Scotland, January li, 161 1. Major Comstock joined in the Revolutionary army May 9, 1775, with the rank of captain, and was subsequently promoted to that of major. He was a member of the So- ciety of the Cincinnati. In 1800 he was elected as a member of the State Legislature from the town of Norwalk. He married Miss Mercy Mead, daughter of Col. Theophilus Mead. He died in 1824. T^HE FARMER, a daily and weekly news- paper of Bridgeport, is published by a cor- poration of which H. B. Stiles is president, and Floyd Tucker is secretary and treasurer. 77^t' Rcpiiblicaii l-arincr was started in Bridge- port in 1810 by Stiles Nichols, who brought it i 58 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. from Danbury, where it had been published since 1803. It became a daily in 1850, when under the proprietorship of the late William S. Pome- roy. It was subsequently under the manage- ment of James L. Gould and Henry B. Stiles, at the corner of Wall and Water streets, and later still in the Waller building, No. 21 FairfieKi avenue. Mr. Gould left the concern in i8yo. On January i, 1891, Mr. Stiles and Floyd Tucker became proprietors. Later it became in- corporated. The following is a sketch of several of the men who have been identified with the paper through the present century, and in whose lives is the paper's history. William Seymour Pomeroy was born in Hartford, Conn., December 25, 1809, and was the eldest of six children. While he was yet quite young his parents moved to Canandaigua, N. Y. , where he remained with them until he was sixteen, when he returned to Hartford and en- tered the office of the Hartford I'ii/ics, as an ap- prentice. In that situation he remained several years, devoting himself with rare fidelity to the service of his employers, and acquiring a good knowledge of the printing business. Before his term of service had expired, hawever, he became so impressed with the advantages which a better education would give, that he bought his time of his employers, and devoted one year to study, attending during the time a private school in Manchester. His studies completed, he returned to the office ot the Times, and resumed his occu- pation as a compositor. It was there that he became acquainted with Hon. John M. Niles and Hon. Gideon Wells, who, in after years, proved their friendships for him by establishing him in business in Bridgeport. They saw with what fidelity he served his employers, and appre- ciating his character, and having full confidence in his ability and integrity, they selected him, when the time came, to perform an arduous but pleasant duty — to establish in Bridgeport a paper that should advocate the claims of Andrew Jack- son to the Presidency. The Republican Fanner, then edited by Stiles Nichols, although a Democratic orgiin, gave its support to Henry Clay, and it was thought ad- visable by the leaders ot'the Jacksonian Democ- racy, prominent among whom were Messrs. Niles and Wells, not to leave this section of the State to the political control of the friend of Mr. Clay. Accordingly, in November, 1831, Mr. Pomeroy came to Bridgeport, and started the Bridgeport Messenger. He was enabled to do this by the assistance of his Hartford friends, who supplied him with funds, and in other ways contributed to the success of the new organ. The first num- ber was issued November 26, from the old office of the Conneetieiit Courier, on Water street, be- tween Bank and State streets.