Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

The children of Capt. Daniel and Sarah Mer- ritt were as follows: George W. , born February 12, 1808, sailed the "Ann Amelia " and died of cholera at the age of twenty-four; Willis, born February 16, 18 10, sailed the packet "Mary Willis," from Norwalk, Conn., and died in that city; Lewis A., born April 22, 1812, who was a vessel captain and subsequently a farmer, died in Greenwich township; Susan Ann Eliza, born February 6, 18 14, married Edward Mead, and died in Cos Cob, August 26, 1884; Daniel B., born January 8, 1816, who was a clothing mer- chant at New York City, died of cholera July 12, 1854; Cynthia W., born January 2, 1818, died February 19, 1827; Joseph G., born in 1819, died May i, 1885; Caleb W., is the subject of this sketch; Theodore, born November 15, 1823, was a boatman for some years, and died at Mid- dletown, Conn., February 11, 1892; Sarah L., born April 12, 1826, is the widow of Elnathan Husted, of Greenwich; Cynthia W. (2), born November 21, 1829, married Rufus Putney,, a Methodist minister, and died at Milford, Conn., March 24, 1891. Capt. Caleb W. Merritt, our subject, was reared in Greenwich. His early education was not neglected, for besides attending the common schools he was a pupil one winter at the academy when Mr. Bigsby, the lawyer, was principal. But his father, as was his custom with his sons, took Caleb as cook on a vessel when he was thirteen years of age. After a short time the boy took charge of one-half of the sloop "Theodore" for his father, his brother Lewis A. owning the other half. When eighteen Caleb COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 165 became captain of the "Theodore," which was one of the fastest on the Sound, and many are the times when her eighty-foot pennant was hoisted to the discomfiture of those who tried to beat her, the pennant being symboHc of victory. Our subject was at one time the youngest of fifty captains on market boats going through Hell Gate. He ran the "Theodore" for many years, and when business increased he bought the sloop "Mary Willis" from his brother Willis, and commanded her. In 1859 he bought from Han- ford Mead the "Josiah Mead Farm" at a cost of $15,000, in the fall of the same year removing to the place, where he afterward lived. His late home was built in 1727, and the old frame was entirely used in the remodeling. Captain Merritt was married at Greenwich January 27, 1845, by Rev. Mr. Yarrington, to Miss Phoebe A. Husted, who was born January 23, 1822, in Greenwich, daughter of William and Mary Husted. The great-grandfather of Mrs. Phcebe Merritt was David Husted. Her grandfather, Abraham Husted, was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary war; he was a farmer by occupation. Lieutenant Husted had two sons, one of whom, William Husted, was the father of Mrs. Merritt. He was born in Greenwich, Conn., in 1783, married Mary Lyon, and they had six children: Benjamin W. ; Israel; Han- nah, who married Husted Hobby; Phcebe A., wife of our subject; David; and William H. Mrs. Merritt is also a descendant of a branch of the Merritt family who were early residents of St. John's, N. F., and Hamilton, Ontario. The latter city was named after Hamilton Merritt, and an estate of ninety million dollars in Canada, in which the Merritt heirs are now interested, is in question. Four children were born to Capt. Caleb and Phoebe A. Merritt, as follows: Sarah H., born March 28, 1847, "ow Mrs. John Lyon, of Weaver Street, Greenwich township; Edward M., born November 5, 1848, still at home; Will- iam H., born December 22, 1851, a farmer of Greenwich; and Caleb W. , born November 29, 1854, still at home. Captain Merritt owned and occupied one of the largest and best farms in the township, and was one of its best known and substantial citizens. In politics he was a Demo- crat, but not partisan. He frequently served as selectman, assessor, member of the board of relief and in other public capacities. Frater- nally he was a member of Acacia Lodge, F. & A. M. For many years he was prominently connected with the Episcopal Church, and filled many of its offices, including that of vestryman. He died February 23, 1899. MEUBEN W. LINSLEY. The Linsley fam- ily is well known in the State, its members having been prominent in various lines of effort from early Colonial times. The first American ancestor, John Lindley (for so the name was originally, but for the past one hundred >ears or more it has been spelled Linsley), came from Lindley, England, in 1640, and settled at Bran- ford, New Haven county, in 1644, where his de- scendants are still to be found. [It is supposed there were three generations between this John Lindley and Daniel Linsley mentioned in ne.xt paragraph, but a record of them is not now ob- tainable.] Daniel Linsley, the great-grandfather of the esteemed citizen whose name opens this sketch, was probably born in Branford, in the portion of said town, called North Branford, setoff in 1831, and he became a leading citizen of that locality, being engaged in business as a farmer, miller, millwright and carpenter. He died there in No- vember, 1799, in his eighty-fourth year. Dr. Reuben Linsley, our subject's grandfa- ther, was born at Branford, in the parish of North Branford, and was for many years a lead- ing physician there. He married Tryphena Baldwin, a native of North Branford. and had six children: Chauncey and Jesse (both now deceased), who followed farming at Branford; Willis, our subject's father; Sarah; Marian; and Polly. Willis Linsley was born at North Branford, in 1 791, and, having been reared to farm work, he engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was an active worker in the Democratic party in his sec- tion, and was chosen to various offices, was ap- pointed a county surveyor of New Haven coun- ty, which position he held for more than fifty years. In religious faith he was an Episcopa- lian, and the family has for generations been identified with that denomination. His death occurred September aq, 1867, and his wife, whose maiden name was Betsey Hurd, died March 31, 1862. She was a native of the town of Huntington, but her grandfather, Gideon Hurd, and father, Wolcott Hurd, who married Rachel Plumb, were both born in what is nov/ the town of Stratford. Our subject was one of a family of three children, the others being Eli- jah, who died at the age of three years; and Seth, who was born in 1824, and became a farm- er at North Branford. where he died August 4, 1896. Reuben W. Linsley was born October 24, 1820, at the old home in North Branford, and after spending the first sixteen years of his life upon the farm he went to No'th Haven, this inls 166 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. State, to learn the cabinetmaker's trade. Later he clerked for a time in stores at Middletown and Killingvvorth, and he then engaged in business in the latter place in partnership with Horace Red- field, conducting a hotel, general store, post of- fice and mail route. After twelve years engaged in these lines of enterprise, he removed, in Sep- tember, 1856, to Huntington Center, and opened a general store, which he still conducts success- fully. He has been prominent in local affairs, being an adherent to the principles of Jeffersonian Democracy, and has been especially active in ed- ucational matters, serving as school visitor and member of the school board. In all he has held the office of postmaster about sixteen years, his first term, under appointment of President Bu- chanan, lasting six years and continuing during a part of Lincoln's administration. In 1887 he was re- appointed by Grover Cleveland, and he held the position until August i, 1897. For many years he has been an active member of the Episcopal Church, having been a vestryman for thirty years, and, after a quarter of a century as treasurer of the parish, he has been serving ten years as clerk. He married Miss Emeline E. Foot, of Killingworth, and they have three sons: Silas R. is a general merchant at Chattanooga, Tenn. ; John C, an Episcopal minister, is rector of Trinity Church, Torrmgton, Conn.; and Seth W. is a student in the Theological Seminary in New York City. fATTHEW MERRITT. Through the suc- JP^II cessful business career of this highly re- spected citizen of Greenwich there has been one , guiding principle, that has been proved to be of inestimable value — fidelity to every trust and duty reposed to his care. He has been thor- oughly self-made, and the unobtrusive yet ster- ling merits of his character have grown upon his wide circle of acquaintances until they stand re- vealed as on a monument of treasured marble. Mr. Merritt was but two years of age when his father died. He was born November 30, 1822, on the Post road, a short distance west of Greenwich, a son of Hickson and Hannah (Mead) Merritt. The father was born on "Weaver street, Greenwich, the namesake of his father, Hickson Merritt. By trade he was a mason. The mother of our subject was a member of the well-known Mead family which has descended from William Mead, the original Colonial ances- tor, seven generations removed. Matthew Mer- ritt is the grandson of Matthew Mead, and the great-grandson of Capt. Matthew Mead, the Revolutionary officer, who was the son of Na- thaniel Mead, sixth son of John Mead (i), who was the son of William Mead, the first American ancestor, who came from England in 1635. The children of Hickson and Hannah (Mead) Merritt were as follows: Nancy, who mar- ried B. Dutton, and died at Greenwich; Sally, who died in childhood; Hannah, who mar- ried Roswell Ingersoll, and died in New Jersey; Susan, who married Purdy Lyon, and resides on Weaver street, Greenwich; and Matthew, our subject.