History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

(23) David Burr and Eleanor B. Burr gave a war- ranty di>ed to Frederic S. Lyon, Nov. 5, 1851 ;* con- sideration, thirteen hundred dollars. * Editur of Connecdcul ncptthllcaii, Nui walk. (24) Frederic S. Lyon gave warranty ileed, subject to mortgage, for six hundred dollars, Nov. 1, 1852, to Rebecca A. McLellan; consideration, fourteen hundred dollars. (25) John G. D. McLellan and Pu'bocea A. :\IcLel- lan mortgaged to secure five hundred dollars, Nov. 1, 1852, to Samuel Betts. (26) John G. D. and Ilebecea McLellan gave a warranty deed, subject to two mortgages, for six hundred dollars and five hundre<l iloUars, to Henry B. Banks, May 1, 1854; c<>nsi<leration, twelve hundred and seventy-five dollars. (27) Henry B. Banks died intestate soon after the above conveyance. Administration was -granted on his estate, July 26, 1854, to his widow, Maria C. B. Banks. (28) Maria C. P.. Banks gave a liargain-and-sale deed, Ajiril 26, 1855, to Peter H. Shaw and Anna M. Shaw his wii'c ; consideration, one hundred dollars, and conveyed "the equity of redemption possessed by Henry B. Banks at the time of his decease." (29) Maria 0. B. Banks (luitclaimed to Rev. Peter H. Shaw an<l Anna Jlaria Shaw, Ajiril 26, 1855; con- sideration, ten dollars. Anna Maria Sh.aw, wife of Peter H. Shaw, died Feb. 17, 1860, leaving two chil- dren,— William K. Sluuv and Isabella O. Beard (wife of Ira Beard), — and probably intestate, no will or set- tlement of hers appearing on record. (30) Peter H. Shaw quitclaimed to Wni. K. Shaw, April 14, 1860; consideration, one hundred dollars. (31) Ira Beard and Isabella G. Beard quitclaimed, Sept. 21, 1860, to Samuel Betts; consideration, ono dollar. (32) AVilliam K. Shaw quitclaimed, March 5, 1861, to Samuel Betts; consideration, one dollar, and other values considered. (33) Samuel A. Nichols, " Trea.surer of the Town Deposit Fund of the Town of Fairfield," quitclaimed, March 6, 1861, to Samuel Betts; consideration, six hundred dollars. (See " Biographical," Fairfield.) (34) Samuel Betts gave a warranty deed, Aug. 5, 18(il, to Rev. Samuel Nichols; consideration, twelve hundred and fifty dollars. The Rev. Samuel Nichols, D.D., died July 17, 1880, in his ninety-fourth year, at his residence on Green- field Hill. The degree of D.D. wits conferred on him I by AVilliaius College. He was probably the oldest Episcopal clergyman in the I) uited States, and was at his ordination the three hundred and eighty-seventh of that sect ordained in America. He wa.s born Nov. 14, 1787. He graduated from Yale in 1811, and was not only the htst survivor of liis class, but, with one exception, the oldest living graduate of the college. He was the oldest living presbyter of the diocese to which he belonged (that of Bishop Potter), and was believed to be the oldest one of the Prot(!stant Epis- copal Church in the United States.f t Krciiiii^ PosI, July, 1880. 306 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTS', CONNECTICUT. In his early days he was associated with the Rev. Viriril Barbour in charge of the school at F.airfield, Jlcrkitner Co., N. Y., then under the special patronage of Trinity Church, of New York. Afterwards for twenty-two years he was rector of a St. Matthew's Clinrcli at Bedford, Westchester Co., K. Y. His was a blameless life, res))eeted by all denominations, ever charitable to the poor, and universally beloved. He left a reputation which was a testimony of his Chris- tian eliaractcr, his learning and fidelity, and liis de- votion to his family and friends. He married Susan N. Warner of New York, and they were blessed with several sons and daughters, of wliom are the Rev. George Warner, Effingham H., a lawyer, William, and Alexander; the latter is an ex- niember of tlie C<innecticut Legislature. These sons have ama.ssed a goodly fortune, are men of talent and of trust, anil have had a test of the confidence of men of means for many years which has never been abused. They are shrewd, excellent business-managers of great capacity and foresight, and have a well-established office in New York City. Susan W. Nichols, a sister of the above, is a skillful artist and excels in oil- painting. They are all possessed with fine a-sthetic tastes, and are liberal patrons of works of culture whetlier of literature or of art, to which their own pens and pencils contribute. (.35) Rev. Samuel Nichols quitclaimed, .July 20, 1868, to Alexander R. T. Nichols; consideration, one dollar, and otlier divers good causes. (30) Rev. Samuel Nichols quitclaimed to Susan W. Nichols, July 20, 1868; consideration, one dollar. (37) Susan W. Nichols quitclaimed to Susan N. Nichols, July 20, 1868 ; consideration, one dollar. (38) Susan N. Nicliols died March 22, 1872, leaving a husband, the Rev. Samuel Nichols, and several chil- dren living, and a will which is recorded in Kings County surrogate's office, in the State of New York. (30) Phinea.sT. Barnum quitclaimed, Aug. 25, 1874, to Alexander R. T. Nichols and the devisees of Susan N. Nichols, being John J., Susan W., and >[aria S. Nichols; consideration, one dollar, which released mortgage No. 2(1 above, the note secured thereby hav- ing long before been paid; so that the present owner, Alexander R. T. Nichols, at last has a clear title to a much entangled property. These transfers are given to show what changes ))roperty may pass through in one hundred years, also tlic variation of values on the same property. This pro|)erty is contiguous to that of the Rev. Samuel Nichols, D.D. Dr. Nichols' house was built for the Rev. Richard V. Dey, 182.3-1828, who officiated during those years as piustor of (Jrcenfield. No. 10. The house occupicil by Mr. Charles P. Bradley was built about tbe same time its the others in Greenfield. It was owned in 1786 by Mr. John Jennings, an old blind man, who was a blacksmith in his youth, afterwards by Josiah Jennings, who mar- ried Heron, of Redding. William Bradley owned it in 1823. From him it came to his son, Charles T. Bradley, the present owner. This house has been so remodeled by new sidings, verandas, etc., that it misleads the uninformed jus to its anti()uity. No. 20. Deacon .Joseph Bradley built this house. It de^scended to his son Joseph, who left three heirs on this place, — Burr, Grisel, and Polly. They being deceased, it wa.s set off to , the only daughter, the wife of Lloyd N. Sherwood, wlio are the present owners and occupants. As near as can be ascertained, this house was built in 1746, and was honored with a centennial party of some one hundred and thirty persons dressed in cos- tumes of 1776 early in the Centennial year. Here is to be seen an old coat-of-arms of the Bradley family. No. 21. The Hubbell home was built by Oorshom Hubbell in . It fell to his son Moses, and then to the late Uriah Hubbell, and is now occupied by the widow and daughter. It seems that the first Hubbell in America was named Richard. He lived in New Haven, Conn., in 1647. Having been ad- mitted as a planter, in 1G80 he settled in Fairfield, where he died in l()il2. Dr. Dwight settled in Greenfield in 1783, and kept his academy at first in Gcrshom Hubbell's shop, wlicre his grandson's widow now lives. Mr. Uriah Bulkeley relates, in his " Musings of Memory," that " Gershom Hubbell was a leather-breeches maker and dresser, and his daughter made the best gloves I ever wore." The academy building was built for Dr. Dwight in 1785 or 17S6. "Joseph Bulkeley, Jr., although a schoolmiister from his eighteenth year, went to Dr. Dwight's school after he was married, to study surveying and navigation. The doctor had the reimtation deservedly of being a first-rate teacher, and scholars came from all parts of the world to his school. It is thought he had always an eye to the presidency of Yale College. He had a cliuss which it was his ambition to teach superior to any graduate of Yale. Some of them were David Hill, E/.ekiel Webb, Jonathan Pomcroy, Parson Bartlett, an<i Lemuel S.m- ford, from Redding; David Rogers, Abraham Daven- port, of Stamford. In the next class were two Henry Livingtons, from Poughkeepsie ; James Anaram, from Richmond ; Dubois, from France ; Joel R. Poinsett, Minister to Mexico and Secretary of War; Dexter, from Ncwburyport ; William AVilliams, from Nor- wich; Charles Dcnison, iif New Haven; .John Ila- CDck, from North Carolina ; Charles Hobby Pond, of Milford, afterwards Lieutenant-Ciovernor of the State; Wilson, Richard, and Philo Hubbell, of Briilgeport ; two Capers, from South Carolina ; Henry Baldwin, afterwards judge of the United States courts, also his briither Michael ; A. Toinlinson, wiio wore a suit of white broadcloth. Dr. Dwight had a class of young ladies, said to be the most beautiful ever in a class together, — two of Dr. Rogers' daugliters ; three Miss Burrs, from Fairfield ; Miss Young, of Bridgeport ; Sally Nichols, of Newtown ; and others." FAIRFIELD. 307 Olio of the pupils never returned lioiiie, as this tombstone in Greenfield ground testilies. " In RK-!iiory uf William Jorilaii, a Native of N*i>. CaiBliiia, * .Stu.loiit at the (irc-i-nliclil Academy, who lUed July 'JGtIi, 17'.t4, Aged 15 year^, 2 months All days. Sweet youth, alike to friends and strangers deiir. On tliy green turf I'll drop tlie tender tear; This hist poor tribute let me daily pay, As licre I ponder o'er tlie uneonseious elay ; As here I feel thy distant hrotluM-'s pain Ami see thy hapless weep in vain. In vain thy soul was lilight, thy bosom kiml, — In vain the tears of those thou leav'st behind ; Cold is thy form and ilark thy lone abode. Yet thou but tread'st the path thy Saviour trode, Willi him fond hope again beludd thee rise From transient slumbers to supelior skies." Tlie manuscript quoted from s:iys : " Wednesday afternoons we spoke a short speech, and after clioos- injj; sides and spelling the winners hud a ipiarter of an hour to play before the otiiers were let out. WjL'd- nesday evening Dr. Dwiglit lectured on religion, and published tliem in four volumes of theology."