History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

The name of Lockwood is traced back as far as 1470, wlien Annie, only daughter of Richard Lock- wood, married Thomas Henshaw, who thereby became possessed of a large estate in Staffordshire, England. Those of the name in Greenwich, Stamford, Brun- dridgc, and probably those of the name at Norwalk and other parts of the county, are descended from Edmund Lockwood, freeman. May 18, 16.31. Was of Cambridge, "Mass., in 1632, and probably removed to Connecticut witli ^Icssrs. Hooker and Stone. Lieut. Jonathan Lockwood and Lieut. Gershom Lockwood were in their day prominent and influential men in CJreenwich, Conn. Hanford Lockwood is a son of Ira and Clemendine (Mills) Lockwood and grandson of Thaddeus Lock- wood, and was born in the town of Greenwich, Fair- field Co., Conn., two and a half miles north of where he now resides, June 7, 1808. His father was born at the same place Oct. 19, 1769, and died .\pril 18, 1846, having lived nearly seventy- seven years on the same farm. He was one of the most successful farmers in the town, though not a large one. He commenced life poor, but by energy and economy became well off. It is related of him that at one time during the Revolutionary war he was standing guard, though not a soldier, and one dark night he lieard the footsteps of something coming, and three times said, " Wlio comes there?'' No an- swer came, and he fired, when he discovered he had shot a colt, thinking it wa-s a Tory. He had four sons and one daughter, — viz., Alva, Lydia, Ira, Ralph, and Hanford, all of whom were born in the town of Green- wich, and all are now (1880) dead except Hanford. Lydia married Isaac Ostrander, of New York City, and had a large family of children. Ira Lockwood, Sr., was a Whig in jxilitics, and was a constable and collector of Greenwich a number of years. IHiring the earlier ]>art of his life he and his wife were members of the Baptist Church, but later were members of the Ejiiscopal (Iliurcb. Thaddeus Lockwood, grandfather of Hanford Lock- wood, was a farmer by occupation, marriwl, and had a large family. He <^ed about 1812 to 1814, aged ninety-three years. Hanford Lockwood worked on his father's farm summers and attended the district school winters until he was fifteen years of age, when he went to New York City, and became a clerk in the employ of AVilliara J. Romer, a grocer, for five dollars a month. At the end of the first year he had saved more than thirty dollars, which lie gave to his father, besides having properly clothed himself. This was the begin- ning of a successful business life. On account of sick- ness he returned home and remained two years, work- ing on his father's farm ; subsequently returned to New Y'ork, and entered the grocerj'-store of his brother- in-law, Isaac Ostrander, as clerk at eight dollars a month for one year, then received twelve dollars for his second year, and fifteen dollars for his third year's work. The summer that he was twenty years of age he spent at home, and during the fall and winter follow- ing taught school at twelve dollars a month, and the following spring engaged for one year to teach in what was known a.s the Nash District at fifteen dollars a month, and "boarded around." He relates that he had a good time and made many warm friends. Dur- ing this time he made the acquaintance of Susan, daughter of James Nash, the man who had engaged him to teach the school, and on the 6th of October, 1830, they were married. In the month of April, 1831, he commenced business as a grocer in the city of New York, and continued in that business for twenty-four years, when he retired from active em- ployment and returned to his native town, and resided on the old homestead where he first siiw the light of day until February, 1878, when he settled where he now (1880) resides. During his residence in the city he made good investments in real estate, which have greatly increased in value on his hands. He was a first-class business man, and attributes his success in life more to the fact that at an early age he became interested in the cause of religion, under the influ- ence of one Mary Ostrander, and united with the Mctliodist Episcopal Church under the ministry of the Rev. William Jewett. He is one of the most worthy and influential members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at (ireenwieh. He has held in the jiast and holds to-day the various offices of his church, such as steward, trustee, recording secretary, licensed exliorter, Sumlay-school superintendent for many years, and a worker in the Sunday-school as teacher or superintendent the most of the time since he united with the church. He has always been very liberal to his church as well as to other denomina- tions, and the poor have in him a true friend, and they go not empty away. He is the possessor of more than five hundred acres of land, two hundred and fifteen of which are in his ])resent beautiful farm, called tJrandview. (See view of his place on another |)age.) He has been twice married. His first wife died Oct. 27, 18G9, and was buried at Stanwich, Conn., where a fine marble monument marks her resting- place. He married for his second wife Fanny Louns- 4 (p. £ C-// 7 7 ''> /-yy II I / , ,'"/' ^^//^/ ^^ fr r^ 404 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. Josiah AVilcox, the subject of this sketch, remained ' at lioiiic, receiving the advantajres of a coninion school education, until he was sixteen years of age, when he left to leiirn the manufacture of tinners' tools. After serving an apprenticeship of some five years, he began to work as a journeyman at one didlar a day, and the first year he put in three thousand one hundred and fifty hours of hard labor, or equal to three liundrcd and fifteen days of ten Jiours each. In the month of September, 1828, he settled where he now (Nov. 2, 1880) resides, five miles northeast of Portchester, X. Y., in the town of Greenwich, Conn. Here he built the first factory for the manufacture of tinman's tools in 1828. His factory was thirty by thirty-five feet, and this he enlarged from time to time until now his buildings are many. ilr. Wilcox manufactures shaft-couplings with no weld either in the eye or clip, thus making them lighter and stronger, but his spe- cialty is at present the manufacture of carriage hard- ware, which is equal to supply the demands of more than one hundred thousand carriages annually. He is also interested in two otiier large factories at South- ington. Conn., namely. Peeks, Stow & Wilcox Com- pany, with a joint-stock capital of one million dollars, and the Etna Iron-Rolling Mills. He married Cclestia Wilcox, Aug. 24, 1828. She was born in Berlin, Conn., Sept. 11, 1800. Their children were George E. (deceased), George E. (2), Willis H. (deceased), Caroline O., AVillis II. (2), Cornelia ls\., and Josiah X., all of whom were born on the old home wliere Jlr. Wilcox now resides. Mr. Wilcox was a Whig until 18.56, since which time he has been a staunch Re])ublican, and Nov. 2, 1880, he voted for Gen. .lames A. (iarfield, of Ohio, for President. As a Whig and He|uil)lican he has five times represented his town in the State Legis- lature,—first in 1849, '51, '52, '53, and '54. He luis often been a delegate to county and State conventions. At seventeen years of age he united with the Con- gregational Cliurcii at Rerlin, Conn., and since his residence in Greenwich he has been one of the strong jiillars and main supporters of the Congregational Church at North Greenwich. His wife was a mem- ber of the same church, and he is a deacon of the same. Through a long and u<eful life he has taken a dee;) interest in the cause of temperance, and thor- oughly believe.^ that total alistiiicnee is the only safe way. For the last twenty years he has been a direc- tor in the Portchester Bank. He commenced life a poor boy, but by his own energy, supplemented by that of his faithful wife, he has reared a family of chil- dren, who are universally respected, atid they, as well as nniny of their children, are among Greenwich's bc-st citi7.en><. George E. Wilcox married Sarah I..yoii, ami luus two cliiblren, — viz., Gilbert L. and liertha; Caroline O. married Henry S. ^nks, of Portchester, and lia.s two children, Clara and George; AVillis H. married Susan C, daughter of Edward Mead, of Cos Cob, and has one son, Robert Mead ; Cornelia M. married Silas E. Mead, of North Greenwich, and has three chil- dren,— Mable, Louisa, and Josiah W. ; Josiah N. mar- ried Henrietta Lyon, of Portchester, and has two children, Lillian and Arthur R. He is a cashier in the Portchester National Bank, at Portchester, N. Y., and the other boys arc identified in the mar- utacture of carriage hardware with their father, one of whom, Willis H., was a soldier in the great civil war, having enlisted in Company I, Tenth Connecticut Volunteer Regiment, in September, 18G1, and went forth to battle and was in more than fifty engagements under Gen. Burnside. He was slightly wounded at Strawberry IMain. He was mustered out October, 1804. WILLIAM BRUSH. AVilliam Brush is a lineal descendant of Capt. Ben- jamin Brush, who was a Revolutionary soldier, and who was taken prisoner during the Revolutionary war and i)ut in the famous Sugar-House, in New York City, where he remained some time. He was a hatter by trade, but towards the latter part of his life de- voted himself to agriculture. He married Rebecca Finch, and had nine children,— viz., Rachel, Abigail,. Ard, Ann, Rebecca, Benjamin, Jonathan. Alary Ann, and Lucy Ann, the last two of whom are living. Benjamin Brush died about 1822, and his wife about 1824. Benjamin Brush (2) was born April 28, 1774; mar- ried Rachel Brush June 22, 17i>'J. She was born Sei)t. 26, 177i1. Their children were Shubel, Wil- liam, Charles, and John (deceived). Sliubel married and had three children, — viz., Mary A., Rachel A. (deceased), and Harriet (deceased). His daughter, Mary A., married George A. Lock- wood, and had five children, — viz., Frederick, AVil- liam, Cliarlci, Caroline, and twins, names not known.