History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

(7) George Augustus, born Sept. 5, 1807. All of whom were born in Greenwich, Conn., and all of them are now (1880) dead except George Au- gustus. Denham (2d) was a mechanic and farmer. His wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died Feb. 18, 1847. He died at an ad- vanced age. Capt. George A. Palmer, familiarly known as Cold- water George, was reared on his father's farm, re- ceiving only such advantages for an education as the district schools of his early day afforded. When he was about twenty -one years of age he purchased a market-boat and ran it between his native town and New York City. This, however, was soon laid asidr for a new one, which he built himself, named " Loco- motive." He was the captain of this for more than twenty years, carrying jirovisions to and fro. Tlir captain was so thoroughly temperate, even in tho-i- early days when drinking was considered more re- spectable than it is now, that lie would not carry liquors of any kind, beer, or even cider, and on ac- count of his strict temperance i)rinciples, received the would-be stigma, "Cold-water George"; but to-day it proves to be a title of honor, rather than reproacli. The captain has been successful in whatever he ha~ undertaken, and succeeded better and made more money in his trading than any man who carried rum. Since 18.50 he has been engaged in farming. In poli- tics a Whig and a Republican, and as such has held some n\inor town offices. He lias been a wortli\ member of the Congregational Church for a great many years, — more than filly, — aiyl one of its stron;.' supporters. He has been twice married, — first, tn Harriet Knapp, daughter of Abraham Knapp, Sept. 9, 1834. She was born Sept. 23, 1.S09, and died June 1, 1852, having been a member of the church many years. Their children were |1) Darius M., born Dec. 25, 1836, and is now engaged in business at Port Chester, N. Y. ; (2) Elizabeth E., born Sept. 21, 183\ I J^^ c^^'^J'J' Zf^^c^-^-^/^ 7' Photo, by HoDrtrickd, Stamford. tji^^^^^ ^^cy^ ■ I GREENWICH. 407 and died Jan. 4, IS'iO. For liis seconil wife he mar- ried Pluebe E., a sister of liis first wife, Mareli 19, 18;j3. She was born Ajjril G, 1805, and is a member of the ehureh. JOHN DAYTON. .lohn Dayton is the eldest son of David Dayton, and grandson of David Dayton, and was horn in the town of Greenwich, Fairfield Co., Conn., Feb. o, 1828. Nothing is known of his ancestors farther back than his grandfather, David, who was liorn at East Hamp- ton, L. I., in 1761; married .Tan. 21, 1780, to Eliza- beth Osborne, who was Ixirn at East Hampton, L. I., in 177<i. David Dayton, Sr., was a tanner and currier, and l)00t and shoemaker by trade. He settled in the town of < ireeinvich. Conn., towards the close of the eighteenth centnry, where his children were born. His wife died April 10, 1837, and he died Jan. 2;'., 18:58. Their children were as follows, viz. : Betsey, born Nov. i\ 1790; Jacob, born March 10, 1793; siirah, l)orn July 20, 179.5; David, Jr., born March 6, 1798; Amy, born Feb. 3, 180(1; and Mehitable, born June 21, 1802. David Dayton, the second, was born in Green- wich, Conn., where he followed the occupation of a fanner. He was a Democrat of the Jeli'crsonian and Jackson school, lint never took any active part in politics, always preferring the quiet of home to any official honors. He married Elizabeth Brush, March 6, 1827. Both Mr. and Mrs. Dayton were worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Churcli. Mrs. Dayton died 8ept. 20, 1863, in Greenwich, the town of her nativity. Mr. Dayton died Jan. 26, 1872. He was a good citizen and neighbor, a kind liusband and an affectionate father. He left the record of an honest, industrious life, and a good name as the precious legacy to his descendants. Their cliildren are as follows, viz. : John, I)orn Feb. .5, 1828 ; Sarah, born Feb. 1."), 1830; Cliarles, born Dee. 4, 1832; Henry, born Sept. 10, 1834; Mary E., born Dec. 28, 18.36; David O., born Feb. 23, 1840; and George, born Aug. 22, 1842; all of whom were born in the town of Greenwich, Conn. John Dayton remained at home working on his father's farm summers and attending the district school winters until he was eigliteep years of ago, when he began to learn the shoemaker's trade, which he followed, more or less, till he was twenty-six years of age. On the 29th of September, 18."il, he married Matilda, daughter of Shadrach Selleck, a native of Stamford, Conn. They have one daughter, Mary Frances. In the spring of 1852 Mr. Dayton settled in the village of Greenwich, and opened a boot-and- shoe store, where he is now ((October, 1880) engaged in business. In polities he follows the footsteps of his fathers, and is a Democrat, and as sucli is one of the leading men of liis town. He ha.s been a consta- ble for twenty-six years; deputy sheriff six years; warden of the borough several years; assessor many years; jiostmaster under President Andrew Jidin.^on's administration; and mend)erof the State Legislature during the years 1870 and '71. The first year he was in tlie Legislature he served on the committee of State prisons, and the second year on the liumunc committee. He has often been a delegate to town, county, and State conventions. Jlr. Dayton is a man universally respected; even his bitterest political oiilKinents are among his warm personal friends. He is an honest, upright citizen, and to him mori' than to any other man in his town is due the credit of tlie great interest manifested by the people of Cireenwich in the history of Fairfield Co., Conn. His brother, George Dayton, was a soldier in (_'om- pany I, Tenth Connecticut Volunteer Kegiment, in the great civil war; was in several engagements, and was wounded by being shot through his right lung at Newberne, the ball passing out below his left shoulder-blade, lodging in Iiis coat. At the ])resent time he is connected with the Broadway Fire Insurance Company, New York. ISRAEL PECK. Among the early settlers who came from England and settled in the town of Greenwich, Conn., was one Jeremiah Peck, a Prosliyterian clergyman, who first settled at Elizabethtown, N. J., and then in (ireen- wicli. He had two sons, Samuel and Theophilus. Theo|ihilus was a cabinet-maker and joiner by trade, married a Miss Mead and had twelve children, one of whom was Israel Peek, who was born in (Green- wich, Conn., April 9, 1750. He married Lovina Purdy; .she was born Feb. 9,1755. Their children were as follows,— viz., Israel, Nehemiah, Elizal)eth, Rachel, Levina, Israel (2), and Elizabeth (2). Israel Peck was a large farmer, a man greatly re- spected in the community. He and wife were regular attendants of the Congregational Church at Green- wich. He was a soldier in the Kevolutionary war a very sliort time, but furnished a substitute, which re- leased him. He died Jan. 18, 1819, and his wife died Jan. 12, 1836. Israel Peck, son of Israel Peck, was born on the 7th of December, 1794, married Darinda Peck, who was born Feb. 20, 1796. TJieir children were JIary, born July 12, 1820, and .Tabez, born April 12, 1822, and died April 9, 1847. Mary Peck married (iilbert Shute, and died March 24, 1867. Jlrs. Darinda Peek died Oct. 20, 1871, and Aug. 19, 1873, Mr. Peek married, for his second wife, Mrs. Almira M. Piatt, widow of Rev. Ebenezer Piatt, and daughler .if Klien- ezer Mead. Mr. Peck was reared a farmer, whic-li lias always been his business until infirmity caused him to sell his farm. He owned the old homestead known as "Peck's Landing," which he sold about 1866 or 1868, and after residing at Port Chester a few years settled in the borough of Greenwich in 1873, wliere he lias continued to reside until the present time. 408 IIISTOllY OF FAIllFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT, He was a captain of a light militia company some four years. In i)<)litics he is a strong Kepublioan. For more than fifty-one yeara he lias been a worthy member of the Second Congregational Churcli at Greenwich, and one of its main pillars. His wife is also a member. Mr. Peck is a very strong tcm])erance man, and believes that total abstinence is the only true safe- guard. DAVID BANKS. Among the noble band of worthy men whose names grace the i)ages of tliis History none have been more bold in declaring their honest convictions on all ques- tions of moral or religious reform than tlie subject of this sketch. He is of English origin, and was bom in tlie town of Greenwich, Fairfield Co., Conn., Aug. 11, 1794. His grandfather, David Banks, was a Revo- lutionary soldier, wa.s a shoemaker by trade, and a man honored and respectetl. He died at a ripe old age. David I?anks worked on the form summers and attended tlie South Stanwich district school winters until he was tliirteen years of age, when he com- menced to learn tlie shoemaker's trade with his uncle, Daniel ISaiiks. The time thus spent at the district sdiool, su])|)lemcnted with eleven weeks some time afterwards in studying English grammar, laid the foundation for his education. !Mr. Hanks has been a great reader and quite a logical thinker, and to-day has one of the best-informed minds in the town. At the early age of eight years he received religious im- pressions by the earnest j)rayers of a faithful school- teacher, which took <lcep root, the result of which has been an earnest Christian life, devoted to God and the cause of humanity. On the 1st of January, 1815, he united with the Congregational Cinirch at Stanwieb, Conn., and at the ju'csent time is a member of the Church of the Puritans in New York City. He succeeded his uncle Daniel as the jiroprietor of the shop at twenty-one years of age, having in the mean time become somewhat noted as a first-class shoemaker, making a specialty of good fits on fine boots and shoes. His business increased, and he was comi)clled to liire two men to assist him. He com- menced business in the same house where he first .saw the light of day, an<l remained there until 1828 or 1830, when he settled where he now resides.