History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Charles Shelton, brother of David, a graduate of Yale College, is now a ]>racti<'ing |>hysician in the town of Clieshire, Conn., which town he ha< nqirc- sented in the Senate and lower House of the Oeneral Assembly. C-hristopher N. and David were graduates of the Episcopal Academy at Cheshire. Cliristoplier was town representative for a nundx'r of years, and prominent in edueati(jnal works. JAMES B. DKINSMADE. James R. Brinsnuide graduated at Yale in 1>I13; went to Easton, Pa.,, as principal of an academy. About 1820 came to New York and went into mer- cantile business. He died in lx.">7. The last twenty- five years of his life were devoted almost exclusively to the cause of education for the poor in the city, acting in the capacity of a trustee of the Public School S'icicty, and of viee-i>resident of the .\mericau Sunday-School Union. He lind (our children, all of whom died earlv in life without issue except his son, J. B. He was born in New York City in 1S24 (May 1st), graduated at Yale in 1845, was admitted to the bar in 1847, i)racticed law in Albany till IS.');!, then moved to New York and at once ent<'red into a large prac- tice. His health failed in 18G8, as the result of .iver- work and close api)lication to business. He had already acquired some interests in the iron business which required attention, and, aliandoning his j)ro- fession, he became an iron-nuister, which he con- tinues to the present time with succcsi. He has six children, — three lioys and three girls, — Henry, 2.'!, Mary, 21; William B., Hi ; Eleanor, IS; Alice, 11; Charles L., 9. His home in winter is in Brooklyn, and in summer at Lake J[aho[iac. His grandmother was Mary Beel)ee. Her father was Bev. James Beebee, the first minister settled in Strat- ford (now Trumbull I. He preached in a ""meet- ing-house" wliich stood where the Truiidiull church now stands. He was a chaplain to tlic army which invaded Canada in the old French war, and he had a son .lames, who was a captain in the Revolution, and was wounded at Jlonmouth. Ex-Judge Lucien Birdseye, late of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, is grandson of the hatter. Rev. James Beebee had another son, Rev. Henry Beebee (both graduated at Yalel. Cren. Henry B. Carrington, U.S.A., is his grandson. Gen. Carring- ton was the commander of the expedition wdnch culminated in the Fort Fetternuin massacre. He was retired for wounds received in service, and was de- tailed to take the chair of military science in Wabash College. He is the author of "' .\lisaraka," "Crisis Thoughts," " Battles of the American Revolution," and other works. He also gra<luated at Yale in 184.'). Mr. J. B. Brinsmade has in his possession the com- mission as captain of militia issued by Governor Trund>ull to Jiis grandfather, .\braham Brinsmade, and tradition says that he fought at Kidgefield under (leu. Benedict Arnold. NELSON ][. DOWNS. The subject of this sketch isoneof tlie mo/t promi- nent self-made men now residing in the town of Huntington. His ancestors for generations had been tillers of the soil and residents of Fairfield County. His father, Lewis Downs, is to this day remembered as one of the thriving representative farmer^ of the <inti:-ln'lhini period. Until eighteen years of age Nelson H. remained U|>on his father's farm, doing customary labor during the spring and summer and attending the common schools during the winter season ; his education, therefcn-e, was limited to an acquaintance with the ordinary English branches, yet, by his large and varied exjjerience in subsequent years, and through general reading, he now has a mind well stored with much useful information, and ludds that place in .society that belongs only to a gentlenuui of esteem and intelligence. When eighteen years of age, with the acquies- cence of his parents, he left the farm and engaged in business with his brother, who was then a mer- chant in the new village of Birmingluim. In con- sideration of health and general ])references, at the expiration of seven years Mr. Downs disposed of his mercantile interests and embarked in maiuifacturc upon his own account, and he has since been more or less engaged in this kind of industry. He first nuide carriage-joints, next matches, then tacks. He was among the first to nuiiuifiicture hoo]i-skirts, and the very first to make e(n"sets, in the village of Bir- 420 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. mingliam. His extraordinary foresight revealed the advantages, and with diaractcristic promptness he anticipated all others in the erection of the first fac- tory on the west bank of Ousatonic ; he was also attracted by the beautiful eminence beyond, and quickly made purchases to the right and to the left, and early erected upon a point commanding a charm- ing view one of the most sightly and desirable residences to be found in the surrounding country. Altogether, Mr. Downs has erected four factories, and quite a number of dwellings and other buildings. For eighteen years he gave his ])crsonal attention to his manufacturing busine^ss, and throughout the whole time it was his invariable rule to pay all of his employees, every fortnight, with his own hands; he failed but once, and then on account of sicknass. Using money only as he made it, he conducted his aflairs on the pay-as-you-go system, and in all of his varied enterprises gave but two notes, and at no time executc'l a mortgage on j)roi)erty. His factory was the first industry of 8helton, his residence the sixth building; and this thriving village owes much of its rapid progress, both as to its manufactories and pri- vate residences, to the energy and exertions of Mr. Downs. The family mansion is worthy of special note. Beautifully located upon the commanding eminence that here runs i)arallcl with the river, the view is superb, taking in Birmingham, Derby, Ansonia, and miles of the Ousatonic River. In construction it is characteristic of the man : from basement to garret it is filled with original conceptions and home-like conveniences. Jlr. Downs, we are told, never had political aspira- tions, and, though freciuently urged by his party to accept nominations, always declined to do so, and never attended a political caucus. Before the war a AVhig of the Bell and Everett stamp, he has since voted with the Republicans. Ho has held various offices of public trust, the duties of which were faith- fully and satisfactorily performed. Warm-hearted and generous in his friendships, liberal and oi)en-handed in his charities, his ready and vigorous aid is always counted upon in matters of public weal. No work of public utility failed to receive his jLssi.stance, and no poor man was ever turned away from his door. Although Mr. D.jwns is not a member of any church, he has always been liberal in his contributions both to the erection and support of religious institutions. Jlr. Downs has retired froni active business, owing to bad health, and is now enjoying that leisure which his successful business career has secured him. On May 8, 184.'5, he was united in wedlock to Elizabeth B., oldest daughter of Abijali Wallace, by whom he has had four children, named in the family genealogy given below. Mrs. Downs is tin excellent lady, justly esteemed by a large circle of acquaint- ances. GENEALOGY. Joseph Downs, born Jan. 14, 171)8, died March 17, 182.3; Hannah Patterson, wife of Joseph Downs, born July 28, 1767, died June 9, 18o7. To this couple were born the following children : James, born July 13, 1786, died Aug. 27, 1868; Philo, born Aug. 1, 1788, died June 15, 1SG2; Lewis, born Doc. 19, 1790, died March 19, 1870; Ezekiel, born March 2, 179.'5, died ."March 2S, 18(!(J ; Hepsey, born Sei)t. 2, 1795, died Aug. 11, 1874; Beach, born Dec. 18, 1797, died July 28, 1865; Hannah, born Jan. 8, 1800, died Feb. 13, 1853 ; Webb, born July 25, 1802, died March 9, 1874 ; Eliza, born July 2, 1804, died Oct. 24, 1840. Lewis Downs was united in marriage to Mary fiil- bert, and to them were born the following children: Sidney A., born Aug. 13, 1817 ; Henry L., born Feb. 7, 1820, died Feb. 10, 1872; Nelson H., born Nov. 18, 1821. Eli Gilbert, father of !Mrs. Lewis Downs, died Oct. 18, 1847, at the age of eighty-four; his wife died Sept. 2, 1840, at the advanced age of eighty-two; and their daughter, the wife of Lewis Downs, lived to the ripe old age of eighty. To N. H. Downs and wife were born the following: Sarah E., born July 30, 1845, who lived but one month ; Hattie \V., b;irn Feb. 28, 1849 ; Edward W., born Oct. 20, 1852; Lizzie, born Jan. 15, 1863. Hattie W. was married to 11. F. Wanning, June 14, 1869. There were three children, — to wit, Oracle E., Frankie N., and Hattie D. Edward W. was married to Maggie Barker, May 4, 1874; at the expiration of two years this union was dissolved by the death of his beloved wife, leaving a son named Frank We-stley. On April 30, 1879, Ed- ward W. Downs was married to Alice Benedict. Abijah Wallace Wiis born Nov. 3, 1794, and died Dec. 26, 1877. Pauline Wakeman, his wife, was born Aug. 15, 1797, and died Sept. 15, 1847. Their daugh- ter, Elizabeth B., wife of N. II. Down.s, was born Nov. 6, 1821. D. W. PI.U.MB. Among those thoroughly identified with the busi- ness and social interests and general prosperity of Huntington, particularly the part embraced by Shel- ton, none are more worthy than he whose name ap- pears at the head of this sketch. D. W. Plumb W!us born Oct. 13, 1808; he is of Eng- lish descent, though his ancestors were early settlers in the town of Milford, New Haven Co., Conn. His father Ni«:d), his grandfather David, and his great- grandsire Noah, were all farmers of highly respectable standing, and residents of this section of New Eng- land. When David was five years of age his father re- moved with his family to what is now known as North Bri<lgeport, wlierj he resided until his death, in 1862, at fourscore years of age. He was a citizen of esti- ^ny^ /0/^^:^^/Z^i^z.^t-^:^^zJ2'->^'^ HUNTINGTON. 421