Norwalk

'In a publication of late years (Warren's " Recol- lection* dI War Tinier") reference is made to the Nurwalk '• Witch lane '' ,.f flays Sune. and " Tonev '' is mentioned and one of Ins deeds picture-illustrated. This "Ttmey" wa- none other than "Cue" (Miss Phiehe Coinstoek'- "Onesimu*"}. See pa^r 260. 303 Capt. James Hurlbut, a ship builder of Saugatuek, is anciently mentioned and in about 1750, Commodore John Cannon also. The keels of Commodore1 John Cannon's sailing vessels ploughed the West India waters. Nathan Mallory was a Norwalk captain in 175;, and owned the future James Mallory store at the head of navigation. He was in the service between 1740 and 1800. Captain David Whitney was a Norwalk mariner in about 1775. He did good service in the Revolutionary War. In about 1770 the Polly made regular trips to and from the Southern Islands, and Capt. Squire piloted his bark hither from the Barbadoes. On one trip, in the spring of 1773, thirteen horses and eleven oxen were transported from Norwalk to the West Indies, the horses realizing for their owners about one hundred and fifty dollars each, and the oxen about one hundred and fifty dollars per pair. Gov. Roberts of Anguilla laid in, in the summer of 1773, Norwalk pork, hams and beans; and John Fane, of the same place, Norwalk corn and oats, and "Widow Hews" ten thousand shingles. Hams, horses, hoops, staves, flour, butter and earthenware were exported to the West Indies, and sugar, mo- lasses and liquors from thence imported. A little before the battle of Lexington was fought the Polly, on one of its trips, had hither brought, as a part of its cargo, nearly two thousand gallons of molasses and between three and four thousand pounds of sugar. Revolutionary War. It was here that she was under I the care of Miss Azubia Hitchcock. (See page 13.) The brothers and sisters of John Cannon1*1- were James, baptized Feb. 14, 172S; Andrew, baptized Jan, 23, 1730; LeGrand, born April 19, 1733, and baptized when ten days old : Sarah, baptized July 27, 1735, and Maria, January 28, 1739. This you riper sister Maria, "the lovely Miss Cannon," became, May 27, 1757, the wife of John Pintard, son of Alderman Pintard, of New York. One son, named for his father, rewarded the union. Soon after the birth of this son the I mother was called hence, to be followed, ere many months rolled away, by the boy'-- father. The pa- rentless lad now found a home for awhile with his Norwalk Cannon kin. War was raging and the davs were sad, but through the interposition of armv of- ficial influence the voting Pintard secured a good position. He was accomplished and like Colonel Stephen St. John, who was twentv years his senior, he was elegant. In 1785 he was married to Eliza, daugh- ter of Col. Brasher, both of the contracting parties at the nuptials being celebrated beauties. The sons of "Commodore" John Cannon were John (grandfather of Charles O. C. and Frederick T. Ketts of 1896); Samuel (grandfather of Colonel LeGrand B. Cannon, of New York); James (grand- father of the late Mrs. Jonathan Camp, of Cannon Street); LeGrand, a brilliant youth; Lewis, who died unmarried, and William A spin wall, who mar- ried Betsey, daughter of John Seymour, of Norwalk. The daughters were Sarah and Esther Mary. The ■" Commodore " was the familiar title by which Norwalk's John Cannon1-^, was locally known. He was the son of John and Jernsha (Sands) Cannon, of New York. It is late, perchance, to inquire as to what first here attracted him. It is a tradition that the young man stopped, on his way to Boston, in Fairfield (see note page 181) and there made the ac- quaintance of Esther Perrv, whom he afterward mar- ried. This may be fiction, but if true, the residence at that time, in Norwalk, of Esther Perry's uncle and aunt (Samuel Cluckstone and his Perry wife, see page 13) mav have drawn the nephew and niece hither who established their home-hearth in the meadow now the spacious private approach-green to the East Avenue residence of Col. Frederick St. John Lockwood. Mr. Cannon seems to have had a palate for choice fruit, The East Avenue orchard-remains of fifty years ago (the original planting, probably, of John Cannon'st-) evidenced, even in age, superb stock. The fruits' pulp and flavor-purity and fineness indicated the species-superiority. Here John and Esther Cannon lived until the burning of their dwelling bv Trvon, when the cinders of their consuming fire-side arose together with those of the near-by (Wm. G. Thomas home-lot of 1896) second Meeting House. After the conflagration the family possiblv occupied premises somewhere near the Quintard building of 1896. Here stood the "Cannon well" and on the opposite (south) Mde of the street was built the " Cannon store." A portion of this latter structure, the widow of Mr. Cannon was known to tenant some vears after the 304 NOR WALK. Later than 1770, Esaias Bouton owned a vessel that plied between Norwalk and Boston, and Isaac Wicks, of this town, was commissioned to cruise on the Sound. A ferry to L. I. was anon established by the Raymonds, and afterward ran by Ebenezer Phillips. At the close of the eighteenth century Capt. Joseph Warren1 and his son Capt. Samuel B. Warren,2 and others of the Warren family, and later still, Capt. Isaac Scudder Isaacs and Capt. Daniel James followed the marine profession. The Warrens alluded to employed at least two sailing vessels in the Norwalk and New York transportation service, viz., the Griffin and the Republican, which made regular children were all, it is probable, born on the East Ave- nue green hill-side, now the property of Col. F. St. John Lockwood. From thence, John, the oldest son, founded a home which his grandson, Charles O. C. Betts has somewhat improved but about which much of Cannon designing is still left. The Cannon super- mantel painting ( New York Battery) in the south parlor, is unique. At the raising of the frame of this building Richard, father of the late Miss Eliza Camp, of France Street, was injured. Samuel, the second son of John Cannon, built the 1896 handsome Lockwood house which crowns Mill Hill. Mr. Lock- wood (Colonel Buckingham St. John) bought it from the Cannons some seventv-odd vears ago, and al- though its more recent mansard roof and south ve- randa have given it a modern look, still with its sur- viving eastern " wing" and "outside kitchen " it is a pleasing picture of the past. The two remaining Lockwood (Wm. B. E. and Col, Buckingham St. John) "outside kitchens" were not ephemeral wood sheds, but, on the contrary, of constant service-purpose. They, especially the lat- ter, remind of the period when colored domestics played an important part in household economics. Col. Loekwood's family servants and farm help con- stituted quite .1 force and made such exterior accom- modation quite u neces-ity. Mrs. Lockwood was verv clever in her direction of this service-retinue, but a^ the good wife on one occasion broached to her hus- band, who had just reported to her of an additional property-purchase he had made, it was possible for in- crease of crops to involve increase of cares, and the multiplication of acres the multiplication of anxie- ties. The Mill Hill Cannon-Lockwood establishment has long been one of Norwalk's noticeable old family mansions, and its glory has not departed with the lapse of time. It is now, in 1896, of splendid preser- vation, and under the proprietorship of the colonel's last surviving daughter, Miss Julia Abigail, is the trustee of family portraits, furniture, embroideries and treasures which a refined and happv taste have so arranged ;i< to make the home an interesting visiting- spot. The ladies of the house, the colonel's daugh- ter, enlivened, in their younger days, the home, and were a prized society-contribution. In their time ladv equestrianism was not a slighted art, and when such Norwalk daughters as Elizabeth Lockwood, Eliza Mott, Ann Terrell Isaacs, or the Misses Meade rode out, in saddle, it was with no difficulty realized that " Queen Elizabeth on horseback" was none the less than " Queen Elizabeth herself." James Cannon, brother of John and Samuel, erected the Cannon Street commodious home, in the southwest front room of which his grand-daughter, Mary C. Newkirk, wedded the late Jonathan Camp, Jr., and beneath the venerable roof of which the extend edly known husband and his honored wife passed many years of enjoyment. William Aspinwall, the youngest married son of " Commodore " and Esther Cannon, lived near the foot of Flax Hill, in the South Norwalk of 1896. iln his will dated Jan. 28, 1748, and inventoried Sept. iK, 1749, Edmund Warren, Sr., makes mention of his grandsons Joseph^st. Edmund and Enoch, sons of Edmund. Jr. A preserved receipt, dated April (5, J791, evidences the sons' care of their mother. Said Joseph'st. married Nov. 12, 1754, Elizabeth Byxbee, and had Joseph, 2<*- born June 19, 1755 ; James, born Aug. 2, 1757; Jesse, born May 12, 1759. Joseph^1- married Oct. 17, 1776. Anna Bates, and had Samuel B., born Apr. 28, 1777; Betty, born July 3, 1778; Jane, born Sept. 2, 1779. This branch of the Warren family is noted from the fact that its mem- bers were Norwalk navigators during the post-Revolu- tionary period and that they claimed near relation- ship to Maj. Gen. Joseph Warren of Bunker Hill con- nection. Some of the descendants exhibit, to-day, an old leather wallet and a sword, upon the blade of which is inscribed Joseph Warren, articles that (so they claim) were in the possession of a member of the General's household who, whilst journeying from Boston to Norwalk, was compelled to stop, through sickness, in some Rhode Island port, from whence they were forwarded to this town. The descendants of Joseph Warren, 'st. son of Edmund,^. <>f Norwalk, accept, as have their fathers before them, and stoutly profess to believe this. Joseph Warren and his im- mediate successors were seamen. They were em- ployed in the coasting trade. ''Siimuel B. Warren, familiarly called "Squire'' NORWALK. 305