Norwalk

a committeeman to call a minister in the place of the Rev. Thomas Hanford, then deceased. Some of the strongest men in the plantation were put upon this committee. John Belden1" was also one of the purchasers, in 1708, of Ridgefield. He died in 1713-14 and his widow married John Copp, originally from the eastern part of the colony. Mr. Copp was a public man, who continued to occupy Iris Strawberry Hill home until his decease. Mr. Copp made his will October 12, 1749, which instrument, probated June 4,1751, bequeathed his "physical books, drugs, roots," to his stepson, Samuel Belden. He left to Rev. Moses Dickinson £100 and to the First Congregational Society £100 additional. He also left £400, the income of which should be expended in the interest of his two negroes, and at their death the same was made to fall to the ecclesiastical society before named. Samuel Fitch, brother of Gov., and Isaac Hayes were his chosen executors, to each of whom he left £50, " reasonable -Had sons Justus, John, Bernardus, Isaac and Abraham. The will of Mr. Bush is dated June 24, 3Rebecca, Airs. John Belden31"'1, was a daughter Of John Bartlett by his second marriage. John Bart- lett was born October 15, 1677, at " 5 of the A. M ," and died August 5, 1701. His first wife was Eliza- beth, born 1684-5, daughter of " Mr. William Haynes," (see page 206). Mrs. Elizabeth Bartlett 385 John4'", unmarried; Isaac1" ; Amos, born July 13, 1764; Henry ; Mary Esther, born 1753 (Mrs. William St. John); Sarah (Mrs. Samuel Cannon). Samuel3'", son of John2"" and Ruhama (Hill) Belden, married March 9, 1774. Ann, believed to have been born January 28, 1754, daughter of Joseph and Alithea (Wetmore) Lampson and had : Thomas, born January 17, 1775; Samuel, born October 27, 1777; William (Colonel) born September 15, 1780; Hezekiah, born January 27, 1783. Isaac1, son of John1" and Rebecca (Bartlett) Belden, married Esther, daughter of Matthew and Elizabeth (Kellogg) Reed, and had : Esther Mary, (Mrs. Rev. Augustus Summers first, and, second, Mrs. Socrates Squires); "deceased (per Bible record) February, 6. 1723-3, in the 39th year of her age at 11 A. M." Mr. Bartlett married, second, Mary (see page 96), daughter of Thomas2[ld and Sarah (Marvin) Betts, and had Ann and Rebecca, the second of whom, Rebecca, was the second Mrs. John Belden'"!. The children of Mr. Bartlett by his first wife were: Elizabeth (Mrs. Eben- ezer Smith); Hannah (Mrs. Elnathan Hanford); William; Isabel (Mrs. Ephraim Smith); Mary (Mrs. Lyndal Fitch); Sarah (Mrs. Nathaniel Satterly); John; Samuel. From the Ephraim Smith son-in-law of John Bartlett descended the New York Captain Isaac Bell line. (See note, page 167.) Usaac, son of John'") and Rebecca (Bartlett) Belden, was a Belden son who, as was true of his brother, John4th, Norwalk remained. It is inferred that his house, now the West Avenue club property of St. Mary's parish, was built by himself after the British burning. He was a farmer, and as did Stephen St. John, used the "garret" of his house for grain storage. Traces of the elevated doorway for grain elevation are still discerned in the north gable of the old West Avenue House. Mr. Belden worked (see page 146) the Belden Point farm and the harvest trips to and from the shore with, quite likely, lunch- eon under the shade and a dip at high tide in the salt water, to say nothing of the ever changing sea-scape novelty, possessed such attraction that two youths, at least, were happy escorts, occasionally, of Mr. Belden. One was the young clerk, L. 0. Wilson, afterward Mr. Belden's son-in-law, who in those days was seen hastening down the Ely Neck road with horse under saddle and rider holding a grain cradle, and the other a nephew of Mr. Belden, John, son of Henry Belden, a society young man, but who professed that he preferred association with "Uncle Isaac in the Neck" to college chumming. Mrs. Isaac Belden, whose parents rest a short distance from the southwest door of St. Paul's Church, was a daughter of Matthew and Elizabeth (Kellogg) Reed. Matthew Reed was a genius, a fine specimen of whose hand-craft stands to-day in a Stamford home in the lower part of Summer street. It is an old clock, across the face of which Mr. Reed's name is plainly inscribed. Its maker was born in 1739, 111 Norwalk, and was a son of William and Rachel (Kellogg) Reed and grandson of John2nd and Elizabeth (Turtle) Reed, which John2"d was the old- est son of John Reed, Senior and settler, whose grave is marked by a granite slab which stands on the grounds of Samuel R. Weed of Rowayton, Conn. Mrs. Matthew Reed, born 1746, was a daughter of Samuel Kellogg2ad (son ofSamuellst and grandson of Settler Daniel Kellogg, sec page 372). Her daughter Esther was a woman of stability. Polly, Esther's sister, born 1768. married, April 3, 1789, Seth.son of John and Ruth Seymour, whose son Uriah is repre- sented to-day by his children who occupy, in 1899, the interesting South Norwalk Se3'mour premises, a little distance north of the new and handsome First Methodist Episcopal Church of that city. Hannah Reed, a sister between Mrs. Seth Seymour and Mrs. Isaac Belden, married, January 5, 1804, Asa, son of Nathaniel and Anna (Raymond) Benedict and father of the late George W. and William H. Benedict (see note, page 378) of South Norwalk. Matthew Reed died December 4, 1797, leaving children other than those named. 385 NOR W A L K . Harriet (Mrs. Lewis O. Wilson) ;J Amos, son of John8"1 and Rebecca (Bartlett) Belden, married Elizabeth, born October .2, 1770, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah (Scudder) Isaacs (see ,,»«,:* 96 alld 33' '■ alld had as per page 96, none of whom, except.ng Julia,2 belonged in No: walk. Henry, son of John" and Rebecca (Bartlett) Belden, married Esther, born October 14. 1773. daughter of Goold and Elizabeth (Dimon) Hoyt, and had as per page 33X. A description of the home of his parents (John3'" and Rebecca Belden) and afterwards that of his brother, John Belden4"\ here naturally follows. BELDKN SEELECK HOESE, iSgg. (See plates pages 38' and 387. 1 This is one of the only few remaining ante-revolutionary Norwalk homes, and its history repays perusal. At the Tryon visitation General Garth caused it la be fired, but his men were seemingly too much in haste to tarry until it was completely flame imdetway, con- sequently the fire was extinguished just as its destruction had commenced. The premises were purchased by the Beldens before the Revolution. John Belden3"' here brought up his children, John4"', Isaac, Amos, Henry. Mary Esther, and Sarah. The family of John3'" and Rebecca (Bartlettl Belden were tenants of the home3 in 1779. Thomas, son of John2"", had a hearthstone of his own (afterwards Governor Bissell place), and Samuel his brother resided in W ilton. The John Belden41" barn for many years after the Tryon conflagration bore an oak inscribed fire-record. Accepting the Moses Webb statement M,ewis< ). Wilson, when young, came to Xorwall; as a clerk. He became afterwards a Norwalk mer- chant, and finally a heavy business man of New York city, where he was energetic, enterprising and success- ful. His country home at Belden's Neck was a lovely site. Mr. Wilson liked well kept highways. He was much interested in the Wilson PointRoad and seemed to be fond, at leisure hours, of himself having a part in the work. After he had quit "The Neck.'" and given up business, and buried most ot itis family, he w as wont, in old age. to he seen, in kid protected hands holding a rake and indulging his old incli- nation. He was well known in Metropolitan mer- chant circles and made his country seat inviting. tStv pai»e Mrs. Wilson was a devoted mother, and enjoyed, with her children, the attractive proper- ty, her father's bequeathed patrimony, at "the Point." The children of L. 1). and Harriet Wilson were Capt. Henry, U. S. N„, Charles, Oliver, William and Victor B. Charles and Victor were the onlv married sons. The first married Charlotte Tillotson, of N. V., and the second Sarah Searlcs of Xorwalk. =Julia (see last note p igc 1161, daughter of Amos Belden1" married, March IH, 1N16, Hooker, born January 311. 1792, son of William and Mary Esther (lielden) St. John. She had one son, Frederick Augustus, born January 1.1. 1N17. who died unmar- ried, June 13, 1S35I. Both second cousins, Frederick A. St. John and John (son of Henry) Belden, died young. John Belden had commenced a business en- gagement in Xew York city, but soon came home to close his days. He was a social favorite and had much to live for. Mrs. Hooker St. John survived the birth ol her only child one day short of eight months. 3This home was established prior to the Revolu- tionary war. At the Tryon visitation General Garth caused it to be fired, but his men. who on their march from "Old Well" northward had almost reached the crossing, place to the east side of Xorwalk river where the Tryon and Garth forces were to unite, were seemingly in haste and did not tarry until sure that the building was fully fired. The fire was extinguished ere the structure wasdestroyed. It was afterwards repaired and continued the property of John Belden3"!, father of John**, Isaac. Amos, Henry. Mary Esther, and Sarah Belden. The same (14 acres area) w as sold, -March 18, 1790, by the heirs of John3'<l and Rebecca (Bartlett) Belden to John** and his brother Isaac. John-"!" took the north portion (Selleck house and land of 1899), and Isaac occupied, with the adjoining grounds, the present St. Mary's Assembly House, opposite St. Mary's Church, on West Avenue. After the day of John Belden«h his 3*7 IIM.IIKX SKI.IJ-.* K lloMK. l**.