Norwalk

(Smith) Fitch. Her father was the son of James and Mary (Haynes-Buckingham) Fitch, and her mother was the daughter of Robert and Judith (Fountain) Smith. Her ancestry -annals would fill a small volume. Her Fitch grandfather was a brother of Gov. Thomas Fitch, and her Smith grandfather was husband of the Long Island Smith mother in relation to whom the citizens of Jamaica passed a "public vote," the nature and history of which have, of late years, been the sub- jects of considerable investigation. Fitch, son of Ste- phen and Phcebe Hanford, mar. Lueretia Chapman. The long-time East Saugatuck debatable ground, the disputed territory, that is to say, between Fairfield and Norwalk, formed, in early times, part of an ec- clesiastical parish. A society organized thereat, in 1714, chose Rev. Daniel Chapman of Saybrook, who had married Grace Lovell or Lovewell of the prov- inces, as its first pastor. These had a number of chil- dren, one of whom, Phineas (Capt.) married Sarah, the widow (2d wife) of Joseph Ketchum formerly of Norwalk. Phineas and Sarah built for themselves a home a little to the east of "Hokanutn'' Plain (near what is now known as Cross Highway.) This home is to-day in the family. Capt. Phineas Chapman earned his title by his services in the Revolutionary War. His son, Joseph, one of the earliest physicians in Westport, had built for him by his father, the house still in existence, which stands at the upper end of the road leading from Westport to Chestnut Hill and just north of the Poplar Plains burial yard. This physician, born Aug. 17, 1745, erected the double dwelling known for the past fifty years, in East Pop- lar Plains, as the Chapman house. He designed it for one of his daughters and it faces the road leading southerly from King Street, which, winding into the Newtown turnpike at Cranburv Plains, conducts to XORWALK. 147 established his family seat. Diagonally across from the Hanfords stood, in their day, the Chichester house, the old time two benched "stoop" of which was quite likely, in the sum- mer morning or evening, to be occupied by the finely formed father of the family. Before the New Haven R. R. was opened, the Hanford-Chichester corner was, at the hour of the New York steamer's arrival and departure, a scene of animation. Almadurus Brower's New Canaan "Diligence,"' Gray's Westport stage and Charles Partrick's noted Nonvalk Norwalk. Dr. Joseph Chapman's daughter, Lydia, born Feb. 12, 1776, married, as his third wife, Col. Enoch St. John of New Canaan, and had one son who lived to be about five years of age. Another daughter mar. Samuel Noyes, M.D.,of New Canaan. Another daughter, Polly, born Aug. 29, 1780, married Cornelius Brinckerhoff of New York. These last had two chil- dren, one of whom, William, born August, 1803, married Lucretia Hanford, born i8ro, daughter of Fitch and Lucretia (Chapman) Hanford. Fitch Han- ford, who was three months old when Norwalk was burned, was the son, as before appears, of Stephen and Phoebe (Fitch) Hanford, grand-parents of Thomas Cook Hanford, whose South Norwalk home has been supplanted by the Mahackemo Hotel. Mrs. Wm. Brinckerhoff succeeded to an estate which, through the Indians' assistance,* was finally determined to belong to Norwalk. She lived to be the last West- port heir of said estate's first proprietor and as she had no children the property fell to the issue of her cousin, Thos. C. Hanford of Norwalk, one of whose grand -daughters, Louisa Brinckerhoff Woodward, hears her name. Phineas Chapman 2d», married Ruth, da u. of Thos. and Ruth (Bradley) Treadwell. Charles, born Jan. 26, 1S14, the youngest son of Phineas and Ruth (Treadwell) Chapman, married Martha, daughter of the well-known Bela St. John of North Wilton. Bela St. John, born 1773, son of John who was the grand- son of Matthias St. John, was of the fifth generation from Matthias St. John, Sr., and settler. His great grandfather Matthias lived in his meadow (now Earle) home in Norwalk, but of his sons, one built on the summit of the Ferris Hill of 1895, and another at the foot of said hill and not far from the father's poet- ically denominated " Comstock's Park."t Bela St. John married, Jan. 15, 1812, Esther, daughter of Stephen and Hannah (Marvin) Keeler of the exten- sive Bald Ilillj Keeler proprietors' family, the veins of the children by which union held the blood of several of the principal founder families of the plan- tation. Charles and Martha (St. John) Chapman lived on the old Phineas Chapman estate, now in the north-cast part of Westport, a home which their daughters take just pride in keeping up. The chil- dren of Charles and Martha Chapman are: Esther St. John, born Aug. 10, 1850, died 1896; Laura E. A., born Aug. 24, 1853; Charles Phineas, horn Nov. 9, 1858, married 1882, Laura, daughter of Ebenezer Gil- bert, Jr. She died 1884, leaving one son. He mar- ried again and lost his second wife. ■This designation was neatly lettered over the door of the New Canaan stage, which Beardsley, brother-in-law of the proprietor, usually drove. With the smack of the whip he rounded into Haynes Ridge or spirited along Church Hill, collecting his early morning complement of New York passengers who, when the " Old Well landing " was reached, and the steamboat boarded, always found the brass rail which fronted the "Captain's office" polished like unto gold and the " Ladies' Saloon," where Margaret Holmes presided, a model of neatness. Capt. Peck had a pleasant greeting for these men who, hailing from as great a distance even as The Oblong, were "feeders" of the line. After the New Haven road was opened, Linus Benedict built up quite a little business traffic between New Canaan and Norwalk. Almadurus B rower came from Westport to Nor- walk and was here employed by Charles Partrick. At this time there was no stage communication with New Canaan, but Mr. Partrick had the contract for a horseback mail thither. As Brower was occasionally solicited by the New Canaan manufacturers to take small packages to Norwalk, it occurred to him to purchase a horse and " run " a sort of " express " once every week-day to and from the former town. From this beginning he gradually built up a livery business, and established a line to the Norwalk steamboat. The business finally assumed no mean proportions and one Hickox entered the arena. Wm. E. Dann of High Ridge, (1896, Norwalk) also founded a New Canaan livery establishment somewhat later. Mr. Dann operated the New Canaan and Darien route and was responsible for the transportation of the U. S. mail between these two points. So influential were the efforts of Samuel St. John, of New Canaan, that the mail was now taken from the train at Stamford, rather than Darien. This broke up the Darien stage *" Norwalk James " was called upon to assist in locating the land-stretch lying to the east of Canoe Hill. It would have ancient boundary between Fairfield and Norwalk. There is dis- been called hi England a "wold." tiocl record to this effect. j \A portion of this sightly domain, nine miles north of fThis name (see N.T. R.) was early given to a diversified '• Whitney's Mill," is to-day held by the Keeler descendants. X ORWALK coach,' preceeded and followed by a line of private conveyances, contributed, at morn and eve, to a bustle-exhibition thereat. Mr. Hanford here built a commodious but neat appearing home establishment. His wife was one of the four daughters of Henry and Rebecca (Fitch) Betts. Henry Betts, son of Peter, and grandson of John, who was son of John, son of Thomas ,st- and Mary Betts, the settlers, married Feb. 12, 1794, Rebecca, born Jan. 31, 1 77 1, only daughter of Daniel and Rebecca (Marvin) Fitch, and the sister of Sam- uel M., Jonathan and Henry Fitch. Henry2 and Rebecca Betts daughter Hairnet (Mrs. Thomas C. Hanford), was the youngest of the children. Her brother was Daniel F. Betts, and her sisters were Rebecca (Mrs. Charles Isaacs), Susan (Mrs. Thomas Benedict), Hen- rietta (Mrs. Charles Mallory) and Sarah Esther,' who was unmarried. Thomas C. and Har- riet B. Hanford had : Sarah Esther (Mrs. Judge A. B. Woodward); Mary E. (Mrs. John T. Henderson); Rebecca F (Mrs. Charles Ostrom) ; Thomas Cook, Jr. ; Henry B. ; Zalmon Burr ; died in in infancy. Sarah Esther, born Aug. 11, 1X35, daughter of Thomas C. and Harriet B. Hanford, married, June 8, 1859, Asa B. Woodward, and had : route and as the Norwalk line had for some time been vacant, Linus Benedict Came into the field. Through the help of William Mallory of Nonvalk, and Major Burrell of Westport, a horse was procured from across the State line, and as Frederick St. John of Norwalk, gave the harness and George Fancher, a wagon builder, accepted easy terms for the vehicle, the Norwalk and New Canaan passenger and parcel enterprise was revived. Mr. Benedict continued, for a number of years in the business, and was succeeded by LV1, Watson. The venerable Linus Benedict is to-day residing, at an advanced age, in Norwalk. 1 le is the son of Nehemiah and Folly (St. John) Bene- dict, and has had a varied lite-experience. When a young man he was an overseer of the Albany and Schenectady Railroad and had charge of a construc- tion gang. It was made his duty to see that the tracks (wooden) were always in order. The coaches were drawn by horses — " Fat as seals and gay as larks" — in tandem. It was during Mr. Benedict's proprietorship of the Norwalk and New Canaan route that the Norwalk draw-bridge disaster befel, at which casualty Mr. Benedict rendered efficient sen ice. '"Colored John " was the trusty conductor of this coach, lie was a knight of the whip and a knight of the step. Mr. Partrick's coach was en- tered by leather - covered, carpeted stairs, which folded closely together. When "John" reined in his horses to receive or discharge passengers, he dis- mounted from his high seat with alacrity and with perceptible grace unfolded and folded up again the tapestried series of foot-rests. ne was an excellent