Norwalk

In the year 1815 her husband, accompanied by her brother Henry, who had just passed his twentieth birthday, left Norwalk to examine, with reference to settlement, differ- ent places in what was then known as the " West." They finally reached Norwalk, Ohio, the first settler at which place had been one of the New Canaan (Silverminei Coinstocks. They were so pleased with their prospecting trip and its discovery, that they returned to Connecticut and made immediate preparation for removal to Ohio, and on Jan. 24 follow- ing, their team was driven out of this town bound for its namesake plantation. Norwalk, Ohio, where they arrived on the last day of April, and where David Gibbs beaame prominent and lived (there or in the neighborhood) for twenty-four years. He was born in this town May 22. 1788. and died in Norwalk, Ohio. March 16. 1840. His wife Elizabeth survived him for about one-third of a century, when this Norwalk. Conn, born child, and Norwalk, Ohio, citizen, passed hence, Oct. 4. 1873, at the ripe age of eighty-two. 'The description at this home, alluded to in note on page N+, would be incomplete destitute of the fol- lowing : Thk Jabez Gregory Dairy. The "(■randmothei ■" Jabez Gregory's "Spring" milk house, afterward removed to Kast Avenue, was, if not a modern, yet a model creamery, and in her day well worth a body's while to vi>it. ft stood at the water-side end of the yard (covered to dav l»y the rears nf the John Bennett and adjoining Main Street stores) and was neatness nicetv itself. One could feast one's eyes upon its sight, white and sweet, inside and out, as lime could make and keep it. The milk, from kine fed in pastures, flavored by the early and pearly dew, was poured from the milk-maid's pail into bright pans which stood upon broad shelves kept spullessly clean, and when the golden cream was " set " it was rewarding and a revelation for anyone to pass under the Gregory boughs to behold the same. Even in the Gregory dav, the virtues of dairy air, light and ventilation seemed well understood. NORWALK. 191 LOCKWOOD-ROGERS-MARVIN. Sarah, born Sept. is, 1745, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Rogers) Lockwood, married, Nov. 26, 1761, Ozias, born Jan. 29, 1737, son of Matthew and Elizabeth (Clark) Marvin. From this union have descended useful and honored Norwalk citizens. Ozias Marvin was a public man and could boast of descent (see page 15 1 ) in the fifth generation, (Matthew15'', Matthew 2d% Samuel-'11-, Matthew**, Ozias 5th-) from Matthew Marvin the set- tler. Ozias and Sarah Marvin had a numerous family, and the Lockwood-Rogers-Marvin blood is a stream that courses many veins at the present day. The children of Ozias and Sarah Marvin were : Ozias2d-; born Feb. 10, 1763.' Hannah; born Oct. 1764, married David Comstock, died May, 1844. Elizabeth; born Nov. 1766, married William Bennett. Sarah; born June 21, 1768, married Samuel Burwell. Esther; born June 12, 1770, married Isaac Church. Joseph Lockwood;2 born Dec. 31, 1772. James; born Dec. II, 1774; died Nov. 11, 1776, Clark; born Oct. 13, 1776. Asa; born Oct. 26, 1778. Mary; born June 9, 178 1, married Daniel Tebbetts. Silas; born March 1, 1784. Charles; born Feb. 9, 1786; died Feb. 1, 1838. LOCKWOOD-ROGERS-SEYMOUR. It may not be inappropriate to reserve for the conclusion of the description of the Shortly after Mrs. Jabez Gregory's decease in 1839, the ownership of the property changed hands and the building and grounds were otherwise use-ap- propriated. The ancient building was added to in the rear, almost to the river's edge, and the south adjoin- ing grounds became a sort of yard and " garden " ad- junct to a •' refreshment place" which was kept in the lower story of the remodeled Gregory home. 'Ozias '<>■, the oldest son of Ozias 'st. and Sarah Marvin, married three times. His first wife was Mary Bennett, his second Mrs. Eunice Parmeiee, and his third Mrs. Althea Herrick. His children were by his first wife. He, in early life, removed to central New York where he was long held in esteem and w here he lived to attain to nearly ninety years of age. He died April 10, 1848. 2Joseph L. Marvin's descendants are referred to on page 152. His son, Hon. David Meeker Marvin, born Oct. 20, 1802, a Connecticut senator, was an in- fluential citizen of Westport whose children are among that town's best known people in 1896. Mr. Marvin married Jan. 8, 1824, Mary, daughter of John Taylor, whose business establishment stood under the spread- ing boughs which in 1896 shade and grace the west front corner of his grandson, William H. Marvin's, extensive home-grounds on the old Connecticut turn- pike. The Taylor family is one of the most ancient households of Norwalk, and its Saugatuck branch grew to such strength, numerically and acreage wise, that a former designation of that part of old Nor- walk (now Westport) through which, on the west bank of the river, the Connecticut turnpike was cut, was " Taylor Town." The children of Hon. David M. and Mary Marvin were Walter T., who resided in New York; William II., who occupies his Taylor grandfather's home site, and who has carefully pro- tected the old John Taylor well, near the street; John J. ; David, who died at two years of age; and Fred- erick D. The Marvins of Mott Haven, now of New- York city, belong to this family. 192 NORWALK. Xorwalk settlers Home-lot XI, which had for its early possessors Richard Seymour and James Rogers311-, a Rogers-Seymour mention. Joseph Lock\vood3d-, son of Joseph 2d- and Rebecca Rogers Lockwood, and grand- son of Joseph Lockwood1"-, who was son of Ephraim, the Norwalk Lockwood settler, was born Oct. 2. 1778, and took to wife. Rebecca, born June 7, 1781, daughter of James1"- and Rebecca 1 Kecler) Seymour. The fruit of this union was : William; born June 29, 1801. Harriet; bom May 6, 1804. James; born Sept. 19, 1806. Rebecca Frances; born Jan. 23, 1821. It should be recalled that the Rebecca Rogers Lockwood descendants are not, at least as far as is now known, from James Rogers *S but from the Long Island Rogers family branch. Upon this subject the able words of the departed Dr. Benjamin W. Dwight of Clinton. Oneida County, New York, as appeared in an 1884 article in the N. Y. Gen. and Biog. Record, will here bear repetition. " Investigators into its (the Norwalk James Rogers 3<i- family) supposed early continental history have quite uniformly gone astray in conceiving at the outset, that this family of Rogers was of Long Island origin (as of Hunt- ington, Southampton, or Hempstead.) Many have persistently followed up what stray hints the)- could find as guesses, which are often the first immature form of what prove in the end to be real discoveries, or at least very valuable theories ; but never has one of them found any real satisfaction in his researches in any such direction, or any increase of light at all as he has moved onward in any particular line of exploration. Said one who had been specially diligent in such a way to the writer, after a long experience of continued disappointment : " I have always expected that Providence would help me some day to get that Huntington-Rogers family record, and I have not yet lost hope that I shall get it, smiKwftar, somc/iosu/' Behold, my good friend, the desired day has at last come to you ! Take freely the light here offered : it has cost much painstaking patience to procure it. Seek resolutely what further light you crave, from the same quarters whence this has reached you. No one can find gold by digging, however long or hopefully, in earth that does not contain it, or arrive at any desired destination by travelling, with whatever eager- ness, in ' paths that lead only to bewilder, and dazzle only to blind.' " The day may come when the relation of Jas. Rogers ,st- of New London and Jas>of Xorwalk to the Long Island Rogers and of both households to John Rogers of Smithfield will be document-determined. The descent of Rebecca Rogers, whom Rev. Kbenezer Prime, on March 10, 1737. married to Joseph Lockwood of Norwalk has been ascertained and elsewhere appears, and like success may reward research in the "martyr" direction. Be this as it may. however, early Xorwalk Home-lot XI. is a genealogy-shrine. NOR W A I. K // O.U H-L Q T .V//.' Til 0 M A s k I T i.' II, s h n [ok . Tin: -t.ov a- /f Mm linn rnss."* i Fmm a ;il ifoV mnili- J,irmH Uh rWe*1 " l>ecile-+l<^ a-tailim " il.r N.,rwalk elm*. | Tfee Fitch family emigrated from Hocking, Essex County. England, "John Fitch, who was living at Fitch Cnst]^" ip.uisli of WidJm^loiKj Essex County, is mentioned as early as 1294. Thomas Fitch. Sr.1 and settler, soil of Thomas Fitcli of Boefcing, Essex County, ■It belonged originally to Edward Church, of whom hut liulr seems to have been ascertained. JThN tree, set oat It is believed bjr 6wr, Thomas Kited, and now, with the exception of a section of its bio-kless trunk, entirely a thing of the past, was one ol tin? finest specimms of it" species in Norwulk. Il was denominated the Norwulk "King of Elms,'' ft* partner, t tie Sorwalk "Queen of Kilns,1" heinfl [he Main Street MrClure tree (opposite the Sherman House. Corner of Main ;mJ Cross St reel ~| which wns, at first. transplanted fmm Gf»nbettfy Plains by Jacob ji-l»iiug-"i- Ueueath tin- Gov. Kfich [ re 1' si mat I lie home of (Iml officii! t. The rear of the existing Kttt*t Avenue (iov, Kitcb house is. considered to have once liCeU LLsiirt of Kilch L' iidjlllU-l 1' ivliifh eseiopcd TrVoii's faggots and wa* i m it ( h r pi.>irLL I: L^cl as a part of the post- revolutionary t- iuli home. The governor :s well fa pointed nut to-day, At its side stood. For innnvveurs, the governor's "chair " which piece of fnniiinre has, in sunie wav, been lo*t. The Norwulk elms have been wtu- of ■ It l- heauties of thi- ancient town. In addition to the elms 11 Kfug :md tjuecn " H'ilch and Jennings) ehus, other* nf tlie same liidetv call for notice. Jusiah JlanlWd Kitch ''li'i-i' i nun the woods the several line efin- which, from rSiu have, until recently, sentineled the Moody resi- dence nn East Avenue. The ehn on "The Green,"