Supplement to Norwalk, Conn., Volume One: Genealogy

Gershom B. Smith, married, first, Sarah Finch and had Nelson, born December 31, 1803, who was drowned in 1832, unmarried. Mr. Smith, married, second, Temperance, born June 15, 1790, daughter of Robert and Temperance (Doty) Sheffield, and had Edward, born, December 19, 1811, Austin, December 11, 1812, Jane, June 16, 1815, died young, Theodore (Captain), August 7, 1816, Gershom B., April 28, 1818, died young, Andrew, August 5, 1819, Emaline (Mrs. Edgar Hoyt), December 18, 1821, Eliza Jane (Mrs. Allen Gray), May 19, 1820, Mary (Mrs. David T. Coon), March 11,1826, Sarah (Mrs. Joseph Cox), June 20, 1827, Leonard, January 28, 1831, and Robert Sheffield, July 31, 1836. Edward the oldest son by his second wife, of Gershom B. Smith, married Martha Smith of Long Island and had Victoria. Millard Filmore, Warren Eagleton, Jennie June, Wilson R. and Mattie M. Robert Sheffield was the uncle of the distinguished Joseph F. Sheffield, founder of the Sheffield Scientific School of New Haven. Edward Smith was one of the heads of the Smith & Gray clothing firm of Brooklyn. Warren E. Smith, resides in Greenwich and has a summer sea girt home on one of the Norwalk Islands. Captain Theodore Smith and his wife Agnes B., daughter of Hanford and Eliza Weed of New Canaan, were the latest proprietors of the ancient and reputable piece — Indian and Eng- lish— of Norwalk property known as " Longe," " Smiths," '-Sheffield" and Norwalk Island. The widow of Captain Theodore still holds it. Her husband there built a commodious home and the site, salubrity and scenery of the spot are fine. The history of the island from the days of the Sachem Winnipauk's possession of it down to the present Smith's incumbency is interest-abounding. Commodore Reed's story of the heroine of the Madeiria Islands has there had something of a counterpart and there have been periods when the island's occupant has seemed a second Robinson Crusoe. Gay parties have spent happy hours beneath its " pines" and perhaps no more fervent prayers have ever floated heavenward than those from thence wafted to the skies during the visits, years ago, of Dr. Asa Hill to this tide-kissed Nor- walk "embracing." By day and night, in storm and shine, in summer and winter, the place has its fascina- tions and albeit there may no longer be witnessed, when off the island, from the mid-sounds Bridgeport or New Haven steamers, the always dextrous and sometimes dangerous launch of Captain Theodore Smith's private craft which was to bear the brave fellow to the loved ones on the two or three miles distant sands yet, to this day "Norwalk Island" has its charms and is one of this old community's favorite localities. The children of Captain Theodore and Agnes Blair (Weed) .Smith were : Theodora (Mrs. Richards), DeWitt and Robert Sheffield (twins), Stanley Sheffield, Agnes Fairfield'2"'1, Genevieve, Ada May (Mrs. William Gade), Linda (Mrs. Charles Chamber- lain), Theodore Ledyard, Thornton Hoxie; Agnes Fairfieldlst and Minnesota both died in infancy. Agnes Fairfield2"", daughter of Captain Theodore and Agnes Smith, married on Nor- walk Island, January 22, 1899, W. H. Hoffman. 436 NORWALK. THE SMITH RIDGE AND RIDGEFIELD SMITHS. Samuel Smithlst, who married Rachel, daughter of Matthew Marvinlst, (see pages 150 and 177) had Rachel ( Mrs. Thomas Benedict), Lydia (Mrs. James Lockwood), Sarah, Hannah, Samuel2™1 and Nehemiah18'. Samuel Smith15' was brother of Joseph (page 431). Samuel Smith2"'1 married, June 13, 171 1, Sarah, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Smith) Whitney and had Samuel8™1, Sarah (Mrs. Nathan Olmsted), Rachel (Mrs. James Northrop), and Patience (Mrs. Benjamin Hoyt), all of Ridgefield. Nehemiah Smith1*', brother of Samuel2"'1, married Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Clapham and had Nehemiah21"1, (not found excepting that his daughter Mary married Thaddeus Sey- mour), Peter18', Matthew1"', Daniellst, Elizabeth18', (Mrs. Lieutenant Samuel Street), Rachel3"1 (Mrs. Ebenezer Street), Rebeccah (Mrs. John Hanford), Lydia Ann (Mrs. Josiah Burr), and Joseph. Mrs. Nehemiah Smith1"' (Elizabeth Clapham), married, second, Thomas Talmadge of Stamford. The mother of Mrs. Nehemiah Smith18', was Isabella, daughter of John and Ann Bar- low of Fairfield. The children of Peter and Isabella Clapham were Elizabeth (Mrs. Nehemiah Smith); Rebeccah (Mrs. Nathan Adams, Jr.), Mary (Mrs. Thomas Marvin). " Smith Hills" was a district near " Bear Swamp" in Poplar Plains. Bear Swamp is traversed by the Newtown Turnpike. The descent of Peter1", son of Nehemiah1", is traced on page 178. Matthew Smith18', son of Nemiahlst, owned the fine old style H. M. Prowitt beautifully kept house and grounds in East Norwalk (1895). He left these to his nephew Matthew (son of his brother Peter Smithlst,) which nephew parted with the property or a portion of it, to Josiah Hanford Fitch, the father of the late Mrs. Samuel Daskam of East Norwalk. From Samuel Smith18', descended the Smith families of Smith's Ridge and Ridgefield. SELLECK. This Stamford-Norwalk family is of ancient pedigree. By tradition it originated in Wales. The name is Cornish-British, which is a dialect of the Celtic, Belgic or Cambrian formerly spoken throughout Cornwall. The etymology of the proper noun Selleck is "in open view," conspicuous, and its mention is fou.nd as early as A. D. 1086. Along the seventeenth century are records of Sellecks in positions of influence. John Selyocke about that period "declined knighthood." In the deed of Galdon Manor Robert Selleck is mentioned as a "trustie and well beloved friend," and John Selioke, father and son, were Mayors of St. Albans 1684-1700, while "Selleck on the Wye" is a beautiful village. In the roll of early New England settlers occurs in 1640 the name of David Selleck. It is claimed that the first provision for a free school in the western world, by direct tax, was made in Dorchester, Mass., in 1639. David Selleck, before referred to, was one of the sub- scribers to a petition to that effect. David and Susannah Selleck, his wife, were members of the 1644 First Church of Boston, and the births of their children are recorded in that ancient KORWALK. 437 town. Among the antiquities of Boston is found the "David Selleck home lot description." Mr. Selleck was engaged in trade between the Colonies and the Barbadoes. He died while on an expedition, in 1654, to Virginia. His two sons, Jonathan and John, came to Stamford in 1660. They there married sisters, daughters of Hon. Richard Law, the first civilian among the Stamford settlers, and one of the "first gentlemen in the Colony." Jonathan Selleck -was one of the leading men of the period (see Colonial histories of New York and Connecticut). His son Jonathan'2'"' shared his father's civil and military renown, and his son John was the first Fairfield county graduate of Harvard College. John Selleck1", brother of Jonathan1*', married a daughter of Hon. Richard Law. He became a wealthy ship owner and captain, and was extensively known in early days. He was taken prisoner by the French (on one'of his ocean trips), in May, 1689, but his estate, which was large, was not settled until 1708. He left one only son, Nathaniel, who married Sarah, daughter of Gershom and Anne (Millington) Lockwood of Greenwich. From these two has been a descent " which has been largely characterized by the qualities of honor, courage and loyalty; a God fearing, will making, debt-paying people." CHILDREN OF DAVID1" AND SUSANNAH SELLECK. David2"', born October 11, 1638, went to the Barbadoes ; Jonathan1", born March 20, 1641, came to Stamford ; John1", born February 2, 1643, came to Stamford; Nathaniel1", born July 18, 1645, no Norwalk descent ; Joanna, born December 11, 1647; Elizabeth, born February 1, 1651 ; A daughter Susannah, died September 10, 1653. David Selleck1" died in Virginia in 1654. Jonathan1" and John1", sons of David and Susannah Selleck, came as young men to Stamford in about 1660. Jonathan1" married Abigail, daughter of Richard Law, and John Selleck1" married Sarah Law, a sister of the wife of his brother Jonathan Selleck1". Hon. Richard Law, the father of the Mrs. Jonathan1" and John1" Selleck is denominated by one historian a most important Colonial personage. He was the Scribe of the Colony, and because of his legal lore the "Counsellor and Adviser of the community." He married Mar- garet, daughter of Thomas Kilbourne1 of Wethersfield, and removed to Stamford, where their home was one of the most honored of the Colony, and the family furnished names that gave a lustre to the State, whose highest civil and judicial seats its members filled. Thomas Kilbourne was born in the parish of Wood Ditton in Cambridge, England, A.D. 1578, where he was baptized May 8 of that year. With his wife Frances, and a portion of his family, he em- barked April 15, 1635, from London for New Eng- land in the ship Increase. He settled at Wethersfield, Conn., and died previous to 1639. His wife's will was made November 3, 1650, and inventoried Decem- ber 3, 1650. Margaret (Mrs. Richard Law) daughter of Thomas and Frances Kilbourne, was born in Wood Ditton, England, in A. D. 1607, and baptized Septem- ber 23rd of that year. She was married to Hon. Richard Law soon after the New England arrival of the Law family. Mrs. Law died before her husband. He made his will March 12, 1687, in which "he divides lands to his daughters, the two Mrs. Sellecks, so that they may have each a half as much as the son; for which, he says, the word of God is clear and good reason for it, and why any Christian man that loveth righteous- ness and equity should be against it he sees not." 43§ NORWALK DESCENT FROM THE SELLECK BROTHERS JONATHAN1'* AND JOHN1"'. Jonathan1"1. Jonathan1"', son of Davidlst and Susannah Selleck, married, May n, 1663, Abigail, daughter of Richard and Margaret (Kilbourne) Law, and had: Jonathan2'1*, born July 11, 1663; David, born January 27, 1666, probably died young ; John, died young. Jonathan'21"1, oldest child of Jonathan18' and Abigail (Law) Selleck, married, January 5, 1685, Abigail, daughter of Major Nathan Gold of Fairfield.