son of Isaac, viz. : William, born on the island
of Malta, August, 1823; graduated Dartmouth
College, 1844, married Sarah F. Gordon, of
472
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPBICAL BECORB.
Exeter, N. H., February, 1853, resides near
Beirut, Sj'ria; Emily Ann, born Beirut, 1825;
married Rev. H. J. \'an Lennep, of Constan-
tinople. Turkey, April, 1850; James, born
Beirut, 1826; Martha Jane, born Malta; Mary
E., born Beirut; Caroline, born in Smyrna.
(IX) It will be seen from the foregoing that a
few representatives of the ninth generation
had begun to appear at the time of the prepar-
ation of the record, among them Virgil Bird,
the second son of James, of Salisbury. (X) The
children of Virgil and Ruhamer Bird. (XI)
The children of Cora C. and Myron E. Gil-
lette: Eva May, December 20, 1883. (2)
Children of Henry P. and Daisy Bird (none).
<3) Children of James E. and Grace Bird:
Isaac Knox, born July 20, 1896.
Of the other branches of the family the
record, rapidly widening, is not yet written.
Of the early ancestors, a few incidents of more
than ordinary importance should be noted
here. The name of Thomas Bird appears in
different records of Massachusetts, and some
have isuggested that Thomas B., of Scituate,
and of Dorchester, Mass., of 1642, might be
the same man with our ancestor of Hartford.
But the Dorchester Birds seem to have been of
a separate origin. Of that family are many
of the Birds in Boston and New York, and of
the same was the Rev. Samuel Bird, a pastor
of one of the New Haven churches, just before
the Revolution, and who, though he did not
graduate, was educated at Cambridge, in the
class of 1744, leaving college a little before
the commencement that year. Thomas Bird
came to Hartford some ten years after its first
settlement, and was proprietor only of a small
homestead south of the city limits, and of a par-
cel of land of about fourteen acres, constitut-
ing, as the records say, " an island in the great
river over against the Landing." Whether he
removed with his sons to Farmington, or
remained and died in Hartford, is unknown.
It is remarkable how the male descendants of
Joseph, son of Thomas, have been, in the
providence of God, removed. He appears to
have but three of these representatives remain-
ing now alive, one in the VI Generation, one
in the VII, and one in the VIII.
Thomas (Generation III) was the only
male heir of his father, and was possessed of
an estate valued at 550 pounds, a sum which
constituted riches in those days. As Noah
occupied the place of the second great head of
the Human family, so this second Thomas
Bird stands as the great second head of nearly
all the families of Birds.
John and Joseph (Generation IV), sons of
Thomas, seem to have been men of unusual
enterprise. They were pioneers in the settle-
ment of Litchfield, and were among the chief
town officers. The two home lots of land,
that fell to them in the town, are still pointed
out S. S. E. of the present village, they being
designated on a map published within a few
jears, with a pamphlet, by G. C. Woodruff,
Esq.. of Litchfield. John went on in specula-
tion in lands farther west. He was one of
the company known by the name of The Little
Nine Partners, who purchased lands extending
from the Connecticut line to the North river.
This company became involved, and unable to
meet the demands of their creditors, and John,
overcome by his disappointments, died, it is
said, in a state of mental derangement. He
built a stone house in Dover on land, probably,
which he owned as one of the company,
which house is supposed to be still standing.
Joseph must have obtained some addition to
his means by his marriage. Deacon Isaac
Moore, one of the wealthiest farmers in Farm-
ington, had four children, all daughters. Ruth
was married to John Norton, Jr., son of a
very respectable settler, lately come from
Branford. Dorcas, the youngest daughter of
this connection, became the wife of Joseph
Bird. She was sister of Thomas, father of
Lot Norton, the elder, of Salisbury. Joseph,
in ten years, while in Litchfield, was chosen
nine times to the General Court or State Leg-
islature, and was at his death a justice of the
Quorum. His grave in Salisbury is marked by
a tombstone of Italian marble, lately erected
by the children of his grandson Isaac.
Dr. Seth Bird (of the V Generation) was
one of the most skillful physicians of his time.
It is said of him that he lived on very intimate
and friendly terms with one of the neighboring
physicians, so that they were in the habit of
generously recommending to each other, their
own patients, whenever one thought the other
to be more skillful in the cure of any particular
complaint. He has a marble monument in the
cemetery of Litchfield, S. Farms, erected to
his memory by his son John.
Jonathan Bird, of Simsbury, brother of
Seth, was a physician, and, as it appears, a
Freemason. There is said to be extant a
eulogy on his character, prepared after his
death, and on his tombstone is this inscription:
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
473
In memory of Dr. Jonathan Bird, who (after
exhibiting a striking example of Philosophic
Patience and Fortitude through a distressing
illness) departed this life on the i/th of De-
cember, A. D. , 1786, in the forty-third year
of his age.
FAITH. HOPE. CHARITY.
Stop, brother, and impart a generous sigh,
0\r one in prime called to resign his breath ;
Since all your social band this scene must try.
Square all your work before the hour of
death.
Jonathan, son of Jonathan, son of Thomas,
was educated at Yale College, graduated 1768;
he studied for the ministry, and became a
preacher about 1773, though he never was or-
dained, and of course is never called by the
name of "Reverend." His brethren in the
ministry called him a good preacher, and it is
related of him, that, happening late in life to
be in Boston, Dr. Grififin took him and would
have him preach to his people. He addressed
them a number of times in the course of a
week, and they were so well pleased and so
much profited that they presented him with a
new suit of clothes. He was a sound theo-
logian, but not an awakening, animated speaker.
He was embarrassed by deafness, so that, after
preaching a while, he betook himself to the
practice of medicine. Near the close of his
life he prepared a few of his sermons for the
press, which, under the direction of Rev. Dr.
Bassett, of Hebron, appeared, in a small vol-
ume, after his decease. He had had two or
three occasional sermons published previously,
and was the author of an article in the Boston
Panoplist, on Infidelity, it being the substance
of a letter actually written and sent to one of
his nieces in Hartford in 181 1. [See Pano-
plist, February, 1873.] His place of resi-
dence, at the time he died, was Conway,
Mass., but his death occurred in the family of
his friend. Rev. Dr. Bassett, at whose house
he happened to be on a visit when he was
overtaken by his last illness. He had lost
both his brothers and his only son, and with
him expired his father's male branch of the
family.
It seems a matter of some doubt whether
there was not another son of John Bird be-
longing to this IV Generation, whose name is
doubtful, and does not appear in this sketch.
The following are the words of William A.
Bird, Esq., of Black Rock, son of John and
grandson of Dr. Seth, of Litchfield: "In re-
lation to the brother of my grandfather, who
went to Philadelphia, my mother knew very
well that such a brother resided there. Will-
iam, I think his name was. Dr. Seth, she
told me, once went to see him, and my father
once met a son of his in New York, when he
was in the Legislature in New York, say in
1796." May not this be the same case as that
mentioned by Gen. David B., of Bethlehem,
who says that Atwood B. had a son (name un-
known), who went to Cincinnati [Philadel-
phia.'], became rich and died, and has a son
now living in New York.' Of the Generation
just spoken of was Amos, son of Joseph,
whose short life may merit a few special re-
marks. He is spoken of as a man of great
enterprise, and was the leader in commencing
the settlement of the town of Castleton, in
Vermont, near which a prominent mountain
still bears and perpetuates his name. The
settlement was yet in its infancy when it
pleased the Lord to remove him, and the first
products of the first sawmill, which he had
erected there, were made use of for his coffin.
On a new monument, lately placed over his
remains, were the following inscriptions:
(In front.)
Erected October ip, i8.f.2, to the memory of
Col. A mos Bird,
By citizens of Castleton, and friends, as a
tribute of respect to a ivorthy man.
Born at Litchfield, Conn.,
and died September 16, 1772, aged ^^o years.
(On one side.)
Col. Birdzvas the first white man who as-
serted dominion in Castleton, zvhere he arrived
in January, 1766. He was the first possessor
of the soil for civilisation, and the first called
to resign it, leaving the fruits of his bold en-
terprise to others.
(On the east side.)
Tlie mortal remains of Col. Bird were first
interred by his direction, near his dwelling in
the valley of Bird Creek, and after seventy
years disinterred and here entombed to zuait
the summons that azcakes the dead.
It may be added here that the settlement
of the town was continued by Noah (after-
474
COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPniCAL RECORD.
ward Col. i Lee, who married Bird's niece, a
daughter of James, and who had accompanied
him in his enterprise. Lee entered into the
war of the Revolution, which broke out about
this time, and there continued to its close.
At his own expense he raised a company of
"Green Mountain I^oys, " and acted for a time
in concert with Ethan Allen. He was after-
ward at the battles of Trenton, Princeton and
Germantown, and witnessed the surrender of
Lord Cornwallis. He died at Castleton, 1840,
aged ninety-si.x years, leaving a large number
of descendants.
John B., of the Si.xth Generation, son of
Dr. Seth, was the second of the descendants
of Thomas, of Hartford, who was educated at
college. He read law, it is believed, in Salis-
bury, Conn., where he had relatives. After
this he resided in Litchfield for a time, and
then removed to Troy, where he was chosen
repeatedly to the State Legislature, and after-
ward to Congress. He died suddenly at the
early age of thirty-seven. He is universally
spoken of, by those who knew him, as a man
of extraordinary powers of mind.
Chauncey, son of Atwood, had the reputa-
tion among his Litchfield neighbors of possess-
ing very eminent natural gifts, not falling, if
any, in this respect, much behind his cousin
John. But Chauncey had not the advantages
of education enjoyed by John, and his line of
life was not such as to bring him before the
public. Of his later history we have very lit-
tle information. He is supposed to be still
alive, and somewhere in the State of Michigan.
Isaac, son of James, enlisted about the age
of eighteen under Col. Burrall, of Canaan, in
the Revolutionary army of the North against
the Canadas. The smallpox having broken
out in the army, he was among the number
that had to be inoculated. In connection with
this disease he was seized with remarkable
swellings, which greatly debilitated him, and
in this condition, by a reverse in the fortunes
of the army, he was left, with many other sick
men, to shift for himself, and he resolved to
attempt finding his way to his sister's (Mrs.
Noah Lee's) in Castleton. This he succeeded
in accomplishing, and after begging his bread
through many weary days and nights of travel,
he at length presented himself at the door of
the log cabin, in the complete habit and con-
dition of a common mendicant. Here, how-
ever, he had all the aid which a sister's care,
in a new settlement, could offer; but his re-
covery was too slow and too imperfect to en-
able him to return to the army. Joseph, son
of Joseph, of Tyringham, witfi one exception
was, in 1855, the only living representative of
the Generation to which he belonged. He was
one of those men to whom we owe so much
for having, at the expense of great suffering,
and hazard of life, defended our liberties and
achieved our national independence. He en-
listed in the army in 1776 and spent the sum-
mer at Ticonderoga, and in autumn, in com-
pany with others, was discharged. He soon
after enlisted for three years, or during the
war, and went during the campaign of 1777 as
an attendant of Dr. Binney, of Tyringham,
whose daughter he afterward married. He
was in the field at the various battles with
Burgoyne. When Gen. Frazier was killed,
and Maj. Ackland wounded and taken pris-
oner, the latter was brought to Joseph Bird's
tent, and there it was that Lady Harriet, of
whose character Burgoyne himself has given
so affecting a description, came and nursed
him. After the surrender of Burgoyne, the
soldiers of the Northern army were sent to
unite with forces of Washington at Valley
Forge, and Bird went with them. When Gen.
Clinton commenced his march from Philadel-
phia toward New York, the Americans moved
also to attack him in the rear. The account
that follows is in the language of Roderick D.
Bird, of Waynesburg, Penn., grandson of Jos-
eph. "My grandfather," he says, "was sent
with a detachment of 2,000 men on the east
road, and another detachment of 2,000 men
was sent on the west road to harass the enemy
until the main army arrived. On Saturday,
June 27, Gen. Lee joined us at Monmouth
with 2,000 men, and orders to attack Clinton's
army. At that point, our army retreated. The
British followed until Washington came up
and commanded to file to the right and left.
My grandfather was with the left wing. At
this period the cannon began to boom on both
sides, which lasted from one and a half to two
hours. Grandfather says he caught a number
of cannon balls in his camp-kettle as they
rolled upon the ground. The first that he saw
coming in that way a young soldier put out his
foot to stop, which dislocated his ankle. About
I o'clock the British right wing undertook to
tlank our left. Col. Selby called for volunteers
to turn it. Grandfather went with others and
turned it, and charged and drove them back.
In this charge he received a wound. The
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
475
contending parties were not more than one or
two rods apart. He was shot through the left
arm, the ball breaking the bone and leaving a
detached fragment of about one inch in length.
The ball then penetrated his left side, and re-
mains there to this day. He says he well re-
members his sensations when the ball hit him.
It beat his breath from him, and he staggered
a while and fell. When he came to he was
lying with his face upward exposed to the rays
of the burning sun; he supposed he had simply
been asleep, but soon found that he was
wounded. That night he was taken with
others to Monmouth church, where his wound
was dressed. He was then carried to Eliza-
bethtown, where he was left, through a dreary
night, in a barn, having for his companions
the wounded and dying. He suffered most for
want of water, and they had no light. The next
day they were taken in wagons to Princeton
College, where he remained, having the best
of treatment." He was considered unfit to re-
sume the duties of the army until October,
'79, when he rejoined his regiment at West
Point, and was subsequently employed, with-
out any very important military occurrence, in
protecting the inhabitants of the Mohawk Val-
ley from the incursions of the British and
Indians.
Benjamin Bird, of Connecticut, and Joseph
Bird, of Vermont, are now the only living
members of the Generation VI; the one de-
scended from the elder of the two sons of
Thomas, of Hartford, the other from the
younger.
It is worthy of remark, that while the liv-
ing male members of the family, who stand as
guardians of the name, scarcely exceed, if they
even reach, the number of fifty; the descend-
ants of the female lines probably far exceed a
thousand. As we look back upon these sev-
eral past generations that have risen and fallen
in quick succession, we are forcibly reminded
of the rapid flight of time and the shortness of
life. " We have here no continuing city." The
generations of men have been aptly compared
with the waves of the sea. They rise and roll
on, each urging his predecessor forward, till,
one after another, they dash upon the shore
and disappear. We ourselves are pressed on
by the resistless tide behind, and there is no
escape for us more than for others. But there
is a sea, and there is a shore, where no surg-
ing and dashing and disappearing exist — where
generations of all ages mingle in harmony and
rest, and if our days are but spent in ' ' Wis-
dom's ways,"
They'll waft us safely o'er
Tfiis life's tempestuous sea.
And soon we'll reach the peaceful shore
Of blest eternity.
PATRICK ROGERS is numbered among
the stalwart and substantial citizens of
the town of Dover, Dutchess county, who are
of alien birth. He is a native of County Ca-
van, Ireland, where he secured his education,
and there followed farming until emigrating to
the United States in 1846. He is the son of
Peter Rogers, whose birth also occurred on
the Emerald Isle, and his mother bore the
maiden name of Miss Mary Riley. In their
family were six children: John; Hugh and
Peter, who never married; Patrick; Mary, who
became the wife of James McCarty; and Ann,
who married John Clark.
On reaching the New World, our subject
located in New York City, where he married
Miss Margaret Rogers, also of Ireland, who
came to America in 1863. From that city
they removed to their farm in the town of
Dover, where they now reside. They have
been blessed with seven children: John, born
October 9, 1864, married Kate Sheehan; Pat-
rick, born July 4, 1S67, married Mattie Kin-
nie, by whom he has one son. Hall; Peter,
born April i, 1869, wedded Mary Hacy; Mary,
born April 6, 1 871, is the wife of John Bridge-
ford, by whom she has one child, Leo; Mar-
garet, born May 15, 1874, Catharine, born
September 12, 1878, and Thomas, born Janu-
ary 10, 1883, are all at home.
Charles Rogers, the grandfather of the wife
of our subject, was born, reared and educated
in Ireland, where he followed weaving in con-
nection with agricultural pursuits. In his fam-
ily were five children: Philip, who married
Catharine Lynch; Lawrence, who married
Margaret McCall; Thomas, who married Mary
Lynch; John, the father of Mrs. Patrick Rog-
ers; and Patrick, who married Elizabeth Riley.
John Rogers, like his ancestors, was born
and educated on the Emerald Isle, where, dur-
ing manhood, he carried on the pursuit of
farming. He married Miss Ann Martin, daugh-
ter of Patrick and Ann Martin, of the same
country, and seven children were born to them:
Patrick, who married Catharine McBrean;
Thomas, who also married a Catharine Mc-
476
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Brean, no relative, however, of his broth-
er's wife; Mary, who remained single; Cath-
arine, who married Philip McBrean; Ann, who
married Patrick Boyle; Margaret, who married
Patrick Rogers, subject of this sketch; and
John, who married Mary Coonie.
CHARLES H. SHURTER, a public-spirited
and enterprising citizen of Poughkeepsie,
Dutchess county, whose place of business is
located at No. 368 Main street, is engaged in
plumbing and gas fitting, and also deals in hard-
ware and house-furnishing goods. He is car-
rying on a successful and well-established busi-
ness, occupying an important place among the
various industries of that thriving cit}', and
conducted on strictly honest principles. He
is looked up to as a useful and honorable citi-
zen, one who takes a commendable interest in
the welfare and progress of his city and county.
Mr. Shurter was born March 28, 1836, in
Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and is a son of Isaac H.
Shurter, whose birth occurred in Fishkill,
Dutchess county. His great-grandfather came
to the New World from Holland, and located
upon a farm in Ulster county, N. Y., where
Frederick Shurter, the grandfather of our sub-
ject, was born. After his marriage the latter
located in the town of Fishkill, Dutchess coun-
ty, where he followed farming, and reared his
five children.
In early life Isaac H. Shurter learned the
shoemaker's trade, and in the town of Fishkill
was united in marriage with Miss Clorinda
Wheeler, a native of that township, born of
French descent. The young couple removed
to Poughkeepsie in 1832, where for about five
years the father engaged in the grocery busi-
ness, and then began boot making, in which
line he continued for a number of years. He
was called from life in 1875, his wife in 1872.
They were conscientious, earnest Christians,
and for about thirty-five years had been mem-
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Dur-
ing his later years the father was an ardent
Republican.
Charles H. Shurter attended the first free
school ever held in Poughkeepsie, and after
finishing his education, about the year 1850,
began to learn the tinsmith's trade, which oc-
cupation he followed until 1876. At that time
he formed a partnership with George H. Briggs
in the hardware trade, being located at No.
368 Main street, where he still carries on busi-
ness. In 1868 he married Miss Mary Kidney,
a native of Poughkeepsie, and a daughter of
Charles and Maria Kidney, the former of whom
was a leading liveryman of Poughkeepsie, and
belonged to a family that was early established
in Dutchess count}-. In January, 1892, our
subject was called upon to mourn the loss of
his wife, a most estimable lady.
Politically, Mr. Shurter votes the straight
Democratic ticket, and he is now a member of
the water board of Poughkeepsie. He was
one of the seven men who organized the O.
H. Booth Fire Company, in 1853, since which
kime he has been actively connected with it,
and has held all the positions in the same, be-
ing foreman eight jears, chief of the fire de-
partment three years, and twenty years a rep-
resentative of the company, which position he
still holds. He is a member of the Order of
American Firemen, was the first president of
the local organization, and is now past presi-
dent. For twenty-nine years he has been
trustee of the local lodge of the I. O. O. F.,
is a member of the Encampment, and also
belongs to the Sons of Temperance. To Trin-
ity Church he and his faithful wife were lib-
eral contributors.
CHAPPELL ROBINSON, a well-known
agriculturist of the town of Stanford,
Dutchess county, started in life with nothing
save his own indomitable energy, and his ac-
cumulation of this world's goods is attributable
to his good judgment, perseverance and indus-
try. His word in business transactions is con-
sidered as good as his bond, and he is justly
recognized as one of the energetic and repre-
sentative citizens of Stanford.
In the town of Kent, Putnam Co., N. Y.,
our subject was born November 23, 18 16.
There his grandfather, Chappell Robinson,
with two brothers, had located at an early
day, and he continued to make the town of
Kent his home until late in life, when he re-
moved to Tompkins county, where his death
occurred. By occupation he was a farmer.
He wedded Miss Mary Sprague, by whom he
had five children: Stephen, Sabins, Squire,
Mary and Eli.
Stephen Robinson, the father of our sub-
ject, was also a native of the town of Kent,
Putnam county, where his education was ac-
quired in the common schools, and he there
married Martha Kelly, daughter of Seth Kelly.
{/,^:fjpLJ^
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
477
To them were born thirteen children, namely:
Chappell, Seth Kelly, Osborn, Enos, Emily,
Zillah, Jarvis, Ada, Nathaniel, Priscilla, Rob-
ert, Catherine and William. The father en-
gaged in farming in his native township until
1836, when he removed to the town of Stan-
ford, Dutchess county, where he followed the
same pursuit for several years. The following
twelve years were passed at Lithgow, in the
town of Washington, Dutchess county, after
which he returned to Stanford town, where he
died in February, 1876, at the ripe old age of
eighty years. He had served as a soldier in
the war of i8i2, and was a faithful Republic-
an in politics.
The early life of our subject was passed
upon the home farm in the town of Kent,
where he attended the district schools, and he
remained a member of his father's household
until he attained his majority, when he started
out for himself as a farm hand, working in