WalkcT. Through Yale associations the firm has a
very large western trade, and for the last twenty
years Mr. Walker has made extended trips through
the West in the interest of his business. Since
1878 he has been a member of Calvary Baptist
Church. In the associations of the Masonic fra-
ternity he is a conspicuous figure, as he belongs to
Hirani Lodge, Harmony Council and h'ranklin
Chapter, and he is one of the charter members of
the Union League Club. With four others he
founded the Young Men's Republican Club. He is
a member of the Chamber of Commerce and of the
Business Men's Association of New Haven. From
J 870 to 1877 he belonged to the New Haven Grays.
Cii.vRLES PiTTM.vN W.ALKER was born in Pon-
tiac. Mich., and was married in New Haven, Oct.
19, 1898, to Carolyn Minerva, a daughter of Ben-
jamin Andrew and Lizzie Thomas (Noble) Booth.
Mrs. Walker was born July 8, 1877, and is the
mother of one child. Richard Booth, born Aug. 16,
1899. Benjamin Booth, her father, was born in
1854, and was married in 1876, at Westficld, Mass.,
to Lizzie Thomas, a daughter of Jacob A. Noble,
by whom he had the following family: (i) Caro-
lyn M. ; (2) Julia Noble; (3) Elizabeth Isabelle;
and (4) Benjamin Noble.
Benjamin Booth, the grandfather of Mrs.
Walker, was born in 1822, and died March 28,
1899. His marriage occurred in 1848, when Caro-
line Ann, a daughter of Samuel and Salina (Smith)
Andrew, became his wife. To them were born:
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
'379
(ij Benjamin Andrew; (2) Esther Amelia; (3)
William Lincoln ; (4) Clifford Herman; (5) Car-
rie; (6) Frank I.; and (7) Harry Colfax. Ben-
jamin Booth was the son of Noah, and a grandson
of Elijah Booth.
Caroline Ann Andrew was a daughter of Sam-
uel Andrew; Samuel was the son of William, the
grandson of William, and the great-grandson of
Jonathan, who was a son of Samuel, a grandson of
Samuel, and a great-grandson of William .Andrew.
Charles Pittman Walker was horn in Bontiac,
Mich., Nov. 25, 1872. He attended the New Haven
public schools, and was graduated at Hillhouse high
school in the class of 1892. The same year he be-
came associated with F. R. Bliss & Co., and later
became a member of the firm as already noted. He
belongs to Hiram Lodge, No. i, A. F. & A. M.,
the Chamber of Commerce and is also a mciiiber of
the New Haven Grays.
Mrs. Mary (Bliss) W'alker, the mother of Dr.
E. J. and Frank Walker, of New Haven, descends
from Thomas Bliss, w'ho was born in Belstone, Eng-
land, in 1550, and on account of his Puritan faith
suffered much persecution in his native land. His
son, Jonathan Bliss, who was born at Belstone in
1575, was bitterly persecuted as a Puritan, and died
from fever contracted from long imprisonment.
Thomas Bliss, also born at Belstone, emigrated
in 1636 to America, and made his home at Boston,
Braintree, Weymouth and Rchobotli, Mass., and at
Hartford, Conn. He died in June, 1644.
Jonathan Bliss, born in England in 1635, is re-
corded as a freeman in Pl}Tnouth in 1655, and was
one of eighty who made the Rehoboth North Pur-
chase in 1666, building a house there the same year.
By trade he was a blacksmith. He married Mir-
iam Harmon, and his death occurred in 1687.
Jonathan Bliss, who was born Sept. 17, 1666,
was a man of standing in the town, and was mar-
ried first, June 23, 1691, to Miriam Carpenter, born
Oct. 26, 1674, died May 21, 1706. In 171 1 he mar-
ried, second, Mary French. Mr. Bliss died in 1719.
Lieut. Ephraim Bliss was born Aug. 15, 1699,
and was married Dec. 5, 1723, to Rachel Carpenter.
Ephraim Bliss, Jr., was born June 3, 1726, and
was married Jan. 17, 1751, to Mar\^ Moulton, who
died Nov. 14, 1759. He w-as an "eight minute man"
in the company of Capt. Bliss. He died in July,
1804.
Ephraim Bliss, born in 1753, was married in
177'), to Hannah Carpenter, of Rehoboth, who was
born March 6, 1757, died .\ug. 18, 1798. His sec-
ond wife was Rebecca Smith. He died May, 8,
1822.
Ivphraim Bliss, Jr., born in Rehoboth, Aug. 17,
1782. was married Jan. 9, 1806, to Olive Ingram,
born Oct. 29. 1785, died Jan. i, 1849. Mr. Bliss
removed to Savoy, Mass., where he engaged in
farming. His death occurred in North Adams,
Mass., in 1832.
Marv Bliss was born March 20. 181 1, and was
married Aug. 27, 1834, to Dr. Amos Walker. She
died Feb. 2, 18(56.
I'^anklin Remington Bliss was born Oct. 24,
1826, at Savoy, Mass., and was married June 14,
1854, to Evelyn, a daug'hter of William Goodnow,
of Lanesboro, Mass., by whom he had the follow-
ing children : (i) Grace Evelyn, born in 1856, mar-
ried Rev. T. M. Snyder, D. D., pastor of the Second
Congregational Church, of Rockford, 111., and their
children were: Evelyn, who died in infancy; Frank-
lin B. ; .\lice Dorothy ; and Edward D. (2) Charles
I'"ranklin, born June 7, 1858, is the treasurer of the
Farrell I'oundry Company at .Vnsonia, Conn. ; he
has two children, Eleanor and Margaret. (3) Ar-
thur Goodnow died in 1862. (4) Anna Louise,
born Sept. 13, 1864, married Dr. Bliss Perry, of
Cambridge, Mass., and known to fame as the editor
of the Atlantic Monthly. (5) Helen Rockwell,
bornijan. 11, 1869, married John li. Gray, of North-
western University, Evanston, 111., where he is pro-
fessor of economics; they have two children, James
Bliss and Evelyn.
Franklin R. Bliss was educated at North Ad-
ams, Mass., and for a time worked at the tailoring
business. For four years he was a cutter at Pitts-
field, Mass., and later was employed by William T.
Jennings & Co. in the same capacity, and also by
Alilton St. John, both of New York. Coming to
New Haven, to cut for Knevals & Hull, he became
a partner with the firm. In 1858 he set up a busi-
ness for himself, which he sold in 1899 to F. B.
Walker & Company. He has been a member of the
Calvary Baptist Church since its organization. _In
this church he is still very active, and is regarded
as one of its most active members, taking an especial
interest in its musical service. When this church
was erected Mr. Bliss was treasurer of the Asso-
ciation, and so well was it financiered that at its
dedication its entire cost, $110,000, had been paid,
with balance of $16.38 in the treasury, which the
association ordered the treasurer to hand over to a
mission Sabbath-school, which later became the
nucleus of the present Sabbath-school of 800 mem-
bers. Of the first twenty-nine names placed on his
report, Mr. Bliss' is the only name of a man who is
still alive. Mr. Bliss belongs to the Hiram Lodge,
No. I, A. F. & A. M., and the Chamber of Com-
merce.
PAULUS JULIUS MEFFERT, proprietor of
the Terrace Gardens at Meriden, was iDorn at Suhl,
Thuringen, Prussia, Germany, July 7, 1843, ^^n of
Frederick and Wilhelmina (Ilabermann) Meffert,
the father a gun manufacturer and engraver. Both
our subject's parents are now deceased. They were
members of the Lutheran Church. Of their six
children, Robert, Amanda and Bcata reside in Suhl,
Germany; Paulus Julius is our subject; Gustav is
a gun manufacturer at Suhl, Gennany ; Ernest died
while serving in the Franco-German war. The fa-
ther married for his second wife Anna Cornelia
â– t^So
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Krech, who died in 1900, the mother of three chil-
dren : Hedwig, Lydia and Maria, all living.
I'aiilus J. Alettert received a good education in
his home country, and found emljloynient in the
engraving dcpariment of his father's factory, where
he was engaged iiv working ciui the ideas for a
new kind oJ gun. Mr. Melfcrt came to this coun-
try in 1866, and was engaged at silver plating for
some time with the Wilcox Silver Plate Co., w'here
he had a gooil situation. In 1868 he took a place
with the Aleriden Britannia Co., and held same
until July of Che following year, when he went to
Springfield, Mass., to be a gun engraver. Mr.
Aleffert remained in Springfield until 1870, when
he removed to Xew York City, to become an en-
graver for John Ward, in Maiden Lane. Tliere
he was engaged eleven years, when he came again
to Meriden, entering the employ of the Meriden
Silver Plate Co., whidi he served from 1881 to 1897.
In the latter year Mr. Meft'ert took possession of
his present place, which had been conducted as a
sunnner resort under the same name — the Terrace
Gardens. Here he has made many and e-xtensive
improvements, and conducts the Gardens in such
a manner as to win the good opinion and patronage
of the people of Meriden, with wliom he is very
popular.
In 1899 ^Ir. Meflfert was married in Meriden
to Mrs. Christine Messner, widow of Jacob Mess-
ner. They are members of the Lutheran Church,
and are kind-hearted and warm-souled people. He
is independent in politics, is a member of the
Saengerbund, the B. P. O. E. and other societies,
and was among the founders of the German-Amer-
ican School Association and fihe Turnverein, as
well as of the Saengerbund.
MARSHALL JEWELL ADAMS. .M. D., who
enjoys a large and lucrative practice in West Ha-
ven and vicinity, is an able representative of the
medical fraternity. No profession offers better op-
portunities for bringing success than the one with
which he is connected ; yet this measure of success
must come as a reward of thorough preparation
and earnest effort. That Dr. Adams is recognized
as a leading physician and surgeon is due to his un-
tiring labor and deep researches along the various
lines of medical knowledge.
The Doctor is a native of Connecticut, born
Nov. 6, 1864, in Suffielfl, a son of Chester and Cath-
erine (Woodworth) Adams, the latter of whom was
born in Suftield, a dauglUer of Dyer Woodworth,
who for many years kept the old tavern at Enfield
Bridge, and died there at the age of eighty years.
Chester Adams was born in Becket, Mass.. and
when t^venty years old moved to Suffield, Hart-
ford Co., Conn., where he followed agricultural pur-
suits, in course of time purchasing a farm in that
town, which he conducted till 1865. In that year
he removed to W'indsor Locks, same county, and
cmliarkfd in tlu' commission Imsini'ss, hut he diedi in
the following year, aged fifty-one. He and his wile
had a family of five children, three of whom reached
maturity and two survive, viz.: .Adella, wife of E.
\y. Bull', of Tariffville, Conn. ; and Marshall Jewell.
The mother died in 1898, at the age of scveiily-fivc
years, a member of the Baptist Church, as was al^
her husband.
Marshall Jewell .Vdams passed his earlier years
in Tariffville, Conn., where, at the common schools,
he receivcrl a portion of his education, at the age of
thirteen moving to New Haven, where he complcUd
his literary studies at Hopkins' Grammar school.
Erom New Haven he went to New York, and at-
tended the Homeopathic College there, from wliich
institution he was graduated in 1887; then returned
to Connecticut, and commenced the practice of his
profession at Fairhaven, remaining there until 1891.
In that year he located in West Haven, where In
has since practiced, having built up a thriving cli-
entele, his specialty being surgery, in which he ha^
had a wide experience, and to which he has givm
much time and study ; he has been for three year>
senior surgeon at Grace Hospital, New Haven.
In 1891 Dr. M. Jewell Adams married Nettie
Sceley, daughter of Charles Seeley, a sea captain
residing in New Haven. Three children have bci 1
born to this union: Bernice, Helen and Marion.
The family attend the Congregational Church. In
politics the Doctor is a Republican, and has served
on the school board and as health officer of the bor-
ough of West Haven. Socially he is affiliated with
the F. & A. M., belonging to Annawan Lodge. No.
115, West Haven, and to Joseph Andrews Chap-
ter of West Haven. He is a member of the Legis-
lative committee of the Home Society, and since tlu-
court was established, has been assistant prosecut-
ing attorney for West Haven.
Dr. Adams has written numerous articles on
Surgery for magazines, medical works, etc. He is
a member, and has been president of, the Statr
Homeopathic Medical Society, also the New Havin
Homeopathic Medical Society, and is examiner for
the Massachusetts Mutual Insurance Co.. for llu
Improved Order of Heptasophs (of which he is ;i
member), and for the New England Order of Pro-
tection (of which he is also a member). He is a
great lover of dogs and horses, and possesses some
good ones. Fond of hunting, he each year seeks
health and recreation in a trip in the South.
BLACKSTONE. There died in the town of
Branford, Conn., on Feb. 4, 1886. at the remark-
able age of ninety-three years, Hon. James Black-
stone, whose useful life of prominent citizenshii)
covered only a little less than a century in that
ccmmunity. with which the family were identified
for two centuries.
James Blackstone was born in 1793, in Bran-
ford, a descendant in the sixth generation from
Rev. \\'illiam Blackstone, a graduate in 1617 of
Enianncl College, Cambridge, England. He re-
^j(L<:..^^^ t^.
I
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
i3«i
ceived in that country, after graduation, ordination,
but soon became of the Puritan persuasion, left
his native country on account of his non-conform-
ity, and became the first white settler upon the
famous neck of land opposite Charlestown, which
is now the city of Boston. L']>on liis invitation
the principal part of the Massachusetts Colony re-
HKivccl from Charlestown and fnunded llie town of
Boston on land Mr. Blackstone desired them to
occupy. Rev. Mr. Blackstone was the first in-
habitant of Boston and the first man admitted a
freeman in the town. Soon after 1635 he removed
to Rhode Island, residing- near Providence until his
death, which occurred May 26, 1675. He was a
rcliijious man, with literary ta.-tes, of correct, in-
dustrious, thrifty liabits, and of kind and philan-
thrt)])ic feelings, lie married, in July, 1659, widow
Sarah Stephenson. From this immigrant settler
Rev. William Blackstone. the late Hon. James
Blackstone's lineage is througli John, John (2),
John (3) and Timothy Blackstone.
(II) John Blackstone, only son of Rev. Will-
iam, married in 1692, and in about 1713 removed
to liranford, Connecticut.
(III) John Blackstone (2), son of John, Ix>rn
in I<»J9. married, and died in Branford Jan. 3, 1785,
aged nearly eighty-six years.
(IV) John Blackstone (3), son of John (2),
born in 1731, in Branford, died Aug. 10, 1816, aged
eighty-five years.
(\") Timothy Blackstone, son of Jo>hn (3), born
in 1/(36, in Branford, died there in 1849, when
eighty-three years of age.
( \T ) James Blackstone, son of Timothy, was
reared on the homestead which had been occupied
by five generations of the family, all of whom [as-
sessed the traits of character of the immigrant an-
cestor — industry, modesty and marked executive
al)ility. James, like his forefathers, was a farmer.
At twenty he was chosen captain of a company of
Connecticut militia, and was in command of same
for several months while serving as coast guard dur-
ing the war of 1812-15. He was chosen to a number
of town offices, serving as assessor and selectman ;
was several times a representative from his town
in the General Assembly of the State; and in 1842
was a member of the State Senate from his district.
His political affiliations were with the old Federal
and Whig jiarties. and later with the Republican
party. A man of fine intellect and good judgment,
his counsel and advice were sought by persons of
Branford and other towns. He was a man of char-
acter and remarkable ability, and "if his tastes had
led him to a larger [jlace for the exercise of his
ability, no field would have been so large that he
would not have been a leader among men." Mr.
Blackstone was a cousin in the fifth degree to Sir
William Blackstone. the great authority upon the
connnon law of England, and the portraits of the
two men l)ear a marked familv resemblance.
James Blackstone's children were as follows:
(i) George, the eldest son, died unmarried in
1 861.
(2) Mary, the eldest daughter, died May 10,
1900. She married Samuel CJ. Plant, and resided
in Branford, living with her daughter, Ellen Plant.
Her grandchildren, through her ikuighler Sarah,
are William L., Paul W. and (krtrudc Harrison.
(3) Lorenzo, the second son, lived for many
years in Norwich, and died there in 1888. He had
five children: (a) James De Trafford, who had
one son, Lorenzo; (b) Mrs. Harriet (Blackstone)
Camp, of Norwich, who has three children, Walter
Trumbull, Talcott Hale and ICIizabeth Norton; (c)
Mrs. Frances Ella Huntington, of Norwich; (d)
William Norton Blackstone; and (e) Louis Lo-
renzo, who died in 1893.
(4) Ellen, the second daughter, married Henry
B. Plant, late of New York City, who died in 1900.
She died in 1861, leaving one son — Morton L.
Plant, wlio married and has one son, Henrv B.
Plant.
(5) John, the third son, died some years ago,
leaving three children, George and Adelaide Black-
stone and Mrs. Emma Pond.
(6) Timothy B. Blackstone, the youngest
son, born in Branford, in 1829, married, in 1868,
Miss Isabella F. Norton, daughter of Henry Barker
and Emeline F.(Frisbie) Norton, of Norwich, Conn.,
who were descendants of early Connecticut settlers.
Mr. Blackstone died in Chicago. 111., May 26, 1900.
He left the East nearly fifty years ago. After his
marriage his home up to the time of his death was
at No. 252 Michigan avenue, Chicago. For more
than thirty years lie managed, with consummate
skill, the affairs of the most successful of all the
great railroads of the West, and was best known
tlirough his presidency of the Chicago & Alton
Railroad Co.
Timothy B. Blackstone was the donor of the
handsome and costly library at Branford. Conn.,
which is styled "The James Blackstone Memorial
Library." The building he had erected, and pro-
vided in endowment for the maintenance of the
library, in memory of his father. The library build-
ing is one of imposing beauty, standing on high
ground in the main street of the town. It is de-
signed in the purest Grecian Ionic style, the archi-
tectural details being taken from the beautiful
Erechtheum of the Athenian Acropolis ; it is con-
structed of Tennessee marble of a very light tone.
The i)ublic exercises of dedication were held in the
Intilding June 17, 1896, and the building was there-
after open for use. In June, 1901. the library
consisted of 11,800 bcK)ks. Over a hundred peri-
odicals are taken for the main reading room, and
twelve for a branch library which was opened in
Stonv Creek in February, 1900. Surely the people
of Branford have reason to rejoice that James
Blackstone lived there and gave to them a son
whose affection for his native town, and filial de-
votion to his father's memory, led him to place
1382
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
here tliis enduring monument of architectural
beauty, this ever-flowing fountain of education,
culture and refinement.
RAY. The Ray family of which Eugene Ham-
ilton Ray, president of the Silver City Plate Co., is
a descendant, is one of the old and respected ones of
i\Iiddlesex county, where they have been estab-
lished for more than 200 years. Their ancestral line
as far as can be learned by careful research is as
follows :
Three brothers, James, Peter and Joseph Ray,
some records indicating that they were Portuguese,
others Scottish, emif^^rated from Narragansctt and
settled in Haddam, Conn., as early as 1710. James,
the eldest brother, lived to the age of 100 years,
and he had three sons, namely: James, Benjamin
and Joseph. No record of Peter's family is obtain-
able, but Joseph had eig'ht sons, namely: Isaac,
Nathaniel, Jeremiah, Joseph, Timothy, Elisha, Dan-
iel and Jacob.
Peter Ray, a grandson of one of the three Ray
brothers, was born Dec. 12, 1745, and died in East
Haddam, Conn., Feb. 2, 1834. He was in the Revo-
lutionary war according to facts obtained from
Washington, D. C. He married Mehitable John-
son, born Nov. 14, 1743, and died Jan. 21, 1834.
Their children were: Sarah, born Sept. 22, 1767,
died March 12, 1847, rnarried A. Dickcrson ; James,
born June 30, 1770, died Feb. 7, 1818; Asa, born
June 12, 1773, died young; Benjamin, born Sept.
14, 1775, died June 18, 1817; Martha, born Sept.
17, 1777, died Oct. 5, 1802; Asa (2), born April 20,
1782, died Sept. 16, 1883; Annie, bom May 13
1786, married Eber Ruttv, died Aug. 5, 1872, and
he died in Meriden ; and Ezra, born Aug. 17, 1779,
died Aug. 4, 1832.
Ezra Ray, son of Peter, and grandfather of
Eugene H. Ray, of Meriden, was born in Haddam,
was a cooper by occupation and a member of the
Baptist Church. He was an active member of the
Democratic party. His death occurred Aug. 4,
18^2, when he was aged fifty-three years. He mar-
ried Prualla Bailey, born in Higganum, Conn.,
daughter of Sagart Reuben and Ruea (Palmer)
Bailey, and their children were: Martha Ann, who
married Ebenezer Slocum, had thirteen children,
and is now living in Moravia, N. Y., at the age of
eighty-eight; Alason, who died in Haddam; Emery,
of Fall River, Mass., who i arried Eliza Congden,
and had ten children ; Ebenezer ; Eber R. ; Harriet,
who married David Buell, of Haddam, and died
there; Orrin, who died in Haddam; Samantha,
who married David Buell (first) and (second)
Chauncy Skinner, and is now living in Haddam;
Rowena, who married Leonard Buell, had three
children, and is now living in Haddam ; and Reu-
ben, who died young. Mr. and Mrs. Ray both died
in Haddam and were interred in that place. They
were both valued in the liaptist Church.
Eber R. Ray was born Jan. 7, 1819, in Branford,
Conn., and his younger days were spent in East
Haddam, where he followed farming. Later he
learned the stone cutting trade, which he followed
in Haddam until 1875, when he came to Meriden
and obtained the position of watchman at the Meri-
den Britannia factory. For twenty-three years he
held this responsible position, giving true and re-
liable service, but defective hearing caused his
resignation, and he is now living retired from ac-
tivity. Mr. Ray is in his eighty-fourth year, but still
retains his faculties and energy to a remarkable de-
gree. He has lived a temperate and exemplary .life,
and has won the respect of all with whom he has
become associated. A Republican in his political
opinions, he has never sought any public office. In
his earlier days he was third lieutenant of the Fir.-^t
Artillery Company of the Sixth Regiment of the
old State militia.
On Nov. 25, 1847, Mr. Ray was married to
Flora L. Fuller, who was born in East Fladdam, a
daughter of Truman and Matilda (Lord) Fuller.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Ray were : ( i )
Ada M., born Oct. 5, 1848, was educated in Had'
dam and Hartford high school and lives at home.
(2) Henn,' A., born Nov. 3, 1850, married March
13, 1885, Helena A. Joyce, in Toronto, Canada. By
trade he is a stationary engineer, and fraternally is
a member of Landmark Lodge, No. 422, A. F. &
A. M., of Chicago, Bl. (3) Charles A., born
March 4, 1852, died in East Hartford, March 12,
1900, from the effects of an accident on the electric
street railroad in Hartford. By trade he w-as a
carpenter and joiner. Socially he belonged to Pa-
cific Lodge, No. 87, L O. O. F. He left a widow,
?.'Iary (Wood) Ray, and two children, Esther L
and Carlotta I-"uller. (4) Eugene Hamilton, born
April 10, 1855, is mentioned below. (5) Flora B.,
born Jan. 24, 1870, was educated in the district
schools and graduated from the .Meriden high school
and also the State Normal school, and is now a
successful teacher at the Church Street school. Mr.
and Mrs. Ray celebrated their golden wedding in
1897, and during their fifty years of wedded life
the sun never set on their anger. They have been
devoted to home and family, the latter justifying
their natural pride. They both belong to the First
Baptist Church.
Eugene Hamilton Ray, son of Eber R., was
born in Haddam, where he attended the district
school. He started out to make a career for him-
self by becoming a clerk in a store in Middletown,
where his wages were three dollars a week, and
where he spent three years, and then he started in to
learn the trade of Britannia making with the Si-
mons & Miller Plate Co. After two and one-half
years spent there, he came to Meriden, working first
with the Wilcox Silver Plate Co., where he re-
mained twenty-two years. About this time Mr. Ray
began to think of embarking in a business of his
own. In company with a Mr. Graham he began
work in the evenings and at off times, in the manu-
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
1383