publican, and in religion an Episcopalian. He mar-
ried Abigail Preston, a native of Wallingford, and
a daughter of Almon Preston. She died in North-
ford in 1897, and was buried in the IMain Street
were born the following
who married Henderson
George Isaac : and Will-
cemetery. To this imion
children : Cornelia .\nna.
Ives, of North Ilranford
lam H.
George Isaac Williams was a student in the
Pond Hill District .school, and grew to manhood on
the family homestead. Soon after his marriage
he bought the "Munson Farm," which then con-
sisted of 153 acres. It has been enlarged Iiy sub-
sequent purchases until it now comi)riscs 400 acres,
in a high state of cultivation, showing the touch of
a practical farmer at every point. Mr. Williams car-
ries on l>oth general and stock farming, and oper-
ates quite a large dairy : there is also a feed and
saw mill on his farm. He is a man awake to every
turn, and anxious to keep abreast with the times.
Mr. \\'illiams was married at Northford. to
Miss Eveline Munson, whose father. Julius Mun-
son, was cru.shed to death by a stampede of cattle.
To this marriage came three children: .\rthur M.,
a dairy farmer, who married Emma Harrison :
George and Fannie, both at home. Mr. ^\'illiams
is a Republican, and belongs to the Wallingford
Grantje and the .\a:ricultural Societv. He is a
member of the Episcopal Church, which he has
served as a vestryman. .\ good all-round business
man, an honorable and upright citizen, he has many
friends, and is regarded as one of the leading far-
mers in Wallingford.
THOMAS A. NELSON, one of the wealthy
citizens of New Haven county, who died Jan. 16,
1901, was a native of Scotland, born June i, 1834,
at Perth, on the banks of the Tay.
James Nelson, his father, was a linen manufac-
turer in Scotland, later carrying on the business
more extensively in Belfast, Ireland, where he
passed the rest of his days, dying in 1810. He and
his wife Susan had a family of eight children —
three sons and five daughters — named respectively :
Margaret J., Thomas A., Mary A., George, Will-
iam, Letitia, Ellen E., and Jennie. Of these,
George, who was a soldier in the United States
regular army before the Civil war, is now living
retired in Chicago, 111. ; William is in the real es-
tate business in the same city; the daughters also
survive.
Thomas A. Nelson, the subject of proper of these
lines, was seven years old when he moved to the
North of Ireland with his parents, and there re-
ceived his earlier education. At the age of fifteen
years (1849) he came to the United States, locat-
ing at Georgetown, Fairfield Co., Conn., where he
attended school for some time ; thence removed,
in 1851, to Birmingham, where he commenced to
learn the trade of tool-making, though he did not
follow it. From Ijirmingham he proceeded to Char-
lotteville, Schoharie Co., N. Y., and there prepared
for college, but did not enter any college. Return-
ing to Binningham, he engaged with the Downs
& Bassett Mfg. Co.. manufacturers of corsets and
importers of kid gloves, and continued with that
firm for a period of over a quarter of a century,
from 1859 to 1884, after which he did not engage
in any active business.
In 1865 Thomas A. Nelson married Clara M..
youngest daughter of Abram Hubbell, of Ansonia.
Mr. Hubbell was born in Fairfield county, Conn.,
and followed fanning as well as carpentry : came
to .Ansonia in 1855, and associated himself with
Anson G. Phelps in the .\nsonia Land & Water Co..
of which he was general manager up to his death in
1884. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas A. Nelson : Clara H., Susan L. and Will-
iam A., the last named being secretary and treas-
urer of the Derby Paper Mill, with which he has
been connected some ten years, and of which his
father was president three years.
In fKilitics our subject was a stanch Republican,
though not active in the workings of the party. So-
cially he was a member of the F. & A. M.. King
Hiram Lodge, No. 12, of Derby; was president of
the Y. M. C. A. for years ; and with his family at-
tended the services of the Congregational Church.
Thcv have a beautiful home in Ansonia. called
"Forestdale," the residence l)cing one of the most
elegant in this section, surrounded as it is with spa-
cious grounds, lawns and winding paths.
SHERMAN B. CHIPMAN, in his lifetime a
well-known merchant of Waterbury, was born on
the west side of what is now known as the city,
June 13. 1806, a son of Sanuicl Chipman. and a de-
scendant of one of the oldest of New Ensrland fam-
ilies. The emigrant ancestor. John Chipman. came
from England in 1630. and settled in ^Massachusetts,
where he married a Miss Howland. who was a
granddauirhter of Gov. Carver.
Samuel Chipman. father of Shcrnwn B.. ninrried
^ p^4^^^^^
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
841
Nancy Potter, to which union were burn eleven chil-
dren, as follows : Samuel D., Sherman C, Lyman,
William, Georg-e E., Joseph, Timothy T.. Ransom,
Daniel L. (whose biography is given in full on an-
other page), Elizabeth N. and Martha.
Sherman B. Chii)man remained on the home farm
at Waterbury until old enough to be apprenticed to
the cooper's trade, at which he served his full time,
and then followed that trade as a journeyman for
a number of years. He first married Amy Todd,
of ^^^olcott, Conn., who died leaving no children.
For his second wife Mr. Chipman, in 1833, wedded
Mary A. Ciranniss. who was Ixirn in Mcriden, Conn..
Sept. 6, 1816, but who was reared in South Glas-
tonbury. The marriage took place in New Haven,
when the fair young bride was but seventeen years
of age. .'\fter their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Chip-
man settled in Waterbury, where he conducted a
successful grocery business until his death, which
occurred Jan. 16, i860. Their only child. Harriet
E., was born .April 28. 1838. and died l'"eb. i6. 1840.
In politics Mr. (."hiimian was a Democrat, but
was not a man to fritter away his time and energies
in party affairs. He preferred to devote his atten-
tion to his business, and to the comfort of his home,
and at his death he left his wife in well-to-do cir-
cumstances. She continues to reside in \\'atcrbury,
where she holds a high social position, honored and
esteemed bv all wlio know her.
Enos Granniss, father of Mrs. Mary A. Chip-
man, was born in New Haven county, near the city
of that name, a son of Lieut. Enos Granniss, a sol-
dier of the Revolutionary war. whose three children
were named Enos. Horace and Palmer. The eldest
of these Enos. married F.lizalieth Chipman, who was
a sister of Samuel C"hii)nian. the lather of Sherman
r>. Chi]5man. To Enos (jranniss and his wife were
born si.x children, in the following order: Enos,
who was a clothier in Meriden, in Middletow-n and
later in Wethersfield, but who died in Waterbury ;
Elizabeth, who was married to David' Scranton, of
Glastonbury, and died in New Haven : .\nna C, de-
ceased wife of Edward Kilbourn ; William E., who
was an engineer for the New Haven Machine Co.,
in Xew Haven, but is now deceased: Mary A., the
present Mrs. Chipman: and Eunice M., deceased!,
^vife of Rev. Joseph T. P.enton.
SMITH A. ABBOTT comes of ancestors w'ho
were for many years engaged in mechanical manu-
facture of various sorts, and he himself has not been
without experience in the same general line. At
present he is a prosperous hardware merchant in the
citv of Derby, where he deservedly enjoys the con-
fidence and respect of his fellow citizens. He was
born in Middlebury, this county. .Aug. 6, 1831, the
sixth child of Daniel and Sally (Sherman) .Abbott.
His mother was a daugliter of Elijah Sherman, of
\\'ondbury, who belonged to the same branch of the
Sherman family as did Gen. William Tecumseh
Sherman.
Daniel Abbott, who was also born in Middle-'
bury, cultivated a farm, and in addition to agricult-
ural ])ursuits maiuifactured pumps and pipes, as well
as edge-tools and lianimers. In later life he also
engaged in the manufacture of paper at Southbury
and Southford. His brain was as tireless as his
energy, and he achieved a fair success through per-
tinacity and courage which would not admit the
I possibility of failure. He was a Whig in politics,
' and died in the communion of the Methodist
I Church. He w'as the father of a family of eight
children, only two of whom were daughters. Mar-
garet S.. the elder, was twice married, first to E. T.
Abbott ( he was not a member of the same branch
of the family as herself) ; after his death she mar-
ried S. Smith, who is also deceased. Nancy M.,
the younger daughter and fifth child, became the
wife of Charles Warner, of Shelton. The sons of
Daniel Abbott were Daniel S., Samuel P., Elijah
E., Smith A., Charles K. and John B. Of these
Daniel, Samuel and Charles are deceased, the latter
having met death through accident when ten years
old. Daniel was the successful proprietor of an
iron foundry and machine shop at Gananoque, Can-
ada. Elijah and John, who were associated with
him in business, still reside there. Samuel P. was
an expert rubber manufacturer, and as such was
called to England, where he took charge of an ex-
tensive plant. Subsequently he went to Scotland,
where he died, meeting with an accident in the
shop where he was employed.
Smith A. -Abbott was a boy of six years when
his parents took up their residence in Southford.
His school days over, he assisted his father for a
time, and then entered the employ of the Wlieeler
& Wilson Manufacturing Co., before that concern
removed its works to Bridgeport. He next formed
a partnership with Louis Downs, under the firm
name of Downs & Abbott, and engaged in the manu-
facture of buttons and buckles. After a few years
this co-partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Abbott,
going to Beacon Falls, secured work as a machinist,
pptvrning to Southford, he filled the same position
in his father's employ, and alxiut two years after
the latter's death took charge of his business, in-
cluding the management of the paper-mill, which
was then turning out straw paper. In 1866 he dis-
posed of the plant and removed to Derby, in which
city he has since resided. To emjjlov his own
words, he "tcmk life easy" for a time, but in 1870
l)ought the hardware and tinware business of
Gould Curtis, forming a co-partner.ship with David
Curtis, the brother of Gould. Their relation as
partners extended over a period of seventeen years,
when Mr. Curtis disposed of his interest in the busi-
ness and Mr. Abbott admitted his son, Frank D., as
a partner, the stvle of the firm being changed to
Abbott & Co. '
Mr. Abbott was married in 185^ to Julia B.
Downs, who died .April 21. 1884. Four children
were b
842
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
"and Jessie M. The son, as has been said, is his fa-
ther's partner ; he married Lilly Ot^den, of Ansonia,
Sept. 1 6, 1884. Mary, tiie eldest daughter, now de-
ceased, married Alfred Anderson, of Derby. Fan-
nie married George S. Curtis, of the same city, and
is deceased. Jessie M. became Mrs. Burton Wood-
bridge, of the same place. After the death of his
first wife Mr. Ablwtt married Miss Sarah L.
Downs, her first cousin ; to this union were born no
children. He is a Republican in politics, and both
himself and his family are members of the Metho-
dist Church.
CHARLES FROST (deceased) was a leading
citizen of Mill Plain, W'aterbury, and a worthy rep-
resentative of an old Connecticut family.
Samuel Frost, the first of the name in America,
was born in I'-ugland about 1704, and on coming to
this country located in the town of Wallingford,
New Haven Co., Conn. He served as a soldier in
the French and Indian war. He lived to the ad-
vanced age of ninety-six years, dying at the home of
liis son David, on \Volcott Mountain, Nov. 14, 1800.
He was an active member of the Episcopal Church,
and at his funeral four ministers of different de-
nominations — Congregational, Baptist, Methodist
and Episcopal — participated in the services. On
March 21, 1733, in Wallingford, he married Naomi
Fenn, who was born May 10, 1714, a daughter of
Edward and Mary (Thorp) Fenn. They had three
children: ]Moses, born Jan. 6, 1734; Naomi, born
March 31, 1735, wife of David Coggswell ; and
David, born Sept. 15, 1743.
David Frost, son of Samuel, was a farmer and
land owner on Wolcott Mountain, where he spent
his entire life. In religious faith he was a Baptist.
He was married Nov. 5, 1762, to Mary Beach, who
was born in Wallingford Dec. 20, 1740, a daughter
of Joseph and Experience Beach. Mr. Frost died
Dec. 15, 1812, his wife on Feb. 5, 1819. In their
family were the following children : Jesse, born
Oct. 18, 1763, is mentioned below: Enoch, born
Jan. 8, 1765, married Anna Culver: David, born
March i. 1767, married Mary Ann Hitchcock; Na-
omi was born born July i, 1770; Mary, born March
24, 1775, died Sept. 14, 1778; Mary (2), bom
March ii, 1780, married Ezekiel Smith: Elizabeth
married Nathan Barnes.
Jesse Frost, son of David, was drafted at the
age of sixteen years for service in the Revolutionary
war, and was in the service two years and nine
months, being under the immediate command of
(jen. Washington for nine months as one of the
teamsters carrying the baggage of the general and
his staff. After the war he was converted, and be-
came an active and prominent member of the Bap-
tist Church of W'aterbury. Feeling himself called
upon to preach, he studied for the ministry, and
was ordained in 181 5. He served as joint pastor of
the Baptist Church at Waterbury with Rev. Samuel
Porter for many years, and died at that place Oct.
12, 1827. For a time he preached in Southington.
Conn., but he never located there. He was married
in 1783 to Abigail Culver, daughter of Lieut.
Stephen Culver. She died March 7, 1842. They
had ten children, namely : James was born March
21, 1784; Esther, born Aug. 29, 1786, married John
Smith; Leva, born April 14, 1789. married Benja-
min Farrell; Alpheus, born Oct. 3, 1791, was the
father of our subject ; Jesse Beecher was born
March 3, 1794; Electa, born Nov. 16, 1796, die
Oct. 16, 1803; ^'a" Julius was born March 3, 1798;
Sylvester, born Nov. 19, 1801, died in September,
1803 ; Electa, born Jan. 9, 1805, married Edmond
Tompkins ; Abigail, born March 9, 1808, married
John Mitchell.
Alpheus Frost, father of our subject, was a far-
mer and land owner at Mill Plain, and was one of
the highly respected and esteemed citizens of that
locality. On June 17, 1816, he married Jerusha
^^'illiams, daughter of Timothy Williams, and to
them were born seven children, whose names and
dates of birth were as follows: Mark Augustus,
April 16, 1818; Lydia Maria (wife of Hiram Will-
iams), Feb. I, 1820; Melissa (wife of T. H. Pat-
ton), Jan. 6, 1822; Electa Ann, Feb. 28, 1824:
Charles, June 16, 1826: George, June 10, 1829; and
Styles, Nov. 7, 1831. The father died in 1834, and
was buried in the East Farms cemetery. Four
years later his widow married Martin Cook, of
Southington, Connecticut.
Charles Frost, our subject, attended the district
schools near his boyhood home. He was only
eight or nine years of age when his father died, and
he started out to make his own way in the world
at that early age, working as a farm hand. Sub-
sequently he learned the machinist's trade, which
he followed for a number of years, and later en-
gaged in the novelty business as a member of the
firm of I'rost & Gaylord until their property was de-
stroyed by fire, after which he settled down to farm-
ing at Mill Plain, where he spent the remaintler of
his life engaged in general farming and the dairy
business.
On July 13, 1 85 1, Mr. Frost was united in mar-
riage with Miss Mary Ulissa Sperry, a native of
Cheshire, and a daughter of Luther and Mary \^e-
rona (Holt) Sperry. Her paternal grandparents
were P)enjamin and Mcrah (TlalH Sperry, of
Cheshire, and her maternal grandparents were
Philemon and Abby (Barnes) Holt. To Mr. and
Mrs. Frost were born three children, one of whom
died in infancy, and the youngest, Ella A., at the
age of twelve years. The only survivor is Mary U.
They had an adopted daughter. Helen L., now the
wife of Warren B. Hitchcock.
Mr. Frost died in Mill Plain May 9. 1897, and
was laid to rest in Pine Grove cemetery, Waterbury.
He was an earnest member of the Episcopal
Church, and highly res])ected and esteemed by all
who knew him. Politically he was identified with
the Republican party. Fraternally he was a prom-
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
«45
inent member of Mad River Grange, of which he
was treasurer for ten years, and of which his widow
is also a member. Mrs. Frost is a most estimable
lady.
lIi;XRV IIOBART FOWLER, a prominent
retired farmer of Branford, is a native of that town,
born Sept. 24, 1826, and is descended from a very
old New Eng^land family.
(I) William Fowler, a native of Ijirmingham,
England, lived in New Haven and Milford, from
which latter town he moved to Guilford, and died
there Jan. "25, 1660. He and his wife Sarah had
four children, \\"illiam, Sarah, Ambrose and John.
(H ) Deacon John Fowler, son of William, mar-
ried Mary Hubbard, born in 1635. He died Sept.
14, 1676, she on April 13. 1713. Their children
were : Abigail, May, Abraham, John, Mehitable
and Elizabeth.
(HI) Abraham Fowler, son of Deacon John.
was born Aug. 29, 1652, and married Aug. 29, 1677,
Elizal)cth Bartlett, born in March, 1653. ^^ died
Sept. 30. 1719. she on Oct. 4, 1742. Their children :
Abigail, Mary, Abraham. Ebenezcr, Daniel. Josiah,
Caleb and Elizabeth.
(IV) Ebenczer Fowler, son of Abraham, was
born in Guilford in 1684. and followed farming, be-
ing a large land owner in North Guilford. On May
I, 1718. he married Elizabctli Starr, who was !>orn
in Guilford, Nov. 26. 1695. He died Nov. 28, 1768,
she on March 2C\. 1765. Their children: Ebenczer.
Nathaniel. Huhla. Caleb. Caleb {2\. Elizabeth, Lucy
and William.
(V) Ebcnezer Fowler, son of Ebcnezer, was
horn in January. 1719. in Guilford, and died Feb.
9. 1800. He was a minute man in the Revolution,
and in response to the alarm call went to Boston.
On Oct. 19. 1743, he married Desire Bristol, who
was born Feb. 6. 1719. and died Oct. 13. t8oo. Their
children were: Beulah. Ebenezcr. William. Nathan,
Thomas. Ruth, Caleb, Isaac, James and Oliver.
(^'^ Ebenezcr Fowler, son of Ebenezer. and
grandfather of Henry Hobart. was born in North
Guilford .Vpril 17. 1747. and followed farming. He
was a lieutenant in the Revohitionarv war, and en-
joved a pension. On Nov. 18. 1778, he married
(first) Lois Rossiter. born Julv 13. 1759. who died
June 17, 1791. Thev had children as follows: Ben-
jamin R.. Fannv (Mrs. Benton), Ruth (Mrs. Eras-
tus Dudley). James H. and Ebenezer. On Feb. 18,
1795. he married (second) ^lercv Adknns, born in
17(34. who died in 1823. She bore him two sons,
Ammi and Isaac. Ebenezer Fowler died Jan. i.
1833- ^
(\TI) Benjamin Rossiter Fowler, son of Ebe.'.-
ezer and Lois (Rossiter) Fowler, and father c.f
Henry Hobart Fowler, was born in North Guilford
Sept. 14. 1779. In early manhood he was for six
years ( 181 2- 181 8) keeper of the County House and
Jail. New Haven, which was located where the city
hall now stands. In 1818 he removed to Branford,
where he engaged in agricultural pursuits during
the rest of his days, dying Dec. 23, 1839. He tran-
sacted much public business, holding the office of
justice of the peace, and various minor positions,
and served as ])ension agent, securing pensions for
Revolutionary soldiers. M. one time he was deputy
sheriff. His political allegiance was given to the
In'dcralist parly. Benjamin R. Fowler was nvice
married, first time, Nov. 28, 1805, to Rachel Fow-
ler, daughter of Stephen and Temperance (Stevens)
Fowler. To this union were born two children tliat
grew to maturity, George R. and Randolph. Mr.
Fowler married (second) June 6. 1816, Peggy
daughter of Mason and Hannah (Harrison) Ho-
bart, of Branford, and two children, James H. and
Henry H., came of this marriage. The mother of
these was born Dec. 12, 1781, and died March 24,
1881.
(VIII) James H. Fowler, retired carriage mak-
er, was born in Branford, Conn., May 3, 1820 anJ
attended the common schools and academy of the
place. At the age of sixteen he connnenced an ;ip-
prenticeship at tlie carriage making business in Xew
Haven, serving five years, and then for ten years
conducted a wagon shop of his own in BiHuford.
Later, also for ten years, he ran a sloop b 'tween
Branford and Long Island, since when he has been
livin.g retired. He has been twice m.a'-ricd, tirst
time, in 1842, to Sophia, daughter of Wdliam and
Esther Church, of Middletown, Conn., and four
children were born to them : Louisa ( Mrs. N.
Xewell). William H.. Herbert and Charles. He
married (second) Emilv, daughter of (ieorge W.
and Marie (Cook) Johnson, of Wallingford, Conn.
His children are all now deceased except William
H., who lives in Denver Colo. William H. mar-
ried Ellen Smith, and has five children : Mary S.,
Clara, William H., Jr.. Fred and Charle.^. James
H. Fowler and his wife are members of the Bap-
tist Church. In poHtics he is a Republican.
(VIII) Henry H. Fowler, the subject proper of
this memoir, received a liberal education at the com-
mon schools of Branford. He made farming his
life work up to 1895, when he retired from that
occupation. An active Republican politically, he has
held various municipal offices, all of which he has
filled, or is fillin.g, with his well-known ability and
judgment. He has in his possession a family heir-
loom in the shape of a writing desk or escritoire,
which is said to have been made some time in the
fourteenth century, and which has been handed
down from generation to generation.
Mason Hobart, maternal grandfather of our
subject, was bom Nov. i, 1752. at Stonington,
Conn., a son of Abijah (of New London) and Mary
(Bartholomew) Hobart, the former of whom was
born in Stonington, Conn., in 1703, and died in
1791 ; the latter, who was born in Branford, died at
the age of eighty-eight years. Mason Hobart, a
Revolutionary i^ensioner, was a merchant, shipbuild-
ei and owner of vessels, and possessed a large tract
844
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
of land in Branford. He served in the Revolution,
and received a pension for his services. On Nov.
28, 1776, he married Hannah Harrison, who was
born in 1757, a daughter of Isaac and Rebecca Har-
rison, of Branford. Mason Ilobart died March 27,
1S41. and his wife passed away in 1794.
ALFRED HUGHES. New Haven county has
been the home and scene of labor of many men who
have not only led lives that should serve as an ex-
ample to those who come after tliem, but wlio have
also been of important service to their town and
county throug;li various avenues of usefulness.
Among- them may be named Alfred Hughes, who
passed away Oct. 18, 1899, after a life of industry,
and rich in those rare possessions which only a high
character can give.
Mr. Hughes was Ixirn Nov. 14. 1822, in what
is now the town of New Haven, l)ut at that time
formed a part of East Haven. The Hughes family
of East Haven is descended from Henry Freeman
Hughes, whose posterity have been substantial
men and women and u.seful citizens in this and other
communities in which their lots have been cast. He
had a brother, Rodwell Hughes, who, however, has
no descendants in East Haven : his only son died in
181 5. Our subject was in the fourth generation
from Henrv Freeman Hughes, who was born in
1723 in \\'ales. and was impressed as a seaman in
the English navy. On account of his dislike for the
service he deserted his ship, and about 1748 ap-
peared in East Haven, Conn., under the name of
Henry Freeiuan : he was reported to have come
from Newburyjjort. His naiue was Henry Hughes,
but to avoid detection and cairture he assumed that
of Freeman in remembrance of his escape, and I'Yec-
man has ever since been a common name in the
family. On July 19, 1749, Mr. Hughes married
Lydia Tuttle. who was born in 1722, daughter of
Noah and Rachel (Hoadley) Tuttle. and a member
of one of the oldest and most intluential families in
Connecticut. Mr. Tuttle was a large land owner in
East Flaven, and Mr. Hughes by bis marriage came
into possession of considerable property. He was
industrious and prosperous, but finally was over-
come with misfortune. He was a farmer and ferry-
man, and though his house was not a tavern he al-
ways afforded entertainment for those who desired
accommodations. He also kept staple groceries and