Erie, Pa.; on Dec. 25, 1900, he was married to
Miss Josephine Hunt. Arthur L., born in New Ha-
ven, died there Dec. 16, 1892. .Mice was married in
September, 1897, to Frank Cargill, bookkeeper for
the New Haven Baking Co., and they have two
children, Dexter and Valorie. Benjamin, a travel-
ing salesman, was married to Miss Ruby Bean, and
their one child died in infancy. Estelle, Lilian,
Mable and Wilfred are all at home.
While Mr. Aubry is a successful manufacturer
he is also much more. For many years he has been
a leading member of the Methodist Church, liber-
ally contributing to its charities, and although not
an active politician he ardently supports the Repub-
lican party and lives up to the highest ideals of cit-
izenship. Fraternally he has long been an active
member of Davenport Council, No. 700, Royal Ar-
canum, of New Haven, and is past chancellor of
Ezel Lodge, No. 2, Knights of Pythias. Few men
can point to more substantial returns or wider use-
fulness in so short a time as can Mr. Aubry, and
the city of New Haven cherishes a feeling of pride
in his success and prominence.
JOHN EDW.ARD ROGERS, a successful agri-
culturist of the town of Mil ford, was bom in that
town May 6, 1834, and is a member of a well-known
family of the locality.
Joseph Rogers, our subject's grandfather, was
a native of Milford, and made his permanent home
on a farm in that town. He married Jane Smith, and
had three children : Mary, deceased, who never
married; Joseph, our subject's father; and Nancy,
who married William Nettleton, of Milford, and
had a son, Joseph W., now a prominent resident of
the town.
Joseph Rogers (2), our subject's father, was
born in Milford in February, 1792, and was always
engaged in farming at the homestead. Politically
he was a Whig, and in religious faith he and his
estimable wife were Congregationalists. He died
in 1853. His wife, Anna SCettleton, daughter of
Benajah Nettleton, of Milford, was bom in the
720
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
town of Milford, in September, 1801, and died Jan.
31, 1892. They had the following children: Eliza-
beth A., deceased, who never married; Charles J.,
who died at the age of forty-two, unmarried ; John
Edward, our subject ; George E., deceased, a farmer
at the homestead: Mary A., a resi(fent of Milford;
and Theodore H., deceased, who never married.
John E. Rogers began his education in the dis-
trict schools of Milford and at sixteen years of age
entered the Milford high school. He has been en-
gaged in farming all his life, and his farm of eighty
acres is a part of the old homestead, which con-
tained 300 acres. On Oct. 2, 1861, he married Miss
Charlotte L. I'lumb, of Milford, daughter of Ly-
man I'lumb, a joiner of that town. She died Jan.
28, 18S6, leaving no children, and on June 6, 1888,
Mr. Rogers married Miss Ella Wilcox, daughter of
Russell Wilcox, a native of Cromwell, Conn. Mr.
Rogers is iniluential in a quiet way in local affairs,
and is a member of the Grange and of the Congre-
gational Church of Milford. In politics he is a
stanch Republican.
WALTER HENRY TWITCHELL is one of
the representative public-spirited and progressive
citizens and business men of Naugatuck, who has
won success through his own assiduity, intellect
and industry, to which has been joined a sturdy
and unquestioned integrity.
Robert Twitcheli, his father, was born in Ox-
ford, and passed the greater part of his life in
Naugatuck, where he died when his son Walter
was a lad of ten years. He married Jennette
Clark, who was born in rrospect. New Haven
county, in which town her fatlier, Amos Clark, was
a weil-to-do farmer. Three sons were born to
them, Edward C, Walter 11. and Robert C. Ed-
ward C. conducts a meat market in Union City,
town of Naugatuck, and Robert C. is a farmer in
Pros(XH:t, living in the old Clark homestead, where
his mother was born and where she passed the days
of her girlhood. Robert Twitcheli was a Demo-
crat in fKilitics. Both he and his wife were mem-
bers of the Episcopal Church.
Walter Henry Twitcheli was born in Nauga-
tuck Oct. 17, 1858. He attended the local schools
until he reached the age of fifteen years, when he
went to reside with an uncle on a farm near Syra-
cuse, N. Y., going to school during the winter
months. After four years spent thus he returned
to Naugatuck, and for a time worked as a farm
hand there, finally entering the employ of Fremont
W. Tolles, an undertaker and furniture dealer, who
also carried a general line of carpets and house
furnishing goods of every description. In Jan-
uary, 1897, Mr. Twitcheli bought the business from
Mr. Tolles, and has since conducted it alone. To its
management he brought a thorough familiarity of
every detail, a power of mental concentration and
sound business sense. It is not surprising, there-
fore, that he has succeeded. To enterprise he has
joined conservatism, and to sagacity unfailing
courtesy. His establishment occupies the fine brick
building at Nos. 132-134-136 Church street, is well
stocked, and his goods are tastefully arranged.
On June 15, 1882, Mr. Twitcheli married Miss
Addie Richards, of W'ethersfield. No children
have been born to them. Mr. and Mrs. Twitcheli
attend the Congregational Church. His political
affiliations are with the Republican party. In
private life he is social, and readily makes and
keeps friends. He is a member of the I. O. R. M. ;
and is a Mason of high degree, belonging to Shep-
herd's Lodge, No. 78, A. F. & A. M.; Allerton
Chapter, No. 39, R. A. M. ; Clark Commandery,
No. 7, K. T., of Waterbury ; and Pyramid Temple,
of Bridgeport.
JOHN N. LEONARD, contractor and also
mason and builder, well-known and valued in New
Haven, was born in that city Jan. 24, 1842, son of
Linus H. and Maria (Rurwell) Leonard, the for-
mer of whom was born in Charlestown, Mass., in
1809, and the latter a daughter of Daniel Burwell,
who died in Barkhamstcd ; both he and his wife
lived to be over eighty years of age, and ten of their
thirteen children also reached that age. Linus
Leonard removed first to Springfield, Mass.. and
then to Westville, where he was connected with the
hardware firm of Blake Brothers, and in that place
he died at the age of sixty-three. His widow sur-
vived until Feb. 3, 1890. Both had been active and
earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, in which Mr. Leonard was a steward and
class-leader.
John N. Leonard was the only survivor of a
family of three children. His education was ob-
tained in the schools of Westville and at West
Rock Seminary, and after finishing his course he
learned the trade of mason with N. D. Sperry. This
was interrupted by his enlistment for service in the
Civil war in Company E, 15th Conn. V. I., in 1862.
His devotion to his country cost him three years
of his life, during which he saw some hard service.
At Kinston, N. C, he was captured and incarcerated
in Libby Prison for a short time. When discharged
he held the rank of sergeant.
L'pon his return to New Haven Mr. Leonard
worked as a journcymai* for a season, and then went
to Rockville, where he spent three years, going
back to New Haven and again taking up his trade
as a journej-man. In 1H85 he bej^an contracting and
building and has continued in active work ever
since, his business being continually on the increase.
In one year he built and sold twenty houses and also
did much other building and improving. So thor-
oughly does Mr. Leonard understand his business,
and so faithfully does he carry out his contracts, that
he has gained much of the best custom in the city,
his patrons numbering among the weakhiest and
most exacting of the citizens.
On Aug. 4, 1869, Mr. Leonard was married to
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
r2i
Miss -Martha F. Partlue. a tlauylufr of William L.
J'ardcc, a fanner and nuclianic, wlio was born in
Madison, Conn., and grew up in Oxford, and to this
union has been lx)rn : Harry A., in business with
his fatlier, married Hertha E. (iorhani. and has one
child, Janice; Susie May and Grace Abigail are
graduates of botli high and private schools; and
Jennie K., who died in childhootl.
Fraternally Mr. Leonard is connected with F.
&• A. M., Olive LJranch Lodge, Xo. 84, Chapter and
Council, of New Haven, and Commandery, up to
the 32d degree, having been connected with the Ma-
sonic order for twent\-live years. Mr. Leonard also
has mcnibersliip with the O. U. A. M., the Red
Men, the Royal Arcanum, the ITeptaso])lis and the
A. O. U. W. The family attends the Methodist
Church, to which Mr. Leonard is a generous con-
tributor. I'or a number of years he was a member
of the Governor's Foot Guards. ^Ir. Leonard built
the W'estville Methodist Church and donated a me-
morial window in memory of his parents.
SAMUEL B. ISROXSOX. for many years a
capable and trustworthy carpenter and builder in
Ansonia, where he has a cozy and attractive home
at Xo. 5() Franklin street, was born in .Middkbury
Jan. 24, 1828.
Jared Bronson, his father, was also a native of
Middlebury, where his grandfather, Thaddeus Bron-
son, was also born. Both father and grandfather
were engaged in the tanning business. Jared Bron-
son lived to be eighty-four years old. He was mar-
ried to Lydia Mallory, a daughter of Thomas Mai-
lory, and both father and daughter were natives of
Middlebury, where he was engaged in farming. Es-
ther (Benham) Mallor\-, her mother, had eight cliil-
dren. Jared and Lydia .Bronson were the parents
of four children, of whom two are living: Lewis,
who is living in Middlebury, and Samuel B. Both
Mr. and Mrs. P.ronson attended the Congregational
Church.
Sanuie! B. P>rons(in spent the first twenty years of
his life in Middlebury where he attended the local
schools and secured a very good education, which
was supplemented by a course at \\'oodbury Acad-
emy. When he came to a suitable age he w'as ap-
prenticed to the carpenter's trade and served three
years under instruction, becoming quite proficient,
and when his term of apjirenticeship was up he be-
gan contracting and building on his own account,
and for some years was a resident of Middlebury.
Then he removed to Waterbury where he spent three
years at his Avork. After some time in I'lymouth, he
in 1865 came to .\n,sonia and the next year opened a
contracting and building business, in which he was
actively engaged until 1896. In 1869 he formed a
partnership with Mr. Barnes and the two continued
together for a number of years. iMr. Bronson is the
oldest builder in this section, having been in the
business forty-five years. In his career he has had
to do with the building of manv of the finest homes
46
in this part of the State, and in Ansonia alone he
has built nearly two hundred houses. His advice
and instruction as an expert in his business are still
freely sought and heeded.
I\Ir. Bronson was married to Miss Mary J. Cas-
tle, of Woodbury, a daughter of Seeley Castle. Mrs.
Bronson is the only child of her parents now living
and is herself the mother of a family of two chil-
dren : Walter and Frederick. Mr.' Bronson is a
Republican in his political associations, but a strong
believer in prohibition. He has served on the board
of burgesses and is a public-spirited citizen. He
belongs to Xaugatuck Lodge, I. O. O. F., and is a
mcmlber of the Congregational Church, where he
has been a deacon for some years and also su])erin-
tendent of the Sunday-school. A very active part
is taken by him in church and Sunday-school work.
W.M.TF.u Bronso.v, noted above, was born in
Woodbury Feb. 27, 1859, and was brought to .\n-
sonia when he was five years old. He had his edu-
cation in the high school and when fifteen years of
age began life for himself as a clerk in a store in
Middlebury. He was engaged in this fashion about
nine months and then returned to Ansonia where he
attended school a few months more and then began-
in the store where he is now found, clerking for Y\.
C. Miles, with whom he remained eighteen years.
At the end of this time he bought him out and
since that transaction he has lx;en in business for
hnnself. Mr. Bronson is w-ith one exception the
longest in business of any man on the street. He
carries a large stock of foreign and domestic goods
and employs three clerks to meet the demands of a
very large and profitable trade. The store which he
occupies has been entirely remodeled and it is to-
day one of the most attractive on Main street.
Walter Bronson was married in 1883 to Miss-
Anna French, born in Ansonia. Her mother was
Harriet Johnson before her marriage and is still
living. Mr. Bronson is a stanch Rcjniblican and in-
local affairs votes for the best man. He is a i-nem-
ber of the Masonic fraternity and is affiliated with
Washington Lodge. V. & A. IM., and Mt. \'ernoii
Chapter. He also belongs to the Xaugatuck Lodge,.
I. O. O. F., the Ancient Order of Heptasophs, the
Xew England Order of Protection, and is also a
member of the Board of Trade. He is an attendant
at the Congregational Church and belongs to the
Ansonia Club.
BEXJAMIX HUBBELL is a wide-awake and
energetic business man of Derby. Xew Haven
county, where fox a quarter of a century he has suc-
cessfully conducted a livery stable. He was born in
the town of Wilton, Fairfield Co., Conn.-, X^ov. 20,
1841, and is a representative of an old and highly re-
spected family of that county. His grandfather.
Xathan Hubbell. spent his entire life in Wilton, his
time and attention being devoted to agricultural pur-
suits.
Wakeman Hubbell, father of Benjamin, was
722
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
burn in the same house where our subject's birth
occurred and remained on the old home.-tead en-
jjajjed in farminjj throufjhout life, lie was quite a
I)r
IXacMii llubbell. He married Miss Julia Ann
Lvnis. a native of Uidstbury, town of Danbury,
l'"airtii.-ld county, and a dau},dUer of llcnjamin Lyiies,
of that town. Four children were born of this union,
namely: Henry L., who is a Doctor of Divinity
and followed the ministry at one time, is now presi-
dent of Lake Charles College. Louisiana; James
A\'.. who was also a Doctor of Divinity, died in
.Mansfield, Ohio; Stephen is enijascd in the insur-
ance business in Des Moines. Jowa; and licnjamin
is our subject.
Benjamin llubbell siXMit his boyhood on the
liome farm in Wilton and was fitted for college un-
der Prof. Edward Olmstead. He began his busi-
ness career as a drug clerk in Hartford, Conn.,
which position he filled for some time and later stud-
ied uK-dicine with Dr. Samuel Lynes, of Norwalk,
for about three years, after which he took a course
i){ lectures at the College of Physicians and Sur-
geons, of New York City, and was graduated at the
institution in 1862. Mr. Hubbcll tlicn operated the
liome farm until coming to Derby, in 1871. He en-
gaged in the grocery business in East Derby for
about four years, and has since devoted his time and
attention to the livery business.
In 1864 Mr. Hubbcll was united in marriage
with Miss Alice Marvin, of Wilton, a daughter of
Charles Marvin, a prominent man of that place, who
was a member of the State Legislature several
terms and also served as bank commissioner. Our
subject and bis wife have two sons: Henry M.,'
who is engaged in the lumber business in Derby ;
and Picnjaniin, who was graduated from Yale in
181;-. and is now a teacher of languages in the
iJerbv high school. Mr. Hubhcll and his family aro
members of the Congregational Church and are
side. Politically he is a stanch supporter of the Re-
]
Third Ward of Derby for two years; was select-
man one year, in i8«j8; is at present one of the as-
sessors and is also a representative to the Legisla-
ture. He is a man of recognized ability, is genial
and pleasant in manner and is quite popular both
'" ''"-iness and political circles.
1 RANK R. STILLMAX. the well-known far-
mer and dairyman of Mcriden. was born June 9,
1847. o" ^'^*^ Stillman homestead at Picach Hill, in
C'dlehrook, and is a descendant of one of the old and
Imnorable families of Connecticut.
There was a coat of arms issued to Stillman,
"if Steeple A.shton, Wiltshire. England, on May 6.
1532. having a camel's head and a crest. Rev. John
.'^tillman was a chaplain in Cromwell's army. He
was opiwsed to lieheading Charles L but was in
favor of dethroning him. George Stillman, the
j founder of the family in America, was a native of
I London, England, where he was born in 1654, a son
I of a London merchant. George also became a mer-
chant, 'llie Stillmans were supporters of Oliver
Cromweil during the days of the Commonwealth.
I'pon the restoration of Charles H Cjeorge was
forced, for safety, to assume another name, selecting
that of Pritchard or I'iccering. His marriage to
Lady Jane Piccering occurred in London, where his
son, George, was born. Those were times of storm
and stress and many of the Cromwell supporters
found it necessary to emigrate secretly to America.
This was the case with j\lr. Stillman, and in 1680,
leaving little George with friends in London he. with
his wife, set out on the voyage to the free land
across the ocean, but this Mrs. .Stillman never
reached, her death occurring before land was
sighted. Mr. Stillman located at Hadlev, Mass.,
and in 1685 he there married Rebecca Smith. Later
he removed to Wethersfield, Conn., and there spent
the remainder of his days, dying in 1728, and his
remains lie in the old cemetery there with the dust
of so many other early settlers. George Stillman
and his second wife were the parents of ten chil-
dren: Nathaniel; Benjamin; John; Henry; Mar-
tha ; Rebecca ; and others whose names are un-
known. George, the son of the first marriage, whom
Mr. Stillman left in England, came later to America
with a party of Seven Day Baptists and settled in
Rhode Island.
John Stillman, son of George, was horn in
Hadley; Mass., Feb. 19. 1693, and removed to
Wethersfield, Conn., with his parents, where he
spent the remainder of his days engaged in farming.
A prominent citizen and a deacon in the church he
died full of years in 1775 and was buried in Weth-
ersfield. On May 26, I7i5', he married Mary Wol-
cott, who was born Alay 14, 1694, and died in
1777. a daughter of Mrs. Judith Wolcott and a
granddaughter of Samuel Appleton, of Wethers-
field. Their union was blessed with eleven children :
John, Rebecca, May, Abigail, Martha, Sarah, Elisha,
Abigail (2), Appleton, Huldah and Benjamin.
John Stillman, son of Deacon John, was born
Aug. 19, 1717, in Wethersfield. where he grew to
manhood and where he married Oct. 26, 1738. Ra-
chel Robbins, a daughter of Richard and Martha
(Curtis) Robbins, of Wethersfield. In 1737 he re-
moved with his wife and family to Sandisfield,
Berkshire Co., Mass., where he spent the remainder
of his days and died July 13, 1782. His widow re-
moved to Colcbrook, Litchfield Co., Conn., where
she died July 12, 1807. at the age of eighty-nine
years and was buried in the old cemetery there.
John Stillman was one of the founders of the church
ir. Sandisfield. The children born to John and
Rachel Stillman were: Josiah, Sept. 16, 1739;
Hannah. I'Vb. 13, 1741 ; John, Jan. 16, 1743; Joshua;
Roger ; .Vpplcton ; and Robert.
Roger Stillman. son of John, was born July 4,
1734. in Wethersfield, where he grew to manhood.
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
723
lie then removed to Sandisficld, Mass., where he
enlisted. Roger Stillniaii was one of the first to
enlist in the Continental army for service in the
J\evohitionary war, and he participated in the battle
ally being honorably discharged at Lake Champlain.
In 1780 he located at Colebrook where he spent the
remainder of his days, dying Dec. 8, 1832, and on
the morning- of the dark day he was engaged in
building his house. Both his name and that of his
wife occur among the founders of the Congrega-
tional Church in Colebrook. in 1705. He married
Mehitable Ilurd, who was born March 4, 1757, in
Killingworth, now Clinton, Conn., and died in
Colebrook Aug. 24, 1828. and there her remains are
laid to rest. She was the mother of ten children,
live of whom were sons: William, Deacon Daniel,
Osburn, Edmund and Chester.
Cliester Stillman, son of Roger, was born in
Colebrook. Conn., April 9, 1797, on a farm, one-
lialf mile south of the main road. Mr. Stillman be-
came a land owner and farmer in Colebrook and
built a house there in 1S25 and he was buried in
Stillman's cemeteni- in Colebrook. On Dec. 10, 1815,
he united with the church and was apjjointed deacon
in 1838. On March 2, 1820, he was married to
Clarissa Esther De Wolf, of French ancestry, who
was born Aug. i, 1797, at Otis, Mass., and died
May 14, 1864. and was laid to rest in Stillman's
cemetery. Eight children were born to this union,
four of whom were sons : Edwin C, Dorwin E.,
Lester R. and Collins L.
Edwin C. Stillman, the father of Frank R. .Still-
man, was born in Colebrook. in the Beach Hill dis-
trict. Sept. 14, 1821, and grew to manhood in his
native home, following the life of an agriculturist.
Later, with his family, he moved to Southington,
Conn., where he settled down to farming and dairy-
ing and spent the balance of his life, dying June 6,
1895, ^""^1 was buried in Southington. \Ir. Stillman
was a consistent member of the Congregational
Church, liberal-minded and progressive, a most
worthy citizen and an exemplary father and hus-
band. In politics he was a Republican but was
never an office seeker.
On June 28. 1846, Mr. Stillman was married to
Sarah M. Doolittle, who was born April 18. 1828.
in \\'estfield, Middlesex Co., Conn., a daughter of
Seth Doolittle, who removed from Westfield to
Barkhamsted, then to Pleasant Valley, where he
died. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Stillman
were : Frank R. ; William C, a dealer in butter and
eggs, in Meriden; Jesse E., mentioned elsewhere in
this work : \\'aldo, of Meriden.
The Dooi.ittlk Family, on the maternal side,
is one of the oldest in Wallingford. Abraham Doo-
httle, the first of that name in Wallingford, was a
native of England who came to America and lo-
cated in New Haven before 1642, later removed to
Wallingford as one of the earliest settlers and there
died Aug. 11, 169c. He was twice married, the
second wife being Abigail i\Ioss, who died Nov. 5,
1710.
Daniel Doolittle was the tenth child of Abra-
ham Doolittle and was born Dec. 9, 1675. He mar-
ried Hannah Cornwall, of Middletown, Conn., and
later removed to Middletown. where he spent several
years, returning again to Wallingford, where he
died in 1755 at the ripe age of eighty years, his wife
having died Jan. 16, 1736.
Daniel Doolittle (2), son of Daniel Doolittle.
was bom Feb. 3, 1707, and engaged in farming near
the North Haven line, living there through life, and
dying in September, 1791, at the age of eighty-
four years. He married Elizabeth Dayton, and to
them seven children were born.
Michael Doolittle, son of Daniel (2), was a far-
mer by occupation and became a deacon in the Bap-
tist Church in Wallingford, where he lived to a
ripe old age. He married Millicent Hough, of Wall-
ingford.
Seth Doolittle, son of Michael and Millicent Doo-
little, was born in Wallingford, but later removed
to Westfield parish, Middletown, where he followed
the trade of wagon maker, but still later removed
his family to Barkhamsted, where he pursued his
trade and died there. He married Betsey Healev
and their daughter, Sarah ^L Doolittle, married Ed-
win C. Stillman, as before related.
Frank R. Stillman attended the Beach Hill dis-
trict school in Colebrook and remained at home until
he was twenty-one years old, removing with his
family to Southington. where he assisted his father
in his farming operations. On attaining his major-
ity he came to Meriden and for one year was em-
ployed by Deacon Samuel Paddock in the butcher
business. Returning to Southington he worked for
his uncle, Richard Williams, during the following
two years in the express business but his services
were needed on the farm of his father and he re-
turned home, there to engage in farming, dairying
and the raising of tobacco until 1874, when he came
to Meriden and bought his present farm on South
Broad street, consisting of fifty acres. Many im-
provements were needed here but Mr. Stillman soon
liad everything in first class condition ; and for many
years he has been known as a fine farmer and suc-