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David A. Griggs
- Edgar S. Lincoln
- William Ross
DAVID A. GRIGGS.—Nathan Griggs, the great-grandfather of
David A. Griggs, married Elizabeth Sharpe and resided in Pomfret. John Griggs, son of Nathan, married Ruth Ashley
and resided in Coventry and Hampton, Connecticut. His son Daniel was born in Coventry, March 24th, 1779. He married
Elizabeth Hewitt, daughter of Robert and Abigail Hewitt of Hampton. Robert Hewitt was a patriot of the revolutionary
war. Daniel Griggs resided in Hampton, Brooklyn, Pomfret and Chaplin, where he died June 26th, 1862. He was a farmer
and large owner of real estate. He bad a family of eleven children, viz.: Elizabeth H., married Ephraim W. Day;
Sophia S., married David G. Corey; Daniel A., David A., Nathan. George M., Lucy P., Appleton M., John W., Edward
G. and C. Edwin; of whom four sons and two daughters survive and reside-in Chap-. lin.
David A. Griggs was born June 23d, 1811, in Hampton, and during his minority lived in Hampton, Brooklyn and Pomfret
(Abington Society). At the age of seventeen he united with the Congregational church in the latter place. At the
age of twenty he became a resident of Chaplin, and soon after removed his church relation to the Congregational
church in that town. From that time be taught school in winter and labored on his father’s farm in summer until
the year 1837, when he purchased a saw mill, grist mill and shingle mill which he still holds. The farm which is
his present home he acquired in 1842, the residence having been erected in 1844. In politics Mr. Griggs was a whig,
and has been a republican since the organization of that party. In 1841 he was chosen a justice of peace, which
office he held until 1881, when age set a limit to his office. He was elected a representative to the Connecticut
legislature in 1854. He has been frequently chosen to the position of selectman of the town; was especially earnest
in his support of the government during the late war, and zealous in his efforts to furnish the quota of his town
in that eventful crisis.
Mr. Griggs was married March 1st, 1837, to Damaris C., daughter of Chester Storrs, of Chaplin. Their children are
Clark Hewitt, Catharine Ferdon and two that died in infancy. Mrs. Griggs died in 1854 and in 1855 he married Sarah
L., daughter of Phares Barrows, of Mansfield, who bad one child that died in infancy. His son Clark Hewitt was
born January 27th, 1839, and graduated from Amherst College in 1863. He entered the service during the late war
as hospital steward, and after undergoing a varied experience was discharged on account of illness, when he engaged
in teaching. He afterward entered the patent office in Washington as clerk, and by his ability won rapid promotion.
At the date-of his death, November 11th, 1872, be filled the responsible position of principal examiner in that
bureau. He married Mrs. S. S. Morris, a widow with two children,Emma and Ballard, and had three daughters, Kate
P., Dora and Elise. Kate is the wife of William Robertson, of Washington, D. C.; Dora married Ernest I. Atwood,
of Springfield, Mass., and Elise died in childhood. Catharine Ferdon married Edgar S. Lincoln, of Chaplin, and
has two daughters, Luày G. and Mabel S.
EDGAR S. LINCOLN. - Jonah Lincoln, the great-grandfather of Edgar S. Lincoln, was in his
day a man of prominence in his town. He was for a long time judge of probate for what are now the towns of Hampton,
Windham and Chaplin, and held various other office of trust. He was the father of Dan Lincoln, who in 1812 married
Mehitable Flint. Among their eight children was a son Jared, born September 8th, 1823, in Windham, from whence
he removed to Scotland and later to Chaplin. He was in early life a teacher, and afterward engaged in mercantile
pursuits in Chaplin. He has for years been prominent in public affairs, represented his town in the state legislature
and held various town offices. He married Joanna, daughter of Darius Spafford, of Scotland. Their two children
are Edgar S. and Clinton D. the latter having died in infancy.
Edgar S. Lincoln was born August 2d. 1847, in Scotland, where, upon the farm his youthful years were spent. Removing
at the age of ten to Chaplin, he pursued his studies until the age of sixteen, and then entered Eastman's Commercial
College at Poughkeepsie. After graduating he taught school several terms and finally entered his father's store
in Chaplin as clerk. In 1871 he purchased the business which' has since been successfully and profitably managed
by him.
Mr. Lincoln was on the 8th of January, 1868, married to Miss Catherine F., daughter of David A. Griggs of the same
town. They have two daughters, Lucy G. and Mabel S. Mr. Lincoln is a republican in his political affiliations.
He has studicusly avoided all tenders of office, the only exceptions being the acceptance of the position of probate
judge and his election to the state legislature in 1880, both of which came to him unsought. He has taken no active
part in the political contests of the day, finding his interests to center more directly in the field of business
enterprise. He is a member of the First Congregational church of Chaplin and has been for tenS years superintendent
of the Sunday school.
WILLIAM ROSS.-The subject of this biography was the son of Elnathan Ross, who was born June
15th, 1772, and married Olive Storrs, whose birth occurred December 7th, 1774. The children of this marriage were
eleven in number, as foliows: Roxana, born in 1796; Harriet, in 1797; Ebenezer Storrs, in 1798: Olive, in 1800;
Sch'uyler, in 1801; Earl, in 1803; Lydia Storrs, in 1805; Almyra, in 1806; William, November 24th, 1807; Caroline,
in 1810; and Austin, in 1812. William, the fourth son in order of birth, was a native of Chaplin, where the chief
part of his life was passed. He received no other advantages than those afforded by the schools of that early day
in the town of his birth. When six years of age he went to live with his uncle, Abel Ross, in Chaplin, living with
him till he was tweDtyone years old.. He soon after went to live in Ashford with General Palmer, with whom he lived
two years.
In the spring of 1832, he married Miranda, daughter of John Hamilton Grant, of Ashford, a revolutionary soldier.
The next day after his marriage he returned to Chaplin, having purchased the Avery farm, where he resided until
his death. This farm is now the property of his only son William. Mr. Ross was in his political principles a staunch
whig and later a republican. He gave some attention to the affairs connected with his town and county, held the
offices of selectman and assessor, and was in 1846 elected to the state legislature. He was an earnest and exemplary
member of the Congregational church and a liberal supporter of the gospel. The death of Mr. Ross occurred on the
7th of August, 1885, and that of Mrs. Ross, May 22d, 1886.
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