Voluntown, Connecticut Biographies
John Bitgood came to Voluntown from Warwick, R. I., about 1800,
and lived on the place now occupied by William Bitgood. His son Elisha,
born 1801, married Betsey Church, and had ten children, of whom Joel K.
enlisted in the 12th Connecticut volunteers, and served three years in the
rebellion. He was wounded at Port Hudson. He is one of the selectmen of
Voluntown. He married Maggie Tabor, and their children are: Nellie,
Gracie, Roscoe and Joseph E.
Moses Fish came from Groton to Voluntown as early as 1745. He
married Elizabeth Morgan, and had two sons, Moses and Daniel. Moses
married Jerusha Phillips, and had eight children. The eldest, Levi,
married Rebecca Fish, and had six children. The eldest son, Levi H. Fish,
married Amy Saunders. He was selectman and justice of the peace many
years, and died in 1878. His children are: Miss Julia A. Fish, who has
been engaged in millinery and dressmaking in Voluntown village since 1862,
and Anna, who married Luther L. Dennison, who served two years in the 1st
Connecticut heavy artillery.
Benjamin Gallup, son of Nathaniel, grandson of John, and
great-grandson of John, was born in Stonington, and came to Voluntown and
settled on the place occupied by the present Benjamin Gallup. He married
Amy, daughter of Thomas Kinnie, and had three sons and eleven daughters,
of whom one son Benjamin, born in 1774, married Huldah, daughter of Abel
Kinnie, and had two children, Amy and Benjamin. He was selectman and
justice of the peace many years, and died in 1854. His son Benjamin, born
in 1811, married Caroline Kinnie. They have six children: Laura C.,
Benjamin S., Amy E., E. Byron, Origen S. and Albert. Mr. Gallup
represented Voluntown in the legislature in 1849, 1858 and 1871, and has
been selectman and justice of the peace many years. He married for his
second wife Fidelia Chapman.
Isaac Gallup, of Voluntown, was a great-grandson of John Gallup,
who was one of the founders of the church in Voluntown in 1723. Isaac
married Olive Parks and had eleven children: John D., Martha, William W.,
James H., Clarissa H., Ralph P., Noyes B., Charles E.; Olive D., Jared A.
and Sarah B.; of whom Martha and Jared A. only remain in Voluntown. Jared
was a member of the 21st Regiment, Connecticut volunteers, and represented
Voluntown in the legislature of 1875.
Henry C. Gardiner was born in South Kingstown, R. I., one of twenty
children, three of whom served in the civil war-George, John and Henry.
George died in service and Henry was wounded at Fredericksburg. In 1872
Henry came to Voluntown, where he has since resided. He has been selectman
for the last four years, also justice of the peace. He married Texanna
Green and has one daughter, Etta.
Amos Herrick was born in Griswold, Conn., in 1827, served as a
soldier in the Mexican war, and came to Voluntown in 1857, where he
engaged in mercantile business, which he continued till his death in 1880.
Nathaniel Tanner came from West Greenwich (where four generations
of his ancestors had lived before him) to Voluntown about 1839. He married
Hannah Pratt and had three sons: Jason, William W. and Nathaniel. William
W. married Phebe Kenyon, and came to Voluntown in 1862. He is a farmer. He
has three sons: Luther S., William J. and George A.
Adam and Jane (Hall) Kasson emigrated from Belfast, Ireland, to
Boston, with seven, sons and two daughters in 1722, and thence came to
Voluntown. Adam was a member of the church at its formation in 1723, was
chosen deacon in 1731, and died in 1767. Archibald, a grandson of Adam,
was a colonel in the revolutionary war, and received a brigadier general's
commission at its close. Jonn P. Kasson, grandson of Archibald, born in
1797, was deacon of the church 40 years and its clerk 48 years. He was
also county commissioner two years. He married Betsey A. Wylie and had two
children: Joseph, who died aged 16, and Elizabeth, who is now clerk and
treasurer of the Congregational church.
William H. Kenyon, 2d, born in Plainfield, is, a son of John Kenyon
and a descendant of Moses Kenyon, the first of the name in Sterling. He
learned the trade of weaver and designer. He is married to Mary E. Mague.
James M. Pratt is a descendant of Amasa Pratt, who came to this
country in the last century. James married Charlotte Tanner, and is a
farmer and skillful mechanic. He has three children: Edward A., who
married Phebe Phillips; Hannah, who married Allen Palmer; and Charles W.
George W. Rouse was a member of Company G, 12th Connecticut
volunteers, in the rebellion. In 1888 he engaged in the grocery business
in the village of Voluntown. He has frequently been elected to town
offices.
Ezekiel Sherman was born in Exeter in 1819, and is a son of Robert
Sherman, of English ancestry. He married Hannah Saunders. They have twelve
children: Abby, Harriet, Hannah, Priscilla, Sarah, Lydia, Lucy, Idella,
Robert, Ezekiel, Sanford and Frank.
Source: History of Windham County, Connecticut,
Bayles, Richard M.; New York: W.W. Preston, 1889 Back to: Windham County, Connecticut
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