Qass. 
 
 , ■-T' // 
 
 Book_,_ 
 
History of the 
 
 Town of Coventry 
 
 ■By- 
 
 Oliver P. Judd 
 
History of the 
 
 Town of Coventry 
 
 from the first white 
 man's log hut, with all 
 the most important 
 events, down to the 
 present time. 
 
 . . . BY . . . 
 
 OLIVER P. JUDD 
 COVENTRY, N. Y. 
 
 9 nd 
 
Fiz9 
 
 1912 
 THE OXFORD REVIEW 
 Oxford. N. Y. 
 
Introduction 
 
 The author of this work never expected until lately to make his ap- 
 pearance in this manner before the public. When he commenced writing 
 this history he only intended to write a little sketch and put it in a news- 
 paper for the benefit of the public. After a few articles had been publish- 
 ed, fellow townsmen appealed and urged him, contrary to his own wishes, 
 to look up and write a larger and much more complete history of the 
 town. After due consideration he consented to do so. It has cost a lot of 
 hard work and a great deal of time to compile it, getting only a portion 
 of it from any history, while the greater part had to be gleaned from the 
 older inhabitants, which had to be done by traveling from house to house, 
 making well on to a hundred miles, so you see it was no easy task to get 
 up this history as most of the traveling was done on foot. Now if the 
 reader should see some slight mistake I hope he will forgive, for he must 
 remember that it had to be gleaned from old people that were 70 and 80 
 years old, and who at that age can have a memory so keen that they might 
 not make some slight mistake; for they all had to tell it from memory. 
 But on the whole I think it is as perfect as any history can be. 
 
 The writer has put in some incidents, anecdotes, and some thrilling 
 scenes, showing the physical strength and courage, and the determined 
 will of our forefathers in coming into the then new country covered with 
 dense forests, inhabited by wild beasts and the more dreaded savage foe, 
 the red man, to make homes for themselves and their posterity. He has 
 also put in several poems, which are very appropriate, written for special 
 occasions by the poet and poetess of the town. It also contains all the 
 most important events that have ever happened in the town. The mothers 
 in those early times had much to do with shaping the destiny of the town, 
 most of .hem coming from Connecticut, of the old Puritan stock. They 
 could not bear to see the Sabbath day desecrated, so they held meetings 
 every Sabbath, going from house to house, holding some kind of a religious 
 meeting till the first church in town was organized. 
 
 The author submits this history to the public in the hope that those 
 
1^ HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 who read it will be inspired with as much of the spirit of courage, fidelity 
 to home, of patriotism for country and brotherly love for each other as 
 has been shown from the thousands of incidents; of courage and bravery 
 with which our forefathers were inspired, scenes that are close to the 
 human heart and which bring with them the glow of manhood and w'oman- 
 hood.showing the test of their courage and their heroism of everyday life. 
 NOTE: — The reader will find the words "old Chenango road" a good 
 many times in the history. The younger people probably don't know what 
 it means or where it is, or how it came there. In the Revolutionary war, 
 before pioneers ever set foot on this soil to claim it, the Indians rose up 
 against the whites in Wyoming Valley, Penn., and massacred them with 
 great slaughter, also in Cherry Valley, N. Y. General Sullivan with several 
 thousand men and cannon was sent out from Philadelphia to subdue the 
 savage foe. After subduing them at Wyoming he started for Cherry 
 Valley, coming through Elmira and Binghamton, thence to Chenango 
 Forks, from there he wanted to go to Bainbridge which was at that time 
 a solid wilderness. So he had to cut his road through coming by the way 
 of North Fenton, through Lower Page Brook by the white school house 
 and where Henry Spencer now lives, and Guy Wylie's up the hill, the 
 Matthew Hoyt place, Thomas Tifft farm down by the Pearsall farm and 
 so on through Wilkins Settlement, if I am informed right, and through to 
 Bainbridge. This was the old Chenango road known as the Chenango and 
 Catskill turnpike and the first road in town. The one now running from 
 Greene to Bainbridge is part of the old Catskill and Ithaca turnpike. 
 
 OLIVER P. JUDD. 
 
History of the To\A/n of Coventry 
 
 By Oliver P. Judd 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Coventry was formed from Greene 
 February 7, 1806, and derives its 
 name from Coventry in Connecticut, 
 from vi'hence the first settlers came. 
 Greene was formed March 15, 1798, 
 from Union, Broome county, and 
 Jericho, now Bainbridge, all three 
 then in Tioga county and was in 
 honor of General Nathaniel Greene, 
 of Revolutionary fame. Parts of 
 Greene and Oxford were annexed to 
 Coventry in 1843. It lies near the 
 center of the south border of Che- 
 nango county and is bounded on the 
 north by Oxford, on the east by 
 Bainbridge and Afton, on the south 
 by Afton and also Colesville in 
 Broome county, and on the west by 
 Greene. It occupies the ridge that 
 forms the watershed between the 
 streams that flow into the Susque- 
 hanna on the south east and the 
 Chenango on the north west. The 
 hills, whose highest elevations are 
 midway between the rivers, are 
 about 800 feet above the valleys, 
 and generally have gradual slope 
 and are tillable to their summit. 
 The surface is well distributed into 
 arable pasture and meadow lands. 
 Its waters consists of the head 
 waters of small streams, the princi- 
 pal ones Harpur and Kelsey's creeks 
 both tributaries of the Susquehanna 
 river. It is wholly underlaid by the 
 rocks of the Catskill group, the soil 
 is mostly of a sandy and gravelly 
 loam. The town is admirably adapt- 
 ed to grazing. Dairying forms the 
 chief branch of its agriculture, in 
 1880 there were four cheese and 
 butter factories in the town, now 
 
 there are only two. In 1875 the pop- 
 ulation of the town was 1,345 of 
 which 1,307 were natives and 38 
 foreigners — all white. Its acreage 
 was 27,815 of which 21,326 were 
 improved and 640 unimproved. 
 There are eleven common school dis- 
 tricts in the town each of which has 
 a school house of its own. The 
 number of children of school age, 
 residing in the districts, September 
 30, 1875, was 373. During the 
 year ending September 30, 1878, 
 there were 7 male and 14 female 
 teachers employed of whom 11 were 
 licensed. The number of children 
 residing in the districts who attend- 
 ed school was 309; of whom only 
 four were under five or over twenty- 
 one years of age. The total daily 
 attendance during the year was 
 171,391. The number of volumes 
 in district libraries was 280, the 
 value of which was $44.00. The 
 number of school houses was 11 all 
 frame which with the sites embrac- 
 ing 2 acres and 152 rods valued at 
 $425, were valued at $3,600; the as- 
 sessed value of the taxable property 
 in the district was $688,050. The 
 number of children between eight 
 and fourteen years of age residing 
 in the district September 30, 1877, 
 was 179, of whom 156 attended dis- 
 trict school fourteen weeks of the 
 year. In looking back to the census 
 of 1855 we find that there were 
 1,681 people in the town, and his- 
 tory says that the population had 
 been diminishing for the last 30 
 years before that, so I think that in 
 1825 there must have been 2,000 
 population. There was a reason for 
 
6 
 
 HISTORY OP THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 this; when the first settlers came in 
 they took small farms, 50 acres 
 apiece. The man that got his paid 
 for first was ready to buy out his 
 neighbor, who had not paid for his, 
 so you see the first farms grew lar- 
 ger, and the families diminished. 
 In 1855 there were 12 school dis- 
 tricts with the attendance of 640; 
 an average of fifty-three and one- 
 third while today there is less than 
 100. 
 
 Settlements 
 
 The first settlement in the town of 
 Coventry was made in 1785 by 
 Simon Jones who came from Cov- 
 entry, Connecticut, and located on 
 the old Chenango road near the 
 center of the town on 100 acres now 
 owned and occupied by Ray Parker. 
 Jones died there childless, January 
 12, 1817, aged 67. William Good- 
 sell and Andrew Clark settled near 
 Mr. Jones, on the same road the fol- 
 lowing year, the latter on land 
 which now forms part of Ray Par- 
 ker's farm. They remained but a 
 short time and but little is known of 
 them. Benjamin Jones, cousin of 
 Simon Jones, came in from the same 
 place in 1788, and settled on the 
 same road, one and one-half miles 
 south east of Coventry village, on 
 the farm known as the Thomas Tifft 
 farm. He took up 250 acres of land 
 and kept there that year the first 
 inn in the town, in a frame building 
 which was in use till about 1850, 
 when it was moved across the road 
 for a horse barn. He kept the hotel 
 but a few years, being principally 
 engaged in farming. He was for 
 some years, the agent for the sale of 
 land in this locality. He removed 
 about 1833, with a portion of his 
 family, to Wellsville where two of 
 his children resided a number of 
 years; Zenas H., a lawyer and Clar- 
 
 issa, wife of William Gifford. Two 
 of his sons remained here; Benja- 
 min John Lewis and Laman P. 
 The latter carried on a boot and 
 shoe business in Coventry for about 
 40 years. The former settled about 
 two miles east of Coventry on the 
 farm now owned by Edgar Pearsall, 
 He subsequently moved to Susque- 
 hanna where he died June 22, 1858, 
 aged 52 years. Sylva M., his wife, 
 died February 16, 1875, aged 63 
 years. He was the father of C. F. 
 Jones, deceased, of Church Hollow, 
 well known in Harpursville and vi- 
 cinity. Benjamin Jones, Sr., joined 
 the Revolutionary army at the age 
 of 18 years, and served until the 
 close of the war. During his resi- 
 dence here, in 180 6, he represented 
 this county in the Assembly and 
 during his legislative term was in- 
 strumental in securing the forma- 
 tion of the town of which he was 
 one of the first officers and in giving 
 It the name of his native place in 
 Connecticut. He was the first mem- 
 ber of the legislature from this town, 
 and was one of the first assessors of 
 the town of Bainbridge in 1791. 
 The first postofRce was kept in his 
 house and was removed to Coventry- 
 vllle on the establishment of the 
 hotel there. This town has been 
 represented to the State legislature 
 by seven different men, viz., Ben- 
 jamin Jones, William Church, Ru- 
 fus Chandler, Romeo Warren, Wil- 
 liam Kales, Charles Pearsall, and 
 Edgar Pearsall. 
 
 Burrige Miles came from New 
 Haven, Connecticut, in 1789 and 
 took up 200 acres comprising the 
 whole of the site of Coventryville, 
 where he settled. Having kept a 
 hotel in New Haven, Connecticut, 
 his native place he erected a frame 
 house in which he kept hotel. In 
 
HISTORY OP THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 1811 he built the present hotel in 
 Coventryville, which he kept until 
 his death, September 12, 1848, aged 
 83 years. He married in New Hav- 
 en, Elizabeth, sister of Ozias Yale 
 of Cheshire, Connecticut. She died 
 September 15, 1832, aged 68 years. 
 His children were Betsey, who mar- 
 ried Augustus Martin; Luman, who 
 kept hotel in Coventry a good many 
 years, and Burrige, who lived in 
 Coventryville, and died, July 23, 
 1829, aged 24 years. The children 
 were all born in Coventry, and Lu- 
 man who was born in a hotel, kept 
 one nearly all his life. When Miles 
 came into the town. Royal Wilkins 
 had squatted on the creek, one- 
 fourth mile south of Coventryville, 
 and had made a small clearing and 
 built a shanty; but he moved soon 
 after to Afton where he settled and 
 raised a family. His location here 
 was near where Frank Pearsall now 
 lives. 
 
 Ozias Yale and William Stork 
 made settlements in 1792, and Dea- 
 con Richards about the same time. 
 Yale came from Cheshire, Connecti- 
 cut, and settled one-half mile north 
 of Coventryville, where T. M. Wil- 
 liams now lives, and where he died. 
 May 26, 1853, aged 86 years. He 
 was a farmer and held the office of 
 justice several years. He was twice 
 married. Hannah, his first wife 
 died, December 23, 1810, aged 55 
 years, and Agnes A., his second wife, 
 March 8, 1875, aged 88 years. Two 
 sons, Thomas, who lived at Nineveh 
 for a good many years, and Robert, 
 who lived in Norwich, Evaline, wife 
 of Nathaniel Smith and Hannah, wife 
 of Seth Beckwith, were daughters of 
 his. The deaths of his daughter, 
 Hannah and son H , both chil- 
 dren by his first wife, the former 
 October 3, 1796, at the age of 3 years 
 
 and the latter July 9, 1800, at the 
 age of 6 years were among the ear- 
 liest in the town; and the birth of 
 the former, must have been among 
 the first, if not the first in the town. 
 William, son of Moses Allis, born in 
 1794, is credited with being the first 
 white child born in the town. 
 
 Deacon William Stork was also 
 from Cheshire, Conn. He took up 
 one hundred acres in the east part 
 of the town, where he and his wife 
 died, the former December 3, 1822, 
 aged 52, and the latter, Rebecca Par- 
 ker, March 17,1832, aged 59. He 
 was a carpenter and joiner, and car- 
 ried on that business in connection 
 with farming. He had eight chil- 
 dren, only four lived to grow up; 
 two were born in Connecticut, but 
 died in infancy, as also did the 
 other two who died young. The 
 four who lived to maturity were 
 Julia, who was born in Coventry 
 September 16, 1799, married Don. 
 C. Parker of Cazenovia, where they 
 settled afterwards, removing to 
 Greene where he died November 2, 
 1862; Anna, who died a maiden lady 
 on the homestead in Coventry; 
 Lauriston, who married Pheuby, 
 daughter of William Clark, of Caz- 
 enovia, where they settled and 
 where he died; and William L., a 
 lawyer who lived in Cazenovia. 
 
 Deacon Richards settled on the old 
 Chenango road; also Harden Bennett 
 about 1792-5. Roger Edgerton set- 
 tled about four miles south of Cov- 
 entry, where Charles Seymour now 
 lives, and was killed there by falling 
 down stairs. He came as early as 
 1790, in which year a son of his died, 
 his death being the first in the town. 
 One son, Hial, kept a store in Nine- 
 veh, his son Franklin followed him 
 in the store. Several great grand- 
 children are living. 
 
S' 
 
 HISTORY OP THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 Philo Yale settled in the town in 
 1794, when 19 years old, and built 
 his house in 1800, he dug the first 
 grave in the cemetery at Coventry- 
 ville for William Button, it ia in the 
 north east corner of the yard. Moses 
 Allis came in as early as 17 95, and 
 Zenas Hutchinson and Levi Parker 
 about that year. Allis was a shoe- 
 maker and settled three miles south 
 of Coventry on the farm now owned 
 by Ex-Sheriff Beardsley. He resided 
 there until well advanced in years, 
 when he went to Ohio, where he 
 died. None of his children are liv- 
 ing here. His son William who is 
 generally supposed to have been the 
 first child born in the town removed 
 to Ohio about 1830 and died there. 
 Hutchinson came from Coventry, 
 Connecticut, where he was born Sep- 
 tember 17, 1782, and settled on the 
 first farm west of Coventry, which is 
 now owned and occupied by Charles 
 Hoyt. He afterwards removed to 
 the village and died there November 
 31, 1869. He held the office of jus- 
 tice of the peace thirty years, and 
 was town clerk and school teacher 
 for a good many years. He married 
 Electa Trumbull, who was born 
 March 3, 1794, and whose father 
 was an early settler in that town 
 where she died February 18, 1870. 
 He had two children, both daugh- 
 ters, Callista, who married Chauncey 
 S. Williams, now living in Coventry; 
 and Sophia, who died at the age of 
 17. Parker came from Cheshire, 
 Conn., and settled on the site of the 
 Congregational parsonage in Cov- 
 entryville village. He afterwards re- 
 moved to the west part of the town, 
 to the place where Mr. Pearson now 
 lives, and died there April 9, 1846, 
 aged 79 years. Phebe, his wife, died 
 October 9. 1859, aged 89. His chil- 
 dren were: Eldad, who settled at 
 
 Coventryville, where he died June 4, 
 1820, aged 26; Levi, who married 
 and settled where Burton Jones now 
 lives, and died there October 5, 
 1864, aged 68, and Polly G., his 
 wife, October 5, 1854, aged 59. 
 Aaron, who was a Baptist minister, 
 lived to an advanced age; Luman, 
 who settled at Coventryville; Laura, 
 who married Meritt Stoddard and 
 after his death, October 12, 1820, 
 married Ahira Barden and lived in 
 Tioga county; Phebe, who married 
 A. B. Dodge and lived in Triangle, 
 Broome county, and Lucinda, who 
 died young and unmarried. James 
 S. Parker, at one time a merchant 
 in Coventry, Mrs. Daniel Beecher of 
 Coventry, Meritt S. Parker, at one 
 time a merchant in Greene, and 
 Mary, wife of Dr. M. B. Spencer of 
 Guilford, are the grandchildren. 
 
 Record Wilbur came in from Ver- 
 mont as early as 1798, and settled 
 about a mile south of Coventry on 
 the north part of the farm now 
 owned by Edward H. Porter and son, 
 and died there January 29, 1862, at 
 the advanced age of 99 years. 
 Naomi, his wife died January 21, 
 1842, aged 76. They had no 
 children. 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 A Continuation of Early Settlers 
 
 A man named Childs, whose wife 
 was a sister of Record Wilbur, came 
 In soon after Wilbur and made a 
 clearing and planted corn on the 
 place now owned by William Kelley, 
 known as the Judd farm. He re- 
 mained but one summer and return- 
 ed to Vermont, from whence he 
 came. His wife never came here. 
 
 Captain Jothan Parker came in as 
 early as 1795, probably that year, 
 and settled one mile south of Cov- 
 entryville, on the place now owned 
 
HISTORY OP THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 by Edgar Pearsall. He built in 
 that localily in 1795 the first grist 
 mill in the town. He kept also in 
 an addition to the south part of his 
 house the first store in the town. 
 Hiland, his son, afterwards kept 
 store there in company with Renja- 
 min Jones. Captain Parker also 
 kept a tavern. He died there after 
 a short but active business life, July 
 19, 1815, aged 62. His wife, Sarah, 
 survived him many years and died 
 November 13, 1848, at the advanced 
 age of 9 years. His children were: 
 Hiland Jothan, Jr., who died in Feb- 
 ruary, 1830, aged 42; Luman, who 
 died October 5, 1801, aged 20; 
 Emma and the widow Loveland. 
 The grist mill built by Captain Par- 
 ker was located on a small creek 
 one-fourth of a mile south of Cov- 
 entryville near the residence of 
 Prank Pearsall. A portion of the 
 foundation may yet be seen. It was 
 operated as a grist mill till about 
 1845, when William Warner con- 
 verted it into a carpenter shop which 
 was burned about 1876. 
 
 Simeon Parker settled at an early 
 day one and one-half miles north of 
 Coventryville where his grandson, 
 Peter H. Parker, now lives and 
 where he and his wife died, the for- 
 mer February 7, 1824, aged 48, and 
 the latter, July 30, 1835, aged 60 
 years. He married Polly Sprague, 
 and their marriage was the first one 
 contracted in the town. Their chil- 
 dren were, Lucius, Hiram, Simeon, 
 Joel, Henry, Meritt, Polly, Betsey, 
 Sally, Louisa, and Nancy, none now 
 living. 
 
 A man named Stimpson settled in 
 the northeast corner of the town, on 
 the farm owned and occupied for a 
 good many years by Draper Easton, 
 in 1800. He lived and died there. 
 He had six children: Jason, who 
 
 married Betsey Johnson, Simeon 
 Roswell, who married a sister of 
 Jason's wife; Nancy, who married 
 Ira Bartholomew; Betsey and an- 
 other daughter, who married the 
 father of William Gilbert; all of 
 whom are dead. 
 
 Deacon John Stoddard who was 
 born July 1, 1763, came from Water- 
 town, Conn., his native place, in 
 18 01 and settled on the farm at Cov- 
 entryville which was owned and oc- 
 cupied by his grandson, William A. 
 Stoddard, where he died, February 
 24, 1821. He came in with his fam- 
 ily, consisting of his wife, Sarah, 
 daughter of Nathan Woodward, of 
 Watertown, Conn., and six children, 
 Curtis, Meritt, Polly, John, Sarah 
 and Elijah Woodward. Three were 
 born after they came here, Abigail, 
 Wells and Abiram, not one of the 
 nine is living. He took up 250 acres 
 of land, nearly 100 acres of which is 
 occupied by his grandsons and great- 
 grandsons. His wife died January 
 1, 1849, aged 83. The Stoddards 
 have been a prominent, influenti"! 
 and highly respected family. Curtis 
 married Hepsey, daughter of Samuel 
 Martin, from Watertown, Conn., who 
 came in with Mr. Stoddard in 1800 
 and prospected the lands they took 
 up and accompanied him in his set- 
 tlements the following year. Mr. 
 Martin died here January 17, 184 0, 
 aged 76, and Phebe, his wife, March 
 22, 1841, aged 76 years. Curtis 
 Stoddard settled on 50 acres of his 
 father's farm, where he raised a 
 family of eight children. After the 
 death of his wife he removed to Lit- 
 tle St. Joseph, Ohio, where he died 
 in 1843. Meritt Stoddard married 
 Laura, daughter of Levi Parker, and 
 settled in the west part of the town, 
 where he died October 12, 1820, 
 aged 32 years. Polly Stoddard mar- 
 
io 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 ried Sylvester Stevens of Camden, 
 Oneida county, and removed with 
 him to that county, where he died. 
 After his death she returned to Cov- 
 entry and subsequently married 
 Daniel Benedict. She died here in 
 1876. John Stoddard, who became 
 a deacon, married Merab, daughter 
 of Oliver Parker, an early settler in 
 the town, where he died March 29, 
 1856, aged 85 years; and Abigail, 
 his wife, January 10, 1861, aged 89 
 years. John settled on tbe home- 
 stead and died there January 20, 
 1865, aged 60 years. His wife died 
 there March 20, 1857, aged 60 years. 
 He was a justice of the peace for 20 
 years. Sarah Stoddard married 
 Deacon William Albert Martin, a 
 resident of Coventry, where they 
 both lived and died. He died March 
 26, 1846, aged 53 years. Elijah 
 Woodward Stoddard, who was born 
 in 1797 and died in 1837, was grad- 
 uated at Hamilton College in 1823, 
 studied theology in Philadelphia and 
 was licensed to preach in June 18 26. 
 He married Althea Coye of Coopers- 
 town and in 1826 was settled as 
 pastor at Lisle. He subsequently 
 preached in Windsor, in each place 
 six years, and removed to Little St. 
 Joseph, Ohio, where he died. 
 Abigail, married Miles Doolittle, a 
 resident of Coventry, who built in 
 1815 the first and only carding mill 
 in the town. It stood on a small 
 stream which was early known as 
 Great brook, about a mile south of 
 Coventryville. Abigail died August 
 30, 1830. Wells Stoddard married 
 Eunice, daughter of Eliakin Bene- 
 dict, and settled in Coventry. They 
 removed in 1833, to Marion, Iowa, 
 where he died in 1853. Abiram 
 married Lavina Smith of Derby, 
 Conn., where he practiced medicine 
 and where he died in 1839. Four of 
 
 John Jr's, children: Henry, John, 
 Albert and Lewis, and one of Cur- 
 tis' daughters, Hepsey, wife of Jos- 
 eph Johnson, the last named is still 
 living at this date 1912. 
 
 Deacon Philo Minor, eame from 
 Woodbury, Conn., in 1802, a single 
 man and made a clearing of two 
 acres about a mile east of Coventry- 
 ville, on the place once occupied by 
 C. Burlison. He returned to Con- 
 necticut the following fall and mar- 
 ried Polly Stillson, and in the win- 
 ter brought in his wife on an ox 
 sled. About 1850 he removed to 
 the place once occupied by Lewis 
 Stoddard, and subsequently to Afton, 
 where he died November 16, 1864, 
 aged 83 years. His wife died Feb- 
 ruary 6, 1848, aged 64 years. He 
 had nine children: George, born in 
 1803, Clark and Esther, widow of 
 Seneca Reed of Coventry; Mary, wife 
 of Sylvester Cornell, and Sarah A, 
 widow of Calvin Franklin, who died 
 September 8, 1861, in Norwich. 
 
 At one time Mrs. Philo Minor left 
 her home to go to a place near 
 Brackett Pond to arrange for some 
 weaving. She went on horseback as 
 there were then no roads except log 
 roads. Taking the wrong road she 
 got lost and remained in the woods 
 all night. It was dark and raining 
 and when she could no longer see, 
 she perched herself on a leaning tree 
 as high as she could and hold the 
 horse. She placed the saddle over 
 her head as a protection against the 
 falling rain and so passed the night 
 with the woves howling around her, 
 but she kept them at bay by beating 
 the stirrups together, thus making 
 music which they apparently did not 
 like. 
 
 John Minor came in about the 
 same time and he and his wife, Anna 
 G. Beardsley, died here, the former, 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 11 
 
 February 9, 1854, aged 84 and the 
 latter March 4, 1852, aged 79. 
 Their daughter, Elizabeth D., mar- 
 ried John Foot, a native of Coey- 
 mans, N. Y., who was a tanner and 
 shoemaker and settled in Coventry 
 where he held several military and 
 town offices, and was deacon of the 
 Congregational church. They had 
 two children, Lydia Ann, who mar- 
 ried Henry Milton Ketchum and re- 
 moved to Minnesota, and Jane 
 Amanda. 
 
 John Mandeville and Elisha War- 
 ren came in from Massachusetts, the 
 former from Granby, in 1805. Man- 
 deville settled in the south part of 
 the town four miles south of Cov- 
 entry on 5 acres, which now forms 
 part of Charles Martin's farm, and 
 died there about 1819. He was the 
 first Supervisor in the town of Cov- 
 entry. He had eight children: Ase- 
 nith, who married Chauncey Brewer; 
 Sophia, who married Lemuel Jen- 
 nings; John, William C, James, 
 Horace, Homer and Malancthon S. 
 Two grandsons, Asahel and Harry, 
 lived in the town on land afterwards 
 acquired by him. Warren settled in 
 the east part of the town one and 
 one-half miles southeast of Coven- 
 tryville, on the place now owned by 
 the estate of Clark L. Horton, where 
 he died January 13, 1806, aged 41 
 years. Lois, his wife, survived him 
 many years. She died March 20, 
 184 8, aged 80. He had three sons 
 and one daughter: Woodward, who 
 was born in Watertown, Conn., Jan- 
 uary 17, 1791, who was an architect 
 and carpenter and died September 7, 
 1855, aged 64 years; Elisha, Lydia, 
 who married Hial Benedict; and Ro- 
 meo, the latter who represented 
 this country in the State Assembly 
 in 185 6 and resided in Coventry till 
 his death. 
 
 Settlements were made in 1806 by 
 Jabez Manwarring, Henry Chandler 
 and Pardon Beecher. Jabez Man- 
 warring came from New London, 
 Conn., and settled first three miles 
 south west of Coventry on the farm 
 once owned by John Beals. In 1812, 
 he removed to the farm lying next 
 north and resided there till his 
 death, April 23, 1861, aged 80. In 
 1808 he married Sally Hopkins from 
 Waterbury, Conn., who died October 
 21, 1863, aged 79 years. They had 
 ten children; Charles B., who later.** 
 resided at Nanticoke, Broome coun- 
 ty; Henry and Edward S., at Wind- 
 sor, Broome county; Lucius, at Cov- 
 entry; William in Grandville, Mich.; 
 Samuel and Albert in State Center, 
 Iowa; George who died in Clinton 
 county, Iowa, about 1864; Sally Ma- 
 ria, who married Albert Prett of Af- 
 ton and subsequently David Blakeley 
 of Wisconsin, where she died, were 
 children of theirs. 
 
 Deacon Henry Chandler came 
 from Brattleboro, Vt. He stopped 
 about six months in Bainbridge, and 
 removed thence to this town. He 
 settled at Coventryville and had 
 had charge of the grist mill which 
 was then in operation a little south 
 of that village. He built a log house 
 into which he moved his family and 
 after about a year bought a farm of 
 nearly fifty acres about one and one- 
 half miles south of Coventryville, 
 known as the Sanford place. He 
 afterwards removed to the farm 
 known as the Benedict Foot farm in 
 the north part of the town. He went 
 to live with his children in Bain- 
 bridge in the latter part of his life 
 and died there July 21, 1826, aged 
 72 years. Penelope, his wife, died 
 March 25, 1841, aged 72 years. His 
 children were: Nelly, who married 
 Hardin Burnett; Sophia, who mar- 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 rled Phineas Bennett; Nabby, who 
 married Calvin Niles; Michael, 
 Henry, Selah, Rufus, David, Lock- 
 wood and Lois, who married William 
 Wilson. Rufus resided in Coventry. 
 Parson Beecher removed from the 
 parish in Salem, Conn., now Nauga- 
 tuck, and like many others of the 
 early settlers, fearing miasmatic dis- 
 ease and reputed sickness of the 
 low lands and river courses, sought 
 out an elevated location between the 
 Chenango and Susquehanna river. 
 He took up 100 acres of wilderness 
 land one mile west of Coventry on 
 what is known as the Guy Wylie 
 farm, and there raised up a family 
 to usefulness, honesty and sobriety. 
 He continued his residence there till 
 his death, August 10, 1843, aged 60. 
 His house is said to have been the 
 first framed house on that part of 
 the Livingston tract lying in Cov- 
 entry and the first on the Catskill 
 and Ithaca turnpike, between Bain- 
 bridge and Greene, a distance of six- 
 teen miles. There town meetings 
 and elections were regularly held, 
 as well as stated preaching every 
 fourth Sabbath. In January, 1808, 
 he married a lady of his native town, 
 who died in 1875 at the advanced 
 age of 91 years, with mind unim- 
 pared. He brought her to a log 
 cabin in his forest home. The farm 
 was retained in the hands of the 
 family till about 1858, when Julius 
 Beecher, who succeeded his father 
 in the occupancy sold it and remov- 
 ed to Wellsville, Allegany county, 
 and died there. Parson Beecher's 
 other children were: Sarah, who 
 married a son of Curtis Stoddard 
 and after his death, Amos Yale, and 
 lived on the Amos Yale place in 
 Guilford where her husband died, 
 February 17, 1857, aged 40; Daniel, 
 who was twice married, his second 
 
 wife, Betsey Parker, they lived in 
 Coventry; Annette, who married 
 Russel M. Smith and died in Cov- 
 entry in the spring of 1877; Harris 
 H. and Harry, twins, the former a 
 physician of Norwich who wrote a 
 history of the 114th Regiment, N. Y. 
 S. v., and the latter of whom mar- 
 ried the widow Phebe Ann Rice and 
 lived in Norwich; Hector, who mar- 
 ried Naomi Leonard of Oxford, with 
 whom he lived till her death, then 
 he went to Norwich and lived with 
 his daughter until his death Septem- 
 ber 2, 1912, aged 86 years. El- 
 bridge, who married and removed to 
 Ohio and died there; Jane, who mar- 
 ried John B. Hoyt, and lived in Pitts- 
 ton, Pa.; Julius, married Elizabeth 
 Payne and after her death, Sarah 
 Ann Stewart, and lived in Wellsville. 
 
 Lewis Warren, son of Nathaniel 
 W^arren came in from Watertown, 
 Conn., 1808-9, and settled about 
 three miles south west of Coventry 
 on the farm where Ira Fairchild's 
 did live. He returned to Connecti- 
 cut about 1811 and remained there 
 till 1822. He married Susa, daugh- 
 ter of Harvey Judd. They both lived 
 and died in Coventry at a good old 
 age, she being 94 years old. Their 
 children were: Sally, who married 
 Callitus Frisbie; Edward, who mar- 
 ried Sally Judd for his first wife and 
 Harriett Underwood for his second; 
 Truman, who married Harriet 
 Wheeler; George and Polly never 
 married; Harvey died when 16 years 
 old. 
 
 Harvey Judd removed from 
 Watertown, Conn., to Delhi, Dela- 
 ware county, in 1809, and the fol- 
 lowing year to Coventry, working 
 farms on shares till 1822 when he 
 and his son, Harvey P., bought the 
 farm long known as the Judd farm, 
 about one mile south west of Cov- 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 IS 
 
 entry, now owned by William Kelley. 
 He died there September 27, 1857, 
 aged 94, his wife, Sarah Castle, in 
 1845, aged 80, and his son, Harvey 
 P., died December 27, 1869, aged 
 64. His children were: Eri, who 
 married and lived in Watertown, 
 Conn.; Susa, who married Lewis 
 Warren, who moved here in 1822; 
 Noah, who married Nancy Peartree 
 and lived on one half of the lot 
 owned by Harvey and removed to 
 Greene where he and his wife both 
 died; and Harvey, as has been said, 
 lived and died in Coventry. 
 
 Frances Kales came from Albany 
 in 1811 and settled on land in the 
 south line of the town, lately owned 
 by Charles Clifford. Kales and his 
 wife both were of Irish descent and 
 both died there, the former in April, 
 1852. the latter in February, 1847. 
 John and William, their sons, both 
 lived and died in Coventry. Wil- 
 liam was a member of the Assembly 
 in 1858. 
 
 David Hungerford emigrated from 
 Watertown, Conn., his native place 
 in 1812 and settled about three 
 miles south west of Coventry, where 
 his son Chauncey has lived most of 
 the time since his birth in 1830. 
 He was a blacksmith as well as 
 farmer. He continued to reside 
 there until his death, January 12, 
 1860, aged 80 years. His wife, Anna 
 Y. Beckwith, a native of Vermont, 
 died in 1883, at the ripe age of 100 
 years, 4 months and some days with 
 mental faculties but little impaired. 
 He married in Watertown, and his 
 children were: Maria, who married 
 Moses Hatch and lived and died in 
 Kettleville; Susan, who married 
 Harvey P. Judd, lived and died in 
 Coventry; Rachel, wife of John 
 Gobies, lived and died in Fulton 
 City, 111.; Lavinna, who married 
 
 Joseph Snell and died in Kettleville 
 March 5, 1849. All the above nam- 
 ed children were born in Connecti- 
 cut. Those born in Coventry, were: 
 Sally, a maiden lady living with 
 her brother on the homestead; Anna, 
 widow of Towsend Barnum, lived ia 
 Hastings, Minn.; Laura, wife of 
 Ralph Beard, who lived in Coventry; 
 David, who married Martha Ann 
 Castle, lived in Kansas; and Chaun- 
 cey, who lived on the homestead. 
 They are all dead at this date un- 
 less it is David. 
 
 Most of the early settlers in the 
 locality of Coventryville and on the 
 road extending north into the south 
 part of Oxford were from Cheshire, 
 Conn., from which fact the little 
 hamlet in the southern part of the 
 town derives its name and the road 
 in question is known as Cheshire 
 street. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Early Settlers Still Continued. 
 
 The Williams Family. 
 
 Among the early settlers was one 
 Caleb Williams, who married 
 Mahitabel Walker and came into 
 this country from Wales; settled 
 about one mile south of Church 
 Hollow near where William Pears- 
 all, now deceased, lived for many 
 years. Although it was not in this 
 town we speak of it but because 
 several of the children were prom- 
 inent citizens of Coventry. Their 
 children were: Lois, who died 
 young; Caleb Samuel, Stephen Wal- 
 ker, Hiram, Daniel, Mahitabel, Har- 
 ley, Henry, Simon, Julia, Evaline and 
 Lois. Caleb married Cordelia Bid- 
 well and lived several years two 
 miles west of Coventry, on the farm 
 known as the Ezra Foote farm. Ho 
 afterwards moved to Rockford, 111., 
 and died there. Samuel married 
 
u 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 Phoebe Pearsall and lived on the 
 homestead for several years. He 
 moved to Triangle, where he lived 
 for many years, thence to North 
 Fenton, where they both died. They 
 had four children two died young. 
 Their son, Hamilton, married and 
 had a family. Their daughter Aman- 
 da married Nelson Baker of Greene, 
 where they lived a few years, after- 
 wards they went to Nebraska where 
 she died, leaving one son who is 
 married and has two children. Nel- 
 son and his son are doing a large 
 business farming near Norfolk, Va. 
 Stephen Walker married Louisa 
 Easton, and lived in the south east 
 part of the town for many years. 
 He had a large family, the majority 
 of which died young. One died about 
 four years ago in Kansas aged 82 
 years. Theodore died in the army 
 during the Civil war September 24, 
 1863, aged 25 years. He was in 
 Company E. 1st Regiment, Minne- 
 sota Vol. Ellina went to Wisconsin, 
 married Elisha Sanders and had 
 four children; died March 29, 1876, 
 aged 40 years. Willard married 
 twice, both wives deceased. He is 
 now living with his son in Cuba, N. 
 Y. Oliver P., is now living in Cov- 
 entry; Chauncey S., died in Cov- 
 entry January 31, 1912. Oliver P., 
 and Willard are the only ones living. 
 Hiram was killed by an accident 
 when a young man, while working 
 in the woods with a yoke of cattle. 
 Daniel married Thankful Blakeslee 
 and worked at shoe making for a 
 good many years, then farmed it on 
 the farm now owned by Mr. Juliand 
 a little south of R. Buckley's, from 
 there he went west for a few years, 
 came back, lived and died on the 
 farm now owned by T. M. Williams, 
 a little north of Coventryville. They 
 had five children: Albert, who mar- 
 
 ried Jane Elizabeth Keyes, was a 
 shoe maker and now lives in Bing- 
 hamton; Polly, who married Sher- 
 man Pearsall; Thankful married 
 Alonzo Pearsall; Wilbert married 
 Anna Brainard; Clement married 
 Laura Briggs, all deceased but Al- 
 bert. Mehitable married William 
 Pearsall. They had five children. 
 Washington married a Miss Sanford 
 and lived on the old homestead. Eg- 
 bert married a sister of Washing- 
 ton's wife; Susan and Caroline never 
 married; Sarah married George 
 Suttle, and lived at West Colesville 
 till quite recently. They now live in 
 Binghamton. Harley married and 
 lived in this town many years on the 
 north part of what was till quite 
 lately the James Whitlock farm; 
 later removed to Michigan. Henry 
 married and went to Michigan. 
 Simon married Polly Ann Tremain 
 and lived in Coventry on the south 
 part of the Whitlock farm. He after- 
 wards moved to Clarksville, Alle- 
 gany county, N. Y. Julia Evaline 
 married Palmer Spearbeck; lived in 
 these parts for a while then moved 
 to Michigan. Louis never married. 
 They were all Christian people and 
 strong supporters of the three 
 churches here. 
 
 Clark Smith came from Massa- 
 chusetts a single man and married 
 Lois Kelsey of Jericho, now Afton. 
 Lived in Nineveh a few years, mov- 
 ed to Coventry and settled about 
 four miles south of Coventry and 
 lived until his death on the farm 
 where his son Edward now lives, he 
 being the only son living, and now 
 in his 82d year. Clark Smith was 
 born May 31, 1782. His children 
 were: Albert Smith, a carpenter, 
 went west; Loisa married Alanson 
 Roe, who had seven children, one 
 Mrs. Bristol, lives in Harpursville; 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 15 
 
 lived and died in this town. He was 
 a farmer; Harvey S., a minister, 
 died in Missouri; Russel S., was a 
 deacon of the Second Congregational 
 church and a farmer, lived and died 
 in Coventry; Carlo S., farmer, lived 
 and died at Doraville, in the town of 
 Colesville. One son, Warren, and a 
 grandson, Francis, now live in Dora- 
 ville. Adaline died at the age of 22 
 years. Augustus, was for many 
 years a farmer in the town, but 
 spent his last years in Athens, Pa., 
 with his daughter, Mrs. Sawtell, 
 who had a large family, one son a 
 minister. Cyrus, a farmer, lived and 
 died in the town, one child, Mrs. C. 
 G. Beardslee, and her two sons, 
 grandchildren, and one granddaugh- 
 ter; Rhoda A., married Luther Dort, 
 and lived in Harpursville; later mov- 
 ed to the west; Diana L., married S. 
 A. Beardsley, and had three chil- 
 dren: Alice, at home, Clark, a min- 
 ister, and Alvin who died when a 
 young man. Mary Smith died at 
 two years of age. Edward C, a 
 farmer lived on the old farm. Had 
 five children: Mary, who married 
 a Mr. Clayton, and lives in Arizona, 
 had a large family of children. 
 Clark married Libbie, daughter of 
 John Manning, is a farmer living 
 one half mile east of his father's, 
 has two sons, and has been road 
 commissioner for several years; 
 Fred, who married Nellie, daughter 
 of George Paddleford, and lives with 
 his father on the old homestead, has 
 one daughter. The Smiths have all 
 been very prominent men and strong 
 pillars in the Second Congregational 
 church of Coventry, nearly always 
 at the church, rain or shine. 
 
 This incident is related of Clark 
 Smith. One day he was coming up 
 from the Mandeville place through 
 the woods and a panther followed 
 
 by the side of him. He had a saw 
 in one hand and a jug in the other 
 and kept the panther at bay by 
 rattling them together until he got 
 within sight of home, when he called 
 and his wife left two little children 
 on the floor, ran out with a pine 
 knot all afire and scared the panther 
 away. 
 
 The Manning Family 
 
 Nathaniel Manning was born at 
 Oxford, Mass. He early came to the 
 State of New York, and at the time 
 of his marriage was living at Rens- 
 selaer, Albany county. About 1799, 
 if the recollection of his descend- 
 ants is correct, he came to Chenango 
 county and settled in Coventry on 
 what was then known as the Harpur 
 tract, two and one-half miles south 
 of Coventry. He owned about two 
 hundred acres of land and was a 
 well to do farmer. He held several 
 town offices, including that of justice 
 of the peace. The last year of his 
 life he resided with his son Lewis on 
 what is now known as the Joslyn 
 farm and died there. He was buried 
 in the Wylie cemetery. He was mar- 
 ried at Charlton, Mass., February 12, 
 179 2, to Anna, daughter of Ebenezer 
 and Christina White, who was born 
 October 5, 1771, at Charlton. In 
 1813 she and Nathaniel sold her 
 rights in her father's estate in West- 
 chester county. She died March 5, 
 
 1848, and Mr. Manning August 6, 
 
 1849, both at Coventry. Their chil- 
 dren: Nancy, born in 1794, died 
 unmarried; Charles White, born 
 July 20, 1796, at Renssalaer; Bet- 
 sey, born September 13, 1799, at 
 Coventry; George, born January 22, 
 1802, at Coventry; Ira, born in Cov- 
 entry February 19, 1807; Anna, 
 born April 9, 1809, at Coventry; 
 Abigail C, born in Coventry, Jan- 
 
16 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 uary 5, 1812, died November 22, 
 1832, unmarried. 
 
 Samuel Manning was born Decem- 
 ber 22, 1774, at Oxford, Mass. He 
 moved to Coventry, where he after- 
 wards settled. He was a farmer 
 and his tract of twenty-five acres 
 was given to him by the town for 
 service rendered said town, and it 
 is believed he was in some way a 
 land agent. He was married at 
 Coventry in October, 1827, to Mrs. 
 Fannie Osborn Woodward, born 
 April 19, 1787, in Vermont. She 
 died March 6, 1868, and Mr. Man- 
 ning March 18, 1845, both at Cov- 
 entry. His children were: Isaiah, 
 born April 24, 1830, at Coventry, 
 had one grandchild, Mrs. George 
 Mayo. He was a millwright or ma- 
 chinist and sawyer which occupation 
 he followed until he was killed by 
 the falling of a tree, October 18, 
 1873, at Afton. Charles White 
 Manning was reared and lived in 
 Coventry for many years but later 
 moved to the west. He had eight 
 children. Two sons died in the Civil 
 war. Betsey Manning married Cal- 
 vin Edgerton. Their children were: 
 Eliza Ann Edgerton, who married 
 Cyrus Smith. As has been said be- 
 fore, George Washington Edgerton, 
 born October 1, 1825, and died June 
 19, 1895, was married; William 
 Henry and Henry Leroy, both died 
 young. Ira Manning was born Feb- 
 ruary 19, 1807, at Coventry on the 
 farm now owned by Frank Pierce. 
 He resided in his native town and 
 his education was received in the 
 common schools. About the time of 
 his marriage he purchased a farm 
 adjoining that of his father. He 
 was Supervisor of Coventry, and as- 
 sessor for several years. He mar- 
 ried Mary A., daughter of James 
 and Lucy Pomeroy Treadway, born 
 
 January 27, 1808, in Connecticut. 
 She died October 23, 1868, and Mr. 
 Manning October 18, 1865, both at 
 Coventry, where they were buried. 
 Children born at Coventry: Abbie 
 Jane, born August 8, 1835, resided 
 at Coventry and married Robert, son 
 of Robert and Mary Love Wilson, 
 born 1827, in Ireland, and died Feb- 
 ruary 15, 1886, at Greene, Chenan- 
 go county; no children. He was a 
 prominent farmer, a kind and oblig- 
 ing citizen. John Waters, born May 
 20, 1837; William Seward, born Feb- 
 ruary 24, 1839; Ira Delos, born No- 
 vember 20, 1842; Mary Ann, born 
 June 27, 1848, resided at Greene, 
 married there June 20, 1877, Allen, 
 son of John and Sarah Weeks 
 Handy; Napier, born January 7, 
 1840, in Brooklyn. Children born 
 in Brooklyn: Sarah Weeks, born 
 December 22, 1880; John Dwight, 
 born January 10, 1882. Libbie Em- 
 ma, born May 1, 1851, died Janu- 
 ary 12, 1870; Anna Manning, born 
 April 9, 1809, at Coventry, died 
 there February 13, 1866, married 
 November 15, 1829, Joseph, son of 
 Joseph and Hannah Wheeler Fair- 
 child, born July 24, 1806, at 
 Watertown, Conn., and died March 
 29, 1888, at Coventry. Children 
 born at Coventry: Betsey Ann 
 Fairchild, December 4, J830, mar- 
 ried October 4, 1849, Orin W. 
 Childs; Ira Manning Fairchild, 
 born May 12, 1833, resided at Cov- 
 entry until 1894, and then removed 
 to Sidney, married December 15, 
 1869, Frances E. Tuckey. Their 
 daughter, Ann E., married James G. 
 Simonson. Charles Leroy Fair- 
 child, born May 17, 1836, died June 
 28, 1895, at Bainbridge. Married 
 December 28, 1864, Sally A. Salis- 
 bury. Nancy Louisa Fairchild, 
 born March 2, 1839, died September 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 17 
 
 30, 1851, at Coventry. George Rus- 
 sel Fairchild, born January 16, 1842, 
 died September 24, 1851. John 
 Henry Fairchild, born April 29, 
 1845, died October 11, 1869, at Co - 
 entry. Married January 5, 1869, 
 Eugenia Watrous. Lewis Wheeler 
 Fairchild, born November 9, 1847, 
 died September 26, 1851. Since 
 writing about the Manning family 
 more history has been put into my 
 hands. John Waters Manning, was 
 born May 20, 1837, at Coventry. 
 His early education was received in 
 the common schools, afterward he 
 attended Oxford Academy at Oxford 
 for several terms. His death oc- 
 curred October 20, 1911. He was a 
 farmer in Coventry and married 
 Martha Wealthy Hull of Oxford, 
 May 9, 1866. Children born at Cov- 
 entry: Frank Maurice, a farmer of 
 Coventry, born August 27, 1867, 
 married Lucy Wilson; Sarah Eliza- 
 beth, born November 30, 1869, is a 
 resident of Coventry, married Sep- 
 tember 8, 1898, Clark E. Smith, 
 born February 24, 1866; William 
 Alanson, a farmer of Coventry, born 
 January 4, 1872, married Eugenie 
 Madigan; Mary Wealthy, born Oc- 
 tober 2, 1874, and died July 31, 
 1889. 
 
 William Seward Manning, born 
 February 24, 1839, at Coventry, 
 married (1st) in New York city 
 June 25, 1867, Sarah, daughter of 
 Robert Wilson, born in Greene in 
 1840, died October 16, 1880; and 
 (2d), June 14, 1874, Margaret R., 
 daughter of George N. and Lucretia 
 Willoughby Havens, born October 
 26, 1841, at Oxford; resided in 1874, 
 at West Exter. Mr. Manning died 
 October 14, 1876. Children of Wil- 
 liam S. and Sarah Manning: Wil- 
 liam H., born December 9, 1869, in 
 New York city; died June 30, 1870, 
 
 at Smithville. Children of William 
 S. and Margaret R. Manning; Fanny 
 Havens, born March 5, 1875, at 
 Oxford. She graduated from Oxford 
 Academy in 189 2, and from Kraus 
 Seminary, New York city, where she 
 took a Kindergarten course in 1895. 
 She then taught in a Mission school 
 in Brooklyn under supervision of 
 Plymouth church until 1897, when 
 the school being given up she en- 
 gaged in public school work at 
 Newark, N. J., until her marriage 
 August 2 2, 1900, to Rev. Alfred 
 Rickard Burke. Ira Delos Manning, 
 born November 20, 1842, at Cov- 
 entry. His education was obtained 
 at district schools and the academies 
 of Oxford and Norwich. When a 
 young man he taught school twelve 
 terms. He resided on the Manning 
 homestead for a number of years as 
 a farmer then moved down into the 
 hollow west of John Manning's and 
 worked both farms. He has been 
 commissioner for six years. He 
 married September 2, 1870, Julia 
 Eliza, daughter of Charles and Eliza 
 Miller Sanford, born August 14, 
 1842, in New York city. Children: 
 Leigh Delos, born August 28, 1871, 
 at Coventry, died March 4, 1872. 
 Julia May, born August 8, 1878. at 
 Oxford. I think she is a graduate of 
 some academy, and is now teaching 
 in some High school. About three 
 years ago, owing to Mrs. Manning's 
 poor health, they moved to Greene 
 where after a long illness she pass- 
 ed away. I should have said in 
 speaking of John and William 
 Manning that they both taught 
 school a number of terms each. 
 Your scribe went to school to Wil- 
 liam three terms. 
 
 The Fairchild Family. 
 Joseph Fairchild, Sr., was born in 
 Watertown, Conn., in 1758, and liv- 
 
18 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 ed there until 1811, when he moved 
 to Coventry and bought a farm ad- 
 joining David Hungerford's of Lewis 
 Barren, or his father, and lived 
 there until he died in 1842, aged 
 85 years. His wife was Hannah 
 Wheeler, and she died in 1838, aged 
 77 years. They raised nine chil- 
 dren: Bille, Chloe, Agar, Hannah, 
 Hulda, Sally, Nancy, Polly and Jos- 
 eph. Part of them settled in Con- 
 necticut, the three boys came with 
 him or soon after. Joseph, Jr., be- 
 ing only five years old at the time. 
 Joseph, Sr., was three years a sol- 
 dier in the Revolulionary war. He 
 and his son, Joseph, Jr., lived on the 
 same farm the remainder of their 
 lives, it remaining in the family of 
 the three generations eighty-three 
 years. Joseph Pairchild, Jr., mar- 
 ried Anna Manning. They had seven 
 children: Betsey Ann, married 
 Orrin Childs and they had three 
 sons: Prank Jr., Charles and Sey- 
 mour. Charles died when 26 years 
 of age. Frank married Susan 
 Squires, and Seymour married Irene 
 Hyde. Orin Childs settled on the 
 Gage Hinkley place for eighteen 
 years, then sold and went to 
 Ouaquaga in 1868, and lived there 
 until his death in 1908, and his 
 widow lives there with her son 
 Prank. John Pairchild married 
 Eugenia Watrous and died about 
 eight months after in 1869. Charles 
 married Sally Ann Salisbury in 
 1864, and lived on the homestead 
 three years. He afterward settled 
 in Sanford and lived there twenty 
 years, then moved to Bainbridge, 
 where he died in 1895, four months 
 after moving there, aged 59 years. 
 His wife died three years after, in 
 1898, aged 56 years. Anna Pair- 
 child, wife of Joseph Pairchild, died 
 in 1866, aged 57 years. Ira Pair- 
 
 child married Francis Tuckey in 
 1869, and lived on the old home- 
 stead with his father while he lived 
 and five years after, when the 
 place was sold and Ira moved to 
 Sidney where he now lives. They 
 had one daughter, Anna, who mar- 
 ried J. S. Simonson, who is in busi- 
 ness in Sidney. Belle Pairchild was 
 twice married and raised eleven 
 children. Agar moved to Ohio; Sally, 
 daughter of Joseph Pairchild, Sr., 
 married James Wylie and settled on 
 the farm known as the George Wylie 
 farm. They raised seven children: 
 Thomas, Russel, Hoel, George, Han- 
 nah, Hubbard and Wheeler. The 
 two oldest settled in Iowa. Hoel in 
 Sodus, N. Y., and George on the 
 homestead. Hubbard in the eastern 
 part of the town. Hannah died in 
 184 5, aged 21 years. Wheeler died, 
 aged 12 years. George in 1901, 
 aged 80 years and Hubbard, January 
 16, 1910, aged 82 years. Sally 
 Pairchild Wylie died in 1864. Part 
 of the history of the Pairchild fam- 
 ily was not handed in till after the 
 other was wrote so please excuse us 
 for getting a little of it in twice. 
 
 The Horton Family. 
 
 Marcus N. Horton and Clark L. 
 Horton were former residents of 
 Coventry. Their grandfather, Ben- 
 jamin Horton, was born at Nauga- 
 tuck. Conn., in 1793. In 1818 they 
 moved with their family of eleven 
 children with ox teams and wagons 
 from their home in Connecticut to 
 Columbus, Chenango county, N. Y., 
 where he purchased a farm. Their 
 journey occupied eleven days, com- 
 ing by the way of Albany to cross 
 the Hudson river. About 1830 Ben- 
 jamin Horton and family removed to 
 Coventry and purchased a farm one 
 and one-half miles north west of 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 19 
 
 Coventry village, now owned by Mr. 
 Folds. Seven years later this farm 
 was sold and a farm was purchased 
 in the south west portion of the 
 town, now occupied by his great- 
 grandson, Leslie Horton, where Ben- 
 jamin Horton died in 1841. His 
 wife, Peninah, died later at the 
 same place at the advanced age of 
 93 years. Benjamin Horton's fam- 
 ily consisted of eleven children: 
 Newton, who married a Tuttle and 
 settled in Columbus; Amelia mar- 
 ried Seldon Lewis; Julia married 
 Cornelius Conover; Clarissa married 
 Thomas Hyde; Germon married 
 Rhoda Tread way; Leonard married 
 Jemima Conover; George W., mar- 
 ried Harriett Plagg; Hamilton, mar- 
 ried Matilda Butcher; Almira, mar- 
 ried Charles Beardsley; Denison, 
 married Catherine M. Brown; Lewis 
 P., married Martha A. Shapley; Ger- 
 mon lived most of his life in Cov- 
 entry and had no children; Leonard 
 was a wagon maker, having learned 
 the trade by a three years appren- 
 ticeship. He worked at his trade 
 making and repairing wagons at 
 West Coventry, but later moved to 
 the east part of the town at the old 
 homestead where Clark L. Horton 
 was born, and there he worked at 
 his trade, and later took up farming. 
 Children of Leonard and Jemima 
 Horton were four: Marcus, who 
 married Adeline Briseck; Emily J., 
 who married Wells Streeter; Avis 
 H., who married S. D. Stillman and 
 Clark L., who married Martha Par- 
 ker. Marcus N. Horton early sought 
 an education, and through his own 
 earnest efforts graduated from Wil- 
 liams College, Mass., and for a long 
 time followed teaching as a calling, 
 in which he became very successful. 
 He later became superintendent of 
 schools of the city of Williamsport 
 
 and at Franklin, Pa., and was at 
 one time school commissioner for 
 the southern district of Chenango 
 county. He reached the advanced 
 age of past 80 years. He lived at 
 Bloomfield, N. J.; Marcus N., has 
 two sons. Edward H. Horton, is a 
 teacher and principal of the Pine 
 street school of Binghamton, N. Y., 
 which position he has held for many 
 years; and John M. Horton, who is 
 a valuable employe of the Chemical 
 National Bank of New York city. 
 Emily J., became a teacher and fol- 
 lowed the calling many years, both 
 in district and High schools. Late 
 in life she married Wells Streeter, 
 whom she survived, and died at the 
 old homestead near Coventryville in 
 1899. Avis A., was also at one 
 time preceptress of the Walton 
 Academy. She married S. D. Still- 
 man of Herkimer county, N. Y., and 
 lived with him until her death in 
 1895. Clark L., was born in 1847, 
 and was educated at the district 
 schools, Oxford Academy, and Jeffer- 
 son County Institute; taught a few 
 terms and settled down to farming 
 on the Warren farm near Coventry- 
 ville which he purchased. He made 
 farming pay, also was remarkably 
 successful as a business manager 
 of a creamery for twenty years, 
 which had been established at Cov- 
 entryville. In 1894 he leased his farm 
 and moved with his family to Afton 
 where he actively engaged in the 
 hardware business, and also held the 
 office of justice of the peace. He was 
 an active member of the Baptist 
 church. He died suddenly in Afton 
 on the 7th of May, 1912. He is 
 survived by his wife, one daughter, 
 Rachel H., who married Elmer Tew 
 of Oxford, and now resides in Afton, 
 and one son, Harry G., who married 
 Fannie Hare of Harpursville, and re- 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 sides in Afton and has continued in 
 the business that he commenced 
 with his father. George W. Horton 
 lived in the west part of the town 
 for a great many years and engaged 
 in farming. He had three daugh- 
 ters: Marie, who married Jack 
 Elliott; Susan and Sarah. Hamilton 
 left Coventry when young and lived 
 in the west. He had a son, Ezra, 
 who lived in Sherburne, N. Y. Den- 
 ison went to Chicago when a young 
 man, when the city was comparitive- 
 ly small, and grew up with the place 
 and attained great prosperity and 
 wealth. Much of the latter he lost 
 in the great Chicago fire. His chil- 
 dren were two daughters. Lewis B., 
 the youngest son, became the pos- 
 sessor of the homestead and cared 
 for his mother in her last days. He 
 had one son, Albert, who died soon 
 after he reached manhood, but not 
 until after he was married and be- 
 came the father of a son. Leslie, 
 who was brought up by his grand- 
 father, from whom he received the 
 old farm where he still lives as the 
 sole representative of the Hortons 
 in Coventry. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Settlers That Came a Little Later. 
 
 The Hawkins Family. 
 
 Elijah Hawkins was one of the 
 early settlers of the town at Cov- 
 entry, He came from Massachu- 
 setts, the exact date being unknown. 
 He settled on the southern part of 
 what is known as the William Kales 
 farm on the east side of the road 
 and north of the county line of Cov- 
 entry and Colesville. His house was 
 situated a little north west of the 
 old family cemetery of the Hawkins 
 and Pike families, which can be 
 seen from the highway. His farm 
 consisted of over three hundred 
 
 acres and was one of the largest and 
 most improved farms in the town at 
 the time of his death. It included 
 besides the part mentioned the farm 
 now owned by Ransom Adkins, also 
 the farm formerly owned by Pome- 
 roy Adkins, and other pieces of land 
 near. 
 
 Not far from the year 1800 the 
 father of Elijah wrote from Massa- 
 chusetts to his son that his mother 
 was dead, and said he thought of 
 coming west if game was plenty. 
 Elijah immediately wrote to his 
 father and told him to come and 
 make it his home with him, for 
 game was plenty. The father, 
 Robert Hawkins, left his home in 
 Massachusetts and came and spent 
 the rest of his life with his son. 
 He spent much time setting out fruit 
 trees on his son's farm, and said in 
 years later that he did not expect to 
 live to eat fruit from the trees, 
 but had for a good many years. He 
 shot one bear after he came to Cov- 
 entry. He was an old man at the 
 time of the Revolutionary war, too 
 old to carry arms, but served his 
 country as a guard in the forts of 
 the patriots. He was twice married. 
 His first wife was Rebecca Bowers, 
 and his second wife was Rachel 
 Buck Baldwin. Two children of his 
 first wife: Lydia and Samuel, never 
 came west and nothing more is defi- 
 nitely known about them. Robert 
 Hawkins died November 14, 1830, 
 aged 101 years, and was buried on 
 the farm in the family cemetery. 
 His second wife's children were: 
 Eben, Enoch, Rebecca, Mary and 
 Elijah. Rebecca Hawkins married 
 Joseph Pike and came from Massa- 
 chusetts after her family had grown 
 up. The family settled near the 
 Hawkins family, just over the coun- 
 ty line in Colesville. Rebecca and 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 21 
 
 Joseph Pike had a family of six 
 sons and one daughter, whose de- 
 scendants are scattered almost 
 throughout the United States. Jos- 
 eph Pike, was an old Revolutionary 
 soldier and died February 19, 1842, 
 aged 82 years. Rebecca Hawkins 
 Pike died June 26, 1817, aged 54 
 years. She was the first person for 
 whom the sod was broken in the 
 family plot which has before been 
 mentioned. In the spring of 1832, 
 Elijah Hawkins was taken ill, from 
 which he knew there was no re- 
 covery. He had no family except 
 his wife, so he gave all his property 
 to his nephew, Malcom M. Hawkins, 
 to care for him and his wife while 
 they lived. Malcom M. Hawkins at 
 that time owned and occupied the 
 north part, west of the highway of 
 what has long been known as the 
 Asa Mandeville farm. His farm con- 
 sisted of fifty acres, a saw mill which 
 he operated himself. He had re- 
 sided there nearly twelve years, 
 when he sold and removed to the 
 farm of his uncle, Elijah Hawkins. 
 He died May 27, 1832, aged 65 
 years. His wife died about two years 
 later. Malcom N. Hawkins was 
 named in honor of Dr. Malcom Niv- 
 en, a friend and physician of the 
 family. He occupied the old Haw- 
 kins farm for many years. He was 
 born on a part of the farro just 
 north of the Coventry line, in Cov- 
 entry, July 22, 1799. His parents 
 were among the pioneers of the 
 towns of Coventry and Windsor and 
 he was the second son of thirteen 
 children. The records of the Wind- 
 sor Presbyterian church gives the 
 following baptisms of their family: 
 March 31, 1813, at a church meet- 
 ing held at the house of David 
 Hotchkiss, these children were bap- 
 tized, Malcom, Benjamin, Philota, 
 
 Robert, Rachel, Charlotte, Mary, 
 Dorcas, and Elijah, children of Je- 
 mima and Enoch Hawkins, by the 
 Rev. Ebenezer Kingsbury. June 13, 
 1813, at Windsor, David and Daniel 
 baptized by Rev. Joshua Johnson. 
 Malcom N. Hawkins married Fannie 
 Fowler, formerly of Bennington, Vt., 
 they were married in Coventry by 
 Squire Hutchinson about 1820. The 
 names of their children and date of 
 birth is as follows: 
 
 Eleanor, born June 14, 1825. 
 
 Elizabeth, born December 6, 1828. 
 
 Eben, born January 14, 1831. 
 
 Emily, born March 6, 1833. 
 
 Thomas, born October 15, 1834. 
 
 Nathan, born June 30, 1837. 
 
 Alfred, born September 17, 1840. 
 
 Chloe, born April 19, 1843. 
 
 All these were born in Coventry 
 and all removed to Windsor, N. Y., 
 except Eleanor, when quite young, 
 where they have spent their lives. 
 Malcom N. Hawkins sold part of his 
 farm east of the highway to Wil- 
 liam Kales and removed to the 
 western part where he built a new 
 house and grist mill and saw mill 
 combined. After living there several 
 years he sold to his son-in-law, Pom- 
 eroy Adkins, and removed to Wind- 
 sor in 1849, where he spent the rest 
 of his life. He built another saw 
 mill and operated it for a number of 
 years. He did much to convert the 
 wilderness into lumber. He died 
 July 31, 1877, aged 78 years. All 
 his children have been dead for 
 many years, except Eben and Thomas 
 and the youngest daughter, Mrs. 
 Chloe Pulz. These reside in 
 
 Windsor. 
 
 Ransom Adkins, came from Con- 
 necticut in the autumn of 1815 with 
 an ox team and brought his wife and 
 one child. He bought and settled on 
 the north east part of the Juliand 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 farm, for a number of years occupied 
 by the Whitten family. He worked 
 at his trade as carpenter, built new 
 buildings and improved his farm. 
 He died August 30, 1823, aged 34 
 years, leaving his wife with five 
 small children. The children's 
 names and dates of births were as 
 follows: Lucy, born in 1811, in 
 Connecticut; Pomeroy H., born April 
 28, 1816; Adeline and Emiline, born 
 December 17, 1818; Charles Ran- 
 som, born May 22, 1822. The eldest 
 daughter, Lucy, returned to Con- 
 necticut after the death of her father 
 to live with a relative where she 
 later married Benjamin Hurlburt 
 and never came to New York State 
 but once again, then only for a visit. 
 She died past 60 years of age, leav- 
 ing three daughters. 
 
 Pomeroy H. Adkins, married 
 Eleanor, daughter of Malcom N. 
 Hawkins November 15, 1846. Their 
 children's names and ages were: 
 Ransom H., born October 8, 1847; 
 Malcom H., born April 27, 1851; 
 Fannie Elizabeth, born June 13, 
 1855; Lucy Ann, born June it, 
 1858; Ellen Eliza, born April 12, 
 1868. Malcom H., married Cora E. 
 Root of Coventry, February 20, 
 1879. They have since resided on 
 the old Pike farm just south of the 
 county line in Colesville till the 
 spring of 19 07 when they sold their 
 farm and removed to New Ohio, on 
 the old McCollough farm. Ransom 
 lives with his brother Malcom. Fan- 
 nie Elizabeth married William H. 
 Saxby of Windsor, December 25, 
 189 9, where they have since resided. 
 Lucy Ann married Elmer Seeley, 
 -^- J^wie 1, 1866. They lived in Cov- 
 I entry several years, then in the 
 
 spring of 1898, moved on the home 
 farm of her parents where they lived 
 nine years, then removed to Afton 
 
 where they now reside. Ellen Eliza, 
 married Andrew Pearsall of Afton, 
 May 29, 1895. In the year 18^8 
 they moved to Windsor where they 
 have since resided. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Pomeroy" Adkins spent most of their 
 lives in Coventry. He spent about 
 two years in Illinois when a young 
 man. In the autumn of 1863 they 
 moved from Coventry just across the 
 line in the town of Colesville, where 
 they resided at the time of their 
 deaths. Eleanor Hawkins Adkins 
 died March 10, 1895, aged 70 years. 
 Pomeroy H. Adkins died March 1^. 
 1895, aged nearly 79 years. There 
 were only 50 hours difference in 
 their deaths. They were buried in 
 South Windsor cemetery in one 
 grave. Adeline Hawkins married 
 Joseph Stevens; died February 14, 
 19 03, aged 85 years. They had one 
 daughter, Lenora, who married Piatt 
 Thompson. She died young leaving 
 one son, Henry, only a few months 
 old. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Stevens spent their 
 married life on the Stevens farm 
 Avhich was located on the road be- 
 tween Church Hollow and Harpurs- 
 ville, Emiline married Daniel Stev- 
 ens, they resided several years on the 
 Church Hollow road. He was a 
 brother of Joseph Stevens. They 
 afterwards removed to Lisle, Broome 
 county, and spent, the rest of their 
 lives in that vicinity. Emeline died 
 in February, 1898, aged 80 years. 
 Her husband having died many 
 years before. Charles Ransom mar- 
 ried Pamelia Christman, November 
 1, 1846. Two children were born to 
 them: Mary A. and Charles E. The 
 former died November 24, 1872; the 
 latter resides in Paullina, Iowa, 
 Charles Ransom with his family 
 moved to O'Brien county, Iowa, in 
 the fall of 1877, where his wife died 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 2S 
 
 February 22, 1882. He married 
 Lovina Edgecomb for his second 
 wife. He died March 27, 1900, aged 
 7 7 years. Harry Adltins, a brother 
 of Ransom, came from the east about 
 the same time and settled on what is 
 known as the Bradley Simmons farm 
 on the part north of the highway. 
 He had a family of four daughters 
 and two sons: Ransom, Henry, Car- 
 oline, Betsey, Eunice and Lucinda. 
 Ransom died when a young man. 
 Henry married, lived in Binghamton 
 inany years, died about 60 years of 
 age. He left no family except his 
 wife. Caroline married Richard 
 Stone; they lived on the Page Brook 
 till the time of their death. They 
 left no children. Betsey married 
 Oliver Bennett. They resided on 
 Page Brook at the time of their 
 death. They left one son, Harry. 
 Eunice married Mr. Fineout. She 
 died about middle age, left two sons 
 and one daughter. Mr. Fineout 
 having died some years previous to 
 her death. Lucinda married Rufus 
 Bennett. They resided at Chenango 
 Forks, where she is now living, the 
 only surviving one of her father's 
 family. They had two daughters: 
 Irene and Jennie, both married and 
 died young. Harry Adkins married 
 Polly Clark. They are both buried 
 in the old Chapel cemetery in Cov- 
 entry. Phoebe Adkins, sister of 
 Harry and Ransom, came from the 
 East, married Mr. Warner and lived 
 near Tunnel, N. Y., where some of 
 her descendants still reside. Roxy 
 Adkins, widow of Ransom Adkins, 
 married John Fowler in the later 
 part of 1824. Their children were: 
 Noah, Hiram, Alonzo, Alfred, Adelia 
 and Frederick. All of these are 
 dead except Noah, the oldest son, 
 who was born Sept. 6, 1825. He 
 married Eliza Ann Packard, March 
 
 6, 1851. They reside with their son, 
 Charles J. Fowler, near Church Hol- 
 low. Roxy Adkins Fowler died Sept. 
 24, 1860, aged 67 years. John Fow- 
 ler died Nov. 8, 1879, aged 83 years. 
 He was formerly from Bennington 
 county, Vt. They were buried in the 
 old Chapel cemetery. 
 
 Among those who settled in town 
 quite early was William Tallman, 
 who located about four miles south 
 west of Coventry. I am informed he 
 came from Pennsylvania and raised 
 six children: Miranda, Virgil, Clark, 
 Jane, Callista and Adelbert. Miran- 
 da married C. K. Pierce of Coventry; 
 Jane married Whitney Dusenberg of 
 Windsor; Calista married a man by 
 the name of Ogden; Adelbert mar- 
 ried Eliza Kales; Virgil died when 
 18 years old; Clark was killed in the 
 Civil war. 
 
 Reuben Cary came from Massa- 
 chusetts about 1815, and, I am told 
 settled on the farm now owned by 
 Martha A. West, and lived there 
 several years. Later he bought and 
 settled on the place where he died, 
 known as the George Cary farm, 
 and raised a family of seven chil- 
 dren, viz: Charles, Calvin, Gershom, 
 Malancton, Sally, Mary and Lucretia. 
 Charles married Lois, sister of Cal- 
 vin Edgerton, and later moved west; 
 Calvin married Harriet Holcomb; 
 Gershom married Lucy Converse; 
 Malancton settled in the west when 
 young: Sally married Juvenel Gria- 
 wold for his second wife; Mary 
 never married, and Lucretia, mar- 
 ried Howard Packard. 
 
 A family by the name of Converse "^ 
 came from Massachusetts, but we 
 don't know the year. They lived 
 where they first settled and he died 
 in 1849. They had eight children: 
 Jane married Truman Southworth; 
 two sons John and Truman lived in 
 
2J^ 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 Coventry, both dead; one daughter, 
 Lucy Jane, married a man by the 
 name of Wood and lives in Cincinna- 
 tus; Sarah married Nelson Case; Ru- 
 fus married Mary Dort of Harpurs- 
 ville; Lucy married Gershon Cary; 
 Alvin married Phoebe Beardsley, 
 Polly married Dr. Prentice, and 
 Ellen married James Gillmore. 
 Roxy died in 1855, having never 
 married. The farm is still in the 
 family. 
 
 Joel Morse came from Massachu- 
 setts and settled on a farm adjoin- 
 ing the Converse farm, but we do 
 not know the dates. He as well as 
 Mr. Converse, run a sawmill in con- 
 nection with his farm. They had 
 seven children: Austin, who mar- 
 ried Basha Ann Vinton: Russell, 
 who married Lucretia Loop; Sally 
 married Joseph Badger; Marvin mar- 
 ried Melissa Griswold, and Jerome 
 married Caroline Hurd; Juliand died 
 young; Irene married later a man in 
 the west by the name of Lamb. 
 Joel Morse married for his first wife 
 Susan Munger, who died in 1851. 
 He afterwards married a widow 
 Treadwell, and in the spring of 
 1854 sold his farm to Jarvis McLane 
 and with his son Jerome went west 
 and died there. 
 
 William, John, Amos and Judith 
 Tuckey came from England in 1830 
 and settled in the town of Butter- 
 nuts. Ten years later Amos and 
 William came to Coventry and 
 bought a farm of Larkin Packard, 
 next south of the Tallman and Con- 
 verse farms. William married Mary 
 Ann Converse and they raised six 
 children: Mary Ann married Wil- 
 liam Kasson; Nancy married Marcus 
 Hunter; Olive married Wilson Page; 
 Rosa married George Wedge; James 
 married Julia Garrison, and Jane 
 never married. Amos Tuckey lived 
 
 several years on the farm with his 
 brother. He then sold his interest 
 to him and bought out Augustus 
 Smith, adjoining and lived there 
 until he died in 1884, aged 75 years. 
 He married Phebe Perrine Converse, 
 and they raised two daughters: 
 Frances E., who married Ira Fair- 
 child in 1869, and Euphemia, who 
 died in 1909, unmarried. Phoebe 
 Tuckey died in 1872, aged 57 years, 
 and William died in 1875, aged 69 
 years. 
 
 As we have been writing about the 
 early settlers, when they came to 
 Coventry, where they lived, when 
 and where they died, and as Anna 
 Y. Hungerford, was one of the early 
 pioneers we think it would not be 
 out of place to put in a poem here 
 of her 100th anniversary, written by 
 Mrs. Cordelia Beardsley Wilder. 
 One Hundredth Anniversary of Anna 
 
 Y. Hunaerford, Coventi-y. 
 Turn backward the years of time, 
 
 dear mother, 
 And let the bright scenes o- fond 
 
 memory come. 
 When you lovingly watched o'er the 
 
 days of our childhood; 
 The days long ago in the old house 
 
 at home. 
 You may list once again for the 
 
 echoes, dear mother. 
 Of wild rippling laughter, so joyous 
 
 and free; 
 You may rock us to sleep, and then 
 
 watch o'er our slumbers. 
 While a Father in Heaven shall 
 
 watch over thee. 
 You may listen once more for the 
 
 quick, eager patter 
 Of swift, tiny feet on the old kitchen 
 
 floor; 
 You may smile at our loss, as we 
 
 search for the sunbeams. 
 Darting bright rays through the half 
 
 open door. 
 We will twine just again the wild 
 
 buds and sweet daisies. 
 In your bright, golden hair, as in 
 
 days that are flown; 
 We will wait for thy kisses to lavish 
 
 each sorrow. 
 
HISTORY OP THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 25 
 
 Dear mother we'll sing the old music, 
 
 "Sweet Home." 
 Then we know not a care, not a 
 
 grief, nor a sorrow; 
 You lavish each tear with a mother's 
 
 fond kiss; 
 You guided our feet in the way of 
 
 our Saviour; 
 t)ear mother, we'll greet you in man- 
 sions of bliss. 
 Already thy feet have nigh touched 
 
 the chill waters; 
 Thou hast trusted in Jesus, thy 
 
 crown hath been won. 
 Dear mother, v/e'll sing as we jour- 
 ney together, 
 The soul-cheering anthem, "We're 
 All Going Home." 
 Amasa Ives came to this town at 
 an early date when a young man, 
 the exact time is uncertain. He was 
 a strong, leading character, a man of 
 thrift and influence. He married 
 Patty, daughter of John and Abigail 
 Miles. He united with the church 
 in January, 1808; and when the ed- 
 ifice was cleared of debt in 1820, he 
 was one of the men who paid the 
 \ highest sum, $200. Ozias Yale was 
 the other. 
 
 Brownell Bulkeley emigrated from 
 Stonington, Conn., to Coventry in 
 1808. He bought the farm where 
 his grandpon Robert, now lives, and 
 built a log house which was his home 
 for several years. He married Miss 
 Dellia Worth of Connecticut, an ac- 
 complished and spiritually minded 
 lady. They were remarkably cour- 
 teous and hospitable, liberal in the 
 support of the gospel and widely 
 respected. Bulkeley was a man of 
 marked personalitJ^ successful in his 
 business and consistent in his sup- 
 port of all that was good. When he 
 vacated the log house he built what 
 is now the rear of the Bulkley 
 home. They moved into it on 
 Saturday and their son, George, was 
 born there the next Sabbath morn- 
 ing. They had three children: 
 
 George, Francis, and Julia. The 
 mother, a Christian truly born of 
 the spirit, gave her children spirit- 
 ual teaching and was careful of their 
 intellectual development. George 
 went to Oxford and Catskill to 
 school; Francis was a graduate of 
 Union College, and Julia went to 
 Oxford and Albertsville to study, and 
 at the last named place she met Mr. 
 Converse, who became her husband. 
 After her marriage she resided at 
 Elmira and her two daughters were 
 graduates of the Female college in 
 that city. Francis Bulkley went 
 south, married Grace Adams and 
 now has descendants residing at 
 Gadsden, S. C. George Bulkley liv- 
 ed at the homestead in Coventry 
 and the original house was enlarged 
 to its present dimentions. The par- 
 ents and son formed one family. 
 Mrs. A. P. Bulkeley, the widow of 
 George, has lived 63 years in the 
 original home of the family, and 
 forty-eight of these years she has 
 been a Sunday school teacher. Rob- 
 ert S. Bulkley, her son, has been the 
 Sunday school superintendent for 
 eighteen years. Miss Betsey Bulkley, 
 the sister of Brownell, visited the 
 home of her brother in Coventry and 
 she became the wife of Philo Yale. 
 Russel Waters came to Coventry 
 in 1808 when 21 years of age, and 
 subsequently married Roxy, daugh- 
 ter of John and Abigail Miles. Eph- 
 ram Waters, a younger brother, fol- 
 lowed in 1816. He married a daugh- 
 ter of Rev. Charles Thorp, the pastor. 
 Later he came in possession of the 
 Thorp farm, situated on the rise of 
 ground a short distance east of Cov- 
 entryville, where he lived for more 
 than 40 years a life of great useful- 
 ness, influential and efficient in all 
 that pertained to the development 
 and progress of church and com- 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 munity. 
 
 The Benedicts formed a numerous 
 family and some of them were prom- 
 inent in the history of the church. 
 They were children of Captain Ben- 
 jamin Benedict, who served in the 
 Revolutionary war as lieutenant. He 
 came to Coventry in 1807 from Win- 
 chester, Conn., and all the rest of 
 that name came from the same place. 
 Abijah Benedict with his wife, Abi- 
 gail, removed to Coventry in 1800. 
 They were members of the pioneer 
 church organized in 1807. He was 
 the man that hewed the first stick 
 of timber for the new meeting house. 
 Eliakim Benedict and his wife, Ruth 
 Ann, settled in Coventry in 1801. 
 He was then twenty-three years old. 
 Ruth Ann, was one of the original 
 members of the historical little 
 church of 1807. Eben Benedict, and 
 Miranda, his wife, moved to Cov- 
 entry in 1803. He was the grand- 
 father of William Henry Benedict, 
 the son of Ira, who died in April, 
 1904, the year of our centennial. He 
 served the church as a deacon and 
 Sunday school superintendent. He 
 was also the minister's friend, one 
 who united the historical past with 
 the present. Mrs. William Henry 
 Benedict, wife of the above named, 
 has been the poetess of the church, 
 is endowed with a rare gift of metri- 
 cal composition. The authoress of 
 many choice productions; many an- 
 niversary poems of historic and local 
 value, and poems read at soldiers 
 graves at the May day decorations. 
 A volume of her poems printed a few 
 years since exhibits fine poetic ability 
 and is pleasantly valued by her 
 friends. Mrs. Benedict is living 
 among us at this date, 1912, honored 
 and beloved by all who know her. 
 She, too is one who unites the pres- 
 ent with the past. 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 A Continuation of the Settlers that 
 Came Later 
 Reuben Rolph came from Long 
 Island in 1837 and settled three 
 miles south of Coventry, on what is 
 now known as the Dr. Beardsley 
 estate. He had 800 acres of land 
 and owned a factory and made 
 cheese; keeping over one hundred 
 cows, and was very prominent in 
 public affairs in the town. He was 
 married three times. His first two 
 wives were sisters, they came from 
 Long Island. I don't know their 
 names. He had one son by his first 
 wife, named Moses. His third wife 
 was a Phillips of Coventry, and she 
 bore him three children. In 1869 
 he sold out and moved with his fam- 
 ily to Virginia, where he bought sev- 
 eral hundred acres of land and farm- 
 ed it there until his death. 
 
 Erastus Butts came to this town 
 early and settled on the Folds farm. 
 Ralph Johnson, one of the early 
 pioneers, settled in the western part 
 of the town. He had four boys, all 
 good farmers and all strong sup- 
 porters in the Second Congregational 
 church. 
 
 John Burge, emigrated to this 
 town in the thirties, and lived where 
 Claude Wilder now lives. 
 
 Matthew Smith, Sr., came about 
 the same time and lived a year or 
 two at the east part, then moved to 
 the village where he lived a number 
 of years. He was a carpenter and 
 was the head workman on the Bap- 
 tist church here that they are now 
 tearing down. He helped build many 
 of the houses in the village. He 
 moved to the Four Corners west of 
 Coventry, where Leroy Hodge now 
 lives. His son, Matthew Smith, Jr., 
 now lives one mile west of Coventry 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 27 
 
 on the farm known as the Joseph 
 Johnson place. 
 
 Joseph Johnson, son of Ralph 
 Johnson, married Hepsey Stoddard, 
 and lived on this farm till his death. 
 He was a carpenter as well as 
 farmer. 
 
 Dr. Frisbie and Tracy Allen came 
 from Connecticut at an early date 
 and settled in the western part of the 
 town. Many are the anecdotes re- 
 lated about Dr. Frisbie. We can't 
 write many but to do justice to the 
 man we must relate a few to show 
 his courage and also his skill as a 
 steel worker. When it was danger- 
 ous to travel the roads at night on 
 account of wild beasts, some one 
 offered to bet with him that he would 
 not dare run from the house where 
 T. M. Williams now lives to Cov- 
 entryville in the night. He took the 
 bet and won in this way. They 
 made some kind of an image as hid- 
 eous as possible, and placed it in the 
 road about half way and then hid 
 to see what he would do when he 
 saw it. As soon as he saw it he 
 made up his mind that he would not 
 stop if it killed him, and without 
 slacking his run, grabbed the object 
 and carried it to the end of the race. 
 Public travel in those days was most- 
 ly by stage coach. Frisbie, with a 
 number of others, was traveling in 
 the southern states in that way. As 
 they were going along over a rough 
 road the heavy load caused the 
 springs to break. The driver stopped 
 and the passengers got out. What 
 to do the driver and the other pas- 
 sengers did not know, Mr. Frisbie 
 asked: "Is there a blacksmith sho> 
 near." The driA^er said yes. Then 
 he said: "We can walk there and 
 get the springs mended." The driver 
 said the blacksmith could not weld 
 them. "Well," said Frisbie, "if he 
 
 can't, I can." So they all walked to 
 the shop, took off the horses, blocked 
 up the coach, took out the springs 
 and with help of the blacksmith 
 Soon had the broken spring mended 
 and they went to the end of their 
 journey. The driver then asked 
 Frisbie how much he should pay 
 him. He told him nothing. Where- 
 upon the driver begged him to ac- 
 cept as a present $10, which he did. 
 In after years he made a full set of 
 butcher knives and a wooden case to 
 put them in, each one separate so 
 they could not dull and gave them to 
 James S. Parker, who kept them for 
 many years. When in advanced life, 
 he having no more use for them, he 
 gave them to his nephew, Burton D. 
 Jones, who now has them. I can 
 well remember when a boy of his 
 coming across by my father's when 
 he went to Coventry, and most al- 
 ways stopped to dinner. When squir- 
 rels were plenty he always brought 
 his gun and used to shoot more or 
 less of them. One day he took 
 thirteen from my father's woods. 
 
 Thomas and Austin Elliott were 
 among the early settlers. They were 
 quite hunters, making a great deal of 
 money from the bounties that were 
 paid. It was hard getting a trap in 
 those days that would hold a panther 
 or bear, so they invented one of their 
 own. One fall when it got to be al- 
 most winter and there was not much 
 for wild animals to get, they had an 
 old horse that they thought was not 
 worth wintering and took it out 
 into the woods and killed it, making 
 a pen around it, putting large logs to 
 the bottom and smaller ones as they 
 went up, notching and drawing them 
 in as they went up, leaving a space 
 about six feet square on the top and 
 about eight feet high. The animals 
 had to climb up and down and once 
 
28 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 in there they were in a trap they 
 could not jump out. The next morn- 
 ing they would go and shoot them 
 and get the bounty, thus making the 
 old horse worth more to them than 
 a good team would be today. 
 
 John Fowler came in from Ver- 
 mont in the early twenties. I need 
 not speak of his family as they have 
 already been mentioned in connec- 
 tion with the Adkins family. 
 
 Oliver Badger came here about 
 1812 and settled where Henry Spen- 
 cer now lives. I have no authority 
 to say where he came from, but 1 
 presume he came from Connecticut, 
 there is where the most of the early 
 settlers came from. He was promi- 
 nent in the town and also in the M. 
 E. church, holding several offices in 
 the church. He had a large family 
 of children, how many and what 
 their names were I cannot tell. I 
 have heard my mother say that 
 there were seven that came to school 
 from there at one time; seven from 
 Philo Clemmon's and seven from 
 David Hungerford's, all in the same 
 district and all at the same time. 
 
 Whitney Cornish was one of the 
 early settlers, living in the hollow 
 west of W. H. Spencer's. He, too, 
 had a large family. Fred Cornish, 
 living on the S. B. Foot farm, is a 
 grandson, and his family is the only 
 descendants in the town. He also 
 supported the M. E. church. 
 
 Let me say right here that there 
 were a good many families that came 
 to this town, stayed a few years and 
 then moved away, of whom I can get 
 no record. 
 
 A little later came Augustus Trow- 
 bridge, another farmer and good 
 citizen. He was. a Strong supporter 
 of the Second Congregational church, 
 and had a son and daughter. 
 
 Wakely Jones was among the 
 
 early ones. His son Henry was 
 known far and near as the best horse 
 doctor in this section of the State. 
 
 Uri Watrous, for many years a 
 farmer, was one of the prominent 
 men in the western part of the town; 
 lived where Clifford Wylie now lives. 
 He had three children: Eugenie, 
 who married John Fairchild, after- 
 ward T. D. Parker; Jerome, who 
 married Eva Baird, and Nettie J., 
 who married Clifford Wylie. 
 
 Of Zera Beardsley no record haS 
 been found, but he came into the 
 town at an early date and settled 
 about two miles west of Coventry. 
 Two sons, Augustus and Bronson, 
 both residents of Coventry. The 
 latter was killed in the Civil war. 
 Josiah Beardsley, a blacksmith, lived 
 one-half mile west of Coventry. 
 Stelson lived two miles north west 
 of Coventry; had a son Samuel and 
 a daughter Julia. All three brothers 
 were noted men and came from Con- 
 necticut. 
 
 Thaddeus Hoyt came to Coventry 
 in 1836. He had a large family. 
 Two sons were ministers, Willard 
 was the founder of the Presbyterian 
 church of Nineveh and for many 
 years its pastor. Ephraim was a 
 Baptist minister and lived at Bath, 
 Steuben county, N. Y., Matthew mar- 
 ried Rebecca Stewart. Their chil- 
 dren were: James T., who died in 
 the Civil war; Sarah E.; Edward P.; 
 Alice C; and Emma L., who mar- 
 ried Samuel A. Beardsley; one child, 
 Emma. Susan A. Hoyt died Sept. 
 20,1851. Mary P., married Vincent 
 White. Their children were: Henry 
 v.; John S.; Thaddeus; William; 
 Vincent and Mary. The rest of the 
 Hoyts lived out of town. 
 
 Samuel Griswold came into the 
 town at an early date and settled 
 one-half mile west of Coventryville 
 
HISTORY OP THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 29 
 
 on the place which Noyes Griswold 
 now owns. He married a Miss 
 Trumbull. They had five children: 
 Electa, who married Stilson Beards- 
 ley; Juvenal, Albert and Frank. 
 Samuel had one son, Lucius. Harry, 
 who married Anadine Gilmore and 
 had one son, Noyes. Egford, who 
 lived a single life. 
 
 Perry Gilmore emigrated to this 
 town at an early date. He had a 
 large family, but of only two can I 
 get any track. Anadine, just spoken 
 of, who married Harry Griswold, and 
 Beriah, who married and had a fam- 
 ily; one son, Charles, who was a 
 soldier in the Civil war; a pair of 
 twin girls, and one other child. He 
 was a business man, holding several 
 town offices, also a worker in the 
 Baptist church. 
 
 Paul Beardsley, in the south east 
 part of the town, was one of the 
 early settlers. He had three chil- 
 dren: Seba, Horace and Polly, who 
 married David Hunt. Seba's chil- 
 dren were: Sally Ann, a maiden 
 lady; Juliette, who married Theron 
 Reed; Sophrona, who married Hi- 
 ram Blakeslee; Harriet, David, 
 George and Oscar, who was a Uni- 
 versalist minister. He settled on the 
 place where Eugene Smith now lives. 
 Horace settled on the place where 
 Seba Blakeslee now lives. He mar- 
 ried Clarissa Payne and had no chil- 
 dren. In the latter part of his life 
 he lived at Coventry. He was a 
 strong supporter of the M. E. church, 
 holding several offices in it and left 
 a dowry for its use. 
 
 Enoch Carrington was one of the 
 early settlers. He located about one 
 mile south of Coventry on what was 
 part of James Whitlock's farm. He 
 afterwards moved to the south east 
 part of the town, where his chil- 
 dren lived and died when well ad- 
 
 vanced in years. 
 
 Nelson Wright came from Oxford 
 about 1869 and settled in the south 
 east part of the town. He had two 
 daughters: Mary, who married Ed- 
 win Nickerson, July 23, 1879, and 
 Martha, who married Lewis Poot. 
 
 Christopher Rogers had a number 
 of children. They all lived in town 
 until maturity. His son, Alphonzo 
 E. Rogers, lived and died in this 
 town. He had four children: One 
 married Chester L .Jones; another 
 married Henry D. Brigham; J. E. 
 and Charles Rogers are now living, 
 the latter has been supervisor, and 
 also held other town offices. He had 
 two sons and one daughter. 
 
 John Niven came into the town 
 later and settled three miles south 
 east of Coventry. They had four 
 children. His wife was a Converse. 
 Their daughter, Mary Ann, married 
 a Williams; Matilda, married Ira 
 Nobles; Daniel married Roza Hodgfe. 
 They had a daughter who married 
 Harvey Smith of Doraville, N. Y., 
 now deceased, but she is still living. 
 A son, Charles, now deceased, who 
 lived in Binghamton. John Niven, 
 Jr., married Emily Tyler, they had 
 two children: George, now deceased, 
 a farmer, and Ella Niven Truesdell. 
 
 Harvey Tyler came here in 1816 
 and settled where Mrs. A. Manwar- 
 ren now lives. He married Eunice 
 Briggs. He came from Connecticut 
 and had nine girls: Nancy, married 
 a Badger; Harriet, died young; Em- 
 ily married John Niven; Susan mar- 
 ried Henry Plum of Connecticut; 
 Eunice, married A. Hardy of Wis- 
 consin; , married M. T. Hoyt; 
 
 Antha, married L. Manwarren; Mary, 
 married C. Rogers; Helen, died at 
 4 years of age. 
 
 HiraiiT Parker's Family 
 
 Betsey Ann Parker, born Sept. 17, 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 1826; Susan Parker, born Dec. 3. 
 1829; Eunice Parker, born Feb. 7, 
 1832; Timothy D. Parker, born June 
 1, 1834; Abijah T. Parker, born 
 Aug. 20, 1841. Betsey Ann married 
 Thomas Tift and now lives in Cov- 
 entry. Mr. Tift is dead. Eunice 
 married Samuel Watrous, lived in 
 Colesville, Broome county; Susan 
 married Frank Williams; Abijah 
 married Catherine Wheeler, lived in 
 Kansas; Timothy D., married Ade- 
 laide Smith, afterwards Eugenie 
 Watrous Fairchild. Hiram Parker's 
 grandchildren: Thomas Tift's chil- 
 dren, Emogene, Frank, George and 
 Addie. William's family: one son, 
 died in infancy: one adopted son. 
 Samuel Watrous had one daughter, 
 Libbie; Timothy D's., children: Ad- 
 die by his first wife; Lena, who died 
 when 4 years old; Ray, Ruth and 
 Bessie by his second wife. Abijah's 
 children: Lottie, Catherine and 
 Earl, who died at 12 years. 
 
 As early as 1838, a man by the 
 name of Anthony Cole owned the 
 farm adjoining the David Hunger- 
 ford farm, and died there. After- 
 wards the family sold the place to 
 Bela Hungerford who kept it till 
 18 4 5, when he sold it to Oris Tubbs 
 and moved west. Three years later 
 Tubbs sold it to Western Holcomb, 
 who worked it for seven years and 
 ran a coopershop in connection with 
 the farm. In 1855 he sold it to 
 Noah Fowler and moved to Greene. 
 Since then Henry Juliand bought it 
 of Fowler, who for many years rent- 
 ed it to Mr. Whitten, who with his 
 wife has passed away. Their son, 
 Colonel R., and daughter, Phoebe, 
 now live in Greene. Phoebe is teach- 
 ing school. Her brother Frank is an 
 architect. He had the overseeing of 
 the building of the stone Episcopal 
 church in Greene, and the 14-story 
 
 Press building in Binghamton. 
 Early Incidents 
 
 In the days of the very early set- 
 tlers when fierce wild animals and 
 wilder red men roamed the forest 
 day and night around the log houses 
 of the early white inhabitants, it was 
 necessary for them to build yards for 
 their horses, oxen, cows, calves, 
 sheep and pigs, when they were so 
 fortunate as to own them. They 
 w^ere usually built in this way, by 
 log fence, something like a rail fence, 
 the large logs at the bottom then 
 smaller and smaller until they reach- 
 ed the top, perhaps eight feet high. 
 Then if they left it in that way it 
 was not safe so they would add 
 sharp pointed pickets made of small 
 round poles near each other fastened 
 to the side of the fence or driven 
 into auger holes on the top log, ex- 
 tending up two feet or more. The 
 wolves and wild animals would look 
 a long time before trying to jump 
 over such a picket fence. Such is 
 the protection they had to give their 
 stock at night until they could do 
 better. Even then they would lose 
 some, for they had to let them out 
 days to get food for themselves. 
 Those that had bells for their cows 
 and sheep could usually find them 
 and drive them home for safety. 
 Living here then brought a large 
 amount of hard work and much earn- 
 est care and considerable fear for 
 those early settlers, who came to 
 establish homes in the wild woods 
 for themselves and their children. 
 Before they could raise stock for 
 market they had to trust to their 
 eye, their hand and their flint lock 
 rifles to furnish them their supply, 
 which was not easily produced. Mr. 
 Manning was one of the hunters. 
 During the years he passed here, 
 besides all other wild animals he 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 31 
 
 shot, he brought down with his 
 rifle ninety-nine deer, afterwards he 
 threw a stone with his hand and 
 killed another, making an even hun- 
 dred. Record Wilber was another 
 hunter. He sometimes left his wife 
 alone in their home in the morning 
 to go in search for deer and would 
 wander so far that when night came 
 on he could not return. On one of 
 these hunts he found himself five 
 miles from home and very tired, so 
 he ate what he had for supper, sat 
 down with his back against a tree 
 and with his rifle across his lap slept 
 soundly during the night. When he 
 awoke in the morning and opened 
 his eyes the first thing he saw stand- 
 ing near and looking sharp at him 
 was what he had sought for in vain 
 the day before, a deer. As he looked 
 at the deer he thought to himself if 
 I only had my rifle I could kill him. 
 By an involuntary motion of his 
 hand he touched it. The deer also 
 saw his motion, and before he could 
 raise the rifle and flre it was out of 
 sight, so he lost him. Being very 
 courageous he never let a chance go 
 by to kill any wild beast that came 
 in his way. He did not keep an ac- 
 count of the number of wild beasts 
 which he had killed, but he took the 
 skin from 43 bears which he had 
 brought down. If they had wanted 
 to they could have dressed in furs 
 every winter. Some of the settlers 
 did use deerskins for clothing and 
 the Indians dressed in them. There 
 was an Indian settlement on the 
 creek near the west side of Mr. Wil- 
 ber's farm. The Indians often came 
 to his house to borrow things, most- 
 ly his rifle and butcher knives. He 
 and his wife did not like to lend 
 them, but did sometimes rather than 
 make them angry, for they were a 
 wild set of red men hardly safe at 
 
 best to live among. The creek was 
 well filled with trout and red and 
 white men took them when they 
 pleased, providing they were able to 
 catch them. Mr. Wilber cleared up 
 his farm, built a good frame house 
 and barn, owned considerable stock, 
 was a good liver, and although he 
 worked hard had enjoyed good 
 health and lived within a few months 
 of 100 years of age. 
 
 Philo Clemmens came in at an 
 early date and settled in the hollow 
 east of Henry Spencer's. His chil- 
 dren were: Wylie, who was drown- 
 ed when a young man while going 
 down the river with a raft; Deborah, 
 who married Joseph Badger. Their 
 children were Sarah Ann, Chester, 
 James, Lucinda and Mary. Lucinda 
 married Silas Gould and had one 
 child, John Wylie; Jane married 
 Rosell Salisbury; children: George, 
 Sarah, Julia and Harry; Maria, 
 married Hale Salisbury; children: 
 Warren, Wylie and Janett; Polly, 
 married Richard Hinckley; children: 
 Sarah, Watrous, Eugenie and Betsey, 
 who married Uri Watrous. Children: 
 Eugenie, Jerome, and Nettie; Eliza 
 married Youngs. 
 
 Porter 
 
 A man by the name of Marcus 
 Porter, an early settler, lived one 
 mile west of Coventry, where Mr. 
 Grover now lives. I have not been 
 able to get a history of the family. 
 I think they came from Connecticut. 
 They were members of the Second 
 Congregational church. I think they 
 had no children and that he was a 
 farmer and was well to do. They 
 both died in a few days of each 
 other in 1872. 
 
 The Foot Family 
 
 Joseph Foot, an old Revolutionary 
 soldier, came in soon after his son 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 Apollos, who came about 1788. He 
 settled on the farm where Edgar 
 Waters now ilves and had three 
 sons and three daughters. He was a 
 man who accumulated a large fort- 
 une and at one time he owned about 
 seven hundred acres of land. He 
 and his sons were business men well 
 known in Coventry, and strong pil- 
 lars in the M. E. church. Joseph 
 Foot was over one hundred years old 
 when he died. His children were: 
 Apollos, Alanson, and Lodema. 
 Apollos, married Amelia Nicholson 
 and his children were: George who 
 married Sarah Wells. His children 
 were: Leroy, Elizabeth, Amelia, 
 Monroe, Lillian, Anna, Apollos; 
 Isaac married and had no children; 
 Theresa married Delen C. Winston. 
 Their children were: Denison, who 
 married Nancy Eliott; Adelbert and 
 Marion; Jennie, married Stephen 
 Kind, afterwards Layer Chatman; 
 Jenette, married John S. Barnes; 
 children: Charles, Emma, Frank 
 and Theresa. She afterwards mar- 
 ried Reuben Palmer. Harriet, who 
 married Madison King. Their chil- 
 dren were: Arthur and Mable. 
 Frederick, married Mary Hidgin. 
 Children: Prank, Harry, Hattie, 
 Leon and Croy. Floyd died young. 
 Legrand's children: Emma and 
 Walter. Rosa, married William 
 Marble. Children: Eugenie, Floyd, 
 Charles, Ely, Nellie, Frederick, 
 Archie. Melissa married Albert. 
 Griswold, and had one son, Albert. 
 Afterwards married Charles Hinman. 
 Children: Balis, Henry, Charles, 
 Ida. Milicent, married Ransom 
 Wright. Children: Apollos, Mary, 
 Jane, Josephine. T. B. Foot mar- 
 ried Henrietta Hinckley. Children: 
 Sumner, Deforest, Clarence and 
 Blanch, Ezra Foot married Harriet 
 Cohoon. Children: Nellie, Hattie, 
 
 Raymond, Minnie. Alanson Foot, 
 brother to Apollos, married Theresa 
 Hinman. Children: Joseph, Oscar, 
 Melvin, Marietta. Melvin married 
 Emma Griswold. Marietta married 
 William Conover. Lodema Foot 
 died young. Eliza Foot, sister of 
 Apollos, married Charles Martin, 
 and had one son, Charles. 
 The Porter Family 
 Sanuiel Porter came from Connec- 
 ticut in the year 1808, with two 
 yoke of oxen and a pair of horses. 
 His wife's name was Cibil Munson. 
 Their children were: Sterihon, 
 
 Obadiah, Azubak, Marshal, Samuel, 
 Munson, Sheldon, Loren B. and 
 Leonard. Sheldon married Parmelia 
 Balis. His children were: William, 
 Leonard, Rebecca, Samuel and 
 Stephen. Leonard married Martha 
 Buckley. His children were: Jane, 
 Emily, Samuel, George, Dolly, Lu- 
 cious who died young, and Julia. 
 
 Loren B., married Beardsley. 
 
 His children were: Eliza, Charles, 
 Lucy, Sarah and Edward. The Por- 
 ters settled on the place where Fred 
 Porter now lives. The old barn a 
 little north of Fred's house was built 
 in 18 09, the same sidings are on it 
 that were first put on, rough pine 
 boards 103 years ago and are in a 
 fair way to last another century. 
 The barn was never painted. Oh, 
 for more of the old hill pine, we 
 would not have to shingle our houses 
 so often. The Porters were all or 
 nearly all farmers and mechanics. 
 At one time they run a chair factory. 
 The house that Edward lives in 
 stood across the creek and was built 
 for a factory. Sheldon moved to the 
 south-eastern part of the town; lived 
 and died there. Leonard lived and 
 died on the old homestead for many 
 years. He moved to Iowa in 1857. 
 Lorin lived and died where his son 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 3B 
 
 Edward now lives. 
 
 Spencer Family 
 
 William Spencer came to this town 
 about 1797 and settled where Prank 
 Manning now lives. He had three 
 sons and one daughter: Dorcas, who 
 married Leonard Parker and had 
 two sons, Prank and Richard, and 
 one daughter. Zeba Spencer mar- 
 ^ ried Polly Blakesley, died and had 
 no children. She afterwards mar- 
 ried Moses Allis. Phineas S., mar- 
 ried and had a large family. Wil- 
 liam Spencer, Jr., married Polly 
 Butts and lived where his son Henry 
 now lives. His children were: Bet- 
 sey, who married Thomas Terry who 
 run a woolen mill at Bettsburgh. 
 Morgan, married Catherine Van 
 Valkenburgh, and had four boys. 
 Sarah, married Robert Odell, and 
 had three children. Nelson H., mar- 
 ried Hannah Pratt, four sons and 
 one daughter were the result of their 
 marriage. Byron married Josephine 
 Jones. Pranklin married A. Anna 
 Paddleford and had three boys and 
 two girls. W. H. Spencer, married 
 Mary E. Salisbury and had one son 
 and two daughters. He had been 
 quite a prominent man in town af- 
 fairs and also in the M. E. church. 
 Seba Spencer, kept a hotel here and 
 I think built the one that stands 
 now. Phineas was a farmer. One 
 day while chopping wood he felled a 
 tree across a log and his little child, 
 unbeknown to him, had come out 
 and stood on the other side of the 
 log. When the tree fell the top 
 whipped over the log and killed the 
 child, and he did not know it till he 
 trimmed out the tree and saw her 
 lying there. 
 
 Badger Family 
 
 Oliver Badger came in here quite 
 early, the exact date is unknown. 
 
 He married Lucretia Butts. Chil- 
 dren: two boys, William and Orin 
 and a daughter, Elizabeth. Debe- 
 dire Eliza Butts married a Mr. 
 Leach, had one daughter who mar- 
 ried a man by the name of Birdsall, 
 a Baptist minister, and moved to 
 Ohio. 
 
 Jonathan At water, early settler, 
 lived just west of W. H. Spencer's, 
 and had one son, Gerrett, who lived 
 here several years and had a large 
 family. 
 
 The Root family lived where Ed- 
 gar Waters lives and one son became 
 editor of a paper in Kansas. 
 
 Joseph Ackley, an early settler, 
 had a family. One grandson, 
 Charles Ackley, now living in town 
 near the old homestead. 
 
 Elisha Porter Family 
 
 Elisha Porter, an early settler, 
 came from Connecticut and settled 
 three miles south west from Cov- 
 entry where Charles Ackley now 
 lives. He had seven children: Wil- 
 liam, Joseph, Phineas, Norman, Per- 
 melia, Julia and Almira. Permelia 
 married a man by the name of 
 Hatch; Julia married George Edger- 
 ton. 
 
 Cornish Family 
 
 Whiting Cornish married Temper- 
 ance Wylie, an early settler about 
 four miles south west of Coventry, 
 date uncertain. Their children 
 were: John, Maria, Lavonia, Tem- 
 perence, George, Elizabeth, Whiting, 
 Augustus, Sarah, Isabel and Jane. 
 John married Romania Mandevllle; 
 Maria married Augustus Trowbridge, 
 Lavonia married first a Moore and 
 second a Weston Holcomb; Temper- 
 ance married Ezra Conant; George 
 married widow Emeline Treadway 
 Blakesley; Elizabeth married H. H. ^ 
 Cook of Oxford, Whiting Augustus 
 
SM 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 married Mary Mallory; Sarah never 
 married; Isabell married Rev. Lewis 
 Hartsough, a Methodist minister, 
 and is the last of the family; Jane 
 married Dr. Harvey Beardsley. 
 
 Srott Family 
 
 Victor Scott came in quite early, 
 settled about two miles south of Cov- 
 entryville. He married Roxanna Lora. 
 Their children were: Lucretia, 
 George, Cordelia, Walter, Samuel, 
 Melvin, Olive. Lucretia married Mil- 
 ton Dickerson, George never mar- 
 ried and died young. Cordelia mar- 
 ried Frank Salisbury; Samuel was 
 married twice; Walter married Rox- 
 anna Newton; Melvin never married; 
 Olive married Silas Beigh. 
 
 Elliott Family 
 Joseph Elliott and four sons, Abi- 
 sha, Joab, Thomas and Adon, all 
 grown up, came in here from Deer- 
 field, Mass., in 1803 and settled in 
 the south west part of the town. 
 I cannot get a full history of them 
 but what I have I will give. Joab 
 Elliott married Nancy Hendric, of 
 Massachusetts. Their children: 
 
 Araasa, Eldredge, Cyrus, Edgecomb, 
 Stephen, Andrew, Harry, Franklin 
 and Nancy. Eldred married Man- 
 dame Belden; Cyrus married Annia 
 Beldin: Edgecomb married Sarah 
 Spauldin; Stephen died young. An- 
 drew married Jane Leach; Henry 
 married a Miss Clearweather; 
 Franklin never married; Nancy 
 married Edwin Elliott; Joab, Jr., 
 married Parmelia Mead. Children: 
 Nancy, married Simeon Burrows and 
 had two daughters; Sally, married 
 David Kinsman and had two sons, 
 Austin and Bliss, and one daughter, 
 Augusta; Polly married Alanson 
 Smith. Children: Buushabay, Fred- 
 erick, Myron, Polly, and three died 
 young: Franklin married Nancy 
 
 Hinckley. Two children: Naomi 
 and Franklin; Joseph, married Hel- 
 en Wylie. Children: James, Dud- 
 ley, Hial, Lucy and Mary; Betsey 
 married Joshua Harrington. Chil- 
 dren: Isabell, Francis, Wesley and 
 Neg; John Elliott married Betsey 
 Gould. Their children were: Jane, 
 Nancy, Lenora, Kindric, Oliver and 
 Hial; Jane married Chil- 
 dren: Alice, Eugenie, Bela, Nancy, 
 married and had no children; Leona, 
 married and had one child; Kindric 
 and Oliver never married; Hial mar- 
 ried and had one son. Abisha El- 
 liott's children: Marilla, Jerry and 
 Abisha. 
 
 An incident is related of Franklin 
 Elliott, when a boy his father sent 
 him to Haynes' mill on horseback 
 with a grist to be ground. It was 
 late when the grist was ready for 
 him and it got dark. He had to go 
 through a piece of woods and the 
 wolves got after him; the horse 
 snorted and run and he had to get 
 his feet up on the grist to keep the 
 wolves from getting him. When he 
 got most home he came into the 
 clearing and the wolves left him. 
 
 As we have been writing about so 
 many of the old settlers that have 
 gone through the valley on to the 
 beyond, we think it would be ap- 
 propriate to put in a poem, written 
 by Mrs. Cordelia Wilder, one of Cov- 
 entry's poets: 
 
 Shall We Know Each Other There 
 
 When earth's fondest ties are riven 
 And we've crossed the swelling tide, 
 Shall we know our loved and loving 
 Over on the other side? 
 Shall we know the shouts of welcome 
 From the loving ones that wait? 
 Shall we know them as they're 
 
 watching, 
 Waiting at the golden gate? 
 
 Little feet that here have pattered, 
 Making music all the day: 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 35 
 
 Little voices wild with laughter, 
 Driving busy care away; 
 Little hands that gathered flowers- 
 Twined them gaily in our hair, 
 Little lips that kissed us softly, 
 Shall we know them "over there?" 
 
 Shall we know the tender mother, 
 Though we kiss her pale and cold, 
 Though her hair was streaked with 
 
 silver, 
 There 'tis tinged with Heaven's gold. 
 Yes! We'll know the sainted mother 
 When we clasp her hand again, 
 When she strikes one cord of music 
 We shall catch the old refrain. 
 
 We shall know earth's dearest 
 
 treasures; 
 Tread the golden streets with them. 
 We shall join the Heavenly chorus, 
 Chanting there one great amen. 
 We shall wear bright crowns in glory 
 If our crosses here we bear. 
 We shall know our King our Saviour, 
 And our loved ones "over there." 
 
 Since writing about the old plank 
 road that the Porters' built one- 
 half mile for nothing, I have been 
 informed that they furnished the 
 plank and built the half mile for 
 $300. 
 
 A man by the name of Rollin 
 Sweet came in from Connecticut. 
 dnte unknown, but it must have been 
 ery early, for he had to cut his own 
 '-'■ad part of the way from Bain- 
 bridge. He had a large family, and 
 settled about two miles east of Cov- 
 entryville. One grandson, William 
 Sweet, is now living in the eastern 
 part of the town. 
 
 The Packard Family 
 
 Anson Packard came here about 
 1800 and settled one mile west of 
 Coventry, on the farm now owned 
 by Matthew Smith. Their children 
 were: Sally, who married Caleb 
 Merrill and their children were: 
 Oliver, Nathaniel, George, Ira, Fred- 
 erick, Ransom, Thomas, Julia, and 
 Mary. Sulvia, married Samuel Ors- 
 born: their children were: Allana, 
 
 Louis, Emily, Sarah, Ira and Benja- 
 min. Larkin married Amanda At- 
 water; their children were: Adney, 
 Harriet, Ira, Sylvester, Eliza Ann, 
 Charles, Chester, Lydia, Callista, 
 Anson Packard's children were: 
 George, Stephen, Almira, Ann and 
 Mary. Howard Packard married 
 Lucretia Cary, and their children 
 were: Lewis, Henry, Calvin and 
 Sarah. Lida married Lewis Bene- 
 dict, they lived in the west. Mercy 
 married Eris Hotchkiss. Their chil- 
 dren: Josephine, Lewis and Prank. 
 Hannah, married Adolphus Stiles. 
 Their children were: Emiline, 
 Mercy, Larkin, Jane, Elizabeth and 
 Laura. Laura Stiles married John 
 Kelley of Coventry. One son, Frank, 
 who married Addie Tifft, and one 
 daughter, Laura, who married Fred- 
 eric Porter of Coventry 
 
 1815 To Mr. Charles Pearsall 1895 
 
 We come on this day so fair and 
 
 bright. 
 Our hearts transfused with its rays 
 
 of light, 
 Till the inner depths most warmly 
 
 glow. 
 And with kindest greetings o'erflow. 
 
 In winter time when winds are high. 
 And snow and sleet go whirling by. 
 We sit and dream of the brighter 
 
 days 
 Of summer time, with their golden 
 
 rays. 
 
 Or autumn's harvest born of bloom. 
 And long to flee from the season's 
 
 gloom; 
 But we know that time will surely 
 
 bring 
 From under the snow the flowers of 
 
 spring. 
 So the years go passing swiftly by. 
 Awhile with sunshine or clouded 
 
 sky. 
 And we often turn to the happy past, 
 Davs of childhood that could not 
 
 last! 
 
 Let us look today, there's a picture 
 bright 
 
S6 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 Of the old red house, now still in 
 
 sight; 
 We see again each pleasant nook, 
 List to the sound of the babbling 
 
 brook, — 
 As its ripples break o'er our small 
 
 bare feet. 
 And eyes in sparkling glances meet, 
 Or sit upon its pebbly shore, 
 Watching our ship sail swiftly o'er. 
 
 Proud ships borne from the old saw- 
 mill. 
 
 Bark and sawdust we see them still; 
 
 And the gristmills wheel with merry 
 sound 
 
 Ever going its ceaseless round. 
 
 We know where once the mill- 
 troughs lay,— 
 
 But all, like childhood, has gone 
 away. 
 
 For a moment we'll enter the open 
 door, 
 
 Where ever a welcome is in store. 
 
 Cheerful faces within appear; 
 Ripples of laughter greet the ear; 
 While a strong man tosses a blue 
 
 eyed boy, 
 And a dark-eyed girl fills the cup of 
 
 joy. 
 
 Friend of my childhood, friend of 
 
 my years! 
 There are changes we see through a 
 
 mist of tears, 
 No longer we linger but turn away, 
 Let joy rule the hours of the present 
 
 day. 
 
 Why are such numbers gathered 
 
 here, 
 With smiling faces and friendly 
 
 cheer? 
 Ah: the day will, as the birthday 
 
 chime 
 Rings out for one just in his prime. 
 
 Eighty years with their joy and pain; 
 Eighty years with their toil and 
 
 gain; 
 Ceaseless strivings and victory won. 
 To be crowned at last with the glad 
 "well done." 
 
 Guarded still \vith the watchful care. 
 Of those who your joys and sorrows 
 
 share. 
 Many or few as the years may roll, 
 May you sing "there's sunshine in 
 
 my soul." 
 
 There's a happy bond on the unseeu 
 
 shore, 
 To welcome you when earth's work 
 
 is o'er; 
 Lovingly will they watch and wait 
 Till you pass to them through life's 
 
 sunset gate. 
 
 James Wylie, Sr., came in from 
 Columbia county, N. Y., in 1799, 
 settled on what is now part of Guy 
 Wylie's farm on the west side of the 
 creek, between the creek and where 
 Guy's house now stands. He built 
 the first Wylie house. James Wylie, 
 Jr., came in with his father, a man 
 of a family, four sons and four 
 daughters. Daniel married a Miss 
 Edgerton; two sons and two daugh- 
 ters. Betsey married William 
 Thomas; two sons and two daugh- 
 ters. James, the third, married 
 Sally Fairchild; five sons and one 
 daughter. Temperence, married 
 Whiting Cornish; two sons and six 
 daughters. Maria married a Mande- 
 ville; one son and one daughter. 
 Polly married a Burton; two sons 
 and two daughters John married 
 Estey Inckley; three sons, Floyd, 
 Burton and James, the fourth. James 
 Wylie, the third, his family: Thomas 
 Wylie, born Dec. 27, 1815. Russel 
 D. Wylie, born Dec. 27, 1817. J. 
 Hoel Wylie, born April 8, 1820; 
 George Wylie, born April 10, 1822; 
 Hannah Wylie, born Nov. 17, 1825, 
 and died Oct. 7, 1845; Hubbard H. 
 Wylie, born Dec. 6, 1827; Joseph 
 Wylie, born Sept 9, 1833, and died 
 Dec. 9, 1845. James Wylie, the 
 third, died Apr. 9, 1854, aged 68 
 years. Sally, his wife, died May 11, 
 1864, aged 74 years.. Hubbard H. 
 Wylie married Sabra Brown. They 
 had one child, Jessie S., born Oct. 
 10, 1S67; died in Feb, 1886, aged 19 
 years. Hubbard H., died Jan. 16, 
 1910, aged 8 2 years. Thomas, died 
 March 31, 1898. aged 83 years. J. 
 
HISTORY OP THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 U7 
 
 Hoel died June 1, 1889, aged 69 
 years. Russel, died June 25, 1896, 
 aged 79 years. George died July 19, 
 1900, aged 78 years. I think one 
 son of James Wylie, Jr., named Sam- 
 uel has been left out. He was the 
 father of John and Hawley and sev- 
 eral other children. It has been 
 hard work for the writer to get any 
 history of the Wylie family, he work- 
 ed hard and long, traveled about 
 twenty-five miles, before he could 
 get any information, but at last, 
 many thanks are due Burton Wylie 
 and Mrs. Hubbard Wylie for all the 
 information I have got has come 
 from them. 
 
 A family by the name of Wood- 
 ward, settled in the south east part 
 of the town at an early date, his first 
 name I have not been able to learn. 
 If I have been informed right he 
 was the father of Darius, Heman and 
 Yale Woodward. They were quite 
 prominent in that part of the town. 
 There are several grandchildren in 
 town and some out of town. One 
 granddaughter, Mrs. Charles Bush, 
 lives near Nineveh. Edward Wood- 
 ward of Coventry is a grandson, and 
 Mrs. Henry Merell in the south east 
 is a granddaughter, and I think there 
 are several others that I do not call 
 to mind. 
 
 Stephen Fletcher, son of Joseph 
 and Susan A. Sherwood Fletcher, 
 was born at White Plains, West- 
 chester, county, N. Y., April 12, 
 1846. About the year 1850 his par- 
 ents removed to Guilford, N. Y. He 
 ettended school at East Guilford, and 
 by diligence and hard work acquired 
 an education so that he had taught 
 school several terms. After which 
 he learned the wagon maker's trade, 
 but his health would not permit him 
 to be shut in doors, and he had to 
 give up wagon making. He next 
 
 took up farming and followed it 
 until his death, which occurred on 
 May 15, 1908. On Nov. 5, 1873, he 
 was united in the bonds of holy 
 wedlock with Miss Jennie E. Beale of 
 East Guilford. He farmed it in Guil- 
 ford and Butternuts till 1886, when 
 he removed to Coventry and lived 
 here and farmed it the remainder of 
 his life. In 1870 he united with the 
 M. E. church at Rockdale and was 
 one of the leading members, being 
 superintendent a good share of the 
 time; always taking part in the 
 choir, and for a good many years in 
 the latter part of his life was chor- 
 ister. He was quite prominent in 
 settling estates and drawing and 
 proving wills. In politics he was a 
 Republican until the Prohibition 
 party came up, after which he voted 
 the Prohibition ticket. 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 Early Schools 
 
 The first school house in the town 
 was a log structure located about 
 ten rods north of the Frank Pear- 
 sail blacksmith shop. Sherman 
 Page the first teacher, then a young 
 single man, was a resident of Una- 
 dilla and afterwards became some- 
 what distinguished as a lawyer and 
 legislator. 
 
 Among the first school girls were 
 Roxy Miles, Patty Miles, Hannah 
 Yale and Sally Miles, who after- 
 wards became the wives of Russell 
 Waters, Amasa Ives, Seth Beckwith 
 
 and Jones. Mrs. Waters died 
 
 April 10, 1875, aged 85 years; her 
 husband May 11, 1835, aged 48 
 years. Mrs. Ives died March 16, 
 185 8, aged 84 years, and her hus- 
 band Oct. 6, 1823, aged 60 years. 
 The first school taught is believed 
 to be as early as 1790. After a few 
 years another school house was built 
 
38 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 in what was called the Warren dis- 
 trict. It stood between the lands 
 once occupied by Erastus and Joel 
 Judd families, known as the Benedict 
 farm, and was afterwards removed 
 to where Elam Barstow lived, where 
 it remained until after that district 
 was united with the Coventryville 
 district. 
 
 Town Officers 
 
 The first town meeting was held 
 in the school house near Burrige 
 Miles', Coventryville, on Tuesday, 
 March, 4, 1806, and the following 
 named officers were elected: 
 
 Supervisor — John Mandeville. 
 
 Clerk — Roswell Marshall. 
 
 Assessors — Jothan Parker, Moses 
 AUis, Abijah, Benedict. 
 
 Collector — Daniel Wylie. 
 
 Overseerers of the Poor — Ozias 
 ^ Yale, Simeon Jones. 
 
 Commissioners of Highways — 
 John Stoddard, Samuel Martin, Na- 
 thaniel Manwarring. 
 
 Constables — Daniel Wylie, Jabez 
 Manwarring. 
 
 Fence Viewers — Benjamin Jones, 
 Record Wilber, Luther Holcomb. 
 
 Pound Keepers — Benjamin Bur- 
 nett, Nathaniel Manwarring. 
 
 Overseer of Highways — George 
 LoWTey, Joel Goodenough, Peter 
 Bowen, John Stoddard, Simon Jones, 
 Benjamin Jones, Wm. M. Thomas, 
 Nathaniel Manning, Henry Allen. 
 
 Sealer of Weights and Measures — 
 Oliver Parker. 
 
 The following town officers were 
 elected in February, 1880: 
 
 Supervisor — James M. Phillips. 
 
 Town Clerk — J. D. Guy. 
 
 Justice — J. S. Parker. 
 
 Commissioner of Highways — D. B. 
 Easton. 
 
 Overseer of the Poor— Miles Hart- 
 well. 
 
 Constables — Frank Pierce, Nelson 
 
 Cohoon, Charles Laman. 
 
 Inspectors of Election — District 
 No. 1, Lucius Manwarring, H. C. In- 
 gersoll, H. Willoughby; district No. 
 2, to be appointed. 
 
 Town Auditors — Romeo Warren, 
 C. D. Newton, John Wylie. 
 
 Excise Commissioner — Henry An- 
 drews. 
 
 Coventry Villaj;e 
 
 Coventry is pleasantly situated a 
 little north west of the center of the 
 town, about seven miles east of 
 Greene, and nine miles west of Bain- 
 bridge. At present it is connected 
 with Greene by daily stage. It con- 
 tains two churches. Congregational 
 and Methodist. The Baptist church 
 has been sold and has been taken 
 down. A district school, a hotel, the 
 first in the village was built by 
 Henry Allen shortly before 1812 and 
 is now vacant; one general store, 
 two grocery stores, a blacksmith 
 shop owned and run by George End- 
 ter; a wagon shop run by Eugene 
 Mallory; a large creamery owned 
 and run by the Dairy Product Co.; 
 a shingle factory owned and run by 
 Oral Dalton; two good carpenters, 
 George Hamilton and Alva Dalton. 
 The village has a population of 
 about 100. 
 
 Merchants 
 
 The first merchants in Coventry 
 were: Henry Allen, Samuel Scott, 
 Benjamin Jones and Zenas Hutchin- 
 son, who kept store in part of Henry 
 Allen's hotel, commencing in Oct. 
 1810. Dr. Diodate Cushman opened 
 a store in 1818 or '19 and continued 
 as late as 1827, about which time he 
 left the town. George Ryder was 
 associated with him about a year. 
 William Church whose father, Jo- 
 siah Church, from Vermont, was an 
 early settler in Church Hollow, 
 which place derives its name from 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 89 
 
 him; commenced business about 
 1830 in company with David Ever- 
 ett, who sold out soon after, the 
 latter of whom died Feb. 5, 1832, 
 aged 33 years. About this time the 
 business was discontinued. Church 
 returned to Church Hollow and 
 opened a store there. Chandler, re- 
 sumed business about 1834, with G. 
 D. Phillips, to whom after about a 
 year he sold his interest. Mr. Phil- 
 lips came from Greeneville, Greene 
 county, and settled three miles south 
 west of Coventry on what is known 
 as the John Beal farm, where he 
 engaged in farming, wagon making 
 and running a foundry, which he 
 continued until he engaged in mer- 
 cantile business when he moved to 
 the village, where he died Dec. 18, 
 1872, aged 82 years. His wife lived 
 and died in Coventry at an advanced 
 age. From 1840 to 1858 he was as- 
 sociated in the mercantile business 
 with his sons, Edgar A., and James 
 M. Phillips, under the firm name of 
 G. D. Phillips & Sons. Amasa J. 
 Hoyt became a partner in 1851, and 
 Frederick LeRoy Martin in 1858, in 
 which year the name was changed 
 to Phillips, Hoyt & Martin. James 
 M. Phillips withdrew in 1852, and F. 
 L. Martin in 1860, after which the 
 business was conducted by Phillips 
 & Hoyt, until the death of the for- 
 mer when it was carried on by Hoyt 
 for a time, then by Hoyt & Kelley, 
 and now is being conducted by Kel- 
 ley & Son who keep a stock of gen- 
 eral merchandise. 
 
 Romeo Warren, William Church 
 and Edwin Burge bought out Dr. 
 Cushman. After about a year Rufus 
 Chandler, bought out Burges' inter- 
 est. The business was continued for 
 about two years, when Chandler & 
 Warren sold out to Church, who 
 continued trading some four years. 
 
 The grocery business was first con- 
 ducted in the early sixties, by Alvin 
 Converse who conducted it a few 
 years and sold out to James Shouls, 
 who continued the business a year or 
 two. Then M. D. French used the 
 store for a cabinet shop for a while. 
 J. S. Parker and son commenced 
 business in February, 1877, and con- 
 tinued it some eight or ten years. 
 H. L. Tower for three or four years 
 and George Lewis some five years or 
 more. About nine years ago A. P. 
 Stanton came there and is now doing 
 a good business. He also has the 
 telephone central in his store. 
 
 Postmasters 
 
 The first postmaster in Coventry 
 was Dr. Tracy Southworth, who was 
 appointed about 1833, and held the 
 office a number of years. G. D. 
 Phillips next held the office five or 
 six years, and was succeeded by his 
 son, Edgar A., who held it some 
 four years. George Cornish next held 
 the office about two years, till his 
 removal to Bainbridge. He was suc- 
 ceeded by William Church, who was 
 postmaster till about 1860, when his 
 son Charles was appointed and kept 
 it until June, 1861, when Amasa J. 
 Hoyt was appointed. Hoyt was suc- 
 ceeded by Mary A. Kales, Dec. 10, 
 1877. H. L. Tower then took it for 
 a few years; then by F. A. Kelley, 
 where it still remains. 
 
 Physicians 
 
 The first physician was Diodate 
 Cushman, who commenced practic- 
 ing in the eastern part of the town 
 as early as 1813. He afterwards 
 located in Coventry and practiced 
 there until within a few years of his 
 death, which occurred about 1838, 
 while on his way to New York with 
 a drove of cattle. He was also en- 
 gaged in mercantile business here 
 
JfO 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 and also at Chenango Forks. The 
 next physician was Tracy South- 
 worth, who came from New Berlin 
 during the latter part of Cushman's 
 practice as early as 1827, and prac- 
 tced here for some ten years. Alfred 
 Griffin came in about 1830, and was 
 succeeded by Ashabel Wilmont, who 
 removed in 18 43 to the western part 
 of the State. George Sturges came 
 from Coventryville in 1843, and 
 practiced a year or two. S. B. Pren- 
 tis practiced here some two years 
 about 1845-6, and at a meeting of 
 the County Medical Society, June 
 6, 1846, was made the subject of 
 commendatory resolutions by reason 
 of his contemplated removal. He 
 went to Kansas having sold his prac- 
 tice here to Wm. H. Beardsley of 
 Butternuts, who practiced here till 
 1869, when he removed to a farm 
 three miles south of Coventry where 
 he practiced till his death. R. Otto- 
 man came from Pennsylvania in 
 1845, but remained only about a 
 year. Dr. Prindle came here about 
 1850, and practiced some fifteen 
 years. Dr. Frank Beardsley came 
 here while a young man and studied 
 with his uncle, Dr. William Beards- 
 ley, and became a prominent physi- 
 cian, a great lecturer on anatomy; 
 spending many years lecturing. He 
 also became a great eye doctor. He 
 went to Binghamton. and I think 
 from there to New Haven, Conn. 
 
 James D. Guy was born in Oxford, 
 N. Y., Dec. 23, 1840, and studied 
 medicine at Harpursville, Broome 
 county, with his uncle. Dr. Ezekiel 
 Guy, and at Nineveh in the same 
 county with another uncle. Dr. Tim- 
 othy Guy. He entered Geneva Med- 
 ical College in the fall of 1866, and 
 was graduated Jan 21, 1868, in 
 which year he began to practice in 
 Harpursville. He removed thence to 
 
 Coventry November 28, 1869, when 
 he practiced for about twenty-five 
 years selling out to Dr. A. A. Guy, a 
 cousin, who stayed here about two 
 years. 
 
 Dr. R. Lee Dodge came next and 
 stayed about five years. Then Dr. 
 Evans was here four or five years, 
 and at present we are without a 
 doctor. There is a good chance for 
 some young man to locate here. 
 
 Dr. Jesse E. Bartoo was born in 
 Jasper, Steuben county, Feb. 2 8, 
 1847. He studied medicine in Dans- 
 ville, N. Y., with Dr. Preston and 
 with Dr. R. P. Crandall in Greene. 
 He entered the Electic Medical col- 
 lege at Cincinnatti in the fall of 1875 
 and graduated May 19, 1876. He 
 commenced the practice of medicine 
 in Greene that year and continued 
 until the spring of 1879, when he 
 removed to Coventry. He practiced 
 here for a few years and then re- 
 turned to Greene, where he is now 
 living. 
 
 Churches 
 
 The Second Congregational So- 
 ciety of Coventry was organized 
 December 9, 1822, at a meeting held 
 in the school house near Plaig 
 Nichols', in said town, which was 
 attended by David Beebe, Samuel 
 Porter, Oliver Trumbull, John Minor, 
 Parson Beecher and many other in- 
 habitants of the town of Coventry. 
 Samuel Martin was chosen modera- 
 tor and William A. Martin clerk. 
 Parson Beecher, Timothy B. Bidwell 
 and Samuel Porter were elected 
 trustees. The following named per- 
 sons were members to January 5, 
 1824: Samuel Martin, David Beebe, 
 Ralph Johnson, Oliver Packard, Sam- 
 uel Bronson, Philo Scott, Artemaa 
 Goodno, Paul Beardsley, Gideon B. 
 Minor, Samuel Porter, Calvin Thair, 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 4I 
 
 Mark Scott, Juna Humiston, Ira S. 
 Beardsley, John B. Hodge, Lemuel 
 Beardsley, Jabez Manwarren, George 
 L. Rider, Timothy B. Bidwell, Gil- 
 bert D. Phillips, Sheldon Porter, 
 Diodate Cushman, Anson Packard, 
 Justice Dayton, Reuben J. Warner, 
 James Smile, David Lowry, Parson 
 Beecher, Enoch Johnson, Oliver 
 Trumbull, John Niven, Daniel Rigby, 
 Chauncey Smith, Abel M. Beardsley, 
 Elisha Porter, Case Larkin, D. Pack- 
 ard, Jonathan Atwater, Nathaniel 
 Blakeslee, Elnathan Beebe, Henry 
 Chandler, Reuben Cary, Luther 
 Stork, Joel Smith, Rufus Chandler, 
 Loren B. Porter, William A. Martin, 
 David Chandler, Jeriah Seymour, 
 Zebah W. Matson. 
 
 At its organization the society 
 consisted of twenty-seven members 
 who withdrew from the First Con- 
 gregational church of Coventry for 
 that purpose. In the early part of 
 1824 they commenced building their 
 church edifice, which was finished 
 during the year and dedicated in the 
 early part of 1825. In 1849 the 
 original building being found too 
 small for the accomodation of the 
 society it was decided to enlarge 
 and repair it, which was done at a 
 cost of $1,000. The church proper 
 connected with this society was or- 
 ganized June 21, 1845, as the Second 
 Congregational church of Coventry. 
 The original number was fourteen, 
 viz: Calvin Thayer, Curtis Stod- 
 dard, William A. Martin, David Bee- 
 be, Samuel Porter, Lucy Porter. 
 Phebe Martin, Sally Beardsley, 
 Phebe Case, Margaret Beecher, Ar- 
 zubak Trumbull, Esther Scott and 
 Patty Porter, all of whom were mem- 
 bers of the First church. There has 
 been but few changes in the minis- 
 try. The church had but two settled 
 pastors in the early days of its ex- 
 
 istence. The first of these was Rev. 
 Ira Smith, and the second Rev. Asa 
 Donaldson, but they served for only 
 brief seasons, the church depending 
 mostly on supplies. The first stated 
 supply was Rev. Seth Burt, who 
 labored successfully while the church 
 manifested a steady increase for the 
 space of three years. In 1829 Rev. 
 John B. Hoyt became the stated 
 supply, dividing his labors between 
 this church and the First Congrega- 
 tional church of Greene. He was 
 installed pastor of this church June 
 19,1833, and sustained that relation 
 for thirty years. In 1860, owing to 
 feeble health, Isaiah B. Hopwood, 
 then a licentiate of Auburn Theo- 
 logical Seminary, was invited to 
 labor with Rev. Hoyt a stated sup- 
 ply during his summer vacation of 
 that year. In the early part of 1861, 
 Mr. Hopwood having finished his 
 theological studies was invited to 
 become the pastor of the church to 
 which he assented, but his accept- 
 ance was afterwards modified by 
 making the condition that of his be- 
 ing associated with Mr. Hoyt in the 
 pastorate. This being agreeable he 
 was ordained and installed July 15, 
 1861. 
 
 March 20, 1861, the church re- 
 solved to raise $250 for the support 
 of Mr. Hoyt as long as he remained 
 with them. His long and happy pas- 
 torate closed by death July 4, 1862, 
 at the age of 68 years. Mr. Hop- 
 wood closed his pastorial labors in 
 January, 1863, and was succeeded 
 by Rev. W. A. Smith of Maine, who 
 commenced his labors August 1, 
 1863, and continued them until Jan- 
 uary 9, 1865. 
 
 Rev. A. J. Buell sustained the 
 pastorial relations from February 27, 
 1865, to January 6, 1869. A call 
 was extended to Rev. Amos Crocker. 
 
U2 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 who entered upon a pastorate which 
 continued until January 29, 1878. 
 He was followed in January 1879 by 
 Rev. Dr. William B. Stewart. Rev. 
 George M. Jones succeeded him for 
 nine years. Rev. J. B. Mariam came 
 next for five years. Then came Rev. 
 Mr. Macbeth for four years who was 
 succeeded by Rev. Mr. Williams for 
 three years. Rev. Mr. Cody came 
 next for a year or two. May 1908, 
 Rev. S. R. Warrender, the present 
 occupant came. 
 
 In 1831 and '32 the church was 
 visited by a most fruitful revival, 
 110 persons were received into the 
 church on profession of their faith. 
 Several marked seasons of revival 
 occurred during the pastorate of Mr. 
 Hoyt. In 1834 and '35, 1840, 1843, 
 1846, 1851, and lastly the winter of 
 1855, '56, as the fruit of which 340 
 were received on profession of faith. 
 Following is a summary of its mem- 
 bership up to November 1, 1861, 
 when its membership was 205: 
 Original members 14 
 
 Received on profession 383 
 Received by letter 123 
 
 Total 
 
 520 
 
 Dismissed 
 
 195 
 
 Deceased 
 
 75 
 
 Suspended 
 
 34 
 
 Withdrawn 
 
 8 
 
 Excommunicated 
 
 3 
 
 Total 
 
 315 
 
 Number of members 
 
 205 
 
 The membership in June 1879 was 
 184. The average attendance at 
 Sabbath school about 80. 
 
 The Coventry Baptist Church 
 
 The first meetings by the members 
 of this denomination was held in 
 1814, and the first organization was 
 perfected the same year. It compos- 
 
 ed mainly the members of twelve 
 families who were formerly mem- 
 bers of the First Congregational 
 church of Coventry, but believed in 
 immersion. As the early records of 
 the church were lost in the fire, 
 which destroyed their house of wor- 
 ship in 1843, the number of original 
 members cannot now be ascertained, 
 but prominent among them the fol- 
 lowing are recalled: Oliver Parker, 
 William Spencer, Percy Gilmore, 
 Phineas Nichols, Levi Parker, Oman 
 Gilmore, David Hodge and Record 
 Wilbur. 
 
 The society connected with this 
 church was organized September 27, 
 1819, at a meeting held in the school 
 house near Weat Spear's, which was 
 attended by Levi Parker, Oliver 
 Parker, William Spencer, Percy Gil- 
 more, William Stork and many 
 other inhabitants of the town. 
 Percy Gilmore was chosen moderator 
 and Phineas Nichols, clerk. The 
 Baptist society in the town of Cov- 
 entry was adopted as the name and 
 Levi Parker, Oman Gilmore and 
 Percy Gilmore were elected trustees. 
 The first church edifice was built in 
 1819, and was destroyed by fire on 
 the morning of January 1, 1843. 
 The present one was soon after 
 built. 
 
 The first ministers were two 
 brothers named Holcomb, who were 
 succeeded in the order named: Revs. 
 Gray, Sawyer, Kellogg, Tucker, Rob- 
 inson, Birdsall, Parker, Litchfield, 
 Bush, Church, Porter, M. M. Everett, 
 N. R. Everett, Merrils, Turnbull. 
 Beebe, E. T. Jacobs; 1880, Rev. Dan- 
 iel Reese; 1884, L. J. Douglass, sup- 
 plied; 1886, Rev. T. A. Matterson; 
 1890, Rev. George Bowler, ordained 
 in October, 1893; Rev. C. F. Benja- 
 min; 1896, Rev. J. H. Watrous; 
 1898, G. A. Starkweather; 1899, 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 45 
 
 Rev. Darby, supplied. For the last 
 fifty years the church has suffered 
 largely from a loss in the member- 
 ship by the removal of many of its 
 prominent members from its borders 
 and who have gone to help swell the 
 membership of churches in the far 
 west and elsewhere. The member- 
 ship was 34 in 1880, the attendance 
 at Sabbath school 45. 
 
 The church has ordained and call- 
 ed to the ministry: Aaron Parker, 
 Daniel Root, F. M. Beebe and N. R. 
 Everett. The latter became pastor 
 of a prominent Baptist church at 
 Sing Sing N. Y. The church was 
 sold and taken down in 1911. 
 
 Methodi.st Episcopal Church 
 
 The first organization of the Meth- 
 odist society in Coventry dates back 
 to April 20, 1819, in which year a 
 meeting was held in the school house 
 in district No. 6, at which meeting 
 Michael Elder and B. Young, preach- 
 ers, both of the regular ministers of 
 said society, were chosen to preside, 
 and the First Methodist Episcopal 
 society in Coventry called Union was 
 formed. Philo demons, Ransom 
 Adkins, Samuel I. Thomas, Whiting 
 Cornish, Apollos Foote and William 
 M. Thomas were elected trustees. 
 
 The West Coventry society of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, formed 
 in 1829, seems to have been a re- 
 organization of the above society. It 
 was organized at the same place, and 
 if we substitute the name of Apollos 
 Tuttle for that of Ransom Adkins, 
 the official board was the same. A 
 house of worship was erected in 
 1830, three miles south west of Cov- 
 entry and occupied a good many 
 years. It has been taken down and 
 
 I think it was moved to Belden. 
 
 The center of Methodism in Cov- 
 entry is now in Coventry village. The 
 Coventry Methodist Episcopal church 
 of Coventry village was organized as 
 a separate station in 1849 and their 
 house of worship was built in 1853. 
 The following named pastors have 
 officiated here since 1849: E. D. 
 Thurston, L. D. Brigham, who died 
 
 shortly after coming here; • 
 
 Nickerson, Hiram Gee, who was here 
 in 1853 during the building of the 
 church which he labored to consu- 
 mate; W. M. Spickerman, Wesley 
 Peck, 1854; M. S. Wells, 1855-6; 
 E. H. Orwin, 1857; S. G. Greene. 
 1858; T. M. Williams, 1859-60; E. 
 Puffer. 1861-3; L. Bowdish, 1864-5; 
 H. R. Northrop, 1866-7; D. Bullock, 
 1868-70; David Davis, 1871-2; 
 George E. Hathaway, 1873; A. T. 
 Roskelley. 1874-5; L. A. Wiles, 1876- 
 7; William Burnside, 1878-9; A. E. 
 Loomis, 1880; S. Stephens, 1881-2; 
 J. T. Wells, 1883-4; S. H. Wood, 
 1885-7; A. E. Thurston, 1888-92; 
 L. D. Palmer, 1893-4; D. L. Meeker, 
 1895-6; J. G. Henry, 1897; W. H. 
 Horton, 1898-1900; D. Sweatland, 
 1891-4; Austin Mooney, supply for 
 September and October; then D. F. 
 Unangst, supply for five months; 
 Charles C. Volz, 1905; J. B. Wilson, 
 1906-7. A. W. Cooper supplied 
 three Sundays in June; G. Cook sup- 
 plied July and August; George P. 
 Markham finished the year. A Sum- 
 merson, the present pastor, com- 
 menced his labors in the spring of 
 1909. 
 
 The membership reported in the 
 pring of 1879 was 82, the attendance 
 at Sunday school was ten teachers 
 and 75 scholars. The estimated 
 value of church property is, church 
 $2,000, parsonage $1,000. ,/ "f,,J:'' 
 
Uh 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 CHAPTER Vn 
 Coventryville and Sundries 
 
 Coventryville is situated about 
 two miles east of Coventry and is 
 the end of the stage route from 
 Greene. It contains one church, 
 Congregational, a district school, one 
 hotel kept by Luman Miles, built by 
 his great grandfather, Burrige Miles, 
 in 1811; one store kept by William 
 Laraan; and a population of about 
 25. 
 
 Merchants 
 
 The first merchants at Coventry- 
 ville is supposed to have been Otis 
 Loveland, who traded some three or 
 four years from about 1801. He 
 was succeeded by Russell Waters, 
 who traded until 1816, when he 
 moved to the farm now occupied by 
 Frank Pearsall. About 1818, Levi 
 Parker built a store on the site of the 
 residence of George Minor, which is 
 believed to have been first occupied 
 by Thomas W. Watkins, wiiose fath- 
 er-in-law, Burrige Miles, leased the 
 land on which it stood, the condition 
 of the lease being that it should be 
 occupied as a store and nothing else 
 "as long as grass grows and water 
 runs." A part of Minor's residence 
 is still fitted up for a store to com- 
 ply with the requirements of the 
 lease although it is not used for 
 such. Watkins traded but a few 
 years. John Reed and Charles G. 
 Osborn, traded in the same place 
 under the name of Reed & Osborn 
 until about 1855. George Minor 
 kept a small store on the same 
 ground about two years, when Ben- 
 jamin Slater from Norwich rented 
 and kept it two years. In the mean- 
 time he built the store now occupied 
 by William Laman, which he occu- 
 pied until 1856, when he sold to 
 Calvin Franklin and Peleg Pendle- 
 
 ton, who traded about three or four 
 years and moved to Greene. Harris 
 Briggs and Rufus Cornwell bought 
 out Franklin & Pendleton, and trad- 
 ed some two years, when Cornwell 
 bought out Briggs' interest. In the 
 spring of 1867 Cornwell sold to W. 
 H. Ireland, who carried on the busi- 
 ness for a number of years, having 
 been associated about one and one- 
 half years with his cousin, Oliver 
 Ireland, and afterwards with his 
 brother-in-law, Thomas Greene. 
 Then Charles Turner one and a half 
 years; E. M. Nolton two years; 
 George R. Johnson one year, and 
 William Laman, the present store 
 keeper 22 years. The last four mer- 
 chants held the postoflfice at the same 
 time. 
 
 Postmasters 
 
 The first postoffice at Coventry- 
 ville is believed to have been estab- 
 lished in 1807 and kept by Jotham 
 Parker, about half a mile south of 
 the village, where he also kept a 
 small store. Just when the office 
 was moved to the village and who 
 kept it there, whether Thomas W. 
 Watkins or Russell Waters, who are 
 believed to have followed in suc- 
 cession is uncertain. Waters, it is 
 supposed, held it until 1816, when 
 he was succeeded by Dr. Edward 
 Cornell, who held it until his death, 
 July 19, 1849. He was succeeded 
 by Leonard R. Foot, who held it 
 about four years. Foot was followed 
 by C. G. Waters who held it until 
 about 1857, when Peleg Pendleton 
 was appointed. Pendleton was suc- 
 ceeded about 1861 by Rufus 
 Cornell, who held it until the spring 
 of 1867, when William H. Ireland 
 was appointed. 
 
 I*hysicians 
 
 The first physician of whom we 
 have any authentic information was 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 45 
 
 Ashel Wilmont who moved to Cov- 
 entry in the spring of 1835. Ed- 
 ward Cornell, whose father was one 
 of the first settlers in Guilford, was 
 practicing here in 1827, and continu- 
 ed until his death, July 19, 1849, at 
 the age of 56 years. Tracy S. Cone 
 came to Coventryville about 1850, 
 practiced about twelve years and 
 moved to South Oxford. Charles G. 
 Roberts located there a few years 
 after Cone left and practiced until 
 the death of his father, Dr. George 
 W. Roberts in Greene, Feb. 10, 1870, 
 when he moved there and took his 
 place. Dwight E. Cone, a nephew of 
 Tracy S. Cone, went there about 
 1875 and practiced some two years, 
 and is now located at Fall River, 
 Mass. Dr. Bartlett practiced there 
 a fevv^ years in the early seventies. 
 
 Churches 
 
 The First Congregational church 
 of Coventry at Coventryville was or- 
 ganized November 19, 1807, by 
 David narrower of Sidney, with the 
 following members: Noah Richards, 
 Stephen Do^dge, Benjamin Benedict, 
 Abijah Benedict, Benjamin Hotch- 
 kiss, Sarah, wife of John Stoddard; 
 Anna, wife of Eliakim Benedict; 
 Abigail, wife of Abijah Benedict; 
 Lois, wife of Stephen Dodge; Beulah, 
 Wife of John Hoskin; Isabelle, wife 
 of Noah Richards; Roxalina, wife of 
 'Daniel Brown; Hannah, wife of Ozias 
 Yale, and Penelope, wife of Henry 
 Chandler. For several years prev- 
 ious to the organization of the church 
 public worship was maintained in 
 private houses, although there was 
 not a man in the settlement who was 
 a professor of religion. The wives 
 of these New England pioneers, im- 
 pelled by the early training received 
 in their eastern homes and a desire 
 to perpetuate the sacred office in 
 
 their new abodes, incited meetings 
 on the Sabbath. The services con- 
 sisted at first of reading, singing 
 and praying, and were conducted by 
 a man who was deemed most cap- 
 able, although he "was not pious." 
 The number who attended was not 
 large at first but they attended reg- 
 ularly, although they lived at re- 
 mote distances from each other. 
 They struggled in poverty and in 
 the midst of the trials and incidents 
 to a new country their dependance 
 for a year or two for a leader being 
 on one man of poor health and one 
 very aged man, holding their meet- 
 ings after a time in the school house. 
 But their number gradually increas- 
 ed with new accessions to the settle- 
 ments, which brought an addition to 
 their leaders in the person of an aged 
 man who came five miles on horse- 
 back and assisted them when he 
 could. The reading of printed ser- 
 mons was soon added to the services. 
 Their meetings continued several 
 years when an old preacher, named 
 Camp, joined them and preached 
 part of a year. He was followed by 
 a gentleman from England, styling 
 himself a Presbyterian or Congre- 
 gationalist, who preached here a 
 year or two and left in 1807. A 
 sufficient number, either professors 
 or those interested in devotional 
 exercises, had settled in the locality 
 to warrant the formation of a so- 
 ciety, and articles of faith and cov- 
 enant were adopted by each of the 
 fourteen previously named, except 
 Stephen Dodge and Beulah Hoskin, 
 who dissented from the articles re- 
 specting the dedication of children 
 in baptism. Numerous additions 
 were made to the membership by 
 baptism and otherwise during the 
 early years of its organization. 
 Twenty-four joined the following 
 
46 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 year and in 1823 the membership 
 had increased to 116. September 1, 
 1808 Christopher S. M. Stork and 
 Noah Richards were chosen deacons. 
 The society connected with this 
 church was organized at the school 
 house in the eastern part of the 
 town at a meeting over which Ben- 
 ' jamin Jones and Ozias Yale presided, 
 Feb. 7, 1804. Jothan Parker, James 
 Wylie, Jr.. and Christopher S. M. 
 Stork were elected trustees. The 
 name adopted was the First Con- 
 gregational Society in Greene, of 
 which this town then formed a part. 
 September 14, 1819, the name was 
 changed to First Congregational So- 
 ciety of the Tow^n of Coventry. At 
 this time Rev. Horatio T. McGeorge 
 was the pastor. He was dismissed 
 March 16, 1807. February 24, 1808, 
 a call was extended to Rev. Joseph 
 Wood to preach the gospel in this 
 place. It is presumed that the call 
 was accepted for on September 6, 
 1808, it was recorded that he be- 
 came a member of the church. In 
 the fall of 1811, Charles W. Thorp 
 of Butternuts, a candidate for the 
 ministry, engaged to preach for a 
 short time in this place, and on Janu- 
 ary 13, 1812, the church voted to 
 call him to the pastorate. He was 
 ordained July 8, 1812. Revs. David 
 narrower, Joel T. Benedict, Joel and 
 Henry Chafin, being the officiating 
 clergymen. Mr. Thorp's pastorate 
 was closed June 10, 1823. He was 
 followed after an interval of two 
 years, which was filled by occasional 
 supplies, by Rev. Anbrose Eggleston, 
 who commenced his labor in May, 
 1825. June 11, 1827, Mr. Eggles- 
 ton received a call to the pastorate, 
 and was ordained June 21 of that 
 year. He continued his labors as 
 pastor three years. During his pas- 
 toratorate several members of the 
 
 church withdrew to form and unite 
 with the Second Congregational 
 Church of Coventry. In 1830, Rev. 
 N. Gould labored with them part of 
 a year, and Rev. Oliver Hill part of 
 the year 1831 as stated supply. 
 Rev. Daniel Butts commenced his 
 labors in 1833 and closed them the 
 third Sunday in June, 1835. In 
 183 6 Rev. Elisha Whitney was sent 
 by the Home Missionary society, to 
 whom application was made for aid 
 February ,8, 1836. He remained 
 one year. Rev. T. A. Ewen com- 
 menced his labors May 15, 1836, and 
 closed them in May, 1841. He was 
 succeeded in the fall of 1841, by 
 Rev. Chrispus White, who was in- 
 stalled pastor May 11, 1842, and 
 dismissed April 1, 1851. Rev. G. M. 
 Smith entered upon a one or two 
 years' pastorate Sept. 1, 1851. He 
 was succeeded after an interval of 
 about two years by Rev. William H. 
 Lockard who served four and one- 
 half years. After an interval of 
 one year Rev. Isaac D. Cornell be- 
 came the pastor and remained seven 
 years, until 1865. An interval of 
 about one year elapsed when Rev. 
 S. S. Goodman began his labors and 
 continued them one and one-half 
 years. After an interval of six 
 months Rev. George D. Horton began 
 an eight years' pastorate. He was 
 succeeded by Rev. Henry C. Cronin, 
 who commenced his labors in De- 
 cember, 1878. In May, 1881, Rev. 
 Warren came, for two years. Rev. 
 Austin Caldwell, three years. 1890, 
 Rev. John F. Geddes, one and one- 
 half years; 1893 to '96, Rev. Joel F. 
 Whitney; 189 6 to '98, Rev. R. C. 
 Lansing; 1898 to 1905, Rev. A. Mc- 
 Intyre; 1905 to '07, Rev. A. C. 
 Dodge; 1909 to 1911, Rev. G. P. 
 Linderman. 
 
 April 7, 1808, the church voted to 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 hit 
 
 build a meeting house 36 by 54 
 feet, and the following year the pres- 
 ent church edifice was erected. 
 'Philo and Ozias Yale scored the first 
 stick of timber used in its construc- 
 tion, and the former drew it to the 
 spot where the church now stands 
 after it was hewed by Abijah Bene- 
 dict. After the church was enclosed 
 services were held in it for two or 
 three years without any fire, to make 
 the worshippers comfortable benches 
 without any backs supplied them for 
 seats. In this rude structure con- 
 trasting so strangely with the com- 
 fortable, even luxurious, appoint- 
 ments of our present houses of wor- 
 ship men, women and children as- 
 sembled in cold winter weather and 
 listened to two sermons each Sun- 
 day with naught save clothing of 
 their own manufacture to keep them- 
 selves warm. Oh, for more of that 
 spirit today, there would not be so 
 many half filled churches. After a 
 time square box pews, then in vogue, 
 were substituted for the rough 
 benches. The church was remodled 
 and repaired and a new bell and 
 steeple added in 1840, at a cost of 
 $1,492, and some twelve years later 
 the interior was repaired and re- 
 modeled at an expense of $500. 
 Only occasional trifling repairs have 
 been made. The church has had a 
 good parsonage for many years. The 
 pecuniary embarassment of the 
 church were very great and many 
 sacrifices were made in those early 
 days to sustain the gospel. During 
 Mr. Thorp's pastorate the societj 
 was confronted with the necessity of 
 raising an indebtedness which stood 
 against it or suffer a loss. Mr. 
 Thorp made strenuous effort to raise 
 the money and after all was raised 
 that it was thought could be, there 
 was a deficiency of $65.00. In this 
 
 dark hour he went with his trouble 
 to Deacon Stoddard, grandfather of 
 John Stoddard, now deceased, who 
 lived in Coventryville. The Deacon 
 was in the field plowing with a yoke 
 of oxen. He sat upon the plow 
 beam and after a few minutes re- 
 fiection he arose, unhitched the oxen, 
 drove them away and sold them, pay- 
 ing the debt with the proceeds. Such 
 were the difficulties which confronted 
 the little colony in their efforts to 
 establish in the inhospitable wilds 
 of their new homes that religious 
 culture which had hallowed the as- 
 sociations of their native land, and 
 such the heroism and devotion with 
 which they were met and overcome. 
 The residents of this town still 
 retain more thoroughly than in 
 most parts of this territory the 
 sterling character of their Puritan 
 ancestors. Among the prominent 
 men in early days, noted for piety 
 and energy, were: C. S. M. Stork, 
 .John Stoddard, 1st; John Stoddard, 
 2nd; A. Ives, P. Yale, O. Yale, Philo 
 Minor, B. Benedict, T. Blake, Ishmal 
 Rogers, Russell Waters, and later 
 Eden, Elickim, and Ira Benedict, 
 Moses Miles, Marshal Miles, and 
 still later Jared Bassett, B. Buckley 
 and B. Taggart. 
 
 Previous to 1815 the church was 
 connected with the Northern As- 
 sociated Presbytery. In Februrary 
 of that year it united with the Union 
 Association. June 19, 1827, it was 
 received under the care of the Che- 
 nango Presbytery. April 17, 1842, 
 it resolved to ask for a dismission 
 from the association and stand neu- 
 tral for a while until prepared to 
 choose where to unite. June 10, 
 1845, it was again received under 
 the care of the Chenango Presby- 
 tery. At present it stands related 
 with the Presbytery of Binghamton. 
 
45 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 The number of members in June. 
 1879, was 150, the average attend- 
 ance at Sabbath school, 60. 
 Manufacturei's 
 
 The first thing the farmers had to 
 sell was lumber and the first of that 
 was pine shingles. Pine was very 
 plenty and they made shingles thirty 
 inches long and sold them for $1.00 
 a thousand. They sold good pine 
 lumber for $4.00 a thousand. About 
 a mile north west of Coventryville, 
 is a steam sawmill owned by Ray 
 Seeley, and built by his father, Wil- 
 liam, many years ago; and one and 
 one-half miles north is another 
 owned by George Hodge and built by 
 Edwin Ogden. 
 
 About three and one-half miles 
 south east of Coventryville is a 
 grist and sawmill which was built 
 some sixty years ago by John 
 Landers and owned for a good many 
 years by his sons, Frederick and 
 John. I think it is not running now. 
 As has been said there was a grist- 
 mill, a carding and cloth dressing 
 mill, all combined, a little south of 
 Coventryville about two miles west 
 of Coventry owned and run by Mr. 
 Brainard, who afterwards run the 
 gristmill at Center Village. 
 
 The saw mills run by water were 
 many, every little stream had from 
 one to four. I think it would be 
 safe to say there were fifteen or more 
 in the town. Fifty years ago there 
 were four cooper shops running at 
 full blast, two and three men work- 
 ing in each shop. The Laman Bros, 
 told me that they have had six men 
 working in their shop at one time. 
 
 The first tannery and the only one 
 in town was built by John Foot 
 about 1805 and was run until about 
 1890, most of the time it did an ex- 
 tensive business. David Hayes run 
 it for a great many years until his 
 
 death which occurred in 1864, after 
 that it was run by John Dibble until 
 about twenty years ago. We feel as 
 though this history would be in- 
 complete without the review of one 
 hundred years. Although I have 
 written a little of it, it contains 
 many incidents and thrilling scenes 
 which I must record, but before the 
 review comes, I think we had better 
 have a poem, written by Mrs. Bene- 
 dict, the poetess of Coventryville 
 church. 
 
 Building for God 
 
 Eightieth anniversary of the or- 
 ganization of the First church, Cov- 
 entryville. 
 
 When for their country men can die. 
 Perchance a garland wreathes 
 their name; 
 And in the nation's archives high. 
 The centures finds their deeds of 
 fame. 
 But men may live and toil, and do 
 Their duty with persistent will; 
 And building for the good and true. 
 Their simple lives with grandeur 
 fill. 
 
 Such men were here! we may not 
 know 
 The self-denying love that thrilled 
 Their hearts, and made them warmer 
 glow. 
 While patiently the soil they tilled. 
 "Now let rise and build for God!" 
 With one united voice they cry; 
 Then ready feet the forest trod. 
 And marked the tall pines stretch- 
 ing high. 
 
 Axes with true and steady stroke 
 Brought down the monarchs of 
 the soil; 
 The sure strong oxen bore the yoke 
 
 Of service in the daily toil. 
 The sills were laid, the rafters rose. 
 And, slow and sure, the work went 
 on, 
 O'ercoming all that might oppose. 
 Until the "meeting-house" was 
 done. 
 
 Fronting the south it proudly stood; 
 
 Was entered by a double door; 
 Plain and unpainted was the wood, 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 1,9 
 
 No fires within, and bare the floor. 
 By narrow stairs the preacher 
 climbed, 
 To reach the pulpit placed so 
 high, 
 And if his sermons were well timed, 
 He upward drew each heart and 
 eye. 
 
 But as improvement makes its way, 
 Where earnest working souls are 
 found, 
 It happened that once on a day, 
 The ancient-looking^ house turned 
 round. 
 And when the rosy sunshine 
 streamed 
 One morning over hill and dell, 
 Upon a pillared front it gleamed. 
 And music floated from the bell. 
 
 The seats were changed. The pulpit 
 then 
 Was taken from its lofty perch 
 For desk and sofa; that was when 
 The meeting house became a 
 church. 
 Will we not gladly gather here. 
 And in the same strong, helpful 
 name 
 Of Him who led our father's on, 
 Press forward in the way they 
 came? 
 
 With reverent step these aisles they 
 trod; 
 Their voices bent in prayer and 
 song; 
 They simply came to worship God, 
 And counted not the hours too 
 long. 
 T'was here the grave old deacons 
 sat 
 Serenely, this side, in their pews; 
 And, while at church, we're certain 
 that 
 They ne'er discussed the weekly 
 news. 
 
 Where are the builders? Toiling 
 hands 
 And eyes that looked with joy and 
 pride 
 Upon this house, that firmly stands 
 Are closed and folded side by side. 
 The summer grasses o'er them creep. 
 The winter snows upon them fall; 
 Over their graves none pause to 
 weep, — 
 Yet "by their works" remember 
 all. 
 
 How changed! Today could they 
 but view 
 The place where once, with placid 
 mien. 
 They always sat two sermons 
 through, 
 With lunch and Sunday school 
 between, — 
 What would they think of weary 
 souls 
 Who scarce can wait till one is 
 through? 
 Though blest with warmth of glow- 
 ing coals, 
 With shutters, carpets, cushioned 
 pew. 
 
 I look, but memory fondly throws 
 O'er all these seats its blissful 
 rays ; 
 I only see the forms of those 
 
 Who gathered here in other days. 
 The hymns come floating from above, 
 The grand old fugue, the anthem 
 bold. 
 But the lips that sung the Savior's 
 love. 
 To earthly songs are hushed and 
 cold. 
 
 We in the earthly temple, — they 
 In one to mortals yet unseen. 
 Where floods of heavenly radiance 
 play, 
 Yet but a shadow lies between. 
 Perchance some helpful message, 
 borne 
 Downward on trembling lines of 
 light. 
 Cheers weary hearts or hearts that 
 mourn. 
 Making some saddened moment 
 bright. 
 
 Some day we hope to upward rise. 
 And join the heavenly, happy 
 band. 
 In worship pure beyond the skies. 
 In temples built by God's own 
 hand. 
 But this with years and honor 
 crowned. 
 We consecrate, O Lord, to Thee! 
 Here help and strength our 
 fathers found; 
 Here may our labors ever be. 
 
 Coventry is an ancient English 
 covenant town in Warwickshire, on 
 the Sherburne river, an affluent of 
 
50 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 the Avon; about eighteen miles 
 east, south east Birmingham pleas- 
 antly and advantageousl.v located in 
 the very center of old England. It 
 is a quaint old city mellow with 
 years, dating back to the early part 
 of the eleventh century, rich in 
 everything of which England may 
 be proud, yet of its antiquity, or 
 legends, or history or architecture, 
 its feudal forms of church and state, 
 is not our province here to speak. 
 We give it honorable mention, a 
 cordial greeting, because it is the 
 venerable grandmother of our own 
 Coventry in Chenango county, New 
 York. Like its grandame, our Cov- 
 entry is situated aliuost in the very 
 center of this great Empire State; 
 whilst not possessing hoary or re- 
 nowned antiquity, yet it can proudly 
 boast of as favorable location, as 
 fine climate, as rich soil, as in- 
 dustrious, contented and intelligent 
 people as can be found in any 
 country. Coventry, Tolland county, 
 Connecticut, in the north east part 
 of the State, was so named by peo- 
 ple settling there from this same old 
 Coventry in England; yet of the 
 circumstances and the time of its 
 settlement there is no record. It is 
 at present a quiet, prosperous New 
 England town, with all modern fa- 
 cilities, two Congregational churches, 
 one Methodist, one Episcopal and a 
 Catholic. Some men, both great in 
 church and State, had their birth in 
 this place. Nathan Hale, the vet- 
 eran spy of the Revolution, was a 
 native of this town; Harlam Page of 
 Tract Society fame, belonged to this 
 place. From here a goodly number 
 of men entered the ministry, among 
 them Rev. Badger connected with 
 the American Missionary Associa- 
 tion. With dates and personelle not 
 at all uncertain, we can therefore 
 
 trace the origin, right and title to 
 the name we bear. 
 
 Coventry of the Empire State, 
 then is the legitimate daughter of a 
 worthy mother. All three, daughter, 
 mother and grandmother, redoubt- 
 able factors in the world's life and 
 history, living and vigorous, yet in- 
 dependent and almost unknown to 
 each other. With few exceptions 
 these early settlers came from Con- 
 necticut. This immigration from 
 the homeland occupied a period of 
 thirty years, 1785 to 1815. New 
 England life has left its impress up- 
 on the steady habits and intelligent 
 character of the people to this day. 
 These men and women too, for we 
 cannot ignore the fact that it takes 
 the man and the woman to make 
 complete humanity; the man to con- 
 quer nature, and the woman to 
 beautify and adorn the house. These 
 persons were not God's in the old 
 fabulous scene, nor were they giants 
 in the scripture sense. They were 
 strong, hardy, vigorous pioneers, 
 able to battle with the difficulties of 
 a frontier life and to solve the prob- 
 lem of building homes and planting 
 a Christian civilization on the very 
 outskirts of the forest world. Worthy 
 successors of the early sires of the 
 Mayflower. The forest was dense, 
 the trees of great size, wild game 
 plentiful, panther, bear, wolf, deer 
 and small game in abundance. It 
 needed the sinewy body, the brawny 
 arms, the active brain, the level 
 head of the old Puritan stock to 
 swing the ax, fell the trees, clear 
 the fields, build the log cabins and 
 plant the first crop, to sow the first 
 seed in the virgin soil. This stamp 
 of brawn and muscle only could 
 succeed in the wilds of such a wilder- 
 ness to claim the country for God 
 and civilization and to make it the 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 51 
 
 habitable abode of cultured men and 
 women. This honor belongs to the 
 hardy sons of New England. No 
 other type of men would have been 
 equal to the undertaking. We of 
 today are apt to discount the old- 
 time Puritan. We imagine him 
 gloomy, morose, unsocial, aggress- 
 ive, tyranical, domineering, over- 
 bearing. Some of this may be true, 
 much of it is a great mistake. He 
 was genial, healthy, robust, natural; 
 a tremendous will power; a man for 
 emergencies; a meddler with things 
 difficult and greatly inclined to un- 
 dertake the impossible. His theol- 
 ogy made him the man he was. It 
 is theology that made him the man; 
 that makes the nation; that makes 
 the people. The old New England 
 Puritans would ring from God, nol- 
 ens volens; the agreement, the 
 pledge that he was, without doubt or 
 forfeiture, one of the elect children 
 destined for all eternity; a chosen 
 man of the Almighty. With this 
 consciousness he was a power un- 
 conquerable, invincible. Nothing 
 impossible with God on his side. 
 No other consideration can account 
 for or explain the reason why New 
 England has so stamped itself on 
 the national life. Such were the 
 forefathers of this country; well and 
 nobly did they do their part in the 
 modeling of the grand old Empire 
 State. 
 
 The first settlement in Coventry 
 was in 1785, and just three years 
 after this the first school house was 
 built, indicating that the settlers 
 located here with great rapidity and 
 educational faculties were therefore 
 a need. This school house was built 
 of the same material as the house at 
 that time, a log structure. It served 
 a threefold purpose of school house, 
 meeting house and town hall. The 
 
 building stood about one-fourth of a 
 mile south of this village, on the 
 other side of the brook, about seven 
 rods to the west after crossing the 
 bridge on the road to Afton, on 
 lands now owned by Frank Pearsall. 
 Sixteen years ago in this house 
 where we are now assembled, in the 
 presence of an appreciative aud- 
 ience the one hundredth anniversary 
 of the relic of the past was celebrat- 
 ed. Hon. Edgar A. Pearsall and Mrs. 
 William Henry Benedict did honors 
 to the occasion; the one by his 
 eulogy, the other by a poem rehears- 
 ed in eloquent and appropriate 
 language the history of the old log 
 school house. A memorial stone 
 should mark the site to keep it in 
 perpetual remembrance. Wherever 
 the New Englander went his theol- 
 ogy went. The religious usages of 
 childhood, youth and early man- 
 hood could not be effaced. Church 
 members or not, he was accustomed 
 to regular attendance at the house 
 of God every Lord's day, and this 
 habit followed him into his frontier 
 forest home. Before building the 
 school house the people met on the 
 Sabbath day from house to house, to 
 read the scriptures, sing and pray, 
 though none of them were profess- 
 ing Christians. The wives of these 
 New England pioneers, influenced by 
 their early home training, were the 
 chief promoters of the Sabbath 
 gatherings. The Christian world 
 will never know how much it is in- 
 debted to the Godly women of the 
 early settlements. Although a few 
 in numbers and the people living far 
 apart, these services were regularly 
 maintained and the number increas- 
 ed by new comers. The building of 
 the house of worship was a serious 
 undertaking the country yet scarcely 
 settled, and but little wealth, yet 
 
52 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 enterprise and perseverance over- 
 came all obstacles. The building was 
 reared and enclosed but resources 
 failed and there it must rest awhile. 
 Several years elapsed before its com- 
 pletion. The form of the building 
 was square and it faced the south. 
 Rough plain benches served for 
 seats, the only heating apparatus, 
 the foot stoves brought by the wo- 
 men from their homes. The pulpit, 
 a small box like structure, midway 
 between the floor and the ceiling, 
 reached by a narrow stairway. Us- 
 ually there was a sounding board 
 above the pulpit, over the minister's 
 head to force the voice downward to 
 the audience. In summer time wor- 
 ship, setting on rough benches might 
 be agreeable but in the severity of 
 the winter it would be a difl[icult 
 affair. Imagine a congregation in 
 the coldest of the weather sitting on 
 those hard seats, wrapped in their 
 warmest homespun clothing. The 
 minister in a heavy overcoat button- 
 ed up to his chin on his head a heavy 
 woolen or silk skull cap, holding a 
 service for two long hours or more 
 in which he dives deep into the 
 mystic lore of speculative philosophy, 
 of intricates, phyological research ol- 
 the unfathomable depths of God's 
 infinite being. His eternal decrees, 
 and his wonderful plan of salvation 
 for the redemption of a lost and 
 ruined world. 
 
 The people listening in respectful 
 attitude give close attention to the 
 spoken word and you have a picture 
 of a devout worshipful assembly of 
 the olden times worthy of our deep- 
 est and profound regards. Such were 
 the fathers and mothers of Coventry 
 one hundred years ago, earnest and 
 sincere worshippers of God. Up to 
 the present date affairs stood thus: 
 1785, the first settlement; 1788, 
 
 the first school house; 1804, the 
 first society organized; 1807, the 
 first church assumed righteous life; 
 1809, the first meeting house erect- 
 ed. The first general election of the 
 town was held the 29th and 30th 
 days of April and the first day of 
 May, and Gen. Benjamin Jones was 
 elected Member of Assembly. 
 
 An amusing incident is told of 
 Gen. Jones' journey to Albany to 
 take his seat. Travelers then had 
 to find their own conveyance and 
 Mr. Jones fell in with a teamster, 
 who was going to Catskill, and bar- 
 gained for a ride. The journey was 
 long and Mrs. Jones therefore pre- 
 pared for her husband a well-filled 
 box of provisions. The first night 
 out he had some doubts as to the 
 propriety of a member of the As- 
 sembly carrying a lunch box under 
 his arm, agreed with the teamster 
 to take charge of it when they ar- 
 rived at the hotel and at a suitable 
 time, invite Mr. Jones to eat with 
 him. Under the circumstances the 
 teamster condescended to do so and 
 all went well. At the proper 
 time the teamster opened the box 
 and proceeded quietly to eat his sup- 
 per without any courteous invitation 
 to his legislative associate. Mr. 
 Jones, after waiting some time, sug- 
 gested to the teamster that as the 
 victuals looked tempting he felt 
 much inclined to partake with him. 
 The teamster looked up and in an 
 unmannerly way replied: "You can 
 if you want to, of course, the vic- 
 tuals are good!" 
 
 A story is told of Burrige Miles, 
 which should not be left out of this 
 sketch. The log hut which became 
 his dwelling when he first came into 
 the country, was the log house al- 
 ready built by Royal Wilkins, but no 
 door as yet had been hung and a 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 53 
 
 heavy blanket was kept to supply the 
 place. A blazing fire on the hearth 
 was expected to burn all night to 
 frighten away the wild animals. With 
 loaded gun at his pillow, Miles slept 
 the first night in his unfinished hut. 
 In the late hours of the night, a 
 panther stuck his head through the 
 blanket and gave a fierce howl. The 
 sleeper sprang from his bed and 
 seizing his gun, found the fire had 
 gone out. He could perceive only 
 the fiery eyeballs of the wild ani- 
 mal and his unerring gun dealt 
 death to the intruding brute. 
 
 Mrs. Eunice Stork and three 
 sons, Christopher L. M., William 
 and Luther came into the country 
 in 1792. The husband and father 
 was a sea captain and out on a 
 voyage at the time of the immigra- 
 tion from the homeland. On ar- 
 riving at port he followed his fam- 
 ily. But a frontier life was too 
 tame for him and he returned to the 
 charge of his vessel which proved 
 his last voyage. The ship foundered 
 at sea and went down with all on 
 board. Christopher L. M. Stork's 
 name stands prominent in the or- 
 ganization of the parish and also of 
 the church in 1807. He was elect- 
 ed to the office of deacon in 1808. 
 He was tall, strong and of a vigorous 
 physique. He owned a large farm 
 and also carried on the business of 
 tanner and shoemaker. When cross- 
 ing the Hudson river, his valise fell 
 into the water and on reaching the 
 shore he ran down the stream in 
 advance of the current, waded into 
 the river and seized the valise as it 
 came floating down. A fortunate 
 thing for him as it contained all his 
 available worldly wealth and about 
 $450. The wallet which held the 
 money is in the possession of his 
 grandson, Russell Stork. 
 
 A story is told of Deacon Stork, 
 which illustrates his vigorous indi- 
 viduality. One day a panther came 
 for prey in his cattle yard and the 
 Deacon and his man, Elliot, pursued 
 the animal to a tree in the adjoin- 
 ing orchard. As the two men ap- 
 proached, the animal sprang furious- 
 ly toward them only to meet the un- 
 erring bullet v/hich laid him dead 
 with his claws fastened in Elliot's 
 boots. The Deacon stooped and 
 grasped the brute by the feet and by 
 the strength of his sinewy arms 
 lifted him as high as he could reach 
 and the animal measured just the 
 distance between stalwart Deacon's 
 hands and the earth. 
 
 The Storks came from Cheshire 
 in their manhood prime. Christo- 
 pher L. M., with his wife and three 
 children, his wife making the jour- 
 ney of four hundred miles on 
 horseback with babe in her arms. 
 The household goods accompanied 
 by the other members of the fami- 
 ly were carried on a sled drawn by 
 a yoke of oxen. The other two 
 lived outside of the immediate com- 
 munity. One granddaughter of Chris- 
 topher L. M. Stork is now living In 
 Coventry; Mrs. Albert Seymour, to 
 whom we are indebted for consider- 
 able information. 
 
 The following extract from the 
 history of Harpursville gives a brief 
 incident of the early settlement of 
 the Jones'. The original owner of 
 the J. Warren Harpur farm was 
 Simeon Jones who came from Cov- 
 entry, Connecticut, and settled in 
 1795. Later the property came into 
 the possession of the Harpur family 
 and is known as the Bryant farm. 
 Mr. Jones as a pastime, would oc- 
 casionally indulge in a fascinating- 
 recreation, at least to Mr. Jones, of 
 filling a basket with rattlesnakes, 
 
5i 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 killed on the hills back of the house, 
 l.>laoing them upon his back, and 
 lake them home to try out the oil. 
 At that time rattlesnake oil was 
 very valuable. 
 
 In the spring of 1788, Gen. Benja- 
 min Jones, a cousin of Simeon, set- 
 tled on the Youmans farm on the 
 east side of the river. Gen. Jones 
 was a commanding officer in the U. 
 S. Army and saw service in the Rev- 
 olutionary war. The Jones fami- 
 lies are numerous in the Susquehan- 
 na valley. The removal from the 
 valley to the hills of Coventry of 
 Gen. Jones came about in this way: 
 Soon after moving to the Youmans 
 farm his horses got away. They were 
 followed by a pathway with only 
 blazed trees as a guide to Harpurs- 
 ville, on to Belden and up into Cov- 
 entry, where they were found. The 
 impression was so favorable that 
 he sold out and settled in Coventry. 
 
 An incident is related of the fam- 
 ily of Simeon Parker. One Sun- 
 day while the family were at church, 
 two brothers, who were left at home 
 to keep house went to the spring, 
 and there found some cubs which 
 they supposed were little dogs. 
 They had a fine time with the ani- 
 mals, the mother bear all the time, 
 unnoticed by the boys, sat a short 
 distance away, apparently unconcern- 
 ed, watching the performance. The 
 parents upon returning home, were 
 terrified at the peril of their chil- 
 dren and rejoiced in their providen- 
 tial escape. 
 
 As already stated of the Stod- 
 dards, there was a family of ten 
 children. Curtis, the eldest, was a 
 strong, muscular well built man 
 and it is said on good authority that 
 he cut ten acres of wood every year 
 until his farm was cleared. In speak- 
 ing to Mr. J. J. Stoddard, I asked 
 
 him if this was not an incredible 
 feat? He answered, yes and no, 
 and said some of those men could 
 swing an ax with increditable dexter- 
 ity and an acre of forest timber 
 would fall before it with seemingly 
 no very great effort. 
 
 This incident is related by Cur- 
 tis. One day when in the woods, 
 chopping about noon, as the tree 
 that he was cutting down began to 
 topple and fall he heard the voice 
 of his little boy calling him to din- 
 ner. Looking up, to his consterna- 
 tion he saw the child standing di- 
 rectly in the way of the falling 
 tree. As it fell it bore the body to 
 the earth, the trunk of the tree 
 lying across the body of the child. 
 As rapidly as strength and skill 
 could work a tree was cut a short 
 distance above where the boy lay, 
 and with the strength of a giant he 
 lifted the stump section from the 
 prostrate body and flung it aside. 
 He then lifted his unconscious child 
 in his arms and carried him to the 
 house. As the news of the accident 
 spread, men came rapidly to make 
 inquiries and render assistance. 
 Some visited the scene of the ac- 
 cident and declared that it would 
 have taken the strength of five men 
 to lift the trunk of that tree which 
 Curtis did under the excitement of 
 the occasion. Wonderful to relate 
 the child regained consciousness and 
 fully recovered. 
 
 Benedict 
 
 Benjamin Benedict moved to 
 Coventry in 18 20. He was dea- 
 con of the First Congregational 
 church ni Winchester. Conn. In 
 the church book is the record: 
 "March 9, 1821, Deacon Benja- 
 min Benedict, and Sylvia, his 
 wile, recommended from the church 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 55 
 
 at Winchester, Conn., were re- 
 ceived as members of this church." 
 The church voted likewise that Dea- 
 con Benedict officiate as deacon in 
 this church. 
 
 Deacon Ithuel Blake and his wife. 
 Wealthy, hailed from Winchester, 
 Conn., in 1818. Wealthy was a 
 daughter of Deacon Benjamin Bene- 
 dict, and Ithuel was a man of great 
 simplicity of character and led an 
 exemplary life. 
 
 Ithuel Rogers united with the 
 church in 1812, recommended from 
 the church at Greenville, Mass., from 
 v/hich place he had moved at an 
 early date. 
 
 Benjamin Taggart and Mehitable, 
 his wife, though perhaps the latest 
 comers and the farthest away, yet 
 their punctuality and faithfulness to 
 all church service became proverbial, 
 and the influence bore fruit towards 
 a respectful observance of Christian 
 responsibility and the service of God. 
 
 Last but not least comes Hon. 
 Charles Pearsall, who for many 
 years a member of the church, by his 
 vigorous individuality, skillful finan- 
 cial management and wise council, 
 bore the church bravely onward to 
 the approach of its centennial year. 
 Although he did not live to see it, 
 passing away in 1897, yet by his 
 untiring zeal did as much for the 
 permanent prosperity of the church 
 and to make the anniversary of 1904 
 pleasureable and a possibility. He 
 is one of the links uniting the pres- 
 ent with the past. 
 
 Early Incidents 
 
 The history of the early years is 
 replete with remarkable incidents 
 not yet recorded but worthy of a 
 prominent place in the record of 
 church and society. We gather a 
 few of them and the following is a 
 
 characteristic of frontier life. The 
 two Miles brothers, Simeon and 
 Moses, had been chopping all day in 
 the woods and on their way home 
 were met by a bear. As they had 
 no guns Moses suggested that they 
 drive him towards the house and 
 capture him. Simeon, who was urg- 
 ing the beast onward approached 
 too near and the animal turned and 
 seized him in his forepaws. As the 
 bear opened his mouth Simeon 
 thrust his hand down his throat and 
 seized the roots of its tongue and 
 held his grip until Moses run for a 
 gun and dogs, when the animal was 
 speedily dispatched. 
 
 Another incident was related of 
 Amasa Ives, who was a strong lead- 
 ing character in the settlement. One 
 morning he heard an unusual dis- 
 turbance in the sheep yard. Hasten- 
 ing out he saw a wolf in the midst 
 of his flock. He rushed upon the 
 animal, caught him by his hind feet 
 and swinging him round and rouna, 
 took as soon as possible his pocket 
 knife from his pocket, opened it 
 with his teeth and cut the ham- 
 strings, threw the wolf down and 
 run for his gun. 
 
 A story is told of Epaphras 
 Waters and of his proverbial regu- 
 larity at church service. Every Sab- 
 bath, rain or shine, snow or sleet, 
 he went to church. One Sunday 
 morning in winter he drove his horse 
 and sleigh to the door, left the 
 horse standing and went into the 
 house to put on his overcoat and 
 while doing so the church bell be- 
 gan to ring. The horse recognizing 
 the familiar sound started at a brisk 
 pace for the meeting house and 
 when Mr. Waters came to the door, 
 behold his steed was gone. He fol- 
 lowed hard after and on reaching 
 the church found the horse standing 
 
56 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 quietly in his own stable in the 
 church sheds. He turned him 
 around and went home for his fam- 
 ily. This is a fair sample of Chris- 
 tian punctuality of those days. 
 
 Many of the men were not only 
 finely developed physically but of 
 great strength. To conquer the 
 wilds of nature this was a dire 
 necessity, and here is an illustration. 
 Deacon Philo Minor and John Stod- 
 dard, Sr., were together at the cider 
 mill and three barrels of cider were 
 loaded into Deacon Stoddard's cart. 
 As the oxen were headed into the 
 road and up the hill the cart body 
 not being fastened down tilted and 
 the barrels rolled some distance 
 down the hill. The deacon followed 
 with his oxen and cart and lifting 
 each barrel of cider placed them in 
 his cart with as much ease as if it 
 had been a basket of potatoes. 
 
 There were also in those days 
 political honesty as well as Chris- 
 tian integrity. There were three vot- 
 ing places in the town, and Deacon 
 Ithuel Blake, who had charge of the 
 ballot box, would carry it to each 
 place with the uncounted votes and 
 no one thought of impeaching his 
 uprightness. Ye scribe thinks it 
 would be better if we had more such 
 honesty in politics today. Those 
 were days of privation and toil, 
 hardihood and endurance necessar- 
 ily attended a frontier life, but they 
 were all bravely borne. Frequent- 
 ly by message from home and en- 
 couraged by new comers, their is- 
 olated conditions were only tempor- 
 ary. As time moved on the land was 
 cleared, the country became more 
 settled, families and homes the order 
 of the day. The customs and wages 
 of the people were duplicate of those 
 in the old Connecticut homeland; 
 
 gathering in each others houses in 
 the winter evening where bounti- 
 ful refreshments were served and 
 the social side of life enjoyed. 
 
 Church History 
 
 To be a professing Christian in 
 those days was a matter of some 
 consideration; no person entertained 
 the thought, unless truly converted 
 to God and intending to adorn his 
 profession by a consistent life. Yet, 
 for all this expulsion, contrition, 
 confession, reinstatement, if not of 
 great frequency, yet the church was 
 by no means a stranger to the exer- 
 cise of discipline in the maintain- 
 ance of her purity and integrity. 
 Nor yet without an occasional 
 church trial; when some recalcitrant 
 member is arranged and either ten- 
 derly admonished, severely repri- 
 manded or as a last resort cut off 
 from the fellowship of the church. 
 The oversight, though brotherly, 
 affectionate and forbearing, was 
 minute and the censorship of times 
 tempered with vigor. In temperance. 
 Sabbath breaking, profane language, 
 neglect of church meetings, associa- 
 tion with excommunicated persons, 
 were the chief misdemeanors for 
 which church discipline were admin- 
 istered. As an instance, a certain 
 brother, who to the dishonor of the 
 church of Christ and in violation of 
 his covenant obligation, had been 
 for a long time habitual if not total 
 neglectful of the worship of God in 
 his family; that is the continuous 
 neglect of family prayer, was com- 
 plained of for said neglect. The 
 church considered it a case of law- 
 ful discipline and the brother was 
 admonished. He pleaded as excuse 
 his want of confidence and lack of 
 ability to perform the duty. The 
 
HISTORY OP THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 57 
 
 church refused to consider this ex- 
 cuse sufficient and after repeated 
 admonitions and lengthened for- 
 bearance he was publicly excluded. 
 Another instance indicating that 
 while it might not be a sin to drink, 
 (total abstinance being as yet 
 scarcely a possibility) yet to get 
 drunk was a very unchurchly thing 
 and called for discipline, and the ex- 
 pulsion, the confessions, the decla- 
 mation, are rather plentiful along 
 this line. A certain brother was 
 labored with for indulging too freely 
 in the use of strong drink. He 
 made humble confession yet he 
 afterwards asserted that he was not 
 so drunk but what he could attend 
 to business. This people whose 
 church centenary was commemorat- 
 ed that day, believed God, believed 
 in the Gospel of our Lord and Sav- 
 ior Jesus Christ; believed in her 
 ordinances as a means of salvation; 
 believed in a consistent Christian 
 walk in life, and a hope of blissful 
 immortality. May many centennials 
 fall to her lot. However, incomplete 
 and defective this sketch may be, it 
 would be still more so if it did not 
 record honorable mention of the 
 eightieth anniversary of our church, 
 1807-1887, twenty years ago, cele- 
 brated under the ministry of Rev. 
 Augustine Caldwell while pastor of 
 the church. The address of the oc- 
 casion is the admirable product of 
 his pen; rich in historic statement 
 and anecdote. A few in common to 
 both — his pages and ours — but 
 many stories related by him which 
 could not be related here. It was 
 also accompanied by a very felici- 
 tious poem, written for the occasion 
 by the poetess of our church, Mrs. 
 Henry Benedict. The address and 
 poem are in print, published to- 
 gether and we hope will be preserv- 
 
 ed in the archives of the church as 
 valuable contributions to its history. 
 
 Revivals 
 
 The church has been neither bar- 
 ren nor backward in aggressive work 
 for the convertion of souls and 
 spreading the gospel. Many out- 
 pourings of the spirit and gracious 
 revivals seasons have fallen to her 
 lot in the years of the century we 
 commemorate. In the month of 
 January, 1808, when the church was 
 a year old, while Rev. narrower of 
 Sidney, of revered memory, was giv- 
 ing to the little congregation tem- 
 porary and voluntary service a re- 
 vival blessing came with an addition 
 of about twenty persons to the mem- 
 bership, besides the baptism of many 
 children. During the ministry of 
 Rev. Thorp there were three re- 
 vivals. In the first three were seven 
 persons, in the second twenty, in the 
 third forty, in all seventy-six souls 
 added to the church in his ministry 
 of eleven years. In the ministry of 
 Rev. Eggleston, the church suffered 
 a temporary decrease, as twenty- 
 seven members took letters of dis- 
 missal to unite with the Second Con- 
 gregational church of Coventry. In 
 the ministration of Rev. Fitch just 
 one year's partorate, 1832, another 
 gracious outpouring of the spirit 
 came and seventy-eight were added. 
 While Rev. Butts was serving the 
 church twenty were brought into the 
 fold, the fruit of a revival. The 
 pastorate of Rev. Wright was em- 
 inently successful, during the nine 
 years large additions were made. 
 During the ministry of Rev. Horton 
 forty were added. The pastorate of 
 Rev. Cronin was wonderfully blest, 
 eighty persons came into the church, 
 some whole families came together. 
 
 In taking extracts from the cen- 
 
58 
 
 HISTORY OF TKE TOWN OF OOVEXTRY 
 
 tennial celebration we would not 
 think it complete without the two 
 poems, one written by Mrs. William 
 Henry Benedict, about seventy- 
 eight years of age at the time of the 
 centennial and who is still living at 
 this date. 1912, in her 87th year. 
 The poem was recited by her grand- 
 daughter. Miss Ann Matterson. The 
 other by Rev. Elijah W. Stoddard. 
 The centennial poem by Mrs. Bene- 
 dict follows: 
 I surely now am dreaming! for I 
 
 stand 
 Within the dark old forest: and no 
 
 hand 
 Is near to aid me if I linger here. 
 And for a moment my heart thrills 
 
 with fear; 
 For here wild beasts have freely 
 
 roamed at will 
 For centuries perchance over vale 
 
 and hill; 
 And the dark Indian with wily tread 
 Through the dim labyrinths has 
 
 swiftly sped 
 Till inroads made by hardy pioneers 
 With primal ownership now inter- 
 feres. 
 
 But see! the pines tower upward 
 toward the sky. 
 
 Ever low music giving, like a sigh, 
 
 The weary heart might breathe 
 when sorely riven. 
 
 And seek solace for its grief from 
 heaven. 
 
 But joyful songs from many feather- 
 ed throats 
 
 In richest harmony around one 
 floats. 
 
 Hark! Axes ring. The heavy strokes 
 Bring down the giant pines and 
 
 staunch old oaks 
 See through the opening, upon 
 
 yonder hill 
 The smoke is rising floating up at 
 
 will; 
 Another settler, come from far away 
 lias built, I see, his sniig log house 
 
 to stay. 
 
 Welcome to all new comers with 
 
 one heart 
 They in each others welfare bear a 
 
 part. 
 From isolated homes when falls the 
 
 night 
 
 Huge fireplace logs send forth a 
 cheerful light. 
 
 Helping to keep the prowling beasts 
 afar 
 
 From lowly doors where timid dwell- 
 ers are. 
 
 .\nd more and more are coming 
 every year 
 Till soon the wilderness will dis- 
 appear. 
 
 I hear the brook, by which the 
 school house stands. 
 
 Built many years ago by willing 
 hands; 
 
 Surely none must unlearned and ig- 
 norant grow 
 
 In the new western home they 
 sought and so 
 
 To say was but to do, they did not 
 wait 
 
 But built of logs in seventeen eighty- 
 eight. 
 
 ''hen anxious scholars gathered at 
 the door 
 
 And on slab seats studied their les- 
 sons o'er. 
 
 Ah! Here it is, did I not hear a 
 song 
 
 I've heard before? but since, time 
 seems long. 
 
 There! now again, I hear the voices 
 bltr.d 
 
 In Zion's songs and prayer and 
 praise ascend. 
 
 I enter as one says: Today we've 
 
 met 
 To talk of that on which our hearts 
 
 are set, 
 The memory of prayer and Sabbath 
 
 bells 
 Have touched a cord that with 
 
 emotion swells. 
 Down P^ast, in homes where our 
 
 lov'd kindred dw-ell, 
 They keep thanksgiving. Oh, we 
 
 know how well. 
 And we remember too, the reverent 
 
 way 
 In which we passed the quiet Sab- 
 bath day. 
 
 We can no longer live and pass it 
 
 by; 
 To keep it as we used to, all will try; 
 For one must pray, and a sermon 
 
 bring, 
 .\nd the old hymn, why. surely all 
 
 can sing. 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 59 
 
 Those not professing Christians at 
 
 the time 
 K record made of faith, strong and 
 
 sublime 
 And bonnd them in the wilderness 
 
 they trod, 
 Close to the worship of their fathers' 
 
 God. 
 Later was formed, so records note 
 
 It down 
 The first religious parish in the 
 
 town. 
 The dream of long ago is surely o'er 
 I waken,- — it is nineteen-hundred 
 
 four. 
 And I am told our grandfather knew 
 That all I dreamed of them was real 
 
 and true. 
 
 The winding brook still ripples on 
 
 its way, 
 Singing as when its course through 
 
 forest lay. 
 Grasses on its banks and wild 
 
 flowers blend 
 And to its waters graceful willows 
 
 bend. 
 Green fields and cultivated acres lie. 
 Through the vale and crown the hill- 
 tops high. 
 Where once marked trees guided the 
 
 traveler's course. 
 Good roads and telephones now in 
 
 force 
 And in the toil of others we are 
 
 blest. 
 
 The house by them its beams were 
 
 laid. 
 Its timbers raised by them in place 
 
 where since they've stayed 
 Enclosed and finished with rude 
 
 seats,— no fire, 
 Vv'hat but true worship could their 
 
 hearts inspire? 
 With just our comforts, Ah I what 
 
 could they say. 
 To enter here, where calls the bell 
 
 today. 
 
 Their work is done; by highest pur- 
 pose wrought 
 
 In every labor of their hands were 
 taught 
 
 The principles that ruled them in 
 their lives 
 
 And in descendants still we trust 
 survives. 
 
 To one recorded deed their names 
 were set. 
 
 To which to celebrate today we've 
 met. 
 
 We lift the vetl over a century cast 
 And bring to mind our heroes of 
 the past. 
 
 In the afternoon services Rev. 
 Elijah W. Stoddard, gave a truly in- 
 tering talk entitled. Reminiscences 
 of Early Settlers. He referred to 
 nearly all of the families represent- 
 ed in the church in his boyhood 
 days, taking the families in order 
 along the various streets. He closed 
 with a poem, in which were woven 
 the names and some personal illu- 
 sion to the twenty-three ministers 
 v.ho have been pastors of the church 
 during its history. The poem by 
 Rev. Elijah W. Stoddard follows: 
 
 Our fathers' God whose loving care 
 appears 
 
 On all the records of a hundred 
 year?, 
 
 As WG review a century today 
 
 We would acknowledge Thee in all 
 the way. 
 
 The one great shepherd of the chos- 
 en flock 
 
 Who gathered at the fountain of the 
 rock. 
 
 Or pastures on the ever living green 
 
 That lies around the fold across the 
 stream. 
 
 The under shepherds numbered 
 twenty-three. 
 
 Each shaping part of this full cen- 
 tury. 
 
 First on the list we find the name of 
 Camp, 
 
 Then Rev. Wood held up the guiding 
 lamp; 
 
 Rev. Charles Thorp in answer to 
 much prayer. 
 
 Was granted for eleven years of 
 care 
 
 The harvest which resound an in- 
 crease yeilds 
 
 In many garden spots and many 
 fields. 
 
 Then Ambrose Eggleston, and Gould, 
 and Hill, 
 
 Proceed Octaivus Fitch, revered still 
 
 By families to whom his ministry 
 
 Was the great blessing of the cen- 
 tury. 
 
 The Rev. Daniel Butts, has left a 
 name 
 
60 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 That faithfulness and diligence may And Philo Minor, with Ithuel Blake, 
 
 claim. 
 The shepherd's crook passed to 
 
 worthy hands, 
 Ilex. McEwen fed the shepherd's 
 
 lambs. 
 Elijah Whitney then the standard 
 
 bore 
 And Chrispus Wright nine full years branch Morgan too, and N. G. Hunt, 
 
 And his Alanson E., of kindred 
 
 make. 
 With Thomas Yale, and honored 
 
 Pearsall, tell 
 Of faithful care that guarded Zion 
 
 well. 
 
 and more. 
 Then G. M. Smith for two years well 
 could toil 
 
 endeared 
 
 By all that makes life esteemed, 
 revered; 
 
 And W. A. Lockwood seeded the rich Then William .Albert Stoddard, 
 
 • J. whose desire had 
 
 His four ;ears and a half were Been to meet with gathered son and 
 blessed indeed. 
 
 sire 
 In the centennial service of this day, 
 But in his wisdom God has called 
 
 away; 
 But with the great assembly, he is 
 
 given 
 To greet the church of sainted ones 
 
 in heaven. 
 
 His loving, faithful, gentle, ministry 
 
 As reapers gathered this well scat- 
 tered seed. 
 Seven fruitful years to Carroll was 
 
 assigned; 
 To Goodman eighteen months and 
 
 then we find. 
 For G. P. Horton, eight eventful 
 
 years ^ 
 
 Whose fruitage in this pleasant day Has done"' its part in the last cen- 
 
 appears. tury. 
 
 To Rev. Weeks two happy years ^nd may his mantle fall on e' 
 
 were given; ders strong 
 
 Then Rev. Cronin by the grace of to serve the church for which he 
 
 heaven wrought so long. 
 
 Bound many sheaves which Warner until we cross the river one by one, 
 
 helped to store and 
 
 And Caldwell came to glean and Hear the welcome of our father's 
 
 garner more. home. 
 
 Then Gaddes passed; and Whitney, ^nd share the service and the min- 
 
 staunch and true, istry 
 
 Then Lansing; then the pastor xi^^t has the ages of eternity. 
 
 whose review 
 
 Of all the years has made the circle The honored fathers of the olden 
 
 one time; 
 
 We trust his work of love has just The noble mothers with their zeal 
 
 begun, sublime; 
 
 That it has years of precious min- The little band that meet to praise 
 
 istries and pray, 
 
 For the great garner of the cen- To honor God upon the Sabbath day; 
 
 turies. And all the membership of all the 
 
 With these, — the pastors and their years, 
 
 ministry As in the century name by name 
 
 The office bearers of the century, appears, 
 
 Have honored place and endearing In some department holding each a 
 
 name place 
 
 On her church record and her roll To give the help to some sweet 
 
 of fame. Christian grace. 
 
 C. T. M. Storks, and Gideon Rich- The Sunday school in missionary 
 
 ards, with bonds, 
 
 John Stoddard, senior, in their ser- In all that serves in home or foreign 
 
 vice live; lands, 
 
 Benjamin Benedict, a Godly man. In each endeavor of a passing hour, 
 
 John Stodddard, junior, wise in To do its best to add new zest and 
 
 work and plan, power, 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 61 
 
 To make each year more useful than 
 
 the last, 
 Uplifting ever by a worthy past. 
 
 The sowers and the reapers are as 
 
 one, — 
 Those gathered here and those 
 
 gathered home. 
 The sons and daughters of the other 
 
 shore 
 Are watching for our father's open 
 
 door. 
 As we bind sheaves that ripen on the 
 
 plain 
 Because they scatter wide the golden 
 
 grain 
 Inspiring us to leave a legacy 
 For all the years of the next century. 
 
 Benediction 
 The dove of heaven descend and 
 
 rest 
 Upon our sacred shrine. 
 Light, life, and faith, — the heavenly 
 
 zest 
 Through all the century manifest 
 Within its walls combine. 
 Thus with our house, and hope of 
 
 peace. 
 A Sabbath comfort prove 
 Nor Father, Son, nor spirit cease 
 From every burden to release, 
 And fill each cup with love. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 Sundries and Secret Societies 
 
 The Masonic Lodge was formed in 
 the early fifties. It increased to 
 about sixty members and continued 
 for many years. It is now disband- 
 ed. The Sons of Temperance at one 
 time had a large society which 
 flourished for a long time. Cov- 
 entryville had a society of Good 
 Templars for 3 2 years with about 40 
 members. It had also a society of 
 Red Men with 97 members, was or- 
 ganized in 189 5. It afterwards 
 moved to Coventry and is now dis- 
 banded. There is at present a so- 
 ciety of the National Protective 
 Legion. The Grangers have a so- 
 ciety here which has flourished 
 rapidly in two years. 
 
 Agricultural Items, 
 
 Chenango county ha^-^een thfe 
 banner county of ..feffe old Empire 
 State for many y^^ars, according to 
 the number of a^cres, in producing 
 butter and cheese. Four counties 
 have produced more, but they were 
 all larger counties. In 1855 this 
 county produced 3,990,564 pounds 
 of butter, 1,212,544 pounds of 
 cheese. Coventry came within one 
 of being the banner town of the 
 county according to the number of 
 cows. Greene came first with 125 
 pounds to the cow; Coventry second 
 with 117 pounds to the cow. Cov- 
 entry produced that year 250,270 
 pounds of butter, 6,510 pounds of 
 cheese, 15,795 bushels of potatoes, 
 31,330 bushels of apples, 936 bush- 
 els of winter grain, 56,952 bushels 
 of spring grain, 1,343 yards of do- 
 mestic cloth. It had 534 horses, 
 1,771 working oxen and calves, 
 cows, 2,272 sheep, 1,121 
 It harvested 5,606 tons of 
 
 2,140 
 
 swine. 
 
 hay. 
 
 Sundries in 1855 
 
 Value of real estate, $464,715; 
 personal property $43,450, total 
 $498,165. Population, male and 
 female being equal, 842 each. Num- 
 ber of dwellings, 333; number of 
 families, 357; freeholders, 214; 
 school districts, 12; number of chil- 
 dren taught, 740, average to a dis- 
 trict, 53 1-3. 
 
 Coventry Sol<liei-.s that Are Dead. 
 Soldiers of the Revolution. 
 
 Joseph Fairchild, Sr., who served 
 three years. Joseph Foot, father of 
 ApoUos and Alanson, served seven 
 years in the prime of his life and 
 died at the ripe old age of 100 
 years, three months and twenty-one 
 days. Joseph Pike was an old Rev- 
 olutionary soldier. Robert Hawkins 
 
62 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 too old to bear arms in the Revolu- 
 tion, but served his country as a 
 guard in the forts of the patriots. 
 Heth Kelsey, Oliver Packard, Re- 
 cord Wilber, David Hodge, Samuel 
 Porter, Benjamin Jones, Captain 
 Jothan Parker, Burrige Miles, Cap- 
 tain Job Yale, Benjamin Benedict. 
 
 War ot 1H12 
 
 Tracy Allen, Roger Edgerton, Gil- 
 bert D. Phillips, Ira S. Beardsley, 
 Gurdon Johnson, Matthew B. Smith, 
 Josiah Beardsley. 
 
 Civil War 
 
 Samuel S. Smith, died April 16, 
 1867, aged 48 years. Martin V. 
 Shaw, died Dec. 2 7, 18 82, aged 45 
 years; was a member of Co. F. First 
 N. Y. Vet. Calvary. Rev. Samuel A. 
 Stoddard died Nov. 24, 1886, aged 
 51 years; was a member of Co. K. 
 24, N. Y. Calvary. Calvin Wells, 
 David Snell, Bronson Beardsley, 
 John W. WMlder, Oscar E. Foot, Oris 
 Tubbs, John Spicer, Charles Finch, 
 Hezekiah Knickerbocker, John Shaf- 
 fer, Stuart Wylie. 
 
 Doubtless there are many others 
 buried in the cemeteries unknown 
 to the writer. I mention those that 
 I have found. During the Civil war, 
 from 1861 to 1865, this town furn- 
 ished 125 or more men to go as 
 soldiers. Many never came back, 
 some that did were injured for life. 
 The first man to enlist was Nelson 
 Spencer. His brother Franklin fol- 
 lowing him under the first call, for 
 three months volunteers. Frank 
 was wounded at the first battle of 
 Bull Run, came home, got well and 
 enlisted again. Later in the war his 
 brother Henry went also. No one 
 can realize the privations and suffer- 
 ings of a soldier in time of war but 
 ihose that have been there and pass- 
 ed through and lived to return 
 
 home, that know its costs are the 
 most thankful for peace and we 
 should all unite with them in 
 thanksgiving for its blessing. The 
 war cost this town many thousands 
 of dollars in bounty and other ex- 
 penses, which the town was wise to 
 pay all up in a few years by taxes 
 while farm produce was high. 
 
 Courts 
 
 In the early days of this town, 
 from 1800 to 1340, there were for 
 some reason or another many who 
 thought their supposed wrongs could 
 not be settled only by law, and as 
 the tongue was an unruly evil it 
 set many of them going. The Jus- 
 tices of the Peace had considerable 
 business to do; for often one would 
 sue another for some small offence. 
 The justice would plead with them 
 to settle, but many times they would 
 not, being determined to bring the 
 case to the court. It would have to 
 be a jury trial or else a justice case 
 where three justices would set as 
 judges to hear the evidence and 
 render a decision. If the three 
 agreed all the better, if not then two 
 must agree in order to render a 
 verdict. One of the most successful 
 ones whose decisions were sustain- 
 ed by higher courts when appealed 
 to was Zenas Hutchinson. He was 
 Justice of the Peace for 24 years 
 and the best read lawyer in the 
 town. Many cases were brought be- 
 fore him and tried. In most cases 
 his decisions were final, but very 
 few appealing from it. He also had 
 a large amount of writing to do, in 
 drawing deeds, mortgages, con- 
 tracts, notes and other business 
 papers. 
 
 In drawing contracts for leasing 
 farms, or any other transaction, they 
 wished to express in it, he would 
 tell them to put in the contract 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 63 
 
 every identical thing they had talked 
 over and each agree to it in order 
 that no loophole be left for trouble 
 to jump through. Many people in 
 those times did not have ready 
 money to pay for things they wanted 
 so thinking a better pay day would 
 come they gave their notes; many 
 of these were left with him to col- 
 lect, in which he was successful. 
 But as times have grown better and 
 people have more money less of such 
 things has to be done by Justices 
 of the Peace. A few of the Justices 
 of the Peace of this town were: 
 Calvin Blakeslee, Daniel Hayes, Ro- 
 meo Warren, Bela Seymour, James 
 S. Parker, Nelson Hunt and Charles 
 Pearsall. These all having finished 
 their work here passed into the be- 
 yond from whence no traveler re- 
 turns. The present ones are A. B. 
 Minor, D. N. Hunt, J. Kelley, War- 
 ren Smith and F. M. Manning. 
 
 .Schools 
 
 Coventry has always been noted 
 for its good teachers and district 
 schools, and in the early days some 
 very large ones. About 1815 it is 
 thought that Zenas Hutchinson 
 taught at Coventryville. He had his 
 mind and hands full as all teachers 
 did in those days, there being a 
 scarcity of books and but few alike 
 many of the scholars had to recite 
 alone, which made extra work for the 
 teachers. Then they had to take 
 paper similar to our foolscap, make 
 it into writings books, rule it, make 
 their own pens out of goose quills 
 and keep them in repair. Thus 
 keeping the teachers at work most 
 of the time. Many times when need- 
 ed they heard their individual 
 scholars recite before and after 
 school hours, besides having to do 
 many things that teachers of today 
 know nothing about. How teachers 
 
 managed so well in such small 
 school houses with so many scholars 
 is a mystery, for during that term 
 he had 101 scholars, and many of 
 them were grown up young men 
 and young women. As time went on 
 children began to decrease. In 18 28 
 Susan Hungerford taught in that 
 district one term when many of the 
 older scholars were at home, but 73 
 came to school. Teachers' wages in 
 those days were magnificent, they 
 received their board as they went 
 from place to place around the dis- 
 trict, and for five and one-half days 
 teaching per week, one dollar and 
 twenty-five cents, the highest price 
 paid then for female teachers. She 
 and her sister Maria both taught 
 several years. Mr. Hutchinson also 
 taught eighteen years. Some of the 
 teachers that came later: Gideon 
 Minor, Harvey Beardsley, Lucius 
 Manwarren, James S. Parker, Ezra 
 Foot, Charles and Ira Fairchild, 
 Albert Griswold, Napoleon Elliott, 
 John P. Thorp, William, John and 
 Ira D. Manning, and many others 
 both in the east and west part of 
 the town that the writer does not 
 call to memory. 
 
 Xew York and Erie Railroad 
 
 This company was organized in 
 July, 1833. The act authorizing the 
 road was passed April 24, 1832. The 
 first preliminary survey was made in 
 1832 by Dewitt Clinton, Jr., by or- 
 der of the government. In 183 4 the 
 governor appointed Benjamin 
 
 Wright to survey the route, who as- 
 sisted by James Seymour and Chas. 
 Elliott, begun the survey May 23, 
 and finished the same year. In 1835 
 the company was organized and 
 forty miles were put under contract. 
 In 183 6 the comptroller of New 
 York State was directed to issue 
 $3,000,000 State stock to aid in 
 
6j^ 
 
 HISTORY OF THK TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 constructing the road. In 183 6 the 
 State released its lein on the road 
 and authorized the original stock- 
 holders to surrender two shares of 
 old stock and receive one share of 
 the new. April 8,1845, a branch 
 was allowed to be built from Ches- 
 ter to Newburgh, nineteen miles. 
 The road was opened as follows: 
 From Pierpoint to Goshen, Septem- 
 ber 22, 1841; to Middletown, June 
 7, 1843; to Port Jervis, June 6, 
 1848; to Binghamton; December 28, 
 1848; to Owego June 1, 1849; to 
 Elmira October, 1849; to Corning, 
 January 1, 1850; and to Dunkirk, 
 May 14, 1851. Distance from New 
 York to Deposit one hundred and 
 sixty-two miles. The mention of 
 this railroad is given here because 
 it has connection with a plank road 
 that was built from Deposit through 
 the different towns to Coventry. De- 
 posit being the nearest railroad sta- 
 tion then to Coventry and the other 
 towns along the road. A plank road 
 was built from Deposit to Vallonia 
 Springs, half way to Coventry, and 
 as that was the most feasible way to 
 get to the railroad from Coventry, 
 on such a grade, was no doubt the 
 reason it was built. A company was 
 organized consisting of the leading 
 business men and farmers along the 
 line from Vallonia Springs to Cov- 
 entry. It was called a stock com- 
 pany, each one taking as much stock 
 as they desired. It was built mostly 
 in the year 1851 and finished in the 
 spring of 1852, the last plank being 
 laid in the village of Coventry and 
 was built in sections by contractors. 
 It has been told to the writer that in 
 order to have it go where it does by 
 the homes of Loren and Leonard 
 Porter, instead of over the route 
 where the company wished it to be 
 built, they and their families would 
 
 build one-half mile of the road with- 
 out any cost to the company. This 
 they did although it was not known 
 whether the company furnished the 
 plank or not. There was a four horse 
 stage that run each way and met the 
 Deposit stage at Vallonia Springs, 
 carrying mail and passengers. In 
 1852 they took off the four-horse 
 stage, and run two horses for three 
 years, th2n a one horse stage for 
 four years. It was used as a toll 
 road for seven or more years. Owing 
 to the cost of repairs amounting to 
 more than the tolls, it was sold to 
 the towns for $3 00, who removed 
 the plank and made a turnpike road 
 of it. Before the railroad was built 
 to Deposit all of the merchants' 
 goods had to be drawn from Catskill 
 by teams or shipped up the Hudson 
 river to Albany, thence on the York 
 and Erie canal to Utica, thence 
 down the Chenango valley canal to 
 Greene, then hauled to Coventry by 
 teams. All the butter, cheese, pork, 
 beef, wool and all other farm pro- 
 duce had to be shipped away with 
 the same conveyance, which would 
 now be called slow freight. 
 
 Town Fair 
 
 The first town fair ever held in 
 Chenango county was held in the 
 village of Coventry in the autumn 
 of 1855. The most energetic atid 
 successful people of the town believ- 
 ed it would be nice and pleasant to 
 bring together the produce of the 
 farm and show each other, free of 
 cost, the things they were able to 
 produce here in Coventry. Accord- 
 ingly on a certain day they came 
 together and the writer well remem- 
 bers it. It was a beautiful Autumn 
 day in October, bringing with them 
 corn husked and on the stalk, grain 
 threshed and in the bundle, vegeta- 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 65 
 
 bles of many kinds, horses, oxen, 
 hogs, sheep, poultry, etc. The ladies 
 also bringing with them their work. 
 It was an open fair held on the 
 church green west and south of the 
 Baptist church. The stock was 
 shown in a lot on the south side of 
 the road. The people were so well 
 pleased with their pleasant and 
 profitable gathering that they de- 
 cided to hold another fair the next 
 year, 1856, at Coventryville, which 
 they did with a like enjoyable oc- 
 casion, being more encouraged than 
 ever to let people see what they 
 could raise. It was said that Charles 
 Fairchild took the first premium on 
 his steers, they being the best broke. 
 The next year, 1857, an agricultural 
 society was organized. Wm. Kales 
 was president. Merit S. Parker was 
 secretary and Lucius Manwarring 
 marshal. The writer fails to recall 
 the names of the other officers. In 
 the autumn of 1857, the society 
 leased a number of acres of land of 
 Luman Miles, just south of the 
 school house in the south west of 
 the village. Around this they built 
 a board fence. Mr. Dort came from 
 Harpursville with his pile driver and 
 drove the chestnut posts. On these 
 were spiked 2 by 4 pieces running 
 lengthwise and then boards eight 
 feet high were nailed thereto. It 
 made a durable fence which with- 
 stood the weather for over 20 years. 
 The ground was prepared, a fioral 
 hall was built, pens were made for 
 stock, a driving track was made and 
 eating stands were put up where the 
 hungry public could be fed. The 
 fair that year was a very large one 
 for the times, farmers and others 
 taking a lively interest therein. 
 People came from far and near to 
 enjoy a good time and they had it. 
 That year the ladies had a driving 
 
 contest with one and two horses. 
 Mrs. Thomas Tifft took the first on 
 driving two horses; Mrs. Fred Bun- 
 nell first, and Eunice Parker second, 
 on single horse. Fred Bunnell also 
 drove "Morgan Tiger" and exhibited, 
 him as an extra broke horse. The 
 fair was held after this for several 
 years, and was called the best town 
 fair in the county, with varying 
 scenes of interest and enjoyment up 
 to 1864, when it closed. One year 
 the Sons of Malta appeared, about 
 4 men on horseback, masked and 
 dressed in odd costumes. They rode 
 around the track followed by An- 
 drew Rockwell masked and dressed 
 like an Indian with colored feathers 
 on his head. • He rode on a donkey 
 and gave exhibitions, showing how 
 the Indians jump on and off their 
 ponies and shoot game with their 
 bows and arrows. The company 
 also publicly initiated one of their 
 members on a platform. From that 
 descending into a tub of water was 
 an inclined plank. Blindfolded they 
 pushed the candidate down the in- 
 cline and he went splashing into the 
 water, which furnished lots of fun 
 for the spectators. Another year 
 there was a drawing contest to see 
 whose oxen could draw the most. 
 Three yoke, one owned by Ben Foot, 
 one by Scoville Parker, and another 
 by Bela Seymour, were hitched to a 
 stone boat loaded with stone. Mr. 
 Seymour's oxen were light, Mr. Par- 
 ker's weighed over 3,000 pounds, 
 and Mr. Foot's 2,800. Foot's oxen 
 took the first prize. The writer re- 
 members seeing the contest. An- 
 other year they had a walking match 
 and a yellow horse owned by Charles 
 Hinman took the first prize. It is 
 believed that Frank Griswold's horse 
 took second. During some of the 
 years there were contests of the best 
 
v^ 
 
 66 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 broke steers. Charles Fairchild had 
 some there in 1857 which were well 
 broken, but did not receive the first 
 prize because George Juliand, had 
 two pair there that were broken and 
 driven by Hiram Fowler. They were 
 large, well matched, handsome and 
 well broke and they of course took 
 first prize. Farmers in those days 
 were raising many Devonshire cat- 
 tle, red beauties they were, and 
 many of them were seen at the fairs, 
 from calves to cows and oxen. There 
 were some common grade and some 
 short horned Durham cattle exhibit- 
 ed also. There were many exhibits 
 of sheep and lambs, long wooled 
 ones took the lead. In August, 1860, 
 John S. Tarbell, proprietor of the 
 Franklin house, Montrose, Pa., sent 
 a horse to Andrew Rockwell and 
 Douglas to break it of the habit of 
 switching and kicking when hitched 
 to a wagon. In sixteen days from 
 the time they took him they ex- 
 hibited him before the Susquehanna 
 County Agricultural society hitched 
 to a sulky, also at the Pennsylvania 
 State fair and New York State fair, 
 as well as at several county fairs 
 during the fall of 1860. Only a few 
 of the many incidents of these fairs 
 have been given, but we will call 
 them ended and say a few words 
 about Messrs. Rockwell and Hurl- 
 burt, it being a most fitting place. 
 Soon after they gave their horse 
 exhibits here and at the fairs in 
 1860, they bought two more horses, 
 one named "Star," the other a milk 
 white hore named "Mazeppa," and 
 broke them the same as they did 
 the first one. With these and a few 
 men they started on the road travel- 
 ing from place to place giving a 
 school at each place. They taught 
 the young men how to break colts to 
 drive and horses of their bad habits. 
 
 They gave to each one their book, 
 "A Practical Treatise on Horse 
 Breaking" and taught them private- 
 ly how to do it for which they re- 
 ceived from each student $5. Hobbs 
 Brothers of Nineveh made them a 
 wagon for which they received a 
 large price, in which they made their 
 trips. In 1868, they left their home 
 for the last time and started on their 
 western journey giving schools from 
 here to California. Wishing to go 
 farther they took passage on an 
 ocean steamer for either Oregon or 
 Washington. During the voyage the 
 ship was struck by another ship and 
 sunk with all on board. The Pacific 
 was their tomb in which they were 
 quietly layed to rest; there to peace- 
 fully sleep till the resurrection 
 morn, 
 
 Wai- of the llebcllion 
 
 At a special town meeting, held 
 September 5, 1862, 131 votes were 
 cast for and 30 against a proposi- 
 tion to raise by tax $1,5 00 to pay to 
 each of thirty volunteers the sum of 
 $50 as a bounty for enlisting, the 
 men so enlisted to apply on the 
 quota of the town under the call 
 for 600,000 men. March 4, 1863 
 the board of town auditors issued 
 three bonds for this amount and the; 
 expense connected therewith, the 
 first to Apollos Foot for $550, at six 
 per cent., payable January 1, 1864; 
 the second to R. Chandler, for $546. 
 24 at six per cent. ,$246. 24 payable 
 January 1, 1864, $300 payable Jan. 
 1, 1865, and the third to T. D. Por- 
 ter, for $450, at six per cent., pay- 
 able Jan. 1, 18 65. At a special 
 meeting Jan. 2, 1864, 49 votes were 
 cast for and 4 against a resolution 
 to pay $3 23 to each person enlisted 
 and applied on the quota of the town 
 (21 men) under the call for 300.- 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 67 
 
 000 men. E. A. Phillips, James S. 
 Parker and Daniel Beecher were 
 appointed a committee to draft the 
 necessary papers and report the 
 most feasible way of obtaining the 
 money. On the recommendation of 
 the committee the officers consisting 
 of the board of town auditors Vi^ere 
 instructed to issue and sell the 
 bonds, in the sums of .$5 to $500. 
 James M. Phillips and S. P. Allis 
 were appointed a committee to act 
 with the board. To carry out pro- 
 visions of this resolution bonds bear- 
 ing seven per cent interest were is- 
 sued as follows: 
 17 four years' bonds $100 
 
 each $1,700 00 
 
 17 three years' bonds $100 
 
 each 1,700 00 
 
 16 two years' bonds $100 
 
 each 1,600 00 
 
 2 years' bonds $50 10000 
 
 15 one year bonds $100 1,500 00 
 4 one year bonds $50 200 00 
 
 $6,800 00 
 71 revenue stamps at 10c 
 
 each 7 10 
 
 $6,807 10 
 At a special meeting held April 
 11, 1864, it was decided by a vote 
 of 3 2 to 4 to authorize the board to 
 pay such sums as they deemed nec- 
 essary, not to exceed $5 00 each to 
 the requisite number of volunteers 
 to fill the quota of the town under 
 the call for 200,000 men; and on 
 that day the board issued bonds 
 numbered from 7 2 to 78 both in- 
 clusive amounting to $2,200, and 
 April 25, 1864, a like number from 
 79 to 85 in like amount bearing sev- 
 en per cent interest and payable 
 January 1, 1865. At a special meet- 
 ing held August 2, 1864, 127 votes 
 were cast for and 38 against a reso- 
 
 lution authorizing the board to pay 
 such sums as they deemed neces- 
 sary, not to exceed $500 to each 
 volunteeer credited on the quota of 
 the town under the call for 500,000 
 men, and the same provision was 
 extended to persons who might be 
 drafted under the call. At a special 
 meeting held August 2 2, 1864, it 
 was resolved to extend the same 
 provision to persons furnishing sub- 
 stitutes under that call. At a spe- 
 cial meeting held Sept. 10, 1864, it 
 was resolved by a vote of 128 to 24. 
 to so amend the latter resolution as 
 to pay to each person furnishing an 
 acceptable substitute the sum act- 
 ually paid to such substitute deduct- 
 ing all bounties received by the prin- 
 cipal from the government not to 
 exceed $1,000; to authorize the 
 board, if they in their judgment 
 deemed necessary to pay, not to ex- 
 ceed $1,000, to each volunteer re- 
 quired to fill the quota under that 
 call; and to receive the resolution 
 to pay $500 to drafted men. Pur- 
 suant to these resolutions the board 
 issued Aug. 29, 1864, twelve bonds, 
 amounting to $3,150 payable Jan. 1, 
 1865; and Sept. 19, 1864, 54 bonds 
 amounting to $24,490, payable $10,- 
 780, in 1865, $11,410 in 1866, 
 $1,200 in 1867, and $1,100 in 1868. 
 At • special meeting held Dec. 31, 
 1864, it was resolved by a vote of 
 131 to 36 to pay each volunteer 
 credited on the quota of the town 
 under the call for 300,000 men a 
 sum not to exceed $600 for one 
 year's men; $800 for two years' 
 men, and $1,0 00 for three years' 
 men. The same provision was ex- 
 tended to persons furnishing sub- 
 stitutes, but they were in no case to 
 be paid a greater sum than was 
 actually paid for such substitute. 
 Pursuant to this resolution bonds 
 
68 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 were issued as follows: January 9, 
 1865, bonds 67 to 78, both inclusive, 
 amounting to $3,150, payable, $900 
 in 1866, $1,350, in 1867, and $900 
 in 1868; January 18, 1865, bonds 
 was 79 to 96, both inclusive, 
 amounting to $7,638.50, payable 
 $1,600 in 1866, $2,138.50; in 1867, 
 $2,700; in 1868, and $1,200 in 1869. 
 January 26, 1865, bonds was 97 to 
 109, both inclusive, amounting to 
 $6,350, payable $1,050 in 1866; 
 $4,800 in 1867 and $500 in 1868; 
 and Feb. 14, 1865, bonds was 110 
 to 114, both inclusive, amounting lo 
 $1,467.50, payable $1,300 in 1867 
 and $167.50 in 1866. As we have 
 just been writing about the Civil war 
 we think it would be very appro- 
 priate to put in a poem written by 
 Mrs. Cordelia Beardsley Wilder, in 
 the time of the war of the rebellion. 
 
 Say, .Must Our Country Perish? 
 
 Say, must our country perish 
 
 With all that's true and brave, 
 The arm of right and freedom. 
 
 Be powerless to save? 
 Must we fling down our banner. 
 
 To worthless traitors' yield? 
 Our heroes lie unhonored 
 
 Upon the battlefield? 
 
 Hark! Hark! There comes an answer. 
 
 That's pealing loud and long; 
 We go to join our brothers 
 
 Three hundred thousand strong. 
 We yet will save our country. 
 
 We know we can, we must; 
 We'll take the traitors' banner, 
 
 And trail it in the dust. 
 
 'Twill be a tearful parting 
 
 To bid loved ones adieu 
 P.ut they will bravely cheer us 
 
 And tell us to be true. 
 Our country shall not perish 
 
 Our hopes shall not be crushed, 
 For God will surely bless us, 
 
 And aid the cause that's just. 
 Oh, 'tis a fearful struggle, 
 
 A nation's blood to spill, 
 lUit the Union, now, forever! — 
 
 Shall be our motto still. 
 Oh, yes! We'll surely conquer 
 
 The traitors; they must yield, 
 And we will bear in triumph 
 Our banner from the field. 
 
 CHAPTER Vni 
 
 Personal History. The Reale 
 
 Family 
 
 William Beale came from Lester- 
 shire, P^ngland, in 1841 and settled 
 at Gilbertsville, later removed to 
 Coventry and settled in the south 
 western part of the town. He had 
 five sons and three daughters. Ann 
 Beale married John Bawling of But- 
 ternuts. Joseph Beale married 
 Anna Maria Hancock, of Syracuse; 
 had eight children. Grace married 
 Abel Gipson of Mt. Upton; had one 
 son. Jennie E. married Stephen 
 Fletcher of East Guilford. Alice F. 
 married John A. Parker of Guil- 
 ford; had two daughters. Edgar L. 
 married Lena Phelps of Unadilla; 
 had one son. Gertrude L. married 
 David Sibley of Butternuts; had one 
 son. Minnie E. married Clayton 
 Taylor of Sidney. Frederick J. mar- 
 ried Laura Puller of Owego; had 
 two sons and one daughter. Lillian 
 N. married Joseph Hyett of Guil- 
 ford; had four sons and two daugh- 
 ters. William married Emma Jen- 
 kins of Butternuts. John marri?d 
 Margaret Webb of Butternuts; had 
 three daughters. Sarah married 
 William North of Silver Lake, Pa.; "^ 
 had three sons and one daughter. 
 
 John Beale married Maryette 
 Webb of Butternuts, N. Y. Their 
 children were Rosamond, who mar- 
 ried Henry Packard of Coventry, 
 now living in Greene; has one 
 daughter. Carrie, married Russel 
 Cookingham of Poughkeepsie; had 
 one son. Mary married Vernall 
 Arnold. Elizabeth married Isaac 
 Hancock of Syracuse; had three sons 
 and three daughters. George Han- 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 69 
 
 cock married Mary Fletcher of Bing- 
 hamton. Mary married Martin 
 Pearsall. Edward C. married Ger- 
 trude Weller. Joshua Beale mar- 
 ried Sarah Hurlburt of Harpursville. 
 James Beale married Lucretia Gary. 
 Mrs. Jennie Fletcher is the only 
 representative of the Beale family 
 now living in the town of Coventry. 
 Kelly Family 
 John Jacob Kelly was born in 
 Laiching, Withingburg, Germany, 
 Feb. 4, 1808. His wife» Rosma Has- 
 ken, was born Sept. 14, 1802. Mr. 
 Kelly was a weaver by trade. His 
 three children were all born in Ger- 
 many. In 1852 he came to Amer- 
 ica and in 1854 his family came, 
 consisting of his wife, two daugh- 
 ters and one son. Maria, who was 
 seventeen years old; Anna, fourteen 
 years, and John nine years of age. 
 They settled in Coventry and Mr. 
 Kelly worked for Phillips and Hoyt 
 as long as he lived. His death oc- 
 curred Sept. 9, 1862, at the age of 
 54 years. His wife died Aug. 5, 
 1887, aged 85. Maria married 
 George Mangold in 1861, who came 
 from Germany with the Kellys; they 
 had one son, John Henry, who is 
 now living in Coventry. He mar- 
 ried Adelaide Connelly Eells, and 
 had one son, Carl, who married Vir- 
 ginia Van Woert of Coventry and 
 lives in Binghamton; also one 
 daughter who died when about two 
 years old. Mr. Mangold worked for 
 James Phillips for a good many 
 years and bought a farm and farmed 
 it the remainder of his life. He 
 died in 1907, aged 72 years. His 
 wife is still living, and is quite 
 v/ell and in her 77th year. Anna 
 married William Seeley; their chil- 
 dren are Charles, who married Miss 
 Cora Deland; children, two sons, 
 Frank and Carl. Ray married Miss 
 
 Grace Palmer; had two sons, and 
 Ernest, who married Miss Nina Hall 
 and had one child. John Kelly mar- 
 ried Miss Laura Stiles of Coventry 
 in 1869, and had one son. Prank, 
 who married Miss Ada Tifft, and has 
 one daughter. Laura married Fred- 
 erick Porter, and had one son and 
 one daughter. 
 John Kelly began clerking in the 
 store of Phillips & Hoyt when quite 
 a small boy, and by being saving 
 and industrious he began to save 
 some money. He clerked it for them 
 until the death of Mr. Phillips, and 
 then he went in partnership with Mr. 
 Hoyt, the firm being Hoyt & Kelly, 
 until he was unable to do business. 
 After Mr. Hoyt resigned he took his 
 son Frank in company with him, 
 under the firm name of Kelly & Son, 
 and the sign hangs there to this day. 
 He has been one of the leading men 
 in the town for a good many years. 
 He has been Justice of the Peace 
 for 16 years, and town clerk several 
 terms. He has been very promi- 
 nent in the Second Congregational 
 church. 
 
 Eells Family 
 
 Edward Eells, son of Benjamin 
 and Hannah Hanford Eells, was born 
 in, lA^alton, Delaware county, May 
 20, 1828. He received his education 
 in the schools of that place and 
 when a young man he went to De- 
 posit and learned the tinner's trade. 
 In 1852 he was united in marriage 
 with Juliette Bennett, and had one 
 child, Delos Rockwell. In October, 
 1853. his wife died. May 23, 1856, 
 he was again united in marriage 
 with Miss Emily McCall. She was 
 born March 23, 1835; their children 
 v/ere Francis Isabel, Granville Mc- 
 Call, Adelaide Connelly, Benjamin 
 Marvin. Edward Hanford, Emily 
 
70 
 
 HISTORY OF TFIE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 Juliette, Junius Baird, Georgie Phil- 
 lips, Clarence, Sophronia Sisson. In 
 1859 he moved to Coventry, worked 
 at his trade for Phillips & Hoyt till 
 within a year or two of his death, 
 which occurred in 1894, dying in 
 the asylum. 
 
 Chandler Family 
 
 Rufus Chandler, son of Deacon 
 
 Henry and Penelope Chandler of 
 
 Brattleboro, Vt., who came to this 
 
 -, country at an early date, was born 
 
 ICjf- April 11, r8T^8. His parents being 
 poor and having a large family he 
 was bound out till he was twenty- 
 one, to a man who went to one of 
 the southern States, I think it was 
 Virginia, and he went with him. 
 His education was acquired at the 
 common schools which were not as 
 good then as now and the people did 
 not think as much about keeping 
 their children in school in those days 
 as they did to keep them to work. 
 When he was twenty-one the man 
 gave him a pair of horses, wagon 
 and harness, and a little money to 
 bear his expenses to come to Cov- 
 entry. On his way north he traded 
 the two horses for three, and if my 
 memory serves me right got some 
 boot money, and from that on he 
 was always speculating in horses 
 and buying cattle and driving them 
 to Orange county. He was a great 
 drover in his day. He also engaged 
 quite extensively in farming, own- 
 ing several farms. He was quite 
 prominent in public affairs having 
 been supervisor several times, and 
 other offices he has filled in the 
 town. He represented this district 
 in the Assembly in 1858, so history 
 says, but I think there must be a 
 mistake in t,he date. I '^ know he 
 was Assemblyman, I can remember 
 hack to 1853 and I can't remember 
 
 it. He was a sharp shrewd business 
 man and acquired quite a large for- 
 tune. In the latter part of his busi- 
 ness life he was associated with his 
 son-in-law, James M. Phillips, and 
 Augustus Martin in the drover's 
 business. They went to Ohio to buy 
 cattle and drove them to Orange 
 county, keeping several men to work 
 driving cattle. In those days you 
 would see large droves of cattle, 
 some two or three hundred in a 
 drove, and sheep by the thousands 
 going through Coventry every week 
 or two. He also was connected with 
 Zerah Spencer and William Church 
 in the mercantile business, the for- 
 mer of whom died Feb. 5, 1832, aged 
 3 3 years; about which time the busi- 
 ness was discontinued. In 1834 he 
 resumed business with G. D. Phil- 
 lips, to whom after about a year he 
 sold his interest. History says he 
 was again in the mercantile business 
 some two years with Romeo Warren 
 and William Church but it don't say 
 whether it was before or after he 
 was in company with Mr. Phillips. 
 He was a strong pillar in the Second 
 Congregational church of Coventry. 
 On June 10, 1822, he was united in 
 the holy bonds of wedlock with Miss 
 Laura Benedict, daughter of Ira and 
 Anabrit Packard Benedict, born 
 March 4, 1799. They lived together 
 5 6 years and had one daughter, Ly- 
 dia M., born Aug. 28, 1827, who 
 married James M. Phillips. I for- 
 got to say that Mr. Chandler was 
 .Colonel in the militia for a number 
 of years. Lydia M. Phillips, wife of 
 James M. Phillips, and daughter of 
 Rufus, and Laura Chandler, died 
 April 23, 1874, aged 47 years. Laura 
 Chandler, wife of Rufus Chandler, 
 died July 12, 1879, aged 80 years. 
 Rufus Chandler died Dec. 28, 1883, 
 aged 85 years. Loisa M., daughter 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVENTRY 
 
 71 
 
 of James M .and Lydia M. Chandler 
 Phillips, was born Jan. 12, 1862; 
 married Julius Doerner; died April 
 19, 1887. James M. Phillips died 
 Dec. 18, 1900, aged 77 years. 
 
 A poem written by the late 
 Chauncey S. Williams. 
 
 Concluding Words 
 
 In the years of the past the forest 
 came to stay, 
 God in his wisdom planted them 
 here and there; 
 For a boom and a blessing to man in 
 his day, 
 With rivers, creeks and showers, 
 He watered them with care. 
 
 High were their heads, to receive the 
 kiss of the sun. 
 The home of the deer, the mink, 
 the fox and the hare; 
 Their trunks so long and great, had 
 a century outgrown 
 The climbing sport of the squirrel, 
 the wildcat; panther, and the 
 bear. 
 
 The red man came to dwell beneath 
 their shade. 
 To kill his game with bow and ar- 
 row, and fish in lake and 
 stream. 
 He laid it not, 'twas not his to use 
 ax or spade, 
 But to pitch his tepee where he 
 could best lay and dream. 
 
 In time the pioneers, our forefathers, 
 came this way. 
 From the forest for himself and 
 his kin a home to hew; 
 A large family of children he raised 
 in his day. 
 Brave and strong to help him live 
 in this country so new. 
 
 The woodman stood beneath the 
 giant red beach tree 
 Whose broad and leafy head stood 
 fifteen times above his own; 
 Said he, you give me no bread, I 
 cannot live on thee 
 Though ten cords of wood you've 
 grown. 
 
 Next he stood by the ^ sweet and 
 shady maple tree. 
 Whose head so green and bright 
 rose high, to greet the morning 
 light; 
 
 Said he, I know the sugar you grow; 
 is sweet and delicious for me 
 to eat. 
 But I cannot wait, nature's gait 
 for the sap to run. 
 
 And thus he said to the oak, elm, 
 ash and many other trees, 
 Even if later on you could stand 
 you'd give us thousands in cash; 
 I'll cut you down, you must go into 
 the firey seas. 
 For none of you, now, give us to 
 eat as much even as a plate of 
 hash. 
 
 So acres of fallen trees on earth's 
 bosom lay at rest. 
 In the even tide, torch was ap- 
 plied, changing night to day; 
 The blaze was grand, terrific and 
 sublime, but fearful at best. 
 Ashes only were left, of the re- 
 mains, that the forest had pass- 
 ed away. 
 
 The red man, the Indian, in his 
 
 strength and glory, where oh, 
 
 where is he? 
 From the fish in the brook, the 
 
 deer in the chase, he has gone 
 
 to stay; 
 In forest or lake, on hill or dale, no 
 
 more can we see him. 
 His nation is gone, weak and 
 
 strong, he has passed away. 
 
 Many long, long years did our 
 grandparents work and sing, 
 To help and bless their children 
 in their day. 
 They heard the sweet voices in song 
 and laughter ring. 
 They promised God with humble 
 hearts, and silently passed 
 away. 
 
 Our parents, when their work was 
 done followed on. 
 The blessed book they taught us 
 in their own sweet way, 
 That we might rightly live after 
 they were gone above. 
 Soon they heard the call, come 
 home, and meekly passed away. 
 
 A Few Incidents and Anecdotes of 
 the Early Settlers 
 
 I will give you one that happened 
 in the Hoyt family at Walton, and 
 what happened in one part of the 
 
72 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 country when it was new is equiva- 
 lent to the other. We speak of this 
 that happened in the Hoyt family 
 because two of the sons came here 
 when young men and spent their 
 lives here and some of their sons 
 did, the Rev. John B. Hoyt, pastor 
 of the Second Congregational church 
 of Coventry for thirty years, and 
 Thaddeus Hoyt, Jr. Many were the 
 privations, hardships, and suffer- 
 ings that in the first year or two 
 the pioneers were called to pass 
 through. Provision was scarce, it 
 could not be procured. If grain was 
 obtained there was no mill to grind 
 it. Our father was want to relate a 
 deed that will seem incredible to 
 this generation. He said they had 
 lived on potato bread till they had 
 become cloyed of it and their supply 
 of this was nearly exhausted. He 
 had a bushel of wheat, but there was 
 no mill in all the region. One morn- 
 ing he slung it across his back and 
 traveled with it nearly thirty miles 
 lo mill. I think it must have been 
 near where the village of Hobart 
 now stands, got it ground and the 
 next day returned with it in the 
 same manner. If, as Col. Chandler 
 of Coventry remarked, the one 
 whom we have just been writing 
 about, when flour was very high, ten 
 or twelve dollars a barrel, bread 
 tasted much sweeter than when it 
 was cheap, — the bread from this 
 flour must have been sweet indeed. 
 lUit not only was it hard to procure 
 bread itself, meat was also scarce. 
 They had none but wild game. Our 
 father has related an incident which 
 he always regarded as a special 
 providential interposition. He had 
 been over to Franklin and as he was 
 returning, coming up the west hill, 
 all at once he heard his little dog on 
 ahead making a great ado, barking 
 
 at the highest pitch of his voice. 
 Coming up to the spot he saw he 
 was holding at bay an enormous 
 elk standing on a high ledge of 
 rocks. He hurried home for his 
 gun and then back where he found 
 the dog and elk in the same position 
 he had left them. Taking aim the 
 elk fell at the first fire. It was very 
 fat and supplied the families in the 
 settlement with savory meat for sev- 
 eral months. 
 
 In the early settlement the in- 
 habitants w^ere much annoyed by 
 wild beasts. Their sheep had to be 
 carefully guarded by day and folded 
 at night. I will relate a bear story 
 which I have heard our father re- 
 hearse with no small zest. As he 
 and uncle Silas Benedict were at 
 work one afternoon towards evening, 
 a bear came out of the west woods 
 Into the clearing, and descrying 
 them slowly returned. They went to 
 the house, loaded their guns and 
 started in pursuit and discovered 
 bruin standing on a bank beyond a 
 small stream. They silently made 
 their way to an old log some rods 
 distant, resting their guns across the 
 log they agreed at a given signal 
 both to fire together. They fired 
 and the bear fell. Uncle Silas im- 
 mediately exclaimed, "I have put 
 one ball through him, sure am I of 
 that!" Father said they had better 
 load again before they went up to 
 him for they might meet with re- 
 sistance. In reloading it was found 
 Uncle Silas gun had only flashed in 
 the pan, the charge was all in. He 
 did not hear the last of killing the 
 bear for many months. 
 
 Not only bears, but panthers, in 
 some instances, made their appear- 
 ance. As Simeon Hoyt, who lived 
 where Wm. Hanford now does, went 
 out just at dusk to take care of his 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 73 
 
 stock, he saw a huge panther in or 
 near his yard. He had no weapon 
 with him, but being a man of cour- 
 age he plucked a stake from his ox 
 sled and drove the beast away, which 
 ascended a high stub or dry tree. 
 He took care of his cattle then went 
 to the house, got his gun and came 
 back, but the animal was gone and it 
 was too late to pursue him. The 
 next morning the whole neighbor- 
 hood turned out with horns, guns, 
 and axes and tracked him in various 
 directions, but the wily animal es- 
 caped. 
 
 I will relate one more incident 
 which happened in Coventry about 
 the year 1815, relating to hard 
 times, showing how some of the set- 
 tlers had to live and the hardships 
 that they had endured. Harvey 
 Judd, Sr., lived on the farm long 
 known as the Frisbie farm in the 
 south west part of the town. One 
 winter his wife went away to take 
 care of some one that was sick, 
 while he and his little son, Harvey 
 Judd, Jr., about nine or ten years 
 old, lived there alone for three 
 weeks. All they had to eat was po- 
 tatoes, and all they had to season 
 them with was to go to the empty 
 pork barrel and get some salt. They 
 had no cellar and the potatoes had 
 to be buried in a heap out doors. 
 The boy said every time he went to 
 get some potatoes he would cry for 
 fear the potatoes would freeze, for 
 he thought if they did they would 
 surely starve to death. Now reader, 
 whoever you are. don't think that I 
 am writing this for fiction for I am 
 not. It is the truth. Harvey Judd, 
 Jr., has been dead over forty years, 
 but when living his word no man 
 disputed, it was as good as the 
 wheat, and the writer has heard 
 this story a good many times; and 
 
 he said that there were several other 
 families in the neighborhood in the 
 same circumstances, all the meat 
 any of them had was what wild 
 game they could get. 
 
 Phillips Family 
 
 A history containing an account 
 of the Phillips family, from the time 
 of their emigrating to America 287 
 years ago to the present time, 1912. 
 
 Rev. George Phillips was born in 
 Baymon, Norfolk, England. He and 
 two of his brothers, Samuel and 
 William, were adherents of Crom- 
 well and at his death, on account of 
 the persecution in England he with 
 his brothers and whole congregation 
 came over to Boston in company 
 with Gov. Winthrop; arrived on the 
 second of June 1630. Rev. George 
 Phillips settled in Watertown, Mass., 
 and died July 1, 1644. 
 
 2. Samuel Phillips, son of Rev. 
 George Phillips was born in Box- 
 ford, England, in 1625, and died in 
 Rowley, Mass., 1696. His children 
 were: Sarah, Samuel, George, Eliz- 
 abeth, Dorcas, Mary and John. 
 
 3. Rev. George Phillips, son of 
 Samuel was born in 1664; settled in 
 Brookhaven, L. I., in 1697; died 
 1739. His children were: George, 
 who lived and died in Smithtown, 
 and who was grandfather of George 
 S. Phillips of that place. He was 
 also grandfather of Major Phillips, 
 who was father of Moses and 
 George. One settled in Goshen, N. 
 Y., the other at Morristown, N. J. 
 They have many descendants. Some 
 have become very wealthy. John, 
 who lived and died in Boston, leav- 
 ing only one daughter, who married 
 a Dr. Spooner. His two sisters re- 
 mained upon the Island. Elizabeth 
 married a Roe, the other an 
 Anthony. 
 
7U 
 
 HISTORY ViV THK TOWN' OF COVKNTRY 
 
 4. William, who lived in Smith- 
 town. L I,, and died Jan. 11, 1778. 
 Sybel, his wife Oct. 31, 1767. They 
 were grandparents to G. D. Phillips 
 of Coventry. They had eleven chil- 
 dren, viz: John, born Sept. 3, 1638, 
 died in Milford, Conn., March 12, 
 1780, leaving four daughters, all 
 since dead. William, born May 27, 
 1741, died in Brookhaven, L. I., 
 March 27, 1799, the father of Wil- 
 liam Phillips, Esq., of Brookhaven. 
 His other son, Josiah, and daughter, 
 I'ljinr. died young. Zebulon, born 
 April 14, 1746, died in Peekskill, N. 
 Y., Jan. 13, 1815; left only one child 
 and she married Harry Rundell. 
 
 5. James, born March 13, 1751, 
 died in Coventry, N. Y., Jan. 20, 
 1841. He was the father of G. D. 
 Phillips of this place. 
 
 Ebenezer, born July 15, 1753, 
 died in Norwalk, Conn., Aug. 5, 
 18 29; married Polly Benedict; had 
 four daughters: Esther, married a 
 Crosby, Sally, married W. P. Stew- 
 art; Elizabeth, never married, and 
 died in 1862. Sarah, born Oct. 24, 
 1756, married a Tillotson and died 
 in North Salem, N. Y., Feb. 12, 1827. 
 
 Philetus, born Oct. 24, 1759, mar- 
 ried Esther Close. He died in Green- 
 ville, N. Y., May 19, 1818. They had 
 eight children: Ebenezer, a min- 
 ister, settled in East Hampton, L. I. 
 Miles died in New York. Nancy 
 married William Phillips of Brook- 
 haven. and died there. Daniel B., 
 was a bachelor, and lived in New 
 York. John lived in Ohio. Mary 
 died a maiden in New York. 
 Philetus lived in New York. 
 Esther married a Knowles, and 
 died in Greenville, N. Y., in 1865. 
 Elizabeth, born Nov. 1762, died in 
 Brookhaven, Feb. 4, 1844. She 
 never married. Richard and two 
 Marys died young. It will be seen 
 
 the ancestors of G. D. Phillips in a 
 direct line on his fathers side stands 
 thus: 
 
 1. — Rev. George Phillips, who 
 emigrated from England in 1630. 
 
 2. — Samuel Phillips. 
 
 3. — Rev. George Phillips. 
 
 4. — William Phillips, a grand- 
 father of G. D. Phillips. 
 
 5. — James Phillips, father of G. D. 
 Phillips. 
 
 We will now give a more partic- 
 ular account of G. D. Phillips 
 father's family and his own. 
 
 James Phillips, father of G. D. 
 Phillips, was born March 13, 1751, 
 and died in Coventry, N. Y., Jan. 
 20, 1841. His wife, Mercy Close 
 Phillips, died Sept. 23, 1783. By 
 her he had two children, Solomon 
 Close died a bachelor in Mississippi, 
 1830, and Betsey, who married a 
 Jennings and she died in 1867. She 
 had six children: Eliza, Fannie, 
 both of whom are dead; Solomon, 
 Lucinda, Huldah and James. His 
 second wife, Betsey Drake, he mar- 
 ried in 1785. She was the mother 
 of G. D. Phillips; born Sept. 10, 
 1761; died Sept. 20, 1847. They 
 had six children. (1) Fannie, born 
 Jan. 25, 1786, died Oct. 23, 1826. 
 She married Isaac Wallace and they 
 had five children: James Phillips, 
 Thomas, John and two Elizabeths, 
 the first of whom died in infancy. 
 John died a bachelor; the others 
 were married. (2) John, born May 
 26, 1788, died a bachelor, June 31. 
 1823. (3) Gilbert Drake, born June 
 3, 1791, married Betsey Miller, Oct. 
 2, 1817. She was born March IG, 
 1797. They had five children: Dan- 
 iel Miller, died an infant; Edgar, 
 born July 12, 1818, married Hannah 
 M. Hoyt. June 30, 184 1. She was 
 born March 2 2, 1821. They had 
 tour children: James. Charles E., 
 
HiSTOKV OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 75 
 
 Edward G. and Wallace H. James 
 M. born Nov. 22, 1823, married 
 Lydia M. Chandler, Aug. 25, 1847; 
 born Aug. 25, 1826; one adopted 
 daughter Louisa M., Phoebe Eliza- 
 beth, born Jan. 24, 1829; married 
 A. J. Hoyt, June 19, 1850. He was 
 born May 2, 1825. Had two daugh- 
 ters, Alice Louisa and Hattie 
 Amelia. Maria Louisa, born Aug. 
 27, 1836, married F. Leroy Martin, 
 Oct. 27, 1857; has one daughter, 
 Mary Louisa. (4) Minerva, born 
 Sept. 15, 1793, married Thomas 
 Caldwell; had no children. Adopted 
 two daughters, Louisa and Maria. 
 (5) George Washington, born 
 March 9, 1796, died May 30, 1841, 
 married Maria Tremper. They had 
 seven children: Catherine, Fanny, 
 Minerva, Elizabeth, Margaret, 
 
 George and George 2d. (6) Eliza 
 Ann, born Sept. 5, 1805. She mar- 
 ried Oct. 8, 1843, Rev. J. B. Hoyt, 
 for thirty years pastor of the Second 
 Congregational church in Coventry. 
 They had one child, James Phillips, 
 who for many years has been a min- 
 ister of the gospel. G. D. Phillips 
 died Dec. 18, 1872, aged 72 years; 
 his wife, April 25, 1885, aged 88 
 years. E. A. Phillips died Jan. 16, 
 1881, aged 62 years. His wife, 
 March 2, 1885, aged 64 years. 
 James M. Phillips died Dec. 18, 
 19 00, aged 7 7 years. His wife died 
 April 23, 1874, aged 48 years. A. J. 
 Hoyt. died Jan 11, 1906, aged 81 
 years. His wife died Jan. 5, 1903, 
 aged 74 years. E. A. Phillips, if 
 not born in Coventry, spent his boy- 
 hood days here, his education was 
 attained in the common schools 
 and at an early age worked in his 
 father's store. When a young man 
 he entered into partnership with his 
 father in the mercantile business, 
 which he followed until his death. 
 
 He was very prominent in town af- 
 fairs, having been supervisor and 
 held other offices. He was very 
 active in church matters, having 
 been superintendent in the Congre- 
 gational church more times than 
 any other man in the society. He 
 was a smart, shrewd business man, 
 and what he undertook prospered. 
 He was one of the most capable and 
 leading men in the society. His 
 death was a great loss to the church 
 and neighborhood, and to the com- 
 munity at large. History does not 
 tell when G. D. Phillips came to 
 Coventry. Some of their children 
 were born here and those that were 
 born here and those that were not 
 must have been quite young when 
 they came here. 
 
 James M. Phillips was brought up 
 here the same as the rest and prob- 
 ably was educated in the district 
 schools. When a young man he 
 was in the mercantile business with 
 his father and brother; later he en- 
 gaged in farming and droving busi- 
 ness with his father-in-law. Colonel 
 Chandler, and Augustus Martin, 
 which he followed for a good many 
 years. He was a very strong prop 
 in the Congregational church, both 
 spiritual and financial. He was a 
 very prominent man in the town 
 affairs. In politics he was a Demo- 
 crat, and lived in a town that was 
 fifty or more majority Republican, 
 yet he was supervisor more times 
 than any other man in the town. 
 In 1859, he accepted a nomination 
 for Member of Assembly for the 
 southern district of Chenango coun- 
 ty, which at that time was fifteen 
 hmid'ed Republican majority. He 
 was defeated by Joseph Bush of 
 Bainbridge by about three hundred 
 majority. At that time there was 
 great excitement over the Albany 
 
76 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP" COVKNTRY 
 
 and Susquehanna railroad, and Bush 
 promised to work for it if elected, 
 and by the means, he carried Bain- 
 bridge solid with the exception of 16 
 votes. Had the Democrats stood by 
 hira in Bainbridge as they did in the 
 other towns he would have been 
 elected. Again in 1860 he run for 
 the same office and was defeated by 
 Samuel E. Lewis of Preston by about 
 the same majority. He was a man 
 of good judgment, always stood up 
 for what he thought was right; his 
 counsel was often sought and al- 
 ways cheerfully given. The poor 
 came to him in trouble and he al- 
 ways gave them the helping hand 
 and cheerful word, and at his death 
 he left an aching void, not only in 
 his family and relatives, but in the 
 community at large, which never 
 has, nor never can be filled. I for- 
 got to say that he married for his 
 second wife Miss Francis Hitt, who 
 died a short time ago; date of mar- 
 riage and age unknown to me. 
 
 Amasa J. Hoyt came from Greene 
 to Coventry near the year 1850; he 
 entered into the holy bonds of wed- 
 lock with Miss Phoebe Elizabeth 
 Phillips, June 19, 1850. In 1851, 
 he entered into partnership with G. 
 D. Phillips & Sons in the mercantile 
 business which he followed as long 
 as he was able. He was not very 
 active in politics, although a Re- 
 publican, he did not aspire to office. 
 He was a good worker in the church, 
 both spiritual and financial. 
 
 Thorp 
 
 John P. Thorp was a shoemaker 
 by trade, taught school some; was 
 Justice of the Peace for several 
 years and was elected poor master, 
 and I think some other office. 
 
 Reader, whoever thou art, if you 
 see mistakes in the individual lives 
 
 of those that I am writing, please 
 excuse me, for I cannot find in any 
 history one single scrap of writing 
 concerning their individual history. 
 All I have to go by is my own mem- 
 ory of fifty-nine years, since I first 
 became acquainted with the people 
 of this town and what I can remem- 
 ber hearing old people say. So it 
 would not be strange if a man over 
 seventy years of age, writing from 
 his own memory of fifty-nine years 
 ago should make some mistakes. 
 One thing I am sorry for and that is 
 I can't find any individual history of 
 the lives of the illustrious men of 
 this town, for we have had a good 
 many of them; but what can't be 
 cured must be endured, as the 
 school marm used to tell us when 
 she applied the birch. Nevertheless, 
 I will give you a short sketch of as 
 many as I can remember. 
 
 Hiram Chase lived where Mrs. 
 Jennie Fletcher now lives. He was 
 a butcher and stone mason by trade. 
 Reader remember those that I am 
 writing about now are way back In 
 the early fifties. He sold out to 
 John Grant, who was a cooper by 
 trade, who had an extensive busi- 
 ness for several years. He sold out 
 and went to Freetown, Cortland 
 county, N. Y. Mr. Chase bought near 
 where Burton Jones now lives. He 
 stayed there several years and then 
 went toMasonville. 
 
 The Widow Stiles lived in the next 
 house, had quite a family of chil- 
 dren. Joseph Estabrook lived where 
 George Endter now lives and work- 
 ed at blacksmithing in the old wood- 
 en shop that stood where the stone 
 shop now stands, he worked there 
 several years, and died a year or two 
 ago in Oxford. 
 
 The next house on the corner 
 William Church owned and lived in 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVKNTRY 
 
 77 
 
 it. He had a large family of boys 
 and girls, several of them grown up 
 and some of them married at that 
 time. He run a large store where 
 Grange hall now is. He was also a 
 drover. The next house east was 
 where Frederic Martin lived. He 
 was born and brought up in this 
 town, on the farm known as the T. 
 B. Foot farm, where the factory 
 was, now owned by the Lindseys. 
 He was a drover and somewhat 
 prominent in town affairs. The next 
 east is where Romeo Warren lived. 
 He was a drover and farmer. He 
 had two sons and two daughters; 
 Mary taught select school. 
 
 Then comes what we call the 
 temperance house, built by G. D. 
 Phillips for a Temperance Hotel and 
 run as such for a good many years. 
 It was run by Charles Lewis when I 
 first knew it. He was a harness 
 maker and worked at his trade for 
 a good many years and finally mov- 
 ed to Connecticut. John Treadway 
 run it for a while, then George Corn- 
 ish, and one Seeley. The next house, 
 I think, was owned by G. D. Phillips 
 and sons. It was rented most of 
 the time. The house next was own- 
 ed and occupied by J. W. D. Fletcher 
 Moon. He was a blacksmith by 
 trade and worked at it when I first 
 remember this place and for a good 
 many years afterward. He had 
 quite a family of children, and I 
 don't know whether any of them 
 are living or not. One of ,the daugh- 
 ters married Edgar A. Pearsall, a 
 former Assemblyman, who now lives 
 in Oxford. Her death occurred a 
 few years ago in Oxford and her 
 body was brought here for burial. 
 I don't remember who owned the 
 next house, but it was occupied by 
 a man named Dole, an oldish man, 
 a day laborer and also sexton for a 
 
 good many years in the Congrega- 
 tional church. If my memory serves 
 me right he was father-in-law to 
 Fletcher Moon. Then came the 
 house owned and occupied by John 
 Keyes. He had two sons and two 
 daughters, and was a day laborer. 
 One of his daughters, Jane, married 
 Albert Williams, who was a shoe- 
 maker living here for a few years. 
 She is now dead and he now lives 
 in Binghamton. Emeline married 
 Sylvester Packard. He is dead and 
 she is still living. Andrew, I don't 
 know who he married for his first 
 wife, but he married Emily Jones 
 for his second and lives in Oxford. 
 James, I think lives in Norwich. 
 
 I don't remember who owned the 
 next house, but it was occupied by 
 a widow Andrews, she had one son 
 and one daughter grown up, the 
 daughter married Chauncey Man- 
 ning. The last two houses named 
 have been joined together; well, 
 not in holy wedlock, for I don't 
 think the minister did it, but the 
 carpenter joined them in some kind 
 of a lock. They are now owned and 
 occupied by Oral Dalton. That was 
 the last house on that side of the 
 road. 
 
 John P. Thorp lived where John 
 Mangold now lives. He had one 
 daughter. Flora, who married Dr. 
 Jesse Bartoo of Greene. 
 
 A little north of the churches 
 where Mr. Palmer now lives, the 
 widow Phillips lived. Her husband 
 was brother to G. D. Phillips. She 
 had five daughters and two sons; 
 one daughter married Dr. Wm. H. 
 Beardsley of Coventry, and one mar- 
 ried Reuben Rolf of Coventry, a 
 farmer. I don't know about the 
 rest of the family. 
 
 The next house north where Vir- 
 gil Andrews now lives, was George 
 
78 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 Kej-es'. He married a widow Gris- 
 wold, who had two sons and one 
 daughter, Delos and Lewis, and if 
 I remember the daughter's name 
 was Louisa. 
 
 Just across the road is where Rev. 
 J. B. Hoyt lived, mention of him has 
 been made before. How many chil- 
 dren he had by his first wife I don't 
 know, but there was one daughter 
 who married Clement Blakesley, a 
 farmer, and lived a little west of the 
 village. There were some boys. By 
 his second wife he had one son, 
 James, who was a minister. Going 
 down the corner of East Main street 
 and you come to where Dr. Beards- 
 ley lived. He had four sons, all 
 married and all living; only one, 
 C. G., lives in town. 
 
 The next house west is where 
 Luman Jones lived. He was a shoe- 
 maker by trade and had a large fam- 
 ily of children. Only one, Burton, 
 now living in town. The next is 
 where Henry Parker lived, and he 
 was a wagon maker by trade. He 
 had one daughter. 
 
 The next is where Luther Hazen 
 lived, who was a wagon maker. He 
 had two sons. He built the shop 
 which is now owned by George 
 Hamilton and run a cabinet and 
 undertaking business. 
 
 Then comes the Orchard Bristol 
 place. He was a wagon maker. He 
 had one son by his first wife, who 
 was a Benedict. The son, James 
 E., became a reformed Methodist 
 minister. In 1857, Mr. Bristol sold 
 his place to Zenas Hutchinson. He 
 and his wife and daughter lived 
 here until the death of both parents; 
 after which the daughter married 
 Chauncey S. Williams, and lived 
 here until their deaths. She died 
 Dec. 10, 1901, and he Jan. 31, 1912. 
 
 The next is where E. A. Phillips 
 
 lived, who was one of the merchants 
 of this place, which business he 
 followed as long as he lived. He 
 had four sons, and not one of the 
 name is now living in Coventry. In 
 1853 he built the house that Frank 
 Kelley now lives in and lived there 
 until his death, Jan. 16, 1881. 
 
 Turn and go north up Gothic 
 street and the first house is where 
 Miss Polly Manning and Mrs. Almira 
 Moore lived. They were milliners 
 and had a shop there. The next 
 house is where Mrs. Hoyt now lives, 
 was not built then. 
 
 The next one is where Lemuel 
 Lewis lived. He was a carpenter 
 and joiner by trade and built several 
 houses in the village. He had three 
 daughters and one son, one daugh- 
 ter died young. Laura never mar- 
 ried. Elizabeth married Stephen 
 Palmer of Chenango Forks. 
 
 The next house, the Congrega- 
 tional parsonage, was not built at 
 that time. Across the road is where 
 A. J. Hoyt lived. I think he built 
 that house in 1853. He was one of 
 the firm of Phillips & Hoyt in the 
 mercantile business, which he fol- 
 lowed as long as he was able to 
 work. He had two daughters: 
 Hattie, married William Parker; 
 Alice married Stephen Berry. 
 
 Go on down to the corner of East 
 Main street and you will find where 
 Daniel Beecher lived. He built the 
 house and lived there several years 
 and was a carpenter by trade. In 
 after years he farmed it. He had 
 two daughters: Carrie, married 
 Burton Jones of Coventry; Emily 
 married Herbert Tower. 
 
 The next house west is where 
 Erastus Greene lived. He was a 
 shoemaker and had two daughters. 
 Emily married Charles Johnson; 
 Marv, a Gardner. 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 79 
 
 The next is where G. D. Phillips 
 lived. It is not needful to say any- 
 thing more of him here, for you 
 have got a sketch of his life in this 
 book. 
 
 Next comes the store of Phillips & 
 Hoyt, occupied by them in 1853, 
 now occupied by Kelley & Son. 
 
 Turn the corner to the right and 
 you come to what we now call the 
 grocery store. In 1853 it was own- 
 ed and occupied by John Foote, a 
 shoemaker and tanner. The lower 
 part was occupied by him as a shoe 
 shop and the upper part by John 
 Treadway for a harness shop and by 
 Hector Porter as a pocket book 
 factory. 
 
 The next house, where A. P. Stan- 
 ton, now lives, is where Hector Por- 
 ter lived. He had one son and one 
 daughter. Sarah married Harvey 
 Wilkins. William married Mary 
 Jane Whitington. The next house 
 was where John Treadway lived, 
 now owned by Mrs. Catherine Lewis. 
 He had two sons and two daughters 
 and was a harness maker by trade. 
 
 The next house is where Col. Ru- 
 fus Chandler lived and the next is 
 where James Phillips lived. You 
 have a history of their lives in 
 previous chapters. 
 
 The next house is where John 
 Foote lived, now used as the M. E. 
 parsonage. As has already been 
 said he was a shoemaker and tanner 
 by trade. He had two daughters: 
 Lydia Ann, who married Henry Mil- 
 ton Ketchum and removed to Min- 
 nesota; and Jane Amanda. Mr. 
 Foote afterwards sold and went to 
 St. Paul, Minnesota. 
 
 Gideon Minor lived next. I think 
 he taught school in his younger 
 days. He had one daughter, Jennie, 
 who married James Barnes of Bing- 
 hamton, N. Y. 
 
 Coming back down North Maple 
 street there used to stand a house a 
 little north of the hotel, an old 
 couple by the name of Barnum lived. 
 The house has been gone for a good 
 many years. 
 
 Next on the list is the hotel kept 
 by Luman Miles. He run a hotel 
 and farmed it there for a good many 
 years. He had two sons and two 
 daughters: Leroy, married Hattie 
 Durham, kept hotel at East Corners; 
 Frank, married Mary Bump; Helen^, 
 married Charles Johnson, and Dilla 
 married George Race. 
 
 Going down West Main street and 
 the first house was where Daniel 
 Hays lived. He was a tanner by 
 trade and worked at his trade. There 
 was a tannery near his house. He 
 was a strong supporter in the M. E. 
 church. He had two stons and two 
 daughters: Liza, married Edward 
 Smith; Anna, never married; Edgar 
 and Hamilton, 
 
 The next house is where Zenas 
 Hutchinson lived, who had two 
 daughters: Sophia, who died at 17 
 years of age, and Callista, who 
 married Chauncey Williams. Hutch- 
 inson soon after sold to Romeo War- 
 ren, who in a few years sold to Dr. 
 Harvey iBeardsley. It was after- 
 wards owned by John Kales and 
 then by his son James, then by Mrs. 
 James Kales, and now by Charles 
 Hoyt. 
 
 Coming back and on the other 
 side of the road in what is known as 
 the Kingsley house was where Wil- 
 liam Porter lived. Afterwards C. K. 
 Pierce lived there, who had tv/o sons 
 and two daughters. He was the 
 father of Frank Pierce, so well 
 known in Coventry.. C. K. Pierce 
 was a carpenter by trade. Helen 
 married George Barnett; Lovie 
 married Perry Van Dusen; Frank 
 
80 
 
 HISTOKV OF THK TOWN OF COVExNTRY 
 
 married Ida Wylie. The ereamery 
 and the house where Ralph Hinsdale 
 now lives was not built then. 
 
 Then opposite the hotel was 
 where Calvin Blakesley lived, who 
 was Justice of the Peace for twenty- 
 four years. He afterwards sold and 
 bought the farm west of the village 
 now owned by Hubert Wade. He 
 had two sons: Clement, who mar- 
 ried Emeline Hoyt, and Calvin, who 
 went to Canada to live. 
 
 I left out one house on Maple 
 street, the house now owned by 
 Charles Fisk. It was owned by 
 Augustus Rice, a cooper by trade 
 
 The house on East Main street 
 known as the John Southworth 
 house was not built then. 
 
 Going south from the Four Cor- 
 ners you came to the M. E. church, 
 which was built in 1853, and the old 
 school which stood just beyond was 
 built the same year. That has been 
 removed and a new one built some 
 twelve years ago. 
 
 The next two houses was not there 
 in 1853. In getting the Packard fam- 
 ily I missed one, Ann^a Packard, 
 who married Ira Benedict. 
 
 Lemuel Lewis, one of a family of 
 eleven, was born Dec. 17, 1804, in 
 Wolcott, New Haven county, Conn., 
 and remained there until fifteen 
 years old; then he moved to Plaiu- 
 ville, Hartford county, named the 
 town and built the first house in 
 Plainville. He moved from there 
 to Coventry Nov. 12, 1835. He had 
 three daughters and one son. Mr. 
 Lewis built the M. E. church in Cov- 
 entry from the foundation, done the 
 inside work of both the other 
 churches and raised two bells in the 
 steeple of the Second Congregational 
 church. On his 9 2d birthday they 
 made him a suprise at his son's, 
 Charles licwis. in Coventry, Dec. 17. 
 
 I will tell all that was wrote about 
 it but will say there were fifty- 
 eight present. I will give the article 
 written and read by Mrs. S. B. 
 Wilder: 
 
 Ti'lbute to Mr. JLeiiiuel Lewis on 
 His 92(1 Birthday 
 
 Ninety-two years ago today in the 
 town of Wolcott, New Haven county, 
 Conn., our esteemed friend first 
 opened his baby eyes with wonder 
 on this strange world, and since that 
 time life's Journey has been long to 
 the weary one whom today we greet. 
 Many changes have came to him all 
 along life's way. He has seen both 
 shadow and sunshine, and some- 
 ,times it has seemed as if the clouds 
 would never roll by, but such is not 
 life; the clouds will roll away from 
 every burdened heart and we trust 
 today our aged friend is looking 
 towards the setting sun with joy 
 and trusting in a life of unfading 
 sunlight beyond. 
 
 Just now, we pause, along life's way, 
 
 .4nd count the rapid flight of 
 
 time; 
 
 Ah! Olden memories come today. 
 
 And long lost strains of auld lang 
 
 syne. 
 
 Ninety-two years with hopes and 
 care. 
 With childhood's joys and youth's 
 bright dream; 
 And manhood's toiling strong and 
 brave. 
 While rowing far out on life's 
 stream. 
 
 Oftimes the journey has been rough, 
 And burdens seemed too great to 
 bear; 
 
 Yet Jesus telleth all the way 
 Of rest unbroken "over there." 
 
 Ninety-two years, with changing 
 
 scenes. 
 With home and friends, with 
 
 cheering words, 
 With joy and love, with grief and 
 
 tears. 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 81 
 
 With music and with broken 
 chords. 
 
 There will be briers where roses 
 bloom, 
 There will be budding hopes 
 crushed down; 
 There will be harps with broken 
 strings 
 For every cross there is a crown. 
 
 There in that land we'll never grow 
 old, 
 The feet shall never tire with 
 care; 
 No silver thread among the gold; 
 No night, nor tearful watching 
 there. 
 
 Yet when thy feet shall touch the 
 stream. 
 Thou shalt not sink beneath the 
 tide, 
 For faith in Jesus then shall bear 
 Thee safely to the other side. 
 
 Then God be with you till we meet. 
 Where toil and tears are e'er un- 
 known. 
 Across the river, bye and bye, 
 vVe'll dwell forever safe at home. 
 As has already been said I can 
 get but little personal history of in- 
 dividuals in this place, but I can get 
 a little from obituaries of some of 
 the town's former inhabitants, 
 
 Sampson 
 
 Emogene Louisa Martin, daugh- 
 ter of Frederic Martin, was born in 
 Coventry, Aug. 20, 1840. Her girl- 
 hood and younger life was spent 
 here. She was educated in the 
 schools of this place. In 1861, she 
 was united in the holy bonds of 
 wedlock with I. S. Sampson, who 
 with three daughters survive her, 
 having buried her only son in 1878. 
 The large portion of her life was 
 spent in Cincinnatus, N. Y., where 
 she was a member of the M. E. 
 church. In her life she was unself- 
 ishly devoted to her family and the 
 church. Such were the natural 
 sympathy of her heart that she was 
 often found at the bedside of the 
 
 sick. As a mother she was kind 
 and affectionate. She was over 
 twenty years the organist of the 
 church where she toiled unceasingly 
 to help to make the services of God's 
 house of the greatest possible help. 
 The last few years of her life was 
 spent in DeRuyter. Her failing 
 health prevented her from active 
 church work as she had formerly 
 done, but in her own life she was 
 the same sweet spirited woman as in 
 her more active years. September 
 11, 1896, she passed from this life 
 to the other. 
 
 Wylie 
 Judge Hawley J. Wylie was born 
 in Coventry, Chenango county, N. 
 Y., Dec. 3, 1833. When he was 14 
 years old his father died and at the 
 age of 17 he began teaching school, 
 attending Norwich Academy during 
 the summers. He left the academy 
 in 1855 and for two years was en- 
 gaged in mining for gold in Cali- 
 fornia. In March, 1859, he came to 
 Columbus, Ohio, and entered the 
 law office of Messrs. Greiger & An- 
 drews. On April 1, 1861, he was 
 admitted to the bar by the Supreme 
 Court, Judge Robert B. Warden, 
 and Noah H. Swayne, late Associ- 
 ate Justice of the United States 
 C!ourt, being the examining com- 
 mittee. Judge Wylie had a military 
 record which began in July, 1862, 
 when he recruited Company H, of 
 the Ninety-fifth O. V. I., made up 
 of Columbus men mostly. On July 
 18, 1862, the company was muster- 
 ed at Camp Chase, Judge Wylie be- 
 ing commissioned captain. The reg- 
 iment was sent to Kentucky, where 
 at the battle of Richmond on Aug. 
 31, it was nearly riddled with 
 wounded, captured and killed. On 
 December 5, his regiment not hav- 
 ing been exchanged, Captain Wylie 
 
82 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 resigned and began the practice of 
 law in the city of Columbus with 
 the late Judge W. R. Rankin. He 
 was elected city solicitor in 1863, 
 and re-elected in 1865, serving four 
 years. At the October election in 
 1881 he was elected Judge of the 
 Court of Common Pleas for the 
 counties of Madison, Pickaway and 
 Franklin. He took his seat on 
 February 9, 1882. His term ex- 
 pired on February 9, 1887. Dur- 
 ing his term he presided over the 
 criminal branch of the courts and 
 helped out on the chancelor side. 
 After his retirement from the bench 
 he resumed the practice of law. 
 Judge Wylie was a brother of the 
 late John Wylie of Coventry and an 
 uncle of Mrs. W. A. Baldwin of 
 this village. He visited here in 
 1911 and will be remembered by 
 many of the older inhabitants. — 
 Columbus, Ohio Dispatch. 
 
 Parker 
 
 James S. Parker was born in the 
 town of Coventry and lived here 
 nearly all his life. He was West 
 about five years and in his old age 
 lived with his son in New Jersey. 
 In his younger days he taught 
 school and was a farmer, and after- 
 wards run a grocery store. He was 
 quite prominent in town affairs, 
 holding oflfice of Justice of the Peace 
 for several years and I think another 
 office. For many years he was a 
 leading member of the Second Con- 
 gregational church of Coventry. 
 
 Watrous 
 
 Jerome Watrous was born in Cov- 
 entry in 1849 and spent all his life 
 in this town. Ho was much respect- 
 ed in the community where he lived 
 and in the whole town and he will 
 be greatly missed. He was a kind 
 
 husband and a loving father, and 
 had a good word for every one. He 
 leaves to mourn his departure a 
 wife, one daughter, Mrs. Pearl Bad- 
 ger, and one sister, Mrs. Eugenie 
 Parker. He was a farmer and ac- 
 cumulated considerable wealth. He 
 had been in poor health for some 
 time. 
 
 Wylie 
 
 Hubbard H. Wylie wa3 born in 
 Coventry Dec. 6, 1828, on what is 
 now known as the George Wylie 
 farm, and died at his home in this 
 town Jan. 16, 1910, aged 81 years. 
 With the exception of one year spent 
 in the West, when a young man, he 
 lived all his life in town and was 
 well known. In 185 7 he was mar- 
 ried to Miss Sabrah Brown of Har- 
 pursville, and soon after they 
 bought the farm where they lived 
 and where he died. Mr. Wylie being 
 a carpenter, built the house where 
 they have since passed fifty-two 
 years of life together. One son, 
 Jesse, was born and lived to be 19 
 years old, when he died in 1886. 
 Mr. Wylie was always a kind and 
 helpful neighbor and true friend, 
 with always a pleasant word for 
 every one. He had filled many of- 
 fices of trust and honor in town af- 
 fairs, and could always be counted 
 on as doing what was the right 
 tl ing. He will be greatly missed by 
 a large circle of relatives and 
 friends. 
 
 Hunt 
 
 Nelson G. Hunt, son of Benjamin 
 and Rebecca Hunt, was born in 
 Towanda, Pa., in 1824. He was 
 married to Emeline Hunt March 11, 
 1847, and five children were born to 
 them, four of whom, Frank R. Hunt, 
 of Newark. N. Y., D. N. Hunt, Mrs. 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 83 
 
 E. H. Wheeler and Mrs B. W. Par- 
 sons, survive him. Mr. Hunt be- 
 came a resident of this town in 
 1856, and has been an exemplary 
 member of the First Congregational 
 church for 43 years and was always 
 in attendance when able to be pres- 
 ent. He was a deacon in the church 
 for a number of years and was a 
 man of excellent character. Be- 
 fore disease came upon him he was 
 a man of more than ordinary activ- 
 ity and intelligence, possessing a 
 bright and cultivated mind. In early 
 life he was a teacher for seven 
 years, then was town superintend- 
 ent of schools. He was always act- 
 ively identified with the affairs of 
 the town, having held the office of 
 Justice of the Peace for 28 con- 
 secutive years. Mr. Hunt was a man 
 of influence, respected and loved by 
 a large circle of friends; a kind and 
 loving husband and father, a true 
 and upright man. He had been in 
 poor health for the past ten years, 
 and has been most tenderly cared 
 for by his wife and children.. He 
 passed quietly to a higher life of 
 immortality on Friday morning 
 July 21, 1899, at the advanced age 
 of 75 years. 
 
 Kales 
 
 James Kales, son of John Kales, 
 was born in Coventry and brought 
 up in this place. His early educa- 
 tion was received at the common 
 district school in this village. He 
 married Nellie, daughter of Ezra 
 Foote. The deceased has always 
 been thoroughly identified with the 
 interests of the community and 
 prominent in town affairs, holding 
 the office of supervisor, if I am in- 
 formed right, for one or two terms, 
 and in his death we lose a most 
 substantial and public spirited citi- 
 
 zen. He was ever ready to help the 
 unfortunate, and his life will be held 
 in affectionate rememberance by 
 many who feel that in his death, 
 they have received irreparable loss. 
 When a kind and loving husband 
 and brother dies the busy world 
 takes little note, but those who 
 knew his worth, and we who mourn, 
 desire to express our thoughts in 
 words of love. We cannot look be- 
 yond the stars. We cannot find in 
 this cold clay the consolation that 
 we seek, but the mystery that sur- 
 rounds this bier must be the perfect 
 working of the law, though hard to 
 bear, we must submit, and to thy 
 tender mercy, give back to thee, 
 this soul. He passed away April 27, 
 aged 49 years. But this we know, 
 and be it known, a gentle spirit has 
 been called. There are surviving 
 him a widow and two sisters, Mrs. 
 John Manderville of Brocton, Mass., 
 and Mrs. Charles Frieot of Bain- 
 bridge, besides a host of friends. 
 The services at the grave were con- 
 ducted in the rites of the Masonic 
 order. In this quiet burial place 
 and where the sky is nearly always 
 blue and the air is pure and sweet, 
 we tenderly placed him among the 
 flowers and with heavy hearts and 
 faltering steps, withdraw to await 
 the promises of God. 
 
 Mrs. Wood 
 
 Lucy J., daughter of Truman and 
 Jane Southworth of Coventry, was 
 born Aug. 8. 1840. Her youthful 
 days were spent there; her educa- 
 tion was acquired at the district 
 school. At the age of 26 on Sept. 
 26, she was united in hymeneal 
 bonds with Wallace W. Wood of 
 Cincinnatus, .N Y., and since that 
 date has resided in that place. Of 
 this union one son was born, Frank 
 
8J^ 
 
 HISTORY OF THI'] TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 S. Wood of Taylor. Mrs. Wood, 
 having lived in Coventry till she was 
 26 years of age, she left many warm 
 friends here, and has always been 
 esteemed for her many admirable 
 qualities, her spirit of friendship 
 and interest in the welfare of others, 
 and her many kindly acts which 
 will not be forgotten. Her death 
 occurred April 11, 1912. She leaves 
 a husband and son to mourn the 
 loss of devoted wife and kind and 
 indulgent mother. 
 
 Thorp 
 
 John P. Thorp, an old and re- 
 spected citizen, a life long resident 
 of this town, and one that was much 
 esteemed by all that knew him. He 
 was the father of Mrs. J. E, Bartoo 
 of Greene, and passed away at the 
 home of his nephew in Rochester, 
 April 18, 1903. His remains were 
 brought to Coventry and buried by 
 the side of his wife, who had passed 
 on a few years before. 
 
 SouthAvorth 
 
 .John Southworth, son of Truman 
 Sr., and Jane Southworth, was born 
 in Coventry and spent his life here. 
 He farmed it till he got to be an old 
 man and then moved into the vil- 
 lage. He had one of those strong, 
 iron constitutions, and but few men 
 wanted to, nor could do the work 
 that he done. A singular coincidence 
 happened at his death which oc- 
 curred in 1911, he dying all alone 
 in the same house where his wife 
 died alone, a few years previous. 
 Truman Southworth, brother of 
 John, a highly respected citizen, was 
 born in 184?, and lived in this town 
 all his life, with the exception of 
 a year or two spent in Binghamton. 
 He was a farmer and somewhat 
 
 prominent in town affairs, holding 
 the office of highway commissioner 
 for several years. In early life he 
 married a Miss Elliott and lived for 
 a good many years in the north 
 east part of the town. They had 
 two sons, Guy and Ray. The last 
 three years of their lives they spent 
 in the vilage of Coventry. Mrs. 
 Southworth received a shock In 
 March, 1910, and another in No- 
 vember of the same year. She was 
 a great sufferer. She died on 
 Saturday, Dec. 31, 1910. Saturday 
 evening the spirit of little Ernest, 
 only son of Ray and Lena South- 
 worth, winged its flight to his 
 heavenly home, after an illness of 
 little more than a week of spinal 
 trouble. Mrs. Southworth was 70 
 years of age, she was a kind and lov- 
 ing mother and was tenderly cared 
 for by her husband and two sons. 
 She was a member of the First Con- 
 gregational church of Coventry. 
 Truman A. Southworth, the father, 
 died Jan. 5, 1911, only a few days 
 after the others, from Bright's dis- 
 ease. He had been in poor health 
 for some time. He left two sons. 
 Surely this family has seen double 
 and triple affliction within a few 
 days. 
 
 Allis 
 
 Spencer F. Allis was born in the 
 town of Coventry, N. Y., in 1836. 
 His early education was acquired in 
 the district school; his boyhood days 
 were spent there. He married a 
 Miss Kales, daughter of William 
 Kales. They had three sons and one 
 daughter. He was a farmer, and 
 also very prominent in town affairs. 
 He was one of Coventry's most 
 trustworthy men, having held the 
 office of supervisor for several terms 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 86 
 
 with marked ability. He was a 
 shrewd business man and a whole- 
 souled citizen. Mr. Allis moved 
 from Coventry to Greene several 
 years ago for the purpose of giving 
 his children better school advan- 
 tages than they could get at home 
 and to escape the hardship of farm 
 life. He died in 1888, aged 52 
 years, right in the prime of life by 
 an overdose of laudanum taken ac- 
 cidentally by his own hand. His sad 
 and untimely ending brought sor- 
 row to his family and to a large 
 circle of friends, who had known 
 him from his boyhood days. 
 
 Jones 
 
 Chester L. Jones was born in Cov- 
 entry, July 23, 183 2, and was mar- 
 ried to Sarah E. Rogers, Sept. 23, 
 1856. She died July 2, 1891, in 
 Philadelphia. Their children were 
 one daughter and four sons. After 
 the death of his first wife he mar- 
 ried Mrs. Esther Mumford, Nov. 17, 
 189 2. She has given him most as- 
 siduous and tender care in his ill- 
 ness and filled a difficult and trying 
 pl-nce in his home most admirably 
 Mr. Jones was very prominent in 
 town affairs, holding the office of 
 highway commissioner for two 
 terms, assessor one term, and was 
 Justice of the Peace for several 
 years. He had been trustee of the 
 Presbyterian church of Nineveh and 
 was serving his second term as elder 
 when he died. He united with the 
 church in Coventry when he was 20 
 years old. For 45 years he had 
 been a member of the Presbyterian 
 church at Nineveh. In the little 
 vale with its running brook, known 
 as Church Hollow, he came years 
 aso with only a log house to re- 
 ceive him. Here he erected build- 
 ings comfortable and convenient. 
 
 building the beautiful winding road 
 along the stream to the main thor- 
 oughfare. Here the smiling acres 
 answered to his toil with generous 
 harvest; two spears of grass grew 
 where one had grown before. How 
 much of toil, sacrifice and endeavor 
 is between these lines. Here stal- 
 wart sons and daughters grew up to 
 mature life. In all his efforts he 
 was seconded by his worthy help- 
 mate who was a helpmate indeed. 
 With age we look for weakness, in- 
 firmity, failing power, but our 
 brother had few marks of decay; 
 We did not think of him as old, so 
 youthful was he, until bereavement 
 touched him, and the wife of his 
 youth departed. He was a young- 
 man, then we saw the sickle of the 
 years begin to reap their harvest. 
 He was a man of energy and thrift, 
 the life of the husbandman demands 
 a strenuous life, he also found time 
 to work at carpenter work, and 
 thus interest could be met and the 
 debt slowly paid. All farmers know 
 what a life this demands. He was a 
 good neighbor. That word in cities 
 and large towns has lost its sweet 
 significence, we have what we pay 
 for, but money will not buy some 
 things, and that which money will 
 not command comes to rural com- 
 munities in the form of neighborly 
 offices, in bereavement, in disaster, 
 in sudden press of work. Long will 
 the dale where our brother lived so 
 long remember his cordial word, his 
 hearty hand grasp, his jovial spirit. 
 
 >Ian<leville 
 
 Ashal Mandeville was born in 
 Coventry in 18 — , and was the son 
 of Malancton Mandeville, who came 
 in here when it was all woods and 
 cleared his farm. Ashal's early edu- 
 cation was gained in the district 
 
86 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 school and in 1868 he married 
 Rachael M. Kales of Coventry, who 
 still survives him. Mr. Mandeville 
 retained the ownership of the home- 
 stead farm in Coventry, and of 
 which he became possessor; he culti- 
 vated this farm in a manner which 
 yielded profitable results, and he 
 was considered a wealthy farmer. 
 About 19 years ago he retired and 
 moved to the village of Bainbridge. 
 His retired life has been quiet and 
 unassuming. He loved his home 
 and devoted much time to reading. 
 He was a regular attendant at the 
 Presbyterian church. Mrs. Louisa 
 M. Curtis of Orange, N. J., is the 
 only child surviving. Mr. Mande- 
 ville left two brothers, one in Min- 
 nesota and the other at Brocton, 
 Mass., and a sister in New Haven, 
 Conn. There are two sisters of the 
 wife, one Mrs. S. F. Allis of Seattle, 
 Washington, and the other Mrs. 
 Sarah J. Cahoon of Elyria, Ohio. 
 
 Roe 
 
 Alanson Roe, a man over 90 years 
 of age, who came ,to his tragic 
 death by the house burning up, was 
 born April 18, 1808, in Dutchess 
 county. N. Y. He was married Oct. 
 16, 1834, to Miss Louisa Smith of 
 Coventry, a most estimable lady by 
 whom he had seven children, four 
 of whom survive him. Mrs. Roe 
 died March 20, 1888. They cele- 
 brated their golden wedding in 1884. 
 Mr. Roe was a genial, kindly man 
 and had been a consistent member 
 of the Second Congregational 
 church of Coventry for upwards of 
 40 years. He was a man that took 
 keen interest in the affairs of church 
 and State up to the time of his 
 death. He had a remarkable mem- 
 ory and had committed to memory 
 a great many chapters of the Bible, 
 
 and took great delight in conversing 
 about spiritual things. He knew in 
 whom he believed and said but a 
 short time before he met his sad 
 death, that he was only waiting the 
 master's call. He rests from his 
 labors, and his works do follow him. 
 
 Mrs. John P. Thorp 
 
 The many friends of Mrs. John P. 
 Thorp were deeply grieved to hear of 
 her death, which occurred at her 
 home at Coventry .March 11, 1911, 
 aged 74 years. Mrs. Thorp's maiden 
 name was Diana Waters. She was 
 born in Coventry in October, 1827, 
 being the daughter of Russell and 
 Roxey Waters, and the third child 
 in a family of five. In the fall of 
 1848 she was united in marriage to 
 John P. Thorp and the young couple 
 resided in Oxford for four years. In 
 1852 they returned to Coventry and 
 took their residence at the pleasant 
 place which has since been their 
 home for over 50 years, and where, 
 one daughter, Florence, was born to 
 them. Mrs. Thorp w^as a member of 
 the Second Congregational church of 
 Coventry and her strong Christian 
 spirit, affectionate disposition, and 
 sympathetic nature that were hers, 
 have so endeared her to those she 
 came in contact with, that her death 
 brings an acute sense of personal 
 loss and grief to all who knew her. 
 She had been in failing health for 
 several years, but always met her 
 friends with a cheerful smile, and 
 at the last, the end came suddenly, 
 and she slipped away from this mor- 
 tal life into that life which is im- 
 mortal. She was survived by her 
 aged husband, but he is now gone, 
 and one daughter, Mrs. Jesse Bartoo 
 of Greene, who have the sympathy 
 of all in their loss. She was laid to 
 rest in the cemetery at Coventry. 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 87 
 
 Landers 
 
 Mrs. Dotha Landers, the oldest 
 person then living in the town of 
 Coventry, died at her home in Wil- 
 kins Settlement, on Jan. 16, 1892, at 
 the advanced age of 98 years and 
 some months. The funeral was at- 
 tended at her late residence, the 
 home of Melvin Lyon, on the 18th. 
 Mrs. Landers was one of those droll 
 characters seldom found, but when 
 once seen always remembered. She 
 was a good, well meaning woman^ 
 but her hobbies were numerous and 
 the earnestness with which she de- 
 nounced all secret societies and 
 harmless amusements gave rise to 
 much good natured hilarity among 
 the young people, and Aunt Dotha, 
 as she was familiarly called, was 
 well known far and near. She pre- 
 served her physical strength to a re- 
 markable degree and was able to 
 walk about and to visit her neigh- 
 bors until the very last years of her 
 life. She told many stories of the 
 far past, which were received with 
 pleasure. One of her sisters was a 
 district school teacher of consider- 
 able note in the good old time, and 
 Mrs. Landers frequently mentioned 
 with considerable pride the fact that 
 Henry Ward Beecher, when a boy 
 used to attend her sister's school. 
 Thus, one by one, the very few 
 links left that connect us with the 
 past century are passing away. 
 
 Warren 
 
 Elisha M. Warren was born in the 
 town of Coventry. His early educa- 
 tion was gained in the common 
 schools. He was married Sept. 18, 
 1879. His home was in Coventry 
 until he became middle aged, when 
 he removed to Bainbridge and has 
 been associated with Jesse Ander- 
 son, under the firm name of Warren 
 
 & Anderson in the boot and shoe 
 business for about 30 years. He 
 died on the road of heart failure, 
 between Sidney and Bainbridge 
 while coming home from camp meet- 
 ing. He was 76 years old and was 
 buried at Coventryville. 
 
 Smith 
 
 Russell M. Smith was a son of 
 Clark Smith and was born in Cov- 
 entry Jan. 26, 1813. His whole life 
 was spent in his native town and 
 within a short distance of the place 
 of his birth. In early life he united 
 with the Second Congregational 
 church of Coventry and was for a 
 number of years a deacon in that 
 church. Later he removed to 
 Church Hollow and became a mem- 
 ber and a ruling elder in the Presby- 
 terian church in Nineveh. He after- 
 wards returned to his farm where 
 he died, and connected himself with 
 the First Congregational church of 
 Coventry, of which he was a faithful 
 and esteemed member at the time of 
 his death. July 4, 1838, he was 
 married to Miss Annette Beecher, a 
 sister of Dr. H. H. Beecher, late of 
 Norwich, who preceded him to the 
 grave March 21, 1877. Three chil- 
 dren were born to them, but one of 
 whom is living, C. Eugene Smith, 
 who resides about one mile from the 
 old homestead in Coventry. Mr. 
 Smith was truly one of nature's 
 noblemen. He was naturally of a 
 retiring and unassuming disposition 
 but was never backward nor slow to 
 do, when service was needed and his 
 fellow men could be helped. He 
 carried his Christian principles into 
 his daily life. His Christian faith 
 moved and controlled him in all his 
 actions and was a constant strength 
 and joy to him in all of his ex- 
 periences. He won and held the 
 
ss 
 
 HISTORY OF THP: TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 highest respect and esteem of all 
 who knew him. His life went out 
 peacefully in the full assurance of 
 the Christian hope. In his death 
 his native town has lost one of its 
 oldest and best citizens, and the 
 church of which he was a member, 
 and the circle of friends and rela- 
 tives, will long feel their loss. 
 
 Andrews 
 
 Death has again invaded our 
 quiet community and taken two of 
 our most highly esteemed citizens. 
 On Thursday of last week the peo- 
 ple about here were pained to learn 
 of the death of Henry Andrews, 
 which occurred early that morning 
 at his late residence. Mr. Andrews 
 was a soldier and a member of the 
 114th Regt. during the Civil war, 
 not entering the service for the sake 
 of a bounty, as he got none, but like 
 many others he left family, home 
 and friends to defend his country 
 out of pure patriotism. He was 
 dangerously wounded at the battle 
 of Cedar Creek, from which he so 
 far recovered as to enjoy comfort- 
 able health for many years after the 
 war, but in these later years the old 
 wound ulcerated and he suffered 
 much for a long time until at last 
 death came to his relief. He was 
 the soul of honor in all the business 
 relations of life. In his youth he 
 became converted and united with 
 the Baptist church of Coventry, of 
 which he was deacon at the time of 
 his death. He leaves a wife but no 
 children. The funeral took place at 
 the North Afton church on Friday 
 afternoon, Oct. 10. His pastor. Rev. 
 George Boler, preached the sermon 
 and his comrades of the G. A. R. 
 bore his remains to the cemetery 
 near by where they were committed 
 to the dust. 
 
 White 
 
 A few hours later the community 
 was again saddened to hear that 
 Vincent White had passed away. 
 He had been in poor health for over 
 a year and his death was not alto- 
 gether a surprise. He had been a 
 resident of this place for many 
 years and carried on the business of 
 harness maker with honesty and 
 ability, and was held in high estima- 
 tion by the community. Mr. White 
 was a consistent member of the 
 Second Congregational church of 
 Coventry. He leaves a wife and four 
 grown up sons to mourn him. 
 
 Seymour 
 
 Josiah Seymour, born and brought 
 up, married and lived here till mid- 
 dle age, was one of Coventry's prom- 
 inent men. Always quiet and in- 
 offensive, with a good word for all. 
 He left farming and moved to Bain- 
 bridge, working in the foundry for 
 several years. He was the inventor 
 of the Seymour plow that was so 
 popular several years ago. He died 
 at Port Jervis. His remains were 
 brought back here for interment. 
 
 Converse 
 
 Mrs. Alvin Converse, a former 
 resident of this town, but late of 
 Bainbridge, was buried at Coventry 
 Jan. 12. 
 
 Beechei- 
 
 Dr. Harris H. Beecher was born 
 in Coventry, Nov. 21, 1820. His 
 father. Parson Beecher, was one of 
 the early pioneers of the county, 
 having removed from Salem, Conn., 
 now Naugatuck, to Coventry in 
 1806. In January, 1808, Parson 
 Beecher was united in marriage 
 with Margaret Porter and began life 
 in a log house; later he built the 
 first frame house upon what was 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 89 
 
 known at the "Livingston tract," 
 and the first between Bainbridge 
 and Greene. Here Dr. Beecher was 
 born and spent his boyhood days. 
 Having suffered an injury, which 
 produced long and painful lameness, 
 he found himself incapiaciated from 
 manual labor, and at the age of 
 sixteen entered Oxford Academy for 
 a course of study. He remained at 
 Oxford for four years, teaching at 
 intervals. He then took up the 
 study of medicine and first read 
 with local practioners and then go- 
 ing to Binghamton entered the 
 office of Dr. Davis, later of Chicago 
 and one of the most eminent mem- 
 bers of the medical profession in 
 the world. Later he graduated from 
 the medical college at Castleton, Vt., 
 and in 1848, settled in North Nor- 
 wich and began practice. He was 
 eminently successful in his profes- 
 sion and soon had a large and lucra- 
 tive ride. He became very popular 
 with his fellow townsmen and was 
 elected to various town offices. He 
 was superintendent of schools for a 
 number of years and in 1859 repre- 
 sented the town on the Board of 
 Supervisors. Before the Civil war 
 Dr. Beecher was a Democrat in poli- 
 tics, but when the first shot was 
 fired on Port Sumpter, he promptly 
 responded to the call of patriotism 
 and announced himself on the side 
 of the Union. He became active in 
 advancing the cause of the North 
 both by speeches and by urging men 
 to enlist, and in 1862 decided to 
 enter the ranks of the army. He 
 offered his services to Governor 
 Seymour and after a successful pass- 
 ing the required examination was 
 commissioned assistant surgeon and 
 assigned to the 114th Regiment, N. 
 Y. Volunteers. Dr. Beecher went to 
 the front with his regiment and by 
 
 his assidious attention and sympa- 
 thetic heart won the esteem of all 
 the boys. Said a veteran of the reg- 
 iment to the writer, when it was 
 known that Dr. Beecher could not 
 survive, "there was no man in the 
 regiment more universally loved 
 than he." After the regiment went 
 to Louisiana he was ordered by Gen- 
 eral Banks to take charge of the U. 
 S. Marine General Hospital at New 
 Orleans. Here he remained for 
 nine months and when he left to 
 enter upon the Red River cam- 
 paign, was presented with an ele- 
 gant gold headed cane and other 
 valuable tokens of appreciation by 
 the soldiers for whom he had cared. 
 From ,that time on he was conti- 
 uously in active service and in the 
 Shenandoah Valley was the only 
 medical officer with his regiment. 
 He returned with the 114th and 
 then decided to locate in Norwich. 
 He gave his time to his profession 
 and literary work. Desiring the 
 noble deeds of his brave comrades 
 should be perpetuated, he wrote and 
 published a "Record of the 114th 
 Regiment, N. Y. S. V.," which made 
 a work of nearly 600 pages and is 
 conceded to be one of the best regi- 
 mental histories ever written. Dur- 
 ing his residence in Norwich, Dr. 
 Beecher was one of the best known 
 and most popular citizens of the 
 town. He was foremost in every- 
 thing that pertained to the public 
 good. He was made a trustee of the 
 Norwich Academy and president of 
 the board. He took much interest 
 in everything that had to do with 
 soldiers, and was one of the charter 
 members of Smith Post, G. A. R. 
 It was through his instrumentality 
 that Memorial Day was first observ- 
 ed in Norwich. He also suggested 
 the organization of the 114th regi- 
 
90 
 
 lllSTOUY OF THK TOWN OF COVFXTRY 
 
 mental association and became its 
 corresponding secretary, an office he 
 held at his death. At the reunions 
 he was ever a prominent figure and 
 contributed in a large measure to 
 their success. In later years his 
 favorite project was a soldiers' mon- 
 ument, towards which he stood 
 ready to give $500.00, but he never 
 succeeded in overcoming the indif- 
 ference of the public. He succeeded 
 the late George W. Avery. M. D., 
 as pension examiner and when a 
 board was organized was made its 
 president. He held the place till the 
 advent of President Cleveland, when 
 he gave way to men of Democratic 
 faith. He was reappointed to the 
 office and would have entered upon 
 the duties had his health permitted. 
 In 1874 he was elected Member of 
 Assembly from Chenango and serv- 
 ed on the committees on public 
 health and joint library. While in 
 the Assembly he made an able 
 speech in which he advocated the 
 cause of compulsory education. In 
 his profession he ranked high and 
 filled various offices in the Chenango 
 County Medical Society. He was also 
 a member of the State Society and 
 of the New York Central and Ameri- 
 can Medical Association. He was an 
 ornate and ready writer and gave 
 many carefully prepared lecturea 
 and addresses on medical, agricul- 
 tural, scientific and political sub- 
 jects. His last public appearance as 
 a speaker was when he gave an ad- 
 dress of welcome to Capt. Harrison 
 Clark on his return from the State 
 encampment at Binghamton, where 
 he was elected State Commander. 
 Dr. Beecher never married. At his 
 death he was survived by three 
 brothers, Daniel and Hector Beecher 
 of Coventry, and Harry Beecher of 
 Norwich, and two sisters, Mrs. Hoyt 
 
 of Pittston, Pa., and Mrs. Yale of 
 Binghamton. Genial, affectionate 
 and cultivated in his taste, he was a 
 true friend and a valued citizen. On 
 Sunday morning at seven o'clock, 
 July 14, 18 89, calm and peacefully 
 he passed from the ills and cares, 
 and troubles of life into the rest of 
 eternity in the 68th year of his age. 
 
 Simeon VV. Wai-i-en 
 
 Simeon was the youngest son of 
 Woodward Warren and was born in 
 the town of Coventry, Chenango Co., 
 N. Y., in 1830, at which place his life 
 was spent until the removal of the 
 family ,to Bainbridge in 1868. He 
 joined the First Congregational 
 Church at Coventryville in the year 
 1862, and July 4, 1864, was united 
 in marriage to Sarah A., only daugh- 
 ter of Deacon John Stoddard of that 
 place. For a long time his health 
 had been gradually failing and hop- 
 ing by change of scene and climate 
 to regain it, the winter of 1885, 
 was spent in Florida, with some im- 
 provement but during the summer 
 and autumn after his return, the 
 troublesome cough returned and 
 pain increased, until hoping to es- 
 cape the changes and severity of our 
 northern winter he again accompan- 
 ied by Mrs. Warren sought the more 
 genial climate, hoping for renewed 
 health and strength. But in vain; 
 weakness and prostration increased 
 until the one great desire remaining 
 to himself, and her who with sad 
 and anxious heart attended him, was 
 to reach home once more. They 
 rame the eleventh of May, and the 
 nineteenth he was assisted to the 
 room which he never left again until 
 the wasted silent form was borne 
 by others, thus lingering but a few 
 weeks after his return ere he pass- 
 ed to thp hind where no shadow or 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 91 
 
 pain or weariness falls. All his 
 life free from those pernicious hab- 
 its many acquire and Indulge in, 
 we only wish his example might be 
 Imitated. Of pleasant conversation- 
 al powers and gentlemanly bearing, 
 he ever chose to mingle with those 
 of cultivated tastes, and being an 
 ardent lover of music, found in it 
 a source of never failing enjoyment. 
 Many besides kindred hearts were 
 touched with sorrow at the tidings 
 of his death, and instinctively re- 
 call past hours, when other voices 
 joined his in pleasant evening gath- 
 erings. As a teacher of music he 
 was highly competent and earnest, 
 aiming to improve those under his 
 instruction. And for many years 
 led the choir and then to give ex- 
 pression to the sentiments as to 
 bring out as he would often say 
 "the soul of the words and music." 
 The members of the choir and Sun- 
 day school, who for many years he 
 was a leader, ever gratefully remem- 
 ber his labors with them, and the 
 few of his early friends in the "long 
 ago," so often sang with him, hope 
 through a Saviour's intercession to 
 meet beyond the storms and changes 
 of time, in the land of eternal light 
 and beauty, and join them in per- 
 fect song. At Bainbridge, N. Y., 
 July 26, 1886, he passed to his last 
 resting place, aged 56 years. His 
 remains were taken to Coventryville, 
 and buried with his kindred dead. 
 As the casket was lowered into the 
 grave amidst the evergreens and 
 flowers hearts echoed these beauti- 
 ful lines: 
 
 "There is a calm for those who 
 weep, 
 
 A rest for weary pilgrims found; 
 They softly lie and sweetly sleep, 
 
 Low 'noath the ground." 
 Or. Win. H. Beavdsley 
 
 Dr. Wiliaml H. Beardsley was 
 born in Butternuts, Otsego Co., 
 N. Y., in 1818. After preparing 
 himself for his profession he came 
 to Coventry and bought out Dr. 
 Prentiss in 1846, living in the vil- 
 lage and practicing till 1869, when 
 he removed to a farm three miles 
 south of Coventry and practiced 
 there till his death, which occurred 
 in 1886, in the 68th year of his 
 age. He stood high in his profes- 
 sion, and in 1859-60 was President 
 of the Medical Society of Chenango 
 County, where his skill was Well 
 known and appreciated and where 
 he stood high as a citizen in all the 
 walks of life. He was a consistent 
 member of the Methodist Church 
 and exemplified his faith by his con- 
 tributions and works and his in- 
 terest in the cause of religion and 
 good morals in the community in 
 which he lived. His wife was Miss '^ 
 Ca,therine Phelps, an estimable -' 
 Coventry lady who with four sons 
 were left to mourn a devoted hus- 
 band, a kind and indulgent father. 
 The legacy of a good name and of 
 good deeds were to them and bereav- 
 ed friends, a source of comfort and 
 consolation. It is said over forty 
 carriages followed the remains of 
 the beloved physician to the ceme- 
 tery near his old residence in Cov- 
 entry where he located forty years 
 before. 
 
 Romeo Warren 
 
 Romeo Warren was born at Wa- 
 tertown, Conn., Jan. 7, 1799, and at 
 an early age removed to Coventry 
 where he spent the greater portion 
 of his life. He married Miss Lucy 
 Lewis Nov. 6, 1822, with whom, if 
 he had survived a few days longer 
 he would have lived sixty-one years. 
 He was emphatically a self made 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OP COVKNTRY 
 
 a capital of energy, integrity and 
 perseverance, he accumulated a fair 
 fortune and won his way to the es- 
 man. Commencing life with only 
 teem and confidence of his fellow 
 men. He held at times several of- 
 fices of trust and responsibility. In 
 185 2 he was elected sheriff of Che- 
 nango county, and in 1866-7, he 
 was a member of the State Legisla- 
 ture. In both of these, as well as 
 supervisor of his town, he discharg- 
 ed his duties with great credit to 
 himself and the general satisfaction 
 of the people. For nearly half a 
 century he was a member of the Sec- 
 ond Congregational Church of Cov- 
 entry, and in his death which oc- 
 curred Oct. 25, 1883, in his 84th 
 year, that society lost one of its 
 staunchest adherents. Thus pass- 
 ed away not only one of the oldest 
 residents of the county, but one 
 who was universally respected and 
 esteemed. 
 
 Deacon Thaddeus Hoyt 
 
 Deacon Thaddeus Hoyt died in 
 Coventry, N. Y., March 21. 1867, 
 aged 67 years. Seldom does the 
 Church part with a more devoted, 
 honored Christian brother. He was 
 what the world so much needs, em- 
 inently a Godly man, a strict con- 
 scientious Christian possessing 
 largely the grace of charity and one 
 whose life a steady light, and whose 
 piety honored his Saviour. He left 
 the companion of his youth and ten 
 children, all professed followers of 
 Jesus; one a minister of Christ, and 
 three deacons in the church. Surely 
 his life work was well done. Infirm 
 in body, suffering painfully from 
 disease and ripe in Christian ex- 
 perience, he might well exclaim, 
 "Go and dig my grave today. 
 
 Homeward doth my journey tend; 
 And I lay my staff away 
 
 Here, when all thing earthly end; 
 And I lay my weary head 
 
 In the only painless bed." 
 
 Miss Mary Kales 
 
 In Coventry. Dec. 3. 1887, Miss 
 Mary Kales, daughter of Hon. Wil- 
 liam Kales, died suddenly of paraly- 
 sis of the brain. The funeral was at- 
 tended on the following Sunday af- 
 ternoon at the home of her brother- 
 in-law, A. V. Tallman. Her father, 
 Hon. William Kales, had gone west 
 on a visit to spend the winter, and 
 being very aged, his infirmities did 
 not allow him to come home to the 
 funeral. For some years Miss 
 Kales held the office of post-mistress 
 of Coventry and discharged the du- 
 ties of the office with ability and 
 fidelity. She left many friends to 
 mourn her loss. 
 
 Hiram Blakeslee 
 
 Hiram Blakeslee, a life long res- 
 ident of this town and a farmer in 
 the southeast part, well known in 
 this community, died of congestion 
 of the lungs. He was well advanc- 
 ed in years and had been in poor 
 health for some time. 
 
 Mrs. Henry Stoddard 
 
 In Coventryville. Dec. 10, 1890, 
 aged 70 years, the mother of J. H. 
 Stoddard, who was so well known 
 in this section passed away after 
 suffering a severe and protracted 
 illness. 
 
 Mrs. Duncan Parker 
 
 In Coventryville, Dec. 18. 1860, 
 Mrs. Eliza Parker, wife of Duncan 
 Parker, died very suddenly. Appar- 
 ently in usual health she was play- 
 ing and singing at the organ, when 
 she stopped and complained of not 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 93 
 
 feeling well. No one was present 
 but her husband and in spite of his 
 frantic efforts to give her relief, she 
 died in a few moments. 
 
 Lucius Manwarring' 
 
 At Coventry, Nov. 8, 1895, Lucius 
 Manwarring, an old and respected 
 resident of this town, entered into 
 his reward and his funeral was 
 held at his late home Monday, Nov. 
 11. For upwards of sixty years 
 he had been a faithful member of 
 the Second Congregational Church 
 at Coventry, and he was ever ready 
 to help the poor and needy, and vis- 
 it the sick. He had been a patient 
 sufferer for a long time and had 
 reached the ripe old age of seventy- 
 eight years. He left one daughter, 
 Mrs. Sanford, of Binghamton, and 
 his wife, who had so patiently car- 
 ed for him during his long illness. 
 
 Mrs. Anianda M. Judd 
 
 Died, in North Afton, Feb. 1, at 
 the home of her daughter, Mrs. 
 Marcus Wrench, Mrs. Amanda M. 
 Judd, aged 70 years. Mrs. Judd 
 had been for several years a suf- 
 ferer from various infirmities which 
 in the more recent months gave rise 
 to serious nervous derangement. 
 In her last sickness, Mrs. Wrench 
 was assisted in the care of her moth- 
 er by Mrs, J. Shaw of Buffalo, a 
 foster sister. Mrs. Judd was a 
 native of Coventry, where she has 
 always lived. Funeral services 
 were held at the M. B. Church, con- 
 ducted by Rev. R. C. Lansing of 
 Coventryville. Mrs. Judd was sur- 
 vived by a husband, Joel Judd, who 
 was in extreme age and physical in- 
 firmity. 
 
 Beecher 
 
 In Coventry, March, 27, 1893, 
 Mrs. Betsey J., wife of Daniel 
 
 Beecher, Esq., aged 67 years. 
 
 Mrs. Frances Pliillips 
 
 Mrs. Frances Phillips, second wife 
 of James Phillips, of Coventry, a 
 very estimable and highly respected 
 lady, a devout and sincere Chris- 
 tian, for many years a member of the 
 Second Congregational Church of 
 Coventry and one much beloved by 
 all that knew her, a kind neighbor, 
 always ready to visit the sick and 
 lend a helping hand, passed beyond 
 this mortal life, after a short ill- 
 ness, at her home in Greene, Jan. 
 23, 1912. Her remains were brought 
 to Coventry and buried by the side 
 of her husband, who passed over 
 about twelve years before. 
 
 Mrs. Samuel Martin 
 
 Mrs. Roxie E., widow of the late 
 Samuel Martin of Coventry, died 
 at the daughter's, where she made 
 it her home in Greene, July 28, 
 1903, aged 76 years. Her funeral 
 was held on Thursday, at her home 
 and her remains were brought to 
 Coventry for burial. She leaves one 
 daughter, Mrs. William Kelley, to 
 mourn her departure. Mr. Martin's 
 people were, before his death, life 
 long residents of Coventry. 
 
 Dickinson 
 
 Mrs. Lucretia E. Dickinson, for- 
 merly Miss Lucretia Scott, who was 
 born in Coventry in February, 1832, 
 died in Angola, Ind., Feb. 26, 1902, 
 aged 69 years. 
 
 >Irs. Maria Hatch 
 
 Mrs. Maria Hatch, formerly Miss 
 Maria Hungerford, was born in 
 Watertown, Conn., in or near the 
 year 1805. She came to this 
 country with her parents in the year 
 1812. Her girl and youthful days 
 were spent in Coventry. At an early 
 
9U 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 age she commenced teaching school 
 and taught a good many years. 
 After getting along in years she 
 married Moses Hatch of Kattleville. 
 where she lived until his death, 
 which occurred in 1869 or 1870. 
 She had one son, named Moses, who 
 died in early youth. Soon after she 
 came to Coventry and ilved with her 
 sister, Mrs. Susan Judd, until her 
 death which was in 1884, after 
 which she made it her home wi,th 
 her nephew, Chauncey D. Hunger- 
 ford, until her death, which occur- 
 red Dec. 15, 189 — . In her younger 
 days she united with the church and 
 has always been a faithful member. 
 A large number of relatives and 
 friends gathered at the home of C. 
 D. Hungerford to attend her funeral 
 and to pay the last respect ,to the 
 departed sister in Christ. Rev. J. J. 
 Henry officiated. The departed was 
 an estimable woman and held in 
 high esteem by all who knew her. 
 Much credit is due the M. E. choir 
 for the fine music rendered, and as 
 one looked upon that face for the 
 last .time they could say "not dead, 
 but sleeping." Her deeds are her 
 memorial. 
 
 Passing away like the dew of the 
 morning. 
 Soaring from earth to its earth in 
 the sun; 
 Thus would she pass from the earth 
 and its toiling, 
 Only remembered by what she had 
 done. 
 Why should our tears in sorrow 
 When God returns his own. 
 
 Albeit Stoddard 
 
 Tn the death of Albert Stoddard, 
 which occurred at his home Monday 
 evening, the community loses a man 
 who has always been held in high 
 esteem by all those who knew him. 
 For nearly 80 years Mr. Stoddard 
 
 has been a resident of this town, 
 and during tha,t time has held many 
 offices of honor and trust. At an 
 early age he united with the First 
 Congregational church, of which he 
 has since been a faithful member. 
 For many years he held the office 
 of Deacon of the church, until fail- 
 ing health compelled him to remain 
 much at home. 
 
 Mrs. Eniiline Hunt 
 
 Mrs. Erailine Hunt passed peace- 
 fully away Monday, Sep,t. 28, 1903, 
 at the home of her eldest daughter, 
 Mrs. E. H. Wheeler, after suffering 
 intensely from injuries received in 
 an accident a few days previous, 
 while returning home from the Af- 
 ton fair, Sept. 25, with her daughter 
 and son-in-law. The funeral was 
 largely attended Wednesday, Rev. A. 
 Mclntyre officiating, and prayer also 
 being offered by Rev. Oscar Beards- 
 ley of Oxford. Intermen,t was made 
 in the Coventryville cemetery by the 
 side of her husband, N. G. Hunt, 
 who preceeded her to the other 
 shore four years before. Mrs. Hunt 
 had passed the 80th milestone in 
 life's journey a few weeks ago and 
 how little it was thought ,to be her 
 last birthday on earth. But again 
 we are reminded of the uncertainty 
 of life. Mrs. Hunt was of keen in- 
 tellect, was tenderly devoted to her 
 family, was a kind neighbor and 
 friend, and her cheery, helpful and 
 loving presence will be missed in 
 various homes and from ^the gather- 
 ings, social and religious, in all of 
 which she had an active interest. 
 The deceased is survived by a son. 
 Prank Hunt of Newark, N. Y., a son, 
 D. N. Hunt of Coventry and two 
 daughters, Mrs. E. H. Wheeler and 
 Mrs. R. W. Parsons, both of Cov- 
 (-ntry. 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 95 
 
 Matthew Hoyt 
 
 Matthew S. Hoyt was born in 
 1819. If he was not born in this 
 (town he came here very young. He 
 was a thrifty farmer, and one of 
 those hustling men that made farm- 
 ing a success and a good reward for 
 his labors. He was a man of prom- 
 inence and made a success of all he 
 undertook to do, holding many town 
 offices. He early united with the 
 Second Congregational church of 
 Coventry, of which he was a consis- 
 tent member all his life, and for 
 many years was deacon. He died 
 Jan. 14, 1891, aged 72 years. 
 
 Thomas Tiift 
 
 Thomas Tifft was born in Little- 
 ton, N. H., in 1829. Most undoubt- 
 edly his boyhood and youthful days 
 were spent there, and his education 
 received there. When a young man 
 we find him working in Millbury, 
 Mass. In Millbury, in 1851, he was 
 united in the holy bonds of wedlock 
 with Miss Elizabeth A. Parker of 
 Coventry, N. Y., and he came to the 
 Parker homestead where Ray Park- 
 er now lives. He built |the house 
 where Ray Parker now lives, but It 
 stood north some little distance on 
 the east side of the road. He after- 
 ward sold that and bought the first 
 farm south of Ray Parker's, long 
 known as the Thomas Tifft farm. 
 He built the barn that now stands 
 there and built the house also. He 
 lived there a good many years. 
 Some time in his life he lived in 
 Guilford a few years. He finally 
 moved to the village and lived there 
 the remainder of his life. He was a 
 member of the Baptist church, I 
 think, all of his life, one of )the 
 foremost workers and a strong pillar 
 in that church. He was a good 
 neighbor, sociable and kind, always 
 
 full of fun, well beloved and respect- 
 ed by all who knew him. They had 
 two sons and two daughters, all liv- 
 ing but one daughter. He quietly 
 passed away Nov. 26, 1910, and was 
 buried in the village cemetery. His 
 wife has since been buried by his 
 side. 
 
 John Niven 
 
 On Friday afternoon, Feb. 28, 
 1902, occurred the death of an o!ld 
 and respected townsman, John Niv- 
 en, aged 83 years. For nearly 60 
 years Mr. Niven had been a resident 
 of the town, and lived for over 50 
 years on the farm where he died. 
 He was always an honest, upright 
 man and had the esteem of all who 
 knew him. His wife died some 25 
 years previous. He was survived by 
 his son, George, who has always 
 lived on the home farm, and one 
 daughter, Mrs. Ella Truesdell, both 
 of Coventry. George Tyler Niven, 
 his son, died Jan. 3, 1911, aged 57 
 years. Mr. Niven had not been in 
 good health for several years, but 
 had not given up work un,til the last 
 of October when he had a severe ill- 
 ness and for several days it was 
 thought he could not recover. But 
 after a little he commenced to re- 
 gain his health. At Christmas time 
 he was able to ride out and the 
 prospeCit looked good for many 
 years of life for him. But a few 
 days later he commenced to fail, and 
 failed rapidly till the end came. He 
 was highly respected by all who 
 knew him, a kind neighbor and a 
 true friend. He always lived on the 
 farm where he was born. He was 
 married to Miss Sarah Allen, who 
 survives him. He was also survived 
 by two daughters, Mrs. Arthur Hunt, 
 who now lives on the homesetead, 
 and Miss Edna Niven: also one sis- 
 
96 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 ter. Mrs. Ella Truesdell of Coventry. 
 
 Chauncey S. Williams 
 
 Chaunoey S. Williams was born in 
 Coventry, Sep,t. 1, 1843. His young- 
 er days were spent here. His edu- 
 cation was acquired in the schools 
 of this town. He lived here till he 
 was about 25 years old and then 
 went west and was gone five years 
 in Wisconsin, and then came back, 
 and in the year 1878 was united to 
 Miss Calista H. Hutchinson in the 
 holy bands of wedlock, and lived in 
 ithe village of Coventry the rest of 
 his life. In his early manhood he 
 united with the Second Congrega- 
 tional church of Coventry, of which 
 he was a faithful member up to the 
 time of his death, which occurred 
 Jan. 31, 1912, in the 66th year of 
 his age. He never enjoyed good 
 health, but still he was not con- 
 fined to the house bu^t a few days to 
 a time, with the exception of two or 
 three sick spells until the last two 
 winters when he was not able to be 
 out for a long time each winter. 
 He was na,turally a quiet man nearly 
 always at home, a man highly es- 
 teemed and well beloved by all who 
 knew him. He was a good worker 
 and a strong pillar in the church. 
 
 Calista Hutchinson 
 
 Calista Hutchinson, wife of 
 Chauncey S. Williams, was born 
 Jan. 26, 1827, in Coventry. She was 
 the daughter of Zenas and Electa 
 Hutchinson. Her youthful days 
 were spent in this place, her educa- 
 tion was received here, and in her 
 youthful days she joined |the Second 
 Congregational church and lived a 
 consistent member all her life. She 
 was a very amiable woman and 
 much loved by all who knew her. 
 She never enjoyed good health and 
 
 for the last year or more her health 
 was very poor. She died Dec. 10, 
 19 01, aged 72 years. 
 
 T. 1). Paikei- 
 
 Timothy D. Parker was born in 
 Coventry in 1834. He had been a 
 life long resident of this town. He 
 lived with his father on the old 
 homestead. As he has been spoken 
 of once in this book we will not say 
 but a few words here. He died 
 Sept. 20, 1809, aged 75 years. 
 
 Mrs. Matilda Minor 
 
 Mrs. Matilda Minor passed quietly 
 away Sept. 24, 1910, a,t the age of 95 
 years, at the home of her son, Alan- 
 son Minor, where she had lived over 
 60 years. The deceased hed been a 
 faithful member of the First Con- 
 gregational church for seventy- 
 eight years, and had for some time 
 previous ,to her death been connect- 
 ed with the church the longest of 
 any of its present members. Mrs. 
 Minor was born in Connecticut, Feb. 
 12, 1815, and at the age of three 
 years moved with her parents, Ithuel 
 Blake and wife, and resided for a 
 number of years on their farm one 
 mile south of the village. Her first 
 home in those early pioneer days 
 was a log house. In 1837, she mar- 
 ried Frederic Minor, and a few years 
 later they moved to the farm which 
 has been the Minor homestead ever 
 since. He husband died 35 years 
 previous. A few years later she 
 lost her eyesight as the result of 
 cataracts and during all the years 
 of widowhood and blindness, and in 
 later years of gradually fading facul- 
 ties, both physical and mental, she 
 had been exceptionally and lovingly 
 cared for at the home by her son 
 and family. She was survived by 
 one brother, Alanson Hlake, of Eau 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 97 
 
 Claire, Wis., who was about ninety 
 years of age, and by two sisters, 
 Mrs. Sybil Hathaway of Cannons- 
 ville, and Mrs. Wealthy Horton of 
 Bainbridge, and by a son, Alanson 
 Minor, and a daughter, Mrs. F. C. 
 Pearsall, all of this place; and by 
 eleven grandchildren and fifteen 
 great grandchildren. She lost a 
 daugh(ter, Mrs. Amasa Hathaway, 
 several years ago. The deceased 
 was a woman of strong physical 
 constitution and strong Christian 
 character, and was always interest- 
 ed and enthusiastic in the welfare 
 and advancement of the church and 
 all religious and uplifting influence, 
 and ever in the family was loving 
 and patient, and thoughtful of 
 others and forgetful of self, and en- 
 deavoring in every way to be help- 
 ful to those around her. Her death 
 took from the village one who has 
 been for years a valued and highly 
 esteemed resident. She belonged to 
 a family line that have been ac,tive 
 in the Congregational church. Her 
 grandfather, Benjamin Benedict, 
 was one of the original members of 
 the church organized over a hun- 
 dred years ago and he was later 
 elected deacon. Her father, Ithuel 
 Blake, was for many years deacon; 
 and the name of Deacon Blake and 
 his sterling qualities are kindly re- 
 membered by the older inhabi,tants. 
 Her brother, Alanson Blake, was 
 also a deacon and an influential 
 member of the church; and her son, 
 Alanson Minor, has served in the 
 same capacity, thus being a repre- 
 sentative of the fourth generation 
 since ,the organization of the church. 
 
 Mrs. Catherine T. Beardsley 
 
 Mrs. Catherine T. Beardsley, wife 
 of Dr. William H. Beardsley, was 
 born in 1826, in the town of Cov- 
 
 entry. Mrs. Beardsley had reached 
 nearly the four score mark (79 
 years) of useful life in the most 
 eventful period in the history of the 
 world. She was a faithful wife, a 
 devoted mother, an earnest, consist- 
 en,t Christian through most of her 
 life and for more than thirty years 
 was a member of the Coventry M. E 
 church. The good example she set 
 in her all her life was a lamp to the 
 feet of all who knew her, and shed 
 its light like a halo over her de- 
 clining years. She left four sons to 
 mourn her loss: William B. and 
 Cory L. Beardsley of this town, 
 Frank Beardsley of Cazenovia and 
 James Beardsley of Manilla, P. I., 
 where he has a posi|tion as engineer 
 in the employ of the United States 
 government. Mrs. Beardsley passed 
 away in 1905, aged 79 years. 
 
 W. H. Benedict 
 
 The death of W. H. Benedict takes 
 from our midst another one who has 
 been a life long resident and one of 
 Coventryville's most highly respect- 
 ed citizens and a kind neighbor and 
 friend. He was a member of ,the 
 First Congregational church about 
 60 years, and was repeatedly elected 
 deacon, and for about 20 years at 
 one time and another. He was an 
 unusually efficient superintendent of 
 the Sunday school. For many years 
 he was a very regular and helpful 
 attendant at all ,the various Sunday 
 morning and evening and midweek 
 services, but owing to failing health 
 and declining years he had been 
 unable to be present as much of late 
 years. He had been gradually fail- 
 ing during the winter, having had an 
 attack of grip and later being af- 
 fected with heart trouble but more 
 especially a general physical break- 
 down. He had been able to be up 
 
98 
 
 HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 around the house a portion of each 
 day to the last. That he might be 
 more conveniently cared for he was 
 moved March 29 to the home of 
 his daughter, Mrs. Shaw, on the 
 farm adjoining. But Thursday 
 morning on the old Benedict home- 
 stead where he was born 81 years 
 ago, he quietly fell "asleep in 
 Jesus," as was sung at the funeral. 
 He was survived by his widow, Mrs. 
 Laniira Miles Benedict, who had 
 been a loving and helpful companion 
 along life's journey for 56 years; 
 two daughters, Mrs. Leroy Shaw and 
 Mrs. E. B. Matthewson; and a sister, 
 Mrs. Erastus Ives, all of this place. 
 
 .Mary W. Lockwoofl 
 
 Mrs. Mary Waters Lockwood, 
 whose death occurred on Feb. 20, 
 was born in Coventry, N. Y., March 
 7, 1832, and in that place grew up 
 to womanhood. There too she was 
 married on Oct. 14, 1857, to the late 
 Rev. William Herbert Lockwood, at 
 that time pastor of the village 
 church. Not long after they moved 
 to Lowville, N. Y., where jthey re- 
 mained until 1864, when Mr. Lock- 
 wood went to Wisconsin in response 
 to a call to become pastor of the 
 First Presbyterian church of Eau 
 Claire. The next year Mrs. Lock- 
 wood, and two children followed to 
 make their home in what was then 
 called the far west. In ,this new 
 country they labored together until 
 "the night came in which no man 
 can work," and the impress of their 
 Christian characters will remain a 
 lasting tribute to the lives ithey led. 
 They finished their work together, 
 for scarcely two months after Mr. 
 Lockwood was called home his lov- 
 ing, grieving wife was stricken with 
 paralysis and her active life was 
 over, though for six years longer she 
 
 was spared to her friends. When in 
 the early morning the message came 
 ,that she had ceased to suffer and 
 was at rest, a great wave of sorrow 
 swept over many hearts. Not to the 
 family alone, nor to the circle of 
 intimate friends was she missed, but 
 by the members of the church and 
 Sabbath school and the old set,tler8, 
 whose annual gatherings were once 
 gladdened by her face and voice, and 
 by the members of the Chautauqua 
 Club, who read together many 
 years and named their circle in her 
 honor. The Lockwood Art and Trav- 
 eling Club. Though she had suffer- 
 ed long none thought the end so 
 near, but it came even as she would 
 have chosen, painlessly and without 
 warning, a beautiful close to a beau- 
 tiful Christian life. 
 
 Reuben Rolf 
 
 Reuben Rolf was born on Long 
 Island in the year 1811 and lived 
 there till near the year 1837. when 
 he moved to Coventry and bought a 
 large farm three miles south of the 
 village. He was an enterprising, 
 thorough going farmer. At one time 
 he kept 100 cows and had a cheese 
 factory of his own. He was mar- 
 ried ,to Miss Esther Wood, who died 
 March 14, 1836. Elizabeth Wood, 
 his second wife, died Oct. 26, 1853, 
 aged 43 years. He had one son, 
 Moses, by his first wife and they lost 
 some other child'-en. His taird wife 
 was Minerva Phillips of Coventry, 
 their union was blessed with two or 
 three children. She died April 2, 
 1896, aged 68 years. In 1869, Mr. 
 Rolf sold his farm and moved with 
 his family to Virginia, where he 
 died .Tan. 11. 1879, aged 68 years. 
 
 James Treadway 
 
 .James Treadway was born in 
 Connecticut in 1816. moved to Cov- 
 
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY 
 
 99 
 
 eiiitry with his parents in 1824 and 
 was a resident of this town until his 
 death, which occurred in 1912. 
 
 The following is a short poem 
 written bj' Mrs. Cordelia Wilder, one 
 of Coventry's poets, the last one she 
 ever wrote. She was abou,t sick 
 when she wrote it and said if she 
 got better she would write another, 
 but she never lived to write it. 
 
 Shall Coventry's record be forgot, 
 And never brought ,to mind; 
 
 We'll have a thought of kindness 
 yet 
 For the days of auld lang syne. 
 
 Let memory now turn back the 
 scroll 
 
 Of years and by gone days; 
 And Coventry sure has struggled on 
 
 And needs a word of praise. 
 
 A busy thriving bustling town 
 We look it o'er with pride; 
 
 And count it ye,t as number one, 
 A fact that's not denied. 
 
 We have had our share of teachers 
 great, 
 
 And teachers wise in lore; 
 And poets, too, come in our ranks, 
 
 We cannot pass them o'er. 
 
 Good, honest merchants come in line, 
 They've served us well and long; 
 
 And they in story or song 
 Mus,t not be over looked. 
 
 Go where you will in foreign lands, 
 Where'er you chance to roam; 
 
 And busy memory ever turns. 
 To Coventry as the home. 
 
 Dear Friends: I sincerely thank 
 you, each one and all, in town and 
 out, for any assistance you have 
 given me in writing ithis history of 
 the town of Coventry. As much of 
 it had to be gleamed from the mem- 
 ory of a few of the older inhabitants, 
 the writer trusts that if some one 
 sees errors therein they will kindly 
 pardon. 
 
 OLIVER P. JUDD. 
 
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