CHAPTER VII.The Deming Family — John Deming, the Settler. |
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131 There were other families in Christian Lane, to whom we must now turn. The Demings were early on that ground. John Deming, settler at Wethersfield, in 1635, was a prominent and influential man. He married about 1637, Honor Treat, daughter of Richard Treat, brother of Governor Robert Treat. Their ten children were: John (Sergeant), Jonathan (Sergeant), Samuel, David, Ebenezer, Rachel, Frances, Mary, Hannah, and Sarah. John Deming, by his will, proven November 21, 1705, gives to his son Jonathan his fifty-acre lot at the west side of the bounds. Sergeant Jonathan Deming, born 1639, married first, Novem ber 21, 1660, Sarah Graves, who died June 5, 1668, the day of the birth of her fourth child. The baby, a girl, was named "Comfort." She became the wife of Nathaniel Beckley, son of Richard, of Beckley Quarter, and they —Comfort and Nathaniel Beckley —were the ancestors of many Berlin families. Jonathan Deming married second, December 25, 1673, Elizabeth Gilbert, and they had eight children. The names of the twelve were: Jonathan; Sarah, married Jonathan Riley, uncle of Squire Roger Riley; Mary, married Joseph Smith; Comfort, married Nathaniel Beckley. By second marriage: Elusia, shortened to "Luce," married John Edwards; Elizabeth, married Richard Beckley, grandson of Richard the settler; Thomas, Charles, Benjamin, Jacob, Mary, and Anna. Sergeant Jonathan Deming's home lot of one and one-half acres was on Broad Street, Wethersfield. He died January 8, 1699-1700. Elizabeth, his wife, died September 3, 1714. 132 According to Wethersneld land records, Thomas Morton bought of Jacob Deming, March 12, 1712-13, a tract of land at Rocky Hill "formerly Jonathan Deming's (father of Jacob, and who had removed back to Far)." We are coming near home now. According to Stiles, Jacob Deming (Jonathan, John), born December 20, 1689, married November 3, 1709, Dinah (daughter of Josiah) Churchill, who died October 3, 1751, aged sixty-nine. In the Christian Lane burying ground is this inscription: Mrs. Dinah wife of Mr. Jacob Deming, died Oct. 3, 1751, æ 69. When the meeting house at Great Swamp was seated, in 1716-17, Jacob Deming was given a place in the second seat, along with Samuel Peeke, Steven Cellsey, and Caleb Couls. At a meeting of the Society of Kensington December 7, 1730, Jacob Deming was appointed one of "a committee to order the prudentials for a school for this Society for the year ensuing." On the minister's rate bill for 1720, Jacob Deming received credit for "l l/2 bush corn & 1 1/2 pt a 1s. 2 l/2d." There was another Jacob Deming—Ensign Jacob, born 1713, who, with his wife, Lucy, joined the Worthington church in 1775. This Jacob died July 29, 1791, aged seventy-seven years. His wife, Lucy, died March 7, 1802, aged eighty-one. Their graves are in the Beckley cemetery. The births of two of the children of the first Jacob and his wife, Dinah, are recorded in Wethersfield; that of their son Moses, born September 8, 1720, is recorded at Farmington. Moses Deming and his wife, Sarah (Cole), were members in 1756 of the first church of Kensington and they joined the Worthington church February, 1775. Sarah (Cole) Deming died December 25, 1802, aged eighty-four. "Mr. Moses Deming, died January 16, 1795, aged seventy-four years and four months." Their graves are in Christian Lane. Of the children of Moses Deming and Sarah Cole, his wife: Seth, born 1749, married Hannah Gilbert; Sarah, born 1753, was the second wife of Lieutenant Roger Riley; Anna, born 133 1755, was the second wife of Landlord Elijah Loveland; Lardner, born 1765, married first, Mary (daughter Solomon) Dunham, who died February 5, 1815, aged forty-six. He married second, Sarah Griswold (Williams), who died October 29, 1852, aged seventy-three years. Their graves are in the Bridge Cemetery at Worthington. There were two other sons, Moses and John. Land records show that Moses Deming, Sr., deeded land in Christian Lane to his son Moses, January 4, 1792; to his son Seth, 1784-1792, and to his son Lardner, 1789, 1792, and 1794. (Thus far, this Deming line, with the help of Miss Julia Roys and Miss Ruth Galpin, has been constructed from many sources, a little here and a little there, without the help of a local family history. We believe it to be correct.) Moses Deming, son of Jacob, conveyed in 1789, to his son, Moses, Jr., thirty-six acres of land with dwelling house thereon, bounded east on Samuel North, west and south on highway, north on Charles Nott, reserving to himself use and improvement of north lot which was his father's. We do not know anything more of this Moses Deming, Jr. From the description of the property conveyed to him it is inferred to be that long known as the Edward Deming corner, where the meeting house formerly stood, and it is probable that Seth Deming, grandfather of Edward A., came into possession of his brother's place. Right here is a good opportunity to say that the memorial tablet placed near this corner, which has been credited to the Berlin chapter, D. A. R., was the gift of members of the Ruth Hart chapter of Meriden, Conn. A statement has been made that Roger Riley, elected town clerk in 1798, continued in office, with the exception of one year, until 1814. It has been found that the last year of Squire Riley's service was in 1816, and that in the meantime, Sylvester Wells and Seth Deming served, each one year. The town meeting reports for 1804 were signed by Seth Deming, Town Clerk. It may be of interest to know what were some of the exciting questions discussed at those early town 134 meetings. Roads were uppermost, then came the use of the "commons." At a meeting held January 25, 1803, it was voted: 1st, that the town will do something in restraining Creatures from running at large in the Highway. Voted, that all horses and mules shall be Restrained from running on the Highways at large. Voted 2nd, The selectmen with Ezra Scovell, James North Esq., and Jedediah Sage, are appointed a committee whose duty it shall be to designate the poor people that shall have liberty to have one cow Each in the Highway. Voted, further that every man who is not a voter in any of our meetings But pays taxes and does Military duty shall have liberty to have one Cow go at large on the Highway in the day time only. Voted, that all horn cattle shall be restrained from running at Large in the Highway Excepting the Cow Belonging to the poor people and them to be designated by the aforesaid committee who are appointed for that purpose. Again February 25, 1803: Voted that all Hog kind may go at large in the Highway through the year they being well yoked and a good ring in their nose. (Editor Beale: —Would it not be a good idea to revive this law to apply to some of the drivers of automobiles on our modern highways?)
Thirteen haywards were appointed at this time, and the town clerk was directed to "put the doings of the meeting into some publick newspaper." Another meeting was held April 18, 1803, "For purpose of making By Laws for restraining Horses, Mules, Cattle, Swine, Sheep, & Geese, or any of them from going at Large." 135 This first stringent effort at village improvement seems not to have met with approval. The next year, April 9, 1804, it was voted: "that Laws md April 18, 1803 for purpose of restraining Horses, Mules, Cattle, Swine, sheep & Geese from going at Large on the commons of this Town be repealed and be no longer in force. 'Test SETH DEMING Town Clerk" In Vol. 1, page 514, of the old Berlin Town Records appears the following entry: Seth Deming was born May 21st, 1748. Hannah Gilbert daughter of Mr. Ebenr Gilbert of Middletown was born April 7th, 1758; was married together 11th of June 1777.
They were buried opposite the Christian Lane cemetery in a lot on the Deming farm. The graves were enclosed by a high brick wall, which was afterward replaced by Demas Deming with an iron fence. Sophia Galpin, born September 4, 1783, was a daughter of Deacon Joseph Galpin, who lived opposite the house now known as the Doctor Brandegee place. Sophia was gifted, gay, fond of music and dancing, and withal very beautiful in person. Although her father was a deacon, the young girl managed to attend balls, where she found many admirers. When she was fourteen, Seth Deming, ten years her senior, made up his mind that he must have her for his wife, and for fear that he might lose her if he waited until she grew to womanhood before speaking, he obtained her promise then, and the two were 136 betrothed. Soon afterward a young lawyer met Sophia and fell desperately in love with her, but as she was bound to another, she refused to accept the attentions of her new admirer. The despair of the poor fellow, in consequence, was so great that he lost his reason and died in an insane asylum. Seth Deming and Sophia Galpin were married January 29, 1804. Their children were Seth, Edward, Cornelia M., Julia, Albert, and Catharine. Mrs. Deming played the organ in the old church before her marriage and for a year or so afterward. She was a sweet singer and as they say, her children took after her. As they grew up there were five of them at one time in the church choir. The daughter Catharine died of scarlet fever at the age of twenty-one. Albert was for a time a member of the firm of Plumb & Deming at the store recently conducted by Henry N. Galpin. Afterward he removed to Wisconsin. He had ten children. Cornelia M. Deming, second wife of Lyman Dunbar, lived in Buffalo. Julia married and went to Canada. Edward A. Deming went to La Harpe, Ill., bought a prairie farm, built a log house, married, and had five children. As he prospered he built a frame house, the first in the town, which is now a large city. After the death of Seth Deming, Sr., his son Seth lived on the old place at the corner, where the first meeting house once stood. After the sons and daughters had all left them, Mr. and Mrs. Deming rented the farm for a year and went west to make a long visit. Mr. Deming spent a year with Edward at La Harpe, while Mrs. Deming stayed with her daughter in Buffalo. A stone in the Bridge Cemetery at Worthington bears the following inscription: The grave of Sophia wife of Seth Deming, d. Feb. 23d, 1876, aged 92 years. Also in memory of Seth Deming, aged 65 years, and Bruce, his grandson and son of Albert Deming, aged 9 years. Drowned in Lake Erie, August 12, 1845. 137 Mr. Deming, when he started to come home from the west, had with him two children of his son Albert, Ambrose, aged nine, and Catharine, aged twelve, who were coming east to be educated. On the night of August 12, 1845, they were on Lake Erie, bound for Buffalo, where they were to stop for Mrs. Deming. Toward morning their boat began to race with another, which ran into them and cut a large hole in the men's cabin. Every passenger in that cabin was drowned. The women were saved. Catharine was taken from a window in her nightdress. After the death of his father, Edward Deming sold his farm and made arrangements to come back east in the spring of 1846, to care for his mother in the Christian Lane home. During the winter preceding, a terrible sickness prevailed about La Harpe and when Mr. Deming started on his way he carried in his arms a little wailing sick boy, James, while Cornelia clung to his side. These were all that were left of the family. Cornelia, now Mrs. Stowe, has a vivid remembrance of that long journey, of the canal boats and of the sympathy expressed for them. Little James refused to leave his father, but the women used to take care of Cornelia. The children were dressed all in black, even to black pantalets. That New England air would save the life of the sick child proved a vain hope. He died in two weeks after they reached Berlin. Edward Augustus Deming married second, January 10, 1850, Miss Betsey M. Morse of Litchfield, Conn. They had four children, a daughter and then twins, a boy and girl, died in infancy. The fourth, Edward, now lives in Hartford. Mr. Deming disposed of the homestead in 1862 to Bush B. Whitmore, who was the first husband of his daughter Cornelia. Their two sons, Arthur P. and Norman A. Whitmore, made five generations who dwelt under the same roof. The Demings obeyed the Horace Greeley injunction, "Go West, young man. Arthur P. Whitmore is engaged in gold and silver mining at Denver, Colo., and is the owner of several 138 claims. His brother, Norman A. Whitmore, is a railroad man in Nevada. Mr. Deming came to the village and bought the house now the parsonage, where his wife died November 19, 1886. Then, after the second marriage of his daughter, he broke up and spent his declining days with his two children. He died at the home of Mrs. Stowe in Cromwell, June 15, 1896, in his ninety-second year. Mr. Whitmore worked the Deming farm eight years and then sold to Luke Foiren. Now, after passing through the hands of several owners, it has shared the fate of other places in the vicinity and is a part of the New Britain sewerage system. The house is filled with Italians. Mrs. Stowe remembers that when she was a little girl her grandmother Sophia used to send her with pies and cakes over to Aunt Molly Gilbert's. Cornelia would stop for her friend Adeline Gilbert to go with her, and they would stay half a day with Aunt Molly, who seemed to like to have them there. She was bent double and her hair was white as snow. She kept a great axe beside the door for defense in case she was molested at night Her cow was stabled close to the house, and the hens sat on the table with her where she ate. When Cornelia came home she would give her some fresh eggs tied up in a rag. Mrs. Stowe remembers too that her grandmother used to send her over to the town house with delicacies for a worthy sick man there. Still another memory is of an old forsaken house east of the Demings, across the river, back of two great maple trees, where children played, and where tramps slept at night. That house was torn down sixty years ago. Grandma Deming always called it the "Steele place." Can any one tell us if that was the home of Dr. Joseph Steele, on whose land the meeting house was built? Dr. Steele had a son Ebenezer, who was a Revolutionary soldier. He married August 10, 1749, Sarah (daughter of David) Sage. According to Andrews, "She was the mother of thirteen children, from eight of whom, at the time of her death, March 139 16, 1823, had descended seventy grandchildren, one hundred and seventy-one great-grandchildren, and twenty-four great-great-grandchildren, making then in all, 278." Ebenezer Steele and his wife lived in this vicinity until after their children were born, when they moved to New Britain. Both lived to the age of ninety-four. Sixty years ago, diagonally across the way, south from the Steele place, there were foundations of another old house, all overgrown with cinnamon roses, tiger lilies, bell flowers, and "Bouncing Bets." Grandma Deming said the house was burned. Some woman lived there who loved flowers. Who was she? Further research has thrown more light on the Deming family. Seth Deming, Sr., whose grave is in the small enclosure opposite the Christian Lane cemetery, was a soldier in the War of the Revolution, and was promoted from the rank of lieutenant to that of captain in the 5th Regiment, Light Horse Cavalry. By a deed drawn in 1784, Moses Deming gave to his son Seth, land in Worthington Parish, "bounded east on Wethers-field line, south and west on Highway to extend so far north from the south highway as to make twelve acres, together with the dwelling house he lives in, and the barn thereon standing, which lands I judge to be worth £108 lawful money." This disposes of the theory that Seth bought out his brother Moses, whom we must place over in Beckley Quarter. This Moses died in Whitestown, N. Y., in 1809. The inventory of his estate included the following item:
In 1790 Moses Deming, Sr., deeded another tract of fourteen acres, to his son Seth, described as being land that he, Moses, bought of the committee appointed to sell highways and common lands. Hannah, daughter of Moses Deming, was the wife of Abijah Porter, a Revolutionary soldier. She died in 1829, aged sixty-nine. He married second, Sarah Hubbard, widow of Hart Hulbert. They lived in Beckley Quarter on the cross street 140 next north of Beckley station. The house which stood on the north side of the way was burned about the year 1845. The Jacob Deming mentioned, with his wife Lucy, was a brother of Moses, son of Jacob. Lucy was the daughter of Hezekiah Hart. Shortly before the death of Jacob Deming, Jr., July 29, 1791, he deeded land to Israel Deming, as expressed: "In consideration of the love, esteem and affection I have and do bear to my cousin Israel Deming." This Israel Deming was the great-grandfather of Deacon Francis Deming of Worthington village. Mr. Deming's line runs back through Israel, Abraham, Daniel, and Thomas, to Jonathan and John of Wethersfield. Demas Deming, youngest son of Capt. Seth Deming, born March 22, 1787, was a soldier in the War of 1812, with the rank of lieutenant, stationed at New London. He afterward went into business in Baltimore with General Ripley, father of the Confederate general of that name. In 1822 he went to Terre Haute, Indiana, where at that time there were only a few log cabins. Now, his son Demas is president of the First National Bank of the city of over 36,000 inhabitants. Demas Deming was so fortunate in his investments and business that he became what was uncommon in his day, a millionaire. Every summer he brought his wife, with four children and two servants, back to Christian Lane to spend a few weeks in the home of his birth. He died at Terre Haute, March 3, 1865. Fenn Wadsworth, born January 13, 1783, second son of Seth Deming, Sr., and his wife, Hannah Gilbert, served in the War of 1812. He married Sally Loveland. He was a physician. Moses Deming, in 1792, "for parental regard and affection," deeded to his son Lardner "a tract of land containing twenty acres more or less, bounded south on highway; east on Isaac and Abel North; west on my own land; north on Charles Nott . . . which said piece of land I estimate to be worth £117, lawful money." The father reserved for his lifetime the use of wood and feed on said land. 141 Mr. Deming was now three-score and ten years old and he seemed to be settling his own estate. We are trying to find the house where he lived. In 1791 the committee for exchanging highways order "Mr. Moses Deming to open the highway leading from sd Deming's to Seth North's, and that sd Deming be allowed a year to open and fence sd highway." The road east from Seth Deming's must be much older than this, to allow time for houses built thereon to have fallen into decay. As long ago as 1716, the town of Wethersfield ordered a highway through Great Swamp village. The road that runs east around the little schoolhouse, now ends at the Mattabesett beyond the house of George H. Ripple, but years ago it extended on easterly across the lots until it came out on the highway near the old Isaac North house, now owned by Aaron M. Bell. When Moses Deming was ordered to open this road nothing was said about bridges. Teams forded the river and foot passengers crossed on logs or waded as they chose. The Lardner Deming house stood next north of the school-house- In 1814, Mr. Deming borrowed $400 of Edmond Bol-dero and secured the debt by a mortgage deed on his place, described as "bounded North on Seth Deming, East on my own land and partly on Chas Nott, South on highway, West on high-way with dwelling house and other buildings thereon. Being the Homestead where I now live." In 1804 Lardner Deming was appointed collector of the State tax, an office of great responsibility. He married first, April 5, 1787, Mary Dunham, and they had six or seven children. William Riley, the eldest son, married Eunice Strong, daughter of Priest Nathan Fenn. They removed to New Lyme, Ohio. Their son, John Deming, invented the celebrated Deming pump. A daughter of Lardner and Mary Deming was married to William Crane of Augusta, Ga. Their descendants are still living in that city. Jane Augusta Deming, youngest daughter of Lardner Deming and his second wife, Sarah Griswold (Williams), married Mr. Ketcham of Birmingham, Ala.; she died there in 1882. A daughter, Mrs. Margaret Ketcham Ward, and her family, are 142 residents of Birmingham at the present time. George Griswold Deming, own brother of Mrs. Ketcham, went south with her and died a few years since at Rome, Ga. Mrs. Lardner Deming had a daughter, Nancy Williams, by her first marriage, who became the wife of Deacon Cyprian Goodrich of Kensington. Their two sons, William and Henry Goodrich, live in Philadelphia. Lardner Deming died December 6, 1855, aged ninety. His farm, with the old red house, was sold to Albert Belden of Rocky Hill, a Second Adventist. Mr. Belden, in the belief that the world was coming to an end in 1843, had disposed of his property, almost giving it away, and now that the calculation had failed he had to start anew. His children had not been sent to school, for the reason that they would have no use for an education, but they felt the loss of it keenly as they came to maturity. Mr. Belden tore the old house down, after a few years, and built anew on the same site. In 1895 the property had changed owners, and the house was burned to the ground. Still another built there is now occupied by an estimable Swedish family, Wall by name. Years ago, a young lady who lived at this Lardner Deming place was ill a long time. She declared that her head was turned half way around and no one could convince her to the contrary. Finally a new physician was called, who, when told of her trouble, said: "Anybody can see that, but I can set it right" He twisted her head about this way and that and then said "Now it is straight," and she said it was. By permission, the following extracts are given from letters written by Mrs. Margaret Dunbar Stuart of New York City: It is a delight to me after all these years to recall our neighbor Col. Galpin. Joseph Galpin was a colonel in the Revolutionary War and bore his erect military carriage at the age of eighty. He was a man of great personal dignity, of comfortable property and a large pension. Mrs. Seth Deming, his daughter, was a very beautiful woman even in extreme old age. Her daughter Cornelia was married to 143 my father's brother, Lyman Dunbar. I called upon her in Buffalo after she was eighty years old. Of the family, Mrs. Stuart writes that: They were the perfection of neat and perfect housekeeping. Col. (Jalpin's clock was always right. He had not a sun dial but he had noon marks, and four o'clock marks of the sun shadows by which he regulated his timepiece. I was often sent there to get the exact time to set our own clock by. This was before the days of matches. I have known my mother toward tea-kettle time, summer afternoons, to send there for a live hickory coal to light our kitchen fire. Deacon Daniel Galpin was brother to Col. Joseph Galpin and lived next door to Parson Goodrich, my grandfather. He was of a more ardent temperament than Col. Galpin. He spoke in prayer meetings, and was a warm abolitionist. In a wing of his house was a shop where he whittled logs into pumps. Also his daughter Mary utilized this shop for her dame school. One day there was a sudden noise and my brother, a little boy saying his letters, was greatly pleased to find the Deacon had fallen over his pump log. At one time Deacon Galpin put up a sign on his pump shop, "Anti-Slavery Books for sale here." This subjected him to some persecution and it was torn down by the roughs of the village. Colonel Joseph Galpin died December 26, 1840, aged eighty-six. Deacon Daniel Galpin died July 9, 1844, aged eighty-eight. |
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