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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
of
TOLLAND AND WINDHAM COUNTIES,
CONNECTICUT
Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens
and Many of the Early Settled Families.
Illustrated
Publ. Chicago - J. H. Beers & Co.
1903
H. E. H. Gilbert |
HON. HENRY E. H. GILBERT,
whose death occurred at the his home in Coventry, Mar. 5, 1895,
was for years one of the substantial men and prominent citizens
of that town. His ancestors and the families with which
they were allied by marriage were among the first families of
New England.
Born Dec. 17, 1822, in Mansfield, Tolland Co., Conn.,
Mr. Gilbert was a son of John and Anna (Hunt) Gilbert,
and a grandson of Major John and Mellicent (Goodrich)
Gilbert. His mother, Anna Hunt, was a
direct descendant of Increase and Cotton Mather, through
Rev. John Williams, of Deerfield, and Rev. Nathan
Strong, first minister of North Coventry.
Major John Gilbert, the grandfather of Henry
E. H., born Feb. 26, 1749, was an influential farmer and
leading citizen of the town of Hebron during his earlier and
most active business career. But for the last twenty years
of his life he lived in Belchertown. Mass., where he kept an
oldtime inn or tavern. He married Mellicent
Goodrich, who was born probably Sept. 29, 1754, at Rocky
Hill, in the town of Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Conn., daughter
of Oliver Goodrich and Temperance Wright, of that town,
granddaughter of Capt. Ephraim Goodrich of Wethersfield,
and his second wife. Widow Jerusha (Treat) Wells,
and great-granddaughter of Ensign William Goodrich, the
first of the name in Wethersfield, who came from England and
married in 1648 Sarah Marvin, also born in England,
daughter of Matthew Marvin, the first of the name in
Hartford. To the marriage of Major Gilbert and
Mellicent Goodrich, were born children as follows:
Mellicent, Mellicent (2), Wealthy, John, Bernice,
Samuel, Solomon, Harriet, Betsey, George, Anna (mother of
the late J. G. Holland, the distinguished author),
Josiah and Charles. Major Gilbert died in 1819,
at Belchertown, Mass., whither he had removed in 1799.
John Gilbert (2), son of Major John, and the
father of Henry E. H., was born in Hebron Sept. 25, 1775,
and married (first) Apr. 17, 1797, Cynthia Hyde, who was
born at Lebanon, Conn., June 18, 1776, the seventh daughter of
Major Elijah Hyde, of Norwich, Conn., through Samuel,
Samuel (2), Elijah and Major Elijah.
Mr. Gilbert settled in Mansfield, Conn., where for forty
years he was a merchant. He evinced much business
enterprise, and as a stockholder in the earliest mill built for
the purpose, was among the first to introduce the silk
manufacturing industry into the country. He was outspoken
in his temperance sentiments, and early in the century was
chairman of a county meeting held in Tolland at which the first
temperance society in the county was organized. As an
earnest, aggressive Christian his light shone no less
conspicuously. Mrs. Gilbert died
April 3, 1821, and Mr. Gilbert married (second) Dec. 1,
1821, Anna Hunt, of Coventry. He died Feb. 14,
1837. The children of his first marriage were: Cynthia
H., John T., Charles D., George O., Gershom C. H., Elizabeth G.,
Mary M. and Harriet A.; and those born to the second
marriage were Henry E. H. and Nathan S.
Henry E. H. Gilbert, the subject proper of these
lines, received his early education in the schools of his
neighborhod. He later studied under private tutors,
and also attended the high school of South Mansfield and
Andover. His father was a farmer as well as a merchant,
and Young Gilbert in boyhood assisted in the store, and
when sixteen years of age engaged in teaching school, which he
continued during intervals when his services were not needed on
the farm, which had been turned over to him for superintendence.
He retained his residence inMansfield until 1859, in which year
he removed to what was known as the Kingsbury
homestead, where he remained until 1866. He then
removed to the farm on which he spent the balance of his days,
and where his daughter now resides.
Mr. Gilbert was well and favorably known
throughout his section of the State. His political
affiliations were with the Republican party and he ws,
honored by his fellow citizens from time to time with an
election to about all of the town offices within their gift.
He was elected to the State Legislature for the sessions of
1868, 1872 and 1885, and served on the committees on Banks,
Constitutional Amendment and Temperance, being house chairman of
the latter. His religious connection was for more than
forty years with the Congregational Church, and for most of
those years he was either treasurer or member of the
Ecclesiastical Society committee of Mansfield and Coventry.
For nearly thirty years, beginning with 1866, he was treasurer
of the North Coventry Cemetery Association. He was an
enterprising and public-spirited citizen, and as a man bore the
respect and esteem of the communities in which he lived.
On Sept. 24, 1851, Mr. Gilbert was
married to Elizabeth W., daughter of Harvey
Kingsbury, of Coventry. She died Nov. 9, 1862, and on
June 27, 1866, he was married (second) to Mary J. Kingsbury,
a sister of his first wife. To the first union were born
four children, namely: (1) Mary died at the age of eight.
(2) Annie Frances married Edgar F. Storrs,
of Mansfield, Conn., and their children were Ada May,
Gilbert Holland and Raymond Homer, the
latter of whom died when young. (3) Henry
Kingsbury died when less than two years old. (4)
Hattie Elizabeth resides at the homestead. She
is active in church work and theauxiliary societies. For
years she has been identified with the Congregational Church.
She is a member of the Christian Endeavor Society, has been
secretary and treasurer of the Sunday-school since 1884, and for
several years has been a teacher in the school. Mrs.
Mary J. K. Gilbert survived her husband seven years, he
having died Mar. 5, 1895; she died May 31, 1902, aged
seventy-five years and five months, and both are buried in the
cemetery at North Coventry. She had been a member of the
Congregational Church in Coventry more than sixty years, and
treasurer of the Ladies Fragment Society forty-three years.
She was a liberal contributor to benevolent enterprises, and
although frail in health was for many years a faithful
Sunday-school teacher.
Source: Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham Counties,
Connecticut, Publ. by J. H. Beers & Co., 1903 - Page 180 |
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