Tolland — Early Settlement
Extracted from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879.
The tract now known as Tolland was originally a portion of the town of Granville, and remained so up to the year 1810. Settlements were made in this portion of Granville as early as 1750, by Titus Fowler, Thomas Twining, David Slocomb, Ebenezer Harding, Marvin Moore, Jabez Rogers, Pierce Marshall, James Hamilton, Abraham Granger, John Manchester, James Barlow, Samuel Hubbard, Moses Gough, David Fowler, and Robert Thomas, and John Hamilton. A house built by Titus Fowler in 1772, supposed to be the oldest structure in the town, still stands at Tolland Centre in a state of excellent preservation, and is occupied as the residence of Mr. Nathan Slocomb. Mr. Slocomb is a grandson of David Slocomb, one of the early settlers, whose son, Eleazer, died in Tolland some years ago. Denison Slocomb, now living in Tolland, is a son of Hull Slocomb, whose father was also named David. Mrs. E. O. Harding, a sister of Denison Slocomb, is living in Tolland. These three are the only descendants of David Slocomb now residing in the town.
Ebenezer Harding has but one descendant living in Tolland, his grandson, E. O., whose father, Timothy, died here.
Of the descendants of Marvin Moore, there are now in Tolland Eleazer D. and Fowler T. Moore.
Jabez Rogers had ten sons and two daughters, to wit: Leonard, Jabez, Samuel, Nathaniel, Asa, Percy, Russell, Martin, Dwyer, John, Lucy, and Sarah. Lucy died a Mrs. Rockwell, and Sarah, marrying Isaac Harding, died in Granville. John W., a son of Russell, and grandson of Jabez, lives in Tolland, as does Russell S., a son of John.
Pierce Marshall had five sons,--Pierce, Jr., George, Samuel, Dudley, and Gayos (Gains). Those of the Marshall descendants now residing in Tolland are Alonzo, a son of Dudley, James L., a son of Samuel, and Mrs. Alonzo Miller, a daughter of Samuel.
The sons of James Hamilton were John, Robert, Thomas, Henry, James, and Samuel. There are no Hamiltons in Tolland now save Mrs. Daniel Hamilton, a widow, whose husband was a son of Robert.
Titus Fowler, one of the pioneers, had six children, as follows: John, Titus, Jr., Chauncey, Eliza, Catherine, and Hannah. Eliza married Cornelius Slocomb, and, removing to Ohio, died there. Catherine married Judah Twining, and died in Tolland. Hannah married Marvin Moore, and died in Tolland. None of the descendants of John or Chauncey are living in Tolland. Amos H., a son of Titus, died in Tolland, and left a widow, who still lives here. With her reside her two children, Elbert E. and Ellen.
One of the ancestors of the Twinings, now living in Tolland, was Thomas, one of the earliest settlers. His children were William and Stephen, and three daughters. Of these latter, one married Joseph Wolcott, of Sandisfield, and died there; another married Chauncey Fowler, and died in Tolland; the third married a Mr. Graham, and, removing to the West, died there. Stephen removed to New Haven early in life. A daughter of William married Joseph Slocomb, and still lives in Tolland. Two of her brothers, Alfred and Stephen, reside in New York City.
Elijah Twining, a brother of Thomas, and likewise an early settler, had eight children, as follows: William, Eleazer, Ruth, Lewis, Judah, Timothy, Susan, and Lois. Ruth married Henry Smith, and died in Sandisfield; Susan also died there, as Mrs. Edward Wolcott; Lois died when quite young. Of Eleazer's living descendants, Mrs. Abigail Humphrey resides at New Boston, aged eighty-four; Judah R., at Hartland, Conn., and Pauly, at Barkhampstead, Conn. William, a son of William and grandson of Elijah, lives at Black River, N. Y., aged eighty-eight; Lewis, his brother, resides in the West. Mrs. Philander Twining, a widow of one of Judah's sons, lives in New Boston. There also lives her son, Nelson B. Another of her sons is Homer P., the town clerk of Tolland. A daughter of Timothy married a Mr. Goodale, went West, and died.
Abraham Granger had two sons and three daughters. One of the daughters married Allen Bidwell, and died in Tolland; another married Eleazer Spencer, and died in Ohio; the third married Nathaniel Gaylord, and died in Hartland, Conn. The sons were Launcelot and George W. Mrs. Fowler T. Moore, now living in Tolland, is a daughter of Launcelot. Her brother, Lafayette, lives in Winchester, Conn. Her living sisters are Mrs. H. C. Brown, of Barkhampstead, Conn.; Mrs. Alex. Sheldon, of Jamestown, N. Y.; and Mrs. Taylor, the wife of a minister residing in New York. George W., Jr., a son of George W., resides in Tolland; his sister, Mrs. D. H. Mills, lives in New York City.
John Manchester has no living descendants in Tolland. His sons were William, John, Shadrach, and Samuel. Shadrach lives in Plainfield, Conn.; Samuel lives in Barkhampstead, Conn.; William and John died in the West some years ago. Of the daughters of John, the original, one Married Mr. Murphy, and died in Tolland, and another, marrying Isaac Wilcox, removed to the far West.
|