MIDDLETOWN UPPER HOUSES

a history of the north society of Middletown, Ct.
from 1650 to 1800
with genealogical and biographical chapters
on early families.

Charles Collard Adams
New York: Grafton Press, 1908.

THE DOOLITTLE FAMILY

[transcribed by Coralynn Brown ]

   

PART ONE 1. Abraham Doolittle, who wrote his name "Abraham Dowlittell," born in 1619 or 1620, m. Joane ALLING, of Kempston, Co. Bedford, Eng. He was with his bride in Boston as early as 1640, but removed to New Haven before 1642. He was seven times deputy from New Haven to the General Court at Hartford. On July 2, 1663, he m. (2) Abigail Moss, b. Apr. 10, 1652, dau of John Moss of New Haven. Both Doolittle and Moss removed to Wallingford, as founders of that town in 1670. When the church was founded in 1675, Mr. Doolittle was one of the thirteen original members. He was sergeant of the "first traine band" in 1673; and in King Philip's war, 1675, his dwelling was fortified by a picket fort against an attack expected from the Indians led by King Philip in person. For a fuller record of Abraham Doolittle the reader is referred to the "Doolittle Family in America," by William Frederick Doolittle, M.D. of Cleveland, O., to whom we are indebted for most of the material in this chapter. The numbers are the same as in his book. The Wallingford well of Abraham Doolittle is still in use. (1908). He died in 1690. He had fourteen children. (8) Samuel Doolittle, b. July 7, 1665, child of the second marriage; m. ___, Mary Cornwall of Middletown (John, William), b. Nov. 20, 1666; d. Nov. 16, 1742. Eleven children. After the second child was born they removed from Wallingford to Middletown. (45) Jonathan Doolittle, b. Aug. 21, 1689, Wallingford, Conn.; m. Jan. 26, 1727, Rebecca Ranney (Thomas, Thomas). she prob. m. Nov. 28, 1752, as his 2d wife, Lieut, Nathaniel Bacon Jr., who d. Jan. 7, 1758, aged 81. (153) Samuel Doolittle, b. Feb. 24, 1729, Middletown, Conn.; m. July 4, 1751, Elizabeth Hubbard, b. Jan. 18, 1729-30, Glastonbury, Conn., dau of Joseph Hubbard and Elizabeth Hollister. Of their eleven children, seven served in the Rev. War. (528) General George Doolittle, b. June 14, 1759, Wallingford, Conn., where his parents resided for a few years and then ret. to Middletown. He m. 1783, Grace Wetmore, b. Dec. 3, 1766, Middletown, Conn., dau of Capt. Amos Wetmore and Rachel Parsons. Capt. Amos Wetmore who had served in the Rev. Army, united with Capt. Hugh White in the purchase of the Saquehada Patent of land and removed to it soon after White. For two years the nearest mill was forty miles away. In 1788 White and Wetmore built a grist mill and nearby a saw mill. When fire burned the saw mill then legal diffuculties arose. White was a Presbyterian and Wetmore a Congregationalist. In 1797 White threatened to cut down the dam and deprive Wetmore of the use of the water unless he (Wetmore) would become a Presbyterian and join Rev. Bethuel Todd's congregation. (Annals of Oneida Co.)     George Doolittle, at the age of seventeen enlisted , 1776, as a private in Capt. Churchill's Co., Col. Comfort Sage's Reg., Gen. Wadsworth's Brigade, raised in June to reinforce Gen. Washington at N.Y., and which retreated Sept. 15, from the city; time expired Dec. 25, 1776. On Jan. 1, 1777, he enlisted in the company of Capt. David Humphrey, under Col. Return Jonathan Meigs; enlisted again April 7, 1777, for six weeks' service at Peekskill. On May 1, 1778, he enlisted "for the war" in the 6th Reg. Conn. Line (Regulars), Col. Meigs, and served till 1783.     George Doolittle had the honorable trade of a shoemaker and carried his "kit" through the war, mending his compatriot's boots and shoes. He saved his earnings and thus laid the foundation of his successful career. In 1786 he followed his father-in-law to Whitestown and at the first town meeting, Apr. 7, 1789, he was chosen commissioner of highways. For many years he was supervisor. On Apr. 1, 1793, a meeting was held to organize a religious society and he was named on the committee. In 1800 the first brigade of militia of all the new part of New York was organized and he was commissioned Brigadier General, though others in that settlement had been commissioned officers in the Rev. Army. he was a mem. of the N.Y. Legislature, and served in the War of 1812. He was a ruling elder in the Presby. ch. He was stricken in the night with apoplexy and died Feb. 21, 1825. The widow d. Aug. 27, 1836. There were twelve children. Children: 1164. Charles Ranney, b. Aug. 14, 1799. 1165. Susan Parsons, b. Sept. 22, 1801; m. William B. Tibbets. 1164. Charles Ranney Doolittle, b. Aug. 14, 1799, Whitestone, N.Y.; m. June 29, 1829, Abby Pickard Obear, b. Mar. 26, 1811, Beverly, Mass., dau of Oliver and Abby Obear. He was a successful merchant in Utica, N.Y., where he d. Oct. 9, 1841. She m. (2) Jan. 23, 1845, John Camp, b. 1786, Glastonbury, Conn., a merchant in Utica, d. 1867. She d. July 27, 1890. Children: 2663. Abby Obear, b. Nov. 15, 1830; m. Robert S. Williams. 2264. Caroline Obear, b. July 23, 1832; d. Sept. 26, 1833. 2265. Caroline Stevens, b. June 1, 1834; m. James V. Pomeroy. 2266. Lucy Helen, b. Oct. 26, 1836; m. Edward Curran. 2267. Mary J., b. June 25, 1839; m. Dr. Henry M. Hurd of Johns Hopkins Uni., Baltimore, Md. 1165. Susan Parsons Doolittle, b. Sept. 12, 1801; m. Dec. 30, 1823, William R. Tibbetts, b. Sept. 25, 1801, Oriskany, N.Y.; farmer and tanner; rem. to Galesburg, Ill., where he d. Jan. 27, 1886. She d. Feb. 10, 1844, Whitesboro, N.Y. Seven children. Children: 2670. John Dower Tibbetts, b. Apr. 17, 1830. 2671. Charlotte Irene, b. Nov. 19, 1831; m. H. W. Goldsmith. 2263. Abby Obear Doolittle, b. Nov. 15, 1830, Utica, N.Y.; m. Oct. 18, 1854, Robert Stanton Williams, b. Sept. 10, 1810, Utica, N.Y., who was of the seventh generation from Robert Williams who came in 1637, to Roxbury, Mass., from Norwich, Eng., and who was grandson of Thomas Williams, a "Minute Man" of Roxbury in 1775, engaged at Bunker Hill in the company of Capt. Moses Whiting, and had participated in the Boston Tea Party.     Mr. Williams was a successful banker in Utica, being connected for forty years with the Oneida National Bank, of which he became president. He was also largely interested in manufacturing, being at the time of his death president of the Utica Steam and Mohawk Vally Cotton Company, and mem. of Colonial Wars and Sons of the Revolution. He d. Aug. 9, 1899. Widow res. in Utica. N.Y. (1908). Children: George Huntington, b. Jan. 28, 1856; d. July 12, 1894. Cordelia D'Audry, b. July 15, 1858, unm. John Camp, b. Sept. 6, 1859; m. June 23, 1891, Buffalo, N.Y. Caroline Walbridge Wheeler, b. Apr. 22, 1871, Toledo, O., dau of Alfred Samuel Wheeler and Mary Daniels. Mfr., Rep., Presb., Alpha Delta Phi, 1882, Amherst Coll., Society of Colonial Wars, Univ. Club, N.Y., Grolier Club, N.Y. Wife is Epis.; res. Morristown, N.Y. children: Carolyn Wheeler, b. May 19, 1892. John Camp, b. Oct. 20, 1893; d. Mar. 5, 1894, Abby Dorothy, b. Sept. 1, 1895; d. May 5, 1898, Lois Katherine, b. Apr. 10, 1901. Emma Prentiss, b. 1860; d. 1862. Samuel Wells, b. 1840; d. 1860. 2665. Caroline Stephens Doolittle, b. June 1, 1834; m. Nov. 1869, James Voorhees Pomeroy, b. 1828, son of Dr. Theodore Pomeroy and Cornelia Voorhees. Mining gold and mfg. He d. Nov. 11, 1891, Graham, N.C. Widow res. Graham, N.C. Children: Charles Doolittle, b. 1872; d. infant. James Voorhees, b. Nov. 10, 1874; m. Oct. 29, 1902, Edythe M. Gilchrist, Ardmore, Pa.; res. Graham, N.C. Grace Doolittle, b. Dec. 2, 1876; m. Nov. 19, 1902, J. Harvey White. Res. Graham, N.C. Theodore O., b. Oct. 4, 1881; m. Aug. 1906, Sadie B. Hines, Milton, N.C. Res. Creedmore, N.C. 2666. Lucy Helen Doolittle, b. Oct. 26, 1836; m. Oct. 20, 1864, Utica, N.Y., Edward Curran, b. Feb. 25, 1833; d. June 4, 1894, Utica, N.Y., son of Edward Curran. Hide and leather merchant, Rep., Presby. ch., V.P. First Nat. Bank of Utica, Pres. Homestead Aid Assn., Charity Comr. The widow is Treas. for Home for the Homeless, interested in McAll and other miss. work, mem. Westminster Presby. ch.; res. Utica, N.Y. Children: Richard Langford, b. Sept. 26, 1865; unm. Res. New York City. Sherwood Spencer, b. Sept. 12, 1867; unm. Res. Utica, N.Y. 2670. John Dower Tibbetts, b. Apr. 17, 1830, Whitestown, N.Y.; m. Nov. 10, 1857, Vernon Center, N.Y., Helen Lawson, b. July 22, 1835, New Hartford, N.Y., dau of William Lawson and Emma Glynnes. He d. Mar. 30, 1907. Wid. res. Galesburg, Ill. Children: William Lawson, b. Sept. 2, 1858. Harvey Ulysses, b. Feb. 28, 1862. Emma Susan, b. June 5, 1863. George Doolittle, b. Apr. 2, 1870; d. Aug. 18, 1872. 2671. Charlotte Irene Tibbetts, b. Nov. 19, 1831; m. Apr. 8, 1858, H. W. Goldsmith, b. ___; d. Jan. 1, 1881. She d. Sept. 24, 1891, Galesburg, Ill. Children: Charles Ulysses, b. Dec. 13, 1860; m. Ida W. Olin. Children: Gertrude, b. July 20, 1884, George W., b. Oct. 25, 1886, Everett, b. Feb. 18, 1890. Helen Grace, b. Oct. 15, 1664; teacher, Galesburg, Ill. Arthur Duffield, b. Jan. 17, 1872; merchant, Galesburg, Ill. PART TWO 1273. Rev. Edgar Jared Doolittle (Joseph, Joseph, Capt. Joseph, Abraham), b. Oct. 19, 1810, New Haven, Conn., after his father's death, rem. with mother and sister to Wallingford, Conn. Grad. 1836 Yale, taught the academy of Upper Houses, now Cromwell, for two years, and married June 8, 1842, Jane Elizabeth Sage, b. Dec. 4, 1820, dau of Lemuel Sage (Lewis Samuel, John, John, David), whose mother was Deborah Ranney. In 1838 he entered Yale Theo. Sem.; in Aug. 1839, was licensed by the So. Hartford Association. Grad. 1841, ord. and settled May 18, 1842, at Hebron, Conn. In 1852 rem. to Chester, Conn. and remained to 1869. In failing health he rem. to the old homestead in Wallingford, where he d. Feb. 1, 1883. On his tombstone is: "Faithful unto Death." He is remembered by those who knew him as a man of rare excellence, sound in intellect, courageous in conviction and warm in his friendship." The widow d. Sept. 27, 1903. Children: 2963. Edgar Sage, b. July 11, 1843; d. May 10, 1844. 2964. Edgar Jared, b. Jan. 29, 1845. 2965. Isaac Sage, b. Jan. 26, 1847; drowned at Guilford July 7, 1862. 2966. Henry Nathaniel, b. Jan. 11, 1849. 2967. Annis Merrill, b. Mar. 12, 1851; d. Nov. 22, 1872 while at Yale Scientific School. 2968. Harriet Anna, b. Apr. 1, 1856; d. May 2, 1857. 2969. Jane Elizabeth, b. Dec. 1, 1859; grad. 1882, Mt. Holyoke Sem., res. Wallingford, Conn. 2970. Orrin Sage, b. Dec. 29, 1863. 2964. Edgar Jared Doolittle, b. Jan. 29, 1845, Hebron, Conn.; m. Nov. 13, 1867, Meriden, Conn., Martha Warner Couch, b. Aug. 9, 1845, Meriden; d. Aug. 21, 1902. Mr. Doolittle is a mfr., state Senator, 1886-87, five years Mayor of Meriden, mem. Louisiana Purchase Comn. of Conn., St. Elmo Com. K.T., Cong.; res. Meriden, Conn. Child: Dorothy, b. Mar. 8, 1889. 2966. Henry Nathaniel Doolittle, b. Jan. 11, 1849, Hebron, Conn.; m. May 23, 1876, Newark, N.J., Josephine Lapham, b. Feb. 17, 1853, Egypt, N.Y., dau of Nathan P. Lapham and Phebe Taylor. Mfr., res. Newark, N.J. Children: Ethel Guerin, b. Sept. 21, 1877. Henry Linsley, b. June 9, 1879. 2970. Orrin Sage Doolittle, b. Dec. 29, 1863, Colchester, Conn.; m. Nov. 10, 1896, Reading, Pa., Grace Ferguson, b. Jan. 31, 1872, Robesonia, Pa., dau of Nathaniel Ferguson and Amanda Davenport, who was dau. of Rufus Davenport of Coventry, Conn. Chemist and mem. of many Chem. Soc. of U.S. and England; res. Reading, Pa. Children: Catherine, b. Aug. 25, 1897. Jane Elizabeth, b. Apr. 14, 1899. Edgar Jared, b. Dec. 4, 1903.