Pioneer Families - BRUSH
Extracted From
Chapter XVII
Early history of the town of Hopkinton :
history of East Village (Nicholville) and vicinity,
diaries of Elisha Risdon and Artemas Kent,
soldiers of the Civil War,
genealogical record of sixty of the pioneer families

Carlton E. Sanford
Boston: Bartlett Press, 1903

[Transcribed by Dave Swerdfeger]




IN this chapter is given the genealogical records of many of the pioneers of the town, of all that I have been able to gather sufficient data and information to make a fairly full record. The preparation of these records has required much time, labor, correspondence, persistence and patience. Had I had in the beginning a full comprehension of the tedious labor required, I now feel sure I should not have undertaken it. That there are some errors in dates and possibly a few in names I am quite satisfied, since considerable of my information came from elderly people who wrote feebly and indistinctly. I think it will be readily understood, if the reader will bear in mind that it is in continuous order; that the first, second, third and fourth generations are each carried slightly to the right, and that each generation always has the same indentation.

ELIPHALET BRUSH b. November 12, 1781, Bennington, Vt.; d. January 11, 1872; m. Polly Tomlinson, d. April 26, 1810; m. 2d, Melinda Pier, February 14, 1811; b. May 21, 1790; d. September 15, 1862. Mr. Brush was one of the six pioneers who came into Islington in 1802. He worked for Mr. Hopkins summers and went back to Vermont and taught school winters at Vergennes and Ferrisburg till he had paid for his farm. Mr. Hopkins's old account book states that Mr. Brush began to work for him March 5, 1803. No doubt he came in with the settlers of 1803, as such employee, or came in with supplies at divers times during the year. It is tradition in the family that he drove the first ox team into town. If so, he must have done it in 1803 or possibly 1804. The old account book shows several ox teams in town in the latter year. He took up one hundred acres where his grandson, Charles H., now resides. His deed to it bears date February 25, 1804. The story has come down that he desired later to get a farm near Caleb Wright's on a fine brook there, but others got ahead of him. He lived to the ripe age of ninety years and ten months. He had four brothers, all of whom lived to an advanced age. They held a reunion in Hopkinton June 10, 1870. The brothers were Justice R. W. Brush of Stockton, Cal., then a little over 79 years; Alexander of Vergennes, Vermont, 81 years; George of Montreal, 77 years; Joseph of Hopkinton, 87 years; and Eliphalet, 89 years. They had not all before met in seventy-one years. Their combined ages aggregated four hundred and thirteen years. Mr. Brush was a highly respected citizen, of industrious habits and rugged Christian character. Had one child by first marriage and six by second marriage:
  • John T., b. April 26, 1810; d. May 13, 1845; m. Sarah Farar. Had four children:
    • George, b. December 15, 1838; d. March 28, 1902; m. Mary L. Loomas, b. February 4, 1858. Had two children:
      • Carrie, b. December 9, 1875; m. H. T. Dudley; 1. Indianapolis, Ind.
      • Cora, b. May 13, 1878.
      Mary, d. aged fifteen years.
    • Carrie, b. September 9, 1842; d. September 9, 1874; m. L. O. Putnam.
    • John T., b. June 15, 1845; 1. Indianapolis, Ind.; m. Margaret A. Ewart, b. December 26, 1855; d. June 9, 1888; m. 2d, Elsie B. Lombard, b. November 26, 1869. Mr. Brush has been very successful, has the largest clothing store in the state and is one of the baseball magnates of the country. Had two children by first and one by second marriage:
      • Eleanor G., b. March 18, 1871; m. H. N. Hemstead. Had one child:
        • Gordon B., b. December 28, 1899.
        Adalade.
      • Natalie L., b. January 15, 1896.
  • James, b. March 3, 1813; d. June 17, 1832.
  • Jane E., b. June 30, 1817; 1. Potsdam, N.Y.; m. Rev. Enos Wood. He was a most highly esteemed man and Presbyterian minister. He preached at Hopkinton for fifteen years, from 1845 to 1860.
  • Jason, b. January 21, 1822; d. May 25, 1891; m. Olivia Chittenden, January 1, 1856; b. November 8, 1830; d. September 7, 1858; m. 2d, Annie P. Ayers, November 5, 1862; b. October 27, 1841; 1. Hopkinton. He was a tall man, courtly in bearing, intelligent, respected and influential in all town affairs. He attended the first Republican meeting ever held in the county, called by Preston King, and was first a good Whig and then a Republican to the end. In the Congregational Church he took an active interest. Had one child by first and two by second marriage:
    • Ella O., b. May 6, 1858; 1. Potsdam, N.Y.; m. Arthur L. Bonney, May 25, 1881; b. July 17, 1854. Had one child:
      • George W., b. January 15, 1891.
      Charles H., b. November 4, 1866; 1. Hopkinton, N.Y.; m. Jessie O. Colton, October 21, 1896; b. July 14, 1867, Frasburg, Vt. Had one child:
      • Dorothy, b. December 22, 1899.
      Grace L., born January 17, 1869; 1. Potsdam; m. William L. Pert, November 10, 1892; b. April 11, 1865; d. December 26, 1900. Had one child:
      • Josephine, b. April 4, 1894.
  • Henry, b. April 25, 1823; d. August 11, 1837.
  • Lucretia M., b. April 25, 1826; 1. St. Paul, Minn; m. Jesse H. Pornroy, November 12, 1858; b. October 23, 1821, Hopkinton; d. July 31, 1900, St. Paul, Minn. Had two children:
    • Linda Carrie, b. November 29, 1861; St. Paul, Mimi.; m. James F. Jackson, June 4, 1885. No issue.
    • Frank Brush, b. August 28, 1865; 1. St. Paul, Minn.; m. Emma C. Yerken, June I, 1886, Hudson, Wis. Had four children:
      • Alice Lucretia, b. March 29, 1887.
      • Jesse Herbert, b. November 30, 1889.
      • Albert Brush, b. May 27, 1892.
      • Francis Brush, b. August 6, 1897.
    Ella, b. August 5, 1832; d. April 22, 1855; single.
JOSEPH BRUSH b. September 18, 1783, Bennington, Vt.; d. January 18, 1879; m. Clarissa (Armstrong) Sheldon in 1814; b. 1782, Pawlet, Vt.; d. October 6, 1868. She was the widow of Abraham Sheldon. (See his record.) Mr. Brush came into town in 1808. (See story of his early experiences among pioneer settlers.) He lived to the advanced age of ninety-six years. Many people now living knew him well and all speak of him as a very genial, fine old man. He was a veteran of the War of 1812. (See Eliphalet Brush for reunion of the brothers.) Had two children:
  • Joseph A., b. May 10, 1816; d. December 4, 1884; m. Adaline Wright, September 12, 1842; b. February 5, 1818; d. February 25, 1897. No issue. Mr. B. was an active man in town affairs and held various positions. He had a fine farm across the road from his father, where he built a commodious residence. The farm is now owned by the Hurley brothers.
  • George H., b. December 25, 1819; d. March 12, 1888, at Lamoille, Ill.; m. Caroline M. Morton; d. April 26, 1898, at Lamoille, Ill. He kept the old homestead of Abraham Sheldon or rather the west part of it. He sold it about 1880 to Silas Haselton and went to Illinois. Had one child:
    • Earl M., b. October 6, 1860; 1. Chicago, Ill.

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