History of Litchfield, (Litchfield County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Joshua Bolles Garritt, educator, was born in Litchfield, Conn., Jan. 23, 1832; son of Joshua and Margaret Cowan (Bolles) Garritt, and grandson of Daniel and Huldah (Smith) Garritt and of Ebenezer and Abigal (Penfield) Bolles. He was prepared for college by the Rev. E. W. Wright, D.D., at Delphi, Ind. He was graduated at Hanover college, Ind., A.B., 1853, A.M., 1856; and acquired his theological education at New Albany, Ind., 1854, and at Princeton theological seminary, 1855. He was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry in 1863; was stated supply at Lancaster and Lexington, Ind., 1862-64, at Hanover, Ind., 1866-68, 1873-75, 1878-83 and 1885-86; a member of the United States Christian commission in 1864, and was elected professor of Greek language and literature at Hanover college in 1856. The degree of Ph.D. was conferred on him by Wooster university in 1881. He was married, Dec. 25, 1856, to Sarah Almira Crowe, and his son, the Rev. Joshua Crowe Garritt, became a missionary in Hangchow, China.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Horatio Seymour, senator, was born in Litchfield, Conn., May 31, 1778; son of Moses and Mary (Marsh) Seymour; grandson of Moses Seymour and a descendant of Richard Seymour, who settled in Hartford in 1635. He was graduated from Yale, A.B., 1797, A.M., 1800; taught school at Cheshire, Conn., 1797?98; studied at the Litchfield Law school and under Daniel Chipman, at Middlebury, Vt., in 1799; was admitted to the bar in 1800; was postmaster of Middlebury, 1800?09; a member of the state council, 1809?14; state's attorney for Addison county, 1810?13, and 1815?19; wes elected to the U.S. senate as a Clay Democrat in 1821; and was re-elected in 1827 serving till March 4, 1833. He was the unsuccessful Whig candidate for governor of Vermont in 1836; and was judge of the probate court of the state, 1847?56. He was a director of the Vermont state bank, and a trustee of Middlebury college, 1810?55. He was married in 1800 to Lucy, daughter of Jonah Case, of Addison, Vt. The degree of A.M. was conferred on him by Middlebury in 1811, and that of LL.D. by Yale in 1847. He died in Middlebury, Vt., Nov. 21, 1857.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Egbert Guernsey, physician, was born in Litchfield. Conn., July 8, 1823; son of Noah and Amanda (Crosby) Guernsey; grandson of Noah and Hannah (Hollister) Guernsey, and a direct descendant from John Guernsey, who emigrated to America from the Isle of Guernsey in 1638, and whose name appears among the 180 Puritans who established the Colony of New Haven. He was a student at Phillips academy, Andover, Mass., and at Yale, and was graduated in medicine at the University of the city of New York in 1846, under Dr. Valentine Mott. He was associated with N. P. Willis and George P. Morris as city editor of the Evening Mirror, 1845-46; practised medicine in Brooklyn, N.Y., 1846-48, was for a time city physician and in 1848 established the Brooklyn Daily Times, and was its editor-in-chief, 1848-50, and while editor prepared his school history of the United States. In 1850 he removed to New York city, changed the school of his medical practice to homeopathy and finally became a liberal practitioner through the use of the best features of both schools. He was professor of materia medica and afterward of theory and practice in the New York homeopathic medical college for six years. In 1855 he published "Domestic Practice" which had passed through twelve editions in 1898, and was republished in several languages in Europe. He was associate editor of the John's Manual (1852); established the Medical Times (1872), and continued its editor-in-chief during his active life. He organized the Western dispensary in New York city in 1870; was one of the organizers of the Hahnemann hospital and was its consulting physician from its organization. He was for thirty years trustee and vice-president of the state insane asylum, Middletown, N.Y.; surgeon of the 6th regiment, N.Y.S.M., 1864-68, and served as president of the county and state medical societies. He was married in 1848, to Sarah Lefferts, daughter of Peter Schenck of Brooklyn, N.Y., and their son, Dr. Egbert Guernsey, practised medicine in Florida. Dr. Guernsey, Sr., received the honorary degree of M.D. from the regents of the University of the state of New York in 1880, and that of LL.D. from the College of St. Francis Xavier in 1899. The medical board of the Metropolitan hospital of which he was the president from its organization in 1877 celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his graduation in medicine, May 27, 1896, at the Union League club house when a silver loving cup was presented to the venerable doctor.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Pierpont, jurist, was born in Litchfield, Conn., Sept. 10, 1805; son of Daniel and Sarah (Phelps) Pierpont; grandson of James and Anne (Sherman) Pierpont, and great-grandson of John and Thankful (Stow) Pierpont. He was taken to Rutland, Vt., in 1815, and resided with his brother, Judge Robert Pierpont (1791-1865). He was graduated at the Litchfield law school in 1827, and practised in Pittsford, Vt., removing in 1832 to Vergennes, where he was married in 1838 to Sarah M. Lawrence. He was register of probate, 1836-55, represented Vergennes in the state legislature in 1841, was a member of the state senate, 1855-57, and chairman of its judiciary committee for two years. He was an associate judge of the supreme court of Vermont, 1857-65, and chief justice, 1865-82. He died in Vergennes, Vt., Jan. 6, 1882.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor