History of Cheshire, (New Haven County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Robert Bradley Hitchcock, naval officer, was born in Cheshire, Conn., Sept. 23, 1804; son of Amasa and Elizabeth (Austin) Hitchcock; grandson of Amasa and Sarah (Bradley) Hitchcock, and a descendant in the seventh generation from Matthias Hitchcock, Boston, 1635. He was appointed midshipman in the U.S. navy, Jan. 1, 1825, and served on the schooner Shark, West India squadron, 1827, and on the frigate Delaware, 1829-31. He was promoted passed midshipman, June 4, 1831; lieutenant, March 3, 1835, and served on the frigate Savannah in the Pacific squadron. He served on ordnance duty in 1846, and was given command of the store-ship Relief in 1853. He was prohinted commander, Sept. 14, 1855, was on ordnance duty, 1855-58, and in command of the steam frigate Merrimac, Pacific squadron. He was inspector of ordnance with the rank of captain in 1861; promoted commodore, July 16, 1862, and placed in command of the steam-sloop Susquehanna; and was senior officer of the blockading fleet at Mobile. He was on ordnance duty, 1864-65; appointed commandant of the U.S. navy yard at Norfolk, Va., in 1866, and was retired from the service, Sept. 25, 1866. He was on special duty in the ordnance department at Washington, D.C., 1870-72. He married Mary Ann, daughter of Miles Hitchcock. He died in New York city, March 24, 1888.

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

Joseph Bellamy, clergyman, was born in Cheshire, Conn., in 1719. He graduated at Yale in 1735, and was pastor of the Methodist church at Bethlehem, Conn., 1737-'90, where he founded a theological seminary. Aberdeen gave him the degree of D.D. in 1768. He published: "True Religion Delineated" (1750); "Theron, Paulinus and Aspasia" (1759); "Nature and Glory of the Gospel" (1762); "Half-Way Covenant" (1769). He died in Bethlehem, Conn., March 6, 1790.

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

John Frederick Kensett, artist, was born in Cheshire, Conn., March 22, 1816. He served as an apprentice to his uncle, Alfred Daggett, an engraver of bank-note vignettes, and devoted his leisure time to painting. He studied art in England, 1840-45. His first picture, exhibited in the Royal academy, London, was a distant view of Windsor castle. He removed to Rome, where he painted several views of Italian scenery, 1845-47. Upon his return to New York, he was appointed a member of the National Art commission to direct the decoration of the capitol in Washington. He was elected an associate member of the National Academy of Design in 1848, and an academician in 1849. His works include: Mount Washington from North Conway (1849); Sketch of Mount Washington (1851); Franconian Mountains (1853); High Bank on the Genesee River (1857); Sunset on the Coast (1858); Sunset on the Adirondacks (1860); Autumn Afternoon on Lake Georga (1864); Glimpse of the White Mountains (1867); Afternoon on the Connecticut Shore; Noon on the Seashore; Lake Conesus ; Coast of Massachusetts; New Hampshire Scenery; Lake George, and Narragansett. Some of his paintings are in the Corcoran gallery, Washington, D.C.,; several were purchased by the Century association, thirty-eight of his works were presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York city by his brother, Thomas Kensett, in 1873, and a large number were sold at auction in 1887. He died in New York city, Dec. 16, 1872.

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

Peter Hitchcock, jurist, was born in Cheshire, Conn., Oct. 19, 1781; son of Valentine and Sarah (Hotchkiss) Hitchcock; grandson of Peter and Hannah (Smith) Hitchcock and of Henry and Sarah (Benham) Hotchkiss; and a descendant in the sixth generation of Matthias Hitchcock, who came from London to Boston in the Susan and Ellen in the spring of 1635. He was graduated from Yale in 1801 and was admitted to the bar in 1804, beginning practice in his native town. He was married Dec. 12, 1805, to Nabby, daughter of Elam and Abigail (Hall) Cook. In 1806 be removed to Burton, Geauga county, Ohio, and in 1810 was elected to the ninth general assembly of that state. He also served in the state senate during the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 32d and 33d general assemblies. In 1814 he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel in the state militia. In 1815 he declined a commission as judge of the supreme court of Ohio. In 1816 he was elected a representative in the 15th congress, and before the end of his term was chosen judge of the supreme court cf Ohio for seven years. He was three times re-elected, serving 1819-33, 1835-42 and 1845-52, and was for twenty-one years chief justice. He retired from the bench in 1852. He was commissioned major-general of the state militia in 1819, and in 1850 was chosen a member of the convention to for a new constitution for Ohio. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Marietta college in 1845 and from Western Reserve university in 1849. He died at the home of his son Reuben, in Painesville, Ohio, March 4, 1854.

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