History of Coventry, (Tolland County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Samuel Huntington, governor of Ohio, was born in Coventry, Conn., Oct. 4, 1765; son of the Rev. Joseph and Hannah (Devotion) Huntington and grandson of Nathaniel and Mebetabel (Thurston) Huntington, and of the Rev. Ebenezer Devotion, of Windham, Conn. The Rev. Joseph Huntington, born May 5, 1735, was a brother of Samuel, the signer, was graduated at Yale, A.B,, 1762, A.M., 1765, was pastor at Coventry, 1763-94, received the degree of D.D. from Dartmouth, 1780, was a trustee of Dartmouth, 1780-88, and died, Dec. 25, 1794. Samuel was adopted and educated by his uncle Samuel and was graduated at Yale, A.B., 1785, A.M., 1788. He also received an honorary A.B. from Dartmouth in 1785. He was married, Dec. 20, 1791, to Hannah, daughter of Judge Andrew and Lucy (Coit) Huntington. He was admitted to the bar in 1793 and practised in Norwich, Conn., 1793-1801, in Cleveland, Ohio, 1801-05, and in Painesville, Ohio, 1805-17. He served as a delegate to the Ohio state constitutional convention of 1802; was judge of the court of common pleas, 1802-03; of the supreme court, 1803-09, and chief justice during the term; was a state senator in the first general assembly, 1803; the third governor of the state, 1809-10, and a representative and speaker in the 10th general assembly, 1811-12. In 1819 he was one of the original proprietors of Fairport, and in the war of 1812-13 was district paymaster with the rank of colonel. He died in Painesville, Ohio, June 8, 1817.

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

Charles W. Copeland, engineer, was born in Coventry, Conn., in 1815; son of Daniel Copeland. He was educated as a draughtsman, and when a young man was given the superintendency of his father's engine and boiler manufactory in Hartford, Conn. He became an efficient designer of engines and steamers, and in 1836 was designing and constructing engineer of the West Point foundry, N.Y. He built the first iron hull ever made in the United States and his skill won him the appointment of constructing engineer, U.S.N., in 1839. The steamers comprising the "Mosquito fleet," used in the Mexican war, were built by him. Subsequently he resigned his position in the navy and became superintending engineer of the Allaire works, N.Y. city. While there he designed steamers for the Pacific lines and for Long Island Sound, and also the Harriet Lane, used in the U.S. revenue service. He rendered practical service to the navy during the civil war, 1861-65, and subsequently became consulting and superintending engineer to the U.S. lighthouse board and to the Norwich & New York transportation company. He died in Brooklyn, N.Y., Feb. 5, 1895.

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

Joel Jones, jurist, was born in Coventry, Conn., Oct. 25, 1795. He removed to Hebron, Conn., in 1810, and engaged in business with his uncle. He was graduated from Yale in 1817, studied law with Judge Bristol, of New Haven, Conn., and at the law school of Litchfield, Conn. He removed to Wilkes Barre, Pa., and in 1822 settled in Easton, where he established a large practice, and where he was one of the founders of Lafayette college. He was appointed, by Governor Wolf, one of the commissioners to revise the civil code of Pennsylvania. He removed to Philadelphia in 1834; was elected associate judge in 1835 and afterward presiding judge of the district court. He was the first president of Girard college, 1847-49, and mayor of Philadelphia in 1849. He is the author of: Reports of a Commission to Revise the Civil Code of Pennsylvania; A Manual of Pennsylvania Land Law; Notes on Scripture, or Jesus and the Coming Glory (1860-65); Knowledge of One Another in the Future State; Outlines of a History of the Court of Rome, and of the Temporal Power of the Popes, translated from the French, with original notes. He also edited several English works on prophecy. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 3, 1860.

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

Silas Lawrence Loomis, educator, was born in Coventry, Conn., May 22, 1822; son of Silas and Esther (Case) Loomis; grandson of Daniel and Mary (Hibbard) Loomis; great grandson of Daniel and Mary (Sprague) Loomis, and a descendant of Joseph Loomis, the immigrant. He prepared for college, was instructor in mathematics and natural science at Holliston academy, Mass., and university, where he was graduated in 1844. He was associate principal of Adelphian academy at Brockton, Mass., mathematics at Dunbarton academy, D.C., in 1854, and principal of Western academy, Washington, D.C., 1855-59. He was married Jan. 22, 1847, to Betsy Ann, daughter of Daniel Tidd, who died in 1850, and secondly, May 28, 1851, to Abigail C., daughter of Isaac Paine. He was graduated from Georgetown college, D.C., M.D., 1856; was astronomer to the lake coast survey, 1857, and professor of physiology in the medical department of Georgetown college, 1859-60. He was special instructor in mathematics to the U.S. naval cadets while on a cruise in 1860; and was professor of chemistry and toxicology at Georgetown college, 1861-67, serving meantime as surgeon on the staff of General McClellan in 1862, and as acting assistant surgeon in hospitals in Washington, 1863-65. He was a professor of the practice of medicine in the medical department of Howard university, Washington, D.C., in 1867; dean of Howard university, 1867-69, and professor of chemistry and toxicology there, 1868-72. He was president of the department of physics and chemistry in the American Union Academy of Literature, Science and Art at Washington, 1869-73, and president of the institution in 1872, he practised medicine in Washington, 1873-77; was president of the Swede Iron and Coal company, 1877-81, and while so engaged discovered a process by which the ores of chronium, theretofore valueless, were utilized, and he organized and was the first president of the Massiquoit Chrome company, 1879-81. He discovered a process and invented machinery for producing a textile fabric from palmetto, and organized and was president of the Palm Fibre company at Washington, D.C., 1878-81. In 1880 he invented improvements in arcometers. He was president of the Washington Scientific association in 1862; member of the American Medical association, 1862-72; a delegate to the convention of American medical colleges in 1867; chairman of a special committee to examine the mathematical and chemical instruments to be used in the revenue service, and a delegate to the decennial convention for the revision of the United States pharmacopeia in 1870. He is the author of: Normal Arithmetic (1859); Analytical Arithmetic (1860); Key to the Normal Course of Arithmetic (1867). He died in Fernandina Fla. June 22 1896.

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