History of Thompson, (Windham County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Joseph Gay Eaton Larned, lawyer, was born in Thompson, Conn., April 29, 1819; son of George and Anna S. (Gay) Larned; grandson of Gen. Daniel and Rebekah (Wilkinson) Larned, and a descendant of William and Goodith Larned, who came to Charlestown, Mass., in 1632. He was graduated from Yale in 1839; taught school in Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., during the following eight months, and at the same time studied law. He taught school at Waterloo, N.Y., for a short time, and was a tutor at Yale, 1842-47, and while there, in 1845, organized with others the Free-soil party. He was admitted to the bar in 1847, settled in practice in New Haven, Conn., and in 1852 removed to New York city, where his knowledge of patent law aided him in the development of a number of in ventions in which he was interested. He was the principal inventor of a steam fire engine which was the first used in the city of New York. In 1855 he engaged in the manufacture of these engines, but met with great resistance in introducing them. He was appointed assistant inspector of iron clads by the U.S. government in 1868, and served in the Brooklyn navy yard as supervisor of work until the close of the war in 1865. He returned to the practice of his profession in New York city, and engaged in collecting and compiling genealogical records of his ancestors in which his sister, Ellen Douglass Larned, author of "History of Windham County" (1874), and "Historical Gleanings of Windham County" (1899), was interested, and from which "The Learned Family" (1882), by Willlaim E. Learned was written. He also contributed a series of articles entitled Massachusetts vs. South Carolina, to the New Englander in 1845. He died in New York city, June 3, 1870.

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

James Brown Mason, representative, was born in Thompson, Conn., in 1774; son of John and Rose Anna (Brown) Mason and a descendant of Samson Mason, an officer in Cromwell's army, who came to America in 1650, and settled first in Dorchester, Mass., afterward at Rehoboth and finally in Swansea. James was graduated at Brown university in 1791, and was licensed to practise medicine. He removed to Charleston, S.C., where he practised, 1795-98, and engaged in business with his brother-in-law, John Brown, at Providence. 1798-1819. He was a representative in the Rhode Island legislature several years and served as speaker, 1812-14, and was a Federal representative in the 14th and 15th congresses, 1815-19. He was a trustee of Brown university, 1804-19. He was twice married: first in South Carolina, and secondly, July 16, 1800, to Alice, daughter of John and Sarah (Smith) Brown of Rhode Island. He died in Providence, R.I., Sept. 6, 1819.

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

John Pratt, educator, was born in Thompson, Conn., Oct. 12, 1800. He was brought up on a farm, worked in a mill and fitted himself for a school teacher. He was prepared for college at Amherst (Mass.) academy, 1820-21; spent over three years at Columbia college, Washington, D.C., 1821-24, and was graduated from Brown university, A.B., 1827, A.M., 1830. He was a student at Newton Theological institution for twenty months, 1827-31; was an instructor in languages at Transylvania college, Kentucky, 1828-29; was ordained to the Baptist ministry, May 12, 1830, and was pastor of First church, New Haven, Conn., 1829-30; principal of the academy at South Reading, Mass., for six months, 1830-31, and in 1831 was elected president of the Granville (Ohio) Literary and Theological institute, incorporated in 1833 as Denison university. He rescued the school from bankruptcy and was its president, 1831-37, meantime serving as professor of theology, 1835-37. On resigning the presidency in 1837, he accepted the chair of Greek and Latin and resigned that chair in 1859. He received the degree D.D. from Denison university, Ohio, in 1878. He was married first, in 1830, to Mary Glover Cory of Rhode Island, and secondly, in 1855, to Susan C. Wheeler of Licking county, Ohio. He died on his farm near Granville, Ohio, Jan. 4, 1882.

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

William Augustus Larned, educator, was born in Thompson, Conn., June 23, 1806; son of George and Anna Dorinda (Brown) Larned, and grandson of Gen. Daniel and Rebekah (Wilkinson) Larned. He was graduated from Yale in 1826, taught school in Salisbury, N. C., 1826-28, was a tutor in Yale, 1828-31, and then studied theology. He took charge of a pastorate in Millbury, Mass., in May, 1834, resigned in the latter part of 1835 on account of ill-health and united with the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel S.S. Beman in directing a theological school in Troy, N.Y. He taught Hebrew and Greek there until 1839, when the school was discontinued. He was professor of rhetoric and English literature at Yale, 1839-62, succeeding Chauncey Allen Goodrich. He was editor of the New Englander (1854-55), and a regular contributor to that periodical. He wrote and printed an edition of the Oration of Demosthenes on the Crown, with philological and rhetorical notes, which was never published. He died in New Haven, Conn., Feb. 3, 1862.

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