The Story of the Toys Part 3

On the 19th of October, 1866, my sister Annie was married to L.

Stoughton Ellsworth of Windsor, Connecticut. He came of the straitest of Puritan stock, including the historic Ellsworths and Edwardses of Windsor, and has most creditably borne up the reputation of those families. The ceremony took place in the Methodist church and was performed by his brother-in-law, Rev. C. H. Buck, who was a.s.sisted by Rev. J. W. Dodge. They resided for a short time in Windsor, Connecticut, after which they removed in April, 1867, to Oakland, California, where Mr. Ellsworth had charge of a branch of the fuse business, which had been established there. They remained there only a few years. Two children were born to them there, but both died very young, which hastened their return to Connecticut, in the autumn of 1871. They settled on a fine farm in East Weatogue, but in 1889 they built and occupied their present residence in Hopmeadow, and Mr. Ellsworth also became a member of my father's firm. Their children: Lucy Stoughton, George Toy, Annie Stoughton, Henry Edwards, John Stoughton.

My brother George was married October 6, 1875, to Mary Seymour of Granby. They were married at the bride's home by Rev. C. H. Buck, and took a wedding trip to Canada. They lived afterwards in my father's family, as George was a.s.sociated in the business. There were no living children.

My sister Jennie was married April 19, 1876, to Mr. Charles E. Curtiss of Simsbury. They lived for a short time with Mr. Curtiss' parents, and then removed to Westfield, Ma.s.sachusetts. Mr. Curtiss was afterwards taken into my father's business, and they lived in the house adjoining his on the hill. Their children: Joseph Toy and Grace Gilbert.

Having been divorced from Mr. Curtiss, my sister Jennie married Mr.

Charles A. Ensign, December 2, 1890. They settled in a very pleasant home in Tariffville, where they have since lived, with the exception of a short residence in Ottawa, Canada.[6] No children.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOSEPH TOY]

On November 7, 1873, our grandmother, Mrs. D. G. Humphrey, who had long been an honored and valued member of our family, died at the age of 81. She was a very intelligent, and interesting woman, and was loved and mourned by us all.

My brother George died March 25, 1881, after a long and trying illness, which eventually weakened him in mind as well as body.

My stepmother, Sarah G. H. Toy, died September 24, 1881. She had a long illness, resulting from a shock of apoplexy which partially paralyzed her and ended in softening of the brain. I was with her when she pa.s.sed away, and closed her eyes for the last long sleep. She was a brilliant and interesting woman, a devoted wife, and a kind mother to the children whose care she undertook.

After her death my father married Mary Seymour Toy, April 11, 1882. One child was born to them, Josephine Seymour, born January 19, 1884. They continued to live in the house on the hill until some years after my father's death, which occurred when Josephine was three years old. As she grew older and the question of a suitable education for her arose, Mrs. Toy removed to Hartford, and the old house was closed. It was later divided into two parts; the back portion was moved away and used as a small tenement for the employees of the factory, while the rest was rented as it stood. Later, in 1904, it also was removed to its present position just back of the old site, where Mr. Joseph Ensign's house now stands. Mrs. Toy and Josephine settled in a very pleasant home in Hartford, and the latter attended Miss Barbour's school, and later went for two years to Miss Porter's school in Farmington. On June 5, 1907, she was married to Mr. Frederick Starr Collins, a son of one of the old and prominent families of Hartford. The marriage was a very happy one, especially as Josephine and her husband still remained with her mother.[7]

On the second of April, 1887, my father entered into rest. He had been growing rather more feeble for some time. He was very ill during most of the winter, and was confined to his bed a great part of the time. His trouble was of such a nature that it was impossible for him to lie down, which was very distressing, but he bore his sufferings with great fort.i.tude and patience. He improved as the spring came on, and was able to walk about the house, and had even been out of doors once or twice. I had not been able to go to see him during the winter, but on the last of March I went to Simsbury. He was occupied by business on the first day of April, so that I did not see him, but on the morning of the second, I went in a driving snowstorm to see him. He was just coming out of his room as I came in. I was greatly struck by his altered and feeble appearance, but he received me cheerfully, and we talked pleasantly together for an hour. His physician, Dr. R. A. White, came in at that time, and suggested that he be given a little liquid nourishment. As he attempted to swallow it, there was a struggle, and he threw back his head, groaning heavily. I took his head in my arms, and in an instant he had pa.s.sed away. We laid him quietly down, and even amid our tears, it was a relief to see him lying peacefully after his winter's sufferings. The funeral took place in the Methodist church. His pastor, Rev. C. W. Lyon, officiated, a.s.sisted by Rev. C. P. Croft. The procession pa.s.sed up the aisle, preceded by the pastor reading the beautiful words of the burial service, "I am the resurrection and the life." The choir sang "Servant of G.o.d, well done," and "It is well with my soul." Mr. Lyon preached from the text, "I have fought a good fight ... I have kept the faith," and the choir sang, "Thy will be done."

Two wreaths were laid upon the casket, one of white callas, and in the center was a sheaf of wheat. The church was thronged with friends and neighbors who came to pay their last tribute of love and respect. Over one hundred of the employees of the firm were present. The bearers were S. C. Eno, D. B. McLean, A. G. Case, Erwin Chase, J. N. Race, and A. S.

Chapman. So he was carried forth from the church of which he had so long been a pillar, and laid to rest on the hillside, in the midst of his family who had gone before. So closed a long, honored and useful life. "The memory of the just is blessed."

GRANDCHILDREN

SUSAN WEBSTER DODGE, born November 14, 1875.

MARY WEBSTER DODGE (adopted), born January 24, 1866.

GEORGE TOY DODGE (adopted), born June 7, 1872.

SARAH ISABEL ENSIGN, born December 19, 1864; died January 25, 1869.

JOSEPH RALPH ENSIGN, born November 24, 1868; _married_ Mary J. Phelps, April 5, 1894.

_Child_: MARY PHELPS, born February 9, 1902.

SUSAN ALICE ENSIGN, born September 7, 1873; _married_ Rev. William Inglis Morse, June 15, 1904.

_Child_: SUSAN TOY, born July 4, 1905.

JULIA WHITING ENSIGN, born October 3, 1878; _married_ Robert Darling, May 14, 1902.

_Child_: ROBERT ENSIGN, born September 19, 1904.

EDWARD WILLIAM ENSIGN, born July 5, 1881; died June 9, 1884.

LUCY STOUGHTON ELLSWORTH, born February 1, 1868; died April 13, 1870.

GEORGE TOY ELLSWORTH, born April 24, 1869; died October 24, 1869.

ANNIE STOUGHTON ELLSWORTH, born September 22, 1873; _married_ Emmet Schultz, April 16, 1895.

HENRY EDWARDS ELLSWORTH, born March 27, 1878; _married_ Susan Hotchkiss Starr, February 11, 1903.

_Children_: JOHN EDWARDS, born September 15, 1904; MARY AMELIA, born July 30, 1907; JANE OSLER, born December 16, 1908.

JOHN STOUGHTON ELLSWORTH, born August 21, 1883; _married_ Lida Burpee, July 15, 1905.

_Child_: JOHN STOUGHTON, JR., born June 16, 1907.

WILLIAM HENRY BUCK (adopted), born March 6, 1870; _married_ Sadie Fielding, April 25, 1893.

_Child_: JULIA, born November 3, 1893.

SARAH HUMPHREY BUCK (adopted), born June 22, 1872; _married_ Dr. Albert Cushing Creh.o.r.e, July 10, 1894.

_Children_: DOROTHY DARTMOUTH, born May 17, 1895; VIRGINIA DAVENPORT, born February 4, 1900; VICTORIA LOUISE, born February 4, 1900; FLORENCE ENSIGN, born August 21, 1903, died November 10, 1905; JULIA OSLER, born December 15, 1906.

JOSEPH TOY CURTISS, born December 16, 1878; _married_ Abigail Goodrich Eno, December 16, 1899.

_Children_: JOSEPH TOY, JR., born May 8, 1901; AUSTIN ENO, born June 15, 1907.

GRACE GILBERT CURTISS, born September 26, 1883; _married_ William Pollard Lamb, May 11, 1904.

_Children_: WILLIAM POLLARD, JR., born December 28, 1906; RICHARD HUMPHREY, born February 23, 1909.

JOSEPHINE TOY COLLINS, born July 5, 1909.

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

The following letter from Miss Maude Divine, a granddaughter of my mother's Aunt Susan, gives a little different account of the events of Benjamin Osler's life, as her mother knew them. She says:

"Our great-grandfather, Benjamin Osler, was a merchant in Gibraltar and Cadiz from about 1814. Not doing well, he decided to try trading to the West Indies, and bought a small vessel and fitted it with merchandise.

His son, Joseph, who had been a midshipman in the Navy, went with him, but died at Trinidad of yellow fever. On the way home, grandfather's vessel was seized by a French privateer, and he was imprisoned, where he remained some time, unable to communicate with his family. Finally they received information of his whereabouts, through the Free Masons, and an exchange of prisoners being arranged, he came home, a helpless cripple.

"Just at that time South Africa was being much talked of, and he thought he would try his fortune there. He brought out most of his family, my grandmother being the eldest. He never recovered his health, and died about a year afterwards. Our great-grandmother then returned to England with the younger children. My grandmother, having married Lieutenant Coleman of the Navy (who came out in their vessel the _Weymouth_), decided to remain, as did also her young brother, Stephen and a sister, afterwards Mrs. Sayers.

"My grandmother settled at Simon's Town, and after her first husband's death had a school, having been left with two little girls. She afterwards married my grandfather Fineran who was in the Commissariat Department of the Army, and mother was their only daughter. Her two brothers died as young men. There are several descendants of the other Osler daughters, grandmother's sisters, about Simon's Town whom we have never seen, mother not having kept in touch with them after grandmother's death."

S. W. D.