Middlesex County CT Archives History - Books .....Brainard, Gates, Gelston 1887 *********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ct/ctfiles.htm *********************************************** ************************************************************************ The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification. ************************************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 20, 2005, 6:28 pm Book Title: The Old Chimney Stacks Of East Haddam CHAPTER XVIII. BRAINARD—GATES—GELSTON. Among the early settlers from Haddam was Daniel Brainard, Jr., who settled at the lower end of the Creek Row, near the spring just below the. Royal Ayres place. His father, Daniel, came from England when eight years of age, and was the ancestor of the Brainards in this country. He settled in Haddam in 1662, and was a prosperous and influential man, a justice of the peace in the town, and a deacon in the church. The family is very numerous in this part of the country, and has always ranked among the highest in wealth and influence. Two doctors, Daniel and Hezekiah, were eminent physicians; Thomas, Israel, Timothy G., Elijah and Nehemiah were popular ministers of the gospel; Hon. Jeremiah and Hon. Hezekiah gained much distinction as legislators and judges; while David and Rev. John earned world-wide renown as missionaries among the Indians. The two latter were children of the Hon. Hezekiah. Their older sister married Gen. Joseph Spencer, of Millington, in whose family David, the eminent missionary, lived for four years. David's labors were for along time with the Lenni-Lenape and other tribes along the Delaware River. The finest church in Easton, Pa., is Brainard Church, a fitting monument to his name and fame. Daniel Brainard, the original settler, had eight children, as follows: Daniel, Jr., Hannah, James, Joshua, William, Caleb, Elijah and Hezekiah. All the Brainards in this country are said to be descendants of these children. Of our townsmen, William O. and Abby Brainard, Mrs. Silas Nichols, Judah and Benjamin Lewis, Milton, John, and Frank Brainard, and many of the Days in Westchester, are descendents of Daniel, Jr. The Gates' descended from Hannah. Joshua Brainard's residence is marked by the old cellar mound just south of Selden Brainard's, and from this branch descended Col. Orren Warner, Brainard Emmons, Miss Lucretia Brainard and Mrs. Blakeman. Joshua was commander of the first military company formed in East Haddam. Erastus and Silas, the Portland quarry owners, are descendants of James. Selden T. Brainard, David B. and George Sexton, of East Haddam. Fisk and Henry Brainard, of Haddam Neck, and Cornelius Brainard, of Higganum, are descendants of William. Caleb-was the ancestor of David Brainard, of East Haddam. Mrs. Francis Palmer is a descendant of Elijah. John G. C. Brainard, a brilliant writer, Editor of the Hartford Mirror and author of a book of poems, from which the poem "Matchit Moodus," in Chapter V. was copied, was also a native of this town. The estate of Daniel Lord, deceased, is a part of the farm formerly owned by George Gates, and later by Phineas. The old house stands a little north of the present dwelling. The house owned by Aristarchus and Seth Daniels, was built by Joseph Gates in 1774: its peaked roof still attracts attention, and in its youth, it must have been considered quite a stately edifice. It was first designed for a court house, and afterwards made over into a tavern. It was purchased in 1804 by the Daniels, who came from Haddam Neck. Joseph Gates, its builder, was the son of Joseph Gates, born in 1722. In regular descent by this line come Orren and Epaphroditus, also Uri, the brother of Orren. The latter Joseph was also the father of Bazaleel Gates, who. was the father of Brainard, Hannah, and Beriah. All of the above, of the last generation, have died within the last ten years. The homestead of the elder Joseph stood a little north of the large house where Uri lived and died, and which was built by his father. The house purchased of Brainard and Hannah by George I. Kipp, was built by Bazaleel in 1800. The old road on which it stands, now closed for many years, was once a main thoroughfare from Moodus to Bashan. Deacon Maltby Gelston, a farmer in Bridgehampton, L. I., during the Revolution, fled with his family as refugees from British rule to East Haddam. He occupied a house standing on the bank of the Connecticut River, near the one recently built by David Watrous. A part of the old foundation can still be traced. After the war closed he returned to his farm on Long Island. William Gelston, his seventh child, on his return from the war in the year 1781, married Asenath Sayres, daugher of Matthew Sayres, who was then one of the largest land owners in the town of East Haddam. He erected the large house near the Episcopal Church, in the year 1760. William Gelston, soon after his marriage, purchased the property on which the Gelston House now stands, where he lived until 1826. A part of the old mansion is now attached to the present house. Through purchase, and inheritance by his wife, he became possessed of a large tract of land, and for convenience he concluded to move. He bought of Samuel Crowel, the house now occupied by the Gelston family. Soon after moving here in 1826 he sold his place at the Ferry to Joseph Goodspeed. More than twenty years ago the Gelston House Company was formed, the largest stockholders of the Company being Hugh Gelston, of Baltimore, and George S. Gelston, of Fort Hamilton, two sons of William Gelston. The present hotel was built and named the Gelston House. Mr. Gelston reared a family of seven sons and three daughters. He was sheriff for twenty years and filled many town offices. He died at the age of eighty-five. His son William followed him as the possessor of the landed estate, and died in 1875, at the age of eighty-nine years. He left four children, Maltby, John, Mrs. West, of New London, and Lucy. Additional Comments: Transcribed from: THE OLD CHIMNEY STACKS OF EAST HADDAM, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, CONNECTICUT, BY HOSFORD B. NILES, Author of Genealogy of THE NILES FAMILY. NEW YORK: LOWE & CO., Book and Job Printers No. 210 Fulton Street. 1887 File at -- http://files.usgwarchives.net/ct/middlesex/history/1887/oldchimn/brainard30gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ctfiles/ File size: 6.4 Kb