1 CHILDREN OF DR. CHAUNCY AND AMY BREWER. 201 "having served his own generation by the will of God, he fell asleep."-From DR. OSGOOD's Memoir. The wife of Dr. Brewer was АMY WHITE, who died May 21, aged 76 years. The children of Dr. Chauncy and Amy Brewer were: I. Lucy, born April 17, 1771; died March 16, 1801, aged 29, not married. II. DANIEL CHAUNCY, born December 27, 1772; died September 26, 1848, aged 76, unmarried. III. SARAH, born August 21, 1774; died February 26, 1832, aged 58; married THOS. DIKEMAN. IV. SOPHIA, born August 24, 1776; died December 29, 1846, aged 70, not married. V. HENRY, born March 14, 1779; married LuCY PYNCHON, had two sons and three daughters. VI. MARTIN, born January 20, 1781; died October 24, 1846, aged 65 years, not married. VII. BETSEY, born November 28, 1782; not married. VIII. KATHERINE, born February 19, 1785; died November 19, 1786, aged 2 years. IX. EUNICE, born January 13, 1788; married J. LADD, Ohio. X. JAMES, born December 8, 1789; died July 20, 1856; married HARRIET ADAMS, Mansfield, Conn. XI. FRANCIS, born June 16, 1793; married Mrs. MYRA HINS DALE. The children of James and Harriet Adams Brewer were: I. HARRIET ADAMS, born August 19, 1817; married Asa S. III. MARY ADAMS, born February 9, 1822. IV. LUCY SWIFT, born August 12, 1824; died August 31, 1841, aged 17 years. V. EUNICE STRONG, born June 26, 1826. VI. DANIEL CHAUNCY, born May 24, 1828; married. VII. FRANCIS AUGUSTUS, born August 28, 1830. VIII. EDWARD THOMAS, born July 27, 1836; died February 10, 1843, aged 6 years. The children of Henry and Lucy Brewer are: I. HENRY, who married C. CHILD of Springfield. SARAH CHAUNCY. SARAH CHAUNCY, the youngest daughter of the Nev. Nathaniel Chauncy of Hatfield, was born in Hatfield, 1683, and was about two years old at the death of her father, November 4, 1685. She lived, during a part of the period of her maidenhood, with her uncle, the Rev. Israel Chauncy of Stratford. Her childhood was probably spent with her mother in the family of her father-in-law, Deacon Medad Pomroy, in Northampton. She was married, July 1, 1712, to Rev. SAMUel Whittlesey of Wallingford, Ct. She was a woman of an active mind and energy of character. For the accommodation of the parish, which at that time included all the inhabitants of the town, she kept a store of goods. Her house was the abode of hospitality, even after the death of her husband. The Governor of the State had been in the habit of taking dinner at Mr. Whittlesey's, when on the way to meet the legislature at New Haven. After the death of Mr. Whittlesey, he passed on one occasion without stopping, very much to her dissatisfaction. "To think," said she, "that he should come to see us so often that his horse refused to go by without stopping until he was whipped; and now that he should refuse to stop and see me in my affliction!" She died October 20 or 23, 1767, aged 84. Rev. SAMUEL WHITTLESEY, the husband of Sarah Chauncy, was born in Saybrook, 1686. He was the youngest son of John Whittlesey, who was the emigrant of all who bear the name. He graduated at Yale College in 1705; was ordained at Wallingford, Ct., a colleague with Mr. Street, April, 1710, after preaching a year; was Fellow of Yale College from 1732 to 1752. He died in 1752, having nearly completed the 42d year of his ministry. "He was considered one of the most earnest preachers in the Colony." "Mr. Whittlesey was, I believe, one of the greatest men in Connecticut. He had not only a clear, strong head, but the clearest way of expressing his thoughts, upon any difficult subject, of any I am acquainted with. I have heard him say, that when he had clear ideas of any subject he could communicate them with the same clearness, and do it with ease."-Dr. CHARLES CHAUNCY of Boston. For his published works, see Appendix. THE CHILDREN OF REV. SAMUEL AND SARAH CHAUNCY WHITTLESEY. I. SAMUEL, the eldest son of Rev. Samuel and Sarah Chauncy Whittlesey, was born July 10, 1713; was graduated at Yale College, 1729; was tutor in Yale from 1732 to 1738; was ordained November, 1737, at Milford. He labored in the ministry successfully for more than thirty years; he died October 22, 1768. His wife was SUSANNAH, the daughter of Rev. Roger Newton, who was afterwards married to Hon. Jabez Hamlin of Middletown. II. Lois, born November 28, 1714; married Col. ELIHU HALL of Wallingford; died September 29, 1780. III. CHAUNCY, born October 8, 1717; graduated at Yale College, 1738; continued his classical studies on Bishop Berkley's foundation; was tutor in Yale College, from 1738 to 1745. While in the tutorship he incurred the censure of the famous David Brainerd, who, when a sophomore, said of Mr. Whittlesey, after his making a prayer with the students, "He has no more grace than this chair." This remark of Brainerd was characteristic of that rash, pharisaical and censorious spirit which many of the "New Lights" at the time exhibited. This ebullition of indecent censoriousness, afterwards repented of, only proved at the time that the eminent piety of Mr. Whittlesey was of a type, that Brainerd, inexperienced and blinded by spiritual pride as he was, could not appreciate. President Stiles says of him: "He was an excellent classical scholar, well acquainted with the three learned languages, the Latin, the Greek and the Hebrew, but especially the Latin and the Greek. He was well acquainted with geography, mathematics, natural philosophy and astronomy, with moral philosophy and history, and the general cyclopædia of literature. He availed himself of the advantages of academic life, and amassed, by a laborious reading, a great measure of wisdom; and for literature, he was in his day oracular in the college, for he taught with facility and success in every branch of knowledge." "In 1745 Mr. Whittlesey resigned his office in college, and for reasons which do not appear, relinquished his design of entering the ministry, and settled in this place, (New Haven,) as a merchant. He continued in business about ten years. During all that time he was an active member of the church and society. He was brought forward by his fellow-citizens into political life. He represented the town in the General Assembly of the Colony, and in a variety of public trusts he discharged himself with fidelity and growing influence."—BACON's Historical Discourses, p. 249. In 1758 Mr. Whittlesey was ordained in the First Congregational Church in New Haven, when he was in the fortieth year of his age. For the high character of his ministration in the pastoral office the reader can consult the sermons preached by President Stiles at his funeral, and also the sermon preached the Sabbath after, by Dr. Dana. The latter says of him: "He wished not to exceed seventy years. According to his desire, his usefulness, as well as his life, was protracted to this period. When it came he closed the scene with the same serenity and constancy as he had ever lived. He was ready to be offered, having like comfortable reflections in the review of his life and ministerial warfare as the holy apostle, and a like prospect of a crown of righteousness. His old age was amiably splendid as the clear setting sun. His past days looked back upon him with a smile of friendship, and the morning of immortal felicity dawning on his soul, gloriously irradiated the valley of death. We saw the aged saint commend his soul to God, full of faith, looking up steadfastly to heaven, seeing the glory of God, and Jesus on the right hand." He died on the 24th of July, 1787, in the seventieth year of his age, and in the thirtieth of his ministry. "He had for a long time expressed habitually a full assurance of hope, a confidence that knew no fear of dying. Mr. Stiles was desirous to see the triumph of that confidence in the hour of dissolution. He came into the room just as death was beginning. Taking his friend by the hand, he said, 'Do you feel now the assurance of hope? If you would say yes, and cannot speak, answer me by the pressure of your hand. Do you now feel the full assurance of hope?" The aged saint rallied his dying strength, and with a struggle answered distinctly, 'Yes.' His wife, children, and grandchildren kneeled around his bed, a few words of prayer and thanksgiving were uttered, and the mortal had put on immortality."-BACON's Historical Discourse, No. XII. Mr. Whittlesey's published works are: 1. A Sermon, preached at the funeral of Rev. ISAAC STILES at North Haven, May 14, 1760. 2. A Sermon, preached on the Sabbath preceding Commencement, 1766. 3. A Sermon, preached at the ordination of Rev. JOHN HUBBARD, in Meriden, 1767. 4. A Sermon, occasioned by the death of Mrs. ABIGAIL NOYES, 1768. 5. A Sermon, preached at the funeral of Mrs. MARY CLAPP, relict of President Clapp, 1769. 6. Election Sermon, 1778. One of the sons of Mr. Whittlesey was Deacon CHAUNCY WHITTLESEY, collector of the port of Middletown, Conn., and father of General CHAUNCY WHITTLESEY, an eminent lawyer. Another son, CHARLES, was the father of Deacon CHARLES WHITTLESEY, of the First Church in New Haven, and of Rev. CHAUNCY WHITTLESEY, both of whom died greatly lamented. IV. SARAH was the fourth child of Samuel and Sarah Chauncy Whittlesey of Wallingford, born January 19, 1720; died August 23, 1725. V. ELISHA, born October 19, 1721; married SUSANNAH HALL, May 8, 1759; was a merchant; died February 25, 1808. VI. CHARLES, born January 16, 1723; married LUCY HALL, June 13, 1751; was a merchant; died July 2, 1764. VII. SARAH, born October 20, 1726; died November 2, 1741. VIII. KATHERINE, born December 26, 1754; married Rev. JAMES DANA, D. D., May 8, 1759, first minister of Wallingford, and afterwards of the First Church in New Haven. Their son was Hon. SAMUEL W. DANA of the United States Senate, distinguished for his talents and influence. She died August 28, 1795. For more remote descendants of Rev. Samuel and Sarah Chauncy Whittlesey, see "Memorials of the Whittlesey Family." |