A Piece of Family History Without a Parallel

Some of the most interesting history of Norwich, CT is incomplete and fires up interest in discovering the rest of the story. Perhaps this article from January 28, 1848 is “A Piece of [your] family history without a parallel.”

On this 27th day of January, Anno Domini 1848, and in this our goodly, thriving city of Norwich, in the State of Connecticut, is living an aged gentleman, the progenitor, of five generations, all now living. He, (that is the said progenitor or ancestor,) was born on Sunday – his wife was born on Sunday; and he had a child born on every day of the week, commencing with Sunday morning and ending on Saturday night. All the first-born of the five successive generations were born on Sunday – all are males and all bear the same name, and all are now living. Of these, the last born is the son of the fourth or fifth (we do not know which) child of her parents. – The oldest of the five generations, is ninety-six years of age – the youngest is between two and three months old, so that the distance which separates the two extremes, is but less than a century.

What a world of history, written and unwritten, has been enacted within the period which has thus transpired since the birth of the great great grandsire and that of the great great grandson. With the latter, we have not had the pleasure of an acquaintance; but with the former we meet almost daily in our walks through the streets; and there is one place above all others, unless we except the house of worship on the Sabbath) where he is sure to be found as often as the various election days come round, and that is, at the polls. – At our last Town Election, his was the first vote deposited in the Ballot Box; and from the time he was made a freeman, down to the present, he has never failed to be present at the Annual State Election, and to give his vote for the men and the measures approved by his judgment. Perhaps it will not strike our democratic friends quite pleasantly, but we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of adding, that this venerable , intelligent, and most exemplary citizen is a Whig – a Whig of the staunchest sort, tried and true as steel.

If this is in fact a story from your family or a friend, please let me know as I am curious to know how many more generations it lasted or if this was the end.

Thank you for sharing my blog with your friends. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com
View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs