Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

sina) DiStefano. Soon after the wedding
they came to Middletown, and Mrs.
Mazzotta at once set about learning the
use of the English language. She has
proven herself a worthy helpmate in her
husband's progress, and their children are
being reared as good American citizens;
Sabastiano George, born Feb-
they are :
ruary 22, 191 1 ; and Emanuella Maria,
February 4, 1913.
BAILEY, Edgar L.,
Business Man.
A descendant, in two lines, of the old
Bailey family of Haddam, Mr. Bailey in-
herited the native business instinct of the
Yankee and also the stable character
which has distinguished the natives of
New England. He was born February
17, 1847, ii^ Higganum, Connecticut, the
son of Richard M. and Lucy Maria
(Bailey) Bailey, who were not near rel-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
atives. The descent of the mother has
been traced as follows : The name Bailey
had its origin in the office of bailiff or
steward, an occupation of much honor and
dignity in old English times. The name
of Henry le Bailie is found in writs of
parliament. A pioneer of Virginia was
William Bailey who was born about 1579,
in England, and removed to Virginia in
the ship "Prosperous." His son, Thomas
Bailey, settled in New London, Connecti-
cut, in 1651. He was founder of the
Groton family of that name.
John Bailey appears in the records of
Hartford, Connecticut, in 1648, when he
was a viewer of ladders and chimneys, an
important post, since chimneys were built
of sticks and mud, and it was necessary
to keep ladders and make frequent inspec-
tion of chimneys as a precaution against
fires. John Bailey was constable, an
office involving collection of taxes, in
1656-57. About 1662 he settled in Haddam,
being one of the twenty-eight orig-
inal proprietors of the town, and lived in
what is now Higganum. His will was
dated June 17, 1696, and inventory of his
property, made August 29, of the same
year, placed its value at £ 186, los. and 6d.
His wife was, probably, Lydia, daughter
of Thomas Smith.
John Bailey, son of John, lived in Haddam,
and married Elizabeth Bate, daughter
of John and Elizabeth (Beckwith)
Bate of that town. John Bate (name now
written Bates) was undoubtedly a son of
Joseph Bate of Haddam. The name was
common in England several centuries be-
fore the departure of the Pilgrims for
America. In New England it was some-
times spelled "Baitt." It is supposed to
have come from Bate or Batte, a contrac-
78
tion of Bartholomew. About the time of
the Revolution, it came into common use
as Bates. Between 1630 and 1640 five
men named Bate settled in Boston or its
neighborhood. John Bate of Lydd, Kent,
England, died between July 31, and September
17, 1522. His second son, Andrew,
died there about February 22, 1533. The
latter's third son, John Bate, was buried
there March i, 1579. He married, October
28, 1546, Mildred Ward, who was
buried June 2, 1577, nearly two years before
her husband. Their eldest son, John
Bate, described as a yeoman, died March
2, 1614, at Lydd. He married, June 6,
1580, Mary Martine, and their second
son, Joseph Bate, baptized in December,
1582, at Lydd, was the pioneer of the family
in America. In 1635 he came to Dorchester,
Massachusetts, where he was
made a freeman in the following year,
served as selectman in 1637-38 and 1642,
and died in 1655. He married (license
issued September 13, 1603) Alice Glover
of Saltwood, England, born 1583, died