Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

firm. Mr. Watson married Hannah,
daughter of James Murphy ; she was born
in Fermoy, Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Wat-
son were the parents of fourteen children,
eight of whom grew up. They were
Mary; James J., of further mention; El-
len, wife of John Keevers of New Britain ;
Elizabeth, married Michael Carmody, of
New Britain ; Grace ; Howard
; :
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
; Frederick
Madeline. The family attends St. Mary's
Roman Catholic Church.
The paternal grandfather of Mr. Watson
was William Watson. He was what
is known in the old country as a gentleman
farmer, owner of his own estate.
The family is an old one in their county,
and members of it are now among the
leading bankers there.
James J. Watson received a practical
education in the public school and then
entered the employ of J. M. Curtin,
grocer. After six years there he went
with the Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company, remaining for three years, and
for five years was with Moss Brothers of
Hartford. From this time until 191 1,
Mr. Watson was associated with the
Home Banking & Realty Company and in
that year opened his own office. In addition
to the real estate business Mr. Watson
handles all kinds of insurance. He
has been very successful in his undertak-
ing and is prominent in both the business
and public life of New Britain ; he served
as alderman for three years ; as councilman
for two years and as a member of the
Board of Assessors for seven years. Mr.
Watson is also a member of the Democratic
Town Central Committee. During
the War he was a member of the Draft
Board and was secretary of local Board
No. I throughout the war. His fraternal
affiliations are with the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks and the Knights
of Columbus, of which he is Past Grand
Knight.
232
Mr. Watson married Catherine, daugh-
ter of George Scheidler, of New Britain,
and they are the parents of a son, Wil-
liam J., born January 24, 1907. With his
family Mr. Watson attends St. Mary's
Roman Catholic Church.
BOUTEILLER, William Henry,
Insurance Agent.
In the last century much of the development
and progress of America has been
brought about by people of foreign birth or
descent, and there is a much larger element
of French blood in our population
than is generally realized. During the
persecution in France many people went to
England, where their names became somewhat
Anglicized and whence many of their
descendants came to the United States.
The name at the head of this article was
originally le Bouteiller, adopted, like
thousands of others, as a surname from
the occupation of its bearer at the com-
paratively recent time of adoption of surnames
in Europe. At Andencourt, in the
department of Monte Dieu, France, for
many decades resided a family of this
name. The first of whom we have pres-
ent knowledge was Florentine Bouteiller,
who came to the United States in 1870,
accompanied by his wife, two sons and a
daughter, and settled at Otis, Massachu-
setts, where he died at the age of ninetyseven
years. His wife, Julia, died when
eighty-four years old. Their son, Emile
Florentine Bouteiller, was born May 26,
1852, at Andencourt, and accompanied his
parents to Massachusetts, whence he
came to Portland, Connecticut, where he
still resides, and is still active and in-
dustrious. He married, December 2, 1874,
Ellen Higgins, who was born September
13, 1856, in Sheffield, Massachusetts,
public schools and before his majority
was employed in the famous bell shops