Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

of the town. Industrious and gifted with
the noted Scotch thrift, he was able to
engage in business on his own account.
In 1890 he purchased a meat market in
the village, and continued to operate it
until his death, which took place August
31, 1896. While yet a minor he joined the
United States forces as a soldier of the
Civil War, and attained the rank of
corporal. Naturally he became a member
of the Grand Army of the Republic and
was esteemed by his associates as a brave
soldier and a good citizen. He attended
the Congregational Church and, in mat-
ters of public concern supported the prin-
ciples of the Republican party.
Mr. Dickson married. May 14, 1868,
Abbie T. Shepard, who was born August
5, 1844, in Hampton, Connecticut, daugh-
ter of Chester and Mary (Fox) Shepard.
Eben Shepard, admitted a freeman September
15, 1805, in Brooklyn, Connecti-
cut, was, undoubtedly, father of Chester
Shepard, who was born in Plainfield.
The latter was admitted freeman in
Hampton, Connecticut, in 1843, having
removed there from Brooklyn. He married,
February 18, 1827, Rev. A. Edson
officiating, Mary Fox of Brooklyn, born
in Franklin, Connecticut. Later, they
resided in Plainfield. Mr. and Mrs. Dick-
son were the parents of four children, of
whom two daughters survive. They are
Isadora Imogene, born July 31, 1870, and
Clara Estelle, March 21, 1884, both residing
with their mother in the family home
in East Hampton, and esteemed members
of the community.
TREVITHICK, William James,
Retired Business Man.
The name (pronounced Tre-vith'-ick) is
an old one in Cornwall, said by family
:
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
tradition to have been Cornish before it
was English. Probably it crossed the chan-
nel from ancient Brittany, with the forma-
tion of whose names it conforms better
than with more modern English names.
At any rate, it has been identified with
the chief industry of Cornwall—tin mining—since
the time ''when the memory
of man runneth not to the contrary."
William Trevithick, a miner, lived and
died in the same house where his father
lived and died, in the parish of Illogan,
Cornwall. He married Mary, daughter of
James and Lydia Jose, residents of Lan-
ner, in the same parish, of another family
of miners. All were very steady-going
people, and William Trevithick probably
never went thirty miles from his native
place.
W'illiam James Trevithick was born
February 16, 1864, in Illogan and at-
tended the public school of the parish un-
til eleven years old, when he was appren-
ticed to a meat dealer, with whom he
served seven years. Having mastered the
details of the business, he decided to
strike out for himself and, as a first step,
took to himself a wife. He was married,
March, 1882, to Mary E. Phillips, a native
of his own parish, daughter of John and
Mary (Warne) Phillips.
In January, 1883, they set sail for
America and landed in New York, whence
they proceeded direct to New Britain,
Connecticut. Here Mr. Trevithick found
employment for a few months in a knitting
mill, then for seven years he was
employed by a meat dealer. In 1890 he
opened a meat market of his own in New
Britain and in 1894 moved to Middletown,
where he has since made his home
and engaged continuously in business until
a very recent period. His first market
there was located on Rapallo Avenue.