Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

ter, was bom in Marcellus, New York,
March 30, 1814, and died in Valley-
Springs, California, February i, 1897. He
was an editor in his early days, being a
fellow-worker with Horace Greeley and
Whitelaw Reid on the New York "Tri-
bune." For some time he was the publisher
of the Fredonia, New York, "Cen-
sor." At another time he established the
"New World," said to have been New
York's first society illustrated paper. He
also did much editorial and other writing
for other newspapers. During the sixties
and seventies he and his son, Theodore
Winchester, owned and operated a newspaper
and printing establishment in
Marietta, Ohio. The latter years of Ebenezer
Winchester's life were spent in Oak-
land and Valley Springs, California,
where until he became blind he pursued
writing and research work of a literary
nature.
Mr. Winchester married Elizabeth Nelson
Story, who was born in Annapolis
Royal, Nova Scotia, March 26, 181 5. She
was a direct descendant of John Story,
who came from England in the first half
of the eighteenth century and settled in
Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he became
an extensive ship merchant. His young-
est son, Francis Story, father of Elizabeth
Nelson Story, was born in Laurencetown,
near Halifax, June 24, 1776. Being a
commander of ships in the West India
trade, he was known as Captain Story.
Quite early in the nineteenth century he
became a resident of Westchester county.
New York. Maternally, Elizabeth Nelson
Story was descended from the French
Huguenot families of Devone—now called
Devoe—and Bennett, founders of the
numerous Westchester county families
bearing those names. The original Devones
and Bennetts, having left Rochelle,
France, in consequence of the revocation
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
248
of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, were early
settlers in New Rochelle, New York.
Frederick Devone, great-grandfather of
Elizabeth Nelson (Story) Winchester,
was born there early in the seventeen hundreds.
He engaged in business in New
York City, where he resided during the
winter seasons on Franklin square, spend-
ing his summers at his country home in
New Rochelle. He was the owner of a
considerable estate. Frederick Devone
was a vestryman of St. Paul's Chapel,
New York. Being a Royalist, he removed
to Nova Scotia after the British evacuated
New York, taking with him his ward,
David Bennett, who was born in New
Rochelle, March 31, 1757. David Bennett
was married at Annapolis Royal, Nova
Scotia, to Charity Devone, a daughter of
his guardian, Frederick Devone, who was
born in New Rochelle, New York, Janu-
ary 27, 1759. This marriage took place
about 1782 or 1783. Their oldest daughter,
Sarah Bennett, who was born in An-
napolis, Nova Scotia, December 21, 1784,
was married at that place, March 13,
1806, to Captain Francis Story, and they
were the parents of Elizabeth Nelson
Story, who as the wife of Ebenezer Win-
chester was the grandmother of Albert E.
Winchester.
(VII) Theodore Winchester, son of
Ebenezer and Elizabeth Nelson (.Story)
Winchester, was born in Brooklyn, New
York, March 30, 1842, and died in Baltimore,
Maryland, December 11, 1883. He
received an education better than was
given to most youths of his day. He possessed
an active mind, and besides mak-
ing the most of the opportunities afforded
him he added to his store of knowledge
by wise and careful reading and by keen
and thoughtful observation. He literally
grew up in the printing office of his father,
the work being such as appeals to almost