Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

(VI) David Smith, son of Jacob (2)
and Mary (Lewis) Smith, was born in
1777, and married Amna Bartholomew.
Their daughter Mary married Bennett
Bassett (q. v.).
WELLSTOOD, Robert,
Business Man, Public Official.
The Wellstood family is of that grand
contribution of intelligent men which
Scotland has made at various times to our
citizenship. The earliest known member
of the family was John Wellstood, who
was born at Stroudwater, Gloucestershire,
England. The surname of his wife was
Clarke, and they were the parents of Ste-
phen, of whom further.
(II) Stephen Wellstood was born at
Stroudwater, England, in 1710, and died
in 1800. He married Ann Davidson, who
was born in the parish of Kirk Michael
Strathdown, Banfif, Scotland, died in
1793. Their son was Stephen (2), of
whom further.
(III) Stephen (2) Wellstood was born
at Leith, Scotland, and died in 1792. He
married Christie Forbes, who died in
181 1. They were the parents of James,
of whom further.
(IV) James Wellstood was born in
the parish of Inveran, County of Banfif
Braes, Glenlivet, June 4, 1766, and died at
Elizabethtown, New Jersey, August 19,
1825. He married, in 1786, Euphemia
Yorston, who was born at Salton, and
died in Newark, New Jersey, November
25, 1838. They were the parents of James
(2), of whom further.
(V) James (2) Wellstood was born in
Fishurow, Scotland, October 28, 1791, and
died at New Haven, Connecticut, January
9, 1838. He married Ann Geikie, born in
Dalkeith, Scotland, May 14, 1788, died
in New Albany, New York, November 10,
1831, and her remains were removed to
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
2i7
New Haven, Connecticut. She was a
daughter of John Geikie, granddaughter
of Murdock Geikie, and great-granddaughter
of John Geikie.
(VI) John Geikie Wellstood, son of
James (2) and Ann (Geikie) Wellstood,
was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, January
18, 1813, and died January 21, 1893.
He came to America with his parents in
1829, and learned engraving in New York
City. This occupation he followed for a
few years, then became one of the incorporators
of the American Bank Note
Company. He continued actively at his
profession until his death. In 1872 he
withdrew from that company and organized
the Columbia Bank Note Company,
of Washington, D. C. That year he de-
signed and engraved the backs of the
United States banknotes, all the denomi-
nations from one to five hundred dollar
notes. The back of the one dollar notes
now in use was designed by him. Mr.
Wellstood was president of the company,
and retired a few years before his death.
As a special favor, he engraved the wedding
invitations for General U. S. Grant's
daughter, Nellie, who became Mrs. Sar-
toris.
In i860 Mr. Wellstood built his home
in Greenwich, Connecticut, being among
the first New Yorkers to recognize the
desirability of that town as a place of resi-
dence. He was a Democrat, and was the
representative of the town in the Con-
necticut Legislature ; the principal inter-
est of Mr. Wellstood was in his business,
and he was an artist as well as an ex-
ceptionally skilled artisan.
Mr. Wellstood married, July 20, 1835,
Mary McQueen, daughter of William and
Hester (Porter) McQueen. She was born
March 13, 1819, in New York City, and
died April 16, 1897, in Greenwich. Her
father was born in New York City, September
13, 1799, and died May 16, 1830;