Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

political freedom. He married Mrs. Sally
Jessup, daughter of Philip Lockwood.
(IV) Captain David (2) Waterbury,
eldest son of Captain William and Sally
(Lockwood-Jessup) Waterbury, was born
April 17, 1819. His education was limited
to such as the times and location afforded.
When about fifteen years old he shipped
as a sailor on a market boat trading weekly
between Stamford and New York. He
rose rapidly from one position to another
until before his twentieth birthday he was
captain and owner of the "Rival," a sloop
of about fifty tons. In 1852, in company
with Edmund Lockwood and Lewis Waterbury,
he purchased the steamer, "William
W. Frazier," a daily passenger and
freight boat plying between Stamford and
New York, Captain Lockwood commanding
and Captain Waterbury serving as
superintendent, agent and so forth, with
offices in Stamford. This steamer was
the first to run between Stamford and
New York regularly, and to be owned in
Stamford. In 1859 the company built a
new steamer, the "Ella," which was run
on this route until it was sold to the
United States Government at the time of
the Civil War. When Captain Lockwood
retired from active business, Oliver
Scofield joined interest with the two remaining
partners and they built the
"Stamford," which they placed on the
same route in 1863. They sold this
steamer the next year and built the
"Shippan," placing her on this route in
1865. In May, 1870, she was burned at
the Stamford Wharf, also the entire property
of the company, the loss being about
$70,000, only half covered by insurance.
In 1870 the business was sold to R. Cor-
nell White, of New York. The same year,
Captain Waterbury started a business in
Stamford in coal and wood, which he con-
tinued until his death, November 22, 1894.
Also he organized the Stamford Trans-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
433
portation Company, of which he was
manager. This was in 1873, after the
New York parties had failed with the
steamboat business. Captain Waterbury
sold the transportation interests to the
North & East River Steamboat Company.
Captain Waterbury was a Democrat in
politics, and disregarded partisan connec-
tions for the sake of the better man if
that man was an opponent of his party.
He was broadly liberal in his religious
views, and was for many years a mem-
ber of the parish of the Universalist
church.
Captain Waterbury married (first),
January 23, 1842, Sarah M. Selleck, daugh-
ter of John and Charlotte (Mead) Selleck,
of Greenwich, Connecticut. Of
their children six grew to maturity. They
are :
Captain William Tell, of whom fur-
ther; John S., Mary E., Sarah M., Charles
F., whose sketch follows ; Lottie A. Mrs.
Waterbury died September 26, 1867.
Eight years later Captain Waterbury
married (second), her sister, Mrs. Joseph-
ine E. Colby.
(V) Captain William Tell Waterbury,
son of Captain David (2) and Sarah M.
(Selleck) Waterbury, was born March 4,
1843, in Stamford, Connecticut, where he
died, February 12, 1912. He attended the
public schools of Stamford and the famous
Glendenning Academy. We can
picture the young lad accompanying his
father on every opportunity and finding
in the life on the water the fulfillment of
his desire. On completing his schooling
he obtained work on a small sailing ves-
sel, one of the type which was used in
transporting commerce between Stam-
ford and New York. Having set himself
to mastering all the details of the vessel,
Captain Waterbury rose rapidly until he
was qualified to take charge and was
made captain.
Throughout the many years of his ac-