Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

was born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk
county, England, a brother of John Good-
rich, first recorded November 10, 1643,
in Hartford. Probably they came to
America together. William's name appears
first in connection with his marriage
on April 4, 1648, to Sarah, daughter
of Matthew Marvin. William Goodrich
was appointed a constable in Wethers-
field, March 7, 1649; was admitted free-
man, May 15, 1656; was deputy to the
General Court for five sessions, May,
1662, to October, 1666; grand juror, May,
1662; was commissioned ensign of Wethersfield
train-band, May 11, 1663; and
is so styled in all records until his death
in 1676, just after the close of King
Philip's War. His widow married Cap-
tain William Curtis, of Stratford, and died
in 1702. An inventory of the estate of
William Goodrich placed its value as
nine hundred and fifteen pounds, three
shillings and six pence, which established
the deceased as having been wealthy.
The name of Goodrich is of Saxon and
ancient origin. Authentic record makes
reference to Goodrich Castle as early as
1204, and in all probability antecedes
that. The Domesday Book indicates that
the Goodrich family was of standing at
the time of the Norman Conquest (1066).
A Father Godric was elected Abbott of
the Abbey of Croyland in the year 870.
The derivation of the word is evidently
from the Saxon root god, and the suffix
He, rick, or rich, meaning rich. The
early forms of the name were Godric,
Goodrich, Guthrich and Goodridge, and
its significance is "rich in God, or in good-
ness."
(The Stillman Line).
Mrs. Mary Fosdick (Stillman) Griswold
was born in Somerset, Ohio, May 4, 1856,
the daughter of Henry Allyn and Cath-
erine Skinner (Bacon) Stillman.
He was born in Wethersfield, March
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
128
2, 1815; married, June 26, 1845, Catherine
Skinner, daughter of George and
Nancy (Skinner) Bacon. George Bacon
was born October 22, 1791 ; married
Nancy, daughter of Elisha Skinner, who,
vide, the "National Cyclopaedia of American
Biography," served in the commis-
sary department during the Revolution,
and was " a descendant of John, one of
the original settlers of Hartford, through
John, John, and Daniel." John Skinner,
who was one of the Hooker party and
an original landed proprietor of Hart-
ford, probably came from Braintree,
Essex county, England. He married
Mary, daughter of Joseph Loomis, of
Windsor, Connecticut. John Skinner died
in 1650.
George Bacon became a member of
the firm of Dubois & Bacon, piano man-
ufacturers, in 1836, a business still in
operation, being embraced in that of the
Bacon Piano Company, which is stated
to be the oldest piano manufacturers in
the country, through its continuance of
the businesses of pioneer manufacturers.
It may therefore be asserted that the
Bacon Company was founded in 1789, by
John Jacob Astor, who was succeeded in
1802 by John and Michael Paff ; they in
turn were succeeded in 1815 by William
Dubois, whose partner, George Bacon,
became in 1836, under the firm name of
Dubois & Bacon. William Dubois began
manufacturing pianos in 1820; in 1855
his partner, George Bacon, died.
Richard Bacon, father of George
Bacon, was born in 1757. He married
Anna Fosdick, who was born in Wethersfield
in 1761, and died in 1821 at Dayton,
Ohio. She was the daughter of Ezekiel
Fosdick, and granddaughter of Cap-
tain Samuel Fosdick, who married at
New London, Connecticut, on November
1, 1682, Mercy Pickett, who was born
on January 16, 1660-61, and died at New