Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

two years ; county
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
auditor, two years,
1895-96. Particularly in matters pertaining
to agriculture was he active ; he was
one of the organizers of the East Central
Pomona Grange, and was first master,
serving as such for two years from the
date of its establishment. Also, he was
the first master of Ellington Grange, serv-
ing two successive years, and was leading
worker in the Patrons of Husbandry
Association. Religiously, he was a communicant
of the Congregational church
and, by reason of his war service was, of
course, a member of the Grand Army of
the Republic, affiliated with Burpee Post,
No. 71, at Rockville.
Mr. Thompson married, February 10,
1870, Amanda J., daughter of Bissell and
Johanna (Morton) Bancroft, of Warehouse
Point. To them were born four
children: 1. Morton E., who succeeded
to the family estate, which required all
his time in farming operations. 2. Liz-
zie M., who became the wife of B. F. Pinney,
of Somers, Connecticut. 3. Royal
W., of whom further. 4. Emery J., who
during the Spanish War was in the
United States naval service and latterly
has been, for several years, connected
with the United States Department of
Agriculture at Washington, D. C.
Royal Windford Thompson was born
October 23, 1874. He was educated in
the common and select schools of Elling-
ton, and at the High School at Rockville,
from which, after graduation, he proceeded
to the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham,
Massachusetts. Deciding to
enter business life he became a student
at Huntsinger's Business College, Hartford.
Thus well grounded in general and
special knowledge, his first business posi-
tion was not one of irresponsibility ; he
secured appointment as secretary in the
Hartford office of the superintendent of
the Central New England Railroad. A
year later he received an advantageous
;
offer from P. & F. Corbin Manufacturing
Company, of New Britain, Connecticut,
and he accepted the position offered, that
of secretary to the president and general
manager of the company. Undoubtedly,
he served the chief executive well, for he
held the position for seven years, resign-
ing then so that he might proceed to
Washington, D. C, as private secretary
to the Hon. Joseph R. Hawley, a United
States Senator from Connecticut, whom
he served throughout his term, and also
as clerk of the United States Senate Com-
mittee on Military Affairs. And an indi-
cation of his value in secretarial office
may be understood in the fact that when
the Hon. Morgan G. Bulkeley succeeded
Senator Hawley, he retained Mr. Thompson
as his secretary, and also made him
clerk of the United States Senate Committee
on Railroads. Altogether, Mr.
Thompson held these positions for four-
76
teen years, 1897-1911. And during his
service in the federal capitol, he did not
permit himself many moments of leisure.
He had resolved to fit himself for admittance
to legal practice, and that meant
the consumption of considerable "mid-
night oil." His application to the study
of the fundamentals of law began under
private tutelage, but he soon thereafter
became an undergraduate at the National
University Law School, the standing of
which among professional schools is wellknown.
In 1906 he graduated, and thus
became entitled to the degree of LL. B.
In 1907 he secured the major degree of
LL. M., from the same school, and he
was admitted to practice at the Connecticut
legal bar on June 26, 1908. When
Senator Bulkeley's term expired, in 191 1,
Mr. Thompson returned from Washing-
ton, and opened a law office at No. 50
State street, Hartford. Since that time
he has devoted himself closely to legal
practice, and has established himself in
good repute as a lawyer. He has every