Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

in 1781, and must have had other services
in the Continental army, for he was a
pensioner in later life. Thus, and prob-
ably by the military services of other
males of the fifth Merwin generation, is
George Jared Merwin entitled to mem-
bership in the Connecticut Society of the
Sons of the American Revolution.
James J. Merwin, father of George
Jared Merwin, was born in Milford, Con-
necticut, March 18, 1837, the son of Jared
and Sarah G. (Stowe) Merwin, the
former a shoemaker in Milford. When
seventeen years of age, James J. Merwin,
having graduated from the High School
of Milford, entered business life in New
Haven, there becoming bookkeeper, and
eventually head bookkeeper to George W.
Goodsell, in whose service he remained
for ten years. In 1866, upon the death
of his father-in-law, George L. Hodge,
owner of paper mills in the vicinity of
Windsor, Connecticut, he removed to that
place, so that he and his wife's brother,
George W. Hodge, who later became Sen-
ator, and eventually State treasurer,
might form a partnership to continue in
operation the paper mills established by
the deceased. The partnership continued
for three years, then being dissolved by
mutual agreement, the interest of James
J. Merwin being purchased by the other
member of the firm. Mr. Merwin then
went to Holyoke, Massachusetts, where
he engaged in the paper business, in part-
nership with a William A. House, of that
place. In 1877 he returned to Rainbow,
and entered the insurance business, in
time developing an extensive connection.
And he also at that time interested himself
actively in undertaking and embalming,
which business, then established by
him, has been maintained in continuous
operation to the present, its affairs of late
years coming under the supervision of
the son, George Jared Merwin.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
210
James J. Merwin was a prominent
worker for the Republican party, and
after his return to Windsor he took a
keen interest in the public affairs of the
vicinity, and was elected to many town
offices of honor and responsibility. He
served on the grand jury for six years
was notary public for eighteen years;
justice of the peace for ten years; and
assessor for seven years. Manifestly, he
was much respected in the district, for
in 1896 he was elected from Windsor to
the State Legislature by the largest ma-
jority ever up to that time given a candi-
date in that district. During his term in
the General Assembly, Mr. Merwin was
a member of the committee on humane
institutions, of which Governor Louns-
bury was chairman. On July 25, 1900,
Governor Lounsbury appointed Mr. J. J.
Merwin one of the trustees of the State
Historical Museum and Library, known
as the "Old Stone House," at Guilford,
Connecticut. He was a sincere Christian,
member of the Baptist church of Windsor,
and for many years a deacon, and
superintendent of the Sunday school.
His marriage was in 1865 to Mary A.,
daughter of George L. and Hannah M.
(Pelton) Hodge, of Windsor, the former
a well-known and successful paper manu-
facturer of that town. Mrs. Mary A.
(Hodge) Merwin died January 10, 1918.
George L. Hodge was born in Aberdeen,
Scotland, January 28, 1815, and his wife
in Middlefield, Massachusetts, Novem-
ber 28, 18 10. When a boy of eight,
George L. Hodge came to America with
his father, a Baptist minister, who soon
thereafter located on Long Island, but
later held charges in Connecticut. George
L. Hodge was early apprenticed to a
papermaker named Melank Hudson, with
whom the boy served his indentures,
after which he found employment as
journeyman with a papermaker in Sau-
;