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Kinney was born in Winsted, Connecticut,
March 30, 1816, son of Sheldon Kinney,
Sr., who lived in New Preston, Con-
necticut, and who married Ellen Clark.
Sheldon Kinney, Sr., died in May, 1876,
and his wife died in 1879. His father,
Pari Kinney, married Sarah Hine, and
his grandfather's name was Pari also. On
his maternal side Mr. Kinney was a descendant
of the Farren family, who were
among the first settlers of East Haven,
Connecticut.
Sheldon Kinney was brought up in
Winsted, Connecticut, and attended the
schools in that town. In his youth he
learned the trade of molder, but this work
proved too strenuous and he was compelled
to give it up. After this he was
engaged with his father for many years
in the butcher business, and did much
in cattle buying and droving, as at that
time it was the custom to drive the cat-
tle over the country to their destination.
He also followed merchandising in Winsted.
For some time, Mr. Kinney was
the owner of the "Winsted House." In
1863 he removed to Rainbow, Connecti-
cut, where he took up farming. In 1868
he reopened what was formerly known as
the "Old Roberts Tavern," and called the
hotel the "Maple House." This hotel was
a favorite stopping place at that time. In
1880 he returned to his farm, where he
died September 5, 1892, and is buried in
the Windsor Cemetery. In politics Mr.
Kinney was very prominent in the Demo-
cratic party, always being an active
worker in its interests. For a period of
seven years he held the position of
keeper of the town's poor, and was ex-
ceedingly well known in this capacity.
Mr. Kinney was a member of the Poquonock
Grange. On November 27, 1846,
Mr. Kinney married Eliza Abiah Phelps,
a direct descendant of William Phelps,
who emigrated to New England in
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
251
the ship "Mary and John" in 1630.
Originally, the Phelps family came
from Tewksbury, Gloucestshire, England.
There James Phelps was born about 1520.
William Phelps, son of James and Joan
Phelps, was born at Tewksbury, baptized
August 4, 1560, died about 161 1, and his
wife, Dorothy, about 1613. Their son,
William Phelps, the emigrant ancestor
of Eliza A. (Phelps) Kinney, came here
in the ship "Mary and John," which sailed
from Plymouth, England, March 20,
1630, and landed at what is now Hull,
Massachusetts, and they were the first
founders and settlers of that place. Wil-
liam Phelps was made a freeman during
the first six months and was very active
in the town's affairs. The wife, whose
name is not known, died in 1635. Their
son, Lieutenant Timothy Phelps, was
born in Windsor, September 1, 1639, and
lived there on land purchased from the
Indians by his father, and was made a
freeman, May 2, 1664. In 1709 he was
appointed a lieutenant and served under
Colonel Whitman in Captain Matthew
Allyn's regiment in Queen Anne's War.
He married Mary Griswold, March 19,
1661, daughter of Edward Griswold, of
Killingworth, born in Windsor and bap-
tized October 13, 1644. Lieutenant
Phelps died in 1719, his wife Mary previ-
ous to this time, the exact date not being
on record. Their son, Cornelius Phelps,
was born in Windsor, April 26, 167 1, died
1741
Mansfield, daughter of John and Sarah
(Phelps) Mansfield, born in Windsor,
January 5, 1685, died 1774. Their son,
Timothy Phelps, born in Windsor, Feb-
; married, November 2, 1704, Sarah
ruary 3, 1713, lived in Windsor and Colebrook.
He married, April 24, 1746, Margaret
Gillett, daughter of Daniel and
Margaret (Eno) Gillett, born in Windsor,
December 31, 1723. Their son, Timo-
thy Phelps, born in Windsor, July 14,