Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

orn January 15, 1835, at Chesterfield.
He attended the district schools of his
native town, and subsequently was a stu-
dent at a private school preparatory to
his entrance to the United States Military
Academy at West Point. He was ap-
pointed to the latter by Judge Rockwell,
who at that time was a member of Congress
from Western Massachusetts. His
plans to enter West Point did not materialize,
however, as he was induced by an
elder brother to enter into business with
him in the manufacture of woolens. In
order to prepare himself for this line of
work, he was employed at the Pontoosic
Woolen Mills of Pittsfield, Massachu-
setts. Upon the completion of the mill
operated by his brother he assumed
charge of the weaving department, which
position he held until 1855. In the latter
year he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
to accept an offer from the Bank of Milwaukee
as general bookkeeper. He remained
there for three years and was
assistant cashier at the time of his resig-
nation. He had planned to return to the
East that year, but upon being offered the
position of cashier of the Bank of St.
Paul, in St. Paul, Minnesota, he removed
there in November, 1858, remaining until
serious illness in his family made it neces-
sary for him to return East, in April, i860.
The following year, Mr. Burnell removed
to Hartford and acquired a position with
the firm of Beach & Company as successor
to John C. Coffing. Mr. Burnell was
identified with this company until his
retirement from active business in 1917.
They were dealers in dye stuffs, and
upon the death of Charles M. Beach, the
business was sold to the National Aniline
and Chemical Company with Mr.
Burnell as company manager with Mr.
H. S. Bidwell. At the same time Mr.
Burnell served as secretary and assistant
treasurer of the Broad Brook Woolen
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
349
Company, continuing as such for a number
of years. A member of the Asylum
Hill Congregational Church of Hartford
since its organization, he maintained an
active part in all of its affairs. He was
clerk of the meeting which called the first
pastor, and served as assistant superintendent
of the Sunday school for many
years, also as superintendent of the home
department. His death occurred March
10, 1918, after having been a resident of
this city for almost half a century, one of
its valued and worthy citizens.
Mr. Burnell married, October 21, 1858,
Harriet M. Johnson, of Lenox, Massachu-
setts, and they were the parents of the
following children: 1. Florence Agnes,
wife of Dr. Nelson J. Goodwin, of Hart-
ford. 2. Elizabeth R., who lives in Hart-
ford. 3. Alice Gardner, wife of Luke V.
Lockwood, of New York City. 4. Har-
riet Johnson, wife of George T. Kendall,
of Grand Rapids, Michigan. 5. Francis
C, a resident of New York City.
BRACE, Thomas Kimberly,
Public Servant, Insurance Founder.
The late Thomas Kimberly Brace was
among the most active citizens of Hart-
ford and justified in his career the expec-
tations naturally held regarding one de-
scended from a most worthy ancestry.
The founder of the family in this country
was Steven Brace, a hatter, who came
from London, England, and was in Hartford
about 1660. In 1673 his home was
on Lot No. 13, Charter street, and he died
in 1692. His son, John Brace, born in
1677, in Hartford, had three sons, Jona-
than, Elisha and Joseph. The eldest of
these,, Lieutenant Jonathan Brace, settled
in 1740 in Harwinton, Litchfield county,
Connecticut. He married Mary Messenger,
of Hartford, and had five sons and
five daughters. Among these was Jona-