Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

ground. His name is on the Founders
Monument. His wife died about 1668.
John Wilcox, son of John Wilcox, was
born in England, and came to America
with his father. He resided in and found-
ed Middletown Upper Houses, now the
town of Cromwell, Connecticut, and he
died there May 24, 1676. His second wife
was Catherine (Stoughton) Wilcox, a
daughter of Thomas Stoughton, of Wind-
sor, who built the first stone house or
fort.
Israel Wilcox, son of John Wilcox, was
born in Middletown, June 19, 1656, and
died December 20, 1689. He married,
March 26, 1678, Sarah Savage, a daughter
of John Savage, born July 30, 1657, and
died February 8, 1725.
Samuel Wilcox, son of Israel Wilcox,
was born in East Berlin, Connecticut,
September 26, 1685, and died January 19,
1727. He married, March 3, 1714, Han-
nah, daughter of John Sage, who died
in April, 1737.
Daniel Wilcox, son of Samuel Wilcox,
was born in East Berlin, December 31,
1715, and died July 29, 1789. He was a
large property holder and made a present
of a farm to each of his 14 children. In
addition he laid out a plot of sixty rods
for a burying ground, and the same is
now known as the Wilcox Cemetery, and
on his tombstone there is the following
inscription
:
I gave this ground, I'm laid here first,
Soon my remains will turn to dust.
My wife and progeny around,
Come sleep with me in this cold ground.
Daniel Wilcox married, March 16, 1737,
Sarah White, born April 22, 1716, died
June 28, 1807, daughter of Daniel White,
and a descendant of the immigrant, John
White. They were the parents of thirteen
children.
Samuel Wilcox, son of Daniel Wilcox,
was born September 12, 1753, in East
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPH\
38
Berlin, and died March 12, 1832. He was
married three times and his first wife,
Phebe (Dowd) Wilcox, was born May
28, 1759, and died March 9, 1796.
Benjamin Wilcox, son of Samuel Wil-
cox, was born June 27, 1782, in East Ber-
lin, and died May 10, 1843. He was the
first to make use of the waters of the
Mattabessett river for the purpose of
manufacturing, and with two others erected
a mill for spinning cotton yarn, which
was woven by women on hand looms.
This property later came into the possession
of the Roys & Wilcox Company and
then to the present owners, the Peck,
Stow & Wilcox Company. He married
(first) February 21, 1806, Betsey Savage,
born June 25, 1787, died January 28, 1831,
a daughter of Selah Savage, who was en-
sign at the battle of Bunker Hill.
Samuel Curtis Wilcox, son of Benjamin
Wilcox, was born in East Berlin, December
11, 181 1, and died there September
21, 1886. He was a man possessed of a
good education, and in early life was a
school teacher. On his return to Berlin
he established a general store and later
a similar one at Washington, North Caro-
lina, which he conducted for many years.
He then opened a tinware factory, which
was the first in the United States, and
on its organization was conducted under
the name of Carpenter, Lamb & Wil-
cox. The number of employees there at
first was thirty, but the firm quickly grew,
and did a remarkably profitable trade es-
pecially throughout the Southern States.
All kinds of tinware were manufactured
and the business continued for fifteen
years. At this time Mr. Wilcox established
at East Berlin a small manufactory
for tinsmith's tools and machines, and out
of this small beginning grew the widely
known firm of Peck, Stow & Wilcox. This
firm was established in 1870 on the con-
solidation of eight similar factories, seven