Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

the Masonic order. In religious faith he
is a Congregationalist and is superintendent
of the Sunday school at Berlin. He
was vice-president of the City Club of
Hartford, of which he was one of the
founders in 1914, and was elected vice-
president of the first annual re-union of
"Wilcox Family and Allied Families,"
held at the Center Church House, in Hart-
ford, August 27, 28, 29, 191 3.
On January 19, 1898, Major Wilcox was
married to Harriett Churchill Webster,
daughter of Deacon Charles Selah and
Julia Sophia (Higgins) Webster, of Berlin.
They are the parents of a son, Samuel
Churchill, and a daughter, Margaret Web-
ster.
DENNIS, Rodney,
Insurance Actuary.
Rodney Dennis, the first secretary of
the Travelers Insurance Company of
Hartford, Connecticut, was born in Tops-
field, Massachusetts, January 14, 1826,
and died in Hartford, Connecticut, in
June, 1899. He is a descendant on both
the maternal and paternal sides of the
early settlers of New England. The first
ancestor was Thomas Dennis, who was
a soldier in King Philip's War. His
grandson was an army chaplain and surgeon
for a dozen years in the middle
French wars, 1737 to 1749, and was then
a pastor and teacher in New Hampshire
and Massachusetts.
His grandson was the Rev. Rodney
Gove Dennis, father of Rodney Dennis,
who was born in New Boston, New
Hampshire, April 17, 1791, son of Arthur
and Mary (Goodhue) Dennis. He was
baptized at the age of five years, and
fitted for his college career at the Appelton
Academy, New Ipswich, New Hamp-
shire. In the autumn of 181 1, he united
with the Congregational church of that
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
40
place, and the following year entered
Bowdoin College, from which he was
graduated in 1816, and took his second
degree in 1820. He then entered the Andover
Theological Seminary, graduating
in 1819. He was ordained ior the minis-
try in Topsfield, Massachusetts, the next
year, and preached there nine years.
With his family he then removed to
Somers, Connecticut, and after nine years
pastorate in that town, was acting pastor
at Fairfield, Connecticut, from 1841 to
1845. From 1857 to 1859 he was installed
at Hillsborough, New Hampshire, and
from that time until his death officiated
without change at Southboro, Massachusetts,
where he died in 1865. Rev. Mr.
Dennis married, in 1820, Mary Parker,
born in 1793 at Billerica, Massachusetts,
daughter of Stephen and Mary (Duren)
Parker. Rev. and Mrs. Dennis were the
parents of ten children, the fourth child
and second son being Rodney.
Rodney Dennis removed with his par-
ents when a child to Somers, Connecticut,
and received his elementary education
there, attending the High School for one
term. When sixteen years of age he came
to Hartford and was employed in mercan-
tile business as a clerk. Through his in-
dustry and thrift he soon established him-
self in a business of his own, the firm of
Dennis & Ives Company, the interests of
which took him to. Georgia, where he remained
for two years, and was employed
by the well known firm of Hand, Wil-
liams & Wilcox. He then returned to
Albany, New York, and in 1855 to Hartford,
where he became associated with
the Phoenix Bank of that city in the
capacity of accountant, remaining there
for nine years. It was at that time, 1864,
that the Travelers Insurance Company
was chartered, and upon the request of
the President, James G. Batterson, and
the Board of Directors, Mr. Dennis be-