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The crest of the family of Flynn and
O'Flynn is as follows: A dexter hand,
erect, holding a serpent, the tail embowed
and head to the sinister, all proper.
Thomas Flynn, the grandfather of
Michael H. Flynn, was born in Queens
county, Ireland, in 1800, and died in 1880.
When a young man he went to England
and learned the trade of carpet weaver.
Being an ambitious young man and real-
izing the advantage of continuing his
work in a young and progressive countrv,
he came to America when he was twenty
years of age and went first to New Jersey.
Here he was married and soon after went
to Tariffville, Connecticut, where he was
employed in the old carpet factory as a
hand loom weaver. That was in the days
before the introduction of power looms.
\\ hen the new power looms were brought
into use he retired to a farm in the town
of Simsbury (Tariffville), Connecticut,
which was owned by his second wife.
Michael A. Flynn, son of Thomas
Flynn, was born in Tariffville, Decem-
ber 4, 1837, educated in the public schools,
and learned the trade of blacksmith. He
ran a blacksmith shop there on his own
account for thirty-five years. Then in
1890 he removed to Hartford and engaged
in blacksmithing, still for himself and so
continued until his death, which occurred
April 24, 19 14. He was a genial man and
a skillful workman ; a Democrat, and
served as selectman of Simsbury for four
years. His wife, Rachel, was a daughter
of Jonathan Ledgard. She was born in
Dewsbury, Leeds, England, and came
with her parents to America, when four
years old. They located in Tariffville, at
the time that power looms were installed
in the carpet mill, when Jonathan Led-
gard became a foreman. After a time he
left there and removed to Massachusetts,
where he was employed in the woolen
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
268
mills, finally settling in Maynard, Massa-
chusetts, where he died.
Michael A. Flynn's first wife was Mary
Lynch, and there was one daughter by
that marriage, Mary, who is now a pipe
organist in Middletown. For ten years
prior to going there she was organist in
the Church of the Immaculate Conception
in Hartford and during all this time has
been recognized as a very successful
teacher of music. By his second mar-
riage. Mr. Flynn had twelve children, five
of whom grew to maturity :
who married William T. Smith, of Waterbury;
Michael H., the subject of this
sketch ; Alfred A., Daniel J., and Kath-
erine.
Margaret,
Michael H. Flynn, son of Michael A.
Flynn, was born in Tariffville, October 8,
1875. He was educated in the grammar
and high schools of Hartford, and then
entered the employ of W. H. Kelsey &
Company, tailors. He remained there
four years and a half. He then worked
for the Pratt and Whitney Company, then
for L. H. Blood & Company, as a designer
of machinery, and held the office of secre-
tary of the company. After three years
he left there and was with the Pope Manufacturing
Company for a time, then with
the Underwood Typewriter Company
when their plant was in New Jersey. He
came with them when their factory was
transferred to Hartford and remained
with them four years as a machine de-
signer. The last year, in order to gain
practical experience, of which he felt the
need, he worked in the tool room. He
was afterwards for a short time with the
Travelers' Insurance Company, then back
to the typewriter business with the Union
Typewriter Company, at the Smith Premier
factory in Syracuse, and at the Yost
factory in Bridgeport. He spent altogether
about two years on those two ma-
chines, then entered the employ of the