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Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY<br />

"The Silver Question," and '"What is 'A DUNHAM, Sylvester Clark,<br />

Sound Currency?'" were among his articles<br />

at that time, and which were<br />

reprinted and circulated in all parts <strong>of</strong> the<br />

country, proving to be most effective<br />

refutations <strong>of</strong> the popular financial heresy<br />

<strong>of</strong> the time. Aside from such and similar<br />

service, Colonel Greene took no active<br />

part in politics, and refused all <strong>of</strong>fers <strong>of</strong><br />

public <strong>of</strong>fice. He was <strong>of</strong> a deeply religious<br />

nature, an Episcopalian in faith, and<br />

served as representative layman in many<br />

<strong>of</strong> the diocesan conventions. He was a<br />

member <strong>of</strong> very many industrial, finan-<br />

cial, educational, scientific and benevolent<br />

bodies, and was unfailing in his relations<br />

to them all. Especially dear to him was<br />

the venerable Trinity College <strong>of</strong> Hart-<br />

ford, which he served as secretary <strong>of</strong> its<br />

board <strong>of</strong> trustees and richly in a personal<br />

way. He was intensely patriotic, as wit-<br />

nessed by many <strong>of</strong> his public utterances,<br />

notably an eloquent address on the occa-<br />

sion <strong>of</strong> the Grant Memorial services in<br />

Hartford. In 1890 he issued an able<br />

volume, "General William B. Franklin<br />

and the Battle <strong>of</strong> Fredericksburg," and<br />

in 1903 an "In Memoriam <strong>of</strong> General<br />

Franklin." In 1897 Yale University conferred<br />

upon him the degree <strong>of</strong> A. M., and<br />

in 1904 he received the LL. D. degree<br />

from Trinity College. His clubs were the<br />

Century, Hartford, Country, and Hartford<br />

Golf ; and he held membership in the<br />

Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. At his<br />

death, fervent tributes were paid to his<br />

memory, notably by the Insurance Company<br />

<strong>of</strong> which he was so long the hon-<br />

ored head, by the vestry <strong>of</strong> Trinity<br />

Church, by Bishop Brewster, and by Rev.<br />

Mr. Twichell.<br />

Colonel Greene was survived by his<br />

wife, Caroline S. Greene ; a daughter,<br />

Mrs. H. S. Richards, <strong>of</strong> Buffalo, New<br />

York ; and a son, Jacob Humphrey<br />

Greene, assistant secretary <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Connecticut</strong><br />

Mutual Life Insurance Company.<br />

294<br />

First Authority on Accident Insurance.<br />

Upon foundations strong and true, laid<br />

by the founder, James C. Batterson, his<br />

successor, Sylvester Clark Dunham, car-<br />

ried to completer fullness that business so<br />

magnificent in proportions and far-reach-<br />

ing in its salutary benefits, known to the<br />

world as The Travelers' Insurance Company<br />

<strong>of</strong> Hartford. He came to that company<br />

in 1885, when its expanding business<br />

made necessary a resident lawyer as counsel,<br />

and in which capacity he performed<br />

great service in protecting it against<br />

vicious legislation and litigation. He became<br />

a director in 1897, vice-president in<br />

1899, and president on October 14, 1901,<br />

on the death <strong>of</strong> President Batterson.<br />

He sprang from an honored ancestry,<br />

tracing back to Richard Dunham, <strong>of</strong> record<br />

in Devonshire, England, in 1294. John<br />

Dunham, <strong>of</strong> the eleventh recorded genera-<br />

tion, was founder <strong>of</strong> the family in America.<br />

He was born in 1589, at Scrooby, Nottinghamshire,<br />

where was born Elder William<br />

Brewster, and where the Pilgrim church<br />

was organized. It is claimed by the fam-<br />

ily historian, that owing to the persecu-<br />

tions which drove the Pilgrims hither-<br />

ward, this John Dunham temporarily<br />

changed his name to Goodman, and that<br />

he was the John Goodman who came in<br />

the "Mayflower," and was a signer <strong>of</strong> the<br />

famous compact. His son John, born in<br />

Holland, was succeeded by another John,<br />

and he by an Ebenezer, whose son <strong>of</strong> the<br />

same name was the father <strong>of</strong> Jonathan<br />

Dunham, a captain in the Revolution.<br />

Ralph Dunham, son <strong>of</strong> Captain Jonathan<br />

Dunham, was father <strong>of</strong> Jonathan Lyman<br />

Dunham, born at Mansfield. <strong>Connecticut</strong>,<br />

who married Abigail Hunt, daughter <strong>of</strong><br />

Elijah Eldridge, who traces her ancestry<br />

to Elder William Brewster and John<br />

Hopkins, <strong>of</strong> the "Mayflower" company.<br />

Sylvester Clark Dunham, son <strong>of</strong> Jona-

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