Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

attalion for the defense of the seacoast.
He succeeded Jesse Bell, who resigned.
He served as captain several years, and
died in 1835, aged ninety-three. He married,
April 26, 1764, Lydia Ayres, daugh-
ter of Reuben and Abigail (Holly) Ayres.
Their daughter, Lydia Scofield, born November
16, 1764, became the wife of Warren
Scofield, as above mentioned, and they
were the parents of Amzi Scofield, of
whom further.
(VII) Amzi Scofield, son of Warren
and Lydia (Scofield) Scofield, was born
September 26, 1794, in Newfield, in the
town of Stamford. He inherited the farm
homestead, and his entire life was passed
there. He received his education in the
public schools of the town, then entered
upon the work of the farm with the enthusiasm
of youth. His management of
the place was signally successful, and at
the age of twenty-four years he built a
house for himself on the farm. On November
24, 1819, he married Polly A. Dav-
enport, born June 19, 1796, daughter of
Deodate and Abigail (Handford) Davenport,
old settlers of New Canaan, Connecticut.
Amzi Scofield died February
20, 1863, and his widow survived him
for several years, being in full possession
of her faculties almost to the very day
of her death, July 23, 1891. Of their
children, five lived to maturity ; Amzi L.
Cyrus ; William W., of further mention
Abigail Louise, who became the wife of
William W. Brown, of Greenwich ; and
Henry.
(VIII) William Wallace Scofield was
born March 2, 1825, in the Newfield dis-
trict of Stamford, and was reared at the
old homestead. His only educational ad-
vantages were those at hand, and limited
to the time during which he could be
spared from the work of the farm. But
he was a young man of action rather than
a student, and this troubled him not at
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
208
all. In 1849 he went to California for
gold, and was reasonably successful in
finding it, although he suffered much from
Panama fever while there. He was ab-
sent from home a year and a half, then
returned and again took up the work of
the farm, and by means of scientific
methods made it one of the best farms in
the neighborhood. He became quite
wealthy as a result of his excellent management.
He was held in the highest
esteem by the people of all the section.
In politics he was an old line Whig, but
in 1858 became identified with the Know-
Nothing party. He was elected to the
State Legislature from Stamford by that
party, but later became a staunch Re-
publican. He served repeatedly in local
public offices ; was a selectman and mem-
ber of the school committee for six years.
On December 17, 1855, Mr. Scofield
married Louisanna Cordelia Mead, born
September 12, 1834, daughter of John and
Lucinda (Robinson) Mead. John Mead
was a native of England, an importing
tailor, and crossed the ocean seventeen
times on matters of business. Their three
children were : Isaac Mead, of further
mention ; Frank Robinson, born May 29,
1861, married May Edson Ryan, and died
November 28, 1894; Mary Louisa, born
November 5, 1863, married George Saw-
ter, who at one time was United States
Consul at Glauchau, Germany. William
W. Scofield died October 10, 1895, and his
widow survived.
(IX) Isaac Mead Scofield, the eldest
son of William W. and Louisanna C.
(Mead) Scofield, was born March 8,
1859, at the old homestead in the New-
field district. His elementary schooling
was obtained in the district schools of that
neighborhood, and he grew up in the environment
of farm life. The home farm
has remained in his possession to the
present time. For a number of years the