Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

cided on the course which he had in mind
for some time, breaking the familiar ties
of place and circumstance, and coming to
America. He landed on this side, July 4,
1904. In his natural modesty he made no
personal application of the celebration
then in progress, but surely the Nation
has reason to rejoice in every adopted son
who brings gifts such as his to her "Altars
of Industry." He entered the employ
of that old established New York firm,
W. & J. Sloane, where he remained a year
and a half as salesman. Then for about
three years he was with A. Kimbel & Sons
in the same capacity. This gave him a
practical working knowledge of condi-
tions on this side of the water, and en-
abled him to apply his rich and broad ex-
perience to the future that lay before him.
In 1900 he removed to Greenwich, Con-
necticut, and in March of that year opened
a business of his own. He was now
beginning to realize the dreams of a life-
time ; but at first it was in a small way,
employing one upholsterer and one cabi-
netmaker. The plans, the study, the train-
ing, the experience which had gone before,
now rapidly began to bear fruit. The
business prospered. People discovered
his fine native taste, rounded and devel-
oped by systematic study, and broadened
by his varied experience. All this en-
abled him to suggest schemes for treating
interiors which were unique, yet re-
strained, always finely adapted to the cir-
cumstances of each individual case, his
treatment of an interior always being in
perfect harmony with the character of
the structure in which he was to work. In
recent years he has branched out also into
the making of fine furniture, in which
line he is doing a considerable amount of
most distinctive work, all from special
designs, employing sixty to seventy-five
men on the average. This department of
his work is a natural outgrowth of the
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
349
earlier business ; and taken together the
various branches include carpentering,
cabinet making, upholstery and drapery,
plain and decorative painting, and orna-
mental plaster work. His factory stands
three stories high, 100 by 50 feet. Besides
this important industry he conducts
a retail store, where are displayed the
choicest of his productions.
Mr. Norris married Gertrude Barton,
daughter of John Barton, of Sheffield,
England, and their children number four:
Edward Omar, Elspeth Rose, Ruth Mar-
ian, and Katherine Eleanor. The family
are devout members of Christ Episcopal
Church, of Greenwich.
BRUSH, Alexander B.,
Agriculturist, Public Official.
The first mention of the name of Brush
appears at the time William the Conqueror
came into England, 1066. Among
his retinue was one Robert De Brus, as
the name was then spelled. The ancestor
of most of the name in America was
Thomas Brush, among the early settlers
of Southold, Long Island.
(I) His descendant, Thomas Brush,
born about 171 5, removed to New Fair-
field, Connecticut, where he died in 1802.
He married Lucy Ball, of New Haven,
born in 1717, died in 181 1. Children:
Three daughters. 1. , married
Hall ; went to Fairfield, Vermont. 2.
, married Rice ; went to near
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Starr ; lived in
3. , married
Patterson, New York.
Five sons : 4. Eliphalet, lived and died in
Ridgebury, Connecticut. 5. Jonas, mar-
ried a resident of Brookfield, Connecti-
cut ; enlisted in the Revolution, fought,
was honorably discharged, and lived in
Great Bend, Pennsylvania ; four children :
Calvin ; Almon, married Rose
, married Williams. 6.