Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

(i) St. John, was born in 1716, and died
November 10, 1802. He was a shoemaker,
and lived in New Canaan. Daniel
St. John married Mary Mills; she died
February 3, 1806.
(VI) Abijah St. John, son of Daniel
(2) and Mary (Mills) St. John, was born
October 4, 1772, and was baptized in
New Canaan, Connecticut, in December
of the same year. He died at Silver Mine,
September 4, 1859. Abijah St. John mar-
ried, in New Canaan, in September, 1792,
Hannah Hendricks ; she was born Octo-
ber 7, 1773, and died January 18, 1862.
(VII) David St. John, son of Abijah
and Hannah (Hendricks) St. John, was
born in April, 1810, and died March 7 or
S, 1857, in Wilton, Connecticut. He mar-
ried, August 27, 1842, Amanda Aiken,
daughter of Thomas and Anna (Betts)
Aiken ; she died September 30, 1893.
(VIII) Giles Henry St. John, son of
David and Amanda (Aiken) St. John,
was born November 8, 1844, and died
June 20, 1918, from an accident. He fell
from a roof, and at the time of his death
was seventy-three years of age, remarkably
well preserved. As a young man,
he learned the trade of carpenter and followed
it as a journeyman for a few
years, eventually establishing a business
of his own. After a long, active and
useful life, Mr. St. John retired from
active business cares in 1917. He served
in the Civil War as a member of the 12th
Connecticut Volunteer Infantry ; he was
shot through the temple at Gettysburg,
the bullet passing out through his ear.
Later Mr. St. John was taken prisoner
and sent to Libby Prison, from which he
made his escape, and was afterwards
captured by guerillas, but was fortunate
enough to escape a second time. Mr. St.
John was so badly wounded at Gettysburg
that a kind-hearted Confederate
soldier gave him his horse, and after re-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
390
turning to his own lines he had a long
and slow convalescence. After recover-
ing, Mr. St. John worked in a woolen mill
for about a year, and then started in business
for himself as a contractor, in which
he met with well-deserved success.
Mr. St. John married, March 1, 1866,
Georgianna Aiken, daughter of George N.
and Mary Esther (Newcomb) Aiken, of
Silver Mine, town of Norwalk. They
were the parents of four children: 1.
Charles Le Grand, of further mention. 2.
George, who lives in Westport, a mem-
ber of the firm of Ralston & St. John,
contractors. 3. Frederick, of Norwalk.
4. Edward I., of Norwalk. Mr. St. John
was a member of the Grand Army of the
Republic, and with his wife attended the
Methodist Episcopal church.
(IX) Charles Le Grand St. John, son
of Giles Henry and Georgianna (Aiken)
St. John, was born June II, 1867, in Nor-
walk. He was educated in the public
schools of that city, and then became a
member of the contracting firm of St.
John & Sons, composed of his father, his
three brothers and himself. This arrangement
continued for about three
years, and upon the dissolution of the
partnership Mr. St. John became foreman
for another builder. For twelve
years he was associated with the latter,
and during these years was making a
thorough study of his particular branch
of contracting work. In 1907 he formed
a partnership with F. Howard Keyser,
under the firm name of St. John & Key-
ser, and they became well and favorably
known among the builders of Fairfield
county. Their specialty is a standard-
ized seven-room bungalow, and this has
proved very popular. Wide publicity has
been given to this style of house by
means of a complete and detailed model,
an exact duplicate on a very small scale.
This has been exhibited in various east-