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latter part of his life was engaged in the
insurance business. He had a son, Joshua
Bearse, of whom further.
Joshua Bearse was born in Chatham,
and until he was thirty-five years of age
followed the sea. During the latter part
of that period he served as captain. After
giving up the sea, he removed to Norwalk,
Connecticut, and became foreman
in a straw hat factory, continuing in this
kind of work until his death, which oc-
curred in 1896. He married Lucy Bearse,
daughter of Lothrop Bearse, who kept a
tavern at Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
George F. Bearse, son of Joshua and
Lucy (Bearse) Bearse, and father of
George F. Bearse, Jr., was born in Mil-
ford, Connecticut, in June, 1858, and died
in South Norwalk, in 1909. He completed
the public school courses and also took a
course at the Yale Business College of
New Haven. Subsequently he became
teller in the City National Bank of Norwalk
upon the organization of that insti-
tution in 1882. Sixteen years later he
resigned to become treasurer of the South
Norwalk Savings Bank, which position he
held until the year of his death.
Mr. Bearse was not a politician in the
sense this term is generally used, but he
was one of the most public-spirited citi-
zens of his day. He was ever ready to
assume his share of the public burden,
and gave very commendable service as
auditor of the city of South Norwalk for
many years. He was active fraternally,
and was past grand of Our Brother
Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows ;
he also passed through the chairs
in the Royal Arcanum.
Mr. Bearse married Lizzie Stow,
daughter of David and Henrietta (Isaacs)
Stow. David Stow was a resident of
Norwalk practically all of his life. His
wife, Henrietta, was a daughter of Benjamin
Isaacs. Mr. and Mrs. Bearse were
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
52
members of the Trinity Episcopal Church
of South Norwalk. The only child of
their marriage was George F. Bearse, Jr.,
of whom further.
George F. Bearse, Jr., received his elementary
education in the public schools
of South Norwalk and Merrill's Business
College. He later took up a course at
Chase's Preparatory School, and his first
position in the business world was in the
profession in which he has been success-
ful. In 1898 he became teller of the South
Norwalk Savings Bank, where he remained
for five years. He then went to
Minneapolis, where he served succes-
sively as bookkeeper, and then as head of
the clearing house department of the
Northwestern National Bank of that city.
Mr. Bearse remained there two years and
then went to Brooklyn, New York, as
teller in the Broadway Bank, remaining
a year. The ensuing three years were
spent in the Mechanics' and Traders'
Bank of New York City.
The following year was 1907, which
year marked a financial panic, and Mr.
Bearse became associated with the Fifth
Avenue Bank in New York, remaining
one and one-half years ; thence he went to
the Bronx National Bank as receiving
teller, and was successively paying teller
and assistant manager. This brings us
down to 1912, when Mr. Bearse organized
the Home Bank and Trust Company, of
Darien. Soon after this time, Mr. Bearse
removed his home to Darien, where he
now resides. His broad and varied bank-
ing experience was an ideal foundation
for building up the business which he
organized, and the growth has been a
steady and satisfactory one.
Mr. Bearse married Helen A. Waterbury,
daughter of Andrew Waterbury,
of Darien, and they are the parents of a
daughter, Beulah YY\, born October 26,
191 5. Mr. and Mrs. Bearse are active