History of Westchester County, New York, Volume 3. Группа авторов
fully occupied in properly attending to his business affairs.
January 27, 1875, Mr. Truesdell married Miss Mary E. Mills, a daughter of A. J. Mills, of Orange county, New York. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Truesdell is Charlotte M., now the wife of Robert Hoyt, of Katonah, Westchester county.
SMITH, OSCAR
This prominent and representative citizen of New Castle township, Westchester county, now. filling the office of assessor, was born in Yorktown township on the 12th of March, 1831, and is a son of Samuel Smith, whose birth occurred August 15, 1797, on the old homestead where our subject now resides. The grandfather, William Smith, was a native of Holland, and married a Miss Vredenburg. They settled in this country prior to the Revolutionary war, and both died in York township at the ages of ninety and eighty-six years, respectively. They were most estimable people, and were identified with the Society of Friends. In their family were only two children: Samuel, and Rebecca, wife of John Brown.
Samuel Smith grew to manhood in Yorktown township, throughout life devoted his time and attention to agricultural pursuits, and was a stalwart supporter of the Republican party. He married Miss Jemimah Young, a daughter of James and (Baldwin) Young, and of the ten children born of this union nine reached man and womanhood, and four are still living, namely: Eliza, wife of B. Secoy; John B., a resident of Yorktown township; Oscar, our subject; and Eben, of Yorktown township. Those deceased are: Phoebe J.; Willet R. ; William, and James, who died in Tompkins county, New York, and was the father of two sons — William and Eugene — who served in the Civil war.
Oscar Smith was reared on the home farm, and pursued his studies in the neighboring schools. Going to Wisconsin in 1856, he taught school there for one season, and on his return to Westchester county made his home for two years in Bedford. In 1865 he located on the old homestead of his grandfather, which is pleasantly located only a half-mile from the Millwood station, and is supplied with water from one of the best springs in the county. Here he has a nice home, and is surrounded by all that goes to make life worth the living. In his farming operations he has met with excellent success, and is to-day one of the well-to-do and substantial citizens of his community.
On the 8th of June, 1861, Mr. Smith married Miss Sarah J. Sherwood, a daughter of Absalom and Harriet (Brown) Sherwood, of Bedford, in whose family were six children, three still living: Frances, wife of William Barnes; Sarah J. ; and Mary E., a music teacher of New York city. Those deceased are Charles W. , George E. and William H. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have four children, namely: Ella V., wife of Henry N. Merritt, of Yonkers, New York, by whom she had two children, — Maud and Clarence; George E. , who married Grace Brown, and is a floor-walker in Simpson & Crawford's store of New York city; Irvin E. , who is employed by the Metropolitan Traction Company in New York; and Minnie P., wife of H. E. Freeland, a railroad conductor, by whom she had three children, — Helen M., Edna May and Grace.
During his business career Mr. Smith worked for his uncle, E. S. Young, conducting a stage line in the city for a time, and also successfully followed teaching. He has ever taken an active interest in educational affairs, and for many years has efficiently served as a school trustee. He holds a membership in the Friends church, while his wife is a Methodist. Both are earnest, Christian people, and have the respect and esteem of the entire community in which they make their home.
PARKER, JUDGE THOMAS M.
It is with pleasure that we come now to record in this volume a reference to the principal landmarks in the life of the gentleman whose name forms the caption of this article, speaking first of his ancestry.
His father, Edward Parker, was born in county Dublin, Ireland, where he grew up and learned his trade as blacksmith. When he had attained the age of twenty-two years he emigrated to the land of greater opportunity, arriving at New York city, where he was employed at his trade as a journeyman. In 1847 he came to Port Chester and continued at his trade for ten years, when he purchased the shop now owned by his son. Judge Parker, and plied his laborious vocation here as long as he lived, his death taking place April 4, 1897, at the age of seventy-six years and six months. Politically he was a Democrat, and in public office he was village trustee two terms and for a time overseer of the poor. In religion he was a Catholic. For his wife he married Miss Ellen Mulvaney, a native of Ireland, who was brought to America when but two years of age; and she is still living, aged fifty-eight years. She also is a communicant of the Catholic church. Of her sixteen children nine are still living.
Judge Parker, of whom we more particularly write, was born May 27, 1864, in Port Chester, educated in the public and Catholic schools, and at the age of seventeen years began to learn the blacksmith's trade of his father, and he continued in that heavy work for fifteen years; and since that time he has managed the shop that his father owned.
Politically, he is an active Democrat. He has served one term as village treasurer, which office he resigned when he was appointed a justice of the peace to fill an unexpired term, and after the expiration of that period he was elected for a full term. He is a good man-for the place.
In matrimony he was united with Miss Maggie Stanley, of this place, and they have two daughters, named Helen and Jane Elizabeth.
COLES, ABRAHAM A.
The family name of this gentleman has figured conspicuously on the pages of the history of the Empire state through many generations, representatives of the family taking an active part in many of the leading events which form an integral part of the annals of New York. Patriotism, honor and enterprise have ever been among their marked characteristics since the time when Robert Coles, a native of England, crossed the Atlantic to establish a home in the New World. This was in 1641, and he cast his lot with the early colonists of the land which gave promise of liberty and freedom of conscience and the exercise of the independent rights of the individual. He was accompanied on his journey by his two brothers, Nathan and Daniel, and in 1677 the three secured a tract of seventeen hundred acres of land on Long Island. This included all the portion of the island known as Glen Cove, and thereon Robert Coles, who was the great-grandfather of our subject, made his home. There also occurred the birth of Jesse Coles, the grandfather, whose natal day was in September, 1757. He was one of the gallant heroes of the war of the Revolution, serving all through the seven long years of that conflict. For three years he was on detached duty as a spy under the command of Washington, and being taken prisoner was incarcerated in the old " sugar-house prison," but was afterward paroled. Later he was again captured by an English boat on the Long Island sound, while carrying messages, but the papers were skillfully hidden under the lining of his coat between the shoulders, and were not found; so, there being no proof against him, he was released. Had the papers been found he would have been summarily shot. The gun which he carried, and which had been given to his father by Richard Mott, is now in possession of our subject, as is the old family clock. While a prisoner in the sugar-house the life of Jesse Coles was saved by Anna Mott, a nurse, who warned him against eating some food that had been poisoned. When his loved country no longer needed his services he returned to the peaceful pursuits of the farm, and on the 25th of March, 1781, was married to Deborah Carpenter.
Their son, Joseph Coles, father of our subject, was born in Greenburg township, Westchester county, December 27, 1790, and died July 2, 1872, in the house now occupied by Abraham A. Coles. During his active business career he followed agricultural pursuits and met with success in his various business undertakings. Prior to the Civil war he was a Democrat, but at that time he transferred his allegiance to the Republican party and was afterward one of the stalwart advocates of its principles. He was also a faithful member of the Reformed church, and his honorable life commanded uniform regard from his fellow men. He married Elizabeth Yerks, a daughter of William Yerks. She was born in Mount Pleasant, Westchester county, February 25, 1801, and departed this life July 15, 1871.
Abraham A. Coles, whose name introduces this review, and who is now a leading citizen of Tarrytown, was born in the town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester county, October 7, 1827. He was reared in a manner usual to farmer boys of that period and locality, and pursued his education in what was then known as the " old red school-house." Between the ages of twelve and