Theodore Chapin Munger
(Sep 4, 1839 - Mar 19, 1912)
from "The Munger Book: Something of the Mungers, 1639-1914"
by J.B. Munger
(Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, 1915)
and other sources
| Links | As to the Munger Name |
|---|---|
| Nicholas Munger (1630-1668) | |
| Samuel Munger (1662-1717) | |
| Samuel Munger (1689-17xx) | |
| Joseph Munger (1719-1805) | |
| The Coburn Farm | |
| Reuben Munger (1769-1848) | |
| Theodore Horton Munger (1815-1854) | |
| Theodore Chapin Munger (1839-1912) | |
| Biographies | |
| 1887 | |
| 1901 | |
| 1911 |
| Photographs |  |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coat of Arms | Graves on Coburn Farm |
Civil War |
19th century |
1901 | 1911 | 333 2 Av SW |
| MUNGER COAT OF ARMS. DESCRIPTION. SIGNIFICANCE. |
|
[page ix]
"Monger; Anglo-Saxon Manegere. Originally a merchant of the highest class. Aelfric's Manegere is represented as trading in purple and silk; gold, wine, oil, &c. The Manegere (merchant) of Saxon times was a much more important personage than those who, in our day, bear the name. He was the prototype of the merchant princes of the nineteenth century; he was a dealer in many things which the ships-men brought from many lands." (From English Surnames.)
THE HANSEATIC LEAGUE.
"The word 'hansa,' when we find it first in the Gothic Bible of Ulfila, signifies a military assemblage or troop. From this comes the general sense of union, and especially in the Middle Ages, of union for mercantile purposes. "The Hansa, the league which ultimately overshadowed all rivals and usurped the name for itself, was no international creation, and we can fix no exact date for its origin. It arose gradually from two elements; the union of German merchants abroad and the union of German towns at home. "The first impulse to mercantile union came from the dangers of travelling in the early Middle Ages. In those days mariners had neither chart or compass to guide their course, and were forced to creep timidly along the shore and to avoid as much as possible the open sea. The merchants had also to dread more positive dangers than those of storm and wreck. The coasts of northern Germany harbored numbers of rovers and pirates, who regarded the peaceful trader as their natural prey. To increase their power of resistance it was usual for merchants to undertake their voyages in more or less numerous companies. The union thus began on sea, was still further cemented on land. In those days law was personal, and not territorial. The foreign merchant had no share in the law of the land in which he sojourned; he brought with him his own law and administered it as best he could. The legal customs of northern Germany were substantially alike; and this similarity strengthened the bonds of union among the merchants, who found themselves for a time settled in a foreign land. "The most important German mercantile settlements were founded in Wisby, the capital of Gothland; in London, Novgorod, Bergen and Bruges. Wisby was the central point of the Baltic trade; the other towns represented the four extremes of northern German commerce. Wisby differed from the other settlements in the fact that the Germans there were not merchants making a temporary visit, but were real settlers living side by side with the native population. Novgorod was a mere colony of the German settlement [page x] in Wisby, and Bergen was comparatively unimportant, and the German 'counter' in Bruges was not formed until some amount of union had been attained at home. But in the German colony in London, the majority of the members were merely passing traders who remained citizens of their native towns. It was therefore the London Hansa which exercised the greatest influence on the growth of the town league. In the reign of Edgar, we find the 'people of the Emperor' occupying a prominent position in London trade and joined in a lasting league.
"Waldemar III, king of Denmark (1340-1377), devoted the early part of his reign to recovery of lands lost to Denmark while it had been without a king and a prey to the wildest anarchy. To carry out this policy he had to spend large sums of money. To enrich himself he decided on the plunder of German commerce. In 1361 he sailed to Gothland and surprised and captured the town of Wisby. The news of this act reached the representatives of the Hansa as they were assembled at Griefswald. They at once resolved on war and in 1362 their fleet stormed and captured Copenhagen. But while they were besieging the strong fortress of Helsingborg, Waldemar attacked and destroyed their defenseless fleet. This defeat was followed by a truce which recognized the Danish possession of Gotland. In 1367 a Hanseatic assembly at Stralsund was informed that Waldemar had laid new duties on the fishing stations, and that he had robbed German merchants in the Sound and the Belts. Another war followed and the results were different. Waldemar did not await the arrival of the hostile fleet but fled in 1368 to Brandenburg, and Denmark fell entirely into the hands of the League. In 1370, Waldemar was compelled, as the price of his return to his throne, to sign the treaty of Stralsund. By this treaty the Hansa obtained for five years all fortresses on the coast of Schonen, and as compensation for their losses, were to receive for fifteen years, two-thirds of the Danish revenues. It was also stipulated that henceforth no king should ascend the throne of Denmark without the consent of the Hanse towns and that their privileges should be expressly confirmed at each coronation. The treaty of Stralsund marks the zenith of the power and prosperity of the Hanseatic League.
"After this war the League adopted a federal constitution. From 1361 can be dated the regular meetings of the general assemblies whose acts have been preserved in the archives of Luebeck. These assemblies met once a year in mid-summer, usually, but not exclusively, at Luebeck. They were attended by representatives of the various towns, but no one below the rank of councellor could act as representative. The League always endeavored to maintain its aristocratic character. The assemblies busied themselves with all the details of foreign policy as well as of internal management. The penalty of non-observance of their decrees was expulsion from the Verhansung (League). The chief offence which brought this punishment on a town, was the admission of democratic tendencies. The struggle between the artisans and the old burger families, which is so important a [page xi] feature of European history in the 13th and 14th centuries, affected the Hanse towns. It was for admitting artisans to the council that Brunswick was expelled from the League in 1375, and was not re-admitted until 1380 when the old constitution was restored. "Besides the central constitution of the Hansa, there are also traces of internal groupings. At Bruges the German merchants are divided according as they came from (i) the Wendish and Saxon towns-(2) Westphalia and Prussia, (3) Gothland, Livonia and Sweden. This division is supposed to refer to a real division of the League, each third being gathered around one of the three chief towns; Luebeck, Cologne, and Wisby." (From Encyclopadia Britannica.)
THE ANCIENT CITY OF WISBY.
A dead city of the Baltic Sea. "The wonderful ruins at Wisby cause it to be regarded as the most remarkable monument of the Middle Ages in all Europe. The Island of Gotland on which Wisby is situated is in the Baltic, midway between Sweden and Russia, 130 miles southeast of Stockholm, and its commanding position has caused it to be termed 'The eye of the Baltic.' "Wisby is the capital of Gotland and lies on the west coast at about its middle. It was a city of merchants, and during the 12, 13, and 14 centuries, attained great importance, and accumulated vast wealth. The trade of Northern Europe with the East passed through Wisby, which was a free port, and was trans-shipped thence to Russia, and went overland by caravan, and the goods of India, Persia and China, came down the great rivers of Russia, and were passed on through this town. Merchants settled here in large numbers; so numerous were the ships that came to this port, that a code of maritime laws was framed, known to the legal profession to this day as the 'Laws of Wisby.' "It was an age of church building; the different guilds and nations built churches, and built them well-to last. At Wisby there arose three Convents, two houses of The Holy Ghost, and eighteen great churches. The town was surrounded by walls two and one-half miles in length and thirty feet high. Among the churches built at Wisby were the Church of St. Nicholas, The Holy Ghost, St. Clernent, St. Olaf,, St. Hans, St. Lawrence, Holy Trinity, St. Mary (the Cathedral), St. Catherine, St. George, the latter outside the wall, the church of the lepers. "The subsequent decay of Wisby was due to the Danish invasion, the discovery of the cape of Good Hope, which opened a new route to the East, and the influence of the Reformation. Wisby is now an almost unknown city. It lies without the beaten route, and is seldom visited. Of its 18 churches, four are wholly lost; even their sites are no longer certain, but the walls of the town are still standing, one church is in use, and the ruins of nine others, some of them very extensive, are still visible." (Dr. H. Derby.)
[page xii] "The object of this association (Hanseatic League) was . . . commercial monopoly to be gained by acquiring the exclusive control of the carrying trade of the North of Europe. Its leaders wished to secure for it on a grand scale in the commercial affairs of Europe, the same exclusive privileges which the members of the guild or trade corporations possessed in the towns. We may form some idea of its power when we consider what it proposed to do, and what in the course of time it actually accomplished. It undertook to protect its members from oppression while engaged in carrying on their trade, to guarantee by armed force if necessary, the security of all commercial routes which the members might pass over, to enforce the observance, both by its own members and by the strangers with whom they traded, of wise commercial regulations, and to extend the commerce of the association as widely as possible, both by sea and by land. For these purposes the League raised armies, equipped vessels of war, made treaties and alliances with foreign powers, and in short, for nearly five centuries exercised all the functions of a regular government in carrying out its plans. All this time be it remembered, it was entirely independent of any government or country of Europe, and held them all in such subjection by virtue of its monopoly of the trade of their subjects that it became a power of the first magnitude in the settlement of the general European policy." (Mediaeval Hist.: by C. J. Stille, LL.D.)
From these German merchants (Manegeres) we have received the legacy of a name. Surnames seem to have originated with the Romans, who attempted to introduce them among the Northern tribes. "But with the overthrow of the Western Empire, the system was lost, and the Barbarians, who settled upon its ruins, brought back the simple appellative once more. Ammus, the chief hero, was content with that title. Alaric, the brave king of the Goths, is only so known." "Surnames were derived from a man's occupation, or from the locality in which he dwelt." John was a smith of some sort; he was known as "John the smith," and eventually as John Smith. Peter lived on the moor; in distinction from some other Peter, he was designated as, "Pete o' the moor." Moore eventually became the family surname. Can the average reader interpret "Bill o' jack's"? Simply that "Bill" was the son of "Jack." Had "Bill" been asked to give his lineage he would have given it thus, if at all: "Bill o' jack's, o' Tom's, o' Pete's, o' Sam's." "Bill" had no "trimming."
"It is certain that the practice of making the second name of an individual stationary, and transmitting it to descendants, came gradually into common use during the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th centuries, by a silent and unpremeditated movement over the whole of the more populated and civilized European societies. Nomenclature then began to assume a solid and lasting basis. It was the result of an insensibly growing necessity."
"As a general rule all names terminating in ER indicate some employment or profession, unquestionably derived from the Anglo-Saxon "wer" or [page xiii] "were," a man. Miller, a mill-man. Monger or Manegere, a merchantman." (Prof. M. A. Lower.)
The name Munger in its various spellings is found among English people, Germans and Dutch. It was at "Munger's drift" that the English General Buller met his first defeat at the hands of the Boers. The Swedes have the name Mungerson. A gentleman, who at the time of the settlement of the "Alabama Claims" was secretary to one of the United States commissioners, states that at the hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, when registering, the clerk, noticing the name said: "Your name is German, and should be written Muenger." We learn from reliable authority that the characters over the letter U give it the sound of "e," or "ew," and that the "g" has the sound as of "g" in singer, a vocalist. The late John E. Munger of Chicago once stated that at Hot Springs, Ark., he met an educated German who was connected with the diplomatic service at Washington, who invariably addressed him as "Mr. Meng-er." Doubtless this is the correct pronunciation; at least it appears to be the nearest approach to the original "Manegere."
We have never attempted researches on the "other side," but have confined our labors to this country. We know the first arrival came from England; that he spelled his name MUNGER, as did his children and grandchildren, and following generations, and as it is yet spelled by his descendants in the territory where he first established himself in AMERICA as a "Freeman."
[page xiv]
By other authorities he is said to have been son-in-law (i. e. stepson) of Henry Goldham or Goldam, an early settler at New Haven and Guilford. "Henry Goldham, freed from training (military service) from weakness in 1645, had only Susanna, who married the 2d John Bishop. In his will of 9th of July, 1661, gives some land to Nicholas Munger, called son-in-law; probably son of his (Goldham's) wife Frances." (Savage: vol. ii, p. 269.)
In his will Goldham gives to Nicholas Munger "All my land in the Neck, paying myself, if demanded during my lifetime, one barley corn by the year by way of acknowledgement, and after my death, if my wife shall survive and shall demand the same the sum of five bushels of whete by the year, but if she miss demanding in or at the very expiring of the year, then to be free from any payment that present year, and at the death of my fore said wife, to be to him fully and freely and to his heirs forever."
The land left Nicholas Munger was situated on the north bank of the Neck river and on the public road, and he settled thereon as early as 1651. Mr. George B. Munger of East River, Conn., says: "I live within a mile of where Nicholas built the first Munger house in America. Mr. Arthur D. Munger now lives in a house on the same site, although the property has not been continuously in the Munger name."
In addition to the land in the Neck, Nicholas Munger "bought from George Hiland the home lot containing an acre and a half bought by Hiland from Thomas Betts, lying in the Plaine fronting up to the street near ag't Mr. Whitfield's rearing back to the swamp, the lands of the sd Mr. Whitfield lying next on the South."
This latter land is situated in the village, of Guilford, south of the common. An old plan of lots in the Stone House museum shows two other pieces owned by Nicholas in the vicinity of the common. The land bequeathed him by Goldham lay in the East Parish of Guilford, now the town of Madison.
"A terrior of land belonging to Nicholas Munger deceased this 30th day of March, Ano: 1670 as followeth: --? his home lott at the Neck containing and allowed for 3 akers more or less fronting upon the highway going into the Neck on the North rearing back to the beach South bounded [page xv] by the land of Steven Bishop west by the common land East from a parsell of upland lying in the Neck containing thirty-two acres more or less allowed for seaventene running crosse from the Neck river on the North to the Sea on the South past the land of Daniell Benton past the lands of Steven Bishop on the cast a way being allowed crosse the said lotts as in all the rest of the lotts there." (Town Records.)
Nicholas Munger took the "Oath of Fidelity" and became a "Freeman" in 1652. The qualifications of a "Freeman" were that he should be of age, of sober and peaceable conversation, Orthodox in religion, and possessed of a ratable estate of at least £2O.
In regard to William Chittenden, with whose family it has been said Nicholas Munger came to America; he (Chittenden) was one of a company of Pilgrims who sailed (?) from Cranbrook, County Kent, England, in May, 1639, and after about seven weeks arrived at the New Haven Colony, about the 10th of July.
When hardly out of sight of their native land, they gathered in the cabin of their vessel, and under the guidance of Elder Whitfield, drew up a compact agreeing to certain rules and conditions for the government of their colony, when they should arrive on the far distant shores of America.
To this compact they made oath and signed their names. The name of Chittenden appears among the signers. This oath was called the "Oath of Fidelity" and was required of all settlers within the bounds of their settlement. The members of this colony were for the most part yeomen from the counties of Surrey and Kent, with some few from adjacent counties. It would appear that most of the settlers were from County Surrey, as the settlement was called Guilford, which is the name of the shire town of County Surrey, England, although the settlement was at first known by the Indian name of "Menunkatuck."
That Nicholas Munger came to this country with William Chittenden, is traditionary; that he was here in company with Henry Goldam and family of New Haven Colony, seems proven by documentary evidence. His stepfather, Goldam, was one of the prominent men of Guilford Colony, though not one of the original proprietors. "Munger was one of the poorer planters," says the History of Guilford. "None of the settlers were rich, and none were poor, and few had servants." All seem to have been comfortably situated and self-supporting.
The date of the birth of Nicholas is not definitely known. At the time when he became a "Freeman" he was at least 21 years old, and on September 3, this same year (1652), he with John Rossiter, a son of a prominent citizen, and six young women were examined "Upon a common fame or report of some miscarryings by night meetings, unnecessary familiarity, and unfit company keeping," and the court adjudged all more or less guilty of the offences charged, which were probably nothing more than what are now [page xvi] called flirtations, and ordered them to make "A public acknowledgment of their evills." Without much doubt he was a young man when he committed this heinous (?) offense.
Nicholas Munger was born in England, probably in County Surrey, and about the year 1630 or '31. Hitherto the writer has said that his birth was about 1623, figuring from the unreliable statement that he came to Guilford with William Chittenden, in 1639, at the age of about 16 years. From later facts this position is untenable.
He m. Sarah Hall, dau. of William and Esther (-) Hall, at Guilford, Conn., June 2, 1659. He d. at the East Parish of Guilford, Oct. 16, 1668. His widow m. (2d) Dennis Crampton. She d. Jan. 31, 1689.
CHILDREN (2d Generation).
[page 203]
SAMUEL, son of NICHOLAS MUNGER,
AND HIS DESCENDANTS-1662(?)-1914.
SECOND GENERATION
Samuel Munger (Nicholas). b. East Parish of Guilford, Conn., 1662-5; d. same place, Mar. 5, 1717, ae. 56 yrs. (?) ; m. Sarah Hand, at Guilford, Conn., Oct. 11, 1688, dau. Joseph and Jane (Wright) Hand; b. East Guilford, Conn., Mar. 2, 1664; d. Aug. 1, 1751. "Her father was one of the substantial men of the town; was appointed to run boundaries, and lay out allotments of land to planters. In 1720, was sent as representative to the General Court." Sarah Hand Munger m. (2d) Charles Woodworth.
CHILDREN
Samuel Munger was a farmer; lived at the "Neck." Member of the Congregational church. "In 1696, was permitted to build a 'Sabbath day house' on the rocks back of Lieu't Bradley's house."
"Samuel and John Munger sold to Stephen Bishop, 15 acres of land on the 'Neck' 10th May, 1697."
"For £36-10s, Samuel Munger Sr., bought of John Hart, 20-1/2 acres more or less at the 'Ox cops,' Mar. 15, 1715/16, in the 2d year of the reign of our sovereign Lord, George, King &c." In 1716 had a list of £56-11-0.
THIRD GENERATION.
Samuel Munger (Samuel, Nicholas). b. East Parish of Guilford, Conn., Feb. 7, 1689-90; d. --; m. Dorothy Evarts, at Guilford, Conn., Apr. 6,1710, dau. James and Lydia Evarts (?); b. --, 1686; d. --.
[page 204]
Samuel Munger was a miller and farmer, living in the East Parish of Guilford, until after birth of his son Elnathan, when it appears he removed from the town. The following appears on land records at Guilford:
"Know ye all men by these presents, that whereas I, Samuel Munger Jr. of Guilford, have received a deed of gift of several tracts of land wt house and barn of my Honoured father Samuel Munger of Guilford bearing date of the 9 of Sept. 1713; know ye that I, the sd Samuel Munger Jr. have received the above sd deed and what is conveyed therein for and as one hundred pounds of money of my portion beside what I have down to the building of the house where my father Samuel Munger now dwells, I have received the above said deed of lands and buildings as an hundred pounds of my portion of my Honoured father's estate, as witness my hand this third day of Feb. 1713/14, in presence of us:"
(Signed) SAMUEL MUNGER JR.
Witness:
SAM'L CRUTENDEN.
CALEB STONE.
Records in possession of descendants of his son Joseph state that this son was bom in Hampton, Conn., Records at Northampton, Mass., bearing date of 1725, mention him as "Samuel Munger, now of Brimfield." An old deed bearing the above date shows that he sold to Robert Moulton, "part of a tract of meadow and swamp land, lying at a place called 'Munger's Meadow.'" "The original Munger place was east of the 'South Meadow' in (what is now) Wales." (Annals of the church in Brimfield.)
The exact time of his settlement in Brimfield is unknown. He was here contemporaneous with John Bullen, who "Lived on the way from the 'South Pond' to the 'South Meadow,"' their farms adjoining. He was among those who first received grants of land from the "General Court," his holdings comprising a considerable portion of territory in the south part of the now town of Wales. The site of what we believe to have been his habitation is on the southwest slope of Rattlesnake Mountain, overlooking the "meadow." A few foundation stones, an old grape vine, lilac bushes, briars and weeds now mark the spot. (See Nathaniel Munger, No. 14, 4th Gen.)
The early settlers were not secure in their original grants. Efforts were made by interested parties in Boston to annul these grants, and to oust the [page 205] occupants of the lands from their holdings. Frequent petitions were sent to the "Great and General Court" for relief from these conditions. A petition to the "General Court" signed by John Stebbins and others, "To be quieted in their grants" was sent to that body Feb. -, 1730. Sept. 9, 1730, a committee on this petition returned an itemized report to His Excellency Jonathan Belcher, Esq., Gov: Gen: In this report is found the following: "8thly-one 40 acre Lott to Samuel Munger." On petition to the "General Court" that body, June 8, 1731, confirmed the title to the occupants of the land granted by the original committee. By this act, it was decreed "That there be allowed and confirmed unto Samuel Munger, a home lott of Sixty acres in the place they have been laid out and if more land contained in the Home lott than Sixty acres, he shall hold the same, but surplis to be accounted for a part of his after rights or division." In 1732, in a drawing for lots, Samuel Munger drew lot NO. 54. This lot was situated "Under the E. side of Mt. Pisgah, so called."
The family were evidently of that persuasion called Anabaptists, which sect were not in favor with the "Standing order" (Congregational). This may have been the primary cause of the removal from Guilford. ("The same spirit of intolerance from which the Puritan had come to America to escape, was exercised by them against the Quaker and Anabaptist.") In Brimfield they found congenial religious associates. "Some of the settlers did not adhere to the 'Standing order'; those in that part of Brimfield now called Wales, were from the very first of a different religious persuasion. Nov. 22, 1734, the following persons 'Signed off' from the parish.":
"We whose names are Under-written, Do own and Acknowledge Ourselves to Be of that persuasion commonly called Anabaptist:
"Nathaniel Munger, Dorothy Munger, Elnathan Munger, Robert Moulton, Ebenezer Moulton, Anthony Needham, Humphrey Needham, John Bullen, John Bullen, Jr., Thomas Green, Thomas Green, Jr." (Annals of the church.)
Gardner says the Needhams and Mungers were from Salem. This statement may be true as regards the Needharns, but as applied to the Mungers is utterly without foundation. That Samuel and his wife, Dorothy, were from Guilford, Conn., seems proven by the recording of the birth of three of their children in that town. Further evidence which proves him identical with Samuel, son of Samuel and Sarah (Hand) Munger, is here added: "Samuel Munger of Brimfield, in the county of Hampshire, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay," in 1726, "Sold to Joseph Munger of the East Parish of Guilford, interest in his father's estate." "Samuel Munger of Brimfield, in the county of Hampshire, within his Majesty's Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England," Mar. 26, 1726, sold land ."To his brother James Munger of Guilford."
No record has been found of the death of Samuel Munger or that of his wife, Dorothy. The first burial place in the south part of the town was laid out in 1732, but has long been abandoned, and the site is now plowed [page 206] under. It is possible they were buried here, or they may have found a resting place in the rude graveyard on the "Coburn Farm."
FOURTH GENERATION
[p.216]
CHILDREN (5th Generation).
Joseph Munger came to Brimfield with his parents when a small boy. He first bought land in that town 20th Nov., 1745. This land was purchased of his brother, "Elnathan Munger, house-wright," and was "Part of ye division lott surveyed and laid out in ye southerly part of ye town, and lyeth at ye southerly End of Munger's home lott on ye easterly side of ye highway; and ten acres more lying on ye south end of Sam Munger's home lott."
After his second marriage he settled in the south part of the town, the farm which he occupied becoming afterwards known as the "Julius M. Lyon Place." Here he lived until about 1783, when he again moved to Ludlow as shown by the following: "I, Joseph Munger of Ludlow, sold land in Brimfield to Elijah Coddington, lying on the westerly side of the road leading to Stafford, beginning on said road between my dwelling house and Archelaus Brown's at north east corner of land I lately sold to Solomon Hovey and Archelaus Brown." "I, Naomi Munger, wife of Joseph Munger, do hereby surrender and yield up all my rights and dower or power of thirds of and unto the aforesaid premises, with their appurtenances, unto him the said Elijah Coddington, his Heirs and Assigns forever. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this day and date above mentioned."
A "Parish Record," found in the office of the Town Clerk at Ludlow, Mass., states that "Joseph Munger lived at Ludlow City, where the Jewett house now stands. He had a grist mill on that stream." Also: "In town meeting Mar. --, 1789, voted: That the selectmen be authorized to agree with Mr. Munger for a road across his mill dam, if it can be done on reasonable terms." In 1794, he leased his mill privilege to one David Carver. Text of the lease follows: "Joseph Munger of Ludlow, let, lease, and devise unto David Carver of Hebron, Tolland Co., Conn., yeoman, the dam where-on the Mill which I have this day sold to the said Carver, stands, together with as much ground as is necessary for the use and benefit of said mill, being a Grist Mill, together with the privilege of mending the dam from time to time and at all times, providing however that the said Carver shall not at any time keep up any pond above said dam, from and after the first day of May, until the first day of Sept' in each year; and furthermore, this lease is to continue to him and his assigns for the term of nine hundred years from the date thereof. In witness hereof I have set my hand and seal, this 5th day Of Sept' 1794."
"One of the earliest reminiscences of funeral sermonizing was the discourse on the occasion of Grandmother (Naomi) Munger's death on Munger hill. Elder --, who was tediously prosy - more of an exhorter than preacher - always felt it encumbent upon him to address at length, even to the children. He used upon occasion a tremolo voice, which was particularly lugubrious. 'Children,' he said, turning a most solemn visage upon the little row of grand-children, 'a little while ago your grandfather died, and now your granny's dead, and if you live-long-enough-you'll all die!' It was a comforting assurance, for in the midst of their weeping, the little folks smiled.
"Gardner states that Joseph and all his children went to Vermont. This is an error. His son Nathan settled in what is now Lewis Co., at "Munger's Mills' " now Copenhagen, N. Y. Joseph went from Ludlow, Mass., to Paris, Oneida Co., N. Y. Elijah also moved to Paris after his graduation from Yale college, subsequently, however, settling at Sackett's Harbor, N. Y. Reuben went to Paris, as shown above, living there until 1826, when he moved to Chautauqua Co. Perley, an M.D., practiced his profession in Ludlow, Mass., until the death of his wife, Susanna, in 1805, when he also moved to Paris, probably being accompanied by his only son, Ely Fuller.
"I append the following deed as further and positive evidence of the error of Gardner's statement. This deed was probably one of the last legal acts of Joseph and Naomi.
"'Joseph Munger, of Paris, County of Oneida, state of New York, for £100 N. E. currency, sold to David Cook of Partridgefield, county of Berkshire, and state of Mass. a certain tract of land lying in Ludlow in the county of Hampshire, and state of Massachusetts, be the same more or less, bounded as follows (viz) beginning at Granby line thence running about four rods to the Bank of the Brook on the west side of the road leading from Pliny Chapin's to Joseph Munger's horse shed, thence from the West side of the horse shed to the southwest end of the Goldsmith's Shop, thence running about two rods from thence Westerly to the Fast end of the Mill darn, from thence on the East side of the pond at high water mark to the [p.220] first mentioned bounds, with the buildings thereon which tract of land of the above mentioned boundaries is all that is meant to be comprised in this deed.
Also served as "Serg't in Cap't Anthony Needham's company of 'Minute Men,' which marched from Brimfield to Cambridge, on the alarm of Apr. 19,1775."
After careful investigation of the matter, it is believed that this Joseph did further service in the Revolution, "In Cap't Daniel Winchester's company, Col. Ruggles Woodbridge's reg't, enlisted Aug. 17, 1777 - discharged Nov. 29, 1777, service 3 months, 21 days in Northern department, including 8 days (152 Miles) travel home." Some have claimed this service for Joseph (b. 1760), son of the subject of this sketch, but record of his marriage to Miss Hannah Fiske disproves this, as his marriage took place Sept. 3, 1777. Neither could this service have been done by Joseph, son of Samuel and Abigail Munger (b. 1758), as he was serving his country in Capt. Reuben Munn's (Monson) company, at the same time and in the same department, under General Gates.
THE COBURN FARM.
I have seen what I believe to be the "Original Munger Place." Was in Monson recently, and mine host, with whom I had talked concerning the matter, very generously took me many miles in quest of this spot. After some unsuccessful attempts to locate the site of the "Coburn Farm," we were directed to the home of an old man [Mr. Samuel B. Perry, deceased 1911] nearly ninety years of age, who was born here, as was his father and grandfather before him. On learning my name he said: "Why, the Mungers were the first settlers in this town" (Wales). He directed us to the ruined buildings on the "Coburn Farm," which are, as the record says, east of the South Meadow, the farm lands lying partly in the town of Wales and partly in Holland.
The original Munger place shows only a few foundation stones, with brush and briars and neglected apple trees growing about. A little to the north lie the ruins of another foundation, presenting much the same appearance as the first, but giving evidence that it must have been a much larger building. Still farther north is what appears to be the site of a barn and barnyard, which is on the crest of the hill as it begins to descend toward the north. Both these houses stood on the west side of the present road, on the slope of the hill facing southwest, and gradually descending to the meadow land below.
This meadow lies between the hills, and has a brook flowing through it. Old records frequently refer to this section as the "South Meadow" and "Munger's Meadow." This part of Wales is now known as the "Meadow District." The ruins are situated about one mile from the Connecticut line, the flag of the United States survey, which marks the boundary line, being seen to the south. The meadow has something of a crescent form, and the lower end of it and the brook is crossed as one ascends the hill to the ruins. Where these buildings once stood is a sightly place and in the afternoon a sunny spot. It is believed that the first or smaller ruins marks the spot where Samuel Munger built his habitation, and where Samuel, Nathaniel, Elnathan and Joseph, with their sisters, first had a home in Brimfield. The other ruin, without doubt, marks the sight of Nathaniel Munger's "new" house, later the dwelling of the Coburn family.
The day being far spent, I did not have time to locate the burial place of Nathaniel, which Gardner says is "Eighty rods southward of his old habita- [page 212] tion," but what I have found, corroborates what Gardner has said concerning Nathaniel Munger and the Coburn farm, and I believe I shall yet find his place of burial "Somewhere on his farm." (From a letter to J. E. Munger, by J. B. Munger, Oct., 1908.)
THE GRAVES ON THE COBURN FARM.
I have found the Munger graves on the Coburn farm. My search for this farm in the fall of 1908 seems to have awakened considerable interest among certain ones in Monson and Wales. Mr. Edgar Squier of Monson, an enthusiastic historian in matters pertaining to his home town, and towns adjoining, and who had accompanied me on my first visit, in conversation with Mr. LeRoy Needham of Wales, mentioned our search for the Coburn farm, and my belief that somewhere on this farm might be found Munger graves. In answer to this Mr. Needham said that many years ago, while hunting on this farm he had accidentally discovered three graves, one of which had a headstone on which was cut the letters E. M. This information was communicated to me by Mr. Squier, when preparation was again made to visit the Coburn farm. October 31, I started on an early car for Monson, having previously advised Mr. Squier of my intention. Arriving at the home of Mr. Squier, we took team and drove to Wales, where we were joined by Mr. Needham, who had volunteered to act as guide in our search for the graves. In the course of time we arrived at the site of Nathaniel Munger's "Old Habitation." As our guide had run onto the graves some twenty years before, he confessed he did not know just where they were, but said they were "Somewhere in there," motioning toward the woods on the mountain side. We went through weeds and underbrush and briars, all the time getting farther up the mountain side, although the ascent was very gradual. After going the full two furlongs, our guide stopped, saying: "They ought to be somewhere about here," then said he would go a little up. I did not follow, but continued my search in the underbrush near me, Mr. Squier doing the same on my right. Soon we heard Mr. Needham call: "Here they are!" Yes, here were the graves; not only three but several others, all of which with the exception of two, were without any mark to indicate who was buried there. Stones were at head and foot of each grave, but some were displaced, others fallen and partially buried in the ground, but all showing that they had originally been laid out in line at nearly equal distance apart. It is an old time burial place, such as our pioneer forefathers knew.
One of the best preserved graves is that which I am convinced is where Elizabeth (Bullen), wife of Nathaniel, is buried. At the head and foot is a rudely cut flat stone on both of which is cut in large characters, evidently by an unskilled hand, the letters E. M. These letters are as unscarred and legible as if cut a week ago, and show no signs of the wear of the elements after 122 years of exposure. On each side of this grave a flat stone has [page 213] been imbedded on edge in the earth nearly level with the surface. On either side of this grave are others, one of which is doubtless that of Nathaniel; the other may be that of his second wife, Fear (Shaw). Doubtless the last Munger residents on the farm knew the name of the occupant of the several graves, but the knowledge died with them.
Further on we came to a grave, on the headstone of which was cut the following inscription: "Mrss Mary wife of James Mercy, died April 3, 1802, aged 28 years." For a time I was at a loss to account for the presence of the Mercy (Marcy) grave at this place if this was the burial place of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Bullen) and Fear (Shaw) Munger. Might not the E. M. on the other and larger headstone indicate that a member of the Mercy family was buried there? For a time I was in doubt, but not for long as facts warranted the belief that this was the burial place of which Gardner speaks. Later I remembered that Samuel Munger married "Dolly" Marcy, and had a daughter Mary, b. Mar. 22, 1774, who was doubtless the wife of James Mercy (Marcy). The date of her death, and the age at which she died, seem to sustain this assumption. I mentioned this fact to Mr. Needham, who said: "These are doubtless your Munger graves."
While descending the mountain, Mr. Needham searched for, but did not find, a ledge at the foot of which is a chestnut tree much bowed over, which deformity tradition says was caused by one of the Coburns having hung himself from it when it was only a sapling. Making all preparations for this act, he jumped from the ledge, the weight of his body bending the young tree toward the earth, from which position it never recovered.
"We will go and see Sam. Perry," said Mr. Needham. This we did and had a rare half hour. We asked him about the graves on the Coburn farm; he said: "None there." We said yes; as we had seen them not an hour before. Mr. Needham mentioned the "Mrss Mary Mercy" grave; the old gentleman said: "James Marcy used to live right over there," indicating by a gesture, the old county road, near by. He then added: "The Marcys came from Woodstock." I asked him who the Coburns bought the place of; he promptly replied: "of the Mungers," and added: "Old -- Coburn hung himself up in the woods." Mr. Needham looked at me and said: "I guess, Mr. Munger, you are right in all you claim."
James Marcy lived down the road from the Munger place. His wife, Mary, being a Munger, was buried in the Munger lot. This accounts for the presence of her grave there. (From a letter to J. E. Munger, from J. B. Munger, Nov., 1909.)
[page 250]
CHILDREN (6th Generation).
[p.301]
CHILDREN (7th Generation) by FIRST WIFE.
[p.383]
CHILDREN (8th Generation).
Mr. Munger remained at home with his parents until fourteen years of age, in the meantime removing with them to the Prairie State. At the age mentioned he returned to New York, attended the Clinton Liberal Institute for one year, and the academy at Deansville about two years. He then returned to his home in Illinois, thereafter teaching school in Fulton County until the outbreak of the late Civil War. He then laid aside his plans for the future and enlisted as a Union soldier, becoming a nember of Co. C, 17th 111. Vol. Inf., and served three years in the war, in the meantime being promoted Sergeant. He participated with his regiment in the battles of Fredericktown, Mo., Ft. Donelson, siege of Corinth. Vicksburg, Inka, and many other engagements and skirmishes. He received an honorable discharge at the close, and returned to Fulton County. He here engaged in farming until 1867, when he removed to LaHarpe, Ill., and engaged in the agricultural business with Amos Breed and H. L. Bacon, under the firm name of Breed, Munger & Co. They did a very large business, controlling the trade in three counties. In 1875, the firm, against the advice and judgment of Mr. Munger, built a factory and commenced the manufacture of pumps. This large outlay of money, together with the fact of the company doing an extensive credit business, followed by the financial crisis of 1876-77-78, caused the firm to fail in 1878, Mr. Munger losing everything. In 1881 he crossed the Mississippi, came to Cedar Rapids, and became interested, in the pump business. Profiting by his past experience, and having the full management of the business, from a moderate beginning he has built up a large and successful business. He first associated himself with James La Tourette, of St. Louis, Mo., and they operated under the firm name of Cedar Rapids Pump Company. Their pumps were manufactured in St. Louis, and shipped in car loads to Cedar Rapids. In 1884 the business had assumed such magnitude that it was impracticable to have the machine work so far away, and they therefore erected the building which they now occupy, which is located on the west side of F street, on the C. & N. W. R. R. The building is 100 feet square, and the warehouse 20x10O. In January, 1885, a stock company was formed and incorporated with a paid up capital of $25,000. The officers of the company are the stockholders. The factory is supplied with all the modern machinery for the manufacture of wood pumps from the crude material. Their goods are shipped to Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. They give employment to twenty-five hands.
The marriage of T. C. Munger and Miss Grace Breed was celebrated in October, 1877. Mrs. Munger is a native of Fulton County, Ill., and the daughter of Amos and Mary Breed. Of their union five children have been born - Alice, Ruth, Mary, Bessie and Grant. They occupy a comfortable home at No. 318 Second Avenue West. Mr. Munger is Republican in politics, belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is a member of the Board of Trade. While in Illinois he was an Alderman from one of the wards of the city of La Harpe. He is a thorough business man, honorable and upright in his transactions, wide-awake and energetic, and as a neighbor and a citizen is held in high esteem by his townsmen.
Mr. Munger was born in Oneida county, New York, September 4, 1839, and is a son of Theodore H. Munger, whose birth occurred in the same county, in 1815, the grandfather, Reuben Munger, being a pioneer of that locality. His great-grandfather was born in Massachusetts of English parentage, and was one of the first settlers of Oneida county, New York. The family was represented in the Revolutionary war, one of the ancestors of our subject having taken part in the battle of Lexington. On reaching manhood Theodore H. Munger engaged in merchandising in his native county, at what is now Deansboro, and there married Miss Emeline F. Hanchett, who was also born there, her father being also one of its early settlers. She died in New York in 1843, but he subsequently married again. In 1845 he removed to Illinois by way of the Great Lakes, and crossed that state to Peoria county in what was known as a prairie schooner. Subsequently he took up his residence in Fulton county, Illinois, where he put in operation an oil and sawmill, and was engaged in the manufacture of lumber for a time. In 1852 he went overland to California, and was engaged in mining there at the time of his death in 1854.
Theodore C. Munger, our subject, was about six years of age when the family removed to Illinois, and he grew to manhood in Peoria. and Fulton counties, receiving but limited school advantages. After his father's death he returned to New York and attended school in Clinton for a time, after which he engaged in teaching in Fulton county, Illinois, in 1858. 1859 and 1860.
On the 17th of October, 1877, Mr. Munger was married in Hancock county, Illinois, to Miss Grace Breed, a native of Fulton county, that state, and a daughter of Amos and, Mary (Flower) Breed, who were married in Illinois. Her father was born in Connecticut, and in 1833 removed to the Prairie state, becoming one of the first settlers of Fulton county. He was a son of Jonas Breed, a native of Stonington, Connecticut. The family to which he belonged was of English origin and, was founded in America in 1630. His ancestors first located, in Massachusetts, and were among those who fought for the independence of the colonies in the Revolutionary war, taking part in the battle of Bunker Hill, the engagement being on Breed's Hill, which was on the family estate. At an early day some of the family settled in Connecticut. From Fulton county Mrs. Munger's father removed to Hancock county, Illinois, and is still living in La Harpe. Her mother died there in 1891, and Mr. Breed has since married. Our Subject and his wife have nine children, namely: Alice, who, is now teaching in the schools of Cedar Rapids; Ruth and Mary, both at home; Bessie, Grant B., John M., James La T. and Clara Belle, all in school; and Winifred.
Mr. Munger has never failed in his allegiance to the Republican party since he cast his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and for two years, he acceptably served as alderman of Cedar Rapids, during which time he was active and successful in securing the present electric street car system with its west side extension, but has never cared for political honors. He and his wife hold membership in the Universalist Church, and he also belongs to T. Z. Cook Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Cedar Rapids. He is a man of excellent business and executive ability, whose sound judgment, unflagging enterprise and capable management have brought him well-merited success. In manner he is pleasant and cordial, which, combined with his sterling worth, makes him one of the popular citizens of his county.
Theodore C. Munger spent the flrst five years of his life in the Empire state and then accompanied his father to Illinois. The journey was one of marvelous interest to the young boy and many incidents thereof were indelibly impressed upon his memory. Much of his youth was spent in Peoria and Fulton counties of Illinois, where he pursued his studies in the public schools, although his opportunities in that direction were somewhat limited. In 1854 after the father's death he returned to New York and for a time attended school in Clinton, that state. Following the completion of his course he returned to Illinois, where he engaged in teaching school until after the outbreak of the Civil war. In the opening year of hostilities between the north and the south he offered his services to the country in response to President Lincoln's first call for troops, but as the quota for the state was full the regiment was not accepted, but went into state service for thirty days. Soon it was seen that the war was to be no mere holiday affair and that a larger army was needed to conquer the rebellious south. Again President Lincoln issued a call for more troops and the Seventeenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry entered the service for three years. He was engaged in active duty for three years with the Army of the Tennessee and participated in many important engagements, including those of Fredericktown, Fort Donelson, the siege of Corinth and the siege of Vicksburg. He was first under fire, however, at Fredericktown, Missouri. He likewise took part in the battle of Hatchers Run, Inka and the battle of Yazoo. An interesting feature in the military chapter of his history concerns a capture which he and a comrade, Chauncey Callaway, made on the 22d of May, 1863. They succeeded in capturing three prisoners, who were fully armed with loaded muskets and were hiding under a brush heap, which they supposed was surrounded by the Union forces. This was during the storming of Vicksburg, when Mr. Munger and his companion were on the skirmish line. The Seventeenth Illinois Infantry, as a part of the command of General John A. Logan, was the first regiment to march into Vicksburg. On the expiration of his three years' term of service Mr. Munger was honorably discharged at Springfield, Illinois, in June, 1864, at which time he held the rank of sergeant.
Returning to his home with a most creditable military record, he engaged in farming in Fulton county, Illinois, for two years and on the expiration of that period established an agricultural implement business in La Harpe, Illinois, which he carried on until 1878. He was also a traveling salesman a part of this time. In 1879 and 1880 he engaged in the manufacture of wooden pumps at La Harpe. Mr. Munger has been a resident of Cedar Rapids since 1881 and conducted a jobbing business in pumps here until 1885. He formed a partnership with James La Tourette, a pump manufacturer of St. Louis, Missouri, who the year previous had established a branch here. In 1885 a stock company was formed under the name of the Cedar Rapids Pump Company, of which Mr. La Tourette became president, with Mr. Munger as secretary, treasurer and general manager and L. M. Rich as superintendent. The entire stock was held by those three gentlemen, who in the development of the business enlarged the plant until employment was given to many workmen. Mr. Munger remained active in control of the business up to the time of his retirement in 1902. He still holds his financial connection with the enterprise and is vice president of the company, which established business on a very modest scale. Largely owing to the ability, keen insight and unabating energy of Mr. Munger it was developed along substantial lines, becoming one of the most important manufacturing industries not only of Cedar Rapids but of the entire state. The rapid growth of the business led to the building of a factory in 1885 - a brick structure, one hundred by one hundred feet, two stories in height, on G avenue, bordering the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, and many subsequent additions have since been made to the plant. It was thoroughly equipped with modern machinery and furnished with steam power. The company was originally capitalized for twenty-five thousand dollars, but this was increased from time to time until the present capital is one hundred thousand dollars. As the years passed by Mr. Munger further extended his efforts, becoming a director of the Merchants National Bank and the president of the Cedar Rapids Building & Loan Association. His invested interests are of a character that bring to him substantial return, numbering him among the men of affluence in his adopted city.
Mr. Munger was united in marriage in Hancock county, Illinois, October 17, 1877, to Miss Grace Breed, who was born in Fulton county, Illinois, and was a daughter of Amos and Mary (Flower) Breed, who were married in that state. Her father was a native of Connecticut and on his removal westward in 1833 became one of the pioneers of Fulton county, Illinois. His father, Jonas Breed, was born in Stonington, Connecticut, and was of English lineage, the family having been represented on American soil since 1630. His ancestors first located in Massachusetts and were among those who fought for the independence of the colonies in the Revolutionary war, taking part in the battle of Bunker Hill, the engagement, however, occurring on Breed's Hill, which was the family estate. At an early period in the colonization of the new world representatives of the same settled in Connecticut and successive generations were represented there, Amos Breed removing from Connecticut to Hancock county, Illinois. Mrs. Munger was reared in Illinois and there resided until she accompanied her husband on the removal to Cedar Rapids. She died in 1902 and her death was deeply regretted by many friends. By her marriage she had become the mother of nine children, Alice, Ruth, Mary, Bessie, Grant B., John M., James La T., Clara Belle and Winnifred. The family home is at No. 837 Second avenue, but Mr. Munger spends the winters in California.
AS TO THE [MUNGER] NAME.
NICHOLAS MUNGER. Of Nicholas Munger, the progenitor of most of the name in America, little is known. Some authorities state that he came from England with the Whitfield colony, being an apprentice to William Chittenden, one of that company, and whose name appears on the covenant drawn up and signed on shipboard during the voyage to America. The name of Nicholas Munger does not appear on the records of the voyage in any way as far as known. He is said to have been about sixteen years (?) of age at the time of the settlement of the Guilford colony.
John b. East Parish of Guilford, Apr. 26, 1660.
Samuel " " " " " 1662-5.?.
PART TWO.
Samuel b. E. Parish of Guilford Feb. 7, 1689/90
Joseph " " " " " Jan. 19, 1693
Sarah " " " " " Mar. 16, 1695
Deliverance " " " " " Mar. 12, 1697
Nathaniel " " " " " Feb. 26, 1699
James " " " " " May 1, 1701
Ann " " " " " Feb. 1, 1703
Jane " " " " " Feb. 27, 1705
CHILDREN (4th Generation).
Submit b. E. Parish of Guilford, Jan. 5, 1711
Samuel
Nathaniel (twins) b. E. Parish of Guilford, Oct. 5, 1712
Elnathan " " " " " Jul. 14, 1714
Dorothy " " " " "
Joseph " Hampton, Conn., Jul. --, 1719
Rebecca "
Sarah "
Joseph Munger (Samuel, Samuel, Nicholas). b. Hampton, Conn., July -, 1719; d. Paris, Oneida Co., N. Y., 1805; m. Jemima Lyon, at Woodstock, Worcester Co., Mass., Mar. 3, 1747, by Abel Stiles, pastor. She was doubtless b. at Woodstock and belonged to the Lyon family of that place. She d. at Ludlow, Mass., at birth of a son, Oct. -, 1754. This child was named Asa, and d. shortly after birth. This would indicate that Joseph was one of the very earliest settlers in the town of Ludlow. Later records show that without doubt he lived in the northwest part of the town at this time. It is believed that there were other children born to Joseph and Jemima, previous to the birth of Asa. In a letter written several years ago, Mrs. Dinah E. (Munger) Sprague, then of Cleveland, O., made the following statement: "There was a Lucy Munger, who married Joseph Blodgett, first Town Clerk (of So. Brimfield), and she was half-sister to my grand-father Nathan [2d child, below]. There was also an aunt Keziah and Prudence Munger." After the death of his wife Jemima in 1754, Joseph returned to Brimfield, from which town he enlisted in 1755, in an expedition to Crown Point. On his return, he m. Naomi Needham, June 2, 1756. She was dau. Capt. Anthony and Molly (Moulton) Needham, b. Brimfield, Mass., June 1, 1731; d. Paris, Oneida Co., N. Y., in 1824, ae. 93 Yrs. Molly (Moulton) Needham, [p.217] wife of Capt. Anthony Needham, was dau. of Robert Moulton, an early settler in Brimfield, who came from Windham in Conn.
Jemima b. Brimfield, Mass., Aug 24,1757
Nathan " " " May 13,1759
Joseph " " " Aug 23,1760
Naomi " West Parish," Aug 14,1763
Elijah " " " " May 4,1767
Reuben " " " " Jun 29,1769
Perley " " " " Nov 11,1775
Asa " " " " Oct 29,1777. d.y.
"Lucy Munger and Joseph Blodgett above mentioned, had five children; three sons - Calvin, Lyman, and Joseph, and two daughters. Calvin, the oldest son, m. Betsy Munger, dau. of Nathan. One of the daughters married J. Hazen; the other, Shadrack Case." (Mrs. D. E. Sprague.)
Naomi Munger. *Seal.*
(Recorded.) Hampshire S. S. Mar. 11, 1784.
[p.218]
JOSEPH MUNGER. *Seal.*
Witnesses.
ELIJAH MUNGER.
JOHN JENNINGS.
Near the closing of the same year, he sold to the above-mentioned Carver, for £60, "A certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in Ludlow aforesaid, bounded as follows: beginning at the county road about ten feet East of the Grist Mill, and running Westerly on the North line of the said County road, 18 rods, 4 feet, and ten links to a heap of stones; then North twelve degrees, E. l2-1/2 rods to Granby line; then East 31, N, 23 rods 12-1/2 feet to a stake and stones, the corner of the Crank lands so called, then South to the first bound, with the buildings thereon standing, containing the Grist mill, and two acres of land, more or less."
Dec. 22, 1794. JOSEPH MUNGER. *Seal.*
Joseph Munger, Sr., sold to Joseph Munger, Jr. (both of Ludlow), land in said Ludlow, in 1789-1793-1796. Joseph Munger was selectman of So. Brimfield in 1776. Grand Juror from So. Brimfield to Northampton, Aug. and Nov., 1767; Mar. and May, 1768, and Aug., 1770. About 1796, removed to Paris, Oneida Co., N. Y., with his son Reuben, "who was one of the early settlers at Peck's Corners." Joseph is said to have lived at the foot of the Socrates Eastman hill, subse- [p.219] quently, however, becoming a member of the household of his son Reuben, with whom he passed his last years, and where he died. We have the following from Mrs. Peck's "History of the Hanover Society," kindly furnished by Mr. C. A. Munger of New York City. "The old lady on the hill was a lively, sociable body, and the Corners ladies dearly loved to go and see her. But she was also very precise and most guarded in her speech, carefully avoiding exaggeration or misstatement. She was told that --- had a new baby, which was doubtless the smallest ever known. 'Oh I don't know about that,' said she, 'when I was born they put me in a silver tankard, and shut the lid.' 'And did you live?' asked her astonished interlocutor. 'They say I lived, and grew nicely,' carefully admitted this cautious dame.
JOSEPH MUNGER. ******
23d Dec. 1799. NAOMI MUNGER. *Seal.*
Witnesses.
ALVERSON WADE.
PERLEY MUNGER."'
Joseph Munger served in the French and Indian War as "Serg't in Cap't Ebenezer Moulton's company, Col. Pomeroy's reg't in an expedition to Crown Point, from Sept. 11 to Dec. 25, 1755."
Gardner says of Nathaniel Munger: "He settled, lived, died and was buried, on what in colloquial phrase, we denominate the Coburn Farn." Again he says: "Buried 80 rods southward of his old habitation." The first statement is true; the second might mean south, southeast, or southwest. The fact is, the graves are south by east of the old house, and on much higher ground on the slope of Rattlesnake mountain, fully one-quarter mile from his old habitation, and in the town of Holland.
Reuben Munger
Reuben Munger (Joseph, Samuel, Samuel, Nicholas). b. West Parish, June 29, 1769; d. Stockton, N. Y., July 22, 1848, aged 79 yrs.; m. Lorinda Chapin, at Ludlow, Mass., June 2, 1788. She descended from the Puritan "Dea." Samuel Chapin, whose bronze effigy adorns one of the public parks at Springfield, Mass. She was b. May 2, 1770; d. Stockton, N. Y., June 2`, 1852, in her 83d year.
Naomi b. Ludlow, Mass., June 15,1790
Joseph " " " Apr. 17,1792.
Jemima " " " Mar. 15,1794.
Jeremiah Chapin " " " July 20,1795. d. at 34 yrs.
Parley " Paris, N. Y., June 6,1797.
Electa " " " May 20,1799.
Lucy " " " Sept.10,1801.
Reuben " " " June 9,1803.
Mary " " " Nov. 14,1805.
Caroline " " " Dec. 19,1808. d.y.
Theodore H. " " " Mar. 8,1815.
When about 14 years old, Reuben Munger moved from the West Parish of So. Brimfield, Mass., with his father, Joseph, the family locating at Ludlow. Here he continued to live until about 1796, when, with his wife and family, and accompanied by his aged parents, he removed to the wilderness of Oneida Co., N. Y., locating in the town of Paris, being one of the early settlers at "Peck's Corners," living on the farm now owned by M. W. Terry, on Munger (later Terry) hill, where seven children were born. In 1826, went to Chautauqua Co., where he was a successful farmer the remainder of his active life.
Theodore Horton Munger
(Reuben, Joseph, Samuel, Samuel, Nicholas). b. Paris, Oneida Co., N. Y., Mar. 8, 1815; d. Gold Beach, on Rogue's river, Oregon, May 24, 1854; m. Emeline T. Hanchett, at Deansville, N. Y., Jan. 19, 1837, dau. Silas and Lydia (Daniels) Hanchett; b. Paris, N. Y., Aug. 25, 1813; d. Deansville, N. Y., Dec. 16, 1842. He m. (2d) Harriet Eliza Everett, Sept. 20, 1843, dau. Darius and Harriet Everett; b. New York State, May 7, 1820; d. Malvern, Iowa, May 27, 1894.
Ellen Maria b. Deansville, N. Y., Apr. 19,1838.
Theodore Chapin " " " Sept. 4,1839
Alice Emeline " " " May 5,1842.
CHILDREN (7th Generation) by SECOND WIFE.
James K. Polk b. Farmington,Ill., July 12,1847.
Charles A. " " " Mar. 8,1849.
Theodore H. Munger was a merchant at Deansville, N. Y., 1838 to 1843; later, moving to Illinois, living near Canton.
Theodore Chapin Munger
(Theodore H., Reuben, Joseph, Samuel, Samuel, Nicholas). b. Deansville, N. Y., Sept. 4, 1839; m. Grace Breed, at LaHarpe, Ill., Oct. 17,1877, dau. Amos and Mary (Flower) Breed; b. Canton, Ill., Oct. 15, 1859.
Alice Emeline b. LaHarpe, Ill., July 25,1878.
Ruth Ellen " " " Dec. 29,1879.
Mary Beth " " " Apr. 6,1881.
Bessie Maria " Cedar Rapids, Ia., Feb. 21,1883.
Grant Breed " " " " Mar. 20,1885.
John Hanchett " " " " Aug. 11,1887.
James LaTourette " " " " Jan. 24,1830
Clara Belle " " " " Feb. 16,1892.
Winifred Grace " " " " Feb. 23,1898.
Theodore C. Munger resided at Cedar Rapids, Ia. He was a manufacturer and jobber, and secretary and treasurer of the Cedar Rapids Pump Co. Served the city as Alderman. Soldier of the Civil War. Enlisted in April, 1861, as private in Co. "C," 17th Ill. Infantry, later made Sergeant. May 22, 1863, in a charge on the enemy's works at Vicksburg, he and a private named Chauncy Calloway captured three Confederates. He died Sierra Madre, Cal., Mar. 19, 1912. Interment at Cedar Rapids, Ia.
On the inauguration of the Civil war in 1861, Mr. Munger responded to the president's first call for troops, but as the quota for the state was full the company was not accepted. Later he enlisted for three years as a private in Company C, Seventeenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which regiment was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee. His first engagement was at Fredericksburg, Missouri, which was followed by the battles of Fort Donelson, Hatcher's Run, Inka, the siege of Vicksburg and the battle of Yazoo. On the 22nd of May, 1863, he and a comrade, Chauncey I Callaway, captured three prisoners who were fully armed with loaded muskets and were hiding under a brush heap, which they supposed was surrounded by the Union forces. This was during the storming of Vicksburg, when Mr. Munger and his companion were on the skirmish line. Under the command of General John A. Logan his regiment was the first to march into Vicksburg. On the expiration of his term of enlistment our subject was honorably discharged at Springfield, Illinois, in June, 1864, with the rank of sergeant.
On leaving the army Mr. Munger engaged in farming in Fulton county, Illinois, for two years, and then became interested in the agricultural implement business in La Harpe, where he remained until 1878. He was a traveling salesman a part of this time. In 1879 and 1880 he engaged in the manufacture of wooden pumps at La Harpe. Coming to Cedar Rapids in, 1881 he formed a partnership with James LaTourette, who was engaged in the manufacture of pumps at St. Louis, Missouri, and the year previous had established a branch here. In 1885 a stock company was formed with Mr. LaTourette as president; Mr. Munger as secretary and treasurer; and L. M. Rich, who is represented elsewhere in this volume, superintendent; these three gentlemen being the stockholders. They have enlarged the plant, and now furnish employment to sixty men. They manufacture pumps, piping and tubing, and have built up an excellent trade, which extends throughout several states. Mr. Munger has devoted his entire time and energies to this industry, and not a little-of its success is due to his able management, good business ability and sound judgment. The business having grown largely, in 1885 it was deemed advisable to erect a factory. A brick structure was built, 100x100 feet, two stories in height, on G avenue and Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, well equipped throughout and furnished with steam power. The capital stock of the company was first twenty-five thousand dollars, but this was increased from time to time until it is now one hundred thousand dollars. Since its organization, Mr. Munger has been president of the Cedar Rapids Building and Loan Association. He is a stockholder and director of the Citizens National Bank and the American Trust & Savings Bank, and was one of the organizers of both institutions. Also president of the Butter Company (Indiana),, engaged in the manufacture of windmills and bicycles.