CONE FAMILY of Hartford. This family
is an old and prominent one in Connecticut, and several members thereof,
closely related to the late William R., Sylvanus F., and Deacon Joseph
E. Cone, of Hartford, have figured in the professional and mercantile history
of that city through two thirds of a century.
The American ancestor of this branch
of the family was Daniel Cone, who, with three of his sons—Daniel, Jared
and Stephen—came in 1651 to this country from Edinburgh, Scotland, the
voyage being made in the ship "John and Sarah." They located first in Massachusetts
(where was born another son, Caleb), thence in 1657 removing to Haddam,
Conn. From there they came in 1685 to East Haddam, which locality became
the permanent home of many of their descendants. Daniel Cone, Sr., was
born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and died in Haddam, Conn., Oct. 24, 1706.
He was one of the original twenty-eight who for twenty-eight red coats
bought from the Indians what is now the county of Middlesex. His second
wife was the widow of Richard Walkley, of Haddam.
Slyvanus Franklin Cone, father of the
late Joseph Henry Cone and Col. William E. Cone, who for many years as
partners carried on successfully a first-class hardware business on Asylum
street, Hartford, where it has since been continued under the old firm
name by Col. Cone, was born Aug. 24, 1813, in East Haddam, Conn., a son
of Joseph W. and Mehitabel S. (Swan) Cone, who died March 4, 1848, aged
seventy-three, and Sept. 11, 1849, aged seventy-one, respectively, both
being buried in the cemetery at West Hartford Center. Sylvanus F. Cone
came to Hartford in 1835, and passed the rest of his lifetime in that city,
where he was a useful, honored and respected citizen. He always took a
warm interest in public affairs, rarely if ever failing to exercise his
rights as a citizen. For many years he was a member of the board of selectmen
of the town, also served as assessor, and filled other offices of trust,
always performing his duties with scrupulous fidelity. He was possessed
of a most genial and kindly disposition, retaining his youthful feelings
and appearance to a wonderful degree to the very last. He died on June
30, 1879, esteemed and beloved by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
His first wife, formerly Miss Sarah A. Miller, to whom he was married in
April, 1835, passed away Aug. 28, 1849. Their children were
as follows: Joseph H. (a sketch of whom follows), Sarah
A., and Augusta M., all three deceased; Augustus F., a resident
of Toledo, Ohio; William E., in Hartford;
and Helen M., deceased. For his second wife
Slyvanus F. Cone married Dec.11, 1850, Delia M. Barnard, of Hartford, and
two children graced their union: Ella Barnard, wife of
Charles W. Pratt, a sketch of whom follows: and John Barnard.
Joseph Henry Cone, who died at his home in
Hartford July 7, 1892, was born in 1836, in the old Cone homestead on Farmington
avenue, Hartford, and was a lifelong resident of that city. He was educated
at the public schools, and at West Hartford Academy, a famous school half
a century ago. Early in life he entered the hardware store of George M.
Way & Co., there learning the business. In 1861 he entered into partnership
with the late Roderick Terry, the firm name being Terry & Cone. When
Mr. Terry retired the firm became J. H. & W. E. Cone by the admission
of Mr. Cone's brother, Col. William E. Cone. In 1872 they purchased and
remodeled the building at Nos. 87-89 Asylum street, which the firm occupied,
and where they afterward remained.
Joseph H. Cone never held public office, although
he was always prominent in business life. He was a man of rather retiring
disposition, much attached to his family, by whom he was regarded as an
affectionate husband and kind, indulgent parent. Nearly two years prior
to his death he retired from the active business of the firm of which he
was a member, although still retaining his interest in the same. He married
Martha I. Mix, daughter of the late John G. and Clarissa (Isham) Mix, of
Hartford, and she and her son, Henry F., and two daughters, Clara M. and
Lillian C., survive.
CHARLES W. PRATT, of Hartford, is a
direct descendant in the eighth generation from Lieut. William Pratt, who,
with Rev. Thomas Hooker, was one of the first settlers of Hartford, tracing
his line of ancestry through Charles A., William A., Deacon Timothy, Timothy,
Isaac, and John to Lieut. William, the first settler.
(I) Lieut. William Pratt came to Newtown,
Mass., in 1633, thence moving to Hartford, Conn. In June, 1636, he married
Miss Elizabeth Clark, daughter of John Clark, of Saybrook, Conn. He was
deputy at the General Court for twenty-three sessions. He died in
1678.
(II) Ensign John Pratt, eldest son of the
above, was born Feb. 20, 1644. He married June 8, 1668, Sarah Jones, daughter
of Thomas Jones, of Guilford, Conn. He was a large land owner in Saybrook,
and also in Hebron, Conn. He was a blacksmith by trade, and a man of prominence,
and for several terms was the representative of his town in the Legislature.
He died in 1726.
(III) Isaac Pratt, son of John, was born June
16, 1677, and died in 1733. He married Mary Taylor.
(IV) Timothy Pratt, son of Isaac, was born
Jan. 20, 1713. He married Sarah Parker.
(V) Deacon Timothy Pratt, son of Timothy,
was born Oct. 17, 1748. In 1775 he married Sarah Shipman. For many years
he was a deacon of the Congregational Church at Saybrook, and he was an
exemplary Christian. He died Sept. 12, 1823; Mrs. Pratt died Jan. 2, 1817.
(VI) William Augustus Pratt, son of Deacon
Timothy, was born Oct. 9, 1791, and was a carpenter and builder at Saybrook.
On Dec. 2, 1817, he married Sarah Lynde. He died March 3, 1850, she on
Feb. 13, 1840. Issue: Elizabeth, Sarah, William, Lynde, Charles Augustus,
and John Heber.
(VII) Charles Augustus Pratt, son of William
Augustus, was born March 21, 1826, and has all his life been a carpenter
and builder in Saybrook, Conn. On April 1, 1849, he married Mary E. Randall
and children as follows have come to them: Sarah Elizabeth, born Jan. 6,
1850, married to John Rankin, of Saybrook; Charles William, born Dec. 8,
1851; Isabella, May 29, 1853; George Augustus, Oct. 3, 1855 (resides in
Hartford); Mary Amelia, Jan. 6, 1859, married to K. N. Bill; Ed-ward Burt,
May 4, 1861 ; and Frank Sterling, Oct. 3, 1867.
(VIII) Charles W. Pratt spent his early school
days in Saybrook, and at the early age of ten years became the mail carrier
for that village, which position he filled four years. When fifteen he
began clerking for Augustus Bushnell, at Westbrook, Conn., remaining with
him some three years; at the age of eighteen he came to Hartford to fill
the position of clerk in the old "Bee Hive" store. In 1887 he engaged in
the ladies' dress and cloak business in partnership with a Mr. Sage, under
the firm name of Pratt & Sage, which continued a couple of years, and
since 1889 the firm name has been C. W. Pratt.
On Sept. 10, 1879, Mr. Pratt was married to
Ella Barnard Cone, daughter of Slyvester F. Cone, as above, and children
as follows have graced their union: Charles Franklin, born Sept. 10, 1880;
and Warren Cone, born Jan. 31, 1888.
JAMES CHURCH PRATT, a well-known resident
of West Hartford, whose home is at No. 700 Farmington avenue, was born
in Hartford March 17, 1838, and traces his ancestry back to John and Elizabeth
Pratt, the progenitors of the family in America. (II) John Pratt, their
son, married Hepsibah Wyatt, a daughter of John Wyatt, and died in 1687.
(III) John Pratt, the third of that name, was born May 17, 1661, and married
Hannah Sanford. (IV) William Pratt, born in 1691, married Amy Pinney, and
died Jan. 16, 1753. (V) Joseph Pratt, born in 1742, was married in 1767
to Susannah Caldwell, and died Oct. 14, 1814.
(VI) Joseph Pratt, born in Hartford June 6,
1779, was the grandfather of our subject. He was a Democrat in politics,
and served as postmaster of Hartford at one time. He died in Opelousas,
La., March 6, 1852. On Dec. 10, 1802, he was married to Fanny Wadsworth,
and after her death he married Charlotte Wadsworth, Dec. 6, 1839. He had
thirteen children: Susan Ann, born Oct. 19, 1803, married Timothy Allyn,
and died in 1888; Algernon Sidney, born May 30, 1805, died Feb. 28, 1809;
Esther, born May 13, 1807, died March 4, 1809; Mary, born 1808, died in
1809; Edward, born Jan. 18, 1810, died Oct. 31, 1810; Joseph, the father
of our subject, was next in the family; Harriet, born Nov. l6, 1814, married
Moses Cook, and died in 1862; John G., born March 31, 1817, married (first)
Adella B. King, and (second) Mary Ann Hall, and died in 1866; Mary Esther,
born Sept. 6, 1819, died in 1887; Frances, born Sept. 3, 1821, died in
March, 1826; Edward, born Aug. 15, 1824, died Aug. 24, 1850; Ellen Frances,
born Feb. 15, 1826, died Feb. 4, 1848; and Jeremiah, born in 1828, died
the same year.
(VII) Joseph Pratt, father of our subject,
was born in Hartford, Nov. 8, 1811, and was educated in the schools of
that city. On attaining man's estate he engaged in farming in the town
of Hartford, until forty years of age, when he became interested in the
lumber business for one year. He took quite a prominent and influential
part in public affairs; was a member of the city council, street superintendent
for a year, and also chief of the fire department. After the Civil war
he affiliated with the Republican party. He married Abigail Prior Church,
who was born Oct. 12, 1812, a daughter of James Church. Only one child
was born of this union, James Church Pratt.
(VIII) James C. Pratt spent his early boyhood
at the farm on Windsor avenue, until eight years of age, when he accompanied
his parents on their removal to Hartford, and there attended public school
until sixteen years of age, when, his health failing, he went to Louisiana
to visit his grandmother and an uncle, who lived there, in the hope of
regaining his strength. He made his home there until the outbreak of the
Civil war, when he entered the Confederate service, and for a time served
as captain of a company in a Louisiana regiment. He was taken prisoner
in the fall of 1863, and in March, 1864, returned to the home of his childhood
at Hartford, a paroled prisoner of war. After the close of the war he remained
at home with his parents, and later engaged in mercantile business, continuing
the same for about ten years, when he retired. He became a member of the
Governor's Foot Guards in 1867, and has retained his membership, being
now with one exception the oldest in active service. He was promoted from
private through all the grades to captain, and now, at the age of sixty-two,
is carrying a musket. He has been a resident of West Hartford for the past
twelve years, and is numbered among its best and most highly respected
citizens.
In Norwich, Conn., Mr. Pratt was united in
marriage with Miss Jennie A. Peck, and to them were born five children:
(1) Joseph died at the age of twenty-one months. (2) Carrie S. is the wife
of George H. Barton, who is engaged in the insurance business in Hartford,
representing the National Fire Insurance Co., and they have three children,
Beatrice, Agnes, and Russell. (3) Joseph Hyde married Miss Mary Dictus
Bayley; he is now engaged as government surveyor in the geological survey
of North Carolina. (4) Esther is the wife of Rev. J. Howard Gay lord. (5)
Anna Louise is still at home.
Commemorative
Biographical Record
of
Hartford County,
Connecticut
Illustrated
Chicago
J. H. Beers & Co.
1901
pgs 62 - 64
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