Frank Benjamin Bishop is president of the Guilford Agricultural Society, of which he  has been a member for forty-five years. He has long been numbered among the  progressive agriculturists of Guilford and while engaged in general farming makes a specialty of raising fine seed corn. He was born in North Madison, Connecticut, November 28, 1854, a son of Curtis Benton and Catherine  (Coan) Bishop. The father was born on Race Hill in the west side district in North Madison, Connecticut, March 18, 1818, and was a son of Gustus and  Polly (Walkley) Bishop, who were also natives of North  Madison.  Gustus Bishop was a son of Abner and Thankful  (Buel) Bishop, the former born in North Bristol, Connecticut.  The old Bishop homestead is on Summer Hill in North Madison. To Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Benton Bishop were born seven children:   William,  whose  birth  occurred  September 6, 1842, and who follows farming in the Nut Plains district of Guilford, Connecticut; Ella who was born January 10, 1845, and is the wife of William H. Davis, of Fairhaven, Connecticut; Leonard Randolph, born August 30, 1846; Charles Edward, born April 24, 1848; Isabel Coan, who was born July 4, 1850, and is the wife of Fred Davis; Clara Walkley, who was born December 33, 1852, and is the wife of Ralph L. Parker; and Frank Benjamin of this review.

The last named acquired his education in the Nut Plains district school of Guilford and in a select school. Reared to the occupation of farming, he took up that pursuit as a life work and owned a fine farm in North Madison, Connecticut, where he carried on the work of tilling the soil from 1876 until 1909. He then sold that property and purchased a splendid farm in the eastern part of the town of Guilford, upon which he has since made excellent improvements, erecting new buildings and otherwise adding all of the accessories and conveniences of a model farm of the twentieth century. He is conducting general farming along progressive lines and is one of the prominent agriculturists of the eastern part of New Haven county. He is a great admirer of fine oxen and has some of the best teams of oxen in the state. Moreover, he is an expert ox yoke maker. He raises splendid farm products and his seed corn is in constant demand. That he keeps in touch with the most progressive methods of agriculture is indicated in the fact that he has been an active member of the Guilford Agricultural Society for forty-five years and has been honored with its vice presidency, while at the present time he is serving as president.

In 1875 Mr. Bishop was united in marriage with Miss Lillian Josephine Norton, at North Madison, Connecticut, where she was born, a daughter of Newell Atwood and Josephine (Hill) Norton, who were natives of North Madison and representatives of one of the old and prominent families of New Haven county. Mrs. Bishop was educated in the Morgan Academy at Clinton, Connecticut, and by her marriage has become the mother of three children: Robert Merton, who was born in North Madison, December 21, 1875, and married Belle Rogerson, of Stratford, Connecticut, Maude Josephine, born in North Madison, November 27, 1878, who is the wife of Fred W. Hull, of Guilford, and they have one child, Reginald; and Charles William, who was born July 27, 1885, and married Frances Soule, of Kent, Connecticut, by whom he has two daughters, Cora and Ada.

In his political views Mr. Bishop has always been a stalwart republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He served as tax assessor and as a member of the board of relief of Madison and was selectman of the town of Madison from 1894 until 1889. In 1904 he was elected to represent Madison in the state legislature, serving during the session of 1905 as a member of the committees on new towns and probate district. He has also been registrar of the town of Guilford and in the discharge of his public duties has ever been prompt, faithful, accurate and reliable, making a most excellent record as a public official. He belongs to St. Albans Lodge, No. 38, F. & A. M., of Guilford, and both he and his wife are active and helpful members of the Congregational church, Mr. Bishop serving as superintendent of the Sunday school at North Madison for many years. His entire life has been passed in New Haven county, where he has a very wide and favorable acquaintance. His sterling traits of character are many and in all things he measures up to high standards of manhood and of citizenship.