HON. JAMES DUDLEY DEWELL

For forty-four years a resident of New Haven, James Dudley Dewell was closely identified with business and social interests there. He traced his lineage from good ancestral stock on both sides. His paternal ancestors: —
(I) William Devill, the first of this line in America, was in Duxbury in 1640; Braintree, 1643; Rehoboth, 1645-1651; Newport, 1653-1680. His descendants have various spellings of the name—Devol, Deval, Duel, Deuel, Dewell, Duval, etc.
(II) Jonathan, son of William, was in Newport, Little Compton and Dartmouth. He died between 1737 and 1742. He married Hannah Audley.
(III) Jonathan, Jr., son of Jonathan, was a resident of Dartmouth and died in 1709. He married Mary Clark, who survived him, and they are known to have had children, as follows: William, who is mentioned below; Hannah, born January 29, 1699; Jonathan, born May 1, 1702; Alfyah; Meribeth, born October 21, 1707; and Mary, born February 26, 1710.
(IV) William, son of Jonathan, born in Dartmouth April 16, 1698, died in 1760. He married Elizabeth Whitehead, who died before April 21, 1759, the date of his will, which is recorded in Taunton. Their children were: Apphia, born March 6, 1718; Jonathan, who is mentioned below; and William, born March 4, 1728, who died June 22, 1814.
(V) Jonathan, born January 16, 1721, died 1781-84. He resided in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in Tiverton, Rhode Island and in Nine Partners, New York. In the Dartmouth town records the intention of marriage of Jonathan and Mary Lawton was entered September 3, 1745, and they were married that year. Of their children we have record of John, Patience, Robert, Peaceable, Mary, Lydia, Deborah, Elizabeth, Barjona and Jonathan.
(VI) Jonathan Duel born March 20, 1765, died in 1831. He resided in Tiverton, Rhode Island, Nine Partners and Pine Plains, New York. He married Sarah Rider, who died in 1841, aged seventy-five years, and we have mention of their eleven children, Ruth, Lydia, Mary, Deborah, Eleanor, Charlotte, Sally, Hannah, James, Jonathan, Jr., and John. Jonathan and Sarah (Rider) Duel are buried in the Knickerbocker cemetery some three miles east of the village of Pine Plains.
(VII) John Dewell, eldest son of above named Jonathan and Sarah, and the father of James D. Dewell, was born in Pine Plains September 3, 1795, married January 1, 1826, at Norfolk, Connecticut, Mary Humphrey, daughter of Dudley and Mary (Phelps) Humphrey, born October 7, 1803. John Dewell was a merchant and manufacturer in Norfolk, where he died October 2, 1871, a respected and highly esteemed citizen of the community. His wife survived many years, dying April 24, 1891. To their union came children, as follows: John H., born in 1827 was married (first) in 1848 to Cynthia Hitchcock; for his second wife he married Harriet Austin; he was a merchant in the town of Norfolk, Connecticut, and died at Plymouth, Connecticut, in 1896. He served as a captain in the Civil war. Mary E., born in 1829, was married in 1856 to Robert C. Peck, who became a merchant in New Haven, where he died in 1869. Sarah was born in 1832. James Dudley is mentioned below. Mattie A., born in 1842, was married in 1869 to Theron S. Swain, who is a merchant In Boston. Charles G., born in 1844, died in 1846.

Mrs. Mary (Humphrey) Dewell, noted above as the mother of James D., is a descendant in the seventh generation from (I) Michael Humphrey, the emigrant ancestor of the family, who was at Windsor, Connecticut, prior to 1643, when he and Sergt. John Griffin were engaged in making turpentine in what is now Simsbury. Priscilla, daughter of Matthew Grant, of Windsor, became his wife in 1647. Her father was the ancestor of Gen. U. S. Grant. From Michael Humphrey Mrs. Dewell's descent is traced through Sergeant John, Deacon John, Deacon Michael, Asahel and Dudley Humphrey. Dudley Humphrey, son of Asahel, born in 1775 at Norfolk, was married October 16, 1798, to Mary Phelps, daughter of Darius and Mary (Aiken) Phelps, born in Norfolk, April 4, 1780. They settled at Norfolk, where their children were born: Harriet, John, Mary (Mrs. John Dewell), Griswold, Merrill, James and Caroline.

James Dudley Dewell eighth in line from William Devill, was born September 3, 1837, in Norfolk Connecticut. In 1858, after some experience as a clerk in a country store, he left his home and came to New Haven to take a position as salesman for Bushnell & Commany, wholesale grocers. His services soon commended him to the house, and in 1860 he was admitted to the firm, the name becoming Bushnell & Dewell. In 1879 it became J. D. Dewell & Company. The enterprise, public spirit and force of character of Mr. Dewell soon became manifest, and as the years passed pushed him to the front rank of the business men and citizens of the community. He held close to his heart the best interests of New Haven, and all measures for the good of the community found in him a hearty supporter. Mr. Dewell was one of the principle movers in organizing the state board of trade in 1890, becoming its first president. For many years Mr. Dewell was president of the chamber of commerce of New Haven, and he was at the head of the movement for good roads throughout the state. For twenty years or more he was a director and contributor to the needs of the Young Men's Institute in New Haven. Mr. Dewell was a director in the Evergreen Cemetery Association, vice president of the Security Insurance Co., a director of the New Haven Water Co., a director of the City Bank, of New Haven, a director of the New Haven Trust Company, and vice president of the National Savings Bank. He was owner and manager of the Sutton fleet, embracing six large three, four and five masted vessels, plying between southern ports and New England. He was a member of the New Haven Colony Historical Society and of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Society of Founders and Patriots. Fraternally he belonged to Hiram Lodge, No. 1, F. & A. M., of which he was worshipful master in 1869. In religious connection he was a member of the Church of the Redeemer, Congregational.

In politics Mr. Dewell was a stanch republican. Among the charter members of the Republican League, now the Union League, he maintained a lively interest in its welfare and served several terms as its president. In 1896 he consented to become a candidate for the position of lieutenant-governor, to which he was trimphantly elected. The duties of this office were discharged by him with ability, dignity and grace. Socially Mr. Dwell was genial and affable, and popular wherever known. Mr. Dewell was first lieutenant of the New Haven Grays from 1865 to 1867.

On July 2, 1860, Mr. Dewell was married to Mary E., daughter of Aaron and Mary A. (Winch) Keyes, of Norfolk, Connecticut, and to this union were born six children: Jessie K., who graduated from Vassar in 1883; Charles K.; James D., Jr.; Robert P.; and Franklin W. and Edward H., twins born in 1877, the latter of whom died in 1878. Mr. Dewell died April 19, 1906.

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