JAMES MADISON LORD

BIOGRAPHY

AS RECORDED IN:

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF
TOLLAND AND WINDHAM COUNTIES CONNECTICUT.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS AND OF MANY OF THE EARLY SETTLED FAMILIES
PUBLISHER: J.H.BEERS & CO., CHICAGO; 1903 P. 703

JAMES MADISON LORD, whose life has been a part of his native community, was born in Stafford, Tolland Co., Conn., June 18, 1837, and is a son of John Knight Lord, who was born in Limington, Me., Nov. 8, 1809, and died there March 23, 1891.

James Knight Lord was married Nov. 29, 1832, to Sarah Spellman, a daughter of Apollos and Myra (Clark) Spellman, who was born May 10, 1811, and died in Stafford, July 20, 1896. To them were born the following children that lived to grow up: Myra Clark, born April 13, 1835, who married Julius Converse; James Madison, whose name appears at the beginning of this article; Jane Adaline, born Oct. 6, 1839, who married Henry C. McLoughlin, Gloucester, Mass., where she is still living; Lewis Kossuth, born Dec. 31, 1851, who married a daughter of Orrin Converse.

John Knight Lord was a contractor and builder, perhaps the most prominent of his day. The old Congregational Church which was carried away by the flood was built by him, as were also several of the mills and old school houses. In politics he took strong Republican ground and was active in local affairs. In religion he was a pronounced Spiritualist, and was deeply interested in all the phenomena of the faith.

James Lord, the grandfather of James Madison, was born in 1774, and died Dec. 3, 1848. Hannah Durrell, his wife, was born Sept. 29, 1780, and was a daughter of David and Mary Durrell. To them were born: George S., born Nov. 21, 1800, who died Dec. 19, 1869; David B., born Nov. 24, 1802, who died July 26, 1884; Olive K., born Nov. 21, 1806, who died July 30, 1857; John K., born Nov. 8, 1809, who died March 23, 1891; James F., born Jan. 12, 1816, who died March 7, 1888; Isaac M., born Oct. 28, 1818, who died Dec. 28, 1858; Friend D., a successful physician, born March 3, 1822, died Dec. 8, 1883; Simon L., also a successful physician, born March 8, 1826, who died Feb. 17, 1893. James Lord was the son of James Lord, and the grandson of Adam Lord. The history of the Lord family is lacking in details of residence and occupation of the earlier generations of the family.

James Madison Lord was born in Stafford, and there he began his education, which was continued in the Academy at Wilbraham, Mass., for three terms. When he was seventeen, young Lord went into the freight office of the Hartford, Fishkill and Providence Street Railway, where he remained but a short time, taking a place in the finishing room of the Mineral Springs Manufacturing Company, where after a year of faithful work he displayed such readiness that he was made foreman of the finishing department, serving in that capacity two years. After this Mr. Lord went west to Lane’s Station, Now Rochelle, Ill., and was engaged in a wholesale grain business, running a large warehouse, as a member of the firm of C.P. Spaulding & Co. For four years he was in this business at Rochelle, and there the outbreak of the Civil war found him, and in response to the need of the Republic he enlisted Sept. 3, 1862, for three years in Co. A, 2d Ill. Vol. Cavalry, serving in the commissary and ordnance department. His command was ordered into Tennessee, and from there to Vicksburg, and Port Hudson. Mr. Lord was in much hard service, and saw the brunt of the fighting in the West, being mustered out June 11, 1865.

At the expiration of hostilities Mr. Warren (**see footnote) carried on business as a member of the firm of Ellis, Warren & Co. for ten years at Stafford Springs, and then in company with Col. Warren bought out Mr. Ellis, and still later Mr. Lord bought out Col. Warren, when he formed a partnership with A.C. Eaton, with whom he continued in business for three years. At the end of that time Mr. Eaton bought out Mr. Lord, who felt obliged to retire on account of ill-health, and who has not since that time been actively engaged in any business.

Mr. Lord was one of the active incorporators of the Stafford Agricultural Society, serving as one of its directors for many years. He is a Republican, and has served as assessor several years, having also been on the board of relief and one of the burgesses of the borough. Mr. Lord attends the Methodist Church, of which his wife is a member and a worker in the Ladies’ Aid Society. He belongs to Ionic Lodge, No. 110, A.F.&A.M., and Orient Chapter, No. 42, R.A.M.

Mr. Lord was married Oct. 22, 1866, in Norwich, N.Y., to Imogene Sibley, a daughter of John Sibley. She died Jan. 19, 1869, leaving no children. Mr. Lord was again married Oct. 19, 1871, in Norwich, Conn., to Hannah Whiton, a daughter of Lucius H. Whiton and Almeda Converse. To this marriage was born one child, Kate Imogene, a graduate of Wellesley College, class of 1903. Mr. Lord belongs to the Business Men’s Club, of Stafford, and is one of the leading citizens of the community.

**footnote: This should probably read “Mr. Lord”.

Reproduced by:

Linda D. Pingel

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