ELIHU STOW was born May 27, 1736; died Nov. 12, 1812; in 1760 he married Jemima Paine, who was born May 30, 1738 and was killed by being thrown from her carriage, Oct. 12,1805. A letter from her son Joshua to her daughter, Jemima Kelley, in the possession of Miss Mary S. Bates, gives the particulars of this painful accident.
Elihu Stow and Jemima (Paine) Stow resided in the old home on the hillside, built by his father Eliakim. She was a self educated woman principally, and taught all her children the common branches. It is related that her husband sympathized but little with her literary tastes. He thought if a woman could read her Bible and Psalm Book, that was enough! Her son Joshua said at her grave: "Here lies the best of mothers; she taught me not so much what to think, as how to think." Elihu was a strict church member of the "Separate Church", so-called. It is said that he refused to pay his dues to the Congregational or established church, unless forced to do so. On one occasion he was arrested and taken to prison for not paying. He walked quietly along while the officer had hold of him, not desiring to resist him, but when, deluded by his non-resistance, the officer let go of him, he turned straight around and walked towards home. This was repeated again and again until finally the officer of the law perceived that bis prisoner must be taken by force, if at all.
He had many of the peculiarities and much of the stern type of religion ascribed to the Puritans of New England. Possibly from a too rigorous enforcement of these views in the family, possibly from other causes, several of his children developed a skeptical turn of mind and became antagonistic to all religious belief. One of his idiosyncracies was an ambition to undertake and a pride in accomplishing something which others had failed to do. He had an ingenuity of resource and a perseverence which overcame great difficulties, but when it came to the children except the youngest were born. Besides owning some mechanical work that anyone could do he lost all interest. Several incidents are related, illustrating the quiet determination and dogged perseverence which seemed to be a family characteristic. One of these must suffice. Work had been abandoned on the foundation for abutments of a bridge, because it was thought that quicksands or other causes made it impossible to secure them in place. Elihu thought he could do that job effectively. He took hold of it and built some abutments that are said to be standing at the present day. But the bridge was never laid on them! That could be done by anyone. Elihu was a soldier in the Revolutionary army during nearly the entire war. He enlisted as a private in Capt. Alden's company, Samuel Webb, Colonel, April 21, 1777, was mustered in Nov. 1777, taken prisoner, exchanged, July l, 1778, promoted to Corporal, March 20, 1780; Sergeant, July 1, 1781. (See "Connecticut in the Revolution.") After the death of Jemima, Elihu married a widow named Mary Griffin. He was then 70 years old. His second wife died Feb. 13, 1829.
(bio information from #47528362 C Coe)
Elihu Stow and Jemima (Paine) Stow resided in the old home on the hillside, built by his father Eliakim. She was a self educated woman principally, and taught all her children the common branches. It is related that her husband sympathized but little with her literary tastes. He thought if a woman could read her Bible and Psalm Book, that was enough! Her son Joshua said at her grave: "Here lies the best of mothers; she taught me not so much what to think, as how to think." Elihu was a strict church member of the "Separate Church", so-called. It is said that he refused to pay his dues to the Congregational or established church, unless forced to do so. On one occasion he was arrested and taken to prison for not paying. He walked quietly along while the officer had hold of him, not desiring to resist him, but when, deluded by his non-resistance, the officer let go of him, he turned straight around and walked towards home. This was repeated again and again until finally the officer of the law perceived that bis prisoner must be taken by force, if at all.
He had many of the peculiarities and much of the stern type of religion ascribed to the Puritans of New England. Possibly from a too rigorous enforcement of these views in the family, possibly from other causes, several of his children developed a skeptical turn of mind and became antagonistic to all religious belief. One of his idiosyncracies was an ambition to undertake and a pride in accomplishing something which others had failed to do. He had an ingenuity of resource and a perseverence which overcame great difficulties, but when it came to the children except the youngest were born. Besides owning some mechanical work that anyone could do he lost all interest. Several incidents are related, illustrating the quiet determination and dogged perseverence which seemed to be a family characteristic. One of these must suffice. Work had been abandoned on the foundation for abutments of a bridge, because it was thought that quicksands or other causes made it impossible to secure them in place. Elihu thought he could do that job effectively. He took hold of it and built some abutments that are said to be standing at the present day. But the bridge was never laid on them! That could be done by anyone. Elihu was a soldier in the Revolutionary army during nearly the entire war. He enlisted as a private in Capt. Alden's company, Samuel Webb, Colonel, April 21, 1777, was mustered in Nov. 1777, taken prisoner, exchanged, July l, 1778, promoted to Corporal, March 20, 1780; Sergeant, July 1, 1781. (See "Connecticut in the Revolution.") After the death of Jemima, Elihu married a widow named Mary Griffin. He was then 70 years old. His second wife died Feb. 13, 1829.
(bio information from #47528362 C Coe)
ELIHU STOW was born May 27, 1736; died Nov. 12, 1812; in 1760 he married Jemima Paine, who was born May 30, 1738 and was killed by being thrown from her carriage, Oct. 12,1805. A letter from her son Joshua to her daughter, Jemima Kelley, in the possession of Miss Mary S. Bates, gives the particulars of this painful accident.
Elihu Stow and Jemima (Paine) Stow resided in the old home on the hillside, built by his father Eliakim. She was a self educated woman principally, and taught all her children the common branches. It is related that her husband sympathized but little with her literary tastes. He thought if a woman could read her Bible and Psalm Book, that was enough! Her son Joshua said at her grave: "Here lies the best of mothers; she taught me not so much what to think, as how to think." Elihu was a strict church member of the "Separate Church", so-called. It is said that he refused to pay his dues to the Congregational or established church, unless forced to do so. On one occasion he was arrested and taken to prison for not paying. He walked quietly along while the officer had hold of him, not desiring to resist him, but when, deluded by his non-resistance, the officer let go of him, he turned straight around and walked towards home. This was repeated again and again until finally the officer of the law perceived that bis prisoner must be taken by force, if at all.
He had many of the peculiarities and much of the stern type of religion ascribed to the Puritans of New England. Possibly from a too rigorous enforcement of these views in the family, possibly from other causes, several of his children developed a skeptical turn of mind and became antagonistic to all religious belief. One of his idiosyncracies was an ambition to undertake and a pride in accomplishing something which others had failed to do. He had an ingenuity of resource and a perseverence which overcame great difficulties, but when it came to the children except the youngest were born. Besides owning some mechanical work that anyone could do he lost all interest. Several incidents are related, illustrating the quiet determination and dogged perseverence which seemed to be a family characteristic. One of these must suffice. Work had been abandoned on the foundation for abutments of a bridge, because it was thought that quicksands or other causes made it impossible to secure them in place. Elihu thought he could do that job effectively. He took hold of it and built some abutments that are said to be standing at the present day. But the bridge was never laid on them! That could be done by anyone. Elihu was a soldier in the Revolutionary army during nearly the entire war. He enlisted as a private in Capt. Alden's company, Samuel Webb, Colonel, April 21, 1777, was mustered in Nov. 1777, taken prisoner, exchanged, July l, 1778, promoted to Corporal, March 20, 1780; Sergeant, July 1, 1781. (See "Connecticut in the Revolution.") After the death of Jemima, Elihu married a widow named Mary Griffin. He was then 70 years old. His second wife died Feb. 13, 1829.
(bio information from #47528362 C Coe)
Elihu Stow and Jemima (Paine) Stow resided in the old home on the hillside, built by his father Eliakim. She was a self educated woman principally, and taught all her children the common branches. It is related that her husband sympathized but little with her literary tastes. He thought if a woman could read her Bible and Psalm Book, that was enough! Her son Joshua said at her grave: "Here lies the best of mothers; she taught me not so much what to think, as how to think." Elihu was a strict church member of the "Separate Church", so-called. It is said that he refused to pay his dues to the Congregational or established church, unless forced to do so. On one occasion he was arrested and taken to prison for not paying. He walked quietly along while the officer had hold of him, not desiring to resist him, but when, deluded by his non-resistance, the officer let go of him, he turned straight around and walked towards home. This was repeated again and again until finally the officer of the law perceived that bis prisoner must be taken by force, if at all.
He had many of the peculiarities and much of the stern type of religion ascribed to the Puritans of New England. Possibly from a too rigorous enforcement of these views in the family, possibly from other causes, several of his children developed a skeptical turn of mind and became antagonistic to all religious belief. One of his idiosyncracies was an ambition to undertake and a pride in accomplishing something which others had failed to do. He had an ingenuity of resource and a perseverence which overcame great difficulties, but when it came to the children except the youngest were born. Besides owning some mechanical work that anyone could do he lost all interest. Several incidents are related, illustrating the quiet determination and dogged perseverence which seemed to be a family characteristic. One of these must suffice. Work had been abandoned on the foundation for abutments of a bridge, because it was thought that quicksands or other causes made it impossible to secure them in place. Elihu thought he could do that job effectively. He took hold of it and built some abutments that are said to be standing at the present day. But the bridge was never laid on them! That could be done by anyone. Elihu was a soldier in the Revolutionary army during nearly the entire war. He enlisted as a private in Capt. Alden's company, Samuel Webb, Colonel, April 21, 1777, was mustered in Nov. 1777, taken prisoner, exchanged, July l, 1778, promoted to Corporal, March 20, 1780; Sergeant, July 1, 1781. (See "Connecticut in the Revolution.") After the death of Jemima, Elihu married a widow named Mary Griffin. He was then 70 years old. His second wife died Feb. 13, 1829.
(bio information from #47528362 C Coe)
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