The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-14
MR.. EDW ARDS PIERREPONT


Tram Munson picrpout to What ~" Nr"e~
,,So,, ,,-rbe History ofthe Family Traced
.tL,,x LITTLE about the North Haven
r,..,,,s" said Mr. W Ills J. Goodscl at
a. ,s.unosfnrd, to u SUNS inquirer. "but do
80 tina, Eiwards Pierrepon, as he calls him
n,.no shadow OF tile TO the estates
:, the dukedom Of Kingston. The n'me
r,,,nont has been spelt P-i- rp-o-n-t from the
.,disat DAYS, Hugh de Pierpont, who went |
rom Norn,ndy to E1gl.hd with william the
-,naueror. bclnl, "a far a. we know, the foln-
Ter of the family. The ntne, tradition say',
.as bestowed on the builder Of a stone pier or
,rldce which proved very convenient to the
,,ople OF tho neighborhoo1. Hugh de Pcrpont
you'd mean Hugh ot the Stone Brdge.' ihe
plerponts of tho United states ara all, be-
Aove, descended from John, of London John
bad son James, w1o hal two sons John anu
Robert. who emisrated 70 America ana set
lied ht Roxbury. Mass Robert had thirteen
,hiIdron, whom | will not trace as the New
Haven ana North Haven Perponts are descend- |
,l from them. John Plerpont the eldest son
NJ James, had two sons-John, who uiei with
mt issue, and James. the successor OF the Rev.
Mr. Davenport. at New Haven, and one OF the
i,unders ~ Yale College. James built the
Mansion House on tho northeast side OF tae
College Green. in l6S5. by his third wife, Mary,
hetwo first having n male Issue. the Rev
lanes Pierpont had six son', the eldest named
lanes from whom there IS an uu0roken line to
the present day, the Rev. Hezekiah Perpont,
Of Western New York. Baptist clergyman,
being the living representative OF the family,
and in all probability, the ri ghtful Duke Of
Kingston.
"Edwar,s Pierrepont ls descended from Jo-
,eph. the third son OF the Rev. James, and there
are at least nfty male heirs between MIR Pierre
pont md the dukedom, the elder branch being
not at all likely to die out. Joseph had six
s1ns-Samuel. Joseph. James, Benjamin. Giles.
and Hezekah-and from one OF them Edwards
Perrepont Ia descended. but c mt tell which,
"wh L arc tho facts regarding the clalm for
the dukedom OF Kines,onf"
The missing link In the family records is
who was the father of John Of Londonr James,
the son Il John Of London, came to see his
sons, John and Robert, and died in America
Tho question as TO John of Lonlon's paternity
has bothered the family for many years-ever
since the death Of the list Duke OF Kingston,
wnen 1t became probable, or almost certain,
th. the helr to the title and estates was among
the American Pierponts. The belief among the
family Is that John was younger brother OF the
house OF Kingston. and WIS Discarded on ac-
pount Of the rigid Puritanical principles for
which the early Perponts were distinguished.
L. was this question that Edwards Pierrepont
tried to settle by bis appeal to Dear Lady Mary.
Certain It is that from the first the American
plefponts claimed and used the Kingston coat
OF arms as Il clearly shown by an old gravestone
IN the chufchyard 1t Boston. Evelyn Pierpont.
the last IT the Dukes OF Kingston. died at Bath,
England, In l7,3, OF palsy Ine title tnen be-
came extinct. male hcir being found. The
Duke lett two sons. both Of them illegitimate
aud an attempt was made to persuade Parlia-
fused rne reputed heir was an active REBEL
and he accepted "A commission In the American
iunty TO push bis rights. The Duchess OF
Kingston, however wrOt. to my are grand
father. EVELYN Pier ont. the Supposed heir. 20
claim the estate. THIS she did out OF spite, IN
order to prevent the female rel tives of her dead
husband from obtaining the property. She was
,oon afierward tr d by the Lords for beany.
convicted, and deposed from ner high position; :;
ana SO she lost her power 10 aid the American
Evelyn Pierpont. tho younger brother OF my
mother, and elder pro nor Of the Rev. Hezekiih
plorpont. has Teen missing for over forty years.
he WAS probably drowned at sea. On his pre-
sumed death without issue. Hezekiah succeed
ed t. thc supposed ghts az heir to the duke
dom OF ktnc.ton A suit has been In progress
IN chancery about forty years to recover the es-
t4'e aun c,nm,caic,t ns ,The ntkn
{, - in tue points IN the suit have been de-
cided IN M, favor, hut he lacks iuDds' aud as he
d. .lrs ,dv n,,nt 'venty-nyt wears Of age. he Ia
tot MY 60 iivr :, ON an, honors. Should
he die without male heir, he n--~ oro'ne's who
b We children and rr,ndchi! ren, 80 -. '"e
Il,edum of kingston Is lar away from Edwards
FeIIepOut. Nuhin the past fifteen years tue
suit b S been pushed more vigorously than be-
lore, hut pos e-sion Is nine points OF the law,
and the present holders of the property can
easily cefend themselves. with their vast reve-
nues. without t-tling the exUense; whereas,
with tie exception of two fimilies-One IN
brooklyn and one la New Haven. the latter OF
fefuont decent on the 'einaie side-the Pier.
= nts of America, while not poor, are not ricn."
In Weliineford, tue inquirer found MIR.
James PierpOnt, spoon maker, Liberal Repuo-
Vic ~, ma fnen. ber Of the Connecticut Legisla-
lure He indorsed hr GIodsell excellent
authority. but was unable himself TO supply the
missing iiuk he,ween Joseph fierpont and the
Minister u England
.estei Ia the house Of Mrs. Harriet perpont, At
North Haven. ex mlniux the ancient records Of
tAs f.miy, and listening to the statements OF
Mis- Harriet Ii-rpout, kind-facpd lady OF
tlzty.fye. lie there fpund the missing link be-
tween Joseph, the son Of tue X V. James Pier
sout aud Edwards Pierre cont Joseph left ten
cundren, Of whom GILES Plcrpont was the sew
su'h. Giles VS. BON Ia l14l. and iived ninety
1us yc T.. He " f-rm,r ~ North Haven,
Ap0 n.i.i Elizabeth Cooper, by wngm he had
Die, 'i9'T" F'T95nt. ~" G9S. G33S"S' also ir@er,
htd by ia. lf-t wife two children,
;,SDg Ha the soa gaer ,S 'artn Perpoot Is sl
KNOB" a. EIwards Pisrep nt' Minister to Eng
the isthtr Of Manson, married again, ana had
s@v-ral children. ouly oue Of wnOn H.. Elmon
zero nt' surviyes ma he Is post ms er IN
W5~. Ia tue cary ptpers II the Pi-rpont
tahll the ndme ls spelled Pier p-O-u-t. sud
tie p-o i-l-t lhe 9hit taper ~ winch tie
sGresment By the Surviving son. Of jos-ph Per.
Bonl - TO the oiyisiIn ot tier fatlets estate.
The signatures all seemed 70 have been written
at the same time, but muel, the eldest sur
YvnR sou, wrote the Lame l. l. - u-o-n-i, whlle
tre other three, iuCludlng Giles, spelled IL
p-i-e-r p o--n-t ms. liar YET Plerpont su we'd
a PierpOnt coat-of-arul-. under Wtdch was The
name "Chsrles Picrpout." A hon ramplnt
seemed to be trying 10 bite a number Ot dcas
Above IL was a sm iller hon, on nutspread Wings,
with his mouth open N an excited manner, tut
n1 aeas Beneath WAS the motto, Manet ami
Cltii, reOitque femrer" (Frendsnip stays,
and will upurlsn always.
The Pierponts called the Minl-ter to England
"MunsOn," with fearless famiIi rity. They said
nat he had been known only BY that name IN
hJsth Haven. Why he had thrown 1t OF they
could not undersl and. Since his earlier ye. -
D.. h ID ignored North Haven folks, only visiting
tls sister occasionally, and never his friend and
t.NbOJ ID tutor, Ehas PierpOnt, Of New Haven.
lie WGa nice boy said Miss Harriet, ana
would be soTTi to hear OF anything happening
u Liui.' Al,
The inquirer started for the residence OF Miss
Far n PierpOut, on the opposite side OF North
Haven. He took the wrong oath ana stIayeu
into the woods. There he met an intsligeht
young man iu dlug curd wood behind TWO STOUT
aud nd some hur-es The young mans ntme
. X. " smith, and he mad been well ac-
Qlaii ted with tho brothers Of MunsJn feTp IT,
lUs tx-Attorns Gen rals paItr, sld MI
ith. WAS LuQueauouaby MunsOn Perpont,
nritrssns known 10 his family aud nclg bors
b, 100 other. Nr. Smith smiled lood n4turedly
Ct l.. aaaVlL