Connecticut western news., 1885-07-29
OBITUARY.
FREDERICK WATSON.

| GWcou I.OU alQ O ClOCh-aDOub bn6 same time, 1t may be noted simply as a passing coincidence, when the sufferer at Mount McGregor was making an un- conditional surrender to the Great Con- queror whom not even the greatest war riors and heroes can overcome, and it may be said further that the end in the and weary days of patient suffering.
 MT Watson was born in this town on the 20th day of August, 1914, and al- ways lived here. Among the earliest settlers of the town of Canaan was his grandfather, Captain John Watson, who came here, we think, from Bethlehem in this county. He here married Sarah Douglas, daughter of Benaiah Douglas, another old settler, who lived on the old Douglas place near '"The Corner" and who it is said was the great-grandfather of Stephen A. Douglas, the little giant of the West, and also of the late Will jam Douglas of this town. Captain John Watson was Q man of some local prominence in his day and possessed good deal of natural ability and mechan- ical skill and ingenuity. He was em- ployed in putting up the old Forbes furnace, the pioneer in the important iron business in this section of the country, and contributed most of the mechanical skill in erecting it's machin- cry. He was surveyor as well as far mer and machinist and did much of the surveying in laying out the original ''pitches" as they were called for the proprietors of the old town of Canaan. Some of his manuscripts, still in the possession of some of his descendants, are fine specimens of chirography, such as are not seen among writers of to-day with all the modern improvements. At the commencement of the Revolution ary war in 1775 Captain Watson raised 8 company of militia for the expedition to Canada under General Montgomery and at the siege of St Johns in Canada he was severely wounded in the back, which compelled him to retire from the service and probably hastened his death, as he died at the comparatively early age of 54. His first lieutenant was his brother, Titus Watson, who continued in the service until the end of the war and be- came captain in the Continental army. Another brother died in the service and was buried on the banks of the Hudson river below Fort Edward and another brother, James Watson, after serving in the war at it's close went to New York city, where he became prominent and influential citizen and was elected to the United States senate.
 The subject of this sketch was one of a family of II children, five of whom survive. His mother was daughter of John Elmore of this town and sister of the wel-known lawyer, "Jack" Elmore, as he was familiarly called. He receiv- ed only such educational advantages as the common schools of those days af- forded, and while yet boy commenced 1 bis business life and his efforts to shift for himself by teaching in his own and neighboring towns. Like most young men he caught the western fever and went to Cleveland, O., where he was employed as clerk in some mercantile 1 establishment, but the chills and fever soon induced him to return to his na- tive heath. Upon his return he clerked for while for the late John A. Beckley, who was then extensively engaged in the iron business here. About this time he received from Sheriff Sedgwick, al- though of opposite politics, the appoint ment of deputy sheriff, which he held for several years. He did most of the sherifSs business in this section of the county and the business at that time amounted to vastly more than it does at present. It was ill the days of such lawyers as Leman Church, John H. Hubbard, then of Lakeville, Judge Granger, Judge Warner, George W. Peet and others of this section and they probably issued more writs in one year than all the lawyers in the county do at the present time. MT Watson after wards opened store in the basement of the house in which he died, and continued in the business until he turn ed it over to his nephews, Henry X Watson.
 The deceased at one time or another had filled almost every town office, and for a number of successive years he was first selectman- Although the town has always been blessed with good select men-'tgood men and true"-we doubt whether any candid and fair-minded cit izen will now feel like disputing the statement, that so far at least az the in- terest of the town is concerned, it ever had better selectman than Frederick Watson. He represented the town of Canaan, before 1t was divided, for two terms in the legislature, to wit: in 1845 and 1846, and upon the election of Judge Granger to the superior court in 1867 he succeeded him as probate judge for the district of Canaan, which office he held until 1872, when he voluntarily retired from it. He was twice married; the first time in 1845 to Mary E. Ferris, daughter of the late Fitch Ferris of this town, who died in 1869, and the second time, January 21, 1875, to Miss Adelaide E. Knickerbocker, who with one child, daughter about six years of age, sur wives him.
 About two and one-half years ago the deceased, who had always enjoyed good and viOorous hea1tb-he had navar haan.