The Newtown bee., 1905-05-26
60 1850
Ten Pages.
TOWN TOPICS DR ERASTUS ER WIN.
A POPULAR OLD-TIME PHYSICIAN.

Dr Erwin was the only physician, we are told, in Sandy Hook in 1S40, when they were building their new schoolhouse, but he did not stay there long after this, as he moved into the Street Tn the fall of lS4l. The doctor was born in Roxbury, June 25, 1895, but went to Yale at an early age and graduated in the class with Drs Jew young graduate went to New Jersey and finally settled down in Sandy Hook as a practicing physician. He boarded there with Squire Beers Peck,
 his cousin, but at length tired of his bachelorhOod and in 1888 welded the
 widow of Dr David Shepard. His
 bride was Catherine Nichols in her
 maiden days and traced her ancestry back to Nathaniel Nichols, one of Newtown'S first settlers who came from Stratford. We shall have occa- sion to trace the Nichols genealogy more particularly in connection with the history of Capt Jim Nichols, who lived where Dea Turney formerly did, but owned more land in Sandy Hook district than any resident taxpayer. to say, now had 10 children, one of whom, Elijah, born August 12, 1743,
 was Mrs Erwin's grandfather. It is related of Elijah in his old age that he was overheard fervently praying that the sin of selling seats in the old Trim ity church might be forgiven. Elijah had three children, David, Joseph and Charles. His son David, large farm CT, was born in ITO and died in 1916. October 5, 179l, when just of age, Day. i'd married Sallie B. Wheeler, who was three years his junior and Outlivcd him 19 years. They had five children besides Mrs Erwin: ClarisSa, born June 1, 1793. She married George w. Stan ley and died November ?, 1873, at the ripe old age of 80 years; Maria, born July 5, 1797, married as her first hus- band, May ?, 1922, A biel Booth Glover, After her widowhood, in 1857, she married Isaac Beers, who was then living where Trinity church now stands; Charlotte, born May 5, 1907, died when 20 years old; David B. died in his babyhood and Elijah, the only other boy, born January 27, 1914, was drowned in Taunton pond when II years old. Thus in g family of six children, there was no son left to per petuate David's branch of the Nichols name. The first husband of Gather
 inc Mrs Erwin) was the son of Dr Gideon Shepard, Newtown's principal doctor in his day, and who lived where Mrs William Terrill does. Widow Shepard, who lost one doctor and mar ried another, had two children when she married Dr Erwin: David G. Shepard, who died during the war s. C., and Charlotte N. Shepard, who married Charles 0. Twitchell. Dr Err win had three children, all girls: Sarah E., who married William Hard and whose daughter, Mrs Lottie Bedi- ent, is now the only surviving grand child; Catherine De Forest, the first wife of George w. Stuart, the carpen- ter, now deceased. and Emily Town send, who was named after Mrs David Sanford, Mrs Erwin's intimate friend, and who died July 19, 1873. When Dr Erwin moved into the Street, his wife sold the property where the Newtown Inn now stands and bought the house where the family afterward lived of January 5, 1869, but the doctor lived till October 2, 1873, and one does not need to be very old to remember the old-faShioned one-Seated doctors car riage in which he drove about. He liked to jump upon his horse and ride off horseback, however, when called in a hurry, and it doubtless recalled his earlier days when doctors travelled in that fashion and carried their medi- cines with them in saddle bags. The doctor was very choice of his carriage and would allow no one in it but his granddaughter, Lottie Hard. He sai d little about himself or the success of his practice, but the late Mrs Stuart owned Bible Mrs Gibson gave hi m for services rendered at the last sick ness of her mother, Mrs Eliza San ford, February 5, 1855.