Connecticut western news., 1915-08-26
PATRICK BRITT
Oldest Foreign Resident of Canaan
 Dies, Age 9l.

Dies, Age 9I.
 Patrick Britt, aged 91, died Saturday of enteritis, a5 Hartford, and the re mains were brought to Canaan for in terment in the Catholic cemetery. The funeral was held Monday morning ir St. Joseph's church, Rev. Father Dono hue officiating, and was largely at tended.
 Patrick Britt had long been "the oldest living foreign resident of Ca naan. 7 He was born in Ireland or Saint Patrick's Day, March IT, 1894, and came to Canaan 67 years ago and became 'hired man" on the farm oi Almerin Gillette, now owned by Fred erick Gillette. At that time, 1648, the only other forejgn-b born residents of the town, all of whom have long been dead, were Patrick Lynch and wife, who then lived in house near the site of the present. tenements owned by Judge Roraback; John Lynehan. the blacksmith, who lived south of Judge Roraback's present residence and later moved to the house later owned by the late Warren Mcintyre, now the property of Daniel Sweeney, on Rail road street; Thomas Baker Brown and wife. who lived in the house now .oc. cupied by John D. Beck, Railroad street; William Shields, who also was employed by Almerin Gillette; Rich ard Noolan, who lived on the "back road, north of the Gillette farm house Timothy McCarty, who lived in the little Eouse later occupied by Patrick Lynch on the site of the present A. A. Hubbard tenement, east of the tracks of the Berkshire division.
 At that time there were not more than fifty houses in the entire village, including the outskirts. Only one male resident of Canaan now living can remember the village at an earlier period. Mr. D. l.. Peirce, who was born in Canaan, January 1, 1924, two and one-half months before MT. Britt was born in Ireland, in an interview printed in The News nearly five years ago, related that he could remember when the street now known as Main was the only thoroughfare in the pres ent village, and the only house on that whole thoroughfare between the Eddy farm house and the Almerin Gillette farm were the farm house of Serene Gillette, father of the late George s. Gillette, on the site of Dr. O. w. Camps present residence, and the William Lawrence place, latterly known as the Chester Deming farm now occupied by E. R. Atwood, and when there were mo roads at all where Railroad street and Church streets now are, and inc Housatonic railroad, (Berkshire divi. sion, had not yet been built
 MT. Britt had a wonderfully reten- tive memory, to his dying day, and readily recalled incidents in the early history of the town, and men and events long since forgotten. He was actively interested ih politics and was among the most zeal0us and effective workers ill the democratic ranks in the old days when the republicans were a ridiculous minority.
 During the later years of his life, since his wife died, he had made his home alternately with his children, spending much of his tiGae with his daughter, Mrs. Norah MoCarty, in Ga naan. His other children are, John Britt, conductor on the New York and New Haven main line; Timothy Britt, railroad bridge builder, residing at Pime Meadow, and Mrs. Kate Me Guire, of Meriden.