Totoket Historical Society

09/01/2026

Tombstone Tuesday

Zion Episcopal Church Cemetery

Robert Rose (1788-1815)

Robert Rose was born on May 7, 1788, in Branford, Connecticut, the son of Jonathan and Hannah Rose. His life, though brief, was an interesting one, and much of what we know about him comes from a diary he kept during his travels and working years.

As a young man, Robert moved to Guilford, Connecticut, where he lived with a Mr. Leete, who worked as a blacksmith. In 1806, Robert returned home following the death of his brother.

At some point afterward, Robert obtained a U.S. New England Seamen's Protection Certificate. These certificates were issued to American sailors as proof of their citizenship, helping protect them from being detained or impressed into foreign naval service. For genealogists, these documents are particularly valuable because they often contain detailed identifying information about the sailor.

Robert worked aboard several ships and traveled extensively, visiting ports around the world. His diary provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of a young New England sailor during the early nineteenth century.

In February and March of 1815, Robert recorded that he was considering leaving the sea and becoming a teacher in Branford. However, he ultimately decided to return to the life of a sailor. Tragically, he died only a few months later, in July 1815.

Photo credit to Jan Franco.

08/30/2026

08/25/2026

Tombstone Tuesday

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08/25/2026

Tombstone Tuesday

thetotokethistoricalsociety.org

Edwin A. Buell (1831-1911)

Edwin A. Buell joined the Union Army on August 11, 1862, serving as Private in Company K, 15th Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He served throughout the Civil War and was mustered out on June 27, 1865.

Before and after the war, Mr. Buell worked at several occupations, including tinsmith and farmer. In June 1896, he was appointed Postmaster of Northford.

In 1869 he married Mary A. Barnes.. They both passed away in 1911.

Photo credit to Jan Franco

08/18/2026

Tombstone Tuesday

North Branford Congregational Church Cemetery

Orphana (Orphany) Harrison Beers 1784-1846
Wife of Samuel Beers
One of her great grandsons, Ralph, ran the store in North Branford, later turning the operation of the store over to his son, Ralph.

I found the name Orphana so unusual, I looked up the meaning. It means parentless or fatherless. I did not find any information about her parents. How sad her story may be lost forever.

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Photo credit to Jan Franco

08/11/2026

Tombstone Tuesday

Bare Plain Cemetery

Jerome Harrison died on January 18, 1898. A local newspaper reported his death, noting that he was the oldest resident of the town.
He was a farmer who owned 250 acres of improved land and 50 acres of woodland. He owned horses, cows, oxen, sheep and pigs and grew rye, oats and corn.
He was an Universalist by faith but attended the Congregational Church.
He was described as an "old school Democrat," firmly believing in the principles of the Democratic. In 1884, he was elected to the Connecticut Legislature, despite the fact that the town was predominantly Republican.
His funeral was held at the Bare Plain Chapel, and he was buried in Bare Plain Cemetery beside his wife, Lydia Chedsey, not far from the grave of his daughter.
The cemetery itself has a special connection to the Harrison family. Mr. Harrison donated the land for the cemetery after the death and burial of his daughter.
Years later, his nephew, Mr. Merrick, donated the land on which Jerome Harrison Elementary School was built, with the understanding that it would be used for educational purposes and that the school would be named in honor of his uncle, Jerome Harrison.

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Photo credit to Renee Rausch

08/05/2026

Tombstone Tuesday

Bare Plain Cemetery

Ethel Bergstresser (Stewart) McCoy (1893 - 1980), of New York City, was a philatelist who created a number of stamp collections, and was active within the philatelic community. Ethel McCoy is most noted for her collection of United States airmail stamps, which included a block of four, acquired in 1936, of the famous “inverted jenny" listed as C3a in the Scott catalog. During the 1955 American Philatelic Society Convention, held in Norfolk, Virginia, the very valuable block was stolen. In 1979, the year before she died, she bequeathed the block, if it could be found, to the American Philatelic Research Library. In an investigation led by philatelic "detective" James H. Beal, the two stamps on the left side of the block of four (positions 65 and 75) were eventually recovered. Ethel McCoy was one of the first women to break the appearance of an all-male barrier in the philatelic community, and in 1937 she was named director of the American Air Mail Society. McCoy was named to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame in 1981.

Ethel McCoy was an ardent stamp collector and philatelic activist. She formed many collections, most notable of which was her U.S. airmails. She was one of the earliest topical collectors. She became a director of the American Air Mail Society in 1937, when few women held office in any philatelic organization. She was then known as Ethel B. Stewart (her first husband, Bert A. Stewart, died in 1936). In 1941 she married Walter R. McCoy, like her, an enthusiastic stamp collector and activist. They both belonged to many stamp societies and often provided special prizes for philatelic events. She was a director of the Essay-Proof Society for over 20 years. The highlight of her U.S. Airmail Collection was a block of four of the 24-cent "inverted Jenny" (Scott No. C3a) which she acquired in 1936. The block was from positions 65-66, 75-76 of the original sheet of one hundred, and was one of the best centered of the few blocks in existence. It was stolen from her exhibit in the 1955 APS Convention in Norfolk, VA. In 1979, she transferred title to the stolen stamps to the American Philatelic Research Library. As of 2001, two stamps from the left side of the block (positions 65 and 75) have been recovered.

thetotokethistoricalsociety.org

Portrait credit to The Silent Forgotten
Headstone credit to DMV

07/28/2026

Tombstone Tuesday

New Northford Cemetery

Stanley T. Williams (1886-1957)

Stanley Todd Williams was born in Northford and took a deep interest in the town, its affairs, and its residents. Throughout his life, he devoted many years to public service and community affairs.

Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Williams served on the Board of Finance for 19 years and as Justice of the Peace for 20 years. He was a member of the Board of Education for 17 years, serving as its chairman for 16 of those years. He also served as a Sanitarian for the New Haven Department of Health for 40 years. During World War II, he served as a captain in the Connecticut State Guard.

Mr. Williams was active in his church, St. Andrew’s, as well as in town and state affairs. His many years of service demonstrate his dedication to Northford/North Branford and to the people of his community.

When a prominent or respected member of the town passed away, it was customary for someone—often Ellsworth Foote—to prepare a written testimony recognizing that person’s life and accomplishments. A formal resolution would then be adopted and entered into the town records. In this way, the contributions of these individuals were preserved for future generations, ensuring that their service to the community would not be forgotten.

Photo credits to Jan Franco
Information taken from a 1957 Town Report

07/27/2026

This is a page from the Town Report 1964.

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