Life and Ancestry of William Huntington Russell

From: Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. Volume I

William Huntington Russell

General Russell was born August 12, 1809 , in Middletown, Connecticut , where three of his ancestors had been pastors of the First Congregational Church, a continuous period of one hundred and eighteen years, and his father, deacon for thirty years. Before entering Yale he was for several years a cadet in the famous military academy founded and conducted by Captain Alden Partridge (U.S.A.), a graduate of West Point, and for twelve years previously professor and military superintendent at the National Academy at West Point.  This academy [Russell's] was similar to West Point, having as an object the preparation of young men "to command in time of need the hastily raised troops of a great and growing nation," and General Sherman stated that it at one time almost rivaled the National Academy at West Point. It was these years of strict military discipline that gave General Russell such a knowledge of military affairs and influenced his life work. The death of his father [Matthew Talcott Russell], aged sixty-eight, from acute erysipelas, and changes in the fortunes of the family threw the care of his mother (who had vigorous health to the age of eighty-seven) upon him, and he subsequently entered Yale under circumstances of severe financial adversity. He was self-supporting in college, and in all his frequent journeys between New Haven and his home in Middletown (twenty-six miles) was obliged to go on foot, owing to financial necessity. Such was his ability and industry that, in spite of these impediments, he graduated as valedictorian in 1833, at the head of a class which in sophomore year numbered one hundred and twenty-two students, among whom were many who attained much distinction in their life work. He had hoped to enter the ministry. Urgent financial necessity, and the need of assuming responsibilities left by the death of his father, forced him to give up his earnest desire to study theology, and he then began teaching, to obtain immediate income. In September, 1836 , he opened in a small dwelling house, a new private school for boys, preparatory for college. With only a few pupils at first, and no assistance from any one, and owing only to his personality and scholarship, his school rapidly became large and famous, and when it closed at his death, May 19, 1885 , there were said to have been four thousand young men from all parts of this and some foreign countries under his care as pupils. During about half a century there were at Yale young men who had prepared for college under his care. Never seeking to lay up riches, giving away freely of what he had, he was ever ready to assist many young men who without means sought an education. It was written of General Russell that "he was a striking example of the New England life and character"; that "his personality was a remarkable one, and fitted him to train youth for an upright, independent and conscientious manhood";  that "he ranked with Dr. Thomas Arnold , master of Rugby School";  that "by his transparent integrity and native vigor of intellect he impressed himself on all his pupils and on every order of mind with which he came in contact."  General Russell 's greatest service was the impression which he made by his character and scholarship and influence upon the thousands of young men who, during nearly half a century, came from all parts of the country to be his pupils. It was written that "Hon. William H. Russell was a Whig representative in 1846-1847 . Upon the repeal of the Missouri Compromise in 1854 he became active as one of the leaders of the movement which resulted in the organization of the Republican party." He was a strong Abolitionist and a personal friend of John Brown, the anti-slavery martyr, and in a will which Brown made William H. Russell was named as one of the trustees. He was the Connecticut representative on the National Kansas (anti-slavery) committee before the war, and John Brown was many times a guest at his house.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~ John Brown Appoints Trustees for His Funds,  April 14, 1857  Fearing capture by a Federal Marshall, John Brown appointed George L. Stearns, Samuel Cabot Jr. and William H. Russell as "trustees to hold all funds and other personal property now in my hands... in my behalf for the aid of the free state cause in Kansas" in April of 1857. Brown had just received $7,000 from George L. Stearns to continue the fight for a free Kansas. It was most likely this gift that encouraged him to write this document. The document was witnessed by someone named Thomas Russell, possibly General Russell's own son, Thomas Hubbard Russell, although he would have been no more than five years old in 1857. The most likely suspect is an attorney named Thomas Russell, who graduated from Harvard in 1845, studied law in Boston with Whiting & Russell, and was appointed as a Harvard Overseer in 1855, only two years before the document was signed. In his later years he became President of the Pilgrim Society, all according to a book by William Thomas Davis called Plymouth memories of an octogenarian. Now returning to the previous excerpt from Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. Volume I: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rev. E.S. Lines (bishop of diocese of Newark ), president of the Historical Society, wrote of General Russell , that he had "a New England ancestry than which one more distinguished could hardly be named."  "He had the respect and regard of all men. He commanded a feeling akin to reverence."  "Because he wanted justice for all men he threw himself into the anti-slavery movement with all his heart," and that he  "has a high and influential place among those who made the anti-slavery sentiment of the North, and especially of New England ."  Congressman Sperry wrote: "If there ever was a man who labored faithfully and efficiently for the cause of the anti-slavery party and the election of Abraham Lincoln , that man was General Russell . He put his heart and soul into the cause. Those who knew him best during the days of the anti-slavery excitement and the rebellion which followed, will admit that he had no superior in loyalty, earnestness, and devotion to the cause." "He was one of the most courageous men I ever knew. He had the courage to do what he believed to be right in spite of every opposition." "One in whom was realized the highest ideals of fearless exemplary Christian manhood." Believing civil war to be inevitable, he introduced, about 1840 , very thorough military drill and discipline into his school to fit every pupil to serve his country in war as well as to furnish a sound education for times of peace. In 1861 , at the outbreak of the rebellion, military instructors were so difficult to obtain that even the younger boys from his school were in demand at the encampment as drill instructors for the new recruits for army service. It was stated that over three hundred men who had been his pupils fought in the Union army. In 1861 , at the commencement of the civil war, Governor Buckingham relied upon William H. Russell , as the man best qualified by early training and knowledge of military affairs, to organize the militia of Connecticut for army service, and first by appointment of the governor and later by act of the legislature he was appointed major-general. Such was his earnestness in the prosecution of the war that, it being impossible to send his five sons into the army (as he otherwise would have done), because the oldest was only about thirteen years of age, and the youngest an infant, he hired to represent them in the army five men who otherwise would not have enlisted. Both he and his wife were earnest Christians in every day's work. Always ready to help the weak and unfortunate, the last act of his life (and cause of death) was characteristic of him. In May, 1885 , he saw from his window numerous street boys throwing stones at the birds in the park. He ran out to protect the birds from being injured by the boys, but the boys were active and numerous, the park was large, and he was too old for such active, prolonged effort. Overcome by the effort he fell unconscious from a fatal rupture of a blood vessel (apoplexy) and died May 19, 1885 , aged seventy-six years. He had never had a day of illness previously since childhood. Investigation of old records proves that his ancestry was especially conducive to vigorous mental and physical health and longevity, and freedom from any tendency to disease. His wife died December 11, 1890, aged seventy-four years, having had good health until her last illness. Immediately after his death the veteran soldiers of Admiral Foote Post, Grand Army of the Republic, passed the following resolution: "Resolved, That on Saturday next, May 30th , and on all future Decoration Days in which we may participate, we will decorate the grave of Major General William Huntington Russell in the same spirit of affectionate respect with which we lay our garlands upon the graves of our comrades." Sixteen years after General Russell 's death the New Haven Colony Historical Society held a meeting commemorative of his public services at which addresses were made by President Lines (now bishop of the diocese of Newark) and others, and his portrait was hung in their hall. Donald G[rant] Mitchell of Edgewood (Yale, [S&B] 1839), the wellknown author (related to William H. Russell , through ancestry), wrote of him that he was one of  "those who had left reputations and traditions behind them at Yale," "and stories of his brilliant and effective speech-making were very current about the corridors of the old Lyceum," and that  "he did enough to sway into higher and conquering ways of thought, the minds of hundreds of young people with whom he was brought into professional contact, and of older ones, too, who responded to the touches of his magnetic influence."  Mitchell was better known as Ik Marvel, a pseudonym he used to write sentimental fiction. " Born in 1822 in Norwich, Connecticut, to a distinguished New England clerical family, Mitchell spent many of his early years away at school. His father died when he was nine, and later Mitchell was to lose his mother, brother and sister to tuberculosis. Winning honors at Yale, Mitchell toyed with studying the law after graduation but retired instead to a family farm near Salem, Connecticut. There he stayed for three years until his former guardian arranged for a position in the consular service. It was during Mitchell's two years abroad that he first thought about writing, projecting a series of travel sketches. These sketches were produced under the pseudonym by which Mitchell was to be remembered, Ik. Marvel. Henry Holt , the publisher (Yale, 1857), one of General Russell 's old pupils, wrote of him as "a man full of his stern Puritan virtues" and he regarded him "as a very remarkable personality. When he smiles his eyes glowed with a silvery light that I have never seen in any other eyes than Herbert Spencer 's," and that of all the men he had known he knew of no one whom he would put in advance of him as a model of prompt and inflexible allegiance to duty. Another old graduate of Yale, referring to William H. Russell, wrote, "I thought him to be the best speaker and scholar I had seen." His sons are: Talcott Huntington Russell, B. A., Yale, 1869; LL. B., Columbia, 1871; instructor on Municipal Corporations in Yale Law Department, 1892 to 1900. He practices law in New Haven, where he has resided since birth.  Thomas Hubbard Russell, Ph. B., Yale, 1872; M. D., Yale, 1875; professor in Yale University from 1883 to the present time.  Philip Gray Russell , B. A., Yale, [S&B] 1876; LL. B., Yale, 1878, who, after a very successful career in the legal profession, died without issue [working in U.S. Patent Office] in Washington, D. C., July 21, 1900, aged forty-six, from acute inflammation of kidneys resulting from severe appendicitis.  Edward Hubbard Russell, Ph. B., Yale, 1878, inventor of Russell Processes for Silver Ores, who lives abroad.  Robert Gray Russell, who died from acute dysentery during his sophomore year at Yale.  A sketch of his son, Thomas H. Russell, Ph. B., M. D., professor in Yale University from 1883 until the present time, follows this. Thomas Hubbard Russell, Ph. B., Yale, 1872; M. D., Yale, 1875; professor in the Medical Department of Yale University from 1883 to the present time, was born in New Haven, December 14, 1851. Until 1868 he received his education in the large preparatory school established and conducted by his father in New Haven. In 1868 he resided in the home of his uncle, Rev. Simeon North, ex-president of Hamilton College, and there continued his preparations for Yale. Although prepared to enter the academical department in 1869, he preferred the scientific course, and having obtained his father's consent to the change, passed the entrance examination without conditions and received the degree of Ph. B. in 1872. In 1872 he was assistant to Professor O.C. Marsh  Prof. Marsh [nephew of banker George Peabody] on his paleontological expedition. [Marsh led four expeditions in all with money provided by Peabody to Yale to collect fossils for a Yale museum, taking Thomas Russell in the third one in 1872. The last one in 1873 would later end up in scandal: "In 1890 the climax of one of American science’s most colorful (and scandalous) episodes — the “fossil feud” that had been simmering for 20 years between Marsh and and his rival, Edward Drinker Cope — erupted into the newspapers." It was also known appropriately as "the Bone Wars." ] He performed all his duties in such a thoroughly satisfactory manner that Professor Marsh endeavored to persuade him to take up paleontology as his life work. This Dr. Russell did not consider advisable, as he was unwilling to longer delay medical studies. A year later Professor Marsh urged him with additional inducements to go with him on another expedition, and told him he would always leave his proposals open for acceptance at any future time. Professor Marsh showed his complete confidence in Dr. Russell 's work by depending upon him as his physician and intimate friend until his death in 1899.  His father having suffered severe losses from depreciation in real estate, Dr. Russell was self-supporting by teaching during his professional studies and subsequently until his medical practice furnished sufficient income. He received the degree of M.D. in 1875, and commenced practice in February, 1875. While studying medicine, and during six or eight years afterward, he was assistant to Professor Francis Bacon [Chair of Anatomy in the Medical School]. In 1875 he was resident physician and surgeon to the New Haven Hospital, and was for some years physician to the New Haven Dispensary. From 1877 to 1879 he was assistant to Professor David P. Smith, and from 1880 to 1883 was lecturer on surgical subjects in the Yale Medical Department. He was attending surgeon to the New Haven Hospital thirty years from February, 1878, to February, 1908, and from 1908 to the present time has been consulting surgeon to the New Haven Hospital. He was professor of materia Medica and Therapeutics at Yale from 1883 to 1891. In 1891 he was appointed professor of Clinical Surgery, and still occupies that position. In 1886 he went abroad. On December 21, 1882, he married Mary K., daughter of Lyman Ezra Munson, formerly judge of the United States court of Montana by appointment from President Lincoln. As illustrating his vigor of intellect, he when eighty-four years of age (by request) delivered an address before the students at the law department of Yale University and continued to do literary work almost to the time of his death at the age of eighty-six. Mrs. Munson died at the age of eighty years, having been happily married over sixty years, survived by all her children, all of whom are still living good, useful, strictly honorable lives. Mrs. Russell 's ancestors, through both parents, were Puritans, and left a notable record of success, health and longevity. Mrs. Russell 's only brother, Major E. L. Munson, United States army, is a graduate of two departments of Yale University and is professor in the Army Service School at Fort Leavenworth for instruction of officers in the United States army. He published a large volume which was adopted by the United States government for that work and by foreign governments. Thomas H. Russell has three sons and two daughters: Mary Talcott Russell, who has done educational work in several states.  Thomas H. Russell, Jr., Ph. B., Yale, 1906, and M. D., 1910, who in freshman year was one of the founders of the Young Men's Christian Association in the medical department and later its secretary and president. He was president of the senior class and representative of the medical department on the board of directors of the Yale Coöperative Corporation. At graduation he received the "Cum laude" degree in medicine for general excellence in all the studies and examinations of the four years' course in medicine. He has been abroad at two different times for periods of study in Germany and Vienna and is a member of the Graduates Club and Lawn Club.  William Huntington Russell of the class of 1912 in Yale College.  Eleanor Russell, and  Edward Stanton Russell, who is preparing to enter Yale College.  The doctor, his wife, and all of his children are members of the First Congregational (Center) Church. His practice has extended, in consultation and otherwise, over a considerable portion of the state. He owes much to the help and companionship of his good wife, who has been all that a Christian wife and mother could be, who never tires of doing good, and has always had perfect health, sound common sense, and all the most lovable qualities of mind and heart. She had the advantage of education in both European and American boarding schools. Like his brothers, who have all been successful in their professions, he had by inheritance absolutely no money, but what was far better, sound health and a good name. As a foundation for his life work he received from both parents a most careful religious, common-sense training, a college education, freedom from bad habits, and an ability and willingness to do hard and successful professional work.

Yale owned the Russell family and all the ancestors, as shown in the following edited biography from Universities and their sons: history, influence and ..., Volume 2,  by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, John De Witt, John Howard Van Amringe:

The Russell Process Company was in the business of licensing patents for metallurgy, especially for extracting metals from ore. Its office was in New York City, but much of the business was done out of the office of the secretary-treasurer, Talcott H. Russell, attorney of New Haven, Connecticut (1847-1917; Y. 1869). His brother Edward H. Russell (1855-1928; Y. 1878 S.) was general manager. C.A. Stetefeldt was president.

Stetefeldt was author of a book called Russell's improved process for the lixiviation of silver-ores: With critical remarks on other methods of copper, silver and gold extraction..
Title: The Lixiviation of Silver-Ores with hyposulphite solutions, with special reference to the Russell process. Publisher: British Library, Historical Print Editions The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all known languages and formats: books, journals, newspapers, sound recordings, patents, maps, stamps, prints and much more. Its collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial additional collections of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 300 BC.The GENERAL HISTORICAL collection includes books from the British Library digitised by Microsoft. This varied collection includes material that gives readers a 19th century view of the world. ... British Library Stetefeldt, Carl A.; 1888. xx. 233 p.; 8 . 7106.cc.20.


It seems that the book originally published by the British Library has been reprinted from the public domain by someone or something called Nabu Press:

For the past year or so, I have noticed a lot of new public domain books appearing in Amazon underNabu Press. They seem to have no website and their books do not have any contact information, and I have gotten many inquiries from people thinking that my site, PublicDomainReprints.org is actually Nabu Press (we are not). Yet, they keep pumping out public domain reprints to a tune of over 600,000 titles so far.

I took some time to check various state corporation databases and actually managed to find who Nabu Press is. They are … BiblioBazaar / BiblioLife, a company started by former BookSurge partners after they sold their POD company to Amazon. It is no surprise that they print their POD books through Amazon.

How do I know this – take a look at the SC filing for Nabu Press LLC. The registered agent is for Nabu is:

ERIKA V. HARRISON
18-A CAROLINA
CHARLESTON, SC 29403

A search of the same site, reveals that only two other corporations have the same registered agent –BIBLIOBAZAAR II, LLC and BIBLIOLABS, LLC. BiblioLabs is part of BiblioBazaar as stated on their website. So the final word is that Nabu Press is actually part of BiblioBazaar. HOWEVER, why did they NOT mention this on their website, and especially in the list of their imprints here? Could it be for legal reasons?

For more on this hot topic of copyright vs. public domain, see an interesting forum at biblio.com.

EDWARD HUBBARD RUSSELL, PH.B. 1878

Born December 27, 1855, in New Haven, Conn. Died November 21, 1928, in New Haven, Conn. 

Collegiate & Commercial Institute Insignia

Father, William Huntington Russell (B.A. 1833, M.D. 1838); founder and head of General Russell's Collegiate and Commercial Institute in New Haven; Major General of Connecticut Militia 


Russell Process Company Records (MS 1213) - 2 1862-1870; son of Matthew Talcott Russell (B.A. 1779), tutor at Yale, and Mary (Huntington) Russell; grandson of Noadiah Russell (B.A. 1750) and of Enoch Huntington (B.A. 1709); great-great-grandson of Noadiah Russell, one of the founders of Yale; descendent of William Russell, who came from Hertfordshire, England, and settled in New Haven in 1638 or 1639. 


Mother, Mary Elizabeth (Hubbard) Russell; daughter of Thomas Hubbard (honorary M.D. 1818), professor of surgery and obstetrics in Yale School of Medicine, and Elizabeth (Gray) Hubbard, and sister of Thomas G. Hubbard (B.A. 1822); descendant of John Hubbard, who came from England to Boston in 1670 and in 1686 was a settler and founder of Pomfret, Conn. 

Rev. James Pierpont

Relatives include: James Pierpont, one of the founders of Yale (great-great-great-grandfather); Daniel Russell (B.A. 1724) (great-great-great-uncle); William Russell (B.A. 1745), Nathaniel Huntington (B.A. 1747); and Joseph Huntington (B.A. 1762) (great-great-uncles); Enoch Huntington (B.A. 1785), Joseph Russell (B.A. 1793), and Samuel G. Huntington (B.A. 1800) (great-uncles); and Samuel Huntington (B.A. 1743), Giles Russell (B.A. 1751), Eliphalet Huntington (B.A. 1759), Nathanial Huntington (B.A. 1772), William A. Russell (B.A. 1776), Samuel Huntington (honorary M.A. 1779), signer of the Declaration of Independence, Samuel Huntington (B.A. 1785), and Enoch Huntington (B.A. 1821) (cousins).


General Russell's Collegiate and Commercial Institute. 
Entered Yale with College Class of 1878 and became a member of Kappa Sigma Epsilon; joined Class of 1878 S. the next year; dynamic engineering course; member Sigma Delta Chi.


Russell Process company records
MS 1213 - Page 5 Did graduate work in metallurgy in Sheffield Scientific School 1878-1879; was then a mining engineer in the West for between fifteen and twenty years; connected with Ontario Mining Company in Park City, Utah, for a time and with other similar concerns in the United States and Mexico; during this period developed several patents (granted in 1880, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, and 1889) for separating metals from ores and metallurgical products, for leaching ores, for purifying hyposulphites, and for purifying soda ash; in 1895 gave up mining and lived abroad until May, 1928, when he returned to New Haven; spent most of the time in London and devoted himself to the study of sociology and work among the poorer classes; member Center Church (Congregational), New Haven. 


Unmarried.
Death, due to arteriosclerosis, ocurred at the Parkhurst Sanitarium, New Haven. Bured in Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven. Survived by five nephews: Dr. Thomas H. Russell, '06 S., William Huntington Russell, '12, Philip G. Russell, '13, Edward S. Russell, ex- '16 S., and William L. Russell, '20. He was a brother of the late Talcott H. Russell, '69, Dr. Thomas H. Russell, '72 S., Philip G. Russell, '76, and Robert G. Russell, ex -'84. 

From the Yale University Obituary Record.

TALCOTT HUNTINGTON RUSSELL

B.A. 1869 Born March 14, 1847, in New Haven, Conn.; Died October 19, 1917, in Westport, Conn. Talcott Huntington Russell was born in New Haven, Conn., March 14, 1847. He was the son of General William Huntington Russell and Mary Elizabeth (Hubbard) Russell. His father, a graduate of the College in 1833 and of the School of Medicine in 1838, was the founder of the well-known Collegiate and Commercial Institute in New Haven. He was the son of Matthew Talcott Russell (B.A. 1779) and Mary (Huntington) Russell and a grandson of Rev. Enoch Huntington (B.A. 1759), who was for twenty-eight years a Fellow of Yale College, from 1788 to 1793 being secretary of the Corporation.


Noadiah Russell, one of the founders of the College, was an ancestor. Mrs. Russell was the daughter of Thomas Hubbard (Honorary M.D. 1818), at one time professor of surgery at Yale. He received his preparatory training at his father's school and at the Lawrence Academy, Groton, Mass. After graduation from Yale he studied for one year in the Yale School of Law, and then entered the Columbia Law School, from which he received the degree of LL.B. in 1872. He was admitted to the bar of Connecticut in that year, and afterwards practiced in New Haven, retiring in 1914. He was at one time a member of the New Haven Board of Councilmen, being for one year its
president. In 1878 he was appointed receiver of the American Mutual Life Insurance Company. In 1884 he became secretary of the Independent Republican Organization. From 1892 until 1900 he was instructor on municipal corporations in the Yale School of Law. He was for a number of years treasurer of the Conference on Uniform State Laws, of which body he was one of the first members, and chairman of the Committee on Commercial Law. In 1911 he was retained by the legislative committee on a system of compensation for industrial injuries, to prepare a draft of a bill which formed the framework of much of the legislation finally adopted. He was named as first member of the commission created to investigate the general subject
of state insurance for workmen. In 1913, when Connecticut adopted the workmen's compensation system, he was made chairman of the board and commissioner for the third Congressional district. On account of ill health, he was forced to resign after a year and a half of service.


Mr. Russell died in Westport, Conn., October 19, 1917, after an illness of four years. Interment was in the Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven. He was married December 10, 1889, in New Haven, to Geraldine Whittemore, daughter of Captain William W. Low, U. S. N. and Evelina (Peck) Low. She survives him with their two sons, Philip Gray Russell (B.A. 1913) and William Low Russell, a member of the Class of 1920. 


He was a brother of Thomas Hubbard Russell, '72S., Philip Gray Russell, '76, and Edward Hubbard Russell, '78S. 

From the Yale University Obituary Record.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANCESTRY OF WILLIAM HUNTINGTON RUSSELL 

from "Notes on New York and New England Families"

William, son of (5) Rev. Noahdiah Russell and (+) Mary Hamlin, was born in 1690; married Marry, daughter of James Pierpont, of New Haven and had

            15        Mary, m. (Talcott Ped.) Col. MATTHEW TALCOTT, son of (45) Talcott Ped.) Joseph Talcott, Governor of Connecticut.

            16        Esther, m. Samuel Johnson.

            17        William, m., 1^st ABIGAIL ANDREWS, 2d, ABIGAIL NEWBERRY.

            18        Samuel, m. RUTH WHITMORE [WETMORE].

            19        Noahdiah, m. (352 Talcott Ped.) ESTHER TALCOTT, March 15, 1758.

            20        James, d. y.

            21        Sarah, m. Dr. E. RAWSON, of Middletown

            22        Mehitabel, m. Col. JEREMIAH WADSWORTH.

            Mary Pierpont, wife of WILLIAM RUSSELL, died July 24, 1740, æ. 37 years.

            WILLIAM RUSSELL died June 1, 1761.  He was liberally educated at Saybrook; was a tutor and Fellow of Yale college, and a minister of the gospel at Middletown....

Noahdiah, son of (6) William Russell and Mary Piermont, married (352 Talcott Ped.) Esther, daughter of (66 Talcott Ped.) Joseph Talcott, and granddaughter of (45 Talcott Ped.l) Gov. Joseph Talcott (b. June 24, 1731), March 15, 1758, and had

55        Noahdiah, d. May 30, 1817.

56        Matthew Talcott, m. Mary Huntington September 17, 1797; d. November 13, 1828.

57        Esther.

                        58        Sarah.

                        59        Abigail.

                        60        Infant.

                        61        Joseph.

            Noahdiah Russell was educated at Yale College and was minister of the gospel, settled at Thompson, Conn....

Matthew Talcott, son of (19) Noahdiah Russell and (352 Talcott Ped.) Esther Talcott, married Mary, daughter of Rev. Enoch Huntington, of Middletown, September 17, 1797, and had

            87        Mary H.

            88        Harriet.

            89        Julia A.

            90        Charles H.

            91        William H.

            92        Abigail T.

            93        Francis H.

            94        Sarah E.

            Matthew Talcott Russell was educated at, and was a tutor at Yale College.  He died November 13, 1828, leaving the above named children.

Oliver Ellsworth

William Huntington Russell's father, Matthew Talcott Russell, was a lawyer who "studied law with the Hon. Oliver Ellsworth [Chief Justice of the Supreme Court appointed by George Washington] and commenced practice in this city. He was accurate and methodical in everything, and therefore well fitted to transact the large amount of collecting business which was entrusted to his hands."

Matthew's parents (Noadiah and Esther Talcott Russell) lived in Middletown, Connecticut, where Noadiah was pastor of the local Congregational Church. His own parents (William and Mary Pierpont Russell) died more than a decade prior to war which began in 1776. Noadiah and Esther married in Hartford in 1759, only 16 miles away, where Esther was born. Her grandfather, Governor Joseph Talcott, had been first chosen to be governor of Connecticut in 1724 and served for seventeen consecutive one-year terms, only surpassed by Gov. John Winthrop's eighteen years in office.

According to Jeff Harmon, The History of Middletown, published by the Middlesex County Historical Society:

During the fifty years before the guns of Lexington, Middletown merchants developed an extensive trade between New England and the West Indies. One-third of the population was engaged in maritime trade and merchant activities until the outbreak of the Revolution. With trade quickly brought to a standstill, Middletown turned to mining and farming providing food and supplies for the troops. They also contributed many soldiers to support the cause.

When the war came to an end, maritime trade was again in full swing and Middletown was expanding. By 1784, Middletown was incorporated as a city. In the early 1800’s American export trade and general commerce had declined.

William Huntington Russell had several children:

Philip Gray Russell 

Philip graduated from Yale in 1876 and was inducted into Skull and Bones along with, among others, Chester Mitchell Dawes, Arthur Twining Hadley, and William Waldo Hyde. Philip was an attorney in Washington, D.C. with the firm of Prindle & Russell. His fellow Bonesman, Chester M. Dawes, was a son of Senator Henry Laurens Dawes of Massachusetts, serving in Washington, D.C. from 1875-93. An item about his father in the Boston Daily Globe  in 1886 described the Senator's two sons as follows:

"Chester is a successful lawyer in Chicago. He graduated from Yale, his father's alma mater, ten or twelve years ago, has been for two years assistant United Slates district attorney for the Chicago district, and was lately appointed assistant solicitor for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road, Henry Laurens, Jr., is said to have played a great game of foot ball at Exeter, and to have graduated honorably from Yale the class of '84. He is now studying law in Boston."

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad stretched to Burlington, Iowa, and Quincy, Illinois, on the Mississippi River and was dominated by none other than the man who had sold his shipping holdings to William Huntington Russell's cousin, Samuel Wadsworth Russell--John Murray Forbes of Boston. Forbes' partner, Charles Perkins, serving as president of the railroad from 1881 to 1901, was from a branch in the same China trading family.