Society of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of Connecticut

History

History of the origin of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of Connecticut

At a meeting of the New York Society, Sons of the Revolution, the Executive Committee was requested to communicate with those members living in other states urging them to form a State Society in their respective states. For the purpose of organizing such a Society in the State of Connecticut, the Rev. Alexander Hamilton, of Lyons Plains, Conn., on the 16th day of May, 1893, sent out a notice of a meeting to be held on the 24th day of May at one-thirty P. M., at the Atlantic Hotel, Bridgeport, Conn.

The Connecticut members of the New York Society and their friends were invited, and the following gentlemen were present at the meeting:

• Rev. Henry N. Wayne
• Rev. Nathaniel E, Cornwall
• Rev. Henry M. Sherman
• Rev. Alexander Hamilton
• Rev. Frank E. Robbins
• Mr. Thomas B. Fairchild
• Mr. Nathan G. Pond
• Mr. Cyrus S. Bradley
• Col. Dwight Morris
• Mr. John S. Jones
• Mr. Edwin S. Robbins
• Dr. George O. Robbins
• Mr. Frank C. Dovvd
• Dr. Wm. F. French
• Mr. Leigh R. Hoyt
• Col. Henry W. Wessels
• Mr. John W. Gulick

Colonel Dwight Morris was elected Chairman of the meeting, and Cyrus S. Bradley its Secretary.

The Constitution of the New York Society, Sons of the Revolution, was adopted as the Constitution of the Connecticut Society, Sons of the Revolution, but certain amend ments were made thereto to suit local conditions.

The following officers were unanimously elected:

• Col. Dwight Morris, President pro tern.
• Col. Henry W. Wessels, Treasurer pro tern.
• Mr. Cyrus Bradley, Secretary pro tern.

The Meeting appointed a Committee on Credentials, which was composed of the following:

• Rev. Alexander Hamilton, Chairman.
• Mr. John S. Jones
• Rev. Henry N. Wayne

The second meeting of the Society was held in Westport, Conn., on the 5th day of September, 1893, and the following eligible gentlemen were recommended as members:

• Nathan Gillette Pond, Milford, Conn.
• Howard Eugene Gates, M.D., Colorado Springs, Col.
• John Smith Jones, Westport, Conn.
• Chauncey Smith Foster, West Winsted, Conn.
• Alexander Hamilton, Major General, U. S. A., retired, Lyons Plains, Conn.
• Simon Couch Sherwood, Southport, Conn.
• Rev. Nathaniel Ellsworth Cornwall, Stratford, Conn.
• Hon. Daniel Nash Morgan, Treasurer, U. S., Washington, D. C.
• Howard Nickols Wakeman, Southport, Conn.
• Oliver Taylor Sherwood, Southport, Conn.
• Timothy Jones, Danbury, Conn.
• Leigh Richmond Hoyt, Lyons Plains, Conn.

At this meeting the following officers were nominated:

• President – Col. Dwight Morris, Bridgeport, Conn.
• Vice-President – Hon. Daniel Nash Morgan, Washington, D. C.
• Secretary – Mr. Cyrus Sherwood Bradley, Southport, Conn.
• Treasurer – Col. Henry Walton Wessels, Litchfield, Conn.
• Registrar – Mr. Nathan Gillette Pond, Milford, Conn.
• Chaplain – Rev. Alexander Hamilton, Lyons Plains, Conn.
• Board of Managers –
  • Mr. Satterlee Swartwout, Stamford, Conn.
  • Dr. William Freeman French, Noroton, Conn.
  • Col. George Bliss Sanford, Litchfield, Conn.
  • Rev. Henry N. Wayne, Westport, Conn.
  • Mr. Louis J. Allen, Chief Engineer, U. S. N.
  • Mr. Jesup Wakeman, New York, N. Y.
  • Mr. Simon Couch Sherwood, Southport, Conn.
  • Mr. Augustus Floyd Delafield, Noroton, Conn.
  • Mr. John Smith Jones, Westport, Conn.
• Delegates to General Society –
  • Col. Dwight Morris
  • Rev. Alexander Hamilton
  • Nathan Gillette Pond
  • Satterlee Swartwout
  • Jesup Wakeman.
• Alternates –
  • Augustus Floyd Delafield
  • Edward Wood Riker
  • Rev. Henry N. Wayne
  • Rev. Nathaniel Ellsworth Cornwall

The third meeting of the Society was held in the Old Court House, Bridgeport, Conn., on the 7th day of September, 1893.

The Secretary pro tern read a letter of congratulation from James M. Montgomery, the Secretary of the General
Society, Sons of the Revolution, in which the Connecticut Society was invited to join the General Society. In this
letter Mr. Montgomery suggested that the Connecticut Society be incorporated at once.

The officers nominated at the meeting of the 5th instant were unanimously elected, and President Dwight Morris
was escorted to the Chair amid tumultuous applause.

The Committee on Credentials, through its Chairman, the Rev. Alexander Hamilton, approved the admission as
members of those gentlemen who had been recommended at the meeting of September 5th, and they were admitted.

An application for admission to the General Society was prepared and adopted as follows:

To the General Society, Sons of the Revolution:

The undersigned incorporators of the Connecticut Society, Sons of the Revolution, respectfully ask for ad
mission for said Society to the General Society, Sons of the Revolution.

BE IT KNOWN, That on the seventh day of September, 1893, Dwight Morris, Cyrus Sherwood Bradley, Henry
Walton Wessels, Alexander Hamilton, Jr., Henry N. Wayne, A. Floyd Delafield, Thomas B. Fairfield, William
Freeman French, and Jesup Wakeman did associate them selves as a body corporate, pursuant to the Statute Laws of
the State of Connecticut regulating the formation and organization of corporations without capital stock, and the
following are their Articles of Association:

Article I. The name of said Corporation shall be
” Sons of the Revolution.”

Article II. The purposes for which said Corporation
is formed are the following, to wit:

To perpetuate the memory of the men who, in the
military, naval, and civil service of the Colonies and the

Continental Congress, by their acts or counsel, achieved American Independence; to promote and assist In the proper
celebration of the anniversaries of the birthday of Washington, and of prominent events In the War of the Revolu
tion; to inspire among the members and their descendants the patriotic spirit of their forefathers; to inculcate in the
community In general sentiments of nationality and respect for the principles for which the Patriots of the Revolution
contended, and to promote social intercourse and the feeling of fellowship among Its members.

Article III. The Statute Laws of the State of Connecticut relating to corporations without capital stock are
hereby referred to and made a part of these articles, and the Corporation hereby organized and established under,
and pursuant to, said Statute Laws shall have all the powers and proceed according to the regulations ciescrlbed and
specified therein.

Article IV. The said Corporation Is located in the town of New Haven, County of New Haven, and State of Connecticut.

Dated at Bridgeport this seventh day of September, 1893

We, the undersigned, President and Secretary of the “Sons of the Revolution” hereby certify that the foregoing Is a true copy of the articles of said Corporation.

Attest: (Signed) Dwight Morris, President.

Cyrus Sherwood Bradley, Secretary.