THE BLISS FAMILY

A Genealogical Chart prepared by Neziah Bliss, Esq., of Missouri, traces the descent of this family from Thomas Bliss, of England, who emigrated to America and settled at Hartford, Ct., about the year 1638-or-9; and who, of course, must have been one of its very early inhabitants, as its settlement was not commenced till 1635. He died there in 1640; leaving four sons and six daughters.  Thomas Bliss, Jr., son of the last named, had two sons and six daughters, all-natives, of Saybrook, Ct., with the exception of the two youngest, who were born at Norwich, near by.

Samuel Bliss, son of Thomas, had three sons and one daughter.

John Bliss, a son of Samuel, graduated at Yale College in 1710. He had but one classmate, Benjamin Colton.  They both became ministers of the gospel. Rev. John Bliss was the first minister ordained in the town of Hebron, Ct. This was in October, 1717. He was then a Congregationalism "He declared for Episcopacy in 1734, and having laid the foundation of a society, a house of worship was erected the next year, for that denomination; and Mr. Bliss preached and read service for them for a number of years afterwards. He died in 1741, at the age of 51 years. Rev.  John Bliss had been twice married and had a family of seven sons and four daughters, all of whom, but two, lived to marry. One of the sons, Constant, was shot in the Old French war, at Deerfield, Mass., Aug., 1746.  Ellis Bliss, son of Rev. John Bliss, and his second wife, Hannah Post, was twice married and had eight sons and seven daughters. One of his sons, Flavel, was drowned 1778, off the ship Trumbull, at New London, while guarding British prisoners there.   Another son, John, was drowned at Bradford, Vt., while engaged in building a bridge across Waits River, in 1803. A daughter, Lydia, married Andrew B. Peters, of Bradford. The youngest son, John Flavel, born June 28, 1788, was a minister of the gospel in Western New York. The father of this large family remained and died at Hebron, Ct.  Ellis Bliss, Jr., son of the Ellis last named, and his first wife, Tamar Dewey, was born at Hebron, April 9, 1761.  He served for 9 months in the war of the Revolution; married Abigail Taylor; emigrated to Bradford, Vt., and made, as a farmer, a permanent settlement here, in the south part of the town, somewhat back from the river.  They had two daughters and six sons. Four of the sons died in childhood.   Their eldest daughter, Abigail, born at Hebron, Ct., June 7, 1787, married Dr. Lockhart Wright, of Bradford, Feb., 1798, and had two sons, Neziah and Hubbard, and one daughter, Abigail. Mrs. Dr.  Wright died at the house of her son, Hubbard Wright, in Bradford, July 3, 1855. Lydia Bliss, born at Bradford, August 31, 1783, married Absalom Baldwin, May 25, 1801, and died Feb. 4, 1860. See Baldwin Family. Flavel Bliss, born Dec. 11, 1791, married Hannah Corliss, Dec. 15, 1812; had several children, and died Dec. 7; 1864.

Capt. Ellis Bliss, son of the above named Ellis Bliss, Jr., born July 25, 1787, married Mary Worthen, Dec. 4, 1807, owned and cultivated a good farm near Bradford village. Mr. and Mrs. Bliss had thirteen children, two of whom died in their infancy; all the rest lived to be men and women, of activity and usefulness in the world. The father died May 8, 1851, in the 54th year of his age; and their mother March 2, 1873, at the age of 83 years. Of this family we give the following brief notices.

1 Ellis Bliss, born May 10, 1810, married Lucy Richards, of Piermont, N. H., kept, for several years, a hotel in Bradford village; was a man of activity ; engaged in various business; and died Nov. 21,1870, in the 61st year of his age. He left one daughter, Lucy, the wife of Charles H. Harding.

2 George, born Oct. 17, 1811. He studied for the medical profession with Dr. John Poole, of Bradford, and became established in business in Ohio, where he married, and at this date has two sons, Newton and Edmund, and two daughters, Priscilla and Lovie Jane. 

3 Edmund P., born October 14, 1813, remained with his parents till their decease, and was left in possession of the old homestead.

4 Mary A., born August 6, 1817, married Jesse Johnson, of Bradford ; by occupation a farmer, who died at Fairlee.

They had six children. Two died in early childhood.  Two daughters, Martha and Sarah, died when young ladies; and Ellen and Mary, at this date, are the surviving comforts of their often and sorely bereaved mother. 

5 Abigail, born August 16,1819, married Manly Harriman, then of this town. They had two sons, George and John, still living; and two daughters, who died in early womanhood; Abbie, and Mary, the wife of Chauncey Throop Blodgett. Mr. Harriman died October 14, 1840; and his wife May 13, 1857.

6 Susan, born December 23, 1821, married Ira Clark.  They resided some time at Bradford, then at Orford, N. H., and finally removed to Illinois. They had two sons and two daughters.

7 Joseph W., born January 31, 1824; married Cynthia Paterson, of Piermont, N. H., who died March 26, 1863, at the age of twenty-seven years.  They had two daughters, Mary and Abbie, who still survive, greatly to their father's comfort. Mr. J. W.  Bliss, owning a very pleasant homestead, next south of his brother Edmund's, has remained in Bradford, and been repeatedly called by his fellow townsmen to fill offices of public trust and importance. He represented the town in the State Legislature of 1874.

8 Neziah W., born January 31, 1826, graduated at the University of Vermont; studied the profession of law; removed to the State of Missouri, and has there been engaged not only in the business of his profession, but in superintending the affairs of an enterprising and successful mining company. He has the reputation of a man of intelligence, energy, and moral integrity. He married Amanda Jessie Andrews, December 1, 1852. They have had seven sons and three daughters. Two of the daughters died young. The rest of their children at this date are still living.

9 Lucinda, born February 14, 1828, married Lewis R. Morris, a very respectable attorney at law, who for a time edited a semi-monthly paper at Bradford, called the Green Mountain Farmer, but has since for several years been established in the business of his profession at West Lebanon, N. H.

10  Julia M., born May. 14, 1830, married Robert Shum, manufacturer of jewelry, cutlery, etc., at Springfield, Mass. They have four daughters, Julia, Lucy, Nellie, and Abbie.

11 Lauretta, born October 8, 1832, married Stephen Merrill, then of Bradford, but since settled in Illinois. 

The following memorial of Mrs. Bliss, the mother of this large family, which appeared in our village paper, the National Opinion, soon after her decease, is thought worthy of insertion here.

MRS. MARY W. BLISS.

When one who has lived an exemplary and useful life, passes finally away, it seems fit that some more accessible and satisfactory memorial than the inscription on the grave stone of the deceased, should be preserved; some, at least, brief obituary notice, which may contribute to keep the dear departed in perpetual and loving remembrance.

The maiden name of Mrs. Bliss was Mary Worthen: a daughter of Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Susanna Worthen. She was born April 11th, 1790. Her parents were worthy members of the Congregational Church, in her native place, Bradford, Vt., who sought to train up their children in the way they should go.

Mary, when about eighteen years of age, became the wife of Mr. Ellis Bliss, of the same neighborhood; then some three years older than herself. Surrounded by kindred and friends, they directly commenced housekeeping, and remained in the same habitation during their subsequent lives. Captain Bliss died May 8th, 1851, in the fifty-fourth year of his age; but she continued nearly twenty-two years longer, thus occupying the same comfortable farm house, on the bank of Waits River, near its confluence with the Connecticut, for the long period of sixty-five years.

Mr. and Mrs. Bliss had thirteen children, two of whom died in their infancy ; all the rest lived to marry and re-move, one after another, to their several new homes, with the exception of one of the sons, who permanently remained with his mother, and at her decease was left still at the old homestead, the last there belonging of all its former numerous and happy occupants.  Mrs. Bliss left at her decease four sons and five daughters ; somewhat widely dispersed through this country; among others, Neziah, a graduate of Vermont University, an attorney at law, in Missouri, and George, a practicing physician, in Ohio. He, after an absence of thirty-six years, being informed of his mother's illness, directly telegraphed that he had set out for home; but the news, which but a few days before would have thrilled his mother's heart with joy, came a few hours too late! And when the Doctor, with his two daughters, arrived, her re-mains had been for two days resting in the silent tomb.  A sad disappointment it was to the visitors; but there were kind brothers and sisters, with other relatives and friends, to receive them most cordially, and mingle their tears of grief and gladness with theirs.

It may not be amiss to say here that Mr. Amos Worthen, State Geologist of Illinois, well and favorably known for his voluminous publications in that interesting department of natural science, was a brother of the deceased, and a native of Bradford.

Mrs. Bliss left thirty-two grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, a posterity of forty-nine persons, to rise up and call her blessed.   Her own children, at least, know with what patience, loving kindness, and perseverance she labored through all their lives for their comfort; but the intense desire and consuming anxiety which she felt for their spiritual and everlasting good, they can never fully appreciate. She willingly wore out her life in ministering to others; in doing good to all, as she had opportunity. Solomon's description of the virtuous women, in the 31st chapter of Proverbs, must have been penned with some such specimen as she was distinctly in view.  But she did not depend on any of these things for salvation. During a season of special refreshing from the presence of the Lord, in the Summer of 1831, she was moved to consecrate herself heartily to the blessed Savior, and to trust in Him alone for pardon, sanctification and life everlasting. With more than thirty others, she that year made a public profession of her faith and de-termination thenceforth to by the Lord's, and serve Him, united with the same church to which her parents belonged, and so continued to the last. She, while able to attend and hear, delighted in the public services of the Sabbath, and when deprived of these privileges found great satisfaction in her Bible and hymn book.   In her last sickness she was sweetly resigned to the Divine will, beautifully sustained by the promises and consolations of the Gospel; and at the close of her last Sabbath on earth, March 2, 1873, at the age of eighty-three years, lacking forty days, passed peacefully away to her final rest and blessedness in Heaven. On the subsequent Wednesday her funeral services were attended at the church where she had long been accustomed to worship, and her precious remains laid down to repose with their kindred dead until all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and come forth. God grant that all those for whose salvation she so long prayed and labored, may with her arise to glory, honor, and a blessed immortality.  Biographie Index

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