NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people
in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.
HEACOCK
Transcribed by Coralynn Brown
The surname Heacock is also spelled Hicox, Hikcox, Hecock, Hickcock and misspelled in a multitude of ways. A branch of the family located early in New Jersey and spread through Pennsylvania and the west. Most of the New England and northern New York families of these names may be traced to Joseph and Samuel Hickox, of Connecticut.
Joseph Hickox, was born as early as 1650, died at Woodbury, Conn., 1687. He resided at Farmington and Woodbury.
Children:
1. Joseph, born 1673; married Elizabeth Gaylord.
2. Dr. Benjamin, 1675; married Hannah Skeal.
3. Mary, 1678; married Joseph Gaylord.
4. Elizabeth, 1681; married John Gaylord.
5. Samuel, 1687, of Woodbury.
Sergeant Samuel Hickox was brother of Joseph Hickox. His children:
Samuel, Hannah, William, Thomas, Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, Stephen, Benjamin, Mercy and Ebenezer.
The family became fairly numerous in Waterbury, Norwalk, Stamford and Danbury, Conn. before the revolution.
Joseph and Stephen Hickox came from Waterbury to Durham and were patentees or proprietors of the new town. At the first town meeting Joseph was elected highway surveyor, and later he received a bounty for killing crows and blackbirds. Stephen Hickox built a house in Durham in 1721. In 1790 Benjamin, Ebenezer and Daniel Hickox or Heacock were heads of families in Danbury; Samuel, Thomas, Nathaniel, Noah, Bethuel and Ebenezer Heacock or Hecock, as the name was then commonly spelled, were heads of famlies in Stamford and Nowalk, the census of which is taken together. In 1790 but one family spelling the name Heacock was reported in the census. Richard Heacock lived at New Cornwall, Orange county, and had three males over sixteen, two under that age, and seven females in his family. In the revolution Samuel Heacock and John Haycock were in the army from Berkshire, Massachusetts.
(I) Reuben B. Heacock, a descendant of the Connecticut famikly, came from Columbia county, N.Y., where he had lived for a time, to Buffalo, N.Y. in 1811, with the Grosvenors, Genearl Potter, Stockings and other pioneers who became prominent and left family names honored by themselves and descendants. He entered partnership with Abel M. Grosvenor, who bought inner lot 38 of David Mather as early as 1806, and the firm established a general store under the name of Grosvenor & Heacock on Main street not far from the present (1910) site of the store of Sherman Barnes & Company.
Mr. Grosvenor married a sister of Mr. Heacock and Mr. Heacock married a sister of Mr. Grosvenor, and a large family connection was located in Buffalo at that time and afterward. The Holts and Cottons came later. All these families came form Columbia county, N.Y.
During the war of 1812 Mr. Grosvenor nearly lost his life at the hands of a mob who took him by mistake for Ralph M. Pomeroy, a noted Tory, whom he much resembled. Pomeroy was a hotel keeper. Mr. Grosvenor left the town soon afterward and returned to his old home, on account of an epidemic of disease, but he caught the disease and died of it. Mr. Grosvenor had sons, Abel M. and Seth M.
After the death of Mr. Grosvenor, Mr. Heacock continued the business for many years, genearlly with a partner, and displayed great energy, enterprise and activity. He was instrumental in bringing the canal to the eastern part of the city from the rapids of Buffalo creek, which before the general use of steam power was used for power in manufacturing. For many years Mr. Heacock was a leading and influential citizen. He was assemblyman from this district for twenty-five years, and few were more active and useful in the legislature.
He died in 1853.
Twice he lost his buildings in the early days by fires set by the hostile Indians.
He had a son, Captain Reuben B. Heacock, who was killed in 1864 in the civil war.
Another son, Grosvenor W., is mentioned below.
(II) Rev. Grosvenor W. Heacock, son of Reuben B. Heacock, was born Aug. 3, 1821. He was educated in the Western Reserve College of Ohio and Auburn Theological Seminary. He was pastor for many years of the Buffalo Presbyterian church.
He married Nancy Rice Stone, daughter of Jesse and Keziah (Benjamin) Stone.
(III) Hon. Seth G. Heacock, son of Rev. Grosvenor W. Heacock, was born in Buffalo, N.Y., March 1, 1857. He attended the public schools there and studied at Heidelberg, Germany. He returned home and entered Hamilton College, from which he was graduated in 1880. He then took a two years' course in the Theological Seminary at Auburn, N.Y., but finally decided to follow a business career.
He conducted a drug store at Mohawk, N.Y. In 1888 he was appointed postmaster of Ilion, N.Y. by President Harrison, and served a term of four years. Early in life he became active in public affairs. His first public office was treasurer of Mohawk Village. Since 1906 he has represented his district in the state senate. He is chairman of the committee on internal affairs, and in that capacity had charge of the automobile legislation of the last session. He was also a member of the committee on finance and of several other important committees. He is well known and popular throughout the state and a prominent factor in the Republican party of the state.
He is a member of the Union League Club of New York City, the Republican Club of New York, the Fort Orange Club of Albany, N.Y., and the Fort Schuyler Club of Utica, N.Y.
Senator Heacock has invested extensively in oil wells near Findley, Ohio, and has been very successful in the oil business.
He is a member of Mohawk Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; Ilion Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Little Falls Commandery, Knights Templar; and Ilion Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
He married, 1880, Ida M. Walker, born Jan. 16, 1857, daughter of Dr. E. S. Walker and Mary (Grant) Walker.
Children:
1. Ida, born May 2, 1881; married, Oct. 5, 1909, Alexander F. Armstrong, of Ilion, son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Shepard) Armstrong; Elizabeth was a daughter of Floyd C. Shepard, a distinguished citizen of Ilion.
2. Grosvenor W., born Jan. 7, 1884; associated in business with his father; married, June 4, 1907, Alice M. Baker, of Gloversville, N.Y., daughter of Judge A. D. L. and Marion (Judson) Baker; child: Grosvenor Walker, born July 20, 1908.
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