JOHN WELLS STANCLIFF FAMILY GENEALOGY

STANCLIFF FAMILY GENEALOGY

From book "Descendants of James Stanclift of Middletown, Connecticut and Allied Families", By Robert C. and Sherry [Smith] Stancliff

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                                                                                                JOHN WELLS STANCLIFF FAMILY

(267) JOHN WELLS6 STANCLIFF (Joseph5, James4, James3, James2, James1)

Son of Joseph and Electa [Tennant] Stancliff born Middle Haddam, Middlesex County, CT(1) Sept. 28, 1813(2), died Hartford, Hartford County, CT Mar. 13, 1891(3), buried at the Spring Grove Cemetery, Hartford, Hartford County, CT married AMELIA M. PROUT born CT 1816, died Hartford, Hartford County, CT Mar. 23, 1900 � 84(4), buried with her husband at the Spring Grove Cemetery.

John was trained as a carriage painter and copper plate engraver, studied oil painting with Alexander H. Emmons and Jared B. Flagg and watercolor painting with Benjamin H. Coe(5). John was a Daguerreotypist and a noted Marine Artist. He took his family to Louisville, KY, where they lived for several years while John conducted experiments with artificial light with Professor Benjamin Stillman Jr. Mr. Stillman was a professor of Medical Chemistry and Toxicology at the University of Louisville who had done research in galvanic light in daguerreotyping at Yale University at New Haven, CT(6). John Wells Stancliff returned to Connecticut shortly after 1851 where he maintained a studio at Hartford, CT. In 1878 he was President of the Connecticut School of Design in Hartford.

John's brother, Charles, had also moved to Louisville, Jefferson County, KY at an earlier date, but after John returned to Connecticut, Charles remained in Louisville. John was enumerated in KY in 1850 with his family(7). By 1860 he once again lived Hartford, Hartford County, CT(8)

John's brother, Gilbert, told in his writings that John had painted a picture of the house of the first James Stanclift, the first house in Portland as it must have appeared overlooking the river. That picture was for many years on loan to the Middlesex County Historical Society, but today may be seen at the Portland Historical Society.

John left no will, and it was almost twenty years after his death that the Estate was finally settled. His younger son, Henry Trumbull Stancliff, was made the Executor, but he died before the estate was settled, leaving his son Henry T. Stancliff Jr to assume the job as executor on both estates. The other heirs to the estate claimed that many of John's valuable paintings had been sold or disposed of without an inventory or an accounting. After some eighteen years had passed, Hattie [Stancliff] Lord and Frances [Overton] Stancliff asked for an accounting and distribution of the Estate on May 5, 1909. The following heirs were notified of an impending hearing; Henry T. Stancliff, Navy Department, Washington, D. C.; Charles J. Stancliff, Bureau of Science, Manilla Philippine Islands; John O. Stancliff, J. W. Lord, Mystic, CT; Frances O. Stancliff, R.F.D.1, Stonington, CT and Hattie M. Lord , Box 273, Mystic, CT. Henry Trumbull Jr indicated that some of the paintings had been sold to provide for the maintenance of the widow, Amelia Stancliff. As a result of the hearing a new Administrator was appointed. The major assets of the Estate were stock in the Brainerd Quarry and a collection of paintings left by John W. Stancliff.

John painted a picture of the house built in 1690 at the time the first James Stanclift opened the Quarry on the east side of the Connecticut River. It was said that John himself had been born in that house. There is a sketch of that painting at the beginning of Generation One.

CHILDREN: John Wells and Amelia [Prout] Stancliff

+ 506- 1. CHARLES H. STANCLIFF born Jan. 1839, died 1908, married Dec. 5, 1861 FRANCES OVERTON "Fannie".

+ 507- 2. HENRY TRUMBULL STANCLIFF born 1843, died Apr. 25, 1901(9), married Oct. 30, 1863 SUSSANAH BULLOCK "Susie".

508- 3. AMELIA STANCLIFF born KY 1845, not mentioned in father's Probate Records.

509- 4. JANE H. STANCLIFF born KY 1847, not mentioned in father's Probate Records.

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Footnotes:

1. 1.COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD of Middlesex County, CT, page 291 states that the first three children of Joseph were born Middle Haddam.

2. 2.Chatham Vital Records under "Standish" page 47

3. 3.HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH, HARTFORD, CT 1760-1900, page 324

4. 4.HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH, HARTFORD, CT 1760-1900, page 331

5. 5.NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY DICTIONARY OF ARTISTS IN AMERICA, Groce and Wallace, page 598

6. 6.THE DAGUERRERIAN ANNUAL 1991, article by John Wood entitled J. W. STANCLIFF: A VIGNETTE in which the following sources are cited- ART AND ARTISTS IN CONNECTICUT, Boston 1879 pp.84-85; AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS II, May 1851, pp.417-418; and THE AMERICAN DAGUERREOTYPE, F. & M. Rinhart, pp.52-53.

7. 7.KY 1850 CENSUS, Jefferson County, Louisville, District 3, Dwelling 274, Family 274, Sheet 256.

8. 8.CT 1860 CENSUS, Hartford County, City of Hartford, Dwelling 2171, Family 2383., Sheet 1095.

9. 9.Date stated in the probate papers of John Wells Stancliff.

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