Reunion

Sa56781s
lst-2nd
1907-08
1761522

REYNOLDS HISTORICAL
GENEALOGY COLLECTION

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1907
1761

1907
1761

THE

FIRST AND SECOND REUNIONS

OF THE

5ANFORD ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

April 8, 1907; March 23, 1908

They clasped each others cordial hands,

In greetings glad ; and backward turned

To yeomen on New England hills

Whose spirits with high purpose burned,
Their fathers all.

fAf. Cu

. / EDITOR, REV. A. B. SA1NFORL), D. D.

}7-d 9

Published December, 1908

I have now secured upwards of ten thousand San-
fords. ... it is both surprising and pleasing to note
how many prominent men have arisen in the family —
business men, manufacturers, ministers, physicians, law-
yers, judges, philanthropists, and statesmen.

—Open Letter of C. E. Sanford.

1761522

FOREWORD.

RAW up your chair, good reader, and sit with your

1^1 Sanford kindred in the circle. Little did the three
clansmen proposing this Association less than
two years ago dream of the results. Quickly has that
first group enlarged. From different cities and States of
the East they have already come to enrich our two
Reunions. From distant places they have sent their
greetings. Yet in the fast-growing organization there is
room for you. If in your veins there runs a single drop
of the good Sanford blood, your place is here. Join
the new fellowship.

Who are they that invite you to sit with them? A
fraternity most choice. Men of the various professions,
living under those high inspirations which made our
New England ancestry great. Men of different commer-
cial activities, and influential in their departments.
Women with that grace of carriage and fineness of spirit
which marked the Puritan mothers from whom we
proudly claim our descent. You have never found your-
self in a more excellent company. The Knights of the
Round Table were not worthier. Happy are you if, by
the accident of birth or association, you belong in this
noble brotherhood.

And why does the clan now form this Association? To
feel, in the whirl of life, the grasp of kindred hands. To
discover those lost lines of relationship which, in this
age of active genealogical research, may still be traced.
To look backward and, from the heroism of our pioneer
fathers to gather fresh courage for the morrow. Is it
not all worth the while?

So is this new Association a pledge to the memory of
our sterling Sanford ancestors. The retrospect of their
times is refreshing; their names are a bond joining us to
the distant past.

"Sit with me by the homestead hearth.
And stretch the hands of memory forth
To warm them at the wood-fire's blaze."

3

THE FIRST REUNION.

HIS organization had its origin in the win-
ter of 1906-07. Three ministers of the Sanford
name, while lunching together in New York
City and discussing their descent from the pio-
neer Sanfords of the United States, decided that a gen-
eral gathering of the clan would be mutually pleasant
and helpful. They thereupon proceeded to form "The San-
ford Association of America," boldly elected themselves
as officers of the new society, and determined upon a
Reunion in the near future to which as many of the
scattered Sanfords as possible should be invited. A call
having been as widely circulated as the short time would
permit, the family gathered for its first meeting at the
St. Denis Hotel, Broadway and Eleventh Street, New
York City, on Monday evening, April 8, 1907.

Reception. — Prior to the banquet, at 7 P. M. a
reception was held in a special parlor of the hotel, where
the guests were given opportunity to make each other's
acquaintance. All barriers were at once swept away,
the fact of a common blood made strangers seem as
friends, and the fellowship of the hour became both
contagious and hearty.

NOTE.— The Editor is indebted to Rev. E. T. Sanford, Secretary
of the Sanford Association in 1907— 1908, for his outline of the doings
of this and the succeeding Reunion. From these necessarily hurried
notes, supplemented by other sotirces of information, it has been
possible to produce a fair, if abbreviated, report of the two gather-
ings of the new organization. The publication of the proceedings
was authorized by the Executive Committee at its meeting on Octo-
ber 29, 1908; and the service which has since been involved, in the
fulfillment of this direction, has been to the Editor a labor of love.
The report goes out in the faith that it will bind together yet
more closely the members of the numerous Sanford family.

5

Genealogical Committee.— During the reception,
t lie- Presidenl of the' Association, the Rev. E. B. Sanford,

D. D., of the Congregational Church and Secretary of
the National Federation ol Churches, called upon the
Treasurer, the Rev. A. B. Sanford, D.D.,ofthe Methodist
Episcopal Church, to introduce certain matters of
business. The latter spoke of the prevailing desire to
bind the members of the family closer together, referred
to the Sanford Genealogy in preparation l>y C. E.
Sanford, of Potsdam, N. Y., and suggested that a Gen-
ealogical Committee be appointed to help those of the
common name in finding their place in the family line.
The recommendation was approved, and the Rev. E. T.
Sanford, of the Baptist Church in New York City, and

E. F. Sanford, of Ore Hill, Conn., were later designated
as such Genealogical Committee, with power to continue
their work.

Nominating Committee. — The Treasurer also
moved the appointment of a Nominating Committee,
which should report at a future meeting a list of officers
and also present a recommendation concerning a reunion
at Milford, Conn., where many desire the erection of a suit-
able memorial to the memory of Thomas Sanford, the
ancestor of a large number of the Sanfords in America.
The following were elected as the members of this Nom-
inating Committee: Professor D. S. Sanford, M. A., of
Redding Ridge, Conn., Miss May T. Sanford, of New
York City, and A. E. Sandford, of Newark, N. J.

Dinner. — The Association then adjourned to the
banquet room, to partake of the dinner provided by the
Committee of Arrangements. Thirty-five guests sat at
the tables, either bearing the Sanford name or having
their place in the family by marriage, descent, or associa-
tion. The meal was the occasion of the most kindly
spirit and the greatest good cheer.

Addresses. — Following the dinner, Dr. E. B. Sanford,
as President, said that the company should feel them-
selves drawn close together, even if all were not inti-
mately related, since "blood is thicker than water." In

<>

the common name borne by their ancestors all were in-
terested. Those descended from Thomas Sanford have a
commendable pride in the moral character of the famous
New Haven Colony. While he was occupied in prepar-
ing his History of Connecticut, the speaker had looked
backward over the years and had pictured the little
company of those pioneers who with Thomas Sanford
founded the Milford section of the New Haven Colony.
The larger part of the colonists were the younger sons of
prominent families in old England; and many of them
had older brothers or other kindred who held estates
dating back to the early English days, as the Sandford
Manor in England is reputed to have belonged to
Thomas de Sandford, Norman warrior and General
under William the Conqueror, who fought bravely in
1066 at the Battle of Hastings, and whose name is
found on the famous Abbey Roll.

F. B. Sanford, of New York City, responded for the
Warwick branch of the Sanfords, and stated that it was
a characteristic of that branch of the family to cherish
strong home ties.

Rev. E. T. Sanford, Secretary of the Association, read
a paper prepared by Judge F. V. Sanford, of Warwick,
N. Y., on the armorial bearings of the English Sanfords
which have sometimes been used in America for decora-
tive purposes.

E. F. Sanford, of Ore Hill, Conn., spoke of the honor-
able place which some of the Sanfords have won as
soldiers in the wars of the nation.

Mrs. Florence E. P. Youngs, Assistant Librarian of the
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, who
was present as an invited guest, gave some helpful
advice concerning the value and the methods of genea-
logical research.

G. A. Sanford, of the Army Branch of the Young
Men's Christian Association of the City of New York,
spoke of the characteristic disposition of the Sanfords to
do right. As a family, he declared, they stand for the
best things in life.

7

The Rev. A K. Sanford, D.D., of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church, and of the Redding, Conn., branch, said t hat
among the early Sanfords in New England was liis
grandfather, Anion Sanford, of Redding, who became a

magistrate, served as a soldier in t he Revolution, and
was the first male member and local preacher of the
Methodist Episcopal Church 'in New England. He was
a man most highly esteemed by his generation. In
previous years the Rev. Dr. Peter P. Sandford, a distin-
guished Methodist minister, had expressed to the speak-
er a belief that they two could claim a common English
ancestor, although many were now omitting the second
"d" from the name. The speaker then concluded by
recalling the possible formation of the word "Sanford"
from the existence of some shallow place in an English
stream where travelers might cross.*

Professor D. S. Sanford, M.A., of Redding, Conn.,
invited the Association to come to that historic town for
a summer Reunion.

Dr. A. B. Sanford, of the Redding branch, felicitated
himself that it was a fine-looking company in which he
that evening found himself ! He also spoke of the satis-
faction in the knowledge of ancestry, as when Captain
Miles Standish, in the old Plymouth days, was pleased
to trace his lineage

"Back to Hugh Standish of Duxbury Hall, in Lancashire, England,
Who was the son of Ralph, and the grandson of Thurston de

Standish."

The speaker told, in this connection, of his own great
pleasure when — in a clear line running back to the days
of the Connecticut colonists — he found that he could
trace his ancestry to Thomas Sanford, pioneer at Mil-
ford in 1639.

Closing.— The first general Reunion of the family
since the pioneer Sanfords came to the New World then
drew to its close. Kind farewells were spoken, and the
general wish was entertained that the departing com-
pany might enjoy many other such gatherings.

:,Sec page 28.

8

KINSMEN AT REUNION.

With the exception of one invited guest, all the com-
pany present were San fords by birth, marriage, or close
relationship. It is evidently impracticable to catalogue
the positions of prominence held by any, within the
narrow limits of a guest list. The roll was as follows:

Anway, Wilmore
Christie, Miss Emma C.
Christie, Mrs. James A.
Gilman. Frank H.
Headley, Mrs. Sara E.
Pethic, Rev. Harry, D. D.
Pethic, Mrs. Harry
Roe, Miss Charity F.

Sandford, Arthur E.

Sanford, Rev. Aaron K., D. D.
Sanford, Rev. Arthur B., D. D.
Sanford, Mrs. Arthur B.
Sanford, Charles A.
Sanford, Clarence A.
Sanford, Mrs. Clarence A.
Sanford, Clarence H.
Sanford, Prof. Daniel S., M. A.
Sanford, Edward L.
Sanford, Rev. Elias B., D. D.
Sanford, Elias F.
Sanford, Rev. Ezra T.
Sanford, Mrs. Ezra T.
Sanford, Flovd S.
Sanford, Mrs. Floyd S.
Sanford, Mrs. Frances V.
Sanford. Francis B.
Sanford, George A.
Sanford, Harold M.
Sanford, Harry C.
Sanford, Mrs. Harrv C.
Sanford, Miss Julia'M.
Sanford, Lewis L.
Sanford, Miss May T.
Sanford, Milton L.

Youngs, Mrs. Florence E. P.

New York City
Newark, N. J.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

New York City

Newark, N. J.

Pleasantville, N. Y.
Mamaroneck, N. Y.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

Redding Ridge, Conn.
Westfield, N. J.
New York City
Ore Hill, Conn.
New York City

Brooklyn, N. Y.

New York Citv

Warwick, N. Y.
Brooklyn. N. Y.
New York Citv
Warwick, N. Y.

New York City

9

THE SECOND REUNION.

HE second Reunion of the Sanford Association
of America was held at the St. Denis Hotel,
New York City, on Monday evening, March
23, 1908, under conditions that were highly en-
couraging. As t-he guests gathered, they were cordially
welcomed by F. B. Sanford and Wilmore Anway, of the
Committee of Arrangements, with Mrs. A. B. Sanford
and various officers of the Association, and many in-
teresting acquaintances were made during this social
hour. If the night was gloomy without, the scene was
one of brightness within.

Officers Elected. — Before the banquet a business
meeting was held, at which Dr. E B. Sanford presided.
On recommendation of the Nominating Committee, the
Hon. E. T. Sanford, Assistant Attorney General at
Washington, D. C, was chosen President of the Associa-
tion for the ensuing year ; the Rev. E. T. Sanford, of New
York City, was elected Treasurer; and C.E. Sanford, of
Potsdam, N. Y., who was yet engaged in preparing a
voluminous Sanford Genealogy, was appointed Histo-
rian and Genealogist.

Dr. A. B. Sanford was made Chairman of the Execu-
tive Committee, and was given power to designate his
associates. This Committee was authorized to prepare
a Constitution and to conduct all necessary matters of
business in connection with the development of the
Association.

It was also decided to elect Vice Presidents by States,
and a number were so chosen, it being understood that
various additions were to be afterward made.

On motion, W. P. Sandford, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and
C. E. Sanford, of Potsdam, N. Y., were appointed a

11

Committee t<> investigate the possible relationship oi
William Sandford, who came t«> New Jersey about L668,
to Thomas Sanford; of the Milford Colony in L639, and
to other pioneers of the family— the purpose of the
Association being to gather together all of the general

name with its v.iried Spellings, as well as those who

may be connected with the Sanfords by marriage or
may be descended from Sanford mothers.

Miss Julia M. Sanford, of Warwick, N. Y., was later
designated as Secretary of the Association.

Dinner.— At 8 o'clock the guests to the number of
108, some of them having come from far distances,
passed to the banquet room. The Rev. Dr. A. K. San-
ford, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, returned
thanks to the Almighty for the blessings of the evening.
The festivities were enjoyed the more because of the
floral decorations of the tables, which had been arranged
by Mrs. A. B. Sanford, of Matnaroneck, N. Y., Mrs. H.
C. Sanford, of New York City, and Mrs. T. F. Sanford,
of Mocksville, N. C. During the dinner, musical selec-
tions were rendered by Grey's Orchestra. The minutes
of the meeting of 1907 were read by the Secretary, the
Rev. E. T. Sanford, of New York City, and wrere ap-
proved with the following correction, that Dr. A. B.
Sanford had spoken of the previous gathering as a "fine-
looking company."

Letters Read.— During the dinner, Dr. A. B. San-
ford, Treasurer for the preceding year, stated that 800
or more invitations had been sent out by the Secretary
and himself. In reply, he had in his possession over a
hundred letters of response from many sections of the
land. Brief extracts from a few of these letters— express-
ing keen interest in the Association and the forthcoming
Genealogy, with many regrets over the inability of the
writers to attend the Reunion — were as follows:

HON. STEPHEN SANFORD, ( Manufacturer, ) Amsterdam, N. Y —
"I would be most happy to attend and to meet the clan and tribe
of the Sanford name. The satisfaction, pride, and joy would be to
me greater perhaps than in my power of expression. If my health
will permit, I certainly will be present."

12

COL. G. B SANFORD,* (U. S. Army), Litchfield, Conn. — "I am
in thorough sympathy with this movement to bring the. Sanfords
together, and, as far as I can, shall be glad to help."

(Later.) "With the greatest regret I am obliged to forego the
pleasure of meeting the members of our clan at the annual Dinner.
. . . Until yesterday my doctor gave me encouragement to think
that I could be with you ; but now, although I am recovering, it is
quite impossible to think of leaving the house. I wish you all a
very pleasant time."

A. F. SANFORD, ( Manager Journal and Tribune, ) Knoxville,
Tenn. — "I approve fully of the Association, and believe it is a good
idea to bring the family together in this way. ... I will be glad
to join the Association.

(Later.) "I regret very much that I will be unable to attend the
annual Dinner. . . . Thanks for the suggestion as to electing me
Vice President for the State of Tennessee. I would be glad to serve
in this capacity. However, if there are any other Sanfords attend-
ing the Dinner from Tennessee, I would suggest that it would be
much more proper that they be elected.

THE VERY REV. G. A. BEECHER, (Dean Trinity Cathedral,)
Omaha, Neb. — "It would be an exceeding great pleasure for me to
be present on this occasion and to participate in the festivities and
reminiscences of this great famity gathering. ... I am proud of
my connection with the great families, both of your name and

mine Please convey to the members present and to all

friends my hearty congratulations and good wishes."

J. E M. SANFORD, (Boston Globe,) Boston, Mass. — "I shall
not be able to attend. . . . With best wishes for the family gather-
ing."

HON. D. N. MORGAN, (Treasurer United States, 1893-1897,)
Bridgeport, Conn. — "I heartily wish those who may be present a
most agreeable evening with their kinsmen. My father told me in
the long ago that, when he was a boy, he had 52 own cousins
living on his mother's side. Her maiden name was 'Elizabeth
Sanford', of Redding, Conn."

D. A. SANFORD, Dixon, Wyo.— "We are interested in a Sanford
Genealogy. In fact, I have quite an amount of material, running
back to [634, which I had thought of publishing."

MISS VIOLET L. SANFORD, Pittsburg, Pa.— "Having just re-
turned from New York, I cannot possibly go on for the Dinner, but
my best wishes will be with you for the day. Won't you tell me
more about the Association ? I am so interested."

■Died July 13, 190S.

m s DRIOOS, (President Williamsburgh City Piro Insurance
Co.,) New Vuii, Citj "i cannol promise myself the pleasure of
participating la the social gathering of a family endea red I o me by
(in- i les of .-i i ice i ion and of intimate association."

REV. I). I.. SANPORD, (Rector Immanuel Church,) Bellows
Palls, Vt. "Would like to attend a Sanford Reunion, but not in

mid I aiiI . Don't yo« know that ;i very large slice of the family are

Episcopalians? Perhaps not the most important, but numerous
enoitgh to make ;i big hole in your Reunion."

MRS. NELLIE SANPORD WEBB, Madison, N.J. —"II' possible,
I shall be present; but in any event I wish the Association every
success. I am sure the Dinner will be a delightful occasion. I have
always been deeply interested in my Sanford connections, and am
looking forward with real pleasure to the Sanford Genealogy which
is being prepared by Mr. C. E. Sanford, Of Potsdam."

HON. EDWARD SANDFORD, (Executive Chamber.) Albany,
N. Y.— "While it would give me great pleasure to be present at the
Dinner and meet other Sanfords, my work here, particularly during
March and April, makes it impossible for me to accept your
courteous invitation."

MRS. C. L. CORBIN, (temporary address, ) Nassau, Bahamas —
"Because of absence from the vicinity of New York, it will be
impossible for me to join in the Reunion of the Sanford family
this year."

G. A. SANFORD, Redding, Conn.— "I should like very much to
attend, but infirmities of age will prevent. I am 83 years this
month; Mrs. S., 80; our 62nd anniversary, the 15th. We both enjoy
good health."

E. R. SANFORD, JR.— St. Paul, Minn.— "I deeply regret that it
will be impossible for me to be present."

LAWSON SANDFORD, New York City.— "Possibly I am not
eligible, as our family use two "d's" in spelling our name. I should
like, however, to be kept on your list, and will hope that next year.
I shall be able to attend the Dinner."

A. H. SANFORD, Columbus, Ohio.— "I trust that circumstances
will be such as to make it possible for me to be present on the next
occasion. I have been able to give the genealogy of my family but
little attention. However, I am interested in the same, and had an
uncle who gave it considerable of his time and traced the line of
descendants as far back as 1066, when Thomas de Sandford was
knighted by William the Conqueror, at the Rattle of Hastings."

14

MISS PHEBE H. INGRAHAM, Amenia, N. Y.— "I have always
felt an interest and pride in my ancestors on both sides of the
family. I am glad this Sanford organization has been formed, to
bring the different branches of the family in touch with each other."

REV. L. C. SANFORD, (Department Secretary, Missionary
Society, Protestant Episcopal Chtirch,) San Francisco, Cal. — "I re-
gret my inability to attend. I should, however, be very glad to
know something more of the Association."

HAWLEY SANFORD, Jesup, Iowa.— "I am a member of the
Sanford family, an honor which I regard as second only to that of
being a member of the great ' family in heaven and earth' mentioned
by St. Paul."

H. T. KINGSBURY, (of Coudert Brothers, Counselors,) New
York City. — "My nearest Sanford ancestor was my great grand-
mother, Bathsheba Sanford, wife of Horace Holden. I should be
glad to know, however, when the Sanford Genealogy is ready for
publication."

HON. H. S. ABBOTT, (Standing Master in Chancery, U. S.
Circuit Court, Dist. of Minn., ) Minneapolis, Minn. — "I am very
sorry to miss the Dinner of the Sanford Association in your city on
the 23rd inst., but it will be impossible for me to be present. It is a
source of great gratification to claim descent through my mother
from a Sanford."

MRS. HARRIET SANFORD EASTMAN, Hopkinton, N. Y.—
"May all of us be inspired to bring honor to the Sanford name!"

Greetings from the New President.— Before
announcing the after-dinner speakers, the retiring Presi-
dent, Dr. E. B. Sanford, expressed regret that he was
unable to introduce the new President, the Hon. E. T.
Sanford, of Washington, D. C. A telegram from the
latter was as follows:

Washington, D. C,

March 23, 190S.

Members of Sanford Association,
St. Denis Hotel:

Deeply regret [that it is] impossible to be with you tonight.
Send fraternal greetings and every good wish for the Association
and its members.

Edward T. Sanford.

Greetings from the Oldest Member.— Dr. E.

B. Sanford also read the following beautiful letter from
his father, the Rev. Isaac Sanford, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, a resident at Middlefield, Conn., and
now nearly 93 years of age :

15

MM die field, Conn,,

March m, rgeS,

Dear Kinsmen of the Sanford Family;

ii would afford me great
pleasure to meel with you &i yoar yearly gathering, if it were
practicable, I think I am justly proud of my kinsmen, for among
them .ill i know of no low or mean men, and tnanj o( them are in
posit ions of honor and distinction.

I suppose i maj be the oldest member of the family, [f I live
until the 27th of April, 1 shall be 93 years old. Great changes have
taken place within my memory. Some shadows have passed over
my life, but for the most pari it has been happy.

1 have great reason to be thankful thai I am so pleasantly
situated in my old age. 1 am in possession of good health; have a
pleasant home, a sufficient support, an affectionate daughter to
care for me, and kind and thoughtful neighbors. I am blessed with
the love of reading, and have plenty of it, My eyes never tire, and
I use no spectacles.

Standing at the threshold of the narrow house which must soon
be the resting. place of my mortal remains, I can say, in the lan-
guage of the Apostle: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory ? " and rejoice in the hope of immortality.

God bless you, my dear relations, and may we meet in heaven.
Affectionately Your Kinsman,

Isaac Sanford.

Address. — The presiding officer then introduced C. E.
Sanford, of Potsdam, N. Y., whose work for the previous
two and a half years on a Sanford Genealogy had
been an inspiring cause in the formation of the Asso-
ciation. He said that at first he had intended to publish
only the genealogy of his great grandfather, Benjamin
Sanford, of Cornwall, Vt., adding a family chart back to
Thomas Sanford, the pioneer, and giving all he could
learn of him; but the kind responses and the general
desire for a full Sanford Genealogy had led him to decide
upon as complete a book as possible. Already he had
searched the town, church, vital, and probate records,
with the cemeteries, in much of the western half of
Connecticut — as also in Vermont and New York; and
he had also looked in the public libraries of Boston,
New York, and elsewmere. Further, through a profes-
sional genealogist, he had spent a considerable sum
upon a search in England for the parentage of the
founder of the family. So far this had been without
avail, though he still hoped for success.

lf>

17

He believer! lie had Ic rimed about all now possible as
to the Thomas Sanford who appeared in Dorchester,
Mass., in L634, and the Thomas Sanford who came to
Milford, Conn., about L689. These he fell to be the same
person, giving his reasons therefor at some length. He
had been greatly perplexed in determining whether cer-
tain individuals and lines wi re descendants of Thomas,
sinee at least ten pioneer San lords had apparently come
to this country before 1G40. Sketches of them and their
families he proposed to give in his work, for the benefit
of Sanfords not descended from Thomas.

At least three unsuccessful attempts had been made to
publish a Sanford Genealogy, but the projectors had
early given up the task as too difficult. This goes to
show that the family needs and warrants a Genealogy.
Thus far he had found the Sanfords to consist of good
and true men and women, and he proposed to give them
as complete a record as could be prepared.

Sanford Genealogy — In connection with the pre-
ceding address, special attention was called to the
volume in preparation by C. E. Sanford, and the owner-
ship of the Genealogy was earnestly suggested to all.

Address. — The President then introduced Carl Fos-
ter, of the legal profession in Bridgeport, Conn., and a
descendant of the Redding Sanfords. He spoke in choice
words, praising the Sanford womanhood and congrat-
ulating those who had a mother of the Sanford blood.

Poem. — Mrs. A. B. Sanford then read with impressive
interpretation a poem which had been written by her
husband concerning the pioneer, Thomas Sanford, of
Milford, Conn.*

Closing. — Following the reading of the poem, "Auld
Lang Syne" was sung, and the Association said good
night,- in the hope of an even larger and more enthu-
siastic meeting in 1909.

:tFor this poem see page 23.

18

KINSMEN AT REUNION,

As at the previous gathering, the effort was made on
this occasion to limit the attendance to those who
were Sanfords by birth, marriage, descent, or close rela-
tionship. Four in the list were guests ; those who did
not bear the family name were practically all of the
clan. The roll was as follows:

Anway, Wilmore
Anway, Mrs. Wilmore
Armstrong, Charles H.
Armstrong Mrs. Charlt-s H.
Batiks, Miss Annie R.
Bolmer, Mrs. Clarence B.
Camp, Charles L. N.
Carey, Mills P.
Carey, Mrs. Mills P.
Christie, Miss Emma C.
Cutler, Sanford L.
Cutler, Mrs. Sanford L.
Durland, Frank
Durland, Mrs. Frank
Foster, Carl
Foster, Mrs. Carl
Galloway, Albert R.
Galloway, Mrs. Albert R.
Gibbs, Miss S. Louise
Gilman, Frank H.
Headley, Mrs. Sara E.
Herrick, Ernest A.
Herrick, Mrs. Ernest A.
Hickok, William P.
Hill, William B.
Hill, Rev. William T., M. A.
Hyatt, George W.
Hyatt, Mrs. George W.
Hyatt, Mrs. Mary E.*
Killey, Mrs. Helen S.
Lane, Sanford H.
Lane, Mrs. Charles H.
Merritt, C. Ames
Nelson, Thomas F.
Nelson, Mrs. Thomas F.
Northrop, Henry S.
Northrop, Mrs. Henry S.
Parker, Mrs. Lindsav

New York City
Bridgeport, Conn.

New Haven, Conn.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

Newark, N. J.
New York City

Chester, N. Y.

Bridgeport, Conn.

Monroe, N. Y.

Brooklyn, N. Y.
Newa rk, N J.

New Rochelle, N. Y.

Mt. Vernon, N. Y.
New ^ ork City
New Haven, Conn.
Warwick, N. Y.

Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
New York City
Middlebury, V"t.
Danburv, Conn.
Brooklyn, N. Y.

* Died, April 24, 1908.

19

Purely i Lawson
i 'in d\ , M is. Lawsoti
Reed, Mrs. Phoebe M
Roe, Miss Charity P.

Sandford, William P.
Sandford, Mrs. William P,

Sanford, Rev. Aaron K., D. D.
Sanford, Rev. Arthur B., D. I)
Sanford, Mrs. Arthur B.
Sanford, Carlton E.
Sanford, Miss Caroline
Sanford, Charles K., M. D.
Sanford, Mrs. Charles E.
Sanford, Charles E. P.
Sanford, Mrs. Charles E. P.
Sanford, Charles E.
Sanford, Clarenee A.
Sanford, Prof. Daniel S., M. A.
Sanford, Mrs. Daniel S.
Sanford, Edson
Sanford, Edward A., D. D. S.
Sanford, Mrs. Edward A.
Sanford, Edward H.
Sanford, Mrs. Edward H.
Sanford, Rev. Elias B., D. D.
Sanford, Elias F.
Sanford, Miss Emma C.
Sanford, Emory P.
Sanford, Mrs. Emory P.
Sanford, Rev. Ezra T.
Santord, Mrs. Ezra T.
Sanford, Judge Ferdinand V.
Sanford, Miss Frances
Sanford, Francis B.
Sanford, Mrs. Francis B.
Sanford, Frank H.
Sanford, Fred. S.
Sanford, Mrs. Fred. S.
Sanford, G. Foster
Sanford, Mrs. G. Foster
Sanford, George 0.
Sanford, Harry C.
Sanford, Mrs. Harry C.
Sanford, Hon. J. Everett
Sanford. Miss Jessica 0.
Sanford, Miss Julia M.
Sanford, Leonard G.

New York City

Norwalk, Conn.
New York City

Brooklyn, N. Y.

Pleasantville, N. Y.
Mamaroneek, N. Y.

Potsdam, N. Y.
New York City
Bridgeport, Conn.

New Haven, Conn.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

Redding Ridge, Conn.

Meriden, Conn.
New Rochelle, N. Y.

Elizabeth, N. J.

New York Citv
Ore Hill, Conn.
Bridgeport, Conn.
Redding Ridge, Conn.

New- York City

Warwick, N. Y.
New York City

Shelton, Conn.

East Orange, N. J.

Redding Ridge, Conn.
New York City

Warwick, N. Y.
Redding Ridge, Conn.
Warwick, N. Y.
Port Chester, N. Y.

20

Sanford, Lewis C.
San ford, Lewis L.
Sanford, Lorenzo D.
Sanford, Miss May T.
Sanford, Prof. Myron R., M. A
Sanford, Richard L.
Sanford, Miss Ruth
Sanford, Mrs. Sarah F.
Sanford, Sherman
Sanford, Thomas F.
Sanford, Mrs. Thomas F.
Sanford, A4iss Valerie J.
Sanford, Ward H., M. D.
Sanford, Mrs. Ward H.
Sanford, William L.
Sanford, Mrs. Walter

Shaw, Samuel C.
Shephard, Mrs. Lester C.
Stockholm, Abram B.
Thayer, Horace H.
Thompson, Mrs. Sherwood S.
Wyckoff, Miss Mabel
Wyckoff, Mrs. Sarah E.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

Bridgeport, Conn.
New York City
Middleburv, Vt.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Oxford, Conn.
New York City
Seymour, Conn.
Mocksville, N. C.

Hartford, Conn.
New Haven, Conn.

Mocksville, N, C.
Hartford, Conn.

Bridgeport, Conn.
Somerville, Mass.
Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
Yonkers, N. Y.
New Haven, Conn.
New York City

22

GRANDSIRE THOMAS.

He saw the hills of England old

Fade in the gray mists of the sea —
The land of guardian hawthorn rows,

Of primrose bright and wayside tree ;
Where lark on high sang mellow note

And yeoman dwelt, and gallant knight —
All passing now, for this lone man,

Like a swift vision from the sight.

Ah me! No more to tread that strand ;

No more to hear the curfew ring,
When night her sable curtain draws ;

No more to hear the great choirs sing
In minsters vast, old in their stone

And mantled o'er with ivy green,
Where Norman fathers paid, of yore,

Their reverence to the God unseen.

He saw the hills of England old

Fade in the gray mists of the deep —
This voyager to western climes,

Whom ancient customs might not keep
In willing thrall; this venturous soul,

Whom hands unseen did beckon on
To the new land beyond the flood.

Where life's best treasures might be won.

* * *

What was his dream, as wave and wind

Tossed like a toy his caravel?
Thought he of Dorchester's green fields

Beyond the fury of the gale?
Of Plymouth, on her rocky crest,

Growing her fields of waving maize?
Of Quin'p'ac, offering fishers' boats

The shelter of her tranquil bays?

And did he in his fancy mark

The shadowy forms of those to be —
His children and" their children's sons,

A long and brave posterity?
That— like the tribe of Israel old,

Sprung from the loins of Jewish sire —
Should be as many as the stars,

Lighting the night with silver fire?

28

lie saw the hills of England new

Rise from the gray mists of the sea;

His eager hands si retched greeting forth,
His eager head cried joyously.

The voyager a home bad found

On this far shore, where fortune stands
Willi f'aee alight, and beckons on

The wanderer from distant lands.

So came our Thomas to these scenes ;

We call him "grandsire" — all — this night;
Just how he looked, an emigrant green,

No kodak has preserved the sight.
Yet may we picture him with ease;

Not short, but like some cedar tall.
Broad-shouldered, strong-armed, bearded brown-

This was the man who bred us all.

He kept the herds at Dorchester;

Shot shrieking Wawa on the reef—
The toothsome wild fowl; now and then

Took aim at painted Indian chief ;
He drew from waters of the Sound

The patriarch of the finny tribes ;
Amid New Haven's beetling cliffs

He searched, 'tis writ, for regicides.

All hail, Sire Thomas! We, thy sons

And daughters fair, from many parts
Of this wide land bring tribute now,

The greetings of our grateful hearts.
Many our names, like thy first brood,

Ezekiel, Sarah, Mary, Sam,
Thomas, thy namesake— happy boy —

Elizabeth and Ephraim.

And many more— thy name our own-
Mix with earth's workers at the fore;

Some plow the ground and sow the seed ;

Some sail their yachts from shore to shore ;

Some "teach the young idea to shoot;"
Some work at law, and do orate

With swelling words ; in senate halls
Some help to guide the Ship of State.

24

Some preach the word — and practice, too ;

Rich bankers some; some buy and sell ;
Some feel the pulses of the sick

And with their pills make sufferers well.
They write big titles with their names —

"Colonel" and "Doctor," "Judge" and "Squire" —
And thou wouldst think, if thou wert nigh,

That Sanfords run this mortal sphere.

A President we can supply

Next autumn time; let's not go daft
Over the claims of Bryan, Hughes,

O'er "Teddy" or big William Taft.
Great men may in our clan be found ;

A better deed has scarce been done
Than that a Sanford should be set

If the famed chair of Washington.

1761522

Yet tell us, in this jovial hour,

The secrets that we wish to hear;
Came'st thou from Shropshire, with its green,

Or from the ancient Gloucestershire ?
Did'st thou sweet Dorothy Meadows wed,

'Midst English daffodil and rose ?
Or what was Sarah's other name,

Whom hist'ry makes thy faithful spouse ?

Did we from Tom de Sandford spring,

Who fought with the great Conqueror,
That day of fate, when Harold fell

At Hastings, on the southern shore ?
Came we from knights or lords gallant ?

From princes of the royal line ?
Our crest — is't falcon, or two boars

Lifting their heads in challenge fine ?

Thou didst not dream how thou wouldst vex

The depths of our serenity,
And stir up such a monstrous fuss

O'er English birth and pedigree ;
But now, our poor wits gone agley,

On Burke and Crozier do we call,
To end this pother, passing great,

And find our lineage, once for all.

25

26

But long our sire's task has been done;

Under the sward at Milford town
He sleeps the rolling 3'ears away,

While stars benignant e'er look down
As guardians of his honored rest ;

Or glints of sunshine, through the day,
In witchery of changing light

Across his grassy couch do play.

An empty name? Nay, leads he still

His children in the march of life;
His memory a moving force,

As right and wrong wage fierce their strife.
''Noblesse oblige!" Blood always tells ;

Our deeds' must be both kind and bold ;
So shall those of the Sanford name

Help the new age to match the old.

—A. B. Sanford.

27

THE NAME "SANFORD."

The present Association uses but one "d" in its sur
name. This was the original spelling, according to the
Battle Abbey Roll at Hastings. The second "d" is
however inserted in our three references to the Norman
warrior from whom traditionally we have descended,
lli is is done to conform to the present spelling of the
name of the Manor in Shropshire, England.

The etymology of the surname is also noticeable. At
the first Reunion, the Rev. A. K. Sanford, D. D., spoke
of the origin of the word. His explanation was one of
those instances of verbal ingenuity which are most in-
teresting. In this case, his interpretation seems borne
out by the following quotation from A Ramble Among
Surnames, of somewhat recent issue :

The name 'Ford,' which was applied to some one who lived at
or near those places where the streams were forded, evidences the
fact that the rushing stream was really no barrier to our hardy
progenitors, even if they had not brought the art of bridge building
to perfection. But 'Ford' was rather too general to designate
every one who lived at such crossings. Hence we have the patro-
nymics, 'Sand-ford,' 'Ox-ford,' ... and ... 'Hart-ford', ('deer-ford').

MILFORD, CONN.

Just west of New Haven, on the Sound, is situated the
village enrolling among its founders the name of Thomas
Sanford. One record says that he came here from Weth-
ersfield about 1639; and a further claim is that he was
the Thomas Sanford who was in Dorchester, Mass.,
about 1634. His English origin is yet a matter of
diligent inquiry.

The views here inserted give the reader who has not
visited Milford a glimpse of its tranquil beauty. It is not
strange that the early settlers were attracted by its ad-
vantages. At the proper time the Sanford Association
proposes an excursion to this historic spot.

28

6 2 0 1 j