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MRS. HARRY GODFREY. 



/^ARRY GODFREY. 



HARRY GODFREY 



was born in the town of South East, Dutchess Co., N. Y.^ 

 July 8, 1802. He was the eldest son in a family of 

 twelve children of Joseph and Polly Godfrey. The 

 former was a cooper by trade, and spent most of his life 

 as a lumberman and farmer. He died at Ithaca, N. Y., 

 at the age of seventy-five. The latter died at the age of 

 seventy, at the residence of her son Joseph, in Detroit, 

 Mich. 



The children are Harry, Philo, of Dryden, Tompkins 

 Co. ; John (deceased), David (deceased), Ira (deceased), 

 George (deceased), Jeremiah, of Detroit, Mich. ; Joseph 

 (deceased), Mary Ann (deceased), Hannah, Almira 

 (deceased), and Ursula (deceased). 



At the age of sixteen Mr. Godfrey went into the busy 

 world for himself, worked by the jnonth for four years 

 tending saw-mill and lumbering, receiving a part of the 

 time nine dollars per month. 



At the age of twenty he came to Steuben County, and 

 purchased some forty-four acres of timber land in the 

 town of Pulteney, of Dugald Cameron, agent of the land- 

 office. To this purchase he made additions until he had 

 seven hundred acres at one time. He met the obstacles 

 of the pioneer, and endured the privations of the early 

 settler, in making his beginning in the new country; but 

 his subsequent successful career has shown that he then 

 laid the foundation for the remarkable business interest 

 which he has lived many years to carry on. 



In 1822 he married Thersa, daughter of Seth and 

 Catherine Weed, of Pulteney. She was born in the 



county of West Chester, June 16, 1806, the ever memor- 

 able day of the great eclipse of the sun. 



Mr. Godfrey remained a farmer and private broker in 

 the town of Pulteney until 1874, when he removed to 

 Prattsburgh, where he now resides. He has lived to 

 watch the growth of the county for nearly fourscore 

 years, to see schools and churches established, business 

 interests built up, railroads and telegraphs span the globe, 

 and machinery of all kinds lessen manual labor. 



He has led a strictly business life, preferring its quiet 

 to the bickerings of political strife. 



He cast his first vote for Daniel D. Tompkins for gov- 

 ernor, and has been unswervingly a member of the 

 Democratic party. 



While a resident of the town of Pulteney he held the 

 office of supervisor for one year, and that of justice of 

 the peace for twelve years ; and it is said that, while act- 

 ing in the latter capacity, in no instance was his decision 

 reversed in a higher court when an appeal was made. 



Unassisted financially, while young, Mr. Godfrey by 

 his own self-exertion, industry, and prudence has, after 

 many years of labor, reached rank among the strongest 

 financial men of Steuben County, and is known among 

 business men as a man whose word is as good as his 

 bond. His surviving children are Mrs. George Dean 

 and Mrs. Beach, of the town of Pulteney. 



Very few are spared to live so long together as have 

 Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey, — the time being at the writing of 

 this sketch fifty-six years. 



