Israel Bennoni ⁷ BIGELOW

16321.69 Israel Bennoni ⁷ Bigelow, son of John ⁶ ( John ⁵ , John ⁴, Lt. John ³, Joshua ², John ¹) BIGELOW and Temperance (SPENCER) BIGELOW, was born at Colchester, New London, CT on 26 September 1809. He married Mary H. Avery on 02 November 1837 at Colchester. He was of Selma, AL at the time. We have no data on her. He went to Texas in the days of the Republic and settled in Brownsville. When the Mexican War broke out, he entered the service and was severely wounded from the effects of which he died at Brownsville on 29 March 1869. He was a prominent lawyer and was the idol of the poor and helpless classes of the population especially the Mexicans. He was also the Mayor of the City of Brownsville, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Texas. His only child died in infancy, but he did adopt a daughter, Henrietta who was born in VA in 1846. She married ______ Foster and was a resident of Florida.(see below)

Child of Israel Bennoni Bigelow and Mary (Avery) Bigelow:

16321.691 child, b and d in infancy.

Sources:
Bigelow Society,The Bigelow Family Genealogy Vol II, pg 249;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America;
vital records Colchester, CT:
Bigelow Society records.
Note:
Subject: Israel B. Bigelow
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 15:30:01 -0600
From: Bill Young   < bill@ci.brownsville.tx.us >
Sir,
        I am president of the Brownsville, Texas, Historical Association and as such am engaged in some research on the first mayor of Brownsville who was also the first county judge of Cameron county, Texas, in 1848. His term as mayor began in 1850. His name was Israel B. Bigelow and he hailed from Colchester, CT. His father was purportedly a baptist preacher there. He died in Brownsville in 1869. We have several antique photographic images that could be Israel B.Bigelow. I'm hoping there is a slim chance that some of his living descendants may have a photo of him? He was a character to say the least. evidence of him exists in the minutes of the county commissioners court and the newspaper ads he placed as a lawyer. He first shows up on the border in 1846 at the time of the Mexican War . . . advertising in a Matamoros, Mexico, newspaper that he has two barrels of lard for sale..
More from Bill:
     You might be interested in a book titled "letters from brownsville" written by a woman named chapman. she knew isreal b. bigelow and there are many references to him .. including some interesting observations about the man and his personality. also,
our historical association has a photo of israel bigelow's house in brownsville, taken in the early 1860s. it was alternately a union and confederate hospital since brownsville changed hands during the course of the war.
     israel bigelow served simultaneously as mayor of brownsville and county judge of cameron county. when he was not holding office, he served as road superintendent and leased office space to county government. he practiced law in brownsville, advertising his office "in the muddiest part of town". we have photos of that street at that time, but we are unsure just which front is the office he speaks of. I was mistaken about his father being a preacher; ms. chapman refers to him as "deacon bigelow" of the baptist church in colchester, ct.
     anyway, any help you could give in fleshing out an image of israel b. bigelow would be much appreciated. at city hall in
brownsville, we have a gallery of past mayors and bigelow's picture is conspicuously absent. maybe you can help rectify that.
best regards . . . bill young

Rod Bigelow (Roger Jon¹² BIGELOW)

8 Prospect Circle
Massena, N.Y. 13662

bigelow@slic.com Rod Bigelow at SLIC

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