The Andros family of Troy are descendants of John Andrus, of England, who settled in Connecticut in 1672. The name is quite common in England, and in the Latin "Andreas" signifies "a man," or "manly," or "like a man." The English books on heraldry give full descriptions of several coats-of-arms, according to the spelling of the name, which like many other family names, has a great variety of forms — thus: Andrew, Andrews, Andreas, Anders, Andros, Andross, Androws, Androwes, Androse and Andores. Little heed need be given to the spelling as evidence that different families are not from the same ancestor either in England or in this country. The name Andrews was early in Massachusetts. William, of Lynn, was made a freeman in 1634. Upon the Wethersfield records the name is uniformly spelled "Andrus," as it is on the Plainfield, Connecticut, records, where the family were among the early manufacturers. They came into prominence in Plainfield soon after the close of the revolution. In 1789 Abel Andrus was lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment, and Frederick Andrus was captain.
(I) John Andrews came from England in 1639, and settled at Ipswich, Massachusetts. He was a carpenter and woodworker. He married Jane Jordan and had a large family.
(II) John (2), son of John (1) Andrews, the emigrant, was of Farmington, and of Hartford, Connecticut. He died in 1681. He had a wife Mary and sons: Benjamin, John, Abraham, Daniel and Joseph. He had daughters, Mary, Hannah and Rachel.
(III) Daniel, son of John (2) and Mary Andrews, was born in 1650 in Farmington. He married and had children: Daniel, Mary, Joseph, Thomas, John, Martha, Hannah, Paul, Stephen (1) and Stephen (2).
(IV) John (3), son of Daniel Andrews, was born June 10, 1680. He was of Hartford and Norwich, Connecticut. He married Rachel ————, and had issue.
(V) Benjamin, son of John (3) Andrews, was baptized August 23, 1719, in Norwich, Connecticut. In this generation the name was first written "Andros" by this branch of the family. He married Lydia, daughter of Thomas Spaulding.
(VI) Abel, son of Benjamin and Lydia (Spaulding) Andros, was born in 1755. He was lieutenant-colonel in 1789. He married Bridget Frank, January 2, 1777, and had issue.
(VII) Benjamin (2), son of Abel and Bridget (Frank) Andros, was born in Plainfield, Connecticut, October 20, 1777, died January 28, 1860. He was a farmer and manufacturer, and in 1811 organized the Andros Factory Company, and built a mill on land purchased in Plainfield, which was the beginning of the settlement since known as Packerville. He was a farmer and owned lands in the town, which he cultivated. After the death of his wife he made his home with a married sister, Mrs. Erastus Lester, at Central Village (a part of the town of Plainfield). He was a deacon in the church at Plainfield, also of the church at Central Village. He married, March 16, 1803, Sarah Averill, of Preston, Connecticut, who died March 30, 1838, aged fifty-six years. They had sons: William Noyes and James Sanford; also daughters.
(VIII) William Noyes, son of Benjamin (2) and Sarah (Averill) Andros, was born in Plainfield, Connecticut, May 26, 1806. He established in business life as a manufacturer of varnish. He was a member of the Presbyterian church. He married, at Providence, August 3, 1830, Amelia Ann Olney, born in Providence, June 28, 1812. Children:
- George William, born in Providence, February 2, 1832;
- Charles Benjamin, (see forward);
- Francis Arnold, born in Providence, April 20, 1835;
- James Sanford, April 7, 1837, in Providence;
- Henry Sanford, April 11, 1840, in New York City;
- William, November 17, 1844, in New York City.
(IX) Charles Benjamin, son of William Noyes and Amelia Ann (Olney) Andros, was born at Dighton, Massachusetts, June 23, 1833. He was educated at John Galloway's Select Boarding School, New York City. He began his business life as bookkeeper for his father, with whom he remained until the death of the latter. In 1852 he entered the employ of the Hudson River Railroad Company, later was employed by the New York Central Railroad Company as bookkeeper, cashier and agent, until 1898, when he was retired on a pension. During this period he was depot agent at Troy, and filled many responsible positions. He was an attendant of the First Presbyterian Church, and a Republican in politics. He married, in Troy, New York, April 9, 1878, Mary Jane, born December 13, 1840, in New York City, daughter of Dr. George Washington and Mary (Harris) Strait. The latter had one other daughter, Elizabeth. Mr. and Mrs. Andros had one child, Charles Henry, (see forward).
(X) Charles Henry, only child of Charles Benjamin and Mary Jane (Strait) Andros, was born at Troy, New York, January 2, 1885. He was educated in the public schools of Troy, and was graduated from Troy Academy in 1903, after which he entered the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, graduating with degree of C. E., class of 1907. Since his graduation he has been a member of the faculty, being assistant in descriptive geometry and draughting. He is also in the employ of the state highway commission as engineer and draughtsman. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the First Presbyterian Church. His college fraternities are Delta Kappa Epsilon, Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Xi. He married Helen L., daughter of Joseph Alexander McQuide.