The paternal descent of the Daw family of Troy is through French Huguenot ancestors, who fled from the city of Rochelle in France and came to America, where a large settlement of people of the same religious convictions founded New Rochelle, near New York City. The names of two of the Daw ancestors are on the Huguenot monument at New Rochelle as founders of New Rochelle. Through intermarriage with the Denisons they obtain descent from Captain George Denison, a noted Indian fighter of Connecticut, whose wife, Ann Boradaile, was an English lady of rank. His father was William Denison, who came to America in 1631 and settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Captain George Denison returned to England after the death of his first wife, joined the army of Cromwell, was wounded at the battle of Naseby, was nursed back to life at the home of John Boradaile by his daughter Ann, whom he afterward married; he returned to America and settled at Stonington, Connecticut, where he died in 1694. As a leader of the volunteer forces, he broke the power of the Indians and gave peace to the harassed settlers. The descent is through Captain John, eldest son of Captain George and Ann (Boradaile) Denison; Daniel, child of Captain John and Phoebe Denison; Daniel (2), who was the ninth child of Daniel (1) and Mary Denison; Daniel (3), second child of Daniel (2) and Esther Denison; Esther, born 1776, third child of Daniel (3) and Elizabeth Denison, who married Miner Walden, of Pawlet, Vermont; removed to Albany county, New York, where the mother of George W. Daw, of Troy, was born.
(I) Peter Ferris Daw was born October 22, 1808, at Ridgefield, Connecticut. He embraced the profession of law and practiced in Cohoes until his death, May 27, 1876. He married Sophia M. Walden, of Albany, New York, born November 19, 1815, at Berne, Albany county, New York.
(II) George Weidman, son of Peter Ferris and Sophia M. (Walden) Daw, was born in Cohoes, New York, March 24, 1856. He attended the Cohoes public school until attaining the age of fifteen, when he went to Albany to prepare for college. He entered the high school in that city, from which he graduated, but the death of his father prevented the carrying out of his college plans. In 1877 he went to Troy; entered the law offices of Smith, Fursman & Cowen, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1880. After two years of private practice, he formed a partnership with Eugene L. Peltier, which existed until 1890, since which date he has continued alone in his legal business. He is well known and prominent among the lights of the Rensselaer county bar. He has held several important public positions in his profession, among them that of attorney for the excise board of Troy, for the years 1883-84-85.
He has allied his energy and ability with other enterprises not connected with his profession. He was one of the organizers of the Union National Bank of Schenectady, New York, of the Albany Trust Company, of Albany, New York, of the Peoples Bank of Troy, and of the Troy Trust Company, in the last two of which he is a director at the present time (1910). He is also a director of the Pittsburgh-Eastern Company, of the R. T. French Company, of Rochester, New York, and of the Beacon Electric Light Company, and other local business enterprises of importance.
In the political life of Rensselaer county Mr. Daw has ever been active. From 1880 to 1884 he was secretary of the Republican county committee and acting chairman during the Blaine campaign of 1884. He is interested in real estate operations, and in California plotted and promoted the now thriving town of Vernondale. He was one of the organizers of the Rensselaer Union Club, now known as the Troy Republican Club. and member of the Troy Club, director of the Riverside Club, which he helped to organize. He is a member of Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church, which he has served many years as vestryman. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Rensselaer County Bar Association, the Huguenot Society of America, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Fort Orange Club, Country Club of Albany, New York, and Rensselaer County Society of New York City, New York. He continues his legal practice in Troy, where he has an established clientage. He married, May 10, 1882, E. Eugenia, only daughter of Daniel Wiedman, of Albany. Children:
- Elma Elmina, a graduate of Emma Willard School of Troy, and Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania;
- Georgena, also a graduate of the Enma Willard School.