The Judsons were early settlers of the town of Kingsboro, now Gloversville, Fulton county, New York. The progenitor was Deacon Daniel Judson, born 1729, died 1817. He married and had issue, and his descendants are numerous.
(II) Elisha, son of Deacon Daniel Judson, was born in 1765. He was a farmer, and served in the revolutionary war. He married Lucy Case, born 1766. Children: Sylvester, Sylvanus, Gordon, Elisha (2), Lucy, and Alanson.
(III) Elisha (2), son of Elisha and Lucy (Case) Judson, was born at Kingsboro, Fulton county, New York, June 28, 1796, died there December 11, 1871. He was a farmer, and was also engaged in glove manufacturing as early as 1825. He married March 20, 1828, Rachel B. Brown, born August 26, 1804, died August 11, 1862. Children:
- Daniel Brown, of whom further;
- John Wesley, born May 29, 1831, married Angolia Cobb;
- Elisha (3), born February 3, 1845.
(IV) Daniel Brown, eldest son of Elisha (2) and Rachel (Brown) Judson, was born in Kingsboro, New York, December 30, 1828, died September 26, 1903. He was a student at Kingsboro Academy under Professor Sprague, who in his Gloversville History (1859) said of him, "He had less to learn and less to unlearn than commonly befalls when he came to grapple with the duties of active life. While a student, by his conduct and scholarship he won the respect of his fellows and greatly aided the principal in the government and instruction of the school." After leaving the academy he taught school until 1851, when he entered business life as a glove manufacturer and continued in business until his death, making during his long business life gloves valued at many millions of dollars. His plant included, besides glove factories, two large leather mills, where he dressed his own leather. He also operated two general stores, one in Gloversville and one in Northville. He occupied prominent positions in the village; was vice-president of the Fulton county National Bank many years, and recognized as a man of learning and wisdom. He was a fluent, forcible speaker, and often called forward on important public occasions. He was a Democrat, and his party nominee for congress on the ticket that named Horace Greeley for president, and went down to defeat in the universal party disaster of that year. In 1876 he was presidential elector on the ticket headed by Samuel J. Tilden for president that carried New York state for the Democracy. He was a devoted Christian, was ruling elder of the Presbyterian church and superintendent of the Sabbath school. He held fraternal relation with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He married, March 10, 1852, Phoebe E. Brown, born April 21, 1828, died June 2, 1906, daughter of Thomas and Eunice (Mosher) Brown. Children:
- Edward W., of whom further.
- Daniel Brown, born February 13, 1855, died February 14, 1857.
- Mary Louise, born December 3, 1857, died January 9, 1894; married Alvah J. Zimmer; children:
- Judson, born February 5, 1889;
- Ruth, twin of Judson, died March 24, 1890;
- Janet, born December 2, 1890;
- Horace, July 3, 1893.
- John Brown, of whom further.
- Horace Sprague, born June 10, 1863; married Jessie Belden, (second) Mabel Marcellus.
- Daniel Brigham, born June 2, 1866, died February 21, 1903; married Nettie Morrison.
(V) Edward Wall, eldest son of Daniel B. and Phoebe E. (Brown) Judson, was born in Gloversville, New York, January 30, 1853. He was educated in the public schools and at Wilson Seminary, Easthampton, Massachusetts. After completing his studies he began business life with his father in the glove factory at Gloversville and later was admitted a partner, the firm then becoming Daniel B. Judson & Son, continuing from 1879 to 1883. In the latter year he retired from the firm. He then formed a partnership with E. Brown Baker, and as Baker & Judson became well known as general contractors of heavy construction work. Among their larger operations was the connecting of the Chestnut Hill reservoir, with the new pumping station, an important part of the Boston (Massachusetts) water supply system. In 1905, after a very successful existence, the firm retired from business and dissolved. He was a director of the Fonda, Johnstown & Gloversville electric railroad, and has other important interests. He is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian church. He married, September 20, 1880, Blanche Cutter of Cincinnati, Ohio, born January 19, 1855, daughter of Alpheus Cutter, born 1822, died 1891. He married Martha T., daughter of Colonel John Riddle. Children:
- Joseph, born 1849; married Winifred Herod; has a son Herod.
- Alpheus (2), born 1851; married (first) Catherine Stewart; (second) Catherine Cogswell; (third) Dorothy, who bore Dorothy.
- Ada, born 1853; married E. A. Peck, and has Leo C., and Hazel, who married Roy Trimble.
- Blanche, married Edward W. Judson; no children.
(V) John Brown, son and fourth child of Daniel B. and Phoebe E. (Brown) Judson, was born in Gloversville, New York, August 20, 1861. He was educated in the public schools and Kingsboro Academy, finishing his studies at Williston Seminary, Massachusetts. He learned the printer's trade, and at the age of sixteen years had established a job printing office in Gloversville, New York. The business he then started as a boy he has successfully conducted up to the present date. He mastered every detail of the job printer's art, and has a well equipped modern plant capable of meeting all possible demands that can be made upon it, fine color work and embossing being his specialties. His establishment is designed to meet the needs of the many glove manufacturers of the United States and Canada and receives from them a large patronage. Mr. Judson is largely interested in Gloversville real estate, and has added some important tracts to the city's area, one of them bearing his name, "Judson Heights." He is a member of the Gloversville Chamber of Commerce, and of the Executive Club. Since 1888 he has been an active and prominent figure in politics. In that year he was a delegate to the Democratic state convention and again in 1892. From 1890 to 1894 he was secretary of the Fulton county Democratic committee, and later chairman of that committee. In 1893 he was chosen a member of the Democratic state committee, representing the twenty-second congressional district. He was also a member of the executive committee. In 1894 he was again elected a member of the state committee and was unanimously chosen secretary. In 1896 he was again chosen for that position. He served the state committee as secretary for seven years. In 1895 he was the nominee of his party for state comptroller, receiving in the convention at Syracuse three hundred twelve votes out of four hundred ten. In 1900 he was the candidate of his party for state treasurer. He married, September 19, 1882, Isabelle, daughter of Judge John Stewart and Catherine Wells, who were married in 1848. She is a granddaughter of James and Margaret (McFarland) Stewart, natives of Scotland. Children, born in Gloversville:
- Margaret, born August 2, 1883; married, June 20, 1907;
- Boyd G. Curts, born October, 1882; they have Isabelle Catherine, born February 27, 1910.
- John Brown (2), born May 10, 1893.