That the Strongs of Ireland, Scotland and England are of a different origin respectively, would seem to be manifest from the variety of their family crests. The crest of the Strongs of Ireland is a lion rampant azure, supporting a pillar argent; of those of Scotland, a cluster of grapes stalked and leaved; while those of England have three from which to choose. Which belongs to the Strongs of America, Benjamin W. Dwight, the historian of the Strong family, says is a matter of doubt. The Strong family of England was originally of the county of Shropshire. One of the family married an heiress of Griffith, in the county of Caernarvon, Wales, and took up his residence there in 1545.
(I) Richard Strong, of this branch of the family, was born in Caernarvon, Wales, in 1561. In 1590 he removed to Taunton, Somersetshire, England, where he died in 1613, leaving a son John and a daughter Eleanor. The name is said to have originally been McStrachan, passing through the various forms of Strachan, Strachn, becoming finally Strong.
(II) John, son of Richard Strong, was born in Taunton, England, in 1605. He removed to London and afterward to Plymouth. Having a deeply religious mind, he was in fullest sympathy with the Puritans, and when in 1630 a company of one hundred and forty were sailing for the New World, he accompanied them, sailing in the ship "Mary and John," landing after a passage of seventy days at Nantasket (Hull), Massachusetts, on Sunday, May 30, same year. They prospected for a location several days, finally deciding upon a spot he called Dorchester, after the English home of many of the settlers. John Strong was accompanied by his sister Eleanor, who was several years his junior, he being then about twenty-five years old. She married Walter Deane, a tanner, of Taunton, Massachusetts, previously of Taunton, England, and they are the ancestors of a numerous family. In 1635 John Strong left Dorchester and settled at Hingham and took the freeman's oath at Boston, March 9, 1639. He tarried but a short time at Hingham, for on December 4, 1636, he is found an inhabitant and proprietor of Taunton, Massachusetts, where he was that year made a freeman, and was a deputy to the general court in 1641-43-44. He removed to Windsor, Connecticut, and in 1659 to Northampton, Massachusetts, of which town he was one of the first and most active founders. Here he lived forty years, becoming a leading man in town and church affairs. He was a prosperous tanner and a large land owner. From the church records of Northampton we quote: "After solemn and extraordinary seeking to God for his direction and blessing, the church chose John Strong ruling elder, and William Holton deacon." He married, in England, a wife (name unknown) who died on the voyage or shortly after landing; she was the mother of two children. He married (second) Abigail Ford, of Dorchester, with whom he lived fifty-eight years. She was the mother of sixteen children, and died July 6, 1688, aged eighty years. Elder John Strong died April 14, 1699, aged ninety-four years. At his death he had one hundred and sixty descendants — eighteen children, fifteen having families; one hundred and fourteen grandchildren, and thirty-three great-grandchildren.
Thomas Ford, father of Abigail (Ford) Strong, was one of the company who came in the "Mary and John" in 1630. He was an early settler of Windsor, Connecticut, which town he represented in the general court in 1637-38-39-40. Children of Elder John Strong, by first wife: John, of whom further, and an infant who soon died. By second wife:
- Thomas;
- Jedediah, died aged ninety-six years;
- Josiah;
- Return, died, aged eighty-five years;
- Elder Ebenezer, died aged eighty-six years;
- Abigail;
- Elizabeth, died aged eighty-nine years;
- Experience;
- Samuel, died aged eighty years;
- Joseph, twin with Samuel;
- Mary, died aged eighty-four years;
- Sarah, died aged seventy-seven years;
- Hannah;
- Hester;
- Thankful;
- Jerijah, died aged eighty-eight years.
The oldest and youngest children were thirty-nine years apart in age, the eldest born in England, 1626, and the youngest in Connecticut, 1665. Abigail, wife of Elder Jones, could not have been more than sixteen at the time of her marriage in 1630, at which time the Elder was twenty-five. Two sons and a daughter died young. The daughters all married, one of them twice. The sons all married, and from these fifteen children sprang nearly all the numerous Strong families in the United States.
(III) John (2), eldest child of Elder John (1) Strong, by his first wife, was born in England, in 1626, died in Windsor, Connecticut, February 20, 1697-98. When settled in life he was a resident of Windsor, Connecticut, where he was a man of consequence. It is believed that he learned and followed the business of his father and owned the tanneries. He married, November 26, 1656, Mary Clark, of Windsor, daughter of Joseph Clark; she died April 28, 1663, aged twenty-five years. He married (second) Elizabeth Warriner, who died June 7, 1684. Children by first wife: Mary and Hannah; by second wife: John, Jacob, Josiah, see forward, Elizabeth.
(IV) Josiah, son of John (2) and Elizabeth (Warriner) Strong, was born in Windsor, Connecticut, January 11, 1678, died at Colchester, Connecticut, April 5, 1759. He was a farmer at Windsor until 1704-05, when he removed to Colchester. He married, January 5, 1698, Joanna Gillett, born October 28, 1680, daughter of Josiah and Joanna (Taintor) Gillett, of Simsbury, Connecticut. Children: Hannah, John, Damaris, Elizabeth, Mary, Josiah, Eunice, Caleb, Rachel, Dorothy, Joshua, Irene and Asahel.
(V) Asahel, thirteenth child of Josiah and Joanna (Gillett) Strong, was born in Colchester, Connecticut, June 22, 1725. He was a farmer. He married, June 7, 1744, Betterus Crouch. Children: Irene, Asahel, Adonijah, Ambrose, see forward; Joanna, Betterus, Asahel, Mercy, Polly. On August 22, 1866, at Easthampton, Connecticut, five hundred and thirty-three descendants of Adonijah Strong held a reunion, and the orator of the day said "no member of the family had ever been arraigned for any, even petty, crime, and no one of them ever was an inmate of any almshouse or dependent on public or private charity for support."
(VI) Ambrose, fourth child of Asahel and Betterus (Crouch) Strong, was born in Colchester, Connecticut, November 1, 1750. He was a farmer, and the maker and vendor of a popular medicine of his day, known as "Strong's Syrup." He married, October 4, 1770, Lydia Holdridge, a widow. Children: Elisha and Elijah, twins; Betterus, Roxana, Charles.
(VII) Elijah, twin son of Ambrose and Lydia (Holdridge) Strong, was born at Colchester, Connecticut, June 26, 1771, died there April 26, 1860. He was a farmer of Colchester. He married (first) Anna Crouch, born September 24, 1773, died April 8, 1813, daughter of Christopher and Rebecca (Buell) Crouch; (second) June, 1814, Lucy Finley, born December 18, 1778, died October 26, 1856, daughter of Solomon Finley, of Marlboro, Connecticut. Children by first wife:
- Anna Buell, born January 12, 1799; married a kinsman, George Strong.
- Lydia Chamberlain, born September 16, 1800, died unmarried, April, 1866.
- Rebecca Crouch, born April 13, 1803; married Hazel Gott, of Hebron, Connecticut.
- Elijah Frink, born October 12, 1804.
- Charles Davis, born September 1, 1806.
- Elizabeth Wright, born December 4, 1808; married Lewis Phelps, of Hebron, Connecticut.
- William Christopher, born March 12, 1811; removed to South Carolina, and all trace is lost.
- George Griswold, born November 14, 1812, joined the gold hunters of '49 and went to California; died July 19, 1887, Buena Vista, Iowa, unmarried.
Children of second wife:
- Edward Henry, see forward.
- Lucy Elvira, January 30, 1817, was a school teacher; unmarried.
- Walter John Finley, born September 17, 1822.
(VIII) Edward Henry, son of Elijah and Lucy (Finley) Strong, was born at Colchester, Connecticut, May 14, 1815, died at that place March 15, 1891. He was a farmer, but devoted much of his life to the public service, holding many of the town offices, serving as tax receiver, and three times was elected to the state legislature. During his latter years he was railroad appraiser, adjusting losses for property burned or otherwise destroyed. He was a Puritan in religion, and brought up his family in the strictest observance of all religious forms and worships. He married Eunice Loomis (see Loomis VIII), born in Goshen, Connecticut, May 6, 1818, died at Colchester, June 30, 1902. Children:
- Edward Loomis, born November 4, 1844, died April 1, 1896.
- Henry A., see forward.
- Nelson Hooker, born February 27, 1850, in business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Lucy L., born February 14, 1852, died May 2, 1853.
- Abbie Utley, born March 23, 1854, died at Colchester, March 2, 1901; married John R. Backus.
- Sarah Jane, born November 11, 1856; married Frank W. Barbour, who died May 25, 1896, aged thirty-eight years. She survives him and resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Arthur Hotchkiss, born July 9, 1859, died January 15, 1863.
- Nora Amelia, born May 26, 1862, died January 16, 1863.
(IX) Henry A., second son of Edward Henry and Eunice (Loomis) Strong, was born in Colchester, Connecticut, September 10, 1846. He received his early education in the public schools and prepared for college at the Academy in Colchester, and at Phillips Academy, at Andover and Exeter. He entered Yale College, from which he was graduated A.B., class of 1873. His professional education was obtained at Albany Law School, where he was graduated LL.B., 1874. He began the practice of law in Troy, but in September, 1874, located in Cohoes, where he formed a law partnership with George H. Fitts (in 1905 elected judge of the supreme court, died December 17, 1909), under the firm name of Fitts & Strong. For about a year he was a partner with Frederick C. Webster, a Yale classmate, the firm being Strong & Webster. Since dissolving the latter partnership he has practiced alone, with one exception, doing a general legal business, but confining his work as far as possible to an office practice in preference to the work of a courtroom. He is well versed in the law and stands high in his profession. He is a Republican and always has taken an active, prominent part in city affairs, and as a delegate to county and state conventions has helped to shape the policy of his party. In 1877 he served as city school commissioner; was city attorney from 1878 to 1885 and from 1896 to 1906; was elected mayor of the city of Cohoes in 1892, and in 1894 was elected to succeed himself. Other city offices of trust have been offered him and declined. He is a member of the Presbyterian church since settling in Cohoes, formerly of the Congregational church. He is a member of Albany County and the New York State Bar associations and Alpha Delta Phi fraternity of Yale. He married, June 5, 1884, Esther Lucretia Hastings, of Schenectady, New York, who died April 22, 1901, daughter of Robert Hastings, born in Scotland, emigrating to the United States when a young man. They have no issue.
(The Loomis Line)
Eunice (Loomis) Strong, wife of Edward Henry Strong, was a descendant in the eighth generation of the Loomis family in America founded by Joseph Loomis, a woolen dealer of Braintree, Essex county, England, who sailed from London, April 11, 1638, in the ship "Susan and Ellen," arriving in Boston harbor July 17, 1638. He settled in Windsor, Connecticut, where the town records state he had a tract of twenty-one acres adjoining the Farmington river, partly obtained by grant and partly by purchase. His house was situated near the mouth of the river, and was called the "Island," from the fact that the spring tides converted it temporarily into an island. He settled at Windsor late in 1639, and brought a wife, five sons and three daughters. He died November 25, 1658.
(II) John, son of Joseph Loomis, was born in England, in 1622, and became a man of prominence in the town of Windsor, Connecticut. He was deputy to the general court 1666-67, and from 1675 to 1687 inclusive. He signed his name John Loomys on a court document dated 1688. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Scott, of Hartford, Connecticut. He was known as "Deacon John," and died September 1, 1688.
(III) Thomas, son of Deacon John and Elizabeth (Scott) Loomis, was born in Windsor, Connecticut, December 3, 1653, died August 12, 1688. He married Sarah, daughter of Daniel White; she survived him and married (second) John Bissel.
(IV) Thomas (2), son of Thomas (1) and Sarah (White) Loomis, was born at Hatfield, Massachusetts, April 20, 1684, died April 30, 1765. Married (first) Elizabeth Fowler, (second) Hannah Hunt.
(V) Thomas (3), son of Thomas (2) and Elizabeth (Fowler) Loomis, was born in Lebanon in 1714, died February 22, 1792. Married, November 17, 1734, Susanna Clark.
(VI) Isaiah, son of Thomas (3) and Susanna (Clark) Loomis, was born at Lebanon, September 11, 1749, died November 20, 1834. He married, December 8, 1774, Abigail Williams, born 1755, died July 12, 1826.
(VII) Veach, son of Isaiah and Abigail (Williams) Loomis, was born at Lebanon, Connecticut, December 16, 1775, died there April 30, 1867. He was a farmer. He married Lucy Lathrop, who died there February 27, 1855.
(VIII) Eunice, daughter of Veach and Lucy (Lathrop) Loomis, married Edward Henry Strong (see Strong VIII).