Wolcott History – Town clerks

I recently received from my sister a copy of my father’s Navy discharge papers. I noticed that it was apparently a requirement to register your discharge with the town clerk where you were living. He was honorably discharged on May 29, 1946. Since he was not yet married (but he was engaged), he was temporarily living with his sister in Waterbury, so the back of the paper is stamped on June 1, 1946 in Waterbury. He and my mother married in early September of that year and after their honeymoon moved into the home in Wolcott where they lived for the next 60 years together. On October 14, 1946 there is a handwritten recording from the town clerk in Wolcott also attesting to his honorable discharge. It was signed, “Minnie N. Warner, Town Clerk”. When I was growing up the town clerk was Minnie Bergen, and I wondered if this was the same person. So I began some investigation into the town clerks of Wolcott.

In the first 200 years of the town’s history there have only been 10 individuals who have served as town clerk. This position was a highly valued one and if the person was doing a good job, they continued to be re-elected. The 175^th anniversary brochure of the town noted that the longest serving town clerk, Henry Minor, was only opposed in an election once in the 54 years that he served and that opponent only received three votes. Since many of the names on this list were familiar to me, I decided to check on their family trees. As I suspected, I was also related to most of them. So here are 200+ years of the town clerks of Wolcott.

1796-1815 – Isaac Bronson (1736-1826), my 2^nd cousin, 6 times removed

1815-1839 – Archibald Minor (1784-1847), my 3^rd cousin, 5 times removed

1839-1841 – Levi Moulthrop (1811-), my 4^th cousin, 4 times removed

1841-1842 – Isaac Huff, no relation

1842-1848 – Joseph Sperry (1800-), my 1^st cousin, 5 times removed

1848-1902 – Henry Minor (1809-1902), son of Archibald above, died in office,

my 4^th cousin, 4 times removed

1902-1905 – John Todd (1846-1942), my 4^th cousin, 3 times removed

1905-1930 – Wilfred V Warner (1866-1947), my 6^th cousin, twice removed

1930-1978 – Minnie [Nortier] [Warner] Bergen (1903-1978), daughter-in-law of Wilfred,

            apprenticed under him, died in office, wife of my 7^th cousin, 3 times removed

1978-2005 – Elaine [Warner] King (1932-2008), daughter of Minnie, grand-daughter of Wilfred

            apprenticed under Minnie from 1954-1978, 8^th cousin

            The Warner/Bergen/King family held this position for 100 years!