Erastus Aurelian Lord

LORD, LYNDE, Jr., of Lynde; m. Mary Lyman, Jan. 30, 1786.

Mary S., b. Jan. 31, 1787; m. John Pierpont.

Joseph L., b. Sept. 2, 1788.

Joseph L., b. Aug. 25, 1790.

Erastus A., b. Oct. 16, 1792.

Wm. Rufus, b. Aug. 14, 1794.

Henry E., b. Feb. 13, 1797.

Francis M., b. Nov. 7, 1798.

George, b. Oct. 29, 1800.

Abigail L., b. Aug. 6, 1804.

Bibliographic information:

• Title A Genealogical Register of the Inhabitants of the Town of Litchfield, Conn: From the Settlement of the Town, A. D. 1720, to the Year 1800, Whereby One Knowing His Father's Name, May Perhaps Ascertain who Were Some of His Antecedent Progenitors
• Author George Catlin Woodruff
• Publisher Case Lockwood & Brainard Company, 1900
• Original from the University of Virginia
• Digitized Aug 23, 2007
• Length 267 pages
• Page 134
• https://books.google.com/books?id=Xf0LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA134&lpg=PA134&d...

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(Note: text says eight children, but clearly lists nine. -- Jessica German)

5346. Erastus Aurelian, b. 16 Oct., 1792, at Litchfield. He m. 6 Jan., 1815, Charlotte Dorman of Litchfield, b. 10 May, 1790. They settled at Litchfield and were living at Roxbury, Mass., in 1859. They had eight children :

1. Augustus Aurelian, b. 5 Nov., 1815, a merchant at Litchfield in 1859.

2. Frederick Augustus, b. and d. 1817.

3. Corrinna Mary, b. 4 Aug., 1818, living at Roxbury in 1859, unm.

4. Mary Lyman, b. 1820, d. 1831.

5. George Frederick, b. 16 March, 1822, at Litchfield, m. 12 Dec, 1817, Mary N. Dodd of Litchfield, where they settled, and he was a farmer. They were living there in 1859, and had two children : Mary Frances, b. 18 Feb., 1850 ; and Catherine Williams, b. 6 June, 1854.

6. John McHenry, b. 1 Jan., 1824, at Litchfield, living in California in 1859.

7. Frances Maria, b. 28 April, 1826, at Litchfield, living at Roxbury in 1859, unm.

8. William Rufus, b. 29 April, 1827, at Litchfield, living at Roxbury in 1859, unm.

9. Julia Spencer, b. 1832, d.1833.

Bibliographic information:

• Title: Hyde genealogy; or, The descendants,in the female as well as in the male lines, from William Hyde, of Norwich .. (1864)
• Author: Walworth, Reuben Hyde, 1788-1867
• Volume: v.2
• Subject: Hyde, William, d. 1681; Hyde family
• Publisher: Albany, J. Munsell
• Pages: 772
• Language: English
• Call number: 39999066629195
• Digitizing sponsor: Boston Public Library
• Book contributor: Boston Public Library
• Collection: bostonpubliclibrary; americana
• Full catalog record: MARCXML
• Page: 742
• https://archive.org/stream/hydegenealogyord002walw#page/742/mode/1u...

From the Litchfield CT Historical Society: http://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/ledger/students/5312 Erastus Lord was born in Litchfield in 1792. He was trained as a bookbinder and began his career in Boston, Massachusetts. Unable to open his own shop, he worked out of the general goods story of family friend John Neal. When Neal and Lord’s brother in-law John Pierpont decided to open a store in Baltimore, Maryland, Lord followed.

He returned to Litchfield a few years later in 1822 and opened a “pocket book manufactury” on North Street where he advertised all type of leather covered goods including portfolios, pocket books or wallets, sewing cases and jewelry cases. He quickly expanded moving his shop into the town center on West Street and renaming his business Lord’s Book and Variety Shop. His stock increased in variety as Lord attempted to appeal to a broader audience of consumers.

The attempt to grow his business proved catastrophic for Lord. By 1838, he was over extended and his creditors were calling for payment. Lord was declared an insolvent debtor and forced to liquidate his assets.

Lord ended his career by worked for his son Augustus who continued his father’s leather goods business in Litchfield. Augustus was able to achieve the success that eluded his father. Under his ownership, the business flourished during the 1840s and Augustus sold wallets to dry goods merchants across the east coast.

Helga J. Ingraham Memorial Library, Litchfield Historical Society has a daguerrotype of Erastus and Charlotte Lord.