Would like to add a photo of Nehemiah to this page. He is my first cousin, six times removed. Will someone with the proper authorization please assist? Thank you! SheilaMc7 (talk) 15:03, 25 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Lucien Sperry

Hello! I have two main sources for Sperry's debts and suicide. First is the New York Times on May 17, 1890:

NEW-HAVEN, Conn., May 16.-Lucien W. Sperry, a well-known real estate dealer of this city, was to-day forced into insolvency by the action of the First National Bank of New Haven, one of his creditors. He was the indorser of notes to the amount of $27,000, given by Enos S. Kimberly, the coal dealer, who recently failed, and Sperry is known to have an additional indebtedness of at least $15,000. Estimates of his liabilities range from $40,000 to $60,000. Little is known of his assets, as no statement has yet been mttde. His creditors recently learned that property which he was supposed to own was transferred by him to Joel A. Sperry several months ago. His creditors have been unable to find any real or personal property owned by him which they might attach. The Kimberly-Sperry notes are all held by local banks, the First National Bank having $18,000 of the paper. Mr. Sperry and Mr. Kimberly together owed $25,000 to Yale University, but this debt is secured by mortgage. Mr. Sperry is an ex-Mayor of New-Haven.

Second is the Indianapolis Journal on June 27, 1890:

BLUE BLOOD AND CRIME. Aged Aristocrat of New Haven Turns Up an Embezzler and Blows Oat His Brains. New Haven, Conn., June 26. Lucien Sperry, one of New Haven's most prominent citizens, not many years since, shot and killed himself this morning at 11 o'clock. He was seventy years old and had served the city as Mayor and represented it in tbe Legislature. He was a descendant of one of the earliest families of New Haven. The suicide was caused by financial troubles. Mr. Sperry was some years ago appointed to be trustee of an estate valued at $16,000. Within the past few weeks relatives have been trying to get control of the estate and Mr. Sperry was ordered by the court to render his account. He could account for but $6,000 or $7,000 and was practically adjudged an embezzler and would probably have been arrested had he not shot himself. Besides this he had worsted several men in different ways to the extent of several thousand dollars and was under at least $50,000 criminal indebtedness without a dollar with which to clear himself. The suicide has caused a sensation, as he shot himself in his house, which is on one of the most fashionable portions of Orange street.

Lucien Sperry built the house I now live in (just behind the house where he killed himself), so I also have a lot of deeds from the City Clerk showing how everything was reshuffled after his death, but these don't shed any more light on his demise.Citynoise (talk) 19:36, 18 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Hello and thank you for this information. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to see your reply. The names involved in the financial dealings leading to Lucien’s death sounded familiar to me — Enos was his stepson. Joel is a cousin of some remove — although I cannot place him exactly in the family genealogy, Lucien’s brother Nehemiah (who also lived on Orange Street) mentioned Joel in a newspaper account of local businesses in Westville and Woodbridge. I would’ve very interested in any other pieces of the puzzle you may know. Do you know the address of the house where Lucien lived (and died)? SheilaMc7 (talk) 03:14, 20 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Here is a link to my website with the news account where Joel Sperry is mentioned

http://www.townhistory.org/visit-to-woodbridge-1895/ SheilaMc7 (talk) 03:18, 20 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]