Hiram Benjamin Crosby’s Early Life

Norwich, Connecticut

Hiram Benjamin Crosby was born on Christmas Day 1831 in Norwich, Connecticut, to Hiram and Nancy Elizabeth (Carew) Crosby.[1] Hiram Sr. was a woolen manufacturer and dealer. The abundance of rivers for waterpower and access via the ocean and, as of 1840, the railroad to the New York, Boston and central New England markets, made Norwich and the New London County area a manufacturing hub in the 19th century. Mills and factories producing paper, cotton and woolen goods, firearms and other products lined the riverbanks.

Hiram Benjamin had only one sibling, a younger sister named Elizabeth Ann. As young children, Hiram and his sister spent some of their childhood living in Lyme Connecticut but later the family returned to Norwich.[2]

Academically, Hiram was very capable. He attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he was a member of the Kappa Kappa Kappa Society,[3] a literary and debate society. He graduated from Dartmouth in the Class of 1854.[4] 

He then "read law" to become a lawyer. At the time, self-study or doing an apprenticeship under the mentoring of an experienced lawyer was the standard means to learn law and courtroom procedures. The bar examination to become licensed usually consisted of an oral exam by a judge. Once passed, the lawyer could practice anywhere in that State. Hiram read law with the Hon. Lafayette Sabine Foster[5]— a Connecticut politician and jurist who was a U.S. Senator from 1855 to 1867 and later a Connecticut Supreme Court Judge. Hiram was admitted to the bar in 1855[6] and began practicing in Norwich. 

Hiram soon took a prominent place at the county bar and in the Norwich community. The Yankee work ethic was ingrained in him. He was elected City Attorney in 1857, Recorder in 1858, and Alderman in 1859.[7] In August 1858, the Norwich Police Court was established with Hiram appointed as the Judge with a $400 salary.[8] 

He joined the Masonic Lodge in Norwich in 1858 and was a member there at least through to 1867.[9] He helped to organize "Young Men's Lecturers" given in Breed Hall[10] where his law office was also located. He even became the town’s Fire Marshall receiving $15 in 1861 for this job.[11] 

1876 map of Norwich Connecticut
Norwich, Connecticut (1876 map)

Breed Hall, Norwich Connecticut
Breed Hall: Hiram B. Crosby's law office was located at 2 Breed Hall
Corner Main Street & Washington Square, Norwich, Breed Hall opened in February 1860 and was used for lectures, concerts, and large assemblies including Civil War meetings.

Marriage & Family

In September 1859 at the age of 27, Hiram married Mary Zilpha Scott,[12] daughter of Clark and Zlipha (Judd) Scott, who was about 10 years his junior. Hiram and his wife lived in his parents’ Norwich home in Union Street.[13] Multi-generational households were conventional at that time. 

Also in the household was Hiram’s unmarried sister, Elizabeth whose occupation in the 1860 US Census was listed as “Lady”. Mary’s occupation was listed as “Companion”, presumably ‘Lady’ Elizabeth’s companion.[14]

A son, Charles Erskine Crosby, was born to Hiram and Mary on July 11, 1860.[15]

The Crosby household, July 1860, just before Charles was born[16]

  • Hiram Crosby, aged 53, Manufacturer, $5000 personal estate
  • Nancy E Crosby, aged 49, Housekeeper
  • Hiram B Crosby, aged 29, [occupation illegible], $8000 real estate, $1000 personal estate
  • Mary Z Crosby, aged 19, Companion
  • Elizabeth Crosby, aged 25, Lady, $300 personal estate
  • Mary Mahony, aged 34, Domestic, born in Ireland

It is interesting to see that at age 29, Hiram Benjamin Crosby appears to have more financial assets than his father.

The Start of the Civil War

In April 1861, the American Civil War began and the Norwich community rallied for the war effort. Hiram was active in fund-raising and helping to organize the fit-out of the military companies being formed.[17] 

Initially, he did not enlist. Instead, he continued studying and practicing law, and on February 11, 1862, he was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, Washington DC.[18]

For several weeks in the spring of 1862, Hiram and his partner, Solomon Lucas (who in 1864 marries Hiram’s sister, Elizabeth), ran this ad in the local newspaper:

Norwich Connecticut newspaper ad for Crosby and Lucas attorneys at law
Norwich Morning Bulletin (Norwich CT), 21 April 1862[19]

Several months later, in July 1862, Hiram put a pause on his legal career and enlisted.

Read: Hiram Benjamin Crosby’s Involvement in the American Civil War

Footnotes & Sources

  1. [1] Henry A. Hazen and S. Lewis B. Speare, eds., A history of the class of 1854 in Dartmouth college, including Col. Haskell's narrative of the battle of Gettysburg (Boston: Alfred Mudge & Son, Printers, No. 24 Franklin Street; 1898), page 18; imaged book, HathiTrust, https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100476707 (accessed 11 Sep 2025)
  2. [2] Three sources:
    • 1840 U.S. census, Lyme, New London, Connecticut, population schedule, page 85, Hiram Crosby, enumerated 26 July 1840; imaged, “1840 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8057/images/4411219_00176?pId=1538097 : accessed 10 September 2025).
    • 1850 U.S. census, Norwich, New London, Connecticut, population schedule, page 104a, Henry M. Gardiner; imaged, “1850 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8054/images/4181038-00210?pId=18289736 : accessed 10 September 2025). The Crosby family were in the Gardiner's household.
    • Genealogical and biographical record of New London County, Connecticut : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the early settled families (Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1905), page 885; imaged book, Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/genealogicalbiog1905chic/page/n5/mode/2up (accessed 10 Sep 2025)
  3. [3] Catalogue of the Kappa Kappa Kappa Society of Dartmouth College (Hanover, N.H.; issued March 1859), digital image. Ancestry.com, U.S., School Catalogs, 1765-1935 (accessed 9 Aug 2024).
  4. [4] Hazen and Speare, ed., A history of the class of 1854 in Dartmouth college, page 3.
  5. [5] Hazen and Spear, A history of the class of 1854 in Dartmouth college, page 18.
  6. [6] "Norwich Attorneys and Physicians of 1863", Norwich Bullentin (Norwich CT), Tuesday 29 November 1921; imaged copy, Index of historical New York newspapers, https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html (accessed 12 October 2025)
  7. [7] Hazen and Spear, A history of the class of 1854 in Dartmouth college, page 18.
  8. [8] Hartford Times (Hartford CT), 10 August 1858, column 5; imaged copy, Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, https://link-gale-com.nehgs.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/GT3017162136/NCNP?u=mlin_b_nenghist&sid=bookmark-NCNP&pg=2&xid=da61242 (accessed 22 Sep 2025)
  9. [9] Two sources:
    • Centennial History of Somerset Lodge, No. 34, F. and A.M., of Norwich, Conn., 5795-5895, with additional Masonic information, published by The Lodge, 1896; Record Job Print, Norwich, page 136. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924030290005&seq=9 (accessed 26 Oct 2025)
    • Annual assembly 1862-1865, Freemasons, Connecticut, Royal and Select Masters Grand Council, 1862 & 1865. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924097840684&seq=1 (accessed 27 Oct 2025)
  10. [10] "Young Men's Lectures", Norwich Morning Bulletin (Norwich CT), Saturday 3 November 1860, page 3; imaged copy, Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/1227226293/
  11. [11] "Auditor's Report—Expenses of the City of Norwich, for the year ending June 1, 1861: Miscellaneous", Norwich Morning Bulletin (Norwich CT), Monday 17 June 1861, page 3; imaged copy, Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/1227226978 (accessed 30 Sep 2025)
  12. [12] "Sues H.B. Crosby for Divorce", The Sun (New York), Saturday 18 January 1896, page 8; imaged copy, Index of historical New York newspapers, https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html (accessed 16 Sep 2025)
  13. [13] Norwich, Connecticut, City Directory, 1861, p41; Ancestry, U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, (accessed 25 Oct 2025).
  14. [14] 1860 U.S. census, New London County, Connecticut, population schedule, Norwich, page 878, dwelling 635, family 709, Hiram Crosby; imaged, “1860 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 9 October 2025).
  15. [15] Connecticut, Births and Christenings, 1649-1906, pages 325-326, image 324 of 941, FamilySearch, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F77C-FJ2 (accessed 5 Oct 2025).
  16. [16] 1860 U.S. census, New London Co., CT, pop. sch., p. 878, dwell. 635, fam. 709, Hiram Crosby.
  17. [17] Malcolm McGregor Dana, The Norwich memorial: the annals of Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, in the Great Rebellion of 1861-65, Norwich, Conn., J.H. Jewett and Company, 1873, page 21. Accessed from https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/944493-the-norwich-memorial-the-annals-of-norwich-new-london-county-connecticut-in-the-great-rebellion-of-1861-65 (accessed 20 Oct 2025)
  18. [18] "Supreme Court", Washington D.C. National Republican (Washington DC), 13 February 1862, column 1; imaged copy, Index of historical New York newspapers, https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html (accessed 16 Sep 2025)
  19. [19] "Crosby & Lucas", Norwich Morning Bulletin (Norwich CT), Monday 21 April 1862, page 1; imaged copy, Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1227227738/

Published 13 November 2025. Last updated 19 November 2025.

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