Meet John C. Wally
A student essay by Doug Gubner
The year is 1859. At his bedside, Sarah Cam prays for her friend and neighbor. “Tuberculosis is a serious disease,” the doctor’s voice was clear inside her head. “There’s nothing you can do, unfortunately.”
John C. Wally, a freed man of color, husband of the deceased Harriet Wally and father of Samuel Wally, then died. John C. Wally was first documented as an enslaved boy named Lazarus scrawled across slips of paper left by one of his master’s descendants. He grew up being owned in Wilton by Ebeneezer Abbott II who is listed as owning 3 slaves in 1790, 2 in 1800, 1 in 1810 and 1 in 1820. Abbott gave Lazarus to his son, Nathan (who was rumored to be in cahoots with the devil) in his will. Lazarus changed his name sometime between 1820 and 1829 when he was freed. Lazarus, now John C. Wally, married Harriet Brush by a justice of the peace in December of 1829 and by Reverend Origin P. Holcomb in St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church the following January.
The church is now part of the WEPCO complex, but was originally on Route 7. The stone church now on the property is the second of three versions of St. Matthew’s. John C. Wally worked for the first version made of wood, resembling the Wilton Congregational Church. John was paid an annual salary of $9 to ring the church bell, sweep the floor, and start the fire. He appears as a freed head of household of three (himself, his wife, and his son Samuel Solomon Wally who was baptized at St. Matthew’s in 1842).
He then worked as a free man, possibly tending to horses belonging to Daniel Betts. John purchased .5 acres of land with a dwelling on it across the street from Bett’s home and next door to Bett’s own stables. This was very near St. Matthew’s. When Daniel Betts passed away, in his will it stated that the .5 acres of land was previously gifted to John C. Wally was to be passed on to him, ensuring Wally would continue to live on that property. Soon after this, John sold the property – for a tidy profit – and then he disappeared without any records of him or his family.
For 175 years, no one knew what became of Harriet, Samuel, and John Wally. Until a short time ago, as Mrs. Sharon Pearson was updating the Wally family tree, she stumbled upon a hint under Harriet Wally. Investigating, she found that Harriet and an unknown daughter (to us) named Betsey had died and were buried in Bridgeport! Dr. Julie Hughes quickly got on the case and discovered the family showed up in Bridgeport, Connecticut in the 1850 census along with a daughter, Betsey. She also uncovered loan papers that stated he owned 2 feather beds and one bedstead, six chairs, a table, a clock, and a mirror. As previously stated, John C. Wally died of consumption, a.k.a tuberculosis in January 1859. His son Samuel was never heard from again, and is still missing to this day.
