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Ghost Author of Documents

In browsing or searching the files of the Papers of the War Department digital archive, you may come across the authors, “Elijah and Simon House“.  Investigating further, you’ll learn that they were contractors from Hebron, CT.  That is where their biographical information ends within our database.  As editors, we asked ourselves many times over who these two men were and why their names appeared on so many of our documents.

In most cases, their names were used as place holders until the original author of the document could be ascertained.  But that information still leaves the larger question unanswered – Who were the gentlemen from Hebron?

The General Assembly of Connecticut listed Elijah House of Hebron as a member in 1804.  The roll of state officers and members of the General Assembly of Connecticut proving this can be found on Googlebooks, page 145.  As it turns out Elijah was not just a contractor and political figure but also a member of a moderately successful family.  Elijah inherited the family homestead  and all its tools from his father, James, in 1797.  Elijah also built a successful merchant firm along with the largest house in Andover.

Land records show he leased several buildings to his son, Simon, in 1815.  They included not only the merchant shop but also the slaughter house and rights to the cooper shop for “trying tallow, lard, etc.”  Unfortunately, financial ruin ends the story of Elijah House’s financial success.  Like many other merchants, he extended credit to the French during their quartering in local homes during 1781.  Elijah never recouped the expenses and his estate was left insolvent upon his death.

The French were also the demise of Simon House.  Simon became a Colonel in the American military during the War of 1812 and returned to civilian life on an upwards trajectory.  The merchant shop he ran grew into a successful trading company which ran shipments of provisions  from Connecticut to the West Indies.  In a dark twist of fate, his goods were seized by the French and promissory notes of compensation were lost.  Simon House lost $35,000 in goods which was never regained.

Cole, J.R.  History of Tollard County: Connecticut (1888).   CT: Higginson Book Company, 1992.

A History of The Ecclesiastical Society and 1st Congreagation Church – Andover, Connecticut 1747 – 1972.

Roll of State Officers and Member of the General Assembly of Connecticut from 1776 – 1881.  Hartford, CT: Case, Lockwood, &  BrainardCompany, 1881.