From History of Walworth County Wisconsin, Vol. 1, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 708 - 710
 
SEYMOUR NORMAN HATCH.  Wonderful indeed has been the transformation of Walworth 
county since it was first beheld by the late Seymour Norman HATCH, one of our 
earliest pioneers and for many years an influential and highly honored citizen, 
for when this sterling character cast his lot here he found a wide-stretching 
wilderness, still the domain of the various tribes of Indians of this section 
of the Union, and also the haunts of various species of ferocious creatures of 
the earth and air.  But he was not a man to be disheartened at seemingly 
insurmountable obstacles, in fact, being a man of courage and farsightedness, 
he underwent the hardships and trials incident to life in a new country and 
enjoyed it better than being hampered by the civilization of the old Empire 
state, from whence he came.  He was a man whom all admired, for his sterling 
honesty, his courage, his hospitality and his public spirit, and he is 
eminently deserving of a permanent place in his county's history.
 
Mr. HATCH was born at Leroy, Genesee county, New York, on April 12, 1817, and 
there he was reared to manhood.  He was the son of Hervey and Amy (SEYMOUR) 
HATCH, the latter being the daughter of Zadock and Naomi (MUNGER) SEYMOUR.  The 
father, born April 30, 1757, enlisted at Waterbury, Connecticut, for service in 
the Revolutionary war, through which he served with much credit.  He was a son 
of Steven and Mehitable (HICKOX) SEYMOUR, of Waterbury, Connecticut, he having 
been born in 1718.  Steven SEYMOUR was a son of Ebenezer SEYMOUR, who was the 
son of Richard SEYMOUR, who was born in Farmington, Connecticut, in 1682, and 
in 1668 he was the leader of a pioneer colony to what was then termed "the 
great swamp," now Kensington.  Richard SEYMOUR was the captain of Fort Seymour, 
built for protection of the settlers from Indians.  He was the son of Richard 
SEYMOUR, Sr., who emigrated to America in 1639 and settled at Hartford, 
Connecticut, and in 1650 became one of the founders of the town of Norwalk, in 
which he spent the rest of his life.
 
Hervey HATCH was the son of Timothy and Abigail (PORTER) HATCH, he having been 
born in Vermont in 1792.  Abigail PORTER was the daughter of Moses and Sarah 
(KELHAM) PORTER, the father a soldier in the Revolutionary war, who fought at 
Bunker Hill, Long Island and Saratoga and was at the surrender of Burgoyne.  He 
was a selectman at Powlet in 1785 and 1787, and was a deacon in the 
Congregational church.
 
Hervey HATCH's father, Timothy HATCH, was born on May 7, 1764.  He devoted his 
life to farming to Genesee county, New York.  He was a captain of militia, and 
was senior warden in the Episcopal church for a period of twenty-seven years.  
His father, Timothy HATCH, Sr., was born June 22, 1728, at Tolland, 
Connecticut.  His father was also named Timothy, and he was born at Falmouth on 
October 19, 1695, and his death occurred at Kent, Connecticut, on March 30, 
1766.  In May, 1740, he was commissioned captain of the "training band" by the 
General Assembly at Hartford, Connecticut.  He was a justice of the peace for 
many years and was moderator of the town; he was a man of large wealth and was 
very influential in his locality.  The last named Timothy HATCH was the son of 
Benjamin and Elizabeth (EDDY) HATCH, he a native of Falmouth and she of 
Tisbury.  Benjamin HATCH was a cordwainer.  He was born at Falmouth on 
September 7, 1855, and was the son of Jonathan and Sarah (ROWLEY) HATCH.  The 
father was born in England about 1625 and he came to America with his parents, 
Thomas and Grace HATCH.  He lived to be nearly one hundred years of age.  
Thomas HATCH was the ancestor of the family of this name in America.  He 
emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1630, or at least not later than 1634; 
his wife, Grace, was of Welsh descent.  He was born in the county of Kent, 
England.  He became a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634, and in 
1639 he became one of nine original purchasers of Yarmouth township, Plymouth 
colony, in Cape Cod.  In 1640 he became an equal or joint proprietor with about 
twenty-five other men of the township of Barnstable, and there his death 
occurred in 1661.  He became well-to-do for that early day.
 
The mother of Seymour N. HATCH died while he was young.  He grew to manhood in 
the state of New York, and when he reached his majority he came west and 
located in Linn township, Walworth county, Wisconsin in 1838, taking up eighty 
acres of government land along the northern shore of the lake, on which he 
located.  Then he went down into Illinois, where he spent about four years, 
returning to Walworth county in 1842 and entered another eighty acres from the 
government, bordering the south shore of the lake.  Some years afterwards he 
bought one hundred and sixty acres along the south shore of the lake, and in 
time he became the owner of seven hundred acres of very valuable land in this 
locality, and was one of the substantial and influential men of the county, and 
he made his home the rest of his life in the beautiful lake country which he 
loved so well.
 
Seymour N. HATCH was married to Mary STONEALL, who was born in England, a 
daughter of Richard STONEALL and wife.  Her mother died when Mrs. HATCH was a 
child.  The father was a tailor and followed his profession in England.  About 
1837 he brought his daughter Mary and son Joseph to Geneva, Illinois, where the 
brother of Mrs. HATCH, Henry, and a cousin had already located.  In 1840 the 
father and Joseph STONEALL came to Walworth county and settled in the eastern 
part of Linn township and built a small house there, and the daughter and 
sister, Mary, came and kept house for them.  They underwent many of the 
hardships of pioneer life.  In making the trip here they walked all the way 
from Geneva, Illinois, in one day.  Later a nurseryman leased part of their 
land and set out many fruit trees, then went away and never came back.  Mr. 
STONEALL took care of the trees and later they became the stock of a number of 
the finest orchards in Linn township.
 
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Seymour N. HATCH, named as follows: 
Louise E., wife of Isaac MOORHOUSE, lived in Lake Geneva; Emily A. lives near 
the old home in Linn township; Norman Henry lives at Wichita, Kansas; Harvey R. 
lives at Zenda and follows farming; Hobart M. lives in the central part of Linn 
township; Mary is the wife of John BETTS and lives near the old home in Linn 
township; Clara died when seven years of age; and George died when fourteen 
months old.
 
Mr. HATCH was active in public affairs and in the early days he held a number 
of the township offices. He was a most valued citizen in the community which he 
honored by his residence for over fifty years.  The death of this sterling old 
pioneer occurred on August 12, 1899, his wife having preceded him to the grave 
on November 29, 1887.
 
The HATCH home was for a half century known as a place of genuine hospitality 
and it sheltered many people, some distinguished in the affairs of their 
country.  The old people could relate many interesting reminiscences of the 
early days.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)