My Genealogy Hound

SILAS S. DERBY, an old and highly respected citizen of Jamestown, is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Kenyon) Derby, and was born April 29, 1820, in Monroe county, New York. His grandfather, Phineas Derby, was born in Vermont, where he quietly pursued farming and died. The Kenyon branch of the family came from Rhode Island and settled near Batavia, in Genesee county, this State. Joseph Derby was born in the Green Mountain State but while yet a young man, went to Monroe county, this State, and later to Warren county, Pa., locating near Sugar Grove, where he died March 14, 1837. While nominally a farmer he was essentially a mechanic, conducting his farm, as did many artisans of that day, to keep employed. He was a democrat and a member of the Free Baptist church. He married Elizabeth Kenyon, in 1811, and had five children, all sons: Phineas, who removed to Michigan, where he died in 1889, at the age of eighty years; Sylvanus was a resident of Saginaw, Michigan, where he died in 1883, at sixty-nine years of age; John K., is a painter, residing at Jamestown (see his sketch); William R., who for many years followed farming, and is now buying and dealing in stock at North Warren, Pa.; and Silas S. Derby.

Silas S. Derby was educated in the schools near his early home and at the age of eighteen came to Jamestown, from Warren, Pa., and has resided here ever since. Soon after his arrival he established himself as a painter and in 1839 opened a paint store in partnership with his brother, Jno. K. Derby, which they conducted for at least twenty years, but for the last sixteen years he has laid aside the cares of active business and only attends to his investments made from the accumulations of earlier toil. He is now the owner of considerable real estate.

On December 17, 1840, Mr. Derby married Huldah E. Frask, a daughter of Elijah Frask, who resides adjacent to Busti, this county, although they came originally from Penfield, near Rochester, this State. They have been the parents of but two children: Agnes D.; and Sylvia A., who wedded Darwin E. Hayward, a railroad conductor living at Buffalo, this State.

S. S. Derby was a republican and as such held the office of street commissioner in this city, but of late years his sympathies have been with the prohibitionists. He belongs to the Royal Templars of Temperance and is a member of the Wesleyan Methodist church.