Samuel Hatch, the grandfather of the subject of this biography, married Naomi Phelps. Their son Jonathan, a resident of Lebanon, Connecticut, was married to Betsey Payne of the same town. The children of this union were Samuel 0., Eliza, Chester P., Jonathan, and James C., of whom Chester P. and Jonathan are the only survivors. The latter was born in Lebanon, October 21st, 1817, and until’ the age of sixteen resided on the homestead farm. He received a rudimentary education, and on deciding to encourage his taste for mechanics, entered the shops of Phelps & Spafford at South Windham as an apprentice. Here his services were speedily made valuable as a journeyman, until an interest in the business was acquired under the firm name of Smith, Winchester & Co.
Mr. Hatch retained his connection with the business for thirty years, retiring from the firm in 1877. Meanwhile this attractive field of labor furnished aid for the development of his inventive genius. He secured various patents on machinery, the ‘right to some being transferred to the firm while others were reserved by him. His attention is still given to inventions, the most important being the construction of a machine for the manufacture of paper by a new process, the patent for which was obtained in August, 1889. This is but one of several patents obtained by him on inventions of more or less importance. Mr. Hatch has, aside from his business interests, given more or less attention to matters of a public and political nature. He has been for four years selectman of his town and represented his constituents in the state legislature. He was in 1845 married to Alma, daughter of John and Lucinda Armstrong, of Franklin, Connecticut. They have had eight children, three of whom are living.
