• Born: 27 Jul 1823, Preston CT
• Marriage (1): Lucy Hobough in Chicago IL
• Died: 24 Sep 1875, Marshal MI

  General notes:

Jeweler and watchmaker

  Events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1850 census taken at Emmett Calhoun MI, listed as a watchmaker.

• Master to Albert F. Avery Abt 1854 in Battle Creek MI.

• He was a partner in 1856-1858 with Samuel Hoard in Chicago IL as HOARD & AVERY.

• He appeared on the 1860 census taken at Chicago IL, listed as a jeweler.

• Master to Frank H. Avery Abt 1868 in Kansas City MO.

• He appeared on the 1870 census taken at Kansas City MO, listed as a jeweler.

• Isabella County Enterprise 6 Oct 1875, Mount Pleasant, Isabella, MI.
  "A heart-rending catastrophe occurred at Marshall, Mich. by the burning of the Herndon House, early on Friday morning, Sept. 24. Claude Avery, a prominent jeweler of that town, and Antoine Gruber, a cigar maker, from New Haven, Conn., perished in the flames. Their bodies were afterward taken from the ruins burned to a crisp. Eliza King, a dining-room girl, attempted to descend a ladder from a fourth story window, fell, and was instantly killed. Mrs. Claude Avery, who was being rescued by a fireman from a third-story window, fell out of his arms, he being overcome by the smoke, when within ten feet of the ground, and was severely injured."

• The New York Times 27 Sep 1875, New York City NY.
  Burned to Death.
  The Fire in a Michigan Hotel -- Heroism of Some of the Boarders and Townspeople.
  
  Special telegrams to the Detroit Post give interesting details of the burning of the Herndon Hotel, in Marshall, Mich., about 3 o'clock on Friday morning last.
  The correspondent says: The hotel, which was a large and commodious four-story brick building, was full of guests, and, although the alarm was given below, the guests and boarders in the hotel did not hear or know of their dreadful peril. It is not known how the fire caught, but it is supposed that the building became full of gas, and that, by the igniting of this gas by the explosion of a lamp, the whole building was set on fire at once. The main staircase leading to the upper part of the building was on fire, and this prevented, ingress and egress, leaving the smothered inmates of the second, third, and fourth stories entirely at the mercy of the flames, which were spreading in every room at the same time. Edward Elliott, a jeweler, and member of the hook and ladder company, at once sprang upon the ladder and rescued with his own hands Mrs. Thomas Wright, her nurse-girl, and two children from the third-story window. Mrs. Wright escaped with but little injury, except the burning of her hands, but saved nothing, not even her children's clothing. After having saved Mrs. Wright, Mr. Elliott then went up the ladder to Claude G. Avery's room, where he and his wife were found almost suffocated and helpless.
  Mr. Elliott grasped Mrs. Avery, and, with the help of Mr. Avery, got her to the window and out upon the ladder several steps below, when Mrs. Avery fainted and fell, injuring her spine, and her recovery is doubtful. Mr. Avery, on seeing his wife once safe on the ladder, fainted, or was smothered with smoke and fell back into his room, perfectly helpless. The fire at once swallowed him up, and he was burned to death. No help could reach him.

Claudius married Lucy Hobough in Chicago IL. (Lucy Hobough was born on 11 Apr 1827.)