His boyhood days were passed upon the farm; he was educated at Dartmouth college, from which he graduated in 1798. In his early days his conduct was unusually regular, and in college he was orderly, obedient to authority and diligent in his studies. He was early interested in religious matters, but did not unite with the church of his boyhood until the summer after he graduated from college. He taught school a year at Northampton, Mass., and entered the law office of Hon. Thomas R. Gold at Whitesborough, N. Y., as a student.
He was soon convinced that the legal profession was not what he would care to adopt. His talents, tastes and feelings were more adapted to the ministry: and, in 1801, he began the study of theology with Rev. Charles Backus,
D.D., of Somers.
Mr. Hovey married Mrs. Huldah (Ely) Hayden, daughter of Rev. Richard Ely and widow of Uriah Hayden, of Essex, Conn., Sept. 9, 1804. She was born in Lyme, Conn., July 21, 1772
From the book of Daniel Hovey, published in 1914, page 246, and Vital records of Saybrook Colony 1635-1860, published in 1985, page 511, 498, 499, 501, 542 (findagrave.com)