0093504
MEMORIAL
BIOGRAPHIES
OF
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THE NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
TOWNE MEMORIAL FUND
Volume II
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1853-1855
BOSTON
PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY
18 Somerset Street
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CP THb Ch'UfiCh' OP jgsus CHRIST O- UTTSR-DAY SAiNTS 1^ .
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Copyright, 1882, By the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
University Press: John Wilson and Son, Cambridge.
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MEMORIALS AND AUTHORS
I PAOB
( INTRODUCTION. By Mr. Daniel T. V. Huntoon, of Canton 7
j Hon. HARRISON GRAY OTIS COLBY, A.M. By Arthur
{ M. Alger, LL.B., of Taunton 9
' Hon. CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS, LL.D. By the
* Hon. Samuel Williams, A.M., of Philadelphia, Pa. 17
I Mr. DANIEL GREENLEAF. By Mr. Richard C. Green-
\ LEAF, of Boston 34
Hon. ROBERT GOULD SHAW. By Mr. Francis George
Shaw, of West New Brighton, N. Y. 38
Mr. SAIVIUEL APPLETON. By Mr. William C. Bates, of
Newton -62
Hon. NAHUM MITCHELL, A.M.' By Arthur M. Alger,
LL.B., of Taunton 69
Mr. JACOB BAILEY MOORE. By the Hon. Nathan Crosby,
LL.D., of Lowell 75
i NATHANIEL SAWYER, A.M. By the Hon. Patrick Mal-
I lon, of Cincinnati, Ohio 84
j Hon. JAMES GUSHING MERRILL, A.M. By James W.
I Preston, A.M., of Boston 88
Hon. MAHLON DICKERSON, A.M. By Edmund D. Hal- set, A.M., of Morristown, N. J. 95
Prof. SIMON GREENLEAF, LL.D. By Simon Green- leaf Croswell, LL.B. 106
Mr. CHARLES EWER. By the Rev. Samuel H. Riddel,
A.M., of Tam worth, N. H. 113
,1
IV MEMORIALS ANB AUTHORS
PAGE
Hon. JOSIAH ADAMS, A.M. By the Rev. Josiah H.
Temple, of Framingham 156
GEORGE CHEYNE SHATTUCK, M.D., LL.D. By George
C. Shattuck, M.D., of Boston 164
Hon. JOHN DAVIS, LL.D. By Samuel F. Haven, LL.D.,
of Worcester 172
Rev. SHUBAEL BARTLETT, A.M. By David E. Bart-
LETT, A.M, of Hartford, Conn. 186
Mr. ALFRED HAWKINS. By the Rev. Increase N. Tar- box, D.D., of West Newton « 197
Mr. JAMES ATHEARN JONES. By Mr. Richard L.
Pease, of Edgartown 204
Hon. LEONARD MOODY PARKER, A.M. By the Rev.
Seth Chandler, of Shirley 223 j
Hon. STEPHEN FALES, A.M. By Albert H. Hott, A.M.,
of Cincinnati, Ohio 234
Hon. SAMUEL CHURCH, LL.D. By the Hon. Gideon H.
Hollister, A.M., of Litchfield, Conn. 240
Hon. WILLIAM PLUMER, A.M By Prof. Andrew P.
Peabodt, D.D., LL.D., of Cambridge 246
Mr. MOSES PLIMPTON. By Charles S. Lincoln, A.B., of Somerville 257
CALEB BUTLER, A.M. By Mrs. Frances Brooks, of Boston 266
FREDERICK HOBBS, A.M. By the Hon. Joseph Granger, ^ of Calais, Me. . 280
Mr. ARTEMAS SIMONDS. By the Hon. Alvan Simonds,
of Boston 288
WILLIAM THADDEUS HARRIS, A.M., LL.B. By Mr.
Edward Doubled at Harris, of Brooklyn, N. Y. 294
JOHN ROWLAND, A.M. By the Rev. Edwin M. Stone, of
Providence, R.I. 305
Rev. JAMES DELAP FARNSWORTH, A.M. By Mr.
Claudius B. Farnsworth, of Pawtucket, R. I. 312
Mr. PETER FOLGER EWER. By the Rev. Ferdinand C. Ewer, S.T.D. 319
Mr. ISAAC P. DAVIS. By John Ward Dean, A.M., of
Boston 327
MEMORIALS AND AUTHORS V
PAGB
Hon. THOMAS DAY, LL.D. By Thomas M. Day, A.M., of
Hartford, Conn. < 335
Rev. FREDERICK TURELL GRAY, A.M. By Mr. Lewis
G. Pkat, of Boston 340
Hon. ELISHA FULLER, A.M. By Nathaniel Paine, A.M.,
of "Worcester 353
Hon. NATHANIEL GOODWIN. By the Hon. Henry Bar- nard, LL.D., of Hartford, Conn. , 358
Hon. SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE, LL.D. By J. Gardner • White, A.M., of Cambridge , 368
STEPHEN WEST WILLIAMS, A.M., M.D. By Mrs. Helen M. Huntington, of Charles City, Iowa 389
Mr. ROBERT ADAMS. By the Hon. Edward S. Moseley,
A.M., of Newburyport 398 .
Hon. ABBOTT LAWRENCE, LL.D. By Hamilton An- drews Hill, A.M., of Boston 401
Hon. WILLIAM CRANCH, LL.D. By Christopher Pearse
Cranch, A.B., of Cambridge 446
GORHAM BROOKS, A.M. By the Rev. Octavius B. Froth- ingham, A.M. 470
Hon. mark DOOLITTLE, A.M. By the Rev. George A.
OviATT, A.M., of South Sudbury, Mass. 473
Mr. CHARLES WARNER CADY. By Col. Albemarle
Cady, Bvt. Brig. Gen. U- 8. A., of New Haven, Conn. 478
Mr. DAVID HAMBLEN. By Mr. William B. Trask, of
Boston 480
Mr. NICHOLAS DEAN. By the Rev. Henry W. Bellows, D.D., of New York, N. Y. 484
INDEX 497
INTEODUCTION
Another year draws to its close, and the second volume of the Memorial Biographies is completed. The reception which attended the publication of the first vol- ume was a matter of congratulation to the members of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and of encouragement to the Committee.
The munificence of Mr. William Blanchard Towne has enabled the Society to place upon perpetual record the biographies of its members who were interested in the preservation of the historic memorials of our ancestors, and who during the years 1853, 1854, and 1855, ceased from their labors. The record of their lives here pre- sented will be interesting to those who were their asso- ciates and contemporaries, and will serve as an example and incentive to those who fill their places in the ranks of this Society.
Aside from the recital of personal annals, much relating to the manners and customs of past times as well as to general history will be found in this volume. Facts of a genealogical nature, not otherwise obtainable, are also here perpetuated.
It is hoped that, as the years go by, the historian of the future will turn to the pages of these memorial vol-
Vlll INTEODUCTION
umes as accurate authority for information in regard to the lives of some of the best men in the history of New England, who lived during the period embraced within the years which they include. It will be the aim of the Committee to make this' series of memoirs a valuable con- tribution to biographical literature.
The Committee are convinced that this work was begun none too soon. The authors of seven of the memoirs in this volume have died since their articles were written ; |
and in regard to some of them it would now be difficult to find those who possess the information which would enable them to write equally satisfactory memoirs.
The work of the Committee during the past year has been divided as in 1880. Mr. White, the Secretary, has conducted the correspondence and prepared the memoirs for the press; Mr. Huntoon has superintended the printing and correction of the proofs; and Mr. Dean, the Chairman, |,{
has assisted both these gentlemen. The other members of the Committee have aided in various ways.
The Index has been prepai»ed by Mr. Oliver Bliss • Stebbins, the same gentleman who prepared the Index for the first volume.
JOHN WARD DEAN. HENRY A. HAZEN. J. GARDNER WHITE. WILLIAM B. TRASK. DANIEL T. V. HUNTOON. U(
ARTHUR M. ALGER. f
i
HAERISON GRAY OTIS COLBY
The life led by a lawyer in the practice of his profes- sion, and especially by a lawyer outside the large cities, is generally one devoid of stirring incidents. It is with the ordinary business of every day that he has to deal ; and, when he does not venture into the noisier arena of politics or win reputation in literary pursuits, the impression he may have made by his forensic efforts is usually short- lived, and his memory, within a generation or two, falls into oblivion. The subject of this sketch was one of the leading lawyers of the Bristol bar at a time when it in- cluded men of marked ability ; yet to-day there are few who have any remembrance of the man that is not very vague, or who know anything of his history. ' Harrison Gray Otis Colby, the son of the Rev. Philip and Harriet (Sewall) Cplby, was born in the town of Hal- lowell, Maine, April 19, 1808.
His father was born at Sanbornton, New Hampshire, July 30, 1779. He was one of nine children of Isaac and Phebe (Hunt) Colby, of that place. After attaining his majority he engaged in business in Hallowell, continuing there until the death of his wife in 1811, when he deter- mined to fit himself for the ministry, and accordingly closed his business, and went with his boy to Salem, Mas- sachusetts, for the purpose of pursuing the necessary theo- logical studies. His first and only settlement was over the
2
10 HAItRISON GRAY OTIS COLBY
Congregational Church of North Middleborough, Massachu- setts. Here he was ordained in 1817, and here he re- mained until his death in 1851, for a period of thirty-four years, performing faithfully, cheerfully, and acceptably the pastoral duties incumbent on him. As a preacher he was interesting and edifying ; as a scholar his attain- ments were such that Brown University, the year he was ordained, conferred on him the honorary degree of Mas- ter of Arts ; as a man " he was affable and kind, — cker- ishing self-respect without ostentation or moroseness, combining dignity with simplicity of character, firmness with lu-banity." Such was the father of the subject of this sketch. His mother — a member of that SewaU family which has given so many men of note to ^ew England — is said to have been a woman of most lovely character.
. Born of such parentage, it is not surprising that the son had those qualities which generally bring their possessor success in life. Of his early youth nothing is remem- bered, save that he was a bright, studious, and amiable boy. His preparatory education was obtained from his father, who for some, years took pupils at the academic School in North Middleborough, and at "Washington, ^ where he went to live vnth his uncle, Dr. SewaU, who had offered him such assistance as he might need in , obtaining an education. His father, with a salary of only five hundred dollars a year with which to support a fam- ily, was hardly in condition to render him much pecu- niary aid.
In 1823 he entered Brown University. His time was diligently improved during the four years' course ; and at the age of nineteen he was graduated with high honors, in the class of 1827, with such eminent men as Governor '|
John H. Clifford ; Peter C. Bacon, LL.D., of "Worcester ; the Rev. Elam Smalley, D.D., of Troy, New York ; Wil- liam Mason Cornell, LL.D., and others. His part at the
HAERISON GRAY OTIS COLBY 11
Commencement exercises was an oration on " Advantages of America for Awakening Poetic Genius."
He was not long, with the world before him, in making up his mind as to what calling in life he should adopt. His tastes pointed him to the profession of law ; and he at once entered the office of Timothy G. Coffin, of New Bedford, as a student. Near the close of his term of study, he entered the office of Rufus Choate, passing a few months under the guidance of the great advocate. In 1830 he applied for admission to the bar, and, having been found qualified on examination, was admitted as an attorney in the Court of Common Pleas, held at Taunton for the September term of that year. He located for practice in Taunton, opening an office in a wooden build- ing on the east side of the " Green," which is still stand- ing, and is now occupied as a shoemaker's shop. He obtained a fair amount of practice, — as much, in fact, as any young man at the bar. During this period he mar- ried a daughter of the Hon. John Avery Parker, of New Bedford, who with several children survives him. After a residence of about eight years in Taunton, he went to New Bedford to form a partnership connection with his class- mate, John H. Clifford. As he advanced in years and experience, his business increased to a large extent, and high rank was conceded to him in the profession. His knowledge of legal principles and rules was comprehen- sive ; and as a speaker he was easy, very ready in extem- poraneous efforts, never at a loss for the right word, and in the heat of argument animated and forcible. He was especially thorough and painstaking in preparing his cases. In the trial of causes he was always courteous to his opponents, and never guilty of bullying or abusing witnesses. Among his contemporaries at the Bristol bar, with whom he contested many cases in the course of his career, were such men as Timothy G. Coffin, Thomas D. EUot, Horatio Pratt, Nathaniel Morton, and Charles H.
12 HARRISON GRAY OTIS COLBY
Warren. As a nisiprius lawyer, Mr. Coffin had few equals. He was a man of great resources, — witty, quick at re- ^ partee, and a persistent fighter. Many anecdotes of him illustrating these qualities are still current. Eliot was for a number of years a member of Congress, and a success- ful practitioner. Horatio Pratt was district-attorney for a period. His knowledge of law was extensive, and he was ready and apt in applying it. Nathaniel Morton — a son of Governor Marcus Morton — died when a young man, before he had attained his full powers; but even as a young man he acquired a great reputation. He had, in its strictest sense, the legal mind. He grasped the essen- tial points of a case instinctively, and presented them with an indefinable charm of manner and logical force. Judge Warren was regarded as a brilliant advocate and good lawyer. He held a seat on the bench of the Court of Common Pleas, and was president of the Boston and Providence Railroad.
In 1845 Mr. Colby was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He was a fair-minded, even-tempered judge, and gave general satisfaction to the profession ; but the duties of the bench were evidently not congenial to him, and in June, 1847, he resigned his office to return to practice. In 1849 he was appointed District- Attorney for the Southern District, holding the office till 1851,. when he was removed on the occasion of a change in the State administration. In politics he took an active, ?;j
though not a leading, part on the Whig side. In 1838 he represented Taunton in the Legislature, and New Bedford in 1841 and 1843, serving as chairman of various im- portant committees, including that on the judiciary. He was interested in miUtary matters, and from 1840 to 1845 commanded the New Bedford Guards. When the Rhode Island boundary question was being settled, he was employed by the legislature in taking testimony relating thereto.
4
HARRISON GRAY OTIS COLBY 13
Judge Colby held the pen of a ready writer, and in his day gained considerable literary reputation. In 1841 he delivered the Phi Beta Kappa oration at Brown Univer- sity, and in 1842 the address before the American Institute in New York ; he also delivered various other addresses \ before public bodies, and on public occasions. He was a
^ frequent contributor to the law periodicals, and among
J other articles translated, condensed, and illustrated the
{ causes celebres for the " American Law Review." In 1848
I he published a work entitled " The Practice in Civil Ac-
/ tions and Proceedings at Law in Massachusetts ; with
copious References to Decisions in New Hampshire, Maine, &c. ; with the Rules of the State and United States Courts, and an Appendix of Forms." As a scholar he was untiring and accurate. The best Latin and Greek authors were his favorite companions. He was a man of quick perception, of industrious habits, and one who made the most of his J opportunities. He did not possess genius, but certainly had
i talent of a high order.' His disposition was kindly ; and
. in his intercourse with men his conduct was always that of a gentleman. He became a resident member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, July 9, 1847. He died of consumption, on the 21st day of February, 1853, in the forty- fifth year of his age, and was buried in New Bedford.
At a meeting of the Bristol bar, organized after the
opening of the Court of Common Pleas in the month of
March following, a committee was appointed to report suit-
i able resolutions on his death ; and subsequently the com-
.■ mittee reported to the meeting the following preamble
■ and resolutions, which were unanimously adopted : — I
" Since the last term of this court, the members of the bar of
i';,' Bristol County have been called upon to mourn the decease of
• "^^ another of their brethren.
- „ " Harrison G. O. Colby, our friend and professional associate,
p^ has been removed from among us by death ; and now that, for
14 HARRISON GRAY OTIS COLBY
the first time after his decease, we have assembled where for
many years we have been accustomed to his presence and to his
companionship, members of the bar have felt that their sense of
the loss they have sustained, and their respect for the memory i
of their brother, should find appropriate expression. i
" Resolved, That, in the decease of Harrison G. O. Colby, our departed associate and brother, we are called upon to deplore the loss of a friend in social hfe, of an honorable and esteemed com- panion in professional labor, and in common with our fellow- citizens the loss of talents and of learning which for many years adorned alike the bench and the bar.
*' Resolved, That Judge Colby was distinguished among his brethren for legal talents and early professional success. His first labors at the bar and in legal life indicated an ability and extent of attainment which promised and secured his advance- ment. He was noted for industry in the preparation of causes for trial, and will be remembered as a successful and eloquent advocate before the jury. He was manly and independent in his deportment, frank and open with his equals, and uniformly considerate and courteous in his intercourse with the younger members of the profession. His labors at the bar entitled him to a place upon the bench ; and, during the time that he presided over this court as one of its associate judges, he earned for himself i the high consideration of his professional brethren.
" Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the family of our deceased brother, and that we respectfully offer to them our sincerest condolence in this hour of their bereavement.
" Resolved, That Mr. Eliot be requested to offer these resolu- - tions to the honorable court, and ask, in behalf of the bar, that they may be placed upon record ; and that the president and secretary of this meeting be desired to present a copy thereof to the family of the deceased."
The Hon. Thomas D. Eliot, in offering these resolu- tions, spoke as follows : —
" I have been desired, may it please your Honor, by my brethren of the bar to lay these resolutions, which they have prepared, before the court.
" That duty I have discharged ; but I cannot be unmindful of the fact that this duty has most naturally and rightly fallen
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i
■I
HAREISON GRAY OTIS COLBY 15
upon me. In the Providence of God, one and another of our circle have been called awaj ; and, as I look around me here to-day, I see very few who were of us when Judge Colby commenced his professional life. Some have left us for other homes ; some have been gathered to their last resting-place on earth. We are fast following on ; and I know not what manner of men we are if the finger of death can touch a brother's brow and not constrain us at the same time to pause and take heed to our ways.
" But it was before the cares and striving of professional ri- valry began that at this time I recall my earliest companionship with our brother who has passed on before us. Nearly thirty years have elapsed since I first knew Mr. Colby. He was then preparing himself for college, and was living in the city of Wash- ington, in the family of a distinguished physician, — his friend and relative, Dr. Thomas Sewall. The earnest and untiring studiousness of his whole life then is fresh in my memory. I None more ardently or with keener or more continuous effort
pursued the path prescribed for him. He went from school to Brown University ; and my next knowledge of him was when he was commencing the practice of his profession in this town. Since then he has been before us all. No one has been more ready than I have been at all times to congratulate him upon his successes, or to acknowledge the merit which was known to underlie them. Since his return to practice, after the brief period •" when he occupied the bench, we have watched with pain the
/■ slow progress of disease which undermined his strength, and
i'. took from him, in the fulness of his life, the energy of mature
J manhood.
'^ " And now, sir, we were called upon the other day to bear
• him to the grave ; and, as I listened to the impressive words of
^j Holy Writ, — to which those sad funeral services gave point and
) 1 more intense impressiveness, — I could but feel, as we are all
' now feeling, how very brief is our opportunity here, and how
mindful we should be of that hour when the Master cometh."
Nathaniel Morton, Esq., seconded the motion of Mr. Eliot, and addressed the court as follows : —
" May it please your Honor : As one of the committee desig nated by the members of the bar, I have the honor +« — motion of the chairman of our comn "^
o 1-1. _
16
HAEEISON GRA.Y OTIS COLBY
I
" The painful emotions caused bj the decease of our brother fall far short of being overbalanced by the pleasure of doin<y honor to his memory. We have all felt that the last year has been a year of harvest for death. We can feel "with less emo- tion the shaft of death when it is aimed at three score years and ten ; but it is keener felt when it falls upon a brother in the prime of life and in the fuE possession of able, well-culti- vated, and manly talents. Such was the fate of our brother, now deceased. We knew him long as an attorney and ad- vocate. These walls have long echoed to the voice of his elo- quence. I find, may it please your Honor, among my earliest recollections of legal practice, that our departed friend occupied a seat upon your bench. Though I was not at the bedside of our dying brother, I have it from those near and dear to him, by relationship and brotherly kindness, that his death was calm and peaceful, — a striking contrast to the active and turbulent life of a successful practitioner in our courts.
" When I heard, may it please your Honor, of the childlike sinking to the ' last long sleep ' of our friend and brother, there was forcibly brought to mind and heart the touching lines of the Eastern poet, contrasting in vivid colors the birth and exit of man from this world : —
' On parent knees a naked, new-bom child, Weeping thou sat'st -while all around thee smiled ; So live that, sinking to the last long sleep, Thou then may'st smile while all around thee weep.'
" Such, may it please your Honor, was the death of our friend and brother. May we all lead a life as useful and find a death as peaceful."
Judge Perkins responded in eloquent and appropriate words, and ordered that the resolutions be placed upon the records of the court, and that as a further mark of respect the court should adjourn.
>-
CHARLES KILBORIT WILLIAMS
The inquiry is often suggested, when we read the elab- orate biographies which now and then appear, filled with extracts from letters and diary, and but little else. Why do we hear so much of the sayings, and so little of the doings, of the subjects^ of such memoirs ?
Time, opportunity, and circumstance contribute much to the reputation of every prominent man ; and while these all help develop his character and ability, and by their aid he may become famous, were his lot cast in other times, were the occasion which called into exercise his talents want- ing, his opportunity would have passed and his real worth been unknown. Especially is this applicable to men of talent. Genius compels notice, talent retains it.
Abraham Lincoln was considered by many a second- rate lawyer ; but the providence which made him Presi- dent gave the opportunity, and the Rebellion furnished the time and occasion, which brought out the inherent talents which he possessed, and justly placed him in the foremost ranks of our ablest statesmen and patriots. He might have been known only by a few intimate friends, and bold and daring would he be who presumed to paint him in other than the most subdued and neutral tints.
The subject of our sketch was not a man of genius nor of extraordinary talents, and, owing to his native modesty and retiring habits, would never have forced himself upon the notice of the world at large ; as a jurist he was the
3
18 CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS
equal of any who have held judicial station. His sphere was in a small State, where the difficult questions which make leading cases rarely arise, and his decisions have always been highly esteemed by the profession. His life was an active one. In a State the population of which was exceeded by many cities, he was called to exercise such ability as God gave him, and the talents entrusted to him were not buried. Upon no occasion did he fall below the demand made upon him, but always performed his duty faithfully and well, and was entitled to the re- ward promised to those who are faithful to their trust.
His abilities were almost entirely devoted to the service of his adopted State. On two occasions, when his friends desired that his talents should be given to the nation, the cry of "anti-masonry" in the one case, and the opposi-- tion of " his own familiar friend,'' in the other, proved too potent. He would have been elected United States sen- ator, a position for which his talents eminently fitted him, had not the powerful and subtle influence of one whom he supposed to be his warm personal and political friend prevailed. The secret reason of this opposition was a mystery at the time. It was not revealed until years afterwards, and to this day is known by a few only. Suf- fice it to say, it was such a reason as added another trib- ute to his incorruptible integrity, which it was known no personal friendship could swerve. Kespect for the living prevents more than this casual allusion to circumstances which deprived the State of the services of one who would have done her honor in the councils of the nation, and which in a measure prevented more than a provincial reputation to one who would have earned and obtained a national fame.
Charles Kilborn "WiUiaras, the youngest son of the Rev. Samuel Williams, LL.D., and Jane Kilborn, his wife, was born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, January 24, 1782. His grandfather, the Rev. Warham "Williams (born September
CHARLES KILBORN" WILLIAMS 19
16, 1699, was graduated from Harvard College 1719, died June 22, 1751), was a son of the Rev. John Wil- liams and Eunice, daughter of the Rev. Eleazer Mather, and granddaughter of the Rev. John Warham and the Rev. Richard Mather. The Rev. John Williams was born at Roxbury, Massachusetts, December 10, 1644, was graduated from Harvard College, 1683, and died June 12, 1729. He, with nearly all of his family, was cap- tured by the Indians at Deerfield, his wife and two chil- dren murdered by them, and the rest carried captives to Canada. He is widely known as the "Redeemed Cap- tive," from the title of his book giving an account of' his captivity, which has passed through several editions.
A brief sketch of the Rev. Samuel Williams, the father of the subject of our memoir, will not be unacceptable. He was born at Waltham, Massachusetts, April 23, 1743, was graduated from Harvard College in 1761, and while there evinced a decidedly intellectual taste, especially in histor- ical, scientific, and philosophical subjects. He was selected by Professor Winthrop to* accompany him to Newfound- land, to observe the transit of Venus. He was ordained at Bradford, November 20, 1765, and was installed, in 1780, Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Harvard College, and occupied that position until he resigned in 1788. The degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by the University of Edinburgh in 1785, and in 1786 by Yale College. He was a member of the Meteorological Society of Manheim, Germany, of the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Massachusetts, to the latter of which he contributed several papers, which were printed in the first volume of its memoirs. He after- wards removed to Vermont, and preached a number of years at Rutland and Burlington. He was one of the founders and the first editor of the " Rutland Herald," the first number of which was issued December 8, 1794, and
20 CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS
which is still published. In 1795 and 1796 he published and edited " The Eural Magazine," a monthly magazine devoted to literary and historical subjects. In 1794 he published his " History of Vermont," in one volume, a second edition of which, in two volumes, was published in 1809. This work was highly commended as a work evincing great labor and research, and creditable to his talents, and has not ceased to be regarded as excellent authority. He died at Rutland, Vermont, January 2, 1817.
These notices show that Charles Kilborn "Williams came from an ancestry of men of culture and ability, and it was the design of his father to prepare him for his future work by giving him all he could (for silver and gold be had none), viz., a good, thorough moral and religious training, 'and a liberal education.
He entered Williams College in 1796, and was graduated % at the age of eighteen, in 1800, and immediately entered upon the study of law, in the office of Cephas Smith, Jr., at Rutland. Two years after kis graduation he was ap- pointed tutor, but declined the appointment, preferring to pursue his chosen profession. He was admitted to the bar at the March term of the Rutland County Court, 1803, and was engaged in an extensive practice for nearly twenty years, until his election as Judge of the Supreme Court. He was State's Attorney for the County of Rutland in 1814 and 1815. In those days, prosecuting officers were se- lected from those members of the bar who had the ability to conduct successfully important criminal cases without assistance, and were liable to find opposed to them the ablest and most expert criminal lawyers. During his terra of office, James Anthony was tried and convicted of murder ; and it was among the first trials for capital crime in the State.
While at the bar, he sustained a high character as a sound lawyer and successful advocate. He was never sus-
CHARLES KILBOKN WILLIAMS 21
pected of trying to gain his cases by mere management or chicanery. He was just as scrupulous and conscientious in the practice of the law as he would be on the bench. When he had done for his cHent all that truth and justice would warrant, he felt that his duties were done, and he left the issue to God and human judgment.
He was elected a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ver- mont, November 1, 1822, in place of the Hon. Samuel Prentiss, resigned, and was re-elected in 1823 and 1824. He resigned the office the latter year, to accept the office of Collector of Customs for the District of Vermont, to which he had been appointed by President Adams, which office he held, and performed its duties faithfully and sat- isfactorily, until October, 1829, when he was again re- elected judge, and continued on the bench, by annucd re-election, until his resignation in 1846. The last thir- teen years he was chief justice, — a longer period than any one before had held the office. His promotion as chief justice, in 1833, was without his previous expecta- tion or assent, over a previous incumbent of opposite political principles, and by a legislature the majority of whom belonged to the same political party as his com- petitor.
In 1834 he received from Middlebury College the hon- orary degree of LL.D.
As a judge, he was noted for his impartiality, his strong sense of justice, his extensive research and legal lore, and the acuteness and accuracy of his mental vision. With hiflexible integrity he united amenity of manner. " At times his impassiveness as a judge," says an eminent mem- ber of the bar, " would warm into something of the ancient prophets' fire, — whenever the strong appeared in court striving to oppress the weak, or craft was found seeking to entangle simplicity in the meshes of the law. In such a case, a law trial before Judge Williams was an illus- trated moral lecture, — a glorious thing to listen to and look upon."
22 CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS
He used every effort to have all cases in the Supreme Court fully understood and correctly decided ; not to carry out his own opinions, but to make the body of the judicial decisions as symmetrical as possible- He had more the love of truth and less the love of mastery than is common in eminent men.
The late Chief Justice Redfield, an intimate friend and associate, prepared a biographical sketch in 1852, from which we condense what follows as to his character as a judge, and a notice of some of his decisions.
His fame will no doubt rest mainly upon his published opinions, which were numerous and embrace a very wide range of topics, and will be found in D. Chipman's Reports and the series of Vermont Reports, from- the sec- ond to the eighteenth volume inclusive. During the period that he remained upon the bench many very im- portant principles were established in our law, and for many of the most important and salutary of those deter- minations we are largely indebted to him. Most of his earlier and many of his later opinions are very thorough and elaborate, and it cannot justly be said that any of his opinions contain a single paragraph which was not appar- ently forced upon him by the exigencies of the case, and which is not indispensable to a fair and full discussion of the subject-matter.
One prominent pecuharity of his judicial mind was a marked regard to justice in the individual case in hand, as opposed to a blind devotion to mere precedent at the expense of moral equity and right reason. He was influ- enced in his opinions upon all subjects by a regard for the great and controlling principles of absolute and eternal justice rather than by the conventionalism of human enactments.
One of the leading opinions of Chief Justice WiUiams, which at the time seemed likely to incur some degree of popular criticism, proved eminently acceptable to the
!
CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS \ / 23
public mind in the State, and has been generally followed in the other States. It is the case of Lyon yj Strong, 6 Vt. 219, where contracts made on Sunday are declared not to form the proper ground of an action in the courts. The entire subject of illegal contracts is there very thor- oughly and learnedly reviewed, and the controlling doc- trine of the case very forcibly and satisfactorily declared.
His opinion in the case of Burr v. Smith et at., 7 Vt. 241, embracing the entire subject of charitable uses, cocupying a space of 'more than thirty-five pages in the Reports, was a most masterly discussion of one of the most important subjects which has come before the courts in this country. At that time the subject had attracted but little attention in this country. The views of the chief justice, although the opinion then pronounced was that of a divided court, have since then been very exten- sively adopted in the other States.
His opinion in the case of Smith v. Nelson, 18 Vt. 611, has perhaps attracted more attention than any other, and is a very able and ingenious and persuasive argument to establish the point of the subordination of all ecclesiastical authority in this country to the final revision of the judi- cial tribunals of the civil government. It has been re- ceived with marked approbation by many of the law journals, and by some law writers of distinguished ability and established reputation. The distinguished editor of an edition of the " Commentaries upon American Law," the Hon. William Kent, says, in a note upon this case, " The relation of the ecclesiastical to the civil power is discussed much at large, and the opinion of Chief Justice Williams is marked by extraordinary perspicuity, preci- sion, and strength."
There are many other of his judicial opinions which have received distinguished commendation out of the State.
In 1846, at the request of the Rutland County Bar, a
22
CHAELES KILBORN WILLIAMS
He used every effort to have all cases in the Supreme Court fully understood and correctly decided ; not to carry out his own opinions, but to make the body of the judicial decisions as symmetrical as possible. He had more the love of truth and less the love of mastery than is common in eminent men.
The late Chief Justice Redfield, an intimate friend and associate, prepared a biographical sketch in 1852, from which we condense what follows as to his character as a judge, and a notice of some of his decisions.
His fame will no doubt rest mainly upon his published opinions, which were numerous and embrace a very wide range of topics, and will be found in D. Chipman's Reports and the series of Vermont Reports, from-the sec- ond to the eighteenth volume inclusive. During the period that he remained upon the bench many very im- portant principles were established in our law, and for many of the most important and salutary of those deter- minations we are largely indebted to him. Most of his earlier and many of his later opinions are very thorough and elaborate, and it cannot justly be said that any of his opinions contain a single paragraph which was not appar- ently forced upon him by the exigencies of the case, and which is not indispensable to a fair and full discussion of the subject-matter. '
One prominent pecuHarity of his judicial mind was a marked regard to justice in the individual case in hand, as opposed to a blind devotion to mere precedent at the expense of moral equity and right reason. He was influ- enced in his opinions upon all subjects by a regard for the great and controlling principles of absolute and eternal justice rather than by the conventionalism of human enactments.
One of the leading opinions of Chief Justice "Williams, which at the time seemed likely to incur some degree of popular criticism, proved eminently acceptable to the
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k
I*
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h:
CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS
23
public mind in the State, and has been generally followed in the other States. It is the case of Lyon y'.{ Strong, 6 Vt. 219, where contracts made on Sunday are declared not to form the proper ground of an action in the courts. The entire subject of illegal contracts is there very thor- oughly and learnedly reviewed, and the controlling doc- trine of the case very forcibly and satisfactorily declared.
His opinion in the case of Burr v. Smith et al., 7 Vt. 241, embracing the entire subject of charitable uses, cocupying a space of 'more than thirty-five pages in the Reports, was a most masterly discussion of one of the most important subjects which has come before the courts in this country. At that time the subject had attracted but little attention in this country. The views of the chief justice, although the opinion then pronounced was that of a divided court, have since then been very exten- sively adopted in the other States.
His opinion in the case of Smith v. Nelson, 18 Yt. 511, has perhaps attracted more attention than any other, and is a very able and ingenious and persuasive argument to establish the point of the subordination of all ecclesiastical authority in this country to the final revision of the judi- cial tribunals of the civil government. It has been re- ceived with marked approbation by many of the law journals, and by some law writers of distinguished ability and established reputation. The distinguished editor of an edition of the " Commentaries upon American Law," the Hon. William Kent, says, in a note upon this case, " The relation of the ecclesiastical to the civil power is discussed much at large, and the opinion of Chief Justice Williams is marked by extraordinary perspicuity, preci-
sion, and strength."
There are many other of his judicial opinions which have received distinguished commendation out of the State.
In 1846, at the request of the Rutland County Bar, a
h
24 CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS
full-length portrait of him was painted by Mr. B. F. Mason, and was placed in the court-house in Rutland, where it remained a short time, when, at the earnest so- licitation of his many friends throughout the State, the bar presented it to the State, to be placed in the State capitol. This portrait, which is considered an excellent likeness, is now in the executive chamber of the State capitol at Montpelier.
He was elected a representative of the town of Rutland in the General Assembly for the years 1809, 1811, 1814, 1815, 1820, 1821, and again in 1849, when he was elected by the general concurrence of the three political parties at that time existing, there being but few scattering votes cast against him.
He became a corresponding member of the New Eng- land Historic Genealogical Society November 28, 1845.
He at all times took great interest in the organization and maintenance of the militia, and rose from the ranks to the position of brigadier-general.
In 1808 he was called by Governor Smith to take com- mand, as major, of a detachment of the militia to enforce the " Embargo Act," so called, which was so obnoxious to the people on the frontier that it could not be enforced by the civil power. Belonging as he did to the party opposed to the passage of the act, and at a time when political feelings were very bitter, his appointment to such a position at the age of twenty-six, without previous mili- tary experience, by a governor opposed to him politically, was at the time justly regarded a more than ordinary tribute to and acknowledgment of his ability, integrity, and patriotism. The duties of his command were satis- factorily and successfully discharged. During the war of 1812 he again served during one campaign on the same frontier.
In 1848 he was unanimously elected a member of the Council of Censors. His unanimous election was the
CHARLES KILBOEN WILLIAMS 25
more remarkable, as it was during the year of a presiden- tial election, and each of the three parties placed his name at the head of their respective tickets, which were entirely distinct, no other name being on more than one ticket, and none of the other members received even a majority vote. Upon the assembling of the council, he was unani- mously elected president.
In 1850 he was nominated by the Whig party as their candidate for governor, and was elected by the people (a majority over all being required), and re-elected in 1851, — an election by the people not having occurred for sev- eral years previous, nor again until the formation of the Republican party. During his administration, the Legis- lature passed and he approved the celebrated Habeas Cor- pus Act which was at the* time so severely denounced. It still remains on the statute-book as an historical memento of the beginning of the last and fatal struggle of slavery for supremacy, and of the spirit of the people who opposed its pretensions. Governor Williams made this law the subject of an elaborate vindication in his second message.
With his retirement from the office of governor he closed his public life of more than forty years devoted to the service of his State, in executive, legislative, and judi- cial positions.
In his earlier life he was a prominent member of the order of Free and Accepted Masons, holding many offices in the lodge and chapter, and was for two years Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter in Vermont.
On this account, in later years, when the storm of anti-masonry swept over portions of the country, and especially Vermont, he was defeated as a candidate for Congress by the anti-masonic candidate, he refusing to bow the knee to the popular clamor.
He was, in the ordinary sense of the word, no politi- cian. His motto was, "Vera pro gratis," and he always preferred the right to the expedient. He would never
4
26 CHAELES KILBORN WILLIAMS
conceal or cloak his opinions to gain favor, or aid him in official preferment. He was early a strong anti-slavery man, and gave great offence to his party friends by suffer- ing his name to be used by the " Birney Abolitionists," as they were called, as a candidate for governor in 1842 and 1843, when they were in a very small and hopeless mi- nority. To punish him for this, the "VVhigs held a legisla- tive caucus, and nominated another person as his successor as chief justice ; but right and justice prevailed over par- tisan feeling and the dictates of the caucus, and those who would have degraded him in 1842 were glad of his record as a consistent anti-slavery man, to give them a popular triumph at the polls a few years later.
He was married April 24, 1817, at Castleton, Vermont, to Lucy Green Langdon, daughter of Hon. Chauncy Lang- .j
don, who was one of the most eminent and talented men [J
of the State. He was for many years a member of the Legislative Council of the State, a member of Congress, and held many other subordinate offices. She was born at Windsor, Vermont, February 16, 1793. By her he had the following children : —
Lucy Jane, born July 2, 1818 ; married John Strong, Octo- ber 2, 1837, and now residing at Washington, District of Columbia.
Charles Langdon, born March 11, 1821 ; graduated at Wil- liams College, 1889 ; married Louise I. Bedell, of Brooklyn, Long Island, April 24, 1855, and died at Rutland, Vermont, March 10, 1861.
Caroline Maria, born April 5, 1824 ; died at Rutland, Ver- mont, February, 8, 1875.
Charlotte Eloisa, born May 8, 1825 ; died at Rutland, Ver- mont, October 7, 1858.
John Warham, born September 21, 1827 ; died September 16, 1828.
Laura Lothrop Langdon, born October 7, 1828 ; died October 22, 1847.
Mary Augusta, born June 15, 1831 ; married Horatio E. Mann, September 6, 1854, and now residing at St. Paul, Minnesota.
CHARLES KILBORN" WILLIAMS 27
Chauncy Kilbom, born December 20, 1832; graduated at Williams College, 1852 ; married Alexine V. Bedell, of Brook- lyn, Long Island, April 2-4, 1858 ; died at Rutland, Vermont, January 6, 1879.
Samuel, born January 8, 1887 ; graduated at Williams Col- lege, 1856 ; married Lucy E. Crampton, of Rutland, Vermont, November 25, 1863, and now residing in the city of Phila- delphia.
A grandson, Charles Kilbom Williams, — a namesake of the governor, — a graduate of Harvard College, 1878, is the only descendant of Governor Williams now resid- ing in Rutland.
Governor Williams died suddenly at his residence, March 9, 1853. He had been for several days indisposed, but not so as to alarm his family. On this evening he had evening prayer as usual, and immediately retired to bed, where, a short time after, he was found dead by his wife. It is believed he ceased to breath immediately after retiring. His funeral was attended at his house, on Sat- urday, the 12th of March, and was attended by the Rutland County Bar and representatives from the profes- sion, and friends from the State. Upon receipt of the news of his death, meetings of the different bars where the courts were in session were held, and suitable reso- lutions passed and eulogies pronounced by Senator Col- lamer, Chief Justice Redfield, ex-Governor Coolidge, and others.
His "widow survived him many years, and died at the old homestead, October 18, 1876, at the age of eighty- three years, eight months, and two days.
It now remains only to give an estimate of his charac- ter as a private citizen, as a Christian and Churchman ; and in this, as in his public character, I have simply com- piled the views of others more impartial, and of those whose opportunities for judging him were better than my own, for I was only a boy when called upon to mourn the loss of a father.
28 CHARLES OLBORN WILLIAMS
In his private character, he was a man of integrity and purity of life. No scandal of a public or private nature ever cast a shadow upon him. The late Chief Justice Redfield said of him : " I never knew any one whose every act and word seemed to be done more with a sin- gle, present, and abiding reference to an ultimate ac- countability than were his." And an eminent attorney, in the appendix to the twenty-fourth volume of Vermont Reports, sums up his character as follows : —
" His sense of justice ; his incorruptible integrity and impar- tiality ; his willingness to suffer and be sacrificed, if need be, in defence of truth and innocence, or in bringing falsehood and fraud to its merited reward ; his purity, his dignity, his urban- ity ; his simplicity and singleness of heart in all the relations of life, — present his character as at once the brightest for admira- tion and the safest for imitation."
The feeling of respect and veneration with which he was regarded by all classes of the people was remarkable ; and probably no man in the State carried to his grave a more enviable testimony in this respect from not only his townsmen, but from the citizens of the State generally. A few years after his death, his widow visited Montpelier during the session of the legislature. Upon entering the hall of the House of Representatives, she was recognized by several of the members ; and the entire body rose and remained standing until she was escorted to a seat, as a heartfelt tribute of respect to the memory of her dis- tinguished husband.
Religiously he was educated in the faith of his fathers ; and there was probably no man of his time better ac- quainted with the ecclesiastical history of New England. His extensive reading brought him to understand the his- tory of the Church ; and his inquiring and judicial mind led him to investigate its claims, and finally firmly to ac- cept and embrace its doctrines. In 1831, when it was pro-
CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS 29
posed to establish an Episcopal Church in Rutland, he was one of its strongest advocates and most liberal support- ers. From that time he was a regular and devout attend- ant upon its services, and in 1842 was confirmed by Bishop Hopkins. He was one of the delegates to the General Convention held in Philadelphia in 1844, and a member of the Committee 'on Canons. His constant at- tendance upon the services of the Church on Sunday and ^ other holy-days was remarkable. He was always present in his place, unless absent from home or detained by sick- ness, and continued, not as a spectator, but as a worship- per ; and the example he set he expected to be followed by his family.
In his family he always had daily morning and evening prayer, together with reading of a chapter of the Bible, — the Old Testament in the morning, and the New Tes- tament in the evening.
Descended, as he was, from a long line of Puritan an- cestors and ministers, — the Mathers, Warhams, and others, — he became a Churchman from conviction ; and, while sympathizing with and to a certain extent em- bracing the tenets of the Oxford school of thought, — reverencing and esteeming Pusey, Keble, and Newman, both for their lives and doctrines, — he still retained many of the customs and thoughts of his Puritan ancestors.
No secular paper was read on Sunday, which with him commenced at the going-down of the sun on Saturday. On that day no pleasure or innocent recreation was al- lowed. The children attended both morning and after- noon services at the church and Sunday school, and in the afternoon, at five o'clock, were duly catechized, as the Church directs. So strict was he in his Sabbatarian notions that Sunday was looked forward to by his children with a feeling of dread rather than of pleasure.
The Puritan Fast and Thanksgiving were as strictly observed as the Catholic Good Friday, Christmas, and
-
30 CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS f
Easter. Fast-days with him were strictly days of absti- nence, fasting, and prayer. When objection was made j to the civil fast, he was woui to say, " The catechism teaches us to ' honor and obey the civil authority ' ; and, as the civil authority has appointed these days, it is our duty as Churchmen to obey them."
We close this sketch by inserting, just as it was re- ceived, a sketch of his home-life, written by a near and dear relative of his wife, — one who was an intimate and beloved visitor to his household, and who now, though she has more than attained the allotted term of life, is still strong and vigorous, and the steadfast friend and counsel- lor of all his descendants, who " know her but to love her, and name her but to praise " : —
My dear Nephew : — I have been requested to give a sketch of your father's home-life, but I feel that it is entering on sacred ground ; for when the family circle, with its varied phases, is exposed to the gaze of those not immediately con- nected, it is like lifting the veil of the inner sanctuary to the inspection and criticism of the forbidden, and almost a breach of confidence in one who has been admitted to its privileges. In reading the biography of such a profound thinker and scholar as Governor Williams, we are not apt to associate the idea of charming domestic traits as essential to true greatness; for they are so often lacking in those who have attained celeb- rity in their ambitious pursuits for fame, we have been led to think that one was divorced from the other, and that public men have not much private character worth recording.
Governor Williams was a striking exception. There was a sunny side which shone brightest at his own home, and shed its most brilliant rays on those in his famUy circle who surrounded him. His presence was remarkably inspiring, giving the as- surance that he was " to the manor born," like the fine old English gentleman of the olden time.
It was my privilege to be a guest at the house of Governor . Williams in 1826, when he was in the prime of life ; and I had a shrinking from approaching him, becoming in a young lady in those days. But his kind manner soon dispelled all those feel-
CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS 31
ings ; and I felt that I had a friend who would " pass all imper- fections hy " at once.
Among my early reminiscences was his habit of studying the Bible. When I came down to breakfast, which was at an early ■ hour, he would always seem deeply interested in its perusal, which impressed me as remarkable in one whose life was so crowded with professional business, and whose mental powers were taxed so severely. This was several years before there was any Episcopal Church in Rutland, of whose communion he was afterwards such a devout, consistent, and faithful member. His affability was only equalled by his unbounded hospitality. His idolized, respected, and devoted wife anticipated his every want ; and while she relieved him from all care connected with " household good," he appreciated her efforts in that direction as untold evidence of her worth to him. His children were as dear to him as his heart's blood. He gave them lavishly every ex- pression of attachment, listened with the deepest interest to all their joys and sorrows, — even the youngest, — and so heartfelt that, had he been deciding the most intricate legal point on the bench, his feelings could not apparently have been more inter- ested, his patience more manifest to have justice done to all. It was his pride in after years, and happiness also, to have his large family, especially his daughters, say " they were always glad to get home : they were happiest there."
Governor Williams's colloquial powers were rare ; and, had Talleyrand been in his society, he would never have said that conversation was a " lost art." His reading was so extensive, his memory so correct, one hardly felt like troubling himself to search for the meaning or origin of any quotation, — feeling sure, when he met Governor Williams, that he would extricate him from his difficulty. And I can see him, in my mind's eye, before reply- ing to any question, walk into his library, select his proof from his well-stored shelves, — as he would if deciding a legal case, — produce his authority, and put your mind at perfect ease. It was a school for improvement to be under his influence, such as is rarely enjoyed, and to be heir to such an inheritance to be coveted. His manner was often playful, — never compromising his dignity for one moment. Well do I recollect being equipped for a dancing party, in full costume, and unfortunately a sudden shower threatened to disappoint the anticipated pleasure. Be-
32 . CHARLES KELBORN WILLIAMS
I
ing at a loss what to do, before I was aware of it Governor "Williams jumped into a carriage at the door, without hat, and landed me safely, not allowing me to feel unpleasantly at being deprived of the promised pleasure.
The youngest child who visited at his house was cared for with all the affection of a heart full of love ; and his winning 1
ways always secured good behavior.
His interest in young people was very marked. When social entertainments were given at his house, of which he was very fond, he often requested that young ladies and gentlemen might be included in the invitation who were diffident, giving them the privilege of mingling in society for which they had a taste, but no opportunity of indulgence ; and he woulcl single them out, and draw out their peculiar gifts with such adroitness that they would never detect his object. The good he did in encouraging the young is untold.
Governor Williams's devoted and deferential manner to his children was very impressive. At table, serving them with 4
reference to their choice, according to their ages, and, fond of -J
good cheer himself, he would say, " Your mother is a notable housekeeper."
I was^ accidentally a guest in the house the night he passed away. Governor Williams had not been well for some days ; but he was cheerful, and there was nothing alarming in his symptoms, though he remarked that day, " The doctors may say what they choose : my heart is diseased." There was a debating society convened that evening. His son C. had a prominent part. It was one of his first efforts in public, and Governor Williams . waited for us to return ; and, while we were all excited, giving our opinions of the entertainments, he turned and inquired, " How did C. come out ? " with a father's anxiety for the maiden effort of his son. "When satisfied on this point, he had family worship. The scene which followed will never be effaced from my mind. He bade us all good night, and passed into his room. In less than an hour, we were summoned to see his face, placid in death, — probably breathing his last when he took his position. I will not lift the veil from the scene which fol- lowed. That spirit, passing into the presence of its Maker, was the most awe-inspiring and beautiful that I have ever witnessed ; and the impression of that prayer uttered that night wUl never
CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS 33
be effaced : " Make us ever mindful of the time when we shall lie down in the dust, and grant us grace always to live in such a state that we may never be afraid to die [here Mr. Williams always paused a moment in his devotions] ; so that, living and dying, we may be thine through the merits and satisfaction of thy Son Christ Jesus, in whose name we offer up these our imperfect prayers."
5
DANIEL GKEENLEAF
Daniel Gkeenleap, son of William and Mary (Brown) Greenleaf, bom in Boston, September 29, 1762, and died at Quincj, Massachusetts, March 25, 1853, aged ninety years. He married his cousin Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. John Greenleaf, May 25, 1786. She was born in Bos- ton, November 15, 1765, and died in Quincy, March 25, 1839, aged seventy-four years. They left no children.
When quite young, Mr. Greenleaf was taken into the family of his uncle, Dr. John Greenleaf, and soon placed in his store as an apprentice to the drug business, in which his uncle was largely engaged. His store then was in Cornhill. Here he continued until the death of his uncle, in 1778. The business was continued by the widow of Dr. John, she associating with herself in the business John Scollay, her brother-in-law. Daniel continued with them until the death of Mrs. John Greenleaf, who was the third wife of Dr. John and mother of his own wife.
On the evening of the day before the death of Mrs. John Greenleaf, she being desirous of seeing her daughter Ehzabeth married to her nephew Daniel, to whom Eliza- beth had been for some time engaged, and knowing, from the nature of her sickness, that she could not live to see another day, requested the attendance of her minister, and the marriage service was performed in her presence. This was done without the then necessary legal form of publication, the officiating clergyman being liable to pros- ecution and fine for this violation of the law. Daniel
DANIEL GREENLEAP 35
Greenleaf signed a bond, engaging to answer all action, if any was brought against the minister, for performing this service. Mr. Greenleaf frequently alluded to this inci- dent in a playful manner, telling his wife " that they were never legally united in the bonds of wedlock."
After the death of Mrs. John Greenleaf, Thomas, her only son, took charge of the business in Cornhill, with Mr. Scollay. Daniel Greenleaf removed to the building in Dock Square, which was erected in the year 1680, and which came into his wife's possession upon the death of her mother. This old building, of which a view is given in Drake's " Landmarks of Boston," p. 133, was a wooden structure, the lumber used being cut from the land now known as Brattle Square. It was taken down in 1860, and the one now standing in its place was erected. Mr. Greenleaf occupied the old store until his retirement from business and removal to Quincy in the year 1797. This estate is still owned by the heirs of Dr. John Greenleaf.
Daniel Greenleaf and wife resided in the old mansion on Brattle Street. He took great interest in the study of medicine. In those by-gone days it was customary for apothecaries to administer advice as well as dispense their drugs. After his removal to Quincy he was greatly valued as a physician. There he was called upon night and day tor medical advice by a large number of families. He always kept in his house a full supply of drugs, which, with his advice, he gave freely, never charging any one, rich or poor, for his kindly visits, nor for the medicine administered. He was called the " Good Samaritan " by the many he thus kindly aided in their hours of sickness.
Mr. Greenleaf, or, as he was always called, Dr. Green- leaf, lived for many years in a delightfully situated cot- tage near the centre of the old town. He afterwards purchased a large estate formerly owned by the Quincy family, on the Neponset road, about a mile north of his former residence, where he resided until his death.
36 DANIEL GREENLEAF
The front portion of the dwelling on this estate was built, according to tradition, in the early part of the last cen- tury, by Judge Edmund Quincy, son of the second Ed- mund Quincy. He made the wide gravel-walk before the house, widened the brook, a stream that flows from the west part of the town, running through the land of Presi- dent John Adams, crossing the old Neponset road, then through this estate to Quincy Bay. Several mulberry trees^ still bearing fruit, and a hedge of box were set out near the house by Judge Quincy. He also built on the north end of the house a suite of rooms — a study below, and sleeping-rooms above — for the use of his eccentric brother- in-law, Henry Flynt, for fifty years a tutor in Harvard College, and which were always called the " Flynt rooms." Tutor Flynt used to walk from Cambridge of a Saturday, let himself in by a private door, and occupy the apartr ments until his duties called him back to the college. The lower room was used by Mr. Greenleaf as a library and reading-room. This history of the old mansion is taken from a sermon delivered in Quincy, January 8, 1854, by Rev. William P. Lunt, on the death of Thomas Green- leaf, although the story of the building was often heard by the writer from Daniel Greenleaf himself. He was admitted an honorary member of the New England His- toric Genealogical Society August 26, 1845. He was a great reader and student in science, literature, and his- tory, as well as in his particular profession ; and was also remarkable for his bright and lively manners, taking great delight in the society of the young. The writer has no knowledge of any writings left by. him ; his talent was for business, and for this he was highly valued by all who knew him. His advice and service in matters sub- mitted to him, whether for the interest of the town in which he lived, or to aid his large circle of private friends, were always given in the same liberal spirit that ac- tuated him in his profession.
DANIEL GREENLEAF 37
Mr. Greenleaf was most devoutly attached to his wife. In the decline of life his loving and tender affections to her were as marked as in their younger days. The writer can bear personal witness to this beautiful trait in Mr. Greenleaf's character, having from early childhood been a frequent visitor at their hospitable mansion in. Quincy.
Mr. Greenleaf had a peculiar antipathy to travelling ; the thought of passing even a night away from his own home was unpleasant to him. One time, being persuaded by his wife, they started off in their own carriage to visit his sisters, who were then living in New Bedford, a jour- ney that would occupy two full days. Meeting a man on the road, walking very fast, and evidently much pleased, as he was laughing to himself, Mrs. Greenleaf said to her husband, "What do you imagine that man is so much pleased about? " " Why, my dear," he answered, " he is without doubt on his way home."
Mr. Greenleaf retained his physical and mental powers in a wonderful degree ; his mind was unclouded to the last moment of his life, and until about one week before his death he was attending to his private business, looking after the management of his large farm, in which he took great interest, and receiving the visits of his friends. His hearing was greatly impaired for many years, but this had no seeming effect on his spirits or his usefulness. He passed away without any apparent disease. An acci- dent he met with a few weeks before his death no doubt weakened him, in some degree. It was old age, the dying out of the lamp that had burned so clearly for ninety years, that gave him his passport through the shadowy gate, and the rest from life's work he had so well accomplished.
■]
ROBERT GOULD SHAW
Robert Gould Shaw, mercliant, of Boston, was born at Gouldsborongh, in the county of Hancock, State of Maine. He was the eldest son of Francis and Hannah (Nickels) Shaw, both natives of Boston ; and this Francis was the eld- est son of Francis and Sarah (Burt) Shaw, also of Boston. The record goes no further back. Owing to the absence of all documents, and to the death of both his father and grandfather while he was quite young, the subject of this sketch had no reliable information respecting his earlier ancestry. It is said, however, that the father of the elder Francis came from Scotland in the reign of Charles the Second, and that his name was Thomas. He may have come from Scotland or Ireland, for the Shaws were a broken Scottish clan, who found safety in dispersion at an early date ; and the name is quite common on both sides of the Irish Channel, while the resemblance to each other of many of those who bear it, whether they have re- mained in the old country or come to this, and whether they be Catholic or Protestant, sufficiently attests their kinship.
The first Francis was born in Boston, on the 29th of March, 1721. In 1745 he married Lydia Dickman, who died on the 26th of December, 1746, and on the 14th of September, 1747, their only son, Thomas, died. On the 22d of September of the same year (1747) 'Francis mar- ried his second wife, Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Burt,
EGBERT GOULD SHAW 39
the silversmith, of whose skill in his trade many specimens still exist.
In February, 1754, as appears by the Book of Records, he bought a house and land in the town of Boston, on the street or highway leading from Fish Street to the old North Meeting-house, and bounded by lands of the New Brick Meeting-house, of John Tudor and of Paul Revere. Other conveyances, of which there are several on record, show that he gradually increased his investments in real estate ; and he is elsewhere mentioned as a "merchant, enorasred in extensive business, and distinguished for intelhgence and enterprise."
The house above-mentioned became his residence, and was probably that of his widow — she retaining her right of dower — until her death, when it was sold by the heirs, * and described as " late the mansion of Francis Shaw, Esquire, deceased." It was here that took place the quarrel between Samuel, the third son of Francis, and Lieutenant Wragg, of the British army, an account of which is given by Hon. Josiah Quincy, in his memoir of his friend. Major Samuel Shaw : Major Pitcairn and Lieu- tenant Wragg had been billeted on his father ; and the lieutenant, having spoken contemptuously of the Amer- icans at table, was challenged by young Sam. or, as another account says, received from him the contents of a glass of wine full in the face ; but a duel was pre- vented by the intervention of Major Pitcairn. This incident shows the principles of the family, and that of most of the inhabitants of the North End, where they resided, and which was also, as Quincy says, " the abode of some of the most active and ardent spirits who gave character and impulse to the American Revolution."
Like many other patriots, the family left Boston while egress was still permitted, — or, perhaps, were com- pelled to leave, — and found refuge at Newburyport with Mrs. Burt, probably the widow of Mrs. Shaw's
40 . EGBERT GOULD SHAW
brother, " the goldsmith's son," who is mentioned as hav- ing preached a sermon at Maiden, on the 12th of Febru- ary, 1738, possibly as a candidate for the ministry. In 1776, after the British had evacuated Boston, they re- turned to their home ; and in 1779 we find that Francis Shaw was collector of taxes for the town, — an office which he was doubtless glad to get, as he had previously engaged in an enterprise which had made a constant drain on his resources, and which terminated most disas- trously. It was this: About the year 1770 Francis Shaw and Robert Gould, of Boston, and Lane, Son, Frazier, & Co. 3 eminent merchants and bankers of London, obtained from the crown a grant of a township of land in the then province of Maine ; and, after a careful reconnoissance of the whole coast by Shaw, Gould, and Lane in person, fixed upon a location which they named Gouldsborough. The harbor was a very fine one, and the surrounding country very beautiful ; two large rivers, furnishing many excellent mill-sites, emptied into the harbor, and there was an abundance of valuable timber ; but the preliminary exploration having been made by sea, the character of the soil was not ascertained, and this, most unfortunately, proved to be very poor. In compliance Avith the terms of the grant, settlers were brought in, horses, cattle, gheep, s^vine, and the necessary supplies, were purchased and transported to the spot at heavy cost. Francis, Jr., who had been educated by Mr. Gould, was sent down as his father's and Mr. Gould's agent, and Captain William Nickels as the agent of Lane, Son, Frazier, & Co. A great deal of money had to be expended before any returns could be expected. Houses were built, farms cleared, mills erected, and large lumbering operations undertaken ; vessels were put upon the stocks, and everything was full of promise.
Everything was full of promise ; but then came the war of the Revolution, and an immediate stop was put to all
i
ROBERT GOULD SHAW 41
business : vessels on the stocks were of no value, there was no exit for lumber, and no return for the industry that had been directed to these two objects, which had given life to the place. The settlers had no other re- sources, and were consequently destitute; as many as could do so removed to more fertile regions, and the population was much reduced ; but those who remained had to be supported by the proprietors, who met the emergency at a great sacrifice. Mr. Gould, who had been laro-ely engaged in commerce, was ruined, and his share of the responsibility, as well as of the property, fell to Francis Shaw, who likewise made advances for Lane & Frazier, and expended nearly the whole of his estate in the purchase and transportation of supplies.
There was no relief until the close of the war, when a renewal of business operations was attempted by Francis Shaw and his son. A beginning was made : houses, mills, and vessels were repaired, and lumbering operations again undertaken ; but this did not last long. Francis, Sr., died in Boston on the 18th of October, 1784, and Francis, Jr., died at Gouldsborough on the 17th of April, 1785.
Some time after their deaths their interests in Goulds- borough, which included the share originally belonging to Mr. Gould, were sold at auction by the administrators, un- der authority of the Probate Court, and bought by William Shaw, the fourth son of Francis, who likewise became possessed 'of the rights of Lane, Son, Frazier, & Co. He was more successful than his father and brother had been, and made a handsome fortune by his operations. Then came one of those periods of speculation in wild lands, which have made a few rich and ruined many. Messrs. Baring of London and William Bingham of Philadelphia had ac- quired a large territory in Maine, known as " the Bing- ham purchase," and wanted an outlet to the sea. They selected Gouldsborough for the same reasons that had ac- tuated Shaw, Gould, and Lane ; and William Shaw sold his
6
42 EGBERT GOULD SHAW
rights to them at a small advance on the first cost to him. The new proprietors, like the old, sent their agents to reside there, one of them occupying the house built by Francis Shaw, Jr., for himself, and in which his son Robert was born. They, too, rebuilt and repaired, purchased the farms of the old settlers, and introduced a fresh and, as they hoped, a more enterprising population. It was all in vain, however : the new settlers soon left, and what was once a pleasant and apparently thriving village is now entirely deserted ; the houses have fallen down, • the wharves and warehouses have disappeared, and little re- mains to show where the village once stood. The " forest primeval " has been replaced by stunted red cedars, known in that region as the " curses of Gouldsborough." The fine harbor is still there ; but that is all. This is the same Gouldsborough to which fresh importance has been given by recent discoveries of mineral wealth.
The above account of the settlement and desertion of Gouldsborough is necessary in order that we may have a clear understanding of the varying fortunes of the family, and of the influences and surroundings under and among which the subject of this sketch was born, and in which he passed the earher years of his life. The deaths of both his grandfather and father were probably hastened by the trials and troubles they had undergone. The will of Francis, Sr., in which his wife Sarah is named executrix, bears the date of 5th December, 1783, and was admitted to probate on 26th October, 1784, he having died on the 18th of that month, as before mentioned. His widow sur- vived him fifteen years, and as " Madam Shaw " was the object of much love and reverence on the part of the younger generations.
• The second Francis, the principal story of whose life may be gathered from what has gone before, was born on the 28th July, 1748. He was about twenty-one years of age when his father first embarked upon the enterprise
ROBERT GOULD SHAW 43
which was to shape his fortunes also, and so disastrously. Living at Gouldsborough he there married Hannah Nickels, who was born^in Boston on the 20th October, 1754, and was the daughter of William and Margaret (Breck) Nickels. Captain Nickels was associated with Francis, Jr., in the agency. He had come to Boston from London- derry in New Hampshire, of which town he, with his father and brother, was among the first proprietors. His wife Margaret was one of the numerous family of Brecks, descendants of the first Edward, who came to Dorchester in 1630. Another of the sisters, Hannah, was the second wife of Rev. Ebenezer Parkman, father of Samuel Park- man, whose first wife was Sarah Shaw, daughter of Fran- cis, Sr., and who became the father-in-law of the subject of this sketch. In the forced suspension of business dur- ing the war of the Eevolution Francis, Jr. was not in- active, but took part in the struggle for independence. The service he actually performed is not known, but we find him on the frontier of Maine under the titles of major and colonel, and know that, at one time, he under- took to raise a force of Indians. He did not survive the advent of peace long enough to retrieve his fortunes, but died at the early age of thirty-seven, six months after his father, and must have left his family in very destitute cir- cumstances.
His widow survived him more than fifty years, marry- ing again. Her second husband was Jacob Townsley,- whose first wife was her sister, and who was a most worthy and estimable man, much beloved by his step- sons. She lived at Steuben, the town adjoining Goulds- borough, till her death at an advanced age, and possessed one of those remarkable constitutions which seem to pro- test against the decay usually . accompanying length of days, having had a full, fresh head of hair after she was seventy years old.
Robert Gould, their first son who grew to manhood,
44 EGBERT GOULD SHAW
was born on the fourth day of June, 1776. His early life, in the midst of the privations suffered by the unfortunate inhabitants of Gouldsborough during the war of the Revo- lution, and by his own family then and afterwards, must have been a comparatively hard one ; but those priva- tions, as he did not sink under them, doubtless, contributed to strengthen those powers of endurance and perseverance which he inherited from his ancestry on both sides, and for which he was remarkable. He had none of what are called the advantages of education, and the little school- ing he received could be reckoned by months. He was a boy of great enterprise and spirit, and consequently very mischievous, — a quality which is more frequently recalled with pleasure at a later date than endured with patience at the time by those upon whom it is exercised. In those days conscientious people performed " duties," and fully believed that " he that spareth the rod hateth his son ; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." Master Robert, accordingly, was often chastened, being fre- quently called upon to pay for his pranks with his person, — a result which he accepted as a natural consequence whenever he was '' found out," and which did not deter him from seizing the very next opportunity that presented itself.
When about thirteen years old he was sent to Boston with his younger brother George, at the request of his uncle. Major Samuel, who had asked his widowed sister- in-law to let him take the boys, that he might be " as a father to them." Their uncle WiUiam took both boys with him to Boston, but poor little George, unable to re- cover from his homesickness, soon left again for Goulds- borough under charge of his grandfather Nickels. They did not reach their destination, but were wrecked on the then desolate shore of the island of Grand Menan, where they were both frozen to death in December, 1789. Their bodies were found under the lee of a cliff, below ^vhich
ROBERT GOULD SHAW 45
they had sought shelter, wrapped in one great-coat. The old man had been trying to put a raisin into the boy's mouth, and had gone to sleep in the attempt. Robert felt his little brother's death very keenly, and always spoke oE him with great tenderness. He named his own eldest son for his father and this dear brother, whose memory he wished to perpetuate, and whose story he engraved on the monument which he erected at Eastport, in 1845, over the remains of his grandmother Nickels. Robert, being made of sterner stuff, was kept by his uncle William for an apprentice, instead of "sailing as midship- man in the " Massachusetts," for Canton, with the major, as the latter had originally intended. This ship, the largest merchantman till then launched in the United States, had been built at Quincy in 1789, by order of Major Shaw, for his China trade. She was fitted out as a man-of-war, and was sold to the agents of the Portuguese government shortly after her arrival at Canton. This change of occupation was probably in accordance with the boy's own wishes, so far as they may have been con- sulted, as, judging from all his experiences in after-life, he must have been seasick during the whole of his recent passage from Gouldsborough, and have become disgusted with the sea.
In those days indentured apprentices were almost as absolutely under the control of their masters as were the servants who had been bought with a price. They made part of the family, it is true, and took their meals with them ; but they had their beds in the house or store, as might be convenient, and were expected and compelled to render, in house, store, and stable, services which are now considered menial. " Uncle William " was a strict mas- ter, and probably rather a hard one. With him it was " a word and a blow," and often the blow came first; but boys then expected this kind of treatment, and it certainly helped to harden, when not cowed by it, as was seldom the case.
46 EGBERT GOULD SHAW
StUl young Robert cannot have had a very hard or a very dull time in Boston. Many good houses, besides his uncle's and grandmother's, were open to him ; his cou- sins, the Parkmans, were about of his own age, and the Burts and Brecks, with their numerous connections, took an interest in their young relative. Boston, too, though a Puritan town, was not a very quiet or a very dull one, for. boys. The greater the repression, the greater the necessity of expansion for the young ; and frequent fights between the boys of different parts of the town, — the Northenders and Southenders, — and between those of Boston and Charlestown, gave ample scope and plea- surable excitement; while the narrow wharves which fringed all the North End were grand places for rough play, with the additional zest of occasional danger, which it required skill and courage to surmount. He had other and quieter amusements, likewise, and gave evidence of his patience and perseverance by so training a dog, his ownership of which he had concealed from his uncle, that it would take food from no other hand than his. His uncle would not believe this possible ; but was compelled to acknowledge himself in the wrong, and treated his apprentice with more consideration ever after. To those days and to the general example of his elders may be attributed the origin of the habit of using strong exple- tives, which the subject of this sketch retained to the very last, employing them without scruple whenever he had occasion.
His uncle William, who had resided much at Goulds- borough during Robert's childhood, had seen in him capa- bilities which might render him a valuable assistant, and which had induced him to retain him in Boston, and he now showed his appreciation of the qualities that had been developed in his nephew by sending him, when only seventeen years old, to take charge of his property and to manage his business at Gouldsborough. Robert re-
ROBEET GOULD SHAW 47
mained there during the summers of three years, and, after the property was finally disposed of and the busi- ness wound up, had the satisfaction to hear his uncle say that he could not have done it better himself. A still further and greater proof of the estimation in which William Shaw held his nephew was given in leaving his own children, by his Will, under the guardianship of his former apprentice, though still a young man.
When of age, and freed from the obligations imposed upon him during his minority, Mr. Shaw entered into business on his own account, probably succeeding to that of his uncle on the retirement of the latter. A letter to his mother, copied below, depicts the character of .the young man at this time, and may be taken as a fair de- lineation of qualities which he retained throughout his life.
Boston, JUI72I, 1798. Dear Mother, — I received your affectionate epistle by Cap- tain Godfrey, which gave me great pleasure. I wrote by Cap- tain Dyer, which I suppose you have received. You mention my saying in a former letter that " I made the laws of God my guide." When I consider the impression that sentence carries with it, I must retract, as I consider the declaration too posi- tive, and add that I endeavor and do, as far as my ability will permit, live by his laws and keep his commandments. All this I do without pretending to any religion. I mention this that you may not be disappointed, and expect from my having so written to find me much better than I am ; for although I en- deavor to live a good and moral life, yet I am far from what our Eastern friends .call a Christian. Yet, my dear mother, I agree with you that " religion is beautiful in every age and sex " ; but 'tis not those who crave most after that inexhaustible blessincr that are the first to gain it, though 't is laudable in every one to try, and he may be sure that by persevering he will finally ar- rive at the wished-for mark, and that this may be the happy lot of all is the sincere wish of the writer. I don't know that I mentioned in any of my former letters the arrival of Dr. C.'s three sons, who, poor boys, came almost naked. They are now
48 ROBERT GOULD SHAW
with uncle Shaw, at Milton, where they met with a kind recep- tion, and appear to enjoy themselves perfectly. What can he thought of a man who would send his children such a distance as from North Carolina to Boston, destitute of everything, not even known to the captain, nor their passage paid, or a farthing of money to help themselves with? Such has been the conduct of Dr. C, and such a man is not worthy the title of man ; for, in my opinion, he is far below the brute creation, and his name ought to sink into oblivion. I am happy that Bill did not come up, as perhaps he might have been some obstruction to the little C.'s reception. To-morrow evening Sally Parkman is ^o be married to Mr. Blake. I wish they may enjoy every happiness this world can afford, for Sally is really an amiable girl. Please to remember me to all friends, and believe me to be
Your affectionate son,
R. G. Shaw.
Throughout his whole life he was chary of professions, and often disclaimed the praise which a less conscientious man might have thought well deserved. He was always prompt to feel and express indignation at meanness and niggardliness, and equally ready with tender love and sympathy towards those who were their proper objects.
In his business life he early established the good credit which he maintained till the end, and which was an im- portant factor in his success. He was always careful not to enter into operations which might carry him beyond his depth, and to meet all just demands upon him as promptly as possible. He even went so far, before his standing was firmly established, as to pay his notes at bank some days before they fell due. He thus became known to men of capital as one who could be relied upon, and thenceforth commanded all the credit he desired. Exact and upright himself, he more than once, even to the apparent injury of his business, refused to have deal- ings with persons who he was satisfied were not so, and, when he felt any suspicion, did not fail to put the parties to the test ; while, as he had great capacity for indigna-
EGBERT GOULD SHAW 49
tion, he was sure to express his opinion on such occasions in the strono;est terms the lano;uas:e would admit.
On the 9th of February, 1799, he informed his friends and the public by advertisement that he had taken store No. 7 State Street, opposite the new Branch Bank, and intended to conduct an auction and commission busi- ness. In this he soon associated with himself Mr. Chris- topher Barker, said to have been a Yorkshireman who controlled large importations from England ; and on the 15th January, 1803, he formed the house of Shaw, Barker, & Bridge, admitting as a partner Mr. Samuel Bridge, who was a skilful salesman, and had for some years been employed by him as such. This firm, which opened at No. 65 State Street, was very popular, and did a large auction and commission business, having regular sales of dry goods every week, and out-of-door sales almost every day. In 1805 he retired from this firm, and united with Messrs. Edward Tuckerman, Jr., and Samuel Rogers, both of them connected with him by marriage, in forming that of Tuckerman, Shaw, & Rogers, whose store was on Cornhill.
In the latter part of September in the same year Mr. Shaw sailed for England in the " John Adams," and had a very rough passage, — so rough that he did not leave his berth during the whole of it, and all the crockery on ' board was broken, the only drinking-vessel left in the cabin being a silver cup belonging to him, the manufac- ture of his grandfather Burt. He remained in England till May, 1807, and besides attending to the business of his firm, by purchasing and shipping merchandise, entered upon and brought to a successful conclusion an important negotiation, which was indeed the principal motive of his voyage and his stay.
There must be some fascination to draw men so fre- quently into the oft-recurring speculations in wild lands ; and Mr. Shaw, prudent as he always was, and with the
7
50 ROBERT GOULD SHAW
sad experience of his father and grandfather before him, must have reposed great confidence in the good judgment of his associates, as he could not, of himself, have had much personal knowledge in the matter, the purpose of this negotiation being the purchase of large tracts of land in Maine on joint account with Messrs. James Bridge and Reuel Williams, of Augusta, in that State.
Those tracts were the remnants of one of the parcels into which the original grant made by James the First to the Plymouth Company had been divided, and which cov- ered a very large territory in the valley of the Kennebec. Most of the lands had been sold, and thriving towns had grown up within the original boundaries, but the title to an important portion was vested in Mr. William Baker, of London, to whom his rights had come by inheritance from his father, Sir William Baker, he having received them under execution in satisfaction of a judgment. Mr. Baker hardly knew that he possessed any lands in America, and attached little value to them until Mr. Shaw appeared with money in hand, and a proposal to purchase at what seemed to be a very high price. After taking time for consideration and investigation, Mr. Baker actually pro- posed to accept a smaller amount than was offered, but Mr. Shaw insisted on paying what he had fixed upon as fair, and finally closed the transaction on his own terms. The " indenture " made by Mr. Baker, which is on vellum, and justifies its name by having a curved or " indented " edge, is now in the old Plymouth Company's chest, which contains the records of their transactions, etc., and which was deposited in the Archives of the Maine Historical Society after the death of Mr. Williams, and in compliance with his directions. It bears date, in London, 28th March, 1807, and conveys to Mr. Shaw over thirty thousand acres of land, in sundry parcels, by metes and bounds, and one twenty-fourth part of the common and undivided lands of the " Proprietors of the Kennebec purchase from the late
KOBERT GOULD SHAW 51
colony of New Pl3niioiith," with a fastidious precision which is not a httle curious when apphed to territory in the wilds of Maine more than seventy years ago. For these particulars the writer is indebted to Hon. Joseph H. Williams, of Augusta, son of Mr. Shaw's friend.
Shortly after his return from England Mr. Shaw con- veyed to Messrs. Bridge and Williams one half of every right covered by the indenture, and Mr. Williams man- aged Mr. Shaw's remaining interest imtil the land was all sold and the business closed. The " Baker right " had been so long in abeyance, and the lands so long aban- doned, that large tracts had been taken possession of by squatters ; and when it was known that the new pro- prietors intended to enforce their claims, there was great excitement throughout the whole region, and some vio- lence. Ultimately the difficulties were amicably settled, the courts confirming the title of the proprietors, and the legislature passing a Betterment-act, whereby the im- provements made by the squatters were secured to them. The operation proved to be pecuniarily profitable to the parties interested, but their success was purchased at the cost of much labor and anxiety.
While in England Mr. Shaw lived principally in Lon- don, having his lodgings in the Strand, and his headquar- ters at the London Coffee House, but making frequent excursions, both for business and pleasure, to different parts of the island. When not posting, he travelled on horseback, being a good rider, and he spent much of his leisure in the saddle. Sensible of the deficiencies of his preliminary education, he often, after having been busy all day, passed the long evening in study and reading, and at last he thereby so weakened his eyes that he was never afterwards able to use them freely. He did not visit the continent, or cross the Irish Channel, probably because his experiences with the sea had been so distaste- ful. As sooG-as;;po.saib{e)4l^e?,A^e trai)&f€f--o^ .the " Baker
CP THe CWURCN OF JESUS rRRIsr 0093504 ^' LATTSR-DAv SAINTS
62 , ROBERT GOULD SHAW
right " had been completed, and Mr. Shaw had received the " indenture " and other necessary papers, he sailed in the ship " Yorkshire," from Liverpool for New York ; and it is related that, on his first visits to his relatives and friends, after his arrival in Boston, he wore the same suit of clothes in which he had taken leave of them at his departure, thereby testifying the dislike he always felt for foreign fashions and finery, and showing them that, outwardly at least, he had not been changed by his long residence abroad.
In 1810 the copartnership of Shaw, Tuckerman, & Rogers was dissolved, and Mr. Shaw entered upon a more general business on his own account. This he continued during the remainder of his life, first on Kilby Street, then on Central Wharf, and lastly on Commercial Wharf, associating with himself Mr. William Perkins, who had been brought up in his counting-house, and four of his own sons successively. As his means increased, he in- creased his operations, which ultimately extended to all parts of the world. He owned many vessels, and loaded them with cargoes on his own account, thus employing a large capital. He paid very minute attention to details, making most of his purchases and sales himself, without the intervention of brokers ; conducting the principal part of his correspondence with his own hand, and writing out ^ the instructions to his captains, notwithstanding the weak- ness of his eyes. He acted on the conviction that, "if you want a thing done, you must do it yourself " ; and did not willingly leave to another anything that he could attend to himself. The officers and seamen of his vessels were shipped in his counting-house, and came there to be paid off and discharged. He knew more about vessels than most men who have not made them a specialty. He used to go under their bottoms when on the ways for repairs, and into their holds when loading. The following trivial incident furnishes a further illustration of his character
ROBEKT GOULD SHAW 53
and of his sense of justice : One day he came up from the hold of a vessel taking in cargo, exclaiming in a great passion : " The d— d fool ! " " Why, father, what's the matter ? " asked one of his sons, who was waiting for him
on deck. " is such a d — d fool ! " Then, restraining
himself, he almost immediately added : '• No, it is I who am the d — d fool ! If he knew as much as I do, he might be in my place and I in his." He was a real merchant, loving business for its own sake. He would sometimes " make business," even when he knew that it would not pay for the time and trouble required. He liked to have his operations turn out successfully, as proving the cor- rectness of his judgment, but he did not care for the accumulation of money. He continued actively engaged in commerce to the last, feeling that this was his sphere, and when asked why he did not retire from business, and take the repose his years demanded, replied :. " What else can I do ? "
From time to time he made investments in real estate in different parts of Boston, and especially on the water- front of the North End. He was consequently largely in- terested in the improvements which resulted in the forma- tion of Commercial and the parallel streets, of Mercantile, Commercial, and Lewis's wharves. In these matters he relied much upon the advice and judgment of Mr. Samuel Shaw Lewis, than whom Boston never possessed a citizen of more comprehensive views, or of greater energy in confronting and overcoming the obstacles which ob- structed their realization. With him and General WilHam H. Sumner he also took large part in the development of Noddle's Island, now East Boston, and furthered the establishment there of the terminus of the Cunard Line of steamers, the pioneer of the numerous fleets which now make the passage between the United States and Europe. He was always ready to listen with favor to projects for the development of the trade of Boston, and never with-
54 ROBERT GOULD SHAW
held his aid when such projects seemed to him feasible, subscribing largely to the stock of railroad and manufac- turing companies, from which no immediate direct return could be expected. He promoted the building of the Boston Exchange, and of this, as of most of the above- mentioned enterprises and others in which he engaged, he was the president and financial director. He was for many years treasurer, and afterwards president of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, and a large con- tributor to the funds of many of the benevolent and re- medial institutions of the city which he loved. He was chosen a director of the Boston Bank in 1813, and at every succeeding election till his death, and was president from 1836 to 1841, when he declined to serve as such any longer. He became a Mason early in life, and in 1835 during the anti-masonic troubles, when the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts surrendered its charter as a corporate body, and could no longer hold real estate, he became the pur- chaser of the Masonic Temple in Boston ; this, in more auspicious times, he sold back to the Lodge at the price he had paid for it, " not only," as expressed in their resolu- tion of thanks, " unembarrassed by any charge for the care and trouble incurred, but, of his own mere gratuity, ac- tually some thousand or two dollars better to us than when sold." He was admitted an honorary member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, November 20, 1846.
He never sought office, nor cared for it ; but was al- ways ready to do his duty as a citizen. He was chosen representative from Boston to the General Court in 1829-1830, and again in 1835, and a presidential elector in 1852. Growing to manhood, as he did, in the very bit- terest of the strife between the Federalists and the Demo- crats, he continued, in words at least, to be a strono* Whio- throughout ; but his sense of fairness and of justice caused him more than once to repudiate the measures of his
ROBERT GOULD SHAW 65
party, and to act with their opponents. He had the con- fidence of all alike, and in 1836, under a Democratic administration, the position of United States commis- sioner and disbursing agent for the erection of the new Custom House in Boston was tendered to and accepted by him. All the moneys expended passed through his hands ; and when his accounts were finally settled in 1850, the acknowledgment was accompanied with the testimony from the Treasurer of the United States, that "every- thing from Mr. Shaw comes in the right shape."
On the 2d of February, 1809, Mr. Shaw married Eliza- beth Willard Parkman, who was born on the 31st March, 1785, the daughter of Samuel Parkman of Boston and his second wife, Sarah Rogers, daughter of the Rev. Daniel Rogers, of Littleton, by his second wife, Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Rev. Samuel Ruggles, of Billerica, and widow of Samuel Dummer. Miss Eliza Parkman was a very beauti- ful and highly accomplished young lady, quite gay, and fond of society, but her favored suitor proved at last to be plain " Cousin Robert," with all his quaintness and his old-fashioned clothes and manners. They had been well and intimately acquainted from their early youth, her half brothers and sisters being his cousins, and the acquaintance had ripened into mutual esteem and love. The marriage was a happy one : he was always loving and considerate, and she, always a loving and de- voted daughter, was as loving and devoted a wife and mother. She was a good manager, an excellent house- . keeper, and in every way a helpmate to her husband. '• They were united in their lives, and in their deaths they were not (long) divided."
The house they first occupied was at the corner of Milk and Federal streets ; then, to be nearer to Mrs. Shaw's parents, they removed to one on Cambridge Street, oppo- site the foot of Middlecut, now Bowdoin, Street, and again to the stone house on the corner of Green Street, front-
66 ROBERT GOULD SHAW
ing on Bowdoin Square. They never owned a house in the country, but every summer went to board somewhere in the near neighborhood of Boston, so that Mrs. Shaw could be relieved for a time from the cares of housekeeping, while Mr. Shaw would still be within reach of his count- ing-house ; and he always took a short vacation, which he passed in travelling, — sometimes on horseback, — or at one of the medicinal springs. Finally, after the death of Mrs. Shaw's parents, they removed to the house on the westerly corner of Beacon Street and Joy Place, where they both died, within a few days of each other.
They were constant and punctual attendants upon pub- lic worship, first at the church on Federal Street, under the ministry of Rev. William EUery Channing, then at the New North on Hanover Street, under that of Mrs. Shaw's brother. Rev. Francis Parkman, and later in life at the Stone-chapel, corner of Tremont and School streets. Mr. Shaw never made any professions of religion, but he was a very conscientious and deeply religious man, and had an abiding faith in the goodness and love of the Heavenly Father, while his belief in an overruling Providence, and in the certainty of the retribution attendant upon all good and evil affections and actions, amounted to an absolute con- viction. He was completely independent of creeds and churches, maintaining his own convictions, and acknowledg- ing in all the same right of private judgment which he claimed for himself ; but he had a horror of the doctrine which teaches that God is less merciful than man, and that he creates human beings solely for the purpose of plunging them into endless torments. He always asserted that he had the faculty of seeing visions, and that they were pleasant and delightful, or the contrary, according as he was in a spiritual or worldly state of mind at the time. In his later years, he became an enthusiastic believer in modern Spiritualism, and gave full credence to the won- derful narrations of some of the prominent mediums ; but
ROBERT GOULD SHAW 67
he needed no help from them to strengthen his beUef in immortality, which was never shaken.
In his household Mr. Shaw was a strict disciplinarian, but a tender and loving husband and father. He still had faith in the proverb before quoted as applied to himself ; and his children, while they remained at home, were always children, and were obliged to obey the behests of their father and mother. As they grew to years of dis- cretion, however, he manifested more and more confidence in them, and did not attempt to influence their religious beliefs, or to interfere with their convictions. He was glad to give to his sons all those advantages of education of which he had himself felt the want, and permitted them to devote themselves to such pursuits as were most congenial to them. He felt very deeply the deaths of those of his children who went before him.
Mrs. Shaw died on the 14th of April, 1853. Mr. Shaw was so ill and so much affected by her death that, under the advice of the family, he refrained from accompanying the remains of his beloved wife to Mount Auburn, but shortly took to his bed, which he did not again leave in Hfe. Thenceforth he refused all nourishment, and only occasionally drank a little cold water. He lay on his back, with his eyes closed, and thus lingered till the 3d of May, his body gradually failing, but his mind remaining perfectly clear, — receiving and bidding farewell to many of his friends, and proffering advice to some with the same truthful frankness which had always characterized him. Sometimes, when waking from sleep, he would ex- claim : " What ! Still here ? " As he lay there, his re- marks upon persons and things were often so humorous that he and those who loved him dearly, and were gath- ered about what all knew to be his dying-bed, enjoyed a hearty laugh together. An involuntary smile must have passed round the circle when a young and enthusiastic
clergyman whom he had not known, and who had per-
8
68 ROBERT GOULD SHAW
sisted in talking religion to him as he lay there, with his eyes shut, asked him what he thought about it, and re- ceived for answer : " I think that you talk like a fool." It is but fair to add that the young man accepted this re- buff in a truly Christian spirit, and that afterward they had very pleasant converse together. To another clergy- man, an old friend, whom he esteemed highly, and who proposed to pray for him, he replied : " I thank you ; but I always do my own praying." Indeed, to him, his was not a " dying " bed, but his departure was simply a continued living, and that he felt this most strongly he showed when, on a friend's speaking to him of " dying in Christ," a look of amazement came over . his face, and he said : " We live in Christ." The following, from the pen of a young con- nection of his, gives a graphic description of the incident to which it refers. He writes : —
" I recollect the scene perfectly. He lay on his back, with his eyes always shut. His voice was loud and strong, and its tone natural, so that there was no outward sign of failing strength. When told who I was, he took me by the hand, and said in a pleasant tone : ' I remember your grandfather so well. I can see him at this moment standing with his back toward me. He was very kind to me when I was beginning business. Why ? Why was he so kind to me ? ' Then he pushed my sleeve high above the elbow, and began to feel my arm, beginning at the wrist and going upwards. I was struck with the strength and evenness of his grasp. Then he said : ' It feels like a good arm ' ; and after a pause he added, in a clear, emphatic voice : ' See that you use it on the right side,' — advice which I have not forgotten."
He died as he had Uved, at peace with God and man.
By his will, Mr. Shaw bequeathed a large sum of money, to be employed, after it had accumulated to a certain amount, for the relief of destitute children of seamen. The condition imposed having been fulfilled, that bequest has now taken the form of " The Shaw Asylum for Mar- iners' Children," from the income of which, after provid-
ROBERT GOULD SHAW 59
ing for the support of such as must necessarily be inmates of the asylum itself, assistance is given to others who are also its proper objects, without removing them from the care of their relatives, or from the life and circumstances into which they were born. In this manner it is hoped that the benevolent intentions of the testator can best be carried into effect, and the least possible harm done to the recipients.
This brief and inadequate sketch of a comparatively uneventful but eminently useful life cannot be more sat- isfactorily brought to a close than by inserting the follow- ing extracts from two letters, — the first written by one of his daughters, the second by one who was also very near and dear to him:. —
" Some one has said that men of genius never grow old. I do not say that father was a man of genius ; but he certainly possessed rare and remarkable qualities, and with them he seemed to have an ever-springing fountain of life and youth.
.... He retained his youthful enthusiasm to the last
This reminds me of his Spartan simplicity. He protested al- ways, and not only by words, but by his daily life, against self- indulgence and luxury of all kinds. He was a true patriot, in the best sense of the word. He knew that wealth brings lux- ury, and luxury brings vice, and vice brings ruin, not only to the individual, but to the nation. Of his business qualities, his energy, sagacity, integiity, and straightforward dealing, I need say nothing, — others can speak of them better than I ; but father possessed a quality" which I find rarely in man or woman ; I mean pity : he was very tender-hearted to man and beast, rich and poor, old and young, gentle or simple, wicked or virtuous."
" I wish much to add my tribute of love and admiration. For many years almost a member of his family, I early recognized the remarkable variety and combination of qualities that made him so delightful a companion. The good-natured tyranny he exercised over his household was more amusing than irritating ; and when he called in a somewhat peremptory tone for one of us to read to him or to walk with him, he was obeyed not only
60 ROBERT GOULD SHAW
with alacrity but with pleasure. His love of nature was almost childlike, and when walking or driving with him in the country- no one would have imagined him to be an eminent city mer- chant. Prosperity never injured him, and he retained to the end of his life a singularly unworldly and youthful spirit. He had great pity for, and always helped, the unfortunate ; but he had no patience with anything like cant or pretension. His perception of what was false and hypocritical was unerring, and expressed itself in strong language, while he was always slow to listen to common gossip or scandal. He had the tender heart of a woman ; but when sorrow and affliction came, they were met with manly courage, and only the anxious, careworn face showed the suffering within. It was my misfortune to be far away when he died, and I always regret losing the last pleasant days in his sick-room. I have not said half of what I feel about him. To sum up his character, one may quote from Sir Henry Wotton's hymn : —
*' * How happy is he born and taught, , Who serveth not another's will, Whose armor is his honest thought, "
And simple truth his highest skill.
" * Whose passions not his masters are,
Whose soul is stiU prepared for death, ,
Not tied unto the world with care, Of public fame or private breath.' " .
CHILDREN OF ROBERT GOULD AND ELIZABETH WILLARD
(PARKMAN) SHAW.
Francis George, born October 23, 1809 ; married Sarah Blake Sturgis.
Sarah Parkman, born March 3, 1811 ; married George Robert Russell, who died August 6, 1866.
Samuel Parkman, born November 19, 1813 ; died December 7, 1869 ; married Hannah Buck.
Robert Gould, born September 17, 1815 ; died December 2, 1853 ; married Mary Louisa Sturgis, who died August 9, 1870.
Anna Blake, born August 6, 1817 ; married William Batch- elder Greene, who died May 30, 1878.
s
t
ROBERT GOULD SHAW 61
Gardner Rowland, born June 10, 1819 ; died May 1, 1867 ; married Cora Lyman.
Joseph Coolidge, born January 22, 1821 ; died March 10, 1851. (A Catholic priest.)
Elizabeth Willard, born February 3, 1823 ; died February 14, 1850 ; married Daniel Augustus Oliver, who died at sea in 1850.
Quincy Adams, born February 8, 1825 ; married Pauline Agassiz.
William Henry, born July 9, 1827 ; died February 24, 1828.
Marian, born December 21, 1828 ; died March 9, 1855 ; mar- ried Frederick Richard Sears.
SAMUEL APPLETON
The subject of this sketch was for many years a well known merchant of Boston, and with his brother Nathan and his cousin William Appleton did much to render the name of a Boston merchant synonymous with energy, enterprise, and sterling integrity. Mr. Appleton was one of the old-school merchants, having come to Boston in 1794 to engage in the business of importing and selhng at wholesale English dry goods. "When he came to Bos- ton at the age of twenty-eight, he was an excellent illus- tration of how much the metropolis owes of vigor and purity to the ever-freshening streams pouring into it from the country farms and villages. An open horizon seems to impart a healthful vigor of morals and physique, hkely to stand the shrivelling influences of the city for one generation, and sometimes more, and it is certain the life of cities needs to be constantly revivified by fresh country blood.
The old merchants of Boston had the advantage of the present generation, too, in being so much nearer the hardy pioneer life, which taught self-reliance, endurance, and economy, and indifference to artificial wants ; they had no dangers from savage neighbors, as the early fathers had, but coming as they often did from remote towns, sparsely settled and barren of luxury, they had been nur- tured on self-denial and economy.
SAMUEL APPLETOX 63
Samuel Appleton was the son of Deacon Isaac and Mary (Adams) Appleton, of New Ipswich, New Hamp- shire ; he was descended from Samuel Appleton, born at Little Waldingfield, England, 1586, who came to New England in 1635, and settled at Ipswich, Massachusetts ; he had married Judith Everard, 1616, and had Samuel, 1625-1696, who was a major in King Philip's War, and was active in resistance to the claims of Andros, and who married, 1651, Hannah Paine of Ipswich ; their son Isaac, born 1664, married Priscilla Baker of Topsfield, to whom was born Isaac 1704 ; he married Elizabeth Sawyer, of Wells, Maine ; and their son Isaac, born 1731, who mar- ried Mary Adams of Concord, Massachusetts, 1760, was the father of Samuel, the subject of this sketch, who was born at New Ipswich, New Hampshire, June 22, 1766 ; married November, 1819, and died July 12, 1853.
Deacon Isaac Appleton seems to have been an exem- plary man, industrious, prudent, patriotic ; a man of in- fluence among his neighbors, and an example by his piety to the church. He had removed to New Ipswich from Ipswich, Massachusetts, w^hen nineteen years old, his father being one of the original proprietors of the town. At the opening of the revolutionary war Deacon Isaac marched with his neighbors to repel the British, and was engaged for a considerable time with the patriot forces ; he was one of the Committee of Safety, and was a public- spirited man throughout his life. Family traditions indi- cate many instances of his helpfulness to deserving local enterprises, and to struggling young men.
The boyhood of Samuel Appleton was fortunate in the fact of his happy home life, and in its occurrence at the period of the war for independence. The stirring events occurring throughout the colonies must have educated the coming man as much as did the few months' teaching each year in the common school. In addition to the com- mon or grammar school which alternated with work on
64 SAMUEL APPLETON"
the farm for several months of each year, there were a few terms at the new academy for the future " merchant prince/' and he was counted worthy to be a teacher of reading, writing, and spelling, grammar, and arithmetic. He accordingly taught school several winters. Young Appleton had a more practical experience of pioneer life than was afforded by his home. He went to Maine in 1790, or thereabouts, partly on his own account, and also in the employ of an enterprising neighbor interested in the Maine lands. Of this period Mr. Appleton wrote : " I took for myself a lot of land, more than ten miles from any settlement, and for some time carried my pro- visions on my back, going through the woods by marked trees to my log house and home at that time." This fron- tier life not opening the desired prospect of success, Mr. Appleton returned, and opened a store in New Ipswich, in connection with Mr. Charles Barrett, a friend and neighbor.
These, then, were the influences which had gone to make up the character of the country boy, — a Christian home, the common school, farm work, a country store. Who that is familiar with New England country life can doubt that these influences united to make the patient, industrious, frugal, calm, just man, who was to dignify by his life and character the name and position of Boston merchant ?
A letter of Mr. Appleton to citizens of Peterborough gives us a glimpse of the boy's education (in affairs) in the following incident. He writes in 1839 : — .
" Fifty-nine years ago last April a man with a drove of cattle passed my father's house in New Ipswich, on his way to a pas- ture for his cattle, in the town of Hancock. Being in want of assistance to drive his cattle, and seeing a flaxen-haired boy at the door, he bargained with my father that I should assist him on his way as far as the mills in Peterborough, distance ten miles ; for this service to be performed by me my father received
SAMUEL APPLETON 65
ninepence, lawful money. We arrived at the mills — a rickety saw and grist mill — about four o'clock ; the man of cattle then offered me half as much as he had paid my father, and a night's lodging, if 1 would go on with him through the woods, three miles, to Taylor's Tavern. I readily consented, and pocketed the cash."
This fourpence ha'penny may be fairly considered the humble beginning of the princely fortune this boy was to acquire, and it finally grew to be over a million dollars.
In 1799 Mr. Appleton, who had been in business five years in Boston, was joined by his brother Nathan, forming the firm of S. & N. Appleton, which continued for many years in the same business of importing and selling dry goods at wholesale.
The Appletons were among the first to develop in this country the new industries of weaving cotton and woollen fabrics, and their names are associated with Law- rence, Lowell, Cabot, to whom so much of New England prosperity is to be ascribed. To the enterprise of these men it is largely due that we have such flourishing indus- tries as are found at Waltham, Lewiston, Manchester, Lowell, and Lawrence, and in many other manufacturing towns. The Appleton brand of cottons still retain their excellent reputation in all markets to which American manufactures have penetrated.
Mr. Appleton seems to have been uniformly prosperous in his business, and to have spent considerable time in England during some twenty years, purchasing goods for his firm. It is said he was the first American merchant to go to Manchester, England, to purchase goods, about 1825. He retired from active business, having acquired a competency, and having an assured income from for- tunate investments in stocks of several manufacturing; companies. Thenceforth life flowed smoothly and calmly for a quarter of a century. Free from anxiety, he en- joyed the evening of his days in deeds of charity and
9
66 SAMUEL APPLETON
benevolence. For some years before his death he made it a rule to disburse his entire income each year ; as a consequence, the list of his benefactions is a long one. Few benevolent associations but at some time appealed to him, and seldom in vain. In many instances contributions unsought surprised trustees by their opportune liberality. Such were the gifts of $1,000 to the Boston Female Asylum in 1844, and again in 1845 ; of $10,000 to Dart- mouth College in 1845, and of $5,000 to the New Ips- wich Academy in 1850.
While Mr. Appleton waited not for his death to benefit others, he was still able in his will to devise a princely
~ sum ($200,000) for distribution by his executors for " scientific, literary, religious, and charitable purposes." Among the objects to which portions of this sum were applied by the trustees were the following : To Harvard College, $50,000 ; Sailors' Snug Harbor, $20,000 ; New Ipswich (Appleton) Academy, $20,000 ; Dartmouth Col-
^ lege, $15,000 ; Massachusetts Historical Society, $10,000 ; Massachusetts General Hospital, $10,000 ; American Acad-
. emy of Arts and Sciences, $10,000 ; Amherst College, $10,000. The donation to Harvard College was applied to building the beautiful Appleton Chapel.
Mr. Appleton had no children. He married November, 1819, Mrs. Mary (Lecain) Gore, and his married life seems to have been exceptionally happy. His wife survived him many years, and deceased May 19, 1870. Calm and serene, conscious of a well-spent life, his home was a cen- tre from which radiated cheer and sympathy for all good objects, and helpfulness to a large circle. For a few years previous to his death Mr. Appleton was confined to his room, but he retained to the last a lively interest in aU around him, both in the family circle and in the wider field of public events.
Mr. Appleton was a member of the Massachusetts Legislature from 1828-1831, four years, and was chosen
SAMUEL APPLETON 67
elector at large in the presidential election of 1836. With these exceptions he never hold public office : his work seems to have been to make it possible for many to ac- complish more than one brain or one pair of hands could hope to do. He was elected an honorary member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, August 18, 1845.
Well-used wealth is Briareus-handed, and reaches far. The Appleton fund of the Massachusetts Historical So- ciety secures the publication of rare manuscripts for all time to come ; and who can estimate the beneficent in- fluence of the Dartmouth Colleo;e donation, — through generation after generation of crowding scholarship ?
Mr. Appleton was of fine, commanding presence, being about six feet in height, with a full face and a fresh com- plexion. A portrait of him was executed by Healy, and a copy by the same artist is in the possession of the Massa- chusetts Historical Society ; the original is owned by Mr. Thomas Gold Appleton, of Boston. A fine engraving of this portrait was executed by Schoif, a German engraver, resident in Boston, for the History of New Ipswich, New Hampshire, compiled by Mr. Frederic Kidder, impressions of which are also to be found in the New England His- torical and Genealogical Register, Vol. VIII. , in the Mas- sachusetts Historical Society Proceedings, Vol. HI., and in Hunt's Merchants' Magazine. Brief memoirs of Mr. Ap- pleton, written by Rev. Ephraim Peabody, D.D., are also to be found in the above publications, from which the present writer has derived much of the material for this sketch. The writer would also Acknowledge his indebted- ness for information found in the Appleton Genealogy by William Sumner Appleton, and the Appleton Memo- rial by Isaac Appleton Jewett.
Mr. Appleton's residence was for many years at 37 Beacon Street, where he died. Some years previous to his death he brought from Italy a massive mausoleum in
68 SAMUEL APPLETON
marble, in the form of a Greek temple, which was erected at Mount Auburn, where it has remained one of the most ornate embellishments of that richly decorated city of the dead.
One of the few mural tablets to be found in the churches of Boston is one in King's Chapel (where Mr. Appleton worshipped), recalUng in eloquent simpUcity his characteristics by this inscription : —
" SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
SAISIUEL APPLETON,
A BOSTON MERCHANT,
HONORED FOR HIS UPRIGHTNESS, EMINENT FOR HIS LIBERALITY.
AN INTEGRITY WITHOUT GUILE,
A CHILD-LIKE FAITH IN GOD,
A NEVER-FAILING BENEVOLENCE TOWARD HIS NEIGHBOR '
MARKED HIS "WHOLE CHARACTER AND CAREER.
HIS CHARITY EXPANDED AS HIS MEANS INCREASED ;
AND WEALTH ACQUIRED IN HONORABLE LABORS
WAS HELD AS IF IN TRUST,
FOR THE GOOD OF HIS FELLOW-MEN.
A FRIEND TO THE POOR, A HELPER OF THE HUMBLE,
HIS HAND AND HEART WERE OPEN TO EVERY RIGHTEOUS CAUSE.
DYING IN THE FULLNESS OF YEARS,
A PRIVATE CITIZEN,
HE WAS LAMENTED AS A PUBLIC BENEFACTOR.
HIS NAME WILL BE PRESERVED TO COMING TIMES
BY THE NUMEROUS INSTITUTIONS
OF LEARNING, PHILANTHROPY, AND RELIGION,
WHICH WERE ESTABLISHED, SUSTAINED, OR AIDED
BY HIS MUNIFICENCE, ALIKE IN LIFE AND DEATH.
HE DIED JULY 12, 1853, AGED 87 YEARS."
ISTAHUM MITCHELL
The first ancestor, in this country, of the subject of this memoir was Experience Mitchell. He was with the little colony of Pilgrims at Leyden, and, in 1623, crossing the ocean in the " Ann," the third of the ships which bore the forefathers to the shores of the New World, landed at Plymouth. After living there some years, he went to Duxbury, and later in life to Bridgewater, where he died in 1689. aged eighty years. Among his children was Ensign Edward Mitchell, who married for a second wife Alice Bradford, granddaughter of Governor William Bradford, and when he was nearly seventy years old had a son, named Edward. This Edward was a man of note in the town of Bridgewater. He was a member of the Provincial Congress in 1774 and 1775, and did service as colonel of a regiment, during the revolutionary war. His son Gushing Mitchell, the second of a family of twelve children, married Janet, daughter of the Hon. Hugh Grr, ■ a Scotchman, who located in Bridgewater, and manufac- tured there the first small arrn^s, and the first cannon cast and bored, that were made in this country.
Nahum Mitchell, the second child of Gushing and Janet Mitchell, was born in the East Parish of Bridgewater, February 12, 1769. As a boy, he is said to have been active and fond of athletic sports, but at the same time he was a diligent student, and under the tuition of the Hon. Beza Hayward, of Bridgewater, went through the usual studies preparatory to a collegiate course. He entered Har-
70 NAHTJM MITCHELL
vard University in 1785, in the class with John Thornton Kirkland, afterwards President of the University ; Charles Cutts, United States Senator, and others ; and was gradu- ated in 1789, his part at Commencement being a syllogistic disputation, with Asaph Churchill, on the thesis, " Gravi- ias non est essentialis materice proprietas." While an un- dergraduate he kept school at Weston, and after leaving college taught for a period at Bridgewater and Plymouth. His inclination, however, was toward the legal profession, and in the latter place he entered as a law student the office of the Hon. John Davis, afterwards Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massa- chusetts. Having completed his legal studies he was admitted to the bar November 24, 1792. He at once opened an office in his native place. East Bridgewater. Here his industry and learning soon brought him into notice, and secured him a lucrative practice. The marked characteristics displayed by him as a lawyer were thor- oughness, precision, and caution. In all his dealings with clients and those who were opposed to him, he was honor- able and fair. Chief Justice Parsons once spoke of him as " among the very best of the gentlemen of the Old Colony Bar," saying that " no one was more accurate and discriminating," and that he had " been in the way of witnessing his accuracy and discernment, having been frequently associated with him in the same cause." Judge Aaron Hobart, of East Bridgewater, who was a- law student in his office, said of him : " His habits of in- quiry were so remarkable that he was never satisfied with investigation, nor desisted from it so long as he had less than all the light he could obtain on the subject. He was a man that did, and did well, whatever he under- took."
The esteem in which he was held by his townsmen was early shown by his being chosen in 1798 a representative from Bridgewater to the General Court. The same posi-
/
NAHTJM MITCHELL 71
tion was held by him in the years 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, and 1812. When he was a resident of Boston in 1839 and 1840, he hkewise represented that city in the Legis- lature. In 1803 he was elected a Representative in Congress from the Plymouth District, serving one term until 1805. He did not take an active part, if any, in debates, but, nevertheless, followed the business of the House closely.
" After attending to all his oflBcial duties and correspondence," wrote one who knew him well, " he found himself with many leisure hours on hand. These he employed in reading classic authors, among them Ovid's ' Epistolse Herodium,' in the origi- nal, — an interesting book, which he ' found in a bookstore in Georgetown, stowed away among a heap of second-hand vol- umes ' ; in translating the works of Horace into English verse ; and writing an interesting and amusing poem, in one canto, called the ' Indian Pudding.' He rarely engaged in any amuse- ment, except an evening game of chess with Samuel "W. Dana, a member of Congress from Connecticut, ' in which,' he said, in a letter to a relative, ' I am generally conqueror, and have there- fore become more skilful than my teacher.' "
In 1811 he was appointed a justice of the Court of Common Pleas for the Southern Circuit, which comprised the counties of Plymouth, Bristol, and Barnstable. This appointment was a marked tribute to his merits, and in- dicative of the general esteem in which he was held, as he was not of the same political party wdth the appointing power. After serving eight years in this capacity, he was appointed chief justice of the court, to succeed Thomas B. Adams, who had resigned. At the end of two years he left the bench, having been elected Treasurer of the Commonwealth. To this office he was re-elected five consecutive times. Various other offices of responsibility and honor were from time to time filled by him. He was president of the first temperance society formed in East Bridgewater, for some years president of the Plymouth
72 NAHUM MITCHELL
County Bible Society, and for the period of fifty-four years one of the trustees of Plymouth County Academy. In 1801 he was appointed, with Edward H. Robbins, of Milton, and Nicholas Tillinghast, of Taunton, to settle a disputed boundary line between Massachusetts and Rhode Island ; and in 1823, with Mr. Robbins and George Bliss, of Springfield, to settle the line between Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 1813 and 1814 he was a senator from Plymouth County ; and from 1814 to 1820 inclusive, a member of the Governor's Council. His last appoint- ment was chairman of the first commission for exploring and surveying for a railroad route the country from Bos- ton to Albany.
Amid the cares and labors incident to the life of a pro- fessional man, and a man in public office, he found time to devote to literature and to the science of music, of which he was extremely fond. In an old diary, kept by a resi- dent of East Bridgewater, was found this record, bearing date December 8, 1794 : "The people met and opened a subscription to promote singing : agreed with Mr. Nahum Mitchell to keep a singing-school at his house two months for seven pounds." Again: "January 25, 1795, Mr. Mitchell's school first sang at meeting. Very good sing- ing this day." With the Rev. Joseph S. Buckminster, he published about 1810 a volume of music entitled the "Brattle Street Collections." In 1812, in connection with his brother-in-law Bartholomew Brown, a graduate of Harvard College in the class of 1799, and a man of musical talent, he pubHshed the " Bridgewater Collection of Sacred Music," a work which wrought a needed reform in church music, and passed through more than thirty editions. His anthem called " Lord's Day," a piece be- ginning with the words, " Jesus shall reign," and other pieces of his composition became very popular. The familiar tune " Brattle Street " was harmonized by him. In addition to these works, he contributed a series of arti-
NAHUM MITCHELL 73
cles to the " Boston Musical Gazette," on the history of music, and wrote a treatise on harmony, which was not published.
He had a great taste and aptitude for antiquarian re- search, and devoted many years to collecting materials for a history of Bridgewater. The work was published in 1840, with the title, " History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater, in Plymouth County, in Massachusetts, including an extensive Family Register." The author had previously written a short account of the origin and first settlement of Bridgewater, which was printed in the seventh volume of the second series of the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. The genealogical part of the work is unusually full and accurate. It is in- valuable to the genealogist, and, in this respect, must always be regarded as a model work. Judge Mitchell was at different times librarian and treasurer of the Massachusetts Historical Society ; and on May 7, 1845, he became a member of the New Ens-land Historic Genea- logical Society, displaying much interest in its welfare. He died August 1, 1853, in the eighty-fifth year of his
age.
The following account of the cause of his death is given by Mr. William Allen in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. XVHI. p. 224.
" On the first of August, 1853, Judge Mitchell left home, apparently in good health, to attend the celebration in Ply- mouth of the two hundred and thirty-third anniversary of the embarkation of the Pilgrims at Delftshaven. Arriving at the railroad station in Phinouth, he was met with the congratula- tions of his many friends, and had the prospect of enjoying a cheerful day in the commemoration of those good men to whom principle was dearer than life, and whose memory he had ma- terially assisted to embalm. He passed from the depot towards the place of meeting, when putting his hand to his pocket he discovered that his pocket-book containing one hundred and fifty dollars, and several valuable private papers, had been stolen.
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The sudden shock to his feelings was too great at his advanced age for nature to sustain. He fainted, fell, and was carried into the house of the late William Davis, Esq., his grandson, but human aid was of no avail, and in a few moments his spirit passed away."
In his private character Judge Mitchell is said to have been a model for imitation. Judge Hobart wrote of him in a note read at the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the settlement of Bridgewater : —
" He was affable and familiar ; his manners were simple and easy ; his temper gentle, even, and cheerful ; and his whole de- portment such as to inspire confidence and respect. Hospital- ity reigned in his house ; and cheerfulness beamed from his countenance on his happy family, and was reflected back by them. He was eminently a man of peace, and, all his life long, exerted a peculiarly happy faculty he had to promote it in his own neighborhood, and elsewhere within the sphere of his in- fluence. He had faults, — and who has not ? — but none which should enter into a candid estimation of his character. It has been said to be as difficult to compare great men as great rivers- Some we admire for one thing, and some for another ; and we cannot bring them together to measure their exact difference. But taking into account, as well as we may, all the various talents and acquirements that combine to make up the whole man, I think it may be justly said, without being invidious, that the old town of Bridgewater, though numbering among her sons many eminent men, has never produced his superior."
Judge Mitchell married, in 1794, Nabby, daughter of General Silvan us Lazell, of Bridgewater, and had the fol- lowing children : —
Harriet, born 1796, married Hon. Nathaniel Morton Davis, of Plymouth, 1817.
Silvanus Lazell, born 1798 ; graduated at Harvard Univer- sity 1817 ; married Lucia Whitman, 1820.
Mary Orr, born 1801 ; married David Ames, Jr., Esq., of Springfield, 1827.
Elizabeth Gushing, bom 1807 ; married Nathan Dresser Hyde, 1833.
James Henry, born 1812 ; married Lavinia Angier, 1833.
JACOB BAILEY MOORE
Mr. Moore was one of the New Hampshire self-made men, that is, one of those men who, with limited educa- tion and without money or friends to give especial aid, was eminently useful and reached great honors. The old Granite State is somewhat famous for such men. Horace Greeley, Henry Wilson, Samuel G. Drake, Marshall P. Wilder, who were born in it ; with Isaac Hill and Amos Kendall, who lived there in ' early manhood, all acquain- tances of Mr. Moore, were of the same stamp, and were all born just in time to meet the great crisis in our history, when active men of affairs, inventive and demonstrative men, were called for to press forward every enterprise and inaugurate every suggested improvement in the business of the country, and to encourage progress in education, agriculture, benevolence, and the mechanical arts. These men came upon the stage of action a few years after the war of 1812, when the desolations and discouragements of that period had been overcome, and the great ques- tion at home and abroad was settled, — that we were a nation. There was an enlarged conception of our fu- ture, a mighty uprising of thoughtful men from 1820 to 1835 to build, then, upon our established foundations, all real and fancied institutions of peace, prosperity, and freedom, according to the diverse taste, skill, and force of the people. In education, it was the fresh impulse given to making school-books, opening high schools, lyceums,
76 JACOB BAILEY MOORE
and societies for the "promotion of useful knowledge." Then the printing of newspapers, periodicals, and books became a power; then canals and turnpikes were sup- planted by steamboats and railroads ; then missions were established, the temperance reform, anti-slavery move- ments, and benevolent societies were inaugurated ; then music, poetry, the fine arts, literature and science, began to find favor in every family, arousing every element of ambition and raising the standard of social life and public progress.
We are not surprised at our self-made men, and should not withhold a proper meed of praise and honor for their achievements. It is not surprising that a self-made nation should produce self-made men. At every great crisis or demand in our history, self-made men have always stood in the very front and borne the responsibilities of the occasion. Samuel Adams, the great instigator of public sentiment which produced our Declaration of Indepen- dence; Washington, who led our armies and became the Father of his Country; Franklin, who represented the country abroad ; Patrick Henry, the great orator in the Philadelphia Congresses ; Josiah Bartlett, the New Hamp- shire delegate in Congress, who signed next to John Han- cock ; Marshall, the second and great Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court ; Bowditch, the great mathematician ; Stark and Poor, New Hampshire revolu- tionary generals, — were all distinguished, self-made m^n.
Mr. Moore was son of Dr. Jacob Bailey and Mary (Eaton) Moore, and was born in Andover, New Hampshire, October 31, 1797. His father was quite remarkable in his day as a lover of music, and somewhat of a poet and news- paper writer. He was born in Georgetown, now Bath, Maine, September 5, 1772, settled in Andover in 1795, and earned a good reputation as a physician and citizen. He was a surgeon in the war of 1812, but returned from the field with impaired health, and died January 10,
JACOB BAILEY MOORE 77
1813. Dr. Moore's father, Dr. Coffin Moore, who was of Scotch descent, was born in Stratham, New Hampshire, February 25, 1739, and died at Candia, New Hampshire, 1798. He was a surgeon in the navy in the Revolution, and had four sons and three daughters.
We find young Moore, therefore, of respectable par- entage, the son and grandson of men of very considerable learning and distinction, self-taught and made, with mental power, refined tastes, and patriotism, from whom he right- fully inherited capabilities which energized all the labors of his life. The family characteristics, which are seen in his brothers as well as in himself and his own children, are in such harmony and force that they must have origin- ated and matured far back among their ancestors. They were printers, editors, musicians, librarians, writers and publishers of musical and historical books, and pursued their tastes to great distinction.
The father had a good library for his day and opportu- nity, and cherished in his eldest son every budding taste for knowledge and inclination for instruction under par- ental teaching as well as in the common schools of the town. The Salisbury Academical Association School was within a few miles of Dr. Moore's residence. The youthful Moore was noted among the people of his native town for me- chanical ingenuity, love of study, and persistent historical reading. Up to the death of his father we may be assured he received earnest parental culture, and was much bene- fited by a remarkable literary atmosphere, and by eminent examples fitted to create in him great ambitions and high hopes. The father lived near Colonel Webster, father of Ezekiel and Daniel, and also near Dr. Bartlett, whose sons, Ichabod and James, had followed Mr. Webster in college. They and thirteen other young men, all of Salisbury, a town adjoining Andover, had graduated at Dartmouth before young Moore entered upon his apprenticeship at the age of sixteen years. The rare distinction of the
78 ' JACOB BAILEY MOORE
Websters and Bartletts, the influence of these and other graduates, the encouragement of half a dozen clergymen and physicians, among them the Rev. Dr. Wood, teacher of the Websters, and the example of a hundred other boys preparing for college, must have stirred within him every aspiration for success in life, which could not be satisfied with common labor, a trade, or a clerkship.
Whatever may have been his desire for a public education, the death of his father left him under an immediate neces- sity of taking care of himself, and we find him at once treating with Isaac Hill, editor of the " New Hampshire Patriot," in Concord, for a place as an apprentice, — a place and business eminently fitted for him, and he for them. He was indentured to Mr. Hill during his min- ority, a period of five years. Whether his service was severe or lenient, it proved a good school for him, for at the close of his apprenticeship he received a partnership with his master in all the business arrangements of the " Patriot " and book-store, in all the editorial responsibili- ties, all political influences and literary culture of the leading press in New Hampshire. Mr. Hill was an ex- traordinary man. He was eight years older than Mr. Moore, of like early necessities, and early apprenticeship in the business, but he possessed such marvellous power to plan and execute, such enthusiasm of manner and dicta- torial expression of opinion, that the apprentice undoubt- edly idolized the master, and entered upon the partnership in high confidences and expectations; but his indepen- dence of opinion, broader personal researches, and higher mental culture and acquisition, soon brought him into personal collision and discomfort which terminated the copartnership. The whys and wherefores of this estrange- ment need not be inquired into, as we can draw a double credit to Mr. Moore from his connection with Mr. Hill, — that in the discharge of his duties as an apprentice he so won Mr. Hill's confidence and respect as to receive a
JACOB BAILEY MOORE 79
partnership, and that he was too independent in opinion and action to sacrifice his well-grounded convictions upon the altar of pecuniary advantage or political elevation.
In 1821, just before Mr. Moore left the partnership, Mr. John Farmer, who had been a teacher in Amherst, came to Concord and opened an apothecary store, ob- taining therefrom the title of Doctor, not having ever prac- tised medicine. Moore and Farmer are at once found associated in collecting and publishing historical material, as " Farmer & Moore," not as partners, but co-editors. Farmer had already published his histories of Billerica, and Amherst, N. H. ; and Moore had probably collected mate- rials for his " Topographical and Historical Sketch of An- dover," his native town, which appeared the next year. The preface to their first volume of Historical Collections bears date January, 1822, and is signed "Farmer & Moore," but is printed by " Hill & Moore." Farmer was eight years older than Moore, arid therefore his name may have been first mentioned, not to express any priority of taste or study in historical matters. Hand in hand they planned and executed the important work of gathering and pre- serving historical data of New Hampshire, history of men, events, and of written material, scattered and liable to be lost, that historians in the then far future might speak advisedly and truly of early days. The undertaking to publish a periodical of the character proposed in their prospectus was a new enterprise in the country, and was so successfully pressed by them upon the public mind that the New Hampshire Historical Society followed their efforts in 1823, and their three volumes were virtually adopted by the society, — Farmer being placed upon the publishing committee, and Moore made librarian. Many of the papers in the volumes were prepared by them ; the "New Hampshire Gazetteer" of 1823, a remarkable work for the time, which has preserved a vast amount of historical data w^hich would otherwise have been lost.
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was written by them. In 1824 Mr. Moore published his " Annals of Concord from its First Settlement, 1726, to 1823," which was the substantial foundation of its written history. To some extent Moore assisted in the prepara- tion of Farmer's " Genealogical Register," which ap- peared in 1829. These men are entitled to great consid- eration, their efforts and works having placed them in honorable rank among the antiquaries of the country.
Mr. Moore, at the close of the partnership with Mr. Hill, opened a printing and book-selling establishment in Con- cord, pursuing his historical labors as a matter of love, rather than of business. He soon established a po- litical paper, the " New Hampshire Journal," devoted to sustaining the administration of Mr. Adams ; became a member of the legislature, and was for five years high sheriff of the county of Merrimac. He edited for a while the " New Hampshire Statesman," but his antagonism to the " Patriot" involved him in great personal embarrass- ment with Mr. Hill, whose sister he had married. In politics he was full of mettle, incisive, never crying *' Enough ! " and when obliged to haul down his colors in New Hampshire it was only to plant them in the city of New York, — a larger battle-field, without loss of fealty to party or party support. Such purity of faith, such in- tegrity of utterance, such creditable yet pungent editorials upon men and the times, might be imitated after the lapse of thirteen administrations to great advantage.
Mr. Moore removed to New York in 1839, and edited the " Daily Whig," in the Harrison campaign. In 1840 he published "The Laws of Trade in the' United States," a correct manual on the subject. Under the Harrison administration he held an important clerkship in the Post Office Department in Washington. During the following administration he was librarian of the New York Historical Society, reviving his early love of historical matters. It was at this period of his life (1846) that, deeply realizing the
JACOB BAILEY MOORE 81
meagreness of the best biographical dictionaries in regard to the governors in the several colonies, he brought out the first volume of his "Memoirs of the Governors of New Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay," a book of four hundred and thirty-nine pages. It was his intention to continue the series down to Revolutionary times, and much material had been collected and prepared, which, we trust, will .eventually be printed. Upon the return of his party to power, he was appointed postmaster at San Francisco, and was charged with various public matters and interests of the government in California, that new and unexplored country, just annexed to the States. He is said to have been " of great service to the country by his indefatigable labors in systematizing the business of the department under circumstances of unusual diffi- culty." His health failed him alarmingly while in Califor- nia, and upon another change of administration at Wash- ington he returned eastward, and died, September 1, 1853, at Bellows Falls, Vermont.
The writer knew Mr. Moore as a business man rather than as a social acquaintance, between the years of 1820 and 1830, when the flush and elasticity of youth were upon him. About medium in height, symmetrical in form, graceful in manners, prompt in action, and very handsome, he won friendships readily and kept them easily. He formed his opinions logically, and held them enthusiasti- cally. He would not yield them but upon conviction, nor would he defend them but with well-established facts and decisive reasoning. The antagonism of Mr. Hill was so aggressive and autocratic that Mr. Moore astonished his friends and party by his courage as well as skill in the con- troversy. This gave him prominency in the party. He would give blows when called for, but in social life was genial, affable, affectionate, a good citizen, one of the live men of Concord, and ready for every good work in public
and local affairs.
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He married, August 17, 1820, Mary Adams Hill, daughter of Isaac and Hannah (Kussell) Hill, of Ashburn- ham, Massachusetts. The widow, one daughter, and four sons still live. . One of the sons, George Henry Moore, LL.D. (N. Y. U.), who has been librarian of the New York Historical Society, and a professor of the Law Department of the University of the City of New York, and is now superintendent of the Lenox Library, is a man of great historical and literary attainments, and author of various works of merit, among them " Notes on the Employment of Negroes in the American Army of the Revolution," "Notes on the History of Slavery in Massachusetts," and "The Treason of Major-General Charles Lee." Charles C. Moore is in California, engaged in real estate matters ; Frank Moore was assistant secretary of legation at Paris some years ; has published many works, among them " Cy- clopaedia of American Eloquence," " The Rebellion Record " in eleven volumes, also various lyrical compilations, and is now an editor. Jacob Bailey Moore, at one time a member of the city council of San Francisco, afterwards a represen- tative of that city in the State Legislature, is librarian of the New York Historical Society, exhibiting family tastes and erudition.
Mr. Moore gave his sons a good education, and, by their ability and success in literary labors, as librarians, as editors, as authors, and in the purity and usefiilness of their lives, they have honored their parentage.
Mr. Moore, in early life, took by the hand his two brothers, and, under apprenticeship, made them printers, editors, and publishers, one of whom, John Weeks Moore, still lives, in Manchester, New Hampshire. He has been connected with several journals, among them the " Bel- lows Falls Gazette," for several years, and is author of the " Encyclopaedia of Music." Henry Eaton Moore, the other brother, who died in East Cambridge, Massachu- setts, October 23, 1841, was a composer of music, teacher
JACOB BAILEY MOORE 83
and a thorough proficient in musical science, and author of various musical books, — " Musical Catechism," " New Hampshire Collection of Church Music," etc., etc.
Mr. Moore was admitted a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, January 10, 1846, he being then a resident of Washington, Dis- trict of Columbia.
The Moore family, from Dr. Coffin Moore, the surgeon in the navy, through Dr. Jacob B. Moore, the surgeon in the army, and through his sons, and the sons of Jacob B. Moore, all distinguished in their professions, as physicians, printers, publishers, editors, authors, musicians, and histo- rians, have ranked themselves, in merit and distinction, among the prominent families of the State of New Hamp- shire,— a State of which it has long been said, "a good one to emigrate from," but nevertheless quite unfortunate in having so many of her boys " hire out " in other States, where bounties, rewards, and honors were more tempting, and often successfully obtained.
IS^ATHAN^IEL SAWYER
^ Nathaniel Sawyer, the fourth and youngest son of Deacon Moses and Ann (Fitz) Sawyer, was born in Salis- bury, New Hampshire, April 10, 1784. His oldest brother was graduated from Dartmouth College in 1799 ; was or- dained to the ministry of the Congregational Church, and settled for a season in Henniker, New Hampshire, and subsequently became a farmer in his native town. One of his sisters, as I am informed, married Nathaniel Web- ster, a cousin of Daniel ; ■ and another sister was the wife of the Hon. Joseph Walker, of Concord, New Hampshire." Nathaniel Sawyer was graduated from the same college in 1805. One of his classmates was the Rev. Francis Brown, D.D., who succeeded the younger Wheelock in the presidency of Dartmouth College at a critical period of its history.
Mr. Sawyer studied law for about two years in the office of Judge Samuel Green, at Concord, and completed his course in the office of the Hon. Joseph Story at Salem, Massachusetts. He was admitted to practice in the Su- preme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, March 11, 1811, and in the Circuit Court of the United States, October 15, 1812. He began practice in Newburyport ; but after a short residence in that town, he removed to Boston. He was a Royal Arch Mason, and, during a portion of the time he lived in Boston, was Secretary of Columbia Lodge.
In 1813 Mr. Sawyer removed to Lexington, Kentucky, and pursued his profession in that State for a few years.
NATHANIEL SAWYER 85
In September, 1821, he was married to Mrs. Pamelia (Anderson) Bacon of Frankfort, Kentucky, widow of Colonel Edmund Bacon, an officer in the war of 1812. In the year following that of his marriage he removed to Chillicothe, Ohio. He practised law there until the spring of 1839, when he settled finally in Cincinnati. Here he continued his professional practice until his death, which occurred October 3, 1853.
While a resident of Kentucky his practice was largely in land suits and claims. He was often employed by sol- diers to obtain land patents and warrants from the Gov- ernment. It was the custom in those days, in land-claims, for the lawyers to receive portions of the lands for fees upon the settlement of the claims, or location and survey of the lands. In his practice, Mr. Sawyer thus became the owner of large tracts of land in Central Ohio, and in the Virginia Military District of Southern Ohio. The central Ohio lands ("oak openings") were suitable for agricultural purposes, and also well adapted to grazing. Mr. Sawyer was not a practical farmer ; and in those days grazing was more profitable than farming for the non- resident owner. For this reason, he engaged in sheep- raising, and at one time had a flock of ten thousand. These being subject to many ailments, and the price of wool often being very unsatisfactory, he gradually changed his stock to mules. The market was the West Indies, and for some time the business was profitable. Gradually, however, as central Ohio was settled, these lands came more and more into demand for farming purposes, and he let his lands in the manner usual in Ohio in that dav. The lands in southern Ohio were sold from time to time, as they were wanted by settlers.
In the early part of this century sales of land were made on credit. The purchaser took a title-bond, paying down a small sum, and agreeing to pay a further moderate sum annually until all was paid, when a deed would be
86 NATHANIEL SAWYER
executed. These contracts often ran through many years. By sickness or by failure of crops, not infrequently the settler found at the end of the year that he had no money to pay on his purchase ; but the owner was indulgent and waited. The land was being improved, and the land- owner was safe in the then growing "West.
Of Daniel AVebster, his playmate in boyhood, and his early school-fellow, Mr. Sawyer was a warm friend and supporter. They kept up their acquaintance by personal intercourse and correspondence. With Ezekiel Webster, an elder brother of Daniel, Mr. Sawyer also frequently corresponded. Much of this correspondence is preserved and highly cherished by his descendants. With other friends of Daniel Webster, Mr. Sawyer took an active part in getting up a public meeting on the occasion of the decease of that statesman, when an oration was pro- nounced by the Hon. Alphonso Taft. Of Mr. Webster's great abilities and public services, Mr. Sawyer was never weary of speaking. He dwelt with admiration on his most noted orations, at Bunker Hill, Faneuil Hall, and Plymouth Rock, and his efforts at the Bar and in the Senate. At such times one could see how dear to his heart was New England, — her people and her traditions.
He never lost his love for his early home, which he fre- quently revisited. He ever held in reverent respect the principles and teachings of the Puritans. Often has the writer heard him rehearse the story of the Mayflower, and the chief events connected with the names of Myles Standish, Massasoit, and other conspicuous characters in early New England history.
Mr. Sawyer was a consistent and zealous member of the Congregational Church, though in his later years he became connected with the Protestant Episcopal Church, in which he remained till his death.
In politics he was a Whig, and an ardent " Free-Soiler " ; but he was always temperate and considerate of the opin- ions of others.
NATHANIEL SAWYER 87
There was for many years in Cincinnati a " New Eng- land Society." It held its meetings on the anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock. On these occasions Mr. Sawyer took special delight in conversing about the " fathers " ; and his heart glowed with love and pride as he described with admiration their sterling worth, their heroic constancy of purpose, and their sturdy devo- tion to their principles. In his view they, by their insti- tutions of education and religion, laid the basis of our liberties, the corner-stone of our beneficent system of government.
Mr. Sawyer was noted for his adherence to his friends and to his principles. He was active in the affairs of the Church and the State ; and was ever found on the side of law and order, — a zealous supporter of every work tend- ing to promote the welfare of society. He had the re- spect and esteem of all. His manner was kind and gentle. A shrewd, cautious, laborious man, with an aptitude for business, he was exact, but fair and honorable in all his dealings. His word was good. He was a slow man con- stitutionally ; and, while a good lawyer, he had no taste for the nisi prhts practice of the courts, and preferred the quieter walks of the profession, in which by dili- gence and economy he became wealthy.
He became a corresponding member of the New Eng- land Historic Genealogical Society, May 14, 1852.
His family consisted of two sons and two daughters, namely, Mrs. H. 0. Hotchkiss, of New Haven ; D. W. C. Sawyer, of Columbus, Ohio ; Mrs. L. C. Chapin, of Kala- mazoo, Michigan ; N. I. Sawyer, M. D., of Frankfort, Kentucky, — all still living. Mrs. Sawyer, his widow, yet survives, and is a resident of Cincinnati. Though in her ninetieth year, she is in good health, and possesses all her faculties unimpaired.
JAMES CUSHIITG MEEEILL
The subject of this sketch was born in the North Parish of Haverhill, in the county of Essex, Massachusetts, on the 27th September, 1784. He was a son of the Rev. Gyles Merrill, who was called indiscriminately the minis- ter of the North Parish of Haverhill, and of Plaistow, New Hampshire, from the fact that when the boundary line between the two States, which had been in dispute, was finally run, it separated the parsonage from the meeting- house,— the former remaining in Massachusetts, while the latter was transferred to the jurisdiction of New Hampshire.
The Rev. Gyles Merrill was a native of Salisbury, Mas- sachusetts, where he was born March 23, 1739 (N. S.). He was the son of Moses and Sarah Merrill, who were married December 11, 1729, by the Rev. Caleb Gushing of that town. Moses was the great-grandson of Nathaniel Merrill, who with liis brother John, were among the ear- liest settlers of Newbury, Massachusetts. Nathaniel died in 1655.
The Rev. Gyles was graduated at Harvard College in the year 1759, in the class of which Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., Joseph "Warren, and other patriots of the Revolution, were members. He was ordained minister of the North Parish of Haverhill, March 6, 1765, the year after the death of his predecessor, the Rev. James Cushing, whose daughter, Lucy, became his wife.
Rev. James Cushing, the maternal grandfather of our subject, and from whom he took his name, was also a
JAMES GUSHING MERRILL 89
native of Salisbury, where he was born November 25, 1705. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1725, and ordained minister of the above-named parish Decem- ber 2, 1730, in which sacred relation he continued until his death. May 13, 1764. He was the son of the Eev. Caleb Gushing of Salisbury, who was born in 1672, and died in 1752. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Seaborn Cotton, of Hampton. He was graduated at Harvard College in the class of 1692. The Rev. Caleb was the son of John, who came over in 1638 from Hingham, Norfolk County, England, in company with his father, Matthew, from whom most of the Cushings of New England have sprung, and who was born in 1588.
The Rev. Gyles Merrill was a ripe classical scholar, and is spoken of as a man of marked ability, and of singular simplicity, purity, strength, and firmness of character. He was also an ardent patriot, and a man of great public spirit. Like many others of the scholarly ministers of that day, he was resorted to by young men preparing for col- lege. Among them may be mentioned the Rev. Dr. Asa Eaton, of Christ's Church, Boston. Under his tuition, also, his sons, James Gushing and Samuel, began tHeir studies ; and it may be presumed that they imbibed in their earliest years, from their gifted instructor, that love for classical learning which distinguished them both during the whole of their subsequent lives.
Their father died April 27, 1801, and the two young Merrills, at the age of sixteen and fourteen respectively, were transferred the same year to Phillips Academy, at Exeter, New Hampshire, then, and for many years before and after, under the charge of Benjamin Abbot, LL.D. Joseph G. Cogswell and Lucius Manlius Sargent were members of the same class.
From the academy the brothers passed directly to Har- vard College, where they both were graduated with dis-
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tiDguished honor in the class of 1807. James Gushing Merrill was confessedly the best Greek scholar in his class, and his brother Samuel enjoyed a similar reputation as a Latin scholar. Forty-three years afterwards James presented to the library of Harvard University a broad- side programme of the exercises of his graduation day, from which it appears that his Commencement exercise was a " Forensic Disputation " with Winthrop Bailey, who was afterwards a minister, and a tutor at Bowdoin College, and who died in 1835. The subject discussed by the youthful disputants was, " Whether a state of universal and perpetual peace would be beneficial to the world." Copies of the theses were also deposited in the library.
Yery soon after his graduation, Mr. Merrill began his legal studies in the office of the Hon. John Yarnum, of Haverhill, where he spent the period then usually allotted to preparatory reading, and was admitted to the bar of Essex County, at the September term of the Common Pleas, in 1812 ; and shortly after opened an office in the city of Boston, which, from that time to the end of his life, was the scene of his labors and his successes.
As a lawyer, Mr. Merrill was distinguished for- fidelity to his clients, and for honorable and fair dealing towards all with whom he came in contact or in conflict. His estimate of the dignity of his profession was high, and he believed that that dignity was better sustained by strict integrity and a faithful discharge of professional duty than by those artifices which are the resort of ignoble minds. He is still remembered by the older members of the Suffolk bar as an industrious, careful, and conscien- tious lawyer, whose cases were always well studied and thoroughly prepared, and whose bearing in court was characterized by great courtesy and fairness. An air of scholarly refinement pervaded him, even in the discharge of the routine work of his profession.
JAMES GUSHING MERRILL 91
His fellow-citizens of Boston testified their appreciation of his character and abilities on several occasions. In 1827 he was elected as their representative in the General Court, an honor which was repeated in 1828 and again in 1829. In 1831, 1832, and 1833 he was a member of the State Senate, from Suffolk County. In both of these positions he won the respect of his associates by his steadi- ness and devotion to business.
In 1835 Mr. Merrill was appointed by Governor John Davis one of the justices of the Police Court of the city of Boston, an office which he filled to the entire acceptance of all who had business in that very important tribunal, and with great credit to himself during nearly the whole of the remainder of his life. In 1852 declining health com- pelled him to resign the office and retire to private life.
Honored and respected as Judge Merrill was in the walks of his profession and in political life, it was as a scholar that he was most admired by those who knew him best, and is still best remembered. The ancient classics were his chief delight. As a Greek scholar he had few equals in this country. He read with avidity every Greek author that fell in his way, and it is said that the library of Harvard University contained few Greek books which he had not read. When wearied with office work, or perplexed with professional or official cares, he resorted to his favorite authors for relaxation and refresh- ment. He was also a devout student of the Holy Scrip- tures, which he read and studied daily, and from which he drew both pleasure and consolation.
There were two objects which were especially near his heart, upon which he was always ready to bestow his time and his services, and to which he clung with increasing fondness to the end of his life, — Harvard College, and St. Paul's Church, Boston. Of the latter he was one of the original members, generally an officer, and one of its most devoted servants and supporters.
92 JAMES GUSHING MERRILL
In 1832 the Corporation of Harvard University ap- pointed him one of the judges of the dissertations offered by the members of the Senior class for the Bowdoin prize. WiUiam Minot, Esq., and Rev. George Ripley were his associates. He was for more than thirty years a member of the examining committee in Greek, associated with such men as John P. Robinson, Charles F. Adams, Bela B. Edwards, Silas Aiken, Robert C. Winthrop, George S. Hillard, and others eminent for character and scholar- ship. He represented the Class of 1807 on the commit- tee of the Alumni of Harvard University, on the occasion of the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of that institution.
Neither did he forget nor was he forgotten by the humbler, but scarcely less honored and useful school at Exeter. At a meeting of the Alumni of the academy, held at the house of his "Excellency Governor Everett, November 7, 1837, to consider the propriety of offering some token of respect to Dr. Abbot, on the occasion of his intended retirement from the place of preceptor of the academy, after a service of fifty years, Judge Merrill was one of the committee of twelve to make arrangements, and report to a subsequent meeting. The other members of the committee were William Plumer, George Bancroft, Sidney Brooks, Jonathan Chapman, John P. Gushing, James H. Duncan, Charles Folsom, Theodore Lyman, Jr., WilUam B. 0. Peabody, John P. Robinson, and Leverett Saltonstall. At a subsequent meeting the name of George Lunt was substituted for that of John P. Gushing. At the adjourned meeting, held May 22, 1838, measures were taken for procuring a portrait of Dr. Abbot, to be placed in the hall of the academy, and it was voted that the Alumni be requested to assemble in Exeter on Thursday, 23d August, in order to testify their personal respect for Dr. Abbot on his retirement, and that an alumni dinner be provided in Exeter, etc.
JAMES GUSHING MERRILL ■ 93
Mr. Merrill was elected a member of the American An- tiquarian Society (Worcester), October 23, 1815, and in 1821 he was appointed "receiving officer," and was subsequently elected a member of the council of that society. In this connection, it may be mentioned that he was invited, in 1837, to become a corresponding mem- ber of the " Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries at Copenhagen." In 1820 he was chosen at the anniversary meeting of 4>. B. K. one of the committee of appointment to select the orator, poet, and chaplain for the ensuing year, and in the same month and year (April, 1820) he was elected a resident member of the Massachusetts His- torical Society. He was also a member of the Bunker Hill Monument Association, and on May 18, 1847, he was admitted a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
In 1849 Judge Merrill was invited by the late Judge Benjamin R. Curtis, chairman, to aid with his advice the commissioners appointed by the governor to take into consideration whether any reform could be usefully made in the practice and pleadings of the courts.
These memberships and appointments show the respect and esteem in which Judge Merrill was held by the schol- ars and professional men of his day, and afford a good in- dex of his acquirements and the tendencies of his mind.
On the 28th November, 1820, Mr. Merrill was united in marriage to Anna, daughter of Dr. Nathaniel Saltonstall, of Haverhill, Massachusetts. She was born November 3, 1787, and died October 17, 1865. The offspring of this union were four in number, viz., James Cushing, Samuel Gyles, Anna Saltonstall, and Matilda Elizabeth. Oi these James Cushing died March 7, 1869, aged forty-six years, leaving one son.
After his retirement from the bench in 1852 Judge Merrill devoted his leisure time for the remainder of his life to his favorite literary and classical pursuits. But the
94 JAMES GUSHING MERRILL
time was not long — if not too short for him, too brief for his family and friends. He died from paralysis on'the 4th October, 1853, soon after having completed the sixty- ninth year of his age. His funeral was announced in the " Daily Advertiser " of the 6th October, to take place the following day at twelve o'clock from Trinity Church. The remains were buried, at his request, in his native town of Haverhill, Massachusetts. The " Advertiser " also, of October 22, contains a short obituary notice, taken from the Haverhill " Gazette."
In all the relations of life, Mr. Merrill was singularly happy, fulfilling the duties growing out of them faithfully and acceptably. As a professional man he was fair and honorable ; as a magistrate, impartial and just ; as a citi- zen, public-spirited, and willing to bear the burdens which citizenship imposes ; in private life, as a husband and father, gentle, affectionate, and loving ; as a churchman, active, jealous of the honor and purity of the body of Christ, devoted to the church of his choice, and yet char- itable towards all who profess and call themselves Chris- tians, — sincere, humble, and devout.
To perpetuate the memory of such a man is to confer a favor upon posterity.
MAHLON DICKERSOJSr
Governor Mahlon Dickerson, of whose name it has been well said none has been more respected, honored, and distinguished in New Jersey, was descended from the Puritan, Philemon Dickerson, who emiorrated from Eno-- land early in the history of the Massachusetts Colony, and who was among the freemen of Salem in 1638. In 1643 he purchased from the Indians a large tract of land on the north shore of Long Island, and took up his resi- dence at Southold. Here he died at the age of seventy- four, leaving two sons, Thomas and Peter.
Peter Dickerson, son of Thomas, and grandson of Phil- emon, came to Morris County, New Jersey, in 1741, and October 20, 1745, married his first wife, Euth Coe, daughter of Joseph Coe. He was an ardent patriot, and his house in Morristown was from the beginning of the difficulties with Great Britain, a gathering-place for those of kindred mind. He took an active part in awakening and organizing the opposition to the acts of the British Crown, and on the ninth day of January, 1775, was ap- pointed one of the " Committee of Observation " for Mor- ris County. On the first day of May following he was elected a delegate to the Provincial Congress which met at Trenton the same month. February 7, 1776, he was commissioned captain of a company in the third battalion of the First. Establishment, and on the 29th of November following, captain of a company in the third battalion of
96 MAHLON DICKEESON
the Second Establishment. Both the companies he com- manded were equipped at his private expense, and the money he so advanced stands to his credit this day at Washington, unpaid'. He died May 10, 1780, in the fifty- sixth year of his age. He had eight children by his first wife, one of whom, Esther, married Colonel Jacob Drake, who was also a delegate from Morris County to the Pro- vincial Congress of 1775, and who was colonel of the west- ern regiment of New Jersey militia until he resigned to become a member of the First Assembly of New Jersey.
Jonathan Dickerson, the second child and oldest son of Peter, was bom September 20, 1747 (0. S.), and on the 12th of October, 1768, was united in marriage to Mary Coe, daughter of Thomas Coe, by Rev. Dr. Timothy Johnes. Like his father, he took a prominent part in the politics of his county. He also displayed the talent for invention, for which many of his descendants have been distinguished. The eleventh patent issued by our govern- ment, and bearing the signature of Washington, was granted to him for an improved water-wheel. In 1783 he was a member of the state legislature from Morris County. The iron mines with which his region of coun- try abounded, and which have added so much to its wealth, were then little regarded. The rich ore-bed now known as the Dickerson mine was originally returned by the pro- prietors of West Jersey in 1715 to John Reading, who a year or two afterwards sold it to Joseph Kirkbride for a mere trifle, though the presence of the mineral was so well known even to the Indians that they called the neigh- borhood " Socosonna," which meant in their language " heavy stone," and which usage has changed to Succa- sunna. Jonathan Dickerson seems to have recognized its value, and in 1779 we find deeds to him from some of the Kirkbride heirs, and in partnership with one Minard La Fevre he purchased the whole. He was not, however, successful in making a fortune from his speculation, and
MAHLON DICKERSON 97
it remained for his son Mahlon, who bought the property in 1807 from the heirs of his father and La Fevre, to de- velop its wealth, and in his hands it yielded a handsome income, which made its owner independent.
Jonathan Dickerson died November 7, 1805, leaving six children, who survived him. Mahlon, the oldest, and the subject of this sketch, Silas, Mary (afterwards wife of David S. Canfield), Aaron, John B., and Philemon. His widow survived him many years, and died March 1, 1827. She was buried with her husband at Succasunna.
Mahlon Dickerson was born at a place called Hanover Neck in Morris County, April 17, 1770. He probably fitted for college at Morristown, which at that time pos- sessed a classical school. In the manuscript diary of Joseph Lewis, a wealthy gentleman of Morristown, and clerk of the county, is this entry : " 1786, Monday, 27th November, Jonathan Dickerson's son (Mahlon) began to board at 7/- per week."
In 1789 Mahlon entered the American Whig Society at Princeton, and graduated the same year from the College of New Jersey, in the class with Dr. David Hosack. He returned to Morristown, and engaged in the study of the law, and November, 1793, was admitted to the bar of New Jersey. In the following year he accompanied Cap- tain Kinney's cavalry company in the expedition sent to Western Pennsylvania to suppress the whiskey rebellion, probably as an unattached volunteer, as his name does not appear in the list of that command. He was one of Governor Mifflin's aids during the expedition.
During the years 1795 and 1796 he was in active prac- tice in his native county, his name frequently appear- ing in the minutes of the court. In the record of a case in the Common Pleas, July term, 1797, is the quaint entry that " Mr. Mahlon Dickerson, the attorney for the above plaintiff, having removed to foreign parts, and having agreed that Alexander C. McWhorter be sub-
13
98 MARLON DICKERSON
stituted, etc., the court ordered the substitution to be made." " The foreign parts " were in the city of Philadel- phia, where he was admitted to the bar of Pennsylvania the same year, and where he entered the law office of John Milnor, afterwards a distinguished clergyman of the Epis- copal Church. He was shortly after elected one of the common councilmen of Philadelphia, and in 1802 he was appointed by President Jefferson, of whom he was a de- voted admirer, commissioner of bankruptcy. January 1, 1805, Mr. Dickerson was appointed by Governor McKean adjutant-general of Pennsylvania. His name also ap- pears in the record as quartermaster-general. The title of " General " adhered to him through life ; and even after his appointment as governor it was the one most generally given to him. His resignation of the position of adjutant-general was accepted July 22, 1805, and he was the same day appointed recorder of the city of Phila- delphia. The latter office, he used to say, was more con- genial to his tastes than any of the higher posts he was afterwards called to fill. He resigned it, however, Octo- ber 2, 1810, to return to Succasunna to develop the min- eral property of which he had become possessed.
A very earnest and active member of the Republican party then in the ascendancy, of popular manners and sound legal attainments, his career in Philadelphia was a very successful one. He shared his prosperity with the other members of his family, and assisted largely in the education of his younger brothers. His brother Aaron he enabled to graduate at Princeton in 1804, and assisted him in establishing himself in a fair practice in Philadel- phia as a physician. The daughter of Dr. Aaron Dicker- son is the widow of the late Attorney-General Vanatta of New Jersey. His brother Silas was instantly killed Jan- uary 7, 1807, at Stanhope, New Jersey, his greatcoat catching a screw in a rapidly revolving axle, and drawing him into some machinery for making nails which he was
MAHLON DICKERSON 99
having erected. Philemon, the youngest brother, after his graduation, studied law with the general in Philadel- phia, and succeeded him as judge of the United States District Court of New Jersey. He was also governor of New Jersey, and one of its Congressmen. His son, Ed- ward N. Dickerson, is one of the most prominent patent lawyers of New York City.
Returning to New Jersey, General Dickerson was not permitted to remain in private life, but in the three fol- lowing years, 1811, 1812, and 1813, he was as many times successively elected a member of the State Assembly from Morris County. The legislature of 1813 met October 26, and four days after Hon. William S. Pennington re- signed his position as third justice of the Supreme Court, and Mr. Dickerson was the same day appointed to fill the vacancy, and was also appointed reporter of the court. He declined the latter office, however, on the 9th of Feb- ruary following. At a joint meeting of the legislature to elect a United States senator, November 3, 1814, his name was mentioned, and he received a flattering vote. No choice was made at this meeting, and at the next, held in February, Mr. Dickerson's name w^as withdrawn, and Hon. James J. Wilson w\as elected. At the joint meeting held October 26, 1815, he was unanimously elected gover- nor of New Jersey,- and was re-elected to that high office without opposition October 28, 1816.
He resigned the gubernatorial chair February 1, 1817, having been elected on the 23d* of the previous month United States senator for the six years beginning March 4, 1817. So satisfactory was his course in the Senate to the people of his State that, November 1, 1822, he was elected his own successor for another six years without opposition.
His term of office expired March 6, 1829. His previous election had. been during the "era of good feeling," but before the last term expired, the strife between Jackson,
100 MAHLON DICKERSON
Clay, Adams, and Crawford had begun. He had allied himself closely to the cause of Old Hickory, and the legis- lature to choose his successor was strongly Whig. At the joint meeting which assembled January 30, 1829, the res- ignation of Ephraim Bateman, the other senator from New Jersey, was sent in by the governor, and was ac- cepted by a vote of only twenty-nine to twenty-seven, those voting in the negative being mostly Whigs. The meeting then proceeded first to elect a senator to fill the vacancy caused by this resignation. The names of Theo- dore Frelinghuysen and Joseph W. Scott were brought forward, but withdrawn with the understanding that they were to be candidates for the long term.
The names of Samuel L. Southard, William B. Ewing, William N. Jeffers, Mahlon Dickerson, and Garret D. Wall, were mentioned for the short term. The Whigs, though having a majority of the meeting, were divided between Southard, the popular Secretary of the Navy under Adams, and Ewing, the chairman of the meeting. Ten calls of the meeting were had without result. Mr. Southard's vote varied from twenty to twenty-five, and Mr. Ewing's from eight to thirteen, the Democrats voting for Dickerson and Wall, or for Dickerson alone. After the tenth ballot Hon. Stacy G. Potts offered the following resolution : —
^^ Resolved, — That in the opinion of this joint meeting the Honorable Samuel L. Southard is not an inhabitant of the State of New Jersey, and therefore not eligible to the office of senator in the Congress of the United States under the third article of the Constitution of the United States, and that his name be withdrawn from the hst of nominations."
For this resolution all the Democrats and six of the Ewing men voted, and it was carried by a vote of twenty- nine to twenty-six. This made the friends of Mr. South- ard so indignant that eight of them cast their votes for Mr. Dickerson, who was elected on the next ballot but
MAHLON DICKERSON 101
one, by a vote of twenty-eight for him, twenty-three for Ewing, and two for Wall. Mr. Frelinghuysen was chosen immediately after for the long term by a vote of thirty- five, against twenty-one for Mr. Scott.
In the organization of the Senate in the following De- cember, Governor Dickerson was made chairman of the Committee on Manufactures, a position he was eminently qualified to fill. He was an ardent supporter of the tariff, and agreed perfectly with the President in protecting American industry, so far as legislation could do it. Ex- amining the proceedings of the Senate during the time he was a member, it will be seen that that subject seldom failed to bring him to his feet. All or nearly all his pub- lished speeches were on this subject. Though not as bril- liant nor as eloquent as many of his associates, he was scarcely less influential in legislation through the familiar- ity with his subject which close study and earnest appli- cation gave him.
The affection of his constituency in New Jersey never wavered. At a meetingr of the Jackson members of the legislature in April, 1832, the resolution was adopted, " that we recommend our fellow-citizen Mahlon Dickerson as a suitable candidate to be supported by the delegation of New Jersey (for Vice-President) in convention, and that they be requested to present his name as the first choice of New Jersey." Nor was his name mentioned by those of his own State only. The Jackson men throughout the country favored his nomination as a fit successor to Calhoun, who had become alienated from them. At this juncture Mr. Van Buren's rejection as minister to Eng- land by the Senate made his vindication seem necessary to his party, and they resolved to make him Vice-Presi- dent. Mr. Dickerson warmly seconded this resolution, and withdrew his own name from the canvass. In all the political struggles of the day, and the various combinations of parties and cliques which characterized that period, he
102 MAHLON DICKERSON
adhered most strenuously to the principles and policy of Jackson, and possessed his constant friendship.
His term as United States senator expired in March, 1833, and in the fall of that year he was elected by the people of his county to represent them in the legislative council of the State.
On the 20th of May, 1834, he was nominated by the President as minister to Russia, and the appointment was confirmed by the Senate on the 26th. It is said he was persuaded by Mr. Van Buren to decline this position and remain in the country to further his (Mr. Van Buren's) plans for the presidency. Let this be as it may, the posi- tion was declined, and the President shortly after sent his name to the Senate as Secretary of the Navy to succeed Mr. "Woodbmry, and the appointment was confirmed by the Senate on the 30th of June. He continued to occupy this place in the Cabinet during the remaining years of Jackson's term, and during the first two years of Mr. Van Buren's. He resigned his seat in 1838, and again retired to private life.
Shortly after his appointment occurred the difficulty in Boston harbor in regard to the figure-head of Jackson upon the ship Constitution. The wooden effigy, half sawn in two, and the correspondence in relation to it, are still in possession of the governor's family. On the 30th of January, 1835, when crazy Lawrence attempted to assassinate Jackson in the Capitol, Dickerson was walk- ing with him in the procession and shared his danger. He was one of the principal witnesses in the trial which followed.
In September, 1840, he was appointed by Mr. Van Buren judge of the United States District Court for the State of New Jersey, to succeed Judge Rossel. He held the office but about six months, when he resigned (in 1841) and was succeeded by his younger brother, Phil- emon, who held the position many years.
MAHLON DICKERSON 103
In 1844, when the Constitution of his State, framed amid the confusion of the Revolutionary War, and in great haste, had proved itself ill adapted to the wants of the State, Mr. Dickerson was selected by the citizens of Mor- ris County to represent them in the convention, where his judicial training and practical good sense made him a valuable member.
In 1846 and 1847 General Dickerson was President of the American Institute, and in the minutes of the pro- ceedings of that body, October 5, 1846, and October 5, 1847, may be found two addresses dehvered bv him which are characteristic. The reader is not left in doubt as to what the speaker thought of protection, and in the clos- ing sentence of one he speaks of free trade as " a system as visionary and impracticable as the everlasting and uni- versal pacification of the world."
He was admitted an honorary member of the New Eng- land Historic Genealogical Society March 7, 1848.
After his retirement from public life the General spent the remainder of his days at the handsome residence which he erected about 1844, near his mine, amono- the mountains of Randolph. His windows commanded a view of one of the finest sections of his State, and his large pri- vate library afforded him constant recreation when his business gave him leisure. On his garden and grounds about his house he lavished much time and money, planting trees and shrubs in every variety attainable. He was never married, but made his home with his nephew, Mr. Frederick Canfield, whose tastes for the natural sciences were akin to his own, and whose inter- esting family made his last years comfortable and happy.
He died at his home October 5, 1853 ; the immediate cause of his death being a heavy cold. It was really the general breaking up of the system by reason of old age, hastened perhaps by a stroke of paralysis, which came upon him the year before. He was buried in the church-
104 MAHLON DICKERSON
yard on Succasunna Plains, where a plain monument marks his grave, bearing this inscription : —
MAHLON DICKERSON
SON OP
JONATHAN AND MART DICKERSON,
BORN APRIL 17, 1770.
DIED OCTOBER 5, 1853.
HIS BIOGRAPHY IS WRITTEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND
JUDICIAL RECORDS OF HIS COUNTRY.
"'MARK THE PERFECT MAN AND BEHOLD THE UPRIGHT : FOR THE
END OF THAT MAN IS PEACE."
General Dickerson was of fine personal appearance, standing six feet two inches high, and showing the posses- sion of a sound, rugged constitution. He was a hard stu- dent, devoting himself assiduously to the mastery of every subject he had to deal with. Notwithstanding the time taken by his business, public and private, he found oppor- tunity to master several languages, and attain distinction as a botanist. He was eccentric in some respects, and regardless of his personal appearance. A little incident illustrative of this trait, as well as of his care for others, is worth relating. While living in Philadelphia a tailor brought to him a pair of pantaloons, which, by a mistake in the measure, proved entirely too short. He was unwill- ing to throw them on the hands of the luckless tradesman, but had them pieced out at the bottom, and wore them so.
He was a man of the highest integrity, having the very spirit of honesty. At one time he paid his men in the bills of a bank which shortly after suspended, and before the men had used their money. He at once called in the worthless currency, redeemed it with good, and stood the loss himself. At another time he paid a workman a trifle less than was due him, but the man, supposing he had been overpaid, quietly left the neighborhood with what he supposed his employer's money. The General, discover- ing his own mistake, pursued the man on horseback for
MAHLON DICKERSON 105
several miles, and until he overtook him. Here he lec- tured him on his dishonest purpose, and then paid him the trifle still due him. He was not a professor of religion, but respected those whose piety he believed to be sincere. It is said on one occasion, when some persons at his table were speaking slightingly of religion, and lightly of the inconsistencies of religious people, he called their atten- tion to an excellent lady known to them all, the widow of his "brother Silas, with the remark that there was one person at least whose piety was unquestioned. The re- mark was so just that it concluded the talk on that subject.
None of the decisions rendered by him while on the Supreme Court bench of New Jersey are found in the reports, there being very few cases of any kind reported at that time. He no doubt contributed to the newspapers of the day ; but besides these and his reported speeches while in the Senate, he left no published work behind him.
At the time of his death obituary notices were pub- lished in many of the State papers, perhaps the best in the Trenton " True American " and the Newark " Daily Adver- tiser." Short sketches of his life may be found in " The Biographical Encyclopedia of New Jersey," in Drake's Biographical Dictionary, and in several other compen- diums of biography. Several excellent portraits have been preserved of him in the Dickerson family, and a small engraving has been taken from one of them.
Sincere in his professions and unyielding in his convic- tions of right, generous and faithful in his friendships, and consistent in his political faith, his unbroken popularity for so many years with the people he represented can easily be accounted for. Few lives present so constant a succession of political services, and seldom have pohtical
honors been more worthily bestowed.
14
SIMOIT GEEENLEAE
The Greenleaf family traces its origin to Edmund Greenleaf, who removed with his family from Brixham, Devonshire County, England, to Newbury, Massachusetts, about the year 1635.
Simon Greenleaf, the subject of this sketch, was born in Newburyport, December 5, 1783, of Captain Moses and Lydia (Parsons) Greenleaf. His grandfather, the Honorable Jonathan Greenleaf, was a prominent actor in the stirring scenes of that period, and was for successive years member of the Provincial Congress and the Provincial Legislature, and also of the Governor's Council.
Moses, father of Simon, entering the army at the age of twenty-one, as lieutenant in the first company raised at Newburyport, and being afterwards promoted to the rank of captain, remained in the service nearly to the end of the war, and afterwards removed with his family to the town of New Gloucester, Maine, where the remainder of his life was spent in agricultural pursuits. He married, September 16, 1776, Lydia, the daughter of the Rev. Jon- athan Parsons, the pastor, for many years, of the First Presbyterian Church in Newburyport.
Simon having determined upon the study of the law, entered the office of the Honorable Ezekiel Whit- man, of New Gloucester, afterwards Chief Justice of Maine. He was admitted to the bar of Cumberland County in the year 1806. The same year he was married
SIMON GREENLEAF 107
to Hannah, daughter of Captain Ezra Kingman, of Bridge- water, Massachusetts. He commenced the practice of his profession at Standish, Maine, but after a year's residence at that place, established himself in Gray. This was his home until the year 1818, when, his business having be- come widely extended, he removed to Portland, where, to quote the language of the Honorable William Willis, in his history of the Courts and Lawyers of Maine, " he took rank among the foremost at the bar, and by his win- ning manners and persuasive style of speaking and address, accompanied by the skill and ingenuity of his arguments, established his reputation on a firm basis."
In the act of the new State of Maine, establishing the Supreme Judicial Court, passed June 24, 1820, the Gov- ernor and Council are required " to appoint some person learned in the law to be a reporter of the decisions of the Supreme Court." Mr. Greenleaf was appointed to this office, and continued in it for twelve years. His reports, which extend from the August term of the year 1820, through the July term of 1832, are deservedly con- sidered among the most valuable of American Eeports, and are received as standards of authority throughout the Union.
The next year he was appointed Royall Professor of Law in the Law School of Harvard Universitv, becom- ing in this office the colleague of Judge Story. Professor Parsons, in a eulogy delivered soon after Professor Green- leaf's death, thus speaks of the two men : " Judge Story and Professor Greenleaf worked together harmoniously and successfully, and perhaps the more harmoniously be- cause they were so entirely different. With much in common, for they were both able, learned, and of the most devoted industry, there were other traits that belonged to one or the other of them exclusivelv. Greenleaf was sin- gularly calm, finding strength in his very stillness ; always cautious, and therefore always exact. Story was as vivid and
108 SIMON GREENLEAF
impulsive as man could be. His words flowed like a flood, but it was because his emotions and his thoughts demanded a flood as their exponent. And Story's manner was most peculiar. Everybody listened when he spoke, for he car- ried one away with the irresistible attraction of his own swift motion ; and Greenleaf, somewhat slow and measured in his enunciation, by the charm of his silver voice, the singular felicity of his expressions, and the smooth flow of his untroubled stream of thought, caught and held the attention of every listener as few men can." The testi- mony was strong and uniform to the very able and satis- factory manner in which he discharged his duties in the professorship. The growth of the school, its widespread reputation, and the voices of numerous pupils from all parts of the country, who came under his guidance and instruc- tion, all bear unanimous witness to his successful work. In 1846, by the death of Judge Story, the whole responsibility of the management of the school, as well as the duties of an additional professorship, were devolved upon Professor Greenleaf, and were cheerfully fulfilled for two years ; but in 1848, his failing health becoming unequal to the excessive labor, he resigned his position.
During his connection with the Law School, Professor Greenleaf published his celebrated treatise on " The Law of Evidence," " in which," as Professor Parsons observes, ]
"we find the best proof of his industry, his learning, and his sagacity." Adopted at once on its appearance by the profession as a standard authority, it has con- tinued to grow in public favor, raising its author to the rank of Kent and Story and the most eminent jurists and juridical writers.
The year following his retirement from the Law School, Mr. Greenleaf was appointed one of the Judges of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, but declined the appointment. He continued, however, actively en- gaged in professional practice, especially the literary
SIMON GREENLEAF 109
labors connected with his works, until his sudden death, October 6, 1853, at the age of seventy years, lacking a few weeks.
The honorary degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by Bowdoin College, in 1817, and that of Doctor of Laws by Harvard University in 1834, and the title of Emeritus Professor in 1852. He received also the degree of Doctor of Laws from Amherst College in 1845, and the same from the College of Alabama in 1852.
Mrs. Greenleaf died on the 13th of January, 1857. Of their children who lived beyond childhood, Patrick H. was born July 11, 1807, died June 21, 1869; Charlotte King- man was born December 25, 1809, and is still living; James was born June 15, 1814, died August 22, 1865; Caroline Augusta was born September 16, 1826, died November 8, 1878.
Other works of Mr. Greenleaf, besides three volumes of the " Law of Evidence, " which were published successively in 1842, 1846, and 1852, are the edition of Cruise's " Digest of the Law of Real Property, with Notes, " 1850 ; " The Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evange- lists by the Rules of Evidence as administered in Courts of Justice, " 1846 ; and a "Collection of Cases Overruled, Doubted, or Denied."
He was for several years the President of the Massa- chusetts Bible Society, and was largely interested, as were others of that day, in the establishment of African coloni- zation, and at the request of its friends, he prepared the original constitution adopted by the infant colony of Liberia. In 1830, while residing in Portland, Maine, he was elected a resident member of the Maine Historical Society; and on the 23rd of Novem-ber, 1837, after his removal to Cambridge, Massachusetts, he was chosen a resident member of the Massachusetts Historical Society. He became a resident member of the New England His- toric Genealogical Society, December 1, 1847.
110 SIMON GKEENLEAP
In a communication to the Cambridge paper at the time of Mr. Greenleaf's decease, some of his personal traits are thus described : " As a man, he possessed a weight of character which insured for him the esteem of all who en- joyed his society or came within the circle of his influence. Affable, poUte, courteous, frank, liberal-minded, he secured the confidence of his fellow-citizens and neighbors, who will sincerely mourn his loss, as that of a good man. Com- bined with varied and -learned attainments, he possessed great simplicity of character, which seemed to set off, as if in bold rehef, those characteristics for which he was so truly' distinguished. To all other attainments were added those of a mind eminently benevolent and devout ; and while scrupulously exact in all his relations with his fellow- men, he was not unmindful of his relations to God. His benevolence was of an active kind, and he took a lively interest in many of the b-enevolent institutions and asso- ciations of the day. Devoted as he was to the duties of his profession, he felt he had deeper interests in the moral wants of humanity, and his name will long be identified with many noble plans for the benefit and improvement of the race."
This brief sketch of the life of Mr. Greenleaf may be most appropriately closed by the following testimonial from his associates and friends of the bar of Suffolk County : —
" The members of the Suffolk Bar held a meeting in the Law Library room, Saturday, to manifest proper respect for the memory of Simon Greenleaf, LL. D. The venerable ex- Judge Wilde, late of the Supreme Court, presided, and George Bemis, Esquire, was appointed Secretary.
" Judge Wilde pronounced a glowing eulogy upon the char- acter of the deceased, his learning and hi-s virtues. Eloquent addresses were further made by Charles G. Loring, Esquire, George T. Curtis, Esquire, and Sidney Bartlett, Esquire. Mr. Loring offered the following resolutions.
" Resolved, That while, in the death of Professor Greenleaf, we lament the loss of a professional brother, we are aware that, as
SIMON GREEXLEAF 111
members of the bar of this city, we have but a small part in so great a name as his. But we shall remember with pride that his name is upon our roll, and that he was our venerated associate and friend.
^'■Resolved, That as Americans we owe to him a debt of grati- tu'de ; for he has, by his science and erudition, illustrated the judicial literature of his country at home and abroad, and added another American name, with those of Story, Kent, and Wheaton, to the great legal authors of Christendom.
'''-Resolved, That by his laborious, genial, and successful services as teacher of the law in the School at Cambridge, he has de- served the gratitude of his country ; for there he has, through many years, assisted in the training up of the youth of America, drawn thither from every State by his fame and that of his as- sociates, in the principles of jurisprudence, in elevated views of professional conduct, to exemplify and diffuse them in all parts of our land.
" Resolved, That while we remember with a melancholy pleasure the peculiar grace and dignity of voice, person, and manner that marked our deceased brother, we reflect with unmixed satisfac- tion upon the knowledge that these were but the signs of a purity and grace within, of a religious discipline of many years, and of no common vigor, which made his sudden death one from which he needed no prayer for deliverance.
" Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the. family of the deceased, as an a.ssurance of the sympathy in their bereavement.
" Resolved, That the Honorable Richard Fletcher be requested to present these resolutions to the Supreme Judicial Court now in session in this county, and request that the same be entered on its records.
" The meeting then adjourned to the Supreme Court, where Mr. Fletcher delivered a most eloquent and feeling eulogy upon the life and character of Professor Greenleaf, having occupied up- wards of an hour in the same. After a glancing biography, the speaker alluded particularly to the fact that he had attained his high position by his own efforts, unaided by collegiate edu- cation, — an exemplification of the fact that to a young man of noble aspirations poverty is the best inheritance, — to his pro- fessional urbanity and courtesy, to his legal publications, which
112 SIMON GREENLEAP
have given him a European reputation, and lastly to his ardent participation in many of the benevolent works of his age, aU of which, he said in closing, were reasons why they should cherish his memory and profit by his example.
" Judge Bigelow responded in a feeling and eloquent manner, and concluded by ordering the resolutions to be placed on file, and adjourned the Court."
H
CHARLES EWER
The design of this series of volumes being to preserve, and perpetuate to coming generations memorials of the members of the New Eno-land Historic Genealog-ical Society, who have fulfilled their part and passed from the stage of action, it is eminently fitting that more space than usual should be given, in this work, to one whose name stands at the head of its list of members ; one to whom, more than any other, belongs the credit of having originated the Society ; and who received this honorable testimony from his associates in the work, being honored with its first Presidency, and continued in that office during the first five years of its vigorous but strug- gling infancy. The various and laborious services which Mr. Ewer performed in bringing this organization into being, the faith and foresight of its utility and success — so characteristic of all his undertakings — which ani- mated him in the endeavor, the pecuniary responsibilities which he assumed, and the influence he exerted to this end, justly entitle him to the honor of being its principal founder, accorded to him by his few associates in the design who have survived him to witness the full devel- opment, maturity, and enlargement of the institution, in each of the several 'departments of usefulness compre- hended in the original plan.
It is to be regretted that Mr. Ewer, amid the manifold and engrossing occupations of his life, ever more mindful
15
114 CHARLES EWER
of others than of himself, had not taken pains to commit to paper full genealogical and biographical data, from which a complete and connected memoir of his life could be written. To supply this deficiency in some measure, one of his two sisters, with whom he had lived unmarried until his death, and who themselves have both more re- cently deceased, compiled from such memoranda and recollections as they could bring to the grateful duty a succinct account of their departed brother, and placed the same on deposit among the archives of this Society. It is meet that this spontaneous yet modest tribute of affec- tion, more accurate and authentic than anything in the same compass which could now be produced from other sources, should be presented here entire, and should con- stitute the nucleus, as it necessarily must, of whatever memorials of its honored subject may be added to it.
Biographical Sketch, by Miss Charlotte Ewer.
Charles Ewer, the third son of Captain Silas and Anna A. Ewer, was born in Boston, September 4, 1790. His parents originated from very respectable and pious ancestors. His father followed the sea and was regularly brought up to that profession, and commenced as a cabin boy till he rose to be captain. He sailed out of Boston many years in the employ of some of the first merchants. John Coffin Jones and William Smith were two of them. In 1790 he and David Hinckley bought a ship together called the Fair Lady. By this purchase he lost his property.
The care of Charles's education during his childhood devolved chiefly upon his mother, as his father's occupation permitted him to be at home but seldom. He was brought up very ten- derly by her, as he was very delicate and could not bear expos- ure to bad weather, a trial which he always felt during his life. He was intellectually a very superior child, but his physi- cal powers were not equal to his mental. It was thought by his friends that he was sanctified from his birth, as he was always fond of serious books, and, I believe, few were better read in, or
CHARLES EWER 115
understood the Bible than he. He was brought up at the Old South Church, but he did not believe in the Calvinistic doc- trine taught there. He never joined, any church ; but he thought the Unitarian belief the most rational, and therefore for many years attended their meetings. He liked to hear all denominations, and -when a boy spent his evenings at different lectures, and could repeat from memory a great part of what he had heard. He could imitate the voices and manner of most of the ministers in Boston, viz. : Eckley, Stillman, Baldwin, Cooper, Buckrainster, Channing, Murray, etc. He was very witty, but thought it best to suppress his wit, as he might wound some one's feelings when he had no intention of doing so. He was a true republican, and took an active part in religious and political subjects, and could, when quite young, converse with gentlemen who visited at the house, to the con- founding of those who opposed him. From the age of seven to fourteen he attended the public schools in Boston, and at the age of fourteen, which closed the term that was allowed for education there, he received the Franklin Medal for writing at the Hawkins Street school. He not only excelled in writing but also in arithmetic.
He left school and was apprenticed to Trott & Bumstead, retail dealers in English dry goods, on Comhill, now Wash- ington Street. He stayed with them but a short time, as an opportunity occurred to enter the wholesale store of Pratt & Andrews, which suited him better. Here he remained till he was twenty-one. The war commencing in 1812, and there being no prospect of doing anything in the English-goods line, he was induced to accept of an offer from Mr. Benjamin Andrews, brother to his master, to superintend a wire manu- factory at Newton Lower Falls, where he remained two years, and then returned to Boston. Peace being proclaimed shortly after, Mr. Isaiah Thomas, Jr., having a bookstore at New- buryport, was desirous that he should go there and sell the books for him, or take the store on his own account, as he did. But business being in a depressed state, he removed to Portsmouth, where he continued for a short time. His mother dying in 1816, determined him to return to Boston, where he had two sisters who needed his assistance. Here he opened a bookstore at No. 51, Comhill, now Washington
*
1
116 CHARLES EWER
Street, where he did business a number of years, and published many books ; Neal's History of the Puritans was the first one. He was pretty successful in the book business, and accumulated from ten to fifteen thousand dollars. In 1820, in connection with Mr. Timothy Bedlington, he purchased the stock of books belonging to the firm of Thomas & Andrews amounting to seven- teen thousand dollars ; but in disposing of them he was not so successful as he expected to be, and became involved in debt from which he was desirous to free himself ; and, as he had purchased a house on Washington Street, of Peter C. Brooks, he thought it would be a great improvement to the city to remove that and all the old buildings surrounding it, and to put up new, which he did, — eight stone stores and houses on Washington Street, and fourteen on Avon Place. But his labor proved unprofitable, for instead of getting any remunera- tion for his trouble, this undertaking left him more in debt, and finally caused his failure in 1829. He was an upright and conscientious man, and considered his word as his bond ; and if those he had dealings with had been like him, instead of losing he would have had enough to pay his debts, and had something left.
He was liberal in all his views, political and social, and always acted for the good of his country and society. Few men with his small means, supporting others besides himself, did more for the city of Boston than he, not thinking of himself, but the good of others. He labored and spent his money to reform many abuses of a political nature. He was one of those who got up the Middling Interest Society ; and twice by his exertions he assisted the elections of Republicans as Governors of Massa- chusetts, viz. : Eustis and Morton. Governor Morton conferred on him the commissions of Notary Public and Justice of the Peace, but his employments were so numerous that he never made use of them. He endeavored to improve his native city, and when the free bridge was proposed to South Boston, he con- . tributed. He projected the filling up of the South Cove, upon which he spent two years, unaided by any one, and even ridi- culed for the thought of its being possible. He was also an institutor of the New England Historic Genealogical Society of Boston, and spent much of his time to procure all the old docu- ments in the near towns, to the injury of his health. His per-
CHARLES EWER 117
severance in all his undertakings is sufficient proof of his great capacity and strength of mind, which no discouragement could lessen or abate. Few, if any, ever passed through this life purer or less contaminated by the allurements of wealth or pleasure than he did. He was one of nature's noblemen, free from all deception, open and sincere. He was beloved and idolized by those who were nearly related to him, for his piety and good principles, which he practised through life. There was nothing superjficial about him. Whatever subject he con- versed upon, of theology, law, or physics, he was well ac- quainted with. When one of his friends observed to him that he must be a great reader, he replied, " I am not a great reader, but a great thinker ! " It was said of him by Fowler, the phrenologist, that he could see fifty years in advance of other men, and that but few could understand him.
In 1851 he removed with his two sisters from Boston to Portsmouth, N. H., where he resided eighteen months. His last illness was short. A fortnight before his death he visited Bos- ton, where he stayed a week, and attended the marriage of one of his relatives. His friends said that they never had seen him in better spirits. A few days afterwards he went to New York upon business. Here he made many calls on friends, visited the Crystal Palace, ascended the tower of St. Paul's Church, and walked much on Broadway. All this was done in one day ; but it was too much for him, and he was taken with a violent pain in his side which lasted three days, so that he could neither eat nor sleep. He returned home quite exhausted, and lived but one week after he reached Portsmouth. He had no return of pain, though he was still unable to sleep. From the time he came home till the night before his death he protested against having a physician, as he was urged by his sisters to do, saying he would rather pay a doctor's fee than have one called. Dur- ing his illness he said that he never felt so happy in his life. He was perfectly calm and composed, and seemed so bright an'd cheerful that his sisters had no idea that they were going to lose him. He died without a struggle, November 12, 1853, at his residence in Portsmouth, at the age of sixty-three. His disease was paralysis.
The foregoing paper embraces the substance of what can now be recorded of this remarkable man. While
118 CHARLES EWER
it is evidently the tribute of strong sisterly affection, yet it is believed there is no one who knew Mr. Ewer, in the intercourse of business or of private life, who would find anything which ought to be abated from the truth or fulness of the encomium bestowed. Certainly there are many yet surviving, who will pronounce it eminently modest, discriminating, and just, doing high credit to its affectionate writer, as well as to its honored subject.
. It remains only to supplement this brief biographical record with such additional and fuller details as are at hand, for confirming and more fully elucidating some of its more general statements ; while they will illustrate the character of Mr. Ewer, especially as seen in his spirit of far-seeing and self-sacrificing zeal for the improvement of his native city.
It is proper to add to what his sister has stated, in regard to his ancestry and family connections, that his mother was a sister of the father of the late Hon. Samuel Turell Armstrong, Lieutenant-Governor, and for a time acting Governor, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and afterwards Mayor of Boston. This connection brought him into life-lono^ and intimate relations with this hiorh- minded Christian gentleman, which doubtless was of advantage to him in many ways. Mr. Armstrong appears to have early appreciated the peculiar promise of his near relative, and was doubtless instrumental in introducing him into the bookselling and publishing business, in which he was himself acquiring wealth and honorable dis- tinction. This may also, probably enough, explain the confidence extended to him, as a young man, by such shrewd and successful merchants as Isaiah Thomas, Jr., and the firm of Thomas & Andrews.
As evincing the high moral tone and healthful influence of his labors in the bookselling and publishing department, during the years when he carried on the business for him-
CHARLES EWER 119
self in Cornhill, it may be stated, that the books he brought out, it is believed, were uniformly of an unexcep- tionable character ; many of them were of standard ex- cellence as text-books in education, and works of authority in literature and science ; and not a few were religious works of the highest value. NeaFs History of the Pu- ritans is mentioned by his sister as the first of his issues from the press. This was in five octavo volumes. An- other authority states that this work was published by subscription, as was also Mitford's History of Greece, in eight volumes, " one of the best-executed works of that day." It is further stated that the subscriptions for these books were largely obtained by his own exertions. Law's Serious Call, since comprised in the larger volume series of the American Tract Society, was one of the religious books which bore his imprint. Among his papers is a carefully prepared estimate of the probable cost of publish- ing Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible, to be comprised in four volumes octavo, with expense of copper-plates, etc., etc. ; from which it would appear that he may have con- templated the publication of that valuable work, at the date of its introduction in this country. Of books of anti- quarian interest published by Mr. Ewer, the celebrated sermon of Robert Cusliman, the Pils-rim Father ; Wio-o-les- worth's Day of Doom, and the Stoddard Genealogy, are called to mind.
After several years of successful business by himself, in Cornhill, it appears that he entered into a partner- ship with Mr. Timothy Bedlington, buying out the heavy stock of Thomas & Andrews, with the purpose of enlarg- ing his sphere of enterprise in this direction. In this adventure, however, the new firm were not as successful as they had hoped to be ; and Mr. Ewer, in consequence, was involved in pecuniary embarrassments, from which he struggled manfully through subsequent years to free himself.
120 CHARLES EWER
It is here in place, in passing, to make mention of the private library of Mr. Ewer ; which, with the exception of such books as he had bequeathed to his friends in his will, was sold at auction after his decease. The catalogue, which was printed for the sale, making a pamphlet of twenty-two octavo pages, is preserved in the Society's Library. Besides magazines and pamphlets, — many of which were rare and valuable, assorted and bound, or put in covers, — the titles of over fifte.en hundred volumes are given ; among which are included scarcely any of a light or ephemeral character ; and showing conclusively that, if not " a great reader," as alleged by his friends, he kept at hand the materials and aids of a " thinker," as, jestingly, he replied to their pleasant impeachment.
After leaving the book trade, Mr. Ewer, as briefly stated in the memoir by his sister, gave the ever active energies of his mind to schemes for the improvement of his native city. In the different projects of this kind which he took up, while he had it in view to " retrieve his own shattered fortunes," it was his ambition, at the same time, to advance the prosperity of the city. It should be borne in mind, that this was at a time anterior to the date of those great internal improvements which have since so changed the prospects of Boston for the better ; and when, in the view of most men, the metropolis of New England, by the conditions of its peninsular position, had nearly reached the limits of its possible extension. Mr. Ewer, with a mind well stored with its personal and local antiquities, possessed, for the period in which he lived, an almost marvellous sagacity as to what was to be the future of Boston in this respect. There is no man whose name is more worthy to be connected with the origin and de- velopment of several of the great improvements of his time, by the accomplishment of which this city was set forward in its subsequent career of extraordinary ad- vancement.
CHARLES EWER 121
His first undertaking in this line was the laying out and building of Avon Place, which has since become Avon Street, runninsr through from Washington Street to Chauncy Street, upon ground which was then quite remote from the centre of population, and even more so from the chief centres of business. The circumstance of his possessing a house on "Washington Street, which he had purchased of Peter C. Brooks, at that time one of the " solid men " of Boston, is mentioned by his sister as hav- ing suggested to him the feasibility of this undertaking ; and this doubtless disposed the mind of Mr. Brooks to look more favorably upon it than many others from whom the needed pecuniary assistance must be sought. It was with much difficulty that the capitalists of that day could be led to see that this enterprise might be a safe invest- ment of their surplus means. Mr. Brooks, however, at length fell in with the views of Mr. Ewer, and afforded him substantial encouragement to proceed.
It was about the year 1823 or 1824 that this work was commenced. It involved the removal of the house owned by Mr. Ewer, and other old buildings surrounding it, and the erection, in the language of the memoir, of " eight stone stores and houses on Washington Street, and fourteen on Avon Place." The buildings on Washington Street were faced with finely hammered granite fronts, and were four stories high ; the lower stories being constructed for stores and those above for dwellings. They were in two blocks, on each side of the Place, which opened between them, thus affording two eligi- ble situations upon the corners. Most of them remain unchanged in their exterior to this day, while some of the more modern structures have towered above them on the right and left. The buildings on Avon Place, seven upon each side, were of three stories, and all dwelling-houses of respectable style and convenience for that day. A few of these remain in their original shape,
16
122 CHARLES EWER
but others have been obliterated by the changes conse- quent upon transforming the court into a great thorough- fare of merchandise and traffic. All, and more than all, of what Mr. Ewer so confidently predicted concerning the future demands of business upon this now central locality, though seeming so far in advance of human probability in the view of most of his contemporaries, has long since come to pass.
The master-builder employed by Mr. Ewer in carrying out this enterprise, was Mr. Charles Wells, afterwards for two years mayor of the city. The cost of this heavy undertaking, as is so apt to be the case in the experience of contractors, considerably exceeded the estimates ; and Mr. Brooks being unwilling to go beyond what he had agreed to advance upon it, Mr. Ewer was obliged to make an early disposal of the property which he had created, at a material reduction from its prospective value, without reaUzing pecuniarily the fruit of his own well-directed exertions. Could he have retained his interest in the buildings until he could have turned himself to advantage he would have made a handsome fortune as the result of the operation. His cousin, Mr. Armstrong, took three of the stores on Washington Street off his hands, at thirteen thousand dollars each, — a fair price, probably, at the time of the purchase. These three stores still belong to the estate of Mr. Armstrong ; and this property, for which he paid the total of thirty-nine thousand dollars, is deemed by persons who are qualified to judge of its present value to be worth from one hundred and fifty thousand to two hundred thousand dollars. One of the stores, which is on a corner, is paying an annual rent of seven thousand and five hundred dollars.*
• This memoir was written in 1875, six years ago. The author, the Rev. Samuel H. Riddel, A. M., died the next year, June 1, 1876, at Des Moines, Iowa, aged seventy-six. He was the recording secretary of the New England Historic Genealogical Society during nearly the whole of the presidency of Mr. Ewer; and before writing this article he spent much time in collecting materials, thoroughly
.1
4 t
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CHARLES EWER 123
Mr. Ewer was distinguished as the projector of impor- tant undertakings, which, according to his remarkable fore- sight, proved eminently successful, and of great value to the public in their final result ; but he had not the means, financially, of carrying them into execution, so far inde- pendently of others as to secure to himself the due re- ward of his own extraordinary enterprise. In reference to some of the most material interests of the city it may be said of him that he labored, and others have entered into his labors. No adequate consideration was accorded him for the important part which he performed.
This will be made more clearly evident as we pass to consider another and still greater achievement of his con- structive energy, viz., the project for filling up the flats in the '^ South Cove," as it was called at that day, lying on the southeastern margin of the peninsula, between South Boston and the city proper, which was carried into effect by a chartered company, which Mr. Ewer was chiefly instrumental in getting up, known as the '• South Cove Corporation."
Some approximate conception of the magnitude and value of this great improvement may be formed when it is stated that the land thus added to the area of the city comprises all that district lying east of Harrison Avenue (then called Front Street) bounding northward on Essex, East, and Federal Streets (the latter being then known as Sea Street), and extending southward along the channel to the South Boston South Bridge, including, as originally embraced in the plans of Mr. Ewer, and as ultimately comprehended in the entire purchase of the corporation,
examining the records of the society and the papers left by 'Mr. Ewer, besides con- sulting early members of the society and intimate friends of Mr. Ewer.
The "march of improvement" has made new changes in the buildings erected by Mr. Ewer. Only one now remains in its original shape. The property pur- chased by Mr. Armstrong still belongs to his estate, and is now estimated to be worth from two hundred and fifty thousand to three hundred thousand dollars. The land is leased for a term of years at a rental of seventeen thousand dollars a year, the lessee erecting his own building and paying all taxes and assessments.
]24 CHARLES EWER
an area of nearly eighty acres, upon which now stands that populous and busy section of the city covered by six or seven new streets running parallel with Harrison Ave- nue, and ten or more extending east from the same,' including Beach Street, with which these are parallel, and furnishing the sites of the United States Hotel, and the Boston and Albany, and Old Colony and Newport Rail- road Freight and Passenger Depots.
The reports of the South Cove Corporation, a complete series of which has been furnished to the library of the Historic Genealogical Society by the agent of the com- pany, Francis Jackson, Esq., commence with the history of their proceedings under the charter, which was accepted by the stockholders, February 7, 1833. The preliminary stages of the enterprise, which led the way to the organization of the company, and the application for a charter, are only thus briefly alluded to in their first report : —
"By referring to the printed circular, with the estimates annexed, which was issued by the projectors of- the present enterprise to the original subscribers, it will be seen that it was then proposed to purchase the wharves and flats in the South Cove, from Front and Essex Streets to the channel, and from Sea Street nearly to the South Bridge, containing 3,345,000 feet (about 77 acres), and contracts of refusal were obtained for nearly all the estates, amounting to $520,000. The sum of $600,000 was proposed as the capital stock of the com- pany, and the whole cove was to be converted into solid land. The estimated cost of completing the project was $1,073,349, 'subject, however, to such modifications as niiglit be found expedient.'"
*
While no mention is here made of the name or agency
of Mr. Ewer, yet this paragraph covers a period of about
three years, during which time he was earnestly engaged —
and for the first year and a half almost alone — in devising,
advocating, and maturing the project, and elaborating
CHARLES EWER 125
the measures, which are here so summarily recounted, for bringing the enterprise into working shape. If, at any time, there were one or two others who co-operated with him in these efforts, they were persons whom, with infinite labor, he had informed and convinced of the feasibility of the plan. He was the soul of the movement ; and to him its origination, development, and progress, through all the more difficult stages of its advancement, until it became an organized and grand success, is to be pre- eminently ascribed.
The papers which Mr. Ewer left behind him abun- dantly illustrate and support this statement. The follow- ing citations, in which he gives an account of his labors in this enterprise, present the subject with that graphic and truthful simplicity so characteristic of the man : —
" In the spring of 1831 1 directed my attention to the filling up of the large body of flats, lying between Front and Sea Streets, called the South Cove. This spot appeared to me, after having reconnoitered the city, as the most eligible place for the location of the depots of the Worcester Railroad. The amplitude of the accommodation it was capable of furnishing for the depots, and the business to be done by the railroad generally, the cheapness of the land, its nearness to the deep waters of the harbor, etc., were among its prominent advantages. I believed that the pur- chasing and filling of those flats would be a great local improve- ment, and that a company might be formed that would be able, by securing the termination of the Boston and Worcester Rail- road on the land, to make the undertaking highly profitable. Believing the formation of such a company practicable, and that the accomplishment of the object in view would be productive of great advantage to the south and southeastern sections of the city, as well as the public, I hoped m3'self, also, to share liber- ally, as I judged I should be entitled to, in the profits of the enterprise, should it succeed.
" In June, 1831, therefore, I set about carrying the plan into effect. The South Cove Company was not, however, formed till toward the close of 1832. During the eighteen months that intervened 1 devoted myself assiduously, by day and by night,
126 CHARLES EWER
to forming the company and securing the location of the depots of the Boston and "Worcester Railroad on the Cove. Some time in January, 1833, the South Cove Company obtained an Act of Incorporation, and commenced filling up the flats the following spring."
In another paper he sets forth a more full and detailed account of the motives, which mainly induced him to embark in this great undertaking; and speaks of some of the difficulties and discouragements which he had to encounter in the commencement. This paper, possessing also much intrinsic interest as a leaf from the unwritten history of the times, strikingly illustrates the exceeding activity and fruitfulness of the mind of Mr. Ewer, in schemes and projects for the improvement of the city, and his indefatigable earnestness and persistency in press- ing forward, against incredulousness and hesitation in others, to the practical results at which he aimed. He says : —
" I became possessed of the parcel of flats marked with my name in 1824. This was about the period when a new set of adventurers revived the project of a free bridge from South Street to South Boston. The enterprise, as is well known, had to encounter a formidable, and all but unconquerable oppo- sition. Nearly three years, were spent, during which the most strenuous and unceasing efforts were made in obtaining a grant from the Legislature for building it. During the whole of this period I took an active part, and shared with Messrs. Henshaw, Williams, Rice, Wright, and others, in the labors and expenses, and subject to the obloquy attendant upon the undertaking. After the charter was procured, and arrangements made for building the bridge, I was placed on the finance committee, on which I acted till the bridge was completed. I contributed, likewise, about four hundred dollars towards the expense of building it. The time occupied in its construction was about a year. It was commenced in the spring of 1827, I think, and finished in the summer of 1828.
"Subsequent to the obtaining the grant, and prior to the completion of the bridge, the lands in South Boston had won-
CHARLES EWER 127
derfully- increased in price. It was generally thought by those who had become interested in thera that the construction in a direct and shorter route of a bridge, toll free, together with the ■ other important natural advantages which the peninsula pos- sessed as a place of residence, would insure a rapid increase of population. On this ground it was expected — and very natur- ally and justly — that the advanced prices would be sustained, and that a still farther advance would be realized. This expec- tation, however apparently warranted, proved fallacious; and property in South Boston, a year after the completion of the bridge, was considerably lower than it was a year prior to its being built. During the years 1828, 1829, and 1830, par- ticularly the two last, the prospects of the peninsula were dis- couraging and gloomy in the extreme. The increase of its population and business was materially, checked, and a very great reduction took place in the estimated value of the lands. It was very difficult to effect sales during this period, and very few, I believe, were made.
" In the view, therefore, of those who had become interested in property at South Boston, a dark cloud hung over this land of promise, and obscured, for a time, the bright prospects with which the new proprietors had indulged their imaginations and fed their hopes. I was one of this number. My confidence, however, notwithstanding, was unabated in the ultimate appre- ciation or enhancement of the property.
" Having closed up my business in the latter end of 1829, feeling a deep interest in the prosperity of South Boston, I directed my attention to the consideration of the means by which the cloud that hung over its prospects might be removed, and the depression it was suffering under relieved. I taxed my mind to discover improvements and devise plans, by which the attention of the public might be attracted to the peninsula, and its business and population increased.
"Among other suggestions that I made, to this end, were the following : — The erection on Telegraph or Bird's Hill, now called Mount Washington, of a hotel on a plan similar to the Norfolk House, but on a more extensive and splendid scale ; the establishment of omnibuses, to be run at about half the price of the Roxbury hourlies, and the construction of a marginal road round the peninsula, etc. I also recommended to the late Mr.
128 OHAKLES EWER
John H. Bird, who owned, I think, about thirty acres of land, including Bird's Hill, to have it surveyed, lotted out, and a plan made of it by Fuller or "Wadsworth, and to sell at low rates, at private sale, or by auction, a quarter or a third part of the lots, conditioned that buildings of a certain class should be erected upon them within a year.
" In forming the project of filling up the flats between Front Street and Sea Street, to furnish accommodations for the Wor- cester Railroad, and in the efforts I made to secure the location of its depots on that spot, I had the interests of South Boston distinctly in my eye. For it was perfectly clear to my mind, if those flats were made into land, and the business of the South End, then transacting on Front Street, transferred to the mar- gin of the channel, that this, together with the transportation and other business of the railroad, etc., would make the spot opposite to the flats, on the eastern side of Turnpike Street, a sort of centre of business, the result of which would be a very material enhancement in the value of the property at South Boston, in its immediate neighborhood, and that the improve- ment would be highly advantageous to its interests generally. I labored most assiduously, for nearly a year and a half, for the accomplishment of this project, which was finally crowned with success toward the close of the year 1882. In January, 1833, the company formed for carrying it into effect, called the South Cove Company, applied for, and obtained from the Legislature, an Act of Incorporation, and are prosecuting, under favorable auspices, as the South Cove Corporation, the enterprise which I started in 1831."
Mr. Ewer then sets down several " considerations of a public nature," affecting more generally the welfare, not of South Boston only, but of the city proper as well, which had weight with him in favor of the project. These amount to seven in number, distinctly enumerated and defined, every one of which has been more than realized in the accomplishment. The last named, but not the least in importance, was " the salutary effect it would have upon the health of the city, by filling up the many small docks in the neighborhood of several respectable
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CHARLES EWER 129
streets, — as Essex Street, Summer Street, Lincoln Street, South Street, High Street, etc."'
Next we adduce a record of his first communication of the plan to the owners of estates upon the Cove, who must necessarily be interested, and whom he wished to enlist in the undertaking by putting their several proper- ties there situated into a joint stock to form the nucleus of a corporation. As a part of the personal history of Mr. Ewer, as well as of his connection with this great public improvement, this record will be found interesting. He says : —
"In April, 1831, I hired the house of John Pierce, in South Street, which I now occupy, and one of the considerations that induced me to prefer it to several others that I might have had was its proximity to the Cove, and the advantages it afforded of convenient access and neighborly intercourse with the owners of the estates lying on or near it. I was not disappointed in this calculation ; for while it gave me no small influence with the owners of the estates, it placed me in a situation to acquire infarmation relative to the property which could not easily, if at all, have been obtained by an individual living at a distance from them. I spent part of the spring and nearlj^ the whole of the summer of 1831 in endeavoring to bring the owners into the plan of filling up the Cove, pointing out the general advantages that would result to them and the south section of the city from the accomplishment of the project, and urging upon them par- ticularly the seasonableness and importance of commencing the undertaking without delay, that they might, by being able to furnish the requisite accommodations for the depots of the Pro- vidence and Worcester Railroads, secure to themselves, and to the whole of the South End, the immense advantages that would arise from their terminating on the Cove. The owners of the estates listened with attention to what I had to say on the subject, and, in general, approved of the project. Others thought it would be worse than useless to make more land when they had so much on hand. Some thought the scheme chimer- ical in the extreme. Joshua Davis, Esq., to whom, among the rest of the owners, I had communicated my plan, and solicited
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130 CHAELES EWER
to join in the accomplishment of it, pronounced it visionary, or at least fifty or one hundred years in anticipation of what was required, or could be sustained, b}^ the increase in the business or population of the city. Even Mr. Cyrus Alger, as enlarged as his views are on such subjects, was startled when I first men- tioned it to him, and exclaimed : ' What ! make twenty or thirty acres of land before we sell what we have got for sale so near it ! ' I made use of several arguments to convince him that it would have a beneficial influence upon his own property as well as that of his neighbors, but with little effect. He, however, said finally, that though he could not perceive the advantages of the plan he should not oppose it, as he was in favor of every public improvement whether it benefited him or not. This interview with Mr, Alger occurred during the month of May, 1831.
" Previously — that is, in the early part of the month — I communicated my plan to Mr. William Wright, who then informed me that he had in contemplation a plan of running a street across from Front Street to Sea Street. He spoke of the advantages of his plan, and represented that such a street would save the city the expense of buying and repairing the South Bridge, that it would accommodate the public and the people of the South End much better than the old bridge. I observed to him that it would so extensively interfere with private rights as to make it impracticable to accomplish it. He thought that the city was competent to lay out such a street, or, if it was not, that a grant of power could be easily obtained from the Legisla- ture for the purpose. I replied that I doubted it, but if it were so that it would be much better to fill up the Cove as far as his proposed street, and that I thought my plan the best. Mr. Wright's idea of the Worcester Railroad at this time was that it would pass over his proposed street, which was to terminate with Sea Street, near his store, and the railroad was to continue through Sea Street, and by the contemplated Marginal Street, from Sea Street to India Street, etc. Nothing was said by Mr. Wright in relation to fixing the depot on his proposed street, or any part of the Cove. The benefit he seemed to anticipate from the railroad's entering at the south part of the city, and crossing over the Cove, was from its passing by his store through Sea Street.
CHARLES EWER 131
" Some weeks after ray communicating my plan to Mr. Wright, being at his store towards evening, he informed me that he had mentioned my project to some gentlemen — men of capital — who thought favorably of it, and were disposed to engage in it if the estates bordering on the Cove could be pur- chased at fair prices. That he (Mr. Wright) had felt himself bound to communicate to me, as it was my plan. It was under- stood that they wanted information, and would employ an agent. I stated to Mr. Wright that I should like to act for them in that capacity, and requested him to inform me who the persons were. He named Mr. William Foster. I waited upon Mr. Foster the same evening, and conversed with him for about an hour upon the plan of filling up the Cove. He was in favor of filling up as far as the South Bridge. The association turned out to be composed of Mr. Foster. If there were any others connected with him I could never discover them."
At a time not long subsequent to this we find the record of Mr. Ewer's engagement, by Mr. Binney and Mr. Wright, on behalf of the Boston and Worcester Rail- road Company, to collect definite information from the persons interested as to what their property in the flats, docks, and wharves, etc., could be purchased for, Mr. Wright telling him confidentially that his " plan had been made known to some gentlemen of large capital, who thought so favorably of it that they were willing to engage in the undertaking, but wished to be first satis- fied that the estates could be purchased as represented." These representations had all been received, directly or indirectly, through Mr. Ewer ; and now, as it seemed important to test the feasibility of the project, it was necessary, as a basis of confidence, to reduce them to a negotiable form. In pursuance of this engagement, Mr. Ewer, with such assistance as Mr. Wright could render, who, for certain reasons, kept himself in the background, wishing that his agency might not be prominent in the matter, succeeded in obtaining written obligations of refusal upon their several rights from all the property
132 CHARLES EWER
owners, with the single exception of one, who chose not to relinquish his individual title, but would not stand in the way of the undertaking if carried out. The rights thus pledged were all to be surveyed and appraised, and thrown into joint stock, agreeably to proposals which had been previously submitted to the proprietors by Mr. Ewer, as a part of the plan in emhryo. The practical soundness and safety with which this essential preliminary was effected will appear from the following statement of the agent of the South Cove Corporation, in the first annual report of the directors : — " Many of the contracts of refusal," he states, " had expired before the estates were purchased ; yet in no instance was there any advance paid upon the contract prices. On the contrary, a reduc- tion of $6,000 from those prices has been effected."
It will have been noticed that all along Mr. Ewer had in view, as an important accessory of the scheme, the securing of the terminus of the Boston and Worcester Railroad on the lands to be made from the South Cove. As the enterprise advanced, and the time came near when the railroad would be brought to the city, other parties, with separate interests of their own, were operating to induce the directors to adopt a different locality. No small effort was now required to influence that corpora- tion to choose the course desired by the South End people. In this effort Mr. Ewer, by the promptness, energy, and perseverance of his action, against powerful rival influ- ences, led the way to the result which was finally adopted. The moinent was critical. Mr. Ewer and another gentle- man had been employed by the president of the railroad to make inquiries to ascertain what inducements would be offered for locatino; on the South Cove. Becoming- apprised of the fact, at this juncture, that a negotiation was being covertly carried on with an individual of wealth and. influence, who had made an offer of $100,000 in favor of another location, and being assured that the
I
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CHARLES EWER 133
directors were about to meet to consider the proposal, when, as it was affirmed, " there was no doubt the offer would be accepted," the utmost activity was used to " urge upon the South End people," particularly " the owners of estates on Front Street, the vast importance of securing the railroad depots, and the necessity for prompt attention in securing the object." Fortunately no deci- sion was made on the aforesaid proposal at this meeting of the directors, and " at the next " the record of Mr. Ewer proceeds : '' We handed in a letter which we had procured to be signed by Mr. J. Knapp, Mr. Baxter, and others, inquiring, if the people would construct the road from Brookline to Washington Street at their own ex- pense whether they would agree to locate their depots on the South Cove ? " At the same time, he states further : "I got a memorial drawn up, addressed to the directors, on the subject, and personally procured the signatures of all the stockholders of the Boston and Worcester Ptailroad favorable to a southern location. I got Mr. John D. Wil- liams to speak to the directors, and urge on them the indispensable importance of locating the depot at the South End. These efforts turned the tide in our favor, that is, in favor of the South End interests. A correspon- dence was now opened between the South End people and the directors, which resulted in the arrangement which was ultimately made with the South Cove Com- pany. This correspondence was quite extended, and occupied nearly three months. I was on the Committee of Correspondence. I was also on the Committee for obtaining Subscriptions. I labored incessantly by night and by day ; sometimes I was employed till ten o'clock at nis^ht."
A draft of the Memorial referred to in the above extract — probably the original, or first draft, with verbal corrections — is preserved among the papers of Mr. Ewer. It may be of interest, also, to state that, as the result of
134 CHARLES EWER
the correspondence referred to, the arrangement ulti- mately concluded with the railroad company for fixing the terminus of the road on the South Cove, '' and there," in the words of the contract, " to maintain the same forever," was in consideration of a bonus being given them in money and in land, for the purposes of the road, estimated at the cost price of something over one hundred thousand dollars. The wisdom of this con- clusion of the matter will be disputed by no one at this day.
The Boston and Providence Railroad, which, it will have been noticed, was thought likely by Mr. Ewer to come in at the same quarter, found it expedient to stop short of the South Cove. But the terminus of the Old Colony and Newport Railroad, and that of the Boston, Hartford, and Erie, which is virtually within the same limits, have more than fulfilled his expectations in this regard.
We find Mr. Ewer ens-ao-ed at nearlv the same time in other projects of no small magnitude, tributary to that of the South Cove, or nearly connected with it, which bear witness to the same attributes of a sagacious and ever active mind. One of a similar character — though it was finally superseded in the execution by other parties — is thus noticed in his careful record. He says : —
"A short time after a charter had been obtained by this com- pany (the South Cove Company), aware that an opportunity would occur as soon as their labors should have arrived to some degree of maturity for forming a company in the same manner that that had been formed for filling up and improving the flats lying in front of First Street, on the easterly side of the Free Bridge, I therefore applied to the Legislature for the charter, which Cyrus Alger and others now wish to wrest from me."
A copy of this petition to the General Court, bear- ing date February 22, 1833, and likewise of the act to incorporate the company, consisting of " William Ingalls,
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CnARLES EWER 135
Charles Ewer, and Nahum Capen, and their associates," under the name of the " South Boston Wharf and Dock Company," which was passed in both Houses, March 25, 1833, and approved by Governor Lincoln on the 26th, are preserved among the papers of Mr. Ewer.
By this time, however, certain other parties, named by Mr. Ewer, as above, had become sensible of the great value of such a franchise, and of the importance of the improvements contemplated by the new company thus created ; and by the wealth and influence they were able to command anticipated their action under the charter they had obtained, succeeded in " purchasing out of their hands a considerable portion of the property over which their corporate powers extended," and had the address, at the next session of the Legislature, to obtain an act of incorporation under the name and title of the " Boston Wharf Company," to do the same thing, for substance, on the selfsame premises, with the aforesaid " South Boston Wharf and Dock Company." It would seem from this that the art and mystery of special legislation is not wholly an invention of the present palmy days of the republic. By means of this proceeding the " South Boston Wharf and Dock Company " was effectually sup- planted, and did nothing further in pursuance of its desiorn. But the foresio-ht and financial wisdom of that
Cr O
design has been fully shown by the large success of the corporation which came into its place.
The " remonstrance " of the former company to the Legislature against this method of vacating their powers while the question of granting the abovenamed second charter was pending, and likewise an able letter by Mr. Ewer to the Hon. John C. Gray, a member of the Senate, from Boston, to the same effect, which are both on file among his papers, are forcible, and it would seem quite unanswerable documents. The remonstrance concludes with the following sentence : —
136 CHARLES EWER
" The labor and expense of devising and showing the feasi- bility of projected improvements has always been allowed to be a reasonable ground on which to grant corporate powers for making the improvements, and has always been deemed to con- stitute an exclusive right to those powers in the first devisees and projectors who, by their labor, time, and expense, have brought such improvements forward to the public view."
What is here so justly contended for, in application to this comparatively subordinate interest, might well have been urged as grounding a claim in equity, in favor of Mr. Ewer, to a very liberal reward from the South Cove Corporation for his agency in devising and bringing for- ward to the public view that great improvement which has put many thousands of dollars into the pockets of those who had capital to invest in the enterprise. Ac- cording to his own proposals, in the plan which he devised for organizing the company, it was to be com- posed of the proprietors of the Flats, and of others who might furnish capital to carry on the undertaking. By these limitations he, with characteristic disinterestedness, had made no place for himself, and his name nowhere appears in the reports of the corporation. He was the " wise man " by whom the city was builded, but he was poor ; and no man remembered — certainly not as he deserved to be remembered — " that same poor man." He should, if nothing more, have been made an honorary member of the company, with pecuniary interest attached, in some degree proportioned to the great service he had rendered.
That the justice of such moral claim was felt by some who were members of the corporation, and an essay made toward according it to him, is indeed shown by the fol- lowing paper, the use and effect of which, however, does not definitely appear: —
"Whereas, Charles Ewer, of Boston, gentleman, has hereto- fore expended much time and labor in examining the estates
CHARLES EWER 137
and procuring contracts from the owners of lands and wharves around the South Cove, between Front and Sea Streets, in Boston, and has done much service in procuring such contracts ; and, whereas, said Ewer has assigned over to the committee chosen by persons selected by those interested in procuring the Boston and Worcester Railroad Corporation to locate a deposi- tory of said railroad within said cove, all the contracts by him obtained for so conveying the lands upon said cove ; —
"Now, therefore, we, a sub-committee, chosen by those so interested, do agree that said Ewer reasonably deserves to have for his labor and services, rendered as above described, the sum of one thousand dollars and we will use all proper efforts and exertions to procure for said Ewer the above sum from any company or corporation to whom the lands aforesaid may or shall be conveyed, in satisfaction and payment to said Ewer for his services so rendered : — It being understood that said Ewer is not bound to waive his claims upon other grounds for the sum above specified.
[Signed] Henry H. Fuller,
Ellis Gray Loeing,
Joseph Dall,
E. Hasket Derby."
This paper is without date upon the face of it, but from its tenor, and the manner in which the committee describe themselves, it is obvious that it was made pre- vious to the Act of Incorporation, January 31, 1833. It was probably done soon after the company was formed, and when the contracts for conveyance of the lands in the Cove, which had stood in Mr. Ewer's name hitherto, were made over to them by assignment preparatory to the application for a charter.
April 23, 1833, a correspondence Avas opened by the
president of the corporation, Mr. Edward H. Bobbins, with
Mr. Ewer, looking to the matter of compensation for his
services, which resulted in an offer on the part of the
directors of " two shares of the company's stock, and five
hundred dollars in cash." The original par value of the
shares being $500, this offer amounted nominally to
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138 CHAELES EWER
§1,500, and we are bound to suppose that the directors tendered this inconsiderable bonus as, in their view, a sufficient reward for the skill and exertions of Mr. Ewer through three years of indefatigable labor in bringing into existence and successful operation the grand and prospectively lucrative enterprise, of which they had now the benefit and control. It was otherwise regarded, however, by JVIr. Ewer. He expressly declined to accept it as an adequate compensation, stating to the president that he did not consider it as one half the amount he was entitled to, and that he " received it as a donation, and not as a complete remuneration." This he was induced to do, as he further states in his letter to the president, " to avoid being placed in the unpleasant pre- dicament of attempting to obstruct a project I originated, and had commended on the ground of general and local utility, to the patronage of others, and to accomplish which I had labored so long. Rather than fall under the imputation of throwing the least impediment in the way of the corporation, or of being disposed to take a single cent from it by coercion, I waived my claims and cast myself on its equitable consideration. This, I trust, was honorably if not prudently done."
Mr. Ewer was moved to the writing of this letter by statements which he had met with, as coming from some member or members of the corporation, that he had been fully, and even liberally, paid for his services. He was not accustomed in the later years of his life to speak often of these matters. Nevertheless, he seems to have regarded it as due to his memory, when he should have passed from the stage of action, that full and unequivocal evidence should be found on record of his agency in originating and promoting an enterprise which he lived to see so completely fulfilling his expectations, and so largely contributing to the prosperity and greatness of his native city.
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The work was not conceived a moment too soon. Not " a hundred years," nor yet " fifty," as was incredulously predicted by some, have been required to fulfil the most sanguine hopes of its projector. We hear of men — landscape gardeners and others — who possess what is called " the prophetic eye of taste," who can look upon a plat of ground in its natural rude exterior, and discern at a glance its artistic capabilities, filling out, in the mind's eye, the new creations of beauty which their magic skill will conjm-e out of it. Mr. Ewer was not less a ge'nius in his way, foreseeing with prophetic eye large capabilities of commercial and industrial development, from which the eyes of other men were holden.
The end is not yet. A stimulus has been imparted to other minds, which, upon a similar and even more gigan- tic scale, requiring the powerful arm of the common- wealth to wield its forces, is lifting to-day another broad and most magnificent section of the city from the sea. As we write, we learn that it is contemplated by " mer- chants of Boston, and others interested," to ask of the present Legislature " that efibrts be made to see in what manner the several lines of railroads leading to the west and northwest, including those which will communicate with the Hoosac Tunnel, may he concentrated upon termi- nal ground at South Boston!'
After the South Cove enterprise had been carried into execution, having passed entu-ely into the hands of the corporation, Mr. Ewer was less intensely engrossed with a multiplicity of business concerns, and found leisure to prosecute, more or less, those researches into the antiqui- ties of the city and its people for which he had always a strong predilection ; for in him was illustrated the Hues of the great poet of human nature, which characterize man as a being of —
" large discourse, Looking before and after."
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His knowledge of the distinguished men of his time, who had passed from the stage in the days of his earher recol- lection, especially of professional and public men in his native city, was extensive and well preserved. He pos- sessed a fund of information and anecdotes in regard to such, with which he was wont to enliven the hours of social intercourse among those whose knowledge of the city was of a more recent date. Its ancient landmarks and prominent localities, honored and consecrated by the names and deeds of the celebrities and "solid men" of the olden time, had been carefully identified and mapped out in the survey of his mind. His veneration for the Fathers of New England — which was no mere morbid or vague sentimentalism, but a well-informed and dis- criminating judgment — led him to attach a peculiar value to every accessible relic which carries with it the blessed savor of their memory. An instance of this, among many which might be named, was seen in the pains which he took to secure the butt log of the tree under which Eliot preached to the Indians at Natick, when he had learned that the modern march of improve- ment in that thriving town had demanded its ruthless immolation. Mr. Ewer, with another gentleman whose assistance he obtained, went out and rescued it from the road-side, where it lay neglected, brought it to the city, and had it sawed into light boards and veneers, suit- able for making boxes or other keepsakes for the anti- quary. In like manner, when the ancient edifice in this city, traditionally reputed to have been the dwelling- house of the Rev. John Cotton, was taken down, he was careful to secure a generous piece of one of the timbers as a relic of the venerated mansion. As his sister has stated, he spent much time, even to the injury of his health, in obtaining ancient records and documents illus- trative of the history of the towns in the vicinity of Bos- ton. His tastes ran more decidedly in this direction,
CHARLES EWER 141
perhaps, than in that of strict genealogical inquiry, though his publication of the Stoddard Genealogy would indi-cate that the bent of his mind was very early in that direction also. It is much to be regretted that he had never committed to paper, in a form to be displayed on the pages of this memorial, his own family pedigree. That he should have omitted to do this, especially in his later years, after he became more deeply interested in genealogical matters, is but another proof, added to many furnished through his whole life, of his forge tfulness of himself, in the earnest prosecution of efforts for the pro- motion of any great public interest.
The crowning honor of the subject of this memoir remains to be awarded him ; for such, in the impartial estimate of historic truth, after thirty years of rapid and mature development, will his agency be regarded in founding, and for a series of its first years admin- istering the affairs of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. This achievement, both as respects its conception and its final aim, rises into a higher plane of honorable endeavor than any, however extensive and lucrative in its results, which must termi- nate in mere material and temporal advantage. Like the other achievements which have been dwelt upon, this also is largely to be ascribed to Mr. Ewer's inventive and constructive faculty. The history of this society, in its origin and growth, has been elaborately written and given to the world by more than one of its learned and respected officers, whose diligent research and discrimi- nating fidelity have left little which could be added to the record. The Rev. Edmund F. Slafter, corresponding secretary of the society since 1867, in his eloquent dis- course on the occasion of the Quarter Centennial Anniver- sary, thus speaks of its origin : —
" In the autumn of 1844 there were several gentlemen resid- ing in the city of Boston who added to a long-cherisbed taste
142 CHARLES EWER
for antiquarian subjects in general a deep interest in historical and genealogical studies, and had already made wide explora- tions in this hitherto unrecognized but important field of inves- tigation: After casual consultations with each other, reaching through some months anterior to this, they met at the residence of one of their number, where they entered into a full and free discussion of the expediency of associated effort in behalf of their favorite study. At a second meeting, held on the first of November of the same year, they advanced so far as to appoint a chairman and secretary ; to determine upon the establishment of a society ; to discuss the name that should be given to it, and to provide for its proper organization. Successive meetings continued to be held at frequent intervals during the next three months, at which we find that the society had been organized, a full corps of officers elected, a compact but comprehensive constitution elaborated and adopted, and an application made to the General Court of Massachusetts for an Act of Incor- poration."
A survivor of the gentlemen who organized the New England Historic Genealogical Society is fortunately able, from his own very perfect recollection, to carry us back into the penumbral period of the society's forth- coming to the light, and to identify the time and cir- cumstances in which the vision of it took a distinct form in the thought of its projectors. This gentleman is the venerable William H. Montague, Esq., who lives among us in a green old age, though suffering from entire decay of his natural sight; himself also a resident of the city from his youth, the intricate labyrinth of whose streets he is able still to walk without a guide ; who frequents the society's rooms with the habit of his earlier days, and is a constant attendant at its monthly meetings. Mr. Mon- tague states that a coterie of gentlemen were in the habit of holding informal meetings for the consideration of " antiquarian, historical, and genealogical subjects in general," and that it was at those meetings he first formed the acquaintance of Mr. Ewer, who, he says, was
CHARLES EWER 143
the youngest member of the circle excepting himself. Several of the other names were such as these : Theo- dore Lyman, William Pitt Greenwood, William Ingalls, senior, M.D., General William Hull, Colonel Joseph H. Adams, John Roberts, General John P. Boyd, Colonel Henry Orne, William Little, and Samuel H. Jenks. This list of respectable names is pertinent and instructive as to the purpose of this sketch, as showing the high character of Mr. Ewer's associates^on these general subjects before the plan of this society had entered his mind.
Mr. Ewer and Mr. Montague, being the two youngest members, were frequently in conference on these general subjects at each other's houses or places of business, and it was between these two gentlemen, on one of these occasions, at the house of the latter, No. 5 Orange Street, that the idea first sprung into being of having a society for the collection and preservation of materials illustrat- ing the history, biography, and genealogy of New Eng- land. Mr. Montague's recollection, after the lapse of thirty years, is very distinct, to the following effect : — That, after conversing for some time with Uvely interest upon these subjects he (Mr. Montague) chanced to let fall the suggestion or inquiry, "Why can we not have a society to bring together and preserve these facts ? " •upon which Mr. Ewer, with characteristic enthusiasm, springing out of his chair, exclaimed, " So we can ! What is there to hinder ? " As if at the colhsion of the flint and steel, the spark here fell upon tinder in the breast of Mr. Ewer, which instantly inflamed, and set on fire the whole course of his enthusiastic nature. "He went to work upon the spot," says Mr. Montague, " making out a list of persons " who he believed would take an interest in the object, and saying, by the way, "TFe'ZZ have a magazine to commimicate with the public ! ''
By such a sudden, joyous, and complete deliverance the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the
144 CHARLES EWER
first of its race, was born into the world ; and from this auspicious moment the active spirit of its progenitor never rested, and his zeal never faltered, till he saw the society fully organized, incorporated, and established in the confidence of the public as a respectable and useful institution. Mr. Ewer saw occasion, at the time referred to, or upon further consultations, to set down other names besides those above enumerated, as of persons likely to take a special interest in the design; since, among the original founders of the society, the names of Lemuel Shattuck, Samuel G. Drake, and J. Wingate Thornton, appear in prominent relations.
After one or two preliminary meetings the society was organized by the adoption of a constitution and the choice of officers, when Mr. Ewer was elected president. In this then laborious and comparatively thankless office he was continued by successive elections for the first five years, until January, 1850. No presidential term has exceeded this in length excepting that of the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, the present incumbent. During all these years the society — being in its infancy, being the first of its kind ever instituted, and rather naturally, perhaps, among a people where the laws of primogeniture and the proud pretensions of a titled aristocracy are discarded, incurring to some extent the imputation of personal vanity, in attempting to found honorable distinction upon shadowy ancestral honors — encountered no small difficulty in making its way into favor with the public, and establish- ing its claim to take rank among the popular institutions of the country. For carrying it through such an ordeal, Mr. Ewer, by nature and by habit, was admirably fitted. Whatever undertaking he took hold of he was totus iri illis. His enthusiasm was not chilled by the lack of gen- eral sympathy and immediate co-operation. He could see beyond the day of small things, and discern the latent grounds of ultimate success. With these elements of
CHARLES EWER 145
character his persistency and perseverance were indomit- able. The society, under his administration, feeble as it was at first, struck out boldly into the field of its new adventure. At the very first addition made to the number of its original members it elected ex- President John Quincy Adams an honorary member, an "honor" which, in due time, was gracefully accepted by Mr. Adams in a letter from under his trembling hand, which constitutes one of its most treasured autographs. During the first year eighty-nine resident members, and many honorary and corresponding members, were elected, the most of whom ultimately accepted. Mr. Ewer kept himself continually in communication with gentlemen of his acquaintance, whom he knew or believed to be per- sons of cono-enial tastes, in this direction makino; a list of such as he found favorably disposed toward the society for nomination to membership. The society, '^ endowed with nothing," in the words of its directors, "but the importance of its objects and the energy of its members," conceived at once, and entered upon the execution of nearly all the plans of operation and enlargement which are being carried into effective application in its present bright and palmy days.
The impromptu utterance of Mr. Ewer, coincident with his first glimpse of the society, m futiiro, has been cited, '•' We 'II have a magazine to communicate with the public ! " How soon and how successfully this pregnant purpose was developed into being, and how valuable and respect- able the society's periodical has become, is evidenced by the number of volumes it has reached, being equal, within two only, to the years of the society's existence. Mr. Ewer, making no literary pretensions for himself, aspired never to the editorship or management of the magazine which his prophetic thought had thus originated. But those of his associates in the board of direction to whom it fell by ' appointment to fulfil these functions have
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146 CHARLES EWER
cheerfully affirmed that in many ways the undertaking, in its commencement, was much aided by the stimulus which he gave, and the rich and varied sources of appro- priate material to which he directed attention. When an editor was obtained to take charge of the work, to whom an annual compensation of $1,000 was pledged, he with two other members, Mr. Montague and Mr. David Hamb- len, became responsible for the amount, one moiety of which was by Mr. Ewer. The payment of this guaranty, however, was never required ; the arrangement, after the first year, having been given up, and the Register thence- forward being conducted in a great measure by gratui- tous services from members of the Society.
The labors of Mr. Ewer looking to the establishment of the society's library deserve also special recognition. The persistency and success of his endeavors, even in the face of discouragement and almost of rebuff, from some dis- tinguished personages whose assistance it seemed advis- able to secure in order to obtain for the library some of the most valuable foreign contributions which are now I
upon its shelves, are gratefully remembered. In regard j
to the efficiency and fruitfulness of the incipient mea- )
sures adopted for the gathering of a library, and of their \
"instant execution," the historian of the society, whom ■'
we have already quoted, thus speaks : —
*' Schedules of what was wanted under five distinct heads, '\^
embracing printed volumes, manuscript documents, original I
records, newspapers, and magazines, were sent to all our mem- bers, and they were requested to procure the donation to the society of this sort of material, classified and described by them more definitely than is necessary for my present purpose. These schedules were issued annually for the first three years of the society's existence. The third, in June, 1847, reached our members, more than three hundred in number, including resident, corresponding, and honorary, and scattered not only over the six New England States, but also to be found in New
CHARLES EWER 147
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, at the seat of the Gov- ernment, at Washington, and in the city of London, in Eng- land. " These bulletins " he adds, " went forth like a bugle call, and the response came back warm, earnest, prompt, and generous." " It is to be observed," he continues, " that the con- tributions which came to us, as was intended, were, at this early period, almost exclusively from members of the society. The collections of our associates yielded large material, gathered under the influence of their prevailing tastes, which they were ready and rejoiced to make the foundation of a library which had a great historical purpose. The impulse thus given, kept alive by the growing fame of our generous design, and the broadly diffused personal influence of our members, has main- tained a constant flow of historical material to the archives of this society. The current has varied but little either in strength or fulness from the beginning down to the present moment."
The result is that in the progress of thirty years to the time of the present writing the society has accumulated a library very select and appropriate in its character, of twelve thousand volumes, and forty thousands of pam- phlets, besides numerous manuscripts and other documents.
Speaking of the energy and productiveness of these early plans and labors of the pioneers of this society while Mr. Ewer was their official leader, Mr. Slafter forcibly remarks : —
"With such a broad field as this, covered over with the ungathered harvest of rich historical material, the early mem- bers of our society entered with youthful zeal and manly energy upon their career of work. Plans were laid, and steps immediately taken, under numerous commissions, to bring within their reach the sources of information which are indispensable and fundamental in all historic genealogical investigations. These plans were broad, comprehensive, and characterized by a far-sighted practical wisdom. Many of them were speedily carried forward to completion, while others were so vast in their design, and so complicated in their nature, that they
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CHARLES EWER
remain unexecuted down to the present moment. But all these early movements, whether taken separately or together, were at once a pledge of present fidelity and a prophecy of future growth."
In a note, after stating that " a great number of sub- jects were discussed, and committees were appointed to obtain information for the use of the society," a number ^ of which he specifies, Mr. Slafter particularly notices the following, which is worthy of mention here, as the germ of an important measure largely carried into effect in after years by the State for the preservation of its colonial records ; a measure growing legitimately out of, but not especially limited by, the genius and aim of this society : —
"On the 6th of January, 1846, it was voted that a special committee be appointed to petition the Legislature that a record commission be appointed to procure the printing of such early records as may' be deemed expedient. This was the earliest movement in this direction of which we have any knowledge, and was seven years before the State of Massachusetts began to print the records of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies, edited by the Hon. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, M. D., and David 'z
Pulsifer, Esq., both members of this society, the latter editing four volumes, and transcribing several others."
"The above," the writer then adds, referring to this and other proceedings which he had before rehearsed, "indicate the energy, zeal, and comprehensive intelligence, with which our early members entered upon their work during the first year of the society's existence."
Such are a few of the signal benefits conferred upon New England and the nation through the labors of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, which shed lustre upon the administration of its first president. No one who knew the man can doubt that he was a leading spirit in them all, and that in the important services which his associates in the work performed they were
CHARLES EWER 149
materially aided and inspirited bj his practical and courageous counsels.
With a noble spirit of generosity and unselfish devotion to the interests of the cause which he had so much at heart, Mr. Ewer assumed pecuniary responsibilities from time to time for rents, furniture, and other expenses, and made advances for the payment of such bills, when the treasury was empty, which could have been by no means convenient for one of his limited means, but without which the society, in the precariousness of its slender finances, must more than once, in all probability, have come to a stand. The society was still in arrears to him at the time of his death, which indebtedness was after- wards honorably discharged. The multifarious details of the business coming upon his hands, which these bills and accounts show, make it evident that the office which he filled was no sinecure.
At one time, by engaging the interest and co-operation of his relative, the late Governor Armstrong, Mr. Ewer came near to securing for the society an eligible and permanent home in one of the buildings which he had erected in Avon Place. What would have been the mea- sure of his pride and gratification had he lived to see the society established in the rest and dignity of its present estate, occupying the beautiful and commodious edifice which one of his worthy successors in office, employing his munificent wealth in the same spirit of noble liber- ality, has succeeded, by his influence, efforts, and large personal sacrifices, in placing in its inalienable posses- sion ! If permitted, amid the rewards of a hfe of benef- icent activity to which he has gone, to know the full measure of honor and success which this institution, planted and nurtured in its infancy by his hands, has already attained, from whatever else the memory of his lifework may be lost, it may justly be granted him, in looking down upon the legitimate consummation of his
150 CHARLES EWER
latest earthly labor, with an honest complacency to
say,—
"Exegi monumentum sere perennius."
Within the last few months of his death, Mr. Ewer, with rather slender and over-worked physical energies, had retired from the excitements of the city to a more quiet residence in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where, with his worthy and affectionate sisters, Rebecca and Charlotte, whose names it is due to their lifelong fidelity to preserve in this record of their brother's life, he sought to pass the remainder of his days amidst the scenes and friends which he had learned to appreciate during a tem- porary residence among them at a former period. The antiquated elegance of this old provincial town, and the staid character and refinement of its best society, furnished attractions congenial to his tastes. It is recollected how common it was with him, in his pleasant way in referring to Portsmouth, to speak of it by its earliest name of " Strawberry Bank."
But it was not granted him long to enjoy the compara- tive rest and seclusion of this quiet home. Nor could he find it in his nature to remain inactive, even here, though he might well have felt that his day for earnest work was over. The sister has recorded that after only eighteen months had passed in his new home, in consequence of over-exertion, he was visited by a stroke of paralysis. The attack would seem to have been at first of the very mildest type, since we are told that during the six days of his fatal illness he was so bright and happy that, by his special desire, no physician was called until the night before his death, his sisters themselves having no appre- hension that he was about to be separated from them. He had lived to reach the grand climacteric of man, and, after a life crowded with great activity, was just passing beyond the point of danger, when, if he could have reined
CHARLES EWER 151
in his eager spirit to a habit of more needful caution, he might possibly have lived out his threescore years and ten, or even fourscore years. The decease of Mr. Ewer, like that of many men of the most earnest lives, was sud- den and somewhat premature. But his work was done, and well done. In view of all which has passed under review in this imperfect sketch, it will be granted that to few men in an ordinary sphere of life, with no special advantages from high social position, hereditary wealth, or superior education, has it been given to accomplish more for the well-being of the community in which he lived, or to leave behind him more imperishable results of an humble but laborious career, to bless the generations which are to follow. In a sense not merely temporal and material, but also, it is believed, in the higher spiritual sense given to the words by the Christian poet, the line can be applied to him,
" That life is long which answers life's gi-eat end."
In his domestic and social relations Mr. Ewer was a pattern of fidelity, tenderness, and cheerful vivacity. He was never married, but resided with his sisters in a like cehbacy, who depended on him for a home and shared with him in his varied fortunes. They have themselves both more recently deceased. That he lived a single life was not owing to anything morbid, cold, or crust}^ in his disposition. As a companion, he was cordial, humorous, and entertaining; as a friend, frank, confiding, and sin- cere. His sympathies with the afHicted and his kind- nesses to the sick were not limited by the narrow ties of affinity or blood. There are those beyond the circle of these kindred relations who gratefully bear witness that in sickness they were visited by him in the spirit so beautifully commended by our divine Master, and that for their healing he has ministered and watched patiently and gently, " as a nurse cherisheth her children."
152 CHAELES EWER
In his intercourse with men at large, of which he enjoyed a Hberal share, Mr. Ewer was universally esteemed. "With a natural modest diffidence he joined a manly self-possession which bore him with unconstrained and inoffensive dignity into any presence. This will be well illustrated by the following extract from his journal, in itself of such intrinsic interest as may well justify its insertion here : —
*■'' September 20th, 1851. On the morning of this day, passed Mr. Webster, who was in company with another gentleman at the bottom of School Street as unknowing and unknown. Near 2 o'clock, as I was going to dinner, he crossed from Washing- ton Street, at the bottom of Court Street, and came on the south side, just alongside of me, where we exchanged salu- tations. His countenance was much altered since I last saw him, and indicated a great change in his health. Indeed, he appeared unfit to be abroad. The marks of extreme debility were conspicuous on his person. I inquired of his health. He informed me that he had been suffering from his annual com- plaint, the catarrh. I remarked that he must have overtasked his mind by his official labors, and required rest. He was sen- sible of it. I then observed that nothing so much affected the physical health as extreme mental anxiety and labor, and told him he should disburthen himself of it. He replied that he could not. When the circumstances of the country required, he must do what the exigency demanded ; he could not withhold any service he could render. He was very cordial towards me. My sympathy was awakened, I might say my compassion excited, by his altered appearance, and I felt kindly towards him, as I always have as a man, though I have always been opposed to him as a politician.
" As I might compromit my sincerity, I said to him that I had differed widely from him in regard to the policy of the Government, but in relation to recent measures in which he had taken, — when a gentleman crossed over the street and took him by the hand, interrupting our discourse. He begged me to excuse him, shook me cordially by the hand, saying at the same time very kindly and forcibly : ' We agree, sir, we agree ! ' and so we parted."
CHARLES EWER 153
This little bit of autobiography illustrates several
beautiful traits in the character of Mr. Ewer, his
truthfulness and candor; his kindliness of feeling; his undisguised sincerity ; and his scrupulous concern for his own^ integrity in every word and act. To what poHtical parties of his time he may have belonged it would be scarcely pertinent here to inquire, since these are so much Hke dissolving views, ever melting into each other. That at one time he took an active part in the politics of his own State, and that his agency was very influential upon the issues of certain gubernatorial elections, is plainly stated in the paper left us by his sister.
Precisely what the drift of the "Middling Interest Society " was in this direction, of which it is also stated he was one of the getters-up, we have little means of knowing at this day, except so far as is inferable from the name it took, and from the pohtical status of the men who were active in the movement. That these were no mean or middling sort of men will be apparent from the mention of a few of the names which are readily called to mind. Such were James T. Austin, Peter P. F. Degrand, John Everett, brother of Edw^ard Everett, George Sulli- van, Wilham Foster, — men with whom it was no dis- paragement to be associated in getting up an organization which must have been designed to favor the interests of . the industrial classes, as liable to be affected by the course of legislation. That in this, as in all other thino-s, Mr. Ewer pursued the honest convictions of his own mind, without fearing or courting the favor of any man or set of men, may safely be affirmed.
On the occasion of his death the following action was taken by the New England Historic Genealogical Society : —
" Monthly meeting, December 7, 1853 : — "J. Wingate Thornton, Esq., called the attention of the society to the recent death of Charles Ewer, Esq., the first
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154 CHARLES EWER
president of the New England Historic. Genealogical Society, who died at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, November 12, 1853.
" After appropriate remarks upon the life and character of Mr. Ewer, by Mr. Thornton, on motion, Messrs. J. W. Thorn- ton, Andrew Johonnot, and W. R. Deane, were appointed a committee to draft and present resolutions on the occasion of the death of Mr. Ewer, who reported the following, which were unanimously adopted : —
" Resolved^ That we have heard with unfeigned sorrow of the death of our late associate, and the first president of our society, Charles Ewer, Esq., a man of public spirit, of generous impulses, of disinterested friendship, and scrupulous integrity.
" Resolved^ That for his zealous and efficient action in found- ing this society ; for his untiring efforts to awake attention to the importance of its objects ; the devotion of his entire time for a long period to the accumulation of books and manuscripts for its library and archives, to which he added from his own library ; and for the generous use of his means in its service, and in the establishment and success of the society's quarterly publication, the Register, — we will ever cherish his memory with gratitude and respect.
^'■Resolved, That a certified copy of these proceedings be transmitted to the family of the deceased by the recording sec- retary of the society ; and that the same be entered at length on the society's records.
"It was voted that S. G. Drake, Esq., be requested to pre- pare and publish in the next number of the Register an obituary
notice of Mr. Ewer.
[Signed] Charles Mayo,
Recording Secretary^''
The New England Historical and Genealogical Register for January, 1854, contains the notice prepared by Mr. Drake, which, though brief, is comprehensive and appre- ciative. After speaking of the relatives of Mr. Ewer, who had survived to mourn his loss, the writer subjoins in conclusion : " And there are numerous others who, while they lament his departure, take sincere pleasure in bearing testimony to his firm and inflexible integrity, and to his many virtues."
.
CHARLES EWER 155
The features of Mr. Ewer were regular and of delicate mould ; his eye expressive of lively and keen intelligence ; his complexion fair, inclining, in full health, to be rather florid ; his person slight and well proportioned ; his stature erect, and of medium height; his bearing spirited, cour- teous, and unaffected. A portrait of him, when a young man, is in the possession of the Historic Genealogical Society.
His remains were brought to Boston for interment, and rest in a tomb in the Granary Burying Ground, adjoining Park Street Church, in the heart of his native and beloved city.
" No farther seek his merits to disclose,
Nor draw his frailties from their dread abode, There they alike in trembling hope repose, — The bosom of his Father and his God."
JOSIAH ADAMS
Mr. Adams came of a highly respectable ancestry. According to his own published statement, he was de- scended from Henry ^ Adams, who was a grantee of Braintree in 1641, through Henry ^ and wife Elizabeth Paine, of Braintree and Medfield ; Moses ^ and wife Lydia Whitney, of Sherborn ; Moses ^ and wife Deborah Sawin, of HolUston; Moses,* born February 27, 1721, and wife Lois Haven, of Framingham, where he died July 23, 1756. His father Moses ^ was born at Framingham, Octo- ber 4, 1749; graduated at Harvard College 1771; or- dained over the Congregational Church in Acton, June 25, 1777; died October 13, 1819; his mother was Abigail, daughter of Hon. Josiah and Anne (Haven) Stone, of Framingham. Their fifth child and second son is the subject of this memoir.
Josiah ' Adams was born at Acton, Massachusetts, No- vember 3, 1781 ; graduated Harvard College 1801 ; mar- ried, February 1, 1810, Jane Park, of Windham, New Hamsphire ; died without issue February 8, 1854. He studied law with Thomas Heald, Esq. (d.c. 1794), of Con- cord ; was admitted to the bar June, 1807 ; settled as a lawyer in Framingham, where he continued in practice tiU his death.
Of his childhood, little is known, except that he was educated at home. His father was accustomed to fit for college the boys of his own town. Josiah was one of fourteen lads thus prepared. The direct instructions, and
JOSIAH ADAMS 157
the daily life in his father's family, in its spirit and aims, was such as tended to awaken and foster the best ele- ments of a child's nature. His mother was well educated for the times, and had been brought up amid social amen- ities and refinements ; three sisters, older than himself, and carefully educated, had an important agency in moulding his tastes and habits ; both an older and younger brother were of the fourteen fitted for college by his father: so that from earliest infancy he breathed a literary atmosphere.
But more potent than this was the religious life of his home. How he himself, in his maturer years, estimated this influence, is seen from the following paragraph in a brief Family Record, which he published. Referring to his father he says : —
" The reader will excuse the feeling of the following extract from the inscription placed over his grave : ' In his person, he was dignified and modest ; in his intellect, vigorous and sound ; in his heart, benevolent and devout. The Scriptures were his study and delight ; and while he exercised the Protestant rio-ht of expounding them for himself, his candor towards the sincere who differed from him was in the spirit of the Gospel. The good Being, whom he loved with supreme devotion, was pleased to grant him many years of prosperity and gladness, and to add not a few of affliction and sorrow. The first he enjoyed with moderation and gratitude; and in the last he exhibited the power of religion to sustain and comfort the practical Chris- tian. To his people and his family he was ardently attached, and spent his life in exertions and prayers for their welfare.' "
To the son, as he looked back through the experi- ences of sixty years, this was more than an epitaph, — it was a record of truth ; and it set forth the vital forces which gave shape to his own character. And he copied it in acknowledgment of his debt of appreciative grati- tude. Those who knew him most intimately will at once see that the refined, generous, and devout feelings which
158 JOSIAH ADAMS
actuated his private life were the fruits of early home influences.
The scope of this memoir allows of only a brief notice of the more prominent"^ points of the life and character of Mr. Adams.
The thing which first impressed a stranger on meeting him was his personality. In presence and in composition, he was an original. Neither in movement nor manners, nor style of thought nor mode of speaking and acting, did he suggest anybody else. And this uniqueness was not repulsive, because it was not assumed ; it belonged to him in his own right. Equally marked, though perhaps not apparent at first sight, were the poise and conscious self-reliance, which make a positive, in distinction from a negative man. Immediate contact made this felt ; but it cannot be described. It is always a power : it was a power in him ; but its direct and ultimate effects depend largely on innate disposition and circumstances.
He was a man of strong likes and dislikes, and made no attempts to conceal either the one or the other. That his antipathies should sometimes assume the form of pre- judices is not strange, when we consider his detestation of all hypocrisy and wrong. He sometimes misjudged of men's motives, and mistook in others conscientious scruples for obstinacy of opinion. To conceal this trait of his character would be to leave unaccounted for certain well-known facts of his political and professional career.
At the date of Mr. Adams's entrance into public life pohtical party feeling ran high. Framingham was strong- ly Democratic. He espoused, with all his heart the Fed- eralist side : consequently he had no right to expect political promotion, and he did not receive it. The only important elective office which he was called upon to fill, in his earlier life, was that of delegate to the Con- vention of 1820 to revise the State Constitution. He was placed upon the committee relative to Cambridge
JOSIAH ADAMS 159
University. Later, when old lines had become somewhat obliterated, he was chosen a member of the Governor's Council. This was in 1840-1841. He also served as County Commissioner of Middlesex County for two terms, 1844 to 1850.
Outside of his profession, the department where Mr. Adams made himself most felt was that of education. A social library had been formed in town, before his day. To its enlargement and prosperity he gave his thought and influence. The number of volumes on its shelves was increased to four hundred and twenty-five, and many of the best of the books were of his selection. He took pains to encourage the habit of reading in old and young, and especially the habit of discussing the principles and merits of a book, as promotive of mental culture and independent thought.
He was a constant friend and supporter of the public schools, and took a deep interest in the prosperity of the Framingham Academy, which was in its infancy when he settled in town, and soon rose to a leading position among the higher schools of the county. He was elected a trustee in 1820, and held the office till 1852, when the Academy was merged in the Town High School. The records show that he was uniformly present at all meetings of the Board, and took a leading part in its deliberations.
His genuine kindliness of heart made him a favorite with children. He knew by name every child in the village, and his visits in the schools were always wel- come. Even if he said nothing, or made a sharp criti- cism, he was welcomed. His presence was a benedic- tion.
And to those who started to get a liberal education, he always showed himself a true friend. Such as had limited means, he helped most effectually, by showing them how best to help themselves, and by inspiring in
160 JOSIAH ADAMS
them courage and economy and self-reliance. He had strong common sense. He intuitively took in the prime factor and general principles, as well as the surroundings, of a man or event. He discriminated between the essen- tial and the adventitious in circumstances and character; hence his suggestions and advice had a practical bearing and a current value. He never dealt in aphorisms and pretty maxims, whose application is a matter of fancy or predilection. When he saw a loose nail, he either pulled it out or drove it home.
In his profession Mr. Adams had varied acquirements and corresponding success. He was well versed in the rules of practice, had a quick and unerring perception of the equity of a case, and hence was a safe counsellor. It is the glory of his professional life that he saved his clients from fruitless and costly litigation. He was a man of sterling integrity, had a high sense of professional honor, and could not be induced, by either friendship or the prospect of large fees, to undertake a case which necessarily involved sharp practice or personal wrong.
Before a judge, he could, with his good common sense and ready comprehension of the strong points, so place a cause as to command attention and a favorable hearing. And when the case turned on the equity, he was success- ful. But he was not so well versed in the intricate and varied applications of legal principles and ever-changing statutes, not from lack of ability, but because he did not give his mind to the study ; and he did not take pains to read and digest the multiform decisions of the courts. He was lacking in power of language, in fertility of resources ; he had no aptness at illustration, no readiness at repartee, no faculty of covering the weak points of a case, and hence was not successful before a jury. He could state the facts and merits of a case in fewer words than most men, and here his mind stopped working. Coloring, and artistic arrangement, and the gathering of
JOSIAH ADAMS 161
outside supports had no force in his own convictions ; and he assumed that they ought to have no weight with other minds. And he relied too much on sarcasm, in which he excelled, to offset the argument of an opponent. This weapon, which may confound the counsel, is not apt to convince the jury.
Mr. Adams prepared little for publication, — the slow process of composition and revision for the press was irk- some to him, — but enough has been preserved to show that he thought, and spoke, and wrote in homely Saxon. His style was terse and clear, — perhaps best described by the term epigrammatic. He delivered a centennial address at Acton, his native town, July 21, 1835, which was published. An appendix of twenty -four pages was added, giving an " account of the Concord Fight, April 19, 1775," in which he stoutly defended the memory of the Acton minute men. This was issued as a separate pamphlet in 1850, and is a good specimen of contro- versial writing:.
In 1843 he published a " Genealogy of the Descend- ants of Richard Haven of Lynn," 54 pages octavo. Mr. Samuel G. Drake sa3^s : " This work, at the time of its publication, was viewed by genealogists, as a monument of patience, diligence, and capacity for such a task, of rare occurrence." A new edition, 104 pages, was issued in 1849. He also wrote an account of the Haven Family Gathering!; at Framins-ham in 1844. A short extract from this pamphlet will suffice as a characteristic specimen of the author's style : —
" Conversations, questions, salutations, and greetings, of every variety of character, were continued for more than two hours. Each brought forth, from the treasures of memory, things new and old. Youthful friendships, torpid for half a century, sprang into full life ; anecdotes of mothers and grandmothers, gone, long ago, to their rest ; reminiscences of early days ; joys which vanished in sorrow ; disasters which were followed by prosper-
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162 JOSIAH ADAMS
ity, — these, and the thousand other scenes and incidents which filled up the measure of olden times, rushed on the mind in the freshness of 5'esterday, and found utterance through smiles, on hundreds of glowing faces, down which a tear was sometimes seen to pass, and drop its blessing on the scene."
He became a corresponding member of the New Eng- land Historic Genealogical Society April 1, 1845.
Mr. Adams was a man of infinite humor, and it is by this characteristic that he was best known, and is best remembered by casual acquaintances. He loved to per- petrate a practical joke and tell a funny story. In this he had few equals. Socially, it was his strong point ; personally, it was his weak one. It was a waste of time, and of his best energies. It distracted his mind from the higher aims and the concentrated devotion to abstract thought which are the conditions of truest success in his profession. In the battle of life, no man can afford to spend himself in firing blank cartridges.
He had a keen sense of the ludicrous, in words and acts; he took delight in putting a man — friend and foe alike — in a ridiculous position. And this propensity was quite likely to crop out unseasonably. Once, at a social gathering, in conversation with the late Chief Justice Shaw, the subject of discussion happened to be agricul- ture, in which the Judge felt a special interest. In his earnest, appreciative way, Mr. Shaw was narrating the then recent discovery of some kernels of wheat stored in a mummy-case in Egypt, that, when planted, to the sur- prise of every scientist, sprouted after three thousand years of dormant life, and produced an excellent crop — "of mummies?" interjected Mr. Adams. " No, of wheat!" growled the disconcerted Judge. This propensity, long indulged, became an over-mastering habit, and often marred his intercourse 'svith men, and detracted from his dignity, and made him appear boyish, and on the more serious occasions of life, trifling.
JOSIAH ADAMS 163
But in spite' of this, he had a kind sympathetic nature, true to the best impulses of humanity, alive to the sor- rows and joys of friends, and overflowing in quiet deeds of charity and love.
In all matters of business and trust he was thoroughly honest and conscientious. At the incorporation of the Framingham Bank, in 1838, he was chosen president, and held the office for several years, — an office which then implied integrity and trustworthiness ; implied that he was the fittest man for the place ; implied that he had the confidence of the community.
The writer has thus drawn an outline sketch of his early friend. His object has been, not to pay eulogy, but to set forth a real character, as he and others saw it in daily life.
The sketch would not be complete imless something was said of Mr. Adams's religious principles. But here we tread on holy ground. If he had been consulted, he would have said of himself, as he said of his father, who left a request that no sermon should be preached at his funeral, " To anticipate the silent tear was more to him than the voice of praise." Suffice it, then, there was an under-current of devout feeling apparent on all proper occasions. He took delight in repeating and sing- ing the devotional hymns of Dr. Watts, wath which his memory was well stored. These hymns probably best defined his true beliefs, and experiences, and hopes. In the division of churches on doctrinal grounds, in 1824- 1830, he took sides with the Unitarians, though he did not make a profession till 1836. From this date forward, he was an honored member of that communion.
GEORGE CHEYNE SHATTUCK
George Chetne Shattuck was born in Templeton, Massachusetts, on the 17th of July, in the year 1783. He was the son of Dr. Benjamin Shattuck, a graduate of Harvard College, who, worn out with the hardships and exposure of a large medical practice in a newly settled country, died at the age of fifty-one, in the year 1794. His mother was Lucy Barron, and her father, a captain in the English army, was killed in the war with French and Indians at Lake George. "William Shattuck, born in England in the year 1621, and settling and dying in Watertown, Massachusetts, was the first ancestor in this country. Dr. George Shattuck received a sum of about thirteen hundred dollars from his father's estate; and this, with various amoimts earned by keeping school, sufficed for his maintenance and education during the next thirteen years. He was educated at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire. The Hon. Daniel "Webster was in college with him. Friendly relations, here commenced, were interrupted only by the death of Mr. Webster. Dr. Shattuck was graduated A. B. at Dartmouth College in 1803, and received the degree of A. M. in course. He studied medicine at Dartmouth under Prof. Nathan Smith, M. D., graduating M. B. in 1806 and M. D. in 1812. He continued his professional studies with Dr. Samuel Danforth, of Boston.
Dr. Shattuck commenced the practice of medicine in Boston in the year 1807, and continued in it for forty-
GEORGE CHETNE SHATTUCK 165
seven years, till within a few weeks of his death. This was his life's w^ork, and he was respected and beloved by a large number of patients in all conditions of life. He was remarkable for tact, skill, conscientiousness, and fidelity in the discharge of his professional duties, and for great kindness to the poor. Four medical disser- tations, for which he obtained prizes, were published, and also a discourse before the Massachusetts Medical Soci- ety, which he served as president for three years, — from 1836 to 1839. He gave hberally to his Alma Mater in the matter of an observatory, of books to the library, and of portraits of distinguished alumni. He founded a professorship of pathological anatomy in the medical de- partment of Harvard University, as well as providing for several scholarships in the academical departm'ent. He was always liberal during his lifetime when called upon to contribute to good objects, and the poor never appealed to him in vain. By his will he gave a sum of nearly ten thousand dollars each to the medical, agricul- tural, and mechanical societies of his native State.
• He married Eliza Cheever Davis, the daughter of the Hon. Caleb Davis, the first Speaker of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts, in October, 1811, who died on the 15th June, 1828, having borne seven chil- dren. Only one survived him, bearing the same name and following the same profession. His two grandsons are now practising physicians in Boston. In August, 1836, he was married a second time to Amelia Hepsibah Bigelow, the daughter of Abraham Bigelow, Esq., of Cambridge. He died of disease of the heart on the 18th of March, 1854, in the profession of faith in the divinity and atonement of his Lord and Master Jesus Christ, into which he had been baptized in his infancy.
He was remarkable for quaint sayings, of which one may suffice. Conversing with a young physician on his prospects of professional success, he remarked that few
166 GEORGE CHEYNE SHATTUCK
ever attained it who had not the wholesome stimulus of prospective want.
He received the honorary degree of A. M. from Har- vard College in 1807, and that of M. D. from the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania in 1807, and from Bowdoin Col- lege in 1851. Dartmouth College conferred upon him the' degree of LL.D. in 1853. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences ; vice-president of the American Statistical Association from 1840 to 1846 J and president from 1846 to 1852. He became an honorary member of the New England Historic Genea- logical Society February 9, 1847.
Edward Jarvis, M. D., who studied his profession with Dr. Shattuck, and succeeded him as president of the American Statistical Association, read a memoir of his life and character before that society April 12, 1854. From the printed memoir, containing the impressions of one who knew him long and intimately, we make the following extracts : —
" He commenced the active practice of his profession in Bos- ton, in 1807. He immediately gained acquaintances, and these soon became friends. He was early admitted to the confidence of many families, and was employed by a circle of warm sup- porters. These multiplied year after year, until, at an earlier period than usually falls to the lot of even the favored, he found himself on the high tide to professional success. He was then established in full employment, and was among the most extensive and laborious practitioners of medicine in Bos- ton. Being incessantly called upon, he gave all his powers of body and mind to the visitation and care of the sick ; and through every season, by day and by night, he was at the service of the world, of every class and grade of society, — among the favored of fortune, among the cultivated and the high-minded, among the beloved of many friends, among the poor, the destitute, even among the abandoned and dissolute, those who had none to love them, and whose worst enemies were their own selves, — among all these he went about doing
GEORGE CHETNE^ SHATTUCK 167
good, healing their diseases, administering comfort, and reliev- ing want where that existed.
" He thus gave himself up to the laborious duties of an exten- sive practice, until within a few years, when the symptoms of a dangerous but insidious disease of the heart, which proved his final destroyer, began to manifest themselves, and warn him, at the peril of his life, to follow a course of diminished action and of more self-indulgence. Thenceforward he attended to the calls of his profession ; yet he did this cautiously, and reserved to himself the privilege of resting, whenever he found that labor disturbed the vital actions of his own frame.
" Dr. Shattuck was a very popular physician in this city, and had an extensive reputation in the country. Very many sought his advice from other and distant towns, and his success in the management of disease sustained the good name which drew so many to him. He was a student of books, when he had leisure to attend to them. He had large opportunities of observing the phenomena of the disordered system. He did not, however, aim at the highest scholarship in the science of his calling, nor at the most thoroughly disciplined exactness in his investigations of morbid symptoms ; but he had a rare tact and great knowledge of mankind, and seemed to see through difficulties and arrive at his conclusions by shorter processes than most men are accustomed to use. Having quick per- ceptions, he looked at once to the end. His conclusions, therefore, were rather the results of a sort of intuition than the cautiously drawn deductions of reason.
" Beside his professional knowledge and success, which se- cured the confidence of his employers in his management of disease, there was such an affectionate kindness of manner, so much gravity and wisdom in his conversation, such a rare sin- cerity of speech, and he manifested so much interest in the per- sons with whom he had intercourse, that he won the strong attachment of those who put themselves under his care ; and when they had trusted him once, they desired to confide in him more and more, and to lean upon him again and again.
" Dr. Shattuck was ever giving, and giving liberally and dis- creetly. He was no mere lavish and careless giver. He gave to do good, and always, if possible, a greater and more per-
168 GEORGE CHETNE SHATTUCK
manent good than the mere temporary supply of a want. He would not minister to extravagance or folly. He would not encourage idleness. He offered no bounty to impracticable objects or unsuitable plans of life. But he was remarkable for the fitness and utility of his gifts.
" He sought no publicity in his charities ; the private channels and objects of generosity were more agreeable to his taste. Yet he did not hesitate, when objects of public interest wanted money. He gave, as the case might require, largely and freely, to the broad and expansive schemes of usefulness, and to the great measures for the advancement of science or for the diffu- sion of useful knowledge among men. Yet he preferred and gave much more frequently to individuals in a private way, where the eyes of men saw not, and where the voice of grat- itude would not be heard abroad, and often where it had no opportunity of being lifted to him.
" He loved most to aid men to eke out their means, — to add a little more power to complete an almost accomplished but staggering purpose. To those who honestly and faithfully put forth all their energies to do a good and suitable work, which was a little beyond their strength or means, he was a friend at hand just at the time when they began to need, and when, without such a coadjutor as he was, they might have faltered and perhaps failed.
" He was more pleased in dispensing his means in this way than in any other. Thus the aged minister, who had saved more souls than money, and whose friends had gone down to the grave before him — the scantily sustained but industrious waiter on professional success — the struggling, industrious stu- dent in college — the straitened widow, the poor laborer, the wood-sawyer, whose earnings and capital would not enable him to replace his broken or exhausted tools, — all these, and such as these, everywhere within his wide range, were subjects of his observation and recipients of his aid, in private ways, and often times in ways so secret as to elude all search for the source of the blessings which had been received.
" One anecdote will illustrate the manner of giving which pleased him most. While I was a student in his office, on the 1st of January, Mr. K., his tailor, called with his bill. Dr. Shat- tuck was out, and I was alone in the office. As I was well
GEORGE CHETNE SHATTUCK 169
acquainted with Mr. K., he showed me the doctor's bill, which, he said, he did not feel at liberty to show to or speak of to others. There was a bill against Dr. Shattuck for clothing received within a single year, of over four hundred dollars ! Every body knew that Dr. Shattuck always dressed very economi- cally, even negligently. It was impossible that the clothing of himself and his son could cost more than a small fraction of this bill. Mr. K. explained. He said that every little while there came men, gentlemen, laborers, children, into his store, with an order from Dr. Shattuck, almost always in these words : " Please give this man a coat, or vest, or pair of pantaloons, or great- coat, cloak, or a suit of clothes suited to his condition." The last phrase was the only condition prescribed ; and Mr. K. gave such clothing as the man's occupation, station, and age seemed to require. In this way Mr. K. said that his clothing bill amounted to about four hundred dollars every year, and had for a long time.
" Man}' invalids, of every class, were in the habit of calling on Dr. Shattuck for professional advice, especially in cases of chronic disease. Among these were frequently the students of theology, at Andover and Cambridge, and young men in col- lege, men in apparently straitened circumstances, and poor women with their children. He very kindly heard all their tales of suffering, gave his advice for their self-management, and then wrote a prescription for medicine, all the while sur- veying his patients' outer man as carefully as he had inquired into their inner man. After writing the prescription, he wrote a note and sealed and directed it to his tailor, and then he very courteously said : ' Now, sir, will you be good enough to carry this prescription to the apothecary, 134 Washington Street, and while they are putting up the medicine will you do me the favor to carry this note to Mr. K., No. 5 Congress Street?' There was no fee to be paid for his professional advice. The grateful patient, wishing to make some return for the good physician's kindness, gladly consented to carry the note as he wished. When they delivered the note to Mr. K., in Congress street, they learned to their surprise that, instead of diminish- ing their debt of gratitude, they increased it by so doing ; for they were to receive clothing in addition to healing, from the hands of Dr. Shattuck, and without cost to themselves."
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170 GEORGE CHEYNE SHATTUCK
His pastor, the Kev. Cyrus A. Bartol, D. D., preached a sermon on his death which was privately printed. We make a few extracts : —
" ' He began his career, as perhaps it is best every young man should, having nothing in particular to trust to but his own talent and fidelity ; . . . and, waiting quietly for his first pa- tients, attending slowly to case after case, he laid silently, stone by stone, the foundation of his fame. Every truly noble build- ing rests on just such a basis of deep and secret diligence ; and as a great merchant once said that the making of his first thou- sand dollars cost him more perplexity than all the rest of his immense fortune, so is it with the first achievement, by mani- fest, undeniable, and unmistakable power, of all professional success.
" Extraordinarily distinguished for insight into the soul as well as body, . . . reading character as he did health or dis- ease ; leaping through obstructions to his point, with an electric spark of genius that was in him ; clothing his conclusions some- times with a poetic color, and sometimes with the garb of a quaint phraseology ; employing now a pithy proverb, and now a cautious and tender circumlocution, to utter what could scarce have been otherwise conveyed, in a method of conversa- tion, which, in its straight lines or through all its windings, 1 never found otherwise than very instructive, — an intuitive sagacity and perfect originality marked all his sayings and doings. He could never be confounded with any other man. Borrowing neither ideas nor expressions, he was always himself. Yet there was nothing cynical or recluse or egotistical about him. I never heard him boast himself or despise another. He had a large and wai-m heart, with room in it for many persons and all humanity. Though he was so peculiar, much of his heart was the common heart, as the most marked and lofty mountains have in them most of the common earth. While not a few are absorbed in some single relation, he observed and acted well in the multitude of his relations to his fellow-men. He was remarkable for this broad look and observance of all the interests, material or moral, mechanical or spiritual, of the
GEORGE CHEYNE SHATTUCK 171
world, and was equally at home in a question of finance or an enterprise for religion."
Mr. Lemuel Shattuck, in a volume giving an account of the Shattuck family, devotes several pages to a biography of Dr. Shattuck.
JOHN DAYIS
In a paper on the character of the late Hon. John Davis, communicated to the American Antiquarian So- ciety in 1864 by the late Hon. Charles Hudson, the writer says : —
" Though the Hon. John Davis lived respected and died lamented, I feel conscious that the people of Massachusetts have never done full justice to his memory. He was long in public life, and filled, with distinguished ability, the highest offices within the gift of his native State ; and though the purity of his private character challenged the respect of the whole community, and the wisdom and moderation of his public acts disarmed his political opponents, the mass of the people never fully appreciated the worth of the man, or the value of his long and faithful services."
Mr. Hudson, his lifelong friend and political associate, ascribes this fact to the circumstances that Mr. Davis's labors were chiefly at Washington, removed from the observation of the people of Massachusetts, and that, while Governor of the State, his aversion to display kept him in a great degree from the public gaze ; while the same aversion to display attended his labors at Washing- ton, where he never made a speech unnecessarily, and where letter writers received no encouragement from him to extol his wisdom or trumpet his fame.
Although a failure to discern fully the wisdom and ability of Governor Davis, on the part of his intelligent constituents in Massachusetts, may not readily be ad-
JOHN DAVIS 17
Q
mitted, the above statement exhibits certain prominent characteristics of his mind and temperament. His aver- sion to display has sometimes been ascribed to a dishke of exertion, but was really the result of repugnance to self- assertion, as a matter of taste, and a degree of diffidence that was natural to him, and which the necessary pub- licity of his life never entirely overcame.
He used to relate that when he graduated at college he could not subdue his reluctance to appear before an audience in performance of the part assigned him, and that in the practice of his profession he never rose to address court or jury without a painful effort of self- control. Nervous susceptibility is not unusual with men of strong intellectual powers when associated with deli- cate physical organization, but it would hardly have been expected in connection with the sturdy frame and mascu- line features of Mr. Davis. If an infirmity with him, it was made to yield to the vigorous qualities of his mind when occasion or motive required, while it explains his reluctance to appear in public more frequently than his official responsibilities demanded. As he never spoke for popular effect, he doubtless failed to secure the kind of public estimation that is wont to be derived from such efforts.
Mr. Hudson says : " Perhaps no public man in the State who has ever served the people so long and so faithfully has been less known by his constituents than Mr. Davis " ; and he thinks they did not appreciate his sound judgment, his rare sagacity, his knowledge of men, and the correctness of his conclusions, as fully as did his associates in the Senate, and the personal friends who were more in contact with him. The Hon. Charles Hud- son has deposited with the American Antiquarian Society at different times, in manuscript, memorials of three Worcester Governors of Massachusetts, John Davis, Levi Lincoln, and Emory Washburn, which are of much histori-
174 JOHN DAYIS
cal interest. They contain estimates of their characters and services clra\vn from personal observation by a familiar associate in public and private life.
John Davis, Governor of Massachusetts, and United States Senator, was the fifth and youngest son of Deacon Isaac Da\ns, of Northborough, Mass., a substantial farmer, who also carried on the business of a tanner. He was born in that place on the thirteenth day of January, 1787. His early experiences were those common to boys in a country town, — farm-work, and the simple, elementary instructions of the village school. But in his case there was another form of culture, which may have had an influence upon his future life. The young men of North- borough were accustomed to meet for debate upon the public measures of the day, and discussed political ques- tions with more than ordinary carefulness of preparation. The result of this training, doubtless, was the delivery by young Davis, while a student in Leicester Academy, of an oration on protection to American industry, which exhibited unusual maturity of thought and knowledge of the subject, and foreshadowed his subsequent distinction as an advocate of that policy. Johnson's "New Uni- versal Cyclopaedia " closes its succinct notice of Governor Davis by saying : " He advocated a protective tariff. He was often called Honest John Davis," as if these were the distinguishing points of his history.
From the academy at Leicester he entered Yale College, New Haven, in 1808, and was graduated honorably in 1812. Soon after, he commenced the study of law in the office of the Hon. Francis Blake, then at the head of the bar of Worcester County. In 1815 he was admitted to practice, and first established himself at Spencer, in that county, but removed to Worcester in May, 1816. In 1823 he became the partner of the Hon. Levi Lincoln, with whom he was associated till the appointment of the latter to the bench of the Supreme Court in 1824. He
JOHN DAVIS 175
then connected himself with the Hon. Charles Allen, and their partnership continued till 1831. Subsequently he formed an association in practice with the Hon. Emory Washburn, which terminated in 1834.
As a lawyer JNIr. Davis was eminently successful, and it was admitted by his legal contemporaries that probably no man at the bar of Worcester ever exercised a greater influence over the minds of the jurors. This was not the result of rhetorical effort, but was due to the great clear- ness and force with which he presented the strong points of his case, and a degree of candor and fairness in the conduct of his causes, which won the confidence and secured the respect of the jury. He had, remarkably, the air of aiming to discover the truth rather than to frame an ingenious and plausible argument, and seemed always to be addressing the judgment and plain common sense of his hearers. It was the natural impulse of his mind to search for the bottom facts of a question, and present them vigorously as they appeared to him, instead of attempting effective points and sophistical deductions from assumed premises.
Mr. Davis began his public life in a manner not com- mon to New England politics. He was elected to Con- gress as representative of the South District of Worcester County, without ever having received the nomination of any political convention or other public meeting. He had merely been proposed as a candidate anonymously in the newspapers, in opposition to his own wishes.
Entering Congress in 1824, without having been con- nected in any way with the government of the State, he had not acquired a national reputation, and his name first became generally familiar, even to his fellow-citizens in Massachusetts, through the distinction he acquired at Washinffton. He held his seat there in the House of
CD
Eepresentatives by successive re-elections till January, 1834 when he became Governor of this Commonwealth.
176 JOHN DAVIS
He was chosen to the same office the next year, but in February was returned to Congress as Senator for the term commencincr on the 4th of March then ensuino-. Before this term expired he was again summoned to serve his own State as its chief executive officer. The change was not in accordance with his private inclina- tions, but was in submission to the requirements of the party to which he owed allegiance. Parties in Massa- chusetts were nearly balanced in the autumn of 1839. The Democrats secured the election of ,their candidate, Governor Morton, by two majority. It became of vital importance to the Whig party, with a presidential election pending, to put their strongest man in nomination for the year 1841. In that emergency all eyes were turned upon Mr. Davis, and his election, by a majority of nearly twenty thousand votes, showed the wisdom of the choice. He remained in the office of governor till January, 1843, when, having been defeated in the gubernatorial canvass, after a protracted struggle in the Legislature, in conse- quence of his prudent neutrality in the case of the so-called Dorr Rebellion of Rhode Island, and partly, perhaps, on account of an imprudent act of one of his staff, he retired for a short period to private life.
His successor in the United States Senate, the Hon. Isaac C. Bates, of Northampton, having died at Washington on the 16th of March, 1845, Mr. Davis was chosen by the Legislature of Massachusetts, on the 24th of that month, to fill the vacancy. This term expired March 4, 1847, and he was re-elected for the full period of six years, ending in 1853. He then declined further political ser- vice, having been exceeding eight years representative in Congress, above three years governor of the State, and nearly fourteen years a member of the United States Senate.
Mr. Davis was married March 28, 1822, to Miss Eliza Bancroft, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bancroft, of
JOHN DAVIS 177
"Worcester. She was sister of the Hon. George Bancroft, the historian, and a lady of uncommon intellectual gifts. Of their children (five sons), two are now in public life, viz. : the Hon. John Chandler Bancroft Davis, late United States Minister to Germany, and now Judge of the Court of Claims at Washington, and the Hon. Horace Davis, representative in Congress from California.
At home, and among his friends and fellow-citizerfs, Mr. Davis was always genial, instructive, and simple. His reading had been extensive ; he was a close observer of men and events; his conversational powers were remarkable, and he was fond of unceremonious social intercourse. From his knowledge of history, general and special, and of the principles and ethics of political science, it has been said of him that " if he had occu- pied the chair of history or moral philosophy in a uni- versity he would have achieved a fame as honorable, if not as distinguished, as that which crowned his political career." *
It happened that the practical engagements of his political life left little opportunity for the cultivation of belles-lettres scholarship ; but in the leisure of later years, he found pleasure in renewing his acquaintance with the Latin classics.
His purely literary public performances were not numerous. He delivered the Fourth of July oration in Worcester in 1816, when, at the close of the war, an era of good feeling among all parties was anticipated ; he gave an historical address at the dedication of the Wor- cester Town Hall, May 2, 1825, and an address before the American Institute, at New York, Oct. 18, 1838, which was much admired, and was reprinted at Spring- field the following year ; also one or two other addresses which did not appear in print. He was president of the
* Report of the Council of the American Antiquarian Society, April 2G, 1854, by Hon. Thomas Kinnicutt. — Eds.
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178 jonx DAVIS
Worcester County Historical Society in 1826, a councillor of the American Antiquarian Society from 1824 to 1831, vice-president of the same from 1831 to 1853, and in 1853 succeeded the Hon. Edward Everett as president. He was admitted an honorary member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, April 19, 1847. He found time to take an interest in the affairs of the community to which he belonged, and in benevolent enterprises for the improvement of mankind in civilization, morals, and religion. He was the first president of the State Mutual Life Insurance Company of Worcester, an early director of the Quinsigamond Bank (one of the first to adopt the Indian name of its location), president, for a time, of the Worcester and Nashua Railroad, and for a number of years president of the Worcester County Bible Society.
When Mr. Davis entered Congress the tariff of 1824 had proved unsatisfactory to the manufacturing interests of the country, and petitions for better legislative pro- tection were sent to Washington from all parts of the Middle and Northern States. It was his conviction (as we have seen from his youthful advocacy of the policy of protection) that government should so arrange the import duties necessary for revenue that the industry of the country should be expanded, and its labor made more productive and profitable. He was thoroughly familiar with the subject; and the speeches delivered by him in the sessions of 1828, 1830, and 1832, in reply to Mr. McDuffie, Mr. Cambreling, and others, were regarded by the protectionists as the best exposition and maintenance of their theories. He was a consistent opponent of the administration of General Jackson, and was supposed to have drafted, wholly or in part, the famous protest against the " expunging resolutions." He also opposed the ad- ministration of Mr. Van Buren ; and his short speech against the sub-treasury, in 1840, was circulated among voters as the most efficient electioneering pamphlet, to
JOHN DAVIS 179
the extent, it was computed, of a million copies, and is supposed to have done more than any other document to overthrow the Van Buren administration. In the Senate he was the prominent champion of protection, as he had been in the House. He strenuously opposed the Mexican War, and was one of the two senators who voted that the war did not exist by the act of Mexico. He was earnest in favor of excluding slavery from the Territories. He was the steadfast antasronist of the " compromise acts " in the administration of Taylor and Fillmore.
In order to assign to Mr. Davis his true rank and posi- tion as a statesman and orator, it is necessary to con- sider the circumstances by which he was surrounded, and the men with whom he was associated, at Washington. Taking his seat without the prestige of any official station, and with only such limited fame as a country lawyer may secure in the first ten years of practice, he was brought into comparison and competition with the ablest men that have ever appeared in the national coun- cils,— Webster, Clay, Calhoun, John Quincy Adams, Mc- Duffie, and other gifted and skilful debaters.
There are various means by which men endeavor to render themselves conspicuous in political life and to ac- quire the reputation of leadership in political assemblies. It is a common, and not a very exalted course to seek notoriety by the introduction of startling measures, or by moving the appointment of committees (of investigation, perhaps) on which they may make a figure as zealous guardians of the interests of the people ; a loftier ambi- tion aspires to influence derived from the faculty of declamation, from keenness of invective, and from ad crqjtandum rhetoric ; others, again, depend upon wit in repartee, aptness of quotation, and the varied appliances of forensic training. Mr. Davis was, as much as possible, the opposite of these. None of their methods were in
180 ' JOHN DAVIS
accordance with his intellectual or moral tendencies. There was no pretence about him, and his habits of ac- tion were remote from anything like dash. He made no parade of legal learning at the bar, or of specially pro- found interpretations of the abstract principles of national or international, jurisprudence in his public speeches ; but he had an accurate perception of the bearing of general principles upon any subject under consideration, and a local memory of more than common exactness, — a mem- ory of facts and events, of places and of people.
With such resources, he was particularly effective in the expression of his views in a casual way, in the course of informal conversation and in reply to questions, with- out creating a suspicion of a desire to influence for a pur- pose. He seemed always aiming to look at things as they really were, hather than as they might be made to appear. The impression of sincerity conveyed by his manner, with the evidence of extensive and precise infor- mation, gave great weight to his opinions. Men of all parties found pleasure and profit in his society, and the sobriquet "Honest John" came to be generally attached to his name.
The advantages derived by Mr. Davis from these char- acteristics, and the personal estimation they secured to him, were very great. Mr. Webster would make a brilliant argument, on a " brief " furnished him by mer- chants and manufacturers, which, so far as lucid state- ment and logical demonstration could go, seemed to settle the question in the popular mind, but which would have comparatively little effect with Congress. Mr. Davis, seated at the helm of a great public measure, guiding its progress amid the shoals and quicksands of debate, up- holding it strongly at one point, and turning it slightly from its course at another, might be regarded as occupy- ing a position requiring in some respects more statesman- ship, more diplomatic capacity as a manager of men and
JOHN DAVIS 181
affairs. Mr. "Webster and Mr. Davis acted and voted together in all matters of public policy ; and the greater prominence of the former would be likely often to give him the credit of results which were due to their joint efforts. It was, however, well understood at Washington that the practical common sense and rare sagacity of the latter, combined with his thorough knowledge of details, entitled him to at least an equal share in the merits of success. It sometimes happened that his private and personal acquaintance with particular facts gave to his statements the character of testimony, outweighing the influence of any mere logical deduction from assumed premises.
Mr. Davis, with a little different training, would have made an excellent foreign minister. His diplomatic tal- ents, a shrewd and sagacious perception of character, shrouded under simple and quiet manners, and his colloquial gifts, qualified him for such a position. In these days, a knowledge of European languages is not held to be an essential prerequisite in the selection of national representatives at foreign courts ; but when Mr. Davis, on a visit to London, was invited by our minister, Edward Everett, to a diplomatic breakfast, where the guests were the ambassadors of different na- tions, and the only language which etiquette admitted was French, he felt keenly the linguistic deficiencies of his education, which it was too late to remedy, and ad- vised young men to learn modern tongues, as of more practical importance than those which have gone out of use.
Mr. Davis was regarded by his associates as having few equals in the Senate on questions of finance, and his judgment and information respecting trade and com- merce, banking and currency, were highly appreciated.
His public career was marked by circumspection and discretion, having at times the appearance of excessive
182 JOHN DAVIS
caution ; yet he did not fail of decision or independence when the occasion demanded them, and stood unmoved when others were affected by the pressure of circum- stances. In relation to the Mexican War, in the struggle upon the compromise acts of Mr. Clay, in the case of the Fugitive Slave Bill, — against all these measures he was manly and steadfast in his opposition, when some of his party yielded their convictions to views of expediency.
"The tariff of 1828," says Mr. Benton, "is an era in our legislation, being the event from which the doctrine of nullification takes its rise, and from which a serious division dates between the North and the South." — Thirty Years in the Senate, I., 95.
If this were strictly true, a large share of responsibility for these consequences would rest on the shoulders of Mr. Davis ; yet the equanimity and resolution manifested by him through the trying period of nullification have been matters of comment and of praise. He was not hasty in committing himself, and hence was sometimes charged with timidity ; but having formed his opinions, he did not hesitate to avow and maintain them, and his colleagues knew where to find him in any emergency afterwards. His associate, Mr. Hudson, gives him un- qualified credit for the traits of consistency and persist- ency. He also mentions some particulars, not generally known, relating to his failure to receive the nomination for the vice-presidency in 1844.
Mr. Davis was always popular in the country at large, and after the tergiversation of John Tyler, when the leaders of the Whig party were casting about for a can- didate for the vice-presidency they settled with great unanimity upon him. By general consent he was desig- nated to run on the ticket with Mr. Clay ; but as the time of the Convention approached, it was found that his course in regard to questions connected with slavery
JOHN DAVIS 183
would prejudice the ticket in certain States where parties were closely balanced, and Mr. Frelinghuysen was sub- stituted as less prominently committed. Yet it was be- lieved that Mr. Davis would carry more popular votes than any other candidate. Mr. Hudson had personal cognizance of the fact that the friends of Mr. Clay gave positive assurance that, if he were elected, Mr. Davis should be called to his Cabinet to fill the office of Secre- tary of the Treasury ; and had the Whig party prevailed, the promise would undoubtedly have been fulfilled.
He would have made a most valuable cabinet officer. His habit of mind was favorable to calm and deliberate action, that conservative tendency to which experienced statesmanship always leads, which is the only sure basis of national prosperity, and is by no means inconsistent with a vigorous policy. He would never have rushed into theoretical reforms, regardless of consequences, or sacrificed general principles to a single idea ; but when, after careful examination of all points to be considered, and patient reflection upon their probable influences, he had come to a decision, he would have maintained it quietly but persistently.
He was a lono- time chairman of the Committee on Commerce in the Senate, and made himself thoroughly acquainted with the principles of that branch of national administration. To the fisheries, as an important division of commerce, he gave special and intelligent attention; and he made a study of the best methods of constructing lighthouses, and providing them with the most effective illuminating apparatus. Another of his services, the value of which has been widely appreciated, was the establish- ment of a code of regulations for steam navigation, tend- ing to diminish its fearful hazard.
It is believed that the chair of the Committee on Com- merce had never been filled with more fidelity or with with greater usefulness to the country.
18^ JOHN DAVIS
In Mr. Da\^s, wisdom was, perhaps, more prominent than genius ; yet, besides his conspicuous lucidity of thought, he not unfrequently attained to eloquence of expression. His sagacity was not of the secretive kind, but in connection with his powers of acute observa- tion, gave attractiveness to his conversation. Without claims to grace of manner or elegance of dictiou, what he said was well said, and to the point, — the two essential qualities of speech. Above everything, no suspicion, at any time, for a moment, rested upon his patriotism, his fidelity to all trusts, public and private, and the con- scientious fulfilment of the duties of a citizen and a Christian, not less than of those of a maker and admin- istrator of the laws of a nation.
The terse fines of Horace, so often quoted, and often unsuitably, may with much propriety be applied to him: —
" Justum et tenacem propositi virum, Non civium ardor pravajubentium, Non vultus instantis tyranni Mente quatit solida."
With much appearance of muscular vigor. Governor Davis never possessed sound bodily health, and suffered from chronic tendencies that ultimately terminated his life. He died quite suddenly, April 19, 1854, aged 67 years, 3 months, and 6 days.
The direct male ancestors of Governor Davis in this country were : —
1. Dolor Davis, who came to this country from Great Britain, was at Cambridge in 1634, and was doubtless an early settler of Plymouth Colony. In 1656 he was a petitioner for the grant of the town of Groton. In 1658 he was one of twenty of Plymouth who had lands granted them in Concord, Massachusetts. He died in Barnstable in 1673. His first wife was Margery, daughter of Rich- ard Willard, of Horsemonden, Kent, England, and sister of Major Simon Willard, of Concord, Massachusetts.
JOHN DAVIS 185
2. Samuel.
3. Simon, born August 9, 1683, died 1763.
4. Simon, born 1713, died 1754.
5. Isaac, born February 27, 1749, died 1827.
A sketch of the hfe of Dolor Davis, with a record of his earlier descendants, has been recently printed for private distribution by the Hon. Horace Davis of San Francisco.
24
SHUBAEL BARTLETT
Rev. Shubael Bartlett, for fifty years pastor of the Congregational Church and Ecclesiastical Society of East Windsor (North Parish), Conn., was born in Lebanon, New London County, Conn., April 2, 1778. He was the son of Mr. John Bartlett, a deacon in the Congregational church of Exeter Parish, Lebanon. His mother's maiden name was Desire Loomis.
The first ancestor of Mr. Bartlett in this country was Robert Bartlett, who came with a company of Pilgrims to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1623, in the ship Ann. On the maternal side his descent was from the Warrens, the Brewsters, and other families of the Pilgrims of excellent report.
Deacon Bartlett was not only a valiant defender of the faith in the church of God, but also a defender of his country, having done good service in her behalf at the battle of Bunker Hill.
Descended from a lona; line of God-fearinsr, God-servin": ancestors, both male and female, and himself for more than half a century earnestly devoted to the Christian ministry, and in his private life to the faithful perform- ance of Christian duty, Mr. Bartlett's feelings of ancestral pride, so far as he allowed himself the indulgence of such a feeling, might well have been expressed in those beauti- ful lines of Cowper : —
SHUBAEL BARTLETT 187
" My boast is not that I deduce my birth From loins enthroned, and rulers of the earth, But higher still my proud pnetensions rise, The son of parents passed into the skies."
Mr. Bartlett began his religious life early, having pro- fessed his faith in Christ and united with the church at the age of sixteen years. In his private diary we find the following record : "■ If ever I was born again, I have reason to hope it was in the spring of the year 1794." It was in June of that year that he made a public profession of his religious faith and united with the church. With the intention of becoming prepared for the Christian ministry, he engaged in studies preparatory to entering college under the care of Rev. Dr. Ely of Lebanon, and in Sep- tember, 1796, was admitted to the Freshman Class at Yale College, when eighteen years of age. Mr. Bartlett's father was a man of moderate pecuniary means, living on a small farm, and engaging to a moderate extent in the manufacture of leather, shoes, etc., so that besides sup- porting his family he could afford but little aid to his son in his college education. The expenses of his college course were therefore borne chiefly by himself, partly by teaching and partly from the avails of some services ren- dered by him to the college. During the later years of his residence at the college he acted as amanuensis for President D wight, with whom he enjoyed a close and intimate friendship.
Of Mr. Bartlett's character and personal appearance in his youthful days, and the character he afterwards sus- tained, the following interesting testimonial has been fur- nished us by one of his old friends : —
" I have known Mr. Bartlett ever since he first came to New- Haven. He was quite young, tall, and prepossessing in his ap- pearance, of pleasant, polite manners, and remarkably steady and correct in all his deportment. He was then a professor of religion, and it was a very uncommon thing in that day for one
188 SHUBAEL BAETLETT
SO young to be willing to be known as a follower of Christ ; but he maintained a consistent walk, and had also the respect of his classmates, — and it required a great deal of prudence and grace for one situated as he was to avoid giving unnecessary offence by too strict a walk, or, on the other hand, yielding so far to the views and feelings of the irreligious as to compromise his Christian principles. He was much respected in college as well as by those with whom he associated in the city. And he has ever been the same. I have known him for more than- fifty years, and esteem his friendship very highly."
Mr. Bartlett was graduated at Yale in the Class of 1800. The period of his residence at college extending through six years, as he remained two years after completing his academic course a resident graduate, pursuing his the- ological studies. This period of six years was a memo- rable period in the religious history of the college. For several years previous to the year 1801 infidelity and irreligion had prevailed to such an extent that there were almost no professors of religion among the students in the college, and the open acknowledgment of personal piety was an extremely uncommon thing among the young people of polite society.
Mr. Bartlett's private journal kept at that time con- tains some interesting statements concerning those times worthy of attention. From a sketch of his life written some years since by his son-in-law, Mr. Azel S. Roe, we quote the following : —
" The close of the last century may well be termed the period when infidelity triumphed, when pure religion was scoffed at and made to hide her head and weep in secret places. That it was a peculiarly trying time for a professor of religion may be imagined from the fact that Mr. Bartlett was the only member of his class during Freshman year who professed to be pious. There was not one professor of religion in the Sophomore Class, but one in the Junior, and in the year 1799 in the whole college but four students of professed piety. On one occasion, at the communion season, Mr. Bartlett was the only student present.
SHUBAEL BARTLETT 189
There was at that time a society in the college called ' the floral Society.' The year Mr. Bartlett entered college, he, with the other professors of religion, were expelled from the Moral So- ciety on account of the strictness of their principles.
" In the college the sacred ordinances of Christianity were ridiculed, and on one occasion, on a communion Sabbath, some of the students in the dining-hall cut the bread in pieces to represent the sacred emblem of Christ's body, and impiously offered it to a solitary Christian student who was dining with them, intending thus to wound the feelings of their young fel- low-student just from the table of his Lord.
" Nor was the state of things much better in the city. It is believed that between 1796 and 1800 there were in New Haven, exclusive of the college, but three persons under the age of twenty-five years professors of the Christian faith. Religion was cast aside as unfitted for the freedom of youth, and no greater breach of politeness could be committed thau to intro- duce the subject in the social circle.
" Well was it for the best interests of the college and the church at large that there was at the head of that institution, in that dark and memorable period, a champion of Christ, dis- tinguished alike as a scholar and a man of devoted piety, — one who could meet the adversary with weapons of his own as well as with the panoply of the Gospel. To his wise and careful management ; to his prayers and powerful arguments ; to his bold attacks upon the very citadel of infidelity, the corrupted heart, may be attributed, under God, the glorious change which took place in the year 1802, and which converted that hot-bed of Satanic plants into a nursery for the church.
"The name of Dwight must ever have a high place among those great and good men who in that day of the enemy's power stood forth mightily for the truth.
" Through such a period for the trial of his faith and con- stancy, Mr. Bartlett in the days of his youth was safely carried, and in the revival which occurred in the college while he was still there, preparing for the ministry, he took a decided and active part, and enjo3-ed the unspeakable pleasure of beholding many who had once ridiculed religion coming to him to ask ' what they should do to be saved.' "
We have thus given prominence to this period of Mr.
190 SHUBAEL BARTLETT
Bartlett's youthful life during his connection with Yale College, on account of the powerful influence which his experience in religious affairs and duties during the scenes of that remarkable time of religious excitement had in preparing him for his subsequent life in the Christian ministry. It was a period replete with scenes that deeply impressed him, and to which he used often during his life to refer with deepest interest.
Having finished his collegiate course in the year 1800, he commenced studying for the ministry under Dr. Dwight, and in the course of the year 1802 was licensed to preach.
The following extract from his diary, on the occasion of writing his first sermon, will serve to show how thor- oughly he appreciated the importance of the sacred office in which he was eno-as^ino; : —
'•^ Sept. 23, 1802. I am now writing mj first discourse, which (God willing) I shall preach to my fellow-men. God grant that I may feel the worth of precious souls, — that I may feel how important it is to be an ambassador of Christ to my fellow-men. In this exalted calling may I never seek after glory from men. May I seriously and certainly consider that the eye of an all-seeing and infinitely holy God is upon me, and that the day is fast approaching when I shall have to give an account to the Judge of all the earth of the manner in which I have labored in the heritage of God. Let me never attempt to proceed one step in my own strength. Assist me, O Lord my God, by thy grace, and direct me by thine unerring counsel ! May I be sensible that without thee I can do nothing. But may I firmly trust in thy grace, with a confident assurance that I can do all things which God may require of me through Christ strengthening me. Let thy strength, O gracious Redeemer, be made perfect in my weakness ! "
The character of his preaching and of his personal in- fluence, as a minister and as a man, was through his life, in all its various relations, to the last, in perfect keeping with the spirit of this prayer.
SnUBAEL BARTLETT 191
Having completed his theological studies in prepara- tion for the ministry, he visited Hartford in the winter of 1802 for the purpose of recreation, and there for the first time met and became acquainted with the one whom a kind Providence had appointed to be the partner of his life, — Miss Fanny Leffingwell, the daughter and only child of Mr. John and Lois (Allen) Leffingwell of Hart- ford. In connection with this interestins; event, we find in Mr. Bartlett's private journal the following beautiful and appropriate lines from his favorite poet Cowper : —
" It is the allotment of the skies, The hand of the supremely Wise, That guides and governs our affections, That plans and orders our connections, The hand of a mysterious Power That brings the unexpected hour "When minds that never met before Meet, and unite to part no more.
Mr. Bartlett was a firm believer in the overrulinsc care of Divine Providence in all the affairs of life, great and small. A precept that he was accustomed often to quote to his children from the Book of God's wisdom was this: " In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Especially in the important matter of choos- ing a companion for life in the marriage relation he en- joined upon his children and young friends to seek and expect the guidance of their omniscient loving Father in Heaven.
In this connection we feel constrained to quote from Mr. Bartlett's private journal the following expression of an idea well suited to this delicate, serious subject. After noticing^ with evident satisfaction his meeting: with her whom he fondly hoped would be his wife, he remarks : —
" Before this I had sought to choose for myself, and then looked to God to sanction mv choice, — now He brought me to desire Him to choose for me,"
192 SHUBAEL BAETLETT
That the choice was of God, and that in obtaining such a wife as she proved, and such a mother to his family, he had " obtained favor of the Lord," a wife who " did him good all the days of his life," Mr. Bartlett was abun- dantly satisfied, as were their children and the many friends who in after years were blessed with her radiant, benign, loving influence.
Their marriage took place on the 19th of February, 1803. Mr. Bartlett had been licensed to preach in Sep- tember of the previous year. On the day of his marriage he received an invitation from the church and people of East Windsor to supply their pulpit. After fulfilling en- gagements previously made to preach in other places, he preached for the first time in East Windsor in August, 1803. Directly the people invited him to preach for them as candidate for future settlement. His ordination and installation took place on the loth of February, 1804.
The North Society of East Windsor, at the time Mr. Bartlett commenced his ministry there, was on many ac- counts not an attractive and desirable place of residence for a young minister. The country was to a considerable extent uncleared and unsettled. The population was sparse and scattered. The people were unhappily at va- riance among themselves in reference to their church building, its location, and other matters of their ecclesias- tical affairs. Mr. Bartlett had received proposals from other churches to settle with them, offering inducements on many accounts preferable to those at East Windsor. The question how it would affect the comfort and happi- ness of his young wife, who had been educated in the city, and all her life accustomed to the advantages of a city residence, was one at first not easy to decide. Many of her young friends, and some of the older ones, were heard to express wonder that she should forego opportunities offered her by wealthy admirers, " marry a poor country clergyman, and go to live in the woods at Scantic ! "
SnUBAEL BARTLETT 193
But God had taught them both a higher purpose of Ufe than to live only to please themselves and seek worldly advantao-e. He had taus-ht them to wish to be about their Heavenly Father's business. Taking counsel of his experienced friends, whom be believed to be capable of advising wisely in such matters, and especially of his judi- cious friend Dr. D wight, Mr. Bartlett commenced his min- istry among the people of East Windsor, — a ministry the continuance of which was measured by a full half century, the beneficial results of which, in its influence upon the formation of character among the successive generations of the young people of his charge, the im- provement of the intellectual and social condition of the people, and especially its influence upon the destiny of immortal souls, the records of eternity only can disclose.
The quiet, moderate character of the olden times, three quarters of a century ago, was very different from that of the rapidly changing times of the present day. Pastors and people were content to dwell together for decades and double decades and semi-centuries then. The pas- torate of Mr. Bartlett and his predecessor. Rev. Thomas Potwine, together reached through but two years less than a full century. The manner of Mr. Bartlett's preach- ing, and his personal influence in his social life, in his fam- ily, among his friends and the people of his charge, was in keeping with the quiet character of the times. He was never a sensational preacher, he never attempted the arts of popular oratory, he sought not the praise of men in the performance of his official duties ; but in the pulpit, in his social intercourse with his people in their families, at the bedside of the sick and dying, upon cheer- ful " solemn and joyful " occasions of weddings, and the often sad occasions of the burial of the dead, his manner was quiet, gentle, sympathetic, solemn, full of the spirit becoming the man of God ministering in sacred things among; his sinful fellow-men.
25
194 SnUBAEL BARTLETT
The limits of this brief history of his life will not admit of a particular account of his ministry. The sum of it was, he lived for fifty years, before and among his people, a kind, cheerful, affectionate, benevolent, gentle, discreet, humble, self-denying, bible-studying, prayerful, consist- ent, contented, happy man, — husband, father, friend, citi- zen,— preaching the doctrines and practising the duties of the religion of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind. • Of the success of Mr. Bartlett's ministering in spiritual things the repeated revivals and additions to the church from time to time through the whole period of his pas- torate afford satisfactory evidence. From the time of his settlement he labored for forty-four years without a col- league. In 1848 Rev. Samuel J. Andrews was ordained associate pastor, and, at Mr. Bartlett's death, about six years afterward, became his successor.
The last public ministerial service that Mr. Bartlett performed was in connection with the consecration of a house of worship at Broad Brook, a village of recent rapid growth in the town of East Windsor. In the growth and progress of this little church Mr. Bartlett had taken special interest, and with several other of the neighboring ministers he was invited to assist in the dedication of their house of worship. The day, one of December's coldest, proved uncommonly stormy and uncomfortable. None of the other ministers were present, and the per- formance of the whole service fell to Mr. Bartlett. On the succeeding Sabbath, although oppressed with a severe cold, upon invitation from the Broad Brook people he preached for them in their newly dedicated church. It was the last of his preaching. The result of these labors and exposure to cold was a lingering influenza, that brought him to his grave in about six months. But those days of increasing feebleness were not days of sad- ness. Calmly and confidently, sustained with bright, un- wavering hope and trust in that Saviour to whom he had
SHUBAEL BARTLETT 195
devoted his manhood, he awaited his discharge from ser- vice on earth, and his admission to the better life above. The transition had for him nothing of gloom or darkness. A short time before his death one of his brethren in the ministry in prayer for him, asked that God would sustain him while passing " the dark valley of the shadow of death." Mr. Bartlett said to him, as he rose from prayer,
" I think. Brother , you have misquoted that passage
of Scripture. It is ' the valley of the shadow of death,' not ' the dark valley.' " The error was acknowledged, and the brother replied, " And you do not find it a dark valley. Brother Bartlett? " " Oh, no, far from it, blessed be God ! It is not dark, oh, no ! " And thus he went calmly, quietly, cheerfully, triumphing, through this val- ley, from the low grounds of earth up to the bright moun- tain-tops of heavenly life, — a fitting termination of such a life as he had lived, — a beautiful exemplification of the truth that " the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
The day of his death was June 6, 1854. His age was then 76 years, 2 months and 4 days. He had prepared his fiftieth anniversary sermon some days before the com- mencement of his illness, but the feeble condition of his health prevented his delivering it on the appointed Sab- bath, and it was read in his pulpit, in accordance with his previously expressed request, the Sabbath after his death, by his son-in-law. Rev. Samuel R Brown.
Rev. Shubael Bartlett became a Corresponding Member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society Feb- ruary 12, 1853.
Mr. Bartlett's wife survived him a few weeks more than ten years, completing her beautiful life in a cheerful, active, useful " green old age," in accordance with her often repeated wish and prayer, that she might not out- live her activity and usefulness. Her death was preceded
196 SHUBAEL BARTLETT
by only a few days of confinement to her room and bed. At the age of 85 years, 11 months and 22 days, on a quiet Sabbath morning, the 28th of August, 1864, she passed from earth.
The number of their children was nine. The oldest, John Leffingwell, was born at Hartford, January 3, 1804.
The second, David Ely, born at East "Windsor, September 29, 1805. [He was the author of this article. He graduated at Yale College in 1828. The greater portion of his life was de- voted to the education of the deaf and dumb. He married, July 15, 1846, Fanny P., daughter of Theodore Hinsdale, Esq., of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and died at Hartford, Connecticut, November 29, 1879.]
The third, Fanny Leffingwell, at East "Windsor, October 23, 1807. Married November 12, 1828, Azel Stephens Roe.
The fourth, Charles Loomis, at East Windsor, August 31 1809. Died at Petersburgh, Virginia, November 21, 1876.
The fifth, Shubael Fitch, at East Windsor, August 23, 1811. He graduated at Yale College in 1833, received the degree of M.D. in 1839. Married Fanny, daughter of Charles and Ellen (Perkins) Griswold. Died at Benicia, California, October 12, 1849. Dr. Bartlett died on his passage down the Sacramento River, on board the United States Transport Schooner "Invin- cible," and was buried in the United States military cemetery at Benicia.
The sixth, Elizabeth Goodwin, at East Windsor, July 19, 1813. Married Samuel Robbins Brown, D.D.
The seventh, William Allen, at East Windsor, September 12, 1815. Married June 27, 1843, Louisa B. Stewart, of Phila- delphia.
The eighth, Henry Thomas, at East Windsor, January 23, 1817. Married (1) March 21, 1848, Elizabeth Sophronia Hud- nell, of Darien, Georgia. (2) November 28, 1850, Mrs. Mar- garet (Combs) Winn. Died at New Orleans, Louisiana, May 2, 1872.
The ninth, Daniel Wadsworth, at East Windsor, January 21, 1820. Married August, 1858, the widow of his brother Shubael.
ALFRED HAWKINS
This gentleman, who, at the time of his death, was shipping-master of the port of Quebec, Canada, was bom in Bridport, Dorsetshire, England. A letter addressed to the rector of the parish of Bridport brought the following information : —
" Alfred, son of George and Elizabeth Hawkins, was, as I find by reference to the Register-Book, baptized at Bridport Parish Church, on 10th October, 1792. I do not know anything of the Hawkins family or I would gladly give you more informa- tion."
He died at Quebec, June 30, 1854, of Asiatic cholera.
The only child- of his now living is Alfred G. Hawkins, who is connected with the custom-house at Quebec. He regrets that he is not able to throw much light upon his father s early history. He states that a fire, which occurred some few years since, destroyed papers and documents which would doubtless have helped to reveal important facts connected with his life in England. From such knowledge as the son has of his father's early years, it appears that, by the death of his father, he was, when quite young, thrown upon his own resources. As a youth he lived with an uncle in England, who was engaged in the wine business, serving as a clerk in his store. He came to Quebec in the year 1815, being then at the age of twenty-three. After reaching his new home he was for a time engaged, under the firm of McQuay & Hawkins,
198 ALFEED HAWKINS
in the same business to which he had been trained. We have not the date and place of his marriage, but his wife's name was Martha Paterson. From this marriage there were five children, three of whom, one son and two daughters, died in very early life. The only surviving son, Alfred G., from whom we gain this information, was himself married in 1861 to Elizabeth Sophia Denison of Toronto, Ontario, but has no children. The only daugh- ter coming to years of womanhood, Ellen Zippy, was married in 1861 to William Alexander Curry, and died at Montreal, October 26, 1879, leaving three children, two daughters, Eveljoi and Ethelwin, seventeen and fourteen years of age respectively, and one son, Eoger De Courcey, aged thirteen years.
Mr. Hawkins, who was admitted as a corresponding member of the New Eno^land Historic Genealoo-ical So- ciety February 14, 1852,- was chiefly brought to the no- tice of the society through a book published by him in 1834 entitled "Picture of Quebec, with Historical Recollections." It is a 12mo., containing 477 pages, and is dedicated " To the Right Honorable General, the Earl of Dalhousie." The book is marked by good culture, literary grace, and historical research. While the city of Quebec with its immediate surroundings is naturally kept in the foreground, the whole history of Canada is outlined and traced, from its earliest European colonies down to the present century. The frequent and apt quotations from the Latin poets, Virgil, Horace and others, would seem to imply that he must somewhere have received a good classical education. He writes with a thorough love of his theme, and there is consequently a vivacity of style which makes his pages fresh and readable. We quote the closing paragraphs of the book, which are as follows : —
" For ourselves, attachment to the country, an admiration for its scenery, an ardent curiosity respecting its early history
. ALFEED HAWKINS 199
and ancient vestiges, with a warm respect for many of its inha- bitants, inspirited us to accomplish the task confided to our care ; and should deficiencies be ascertained, we trust that we shall be allowed to plead these motives in mitigation of critical censure. The nature of the work is so generally remote from subjects of party feeling — or, at least, is so when conducted with an honest intention — that it may confidently be submitted to the judgment of every class of inhabitants in these Provinces. Our humble efforts will have been well employed if they conduce to excite literary and historical inquiry amongst us ; and more particularly if they assist in rendering Quebec better known as to its local interest, more frequently visited by learned and distinguished men, and more duly appreciated by the people of that magnificent Empire, of which this Province is so valuable an appendage."
It is not hard for any one who has visited Quebec to understand that the writer of a book, with the general aim of the one above described, should become enthusi- astic over his subject. Standing upon the heights of the city, or still better upon the front ramparts of its immense fortress, and from this commanding elevation glancing down three hundred feet and more upon the lower city and the waters of the lordly St. Lawrence, sweeping by with its powerful current ; then looking beyond over the rich and rolling country, dotted with farm-houses, away to the blue hills in the distance, one will travel far before he can look upon another landscape of such grand and stately proportions. In and around the city are heights and depths so difificult to master that one born and bred upon the prairies, or on ordinary lowlands, stands aghast, at the first, at the idea of such stupendous ascents and descents.
The history of the place is as strange and remarkable as are its configuration and surrounding scenery. The initial idea of the whole is that of a military stronghold. Everything in and immediately about the city has been subordinated to that primary idea, and has taken shape
200
ALFRED HAWKINS
accordingly. For more than two hundred and fifty years its story has been full of stirring and romantic episodes. Nowhere else this side the Atlantic can one look upon walls and fortifications built up in such vast reaches, and with such massive strength, as here. And yet, great and strong as this far-reaching fortress appears to the ob- server at the very first glance, his wonder increases beyond measure when he finds that, beneath the earth, buried out of his sight, are other structures, which, meas- ured by the toil and expense which produced them, are equal to those which openly confront the eye. Around this spot the armies of England and France have surged to and fro, from generation to generation, in their struggle for supremacy. There is such an ever-living interest in these varying fortunes of war, as the game has been played for two centuries and a half between these two powerful nations, that not even the Irish driver, who takes you out to the Plains of Abraham, and as you ride along tells you the story of the past in his rapid and monotonous sing-song, is able wholly to destroy its romance.
A " Picture of Quebec," regarded historically as well as in the grandeur of her position and the lordliness of her outlook, is a theme in its very nature large and attrac- tive. Mr. Hawkins evidently felt drawn by a powerful influence toward his subject, and the writing of the book was, with him, a labor of love.
Mr. Hawkins was the author of another volume, entitled "Stranger's Guide to Quebec," which was published in 1844. In the preparation of this book he found it needful to visit Endand, and the following extract from the volume, which has been kindly for- warded by his son, will be read with interest : —
" During our residence in England, in 1841, superintending the engraving of the Plan of the Battle, we were politely permitted by the surviving branch of the family to visit the vault which
ALFRED HAWKINS 201
is under the parish church of Greenwich. It was with feelings ■which we cannot describe that we placed the key in the door (over which is inscribed on a marble slab, ' The Family Vault of Major General James Wolfe, 1759 ') disclosing to us the resting place of that illustrious hero. We were accompanied by a few friends, and two old veteran seamen of Greenwich Hos- pital who solicited permission. Upwards of fourscore years had passed away since the memorable victory and glorious death. The vault exhibited to us three coffins, — that of the father, the mother, and the son. We gently wiped the dust from the coffin-plate, and found the following unpretending inscription thereon : —
Major General Jajies "Wolfe, Aged 32 Years.
" On the centre coffin is the following inscription : —
Mrs. Henrietta Wolfe, Died 26th September, 176-4.
" On the coffin to the left is the following: : —
The Honorable Lieutenant General Edward Wolfe Died March 26th, 1759, Aged 74 Yeahs.
" The vault was in perfect order, and no appearance of decay could be observed on the coffins save the ravages of the moth. Not a word was spoken, and all stood uncovered. Before retir- ing we placed a wreath of laurel upon the coffin, and deposited in the vault a copy of the Quebec 'Mercury' of 21st November, 1839, containing a list of subscribers to our engraving commem- orating the glorious victory and death."
An interesting sequel to this story appeared in the Quebec " Mercury " of August, 1859. This account was also supplied by the son, and is as follows. This was five years after Mr. Hawkins's death : —
" Wolfe's Tomb. — The following interesting item we have been permitted to extract from a private letter received at Montreal by the last English mail : —
" ' Greenwich, August, 1859. *'An order-in-council from the Queen has been issued, call- ing upon the church-wardens to cause the whole of the vaults under the parish church to be filled with earth and charcoal, and all the entrances to be bricked up, never more to be opened.
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202 ALFRED HAWKINS
" ' Among the said vaults is that of General Wolfe, the con- queror of Quebec : on opening the vault was found a Quebec " Mercury " of the 21st November, 1839, deposited by Mr. Haw- kins, of Quebec, together with his card and a wreath of laurel, on the 23d May, 1841. The church-wardens have lent me the paper to copy a prospectus it contains, and among the sub- scribers are four persons of the name of Macdonald, namely : A. Macdonald, of Three Rivers ; Angus Macdonald, of Corn- wall ; Wm. Macdonald, of Gasp^ ; and Town Major Macdonald, of Montreal.
" ' If, when you are writing to Mr. Lloyd, you would like to mention the above circumstances regarding the gallant Wolfe, perhaps he may know Mr. Hawkins, and would feel a satisfac- tion in informing him of the fact of his iljMercury," card, and wreath being found on the cofiBn as he left them after a lapse of eighteen years. They are now in the custody of the church- wardens, one of whom, Mr. T. Huntley, has promised me that they shall still be preserved as interesting relics of the departed hero. With the exception of the upper fold of the " Mercury," the paper and type is as perfect as when placed on the coffin by Mr. Hawkins.' "
Mr. Hawkins seems to have been cut off in the midst of his activities, and while his strength was not yet abated, by that scourge of the East which, when ever it has reached this western world, has seemed to linger for a time about the chief cities of Canada. It will be well remembered that upon the first visitation of cholera upon these shores ■in 1832, we heard of it at Montreal, and thence it went abroad upon its destructive march to various parts of the continent.
At the time of Mr. Hawkins's death a writer in the Quebec "Mercury," July 1, 1854, gives the following pleas- ing estimate of his character as a man and a citizen : —
" Mr. Hawkins, whose death is recorded above, was one of our oldest and most esteemed citizens. A native of Eno-land, he at all times manifested the liveliest sympathy with, and attach- ment for, Queen and country, and betrayed a character for real loyalty such as few inhabitants of Canada now possess. His
ALFRED HAWKINS 203
interest in the land of his adoption was not, however, thereby diminished ; he has published a book containing much historical information relative to the first settlement of the country, called 'Hawkins' Picture of Quebec,' and was ever anxious to enhance the opinion of what he used to call ' the character of the port,' and to impress upon those at a distance the growing importance of this province. In the discharge of the arduous and often- times unpleasant duties of his office he combined energy, cour- age, and humanity, and by his conduct he proved alike the shipowner's and the seaman's friend. He possessed a cheerful disposition, general knowledge, and a wonderful memory, and was a most convivial companion of the good old English school. Many will deplore his loss, but none more than the writer of this just tribute to his memory, who long enjoyed his friendship."
I
AMES ATHEARN JONES
\bi
Fames Athearn Jones was born October 17, 1791, in the town of Tisbury, on the island of Martha's Vineyard, and State of Massachusetts. The house in which he was born, now torn down, was not far from the sea-shore, and directly on the borders of Tisbury and Edgar- town; the dividing Unes of these towns, as formerly established, running through the buildingy
His father was rfEbenezer Jones, son of /Thomas Jones, and his mother wasJ Susanna Athearn, daughter of the Hon. James Athearn, Judge of Probate for Dukes County. All these ancestors were residents of Tisbury.
He married, July 31, 1817, his cousin,v'Avis Athearn, daughter of the Hon. George Athearn, who succeeded his father as Judge of Probate. They had no children to cheer their home, to comfort their declining years, and bear up an honored name. Upon the death of James A. Jones, in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1854, the family name lived only in tradition. He was the last of his race.
In personal appearance Mr. Jones attracted attention. He was tall and very slender. There was a charm in his conversation, despite the drawback of deafness, which increased with advancing years. His knowledge of liter- ary men and of books seemed almost inexhaustible. One of his island neighbors, who often met him after his re- turn from Europe, describes him as a singular man, pos- sessed of rare intelHgence, ambitious, with a full share of
i/JAMES ATHEARN JONES 205
self-esteem, and a disposition fitful and variable, so that social intercourse, charming as it was sometimes, was not uniformly delightful. No picture of him known to his surviving friends remains to perpetuate his looks. Even his papers, and a completed work of fiction, somehow strangely disappeared after his sudden death.
Of the early life of James A. Jones little is now known. His contemporaries are nearly all dead, and of those that survive few knew him intimately. Even had they thus known him, the fourscore years and more that have passed would have dimmed the recollection, if they had not wholly blotted out the record.
His home was a solitary farm-house, not far from the shores of the Atlantic, the waters of which were always in sight, and the ceaseless dashing of its waves was ever sounding in the ear. Here his early childhood was passed without the school-privileges, now the lot of al- most every American child. Being much alone, he had time for thought and reflection. He never had the ad- vantage of a collegiate course, nor even of academic instruction. Schools, such as he would have prized and profited by, were not accessible to him. Books were his delight, and his constant companions during all lei- sure hours. Blessed with a memory of surpassing power, he had at command resources that never failed in in- terest, and his mind became stored with a vast amount of miscellaneous information. Still, the thorough mental training and discipline which he so much needed, and which, under more favorable circumstances he would have had, did not briditen his life. He studied to some extent with the Tiev. Nymphas Hatch^' the min- ister of Tisbury, and subsequently with the Eev. Fred- eric Baylies, and the Rev. Joseph Tliaxter, the ven- erable and learned pastor of the church in Edgartown, making himself somewhat familiar with the rather slen- der resources of a village pastor's library. At an early
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206 J JAMES ATHEARN JONES
age he was accustomed to Tvrite both prose and verse. Most of this was burned almost as soon as written, but some few specimens of verse remain. -
During his youth and early manhood he is said to have made one or more short voyages to the "West Indies, and to have followed for some months, in the harbor of Holmes Hole, now known as Vineyard Haven, the hum- ble but profitable employment of "bum-boating," that is, boarding vessels as they dropped anchor in the harbor, and supplying the seamen with pies, cakes, fruit, tobacco, and other commodities acceptable to them, receiving in payment cash, or a full equivalent in such goods as could be drawn from the vessels' stores or cargoes.
During one of his voyages, made with Captain Tris- tram Luce, the vessel was boarded bv an officer from a British man-of-war, in quest of recruits, — an annoying and obnoxious habit in which the British persisted for years, and until after the second war with the United States. Captain Luce was ordered to muster his men on deck. This he did, but said he had no men to spare. " Have you any more men on board ? " " Yes," was the response. " Well, call them up, and be in a hurry about it ! " Jones, a tall, slender stripling, looking most decid- edly green, who had been at work below deck, made his appearance. " Here," said Captain Luce, " is Jimmy Jones. You can take him." One glance at the new-comer was sufficient. " No, no ! " said the British officer, " we have Jimmy Joneses enough now." Thus, owing to the un- prepossessing personal appearance of young Jones, or to the caprice of the officer, he was saved a life of degrada- tion as a " man-of-war's-man," saved to his country and to literature.
It would appear from the Introduction to the "Tra- ditions of the North American Indians,'' Vol. I. that subsequently he was a great traveller, having visited every State but one in the Union and all the Terri-
;
(tames ATHEAEX JONES 207
tories save two. He speaks of being among the Chicka- saws, Cherokees, Creeks, Sbawanos, and other Indian tribes.
The earliest pubhcation by Mr. Jones known to the writer is " Bonaparte, with The Storm at Sea, Madaline, and Other Poems. New York : Pubhshed by Haly & Thomas, No. 142 Broadway. C. S. Van Winkle, printer. 1820." This was a pamphlet of ninety-two pages. The poems, excepting a few stanzas in the " Storm at Sea," were written before the age of nineteen, when the author was entering on professional legal studies, which wholly monopolized his time.
Of this work John Trumbull, writing from Hartford, December 12, 1820, says: —
" Your small collection of poems, with your polite letter of the 6th ultimo, was delivered to me about three weeks after that date. I have read the poems with attention and pleasure, and think they display the marks of a genius capable of arriv- ing at distinguished excellence. Your lines on Bonaparte are modelled on the best style of blank verse, avoiding the labored pomp, monotonous cadences, and diffuse verbosity which too often disgust us in that form of poetry, though in a few instances the expressions are too prosaic. . . . The ' Storm at Sea ' is, on the whole, a happy specimen of the playful and sportive style in the stanza of Spenser. Short poems, songs, etc., require an exact and regular polish. The most har- monious measures ought to be selected. Rough lines and broken metre are not pardonable, except in a long work."
As a favorable specimen of the smooth versification of the young poet, the following extract is presented from "The Storm at Sea": —
" I ride alonw the dark-blue waves On the sportive dolphin's back ; And I sink to rest in the fathomless caves Beyond the sea-shark's track.
I hide my head in the pitiless storm
In caverns dark and deep ;
208 ^JAMES ATHEARN JONES
My couch of ooze is pleasant and warm,
And soft and sweet my sleep. I rise again when the winds are still, And the waves have sunk to rest ; And call, with my conch-shell, strong and shrill, My mate to the Salt Lake's breast."
• Where and with whom Mr. Jones studied law does not appear, and whether he was ever admitted to the bar or not is not known ; but it would seem that, in 1821, an application for admission to the bar in the State of New York was denied, as having been made out of due course. A letter from a lawyer, dated June, 1822, and addressed, "James A. Jones, Esq., Counsellor-at-Law, New York," would seem to denote his then occu- pation.
Two or three years later he wrote a legal work, sup- posed to be a digest of court decisions, which was sub- mitted to the inspection of the Hon. Theron Metcalf, afterwards a Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. He returned the manuscript with favor- able comments. It was not published, however, so far as known.
A part of the time between 1820 and 1827, Mr. Jones was engaged in teaching school and in writing for the press.
Early in 1825 a work in two volumes, from the pen of Mr. Jones, was published in New York. The publisher's name is not known, — perhaps it may have been 0. Wilder, — and that of the author did not appear. A notice, not laudatory, appeared in the "United States Literary Gazette," Vol. II., July, 1825, and several brief notices in the New York papers ; but the critics appear to have regarded the work as one of unequal merit. It was entitled, " The Refugee : A Romance. By Captain Matthew Murgatroyd, of the Ninth Continentals in the Revolutionary War. In two volumes, pages 325 and 328.
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JAMES ATHEARN JONES 209
New York, 1825." The manuscript was offered to Mr. Blackwood, of Edinburgh, the famous bookseller, who wrote, saying : —
" It is a work very much beyond the ordinary run of novels, but it has evidently been written, and is mainly intended, for the American market ; and I doubt much if, with all its talent, it will ever answer to reprint in this countr}-. The author, I think, possesses very considerable powers ; and if he were to take sufficient time and pains, I have no doubt he would pro- duce a work that would be equally popular on both sides of the Atlantic."
Some of the choicest productions from the pen of Mr. Jones appeared in the " Atlantic Souvenir " and the "United States Literary Gazette," prior to 1827. How these were received by the public, and how they were esteemed by good judges, may be seen by some extracts from letters, written to Mr. Jones, now lying before me.
Writing from Taunton, September 9, 1824, Theophilus Parsons, editor of the " United States Literary Gazette," says : —
"Your letter with ' Sardanapalus' is just received. The ' Lines from a Traveller's Portfolio ' are now in press and will appear in No. 13. I take shame to myself that they have been so long delayed ; but must state in self-justification that an ac- cident kept them out of my reach for some time. The tone of depression and melancholy which characterized the letter that came with ' Sardanapalus ' justified my saying to you truths which otherwise might look like flattery. No one of ray corre- spondents but yourself and Bryant has been quoted much in the papers, or spoken of in any way with decided praise ; and I have not been solicited to obtain further contributions from any other. Some of our subscribers prefer your lines to Bryant's. I do not agree with them , for he seems to me to be, on the whole, the better poet. But I have no hesitation in expressing an opinion, which is fortified by the coincident judgment of others of unquestionable poetic taste, that you have sent me verses which exhibit as much poetical talent, and of as high an
27
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210 >trAMES ATHEARN JONES
order, as has ever been exhibited by an American. Bryant is very diligent, and elaborates his pieces into perfection. You are more negligent ; but may surely look forward to high suc- cess, if you wish it enough to toil in the pursuit. I beg you to believe me in earnest in all that I have said, both of praise and blame. I hope you will pardon my sincerity, and supply me copiously and regularly, if your more important engagements • permit you to be so kind to me." ^
Hon. James G. Carter, of Lancaster, succeeded Mr. Parsons as editor of the " United States Literary Gazette." Writing to Mr. Jones, under date of March 22, 1825, he
says : —
" Mr. Parsons has told me you have contributed to the poeti- cal department of the ' Literary Gazette,' and has given me your signature. I have looked over the numbers of the work, and find several fine pieces signed ' J.' which, if yours, do you credit. The ' Gladiator ' has been copied from our ' Gazette ' into very many of the Southern papers. I shall be very glad to avail myself of your talents to support that part of our work ; and I am about to introduce to our columns Percival, who is now in the city, and has engaged to be a constant contributor to our work. Mr. Parsons did not inform me whether you had been a prose writer or not. Should you feel disposed to write essays upon literary, scientific, or any other topics, they will receive prompt attention, and an acknowledgment of our obli- gations."
August 13, 1825, Mr. Carter writes : —
" I have to-day received yours of the 2d instant enclosing a piece which I like much, and shall print as soon as I have room, probably in the number for Sept. 15th, all before that time
being made up as to poetry Mr. Brainard, editor of the
Connecticut ' Mirror,' has promised to send me pieces of poetry occasionally. Mr. Mellen, whose poem you read and remarked upon for me, will also write. His signature is 'G. M.' A son of the late Judge Dawes, a student-at-law in this city, answers to 'D.' It will always give me great pleasure to consider you as one of my contributors ; and, be assured, your pieces are highly valued by all I have heard speak of them, and by none more than by your sincere friend."
>ffAMES ATHEAKN JONES 211
Writing from Boston, September 15, 1826, Mr. Carter speaks of the recent union of the " United States Literary Gazette " with the " New York Review," and of the asso- ciation with him in the editorial department of William CuUen Bryant, who had become owner of one quarter of the stock, " having previously bought the ^ New York Eeview ' for a song." As editor, Mr. Bryant received a salary of eight hundred dollars a year, he undertaking to furnish all the poetry ; and if any poetry other than his own was furnished, it was to be paid for out of his salary.
Mr. Carter regrets, in retiring from the editorial post, the
" taking leave of my friends who have sustained me in my arduous duties. In this I have the greatest trial to my feelings. I should do injustice to those feehngs were I to withhold the expression of my gratitude for your assistance and kind atten- tions ; and, I must be permitted to add, for the reputation you have added to our work. Mr. Bryant has been a week with me lately, and in our free way of discussing the merits of our writ- ers, he has put you decidedly at the head of our poetical contributors ; Percival being excepted, more from courtesy and deference to the powers that be than for anything else. . . . I have given you a long account of our literary operations, recol- lecting how much interest you take in such matters, and hoping it may prove gratifying to you. The manner in which you speak of your health, and the general tone of your letter, has given me some apprehensions for your 'recovery. I offer my fervent prayer that the providence of God may be especially exerted in your favor, and that you may be yet spared for many years to your country, to literature, and to your friends."
Mr. Edward Wigglesworth succeeded Mr. Carter. Un- der date of December 26, 1826, he writes to Mr. Jones : —
"You, I suppose, are just on the eve of falling, pell mell, on the present administration, and boosting up Jackson. You will be up to the ears in political disputes before long, and I am afraid will be too busy to assist us as much as we could wish.
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212 JjAMES ATHEAEN JONES
You spoke in your letter about the Indian traditions. If you can find time, you will oblige us much by sending on one or
more If your Muse can raise her voice amid the din of
politics, I hope we shall be favored with some of her outpour- ings. Any poetical contributions with which you may choose to favor us, I will thank you to send to Mr. Bryant in New York."
Again he writes, under date of August 28, 1827 : —
" I write to ask a favor. In case you are not wholly swal- lowed up in the vortex of politics, I wish you would remember your old friends of the ' United States Review.' Are all the Indian traditions exhausted ? We should esteem it a favor if you could spare us another to grace our columns."
A selection from the poems which appeared in the " United States Literary Gazette," including some of the best from the pens of Bryant, Longfellow, Percival, Jones, Mellen, and Dawes, was published in January, 1826, by Cummings, Hilliard, & Company, and Harrison Gray. It was a small volume of one hundred and seventy-two pages.
The following poem, "Lines from a Traveller's Port- folio," from the pen of Mr. Jones, was received with marked favor: —
" I stood upon the lofty Alleghany. It was a summer morning ; the bright sun Shone o'er the mountain tops on the fair vales, Which lay stretched out beneath his gladdening beam. Calm, peaceful vales, such as the aged love To rest their wearied limbs upon when life Draws near its close, — such as young lovers seek. And there I stood, upon that mountain's brow, And looked upon the morning. Far away On either hand, and where the Ohio glides Serenely to the bed of other waters, Lay fields of brightly shining summer grain. Where lusty arms plied nimble reaping hooks, And bright-eyed virgins, as of olden time, Them followed, and the yellow sheaf upreared.
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JAMES ATHEARN JONES 213
And there were pastures fair beneath mine eye, And o'er them grazed innumerous herds and flocks, The wealth of the strong man, who years ago Built his rude cabin by the beetling brow Of these eternal mountains, and sat down. And lopt the sycamore, and felled the oak. And had him sons and daujjhters born amidst The shouts and battle-son^s of savasre tribes.
" And still I stood upon that mountain's brow, And still it was the morning. O'er me past A breath from out the deep and fearful glen, Which lay beside me, fringed with meagre pines, — The shrubbery of the bleak mountain-top. Within me was a voice which bade me look Upon the ages which had passed away, — Upon the time when those far-spreading vales Were peopled by another race of men. The builders of the proud, sepulchral pile. And architects of works of use unknown. 'T is thus the potent finger of decay Saps the foundation of all earthly things ; And there will pass a very few brief years Ere all who people this fair land shall lie In the same grave which holds her earliest sons. The oak shall grow upon the well-ploughed glebe. The wild vine leap upon the nectarine's trunk, And strangle it with a too close embrace. The thistle shall o'errun the beautiful mead, The bison feed upon the cities' site, The adder coil him in the lady's bower And hiss iipon the mastodon, as he Comes from his exile of a thousand years. And these shall be, because such things have been ; For nature is immutable, and keeps No changeful course."
In " Specimens of American Poetry," by Samuel Ket- tell, Boston, S. G. Goodrich & Co., 1S29, James Athearn Jones is wrongly stated to be " of New Bedford." Two of his poems are given in Vol. III., pages 249 to 253 : " A Moor's Curse on Spain," a spirited poem, which first
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214 >| JAMES ATHEARN JONES
apppeared in the " United States Literary Gazette," Vol. I., 1824 ; and " The Lay of a Mountain Spirit."
"A Letter to an Enghsh Gentleman on the Libels and Calumnies on America, by British Writers and Eeviewers," was written by Mr. Jones, and published at Philadelphia in 1826. It is a pamphlet of forty-three pages. A copy is to be found in the library of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
In January, 1827, Mr. Jones, having bargained for the press, types, fixtures, and good-will of the "Freeman's Journal," then recently united with the " City Register," assumed the editorial charge of a daily paper in Phila- delphia, the " National Palladium." It was devoted to the news of the day and to general literature, but most especially to the one purpose of making General Jackson President of the United States. Charles G. Greene, long the able editor of the " Boston Post," who still survives, in a ripe* old age, hale, jovial, and hearty, enjoying his well-deserved honors and the esteem of the entire com- munity, was for a short time engaged with Mr. Jones in conducting the " Palladium." With able correspondents, among whom were Duff Green, S. D. Ingham, David Henshaw, J. A. Cameron, and others of well-known fame, the paper became an able and influential organ of the Jackson party.
Soon after the close of the presidential campaign Mr. Jones retired from the management of the " Palladium," which became merged in the "American Sentinel." After a short time spent in Massachusetts, he went to England, where he remained two years or more. Here his time was spent in literary labors and in the congenial society of literary friends. It is said that Fortune did not smile upon him while there, and that he became reduced, and was for awhile in a state of mental aberration, and was aided to return home again.
In 1830 the Harpers, at New York, published "Tales
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JAMES ATIIEARX JOXES 215
of an Indian Camp. By James A. Jones," the work hav- ing previously been published in England. After a pro- tracted search, no copy of either this or the English edi- tion has been found. In April of the same year Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, London, published " Tradi- tions of the North American Indians, being a second and revised edition of ' Tales of an Indian Camp,' by James Athearn Jones. In three volumes." The work was ded- icated to Washington Irving, and was embellished with engravings designed and etched by W. H. Brooke.
The next work in order of publication appears to have been " Haverhill." AYe have in the " Westminster Re- view" for 1831, Vol. XV., page 218, a notice of '-Hav- erhill, or Memoirs of an Officer in the Army of Wolfe. By James Athearn Jones. 3 vols. T. & M. Boone, 1831." The reviewer says : —
" ' Haverhill ' is the work of a man of talent, and of extensive experience in various quarters of the globe. . . . Haverhill is not only full of luminous and copious descriptions of the objects which it professes to illustrate, but is written with an energy and enthusiasm of spirit which never fails to communi- cate itself to the reader.
" In ' Haverhill ' there is much more poetry than prose, thoucrh the writer has not indulsfed in a line of verse. The whole history of his youth, — a fisher-boy, — of his ambition, his education, his aspiring passion, the character and disposi- tion of his family, from whom he parts in pursuit of fame and fortune, which occupy the first volume, are not merely poetry, but poetry of a most touching and beautiful description.
"Mr. Jones has already published a work on the manners and customs of the American Indian. We read it with great satisfaction. He appears to have passed some of his life among them ; he knows them well, and does not love them the less for his familiarity with their habits and 'principles of action. On several occasions he introduces the Indian into ' Haverhill,' and always with effect. The little episode of Takota, or the Antelope, for instance, is beautiful. The sketches of domestic life among the humbler classes in the north of the American
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216 VJAilES ATHEARN" JONES
settlements are among the different portions of these volumes which, from their nature and truth, have given us the most decided pleasure."
An American edition of "Haverhill" was published July 15, 1831, in two volumes, by J. & J. Harper, 82 Cliff Street, New York. A notice of the work appears in the " New England Magazine " for August, 1831. The writer says, page 175 : —
" ' Haverhill,' as a production of genius, is unequal in differ- ent parts. The author has a very respectable talent in describ- ing familiar scenes, which have a strong and agreeable smack of New England. Were all portions of ' Haverhill ' equal to its best parts, the author would deserve great commendation. As it is, if he will subject himself to severe discipline, — his mind we mean, — he may well pass, in this line, an honorable distinction.' "
The extracts which follow are from " Traditions of the North American Indians." From their intrinsic merit and the exceeding rarity of the book from which they are taken, they are more copious than otherwise they would have been.
The name given by the Indians to the beautiful island of Martha's Vineyard, now so widely known as the great summer resort towards which the faces of thousands are turned during the " heated term," was Nope. Numerous Indians dwelt there when the white men first settled in New England ; the remnant still left have few of the dis- tinguishing traits of the red man of two centuries ago. Traditions formerly abounded among these people. That of Moshop is, perhaps, most widely known. Mr. Jones thus gives the legend. Vol. II. page 261 : —
" The sound, or strait, which divides Nope from the mainland and the islands of Nashawn was not, in the days of our fathers, so wide as it is now. The small bays which jiow indent the northern shore of Nope, and the slight promontories, which, at intervals of a mile or two, jut out along its coast of a sun's
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JAMES ATHEARN JONES 217
journey, were then wanting : neither the one nor the other ob- truded on its round and exact outline. The strong current of waters from the boundless bosom of the Great Lake, sweeping down between this island and the opposite little islands of Nashawn and its sisters, has made great encroachments upon the former, widening to a journey of two hours what was once only the work of one to perform. .My brothers, who are with me from the land of the Pawkunnawkuts, know tliat my words are true. They know that the air has also changed as much as the shape of the shores of Nope. In the times of our grand- fathers, the waves which roll between these islands were always frozen over, from the hunting month to the month of the red singing-bird. During the cold months, the canoe of the Indian hunter and fisherman was not permitted to traverse its dark and angry waters in quest of finny spoil, or in chase of the wild
fowl
" But the face of Nope changed, and with it the winters grew milder and milder. The hunting month was no longer the month of early snow ; and when the red singing-bird came, he hopped on an opening bud, and listened to the croaking of
frogs Meantime the waters, no longer bound up with a
chain by the Manitou of Cold, scooped out bays and heaped up headlands, till they made the shores of Nope crooked as the path of a bewildered white man, or the thread of a story which has no truth."
Upon this island there lived, " at the end nearest the setting sun," a strange being, " Moshop — the big man of Nope."
" He was taller than the tallest tree upon Nope, and as large around him as the spread of the tops of a vigorous pine, that has seen the years of a full-grown warrior. His skin was very black, but his beard, wliich he had never plucked nor clipped, and the hair of his head, which had never been shaved, were of the color of the feathers of the gray gull. His eyes were very white ; and his teeth, which were only two in number, were green as the ooze raked up by the winds from the bottom of the sea."
Those who would learn further of this famous early settler, of the manner in which he caught whales for his
28
I
218 '^AMES ATHEAEN JONES
daily food, bones of which still remain, of the tragic fate of his wife and children, must consult our author; the Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vol. n. page 133, and the Massachusetts Historical Col- lections, 1st series. Vol. I. page 139.
The following extract is from the first poem in
Vol. m. :—
THE LAKE OF THE WHITE CANOE.
" The parting words of the Roanoke, And his tale of a lover and maiden true, Who paddled the Lake in a White Canoe.
... a youth and maid, Who loved each other well ; Long and fondly loved. Loved from the childish hour. When, through the bosky dell, Together they fondly roved In quest of the little flower That likes to bloom in the quiet shade Of the tall and stately oaks. The pale-face calls it the violet — 'Tis a beautiful child when its leaves are wet With the morning dew, and spread To the beams of the sun, and its little head Sinks low with the weight of the tear That gems its pale blue eye, Causing it to lie
Like a maiden whose heart is broke. Does my brother hear ? He hears my words. 'Tis well. The names of this fond youth and maid Tell who they were. For he was Annawan, the Brave, And she Pequida, the girl of the braid, The fairest of the fair. Her foot was the foot of the nimble doe That flies from a cruel carcajou, Deeming speed the means to save ; Her eyes were the eyes of the yellow owl. That builds his nest by the River of Fish ;
I
AMES ATHEARN JONES 219
Her hair was black as the wings of the fowl
That drew this world from the great abyss.
Small and plump was her hand,
Small and slender her foot;
And when she opened her lips to sing,
Kipe red lips, soft sweet lips.
Lips like the flower that the honey-bee sips,
The birds in the grove were mute.
The bittern forgot his toot,
And the owl forbore his hoot,
And the king-bird set his wing,
And the woodpecker ceased his tap
On the hollow beech.
And the son of the loon on the nei<rhborinfr strand
Gave over his idle screech,
And fell to sleep in his mother's lap."
These lovers met in secret ; knowing the bitter enmity existing between their parents, they sought to hide their interviews.
But when the sky was mild,
And the moon's pale light was veiled.
And hushed was every breeze,
In prairie, village, and wild,
And the bittern had stayed his toot.
And the serpent had ceased his hiss,
And the wolf forgot his howl.
And the owl forbore his hoot,
And the plaintive wekolis,
And his neighbor, the frog, were mute ;
Then would my brother have heard
A plash like the dip of the water-fowl.
In the lake with mist so white.
And the smooth wave roll to the banks,
And have seen the current stirred
By something that seemed a White Canoe
Gliding past his troubled view.
And thus for moons they met
By night on the tranquil lake,
"When darkness veils the earth. • • . .
And thus each night they met,
And thus a summer passed.
218
I
AMES ATHEAEN" JONES
daily food, bones of which still remain, of the tragic fate of his wife and children, must consult our author; the Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vol. n. page 133, and the Massachusetts Historical Col- lections, 1st series. Vol. I. page 139.
The following extract is from the first poem in
Vol. in. : —
THE LAKE OF THE WHITE CANOE.
" The parting words of the Roanoke, And his tale of a lover and maiden true, Who paddled the Lake in a White Canoe.
... a youth and maid, Who loved each other well ; Long and fondly loved, Loved from the childish hour, When, through the bosky dell, Together they fondly roved In quest of the little flovrer That likes to bloom in the quiet shade Of the tall and stately oaks. The pale-face calls it the violet — 'T is a beautiful child when its leaves are wet With the morning dew, and spread To the beams of the sun, and its little head Sinks low with the weight of the tear That gems its pale blue eye, Causing it to lie
Like a maiden whose heart is broke. Does my brother hear ? He hears my words. 'T is well. The names of this fond youth and maid Tell who they were. For he was Annawan, the Brave, And she Pequida, the girl of the braid. The fairest of the fair. Her foot was the foot of the nimble doe That flies from a cruel carcajou, Deeming speed the means to save ; Her eyes were the eyes of the yellow owl, That builds his nest by the River of Fish ;
i
AMES ATHEAKN JOKES
219
Her hair was black as the wings of the fowl
That drew this world from the great abyss.
Small and plump was her hand,
Small and slender her foot ;
And when she opened her lips to sing,
Kipe red lips, soft sweet lips,
Lips like the flower that the honey-bee sips.
The birds in the grove were mute.
The bittern forgot his toot,
And the owl forbore his hoot.
And the king-bird set his wing.
And the woodpecker ceased his tap
On the hollow beech.
And the son of the loon on the neighboring strand
Gave over his idle screech,
And fell to sleep in his mother's lap."
These lovers met in secret ; knowing the bitter enmity existing between their parents, they sought to hide their
interviews.
But when the sky was mild.
And the moon's pale light was veiled,
And hushed was every breeze,
In prairie, village, and wild,
And the bittern had stayed his toot.
And the serpent had ceased his hiss,
And the wolf forgot his howl.
And the owl forbore his hoot,
And the plaintive wekolis,
And his neighbor, the frog, were mute ;
Then would my brother have heard
A plash like the dip of the water-fowl,
In the lake with mist so white,
And the smooth wave roll to the banks.
And have seen the current stirred
By something that seemed a "White Canoe
Gliding past his troubled view.
And thus for moons they met
By night on the tranquil lake,
"When darkness veils the earth.
And thus each night they met, And thus a summer passed.
t
220 JjAMES ATHEARN JONES
Autumn came at lenorth
With all its promised joys,
Its host of glittering stars,
Its fields of yellow corn,
Its shrill and healthful winds.
Its sports of field and flood.
The buck in the grove was sleek and fat,
The corn was ripe and tall ;
Grapes clustered thick on the vines ;
And the healing winds of the north
Had left their cells to breathe
On the fevered cheeks of the Roanokes.
And the skies were lit by brighter stars
Than lisrht them in the "time of summer.
o
Annawan, detained long past his usual hour, seeks the maiden in their accustomed haunts, but finds her not.- Filled with anguish, he loudly calls her name.
" No answer meets the warrior's ears : , But, glimmering o'er the lake appears A solitary, twinkling light, — It seems a fire-fly lamp ; It moves with motion quick and strange, Over the broad lake's breast. The lover sprang to his light canoe, And swiftly followed the meteor spark. But the winds were high, and the clouds were dark, He could not flnd the maid, Nor near the glittering lamp."
Among these Indian Tales, one of the most charming is "■ The Phantom "Woman," a tradition of the Winnebagoes.
Take the following from Vol. I., page 175, as a speci- men of the author's style : —
" And whither goest thou, maiden ? Dove of the forest, vrhither goest thou ? Maiden, as bright as the Hunter's Star, Maiden, whose hair is the grape-clustered vine, Whose neck is the neck of the swan. Whose eyes are the eyes of the dove, Whose hand is as small as the red-oak's leaf. Whose foot is the length of the lark's spread wing,
I
AMES ATHEARN JONES 221
"WTiose step is the step of the antelope's child, Whose voice is the voice of a rill in the moon, Of the rill's most gentle song: "Whither goest thou ? "
After his return from England, Mr. Jones lived upon the farm in Tisbury, left him by his grandfather, the old homestead where he was born. Here he succeeded in raising crops that were an astonishment to his neighbors. Tiring of farm hfe, he entered into commercial pursuits, and built him a store and house in West Tisbury, where he lived for a number of years. While living at Tisbury, Mr. Jones wrote, by request of John P. Norton, Esq., ex- ecutor, a Biographical Memoir of Ichabod Norton, Esq., of Edgartown, Mass., a pamphlet of twenty-six pages, "printed for private distribution," by Coolidge & Wiley, Boston, 1848; also, for Captain Elisha Dexter, of Holmes Hole, Mass., a Narrative of the Shipwreck, in 1842, of the " William and Joseph," Dexter master. He was admit- ted a corresponding member of the New England His- toric Genealogical Society, May 27, 1845.
From Tisbury he removed to Buffalo, New York, where he became, January 1, 1850, the editor-in-chief and part proprietor of the "Journal of Commerce," a daily and weekly paper established by himself and his partners, the firm being known as Jones, Matthews, & Co. Like many other such ventures, the new paper was not a fi- nancial success. It failed for lack of patronage, having been published about three months. His name appears in the Directory for 1851, as a resident of Buffalo. At the time of his decease, and for many months previous, Mr. Jones was a resident of Brooklyn, New York.
In the midst of business pursuits, death came to him hurriedly. Cholera, that fearfully swift destroyer, at- tacked him ; and, in a single day, he was brought to the close of life. Those who were with him in his last brief illness were all strangers, except a devoted niece, sud-
222 JAMES ATHEAEN JONES
denly summoned from her home in New York, who fear- lessly took her perilous post by his bedside, and never left it till life had departed. He died at Brooklyn, New York, July 7, 1854, in the sixty-third year of his age, and was interred at Greenwood.
LEONARD MOODY PARKER
Leonard Moody Paeker was born in Shirley, Middle- sex County, Massachusetts, January 9, 1789. His father, James Parker, was a descendant of Captain James Parker, one, and the largest, of the original proprietors of the ter- ritory of Groton, which territory was afterward divided, and forms several distinct townships, of which Shirley was the first that received an act of incorporation. This act was passed by the General Court of Massachusetts in the spring of 1753.
James Parker, the father of the subject of this notice, was an early settler of Shirley, and owned a thrifty and pleasantly situated farm, located one m'ile south of the Central Church, and lying on the road that leads from Shirley to Lancaster. Here a family consisting of ten children was born, all of whom were reared to manhood and womanhood, and, with a single exception, became the heads of other families that were settled in Shirley and vicinity.
Leonard was the youngest of the household, and this circumstance exposed him to the danger of that undue partiality with which parents are prone to regard the child of their old age ; yet it seems he plodded onward from childhood to man's estate without inconvenience from this source, and through his early habits of industry, was enabled to establish a firm and consistent manly character. He engaged in the ordinary service of the
224 LEONARD MOODY PARKER
farmer's boy with the same patient industry that he afterward devoted to the onerous duties of his pubhc official career.
After exhausting the means furnished by the common district school he was, at the age of fourteen years, placed in the academy at Groton, then under the charge of Hon. Caleb Butler, where he was fitted for the uni- versity. He was entered a student of Dartmouth Col- lege, then under the care of the younger president Wheelock, and was graduated in 1808, with a full share of collegiate honors.
Hon. Abijah Bigelow, of Leominster, then in the full tide of his popularity, and member for Congress from Worcester North District, received the young student into his office, where he remained for two years, and then was a student for one year in the law office of Hon. Levi Lincoln, of Worcester. Admitted to the bar in 1811, Mr. Parker commenced his professional career in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in the office recently vacated by an older brother. General Daniel Parker, who had received an official appointment under the United States Government.
In 1812 — upon the memorable declaration of war against Great Britain, a marked epoch in the annals of our history — Mr. Parker was appointed Army Judge Advocate, attached to Military District No. 1, and held that office until the reduction of the army after the return of peace.
In 1816 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives from Charlestown. In 1818, and for the three succeeding years, was chosen to the State Senate from the County of Middlesex. In 1820 he was a mem- ber of the convention for amending the constitution of the State on the separation of Maine from Massachusetts. In 1825, 1828, and 1829, he again represented the town of Charlestown in the House, and in 1826 and 1827 was
LEONARD MOODY PARKER 225
a member of the Senate from IVIiddlesex County. In 1830 he received from President Jackson the appoint- ment of Naval Officer for the Port of Boston and Charles- town, upon the decease of General Boyd, his predecessor in that office, in which he continued four years, when he retired to his native place, the quiet and pleasant town of Shirley, where he passed the residue of his days.
"Within the year following his fellow-citizens elected him a representative to the Legislature ; the same year he was again chosen a senator for the county of Middle- sex, which required him to resign his seat in the House. In 1837, and again in 1840, he was a member of the Senate, and in that capacity served as a member of the Valuation Committee convened in the autumn of that year. In this same autumn he was elected chairman of the Middlesex Board of County Commissioners for three years, and at the expiration of the term decUned a re-election. His last official position was in the Massa- chusetts House of Representatives, a member from Shirley, elected in 1850, and as a member of the longest official standing in that body, called the House to order and presided at its organization.
While engaged in the duties of a legislator, Mr. Parker was frequently called to the performance of important trusts, among which may be mentioned the appointment, by a resolve of the Legislature in 1825, of himself, Theo- dore Sedgwick and James Savage to " prepare a system for the establishment of a seminary for the education of the working classes in the practical arts and sciences." The result of the commission was two elaborate and valu- able reports accompanied by a bill. The same year he was one of the commissioners to settle the long-contested boundary line between the commonwealth and the State of Connecticut. A final and happy adjustment of this question was effected by this Board, of which that able and estimable man, Hon Elijah H. Mills, of North-
29
226 LEONARD MOODY PAEKER
amp ton, was chairman. The Hon. John Mills, then of Southbridge, was the other member of the commission, having been made the substitute of the Hon. Mr. Lyman, of Enfield, who died soon after his appointment. In 1830 Mr. Parker was on the Board of Commissioners, appointed by the Legislature to examine into the con- dition of the banks of the county of Suffolk.
In his political principles and party relations Mr. Parker was, throughout his public life, a Republican of the old Jefferson school, " with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning." In 1824 he was chairman of the state committee of the Republican party who sup- ported that eminent citizen, William H. Crawford, for the presidency, and in every successive election he sustained the regular nominations of the Democrats, as they were subsequently called.
During the long period of his legislative services Mr. Parker was uniformly active and efiicient in the discharge of the duties that devolved on him. To pass over many of less moment, a few of the more prominent deserve a place in this sketch. In the year 1820 he moved in the senate an inquiry into the expediency of abolishing the Circuit Court of Common Pleas, with four judges, which had become wholly inadequate to the public service. As one of the • committee he prepared the bill for the establishing the new Court of Common Pleas, as it was afterwards organized. The Circuit Court system, which had long remained a favorite measure of the Republican party, was a great improvement on the County Court system, which it superseded ; but the organization under this bill was still more effective, and with slight varia- tions continued ever since. A service not then appre- ciated, but the value of which can now be seen, was rendered the same year by the defeat of the bill seriously urged in the legislature, to sell the whole interest of Massachusetts in the public lands in Maine for $150,000.
LEONARD MOODY PARKER 227
Mr. Parker took an active part in defeating this project, ■which would have given milhons to private speculation instead of reserving it for the State and for common- Bchool education.
In 1826 and 1827 Mr. Parker was chairman of the joint standing committee on roads and canals, as it was then designated, before railroads had a legislative being. They were then just beginning to be talked about, and Mr. Parker took a lively interest in the matter. This session, he reported resolves for the appointment of a board of commissioners on internal improvements, who were directed to make surveys for routes for railroads, among which was one from Boston to the Hudson River, and also the line from Boston to Providence. The next year the name of the committee was changed to roads and railways, and Mr. Parker again officiated as chair- man. The reports and surveys made under the resolves of the present year were referred to this committee, which made a full report, that foreshadowed very dis- tinctly what has since resulted in the Boston and Albany Railroads, and in other routes. That report urged the necessity of having the State take a leading interest in the work, and maintained that '•' should the State think it expedient to assume the whole of the great work, it would prove a source of profit and not a. burthen."
Accompanying , the report was a bill for the appoint- ment of a more numerous board of commissioners on internal improvements. Levi Lincoln, David Henshaw, and Nathan Hale were subsequently appointed on that Board. In 1828-1829 Mr. Parker, in connection with Theodore Sedsf-wick and other influential members of the House, made an earnest effort to induce the State to take the interest and control, to the extent of two thirds, in the construction of railroads from Boston to Providence, and from Boston to Worcester. This measure failed, and subsequently these roads went into the hands
228 LEONARD MOODY PARKER
of private corporations, by means of which their great profits have gone to individuals, instead of providing, as they otherwise would have done, a large revenue for the commonwealth.
In 1826 came up the great question of the freedom of "Warren Bridge, — the first attempt to open a free passage from Boston to the country. The subject of this notice regarded the struggle for this measure as the grand battle between vested rights and monopolies which had stood so long in the way of progress, and had compelled the many to pay everlasting tribute to the, few, "by setting a toll- gate against posterity." Mr. Parker, as the records of the period amply show, was a most persevering and effective advocate of a free avenue, and perhaps was relied on more than any other senator in the lead he took in support of the bill. It was carried through, after a protracted and exciting debate, by a majority of one, but it met the veto of Governor Lincoln, and failed at that time to become a law. The following year the friends of the measure again carried it through against the most inveterate opposition ; and this time, so decisive had been the tone of public sentiment, it escaped a veto and became a law. From this has resulted the free avenues subsequently opened, which have proved of priceless benefit to the city and surrounding country.
In 1836 the Western Railroad had exhausted its means, and applied to the Legislature for aid. The doctrine of the Democratic party, with which Mr. Parker acted, was substantially that the State should either assume the road, or not make its loans to private corporations.
The subject was one of difficulty and delicacy. Mr. Parker advocated the bill in pursuance of the policy recommended in his report in 1828, and moved an important amendment touching the ultimate power of the state to assume the road, without which it would not have passed the Senate, as it finally did, increasing the capital one million of stock in behalf of the State.
LEONARD MOODY PAKKER 229
During this and the following year numerous railroad companies, created prior to March 11, 1831, applied for extension of time and increase of capital, and Mr. Parker took care, in every case, to move the conditional clause subjecting them to the general law of 1831, from which their prior charters had exempted them. This was earnestly opposed by many of the friends of railroads, as a grievous infringement of the favorite doctrine of vested rights, but it is beheved that all now see the utility and necessity of such a provision.
In 1837 the subject of slavery had begun to agitate the political circles of the State, and had opened its way to her legislative assembhes. On the 18th of January of this year the United States House of Representatives adopted a resolution : —
" That all petitions, memorials, resolutions, propositions, or papers, relating in any way, and to any extent whatever, to the subject of slavery or the abolition of slavery, without being either printed or referred, be laid on the table, and that no further action whatever shall be had thereon."
This was considered a serious infrino^ement on the riorh^- of freemen, and a memorial was forwarded to the M ' chusetts Senate praying that body to "protest c
delay, in the name of the people of this Ccr^ th,
against said resolution, and to invoke the ^^ jpre-
sentatives of the United States to imnie .md it."
This memorial was dated February lo, and was
referred to a committee of which Mr. Pai .r was chair- man. On the 22d of the same month he submitted the following resolutions for the consideration and adoption of the Legislature : —
" Resolved, That Congress does not possess the constitutional power to interfere with slavery within the limits of respective States.
" Resolved, That Congress does possess the constitutional power to abolish slavery within the District of Columbia.
230 LEONARD MOODY PAEKER
" Resolved, That the foundation principles of our political institutions, the honor of our country, and the peace of all, do demand the solemn consideration, by Congress, of the "wisdom And effects of exercising the power aforesaid.
" Resolved, That the right of petition, and free discussion in regard to all matters within the constitutional power of Con- gress, ought to be held sacred, and any attempt to impair or abridge it should be met with devoted firmness.
" Resolved, That His Excellency the Governor be requested to transmit a copy of the foregoing resolutions to each of our Senators and Representatives in Congress."
A careful perusal of the above resolutions, as reported by Mr. Parker, will show to all who are acquainted with him that they evince that boldness and decision with which he was accustomed to speak when giving utter- ance to opinions and principles which he believed to be right and was determined to maintain. He would think, speak, and act in the cause of truth and right, entirely regardless of consequences to himself ; and so spoke these resolutions.
As far as the compiler of this biography has been able w to\j=?certain, no resolution or report in any form had ever ^^fore Sl^en made in our legislature, or in any other le^slature^Jn the country, asserting the right of Congress to \bolish ^o-'very in the District of Columbia, and a solem\\demand nrade upon that body to consider the wis- dom and^ the effeq/ts of the exercise of that power.
As abo -^i strtted, this report was submitted on the 22d of February. — the day which gave birth to that great man who .was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." And it was followed by another, within five days, on the same subject which took similar ground ; in fine, it opened the way to a more free and bold discussion of the slavery question in the free Spates. Mr. Parker must, therefore, be regarded as one - of the first to agitate the slavery question before a legis-
LEONARD MOODY PARKER 231
lative body, though it had long been a theme of much discussion in private circles, in abolition conventions, in newspapers and magazines.
Mr. Parker was chairman of the County Commissioners for Middlesex in 1840, when the stand was first taken to refuse all licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors on the ground that the public good did not require such traffic. Such a measure was not without opposition, but it was maintained.
Durino; his last term in the Leorislature — that of 1850 — Mr. Parker was as active and interested as he had ever been. He then proposed to have a convention to amend the constitution, for the purpose of reducing the repre- sentation in the popular branch of the legislature. He was in favor of the district system, which has been adopted since his death.
Such is an outline of the official and public action of the subject of this notice. In tracing him, wherever he has been, it will be found that he has left his mark. He never sought popularity or aimed to be a leader. So far as he had effective influence upon the public bodies with which he co-operated, it was attained by well maturing his plans, by a conviction brought home to others of his entire sincerity and integrity of purpose and of their pub- lic utihty, and further by his firmness, qualified by en- lightened conciliation, and enforced by perseverance in their accomplishment. He seemed, in his public action, to have steadily looked at two things, — to do good and to prevent harm.
Although so many years of the life of Mr. Parker were devoted to public affairs, he did not forget private and social duties. As a life member of the Boston Society of Natural History, an honorary member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences in Hanover, New Hampshire, and a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, to which he was admitted January
230
LEONARD MOODY PAEKER
" Resolved, That the foundation principles of our political institutions, the honor of our country, and the peace of all, do demand the solemn consideration, by Congress, of the wisdom and effects of exercising the power aforesaid.
'■'■Resolved, That the right of petition, and free discussion in regard to all matters within the constitutional power of Con- gress, ought to be held sacred, and any attempt to impair or abridge it should be met with devoted firmness.
" Resolved, That His Excellency the Governor be requested to transmit a copy of the foregoing resolutions to each of our Senators and Representatives in Congress."
A careful perusal of the above resolutions, as reported by Mr. Parker, will show to all who are a.cquainted with him that they evince that boldness and decision with which he was accustomed to speak when giving utter- ance to opinions and principles which he believed to be right and was determined to maintain. He would think, speak, and act in the cause of truth and right, entirely regardless of consequences to himself; and so spoke these resolutions.
V As far as the compiler of this biography has been able V to a:J^certain, no resolution or report in any form had ever ^^fore St^en made in our legislature, or in any other le<jslature^Jn the country, asserting the right of Congress to \holish slti'very in the District of Columbia, and a solem\:^demand itrade upon that body to consider the wis- dom and^ the effeg/ts of the exercise of that power.
As abo ^ stated, this report was submitted on the 22d of February., — the day which gave birth to that great man who was " first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." And it was followed by another, within five days, on the same subject which took similar ground ; in fine, it opened the way to a more free arid bold discussion of the slavery question in the free States. Mr. Parker must, therefore, be regarded as one of the first to agitate the slavery question before a legis-
u
i
LEONARD MOODY PARKER
231
lative body, though it had long been a theme of much discussion in private circles, in abolition conventions, in newspapers and magazines.
Mr. Parker was chairman of the County Commissioners for Middlesex in 1840, when the stand was first taken to refuse all licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors on the ground that the public good did not require such traffic. Such a measure was not without opposition, but it was maintained.
During his last term in the Legislature — that of 1850 — Mr. Parker was as active and interested as he had ever been. He then proposed to have a convention to amend the constitution, for the purpose of reducing the repre- sentation in the popular branch of the legislature. He was in favor of the district system, which has been adopted since his death.
Such is an outline of the official and public action of the subject of this notice. In tracing him, wherever he has been, it will be found that he has left his mark. He never sought popularity or aimed to be a leader. So far as he had effective influence upon the public bodies with which he co-operated, it was attained by well maturing his plans, by a conviction brought home to others of his entire sincerity and integrity of purpose and of their pub- lic utility, and further by his firmness, qualified by en- lightened conciliation, and enforced by perseverance in their accomplishment. He seemed, in his public action, to have steadily looked at two things, — to do good and to prevent harm.
Although so many years of the life of Mr. Parker were devoted to public affairs, he did not forget private and social duties. As a life member of the Boston Society of Natural History, an honorary member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences in Hanover, New Hampshire, nnd a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, to which he was admitted January
232 LEONARD MOODY PARKER
9, 1850, he contributed his share to scientific, literary, and other associations ; and at every period of his life, from the labors of the boy on his father's farm, he was inter- ested in agriculture and co-operated in the success of the State, of Middlesex, and of Worcester Agricultural So- cieties, in which he held membership. In all his connec- tions his friends found him true to his convictions of duty, and his opponents rarely questioned his integrity, but generally acknowledged him honorable and disin- terested.
After his return to his native town he devoted much of his time and labor to its municipal interests and its institutions. He gratuitously proffered his services, when occasion required, to local investigations, the preparation of reports, the regulation of town records, and in all those questions of interest and debate that required legal ad- vice he was "in season and out of season," exhibiting: traits of mature judgment and careful discrimination.
He always took a deep and conscientious interest in the religious wants of the town. When in health his place in church was rarely vacant; and in the alterations and repairs which the church edifice of the First Parish under- went, within the twenty years previous to his death, Mr. Parker stood at the helm of affairs, and guided with a steady and unwavering hand the counsels and operations of these improvements. For the present beautiful loca- tion, for the form and convenience, of their temple of worship, the parish is largely indebted to his careful con- sideration and unwearied perseverance.
The schools of the town were also an object of his sin- cere concern. For several years he was a member of the town superintending committee, and in 1842 wrote a most invaluable report on the condition and wants of the primary school, as a former of the minds and morals of the rising generation; and he did not allow himself to forget the great cause of education at his death, but
LEONARD MOODY PARKER 233
established incipientlj a fund, which he intended should accumulate until it should be sufficiently large to give permanent support to a High School, for the benefit of the town. This will remain a standing memorial of his forecast and benevolence.
In his last sickness, which was long and painful, Mr. Parker exhibited a becoming resignation. He enter- tained a good hope that he was a subject of grace, and that the death of the body would transfer him to a higher and endurable home in heaven. He died August 25, 1854, aged sixty-five years. A funeral service was ob- served in the church where he had worshipped for the last twenty years of his life, when his remains were con- veyed to Worcester and interred in the Rural Cemetery of that city, by the side of his wife and his eldest daugh- ter, both of whom had preceded him to the grave.
Mr. Parker married Martha Lincoln, daughter of Levi Lincoln, Sen., of Worcester. They had three daughters. The two that survived him are still residents of that city.
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STEPHEN EALES
Mr. Faxes was a descendant of Timothy Fales, of Bris- tol, Rhode Island, a graduate of Harvard College in the Class of 1711, who was distinctly remembered by one of his own grandsons as a portly old gentleman, wearing a cocked hat, a gold-headed cane, blue velvet coat and breeches, knee and shoe buckles, and a queue, in the style of Sir Eoger de Coverley. He had a large family. William, Thomas, Nathaniel, Henry, Samuel, and Stephen Fales, all, probably, born in Bristol, Rhode Island, were either sons or grandsons. Of these, one became a pros- perous merchant in Cuba, and another in Brazil. Nathan- iel married Elizabeth Bradford, a descendant of Governor^ Bradford of the Plymouth Colony, and was an opulent merchant. Samuel, a son of this Nathaniel, married Abi- gail Haliburton of Nova Scotia, and acquired wealth in trade in Boston. He was a member of the firm of Fales & Keith, then widely known, and also president of a bank. One of the daughters of this Samuel, Mrs. Dunlap, now resides in New York ; and a son, Samuel B. Fales, lately deceased, was widely known as a prominent and wealthy merchant of Philadelphia. He generously used a portion of his large fortune in establishing a hospital, and in other charitable works. His services and contributions towards the maintenance of the "refreshment rooms'' for soldiers passing through Philadelphia during the late war, and the very liberal aid he rendered to the Centennial Exhibition,
STEPHEN FALES 235
in 1876, are matters of general public information. Of the other sons of Nathaniel, we learn that George mar- ried Miss Rush, of Philadelphia, and left one child, Alfred Baker Fales, of that city ; and that Charles married Miss Potter, of Warren, Rhode Island, and was a farmer in Bristol.
Samuel Fales, first-named, was a successful lawyer in Taunton, Massachusetts, and represented that town in the Legislature. For many years he was Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for Bristol County, and about 1806 was appointed Chief Justice of that court.
Stephen Fales married Hannah Smith, born about 1751, — one of the twelve children of Job and Hannah (Bar- ney) Smith of Taunton. Job Smith held a commission as captain in the army, and rendered service in the military operations against the French in Nova Scotia in 1758. In the Revolution he was a Loyalist. Hannah Barney was descended from an honored ancestry. Her father, Jacob Barney, married Mary, daughter of the Rev. Sam- uel Danforth, Jr., of Taunton, son of the Rev. Samuel Danforth of Roxbury. The latter married a daughter of the Rev. John Wilson, of Boston, whose wife was a daughter of Sir John Mansfield. The father of the Rev. John Wilson was the Rev. Wilham Wilson, D.D., of the Church of England, and his mother was Isabel Woodhal, a niece of the Rev. Edmund Grindall, Arch- bishop of Canterbury in the time of Elizabeth. Hannah Barney was in many respects a remarkable woman, and lived to the great age of ninety-two or ninety-three years, in the full possession of her faculties.
Hannah Smith, wife of Stephen Fales, had two broth- ers, Barney and Abiel, merchants of Boston. Abiel, by his will, proved in 1815, bequeathed to Harvard College the sum of twenty thousand dollars in three per cent stock of the United States as a fund, the income of which was to be applied to the maintenance of a teacher or pro-
236 STEPHEN FALES
f essor of the French - and Spanish languages in that col- lege. He also bequeathed to the selectmen of the town of Boston shares in certain turnpikes, bridges, etc., with four thousand dollars in three per cent U. S. stock, in trust, the net income to be devoted to the support of a school or schools, for the instruction of people bi color, " meaning Africans and their descendants, either clear or mixed, in reading, writing, and arithmetic." The Smith School-house was erected on Belknap Street, in 1854, at a cost of about .$7,500. The legacy amounted to about $5,000. In 1840 the legacy to Harvard College had in- creased to a little above $22,000. The Smith School for colored children was the first separate public school for that class in Boston, and it was the first endowed school in the United States for colored children of which we have knowledge.
One daughter of Barney Smith married the Hon. Jona- than Russell, Consul to France in the time of Napoleon 4Bonaparte, and another married George Alexander Otis, a gentleman of some Hterary note in his day.
Of the children of Stephen and Hannah Fales, — Na- thaniel, Henry, William Augustus, and Stephen were graduates of Harvard College. William A., who was graduated in 1806, had the English Poem at Commence- ment, — a high honor. By his wife Mary Ann, daughter of Edward Gray, a lawyer of Boston, he had Edward Gray, who was graduated from Bowdoin College in 1832, was a lawyer in Baltimore, and died there in 1842; Mary Turrell ; Jane Minot ; and Caroline Danforth, now living in Boston. To the late Mr. Samuel B. Fales of Phila- delphia, and to Mr. John Wetherbee of Boston, the writer of this sketch is indebted for nearly all the foregoing genealogical data.
Stephen Fales (son of the above-mentioned Stephen and Hannah, and the subject of this sketch) was born in Middle, now Hanover, Street, Boston, 3 May, 1789 or
STEPHEN FALES 237
1790. He was prepared for college at the Latin School, and was graduated from Harvard College in 1810, having as his honor the Latin Salutatory Oration. Soon after this he was called to the Tutorship in the Classics at Bow- doin College. Here he remained two years. Of his short but highly successful career there, the Rev. Alpheus S. Packard, D. D. the senior professor, writes as follows: —
" Entering college in 1812, the year when Mr. Fales left the tutorship, I used to hear of him frequently from members of the upper classes. He left a name held in the highest esteem. A Society formed in the classes before me was named Philopha- lian, or something like that, in his honor. He was not merely a popular tutor, but one greatly loved. He left the tutorship to study law in the office of Jeremiah Mason, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire ; and through my connection with the family of President Appleton by marriage in subsequent years, and thus with the Masons, I used to hear Tutor Fales often referred to, and received the impression of his remarkably amiable qualities. A lady in this town [Brunswick, Maine] says she distinctly re- members Mr. Fales, as quite noticeable for his humor and other social qualities, which attracted all who knew him, and his great popularity in the college."
Mr. Fales completed his law studies in the office and under the personal supervision of Mr. Mason, and on his motion was admitted to the Bar. No one of Mr. Fales's fellow-students survives to inform us as to his life in Portsmouth, or as to his character as a student of the law ; but from his standing and habits in college, and from the character of Mr. Mason as an instructor in the law, of which he was then in some respects the most distinguished expounder, in New England at any rate, we may draw the reasonable and probable conclusion that Mr. Fales did not fail to profit by such very rare advantages. It was his good fortune also to be able to witness the famous con- tests that at this period called out the highest powers and resources of Mr. Mason, Daniel Webster, George Sullivan,
238 STEPHEN FALES
Jeremiah Smith, and others, members of the same Bar, which at that time was unsurpassed in abiUty.
In the year 1819 Mr. Fales removed to Cincinnati, and entered on the practice of the law in partnership with Francis A. Blake, an eminent lawyer of this city, now deceased. Here, it appears, he met with fair success ; but, yielding to strong inducements, he removed in 1821 to Dayton, Ohio, where he was more prosperous. He made many friends there and in the vicinity, and for a time was drawn away from his profession to engage in poHtics. He was elected to the State Senate, and so filled this office as to justify the popular verdict that he was " an honorable and useful representative of the public in- terests."
In 1831 Mr. Fales returned to Cincinnati to reside, and for a while was associated in professional business with the Hon. Nathaniel G. Pendleton, but from about the year 1842 until his death, he was occupied chiefly in taking c-are of the large estate in Cincinnati owned by Mr. David Hunt of Mississippi. His death occurred suddenly on Sunday, 3 September, 1854, and his funeral took place on the following Tuesday, from the residence of his friend, A. S. Dandridge, M.D. Mr. Dandridge informs me that his " acquaintance with Mr. Fales commenced in the fall of 1842. He was then apparently a prematurely old man, — not weighing, probably, one hundred pounds. He was strong in his friendships, and equally so in his dislikes. He had a few intimate friends, but never at that period went into general society. He utterly detested trickery, and was the very personification of honor and honesty. He was punctual to his engagements, systematic and ac- curate in all his duties. After his death, his accounts with the Hunt estate, running through many years and abounding in details, were found correct to a mill. By those who knew him intimately he was regarded as deeply learned in the law, and as a fine classical scholar."
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By others, also, who knew Mr. Fales well, he is repre- sented as having " possessed some of the best traits of humanity. He was bold, untiring, without guile, un- changeable in his friendships, of a noble spirit and lofty integrity." He never lost his love for the classics, and it is reported that he was in the habit of carrying about in his pocket a copy of some favorite Greek or Latin author, or a copy of the New Testament in Greek, and reading it as he had opportunity. He took a special interest in young men, and was assiduous in urging them to acquire a critical knowledge of the classical languages. Finally, and in the words of another of his old friends : —
" Mr. Fales sympathized with the sorrows and misfortunes of his fellow-men, and was the friend of all, without regard to social, religious, or political differences."
Mr. Fales was admitted a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society October 6, 1845.
SAMUEL CHURCH
Samuel Church, second son of Nathaniel Church and Lois Ensign, was born in Salisbury, Connecticut, on the 4th day of February, 1785. His immigrant ancestor was Richard Church, who removed from Plymouth to Hart- ford in the early days of the colony, \yhen twelve years old the subject of this narrative began the study of Latin at the academy in Salisbury, under the instruction of Mr. Asa Day ; and in the winter of 1798 he commenced that of Greek with Mr. Thomas Fitch, at Canaan Comers. In April, 1799, he was sent to Bethlehem to complete his preparation for college under the instruction of the Rev. Azel Backus, a distinguished scholar and divine who was afterwards president of Hamilton College. In September of that year Mr. Church was admitted a Freshman at Yale College. He took a high stand there, especially in belles- lettres, and was graduated with distinction in 1803. In April, 1804, he began the study of law under the care of the Hon. Judson Canfield, of Sharon, with whom he re- mained more than a year, when, in April, 1806, he became a member of the Law School at Litchfield, where he at- tended a course of lectures given by the Hon. Tapping Reeve and James Gould, Esq., and was admitted to the Bar of Litchfield County in September.
On the 26th of November, of the same year, he was married to Cynthia Newell, daughter of Seth Newell and Esther Landon, of Salisbury. This lady, his early playmate and friend, the mother of his children, and his
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inseparable companion until her death, which occurred at Litchfield, on the 27th of April, 1853, was an example of a pure Christian character, mild-mannered, sympathetic, and charitable, whose one aim in life appeared to be to do as many kindly things as she could, with the least possible demonstration.
The subject of this sketch spent the summer of 1807 with his brother in Ohio, with a view of remaining there, and was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of that State at Warren, Trumbull County, on the 20th day of June, 1807. The delicate state of his wife's health caused him to give up this plan, and in the spring of 1808 he began his professional practice at Salisbury in a house formerly occupied by his father, where he soon found himseK fully occupied. In 1810 he was appointed Post- master in Salisbury, and removed to Furnace Village (now Lakeville), where he resided five years. In 1815 he set- tled in the centre village of Salisbury, where he spent most of his professional life. Here he educated his half- brother, Leman Church, and fitted him for that distin- guished career at the Litchfield Bar which was so widely extended into Eastern New York and Western Massachu- setts. In 1818 Samuel Church was first appointed a Jus- tice of the Peace, and, to use his own words, " thought not of aspiring to a higher place." In that year he was appointed a delegate to the convention that formed the .constitution of Connecticut. He was a prominent figure in this very interesting era of the history of his native State, — the transition period from the old rule under the charter of Charles II. to the more democratic plan still existing in the constitution of 1818. He was one of the principal agents in bringing about this change. In a paper written at the request of the author of this memoir, he declares the charter of no efficacy as a constitution after the severance of the colonies from Great Britain; and in this connection says : —
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" Connecticut and Rhode Island, apparently forgetting the fundamental principles of the social compact of 1638, adopted their charters by an unauthorized act of their legislatures. The adoption of our charter was a legislative act only ; and therefore might at any time have been modified, altered, or disregarded by a subsequent legislature. It is not believed that a court could have decided any act of our general assembly unconstitu- tional and void as violating any charter or constitution which was recognized as of binding force. Of course there was no security here for the rights of the minority. The charter gave powers to the majority by authorizing them to act in a given way, but provided no barrier over which they could not pass. I supposed always that a constitution was necessary only to secure a minority from the encroachments of the majority."
In this convention Mr. Church stood firmly for the rights of the minority, a permanent judiciary, the free exercise of the elective franchise, and a total severance of religious denominationalism from all the civil functions of the State. In the years 1820, 1821, 1823, 1829, and 1831 he was elected a member of the House of Represen- tatives in the General Assembly, and in 1821 vras ap- pointed Judge of Probate for the District of Sharon, which office he held for a period of twelve years. In 1824 he was elected a member of the State Senate, and annually thereafter for three successive years. This was at a time when that body consisted of but twelve members, elected by general ticket. In 1823 he was chosen Clerk of the House of Representatives. In August, 1825, he was appointed State's Attorney for Litchfield County, and remained in that place until 1832, when he was chosen Associate Judge of the Supreme Court, in which office he continued until 1847, when he was made Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of Errors. He remained in this responsible position until his death, which took place on the 13th of September, 1854, at Newtown, while he was on a visit at the house of his son-in-law, the Rev. Benja- min W. Stone. He was chosen an honorary member of
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the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Yale College at the Com- mencement in 1842. In 1845 he was constituted a life member of the American Bible Society, and elected a cor- responding member of the New York Historical Society in 1846. He was admitted a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, March 7, 1848. In 1845 he removed from Salisbury to Litchfield, where he resided until his death. Judge Church left in his journal the following words : —
" I wish my children and all my relatives and descendants to know that the respective places of honor and trust conferred upon me during my life were thus conferred without any solici- tation or effort on my part, and especially that the offices of As- sociate and Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of Errors were conferred by legislatures with whose political opinions I did not accord."
He held the office of Judge of the Supreme Court of Errors for a period of more than twenty-two years, and his written opinions, which begin in the ninth volume of Connecticut Reports and end in the twenty-second, are among the most lucid and learned of American law writ- ings. He brought to the study of the law powers of analysis rarely equalled. He had the true instinct to divine what the law is, and the boldness to maintain it without regard to consequences. He had a ready facility in casting his conceptions into the form of written propo- sitions, and a memory so retentive that he could in the absence of books fortify himself by citations from ele- mentary writers and reported cases with an accuracy that needed little subsequent verification. He elaborated his briefs with such care that his forensic efforts exhibited the finish of written compositions. From this practice must have resulted that aptness in the use of legal terms which characterized his decisions on the Circuit as well in interlocutory as in final questions, and in his charges to the jury in civil and criminal causes.
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Judge Church was fond of the society of young per- sons, and was glad to impart information to such as desired it. Fidelity in all the social and domestic relations was a marked trait of his character. He was a soHcitous, sym- pathizing friend, to whom personal secrets might be con- fided with a certainty that they would be kept sacred. He hated the oppression of unequal laws, of denomina- tional and social barriers. Exceptionally he loved fair play and an open field for all competitors. He scorned a professional trick, and used to punish it when detected in court with a sharpness of rebuke that made the culprit an object of commiseration.
The rehgious element was very strong in Judge Church, and dominated his whole character. In the summer of 1838 he was baptized and confirmed by the Eight Rev. Bishop Brownell, and continued till his death a consistent and faithful member of the Episcopal Church. In the words of the Hon. Origen S. Seymour, lately Chief Judge of Connecticut, —
" His Christian character gained strength and emitted a still brighter light as he advanced deeper and deeper into the shades of declining years."
Judge Seymour gracefully adds : —
" The reader will see in the gradual unfolding of his mind and character those evidences of healthy growth and fibrous texture that possess, like our more hardy forest trees, a kind of earthly immortality, — throwing abroad their venerable arms, and casting a benignant shadow over more than one generation of men."
The funeral of Judge Church was attended from the Episcopal Church which he had helped to build in his native town, and in which he had been baptized and con- firmed. He was buried in the old cemetery of Salisbury, by the side of his wife, and among his and her kindred.
He left four children: Albert Ensign Church, born December 17, 1807, who was educated at West Point
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Military Academy, and was for more than forty years actively engaged in duty there as one of its ablest pro- fessors. He died March 30, 1878. Caroline Esther, the second child, was born January 6, 1810, and is now Mrs. G. W. Holly, of Niagara Falls. Lois Ensign was born November 11, 1812, and is now the wife of the Rev. Benjamin W. Stone, D.D., of Rochester, New York. The fourth child, Samuel Porter Church, M.D., was born November 14, 1821, and now resides in Newburgh, New York.
WILLIAM PLUMER
Francis Pltjmer, from wHom, it is believed, all the fami- lies in the United States bearing the name of Plumer, or Plummer, may trace their descent, came to Massachusetts from the West of England, and took the freeman's oath at Boston, in 1634. In the following year he settled at Newbury, of which town he was one of the original gran- tees. Of the fourth generation from him was Samuel Plumer, who in 1768 removed from Newbury to Epping, New Hampshire, and became a farmer.. He was a man of remarkable physical vigor, which in his children was inherited rather in tenacity of life than in muscular strength or activity, — his sons having attained an aver- age of eighty-six years of age.
In 1759 Samuel's son William was born at Newbury, and was nine years of age when his father became a resi- dent of Epping. He studied law, was eminent at the bar, and filled successively the offices of Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Kepresentatives, President of the Senate, Senator in Congress, and Governor of New Hamp- shire. In 1788 he married Sally, daughter of Philip Fowler, a respectable farmer of Newmarket. He took his bride to a partly finished house, which he subse- quently finished and furnished amply and generously, and in which they lived together for sixty-three years, Mrs. Plumer surviving her husband fifteen months.
Governor Plumer was a man of clear and strong mind, pure and high moral principle^ and character, and exten- sive intellectual culture, especially in the department of
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history, political and general. Mrs. Plumer was distin- guished for all the domestic virtues, while her solid good sense, her native kindness and gentleness, and her cordial hospitality, won the respect and affection of the many acquaintances, visitors, and guests, who thronged their house while her husband was in public and active life, and continued to resort to it till, with the infirmities of a tardy old age, came the necessity for repose and quiet. Their home was rich in choice educational influences, intellectual and moral, and while it was not unfrequented by the best society of the time, it was within easy reach of Exeter and Portsmouth, which were then social centres of much greater importance than in later years.
The eldest child of this marriage, William Plumer, Junior (as he continued to be till within four years of his death), was born on the 9th of February, 1789. His childhood was characterized by modesty, docility, and filial reverence and affection. Surrounded by books, he grew, with no othei- stimulus than a native and inherited proclivity, into the habit of reading and the love of study. At the age of thirteen he entered Phillips Exeter Acad- emy, then under the charge of the well-remembered Dr. Abbot. Here, for the first two years, he devoted himself more to the reading of history and English literature than to the regular studies of his class, and was regarded by those who stood above him on the rank -list as an infallible authority in the whole field of knowledge outside of the class-work. In his third year he became a very close and diligent student, and in 1805 he was among the foremost of the successful candidates for admission to Harvard Col- lege. In college he still spent a considerable portion of his time in reading the best books accessible, yet main- tained his place among the highest scholars of his class. At this early period he felt the importance of a good English style to a man of liberal education, and availing himself of every means of instruction and opportunity of
248 WILLIAM PLUMER
practice, he acquired an ease, accuracy, and grace, as a writer, unusual in a mere novice.
Immediately after graduating he commenced the study of the law under his father's direction, embracing in his course a wide range of collateral studies. In his private journal of that period he speaks of " an intimate acquaint- ance with history, belles-lettres, moral philosophy, and politics" as "necessary to the education of a lawyer," and probably no yoimg man of his time became more thoroughly an adept in these departments of culture. In 1812 he took his second degree, and delivered the Master's Oration, then usually assigned to the highest surviving scholar of the class. Whether he held that rank when he took his first degree we do not know j for in the intervening years four of the thirty-two members of his class had died.
In 1812 he first appeared as a public speaker on the political arena, at a Republican conv,ention at Kingston. About the same time he was admitted to the bar. For the four following years he remained at Epping, engaged for the most part in study, writing often for the newspapers, and taking a prominent part in political assemblies and movements. During this period he projected and com- menced two historical works, one of which he was in- duced to lay aside by the appearance of a prospectus for a similar work by a citizen of Massachusetts, while the other was dropped in the subsequent pressure of public eno-ao-ements and duties.
In 1816 he received from the United States Govern- ment an appointment as Commissioner of Loans for New Hampshire, and removed to Portsmouth to assume this charge. After a service of seventeen months the office was abolished, and he returned to Epping.
In 1818 he represented his native town in the Legisla- ture, and became at once a prominent member in debate, on committees, and in the initiation of important meas-
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iires. During that session he was nominated for Con- gress, was elected in the following spring, and was twice re-elected, thus serving in three successive Congresses. During his first term the admission of Missouri as a slave State was the burning question of the hour. He was firm and resolute in the opposition. We have before us several of the speeches on that question ; and among them one by him, covering forty-two closely printed pages, has the pre-eminence in calm and dignified utter- ance, in weight of argument, in force of appeal, and in clear foresight of the consequences contingent on the ulti- mate decision, — a foresight too sadly realized in the growth, ascendency, disruption, and sanguinary overthrow of the slave power. The following passages from this speech will show at once his patriotic championship of the cause of freedom, his strong sense of the importance of the crisis, and his prescience as to the inevitable issue.
" When I hear slavery in the Southern States lamented as an evil which they cannot immediately remove, I acquiesce in the justice of this defence. But when gen- tlemen go further, and not merely excuse slavery, but pronounce its eulogium ; when they tell us that, how- ever bad it may be for the slave, it is no injury to the master; that he gains by it, that his ease and con- venience are promoted, and, therefore, that it ought not to be touched, — I tremble for the stability of our repub- lican institutions. . . .
"We find slavery unjust in itself; adverse to all the great branches of national industry ; a source of danger in times of war ; repugnant to the first principles of our republican government ; and in all these ways extending its injurious effects to the States where its existence is not even tolerated. We beUeve that we possess under the Constitution the power necessary to arrest the further progress of this great and acknowledged evil; and the measure now proposed [the admission of Missouri as a
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250 WILLIAM PLUaiER
free State] is the joint result of all these motives, acting upon this belief, and guided by our most mature judg- ment and best reflection. As such, we present it to the people of Missouri, in the firm persuasion that we shall be found in the end to have consulted their wishes not less than their interests by this measure. For what, sir, is Missouri? Not the comparatively few inhabitants who now possess the country ; but a State, large and powerful, capable of containing, and destined, I trust, to contain, half a million of virtuous and intelligent freemen. It is to their wishes and their interests that I look, and not to the temporary blindness or the lamentable 'delusions of the present moment. If this restriction is imposed, in twenty years we shall have the people of Missouri thank- ing us for the measure, as Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois now thank the old Congress for the Ordinance of 1787. . . .
" It is in our power, by a single act, to determine the character and the policy of Missouri on this important subject, connected, as it is, with so many others, for all succeeding time ; and to say whether the people whom we admit into our Union shall bring to it a system of equal rights, extending the blessings of freedom alike to all, or introduce with them an odious monopoly of power and of wealth, unjust to its victims, and injurious to its authors. As we may this day decide, posterity will bless us for laying broad and deep the foundations of an equal government, or load our memories with the malediction of ages, for mistaking or neglecting their interests, and forging chains for them, which we, the freemen of Amer- ica, disdained ourselves to wear. It is not often that \e^- islators have it in their power to do so much good or inflict so much evil on mankind ; and fortunate indeed will be our lot, if we are but found equal to the glorious task, — if we are but wise, according to the measure of our duty, and firm and faithful to the end, in the dis- charge of this mighty trust."
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These were bold words for that era of Northern syco- phancy, subserviency, and compromise, — words which undoubtedly had their echo in the vast majority of North- ern homes and hearts, and which, had they been seconded by the men who then misrepresented the communities that sent them to the seat of government, would have strangled slavery in its cradle, and precluded the sacrifice of millions of precious lives on its funeral pile.
While in Congress, Mr. Plumer was intimately asso- ciated with John Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster, and retained relations of close friendship with them which were terminated only by death. He, like them, was a working member, careful of all that concerned the inter- ests of those whom he specially represented, while op- posed to such sectional legislation as did not conduce to the general good. In the seventeenth Congress he was chairman of the Committee on the 'Judiciary,
In 1824 he was chosen by the Senate of New Hamp- shire to the Senate of the United States ; but in the lower House there was no choice, and in the next Legislature union was effected on another candidate.
In 1820 Mr. Plumer married Miss Maro;aret F. Mead, who was possessed of every excellence which could ensure his domestic peace and happiness, and who still survives at a very advanced age. Shortly after his marriage he built a house near his father's, and this was thencefor- ward his home.
In 1827 and 1828 he was a member of the New Hamp- shire Senate, and declined re-election for a third term. In the first of these years he received a commission from President Adams as District Attorney for New Hampshire, — an appointment not made at the suggestion of any per- son, as Mr. Adams wrote to him, "a personal knowledge of your qualifications superseding the necessity for any rec- ommendation." As he had never been actively engaged in the practice of his profession, while declining the
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appointment, he was no less surprised than gratified by this appreciation of his legal attainments. But it was fully shared by his professional friends, as appears from his having been repeatedly urged to accept a seat on the bench of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire.
On leaving the Senate, he considered his public life as at an end ; yet he remained to the last an active member of society, attending political meetings, discharging im- portant trusts, especially for philanthropic purposes, and always ready to devote time, labor, and money to the ser- vice of any worthy cause. On many accounts he would have preferred a residence where he could have enjoyed literary society, have had access to other libraries than his own and his father's, and have borne a larger part in measures for the improvement and welfare of the com- munity, which never lacked his warm sympathy and, when opportunity sierved, his cordial co-operation. But his father, in a still vigorous old age, had passed into retirement, and depended chiefly on this son as a medium of intercourse with the outside world, and for fellow- feeling and constant aid in his studious and industrious life. Nor did ever a son hold a father in more dutiful reverence and affection. Each was more than satisfied with the other's society. They were in their congenial tastes and pursuits as an elder and a younger brother. When the father became infirm, the duty of remaining at his side became more than ever imperative ; and when the father died, the son was too far advanced in years to seek new scenes and associates.
Meanwhile Mr. Plumer's home was pre-eminently happy. No cloud passed over it, except the death of an infant child. His house was the seat of the most generous hospitality, tendered equally to guests on his own intellectual level, and to not a few for whom his easy affluence afforded a genial alternative to their own solitary estate or straitened means of subsistence;
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while frequent visits to Exeter, Portsmouth, and Boston brought him into larger circles of cultivated society, in which he always found a hearty welcome.
Mr. Plumer had written some of his college themes in verse ; but for many years his public avocations had kept his early tastes in abeyance. In his leisure and retire- ment the poetic vein crept again to the surface. Among the poems which were the fruit of his riper years were three collections of sonnets, grouped under the com- mon title of "Personal Sketches," and under the specific heads of "Youth," "Manhood," and "Age." The first two series were printed — not published — for distribu- tion among friends, in 1841 and 1843 respectively. The sonnets in these little volumes are sweet in rhythm, rich in imagery, and affluent in sober, elevating thought, — con- templative and introspective, presenting a charming pic- ture of a mind in perfect peace, and a heart full of all kind affections. In 1845 Mr. Plumer published " Lyrica Sacra; or, War-Songs and Ballads from the Old Testa- ment," and in 1847 a Pastoral founded on the story of Ruth. These poems are pure and felicitous in diction, melodious in rhythm, and in close harmony with the spirit of the sacred archetypes that gave them mould and inspiration. From the very nature of their sub- jects they lacked the originality which alone could have brought their author fame ; but their high poetical merit would have fully sustained a reputation already formed.
Mr. Plumer's ordinarily uneventful life was diversified by his occasional reappearance in the larger world. He spoke for New Hampshire at the bi-centennial celebration of Harvard College. He was chairman of the committee for the half-century festival in honor of his old preceptor at Exeter. He responded in behalf of the invited guests at the first festival of the Sons of New Hampshire in Bos- ton. In 1850 he revisited Washington for the first time since the close of his congressional life, and was received
254 WILLIAM PLUilER
with distinguished honor by such of his old associates as remained on the ground, and by a large number of their successors.
Among the trusts to which in his later years he devoted himself with signal zeal and with persistent humanity was that of President of the Trustees of the New Hampshire Insane Asylum. This institution was most largely indebted to his watchful care, to his ad- ministrative abihty, and to the diligence with which he made himself conversant with all improved modes of construction, organization, and treatment.
In 1850 he was a member, and in the general estima- tion the foremost member, of the Convention for revis- ing the Constitution of New Hampshire. The most influential speech of the session was one by him against an elective judiciary, and New Hampshire owes it in no small measure to his part in the discussion that she remains among the few States in which the judges are appointed by the Executive. During this session he was called home by tidings of his father's severe illness. A heavy snow-storm, which suspended all travel, detained him for two days on the way, and the scene was closed before his arrival.
He had previously collected materials for a Memoir of his father, and his remaining years were spent chiefly in the preparation of that work for the press. He left it in entire readiness for publication, and the only labor of the editor consisted in such curtailments as were necessary in order to bring the work within the compass of a large octavo of nearly five hundred and fifty pages, it having been deemed expedient not to exceed a single volume. This Memoir in literary execution is unsurpassed in its kind, and we doubt whether among the many biographies of our statesmen of an earlier generation there is one which is more replete with matters of profound personal and historical moment. It contains Ufelike sketches of
WILLIAM TLUMER 255
the Governor's contemporaries on the bench and at the bar, at a period when the legal profession in New Hamp- shire was made illustrious by such men as Jeremiah Mason, Daniel Webster, Jeremiah Smith, Arthur Liver- more, George Sullivan, and others whose traditional fame still lingered in honored memory when these pages were written. The narrative of Governor Plumer's senatorial life at "Washington is equally full of interest, presenting some very vivid views of Jefferson's person and adminis- tration, and including the tragic epoch of Aaron Burr's career.
Until the winter of 1850-51 Mr. Plumer had enjoyed almost uninterrupted health. During that winter he was attacked with what seemed at first an obstinate ague, but proved to be a morbid affection of the membrane cov- ering the jaw-bone. He suffered severely from this for several months, and a fatal termination was for a time apprehended. His recovery, though apparently entire, probably left him an easier prey to the disease of which he died. His last illness — an inflammation of the bowels — seized him on the 8th of September, 1854 ; but he was not regarded as in immediate danger till the 18th, when he fell into a comatose state, and sank in painless dis- solution.
In our sketch of Mr. Plumer's life we have indicated the leading traits of his character. He was a man of pure and blameless life, of high moral principle, rigidly just, and conscientiously faithful in every relation and duty. He cannot have had an enemy, or a friend who was not warmly his friend. He was modest and unas- suming, too much so, perhaps, for a man of his position and ability. He never sought office or distinction, but, on the other hand, kept himself — it may be — too care- fully out of their way. Those who enjoyed his intimacy could not but have been reminded of the sacred meta- phor of the light under a bushel, especially when they
256 WILLIAM PLUMER
saw how brightly his light shone whenever he would suf- fer to be placed in a candlestick. He was a truly relig- ious man, a diligent and critical student of the Holy Scriptures, and a Christian in belief, spirit, and life.
Through the years that have intervened since his departure his memory has been lovingly cherished by not a few, and one of his friends who passed many happy and profitable hours in his society has deemed it a privilege and a pleasure to offer this sincere, if inadequate tribute of respect and affection.
He was admitted to corresponding membership in the New England Historic Genealogical Society, July 7, 1845.
MOSES PLIMPTON
Moses Plimpton was born in Sturbridge, in "Worcester County, Massachusetts, October 17, 1793. Sturbridge at that time included within its limits the town of South- bridge, in which part he was born, the latter part being incorporated in 1816. His death, which occurred Sep- tember 19, 1854, was caused by injuries received by being violently knocked down, while attempting to cross Washington Street in Boston. It was nearly dark, and in attempting to avoid a carriage, it was supposed, he was struck by the horses attached to an omnibus. He was at once taken to his house on Tremont Street, Boston, when he soon became unconscious, and remained in that state till the followino; nisrht, when he died. He married Edna Taylor, daughter of John Taylor, of Sturbridge, November 22, 1821. She was born September 4, 1798. Her father, during the early part of his life, resided in Stonington, Connecticut. He was an officer in the artil- lery during the entire Revolutionary War. His father, John Taylor, was a Quaker, whose religious scruples would not allow him to enlist in the great struggle, but having been drafted, the son at once volunteered to take his place, and continued in active service during the war. Soon after the close of the war he married Elizabeth Chapman, daughter of Sumner Chapman, of Westerly. Rhode Island, and settled in Groton, Connecticut, where
33
258 MOSES PLIMPTON
he resided till 1804, when he removed with his family to Sturbridge, and there resided till his death, which occurred in 1842. The parents of Moses Plimpton were Gershom Plimpton and Keziah Plimpton, the daughter of Deacon Daniel Fisk, of Sturbridge. The marriage took place October 25, 1792. Seven children were born of this marriage, five sons and two daughters, all of whom are now deceased.
The earliest ancestor in the paternal line, of whom any account is given, was John Plimpton, who came to this country about the year 1639, lived in Roxbm-y, Dedham, and Medfield; married Jane, daughter of Richard Dummer, in 1643 ; had by her thirteen chil- dren, four or five of whom were born in Dedham, and the remainder in Medfield, of which he was one of the first proprietors, and an inhabitant about 1651 ; he was a freeman and a member of the artillery company in 1643. He removed to Deerfield after the great war began, where he was made a sergeant. His son, Jonathan, was killed by the Indians at Bloody Brook, September 18, 1675, and about two years after the death of Jonathan, the father was taken by the Indians, carried towards Canada, and burnt by them at the stake. It is supposed that the family afterwards removed to their former settle- ment near Boston, probably Medfield.
Joseph, the son of John and Jane above named, was born in Medfield, October 7, 1653 ; married Mary Morse, daughter of Daniel ; had by her four children, and died June 20, 1702.
Joseph, son of Joseph above named, was born in Med- field, March 18, 1677; married Priscilla Partridge; had in marriage eight children, and died in 1740.
William, the son of Joseph last above named, was born, 1700, in Medfield; married Keziah, the daughter of John Dwight, of Medfield ; had in marriage eight children, and died about May, 1770.
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Gershom, son of "William above named, was born January 14, 1733-1734, in Medfield; went with his brothers, Frederic and William, Jr., to Sturbridge in 1753 ; married Martha, daughter of Colonel Moses Marcy, a prominent and enterprising citizen of the town, March 2, 1758 ; had born in Sturbridge eleven children, and died January 27, 1808. This Moses Marcy here named was the great-grandfather of the Hon. William L. Marcy, and likewise the great-grandfather of Moses Plimpton, and the great-great-grandfather of Charlotte Cushman, the celebrated actress, her great-grandmother being Mary, the daughter of Moses Marcy.
Gershom, the son of Gershom above named, was born February 18, 1768, in Sturbridge; married Keziah, daugh- ter of Deacon Daniel Fisk, of Sturbridge, October 25, 1792; had born by this marriage in Sturbridge seven children, — five sons and two daughters, — Moses, Henry, Stillman, Caroline, and Edwin D. Plimpton, two children dying in infancy, the subject of this sketch being the eldest. This Gershom is the one familiarly known in his day as Captain Gershom Plimpton. He was the moderator of the first town-meeting after the incorpora- tion of the town of Southbridge, held March 16, 1816. He took an active interest in town affairs from his early manhood till his death, which occurred in April, 1824. He was conspicuous in the movement for the incorpora- tion of Southbridge as a separate town. He filled various offices in the town, and was twice elected to represent the new town in the General Court. Frequent mention is made of him by Holmes Ammidown in his History of Southbridge.
Moses Plimpton, son of Gershom last named, was bom in Sturbridge, October 17, 1793 ; married Edna Taylor, daughter of John Taylor, of Sturbridge, and had born in Southbridge seven children, as follows : —
260 MOSES PLIMPTON
Ellen Maria, born August 21, 1823 ; married Samuel C. Hart- well, of Southbridge, an eminent physician and surgeon. Thej have living two children, daughters.
George Fayette, born August 11, 1825, and died unmarried in Cincinnati, Ohio, August 9, 1850.
Jane Elizabeth, born March 4, 1827 ; married George A. Clark, of Somerville, Massachusetts, February 24, 1857. Re- moved to Dubuque, Iowa, and there resided till the death of her husband, in October 27, 1861. Since the death of her husband she has resided mainly in Somerville, and is now a teacher in the public schools. She has no children.
Caroline Sophia, born April 1, 1829 ; unmarried. Has resided in Somerville since her father's death with the exception of two or three years, and has been engaged as a teacher in the public schools of that city for many years.
Louise Edna, born October 5, 1832 ; married Charles Sprague Lincoln, of Somerville, October 8, 1856, an attorney and coun- sellor-at-law and a member of the Suffolk Bar. He has been engaged in his profession in Boston since January, 1855, and is still in active practice. They have living five children, three sons and two daughters.
Edwin Taylor, born September 28, 1835 ; died from disease contracted in the army, in May, 1862. He was engaged in the battle of Pittsburg Landing, which occurred in April, 1862, and through exposure following that battle he contracted a fever of which he died in a few days. He was unmarried.
Clara Cornelia, born September 29, 1842 ; unmarried. For several years she taught in private schools of advanced grades in "Worcester, Massachusetts, and in the Blind Asylums in Louisville and New York. She gave up this profession, how- ever, for that of medicine, and is now in full practice as a physician in Nashville, Tennessee.
The life of Moses Plimpton was one of great activity and usefulness. In his early youth he exhibited great interest in his studies at school, and was industrious and methodical in whatever branches he pursued. There are still in existence books which he must have had and used when a boy, and which show the interest he must have
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taken in matters of education. He was a careful and discriminating reader. He was judicious in the selection of books, of which he was fond, and many that he has left in possession of his children are of that character which treat upon the practical questions of the times rather than upon the lighter topics. He was particularly well read in political economy, and was a strong believer in a tariff for the protection of our home industry. He was ever ready with his facts and arguments ; and it was very unsafe for a person not versed in the subject to attack him. In educational matters he took a deep and active interest. In his nineteenth year he taught a district school in the town of Monson, and in the winters follow- ing in Charlton and Sturbridge ; and although young and small in stature, he maintained good order, commanded the respect of parents and scholars, and was regarded as an excellent teacher. A story is told of his first attempt to obtain a school in Monson. He was examined by the appropriate committee, and found qualified in all branches except penmanship, and for that reason was rejected. Before another year, however, had elapsed, he made up the deficiency and was accepted as duly qualified.
Mr. Plimpton was also quite active in the military ser- vice of the State. He was a member of a battalion of artillery, 1st brigade,, 6th division ; was made sergeant October 2, 1821 ; commissioned by Governor Eustis lieu- tenant, August 26, 1823 ; and by Governor Lincoln pro- moted to the captaincy May 25, 1829.
Mr. Plimpton always took an active interest in whatever concerned the welfare of the community. He was one of the foremost in promoting the cause of temperance. He delivered lectures on this as well as on other topics. He made use of the pledge as one of the effective means of preventing intemperance, and made personal appeals to those whom he sousrht thus to benefit. He aided in
O
establishing Lyceums, as they were called in his day,
262 MOSES PLIMPTON
and Debating Societies, in which he ever performed his full part. The industry and method which Mr. Plimp- ton displayed in his studies during his youth he carried through life. He read not merely for diversion. His reading was more like study. He did not lightly pass over a sentence which he did not understand. His rule was to master what he undertook. He was a constant reader of works on agriculture, and ever took an interest in the subject, becoming a member of the Worcester Agri- cultural Society in 1839, while Levi Lincoln was its presi- dent He was constantly informing and educating himself. Even in law he found a field both for the discipline of his mind as well as for its application to the business affairs of life. He became quite an expert in interpreting instru- ments, and was much consulted in an unprofessional way by his friends in their difficulties, and his opinion and ad- vice were always treated with respect, if indeed they were not followed. He was thoroughly acquainted with legal forms and was frequently employed to draft various kinds of instruments.
In March, 1836, Mr. Plimpton delivered what he called " Three Lectures " before the Southbridge Lyceum or Literary Association. This is the address referred to in Mr. Ammidown's " Historical Collections " in Vol. I., page 52, and again in the same volume, page 561, where the historian speaks of his inability to find the manuscript. The writer of this sketch had in his possession these lec- tures, and with a view of preserving them, presented the original manuscript to the New England Historic Genea- logical Society, many years ago, and they remained in the library of that society till 1875, when the original was taken and a bound copy given in its place. The original, in the author's handwriting, written on one hundred and forty-six pages of large letter-paper, is now with the family of the late Edwin D. Plimpton, of Brooklyn, New York. The copy was made by Miss NelHe Hartwell, a
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granddaughter of Mr. Plimpton. It is, in short, a his- tory of the town of Southbridge from its earhest settle- ment, and, so far as known, is the first history of that place ever written. It is a work of much labor, and its value has been appreciated by many readers.
The author in 1852 appends a note to these " Lectures " in which he says : —
" Having been taken to Burlington, Vermont, New York, Albany, and other places for perusal by friends and relations of my own, and other names, among whom were George W. New- ell, Esq., and Governor Marcy, who kept it a long time, it has, with its other deficiencies, quite an antiquarian appearance."
It also contains a brief genealogy of his own family in the paternal line, and that of Moses Marcy, his great- grandfather. This Moses Marcy was born in Woodstock, about the year 1700, according to Mr. Plimpton, but his birth is given by Mr. Ammidown as April 18, 1702. He was great-grandfather of the late Hon. William L. Marcy, the celebrated statesman, who was for many years on inti- mate terms with Mr. Plimpton, and had strongly urged him to make law his profession.
Mr. Plimpton became a resident member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society March 11, 1852, and continued to take an active part in its work till his death. Mr. Ammidown has given a brief sketch of his life, accom- panied by an excellent engraving (Vol. II., page 560), in which he speaks in terms of high praise of his character as a man and citizen. It was not his ambition to obtain, nor did he ever fill, any office of a political character, al- though he always took a hvely interest in the political questions of the times. His habits of life, and the general interest he felt in the welfare of society, and the esteem in which he was held by his fellow-townsmen, made him prominent in the management of the affairs of his native town so long as he remained there. In whatever position
264 MOSES PLIMPTON
he was called upon to fill, he was punctilious in the dis- charge of his duties. He was elected town clerk in 1820, and held the office for several years. He was for many- years a member of the school committee, and here he dis- played his peculiar zeal and exerted a wholesome influ- ence. In the examination of schools he is spoken of as particularly rigid, and when he visited schools the pupils knew that he meant business, and that there was no escape from his vigilance. In politics he was a Whig, and although he never held a political office, he was much interested in all the questions of the day, and exhibited great knowledge and skill in debate. He was very strenu- ous in his views, and somewhat earnest in his manner.
Mr. Plimpton was engaged for the greater part of his life, from his majority, in connection with the manufacture of cloth in his native town, either as accountant, clerk, proprietor, or manager. He was one of the proprietors of the Columbian Cotton Mills, which were established in 1821, and destroyed by fire in 1844. This misfortune, with others which followed, caused him ultimately to leave Southbridge, and thus the town lost one of its most valued and public-spirited citizens. After these reverses, how- ever, he carried on the "Westville Mills, situated in the west part of the town ; but he finally left Southbridge in the spring of 1849, residing in Dracut till November, when he removed to Somerville, having received an ap- pointment from Philip Greely, Jr. the Collector of the Port of Boston, in July of that year. The position, however, was not congenial to his taste, and he resigned the situation upon the election of Franklin Pierce to the presidency. He last resided on Tremont Street in Boston, Mr. Plimp- ton never fully recovered from his reverses, caused in part by the destruction of the Columbian Mills. He had acquired, after many years of industry and economy, what he deemed a reasonable competency against his declining years, and had won by his character and his usefulness as
MOSES PLIMPTON 265
a citizen an honorable name and position among his fel- low-men. The work of his lifetime had been swept away in a night. Although the acquisition of money was to him by no means the engrossing object of his life, yet the loss he had sustained deprived him of that independence which he had for many years striven to maintain and to which by his industry and care he seemed to be justly entitled. His best energies had been expended and his capacity for work had become impaired and his career of usefulness checked. Although by nature of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, his mind seemed to have lost its elasticity, and he brooded much over his misfortunes. As his w^ife remarked to the writer of this sketch, " He never appeared like the same person afterwards." But the few years remaining to him were by no means spent in idleness and repining. Although he had left forever the scenes of his youth, and his association as a business man and a citizen had been suddenly severed, and the old fields of his labor had been closed to him, he yet strove to find new opportunities for his efforts and new subjects for the occupation of his mind, and to the last he maintained his manhood, and left the world with a character unsuUied and a reputation unblemished.
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CALEB BUTLER
Caleb Butlek, son of Caleb and Eebekah Butler, was born in Pelham, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, on the 13th day of September, a.d. 1776. Of his moth- er's family but few records have been obtained. She was the daughter of Benjamin and Miriam (Rust) Frost, of Hudson, New Hampshire, and was married to Caleb But- ler in 1766. The subject of this memoir was the fifth in their numerous family of eleven children. The Butlers, of the sturdy. God-fearing, true New England type, had for several generations cultivated a hillside farm in the town of Pelham, and it still remains in the possession of their descendants, bearing the family name.
In those days the farmer's life was one of toil, and the boy was early trained to take part in out-door work with his father and brothers. In-doors he was faithfully instructed in the Bible and the few other books they owned, by his pious parents and grandparents, who dwelt imder the same roof. He attended a district school, at some distance from home, as he had opportunity during his boyhood. A desire to obtain a college education was soon awakened in him, and he overcame many obstacles in its pursuit which would have discouraged a less earnest character. Owing to straitened circumstances his father could afford him but little pecuniary assistance, and he earned by the labor of his hands money to pay for his necessary instruction. In 1794 he attended the academy
CALEB BUTLER 267
in Pelham, taught by Daniel Hardy, remaining there, however, less than a year, and went for a few weeks to a similar institution in a neighboring town. He afterwards continued his studies at home, reciting in the Greek and Latin languages to Preceptor Hardy. Meagre as was this preparation, it seems to have been sufficient for the requirements of the time, for he passed a successful ex- amination for admission to Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, and joined the Freshman class in its second term, February, 1797. During his college course he taught district schools in the winter vacations, a fre- quent practice of students, especially those of limited means. His journeys to and from Hanover were often made on horseback, there being no regular public convey- ance on those unfrequented roads. He joined the college society of " Social Friends," and in his Junior year wrote a drama in three acts, entitled "Triumph of Infidelity over Superstition," performed by members of the society August 26, 1799. The part of Cardinal was assigned to him, while his chum, James Dean, afterward Professor, represented the Pope, and others General Bonaparte and his officers. He also delivered an oration before the same society at the close of his Senior year, August 25, 1800, treating of the constitution of matter and its ceaseless changes of form. This oration possesses a curious interest to-day, in view of the recent development of chemical and physical science, and the prominence that the modern theories of evolution have attained. He graduated Au- gust 27, A.D. 1800, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. On this occasion he dehvered a salutatory oration in Latin, that being the highest honor conferred by the Faculty of Dartmouth at that time.
During the succeeding year he remained in Hanover, teaching Moor's Indian Charity School, connected with the college, in which he had already had some experience as an assistant. He was next employed for a few months
268 CALEB BUTLER
in the printing office of Isaiah Thomas, in Worcester, Mas- sachusetts, correcting proof, mainly of a Greek Grammar then going through the press.
In February, 1802, he became preceptor of the acad- emy in Groton, Massachusetts, now called Lawrence Acad- emy, in honor of the brothers of that name who have so liberally endowed it. This position he retained till Au- gust, 1810, and after an interval of two years resumed it, from 1812 to 1815, making his term of service in all nearly twelve years. This emplo^TQent was congenial to his tastes, and he became a successful teacher. A subse- quent preceptor. Rev. James Means, said of him, " that he blended discipline and gentleness happily together; that he showed an enthusiastic interest in the branches which he taught, and deserved to be ranked among the first instructors of his period." That he retained the love and respect of his pupils in an eminent degree, was fuUy shown at the jubilee of the academy held July 12, 1854. In response to a toast given at the dinner, " To the oldest surviving Principal of the Academy," Mr. Butler took occasion to address those of his former pupils whom he saw present. They rose at once, and remained respect- fully standing till the close of his remarks. Well might the gray-haired man be proud when the Hon. Abbott Lawrence and Mrs. Lawrence, the Rev. James Walker, then President of Harvard College, the Hon. John P. Bigelow, Mayor of Boston, the Hon. Amos Kendall, the Hon. Joel Parker, and many others, thus did him rev- erence. . Mr. Butler was elected a trustee of the academy while preceptor in 1807, and held the office till his resig- nation in 1836, a period of twenty-nine years.
Though the salary of the preceptor was small when he first accepted the position, it assured him of a livehhood, and he soon ventured to take to himself a wife. On the 22d of August, 1804, he was united in marriage to Clarissa Varnum, daughter of Parker and Dorcas (Brown) Yar-
CALEB BUTLER 269
num, of Dracut, Massachusetts. She was born January 27, 1782. They became acquainted with each other a few years before, when he was teaching a winter school in Dracut, her native town. The young lady, then in her teens, thousrht herself too old to attend his school, but went one half day with the younger members of the family, merely from curiosity to see the " new master." Her inspection seems to have been satisfactory, for the acquaintance then begun ripened into an attachment end- ing only with their lives. They went to housekeeping in Groton immediately upon their marriage, and among the articles of the modest dowry furnished the bride by her father, were a cow and a hive of bees ! A glance into their family expense-book is interesting. While the neces- sary plenishing for the kitchen was provided, the book- shelves in the parlor were not forgotten. Among the earliest entries are a Bible, a dictionary, and " Elegant Extracts in Prose and Verse." The frequent charge of "India cotton" and sometimes of "tow-cloth" remind one of the progress of manufactures in our country since then. " Quality " and " ferrett " (used for binding) are of frequent occurrence ; but if these articles are found to- day in a lady's work-basket, they certainly appear under other names. Linen tape for family use Mrs. Butler was accustomed to weave on a small hand-loom in her leisure moments. Two years after marriage they moved into a house Mr. Butler had built for himself nearly opposite the academy.
Groton had now become his permanent home, and his life was henceforth closely identified with the town, his influence being largely felt in all its various affairs. For some years after leaving the preceptor's chair, his employ- ments w^ere very miscellaneous. While still teaching, he had applied himself to the study of law in the office of Luther Lawrence, Esq., then residing in Groton, and had been admitted to the Bar of Middlesex County at Con-
270 CALEB BUTLER
cord, March 18, 1814. His subsequent law practice was more in drawing up papers and settling estates than in attendance at courts. His charges were always moderate, and many a widow and orphan had reason to be grateful to him for services wholly unrequited.
He was Town Clerk from 1815 to 1817, and again from 1823 to 1831. While holding this office he deciphered and transcribed, with great patience and labor, the early records of the town, known as the " Indian Roll." This manuscript was so worn as to be almost falling to pieces, and its chirography was difficult to be understood without much study.
Being for some years the only person in town familiar with land surveying, his services were often called in requisition in transfers of real estate. He not only wrote the deeds, but established the bounds and drew the plans for his clients. In 1825 he was the principal surveyor employed by the commissioners on the part of Massachu- setts " to ascertain, run, and mark " the boundary line between the States of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In conformity with a resolve of the Legislature passed March 1, 1830, he made maps of the towns of Groton, Pepperell, and Shirley. He was also often employed in making surveys at Lowell, while that town was rapidly growing into importance. In 1826 he was appointed one of the Commissioners of Highways for the County of Mid- dlesex, a position for which he was admirably fitted by his previous occupation. The title of the Board was soon after changed to the " County Commissioners," and he remained its chairman for fifteen years.
He was appointed Postmaster of the town in 1826, but had already performed most of the duties of the office for the eight preceding years. He remained in office till 1839, when he was removed to make room for a person holding different political views. On the change of ad- ministration in 1841 he was reinstated, and on the 1st of
CALEB BUTLER 271
January, 1847, was again removed, for " political her- esy," as he supposed. Habit having become second nature, he seldom failed of being present to assist in distributing the mail after his connection with the office had ceased.
Mr. Butler belonged to the conservative party in poli- tics. In early life he was a Federalist, and later voted with the Whig party. He was, however, something of an independent in this, as in other matters. When he could not concur in the nomination of his party he " held a caucus " by himself and selected his own candidate. He never held political office, for though elected to represent the town in the State Legislature of 1829, he declined to serve.
A constant attendant at church, of which he was a member, Mr. Butler took an active part in all parochial affairs, and was especially prominent in the unhappy dis- sension which divided the parish in 1825-1826. Under the law of the Commonwealth at that time the town was a parish, and was charged with the support of pubhc wor- ship. The inhabitants of Groton assembled on Sunday in one meeting-house, and were under the pastoral care of Rev. Dr. Chaplin, who was beloved and respected by all. But when his increasing age and infirmities made it neces- sary to choose his colleague or successor, it was found that two parties had been gradually forming. A majority of the parish, that is, citizens, desired for their minister a graduate from the liberal school of divinity connected with Harvard College, while a majority of the church- members, or communicants, preferred looking to the stricter school of Andover for their candidate. Mr. But- ler was chairman of a committee appointed by the town to supply the pulpit, and engaged one minister, while Dr. Chaplin, claiming the right as pastor of the church, pro- vided another of different theological views for the same Sunday. This fact being ascertained by the latter, he prudently forbore from appearing at the meeting-house,
272 CALEB BUTLER
and an unpleasant collision was thereby avoided. The strife had however become so bitter that the " exclusive party," as they were called, soon after this seceded, and held services in a hall, eventually building a new meeting- house for their own use. The minority of the church- members, including Mr. Butler, together with the larger part of the parish, continued to hold religious services in the old meeting-house, and had the ordinance of the Lord's Supper administered at stated times, as before the separation. The seceders, claiming to be the church, chose to designate this as a very " irregular " proceeding. Mr. Butler was thereupon dealt with, according to pre- scribed church rule. He was first censured by one of the brethren alone ; the complaint was renewed in the pres- ence of witnesses; and finally he was summoned by the church, at least that portion of it convened at the house of Dr. Chaplin, to answer the charge made against him. Instead of appearing personally, he sent a letter vindi- cating his course of action. This not proving satisfactory, his excommunication in due form followed. The same harmless sentence was pronounced on seven others who had also participated in the Lord's Supper after the with- drawal of the seceders. No visible effect resulted. Mr. Charles Robinson was ordained over the First Parish, or Unitarian Society, November 1, 1826. Two months later, Mr. John Todd was in like manner ordained over the " Union Church," which had been organized November 21, 1826. Mr. Butler was one of the trustees of the Min- isterial Fund, which had been bequeathed to the town many years before, for the support of the minister. The request of the seceding church-members to have this fund divided was not assented to ; and it remained in the pos- session of the First Parish. The tranquillity of the vil- lage, which had been so profoundly disturbed by these events, was at length restored. The circumstances lead- ing to this division of the parish into two societies at-
CALEB BUTLER 273
tracted much attention outside the limits of the town. The mutual rights of church and parish were often under discussion, and a writer in the " Christian Examiner " of March, 1827, characterizes the conduct of the Groton parish committee, at this trying time, as " temperate and wise." Mr. Butler also received the thanks of an es- teemed correspondent for his " noble stand in favor of religious freedom." Mr. Butler was the author of a pamphlet which grew out of this controversy, published in 1827, entitled "A Collection of Facts and Documents Relative to Ecclesiastical Affairs in Groton, Mass."
Mr. Butler was enrolled in the Order of Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons, and had a strong and enduring attachment to the principles and precepts of the order. He held the position of Master of St. Paul's Lodge in Groton, a.l. 5807, and was also at one time High Priest of St. John's Royal Arch Chapter. He delivered an ora- tion on the " Principles and Design of Free Masonry " before the St. Paul's (Groton) and Pentucket (Chelmsford) Lodges on St. John's Day, June 24, a.l. 5811, the manu- script of which is preserved. He also delivered a masonic address at Leominster, Mass., on St. John's Day, 1816. The latter address was published at Worcester the same year. He was present with the Masonic Fraternity at the laying of the corner-stone of Bunker Hill Monu- ment by General Lafayette June 17, 1825. He was a member of the Bunker Hill Monument Association, and had the gratification of attending the exercises on the completion of the structure, June 17, 1843.
A Caleb Butler Lodge, named in his honor, has been formed at Ayer, formerly a part of Groton.
The engrossing business pursuits of middle life did not prevent Mr. Butler from indulging his scholarly tastes. Astronomy continued to be one of his favorite studies. Mr. Amos Lawrence, in his numerous gifts to the acad- emy, of books and scientific apparatus, always stipulated
35
274 CALEB BUTLEE
that their free use should be granted to his old friend Caleb Butler. A fine telescope was thus placed at his disposal, which he greatly enjoyed, retaining it at his house months at a time. It was a frequent occurrence on a summer's evening for a group of students or passers- by to collect around his door, while he never tired of ex- hibiting to them, by means of this telescope, the uneven surface of the moon, Saturn's rings, or Jupiter's moons. During the last year of his life he made the calculations of an eclipse of the sun. He sought to interest a grand- son, only six years of age, in the coming event by making a diagram of its expected appearance, with full explana- tions for his instruction. He prepared with great interest to watch this echpse, occurring May 26, 1854, but the day proved less favorable for the observation than was hoped. He was a diligent observer of all natural phe- nomena, and for more than fifty years kept a record of the weather, with such kindred topics as the return of birds, the blossoming of fruit-trees, and ripening of crops, together with unusual displays of northern lights and shooting stars. On one of his small memorandum books, made of coarse paper, dated 1803, is inscribed by way of motto, this appropriate verse : " While the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease " ; and on another, " Quid mirum et utile noto." He pre- pared an account of the total eclipse of the sun, June 16, 1806, which appeared that year in the August number of the " Medical and Agricultural Kegister," published at Boston, and edited by his friend Dr. Daniel Adams. His predictions of the weather, though of necessity more limited than those made to the present generation by the Signal Service Bureau, were as generally correct, and farmers were accustomed to consult him with im- plicit faith, often coming some distance in haying-time for that purpose. His observing faculties were so trained
CALEB BUTLER 275
as to make his explanations of distant sights and sounds wonderfully accurate, as one or two anecdotes will best illustrate. One evening the light of a fire was seen in the southwest horizon, and Mr. Butler sat watching it intently. " It is not a dwelling-house," he remarked : " the smoke is not black enough. It is not a barn : the blaze lasts too long. I should say it was a meeting-house, — but there is not one there." In a few days the newspapers informed him that an unfinished church in the neighboring town of Bolton was destroyed by fire that evening. He was not aware that such a building had been commenced in that locality. At another time, during a shower, a heavy peal of thunder assured the hsteners that a bolt had fallen in their vicinity. As soon as the rain ceased Mr. Butler asked a gentleman visiting him, if he would like to go out and see where the lightning had struck. Much to the surprise of his friend, instead of wasting time in un- certain inquiries, he at once started off through the fields, and did not change his course till, at the distance of a mile, he came to a tree with shattered branches giving positive evidence of what had befallen it.
Throughout his life the cultivation of a garden was a source of great pleasure to Mr. Butler. He was always an early riser, and the morning hours were given to this work. He watched the growth of his vegetables and fruit with lively interest, and shared them liberally with his neighbors. He cordially joined in any enterprise to beau- tify the village, and set out with his own hands many of the stately trees now adorning the common. Seldom absent from home except on business, two journeys which he made for pleasure deserve mention. One was in Au- gust, 1836, when in company with a daughter he went to the White Hills. Travellers were not then, as now, whirled from the busy city to the top of Mount Washington in one short day, to find on its summit a sumptuous hotel. They made the approach gradually in stage-coaches, with
276 CALEB BUTLER
time to enjoy the increasing beauty of the scenery. The ascent of the mountain was made on horseback or on foot, over a rugged bridle-path, and no shelter from wind or weather awaited the traveller who attained the rocky height. Mr. Butler's experience is thus recorded briefly in his diary : —
" Wednesday, Aug. 24. Set out for Mt. Washington (from Ethan Allen Crawford's) on horseback about half-past six ; ground covered with white frost like November. Ride about six miles, part of the way tolerable, another part bad, another next to impossible to ride, about one mile a little worse; pass the Ammonoosuc branches several times. Leave our horses between nine and ten o'clock, and commence the ascent, said to be two and a half miles. Two ladies in the party ; some of the gentlemen reach the summit about eleven, last with the ladies about twelve ; break the ice about one third of an inch thick, over water near the summit ; as good a day as in the whole year for the ascent. Commence the descent about one o'clock, reach Crawford's about five."
A few years later, in the summer of 1843, he went, accompanied by his wife, to visit their eldest daughter living in Quebec. Niagara and Lake Ontario were in- cluded in this tour. Both of these journeys were thor- oughly enjoyed, and they long dwelt agreeably in his memory.
As the more active labors of life became burdensome to him, he found agreeable occupation in writing the history of Groton. Numerous friends urged him to undertake this work. In their estimation his accurate topographical knowledge of the town, and his familiarity with its early records, would enable him to treat the subject as no other person could. The volume was published by T. R. Mar- vin, in Boston, February, 1848, and is entitled " A History of the Town of Groton, including Pepperell and Shirley." That part relating to Pepperell church history was se- verely criticised by a committee appointed for the pur-
CALEB BUTLER 277
pose by the church which felt itself aggrieved. This Review was published in pamphlet form, and Mr. Butler replied in the same way. His answer, called " A Review Reviewed," was printed by Benjamin H. Greene in 1850.
On the 26th of February, 1846, he was admitted a member of the New England Historic Genealogical So- ciety. He prepared an " Account of Deacon John Butler, of Pelham, New Hampshire, and some of his descend- ants," which appeared in the first and second volumes of the "New England Historical and Genealogical Register."
He was made a Trustee of the Middlesex Institution for Savings in 1836, and a Director in the Middlesex Mutual Fire Insurance Company in 1839 ; and he attended the meetings of these companies, both located in Concord, Massachusetts, with great regularity till his death.
From the above details it must be seen that industry and perseverance were marked traits in Mr. Butler's char- acter. It may be added that his punctuality was pro- verbial, and his integrity unquestioned. There wa« a marked simplicity and straightforwardness in all he did. ' The directness with which he pursued the end he had in view, might be deemed rude when judged by conventional rules of politeness. Under a grave, alniost stern exterior, he possessed warm affections, and a keen sensibility' to the sufferings of others. Wit and humor he appreciated in no small degree. His early experiences made him economical, and he never had wealth to bestow ; but he gave freely of such as he had, — his services, whether of head or hand. A life-long friend said of him, '' If his ambition had equalled his modest}^, he would have become eminent." His name has been given to the public school in the centre of Groton, — a fitting tribute to his memory, which his fellow- citizens desire thus to perpetuate.
An excellent likeness of Mr. Butler, when he was nearly seventy years of age, was painted by Mr. T. B. Lawson,
278 CALEB BUTLER
of Lowell, Massachusetts. A copy, by the same artist, now hangs in the library of Lawrence Academy, presented after the death of his daughter Clarissa, in accordance with her request.
He met the approach of old age cheerfully. He gave up his law office soon after the post-office was taken from him, and spent much of his leisure in reading. History, biography, travels, and scientific works, all had charms for him, but modern novels he rarely opened. The classics were not forgotten. During the last few years of his life he read with pleasure the works of Virgil and Horace in the original. His Greek Testament was always at hand for familiar reading, and his book-mark was left in the last chapter of Revelation at his death.
The fiftieth anniversary of his marriage found him and his wife in the enjoyment of good health. Their children and grandchildren, with other relatives, assembled to celebrate the Golden Wedding, and neighbors offered their congratulations informally but cordially. Their mt^rried life may be said to have been eminently happy, notwithstanding they had suffered severe affliction in the deaths of five of their eight children. The three sons all died away from home, having left in the pursuit of business.
Mr. Butler's last illness was typhoid fever, and he died October 7, 1854. By request of his fellow-citizens, his funeral was attended in the church where he had so lonsr worshipped, October 10. An appropriate sermon was preached by his pastor, the Rev. Crawford Nightingale, from the text, " Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season." It was published October 31, 1855, on the day of the Bi- centennial Celebration of the town.
Mrs. Butler survived her husband a few years, dying at Groton, September 5, 1862, aged eighty.
Their children are as follows : —
CALEB BUTLER 279
I. Henrietta, born May 28, 1805 ; died November 22, 1864. Married Nathaniel Littlefield, September 1, 1823 ; 4nd secondly, the Rev. Timothy Atkinson, April 28, 1841. Sine prole.
II. Charles Varnum, born December 2, 1806 ; died unmar- ried, February 16, 1831.
III. George, born February 14, 1808 ; died unmarried, June 12, 1835.
IV. Susan, born September 19, 1809 ; died unmarried, Sep- tember 24, 1826.
V. Rebekah, born May 28, 1811 ; died September 6, 1844. Married Peter Anderson, a native of Norway, September 29, 1840.
1. Herman Monrad Anderson, born August 24, 1844; died March 31, 1848.
VI. William, born August 21, 1812 ; died unmarried, October 24, 1839.
VII. Clarissa, born July 14, 1814 ; died unmarried, Decem- ber 22, 1875.
VIII. Frances, born October 12, 1822. Married Francis Augustus Brooks, September 14, 1847.
1. Frederick Brooks, born July 17, 1848.
2. Clara Varnum Brooks, born July 9, 1850 ; died Decem-
ber 30, 1856.
3. Walter Morgan Brooks, born September 22, 1851 ; died
November 17, 1853.
4. Adelaide Brooks, born November 1, 1852 ; died Novem-
ber 17, 1853.
5. Charles Butler Brooks, born November 12, 1853.
6. Morgan Brooks, born March 12, 1861.
FREDERICK HOBBS
/^ Frederick Hobbs was born in "Weston, County of Middlesex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the 28th of February, 1797. His parents were descendants of the first emigrants from England who settled in the vicinity of Boston. He was the third son of Isaac and Mary Hobbs. His father was the second son of Isaac Hobbs, who was the first son of Ebenezer Hobbs, born in Boston in 1709, and moved to Weston ^A^ith his family in 1735. The mother of Frederick was Mary Baldwin, of Weston, who married Isaac Hobbs, January 20, 1790 ; she was a lineal descendant of the celebrated Rev. John Cotton, the minister of the First Church of Boston.
Frederick Hobbs attended the public schools of Wes- ton and the academy in Atkinson, and entered Harvard College in 1813, graduating with much promise in 1817, in a class with several who became highly distinguished as scholars and statesmen, among them George Ban- croft, Caleb Cushing, Stephen H. Tyng, and George B. Emerson. Mr. Hobbs commenced the study of law in the office of Isaac Fisk, of Weston, and completed his course of legal studies, preparatory to his admission to the Bar, in the office of the Hon. Daniel Webster, in Boston, whose confidence and kind regards he enjoyed as long as that distinguished lawyer and statesman lived.
In the year 1815 Mr. Hobbs's cousin, George Hobbs (son of his uncle, Ebenezer Hobbs, of Weston), and his
FREDERICK HOBBS 281
elder brother, Isaac Hobbs, established themselves in business at Eastport, in the then district, now State, of Maine, under the firm name of G. & I. Hobbs. At that time Eastport was in the possession of the British, and governed by martial law. On the 14th of July. 1814, the place was captured by a British force, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Pilkinton and Captain Thomas Hardy. It was claimed as included in the oriscinal limits of New Brunswick, and the British commis- sioners at Ghent refused to agree to the surrender of the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay, including Moose Island, upon which Eastport was built. The matter was referred to another commissioner, and on the 30th day of June, 1818, the place was surrendered to the United States.
From 1815 to 1835 an extensive and profitable trade was carried on at Eastport with the people of the British Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and the neighboring islands, as well as with the West India Islands, and the principal ports of the southern states.
George and Isaac Hobbs were among the leading mer- chants of Eastport during the most flourishing period of its commercial existence.
In 1820 the subject of this sketch, having completed his legal education preparatory to his admission to the Bar, by the advice of his cousin and brother, George and Isaac Hobbs, concluded to establish himself at Eastport in the practice of his chosen profession, as a favorable open- ing presented itself by the removal from Eastport to Boston of Francis Putnam, Esq., who had been engaged in the practice of law there for a brief period. Accord- ingly in October of that year, having made arrangements with Mr. Putnam for his business and good-will, Mr. Hobbs set out for the town of Eastport.
On his way thither he made a brief stay in Portland, in the county of Cumberland, and by the advice and assist- ance of his friend, Thomas A. Deblois, Esq., of the dis-
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282 FEEDERICK HOBBS
tinguished law-firm of Fessenden & Deblois, Mr. Hobbs presented himself for admission, and was admitted, to the Bar of the Court of Common Pleas, that court then being in session in Portland.
He then continued his journey to Eastport, took pos- session of the office lately occupied by Mr. Putnam, and commenced the practice of his profession, to which he was ardently attached, with diligence and confidence, and he soon secured a large and profitable business.
In July, 1821, he was admitted as an attorney, and in July, 1823, as a counsellor-at-law in the Supreme Judicial Court, held at Machias, county of Washington.
At Bangor, on the 10th of July, 1823, Mr. Hobbs was married tQ^^^ary Jane Coombs, daughter of Philip and ^^^^lizabeth (Harrod)::^ Coombs, formerly of Newbury- port.
The Coombses and Harrods were leading families in the old town of Newburyport, and distinguished for their commercial enterprise and probity in the best days of that once flourishing and prosperous town. • In its most prosperous days Eastport was celebrated for the hospitality of its people. They had many visitors from St. Andrews, St. George, St. John, Halifax, Boston, Portland, and other commercial places; and the United States officers at the garrison at Fort Sullivan, situated on the heights of Eastport, added not a little to the gaye ties and festivities of the place. Among the leading families who entertained visitors with an elegant and generous hospitality were the families of the Hobbses, — George, Isaac, and Frederick, — -and none with more genteel appointments than the latter.
During his residence in Eastport Mr. Hobbs had the entire respect and confidence of his fellow-citizens, filling various municipal offices, and representing the town one year in the State Legislature. He was the candidate of the Whig party for Congress in the year 1834, and re-
FREDERICK HOBBS 283
ceived the united support of that party ; but as it was in a minority in the district, he failed of an election. He had eminent qualifications for public service. Learned in the law, skilful as a debater and advocate, and above all dis- tinguished for his sound judgment and high sense of honor, he would have become useful and eminent in the councils of the country.
Acting upon the recommendation of the mutual friend of the parties, Mr. Hobbs entered into partnership with Mr. Daniel T. Granger, under the firm-name of Hobbs & Granger, in July, 1832. There was a remarkable resem- blance between the partners in their habits of business, both being unusually methodical and particular in all their doings, in the arrangement of their papers, in con- ducting their correspondence, and in all the details of a lawyer's office. They were both models of industry, and both had unusual powers of application.
The partnership was a most pleasant and harmonious connection, resulting in a large and profitable business.
In the year 1836 Mr. Hobbs sold out his interest in the partnership to Mr. Granger, and established himself in the practice of law at Bangor, in the county of Penobscot. Mr. Granger not only purchased of Mr. Hobbs his busi- ness in the law office, but also his residence, a neat house on Washington Street, in Eastport, where Mr. Granger resided until his very sudden death in December, 1854, at the age of 47.
Without any solicitation, indeed without any previous knowledge, on his part, of such intention, he was appointed to the high position of Judge of the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine in December, 1853. But owin^ to his failing health, he felt obliged, much to the regret of the other members of the Court, to decline accepting the position, the appointment to which was so highly complimentary and honorable to him, as indicating the estimation of his fellow-citizens best qualified to judge of
284 FREDERICK HOBBS
his character and acquirements and fitness for an office of so high a character and importance.
On his removal to Bangor Mr. Hobbs successfully con- tinued the practice of his profession, and did a large busi- ness in the courts of the United States, as well as in the courts of the State of Maine, and especially on the equity side of the courts. Mr. Justice Story, of the Supreme Court of the United States, appointed him Master in Chancery. He was also a Commissioner in Bankruptcy. Notwithstanding his ardent attachment and great devo- tion to his profession, he found time for other employ- ments. He took great interest in the municipal affairs of his adopted city. He was chosen alderman of his ward, and his services in the City Council were very valuable. In the cause of schools, lyceum, and temperance, he was an earnest advocate, and contributed his full share in their general advancement.
He was for some time president of the Musical Associa- tion in Bangor, which did very much to elevate and refine the public taste. He took much interest in antiquarian matters, and was admitted a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, No- vember 15, 1847. He was also greatly interested in horticulture, and was the first in the city of Bangor to make the attempt to raise fruit to any considerable ex- tent. In this he was very successful, his fine fruit gain- ing high commendation from the first horticulturists in Massachusetts.
In person Mr. Hobbs was a man of fine presence, above the middle height, erect, and well formed, of full habit and sanguine temperament. He enjoyed perfect health until he had reached about fifty 3^ears. His manners were polished and cordial, and his disposition remark- ably cheerful. He was highly appreciated for his strict fidelity to every trust confided to him, and for his pure and exemplary life. He was sympathizing and charitable.
FREDEKICK HOBBS 285
No appeal was ever made to him in any cause promotive of the public good which did not meet with a hearty and generous response.
He died at his residence in Bangor on the 10th of October, 1854, aged 57.
The Supreme Judicial Court being in session at Bangor, Judge Joshua W. Hathaway presiding, at the time of Mr. Hobbs's decease, the following tribute to his memory was paid by the Hon. Elijah L. Hamlin : —
" As a lawyer he was much attached to his profession, and discharged its duties with fidelity and earnestness. No client of his could ever complain that anything was left undone that ought to be done or could be done. If in his intercourse with the Bar he was firm, and perhaps at times too unyielding in what he considered his just rights, he was not slow in accord- ing a respectful courtesy to the rights of others.
"As a citizen he was eminently useful, always ready with an open hand and a willing heart to aid in all important enterprises and social improvements that came within his reach.
" As a man he was entitled to our highest regards, and the place which he has left void cannot easily be filled. He was eminently social and cheerful in his disposition and habits, and we cannot soon forget the pleasant countenance, the kind voice, and the warm hand with which he was wont to greet us all in our daily meetings. We shall look upon his face no more ; he has finished his term here and been summoned to a higher tri- bunal. May it be our happy lot, when we also are summoned to leave, that we may be prepared to obey the call with the same Christian patience and resignation that our departed brother has exhibited through all his trying illness."
Mr. Hamlin then read the resolutions adopted by a meeting of the Bar, prepared by a committee appointed at a previous meeting, consisting of Thornton McGaw, Edward Kent, and Elijah L. Hamlin, Esquires : —
'■'■Resolved, That we deeply regret the death of Frederick Hobbs, Esq., a distinguished member of this Bar.
286 frederice: hobbs
" Resolved, That Mr. Hobbs, by his untiring industry, strict integrity, extensive reading, and legal acquirements, merited and enjoyed the confidence of his clients, and the respect of the community in which he lived.
" Resolved, That Mr. Hobbs was endeared to us by his social qualities, by his gentlemanly deportment, by his general hospi- tality, by his pure morals and liberal acts, and by his strict observance of all the duties of a good citizen, a good lawyer, and a good man.
" Resolved, That as a token of our respect for his memory we will attend his funeral obsequies.
" Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions, signed by the secretary of the Bar, be presented to his family."
His Honor Judge Hathaway briefly responded : — It was gratifying to him that the Bar, on the decease of their departed brother, had taken action equally credit- able to themselves and honorable to the memory of the deceased. In the beautiful diction of the most eminent poet of the Augustan age we have been told —
" Pallida Mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas Regumque turres."
To-day death was in the home of our friend and brother, where he had found and taken one loved, respected, and honored by all. To all the words of eulogy in the address 'of the Bar, and with the sentiments of their reso- lutions, he could accord his entire and warm concurrence. He would, therefore, following the request of the Bar, order the Court adjourned.
The Court thereupon adjourned.
A writer in the Bangor " Whig and Courier," a few days after the death of Mr. Hobbs, says of him : —
" He was a Christian. Many years ago he embraced the Unitarian faith, and through all his after life his thoughts and actions appear to have been regulated from conscientious motives.
FREDERICK HOBBS 287
" He was sincerely attached to his church, and sought in all proper ways to advance the spread of its doctrines. The rich present, after he was taken sick, of a silver communion service, to the church where he worshipped in this city, shows that the effect of his illness tended to draw his affections still closer to the best object of his wishes.
" He passed to his final account in the spirit world, leaving behind him the bright example of a well-spent and useful life, with a conscience, we trust, void of offence, and in the hope of a blessed immortality."
AETEMAS SIMONDS
Artemas Simonds was born in Fitchburg, "Worcester County, Massachusetts, November 15, 1794, and died at Boston, Massachusetts, October 15, 1854, one month pre- vious to his sixtieth birthday. He was the son of Joseph Simonds, who was born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, June 16, 1768, and who died at Fitchburg, Massachu- setts, November 9, 1839. His grandfather Joseph was born in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, May 21, 1745, and died at St. Charles, Missouri, October 10, 1820. The parents of Joseph, Sen., cannot be identified, although the subject of this sketch, in his numerous genea- logical researches, devoted much time to this problem. It is believed his first American ancestor was William Si- monds, whose name is found in Woburn records as coming early from England, and according to the town records married Judith (Phipps) Hay ward, a widow, January 18, 1643-1644, but according to the Middlesex County records March 18, 1643, by whom he had twelve children. Joseph Simonds, Sen., married Mary Martin, who was born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, November 6, 1748, and died in Hartland, Vermont, February 11, 1819.
The mother of Artemas Simonds was SaUy Downe, born at Fitchburg, Massachusetts, August 30, 1769, and died there September 24, 1818. She was the daughter of Jo- seph and Martha (Wood) Downe. Joseph Downe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, December 23, 1742, and
ARTEMAS SIMONDS 289
died in Fitchburg, February 28, 1828. He was son of William and Margaret (Fitch) Downe. The father of William Downe was Colonel William Downe, a prominent citizen of Boston, holding numerous civil and military offices. He was one of the selectmen of Boston in 1732, at the same time with Joseph Fitch, the father of Marga- ret (Fitch) Downe, before named. In the " Boston News- Letter," of June 7, 1753, the death and funeral of Colonel William Downe were announced, with a flattering his- tory of his life and character. In the Granary Burying- ground, Boston, are ancient gravestones of the Downe family, notably one of this Colonel William Downe, who died June 3, 1753.
Martha (Wood) Downe, maternal grandmother of Arte- mas Simonds, was the daughter of David Wood, of Lunen- burg, Massachusetts, a descendant from David Wood, an early settler of Kowley, Massachusetts, who came from Rowley, Yorkshire, England, in 1638.
Artemas Simonds, the subject of this sketch, received his education in the comnaon schools of his native town, and so well improved his time as to become himself a teacher in several district schools of that town and vicin- ity, and to lay the foundation of those correct and me- thodical habits which made him so useful and successful in the various positions which he afterwards held. In his youth he labored on his father's farm, and learned his father's trade, that of a shoemaker. Having a frail constitution, he abandoned these more laborious employ- ments for clerkships in a country store and in several manufacturing establishments. He removed permanently to Boston in 1822, becoming book-keeper and clerk in the Boston and South Boston Glass Factories, till 1827. For three years he had a dry-goods store on his own account.
Without being at any time an office-seeker, his integ- rity, activity, and desire for usefulness pointed out to his
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290 AKTEMAS SmONDS
fellow-citizens his peculiar fitness for public office. In 1824 lie was appointed one of the fire-wards of the city of Boston, serving in that office at the same time with the well-known Major Thomas Melville. In 1829 he was chosen by his own ward as one of the overseers of the poor of Boston ; and in this capacity his kindness, good judgment, faithfulness, and ability marked him as pecu- liarly qualified to enter upon that work of caring for the ' poor in various ways, so as to make it almost his life- work. In May, 1830, he was elected by the City Council of Boston one of the directors of the House of Industry ; and when a vacancy occurred in the responsible office of superintendent of that institution, he was urged to ac- cept the position by the unanimous choice of his associ- ates. Modestly doubting his fitness for the place, he was induced to undertake the duties, commencing April 1, 1831. "With a few months' respite in 1835, for a purpose hereafter named, he retained the office till October 31, 1836. "With what kindly sympathy, excellent judgment, firm government, and economical executive ability he per- formed his duties, his associates and the city government ever bore willing and unanimous testimony. Beloved by the inmates generally, his aim was to do all he could for the unfortunate, the sick, the aged ones, while the chil- dren looked upon him almost as a father. In the spring of 1835, needing a change for his health, he was urged by the directors and the city government, especially by the Hon. Theodore Lyman, then mayor, to undertake a systematic investigation of the subject of pauperism, and of the various almshouses, and modes of their administra- tion in other cities. On the 23d of April, 1835, an order was passed by the City Council of Boston for such a pur- pose. In City Document No. 15 (Common Council) for 1835 appears his report, covering fifty-eight pages, being the largest and most extensive of his published writinscs. It embraces the result of hi& observations on
ARTEMAS SIMONDS 291
pauperism, and especially on almshouses, and on their modes of administration in New York, Philadelphia, Bal- timore, Albany, Hartford, Providence, Portsmouth, and Portland. It suggested improvements which were adopted and carried into practice by him in part in the succeeding year, during which time he was persuaded to retain the superintendency. The duties became too ex- haustive for him, and he fully resigned the position Octo- ber 31 j 1836. Unwilling to lose his valuable services, the City Council again elected him one of the directors of the House of Industry, which office he held till May 31, 1849, being secretary of the board, and as such having an office in City Hall from August 7, 1837, to March 31, 1849.
In June, 1849, the City Council established the office of city registrar. Previous to this, the duty of registering births and marriages devolved on the city clerk. The office of superintendent of burials was at the same time abolished, and all these duties were to be united, and per- formed by the city registrar. To that ofiice Mr. Simonds was elected July 5, 1849. To those who were personally acquainted with him, it is scarcely necessary to say that few men were better adapted by nature and training for statistical investigation than himself. Quick of percep- tion, precise and accurate in habit, he was rarely at fault in his conclusions, or at a loss to perceive the true rela- tions of cause and effect. These qualities assisted him greatly in statistical investigations, as well as in the per- formance of his routine duties, which demanded, in addi- tion to his many other admirable qualifications, no small amount of patience. The annual reports of the city regis- trar for the years 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, and 1853 bear witness to his ability for statistical work ; and the records of the ofiice, of which he may be considered the founder, will show how well and carefully his work was performed. In March, 1854, having been compelled by ill health to
292 ARTEMAS SIMONDS
decline a re-election to the office which he had filled for four years to the entire satisfaction of the whole commu- nity, he was succeeded by the present incumbent, N. A. Apollonio, Esq. Having spent a few months in the "West, he returned to Boston, but only to succumb to disease and death. With a delicate nervous organization, never strong and robust, and of peculiar sympathetic tendencies, he was able to offer but a feeble opposition to the ap- proach of the great destroyer. On the 15th day of Octo- ber, 1854, he passed away, a kind-hearted, benevolent friend and consistent Christian man, leaving behind him no one who knew him who could not say that the world was better for his having^ lived in it. His habits and ten- dencies never led him to seek a name for himself, being retiring and modest, and yet he was ever striving for the good of others. He was a constant friend to the young, ever seeking to do something for their amusement and employment, and to lead them into paths of truth and virtue. Older persons he encouraged in the cultivation of useful knowledge, self-support, and rectitude.
Besides the public offices already mentioned, he was for many years a justice of the peace for Suffolk County, for several years a useful member of the Primary School Com- mittee, and represented Boston for a year in the Massa- chusetts legislature. He was admitted a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society on the 6th of March, 1848. He was buried at his own request in his native town of Fitchburg, by the side of his first wife, and near his parents, and a large number of his relatives and the associates of his early life. Mr. Simonds was twice married, first in July, 1820, to Mary Boutelle, eldest daughter of Nathaniel and Polly Boutelle, of Fitch- burg, who was his faithful and judicious helpmeet at the House of Industry, and who died November 19, 1848; and second, in December, 1850, to Mary Jones, of Bos- ton, who survived him. He had no children.
ARTEMAS SIMONDS 293
In addition to various published reports written by him in relation to the care and needs of the poor, as before alluded to, he wrote for the papers of the day a consid- erable number of shorter articles on interesting topics, which were always gladly received. He left to his rela- tives a manuscript book, being " Genealogical and Other Notes in Relation to some of the Ancestors and Relatives of my Nephew, collected from various sources by his Uncle, Artemas Simonds. 1845."
Many of the facts used in this article have been ob- tained from this manuscript volume.
WILLIAM THADDEUS HARRIS
In the ancient parish church of Ottery-Saint-Mary, in Devonshire, England, was* solemnized in the month of November, 1605, the marriage of John Harris with Alice Sprague. Of their ancestry nothing is known. The same entry of the church register that records the marriage tells us that he had come thither from Alisberie. They were the ancestors of William Thaddeus Harris, the sub- ject of this memoir.
To John and AUce Harris were born at least ten chil- dren. Thomas, the eldest, was christened, an infant, in August, 1606, and married in April, 1630, Marie Farant, possibly a descendant of French Huguenot parents, and died in his native place in January, 1645, leaving an only child, Thomas, to continue his hue.
This second Thomas, christened in the parish church July, 1637, found his way, a widower, to Boston, New England, some time between 1670 and 1675, accompanied by his only surviving child, a daughter Jane, named for her mother. Here he took to himself a second wife, the widow Kebecca Crowkham, joined the Old South Church, purchased a goodly estate on what is now Bowdoin Square, and set himself diligently at work to build up a fortune and a second family. His success was more pronounced in the first matter than in the last, for at his death in January, 1697-1698, an only son remained to him to continue the name in the city of his adoption, and
WILLIAM THADDEUS HAKRIS 295
inherit the home reared for him by his father's industry. The widow married two years later, and the fair estate was doomed to early dissipation and loss.
Benjamin Harris, the only surviving son of Thomas and Rebecca, was born in Boston in 1694, He married at an early age, Sarah, the widow of John Matthews, and died in his native town November, 1722, leaving, in his turn, an only son, Gary, born 1720-1721.
Gary Harris married in 1743 Mehitable Growell (a descendant of the daughter Jane whom the emigrant Thomas Harris had brought with him from England), and died in Boston, January, 1749-1750, leaving an only son William to continue the line.
William Harris was born July, 1744. It is possible that through the consanguinity existing between his parents he inherited a double share of the emigrant's proclivities. He certainly possessed enough of his wander- ing spirit to induce him to cross the narrow Gharles, and found for himself a home in Gharlestown, within sight, however, of the walls that his ancestor had reared. He was a scholarly man, and quiet, fond of his books and home. Here he married Rebecca, the daughter of Thad- deus Mason, a graduate of Harvard Gollege, and a man of much culture and eminence, from whom, undoubtedly, the love for antiquarian studies so pronounced in succeeding generations of the family, was transmitted to their de- scendants. Eight years after this marriage came the war of the American Revolution. At the burning of Gharles- town by the British fleet, June 17, 1775, his beautiful house was destroyed with its contents, while his wife and little children were hurried off to a distant place of safety, and he, with his neighbors and friends, espoused the popular cause. Three years later he went to the little town of Lancaster, where his wife had taken refuge, to die. Once again the male line was confided to an only son, the first-born of Gaptain William and Rebecca Harris,
296 WILLIAM THADDEUS HAERIS
born July 7, 1768, and named for his distinguished grand- father Thaddeus Mason. In 1787 the boy of nineteen graduated at Harvard College, and began his life's work. Through the influence of friends he received the appoint- ment of private secretary to President Washington, but on his journey to Philadelphia to assume his duties was stricken down by what proved to be a long and severe illness, compelling the relinquishment of the office. He returned to Boston, resumed the study of theology, and in due time was ordained to the pastorate of the First Church at Dorchester, where he remained nearly half a century, and until within a few years of his death. He was early honored by Harvard College with the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and became widely known through his published sermons, his works on natural history, and freemasonry, and for his historical and antiquarian re- searches. He died in Boston, the ancient home of his family, April 3, 1842, leaving, the first instance in six generations, more than a single son to perpetuate the race. His widow, Mary, the daughter of Dr. Elijah Dix, a lady noted for her stately beauty, survived him, and died ten years later.*
Thaddeus WiUiam Harris, the eldest son of Thaddeus Mason Harris, was born in Dorchester, November 12, 1795, graduated at Harvard College in 1815, received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1820, married in 1824 Catherine, the daughter of the eminent practitioner, Amos Holbrook, M. D., and commenced the practice of his profession in Milton. Seven years later he was sum- moned to Harvard to become the successor of the vener- able Benjamin Peirce as the librarian of the institution, a position which he filled until his death in January, 1856. He possessed in a strong degree the inherited tastes for natural history and antiquarian studies which had dis- tinguished his father, and became the acknowledged
* See memoir in Mass. Hist. Society Coll., 4th series, II. 130.
WILLIAM THADDEUS HARRIS 297
American authority in entomology, besides earning for himself the reputation of a scrupulously exact and skil- ful antiquary *
William Thaddeus Harris, the subject of this notice, the oldest son of Thaddeus William Harris, M. D., was born in Miltoii, January 25, 1826.
Heavily burdened from his birth with severe physical infirmities, his entire life was a struggle, increasing with his years, and finally overpowering him at an age when most men come into full possession of their intellectual powers. Of himself he writes, " The days of childhood are often compared to a dream : to me they were a troubled dream. Debarred from its pleasm-es, I had a double por- tion of its sorrows. ... I was obliged to have recourse to books, which, in process of time, became my meat and drink, my only solace, my only amusement." At the age of five years he accompanied his father's family in their removal to the seat of the university, and in 1840 entered the Hopkins Classical School in preparation for Harvard College, to which he was admitted in 1842. During his college life he was a close and conscientious student, achieving a standing highly respectable, and in Latin and philosophy a distinguished position. He was the recipient of a full share of college honors, and was awarded a Latin oration at his graduation in 1846. He evinced at an early age a strong interest in his family history, collecting during his boyhood from aged friends and relatives many facts concerning the earlier generations of his maternal ancestry, as well as much matter relating to other Milton and Dorchester families.
During his Junior year at Harvard he published his " Epitaphs from the Old Burying Ground in Cambridge." The spot had been his haunt from childhood. Here were buried Shepard, and Dunster, and Mitchel, the Brattles
* See memoir in Entomological Correspondence, Boston Nat. Hist. Society, Occasional Papers.
38
298 WILLIAM THADDEUS HARRIS
and the Vassalls, Belcher and Remington, and a score of others, famous in the history of the colony and college. In addition to the epitaphs of the ground, the work con- tains a complete hst of the deaths as recorded in the town records between 1638 and 1700, and notices of several of the distinguished men and families once resi- dent in the town. The work excited much attention among the antiquaries of the time, and Mr. Harris was the recipient of many notices in commendation of the assiduous care and historical research exercised in its preparation. The biographical notes attest the happy faculty which their author possessed in being able to pre- sent the topics on which he wrote in a form attractive even to the general reader. The preparation of this work for the press brought him into pleasant personal relations with several of the antiquaries of the day, and the acquaintances thus formed were retained in most cases until his death.
About this time, August 30, 1845, he became a resident member of the Ne.w England Historic Genealogical Soci- ety, then in its infancy, and also a corresponding mem- ber of the Dorchester Antiquarian Society.
His last year in college was one of much intellectual activity. His diary bears constant evidence of his early and prolonged hours of study and research, and, in fact, until the last years of his life, when compelled by ill health to desist, he frequently worked at his desk with scarcely a cessation from five o'clock in the morning until late into the evening. His reading at this time was largely on New England history and kindred subjects ; it was carefully and systematically conducted, important au- thorities read and read again, until the result was a mass of carefully digested and critically examined matter which few men have the patience to acquire, and fewer yet the faculty of using to advantage. At this time he prepared for pubHcation an alphabetical list of the female
WILLIAM THADDEUS HARRIS 299
names found in Farmer's Register with the possible pur- pose, as he jocosely remarks in his diary, of at some time writing a history of the "matrons of New England." He also prepared for the author the index to Young's " Chronicles of the Pilgrims."
Upon his graduation Mr. Harris became a member of the Dane Law School, commencing a special line of study with the object of devoting himself to the conveyance of real estate and the examination of titles. A letter writ- ten to his life-long friend, Mr. Charles W. Folsom (H. C. 1845), under date of September, 1848, gives a glimpse of his occupations at that time. He writes that he rose " at four in the morning, studied law six hours a day, pursu- ing at the same time special studies in Latin, Greek, Spanish, and Anglo-Saxon, reading a course of political economy and history, and preparing three several works for publication, one of which was in the press." This last was a new edition of Hubbard's " History of New Eng- land,'' placed in his hands by the Massachusetts Historical Society, and published in 1848. It was carefully collated with the old manuscript of Hubbard, in the possession of the Society, and a large body of learned notes added by him in the appendix. At this time, while enjoying an unu- sual freedom from pain, and indulging, as he writes, " in lofty aspirations and ambitious projects," he contracted a severe cough, which was followed by hemorrhage from the lungs, temporarily prostrating him, and compelling an entire cessation from labor. The urgency of the pub- lishers, coupled with his own eagerness to complete the work then in press, forced him to a speedy resumption of his editorial duties. In the letter before quoted from, he says : " For four days I wrote incessantly, stopping hardly to take breath, expecting every moment that I should give out. On the fourth day at midnight, when all was still around me, I wrote the last sentence in the book. Thank God ! who sustained me throughout."
300 WILLIAM THADDEUS HARRIS
At the College Commencement of that year, 1848, he received the degrees of A. M. and LL. B., and soon after entered the law-office of Mr. William I. Bowditch, of Bos- ton, at that time one of the leading conveyancers of the city. Here he remained until the spring of 1850, devot- ing, however, much of his time to his favorite pursuits of history and genealogy. In the early part of 1849, through the medium of Mr. Samuel G. Drake, with whom he continued on terms of peculiar intimacy to the end of his life, he assumed the editorship of the " Historical and Genealogical Eegister," then in the third year of its existence, and the organ of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. In the following year he wrote for the editor, the late Mr. Isaac Smith Homans, an ac- count of Cambridge and the University, included in a work published in 1851, under the title of " Sketches of Boston, Past and Present." The condition of his health, already seriously impaired, forbade a steady con- tinuance of any kind of literary labor, and finally in- duced him to renounce the profession he had chosen, and for which he seemed in many respects admirably qualified. At the College Commencements of 1849 he was honored with degrees from Yale, Amherst, and Wil- liams, and in the same year was elected a Corresponding Member of the Ehode Island Historical Society. Later he was made a Corresponding Member of the Archaeo- logical Society of Athens, Greece, and of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Preston and Manchester, England. In the early part of 1850 he was chosen assistant librarian at the Boston Athenaeum ; but the com- paratively easy duties of this position became at length too arduous for his slowly failing strength, and after a service there of only eight months he was again com- pelled to abandon his tasks. From that time on, with the exception of occasional intervals when temporary strength gave him courage to make renewed efforts, he ceased to perform any continuous or regular work
WILLIAM THADDEUS HARRIS 301
In the summer of 1852, tempted thither by the beauti- ful golden days, he copied the more ancient epitaphs in the old burial-ground at Watertown. It was a peculiarly in- teresting spot to him, for it was the resting-place of many of his own ancestors, who had been among the earliest settlers of the town. Here day by day he toiled among the old stones, gathering fresh encouragement from his friend Mr. Bird, whose ready spade continually unearthed half-hidden treasures for the patient student. The manu- script copy of these epitaphs, prepared in the plain round hand which was itself a part of his inheritance from long- gone generations, was placed in the hands of the writer of this memoir for publication. A most careful comparison with the originals discovered scarcely an " i " to be dotted or a " t " to be crossed. It was printed in a limited edi- tion in 1869, and forms one of the quaintest additions to the epitaphic literature of New England.
In 1853 Mr. Harris was admitted to practise as an attorney and counseller in all the courts of the Common- wealth.
In 1854, at the solicitation of Edward Everett, he under- took for the literary executors of Daniel Webster the ex- amination and arrangement of the private papers of the eminent statesman, then recently deceased, but did not live to complete the task. Towards the end of July, after struggling against disease and infirmity until exhausted, he was compelled to fold his hands and await the end. !^lven then a painless release was not vouchsafed him. Day after day his sufferings were, extended, until the morn- ing of the 19th of October, when Providence mercifully eased him of his burdens, and he sank to rest in the twenty-ninth year of his age. He was laid in a tomb in the Old Cambridge burying-ground, surrounded by the monuments among which he had wandered in his boy- hood, and whose inscriptions have been preserved to pos- terity through his industry. A few years later his body
302 WILLIAM THADDEUS HARRIS
was removed to the family lot in the Cambridge ceme- tery.
In the year 1848 Mr. Harris received the degrees in freemasonry at Amicable Lodge in his adopted city, and he continued a warmly-attached member of the order as long as he lived. In the last years of his life, his connec- tion with the fraternity was a source of great pleasure and solace to him. He was highly esteemed by the members, who evinced their regard by elevating him to the office of Master of the Lodge, — a position which he held at the time of his death. During his last illness, he was the recipient of constant and imwearied attentions at the hands of his associates, and was buried with masonic ceremonies.
A notice of Mr. Harris was prepared for the Historical and Genealogical Register by his college classmate, Pro- fessor Francis J. Child, and was published in the January number of 1855. The editor, Mr. Samuel G. Drake, in an accompanying note, adds : " Mr. Harris projected several historical performances, which, had he lived to finish, would have been of great value. Of one in particular, he many times spoke to the editor, and once showed him a quantity of manuscript of it. That was a ' Continuation of Prince's Chronology.' To what extent he went with it is not known ; but what was shown was so well done that Mr. Prince, it is believed, could not have wished it better done had he been here with all his former ability to appreciate such a work." He devoted much time at inter- vals to the preparation of an edition of Mourt's " True Relation " ; but this, with otlier work commenced, and in some cases well in progress, he died without completing.
Mr. Harris was an enthusiast in the collection of old and rare books, and the library which he left is rich in histori- cal works of considerable value. A book in his hands received the tenderest care, and no one could better ap- preciate a fine edition or more highly esteem a bibho-
"WILLIAM THADDEUS HARRIS 303
graphic prize than he. One who knew him long and well writes : —
" He was by nature very reserved and reticent, and this re- serve and reticence was by his great bodily infirmities increased in a most marked degree, so that but few persons knew him intimately or well. He lived as one by himself, and in himself alone. We lived close by one another ; and in that natural way which neighborhood itself opens, I knew him, and gradually passed beyond the bounds of mere acquaintance, and was ad- mitted to his friendship, — was permitted to know the man him- self. He was one over whom the shadow of death seemed to hang from the beginning. He lived always, and during the last years consciously, under this shadow ; but it was gradually lifted higher and higher until it was lost in the clear sunlight of his faith and trust. He did not fear to speak of or look forward to the end of his mortal life. He did not dread to walk through the dark valley ; but, as one weary and heavy-laden with his earthly pilgrimage, he hoped for Christ's promised rest. As one strengthened and sustained by divine might, he was ready, and ever longed to depart and be with Christ in the world beyond the grave."
Another, to whom he was bound by special ties of friendship and early associations, writes : —
" One letter of his to me I have especially wanted to find : it was a piteous wail, — a cry out of the depths, as if his spirit must rend the walls of its prison-house, and fly where there was peace and rest. It spoke of his sorrows, of his hopelessness, of how solitary he felt among men ; but it also spoke of his love for his friends, and the deep yearning he had to be loved himself. This was the only time in which he ever unbosomed himself to me, — indeed, I doubt whether he ever spoke so to anybody. I think it did him good to speak out. I wrote him such words of comfort and love as I could. The subject was never revived or alluded to again by either of us, but it gave an additional ten- derness and sweetness to our intimacy ; and I have always thought that some of the serenity and happiness of his later years, when he was full of interests and surrounded by so many admiring friends, came indirectly from this sudden out-
304 WILLIAM THADDEUS HAERIS
pouring of his heart ; that he was led to look at things in a little different light, and to see that he too had his work to do, and must bravely fight his way, as he so bravely did, to universal confidence and respect."
Sensitive and retiring to a painful degree, lie rarely broke through his habitual reserve, except in the pres- ence of the few intimate friends who had learned to understand and s_)Tnpathize with him ; then his con- versation was wont to be replete with anecdote and humor. In his friendships he was peculiarly earnest and constant ; and the writer well remembers with what affec- tionate delight he was wont to welcome back a class- mate or friend who had been for some time absent. In all his habits of life he was scrupulously systematic, and^ in all his work thoroughly honest and conscientious. His diary reflects somewhat the temper of the man, — at times confident, hopeful, and gay, and then despondent and full of gloom. At times he indulges in flights of fancy ; again is overwhelmed with self-reproaches at his own shortcomings, and full of repinings over his own unhappy lot. His life, short as it was, is eloquent in its teachings. If to him much had been denied, to him also much was given. He laid down his life at its close with no talents wasted, — crushed and defeated in the battle which all are fighting, -but with a strong, earnest faith living to the end, and triumphant over all.
Requiescat in pace !
JOHI^ HOWLAND
John Howland, of the fifth generation from John Howland of Plymouth, and son of Joseph and Sarah Howland, was born in Newport, R. I., October 31, 1757. In the thirteenth year of his age he came to Provi- dence and entered the service of Benjamin Gladding as an apprentice to the hair-dressing business. His early advantages for education were limited, but of these he made diligent improvement. Occasionally men rise in the community who, by inherent forces and persistent will, overcome every difficulty in the way of mental development and influential position, and achieve for themselves a name among the worthies of their day. Of this class was Mr. Howland. His individuality marked him a true Rhode Island man. No one ever thousrht more independently or was less influenced by the opinions of others. The free principles advocated by Roger Wil- liams he incorporated with his practice. He sought the right, and having found, inflexibly maintained it. His natural endowments were uncommon, his intellectual ac- quirements extensive, and his capacity to use them to the best advantage, singularly complete. With a deep penetration and far-reaching judgment, he combined ready administrative abilities ; and the constant drafts upon him in committees of associations, as well as by public assemblies, are honorable recognitions of his intel- ligence.
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306 JOHN ROWLAND
Mr. Howland was still a youth when the War of the Revolution broke out. In the spirit of patriotism he enlisted in 1776 in Colonel Christopher Lippitt's regi- ment, and for fourteen months was identified with its fortunes in New York and New Jersey. He subse- quently was under General Spencer in his abortive attempt to invade Rhode Island, and assault the British in their intrenchments. He was also under General Sulli- van, whose campaign on the island in 1778 would have been crowned with entire success, had he not been de- prived of the co-operation of the French fleet under Count d'Estaing, on which he rehed.
In Providence Mr. Howland's business brought him fre- quently into the presence of army officers, from whose con- versation he derived much information. During the time General Gates was in command in that town, young How- land, still an apprentice, waited upon him daily for tonsorial purposes; and on one occasion heard a conversation be- tween the General and Samuel Adams, then on a visit to the former in relation to the removal of "Washington from the chief command of the continental army, which greatly diminished his respect for them both.
Having completed his term of service with Mr. Gladding, he commenced business on his own account. He opened his shop on North Main Street, near the residence of Lieu- tenant-Governor Bowen, subsequently known as the Man- ufacturers' Hotel. By the advice of several of the leading citizens, he adopted a higher tariff of prices than had hitherto been customary. This gave to his shop a some- what select character, and it soon became the resort of the prominent and influential politicians of every shade of opinion, as well as of the professional gentlemen of the town and vicinity ; and thus was opened to him, on a broad and agreeable basis, a coveted opportunity for in- creasing his store of political information, and for extend- ing his knowledge of the characters and opinions of the principal men of the times.
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JOHN HOWL AND 307
January 28, 1788, Mr. Howland was married to Mary, daughter of John and Elizabeth Carhle, and great-grand- daughter of James FrankHn, an elder brother of Dr. Benjamin Franklin. The issue of the union was thirteen children, Alfred, Penelope, Benjamin Russell, Janetta, Mary, and eight who died under the age of three years.
In 1798 Mr. Howland took a leading part in a move- ment to establish public free schools in Rhode Island. This work he persevered in, against strong opposition, until 1800, when he succeeded in securing the passage of an act by the General Assembly, which provided for the education of all the children in the State at the public cost.
Born in the same year with Lafayette, who is identified with an important period in Rhode Island history, and entering the army of the Revolution at the age at which that illustrious patriot consecrated himself to the cause of American freedom ; contemporary with Greene, and par- ticipant with Washington in the glorious struggle at Tren- ton and Princeton, and subsequently for half a century the active political associate and confidant of the leading statesmen of his native State, there opened to the com- prehensive mind of Mr. Howland a varied and instructive chapter in the history of the world's progress ; and as we follow him in his unpretending career, and observe how wisely and faithfully he converted the lessons of his large experience to the public good, we are not surprised that he received so many tokens of confidence from his fellow-citizens, or that Brown University in 1835 deemed him worthy of her honors.
Mr. Howland was a steadfast and consistent friend of temperance. He was among the earliest to discounte- nance the mistaken hospitality of the sideboard, and when he erected his house on Benefit Street he stipulated with the carpenter that no ardent spirits should be used by the men while engaged upon the work. In the temperance
308 JOHN ROWLAND
movement of 1827 he took an active part, and repeatedly presided at public meetings called to enlist the sympathies of the community in its behalf. The offices of trust to which Mr. Howland was called were various and respon- sible. He was one of the town auditors fourteen years ; town treasurer fourteen years ; treasurer of the Provi- dence Savings Institution, of which he was one of the founders, twenty-one years ; president of the Peace Soci- ety seventeen years; president of the Khode Island His- torical Society twenty-one years ; member of the School Committee twenty years ; and deacon of the First Con- gregational Church forty years. In 1818 the Mechanics' Association presented him with a silver pitcher, in token of their respect for his services. Besides the honorary degree of A. M., conferred upon Mr. Howland by Brown University, already referred to, he held honorary member- ships in the Old Colony Pilgrim Society, the Essex His- torical Society, the Georgia Historical Society, and the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries at Copenhagen, Denmark. Mr. Howland was admitted a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Soci- ety September 5, 1845. His birth antedates that of every other member on the rolls of the Society.
Mr. Howland had an easy flow of language, and his powers of description have rarely been excelled. The anecdote and reminiscence with which his conversation was interwoven imparted to it a peculiar attraction. His close observation of men had given him an imderstanding of traits that best illustrate character ; and as the writer recalls the hours in which he listened to him, and gathered up facts of history that books had not yet revealed, the persons and scenes described come up to view as present realities. He was what some would call " a set man " ; but this trait was rather the result of his ideas of order and right than the offshoot of a spirit of domination. His memory was a complete encyclopaedia of American
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history • and a record of all he saw and knew of the leading men of his times, and the transactions in which they figured, would have been an invaluable contribution to that department of literature. The mental resem- blance he bore to his Pilgrim ancestor, so strikingly pre- served ; his early and irrepressible thirst for knowledge, and his triumph over the obstacles that impeded its pur- suit ; the sterling virtues of an age which reminds us that all progress may not be improvement, — are topics preg- nant with practical reflections. It would be in accord- ance with the plan of this sketch, did not brevitj^ forbid, to advert to the genial traits of Mr. Rowland, and to re- peat some of the apt anecdotes with which he pointed a well-told tale or enlivened a festive season. In the rino- of his hearty laugh was revealed the secret of a power that contributed largely to length of years.
Mr. Rowland seemed, beyond most men of his years, to have had a true appreciation of the objects of life, and to have pursued those objects with singleness of purpose. Probably the main secret of his influence may be traced to these facts. He ever acted, so far as judgment can be predicated upon external evidence, on the conviction that society had claims upon him which he was bound to meet ; and while he sought his own, he did not forget his neigh- bor's welfare. Hence, he devoted his time and endow- ments to human improvement, and to the advancement of the interests of others, with as much earnestness as he would have done had the results enured wholly to his own benefit.
Mr. Howland was a thorough antiquary, and an eager student of history. What he acquired by diligent re- search he took pleasure in imparting to others, and the tax upon his time in answering letters of inquiry was by no means light. He was greatly interested in investi- gating the early history of Rhode Island ; and when Pro- fessor James D. Knowles, D. D,, engaged in writing his
310 * JOHN HOWLAND •
valuable "Life of Roger Williams," he received from Mr. Howland a large amount of information. His stu- dious habits were kept up to the close of his life. Besides the standard works of history, art, science, and religion, which constituted his more substantial reading, he kept himself familiar with the current literature of the day, and was never at a loss for a topic of conversation fresh from the press.
He was fond of children, and his rare faculty of inter- esting them always ensured a repetition of their visits. It pleased him to listen to the prattle of the " beginners to talk," and to answer the questions of older ones. He loved to sound the depths of youthful thought, and to aid the development of latent ideas. His theory was that no opportunity for sowing the seeds of virtue and knowledge should pass unimproved ; and thus he was constantly leav- ing impressions of his own mind upon the young.
Mr. Rowland was the last of the patriot band who en- listed under Captain David Dexter in the war of the Revo- lution. He was also the last of Lippitt's regiment, whose bravery drew forth the commendation of the commander- in-chief, and whose sufferings in the campaign of 1776 he has so graphically described. For sixty-five years he was a member of the Providence Mechanics' Association, and the last of all comprising the body in the first year of its exist- ence, 1789. How uniform was his interest in its welfare, how varied his service, and with what fidelity for twenty- four years he discharged the duties of its secretary and president, the records abundantly show. He died Novem- ber 5, 1854, aged ninety-seven years, in the faith and peace of the gospel he had so long professed. The fune- ral was solemnized the Wednesday afternoon following his decease, at the First Congregational Church. The ser- vices, conducted by Rev. Drs. Hall and Hedge, were ex- ceedingly impressive, and were attended not only by the immediate relatives of the deceased, but also by a large
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number of the young and old who had come up to show respect to the memory of the venerable and good man. The moral of such a life is emphatic, and by every young man may be studied with profit. In the departure of the Nestor of the Mechanics' Association, the last link that united the past with the present was broken. No man now living can tell from personal knowledge of the memor- able meeting at the house of Elijah Bacon, on the 27th February, 1789, where it was organized.
Mr. Howland was a Christian, not simply by inherit- ance, nor from impulse, but from calm and deep convic- tion. Parental instruction and influence had indeed a share in inspiring a reverence for God, and respect for the institutions of religion. But his faith stood on an inde- pendent foundation : it was the fruit of investigation. Eeason and judgment acknowledged the supernatural authority of the Holy Scriptures. Gathered to his fathers in a good old age, " like as a shock of corn cometh in his season," he still lives in the beneficent influence of his deeds. The monuments of his usefulness are with us; and while the Providence Institution for Savings and the public schools of Rhode Island exist, his memory will be held in honor.
In personal appearance, Mr. Howland was of medium height, frame compact and firmly knit, complexion light, eyes blue. Four portraits of him are extant, — two by Bass Otis, then of Boston, painted in 1822, a third by Lincoln, of Providence, painted in 1841 ; and a fourth, a full-length, by the same artist, painted in 1848. The last-mentioned was procured by subscription, and pre- sented to the Rhode Island Historical Society. A Life of Mr. Howland was published in 1857.
JAMES DELAP FAENSWORTH
The Eev. James Delap Faenswokth was born at Groton, Massachusetts, September 11, 1793.. He was the ninth child of Jonas and Jane (Delap) Farns worth, and was descended in the foui'th generation from Matthias Farnsworth, who was an original proprietor, and one of the earliest settlers of that town. His mother was a na- tive of Barnstable, Massachusetts, and was daughter of James and Jane (Kelly) Delap, both natives of Ireland. Amos Farnsworth, father of Jonas, and also the father of Jane Delap, had been attracted by the offers of land which were made by the British Government to those who would go to Nova Scotia, then recently taken from the French ; and they both went with their somewhat nu- merous families, and settled at or near Granville, in that province, about 1764. One of the results was that the young Jonas married his new-made neighbor. Amos Farnsworth soon found himself involved in legal difficul- ties respecting his land ; and troubles with the -mother- country looming up in the horizon, he with his sons returned to Groton.
The traditions of James's family had brought down and reported to him stories of Indian warfare, of pioneer sufferino;, and of the various wars in which the colonists had been engaged. He was deeply interested in them, and early began to collect them. His grandmother Farnsworth was daughter of that John Longley, well
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known in the annals of the town of Groton, who, while a boy of eleven years, had se^n his father, his mother, and four or five of his brothers and sisters* killed by the In- dians, while two sisters, with himself, were carried as prisoners to Canada, and turned over to the French. His sisters, with their Protestant training, were placed in Ro- man Catholic convents, and remained and died there. He was redeemed by his friends, and returned to Groton, after five years' residence with his captors. One of the monuments erected by the citizens of Groton, February 20, 1880, bears this inscription : " Here dwelt WilHam and Deliverance Longley, with their eight children. On the 2Tth of July, 1694, the Indians killed the father and mother and five of the children, and carried into cap- tivity the other three." And the touching story is ably told in the historical address of Samuel A. Green, M. D., delivered at the time of the dedication.
His great-grandmothers, the mothers respectively of Amos Farnsworth and of his wife, Lydia Longley, were both daughters of Jonas Prescott, the founder at Groton of the family that produced many distinguished men of that name ; and they were aunts to Colonel William Pres- cott, who commanded the American forces at the battle of Bunker Hill. The traditions of all these families were full of stories of hazard, of suffering, and of adventure, and formed a part of his early mental nourishment. His ancestors had also been of that devout Puritan stock which faithfully adhered both to the letter and to the spirit and meaning of the religious doctrines for which they had originally left England. Of his father and mother he writes, in his genealogical memoranda, that • "they were both exemplary members of the church in Groton, having been united with it November 8, 1778."
His father, who was a farmer, died suddenly in the field, July 16, 1805, when the subject of this memoir was but eleven years old ; and his subsequent early training was
i3
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conducted by his mother, a woman of much force of char- acter and of sincere piety, who implanted in him that faith in evangelical Christianity which was to her both a help and a consolation, and which became the distinguish- ing characteristic of his Ufe.
His early training was in that rough and severe school in which many of the best men of that period were brought up. His portion of his father's estate was very small, and his mother could afford him no assistance. He had an irrepressible desire to serve the church as a minis- ter : he was accustomed to labor, and he strained every nerve to accomphsh his end. Societies for educating min- isters had not then been established, or if they had been they did not reach him. His education was mainly at- tained by his own unaided exertions. He taught school, and did such other things as in those days were open to students. In 1814, at the age of twenty-one years, hav- ing fitted at Groton Academy, he entered Harvard Col- lege, where he graduated in 1818. Directly after, he entered the Divinity School of the University ; and when he had completed his course in that school, he was out of debt, having never spent anything till he had the money for the expenditure.
Mr. Farnsworth's entrance on theological studies at the Cambridge Divinity School is not to be taken as an ap- proval by him of the tendencies of that school, or even of its position at that time. In his private journal he records his regret at what he terms the " extreme liberality " of its professors. The difference between the Unitarian and the Orthodox theology was clearly enough seen in 1818. The road taken by the leaders of the new departure was plain enough ; but the community had not yet been com- pletely divided, as it subsequently, and indeed soon after, came to be.
Mr. Farnsworth adhered to the Orthodox side, yet he always seemed to take comparatively little interest in the
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theological questions involved in the controversy, and he considered them of less importance than many did. He cared much more for the devotional and practical than for the scientific side discussed by the great leaders. He was much more concerned with the effect which the sense of religious obligation made on people's hearts and lives than he was with their theoretical statements of belief. This probably worked to his disadvantage in the Orthodox body, to which he attached himself, as the members of it were inclined to think, or at least suspect, that he had never outgrown the liberality of his Cambridge training. Reli- gion was a real thing with him : he thought that it should govern men's lives at all times; that it should compel them to earnest, sincere, and loving devotion, — the con- sequences of which would be a pure life in this w^orld, the approval of their Master, and happiness in the next. He was himself unusuallv affectionate and earnest in his nature, and he attached his friends to himself very strongly ; and these qualities eventually made him a most efficient clergyman.
He finished his course in the Divinity School, and took the degree of A. M. in the University in 1821. He had at that time much anxiety about the source from which he should obtain a license to preach. The old machinery was breaking up. At length, he applied to the Union Association of Boston and Vicinity, and received a li- cense from them July 31, 1821. He afterwards resided and studied a while at Andover, preaching at various places. At length he went to Orford, New Hampshire, where he preached for some time, and was ordained over the church in that place January 21, 1823. He married Miss Rebecca Miller Thayer Fogg, daughter of Dr. Daniel Fogg, of Braintree, Massachusetts, November 1, 1825; and his wife, who had been accustomed to the society of the neighborhood of Boston, went w^ith him to assist him in ministering to the inhabitants of a little town then on
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the borders of the wilderness. • His wife was born Novem- ber 1, 1797, and bore him six children, four of whom sur- vived him. She also survived him many years, dying April 25, 1873.
He carried on his work at Orford very quietly but per- severingly until April 9, 1832, when he was dismissed from that church at his own request. He thereupon removed to Braintree, where his growing children could receive better opportunities for education than could be obtained in the distant town of Orford. There he lived nearly three years, engaged to some extent in teaching, but mainly in preaching, as the agent of the American Education Society.
He was installed as pastor of the Congregational Church in Paxton, Massachusetts, April 30, 1835, and he remained there until May 7, 1840, when he was again dismissed at his own request, and he soon took charge of the church in Boxborough, Massachusetts, and was regularly installed over it January 6, 1842. He closed his connection with that church June 10, 1849, by mutual agreement; and after supplying vacant churches for a short time, he took charge of the Trinitarian Church in North Chelsea, where he remained till April 1, 1853.
On the first day of September, 1853, he was installed over the Scotland Church in Bridgewater, where he re- mained until his death.
In the year 1853, during the time of his ministry at North Chelsea, he was chosen chaplain of the Senate of Massachusetts.
Very early in his life he became interested in the history of the families with which he was connected either by birth or marriage. He undertook to collect for preservation all that could be known respecting them. At the time when he began his studies of genealogy and of family history, very little had been done in New England in that direction. A few pioneers
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had indeed pointed out the way, but it was mainly a new investigation. He examined the early records, many of which had been long looked upon by their custodians as almost useless lumber. He searched the graveyards, and copied the inscriptions on tombstones. The jibes of many of his friends had no effect to stop or even to delay him. He collected everything that he thought might prove useful in his undertaking. He hunted, out all the old people, and took down from their lips whatever they could remember. In that way he collected a large mass of material, which he intended to use. He had materials for the genealogy and fam- ily history of the Farnsworths, the Longleys, the Pres- cotts, the Delaps, the Parsonses, the Thayers, the Millers, the Foggs, the Waleses, the Minots, and others. He became a Corresponding Member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, May 23, 1846 ; and the library of this society contains some of his collections concerning the Longleys,
But he was not permitted to finish any of the matters which he had undertaken. He was suddenly cut off, when he had but prepared himself for his task, — a task, indeed, not originally contemplated by him, but which was undertaken after his loving fondness for the precious remains of the past had for their own sake led him to make large collections ; and this work, into which he had thus, as it were, accidentally strayed, would, if he had been permitted to complete it, have made him better known to posterity than his labors in his early chosen profession.
In the midst of his work, while in apparently as good health as ever. Sabbath mt>rning, November 12, 1854, he suddenly passed away. He had sat down at his study- table to look over the sermon which he proposed to preach to his congregation that forenoon, the text of which was, "Follow me," and there he was found dead. His
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end was peaceful, as became one whose life had been simple and pure. The last sermon which he preached was on the preceding Sunday, and from the text, " It is finished." There was a singular appropriateness in these texts to his closing labors; and his children and his friends, who knew the path which he had trod, could have no better call than to follow him in their lives, as he had his Master, to so good an end.
At the time of his death he was sixty-one years and one month old, and till then he had seemed to have before him ample time to finish his genealogical labors ; but his death found them in no part completed. The material which he had collected has in some cases helped others to do what he commenced; but for the most part his work still remains in the incomplete state in which he left it. Perhaps more of it will hereafter be made useful, and help to perpetuate his memory, as he most piously had at- tempted to perpetuate the memory of those who had gone before him.
PETEH FOLGER EWER
Peter Folger Ewer was bom on the Island of Nan- tucket, State of Massacliusetts, on the ] oth day of March, 1800. His father's name was Silvanus Ewer, and his mother's, Margaret, or Peggy Folger.
Silvanus .was born at the village of Osterville, in the town and county of Barnstable, Massachusetts, October 10, 1767. He learned the trade of a ship-carpenter, and at the age of twenty-one removed from Osterville to Nantucket, where, being of an industrious and thrifty turn of mind, he soon accumulated money enough to purchase a part of a whale-ship. This vessel made a successful voyage, and thus Silvanus was enabled to ex- tend his interests in the same direction. It was not long, therefore, before he abandoned his trade and became a whaling merchant and manufacturer of oil and candles. He accumulated a large property, and died wealthy in Nantucket on the 3d day of March, 1836. Peter was his only son. Margaret, Peter's mother, was the second wife of Silvanus. She was born September 25, 1770, at Nan- tucket, married on the 9th of July, 1798, and died January 11, 1805.
Silvanus's parents were Seth Ewer, born at Great Marshes, Barnstable County, March 14, 1729, moved to Osterville in 1764, died April 15, 1801; and Lydia Churchill, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, born March 24, 1735, married September 16, 1762, died May 18, 1787.
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Seth was baptized by a minister of the Baptist denomi- nation, but be became subsequently a Quaker.
Seth's parents were Thomas Ewer, bom at Great Marshes, 1686, died July 27, 1771 ; and Reliance Toby, of Falmouth, Massachusetts, born 1695, died August 2, 1756.
It is at present uncertain who the parents of Thomas were. In 1635 there came from London, in the ship " James," Thomas Ewer, a tailor, aged forty years ; Sara Ewer, Thomas's wife, aged twenty-eight years ; Elizabeth, aged four years ; and Thomas Ewer, aged one year and six months. Thomas settled in Charlestown, was admit- ted a freeman in Massachusetts in 1636, and died in 1638. His widow removed to Barnstable in 1639, and married Thomas Lothrop. Among the early settlers of Sandwich we find Henry Ewer. Two theories have been suggested : one that the Thomas and the Henry above named were father and son, for there is an hiatus of fifty years be- tween 1636, when they arrived, and 1686, when the Thomas who was the father of Seth was born. This hiatus would be filled if we suppose that the above-named Thomas and Henry were father and son, and that Henry was the father of the Thomas who was born in 1686. A second theory is this, namely, that Thomas, who was born in 1595, had a son also named Thomas, born in 1633 ; that the latter had a son also named Thomas, born in 1686 ; and that the last-named Thomas was the father of Seth. But this whole matter seems to be in confusion. The early Ewers in New England, from the first Thomas down to Silvanus, appear to have been a thrifty folk.
The parents of Peter Folger Ewer's mother, Peggy Folger, were Peter Folger, born on Nantucket, October 4, 1737, 0. S., died September 13, 1808 ; and Judith Bur- nell, died January 25, 1799. This Peter Folger's parents were Peter Folger, born April 24, 1708, died December, 1762 ; and Christian Swain, born 1712, married April 23,
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1731, died April 22, 1790. The parents of the last-named Peter Folger were Nathan Folger, born 1678, married 1699, died 1747; and Sarah Church, who died 1744. Nathan's parents were Eleazer Folger, born 1648, died in Boston, 1716 ; and Sarah Gardner, died October 19, 1729. Eleazer's parents were Peter Foulger, born 1618, died 1690 ; and Mary Morrell, came from England to New England, 1635, died 1704. All the above Folgers and their wives, except Sarah Church, whose place of birth is unknown, Peter Foulger and Mary Morrell, were born on Nantucket.
Peter Foulger's parents were John Foulger, died at Martha's Vineyard, 1660, and Meribah Gibbs, died 1666. John Foulger came from Norwich, Norfolk County, Eng- land, in 1635. In Norfolk County at that time the letter " h " in such words as " ham " was not dropped in pro- nunciation, and, in general, very pure English was spoken. It was, however, spoken somewhat nasally. It is observed by those who visit Nantucket now that our language is spoken there, even by the humbler classes, with greater purity of pronunciation and of syntax than is usual. It is doubtless the case that this fact is attributable to the influence of the early Nantucket Folgers, aided by the families of Macy, Starbuck, Hussey, Coleman, and others. Peter Foulger, at that time seventeen years old, accom- panied his father, John, from England. Meribah Foulger was living in June, 1663. John died about 1660. It is said that Mary Morrell came out from England with Hugh Peters as his waiting-maid. John and Peter Foulger were on the same ship. Peter gave Hugh Peters £20 for Mary's time, mcirried her, and often boasted that he had made a capital bargain. .Peter and Mary lived at first on the Island of Martha's Vineyard. In 1663 they removed to Nantucket. Peter had a " half-share " of land offered to him by the owners of Nantucket if he would come and live among them, and act as interpreter for them to the
41
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Indians. This was also on condition that his son, Eleazer, would act as blacksmith and shoemaker, in both of which trades he was skilled. Peter accepted the offer. He was, according to Cotton Mather, " a pious, godly Englishman, employed in teaching youth in reading, writing, and the principles of religion by catechising, being well learned in the Scriptures." During his residence on Martha's Vine- yard Peter assisted Thomas Mayhew, Jr., in ministering religiously to the Indians. He also acted as surveyor and layer-out of lands at the Vineyard, and pursued the same employment at Nantucket in 1661 and 1662. In 1675 and 1676 he was clerk of the court, and he acted also as a preacher of the Baptist sect. The celebrated Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of Peter Foulger's grand- sons ; Dr. Franklin's mother, who was born on Nantucket, having been Abiah, daughter of Peter, who was born August 15, 1667, and died in 1752.
There have lono- been extant amonp^ the residents of Nantucket some doggerel stanzas, which describe, in a quaint way, the character and propensities of the ancient Nantucket families. The following stanza is pertinent to the Folgers, viz. : —
" The Rays and Russells coopers are, The knowing Folgers lazy ; A lying Coleman very rare, And scarce a learned Hussey."
Peter Folger Ewer's life was uneventful. His boyhood was spent, as usual, at school ; and the schools of Nan- tucket, which subsequently became most excellent, were none of the best in the days of his youth. When he arrived at early manhood, his father gave him a compe- tency with which to begin mercantile pursuits. On the 2d of November, 1820, he married Eunice Cartwright, daughter of John and Mary Cartwright, of Nantucket. The issue of this, his first marriage, was George Alex-
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ander Ewer, born 2d July, 1821, who subsequently went to Valparaiso, Chili, where he married a Chilian lady, and where he still resides. Mrs. Eunice Ewer died in 1822.
On the 24th of May, 1825, Peter married Mary Cart- wright, a sister of his first wife. Mary was born at Nan- tucket, November 6, 1797, and died in New York, No- vember 20, 1877. The issue of this second marriage was Ferdinand C. Ewer, born in Nantucket, May 22, 1826, and Margaret Folger Ewer, born in Providence, Ehode Island, January 26, 1833, both children now living.
In 1829, August 6, Peter removed from Nantucket to Providence, where he formed a co-partnership with Caleb "VVestcott, under the name of Peter F. Ewer & Co., for transacting a shipping and oil commission business. They sent vessels to the West Indies, to the ports and islands of the Pacific, and elsewhere. In religion Peter was, if anything, a Unitarian. At any rate, the family attended a Unitarian place of worship.
About 1833 or 1834 Peter became interested in a com- pany formed to build and run a line of large steamboats between New York and Providence; and on November 1, 1834, he removed with his family to New York, where he entered into partnership with Elihu Mix, and conducted an oil commission, manufacturing, and shipping business.
On the death of his father in 1836 Peter retired from business, broke up housekeeping, and, with his wife, spent several years in travelling. The winters of 1839 and 1840 were spent in Providence. In 1841 he removed to Nantucket for a permanent abode.
At that time, when Nantucket was at the height of its prosperity as a whaling emporium, and was a place of nearly ten thousand inhabitants, Peter predicted that his children would live to see the place descend from its pros- perity and wealth, and become a mere fishing village of two or three thousand people only, — a prediction, it is hardly necessary to say, already almost fulfilled.
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The sand-bar, two miles from the mouth of Nantucket harbor, was a serious obstruction both to the ships starting with their supplies for a long whaling voyage, and to incoming ships with their loads. It was the custom, when a ship was to be fitted out for a voyage, first to send her empty out over the bar, anchor her there in deep water, and then to send out to her by lighters her spars, sails, and supplies. An incoming ship was anchored at the " back of the bar," and her load was lightered into the harbor before she was herself towed in.
Peter reasoned with the ship-owners on this primitive and absurd way of receiving and despatching their ships. He explained to them a plan of building for the town a pair of ship-lifters, otherwise called " camels." These consisted of two enormous wooden tanks, each larger than the hulk of a ship, into which the water could be let so that they should sink, and out of which it could subse- quently be pumped. They were first to be sunk ; the ship was then to be placed between them ; they were then to be bound together with chains, and to the ship, and finally were to be pumped out, lifting the ship as they rose themselves. But he met with all manner of opposition. After much perseverance, however, he suc- ceeded in 1842 in organizing a company with sufiicient capital to undertake the work of construction. But after the camels were built few dared risk a ship in them for the first time. With commendable intelligence and enter- prise, however, the firm of Christopher Mitchell & Co. offered one of their ships for the experiment. After their ship was securely bound within the camels, and the camels were nearly pumped out, the chains binding them together gave way, and the loaded ship came tearing down into the water again. Stronger chains were pro- cured, and the camels gave the ship another trial, this time with success ; subsequently to which all outward-bound ships were loaded with their supplies at the wharves of
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the town, taken up by the camels, conveyed over the bar, whence, having been let down into the water again, they sailed away directly for sea ; and the inward-bound ships were met by the camels at the "back of the bar," con- veyed over the bar by them, and deposited at the wharves of the town.
But Peter, though an ingenious and enterprising man. was not very sagacious as a financier, and he had the misfortune between 1842 and 1845 to lose nearly all his property, including the ample fortune which had been left to him by his father. He struggled with his adver- sity till the summer of 1848, when, gathering together a few assorted goods, he sailed as passenger with his " adventure " in one of the Nantucket whale-ships for Valparaiso, Chili, where he disembarked in order to trade in the ports of Chili and Peru.
On the arrival in Chili of the news of the California gold discovery he at once took ship for San Francisco, at which port he arrived early in 1849. He went into the Sierra, but never worked in the mines, devoting himself instead to the buying and selling of miners' supplies. In 1850 he was for a brief while coroner and sheriff of Sacramento County, and in 1852 he had charge of a mine in Grass Valley as chief director of operations. In the spring of 1853 he resigned his position, and went to live in San Francisco.
The grades of the city streets had recently been altered. It became necessary, therefore, to raise many valuable buildings to the new levels. Peter at once, with his usual enterprise, began to take means to procure hydraulic apparatus to be applied to the lifting of such structures. Had he succeeded, he would have become a wealthy man again.
But in the incipiency of his scheme, he was suddenly prostrated with an incurable disease. He remained in San Francisco under the care of his son, Ferdinand, for
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eight months. On the 1st of April, 1854, he returned to Nantucket in charge of a nurse, where he Hngered for eight months longer, steadily growing worse.
The eight mile-stones on the road from Nantucket to Siasconset were purchased and set out by him when he was a young man, and one of his oddities was to leave it as a tradition in his family that his children and chil- dren's children to the final generation should keep those mile-stones painted white.
In person he was of medium stature, and was quick and energetic in his walk and in all his movements. His complexion was dark, and his hair and eyes were black. He resembled in a marked degree the full- length portrait of John Adams, now hanging in the great hall of Harvard University. He (although one of " the knowing Folgers, lazy") rarely read a book, but took interest in men and things. At one time he was occu- pied in organizing " a voyage to Europe, and thence around the world, for sight-seers," and was in treaty for the purchase of a ship in which to convey the travellers, somewhat on the plan which was subsequently so success- ful, and which is suggested by the well-known phrase, " Cook's Tourists." But ocean steamships began to take the place of sailing vessels about that time, and his scheme fell through. He became a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society September 6, 1847. He was generous, strongly attached to the island of his birth, always hopeful, and at times even visionary. In conversation he was cheerful and enter- taining, and ever had at hand a fund of illustrative anec- dote. He unconsciously endeared himself to all whom he met, and almost every one in California who was acquainted with him speedily became his friend. He died on the 7th of January, 1855, aged fifty-four years, nine months, and twenty-three days. "
ISAAC P. DAVIS
Isaac P. Dayis was a son of Thomas and Mercy Davis, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and was born in that town October 7, 1771. His paternal grandfather, who is sup- posed to have been a native of England, married a Miss Wendell, of Albany, New York. Their son, Thomas Davis, was born in Albany, in 1722. He spent a portion of his early life in North Carolina, but about 1742 settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Here in 1753 he married Miss Mercy Hedge, who traced her ancestry to Elder William Brewster, Governor Wilham Bradford, and other Pilgrims of the " Mayflower."
Thomas and Mercy Davis had seven children, one daughter and six sons, of whom the subject of this sketch was the youngest but one. The sons were all men of mark ; two were graduates of Harvard College, and all, except one, "held offices of trust under the State or United States government." The best known of these brothers was the Hon. John Davis, LL.D., who has a lit- erary and historical reputation as the editor of Morton's " New England's Memorial," and who held for forty-one years, from February, 1800, to July, 1841, the office of Judge of the United States Court for the District of Mas- sachusetts. Of the other brothers Thomas Davis was Treasurer and Receiving General of the Commonwealth from 1792 to 1797; "William "was extensively engaged in his native town of Plymouth in mercantile pursuits, wa^ much regarded for his general knowledge, intelligence, and probity, and was frequently chosen a representative
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in the State Legislature ; " and Samuel, who was " of retir- ing habits and modest demeanor," was noted for his anti- quarian and genealogical information, .particularly in relation to Plymouth. The youngest brother, Wendell, " became a member of the Senate of this State at a time when political excitement ran very high. He was esteemed a ready and sharp debater, and distinguished himself by his apt rejoinders to his opponents; he afterwards held the of6.ce of Sheriff of the County of Barnstable."
Isaac P. Davis commenced business as a rope-maker in Boston in the last decade of the eighteenth century. His ropewalks were on the westerly side of Charles Street, on ground now occupied by the Public Garden. Here he carried on extensively the manufacture of cables and cord- age till 1818, when his ropewalks were destroyed by fire. In the Boston Directory of 1796 his name is found as Isaac Davis, Jun., to distinguish him from another Isaac Davis in the town, a merchant. The letter P. as a middle name was afterwards used for the purpose of distinction. In the early part of his business career he had large deal- ings with the United States government, through Stephen Higginson, the Navy Agent at Boston, particularly at the time of the difficulty with France, when large quantities of cordage were required for outfits of the Navy. He fur- nished, also, much cordage to the ship-owners of Boston, whose confidence he won by his integrity.
He was one of the originators of the Boston and Rox- bury Mill Corporation, which built the Milldam, or Western Avenue, to connect Boston wdth Brookline ; and he is named first in the act of incorporation, June 14, 1814.
In 1841 he was appointed, by the President of the United States, the Naval Officer for the Port of Boston. For this office he was principally indebted to the Hon. Daniel Webster, then a member of the President's Cabinet. The friendship of that eminent statesman for Mr. Davis was further shown by the dedication to him of the second
ISAAC P. DAVIS 329
volume of his collected works, in which Mr. Webster says : " A warm private friendship has subsisted between us for half our lives, interrupted by no untoward occurrence, and never for a moment coolino; into indifference. Of •this friendship, the source of so much happiness to me, I wish to leave, if not an enduring memorial, at leo,st an affectionate and grateful acknowledgment." Mr. Davis held this office till 1845, when a new administration came into power.
Mr. Davis was one of the original members of the Mas- sachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, organized in 1795, and was one of the last three survivors. On the 24th of August, 1830, he was elected a resident member of the Massachusetts Historical Society ; and in 1833 he was chosen Cabinet-keeper, which office he retained till his death. He was a trustee of the Boston Athenaeum from 1830 to 1845. On the 28th of April, 1847, he was admitted an honorary member of the New England His- toric Genealogical Society.
He married, June 12, 1807, Miss Susan Jackson, daughter of Dr. David Jackson, a physician of Philadelphia. Their children were: 1. Thomas Kemper, born June 20, 1808; graduated at Harvard College, 1827, at the head of his class ; and died October 13, 1853. " He had fine scholar- ship and brilhant powers, but long before his death was withdrawn by disease from the pursuits of active life." 2. George Cabot, born January 23, 1812, and died June 30, 1833.
Mr. Davis died in Boston January 13, 1855, aged eighty- three. His wife survived him twelve years, dying March 30, 1867, at the age of eighty- two.
A writer in the " Boston Daily Advertiser," January 18, 1855, a few days after Mr. Davis's death, who signs him- self " An Old Acquaintance," pays a tribute to his mem- ory, from which the following extract, with some verbal
chancres, is taken : —
° 42
330 ISAAC p. DAVIS
" Professional men and inventors of machinery, together with the whole corps of navy officers, had frequent recourse to Mr. Davis, as the most reliable source for the information that each one wanted. The poor man also had always at least some useful suggestions made in his behalf. Mr. Davis was much engaged in acquiring antiquarian lore ; and had he been equally desirous of gaining wealth, he might have been one of the richest men among us. He possessed a most desirable tempera- ment, the gift of God. A peculiar face, expressive of kindness and confidence, added greatly to the effect of his generous deeds. He had a most remarkable quickness of intellect in acquiring the contents of a new book, — its general merits, the pith of it ; and he seemed without labor to arrive at correct con- clusions. He was always busy and curious to learn the affairs of the world, and was ever ready to communicate information ; but he never intermeddled in the private business of others. No thoughtless remarks that would allow of misapplication to the disparagement of others ever escaped from him. Hence the pe- culiar charm of his society. He was by solicitation the frequent guest of the opulent, at whose board he was tempted by the choicest of dainties ; yet such was his well-known temperance, and he so well understood the proper uses of things that gratify the senses, that he merely tasted them, and the appetite was not cloyed. He did not profess the too common qualifications of the festive board, such as jokes, wit, waggery, or music ; his standard was above them. Mr. Davis's religious faith savored of that of his ancestors ; yet he was not rigid, but liberal toward others of different persuasions. He was a worthy example of a long life, crowned with the respect of the great and the good."
A memoir of Mr. Davis was prepared for the Massa- chusetts Historical Society by his nephew, the Hon. George Thomas Davis, and was printed in their Proceedings, Vol. XL pp. 94-99, accompanied by a fine portrait. To this memoir the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, LL.D., contributed the following sketch of his personal qualities, written soon after his death : —
" Few persons will be more missed from the daily walks of life than this esteemed and venerated gentleman. Though he had reached the advanced age of eighty-three years, he had
ISAAC P. DAVIS 331
retained a full measure of his characteristic activity of mind and body until a very recent period, and but a few weeks had elapsed since he was to be found at his customary haunts on the Ex- change. Everybody was glad to meet him there, for he had a kind word for everybody. Nor did he confine himself to kind words. If an obliging act was within his power, he was always sure to do it. One was in danger of forgetting that he was no longer young, so ready and eager was he to anticipate the wishes of a friend in rendering any service that could be suggested. Indeed he knew little of old age, except from the experience it had brought him ; his heart was always young, and his interest in the daily current of events lost nothing of its freshness to the end of his life. He was eminently a man of ' cheerful yester- days and confident to-morrows.'
' A man of hope, and forward-looking mind, Even to the last.'
Yet he did not forget that he had passed the allotted term of human life, and was not unmindful of the great account which was soon to be rendered.
" Mr. Davis entered life with slight advantages of fortune, but it would be difficult to name a man who had been happier in his social relations. Beyond any one of his time he had enjoyed the friendship and intimacy of our most distinguished men. He was on terms of familiar intercourse successively with Fisher Ames and George Cabot, with John Quincy Adams, Josiah Quincy, Harrison Gray Otis, and Daniel Webster. Nor was his acquaintance limited to those of our own neighborhood. Strangers of distinction were rarely without a letter to Mr. Davis, and were always sure of receiving from him the kindest attention, and of being introduced by him to the most agreea- ble hospitalities. His memory was thus stored with personal anecdotes and pleasant reminiscences of many of the most inter- esting characters in our more recent history, and he was rarely without agreeable occasions of relating them. He took an early and active interest in the encouragement of American art. He was the friend of Stuart and Allston and Sully, of Green- ough and Powers and Clevenger ; and not a few young artists of less celebrity have owed to him the earliest opportunities of exercising their profession. Though not wealthy himself, he knew how to bring deserving merit to the notice of those that
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were ; and many an order for a bust or a portrait -which has brought hope, and perhaps bread, to some discouraged and destitute artist, has had its origin in his thoughtful and timely suggestions.
" Mr, Davis, like his venerated brother, the late Mr. Justice Davis, had a passion for everything of an historical or antiquarian character. Born in Plymouth, he was never tired of visiting the Rock, and of exploring the footsteps of those who first trod it. Indeed, whatever related to American history. Colonial or Revo- lutionary, he was eager to hear and see and understand ; and though neither a student nor a writer himself, he often helped those who were writers or students to facts or anecdotes or papers or memorials which might have been looked for in vain anywhere else. His service to the Massachusetts Historical Society, as one of their most attentive members, and as their Cabinet-keeper for a long course of years, will doubtless secure for him the customary tribute in their ' Proceedings,' as they have secured for him the cordial regard and esteem of all his asso- ciates. Mr. Davis was repeatedly one of the representatives of Boston in the State Legislature, and for several years he held the post of Naval Ofi&cer in the Boston Custom House. B.ut he sought uo distinction in public life. His disposition was for the social circle, where his tastes and his temper eminently qualified him to shine. His genial good-nature, his benevolent spirit, his peculiar faculty 'of gathering up whatever was most interesting or agreeable to those with whom he was associated, his quick appreciation of whatever was curious or novel, his kind, cordial, cheerful manners, all conspired to make him the selected and solicited guest of every company, and the welcome visitor of every household.
" His long life was not unclouded by afflictions. He was called to bear blows which would have broken any less buoyant spirit than his own. Two sons, his only children, who had given the best promise of success in their respective professions, — one of them second to no one of his age in early scholarship, — were cut off before him. But with the aid of an affectionate and devoted wife, he bore up bravely beneath these bitter disap- pointments, and was soon the same cheerful old man, — happy, at least, in making others happy. Sinking at last under no very protracted disease, he has left a memory which will be cherished
ISAAC P. DAVIS 333
in many hearts as that of a tried, trusty, affectionate friend, whom all would have gladly held back yet longer from the grave to cheer and brighten the pathway of life."
Mr. George L. Brown, the landscape-painter, informs me that he owes to Mr. Davis his first encouragement as an artist. They first met, in 1832, in the studio of Mr. George P. A. Healy, the now eminent portrait-painter, whom Mr. Davis had early befriended and on whom he was in the habit of frequently calling. Mr. Brown, then a youth of eighteen, had painted a small landscape, his first picture in oil, in Mr. Healy's studio, which Mr. Davis saw there, commended warmly, and purchased. He en- couraged him to persevere, and recommended him to his friends. Among these was Mr. John P. Gushing, who employed Mr. Brown, and furnished him with money for his expenses to Europe, besides assisting him while he was there. This early commendation and assistance Mr. Brown considers the foundation of his success as an artist. Other young artists felt the influence of this gen- tleman's friendly offices and appreciation; among whom was Mr. George W. Flagg, a nephew of Allston. Mr. Brown describes Mr. Davis as under the medium height, inclined to corpulency and a little lame, with rosy cheeks and brilliant blue eyes, which his gold-bowed spectacles did not entirely conceal. A smile was ahvays on his face.
During Mr. Brown's acquaintance with him he was generally recognized as one of the leading connoisseurs of works of art in Boston. No one was so frequently called upon as he to pass judgment on the merits of such works. His advice was taken in the purchases for the gallery of the Boston Athenceum, and those who thought of forming private galleries always consulted with him.
The late Nathaniel Ingersoll Bowditch, Esq., in the six- teenth number of his " Gleaner " articles, lately reprinted by the Boston Record Commissioners, from the "Evening Transcript," speaks of him as '"'a man of cultivated
334 ISAAC p. DAVIS
intellect, courteous manners, and the most genial kindness of heart, . . . possessing almost unequalled knowledge of passing events, and great vivacity in narrating and com- menting on them."
The Hon. George Lunt, who had an intimate acquaint- ance and much friendly intercourse with Mr. Davis to- wards the close of his life, wrote, soon after the death of his friend, the following touching poem to his memory. It was much admired by the Hon. Rufus Choate, who pro- nounced it worthy of Horace.
I. P. D.
Ah, kind and good old man !
"Whose life, a golden chain
Of links, still brightening, ran
Through more than fourscore years,
In long-descending train, —
Ripened by sun and rain,
So the fuU shock should garnered be, and vain
Were our superfluous tears.
Yet, though we may not grieve ,
For him, who waited but the Master's call.
How oft, at morn, and noon, and social eve.
By genial board, or in the festal hall,
Shall busy fancy weave
Sweet, sad memorials of thy decent form,
Who knew life's sunny hours, and felt its storm,
Saw human nature's every side, and stni
Who thought and spoke no ill ?
The cordial grasp of an unsullied hand.
The cheerful aspect, and the beaming eye ;
Those silvery locks that crowned a forehead bland
With human sympathy ;
The feehng heart, quick thought, and earnest mind ; ,
The true, soft accents from thy lips that fell, —
Where shall we look to find
In soul so gentle left behind ?
Dear, kind old man, farewell !
THOMAS DAY
Thomas Day was a direct descendant, in the sixth generation, of that Robert Day who came from England to America among the early settlers of Massachusetts, and removed from Cambridge (then Newtown), Massachusetts, to Hartford, with^the Rev. Thomas Hooker, the first min- ister of Hartford, in June, 1636. Robert Day married Editha Stebbins, and died in 1648 ; leaving a son, Thomas Day, who married, in 1659, Sarah Cooper, of Springfield, Massachusetts, and died there in 1712 ; leaving a son, Thomas Day, who married, in 1686, Ehzabeth Merrick, of Springfield. The family removed from Springfield to Col- chester, Connecticut; and Thomas, born October 23, 1689, married Mary Welles, of Colchester (who was born Janu- ary 22, 1702), and had by her Jeremiah, who was born in Colchester (Westchester Society), January 25, 1737 (0. S.). He graduated at Yale College in 1756, and be- came the pastor of an Orthodox Congregational Church in New Preston, Connecticut, and was a man of note in his region. For a biographical sketch of him, see " Con- necticut Evangelical Magazine," Vol. VII. pp. 212-216. He was the father of Jeremiah Day, for many years Presi- dent of Yale College, and of Thomas Day, the subject of this sketch. The Rev. Jeremiah Day, of New Preston, married Abigail Noble, daughter of Stephen and Sarah (Ferris) Noble, of New Milford, Connecticut. She was born November 18, 1740, and died June 1, 1810, aged sixty-nine.
336 THOMAS DAT
The father of Thomas Day was a man of uncommonly strong natural constitution. He lived to his seventieth year, and then died from the results of sickness brought on by being wet in a thunder-shower while extremely heated by pitching grain in the field. His eldest son, Jeremiah, lived to enter his ninety-fifth year ; his second son, Thomas, died in his seventy-eighth year ; and his third son in his seventy-sixth year. Of the seven children of Thomas Day and Sarah Coit, all but one lived to be aged, and are all alive at this date. The physical consti- tution of both parents was excellent, and the children got the benefit of it.
Thomas Day was born in New Preston, Connecticut, July 6, 1777. He graduated at Yale^College in 1797; and half a century later, in 1847, he received the degree I of LL.D. from that institution. There were thirty-seven members in his class; "sixteen of whom made the law their profession, of whom six became magnates, and four attained the honorary degree of LL.D." This class was favored in having for its teachers such men as James Gould, afterwards of the famous law school at Litchfield ; and Eoger Minot Sherman, of Fairfield, whose talents as a man and a lawyer were famous in his day and generation.
Lyman Beecher, the father of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, and the rest of the "famous Beecher family," was a member of the class of 1797 at Yale, and has left in his Autobiography, published by the Harpers, 1866, in Chapters VI. to IX. of the first volume, various items and anecdotes of the college life of those days.
Thomas Day attended the law lectures of Judge Reeve at Litchfield for one year from July, 1797 ; was a tutor in Williams College from September, 1798, to September. 1799, and during that period read law under the direction of Daniel Dewey, Esq., afterwards a judge of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. He was admitted to the bar in
THOMAS DAT 337
Hartford, Connecticut, in 1799, and settled there in the practice of the law. He was appointed by the General Assembly Assistant Secretary of the State in 1809, and was chosen Secretary by the people in 1810, and continued by the people in that office, by successive annual elections, until May, 1835.
In May, 1815, he was appointed an Associate Judge of the County Court for the county of Hartford, and annually thereafter, with the exception of one year, until May, 1825, when he was appointed Chief Judge of that court, which office he held until June, 1833.
In March, 1818, as one of the two senior aldermen of the city of Hartford, he became one of the Judges of the City Court, and coh tinned such, by successive annual elec- tions, until March, 1831.
He was one of the committee who prepared the edition of the Statutes of Connecticut in 1808, and wrote the introduction, compiled the notes, and made the index ; was one of the committee of revision in 1821 ; and was one of a committee to prepare and superintend a new edition in 1824.
From 1802 to 1853 he reported the decisions of the Supreme Court of Errors of Connecticut. During that period seven different chief justices presided in that court, holding office until disqualified by age. He also edited several English law-books, — in all about forty vol- umes, — in which he introduced notices of the American decisions.
He was long a trustee of the Hartford Grammar School and of the Hartford Female Seminary ; one of the vice- presidents of the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb ; a trustee of the Retreat for the Insane ; president of the Connecticut branch of the American Education Society ; and president of the Goodrich Association. He was one of the founders of the Connecticut Historical Society, incorporated in 1825, when he was chosen re-
43
338 THOMAS DAT
cording secretary. On the reorganization of the society in 1839, he was elected president. He was admitted a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, April 17, 1847.
He was, as one well qualified to judge remarked, "not only a good reporter, but a man of good report." As Judge Welles, when he moved the adoption of compli- mentary resolutions in the Superior Court, said : " Of Mr. Day as a reporter it has been truly said that he had no superior in the ability to grasp the precise point decided, and to present that point clearly and definitely." Said Judge Welles : " His has been a favored lot. Spared the exhausting contests which attend the active duties of his profession, he stood by, a calm, intelligent spectator of the conflict, recording the results. Enjoying the con- solations of friendship, and possessing an easy fortune and extensive reputation, blessed with all that is valuable in possession for earth, and all that is cheering in prospect for heaven, he has been calmly brought to the consistent close of a consistent life, — ^ content to live, yet not afraid to die.' " To use the words of Dr. Joel Hawes at his funeral, he was " one who passed through life without a cloud upon his sun or a spot upon his character."
As an accurate and learned lawyer he had few superiors, and his opinions on legal questions were regarded by the bar as entitled to great respect.
Thomas Day died of apoplexy 1st March, 1855. He had a slight shock some weeks previous to his death, and remarked, in legal phrase : " I am now only a tenant at will, subject to eviction at the pleasure of the landlord. I have been served with due warning." He was fortunate in his death, as in his life ; suffering no pain, he met what the ancients called the euthanasia. The torch of life was suddenly inverted, and the flame ceased.
In person he was six feet tall ; slender, but not to the point of thinness. His carriage was erect, and his manner
THOMAS DAY 339
quite impressive. He made a good presiding officer, and was often called to act in that capacity. In the conduct of life he was severe to himself, but considerate and in- dulgent towards others. His general tone was gentle and affable ; but he was capable of being roused to great stern- ness. There is a good portrait of him, full length, in the rooms of the Connecticut Historical Society, painted when he was over seventy, and differing much from portraits painted when he was in the vigor of his manhood.
Thomas Day married, 18th March, 1813, Sarah Coit, daughter of Wheeler Coit, a merchant of that part of Preston which is now called Griswold, Connecticut. His wife was born 27th September, 1786, and died 21st July, 1865. The couple had the following children : —
Sarah Coit, born at Hartford 23d September, 1814 ; Elizabeth, born at Hartford 16th February, 1816 ; Thomas Mills, born at Hartford 21st November, 1817 ; Catharine Augusta, born at Hartford 6th August, 1819; Harriette, born at Hartford 26th November, 1821 ; Robert, born at Hartford 28th February, 1824 ; Mary Frances, born at Hartford 7th May, 1826 ; Ellen, born at Hartford 7th September, 1829.
FREDEEICK TURELL GRAY
Fkederick Turell Gray was born in Boston, County of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, December 5, 1804. He was the youngest son of Edward and Susanna Turell Gray. His father was a branch of a family long and deservedly respected in his native town, now city, of Boston, one of whose brothers was the Eev, Thomas Gray, the venerated minister for many years of the First Congregational Church, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury ; and another was John Gray, Esq., a well-known merchant of Boston. His father, professionally, was a lawyer.
At an early period Frederick became an orphan, and was taken at once to the home of his grandmother, Madam Turell, as she was always called, a lady of wealth. He was adopted by her, and between them there sprang up the most devoted and uninterrupted affection. No won- der, as he was a most winning and loving boy, over whom the grandmother exercised a most judicious authority, a wise and tender care.
Madam Turell was an honored member of the Brattle Street Church in the near vicinity of her dwelling, Brattle Square. Its pastor at this time was the distinguished and much beloved Rev. Joseph S. Buckminster.
Frederick was a constant attendant on his preaching, and one of his most attentive listeners. He loved him tenderly, and so enthusiastic was his admiration that he was impelled to prepare little discourses or sermons, and
FREDERICK TURELL GRAY 341
having gathered juvenile auditories from time to time at the house of his grandmother, preached to them in imita- tion of his distinguished prototype.
At an early age, as might have been expected, he made choice of the ministry as a life-profession, with the full consent of his grandmother and other friends. Accordingly he was sent to the best of preparatory schools, and at the required age to the Latin School, where he was fully prepared to enter college. Just at this time, however, his studies and prospects were arrested by a severe inflammation of the eyes, which threatened the most disastrous result. Relief at length was obtained, but with the most peremptory injunction of his physician that if he would save his sight he must give up all thought of pursuing his studies or passing through college. This was a sad blow to a long cherished desire ; but heavy as it was, he met it with a cheerful and submissive spirit, never relilnquishing, however, the one latent but dearest hope of his heart.
Not far from this time, 1821, the first Sunday Schools were established. One of these, in his own neighborhood, came to his knowledge. Of this school, the Hon. Sam- uel T. Armstrong was superintendent. Frederick had an elder friend, a teacher in the school, Deacon Moses Grant, to whom he applied to become a fellow-teacher, and through whose highly favorable representations and praise, though thought too young, he was appointed to the care of a .small class. This he manaored and tausrht with entire success ; and here it was that he received his first, his deep, and ever-abiding impressions of the impor- tance and value of religious instruction for the young.
But the teachings and doctrines of this school, as he soon found, were not in consonance with the more liberal views in which he had been educated ; and, after a while, he came to yearn for a more genial and larger sphere of duty and activity. Struggling with these impressions, and
342 • FKEDERICK TUEELL GRAY
aspiring earnestly for better means of religious growth, he associated himself at this time with a few others, Moses Grant, Benjamin H. Greene, "William P. Rice, his com- panions and friends, who originated and organized the Association of Young Men for Self-Improvement and for the Reli2:ious Instruction of the Youno^.
This association held weekly meetings at each other's houses, and discussed together the great questions of phi- lanthropy and religion, always with a view to some practi- cal action. Before the end of the year their number had become greatly enlarged, embracing clergy and some of the elder class of the laity. A course of Sunday evening lectures for the poor was early commenced in Creek Square, clergymen sometimes officiating, but for the most part the services were conducted by the lay mem- bers, Mr. Gray prominent among the number.
Among the earliest questions discussed by the associa- tion was that of the Sunday School. After full consider- ation, the subject was given to a committee, who organized a school, obtained from the citv the use of the Hancock School-house, just then completed, gave it the name of the Hancock Sunday School, and opened it, June, 1823. Mr. Gray was most active in all these proceedings, was one of its first teachers, and remained such till chosen its super- intendent in 1825.
In this position he was among the first to open the Sunday School, or to close it, with a general lesson, a short address to the children in simple language, enforcing some moral or religious truth or duty, illustrated by one or more familiar incidents. In these exercises he was very happy, both in matter and manner. Some of these he afterward revised and printed, under the title of "A Teacher's Gift, " which was a popular juvenile book of the day, and passed through a number of editions.
He was among the earliest, also, to inaugurate and insist upon regular teachers' meetings ; and for these pre-
FREDERICK TURELL GRAY 343
pared and delivered a series of addresses on the duties and responsibilities of the Sunday School teacher. A selection of these he also published, with the title, " Sunday School and Other Addresses, " 1852. He also instituted quar- terly examinations of the school, which were public, and excited much interest among many influential individuals. Thus it Svas that one who at the age of twenty-two was thought too young for this responsible situation, and who "took charge of it" as he himself says in one of the ad- dresses alluded to, *"' with fear and trembling," brought to the work, as it proved, not only an earnest zeal and per- sistent force, but with them also a shaping, organizing and practical power, which few possess in a larger degree. In this office, with an interregnum of a year, he continued to labor till 1832, obtaining^ more and more the affec- tionate regards of his pupils, never forfeited and never forgotten, the ever increasing respect of all his co-laborers and the community.
In the meantime, 1825, he had engaged in business, first as agent for the " North American Eeview," in the employ of the Rev. Jared Sparks, with Mr. Charles ^ Bowen, who was then its editor; and in 1829 as a pub- lisher and bookseller, under the firm of Gray & Bowen. .i,— In this undertaking he was eminently successful. Busi- ness flowed in upon the firm, and their gains were in proportion. They were greatly prospered.
But the latent desire of his heart could not be repressed. Under the auspices of the association, with the Rev. Henry Ware as leader, the Rev. Dr. Tuckerraan was led to engage in a " Ministry at Large to the Poor." Being in feeble health, he needed all the assistance which the association had promised or could possibly give. And well, on their part, was this promise redeemed. Mr. Gray, with others assisting, organized for him the Howard Sunday School, procuring for its use the upper chamber of a building which had been a painter's loft, at the corner of
344 FREDERICK TURELL GRAY
Merrimack and Portland Streets, in which Dr. Tuckerman preached his first sermon to the poor. Further, he vis- ited with him the poor, introduced him to famihes with whose homes he was already familiar, seeking others whom they might relieve and save, — and in the procurement of funds for the erection of a free chapel, which were at length secured, a building erected, known as the Friend Street Chapel, and first opened for public services in 1828.
But Dr. Tuckerman's health, always feeble, wholly failed in 1832, and he was obliged to forego preaching altogether. Under these circumstances, Mr. Gray did not hesitate. He gave up his prosperous and remunerative business, placed himself under the instruction of his friend, the Rev. Samuel J. May, then of Brooklyn, Connecticut, remained with him a year for study and preparation, then offered to the association his gratuitous services as a min- ister to the poor, which were at once accepted, and on the evening of October 5, 1834, he was ordained at the church in Federal Street, Dr. Channing preaching the sermon, as minister at large in the city of Boston, having charge of the Friend Street Chapel. He immediately entered upon his new and arduous services, with an earnest purpose and a most devoted heart.
Here, again, his methods and spirit which had been so successful in the Sunday School, found in this ministry their full fruition. Under his vigorous and earnest minis- trations, in all simplicity and love, the number of worship- pers in the chapel and members of the Sunday School were constantly on the increase ; so that in 1837 the families in connection with the chapel, which had been only sev- enty-five, had more than doubled, with an audience of more than six hundred ; while the school had increased from two hundred, or less, to more than three hundred ; and the common remark at the time was that a more attentive and interested congregation and school were not
FKEDERICK TURELL GRAY 345
to be found in the city. His visits to the families of the poor averaged a dozen daily, — the almost incredible ag- gregate of more than three thousand yearly. Evidently, '' the right man was in the right place. "
In 1834 Mr. Gray entered the matrimonial relation. He was married on the third of July in that year to Eliz- abeth P. Chapman, daughter of Jonathan and Margaret Chapman. Mr. Chapman was a well-known, wealthy, and much respected merchant, on State Street, Boston, whose son Jonathan w^as the eighth mayor of Boston. The union was a most happy one, no cloud overshadowing it from the beginning to the end. They were the parents of six children, a son and five daughters. The son, Frederick Turell, is living, and is a bank officer in New York. Mar- garet Rogers, one of the daughters, married Francis M. Bacon, a merchant of New York. She died October 23, 1876. Eleanor Baker married Patrick T. Jackson, Jr., and lives in Cambridge. The other three, Elizabeth C, Emily, and Marion Phillips, are with their mother in Boston.
To resume our narration. So prosperous had been the ministry of Mr. Gray at the Friend Street Chapel that at the close of its second year the building was found to be too small to accommodate those who flocked there as par- ishioners, hearers, and pupils. Measures were therefore taken, 1835, to secure a larger and more appropriate place of worship. This was done by subscription. It resulted in obtaining the necessary funds, and in the erection of a neat and substantial brick building on Pitts Street, so well known as the Pitts Street Chapel — " devoted exclu- sively and forever to free religious instruction in the city of Boston," — completed and so dedicated in 1836.
Mr. Gray, with his large flock, left the dear old chapel, " the modest mother of poor men's churches " as desig- nated by an eloquent preacher, and entered upon his work in the new one, November of the same year. It was
44
346 FREDERICK TURELL GRAY
under these more favorable circumstances that Mr. Gray carried out and completed his favorite purposes and plans. The new chapel was soon filled ; the communion service introduced, — a new feature in a ministry to the poor ; his visits largely increased, his interest in the school inten- sified ; conference and teachers' meetings were added; his charities in every direction enlarged, simplicity, earnest- ness, and love his ever constant and guiding stars. Suc- cess, in the highest and best sense, followed.
It was under this prosperous condition of the ministry to the poor, these highly favoring circumstances, that Mr. Gray received a call from the Bulfinch Street Society to become a colleague with their pastor, the Rev. Mr. Dean.
At this time, providentially as it would almost seem, a successor, in the person of the Rev. Robert C. Waterston, who had specially prepared himself for such a work, was standing ready to take his place. Seeing, therefore, that his favorite ministry would suffer no detriment by his withdrawal, and for other reasons which seemed to his own mind imperative, Mr. Gray accepted the invitation, and was duly installed, November, 1839.
Entering upon this new field of labor, the society and school in a feeble condition, he encountered expected and unexpected obstacles and opposition, the severest, if not the only, trial of his life. Among his publications are two sermons, 1841, preached to his people, in his own and their vindication. Controversy ensued; but meeting all these difficulties in a spirit of true Christian conciliation, wisely and calmly, they were at length fully overcome ; and carrying into his work here the same principles, feel- ings, and methods as he had done elsewhere, the congrega- tion and school increased rapidly, and became at last one of the largest and most prosperous of the denomination.
But Mr. Gray was not content to limit his services to any one sphere of action exclusively. As early as the year 1827 he aided, and was most active in the forma-
FREDERICK TURELL GRAY 347
tion of the Unitarian Sunday School Society ; was its secretary for some years, one of its executive officers, and subsequently, 1840, its travelling agent, addressing in a single year twenty-eight different schools, in as many different towns, in three different States, travelling for this purpose twelve hundred miles ; and this in addition to all his parochial duties. With Dr. Tuckerraan and others, he assisted also in the formation of the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism, and delivered before it and the public an address, procuring for it a large access to its funds, and the confidence and approval of the community. At his susTijestion, also, was formed the Youno^ Men's Total Abstinence Society, before which he delivered a public address, 1844. All these, as well as his other labors, were entirely gratuitous.
Among the many other societies of which he had become a member was that of the American Unitarian Associa- tion, and a member of its executive committee in 1853 ; and at this time it was that the pulpit of the Unitarian Society at San Francisco became vacant by the loss of its pastor. They applied at once to the American Unita- rian Association, requesting and urging them to select and secure for them a suitable successor, or a temporary supply for their pulpit. It was an important post, but one most difficult to fill. The sub-committee to whom it was referred, of which Mr. Gray was one, lost no time, and were most earnest in their endeavors, but met with no success. Finding his associates disappointed and embar- rassed, Mr. Gray, who had always admired and cherished the missionary spirit, was led to entertain the idea of spending a year himself with the church at San Francisco. With all frankness, therefore, and humility, he proffered his own services for that term of time, and the offer was at once gladly and gratefully received.
Obtaining leave of absence from his parish, and having made all necessary arrangements, he sailed from New York
348 FREDERICK TURELL GRAY
in May, 1853, and arriving there in safety, was received by the society at San Francisco in the most cordial man- ner, and in July dedicated for them their new and costly edifice, just then completed. Into this new field of labor he entered with all his accustomed vigor, and, it needs scarcely to be added, with his usual success. The same simplicity and earnestness of purpose and manner, the same ever pleasant word of greeting and encouragement, the same winning smile, and the same glowing lessons of Christian truth and love, though addressed to a new and more elevated class of people, brought, in this case, the same rich harvest as in all his other and varied spheres of consecrated labor.
At the close of the stipulated time, or nearly so, July, 1854, he returned to Boston. But his work was done. In consequence of a severe illness while at San Francisco, together with the exhausting labors of the situation, with other trials occurring at this time, he had come back with a shattered constitution and depressed spirits. In taking a calm survey of his situation, he came to the conclusion that the work which he had undertaken for the society in Bulfinch Street, after fifteen years of devoted labor had been fully accomplished, and that the time had come when it should pass into fresh and abler hands. His resignation, therefore, was now placed in the hands of its standing committee, by whom, and equally so by the whole society, it was reluctantly received. Expressions of affection and sorrow were manifested in various ways ; but Providence had so ordered, and it could not be otherwise.
During his absence the Sunday School Society had adopted a new organization, creating a new office, to enlarge their sphere of action, of secretary and general or travelling agent. Finding Mr. Gray now at leisure, they offered, and pressed its acceptance upon him. "Will- ingly he complied with their earnest wishes, but was never able to enter upon its duties.
FREDERICK TURELL GRAY 349
In the winter following, 1855, he was stricken down by a severe illness, which at an early stage gave manifest omens of its fatal termination. It was the sickness of months, the pain and anguish of which were borne by the sufferer with unequalled fortitude, submission, and sweet- ness.
An interval of relief came at length, and he occupied it in parting with those he most loved. Among others was the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Peabody, of King's Chapel, his dear and most cherished friend, with whom he held a Ions; and most interesting conversation. He spoke of his faith, of his " trust in God through Christ,'' of his life, and said. " I have had everything to be grateful for, — wife, chil- dren, home, and opportunities for useful labor " ; of his visit to California as " solely in the service of his Mas- ter," and then added,- as Dr. Peabody says, " in beau- tiful consistency with his life," the earliest interests of his opening manhood lingering in his latest thoughts, — *' God bless the ministry at large ! God bless the poor ! God bless the children ! " and Dr. Peabody adds, " Many things more were said, but all in the same tone, all with the same cheerful trust. It was a Christian's death-bed ; and its beauty consists in the fact that it was the natural, simple close of a Christian life." Thus at peace with him- self and the world, he fell asleep in Jesus, March 9, 1855.
At his funeral, a few days after, the demonstrations made by the religious societies and charitable institutions of the city, for whom and with whom he had so long labored, were most respectful and profound. The Bul- finch Street Society set apart the Sunday of March 18, 1855, as a day of commemoration. At their request, Dr. Peabody conducted the solemn and appropriate services. His sermon had for its text 2 Timothy, iv. 7, 8, — "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
350 FREDERICK TURELL GRAY
shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." It was printed in a pamphlet, -and was a most full and faithful delineation and estimate of Mr. Gray's services and character.
After so full a statement as we have given of the more prominent incidents in the life of Mr. Gray, a more elabo- rate portrayal of character is scarcely necessary. The fewest possible of sentences and quotations must suffice. Dr. Peabody said of him, " The intimate friends of his youth speak of him not only as of an unstained character, but as then devoted with all the ardor of an enthusiastic nature to Christian works." " The child was the father of the man." As in youth, so through life. From the first to the last, he was full of benevolent feelings and activities ; and for more than thirty years continued to co-operate with every benevolent enterprise in the city for the relief and benefit of the poor, and the instruction and improve- ment of the young.
Rev. Dr. Bellows, in his tribute to the Rev. T. Starr King, with his usual felicity, took occasion to remark of Mr. Gray, " Born to affluence and wedded to compe- tency, reared as a merchant, and acquainted with the world and its ways, the constitutional and spiritual sympathies of Mr. Gray carried him irresistibly into the ministry, and its most laborious, and to many least attractive field. He gathered the children of the poor together, and won them to habits of self-control and paths of virtue and piety by the fascination of his beaming smile and the magic of his melting voice. He lighted up the hovels of Broad Street and Ann Street, and the filthy alleys of the more foreign population of his native city, with his luminous countenance, radiant of good will, and inspiring imiversal confidence. Like the apostle John, he could say, ^ Little children, love one another ' in a way to do the work of a whole sermon. With tears in his eyes, while smiles played around his lips, he pleaded with the young and tempted,
FREDERICK TURELL GRAY 351
who felt the sincerity of his interest in them, until love for him changed into love for God and duty."
Dr. Bellows gives also a most graphic and faithful description of Mr. Gray's style of preaching : " He was pre-eminently a preacher of the heart; his wisdom was thoroughly unbookish. He bathed the commonplaces and simplicities of truth in tones that made them shine, as the pebbles of the beach, when polished with the lustre of the ocean wave, that finds them common stones and leaves them jewels. It was not what he said, as how he said it, — the feeling, the affection, the sensibility that trem- bled in his voice and glistened in his eye, that gave him his singular and mysterious power."
The religion of Mr. Gray was a part of his nature. He was never disturbed by speculation. He had the faith of a child, and though earnest and zealous, he was ever and singularly practical and rational in all his projects for the improvement of his race. Christianity as embodied in the Gospels and in the hfe of the Saviour was the cure-all and the end-all with him for the enlightenment and the salva- tion of men ; and, for the diffusion and triurnph of this, he was willing to labor, and to suffer, if need be, to the end.
The following is a list of publications by the Rev. F. T. Gray : sermon, " Execution of Russell and Crockett, " 1836; address, "Prevention of Pauperism," 1839; ser- mons, Bulfinch Street Society, 1841 ; tract, " New Birth," A. U. A. 1841 ; sermon, " Death of Rev. H. Ware, D. D." 1843 ; address, " Temperance," Y. M. T. A. S. 1844 ; pas- tor's gift, " Biography of the Young," 1847 ; pastor's gift, " Stories for the Young, " 1848 ; pastor's gift, " Sto- ries and Poetry for the Young," 1849; "The Teacher's Gift;" New Years' Sermons, Bulfinch Street Society, 1847-8; "Sunday School and Other Addresses" 1852; sermon, "Death of Amos Lawrence," 1853; sermon at Jamaica Plain, 1853. He became a member of the
352 FREDERICK TURELL GRAY
New England Historic Genealogical Society, August 6, 1845.
In simplicity and godly sincerity, in the spirit of humil- ity and charity, in the purest love and the divinest faith, he labored through life for the good of his day and gen- eration ; and when his body was laid away in the quiet purlieus of Mount Auburn, in the hallowed spot pre- pared for it by his own good taste and care, and the report of the sad event reached, one after another, the lowly habitations of the sorrowing and the suffering, the young in their joy, and the aged poor in their lone- someness and want, there were thousands who rose up to call him blessed; and the Genius of the place, as it dropped its tear upon his grave, might in imagination have been heard to say, that of the many sainted ones who had been received into its sanctuary, no one had been the instrument, under a guiding Providence, of a greater amount of good, to a greater number, than Frederick TurellGray. .
;ELISHA FULLEll
The parents of the subject of this brief memoir were the Rev. Timothy Fuller (H. U. 1760), and Sarah, daughter of the Rev. Abraham Williams, of Sandwich, Massachusetts.
The Rev. Timothy Fuller was the sixth son of Jacob Fuller, of Middleton, Massachusetts, whose ancestors settled at that place in 1638.
He was the first settled pastor of the town of Princeton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, having been ordained there September 9, 1767, and retained the pastorate for about eight years. He was dismissed by an ex-parte council in April, 1776, owing to a very general dissatis- faction in the town with his conservative views upon the relations of the citizens with the royal officials and the home government. He was accused of toryism on ac- count of his plain talk in regard to the risk run in acting in opposition to the legal authorities. His place as minis- ter of Princeton was not filled by the formal settlement of a successor till 1786. After his dismissal he removed to Martha's Vineyard, and preached for the society at Chilmark, until near the close of the War of the Revolu- tion. He returned to Princeton about the year 1783, and became an active and influential citizen, representing the town in 1788 at the Convention which adopted the Federal Constitution.
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354 ELISHA FULLER
Early in his pastorate the General Court of Massachu- setts granted him a tract of land of some four hundred acres, including Wachusett Mountain, in consideration of his being the first minister of the town and receiving a very small salary. He afterward removed to Merrimac, New Hampshire, and died there in July, 1805.
Elisha Fuller was born at Princeton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, October 28, 1794, being the youngest of ten children that lived to adult age. He remained there for about two years, when the family removed to Merri- mac, New Hampshire. He prepared for college at Cam- bridgeport with his brother Timothy, and graduated at Harvard College in 1815. Among his classmates were Thaddeus M. Harris, M.D., Jared Sparks, LL.D., and John Gorham PaKrey, LL.D. After leaving college he entered the Harvard Divinity School, remaining there about three years, when he was licensed to preach, and officiated in various pulpits of the Unitarian denomination till 1821, when he rehnquished the clerical profession and took up the study of law.
Young Fuller is said to have been a scholar of more than ordinary ability, and one that applied himself to his studies with great assiduity, working late at night to pre- pare himself for the recitation of the day. It is related of him that while in college it was at one time a matter of surprise to his classmates that, without apparently studying much, he appeared so creditably in the recitation- room. At night his room seemed to be unlighted, and it was not observed that he studied in the early morning. The mystery was solved at last by a student who entered his room at a late hour at night, and found him stretched at full length under the bed, with his lamp on the floor and a book before him, earnestly engaged in study. It is probable that thereafter he assumed an easier position while preparing for recitation, and possibly lost some ol his reputation for superior ability as a scholar.
ELISHA FULLER 355
Although Mr. Fuller seems to have strongly entertained the expectation of following the profession of his father, it is probable that he soon discovered that it would not be congenial to his tastes, and that he early gave it up for the more remunerative one of the law. A story is still current about him, that not lonsr before he beo;an the study of law, he w^as present at a fancy-dress ball, dressed in small-clothes, knee-buckles, etc. An acquaintance re- monstrated with him upon his unclerical appearance, and suggested he w\as lowering the dignity of his calling ; to which he replied, " I am trying to throw off the shackles of my divinity through my shanks." It was probably about this time that he decided to give up the clerical profession. He studied law with Lemuel Williams, of Anson, Maine, and was admitted to the bar of Middle- sex County June 17, 1824.
Mr. Fuller removed to Concord, Massachusetts, in May, 1823, soon after his admission to the bar, and began prac- tice there, but it is believed with but moderate success. While here he was for a short time the acting editor of " The Concord Gazette and Middlesex Yeoman." He re- mained in Concord till 1831, when he removed to Lowell, Massachusetts, where he was more successful. While in the last-named place he was, for some time previous to 1835, in partnership with his brother, William Williams Fuller, who afterward removed to Oregon, Illinois. After 1841 he was for a short time associated with Isaac S. Morse, under the firm name of Fuller & Morse.
Four of Mr. Fuller's brothers were successful law- yers, namely, Timothy, father of Margaret, Countess d'Os- soli ; Abraham' Williams ; Henry Hoi ton ; and William Williams.
AVhile in Lowell he became interested, and took an active part, in politics. Cowley, in his " History of Lowell," says : " It was largely through the influence of Ehsha Fuller that Edward Everett was elected repre-
356 ELISHA FULLER
sentative to . Congress in opposition to Jokn Keyes, of Concord, Mr. Fuller then being in practice in Concord, and would not submit to the domination of the old Concord clique, which so controlled the politics of the county."
In the year 1844 Mr. Fuller removed to Worcester, Massachusetts, and resided there till his death. Here he applied himself more closely to his profession, and ob- tained a reputation at the bar of Worcester County for his keenness of perception and sound knowledge of law, being quite successful as a practitioner. After the incorpora- tion of Worcester as a city in 1849, he was appointed one of the Associate Judges of the Worcester Police Court, which office he held till his death.
Mr. Fuller was of medium stature, with black piercing eyes, and had a sprightliness of manner that was especially noticeable. He was of a bright, social disposition ; and, being of a cheerful temperament, of ready wit and a keen perception of humor, he was a favorite with his friends, and always welcome on festive occasions.
Until his death he retained a warm affection for his Alma Mater, and took great interest in its welfare, and, while his health permitted, never failed to be present at the Commencement exercises.
He was much interested in genealogical investigations, and was often applied to by President Quincy and Libra- rian Sibley for assistance in preparing the Harvard Tri- ennial Catalogues. His interleaved copies of these publications — some of which are now in the library of the American Antiquarian Society — show important changes and additions by him, which were made use of in subsequent editions. He was admitted, March 19, 1850, a resident member of the New England Historic Genea- logical Society.
He married, November 25, 1830, Susan, daughter of Captain John Adams, of Concord, Massachusetts, by whom he had four children, one of whom, Elisha, born April 22,
ELISHA FULLER 357
1840, died in infancy. The other children, all of whom are now living, were : —
1. Sarah Williams, born at Lowell, Massachusetts, October 1, 1831 ; married, April 15, 1861, Moses D. Colby, by whom she had two children. He died several years ago, and she is now residing with her son and daughter at Leominster, Massachu- setts.
2. Susan Adams, born at Dracut, July 18, 1834 ; married at Worcester, October 7, 1858, Russell Lorenzo Hawes, M. D., who died at Nice, February 20, 1867. Mrs. Hawes, with her son and daughter, still resides at Worcester, Massachusetts.
3. Henry Holton, born at Lowell, February 28, 1836 ; married Mary Washburn, of Lancaster, Massachusetts. He is now a practising physician in Boston.
Mr. Fuller died very suddenly, of heart disease, at Wor- cester, March 18, 1855. After his death his wife removed to Lowell, and died there December 7, 1861.
An historical notice and a genealogy of the Fuller family may be found in the " New England Historical and Genealogical Register" for the year 1859, page 351. This was prepared by the Rev. Arthur Buckminster Fuller, chiefly from materials collected by his uncle, Henry H. Fuller. A memoir of Henry Holton Fuller, brother of Elisha, prepared by Dr. Henry H. Fuller, of Boston, is published in the first volume of the " Memorial Biog- raphies."
JNATHANIEL GOODWIN
To Connecticut belongs the credit of making the first contribution in book form to the genealogical literature of this country, in the volume of Mr. Luke Stebbins, of Kensington, printed at Hartford in 1771. This was the only work of the kind prepared and printed here in the colonial period of our history. It has lately been reprinted by the New England Historic Genealogical Society. At the present time Connecticut still contrib- utes her share to this species of literature.
One of the earliest of her sons to continue this form of research, and connect the developments of the family with that of the town, was Mr. Nathaniel Goodwin, the subject of this memoir. Perhaps neither he nor any other of the earlier genealogists, except Mr. Lemuel Shattuck, appreciated fully the reasons for the study in which they were engaged ; at least, we are led to think so from their not dwelling upon it with any reflections upon its significance. But in these days, when the science of he- redity is becoming recognized as of prominent importance, let us dwell for a moment upon that point. It has long been a general belief that good parentage is a great se- curity for good children ; that the character of the mother especially is a guaranty for the character of her children, exceptional cases notwithstanding. Indeed, we are learn- ing to think that the mother can consciously determine the bent of her child's character by»cultivating within herself those qualities she would fain see in her offspring. In the early days of our country, and its settlement by
NATHANIEL GOODWIN 3 5 'J
intelligent, God-serving Englishmen, especially if they came here for conscience' sake, the women of such fami- lies were also imbued with the principles that distinguished so many of the early settlers. They were little given to the worldly pleasures of life ; for life was too serious a matter to them, and they pondered in their hearts, as the Hebrew Mary did, what manner of child they carried in their bosoms, and love of duty, self-command, integrity, were imbibed from the very dawn of their existence. It has been truly said that pride of ancestry is no better a sentiment than if the progenitors were mere potatoes ; but this is only true when it is divorced from all high conceptions -of character, and thinks only of pedigree as a matter of pride. When the idea of character enters into the sentiment it is quite a different matter ; and the noble pride that would not disgrace a noble ancestry is one of the highest incentives to good conduct. It is wonderful how organization descends to posterity. It is not " blue blood" that is precious, but fine combinations of the ele- ments of character. ^Ye sometimes see extraordinary examples of good people who have come from bad parents ; but we feel sure that this must be traced to accidental circumstances of either prenatal influences or a strong bias given by education. Let us keep up our genealogical records, and they will help us to take care of our organizations, that we may give them to our posterity.
Another view of this subject is worthy of consideration. The tendency of Americans is to rove from the parent nest and spread abroad over our great domain ; and that has had its valu.e in diffusing intelligence and the highest influences, especially when the centre has been New Eng- land, which we must never forget was mainly settled for conscience' sake. But this propensity to wander is in danger of going too far, and the love of family and ancestry will tend to correct it to the necessary extent.
360 NATHANIEL GOODWIN
Nathaniel Goodwin — whose accurate contributions to the genealogical literature of New England entitle him to an honorable remembrance, not only among professed antiquaries, but by all who desire to see the restless habits of our people corrected by a stronger infusion of family and local attachments, which genealogical studies are calculated to foster — was born in Hartford, Connecti- cut, on the 5th of March, 1782 ; the youngest child of Nathaniel Goodwin, and Anna (Sheldon) Goodwin, the daughter of Deacon Isaac Sheldon.
His ancestor on the father's side was of the old New England Puritan stock, — the names of the brothers, "William and Ozias Goodwin, being inscribed on the stone monument erected to the memory of the early settlers of Hartford, in the ancient burying-ground of the First Church in Connecticut, where Mr. Thomas Hooker, " the light of the Western Churches," first ministered. Ozias Goodwin, and his elder brother, William Goodwin, were of that " goodly company " of men, women, and children who, in June, 1635 or 1636, left Newtown, New Cam- bridge, and other settlements in the seaboard of Massa- chusetts, to plant a new colony on the " delightful banks" of the Connecticut. Mr. William Goodwin was a man of mark in his day. He was admitted a freeman of Massa- chusetts, at Cambridge, in November, 1632, and was a member of the first General Court in that province at which delegates attended, held in May, 1634. Governor Winthrop, in his Journal, speaks of him as " a very rever- end and godly man, being an elder in the congregation of Newtown," in Cambridge. In 1636 he was commissioned, with Mr. Samuel Stone, to negotiate for the grant of the land where Hartford now stands, from Sunckquasson, Sachem of Suckiauge, and grand proprietor of the lands of this region. He was one of the trustees of Governor Hopkins's will ; and in the dissensions about church mem- bership, baptism, and discipline which convulsed the
NATHANIEL GOODWIN 361
church of Hartford and Wethersfield in 1659, he sided with the Rev. Mr. Russell, of the church at the latter place, and, with Governor Webster, Mr. Whiting, Mr. Culick, Mr. Barnard, and others, removed to Hadley, and founded there a church of which he became ruling elder, as he had previously been in the church at Hartford. He subsequently removed to Farmington, where he died in 1673, leaving one daughter, who married John Crow, of Hartford. Mr. Goodwin's homestead, in the original distribution of the town of Hartford among the settlers in 1639, embraced three acres, " abutting on the highway, lying at the north side of the Riveret, leading from the palisado to Sentinel Hill," and included the site on which Wadsworth Athenoeum, with the Library of the Connecti- cut Historical Society, now stands.
Mr. Ozias Goodwin did not sympathize with his brother in his peculiar views as to church membership and disci- pline so far as to feel constrained to go out from his brethren in the church at Hartford, but continued to reside there, where he became the progenitor of most of the name now in this section of the State. His home- lot was located on the west side of what is now Trum- bull Street, and on both sides of Church Street as since laid out.
Nathaniel Goodwin, the father of the subject of this memoir, was a merchant in Hartford, and died in 1782, a few weeks before this son was born. The children were placed under the guardianship of Captain Ebenezer Bar- nard, at that time a resident of Berlin, but who afterwards removed to Hartford, where he died in 1827. The guar- dian appears to have aimed to secure a good education for his wards, both Nathaniel and his elder brother James having been sent to the Academy at Plainfield, at that time second to none other in Connecticut. From a speci- men copy executed by young Goodwin, and dated April 30, 1792, we should judge that the scholars of that school
46
362 NATHANIEL GOODWIN
made one valuable acqinsition, — that of a handwriting which has the now rare merit of legibility.
After leaving school Nathaniel served an apprenticeship in the art of printing, — for two years with Mr. Obrient, in New Haven, and for three in the office of Charles R. and George Webster, in Albany. From a letter written by Elisha W. Skinner, Esq., assistant librarian of the New York State Library, dated Albany, April IT, 1856, and who was an apprentice in the same office at the time, it appears that Mr. Goodwin exhibited early in youth those traits of character and manners which distinguished him in after life.
" During his residence in this city he was diligent, exemplary, and faithful in the discharge of all his duties ; kind and affec- tionate to his associates, and respectful and obedient to his in- structors. His habits were good, and seemed based upon fixed moral principle. Practical good sense was predominant in his character, assisted and aided by study and observation. He was plain and unostentatious, and somewhat antiquated in manner and habit ; so much so, indeed, was this pecuHarity observable as to give to him the appearance of more mature age. Yet there were times in which he would indulge in mirth- ful sports and playfulness of mind, and particularly in manly adventure and ingenious strategy."
On leaving the Messrs. Webster, in March, 1803, they addressed to his guardian a kind letter, from which the following passages are taken : —
" Your ward, Nathaniel Goodwin, had previously given us notice that his apprenticeship would expire on the 5th day of the present month, and that he had been requested by Mr. Barber to enter into his employment as foreman or superintendent of his printing-office at very handsome wages. To this we most cheerfully give our approbation, as we have no urgent business, and Mr. Barber is very much pressed in getting forward the journal of the legislature and other public printing.
" We embrace this occasion, sir, to acquaint you how perfectly satisfied we have been with the general good conduct and de- meanor of N. Goodwin while with us ; and that, in our opinion,
NATHANIEL GOODWIN 363
this conduct is indicative of intrinsic goodness of heart, and evi- dences in a perspicuous manner how anxious he has been, by a suitable and becoming behavior toward us, to render his amiable mother happy and give entire satisfaction to his re- spected guardian.
" Permit us to add, and we feel a pleasure in doing it, that he leaves us a master of the art of printing, — acquired by as- siduous attention to business during his apprenticeship, — a young man of handsome talent, pleasing manners, and correct morality. That his future life may be happy and prosperous is our most sincere prayer."
For this gratifying exhibition of conduct and character much is due to the watchful interest taken by his guardian, Captain Barnard, in the moral and intellectual improve- ment of his ward. His letters addressed to him while at Plainfield and Albany are full of urgent and judicious advice as to the employment of his time and the formation of good habits. The following is an extract : —
" So important do I deem a right improvement of your time and talents, that you must accept from me a frequent repetition of advice on these points. . . . Let my years and experience, as well as duty and incHuation, advise you not to be deterred by rain, nor snow, nor hail, nor wind, nor frown, nor flattery, nor false amusements, nor ideal pleasures, for a day, from laying a virtuous foundation in youth on a rock which cannot be shaken. . . . Yours is the seed-time of life ; if you sleep now, you can have no harvest. . . . Practise beneficence, resolu- tion, perseverance, and self-denial. Fly from the vices you are inclined to, and hold fast to the virtues you would make your own."
Mr. Goodwin did not pursue the business of printing, for which he had served an apprenticeship, but devoted himself to teaching, and occasionally to commerce in con- nection with his brother James. In 1814 he was appointed deputy collector of the revenue for the fourth collection district of Connecticut, and in 1833 received a com- mission from the Surveyor-General of Connecticut as
364 NATHANIEL GOODWIN
deputy surveyor for Hartford County. He had been for years a practical land-surveyor, which he had mastered by himself ; and had assisted Mr. Daniel St. John in making a survey and map of the city of Hartford, which was published in 1824.
Mr. Goodwin held many important public trusts, which he discharged with exemplary fidelity and to the uni- versal acceptance of his fellow-citizens. He was elected Treasurer of the City of Hartford in March, 1818, and annually thereafter for thirty-five years, — till April, 1853, when he declined a re-election. In 1835 he was elected Town Treasurer, and held the office till he de- clined a re-nomination in 1854 ; and in 1833 he was appointed County Treasurer, and held the office till 1854, when he resigned the place, and declined all further appointments. From 1832 to 1833 he held the office of Judge of Probate for the probate district of Hartford, and for several years afterwards served as clerk. In ad- dition to the regular duties of the office, he performed a great pubHc service in arranging and classifying the papers of the office, in making out full alphabetical indexes, and in copying out partially obliterated pages, and in other ways contributing to the preservation and convenient consultation of these important documents. In the mean time, and from a very early period, he had been employed as administrator in settling intestate estates, until probably no individual in the community had had so much to do with the business of the probate office, and with the city, town, and county records. He was thus prepared for the prosecution of genealogical inquiries ; and it is to be regretted that he did not at an earlier day determine on preparing his memoranda of individual and family histori.es for publication.
In 1845 he published in pamphlet form his first contri- bution to genealogical literature, under the title of the " Descendants of Thomas Olcott, one of the First Settlers of
NATHANIEL GOODWIN 365
Hartford," which he dedicated to the Connecticut Histori- cal Society. In 1849 he published " The Foote Family; or, the Descendants of Nathaniel Foote, one of the First Settlers of Wethersfield." From the date of the last pub- lication, he projected the plan of a series of works of a similar character in connection with a history of the towns of Hartford, Wethersfield, and AVindsor, in the preparation of which the author of this memoir was to be associated, as he had previously been in preparing the introduction and notes to the above-mentioned genealo- gies. Warned by some premonitory symptoms of a serious malady, which might terminate his labors before the history could be prepared, he determined on making a selection from his memoranda, and publishing them under the title of " Genealogical Notes, or Contributions to the Family History of some of the First Settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts." He accordingly selected enough as he thought to make a volume of four or five hundred pages, and after a thorough revision commenced their publication, but had not proceeded far when he was obliged to suspend his labors by an attack of sickness from which he never recovered.
After lingering for many months in his sick-room, with periods of great suffering, which he bore with exemplary patience, and with intervals too of assured hope that he might again resume his favorite studies, he died on the 29th of May, 1855, in the seventy- fourth year of his age. His funeral was attended by a large concourse of his fellow-citizens, who entertained the highest respect for the exemplary diligence and fidelity with which he had discharged important public trusts, and for his industrious, useful, and upright life.
In an article published in the " Connecticut Courant" on the day following his funeral, Mrs. Sigourney presents the following discriminating estimate of the character of Mr. Goodwin : —
366 NATHANIEL GOODWIN
•' All his services for the public were discharged with incor- ruptible fidelity, and a diligence and punctuality seldom equalled. Neither is it slight praise that in the intercourse growing out of them with people of varying rank and occupation, he should have been enabled to ever preserve his self-command, and stead- fastly to regard the rights of the humblest, and to treat with respect the opinions of those from whom he differed.
" Antiquarian tastes had the predominance in his mind, and the genealogical works he has been induced to give to the press are models of persevering research and accurate arrangement. Even his chirography might seem correctly to symbolize his character, — plain, neat, upright, perfect in punctuation, re- jecting all factitious flourish, and as legible as the clearest typography.
" In his household, as well as in the community, his judgment was revered ; and the authority of his example invariably up- held useful employment and solid comfort, as opposed to vain ostentation or the sway of fickle fashion. His whole life was marked by that avoidance of display, that freedom from the pride of wealth, that regard for honest industry, which ought to take high rank among the virtues of a republic, interwoven as they are with its stability and health. He was conspicuous for ' a sound mind in a sound body,' for ^he love of order and the spirit of peace.
" Venerable neighbor and friend, we lay thee in thy grave at this last vernal sunset, not without sorrow. Thou wert one of the few representatives of a race rapidly vanishing away, who illustrated the virtues and the manners of the olden time. Peace to thy stainless memory I "We think of thee now as with that Saviour to whom in truth and humility thou didst commit thine everlasting trust."
Mr. Goodwin was one of the original incorporators of the Connecticut Historical Society, although he seldom met with its members. He was admitted a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society- April 21, 1846, and was elected vice-president for Con- necticut in February, 1855, which office he held at his death. Its appreciation of the deceased was expressed in the following preamble and resolutions, passed August 1, 1855: —
NATHANIEL GOODWIN 367
" Whereas we have heard of the decease of the Hon. Nathaniel Goodwin, of Hartford, Connecticut, one of the Vice-Presidents of this Society : Therefore, —
" Resolved, That we deeply regret the loss the Society has sustained in the death of a most useful, active, and valuable member, and we heartily sympathize with the family and rela- tives in their severe affiiction.
*' Resolved, That the Corresponding Secretary request the family to furnish, for the use of the Society, or for publication in the ' Historical and Genealogical Register,' the leading facts and incidents of his life.
" Resolved, That the Secretary be requested to forward a copy of these proceedings to the family of the departed."
Mr. Goodwin, from, his habits of patient and persevering industry, from his official familiarity with early records, and from his grateful admiration of the character and services of the early settlers of Connecticut, was admirably fitted for his work. In the introduction to his genealogy of the " Foote Family," he thus expresses himself as to the rewards and ultimate aims of his labors : —
" To the author, the labor of looking through the dusty and fast perishing records of the pas't has carried along with it its own sweet reward. Every step in liis investigations has been on some fragment of reverend histor}- which has exalted his admiration of the sufferings and services, of the far-sighted policy, the religious devotion and public spirit, of the founders of our own little State ; and he will feel amply honored if his labors shall prove in any measure successful in chiselling deeper the inscriptions on their tombstones, in rescuing the memory of their virtues from oblivion, and in brightening the links which connect the present generation with the first generation of New England, and thereby infusing a larger spirit of patriot- ism into the life of to-day.
" Our researches into the past will fail of their true import unless the living are instructed by its experience, warned by its trials, and quickened by its example."
SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE
If one were to note the qualities which contribute to make up the character of the model judge, whether the patience and gravity of hearing which Sir Francis Bacon says is an essential part of justice, or sound learn- ing and wisdom and impartiality, it would be evident to the observer that the subject of this memoir was lack- ing in none of them ; for, as those who had known and taken observation of his useful life bear testimony, his legal learning, stern integrity, and dignity of life and character inspired confidence in our civil institutions and respect for our courts of law, the law itself, and all those who administer it.
In studying the moral and mental characteristics of Judge Wilde, the believer in the force of heredity will be interested in seeing how these were the natural develop- ment from those of his immediate ancestry ; for his un- jQinching integrity, his severity toward moral obliquity, his stern sense of justice, and perhaps his want of im- ao-ination and sentiment, appear to have been the charac- teristics of the line of Puritan husbandmen from whom he descended, while his fine intellect and mental endow- ments, his resolute and firm character, his courteous and dignified manner to all, and a heart full of tenderness to his children and those whom he loved, are described as the marked characteristics of his mother.
The first of his family of whom we have information was John Wild, a husbandman, of Braintree, now in Nor-
SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE 369
folk County, Massachusetts. The time and place of his birth are not known. He married Sarah, the daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Thayer) Hayden, who was born March 27, 1667. His farm was on a hill near Middle Street, from whence there is a fine prospect of Boston harbor. The date of his wife's death is not known ; but she is probably the Mrs. Wild whom the Rev. Samuel Niles says in his diary he buried, " after a long sickness," February 21, 1724-25. He was buried Octo- ber 24, 1732, according to the same journal. His will was dated June 28, 1727, and probated with Suffolk rec- ords, November 27, 1732. He left a bequest of thirty pounds to his grandson, Daniel Wild, son of William, when he should come of age, and mentions in his will four sons and a daughter. Of these children, —
WilHam Wild was born August 26, 1696. He was married by the Rev. Samuel Niles, December 2, 1717, to Anna White, the daughter of Samuel and Anna (Bingley) White, who was born October 14, 1696. She was the sister of the Hon. Samuel White , who settled in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 1745, and was speaker of the House of Representatives in the legislature of Massachusetts at the period of the Stamp. Act. She was buried December 13, 1718, leaving one child Through life William Wild occupied the farm inherited from his father. His estate was administered by Daniel Wilde, of Taunton, gentleman, March 18, 1783.
Daniel Wilde, their son, was born October 12, 1718, and removed to Taunton in Bristol County, Massachusetts, about 1739. He was a good man, quiet, honest in his dealings, and just in all his ways. He took an active part in church matters, and was the leader of the choir in the only Congregational church in that town, in which he subsequently held the office of deacon. Here, January 14, 1768, he married Anna, the only child of Deacon Samuel Sumner, of Taunton, for whom the subject of this me-
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370 SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE
moir, her son, Samuel Sumner Wilde, was named. Samuel Sumner was a husbandman. He had a taste for reading, and greatly respected learning and its possessors. He died July 26, 1771, in the sixty-fourth year of his age, when his only grandson, the subject of this sketch, was an infant, and bequeathed to him a lot of land, to be sold at the proper time, and the proceeds expended in giving him the benefit of a college education. Deacon Daniel Wilde died August 11, 1792, in the seventy- fourth year of his age. Anna Sumner Wilde was con- spicuous for her piety and intellectual tastes. The respect in which she was held by her son was equalled only by his love for her. She enjoyed his rapid progress in his studies, and looked forward with confidence to his suc<;ess in life, — an anticipation, however, which she was not to see fulfilled, as her death occurred September 23, 1794. She carefully instructed her son in the doctrines of Calvin, with which both of his parents were in sympa- thy, and tried to direct his steps in the ways of a serious life. He never forgot the hymns which she taught him in his childhood, and many years after he repeated them with peculiar emphasis and evident feeling.
Samuel Sumner Wilde was born in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, February 5, 1771, in a house which was recently standing on the road to Oakland, nearly opposite the Episcopal glebe. He pursued his preparatory studies under the tuition of the Rev. Ephraim Judson, the minister of Taunton, a graduate of Yale Col- lege in 1763, entered the Sophon\ore Class at Dartmouth College in 1786, at the early age of sixteen, and was graduated in 1789. After receiving his degree he re- turned to Taunton, where he began the study of the law in the office of David Leonard Barnes, of that town, after- ward a judge of the District Court of the United States for Rhode Island. His temperament was always com- panionable and cheerful; and his character, though
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unpretentious, was marked by a spirit of honorable inde- pendence. In early life he was deeply interested in the theological controversies of the day, — a taste which he retained to his later years.
Early in the year 1792 he married Eimice, the daugh- ter of General David Cobb, then of Taunton, afterward of Hancock County, Maine, who had been the associate and friend of Washington, Knox, and other distinguished leaders of the Revolution ; and in September of that year he was admitted to the bar of Bristol County, Massachusetts. He at once removed to Maine, under the patronage and with the friendship of General Henry Knox, and began the practice of the law in Waldo- borough, Lincoln County. Here he remained two years, and then removed to the neighboring town of Warren, being the first lawyer to commence practice in that town, which he subsequently represented in the legislature for two years, namely, 1798 and 1799.
In 1797 he was invited to deliver an oration at Thomas- ton, on the anniversary of the Fourth of July. His address on that occasion was highly appreciated and subsequently published. A Masonic Oration, delivered in 1799, was also published.
In the latter part of this year, on the incorporation of Kennebec County, he sought in the larger field of Hal- lowell, which was then a town of business enterprise and of considerable social culture, a position sufficiently im- portant to call forth his utmost energies, and one which rewarded him with an extensive practice commensurate with his ability. He soon took a high rank at the bar, and was unexcelled even by professional brethren of longer experience.
The sound and extensive learning of these lawyers of the old school, so called, furnished an excellent training and discipline for his mind, which here accumulated ample stores of legal knowledge. By his studies and the attri-
372 • SAMUEL SITMNER WILDE
tion in his practice with jurists of great attainments, he acquired a profound knowledge of the great principles of the common law in all its branches. He became a distin- guished leader in the numerous and involved land cases which then continually occupied the courts. Entering upon professional life at a time when a knowledge of the law of real property was of the greatest practical value, he de- voted himself to its study with assiduity, and so thoroughly mastered its principles that he could always apply them readily and clearly in the most involved cases. He culti- vated a habit of close and logical reasoning. He acquired an exact and comprehensive knowledge of the intricacies of special pleading, a science demanding the most acute power of legal discrimination. He thought highly of the science, as tending to shorten trials and enable parties to obtain justice promptly, speedily, and completely. He had a clear understanding of the principles of commer- cial law, and a remarkable ease in elucidating the new and unexplored science of equity.
In his conduct of a case he was noted for his acute and accurate apprehension of all the complicated points. in- volved in it ; for the conciseness and force with which he presented it, unembarrassed by any useless parade of learning, in clear and distinct utterance, and with a calm and impressive manner. In trials by jury his ready per- ception of the main points on which a cause must turn and his prompt command of both law and fact were re- markable. The slightest wresting of the truth, unfairness, or artifice, whether in pleading or in practice, aroused his stern indignation and called forth a rebuke.
It is said that Mr. Prentiss Mellen, afterward Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Maine, had Mr. "Wilde for his most constant opponent, and that their forensic skill was by tacit consent employed to place the cause on its merits, produce all the facts, and fight the battle in open field in generous warfare.
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He was always interested in the young, and through life his generosity of nature showed itself in his hopeful esti- mate of the younger members of his own profession. In a letter written to a young man in whom he felt a kindly interest, who had been a student in his office, he expresses views which may benefit young men of to- day. "The letter is dated April 9, 1801. . '
" I am," he writes, " happy to learn that you are not dissatis- fied with the place you have chosen for your professional exer- tions. The man who is accustomed to dwell with gloomy despondence upon the present scenes and views of life will de- rive but little satisfaction from the future. However elevated his situation, however splendid his talents, he will find it diffi- cult to eradicate that canker of the mind which the restless spirit of early life had formed, and which has been nour- ished by the habits of succeeding years. The high objects of honorable enterprise are not obtained by brooding over the pres- ent evils of life with a morose and gloomy mind, but b}'- activity, industry, and energy, which will not be exerted when sur- rounded by the horrors of disappointment and discontent."
He had a delightful residence in Hallowell, situated on an eminence overlooking the Kennebec River, its rooms being more lofty and spacious than was common at that time. The society of Hallowell was unusually good for a place of its size, Messrs. Benjamin and Charles Vaughan, from England, havuig taken up their residence there, in- heriting land from Mr. Benjamin Hallowell, after whom the town was named. Their brother-in-law, Mr. Merrick, soon followed them. These famiUes were of cultivated tastes and refined manners, and gave tone to the society of the place. Mr. Wilde and his family were on intimate terms with the Vaughans, and their children grew up together and derived great advantage and enjoyment from their frequent social gatherings. Judge Wilde entertained throughout his life the warmest attachment to these old friends, and often referred to the days spent in Hallowell
374 SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE
as among the happiest of his life. Judges of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts usually made his house their home when they came to attend court, and the house then overflowed with mirth and hospitable cheer, Mrs. Wilde being a notable housekeeper. His home was made at- tractive by the amenity and unaffected simplicity of his manners, his cheerful spirit, his remarkable colloquial powers, the kindness and sincerity of his heart, and his warm domestic affections. His strong religious faith added a grace to his character. His legal studies did not absorb his mind from literature, and he enjoyed the read- ing and discussing of good books. He took pleasure in the investigation of important ethical questions ; and it is related by the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Peabody, that in the latter part of his life he read with great care the works of Plato and the philosophical and historical writings of the Greeks, and that on one occasion he met him in the street carrying home a volume of Xenophon for the purpose of re-examining that historian's account of Socrates.
In 1800, and again in 1808, he was appointed by the legislature one of the electors of President and Vice- President of the United States. In 1814 he was elected State Councillor ; and in the same year was appointed a delegate to the famous Hartford Convention. The mem- bers of this convention ranked among the most eminent men of New England for ability. He was the last sur- viving member of that convention, and always defended his participation in it with spirit, if assailed. He might have expected higher political preferment ; but devotion to his professional work precluded his participation in public affairs, although he was an ardent Federalist, and positive in his political convictions.
The regard in which he was held by the public grew with increasing experience.* He was conspicuous for the possession of faculties which singularly qualified him for
SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE 375
the high office of a minister of justice. His eminent abilities and sound learning seem to have commended him to Governor Strong, who in the year 1815 appointed him to a seat upon the bench of the Supreme Judicial Court.
In 1817 Bowdoin College honored itself and him by conferring on him the degree of Doctor of Laws. He seems to have appreciated the importance to a community of the cultivation of a knowledge of agriculture, that foundation of all wealth ; and we find him the President of the Agricultural Society of Maine in 1819.
On the separation of Maine from its former government in 1820, he removed to Newburyport, in Essex County, Massachusetts, to continue the exercise of his office as Judge of the Supreme Court ; a.nd in the same year he was a member from that town of that remarkable body of men to whom was committed the revision of the Constitu- tion of this Commonwealth.
In Newburyport he occupied a large, commodious house, with spacious garden, on High Street, not far from Lord Timothy Dexter's mansion, famous in its day : and here he lived until after the death of his wife, which occurred June 6, 1826. She was the friend of his early years, the mother. of his children, and her loss was a bitter grief. He soon after made his home in the household of his son-in-law, Mr. Caleb Cushing, afterward the distin- guished politician and jurist, where he remained until the death of his daughter.
The sorrows of his life were many, and he bore them all with fortitude and patience, not seeking human sympathy. His niece, Mrs. E. S. Rand, to whom I am indebted for other information of his domestic life, says in his family relations he was always gentle, loving, and kind. His leisure hours were spent mostly in reading. He read rapidly, and made himself master of the contents of a book with unusual facility, and he never forgot what
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he had once read. His love- for his children was deep and true, but undemonstrative. The intelhgence of Mrs. Cushing's dangerous illness brought him without delay to her bedside, but he arrived too late to comfort her by his presence, or to hear the loving voice which always wel- comed him. He said, when she had ceased to breathe, " There is a child who never gave me a moment's pain." He did not overestimate the intellectual powers of his children, but, with his usual penetration and love of justice, gave to each in his own mind all that was due. Of his oldest son William, who died at the age of thirty- three years, soon after he began the practice of law in the District of Maine, the Judge used to say, "His mind was of the highest order." His love for everything old was remarkable, and was exhibited in a special fondness for things pertaining to himself and his surroundings; his very clothing acquired increased value as he became accustomed to it, and it was hard for him to cast it aside. In the days of bright wood-fires he always enjoyed stir- ring with the tongs the burning brands; and Mrs. Rand well remembers the mirth he used to excite by this habit on his visits to her mother, who, knowing his peculiarity, took every care to make the fire on the hearth, with its bright, genial warmth, attractive in its perfection. By praise he never seemed flattered, though he might recog- nize it by a pleasant smile. His resemblance in feature^ to the Duke of Wellington was remarkable. On one occasion, when she called his attention to an engraving of the Duke, which had been bought for its astonishing resemblance, he carelessly said, " Oh, yes, I always looked like the Duke of Wellington."
He seldom spoke of the faults of those with whom he came in contact. The desire to shield the absent from evil-speaking was perfectly consistent with his denuncia- tion of wrong and of the guilty one when once the guilt was clearly proved. In such cases his words conveyed no
SAMUEL SUMNER 'VyiLDE 377
uncertain meaning, and were not easily forgotten by those who heard them. The genial manner of Judge Wilde, and the enjoyment he found in the society of his friends, are well known. His conversation was marked by un- common frankness, and great simplicity of utterance. He is remembered at this time as a man of fine bearing, a noble countenance, uncommon conversational power, and great geniality and kindness of manner. He had many friends to whom he was warmly attached, and his friend- ships remained unchanged. He was positive in his con- victions, and very tenacious of his opinions.
The first impression he made on a stranger was that of sternness and severity, but a better acquaintance was sure to discover a heart full of tenderness and sensibihty. He was very considerate of others, and possessed a courtesy of spirit which never failed. On the bench his personal appearance harmonized with his office. His thoughtful and calm but most resolute countenance might be taken to represent the idea of Justice, or of George Herbert's honest man,
" Whom neither force nor fawning can Unpinne, or wrench from giving all their due."
He was a model judge, attentive, patient, impartial, accurate, laborious, independent, and firm, caring for no one's personal position or influence, so far as concerned the cause before him. He was uninfluenced by the fear or favor of any man, or by any motive except his respect for truth and right. He never allowed a regard for mere forms and technicalities to control his judgment and common sense ; he never suffered justice to be entangled in a net of unsubstantial forms. Labor did not fatigue him ; and he was a faithful, reliable associate, of whom Chief Justice Shaw declared, that Judge Wilde was one on whom he could rely as a monitor, guide, and friend under all circumstances, and that he should ever regard him with feelings of affectionate respect.
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As a man, he was eminently one to whose care one would trust his most important interests, on whom one could most confidently lean and feel no misgivings about his fidelity to dear ones whom death might bereave of their natural protector. All sacred and useful institutions were stronger because of such a man in the community.
In 1831 he removed his residence to Boston, where he spent the last twenty-four years of his life. He boarded for some years in La Grange Place ; afterward he resided with his two sons, and in the last years of his life with his son Henry, in Milton Place.
In the days of his childhood he was trained in the doc- trines of Calvin, but with all his respect for his mother's teaching, he could not, as youth advanced into manhood, accept this faith ; and as in those New England days there seemed to be no middle ground, he connected him- self with the Unitarian society at King's Chapel, of which the Rev. F. W. P. Greenwood was the pastor, at whose services he was a constant attendant, always being present at the morning service. • He had a very high opinion of the talents and character of the Rev. Dr. Greenwood, and possessed a portrait of him which he much valued, and bequeathed to his oldest grandchild, Mrs. Benjamin Tap- pan, who has kindly furnished interesting information of her grandfather's home life for this memoir.
He was sound and solid, but he had no sentiment or imagination. On one occasion he was discussing with a distinguished member of the bar, who was equally devoid of the pleasures of imagination, the merits of the poet Wordsworth, to the infinite dehght and amusement of Rufus Choate, who was occupied near them. " For my part," said Judge Wilde, " he seems to me obscure ; I can- not understand him." " I agree with you," said his com- panion ; " and then he is so long." Mr. Choate looked up with a twinkle in his eye, and suggested that they should confine themselves to the poet's sonnets.
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In 1841 Harvard University conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws. He became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences ; and, January 18, 1847, he was admitted an honorary member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. His alma mater, Dartmouth College, honored him with the degree of Doc- tor of Laws in 1849.
The Hon. R. H. Dana, writing from Rome, Italy, in answer to an inquiry, says : —
" "When I came to the bar, Judge Wilde was already esteemed an old man, so that my recollections of him must be confined to the later years of his career; yet perhaps the most distin- guished act of his judicial life was toward its close. I refer to his manly and finally triumphant dissent from the opinion of the entire bench, including Chief Justice Shaw, in Peter York's case. I regret that I have no means of getting at the volume of Reports in this distant place, but I think I have sufiScient memory of the facts.
" York was a poor, worthless negro sailor, under indictment for murder. I was assigned by the court to conduct his defence, in connection with the late Mr. George W. Phillips. A com- plete defence was hopeless, for the deceased was found to have the end of the blade of a knife broken in his heart, and the knife, with York's name cut upon it, the end of the blade broken off, and the rest covered with blood, was found near to the place of the homicide, and York had fled, and for some days attempted to conceal himself. We confined our efforts to an attempt to make out the case to be one of self-defence, or, at most, no more than manslaughter, on the ground of provocation ^nd hot blood. There was not much evidence, but there was enough to make a provocation possible, if not probable. The jury were out for some time, and sent a written question to the Court. The Court received this in their lobby, but gave no notice or hearing to the counsel for the defence ; and, the jury being called into court, the Chief Justice read from the bench their question and the answer. The question, which was drawn up by the foreman, the late Mr. James F. Baldwin, stated with great precision a question of law which, it is very singular, had not been directly raised before, so far as the Reports show,
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either in the United States or Great Britain. The charge, which was by the Chief Justice, had defined the difference between murder and manslaughter and the state of facts which would warrant a verdict for the latter offence, but said nothing as to the burden of proof in establishing those facts. The ques- tion put by the foreman was substantially this : Suppose the jury to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the prisoner killed the deceased, and not in self-defence ; but as to the prov- ocation, are not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that there was the provocation set up, but do entertain reasonable doubts - whether it did or did not exist. In such case, what is their duty?
" The Chief Justice read rather a long answer, the substance of which was, that if the evidence showed beyond reasonable doubt that the prisoner killed the deceased, not in self-defence, and he relied upon facts which, if proved, would reduce the crime to manslaughter, the burden of proof was upon him to satisfy the jury of the existence of such facts ; and if they were not so satisfied, it was their duty to find a verdict of murder. Immediately upon receiving this instruction, the jury returned a verdict of murder.
"I was quite young at the bar, and inexperienced in criminal law, but the ruling of the Chief Justice disturbed my mind ex- tremely. On examining the authorities, I could find nothing but a dreary repetition of language from the judges of ancient times, mostly in cases of special verdicts, to the effect that if the government proved a criminal homicide they had done enough, and any facts which would reduce the offence to man- slaughter must be established, or they could not be acted upon as facts ; and other language of a like general character.
" I went before the full bench and moved for leave to argue the question of the instruction to the jury. The Chief Justice replied with positiveness that the Court sat in banc in capital trials for the express purpose of deciding all questions of law during the trial; that no exceptions lay to a ruling made in banc ; and that in this case the Court had given the subject grave consideration and prepared written instructions which were read to tke jury. He refused my motion, and was pro- ceeding to take up something else, when I saw Judge Wilde, who sat next him, lean forward and engage him in earnest
SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE. 381
conversation. The effect was marked. In a few minutes the Chief Justice said that, though the rule and practice were as he had stated, yet in an extreme case, upon which life de- pended, if the doubt seemed a fair one, the court would prefer to hear it ; and a day was assigned for the argument. It is not necessary for me to refer to the argument, as it may be found in the Report, if any one cares to examine it. The court held the case for a long time under advisement, but at length came in, after the interesting and instructive custom of that day, to read an opinion in the presence of the bar. The ques- tion had excited deep interest, and the bar was crowded. The opinion of the court,. drawn up and read by the Chief Justice, was long and laborious, and it would be superfluous for me to say, learned and able. It closed with sustaining the instructions and the verdict. Judge Wilde then moved his seat a little for- ward, expressed his inability to agree with his brethren, and, entirely unsupported, delivered a masterly opinion, to the effect that the burden of proof was upon the government throughout to satisfy the jury of all that was necessary to constitute the crime of murder. He said that murder was a crime created of recent times by statute, and was distinguished from manslaughter by the presence of that high degree of malice known in law as malice aforethought, and in every indictment for murder malice aforethought must be alleged and proved. It constituted the ani- mus delicti ; and if the jury entertained reasonable doubts as to the animus delicti, or motive, it was as fatal to the prosecution as if the doubts were on the corpus delicti. Now, the question put by the foreman assumed that the jury were satisfied of the fact of killing, and that it was a killing unjustifiable, for which the prisoner was criminally responsible, but were not satisfied that it was done of malice aforethought ; in other words, they were not satisfied whether the killing was manslaughter or murder. In such a case there was no presumption of law or fact, artificial or natural, that it was the greater offence. He made a searching examination of the authorities, and traced the phrases in the books relied upon by the Chief Justice to a time when the distinction between manslaughter and murder was not raised in the indictment or instructions, nor submitted to the jury, but the verdicts were special verdicts of homicide (the nomen generale for criminal killing), and the court created a
382 SAMUEL SUMNEK WILDE
presumption of malice on certain facts specially found. His opinion was particularly able in his treatment of the subject of the burden of proof, which he distinguished from the weight of testimony, and from the necessity a prisoner might be under to establish certain facts in order to insure an acquittal. The burden of proof related only to the state of mind the jury might be in after all the facts were proved on either side, and the pre- sumptions put in the scale.
" The first effect of this opinion was that it saved the life of York, as the Governor, at the suggestion of the judges, reduced the penalty to one of imprisonment for life. The next effect was an earnest discussion of the question in the professional journals throughout the country, in which the opinion was almost unanimously in favor of Judge Wilde's position. It produced so great an impression in Massachusetts that, at a capital trial in the. Old Colony, the late Timothy Coffin, who feared the face of no man, and took his own views of proprieties, argued the defence to the jury on Judge Wilde's ground solely, and, though the Chief Justice was present, the argument was not interrupted, and even the charge did not directly contra- dict it.
*' Soon afterwards a trial for murder took place in the United States Circuit Court, presided over by Judges Curtis and Sprague. The same question was raised as in York's case ; and the two judges, not being bound by the State decision, con- curred in an opinion on Judge Wilde's ground, after a careful analysis of the opinion of the court. The judgment of two such men, whose superiors this generation has not seen, went far to settle the law with the profession ; and changes on the supreme bench in the course of time reversed the majority, and a few decisions were given in cases not precisely the same, but sustain- ing the principle upon which Judge Wilde's opinion rests, and it became in time the acknowledged law of Massachusetts, and I believe of all, or certainly nearly all, the States of the Union.
" The last time I saw Judge Wilde was during his last sick- ness. He was in bed, and it was well understood that his physical powers could not support life much longer ; but his mind was as clear as ever. The sight of me revived the memory of York's case, and, though with a voice somewhat enfeebled, he restated its principles with perfect clearness, and showed his
SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE 383
gratification when I stated to him the general acquiescence in his opinion to which the courts and the profession had come.
" One of the striking traits of Judge Wilde's character was the independence of his judgment. Modest, unassuming, and free from all tendency to paradox, any one could go before him with the perfect assurance that no collateral influences could divert his mind in the slightest degree from the intrinsi-c merit of the proposition to be considered. Mr. Choate once told me an anecdote of Judge Wilde which I can never forget, and which I think the lapse of time removes any objection to my repeating. When Mr. Choate came to the bar, lawyers were obliged to practise three years in the lower courts before being admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court. Mr. Choate had gone through that novitiate with such eclat that at his first term in the Supreme Court in Salem he was retained in most causes against the then leader of the Essex bar, a man of high social as well as professional position, and with a commanding personal influence. Those who remember Mr. Choate can imagine how hard he must have worked in the preparation for those causes, and how important to him seemed his success at his first term. The judge who presided at the trials showed great deference to Choate's opponent, and, not being a man of much original force, though with many other merits, was very much in- fluenced to Choate's disadvantage. Most of the rulings which Choate's opponent demanded were yielded to, and the stream of results set all in one direction. So deeply did Mr. Choate feel this that he told me he had serious thoughts of leaving the Essex bar, and trying his fortunes under other influences. The next term was held b}' Judge Wilde. Mr. Choate in the first case was again pitted against his former opponent. Early in the case this distinguished advocate rose, and with that air of polite confidence of which he was master, asked for a rul- ing which would have been fatal to Mr. Choate's case. Judge Wilde looked down upon him good-naturedly, and said, ' Why,
Mr. , you don't mean to say that you think that 's law ! '
' I can never forget, I suppose I can hardly explain to you,' said Mr. Choate to me, ' the efi'ect of these words. The spell was broken ; my fears were dissolved. I could have hugged the old gentleman to my heart. And it was all done with such simplicity; he saw and felt nothing but the proposition announced.'
384 SAilTJEL SITMNEK WILDE
" I will add another anecdote which I had from Judge "Wilde himself. ' I was coming up,' said he, ' by stage-coach from holding a circuit in Maine (this was before the separation of the State), and was obliged to travel all night. At one of the stop- ping-places a new passenger got in, and took his seat opposite me. We soon fell into conversation. The night was very dark, and there was no light inside the coach. I found that he was a young man, but highly educated, and a lawj^er. I was greatly struck by his conversation. The subjects to which he naturally turned were political and legal, and to a considerable extent literary ; but everything was treated from a high point of view, with maturity of thought and great power of expression, which was increased by the depth and richness, I may almost say pathos, of his voice. Occasionally we fell into anecdotes, and naturally and modestly he told some stories with great humor, accompanied by a most infectious laugh. In fact, I was de- lighted with my new acquaintance ; and as the day began to break I watched to see whether his countenance would be in keeping with the effects he had produced upon me by conver- sation. And here again he struck me with admiration. I do not know that I had ever seen such a face. His figure was tall and rather slight, his forehead large, his brow dark, his eyes full of expression, the lower part of his face massive, and his smile delightful. At the first place at which we stopped after the day opened, he was to get out and leave us. I expressed to him the great pleasure I had derived from his society, my desire to meet him again and know more of him, and asked him to favor me with his name. " Oh," said he, " that would be nothing to you. However, my name is Webster, — Daniel Webster. I am of the Rockingham bar." I assured him that I did know his name and reputation, which had already reached us in Boston ; and I believe I added something as to my pleasure in finding all that we had heard of him so well justified, and that we should look with confidence to his future, or something of the kind. I found he knew that I was the judge of the Supreme Court who had been holding a term in Maine. This was the beginning of an intimacy which has been one of the chief satis- factions of my life.'
" Another anecdote occurs to me illustrating the independence of Judge Wilde's judgment. Some time after Mr. Webster's
SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE 385
great speeches in reply to Hayne and Calhoun, when he was at the top of his glory, he appeared in the Supreme Court of Massa- chusetts to manage a jury trial involving the title to a large quantity of flats. Judge Wilde presided. Mr. B. R. Curtis, though still a very young man, managed the case on the oppo- site side. Mr. Webster raised a point respecting the law of disseisin. He stated his position with fulness and his usual clearness, and was proceeding to argue it when the court ad- journed for the day. The next morning there was hardly standing-room in the court-house. Every lawyer who could find leisure or make it was present, and 1 doubt not the whole law school from Cambridge. No sooner had Judge Wilde taken his seat than he addressed Mr. Webster, in substance, in these words, in a perfectly calm and natural manner : ' Mr. Webster, I have reflected on your proposition respecting disseisin as appli- cable to the facts of this case, and I think it is best that I should overrule it, and let the case go on with the jury on the other points. If the verdict should be against you, you will of course have your exceptions.'
" This was a stunning blow to the audience, and not without effect on Mr. Webster. He rose slowly, amid profound silence, with his utmost majesty, not without that deference to the court which he made it a point to maintain, and urged with a good deal of earnestness his desire^ I might almost say his right, to conclude his argument in full. Judge Wilde, with entire kindness of manner, said that he had no difficulty in under- standing Mr. Webster's proposition ; that it could not have been stated more clearly ; that it would give him great pleasure to listen to an argument at length, but was satisfied that he had taken the right course in overruling the proposition for the pur- poses of that trial, and letting the case go forward on the other points, Mr. Webster having the right to exceptions to the full bench if the general verdict should be against him.
" I fear that no reader not a spectator of the scene can do it full justice. The perfect simplicity of Judge Wilde's bear- ing, and the modest insensibility to what almost overpowered e\'erybody else, satisfied every one that while, on the one hand, he yielded nothing to claims, however majestically presented, which he thought unnecessary to the course of justice, on the other hand, he was as little capable of making an exhibition of
49
386 SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE
that independence for any public effect. He would have done the same in the privacy of the lobby that he did in the presence of that great and distinguished assembly."
On account of increasing physical infirmity, though to others his mental powers seemed in no way abated, Judge Wilde resigned his office, November 5, 1850, at the age of nearly eighty years, after a judicial career almost unexampled for its length and purity, having honored and adorned the position for thirty-five years, a longer period than it had been held by any other occupant of the same position in this Commonwealth, except Judge Sewall ; and the universal feeling of the community, of whose interests he had so long been one of the guardians, testified to the high value of his labors. A writer in a Worcester paper at this time said Judge Wilde was, for some time before he left the bench, an object of peculiar regard and affection, as the last survivor of those great judges who in the last century and the present built, upon the broad and sure foundation of the common law, a noble system of jurisprudence adapted to the exigencies of the American system. -His judicial labors contributed in .an eminent degree to settle, and enrich the jurispru- dence of the Commonwealth.
He was at this time advanced in age, and in his family frequently turned the conversation to religious subjects, apparently interested in thoughts concerning a future life. He spent much of his time in his library, for he was a man of extraordinary diligence and a great reader. When at home, and not engaged in conversation with callers, he might always be seen with a book in his hand. Even in the last years of his life Judge Wilde preserved his youthful cheerfulness, and appeared annoyed if any one, by proffered help, suggested to him the infirmities of age. His happy disposition and temperament irradiated the whole circle which he enlivened by his presence. He had a laborious life of usefulness to look back upon,
SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE 387
and enjoyed the retrospect of a life of great duties well done. He still preserved his habit of intellectual activity, and his faculties gave no sign of diminution in clearness or force. He never lost his interest in life, and nothing of him but his body grew old. He was honored for his erudition, and beloved for his goodness. Public gratitude and affectionate remembrance followed on his useful judicial career.
During the last years of his life his Bible was his con- stant companion. Often with no other book before him, he would sit for hours with its open pages, making it for the time his only study. After a life full of usefulness, he passed his tranquil and serene last years, enjoying
" that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends,"
and died in his son Henry's house, in Milton Place, Boston, on the 22d of June, 1855.
His wife Eunice, the daughter of General David and Eleanor (Bradish) Cobb, of Taunton, was born Novem- ber 18, 1775, and was the mother of the following nine children, all of whom attained adult age, and had a cer- tain charm of manner and conversation peculiar to the family : —
William Cobb, born in Taunton, Massachusetts, Septem- ber 2, 1792 ; died December 23, 1825.
Eunice, born in Waldoborough, Maine, June 15, 1794, mar- ried the Hon. Williams Emmons, of Augusta, Maine, and died November 19, 1821, having had two daughters ; one of whom deceased, and the other, Delia, married the Piev. Benjamin Tap- pan, now of Norridgewock, Maine.
Samuel Sumner, born in Warren, Maine, September 27, 1796 ; died November 3, 1815, unmarried.
Eleanor Bradish, born in Warren, Maine, August 4, 1798, married John Wendell Mellen, of Cambridgeport, Massachu- setts, afterward of Dover, New Hampshire, and had five chil- dren. She died March 7, 1838.
388 SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE
George Cobb, born in Hallowell, Maine, December 13, 1800, married Mrs. Ann Janette Druce, whose maiden name was Brown, of Wrentham, Massachusetts. He was graduated at Bowdoin College, 1819, and lived in Boston, where he was clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court of Suffolk County and of the Commonwealth for many years, and died June 27, 1875, aged seventy-five years, leaving two children ; of whom Mr. George Frederic Wilde, engaged for many years in the ship- ping business in Boston, but now resident in New York City, and highly esteemed by all who know him, now represents the famUy, and has sons to perpetuate the name.
Caroline, born in Hallowell, Maine, April 26, 1802, married the late Hon. Caleb Cushing, of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and was a woman of remarkable intellectual and social accom- plishments. She died, childless, August 30, 1832.
Henry Jackson, born in Hallowell, Maine, April 6, 1804, was for many years connected with the Boston Custom House. He married Ellen Whitney, of Wrentham, Massachusetts ; had two children ; and died March 30, 1873.
Isaac Parker, born in Hallowell, Maine, February 27, 1808 ; died November 11, 1866, unmarried.
Anne Sumner, born in Hallowell, Maine, December 31, 1809, married Frederick W. Doane, of Boston ; and after his decease she married Robert Farley, of the same city. She died Septem- ber 6, 1874.
stephe:^' west Williams
Stephen West Williams, the son of William Stoddard and Mary (Hoyt) Williams, was born at Deerfield, Massa- chusetts, March 27, 1790, and died at Laona, Illinois, July 9, 1855.
The following extracts from an autobiography prepared some years before his death give a clear and comprehen- sive account of his life : —
" I was sent to school at an earlier period than I can remem- ber, and can date some of my early love of books to the excel- lent elementary instruction of Madam Woodbridge, who taught our town school for a period of more than fifteen years.
"My father was always fond of books, and all his leisure hours were devoted to them. He hardly ever sat down in the house without a book in his hand, and his example was con- stantly before my eyes. I was kept at school pretty constantly from my earliest youth to the age of seventeen or eighteen, except that occasionally in the summer I was called out to assist in haying or other kinds of farm work.
" At the age of ten I was sent to Deerfield Academy, where most of the higher branches of learning were taught. Here I was almost constantly drilled in English Grammar for three or four years, and, in the method of teaching in those days, I con- sidered myself almost perfect in it. I never then saw a sentence in the English language which I could not analyze and parse, if it was grammatical. I also attended to Aritlimetic, Geogra- phy, the higher branches of Mathematics, Natural Philosophy,
\
390 STEPHEN WEST WILLIAMS
Latin, and Greek. During all this time I had access to some of the finest libraries which were to be found in this part of the country, and I was never so happy as when I could find time to read and study them.
*' Deerfield was then considered the model town in point of science and literature in this section of the State. She has reared more eminent and learned men than any other town of the size in Massachusetts, and I hope she still sustains that proud elevation.
" Our academy is one of the most respectable in the State, and was one of the first ever established in "Western Massa- chusetts. There was early connected with the academy a lit- erary and philosophical society, which the students and young men of Deerfield pretty constantly attended. I united myself to it at an early age, and think it has proved to me one of the best schools I ever attended. In the social libraries of the town were to be found some of the best books which were then extant. The second social library, especially, took unusual pains in the selection of its books, and annually sent to Europe for books not attainable in this country. I had always free access to its books, as my father was a member of the society. Availing myself of the advantages of this library, before I was fifteen years old I read many of the books, and among the rest Hume's History of England, Gibbon's Roman Empire, Mavor's Voy- ages and Travels, in twenty-four volumes, Campbell's Lives of the British Admirals.
" My grandfather. Dr. Thomas Williams, and my father were both physicians and men of eminence and respectability in their profession. My father educated many medical students. From being constantly in their company I early imbibed a love for the medical profession, and before I was thirteen years old I had selected that as the business of my future life. It is a profession I have always adhered to and loved, and I have never regretted my choice.
" In October, 1808, I entered my name as a pupil of medicine in my father's ofiice. Long before that period I had read with enthusiasm Rush's Inquiries and Observations, and numerous other works. Finding this course of study too desultory, I commenced the regular study at the time above mentioned, and pursued the course usually pointed out in the offices of our pre-
STEPHEN WEST WILLIAMS 391
ceptors at that time, until the year 1812, when I made up my mind to attend a course of lectures in one of our Medical Col- leges, either at Philadelphia or New York. At the very com- mencement of the study of my profession I determined to set before me the example of one of the best physicians of our country, and to imitate his example as far as lay in ray power. I selected Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia ; not that I ever expected to equal him in any respect, but that his example might stimuhate me to industry and perseverance in the study of my profession, and the hope that I might become useful in it/ I have never lost sight of my pioneer, however poorly I have imitated him.
"In 1812 I wrote to Dr. Rush, inquiring the terms of tuition in the Medical University of Pennsylvania. He answered me so promptly and with so much urbanity that I was induced to send him an account of two remarkable cases of suicide of twin brothers, which occurred in this section of the country. He returned me a letter of thanks immediately, and requested per- mission to publish my letter in the forthcoming edition of his work on Diseases of the Mind. This was the first medical pro- duction of mine ever published. I considered the expense of attending a course of lectures at Philadelphia greater than I could well afford, and decided to attend those of Columbia Col- lege, New York, instead. "While attending these lectures I united myself with the American ^Esculapian Society, established by the professors and students, and read many of my youthful productions before them.
" On my return home I commenced the practice of my pro- fession in my native town of Deerfield, in connection with my father. It was an oversight, for the business was too limited.
" In the winter of 1815 I was elected a Fellow of the Ver- mont Second Medical Society. On the 6th of September, 1815, I was elected a corresponding member of the Physics Medical Society of New York. Soon after I forwarded to them a paper on the Climate and Diseases of Deerfield, which was published in their Transactions.
" In the year 1816 I turned my attention considerably to the study of natural history, particularly to botany. Ornithology too engaged my attention, and it was almost the ultimatum of my wishes to be able to procure that splendid work, Wilson's
392 STEPHEN WEST WILLIAMS
American Ornithology. The acquisition of this work occupied many of my daily thoughts and nightly dreams, but I never expected to be able to purchase it. My most sanguine wishes have been gratified, and I now own the work.
" In connection with Edward Hitchcock, now President of Amherst College, and Dr. Dennis Cooley, now of Michigan, I explored the forests and valleys of Deerfield in pursuit of plants, and we recognized during that season nearly a thousand ■ species growing here. Some of them I preserved in an herba- rium. Subsequently, my wife, Mrs. Harriet T. Williams, painted many of them beautifully. In the winter of 1819 I compiled a volume of Medical Botany, containing the medical history of the plants growing here. In this volume I bound the paintings of my wife, and they have been a source of much pleasure and instruction to me.
"-In the year 1819 I was elected a Fellow of the Massachu- setts Medical Society. I have belonged to it thirty-four years, have been a Counsellor thirty-three years, and several years a Censor. I have published memoirs, which were printed by this society, of my father and grandfather, and in 1842 I delivered the annual address before the society in Boston, on the Medical History of the County of Franklin, which was published by the society. In 1851 a branch of this society was established in Franklin County, and I was elected President of it, which constitutes me a Vice-President of the Massachusetts Medical Society. In 1819 I published notes to the fourth edition of Conversations on Chemistry.
"In 1818 I was elected an honorary member of the New York Historical Society, one of the most celebrated historical societies in the Union. I forwarded to the society a paper entitled ' A Traditionary and Historical Sketch of the Indians who formerly resided in the Valley of the Connecticut.' This paper has been published in the Scientific Tracts, and has been forwarded to the Iloj^al Society of Northern Antiquarians at Copenhagen, Denmark, for which I was recommended to mem- bership in that society.
" In the year 1819 I was elected an honorary member of the Society of Adelphi in this town, which was established in 1804.
" In 1823 I was requested by the trustees of the Berkshire Medical Institution to prepare a course of lectures upon the
STEPHEIT WEST WILLIAMS 393
subject of INIedical Jurisprudence, to be delivered before the students in that college. The subject was then almost entirely new in any of our Medical Colleges ; scarcely a work was to be found on it, and I had to examine hundreds of volumes for a single fact upon it. I prepared eighteen lectures which I delivered at that institution, and continued to lecture for eight successive years, when I resigned. In 1823 I was elected a Fel- low and Vice-President of the Lyceum of Natural History con- nected with the Berkshire Medical Institute, and read a paper on the History of the Indians there.
"In 1824 the honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine was conferred on me by Williams College, in connection with the Berkshire Medical Institute. In 1829 I received the honorary degree of Master of Arts from Williams College.
" Between the years 1829-1834 I published various medical papers. In 1834 I published a volume entitled ' A Catechism of Medical Jurisprudence,' for which I received in compensation Wilson's American Ornithology and several copies of my work.
" In 1839 I published a biographical memoir of the Rev. John Williams, the first minister of Deerfield, which contained the substance of the ' Redeemed Captive,' first published by Mr. Williams. This work passed through six editions previous to the year 1800. I appended many notes to my work. I regret that I did not publish my work under the name of the ' Re- deemed Captive,' as that is even now called for. As it was, it passed through two editions, one of which was published in the ' Western Pioneer,' a work devoted to the cause of the Logan Historical Society of the State of Ohio. I have now prepared another volume of my work. In the winter of this year I delivered a course of lectures in the Medical College of the western district of New York, at Fairfield, Herkimer County, New York. I had previously been elected an honorary mem- ber of tlie Phi Beta Kappa Society of that college.
"In 1838 I received the appointment of Professor of Materia Medica, Pharmacy, and Medical Jurisprudence in the Wil- loughby University of Lake Erie, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. I lectured there two successive years and resigned. In 1838-39 I delivered two courses of lectures in Dartmouth Medical Col- lege, Hanover, New Hampshire. In 1841 I was elected a Fel- low of the Logan Historical Society of Ohio.
50
394 STEPHEN WEST WILLIAMS
"In the month of April, 1843, I was elected a corresponding member of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science, at Washington. In 1844 I was requested by the Secretary of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians at Copenhagan, Denmark, to become a member of that institution.
" Toward the close of 1844 I published a large octavo volume on American Medical Biography.- On the 4th of November, 1845, I was elected a corresponding member of the New Eng- land Historic Genealogical Society. In February, 1849, I was chosen delegat-e from the Massachusetts Medical Society to the National Medical Convention which was to assemble at Philadelphia in May. I attended the meeting, and was ap- pointed on the committee for investigating the Medical Botany of the United States. I wrote a paper on the Indigenous Medical Botany of Massachusetts, which was published in the third volume of its Transactions. In October, 1849, I pub- lished a Genealogy and History of the Williams family in America, a large volume with numerous portraits."
Dr. Williams was for many years a sufferer from dis- ease of the heart, and, finding the duties of his profes- sion too arduous, he removed in 1853 to Northern Illinois, where his son was engaged in the practice of medicine.
How great a trial such a removal was none but those who knew his strong local attachments can realize. He had been so closely identified with all the interests of his native town that his departure was considered a public loss, not only by persons of his own age but by the chil- dren, to whom he had endeared himself by his kindness and his never-failing fund of stories of the olden times, particularly of the early settlement of the town.
Many persons now living in Deerfield date their inter- est in such matters to facts and anecdotes related by the good doctor while riding with him.
When not engaged in professional duties, it was his custom to spend his evenings reading aloud to his family books of travel, biography, or fiction, and it was no un-
STEPHEN WEST WILLIAMS 395
common thing to see the neighbors' children sharing with his own the privilege of his reading and criticism.
The estimation in which Dr. Williams was held by his professional brethren in Franklin County was shown by the resolutions passed at a meeting held in Greenfield a short time before he left, at which time they presented him with a valuable gold watch.
In speaking to the Medical Society of leaving, he said, " In tearing myself away from my beautiful native town, where I have resided over sixty years, I feel that the hg- aments of my heart are broken, but calls of duty lu^ge me, and they are imperious."
Notwithstanding!: his stronsi: local attachments he adapted himself wonderfully to his change of residence, and spent days in riding over the beautiful prairie, looking for new specimens of flowers, animals, or birds. He con- tinued his habits of study, and used to say he had never had time enough for reading and writing until he came West.
His unpublished manuscripts bear witness to his in- dustry, many of them being journals of travels, and cor- respondence on various subjects.
His former pastor, the Eev. Mr. Moors of Deerfield, thus spoke of him in a funeral sermon : —
"Dr. Williams was a constant supporter and stanch friend of this [Unitarian] religious society. No man among us felt a deeper solicitude in its welfare. He was not what is termed technically a professor of religion ; that is, he did not observe the rite of communion. He had reasons which seemed to him satisfactory, which he conversed freely about. Before he left town he wrote out and gave me a full account of his religious belief. I was enabled to see how strong was the hold his religious principles had on his mind and heart. In the strength of those principles he lived, in their strength we trust he died."
A memoir, prepared by James Deane, M.D., of Green- field, Massachusetts, was published in the Boston Medical
396 STEPHEN WEST WILLIAMS
and Surgical Journal, August 9, 1855. The following extract will give an idea of his character : — „.,
" As an author he produced several valuable works. The dominant trait of his character was untiring industry, which im- pelled him to the acquisition and compilation of facts. . . . His studies and writings were pursued with so much method and industry that he accumulated a large number of folio volumes of unpubHshed manuscripts. From his first entrance into public life he maintained a correspondence with men of eminence and learning in this country and in Europe. ... In his habits Dr. Williams was simple and unostentatious, in his professional relations he was punctilious to a fault, affable to his juniors, and confiding to his equals. He was superior to the petty jealousies that are so often fatal to honorable competition, and he regarded pretension with unquaUfied disgust, wherever it might appear. The miserable delusions of the day found no response in his well-informed mind. It was the governing rule of his life to dignify the profession of medicine, to rescue it from the grasp of impostors, and to raise it to the highest standard of honor and usefulness. He labored diligently in the formation of the Frank- lin branch of the Massachusetts Medical Society, and in the future advancement of its interests ; he was ever punctual at its meetings, imparting instruction by his voice and dignity by his presence. In consideration of his services and his character as a gentleman and physician his colleagues presented him with a valuable testimonial on the occasion of his dissolving his con- nection with them in 1853. During a long professional life he enjoyed the confidence of his professional brethren and of the community, and his consultation practice was very extensive. In the early period of his career he acquired the reputation of a skilful surgeon, but at a later day he declined operative sur- gery altogether. He was habitually subject to angina of the chest, which was often of a threatening character, and to a cer- tain degree disqualified him for that mental excitement which is so often the attendant upon the undertaking of capital opera- tions. He was an exemplary Christian, the ardent friend of education, and in all the relations of life, whether professional or social, his heart ever responded to the impulses of truth and honor and generous sympathy. As a speaker he was not fluent,
STEPHEN WEST WILLIAMS 397
and his manners were restrained by a natural diffidence which he never overcame." *
Dr. Williams was married, October 20, 1818, to Miss Harriet T. Goodhue, daughter of Dr. Joseph Goodhue, Post Surgeon in the United States Army stationed at Fort Constitution, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Of her he says : —
" She is a well-educated lady, and to her excellent counsel and management I am indebted for much of my prosperity and happiness."
She died at Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa, June 19, 1874.
Their children were, Helen Maria, born October 4, 1819, married Edward P. Huntinp-ton. son of the Rev. Dan Huntington of Hadley ; Albert, born June 11, 1821, died June 10, 1822 ; Edward Jenner, born November 11, 1823, received the degree of M. D. from the Berkshire •Medical Institution 1846, died February, 1881 ; Caroline Willard, born September 9, 1825.
ROBEET ADAMS
Robert Adams, the subject of this memoir, was born in the town of Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, May 20, 1787, and died in the same town, August 2, 1855.
He was descended in the sixth generation from that Robert Adams who traditionally came from the county of Devonshire in Old England, and located in Ipswich, Mas- sachusetts, in 1635, where he had a house-lot granted him by the river side. Three years later we find him at Salem. . In 1640 he went to Newbury, and with his wife Eleanor made it his abiding-place. On the 12th of June, 1677, his wife died, and in February of the following year he was united in marriage to Sarah, the widow of Henry Short, who survived him, — dying October 24, 1691. Robert made his will, witnessed by Nicholas Noyes and John Woodbridge, March 7, 1680, and October 12, 1682, the first ancestor of the subject of this sketch in America passed on, at the advanced age of eighty-one years, leaving sons, daughters, and grandsons, to the latter of whom he bequeaths swords and guns.
He had one son named Abraham, who married Mary Pettiagill, and had a son named Robert, who married Rebecca Knight, who in turn perpetuated the family name with a Robert, who was the grandfather of the sub- ject of this memoir. Robert, the grandfather, married Ann Jaques, and they had a son named Liphe, married to Mary Boynton, the daughter of David and Mary (Stickney) Boynton, descended from Joshua and Sarah (Brown) Boynton.
EGBERT ADAMS 399
The early life of Robert was passed in Newbury, and it is asserted that at one time he availed himself of the opportunity to attend the celebrated Dummer Academy, which is situated in that vicinity. He was brought up a farmer, and spent his life in that occupation. The part of the town in which he lived is known as " The Farms." It is situated on the Newburyport Turnpike, which, having been commenced in 1803 and completed in 1806, was then considered a wonderful evidence of eno-ineerinoc skill and enterprise. This celebrated turnpike runs directly through the farm owned by Mr. Adams, and near it he erected a large square house, differing from the neighbors', which soon obtained for its owner, in distinction from others of the same surname, the title of '' Square-house Adams." Great was the conjecture among the gossips of the neigh- borhood, when this house was erected, who would be selected to fill the position of its mistress and assist young Adams in the management of his large landed estate. All doubts were removed when, on the 12th of June, 1808, he was united to Hannah, the daughter of Amos and Hannah (Moody) Little. They lived together hap- pily for many years. Three children, Mary, Mary, and Liphe, were born to them, but all died before the mother, whose death occurred March 26, 1841. He married for his second wife, August 10, 1843, Sarah Poor of George- town, by w^hom he had no children.
The father of Robert died when his son was a small boy, and the influence of his mother was not strong enough to control him. He consequently grew up with- out interference from any one, and followed too readily his own inclinations and desires. In the latter part of his life he sought retirement, and scarcely ever went away from his home. He is remembered by his neighbors as apparently an old man bowed down with the weight of years and infirmities, when in fact he was but little past the prime of life.
400 ROBERT ADAMS
At this period there were few persons who took any care in collecting materials of history, and it is greatly to the credit of Robert Adams that he was very much interested in historical and antiquarian matters. He kept a diary in which were recorded events that perchance were not chronicled anywhere else. He also collected all the ancient documents and papers of value that he found scattered in the old attics of his native town, and it is said that these ancient documents were submitted to the inspection of Mr. Joshua Coffin, and materially aided him in the preparation of his History of Old Newbury. Mr. Adams recognized that co-operation was necessary in all matters of genealogical pursuit, and he therefore became a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society on the 22d of June, 1855.
The life of such a man is not without its lesson. He was no seeker after fame. He never accepted a public office. He was not social in his nature, and he was not a distinguished man in any way ; but he mulled over and gathered together the old musty records of the genera- tions that preceded him, and though he had not the lit- erary ability to place them in their best hght, yet he perhaps foresaw that they might become valuable, and fill some blank in the page of history. He therefore saved the originals or transcribed them, and thus has preserved to posterity the record of those separate events which, apparently weak and of no great moment at the time, may become in connection vastly important. As says Jeffrey, the celebrated critic of the Edinburgh Review, " If we wish to understand what manner of men existed in a former generation, we must have those minute details which were peculiar to the age, and which form the character of men and give direction to their lives."
ABBOTT LAWRENCE
The family of the Lawrences, which has become so prominently identified with the county of Suffolk, in New England, had long been settled in the county of the same name in the mother-land. The Puritan ancestor, John Lawrence, emigrated to Massachusetts in 1635, settling first in Watertown, and removing in 1660 to Groton, where he lived to a good old age, and at his death left a numerous family of sons and daughters. From one of the former of these, Samuel Lawrence was descended, — a man of high character, influential among his fellow- townsmen, and a soldier of the Eevolution. He was born April 24, 1754 ; and on the 22d of July, 1777, he married Susanna, daughter of William Parker of Concord. He fought by the side of Colonel Prescott at Bunker's Hill ; and the musket which he carried in that battle is now in the possession of his great-grandson, Mr. Prescott Law- rence. At one time during the war he commanded a company, the rank and file of which were all negroes, of whose courage, military discipline, and fidelity he always spoke with respect. On one occasion, being out recon- noitring with this company, and going too far in advance of his command^ he found himself surrounded by the enemy, and was on the point of being made a prisoner. The men, discovering his peril, rushed to his rescue, and fought with the most determined bravery until that rescue was secured. He never forgot this circumstance, and always took especial pains to show kindness and hospitality to individuals of the colored race. He died November 8,
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402 ABBOTT LAWEENCE
1827. His wife was a woman of strong sense, clear judg- ment, and indomitable energy. Like most of the women of that day, she was an ardent patriot, espousing the cause of the Colonies with intense devotion. From a hill in the rear of her father's house in Concord, she saw the British troops enter that village on the morning of the 19th of April, 1776 ; and she remained there until she saw them pass out in the afternoon, a retreating and bajffled foe.*
Abbott Lawrence,! the subject of the present memoir, was the fifth son of Samuel and Susanna Lawrence. He was born in Groton, on the 16th of December, 1792 ; and he received his education at the district school and at the academy of the town. His father had for many years been a trustee of this academy, and it has always retained the regard and interest of various members of the family. In grateful recognition of the benefactions received from them, it is now called the Lawrence Academy.
In 1808 Abbott was sent to Boston, and was placed as an apprentice in the warehouse of his elder brother, Mr. Amos Lawrence, who was already well established in business. During the five or six succeeding years he prepared himself in this subordinate position, by steady application and fidelity, for the weighty responsibilities which were soon to come upon him as a principal, and such leisure as he could control he devoted to reading and study. In 1814, just after his coming of age, he was admitted to partnership, and the firm of A. & A. Lawrence was founded, which, for the next half-century, was to
» See the Rev. Dr. Lothrop's memoir of William Lawrence.
t Mr. Lawrence received the family name of his paternal grandmother, Abigail Abbott, daugliter of iSTehemiah Abbott of Lexington, Massachusetts. (The Abbotts emigrated from Featherstone, Yorkshire, England, where they had been settled for many generations.) She was married to Amos Lawrence of Groton (father of Samuel Lawrence, and grandfather of Abbott Lawrence), in 1749. A hall clock, given to her by her father on her marriage, has descended with the name to the present generation. On its brass face is engraved, " Brand, Boston [England]," and the four comers are ornamented with a crown.
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 403
stand as a tower of streno-th amons; the business men of Boston. Its place of business at the time was in Cornhill ; later it was in Liberty Square ; and in 1845 it was removed to a building in Milk Street, on the corner of Bath Street as it then was, erected by Mr. Lawrence for the use of his firm, and destroyed in the conflagration of 1872.
When the new firm was established, however, the times were by no means propitious. The United States was in the midst of the last war with Great Britain, and after a few months the prospect for the future seemed so uncer- tain and unpromising that Abbott proposed to withdraw from the business and to enter the army. He had been an active member of the New England Guards, one of the leading independent companies of the day ; and in the condition of affairs at the time, the profession of arms seemed to him to offer a career full of enterprise and use- fulness. With the consent of his brother, he applied to the War Department for a commission ; but, happily, before an answer could be received the news of peace arrived, and at once he abandoned all thought of a mili- tary life. This he always regarded as a providential interposition in his behalf. A very different and a happier destiny was awaiting him.
The enterprising brothers were quick to see and to improve the opportunity which the return of peace opened to them. Merchandise of every kind was scarce and dear in the United States. They were importers, and their capital and credit being abundant, it was determined that Abbott should immediately embark for Europe to pur- chase goods for this market. He sailed in the ship " Milo," Captain Stephen Glover, one of the first vessels which left Boston for England after the proclamation of peace. " The passage was a short one, but long enough for Mr. Lawrence to ingratiate himself not only with the officers but with the crew, whose good-will he secured by
404 ABBOTT LAWKENCE
his liberal acts no less than by the kindness of his manners. With characteristic ardor he was the first to leap on shore ; being thus, perhaps, the first American who touched his fatherland after the war was ended. He met with a cor- dial welcome from people who were glad to see their commercial relations restored with the United States. Hastening to Manchester, Mr. Lawrence speedily made his purchases, and returned to Liverpool the evening only before the departure of the * Milo ' on her homeward voyage." After some hesitation, the mate was induced to take the goods on board the ship, already laden to her full capacity ; and within ninety days from Mr. Lawrence's departure from Boston, his purchases had reached there, meeting an active market, and being disposed of at a handsome advance.
Mr. Lawrence remained abroad for some time on the occasion of this, his first trip, and made a visit to the Continent, where he saw the allied armies immediately after the battle of Waterloo. Subsequently he made several other voyages to Europe. His purchases would seem always to have been well selected, and to have found a ready market.
On the 28th of June, 1819, Mr. Lawrence was married to Katharine, eldest daughter of the Hon. Timothy Bige- low, formerly of Groton, then of Medford, who was at the time, as for many years previously he had been. Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Of this marriage Mr. Prescott says : " It was a most happy union, continuing for more than thirty-five years, until it was dissolved by death. In the partner of his choice he found the qualities of a true and loving wife, ever ready to share with him all his joys and sorrows, — for the lot of the most fortunate has its sorrows, and sharp ones. These feelings he, on his part, returned from first to last with the warmth and single-hearted devotion which belonged to his noble nature."
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 405
The power-loom was introduced into the United States by Mr. Francis C. Lowell, in 1814. In the autumn of that year it was put into successful operation in the "VVal- tham Mill, which had been erected for the purpose by Mr. Lowell; Mr. Patrick T. Jackson, Mr. Nathan Appleton, and other gentlemen. Under the influence of the War of 1812 the manufacture of cotton goods in New England had largely increased, but the methods as yet were very imperfect. The return of peace gave the movement temporarily a severe check. It took a fresh start in connection with the improved machinery then coming into general use, and made a prosperous advance under the tariff of 1816, which Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Lowndes were so prominent in framing into law, and in connec- tion with which Mr. Clay first appeared as the advocate of " a thorough and decided protection to home manu- factures by ample duties." The tariff of 1824 still further promoted the manufacture of both cotton and woollen fabrics. In the meantime the foundations of the city of Lowell had been laid by the enterprise of Mr. Patrick T. Jackson, Mr. Nathan Appleton, Mr. Kirk Boott, and others.
Messrs. A. & A. Lawrence soon engaged largely in the sale of cotton and woollen goods of domestic manufacture, but they did not become interested in the mills at Lowell until 1830. " On the establishment of the Suffolk, Tre- mont, and Lawrence Companies, as well as subsequently in other corporations, they became large proprietors. From this time their business as selling agents was on the most extensive scale, and their income from aU sources large in proportion."
The Messrs. Lawrence came out of the crisis of 1837, and the hard times which followed, with capital and credit unimpaired ; and as the country gradually recovered its normal condition of activity and prosperity, their business operations increased in magnitude and importance. They
406 ABBOTT LAWRENCE
had now ceased to be importers of foreign fabrics, and had become the leading house for the sale of dry goods of domestic production. Associated with other enterprising men, they saw opportunities before them for the develop- ment of New England manufactures upon a broader and grander scale than had hitherto been attempted, and they were prompt to improve them.
In March, 1845, the Essex Company was organized. Mr. Lawrence was the first and largest subscriber, taking one thousand shares at one hundred dollars each. He took the presidency of the company ; under his direction contracts were at once made ; and in July following work was commenced. The new town of Lawrence — there could be no question as to what its name should be — was incorporated April 17, 1847; the dam was completed September 19, 1848 ; and the first cotton arrived Janu- ary 12, 1849, consigned to the Atlantic Cotton Mills, of which Mr. Lawrence was also president and one of the large stockholders. The town became a city, by charter granted March 21, 1853. It now has a population of about forty thousand, and a taxable valuation of twenty- five million dollars. Most justly has it been said : " The broad comprehension, unwavering faith, and large capg,city of Abbott Lawrence should never be forgotten by dwellers in the city that bears his name."
In 1853 the Pacific Mills were incorporated, with a capital of two million dollars, and with Mr. Lawrence for president. The early history of this corporation was marked by difficulties and embarrassments ; but it was in energetic and untiring hands, whose efforts would not cease until success had been achieved. In this, as in so many other instances, Mr. Lawrence showed himself a born leader of men, shrinking from no duty, shirking no responsibility, asking no one to go where he was not ready to go himself. His son, Mr. Abbott Lawrence, is now the president of this great corporation, which has a
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 407
capital of two and a half millions, and twelve mill-build- ings, employs between five and six thousand operatives, and turns out a product of eighty million yards annually.
Mr. Lawrence w^as a man of affairs, but he was much more than this. He possessed not only the commercial instinct so essential to permanent success in business, but also, and what is rarely found in combination with it, an insight into the principles which control the course and movement of trade. He imderstood the theorv as well as the practice* of his profession. A letter declining the compliment of a public dinner tendered to him at the close of his first period of congressional service, dated March 25, 1837, indicates his ability to deal with the ques- tion of finance, and to write upon it, not merely as a saga- cious business man, but as a thoughtful and well-instructed observer. He was similarly intelligent upon other subjects bearing upon the industry and material prosperity of the country ; and on the tariff question particularly he held definite and positive convictions, which were the result of careful investigation and reflection. Several years before his firm had become identified with the manufacturing system of New England by its investments at Lowell, and while his own interests as an importer might seem to have pointed in the opposite direction, he became a protection- ist ; not because he was opposed to foreign commerce and international trade, but because he hoped, by encouraging the broadest practicable diversity in the industries of the country, to secure a balanced and stable prosperity for them all alike, the old and the new.
The prominent business men of Boston were slow to embrace the doctrines of protection, which were " forced upon " them, as we shall presently see. When they had accepted them as what was supposed to be the fixed policy of the nation, and had been successful in the plans which they had laid in conformity with them, it is not strange that they should have adhered to them strenu-
408 ABBOTT LAWKENCE
ously, even when some of those who at first had been most earnest in advocacy of them abandoned their position, and sought to reverse the action which they had formerly pro- moted. This is fully explained by Mr. Lawrence in his celebrated letters on the tariff question, addressed to the Hon. WilHam C. Rives, of Virginia, in 1846, and pubhshed and widely circulated at the time.
During the agitation of the tariff question in 1827, the Pennsylvania Society for the Promotion of Manufactures and the Mechanic Arts issued a call for a National Con- vention, to assemble at the capitol in Harrisburg, on the 30th of July of that year. A meeting was held in Boston, at which the Governor, the Hon. Levi Lincoln, presided, and Mr. Lawrence, with six others, was chosen to repre- sent Massachusetts. Mr. Everett also received an appoint- ment, but for some reason did not accept. At this meet- ing a resolution was passed, referring in conciliatory terms to the prevailing sentiment at the South upon the ques- tion at issue, but insisting that the continued prosperity of the country depended largely upon the maintenance of the protective pohcy. Among others who were prominent in the Harrisburg Convention were Messrs. Gideon Welles and Thomas S. Perkins of Connecticut, Hezekiah Niles of Maryland, Francis Granger and Richard Keese of New York, Ezekiel Webster of New Hampshire, Thomas Ewing of Ohio, and Charles J. Ingersoll, Matthew Carey, Walter Forward, and Robert Patterson * of Pennsylvania. Mr. Joseph Ritner, of the last-named State, was president, and Mr. Lawrence was a member of the Committee on Printed Cottons. His associates desired to insist upon a
* The record says Joseph Patterson, but General Eobert Patterson is the person intended. This venerable gentleman, who for many years was the sole survivor of tlie Convention, refers, in a note which lies before us, dated January 20, 1880, to Iklr. Lawrence's prominent and useful participation in the proceedings, and speaks of the friendship with him then formed, which lasted until his death. In a con- versation which the writer had with him in Philadelphia, in the winter of 1880-81, a few months before his death, he said, "Abbott Lawrence was incapable of a mean action."
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 409
minimum duty of forty cents a square yard ; but he, always moderate in his views and judicious in his utter- ances, thought it better not to commit the Convention positively to particular rates, but to make general recom- mendations. He therefore introduced the following reso- lution, which was adopted : —
" That it be respectfully submitted to the consideration of Congress to impose adequate duties for the protection of printed and other cottons, by increasing the present minimum or square- yard duty."
The Convention appointed a. committee to prepare an address, embodying and enforcing the conclusions which had been reached by it. This address was written, we believe, by Mr. Niles, who had been one of the most active promoters of the meeting, and was the occasion of earnest controversy, which extended to all parts of the country, and was carried on upon both sides with much warmth of feeling. In 1831 a Free Trade Convention was held in Philadelphia, over which Mr. John Austin Stevens, of New York, presided, and of which Mr. Gallatin was one of the most prominent members.
The tariff law of 1828, and the amendment to it of 1832, led to the Nullification Ordinance of South Carohna in 1833, and this in turn to the Compromise Measures of Mr. Clay in the same year. The sentiment of Massachu- setts was for the most part hostile to these measures, but at least they had the effect of taking the tariff question out of politics, and of diverting the public mind from it for several years to come. The next general tariff act was that of August 30, 1842, and Mr. Lawrence partici- pated actively in the discussions which preceded and pre- pared the way for it. He made a speech at a convention of shoe and leather dealers in the Marlborough Chapel, Boston, on the 2d of March, 1842, in favor of dis- criminating and specific duties, which, although unpre-
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meditated and given oflP-hand, was considered worthy of publication.
In 1846, under President Polk's administration, the legislation of 1842 was reversed. On the 3d of December, 1845, Mr. Robert J. "Walker, as Secretary of the Treasury, sent his first report to Congress, in which he took strong ground against all minimums and all specific duties, and recommended twenty per cent ad valorem as the rate which as a general rule would yield the largest revenue. On the appearance of this report Mr. Lawrence wrote the letters to Mr. Rives, in which he argued calmly and dispassionately against the various positions taken by the Secretary. He was strenuous in his advocacy of specific as against ad valorem duties ; and it should be said that in this particular Mr. Gallatin and other leading sup- porters of a revenue tariff system were in accord with him. "We now know that Mr. Walker was prepared, in the interest of peace, and in order to the attainment, if possible, of stability and permanent security in the tariff legislation of the country, to meet the protectionist party in a spirit of mutual concession ; but his advances were not reciprocated. Perhaps, if he had had Massachusetts alone to deal with, he would have been more successful ; for Mr. Lawrence, writing to Mr. Appleton on the 4th of August, 1846, only three or four days after the President attached his signature to the tariff bill, said : —
" The Whigs should be moderate, and not commit themselves to the tariff of '42 or nothing. We can afford to yield something to the prejudices of the people, and I am ready for a new bill with discrimination and specific duties at lower rates than those of '42."
The letters to Mr. Rives, to which we have referred, attracted much attention in all parts of the country, and especially in Virginia, where they were reproduced and commented upon at length in the leading newspapers.
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 411
So deep was the impression made in that State by them, and such a spirit of enterprise did they enkindle, that a large number of the leading citizens, including many members of the Legislature, addressed a communication to Mr. Lawrence, inviting and urging him to establish a manufacturing town at the Great Falls of the Potomac. They said : —
" We believe that the spirit of improvement is abroad in the State, and that our people only want some master-mind to give confidence, to draw forth their strength, energy, and capital in this highly important branch of home industry. The commence- ment of a manufacturing town in the Old Dominion, and near the capital of the American Union, would produce a powerful impulse in all the Southern States, and lead perhaps to results of vast importance to the whole country. Your high moral, intelligent, practical, and business character eminently befits you for such an undertaking. Your name and character are well known to us and the whole South ; and should you lead off in this noble work, it would, besides being a monument to your fame, also unite the North and South more closely and harmoniously together in their onward progress to equal rewards and a common destiny."
This invitation was transmitted through the Hon. William S. Archer, one of the United States Senators from Virginia, who earnestly pressed it upon Mr. Lawrence's attention in a letter from which the following is ari extract : —
" What we want in Virgrinia is the establishment of one con-
O
siderable work of manufacture under auspices which may, by diffusing confidence, awaken, first, attention, and then the development of our own resources of capital, now held back from a just distrust of the qualifications of Southern men to bring to use the vigilance and economical methods in expendi- ture which have given a character, name, and trust as regards your people, which none others can pretend to. Should you lend yourself to our views in this respect, the good you will have achieved will not be confined to a money form. This will be the least considerable form of your benefit. That to which
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I should look most would be the gradual change in the habits of our people, — the humble classes more especially, — by .the infusion of the practice and temper of your people. There is no form or sum of good which man can render to his fellow- men so signal as by winning them to habits of regular and sys- tematic industry, from lethargy, loafing, and dissoluteness."
This appeal, on the part of a sister State, for co-opera- tion and leadership in the development of its industry and capital, was a remarkable recognition of, and tribute to, the ability and character of Mr. L^rence ; and, with the consciousness of power and personal resources which he must have possessed, and which all great men feel, the temptation to accede to the flattering proposal, so urgently pressed upon him, must have been very strong. But the new undertaking on the banks of the Merrimac was still in its infancy ; the great dam had not yet been carried across the stream, and the foundations of the various mill struc- tures had only just been laid. Vast interests were at stake nearer home, and heavy responsibilities had been incurred, which would require all his care. He could not allow himself to be diverted from this work by the projected enterprise on the shores of the Potomac, no matter how alluring the promise of results both to himself and to others. It were idle, perhaps, to speculate as to what might have been the consequences had the decision of Mr. Lawrence been in the affirmative instead of the negative. Unquestionably, if New England energy, in- dustry, and thrift could then have taken root in Virginia, an example would have been set there, the influence of which, upon the other States of the South, would have affected directly and indu-ectly the whole country. Nor does it seem unprobable that, with the development and growth of manufactures among the people of the South, the friendly relations between the two sections of the country, stimulated and fostered by mutual interests and a common pohcy, might never have been broken.
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We can only mention, in passing, Mr. Lawrence's inter- est in the work of railroad construction in New England. So enterprising and sagacious a business man as he could not fail to foresee, and in good measure to appreciate, the benefits which the new facilities for transportation would surely bring to his own city as well as to the country at large ; and we find, as we might expect, that he was earnest and enthusiastic, and among the foremost, in pro- moting the success of the various trunk-lines as they were projected. He subscribed liberally to all of them, with reference more to the indirect than to the direct profits from his investment in them, and he favored always the broadest and most comprehensive plans. He advo- cated with his accustomed earnestness the completion of the Western Railroad, at the time when that enterprise dragged heavily ; and he did so, not chiefly for the pur- pose of building a local line between Worcester and Albany, but with a view ultimately to the completion of unbroken railway communication between the harbor ■of Boston and the Mississippi Valley. In the autumn of 1844 he presided at a meeting called to promote the building of a railroad between Fitchburg and Brattle- borough, in the hope and expectation that in due time the line would be extended to Montreal, and that thus the trade of Canada would be opened to the merchants of Boston; and as facilities for communication imply free- dom of trade intercourse, he was in favor of cultivating the most friendly commercial relations with British North America, and was in full accord with the efforts which in 1854 resulted in the Eeciprocity Treaty of Mr. Marcy and Lord Elgin.
Mr. Lawrence's sympathies and energies were much wider, however, in their scope and operation, than the domain of trade and commerce. He was constantly mind- ful of his responsibilities as a citizen of Boston, of Massa- chusetts, of the United States, and he was never appealed
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to in vain for co-operation in behalf of measures looking to the public good, whether local or more national in their relations. He had all the necessary qualifications for leadership, in the public meeting as well as upon the Exchange ; and here, as elsewhere, he made good use of his powers. We have a noteworthy illustration of this in the ardor with which he threw himself into the movement for supplying the city of Boston with an abundance of pure water. It would be difficult to understand now how there could have been two sides to this question, did we not remember that every great work of improvement and reform has to be carried, in the face of opposition, by the courage, determination, and persistency of its supporters. An act had been passed by the Legislature, authorizing the City to take water from Long Pond (now called Lake Cochituate) or from Charles Eiver. It was to be sub- mitted to a popular vote for acceptance or rejection, and everything possible had been said to create prejudice and hostility against it. Some were personally interested in private water-companies, either established or projected, and insisted that there was water enough and to spare ; others protested against the expense of the proposed additional supply, and argued that it would lead to a debt which would be a perpetual mortgage upon the real property of the citizens ; others, again, urged that it would be anti-democratic for the municipality to under- take a work which could be carried on much better by private enterprise. Mr. Lawrence addressed several meet- ings called to consider the question ; and a speech which he delivered in Faneuil Hall in May, 1845, is given in full in the papers of the day.
After many discouragements and notwithstanding the persistency and bitterness of the opposition, Mr. Law- rence and those who were associated with him in this good work carried their point. On the 25th of Octo- ber, 1848, under the mayoralty of the younger Quincy,
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 415
the Cocbituate water was brought into Boston, and Mr. Lawrence lived long enough to see all his predictions more than verified.
Mr. Lawrence was always a firm supporter of the citizen soldiery of the Commonwealth, and at a time when its importance was generally imdervalued, and when the probability that it would ever be called again into active service was very remote, he availed himself of every opportunity to urge the necessity of maintaining it at a high standard of efficiency. As a young man he had assisted in organizing the New England Guards, one of the most popular and best trained volunteer companies in the State, and during the War of 1812 he had done duty in its ranks. Thirty-two years later there was a parade, followed by a dinner, in which the older and the younger members of the corps participated together, thirty-two of the original Guards being present. The dinner took place at the United States Hotel, September 17, 1844. Mr. George Sullivan, the second captain, who was then li\ang in New York, presided, and among the speakers were Mr. Franklin Dexter, Mr. George Tyler Bigelow, afterwards Chief Justice of the Commonwealth, and Mr. Lawrence. A friend had said that morning, " Mr. Lawrence, is it true that you are coming out as a soldier to-day with the Guards ? " " Yes," was the reply. " Well, that is most extraordinary ; why do you do such a thing ? " Mr. Lawrence's speech was an answer to this question.
We live in a country, he said, whose government is founded in public opinion, and whose defence against outward aggression and inward commotion must be de- pendent upon citizen soldiers. He had always, from the time of the formation of the -Company, of which he was an original member, been in favor of sustaining the militia system; and during that period of time when speculations in morals, religion, and government pressed on that system (he appealed to many of his old friends
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present) he entertained the same opinions as now, upon upholding this glorious arm of public defence established by our Pilgrim Fathers. He made no apology there or elsewhere for having borne arms on that occasion. He believed that the impression produced by the parade would have a salutary effect upon the public mind. He wished, so far as lie was concerned, that the evil-doers, if there were such in our new community, who were inclined to take the law into their own hands, might understand that there was a body of men, and a large one too, behind the regularly organized militia, and not liable by law to be ordered out, who were ready at all times with arms in their hands to defend the Constitution and Laws. He said that for one (and he had no doubt every gentleman who heard him would make the same declaration, and he was willing to say it to his country) he would hold himself ready at all times to aid in putting down any and every insurrectionary movement intended to subvert the laws.
Mr. Lawrence, says the " Atlas," from whose columns his remarks are taken, continued with great earnestness : " You and I, sir, served in the company at a period that tried men's souls. We commenced with the war and served during its continuance ; and for one I am ready to put on the armor again for my country's honor. Look at the disgraceful scenes that have occurred in Philadelphia ! Could such a state of things have taken place in Boston?" (Cries of No ! No !) "I say No, gentlemen, and as long as a drop of Revolutionary blood remains in my veins I will say No, for I am ready to peril my life in defence of law and order."
The effect of this speech, we are told, was electrical. Every member, old and young, sprang to his feet, and nine hearty cheers demonstrated that these sentiments found a response in every heart.
Men of business in the United States, in our day especially, are inclined to think that they have no time or
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 417
thought to spare for public affairs. Some of them say plainly that in attending exclusively to their own con- cerns they can make more money than in devoting them- selves in any degree to politics, and many more seem to act upon some such idea as this, although they do not put it into words. It is true that the spirit of partisanship has so degraded our politics, that the issues between the opposing parties have to so large an extent become mere struggles for place and pelf, and that so many of those who are influential in the caucus and successful in gaining office are thoroughly selfish and utterly indifferent to, if not ignorant of, all considerations of political morality and of the permanent welfare and safety of the body politic, — that men of honor, integrity, and independence, men of the first rank, whether in mercantile or pro- fessional life, are too often repelled from scenes, associa- tions, and aims so unworthy and so unpromising ; but to • despair of politics in this country is to despair of the country itself, and to refuse to participate in political controversy and struggle in the ordinary times of peace is as unpatriotic and may prove as mischievous as to withhold personal service and sympathy in the exigency of war. Mr. Lawrence recognized the claims of his country upon him at all times, in peace no less than in war. He was too sagacious not to understand that the only true and lasting prosperity for the individual citizen is dependent upon the general well-being of the nation, and he was too liberal-minded and public-spirited to desire to leave to others the unshared burden of political responsibilities and the sole performance of political duties which, he knew, belonged in part to himself. He did not regard office for its own sake, nor did he refuse to accept it, when such acceptance did not seem to con- flict with other claims upon him. In 1831 he served as a representative from Ward Seven, in the Common Council of Boston. Mr. Harrison Gray Otis was mayor during
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that year, and two gentlemen then in the municipal gov- ernment, Mr. Samuel T. Armstrong of the Board of Aldermen, and Mr. John Prescott Bigelow (Mrs. Law- rence's brother) of the Common Council, were afterwards elected to the chief magistracy of the city.
In 1834 Mr. Lawrence was elected to a seat in the House of Kepresentatives at Washington. He became a leading member of the Committee of Ways and Means, and as a man of practical ability, large experience, and high character must always do, he exerted a marked influence upon the legislation of Congress during the two years of his membership. He felt obliged to dechne a re-election, although he was assured that if he would take the nomination again the opposite party would not bring forward a candidate against him, — a remarkable compliment, when we remember the bitterness with which both Whigs and Democrats were in the habit of attacking each other in those days. Two years later, however, he consented to accept a second nomination, and he again took his seat in the House. " It was a disastrous session for him," says Mr. Prescott, " for shortly after his arrival he was attacked by typhus fever of so malignant a type that, for some time, small hopes were entertained of his recovery. But he had good advice, and his fine constitu- tion and the care of his devoted wife enabled him, by the blessing of Providence, to get the better of his dis- order. It left behind, however, the seeds of another malady, in an enlargement of the liver, which caused him much suffering in after life, and finally brought him to the grave."
On General Harrison's accession to the presidency in 1841, the relations of the United States with Great Britain had become, to the last degree, critical. The misunder- standings, on both sides, and the complications had been multiplying and accumulating year by year ; and but for the moderation of the leading men in the two govern-
ABBOTT LATVUENCE ^ 419
ments the supreme calamity of war could hardly have been averted. So grave was the situation in the judg- ment of the American Minister in London, Mr. Stevenson, that he felt it his duty to put himself in communication with the commander of the American squadron in the Mediterranean. The question of the Northeastern Boun- dary had been the subject of negotiation almost ever since the Peace of 1783; all the expedients of diplomacy had been exhausted in the vain endeavor to settle it ; and the King of the Netherlands, who had been appealed to as arbitrator, had been unable to solve the difficulty. Then there were the questions of impressment, the extradition of fugitives, and the suppression of the slave trade, — the latter involving the right of search, or of " visitation," as Lord Palmerston preferred to call it. There was also the affair of the " Caroline," a dispute arising from the Cana- dian troubles of 1837, which had embroiled us with our neighbors on the north ; and, superadded to all the rest, came the matter of the " Creole " in the autumn of 1841, and the liberation of its cargo of human beings by the Governor of the Bahamas, which aroused all the suscep- tibilities of the slaveholding and slave-trading communities within our own borders in the South.
It was well that at such a juncture there should be a change of administration in both countries, so that men might come fresh to the work of negotiation, untram- melled by anything previously said or done by them. Just six months after the Whig administration came into office in "Washington, the Ministry of Lord Melbourne resigned, and was succeeded by that of Sir Robert Peel, — with Lord Aberdeen for Foreign Secretary, Sir James Graham as Home Secretary, and Mr. Gladstone, Lord Lincoln, and Mr. Sidney Herbert in minor offices. Mr. Everett (from 1836 to 1840 Governor of Massachusetts) had succeeded Mr. Stevenson in London, and in the month of December Lord Aberdeen communicated to him
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the instructions which had been given by his Government to the British cruisers for their guidance in their search for slavers. In reference to these instructions President Tyler afterwards said in a Message to Congress : " These declarations may well lead us to doubt whether the ap- parent difference between the two governments is not rather one of definition than of principle/' — a view of the question ultimately taken by Congress also. A few days later, December 27, 1841, Lord Aberdeen informed Mr. Everett, at an interview to which he had invited him, that the British Government had determined to send a special mission to the United States, and that Lord Ashburton had been selected as plenipotentiary, with full powers to settle every question in controversy. This intelligence was received with the utmost satisfaction by President Tyler and by his Secretary of State, 'Mr. Webster, who cordially reciprocated the conciliatory spirit of the new British Ministry, and prepared a cordial welcome for the distinguished envoy when he should arrive.
But the appointment and expected coming of Lord Ashburton on his mission of peace at first only made more apparent the difficulties which surrounded the set- tlement' of the Northeastern Boundary question. Four parties were to be " in presence in Washington " in con- ducting the negotiations, — the United States and Great Britain, Massachusetts and Maine. If any one of these should refuse to concur in the proposed terms for a final settlement, the whole arrangement would be a failure.
The commissioners appointed on the part of Massa- chusetts were Messrs. Abbott Lawrence, John Mills, and Charles Allen ; on the part of Maine, they were Messrs. Edward Kavanagh, Edward Kent, William Pitt Preble, and John Otis. They were selected without reference to party views, and they fairly represented the public opin- ion of the two States.
For every reason the choice of Mr. Lawrence as a nego-
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tiator in behalf of Massachusetts was a most fortunate one. Like Lord Ashburton, he was a man of great prac- tical experience, he had dealt successfully with large pecuniary interests, he had learned lessons of mutual con- cession and concihation in the not unworthy rivalries of the mart and the exchange, and he had become accus- tomed to look at all questions in their broadest relations. Like him, also, he had social position and possessed per- sonal qualities which gave emphasis to his opinions and judgments. The two were peculiarly adapted to meet each other on the opposite sides of such controversies as were now, if possible, to be adjusted by their joint efforts; and in-a kindred spirit, although each in his own way and from his own point of view, they diligently sought for, and in due time they reached, a basis of settlement equally equitable and honorable for all parties concerned. Eefer- ring to Mr. Lawrence's special qualifications for the work of negotiation, Mr. Prescott says : —
" There was an ample field for the exercise of these powers on the present occasion, when prejudices of long standing were to be encountered, when pretensions of the most opposite kind were to be reconciled, when the pertinacit}'' with which these pretensions had been maintained had infused something like a spirit of acrimony into the breasts of the disputants. Yet no acrimony could stand long against the genial temper of j\Ir. Lawrence, or against that spirit of candor and reasonable con- cession which called forth a reciprocity of sentiment in those he had to deal with. The influence which he thus exerted over his colleagues contributed, in no slight degree, to a concert of action between them. Indeed, without derogating from the merits of the other delegates, it is not too much to say that, but for the influence exerted by Mr. Lawrence on this occasion, the tieaty, if it had been arranged at all, would never have been brought into the shape which it now wears."
Mr. Lawrence's influence was hardly less valuable with the President than with his colleagues ; for the former had misgivings at different stages in the negotiations which it
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required much tact and patience to remove, and in deal- ing with which Mr. Webster was glad to avail himself of the aid of his eminent friend. At length all difficulties were overcome ; the susceptibilities of the various parties in interest had been met, and their conflicting claims har- monized ; the sanction of the Senate was given, and the proceedings were brought to a close. Lord Ashburton, who was warmly received wherever he went in this coun- try, returned to England to receive, with much hostile criticism from some parties, the formal thanks of Parlia- ment. Mr. Lawrence's work also found appreciation among his fellow-citizens ; and a few months later he, too, crossed the Atlantic to enjoy a season of much needed rest and relaxation. He embarked with his wife on board the Cunard steamship " Columbia," Captain Neil Shannon, July 1, 1843, on her last voyage, when she went ashore on Seal Island, off Nova Scotia, and became a total wreck, but with no loss of life. They made their way to Hali- fax, and proceeded to England by the succeeding vessel of the line, the "Hibernia," Captain Judkins.
For several succeeding years Mr. Lawrence held no office or public appointment. He gave close attention to the great manufacturing interests which depended so largely upon him, finding time, however, as we have seen, to advocate and promote various measures of public im- provement and reform, and taking a leading part in the politics of the day. In 1844 he was a member of the National Whig Convention, which nominated Mr. Clay for the presidency, and he was prominent in the popular dem- onstration in favor of the Whig candidate, which took place in Boston in the autumn of the same year. In the convention of 1848, which nominated General Taylor for the presidency, he was a favorite candidate for the vice- presidency, and he came within eight votes of receiving the nomination. It was generally conceded beforehand that he was to be nominated, and he would have been,
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but for the dissensions which were then disturbing the Whig party in Massachusetts.
Mr. Fillmore received the nomination which should have fallen to Mr. Lawrence, and on the lamented death of General Taylor in 1850 he succeeded to the presidency. Far better would it have been for the Southern people if a man like Mr. Lawrence had then come into power, one who thoroughly understood the temper of the North, and who, while supporting the South in all its rights under the Constitution, would not have encouraged it by fatal compromises to its ultimate ruin.
Mr. Lawrence manifested neither disappointment nor resentment when he was thus set aside at Philadelphia. " Instead of looking for pretexts, as many, not to say most men would have done, for withdrawing from the canvass, or at least for looking coldly upon it, he was among the first to join in a call for a meeting of the Whigs in Fan- euil Hall, and to address them in the warmest manner in support of the regular ticket. In the same magnanimous and patriotic spirit he visited the principal towns in the State, delivering addresses and using all his efforts to secure the triumph of the good cause."
When President Taylor formed his cabinet he offered Mr. Lawrence first the secretaryship of the Navy, and then that of the Interior, but both were dechned. Mr. Lawrence would probably have accepted the Treasury, for which he had a special fitness, but this had been promised to Mr. Meredith of Pennsylvania. The President soon after nominated him to the highest position abroad in the gift of the government, the mission to England. From this Mr. Lawrence shrank at first, doubting his qualification for the place, and but for the urgency of the President, and the persuasion of his intimate friends, he would have declined it altos-ether. After much consider- ation he at length accepted the appointment, and on the 26th of September, 1849, embarked for England in the
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steamship " Europa," Captain Lott, with his wife and part of his family.
This appointment was no less honorable to Mr. Law- rence than creditable to the sagacity of the President and his Secretary of State, Mr. Clayton. It was not altogether new in the history of diplomacy to send a distinguished merchant as envoy to a power of the first rank, but the instances had not then been so frequent, nor have they since become so, as to allow them to pass without com- ment. What Mr. Everett wrote in reference to Lord Ashburton's mission in 1842, may with equal appropriate- ness be remarked in connection with Mr. Lawrence's ap- pointment in 1849 : —
" In the choice of a Minister, Lord Aberdeen was not less fortunate than he had been wise in proposing the measure. Lord Ashburton was above the reach of the motives which influence politicians of an ordinary stamp, and unencumbered by the habits of routine which belong to men regularly trained in a career. He possessed a weight of character at home which made him independent of the vulgar resorts of popularity."
If the qualifications necessary for success in the diplo- matic service have not been generally overe-stimated in the United States, they have at least been greatly misun- derstood. What a man is, is quite as important a question as what does he know, in determining his fitness for a foreign mission. Wheaton, in his "Elements of Inter- national Law," says : —
" The art of negotiation seems, from its very natur.e, hardly capable of being reduced to a systematic science. It depends essentially on personal character and qualities, united with a knowledge of the world and experience in business. These talents may be strengthened by the study of history, and espe- cially the history of diplomatic negotiations ; but the want of them can hardly be supplied by any knowledge derived merely from books."
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Mr. Lawrence's residence at the Court of St. James was the most brilhant part of his public career. He met in an admirable way the various requirements of his high and responsible position, and his mission was as success- ful in all respects as that of any of the statesmen or scholars who had preceded him. His personal and social qualities, which had contributed so greatly to his useful- ness in every sphere of influence in which he had been placed hitherto, now shone forth more conspicuously than ever. He dispensed a splendid hospitality at Cadogan House, Piccadilly, where he delighted to bring together the prominent men of his own country, as they came to London, and the leading men in politics and the profes- sions of Great Britain. He was able to appreciate and admire all that was valuable or venerable in other lands and in other forms of government, without weakening in the slightest, degree liis affection for his own country, or his preference for the political institutions under which . he had been born and nurtured. He was thoroughly American in spirit and in sympathies, yet he was one of the most popular of men in English society. Nor was his .popularity confined to society, so called. The Rev. Dr. James Hamilton wrote of him in a letter to his brother, Mr. Amos Lawrence, " No foreign minister is such a favorite with the British public." He was always at his ease, and always spoke with happy effect, whether on the platform of a philanthropic society, or before a chamber of commerce, or at a public dinner. A journey which he made with Mrs. and Miss Lawrence through the south and west of Ireland was almost like a royal progress, all classes vying among themselves to do him honor. At the same time his marked ability as a diplomatist was recognized and acknowledged by the men in public life with whom he came into close contact. Lord Palmerston said that the United States had never been more ably represented in England than by him; and the Duke of
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Wellington expressed the opinion that so long as it con- tinued to be represented by men such as he, there need be no fear of a rupture between the two countries.
The first important question with which Mr. Lawrence had to deal on his arrival in London related to Central America, and to the ship-canal across the Isthmus, then projected. In obedience to instructions from Washington, he brought the subject to the notice of Lord Palmerston in November, 1849, and obtained from him an assurance that Great Britain did not design to occupy or colonize any part of Central America, and that she was ready to enter into a guarantee with the United States for the neutrality of the canal. But Mr. Lawrence, says Mr. Prescott, whose account of this negotiation we follow, was quick to perceive that these assurances would fail to an- swer the purpose, unless Great Britain would consent to abandon her shadowy protectorate over the " Mosquito Kingdom." He accordingly made this the subject of earnest conversation in more than one interview w^th the English Minister ; and he also argued in favor of the aban- donment of the protectorate, on the strongest grounds of policy, in a long and able communication to Lord Palmer- ston, under date of December 14, 1849. To this letter he received no reply ; and early in the following year, it being thought that the negotiation could be carried on with greater facility in Washington than in London, it was re- moved, for final adjustment, from the latter to the former capital.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lawrence had been diligently engaged in preparing for his own Government a communication, afterwards printed by order of the Senate, the object of which was to trace to its origin the British claim to the exercise of a protectorate over the Mosquito Territory. In doing this he travelled over a vast field of historical research, from the first occupation of the territory by the Spaniards to its subsequent invasion by the English, and
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 427
established, to the conviction of every unprejudiced mind, the position that Great Britain never possessed any legal right to the qualified dominion which she claimed as pro- tector of the Indians ; and that, if she had possessed it, this would signify nothing, since, by an express treaty with Spain, she had formally renounced such right. By a singular coincidence this important state paper was dated in London on the 19th of April, 1850, the same day on which the Clayton-Bulwer treaty was signed in Washington.
This latter instrument, confining itself to the simple object of a guarantee for a canal across the Isthmus, makes no provision for the Mosquito question, though by an incidental allusion it appears to recognize the exist- ence of a protectorate. Indeed it seems to have done nothing more than carry out the details of the arrange- ment to which Lord Palmerston professed his readiness to accede, in his first communication to Mr. Lawrence. But, as the latter foresaw, so important an element in the dis- cussion as the Mosquito protectorate then was could not be winked out of sight; and, as it appeared later, the absence of this material link in the chain of the negotia- tions made the other provisions of the treaty of little worth.
Another of Mr. Lawrence's important despatches related to the fisheries. In the summer of 1852, the reassertion of the "headland theory" by the Canadian Government, and the seizure of several American vessels charged with fishing within the three-mile limit, caused much bitter feeling in this country. The British Govern- ment sent out a fleet of ships to the scene of contention ; and so peremptory and menacing were the orders under which it sailed, that Mr. Lawrence, without waiting for instructions, hastened to Lord Malmesbury, then Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and represented to him the danger to the peace of the two countries which must result from
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such an attitude. The time was indeed critical. Lord Elgin, then Governor General of Canada, in an address to the merchants of Liverpool, said : —
"A British admiral and an American commodore were sail- ing on the coast, with instructions founded on opposite conclu- sions, and a single indiscreet act on the part of one or other of those naval officers would have brought on a conflict involving all the horrors of war."
Mr. Lawrence succeeded in obtaining a modification of the British instructions ; and by negotiations, which the President afterwards approved and confirmed, prepared the way for the definitive settlement of the long-standing dispute, by the Marcy-Elgin treaty of 1854, — the Reci- procity treaty so called, — which, unfortunately, was abrogated by the action of the American Congress in 1865.
Mr. Lawrence studied carefully and wrote ably to his Government upon questions of a practical character, such as emigration, international postage, the currency, the condition of the agricultural and manufacturing popula- tion of the United Kingdom, — and other topics which would be likely to arrest the attention and awaken the interest of a merchant of large experience, representing one of the two great commercial nations of the globe at the Court of the other. Several of these papers were printed by order of the Senate, but the Department of State does not seem to have responded to them in a way likely to encourage such investigations and reports. Mr. Lawrence obtained permission from Washington to urge upon the British Government a modification of the Eng- lish light-dues system, under which American tonnage was and continues to be heavily taxed, while the coasts and harbors of the United States are lighted at the public expense, for the free use of the shipping of all nations. His letters on this subject give a clear and forcible pres-
ABBOTT LAWREXCE 429
entation of the case from the American point of view, and they elicited from Lord Palmerston the admission that the policy of the American Government in this regard was a wise and liberal one, and that there was much plausibility in the argument that the expense of the coast- lights ought to be borne by the public instead of by the shipping interest.
Durino; Mr. Lawrence's residence in Eno-land the sub- ject of direct communication between the Irish coast and the United States was receiving much attention. The Irish emigration movement was then at its height, and in order to facilitate it, as well as to expedite the mail service between the two hemispheres, various schemes were under consideration for a mail service between some one or more of the Irish ports and the American conti- nent. It may have been, in part at least, in reference to these that Mr. Lawrence planned his journey through Ire- land, which we have already mentioned. They certainly received his attention during its progress. In a letter to the Mayor of Limerick, written after his return to Lon- don, he said : —
" When in Ireland, I visited the harbors of Dublin, Galwaj, Limerick, Bantry, Cork, and Queeustown, all of which offer rare and safe accommodations for ships. Several other harbors, which I did not visit, have been favorably spoken of and reported on by persons competent to judge upon such questions. Since my ' return to London I have received various charts, maps, reports, etc. with reference to these harbors, all of which I have trans- mitted to the President of the Chamber of Commerce of the city of New York."
A few years later the Galway line was subsidized by the British Government to come to Boston, but the project lacked all the elements of commercial success and speedily failed. The problem has since been solved by the adop- tion of the harbor of Queenstown as a place of call for passengers and mails for all the Atlantic steamers sailing
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from and to Liverpool, and of Longh Foyle as a similar place of call for the ships sailing from and to Glasgow.
The first international exhibition took place in London in 1851. Mr. Lawrence evinced the deepest interest in everything connected with it, and he extended every pos- sible assistance and kindness to those of his countrymen who took part in it, whether as exhibitors or as visitors. Before it was opened he made a visit to Liverpool and Manchester, and at a meeting held in his honor in the latter city, in the town hall, he gave his views in refer- ence to it in a speech which, if we had the space, we would gladly give in full.
At the close of the exhibition Mr. George Peabody gave a dinner (October 27, 1851) at the London Coffee House, Ludgate Hill, to the American gentlemen who had been connected with it, and to other distinguished guests, American and English. Mr. Lawrence, in replying to a toast to the American Minister in London, said : —
" I have known something of the history of this exhibition. I remember the day it was opened ; I was present when it was closed. I watched it from its inception to its completion, from its completion to its dissolution ; and I must be permitted to say that the order, the exactness, and the perfection with which every department was managed has never been excelled, and perhaps rarely equalled, whether in the marshalling of armies or fleets, the construction of buildings, or the arrangement of men."
Mr. Bancroft Davis, Mr. Lawrence's Secretary of Lega- tion, who spoke later in the evening, took occasion to say : —
" If I were free to do so, I should bear testimony to the great labors of Mr. Lawrence in behalf of the exhibition, with which no man is better acquainted than myself. Happily, I am not restrained from spealiing of the constant interest which my friend Colonel Bigelow Lawrence has felt in the success of our exhibitors, and the steadiness with which he has worked to that
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end since he first landed in England. He will be gratefully remembered by all Americans who have visited London this year."
Sir Henry Bulwer, then British Minister in "Washington, was one of the English guests present. Always felicitous in his after-dinner speeches, he was never more happy than on this occasion. In the course of his remarks he aroused the enthusiasm of the company to the utmost by a skilful introduction of dramatic effect : —
" But well I know, gentlemen, it is not merely the solemn cathedral or the stately tower, nor even the venerable tomb of the noble and the great, which, as you wander through this island, will stay your steps. I see you there, in the quiet village, the country churchyard, pondering over some half-effaced epitaph, tracing on some moss-covered monument the names and lineage of your English forefathers, whose dust, commingling with Old England's soil, gives me, my dear sir, [turning to Mr. Lawrence and taking his hand,] the right, whilst I clasp your hand as that of a friend, to claim it as that of a brother."
A year later, Mr. Lawrence obtained permission from the President to lay down his mission and return home. He had separated himself from his vast business interests as long as he felt it to be right to do so, (although these had been carefully protected in his absence by his eldest son, Mr. James Lawrence,) while a longer residence at the Court of St. James offered no special opportunities for further usefulness, as it could have added nothing more to his reputation, personal or official. In his last despatch to the State Department, dated September 30, 1852, he briefly reviews the period of his diplomatic ser- vice in the following words : —
" I was especially charged by the President, on leaving the United States, to cultivate the most friendly relations with the Government of the United Kingdom. This has been my constant aim. To this end I have mingled freely with people of all ranks, and I can say with truth, in closing my connection with
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the Legation, that the relations between the United States and Great Britain have never in my judgment been so cordial, or on so firm a basis of good understanding, as at the present moment. I have found every administration of this Government animated with a desire to preserve this happy state of things, and every class vying with every other, in manifestations of respect and good will."
Embarking with his family at Liverpool in the steam- ship "Niagara," Captain Stone, for Boston, he reached home on the 28th of October, 1852, just after the death of Mr. Webster, and, immediately on landing, hastened to Marshfield, to assist in paying the last tribute of respect to the departed statesman. His fellow-citizens were anxious to testify their appreciation of his distinguished service abroad by giving him a public dinner, but this honor he positively declined in view of Mr. Webster's recent death.
Mr. Lawrence's character, in all respects that of the pure New England type, was peculiarly so in the love and zeal which he always manifested in the cause of popu- lar education. At the jubilee celebration of the Lawrence Academy in Groton in 1854, he said : —
" The men who had achieved our independence were not unmindful of the education of their children. They were poor in purse but rich in public spirit, justly believing that civil liberty could not be maintained without education, religion, and law. These veterans set themselves to work to lay the founda- tion of an academy, which was accomplished after much trial and tribulation. Ahd we, who have enjoyed the blessings resulting from the wisdom of our fathers, are assembled here to-day to commemorate the event, and to do homage to those founders."
Not only was he indebted to this academy for such education as he had received, but he had become so im- bued with the spirit of its founders, as set forth in the words we have quoted, that in all his subsequent course
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in Europe at that time, in its conveniences for practical instruction, was erected and furnished; and in 1850 a building was constructed for the temporary accommo- dation of the departments of Zoology, Geology, and Engineering.
At his death Mr. Lawrence gave the institution an- other fifty thousand dollars, which greatly strengthened its position and further increased its capabilities for usefulness.
In recognition of Mr. Lawrence's hearty and generous interest in the cause of education, as well as of his valu- able public services, Williams College, in 1852, and Har- vard College, in 1854, conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. He was admitted a resident member of the New England Historic Genealogical So- ciety September 27, 1846. We may add in this connec- tion that at the time of his death he was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Antiquarian Society, the Massachusetts Histor- ical Society, and the Board of Overseers of Harvard College.
The keystone in the symmetrical and well-rounded character which we have endeavored to describe was a reverent faith in the Christian religion as an unerring standard for personal endeavor, and as an unfailing power for the regeneration of society. The spontaneous utter- ance in one of the letters to Mr. Rives, which we have already quoted, may well be repeated, as being evidently a deep conviction of the heart, which exercised a constant and controlling influence upon the life : —
" All intellectual culture should be founded upon our Holy Religion. The pure precepts of the Gospel are the only safe source from which we can freely draw our morality."
When Mr. Lawrence came to Boston, in 1808, he joined the congregation in Brattle Square, then under the minis-
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terial care of the Rev. Joseph Stevens Buckminster, of which his brother Amos was a member ; and he continued to be a constant worshipper and a faithful parishioner in the same church, under the successive pastorates of Mr. Buckminster, Mr. Everett, Dr. Palfrey, and Dr. Lothrop, until his death. He became a communicant at or about the time of his marriage in 1819. During his residence in London as American ambassador he and his family attended regularly the Scotch Church in Crown Court, of which the Rev. Dr. Cumming was minister. This excel- lent and highly gifted clergyman, known chiefly in the United States in connection with his millenarian views, was, for many years, and until his retirement from the pulpit not long since, one of the most popular preachers in the metropolis, and one of the most eloquent platform speakers of the day. He inscribed one of the editions of his celebrated "Apocalyptic Sketches" to Mr. Law- rence, saying in the dedication : —
" My publishers inform me that they have been requested to issue an edition of this volume in America. I regard this as an opportunity of expressing a conviction, shared and felt by the good and great of this country, how much they appreciated your presence in London as the representative of your magnifi- cent nation, and how deeply — I may add universally — they regretted your departure. We never had so popular and so esteemed a Minister from America, or one who has done so much to leave lasting and elevated impressions of his countrymen.
" I have, perhaps, a greater ref.son for dedicating this work to you. You were a stated worshipper within the walls of this church in which it is my privilege to minister ; and of all the varieties of class within its walls, you were not the least known, esteemed, and respected.
" I state these facts as in some degree an apology for this dedication. I do not expect that you will agree with all I have written in this volume ; but you know so well that I am one with you in all essential truths, that you will easily pardon any difference you may discover in subordinate matters."
1
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 437
While in London, Mr. Lawrence became much inter- ested in the work of the Rev. John Wadding ton, pastor of an ancient Pilgrim church in Southwark. It was claimed for this church that it had been formed in 1587 or 1588, and fully organized by the choice of Johnson as pastor, and Greenwood as teacher, in 1592 ; also that, its mem- bership having been scattered by the bitter persecution of the time, it had been brought together and reorganized in 1616, by Henry Jacob, who had previously been a minister of the established order. We believe that the original church was removed to Amsterdam, and that only a small remnant of it afterwards became a part of the church organized in 1616. Be this as it may, the Southwark church had an interesting history, and when Mr. Lawrence arrived in England, in 1849, it had just lost its meeting-house, by the lapse of a long lease, and Mr. Waddington was seeking the help of English Non- conformists, and of the descendants of the Pilgrims in the New World, in the erection of a new house of worship. Mr. Lawrence gave his hearty sympathy to this object, and addressed a letter to Mr. Waddington, dated 138 Piccadilly, London, 22d April, 1851, from which we quote two paragraphs : —
" I have read with much pleasure the papers you were kind enough to send me, respecting the efforts you are now making to erect a Congregational church to the memory of the Pilgrim Fathers. In common with most of my countrymen, I entertain the most profound and sincere reverence for the memory of the band of heroic Christians who — in the face, in the Old World, of neglect if not of oppression, and in the New, of terrific trials, of countless dangers, of death from cold, from starvation, and from a treacherous foe — founded a Christian colony which has now grown into one of the great nations of the earth. If that nation has proved to the world that religious freedom and religious faith may flourish together, or that perfect liberty and perfect law are not incompatible, I attribute it, in no slight degree, to the deep and permanent influence which the princi-
438 ABJBOTT LAWRENCE
pies of Brewster and Robinson, Carver and Bradford, and their little Commonwealth, have had upon its character. ...
" The influence of their example is not confined to the land where it was displayed. Europe has begun to study their prin- ciples, and I think I see their influence extending in this country. I am proud when I see efforts like the present to extend among the British people a just knowledge of these English men and women. You, too, may well be proud to be the pastor of a church where they preached and worshipped, and may appeal without fear to our brethren, both in England and throughout the world, to come forward and erect a church in commemoration of an event, the effects of which, already deeply felt, are destined probably to influence the world more than any other in modern history."
It was the purpose of Mr. Lawrence, on his return to the United States, to bring this matter prominently before the various historical and religious societies, but many circumstances intervened until his death to prevent his doing all that he had wished. . Later, Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Waddington, made a visit to this country, and in Boston was cordially received by Mrs. Lawrence, Mr. James Lawrence, Dr. Lothrop, Dr. Blagden, Dr. Kirk, and other influential Congregationalists. In his volume, " The Hidden Church," in which the letter above referred ■
to appears in full, he expresses (p. 296) his sense of obli- '
gation to Mrs. Lawrence, in the following words : —
" The pen must be restrained in reference to matters of private I
interest ; but, in the event of the ultimate accomplishment of the '•
object, it should be known to all who are specially concerned, )
that, but for the magnificent kindness of Mrs. Lawrence, the i feeble hands into which the undertaking fell must have relin- . I
quished their grasp. From personal regard to the memory of /
the Pilgrims, and with relative sympathy, kindred with that of \ Lady Franklin in another object, Mrs. Lawrence gave the timely aid which preven*;ed the defeat of a purpose rendered so sacred
in her estimation, by the letter just quoted." ,
Mr. Lawrence lived less than three years after his return from London. He held no public position, but his
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 439
time and thought were, as previously, largely given to political and philanthropic questions. He vigorously opposed the new State constitution of 1853, which was rejected by the people in the autumn of that year. He foresaw the speedy breaking up of the Whig party, and expressed his regret that it had failed to take such a stand, in opposition to slavery extension, as the country had expected and required from it. Had he lived only a few months longer, he would have identified himself with the new Republican party, and would have taken his place among its leaders. To this party, very early in its history, those who inherited his name heartily at- tached themselves. But his own earthly activities were soon, too soon, to be brought to a close. In the autumn of 1854 he had a return of the disease which had so severely prostrated him in Washington thirteen or four- teen years previously ; and, although his strength rallied somewhat as the winter advanced, his friends felt that there was much occasion for anxiety about him. In the spring of 1855, his physician recommended a change of climate, and early in June he engaged passages for Mrs. Lawrence and himself in one of the Liverpool steamers ; but two days later his malady returned, and he was com- pelled to take to his bed, from which he never again rose.
The summer which followed was a long and wearisome one, both for himself and for those who b:;.d to witness his suffering. Mr. Prescott says : " During the long period of his confinement his sufferings served only to show the sweetness of his disposition. The circumstances which filled those around him with wretchedness, and with apprehensions they could ill disguise, had no power to dis- turb his serenity. He loved life. No man had greater reason to love it, for he had all that makes life valuable. But, as his hold loosened upon it, no murmur, no sigh of regret, escaped his lips ; while he bowed in perfect sub-
440 ABBOTT LAWKENCE
mission to the will of that Almighty Father who had ever dealt with him so kindly. As his strength of body dimin- ished, that of his affections seemed to increase. He ap- peared to be constantly occupied with thoughts of others rather than of himself ; and many a touching instance did he give of this thoughtfulness, and of his tender recollec- tion of those who were dear to him. The desire of doing good, on the broadest scale, clung to him to the last. Not two weeks before his death he was occupied with arrang- ing the plan of the model houses for the poor, for which he made so noble a provision in his will. . . . He was dying with everything around him to soften the bitterness of death, — above all, with the sweet consciousness that he i
had not lived in vain. On the 18th of August, 1855, a few months before he had completed his sixty-third year, '\
he expired, and that so gently that those around could not be sure of the precise moment when his spirit took its flight." . :
The tidings of Mr. Lawrence's death made a deep "" <[ impression upon the community in the midst of which he /
had lived ^ so prominently and so usefully for more than ••!
forty years. A meeting of his fellow-citizens was con- j
vened in Faneuil Hall to take proper notice of the event ; j
and the crowds of business men and others who were in attendance at the unusual hour of noon, and their evident -
sense of public and personal loss, testified to the high /
position of respect and esteem which he had held among them. The Mayor (Dr. Smith) called the meeting to •
order, and the chair was taken by Mr. William Sturgis, '
who had been associated with Mr. Lawrence in the . j pioneer party, ten years before, which determined the site of the present city of Lawrence. Speeches were |
made by Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Everett, Mr. Stevenson, and j
others J and the writer of these pages, who was present, j
well remembers the sympathetic response which they ]
awakened in those who listened to them. Mr. Winthrop
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 441
was undoubtedly correct when he said that Boston had then hardly another life of equal value to lose.
On the day of the funeral, flags on the public buildings and on the shipping of the port were displayed at half- mast, the bells of many of the churches were rung, and business was generally suspended while the services were in progress. These were held first, privately, at the home in Park Street, and then in Brattle Square Church, which was filled to its utmost capacity. The interment took place in the beautiful burying-lot of the Lawrences, in the cemetery of Mount Auburn.
On the Sunday succeeding Mr. Lawrence's funeral, his minister, the Rev. Dr. Lothrop, preached a commemora- tive discourse, in which he thus spoke of his religious character : —
" The benevolence of Mr. Lawrence, and all the virtues of his life, had their strong foundation and constant nourishment in religious faith. He believed in his heart on the Lord Jesus Christ, and received him as the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world. He was truly catholic in his feelings, loving all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth ; and he extended the helping hand of his charities to the enterprises of various Christian denominations."
Mr. Lawrence had not waited until his death before making appropriations of his money for the benefit of others. He had been sowing the seed of charity for many a year, and he was gladdened by some of the fruits of his generosity which came to maturity while he was yet liv- ing to enjoy them.
The public bequests under the will ^amounted to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This included the second gift to the Scientific School, of which we have already spoken ; a donation of ten thousand dollars to the Boston Public Library ; and fifty thousand dollars for the erection of model lodging-houses for the poor.
56
442 ABBOTT LAWRENCE
These houses are situated in East Canton Street, Bos- ton, and the present trustees are Messrs. Abbott Lawrence and J. IngersoU Bowditch. ,
Mr. Lawrence kept up through life a large correspond- ence with the most eminent men in the United States, and, after his return from England, with some of the most distinguished men of that country. Unfortunately, the great fire in 1872 destroyed nearly all his private papers and correspondence, a loss doubly severe since they were to have been used in preparing a more extended biography 'of him than is now possible. Of his many speeches, addresses, and letters on the political and financial ques- tions of the day, and on other topics of public concern, the following list comprises all that have been printed in pamphlet form: —
A Letter to a Committee of the Citizens of Boston on the Subject of the Currency, etc., March 25, 1837.
Remarks on the Duty of Congress to continue, by Dis- criminating and Specific Duties, the Protection of Ameri- can Labor, at the Convention of Shoe and Leather Deal- ers held in Boston, March 2, 1842.
Letters on the Tariff, addressed to the Hon. William C. Hives of Virginia, 1846.
Despatch to the Secretary of State, on the Subject of Cheap Postage ; printed by order of the Senate, August 31, 1852.
. Letter from Mr. Lawrence to Mr. Clayton [then Secre- tary of State] in relation to Central America; printed by order of the Senate, February 7, 1853.
Correspondence between the Governments of the United States and Great Britain [during the years 1851 and 1852] relating to the Dues now collected in the latter Country from Merchant Shipping for the Support of Lighthouses and Beacons ; printed by order of the Senate, April 5, 1872.
ABBOTT LAWRENCE 443
The children of Abbott Lawrence who survived him were : —
I. Annie Bigelow, born April 18, 1820; married, January 22, 1846, Benjamin S. Rotcb. Her children are : Edith, born July 30, 1847 ; Arthur, born May 13, 1850 ; Aimde, born June 16, 1852, married, December 2, 1873, Winthrop Sargent; Annie Lawrence, born February 14, 1857 ; Abbott Lawrence, born January 6, 1861.
II. James, born December 6, 1821 ; died at Tunbridge Wells, England, February 10, 1875 ; married, 1st, March 16, 1852, Elizabeth Prescott. This lady died May 24, 1864. His chil- dren are : 1. James, born March 23, 1853 ; married, January 16, 1875, Caroline Estelle Mudge. His children are : Elizabeth Prescott, born July 29, 1876 ; James, born February 7, 1878 ; Richard, born September 19, 1879. 2. Gertrude,' born Febru- ary 19, 1855 ; married, June 15, 1878, John Endicott Peabody. Her children are: Marian Lee, born July 6, 1879; Harold, born December 7, 1880. 3. Prescott, born January 17, 1861. 2dly, December 4, 1865, Anna Lothrop Motley.
III. Timothy Bigelotv, born November 22, 1826; married, March 16, 1854, Elizabeth Chapman. Colonel Lawrence was attached to his father's legation. He was afterwards consul- general to Italy, residing in Florence, where he performed the duties of his office with great acceptance to his government and to his travelling fellow-citizens. He died in Washington, while on a visit to the United States, March 21, 1869.
IV. Abbott, born September 9, 1828; married, April 12,' 1853, Harriette White Paige. His children are : 1. Abbott, born January 16, 1854. 2. Rosamond, born May 17, 1856 married, January 13, 1881, Francis Peabody, Jr. Her child is Rosamond, born October 7, 1881. 3. William Paige, born August 5, 1858. 4. John, born April 27, 1861. 5. Robert Ashton, born November 4, 1865. 6. Harriette Storv, born June 10, 1867.
V. Katharine Bigelow, born February 21, 1832 ; married, June 1, 1854, Augustus Lowell. Her children are : Percival, born March 13, 1855 ; Abbott Lawrence, born December 13, 1856, married, June 19, 1879, Anna Parker Lowell; Katharine, born November 27, 1858 ; Elizabeth, born February 2, 1862 ; Amy, born February 9, 1874.
444 ABBOTT LAWKENCE
Mrs. Katharine Lawrence survived her husband, and died at the family residence in Park Street, August 21, 1860.
There are several portraits of Mr. Lawrence. The earliest one was painted in 1832, when he was forty years of age, by Chester Harding. He is represented as seated, and with a letter in his hand. It is an admirable like- ness and a highly finished picture. It was engraved in 1856 (from a copy by Moses Wight, now belonging to Mr. James Lawrence), by Francis Holl of London. This pic- ture is now in the possession of Mr. Abbott Lawrence. In 1843 a full-length portrait was painted by G. P. A. Healy, for the Mechanics' Hall in Lowell, where it now hangs. In 1844 Mr. Lawrence sat to Healy for two portraits. One of them has been engraved by Joseph Andrews, and is the likeness by which he is best remembered. He himself preferred this picture to the two painted at an earlier period. It is in the possession of his eldest daughter, Mrs. B. S. Eotch. The other, not so much in profile, is also a good likeness, and belongs to Mr. Prescott Lawrence.
A bust was modelled in 1836 by Hiram Powers, and is a fine work of art. It is now in the possession of Mr. Abbott Lawrence. There is a head in cameo, taken in 1834 by C. W. Jamison ; and another, in 1843, by J. C. King. There is also an excellent daguerreotype, taken in 1854.
Such portraits' and semblances, however, at the best, give but an imperfect and shadowy impression of the liv- ing presence, — of the form, the movement, the look, and the smile ; and any such delineation as has been attempted in these pages fails to represent adequately the unceasing activity, the far-reaching enterprise, the inflexible integ- rity of character, the genial influence, and the personal inspiration which, to Mr. Lawrence's contemporaries and companions, were a constant occasion for admiration and pride. But the gifts of which we have spoken —
ABBOTT LAWRENCE. 445
to churches, schools, and libraries, the scientific founda- tion at Cambridge, and the model lodging-houses in Boston — will perpetuate the memory of Abbott Law- rence as no canvas or marble or printed page can do ; and they will amply illustrate to succeeding generations the noble record of his success as a merchant, of his virtue as a citizen, of his generosity as a philanthropist, and of his excellence as a man.*
* In the preparation of this memoir the writer has been indebted to Mr. Abbott Lawrence, of Commonwealth Avenue, for access to family papers, and for many valuable suggestions.
WILLIAM CRANCH
The life of a Judge, however eminent, and however well appreciated and honored by members of the legal profession, is not usually one which makes a glittering show to the public eye. How little is known outside the courts and law-offices, of the learning, the intellectual grasp, the patience, the industry, the conscience, the courage, the clear, calm power of detecting principles amid the tedious detail of facts and precedents, and of thoroughly winnowing truth from error, which are re- quired in this profession ! Such acquirements and quali- ties make little noise in the world; but like the silent forces of nature they are none the less effective and beneficent.
The Hon. "William Cranch, LL.D., Chief Judge of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia, is a name well known among lawyers and jurists, through his Reports of the Supreme Court, and of the cases in his own court for forty years; and especially distin- guished in the district where for over fifty years of his life he held his office, and resided, and where he died, full of years and honors. But apart from his legal and judiciary connections, he lived a comparatively retired life, uncheckered by any remarkable events. He was one of that noble fraternity of quiet thinkers and workers of all times and various professions, who are content to
WILLIAM CRANCH 447
do their duty thoroughly and well, careless of the shining honors of fame ; or else who fail to achieve those honors, because by temperament too unambitious to grasp them, or from love of their work and conscientiousness in the discharge of it too devoted to their daily tasks to weigh their labors against their deserts. To consecrate their days to some useful but unapplauded sphere of life,
" Mutas agitare inglorius artes,"
to find their reward in their own consciences, in the love and esteem of family and friends, and in the appreciation of some small or provincial public, is enough for them. Yet it is but just that such a life should be known to a larger circle and recorded for a wider perusal.
It is fitting that I should trace something of the honor- able genealogy of the subject of this memoir. The blood and the principles of Puritan ancestors were in him by pure descent. On the paternAl side they were all Eng- lishmen. His great-great-grandfather, Richard Cranch, the first of his name of whom anything is known,* was said to have been a rigid and uncompromising Puritan. His great-grandfather, Andrew Cranch, carried on the business of serge-making largeh^, in the town of Kings- bridge, Devonshire, where were born his son John — and John's son Richard, the father of William. These ances- tors were all men of worthy character. In religion they were dissenters.
Of the Hon. Richard Cranch, my grandfather, a brief account must here be given. He was born in 1726, in Kingsbridge, Devonshire, came to America in 1746, at the age of twenty, and settled in the old town of Brain- tree, which then contained what is now divided into the three towns of Braintree, Quincy, and Randolph. He
« It has been conjectured that the Cranches may have been descendants of Lucas Cranach, the celebrated painter of Germany ; but the " missing link " has never been discovered.
448 WILLIAM CRANCH
was a watchmaker, and for some years pursued this busi- ness in Braintree. He was also postmaster of the town, held a seat for a number of years as representative in the General Court, and afterwards as senator of the Common- wealth of Massachusetts. He was also for some years one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas. Though seK-educated, he was a scholar of wide attainments, and was especially learned in theology. He was the intimate friend of John Adams, and of the Rev. Dr. Mayhew, and the associate of several distinguished men of his time. He is frequently spoken of with affection and respect in John Adams's diary. In one place Mr. Adams says, " Was there ever a wit who had much humanity and com- passion, much tenderness of nature ? . . . Mr. Cranch has wit, and is tender and gentle." In another place he speaks of Mr. Cranch's " mathematical, metaphysical, me- chanical, systematical head." And again he mentions him as " the friend of my youth as well as of my riper years, whose tender heart sympathizes with his fellow- |
creatures in every affliction and distress." He was a man of the most sterling character, and of a high order of intelligence ; an ardent patriot during the Revolution ; \1
deeply religious, of the most exemplary life, the tenderest of husbands and fathers, the best of citizens. In 1780 j
he received the honorary degree of A.M. from Harvard College. He was tall, grave, and dignified; and in his features is said to have borne a remarkable resemblance to the portraits of John Locke the philosopher.
In 1762 Richard Cranch was married to Mary Smith, eldest daughter of the Rev. William Smith of Weymouth, Massachusetts, whose other daughter, Abigail, afterwards married John Adams, of whose celebrity there is no need here to speak.
Mrs. Mary Cranch was in every respect worthy of her husband, — a lady of superior character, intelligence, and cultivation, loved and esteemed by all who knew her.
< 1
WILLIAM CRANCH 449
There were born to theni three children : Elizabeth, who married Rev. Jacob Norton ; Lucy, who married Mr. John Greenleaf ; and William, their only son.
Judge Richard Cranch and his wife resided chiefly in Quincy, Massachusetts, and died there at advanced ages, within a day of each other, in October, 1811. William Cranch was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, 1769. His education seems to have been entirely at home under his mother's tuition and superintendence, until he was put under the charge of his uncle, the Rev. John Shaw, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, to be fitted by him for col- lege. In 1784, when under the age of fifteen, he entered the Freshman class at Harvard, six months in advance. His friend and cousin, John Quincy Adams, afterwards entered as his classmate.
A letter from Mr. Amasa Dingley, one of the more advanced college students, to the Hon. Richard Cranch, in this year, bears the highest testimony to William's • conduct and application to his studies. His correspond- ence with his father, mother, and sisters during his col- lege course, shows his uniform diligence and steadiness as a student. His notes to his parents are pervaded by a tone of filial love and respect. In 1787 he graduated with honors; and the same year commenced the study of law in Boston, with the Hon. Thomas Dawes, one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. As he boarded in Judge Dawes's family, it was most prob- ably there that he first met my mother, who was the youngest sister of Mrs. Dawes.
During the last year of his law-student Hfe in Boston, I find the following characteristic letter to him from John Adams, then vice-president in Washington's administra- tion. I believe it has never before been published. It , seems to be an answer to some communication of my flxther's (about meetings of members of the bar and law- students), of which I have no record.
67
450 WILLIAM CRANCH
2^EW York, March 14, 1790.
Dear Sir, — Your favors of December 15, January 24, and February 17, are before me, and I thank you for your attention, and hope for a continuance of it, though I am not a punctual correspondent to you.
To the original of the bar meetings I was a witness, as I was to their excellent effects in the progress of them. They intro- duced a candor and liberality in the practice at the bar, that were never before known in the Massachusetts. Mr. Gardner's master, Mr. Pratt, was so sensible of their utility that when we took leave of him at Dedham, his last words to us were, " Breth- ren^ forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.''^
My advice to you, and all the young gentlemen coming up, as well as to those now on the stage, is, never to suffer such meetings to go into disuse, let who will clamor about them : for as I know the body of the law will never consent to any illegal or dishonorable combinations, so on the other hand their deliber- ations together, on what is for the honor and dignity of the bar and for the public good, as far as their practice is connected with it, cannot but produce benign effects. (
What ? is it unlawful for the gentlemen of the profession to |
spend an evening together once a week? to converse upon law, [
.and upon their practice ; to hear complaints of unkind, unfair, j
and ungentlemanlike practice ; to compose differences ; to agree ;.i
that they will not introduce ignorant, illiterate, or ill-bred or |
unprincipled students or candidates? that they will not practise )
any kind of chicanery, or take unmanly disadvantages of one i
another, to the injury of clients, for accidental or inadvertent i\
slips in pleading or otherwise? On what unhappy times are I
we fallen, if that profession without which the laws can never V
be maintained nor liberty exist, is to be treated in this tyranni- j
(ill manner? \.
But I must stop. — Ask my son if he has received two letters
from me. I am,
With much esteem and affection, yours,
John Adams. Jin. William Cranch, at Judge Dawes's, Boston.
In 1790 William Cranch was admitted to practise law in the court of Common Pleas, at the age of twentj-one.
WILLIAM CRANCn 451
He began practice in Braintree, but afterwards removed to Haverhill, where he boarded in Mr. Shaw'^ family, and attended the courts in Essex County, and at Exeter, Portsmouth, and other places in New Hampshire. In 1793 he was admitted to practise in the Supreme Court. On entering his office at Haverhill he took charge of the unfinished business of Mr. Thaxter, a relative who had died. He had the use of Mr. Thaxter's law-books, as long as they remained unsold, and also of Judge Sar- gant's library.
One little incident is told in his correspondence, while at Haverhill, which I merely note in passing, as illustrat- ing his humane and disinterested spirit. He writes to his mother, April 8, 1792 : " I took a little cold, I believe, the day before yesterday in overheating myself by my exertions in attempting to save a little boy from drown- ing, who fell into the river from a wharf. But all our exertions came too late. . . . He was about eight years old. I was assisting the physicians for the first six hours, and at times had hopes of his recovery; but the exertions, though continued eighteen hours, Avere ineffectual."
In April, 1794, he was appointed a justice of the peace for the county of Essex. But in the autumn of the same year he received an offer from Mr. James Greenleaf, who was the owner of large estates in Washino-ton and else- where, to become his agent, or rather the agent of Morris, Nicholson, and Greenleaf, for the transaction of all law business connected with their affairs, and to take up his residence in Washington, with a salary of one thousand dollars per annum, and a dwelling-house provided for three years. This offer he accepted, and set out for Washing- ton at once. On arriving at New York he found that his business was to be much more extensive than was at first proposed. " I am to take charge," he writes, '•' of all the immense negotiations of Mr. G., control all the cash, pass all accounts, oversee the book-keepers, etc. etc." Not
452 WILLIAM CRANCH
long after arriving in Washington, he had the misfortune to lose all his. books and papers, and all his clothes, except what he had in his travelling trunk. They had been sent by sea in a vessel laden with lime and lumber, which, running aground in Chesapeake Bay, was consumed by the wetting of the lime. "My travelling trunk," he writes, ''now contains everything I have in the world, excepting a trunk of valuable papers I left with Leonard White."
In those days it was no slight enterprise to settle down in a place so remote, so thinly populated and subject to malarial fevers, as Washington. It was a long and fatiguing journey to get there. There was no city to speak of. Ij; was composed of small groups of houses, with very few shops, widely separated by flat fields and marshes. It was precisely like emigrating to the far West at the present day. In a letter of introduction to Charles Carrol of Carrolton, dated Philadelphia, Decem- ber 10, 1794, John Adams writes thus: —
" The bearer of this letter, William Cranch, is a nephew of '■.
mine, and to me very much like one of my sons, and I should i
therefore think myself, in a sort, wanting in parental affection |
if I suffered him to go to Annapolis, without a letter of intro- ( duction to you. He is destined to settle at least for some years in the Federal city, to the prosperity of which his education,
talents, application, and virtues may make him very useful. \
Permit me to solicit your patronage in his favor in proportion I
to his merits." i
In consequence of the new arrangement with Mr. j
Greenleaf, by which the entire superintendence of his | affairs was entrusted to him, his salary was raised to
fifteen hundred dollars a year, his expenses incurred in \
travelling on account of the business were to be paid, j
and he was to have the use, when necessary for that pur- j pose, of two or three horses. Mr. Greenleaf generously offered to pay him for the amount of his loss by the ves-
WILLIAM CRANCII 453
sel, and also to assist him -with a loan, to be repaid when convenient, without interest.
His prospects now encouraged him to make prepara- tions for domestic life in Washington ; and on April 6, 1795, he was married in Boston to Miss Ann (Nancy) Greenleaf, the youngest daughter, in a large family, of William Greenleaf, Esquire, merchant of Boston, and who had been, during the Revolutionary War, high sheriff of Suffolk County, including Boston.* She was the sister of Mr. James Greenleaf, also of Mrs. Judge Dawes, and of Mrs. Noah Webster. Returning early in the summer to Washington with my mother, he commenced house- keeping under happy auspices, and worked diligently. The next year his first son was born. This same year he hired a farm a few miles from Washington, across the Eastern Branch. It was part of a large tract belonging to his brother-in-law, Mr. Greenleaf. This farm (or rather plantation, which he designed improving into a farm) he often visited during his leisure hours, and took great pleasure on it, sometimes working with his own hands, finding the exercise good for him.
The affairs of Morris, Nicholson, and Greenleaf turned out badly. They had purchased, sold, and speculated in lands to an enormous extent, — Mr. Greenleaf at one time owning, it was said, thirteen million acres in the State of Georgia, besides other large tracts of land, which promised to make him one of the wealthiest men in Amer- ica. Through the failure of this firm my father found himself somewhat embarrassed in his circumstances, but hoped to escape w^ithout loss. But a few years later he found his situation much worse.
His connection with this firm ceasing on its failure, he
* They were the parents of thirteen children. A sketch, in 1847, gives the names of the following: William Greenleaf, Richard, Ann Allen, Mary, Elizabetli Eliot, John, Edward Pope, Christopher Pearse, the author of this memoir, Ahhy Adams, Margaret Dawes. See "New England Historical and Genealogical Register," Vol. I. p. 79. — Committee.
454 WILLIAM CEAXCH
was for a time (in 1797) somewhat undecided as to his future plans ; and especially so on receiving a letter from Mr. Noah Webster (who was then editor of a paper in New York), in which he made a proposition to my father that they should together undertake a daily paper in Bos- ton, and a weekly or semi-weekly for the country, and that my father should be the editor. In this proposal he held out inducements that seemed promising. The temp- tation to return to Boston and the vicinity of his family and friends was, for a little while, very strong ; but on mature consideration, and with the advice of competent persons, he concluded to abandon the idea, and deter- mined to remain in Washington and pursue the practice of the law. His father, with whom he corresponded on '
all matters of moment, concurred in his determination, though it would have been an inexpressible pleasure and comfort to have had his son, to whom he was so tenderly attached, near him again in his declining years. His \
aunt, Mrs. Adams, also wrote to him on the subject, but ]
without venturing any decided advice as to his course. |
She however adds : " If, upon mature consideration of the ' j subject, you should think it best to go into the practice of the law, .your uncle (Mr. Adams) desires me to tell you that he will lend you two hundred dollars to purchase you such books as you may be in immediate want of; that you shall take your own time to repay him," etc. In the next three years that followed, in spite of the most rigid economy he found himself seriously embarrassed from his connection with Mr. Morris and endorsement of ;
his notes. In the year 1800 he was oT^liged to relinquish \
all his property and take the benefit of the insolvency J
laws. These troubles, the uncons-enial societv about him \
in Washington and Georgetown, and the frequent cases of •
illness in his family, often produced in him very despond- \
ent moods. But he steadily applied himseK to his busi- !
ness, and soon had the satisfaction of gaining two causes !
WILLIAM CRANCH 455
in Annapolis. The same year he was appointed by Presi- dent Adams one of the commissioners of public buildings, upon the recommendation of the largest part of the pro- prietors of the city, with a salary of sixteen hundred dol- lars. " But how long the office will continue," he writes, " is uncertain." He adds, " The only subject of regret which the circumstance suggests, is, that it will call forth the calumnies of malevolence upon the president. But it will be remembered that President Washington appointed Mrs. Washington's son-in-law (Dr. Stuart) to the same office, — so that a precedent is not wanting, without re- curring to the authority of the patriotic McKean, who appointed his own son to the office of attorney-general of the State of Pennsylvania."
In ISOl Mr. Crunch was appointed by the president assistant judge of the newly constituted Circuit Court of the District of Columbia; William Kilty being chief judge, and James Marshall (brother of the celebrated Chief Justice Marshall of the Supreme Court) the other assistant judge.
In 1802 I find that there is mention of eleven articles by Judge Cranch, on the Independence of the Judiciary, — a topic to which he had devoted much thought, — pub- lished in the Washington Federalist, and signed Lucius Junius Brutus. (It was the fashion in those days to write under these classical signatures.) Having succeeded Mr. Dallas as reporter of the Supreme Court, he finished the first volume of his reports of that bench in 1803, and published it the next year.
In 1805, very much to his surprise, for he was a warm Federalist in his politics. Judge Cranch was appointed by Mr. Jefferson to the office of chief judge of the Circuit Court, at a salary of twenty-five hundred dollars, his pre- decessor. Judge Kilty, having been made chancellor of the State of Maryland. His labors in this office were, through the whole of his long judicial Hfe, exceedingly
456 WILLIAM CRANCH
arduous. ^ On August 15, 1806, he apologizes for not having written to his father, by stating that he had just finished a session of five weeks at Alexandria, and that since the fourth Monday of November last he had been twenty-nine weeks in court.
In the winter of 1806-7 occurred an event which cre- ated much popular excitement, and which, for a time, brought Judge Cranch into conflict not only with public opinion, but also with the views of President Jefferson. This was the trial of Dr. Bollman and Mr. Swartwout, arrested in New Orleans and brought to Washington on a charge of treason, and as probable accomplices of Aaron Burr in his alleged conspiracy. The case was tried be- fore the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia. The president had communicated a message to Congress on the subject, and had ordered the arrest and transportation to the District, of Messrs. Bollman and Swartwout, on his own authority. Judge Cranch took the ground that there was no evidence of treason ; and that " executive communications not on oath or afiBrmation could not, under the Constitution, be received as sufficient evidence in a court of justice, to charge a man with treason, still less to commit him for trial." (See fall report of this trial in Cranch's Reports of Circuit Court, Vol I.) In regard to this case Judge Cranch writes thus to his father, February 2, 1807: —
;'
" The last week was entirely occupied about the arrest and commitment of Dr. Bollman and Mr. Swartwout upon the charge of treason against the United States. Never in mv life have I been more anxious. You will see by the newspapers |
that I have dared to differ from my brethren on the bench. I have dared to set the law and the Constitution in opposition to the arm of executive power, supported by the popular clamor. \
I have dared to attempt to maintain principle at the expense of j
popularity. I have stood alone, determined to judge for myself, /
and to take counsel of no one. My own conduct has been the
WILLIAM CRANCn 457
result of my own judgment only, unaided by a single confer- ence, except with my brother judges. In my own mind I had no doubt whatever, that the Constitution did not justify a com- mitment upon such evidence ; and although I felt that the pub- lic interest might be benefited l)y committing those gentlemen for trial, yet I could not consent to sacrifice the most important, constitutional provision in favor of individual liberty, to reasons of State. I was not willing that the executive department should transfer to us its own proper responsibility.
" Never before has this country, since the Revolution, wit- nessed so gross a violation of personal liberty, as to seize a man without any warrant or lawful authority whatever, and send him two thousand miles by water for his trial, out of the district or State in which the crime was committed ; — and then for the first time to apply for a warrant to arrest him, grounded on written affidavits.
"I regretted that I could not, without seeming to prejudge the case, give my reasons for my opinion at full length. You will shortly see in the newspapers what I did say. . . . My reasons for my opinion as to the facts (although I did not state them, because I did not think I could state them with propriety in that stage of the prosecution) were these. Treason against the United States can consist only in levying war against them. There can be no treason without an overt act of levying war. There can be no overt act of levying war without an assem- blage of men, either armed, or in very great numbers, and ready to do some treasonable act. I sought in vain through all the documents and testimony submitted to us, for an an- swer to these questions, — hy ivhom has such an overt act been committed? — ow luhat day, in what year, was it com- mitted?—with what circumstances was it committed? The simple questions who? when? where? and how? remaining unanswered, I could not say it was probable, from the evidence before us, that a treason had been committed. For that must be a strange crime which can be committed by nobody, at no time, in no place, and without any circumstances.
" So anxious was the president to have this prosecution com- menced, or, to use his own language, to deliver them up to the civil authority, that he came to the Capitol on the day of their arrival, and with his own hand delivered to the district attor-
63
458 > WILLIAM CRANCH
ney, Mr. Jones, the affidavits of General Wilkinson, and in- structed the attorney to demand of the court a warrant for the arrest of Bollman and Swartwout on the charge of treason, — This was publicly confessed by Mr. Jones in open court, upon he'mg questioned by Judge Fitzhugh, by whose orders he made the motion.
"When this circumstance is considered, — and the attempt made in the legislature to suspend the privilege of habeas cor- pus on the very day on which the motion was made for a war- rant against Bollman and Swartwout, — when we reflect on the extraordinary exertions made by all under presidential influ- ence to exaggerate Burr's conspiracy into a horrid rebellion, so that the administration may have the merit of quelling it with- out bloodshed, — when they have so far succeeded as to excite the public mind almost to frenzy in many parts of the country, — you may form some idea of the anxiety which has attended my dissent from the majority of the court. — But having no doubt as to my duty, I have never once thought of shrinking from my responsibility."
On the 21st of the same month he writes : —
" It happened from a singular and unforeseen coincidence of strange circumstances, that I should be the first to resist the hand of arbitrary power, and to stem the torrent, which has at length yielded, and is now turning the other way. Bollman and Swartwout have been this day absolutely released by the Supreme Court from imprisonment on the charge of treason. Although I have not for a* moment doubted the correctness of my opinion, yet it is a great source of satisfaction to find it con- firmed by the highest judicial tribunal in the nation. I congrat- ulate my country upon this triumph of reason and law over popular passion and injustice, — upon the final triumph of the civil over the military authority, — and of the practical princi- ples of substantial personal liberty over the theoretical doctrines of pliilosophic civil liberty."
In an interesting letter to his father, February 28, 1808, he seems very anxious on the subject of the inde- pendence of the judiciary department, and thinks he sees indications on the part of the democratic leaders in Con-
WILLIAM CRAXCH 459
gress to destroy the functions of the judiciary, or to ren- der it dependent on a majority of the legislature.
• *' For my own part I should infinitely prefer to see it de- stroyed entirely than to see it converted into the tool of a triumphant and exasperated majority. I had rather see judges holding their oflBces at the will of the executive than of the legislative department of our government. There would be less danger to personal liberty in the former than in the latter case. For a single officer is liable to responsibility, but a ma- jority of the legislature is irresponsible. It feels its power, it knows its popularity, and is liable to as violent passions as any individual. Nothing is more true than that in every popular government all power tends to one centre, and I fear the centrif- ugal power of ours is daily growing too weak for the centripe- tal. But I did not mean to enter upon politics. I have very little to do with it, especially as to questions of mere expedi- ency, where the great and fundamental principles of the Consti- tution are not in danger."
In a letter. May 2, of this year, he says : " I have been for some time occupied in translating Clerk's 'Praxis Cu- riae Admiralitatis,' and so much of Oughton's ' Ordo Judiciorum' as is referred to by Clerk, which, as the books are rare, I have thoughts of publishing some time hereafter, with notes and precedents," etc.
In 1809 he purchased a farm of two hundred and forty- seven acres between Washington and Alexandria. About this time he became infected with the Merino-sheep mania, and \vent further into the purchasing and breeding of this expensive breed of animals, than he had at first intended. On the whole I believe the speculation was not a very profitable one. A postscript to a letter from his father in 1811 has the following joke of John Adams on this sub- ject. •'■ Your uncle, the late president, desired me to send his love to you, and hopes that your attention to your sheep will not take off your mind from the wool-sack." I do not think it ever did divert his thoughts from his offi-
460 WILLIAM CRANCH
cial labors. This taste for . agriculture and sheep-raising was a temporary thing. He needed something of the sort as a relaxation from the dry and severe labors of his office.
In 1811 Judge Cranch removed his residence from Washington to Alexandria, where he continued to live till 1826. Having sold his farm near Washington, he pur- chased another smaller one near Alexandria, where he resided during the summer months. Meanwhile occurred the War of 1812. In 1814 the British forces, having in- vaded Washington and burned the public buildings, pro- , ceeded to Alexandria, where, however, they committed fewer depredations than had been expected. Judge Cranch' s losses were chiefly from the partial burning of the Long Bridge across the Potomac, in which he held stock. During this period of his residence in Alexandria, he suffered severe losses in the deaths of five of his chil- dren, two of whom died in infancy, and three in adult j age. In 1826 he returned with his family to Washington, j where he resided on Capitol Hill until his death. \
In 1827, at the request of the Columbian Institute, of j
which he was a member, he wrote and delivered before /
that association a memoir of seventy pages (afterwards j
published), on the life, character, and writings of John , ( Adams. ' '
In 1829 the degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by Harvard College, — a long deserved and too long de- ferred honor. He was admitted an honorary member ; of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, March . \
15,1847.
In 1852 he published in six volumes his Reports Civil and Criminal in the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia, covering forty years, — from 1801 to 1841. And among the last services imposed on him by Congress, was the final hearing of patent-causes, after an appeal to the commissioner of patents.
WILLIAM CRANCn 461
One of his last published papers was an opinion written in June, 1851 (at the age of eighty-two), on the alleged grievances of South Carolina, when that refractory State was making threats of withdrawing from the Union. In this essay he showed that '• the only complaint of South Carolina against the United States could be that the balance of power had changed, leaving her in a minority, so that she could no longer wield the power of the United States to the accomplishment of her particular views, and especially on the subject of slavery." He maintained " that according to the Constitution she had no right to secede, and take a position as a sovereign and independent State ; that she never had had that right : that whatever her grievance she was bound to submit to the will of the majority constitutionally and lawfully expressed : that her only remedy was either the ballot-box or revolution, — but that the latter, measure could be justified only by insufferable injuries, which had never been inflicted, nor could be inflicted by the United States; that her com- plaint was what lawyers call a quia timet. South Carolina pretends that she fears that Congress will do what it has not the power to do, and she claims to have security for the future." And so she rushes into secession, for which she has not the shadow of constitutional- authority : that she has no power of dissolving the Union, and if she could, it would be unjust to do so, after having enjoyed the full benefit of it for more than half a century.
In September, 1843, he was called upon to endure the loss of the beloved partner of his joys and sorrows. He bore our dear mother's death with that fortitude and res- ignation and religious hope of a union beyond the grave, which were inseparable from his character.
His own end he saw approaching with equal faith and trust. Until within a few years of his death he steadily and loyally discharged the duties of his laborious office. For some time previous to this he was confined to his
462 WILLIAM CKANCH
room. Old age and a life of hard work were beginning to show their traces. To the last his mind was clear and his spirits tranquil. Sometimes in his sick-room he would have visions of wonderful vividness. He would see pic- tures of exquisite beautj : he would hear glorious music in the air from unseen hands and. voices. Watched and attended by those of his children who still resided near him (for many of us were scattered far and wide, and unable to be with him), he passed away peacefully at the age of eighty-six, on the first of September, 1855.
A funeral sermon was preached in the Unitarian Church by the Rev. Moncure D. Conway, full of the truest and tenderest appreciation of his mind, character, and life ; and the following hymn, by the Rev. S. G. Bulfinch, was
sung.
Nature seems to have intended William Cranch for a judge. His patience and perseverance were only matched
" "Weep not for him whose lengthened days Have kept him from his well-fiarned rest. Now his tired head he gently lays Upon the Father's loving breast.
" "Weep not for him ; long since he sighed, Recalled to life from opening bliss, Then, meekly yielding to abide
He copied that bright world in this.
" "Weep not for him, though never closed The earth on features more revered, Though ne'er in death's calm sleep reposed One more to all the good endeared.
•'"Wise, learned, thoughtful, pure and kind. The soul of honor, heart of love. The noble form, the taste refined. And the firm faith that looks above ;
" Such was he : yet, O mourn not him !
Thanks that his light around us shone ! |
Thanks that his eye, to earth gi'own dim, \
Uudazzled views the sapphire throne ! " \
WILLIAM CRANCH 463
by his love of clearness and order. He would take pleas- ure in imravelling a snarl of string and in untying hard knots. He had a mechanical turn, and liked to take his old family clock to pieces, to be oiled and cleaned, and to put it together again. While in college he devoted a good deal of time to mathematical problems, and even went so far as to calculate an eclipse. These qualities, combined with his sensitive musical ear, would somethnes, on a day of leisure, lead him to spend a morning in tun- ing his piano or parlor-organ in a very thorough and methodical way. The same qualities exerted in more serious mental action made him a capital chess-player, — while he hated backgammon and cards and all games of chance. These characteristic traits in union with the higher ones of thoroughness and exactness of knowledge, of conscientious and discriminating judgment in difficult cases, of singular ability to see the main facts and author- ities, and to detect always the principle and spirit of the law, made him, by nature and by long training, a judge whose decisions have always held a deserved reputation for soundness. The best proof of this is, that during more than fifty years' service on the bench, it is well known that 7iot one of his decisions was reversed hy the Supreme Court. There were, it is true, two decisions of the Court, and only two, I think, which were reversed. But in both cases Judge Cranch's opinion differed from that of the two other judges. Surely this is one of the most remark- able facts in the history of courts of law, and one that deserves the applause of the age and country.
He was a hard and steady worker. He rose early, often being up before sunrise in winter ; and when not on the bench, he was usually engaged at work in his office, frequently till near midnight. Nothing but sick- ness or some unavoidable necessity ever kept him from the sessions of the court, or from his toil in the solitude of his office. Fortunately his health and strength were
464 WILLIAM CRANCH
generally good. He enjoyed a sound and vigorous con- stitution!. But he was often afflicted by severe headaches ; and I remember he would sometimes come home at night, tired, and after tea would stretch himself on the sofa and '
call upon my sister and myself to play him asleep with the piano and flute.
Though his judicial duties engrossed the greater por- ;
tion of his time, he could find leisure sometimes for gen- "^ | eral literature. He liked to read the best English classics. '
Shakespeare and Milton were especial favorites with \ him. He seldom read a novel. But he had a keen relish (
for good poetry, old and new. His enthusiastic love of the beautiful in nature and in art was a marked trait. /
He delighted in pictures, in sculpture, in flowers, and fine 1
sunsets. But his chief recreation was music. He played on the organ and the flute. The latter instrument he abandoned in his old ao-e, and devoted himself to his parlor-organ, on which he played chiefly sacred music, |
,and in which he took the deepest delight. ('
His temperament was tranquil, grave, and serious. |
He would often smile, but seldom laughed aloud. Yet he j
had a secret enjoyment of the humorous, which sometimes / showed itself, though never very playfully. He seldom joked, but he relished a good joke from others. His j demeanor was courteous and dignified. He was a gentle- i man of the old school. '
But he was so utterly free from vanity and false pride, ,•
that he scorned a good many conventional customs. Sur- 1
rounded by Southerners, he kept up the old New England i
prejudice in favor of working sometimes with one's own ' •
hands. He never hesitated to carry home his own loaded ,■
basket from market ; and sometimes he would assist some ('
. . . \
poor old woman on the road in carrying hers. He liked I
to split his own wood and make his own fire ; and in sight ' )
of all his neighbors he would mend his own pump, or his /
gate, or his garden fence. He delighted in active exer- •;
cise, and in his younger days was a good walker.
WILLIAM CRANCH 465
His heart was as tender as a woman's. His domestic affections were deep. Nothing could exceed his love as an affectionate husband and father. The natural kind- ness of his disposition extended itself to friends, neigh- bors, relatives, and even strangers, and would often take the form of an utterly unprecedented hospitality, even when his pecuniary circumstances obliged the greatest domestic economy. His heart was always open to the sick, the poor, and the oppressed. But this almost femi- nine sympathy never interfered with the just judgments to which his duties so often called him. His sense of justice was strong; and though tempered by clemency, never wavered from its upright attitude.
His character was genuinely and deeply religious. He inherited this trait from his ancestors, and it was culti- vated and strengthened through hfe. It was his custofh, as long as I can remember, to hold morning and evening prayers in his family. But it was much more than a form. There was not a trace of mere external sanctity in this rite, or in its effects. There never was a family more spontaneously natural, and less biassed by any ex- ternal rehgious authorities. He seldom taught us by precept, but always by example, that
" Our days should be Bound each to each by natural piety."
My brother Edward P. Cranch, of Cincinnati, writes in a private letter : —
" I knew more than any other of the children, of father's offi- cial life and labors, because I studied law for three years in his chambers at the City Hall in Washington. I don't believe he ever spent an idle hour in his life. His hfe was uniform. He never dropped out of line to go in search of events. He did not hke events. ... His great idea was duty. His recreations were music, chess, study, contemplation. He prayed much when alone. He repeated old poems to himself in his walks. But for ten hours of every day for sixty years he was in public,
59
466 WILLIAM CRANCH
and -working for the public. He was -working for the right and antagonizing the -wrong; and he kept the -waters pure about him."
On our mother's side we all inherited a flo-w of animal spirits and mirth and sportiveness. If we gave way to this chiefly in my father's absence, and restrained our- selves in his presence, it was not from fear of him, but from a deference to his graver and more dignified charac- ter, which seemed to carry -with it an unforced authority.
Judge Cranch's theological creed was simple, and he kept all expression about it to himself. He believed that a man's creed was something purely between him and the infinite Father of- all. He was a Unitarian Christian of a rather progressive stamp.' He was altogether free from dogmatism or sectarianism. He was a prominent member of the small Unitarian Society in "Washington, and a con- stant worshipper at its services. But long before Unita- rianism had sprung up as a distinct sect, he held liberal views, and sought where he could for opportunities of a public worship in which he might join with his family, without serious jarring against his private convictions. As far back as the year 1800, while living in Georgetown, he writes to his mother in answer to her questions about the " religious opportunities " of his family : —
*' We have no church here of our o-wn persuasion. The prin- cipal inhabitants are Roman Catholics. There is a society of Presbyterians, whose preacher (Mr. B. . . . ) is of the high old Orthodox plan of divinity, — preaches without notes, in the enthusiastic style, and relies more on the strength of his lungs and the canting tone of his voice than upon any other of the arts of persuasion or conviction. He rings all the changes of the mysterious conception, the doctrine of the Trinity, of jus- tification by faith alone, and the inefiicacy of good works, pre- destination and election. And, in short, whatever doctrine is least consistent with reason pleases hira best. I attend him only with disgust. When we remove into the city I shall attend
I
1
"WILLIAM C RANCH 467
the Episcopalian Society under the instructions of Mr. McCor- mick, who appears to be an amiable man, and who has a good wife. They will be our next-door neighbors, — and although I cannot subscribe to all the thirty-nine articles, yet I like their mode of worship better than that of any other sect, and shall not suffer small shades of difference in non-essentials to prevent me from a frequent attendance on public worship. As soon as I can find a church whose rational principles shall quadrate with my own, I shall certainly have no objection to fulfil every arti- cle which may seem to be incumbent on a professor of our holy religion. The objects of faith must be left to every man's own conviction, and as faith has no connection with, nor is in any degree dependent on the will, it is a subject which ought to be left with man and his Creator. It cannot be regulated by any human tribunal." ,
Ten years later he writes : —
" Creeds and human articles of faith have always proved the weakest part of the battlements which surround the citadel of religious truth. The ground on which they are erected is gen- erally unsound ; it is easily sapped by the penetrating weapons of reason. But the foundation of pure and undefiled religion is laid upon the rock of ages. Reason cannot shake it. Sophistry cannot undermine it. The heart and the head bear testimonv to its truth."
While residing in Alexandria, he always attended the Episcopal services with his family. The Rev. Mr. Norris of that church tried hard to convert him to Episcopacy. But though a firm dissenter in a community where prob- ably not a soul believed as he did, there was never a voice against him as a good man and an upright judge.
BQs conscientious conception of the legitimate functions of a judge led him to reject all offers of fees for any extraneous and supererogatory work, where he would have been justified in accepting them. The consequence was that he was besieged at all hours, even out of his office, by people of all sorts, who came to have deeds or other law documents acknowledged gratis by him, rather
468 . WILLIAM CRANCH
than by a lawyer, who would charge them a fee. And I believe he never, at any hour of the day, refused a single one of these people.
Judge Cranch, though not an abolitionist, was no apolo- gist for slavery. It was an institution abhorrent to his nature. But so long as it was sanctioned by constitution and law, he was bound not to interfere with the existing order of things. Whenever he could befriend a slave without violating the laws, he was ever ready to do so. We have seen what his opinion was about the right of secession. He saw that a storm was approaching, but, fortunately for his peace of mind, he was not fated to see how, a few years later, it burst upon the country in the horrors of civil war.
His habits of life were simple and inexpensive. His dress was plain but neat, and becoming his tall, command- ing figure, expressive features, and dignified demeanor. Though he had a keen relish for the good things of a j
table, he was a moderate eater and drinker. When a boy, he could not be persuaded to taste meat until his \
twelfth year. He used no tobacco in any form, and dis- j
countenanced the use of it in his house. If any of his ■;
sons indulged in a cigar, it was in some remote room. \
Coming unexpectedly one day upon some of us, when the i
room was full of smoke, he made a face and retreated, j
saying, " It smells like a jail." Though all his life one of )
the most temperate of men, he for many years took a 1
little wine at dinner ; but in his latter years he forswore \
all alcoholic drink and became a strict total-abstinence man.
In the course of his judicial functions he was more than once brought into temporary antagonism with a disposition i.
on the part of the Executive to encroach on the domain (
of the Judiciary. We have seen how he stood firm in ;
one instance during Mr. Jefferson's administration. Dur- I
ing that of President Andrew Jackson he was once or (
WILLIAM CRANCH 469
twice obliged to assert the legitimate province of the Court in opposition to the will of the Executive. In the case of the United States v. Amos Kendall, Postmaster of the United States, 1837 (although it is not mentioned in the Reports), I have heard that President Jackson barely escaped accusation of contempt of court, by his conduct when summoned as a witness. And in the case of the 'United States v. Tobias Watkins, in 1833, I remember having heard that the President insisted upon having Watkins confined in the common felon's cell, — his offence being simply that of a small defaulter, — and that the Court felt bound to resist such an arbitrary proceed- ing. Judge Cranch in these cases acted only as any upright judge might be expected to act. All his life long he stood up for the independence of the Judiciary, on simple constitutional grounds. In this faith he lived and died. And I believe the country to be especially indebted to him for the consistent example he gave of his wisdom and firmness in embodying his convictions in his life.
His elaborate and carefully prepared Reports of the Supreme and of the Circuit Court are too well known to members of the legal profession to be more than men- tioned here. They form one of the most valuable contri- butions to the law libraries.
In the District of Columbia, where he resided and where he was best known, the name of William Cranch will long be remembered as of one eminent not only for his legal learning, his just judgments, and his unwearied industry in the discharge of his duties, but as one whose character was in every respect a shining illustration of
" That best portion of a good man's life, His little, nameless, unremembered acts Of kindness and of love."
GORHAM BROOKS
GoRHAM Brooks, the second son of Peter Chardon Brooks and Nancy (Gorham) Brooks, was born in Med- io rd, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, February 10, 1795. His forefathers had lived six generations in the town. Mr. Brooks was a life-long sufferer from asthma. Even as a child he was afflicted by it, so much so that he was sent for his health to Palermo in SicUy. His educa- tion was commenced at Phillips Academy, Andover, and completed at Harvard College, where he was graduated in the class of 1814. After leaving college he studied law in the office of Judge Joseph Lyman, of Northamp- ton, but having little taste for the profession, soon aban- doned it for mercantile pursuits. Before establishing himself in business he made a voyage to Calcutta. In 1833 Mr. Brooks became a member of the business firm of Brooks and Harrison, in Baltimore, Maryland; and subsequently of the firm of WilHam E. Mayhew and Co., of the same city. For several years, as long as his mer- cantile life lasted, Baltimore was his home. He visited Europe three times, once immediately after his marriage, in 1829. His first child, Lucy, was born in Paris, Febru- ary 8, 1830, and died at Watertown on September 10 of the same year.
Mr. Brooks married, at Watertown, Massachusetts, on April 20, 1829, Ellen, daughter of R. D'. Shepherd, of Shepherdstown, Virginia, and Lucy (Gorham) Shepherd,
GORHAM BROOKS 471
of Barnstable, Massachusetts. She was born in New Or- leans, Louisiana, August 22, 1809. There were three children by the marriage : Lucy, mentioned above ; Peter Chardon, born at Watertown (now Belmont), May 8, 1831; and Shepherd, born in Baltimore, July 23, 1837. Both brothers reside at present in Boston. Mr. Brooks retired from business in middle life, and returned to Med- ford, where he passed the fifteen years preceding his death, engaged in agricultural pursuits on an extensive farm adjoining his father's. The house in which he re- sided was built by his great-grandfather, Samuel Brooks, in 1727. It was taken down, soon after his death, which occurred on September 10, 1855, of typhoid fever. His winter residence was in Pemberton Square, Boston.
Mr. Brooks was admitted a resident member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society May 10, 1854.
Mr. Brooks was a man elegant in person and manners, keenly intellectual, a great reader, extensively informed, of remarkable powers in conversation, and sparkling wit. He was social, though not in a general way, being by temperament reserved. A satirical vein ran through his composition. By disposition and association he was averse to public life, and, though once sent as represen- tative from Medford to the General Court of Massachu- setts, he took no active part in pubUc affairs. Being a democrat and conservative, he was on the unpopular side in Massachusetts politics. His long residence in a slave State, and his connection through marriage and otherwise with New Orleans, prevented his feeling un- friendly towards the institution of slavery, and a lack of passion in his nature prevented his taking an active part in the great debate which was agitating the country. His interests were literary and practical, not speculative in any field. He was versed in history ; in agriculture he was an adept. But for philosophy, political, social, or
472 GORHAM BROOKS
moral, he had no taste. In religion he was conventional, taking no interest in theological or ecclesiastical matters, and showing no difference in his treatment of men of various faiths.
This is but a meagre sketch of the external relations of one who was no ordinary man. But the external rela- tions are all that concern us here. As a psychological study Mr. Brooks was a very interesting man, but the pursuit of this branch of inquiry would carry both writer and reader too far out of the way.
MAEK DOOLITTLE
IVIakk Doolittle traced his descent back, in unbroken succession, through six generations. In his volume, " His- torical Sketch of the Congregational Church in Belcher- town, etc.," published in 1852, is a compact record of the Doolittle family, which begins thus : '' Abraham Doolittle, supposed to be the progenitor of all by the name of Doolittle in this country, came from England and settled in New Haven, Connecticut, about the year 1640 or 1642."
This Abraham Doolittle was a man of prominence, held positions of pubhc honor and trust, and is regarded by his descendants of to-day with high esteem.
The record of the Doolittle family, already alluded to, closes thus : —
" Abraham^ Doolittle, died August 11, 1690, aged 70. Abraham' Doolittle, 2d, died November 10, 1732, aged S3. John' Doolittle, died Isovember, 1746, aged 65. John* Doolittle, 2d, died November, 1747, aged 35. Titus^ Doolittle, died November 23, 1818. Mark' Doolittle." '
Titus Doolittle, Esq., the father of Mark, and the youngest son of John 2d, was born in Wallingford, Con- necticut, June 12, 1745, and married Mary Lewis, daugh- ter of Dr. Lewis, of WalHngford. In 1771 he moved to Westfield, Massachusetts, into that part of it that in 1792 was incorporated into the township known by the name of Russell. Mark was born in Westfield, December 5,
60
474 MARK DOOLITTLE
1781, and died in Belchertown, November 7, 1855, in the seventy-fourth year of his age.
Mr. Doohttle married, for his first wife, Betsey Matilda Smith, daughter of Dan Smith, Esq., of West Haven, Ver- mont; she died November 13, 1814, aged thirty-eight years. She was a woman of rare virtues and intelligence. She left two daughters, Lucy Maria, and Betsey Matilda, who was named for her mother. August 10, 1817, Mr. Doohttle married, for his second wife, Sarah T. Eaboteau, daughter of Charles C. Raboteau, Esq., formerly of New- buryport. By this marriage he had two children, William C, who died in early childhood, and Sarah Loraine, who died July 29, 1842, aged eighteen years, — a young lady of fine mind and beautiful character. Mrs. Doolittle, a lady of ardent, trustful piety, and of clear mind, survived her husband over a quarter of a century, and died Feb- ruary 4, 1881.
Mr. Doolittle fitted for college principally with his brother Joel, in Middleborough, Vermont, and was grad- uated at Yale College in 1804, a classmate of the Hon. John C. Calhoun, the Rev. Abel McEmen, D.D., and several other distinguished men whose names are historic. Mr. Doohttle studied law, at first with the Hon. Eh B. Ashmun, of Blandford, Massachusetts, and, completing his course of legal studies with the Hon. Elijah P. Mills, in Northampton, was admitted to the bar in 1807, when he at once commenced practice as a lawyer in South Hadley. In 1812 he located in Belchertown, Massachusetts, where he resided till his death, actively engaged in the labors of his profession till within a few weeks of the close of his life.
As a lawyer, Mr. Doolittle was well read, and always \ conducted his cases with marked ability. His arguments in the court-room or before a board of referees were always logical, clear, in the interest of justice, and never for the sake of merely carrying a point. As an advocate.
MARK DOOLITTLE 475
he was faithful, sound, and courteous, but not eloquent, in the popular sense. His advice to individuals or parties, as given in his office, was ever reliable. By the judges and his brethren of the bar, Mr. Doolittle was greatly respected for his ability, his fairness, and his high-toned morality and gentlemanly bearing.
In politics Mr. Doolittle was a Whig. He greatly ad- mired Mr. Webster, but preferred, as leaders in certain directions, such men as Mr. Horace Mann and Charles Sumner, and others of the same stamp. Antislavery in principle, and leaning toward the antislavery party as a political organization, he yet was shy of those men who, when he was still in his prime, were so strenuous for po- litical action to effect the overthrow of slavery at the South. Had he survived till the outbreak of the Rebel- lion and through the war, he would have been a most decided Republican, and shouted over President Lincoln's Proclamation of Emancipation.
Mr. Doolittle was a leading advocate of temperance, pleading the cause with great effectiveness both with pen and voice ; but he was afraid of making temperance the basis of a political party, contending that should this be done, " many, for the sake of the loaves and fishes, would seize the opportunity to talk better than their practice, and so bring the cause into contempt."
As a lawyer, a politician, a reformer, Mr. Doolittle de- spised all trickery and affectation, as he did equally in religrion and in all his intercourse -with men.
He was a great admirer of the Puritans, and in almost all respects, in his day, was as complete a specimen of puritanical life as could be found in New England.
Mr. Doolittle was for many years a member of the Con- gregational Church in Belchertown, and as a professing Christian he was sincere and consistent. He was strict in the maintenance of family worship, in the observance of the Sabbath, and in attending the weekly meetings of
476 MAEK DOOLITTLE
the church, while in these meetings he was frequently very interesting in prayer and remarks. He was, in respect to the maintenance of law and order, and the support of the institutions of religion, as also in his adherence to the highest standard of integrity between man and man, as unswerving as the needle to the pole.
Mr. Doohttle was exceedingly active and useful in the Sabbath school, whether as superintendent or teacher. He was eminent as a student of the Bible and books of a theological character, and often remarked that while he liked " the law as a science, his taste was specially for religious works, and that he exceedingly enjoyed sermons and sound scriptural treatises." He was frequently solici- ted to address Sabbath-school conventions, and his words on such occasions were always weighty. For several years he sought to encourage the study of God's "Word in the Senior class in Yale College, by placing a sum of money in the hands of the Faculty to be expended in the form of prizes to those who should pass the best exami- nation in the Scriptures, near the close of their college course. .
In the circle of his domestic relations and intimate friends, Mr. Doolittle was a very affectionate man, and attractive and instructive in conversation.
His last sickness was very severe. As his end ap- proached, he sent for one of his former pastors, to whom he unbosomed his feehngs and from whom he sought guid- ance ; and as he was conscious that his mind as well as his body was weak, he said to his old pastor, " Please un- fold to me once more, as to a child, the gospel plan of salvation." At the close of the pastor's remarks, to which he listened with intensest interest, he said, " I am satis- fied ; now commit me to God in prayer." The prayer was brief, and as the Amen was spoken, he observed, " This is good, but I must soon be gone ; and so good-by." He immediately sank back on his pillow, and was scarcely
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i
i I
I
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MARK DOOLITTLE 477 '
conscious again. This interview with his loved clei'ical friend, his wife sitting by, took place in the evening, and at about midnight most tranquilly the conflict ended, and he went to his heavenly inheritance.
Mr. Doolittle represented his district in the Senate of Massachusetts in the year 1821-22; he represented Bel- chertown in the lower branch of the General Assembly in 1824-25 and in 1825-26, and was a member of the Governor's Council in 1828-29. He was admitted a cor- responding member of the New England Historic Genea- logical Society, June 1, 1848.
Mr. Doolittle wrote a prize essay on Temperance which was published. An address delivered by him in North- ampton, October 11, 1826, before the Society of the Counties of Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden, for the Promotion of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, was published, by request. A lecture by him on " The Chris- tian Sabbath of Divine Authority, and obligatory on Men to be observed the First Day of the Week," was published in 1845 ; and in 1852 he published a volume of two hundred and eighty-three pages, " Historical Sketches of the Congregational Church in Belchertown, Massachu- setts, from its Organization, one hundred and fourteen Years," etc.
CHARLES WARNER CADY
Charles Wakn^er Cadt, third son and child of Albe and of Sarah Warner Cady, was born in Keene, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, June 17, 1810. Tn 1815 his father removed to Concord, New Hampshire, and in that place Charles passed the principal part of his youth. He received in the schools of Concord the elements of a fair English education, and had added to that, by reading, a very respectable stock of general information. His habits were, however, more of an active business man than of a student. It was, I presume, from his acquaintance and intercourse with the late John Farmer the genealogist, at that time a resident of Concord, that he derived a bent for genealogical inquiries.
For a number of years after arriving at manhood, he was an invalid at home ; but improved health allowed him in 1836 to go to the "West, and he finally selected 1 Indianapolis for his residence. }
Soon after getting into his new home, he exerted i himself to introduce into Indiana the system of Mutual \ Insurance, and, having obtained a charter, he became } connected with the company formed under it as its j Secretary, and as such remained during its existence. i
In 1846 was published " The Indiana State Register I and Business Directory," which he had compiled. " There ) were some minor publications by him, but I have not the ] means to specify them accurately. As an ardent politi-
CHARLES WARXER CADT 479
cian, he wrote much for the papers of his day, but noth- ing, so far as I can learn, of more than current interest.
For many years he was Corresponding Secretary of the Indiana State Historical Society. He was admitted a corresponding member of the New England Historic Gen- ealogical Society February 12, 1848.
He was married, November 1, 1842, by the Rev. John T. Brooke, in Christ Church at Cincinnati, Ohio, to Miss Abigail Aikman Kiersted, daughter of Hezekiah and Ann Guernsey Kiersted, of that place ; and their children, all born at Indianapolis, are as follows : 1. Eudora Dunn, born September 23, 1843; 2. Ann Kiersted, born Sep- tember 24, 1845 ; 3. Albemarle Coddington, born January 25, 1848, died January 5, 1849; 4. Nelson Warner, born October 3, 1850; 5. Ella Wilder, born June 8, 1853; 6. Jeremiah Kiersted, born June 29, 1855.
He died, November 19, 1855, at Indianapolis, of a low fever (noticeable as being the only fever he had during his life), complicated with a recurrence of a malady he had been troubled with in early manhood. Possibly dis- appointment at the non-realization of his hopes had worn upon his system and contributed to the final result.
DAYID HAMELEN
David Hamblen, son of Joshua and Drusilla (Rjder) Hamblen, and grandson of Cornelius, was born in Well- fleet, Massachusetts, August 22, 1820. The family is an ancient one on Cape Cod ; James Hamblen, the earliest of the name known in that section of the country, having settled in Barnstable, with his wife Ann, it is said, about the year 1639 or 1640. He died at Barnstable in the year 1690. James, the emigrant, brought with him from England, probably, a son James and a daughter Hannah. Bartholomew, his second son, was born at Barnstable in 1642, and John, Sarah, Eleazer, and Israel, it appears, fol- lowed. Each of these five sons left descendants. John Hamblen, son of James the first, was born June 26, 1644. He married SafaK* Bearse in August, 1667. Their son, Benjamin, born in Barnstable, February 11, 1686, was married October 25, 1716, and had Cornelius, born in Eastham in 1719, who died November 8, 1791. His son, Cornelius the second, was born in Eastham in 1752, and died June 30, 1811. He was the father of Joshua, who was born in Wellfleet, January 23, 1783, and died in that town in the month of November, 1869. Joshua Hamblen married Drusilla Ryder, who died in "Wellfleet in the year 1835. These were the parents of David Hamblen, the subject of this notice, who was one of eleven children.
Joshua Hamblen was for many years engaged in the oyster business in Boston. Conjointly with Cornelius and Eleazer Hamblen, who were in the same business,
' DAVID HAMBLEN 481
he owned an estate near the Commercial Coffee House, or the Bunch of Grapes Tavern, on the east side of Lib- erty Square. This property, including the oyster shop, was purchased by them of William Thurston, of Boston, attorney-at-law, and Elizabeth, his wife, June 3, 1816. On the 14th of May, 1825, after the great fire, which burned up their shop, the land was sold by the Hamblens to David Hinckley, of Boston.
David, like many others, had the limited advantages of a common-school education in his native town. The Kev. Loranus Crowell, D.D., now of Lynn, presiding elder of the district, was for a short time his teacher. When about eighteen years of age he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Boston, having previously assisted his father in his business. He entered the office of John Benson, on City Wharf, as a clerk, in the general commission and lumber business. About the year 1844, at the age of twenty-four years, he was admitted as a partner with his employer, under the firm of Benson and Hamblen. In the course of a few years he assumed the whole business, but afterwards associated with himself a younger brother, as D. Hamblen & Co., and as such the firm remained until his death.
Mr. Hamblen enlisted early in the study of history and genealogy, which he pursued with great ardor and per- severance. He was always ready and desirous to assist others in their researches whenever an opportunity was offered him. For ten years he was an active and efficient member of the New England Historic Genealogical Soci- ety, having joined it September 23, 1845, the year of its incorporation. He was on the Committee of Publication for six years, from January, 1849, to January, 1855, and on that of Finance from January, 1852, to the time of his death. He served also on several important special com- mittees, and was a regular attendant at the meetings of the society.
•^ 61
482 DAVID HAMBLEN
The writer of this sketch can bear witness to the fidel- ity and earnestness with which he attended to the duties connected with these positions. He was a true worker on the committees. His urbanity, industry, cheerfulness, and zeal were strongly manifested traits in his character.
Besides other contributions to the " Register," he fur- nished, in 1848 and 1849, articles on the "First Settlers of Barnstable," and subsequently, in 1852 and 1853, on the " First Settlers of Eastham." Had he lived, we should undoubtedly have had much more from his pen.
He was a member of the Common Council of the city of Boston, from Ward Eleven, in the year 1852, the Hon. Benjamin Seaver being at that time Mayor. In 1852 and 1853 he was one of the Board of School Commit- tee in Boston. He took a deep interest in what is now the Shawmut Congregational Society, situated on the corner of Tremont and Brookline Streets, in Boston, which was organized November 20, 1845, and he contributed cheer- fully towards the expenses of their church building. He was admitted a member of that church in November, 1848, having been formerly connected with the Methodist Epis- copal Church and Society in "Wellfleet. The Rev. George A. Oviatt, now of South Sudbury, Massachusetts, the first pastor of the Shawmut Church, writes thus concerning him: —
" Mr. David Hamblen became a member of what is now the Shawmut Church, Boston, when in its infancy, and when I was its pastor. I remember Mr. Hamblen as a very excellent Chris- tian man, active in all our meetings, and an excellent teacher in our Sabbath school. We always delighted to hear him talk in our meetings, for he always had something of value to commu- nicate, was earnest in his manner, and had our confidence as a good man. After leaving the Shawmut Church I may have seen Mr. Hamblen two or three times, but I cannot speak of him save as I knew him as a member of my charge, and all my rec- ollections of him during that period are very pleasant. He was a well-informed man, had an inquisitive and logical mind, and was esteemed as a person of unbending integrity."
DAVID HAAIBLEN 483
The Rev. Charles Smith, third pastor of the Shawm ut Church, and now a resident of Andover, Massachusetts, who first formed his acquaintance with Mr. Hamblen when he was a sick man, after he was stricken down with consumption, says : " He was a man of unusual force of character, of great persistency, ambitious to do well and to be thought well of, enterprising and active by nature." As a religious worker in the church, parish, and Sunday school, Mr. Hamblen had at that time, through continued physical debility, passed the period of his activity and power.
The maiden name of his wife was Harriot Watson. She was born in Boston, August 28, 1826. Moses "Wat- son, her father, and Emma (Stone) Watson, her mother, both died in Boston. The former was a native of Roches- ter, New Hampshire, and the latter was born in Ashburn- ham, Massachusetts.
The children of David and Harriot (Watson) Hamblen were, Harriot, born in 1849, who died October 5, 1850 ; David, born February 6, 1851 ; Samuel, born June 9, 1852; Ephraim Stone, born May 4, 1855, — all natives of Boston.
The health of Mr. Hamblen had at length become so frail that he was forced to seek a milder climate. He spent the winters of 1853-54 and 1854-55 in Florida, in endeavors to recuperate, but it was of no avail. He lin- gered till the morning of Thanksgiving day, November 29, 1855, when he passed away, at his home in Boston, at the early age of thirty-five. The disease which termi- nated thus fatally with Mr. Hamblen had prevailed in his family, the mother and children dying, successively, of consumption, leaving only the father, Joshua, who died in 1869, at the age of eighty-six years.
NICHOLAS DEAN
Nicholas Dean, the subject of this brief memoir, was born at Beekman, Duchess County, New York, July 23, 1791. His great-grandfather, Nicholas Dean, had emi- grated from Long Island to Duchess or Westchester. His grandfather's name was Stephen. His father, Daniel S. Dean, was a Quaker, and well known as a preacher. Nicholas spent his boyhood on his father's farm in Duch- ess County. His education was derived from the common schools of his native town, excepting what he got from a few quarters spent at an academy in Burlington, New Jersey. While there he received letters of advice from his father, which prove the worth of his parentage, and which the son showed his filial reverence by carefully preserving to the day of his death.
Pressing early into active life in his native county, the peace of 1815 broke up his business and compelled him to seek new employment. Writing an excellent hand, he came to New York, and began life anew, in the humble capacity of a scrivener. Without money or influential friends, by his energy and his superior natural gifts, by untiring industry and self-denying habits, he soon placed himself in comfortable circumstances, and rapidly won the attention and confidence that lead to advancement and to offices of trust and dignity.
During this early period of his struggle with life in New York, Mr. Dean thought seriously, for a time, of devoting
NICHOLAS DEAN 485
himself to that branch of the legal profession known as equity practice. He actually fitted himself for that call- ing, and was licensed as solicitor in chancery by Chan- cellor Kent about 1820. For two or three years he was employed in various suits ; but, for reasons satisfactory to himself, he abandoned the career which opened propi- tiously before him. In a letter to his son, March 4, 1854, dissuading him from encouraging a grandson who was inclined to leave a mercantile clerkship for the profession of the law, Mr. Dean says: "At the period mentioned [1820], the fee-bill made equity practice very remun- erative ; my success was much greater than my merits. All the indications were encouraging. I had numerous friends, was personally acquainted with the entire New York bar, and, had I persisted, do not even doubt that all reasonable expectations would have been fulfilled; but circumstances led me to look in other directions for busi- ness, and I abandoned it. I have never regretted that step." It is probable that Mr. Dean would have made one of the first of solicitors, for his qualities and tastes pre- eminently fitted him for such a pursuit. But, in truth, he was equipped for success in so many other ways that he naturally availed himself of a career that looked even more inviting than his profession.
It is to be regretted that he does not say just what moved him to change his purpose ; but we suspect it was the importunity of some of these very lawyers whose large acquaintance he had made, and who urged upon a man whose excellent qualities they had discerned, the acceptance of the deputy-clerkship of the county. This offered a certainty of support (and not a small one in those times), in place of a professional uncertainty, though accompanied with brilliant probabilities. Perhaps, too, Mr. Dean's dissatisfaction with his somewhat hastily picked up preparation for a branch of the legal profession moved him to abandon it. But his experience left very valuable
486 NICHOLAS DEAN"
results, and made him wise in the law in whatever touched his after pursuits. Possibly he may, at this early period, have yielded to the hankering for office, which is the curse and misfortune of so many American citizens ; if he did, he got thoroughly over it, though perhaps only by satiety; at any rate, the first we hear of him after his short spurt as soUcitor is as a public office-holder.
His first office was that of deputy county clerk of New York, from which he was soon promoted to the county clerkship. In 1830 he was secretary in the convention which framed the city charter. His accuracy as an accountant, and the clearness and beauty of his book- keeping, attracted the attention of men of business, but not more than his punctuality, regularity, and conscien- tiousness. He seems at no time in his life to have had any tendency to carelessness or perfunctoriness in the dis- charge of any duty. It is plain from the start, that it was his ambition to excel in whatever he was called to do, and not inordinate love of office, that caused his promotions I
from one post to other and ever higher positions of trust. 1
Trusts and offices sought him ; he rarely sought them ; J
and after the first years he was much more exercised with )
efforts to escape responsibilities and positions offered to 'i
or thrust upon him, than to obtain them. |
Thus he left the county clerk's office, after several years . of acceptable and honorable service, to become agent of the great Lorillard estates, which he managed with such /
integrity and success that he was solicited to take in 'i^
charge the executorship of the late John G. Coster's im- \
mense fortune. He was executor of the Holsman and '■
other estates, and it is said that his character for honesty ^
was so fully estabhshed that no bonds were required of i
him. He was, for almost his whole life in New York, the ;
depository of the funds of either living corporations or \
deceased persons of wealth ; and it is not too much to say that the implicit confidence with which he was again and
NICHOLAS DEAN 487
again honored was never in the slightest degree betrayed. " As honest as Nicholas Dean," became a proverb.
In 1849 he was appointed president of the Croton Aqueduct Department, an office which he held until 1853. Perhaps it was in this office, which from its comparative newness, great importance, and ever increasing business, required great executive abilities and drew a wide public attention, that Mr. Dean had the best opportunity of ren- dering services to the city which were universally recog- nized. In spite of his popularity and success in the office, he peremptorily resigned on a point of honor ; one of his most valuable directors having been removed against his remonstrances, he resigned, — an example which we com- mend to all who would make public office dignified and responsible. During his management of the Croton Aqueduct Department the expenditures in no year ex- ceeded the appropriations ; and on retiring from the office, August 31, 1853, he writes: "All my accounts in the Croton Aqueduct Department are closed, and I leave, of the appropriations made for the service of 1853, the sum of $183,620.48, nearly one half of the whole, though eight months of the year have passed. Every portion of the accounts of the department is in my own handwrit- ing,— a monument of industry and accuracy. I leave to-night with no fear that I shall ever be called upon to explain anything ambiguous, or brush away a cobweb shrouding my integrity." The boastfulness of this letter is explained by its being addressed only as a father's letter to his son, whom he no doubt wished to inspire with his own scrupulous fidelity and punctiliousness. Boastfulness was far removed from Mr. Dean's reticent and modest character ; but he could, like Paul, boast, when he thought it might inspire others with a righteous zeal.
In the troubles brought upon the Harlem Piailroad by the astounding abuse of trust of which its once honored president, Mr. Robert Schuyler, was guilty, Mr. Dean was
488 NICHOLAS DEAN
called upon to look into its affairs, and especially to give his opinion upon the vital question of the responsibility of the company for the fictitious stock issued by the late president, against the interest and expectations of the company. Mr. Dean, incorruptible in judgment, and anx- ious only to be right, without regard to being acceptable, • decided that the vital interests of the company required it to assume the fictitious stock, and treat it as real, seeing it was created by the man who owed his power to deceive the public to the trust which the company had carelessly reposed in him. This was a very* high tone to take ; and it is very honorable to the company that it took his advice, and, moreover, called Mr. Dean to the presidency, which he neither coveted nor even willingly accepted, but consented to occupy for a single year.
Free from these cares, Mr. Dean was next called to the presidency of the Long Island Water- Works Company. He accepted the place reluctantly, doubting the success of the scheme, and after a short period of service, re- '
signed, probably from having seen his inability to make the company's projects profitable to the stockholders. In connection with this enterprise he writes : " I have no !
ambition to gratify, except that of leaving behind me a {\
good name, and this can be more certainly secured in pri- ;]
vate than in public life." He expresses in the same letter his conviction that if he should devote to his private affairs, for a single winter, the energies he was spending in the service of corporations and public office, he could -^
put himself in a situation which would enable him to abandon business altogether, or at any rate do no more ;i
than would serve to amuse him. j
Mr. Dean's excellent abilities, his wisdom and prudence -
in administering public business, and his personal popular- I
ity, opened to him a career, had he chosen to follow his i
opportunity, in higher forms of public life. He refused )
the nomination to a candidacy for the Congress of the
NICHOLAS DEAN 489
United States. He afterwards declined the nomination to the mayoralty of the city of New York, offered him by the Reform party, in 1854. When we reflect that Fer- nando Wood obtained the office which Nicholas Dean de- clined to run for, we cannot but think what changes in the municipal fortunes of the city might have followed Mr. Dean's acceptance of his nomination !
He had a lively interest in the politics of the coun- try, but was never an active partisan. He had ad- mired General Jackson, and supported his administration ; and he afterwards enjoyed the personal friendship and correspondence of Henry Clay, whose elevation to the presidency he ardently desired, and grieved over the dis- appointment of Mr. Clay's hopes. He was also a warm admirer of Daniel Webster. But a patriotism above all party passions and all personal preferences animated him from first to last. He was an American in every fibre of his being, and felt every stain upon the honor, and every cloud over the prospects of his country. In this feeling he was sustained by his noble wife, whose father had shared the perils of the Revolution, and who had as pro- found and passionate a devotion to American principles as her husband.
Mr. Dean, having a Quaker for his father, held very ' simple but very practical and earnest views of rehgion. He early attached himself to the First Unitarian Congre- gation in the city of New York. Being a man of deUcate taste and much poetic sensibility, with a love of good books and a fondness for expressing his thoughts in let- ters and otherwise, and having a strong admiration for eloquence and carefully prepared discourse, he probably drifted out of Friends' meeting into the somewhat more stately worship of "a hireling ministry," from literary and esthetic attractions, rather than from any change of principles or opinions. He always had a certain Quaker simplicity about his appearance,— preferring a moder-
62
490 NICHOLAS DEAN
ated but still peculiar hreadth of brim in his hat, and a certain cut to his clothing, which was usually in Quaker colors. But his strong taste for pictures, of which he had for his time a somewhat unusual collection, and for lit- erature and poetry, indicated some departure from the or- dinary tastes of the Friends. He was indeed too many- sided, too catholic, and too quick in his perceptions of the humorous, too fond of telling and hearing a good story, to make a thorough Quaker. He had too much interest in the practical life of the present world and in the pros- pects of his country and of humanity to be a quietist or a conspicuous saint. He was a very strong man in his feelings, his sympathies, his sense of pubHc duty, and his consciousness of capacity to influence and control others ; and this kept him from the purely meditative and expec- tant life which his father's faith might have made his own, had he not felt the impulse and the power to grapple with the world and help shape it by his upright and vigorous will. He was not very prominent in the congregation of which he was from the first start a member, until the building of the " Church of All Souls" aroused his special interest, perhaps because he was a householder in the upper part of the city, and had for years suffered the in- convenience of some miles' distance between his home and his place of pubhc worship. His experience as a builder and his great energy as a man made him a fit person to be placed at the head of the Building Committee of a church edifice which was at the time, 1853-54, one of the most expensive structures of an ecclesiastical kind which had been undertaken, though it has since fallen into the second rank in everything but architectural beauty. Mr. Dean gave a large part of the last year of his life to the duties, which he magnified by his zeal and his love of the enterprise, of chairman of this Building Committee. He was at the building early and late, and superintended it with almost the same interest as the
NICHOLAS DEAN 491
architect, the mason, and the carpenter. When it became very desirable to hurry the work to completion, that it might be dedicated on Christmas, 1855, Mr. Dean stood over the workmen with all the anxiety of a foreman pressing a job taken on time. I recall very distinctly his humorous complaint against the master-carpenter. He said he was such an even-tempered man he could do nothing to hurry him ; that if he could only get him mad he would have some hope of overcoming his dilatoriness. The church was barely ready (and in a somewhat incom- plete state) for dedication on the day selected, December 25, 1855 ; and nobody can tell what it cost Mr. Dean, or how far his devotion, in the winter's cold, to his labor of love in pushing on the workmen may have drawn upon his vitality. But, alas ! he sickened a fortnight before the day came for which he had been so anxiously preparing, and after a somewhat mysterious and unnamed illness, which was described only as old age (he was only sixty- four), he died three days before the dedication, on De- cember 21, 1855, and lay waiting his burial when the consecration was going on. His loss was deeply felt by the congregation, and none the less vividly because a Hymn written by him for the occasion was a part of the printed exercises. We make it a part of this record.
" Father of all, thy children come, And bend the reverent knee, This house, from corner-stone to dome, To dedicate to thee.
" Accept our offering, Holy One ! With humble hope 't is given ; Make it a temple of thy Son, A gate that leads to heaven.
" Give us that saving grace to feel
Christ's suffering mission brought ; . His perfect love, his holy zeal, The charity he taught.
492 NICHOLAS DEAN
•' Here let thy Gospel's purest ray Pierce through to every soul, lUumine our uncertain way, Our erring steps control.
" The Holy Spirit we beseech. To live by thy commands, That pastor, people, all may reach ' A house not made with hands.' " .
On the following "Wednesday, December 26, the day following the dedication, Mr. Dean's body was brought to the church, to be the subject of the first funeral exer- cises celebrated in the edifice to whose existence he, more than any other except the architect, had contributed his zeal and oversight. A great company of citizens testified to the public respect by their presence, and the following well-known gentlemen acted as pall-bearers : Moses H. Grinnell, W. F. Carey, David Lane, P. A. Curtis, General Sandford, T. J. Waters, Joseph Curtis, B. F. Wheelwright, Peter Cooper, C. S. Francis, John Leveridge, Theodare De Forest. A funeral discourse was pronounced by the >
minister, who had long been a warm personal friend of i
Mr. Dean. The remains were then laid to their final rest J
in the Marble Cemetery in Second Avenue, New York. -j
Mr. Dean's public life was matched by his private career, which was distinguished for benevolence, humanity, and sympathy. He was actively connected for many years with the Institution for the BHnd, situated near his own residence, and to which he gave such constant personal (
attention as to become known to almost every inmate of the place, while his coming was hailed with delight from his gayety of heart and voice, his excellent story-telling \
faculty, and above all his unfeigned tenderness towards (
the unfortunate children he met in the Asylum. Thirty ]
years before his death he was secretary of the Lombard {
Association, — a chartered pawnbroking association in Chatham Street, which his interest in the sufferings of the
NICHOLAS DEAN 493
poor led him to favor. He was admitted a corresponding member of the New England Historic Genealogical Soci- ety, May 18, 1847. He visited Antioch College, which he patronized and thought highly of on account of the equal advantages it offered girls as well as boys. He was an enthusiastic friend of all educational enterprises, as well as a consistent and devoted public servant, without per- sonal ambition, and without regard to the honor it i^ight bring him. Indeed, a passionate love of usefulness was Mr. Dean's most characteristic mark. To this was added a craving for exactness and perfectness in whatever he set his hand to. He was intolerant of all slackness or slovenliness, of tardiness, irregularity, procrastination, or pretence, of hypocrisy and petty fraud. His handwriting, his accounts, his dress, his manners, his speech and read- ing, his housekeeping and habits, all equally marked his precision and love of perfection; and with this attention to minute things was united a grasp, a capacity of dealing with large enterprises, a breadth of sympathies, a states- manlike comprehension, seldom seen in the company of so much precision and so much attention to details. But it is one of the marks of the finest natures, that they combine quahties commonly found only separate and compensatory of each other.
Mr. Dean needed only a more thorough early educa- tion and an academic training to have made him a states- man, an orator, and a man of national reputation. He needed nothing to make him one of the best and purest men in the city of New York, — perhaps more useful in his life than if he had been on a loftier stage. In up- rightness, a fidelity which came from self-respect and rev- erence for the God of truth and duty, he could not be surpassed.
Mr. Dean was married, October 21, 1812, to Miss Susan Amerman. She died April 9, 1878. The children of this marriage were, Augusta, born July 17, 1813 ; George
494 NICHOLAS DEAN
*
Frederic, a writer in the '^ American "Whig Review " and other magazines, born January 26, 1815 ; Edward Elmen- dorf, born August 8, 1819 ; Juliet Ada, born March 6, 1833.
It would be unjust to him not to say that his domestic life, like all the rest, was marked with extraordinary duti- fulness and sympathy. He was a tower of strength and prid^ to his kindred and his children, while his noble wife was patterned after the same model as himself. In person he was of a magnificent height and breadth, with a head bald, its noble lines showing clear and strong ; a face bright with intelligence and interest, and with a delicate humor playing about his dark eye and his homely but vigorous mouth. He had a fine wit, a keen irony, and a large collection of capital anecdotes, which made him excellent company. But his home and his speech, his love of art and of poetry, always showed that only a part of the man had been fully developed, and that other circumstances might have brought out more com- pleteness.
He was from early life independent by his own exer- tions, but never rich in spite of his unrivalled opportuni- ties. He valued honor, duty, goodness, too much to sacrifice the least particle of either to the largest sum of gain. In his imspotted and inflexible integrity, Nicholas Dean all his life
" Stood as an iron pillar strong, And steadfast as a wall of brass ; "
and his memory, if it does not survive in the public mind, will live in the recollection of all who knew him best, and be transmitted to the few who, knowing that the
" World knows nothing of its greatest men,"
1
will be ready to receive the testimony of disinterested wit- (
nesses who seek to embalm their virtues in the uncrowded ••
but not wholly deserted shrines of local history. {
INDEX
INDEX
Abbot, Benja^un, LL.D., 89, 92, Adams, Liphe, 399
247 ; token of respect to, on his retirement from Exeter Acad- / emy, 92, 253.
'Abbott, "AbigaU, 402. ^"ehemiah, 402. Aberdeen, George Hamilton Gordon,
Earl of, 419, 420, 424. Abraham, Plains of, 200. Acton, Centennial Address at, by Hon.
Josiah Adams, 161. Adams, Abigail (Smith), 448, 454. Abigail (Stone), 156. Abraham, 398. Ann (Jaques), 398. Hon. Charles Francis, 92. Dr. Daniel, 274. Deborah Sa\A'in, 156. Eleanor, 398. Elizabeth Payne, 156. Hannah (Little), 399. Henry, 1.56. Henry, 156. Jane (Park), 156. Hon. John, 36, 80, 326, 448, 449, 452, 454, 455, 459; extracts from diary of, 448 ; letter of, to Hon. William Cranch, 450; me- moir of, by Judge Cranch, 460. Hon. John Quincy, 21, 100, 145,
179, 251, 331, 449. Capt. John, of Concord, 356. Col. Joseph H., 143. Hon. Josiah, memoir of, 156-163. Liphe, 393.
63
Lois Haven, 156.
Lydia Whitney, 156.
Mary, 63.
Mary, 399.
Mary, 399.
Mary (Boynton), 398.
Mary (PettingiU), 398.
Moses, 156.
Moses, 156.
Moses, 156.
Rev. Moses, 156, 163; character of, 157.
Rebecca (Knight), 398.
Robert, 398.
Robert, 398.
Robert, 398.
Robert, memoir of, 398-400.
Hon. Samuel, 76, 306.
Sarah (Poor), 399.
Sarah Short, 398.
Susan, 356.
Hon. Thomas B., 71. African Colonization, eflforts for the
establishment of, 109. Agassiz, Prof.Louis John Rudolph, 434.
Pauline, 61. Age, a poem by Hon. William Plumer,
253. Aiken, Silas, 92. Alabama, CoUege of, 109. Alger, Arthur M., LL.B., 8; author of memoirs of Hon. H. G. 0. Colby and Hon. Nahum Mitch- eU, 3.
498
INDEX
AJger, Cyrus, 130, 134. Allen, Hon. Charles, 175, 420.
William, 73. Allston, Washington, the artist, 331,
333. American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 66, 166, 379, 435 ; memoirs of, 218. .^^sculapian Society, 391. Antiquarian Society, 93, 172, 173, ' 177, 178, 356, 435. Bible Society, 243. Education Society, 316, 337. Institute, 103, 177. Law Review, 13. Medical Biography by Dr. Ste- phen W\ Williams, 394. Sentinel, 214.
Statistical Association, 166. Tract Society, 119. Unitarian Association, 347. Whig Review, 494. Whig Society, 97. Americans, roving tendency of, 359, 360. Amerman, Susan, 489, 493, 494. Ames, David, Jr., 74.
Hon. Fisher, LL.D., 331. Mary Orr (Mitchell), 74. Amherst CoUege, 66, 109, 300, 302. Amherst, N. H., History of, by Far-
naer, 79. Ammidown, Holmes, 259, 262, 263. Ammonoosuc, the River, 276. A Moor's Curse on Spain, by James
A. Jones, 213, 214. Ancient and Honorable Artillery Com- pany, 258. Anderson, Hennan Monrad, 279. Peter, 279.
Rebekah (Butler), 279. Andover, Mass., Theological Seminary,
271. Andover, N. H., Topographical and Historical Sketch of, by Moore, 79. Andrews, Benjamin, 115. Joseph, 444. Rev. Samuel J., 194.
Andros, Sir Edmund, Governor of
Mass., 63. Anecdotes of Charles K. Williams, 31, 32 ; of Daniel Greenleaf, 37 ; of Robert G. Shaw, 53, 5*3, 57; of Samuel Appleton, 64, 65 ; of Mahlon Dickerson, 104 ; of Daniel Webster, 152; of Josiah Adams, 162; of Dr. George C. Shattuck, 168, 169; of Shubael Bartlett, 195 ; of James A. Jones, 206; of Caleb Butler, 275; of Elisha Fuller, 354, 355; of Samuel S. Wilde, 376, 378, 383-386; of William Cranch, 451 ; of John Adams, 459. Angier, Lavinia, 74. Ann, the third of the Pilgrim ships,
69, 186. Annawan the Brave, 218-220. Anthony, James, 20. Anti-Masonic Excitement, the, 18, 25,
54. Antioch College, 493. Antislavery party, the, 475. ApoUonio, Nicholas A., 292. Apothecaries in the last century, cus- tom of, 35. Appleton Academy, New Ipsvrich,
N. H., 66. Appleton, Elizabeth (Sawyer), 63. Hannah (Paine), 63. Isaac, 63. Isaac, 63.
Deacon Isaac, sketch of, 63. Rev. Jesse, D.D., President of
Bowdoin College, 237. Judith (Everard), 63. Mary (Adams), 63. Mary (Lecain) Gore, 66. Hon. Nathan, 62, 65, 405, 410. Priscilla (Baker), 63. Samuel, memoir of, 62-68. Samuel, 63. Samuel, 63. Thomas Gold, 67. Hon. William, 62. William Sumner, 67.
INDEX
499
Apprentices of Boston in the last cen- tury, 45. Archer, Hon. William S., 411 ; letter
of, to Hon. Abbott Lawrence,
411, 412. Armstrong, Hon. Samuel Turell, 1 18,
122, 123, 149, 341, 418. Ashburton, Alexander Baring, Lord,
420, 421, 422, 424. Ashmun, Hon. Eli B., 474. A Teacher's Gift, by Rev. Frederick
T. Gray, 342. Atheam, Avis, 204. Hon. George, 204. Hon. James, 204. Susanna, 204. Athenaeum, Boston, 300, 329, 333. Athens, Greece, Archseological Society
of, 300. jAtkinson Academy, 280. >* Atkinson, Rev. Timothy, 279. Atlantic Cotton Mills, Lawrence,
406. Atlantic Souvenir, 209. Austin, Hon. James Trecothie, LL.D.,
153. Avon Place, Boston, laid out, 121,
TOO
Backus, Rev. Azel, President of
Hamilton College, 240. Bacon, Col. Edmund, 85.
Elijah, 311.
Sir Francis, 368.
Francis M., 345.
Margaret Rogers (Gray), 345.
Pamelia (Anderson), 85, 87.
Peter C, 10. Bailey, Winthrop, 90. Baker, Priscilla, 63.
Sir William, 50.
William, 50. Baldwin, James F., 379.
Rev. Thomas, 115. Bancroft, Rev. Dr. Aaron, 176.
Eliza, 176.
Hon. George, 92, 177, 280.
Bangor, Me., 282, 283, 284, 285; Mu- sical Society of, 284 ; Whig and Courier of, 286. Banks of Suffolk County, Mass., Board of Commissioners to ex- amine the, 226. Barber, Mr., 362. Baring Brothers and Co., London
Financiers, 41. Barker, Christopher, 49. Barnard, Capt. Ebenezer, 361, 362, 363. Hon. Henry, LL.D., author of memoir of Hon. Nathaniel Goodwin, 5. John, of Hadley, 361. Barnes, Hon. David Leonard, 370. Barney, Hannah, 235. Jacob, 235. Mary (Danforth), 235. Barnstable, Mass., 480; First Settlers
of, by David Hamblen, 482. Barrett, Charles, 64. Barron, Capt. Jonathan, 164.
Lucy, 164. Bartlett, Charles Loomis, 196. Daniel Wadsworth, 196. David Ely, A.M., 196; author of memoir of Rev. Shubael Bart- lett, A.M., 4. Desire (Loomis), 186. Elizabeth Goodwin, 196. Elizabeth Sophronia (Eudnell),
196. Fanny (Griswold), 196. Fanny (LeffingweU), 191, 192,
195, 196. Fanny LeffingweU, 196. Fanny P. (Hinsdale), 196. Henry Thomas, 196. Hon. Ichabod, 77. Hon. James, 77. John, 186, 187. John LeffingweU, 196. Dr. Joseph, 77. Hon. Josiah, 76. Louisa B. (Stewart), 196. Margaret (Combs) Winn., 196.
500
INDEX
Bartlett, Eobert, 186.
Kev. Shubael, memoir of, 186- 196; extract from Life of, by Azel S. Roe, 188, 189 ; extracts from diary of, 190, 191. Dr. Shubael Fitch, 196. Sidney, 110. William AUen, 196. ' Bartol, Rev. Cyrus A., D.D., 170; his estimate of Dr. Geo. C. Shat- tuck, 170, 171. Bateman, Hon. Ephraim, 100. Bates, Hon. Isaac Chapman, 176.
William C, author of memoir of Samuel Appleton, 3. Baxter, Capt. Daniel, 133. Baylies, Rev. Frederic, 205. 'Bearse, Sarah, 480. Bedell, Alexine V., 27.
Louise I., 26. Bedlington, Timothy, 116, 119. Beecher, Rev. Henry Ward, 336.
Rev. Lyman, 336. Belcher family, 293. BelchertowTi, Mass., 474, 475, 477; historical sketch of Congrega- tional Church in, by Hon. Mark Doolittle, 473, 477. Bellows Falls Gazette, 82. Bellows, Rev. Henry Whitney, D.D., 350; his description of Rev. F. T. Gray, 350-351; author of memoir of Nicholas Dean, 5. Bemis, George, 110. Benicia, Cal., U. S. Military Cemetery
at, 196. Benson and Hamblen, 481.
John, 481. Bentley, Richard, 215. Benton, Hon. Thomas Hart, 182 ; his Thirty Years in the Senate, 182. Berkshire Medical Institution, 392-393,
397. Bigelow, Hon. Abijah, 224. Abraham, 165. Amelia Hepsibah, 165. Hon. George Tyler, 112, 415.
Bigelow, Hon. John Prescott, Mayor of Boston, 268, 418. Katherine, 268, 404, 418, 424,
425, 438, 439, 444. Hon. Timothy, 404. Billerica, History of, by Farmer, 79. Binglmm Purchase, 41. Bingham, William, 41. Binney, Mr., 131. Biographical Encyclopedia of Now
Jersey, 105. Biography of the Young, by Rev. F.
T. Gray, 351. Bird, John Hawes, 127-123.
Mr., 301. Bimey Abolitionists, 26. Blackwood, William, the Publisher,
209. Blagden, Rev. Dr. George W,, 438. Blake, Edward, Jr., 48. Hon. Francis, 174. Francis Arthur, 238. Bliss, Hon. George, 72. Bloody Brook, fight at, 253. Bollman, Dr. Eric, trial of, 456-^58 ; opinion of Judge Cranch there- on, 456-453. Bonaparte, poem by James A. Jones,
207. Boone, T. and M., 215. Boott, Kirk, 405. Boston, ancient landmarks of, 140. and Albany RaiLroad, 72, 130, 227; depot of, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 130, 132, 133, 1^4, 137. and Providence Railroad, 129, 134,
227. and Roxbury Mill Corporation,
328. description of, at the close of the
last century, 46. Directory of 1796, 323. evacuation of, 40. Exchange, 54.
Hartford, and Erie Railroad, 134. Medical and Surgical Journal, 395- 396. .
INDEX
501
Boston notice of, 120, 253.
Papers: — Advertiser, 94, 329;
Atlas, 416; Musical Gazette,
73; NeM-s Letter, 289; Post,
214; Transcript, 333.
Public Library, donation of Hon.
Abbott Lawrence to the, 441. Sketches of, Past and Present, 300. Society of Neural History, 231,
297. Wharf Company, 135. Boundary dispute between Massachu- setts and Connecticut, 72, 225. dispute between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, 88, 270. dispute between Massachusetts and Rhode Island, 72. BouteUe, Mary, 292. . Nathaniel, 292. Polly, 292. Bowditch, J. IngersoU, 442. Nathaniel, 76. Nathaniel Ingersoll, bis Gleaner
articles, 333, 334. Wmiam I., 300. Bowdoin CoUege, 109, 236, 237, 375, 388. Square, Boston, 294. Bowen, Charles, 343.
Hon. Jabez, Lieut. -Governor of Rhode Island, 306. Boxborough, Mass., church in, 316. Boyd, Gen. John Parker, 143, 225. Boynton, Da^-id, 398. Joshua, 398. Mary (Stickney), 398. Mary, 398. Sarah (Brown), 398. y-Bradford, Alice, 69. Elizabeth, 2-34.
William, Governor of Plymouth Colony, 69, 234, 327, 438.-^ Brainard, John Gardiner Calkins, poet,
210.. Braintree, Mass., the old town of, 447. Brattle family, 297. Brattle Street Church, Boston, 340, 435-436.
Brattle Street Collections, 72. Breck, Edward, of Dorchester, 43. Hannah, 43. Margaret, 43. Brewster, Elder William, 327, 438. Bridge, Hon. James, 50, 51.
Samuel, 49. Bridgewater, Mass., the first cannon and small arms made in this country at, 69; celebration of the 200th anniversary of the settlement of, 74. Collection of Sacred Music, 72. History of the Early Settlement of, by Judge Mitchell, 73. Bridport, Dorsetshire, Eng., extract
from a letter of rector of, 197. Bristol Bar, resolutions of, on the
death of Judge Colby, 13-14. British Ministry of 1841, conciliatory
spirit of, 419, 420. Broad Brook, East Windsor, Conn.,
church consecrated at, 194. Brooke, Rev. John T., 479.
W. H., 215. Brooks and Harrison, Baltimore, Md.,
470. Brooks, Adelaide, 279. Charles Butler, 279. Clara Vamum, 279. Ellen (Shepherd), 470, 471. Frances (Butler), 279; authoress of memoir of Caleb Butler, A.M., 4. Francis Augustus, 279. Frederick, 279. Gorham, A.M., Memoir of, 470-
472. Lucy, 470, 471. Morgan, 279. Nancy (Gorham), 470. Hon. Peter Chardon, 116, 121,
122, 470. Peter Chardon, 471. Samuel, 471. Shepherd, 471. Sidney, 92. Walter Morgan, 279. -
502
/
INDEX
Bro\m, Ann Janette, 388. Bartholomew, 72. Kev. Francis, D.D., President of
Dartmouth College, 84. George L., the artist, 333. Rev. Samuel Robbins, 195, 196. Brown University, 307, 308. Brownell, Right Rev. Thomas Church, D.D., LL.D., Bishop of Conn., 244. Bryant, William Cullen, 209, 210,211,
212. Buck, Hannah, 60. Buckminster, Rev. Joseph S., 72, 115,
340, 436. Bulfinch, Rev. Stephen Greenleaf, D.D., hymn of, on the death of Judge Cranch, 462. Street Society, Boston, 346, 348, 349; sermons by Rev. F. T. Gray before, 351. Bulwer, Sir Henry, 431. Bum-boating, 206. Bunch of Grapes tavern, 481. Bunker Hill, oration of Hon. Daniel Webster at, 86, 273; battle of, 186, 313, 401. Monument Association, 93, 273. Bumell, Judith, 320. Burr, Aaron, 255 ; conspiracy of, 456, 458. V. Smith et al., case of, 23. Burt, Benjamin, 38, 49. Sarah, 38. Mrs., 39. Butler, Caleb, A.M., 224 ; memoir of, 266-279. Caleb, 266. Charles Vamum, 279. Clarissa (Vamum), 268, 269, 278. Clarissa, 278, 279. Frances, 279. George, 279. Henrietta, 279. Deacon John, account of, by
Caleb Butler, 277. Rebckah (Frost), 266. Rcbekah, 279.
Butler, Susan, 279- William, 279.
Cabot, Frederick, 65.
Hon. George, .331. Cadogan House, Piccadilly, London, the residence of Minister Law- rence, 425. ' Cady, Abigail Aikman (Kiersted), 479. Albe, 478. Col. Albemarle, author of memoir
of Charles Warner Cady, 5. Albemarle Coddington, 479. Ann Kiersted, 479. Charles Warner, memoir of, 478-
479. Ella Wilder, 479. Eudora Dunn, 479. Jeremiah Kiersted, 479. Nelson Warner, 479. Sixrah Warner, 478. Calhoun, Hon. John C, 101, 179, 385,
405, 474. California, 81, .326, 349; gold, discov- ery of, 325. Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible, 119. Calvin, John, 370, 378. Cambreling, Hon. Churchill C, 178. Cambridge, Mass., 335, 360 ; account of, by W. T. Harris, 300-301. Law School, 385. Old Burying- Ground at, 297-298,
301. Scientific School, 433-435; be- quest of Hon. Abbott Lawrence to, 434, 441, 445. Camels, or Shiplifters, constructed by
Peter F. Ewer, 324-325. Cameron, J. A., 214. Campaign of 1776, 310. Campbell's Lives of the British Ad- mirals, .390. Canadian troubles of 1837, 419. Canfield, David S., 97. Frederick, 103. Hon. Judson, 240. Capen, Nahum, 135.
INDEX
503
Carey, Matthew, 408. WiUiara F., 492. Carlile, Elizabeth, 307. John, 307. JIary, 307. Caroline, affair of the, 419. Carroll of CarroIIton, Hon. Charles,
452. Carter, Hon. James G., 210, 211 ; let- ters of, to James A. Jones, 210-' 211. Cartwright, Eunice, 322, 323. John, 322. Mary, 322. Mary, 323. Carver, John, Governor of Plymouth
Colony, 438. Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia,
234-235. Chandler, Eev. Seth, author of memoir of Hon. Leonard M. Parker, A.M., 4. - Channing, Kev. William EUery, D.D.,
56, 115, 344. Chapin, Mrs. L. C, of Kalamazoo, Mich., 87. • Chaplin, Rev. Daniel, D.D., 271. Chapman, Elizabeth, 257. Elizabeth, 443. Elizabeth P., 345. Hon. Jonathan, 92, 345. Jonathan, 345. Margaret, 345. Sumner, 257. Character of the early settlers of the
country, 358-359. Charles II., King of England, 38;
charter of, 241. Charlestown, Mass., 320; burning of,
by the British in 1775, 295. Cheap postage, despatch of Minister
Lawrence on, 442. Child, Prof. Francis J., 302. Chipman, Hon. Daniel, Law Reports
of, 22. Choate, Hon. Rufus, 11, 334, 378, 383. Cholera visitation of 1832, 202. Christian Examiner, 273.
Christian Sabbath, The, lecture by
Hon. Mark Doolittle, 477. Church, Prof. Albert Ensign, 244-245. Caroline Esther, 245. Cynthia (Newell), 240. Leman,,241. Lois (Ensign), 240. Lois Ensign, 245. Nathaniel, 240. Richard, 240. Hon. Samuel, LL.D., memoir of,
240-245. Samuel Porter, M.D., 245. Sarah, 321. Church of All Souls, New York City, 490-491 ; hymn at the dedica- tion of, by Nicholas Dean, 491- 492. Churchill, Asaph, 70.
Lydia, 319. Cincinnati, Mass. Society of the, 54. Circuit Court system, 226. City Register, Philadelphia, 214. City Registrar, Boston, office of, estab- lished, 291 ; Reports of, 291. Clark, George A., 260.
Jane Elizabeth (Plimpton), 260. Clay, Hon. Henry, 100, 179, 182, 183,
405, 409, 422, 489. Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, 427. Clayton, Hon. John Middleton, 424,
442. Clark, Francis, 459. Clerk's Praxis Curiae Admiralitatis,
459. Clevenger, Shobal L. Vail, the scalp- tor, 331. Clifford, Hon. John H., Governor of
Mass., 10, 11. Cobb, Gen. David, 371, 387. Eleanor (Bradish), 387. Eunice, 371, 374, 375, 387. Cochituate Lake, Act of Mass. Legis- lature authorizing City of Bos- ton to take water from, 414; introduction of water of, into Boston, 414-415. Coe, Joseph, 95.
504
INDEX
Coo, Mary, 96. Ruth, 95. Thomas, 96. Coffin, Joshua, 400.
Timothy Gardner, 11, 12, 382. Cogswell, Joseph G., 89. Coit, Sarah. ^36, 339.
Wheeler, 339. Colbum, Henry, 215. Colby, Harriet (Sewall), 9.
Hon. Harrison Gray Otis, memoir
of, 9-16. Isaac, 9. Moses D., 357. Phebe (Hunt), 9. Key. Philip, sketch of, 9-10. Sarah Williams (FuUer), 357. Coleman family, 321, 322. Collamer, Hon. Jacob, 27. Collection of Cases Overruled, etc., by
Simon Greenleaf, 109. Columbia, Circuit Court of the District of, 446, 455, 456. College, New York, 391. right of Congress to abolish slav- ery in the District of, 229, 230. Cunard steamship, 422. ■ Columbian Cotton Mills of South- bridge, 264. Institute, 460. Commentaries on American Law, by
Chancellor Kent, 23. Commerce, U. S. Senate Committee
on, 183. Commercial Coffee House, 481. Committee of Observation, Morris Co., New Jersey, in the Revolution, 95. of Safety of the Revolution, 63. Compromise Acts of 1850, 179, 182.
Acts of 1833, 409. Concord, Mass., 355, 356.
Fight, 402 ; account of, by Hon.
Josiah Adams, J 61. Gazette, 355.
lands granted in, to a company from Plymouth, 184.
Concord, N. H., 478; Annals of, from
its First Settlement, 1726, to
1823, 80.
Connecticut and Rhode Island, charters
of, how adopted, 242.
Constitutional Convention of 1818,
241, 242. Courant, 3«j5.
Evangelical Magazine, 335. Historical Society, 337-338, 339,
361, 365, 366. Law Reports, 243. Mirror, 210. Senate of 1624, 242. Statutes of, 337.
the first genealogical history in the country made in, 358. Constitution, frigate, mutilated in Bos- ton harbor, 102. Constitution of Matter, oration on, by
Caleb Butler, 207. Convention to amend the Mass. State Constitution proposed by Hon. L. M. Parker, 231. Conversations on Chemistry, Notes to,
by Dr. S. W. Williams, 392. Conway, Rev. Moncure D., sermon of, on the death of Judge Cranch, 462. Cook's Tourists, plan of, anticipated by
Peter F. Ewer, 326. Cooley, Dr. Dennis, 392. Coolidge and Wiley, publishers, 221. Coolidge, Hon. Carlos, Governor of
Vermont, 27. Coombs, Elizabeth (Harrod), 282. Mary Jane, 262. Philip, 282. Coombs family, 282. Cooper, Peter, 492. Rev. Samuel, 115. Sarah, 335. Cornell, Rev. William Mason, LL.D.,
10. Coster, John G., 4S6. Cotton and woollen weaving in Amer- ica, origin of, 65. Cotton, Elizabeth, 89.
INDEX
505
Cotton, Eev. John, 280; supposed dwelling-house of, 140. Eev. Seahorn, 89. Court of Common Pleas, 226, 448, 450. Coverley, Sir Roger de, 234, Cowley, Hon. Charles, 855. Cowper, William, 186; quotations
from, 187, 191. Crampton, Lucy E., 27. Cranach, Lucas, 447. Cranch, Abby Adams, 453. Andrew, 447. Ann Allen, 453.
Ann (Greenleaf), 449, 453, 461. Christopher Pearse, A.B., author of memoir of Hon. William Cranch, 5, 453. Edward Pope, 453, 465. Elizabeth, 449. Elizabeth Eliot, 453. John, 447. John, 453. '■ Lucy, 449.
Margaret Dawes, 453. 'Mary (Smith), 448, 449. Mary, 453. Eichard, 447. Hon. Eichard, A.M., 454, 459;
sketch of, 447-449. Eichard, 453. Hon. WiUiam, LL.D., memoir of,
446-469. William Greenleaf, 453. Crawford, Ethan AUen, hotel of, 276.
Hon. William Harris, 100, 226. Creole Affair of 1841, 419. Crisis of 1837, 405. Crosby, Hon. Nathan, LL.D., author of memoir of Jacob Bailey Moore, 3. Croswell, Simon Greenleaf, LL.B., author of memoir of Prof. Simon Greenleaf, 3. Croton Aqueduct Department, 487. Crow, John, 361. Crowell, Eev. Loranus, D.D., 481.
Mehitable, 295. Crowkham, Eebecca, 294, 295.
Crystal Palace, New York, 117. Culick, John, of Hadley, 361. Gumming, Eev. John, D.D., of Scotch Church, Crown Court, London, Eng., 436; his tribute to Hon. Abbott Lawrence, 436. Cummings, Hilliard, & Co., publishers,
212. Curry, Ellen Zippy (Hawkins), 198. Ethelwin, 198. Evelyn, 198. Eoger de Courcy, 198. WiUiam Alexander, 198. Curtis, Hon. Benjamin Eobbins, 93, 382, 385. George Ticknor, 110. Joseph, 492. Paul A., 492. Gushing, Hon. Caleb, 230, 375, 388. Eev. Caleb, 88, 89. Caroline (WUde), 375, 376, 388. Ehzabeth (Cotton), 89. Eev. James, 83-89. John, 89.
John Perkins, 92, 333. Lucy, 88. Matthew, 89. Cushman, Charlotte, 259.
Eobert, the Pilgrim, sermon of, 119. Cutts, Hon. Charles, 70. Cyclopaedia of American Eloquence, by Frank Moore, 82.
Daily Whig, New York, 80.
DaUiousie, Gen. George Eamsay, Earl of, 198.
Dall, Joseph, 137.
Dallas, Hon. Alexander James, 455.
Dana, Hon. Eichard Henry, his recol- lections of Judge Wilde, 379- 386. Hon. Samuel W., 71.
Dandridge, A. S-, M.D., 238.
Dane Law School, 299.
Danforth, Mary, 235. Dr. Samuel, 164.
64
606
INDEX
Danfortb, Eev. Sarauel,-235,
Rev. Samuel, Jr., 235. Dartmouth College, 66, 67, 164, 165,
224, 267, 370, 379, 393. Davis, Hon. Caleb, 165.
Dolor, sketcli of, 184, 185.
Eliza (Bancroft), 176.
Eliza (Choever), 165.
George Cabot, 329, 332.
Hon. George Thomas, his memoir
of Isaac P. Davis, 330. Hon. Horace, 177, 185. Deacon Isaac, 174, 185. Isaac, 328. Isaac P., memoir of, 327-334 ;
sketch of, by Hon. Robert C.
"Winthrop, 330-333; poem on
his death by Hon. George Lunt,
334. Hon. John, LL.D., Governor of
Mass., 91; memoir of, 172-185. Hon. John, Judge U. S. District
Court of Mass., 70, 327, 332. Hon. John Chandler Bancroft, 177,
430. Joshua, 129. Margery (Willard), 184. Mercy (Hedge), 327. Hon. Nathaniel Morton, 74. Samuel, 185. Samuel, 323. Simon, 185. Simon, 185.
Susan (Jack.son), 329, 332. Thomas, 327. Hon. Thomas, 327. Thomas Kemper, 329, 332. Hon. WendeU, 328. William, 74. William, 327. Dawe.s, Margaret (Greenleaf), 449,
453. Rufus, poet, 210, 212. Hon. Thomas, 210, 449, 450. Day, Abigail (Noble), 335. Asa, 240.
Catharine Augusta, 339. Editha (Stebbins), 335.
Day, Elizabeth, a39.
Elizabeth (Merrick), 335.
Ellen, 339.
Harriette, 339.
Rev. Jeremiah, 335.
Rev. Jeremiah, D.D., LL.D.,
President of Yale College, 335. Mary Frances, 339. Mary (Welles), 335. Robert, 3a5. Robert, 339. Sarah (Coit), ^36, 339. Sarah Coit, 3:39. Sarah (Cooper), 335. Thomas, 335. Thomas, 335. Thomas, 335. Hon. Thomas, LL.D., memoir of,
a35-339. Thomas Mills, A.M., 339; author
of memoir of Hon. Thomas Day,
LL.D., 5. Dean, Augusta, 493. Daniels., 484, 489. Edward Elmendorf, 494. George Frederic, 493-494. Prof. James, 267. John Ward, A.M., 8; author of
memoir of Isaac P. Davis, 4. Juliet Ada, 494. Nicholas, 484.
Nicholas, memoir of, 484-494. Rev. Paul, 346. Stephen, 434.
Susan (Amerman), 489, 493, 494. Deane, Dr. James, M.D., extract from
his Memoir of Dr. Stephen W.
WiUiams, 396-397. WiUiam Reed, 154. Deblois, Thomas A., 281. Declaration of Independence, 76. Deerfield, Mass., 3S9, 390, 391, 392,
394, 395; Academy of, 339, 390;
Climate and Diseases of, by
Dr. Stephen W. Williams, 391 ;
Unitarian Society of, 395. DeForest, Theodore, 492. Degrand, Peter Paul Francis, 153.
\
INDEX
507
Delap genealogy, 317. Delap, James, 312.
Jane, 312, 313, 314.
Jane (Kelly), 312. Democratic Party, 176, 226, 418. Denisou, Elizabeth Sophia, 198. Derby, Elias H;isket, 137. Design of this series of Memorial Vol- umes, 113. D'Estaing, Admiral Charles Hector
Theodat, Count, 306. Dewey, Hon. Daniel, 3-36. Dexter, Capt. David, 310.
Capt. Elisha, 221.
Franldin, 415.
Lord Timothy, mansion of, 375. Dickerson, Dr. Aaron, 97, 98.
Edward N., 99.
Esther, 96.
John B., 97.
Jonathan, sketch of, 96-97, 104.
Hon. Mahlon, Governor of New Jersey, memoir of, 95-105.
Mary, 97.
Mary (Coe), 96, 104.
Peter, 95.
Capt. Peter, sketch of, 95-96.
Philemon, 95.
Hon. Philemon, Governor of New Jersey, 97, 99, 102.
Ruth (Coe), 95.
SUas, 97, 98, 105.
Thomas, 95. Dickerson Mine, 96, 97, 10-3. Dickman, Lydia, 38. Digest of the Law of Eeal Property, by Cruise, edited by Greenleaf, 109. Dingley, Amasa, 449. Diplomatic receptions, language em- ployed at, forty years ago, 181. Diplomatic Service, qualifications ne- cessary for success in, 424. Disseisin, the law of, 335. District system of representation, 231. Dix, Dr. Elijah, 296.
Mary, 296. Doane, Anne Sumner (Wilde), 388.
Frederick W., 338.
Doolittle, Abraham, 473.
Abraham, 473.
Betsey Matilda (Smith), 474.
Betsey Matilda, 474.
Joel, 474.
John, 473.
John, 473.
Lucy Maria, 474.
Hon. Mark, A.M., memoir of, 473- 477.
Mary (Lewis), 473.
Sarah Loraine, 474.
Sarah T. Raboteau, 474.
Titus, 47.3.
WiUiam C, 474. Dorchester, Mass., Antiquarian Society of, 298 ; fixmUies of, 297 ; First Church of, 296. Dorr Rebellion, 176. Downe, Joseph, 288.
Margaret (Fitch), 289.
Martha (Wood), 288, 289.
Sally, 288.
Col. William, 289.
William, 289. Drake, Esther, 96.
Col. Jacob, 96.
Samuel Gardner, 75, 144, 154, 300, 302; his opinion of Adams's Haven Genealogy, 161. Drake's Biogi-aphical Dictionary, 105.
Landmarks of Boston, 35. Druce, Ann Janette (Brown), 388. Dummer Academy, 399. Dummer, Elizabeth (Ruggles), 55.
Jane, 258.
Richard, 258.
Samuel, 55. Duncan, Hon. James H., 92. Dunlap, Mrs., 234. Dunster, Rev. Henry, first President
of Harvard College, 297. Dwight, John, 258.
Keziah, 258.
Rev. Timothy, D.D., LL.D., President of Yale College, 187, 189, 190, 193. Dyer, Capt., 47.
508
INDEX
East Bridge water, Mass., first tem- perance society formed in, 71.
Eastham, Mass., 480; First Settlers of, by David Hamblen, 482.
Eastport, Me., 282; British claim to, 231 ; capture of, by the British in 1814, 281 ; final smTender of, 281; trade of, 281.
East Windsor, Conn., in 1804, 192, 193.
Eaton, Eev. Dr. Asa, 89.
Eckley, Eev. Joseph, 115.
Eclipse of the sun, 1854, 274.
Edinburgh Eeview, 400.
Edwards, Bela B., 92.
Elective Judiciary, speech of Hon. William Plumer against, 254.
Elgin, James Bruce, Earl of, 413, 428.
Eliot, Eev. John, the Apostle to the Indians, portion of the tree un- der which he preached secured by C. Ewer, 140. Hon. Samuel Atkins, 434. Hon. Thomas D., 11, 12, 14.
Elizabeth, Queen of England, 235.
Ely, Eev. Dr. Zebulon, 187.
Emancipation Proclamation, 475.
Embargo Act, 24.
Emerson, George Barrell, LL.D., 280.
Emmons, Delia, 378, 387. Eunice (Wilde), 387. Hon. AYilliams, 387.
Encycloptedia of Music, by J. W. Moore, 82.
Episcopal Convention at Philadelphia in 1844, 29.
Episcopalianism, views of Judge Cranch on, 467.
Epitaphs from the Old Burying-Ground, Cambridge, by WiUiam T. Har- ris, 297-298.
Equity practice in New York in 1820, 485.
Era of Good Feeling, 99.
Essex Company, .406.
Essex Historical Society, 308i
Europa, the steamship, 424.
Eustis, Prof. Henry Lawrence, 434.
Eustis, Hon. William, Governor of
Mass., 116, 261. Euthanasia, 333. Everard, Judith, 63. Everett, Hon. Edward, Governor of Mass., 92, 153, 173, 181, 230, 301, 355-356, 408, 419, 420, 424, 4.33, 436, 440.
John, 153. Ewer, Anna (Armstrong), 114, 115.
Charles, first President of the N. E. Hist. Gen. Society, memoir of, 113, 155; bis efforts in found- ing the N. E. Hist. Gen. Society, 141-150 ; his plans for the im- provement of Boston, 116, 120- 139; sketch of, by his sister Charlotte, 114-117.
Charlotte, 114, 140, 150, 151, 153.
Elizabeth, 320.
Eunice (Cartwright), 322, 323.
Eev. Ferdinand C, S.T.D., 323, 325 ; author of memoir of Peter Folger Ewer, 4.
George Alexander, 322, 323.
Henry, 320.
Lydia (Churchill), 319.
Margaret (Folger), 319, 320.
j\Lirgaret Folger, 323.
Mary (Cartwright)', 323.
Peter Folger, memoir of, 319-326.
Eebecca, ]50, 151.
Eeliiince (Toby), 320.
Sara, 320.
Seth, 319, 320.
Capt. Silas, 114.
Silvanus, 319, 320, 322, 323.
Thomas, 320.
Thomas, 320.
Thomas, 320. Ewing, Hon. Thomas, 403.
William B., 100, 301. Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists, etc., by Simon Greenleaf, 109. Exeter, N. H., 247, 253. Expunging Eesolutions, protest against the, 173.
INDEX
509
Fair Lady, the ship, 114. Fales, Ahigail (Haliburton), 234. Alfred Baker, 235. Caroline Daoforth, 236. Charles, 235. Edward Gray, 236. EUzabeth (Bradford), 234. George, 235.
Hannah (Smith), 235, 236. Henry, 234. Henry, 236. Jane Minot, 230. Mary Ann (Gray), 236. Mary Turell, 236. Nathaniel, 234. Nathaniel, 236. Hon. Samuel, 234, 235. Samuel, 234. Samuel B., 234, 236. Stephen, 234, 2-35, 236. Hon. Stephen, A.M., memoir of,
234-2.39. Thomas, 234. Timothy, 234. WilHam, 234. William Augustus, 236. Fales and Keith, 234. FaneuU Hall, meeting at, on the death of Hon. Abhott La^^Tence, 440 j speech of Hon- Abbott Law- rence at, 414 J Wehster's oration at, 86. Farant, Marie, 294. Farley, Anne Sumner (WUde) Doane, 388. Roherc, 388. Fanner and Moore's Historical Collec- tions, 79. Farmer, John, 79, 80, 478 : his Regis- ter, 298-299. Famsworth, Amos, 312, 313.
Claudius B., author of memoir of Rev. James Delap Famsworth, A.M., 4. Rev. James Delap, A.M., memoir
of, 312-318. Jane (Delap), 312, 313, 314. Jonas, 312, 313.
Famsworth, Lydia(Longley), 312,313.
Matthias, 312.
Rebecca MUler Thayer (Fogg), 315, 316. Famsworth genealogy, 317. Fathers of New England, 140. Federal Constitution, 353.
Street Church, Boston, 344. Female Asylum, Boston, Mass., GO. Fessenden, Hon. Samuel, 282. FiUmore, Hon. MiUard, 179, 423, 431. First Church, Boston, Mass., 280. Fisheries, 183, 427. Fisk, Deacon Daniel, 258, 259.
Isaac, 280.
Keziah, 258, 259. Fitch, Joseph, 289.
Margaret, 269.
Thomas, 240. Fitchburg and Brattleborough Rail- road, 413. Fitzhngh, Hon. Nicholas, 458. Flagg, George W., the artist, 333. Fletcher, Hon. Richard, 111 ; his eulogy
on Prof. Greenleaf, 111-112. Flynt, Henry, 36. Fogg, Dr. Daniel, 315.
Rebecca Miller Thayer, 315, 316. Fogg genealogy, 317. Folger, Abiah, 322.
Christian (Swain), 320.
Eleazer, 321, 322.
John, 321.
Judith (Burnell), 320.
Margaret, 319, 320.
Mary (MorreU), 321.
Meribah (Gibbs), 321.
Nathan, 321.
Peter, sketch of, 321-322.
Peter, 320.
Peter, 320.
Sarah (Church), 321.
Sarah (Gardner), 321. Folsom, Charles, 92.
Charles W., 299. Foote, Nathaniel, Descendants of, etc., by Nathaniel Goodwin, 365 ; ex- tract from Introduction to, 307.
510
INDEX
\
Forensic Disputation at Harvard, by J.
C. Merrill and W. Bailey, 90. Fort Sullivan, Eastport, Me., 282. Forward, Hon. Walter, 408. Foster, William, 131, 153. Foulger, 321, 322. (See Folger.) Fourth of July orations, 177, 371. Fowler, Oi^son Squire, 117. Philip, 246. Sally, 246, 247. Framingham Academy, 159. Bank, 163. Library, 159. France, difficulty of United States
with, 328. Francis, Charles S., 492. Franklin, Abiah (Folger), 322. Benjamin, 76, 307, 322. James, 307. Lady Jane, 438. Franklin County, Mass., 395; Medical History of, by Dr. Stephen W. v^Williams, 392 ; Medical Society bf, 392, 395, 396. Freema.i's Journal, 214. Free Trade Convention at Philadelphia in 1831, 409. Trade system, 103. Frelinghuysen, Hon. Theodore, LL.D.,
100, 101, 183. French War, the second, 235. Friend Street Chapel, Boston, 344, 345. Frontier life in Maine in 1790, 64. Frost, Benjamin, 266. Miriam (Rust), 266. Rebekah, 266. Frothingham, Rev. Octavius B., A.M., author of memoir of Gorham Brooks, A.M., 5. Fugitive Slave BiU, 182. Fugitives, extradition of, 419. Fuller, Abraham Williams, 355. Rev. Arthur Buckminster, 357. Hon. Elisha, A.M., memoir of,
353-357. Elisha, 356-357. Henry Holton, 137, 355, 357. Dr. Henry Holton, 357.
Fuller, Jacob, 353.
Margaret, Countess d'Ossoli, 355. 'Mary (Washburn), 357.
Sarah (Williams), 353.
Sarah Williams, 357.
Stephen P., 128.
Susan (Adams), 356.
Susan Adams, 357.
Rev. Timothy, sketch of, 353-354.
Hon. Timothy, 354, .355.
William Willianos, 355. Fuller Family, Genealogy of the, 357.
Gallatin, Hon. Albert, 409, 410. Galway line of steamships, 429. Gardner, Sarah, 321.
Mr., 450. Gates, Gen. Horatio, .306. Genealogical and other Notes, etc, by Artemas Simonds, 293. Literature, first contribution to, in this country, 353; necessity for encouragement of, 359. Notes, etc., by Nathaniel Good- win, 365. Register, by Fanner, 80. Georgia Historical Society, 308. Ghent, British Commissioners at, refuse to surrender Eastport in 1814, ■ 281. Gibbon's. Roman Empire, 390. Gibbs, Meribah, 321. Gladding, Benjamin, 305, 306. Gladiator, The, poem by James A.
Jones, 210. Gladstone, William Ewart, 419. Glover, Capt. Stephen, 403. Godfrey, Capt., 47. Goodhue, Harriet T., 397.
Dr. Joseph, 397. Goodrich, Samuel Griswold, & Co.,
213. Goodwin, Anna (Sheldon), 360. James, 361, 363. Nathaniel, 360, 361. Hon. Nathaniel, memoir of, 358- 367.
\
V
INDEX
511
Goodwin, Ozias, 360, 361,
William, sketch of, 360-361. Gould, James, 240, 336.
Eobert, 40, 41. Gouldsborough, Me., 43, 44, 45, 46; settlement and desertion of, 40- 42. Graham, Sir James, 419. Granary Burying-Ground, Boston, 289. Granger, Daniel T., 283. Francis, 408.
Hon. Joseph, author of memoir of Frederick Hobbs, A.M., 4. Grant, Deacon Moses, 341, 342. Grass Valley, Cal., mine of, 325. Gray and Bowen, book publishers, 343. Gray, Edward, 236, 240. Eleanor Baker,' 345. Elizabeth C, 345. Elizabeth P. (Chapman), 345. Emily, 345.
Kev. Frederick Turell, A.M., me- moir of, 340-352. Frederick Turell, 345. Harrison, publisher, 212. John, 340. Hon. John C, 135. Margaret Rogers, 345. Marion Phillips, 345. Mary Ann, 236. Susanna Turell, 340. Rev. Thomas, 340. ,
Great Falls of the Potomac, Va., pro- posal to establish a manufactur- ing town at, 411, 412. Great Fire in Boston in 1825, 481 ; in
1872, 442. Greeley, Hon. Horace, 75. Greely, Philip, Jr., 264. Green, Duff, 214.
Hon. Samuel, 84. Hon. Samuel Abbott, Mayor of Boston, 313. Greene, Benjamin H., 277, 342. Hon. Charles Gordon, 214. Gen. Nathaniel, 307. William Batchelder, 60. Greenleaf, Ann, 449, 453, 461.
Grcenleaf, Ann (Wroc), 34, 35.
Caroline Augusta, 100.
Charlotte Kingman, 109.
Dr. Daniel, memoir of, 34-37.
Edmund, 106.
Ehzabeth, 34.
Hannah (Kingman), 107, 109.
James, 109.
James, 451, 452, 453.
John, 449.
Dr. John, 34, 35.
Hon. Jonathan, 106.
Lucy (Cranch), 449.
Lydia (Parsons), 106.
Margaret, 449, 453.
Mary (Brown), 34.
Capt. Moses, 106.
Patrick Henry, 109.
Rebecca, 453.
Richard C., author of memoir of Dr. Daniel Greenleaf, 3.
Prof. Simon, memoir of, 106-112; his Reports, 107; his Law of Evidence, 108, 109.
Thomas, 35, 36.
WiUiam, High Sheriff of Suffolk County, Mass., in the Revolu- tion, 34, 453. Greenough, Horatio, the sculptor, 331. Greenwood, Rev. Frederic William Pitt, 378.
Rev. John, Teacher of Ancient Pilgrim Church, Southwark, Eng., 437.
Dr. WUUam Pitt, 143. Grindall, Most Rev. Edmund, Arch
bishop of Canterbury, 235. Grinnell, Moses H., 492. Griswold, Charles, 196. Ellen (Perkins), 196. Fanny, 196. Groton, Mass., bi-centennial celebration of, 278 ; Butler School at, 277 ; dissensions in parish of, 271- 273 ; division of, 223 ; grant of the town of, 184; history o' mi^ Caleb Butler, 276; Indian ? /ick on, 312, 313; Lawrence Acad-
512
INDEX
Groton, Mass. (continued).
emy at, 224, 268, 269, 273, 278, 314, 402, 432; map of, by Caleb Butler, 270; mioisterial fund of, 272; pamphlet concerning, by Caleb Butler, 273.
Habeas Corpus Act passed by the
Vennont Legislature, 25. Hadley, Mass., First Church of, 361. iffale, Hon. Nathan, 227. Haliburton, Abigail, 234. HaU, Rev. Edward Brooks, D.D., 310. Hallowell, Benjamia, 373. HalloweU, Me., 371, 373, 388. Halsey, Edmund D., A.M., author of memoir of Hon. Mahlon Dick- erson, 3. Haly and Thomas, publishers, 207. Hamblen, Ann, 480.
Bartholomew, 480.
Benjamin, 480.
Cornelius, 480. ' ComVJus, 480.
Cornelius, 480.
David, 146; memoir of, 480-483.
David, 483.
DrusiUa (Ryder), 480, 483.
Eleazer, 480.
Eleazer, 480.
Ephraim Stone, 483.
Hannah, 480.
Harriot, 483.
Harriot (Watson), 483.
Israel, 480.
James, 480.
James, 480.
John, 480.
Joshua, 480, 483.
Samuel, 483.
Sarah, 480.
Sarah (Bearee), 480. Hamilton College, 240. Hamilton, Rev. Dr. James, 425. Hamlin, Hon. Elijah L., resolutions
\and tribute of, to Frederick Hobbs, 285^286.
Hancock, John, 76.
School-house, Boston, 342. Hanover, N. H., Academy of Arts and
Sciences of, 231. Harding, Chester, his portrait of Hon.
Abbott Lawrence, 444. Hardy, Daniel, 267. ^
Capt. Sir Thomas, 281. Harlem Railroad, mismanagement of,
487-488. Harpers, New York publishers, 214,
216, 336. Harris, Alice (Sprague), 294. Benjamin, 294, 295. Cary, 295.
Catherine (Holbrook), 296. Edward Doubleday, author of memoir of "William Thaddeus Harris, A.M., LL.B., 4. Jane, 294, 295. John, 294. Marie (Farant), 294. Mary (Dix), 296. Mehitable (CroweU), 295. Rebecca Crowkham, 294, 295. Rebecca (IMason), 295. Sarah Matthews, 295. Rev. Thaddeus Mason, D.D.,
sketch of, 295-296. Dr. Thaddeus William, M.D.,
sketch of, 296-297. Thomas, 294.
Thomas, sketch of, 294-295. Capt. William, sketch of, 295. William Thaddeus, A.M., LL.B., memoir of, 294-304; notice of, by Prof. Francis J. Child, 302. Harrison, Hon. William Henry, 418. Harrison Administration, 80, 270, 419. Harrod family, 282. Hartford and Wethersfield Church
controversy, 360-361. Hartford, Conn., 335, 337, 360, 361, 364, 365; history of, 365; map of, 364 ; monument to the mem- ory of the early settlers at, 360; settlement of, 360. Hartford Convention, 374,
INDEX
513
Hartwell, Ellen Maria (Plimpton), 2G0. NelUe, 262. Dr. Samuel C, 2G0. Harvard College, Bowdoin Prize at, 92; Celebration of Bi-ccntennial of, 92, 253; Corporation of, 92; Divinity School of, 314, 315, 354 ; triennial catalogues of, 356. //Hatch, Rev. Nymphas, 205." Hatbaway, Hon. Joshua W., Judge of - Maine Supreme Court, 285; his tribute to Frederick Hobbs, 286. Haven family gathering at Framiug- bam, extract from account of, by Hon. Josiah Adams, 161-162. Richard, Genealogy of Descend- ants of, by Hon. Josiah Adams, 161. Samuel F., LL.D., author of me- moir of Hon. John Davis, LL.D., 4. Haverhill Gazette, 94. Haverhill, or Memoirs of an officer in Wolfe's Army, by James A. Jones, 215, 216. Hawes, Dr. Joel, 338.
Dr. Eussell Lorenzo, M.D., 357. Susan Adams (Fuller), 357. Hawkins, Alfred, memoir of, 197-203. Alfred G., 197, 198, 200. Elizabeth, 197.
Elizabeth Sophia (Denison), 198. Ellen Zippy, 198. George, 197. Martha (Paterson), 198. Hayden, Hannah (Thayer), 369. Samuel, 369. Sarah, 369. Hayne, Hon. Robert Young, Webster's
reply to, 385. Hayward, Hon. Beza, 69. Judith (Phipps), 288. Hazen, Rev. Henry A., 8. Headland Theory, 427. Heald, Thomas, 156. Healy, George Peter Alexander, the artist, Q7, 333; his portraits of Hon. Abbott Lawrence, 444.
Hedge, Rev. Frederic Henry, D.D., 310.
Mercy, 327. Henry, Patrick, 76. Henshaw, Hon. David, 126, 214, 227. Herbert, George, 377.
Sidney, 419. Heredity, recognition of the science of,
358 ; force of, 363. Hibernia, the Cunard Steamship, 422. Hidden Church, The, by Rev. John Waddington, extract from, 438. Higginson, Stephen, 328. Hill, Hamilton Andrews, A.M., au- thor of memoir of Hon. Abbott Lawrence, LL.D., 5.
Hannah (Russell), 82.
Isaac, Senior, 82.
Isaac, 75, 78, 79, 80, 81.
Mary Adams, 82. Hillard, Hon. George Stillman, 92. Hinckley, David, 114.
David, 481. Hinsdale, Fanny P., 196.
Theodore, 196. Hitchcock, Rev. Edward, D.D., Presi- dent of Amherst College, 392. Hobart, Hon. Aaron, 70, 74. Hobbs, Ebenezer, 280.
Ebenezer, 280.
Frederick, A.M., memoir of, 280- 287.
George, 230, 231, 232.
Isaac, 280.
Isaac, 230.
Isaac, 281, 282.
Mary (Baldwin), 280.
Mary Jane (Coombs), 232. Holbrook, Dr. Amos, M.D., 296.
Catherine, 296. Holl, Francis, 444.
HoUister, Hon. Gideon H., A.M., au- thor of memoir of Hon. Samuel Church, LL.D., 4. Holly, Mrs. G. W., 245. Holsman estate, 486. Homans, Isaac Smith, 300. Hooker, Rev. Thomas, 335, 360. Hoosac Tunnel, 139.
65
514
INDEX
Hopkins Classical School, 297. Hopkins, Hon. Edward, Governor of Conn., 3G0. Rt. Rev. John Henry, Bishop of Vermont, 29. Horace, 184, 198, 278, 334 ; works of, translated by Hon. Nahum Mitchell, 71. Horsford, Prof. Eben Norton, 434. Hosack, Dr. David, 97. Hotchkiss, Mrs. H. 0., of New Haven,
87. Household articles nsed in 1804, 269. House of Industry, Boston, 290, 291. Howard Sunday School, Boston, 343-
344. Rowland, Alfred, 307.
Benjamin Russell, 307. Janetta, 307.
John, the Pilgrim, 30.5, 309. John, A.M., memoir of, 305-311 ; Life of, published in 1857, 311. Joseph, 305. Mary, 307. Mary (Carlile), 307. Penelope, 307. Sarah, 305. Hoyt, Albert H., A.M., author of me- moir of Hon. Stephen Pales, A.M., 4. Hubbard's History of New England,
edited by W. T. Harris, 299. Hubbard, Rev. William, 299. Hudnell, Elizabeth Sophronia, 196. Hudson, Hon. Charles, 182, 183; his notice of Governor Davis, 172, 173; his memorials of Gov- ernors Davis, Lincoln, and E. Washburn, 17^-174. Hudson River, proposed railroad from
Boston to, 227. HuU, Gen. William, 143. Hume's History of England, 300. Hunt, David, 238. Hunt's Merchants' Magazine, 67. I'untington, Rev. Dan, 397. Edward P., 397.
Huntington, Helen Maria (A^illiams), 397; authoress of memoir of Stephen West Williams, A.M., M.D., 5.
Huntley, T., 202.
Huntoon, Daniel T. V., 8 ; author of introduction to this volume, 3.
Hussey family, 321, 322.
Hyde, Nathan Dresser, 74.
Illegal Contracts, Review of, by Chief Justice Williams, 23.
Impressment of American Seamen by the British, 206, 419.
Independence of the Judiciary, 458- 459, 469 ; a series of articles on the, by Hon. William Cranch, 455.
Indian Pudding, poem by Hon. Nahum Mitchell, 71. Roll of Groton, 270.
Indians, actions of the, 258 ; historical paper on the, by Dr. Stephen W. Williams, 393; Traditions of the North American, by James A. Jones, 206-207, 215, 216. of Martha's Vineyard, 216-217.
Indianapolis, Ind., 478, 479.
Indiana State Historical Society, 479. State Register and Business Direc- tory, 478.
Indifference of business men to public affairs, 416—417.
Influence of New England energy on the Southern States, 412.
Ingalls, Dr. WilUam, 134, 143.
IngersoU, Charles J., 408.
Ingham, Samuel D., 214.
Internal Improvements, Massachusetts Board of Commissioners for, 227.
International Exhibition, the first, 430; banquet at close of, by George Peabody, 430-431.
Invincible, U. S. Transport schooner, 196.
INDEX
515
Iiisli Coast, mail communication be- tween the United States and the, 429. Emigration movement, 429.
Irving, Washington, 215.
Jackson, Andrew, 99, 100, 101, 102, 178, 211, 214, 225, 463, 469, 489 ; attempted assassination of. Dr. David, 329. [102.
Eleanor Baker (Gray), 345. Francis, 124. Patrick T., 405. Patrick T., Jr., 345. Susan, 329. Jacob, Rev. Henry, Pastor of Ancient Pilgrim Church, Southwark, Eng., 437. Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Mass., First
Cong. Church of, 340. James I., King of England, 50. James, the ship, 320. Jamison, C. W., 444. Jaques, Ann, 398.
Jarvis, Edward, M.D., 166; extracts from his memoir of Dr. George C. Shattuck, 166-169. Jeffers, William N., 100. Jefferson, Thomas, 98, 255, 455, 456,
• 457, 458, 468. Jeffrey, Francis, the critic of the Edin- burgh Review, 400. Jenlis, Samuel Haynes, 143. Jewett, Isaac Appleton, 67. John, the Apostle, 350. Johnes, Rev. Dr. Timothy, 96. Johnson, Rev. Francis, Pastor of An- cient Pilgrim Church, South- wark, Eng., 437. Johnson's Xew Universal CyclopiJedia, extract from, relating to Gov- ernor Davis, 174. Johonnot, Andrew, 1.54. *^'J ones, 'Avis (Athearu), 204. vEbenezer, 204.
■James Atheam, memoir of, 204- 222.
Jones wJohn CofEn, 114. i^Iary, 292.
j^isanna (Atheani), 204. ^^homas, 204. Walter, Jr., District Attorney of District of Columbia, 453. Jones, Matthews, & Co., 221. Journal of Commerce, Buffalo, 221. Judkins, Capt. C. H. E., 422. Judson, Rev. Ephraim, 370.
Kavanagh, Hon. Edward, 420. Keble, Rev. John, 29. Keese, Richard, 403. Kelley, William R., 103, 169. Kendall, Hon. Amos, 75, 2GS, 469. Kennebec County, incoi-poration of, 371.
Valley, purchase of lands in the, 50-52. Kent, Hon. Edward, Governor of Maine, 285, 420.
Hon. James, 108, 111, 485.
Hon. William, 23. Kettell, Samuel, 213. Keyes, John, 356. Kidder, Frederic, 67.- Kiersted, Abigail Aikman, 479.
Ann Guernsey, 479.
Hezekiah, 479. Kilty, Hon. William, 455. King, John C, 444.
Rev. Thomas Starr, 350. King's Chapel, Boston, 349, 378. Kingman, Capt. Ezra, 107.
Hannah, 107. Kinney, Capt., 97. Kinnicut, Hon. Thomas, 177. Kirk, Rev. Dr. Edward N., 433. Kirkbride, Joseph, 96. Kirkland, John Thornton, President
of Har^-ard College, 70. Knapp, Capt. Josiah, 133. Knight, Rebecca, 393. Knowles, Prof. James D., D. D.,
309. Knox, Gen. Henry, 371.
516
INDEX
Lafatette, Gilbert Motier, Mar- quis de, 273, 307. La Fevre, Minard, 96, 97. Lake of the White Canoe, The, extracts
from, 218-220. Land claims, custom of lawyers in cases of, 85. sales in the early part of the cen- tury, 85-86. Lane, David, 492. Lane, Son, Frazier, & Co., London
Merchants, 40, 41. Langdon, Hon. Chauucy, 26. Lucy Green, 26, 27, 28. Latin School, Boston, 237, 341. Law of Evidence, by Prof. Simon Greenleaf, 108, 109. School at Cambridge, 111. Law's Serious Call, 119. Laws of Trade in the United States,
by J. B. Moore, 80. Lawrence, A. and A., firm of, 402-403, 405. Hon. Abbott, LL.D., 65, 268;
memoir of, 401-445. Abbott, 406, 442, 443, 444, 445. Abbott, 443. Abigail Abbott, 402. Amos, 402.
Amos, 273, 402, 425, 436. Anna Lothrop (Motley), 443. Annie Bigelow, 443, 444. Caroline Estelle (Mudge), 443. Elizabeth (Chapman), 443. Elizabeth (Prescott), 443. Elizabeth Prescott, 443. Gertrude, 443. Harriette Story, 443. Harriette White (Paige), 443. James, 431, 438, 443. >s. James, 443, 444. James, 443. John, 401. John, 443. Katherine (Bigelow), 268, 404,
418, 424, 425, 438, 439, 444. Katherine Bigelow, 443. Luther, 269.
Lawrence, Prescott, 401, 443, 444. Kichard, 443. Richard, 102. Robert Ashton, 443. Rosamond, 443. Capt. Samuel, 401, 402. Susanna (Parker), 401, 402. Col. Timothy Bigelow, 430, 443. William, 402. William Paige, 443. Lawrence, Mass., 433, 440; First Church of, 433; Franklin Libra- ry of, 433 ; incorporation of, 406. Lawrence Academy, Groton, 224, 268, 269, 273, 278, 314, 402, 432. Company, 405.
family, 401 ; ancient clock belong- ing to, 402. Prizes at the Boston Latin and High Schools, established by Hon. Abbott Lawrence, 433. Scientific School, Cambridge, 433- 4a5, 441, 445. [277, 278.
Lawson, Thomas B., artist, of Lowell, Lay of a Mountain Spirit, The, by
James A. Jones, 214. LazeU, Nabby, 74.
Gen. SUvanus, 74. LeflBngwell, Fanny, 191. John, 191. Lois (AUen), 191. Lenox Library, 82. . Leveridge, John, 492. Lewis, Joseph, 97. Mary, 473. Samuel Shaw, 53. Dr., 473. Liberia, the original Constitution of, pre- pared by Simon Greenleaf, 109. Light-houses, 183; the system of, in
England, 428-429, 442. Limerick, letter of Minister Lawrence to Mayor of, on the Irish Coast Question, 429. Lincoln, Abraham, 17, 475.
Charles Sprague, A.B., 260 ; au- thor of memoir of Moses Plimp- ton, 4.
INDEX
517
Lincoln, Henry Pelham, Earl of, 419. James S., the artist, 311. Hon. Levi, Senior, 224, 23:3. Hon. Levi, Governor of Mass., 135, 173, 174, 227, 223, 261, 262, 403 ; memorial of, by Hon. Charles Hudson, 173-174. Louise Edna (Plimpton), 260. Martha, 233. Lines from a Traveller's Portfolio, by James A. Jones, 209, 212-213. Lippitt, Col. Christopher, 306, 310. Litchfield Bar, 240, 241.
Law School, 240, 336. Little, Amos, 399. Hannah, 399. Hannah (Moody), 399. William, 143. Littlefield, Nathaniel, 279. Livermore, Hon. Arthur, 255. Lloyd, Mr., 202. Locke, John, 443.
Logan Historical Society of Ohio, 393. Lombard Association, New York City,
492. Long Bridge, Washington, burning of the, by the British iu 1814, 460. Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 212. Long Island Water Works Company,
488. Longley, Deliverance, 313. John, 312-313. Lydia, 313. AVilliam, 313. Longley genealogy, 317. Loomis, Desire, 186. Lorillard estates, 436. Loring, Charles Greeley, LL.D., 110; resolutions of, on the death of Prof. Greenleaf, 110-111. Ellis Gray, 137. Lothrop, Rev. Dr. Samuel K., 402, 436, 438, 441; his memoir of Wil- liam Lawrence, 402. Sara Ewer, 320. Thomas, 320. Lott, Capt. Edward G., 424.
Lough Foyle adopted as a place of call
for Glasgow steamers, 430. Lowell, Abbott Lawrence, 443. Amy, 443. Anna Parker, 443. Augustus, 443. Elizabeth, 443. Francis Cabot, 65, 405. Katherine Bigelow (Lawrence),
443. Katherine, 443. Percival, 443. Lowell, Mass., 355, 357, 407, 444 ; extract from Cowley's History of, 355-356; foundation of, 405; surveys at, by Caleb Butler, 270. Lowndes, Hon. William Jones, LL.D.,
405. Luce, Capt. Tristram, 206. Lunt, Hon. George, 92, 3^34 ; his poem on Isaac P. Davis, 334. Rev. WiUiam P., 36. Lyman, Cora, 61.
Hon. Joseph, 470. Hon. Theodore, Jr., 92, 143, 290. Hon. EUhu, of Enfield, 226. Lyon V. Strong, case of, 23. Lyrica Sacra, or War-Songs and Bal- lads from the Old Testament, by Hon. WiUiam Plumer, 253.
McCoRMiCK, Mr., 467.
Macdonald, A., of Three Rivers, 202.
Angus, of Cornwall, 202.
William, of Gasp.?, 202.
Town Major, of Montreal, 202. McDuffie, Hon. George, 178, 179. McEwen, Rev. Abel, 474. McGaw, Thornton, 285. McKean, Hon. Thomas, Governor of
Pennsylvania, 98, 455. McQuay and Hawkins, Quebec Mer- chants, 197. McWhorter, Alexander C, 97. Macy family, 321.
Madaline, poem by James A. Jones, 207.
518
im)Ex
Maine, Agricultural, Society of, 375. BiU to sell the interest of Massa- cliusetts in the public lands in, defeated, 226-227. District of, 281, 375, 376, 383. Historical Society, 50, 109. History of the Courts and Lawyers of, by Hon. WiUiam Willis, 107. separation of, from Massachusetts,
224, 375. Supreme Judicial Court of, 107, 282, 283, 285, 286. Mallon, Hon. Patrick, author of me- moir of Nathaniel Sawyer, A.M., 3. Malmesbury, Sir James Howard Harris,
Eari of, 427. Manhood, poem by Hon. WiUiam
Plumer, 253. Maniton of Cold, 217. Mann, Hon. Horace, 475.
Horatio E., 26. Mansfield, Sir John, 235. Manufacturers' Hotel, Providence, R.I.,
306. Marcy, Martha, 259. Mary, 259. Col. Moses, 259, 263. Hon. William Leanied, Governor of New York, 259, 263, 413, 428. Marlborough Chapel, Boston, Conven- tion at, in 1842, 409. . Marshall, Hon. James, 455.
Hon. John, Chief Justice of U.S., 76, 455. Martha's Vineyard, 321, 322, 353; description of island of, 216- 217. Martin, Mary, 288.
Mason, Benjamin Franklin, the artist, 24. Hon. Jeremiah, LL.D., 237, 255. Eebecca, 295. Thaddeus, 295. Masonic Temple, Boston, purchased by R. Gr. Shaw and resold by him to the Masons, 54.
Masonry, organizations of, 273, 302; Principles and Design of, by Caleb Butler, 273 ; Works on, by Eev. Thaddeus M. Harris, 296. Massachusetts Agricultural Society, 232. Bay, Records of the Colony of, edited by Shurtleflf and Pulsifer, 148. Bible Society, 109. " Charitable Mechanic Association,
329. Federal Constitutional Convention
of 1788, 353. First General Court of, 360 ; Gen- eral Court of, 354, 369, 371, 448, 471. General Hospital, 66. Historical Society, 66, &7, 73, 9.3, 109, 299, 329, 330, 332, 435; Collections of, 73, 218, 296. man-of-war, 45. Medical Society, 165, 392, 394. State Constitutional Convention of
1820, 158, 224, 375. State Constitution of 1853, 439. Supreme Court of, 374, 375, 38-3, 384, 385, 388, 449, 451. Massasoit, 86. Mather, Rev. Cotton, 322. Rev. Eleazer, 19. Rev. Richard, 19. Matthews, John, 295.
Sarah, 295. Mavor's Voyages and Travels, 390. May, Rev. Samuel J., 344. Mayflower, 86, 327. Mayhew, Rev. Dr. Jonathan, 448. Rev. Thomas, Jr., 322. William E., & Co., 470. Mayo, Charles, 154. Means, Rev. James, 268. Medfield, Mass., 258, 259. Medical and Agricultural Register, 274. Botany by Dr. Stephen W. Wil- liams, 392, 394. CoUege of Western New York, 393.
INDEX
519
Medical Jurisprudence, lectures and work on, by Dr. S. W. WU- liams, 393. Melbourne, William Lamb, Viscount,
419. Mellen, Eleanor Bradish O^ilde), 387. Grenville, poet, 210, 212. John Wendell, 387. Hon. Prentiss, Chief Justice of Maine, 372. Melville, Major Thomas, 290. ' Memoirs of the Governors of New Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, by Jacob Bailey Moore, 81. Memorial Biographies of the New England Historic-Genealogical Society, Vol. I., 7, 357. Meredith, Hon. William Moms, 423. Merino sheep mania, 4.59. Merrick, Elizabeth, 335.
John, 373. Merrill, Anna (Saltonstall) , 93. Anna Saltonstall, 93. Eev. Gyles, sketch of, 88-89. Hon. James Gushing, memoir of,
88-94. James Gushing, 93. John, 88.
Lucy (Gushing), 88. Matilda Elizabeth, 93. Moses, 88. Nathaniel, 88. Samuel, 89, 90. Samuel Gyles, 93. Sarah, 88. Merrimac Dam, 412. Metcalf, Hon. Theron, 203. Methods employed by public men to
win notoriety, 179. Mexican War, 179, 182. Middlesex Agricultural Society, 232. Bar, 2G9, 355. Board of Gounty Gommissioners,
225, 231, 270. Gounty Records, 288. Fire Insurance Gompany, 277. Institution for Savings, 277. Yeoman, 355.
Middle name, a letter used for a, 328. Middling Interest Society, IIG, 1.53. MifHin, Hon. Thomas, Governor of
Pennsylvania, 97. Militia of Massachusetts, speech of Hon. Abbott Lawrence in de- fence of, 415-416. MiUdam or Western Avenue, Boston,
construction of the, 328. Miller genealogy, 317. Mills, Hon. Elijah Hunt, 225, 474.
Hon. John, 226, 420. Milnor, John, 98. Milo, the ship, 403, 404. Milton, John, 4G4. Milton, Mass., 296; families of, 297. Ministry at large to the poor, Boston,
343, 350, 351. INIiuot, William, 92. Minot genealogy, 317. Missouri, extract from speech of Hon. William Plumer in Gongress on the admission of, 249-250. Mitchell, AUce (Bradford), 69. Ghristopher, & Go., 324. Gushing, 69. Ensign Edward, 69. Gol. Edward, 69. Elizabeth Gushing, 74. Experience, 69. Harriet, 74. James Henry, 74. Janet (Orr), 69. Eev. Jonathan, 297. Lavinia (Angier), 74. Lucia (Whitman), 74. Mary Oit, 74. Nabby (Lazell), 74. Hon. Nahum, memoir of, 69-74 ; his History of Bridgewatcr, 73. Silvanus (Lazell), 74. Mitford's History of Greece, 119. Mix, Elihu, 323.
Model lodging-houses for the poor, efforts of Hon. Abb«nt Lawrence to establish, 440, 441, 442. Monson, ^lass., schools of, 260. Montague, William H., 142, 143, 146.
620
INDEX
Moor, Joshua, Indian Charity School
of, 267. Moore, Charles C, 82. Dr. Coffin, 77, 83. Frank, 82.
George Henry, LL.D., 82. Henry Eaton, 82. Dr. Jacoh Bailey, 76, 83. Jacob Bailey, memoir of, 75-83. Jacob Bailey, 82. John Weeks, 82. Mary Adams (HiU), 82. Mary (Eaton), 76. Moors, Rev. John F., his description of Dr. Stephen W. Williams, 395. Moose Island, refusal of British Com- missioners to surrender it in 1814, 281. Moral Society of Yale College, 189. MorreU, Mary, 321. Morris, Mr., 451, 453, 454. Morris, Nicholson, and Greenleaf, 451 ,
453. Morse, Daniel, 258. Isaac S., 355. Mary, 258. Morton, Hon. Marcus, Governor of Massachusetts, 12, 116, 176. Nathaniel, 11, 12, 15; his eulogy on Judge Colby, 15, 16. Morton's New England Memorial, 327. Moseley, Hon. Edward S., A.M., au- thor of memoir of Eobert Adams, 5. Moshop, Legend of, 216-218. Mosquito Kingdom, Great Britain's
protectorate over, 426, 427. Motley, Anna Lothrop, 443. Mount Washington, N.H., 275, 276. Mount Washington, South Boston,
127-128. Mourt's True Relation, unfinished edi- tion of, by William T. Harris, 302. Mudge, Caroline Estelle, 443. Murray, Rev. John, 115. Musical Catechism, by H. E. Moore, 83.
Mutual Insurance system, introduced into Indiana by Charles W. Cady, 478.
Nantucket, Mass., 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 326; purity of language spoken there, 321 ; schools of, 322; decline of, pre- dicted by P. F. Ewer, 323.
Napoleon I., Emperor of France, 236, 267.
Nashawn, islands of, 216, 217.
National Convention of Manufacturers at Harrisburg in 1827, 408-409. Medical Convention at Philadel- phia in 1849, 394. Palladium, Philadelphia, 214.
Natural History, works on, by Rev. Thaddeus M. Harris, 296.
Neal's History of the Puritans, 116, 119.
Newark DaUy Advertiser, 105.
New Brick Meeting-house, Boston, 39.
New Brunswick, trade of, with East- port, Me., 281.
Newburyport, Mass., 282, 375, 474; turnpike of, 399.
Newell, Cynthia, 240.
Esther (Landon), 240. George W., 263. Seth, 240.
New England Guards, Boston, 403, 415, 416. Historical and Genealogical Reg- ister, 67, 73, 145, 146, 154, 300, 302, 357, 367, 453, 482. Historic Genealogical Society, founded by Charles Ewer and others, 116; account of its origin, 141-144; action of, on the death of Charles Ewer, 153- 154; library of, 146-148, 262, 317 ; organization of, 144 ; prog- ress of, 144-146; resolutions of, on the death of Nathaniel Goodwin, 366-367.
INDEX
521
New England Magazine, its criticism of Jones's Haverhill, 216. Society at Cincinnati, 87. New Hampshire Collection of Church lilusic, by H. E. Moore, 83. Convention for Revising Constitu- tion of, 254. first festival of Sons of, at Boston,
253. Gazetteer, 79. Historical Society, 79. Insane Asylum, 254. Journal, 80. Patriot, 78, 80. State of, 83. Statesman, 80. New Haven, Conn., 362, 473; morals
of, from 1796 to ISOO, 189. New Ipswich, N. H., History of, by F.
Kidder, 67. New Jersey, College of, 97 ; Constitu- tion of, 103 ; First Assembly of, 96. Newman, Rev. John Henry, 29. Newtown (Cambridge, Mass.), 360. New York, City Charter of 1830, 486. First Unitarian Congregation of
City of, 489. Historical Society, 80, 82, 243,
392. Institution for the Blind, 492. Physics Medical Society of, 391. Re^'iew, 211. State Library, 362. University, 82. Niagara Falls, 276. Niagara, the steamship, 432. Nickels, Hannah, 43.
Margaret (Breck), 43, 45. Capt. William, 40, 43, 44; death of, 44-45. Nightingale, Rev. Crawford, 278. NUes, Hezekiah, 408, 409.
Rev. Samuel, 369. Noble, Abigail, 335.
Sarah (Ferris), 335. Stephen, 335.
Noddle's Island (East Boston), Cunard steamer terminus established at, 53 ; development of, 53.
Nope, Indian name of Martha's Vine- yard, 216, 217.
Norfolk County, England, language spoken there in the 17th cen- tury, 321. House, Roxbury, 127.
Nonis, Rev. Mr., 467.
North American Review, 343.
North and the South, first serious di- vision between, 182.
North Chelsea, Mass., Trinitarian Church in, 316.
NortheasteiTi Boundary Question, 419, 420-422.
North End, Boston, improvements at, 53; patriotism of pe<jple of, in the Revolution, 39.
Norton, Elizabeth (Cranch), 449.
Ichabod, memoir of, by James A.
Jones, 221. Rev. Jacob, 449. John P., 221.
Notes on the Employment of Negroes in the American Army of the Revolution, by G. H. Moore, 82. on the History of Slavery in Massa- chusetts, by G. H. Moore, 82.
Nova Scotia, trade of, with Eastport, Me., 281.
Noyes, Nicholas, 398.
Nullification, origin of the doctrine, 182; Ordinance of, 409.
Oak-openixgs of Central Ohio, 85.
Obrient, Mr., of New Haven, 362.
Ocean steamships, 326.
Olcott, Thomas, Descendants of, etc., by Nathaniel Goodwin, 364, 365.
Old Colony and Ne^vport Railroad de- pots, 124, 134.
Old Colony PUgrim Society, 308.
Old House in Dock Square, Boston, built in 1680 from wood cut in Brattle Square, 35.
66
622
INDEX
Old North Meeting-house, Boston, 39. Old South Church, Boston, 115, 294. Oliver, Daniel Augustus, 61. Ontario, Lake, 276. Ordinance of 1787, 250. Orford, N. H., 315, 316. Orne, Henry, 143. Orr, Hon. Hugh, 69.
Janet, 69. Otis, Bass, the artist, 311.
George Alexander, 236.
Hon. Harrison Gray, 331, 417.
John, 420. Ottery Saint Mary, Devonshire, Eng.,
ancient church of, 294. Oughton, Thomas, his Ordo Judici-
orutn, 459. Oviatt, Rev. George A., A.M., 482; author of memoir of Hon. Mark Doolittle, A.M., 5. Ovid's EpistolsB Herodium, 71.
Pacific Mills, Lawrence, Mass., 406-
407. Packard, Rev. Alpheus S., D.D., 237. Paine, Hannah, 63.
Nathaniel, A.M., author of me- moir of Hon. Elisha Fuller, A.M., 5. Palfrey, Hon. John Gorham, LL.D.,
.354, 436. Palmerston, Henry John Temple, Vis- count, 419, 425, 426, 427, 429. Panama Ship Canal, 426, 427. Park, Jane, 156. Parker, Gen. Daniel, 224. Capt. James, 223. James, 223. _ Hon. Joel, 268. Hon. John Avery, 11. Hon. Leonard Moody, A.M., me- moir of, 223-233. Martha (Lincoln), 233. Susanna, 401. William, 401. Parkman, Rev. Ebenezer, 4-3.
Elizabeth Willard, 55, 56, 57, 60.
Parkman, Rev. Francis, 56. Hannah (Breck), 43. Samuel, 43, 55. Sarah, 48. Sarah (Rogers), 55. Sarah (Shaw), 43. Parsons family, history of the, 317. Parsons, Rev. Jonathan, 106. Lydia, 106. . Hon. Theophilus, Chief Justice
Mass. Supreme Court, 70. Prof. Theophilus, 107, 108, 209, 210 ; his criticism of James A. Jones, 209, 210 ; his description of Profs. Greenleaf and Story, 107, 108. Partridge, Priscilla, 258. Pdssamaquoddy Bay, action of British Commissioners in regard to isl- ands of, in 1814, 281. Pastoral on the story of Ruth, by Hon.
WUliam Pluraer, 253. Paterson, Martha, 198. Patterson, Joseph, 408. Gen. Robert, 408. Paul, the Apostle, 487. Pauperism, report and suggestions of Artemas Simonds on, 290, 291, 292. Pawkunnawkuts, 217. Paxton, Mass., Congregational Church
of, 316. Peabody, Prof. Andrew P., D.D., LL.D., author of memoir of Hon. William Plumer, A.M., 4. Rev. Ephraim, D.D., 67, 349, 374 ; liis sermon on the death of Rev. Frederick T. Gray, ^49-350. Francis, Jr., 443. George, 430.
Gertrude (Lawrence), 443. Harold, 443. John Endicott, 443. Marian Lee, 443. Rosamond, 443. Rosamond (Lawrence), 443. Rev. WUliam, B. 0., 92. Peace of 1783, 419.
INDEX
523
Peace of 1815, 484. Society, 308.
Pease, Eichard L., author of memoir of James Atheam Jones, 4.
Peel, Sir Eobert, 419.
Peirce, Benjamin, 296.
Pelham, N. H., town and Academy of, 266, 267.
Pendleton, Hon. NatLaniel Greene, 238.
Pennington, Hon. William S., 99.
Pennsylvania, Medical University of, 391. Society for the Promotion of Man- ufactures, etc., 408.
Pepperell, Mass., History of, hy Caleh Butler, 276, 277 ; map of, hy Caleh Butler, 270.
Pequida, the girl of the hraid, 218- 220.
Percival, James Gates, M.D., 210, 211, 212.
Perkins, Hon. Jonathan Cogswell, 16. Thomas S., 408. William, 52.
Personal Sketches, hy Hon. William Plumer, 253.
Peters, Rev. Hugh, 321.
Pettiugill, Mary, 398.
Phantom Woman, The, hy James A. Jones, 220.
Philadelphia, capital of the United States, 296.
PhiHp's War, 63, 258.
Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., 470. Academy, Exeter, N. H., 89, 92, 247.
Phillips,'George W., 379.
Philophalian Society of Bowdoin Col- lege, 237.
Pierce, Hon. Franklin, 264. John, 129.
Pilgrim Church, Southwark, Eng., sketch of, 437.
Pilgrims, 327, 416; character of, 87, 186, 437, 438. at Delftshaven, celebration of an- niversary of emharkation of, 73. at Leyden, 69.
Pilkinton, Lieut.-Col. Thomas, 281. Pitcairn, Major John, 39. Pittsburg Landing, battle of, 260. Pitts Street Chapel, Boston, 345,
346. Plainfield Academy, 361-362. Plato, the Works of, 374. Plimpton, Caroline, 259.
Caroline Sophia, 260.
Clara Cornelia, 260.
Edna (Taylor), 257, 259.
Edwin D., 259, 262.
Edwin Taylor, 260.
EUen Maria, 260.
Frederic, 259.
George Fayette, 260.
Gershom, 259.
Capt. Gershom, 258, 259.
Henry, 259.
Jane (Dummer), 258.
Jane EUzabeth, 260.
Sergt. John, sketch of, 258.
Jonathan, 258;
Joseph, 258.
Joseph, 258.
Keziah (D\nght), 258.
Keziah (Fisk), 258, 259-
Louise Edna, 260.
Martha (Marcy), 259.
Mary (Morse), 258.
Capt. Moses, memoir of, 257-265 ; his genealogy of his family, 263 ; his manuscript history of South- bridge, 262-263.
Priscilla (Partridge), 258.
Stillman, 259.
William, 258, 259.
William, 259. Plumer, Francis, 246.
Margaret F. (Mead), 251.
Sally (Fowler), 246, 247.
Samuel, 246.
Hon. William, Sr., Governor of New Hampshh-e, 252, 254, 255 ; sketch of, 246-247 ; memoir of, by his son, 254-255.
Hon. William, A.M., 92; memoir of, 246-256.
524
INDEX
Plymouth Colony, 184; Records of, edited by Shurtleff and Pulsifer, 148. Company, grant of land to, by
James I., 50. County Academy, 72. County Bible Society, 71-72, Kock, 3^32; anniversary of landing at, 87; "Webster's oration at, 86. town of, 327, 328, 332. Political parties of Massachusetts in
1839, 176. Polk, Hon. James Knox, administra- tion of, 410. Poor, Gen. Enoch, 76.
Sarah, 399. Portsmouth, N. H., 150, 247, 253,
451. Potter, Miss, 235. Potts, Hon. Stacy G., 100. Potwine, Rev. Thomas, 193. Power loom, first introduction of, into
the United States, 405. Powers, Hiram, the sculptor, 331 ; his bust of Hon. Abbott Lawrence, 444. Practice in Civil Actions and Proceed- ings at Law in Massachusetts, by H. G. 0. Colby, 13. Pratt and Andrews, 115. Pratt, Hon. Benjamin, 450.
Horatio, 11, 12. Pray, Lewis G., author of memoir of Rev. Frederick T. Gray, A.M., 5. Preble, Hon. William Pitt, 420. Prentiss, Hon. Samuel, 21. Prescott, Elizabeth, 443. Jonas, 313.
Col. William, 313, 401. William HickHng, 404, 418, 421, 426, 439; his account of the death of Abbott Lawrence, 439- 440. Prescott family history, 317. Preston and Manchester, Eng., Liter- ary and Philosophical Society of, 300.
Preston, James W., A.M., author of memoir of Hon. James Cushing MerriU, 3.
Prevention of Paupeiism, Society for, Boston, 347.
Pride of ancestry, how properly to he encouraged, 359.
Prince, Rev. Thomas, 302.
Prince's Chronology, proposed contin- uation of, by W. T. Harris, 302.
Princeton, battle of, 307.
Princeton, Mass., 353, 354.
Providence, R. I., 305, 306, 323; First Congregational Church of, 308, 310 ; Mechanics' Association of, 308, 310, 311 ; Savings Institu- tion of, 308, 311 ; School Com- mittee of, 308 ; Steamboat Line to New York, 323.
Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, 69, 106. Congress of New Jersey, 95, 96.
PubUc Garden, Boston, 328.
Pulsifer, David, 148.
Puritans, 86, 313, 368, 475.
Pusey, Rev. Edward Bouverie, D.D.,
29. Putnam, Francis, 281, 282.
Quebec, city of, 198, 199, 200, 203, 276. Mercury, extracts from, 201, 202,
203. Picture of, with Historical Recol- lections, by Alfred Hawkins, 198, 203; extract from, 198- 199. Strangers' Guide to, hy Alfred Hawkins, extract from, 200- 20J. Queensto\vn, Ireland, adopted as a place of call for Atlantic steamers, 429-430. Quincy, Judge Edmund, 36. Edmund, 36.
Hon. Josiah, 39, 331, 356. Hon. Josiah, Jr., 414.
•\
IKDEX
525
Quincy Estate at Quincy, description
of, 35-36. Quinsigamond Bank, 178.
Raboteau, Charles C, 474. Sarah T., 474.
Railroads subject to the law of 1831 in Massachusetts, 229.
Railways and Roads, Report of Massa- chusetts Committee on, 227, 228.
Rand, Mrs. Edward Sprague, 375, 376.
Ray family, 322.
Reading, John, 96.
Rebellion, Southern, 475.
Rebellion Record, The, by Frank Moore, 82.
Reciprocity Treaty, 413, 428.
Record Commission, petition for the appointment of, by Massachu- setts Legislature, 148. Commissioners, Boston, 333.
Redeemed Captive, The, by Rev. John Williams, 19, 393.
Redfield, Hon. Isaac Fletcher, 22, 27, 28.
Reeve, Hon. Tapping, LL.D., 240, 336.
Reform Party, New York City, in 1854, 489.
Refugee, The, a romance by James A. Jones, 208 ; notice of, by Black- wood, 209.
Remington, 298.
Republican party, 98, 226, 439, 475.
Reputation of prominent men, how sometimes developed, 17.
Revere, Col. Paul, 39.
Review of Pepperell Church History, answered by Caleb Butler, 277.
Revolutionary Army, establishments of the, 95, 96. War, 63, 77, 95, 96, 103, 103, 306, 353, 401, 448, 453, 457.
Rhode Island, Act of the General As- sembly establishing Free Schools in, 307, 311.
Rhode Island, attempted invasion of, by Gen. Spencer, in 1777, 306. Boundary Question, 12. Gen. Sullivan's campaign on, in
1778, 306. Historical Society, 300, 308, 311. Rice, William P., a42.
Mr., 126. Riddel, Rev. Samuel H., A.M., author of memoir of Charles Ewer, 3, 122. Right of Search Claim, 419. Ripley, Rev. George, 92, Ritner, Joseph, 40S. Rives, Hon. WilUara C, 408, 410, 4*3, 435, 442 ; letters of Hon. Ab- bott Lawrence to, 410, 411, 442. Robbins, Edward H., 72, 137. Roberts, John, 143. Robinson, Rev. Charles, 272.
Rev. John, the Pilgrim Pastor,
438. Hon. John P., 92. Rockingham Bar, 384. Roe, Azel Stephens, 188, 196. Rogers, Rev. Daniel, 55.
Elizabeth (Ruggles) Dummer, 55. Samuel, 49, 52. Sarah, 55. Rossel, Hon. William, 102. Rotch, Abbott Lawrence, 443. Aim6e, 443. Annie Bigelow (Lawrence), 443,
444. Annie Lawrence, 443. Arthur, 443. Benjamin S., 443. Edith, 443. Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries, Copenhagen, 93, 303, 392, 394. Ruggles, Elizabeth, 55.
Rev. Samuel, 55. Rumford Professorship, Cambridge,
4.34. Rural Magazine, 20. Rush, Dr. Benjamin, 391 ; his work on Diseases of the Mind, 391. • Miss, 235.
526
INDEX
Rush's Inquiries and Observations, 390. Russell and Crockett, sermon on the execution of, hy Rev. F. T. Gray, 351. Russell family, 322. Russell, George Robert, 60.
Rev. John, of Wethersfield, 361.
Hon. Jonathan, 236. Russell, Mass., incorporation of, 473. Rutland Herald, 19, 20. Ryder, Drusilla, 480.
Sad^ors' Snug Harbor, 66.
St. John, Daniel, 364.
St. John's Day, Masonic celebrations
of, 273- St. Paul's Church, Boston, 91. St. Paul's Church, New York, 117. Saltonstall, Anna, 93.
Hon. Leverett, 92.
Dr. Nathaniel, 93. Sandford, Gen., 492. San Francisco, Cal., 82, 325, 348;
Unitarian Society of, 347, 348. Sardanapalus, poem by James A.
Jones, 209. Sargent, Aun^e (Eotch), 443.
Lucius Maulius, 89.
Hon. Nathaniel Peaslee, 451.
Winthrop, 443. Savage, Hon. James, LL.D., 225. Sawyer, Ann (Fitz), 84.
D. W. C, 87.
Elizabeth, 63.
Deacon Moses, 84.
Rev. Moses, A.M., 84.
Nathaniel, memoir of, 84-87.
N. I., M.D., of Frankfort, Ky., 87.
Paraelia (Anderson) Bacon, 85, 87. Schoff, Stephen A., the engraver, 67. Schuyler, Robert, 487. Scollay, John, 34, 35. Scott, Joseph Warren, 100, 101. Sears, Frederick Richard, 61. Seaver, Hon. Benjamin, 482.
Secession, right of, denied by Judge
Cranch, 461. Sedgwick, Hon. Theodore, 225, 227. Seminary for education of working classes in practical arts and sciences, proposed establish- ment of, 225. Sentinel Hill, Hartford, Conn., 361. Sewall family, 10.
Hon. Samuel, Chief Justice of
Massachusetts, 386. Dr. Thomas, 10, 15. Seymour, Hon. Origen S., Chief Jus- tice of Connecticut, 244. Shakespeare, William, 464. Shannon, Capt. Neil, 422. Shattuck, Amelia Hepsibah (Bigelow), 165. Dr. Benjamin, 164. Eliza Cheever (Davis), 165. Dr. George Cheyne, M.D., LL.D.,
memoir of, 164-171. George C, M.D., author of me- moir of Dr. George Cheyne Shattuck, M.D., LL.D., 4. Lemuel, 144, 171, 358; his ac- count of Shattuck family, 171. Lucy (Barron), 164. William, 164. Shaw, Anna Blake, 60. Elizabeth Willard, 61. Elizabeth Willard (Parkman), 55,
56, 57, 60. Francis, 43; sketch of, 38-42. Francis, 38, 40, 41, 42; sketch
of, 42-43. Francis George, 60; author of
memoir of Robert G. Shaw, 3. Gardner Howland, 61. George, 44.
Hannah (Nickels), 38, 43. Rev. John, 449, 451. Joseph Coolidge, 61. Hon. Lemuel, Chief Justice of Massachusetts, 162, 379, 380, 381, 382 ; his opinion of Judge Wilde, 377. Marian, 61.
INDEX
527
Shaw, Quincy Adams, 61.
Eobcrt Gould, memoir of, 3S-G1. Robert Gould, 60. Major Samuel, 39, 44, 45 ; his quarrel with Lieut. "Wragg, 39. Samuel Parkman, 60. Sarah, 43.
Sarah (Burt), 33, 39, 42. Sarah Parkman, 60. Thomas, 38. Thomas, 38.
William, 41, 44, 45, 46, 47. William Henry, 61. Shaw Asylum for Mariners' Children,
58-59. Shawmut Congregational Society, 482,
483. Sheldon, Anna, 360.
Deacon Isaac, 360. Shepard, Rev. Thomas, 297. Shepherd, Ellen, 470, 471. Lucy (Gorham), 470. Eesin D., 470. Sherman, Hon. Roger IMiuot, 330. Shirley, Mass., Central Church of, 223 First Parish Church of, 2.32 History of, by Caleb Butler 276; incorporation of, 223 map of, by Caleb Butler, 270 schools of, 232-233. Short, Henry, 393.
Sarah, 398. Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet, M.D.,
148. Sibley, John Langdon, Librarian at
Harvard College, 356. Signal Service Bureau, 274. Sigourney, Lydia Huntley, 365 ; her tribute to the character of Na- thaniel Goodwin, 366. Simonds, Hon. Alvan, author of me- moir of Artemas Simonds, 4. Artemas, memoir of, 238-293. Joseph, 288. Joseph, 288.
Judith (Phipps) Hayward, 288. Mary (Boutelle), 292. Mary (Jones), 292.
Simonds, Mary CMartin), 288. Sally (Downe), 288. William, 288. Skinner, EUsha W., 362. Slafter, Rev. Edmund F., extracts from discourse of, on the quarter- centennial of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 141-142, 146, 147, 148. Slavery, 229, 230, 249, 250, 251, 461, 463, 475. in U. S. Territories, 179. Resolutions of Massachusetts Leg- islature in regard to, 229-230. Slave-trade, suppression of, 419, 420. Smalley, Rev. Elam, D.D., 10. Smith, Abiel, 235.
Abigail, 448, 454.
Barney, 235, 236.
Betsey Matilda, 474.
Cephas, Jr., 20.
Rev. Charles, 483.
Dan, 474.
Hannah, 235.
Hannah (Barney), 235.
Hon. Israel, Governor of Vermont,
24. Hon. Jeremiah, LL.D., Governor
of New Hampshire, 238, 255. Hon. Jerome Van Crowninshield,
440. Capt. Job, 2.35. Mary, 448, 449. Prof. Nathan, M.D., 164. Rev. William, 448. William, 114. Smith School, Boston, 236. Smith V. Nelson, case of, 23. Social Friends Society, Dartmouth
College, 267. Society of Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Counties, Mass., ad- dress of Hon. Mark Doolittle before, 477. Socrates, 374.
Soldiers' refreshment rooms, Phila- delphia, during the Rebellion, 234.
528
IXDEX
Southard, Hon. Samuel Lewis, 100.
South Boston, Mass., fluctuation in value of land in, 126-127, 128 ; project of line of omnibuses to, 127; proposed construction of marginal road in, 127 ; pro- _ posed terminus of Western rail- roads at, 139. Free Bridge, 116, 126, 127, 134,
-v^ Glass Works, 289.
Wharf and Dock Company, 134- 135 ; remonstrance of, 135-136.
South Bridge (Boston), 123, 130, 131.
Southhridge, Mass., History of, hy H. Ammidown, 259, 262 ; His- tory of, by Moses Plimpton, 262-263 ; incorporation of, 257, 259 ; Lyceum of, 262.
South Carolina, grievances of, in 1851, 461.
South Cove, Boston, improvements in, 116, 123-126, 128-134, 137- 139; company formed for, 126, 128, 132-134, 136, 137-139.
Sparks, Eev. Jared, LL.D., 343, 354.
Specimens of American Poetry, by Samuel Kettell, 213.
Spencer, Gen. Joseph, 306.
Spenser, Edmund, 207. -
Spiritualism, modem, 56-57.
Sprague, Alice, 294. Hon. Peleg, 382.
Stamp Act, 369.
Standish, Capt. Myles, 86.
Starbuck family, 321.
Stark, Gen. John, 76.
Steam Navigation, establishment of code of regulations for, by Senator Davis, 183.
Stebbins, Edith a, 335. Luke, 358. OUver Bliss, 8.
Stebbins Genealogy, printed in 1771, 358; reprint of, by Tsew Eng- land Hist. Gen. Society, 358.
Stevens, John Austin, 409.
Stevenson, Hon. Andrew, 419. J. Thomas, 440.
Stewart, Louisa B., 196. StiLlman, Rev. Samuel, 115. Stoddard Genealogy, 119, 141. Stone, Abigail, 156.
Anne (Haven), 156.
Eev. Benjamin W., D.D., 242,
245. Eev. Edwin M., author of memoir
of John Howland, A.M., 4. Capt. James, 432. Hon. Josiah, 156. Samuel, 360. Stories and Poetry for the Young, by
Eev. F. T. Gray, 351. Storm at Sea, poem by James A.
Jones, extract from, 207-208. Story, Hon. Joseph, 84, 107, 108, 111,
284. Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 336, Strawberry Bank (Portsmouth, X. H.),
150. Strong, Hon. Caleb, Governor of ""Massachusetts, 375. John, 26. Stuart, Gilbert Charles, the portrait- painter, 331. Dr,, 455. Sturbridge, Mass., 257, 258, 259, 260, Sturgis, Mary Louisa, 60. Sarah Blake, 60. William, 440. Subordination of ecclesiastical to ju- dicial authority, 23. Sub-Treasury, speech of Senator Davis
against, 178-179. Succasunny, 96, 97, 98, 104. Suffolk Bar, meeting of, 110.
Company, 405. Suicide of twin brothers in Western
Massachusetts, 391. SuUivan, Hon. George, 153, 237, 255, 415. Gen. John, 306. Sully, Thomas, the portrait-painter,
331. Sumner, Anna, 369, 370. Hon. Charies, 475. Deacon Samuel, 369, 370.
INDEX
529
Sumner, Geu. TTilliara H., 53.
Sunckquasson, Sachem of Suckiange, 360.
Sunday schools, first establishment of, in Boston, 34], 342, 343, 344.
Superintendent of Burials, Boston, of- fice of, abolished, 291.
Swain, Christian, 320-321.
Swartwout, Samuel, trial of, 456-458; opinion of Judge Cranch there- on, 456-458.
Taft, Hon. Alpiioxso, 86. Takota, an episode of Jones's Haver- hill, 215. Tales of an Indian Camj), by James
A. Jones, 214, 215. TallejTand-Perigord, Charies Maurice,
Prince de Benevent, 31. Tappan, Eev. Benjamin, 387.
Delia (Emmons), 378, 387. Tarbox, Rev. Increase N., D.D., au- thor of memoir of Alfred Haw- kins, 4. Tarifi-, 101, 261, 407, 408, 400, 410, of 1816, 405. [442.
of 1824, 178, 405. of 1828, 182, 409; amended in
1832, 409. of 1842, 409, 410; revised in 1846, 410. Taunton, Mass., 369, 370, 387 ; Con- gregational Church of, 369. Taylor, Edna, 257, 259.
Elizabeth (Chapman), 257, John, 2.57. John, 257, 2.59.
Hon. Zachary, 179, 422, 423, 424, 431. Telegraph, or Bird's Hill, South Bos- ton, 127-123. Temperance, 261, 307, 475, 477; ad- dress on, by Rev. F. T. Gray, 351 ; essay on, by Mark Doo- little, 477 ; first measure in Mass. in favor of, 231 ; move- ment of 1827 in favor of, 308.
G7
Temple, Rev. Josiah H., author of memoir of Hon. Josiah Adams, A.M., 4. Thaxter, John, 451.
Rev. Joseph, 205. Thayer genealogy, 317. Thomas and Andrews, 116, 118, 119. Thomas, Isaiah, Sr., 263. Isaiah, Jr., 115, 118. Thornton, John Wingate, 144, 153,
154. Thurston, Elizabeth, 481.
William, 431. y
Tillinghast, Nicholas, 72. ^
Toby, Reliance, 320. Todd, Rev. John, 272. Total eclipse of the sun in 1806, 274. Towne, "William Blanchard, 7. Townsley, Jacob, 4-3. Traditionary and Historical Sketch of the Connecticut Valley Indians, by Dr. Stephen West AVilliams, 392. Traditions of the North American In- dians, by James A. Jones, 206, 207, 215, 216; extracts from, 216-221. Transit of Venus in 1761, 19. Trask, William B., 8; author of me- moir of David Hamblen, 5. Treason against tlie United States de- fined by Judge Cranch, 457. of Major-General Charles Lee, by George H. Moore, 82. Treinont Company, 405. Trenton, battle of, 307.
True American, 105. Trinity, doctrine of the, 466. Triumph of Infidelity over Superstition.
drama by Caleb Butler, 267. Trott & Bumstead, 115. Trumbull, John, his criticism of James A. Jones's earlier poems, 207. Hon. Jonathan, Jr., Governor of Connecticut, 83. Tuckerman, Edward, Jr., 49, 52.
Rev. Joseph, D.D., 34-3, 344, 347. Tudor, John, 39.
530
INDEX
Turell, Madam Mary (Morey), 340. Tyler, Hon. John, 182, 420, 421. Tyng, Eev. Stephen Higginson, D.D., 280,
Union Association, Boston, 315. Unitarian and Orthodox Theology, dif- ference between, 314-315, 466-
467. Sunday School Society, 346-347,
348. United States Circuit Court, District
of Columbia, 446, 455, 456;
Eeports of, by Judge Cranch,
456, 460, 469. Constitution, 353, 456, 457, 459,
461. Hotel, Boston, 124, 415. • House of Rejiresentatives, passage
of a Resolution of, relating to
slavery, 229. Literary Gazette, 208, 209, 210,
211, 212, 214. . Military District No. 1, 224. Review, 212. Supreme Court, 284, 455, 458,
463; Reports of, by Judge
Cranch, 446, 455, 469. V. Amos Kendall, law case of, 469. r. Tobias Watkins, law case of,
469.
Valuation CoMinTTEE of Massachu- setts Senate, 225. Vanatta, Attorney-General of New
Jersey, 98. Van Buren, Hon. Martin, 101, 102,
178, 179. Van Winkle, C S., 207. Varnum, Clarissa, 268, 269. Dorcas (Brown), 268. Hon. John, 90. Parker, 268. Vassalls, the, Cambridge, Mass., 298. Vaughan, Benjamin, 373. Charies, 373.
Vermont, History of, by Eev. Samuel "Williams, 20.
Reports, 22.
Second Medical Society, 391. Virgil, 198, 278.
Wachusett ^Mountain, grant of, to Rev, Timothy Fuller, by Massachusetts General Court, 354.
Waddington, Rev. John, Pastor of Pilgrim Church, Southwark, Eng., loses his church, 437; assisted by Mrs. Lawrence, 438 ; letter of Minister La\vrence to, 437-438 ; visit of, to this coun- try, 438,
Wadsworth, Alexander, J.28.
Wads worth Athenaeum, Hartford, Conn., 361.
Wales genealogy, 317.
Walker, Rev, James, President of Harvard College, 268. Hon. Joseph, 84. Hon. Robert J., first Report of, as Secretary of Treasury, 410.
Wall, Hon. Gan-et Dorset, 100, 101.
Ware, Rev. Henry, D.D., 343; ser- mon on the death of, by Rev. F. T. Gray, 351,
Warham, Rev. John, 19.
War of 1812, 24, 75, 76, 85, 115, 224, 403, 405, 415, 416, 460,
Warren Bridge, Boston, freedom of, 228.
Warren, Hon. Charles H., 11, 12. Gen. Joseph, 88.
Washburn, Hon. Emory, Governor of Massachusetts, 175; memorial of, by Hon. Charles Hudson, 173-174. Mary, 357.
Washington, city of, in 1794, 452; attack on, by the British in 1814, 460; National Institute of, 394.
I Federalist, 455.
INDEX
631
Washiugton, George, 76, 06, 230, 296, 306, 307, 310, 371, 455; ad- miuistration of, 449. Martha (Damlridge) Custis, 455. Waters, Talman J., 492. VVaterston, Eev. Kobert C, 346. Watertown, Mass., epitaphs copied from Old Burial- Grouud at, by W. T. Harris, 301. WatkiDs, Tobias, 469. Watson, Emma (Stone), 483. Han-iot, 433. Moses, 433. Watts, Dr. Isaac, 163. Ways and Means Committee of Con- gress, 418. Webster, Charles K., 362.
Hon. Daniel, 77, 84, 86, 152, 164, 179, 180, 181, 237, 251, 255, 280, 301, 328, 329, 331, 334, - 335, 420, 422, 432, 475, 489. Col. Ebenezer, 77. Ezekiel, 77, 86, 408. George, 362.
Hon. John, Governor of Connecti- cut, 361. Nathaniel, 84.
Noah, 454; his plan to start a ^/ daily paper in Boston, 454.
Kebecca (Greenleaf), 453. WeUes, Hon. Gideon, 408. Mary, 335. Judge, 333. Welllleet, Mass., 480; Methodist
Episcopal Church of, 482. Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke
of, 376, 425-426. Wells, Hon. Charles, 122. Wendell, Miss, 327. Westcott, Caleb, 323. ' Western Pioneer, 393.
Eaikoad, 413; application of, for relief, to Massachusetts Legis- lature, 228. Westfield, Mass., 473. West India Islands, trade of, with Eastport, Me., 281 ; with Prov- idence, Pt. I., 323.
Westminster Review, 215 ; its notice
of Jones's Haverhill, 215-216. West Point, U. S. Military Academy
at, 244-245. Wcstville Mills, Soutbbridge, Mass.,
264. Wctherbee, John, 236. Wethcrsfield, Conn., 361 ; History of, projected by Nathaniel Good- win, 365. Wheat on, Hon. Henry, LL.D., Ill,
424. Wheelock, John, A.M., LL.D., Presi- dent of Dartmouth College, 84, 224. Wheelwright, Benjamin F., 492. Whig Conventions of 1344 and 1848, 422. Party, 176, 182, 183, 271, 282, 283, 410, 418, 422, 423, 439. Whiskey Eebellion in Pennsylvania,
97. White, Anna, 369.
Anna (Biugley), 369. John Gardner, A.M., 8; author of memoir of Hon. Samuel S. Wilde, LL.D., 5. Leonard, 452. Hon. Samuel, 369. Samuel, 369. Whiting, William, of Hadley, 361. Whitman, Hon. Ezekiel, 106.
Lucia, 74. Whitney, Ellen, 338. Wigglesworth, Edward, 211; his let- ters to James A. Jones, 211-
Wigglesworth's Day of Doom, 119. Wight, Moses, 444. Wihl, John, 368-369.
Sarah (Hayden), 369.
William, 369. Wilde, Anna (Sumner), 369, 370.
Anna (White), 369.
Anne Sumner, 388.
Ann Janette (Brown) Druce, 338.
Caroline, 375, 376, 333.
Deacon Daniel, 369, 370.
532
IKDEX
Wilde, Eleanor Bradish, 387. Ellen (Whitney), 388.' Eunice (CoLb), 371, 374, 375,
387. Eunice, 387. George Cobb, 388. George Frederic, 388. Henry Jackson, 378, 387, 388. Isaac Parker, 388. Hon. Samuel Sumner, LL.D., 110; memoir of, 368-388: eu- logy of, on Prof. Greenleaf, 110; opinion of, in York Case, 381- 383. Samuel Sumner, 387. William Cobb, 376, 387. WUder, Hon. Marshall Pinckney, 75, 144 ; his efforts in behalf of the New England Historic Genea- logical Society, 149. 0., New York publisher, 208. Wilkinson, Gen. James, 458. Willard, Margery, 184. Richard, 184. Major Simon, 184. William and Joseph, Narrative of the Shipwi-eck of the, by James A. Jones, 221. William I., King of the Netherlands,
419. WUliams, Rev. Abraham, 353. Albert, 397. Caroline Maria, 26. Caroline WiUard, 397. Hon. Charles Kilbom, Governor
of Vermont, memoir of, 17-33. Charles Kilbom, 27. Charles Langdon, 26. Charlotte Eloisa, 26. Chauncy KUbom, 27. Edward Jenner, 397. Eunice (Mather), 19. Harriet T. (Goodhue), 392, 397. Helen Maria, 397. Jane (l\ilbom), 18. Rev. John, of Deerfield, sketch of, 19 ; memoir of, by Dr. Stephen W. Williams, 393.
Williams, John D., 133. John Warham, 26. Hon. Joseph H., 51. Laura Lothrop Langdon, 26. Lemuel, 355. Lucy Jane, 26. Mary Augusta, 26. ■ Mary (Hoyt), 389. Hon. Reuel, 50, 51. Rev. Roger, 305 ; Life of, by Prof.
J. D. Knowles, 310. Rev. Samuel, LL.D., 18; sketch
of, 19-20. Hon. Samuel, 27; author of me- moir of Hon. Charles K. Wil- liams, 3. Sarah, 353.
Dr. Stephen West, A.M., M.D., memoir of, 389-397; extract from Autt)biography of, 389- 394. Dr. Thomas, 390. Rev. Warham, 18, 19. Dr. William Stoddart, 389, 390. Mr., 126. WilUams College, 300, 336, 393, 435. WiUiams Family, Genealogy and His- tory of, by Dr. Stephen W. Williams, 394. Willis, Hon. WUliam, 107. WUloughby University, Ohio, 393. . Wilson, Hon. Henry, 75. Isabel (Woodhal), 235. Hon. James J., 99. Rev. John, first minister of Bos- ton, 235. Rev. William, 235. Wilson's American Ornithology, 391-
392, 393. Windsor, Conn., History of, 365. Winn, Margaret (Combs), 196. Winnebagoes, tradition of, 220. Winthrop, Hon. John, Governor of Massachusetts, Journal of, 360. Prof. John, LL.D., 19. Hon. Robert C, 92, 440; his sketch of Isaac P. Davis, 330- 333.
INDEX
533
Wolfe, Lieut. -Gen. Edward, 201.
Henrietta, 201.
Major-Gen. James, 201, 202, 215;
tomb of, 201, 202.
Wood, David, 289.
David, 269.
Hon. Fernando, 489.
Martha, 2S8, 289.
Rev. Di". Samuel, 73.
Woodbridge, John, 393.
Madam, teacher at Dcerfield,
Mass., 389.
Woodbury, Hon. Levi, 102.
Woodhal, Isabel, 23.5.
Worcester, Mass., 356, 357; address
at dedication of Town Hall of,
177 ; Hon. John Davis's Fourth
of July oration at, 177 ; Police
Court of, 356. Agricultural Society, 232, 262.
Bar, 356.
County Bible Society, 178. County Historical Society, 178.
Wordsworth, William, 378. Wotton, Sir Henry, hymn of, 60. Wragg, Lieut, 39. Wright, William, 126, 130, 131 ; his
plan for street from Front to
Sea St., Boston, 130.
Xenophon, 374.
Yale College, condition of, at close of last century, 188-190; Phi Beta Kappa Society of, 243.
York, Peter, case of, 379-383.
Young Men's Self-Improvement Asso- ciation, Boston, 342.
Young Men's Total Abstinence Soci- ety, Boston, 347.
Young's Chronicles of the Pilgrims, " Index to, by W. T. Harris, 299.
Youth, poem by Hon. William Plumer, 253.
UniTereity Press : John Wilson and Son, Cambrid;;e.