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THE  HISTORY 


OF  THE  STATE  OF 


RHODE  ISLAND 


AND 


PROVIDENCE  PLANTATIONS 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


NEW  YORK 
THE  AMERICAN  HISTORICAL  SOCIETV,  INC. 

1920 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


JAMES  LISTER,  one  of  the  founders  and  late 
president  of  the  Ccnterdale  Worsted  Mills,  and  one  of 
the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  was 
a  native  of  England,  born  in  the  town  of  Bradford, 
Yorkshire,  February  19,  1851.  Mr.  Lister  was  a  son 
of  William  and  Hannah  (Brown)  Lister,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  that  place. 

The  first  fourteen  years  of  Mr.  Lister's  life  was 
spent  in  his  native  region,  but  in  1865  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  the  United  States,  their  first  home  in 
this  country  being  in  Philadelphia,  where  they  resided 
until  1869.  In  the  latter  year  they  removed  to  Jasper 
county,  Iowa,  where  his  parents  spent  the  remainder 
of  their  life.  Mr.  Lister's  father  was  in  the  wool  manu- 
facturing business  in  Philadelphia,  but  after  going  to 
Iowa  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  on  a  farm.  The 
education  of  James  Lister  was  begun  in  the  schools  of 
Yorkshire,  which  he  attended  until  he  reached  the  age 
of  fourteen  years.  After  coming  to  America  he  attended 
the  night  schools  of  Philadelphia,  and  during  the  day 
was  employed  in  several  different  positions.  Upon  going 
to  Iowa  with  his  parents  in  1869,  he  assisted  his  father 
with  the  work  on  his  farm,  but  only  remained  in  that 
Western  State  for  about  six  or  eight  months,  and  in 
the  summer  of  1870  returned  to  Philadelphia.  He  had 
already  some  experience  in  the  work  of  manufacturing 
wool,  and  upon  returning  to  the  Eastern  city  was  given 
a  position  in  charge  of  a  wool  room  as  overseer.  Later 
be  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  wool  buyer  for  the 
Nalor  Worsted  Company  and  acted  in  that  capacity  for 
j-bout  one  year.  He  was  then  appointed  to  a  similar 
position  with  Charles  Spencer  &  Company,  of  German- 
town,  Pa.,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  In  the 
meantime  Mr.  Lister,  who  had  been  very  ambitious  to 
be  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account,  had  had  his 
attention  drawn  to  the  wool  brokerage  business,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  two  years'  period  with  the  last-named 
concern,  returned  to  Philadelphia  and  entered  this  line 
for  himself.  He  remained  thus  occupied  in  Philadel- 
phia until  1885,  when  at  the  instance  of  Charles  Fletcher 
he  came  to  Providence  and  accepted  the  position  of  wool 
buyer  and  general  manager  of  the  wool  department  in 
the  great  establishment  of  the  National  and  Providence 
Worsted  Mills,  situated  at  Olneyville.  He  remained 
with  this  company  until  1890,  and  in  the  meantime  in- 
vested his  savings  in  the  stock  thereof,  thus  becoming 
a  partial  owner  of  the  enterprise.  In  1890  he  sold  his 
interest  in  the  mill  and  formed  an  association  with  Wil- 
liam A.  Mackie  and  William  Dracup,  and  the  three  men 
established  the  Centcrdale  Worsted  Mills.  This  com- 
pany took  over  the  old  Centcrdale  Cotton  Mills,  which 
had  been  operated  by  the  firm  of  Baldwin  &  Greene  and 
added  largely  to  the  structure.  They  then  imported 
machinerv-  for  the  manufacture  of  worsted  yarns  and 
began  their  successful  operations.  The  concern  was 
constituted  with  William  Mackie  as  president,  Mr.  Lis- 
ter as  treasurer  and  William  Dracup  as  secretary.     In 


the  year  1914  William  Mackie  retired  from  the  business, 
and  Mr.  Lister  became  president,  an  office  which  he 
held  to  the  time  of  his  death.  During  his  entire  con- 
nection with  this  firm  Mr.  Lister  devoted  his  best  ener- 
gies and  practically  all  his  time  to  the  upbuilding  and 
development  of  the  great  enterprise  which  he  hea<led, 
and  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  the  active 
factor  in  the  growth  of  the  mill.  They  gradually  ex- 
tended their  interest  to  embrace  other  towns  and  at  the 
present  day  the  concern  owns  mills  located  at  Stillwater, 
Centcrdale,  Olneyville  and  Allendale,  the  present  officers 
being:  William  H.  Lister,  president;  James  J.  Lister, 
treasurer,  and  Robert  W.  Lister,  secretary.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  great  business  activities  Mr.  Lister  was  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  the  general  life  of  the  community 
and  was  a  member  of  What  Cheer  Lodge,  N'o.  21,  An- 
cient Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  with  which  he  became 
affiliated  in  the  year  1892.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
the  Wool  Men's  Association  of  Boston.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Lister  was  an  Episcopalian  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Grace  Church  of  that  denomination,  at  Provi- 
dence. 

James  Lister  was  twice  married.  He  is  survived  by 
his  second  wife,  Elizabeth  H.  Lister,  of  Providence. 

The  Centcrdale  Worsted  Mills— "Xht  first  mill  built  at 
Centcrdale  is  said  to  have  been  built  along  about  1820, 
but  not  until  1891  was  the  company  formed  which  is 
now  the  Centcrdale  Worsted  Mills,  incorporated.  The 
company  is  capitalized  at  $100,000,  and  maintains  four 
mills,  one  located  at  Olneyville,  washing  the  wool  and 
carding  and  combing.  The  other  three  are  located  at 
Centcrdale,  Allendale  and  Stillwater,  where  the  wool 
is  spun  into  worsted  yarns.  About  six  hundred  opera- 
tives are  employed  in  the  different  mills,  about  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  surrounding  them,  upon  which  com- 
fortable houses  have  been  built,  which  are  occupied  by 
the  mill  operatives.  The  original  mill  at  Ccnterdale, 
which  constituted  the  original  plant,  is  still  in  opera- 
tion, and  the  main  offices  of  the  company  are  also 
located  at  Centcrdale.  The  officers  of  the  company  are : 
William  H.  Lister,  president;  James  J.  Lister,  treas- 
urer; Robert  W.  Lister,  secretary;  they  constituting  the 
board  of  directors  with  the  addition  of  Joseph  B.  Lis- 
ter, Benjamin  Lister  and  William  H.  Thornley.  The 
Lister  family  have  been  the  controlling  owners  and 
managers  of  the  Ccnterdale  Worsted  Mills;  James  Lis- 
ter, now  deceased,  was  one  of  the  founders  and  princi- 
pal owner  at  the  time  of  incorporation.  William  H. 
and  James  J.  Lister  are  the  sons  of  Joseph  Brown 
Lister.  Robert  W.  Lister  is  the  son  of  Samuel  Lister, 
associated  with  the  Centcrdale  Worsted  Mills. 


JOSEPH  BROWN  LISTER— In  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land, Joseph  B.  Lister  first  saw  the  light,  April  30,  1855, 
and  is  now  a  resident  of  Stillwater,  R.  1.,  superintend- 
ent of  the  Stillwater  Mill  of  the  Ccnterdale  Worsted 
Mills,  of  which  he  is  a  director.     In  1865  his  parents. 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


William  and  Hannah  (Brown)  Lister,  now  both  de- 
ceased, came  to  the  United  States,  and  Joseph  B.,  who 
had  already  been  a  mill  worker  for  one  year,  accom- 
panied them. 

William  Lister,  a  wool  sorter  and  buyer,  located  in 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  there  Joseph  B.  attended  the  pub- 
lic school  until  twelve  years  of  age.  He  then  became  a 
worsted  mill  worker,  but  .continued  his  education  in 
night  schools.  In  1869,  after  five  years  spent  in  Phila- 
delphia, the  family  moved  to  the  State  of  Iowa,  settling 
on  a  farm.  Joseph  B.  Lister  assisted  his  father  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  farm,  and  rerhained  in  the  West  six 
years,  then  returned  to  Philadelphia  to  take  an  over- 
seer's position  in  the  worsted  mill,  of  which  his  brother 
was  superintendent.  He  did  not  long  continue  in  that 
position,  but  entered  the  employ  of  a  worsted  mill  in 
the  Kensington  district  of  Philadelphia,  there  being  a 
sorter  for  one  year.  The  path  of  duty  then  led  west- 
ward, and  he  returned  to  Iowa,  there  remaining  sev- 
eral years,  associated  with  his  father,  they  engaging  in 
butchering  and  marketing.  A  few  years  later  he  moved 
to  the  State  of  Missouri,  and  there  for  seven  years  culti- 
vated a  farm  owned  by  his  father.  He  then  again  re- 
turned to  Iowa,  and  established  a  grocery,  meat  market 
and  bakery,  which  he  successfully  conducted  until  1899, 
which  year  closed  his  Western  experiences,  and  he 
again  came  East,  joining  his  brother,  James  Lister,  in 
Ctnterdale,  R.  I.,  and  forming  the  connection  with  the 
Centerdale  Worsted  Mills,  which  yet  exists.  He  be- 
came a  stockholder  \n  the  company,  which  his  brother 
had  founded,  and  was  at  first  placed  in  charge  of  the 
wool  sorting  department.  The  town  of  Smithfield 
secured  an  injunction  against  the  company,  claiming  the 
washing  of  wool  polluted  the  stream,  the  company  then 
moving  that  department  further  down  the  river  to 
Olneyville.  In  the  autumn  of  1917  Joseph  B.  Lister  be- 
came superintendent  of  the  Stillwater  Mill,  owned  by 
the  Centerdale  Worsted  Mills  Corporation,  and  in  that 
village  he  resides.  That  his  years  as  an  agriculturist 
left  their  impress  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the  small 
garden  attached  to  his  home^Js  his  favored  place  of 
recreation,  most  of  his  spare  time  being  there  spent  in 
the  proper  season.  .  . 

Mr.  Lister  married,  in.Iowa,"December,  1878,  Sarah 
Lowrey,  and  they  are  the  parents'of  twro  sons  and  two 
daughters:  James  Jay,  treasurer  of  the  Centerdale 
Worsted  Mills;  William  H.,  president  of  the  Centerdale 
Worsted  Mills  :  Harriett,  wife  of  Frank  Hunt,  of  Prov- 
idence; and  Charlotte,  married  Arthur  Miller,  of  Provi- 
dence. 


JAMES  JAY  LISTER,— The  ORcration  of  the  mills 
belonging  to  the  corporation,  and  the  management  of 
the  various  departments  into  which  the  business  of  the 
Centerdale  Worsted  Mills  is  divided,  has  always  been 
in  the  hands  of  the  Listers,  the  present  officials  being 
of  the  second  generation,  James  Lister,  the  f.iunder  and 
principal  stockholder,  now  deceased,  being  represented 
in  the  management  by  his  nephew,  Robert  W.  Lister, 
while  Joseph  Brown  Lister,  brother  of  the  founder, 
and  a  stockholder  from  its  earliest  day,  is  yet  the 
superintendent  of  the  Stillwater  Mill,  he.  the  father  of 
James  Jay  Lister,  treasurer,  and  William  H.  Lister, 
president  of  the  company  founded  by  their  uncle  and 


father,  and  developed  by  the  sons  of  both  to  its  large 
proportions. 

James  Jay  Lister,  eldest  son  of  Joseph  Brown  and 
Sarah  (Lowrey)  Lister,  was  born  in  Newton,  Iowa, 
September  20,  1879,  and  there  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  finishing  with  high  school.  He  began  his 
business  career  as  an  assistant  in  the  meat  market 
owned  and  conducted  by  his  father,  and  later  was  a 
night  clerk  at  Grinnell.  Iowa.  In  iSgg  he  came  East 
with  his  father,  and  with  him  became  associated  with 
James  Lister,  in  the  operation  of  the  mill  owned  by  the 
newly  incorporated  Centerdale  Worsted  Mills,  at  Cen- 
terdale, R.  I.  The  young  man  rapidly  acquired  valuable 
experience,  and  under  the  able  direction  of  father  and 
uncle  passed  from  post  to  post  through  merited  promo- 
tion. When  James  Lister  went  with  his  wool-washing 
department  to  Olneyville,  to  comply  with  the  law  which 
forbade  them  longer  to  wash  their  wool  in  the  town  of 
Smithfield,  James  Jay  Lister  was  placed'  in  charge  at 
Stillwater,  later  going  to  Olneyville  in  charge  of  the 
wool  sorting  department  there.  His  ne.xt  promotion 
was  the  general  superintendency  of  the  plant,  and  in 
1914  was  made  general  superintendent  of  all  plants, 
and  later  was  elected  treasurer  of  the  corporation  and 
its  general  manager. 

James  Jay  Lister  resides  in  Providence.  R.  I.,  and 
there  belongs  to  the  various  Masonic  bodies  of  the 
York  and  Scottish  Rites,  holding  the  thirty-second  de- 
gree, and  is  also  a  noble  of  Palestine  Tttnpie,  Nobles 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  a  member  of  ;the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks.  In  politics  he  ig  a  Republican 
and  has  served  as  councilman  in  SiiHthfield. 

Mr.  Lister  married,  in  Providence,  -November  3.  1904. 
Emma  Agnes  Harris,  daughter  of  Ira  Harris,  of  North 
Providence,  now  deceased.  ?ilr.  and  Mrs.  Lister  are  the 
parents  of  a  daughter,  Mildred  Edna,  and  of  a  son, 
Joseph  I. 


WILLIAM  H.  LISTER— As  head  of  the  corpor- 
ation which  has  existed  under  its  present  name 
since  1899,  W^illiam  H.  Lister  occupies  a  position 
to  which  he  came  through  years  of  preparation  as 
a  mill  worker,  wool  buyer,  and  director.  His  entire 
business  life  has  been  passed  in  ■  the  various  de- 
partments of  the  business  which  he  now  directs  as 
executive,  the  Centerdale  Worsted  Mills,  with  main 
•offices  at  Centerdale,  and  mills  at  Centerdale.  Olney- 
'.ville.  Stillwater,  and  Allendale.  He  is  the  second  son 
of  Joseph  Brown  and  Sarah  (Lowrey)  Lister.  The 
Centerdale  Worsted  Mills  is  a  corporation  owned  and 
managed  in  the  Lister  family,  the  entire  directorate  and 
officials  bearing  the  name  Lister.  The  record  of  the 
company  is  an  honorable  one,  and  in  the  hands  of  the 
second  generation  the  development  of  the  business  con- 
tinues along  the  best  modern  lines. 

William  H.  Lister,  born  in  Newton.  Jasper  county, 
Iowa,  April  7,  1882.  was  there  educated  in  the  grade  and 
high  schools.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  came 
East  with  his  parents,  making  settlement  with  them  at 
Centerdale.  R.  I.,  where  father  and  sons  joined  James 
Lister  in  developing  the  newly  incorporated  Centerdale 
Worsted  Mills.  William  H.  Lister  began  at  the  bottom 
and  passed  in  succession  through  the  worl,  combing  and 


^^^/ 


^/v      /J. 


^  -<^-/^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


carding  departments  of  the  mill,  as  it  then  existed,  con- 
tinuing as  a  mill  worker  until  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years.  He  then  became  a  wool  buyer  for  the  company, 
going  out  into  the  open  markets  and  buying  in  com- 
petition with  men  from  other  corporations,  many  of 
whom  had  very  much  greater  experience  than  he.  He 
developed  strong  quality  as  a  purchasing  agent,  and 
although  now  president  of  the  corporation,  he  is  still  the 
buyer  of  wool  for  his  own  mills,  and  spends  a  great 
deal  of  time  on  the  road  attending  wool  sales  and  buy- 
ing and  selling  the  surplus  he  secures  direct  to  other 
mills.  He  has  long  been  a  member  of  the  board  of 
directors,  and  in  191 7  was  elected  president,  an  office  he 
ably  fills.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Boston  Wool 
Traders'  Association,  and  the  Providence  Chamber  of 
Commerce. 

Mr.  Lister  married,  in  February,  1908,  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  Edna  Swan,  daughter  of  John  Swan,  a  farmer, 
now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lister  are  the  parents  of 
a  son,  William  H.  (2),  and  of  a  daughter,  June  Leigh- 
ton.  The  family  home  is  at  No.  216  Ohio  avenue. 
Providence,  R.  L 


ROBERT  WILLIAM   LISTER,   secretary   of  the 

Centerdale  Worstcil  Mills,  was  b^rn  in  Newton,  Jasper 
county,  Iowa,  October  22,  1881,  the  son  of  Samuel  and 
Eliza  (Snook)  Lister.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
and  a  commercial  college  at  Newton.  In  1901,  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years,  he  came  to  Rhode  Island,  locating 
in  Centerdale,  where  he  accepted  a  position  in  the  Cen- 
terdale Worsted  Mills  in  the  recording  department,  and 
so  continued  until  1912,  when  he  was  elected  secretary 
of  the  company.  Later  he  was  given  the  additional 
title,  assistant  treasurer,  and  in  this  dual  capacity  is 
now  serving  (1919).  He  is  a  member  of  the  Providence 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  holds  all  the  degrees  of  the 
York  and  Scottish  Rites  of  Masonry,  up  to  and  includ- 
ing the  thirty-second.  He  is  also  a  Noble  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine,  and  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Second  United  Pres- 
byterian  Church  of   Providence.  R.  I. 

Robert  W.  Lister  married,  September  ig,  1906,  \'iolet 
Etta  MacRae,  daughter  of  Farquhar  MacRae,  "The 
Florist,"  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lister  are  the 
parents  of  a  daughter,  Ruth  M.,  and  of  a  son,  Robert 
W.  (2).  The  family  residence  is  in  the  Fruit  Hill 
section  of  North  Providence.  R.  I. 


ALFRED  E.  LAMOUREUX— Since  the  year  1905 
a  pharmacist  of  .Anthony,  R.  I.,  Mr.  Lamoureux.  in  the 
period  since  elapsed,  has  won  his  way  to  honorable  posi- 
tion among  the  business  men  of  the  State  to  which  he 
was  brought  by  his  parents  when  a  boy.  He  is  a  grad- 
uate in  pharmacy,  and  in  both  drug  and  prescription 
departments  of  his  store  has  built  up  a  good  business. 
His  success  in  business  and  his  rise  in  public  life  is 
founded  upon  professional  skill  and  ability,  public 
spirit,  and  patriotism,  he  having  had  none  of  the  aid 
influential  friends  can  give  when  first  he  made  his 
claim  for  recognition.  Merit  alone  has  been  his 
strength,  and  in  the  town  so  long  his  home  he  is  held 
in  high  esteem  as  professional  man,  merchant,  and 
citizen. 

Alfred  E.  Lamotireux  was  born  in  the   Province  of 


Quebec,  Canada,  in  November,  1871,  but  when  a  boy 
was  brought  by  his  parents  to  the  town  of  Coventry, 
R.  I.,  where  the  lad  attended  public  school,  and  obtained 
his  English  education.  He  was  employed  in  various 
capacities  during  his  youth,  but  finally,  deciding  upon 
a  profession,  entered  GrofF  College  of  Pharmacy, 
whence  he  was  graduated  in  1898.  He  aided  in  clerical 
capacity  for  other  pharmacists  until  1905,  when  he 
opened  a  drug  store  in  Anthony,  R.  I.,  and  established 
the  prosperous  business  of  which  he  is  still  the  manag- 
ing owner. 

Senator  Lamoureux  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
in  Town  Council  and  in  both  Houses  of  the  Legislature 
has  rendered  his  town  and  his  State  unselfish,  public- 
spirited  service.  In  1912  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
Anthony  Town  Council,  remaining  in  that  office  two 
years.  During  this  period  Mr.  Lamoureux  addressed 
himself  especially  to  the  task  of  providing  plans  for 
freeing  the  town  from  its  load  of  debt,  and  to  the 
improvement  of  its  sadly  deteriorated  highways.  '  He 
succeeded  in  both  undertakings,  and  when  at  the  end 
of  two  years'  service  in  Council  he  was  sent  to  the 
State  Legislature  the  roads  were  in  good  condition  and 
the  debt  greatly  reduced.  Senator  Lamoureux  was 
elected  to  represent  the  town  of  Coventry,  in  the  Gen- 
eral .Assembly  of  Rhode  Island,  in  1914,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Lower  House  during  the  years.  1915  and 
1916,  serving  on  committees  on  State  property  and 
labor  legislation.  At  the  November  elections  in  1916,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  from  Cov- 
entry, and  from  the  time  of  having  his  seat  in  that  body, 
January  i,  1917,  he  has  served  his  State  with  high, 
patriotic  purpose.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Senate  com- 
mittee on  State  property,  and  in  a  public-spirited,  pro- 
gressive way  has  sought  the  best  for  his  State.  While 
deeply  interested  in  every  department,  he  has  been 
especially  active  and  helpful  in  the  improvement  of  the 
public  highways,  bringing  to  his  work  in  that  direction 
the  results  of  much  study  and  research.  Deeply  earnest 
in  his  desire  to  serve,  and  being  well  informed,  he  acts 
with  intelligent  purpose,  has  accomplished  a  great  deal, 
and  Rhode  Island  has  no  citizen  more  desirous  of  aid- 
ing the  cause  of  the  public  good  than  this  adopted  son, 
Senator  .Alfred  E.  Lamoureux. 

In  fraternal  relation  he  is  afliliated  with  those  sterling 
orders,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
Knights  of  Pythias,  holding  high  office  in  both.  He  is  a 
post  noble  grand  of  .Anthony  Lodge,  No.  21,  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  serving  also  for  two  years 
as  district  deputy  grand  master  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Rhode  Island.  He  is  senior  warden  of  Sagamore  En- 
campment, No.  6.  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
of  .Anthony,  and  a  past  chancellor  commander  of  Narra- 
gansett  Lodge,  No.  8,  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Phenix, 
R.  I. 

Senator  Lamoureux  married.  December  31.  1903. 
Lillias  MacMillan  Apes,  a  graduate  of  State  Normal 
School,  class  of  1898,  and  for  two  years  thereafter  a 
teacher  in  Crompton,  R.  I.,  town  of  West  Warwick. 
.An  invalid  mother  then  requiring  her  care.  Miss  .Apes 
resigned  her  position,  and  until  her  marriage  remained 
at  home.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Captain  Leonard  Apes, 
born  in  Norwich,  Conn.,  December  23,  1829,  died  in 
Quidnick,  R.  I.,  February  23,  1896.    He  ran  away  from 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


his  Connecticut  home  when  a  boy  of  fourteen  and  went 
to  sea,  shipping  at  New  London,  and  for  thirty  years 
he  sailed  deep  water  in  New  London  and  New  Bed- 
ford ships  bound  "a  whaling,"  becoming  master  of  his 
own  ship.  He  retired  from  the  sea  at  the  age  of 
forty-five,  after  a  seafaring  life  of  great  activity,  dur- 
ing which  he  sailed  many  seas,  visited  many  strange 
lands,  and  in  his  home  had  a  collection  of  rare  and 
curious  souvenirs  af  his  adventurous  life.  Upon  retir- 
ing from  a  mariner's  life  he  made  his  home  at  Quid- 
nick,  R.  I.,  where  his  after  life  was  passed.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  belonging  to  a  Con- 
necticut lodge,  and  was  highly  recommended  in  his 
community.  Captain  Apes  married  (first)  June  ii, 
1854,  Mary  Frances  Bailey,  who  bore  him  two  sons : 
Henry  B.  Apes,  born  Jan.  8,  1858,  and  Leonard  F.  Apes, 
born  July  31,  1863,  died  Jan.  11,  1877.  Captain  Apes 
married  (second)  at  Quidnick,  R.  L,  in  June.  1875, 
Margaret  MacMillan.  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  May 
23,  1844,  died  Aug.  3,  1903,  whose  parents  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1847.  and  settled  in  East  Greenwich, 
later  in  River  Point,  and  Quidnick,  R.  L  Captain  and 
Mrs.  Apes  were  the  parents  of:  Lillias  M.  Apes,  wife 
of  Senator  Alfred  E.  Lamoureux,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  two  daughters:  Hope,  bom  April  22,  1910, 
and  Claire,  born  March  i,  1915. 


his  old  employer,  P.  O.  O'Connor,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained eight  years,  until  1906,  in  which  year  he  opened 
and  established  the  present  plumbing  business  located  at 
No.   261    Smith   street,   and   has  continued   successfully. 

A  Republican  in  his  political  faith,  Mr.  Hay  was 
chosen  a  member  of  the  North  Providence  Town  Coun- 
cil for  five  terms ;  was  elected  representative  to  the 
State  Legislature  in  1915  and  1916.  and  in  1917  was 
elected  to  his  present  office.  State  Senator.  His  resi- 
dence is  at  Fruit  Hill,  where  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Fruit  Hill  Volunteer  Fire  Company.  He  is  a  member 
of  Roger  Williams  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
of  North  Providence,  Scituate  Chapter,  Royal  .\rch 
Masons;  Providence  Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters; 
St.  John's  Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  and  Pales- 
tine Temple  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mys- 
tic Shrine.  He  is  also  a  member  of  North  Providence 
Improvement  Association. 

Senator  Hay  married,  in  North  Providence,  R.  L, 
October  10,  1902,  Minnie  M.  Angell,  daughter  of  Oren 
T.  and  Mary  (Gould)  Angell,  of  North  Providence. 
They  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Antoinette,  bom 
April  16,  1907,  now  attending  Fruit  Hill  grammar 
school. 


ROBERT  WATSON  HAY— In  1914  Mr.  Hay  was 
elected  to  represent  North  Providence  in  the  Rhode 
Island  Legislature,  his  office  being  State  Senator.  This 
prominence  in  political  life  is  the  outcome  of  a  life  of 
public-spirited  interest  in  community  public  affairs  and 
his  willingness  to  bear  his  share  of  civic  burdens.  He 
brings  to  the  performance  of  his  duties  strong,  intelli- 
gent purpose,  and  is  one  of  the  members  of  the  Legis- 
lature who  can  be  relied  upon  to  perform  their  duties 
to  the  limit.  He  is  of  Scotch  parentage,  his  parents, 
John  and  Janet  (Gibbs)  Hay,  both  born  in  Glasgow, 
Scotland.  They  met  in  the  United  States,  married  and 
settled  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  John  Hay,  a  ma- 
chinist and  blacksmith,  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-three, 
his  widow  surviving  him  until  the  age  of  seventy-two. 
Three  of  the  nine  children  of  John  and  Janet  Hay  are 
living:  Robert  Watson,  to  whom  this  review  is  in- 
scribed; William  S.,  and  Jotin  K..  all  residents  of  Provi- 
dence. 

Robert  Watson  Hay  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
January  8,  1870.  and  there  completed  primary  and 
grammar  school  courses  of  study  in  the  public  school. 
He  began  a  wage-earning  life  in  the  finishing  depart- 
ment of  the  Wanskuck  Mills  and  there  continued  five 
years,  leaving  to  begin  an  apprenticeship  with  the  J.  S. 
Fuller  Company  at  the  plumber's  trade.  Five  years  were 
spent  in  acquiring  expert  knowledge  of  this  trade  with 
the  Fuller  Company,  followed  by  two  years  service  as 
a  journeyman  plumber  at  Marlboro,  Mass.,  in  the  em- 
ploy of  William  H.  Hill  and  the  Bradley  Plumbing 
Company.  He  then  returned  to  Providence,  spending 
two  years  with  the  Thomas  Phillips  Plumbing  Com- 
pany, eighteen  months  with  the  F.  G.  Lees  Company, 
and  two  years  with  P.  O.  O'Connor.  He  then  formed 
a  partnership  and  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Doyle  & 
Hay  conducted  a  plumbing  business  in  Providence  for 
two  years.     He  then  again  became  a  journeyman  with 


THE  HON.  JOSEPH  E.  SMITH,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  North  Kingston,  R.  I.,  where 
for  many  years  he  was  a  successful  farmer  and  repre- 
sented that  town  in  the  Rliode  Island  State  Senate,  is 
a  member  of  a  family  which  has  been  for  a  number  of 
generations  identified  with  this  region,  the  members  of 
which  have  always  occupied  a  high  position  in  the 
esteem  and  regard  of  their  fellow  citizens.  His  grand- 
father was  Benjamin  Smith,  who  resided  in  North 
Kingston  during  the  Revolutionary  period.  He  was 
a  tailor  by  trade  and  also  engaged  in  farming  in  this 
neighborhood.  He  had  not  yet  attained  his  majority 
at  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  but  although 
under  age,  enlisted  in  the  patriot  forces  and  served  dur- 
ing a  considerable  portion  of  that  momentous  struggle. 
He  married  Mary  Austin,  and  among  their  children 
was  Harris  Smith,  the  father  of  the  Hon.  Joseph  E. 
Smith,  of  further  mention. 

Harris  Smith,  like  his  father  before  him,  was  en- 
gaged in  the  occupation  of  farming  at  North  Kings- 
ton. He  was  also  an  expert  surveyor  and  followed  the 
latter  calling  to  a  considerable  extent,  doing  much  of 
the  work  of  surveying  in  this  community.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Whig,  and  took  an  exceedingly  active  part  in 
local  affairs,  serving  on  the  town  council  and  repre- 
senting North  Kingston  in  the  State  Legislature.  He 
married  Hannah  Spink,  a  daughter  of  John  Spink,  a 
member  of  one  of  the  oldest  of  the  North  Kingston 
families.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  child- 
ren :  Juan  F.,  died  in  i860;  John  Spink;  Benjamin  F., 
died  in  1865 ;  Harriett  S. ;  Joseph  E.,  with  whose  career 
we  are  here  especially  concerned;  William  M.,  deceased; 
Mary  C,  deceased;  Amy  S.,  who  became  the  wife  of 
John  Coulters,  of  Arlington,  R.  I. ;  Avis  A.,  who  be- 
came the  widow  of  George  M.  Weeden  of  Cranston, 
R-  I.;  George  H.,  on  the  old  homestead;  and  Hannah 
A.,  deceased. 

Joseph  E.  Smith,  son  of  Harris  and  Hannah  (Spink) 
Smith,     was    born    at     North     Kingston,    January     n, 


^Oi^L^/<h-     Q)   D^^^^i^y^-^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1837,  and  has  made  his  residence  here  during  his  entire 
hie.  As  a  child  he  attended  the  local  school,  then  known 
as  the  Stony  Lane  School  of  North  Kingston,  where 
he  studied  until  he  had  reached  the  age  01"  sixteen 
years.  He  attended  also  the  Rhode  Island  Institute 
and  later  the  Lapham  Institute.  During  this  time,  as 
was  customary  with  the  lads  of  that  period,  he  assisted 
his  father  on  the  latter's  farm,  giving  to  this  work  not 
only  his  vacation  but  the  spare  hours  during  the  school 
session.  After  he  had  completed  his  studies,  however, 
he  began  to  work  for  the  neighboring  farmers  for  a 
meager  remuneration,  and  in  1865  purchased  his  present 
farm  at  North  Kingston  and  moved  his  residence 
there.  He  was  exceedingly  successful  in  his  agricul- 
tural operation,  carrying  on  general  farming  and  dairy- 
ing, and  in  later  years  he  was  able  to  retire  to  a  well 
earned  leisure.  He  still  makes  his  home  on  his  old 
farm,  but  although  Mr.  Smith  was  well  known  as  a 
farmer  in  this  community,  his  fame  is  still  wider  on 
account  of  the  part  which  he  has  played  in  political  and 
local  affairs.  Since  his  childhood  he  has  been  keenly 
interested  in  this  department  in  the  life  of  the  com- 
munity and  as  a  young  man  identified  himself  actively 
with  the  local  organization  of  the  Republican  party, 
the  principles  and  policies  of  which  he  has  always 
staunchly  supported.  His  first  presidential  vote  was 
cast  for  .-Vbraham  Lincoln  as  President  of  the  L'nited 
States.  Mr.  Smith  was  elected  a  member  of  the  town 
council  of  North  Kingston  and  for  many  years  served 
on  that  body,  and  in  1903  became  the  representative  of 
this  town  in  the  State  Senate.  He  proved  himself  a 
most  capable  and  efficient  legislator  and  a  disinterested 
public  servant,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Senate  com- 
mittees on  fisheries,  agriculture  and  real  estate.  He 
served  from  1903  to  1912,  inclusive,  as  Senator;  this 
was  a  high  compliment  to  Mr.  Smith.  Mr.  Smith  is  a 
member  of  Washington  Lodge,  No.  5,  Free  and  .Accepted 
Masons. 

Joseph  E.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  on  May  14, 
1862,  at  Newport,  R.  1.,  with  Mary  Sullivan,  a  native 
of  Casteltown.  Ireland,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Cath- 
arine (McCarthy)  Sullivan,  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Smith 
died  in  1909.  ^I^.  and  Mrs.  Smith  were  p.irents  of  the 
following  children ;  William  A.,  who  died  Nov.  22, 
1900,  and  married  Grace  H.  Spink;  Hannah  A.,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Henry  I.  Reynolds,  of  Wickford; 
Joseph  E.,  Jr.,  of  Wickford,  who  married  Eva  Rath- 
bun,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Lasker  E. ;  Benjamin 
F.,  of  Wickford,  who  for  many  years  was  captain  of 
Mr.  Fleishmann's  famous  yacht  "The  Hiawatha,"  and 
married  Frances  E.  Mowry,  by  whom  he  had  one  son, 
Charles  John ;  Mary  E.,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Stephen  H.  Emery,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  to  whom  she 
has  borne  six  children :  Ernest  H.,  Stanley  Smith, 
Waldo  E.,  William  A.,  Bessie  E.,  Mary  Ellen  ;  John  H., 
of  Wickford,  who  was  captain  of  John  D.  Archibald's 
yacht  "The  \'ixen,"  and  married  Ellen  Montague; 
Wesson  G.,  who  was  killed  October,  1908,  had  married 
Marian  X.  Crandall,  a  daughter  of  David  Crandall,  of 
Peacedale,  R.  I.,  by  whom  he  had  one  daughter,  Mary 
G. ;  Thomas  L.,  who  died  in  infancy;  Walter  J.,  of 
Wickford,  who  married  Annie  L.  Kilroy,  by  whom  he 
has  had  two  children:  Arthur  W.,  and  Louise;  and 
Bessie  E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years. 


OLIVER  HAZARD  JACKSON  PERRY— Oliver 

Hazard  Jackson  I'erp,-,  one  of  llie  most  prominent 
citizens  of  Lincoln  township,  where  he  is  intimately 
identified  with  the  life  and  affairs  of  the  community, 
is  a  member  of  the  old  Perry  family  of  the  Narragan- 
sett  country,  the  members  of  which  have  for  so  many 
years  been  prominent  in  this  community, 

(I)  The  Perrys  of  the  Narragansett  country  are  be- 
lieved to  have  been  the  descendants  exclusively  of 
Samuel  and  Benjamin  Perry,  the  sons  of  Edward  and 
Mary  (Freeman)  Perry,  of  Sandwich,  Mass.,  where 
the  latter  was  a  prominent  member  and  speaker  in  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  an  earnest  defender  of  its  doc- 
trines. As  early  as  1658  and  from  that  date  until  the 
persecution  of  the  Quakers  ceased,  Edward  Perry  was 
repeatedly  fined  and  otherwise  punished  for  his  religious 
belief,  the  Puritans  of  Massachusetts  being  quite  un- 
willing to  grant  to  others  the  liberty  of  religious  belief 
which  they  themselves  had  come  to  the  New  World 
to  secure. 

(II)  Samuel  Perry,  son  of  Edward  Perry,  was  born 
in  1664  at  Sandwich,  Mass.,  and  died  in  July,  1716.  He 
probably  resided  at  that  place  until  1695,  as  his  name 
appears  upon  certain  records  of  the  town  of  that  year. 
It  must  have  been  about  this  time  that  he  came  to 
Kings  Town,  R.  1.,  the  probability  being  in  favor  of 
.August,  1696,  and  he  was  made  a  freeman  of  the  colony 
there.  May  6,  1701.  His  homestead  and  mill  were  in 
that  part  of  Kings  Town  now  known  as  Perryville. 
South  Kingston.  He  was  a  large  landowner  and  a 
partner  in  the  Shannock  and  Maxon  purchases,  located 
in  what  are  now  the  towns  of  Richmond  and  Hopkin- 
ton,  and  he  also  purchased  extensive  tracts  at  Pas- 
quesett  in  Westerly,  near  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
present  town  of  Charlestown.  Samuel  Perry  married. 
May  9,  1690,  Mary  Tucker,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Martha  Tucker,  of  Dartmouth,  Mass.,  who  was  born 
August  16,  i568.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children :  James,  Edward,  Samuel,  Simeon, 
Benjamin.   Robert. 

(ID  Benjamin  Perry,  son  of  Edward  Perry,  was  born 
probably  in  1677.  and  died  in  1648-49.  He  and  his 
brother  Samuel  came  probably  prior  to  1700  to  Rhode 
Island  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Kings  Town  in  the 
Narragansett  country,  where  he  bought  land  as  early 
as  1702.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  com- 
munity, and  was  made  a  freeman  there  May  I,  1 716. 
His  house  and  property  were  in  that  part  of  the  town 
now  known  as  South  Kingston.  Benjamin  Perry  was 
twice  married,  but  the  name  of  his  first  wife  is  un- 
known and  according  to  tradition  there  were  no  child- 
em  born  of  this  marriage.  He  married  (second)  Oc- 
tober II,  1727,  Susannah  Barber,  daughter  of  Moses 
and  Susannah  (Waite)  Barber.  They  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  children :  Benjamin,  Edward,  Free- 
man. Mary,  and  Susannah,  of  whom  Freeman  was  the 
father  of  Commodore  Oliver  Hazard  Perry. 

(III)  Squire  Robert  Perry,  son  of  Samuel  Perry 
and  father  of  Oliver  H.  J.  Perry,  Sr.,  was  born  near 
Perryville  at  South  Kingston,  and  there  grew  to  man- 
hood. As  a  child  he  attended  the  local  school  where 
he  acquired  an  excellent  education,  and  later  became  a 
teacher  and  engaged  in  that  calling  in  his  native  town 
until    1835.      He    was    personally    acquainted    wi'.h    his 


8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


cousin,  the  famous  Commodore  Oliver  H.  Perry,  hero 
of  Lake  Erie,  who  used  to  visit  the  school  taught  by 
Robert   Perry   at   South   Kingston.     In    1835   the   latter 
removed   to    the    town    of    Coventry   and    there   taught 
school   for  a  number  of  years  in  different  districts  of 
the  town.     He  was  a  man  of  acute  mind  and  from  his 
youth   had   a   strong  taste    for   the   law,   pursuing   con- 
sistently the  study  of  that  subject  until  he  became  an 
authority   on   legal   matters  generally.     He  was  elected 
a  justice  of  the  peace  and  served  in  that  capacity  both 
at    South    Kingston   and    Coventry.      His    work   in   this 
capacity   finally   became   so   heavy   that   he   was   obliged 
to  give   up  his   teaching  in  order  to   devote  his   entire 
attention  thereto.     His  skill  in  drawing  up  legal  papers 
was    recognized   throughout    the    community,   and    it   is 
probable  that  had  he  cared  to  enter  the  legal  profession 
he  would  have  become  an  eminent  member  of  the  bar. 
For  a  time  he  resided  with  his  son,  Oliver  H.  J.  Perry, 
Sr.,  but  afterwards  removed  to  Centerville  and  resided 
with  his   daughter,  Mrs.  Arnold,   until  the  time  of  his 
death.     Squire   Perry  was  married  at   South   Kingston 
to  Mary  Davis,  born  in  1797.  a  daughter  of  Preserved 
Davis,  and   she   died   September   16,   i839-     They  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children  :     i.   Robert  An- 
thony, born  May  7,  1822;  went  to  California  during  the 
agitation  following  the  discovery  of  gold  in  that   State 
in  1849;  later  he  went  to  Oregon,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred in  1850.     2.  John  B.,  born  July  14,  18^4;  accom- 
panied his  brother  to  California,  but  in  1850  returned  to 
Rhode  Island  where  for  a  number  of  years  he  worked 
at  his  trade  of  moulder ;  later  he  became  engaged  in  the 
fish  business  on  Westminster  street;  he  married  Geor- 
gianna  McDonald,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  three 
children.    3.  Martha  N.,  born  March  7,  1825 ;  became  the 
second    wife   of    Burrill    Arnold,    and    after   his    death 
married   George   Hail,  a  prominent  manufacturer;   she 
died  at  Warren.     4.  Oliver  Hazard  Jackson,  mentioned 
below.     5.   Mary  L.,  born  June  9,   1830,  died  April  24, 
1836.     6.  James   S.,  born  March  24,   1832;  as  a  young 
man    he    removed    from    Rhode    Island    to    California, 
where  he  followed  the  trade  of  carpenter;  he  married 
in   the   West  and   was   the   father   of   five   children.     7. 
William  L.,  born  Sept.  21,  1835;  engaged  in  farming  at 
Foxboro,    Mass.,    where    his    death    occurred    in    1905; 
he  married   (first)    Sarah  Tefft,  and   (second)    Sophora 
Morse;    he   had    three   children    by    his    first   wife.     8. 
Mary  L,.,  born  Dec.  26,  1838;  became  the  wife  of  Row- 
land H.  Fry,  of  Pawtucket;  they  resided  at  that  place 
and  there  her  death  occurred  in  July,  1907;  they  were 
the  parents  of  one  son. 

(IV)  Oliver  Hazard  Jackson  Perry,  fourth  child  of 
Squire  Robert  and  Mary  (Davis)  Perry,  was  born  at 
South  Kingston,  April  24,  1828.  The  first  seven  years 
of  his  life  were  spent  at  his  native  place,  but  in  1835 
he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Coventry  and  shortly 
afterwards  secured  work  in  a  cotton  mill  at  .Anthony. 
He  continued  to  work  in  that  and  similar  establish- 
ments at  Anthony  until  he  had  completed  his  eigh- 
teenth year,  and  then,  in  1847,  was  apprenticed  for 
three  years  to  Rice  &  Dawley,  prominent  contractors 
and  builders  of  Providence  at  that  time.  With  this 
concern  lie  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  was 
paid  during  the  first  year  of  his  apprenticeship  one 
dollar    a    week    besides    his    board,    a    day's    labor    in 


those  times  consisting  of  ten  hours.  The  young  man 
proved  himself  a  very  industrious  and  apt  pupil,  and 
in  eighteen  months  he  had  risen  to  the  position  of 
foreman,  although  still  an  apprentice,  while  there  were 
several  men  under  him  who  had  been  journeymen  for 
a  number  of  years.  He  continued  to  work  as  a  car- 
penter in  Providence  until  1853,  when  he  removed 
to  Central  Falls  and  there  continued  to  follow  his 
trade  for  a  time.  Unfortunately,  however,  he  devel- 
oped about  this  time  poor  health,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  give  up  his  work  on  that  account.  His  next  occu- 
pation was  that  of  the  retail  meat  business,  in  which 
he  was  employed  for  about  two  years  before  being 
appointed  manager  of  the  meat  market  of  E.  F.  Rich- 
ardson at  Central  Falls.  In  this  position  he  dis- 
played the  remarkable  business  abilities  possessed  by 
him,  and  the  market  under  his  management  was  recog- 
nized as  the  largest  and  best  of  its  kind  in  the  entire 
State.,  He  remained  in  this  position  for  about  twelve 
years,  having  gained  in  that  time  the  complete  confi- 
dence and  warm  friendship  of  his  employers.  In  the 
year  1867,  however,  he  withdrew  from  this  employ, 
and  in  accordance  with  an  ambition  which  he  had 
long  felt  embarked  on  an  enterprise  of  his  own.  He 
purchased  the  business  which  he  had  so  ably  managed 
for  his  old  employers  and  continued  it  on  a  very 
large  scale  for  about  eight  years.  Once  more,  how- 
ever, in  1875,  his  poor  health  forced  him  to  give  up 
active  work  for  a  time  and  accordingly  he  sold  his 
business  and  purchased  a  farm,  situated  on  the  Louis- 
quisset  pike  in  the  town  of  Lincoln,  about  five  miles 
from  Providence.  This  property,  which  had  belonged 
to  Albert  W.  Holbrook  before  his  purchase,  he  began 
to  operate  actively,  the  work  in  the  open  air  proving 
most  beneficial  to  his  health.  Eventually,  however, 
age  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  give  the  manage- 
ment of  his  farm  to  his  son,  Oliver  H.  J.  Perry,  Jr., 
and  from  that  time  until  his  death  he  resided  there 
in  a  well-earned  leisure.  During  the  winter,  however, 
Mr.  Perry  made  his  home  in  Providence  and  was  a 
well-known  figure  in  the  life  of  that  community. 

Mr.  Perry  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  during  his 
early  life,  but  upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
party  became  a  member  and  continued  to  support  its 
principles  and  policies  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  was  a  member  of  Jenks  Lodge,  No.  24, 
Ancient  Free  &  Accepted  Masons,  of  Central  Falls. 
A  Baptist  in  his  religious  belief,  he  joined,  in  1844, 
the  Phenix  Baptist  Church,  but  later  transferred  his 
membership  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Central 
Falls.  He  was  a  man  who  was  held  in  the  highest 
esteem  by  the  entire  community,  and  his  life  was  a 
prominent  factor  in  its  upbuilding  and  development. 
Oliver  Hazard  Jackson  Perry  was  united  in  mar- 
riage. May  20,  1852,  at  Central  Falls,  with  Emeline  E. 
Thurber.  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  May  17,  1S32, 
a  daughter  of  Loring  W.  and  Elmira  (Gardner) 
Thurber.  As  a  child  Mrs.  Perry  had  come  with  her 
parents  from  Connecticut  lo  Central  Falls,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  that  place 
for  sixty  years.  Her  death  occurred  in  Providence, 
August  19,  1906.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perry  the  follow- 
ing children  were  born:     I.  Theodore   Oliver  Hazard 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Lincoln,  born  May  I,  1853,  died  April  15.  1856.  2.  Clara 
Emma,  born  Feb.  13,  1858;  became  the  wife  of 
Eugene  F.  Bowen,  of  Providence.  3.  Oliver  Hazard 
Jackson,  with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially 
concerned. 

(V)  Oliver  Hazard  Jackson  (2)  Perry,  son  of 
Oliver  Hazard  Jackson  (i)  and  Emcline  E.  (Thur- 
ber)  Perry,  was  born  October  22,  1862,  at  Central 
Falls,  R.  I.  As  a  child  he  resided  on  his  father's  farm, 
and  attended  the  local  public  school.  Later  he  became 
a  pupil  at  the  Mowry  &  GofT  English  and  Classical 
School  of  Providence,  and  proved  himself  an  apt  and 
intelligent  student.  Upon  completing  his  studies  at 
the  latter  institution,  he  returned  to  his  father's  farm 
and  there,  under  the  tuition  of  the  elder  man,  learned 
farming  and  agricultural  methods  generally.  He 
assisted  his  father  with  the  work  of  the  place  and 
eventually  became  more  and  more  responsible  for 
the  management  thereof.  At  the  time  of  his  father's 
retirement  he  finally  took  over  the  entire  manage- 
ment of  the  place,  and  has  continued  to  operate  it 
witli  very  marked  success  ever  since.  His  father  had 
already  done  much  to  improve  the  old  farm,  and  this 
work  has  been  carried  on  and  perfected  to  a  remark- 
able degree  by  its  present  owner.  Mr.  Perry  has 
engaged  there  in  general  farming  and  has  brought  the 
state  of  cultivation  of  the  place  up  to  a  high  degree 
of  perfection.  Later  he  took  up  the  growth  of  small 
fruit  and  has  been  eminently  successful  in  this  line, 
finding  a  large  market  for  his  produce  in  the  neigh- 
boring city  of  Providence.  He  has  been  e.xceedingly 
successful  in  all  his  operations,  and  is  now  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  substantial  citizens  of  the  place 
and  an  authority  on  all  agricultural  matters.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Perry,  like  his  father  before  him,  is  a  staunch 
Republican,  and  although  he  has  been  keenly  inter- 
ested in  local  affairs,  and  has  always  performed  to  the 
full  his  duties  as  a  good  citizen,  he  has  been  quite 
unambitious  of  political  preferment  and  has  consist- 
ently avoided  public  office. 

Oliver  Hazard  Jackson  Perry  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, November  19,  1884,  with  Ida  Orlena  Miner,  a 
native  of  North  Providence,  born  December  13,  1859, 
a  daughter  of  Lucius  and  Julia  A.  (Randall)  Miner. 
Mrs.  Perry  is  a  member  of  the  distinguished  Miner 
family,  which  is  mentioned  at  length  in  this  sketch. 
She  was  educated  in  the  local  schools  of  Lincoln  and 
at  the  private  school  of  Dr.  Stockbridge.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Perry  are  the  parents  of  one  child.  Harold  Thurber, 
who  was  born  on  his  father's  farm.  May  16,  1888.  He 
attended  the  Pawtucket  Grammar  School  and  the 
Technical  High  School  of  Providence,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  class  of  1908  of  the  latter  institution. 
He  married  Mary  E.  Jordan,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Slocum)  Jordan,  of  Lincoln  township. 

(The  Miner  Line). 

The  Miner  family,  of  which  Mrs.  Perry  is  a  mem- 
ber, is  an  old  and  distinguished  one  in  New  England, 
and  was  founded  in  Rhode  Island  by  her  father,  who 
was  a  native  of  Vermont.  Lucius  Miner  was  a  son 
of  Simeon  Miner,  and  a  grandson  of  Isaac  Miner. 
Simeon   Miner   was   a   resident  of   West   Burke,   Vt., 


from  which  town  he  removed  to  Barnston,  Canada, 
and  from  there  to  Libbytown  in  the  same  country, 
where  his  death  occurred  December  19,  1865.  Simeon 
Miner  married  Mary  (or  Polly)  Orcutt,  of  Sutton, 
Vt.,  who  was  born  July  6.  1798,  and  died  October 
16,  1866.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Ephraim  and  Chris- 
tiana (.Willey)  Orcutt,  the  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
who  came  to  this  country  as  a  young  man,  and  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  at  Sutton,  Vt.  He  was  prominent 
in  the  life  of  that  place,  where  he  was  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  a  blacksmith  and  was  the  first  town  clerk 
there.  Later,  however,  he  removed  to  Boston,  where 
he  was  employed  at  the  .Arsenal.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolution,  enlisting  at  Windham,  Conn.,  in  .Au- 
gust, 1777,  and  became  a  fifer  in  Captain  Wales'  com- 
pany and  the  regiment  of  Colonel  Jonathan  Latimer. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  detachment  sent  to  rein- 
force General  Gates  at  Saratoga.  John  Willey,  father 
of  Christiana  (Willey)  Orcutt,  was  also  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  enlisting  as  a  private  from  North- 
wood,  July  II,  1780,  when  nineteen  years  of  age.  He 
was  mustered  in  at  Kingston  by  Josiah  Bartlett,  and 
was  discharged  December  4,  1780.  The  children  of 
Simeon  and  Polly  Miner  were  thirteen  in  number,  the 
eldest  son  and  second  child  being  Lucius,  the  father  of 
Mrs.  Perry. 

Lucius  Miner  was  born  February  24,  1820,  at  West 
Burke,  Vt.,  and  was  quite  a  child  when  his  parents 
removed  from  there  to  Barnston,  Canada.  His  youth 
was  spent  at  that  place  upon  his  father's  farm, 
and  he  attended  the  local  district  school.  He 
resided  with  his  parents  until  he  attained  his 
majority,  wl'.en  he  came  to  Rhode  Island,  and 
was  employed  as  a  hand  on  the  farm  on  Louis- 
quisset  pike  in  what  is  now  Lincoln.  He  was  also 
employed  in  the  same  capacity  by  Whipple  Randall 
and  here  met  the  lady  who  afterwards  became  his 
wife.  After  his  marriage  he  lived  for  a  time  at  Provi- 
dence, where  he  worked  in  the  logwood  mill  of  Snow 
&  Lewis,  makers  of  dye  stuffs.  Still  later  he  removed 
to  the  Edward  Randall  farm  in  North  Providence, 
where  he  resided  for  a  number  of  years,  and  then 
purchased  the  Whipple  Randall  farm,  upon  which  he 
had  been  formerly  employed,  and  there  passed  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  his  death  occurring  May  11, 
1877.  This  farm  is  now  the  property  of  W.  E.  Nichols, 
of  Lincoln.  Mr.  Miner  was  a  successful  farmer  and 
carried  on  his  operations  on  an  extensive  scale,  at  one 
time  owning  and  working  two  other  farms  besides 
the  one  on  which  he  resided.  He  operated  a  large 
dairy  and  ran  the  milk  route  in  Providence  which  was 
conducted  by  his  family  for  forty  years.  He  was  also 
a  dealer  in  live-stock  and  became  very  well-to-do  as 
the  result  of  his  various  activities.  In  politics  Mr. 
Miner  was  a  Republican,  and  although  not  ambitious 
for  public  office,  served  his  fellow-citizens  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  town  school  board  and  as  highway  sur- 
veyor. He  married  Julia  .Mbina  Randall,  a  native  of 
North  Providence,  born  February  12.  1818.  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jonathan  and  Nancy  Brayton  (Smith)  Randall. 
Her  death  occurred  .-Xpril  11.  1893.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Miner  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Annie  W.,  born  March  31,  1848,  died  July  12,  1894,  at 


10 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Providence,  unmarried:  Mary  R.,  born  Oct.  lo,  1849, 
died  Jan.  24.  1872;  Lewis  A.,  born  Sept.  18,  1851,  died 
Sept.  15,  1918;  Amey  Estance,  born  May  28,  1855, 
died  Dec.  27,  1907;  and  Ida  Orlena,  born  December 
13.  1859,  who  is  mentioned  above  as  the  wife  of 
Oliver   Hazard  Jackson   Perry,   Jr. 

(The  Randall  Line). 

The  Randall  family,  from  which  Mrs.  Perry  is 
descended  on  the  maternal  side,  came  originally  from 
France,  and  was  founded  in  this  country  in  the  pre- 
Revolutionary  period. 

(I)  Joseph  Randall  was  born  in  1684,  and  came 
from  Brest,  France,  to  the  New  England  colonies, 
settling  in  Providence,  where  he  followed  the  calling 
of  caulker.  It  is  probable  that  his  parents  went  from 
England  to  France,  as  the  name  suggests  a  British 
derivation.  Joseph  Randall  lived  at  North  Providence 
until  his  death,  March  30,  1760.  in  his  seventy-sixth 
year.  He  married,  July  26,  1716.  .\mey  Estance  (the 
name  now  spelled  Esten),  whose  death  occurred  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1764,  in  her  seventy-ninth  year.  They  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Amey,  born 
May  27,  1717,  died  Jan.  19,  1766:  Joseph,  born  Aug. 
25,  1718,  died  at  sea,  unmarried:  Henry,  born  March 
2,  1720,  married  Dorothy  Billings,  and  died  June  6, 
1789:    Peter,  mentioned  below. 

(II)  Peter  Randall,  youngest  child  of  Joseph  and 
Amey  (Estance)  Randall,  was  born  June  12,  1723, 
and  died  March  9,  1808.  He  was  a  successful  farmer 
of  North  Providence  for  a  time  and  later  at  Johns- 
ton, and  died  at  the  latter  place  and  was  buried  on  his 
farm.  He  married  (first),  August  20,  1746,  Freelove 
De.xter,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Stephen  Dexter,  and 
she  died  October  i,  1775,  in  her  fifty-sixth  year. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Joseph,  born  Oct.  30,  1747,  died  March  5,  1840:  Free- 
love,  born  June  19,  1749,  and  became  the  second  wife 
of  Enoch  Angell,  of  North  Providence,  and  died  Aug. 
7,  1788;  Amey,  born  Feb.  9,  1751,  married  Enoch 
Angell,  and  died  Dec.  17.  1767,  in  her  seventeenth 
year;  William,  mentioned  below;  Waite,  born  Dec. 
2,  1755.  died  February  11,  1840.  married  (first)  Heze- 
kiah  Smith,  of  North  Providence,  and  (second) 
Thomas  Harris:  John,  born  June  23,  1758,  died  Aug. 
27,  1836,  married  Mercy  Mowry,  and  resided  in  North 
Providence;  Stephen,  born  Aug.  I,  1762,  was  a  phy- 
sician at  Providence,  where  he  married  Lucina  Win- 
sor,  and  died  March  15,  1843.  Peter  Randall  married 
(second)  January  18,  1 781,  Anna  Collins,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Hezekiah, 
born  Jan.  19,  1782,  died  Oct.  2,  iSio,  married  Dinah 
Thornton,  and  resided  in  Johnston:  Nancy,  born 
May  II,  1783.  married  George  Brayton,  and  died  Dec. 
25,  1850;  Daniel,  born  Nov.  4,  1785,  married  (first) 
Lydia  Harris,  and  (second)  Sally  Leonard,  and 
resided  at  Thompson,  Conn.;  Marcy,  born  Dec.  29, 
1787,  became  the  wife  of  John  Waterman,  of  Johns- 
ton, and  died  July  18,  1867:  Susan,  born  May  17, 
1789,  married  Joseph  Waterman,  and  removed  to  Mil- 
waukee, W'is. 

(Ill)  William    Randall,    fourth    child    of    Peter   and 
Freelove   (Dexter)    Randall,   was   born  July  20,    1753. 


He  became  a  farmer  and  resided  at  North  Providence, 
near  the  North  Burying  Ground.  Since  his  death  his 
farm  has  been  entirely  absorbed  by  the  city  of  Provi- 
dence for  burial  purposes.  His  death  occurred  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1828.  William  Randall  married.  May  20, 
1779,  Vashti  Whipple,  born  November  18,  1756.  died 
March  29,  1837,  the  daughter  of  Jonathan  Whipple. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Amey,  born  April  iS,  1780,  died  May  24.  1845;  Wil- 
liam, born  May  29.  1782,  died  Jan.  7,  1858;  Jonathan, 
mentioned  below;  Jeremiah,  born  Feb.  20,  1786,  died 
July  31,  1827;  Mary,  born  April  18,  1788,  died  Oct. 
6,  i860;  Edward,  born  Jan.  26,  1792,  died  Nov.  10, 
1848;  Whipple,  born  Feb.  2T,  1795,  died  Sept.  25,  1848. 
(IV)  Jonathan  Randall,  third  child  of  William  and 
Vashti  (Whipple)  Randall,  was  born  April  8,  1784, 
and  died  April  5,  1853.  Like  his  father  he  became  a 
well-to-do  and  successful  farmer,  and  made  his  home 
at  North  Providence.  He  married,  November  2,  1815, 
Nancy  Brayton  Smith,  born  January  i.  1795,  and  died 
December  2,  1833,  a  daughter  of  Nedebiah  Smith. 
Jonathan  Randall  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  Daniel,  born  Dec.  15,  1816, 
died  Dec.  18,  1816;  Julia  A.,  born  Feb.  12,  1818,  men- 
tioned above  as  the  wife  of  Lucius  Miner,  and  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Oliver  Hazard  Jackson  Perry  of  this 
sketch:  Blakely  B..  born  March  12,  1819.  died  June 
19.  1838:  Alice  S.,  born  May  14,  1820,  married  Edward 
P.  Knowles,  and  died  in  Providence,  Jan.  17,  1871; 
Daniel  B.,  born  March  14,  1826,  went  West  in  early 
life,  and  is  believed  to  have  been  killed  by  Indians  in 
Idaho:  Vashti  Whipple,  born  May  i,  1828,  became 
the  wife  of  William   P.  Angell. 


CHARLES    SLOCUM    GODFREY— Among    the 

prominent  farmers  of  Apponaug,  town  of  Warwick, 
R.  I.,  Charles  Slocum  Godfrey  deserves  especial  men- 
tion, his  place  on  the  Cowesset  road  being  one  of 
the  most  successful  and  highly  cultivated  in  this 
region.  Mr.  Godfrey  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  dis- 
tinguished New  England  family,  and  is  the  great- 
grandson  of  Joshua  Godfrey,  while  on  his  maternal 
side  he  is  descended  in  the  seventh  generation  from 
Roger  Williams. 

Joshua  Godfrey  came  as  a  young  man  to  East 
Greenwich,  R.  I.,  and  resided  at  that  place  before  the 
outbreak  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  drafted  for  the 
Continental  army,  but  succeeded  in  securing  a  sub- 
stitute. Joshua  Godfrey  married  Mary  Cooper,  by 
whom  he  had  six  children,  one  of  which  was  Slocum, 
mentioned  below. 

Slocum  Godfrey  was  born  in  his  father's  home  at 
East  Greenwich,  and  spent  most  of  his  life  at  that 
place.  He  was,  like  most  of  his  descendants,  a  farmer, 
and  was  well-known  in  the  community.  He  married 
Sarah  Reynolds,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Hall) 
Reynolds,  of  Warwick.  R.  I.,  her  mother  being  one  of 
an  old  and  distinguished  Warwick  family.  They  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Mary  H.,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Daniel  Briggs;  Ruth,  who  mar- 
ried John  Place;  Abby;  John  R.,  mentioned  below; 
Catherine,   who   became    the    wife   of   .A.lbert    Greene; 


c^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


TI 


Joshua   S. ;    Sarah;     Elizabeth,   who  became   the   wife 
of  John  H.  Madison. 

John  R.  Godfrey,  son  of  Slocuni  and  Sarah  (Rey- 
nolds) Godfrey,  was  horn  March  7,  1821.  on  the  old 
family  homestead  at  East  Greenwich.  When  four 
years  old  his  parents  removed  into  the  town  of  that 
name,  where  he  attended  school  for  a  number  of 
years.  Later  he  went  with  his  father  to  the  old  farm 
and  there  assisted  him  with  the  agricultural  work  on 
the  place  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-six 
years.  In  1848  he  went  to  Warwick,  where  there  was 
situated  a  farm  belonging  to  his  father,  which  he 
worked  for  some  time  and  eventually  inherited.  This 
is  the  farm  upon  which  his  son,  Charles  Slocum  God- 
frey, now  resides.  John  R.  Godfrey  was  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  but  although  keenly  interested  in  local 
affairs  avoided  rather  than  sought  political  prefer- 
ment or  office  of  any  kind.  He  was  a  Quaker  in  his 
belief  and  worshipped  with  the  Friends  of  East 
Greenwich,  while  his  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  at  Apponaug.  He  married.  February  8, 
1847,  Eliza  G.  Williams,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Wil- 
liams, of  Coventry,  R.  I.,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of  four  children,  as  follows:  Anna  C,  who  became 
the  wife  of  George  Stowers;  Charles  Slocum,  men- 
tioned below;  William  H.,  whose  sketch  follows;  and 
George  W.,  who  married  Ida  Briggs,  of  East  Green- 
wich. R.  I. 

Charles  Slocum  Godfrey  was  born  January  5,  1857, 
on  the  old  homestead  where  he  now  lives.  He 
attended  the  Central  District  School,  where  he  re- 
mained until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  sixteen  years, 
but  for  a  number  of  years  before  reaching  this  age  he 
had  spent  his  summers  on  the  farm  with  his  father, 
learning  all  the  details  of  farm  work.  He  was  an 
ambitious  lad  and  desirous  of  acquiring  the  best  pos- 
sible education,  and  with  this  end  in  view  entered  the 
Apponaug  school,  but  was  unfortunately  obliged  to 
give  up  his  studies  a  little  later  on  account  of  ill 
health.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  Godfrey  pur- 
chased from  the  other  heirs  the  farm  at  Warwick,  a 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres,  and  has  there 
been  engaged  in  general  farming  and  dairying  ever 
since.  In  this  occupation  he  has  met  with  marked 
success,  and  since  buying  the  property  has  built  a 
new  house  with  all  the  modern  conveniences,  includ- 
ing running  water  from  a  tank  which  is  filled  by  a 
wmdmill.  He  also  has  erected  new  machine  sheds 
and  a  silo.  His  place  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the 
handsomest  in  the  region.  .Although  a  prominent 
man  in  the  community,  and  one  whose  integrity  and 
ability  possesses  the  entire  confidence  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  he  has  consistently  refused  all  offers  of  politi- 
cal office  from  them,  nor  has  he  identified  himself  with 
any  political  party,  preferring  to  remain  an  independ- 
ent voter.  He  is  a  member  of  Central  Grange.  Patrons 
of  Husbandry. 

Charles  Slocum  Godfrey  was  united  in  marriage, 
June  24,  1887,  with  Izora  Nunetta  Locke,  daughter  of 
Mosher  W.  and  Waity  (Brown)  Locke,  old  and  highly- 
respected  residents  of  Apponaug,  R.  I.  They  are  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Joshua  S..  who 
resides   with   his   parents   on   the   farm   where   he   was 


born  ;  he  married  Catherine  Berncdctte  Wilson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  William  and  Catherine  Louise  (Corney) 
Wilson,  of  Jewett  City,  Conn. ;  their  marriage  was 
celebrated  October  23,  1912,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
one  son,  Joshua  S.,  Jr.,  born  Nov.  15.  1914.  2.  Sarah 
R.,  born  Sept.  26.  1896,  attended  the  .Apponaug  school 
and  afterwards  the  Warwick  High  School,  and  now  lives 
at  home  with  her  parents. 


WILLIAM  HALL  GODFREY,  one  of  the  best 
known  and  most  successful  farmers  in  the  region  of 
.Apponaug,  R.  I.,  and  a  man  of  social  prominence  here, 
is  a  member  of  a  well-known  New  England  family,  the 
history  of  which  appears  in  preceding  sketch. 

Born  September  24,  1868,  on  his  father's  farm  on  the 
Cowesset    road,    in    Warwick,    William    Hall    Godfrey 
attended    the   old    Centra!    School    at    .Apponaug.      Like 
his    father   before   him.   his   early   training   was    in   the 
healthful   environment   of   farm   life,   and   while   not  at 
his  lessons  he  assisted  his  father  with  his  various  agri- 
cultural duties.     .About  the  year  1881  he  left  the  farm 
to  work  for  the  Oriental  Print  Works  as  a  pattern  card 
maker,  and  with  this  company  remained  approximately 
three  years.     In   i8S.-?.  however,  he  purchased  what  was 
known   as  the  Emanuel   Rice   farm,   located   on   Central 
avenue  and  River  Point  road  near  .Apponaug.    This  tract 
of  land  consisted  at  the  time  of  about  sixty  acres  and 
has.  with  the  exception  of  a  short  period  of  years,  been 
Mr.   Godfrey's  home  ever  since.     His   first   stav  there 
lasted  only  a  few  years,  however,  and  he  then  rented  it 
for  a  time.     Then   for  three  years  he  was  emnloyed  by 
Brown   &   Sharpc.   of  Providence,   as  a  machinist.     He 
then    returned    to    the   operation   of   his    farm   and   has 
there  entraeed  in  general  farming  and  the  dairy  business 
with    a    high    degree    of    success    ever    since.     He    has 
added  about  thirty-three  acres  to  the  original  property, 
and  now  owns  a  model  farm  of  some  ninetv-three  acres, 
which  he  keeps  under  the  highest  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Godfrey  is  an  Independent  in  politics,  a  fact  which 
has   nrobably   prevented   him    from   taking   that   part   in 
public  afl^airs  for  which  his  obvioiis  talents  fit  him.     He 
is.   however,    very   public-spirited,    and   his   idea   in   the 
part  that  he  plays  in  politics,  is  concerned  with  the  wel- 
fare of   the   communitv-at-large,   rather  than   with   any 
political  ambitions.     He  has  served  as  overseer  of  the 
poor  from  the  year  1913  to  the  present  time,  being  re- 
elected in  November.  1918,  with  the  highest  number  of 
votes  of  any  candidate  on  either  ticket,  and  he  showed 
himself    an    efficient    and    disinterested    public    servant 
Mr.  Godfrey  is  a  member  of  Central  Grange,  which  he 
helped  to  organize.     Another  service  which  he  has  per- 
formed for  the  community  was  in  connection  with  the 
establishment  of  a   new  modern  central   district   school 
and  the  new  Grange  Hall,  both  of  which  he  was  largely 
instrumental    in   procuring   for   the   community.      The 
latter    building    is    a    large    and    spacious    one.    which 
through  his  endeavors  is  proving  a  splendid  investment. 
In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Godfrey  was  reared  in  the 
Baptist  church,  and  although  not  a  formal  member  is 
still  an  active  and  liberal  supporter  thereof. 

Mr.  Godfrey  married  Cfirst).  on  March  20.  1881. 
Carrie  Esther  Williams,  a  daughter  of  George  H.  and 
Mary  (Spink)  Williams,  and  like  her  husband,  a  de- 
scendant  in  the   seventh   generation    from   Roger  Wil- 


12 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


liams.  They  were  the  parents  of  one  son,  William 
Harold  Godfrey,  born  April  30,  1894,  and  now  in  the 
United  States  Navy,  in  which  he  enlisted  as  a  car- 
penter's mate  in  April,  1918.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  Mr.  Godfrey  married  (second),  April  12,  1910, 
Bertha  Money  (Mumford)  Waterman,  widow  of  Walter 
Waterman,  and  daughter  of  Isaac  Newton  and  Sarah 
Jane  (Money)  Mumford,  of  Phenix,  R.  I.  They  were 
the  parents  of  one  son,  Wallace,  who  resides  with  his 
mother,  and  is  now  a  student.  He  is  a  bright  and 
alert  young  man  and  is  active  in  helping  in  the  work 
on  the  farm.  Isaac  N.  Mumford,  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Godfrey,  was  a  son  of  Paul  A.  and  Mary  (Hopkins) 
Mumford,  and  his  wife,  Sarah  Jane  (Money)  Mum- 
ford, is  a  daughter  of  George  Brown  and  Mary  Jane 
(Freeman)  Money,  and  a  descendant  of  Lafayette 
Freeman,  who  came  to  this  country  on  the  "Maj-flower." 
Isaac  Newton  Mumford  learned  the  machinists'  trade 
as  a  boy,  and  was  later  the  depot  agent  at  Phenix  and 
Harris,  R.  I.  He  was  the  owner  of  considerable  prop- 
erty at  Phenix.  In  the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  pur- 
chased a  farm,  and  there  spent  his  remaining  days.  He 
and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Thomas  Paul,  Freeman  Lafayette,  John  Henry,  George 
Brown,  and  Sadie  May,  who  became  Mrs.  George 
Emond.  Mrs.  Godfrey  is,  like  her  husband,  a  member 
of  the  Central  Grange.  She  is  a  woman  of  wide  culti- 
vation, and  intensely  interested  in  historical  and  gen- 
ealogical subjects.  She  has  in  her  possession  at  the 
present  time  a  very  interesting  volume  composed  of  old 
newspapers,  principally  "The  Guardian  of  Liberty," 
which  was  printed  in  Newport  under  the  date  of 
October  10,  1800.  In  these  papers  are  many  articles 
concerning  the  ancestry  of  the  Mumford  families. 


HORACE  MILLER— In  the  early  history  of  mer- 
cantile life  in  the  city  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  the  name  of 
Horace  Miller  is  placed  with  those  of  the  leading 
merchants  of  the  time.  He  stands  out  prominently 
among  those  founders  of  early  enterprise,  to  whose 
progressive  industry  and  pride  in  the  growth  and  dev- 
elopment of  early  Pawtucket  the  present  industrial 
leadership  of  the  city  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  is  in 
a  large  measure  due. 

Horace  Miller,  son  of  Josiah  Whipple  and  Mary 
(Slack)  Miller,  was  born  in  1801,  in  what  was  then  a 
part  of  the  town  of  North  Providence,  R.  I.  He  was  a 
descendant  of  several  well  known  families  of  Colonial 
origin.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
North  Providence,  and  at  an  early  age  quitted  his 
studies  to  enter  business  life.  After  a  short  period 
spent  in  the  employ  of  Pawtucket  merchants,  he  estab- 
lished himself  in  the  dry  goods  business,  among  the 
first  in  Pawtucket  to  engage  in  this  field.  The  business 
proved  highly  successful,  and  he  conducted  it  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother  Daniel  for  many  years.  Horace 
Miller  rose  gradually  to  a  place  of  prominence  in  the 
business  world  of  Pawtucket,  and  became  connected 
largely  with  its  financial  and  civic  life.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  original  board  of  directors  of  the  Paw- 
tucket Fire  Insurance  Company,  which  was  chartered 
at  the  May  session  of  the  Rhode  Island  General  As- 
sembly in  1848,  organized  June  19,  1848,  and  began 
business  on  February  10  of  the  following  year.    Through 


his  connection  with  many  of  the  large  enterprises  of 
the  city  in  either  an  advisory  or  executive  capacity  he 
came  to  be  universally  respected  for  the  sagacity  of  his 
judgment  and  his  keen  business  foresight,  and  his 
counsel  was  sought  by  many  business  men.  Horace 
Miller  was  a  member  of  St.  Paul's  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  active  in  its  work  for  many  decades,  and  was 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  for  a  long  period 
of  years.  He  was  highly  respected  for  the  integrity  of 
his  business  dealings,  and  the  uprightness  of  his  life, 
and  at  his  death  was  deeply  and  sincerely  mourned. 
Earlier  in  life  he  had  been  keenly  interested  in  military 
affairs,  and  was  one  of  the  forty  citizens  of  North 
Providence  who  on  May  2,  1824,  organized  a  military 
company,  and  at  the  May  session  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  the  same  year  secured  a  charter  as  the  "Fayette 
Rifle  Corps,  in  the  Second  Regiment  of  Militia."  The 
company  was  named  in  honor  of  General  Lafayette. 

Horace  Miller  married  in  Bristol,  R.  I.,  Bishop  Gris- 
wold  officiating,  on  November  30,  1829,  Elizabeth  Burden 
Monroe,  daughter  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Burden) 
Monroe,  of  Bristol.  She  was  baptized  at  Bristol,  June 
9,  181 1,  and  died  on  March  4,  1907.  She  was  a  devoted 
member  of  St.  Paul's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of 
Pawtucket,  and  like  her  husband  took  an  active  part 
in  its  charitable  and  philanthropic  efforts.  Their  child- 
ren were:  I.  Horace  George,  mentioned  below.  2. 
Ephraim  Monroe  Nelson,  who  resides  at  Waverly, 
Mass.  3.  Mary.  4.  Annie.  The  Misses  Miller  reside 
at  No.  75  Park  place,  Pawtucket,  whither  they  removed 
about  1894  from  the  old  Horace  Miller  homestead  on 
Main  street,  near  Park  place,  where  they  were  bom 
and  which  was  built  by  their  father  before  his  marriage. 
They  are  members  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
of  St.  Paul,  and  take  much  interest  in  many  depart- 
ments of  the  work  of  the  parish.  They  are  also  mem- 
bers of  the  Pawtucket  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution. 

Horace  Miller  died  in  Pawtucket,  in  1851,  and  was 
buried  in  Mineral  Springs  Cemetery,  his  body  later 
being  removed  to  Riverside  Cemetery,  where  also  his 
widow  was  interred  in  1907. 


HORACE  GEORGE  MILLER,  M.  D.— The  late 
Horace  George  Miller,  M.  D.,  for  many  years  one  of 
the  foremost  members  of  the  medical  profession  in 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  was  bom  April  6,  1840,  in  that  city, 
the  son  of  Horace  and  Elizabeth  Burden  (Monroe) 
Miller.  His  early  schooling  was  obtained  in  the  well- 
known  "Jones  school  hoyse,"  and  was  later  continued 
under  the  guidance  of  his  uncle.  Nathaniel  Bowen 
Cooke,  the  well  known  educator  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  at  the 
latter's  boarding  school  at  Webster,  Mass.  He  also 
attended  the  Church  Hill  School  of  Pawtucket,  and  the 
Lyon  &  Frieze  School  of  Providence.  He  studied 
Latin  under  Rev.  George  Taft,  D.  D.,  then  the  rector 
of  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church  of  Pawtucket.  Enter- 
ing Brown  University,  he  received  the  de.oree  of  Master 
of  Arts  in  i860,  following  which  he  entered  Harvard 
Medical  School,  enrolled  as  a  pupil  of  the  late  Dr.  Lloyd 
Morton,  of  Pawtucket,  and  the  late  Dr.  Sulvanus  Clapp, 
of  Pawtucket,  and  was  graduated  in  1865  with  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  During  the  Civil  War  Dr. 
Miller  enlisted  in  the  volunteer  service  and  was  with  the 


<^^  ^y^^i.44^*i^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


13 


army  engaged  in  guarding  Washington,  D.  C,  serving 
as  a  commissary  sergeant.  Soon  after  this  he  became 
assistant  surgeon  of  the  United  States  Marine  Hospital 
at  Chelsea,  Mass.,  and  was  assistant  to  the  surgeons  at 
the  Massachusetts  Charitable  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary 
in  Boston.  Following  this  he  went  to  Europe,  where  he 
made  a  special  study  of  eye  and  car  diseases,  and  in 
January,  1868,  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Providence  as  a  specialist  in  eye  and  ear  troubles. 
Here  he  continued  in  active  practice  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  May  29,  1908,  while  on  a  vacation  trip. 
His  body  was  brought  to  Providence  and  deposited  in 
Swan  Point  Cemetery.  He  became  one  of  the  leading 
physicians  and  specialists  in  eye  and  ear  infirmities  in 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  and  when  the  Rhode  Island 
Hospital  was  opened  in  1868  he  was  appointed  opthal- 
mic  and  aural  surgeon,  which  connection  continued 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  senior  member  of  the  staff,  and  was 
president  of  the  staff  association.  Dr.  Miller  was  a 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  of  which 
he  was  president  from  1886  to  1888;  a  member  of  the 
Providence  Medical  Society,  president  in  1S76  and 
1877;  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association; 
fellow  of  the  American  Academy  of  Medicine;  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Opthalmological  Society;  vice- 
president  of  the  American  Otological  Society,  and  a 
meniher  of  the  New  England  Opthalmological  Society, 
of  which  he  was  president  two  years. 

Dr.  Miller  married,  July  4,  1871,  Helen  Woods, 
daughter  of  John  Woods,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  who  died 
in  February,  igog,  in  Providence,  K.  I.  Dr.  Miller  died 
at  Camden,  Me.,  on  May  29,  1908. 


THOMAS  I.  HUDSON— As  a  fitting  climax  to  a 
long  and  honorable  career  of  usefulness,  which  began 
and  has  been  confined  to  the  city  of  Providence,  R.  L, 
Mr.  Hudson  is  now  (igiS)  serving  his  city  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  General  Assembly  of  his  native  State.  He  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  E.  Hudson,  born  in  Newport,  1815, 
died  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1868,  a  contractor  and 
builder  of  Providence  for  twenty-five  years.  He  mar- 
ried Lydia  Ann  Smith,  of  Newport,  born  in  1820.  died 
in  1892. 

Thomas  I.  Hudson  was  born  in  Providence,  Septem- 
ber 20,  1845,  and  obtained  a  good  public  school  educa- 
tion, finishing  with  high  school.  He  began  active  busi- 
ness life  with  Thomas  Phillips  &  Company,  the  oldest 
plumbing  house  in  Providence,  serving  three  years  with 
that  house,  beginning  May  14,  1862,  and  thoroughly 
mastering  the  plumber's  trade.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  he  left  the  Phillips  Company  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  David  Cady  &  Company  of  Providence,  as  fore- 
man of  their  plumbing  department,  remaining  with  that 
company  four  years.  He  was  then  twenty-eight  years 
of  age  and  had  an  expert  knowledge  of  his  trade  and 
about  ten  years  experience  as  apprentice,  journeyman 
and  foreman.  Having  in  addition  to  his  experience  and 
skill  the  control  of  sufficient  capital,  Mr.  Hudson  de- 
cided, in  1873,  to  start  a  plumbing  business  under  his 
own  name.  This  he  did  with  headquarters  at  No.  6 
Cranston  street,  a  location  he  occupied  for  seventeen 
years.  He  prospered  in  business,  new  customers  came 
to   him  in   such   abundance   that   in   1S90   he  moved   to 


more  commodious  quarters,  Nos.  13-15  Cranston  street. 
There  he  kept  about  twenty  men  constantly  employed, 
but  was  compelled  to  enlarge  his  present  location,  Ko. 
231  Cranston  street,  being  first  occupied  October  I, 
1915.  He  is  still  at  the  head  of  the  business  he  founded 
forty-five  years  ago,  although  he  has  delegated  the 
heavier  burdens  to  younger  shoulders.  During  the 
years  in  business  he  has  executed  many  important  con- 
tracts with  the  city  of  Providence  and  with  many  of  the 
large  corporations  of  the  city.  He  has  won  success  as 
a  business  man  through  energetic,  upright  prosecution 
of  the  duty  in  hand,  by  keeping  his  word  sacred  and 
his  contracted  obligations  inviolate.  No  man  in  the 
business  world  bettor  deserved  the  success  which  he 
has  attained  and  no  man  has  warmer,  truer  friends. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has  long  been  one 
of  the  party  war  horses,  ever  ready  for  party  service. 
He  has  sat  in  many  party  conventions  as  delegate,  but 
never  sought  office,  the  nomination  for  assemblyman 
which  he  received  in  igi6  coming  unsolicited.  He  was 
elected  at  the  November  polls,  and  during  the  session 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Legislation  served  on  committees 
on  elections.  State  institutions  and  governor's  com- 
munications. He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  his  clubs  the 
West  Side,  Central  and  Ponham ;  his  religious  faith 
Episcopalian. 

Mr.  Hudson  married,  in  Providence,  in  1868,  EUa 
Devereaux,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  daughter  of  Elisha 
Devereaux,  superintendent  of  the  Eagle  Screw  Com- 
pany. They  were  the  parents  of  two  daughters  and 
two  sons:  Maude  E.,  born  in  1870,  died  i8go;  Harry 
K.,  born  1874;  Thomas  I.,  Jr.,  born  1874,  died  1897; 
E.  Gertrude,  born  1883,  married  Benjamin  Bayliss,  of 
New  York.     Mrs.  Hudson  died  December  18,  1893. 


THOMAS  W.  LIND,  deceased,  one  of  the  best- 
known  riguros  in  the  manufacturing  jewelers'  trade  in 
Rhode  Island  in  the  last  quarter  century,  was  born  in 
Montrose,  Scotland,  on  March  2,  1845,  the  descendant 
of  a  family  which  has  occupied  a  prominent  place  in 
Scottish  history  for  five  hundred  years.  Numerous 
branches  of  the  family  are  of  the  landed  gentry  and 
entitled  to  bear  arms;  the  surname  is  picturesque  in  its 
derivation,  and  signifies  literally  "at  the  linden-tree." 
Thomas  W.  Lind  was  the  great-great-grandson  of  the 
famous  Marshal  George  Keith  (1693-1778)  who  served 
under  Marlborough,  and  like  his  brother,  Francis, 
Marshal  George  Keith  was  a  zealous  Jacobite,  taking 
part  in  the  rising  of  1715.  after  which  he  escaped  to 
the  continent.  In  the  following  year  he  was  attainted. 
He  lived  in  Spain  for  many  years,  where  he  concerned 
himself  with  Jacobite  intrigues,  but  took  no  part  in 
the  rebellion  of  1745,  proceeding  about  that  year  to 
Prussia,  where  he  became,  like  his  brother,  intimate 
with  Frederick  the  Great.  Frederick  employed  him  in 
several  diplomatic  posts,  and  he  is  said  to  have  con- 
veyed valuable  information  to  the  earl  of  Chatham,  as 
a  reward  for  which  he  received  a  pardon  from  George 
II.,  and  returned  to  Scotland  in  1759.  The  barony  of 
Keith  in  East  Lothian  is  said  to  have  been  granted  by 
Malcolm  II.,  King  of  Scotland,  to  a  member  of  the 
house  for  services  against  the  Danes.  The  office  of 
great   marischal   of    Scotland,   hereditary  in   the   Keith 


14 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


family,  was  confirmed  to  Sir  Robert  Keith  by  a  charter 
of  King  Robert  Bruce.  From  Marshal  George  Keith 
the  line  descends  through  Alexander  Keith,  grandfather 
of  Thomas  W.  Lind,  who  married  Elizabeth  Scott; 
their  daughter,  Helen  Storich  Keith,  became  the  wife 
of  Thomas  Wilson  Lind,  of  Montrose,  Scotland,  and 
mother  of  the  late  Thomas  W.  and  Peter  Lind, 

In  1852  Thomas  W.  Lind,  Sr.,  came  to  America  with 
his  famMy,  settling  in  North  Troy,  Vt.,  where  his  sons 
were  educated.  Thomas  W.  Lind,  on  completing  his 
schooling,  came  to  Providence,  where  he  entered  upon 
a  business  course  in  the  old  Schofield  Commercial  Col- 
lege. Realizing  from  the  outset  that  the  great  manu- 
facturing industries  of  Providence  offered  a  fertile 
field  for  future  business  efforts,  Mr.  Lind  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Providence  Tool  Company,  which  was 
then  under  contract  with  the  Turkish  Government,  man- 
ufacturing rifles,  as  an  inspector  of  forgings. 

Mr.  Lind  resigned  his  position  with  the  Providence 
Tool  Company  to  accept  the  management  of  the  busi- 
ness of  his  brother,  Alexander  Lind.  This  enterprise, 
from  which  has  grown  the  present  concern  of  the  T. 
W.  Lind  Company,  was  launched  in  Providence,  in 
1865,  by  Alexander  K.  Lind,  for  the  manufacture  of 
jewelers'  findings,  and  was  the  pioneer  industry  of  its 
kind  in  the  city.  It  was  begun  on  a  small  scale  in  a 
part  of  the  shop  of  E.  W,  Holden,  with  a  diminutive 
capital  The  demand  for  the  production  was  great, 
however,  and  within  a  short  period  Alexander  K.  Lind 
removed  to  No.  36  Potter  street  (now  Garnet  street). 
Soon  afterward  the  business  was  quartered  in  No.  33 
Potter  street,  where  Thomas  W.  Lind  assumed  its 
management.  The  output  of  those  early  years,  while  it 
satisfied  a  steadily  increasing  demand  and  met  the  needs 
of  the  period,  was  primitive  in  comparison  with  the 
productions  of  the  company  to-day.  Having  decided  to 
make  the  development  of  this  business  his  life-work, 
Thomas  W.  Lind  henceforward  strained  every  talent 
to  bring  it  to  the  highest  standard  of  etificiency.  The 
death  of  his  brother  in  1880  left  him  free  to  carry 
out  a  policy  of  expansion  long  contemplated.  He  began 
gradually  to  introduce  the  finest  of  modern  machinery 
and  new  methods  of  manufacture.  Possessing  con- 
siderable mechanical  genius,  he  gave  much  time  to  the 
perfecting  of  inventions  for  the  making  of  jewelers' 
findings.  He  was  a  business  man  of  keen  perceptions, 
alive  to  every  changing  phase  of  the  trade  in  which 
he  engaged,  thoroughly  conversant  with  every  detail 
of  his  business  from  the  least  important  detail  of  manu- 
facture to  the  larger  problems  of  finance.  He  was  an 
able  executive  and  organizer.  Mr.  Lind  made  several 
trips  to  Europe  for  the  purposing  of  studying  condi- 
tions in  the  jewelry  trade  on  the  continent;  these  trips 
were  fruitful  of  several  valuable  ideas  which  he  later 
applied  to  his  own  business.  His  aim  was  to  raise  not 
only  the  standard  of  production  in  his  own  enterprise 
but  to  advance  the  ideals  of  the  entire  trade.  In  1890 
the  business  was  removed  to  its  present  location,  at  No. 
67  Friendship  street.  In  191 1  the  firm  purchased  the 
building.  In  1902  Peter  Lind  became  a  member  of  the 
firm ;  in  the  same  year  the  business  was  incorporated  as 
the  T.  W.  Lind  Company.  Mr.  Lind  remained  the 
active  head  of  the  firm,  dictating  all  its  policies  until 
his  retirement,  in  January,  1909.     His  latter  years  were 


spent  on  his  farm  at  Greenwood,  R.  I.  Few  men  were 
better-known  and  more  eminently  respected  in  the  man- 
ufacturing jewelers'  trade  in  New  England  than  Thomas 
W.  Lind,  and  there  were  few  of  his  contemporaries 
who  exerted  as  great  an  influence  on  the  trade  as  he 
did.  The  high  artistic  standard  of  the  productions  of 
the  T.  W.  Lind  Company  perforce  brought  rivals  to  a 
higher  standard  of  excellence  in  order  that  they  might 
compete  with  it. 

Thomas  W.  Lind  was  essentially  the  man-of-affairs, 
at  his  best  when  engaged  in  creative  work.  He  had  no 
patience  with  the  idler.  Easily  approachable,  he  was 
the  friend  and  confidant  of  hundreds.  Equity,  fairness 
and  justice  characterized  his  entire  career  in  the  busi- 
ness world.  He  fulfilled  not  only  the  letter  of  the  con- 
tract, but  its  spirit.  Fraternally  he  was  a  member  of 
Redwood  Lodge,  No.  35,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons.  He  was  prominent  in  trade  organizations,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  New  England  Manufacturing 
Jewelers'  and  Silversmiths'  Association.  Thomas  W. 
Lind  died  at  his  home  in  Greenwood,  R.  I..  October  14, 
1917.  He  is  survived  by  his  widow,  Annie  M.  Lind,  who 
makes  her  home  in  Greenwood. 


PETER  LIND,  late  treasurer  and  general  manager 
of  the  T.  W.  Lind  Company,  and  like  his  brother  a 
prominent  figure  for  many  years  in  the  manufacturing 
jewelry  trade  in  Rhode  Island,  was  born  in  Montrose, 
Scotland,  June  19,  1849,  son  of  Thomas  Wilson  and 
Helen  Storich  (Keith)  Lind.  He  removed  with  his 
parents  to  America  in  1854,  and  received  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  North  Troy,  Vt.  On  finishing 
his  schooling  he  went  to  Taunton,  Mass.,  where  he 
learned  the  trade  of  machinist.  Mr.  Lind  came  to  Prov- 
idence and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Locomotive  Works,  where  he  remained  for  several 
years.  He  then  became  connected  with  the  John  Hope 
&  Sons  Engraving  and  Manufacturing  Company,  makers 
of  pantograph  machines  for  textile  printing. 

In  1882  Peter  Lind  resigned  his  position  with  John 
Hope  &  Sons  to  enter  his  brother's  establishment  as 
superintendent  of  the  factory.  He  held  this  position 
for  fourteen  years,  his  brother's  chief  advisor  and  con- 
fidant, and  at  the  end  of  this  time  retired  to  enter  busi- 
ness independently.  In  1896,  in  partnership  with  the 
late  Charles  J.  Heimberger  Mr.  Lind  established  the 
firm  of  Heimberger  &  Lind  and  began  the  manufacture 
of  jewelers'  findings,  in  Providence.  The  business  was 
highly  successful  from  the  outset,  and  Mr.  Lind  contin- 
ued active  in  its  affairs  until  1902,  when  at  the  request 
of  his  brother  he  returned  to  the  T.  W.  Lind  Company 
as  a  member  of  the  firm.  The  business,  in  which  he 
subsequently  bought  a  controlling  interest,  was  incor- 
porated in  igo2  as  the  T.  W.  Lind  Company,  with  T. 
W.  Lind  as  president,  Peter  Lind,  treasurer  and  general 
manager,  and  William  T.  Lind,  secretary.  Peter  Lind 
was  not  only  a  mechanical  genius  of  the  highest  order, 
but  was  also  a  most  able  business  man.  His  far-sighted 
financial  policies  were  in  a  large  measure  responsible 
for  the  rapid  growth  of  the  firm. 

Peter  Lind  was  a  well-known  figure  in  fraternal  and 
social  circles  in  Providence.  He  was  active  in  Masonry, 
and  was  a  member  of  Redwood  Lodge,  No.  35,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons;   Providence  Chapter,  No. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


IS 


I,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  St.  John's  Commandery.  Knights 
Templar;  and  Palestine  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  was  also  a  member 
of  Clan  Fraser,  No.  ii.  Order  of  Scottish  Clans,  of 
Pawtucket.  He  was  a  man  of  magnetic  personality,  firm 
in  his  friendships,  sincere  in  purpose.  His  charities 
and  benefactions  were  many,  but  did  not  come  to  light 
until  after  his  death.  He  was  eminently  respected  in 
business  circles  in  Providence,  and  his  death  on  March 
31,  1915,  was  the  cause  of  widespread  and  sincere  grief. 
Peter  Lind  married,  in  1880,  Margaret  \V.  Crombie, 
of  Edinburgh,  Scotland.  They  were  the  parents  of 
two  children:  William  G.  Lind,  mentioned  elsewhere  in 
this  work,  and  Ethel  I.,  who  married  Waldo  Whit- 
marsh,  of  Providence. 


WILLIAM  G.  LIND,  general  manager  and  acting 
treasurer  of  the  T.  W.  Lind  Company,  of  Providence, 
the  successor  of  his  father,  Peter  Lind,  and  uncle, 
Thomas  W.  Lind.  in  the  business  which  was  founded 
in  Rhode  Island,  in  r865,  was  born  in  Providence,  Nov- 
ember 25,  1881,  son  of  Peter  and  Margaret  W.  (Crombie) 
Lind.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  the  city,  and 
on  completing  a  course  of  study  in  the  Manual  Train- 
ing High  School,  in  looo,  entered  the  employ  of  his 
uncle,  Thomas  W.  Lind.  He  continued  as  an  em- 
ployee for  six  years,  during  which  period  he  made  an 
exhaustive  study  of  every  department  of  the  business. 
In  1906  Mr.  Lind  became  secretary  of  the  corporation. 
After  the  retirement  of  his  uncle  in  1909  he  was  made 
assistant  manager.  The  steadily  failing  health  of  his 
father,  the  late  Peter  Lind,  brought  practically  the  entire 
responsibility  of  the  business  upon  him,  and  he  was 
virtually  its  head  for  several  years  prior  to  his  father's 
death,  in  191 5.  He  then  succeeded  to  the  office  of  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  company,  and  is  at  present  (1918) 
acting  treasurer.  Mr.  Lind  ranks  prominently  among 
the  progressive  business  men  of  the  day  in  Providence. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  New  England  Jewelers'  &  Sil- 
versmiths' .Association.  Mr.  Lind  is  active  in  Masonic 
and  club  circles  in  Providence.  He  is  a  member  of  St. 
John's  Lodge,  No.  i.  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons;  St.  John's  Commandery,  Knights  Templar; 
Providence  Chapter,  Royal  .\rch  Masons ;  Providence 
Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  Palestine  Temple, 
Ancient  .Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine; 
and  of  Rhode  Island  Consistory.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  of 
the  Edgewood  Yacht  Club. 

On  November  21,  1910,  William  G.  Lind  married 
Velna  Bangs,  daughter  of  the  late  Henry  C.  Bangs,  of 
Providence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lind  are  the  parents  of  a 
son,  William  G.  Lind,  Jr.,  born  June  28,  1918. 


CHARLES  EUGENE  SALISBURY— The  appear- 
ance of  the  above  name  in  a  work  of  this  character 
calls  for  neither  introduction  nor  explanation  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  Mr.  Salisbury  has  been  for  more  than 
th'irty  years  a  representative  of  the  Providence  bar  of 
which  he  is  now  one  of  the  acknowledged  leaders.  He 
is  also  numbered  among  those  citizens  who  are  always 
ready  to  do  their  part  in  the  work  of  progress  and 
reform. 

Garner    Abel    Salisbury,    father    of    Charles    Eugene 


Salisbury,  was  a  farmer.  He  married  Mary  Maria 
Patterson.  Mr.  Salisbury  died  when  his  son  Charles 
E.  was  but  eight  years  old,  and  Mrs.  Salisbury  passed 
away  in  i8<)4. 

Charles  Eugene  Salisbury,  son  of  Garner  Abel  and 
Mary  Maria  (Patterson)  Salisbury,  was  born  Decem- 
ber 9.  1858,  at  Scituatc,  R.  I.,  and  as  a  boy  attended 
school  during  the  winter  months,  his  summers  being 
spent  in  assisting  on  the  farm.  Later  he  attended  Lap- 
ham  Institute,  at  North  Scituate.  and  then  Fort  F'.dward 
Collegiate  Institute  at  Fort  Edward,  N.  Y.,  graduating 
from  the  latter  institution  in  1884.  He  then  entered 
the  law  office  of  Hon.  Benjamin  N.  Lapham,  of  Prov- 
idence, and  there  for  three  years  pursued  his  profess- 
sional  studies.  In  October,  1887,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
t)ar.  He  was  also  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  United 
States  Circuit  Court  in  1892.  Mr.  Salisbury  practised 
continuously  in  association  with  Mr.  Lapham  until  i8yo, 
when  in  May  of  that  year  the  elder  man  passed  away. 
Mr.  Salisbury  retained  the  old  offices  at  No.  75  West- 
minster street  and  still  occupies  them,  conducting  an 
extensive  general  practice  and  at  the  same  time  spec- 
ializing in  real  estate  law,  wills  and  the  settlement  of 
estates.  The  principles  advocated  by  the  Republican 
party  have  always  received  Mr.  Salisbury's  political 
allegiance,  and  for  years  he  has  served  on  the  Repub- 
lican State  central  committee,  an  office  which  he  still 
retains.  He  affiliates  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  hav- 
ing taken  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter,  and  Council  de- 
grees. He  is  a  member  of  Roger  Williams  Baptist 
Church  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Salisbury  married,  November  20,  1894,  Mary  C. 
Remington,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter, 
Marion,  born  September  27,  1897,  and  now  in  her 
sophomore  year  at  Brown  University.  The  family  spend 
their  winters  in  Providence  and  their  summers  at  North 
Scituate.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Salisbury  are  both  devoted  to 
the  ties  of  family  and  friendship,  and  find  their  chief 
happiness  in  the  life  of  the  household. 

His  professional  career  has  been  one  of  quiet,  force- 
ful attainment,  of  an  assured  standing  at  the  bar,  and 
as  a  citizen,  while  never  holding  any  office  with  the 
exception  of  the  one  mentioned  above,  he  has  always 
been  one  of  the  men  who  counted,  his  influence  being 
invariably  exerted  in  behalf  of  good  government  and 
everything  that  makes  for  true  advancement.  This  is 
a  worthy  record,  richly  deserving  the  emulation  of 
younger  men  now  coming  into  prominence. 


FRANCIS  D.  MORSE— The  death  of  the  late 
Francis  U.  Morse,  in  the  city  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  on 
June  22,  1913,  removed  not  only  from  business  circles 
in  which  he  had  been  an  honored  member  a  ligure  of 
prominence,  but  removed  from  the  religious  life  of  the 
city  a  leader  whose  honesty  of  purpose  and  Christian 
integrity  of  life  had  made  him  loved  and  respected 
throughout  his  long  and  useful  career.  Descendant  of 
a  long  line  of  rugged  Puritan  ancestors,  embodying  in 
his  personality  the  virtues  of  the  early  founders  of  the 
nation,  tempered  by  the  breadth  of  view  and  tolerance 
of  a  later  age,  he  represented  the  best  type  of  Christ- 
ian gentleman.  Kind,  earnest,  just  and  charitable  in 
all  his  acts,  he  wielded  a  quiet  yet  determining  influence 
on  the  lives  of  the  religious  body  of  which   he  was  a 


i6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


member  through  the  potent  medium  of  a  fine  example 
In  business  life  he  applied  the  same  pnnciples  to  all 
his  dealings,  with  the  result  that  he  was  universally 
known  as  a  man  whose  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond. 
The  Morse  coat-of-arms  is  as  follows : 

Arms— Argent  a  battle-axe  In  pale  gules  between 
^''cres'i— A  lion  rampant  supporting  a  plumb-rule. 

(I)  Richard  Morse,  the  first  of  the  direct  line  of 
whom  he  have  authoritative  information,  was  born  in 
the  historic  town  of  Dedham,  England,  and  married 
there,  February  l^,  1586,  Margaret  Symson.  Among 
their  children  was  Samuel  Morse,  who  became  the 
founder  of  the  .American  family  of  the  name,  of  which 
Francis  Dwight  Morse  was  a  descendant. 

(II)  Samuel  Morse,  son  of  Richard  and  Margaret 
(Symson)  Morse,  was  born  in  Dedham,  England, 
where  he  resided  up  to  the  time  of  his  emigration  to 
New  England.  He  sailed  for  the  New  World  m  the 
ship  "Increase,"  April  15,  1635,  and  settled  in  Dodham, 
Mass.,  which  was  named  by  emigrants  from  the  town 
in  Old  England  in  remembrance  of  their  old  home.  He 
was  admitted  a  freeman  there,  October  8.  1640,  and  later 
removed  to  the  adjoining  town  of  Medfield,  where  many 
of  his  descendants  have  lived.  Samuel  Morse  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  early  commimities  in  which 
he  resided,  and  was  a  town  officer  of  Dedham,  as  well 
as  one  of  its  proprietors.  He  died  April  5.  1654,  and 
his  will  was  proved  January  30.  1654-55-  He  married, 
in  England,  Elizabeth,  who  died  June  20,  1655.  She  was 
fortv-eight  years  old  at  the  time  when  she  emigrated. 
Their  children  were;  I.  John,  born  in  1611.  2.  Daniel, 
born  in  1613.  3.  Joseph,  mentioned  below.  4-  Abigail, 
married  Daniel  Fisher,  of  Dedham.  5.  Mary,  married 
Samuel  BuUen.    6.  Jeremiah. 

(III)  Joseph  Morse,  son  of  Samuel  Morse,  was  born 
in  England,  in  1615,  and  settled  first  in  Watertown, 
but  in  1637  removed  to  Dedham,  Mass.  He  mar- 
ried, in  1638,  Hannah  Phillips.  While  he  was  clearing 
land  at  Medfield,  and  preparing  the  house  for  his  family 
who  were  living  at  Dorchester,  he  died,  leaving  the  new 
home  unfinished,  and  the  growing  corn  and  unfinished 
log  house  were  left  to  the  care  of  his  children.  The 
widow  married,  in  1658,  Thomas  Boyden.  who  died  in 
Boston,  in  1767,  at  the  home  of  her  eldest  daughter. 
The  children  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  (Phillips)  Morse 
were:  l.  Samuel,  born  in  1639.  2.  Hannah,  born  in 
1640.  3.  Sarah,  born  in  1643.  4.  Dorcas,  born  in  1645. 
5.  Elizabeth,  born  in  1647.  6.  Joseph,  mentioned  below. 
7.  Jeremiah,  born  in  1651.    8.  Child,  died  young. 

(IV)  Captain  Joseph  (2)  Morse,  son  of  Joseph  (l) 
and  Hannah  (Phillips)  Morse,  was  born  September  26, 
1649.  He  lived  in  Sherborn,  where  he  built  the  first 
mill  in  company  with  Captain  Ware.  He  was  a  promi- 
nent man  in  the  community,  and  was  a  deputy  to  the 
General  Court.  The  first  public  worship  was  held  at 
his  house.  He  married  (first)  October  17,  1671,  Mehit- 
able  Wood,  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Mary  (Wilkes) 
Wood.  She  was  born  July  22,  1655,  died  November  12, 
1681.  He  married  (second)  April  11,  1683,  Hannah, 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Joanna  Badcock,  who  was  born 
in  Milton,  Mass.,  February  8,  1664,  and  died  in  Sherborn, 
November  9,  1711.  He  married  (third)  Mrs.  Hannah 
Baxter  Dyer,  on  May  17,  1713.  She  was  the  widow  of 
Captain  Joseph   Dyer   of   Braintree,   Mass.,    (or   Wey- 


mouth), who  was  born  in  1661,  and  died  September  4, 
1727.  He  died  in  Sherborn,  February  19,  1717.  Chil- 
dren: I.  Mehitable,  born  .A.pril  25,  1673,  died  young. 
2.  Joseph,  mentioned  below.  3.  Mehitable,  born  Nov. 
2,  1681.  4.  James,  born  July  i,  1686.  5.  Hannah,  born 
April  5,  1689.  6.  Sarah,  born  on  April  12,  1692.  7. 
Captain  David,  born  Dec.  31,  1694.  8.  Isaac,  born  Sept. 
14,  1697.  9.  Keziah,  born  June  30,  1700.  10.  Asa,  born 
Aug.  24.  1703.  .  ,     ,   X 

(V)  Joseph  (3)  Morse,  son  of  Captain  Joseph  (2) 
Morse,  was  born  in  Sherborn,  Mass..  March  25,  1679. 
died  there,  April  18,  1734;  he  married,  April  14,  1/02, 
Prudence  Adams,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Prudence 
(Frairy)  Adams.  She  was  born  April  10,  1683,  and  died 
in  1772.  Their  children  were:  I.  Henry,  born  June  14, 
1703.  2.  Joseph,  mentioned  below.  3.  Seth,  born 
Sept.  12,  1708.  4.  Elisha,  born  April  13,  1715.  5. 
Jacob,  born  Sept.  21,  I7I7-  6.  Judith,  born  Oct.  13, 
1720.     7.  John,   born   Dec.   31.   1725.   died  young. 

(VI)  Joseph  (4)  Morse,  son  of  Joseph  (3)  and  Pru- 
dence (.Adams)  Morse,  was  bom  in  Sherborn,  Mass., 
November  15,  1705.  He  settled  in  Soutlibridge,  where 
he  bought  a  farm,  which  has  passed  by  inheritance 
through  seven  generations  to  its  present  owner.  He 
married  on  May  17.  1735.  Experience  Morse,  who  was_a 
descendant  of  Samuel  Morse,  the  emigrant  ancestor  in 
the  fifth  generation,  Noah  (4).  Daniel  (3),  Daniel  (2), 
Samuel  (i).  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morse  were  the  parents  of 
several  children,  among  them  Jason  Morse,  mentioned 
below. 

(VII)  Jason  Morse,  son  of  Joseph  (4)  and  Experi- 
ence (Morse)  Morse,  was  born  in  Southbridge,  Mass., 
May  12.  1740,  and  died  March  26,  1806.  He  married, 
March  16,  1759,  Phebe  Stacy,  of  Southbridge,  Mass., 
bom  March  8.  1740.  He  settled  and  established  the 
family  in  Southbridge.  He  was  a  prosperous  farmer, 
and  well  known  citizen,  and  was  prominent  in  the  life 
of  the  community  in  his  time. 

(\'III)  Jason  (2)  Morse,  son  of  Jason  (i)  and  Phebe 
(Stacy)  Morse,  was  born  in  Southbridge,  Mass.,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1769,  and  died  there  in  1844.  He  also  fol- 
lowed farming,  and  was  a  leading  man  in  the  town. 
He  married,  April  4.  1793,  Catherine  Plimpton,  of 
Southbridge,  born  August  14,  1769,  died  January  9, 
1810,  and  they  w^ere  the  parents  of  James  Morse,  men- 
tioned below. 

(IX)  James  Morse,  son  of  Jason  (2)  and  Catherine 
(Plimpton)  Morse,  was  born  in  Southbridge.  Mass., 
January  I,  1798,  and  died  in  Genoa  Bluff.  Iowa,  in 
1866.  He  married  Elvila  Marsh,  of  a  prominent  South- 
bridge,  Mass.,  family.  They  were  the  parents  of  Fran- 
cis Dwight  Morse,  mentioned  below. 

(X)  Francis  Dwight  Morse,  son  of  James  and  Elvila 
(Marsh)  Morse,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Soiithbridg:e, 
Mass.,  May  23,  1830.  He  was  a  lineal  descendant  in 
the  ninth  American  generation  of  Samuel  M.>rse, 
founder  of  the  line  in  New  England,  who  was  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Dedham.  The  Morse  family  in  subse- 
quent generations  became  allied  with  many  notable 
Colonial  families,  among  them  namely:  Frairy,  An- 
thony, Fisher,  Barbour  and  Wood,  all  of  whom  became 
freemen  before  1640.  Inheriting  the  finest  traditions 
of  a  long  line  of  upright  ancestors,  he  verified  in  his 
life  the  value  of  an  honorable  heredity.  He  attended 
the    public    schools     of     Southbridge,    Mass.,    until    he 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


17 


reached  the  apre  of  seventeen  years,  when  he  entered  the 
academy  at  Monson,  Mass.,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated about  1841).  After  completinR  his  studies  he 
learned  the  trade  of  bookbindingf,  which  he  pursued  for 
a  time,  but  in  1858  ho  removed  to  the  town  of  Genoa 
Bluff.  Iowa,  and  there  purchased  a  large  farm.  For  a 
period  of  six  years  he  conducted  this  farm  during  the 
summer  months,  and  during  the  winter  months  taught 
in  the  local  district  schools.  In  1864  Mr.  Morse  re- 
turned to  the  East,  and  immediately  secured  employ- 
ment. For  twelve  years  following  he  accumulated  all 
his  available  resources,  and  in  1876  established  himself 
in  the  bookbinding  and  blankbook  business,  in  partner- 
ship with  his  son,  Walter  F.  Morse,  under  the  firm  name 
of  F.  D.  Morse  &  Son.  This  business  proved  highly 
successful.  In  1878,  the  death  of  Walter  F.  Morse  left 
a  vacancy  in  the  firm,  and  another  son,  Frederic  A. 
Morse,  was  admitted  by  his  father  two  years  later. 
From  this  time  forward  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Morse, 
Sr..  the  business  developed  rapidly,  and  becan.e  one  of 
the  leading  enterprises  of  its  kind  in  the  city.  Mr. 
Morse  was  a  business  man  of  fine  ability,  talented  in 
organizing  and  directing  the  channels  of  his  business. 
He  was  thoroughly  versed  in  every  department  of  the 
trade  of  bookbinding,  and  through  close  application  to 
his  affairs  advanced  his  fortunes  considerably.  He 
was  honored  and  respected  as  an  employer. 

His  deep  interest  in  religious  affairs  dated  from  early 
youth.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  he  joined  the  Con- 
gregational church  of  the  town  of  Southbridge,  Mass., 
and  very  early  became  a  teacher  in  its  Sunday  school. 
Throughout  his  entire  life  he  was  a  prominent  figure  in 
the  Congregational  bodies  of  the  cities  in  which  he 
resided.  On  settling  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  he  became  a 
member  of  the  First  Church,  and  immediately  became 
identified  with  many  departments  of  its  work  On  the 
organization  of  the  Park  Place  Congregational  Church 
in  1882,  he  became  one  of  its  charter  members  and  was 
chosen  deacon,  an  office  which  he  held  until  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the 
congregation,  and  until  advancing  years  made  active 
effort  impossible,  an  active  and  valuable  wurker  in  the 
interests  of  the  church,  supporting  its  charities  and 
philanthropies  liberally.  A  venerable  patriarch  in  his 
closing  years,  he  was  loved  and  honored  by  the  entire 
congregation.  Mr.  Morse  was  a  Republican  in  political 
affiliation,  but  in  no  sense  of  the  word  an  office  seeker. 
He  took  a  large  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  city  of 
Pawtucket,  and  was  for  many  years  identified  with  all 
movements  of  importance  for  the  advancement  of  civic 
welfare.     He  never  aspired  to  public  office,  however. 

In  1855.  Francis  D.  Morse  married  Sarah  F.  Raw- 
son,  daughter  of  George  B.  and  Sarah  (Cook)  Rawson. 
Mrs.  Morse  died  in  1887.  She  was  a  descendant  in  the 
seventh  generation  of  Secretary  Edward  Rawson,  and 
Rev.  Thomas  Hooker,  who  in  1636  removed  from  New- 
town (Cambridge)  with  his  entire  congregation  to 
Hartford,  and  founded  that  colony,  also  of  the  cele- 
brated Rev.  John  Wilsim,  first  pastor  of  Boston.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Morse  were  the  parents  of  three  children : 
I.  Walter  F.,  partner  in  the  firm  of  F.  D.  Morse  & 
Son.  from  1876  until  his  death  in  1878.  2.  Frederic  A., 
present  head  of  the  firm  of  F.  D.  Morse  &  Son.  3.  Eliz- 
abeth C,  who  became  the  wife  of  George  E.  Miller,  of 
R  1-2-2 


Pawtucket,  where  she  now  resides.  His  grandchildren 
are:  Elizabeth  B.,  Eleanor  W.  and  Frederic  R.  Morse. 
Francis  Dwight  Morse  died  at  his  home  in  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  June  22,  1913,  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-three 
years. 


REV.  JEREMIAH  FRANCIS  O'MEARA— Father 
O'Meara  was  installed  permanent  rector  of  St.  Mary's 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  Providence,  February  6,  1918, 
succeeding  Rev.  Thomas  P.  Grace.  He  is  a  native  of 
Rhode  Island,  and  since  i8f)6,  has  been  engaged  in  min- 
isterial work,  the  divine  calling  having  been  his  boyhood 
choice.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  O'Mcara.  who  was  born 
in  County  Kerry,  Ireland,  in  June,  1S36,  and  came  to 
the  United  States  as  a  young  man,  settled  in  Cranston, 
R.  I.,  and  there  died  in  March,  1911.  He  married  in 
February,  1868,  Mary  Nihill,  born  in  County  Clare,  Ire- 
land, in  1840.  She  died  .\ugust  7,  1873,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren :  Jcrcm.iah  Francis,  of  further  mention ;  and  Mary, 
now  Sister  Mary  Loretto,  a  Sister  of  Mercy,  educated 
at  St.  Francis  Xavier's  Academy,  Providence,  now  con- 
nected with  the  St.  .Moysus  Orphan  .Asylum,  Provi- 
dence. 

Jeremiah  Francis  O'Meara  was  born  in  Cranston,  R. 
I.,  June  29,  1869,  and  there  began  his  education  in  the 
public  schools.  He  continued  his  studies  at  La  Salle 
.•\cadtmy.  Providence,  then  for  three  years  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  Cranston  Print  Works  as  bookkeeper  and 
paymaster.  The  following  three  years  were  spent  at 
St.  Laurent  College,  Montreal,  Canada,  followed  by 
courses  at  St.  John's  Seminary,  Brighton.  Mass., 
whence  he  was  graduated  Ph.  B.  and  ordained  a  priest 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  September  24,  1896.  He 
pursued  post-graduate  study  at  the  Catholic  University, 
Washington,  D.  C,  receiving  the  degree  S.  T.  L.  His 
first  appointment  was  as  assistant  to  the  pastor  of 
Sacred  Heart  Church,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  where  he  re- 
mained fourteen  years,  June,  1898- 191 2,  his  pastorate 
at  St.  James  Church,  Arctic,  R.  I.,  beginning  in  1912, 
and  until  1918,  he  served  that  church  and  St.  Mary's  at 
Crompton.  On  February  6,  1918,  he  was  installed  rector 
of  St.  Mary's  Church  of  Providence.  He  is  a  member 
.)f  the  board  of  e.xaminers  of  La  Salle  Academy,  and 
ludge  of  the  Matrimonial  Court  (Diocese  of  Provi- 
dence) St.  Mary's  Church  consists  of  nearly  eight  thou- 
iand  souls,  with  all  departments  well  organized.  St. 
Mary's  ParcKhial  School  provides  educational  facilities 
for  960  pupils  in  grammar  school  grades,  with  a  two 
years'  commercial  course  for  boys  and  girls,  and  a  four 
years'  classical  course  for  girls,  the  sexes  kept  apart  in 
all  grades.  Music  and  art  are  taught,  the  twenty-two 
teachers  employed  in  the  school  all  being  Sisters  of  the 
Order  of  Notre  Dame,  their  Mother  house  at  Ville 
Marie,  Montreal.  The  elder  boys  are  under  the  care  of 
four  Christian  Brothers.  The  church  edifice  was 
erected  by  Rev.  John  Quinn,  the  first  pastor,  who  was 
followed  by  Rev.  Robert  Sullivan,  and  he  by  Rev. 
Thomas  P.  Grace,  who  was  succeeded  by  the  present 
pastor.  Rev.  Jeremiah  F.  O'Meara. 


FRANK  G.  BURNETT,  M.  D.— For  twenty  years 
prior  to  his  death  in  1912,  the  late  Dr.  Frank  G.  Burnett 
was  one  of  the  foremost  figures  in  the  medical  profes- 
sion in  the  city  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.    His  practice,  a  large 


i8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


one.  had  been  built  up  with  tireless  energy  and  unswerv- 
ing devotion  to  the  best  ideals  of  the  profession,  and 
through  it  all  ran  the  ideal  of  service.  To  those  who 
could  not  pay  he  gave  as  freely  of  his  time  and  skill 
as  to  those  of  wealth.  In  the  twenty  years  of  his  con- 
nection with  the  medical  profession  of  Pawtucket.  he 
made  for  himself  scores  of  friends  among  medical  men, 
and  a  host  of  staunch  admirers  and  friends  in  all  walks 
of  life  in  the  city.  He  was  most  sincerely  and  deeply 
mourned  at  his  death,  which  occurred  March  3,  1912. 

Burnett  Arms — Per  saltire  gules  and  vert,  a  sword 
erect,  in  pale  proper  .surmounted  by  a  tiuglehorn 
stringed  or,  on  a  chief  embattled,  ermine  three  holly 
leaves  of  the  second. 

Crest — On  a  mount,  a  vine,  out  of  clouds,  to  the  sin- 
ister, a  man's  hand  issuant,  grasping  a  knife,  in  the 
act  of  pruning,  all  proper,  the  whole  on  a  mural  cor- 
onet or. 

Dr.  Frank  G.  Burnett  was  born  in  the  town  of  Dud- 
ley, Mass.,  May  30,  1861,  the  son  of  Austin  C.  and 
Emma  (Perry)  Burnett,  and  a  member  of  a  family 
long  established  and  prominent  in  the  vicinity  of  Dud- 
ley. He  received  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  town,  and  at  a  later  date  entered  the 
Dudley  Academy,  where  he  prepared  for  college.  He 
matriculated  at  the  Burlington  (Vermont)  Medical  Col- 
lege, where  he  gained  the  preliminary  portion  of  his 
medical  education.  Dr.  Burnett  completed  his  studies 
for  the  medical  profession  in  the  New  York  Medical 
College,  where  he  obtained  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine.  He  entered  immediately  into  practice,  choos- 
ing the  town  of  Windsor,  Conn.,  where  he  established  a 
flourishing  practice,  and  remained  for  four  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time,  in  1882,  he  removed  to  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.  Here  he  entered  at  once  into  a  general  medical 
practice.  In  a  very  short  time  he  had  built  up  what  was 
one  of  the  largest  practices  of  its  kind  in  the  city,  and 
attained  a  place  in  professional  life,  which  he  held  until 
his  death.  Dr.  Burnett  also  took  an  active  interest  in 
the  life  and  development  of  Pawtucket,  and  lent  his 
name  and  support  to  all  movements  directed  toward  the 
improvement  of  civic  conditions.  He  was  examining 
physician  for  several  leading  insurance  companies,  a 
member  of  the  Pawtucket  Medical  Association,  and  the 
Rhode  Island  Medical  Society.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Windsor,  Conn.,  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  .\ccepted 
Masons.  He  was  a  Republican  in  political  faith,  but 
remained  strictly  outside  politics.  For  many  years  he 
was  well  known  and  popular  in  club  life,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  To  Kalon  Club  of  Pawtucket. 

In  1895,  Dr.  Burnett  married  Isabella  Bertha  De  Wire, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Hudson  and  Ellen  (Saul)  De 
Wire,  of  New  York.  Mrs.  Burnett,  who  survives  her 
husband  and  resides  at  the  Burnett  home  in  Pawtucket, 
is  a  descendant  of  several  prominent  families  of  New 
York  State.  She  is  active  and  well  known  in  social 
life  in  the  city  of  Pawtucket. 


CLAUDE  CUTHBERT  BALL— Through  difficul- 
ties which  would  have  daunted  a  less  determined  spirit. 
Claude  C.  Ball,  now  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of 
Curtis  &  Ball,  is  reaping  the  reward  of  his  persevering 
energy  and  ability.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  Ball,  a  man- 
ufacturing jeweler  of  Birmingham,  England,  and  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  and  a  grandson  of  Charles  I.  Ball,  also  a 
manufacturer    of    jewelry     in     Birmingham,    England. 


Charles  Ball  was  born  in  Birmingham  in  May,  1842, 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1891,  and  in  Providence 
resumed  the  business  he  had  learned  with  his  father. 
He  married  in  England,  Clara  E.  Smith,  born  in  Birm- 
ingham. May  6,  1848,  who  survived  her  husband  and 
passed  away  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1916.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Charles  Ball  were  the  parents  of:  George  Edward 
Ball,  a  designer  and  official  of  the  Whiting  Manufac- 
turing Company  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  and  a  member 
and  secretary  of  the  Rhode  Island  State  Commis- 
sion to  Louisianna  Purchase  Exposition  in  1904; 
Percy  B.  Ball,  designer  and  manager  of  the  F.  M. 
\\'hiting  &  Company,  Attleboro,  Mass.:  Claude  C, 
of  further  mention;  Leo  R.  Ball,  a  master  mariner 
and  pilot,  captain  of  the  steamship  "China,"  of  the 
China  Steamship  Company,  now  taken  over  by  the 
government  as  a  transport,  the  only  passenger  steam- 
ship sailing  from  San  Francisco  flying  the  Ameri- 
can flag  at  the  time  of  the  transfer;  Ethel  G.  Ball, 
married  George  F.  Parker  of  the  Towle  Company, 
Newburyport,  Mass.;  Ella  Beatrice  Ball,  a  violinist  of 
note,  married  James  E.  Battey,  of  S.  Tourlellot  &  Co., 
of  Providence,  R.  I. 

Claude  C.  Ball  was  born  in  Birmingham,  England, 
March  19,  1881,  and  there  attended  school  until  1891, 
when  he  was  brought  to  the  United  States,  by  his  par- 
ents, the  family  locating  in  Providence.  Claude  C.  com- 
pleted the  courses  of  the  Peace  Street  Grammar  School, 
then  secured  a  position  as  office  boy  with  the  Silver 
Spring  Bleachery,  now  the  United  States  Finishing 
Company.  He  attended  evening  high  school,  and  later 
completed  a  special  course  at  Brown  L^niversity,  fitting 
himself  for  a  better  position  and  at  the  same  time  be- 
coming shipping  clerk.  He  decided  to  study  law,  and 
finally  resigned  his  position  and  placed  himself  under 
the  preceptorship  of  Judge  Harry  C.  Curtis  and  Senator 
Edwin  C.  Pierce,  continuing  study  with  them  until  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar  in  1906.  He 
then  became  a  partner  with  his  former  preceptor,  Mr. 
Curtis,  who  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  and 
Judge  of  Probate  for  the  city  of  Warwick.  Mr.  Ball, 
the  junior  member  of  Curtis  &  Ball,  is  Judge  of  Probate 
for  the  city  of  Cranston,  and  governor's  appeal  agent 
in  draft  procedure.  He  is  an  able  lawyer,  and  is  highly 
esteemed  by  his  clientele.  He  is  a  Progressive  in  poli- 
tics, and  was  the  congressional  candidate  of  that  party 
in  1914  and  1916.  He  is  a  member  of  Harmony  Lodge, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  Edgewood  Yacht  Club. 
Provident  fraternity;  St.  Andrew's  Chapter  of  All 
Saints'  Church;  Craftsman  of  America;  and  Calvary 
Baptist  Church. 

Mr.  Ball  married  in  Providence,  June  I,  1916,  Elsbeth 

B.  O'Brien,  of  Providence,  a  granddaughter  of  Leander 

C.  Belcher,  of  the  Belcher  and  Loomis  Hardware  Co., 
of  Providence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ball  are  the  parents  of 
a  son.  Edward  Edmonds,  born  June  20,  191 7. 


WILLIAM   HENRY   HARRISON   PHILLIPS— 

To  the  men  who  fought  in  1861  that  the  Union  might 
endure,  the  Nation  has  ever  paid  honor.  Once  again  in 
the  throes  of  a  mighty  war,  called  upon  to  send  our  sons 
into  battle,  we  feel  again  the  need  for  sacrifice  and  we 
appreciate  as  never  before  the  high  and  mighty  valor, 
the  patriotism  and  steadfastness  to  ideals  which  made 


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BIOGRAPPIICAL 


19 


men  in  1861  leave  their  homes  for  the  battlefront.  They 
are  fast  dying  out,  those  patriots.  The  old  order  pass- 
eth,  and  in  their  place,  emulating  the  example  of  brave 
forebears,  go  the  men  of  to-day.  But  they  have  graven 
their  names  deeply  on  the  rolls  of  honor  of  the  Nation, 
and  as  in  life  they  were  honored  among  men,  their 
memory  is  preserved  in  death  and  they  are  placed 
among  the  ranks  of  the  Nation's  heroes.  The  late  Wil- 
liam Henry  Harrison  Phillips,  whose  death  occurred  in 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  February  2,  1899,  served  throughout 
the  entire  period  of  the  Civil  War.  On  his  return  to 
the  North  after  the  declaration  of  peace,  he  resumed 
the  ordinary  affairs  of  life,  and  subsequently  became 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  manufacturing  interests  of 
I'awtucket.  The  strenuous  life  of  the  army,  exposure 
on  the  field  of  battle  to  untold  hardships,  had  under- 
mined his  health,  however,  and  in  1888,  after  a  short 
but  active  career,  he  was  forced  to  retire  from  business 
life.  His  death  was  genuinely  and  deeply  mourned,  for 
he  was  loved  and  honored  by  a  circle  of  friends  whose 
name  was  legion.  Broad  and  tolerant  in  his  views  of 
life,  impeccable  in  every  detail  of  his  life,  brave,  yet 
retiring  and  eschewing  ostentation  in  any  form,  he  had 
made  for  himself  a  place  in  the  life  of  the  city  which 
was  not  filled  after  his  death. 

William  Henry  Harrison  Phillips  was  born  in  Hop- 
kinton.  Mass.,  April  6,  1840,  the  son  of  Jerome  and 
Mary  Phillips,  and  descendant  of  an  honored  and  long 
established  family  of  that  region.  The  coat-of-arms  of 
the  Phillips  family  is  as  follows : 

Arms — .\ziire  a  chevron  argent  between  three  falcons 
proper,  duoally  gorpeil.  beaked  and  membered  or. 

Orest — Out  of  a  ducal  coronet  or,  an  arm  embowed 
in  armour,  the  hand  proper  holding  a  brolten  spear  of 
the  last,  powdered  with  fleur.s-de-lis  or. 

William  H.  H.  Phillips  passed  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  in  Pawtucket.  however,  removing  thence  with  his 
parents  when  in  his  third  year.  The  death  of  his  father 
occurred  in  1846.  Young  Phillips  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Pawtucket,  which  he  attended  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when,  ambitious  to 
enter  business  life,  he  apprenticed  himself  to  a  manu- 
facturing jeweler  of  the  city  and  learned  the  trade.  He 
was  engaged  in  this  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War. 
Fired  with  enthusiasm  for  the  cause  of  the  Union,  he 
left  everything,  and  enlisted  among  the  first,  in  Com- 
pany E,  First  Rhode  Island  Regiment,  State  Militia, 
then  known  as  the  "Pawtucket  Light  Guards."  Serving 
out  the  period  of  his  enlistment  with  this  body  on  the 
fields  of  the  South,  he  received  an  honorable  discharge, 
and  immediately  reenlisted  in  Company  H,  Third  Rhode 
Island  Heavy  .Xrtillery,  with  the  rank  of  sergeant.  He 
served  in  that  capacity  in  some  of  the  most  stirring  en- 
gagements of  the  entire  conflict  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  On  his  return  to  the  North  he  entered  immedi- 
ately upon  business  pursuits,  and  with  a  capital  of  three 
hundred  dollars  established  himself  in  the  jewelry  man- 
ufacturing business.  Prior  to  the  war  he  had  become 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  conditions  of  manufac- 
ing  in  large  plants  in  Pawtucket,  and  possessing  business 
and  executive  ability  in  a  large  degree,  he  was  highly 
successful  in  his  venture.  Mr.  Phillips  became  a  well 
known  figure  in  the  manufacturing  circles  of  the  city, 
and  when  in  1888  he  was  forced  to  retire  by  ill  health 
he   occupied    a   place   of   prominence   in   the   executive 


boards  of  many  large  enterprises.  .Mthough  doing  his 
duty  as  a  citizen  to  the  fullest  extent  he  refused  public 
oflice.  He  was  nevertheless  identified  with  many  move- 
ments for  the  advancement  of  the  city's  welfare,  and 
was  universally  recognized  as  a  public  spirited  citizen. 
For  many  years  Mr.  Phillips  was  captain  of  Company 
No.  I,  N'olunteer  Fire  Department,  of  Rhode  Island.  He 
was  well  known  in  fraternal  life  in  the  city,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  be- 
longing to  Enterprise  Lodge.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
Blackstone  Encampment,  Grand  .Vrmy  of  the  Republic. 
In  December,  1862,  Mr.  Phillips  married,  in  Paw- 
tucket, Emma  Briggs,  daughter  of  Hiram  A.  and 
-Almira  (Harris)  Briggs.  Hiram  .V.  Briggs,  father  of 
Mrs.  Phillips,  was  a  prominent  cotton  waste  broker  in 
the  early  days  of  the  industry  in  Rhode  Island,  and  was 
a  descendant  of  a  well  known  Rhode  Island  family.  The 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phillips  were:  i.  Frederick  E., 
married  Ella  Snow.  2.  William  A.,  married  Jennie 
Crumb,  of  Westerly,  R.  I.  3.  Emma,  deceased.  Mrs. 
Phillips  survives  her  husband  and  resides  at  the  Phil- 
lips home  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  She  is  well  known  in  the 
more  conservative  social  circles  of  the  city.  William 
H.  H.  Phillips  died  at  Pawtucket  R.  I.,  February  2, 
1899,  in  his  fifty-ninth  year. 


GEORGE  THOMAS  BATCHELDER— .\  general 
mercliant  of  Centcrdale,  R.  I.,  for  many  years,  but  now 
retired  in  favor  of  his  sons,  Mr.  Batcheldcr,  who  is 
also  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  is  enjoying  a  serene  old 
age  and  can  review  with  satisfaction  the  events  and  suc- 
cesses of  a  life  now  in  its  eighty-third  year,  he  having 
entered  the  ranks  of  the  octogenarians  in  1916.  Public 
honors  have  fallen  to  his  lot,  and  in  the  halls  of  the 
Legislature  of  his  native  State  he  has  sat  as  both  rep- 
resentative and  senator.  He  is  a  son  of  Parley  Batch- 
elder,  son  of  Nathaniel,  son  of  Lieutenant  Joseph,  son 
of  Captain  Nathaniel,  son  of  Thomas,  son  of  Nathaniel, 
son  of  Nathaniel,  son  of  Rev.  Stephen  Bachiler,  the 
founder  of  the  Bachelder  and  Batcheldcr  family  in  this 
country.  Nearly  three  centuries  have  elapsed  since  this 
learned  divine  came  from  England  and  founded  a  family 
of  strong  men  and  women,  whom  through  intermarriage 
has  mingled  their  own  strong  characteristics  with  those 
of  many  other  eminent  families  of  New  England. 

Rev.  Stephen  Bachiler  was  born  in  England  in  1561, 
and  after  his  graduation  from  St.  John's  College,  B.  A., 
1586,  he  took  holy  orders  and  in  1587  was  instituted 
Vicar  of  Wherwell,  in  Hants,  his  patron  Lord  de  la 
Wan.  He  came  to  New  England  in  1632,  in  the  ship 
"William  and  Frances,"  being  then  seventy-one  years  of 
age.  He  was  the  founder  of  a  church  at  Lynn,  Mass., 
was  in  Newbury  and  later,  in  1638,  joined  in  the  settle- 
ment of  Hampton,  N.  H.  He  is  credited  with  having 
selected  a  name  for  that  town,  and  served  the  church 
there  as  its  first  pastor.  He  later  lived  in  Portsmouth, 
N.  H.,  and  about  1647  returned  to  England.  His  second 
wife,  Helen,  accompanied  him  to  New  England  in  1632, 
and  died  in  1642;  neither  the  name  of  his  first  nor  third 
wife  has  been  preserved.  The  line  of  descent  is  through 
Nathaniel  Bachelor,  son  of  Rev.  Stephen  Bachiler,  who 
was  born  in  England  in  1630,  came  to  New  England, 
was  a  resident  of  Hampton,  N.  H.,  constable,  selectman 
and  high  in  the  church.     He  married    (first)    Deborah 


20 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Smith,  of  Martha's  Vineyard,  (second),  October  31, 
i6;6,  Mrs.  Mary  (Carter)  Wyman,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Thomas  Carter,  of  Woburn,  (third),  October  2.5.  1689, 
Elizabeth  B..  widow  of  John  Knill. 

Thomas  Batchelder,  as  the  name  had  finally  become 
after  many  changes,  was  of  the  fourth  American  gen- 
eration, son  of  Nathaniel  and  his  second  wife,  Mary 
(Carter)  (Wyman)  Bachelor.  He  was  born  in  Hamp- 
ton, N.  H.,  in  16S5.  and  resided  there  on  the  first  "old 
homestead"  of  the  family  in  Hampton.  He  served  with 
Captain  Shadrach  Walton's  company  in  the  expedition 
against  Port  Royal  in  1710,  and  sixty-four  years  later 
died  at  his  home  in  Hampton,  February  to,  1774.  aged 
eighty-five.  His  first  wife,  Mary  (Moulton)  Batchelder, 
died  May  22,  1716,  and  he  married  (second)  Sarah 
Tuck,  born  April  30,  1689,  daughter  of  Deacon  John 
Tuck. 

Captain  Nathaniel  Batchelder,  head  of  the  fifth  gen- 
eration, was  a  son  of  Thomas  and  his  second  wife, 
Sarah  (Tuck)  Batchelder.  He  was  born  in  Hampton, 
N.  H.,  May  10.  1722,  died  October  n,  1784.  He  bore 
the  title  of  "Captain,"  and  resided  in  Hampton  until 
about  1756,  when  he  moved  to  Sandown  in  the  same 
State.  Captain  Batchelder  married,  November  25,  1743, 
Hannah  Butler,  of  Hampton  Falls,  N.  H. 

Lieutenant  Joseph  Batchelder,  son  of  Captain  Nathan- 
iel and  Hannah  (Butler)  Batchelder,  was  born  in 
Hampton,  N.  H.,  December  28,  1750,  died  at  his  farm 
in  Plainfield,  Washington  county,  \'ermont,  March  27, 
1827.  He  served  in  the  \^'ar  of  the  Revolution  from 
New  Hampshire,  ranking  as  lieutenant,  and  continued 
his  residence  in  that  State  until  1792,  when  with  his 
brotliers,  Moulton  and  Nathaniel,  he  migrated  to  Wash- 
ington county,  Vermont,  the  brothers  settling  upon  a 
section  of  the  best  farming  land  in  Washington  county 
and  they  became  the  first  settlers  of  Plainfield,  Vt.  The 
land  upon  which  they  settled  in  1792  has  always  re- 
mained in  the  family  name.  Lieutenant  Batchelder  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Congregational  church  in 
his  locality,  in  fact,  it  was  at  his  house  that  the  meeting 
was  held,  at  which  the  church  organization  was  effected. 
He  married  Sarah  Ferrin,  and  reared  a  large  family 
including  seven  sons. 

Nathaniel  Batchelder,  son  of  Lieutenant  Joseph  and 
Sarah  (Ferrin)  Batchelder  was  born  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, January  10,  1772,  died  at  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.,  in 
1843.  He  moved  with  his  parents  to  Vermont,  settling 
at  what  was  known  as  Batchelder's  Pitch,  near  the  four 
corners  in  Plainfield,  the  Batchelders  being  the  first 
settlers  there.  Later  he  moved  to  Spruce  Flats,  East 
Montpelier,  Vt.,  finally  moving  to  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y., 
where  he  ended  his  days.  He  married,  in  Plain- 
field,  Vt.,  Martha  Dunlee,  born  in  1769,  who  lived  to  the 
great  age  of  ninety-four,  dying  at  the  hoine  of  her  son 
Mark.  Nathaniel  and  Martha  Batchelder  were  the  par- 
ents of  Parley,  of  further  mention,  father  of  George  T. 
Batchelder;  Nathaniel  C,  born  July  11,  1797;  Saraih, 
Nov.  14,  1799;  John  D.,  Aug.  5,  1802;  Mark,  June  28, 
1805;  Philina,  .'\ug.  21,  1807;  Rhoda,  died  in  child- 
hood. 

Parley  Batchelder,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Martha 
(Dunlee)  Batchelder,  was  born  in  Amherst,  N.  H., 
September  4,  1795.  died  in  Johnston,  R.  L,  May  10.  1878. 
His  early  years  were  spent  in  the  State  of  Vermont,  and 


at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  joined  a  company  of  volun- 
teers from  Plainfield.  marching  in  1813  to  the  defense  of 
the  town  of  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  then  threatened  by 
British  forces.  About  the  year  1825  he  moved  to  Provi- 
dence county,  R.  L.  and  was  identified  with  that  section 
until  his  death,  half  a  century  later.  After  his  marriage 
he  settled  in  the  city  of  Providence  and  resided  in  that 
vicinity.  He  was  an  iron  worker  by  trade,  but  was  en- 
gaged in  several  occupations  during  his  long  life  of 
eighty-six  years.  He  took  an  active  part  in  promoting 
the  cause  of  temperance,  was  strongly  in  favor  of  the 
legal  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic,  and  was  always 
rated  with  the  highly-moral  men  of  his  community.  He 
married,  in  North  Providence,  R.  L,  January  13,  1831, 
.•Mzada  Barnes,  born  June  4,  1806,  in  Gloucester,  R.  I., 
died  in  Johnston,  R.  L,  May  10,  1878.  Their  children 
were:  William  W.,  born  March  19,  1832,  contractor  and 
builder,  man  of  affairs,  married  Sarah  Arnold  Turner; 
John  P.,  born  Dec.  19,  1834,  a  carpenter,  married 
Elsie  Smith;  George  Thomas,  of  further  mention; 
James  O.,  born  March  22,  1837,  died  in  1859;  .\lbert  J., 
a  salesman,  died  in  Providence,  July  7,  1901,  married 
Emily  Bosworth ;  Mary  C,  a  resident  of  Central  Falls ; 
Martha  T.,  married  (first)  Albert  L.  Austin,  (second) 
Otis  Andrew ;  Carlista  A.,  married  Simon  S.  Page, 
whom  she  survives;  Caroline  A.,  born  Jan.  22,  1846, 
died  May  18,  1868. 

George  Thomas  Batchelder,  of  the  ninth  .\merican 
generation  of  the  family,  founded  by  Rev.  Stephen 
Bachiler,  is  the  third  son  of  Parley  and  Alzada  (Barnes) 
Batchelder.  He  was  born  at  the  family  home,  Fruit 
Hill  avenue.  North  Providence.  R.  L,  January  10.  1836, 
and  is  now  (1918')  living  a  retired  life  in  Centerdale, 
R.  L  He  attended  public  schools  until  attaining  wage- 
earning  years,  then  secured  a  boy's  place  as  a  mill 
worker.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  began  as  a  general 
store  clerk,  so  continuing  in  the  store  of  Luther  Car- 
penter at  Centerdale,  R.  L,  until  1862.  In  that  year  he 
answered  President  Lincoln's  call  for  men,  enlisting  in 
Cotnpany  C,  Seventh  Regiment,  Rhode  Island  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  commanded  by  Colonel  Bliss.  He  served 
until  the  war  closed,  was  honorably  discharged,  and  in 
July,  186;,  was  mustered  out  of  the  service.  He  saw 
active  service  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  with 
his  regiment  was  engaged  in  many  of  the  leading  bat- 
tles of  the  war,  including  Sulphur  Springs,  Fredericks- 
burg, Vicksburg,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Petersburg 
and  City  of  Jackson.  He  was  twice  wounded,  once  at 
the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  a  scalp  wound,  and  again 
at  Spottsylvania,  a  wound  in  the  left  shoulder.  His 
record  was  an  honorable  one  in  both  camp  and  field, 
these  three  years  in  military  service  of  his  country  be- 
ing bright  periods  in  his  life's  history. 

After  the  war  closed,  Mr.  Batchelder  returned  to 
Centerdale  and  was  given  his  old  position  in  the  Luther 
Carpenter  General  Store.  He  remained  in  Mr.  Car- 
penter's employ  in  increasingly  confidential  and  respon- 
sible relation  until  the  latter's  death  in  1886.  He  then 
succeeded  to  the  business,  which  he  successfully  con- 
ducted until  1915,  when  he  retired,  the  business  then 
passing  under  the  control  of  his  three  sons,  whom  he 
had  trained  to  succeed  him,  when  he  could  properly  lay 
aside  the  cares  of  business.  His  continuous  connection 
with  the  business  in  Centerdale,  as  clerk  and  proprietor, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


21 


covered  a  period  of  half  a  century  and  during  that  time 
he  also  carried  civic  responsibilities,  serving  in  the 
State  Legislature  as  representative  from  the  town  of 
Johnston  in  1884;  from  North  Providence  in  1895  and 
1912;  was  senator  in  1914;  postmaster  of  Centerdale 
18S6-93;  was  a  member  of  North  Providence  Town 
Council  for  eight  years  and  president  five  years,  and 
active  in  the  councils  of  the  Republican  party  for  many 
years.  He  was  a  member  of  Temple  Lodge,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  since  1868,  also  member  of 
G.  H.  Browne  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He 
filled  the  stations  to  which  he  was  chosen  with  ability 
and  zeal,  his  civic  service  being  rendered  in  the  same 
spirit  of  patriotic  devotion  which  inspired  him  in  1862 
to  offer  himself  for  military  service. 

Mr.  Batchelder  married  (first)  Lydia  A.  Fenncr,  and 
(second),  in  North  Providence,  April  13,  1802,  Julia 
Theresa  Hunt,  daughter  of  Horace  A.  Hunt,  of  North 
Kingston,  R.  L,  born  1824,  and  his  wife,  Julia  (Smith) 
Hunt,  born  in  1841  at  Johnston.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Batch- 
elder  are  the  parents  of  three  sons :  George  Thomas 
(2),  born  Feb.  19,  1893;  John  Parley,  June  30,  1895, 
now  in  United  States  Army;  Earl  Hunt,  July  28,  1898. 
Mrs.  Batchelder,  who  before  her  marriage  was  a  teacher, 
took  charge  of  the  education  of  her  sons,  and  from  her 
teaching  they  passed  to  the  father  for  business  educa- 
tion, and  now  under  the  firm  name,  Batchelder  Brothers, 
own  and  operate  the  general  store  business  at  Center- 
dale,  with  which  each  has  been  connected  from  youth. 


FREDERICK  J.  BERTH— Lawyer,  city  council- 
lor, man  of  affairs,  Frederick  J.  Berth  is  a  conspicuous 
figure  in  the  public  life  of  Providence,  R.  L,  where  he 
has  resided  since  the  age  of  ten  years.  Mr.  Berth  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  Berth,  a  native  of  Millville.  Mass., 
where  he  was  born  in  the  year  1847,  and  of  Theresa 
(Maroney)  Berth,  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  April, 
1847,  at  Providence,  R.  L  The  elder  Mr.  Berth  was  a 
wool  dyer  by  trade  and  worked  for  many  years  at 
Greenville,  R.  L  He  lived  also  at  Millbury,  Mass.,  for 
eleven  years,  at  Alton,  R.  L,  for  ten  years  and  finally 
removed  to  Providence,  where  his  death  occurred 
March,  1912.  He  is  survived  by  his  wife,  who  still 
resides  here.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Berth  the  fol- 
lowing children  were  born  :  Ellen ;  William,  a  graduate 
of  the  Baltimore  Medical  College,  was  a  practicing  phy- 
sician at  Providence,  where  he  married  Miss  May 
Revens  of  this  city,  and  died  here,  October,  1907;  Mary; 
Frederick  J.,  of  whom  further;  and  Lawrence,  who  died 
in  infancy. 

Born  'September  28,  1880,  at  Millbury,  Mass.,  Fred- 
erick J.  Berth  was  taken  to  Alton,  R.  L,  by  his  parents 
while  still  an  infant  of  less  than  a  year  old.  His  early 
childhood  was  spent  at  the  latter  place  and  he  began 
his  education  by  attending  the  local  district  schools.  At 
the  age  of  ten  years,  however,  his  parents  once  again 
moved  and  this  time  he  was  brought  to  Providence,  R. 
L,  where  he  has  resided  ever  since.  He  continued  his 
schooling  here  attending  both  the  grammar  grades  and 
the  high  school  and  at  the  latter  place  was  prepared  for 
college.  He  then  matriculated  at  Brown  University, 
where  he  took  the  usual  classical  course  and  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1899,  receiving  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Arts.    Mr.  Berth  had  in  the  meantime  determined  to 


adopt  the  profession  of  law  as  his  career  in  life,  and 
with  this  end  in  view  entered  the  law  department  of  the 
Boston  University.  From  this  institution  he  graduated 
in  1905,  winning  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  In 
October  of  the  same  year  he  was  admitted  to  practice 
in  the  courts  of  Rhode  Island.  He  entered  the  law  firm 
of  Barney  &  Lee,  with  whom  he  remained  during  a 
period  of  two  years,  and  gained  much  valuable  experi- 
ence in  the  practical  aspect  of  his  profession.  .At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  severed  his  connection  with  this 
concern  and  opened  his  own  law  office,  the  orisjinal  loca- 
tion of  which  was  in  the  Tribune  Building.  His  success 
began  almost  at  once  and  he  soon  was  recognized  as  a 
most  able  attorney  and  a  man  of  the  highest  principles 
and  standards.  It  was  in  December  1917.  that  he  re- 
moved into  his  present  location  at  No.  316  Turk's  Head 
Building,  Providence,  where  he  has  continued  his  suc- 
cessful career.  Mr.  Berth,  since  he  came  to  the  age  of 
full  citizenship,  has  always  interested  himself  in  the 
public  affairs  of  the  community,  and  has  played  an 
active  part  therein.  He  is  staunch  in  his  support  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  has  associated  himself  conspic- 
uously with  the  local  organization  thereof.  He  became 
the  Democratic  candidate  of  the  Tenth  Ward  of  Provi- 
dence for  the  City  Council  in  1908,  and  served  as  a 
member  of  that  body  for  six  consecutive  years.  He  was 
then  (1914)  elected  alderman  and  has  held  that  office 
ever  since.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Berth  is  a  Cath- 
olic. He  is  affiliated  with  several  Catholic  organiza- 
tions, among  which  are  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and 
the  Catholic  Club.  He  is  a  member  also  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  and  the  Providence  Lodge,  No. 
14,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 


JOHN  JOSEPH  HOEY,  M.  D.— Dr.  John  Joseph 
Hoey,  well  known  physician  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  in 
which  city  he  has  been  engaged  in  active  practice  for  the 
past  nine  years,  meeting  with  well  merited  success,  is  a 
native  of  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.,  born  November  5,  1878, 
son  of  John  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Hughes)  Hoey,  the 
former  named  a  resident  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  textile  machinery,  and  the  latter 
named  passed  away  January  II,  1907.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hoey  were  the  parents  of  four  other  children,  namely: 
Arthur  A.,  William  L.,  William  H.,  and  Margaret  M., 
all  of  whom  reside  in  Providence. 

When  John  Joseph  Hoey  was  seven  years  of  age  his 
family  took  up  their  residence  in  Providence.  His  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools 
and  was  continued  by  attendance  at  night  school  for  a 
period  of  six  years,  in  this  manner  gaining  a  thorough 
elementary  education.  In  1905  he  was  ready  for  the 
technical  side  of  his  professional  studies  and  matric- 
ulated in  the  Baltimore  Medical  College,  remaining  a 
student  there  for  one  year.  He  then  attended  George 
Washington  Medical  University,  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
and  was  graduated  in  1909  with  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine.  This  was  followed  by  an  interneship  of 
a  year  in  the  Sibley  Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
in  1910  he  entered  upon  the  active  practice  of  his  chosen 
profession  in  Providence,  and  during  the  intervening 
years  has  built  up  an  excellent  clientele,  and  has  also 
gained  the  esteem  of  his  professional  brethren.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  private  practice,  Dr.  Hoey  is  serving  in  the 


22 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


capacitj'  of  visiting  surgeon  for  the  out-patient  depart- 
ment of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital.  Dr.  Hoey  is  a  member 
of  the  Church  of  the  Assumption  (Roman  Catholic'), 
and  in  his  political  convictions  is  an  Independent.  He 
holds  membership  in  the  Knights  of  Columbus ;  Catholic 
Club;  01ne\-\'ille  Nest.  Order  of  Owls,  for  which  he  is 
medical  e.xaminer;  and  the  Sunset  Club. 

There  is  something  intrinsically  admirable  in  the 
profession  of  medicine  that  illumines  by  reflected  light 
all  those  who  practice  it.  There  is  something  that  is 
concerned  with  its  prime  object,  the  alleviation  of 
human  suffering,  something  about  the  self-sacrifice  that 
it  must  necessarily  involve,  that  makes  us  regard,  and 
rightly  so,  all  those  who  choose  to  follow  its  difficult 
way  and  devote  themselves  to  its  great  aims  with  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  respect  and  reverence,  and  among  the 
men  of  this  type  is  Dr.  John  J.  Hoey,  of  Providence,  in 
the  interests  of  which  city  he  takes  an  active  part. 


BENJAMIN  HOWARD  JACKSON— The  devel- 
opment of  various  sections  of  Providence.  R.  I.,  by  Ben- 
jamin Howard  Jackson  has  been  the  means  of  opening 
up  large  residential  districts  to  the  home  seeker  and 
investor.  These  developments  were  pushed  to  success- 
ful issue  by  Benjamin  Howard  Jackson,  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial, energetic,  progressive  young  business  men  of 
the  City  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  the  city  of  his  birth  and 
life  long  residence.  Mr.  Jackson  received  his  training 
in  realty  development  in  the  offices  of  Samuel  A.  Night- 
ingale, going  thence  into  his  own  business  which  he  has 
conducted  successfully  since  igio.  Energetic  and  pub- 
lic-spirited, he  has  added  largely  to  the  material  wealth 
of  his  city,  causing  non-producing  property  to  become 
valuable  and  productive  real  estate. 

Benjamin  Howard  Jackson,  son  of  William  Albert 
and  Elizabeth  Jane  Jackson,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  December  30,  18S6.  He  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Providence  and  after  completing  high 
school  work,  pursued  a  course  in  architectural  study  at 
the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design.  Later  he  entered 
the  real  estate  offices  of  Samuel  A.  Nightingale  &  Com- 
pany, where  he  obtained  an  exceptionally  wide  experi- 
ence in  real  estate  development,  becoming  intimately 
associated  with  the  Nightingale  business.  There  Mr. 
Jackson  continued  until  1910,  withdrawing  then,  and 
establishing  in  business  February  24,  1910,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Benjamin  H.  Jackson.  He  at  once  adopted 
modern  plans  of  real  estate  development;  purchased 
tracts  of  land  in  good  locations  near  the  best  residential 
districts ;  carefully  studied  contours  and  grades,  graded, 
sewered,  and  macadamized  streets;  formed  a  building 
organization,  and  began  the  erection  of  homes.  The 
result  of  his  first  year  in  business  may  be  given  as  an 
indication  of  his  energy  and  performance  in  each  suc- 
ceeding year.  In  that  first  year  the  volume  of  business 
transacted  stamped  him  one  of  the  largest  operators  in 
Providence.  During  the  second  year  a  still  larger 
amount  of  business  was  carried  on,  and  unproductive 
property  was  improved  and  successfully  developed  into 
a  healthy,  profitable  growth.  The  same  wise  and  suc- 
cessful management  has  characterized  the  years  which 
have  since  intervened.  Mr.  Jackson  ranks  high  among 
the  energetic,  public-spirited  business  men  in  whose 
hands   the   continued   development    of   their    city    rests. 


The  offices  of  Benjamin  H.  Jackson  are  at  No.  317 
Grosvenor  Building,  where  a  real  estate  development 
business  is  conducted  in  connection  with  nre  insurance 
and  mortgage  investment.  His  patronage  is  liberal  and 
influential.  He  is  entrusted  with  the  management  of 
estates  and  is  much  sought  after  for  consultation  on 
real  estate  investment,  ranking  as  a  reliable  authority 
on  property  values. 

Mr.  Jackson  is  treasurer  of  the  Amergold  Company 
(Incorporated),  member  and  an  ex-director  of  the 
Providence  Real  Estate  Exchange,  member  of  the 
National  Association  Real  Estate  Brokers,  member  of 
the  Insurance  .Association  of  Providence,  of  the  Meta- 
comet  Golf,  Catholic,  and  West  Side  clubs  of  Provi- 
dence, and  the  City  Club  of  Boston.  He  belongs,  also, 
to  tlie  General  A.  E.  Burnside  Camp,  No.  S,  Sons  of 
Veterans.  United  States  America.  Mr.  Jackson  is  inde- 
pendent in  political  action,  and  is  a  member  of  St.  Sebas- 
tian's Roman  Catholic  Church.  Mr.  Jackson  enlisted 
July  17.  1918,  in  the  United  States  Naval  Forces  for  the 
duration  of  the  war. 

Mr.  Jackson  married  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  October  17, 
1917,  Ruth  Louise  Doran,  daughter  of  James  Curran 
and  Annie  Frances  Doran,  of  Providence.  A  daughter, 
Mary  Ruth,  was  bom  to  them  September  15,  1918. 


FERDINAND  BRAY— For  more  than  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  the  Bray  family  has  ranked  among 
the  foremost  of  Colonial  families  of  Massachusetts.  In 
the  early  days  of  the  colony,  members  of  the  family 
were  leaders  in  the  towns  which  were  founded  in  the 
central  part  of  the  present  State,  more  particularly  in 
the  ancient  towns  of  Topsfield,  Boxford  and  Haverhill, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Salem,  which  shared  with  the 
latter  town  part  of  the  violence  of  the  witchcraft  delu- 
sion. Since  the  time  of  its  founding  the  family  has 
remained  a  small  one,  centering  in  the  above  mentioned 
localities,  but  despite  its  size  it  has  not  relaxed  any  of 
its  early  prestige.  The  early  Brays  were  large  land- 
owners, and  to  the  present  day  continue  to  hold  exten- 
sive landed  properties.  The  Bray  coat-of-arms  is  as 
follows : 

Arms — Quarterly.  fir.st  and  fourth,  argrent  a  chevron 
between  three  eagle.s'  legs,  sable,  erased  a  la  cuisee. 
their  talons  gules;  second  and  third,  vairfi.  argent  and 
azure,  three  bends  gules. 

Crest — A  flaxbreaker,  or. 

The  late  Ferdinand  Bray,  former  member  of  the  firm 
of  A.  F.  and  F.  Braj'.  of  Pawtucket.  and  for  many 
decades  one  of  the  leading  figures  in  the  hardware  in- 
dustry in  Rhode  Island,  was  a  member  of  the  Bray 
family  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Yarmouth,  Mass..  April  21,  1859,  the  son  of  Reuben  and 
Elizabeth  (Homer)  Bray.  He  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Yarmouth,  which  he  at- 
tended until  he  reached  his  thirteenth  year.  On  the 
death  of  his  father,  in  iStig,  his  elder  brother,  .Allen  F. 
Bray,  had  gone  to  Central  Falls,  R.  I.  Three  years  later, 
in  1872,  he  followed  with  his  mother  and  sisters.  Until 
1875  Ferdinand  Bray  attended  the  schools  of  Central 
Falls,  at  the  end  of  that  time  quitting  his  studies  to 
enter  business  life.  He  secured  his  first  employment  in 
the  capacity  of  salesman  with  the  firm  of  Belcher  Broth- 
ers, of  Providence,  on  July  19.  1S74.  During  the  five 
years  which  he  spent  in  the  house  of  Belcher  Brothers.. 


/U^-^-^^^/^. 


7 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


23 


Mr.  Bray  devoted  all  his  spare  time  to  the  study  of  busi- 
ness methods,  the  conditions  affecting  the  hardware 
trade  in  Rhode  Island,  and  thoroughly  familiarized  him- 
self with  all  of  its  phases.  As  a  consequence,  when  in 
1879  he  entered  into  partnership  with  his  brother,  Allen 
F.  Bray,  in  the  firm  of  A.  F.  and  F.  Bray,  he  was  quali- 
fied to  manage  the  business  affairs  of  the  concern.  In 
a  short  period,  the  firm  became  one  of  the  foremost  of 
its  kind,  not  only  in  Pawtucket,  where  it  ranked  among 
the  leading  business  houses  of  the  city,  but  in  Rhode 
Island.  Mr.  Bray  was  a  business  man  of  fine  ability, 
an  able  organizer  and  executive,  and  a  kind  employer 
who  received  the  confidence  of  his  clerks.  He  was  a 
keen  judge  of  values,  possessed  excellent  business  fore- 
sight, and  for  this  reason  his  opinion  and  advice  were 
sought  constantly  by  business  men.  Although  an  eager 
champion  of  all  measures  directed  toward  the  advance- 
ment of  civic  welfare,  Mr.  Bray  kept  strictly  aloof  from 
politics.  He  was,  however,  deeply  interested  in  military 
affairs,  and  in  1881  joined  Company  F,  Second  Battalion, 
Infantry,  Rhode  Island  Militia.  In  1883  he  became  first 
lieutenant  of  this  body,  and  later  was  made  commissary 
of  the  First  Battalion  Cavalry,  which  post  he  held  until 
a  few  years  before  his  death.  He  was  an  associate 
member  of  Tower  Post,  No.  17,  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public. Mr.  Bray  was  well  known  in  social  and  frater- 
nal life  in  the  city  of  Pawtucket.  He  was  a  member  of 
Union  Lodge,  Xo.  10,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons;  Pawtucket  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
Pawtucket  Council,  Xo.  2,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ; 
Holy  Sepulchre  Commandery.  Knights  Templar;  Pales- 
tine Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mys- 
tic Shrine,  of  Providence;  Rhode  Island  Consistory. 
Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  Providence,  and 
Queen  Esther  Chapter,  No.  2,  Pawtucket,  Order  of  the 
Eastern  Star.  His  religious  affiliation  was  with  the 
Congregational  church  of  Central  Falls,  which  he  at- 
tended regularly,  and  he  was  a  liberal  donor  to  its 
charitable  undertakings.  Of  a  broad,  tolerant,  sympa- 
thetic nature,  he  had  many  friends.  He  was  honored 
and  respected  throughout  the  city  of  Pawtucket,  and  his 
death  was  sincerely  mourned. 

On  September  20,  1887,  Mr.  Bray  married  Mary  T. 
Cottrell,  daughter  of  John  T.  and  Emeline  (Taylor) 
Cottrell,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  Mrs.  Bray,  who  survives 
her  husband  and  resides  at  the  Bray  homestead  in  Paw- 
tucket, is  a  descendant  of  many  of  the  prominent  old 
families  of  South  Kingston,  R.  I.,  and  the  surrounding 
country.  She  is  well  known  and  active  in  the  more 
conservative  of  the  social  circles  of  Pawtucket.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bray  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
I.  Gertrude  Cottrell,  born  Sept.  22,  1888.  2.  Florence 
Allen,  born  April  3,  1892.  3.  Reuben  Thurston,  born 
Nov.  11,  1893,  died  May  i,  1895.  4-  Ferdinand,  Jr.,  born 
May  II,  1896.  5.  Mildred  Taylor,  bom  Feb.  2,  1899.  6. 
Russell  Stanton,  born  March  16,  1903.  Ferdinand  Bray 
died  at  his  home  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  May  4,  1912. 


study,  finishing  in  1898,  then  entered  Brown  Univer- 
sity, and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1902  with  the 
degree  of  A.  B.  Deciding  upon  the  profession  of 
law,  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  Philadelphia,  there  continuing  for 
two  years.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Rhode 
Island,  in  1904,  and  became  associated  with  the  law 
firm  of  Bassett,  Raymond  &  Richmond.  This  associa- 
tion continued  until  1914,  when  he  became  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Raymond  &  Richmond,  and  in  191S  he 
became  the  senior  partner  in  the  law  firm  of  Rich- 
mond, Patterson  &  Cordery,  a  well-known  law  firm  of 
Providence.  He  is  a  member  of  the  bar  associations 
of  Rhode  Island,  and  practices  in  all  State  and  Fed- 
eral courts  of  the  district.  His  offices  are  at  No.  806 
Union  Trust  building.  Ever  independent  in  his  political 
opinions,  Mr.  Richmond  joined  heartily  in  the  Pro- 
gressive movement  of  1912,  and  was  the  candidate  of 
that  party  for  Attorney  General  of  Rhode  Island.  He 
is  coroner  of  East  Providence,  and  in  191S  was  made 
permanent  member  of  the  Legal  Advisory  Board  for 
East  Providence.  He  is  an  attendant  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church;  a  member  of  St.  Andrew's 
Lodge,  No.  39,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  and 
Temple  Chapter,  Royal  Arch   Masons. 

Mr.  Richmond  married,  September  19,  igoS,  Grace 
Pierce,  of  East  Providence.  They  are  the  parents  of: 
Cory  Pierce,  born  March  25,  1910:  Parsons  Pierce, 
born  June  27,  191 1 ;  and  Barbara,  born  March  29, 
1915,  died  Sept.   16,   1917. 


RUSSELL  WILLIAM  RICHMOND,  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Richmond,  Patterson  &  Cordery,  was 
born  in  Providence,  December  22,  1878,  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam H.  and  Harriet  (Parsons)  Richmond. 

He  passed  the   graded  and   high  school   courses   of 


JUDGE  NATHAN  BARBER  LEWIS— The  Lewis 
family  of  which  Jud,i<e  Natiian  Barber  Lewis  is  a  mem- 
ber, is  one  of  the  early  settlement,  and  Judge  Lewis  is, 
himself,  of  the  seventh  generation.  They  have  been 
in  this  part  of  Rhode  Island  for  over  two  hundred 
forty  years,  one  of  the  name  being  said  to  be  the  first 
settler  in  what  is  now  Hopkinton.  Several  of  the 
earlier  generations  were  manufacturers,  and  among 
the  first  to  engage  in  that  line  in  their  locality.  Some 
were  active  in  religious  lines  and  were  deacons  and 
earnest  workers  in  the  First  Seventh  Day  Baptist 
Church  of  Hopkinton.  Among  the  highly  respected 
people  they  have  formed  alliances  with  are  such  ancient 
and  well-known  families  as  Maxson,  Babcock,  Barber, 
Kenyon,  Xoyes,  Sisson,  Richmond,  Lillibridge  and 
Chester.  John  Lewis  is  credited  with  having  been 
the  immigrant  ancestor.  He,  with  his  four  brothers, 
located  in  what  is  now  Westerly,  R.  I.,  and  according 
to  tradition  they  were  the  first  settlers  in  that  locality. 
John  Lewis  is  of  record  at  Westerly  as  early  as  1661, 
and  was  made  a  freeman  of  the  town  in  1668.  He  died  in 
1690,  and  the  line  from  him  to  Judge  Nathan  B.  Lewis 
was  as  follows:  James,  James  (2),  James  (3),  Nathan 
Barber,  James  (4),  the  father  of  Judge  Lewis. 

Judge  Nathan  B.  Lewis  is  a  son  of  Deacon  James 
(4)  and  Mary  (Sisson)  Lewis,  and  was  born  February 
26,  1842,  at  the  homestead  in  Exeter,  R.  I.  Deacon 
James  (4)  Lewis,  the  father  of  Judge  Lewis,  with 
habits  of  ceaseless  industry  firmly  anchored  in  his 
nature,  bent  all  the  forces  at  his  command  to  the 
acquisition  of  wealth,  and  thus   his  boys,  as  long  as 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


they  remained  at  the  farm,  were  safely  shielded  from 
forming  idle  habits,  and  a  brief  interval  in  winter 
was  the  natural  limit  of  their  school  advantages. 
Upon  the  intellectual  development  of  Judge  Lewis, 
the  private- school  and  the  seminary  at  East  Greenwich 
exerted  positive  and  permanent  influences,  and  when 
seventeen  years  old,  he  taught  his  first  term  at  Gris- 
wold.  Conn.,  where  his  father's  brother,  N.  B.  Lewis, 
a  prominent  and  wealthy  farmer  resided.  On  August 
15,  1862,  Judge  Lewis  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company 
F,  Seventh  Rhode  Island  Infantry,  and  without  a 
day's  absence  for  any  reason  he  shared  the  fortunes 
of  the  Seventh  until  mustered  out  with  the  regiment, 
June  9,  1865.  At  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  where 
ten  thousand  men  were  cut  down  in  twenty  minutes, 
Sergeant  Lewis  was  one  of  only  seven  men  in  Company 
F  who  came  out  of  the  fight  unhurt.  During  the  war 
he  participated  in  all  the  campaigns  of  the  regiment, 
and  acted  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time  as  the 
company  clerk  and  regimental  postmaster,  and  served 
also  in  the  color  guard. 

.^fter  the  war  Mr.  Lewis  completed  a  mathemati- 
cal and  commercial  course  at  East  Greenwich,  and  was 
variously  engaged  until  the  spring  of  l86g,  when  he 
began  three  years  of  farm  life  near  his  birthplace, 
in  Exeter.  That  spring  he  was  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature, and  held  the  seat  three  successive  terms.  In 
May,  1872,  he  purchased  a  farm  at  Pine  Hill,  near 
the  center  of  Exeter,  where  he  resided  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1888.  In  these  sixteen  years,  the  course  of 
public  affairs  in  the  town  was  modified  and  moulded 
very  largely  by  the  acts  and  influence  of  this  young 
man  who  held  many  of  the  town  otitices  during  that 
period,  and  it  is  safe  to  record  here,  that  at  the  end 
of  his  sixteenth  year  as  town  clerk  of  Exeter,  that 
town  had  not  another  man  as  popular  as  he.  His 
services  as  superintendent  of  schools,  assessor  of 
taxes,  postmaster,  coroner  and  trial  justice,  at  various 
times,  made  him  intimately  acquainted  with  the  peo- 
ple, and  he  has  very  often  been  named  in  wills  and 
otherwise  in  the  settlement  of  private  estates. 

In  May,  1886,  on  the  establishment  of  the  district 
court,  he  was  elected  by  the  General  Assembly  to 
preside  over  the  second  judicial  district  of  the  State, 
which  embraces  the  towns  of  Exeter,  North  Kings- 
ton, South  Kingston  and  Narragansett.  Owing  to 
the  distance  of  his  farm  from  railroads,  he  sold  the 
farm  on  Pine  Hill,  Exeter,  and  removed  to  Wickford 
in  June,  1888,  where  he  resided  until  1894.  He  then 
removed  to  West  Kingston,  where  he  that  year  com- 
pleted his  home.  He  has  served  continuously  on  the 
bench  of  the  second  district  by  reelection,  since  his 
first  election  in  1886  by  the  Grand  Committee  of  the 
General  Assembly.  In  July,  1890,  Judge  Lewis  opened 
a  law  ofifice  in  Westerly,  R.  I.,  where  in  the  fashion  of 
a  country  squire  he  enjoys  a  large  practice,  and  has 
been  engaged  in  settling  a  large  number  of  estates. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  commission  appointed  to 
build  the  new  county  court  house  of  Washington 
county,  and  was  chairman  of  tliat  commission.  In 
1895  he  was  appointed  by  the  Supreme  Court,  a  stand- 
ing Master  in   Chancery  for  Washington  county. 

The   following  are   the   local   offices   held   by  Judge 


Lewis:  He  was  postmaster  at  Pine  Hill,  R.  1.,  from 
July  I,  1872,  to  .April,  1876,  when  he  resigned  to 
accept  a  seat  in  the  General  Assembly,  and  was  re- 
iippointed  in  1879,  holding  the  office  until  1SS8.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  school  committee  of  Exeter  from 
June,  iS6<J,  to  June,  1887,  and  superintendent  of 
schools  for  the  greater  part  of  that  time.  He  was 
assessor  of  taxes  from  June,  1S75,  to  June,  1888;  was 
trial  justice  of  Exeter  previous  to  the  establishment 
of  the  District  Court:  was  coroner  of  the  town  of 
Exeter  from  July.  1873,  to  June,  1886:  and  was  mod- 
erator of  North  Kingston  from  1889  to  1892;  auditor 
of  town  accounts  from  1890  to  1S94.  He  was  formerly 
secretary  of  the  Westerly  Railway  &  Lighting  Com- 
pany: of  the  Mystic  Electric  &  Gas  Light  Company; 
of  the  South  Shore  Gas  &  Electric  Company:  of  the 
Westerly  &  Hopkinton  Railway  Company;  and  of 
the  Pawcatuck  Valley  Street  Railway  Company  prior 
to  their  absorption   by  the  other  corporations. 

Judge  Lewis  has  cultivated  his  social  tastes  throi.igh 
membership  in  various  societies  and  orders.  He  is  a 
member  of  Charles  C.  Baker  Post,  No.  15,  Grand 
.\rmy  of  the  Republic,  of  which  he  is  past  com- 
mander; and  was  Judge  Advocate  of  the  Department 
of  Rhode  Island,  1890-93.  He  has  served  as  president 
of  the  Seventh  Rhode  Island  Veterans'  Association 
continuously  since  1S93.  He  is  a  member  of  Exeter 
Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  having 
been  through  all  the  chairs,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Lodge;  is  a  past  chief  patriarch  of  L'ncas  En- 
campment, Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of 
Wickford;  a  member  of  Orilla  Lodge,  Daughters  of 
Rebekah,  Peacedale,  R.  I.;  of  E.xeter  Grange,  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  and  Washington  county  Pomona 
Grange:  of  Charity  Lodge,  No.  23,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  Hope  Valley;  of  Franklin  Chapter.  Royal 
Arch  Masons,  Hope  Valley;  and  of  Narragansett 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar,  of  Westerly.  Mrs. 
Lewis  is  also  a  member  of  E.xeter  Grange,  Patrons  of 
Husbandry,  and  of  Washington  county  Pomona 
Grange,  taking  a  prominent  part  in  these  organiza- 
tions. Mrs.  Lewis  is  also  a  member  and  regent  of 
Narragansett  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  .A.mer- 
ican  Revolution,  and  has  been  secretary  and  historian 
of  her  chapter,  and  treasurer  and  State  historian  of 
the  State  organization.  Mr.  Lewis's  political  affilia- 
tions have  been  with  the  Republican  party.  In  religion 
he  is  a  L^nitarian.  He  is  Supreme  Herald  of  the 
Loyal  Lewis  Legion. 

Judge  Lewis  married  (first)  March  7.  1869,  Rowcna 
K.  Lillibridge,  who  died  July  8,  1879,  and  he  married 
(second)  August  15,  1880,  Nettie  Chester,  born  May 
31,  1850,  daughter  of  Oliver  B.  and  Fanny  E.  (Sisson) 
Chester.  Four  children  were  born  to  the  first  mar- 
riage: Aubrey  C,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College, 
and  afterwards  a  law  student,  later  associated  with  the 
General  Electric  Company  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  and 
now  associated  with  the  Draper  Corporation  of  Hope- 
dale,  Mass.,  cotton  machinery  manufacturers;  he  mar- 
ried Lillian  Gandy  of  Darlington,  S.  C,  and  they  have 
one  daughter,  Frances  Margaret;  Agnes  Mabel,  How- 
ard, and  Nathan  Richmond,  the  latter  three  dying  in 
infancy. 


v^ 


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y.2(J,j2.di^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


25 


WILLIAM  HUGHES,  founder  and  president  of 
the  William  Hughes  C"mpany,  Incorporated,  well- 
known  in  the  business  and  manufacturing  circle?  of 
Rhode  Island,  was  born  in  Lancashire,  England,  May 
28,  1863,  a  son  of  James  and  Alice  (Fish)  Hughes, 
who  came  to  America  in  1882.  The  father  died  De- 
cember 25,  1870,  and  the  mother  died  November  2, 
1904,  leaving  four  children:  William,  oi  further  men- 
tion; James  E.,  of  Esmond,  R.  I.;  Sarah  J.,  wife  of 
John  T.  Singleton;  and  Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
John  T.  Baron,  of  Providence. 

William  Hughes  attended  the  public  schools  until 
eight  years  of  age,  and  under  the  English  law  was 
allowed  to  work  in  the  print  mills  one-half  of  each  day, 
the  other  half  being  spent  in  school.  This  plan  con- 
tinued until  he  was  in  his  twelfth  year,  when  he  was  put 
to  work  the  entire  day. 

In  1882  Mr.  Hughes  came  to  the  United  States, 
finding  a  home  in  Olneyville,  R.  I.,  and  a  position  in 
the  Watennan  Cotton  Mill,  now  the  Providence 
Combing  Mills.  He  there  remained  fourteen  months, 
going  thence  to  the  Atlantic  Mills,  there  continuing 
twelve  years,  18S3-95,  rising  to  the  position  of  overseer 
of  the  yarn  winding  department.  After  a  few  months 
spent  in  the  insurance  business  he  opened  a  bicycle 
and  sporting  goods  store  in  1896,  having  in  connection 
therewith  a  small  inachine  shop.  In  this  machine 
shop  there  was  built  the  first  vehicle  in  this  State 
to  use  gas  as  motive  power,  the  car  making  its  first 
appearance  in  1899.  He  built  fourteen  in  all,  1898- 
1902,  the  first  three  selling  for  $1,000  each,  the  price 
then  being  reduced  to  $850.  In  1905  Mr.  Hughes 
accepted  the  agency  for  the  Reo  car,  and  built  up  a 
business  at  the  corner  of  Bough  and  Dike  streets. 
Providence,  and  there  continued  in  successful  business 
operation  until  1916.  when  he  removed  the  old  build- 
ings and  erected  his  present  building,  which  is  fire- 
proof and  modern  in  every  detail,  well-adopted  to 
its  purposes.  Here  he  located  his  business  office, 
sales  rooms,  service  station  and  machine  shop,  his 
business  a  very  extensive  one,  all  centered  in  the  one 
building.  The  machine  shop  is  an  important  feature 
of  the  business,  supplying  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine 
mills  and  factories  in  New  York  State  and  the  city  of 
Philadelphia  with  a  special  vibrating  gear.  Other  lines 
are  also  manufactured  of  general  use,  while  the  auto 
repair  and  general  garage  business  is  very  large.  Mr. 
Hughes  began  business  with  one  employee ;  now  the 
force  numbers  fourteen  men,  who  are  kept  continually 
employed.  In  1905  the  W'illiam  Hughes  Company  was 
incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island,  the  president  and  treasurer  was  William  Hughes; 
vice-president,  James  W.  Mills;  secretary,  John  T. 
Singleton.  Mr.  Hughes  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as 
councilman,  representing  the  Eighth  Ward.  He  was  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  Rhode  Island  Automobile  Asso- 
ciation, and  is  a  director  of  the  same.  He  is  president 
of  the  Olneyville  Business  Men's  Association,  a  member 
of  the  Sunset  Club,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  Providence  Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks. 

Mr.   Hughes   married,   in    Providence,   November  28, 
1888,  Elizabeth  King,  of  Providence,  daughter  of  John 


and  Isabelle  (McNabb)  King.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hughes 
are  the  parents  of  three  daughters:  i.  Edith  .Mice,  born 
Nov.  5,  1899;  educated  in  music  in  Providence  and 
Boston,  specializing  on  the  violin,  and  director  of  an 
orchestra  of  si.\teen  pieces.  2.  Bertha  Isabelle,  born 
July  26,  1900;  a  graduate  of  high  school,  now  a  student 
at  Kingston  College.  3.  Dorothy  Elizabeth,  born  March 
2,  1904;  now  a  student  in  high  school.  Mr.  Hughes 
can  honestly  claim  the  title  of  a  self-made  man  who, 
without  aid  or  counsel,  has  built  and  developed  a  busi- 
ness which  is  a  credit  to  any  successful  man. 


FRANK  HARLOW  WILDES— Many  years  of 
successful  practice  :it  the  Providence  bar  has  rendered 
Mr.  Wildes  independent  of  introduction  to  his  fellow- 
citizens.  He  is  a  resident  of  Cranston,  R.  I,,  and  has 
for  several  years  held  the  office  of  city  solicitor  of  that 
place. 

The  Wildes  family  is  of  English  origin.  John  Wild, 
iminigrant  ancestor,  was  born  in  England  in  1618,  and 
came  to  .America  with  his  brother  William  on  the  ship 
"Elizabeth."'  In  1639  he  served  in  the  Pequot  War. 
About  1645  he  married  Priscilla  Gould,  and  settled  in 
Ipswich,  Mass.  In  1680  his  branch  of  the  family  mi- 
grated to  Maine.  A  famous  seacoast  road  now  bears 
the  name  of  the  Wildes  family. 

George  W.  Wildes,  father  of  Frank  Harlow  Wildes, 
was  a  farmer,  as  his  ancestors  had  been.  He  married 
Mary  C.  Schuman,  a  member  of  a  family  which  settled 
in  Massachusetts  about  1675,  removing  to  Maine  early 
in  the  eighteenth  century.  The  Schumans,  like  the 
Wildes  family,  were  an  agricultural  race.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wildes  are  now  deceased. 

Frank  Harlow  Wildes,  son  of  George  W.  and  Mary 
C.  (Schuman)  Wildes,  was  born  December  2,  1866,  in 
Providence,  and  received  his  education  in  the  primary, 
grammar  and  classical  high  schools  of  his  city,  grad- 
uating from  the  last  named  in  1885.  The  next  step  in 
his  progress  was  to  enter  Brown  University,  and  in 
1SS9  that  institution  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  The  education  thus  acijuired  was, 
in  one  sense,  self-education,  for  it  was  obtained  by  the 
strenuous  and  unceasing  efforts  of  the  student  him- 
self. From  1882  to  1893  Mr.  Wildes  was  employed  on 
the  "Providence  Journal  and  Bulletin,"  and  his  evenings 
from  1885  to  1893  were  passed  as  an  instructor  in 
schools.  During  the  latter  portion  of  this  period  he  was 
employed  by  different  papers  as  supreme  court  reporter. 
During  his  last  years  at  Brown  L'niversity  Mr.  Wildes 
studied  law  in  the  office  of  David  S.  Baker,  and  on 
February  20,  1892,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  has 
ever  since  resided  in  Providence  and  Cranston,  where 
he  has  been  and  still  is  actively  and  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  general  practice  of  his  chosen  profession. 
Politically,  Mr.  Wildes  is  a  Republican,  and  in  Crans- 
ton, where  he  resides,  has  always  taken  an  active  in- 
terest in  public  affairs.  On  January  16,  1914,  he  was 
elected  city  solicitor  of  that  place  and  has  ever  since 
been  continuously  reelected,  his  present  term  expiring 
on  January  16,  1919.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church. 

Mr.  Wildes  married,  February  12,  1893,  in  New  York 
City,  Marie  Caulfield,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  they  are 
the    parents    of    two    children :     Adele    Madeline,    born 


26 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Feb.  10,  1894.  and  Frank  Harlow,  born  Feb.  20,  1905. 
Miss  Wildes  is  a  graduate  of  the  grammar  school,  the 
classical  high  school,  and  "Brown  University,  class  of 
1916,  receiving  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts;  received 
in  1917  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  She  won  the 
coveted  Arnold  Archaeologist  Fellowship  for  students 
who  excel  in  languages,  is  now  (1918)  teaching  in  the 
Cranston  schools,  and  will  enter  Columbia  College  for 
1918-10  term.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wildes  both  enjoy  a  high 
degree  of  social  popularity,  and  their  home  is  one  of 
the  most  attractive  and  hospitable  in  the  city  in  which 
they  reside. 

Frank  H.  Wildes  may  truly  be  termed  the  architect 
of  his  own  fortune,  and  while  he  has  accomplished  much 
it  must  be  remembered  that  he  is  in  the  prime  of  life, 
and  that  with  a  man  of  his  calibre  progress  is  both  a 
law  and  a  "foregone  conclusion." 


JOHN  A.  BATES — Bates  is  an  old  family  name  in 
West  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  and  through  marriage  to  a 
Tillinghast,  another  ancient  family,  was  joined  to  their 
fortunes.  In  Pardon  Tillinghast  Bates,  father  of  John 
.A.  Bates,  postmaster  at  West  Greenwich  Center,  both 
family  names  were  preserved.  West  Greenwich  Center, 
as  it  is  known,  has  long  been  the  family  seat,  both 
Pardon  Tillinghast  Bates  and  his  son,  John  A.  Bates, 
having  been  born  at  the  homestead  owned  by  John 
Bates,  his  great-grandfather.  The  many  virtues  and 
lovable  qualities  of  these  ancestors  have  been  per- 
petuated in  this  twentieth  century  representative,  and 
he  holds  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  the  community, 
which  has  been  his  home  since  1844,  his  present  resi- 
dence also  being  his  birthplace. 

Pardon  Tillinghast  Bates,  son  of  John  G.  and  Abigail 
(Tillinghast)  Bates,  was  born  at  the  same  homestead 
farm  in  West  Greenwich  Center.  April  i,  1818,  and  died 
in  1890.  His  father  having  died  when  he  was  a  youth, 
he  was  reared  under  the  loving  care  of  his  grand- 
parents, residing  at  the  homestead  and  becoming  post- 
master of  the  village  in  1863,  serving  in  that  capacity 
until  his  death  in  1890.  He  was  a  member  of  West 
Greenwich  Baptist  Church,  very  active  and  known  for 
many  years  as  "Deacon  Bates."  He  was  also  overseer 
of  the  poor,  and  always  abounded  in  good  works,  his 
heart  readily  touched,  and  his  sympathy  easily  awak- 
ened by  suffering  or  need.  He  was  a  man  of  sub- 
stance, and  generously  aided  those  less  fortunate.  He 
married,  in  1838,  Olive  Peck,  of  Coventry,  R.  I.,  and 
together  they  spent  many  long  and  happy  years.  She 
died  April  30,  1898.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bates  were  the 
parents  of  five  children:  A  son,  born  in  1840,  died  in 
infancy;  Helen  Marr,  born  in  1842,  died  in  1844;  John 
Ale.xander,  of  further  mention;  Penelope,  born  Nov. 
4,  1846,  died  Dec.  15,  1917,  acting  postmaster,  1890-93, 
married  Charles  S.  Brown,  of  West  Greenwich ;  and 
Pardon  Tillinghast,  Jr.,  born  in  1851,  died  March  2, 
1869. 

John  Alexander  Bates  was  born  at  the  West  Green- 
wich Center  homestead.  May  9,  1844,  and  resides  there 
still.  He  was  educated  in  the  little  red  schoolhouse, 
which  was  nearby,  but  also  studied  at  home  after  leaving 
school  in  his  eighteenth  year,  his  attendance  prior  to 
that  having  been  in  winter  only,  with  the  e.xception  of 
one    summer    term.      He    obtained    a    good    education 


through  self-study,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  taught 
a  winter  term  in  the  Escoheag  district  school,  working 
as  heretofore  on  the  farm  during  the  summer  months. 
His  next  school  was  at  Voluntown,  Conn.,  where  he 
taught  during  the  winter,  returning  to  the  farm  for  the 
summer  work.  He  then  taught  the  Warwick  Plains 
school  for  one  winter  term,  and  in  the  spring  of  1867 
took  the  Apponaug  school  and  there  taught  until  Jan- 
uary, 1872.  The  following  year  and  a  half  he  taught 
the  Fruit  Hill  school,  in  North  Providence,  finishing 
there  in  June,  1873.  He  then  went  to  New  York,  and 
for  si.xteen  months  was  engaged  in  the  grain  business 
in  the  employ  of  a  cousin,  then  for  two  years.  1875-77, 
was  assistant  to  the  town  clerk  of  the  town  of  War- 
wick, returning  to  the  old  home  in  1877,  and  until  1905 
taught  in  Coventry  and  West  Greenwich  schools,  retir- 
ing in  the  fall  of  1905,  after  an  experience  as  a  peda- 
gogue covering  the  winters  of  over  forty  years  of  his 
life,  1864-1905.  There  are  grandfathers  in  these  dis- 
tricts who  sat  under  his  instruction,  and  many  hun- 
dreds of  men  and  women  testify  to  the  good  results  of 
the  time  spent  in  the  schools  he  taught.  He  was  both 
respected  and  loved  by  his  pupils,  many  of  whom  are 
his  warm  friends  of  to-day. 

Mr.  Bates  was  a  member  of  the  school  committee  for 
many  years;  member  of  Town  Council  in  1879;  member 
and  president  of  that  body  in  1880-81-82-83-85-86.  He 
was  again  elected  member  and  president  of  Town 
Council  in  1891-92-93.  His  public  services  also  include 
several  years  as  town  auditor,  two  years  as  town  clerk, 
1903-04,  and  notary  public.  Since  1875  he  has  been  a 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  since  1893  postmaster  of  West 
Greenwich  Center,  an  office  held  by  his  father  from 
1863  until  1S90,  by  his  sister  from  1890  to  1893.  and 
since  by  John  A.  Bates,  the  office  having  been  held  in 
the  family  for  fifty-five  years.  .\1I  these  honors  have 
come  to  Mr.  Bates  unsolicited,  but  as  he  never  sought 
an  office  neither  has  he  ever  shirked  a  duty,  and  no 
man  has  rendered  a  greater  public-spirited  service  to 
his  town.  He  is  a  member  of  the  West  Greenwich 
Baptist  Church,  and  for  many  years  its  clerk,  and  his 
political  faith  is  Republican. 

Mr.  Bates  married,  .April  5,  1883,  Emma  Eliza  James, 
of  Providence,  daughter  of  Feleg  Allen  and  Patience 
Sophia  (Page)  James,  granddaughter  of  .\lfred  and 
Amy  (.Rounds)  James,  also  a  granddaughter  of  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  (Steere)  Page.  Emma  Eliza  James 
attended  Rhode  Island  Normal  School,  whence  she  was 
graduated  January  26,  1878.  Her  first  school  was  the 
new  schoolhouse  at  West  Greenwich  Center,  where  she 
taught  one  year,  going  thence  to  Knightsville  schools 
for  one  term,  and  from  there  to  a  Providence  evening 
school.  In  succession  thereafter  she  taught  in  Rock- 
land, Scituate,  two  years,  and  at  North  Kingston,  one 
year.  Her  marriage  to  John  A.  Bates,  in  1883,  ended 
her  career  as  a  public  school  teacher.  She  has  been 
president  of  the  local  Women's  Christian  Temperance 
Union  since  1S87,  and  has  been  very  active  in  that  or- 
ganization. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bates  are  the  parents  of  a 
son,  .\Iexander  Peck,  of  whom  further. 

Alexander  Peck  Bates  was  born  September  15,  1889. 
He  began  his  education  in  West  Greenwich  Center 
schools,  taught  the  Howard  Hill  school  one  year,  en- 
tered Monson  Academy,  Monson,  Mass.,  whence  he  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


graduated  class  of  1913,  then  spent  two  years,  IQ13-15, 
at  Brown  University.  The  following  winter  he  was 
employed  in  the  Oxford  Linotype  Company's  printing 
office,  going  thence  to  the  office  of  the  Brown,  Sharpe 
Manufacturing  Company,  remaining  one  year,  then 
until  1917  being  with  the  Equitable  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany. In  that  year  he  returned  to  assist  his  father  in 
the  operation  of  the  homestead  farm.  He  is  now  hold- 
ing a  good  position  with  the  Robert  L.  Walker  Com- 
pany of  Providence,  real  estate  and  investments.  He 
married,  June  14,  1916,  Emily  May  Bucklin,  daughter 
of  David  and  Mary  Louisa  (Wilbur)  Bucklin,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Alexander  Peck  Rates,  Jr., 
born  July  i,  1917- 


JUSTIN  DAVID  CROSBY,  president  of  the  J.  D. 
Crosby  Company,  a  concern  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  flat  cold-rolled  steel  on  a  large  scale,  and  one 
of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Pawtucket,  R.  L,  is  a 
native  of  Worcester  Mass..  having  been  born  there 
October  12,  1862.  He  is  a  member  of  the  old  Crosby 
family,  which  emigrated  from  Scotland  to  the  New 
England  colonics  during  the  seventeenth  century  and 
settled  on  Cape  Cod.  Mr.  Crosby's  parents  were  David 
and  Eliza  A.  (Eldridgc)  Crosby,  the  former  being  a 
native  of  Brewster,  Mass.,  and  one  of  the  pioneers  in 
the  manufacture  of  wire  and  wire  goods  here.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Washburn  Moen  Wire  Company  which 
specialized  in  fine  wire  works,  and  continued  actively 
connected  with  that  concern  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1913.  His  wife  was  born  in  Worcester  in 
1830  and  died  there  in  1873. 

As  a  lad,  Justin  David  Crosby  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city.  He  passed  through  the  gram- 
mar grades  and  was  graduated  from  the  high  school, 
having  been  prepared  for  college  there.  He  then  en- 
tered Foster's  Business  College  where  he  took  a  com- 
mercial course  in  order  to  fit  himself  for  the  career 
which  he  had  planned.  Upon  completing  his  studies  at 
the  last  named  institution,  Mr.  Crosby  secured  a  posi- 
tion with  the  Washburn  Moen  Wire  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, with  which  his  father,  was  associated,  and  began  his 
career  as  a  clerk.  He  was  transferred  very  much  to  his 
own  liking,  from  department  to  department,  so  that  he 
leamed  very  thoroughly  all  the  details  of  the  business 
and  was  at  last  advanced  to  the  position  of  assistant 
superintendent.  He  remained  with  this  concern  for  a 
period  of  twenty-three  years  and  in  that  time  became 
thoroughly  master  of  this  industry.  He  then  with- 
drew and  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account  at 
Worcester,  but  remained  there  only  for  some  six 
months,  when  he  went  to  Pennsylvania  and  once  more 
worked  in  the  steel  and  wire  business  for  four  years. 
It  was  in  the  year  1910  that  he  finally  came  to  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.,  where  in  association  with  others,  he 
founded  the  J.  D.  Crosby  Company,  incorporated  under 
the  Xew  York  laws,  of  which  concern  Mr.  Crosby  be- 
came president  and  treasurer.  He  is  also  a  director  of 
this  company  and  has  remained  ever  since  its  organiza- 
tion as  active  head  and  presiding  genius.  Knowing 
thoroughly  the  wire  situation,  Mr.  Crosby  was  admir- 
ably fitted  to  develop  the  great  business  of  which  he  is 
now  at  the  head,  and  the  success  that  he  has  met  in  this 
line   has   been   truly   remarkable.     In   association   with 


him  are,  at  the  present  time,  Mr.  Gordon  of  New  York, 
who  has  the  rank  of  secretary  and  assistant  treasurer; 
George  F.  Trott ;  and  H.  E.  Wray,  superintendent.  The 
Newman  Wire  Company  of  New  York  City  is  the  sole 
selling  agent  of  Mr.  Crosby's  great  plant  and  handles 
this  side  of  the  business  in  many  different  parts  of  the 
country.  In  addition  to  his  activity  in  this  line.  Mr. 
Crosby  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the  general  life  of 
Pawtucket  and  is  a  member  of  many  different  organ- 
izations of  that  city.  He  is  a  member  and  the  vice- 
president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  Pawtucket, 
and  has  done  much  in  this  capacity  to  assist  in  the  busi- 
ness and  industrial  development  of  the  city,  and  is 
interested  also  in  other  manufacturing  concerns.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows ;  the  Pawtucket  Golf  Club ;  and 
the  T.  K.  Club.  He  finds  one  of  his  greatest  pleasures 
in  out-door  pastimes  of  various  sorts  and  in  this  way 
also  preserves  his  health  from  the  wear  and  tear  of 
his  hard  work  in  connection  with  his  business.  Mr. 
Crosby  is  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word  a  self-made  man, 
having  be.gun  his  business  in  a  small  way — his  first 
office  employed  but  six  men  and  an  office  girl — but  from 
that  humble  beginning  he  had  worked  up  to  his  present 
important  position  with  the  industrial  world.  His  shop 
at  present  measures  about  si.xty  thousand  square  feet, 
and  he  now  employs  about  one  hundred  twenty-five 
men  in  his  factory,  and  eight  clerks  in  the  office. 

Justin  David  Crosby  married,  October,  1885,  at  Wor- 
cester, Mass.,  Cora  E.  Holland,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Hannah  (Russell)  Holland,  both  now  deceased. 
Mr.  Holland  was  a  skilled  mechanic  and  was  employed 
for  many  years  by  the  L.  W.  Paul  Company,  of  Wor- 
cester. 'To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crosby  the  following  children 
were  born :  Edna  F.,  born  1887 ;  W'arren  Russell,  born 
August  25,  1894,  at  Worcester,  worked  in  the  factory 
with  his  father  for  six  months  when  he  enlisted  and  is 
now  stationed  at  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  where  he  does  val- 
uable work  for  the  government  as  an  expert  on  gas 
engines  and  automobile  service.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crosby 
reside  at  their  home  at  No.  43  Cherry  street,  Paw- 
tucket, R.  L 


WILLIAM  S.  LANE— The  surname  Lane  is  of 
ancient  English  origin,  and  is  of  local  classification, 
tracing  beyond  the  English  orthography  to  the  Latin 
Land,  which  means  lane.  The  baptismal  nairle,  modified 
by  the  designation  "In  the  Lane,"  "By  the  Laiie,"  "In 
land,"  "Ad  Lanam,"  is  found  with  great  ireqiiency  in 
medieval  documents,  as  well  as  the  .Saxon  "atte  Lane," 
and  the  Norman  French  "de  la  Lane."  Nurnerous  en- 
tries are  found  in  the  Hundred  Rolls,  1273.  The  family 
has  been  one  of  great  influence  and  importance  through- 
out the  United  Kingdom  for  several  ceriturf^s.  The 
Lane  family  of  Kings  Bromley  claims  aii  aiicicht  Nor- 
man origin,  tracing  to  Sir  Reginald  de  Lane,  a  knight 
in  the  train  of  William  the  Conqueror,  who  attended  that 
monarch  to  England  in,  1066  and  wds  rewarded  with 
extensive  grants  of  land  in  return  'for  his"  Services. 
Distinguished  families  of  the  name  have  been  seated 
in  Ireland  for  several  centuries.  The  coat-of-arms  of 
the  family  is  as  follows : 

Arm.'* — Or,  a  chevron  ermines  between  three  mullets 
pierced  azure. 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Crest — A  dexter  arm  vested  ermines,  turned  up  and 
indented  argent,  holding  in  the  hand  proper  a  mullet 
azure. 

Motto — Celeritate. 

The  American  families  of  the  name  descend  from 
several  unrelated  progenitors.  They  have  been  active 
in  New  England  life  and  affairs  for  two  hundred  and 
fifty  years,  and  the  family  ranks  to-day  among  the 
foremost  of  American  families  of  Colonial  origin.  The 
late  William  S.  Lane,  for  nearly  thirty  years  a  mer- 
chant of  the  city  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  a  prominent 
figure  in  its  business  life,  was  a  mLmbcr  of  a  Massa- 
chusetts family  of  long  standing. 

William  S.  Lane  was  born  in  Danvers,  Mass.,  Decem- 
ber 21,  1862,  the  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (Brady) 
Lane,  of  that  city.  His  early  childhood  was  spent  in 
his  native  place,  but  at  the  age  of  six  years  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Providence,  R.  L  Here  he  received 
his  education  in  the  elementary  and  high  schools,  and 
on  completing  his  studies  entered  immediately  upon 
mercantile  pursuits.  He  was  employed  in  various 
capacities  for  a  short  period  at  Valley  Falls,  but 
in  1880  abandoned  temporarily  his  plans  for  a  busi- 
ness career  to  become  a  member  of  the  Valley  Falls 
police  department.  In  i8?S,  after  eight  years  of  service 
of  the  most  disinterested  type,  Mr.  Lane  resigned  his 
post  in  the  police  department,  and  with  his  brother, 
John  Lane,  engaged  in  business  in  Pawtucket,  R.  L, 
with  which  city  he  was  identified  thereafter  until  his 
death.  Mr.  Lane  was  widely  known  in  business  circles 
in  Pawtucket,  and  was  eminently  respected  for  the 
integrity  of  his  business  dealings  and  for  the  justice  of 
his  business  principles.  Brought  more  or  less  into 
contact  with  the  public,  he  was  given  an  opportunity  for 
the  making  of  lasting .  friendships,  and  in  the  twenty- 
eight  years  of  his  business  career  he  endeared  himself 
to  hundreds  of  men  in  all  walks  of  life.  He  was  of  a 
genial  disposition,  with  a  talent  for  friendship,  and 
w-as  the  center  of  a  circle  which  included  some  of  the 
foremost  men  of  his  day  in  Pawtucket.  Mr.  Lane  was 
active  in  social  and  fraternal  organizations,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  Foresters,  of  Palestine  Lodge,  Red- 
men,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  of  Central  Falls  Aerie  of 
Eagles,  of  which  he  was  at  one  time  president.  He 
was  a  Roman  Catholic  in  religious  belief,  and  a  member 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  Cathedral  congregation  of  Paw- 
tucket. He  was  a  generous  donor  to  charitable  and 
philanthropic  causes.  He  was  a  man  of  deep  sym- 
pathies, but  nevertheless  was  a  keen  student  of  human 
nature,  seeing  quickly  through  deception  and  misrep- 
resentation ;  he  was  quick  to  answer  an  appeal  for  aid, 
financial  or  personal,  and  the  extent  of  his  gifts  to  un- 
fortunate applicants  for  his  charity  never  became  known. 
His  death  came  as  a  blow  to  hundreds  of  friends  and 
associates  throughout  the  city  of  Pawtucket,  and  was 
deepl}'  mourned. 

On  June  20,  1893,  Mr.  Lane  married  Lucy  Roche, 
daughter  of  Redmond  and  Mary  (Fairington)  Roche, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  Ireland,  married  in  Ware, 
Mass.,  settling  in  Webster,  Mass.,  whence  they  re- 
moved to  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  Redmond  Roche  enlisted  in 
the  Union  Army  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War, 
and  served  gallantly  throughout  the  conflict  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  Massachusetts  Vol- 
luiteer  Infantry.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lane  were  the  parents 


of  the  following  children:  i.  John  Raymond;  died  aged 
nineteen  ;  was  a  student  at  Kingston  College.  2.  Wil- 
liam S.,  died  aged  twelve.  3.  Lucy  Rita,  a  graduate  of 
the  Academy  of  Notre  Dame,  Roxbury,  Mass.  4.  and 
5.  Edward  and  Ruth,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Lane, 
who  survives  her  husband,  resides  at  No.  49  Olive 
street,  Pawtucket;  she  has  been  active  for  many  years 
in  social  circles  in  the  city,  and  has  been  identified  with 
several  notable  charitable  etTorts.  William  S.  Lane 
died  at  his  home  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  September  20, 
1 01 6. 


BYRON  MATHEWSON— This  branch  of  the 
Mathewson  family  has  f(jr  four  generations  resided  in 
the  town  of  Johnston,  R.  I.,  Byron  Mathewson,  great- 
grandson  of  Philip  Mathewson,  being  the  subject  of  this 
record. 

The  Rhode  Island  record  of  this  family  begins  with 
James  Mathewson,  brrn  about  1624,  who  was  an  in- 
habitant of  Providence  in  1658,  purchasing  land  from 
Thomas  Angell  in  that  year.  He  married  Hannah  Field, 
and  had  sons :  James,  John,  Thomas,  Zachariah  and 
Daniel.  From  these  sons  sprang  the  different  branches 
of  the  family,  this  branch  being  known  as  the  Johnston 
branch,  and  in  this  review  is  traced  to  Philip  Mathew- 
son, great-grandfather  of  Byron  Mathewson.  of  Green- 
ville avenue,  town  of  Johnston,  R.  I.  He  is  a  son  of 
Stephen  Olney  Mathewson,  son  of  Paris  Mathewson, 
son  of  Philip  Mathewson. 

Philip  Mathewson  was  born  in  the  town  of  Johnston, 
R.  I.,  in  the  year  1772,  and  there  died  January  9,  1853. 
In  early  life  he  learned  the  trade  of  cooper,  and  on  his 
farm  he  built  a  shop  near  his  house.  There  he  worked 
at  his  trade  and  also  cultivated  his  farm,  adding  to  his 
activities  in  later  years  a  small  store  which  he  opened 
in  one  end  of  his  cooper  shop.  There  he  continued 
action  in  the  management  of  his  affairs  until  his  death 
at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  He  married  Mary 
Winsor,  who  died  May  27,  1845,  aged  seventy-three 
years,  daughter  of  Isaac  Winsor,  representative  of  a 
family  founded  in  New  England  by  Joshua  Winsor, 
ancestor  of  those  bearing  the  name  in  Rhode  Island. 
Joshua  Winsor  came  from  England,  settled  in  Rhode 
Island,  and  in  1638  was  one  of  the  thirteen  signers  in 
Providence  to  a  compact  "for  the  public  good."  Philip 
and  Mary  (Winsor)  Mathewson  were  the  parents  of 
several  children  including  a  son  Paris. 

Paris  Mathewson  was  born  on  the  home  farm  at 
Johnston,  R.  I.,  and  there  spent  the  years  preceding  his 
marriage  as  his  father's  farm  assistant.  After  his  mar- 
riage he  removed  to  a  farm  nearby  and  there  resided 
until  the  death  of  his  father,  in  1853,  when  he  returned 
to  the  homestead  and  resided  until  his  death,  June  15. 
1875,  aged  seventy-one  years.  He  was  a  farmer  and 
teamster  in  earlier  years,  then  became  a  contractor, 
building  houses,  barns,  mills,  railroads,  and  had  a  con- 
tract for  a  portion  of  the  work  necessary  to  construct 
the  first  telegraph  line  into  the  city  of  Providence.  He 
conducted  a  store  at  Burrillville  for  a  time,  made  many 
journeys  to  Canada  to  purchase  horses,  bringing  into 
Johnston  many  carloads  which  he  disposed  of  to 
Rhode  Island  farmers.  He  settled  many  estates,  was 
president  of  the  Johnston  Town  Council  several  years, 
and    for   years    represented    the    town    in    the    General 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


29 


Assembly.  His  life  was  one  of  great  activity,  and  in 
all  his  relations  with  his  fellow-men  he  was  honorable 
and  upright,  highly  esteemed  as  an  able  business  man 
and  a  good  citizen. 

Paris  Mathewson  married  Phoebe  T.  Olney,  born  in 
Johnston,  February  10,  1804,  died  October  22,  1885. 
daughter  of  "Deacon"  James  and  Olive  f  Belknap)  Ol- 
ney. She  was  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Olncy,  born  in 
England,  who  came  to  New  England  in  the  ship 
"Planter"  in  1635,  and  later  settled  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
accompanying  Roger  Williams  to  the  new  settlement 
and  becoming  one  of  the  thirteen  original  proprietors 
of  Providence  who  purchased  their  rights  from  the 
Indians.  He  became  one  of  the  most  prominent  men 
of  the  colony,  was  its  first  treasurer  and  filled  many 
positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  and  at  one  time 
was  its  active  pastor.  He  was  a  man  of  means,  and  was 
buried  in  the  yard  in  the  rear  of  his  homestead,  on 
North  Main  street.  Providence,  dying  in  1682  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two  years.  In  1631  he  married  Marie 
Small,  the  line  of  descent  in  the  branch  being  through 
their  son.  Epenctus  Olney,  born  in  England  in  1634, 
who  became  an  active  member  of  the  colony,  taking 
part  in  its  administration  affairs  as  member  of  the 
Colonial  Assembly  and  in  Town  Council.  He  married 
Mary  Whipple,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son.  Kpen- 
etus  (2)  Olney,  who  married  Mary  Williams,  a  grand- 
daughter of  Roger  Williams,  and  lived  on  a  large  tract 
of  land  known  as  Gloucester  and  Burrillville.  Their 
eldest  son.  James  Olney,  born  November  Q,  1670,  mar- 
ried Hannah  Winsor,  and  they  w-ere  the  parents  of 
Emor  Olney,  who  married  Mary  Hopkins,  the  parents 
of  Deacon  James  Olney,  father  of  Phoebe  T.  Olney, 
wife  of  Paris  Mathewson. 

Paris  and  Phoebe  T.  Mathewson  were  the  parents  of 
a  large  family,  nine  sons,  eight  of  whom  attained  adult 
age,   and   three   daughters,   one   of   whom    died   young : 

1.  William  Henry,  born  Jan.  I,  1823,  died  in  1887;  mar- 
ried  Mary  Westcott,  and   left   a   son,  William   H.    (2). 

2.  James  Olney,  of  further  mention.  3.  Patience  Olney, 
born  .Aug.  26,  1825.  married  William  Sweet,  whom  she 
survives  with  two  children,  Walter  and  Lottie.  4.  Paris 
Winsor.  born  Feb.  13,  1827,  died  in  1914;  married  Eliza 
.Mdrich,  who  died  in  1900,  and  left  a  son,  Frederick 
L.  5.  Andrew  Jcncks,  born  Sept.  28,  1828.  married 
Ester  Mowry,  and  had  two  daughters  and  one  son : 
Emma,  married  Frederick  Chadburn ;  Josephine,  mar- 
ried Thomas  Walsh ;  Henry  Augustus,  deceased.  6. 
Edward  F.,  born  Jan.  10,  1830,  became  a  California 
rancher  and  mine  owner,  there  married  and  died.  7. 
Elisha  Belknap,  born  July  2,  1831,  died  in  1834.  8. 
Phoebe  .A.nn,  born  Feb.  i,  1834,  died  in  1885;  married 
John  Thurston,  of  Johnston,  R.  I.,  who  died  .\ug.  24, 
1906.  9.  Isaac  B.,  born  Jan.  II,  1836,  a  contractor,  died 
at  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.;  married  Rebecca  Foster.  10. 
Martin  Van  Buren,  born  Oct.  4,  1837,  died  in  1873  in 
New  York;  he  married  Eliza  Foster,  a  sister  of  the  wife 
of  his  brother  Isaac  B.  11.  Charlotte  .'\melia,  bom  Aug. 
30,  1839,  died  in  1842.  12.  Thomas  Wilson,  born  Jan. 
4,  1842,  died  April  22,  1915;  married  Helen  Sherman, 
and  made  Providence  his  home. 

James  Olney  Mathewson,  father  of  Byron  Mathew- 
son, was  born  in  the  town  of  Johnston,  R.  I..  May  7, 


i8-'4.  and  died  September  12,  1894.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  there  and  at  Latham  Academy,  Sci- 
tuate,  and  with  the  exception  of  five  years  he  spent  his 
life  in  his  native  town.  In  the  early  si.xties  he  went  to 
California  and  was  employed  in  the  mines  for  five  years, 
then  returned  to  Johnston.  .After  his  marriage  he 
settled  on  the  Benjamin  street  farm  and  until  his  death 
was  a  successful  agriculturist.  He  was  a  man  of  in- 
tense public  spirit  and  gave  a  great  deal  of  time  to 
the  public  service.  He  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  advo- 
cating a  street  car  line  for  Greenville  avenue,  was 
deeply  interested  in  the  public  schools,  and  for  years 
was  a  member  of  the  town  school  board.  He  repre- 
sented Johnston  in  the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly, 
as  (lid  his  father  before  him,  and  w-as  a  man  of  honor 
and  uprightness,  highly-esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him. 
His  love  of  justice  was  a  marked  attribute  of  oharacter, 
industry,  gentleness,  and  geniality  also  being  leading 
characteristics.  He  married  Ruth  .\.  Sweet,  a  daughter 
of  William  A.  and  Ann  Eliza  (Irons)  Sweet,  her 
father  a  longtime  resident  of  Johnston.  Children:  i. 
.■\nn  Eliza,  married  Jonathan  \'.  Barnes,  of  Johnston. 
2.  Byron,  of  further  mention.  3.  Phoebe  Olney,  born 
Oct.  21,  i860,  married,  in  Boston,  Mass.,  March  4, 
1879,  Elisha  Arnold  Stcere,  who  died  !\Iay  12,  1890; 
Mrs.  Steere  survives  her  husband,  a  resident  of  Green- 
ville; her  children;  Elisha  .Arnold  (3),  died  in  in- 
fancy; Mary  Mathewson,  Ruth  Emma,  and  Charles 
.Arnold  Steere. 

Byron  Mathewson,  only  son  of  James  Olney  and 
Ruth  .A.  (Sweet)  Mathewson,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Johnston,  R.  I.,  July  15,  1853,  and  has  spent  his  entire 
life  at  the  homestead  farm  on  Greenville  avenue,  his 
birthplace.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  the  town 
and  a  private  school  in  Providence,  early  became  his 
father's  farm  assistant,  and  finally  his  successor  in  own- 
ership. He  specialized  in  dairy  farming  and  for  many 
years  operated  a  retail  milk  route  in  Providence.  His 
farm  has  been  his  chief  business  interest  all  his  life  and 
well  has  he  improved  its  forty-five  acres  of  tillable  land. 
In  addition  to  the  acres  cultivated  he  has  twenty  acres 
of  wood  lot.  A  Republican  in  politics,  earnest  and 
public-spirited.  Mr.  Mathewson  has  never  sought  nor 
held  political  office,  although  fully  active  and  respon- 
sive to  every  demand  of  citizenship.  He  has  lived  a 
quiet  life,  and  has  made  many  friends. 

Mr.  Mathewson  married  .Ashia  Anna  Angell.  daughter 
of  Philip  and  Drusilla  (Thornton)  .Angell,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Olney  .Angell.  Her  maternal  grandparents 
were  Jencks  and  Emarancy  (Hopkins)  Thornton,  he 
a  blacksmith  and  wheelwright,  his  wife  a  tailoress  and  a 
most  remarkable  woman.  Philip  Angell,  father  of  Mrs. 
Mathewson,  was  a  farmer  and  stone  cutter.  His  father, 
Olney  .Angell,  was  a  farmer  and  at  one  time  owner  of 
the  cotton  mills  at  Greystone,  R.  L ;  this  family  sprang 
from  Thomas  .Angell,  born  in  1618,  who  came  to  New 
England  at  about  the  same  time  as  Roger  Williams, 
with  whom  he  retained  intimate  relations  in  Provi- 
dence. Byron  and  Ashia  Anna  (Angell)  Mathewson 
arc  the  parents  of  two  children:  i.  Byron  (2).  bom 
at  the  homestead  in  Johnston,  March  14,  1877;  he  is  a 
graduate  of  Brown  University  and  a  graduate  in  phar- 
macy, now  being  superintendent  of  the  Hope  Drug 
Company,  Bristol,  R.   I.;   he  married  Carrie  Davidson, 


30 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  Providence,  and  they  have  a  son,  Elmer  Belcher, 
bom  Aug.  i6,  1903,  also  a  daughter.  Norma  Gertrude, 
born  Feb.  7,  1906.  2.  Mary  S..  born  .April  2,  1878;  is 
a  graduate  of  State  Normal  School,  taught  school  for 
several  years,  but  is  now  residing  at  the  homestead. 


IRVING  WILLIAM  SLACK,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 

prominent  physicians  of  East  Providence,  R.  I.,  with 
offices  at  No.  2540  Pawtucket  avenue,  is  a  native  of 
North  Turnbridge,  \t.,  where  he  was  born,  November 
18.  1866.  He  is  a  son  of  Origen  F.  and  Thirza  (Moody) 
Slack,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that  town, 
where  his  father  was  engaged  in  farming  for  many 
years.  Mr.  Slack,  Sr.,  is  a  native  of  Washington,  Vt, 
and  is  now  living  retired  at  New  Durham,  N.  H.,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-three  years,  his  wife  having  reached 
the  same  venerable  age.  They  are  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Irving  William,  of  whom  further; 
Flora,  now  deceased ;  Elwin :  and  Mary. 

Dr.  Slack  received  the  elementary  portion  of  his  edu- 
cation at  the  public  schools  of  North  Turnbridge,  Vt, 
and  then  became  a  pupil  at  the  Lyndon  Institute,  Lyn- 
don Center,  Vt.,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  18S9.  He  had  early  in  life  developed  a  great 
interest  in  the  subject  of  chemistry,  especially  in  con- 
nection with  the  making  and  effect  of  drugs,  and  ac- 
cordingly entered  the  College  of  Pharmacy  at  Boston, 
Mass.,  where  he  took  a  three  years'  course  in  this  sub- 
ject. It  was  not  at  first  his  intention  to  become  a 
physician,  and  after  graduating  from  that  institution, 
he  established  himself  in  the  drug  business  at  West 
Ro.xbury,  Mass.,  and  later  associated  with  Morgan  & 
Company,  Wellesley,  in  the  same  State.  However,  after 
a  period  of  successful  business,  he  decided  to  pursue  his 
studies  still  further,  with  the  intention  of  becoming  a 
physician,  and  accordingly  sold  out  his  establishment 
and  entered  the  medical  school  of  the  University  of 
Vermont.  He  graduated  from  this  institution  with  the 
class  of  191 1,  taking  his  medical  degree  and  then,  after 
registering  in  Vermont  and  Rhode  Island,  worked  for 
a  year  as  interne  in  the  Massachusetts  Homoeopathic 
Hospital  at  Boston,  where  he  gained  the  necessary 
practical  experience.  In  1912  he  came  to  East  Provi- 
dence, where  he  located  at  No.  2540  Pawtucket  avenue, 
and  has  made  his  home  here  ever  since.  In  the  year 
191 6,  he  also  opened  offices  at  No.  146  Westminster 
street.  In  the  six  years  that  he  has  practiced  here.  Dr. 
Slack  has  made  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation  as 
a  capable  physician  and  as  one  who  adheres  to  the 
highest  standards  of  the  medical  profession  of  which  he 
is  an  ornament.  He  has  developed  a  large  and  success- 
ful practice  and  takes  his  place  properly  among  the 
leading  physicians  in  this  community.  Dr.  Slack  is  a 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Homoeopathic  .Society,  a 
member  of  the  Massachusetts  Surgical  and  Gynaecolog- 
ical Society,  and  serves  on  the  dispensary  stafT  of  the 
Homoeopathic  Hospital  of  Providence.  He  belongs  also 
to  the  Howard  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  a 
prominent    figure   in    social   and    fraternal   circles   here. 

Dr.  Slack  married,  July  2,  1902,  at  East  Providence, 
.■\nnie  Roberts,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  a  daughter  of 
Sewell  T.  and  .'\nn  Eliza  (Beacham)  Roberts,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  Alton,  N.  H.,  where  the 
former  was  a  prosperous  farmer  until  his  death  which 


occurred  in  May,  1894,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
Mrs.  Slack  is  a  woman  of  culture  and  unusually  fine 
education,  having  graduated  from  the  high  school  at 
Somersworth,  N.  H.,  and  Bates  College  with  the 
class  of  1899,  where  she  received  her  degree  of  A.  B. 
She  then  taught  school  for  about  five  years,  after  which 
she  entered  Kirksville  College  at  Kirksville,  Mo.,  where 
she  took  a  course  in  osteopathy,  and  received  her  degree 
in  that  subject.  She  is  now  in  active  practice  in  asso- 
ciation with  her  husband,  her  offices  also  being  at  No. 
146  Westminster  street.  Providence. 

The  success  of  Dr.  Slack  in  his  chosen  profession, 
may  be  accredited  to  the  possession  by  him  of  a  com- 
bination of  virtues  and  talents  which  are  greatly  in 
demand  in  this  world.  At  the  basis  of  his  character, 
as  they  are  at  the  basis  of  all  character  really  worthy, 
are  to  be  found  the  fundamental  virtues  of  sincerity 
and  courage,  a  sincerity  which  renders  him  incapable 
of  taking  advantage  of  another,  and  a  courage  that  has 
kept  him  cheerful  and  determined  in  the  face  of  all 
obstacles.  To  these  he  adds  a  practical  grasp  of 
affairs.  These  qualities,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  em- 
phasize, are  most  valuable  in  the  medical  profession, 
and  indeed  his  work  as  a  physician  has  amply  proved 
him  the  possession  of  this  happy  union.  In  all  the 
relations  of  life,  in  all  his  association  with  his  fellows, 
these  characteristics  have  stood  out  in  a  marked  man- 
ner and  gained  for  him  the  esteem  and  affection  of  all 
who  come  in  contact  with  him.  In  his  family  life  his 
conduct  is  of  the  highest  type,  and  he  finds  his  chief 
happiness  in  the  intimate  life  of  his  own  home  and 
hearthstone. 


EMERSON  LELAND  ADAMS,  A.  M.— For  many 
years  an  educator,  Mr.  Adams  brought  to  his  present 
position,  assistant  commissioner  of  public  schools  for 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  an  intimate  knowledge  of 
the  needs  of  the  public  schools  system  and  its  great 
possibilities  for  good,  coupled  with  an  intense  devotion 
to  education's  cause  and  desirous  of  having  the  State 
schools  brought  to  the  highest  possible  state  of  effi- 
ciency. He  is  a  son  of  Jonas  G.  and  Rena  S.  (Hal!) 
Adams,  of  Wilton,  Me.;  his  father,  a  farmer,  and  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Civil  War.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children :  Emerson  Leland,  of  further  men- 
tion;  Lizzie,  married  Arthur  L.  Fletcher,  of  Wilton, 
manager  of  a  department  of  G.  H.  Bass  &  Company, 
shoe  manufacturers ;  Warren  W.,  married  May  E. 
Rushton,  and  engaged  in  farming  in  Wilton,  Me. ; 
Minnie   E.,   married   Edmund   Kenney,  of   Wilton,   Me. 

Emerson  Leland  .Adams  was  born  in  Wilton,  Me., 
February  6,  1866,  and  after  completing  the  public  school 
courses  there  finished  college  preparation  at  Wilton 
Academy  in  1885.  He  then  entered  Bowdoin  College 
whence  he  was  graduated  -A..  M.,  class  of  1889.  He 
immediately  began  his  career  as  an  educator,  teaching 
at  Mclndoe  Falls,  then  advancing  in  rank,  became  a 
teacher  in  Hopkinton  High  School,  going  thence  to 
Phillips  Andover  Academy  as  a  teacher  of  Latin, 
mathematics,  English  and  botany.  He  retired  from 
educational  work  after  one  year  at  Andover,  and  en- 
tered the  insurance  business  at  Lewiston,  Me.,  acting 
as  special  agent  for  the  Provident  Life  &  Trust  Com- 
pany.    After  spending  one  year  in  the  insurance  busi- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


31 


ness  he  accepted  the  position  of  principal  of  the  high 
school  at  New  Salem,  Mass..  and  remained  there  for 
ten  years,  then,  for  one  year,  was  district  superintend- 
ent of  four  towns,  z-i:. :  Dana,  New  Salem,  Prescott 
and  Greenwich.  Following  that  year  of  service  he  was 
for  two  years  principal  of  Fryeburg  .Academy  and 
superintendent  of  schools.  For  six  and  a  half  years  he 
was  superintendent  of  public  schools  of  the  town  of 
Lincoln,  R.  I.  The  following  five  years  he  occupied 
a  similar  position  at  Central  Falls,  R.  I.  In  1917  he  was 
appointed  assistant  commissioner  of  public  schools,  a 
position  he  is  most  thoroughly  fitted  to  fill  by  virtue 
of  education,  training  experience  and  inclination.  In 
1913  he  was  president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Institute  of 
Instruction,  and  president  of  the  Barnard  Club  of 
Rhode  Island  in  1917-18.  During  his  residence  in  New 
Salem.  Mass.,  he  served  for  five  years  as  town  auditor. 
Since  1910  he  has  been  a  director  of  the  Pawtucket 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  chairman  of 
the  membership  committee;  president  of  the  Men's 
Forum  of  Central  Falls  Congregational  Church;  was  a 
director  and  vice-president  of  the  conference  of  Rhode 
Island  Congregational  Church,  and  is  a  member  of 
Pythagoras  Lodge,  No.  14,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  of  Fryeburg,  Me. 

Mr.  .\dams  married  at  Wilton,  Me.,  December  2, 
1892,  Effie  C.  Dascombe  of  Wilton,  a  graduate  of 
Colby  College,  A.  B.,  1891,  and  a  teacher  of  Latin  and 
modem  languages  at  Grafton  High  School.  Grafton, 
Mass.,  until  her  marriage.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Henry 
G.  and  Cynthia  (Perry)  Dascombe.  her  father  deceased 
for  many  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  are  the  parents  of  three  child- 
ren: I.  Ethel  Margaret,  born  in  New  Salem.  May  10, 
1896.  a  graduate  of  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design ; 
married  Frederick  F.  Franklin,  Jr.,  now  a  second  lieu- 
tenant in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  of  the  United 
States  Army,  stationed  at  Fort  Adams,  R.  I.  She  is 
now  (1918)  supervisor  of  drawing  in  Warwick.  R.  I. 
2.  Ruth  Dascombe,  born  in  New  Salem,  March  15.  1898, 
graduate  of  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design ;  mar- 
ried Lincoln  S.  Fifield,  now  a  second  lieutenant  in  the 
Ordnance  Department  of  the  United  States  .Army. 
Prior  to  her  marriage  she  was  supervisor  of  drawing  at 
Pawtucket.  R.  I.,  and  in  the  fall  of  1918  accepted  the 
position  of  instructor  in  drawing  at  Rhode  Island  State 
Normal  School.  3.  .\rlo  Gordon,  born  in  New  Salem, 
June  16,  igoo,  a  graduate  of  Pawtucket  High  School, 
now  coxswain  in  the  United  States  Navy,  stationed  at 
the  Torpedo  Station  at  Newport,  R.  I. 


EDWARD  CARRINGTON  BUCKLIN— A  native 
son  of  New  York,  son  of  a  famous  merchant  whose 
house  flag  was  carried  by  fast  .American  clippers 
throughout  the  period  when  our  merchant  marine  was 
at  its  height,  Edward  C.  Bucklin  began  his  business 
life  far  from  home  scenes,  and  it  was  not  until  1876 
that  he  became  identified  with  manufacturing  in  Rhode 
Island.  When  different  interests  with  which  he  was 
officially  connected  consolidated,  Mr.  Bucklin  was 
chosen  vice-president  and  treasurer  of  the  Interlaken 
Mills.  Later  he  was  elected  secretary  of  the  corpora- 
tion, with  offices  at  No.  iioi  Turk's  Head  building. 
Providence.     His  energy  and  business  ability  have  car- 


ried him  into  numerous  corporate  enterprises,  and  he 
is  to-day  one  of  the  leading  figures  in  manufacturing 
circles  in   Rhode  Island. 

Edward  C.  Bucklin  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  X.  Y., 
.August  7,  1850,  son  of  Thomas  Peck  Bucklin,  a  native 
of  Seekonk,  R.  1..  an  importer  and  vessel  owner,  and 
one  of  the  wealthiest  men  of  his  day.  Thomas  Peck 
Bucklin  flourished  in  the  days  of  the  fast  .American 
clippers,  and  founded  the  important  New  York  tea 
importing  firm  of  Bucklin  &  Crane.  Their  house  flag 
was  known  all  over  the  world  and  was  carried  by  their 
clipper  ships  "Comet,"  "Celestial,"  "Black  Hawk,"  "In- 
trepid," and  others,  into  every  port  of  note.  The  old 
homestead  at  Seekonk  dates  from  the  days  of  Queen 
.\nne.  Rehoboth.  Mass.,  was  the  original  home  of  the 
family.  Joseph  Bucklin  and  Deborah  .\llen  were  mar- 
ried there,  November  5,  1659.  The  early  Bucklins  were 
farmers,  and  owned  and  operated  grist  mills  on  the 
Seekonk  river,  owned  lands  at  Pawtucket  Falls,  and 
in  the  struggle  for  liberty  did  their  part.  In  the  busi- 
ness world  the  name  is  an  honored  one.  and  in  each 
generation  has  been  worthily  borne.  Some  members  of 
the  Rhode  Island  branch  of  the  Bucklins  in  recent  gen- 
erations arc  recalled:  The  late  James  C.  Bucklin.  archi- 
tect and  designer  of  the  firm  of  Tallnian  &  Bucklin, 
builders  and  lumber  merchants  of  Providence;  Thomas 
Peck  Bucklin.  father  of  our  subject;  Samuel  S.  and 
William  Bucklin  of  Providence,  well  and  favorably 
known  business  men  of  the  city;  Colonel  J.  P.  Bucklin, 
a  Civil  War  veteran,  whose  gallantry  placed  him  in 
command  of  his  regiment,  and  who  was  for  many  years 
harbor  master  of  the  Port  of  Providence. 

Edward  C.  Bucklin  is  of  the  seventh  .American  gen- 
eration, his  descent  from  Joseph  and  Deborah  (.Allen) 
Bucklin  of  Rehoboth  being  through  their  eldest  son, 
Joseph  (2).  The  name  is  found  in  early  records  as 
Bucklin,  Buckline,  and  Buckland. 

Joseph  (2)  Bucklin.  born  February  16,  1663,  married 
Mehitabel  Sabin,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  eleven 
sons  and  daughters.  The  line  follows  through  John 
Bucklin.  born  March  30,  1701,  the  fifth  child,  who  mar- 
ried Freelove  Smith,  of  Rehoboth.  Their  fourth  child 
and  second  son  was  Captain  John  Bucklin,  of  Rehoboth, 
born  February  12.  1732,  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  Captain  Bucklin  married  Jemima  Peck,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  George  Bucklin.  born  December  6, 
1766,  who  settled  in  Seekonk,  R.  I.,  and  died  there  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1850.  He  married  Hannah  Bennett,  of  Cum- 
berland, R.  I.,  and  their  fourth  son,  Thomas  Peck  Buck- 
lin, was  the  famous  tea  merchant  and  vessel  owner  of 
New  York  City,  and  father  of  Edward  Carrington  Buck- 
lin, prominent  in  the  business  life  of  Providence. 

"Thomas  Peck  Bucklin  was  born  at  Seekonk.  R.  I., 
September  25,  1804,  and  died  at  the  new  home  he  erected 
on  the  homestead.  He  began  business  life  under  the 
direction  of  Edward  Carrington,  going  to  New  York 
City,  where  as  head  of  Bucklin  &  Crane  he  founded 
a  great  business.  He  was  the  architect  of  his  own 
fortunes,  and  rose  to  eminence  in  business  through  his 
own  strong  character  and  ability.  His  clippers  were 
famous  in  the  day  when  .American  sailing  ships  were 
unequalled  for  speed  and  design,  and  he  transacted  a 
heavy  business,  and  about  i860  retired,  but  as  a  silent 
partner  continued  his  interest  in  the  firm  of  Bucklin  & 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Crane  for  some  years.  He  mnrried  Eliza  Comstock, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  a  large  family. 

Edward  Carrington  Bucklin.  youngest  son  of  Thomas 
Peck  and  Eliza  (Comstock)  Cucklin,  was  educated  at 
Lyons  Grammar  School,  Providence,  at  a  boarding  school 
in  X'ermont,  and  at  Mowry  and  Goff's  English  and 
Classical  School,  Providence.  After  completing  his 
studies,  he  went  West  and  spent  ten  years  in  Colorado, 
and  was  located  in  Denver,  in  1871,  where  he  served  as 
a  member  of  the  governor's  mission  house  there,  and 
also  gained  practical  business  training  in  the  office  of 
a  cotton  mill. 

Mr.  Bucklin  began  his  official  business  connections 
with  Providence  on  October  14.  1876,  when  he  was 
elected  treasurer  of  the  Arkwright  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, and  the  following  year  was  chosen  treasurer  of 
the  Harris  Manufacturing  Company,  and  in  18S2,  treas- 
urer of  the  Interlaken  Mills.  Later  these  companies 
were  brought  under  one  management,  the  Interlaken 
Mills  continuing  the  corporate  name  of  the  combined 
industries,  and  Mr.  Bucklin  becoming  vice-president  and 
treasurer.  He  has  other  important  interests,  including 
the  vice-presidency  of  the  Providence  Land  &  Wharf 
Company;  the  Providence  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany ;  Mercantile  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company,  and 
others.  He  is  a  member  of  the  New  England  Cotton 
Manufacturers'  Association,  and  eminent  in  his  par- 
ticular field  of  business  operation.  He  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Providence  Art  Club,  in  Providence  Athan- 
aeum,  and  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

Mr.  Bucklin  married,  February  4,  1874,  at  Providence, 
Jessie  H.  Howard,  daughter  of  Henry  Howard,  gover- 
nor of  Rhode  Island  in  1S73,  and  a  maternal  grand- 
daughter of  Governor  Elisha  Harris,  who  died  in 
1861.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bucklin  are  the  parents  of:  i. 
Henry  Howard,  died  aged  four  years.  2.  Edward  Car- 
rington (2),  died  aged  seven  years.  3.  Henry  Howard, 
born  May  21,  1879.  and  is  now  secretary  and  assistant 
treasurer  of  the  Interlaken  Mills.  4.  Thomas  Peck  (2), 
born  July  23,  1881,  and  died  July  13,  1917.  5.  Janet, 
married  F.  H.  Guild,  of  Edgartown,  Mass.  6.  Dor- 
othy, married  R.  G.  Ostby,  of  Providence. 


NELSON  HAMLIN  WALCOTT— As  president 
and  treasurer  of  the  L.  H.  Gage  Lumber  Company, 
Mr.  Walcott  is,  perhaps,  best  known  to  his  fellow-cit- 
izens of  Providence,  R.  I.,  but  he  is  a  man  of  very 
extensive  interests,  being  widely  and  influentially  con- 
nected with  the  lumber  industry.  Mr.  Walcott  is  also 
well  known  in  the  fraternal  and  social  circles  of  his 
native  city. 

Horatio  N.  Walcott.  father  of  Nelson  Hamlin  Wal- 
cott, was  a  son  of  James  De.xter  and  Lydia  (Tilling- 
hast)  Walcott.  the  former  a  mill  owner  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  and  the  latter  a  native  of  East  Greenwich. 
Horatio  N.  Walcott  was  born  in  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  city 
and  in  those  of  Smithfield,  R.  I.  He  was  a  carriage 
manufacturer  at  Greenville,  R.  I.,  and  a  trustee  of  the 
Smithfield  Savings  Bank,  also  a  deacon  of  the  church, 
and  withal  a  very  prominent  man  in  the  community. 
Mr.  Walcott  married  Mary  Louise  Thornton,  of  War- 
wick, R.  I.,  and  their  children  were:  Nelson  Hamlin, 
mentioned    below ;    Chester    Eugene,    vice-president    of 


National  Exchange  Bank,  and  carriage  builder  of 
Greenville ;  Martha  Louise,  married  Dr.  J.  E.  Mowry, 
of  Smithfield,  and  is  now  deceased;  Evelyn  May,  wife 
of  Senator  Frank  Colwell;  Florence  Ethel,  wife  of 
William  E.  Chandler,  of  Providence ;  Bertha  Winne- 
fred.  wife  of  Frank  Carr  of  Providence,  and  now  de- 
ceased; Ralph  Horatio,  deceased;  and  Harold  C,  sales- 
man of  the  Carpenter  Lumber  Company,  of  Providence, 
and  now  first  lieutenant  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Third 
Engineers.  Mr.  Walcott,  the  father,  was  born  in  1840 
and  died  in  1897.  His  widow  is  still  living  and  resides 
during  the  winters  in  Providence,  spending  the  sum- 
mers in  Greenville.  R.  I. 

Nelson  Hamlin  Walcott,  son  of  Horatio  N.  and  Mary 
Louise  (Thornton)  Walcott,  was  born  .\ugust  14,  1864,  in 
Providence,  and  received  his  early  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  city,  afterward  studying  at  the 
Eastman  Business  College,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  On 
completing  the  course  he  returned  to  Providence  and 
associated  himself  with  Henry  M.  Angell  and  Com- 
pany, lumber  dealers,  at  Fox  Point.  This  was  in  June, 
1881,  and  he  remained  with  the  firm  one  year,  con- 
necting himself  in  1882  with  Burrows  and  Kenyon  for 
the  purpose  of  learning  the  lumber  business.  To  this 
he  applied  himself  during  the  next  four  years,  acquir- 
ing a  thorough  knowledge  of  every  detail. 

In  1886  Mr.  \\'alcott  went  to  Indianapolis  and  then 
travelled  through  the  South  as  lumber  buyer  and  sales- 
man for  the  Slocum  and  Gage  Lumber  Company.  This 
position  he  retained  until  ib'qj  when,  on  Mr.  .Slocum's 
retirement,  the  L.  H.  Gage  Company  was  organized  and 
Mr.  Walcott  became  president  and  treasurer.  He  is 
president  and  treasurer  of  the  Crittenden  Lumber 
Company  which  has  mills  in  Arkansas  and  Louisiana. 
He  is  also  treasurer  of  the  Charles  C.  Gardiner  Lumber 
Company  of  Providence,  and  a  director  of  the  Morse 
and  Buff'um  Company,  of  Providence,  and  the  Panama- 
.•\merican  Timber  Corporation,  with  offices  at  Emporium, 
Pa.  This  concern  is  a  manufacturer  of  mahogany  lum- 
ber in  Panama.  Mr.  Walcott  is  past  president  of  the 
Natural  Wholesale  Lumber  Dealers'  .Association  of  the 
United  States,  and  a  director  of  the  .■Mluvial  Land 
Association,  Memphis,  Tennessee,  composed  of  land 
owners  in  the  Mississippi  Delta. 

While  faithfully  adhering  to  the  Republican  party, 
Mr.  Walcott  has  never  cared  to  associate  himself  ac- 
tively with  the  work  of  the  organization,  preferring  to 
devote  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business 
responsibilities.  He  affiliates  with  What  Cheer  Lodge, 
No.  21,  Free  and  .\ccepted  Masons,  of  Providence; 
Royal  Arch  Chapter,  Cavalry  Commandery ;  and  the 
Mystic  Shrine. 

Mr.  Walcott  married,  April  20,  1888.  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  Nellie  Lincoln,  daughter  of  Alexander  and  ."Mmeda 
(Blivan)  McCrossan,  of  that  city.  Mr.  McCrossan, 
who  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  was  by  trade  a  machinist. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walcott  are  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  i.  Chester  Lincoln,  born  Feb.  3,  1S89;  edu- 
cated in  Providence  public  schools,  Wilbraham  .'\cad- 
emy,  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  and  Dartmouth  College,  class 
of  1915,  Bachelor  of  Arts;  now  assistant  manager  of 
the  Crittenden  Lumber  Company,  .Arkansas.  2.  Howard 
Nelson,  born  Jan.  13,  1894;  educated  in  the  Providence 
public   schools,   Wilbraham   Academy   and    Bryant   and 


ff^i-L^ 


X!^i/Loi 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


33 


Stratton's  Business  College;  now  assistant  manager 
of  the  Hovey  Lumber  Company  of  Providence.  3. 
Alice  Louise,  born  June  16,  1S96;  educated  in  public 
schools  and  Miss  Wheeler's  finishing  school,  Providence. 
4.  Ralph  A.,  born  Jan.  16,  1902;  now  attending  Bryant 
and  Stratton's  Business  College.  The  summer  home 
of  the   family  is  at   East  Beach,  Quonochontaug,   R.  1. 


REV.  LOUIS  JOHN  DEADY— In  the  triangle 
formed  by  Fountain,  Park,  and  Carnation  streets,  with 
its  apex  on  Laurel  street,  is  the  visible  evidence  of  the 
existence  of  Sacred  Heart  parish,  Pawtucket,  R.  1.,  a 
parish  Father  Deady  has  served  as  pastor  since  July  i, 
1905.  In  the  apex  of  the  triangle  is  the  church  edifice 
which  he  has  rebuilt  since  his  coming,  in  which  he  has 
installed  new  alters  with  beautiful  furnishings,  includ- 
ing statuary  from  Italy,  and  a  wonderful  pipe  organ 
which  was  dedicated  December  25,  1915.  In  the  rear 
of  the  church  fronting  on  Lcpine  street  is  the  new 
rectory,  a  beautiful  brick  structure  erected  by  Father 
Deady,  and  at  the  corner  of  Park  and  Carnation  streets, 
the  school  building  which  he  has  thoroughly  renovated 
as  regards  plumbing  and  heating,  a  school  at  which 
six  hundred  and  fifty  pupils  receive  instructions  includ- 
ing music  and  art.  In  that  same  block  stands  the  con- 
vent, where  nineteen  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  from  the 
mother  chapter  Louise,  at  Springfield,  Mass.,  are  sta- 
tioned to  carry  forward  their  holy  work.  Across  Park 
street,  opposite  the  rectory,  stands  the  new  high  school 
building  which  he  erected  from  the  old  rectory,  and 
there  forty  students  may  be  accommodated  while  taking 
the  four  years'  course,  either  classical  or  commercial, 
the  school  fitting  boys  for  college  or  LaSalle  Seminary. 

As  Sacred  Heart  has  prospered  materially,  so  has  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  the  parish  kept  pace,  and  every 
department  of  its  life.  Father  Deady  has  had  the  loyal 
support  of  his  parish,  and  in  return  he  has  given  them 
loving  service  which  has  endeared  him  to  his  parish- 
ioners. Father  Deady  is  a  specialist  as  are  all  really 
successful  men  in  every  profession,  and  very  dear  to 
his  heart  is  the  cause  of  education  and  the  erection  of 
buildings  suitable  for  the  purpose  the  church  intends. 
Sacred  Heart  is  a  large  parish,  and  in  his  pastoral 
work  he  is  assisted  by  Joseph  N.  Welsh,  Rev.  Edward 
J.  Gately,  and  Rev.  Robert  C.  Cassidy. 

Louis  John  Deady  was  born  in  the  County  of  Kil- 
kenny, parish  of  Thomston,  Ireland,  April  7,  1851,  son 
of  John  and  Margaret  (Walsh)  Deady,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1851.  John  Deady  died  in  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  his  wife  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two.  They  were  the  parents  of:  Mary, 
now  deceased;  Katherine,  who  resides  at  the  rectory 
at  Pawtucket  with  her  brother;  Louis  John,  of  whom 
this  review  deals ;  Margaret,  married  John  F.  Mahoney 
of  Providence;  and  Julia,  who  resides  in  the  old  home 
in  Providence.  Louis  John  Deady  was  brought  to  the 
United  States  by  his  parents  the  year  of  his  birth,  and 
began  his  education  in  the  Lime  street  school  in  Prov- 
idence. He  was  educated  for  the  priesthood  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church,  and  in  succession  passed  the 
courses  of  study  at  St.  Thomas  College,  Bardstown, 
Ky. ;  St.  Mary's  College,  Montreal,  Canada,  A.  B.  1876; 
Grand  Seminary,  Montreal,  where  he  completed  his 
studies  in  divinity  and  was  ordained  December  22, 
K  1-2—3 


1877.  by  Archbishop  Fabre.  His  first  assignment  was  as 
assistant  to  the  rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  Providence,  where  he  remained  two  and  a 
half  years.  He  then  became  assistant  rector  and  was 
at  St.  Mary's  parish.  Fall  River,  Mass.,  where  ho  re- 
mained eleven  >ears.  In  addition  to  his  pastoral  work, 
he  also  founded  the  new  parish  of  St.  Lewis  in  Fall 
River,  a  parish  of  two  thousand  three  hundred  souls, 
with  a  church  edifice  on  Bradford  avenue.  From  St. 
Lewis',  Father  Deady  was  transferred  to  St.  Joseph's 
at  Newport,  R.i  I.,  and  for  ten  years  he  served  that 
parish  most  acceptably.  While  there  he  erected  new 
St.  Anthony's  Church,  at  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  and  on  him 
fell  the  entire  responsibility  of  its  successful  comple- 
tion. In  Newport  he  paved  the  way  for  a  handsome 
new  church,  bought  the  site,  caused  the  plans  to  be 
prepared,  the  basement  walls  built,  and  the-cornerstone 
laid,  then  turned  it  all  over  to  his  successor,  and  began 
the  upbuilding  of  Sacred  Heart  parish,  in  Pawtucket, 
where  he  is  still  stationed.  He  has  spent  forty-one 
years  in  the  priesthood,  and  from  the  foregoing  it  will 
be  seen  that  he  is  a  builder  of  churches  and  schools. 
Yet,  as  a  pastor,  he  has  won  the  hearts  of  his  people 
wherever  stationed,  and  spiritual  blessing  has  bounti- 
fully attended  his  pastorate. 


FRED  D.  HOXSIE,  the  well-known  scientist  who 
has  specialized  in  the  culture  of  brook  trout,  and  is  a 
prominent  citizen  of  Carolina,  R.  I.,  where  he  is  super- 
intendent of  the  American  Fish  Culture  Company,  and 
is  well  known  in  his  line  throughout  the  United  States, 
is  a  meml)er  of  an  old  and  distinguished  New  England 
family,  being  a  descendant  in  the  eighth  generation, 
from  Lodowick  Hawksie,  who  founded  the  family  in 
this  country. 

(I)  Lodowick  Hawksie,  was  a  native  of  Scotland 
and  came  from  that  country  to  the  New  England  col- 
onies, shortly  after  1650.  The  first  record  that  we 
have  of  him  is  of  his  having  served  with  one  John  Dex- 
ter, to  whom  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade  of 
hatter  at  Sandwich,  Mass.  Upon  completing  his  ap- 
prenticeship, he  engaged  in  this  business  on  his  own 
account  at  Springhill,  Mass.,  and  was  well  known  as 
a  resident  of  Sandwich,  taking  an  active  part  in  the 
public  affairs  of  the  colony  and  holding  a  number  of 
important  local  offices.  He  is  recorded  to  have  helped 
distribute  powder  to  the  militia  and  was  one  of  the 
musketeers  who  went  to  Yarmouth  to  the  general  muster 
in  July,  1660.  He  was  admitted  a  townsman  by  vote 
of  the  town,  February  3,  1675,  and  took  the  oath  of 
fidelity  July  I,  1678.  In  1691  he,  and  two  others,  were 
chosen  to  lay  out  custom  lands.  Lodowick  Hawksie 
was  married  in  October,  l66:),  to  Mary  Prc-sbury,  a 
daughter  of  John  Presbury,  and  they  made  their  home 
on  the  south  side  of  Spring  Hill.  They  were  the 
parents  of  a  large  family  of  children,  one  of  whom 
was  John  Hoxsie,  mentioned  below. 

(II)  John  Hoxsie,  fourth  son  and  fifth  child  of 
Lodowick  and  Mary  (Presbury)  Hawksie,  was  born  in 
March,  1677,  and  died  in  1767,  at  the  age  of  ninety 
years.  He  came  from  Sandwich,  Mass.,  to  Rhode 
Island,  and  settled  at  Westerly,  being  the  founder  of  a 
family  in  this  State.  He  married  (first)  Mary  Hull, 
the  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Experience  (Harper)  Hull, 


34 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


and  (second)  Ann  Richmond,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  Richmond.  By  the  first  marriage  the  fol- 
lowing children  were  born:  John,  April  II,  1704; 
Joseph,  Feb.  25,  170S;  Solomon,  Dec.  II,  171 1 ;  Stephen, 
who  is  mentioned  below;  and  Benjamin,  born  April  14, 
1716.  One  child  was  born  of  the  second  marriage, 
Edward,  born  April  20,  1736. 

(III)  Stephen  Hoxsie,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Hull) 
Hoxsie,  was  born  November  28,  1713,  and  made  his 
home  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Charlestown,  where 
his  death  occurred  October  24,  1793.  He  married 
February  27,  1734-35,  Elizabeth  Kenyon,  daughter  of 
John  Kenyon,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  a  large 
family  of  children,  of  whom  the  eldest  was  Barnabas, 
mentioned  below. 

(IV)  Barnabas  Hoxsie,  eldest  son  of  Stephen  and 
Elizabeth  (Kenyon)  Hoxsie,  was  born  September  I,  1735. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Wilbur,  who  was  born  December 
10,  1747,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children :  Edith,  born  July  31,  1764;  Stephen,  mentioned 
below;  Enoch,  born  July  27,  1769;  Elizabeth,  born  .April 
I,  1772;  Esther,  born  May  21,  1774,  and  died  .\pril  10, 
1778;  Joshua,  born  April  8,  1776;  Esther  (2),  born  Jan. 
7,  1782;  Lydia,  born  June  22,  1788. 

(V)  Stephen  Hoxsie,  son  of  Barnabas  and  Elizabeth 
(Wilbur)  Hoxsie,  was  born  January  8,  1768,  and  made 
his  home  at  Hopkinton  and  Richmond,  his  death  occur- 
ring October  28,  1823.  He  married  Anna  Kenyon.  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Eliz- 
abeth ;  Thomas  W.,  who  is  mentioned  below ;  William 
B.,  who  married  (first)  Elizabeth  Wilbur,  and  (second) 
Susan  Barber;  Stephen,  who  married  (first)  Amanda 
Tinkham,  and  (second)  Betsey  Cook;  Ann,  George, 
Martha  and  Edith,  none  of  whom  married;  Edward,  who 
married  Ann  Wilcox ;  Solomon  K.,  who  married 
Eunice  G.  Pierce,  and  John  W.,  who  died  in  early 
youth. 

(VI)  Thomas  W.  Hoxsie,  son  of  Stephen  and  Anna 
(Kenyon)  Hoxsie,  and  grandfather  of  Fred  D.  Hox- 
sie, was  born  September  8,  1793.  The  greater  portion  of 
his  life  was  spent  in  the  town  of  Richmond,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  business  as  a  blacksmith,  and  enjoyed 
the  high  regard  of  his  fellow  townsmen  as  a  man  of 
integrity,  intelligence  and  industry.  He  was  a  Quaker 
in  his  religous  belief  and  may  be  said  to  have  lived  up 
to  the  high  but  difficult  ideals  of  that  faith.  His  death 
occurred  November  7,  1878.  Thomas  W.  Hoxsie  mar- 
ried (first)  February  i,  1818,  Lydia  Taylor,  who  was 
born  in  August,  1799.  and  died  March  15,  1820.  There 
was  but  one  child  of  this  union,  Thomas  T.,  born  March 
4,  1819,  and  died  March  19,  1820.  After  the  death  of  his 
first  wife,  Thomas  W.  Hoxsie  married  (second)  Nov- 
ember 14,  1822,  Tabitha  Tucker,  born  April  9,  1802, 
and  died  March  25.  1827.  They  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children :  Lydia  T.,  born  June  10,  1824, 
and  died  Jan.  29,  1S97;  Mary  N.,  born  May  ig,  1826, 
and  married  Charles  Collins ;  John  W.,  born  Feb.  16, 
1828,  and  died  May  16,  1903;  Jonathan  T.,  born  May 
24,  1829,  died  June  6,  1854;  Stephen,  born  June  6,  1831, 
and  died  Oct.  16,  1833;  Martha  Ann,  born  Sept.  6,  1833, 
died  Dec.  29,  1897,  and  married  John  Boss ;  Thomas 
C.,  born  June  8,  1836.  and  removed  to  Boone,  Iowa,  and 
is  now  deceased;  Charles  A.,  mentioned  at  length  be- 
low;   a   daughter,   born    May   4,    1840,    and    died    May 


18  following;  a  son,  born  March  30,  1841,  and  died 
April  19,  of  the  same  year ;  Welcome  S.,  born  May  20, 

1842,  and  died  Feb.  22,  1843;  a  daughter,  born  Dec.  9, 

1843,  and  died  the  same  day;  George  T.,  born  Jan.  18, 
1845,  and  died  in  1904;  a  son,  born  Aug.  28,  1847,  and 
died  Sept.  22,  of  that  year. 

(VII)  Charles  A.  Hoxsie,  son  of  Thomas  W.  and 
Tabitha  (Tucker)  Hoxsie,  was  born  May  20,  1838,  on 
the  old  Hoxsie  homestead  in  Richmond  township,  near 
the  village  of  Carolina.  His  childhood  was  spent  on 
the  old  place  and  for  his  education  he  attended  the 
school  established  for  the  convenience  of  the  chil- 
dren of  both  Richmond  and  Charlestown.  At  an 
early  age  he  was  apprenticed  to  his  father  and  under 
him  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade.  He  afterwards 
followed  this  line  of  business  in  association  with  his 
brother  Thomas  at  Janesville,  Wis.,  for  a  short 
time.  He  then  returned  to  the  East,  and  for  a  time 
engaged  in  farming,  but  later  secured  the  position  of 
fireman  on  the  steamboats  of  the  Stonington  line.  Be- 
ing a  young  man  of  wide  ambition,  he  also  ran  a 
stationary  engine  at  Stonington  and  afterwards  en- 
gaged in  railroading  on  the  Shore  Line  of  the  New 
York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad,  taking  the 
position  of  fireman.  He  continued  in  this  line  for 
a  number  of  years  and  was  given  a  position  as  engi- 
neer on  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad,  and  also 
worked  on  the  Illinois  Central  for  a  time.  From  this 
road  he  went  to  the  New  York  Central  and  during 
his  employment  with  this  concern,  made  his  home  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.  He  then  returned  to  the  Shore  Line  to 
experiment  on  a  patent  spark  arrester.  It  was  about 
1878  when  Mr.  Hoxsie  first  turned  his  attention  to  the 
business  of  trout  culture,  taking  up  this  unusual  line 
on  the  old  homestead,  and  he  soon  made  himself  a 
prominent  figure  in  the  fish  industry.  At  the  time  that 
Mr.  Hoxsie  began,  there  were  not  more  than  two  or 
three  plants  of  the  kind  in  the  country,  where  artificial 
propagation  of  fish  was  carried  on.  These  other  con- 
cerns had  met  with  little  success  in  their  business  but 
Mr.  Hoxsie  became  a  student  of  his  subject  and  was 
soon  recognized  as  an  authority  throughout  the  coun- 
try. His  skill  and  knowledge,  together  with  an  un- 
usual inventive  genius,  rapidly  brought  success  to  his 
enterprise  and  in  the  end  a  large  business  was  developed. 
He  engaged  in  numberless  experiments  in  the  matter  of 
artifically  propagating  trout  and  it  may  be  judged  how 
slowly  full  results  materialized  from  the  fact  that  a 
whole  year  must  elapse  before  the  success  or  failure 
of  any  experiment  had  been  demonstrated.  For  a  time 
the  average  number  of  fish  raised  was  only  about  five 
per  cent,  of  those  hatched,  and  at  this  rate  the  process 
was  unprofitable.  The  United  States  Government  had 
its  experts,  who  were  trying  to  eliminate  what  was 
known  as  the  dark  point  in  fish  culture,  and  had  sent 
men  to  study  European  methods,  but  without  being  able 
to  detect  the  trouble.  It  was  left  to  Mr.  Hoxsie  to  per- 
fect means  for  overcoming  this  great  difficulty,  and  in 
time  he  produced  conditions  so  favorable  to  the  growth 
and  development  of  the  fish,  that  the  reverse  of  the 
original  condition  existed  and  not  more  than  five  per 
cent,  of  the  fish  hatched  were  lost.  Mr.  Hoxsie  labored 
indefatigably  at  a  subject  which  he  had  grown  to  be 
intensely  interested  in,   and  the   result  of  his   labors 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


35 


was  his  best  reward.  In  the  year  1892  the  business  was 
incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Maine,  as  the  Amer- 
ican Fish  Culture  Company,  with  Mr.  Hoxsie  as  its 
first  superintendent.  He  continued  in  this  capacity  until 
1902,  when  the  enterprise  was  reorganized  and  enlarged, 
and  he  became  its  secretary,  a  position  that  he  held 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  October  9,  1904.  Mr.  Hox- 
sie enjoyed  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  those  who 
came  in  contact  with  him  and  who  recognized  in  his 
work  the  achievement  of  a  man  of  the  most  admirable 
persistency  and  determination,  and  of  one  who  was 
willing  to  give  up  his  ease  and  comfort  and  even  his 
security  to  carry  out  the  purpose  he  had  set  himself. 
His  integrity  was  unimpeachable,  and  with  all  his  pre- 
occupation in  his  subject,  he  never  forgot  or  trampled 
on  the  rights  or  interests  of  others.  Mr.  Hoxsie  was 
united  in  marriage  April  20,  1861,  at  Groton,  Conn., 
with  Mary  A.  Davis,  a  native  of  Westerly,  R.  I.,  where 
she  was  bom  May  23,  1842,  a  daughter  of  William  H. 
and  Mary  (Kenyon)  Davis.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hox- 
sie the  following  children  were  born :  Willie,  born 
June  3,  1863,  and  died  June  22,  1891  ;  Ida,  born  June 
4,  1866,  and  married  June  29,  1890,  William  P.  Nichols; 
Fred  Dean,  with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially 
concerned ;  Annette,  born  Nov.  14,  1873,  and  married 
July  25,  i<X)3,  Henry  M.  Drury,  of  Cranston,  R.  I. 

(VIII)  Fred  Dean  Hoxsie,  son  of  Charles  A.  and 
Mary  A.  (Davis)  Hoxsie,  was  born  October  10,  1871,  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  but  at  an  early  age  came  to  Rhode 
Island,  and  passed  his  childhood  at  the  home  of  his 
parents  in  Richmond  township.  As  a  child,  he  attended 
the  public  school  of  the  joint  district  of  Richmond  and 
Charlestown  and  here  gained  his  education.  His  father 
was  at  this  time  making  a  beginning  in  his  business  of 
fish  culture  and  the  lad  took  a  keen  interest  in  the  mat- 
ter, and  from  an  early  age  gained  a  knowledge  of  the 
subject  from  the  elder  man.  As  he  grew  older  he  took 
an  active  part  in  the  business  and  was  closely  identified 
with  the  building  up  and  development  of  the  .American 
Fish  Culture  Company.  Naturally  energetic  and  indus- 
trious, he  displayed  a  remarkable  precocity,  not  only  in 
matters  of  business,  but  in  the  scientific  aspect  of  the 
enterprise,  and  seemed  to  inherit  his  father's  talents, 
his  versatility  and  determination.  Indeed  the  growth 
of  the  business  was  due  to  his  efforts  in  a  degree  only 
second  to  that  of  his  father,  and  upon  the  death  of  the 
latter  he  took  over  the  general  management  of  the  con- 
cern and  is  now  conducting  it  with  the  highest  success. 
With  the  incorporation  of  the  company  in  1892  as  the 
American  Fish  Culture  Company,  he  was  elected  its 
first  secretary  and  treasurer,  a  position  that  he  con- 
tinued to  hold  until  1902.  when  the  business  was  reor- 
ganized and  he  was  elected  to  succeed  his  father  as 
superintendent.  This  post  is  still  occupied  by  Mr. 
Hoxsie  and  the  management  of  the  concern  is  tlnis 
practically  in  his  control.  In  October,  1904,  upon  the 
death  of  his  father,  he  also  became  secretary  and  held 
that  oflSce  until  the  election  of  his  successor  in  1905. 
In  the  latter  year  poultry  was  added  to  the  business 
and  the  company  to-day  requires  the  services  of  several 
men  to  operate  the  various  branches  of  the  work.  The 
service  rendered  by  Mr.  Hoxsie  to  the  concern  is 
scarcely  to  be  overestimated  and,  since  the  death  of  his 
father,  it  has  been  his  skill  and  scientific  knowledge  that 


have  kept  abreast  of  the  latest  advances  in  the  science 
of  the  subject  and  maintained  for  the  company  its 
reputation  as  the  foremost  concern  of  the  kind  in  the 
country.  He  has  given  the  closest  kind  of  study  to 
trout  culture  in  all  its  aspects  and  has  originated  many 
new  and  highly  important  modifications  in  the  care  and 
treatment  of  the  fish  which  have  universally  been  ac- 
cepted as  standards. 

The  constant  demands  upon  his  time  and  attention 
made  by  his  business  have  not  given  him  much  oppor- 
tunity to  take  part  in  local  affairs,  but  he  is  quite  un- 
ambitious in  the  matter  of  political  preferment,  con- 
tenting himself  with  performing  conscientiously  his 
duties  as  a  citizen  and  aiding  to  the  best  of  his  powers 
ever>-  movement  of  importance  undertaken  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  community's  welfare.  He  is  an  In- 
dependent in  politics,  giving  adherence  to  no  party,  but 
supporting  whatever  issue  or  candidate  he  believes  the 
best  for  the  town  or  county.  He  enjoys  a  well  deserved 
reputation  for  public  spirit  and  is  justly  regarded  as  one 
of  the  best  types  of  self-made  men.  He  is  a  man  of 
artistic  tastes  and  accomplishments,  especially  in  the 
realm  of  music,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Carolina  Cornet  Band,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was 
one  of  its  leading  members.  In  his  religious  belief  he 
is  a  Baptist  and  attends  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church 
at  Carolina. 

Fred  Dean  Hoxsie  was  united  in  marriage  on  Nov- 
ember 26,  1896,  at  Richmond,  with  Florence  Gertrude 
Goodhue,  a  native  of  Niantic,  where  she  was  bom 
October  28,  1878,  a  daughter  of  George  P.  and  Harriett 
M.  (Brown)  Goodhue,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents there.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoxsie  one  child  has 
been  lx)rn,  Hilda  Florence,  December  15,  1902. 


ERNEST  M.  SPENCER,  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
ous and  best  known  merchants  of  North  Scituate,  R.  I., 
where  for  many  years  he  has  successfully  operated  a 
store,  is  a  native  of  this  place,  his  birth  having  occurred 
here  July  2,  1875.  Mr.  Spencer  is  a  member  of  an  old 
and  distinguished  Rhode  Island  family,  which  was 
founded  in  this  country  in  the  early  Colonial  period, 
and  the  members  of  which  have  for  many  generations 
been  identified  with  various  parts  of  this  State. 

The  earliest  ancestor  of  whom  w'e  have  definite  record 
in  this  State  was  John  Spencer,  who  resided  first  at 
Newport  and  afterwards  made  his  home  at  East  Green- 
wich, R.  I.  We  find  him  recorded  as  of  that  place  as 
early  as  1661,  and  he  was  made  a  freeman  in  if)()8.  John 
Spencer  was  one  of  the  first  purchasers  of  the  lands 
comprising  East  Greenwich  in  1677,  and  was  town  clerk 
there  from  that  year  until  1683,  while  in  1678  he  was 
conservator  of  the  peace  and  deputy  in  1680.  He  mar- 
ried  Susannah  ,   and   they  were   the  parents   of 

nine  children,  all  born  between  1666  and  1683,  as  fol- 
lows :  John,  Michael,  Benjamin,  William,  Robert,  Ab- 
ner,  Thomas,  Susannah  and  Pcleg.  From  his  eight  sons 
are  descended  many  families  of  prominence  in  this  and 
other  parts  of  New  England. 

Ernest  M.  Spencer  is  the  great-grandson  of  William 
Spencer,  a  member  of  the  East  Greenwich  branch  of 
the  family,  where  his  ancestors  have  resided  for  sev- 
eral generations.  His  grandfather  was  Eben  Spencer, 
who  also  resided  in  that  town,  and  married  there  Mary 


36 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Shippey,  of  Warwick,  R.  I.  One  of  their  children  was 
Frank  Spencer,  the  father  of  the  Mr.  Spencer  of  this 
sketch,  who  was  a  farmer  and  carpenter  by  trade.  He 
purchased  a  farm  property  about  three  miles  from  North 
Scituate,  and  resided  there  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred January  3,  1916.  He  married  Frankie  Graves, 
of  Natick,  a  daughter  of  William  H.  Graves,  who  came 
from  that  place  to  North  Scituate,  where  he  purchased 
a  farm  and  made  his  home. 

The  elementary  education  of  Ernest  M.  Spencer  was 
gained  at  the  public  schools  of  his  native  region,  where 
he  remained  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  when  he  began  his  business  career  by  accepting  a 
clerical  position  in  the  establishment  of  Albert  H.  Leach, 
who  operated  a  general  store  at  North  Scituate.  Two 
years  later,  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  Mr.  Spencer 
formed  a  partnership  with  Henry  H.  Potter  and  pur- 
chased the  old  Leach  store,  which  they  operated  under 
the  name  of  Potter  &  Spencer  for  about  two  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  period  Mr.  Spencer  purchased  his 
partner's  interest,  and  with  the  exception  of  one  year 
has  been  the  sole  proprietor  of  the  establishment  ever 
since.  For  a  number  of  years  he  continued  to  operate 
it  as  a  general  store,  but  in  igio  specialized  in  the 
grocery  business  and  also  opened  a  market  here.  It  is 
in  these  lines  that  he  is  at  present  engaged,  and  his 
establishment  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  successful 
in  the  community.  He  has  always  been  the  active  head 
of  the  business  and  has  shown  himself  a  most  capable 
and  eflScient  manager,  having  developed  from  a  com- 
paratively small  beginning  his  present  important  enter- 
prise. He  now  does  a  very  prosperous  business,  and  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  citiEens  of  the 
community.  Mr,  Spencer  has  been  so  much  engaged 
with  the  development  of  his  large  business  that  he  has 
never  had  much  time  to  devote  to  politics,  although  al- 
ways public-spirited  and  keenly  interested  in  the  general 
welfare  of  the  community.  In  the  year  1900,  however, 
he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  North  Scituate.  where 
he  gave  so  efficient  an  administration  of  the  department 
that  he  has  been  retained  in  this  capacity  ever  since.  He 
is  one  of  a  large  family  of  children  born  to  his  parents, 
who  were  as  follows:  Irving  G.,  Ernest  M.,  William 
E.,  Walter  B.,  deceased;  Florence  E.  J.,  who  became  the 
wife  of  E.  A.  Hopkins ;  Marion  A.,  who  became  the 
wife  of  John  Anthony;  and  Lillian  D.,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Walter  Beckwith.  Mr.  Spencer  is  a  member 
of  the  Advent  Christian  Church,  which  he  joined  as  a 
boy,  and  is  very  active  in  the  work  of  his  parish  here. 

Ernest  M.  Spencer  was  united  in  marriage,  Septem- 
ber 11,  1895,  at  North  Scituate,  with  Jennie  I.  Lyman, 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Caroline  (Leach)  Lyman,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  this  place.  Mrs. 
Spencer  died  October  6,  1918.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer 
were  born  the  following  children:  i.  Robert  F..  grad- 
uate of  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College,  at  age  of 
seventeen ;  now  with  the  .American  Expeditionary  Force 
in  France.  2.  Lester  N.,  who  is  asscKiated  with  his 
father  in  the  running  of  the  latter's  establishment  at 
North  Scituate;  he  is  also  a  talented  violinist,  although 
eighteen  years  of  age.  3.  Carrie,  who  assists  her  father 
in  the  post-office  department  here.  4.  Ernest  M.,  Jr. 
5.  Mihon  K.     6.  Ruth  T.     7.  Edith  H.  E.    8.  Grace  E. 


JUDGE  AMBROSE  CHOQUET— Inheriting  one 
of  the  old  and  honorable  names  of  the  Rouen  district 
of  Normandy,  France,  Judge  Choquet  has  won  profes- 
sional honor  in  his  .\merican  home,  and  since  October, 
1899,  has  held  the  judicial  office,  judge  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  Eleventh  Judicial  District.  He  is  a  son  of 
Jean  Baptiste  and  Adeline  (Provost)  Choquet,  of 
\'erennes,  Canada,  and  a  descendant  of  Jean  B.  Cho- 
quet, who  with  his  brother,  Nicolas,  settled  at  Cape  St. 
Ignace,  Quebec,  Canada,  about  the  year  1662.  Jean 
Baptiste  and  Adeline  Choquet  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  Ambrose  being  the  third  son.  The  family 
occupation  in  Canada  was  agriculture,  but  in  choosing 
a  life  career  Ambrose  Choquet  selected  the  law,  and  for 
over  half  a  century  he  has  engaged  in  active  practice, 
his  professional  career  in  the  United  States  beginning 
in  1883,  and  in  Rhode  Island  in  1890.  He  has  advanced 
in  judicial  strength  and  wisdom  with  the  years,  and  is 
one  of  the  strong  men  of  an  honored  profession,  his 
successive  reelections  to  the  bench  testifying  to  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  by  the  Legislature.  In  a  like 
degree  he  has  gained  the  respect  of  his  brethren  of  the 
bench  and  bar,  their  unvarying  friendship  lightening  the 
burdens  of  a  life  now  nearing  its  eightieth  year. 

Ambrose  Choquet  was  born  at  Verennes,  Canada, 
September  26,  1840,  and  there  attended  the  parochial 
schools,  being  fitted  to  enter  college  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  years.  He  then  entered  St.  Lawrence  College, 
near  Montreal,  completing  his  course  and  making  his 
decision  between  the  three  professions  open  to  him, 
law,  medicine,  or  divinity.  His  choice  of  the  law  later 
aided  his  brother,  Francis  Xavier  Choquet,  to  decide 
upon  that  profession,  and  later  he  became  judge  of  the 
Court  of  Quarterly  Sessions  for  the  District  of  Mont- 
real, and  commissioner  of  extradition  for  Canada.  In 
September,  1862,  the  young  man,  Ambrose  Choquet, 
entered  the  office  of  Rover  Roy,  city  solicitor  of  Mont- 
real, and  studied  under  his  preceptorship  for  three 
years,  following  at  the  same  time  the  law  course  of 
McGill  University,  acquitting  himself  favorably,  and  in 
1865  receiving  from  McKill  his  degree,  B.  C.  L.,  at  grad- 
uation, his  thesis  on  insurance  law  receiving  honorable 
mention. 

Mr.  Choquet  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Lower  Can- 
ada, November  7,  1865,  and  located  for  practice  in  the 
city  of  Montreal,  and  there  continued  until  1882,  becom- 
ing well  established.  He  was  frequently  called  upon  to 
draft  important  bills  requiring  carefully  considered  legal 
phraseology,  many  measures  passed  by  the  Quebec 
Legislature  and  the  Canadian  Parliament  emannting 
from  his  pen.  In  1882  he  abandoned  his  Montreal  prac- 
tice and  prospects,  settling  in  the  city  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  Monroe  county 
bar,  and  in  association  with  Alfred  Ely,  of  the  Rochester 
bar,  practiced  for  three  years,  1882-85.  The  following 
three  years  were  spent  in  journalistic  work  in  editorial 
connection  with  newspapers  in  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  and 
Worcester,  Mass.,  the  law  being  temporarily  abandoned. 
In  1888,  with  Grover  Cleveland,  a  candidate  for  reelec- 
tion to  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States,  the  Wor- 
cester paper,  with  which  Mr.  Choquet  was  connected, 
decided  to  editorially  support  President  Cleveland 
against  Benjamin  Harrison.     This  was  exceedingly  dis- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Z7 


tasteful  to  Mr.  Choquet,  who  had  allied  himself  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  sooner  than  write  in  contra- 
diction to  his  private  opinions,  resigned  his  position,  a 
happy  circumstance,  which  returned  him  to  his  profes- 
sion. 

.After  resigning  his  newspaper  post,  he  applied  for 
admission  to  the  Massachusetts  bar,  and  in  November, 
1888,  was  admitted,  opening  a  law  office  in  Worcester, 
and  also  one  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  He  continued  in 
Worcester  until  November,  1890,  then  was  admitted  to 
the  Rhode  Island  bar  and  moved  to  Central  Falls,  which 
has  ever  since  been  his  home.  He  practiced  privately 
until  1893.  then  was  elected  judge  of  probate  of  the 
town  of  Lincoln,  in  which  town  Central  Falls  is  located. 
He  continued  judge  of  probate  for  the  town  until 
Central  Falls  became  a  chartered  city  in  1895,  then  was 
elected  to  the  same  office  by  the  City  Council,  continu- 
ing until  February.  1900.  On  February  0,  1899,  Judge 
Choquet  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  United  States 
Circuit  Court,  and  in  October,  1899,  was  appointed 
judge  of  the  District  Court,  of  the  Eleventh  Judicial 
District,  Governor  Elisha  Dyer  appointing  him  to  fill 
the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Judge  Frederick 
N.  Gofl.  The  January  session  of  the  General  .Assembly 
of  1900  confirmed  the  Governor's  appointment,  and  by 
successive  reiilections  he  has  continued  on  the  bench  of 
this  court  until  the  present,  1918,  a  just,  impartial, 
learned  judge.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local  and  State 
bar  associations,  holds  fraternal  relations  with  West- 
minster Lodge,  No.  27,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows; is  a  charter  member  of  Lafayette  Lodge,  Knights 
of  Pythias ;  and  interested  in  many  of  the  organizations 
of  his  city,  professional,  philanthropic  and  social. 

Judge  Choquet  married,  in  Montreal,  Canada.  May 
27,  1867,  Alexandria  LeNoir,  of  that  city.  Among  their 
children  were:  Joseph  P.,  connected  with  the  Provi- 
dence Printing  Company;  .Ambrose  H.,  deceased,  who 
was  with  the  Providence  "News,"  a  Democrat;  J.  B. 
Arthur,  with  the  Pawtucket  "Gazette  and  Chronicle;" 
all  practical  compositors  and  printers;  Alphonse  R.,  a 
commercial  traveler;  and  Mary  Louise,  who  resides  at 
home. 


ALLEN  A.  PRESBREY— The  manufacture  of 
wooden  bo.xcs  in  the  city  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  was  the 
business  of  Allen  A.  Presbrey,  as  early  as  1870.  He 
came  to  that  city  from  his  native  Taunton,  Mass.,  and 
the  business  he  then  founded  took  form  as  Presbrey  & 
Stone,  a  firm  name  that  prevailed  for  a  number  of  years. 
This  was  the  forerunner  of  the  present  corporation, 
.A.  .A.  Presbrey  Son  &  Co..  manufacturers  of  packing 
bo.xcs  and  general  woodwork,  of  which  company  .Allen 
A.  Presbrey  is  president;  his  son,  Walter  .A.  Presbrey, 
secretary ;  Howard  .A.  Presbrey.  another  son,  assistant 
secretary.  The  factory  and  planing  mill,  operated  by  the 
company,  have  long  stood  at  the  corner  of  Summer  and 
Meadow  streets.  Providence,  and  for  more  than  half  a 
century  has  been  in  the  Presbrey  name.  The  father  and 
founder  has  now  surrendered  the  heavier  burdens  of 
management,  while  the  additional  responsibilities  have 
been  on  the  shoulders  of  his  sons,  who  have  long  been 
his  business  associates. 

.Allen  A.  Presbrey  was  born  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  in 
1845,  was  there  educated,  and  spent  his  youth.     From 


Taunton  and  Fall  River,  he  came  to  Providence,  R.  I., 
and  as  a  member  of  the  firm,  Presbrey  &  Stone,  began 
the  manufacture  of  wooden  bo.xcs,  a  business  with  which 
he  has  ever  since  been  connected.  The  present  business 
is  operated  as  the  .\.  A.  Presbrey  Son  &  Co..  of  which 
.Allen  A.  Presbrey  is  the  president  and  treasurer. 

Mr.  Presbrey  lias  been  active  in  public  life,  serving 
his  city  as  a  member  of  Common  Council,  in  1897  and 
1898,  and  Commissioner  of  North  Burial  Ground.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  the  Meditator,  of  which 
he  was  treasurer  for  many  years,  and  in  his  political 
faith  he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Presbrey  married  Ellen  H.  Peckham.  They  are 
the  parents  of  two  sons:  i.  Walter  A.,  born  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  in  1867;  a  civil  engineer  by  profession, 
city  engineer  for  a  number  of  years,  but  has  since  been 
associated  with  his  father  in  business,  and  is  now  secre- 
tary of  .A.  A.  Presbrey  Son  &  Co.,  an  ex-councilman, 
and  now  a  police  commissioner  of  the  city  of  Provi- 
dence. He  married  Ada  Moore.  2.  Howard  A.,  born 
in  1876,  now  assistant  secretary  of  A.  A.  Presbrey,  Son 
&  Co.  The  Presbrey  family  home  is  at  No.  131  Broad- 
way. 


JULIUS  CLARK  GALLUP,  D.D.S.,  for  many  years 
one  of  the  leading  dentists  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  the 
surrounding  region,  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  distinguished  families  of  New  England, 
which  has  spread  to  all  parts  of  that  district  and  is  now 
widely  represented.  The  Gallup  family  had  its  origin 
in  Dorsetshire,  England,  where  the  early  ancestors  of 
Dr.  Gallup  resided  in  the  Parish  of  Mosterne. 

(I)  The  founder  of  most  of  the  branches  of  the 
family  in  this  country  was  one  John  Gallup,  a  son  of 
John  Gallup,  who  came  from  the  family  home  and  sailed 
on  the  ship  "Mary  and  John"  from  Plymouth,  Eng- 
land, March  20,  1630.  He  arrived  at  Nantasket,  now 
Hull,  on  the  thirtieth  of  May  following,  and  first  went 
to  Dorchester,  but  shortly  afterwards  made  his  home 
at  Boston,  to  which  place  he  was  followed  by  his  family 
in  1633.  He  was  admitted  to  the  first  church  of  Boston, 
January  6,  1634.  and  in  the  same  year  was  made  a 
freeman.  He  was  the  owner  of  Gallup's  Island,  where 
he  had  a  farm,  and  also  a  town  house  at  Boston.  He 
was  well-known  as  a  mariner,  and  after  the  settlement 
of  the  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut  colonies  his  ves- 
sels were  about  the  only  means  of  communication  be- 
tween them  and  the  original  Massachusetts  Bay  settle- 
ments. It  was  he  who  in  September,  1633,  succeeded  in 
piloting  the  ship  "Griffin"  of  three  hundred  tons, 
through  a  newly  found  channel,  having  on  board  a 
number  of  distinguished  citizens  of  New  England, 
including  the  Rev.  John  Cotton,  the  Rev.  John  Hooker, 
founder  of  Hartford,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Stone,  together 
with  some  two  hundred  other  passengers.  His  death 
occurred  January  II,  1650,  at  Boston.  John  Gallup 
married  Christobel  ,  who  died  at  Boston.  Sep- 
tember 27,  1655.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  John,  mentioned  below;  Joan,  Samuel, 
and  Nathaniel,  all  of  whom  were  born  in  England. 

(II)  Capt.  John  (2)  Gallup,  son  of  John  (i)  and 
Christobel  Gallup,  was  a  native  of  England,  and  came 
with  his  mother  to  .America  in  1633  to  join  his  father 
who  had   already  settled   here.     He  distinguished   him- 


38 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


self  as  a  gallant  warrior  in  the  Indian  wars,  and  par- 
ticularly in  the  Pequot  War,  where  he  bore  himself  with 
such  distinction  that  he  was  rewarded  by  the  General 
Court  of  Connecticut,  in  1651,  with  a  grant  of  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  at  New  London.  He  repre- 
sented that  town  in  the  General  Court  of  Connecticut 
in  1665  and  1667.  At  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  King 
Philip's  War,  although  he  was  then  over  sixty  years  of 
age,  he  took  command  of  the  warriors  from  the  friendly 
Indian  tribe  of  the  Mohegans,  and  joined  forces  with 
Captain  John  Mason  in  command  of  the  colonists. 
This  little  army  took  part  in  the  sanguinary  "Swamp 
Fight'  at  Narragansett,  December  19,  1675,  and  Cap- 
tain Gallup  was  one  of  those  who  fell  while  leading  his 
men  to  the  storming  of  the  fort.  His  death  was  felt 
as  a  great  blow  by  the  colonists.  Captain  Gallup  mar- 
ried, in  1644,  Hannah  Lake,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Margaret  Lake,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children :  Hannah,  born  at  Boston,  Sept.  14, 
1644,  married  June  18,  1672,  Stephen  Gifford,  of  Nor- 
wich, Conn. ;  Esther,  born  at  New  London,  Conn.,  March 
24,  1653,  and  became  the  wife  of  Henry  Hodges,  of 
Taunton,  Mass.;  Benadan,  mentioned  below;  William, 
born  in  1658;  Samuel;  Christobel,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Peter  Carey,  of  Groton ;  Elizabeth,  who  married 
Henry  Stevens,  of  Stonington;  Mary,  who  married 
John  Cole;  Margaret,  who  became  the  wife  of  Joseph 
Culver,  of  Groton. 

(III)  Benadan  Gallup,  son  of  Captain  John  (2)  and 
Hannah  (Lake)  Gallup,  was  born  at  Stonington,  in  the 
year  1655,  and  died  August  2,  1727.  He  made  his  home 
at  Stonington  during  Iiis  entire  life,  and  he  and  his  wife 
were  members  of  the  church  there.  He  married  Esther 
Prentice,  born  July  20,  1660,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Esther  Prentice,  of  New  London.  The  death  of  Mrs. 
Gallup  occurred  May  18,  1751.  They  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  children:  Hannah,  bom  in  1683; 
Esther,  bom  in  1685;  Mercy,  born  in  1689;  Benadan, 
mentioned  below ;  Joseph,  born  in  1695 ;  Margaret,  bom 
in  1698;  and  Lucy,  born  in  1701. 

(IV)  Lieutenant  Benadan  (2)  Gallup,  son  of  Ben- 
adan (i)  and  Esther  (Prentice)  Gallup,  was  born  at 
Groton,  Conn.,  in  the  year  1693,  and  died  September 
30.  '755-  He  married,  January  11,  1716,  Eunice  Cobb, 
whose  death  occurred  February  i,  1759,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children :  Benadan,  mentioned  below ;  Esther,  born 
Feb.  24,  1718;  Eunice  and  Lois  (twins),  born  March 
29,  1721;  William,  born  July  4,  1723;  Henry,  born  Oct. 
5,  1725;  Nathan,  born  in  the  year  1727;  Ebenezer; 
Thomas  P.,  baptized  July  28,  1734;  Hannah,  and  Sarah. 

(V)  Colonel  Benadan  (3)  Gallup,  son  of  Lieuten- 
ant Benadan  (2)  and  Eunice  (Cobb)  Gallup,  was  born 
October  26,  1716,  at  Groton,  Conn.  He  was  an  officer 
in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  distinguished  himself  in 
that  historic  struggle.  He  was  with  the  second  battal- 
ion of  Wadsworth's  militia  brigade  raised  in  June, 
1776,  and  was  at  the  Brooklyn  front,  battle  of  Long 
Island,  August  27,  1766;  in  the  retreat  to  New  York, 
August  27-30;  in  the  retreat  from  New  York  City, 
September  15,  and  with  the  main  army  at  White  Plains. 
His  death  occurred  at  Groton,  May  19,  1800.  Colonel 
Gallup  married,  August  11,  1740,  Hannah  Avery,  of 
Groton,  who  died  July  28,  1799.    They  were  the  parents 


of  the  following  children:  Benadan,  born  July  29, 
1741 ;  Isaac,  mentioned  below;  Hannah,  born  Nov.  4, 
1744;  Esther,  born  Dec.  9,  1746;  James,  born  May  i, 
1749;  Jesse,  born  Feb.  2,  1751;  John,  born  Jan,  13,  1753; 
Prudence,  born  Jan.  30,  1755;  Susan,  born  in  1756; 
Josiah,  born  in  1760;  and  Abigail,  born  in  1762. 

(VI)  Captain  Isaac  Gallup,  son  of  Colonel  Benadan 
(3)  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Gallup,  was  born  December 
22,  1742,  at  Groton,  and  died  at  Ledyard,  August  3, 
1814.  Like  his  father  he  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
War  and  attained  the  rank  of  captain.  He  married 
Anna  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Nehemiah  and  Abigail 
(Avery)  Smith,  born  December  8,  1765.  They  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  Anna,  born  Sept.  3, 
1787;  Isaac,  bom  Jan.  21,  1789;  Russell,  born  April  11, 
1791  ;  Sarah,  born  Nov.  9,  1792;  Jabesh,  bom  Aug.  23, 
1794;  ."^very,  born  April  6,  1796;  Elias,  born  April  14, 
1798;  Erastus,  born  July  31,  1800;  Shubael,  born  March 
6,  1802;  and  Elihu,  mentioned  below. 

(VII)  Elihu  Gallup,  youngest  child  of  Captain  Isaac 
and  Anna  (Smith)  Gallup,  and  father  of  Dr.  Julius  C. 
Gallup,  was  born  at  Ledyard,  Conn.,  Dec.  12,  1806.  He 
removed  to  Norwich,  Conn.,  where  he  continued  to 
reside  until  his  death,  which  occurred  August  25,  1858. 
He  married  Emily  Clark,  and  among  their  children  was 
Dr.  Julius  C.  Gallup,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned. 

(VIII)  Dr.  Julius  C.  Gallup,  son  of  Elihu  and  Emily 
(Clark)  Gallup,  was  born  January  19,  1840,  at  Norwich, 
Conn.,  and  spent  his  childhood  there.  It  was  there  that 
he  received  the  preparatory  portion  of  his  education, 
attending  for  that  purpose  the  local  public  schools,  and 
his  father  also  provided  him  with  private  tutors.  He 
was  a  very  precocious  child,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
went  to  Oberlin,  Ohio,  and  was  a  student  at  the  public 
schools  there.  Shortly  afterwards  he  returned  to  Nor- 
wich and  it  was  in  the  high  school  there  that  he  was 
prepared  for  college.  Dr.  Gallup  had  determined  upon 
dentistry  as  a  profession  at  an  early  age,  and  upon 
completing  his  studies  at  the  Norwich  High  School  he 
entered  the  office  of  Dr.  S.  L.  Geer,  of  that  place,  whom 
he  assisted,  and  thus  learned  the  practice  of  his  calling. 
It  was  in  1862,  the  days  of  his  apprenticeship  being 
over,  that  Dr.  Gallup  first  entered  the  practice  of  his 
profession  on  his  own  account,  and  the  scene  of  his 
first  venture  was  Mystic,  Conn.  Two  years  later  he 
removed  to  Bristol,  where  he  has  continued  ever  since, 
and  is  now  a  leading  member  of  his  profession  in  the 
community,  enjoying  the  confidence  of  the  entire  com- 
munity and  his  colleagues  in  particular.  Dr.  Gallup 
owes  the  high  place  that  he  occupies  to-day  entirely  to 
his  own  efforts.  He  is  undoubtedly  naturally  qualified 
for  success  in  his  chosen  calling  and  his  skill  and  dex- 
terity is  in  part  the  gift  of  inheritance,  but  in  far 
greater  measure  it  comes  from  his  own  constant  study 
and  indefatigable  practice  over  a  period  of  about  half 
a  century.  Dr.  Gallup  has  devoted  himself  to  his  pro- 
fessional tasks  and  duties  with  the  most  single-minded 
devotion,  and  although  keenly  interested  in  public 
affairs  and  issues,  and  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics, 
has  never  found  time  nor  opportunity  to  take  part  in 
local  affairs.  In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a  Congrega- 
tionalitt  and  has  for  many  years  attended  the  church  of 
that  denomination  at  Bristol. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


39 


Dr.  Gallup  was  united  in  marriage,  October  25.  1864, 
with  Mary  E.  Harvey,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  Mary  Esther,  born  Sept.  3, 
1866,  graduated  from  the  Boston  Dental  College.  June 
21,  1893,  and  became  the  wife  of  A.  W.  Harlan,  D.  D. 
S.,'  of  New  York;  Dr.  Jennie  H.,  born  Oct.  14,  1867, 
graduated  from  the  Boston  Dental  (now  Tufts)  Col- 
lege, with  the  degree  of  D.  D.  S.,  and  was  granted  the 
post-graduate  degree  of  D.  M.  D.,  in  IQ06,  and  is  now 
associated  with  her  father  in  his  practice  here;  Annie 
C,  born  Nov.  22,  1868,  and  became  the  wife  of  J.  F. 
Roach,  of  Dorchester,  Mass.;  Julius  Clark,  Jr.,  born 
March  5,  1871,  a  graduate  of  the  dental  department  of 
Tufts  College,  and  now  a  practicing  dentist;  Edward 
Clark,  born  Oct.  28.  1874.  a  graduate  of  Tufts  College, 
dental  department. 


EUGENE  PHILLIPS  PLATT— From  early  life 
Mr.  Piatt  has  been  in  occupations  which  have  brought 
him  before  the  public,  his  earliest  experiences  being  as 
a  page  in  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature  and  later  a 
page  in  the  National  Congress  at  Washington.  As 
founder  and  manager  of  the  Inlaid  Company,  of  Prov- 
idence, manufacturing  French  Ivory  Novelties,  he  has 
established  himself  firmly  in  the  business  world,  that 
corporation,  established  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,  being  a  prosperous  and  profitable  enter- 
prise. Eugene  P.  Piatt,  is  a  son  of  John  A.  and  Emma 
(Bowne)   Piatt,  of  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

John  A.  Piatt,  born  in  1839,  came  to  Providence  in 
m.mhood  and  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  becoming 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Corliss,  Metcalf  &  Piatt, 
Blanding  &  Blanding  now  occupj-ing  the  site  used  by  the 
first  named  firm.  Mr.  Piatt  withdrew  from  the  drug 
business  to  enter  the  jewelry  business  as  a  member  of 
Corliss,  Metcalf,  Piatt  &  Company,  later,  Walter  While 
&  Company,  then  Foster  &  Bailey.  John  A.  Piatt  died 
February  i,  1902;  his  wife  died  in  the  year  19OO.  aged 
fifty-nine.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children, 
five  sons  and  a  daughter  now  living;  F.  B.,  president  of 
the  Inlaid  Company,  of  Providence;  Charles  E.  B.,  a 
salesman  with  F.  W.  Foster  Brothers;  William  H., 
stock  manager  with  the  Foster  Brothers;  Eugene  P., 
of  further  mention  ;  Chester,  an  undertaker  with  J.  W. 
Carpenter  &  Sons ;  the  daughter  is  a  resident  of  South 
Atlanta,  Ga. 

Eugene  P.  Piatt  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  Sep- 
tember 4,  1869,  and  was  there  educated  in  the  public 
schools;  Murray's  .\cademy,  and  Bryant  &  Stratton's 
Business  College.  He  secured  appointment  as  page  in 
the  Rhode  Island  Legislature,  and  later  occupied  a 
similar  position  in  Newport,  R.  I.  He  began  business 
life  with  the  Connecticut  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, remaining  eighteen  months,  then  for  nine  months 
was  in  the  employ  of  Foster  &  Bailey,  silversmiths  and 
jewelers.  His  next  business  venture  was  undertaken  on 
his  own  account,  manufacturing  Albertype  pictures  with 
a  plant  on  High  street.  A  year  later  he  began  the 
manufacture  of  French  Ivory  Novelties  on  Eddy  street. 
Providence,  his  force  consisting  of  six  people.  He  re- 
mained on  Eddy  street  for  two  years,  then  moved  to 
Cyr  street,  where  fifty  hands  were  employed,  and  three 
years  later  moved  to  his  present  location.  No.  1058 
Broad   street.    Providence,   where   two   hundred    hands 


are  necessary  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  trade.  The 
president  of  the  company  is  F.  B.  Piatt,  a  brother  of 
Eugene  P.  Piatt,  who  is  treasurer  and  general  man- 
ager. The  products  of  the  Inlaid  Company,  incorpor- 
ated under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  with 
a  capital  of  $25,000,  are  sold  all  over  the  United  States 
by  travelling  salesmen  of  the  company,  and  agencies 
established  in  Australia,  New  Zealand  and  Spain.  The 
company  is  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  Rhcde  island  and 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Piatt  married,  in  Providence,  December  10,  1900, 
Maud  H.  Ricketts,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Nancy 
Ricketts. 


JOHN  PRESCOTT  FARNSWORTH— Capable, 
energetic  and  progressive,  Mr.  Farn.swortli  has  won  his 
way  through  all  the  intermediate  positions  to  the  ex- 
ecutive control  of  one  of  Rhode  Island's  oldest  busi- 
ness corporations,  the  Providence  Dyeing,  Bleaching  and 
Calendering  Company.  For  thirty-three  years  he  has 
been  connected  with  that  company,  beginning  as  agent, 
and  in  his  special  line  his  word  is  a  recognized  author- 
ity. Courteous  and  considerate,  upright  and  honorable. 
he  has  won  highest  personal  standing,  and  numbers  his 
warm  friends  both  within  and  without  his  business 
world. 

He  is  the  son  of  Claudius  Buchanan  Farnsworth, 
grandson  of  Luke  Farnsworth,  of  Groton.  Mass.,  and 
great-grandson  of  Major  Amos  Farnsworth,  a  brave 
officer  of  the  Revolution.  Major  Amos  Farnsworth  was 
a  son  of  Amos  Farnsworth,  a  man  of  striking  appear- 
ance, six  feet  and  four  inches  in  height,  who,  when 
lands  in  Canada  were  opened  for  settlement,  obtained 
grants  for  settlement  of  land  which  he  secured  and 
improved,  but  he  was  unable  to  hold  title,  and  in  1774 
returned  to  Groton.  Mass.  On  December  5,  1775,  he 
was  drowned  with  his  youngest  son,  Benjamin,  while 
attempting  to  cross  the  Nashua  river  in  a  small  boat. 
This  Amos  Farnsworth  was  a  son  of  Benjainin  Farns- 
worth, a  landowner  of  Groton,  and  a  grandson  of 
Matthias  Farnsworth,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  New 
England.  Matthias  Farnsworth  is  first  of  record  at 
Lynn.  Mass.,  in  1657,  but  later  moved  to  Groton,  Mass., 
where  he  died  January  21,  1689,  aged  about  seventy- 
seven.  Groton  was  long  the  family  seat,  but  Claudius 
Buchanan  Farnsworth.  of  the  sixth  generation,  aban- 
doned the  family  acres,  and  after  embracing  the  law 
located  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  there  his  son,  John 
Prescott  Farnsworth,  of  Providence,  was  born. 

Claudius  Buchanan  Farnsworth  was  born  January  8, 
181 5,  and  died  May  19,  1897.  He  was  a  grailuate  of 
Harvard  University,  A.  B.,  1841,  and  prepared  for  the 
practice  of  law  at  Harvard  Law  School  and  under  the 
preceptorship  of  Timothy  G.  Coffin,  a  member  of  the 
Bristol  county  bar,  located  at  New  Bedford.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  same  bar  in  1844,  at  Taunton,  but  at 
once  located  at  Pawtucket,  then  in  Massachusetts,  but 
since  1862,  a  city  of  Rhode  Island.  He  practiced  his 
profession  there  until  1859,  then  was  chosen  treasurer 
of  the  Dunnell  Manufacturing  Company,  a  post  he 
filled  until  1881,  then  resigned  and  resumed  the  practice 
of  law.  His  second  son,  Claude  J,,  later  became  his 
father's  law  partner,  and  as  Farnsworth  &  Farnsworth 
they   conducted   a   large   and   lucrative   law   practice    in 


40 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Pawtucket  until  the  death  of  the  senior  partner  in  1897. 
In  addition  to  his  law  work,  Claudius  B.  Farnsworth 
prepared  and  published  in  i8qi  a  "Monograph  of  Mat- 
thias Farnsworth  and  His  Descendants,"  which  later 
formed  a  basis  for  a  more  pretentious  work  by  another. 

Claudius  B.  Farnsworth  married.  February  27,  1851, 
Marianna  Mclntire,  who  died  in  Pawtucket.  August  10, 
1904,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Ann  (Mayberry)  Mc- 
lntire. They  were  the  parents  of  two  sons  and  a 
daughter :  John  Prescott,  of  further  mention ;  Claude 
J.,  born  Dec.  15,  1862.  his  father's  law  partner  and 
successor;  Abby  Mclntire,  born  Nov.   11,  1864. 

John  Prescott  Farnsworth.  of  the  seventh  .American 
generation  of  his  family,  was  bom  at  Pawtucket.  R.  I., 
February  19,  1S60.  He  attended  public  schools  of  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  also  a  private  school  taught  by  Rev. 
Charles  H.  Wheeler  under  whom  he  completed  college 
preparation.  In  1877  he  entered  Harvard  University, 
whence  he  was  graduated  A.  B.,  class  of  1881.  With 
this  fine  mental  equipment  he  entered  business  life  as 
a  clerk,  and  from  that  entrance  has  gone  steadily  up- 
ward to  his  present  post.  He  began  with  the  Lonsdale 
Company,  manufacturers  of  cotton  goods  at  Lonsdale, 
R.  I.,  where  he  remained  as  clerk  until  January,  1885, 
when  he  was  sent  to  Great  Falls,  N.  H.,  to  superintend 
the  construction  of  the  bleacheries  being  erected  by 
the  Great  Falls  Manufacturing  Company,  continuing 
there  until  their  completion  the  following  July.  He 
then  returned  to  Rhode  Island,  locating  at  Providence 
in  July,  1885,  then  and  there  beginning  his  long  and  im- 
portant connection  with  the  Providence  Dyeing,  Bleach- 
ing and  Calendering  Company.  His  first  position  was 
as  agent  of  the  company,  an  office  to  which  that  of 
treasurer  was  added  in  1889.  He  continued  as  agent 
and  treasurer  until  1903,  when  he  was  elected  president 
of  the  old  and  substantial  corporation,  one  which  his 
genius  for  financial  and  executive  management  has  so 
wonderfully  developed  and  enlarged.  He  has  confined 
himself  largely  to  his  own  special  field  of  business 
effort  and  has  few  outside  interests.  In  politics  a 
Repul)lican,  he  has  served  his  city  as  councilman  from 
the  Ninth  Ward;  and  in  religious  faith  an  Episcopalian, 
serving  St.  James  parish,  Providence,  as  vestryman  and 
clerk.  He  is  a  master  Mason,  and  past  master  of 
Orpheus  Lodge,  No.  36,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
a  companion  of  Providence  Chapter,  No.  i,  Royal  Arch 
Masons ;  and  a  sir  knight  of  Calvary  Commandery,  No. 
13,  Knights  Templar;  all  Providence  Masonic  bodies. 
His  clubs  are  the  Hope.  Squantum,  Turk's  Head,  and 
University,  of  Providence,  and  the  .Arkwright  and 
Harvard,  of  New  York  City. 

Mr.  Farnsworth  married  Margaret  Cochran  Bar- 
boni,  November  25,  1885.  Children:  John  P.,  Jr..  born 
Feb.  8,  1888;  William  B.,  Sept.  7,  i8gi ;  Claudius  R., 
March  25,  1895. 


WHARTON  WHITAKER— As  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  William  H.  Haskell  Company 
of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  manufacturers  of  bolts  and  nuts, 
Mr.  Whitaker  has  compiled  a  record  of  efficiency  in 
management  which  can  only  be  expressed  in  figures  as 
an  increase  in  business  one  thousand  per  cent,  greater 
than  when  he  became  general  manager  in  1915.  The 
business  of  William  H.  Haskell  Company  was  started 


in  184s  by  William  H.  Haskell,  upon  an  old  machine 
shop  business  established  early  in  the  nineteentli  cen- 
tury by  Colonel  Stephen  Jenks.  William  H.  Haskell, 
the  founder,  was  born  in  Cumberland,  R.  I..  Septem- 
ber I,  1821,  and  there  began  learning  the  machinist's 
trade.  He  labored  in  Cumberland  and  other  places 
until  1845,  became  an  expert  in  his  line,  and  in  1845 
established  in  Pawtucket  in  the  old  Colonel  Stephen 
Jenks'  machine  shop  on  Mill  street  with  Nathaniel  S. 
Collyer  as  partner.  There  they  built  up  a  good  busi- 
ness, employing  from  twenty  to  thirty  men  in  their 
little  plant.  The  partners  remained  in  business  four 
years  as  machinists,  then  in  1850,  William  Haskell  in 
company  with  Curtiss  Collyer  and  Lewis  T.  Haskell 
bought  an  interest  in  the  bolt  and  screw  manufacturing 
plant  owned  by  Pinkham  &  Jenks,  the  business  ort;aniz- 
ing  as  Pinkham,  Haskell  &  Company.  In  1857  William 
Haskell  bought  out  his  partners,  and  until  1861  was 
sole  owner  and  manager.  In  1861  Robert  Sherman  was 
admitted  as  a  special  partner,  but  seven  years  later  Mr. 
Haskell  bought  his  interest  and  continued  sole  owner 
until  the  incorporation  of  the  business.  The  business 
grew  rapidly  under  Mr.  Haskell's  management  and  ex- 
pansion rapidly  followed.  In  1861  the  large  plant  on 
Main  street  was  placed  in  operation,  its  size  100  x  40 
feet,  two  stories  in  height,  then  being  considered  enor- 
mous. A  few  years  later,  however,  an  addition  350  x 
50  feet  was  necessary,  and  one  hundred  fifty  men  were 
employed.  Bolts,  nuts,  washers  and  coach  screws  are 
the  special  articles  of  manufacture,  and  the  business  has 
been  a  uniformly  successful  one. 

Wharton  Whitaker,  the  present  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  William  H.  Haskell  Manufac- 
turing Company,  was  born  in  Waverly,  Md.,  September 
21,  1S80,  son  of  Alexander  M.  and  Emma  L.  (.\mes- 
bury)  Whitaker.  Alexander  M.  Whitaker  was  engaged 
as  a  flour  commission  merchant  in  Waverly,  but  in 
1885  came  to  Rhode  Island,  forming  a  partnership  with 
C.  Earl,  and  starting  business  as  the  Briggs  Printing 
Company  of  Providence,  Thomas  Lawson  the  first 
manager  of  the  shop.  Wharton  Whitaker  was  educated 
in  the  Providence  public  schools,  and  in  1898  enlisted 
in  Battery  B,  Rhode  Island  Volunteer  .Artillery,  for 
service  in  the  war  with  Spain,  but  saw  only  camp  duty. 
After  returning  to  Providence  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Fourth  National  Bank  as  collection  clerk  and 
outside  man,  a  position  he  held  four  and  one-half  years. 
He  then  became  assistant  teller  with  the  Rhode  Island 
Trust  Company,  continuing  three  and  one-half  years, 
resigning  to  become  salesman  for  the  Rhode  Island 
Tool  Company.  A  few  years  later  he  was  promoted  to 
the  position  of  sales  agent,  a  post  he  ably  filled  for  five 
years.  In  1914  Mr.  Whitaker  was  elected  vice-president 
of  the  William  H.  Haskell  Manufacturing  Company, 
manufacturers  of  bolts  and  nuts.  He  held  that  oflSce 
until  January  I,  191.^,  then  was  made  general  manager 
of  the  business  in  addition  to  his  former  duties.  Dur- 
ing the  three  years  which  have  since  intervened  the 
increase  of  business  has  been  wonderfully  large,  exten- 
sive additions  have  been  necessary  to  care  for  it.  and 
in  all,  the  record  is  one  most  remarkable.  Mr.  Whit- 
aker is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  of  his  city, 
and  is  rated  one  of  the  energetic,  progressive,  success- 
ful men  of  his  business. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


41 


He  married  Ltia  Otis,  daughter  of  Orrin  M.  and 
Alice  (Neal)  Otis,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  They  are  the 
parents  of  three  sons  and  a  daughter:  Wharton  Otis, 
Dorothv,  Robert  A.  and  Edward  A. 


CHARLES  EDWARD  SCOTT,  M.  D.— Among 
the  prominent  physicians  of  Warren,  R.  I.,  Dr.  Charles 
Edward  Scott  is  a  distinguished  figure,  having  estab- 
lished here  a  large  and  high  class  practice,  with  offices 
on  Childs  street.  Dr.  Scott  is  a  native  of  North  Brook- 
field,  Mass.,  where  he  was  born  May  14,  1872.  He  is  a 
son  of  Alexis  and  Malvina  (Langevin)  Scott,  who  for 
many  years  were  residents  of  the  province  of  Quebec, 
in  Canada.  Ale-xis  Scott  was  himself  a  native  of  the 
town  of  Chambly,  in  that  province,  where  he  was  born 
in  1842.  He  afterwards  removed  to  Marlborough, 
Mass.,  where  his  death  finally  occurred  in  April,  1914. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  bakery  business  in 
Marlborough,  and  retired  about  eight  years  before  his 
death.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  became 
prominent  in  town  affairs,  holding  the  position  of  over- 
seer of  the  poor  for  many  years.  His  v.ife,  who  was 
Miss  Malvina  Langevin,  was  born  at  St.  Ourso,  in  the 
province  of  Quebec,  and  still  resides  at  Marlborough, 
Mass.,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Scott,  Sr.,  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  four  of 
whom  died  in  infancy,  the  remainder  being  as  follows: 
Emelain,  who  died  in  1915;  Alvares,  who  makes  his 
home  at  Haverhill,  Mass. ;  Phileas,  who  resides  at 
North  Brighton,  Conn. ;  Charles  Edward,  with  whom 
we  are  here  especially  concerned ;  Mary  Jane,  who  re- 
sides with  her  mother  at  Marlborough,  Mass ;  and 
Cyril,  of  Holyoke,  Mass. 

Dr.  Charles  E.  Scott  was  born  during  the  short 
residence  of  his  parents  at  Brookfield,  Mass.,  and  while 
still  an  infant  was  taken  by  them  to  Marlborough,  in 
that  State  where  the  elementary  portion  of  his  education 
was  received  at  the  local  public  schools.  He  attended 
the  grammar  grades  and  the  high  school  there,  being 
prepared  at  the  latter  for  college.  He  then  became  a 
pupil  at  St.  Mary's  College,  Mao'sville,  province  of  Que- 
bec, Canada,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1806,  receiving  his  bachelor's  degree.  In  the  mean- 
time the  young  man  had  determined  to  adopt  the  pro- 
fession of  medicine  for  his  career  in  life,  and  with  this 
end  in  view,  entered  the  medical  school  connected  with 
Laval  University,  Quebec.  Here  he  continued  his 
excellent  reputation  as  a  student  and  was  graduated  in 
the  year  1900  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
On  March  14,  1901,  within  a  year  of  his  graduation,  he 
came  to  Warren,  R.  L,  and  since  that  time  has  been  in 
successful  practice  here,  having  established  for  himself 
a  reputation  as  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  this 
region,  and  gaining  the  confidence  both  of  his  pro- 
fessional colleagues,  and  of  the  community  at  large. 

Dr.  Scott  is  almost  as  equally  well  known  in  the  com- 
munity in  connection  with  his  active  participation  in 
public  affairs,  as  he  is  as  a  physician,  and  indeed  his 
reputation  has  extended  even  to  wider  limits.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  like  his  father  before  him,  and 
has  become  one  of  the  leading  figures  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  that  party  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and  he  has 
held  many  public  offices.  In  the  years  1908  and  1909 
he  represented  Warren  in  the  State  Senate,  and  estab- 


lished for  himself  an  enviable  record  as  a  very  intelli- 
gent and  progressive  legislator,  and  at  the  same  time  a 
disinterested  public  servant.  For  five  years  he  has 
served  as  a  member  of  the  Republican  town  committee, 
and  has  just  been  elected  a  representative  on  the  State 
convention  of  his  party  (1918).  He  also  held  the  post 
of  health  officer  here  for  i\\e  years,  besides  many  other 
professional  posts  in  connection  with  the  local  govern- 
ment. He  is  at  the  present  time  medical  examiner  of 
the  John  Hancock  Life  Insurance  Company  and  has 
served  as  surgeon  on  the  artillery  company  at  Warren 
for  nine  years.  In  1910  Dr.  Scott  opened  a  drug  store 
in  this  place,  and  is  at  the  present  time  doing  a  large 
and  growing  business  in  this  line.  Dr.  Scott  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Franco-.\mcrican  Medical  .Association,  the 
Royal  Order  of  Moose,  the  Calumet  Club  of  Fall  River, 
the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  and  a  number  of 
F'rench  societies.  In  his  religious  faith  Dr.  Scott  is  a 
Roman  Catholic  and  attends  the  French  church  of  this 
denomination  at  Warren.  He  is  a  man  of  strong 
religious  convictions,  and  is  active  in  the  support  of 
the  work  of  his  parish. 

Dr.  Scott  married  January  ig,  1905,  at  Chambly  Basin, 
Eugenie  Scott,  a  native  of  that  place  and  a  daughter 
of  Amelien  and  Doniithid  (Lambert)  Scott,  old  and 
highly  respected  rosi<!ents  of  that  region  in  Canada. 
Her  father  was  for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in 
business  as  a  blacksmith  at  Chambly  Basin,  and  after- 
wards became  superintendent  of  construction  on  the 
Richeleau  Canal.  He  was  a  member  of  the  town  coun- 
cil at  Chambly  Basin  for  thirty-five  years,  was  a  Lib- 
eral in  politics,  and  was  well  known  among  his  fellow 
citizens  as  an  honest  and  intelligent  man.  His  death 
occurred  in  August,  i(X>3.  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 
Mrs.  Scott's  mother  was  born  at  Chambly  Basin,  and 
died  there  .'\ugust  26,  1906,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six 
years.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  two  children  have  been 
born,  as  follows:  Charles  Emile,  born  F"eb.  3,  1905,  and 
Anita  Lillian,  born  July  15,  1907,  and  died  Aug.  19,  1917. 


LOUIS  WARD  DUNN— Since  1916  a  justice  of 
the  Eighth  Rhode  Island  District  Court,  and  an  ex- 
judge  of  the  Probate  Court  of  Johnston,  Judge  Dunn 
has  gone  far  in  his  profession  during  the  ten  years  of 
his  practice  at  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  This  endorse- 
ment of  his  ability  and  fitness  for  responsibility  is  most 
gratifying  to  the  young  man,  and  in  return  he  gives  of 
his  best.  In  addition  to  his  professional  duties,  he  has, 
since  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  between  the  United 
States  and  Germany,  served  as  a  volunteer  on  many 
Federal  and  State  boards  and  commissions  to  aid  in  the 
bringing  of  victory  to  .•\mcrican  and  Allied  arms.  He 
is  a  son  of  John  Francis  and  Mary  (O'Donnell)  Dunn, 
his  parents  residing  in  Johnston,  R.  I.,  his  father  retired. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunn  are  the  parents  of  three  other  sons 
and  a  daughter:  Robert  D.,  now  of  Washington,  D. 
C. ;  John  Francis  (2),  of  Greenville,  general  agent  of 
the  Namquit  Worsted  Company ;  Reuben  S.,  of  Green- 
ville, superintendent  of  the  Namquit  Worsted  Com- 
pany ;  and  May,  married  James  E.  Dooley,  of  Johnston. 

Louis  Ward  Dunn  was  born  in  Philadelphia.  Pa., 
March  25,  1889.  In  1895  the  family  moved  to  Rhode 
Island,  locating  in  North  Providence,  and  later  in 
Johnston.     He   was   educated   in   the  public   schools  of 


42 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Johnston  and  Providence.  After  leaving  high  school 
he  entered  X'alparaiso  University,  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  com- 
pleting the  courses  of  law  department,  receiving  his 
degree  LL.  B.,  at  graduation,  class  of  1908.  The  two 
following  years  were  devoted  to  gaining  law  office  ex- 
perience with  the  firm  of  Vincent,  Boss  and  Barnetield, 
and  in  1910  he  applied  for  and  gained  admission  to  the 
Rhode  Island  bar.  He  began  practice  in  Providence, 
and  has  since  been  very  successful,  his  hold  upon  public 
confidence  and  esteem  becoming  stronger  the  better 
he  is  known.  He  was  elected  judge  of  the  Probate 
Court  in  191 1  and  1912,  having  served  as  coroner  in 
1910,  and  in  1915  was  elected  to  represent  the  town  of 
Johnston  in  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island. 
There  he  served  on  house  committees,  rules,  education, 
and  on  the  joint  committees,  accounts  and  claims  In 
1916  he  was  elected  to  his  present  office,  judge  of  the 
Eighth  District  Court. 

Judge  Dunn  is  a  member  of  St.  Thomas  Roman 
Catholic  Church;  is  the  advocate  of  Providence  Coun- 
cil, Knights  of  Columbus;  member  of  St.  Thomas 
Catholic  Club;  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks  of  Providence,  and  of  other  social  organizations, 
and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.  He  is  one  of  the  young 
men  of  the  Rhode  Island  bar  for  whom  the  future 
seems  bright  with  promise,  and  he  carries  with  him  the 
best  wishes  of  many  friends. 


ADIN  WALTER  TAFT,  D.  D.  S.— This  branch  of 
the  Taft  family  springs  from  Robert  Taft,  of  Mendon, 
Mass.,  whose  farm  later  was  part  of  the  town  of  Ux- 
bridge,  and  who  settled  at  Burrillville,  R.  I.,  where  Dr. 
Adin  W.  Taft  was  born.  The  Taft  families  of  Amer- 
ica descend  from  Robert  Taft  and  a  relative,  Mathew 
Taft,  who  settled  later  near  Robert's  home  in  Mendon. 
They  were  both  of  Irish  birth,  Protestant  in  religion. 
The  name  does  not  appear  in  Scotland,  and  only  in 
England  apparently  among  the  descendants  of  the  Irish 
family.  For  some  centuries  the  name  was  spelled 
Taaffe,  the  families  of  Tifft  and  Tafft  in  England 
possibly  coming  from  the  same  stock,  there  still  being  a 
contention  as  to  whether  the  family  is  English  or  Irish. 
The  family  is  associated  with  the  Scotch-Irish,  just 
as  many  English  families  were,  so  nothing  can  be  proved 
from  that  fact.  Sir  Robert  Taaffe  or  Taft,  a  Protestant 
Knight,  was  among  the  grantees  at  the  time  of  the 
Scotch  emigration  and  settlement  in  the  Province  of 
Ulster,  Ireland,  by  order  of  King  James.  In  1610  he 
received  a  grant  of  one  thousand  acres  of  land  in  the 
parish  of  Castle  Rahen  in  County  Cavan.  On  this 
Taft  land  there  was  "an  old  castle  newly  mended,  and 
all  the  land  was  inhabited  by  Irish."  This  seems  to  be 
the  family  with  whom  Robert  and  Mathew  Taft  were 
connected.  County  Louth,  the  Irish  home  of  the  Tafts, 
is  on  the  northern  coast  bounded  by  Armagh  and  Ulster, 
on  the  east  by  the  English  Channel,  and  on  the  south 
by  the  Boyne. 

Robert  Taft,  the  American  ancestor,  was  bom  in 
Ireland,  about  1640,  and  died  in  Mendon,  Mass.,  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1725.  He  and  his  sons  built  the  first  bridge 
across  the  river  Mendon,  and  he  was  one  of  the  pur- 
chasers of  the  tract  from  which  the  town  of  Sutton 
was  founded.  By  his  wife  Sarah  he  had  five  sons,  all  of 
whom  married  and  had  large  families.     The  family  is 


large  and  influential,  one  of  the  famed  men  of  the  race 
being  William  H.  Taft,  president  of  the  United  States, 
1908-12. 

.•\din  Walter  Taft  was  born  in  Burrillville,  R.  I., 
March  20,  1871,  son  of  Bazaleel  Paine  and  Ellen 
(Payne)  Taft,  his  father  deceased,  his  mother  now 
residing  in  Providence.  Adin  W.  Taft  attended  the 
grammar  and  high  schools,  but  did  not  graduate  from 
high  school,  circumstances  compelling  him  to  leave 
school  and  obtain  employment.  For  ten  years  he  was  a 
bookkeeper,  but  that  was  temporary,  his  ambition  being 
to  become  a  professional  man.  He  considered  his  re- 
sources, and  when  he  felt  that  he  had  saved  enough 
he  entered  the  dental  department  of  the  University  of 
Maryland,  at  Baltimore,  and  in  1901  was  graduated  D. 
D.  S.  In  1902  he  began  practice  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
and  so  continues  well  established  in  public  regard  and 
prosperous,  his  office  at  No.  334  Westminster  street.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  professional  societies,  the  Congre- 
gational church,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  and  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  an  Independent. 

Dr.  Taft  married  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  .\pril  6,  1894, 
Emma  F.  Haines,  they  the  parents  of  a  son  Earl,  bom 
March  20,  1895,  who  enlisted  in  the  United  States 
Navy,  and  served  his  country  in  her  period  of  trial 
and  stress.  They  also  have  two  daughters :  Ellen  M. 
and  Muriel  M. 


ALBERT  HARRIS  WHITMAN,  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  a  retired  business  man,  and  the  owner  of  valuable 
properties  in  this  city,  is  a  native  of  Scituate,  R.  I., 
born  October  18,  1848.  He  is  a  son  of  Harris  O.  and 
Louisa  (YoungJ  Whitman,  and  a  member  of  a  very 
old  Rhode  Island  family,  which  has  lived  in  this  region 
for  a  number  of  generations,  his  grandfather.  Garner 
Whitman,  having  been  born  in  the  town  of  Scituate. 
Mr.  Whitman's  parents  removed  to  Connecticut,  when 
he  was  a  lad  of  six  years  of  age  and  remained  there 
until  he  was  fifteen,  during  which  time  he  attended  the 
local  public  schools  and  worked  during  his  vacations 
assisting  his  father.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he 
went  to  Washington,  R.  I.,  where  he  attended  the  schools 
during  two  terms  and  then  gave  up  his  studies  to  en- 
gage in  business.  His  first  position  was  a  humble  one, 
that  of  driving  a  meat  wagon  for  his  father,  and  at 
the  same  time  he  also  learned  the  butcher's  trade.  Not 
long  afterwards  he  secured  a  position  with  S.  T.  Ald- 
ridge  &  Company  in  their  butcher's  establishment  at 
Slatersville.  He  remained  with  this  concern  for  a 
period  of  eight  years  and  during  that  time  displayed  an 
unusual  industry  and  thrift  for  a  young  man  of  his 
years.  He  carefully  saved  a  large  proportion  of  his 
earnings,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  found  himself  in 
a  position  to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  account. 
His  first  business  venture  was  in  the  shoe  business  in 
Olneyville  square,  occupying  a  building  now  a  part  of 
the  J.  O.  San  Souci  Company.  He  remained  here 
about  one  year  and  then  sold  out  and  returned  to 
Slaterville,  where  he  purchased  the  old  established  busi- 
ness of  Day  &  Armstrong,  livery,  expressing  and  stag- 
ing. Mr.  Whitman  continued  these  lines  and  operated 
the  stages  between  Pascoag,  Millville  and  Woonsocket, 
and  the  carrying  the  mails  prior  to  the  building  of  the 


^a^^^c^.^j^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


43 


railroad.  For  over  twenty  years  he  represented  the 
various  express  companies  in  Slaterville.  Later  he 
added  implements  and  carriages  to  his  business,  and 
also  engaged  in  undertaking,  teaming  and  coal  business. 
He  continued  in  active  business  until  1903,  when  he 
sold  his  business  enterprises  and  removed  to  Paw- 
tucket  to  devote  his  time  to  his  real  estate  interests. 
He  is  a  self-made  man  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word, 
having  raised  himself  by  his  own  efforts  from  a  position 
of  the  most  humble  kind  to  his  present  important  place 
in  the  community.  He  never  inherited  any  money,  but 
with  the  aid  of  his  wife  is  now  the  owner  of  many 
tenements  and  stores  in  the  city  of  Pawtuckct.  Mr. 
Whitman  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics,  having 
voted  this  ticket  ever  since  he  cast  his  first  ballot,  which 
he  did  in  support  of  the  Democratic  party.  A  number 
of  years  ago  he  held  the  position  of  road  surveyor  in 
the  township  of  N'orth  Smithfield,  and  built  the  first 
stretch  of  macadam  road  in  North  Smithfield.  He  has 
never  had  an  ambition  for  political  office,  although  often 
urged  to  become  his  party's  nominee  on  account  of  his 
prominence  and  popularity.  He  has,  however,  con- 
sistently refused,  but  has  nevertheless  always  taken 
time  to  discharge  adequately  his  duties  as  a  citizen.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  the  United  Work- 
men and  the  Degree  of  Honor. 

.\lbert  Harris  Whitman  was  united  in  marriage.  May 
4,  1884,  with  Ida  E.  Durrans,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Partington)  Durrans,  old  and  highly  re- 
spected residents  of  North  Smithfield.  Mr.-;.  Whit- 
man was  born  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  and  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  North  Stnithfield.  She  finished  her 
education  in  Rhode  Island  State  Normal  School,  and 
taught  school  in  the  State  until  her  marriage  in  1884, 
when  she  became  active  in  the  development  of  Mr. 
WTiitman's  real  estate  interests.  Mrs.  Whitman  was  a 
charter  member  of  the  first  lodge  of  "Degree  of  Honor" 
in  Rhode  Island,  organized  at  Slatcrsville,  and  passed 
through  all  the  local  chairs  and  Grand  Lodge,  and  is  at 
present  grand  receiver  of  the  Grand  Lodge  in  the 
New  England  States,  having  served  in  that  capacity  for 
the  past  eighteen  years.  They  are  the  parents  of  one 
child,  Bertha  Louisa  Hall,  who  became  the  wife  of 
George  Hall,  whose  death  occurred  in  .'\pril,  igiS.  She 
is  the  mother  of  two  children :  Ida  E.  Hall  and  Georgia 
Louisa  Hall.  Mr.  Hall  was  prominent  in  the  jewelry 
business  at  Pawtucket,  being  an  expert  jewelry  tool 
maker. 


WALTER  LOUIS  FROST— Now  an  attorney-at- 

law,  and  master  in  chancery,  practicing  his  profession 
in  the  city  of  his  birth,  Mr.  Frost  is  the  second  cf  his 
family  identified  with  the  professional  and  business 
life  of  Providence,  his  father  being  a  successful  pub- 
lisher in  that  city.  Walter  Louis  Frost  was  born  in 
Providence,  R.  I.,  November  18,  1877,  son  of  Walter 
Bliss  and  Alice  .Almira  (Barber)  Frost,  they  natives  of 
Rehoboth.  Mass.,  and  Windsor,  Conn.,  and  descendants 
of  early  New  England  families. 

Walter  L.  Frost  began  his  education  in  the  primary 
grade  and  passed  through  the  graded  and  high  schools, 
completing  the  courses  with  graduation,  in  1897.  From 
high  school  he  passed  to  Brown  University,  and  after 
a  four  years'  course  there  was  graduated  A.  B.,  class  of 


1901.  Deciding  upon  the  profession  of  law  as  his  life 
work,  he  entered  Harvard  Law  School,  whence  he  was 
graduated  LL.  B.,  in  1904,  and  on  October  31  of  that 
year  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  Previous 
to  his  admission  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar,  he  had  studied 
in  the  law  office  of  W.  B.  Tanner,  and  there  he  con- 
tinued until  1905,  when  he  opened  his  present  law  office 
at  No.  42  Weybosset  street.  Through  well-directed 
energy  and  effort,  he  has  built  up  a  general  practice,  is 
a  Standing  Master  in  Chancery  of  the  Superior  Court, 
and  since  1913  be  has  been  clerk  of  the  Senate  Judiciary 
Committee,  having  previously,  in  1013,  been  ckrk  of 
the  Senate  Committee  on  Education.  He  has  served 
on  several  commissions  and  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee in  charge  of  the  widening  of  Elniwood  avenue. 

Outside  his  professional  work,  Mr.  Frost  has  other 
interests,  two  in  particular  having  more  than  a  passing 
attraction  for  him.  In  college  days  he  was  an  editor 
upon  the  boards  of  all  the  college  publications,  contrib- 
uting freely  from  his  own  pen,  besides  contributing 
numerous  illustrations.  He  was  also  editor  of  the 
"Sea  Side  Times"  at  Southampton,  L.  1.,  for  some  time. 
Another  close  interest  is  his  devotion  to  out-of-door 
sports,  especially  yachting.  He  has  been  for  many  years 
a  member  of  the  Washington  Park,  Kdgewood  and 
Rhode  Island  Yacht  clubs,  and  for  ten  years  has  been 
secretary  of  the  Narragansett  Bay  Yacht  Racing  Asso- 
ciation. .To  him  is  largely  due  the  consolidating  of 
the  various  yacht  clubs  in  that  organization,  the  result 
having  l)een  beneficial  to  the  sport  of  yacht  racing  under 
the  control  of  a  central  body  representing  all  local 
clubs.  He  was  commodore  of  the  Washington  Park 
Yacht  Club  in  1906.  Mr.  Frost  is  a  member  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Bar  .Association;  Harmony  Lodge,  No. 
9,  .Xncicnt  Free  and  .\ccepted  Masons,  of  Pawtaxet, 
R.  I.;  his  college  fraternity.  Phi  Delta  Thcta.  He  is 
president  of  the  Washington  Park  Improvement  Asso- 
ciation. 

Dr.  Frost  was  married,  at  Pawtucket,  Jime  i,  1910,  to 
Ruth  Dring  Jenks,  daughter  of  William  Henry  and 
Ruth  Augusta  (.Mexander)  Jenks,  of  Pawtucket,  and 
a  descendant  of  prominent  Rhode  Island  families.  They 
are  the  parents  of  two  daughters:  Deborah  Richmond 
and  Sarah  Elizabeth  Frost. 


ARCHIBALD     GRANT     DELANEY,     who     has 

reached  man's  allotted  years,  "three  score  and  ten," 
recalls  hi?  arrival  in  Providence,  in  1865,  a  lad  of 
nineteen  years,  his  visible  capital  a  lonely  five  dollar 
bill.  He  harks  back  also  to  that  first  year  as  a  carpen- 
ter's apprentice,  when  his  wages  were  $6  weekly,  and 
his  board  and  room  called  for  $5  out  of  the  $6.  But 
times  were  better  the  second  year,  his  wages  having 
been  raised  to  $7  and  the  third  year  they  were  increased 
to  $8  weekly.  But  those  years  passed,  and  at  their 
end  he  was  none  the  worse  for  having  lived  economic- 
ally, and  he  had  in  the  meantime  learned  a  good  trade. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  well-known  contractors  of  Prov- 
idence, a  man  highly  regarded  for  his  true  worth  as  a 
business  man  and  a  citizen.  For  twenty  years  he  was 
superintendent  of  buildings  at  Brown  University,  and 
can  speak  knowingly  of  the  student  life  of  that  institu- 
tion, the  bright  and  the  sad  side  of  college  life  being  fully 
revealed  to  him.     He  is  now  again  a  contractor,  keep- 


44 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ing  many  men  fully  employed.  He  is  of  Nova  Scotian 
birth,  his  parentage,  Scotch-Irish.  His  grandfather, 
Timothy  Delaney,  an  Enghsh  tar,  was  ten  years  in  the 
British  Navy,  and  for  two  and  a  half  years  served 
under  Lord  Nelson  on  the  .'Admiral's  flagship,  and  was 
with  him  on  that  glorious  day  at  Trafalgar  Bay,  when 
his  beloved  Admiral  won  immortal  fame  and  met  a 
hero's  death.  Peter  Delaney,  son  of  Timothy  Delaney, 
was  a  ship  carpenter  by  trade,  and  settled  finally  in 
Pictou  county.  Nova  Scotia,  Canada.  He  married  Mary 
Ann  Grant,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  sons :  Arch- 
ibald Grant,  of  further  mention;  and  James  Grant,  the 
inventor  of  the  present  system  of  coaling  vessels  at 
sea,  an  invention  sold  to  the  English,  Japanese  and 
French  governments,  and  was  first  used  by  the  United 
State  government  during  the  Spanish-.\merican  War. 
Archibald  Grant  Delaney  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia, 
at  the  home  farm  in  Pictou  county,  September  28,  1848, 
son  of  Peter  and  Mary  Ann  (Grant)  Delaney.  He 
was  educated  in  Nova  Scotian  schools,  and  until  seven- 
teen years  of  age  was  his  father's  farm  assistant.  He 
then  came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  where  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  serving  a 
three  years'  apprenticeship  under  James  Hutchinson, 
whose  shop  was  on  E.xchange  place.  After  completing 
his  years  of  apprenticeship  he  was  employed  by  Car- 
penter &  Childs,  building  contractors,  on  Benefit  street, 
remaining  with  that  firm  four  years.  His  next  em- 
ployer was  Peabody  &  Wilbur,  of  Hope  street,  with 
whom  he  remained  three  years.  These  firms  were  all 
prominent  contractors,  and  while  with  them  Mr.  De- 
laney was  employed  on  the  best  work,  and  became  an 
expert  on  fine  woodwork.  For  seventeen  months  he 
was  employed  on  the  old  Ben  .'\dams  residence,  now 
the  Merrimac  House,  located  at  the  corner  of  Cook  and 
Benevolent  streets,  which  at  that  time  was  considered 
a  very  large,  fine  residence.  After  leaving  Peabody  & 
Wilbur  he  secured  the  position  of  superintendent  of 
buildings  at  Brown  University,  and  in  that  position 
remained  twenty  years,  erecting,  altering,  repairing  and 
overseeing  the  many  buildings  forming  the  University 
group.  These  were  the  best  twenty  years  of  his  life 
from  a  physical  standpoint  and  around  that  period  of 
his  life  cluster  many  pleasant  memories.  At  their  ex- 
piration he  began  contracting  and  mill  working,  making 
a  specialty  of  fine  cabinet  work  and  store  fixtures,  and 
from  1904  until  the  present,  1918,  has  conducted  a  very 
prosperous  contracting  business.  He  employs  at  times 
twenty  skilled  workmen  and  will  accept  orders  for  the 
finest  woodwork.  He  stands  as  a  fine  representative  of 
the  self-made  man,  having  come  up  from  an  appren- 
tice to  contractor  through  his  own  quality,  and  in  the 
upbuilding  of  a  business  he  has  also  built  up  a  fine 
character  for  trustworthiness  and  integrity.  His  most 
recent  government  work  has  been  in  connection  with 
the  new  and  old  post  office  interiors.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Broadway  Presbyterian  Church,  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Maccabees,  and  the  Providence  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Delaney  married  Mary  Jane  Forbes,  in  Prov- 
idence, June  17,  1884,  she  also  of  Nova  Scotia  birth. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Delaney  are  the  parents  of  two  daughters: 
Mary  Ida  and  Elizabeth  Jeannette,  both  graduates  of 
ProviJence   High    School   and    Brown   University;   the 


younger  served  several  years  as  teacher  at  Sockanosset 
School  for  Boys,  and  now  (1918)  holds  the  position  of 
clerk. 


WILLIAM  BUCHANAN  COLWELL  is  undoubt- 
edly one  of  the  most  prominent  figures  in  the  life  of 
the  town  of  Johnston,  R.  I.,  where  for  many  years  he 
has  been  well-known  as  a  successful  and  progressive 
farmer  and  a  public-spirited  man.  He  is  a  member  of 
an  old  and  distinguished  New  England  family  which 
for  many  generations  has  been  represented  in  this  State 
by  members  who  have  earned  and  won  the  esteem  and 
regard  of  the  communities  where  they  have  made  their 
home  and  have  become  prominent  in  many  different 
callings.  He  is  a  representative  in  the  eighth  generation 
of  the  line  which  was  founded  by  Robert  Colwell,  who 
founded  the  family  in  America  and  who  came  to  this 
country  from  England  in  the  early  Colonial  period.  The 
line  of  descent  is  from  Robert  Colwell,  through  Robert, 
Robert,  Joseph,  Stephen,  Uriah,  and  Harlev,  to  Wil- 
liam B.  Colwell. 

Uriah  Colwell,  grandfather  of  William  B.  Colwell, 
was  a  man  noted  for  his  industry  and  diversified  activ- 
ities. He  made  his  home  at  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  and  mar- 
ried Deborah  Bowen,  by  whom  he  had  the  following 
children:  Harley,  mentioned  below;  Uriah  R.,  who  mar- 
ried, January  i,  1849,  Zelote  A.  Winsor,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Winsor,  of  Johnston ;  Joshua,  born  in  1832, 
married  (first)  Fannie  Gallup,  (second)  Julia  E.  01- 
ney;  Ashel ;  William,  a  resident  of  Providence;  Sel- 
vina,  who  married  James  Brown,  of  Providence;  Lillis, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Jeremiah  Tourtelotte ;  George; 
Earned,  who  married  (first)  Melissa  Harris,  (second) 
Ruth  Aldrich ;  and  two  other  children  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Harley  Colwell,  son  of  Uriah  and  Deborah  (Bowen) 
Colwell,  was  born  May  iS,  1818,  at  Gloucester,  R.  I., 
where  his  boyhood  was  passed.  He  was  the  eldest  son 
of  his  parents,  and  at  an  early  age  it  developed  upon 
him  to  assist  his  father  in  his  various  enterprises,  the 
principal  one  of  which  was  his  dealing  in  stock.  His 
educational  advantages  were  very  meagre,  but  he  was 
one  of  those  young  men  who  learn  readily  from  obser- 
vation and  experience,  and  he  soon  became  very  well 
capable  of  caring  for  himself  and  his  interests  in  life. 
.\s  a  youth  he  learned  the  trade  of  stone  mason,  but 
never  followed  that  craft.  He  was  for  a  time  engaged 
in  the  retail  meat  business,  but  abandoning  this  he  left 
his  native  home  and  though  his  sole  capital  was  his 
own  strong  optimism,  common  sense  and  determina- 
tion, he  soon  began  to  make  his  way  in  the  world.  He 
settled  finally  on  a  farm  at  Johnston,  in  the  year  1855, 
the  tract  being  at  that  time  quite  undeveloped  and  cov- 
ered with  a  natural  growth  of  timber  and  underbrush. 
He  went  to  work,  however,  with  the  utmost  energy, 
and  soon  cleared  away  a  sufficient  portion  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  what  is  now  one  of  the  best  properties 
in  this  region.  In  addition  to  his  energy,  he  was  a 
man  of  great  intelligence,  and  able  promptly  to  seize 
such  opportunities  as  came  his  way,  so  that  he  soon  rose 
to  a  position  of  prominence  in  the  community  where  he 
had  settled,  and  won  the  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
He  was  greatly  interested  in  the  educational  system  of 
the  town,  and  for  sixteen  years  served  as  a  member  of 


Q{^ ,  y6.   ^-^^-^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


45 


the  Johnston  school  committee,  besides  holding  several 
other  offices  of  responsibility  and  trust,  in  all  of  which 
he  won  an  enviable  reputation  for  ability  and  disinter- 
estedness. He  died  September  5,  1901,  and  was  buried 
in  Pocasset  Cemetery.  Harley  Colwel!  married  (first), 
November  8,  1838,  Eliza  Brown,  a  daughter  of  Moses 
Brown,  and  a  direct  descendant  of  Chad  Brown,  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Rhode  Island,  and  one  of  the  im- 
portant figures  of  his  day.  He  married  (second) 
Catherine  H.  Rickford,  of  Maine,  whose  death  occurred 
March  24,  i8q8.  Of  the  second  marriage  but  i>ne  child 
was  born,  Leon,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Johnston. 
Ten  children  were  born  of  the  first  marriage,  as  fol- 
lows: George  Bowen,  born  Aug.  10,  1839,  married 
Maria  Cheney,  daughter  of  Elder  Cheney,  founder  of 
the  Free  Will  Baptist  church  at  Johnston,  and  they  are 
now  residents  of  Anthony,  R.  1.;  James  Brown,  born 
Aug.  18,  1841,  married  Sarah  Carpenter,  both  now  de- 
ceased; Mary  Eliza  Brown,  born  Oct.  23,  1843,  died  in 
early  youth;  a  child  who  died  in  infancy;  Maria  Harris, 
born  July  28,  1846,  became  the  wife  of  Henry  Gleason, 
and  died  leaving  one  son,  Harry  N.  Gleason ;  Harley 
Francis,  born  Aug.  12,  1848,  married  Carrie  Seaman, 
by  whom  he  has  had  one  child,  Willis  D.,  and  resides 
in  Cumberland,  R.  I.;  Maurice  Gilbert,  born  Dec.  13, 
1850;  Ella  Elizabeth,  born  Feb.  14,  1855,  became  the  wife 
of  John  H.  Coffin,  son  of  Captain  Coffin,  and  they  reside 
at  Providence ;  William  Buchanan,  with  whose  career 
we  are  here  especially  concerned ;  Pardon  Moses,  born 
Oct.  26,  1858,  married  Almeda  Mowry,  and  died  leaving 
a  son,  Harry  A.,  who  makes  his  home  at  Woonsocket. 
William  Buchanan  Colwell,  son  of  Harley  and  Eliza 
(Brown)  Colwell,  was  born  January  4,  1857,  in  the  old 
homestead,  at  Johnston,  R.  I.  As  a  lad  Mr.  Colwell 
attended  the  district  schools  of  his  native  place  and 
afterwards  became  a  student  at  the  Mount  Pleasant 
Academy  (popularly  known  as  the  Jencks-Mowry 
School),  from  which  he  graduated.  For  five  years 
thereafter  he  followed  the  profession  of  teaching  in  the 
schools  at  Johnston,  but  after  his  marriage  abandoned 
this  line  of  work  and  settled  upon  the  old  family  home- 
stead, assisting  his  father  with  the  work  on  the  farm. 
Here  he  gained  a  wide  knowledge  of  agricultural  meth- 
ods, which  he  has  continued  to  increase  ever  since,  until 
now  he  is  regarded  very  justly  as  an  authority  upon 
this  subject.  In  1882  he  purchased  the  Burrill  farm 
which  adjoined  his  father's  property,  and  proceeded  at 
once  to  clear  a  portion  of  this  farm  which  had  been 
uncultivated  and  bring  a  large  number  of  acres  of  till- 
able land  into  use  and  to  a  high  degree  of  productive- 
ness. Here  he  engaged  on  an  extensive  scale  in  the 
dairy  business  for  some  years.  Upon  the  death  of  his 
father,  he  purchased  from  the  other  heirs  the  home- 
stead farm,  which  in  addition  to  his  own  property  he 
now  operates,  making  his  home  in  the  old  family  dwell- 
ing, which  is  situated  on  Hartford  avenue,  just  beyond 
the  city  line  of  Providence.  Of  recent  years  Mr.  Col- 
well has  added  a  large  poultry  plant  to  the  other  activ- 
ities of  his  farm,  upon  which  he  has  made  many  im- 
portant improvements. 

Mr.  Colwell  is  very  well-known  in  public  affairs 
here,  and  some  estimation  of  his  popularity  and  the  trust 
reposed  in  him  by  his  neighbors  can  be  gained  from  the 
fact  that  although   a  staunch   Democrat  in  a  strongly 


Republican  community,  he  has  held  many  offices  of  trust 
and  responsibility  and  has  been  sent  by  the  community 
to  represent  it  in  the  State  Legislature  for  a  number 
of  years.  He  was  but  twenty-six  years  of  age  when  he 
was  elected  to  the  Town  Council,  and  served  at  that 
time  for  three  years  on  that  body.  Later  he  was  re- 
elected to  the  Council  and  was  president  of  that  body 
for  two  years.  He  has  served  as  town  moderator  for 
six  years  and  as  coroner  for  half  that  period.  It  was 
in  1892  that  Mr.  Colwell  was  elected  to  the  State  Legis- 
lature, serving  in  that  and  the  following  year,  during 
which  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  important  com- 
mittees on  agriculture  and  education,  and  winning  for 
himself  a  high  reputation  as  a  public-spirited  and  capa- 
ble public  servant.  In  1892  he  was  also  secretary  of 
the  State  Central  Committee,  serving  four  years,  and 
for  fifteen  years  was  a  member  of  tlie  same  conmiittee. 
In  1912  he  was  appointed  probate  judge,  and  at  the 
present  time  is  still  serving  in  that  capacity  here.  Mr. 
Colwell  has  taken  a  great  interest  in  the  good-roads 
movement,  and  his  influence  has  been  a  potent  factor 
in  securing  the  present  splendid  system  of  highways 
enjoyed  by  the  community.  Mr.  (Colwell  is  not  partic- 
ularly active  in  fraternal  nor  club  life  here,  but  at  one 
time  was  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  is  now  affiliated  with  the  Narragansett 
Lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

William  Buchanan  Colwell  was  united  in  marriage, 
February  20,  1879.  with  Betsy  A.  Bliss,  daughter  of 
Captain  George  Williams  Bliss,  of  Rehoboth,  Mass., 
where  he  was  a  captain  of  militia.  TTiree  children  have 
been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows:  I.  Elmer  Warren, 
born  Oct.  24,  1882,  at  Johnston,  R.  I.,  and  educated  at 
the  Classical  High  School  of  Providence,  from  which 
he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1900;  he  then  became  a 
clerk  in  the  drafting  room  of  the  Rhode  Island  Loco- 
motive Works,  where  he  remained  a  year,  after  which 
he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Equitable  Fire  &  Marine 
Insurance  Company  of  Providence;  he  is  now  a  prom- 
inent real  estate  and  insurance  man  in  that  city.  2. 
Ernest  Ethelbert,  born  April  20,  1884,  died  June  10, 
1885.  3.  Raymond  Carpenter,  born  Sept.  8,  1891,  edu- 
cated at  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  Providence, 
later  being  a  pupil  at  Brown  University,  from  which  he 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1913,  taking  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts;  the  following  year,  after  taking  a 
post-graduate  course,  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  was 
conferred  upon  him  by  his  alma  maler ;  he  married, 
Aug.  20,  1918,  Mattie  Holmes  Barrow,  of  Providence, 
a  graduate  of  Boston  Art  School,  and  School  of  Design, 
of  Providence,  and  at  present  (1918)  operates  a  studio 
on  Westminster  street,  and  is  also  teacher  of  drawing 
in  Providence  High  Schools.  Raymond  Carpenter  Col- 
well is  now  first  lieutenant  in  the  Sanitary  Corps,  with 
the  United  States  Expeditionary  Force,  at  a  base  hos- 
pital somewhere  in  France. 


JOHN     EDWARD     DONLEY,    JR.,     M.     D.— A 

native  of  Providence,  Dr.  Donley  has  gained  high  pro- 
fessional standing  in  the  city  of  his  birth,  and  is  rated 
one  of  the  skilled  and  honorable  members  of  the  med- 
ical profession.  He  is  a  son  of  John  Edward  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Nevin)  Donley,  his  father  a  manufacturer  of 
jewelry,  founder  and  head  of  Donley  &  Company,  estab- 


46 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


lished  in  1 89 1,  located  at  No.  144  Pine  street.  Provi- 
dence.    Elizabeth   (Nevin)   Donley  died  April   17,   IQ18. 

John  Edward  Donley,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  January  I.  1870,  completing  in  the  city  schools  full 
grammar  school  courses  and  attending  high  school  for 
three  years.  He  then  entered  Seton  Hall  College,  South 
Orange,  New  Jersey,  whence  he  was  graduated  A.  B., 
class  of  1897.  He  returned  to  Seton  Hall  for  a  post- 
graduate course,  receiving  his  A.  M.  in  1899.  Choosing 
the  profession  of  medicine,  he  entered  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
graduated  M.  D.,  class  of  1902.  He  located  in  Provi- 
dence and  has  built  up  both  reputation  and  practice  as 
a  specialist  in  nervous  and  mental  diseases.  Both  father 
and  son  have  been  very  successful,  each  in  their  own 
separate  sphere  of  action,  the  father  retiring  from  busi- 
ness the  current  year,  igiS.  Dr.  Donley  is  consulting 
physician  to  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  Providence  City 
Hospital,  and  Pawtucket  Memorial  Hospital ;  associate 
editor  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Journal;  formerly 
assistant  editor  of  the  Journal  of  Abnormal  Psychol- 
ogy, of  Boston;  is  a  member  of  the  American  Psycho- 
Pathological  Society,  American  Medical  Association, 
Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  Rhode  Island  Medico- 
Legal  Society,  Providence  Medical  Society,  and  ex- 
president  of  the  Mills  Neurological  Society,  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and  the  Catholic 
Club.     In  political  action  he  is  an  Independent. 

Dr.  Donley  married,  January  30,  1906,  Esther  Mad- 
eline Biery,  of  Lawrence,  Mass.  Dr.  Donley's  offices 
and  residence  are  at  No.  222  Broadway. 


FRED  LUTHER  OWEN— Admitted  to  the  Rhode 
Island  bar  in  1901,  Mr.  Owen  has  since  practiced  his 
profession  in  Providence,  giving  especial  attention  to 
commercial  law  and  collections.  He  is  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam Kimball  and  Mary  (Potter)  Owen,  and  a  descend- 
ant of  Samuel  Owen,  born  in  Wales  in  1651,  who  with 
his  wife,  Priscilla  (Belcher)  Owen,  and  their  son  Josiah 
came  to  the  New  England  Colonies  in  1685.  Samuel 
Owen  settled  first  in  Massachusetts,  but  the  Puritans 
drew  the  line  so  tightly  on  matters  of  religion  and 
conscience  that  he  left  that  colony,  settling  in  that  part 
of  Providence  known  as  North  Providence,  the  Rhode 
Island  authorities  then  being  the  most  independent  and 
liberal  in  matter  of  religious  opinions.  Fred  Luther 
Owen  is  of  the  eighth  generation  of  the  family  in  Rhode 
Island,  his  father  residing  with  him  in  Providence. 

Fred  Luther  Owen  was  born  at  Charlestown,  R.  I., 
August  IS,  1877,  and  there  finished  public  study  with 
high  school  graduation,  class  of  1898.  The  next  two 
years  were  spent  in  study  at  Rhode  Island  Law  School, 
whence  he  was  graduated  in  1900.  He  spent  a  period  of 
one  year  in  probationary  practice  and  study  in  a  Provi- 
dence law  ofticc,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1901  and 
has  since  practiced  his  profession  continuously  in  Prov- 
idence with  offices  at  No.  86  Weybosset  street.  He 
represents  the  American  Adjustment  Company  of 
Rhode  Island;  secretary  and  Rhode  Island  representa- 
tive of  the  Creditors'  National  Clearing  House  Asso- 
ciation, is  manager  of  the  Harris  Mercantile  Company, 
practices  in  all  State  and  Federal  courts  of  the  district, 
but  specializes  in  commercial  law  and  collections.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Bar  Association.     A 


Republican  in  politics,  he  served  on  the  school  com- 
mittee of  Charlestown  and  represented  the  eleventh 
district  of  Providence  in  the  Rhode  Island  General 
Assembly.  In  the  Assembly  he  served  on  the  commit- 
tee and  on  the  floor,  worthily  representing  his  dis- 
trict. He  is  the  present  appeal  agent  for  Division 
Eight,  Providence,  United  States  selective  draft. 

Mr.  Owen  married,  January  21,  1907,  in  Providence, 
Lillie  A.  Maher,  of  Providence;  their  children:  Lenora 
Mary,  Elizabeth  Alice,  and  Frances  Erina,  all  born  in 
Providence. 


GEORGE  HENRY  COMSTOCK,  one  of  the  most 
successful  and  progressive  farmers  of  Lincoln,  where 
he  owns  a  farm  which  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  models 
of  Lincoln  township,  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  dis- 
tinguished Rhode  Island  family.  He  is  descended  from 
one  Samuel  Comstock,  w-ho  was  the  first  of  the  name 
of  whom  there  is  definite  record,  and  who  resided  at 
Providence  as  early  as  the  year  1654.  We  have  a  record 
on  March  i,  1634,  that  he  purchased  property  at  Prov- 
idence, and  according  to  the  historian  and  genealogist, 
.Austin,  he  was  the  son  of  William  Comstock,  of 
Weathersfield,  Conn.,  who  came  from  England  with  his 
wife,  Elizabeth,  and  later  made  his  home  at  New 
London. 

(I)  If  it  be  true  that  William  Comstock  is  the  founder 
of  the  Rhode  Island  family,  it  is  established  that  this 
branch  is  related  to  many  other  lines  bearing  the  same 
name  in  different  parts  of  New  England.  William  and 
Elizabeth  Comstock  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  William,  Jr.;  Daniel,  who  died  at  New 
London  in  1683,  when  about  fifty-three  years  of  age; 
Samuel,  mentioned  below ;  and  apparently  Christopher, 
of  Fairfield,  Conn. 

(II)  Samuel  Comstock,  son  of  William  and  Eliza- 
beth Comstock,  was  born  in  1654,  and  resided  during 
practically  his  entire  life  at  Providence.  He  was  a 
prominent  man  in  his  community,  and  was  a  deputy  to 
the  General  Court  in  1699,  1702,  1707,  1708  and  1711. 
He  also  served  on  several  important  committees,  and 
in  his  will  and  other  records  of  that  time  is  referred 
to  as  captain.  His  death  occurred  May  27,  1727.  Samuel 
Comstock  married,  November  22,  1677,  Elizabeth  Ar- 
nold, a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Phebe  (Parkhurst) 
Arnold,  whose  death  occurred  October  20,  1727.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Samuel, 
born  April  16,  1679;  Hazadiah,  bom  April  16,  1682; 
Thomas,  born  Nov.  7,  1684;  Daniel,  born  July  ig, 
1686;  Elizabeth,  born  Dec.  18,  1690;  John,  mentioned 
below;  Ichabod,  bom  June  9,  1696;  and  possibly  Job, 
born  April  4,  1699. 

(III)  John  Comstock,  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
(Arnold)  Comstock,  was  born  March  26,  1693.  He  was 
a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  a  prominent  man  in  the  com- 
munity, where  for  a  time  he  served  as  assistant  (1746). 
His  death  occurred  at  his  home  in  Providence,  January 
12,  1750,  and  he  was  buried  in  the  old  North  Burying 
Ground  there.  He  married  (first)  Esther  Jencks,  and 
(second)  Sarah  De.xter,  the  latter  born  June  27,  1698, 
and  died  July  8,  1773.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  and 
.'Mice  (Smith)  Dexter,  and  a  member  of  a  well-known 
and  prominent  family  in  these  parts.  Of  these  two 
unions  the  following  children  were  born  to  John  Com- 


^ 


/ 


c-y-r^AjLe^^\; 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


47 


stock:  Samuel,  born  in  1715;  Joseph;  Jeremiah;  John; 
Jonathan;  James,  born  in  1733-34;  Ichabod,  mentioned 
below;  Nathan,  born  December  6,  1735;  and  it  is  pos- 
sible a  daughter  Esther. 

(IV)  Ichabod  Comstock,  vounKest  son  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Dexter)  Comstock,  was  born  in  the  year  1734 
at  Providence,  and  passed  his  life  in  that  city  and  at 
Smithtield,  R.  I.  He  was  a  man  who  was  noted  for 
oricinality  of  speech  and  was  greatly  beloved  by  the 
community.  He  died  at  Smithfield,  December  19,  1800, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  He  married,  April  11. 
1760,  Sarah  Jenckes,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Jenckes,  of 
Smithfield,  who  was  born  in  1741,  and  died  November 
19,  1815.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  child- 
ren: Ephraim,  born  in  1761 ;  Lydia,  1766;  Isaac,  Decem- 
ber II,  1769;  Susan,  1772;  Patience,  1775;  and  George 
Washington,  mentioned  below. 

(%■)  George  Washington  Comstock,  youngest  child 
of  Ichabod  and  Sarah  (Jenckes)  Comstock,  was  bom 
February  5,  1789,  at  Smitlifield,  and  spent  most  of  his 
life  in  his  native  place,  though  for  a  number  of  years 
he  resided  at  Providence,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
business  in  the  old  market.  In  his  latter  years,  how- 
ever, he  returned  to  his  farm  at  Smithfield,  where  his 
death  occurred  November  16,  1858,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years.  He  was  a  man  noted  for  his  integrity  and 
industry,  and  during  the  two  years  of  1816  and  1817  was 
ensign  of  the  First  Smithfield  Company.  He  married 
(first)  Comfort  Joslin,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Joslin,  of 
Thompson,  Conn.,  where  she  was  born  March  24,  1791. 
Her  death  occurred  April  3,  1834,  and  he  married  (sec- 
ond) Sarah  Jenckes,  born  October  24,  1796,  and  died 
February  22,  1882,  at  Lincoln,  R.  I.  Mr.  Conistock's 
children  were  all  born  of  his  first  marriage,  and  were 
as  follows:  Benjamin,  mentioned  below;  a  son  born 
Aug.  10,  1820,  and  died  Sept.  19,  1820;  Nancy,  born 
Oct.  24,  1821,  and  became  the  wife  of  Benjamin  S. 
Olney,  of  Providence,  where  she  died  June  6,  1889; 
Sarah,  born  July  29,  1827,  and  made  her  home  in  Prov- 
idence; a  son  born  March  10,  1831,  and  died  eight  days 
later;  Jane,  born  June  23,  1833,  and  died  Sept.  19,  1833. 

(VI)  Benjamin  Comstock,  eldest  son  of  George 
Washington  and  Comfort  (Joslin)  Comstock,  was  bom 
at  Smithfield,  May  3,  1818,  and  for  many  years  was  one 
of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  this  region.  His 
education  was  received  at  the  local  public  school,  and 
during  his  spare  time  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm, 
where  all  his  childhood  and  early  youth  were  spent. 
In  the  year  1850,  however,  he  left  the  parental  home  and 
removed  to  Louisquisset  Pike,  where  he  rented  the  old 
Asa  Arnold  farm  for  ten  years.  At  the  end  of  that 
period  he  purchased  this  property,  which  consisted  of 
a  tract  of  two  hundred  acres  of  tine  farming  land,  and 
from  that  time  until  his  death  he  made  his  home  there. 
Here  he  engaged  in  general  farming  and  dairying,  and 
met  with  a  high  degree  of  success  in  his  enterprise,  so 
that  in  1884  he  was  enabled  to  retire  from  active  work. 
He  was  always  keenly  interested  in  public  affairs,  and 
in  politics  was  a  staunch  Republican.  He  served  in  a 
number  of  public  offices  in  this  region,  was  for  two 
years  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  also 
served  on  the  Town  Council.  He  was  a  man  exceed- 
ingly enterprising  and  progressive,  and  the  success 
which   he  achieved  was   the   result  of   his   own   efforts 


and  the  splendid  reputation  which  he  made  for  himself 
for  integrity  and  square  dealing  in  the  community.  His 
death  occurred  March  18,  1906.  Benjamin  Comstock 
married  (first),  October  19,  1847,  Mary  Randall,  born 
October  14,  1823,  daughter  of  John  Randall,  of  Nor- 
way, N.  Y.  She  died  November  29,  1887,  and  was  buried 
in  the  old  North  Burying  ground  of  Providence.  She 
was  a  devout  Christian  woman,  and  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Comstock  married  (second), 
.Vpril  22,  1889,  Mrs.  .Amanda  (Gorham)  Harris.  She 
was  born  DecemlK-r  II,  1818,  and  died  March  17.  1897. 
.-Ml  of  Benjamin  Comstock's  children  were  born  by  his 
first  marriage  at  Smithfield,  and  were  as  follows:  Wil- 
liam H.,  mentioned  below ;  George  W.,  born  .\pril  9, 
1850,  and  died  Nov.  8,  1871 ;  Mary  Anna,  born  Feb.  24, 
iSsA.  and  became  the  wife  of  Jabez  G.  Harris,  of  Prov- 
idence; Benjamin  W.,  born  Feb.  3,  1856,  and  made  his 
home  in  Providence,  where  he  married  Efiie  J.  Wil- 
liams; Frank  Smith,  born  March  26,  1858,  a  carpenter 
of  Boston;  and  Nettie  Maria,  born  Feb.  28,  i860,  be- 
came the  wife  of  George  H.  Loomis,  of  Pawtucket,  and 
died  there  May  30,  1898. 

(VII)  William  H.  Comstock,  eldest  son  of  Benja- 
min and  Mary  (Randall)  Comstock,  was  born  August 
5,  1848,  in  Lincoln  township.  He  was  the  father  of 
George  Henry  Comstock,  of  this  sketch,  and  for  many 
years  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  this  com- 
munity. He  received  his  early  education  at  the  local 
public  schools,  and  afterwards  attended  the  famous 
I'Viends'  School  of  Providence.  Like  his  father  before 
him,  his  childhood  was  spent  on  the  farm,  and  there  he 
gained  an  early  knowledge  of  agriculture  and  farming 
methods.  He  worked  for  a  long  time  for  his  father 
and  then,  following  in  his  footsteps,  began  farming  on 
his  own  account  on  a  rented  farm,  the  farm  in  this  case 
being  leased  from  Daniel  Jencks  in  this  community. 
Here  he  engaged  in  the  dairy  business  for  nine  years, 
and  in  1886  returned  to  the  old  homestead  and  continued 
his  activities  there.  These  consisted  of  general  farming 
and  dairying,  and  the  produce  of  his  place  he  marketed 
in  Providence,  selling  it  at  retail  to  his  customers,  many 
of  whom  were  the  same  family  to  whom  his  father  sold 
milk  and  other  produce  a  half  a  century  before.  His 
milk  route  was  the  oldest  in  the  city.  Mr.  Comstock 
made  many  improvements  on  his  farm,  erecting  modern 
buildings  and  equipping  them  with  the  best  devices 
known  in  his  day  for  carrying  out  dairy  work.  He  was 
a  strong  Republican  in  politics,  and  very  active  in  local 
affairs,  holding  a  number  of  public  offices.  In  l8g6  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
State,  upon  which  body  he  served  in  all  four  years, 
devoting  his  every  energy  to  the  enacting  of  reform 
legislation  and  serving  on  the  committees  on  special 
legislation  and  education.  He  also  served  for  many 
years  on  the  Town  Council,  and  was  president  of  that 
body  for  a  considerable  period.  He  was  a  member  of 
Union    Lodge,    No.    10,    Ancient    Free    and    Accepted 

Masons;  Chapter,  Royal  Arch   Masons;  

Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  Holy  Sepulchre 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar,  of  Pawtucket ;  Pales- 
tine Temple,  Ancient  .Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine ;  Rhode  Island  Consistory,  Sublime 
Princes  of  the  Royal  Secret;  and  gained  the  thirty- 
second   degree  of  Free   Masonry  in   the   Scottish    Rite 


48 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


body.  He  was  also  a  member  of  Lime  Rock  Grange, 
No.  22,  and  past  master  of  same. 

William  H.  Comstock  married,  December  21,  1874, 
Nettie  Frances  Kendall,  of  Fitchburg.  Mass.,  where  she 
was  bom  July  4,  1853,  a  daughter  of  George  A.  Ken- 
dal!. She  died  .\ugust  29,  1900,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in 
the  Old  North  Burying  ground.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam H.  Comstock  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  as 
follows:  I.  Mabel  Frances,  born  Jan.  23.  1876,  who 
became  the  wife  of  .\rthur  N.  Dodge,  of  Providence, 
to  whom  she  has  borne  two  children,  Newton  Comstock 
and  William  Everett.  2.  Mary  K.,  born  .\ug.  25,  1878, 
and  died  Oct.  30,  igoo.  3.  Fannie  Louise,  born  Nov.  6, 
1879,  and  resides  at  the  old  home.  4.  Florence  Antoin- 
ette, born  April  4.  1882,  and  became  the  wife  of  Richard 
B.  Howard,  of  Providence.  5.  George  Henry,  with 
whose  career  we  are  here  especially  concerned.  Wil- 
liam H.  Comstock  died  Oct.  12,  1912,  and  his  wife 
passed  away,  Aug.  29.  1900. 

(Vni)  George  Henry  Comstock  was  born  on  the  old 
family  homestead  near  Saylesville.  Lincoln  township, 
March  10.  1887,  the  youngest  child  of  William  Henry 
and  Nettie  Frances  (Kendall)  Comstock.  The  child- 
hood of  Mr.  Comstock  was  spent  on  this  same  old 
farm,  which  was  operated  by  his  grandfather  and  father 
before  him  and  is  now  operated  by  himself.  Follow- 
ing in  the  footsteps  of  his  distinguished  ancestors,  Mr. 
Comstock  did  much  work  on  the  farm  as  a  lad,  using 
such  spare  hours  as  were  left  him  from  his  school 
work.  His  early  education  was  received  at  the  public 
schools  of  this  neighborhood,  and  he  afterwards  took 
a  classical  course  at  the  University  School  of  Provi- 
dence. Since  completing  his  studies,  Mr.  Comstock  has 
spent  his  life  on  his  farm,  which  he  inherited  from  his 
father  at  the  time  of  the  latter's  death.  For  several 
years  he  was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  active 
management  of  the  farm,  gradually  assuming  the  respon- 
sibility for  its  operation,  as  the  elder  man  rela.xed  his 
efforts  toward  the  close  of  his  life.  He  has  now  been 
engaged  in  operating  it  alone  for  seven  years,  and  is 
making  a  notable  success  of  his  enterprise.  The  farm 
possesses  splendid  buildings  and  all  the  necessary  equip- 
ment for  carrying  on  general  farming  and  dairy  work 
and,  as  mentioned  above,  includes  some  two  hundred 
acres  of  good  land  which  Mr.  Comstock  keeps  ever  in 
the  highest  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  at  present  some 
forty  milch  cows,  from  which  he  supplies  his  dairy,  the 
products  of  which  and  of  the  general  farming  he  supplies 
to  Providence  in  auto  trucks.  His  milk  route  is  an  ex- 
ceedingly old  one,  having  been  established  by  his  grand- 
father nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago. 

George  Henry  Comstock  was  united  in  marriage, 
October  22,  1913,  at  Providence,  with  Anna  Blanche 
McGreevy,  of  that  city,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  C.  and 
Anna  (Donahue)  McGreevy,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  there.  Two  children  have  been  born  of  this 
union,  as  follows :  George  Henrj',  Jr.,  born  Dec.  9, 
1914,  and  William  Kendall,  Aug.  16,  1916. 


JAMES  MONROE  BAKER— The  life  record  of 
James  M.  Baker,  of  Providence,  R.  L,  is  one  of  deep 
interest,  and  in  many  respects  unequalled.  Although  a 
man  nearly  eligible  to  nonagenarian  honors  he  continues 


head  of  the  business  he  founded  half  a  century  ago,  and 
is  as  earnest,  enthusiastic,  and  capable  as  men  of  half 
his  years  usually  are.  His  life  has  been  one  of  unceas- 
ing activity,  his  gospel  of  life  being  summed  up  in  one 
word,  work.  Liquor,  tobacco,  and  vacations  are  un- 
known to  him,  and  even  yet,  an  occasional  visit  to  the 
theatre  and  a  week's  end  trip  each  year  to  his  boyhood 
home  in  Tolland  county.  Conn.,  constitute  his  recrea- 
tions. Baseball  even  never  tempted  him  to  an  "after- 
noon off,"  and  he  has  never  witnessed  a  professional 
game,  nor  a  horse  race,  save  at  the  agricultural  fairs. 
But  he  is  a  good,  strong  .American  citizen,  and  during 
a  term  of  service  in  the  Providence  Fire  Department, 
volunteer  and  paid,  covering  a  period  of  forty-five  years, 
he  gave  ample  evidence  of  his  courage  and  resourceful- 
ness in  the  hour  of  danger.  .\s  inventor  of  valuable 
devices,  now  in  use  by  fire  fighters  the  world  over,  and 
as  a  manufacturer,  he  has  proven  the  strong  quality  of 
his  practical  business  sense  and  general  character.  In 
fact,  success  may  be  written  large  over  all  departments 
of  his  life,  but  it  is  the  success  which  follows  industry, 
energy,  and  self-denial. 

Mr.  Baker  comes  from  an  ancient  Connecticut  family 
long  settled  in  Tolland  county,  that  State.  There  his 
parents,  .Anson  and  Sarah  (Logan)  Baker,  resided  on  a 
farm,  and  in  that  county,  at  Ellington,  on  November  I, 
1830,  James  Monroe  Baker  was  born.  He  attended  a 
country  school  amid  the  Tolland  county  hills,  but  as 
soon  as  he  grew  large  enough  to  be  of  service  on  the 
farm,  his  school  months  were  reduced  to  four,  and 
these,  the  winter  period  of  the  year  when  farm  work 
was  at  a  standstill.  He  remained  on  the  farm  until 
fourteen  years  of  age,  then  left  home,  arriving  in  Prov- 
idence, R.  L,  in  184-I,  having  come  over  forty  miles  of 
the  way  on  foot.  He  did  not,  however,  remain,  and  it 
was  not  until  1850  that  he  made  Providence  his  perma- 
nent home  and  place  of  business.  His  first  work  in  the 
city  was  learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  in  1S54  he 
became  a  contractor,  continuing  as  such  until  an  attack 
of  sickness  sent  him  back  to  the  old  Connecticut  home 
in  Tolland  county.  He  soon  brought  himself  back  to 
health,  and  from  that  time  has  never  had  illness  of  any 
consequence.  In  1861  he  returned  to  Providence,  fully 
recovered,  and  in  the  Hope  Iron  Works  resumed  labor, 
becoming  a  foreman  of  the  pattern  shop  after  six 
months.  In  1868  he  again  started  business  under  his 
own  name  as  a  maker  of  furniture  and  of  patterns  used 
in  foundry  and  mill.  He  began  that  business  with  a 
partner,  Henry  M.  Howe,  operating  as  Baker  &  Howe, 
this  association  continuing  for  si.x  years,  when  Mr. 
Baker  purchased  his  partner's  interest,  and  since  1876  he 
has  conducted  the  business  under  the  firm  name,  James 
M.  Baker,  pattern  and  model  maker.  No.  114  West 
Exchange  street.  Providence.  When  he  became  sole 
owner  of  the  business,  forty-two  years  ago,  Mr.  Baker 
dropped  the  furniture  line  and  confined  himself  entirely 
to  pattern  and  model  making.  Although  at  times  his 
force  is  quite  large,  and  on  an  average  eighteen  men 
are  constantly  employed,  he  has  never  had  a  strike 
among  his  workmen,  nor  any  serious  misunderstanding. 
He  began  business  with  a  force  of  four  men,  which 
grew  as  the  reputation  of  his  shop  grew  for  patterns, 
absolutely  perfect   in  every  detail.     In  time  he  shipped 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


49 


patterns  and  models  to  firms.  North,  East,  South,  and 
West,  but  the  principal  trade  he  enjoys  conies  from  the 
states  of  Maryland,  rennsylvania.  \ew  York.  Massa- 
chusetts and  Rhode  Island.  Another  interesting  fact 
about  this  business  is  that  it  was  started  absolutely 
without  cash  capital,  Mr.  Baker's  reputation  as  a  pattern 
maker  and  as  a  man  of  sober,  industrious  habits  gain- 
ing him  sufficient  credit  to  carry  on  his  business  suc- 
cessfully from  its  very  beginning.  This  it  may  be  sur- 
mised called  for  the  closest  economy  and  self-denial, 
but  these  traits  were  strongly  developed  in  the  founder, 
and  during  these  forty-two  years  the  name  of  James 
M.  Baker  has  been  held  high  as  a  syno:;ym  for  integ- 
rity, industry,  and  quality.  He  is  still  the  active  head  of 
the  business  he  founded  and  developed  from  its  modest 
beginning,  in  iS6S,  as  Baker  &  Howe,  to  the  present 
well-established  business  which,  since  1876,  has  been 
under  his  own  name. 

Beginning  in  1850,  there  was  for  nearly  half  a  cen- 
tury another  interest  in  Mr.  Baker's  life  which  equalled 
his  business  interest  in  his  affections,  in  fact,  was  a 
business  in  itself.  This  interest  was  the  Providence 
Fire  Department,  which  he  joined  as  a  volunteer  in 
1850.  running  with  Engine  No.  9,  until  1854,  without 
pay  but  solely  from  love  of  the  excitement  and  enjoy- 
ment of  a  fireman's  duties  and  pleasures.  In  1854  he 
was  regularly  appointed  a  salaried  member  of  the 
department,  and  assigned  to  Engine  No.  4.  receiving 
for  his  services  S75  yearly,  the  department  having  the 
right  to  call  upon  him  at  any  time.  From  that  time 
until  his  retirement  in  1896,  he  was  connected  with  the 
force,  filled  every  office  in  the  volunteer  department, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  retirement  was  first  district  chief. 
For  twenty-three  years  he  served  continuously  upon 
the  Board  of  Engineers,  and  his  first  command  was  the 
captaincy  of  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  No.  3.  He 
was  a  good  fireman,  could  both  command  and  obey, 
and  when,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  he  retired  from  the 
department,  he  was  presented  by  the  fire  commissioner 
with  a  beautiful  badge,  commemorating  his  forty-five 
years  of  honorable  service. 

It  was  his  connection  with  the  Fire  Department  of 
Providence  that  taught  him  the  need  of  special  appar- 
atus, and  first  set  his  active  brain  at  work  to  solve 
some  of  the  problems  of  the  department.  One  of  these 
needs  was  apparatus  for  fighting  basement  fires.  This 
need  he  solved  by  an  invention  called  the  "cellar  pipe," 
which  is  yet  the  best  in  existence,  and  in  use  by  the 
fire  departments  of  London,  England,  and  in  all  Amer- 
ican cities.  He  also  invented  wagon  pipes  which  are  in 
use  everywhere,  one  order  for  fifty  recently  going  to 
the  Baltimore  department.  Another  of  Mr.  Baker's 
inventions  is  an  adjustable  nozzle  which  will  throw 
streams  of  three  different  sizes  and  kinds.  This  phase 
of  Mr.  Baker's  life  is  most  remarkable,  as  it  ran  side 
by  side  with  his  business  life  for  so  many  years,  neither 
apparently  affected  by  the  dual  interest  save  to  stimula- 
tion and  improvement. 

In  political  faith  Mr.  Baker  is  an  Independent  Dem- 
ocrat, but  has  never  had  even  a  slight  desire  for 
political  office,  he  valuing  his  citizenship  highly  and 
failing  in  no  duty.  He  is  not  a  member  of  any  club, 
society,  fraternity,  nor  church,  but  orders  his  lite  by 
the  Golden  Rule,  wrongs  no  man,  and  always  "lends  a 

R  1-2-4 


hand"  wherever  he  can.  His  one  organization  member- 
ship is  with  the  Providence  Veteran  Firemen's  .Vsso- 
ciation,  that  membership  being  highly  valued. 

Mr.  Baker  married,  .^pril  2,  1853,  Julia  Sheppard,  of 
Pawtuckct,  R.  I.,  who  died  in  1910.    He  has  no  children. 


FRED  LEE  SMITH,  D.  D.  S.— Son  of  one  of  the 
eminent  surgeons  of  the  Civil  War,  Dr.  Norman  Smith, 
whose  service  began  with  the  famous  Sixth  Massachu- 
setts Regiment  in  its  memorable  passage  through  Balti- 
more in  1861,  Dr.  Fred  Lee  Smith  in  selecting  his  life 
work  chose  a  profession  closely  akin,  and  since  1899 
has  practiced  dentistry  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  his  offices 
at  No.  51  Broad  street.  Dr.  Norman  Smith,  a  graduate 
physician  and  surgeon  of  Groton,  Mass.,  enlisted  in 
the  earliest  period  of  the  Civil  War,  and  went  to  the 
front  with  the  Sixth  Massachusetts  Regiment  as  sur- 
geon. He  was  with  the  regiment  when  attacked  by  the 
mob  in  Baltimore,  who  were  determined  to  prevent 
the  regiments  from  passing  through  to  Washington,  and 
then  saw  two  years  of  hard  service  in  Virginia.  Mary- 
land, and  West  Virginia.  He  was  remarkably  success- 
ful in  his  treatment  of  wounded  and  sick  soldiers,  and 
until  his  term  expired  remained  in  the  field  in  close 
attendance  upon  all  duties  devolving  upon  him  After 
the  war  he  returned  to  private  practice  and  was  one  of 
the  eminent  men  of  his  profession.  He  was  prominent 
in  Grand  .\rmy  of  the  Republic  activities,  a  Free  Mason 
of  high  degree,  also  was  a  leading  member  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Dr.  Norman  Smith 
married  Mary  J.  King,  they  both  deceased. 

Fred  Lee  Smith,  son  of  Dr.  Norman  and  Mary  J. 
(King)  Smith,  was  born  in  Groton,  Mass.,  February 
26,  1871.  After  public  school  courses  he  entered  Law- 
rence (Mass.)  Academy,  whence  he  was  graduated  in 
1891,  going  thence  to  Harvard  School  of  Dentistry,  but 
his  father's  death  caused  his  course  at  Harvard  to  end 
with  his  second  year  there.  After  leaving  dental  col- 
lege he  spent  two  years  under  the  famed  dental  sur- 
geon, Dr.  Justus  Osgood,  of  Boston,  then  for  five  years 
was  associated  with  the  eminent  Dr.  Stewart,  of  New 
York  City.  With  this  preparation.  Dr.  Smith  came  to 
Rhode  Island  in  1899,  locating  in  Providence,  having 
occupied  his  present  office.  No.  51  Broad  street,  since 
1905.  He  is  registered  in  both  Rhode  Island  and  New 
York,  has  a  large  private  practice,  and  for  si.x  years 
was  dental  surgeon  to  the  Providence  Emergency  Hos- 
pital. He  is  a  member  of  the  City  and  State  Dental 
societies,  and  of  the  Congregational  church.  He  is  de- 
voted to  his  profession,  and  when  freed  from  its  cares 
can  always  be  found  at  his  home,  he  having  no  lodge 
nor  club  affiliation. 

Dr.  Smith  married,  February  II,  l8')2,  Sadie  Carney, 
of  Boston,  they  the  parents  of  three  sons:  I.  Fred  Lee, 
Jr.,  born  July  18.  1893;  a  graduate  of  Brown  Univer- 
sity; now  serving  as  lieutenant  in  the  Aviation  Corps, 
United  States  Army.  2.  Howard  Carlton,  born  Aug.  2, 
1896;  a  graduate  of  Providence  High  School,  now  a 
student  at  Tufts  Dental  College,  Boston;  he  has  volun- 
teered for  service  in  the  Naval  Hospital  Reserve  Com- 
pany, but  on  account  of  his  youth  will  most  likely  be 
allowed  to  complete  his  dental  course  before  being  called 
to  the  colors.    3.  Norman  Carney,  born  March  5,  191 1. 


50 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


EVERETT   LEWIS  WALLING— As   one   of  the 

leading  members  of  the  Providence  bar,  and  widely 
known  as  a  specialist  in  corporation  law.  Mr.  Walling 
requires  no  introduction  to  his  fellow-citizens.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  local 
and  State  politics. 

Martin  Van  Walling,  father  of  Everett  Lewis  Walling, 
was  a  woolen  manufacturer  of  Millbury,  Mass.  He 
married  Carrie  Metcalf,  a  member  of  one  of  the  most 
ancient  and  distinguished  families  of  New  England. 
Michael  Metcalf,  founder  of  the  American  branch,  was 
born  in  1586,  in  the  County  of  Norfolk,  England,  and 
in  1637,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  children,  emi- 
grated to  the  province  of  Massachusetts,  settling  at 
Dedham.  Early  in  the  eighteenth  century  a  branch  of 
the  family  was  transplanted  to  Fihode  Island,  where 
the  name  has  ever  since  been  continuously  represented. 
The  descendants  of  Michael  Metcalf,  wherever  found, 
have  been  useful  citizens,  of  good  social  standing,  and 
in  not  a  few  instances  earning  distinction  in  various 
walks  of  life.  Martin  \'an  Walling  and  his  wife  are 
now  both  deceased.  Mr.  Walling  was  a  business  man 
of  irreproachable  character,  and  both  were  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

Everett  Lewis  Walling,  son  of  Martin  Van  and  Carrie 
(Metcalf)  Walling,  was  born  April  25,  1875,  in  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  and  attended  the  public  schools  of  Woon- 
socket,  and  the  English  and  Classical  School  in  Provi- 
dence, graduating  in  1892  from  the  latter.  The  same 
year  he  entered  Brown  University,  and  in  1896  received 
from  that  institution  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
His  professional  training  came  next  and  was  obtained 
at  the  Harvard  Law  School  which  conferred  upon  him, 
in  1899,  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  Within  ten 
days  from  his  last  graduation  Mr.  Walling  entered  the 
law  office  of  the  late  Charles  P.  Robinson,  where  he 
remained  two  years,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
January,  1900.  In  1901  Mr.  Walling  entered  upon  the 
independent  practice  of  his  profession  in  which,  during 
the  years  that  have  since  elapsed,  he  has  been  actively 
and  continuously  engaged.  Over  and  above  his  large 
general  practice  he  makes  a  specialty  of  corporation 
law,  and  at  the  present  time  holds  the  position  of  attor- 
ney for  many  corporations  of  considerable  magnitude. 
After  practising  alone  for  a  number  of  years  he  received 
into  partnership  his  nephew,  Lester  S.  Walling,  the 
style  of  the  firm  being  Walling  &  Walling,  and  the 
connection  being  maintained  to  the  present  time. 

As  a  staunch  adherent  of  the  Republican  party  Mr. 
Walling  has,  for  a  considerable  period,  been  an  active 
participant  in  public  affairs,  always,  however,  giving 
precedence  to  his  professional  obligations.  He  has 
served  for  several  years  as  town  solicitor  of  North 
Smithfield,  R.  I.,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican State  Central  Committee,  also  holding  the  office 
of  commissioner  of  birds  for  Rhode  Island.  The  vari- 
ous organizations  in  which  Mr.  Walling  is  enrolled  are 
numerous  and  indicative  of  his  predominant  tastes  and 
characteristics.  He  affiliates  with  the  following  Masonic 
orders:  Blue  Chapter,  Council.  Commandery  and 
Shrine;  also  belonging  to  the  Junior  Order  of  United 
American  Mechanics,  and  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  and 
Delta  Phi  fraternities.  These  show  him  to  be  a  man  of 
social    nature    and    companionable    disposition,    but    his 


supreme  preference  is  for  life  in  the  open  and  he  is 
entitled  to  the  distinction  of  having  been  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  Rhode  Island  Fish  and  Game  Protective 
Association.  He  is  ex-president  of  the  New  England 
Fair  Club  and  the  Ironston  Country  Club.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Walling  married,  October  I,  1902,  Annie  Wood 
Marshall,  of  Millville,  Mass.,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  one  child,  Metcalf,  born  December  22,  1908.  The 
home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walling  is  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive in  North  Smithfield,  and  is  a  center  of  gracious 
hospitality  dispensed  by  a  host  and  hostess  who  delight 
to  gather  their  friends  around  their  fireside. 

Everett  Lewis  Walling  is  in  the  eighteenth  year  of 
his  practice  at  the  bar,  and  his  record  indicates  that, 
being  now  in  the  prime  of  life,  he  has  before  him  a 
quarter  of  a  century  filled  with  activities  even  more 
fruitful  than  those  of  the  past. 


WILLIAM  HOWARD  SPAULDING.  one  of  the 

successful  business  men  of  Saylesville,  where  he  is  the 
proprietor  of  a  large  steam  heating  and  plumbing  estab- 
lishment, is  a  native  of  Central  Falls  in  this  State,  his 
birth  occurring  June  2,  1882.  Mr.  Spaulding  is  a  son 
of  William  Whipple  and  Martha  (Jollie)  Spaulding, 
both  of  whom  are  deceased. 

William  Howard  Spaulding  was  but  eleven  years  of 
age  when  his  father  died.  His  education  was  received 
at  the  local  public  schools,  and  he  attended  the  grammar 
grades,  and  for  a  short  time  the  Central  Falls  High 
School.  The  circumstances  of  his  family  were  such, 
however,  that  it  became  necessary  for  him  while  still 
little  more  than  a  lad  to  engage  in  some  remunerative 
occupation,  and  accordingly  he  entered  a  plumbing  estab- 
lishment in  Pawtucket,  where  he  learned  that  trade.  He 
remained  with  that  concern  for  some  years  and  com- 
pleted his  apprenticeship,  after  which  he  worked  for 
five  different  large  plumbing  firms  in  Pawtucket  during 
a  number  of  years.  He  was  of  an  exceedingly  ambi- 
tious disposition  and  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  engage 
in  business  on  his  own  account,  so  that  with  com- 
mendable economy  he  saved  a  large  portion  of  his 
earnings,  and  in  1908  opened  his  present  establishment 
in  the  town  of  Saylesville.  Here  he  has  a  large  and 
commodious  shop,  to  which  is  attached  a  garage  with 
accommodation  for  two  cars  and  trucks.  Mr.  Spauld- 
ing has  prospered  highly  in  his  enterprise,  and  during 
the  ten  years  in  which  he  has  been  engaged  in  business 
here  has  done  many  of  the  largest  plumbing  jobs  in  the 
town.  Among  these  should  be  mentioned  the  Manville 
schools,  the  Saylesville  schools,  the  Lonsdale  schools, 
the  Baptist  church  of  Lonsdale,  and  many  of  the  fine 
residences  in  Lincoln  township,  where  Saylesville  is 
situated.  He  has  also  filled  most  of  the  large  contracts 
for  the  Sayles  Finishing  Plants,  a  very  large  concern 
which  employs  nearly  three  thousand  hands.  At  the 
time  that  he  started  in  business,  Mr.  Spaulding  de- 
pended upon  his  own  work  to  complete  his  job,  together 
with  that  of  a  single  helper,  but  he  now  employs  on  an 
average  of  twelve  men  and  his  business  is  still  in 
process  of  development.  He  is  a  man  of  progressive 
ideas  and  has  been  prompt  to  seize  every  opportunity 
which  has  offered  itself  to  him.  His  beautiful  house 
is    situated   adjacent    to  his   plant,   on   a    large   plot   of 


C>^,.^^^,sjUUC   <^  .\\Jo^SJL.^^^ 


3- 


4   /U  a^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


51 


ground  owned  by  him.  in  one  of  the  most  attractive 
locations  in  the  town.  While  Mr.  Spaulding  is  not  a 
formal  member  of  any  church,  he  attends  the  Sayles 
Memorial  Episcopal  Chapel,  and  is  active  and  liberal 
in  his  support  thereof.  He  is  also  prominent  in  fraternal 
and  social  circles  here,  and  is  a  member  of  Unity  Lodge, 
No.  34,  .Ancient  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons ;  Pawtucket 
Chapter,  Royal  .Arch  Masons ;  Pawtucket  Council, 
Royal  and  Select  Masters;  Holy  Sepulchre  Conimand- 
ery,  Knights  Templar;  and  Palestine  Temple,  No.  2, 
Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 
Besides  these  Masonic  bodies  he  is  also  affiliated  with 
the  National  Master  Plumbers  Association,  and  with  the 
local  lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Mr.  Spaulding 
has  not  identified  himself  with  any  political  party  in 
the  community,  but  is  an  independent  voter,  depending 
entirely  upon  his  own  judgment  in  his  selection  of  can- 
didates and  quite  uninfluenced  by  partisan  consider- 
ation. 

William  Howard  Spaulding  was  united  in  marriage, 
October  28,  1908,  at  Providence,  with  Marion  E.  .Mien, 
of  Providence,  a  daughter  of  Edward  and  Susan 
(Southwick)  Allen,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
of  that  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding  are  the  parents 
of  three  children,  as  follows :  Barbara  Southwick,  now 
a  pupil  in  the  Saylesville  grammar  school ;  William 
Howard,  Jr.,  and  Richard  Morton. 


WILLIAM  SYLVANUS  HINCKS,  M.  D.— When 
Dr.  Hincks  decided  to  embrace  the  profession  of  medi- 
cine he  but  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his  honored 
father.  Dr.  Ezekiel  Franklin  Hincks,  a  graduate  of  New 
York  College  of  Homoeopathy,  whose  professional  life 
was  mainly  passed  in  Marlborough,  Mass.  Both  he  and 
his  wife,  Martha  J.  (.Armstrong)  Hincks,  are  deceased. 

William  S.  Hincks  was  born  in  Foxboro,  Mass., 
December  14,  1861.  He  was  educated  in  Marlborough 
public  schools  and  Wilburhaven  .Academy,  going  thence 
to  the  medical  department  of  Boston  University,  but 
prior  to  graduation  he  decided  to  change  his  school  of 
medicine.  He  then  entered  the  New  York  College  of 
HotTKropathy,  and  in  1884  was  graduated,  the  second 
Dr.  Hincks  to  be  graduated  from  that  institution, 
father  and  son.  For  sixteen  years  he  practiced  in 
Massachusetts  as  a  general  practitioner,  and  in  1900 
located  in  Providence,  where  he  is  well-established  in 
lucrative  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  Old  South 
Universalist  Church,  Worcester,  Mass.,  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  and  an  Independent  voter. 

Dr.  Hincks  married,  July  29,  1884,  Elizabeth  Nellie 
Robinson,  of  Templeton,  Mass.  They  are  the  parents 
of  six  children:  Ruth;  Willis,  married  Pearl  Picard; 
Edwin,  married  Ailine  Schomachcr;  Beatrice,  married 
Roy  Stimpson,  of  Providence,  and  has  a  daughter, 
Muriel  Ruth  Stimpson ;  Harvey ;  and  Muriel.  The 
family  home  is  at  No.  37  Maple  street,  Riverside. 


EDWARD  J.  YALE — When  a  young  man  in  his 
nineteenth  year,  Mr.  Vale  came  to  Providence,  R.  I., 
from  his  native  Canada,  without  any  knowledge  of  the 
business  in  which  he  has  been  so  successful,  in  fact  he 
could  not  speak  the  English  language.  But  he  possessed 
the  inborn  skill  of  a  mechanic,  and  when  his  talent  was 


diverted  to  its  proper  channel  his  progress  was  rapid. 
He  has  risen  to  a  leading  position  among  jewelry  manu- 
facturers, as  president  of  the  Yale  Jewelry  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  and  the  inventor  of  machines  and  devices 
which  are  used  in  jewelry  making,  many  such  being  in 
use  in  the  plant  he  has  developed  as  a  part  of  his 
business. 

From  ancient  Wales  came  the  ancestors  of  this  fam- 
ily, the  original  form  of  the  name  lal  or  Yal,  the  first 
records  being  found  in  Commate  Hundred  or  the  Dis- 
trict of  Yale  in  Powys.  Fadog,  Wales.  The  original  an- 
cestor was  Osborn  Fitz  Gerald  (Osbyn  Wyddell)  of 
the  County  of  Meriweth,  Wales.  One  of  his  descend- 
ants, Ellis  ap  Griffith,  married  Margaret,  the  heiress  of 
Plas  yn  Yale,  of  the  lordship  of  Bromfield  and  Yale, 
the  marriage  joining  the  estates  of  Plass  and  Yale. 
Descendants  of  this  marriage  later  adopted  Yale  as  the 
family  surname,  the  name  and  estates  following  the 
paternal  side.  Dr.  Thomas  Yale,  who  died  in  1577, 
was  chancellor  under  Matthew  Burke.  .Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  and  a  grandson  of  Ellis  ap  Griffith,  and  his 
wife.  Margaret.  Chancellor  Yale  was  one  of  the  first 
to  definitely  assume  the  surname  "Yale,"  and  his 
nephews,  Thomas  and  Dr.  David  Yale,  were  the  an- 
cestors of  the  Yales  of  Plas  yn  Yale  and  of  Plas 
Gromo.  But  back  beyond  this  Welsh  history  there  is 
Italian,  Norman  and  English  blood,  the  family  being  one 
of  great  antiquity,  the  Yale  genealogy  going  in  direct 
male  line  to  Dominus  Otho,  the  Florentine  Noble,  who 
came  to  England  in  1057,  nine  years  before  the  Norman 
Conquest.  On  the  paternal  side  descent  is  traced  to 
Cuenda,  the  first  ruler  of  the  Cymric  Nation,  who 
flourished  about  the  year  415,  A.  D.  The  arms  of  the 
Yale  family  are  almost  as  ancient  as  heraldry  itself,  and 
are  as  follows : 

Arms — Ermine  a  saltlre  gule.s. 

Crest — A  mount  vert  thereon,  a  boar  azure,  within  a 
net  or,  in   the  mouth  an  acorn  slipped  proper. 

In  New  England  the  family  traces  to  Thomas  Yale, 
who  came  to  .America  in  1637,  settled  in  New  Haven, 
filled  many  public  positions  of  trust,  and  became  one  of 
the  principal  men  of  the  colony.  This  Thomas  was 
the  son  of  Thomas  Yale,  the  eldest  son  of  David  Yale, 
D.  C.  L.,  Chancellor  of  Chester,  England,  who  lived 
at  Chester  and  Plas  Gromo,  the  Yale  estate  near  Wrex- 
ham, Wales. 

David  Yale,  who  was  also  a  son  of  Thomas  Yale, 
and  grandson  of  Chancellor  Yale,  was  born  at  Plas 
Gromo,  Wales,  and  came  to  Connecticut  with  his 
mother,  and  stepfather,  Theophilus  Eaton,  and  in  1638 
settled  in  New  Haven.  This  David  Yale  married,  one 
of  his  children  being  Elihu  Yale,  born  May  16.  1640,  a 
generous  friend  of  the  Collegiate  School  at  New 
Haven.  He  went  to  India  about  1670,  to  seek  his  for- 
tune, entered  the  service  of  the  East  India  Company, 
and  rose  rapidly  tlierein,  and  was  governor  of  the  main 
British  settlement  at  Madras,  1687-1692.  He  married 
a  native  lady,  who  bore  him  three  daughters,  and  in 
1699  he  returned  to  England  with  a  "prodigious  estate" 
and  a  vast  quantity  of  native  fabrics.  Having  no  son, 
he  sent  to  Connecticut  for  a  relative,  to  make  his  heir. 
Jeremiah  Drummer  then  tried  to  interest  him  in  the 
school  at  Saybrook,  and   in   1715  he,  with  others,  sent 


52 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


books.  In  January,  i;i8,  Cotton  Mather  wrote  him 
from  Boston  in  behalf  of  a  "college  without  a  colleg- 
ian's way  of  living."  and  in  his  letter  made  this  sugges- 
tion:  "If  what  is  forming  at  New  Haven  might  wear 
the  name  of  Yale  College,  it  would  be  better  than  a 
name  of  sons  and  daughters."  In  response  to  this  letter 
a  valuable  shipment  of  presents  "for  the  benefit  of  the 
Collegiate  School  at  New  Haven"  arrived  in  August, 
1718.  These  presents  from  Elihu  Yale  consisted  of 
rare  books,  a  portrait  of  George  I.,  and  a  quantity  of 
goods  from  the  East  Indies,  which  sold  in  Boston  for 
£562.  This  amount  went  toward  the  expense  of  the 
building  erected  in  1717-18,  at  New  Haven,  which  forth- 
with was  called  "Yale  College,"  a  name  officially  con- 
ferred in  1745.  Two  or  three  years  later  he  sent  a  small 
sum  which  covered  one-fifth  the  costs  of  the  rector's 
house,  finished  in  1722.  He  was  a  fellow  of  the  Royal 
Society,  and  governor  of  the  East  India  Company.  His 
tomb  in  Wrexham,  Denbigshire,  Wales,  bears  these 
lines:  "Born  in  America,  in  Europe  bred,  in  Africa 
traveled,  and  in  Asia  wed."  While  he  could  have  re- 
tained no  recollection  of  the  land  of  his  birth,  his  mem- 
ory is  associated  with  one  of  its  finest  institutions  of 
learning.  He  purchased  the  honor  cheaply  it  would 
seem  now,  but  his  gifts  were  of  real  value  in  that  day 
of  small  beginnings,  and  aided  to  settle  the  vexed  ques- 
tion of  location.  A  copy  of  his  portrait,  presented  by 
his  past  descendant  in  1789,  is  preserved  by  the  college. 
He  died  in  England,  July  8,  1721. 

The  line  of  descent  from  Thomas  Yale,  the  founder 
of  this  branch,  who  came  in  1637,  'S  through  his  son, 
Captain  Thomas  Yale,  of  New  Haven,  one  of  the  agi- 
tators for  a  settlement  at  Wallingford,  Conn.,  and  later 
one  of  the  little  band  of  settlers  who  founded  that 
town.  Captain  Yale  resided  in  Wallingford  until  his 
death,  January  26,  1736.  His  son,  Captain  Theophilus 
Yale,  of  Wallingford,  Conn.,  was  a  magistrate  of  the 
town  from  1724  until  his  death,  September  13,  1760,  and 
also  filled  other  important  trusts  conferred  upon  him 
by  his  fellow-townsmen.  The  line  of  descent  from 
Captain  Theophilus  Yale  is  through  his  son,  Theophilus 

(2)  Yale,  of  Wallingford.  Conn.;  his  son,  Theophilus 

(3)  Yale,  of  St.  Andrew's,  New  Brunswick,  Canada;  his 
son,  Miles  Yale,  of  Vercheres,  Quebec,  Canada;  his  son, 
Sylvester  Yale;  his  son,  Edward  J.  Yale,  president  of  the 
Yale  Jewelry  Manufacturing  Company,  Providence,  R.  I. 

Sylvester  Yale  was  born  at  Berthierville,  a  banking 
river  port  of  the  province  of  Quebec,  the  chief  town 
of  Berthier  county,  on  the  north  shore  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  river,  forty-five  miles  from  Montreal,  died 
July  6,  1880,  a  farmer.  He  married,  in  May,  1851, 
Emilie  Gagnon,  of  Montreal,  they  the  parents  of  :  James, 
of  Montreal;  William,  deceased,  March,  1917;  Melina, 
the  wife  of  Edouard  Rinquite,  of  Mont  Laurier,  Can- 
ada ;  Philomene,  married  Raoul  Geneveux,  now  resid- 
ing in  Alberta,  Canada;  Edward  J.,  of  further  mention; 
Emile,  formerly  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  died  in  Montreal, 
April,  1913;  and  Mary,  the  wife  of  Emile  Bourassa,  of 
Montreal,  Canada. 

Edward  J.  Yale  was  born  November  15,  1868,  in 
Montreal,  Canada,  and  there  spent  the  first  nineteen 
years  of  his  life.  He  was  doubly  orphaned  when  a  child, 
but  obtained  a  common  school  education,  and  was  well 
cared  for.    In  1887  he  came  to  Providence,  and  upon  his 


arrival  found  work  with  a  house-mover,  who  paid  him 
$1.10  per  day  for  a  time.  He  then  secured  employment 
at  the  .\tlantic  Mil!  doing  general  work,  later  going 
with  the  Langelier  Machinery  Company,  there  contin- 
uing ten  years,  learning  the  jewelry  manufacturing 
business  from  every  angle,  and  becoming  an  expert 
workman.  He  advanced  to  a  good  position  with  the 
Langelier  Company,  but  at  the  end  of  ten  years'  service 
left  that  employ  to  become  head  tool-maker  for  the 
T.  I.  Smith  Jewelry  Company.  There  he  designed  and 
further  developed  jewelry  machinery,  one  of  his  original 
inventions  being  a  machine  for  making  collar  buttons. 
In  1908  he  incorporated  the  Yale  Jewelry  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  Edward  J.  Yale,  president;  F.  A.  Ballou, 
treasurer;  E.  C.  Lakey,  secretary.  The  business  of  the 
Yale  Company  is  the  manufacture  of  jeweln'  for  men, 
and  in  their  particular  field  have  been  very  successful. 
Mr.  Yale  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  and  a  member  of  St.  Joseph's  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church. 

Mr.  Yale  married,  October  27,  1893,  Octavia  Duffiney, 
also  born  in  Canada,  but  brought  in  childhood  to  Prov- 
idence. They  are  the  parents  of  two  children:  Armand 
E.,  a  graduate  of  Pawtucket  High  School,  class  of  1913, 
and  of  Worcester  Institute  of  Technology,  having  com- 
pleted a  full  course  in  electrical  engineering,  now  an 
employee  of  the  American  Telegraph  &  Telephone  Com- 
pany, at  Philadelphia;  Loretta,  a  graduate  of  Paw- 
tucket High  School,  class  of  1913,  and  of  Rhode  Island 
School  of  Design,  class  of  1917,  and  now  (1918)  taking 
a  post-graduate  course  at  the  last-named  institution. 


PHILIP  CHARLES  JOSLIN— In  1908  the  law 
firm  of  Hahn  &  Joslin  was  organized  in  Providence,  the 
junior  member,  Philip  C.  Joslin,  a  recently  created 
LL.  B.,  of  Georgetown  University  Law  School.  Ten 
years  have  since  intervened,  the  firm  now  being  well- 
established  among  the  able  and  reliable  law  firms  of  the 
city.  Mr.  Joslin  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Jennie  (Di- 
mond)  Joslin,  of  New  York  City,  but  since  1890,  resi- 
dents of  Providence. 

Philip  Charles  Joslin  was  born  in  New  York  City, 
March  8,  1886,  his  parents  moving  to  Providence.  R.  I., 
in  1890.  He  passed  all  the  grades,  attended  until  1904 
Hope  Street  High  School,  spent  a  year  in  special  study, 
and  in  1905  entered  the  law  department  of  George- 
town University,  Washington,  D.  C.  Three  years  later, 
in  the  class  of  igo8,  he  was  graduated  LL.  B.,  and  the 
same  year  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  He 
at  once  formed  the  partnership  of  Hahn  &  Joslin,  which 
yet  exists,  that  firm  being  counsel  for  several  large 
corporations,  and  serving  an  influential  private  clien- 
tele. Mr.  Joslin  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Bar 
-Association,  and  a  lawyer  of  learning,  ability,  and  skill. 

A  Republican  in  party  faith,  he  has  long  been  an 
active  party  worker  and  official,  serving  on  the  Provi- 
dence School  Committee  in  1912-14,  and  representative 
to  the  State  Legislature  from  the  fourth  district,  1915- 
16,  reelected  and  serving  1917-18.  During  his  first 
term  he  was  appointed  to  the  committee  on  militia,  and 
during  his  second  term  served  on  the  corporations  and 
rules  and  order  committees.  He  is  greatly  interested 
in  the  various  charitable  and  educational  Hebrew  asso- 
ciations, and  active  in  their  management.    He  is  a  direc- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


53 


tor  of  the  Jewish  Orphanage  of  Providence;  director 
of  the  Zionist  Association  of  Rhode  Island;  president 
of  the  Hebrew  Educational  Institute;  president  of 
Georgetown  University  Alumni  Association  of  Rhode 
Island;  past  grand  chancellor  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Rhode  Island,  Knights  of  Pythias;  member  of  Red- 
wood Lodge,  No.  35.  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons;  Providence  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
What  Cheer  Lodge,  No.  24,  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Mr.  Joslin  married  at  Worcester,  Mass..  March  18, 
1913,  Dorothy  .\isenberg,  of  Worcester.  They  are  the 
parents  of  two  sons,  Alfred  Hahn,  born  January  29, 
1914;  and  Berrick  Lloyd,  born  April  20,  iyi8. 


FRANK  HOWARD  ARNOLD,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  Warwick,  K.  I.,  where  he  is  proprietor 
of  the  Warwick  Coal  Company,  and  a  man  of  large 
influence  in  the  community,  was  born  at  East  Green- 
wich, in  this  State,  January  22,  1848.  Mr.  .Arnold  is 
a  member  of  an  old  and  distinguished  family  of  New 
England,  which  was  founded  here  in  the  early  Colonial 
period. 

(I)  Thomas  Arnold,  the  first  ancestor  of  this  family 
to  whom  we  can  directly  trace,  was  a  native  of  Dorset- 
shire, England,  where  he  was  born  in  the  year  1599,  at 
Cheselbourne.  He  married  (second)  Phebe  Parkhurst, 
daughter  of  George  and  Susannah  Parkhurst,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Thomas, 
Nicholas,  Susannah,  Ichabod,  Richard,  Thomas,  John, 
Eleazcr,  who  is  mentioned  below ;  and  Elizabeth. 

(II)  Elcazer  Arnold,  son  of  Thomas  and  Phebe 
(Parkhurst)  Arnold,  was  born  June  17,  1651,  and  re- 
sided at  Providence  during  his  entire  life.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Town  Council  there  in  1 684-85,  was 
deputy  in  1686,  1700-03-06-07-11-15,  and  justice  of  the 
peace  in  1705.  He  was  a  very  prominent  member  of 
the  community,  and  died  there,  August  29,  1722.  He 
married  Eleanor  Smith,  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth Smith,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Phebe,  Elizabeth,  Eleazer,  Jr.,  Joseph,  who  is 
mentioned  below;  John,  Jeremiah,  Eleanor,  Mary,  Abi- 
gail, and  Deborah. 

(III)  Joseph  Arnold,  son  of  Eleazer  and  Eleanor 
(Smith)  Arnold,  was  born  September  21,  1694,  at  Prov- 
idence. He  lived  in  that  city  during  the  major  portion 
of  his  life,  but  afterwards  removed  to  Smithfield,  R.  I., 
where  his  death  occurred  November  4,  1746.  He  mar- 
ried Mercy  Statford,  born  September  21,  1694,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Amos  and  Mary  (Burlingame)  StatTord,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Eleazer, 
Joseph,  Benjamin,  Amos,  Elizabeth,  Caleb,  Deborah, 
Joshua,  Nathan,  Stukeley,  Mercy,  and  Samuel,  who  is 
mentioned  below. 

(IV)  Samuel  .Arnold,  son  of  Joseph  and  Mercy 
(Stafford)  Arnold,  was  bom  July  12,  1736,  at  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  and  married,  November  10,  1757,  Elizabeth 
Arnold,  by  whom  he  had  the  following  children  :  Ben- 
jamin, who  is  mentioned  below;  John,  Abigail,  Anna, 
Richard,  Samuel,  Elizabeth,  Mercy,  and  Jonathan. 

(V)  Benjamin  Arnold,  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
(Arnold)  Arnold,  was  born  March  4,  1758,  and  married 
(first)  April  5,  1785,  Isabel  Greene,  born  June  18. 
1764,   a  daughter   of    Paul   Greene,   cousin   of   General 


Nathaniel  Greene,  of  Potowomut,  R.  I.,  and  his  wife 
Sarah  (Hall)  Greene,  a  native  of  East  Greenwich,  in 
this  place.  Mrs.  Arnold  was  a  descendant  of  Surgeon 
John  Greene,  of  Salisbury,  England,  who  became  one 
of  the  prominent  settlers  of  Providence  Plantations. 
Her  death  occurred  April  8,  1790,  and  Mr.  Arnold  mar- 
ried (second)  June  5,  1793.  Rachel  Harris,  a  daughter 
of  David  Harris.  Mr.  .Arnold's  children  by  his  first 
wife  were  as  follows:  Hannah  Greene,  born  June  22, 
1786,  and  Aza,  who  is  mentioned  below.  His  children  by 
his  second  marriage  were:  Thomas,  Rachel.  Isabella, 
and  Eliza.  Benjamin  .Arnold,  during  the  latter  part  of 
his  life,  became  a  resident  of  Stamford,  N.  Y. 

(VI)  .Aza  Arnold,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Isabel 
(Greene)  Arnold,  was  born  November  4,  1788,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Pawtucket,  in  the  town  of  Smithfield,  R.  I. 
.As  a  young  man  he  became  associated  with  the  Messrs. 
Slaters,  in  the  mill  business,  and  manufactured  cotton 
and  woolen  machinery.  He  afterwards  built  and  oper- 
ated a  mill  at  Great  Falls,  N.  H.,  and  was  engaged  in 
numerous  industrial  enterprises.  He  established  at 
East  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  a  machine  shop,  where  he  and 
his  sons  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  machin- 
ery. Mr.  Arnold  was  an  inventor  of  much  ability,  and 
did  much  to  perfect  the  designs  of  the  machinery  which 
he  manufactured  and  which  was  used  extensively 
throughout  this  part  of  the  world  in  the  manufacture 
of  cotton  and  woolen  goods.  Among  other  devices  he 
invented  and  perfected  a  compound  motion  for  speed- 
ers, and  also  a  machine  for  the  manufacture  of  files. 
Later  in  life  he  removed  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  there 
became  connected  with  a  concern  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  print  goods.  Finally,  upon  his  retirement, 
he  went  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  made  his 
home,  and  where  his  death  occurred  in  1865,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-seven  years.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr. 
Arnold  was  a  Friend,  and  was  buried  in  the  Old 
Friends'  Cemetery,  at  Washington.  He  was  honored 
highly  on  account  of  his  integrity,  and  enjoyed  a  repu- 
tation second  to  none  in  the  community  for  honest  and 
square  dealing.  Mr.  Arnold  married,  at  Portsmouth, 
R.  I.,  Abigail  Dennis,  a  native  of  that  town,  and  a 
member  of  one  of  the  oldest  Quaker  families  in  the 
State.  Mrs.  Arnold  survived  her  husband  and  continued 
to  make  her  home  at  Washington  after  his  death  She 
died  at  East  Orange,  N.  J.,  while  on  a  visit  to  one  of 
her  children,  and  was  buried  at  East  Greenwich,  R.  I. 
.Aza  Arnold  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  1.  Mary,  who  died  unmarried.  2. 
Harriett,  who  became  the  wife  of  Asa  Shove,  of  East 
Orange,  N.  J.,  where  she  died.  3.  William  Dennis,  who 
went  to  Florida,  where  his  death  occurred.  4.  Benja- 
min, who  is  mentioned  below.  5.  James  Greene,  who 
died  at  Worcester,  Mass.  6.  Samuel  Aza,  who  died  in 
Worcester.  7.  Elizabeth,  who  died  at  Washington. 
D.  C,  in  1861.  8.  Sarah  Greene,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Charles  Houghton,  of  New  York,  and  died  in  1880. 
9.  Edward  Greene,  a  civil  engineer,  who  married  Rosa 
Redding,  and  died  at  Hoboken,  N.  J. 

(VII)  Benjamin  Arnold,  son  of  Aza  and  .Abigail 
(Dennis)  Arnold,  was  born  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  Octo- 
ber 4,  1822.  He  was  only  a  small  child  when  his 
parents  removed  from  that  place  to  Potowomut,  War- 
wick.    He  enjoyed  very  little  schooling,  and  as  a  lad 


54 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


entered  his  father's  machine  shop,  where  he  learned  the 
machinist's  trade  and  worked  at  this  craft  as  a  young 
man.  He  afterwards  became  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  cotton  machinery  at  East  Greenwich,  in 
partnership  with  his  father,  and  was  very  successful  in 
this  line  of  business.  He  inherited  from  his  father  the 
latter's  remarkable  inventive  ability  and  among  the 
devices  originated  by  him  was  a  machine  for  the  manu- 
facture of  seines  and  fish  nets.  He  also  perfected  a 
compound  gear-pulley,  for  which  he  received  a  medal 
at  the  Franklin  Exposition,  held  at  Philadelphia.  He 
was  keenly  interested  in  the  subject  of  patent  rights, 
and  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  devoted  himself 
exclusively  to  that  business.  He  established,  at  Provi- 
dence, an  office  to  deal  with  his  business  in  this  line, 
and  in  course  of  time  became  one  of  the  leading  patent 
attorneys  of  the  State.  Mr.  Arnold  died  at  his  home  in 
East  Greenwich,  in  1902,  when  eighty  years  of  age,  and 
was  buried  in  the  East  Greenwich  Cemetery.  He 
erected  a  fine  brick  dwelling  at  East  Greenwich  (or 
Cowesett)  as  it  was  then  called,  and  imported  the  brick 
for  this  structure  all  the  way  from  Philadelphia.  His 
home  was  the  only  one  constructed  of  this  material  in 
that  part  of  the  State.  Benjamin  Arnold  was  a  man  of 
broad  mind  and  wide  culture,  and  during  his  entire  life 
was  a  great  reader,  it  being  one  of  his  greatest  pleasures 
to  read  scientific  works,  chiefly  those  on  botany  and 
chemistry.  He  also  kept  himself  well  abreast  of  the 
leading  questions  of  the  day,  and  took  much  interest  in 
public  affairs.  He  was  a  great  lover  of  nature,  espec- 
ially the  woods  and  flowers,  and  spent  as  much  of  his 
spare  time  as  possible  out  of  doors.  He  was  a  birth- 
right member  of  the  Society  of  Friends  and,  in  poli- 
tics, a  Republican.  He  was  not,  however,  interested 
especially  in  politics  in  the  usual  acceptation  of  that 
term,  and  was  consistent  in  his  refusal  to  run  for  public 
oflice  of  any  kind.  While  living  at  Warwick  he  was 
married  to  Sarah  Congdon,  a  daughter  of  Gideon  and 
Eliza  (Reynolds)  Congdon.  Mrs.  Arnold  died  at 
Mount  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  in  1883,  and  was  buried  in  the 
East  Greenwich  Cemetery.  Benjamin  Arnold  and  his 
wife  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  James 
Edmond,  born  in  1846,  a  resident  of  East  Greenwich; 
Frank  Howard,  of  whom  further;  Phebe  Elizabeth, 
born  in  1851,  married  (first)  Nicholas  S.  Arnold,  and 
(second)  Thaddeus  S.  Kidd.  and  resides  in  New  York 
City;  Abby  Harriett,  born  in  1854,  the  widow  of 
Charles  Houghton,  of  New  York  City,  and  resides  in 
East  Greenwich;  Benjamin  and  William  (twins),  born 
in  1857,  and  both  died  in  early  youth;  Richard  Dennis, 
born  in  i860  and  died  in  1866;  Annie  Congdon,  born  in 
1863  and  died  when  but  two  years  of  age. 

(VHI)  Frank  Howard  Arnold,  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Sarah  (Congdon)  Arnold,  was  born  January  22,  1848, 
at  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.  As  a  child  Mr.  Arnold  at- 
tended the  local  public  schools  and  the  East  Green- 
wich Academy  of  this  place.  He  was  later  sent  as  a 
student  to  the  famous  Friends'  School  at  Providence, 
and  acquired  an  excellent  education.  Upon  completing 
his  studies  he  entered  his  father's  machine  shop,  al- 
though still  a  lad,  and  there  learned  the  machinist's 
trade.  His  brother-in-law,  Charles  C.  Houghton,  con- 
ducted a  business  in  New  York  City,  selling  fancy  wood 
veneering,  and  young  Mr.  Arnold  went  to  that  city  and 


became  associated  with  him  there.  About  five  years 
were  occupied  by  Mr.  Arnold  in  this  occupation,  and 
he  then  entered  the  Putnam  Manufacturing  Company, 
at  Putnam,  Conn.,  as  an  accountant,  where  he  remained 
eight  years,  and  then,  in  1893,  became  interested  in  the 
Warwick  Coal  Company,  with  which  he  has  continued 
associated  ever  since.  He  devoted  his  whole  attention 
to  the  development  of  this  concern,  and  eventually  was 
able  to  purchase  it  from  its  former  owners  and  became 
its  president  and  sole  proprietor.  This  successful  busi- 
ness is  a  monument  to  Mr.  Arnold's  sound  judgment 
and  business  skill,  and  its  development  has  been  due 
entirely  to  his  own  industry  and  foresight.  The  old 
family  homestead,  built  in  1687  by  Eleazer  Arnold,  is 
still  standing  and  is  in  the  possession  of  Preserved 
Arnold,  not  a  relative  of  F.  H.  Arnold.  It  is  a  pic- 
turesque dwelling  which  stands  on  the  old  North  road, 
now  Lonsdale  avenue,  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
Butterfly  factory,  and  about  a  mile  west  of  the  town 
of  Lonsdale,  occupying  an  eminence  not  far  from  the 
bank  of  the  Mushasuck  river.  Mr.  Arnold  is  a  staunch 
Republican  in  his  political  faith,  but  has  never  identified 
himself  with  the  local  organization  of  his  party,  al- 
though he  performs  consistently  his  duties  as  a  citizen. 
Frank  Howard  Arnold  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1877,  with  Carro  L.  Champlain,  a  native  of  Greenville, 
R.  L,  and  a  daughter  of  Daniel  J.  and  Matilda  (Fisher) 
Champlain,  and  granddaughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary 
(Arnold)  Champlain.  Mrs.  Arnold  takes  an  active 
interest  in  historical  and  genealogical  subjects,  and  is  a 
prominent  figure  in  the  social  world  here.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Society,  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution,  being  affiliated  with  the  General 
Nathaniel  Greene  Chapter  of  East  Greenwich,  in  which 
she  has  filled  the  office  of  treasurer.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Arnold  are  the  parents  of  two  children  as  follows: 
I.  Benjamin  H.,  born  in  New  York  City,  in  1884,  a 
graduate  of  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology, 
with  the  class  of  1907,  and  later  connected  with  the 
General  Electric  Company  at  Lynn,  Mass. ;  now  a 
captain  in  the  United  States  Engineers,  stationed  at 
Washington,  D.  C.  2.  Daniel  Ray,  born  in  Putnam, 
Conn.,  in  1887,  attended  East  Greenwich  public  schools. 
East  Greenwich  Academy,  Friends'  Academy,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island  State  College,  at  Kingston,  R.  I.; 
associated  with  his  father  until  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  United  States,  being  a  corporal  with  the  310th 
Infantry,  and  at  this  time  (1Q18)  is  in  service  in  France. 


MARDEN    HENRY   PLATT,   M.   D.,  one   of  the 

most  progressive  and  successful  of  the  younger  physic- 
ians of  Riverside,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  Winoaski,  Vt., 
where  he  was  born  February  23,  18S6,  and  a  son  of 
James  C.  and  Emma  (Allen)  Piatt,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  that  place,  where  Mr.  Piatt  was 
engaged  in  business  as  the  proprietor  of  a  store.  Dr. 
Piatt,  as  a  lad,  attended  the  Grammar  School  in  his 
native  town,  and  afterwards  was  sent  to  Burlington, 
\'t.,  and  was  a  student  in  the  high  school  there,  where 
he  was  prepared  for  college  and  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1906.  He  had  determined,  while  little  more 
than  a  lad,  to  follow  the  profession  of  medicine  as  his 
career  in  life  and  with  this  end  in  view,  entered  the 
University  of  Vermont,  studying  in  the  medical  depart- 


"^^^^^a.^fc.j.i^  '^?^^-^'<^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


55 


ment  of  the  same  and  making  a  record  for  himself  for 
good  scholarship.     In  the  year   1910  he  was  graduated 
from   this    institution,   taking    his   medical    degree,    and 
immediately  thereafter  came  to  Riverside  to  begin  prac- 
tice.    He  was  governed  in  his  choice  of   Riverside  as 
the  scene   for   his   activities,  by  the    fact  that   an  elder 
brother,   Dr.   Arthur   E.   Piatt,  was   already   established 
in  practice  here,  and  had  become  prominent  in  his  pri> 
fession.     He  joined  the  elder  Dr.   Piatt  in  his  work  at 
Riverside,  and  built  up  an  independent  practice  of  his 
own.    Upon  the  death  of  Dr.  Arthur  E.  Piatt,  our  sub- 
ject fell  heir  to  his  brother's  large  practice,  which  he 
added  to  his  own.  so  that  he  is  now  the  possessor  of 
one   of    the    largest   clienteles    in    this    region    and    has 
established  a  reputation  for  himself  as  one  of  the  most 
capable  physicians  here.     Dr.   Piatt,  in  addition  to  his 
medical  activity,  is  a  well-known  figure  in  the  general 
life    of    the    community    and    especially     in     fraternal 
circles,  being  a  member  of  a  number  of  organizations 
of  this  character.     He  is  affiliated  with  the  Lodge  and 
Encampment  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  local  lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  while  as 
a  college  student  he  joined  the  Delta  Mu  and  Cap  and 
Skull   fraternities.     He   is  particularly   prominent  how- 
ever,   as    a    Mason,    and    is    affiliated    with    Corinthian 
Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  Providence 
Chapter,    Royal    Arch    Masons;    Calvary    Commandery, 
Knights  Templar;  Ancient  .\rabic  Order  Xobles  of  the 
Mystic   Shrine,  and  Rhode  Island  Consistory,  and  has 
attained  the  thirty-second  degree  in  Masonry.    Dr.  Piatt 
is  a   Republican  in  politics  and  at  the  present   time  is 
serving   as   medical   examiner  of   schools  at    Riverside. 
In   his   religious   belief    he    is   a    Congregationalist   and 
attends  the  church  of  that   denomination  here.     He  is 
a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  and  the 
Providence  Medical  Society. 

Dr.  Marden  Henry  Piatt  was  united  in  marriage  on 
June  II,  1912,  at  Burlington,  Vt.,  with  Dorothea  Von 
Fliet  Pope,  daughter  of  George  and  Nellie  Pope,  of  that 
city. 


ROBERT  GODDARD  McMEEHAN— Early  in 
his  business  career  Mr.  McMeehan  determined  to  master 
cotton  mill  operation,  and  that  ambition  was  fairly 
realized,  he  having  been  in  charge  of  large  cotton  manu- 
facturing plants  as  superintendent.  Many  years  were 
spent  in  reaching  the  fruition  of  his  hopes,  then  he 
turned  to  other  lines,  and  is  now  both  merchant  and 
manufacturer,  owning  dry  goods  stores  and  success- 
fully operating  them  ;  is  treasurer  of  the  General  Ma- 
chinery Company,  a  prosperous  concern,  and  head  of 
McMeehan  Engineering  Staff,  a  designing  and  develop- 
ing company.  He  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Margaret 
Knox  (Mcintosh)  McMeehan,  the  former  of  Provi- 
dence, and  the  latter  of  Fall  River,  Mass.  Both  parents 
have  passed  away. 

Robert  Goddard  McMeehan  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  January  14,  1865,  and  obtained  a  good  public 
school  education,  completed  with  high  school  graduation, 
class  of  1883.  He  began  business  life  in  1883  as  a 
bookkeeper  with  Dodge  &  Canfield,  Exchange  Place, 
Providence,  continuing  in  the  same  lines  with  the  Lons- 
dale Manufacturing  Company  at  Lonsdale,  R.  I.  In  the 
immense  plant  of  the  latter  company  he  really   found 


himself,  and  formed  the  resolution  to  master  the  secrets 
of  cotton  manufacturing.     There  being  no  opening  that 
met  his  plans,  he  left  Lonsdale  and  in  i88q  went  with  the 
Columbian   Manufacturing   Company  of   Greenville,   N. 
H.,  his  object  being  to  learn  the  business.     He  developed 
wonderfully   during  the  years   which    followed,   and   at 
New  Bedford,  Mass.,  in  1892,  became  an  assistant  fore- 
man in  the  Grinnell   Mill.     In  1893  he  returned  to  the 
Lonsdale    Mill    as    assistant    foreman,    that    being    the 
plant  he  had  left  as  a  bookkeeper.     His  next  important 
post  was  as  superintendent  of  the  Hamlet  Textile  Com- 
pany   of    Woodsocket,    which    position    he    accepted    in 
1898.   remaining  until   1901,  going  thence  to  LIncasville, 
Conn.,   as   superintendent   of   a   cotton   mill,   and   while 
there,  added  the  labor  of  superintendent  of  another  mill 
in  the  town  owned  by  the  same  company.     From  Uncas- 
ville,  in  1907,  he  went  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  as  general  super- 
intendent  of    the    New   York    Cotton    Mills,   employing 
eighteen  hundred  hands,  holding  that  position  until  his 
retirement  from  the  cotton  mill  field,  one  in  which  he 
was   a   conspicuous   success.     In    1909   Mr.    McMeehan 
bought  out  a  dry  goods  store  on  Watchemoket  square. 
East  Providence,  and  in  1910  opened  a  second  store  at 
Broadway  Six  Corners,  both  of  which  he  successfully 
operates.     In  1916  he  formed  the  McMeehan  Engineer- 
ing Staff,  and  in  1917  became  treasurer  of  the  General 
Machinery  Company. 

After  locating  his  home  in  East  Providence,  in  1909, 
Mr.  McMeehan  began  taking  part  in  public  affairs,  and 
in  1914  was  elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the  Town 
Council.  Later  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  Council, 
and  is  yet  the  capable  head  of  that  legislative  body.  He 
is  a  past  master  of  Unity  Lodge,  No.  34,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  Lonsdale,  R.  I.,  elected  in  1896;  mem- 
ber of  Providence  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Prov- 
idence Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  St.  John's 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  member  of  the  Masonic 
Veterans'  Association;  Reliance  Lodge,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  East  Providence;  vice-presi- 
dent of  East  Providence  Business  Men's  Association ; 
member  of  Metropolitan  Park  Commission ;  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal church. 

Mr.  McMeehan  married.  November  19,  1891,  Alice 
May  Hardy,  of  Clinton,  Mass.,  they  the  parents  of 
Alice  Inez,  Iva  Louise,  and  Robert  Milton,  who  enlisted 
in  the  United  States  Regular  Army  in  the  Cavalry  as 
soon  as  his  age  permitted. 


JOHN  LEO  CURRAN— Numbered  among  the  able 
young  men  of  the  Providence  bar.  Mr.  Curran  brings 
to  his  work  the  learning  of  college  and  university,  the 
enthusiasm  of  youth  and  a  strong  determination  to 
succeed.  His  classical  education.  Brown,  A.  B.,  1907, 
and  his  professional,  Georgetown,  LL.  B.,  1910,  came 
through  hard  and  persistent  effort  both  in  school  terms 
and  between,  during  school  hours  and  after.  He  is  a 
native  son  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  as  is  his  father,  the 
Currans  coming  from  Ireland  about  1830.  John  L. 
Curran  is  a  son  of  John  Thomas  Curran,  born  in  Prov- 
idence, now  in  the  furniture  business.  He  married 
Margaret  Kiernan,  born  in  and  now  living  in  Provi- 
dence. 

John  Leo  Curran  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  July 


56 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


9,  1883.  He  completed  his  preparatory  education  with 
graduation  from  Providence  Classical  High  School. 
class  of  1903.  then  entered  Brown  University,  pursuing 
a  four  years'  classical  course,  ending  with  graduation, 
A.  B.,  1907.  Choosing  the  profession  of  law  he  entered 
the  law  department  of  Georgetown  University  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  and  was  graduated  LL.  B.,  class  of  1910. 
After  graduation  he  returned  to  Providence  and  began 
practice,  being  associated  for  five  years  with  Frank  W. 
Tillinghast.  He  is  at  present  (1918)  associated  with 
O'Shaunessy,  Gainer  &  Carr,  in  general  practice  of 
law  at  No.  602  Grosvenor  building.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Bar  Association,  and  has  a  most 
satisfactory  practice. 

Hunting  and  fishing  have  been  favored  sports  with 
him  since  youth,  particularly  fishing.  He  has  long  since 
lent  his  time  and  influence  to  the  societies  devoted  to 
the  preservation  of  our  fish  and  game,  and  has  just 
been  appointed  by  the  governor  of  Rhode  Island  for  a 
second  term  as  a  member  of  the  State  Commission  of 
Inland  Fisheries.  He  is  a  member  of  the  National 
Association  of  Game  and  Fish  Commissioners ;  mem- 
ber of  the  Rhode  Island  Game  and  F'ish  Protective 
Association ;  member  of  the  American  Fisheries  Society, 
and  the  Pen  and  Pencil  Club.  His  vacation  periods  are 
spent  with  rifle  and  rod,  and  he  ranks  as  an  expert  in 
their  use.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  serving  as  advisory  counsel  for 
three  years ;  belongs  to  St.  Michael's  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  and  is  president  of  St.  Michael's  Catholic  Club. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  is  one  of  the  active 
workers  for  party  success,  his  gift  of  oratory  being 
freely  drawn  upon  by  party  managers  for  campaign 
speaking.    Mr.  Curran  is  unmarried. 


CHRISTOPHER   JOHNSON    ASTLE,    M.    D.— 

For  ten  years,  190S-18,  Dr.  Astle  has  practiced  his 
healing  art  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  specializing  in  diseases 
of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat.  He  made  ample 
preparation  for  the  profession  he  honors,  and  claims 
two  great  universities,  Brown  and  Columbia  as  alma 
tnatcr.  He  is  a  son  of  Solon  R.  and  Julia  (Hoyt) 
Astle;  the  latter  died  February  i,  1914;  his  father  a 
traveling  salesman,  now  residing  at  Lakewood,  R.  I. 

Christopher  Johnson  Astle  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  August  23,  1879,  there  completing  high  school 
study  with  graduation,  class  of  1898.  He  pursued  a 
classical  course  at  Brown  University,  finishing  and 
receiving  his  A.  B.,  class  of  1902.  Deciding  upon  the 
medical  profession  he  entered  Columbia  University, 
College  of  Medicine,  and  was  graduated  M.  D.,  class 
of  1906.  Two  years  were  then  spent  as  first  assistant 
at  New  York  City  Hospital;  first  assistant  at  Vander- 
bilt  Clinic,  eye  department.  New  York  City;  clinical 
assistant  at  St.  Bartholomew  Clinic,  New  York  City, 
and  as  interne  at  Rhode  Island  Hospital,  Providence. 
In  October,  1910,  he  began  private  practice  in  Provi- 
dence as  a  specialist,  and  is  medical  examiner  of 
schools  for  the  town  of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  but  confines 
his  examinations  to  eye,  car,  nose  and  throat,  his  spec- 
ialties in  practice.  He  is  medical  examiner  for  the  eye, 
towns  of  Barrington  and  Warren,  R.  I.,  both  appoint- 
ments dating  from  1917,  and  applying  only  to  the  public 
schools.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical 


Society,  Providence  Medical  Society,  secretary  of  Rhode 
Island  Opthalmological  and  Otological  Society.  He  is 
also  one  of  the  founders  and  secretary  of  the  Warwick 
Health  League.  He  takes  a  deep  interest  in  these 
societies,  and  is  firmly  established  in  public  esteem. 
He  is  a  member  of  Red  Cross  Chapter,  No.  25,  Knights 
of  Pythias,  and  is  a  past  chancellor  commander  of 
same;  Shawmut  Lodge,  Loyal  Order  of  Moose;  Knight 
of  Kharassan ;  the  Republic  Club,  and  attends  the  Epis- 
copal church. 

Dr.  Astle  was  twice  married,  the  second  time,  June 
10,  1915,  to  Albertina  Page,  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Georgiana  Page,  of  French  ancestry.  His  children: 
Phyllis  H.,  born  Nov.  29,  1908;  and  Christopher  Albert, 
born  Aug.  30,  1916. 


JOHN  A.  HAMILTON,  a  prominent  and  public- 
spirited  citizen  of  Cranston,  R.  I.,  and  for  many  years 
a  faithful  public  servant  in  a  number  of  different  capac- 
ities, is  a  native  of  Manchester,  England,  and  a  son  of 
James  and  Agnes  (Dagleish)  Hamilton,  who  were  also 
born  in  that  great  manufacturing  center.  James  Ham- 
ilton was  born  in  Manchester,  on  September  30,  1842, 
and  his  wife  in  the  year  1844.  The  former  was  for 
many  years  employed  as  a  clerk  on  the  Midland  Rail- 
way Company  of  England,  but  in  1873  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  at  Cranston,  R.  I.,  where  he 
worked  for  the  Providence  Water  Works  for  twenty- 
seven  years.  He  then  secured  a  position  as  store- 
keeper in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  for  the  State 
of  Rhode  Island  in  the  State  Armory  at  Providence. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton,  Sr.,  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding  November  30,  1913,  and  Mrs.  Hamilton's  death 
occurred  April  28,  191 7.  They  were  the  parents  of 
thirteen  children  of  whom  five  are  now  living  as  fol- 
lows :  Annie,  widow  of  William  Peterson,  resides  at 
Cranston,  R.  I.;  John  A.,  of  whom  further;  Ellen  E., 
wife  of  John  McCann,  of  Providence;  Jeanette.  who 
resides  at  No.  11  Camp  street,  Providence;  and  James, 
born  at  Cranston,  January  2/,  1883.  The  latter  grad- 
uated from  Brown  University  in  1906  with  the  degree 
of  A.  B.,  and  from  Yale  Medical  School  with  the  class 
of  1910.  He  then  took  a  two  years'  course  in  path- 
ology and  served  as  an  interne  in  the  Rhode  Island 
Hospital.  After  this  valuable  experience  he  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  laboratory  at  St.  Joseph's  Hospital  for 
one  year,  and  from  there,  in  1917,  entered  the  military 
service  of  his  country.  He  was  commissioned  as  a 
lieutenant  and  was  shortly  afterwards  raised  to  the 
rank  of  captain  and  is  now  a  major.  Dr.  Hamilton 
is  government  expert  on  paralysis,  meningitis,  and 
pneumonia.  In  this  capacity  he  was  sent  to  all  canton- 
ments and  military  camps  in  the  United  States  and 
is  now  senior  major  of  Unit  No.  193,  serving  in  France. 

Born  at  Mancester,  England,  March  23,  1871.  John 
A.  Hamilton  was  but  two  and  a  half  years  old  when  he 
came  to  America  with  his  mother,  brothers,  and  sisters, 
there  to  join  his  father  who  had  preceded  them.  The 
father  had  already  made  a  home  for  them  at  Cranston, 
R.  I.,  and  here  the  family  located,  the  children,  includ- 
ing John  A.  Hamilton,  attending  the  public  schools 
there.  Later  he  was  sent  to  La  Salle  Academy  and  grad- 
uated there  with  the  class  of  1888.  Upon  completing 
his   studies   in   this   institution,   he   secured  employment 


crPvni    ^. 


CV^^l^l 


lSh^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


57 


as  a  pattern  maker  in  the  plant  of  the  George  H.  Cor- 
liss Steam  Engine  Company  on  Charles  street.  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.  He  remained  with  this  concern  for  three 
years,  and  then  worked  for  ten  years  at  the  same  trade 
with  the  Fuller  Iron  Works.  From  this  line  of  work 
Mr.  Hamilton  entered  the  insurance  business  in  July, 
1902,  as  the  representative  of  the  Metropolitan  Life 
Insurance  Company  in  this  region,  and  after  one  year 
was  made  assistant  superintendent,  a  position  which  he 
held  for  eight  years.  On  January  i,  1913,  he  resigned 
from  this  office  and  since  that  time  has  been  engaged  in 
the  real  estate  business  on  his  own  account,  and  has 
served  the  community  in  a  number  of  public  oflfices. 
Mr.  Hamilton  has  been  very  active  in  the  political  situa- 
tion here  and  is  a  staunch  Republican.  On  April  2.  1909, 
he  qualified  as  overseer  of  the  poor  to  fill  the  unex- 
pired term  of  John  Bigbee,  and  when  Cranston  became 
a  city  in  .\pril,  1910,  he  was  elected  to  the  same  office 
and  reelected  each  succeeding  two  years  to  date.  In 
1914  Mr.  Hamilton  was  elected  to  represent  the  Third 
Assembly  District  in  the  State  Legislature  of  Cranston, 
and  was  reelected  in  1916-18.  In  191 5  the  office  of 
juvenile  probation  officer  was  added  to  that  which  he 
already  held,  and  he  has  served  in  both  positions  ever 
since.  He  is  a  member  of  a  number  of  organizations, 
including  Cranston  Council,  No.  1738,  Knights  of 
Columbus;  the  .Arlington  \'oluntecr  Firemen;  the  Rhode 
Island  State  Firemen's  League,  of  which  he  is  past 
president;  and  the  .Associated  Overseers  of  the  Poor  of 
Rhode  Island,  of  which  he  is  now  president. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  united  in  marriage,  June  21,  1892, 
with  Faith  Bigbee,  of  Cranston,  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Hodson)  liigbee,  old  residents  of  this  place. 
Her  father,  born  at  Crompton,  R.  I.,  February  2,  1846, 
died  in  Cranston,  December  n,  1908.  For  twenty-eight 
years  he  was  town  sergeant  and  chief  of  police,  being 
the  first  chief  of  police  of  the  city  of  Cranston.  He 
was  also  overseer  of  the  poor  from  June  8,  11^85.  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  in  1908.  Mrs.  Bigbee  also  was  born 
here  May  18,  1846,  and  her  death  occurred  August  iS, 
1893.  The  family  is  Catholic  in  its  religious  belief,  and 
attends  St.  .Ann's  Church  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton 
were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children :  Richard,  bom 
June  16,  1893,  died  in  infancy;  John,  horn  Jan.  5,  1896, 
died  also  in  infancy;  Harold,  born  .March  g,  1897,  en- 
listed, July  I,  1918,  in  the  United  States  Reserve  Forces, 
stationed  at  Newport.  R.  I.,  and  later  transferred  to 
Boston,  Mass.;  Charity,  born  June  15,  1898;  Ralph,  born 
Feb.  25,  1901,  died  at  the  early  age  of  two  and  one-half 
years;  Clifton,  born  Jan.  24,  1903;  Hope,  born  July  17, 
1904;  John,  born  May  27,  IQ06;  Agnes,  Elizabeth  and 
Faith,  triplets,  born  Jan.  21,  1908,  the  first  two  of  whom 
died  in  infancy;  James,  born  July  7.  1910;  and  Patience, 
born  .Aug.  15,  1911.  Mr.  Hamilton  resides  at  No.  1230 
Cranston  street.  He  finds  his  chief  recreation  in  out- 
door sports  and  pastimes,  in  which  he  indulges  to  the 
extent  of  his  spare  time. 


EDWARD  A.  HEWITSON— The  Stillman  White 
Foundry  was  established  in  Providence  by  Stillman 
White  in  1856,  and  in  a  very  small  way  brass  and  bronze 
casting  was  begun  at  No.  i  Bark  street  For  forty-six 
years  he  continued  his  business  of  producing  all  kinds 
of  bronze  and  brass  castings,  also  manufacturing  his 


own  invention,  the  S.  White  Lining  Metal,  a  very 
superior  lining.  He  won  high  reputation  for  the 
products  of  his  foundry  and  found  a  ready  market 
awaiting  them  as  fast  as  they  could  be  turned  out.  He 
continued  sole  head  of  the  business  imtil  1002,  when 
Theodore  P.  Hall  bought  a  half  interest,  and  together 
they  operated  the  foundry  until  the  death  of  Stillman 
White,  April  3,  1903.  Mr.  Hall  conducted  the  business 
alone  until  .April,  1<X>4.  when  Wendell  P.  Mcintosh  pur- 
chased a  half  interest.  Theodore  P.  Hall  died  in  .April, 
1907.  Edward  A.  Hewitson  having  previously  ])urchascd 
Mr.  Hall's  interest.  Mr.  Hewitson  and  Mr.  Mcintosh 
now  own  and  operate  the  foundry,  but  still  retain  the 
name,  Stillman  White.  The  high  ideals  which  the 
founder  maintained  during  his  forty-six  years  of  sole 
ownership  are  maintained  by  the  present  owners,  the 
original  site  has  also  been  retained  at  No.  I  Bark  street, 
and  the  same  metals  are  principally  cast  to  meet  the 
present-day  requirements,  the  greatest  change  being  the 
greatly  enlarged  size  of  the  plant.  Brass  and  bronze  are 
cold,  inanimate  things ;  a  foundry  is  not  a  place  with 
which  one  would  council  the  word  artistic,  but  the  lives 
of  the  four  men  who  have  been  responsible  for  putting 
life  and  art  beauty  into  this  thing  men  know  as  the  Still- 
man White  F'oundry  have  accomplished  a  wonderful 
work,  and  their  lives  are  of  interest. 

Stillman  White,  the  founder,  was  a  descendant  of 
Peregrine  White,  the  first  white  child  born  in  the 
Plymouth  Colony.  His  father,  James  White,  a  mill 
owner  of  Canton,  Mass.,  married  .Aiirclia  Howard,  Still- 
man being  the  only  one  of  their  ten  children  to  settle 
in  Providence,  R.  I.  Stillman  White  was  born  in  Can- 
ton, February  5,  1832,  died  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  .April 
3,  1903,  and  was  buried  in  Swan  Point  Cemetery.  He 
was  a  brass  molder  by  trade,  coming  to  Providence  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  to  begin  his  apprenticeship.  .\t  the 
age  of  twenty-four  he  began  business  for  himself,  and 
at  No.  I  Bark  street  laid  the  foundation  for  the  busi- 
ness which  still  flourishes  as  the  Stillman  White 
Foundry.  Nearly  half  a  century  passed  ere  he  laid 
down  the  reins  of  management  and  passed  to  a  good 
man's  reward. 

Mr.  White  was  prominent  as  a  citizen,  held  offices  as 
councilman,  alderman,  assemblyman,  fire  commissioner 
and  volunteer  fireman ;  was  first  worshipful  master  of 
.Adelphi  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  and  grand 
master  of  Rhode  Island  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  in 
1892;  was  a  companion  of  the  Royal  Arch  Masons;  a 
sir  knight  of  St.  John's  Commandery,  Knights  Templar; 
and  in  Scottish  Rite  Masonry  held  the  thirty-third  and 
highest  degree.  Stillman  White  married  Lydia  Mosley, 
they  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Abby  Howard  White, 
who  married  George  H.  Holmes,  of  Providence. 

Theodore  P.  Hall,  the  second  of  the  quartet  who  have 
been  identified  with  the  business  of  the  Stillman  W  hite 
Foundry,  was  born  at  Roxbury.  Mass.,  but  early  in  life 
moved  to  Taunton,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  about 
forty  years.  He  was  a  confidential  clerk  in  the  employ 
of  Reed  &  Barton,  and  became  very  capable.  In  1902 
Mr.  White  sold  to  Mr.  Hall  a  one-half  interest  in  the 
foundry  business.  Mr.  White  died  the  following  April 
3,  1903,  Mr.  Hall  then  continuing  the  business  alone 
until  April,  1904,  when  he  sold  a  one-half  interest  to 
Edward  A.  Hewitson.  they  operating  as  a  firm  until 
Mr.  Hall's  death  in  1907. 


5« 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Theodore  P.  Hall  married  (first)  Martha  Plummer, 
of  Taunton,  Mass.  Their  children  were:  Theodore  P. 
(2);  Joseph  H. ;  and  Sylvia  R.  He  married  (second) 
Ida  Radden,  who  survives  him,  a  resident  of  Melrose, 
Mass. 

Wendell  P.  Mcintosh,  one  of  the  present  partners  of 
the  Stillman  White  Foundry,  is  a  nephew  of  Theodore 
P.  Hall,  the  second  owner,  and  is  the  only  one  of  the 
four  men  herein  named,  who  did  not  come  into  the 
business  a  trained  mechanic,  his  training  having  been 
of  a  business  character  in  Boston.  He  was  born  at 
Needham,  Mass.,  November  ~,  1879,  and  there  completed 
grade  and  high  school  courses  of  public  school  study. 
After  the  completion  of  high  school  study  he  pursued  a 
course  of  special  business  training  in  a  commercial  col- 
lege at  Boston.  Shortly  after  graduation  he  came  to 
Providence,  where  his  uncle.  Theodore  P.  Hall,  was 
interested  in  the  Stillman  White  Foundry  as  half  owner. 
In  1903  Mr.  Hall  became  sole  owner,  and  being  then 
advanced  in  years,  was  willing  to  shift  the  burden,  Mr. 
Mcintosh  becoming  a  partner  and  one-half  owner.  In 
1904  Edward  A.  Hewitson  purchased  a  half  interest 
from  Mr.  Hall,  and  from  that  year  Hewitson  &  Mcin- 
tosh have  been  the  owners  of  the  long  established  busi- 
ness, Stillman  White  Foundry,  brass  and  bronze  cast- 
ings of  all  kinds,  and  the  manufacture  of  the  S.  White 
Lining  Metal,  a  business  which  for  sixty-two  years, 
has  been  centered  at  No.  i  Bark  street.  Providence,  R.  1. 

Mr.  Mcintosh  is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Central 
and  Turk's  Head  clubs,  belongs  to  the  Masonic  order, 
and  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  is  first  of  all  the 
able  business  man.  He  married.  November  5,  1903, 
Helen  A.  Mosley,  of  Needham,  Mass.  They  are  the 
parents  of  a  daughter,  Helen. 

Edward  A.  Hewitson,  of  the  firm,  Hewitson  &  Mcin- 
tosh, owners  of  Stillman  White  Foundry,  is  the  last  of 
the  four  owners,  which  the  foundry  has  had,  to  become 
associated  with  the  business.  Like  Mr.  White  and  Mr. 
Hall,  he  was  an  experienced  workman,  and  unlike  them, 
had  previously  conducted  business  for  himself  as  a 
manufacturer.  He  was  born  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  June 
8,  l?72,  and  after  completing  the  grades  in  the  public 
schools  spent  three  years  as  a  student  in  the  Taunton 
High  School.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of  Reed  & 
Barton,  manufacturing  silversmiths,  and  for  seven  years 
was  with  that  well-known  and  reliable  firm,  being  con- 
nected with  the  department  of  design.  Finally  severing 
his  connection  with  Reed  &  Barton,  he  began  the  manu- 
facture of  silver  novelties  and  trimmings  at  Northamp- 
ton, Mass.,  conducting  business  under  the  firm  name, 
Edward  .\.  Hewitson  &  Company. 

Mr.  Hewitson  continued  in  business  in  Northampton 
until  1905,  then  moved  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  his 
father-in-law.  Theodore  P.  Hall,  and  Wendell  P.  Mcin- 
tosh were  operating  the  Stillman  White  Foundry.  Mr. 
Hall  being  willing  to  sell,  Mr.  Hewitson  acquired  his 
one-half  interest,  and  since  1904  Hewitson  &  Mcintosh 
have  conducted  this  always  successful  plant.  Under 
them  quality  and  prestige  have  been  maintained,  old 
friendships  cemented  in  stronger  bond,  and  new  ones 
formed.  .A  new  building,  forty  by  sixty  feet,  two  stories 
in  height,  has  been  added  to  the  foundry  equipment, 
with  modern  offices  and  shipping  room.  The  output  is 
now  confined  to  bronze  castings  for  machine  parts.    Mr. 


Hewitson  is  an  able,  energetic  business  man  with  no 
interests  which  conflict  with  the  prompt  performance  of 
his  duties  at  the  foundry.  He  is  a  member  of  Northamp- 
ton Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Northampton, 
and  of  Providence  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of 
Providence. 

He  married,  in  1900,  Sylvia  R.  Hall,  daughter  of  Theo- 
dore P.  Hall  and  his  first  wife,  Martha  Plummer.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hewitson  are  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Edward  H.,  Sylvia  E.  and  Martha  F.  Hewitson. 


ALGERNON  STERRY  GALLUP,  the  eminent 
teacher  and  influential  citizen  of  Centerville,  R.  I.,  is  a 
member  of  a  very  distinguished  New  England  family, 
which  was  founded  in  the  early  Colonial  period  by  John 
Gallup,  or  Galloup,  who  came  to  Boston  and  settled 
there  in  1630.  He  owned  Nixes  Mate  and  Galloup 
Island,  in  Boston  Harbor,  the  latter  taking  its  name 
from  the  family,  and  was  the  first  to  take  up  land  in 
those  localities.  He  is  the  ancestor  of  many  branches 
of  the  family;  those  of  his  descendants  still  residing  in 
Boston  spell  the  name  Galloup.  His  son,  John  Gallup, 
was  living  at  Salem,  Conn.,  and  took  part  in  the  Indian 
wars  of  that  region,  and  in  the  famous  Swamp  Fight 
with  the  Indians  at  Kingstown,  R.  I.  The  old  family 
homestead  of  the  Gallup  family  in  Connecticut  includes 
one  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  is  located  at  X'oluntown, 
in  that  State,  which  was  received  as  an  allotment  by  the 
family,  after  the  Indian  wars,  and  is  still  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  family.  Mr.  Gallup  is  the  grandson  of  Ben- 
jamin Gallup,  Sr.,  who  was  a  very  active  man  in  the 
political  affairs  of  Voluntown,  Conn.,  which  he  repre- 
sented in  the  State  Legislature,  and  where  he  held  a 
number  of  town  offices.  Some  of  his  descendants  are 
prominent  citizens  of  that  place  at  the  present  time.  Mr. 
Gallup,  on  the  maternal  side  of  his  house,  is  descended 
from  Captain  Samuel  Robbins,  a  veteran  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, who  was  his  great-grandfather.  He  is  a  son  of 
Benjamin  Sterry  and  Helena  (Gallup)  Gallup,  his 
mother  having  been  a  daughter  of  Kinney  and  Har- 
riett  (Robbins)   Gallup. 

Algernon  Sterry  Gallup  was  born  in  the  town  of  Gris- 
wold.  Conn.,  February  6,  1S62.  As  a  child  he  attended 
the  country  school  in  that  region,  and  afterwards  was 
a  pupil  of  the  school  at  Hanover,  Conn.,  to  which  place 
his  parents  moved.  Still  later  he  studied  at  the  Natchang 
High  School,  at  Willimantic,  and  the  Williston  Semi- 
nary of  East  Hampton,  Mass.,  and  was  prepared  for 
college  at  the  last-named  institution.  .After  leaving  the 
grammar  school  at  Hanover,  Conn.,  young  Mr.  Gallup 
began  alternately  teaching  and  attending  school,  and 
continued  thus  occupied  until  he  was  finally  graduated 
from  college.  He  entered  Amherst  College  at  .Amherst, 
Mass.,  where  he  took  the  usual  classical  course  and 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1S92.  Even  as  a  youth 
he  had  a  strong  taste  for  teaching  and  decided  to  follow 
that  profession  through  life,  and  before  his  graduation 
from  .Amherst  had  already  established  a  considerable 
reputation  as  a  teacher.  During  his  last  year  in  college 
he  also  occupied  the  position  of  principal  of  the  gram- 
mar school  at  Baltic,  Conn.  Upon  completing  his  course 
at  Amherst,  Mr.  Gallup  accepted  a  position  as  acting 
principal  at  the  Upson  Seminary  at  New  Preston,  Conn., 
where  he  remained  for  a  time.     He  then  became  princi- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


59 


pal  of  the  grammar  schools  at  Moosup  and  Central  Vil- 
lage, in  Plaintield,  Conn.,  where  he  remained  for  two 
years.  In  1896  he  came  to  Centerville,  as  principal  of 
the  grammar  school  here.  He  continued  to  serve  in  this 
capacity  until  February,  1918,  and  during  his  adminis- 
tration did  much  to  improve  the  standard  of  the  local 
schools,  and  develop  the  educational  system  of  the  com- 
munity. In  February,  1918,  he  was  offered  the  position 
of  teacher  in  mathematics  and  general  science  at  West 
Warwick  High  School,  which  he  accepted,  and  is  now 
engaged  in  that  capacity  there.  Mr.  Gallup  has  thus 
carried  out  his  early  intention  to  become  a  teacher,  and 
has  now  established  a  splendid  reputation  for  himself 
in  his  chosen  calling,  being  recognized  as  one  of  the 
most  capable  instructors  in  this  region.  Mr.  Gallup  is  a 
man  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  calling  which  he  has 
adopted,  possessing  that  innate  ability  to  impart  knowl- 
edge which  is  quite  a  separate  thing  from  the  mere 
possession  of  it,  and  which  alone  enables  a  man  to 
reach  a  high  position  in  the  profession  of  teaching. 
He  seems  to  have  an  intuitive  understanding  of  the 
personality  of  the  young  people  in  his  charge,  and  can 
bring  out  and  develop  such  native  abilities  as  they  pos- 
sess in  the  classroom.  He  is  also  a  most  capable  scholar 
and  possesses  a  very  wide  and  extensive  knowledge, 
not  only  of  the  subjects  which  he  teaches,  but  of  many 
of  the  branches  of  human  thought,  and  is  thus  the  pos- 
sessor of  a  wide  culture  which  is  the  ideal  atmosphere 
for  a  school  which  is  to  develop  the  characters  of  young 
men  and  women.  Mr.  Gallup  is  also  active  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Centerville,  where  he  is 
a  member  of  the  official  board  and  quarterly  conference 
of  the  church,  resident  of  the  Men's  Rrolhcrhood,  and 
the  teacher  and  leader  of  the  Men's  Brotherhood  class. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men and  financial  secretary  of  the  local  body. 

Mr.  Gallup  was  united  in  marriage,  .\ugust  9,  1899, 
with  Lorena  B.  Tyler,  a  daughter  of  .Mbert  and  Helen 
M.  (Jenks)  Tyler,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
Foster,  R.  I.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gallup  are  the  parents  of 
two  sons,  as  follows:  Benjamin  Tyler,  the  sixth  to 
bear  that  name  on  the  Gallup  side,  born  June  i.  1902, 
and  now  a  member  of  the  junior  class  in  the  West  War- 
wick High  School ;  Royal  Kinney,  who  was  named  for 
his  grandfather,  Kinney  Gallup,  born  June  i,  1907. 


JAMES  FRANCIS  CLARK,  D.  D.  S.,  one  of  the 

most  popular  dentists  of  Pawtucket,  K.  I.,  is  a  native 
of  this  city  and  traces  his  descent  from  Irish  ancestors. 
He  is  a  son  of  Patrick  and  Katherine  (Cosgrove)  Clark. 
His  father  was  a  baker  in  Pawtucket,  where  he  eventu- 
ally died.  Mrs.  Clark  survives  her  husband  and  is  now 
living  at  her  home  in  Pawtucket. 

James  Francis  Clark  was  born  July  31,  18S0.  He  spent 
his  childhood  in  his  native  city  and  received  the  ele- 
mentary portion  of  his  education  here.  He  graduated 
from  the  Broadway  Grammar  School  and  from  the 
Pawtucket  High  School.  Having  decided  upon  den- 
tistry as  his  life  profession,  he  entered  the  Baltimore 
College  of  Dental  Surgery  and  graduated  in  1903,  with 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery.  He  returned 
to  Pawtucket  and  began  practice  here,  opening  an  office 
at  228  Main  street  and  later  at  161  Main  street.  He  has 
continued  his  practice  here  and  has  met  with  gratifynng 


success.  In  1906  he  interrupted  his  practice  long  enough 
to  take  a  course  in  post-graduate  work  in  demal  sur- 
gery at  the  Jenkins  Post-Graduate  Porcelain  School  of 
New  Haven.  Conn.  He  is  now  rei-arded  as  one  cf  the 
leading  members  of  his  profession  and  enjoys  a  wide 
popularity.  Dr.  Clark  has  been  identified  with  every- 
thing that  has  been  undertaken  for  the  advancement  of 
his  profession  and  is  a  member  of  a  number  of  organiza- 
tions existing  for  that  purpose.  Of  these  should  be 
mentioned  the  National  Dental  Association  and  the 
Rhode  Island  Dental  .Xssociation.  In  1918  he  served 
the  Rhode  Island  Dental  .Xssociation  as  vice-president, 
and  January  29,  1919,  he  was  elected  president  of  that 
body. 

There  is  scarcely  a  part  of  the  life  of  the  community 
in  which  he  does  not  take  an  active  part,  and  his  public 
spirit  is  generally  recognized.  He  is  vice-president  of 
the  Pawtucket  Board  of  Trade,  a  member  of  the  Paw- 
tucket Business  Men's  .Association,  of  the  local  Young 
-Men's  Christian  .Association,  a  charter  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Blackstone  Club,  the  Psi  Phi 
fraternity,  and  is  vice-president  of  the  executive  council 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Society  of  the  Alumni  of  the  Balti- 
more College  of  Dental  Surgery.  He  is  prominently 
identified  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
-Elks,  of  which  he  is  a  charter  member.  In  1914  he  be- 
came a  life  member,  and  served  as  exalted  ruler  in 
1918-19.  He  was  one  of  the  men  who.  in  1907,  organized 
the  local  body  of  the  Friendly  Sons  of  St.  Patrick  of 
Pawtucket  and  Blackstone  N'alley,  and  served  as  treas- 
urer and  financial  secretary  from  1907  to  191 1.  He  was 
then  chosen  president  and  served  in  that  office  until  the 
close  of  1913.  Dr.  Clark  is  a  member  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

In  St.  Mary's  Church,  Pawtucket,  August  14,  1911, 
James  Francis  Clark  married  Mary  Elizabeth  Hayes,  a 
daughter  of  William  Hayes,  an  old  and  highly  respected 
resident  of  Providence.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  are  the 
parents  of  two  children:  Rita  Frances,  born  July  s, 
1916;  and  James  Francis,  Jr.,  born  Oct.  6,  1918.  Since 
1909  Dr.  Clark  has  served  as  national  delegate  from 
Rhode  Island  to  the  national  convocation  of  the  Atlantic 
Deeper  Waterway  .Association  in  1917,  1918,  1919.  He 
was,  also,  dental  examiner  for  the  draft  board  of  the 
Central  Falls  district  in  1918. 


SAMUEL  GILBERT  BLOUNT,  M.  D.— With  the 

completion  of  his  high  school  courses  and  a  year  of 
university  study,  Dr.  Blount  began  preparation  for  the 
profession  he  had  chosen  as  his  lifework,  and  when 
awarded  his  M.  D.  degree  in  191 1,  he  returned  to  his 
native  city.  Providence,  and  has  since  practiced  his  pro- 
fession with  satisfactory  results.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Sarah  Jane  (Gilbert)  Blount,  his  father  a  foreman 
in  jewelry  manufacture. 

Samuel  G.  Blount  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.. 
January  28,  1887,  and  there  completed  public  school 
courses  with  graduation  from  classical  high  school,  class 
of  1906.  The  following  year  was  spent  in  study  at 
Brown  University  (preparatory  course),  but  deciding 
upon  the  profession  of  medicine  he  entered  Tufts 
^Iedical  College,  whence  he  was  graduated  M.  D.,  class 
of  1911.  He  continued  medical  study  and  preparation 
at   St.   Luke's   Hospital   for   six  months,   then   was   for 


6o 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


one  year  on  the  orthopedic  staff  of  the  Carney  Hospital 
of  Boston,  Mass.,  so  continuing  until  December  15,  1912, 
when  he  began  private  practice  as  a  general  practitioner, 
giving  special  attention  to  orthopedics.  He  has  built  up 
a  good  practice,  and  is  well  established  in  public  favor. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  and  the 
Providence  Medical  societies,  and  holds  the  respect  of 
his  brethren  of  the  profession.  Dr.  Blount  is  a  mem- 
ber of  lodge,  chapter,  council,  commandery  and  shrine, 
and  in  Scottish  Rite  Masonry  has  attained  the  thirty- 
second  degree,  affiliated  with  the  Providence  bodies  of 
the  order.     In  politics  he  is  an  Independent. 

Dr.  Blount  married,  in  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church, 
December  23,  1914,  Hazel  Hayden  Martin,  of  Provi- 
dence. They  are  the  parents  of  one  son,  Samuel  Gilbert, 
Jr.,  born  May  19,  1916. 


JOHN  ALLEN  BATTEY,  JR.,  second  of  the  name 
to  add  to  the  activity  and  importance  of  the  Pawtuxet 
valley,  is  a  resident  of  Fiskeville,  R.  I.,  and  a  most 
worthy  twentieth  century  representative  of  an  honored 
family,  founded  in  Rhode  Island  by  Samson  Battey, 
who  is  of  record  in  Jamestown  as  early  as  1677.  Both 
John  A.  Battey,  senior  and  junior,  represented  their 
district  in  the  Rhode  Island  House  of  Assemblv,  and 
there  is  no  name  better  known  or  more  highly  honored 
in  the  section  they  long  made  their  home.  The  present 
is  the  seventh  generation  in  Rhode  Island,  dating  from 
Samson  Battey. 

Samson  Battey  was  one  of  the  forty-eight  men  who, 
on  October  31,  1677,  were  granted  5,000  acres  of  land, 
"to  be  called  East  Greenwich."  He  served  as  lieutenant 
in  1695.  as  deputy  in  1706  and  1716,  and  was  prominent 
otherwise.  He  and  his  wife,  Dinah,  were  the  parents  of 
a  large  family,  descent  being  traced  through  their  son, 
John  Battey,  born  September  7,  1688,  who  was  located 
in  the  town  of  Warwick,  where  he  died  in  1767.  He 
married  Margaret  Carr,  born  October  22,  1684,  daughter 
of  Nicholas  and  Rebecca  (Nicholson)  Carr.  They 
were  the  parents  of:  John  (2)  Battey,  born  in  the 
town  of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  March  13,  1720,  married  Nov. 
26,  1741,  Priscilla  Westcott,  of  Providence,  and  settled 
in  the  town  of  Scituate. 

William  B.  Battey,  bom  Oct.  2,  1759,  son  of  John 
(2)  and  Priscilla  (Westcott)  Battey,  married,  Oct 
13,  1782,  Betsey  Sheldon,  daughter  of  James  Sheldon, 
of  Cranston,  R.  I. 

Allen  Battey,  son  of  William  B.  and  Betsey  (Shel- 
don) Battey,  was  born  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  May  27,  1791, 
died  August  18,  1861,  a  farmer  and  teamster  all  his  adult 
years.  He  was  highly  respected,  a  man  of  determina- 
tion and  character.  He  married,  July  29,  1813,  Fanny 
Fenner,  born  April  29,  1797,  died  May  29,  1872.  They 
were  the  parents  of  John  Allen  Battey,  father  of  John 
Allen   (2)   Battey,  of  Fiskeville,  R.  I.  ' 

John  Allen  Battey  was  born  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  June 
2,  1838.  He  attended  the  public  schools  in  his  native 
town,  and  was  variously  engaged,  until  finally  he  became 
a  manufacturer  of  soap  used  in  the  cleaning  of  wool. 
He  began  in  that  business  as  an  employee,  but  later 
became  proprietor  of  the  business  which  he  conducted 
quite  successfully  for  several  years,  his  customers  being 
the  numerous  mills  of  the  Pawtuxet  valley.  After  sell- 
ing his  soap  manufacturing  business  he  engaged  in  stock 


dealing,  operated  a  livery  and  sales  stable,  and  ran  a 
hack  and  a  teaming  business.  He  built  up  an  excellent 
trade  and  was  held  in  honorable  regard  by  all  with 
whom  he  did  business.  He  was  an  excellent  judge  of 
horses,  and  on  his  buying  trips  in  the  West  and  Canada 
he  selected  his  stock  with  such  rare  judgment  that  his 
Eastern  sales  stables  could  always  be  relied  upon  to 
furnish  the  best  stock  for  the  needed  purpose.  The 
business  he  built  up  and  so  successfully  conducted  he 
has  retired  from  in  his  later  years,  his  successor  being 
his  son,  John  Allen  (2)  Battey.  Mr.  Battey  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics,  and  so  highly  esteemed  in  his  district 
that  he  was  frequently  elected  to  office  from  a  district 
politically  opposed  to  him.  This  tribute  to  his  ability 
and  popularity  was  expressed  more  than  once  in  his 
section  for  the  offices  of  tax  assessor  and  Town  Council, 
and  still  more  forcibly  in  his  election  as  representative 
to  the  General  Assembly,  he  being  one  of  the  nine 
Democrats  elected  from  the  entire  State  to  serve  in  the 
House  that  year.  He  still  takes  an  interest  in  local 
affairs,  aids  in  all  movements  tending  to  advance  the 
common  good,  and  is  always  ready  to  lend  a  hand  to 
those  in  need  of  assistance,  and  is,  moreover,  a  most 
public  spirited,  loyal  citizen.  His  ability  in  political 
affairs  was  always  respected  during  his  active  con- 
nection with  politics,  as  his  word  was  his  bond.  Mr. 
Battey  is  a  charter  member  of  Phenix  Covenant  Lodge, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Ashland,  R.  I., 
charter  member  Narragansett  Lodge,  No.  8,  Knights 
of  Pythias,  Phenix,  R.  I. 

Mr.  Battey  married,  in  August,  i860,  Nancy  Holden 
Matteson,  daughter  of  Russell  M.  Matteson,  of  Cran- 
ston, R.  I.  Mrs.  Battey  died  in  May,  1909.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Battey  were  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Mabel  F., 
deceased,  and  of  two  sons:  John  .■\Ilen  (2),  and  Wil- 
liam R.  Battey,  the  latter  a  boot  and  shoe  merchant  of 
Hartford.  Conn. 

John  Allen  (2)  Battey,  son  of  John  Allen  and  Nancy 
Holden  (Matteson)  Battey,  was  born  in  Scituate,  R.  I., 
June  9,  1869.  Like  his  honored  father,  he  has  taken  an 
active  interest  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  town  of 
Scituate,  and  has  served  the  public  as  assessor  of 
taxes,  collector  of  taxes,  1908-09-1011,  member  of 
Town  Council,  president  of  that  body  several  years, 
twice  the  elected  Senator  to  represent  Scituate,  and  as 
a  representative  to  the  General  Assembly.  Politically 
he  is  a  Democrat,  and  attends  the  Baptist  church.  Has 
been  chairman  for  many  years  of  the  Democratic  Town 
Committee  of  Scituate.  Mr.  Battey  is  a  member  of 
Narragansett  Lodge,  No.  8,  Knights  of  Pythias ;  Phenix 
Covenant  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
of  Ashland,  R.  I.,  and  a  charter  member  of  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles,  No.  1313,  of  .A.rctic. 

Mr.  Battey  married  in  June,  1909,  Georgia  Melita 
Sherman,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  daughter  of  George 
Sherman  (deceased)  and  Ruth  (Tucker)  Sherman. 
The  latter  resides  in  Providence. 


HENRY  HARRIS  DEXTER— The  Dexter  family 
has  figured  in  Rhode  Island  life  and  affairs  for  a  period 
of  two  hundred  seventy  years  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  compile  a  history  of  the  early 
colony  and  State  omitting  the  name.  Rev.  Gregory 
Dexter,  eminently  fitted  by  great  natural  gifts  and  by 


I 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


'6t 


training  for  a  position  of  leadership  in  public  circles  and 
in  the  intellectual  life  of  the  struggling  colony  of  which 
he  was  a  spiritual  guide  for  a  quarter  century,  trans- 
mitted to  his  descendants  not  only  his  line  capability  as 
a  man  of  large  affairs  and  a  public  official,  but  also 
the  prestige  and  vital  influence  which  had  already  at- 
tached to  the  name  in  Rhode  Island  afTairs.  The  family 
has  never  relinquished  its  power,  and  is  to-day  among 
the  foremost  in  the  State.  Numerous  members  of  the 
family  have  attained  fame  in  the  professions,  and  in 
business,  commercial  and  manufacturing  fields.  Dexter 
Asylum,  of  Providence,  a  noble  institution  for  the  un- 
fortunate poor,  and  the  De.xter  Training  Grounds,  are 
monuments  to  the  name  and  family.  Notable  among  the 
De.xters  who  have  achieved  fame  in  the  arts  was  the 
late  Henry  Dexter,  whose  statue  of  General  Warren 
adorns  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument.  The  line  of  an- 
cestry herein  under  consideration  is  that  of  Colonel 
Edward  De.xter,  a  well  known  figure  in  official  life  in 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island  in  the  opening  decades  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  and  of  his  son,  Henry  Harris 
Dexter. 

(I)  Gregory  Dexter,  the  .-Xmerican  ancestor,  was 
born  at  Olney,  Northamptonshire,  England,  in  1610. 
He  went  early  to  London,  where  he  became  a  printer 
and  stationer,  in  which  occupation  he  was  engaged  in 
partnership  with  a  gentleman  named  Coleman,  in  1643. 
Rev.  Gregory  Dexter  was  connected  with  the  Baptist 
ministry  at  London,  and  was  the  friend  and  transatlantic 
correspondent  of  Roger  Williams.  In  1638  he  was  at 
Providence,  where  he  had  a  lot  assigned  him.  On 
July  27,  1640,  he  and  tliirty-eight  others  signed  an 
agreement  for  a  form  of  government.  He  subsequently 
returned  to  London.  When,  in  1643,  Roger  Williams 
went  to  England  to  procure  the  first  charter  for  the 
infant  colony,  he  took  with  him  the  manuscript  of  his 
dictionary  of  the  Indian  language,  and  on  the  voyage 
arranged  it  for  printing;  in  1643,  ^fi"-  Dexter  printed 
the  first  edition  of  the  dictionary  at  London,  a  reprint 
of  which  now  constitutes  the  first  volume  of  the  publi- 
cations of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society.  On  the 
return  of  Roger  Williams  with  the  charter  in  1644,  Mr. 
Dexter  sold  out  his  establishment  in  London,  and  came 
with  his  friend,  Williams,  to  try  his  fortunes  in  the 
New  World.  Upon  coming  to  Providence  he  was  re- 
ceived there  into  the  First  Baptist  Church,  of  which 
he  subsequently  became  pastor.  In  a  few  years  after 
his  arrival  in  Providence  he  became  active  in  public 
affairs.  In  1651-52-53-54  he  held  the  oflice  of  commis- 
sioner. In  1653-54  he  served  as  president  of  the  towns 
of  Providence  and  W'arwick,  at  the  same  time  filling 
the  office  of  town  clerk  in  Providence.  In  the  subse- 
quent history  of  the  colony  the  name  of  Rev.  Gregory 
Dexter  appears  with  great  frequency.  On  the  death  of 
Rev.  William  Wickenden,  February  13,  1669,  Mr.  Dex- 
ter succeeded  him  in  the  pastorate  of  the  Providence 
church.  While  in  this  position,  amid  his  other  duties, 
he  won  the  name  of  an  effective,  able,  and  successful 
preacher.  Mr.  Dexter  was  the  first  accomplished  printer 
to  come  to  the  Rhode  Island  Colony,  and  although  he 
did  not  pursue  the  occupation  here,  occasionally  went 
to  Boston,  whtre  he  rendered  assistance  and  advice  in 
this  field.  He  printed  with  his  own  hands  the  first 
almanac  for  the  meridian  of  Rhode  Island.  The  Rev. 
Gregory  Dexter  occupies  a  well  defined  place  in  liter- 


ature relating  to  the  early  colonial  period.  Dr.  Stiles, 
former  president  of  Yale  University,  describes  him  as 
a  man  of  excellent  education,  possessed  of  handsome 
talents,  who  "*  *  *  left  his  native  land,  and  joined 
Williams  at  Providence,  where  he  became  a  distin- 
guished character  in  the  Colony."  Morgan  Edwards 
says  of  him:  "Mr.  De.xter,  by  all  accounts,  was  not 
only  a  well-bred  man  but  remarkably  pious.  He  was 
never  observed  to  laugh,  seldom  to  smile,  yet  he  was 
always  a  very  pleasant,  friendly  and  agreeable  man.  So 
earnest  was  he  in  his  ministry  that  he  could  hardly 
forbear  preaching  when  he  came  into  a  house  or  met 
with  a  concourse  of  people  out  of  doors."  Mr.  Dexter 
married  Abigail  Fullerton,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
five  children. 

(II)  Major  John  Dexter,  son  of  Rev.  Gregory  and 
.Abigail  (Fullerton)  Dexter,  was  Imrn  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  November  6,  1652.  In  1677  he  became  a  freeman, 
and  subsequently  settled  on  lands  owned  by  his  lather, 
on  what  later  became  the  Pawtucket  turnpike,  a  little 
north  of  Harrington's  lane,  where  he  had  a  large  farm. 
He  figured  notably  in  official  and  military  affairs  in 
Providence  for  several  decades,  filling  the  oflice  of 
deputy  in  i68o-84-S5-86-<X)-94-y6-97-98-i700-oi-02-03-O4- 
05.  In  1688-99-1700-01  he  was  a  meiuber  of  the  town 
council.  In  1690-91  he  was  assistant.  In  the  years 
1 699- 1 700-01 -02-03-04-05  he  held  the  important  office  of 
major  for  the  main  land.  In  1704-05  he  was  speaker 
of  the  House  of  Deputies.  Major  John  Dexter  died 
.A.pril  23,  1706.  On  February  16,  1688,  he  married  Alice 
Smith,  who  was  l)om  in  1665.  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Whipple)  Smith.  His  widow  married  (sec- 
ond) in  1727,  Hon.  Joseph  Jenckes,  Governor  of  Rhode 
Island;  she  died  Feb.  19,  1736. 

(HI)  Stephen  Dexter,  son  of  Major  John  and  Alice 
(Smith)  Dexter,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  on 
.•\pril  15,  1689,  He  became  a  freeman  in  1712.  and  in 
1727  was  elected  a  member  of  the  General  .Assembly. 
In  1727-29-31-32-33-34-3.1-36  he  was  a  member  of  the 
town  council,  but  after  1736  retired  to  private  life.  He 
was  a  prosperous  farmer,  and  resided  on  the  homestead 
of  his  father,  a  little  north  of  the  old  North  Burying 
Ground,  on  the  east  side  of  what  was  the  Pawtucket 
turnpike.  Stephen  Dexter  married  Susanna  Whipple, 
who  was  born  .Xpril  14,  i6<>3,  and  died  December  15, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Alice  (Smith)  Whipple.  He 
died  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  December  27,  1758.  On 
February  26,  1759,  administration  on  his  estate  was 
granted   his  widow,   Susanna. 

(IV)  Edward  Dexter,  son  of  Stephen  and  Susanna 
(Whipple)  Dexter,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in 
1732.  He  erected  a  house  near  the  former  toll  gate  of 
the  Pawtucket  turnpike  where  he  lived.  Edward  Dex- 
ter was  a  master  mariner  and  followed  the  sea  during 
the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  perished  at  sea  in  Janu- 
ary, 1770.  He  married  Marcy  Arnold,  daughter  of  Jon- 
athan Arnold,  who  was  born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  in  1739. 

(V)  Colonel  Edward  (2)  Dexter,  son  of  Edward  (l) 
and  Marcy  (Arnold)  Dexter,  was  born  in  1760  on  his 
father's  farm  on  the  Pawtucket  turnpike,  and  here 
passed  his  youth.  During  the  period  of  the  .Xmcrican 
Revolution,  General  Lafayette  and  other  officers  of  the 
Continental  forces  were  quartered  at  different  times  at 
the  homestead.  With  the  famous  Frenchman  he  became 
particularly  intimate.    Nearly  fifty  years  after,  1824,  the 


62 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


general  met  and  recognized  him  in  a  crowd  at  Dedham. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  young  Dexter  entered  the 
counting  house  of  Welcome  Arnold,  a  well  known  mer- 
chant of  the  day,  as  a  clerk.  In  1791,  having  served 
an  apprenticeship  in  every  branch  of  the  business  and 
laid  the  foundations  for  his  subsequent  successful  career, 
he  left  the  employ  of  Welcome  Arnold  and  established 
himself  independently  in  business.  For  fifteen  years  he 
followed  the  seas,  a  portion  of  the  time  as  manager  of 
his  own  cargoes.  In  1806,  after  having  visited  nearly 
every  portion  of  the  civilized  world  in  the  interests  of 
his  business.  Colonel  Dexter  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness on  the  seas,  and  returned  to  his  home.  He  was 
thereafter  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Providence 
and  the  vicinity  until  shortly  before  his  death.  In  181 1, 
when  William  Jones  was  elected  governor  of  Rhode 
Island,  Mr.  Dexter  was  called  from  a  company  of 
cavalry  to  the  post  of  aide  on  the  governor's  staff, 
with  the  rank  of  colonel — a  position  which  he  held  until 
1817.  when  Governor  Knight  came  into  office.  Colonel 
Dexter  figured  prominently  in  official,  business,  and 
legal  life  in  Rhode  Island  in  the  early  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  In  conjunction  with  his  mercantile  busi- 
ness, he  carried  on  an  extensive  business  in  real  estate, 
and  acted  often  in  the  capacity  of  guardian,  trustee, 
referee,  and  commissioner  for  others.  He  was  well 
known  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  and  eminently 
respected.  He  was  keeply  interested  in  genealogical 
research  and  Americana,  and  many  of  his  collections, 
transmitted  through  descendants,  form  the  basis  of 
subsequent  publications  on  the  De.xter  family.  Colonel 
Dexter  married  (first)  Abby  Smith,  daughter  of  Job 
Smith,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  who  was  born  in  1773.  He 
married  (second)  Sarah  Mumford,  who  was  born  in 
Providence,  in  1781,  daughter  of  John  Mumford. 

(V'l)  Henry  Harris  Dexter,  son  of  Colonel  Edward 
(2)  and  Abby  (Smith)  Dexter,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  in  the  year  1801.  He  succeeded  to  a  large  portion 
of  his  father's  landed  estate,  becoming  owner  of  the 
homestead  at  Seekonk,  which  he  made  his  home  until 
his  death.  Mr.  Dexter  followed  agricultural  pursuits 
all  his  life,  on  a  large  scale.  He  was  widely  known  and 
eminently  respected  in  the  country  around  Seekonk, 
and  figured  prominently  in  local  affairs. 

Henry  Harris  Dexter  married,  on  November  12, 
1828.  Eunice  Walker,  who  was  born  in  Seekonk,  Mass., 
in  1806,  daughter  of  Timothy  Walker.  The  homestead 
in  which  Mrs.  Dexter  was  born  and  grew  to  young 
womanhood,  known  throughout  Rhode  Island  as  the 
"Timothy  Walker  Homestead,"  is  of  great  historic  in- 
terest as  the  oldest  in  the  State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dexter 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  i.  Samuel 
Frederick,  born  in  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  in  1829.  2.  Sally 
Smith,  born  in  Gloucester,  in  1831.  3.  John  Mumford, 
born  in  Seekonk,  Mass.,  in  1833.  4.  Joseph  Davis,  born 
in  Seekonk,  1835.  5.  Edward,  born  in  Providence,  in 
1837.  (^-  Timothy  Walker,  born  in  Providence,  in  1839. 
7.  .Abby  Smith,  born  in  Seekonk,  in  1842;  Miss  Dexter 
resides  in  East  Providence,  R.  I.  8.  Charles  Henry, 
born  in  Seekonk,  in  1843. 

Henry  Harris  Dexter  died  at  his  home  on  April  2, 
1868. 


council  here,  is  a  native  of  England,  having  been  bom 
in  the  city  of  Leeds,  in  that  country,  June  10,  1866.  He 
is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Jane  (Youney)  Bragg,  who  came 
from  their  native  land  to  the  United  States  when  John 
Israel  Bragg  was  about  two  and  a  half  years  of  age. 
They  settled  at  Olneyville  in  this  State  where  the  elder 
Mr.  Bragg  started  the  present  manufacturing  business 
in  1870  or  1871.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  now  deceased. 
The  childhood  of  Mr.  Bragg  was  passed  in  his  adopted 
city  of  Providence,  and  it  was  here  that  he  received 
his  education,  attending  for  this  purpose  the  Jencks- 
Morin  School  on  Academy  street,  as  well  as  the  public 
schools  of  the  city. 

Upon  completing  his  studies  at  these  institutions,  he 
secured  employment  at  the  Riverside  Mills,  in  Rhode 
Island,  and  after  working  there  for  some  years  became 
associated,  in  1886,  with  his  father  in  the  latter's  manu- 
facturing enterprise.  This  business,  which  consists  of 
the  manufacure  of  machine  wool  combs,  is  a  compar- 
atively rare  one  in  the  United  States,  there  being  only 
about  one  hundred  men  employed  therein  in  the  whole 
country.  Since  the  death  of  the  elder  Mr.  Bragg,  the 
son  has  taken  complete  control  of  the  enterprise  and 
is  now  doing  a  large  and  substantial  business  here. 
During  ordinary  times  the  factory  employs  about  seven 
hands,  but  during  the  war  as  many  as  ten  were  given 
employment  The  concern  supplies  over  sixty  of  the 
large  woolen  mills  with  its  product  and  the  whole  enter- 
prise is  an  exceedingly  remunerative  one.  In  addition 
to  this  business,  Mr.  Bragg  has  taken  a  very  active 
part  in  local  public  affairs  and  is  one  of  the  leaders  of 
the  Republican  party  in  this  city.  As  a  young  man  he 
served  as  supervisor  of  elections  in  the  ward,  and  in  the 
month  of  November,  1918,  was  elected  to  the  Provi- 
dence city  council.  He  is  still  serving  on  this  body  and 
has  already  proved  himself  an  able  and  conscientious 
public  servant.  He  is  a  member  of  the  committees  on 
accounts  and  comfort  stations.  Mr.  Bragg  is  a  prom- 
inent figure  in  fraternal  and  social  circles  in  this  city 
and  is  affiliated  with  Nestell  Lodge,  .Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  and  Providence  Chapter,  Royal  Arch 
Masons.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  local  lodge  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  has  held  prac- 
tically every  office  in  the  gift  of  this  lodge,  being  at 
present  past  noble  grand. 

John  Israel  Bragg  was  united  in  marriage  November 
16,  1890,  at  Providence,  with  Elizabeth  Alice  Holden, 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Holden,  of  this  city. 
Mr.  Bragg  has  three  sisters  living  in  Providence:  Mrs. 
Jane  Ann  Knight,  Mrs.  Martha  Elizabeth  Congdon, 
and  Mrs.  Blanche  Louise  Anderson. 


JOHN   ISRAEL   BRAGG,  the  well  known   manu- 
facturer of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  a  member  of  the  city 


CORNELIUS  JANSEN  HASBROUCK,  one  of 
the  leading  physicians  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  a  prominent 
figure  in  the  general  life  of  the  city,  is  a  native  of 
Alligerville,  Ulster  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  bom 
March  30,  1852.  Dr.  Hasbrouck  is  a  son  of  Lewis  B. 
and  Rachel  (Jansen)  Hasbrouck,  the  former  a  native 
of  High  Falls.  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  bom  in  1809,  and 
died  in  1876,  and  the  latter  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where 
she  was  born  in  181 5  and  died  in  1880.  He  is  a  member 
of  an  old  New  York  State  family,  originally  of  French 
Huguenot  ancestry.  The  childhood  of  Dr.  Hasbrouck 
was  spent  in  Ulster  county,  and  it  was  there  that  he 
received  the  preliminary  portion  of  his  education,  attend- 


'^^ZJ^^-,^^^  y^  r  ></' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


63 


ing  the  local  grammar  school  and  later  the  New  Taltz 
Academy,  wliere  he  was  prepared  for  college.  He  then 
entered  the  medical  department  of  Union  College  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institu- 
tion with  the  class  of  1874,  receiving  his  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine  at  the  same  time.  He  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Shokan,  N.  Y..  in  the 
Catskill  Mountains,  and  continued  at  that  place  for 
about  live  years.  He  then  removed  to  Valitia.  N.  Y., 
and  remained  there  for  a  similar  period,  after  which  he 
spent  two  years  in  practice  in  New  York  City,  and  took 
a  post-graduate  course  at  the  Post  Graduate  School  of 
New  York  City.  In  the  year  1888,  he  came  to  Bristol 
where  he  established  himself  in  practice  and  has  been 
actively  engaged  therein  ever  since  that  time.  He  has 
made  an  enviable  position  for  himself  in  the  medical 
circles  of  the  State  and  at  the  present  time  is  tlie  oldest 
practicing  physician  in  Bristol  and  one  of  the  oldest,  if 
not  the  oldest  in  the  State.  He  maintains  his  home  and 
office  at  No.  117  State  street,  Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  is  well 
known  throughout  the  community.  Dr.  Hasbrouck  has 
been  very  active  in  local  public  affairs  and  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  town  council  of  Bristol  for  two 
years  and  for  three  years  on  the  school  committee.  He 
is  a  member  and  past  president  of  the  Homeopathic 
Medical  Society  of  Rhode  Island,  and  during  his  college 
course  was  president  of  his  graduating  class.  Dr.  Has- 
brouck finds  his  principal  recreation  in  medical  re- 
search and  is  very  much  interested  in  the  study  of  his 
chosen  science. 

Dr.  Hasbrouck  married,  October  14.  1874,  at  North 
Chatham.  N.  Y.,  Sarah  Penoyar,  daughter  of  George 
and  Gertrude  M.  (Rowe)  Penoyar,  the  former  a  native 
of  Milan,  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  many  years,  and  later  of  North 
Chatham.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hasbrouck  one  child  has 
been  born,  Gertrude  M.,  April  10,  1876,  a  graduate  of 
Smith  College  with  the  class  of  1899,  where  she  received 
her  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 


serves  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  His  early  and  long 
continued  connection  has  been  prolific  of  result,  and  to 
his  inventive  genius  the  Hope  Pantograph  group  of 
machines  owes  several  of  its  important  numbers.  In 
IQIS  he  was  granted  letters  patent  by  the  United  States, 
England  and  France,  for  a  universal  pantograph  ma- 
chine, which  works  at  any  diminution  up  to  seven  times 
and  will  enlarge  up  to  twenty-five  per  cent.  Later  he 
patented  a  machine  for  engraving  twelve  foot  rug  rolls, 
tracing  on  the  roll  directly  from  the  original  design; 
these  rolls  weighing  one  and  one-half  ton.  Four  other 
patents  are  pending  which  will  still  further  add  to  the 
laurels  he  has  already  won  as  inventor  of  useful  ma- 
chinery. Mr.  Hope  has  always  given  close  attention  to 
the  business,  but  finds  recreation  in  good  books.  He  is 
a  persistent  worker,  a  legacy  from  his  honored  father, 
and  like  all  else  that  emanated  from  John  Hope,  is  given 
due  importance  by  his  sons  who  are  proud  of  the  name 
they  bear,  a  name  honored  in  both  the  United  States 
and  England  by  all  textile  printers.  Father  and  son 
are  examples  of  public  spirit  and  all  have  won  honor- 
able position  as  business  men  and  citizens. 


WILLIAM  H.  HOPE— The  engraving  of  copper 
rolls  for  printing  calicos  is  a  business  handed  down  in 
the  Hope  family  for  more  than  a  century,  the  sons 
becoming  apprentices  to  their  father,  and  in  turn  trans- 
mitting their  art  to  their  children.  This  was  true  under 
the  old  hand-engraving  regime,  and  has  prevailed  since 
the  invention  of  the  Pantograph  Roll-F-ngraving  Ma- 
chine by  John  Hope,  of  Providence,  he  teaching  the 
business  to  his  sons  in  all  its  detail.  The  John  Hope 
&  Sons  Engraving  and  Manufacturing  Company,  built 
upon  the  Hope  inventive  skill  and  genius,  is  now  man- 
aged by  his  sons,  Charles  H.  Hope,  president,  being  of 
extended  mention  in  this  work,  and  William  H.  Hope, 
secretary  and  treasurer,  the  principal  subject  of  this 
review.  Both  of  these  sons  were  born  during  the  few 
years  residence  of  their  parents  in   England,   1860-1866. 

William  H.  Hope,  son  of  John  and  Emma  (Cordwell) 
Hope,  was  born  in  Manchester,  England,  May  m,  1863, 
but  in  1866  his  parents  returned  to  their  Providence 
home,  where  William  H.  was  educated  in  the  public 
school,  Mowry  &  Goff  English  and  Classical  Academy, 
and  Schofield  Business  College.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen he  began  his  apprenticeship  with  his  father,  and  in 
the  plant  mastered  every  detail  of  the  business  he  now 


WILLIAM  FRANCIS  SULLIVAN,  M.  D.— When 
but  seventeen  years  of  age.  Dr.  Sullivan  entered  medical 
college,  and  upon  arriving  at  legal  age  he  was  invested 
with  his  degree,  and  from  that  year  has  been  engaged 
in  professional  work  in  the  city  of  Providence,  R.  I. 
He  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  rising  physicians  of  the 
city,  young  in  years,  but  a  veteran  in  practice  and  pro- 
fessional experience.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  .\nnie 
E.  (McGovern)  Sullivan,  his  father  now  deceased,  a 
long  time  foreman  in  the  employ  of  the  United  States 
Rubber  Manufacturing  Company.  His  widow,  .\nnie 
E.  Sullivan,  is  a  resident  of  Millsville.  Mass.,  the  fam- 
ily home  for  many  years,  and  there  Thomas  L.  and 
.\nnie  L.,  children  of  Thomas  and  Annie  E.  Sullivan, 
yet  reside. 

William  Francis  Sullivan  was  born  in  Melville, 
Mass.,  November  i,  1886,  and  there  attended  public 
schools,  finishing  the  high  school  course  with  graduation, 
class  of  1903.  Choosing  the  medical  profession,  he  en- 
tered the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Balti- 
more, Md.,  there  pursuing  study  until  graduated  M.  D., 
class  of  igoQ.  After  graduation  he  located  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  becoming  an  interne  at  St.  Joseph's  Hos- 
pital, a  position  he  held  for  fourteen  months  when  he 
resigned,  and  until  iQio  devoted  himself  to  study  and 
recreation.  His  years  of  preparation  have  been  constant 
and  laborious,  and  on  the  threshold  of  his  private  prac- 
tice he  took  his  first  real  vacation  since  boyhood.  In 
1910  he  began  practice  in  Providence  and  so  continues, 
a  general  practitioner  with  offices  at  No.  752  North 
Main  street.  He  has  won  honorable  position  in  his 
profession,  has  a  good  practice,  and  a  wide  circle  of 
friends.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical 
and  Providence  Medical  societies,  the  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus, and  The  Order  of  Antlers,  acting  as  medical  ex- 
aminer of  the  last  named.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church.  Cathedral  Parish,  and  in  pol- 
itico is  a  Democrat. 

Dr.  Sullivan  married.  September  18,  1903,  Alice  Mc- 
Court,  of  Rumford,  Mass.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
three  children:    .Alice  F.,  Walter  T.,  and  Robert  G. 


64 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


BENJAMIN  STANTON  CARPENTER,  one  of 
the  best  known  and  most  successful  merchants  of 
Belleville,  R.  I.,  and  a  very  prominent  and  influential 
citizen  here,  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  distinguished 
New  England  family.  He  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Sarah  (Hazard)  Carpenter,  and  a  grandson  of  Benja- 
min Carpenter.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Sarah  Hazard,  who  were  also  representatives  of 
well  known  families  in  this  region.  Mr.  Carpenter's 
father  was  a  native  of  Matunuck.  in  South  Kingstown, 
and  attended  the  local  district  schools  during  his  child- 
hood. He  later  became  the  keeper  of  a  store  in  that 
region  and  was  very  successful.  He  had  remarkable 
native  abilities  as  a  trader  and  dealt  in  many  different 
kinds  of  commodities,  including  land  and  real  estate, 
stock,  and  sheep,  etc.  He  purchased  a  fine  farm  at 
South  Kingstown,  which  he  operated  for  a  number  of 
years,  although  he  began  work  as  a  farmer  at  Point 
Judith  Pond  on  Great  Island.  He  made  frequent  busi- 
ness trips  to  the  mainland,  crossing  the  strip  of  water 
between  the  island  and  the  State,  by  means  of  a  skiff, 
afterwards  riding  on  horseback  to  his  destination.  He 
was  a  selectman  at  South  Kingstown  for  many  years 
after  coming  to  reside  here  and  was  very  prominent 
in  all  the  town  affairs.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics 
and  was  well  known  in  connection  with  the  activities 
of  his  party.  He  became  very  prosperous  in  this  region 
and  later  bought  the  old  Hazard  property  at  Perryville, 
in  the  township  of  South  Kingstown,  and  there  made  his 
home  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  married 
Sarah  Hazard  and  they  were  the  parents  of  nine  child- 
ren as  follows:  Ellis  M. ;  Thomas,  deceased;  Wanton, 
who  resides  at  Perryville  and  is  the  owner  of  the  first 
hotel  at  Matunuck,  which  he  erected  on  a  part  of  the 
old  homestead  property;  George,  who  resides  at  North 
Kingstown  ;  Benjamin,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned;  Susan,  deceased;  Sarah,  deceased; 
Elisha.  who  now  resides  at  Westerly ;  Kate,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Mr.  A.  H.  Bliss,  a  manufacturer  of  jewelry 
at  North  Attleboro. 

Benjamin  Stanton  Carpenter  was  born  February  i6. 
1843.  at  South  Kingstown,  on  the  farm  which  his  father 
had  purchased  there  some  years  prior  to  that  event,  and 
here  his  childhood  was  spent.  He  attended  the  district 
schools  of  South  Kingstown  and  later  studied  for  a 
short  time  at  Hopkinton  .Academy.  During  his  vaca- 
tion and  other  spare  hours  from  school,  he  assisted  his 
father  both  on  the  farm  and  in  the  store  which  the  elder 
man  conducted  in  this  region,  and  continued  thus  oc- 
cupied until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  The  money 
for  his  schooling  was  saved  up  by  Mr.  Carpenter,  him- 
self, from  his  earnings  as  a  farmer's  assistant  in  this 
region.  Upon  completing  his  studies  and  becoming  of 
age,  Mr.  Carpenter  rented  a  farm  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  his  father's  old  place,  but  a  year  later 
left  this  property  and  went  to  the  town  of  Hopkinton, 
where  he  hired  a  store  in  the  village  of  Woodville,  and 
operated  it  successfully  for  some  two  years.  He  then 
came  to  Belleville,  and  later  to  Providence,  where  he 
hired  a  building  and  operated  a  store  for  a  number  of 
years,  situated  on  Potters  avenue  and  Eddy  street.  He 
later  returned,  in  1875,  to  Belleville,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  valuable  plot  of  land  upon  which  he  built  a 
modern    store,    and    also   made   his    home   there.     Mr. 


Carpenter  has  since  that  time  built  up  a  large  and  suc- 
cessful general  store  business  here  and  has  greatly 
e.xpanded  his  original  enterprise.  He  has  purchased  the 
old  store  property  at  his  first  location  here  and  also 
developed  that  as  a  branch  of  his  main  establishment. 
Mr.  Carpenter  deals  in  provisions,  fuel,  grain,  etc.,  and 
has  a  large  market  for  his  goods  throughout  the  sur- 
rounding district  Mr.  Carpenter  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics  and  although  he  has  never  aspired  to  public 
office,  he  has  nevertheless  allowed  himself  to  be  per- 
suaded to  become  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  the 
position  of  assessor  of  taxes.  He  was  successfully 
elected  and  held  this  most  responsible  and  difficult  posi- 
tion very  efficiently  for  a  number  of  years.  Grover 
Cleveland,  upon  being  elected  President  of  the  United 
States,  appointed  Mr.  Carpenter  postmaster  of  Belleville 
and  during  the  four  years  that  followed,  he  did  much 
to  develop  and  improve  that  important  department  here. 
Although  Mr.  Carpenter  is  a  very  quiet  and  retiring 
man,  who  finds  his  chief  pleasure  in  his  home  life,  he  is 
well  known  and  highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow  citizens 
generally,  and  holds  a  prominent  place  in  the  business 
life  and  public  affairs  of  the  community.  He  is  a  man 
of  keen  insight,  and  his  advice  is  often  sought  for  by 
young  men  engaged  in  business  enterprises  here.  He 
is  a  delightful  companion  and  is  ever  ready  with  an 
appropriate  story  for  every  occasion  and  possesses  a 
remarkably  quick  wit.  His  code  of  ethics  is  of  the 
highest  both  in  business  and  in  every  other  relation  of 
life,  and  his  reputation  for  honesty  and  square  dealing, 
is  second  to  none  in  the  community. 

Benjamin  Stanton  Carpenter  was  united  in  marriage 
on  March  14,  1867,  at  Westerly,  with  Mary  Anna  Sher- 
man, daughter  of  John  P.  and  Catherine  (Holly)  Sher- 
man.   Mrs.  Carpenter  died  in  the  year 


CHARLES  HENRY  KERNAN— Since  1909  Mr. 
Kernan  has  practiced  at  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  He  is 
a  son  of  Felix  H.  and  Mary  F.  Kernan.  He  was  born 
in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  May  22,  1882,  and  was  educated  in 
public  and  private  schools  of  Providence,  finishing  with 
a  course  at  the  Rhode  Island  Commercial  School.  He 
became  a  student  of  the  law  under  the  direction  of  his 
uncle,  Patrick  H.  Quinn,  and  on  November  6,  1909, 
was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Bar  Association.  He  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  was  the  first  town  solicitor  of  the  town  of 
West  Warwick,  and  served  on  the  school  committee  of 
the  town  of  Warwick.  Mr.  Kernan  married,  July  12, 
191 1,  Winifred  M.  McCusker,  of  Pheni.x,  R.  I.  They 
have  three  children :  Mary  W.,  Edward  F.,  and 
Louise  C. 


WILLIAM  JAMES  ARNOLD— After  a  busy  and 
successful  business  life  William  James  Arnold  has  re- 
tired and  interests  himself  in  beautifying  the  old  estate 
upon  which  he  lives  and  which  he  has  made  one  of  the 
show  places  of  the  region.  He  was  born  June  26,  1842, 
in  New  York  City,  a  son  of  William  Utter  Arnold,  who 
was  a  native  of  Providence,  having  been  born  on 
Westminster  and  Union  streets,  now  a  busy  business 
section.  As  a  boy  he  used  to  play  ball  on  Mathewson 
street.  William  Utter  Arnold  was  apprenticed  when  a 
youth  in  the  cotton  mills,  and  afterwards  worked  his 


2^^^^^^^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


way  up  through  a  number  of  positions  to  that  of  man- 
ager. He  developed  a  special  ability  in  the  takiui;  over 
of  old  and  deteriorated  mills,  reorganizini;  and  refitting 
them  anil  putting  them  finally  on  a  paying  basis.  He 
later  moved  to  \cw  York,  and  invested  in  the  leather 
manufacturing  business,  which  he  sold  at  a  later  period, 
and  returned  to  the  old  .Arnold  homestead  at  Lake- 
wood.  R.  I.  The  grandfather  of  William  James  .Arnold 
was  a  James  Utler  .Arnold,  who  married  a  Miss  Car- 
penter, and  he  in  his  turn  was  the  son  of  George  and 
Ruth  (Utter)  Arnold,  Ruth  Utter  having  been  descended 
from  William  Utter,  the  first  of  the  family  in  Rhode 
Island. 

William  James  Arnold  was  brought  by  his  parents 
from  New  York  City,  at  the  age  of  seven,  to  the  old 
homestead  of  the  Arnolds  and  here  he  spent  his  child- 
hood. He  went  to  the  local  schools  of  Spring  Creen, 
and  to  the  Evans  and  Stevens  private  school,  on  Pine 
street.  Providence,  R.  I.  School  work  was  interrupted 
for  a  time  by  an  opportunity  of  a  business  character. 
Then  he  came  back  to  school,  attending  the  Lyons 
school  on  College  street.  It  was  while  he  was  here  at 
school  that  he  enlisted  in  the  First  Light  Infantry,  was 
selected  in  the  Second  Company  and  went  into  military 
training.  It  was  a  tragic  happening  for  the  enthusiastic 
youth  when  he  was  stricken  down  with  pneumonia,  and 
by  the  desperate  illness  that  followed  and  which  pros- 
trated him  for  nine  months  he  was  prevented  from 
going  with  his  companions  into  service  at  the  front. 
This  has  always  been  a  matter  of  keen  regret  and  a 
bitter  disappointment  which  has  left  a  lifelong  scar. 

He  bore  his  disappointment  with  true  American  pluck 
and  took  the  work  at  hand  and  threw  himself  into  it 
with  a  characteristic  energy.  The  first  chance  he  had 
was  a  position  in  a  grocery  store  in  Providence,  and  he 
kept  this  while  his  mind  reached  out  to  the  time  when 
he  could  learn  the  machinist's  trade.  He  finally  was 
apprenticed  to  the  firm  of  Le  Valley  &  Lamphier  Com- 
pany of  Phenix,  R.  I.,  and  here  he  served  out  his  full 
time  and  became  an  expert  machinist.  An  opportunity 
came  to  him  soon  after  this  to  work  for  the  New  York 
Steam  Engine  Company  as  a  machinist,  and  he  went 
to  New  York  and  remained  with  them  for  several  years. 
There  is  often  a  strong  pull  for  a  man  from  the  place 
in  which  he  has  spent  his  childhood  and  to  which  he 
feels  that  he  belongs.  Something  like  this  brought  Mr. 
Arnold  back  to  Rhode  Island,  and  he  came  to  Provi- 
dence where  he  established  a  planing  mill  on  Fountain 
street  opposite  the  old  Hoyle  Tavern.  This  business  he 
carried  on  until  1892  with  excellent  success,  but  having 
now  reached  the  age  of  fifty  he  felt  that  he  had  earned 
the  right  to  retire  and  indulge  his  inborn  love  of  a 
country  life.  He  had  accumulated  a  substantial  amount 
of  Providence  property,  and  feeling  that  the  future  was 
provided  for  he  looked  about  for  a  site  for  a  country 
home.  He  found  an  old  abandoned  farm  with  many 
possibilities  on  the  Warwick  road  in  Buttonwoods  and 
located  on  the  Tuscatucket  river,  at  the  point  where  the 
remains  of  an  old  Indian  trail  crossed  the  river.  This 
beautiful  stream  runs  through  the  farm,  and  it  required 
only  an  artistic  imagination  and  a  little  engineering  to 
convert  the  stream  into  a  lake  dotted  with  wooded 
islands,  and  partially  inclosing  the  house.  Here,  set  on 
high   grounds   sloping   to  the   water,   the   house   stands 

R  1-2-5 


and  watches  its  mirrored  reflection.  Although  all  the 
modern  comforts  were  added  to  the  house,  a  fine  taste 
retained  all  the  ancient  beauties  of  the  building,  and  the 
result  has  been  a  place  which  keeps  all  the  old  world 
charm  of  an  ancestral  home  in  a  setting  of  wonderful 
loveliness.  The  old  New  England  atmosphere  is  re- 
tained and  the  many  out-buildings  are  painted  white  in 
Colonial  fashion.  .^  charming  little  bungalow  studio 
is  situated  in  a  grove  that  borders  on  the  lake  which  is 
the  special  sanctum  of  a  daughter  who  is  an  artist.  The 
whole  forms  a  unique  and  arresting  picture  of  tran- 
quil country  beauty  and  domestic  happiness,  Mr. 
.\rnold  is  a  member  of  Old  Providence  J.  W.  Tilling- 
liast  Fire  Department,  No.  9,  and  for  ten  years  has  been 
first  hoseman.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  affi- 
liations. 

Mr.  Arnold  married,  December  20,  1868,  .\bby  Frances 
Stone,  daughter  of  Daniel  J.  and  Harriet  E.  (Chase) 
Stone,  both  of  them  natives  of  Prudence  Island.  Daniel 
J.  Stone  is  a  descendant  of  Samuel  (Norton  and  Abby 
Frances  (Stone)  Arnold,  and  is  the  seventh  in  descent 
from  Samuel  Gorton.  Mr.  .Arnold  has  one  daughter, 
Hetty  Frances,  whose  life  is  devoted  to  the  practice  of 
the  art  of  painting. 


GEORGE  P.  CLARK,  a  successful  and  prominent 
manufacturer  of  Shannock,  R.  I.,  and  a  well  known 
citizen  there,  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  highly  respected 
family  which  has  been  identified  with  affairs  of  this 
State  since  early  Colonial  times.  Mr.  Clark  is  a  de- 
scendant in  the  twelfth  generation  from  John  Clark  who 
founded  this  branch  of  the  family  in  Rhode  Island. 

(I)  John  Clark,  a  native  of  England,  resided  in  that 
country  during  his  entire  life  and  was  buried  there  in 
the  year  1559. 

(II)  John  (2)  Clark,  son  of  John  (i)  Clark,  was 
born  in  England  in  February,  1541,  and  was  buried 
there  .'Xpril  7,   1598. 

(III)  Thomas  Clark,  son  of  John  (2)  Clark,  was 
bom  on  All  Staints'  Day,  November,  1570,  and  died 
July  27,  1627.  He  was  the  father  of  four  sons:  Dr. 
John;  Thomas;  Joseph;  and  Carew. 

(I\')  Joseph  Clark,  son  of  Thomas  Clark,  was  born 
in  England,  December  9,  1618,  and  died  June  I,  1694. 
His  brother.  Dr.  John  Clark,  was  the  author  of  the 
Charter  of  1663  from  King  Charles  II.,  and  was  assisted 
in  the  framing  of  this  document  by  Joseph  Clark  (1618- 
1694). 

(Y)  Joseph  (2)  Clark,  son  of  Joseph  (i)  Clark,  was 
born  in  1643,  and  removed  to  Westerly,  R.  I.,  where  he 
died  January  11,  1726.  He  was  the  father  of  five 
sons:    William;   Samuel;  Thomas;  Joseph;  and  John. 

(VI)  William  Clark,  eldest  son  of  Joseph  (2)  Clark, 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Richmond  township.  He 
was  born  May  ij,  1670,  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  his 
death  occurred  at  Richmond,  February  28,  1767,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-six.  He  was  the  father  of  the 
following  children:  William;  Thomas;  Jonathan; 
Caleb;   Rebecca;  and  Elisha. 

(VII)  William  (2)  Clark,  son  of  William  (i>  Clark, 
\\as  born  in  1702  at  Newport,  and  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Richmond,  where  he  resided  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  and  died  March  28,  1786.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  his  town,  and  was 


66 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


elected  town  clerk  of  Richmond,  June  6,  17^9.  He  was 
elected  as  representative  from  Richmond  in  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  State  in  175C.  He  was  the  father  of 
six  sons:  James;  William;  Gideon;  Joshua;  Peter; 
and  Weeden. 

(VIII)  Joshua  Clark,  son  of  William  (2)  Clark,  was 
bom  at  Richmond,  and  was  the  first  of  the  name  to 
come  to  Shannock,  R.  I.,  where  the  majority  of  his 
descendants  still  reside.  In  1771,  he  purchased  a  tract 
of  land  with  water  privilege,  at  Shannock.  This  priv- 
ilege has  been  owned  and  utilized  by  his  descendants 
ever  since  that  time,  and  it  is  now  operated  by  his 
great-grandson,  George  H.  Clark,  and  his  great-great- 
grandson,  George  P.  Clark,  of  this  sketch.  Joshua 
Clark  was  married  February  26.  1769,  to  Elizabeth 
Dodge.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: Rouse,  horn  Dec.  7,  1769;  Elizabeth,  born  Oct.  17, 
1771 ;  William,  born  April  8,  1773;  Joseph,  twin  of  Wil- 
liam, married  Joanna  Tifft;  Joshua,  born  Jan.  22,  1775, 
and  died  Sept.  19,  1787;  Wells,  born  Feb.  15,  1777; 
Susannah,  born  Jan.  10,  1779;  Perry,  of  whom  fur- 
ther;    Hazard,   born   May   20,    1783;     Luke,  born   Aug. 

15.  '785.  and  married  Sarah  Tifft;  Mary,  born  July  10. 
1787;  Joshua  (2),  born  June  28,  1790. 

(IX)  Perry  Clark,  son  of  Joshua  Clark,  was  born 
November  21,  1780,  at  Richmond,  R.  I.,  and  was  a  prom- 
inent man  in  Shannock  for  many  years.  It  was  he  that 
built  and  operated  for  a  number  of  years  at  this  place 
the  grist  mill  and  the  old  saw  mill,  equipped  with  the 
old  fashioned  overshot  water-wheel.  It  gives  a  picture 
of  the  old  time  to  recall  that  once  a  week  he  took  his 
products  to  market  behind  a  team  of  horses,  usually 
making  his  sales  at  Newport,  and  sometimes  at  Provi- 
dence. It  was  he  who  built,  also,  the  first  store  at 
Shannock.  He  carried  on  a  business  large  for  those 
days,  and  was  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  in  the 
community.     He  died  July  24,  1835.     He  married,  April 

16,  1815,  Penelope  Perry,  who  was  born  May  2,  1784, 
and  died  March  19,  1875,  at  the  venerable  age  of  one 
hundred  one  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children :  Perry,  born  Feb.  17,  1816,  married 
Penelope  Dodge,  Sept.  13,  1837;  Charles,  born  Jan.  23, 
1818,  died  May  9,  1870,  and  married  Mary  Clarke; 
Simeon  P.,  mentioned  further  in  the  te.xt;  Mary,  born 
Dec.  10,  1821  ;  and  Penelope  Congdon,  born  Feb.  27, 
1825. 

(X)  Simeon  P.  Clark,  son  of  Perry  and  Penelope 
(Perry)  Clark,  was  born  at  Clark's  Mill,  R.  I.,  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1820.  As  a  lad  he  attended  Bacon  Academy  at 
Colchester,  Conn.,  and  when  he  was  fifteen  years  old, 
he  succeeded  to  his  father's  business  in  association  with 
his  brother,  Charles.  He  took,  also,  the  position  of 
bookkeeper  for  R.  G.  Hazard,  who  operated  the  mills 
at  Carolina  at  that  time.  In  1849,  with  this  same 
brother,  Charles,  he  erected  a  mill  in  this  region,  and 
m  1856  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  yarn. 
This  old  mill  is  still  standing  and  is  to-day  operated  by 
his  son  and  grandson.  His  partnership  with  his  brother 
was  finally  dissolved  by  the  death  of  the  latter  in  1870, 
after  which  Simeon  P,  Clark  became  the  sole  proprietor 
of  the  mill  and  continued  in  active  management  of  the 
same  until  1885,  when  he  sold  it  to  his  son,  George  H. 
Clark.  Simeon  P.  Clark  was  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
early    development   of    the    industrial    interests    of   the 


community,  and  was  a  most  active,  capable,  and  enter- 
prising man.  Mr.  Clark,  while  possessing  strong  anti- 
slavery  convictions,  took  no  part  in  the  violent  contro- 
versy of  that  period  and  throughout  his  life  he  felt  a 
strong  dislike  for  politics.  He  was  a  man  of  phil- 
osophic mind,  and  his  chief  pleasures  were  those  to  be 
found  in  contemplation  and  reflection,  especially  in  the 
realm  of  religious  problems.  For  a  time  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church,  but  later  joined  the 
Advent  Christians  and  remained  a  member  of  that 
church  until  his  death,  December  4,  1S87.  His  business 
talents  were  of  an  exceptional  character  and  he  enjoyed 
a  universal  reputation  for  integrity  throughout  the  com- 
munity where  his  operations  were  carried  on.  Novem- 
ber 8,  1843.  he  married  Catherine  Perry,  a  native  of 
South  Kingstown,  born  in  1819,  and  a  daughter  of 
Walter  Perry  of  that  place,  and  a  direct  descendant  of 
the  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  family.  She  died  February 
22,  1897.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  child- 
ren:  George  Herbert,  of  further  mention;  Catherine 
Perry,  born  Aug.  7,  1848,  now  deceased;  Nellie  Aug- 
usta, born  March  25,  1850,  wife  of  George  Carmichael, 
of  Shannock;  Julia  Wells,  born  in  Shannock,  Nov.  23, 
1854;  and  Harriet  Sumner,  born  April  22,  1856,  and  died 
April  II,  1874. 

(XI)  George  Herbert  Clark,  the  eldest  son  of  Sim- 
eon P.  and  Catherine  ( Perry)  Clark,  was  born  .\ugust 
6,  1847,  at  Carolina,  R.  I.  His  childhood  was  spent 
at  Shannock.  He  received  his  education  at  East  Green- 
wich .\cademy  and  later  at  the  Scholfield  Commercial 
College  at  Providence.  When  he  was  eighteen  vears  of 
age,  he  associated  himself  with  his  father's  business, 
and  in  18S5  he  purchased  the  old  mill  and  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  cotton  yarn.  Mr.  Clark  was  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Columbia  Narrow  Fabrics  Com- 
pany, January,  1901,  manufacturers  of  silk  elastic  web- 
bing. This  concern  was  incorporated  with  Mr.  Clark  as 
president,  his  son,  George  Perry  Clark,  as  treasurer  and 
general  manager,  and  Henry  G.  Clark,  secretary.  This 
business  was  first  carried  on  at  Providence,  but  after  a 
year  was  removed  to  Shannock,  where  it  is  still  located. 
In  addition  to  his  extensive  business  interests,  Mr.  Clark 
participated  actively  in  the  public  affairs  of  Shannock. 
For  many  years  he  served  as  assessor  of  the  town  of 
Richmond.  He  was  a  staunch  Republican  and  was  highly 
regarded  by  his  townsmen  as  a  public  spirited  member 
of  the  community.  December  26,  1877,  Mr.  Clark,  mar- 
ried Celia  E.  Carr,  of  Jamestown,  a  daughter  of  Pcleg  C. 
and  Catherine  (Weeden)  Carr.  They  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  children :  George  Perry,  with  whose 
career  we  are  especially  concerned  here ;  Harriet  Sum- 
ner, a  graduate  of  Smith  College;  Henry  Garfield,  a 
graduate  of  the  Westerly  High  School,  and  of  Brown 
University,  formerly  chairman  of  the  school  committee 
of  Richmond,  being  the  youngest  official  who  has  served 
in  that  capacity  at  the  time  of  his  election,  in  this  State; 
Florence,  a  graduate  of  Wellesley  College  with  the 
class  of  1907. 

(XII)  George  Perry  Clark,  the  eldest  son  of  George 
Herbert  and  Celia  E.  (Carr)  Clark,  was  born  January 
13.  1879.  He  attended  the  Westerly  High  School,  an<l 
completed  a  commercial  course  at  the  East  Greenwich 
.\cadcmy.  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.  In  January,  1901,  he 
became  the  treasurer  of  the  Columbia  Narrow  Fabrics 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


67 


Company,  and  at  once  devoted  himself  to  mastering  the 
manufacturing,  marketing  and  financing  of  this  business. 
So  well  did  he  succeed,  that  in  1903,  one  year  after  the 
removal  of  the  plant  to  Shannock,  he  became  general 
manager  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  treasurer.  Both  of 
these  positions  he  fills  at  the  present  lime.  The  business 
has  developed  rapidly  for  quality  is  the  main  reliance  for 
a  reputation  which  is  very  well  established.  Mr.  Clark 
devotes  his  entire  time  to  this  business.  In  national 
politics,  Mr.  Clark  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Charity  Lodge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons,  Hope 
Valley,  R.  I.;  and  a  member  of  the  Colonial  Club, 
Westerly.  On  April  26,  1911,  George  P.  Clark  married 
Anne  Mary  O'Neil,  of  Pawcatuck,  Conn.,  daughter  of 
Eugene  and  Sarah  (Mahon)  O'Ncil. 


ARCHIBALD  W.  HUGHES,  M.  D.— Among  the 
rising  young  physicians  of  Rhode  Island,  Dr.  Hughes 
takes  leading  rank,  his  practice  and  the  home  which  he 
has  built  in  the  village  of  Esmond  being  worthy  of  a 
much  older  professional  man.  He  is  a  son  of  James 
E.  and  .-\nnie  Hughes,  of  England,  the  former  a  resi- 
dent of  Esmond,  and  the  mother  deceased. 

Archibald  W.  Hughes  was  born  in  Lancashire,  Eng- 
land, on  Christmas  Day,  1882,  and  there  spent  the 
first  ten  years  of  his  life.  He  attended  the  public 
school  in  England  until  1892,  when  he  was  brought  to 
the  United  States  by  his  parents.  They  located  in  the 
city  of  Providence,  where  the  lad,  Archibald,  attended 
the  public  schools,  completing  the  full  course  with 
graduation  from  the  Technical  High  School.  He  then 
entered  Tuft's  Medical  School,  whence  he  was  grad- 
uated M.  D.,  class  of  1906,  going  thence  as  interne  to 
the  State  Sanitorium,  at  Rutland.  Mass.  One  year 
later,  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  Pine  Ridge  Camp  for 
Consumptives  at  Scituate,  R.  I.,  there  remaining  one 
year  with  marked  success.  In  the  fall  of  1908,  he  located 
in  offices  at  Greenville,  and  there  practiced  his  pro- 
fession for  about  one  year.  He  then  moved  to  Esmond 
where  he  won  high  reputation  as  a  physician  of  skill 
and  honor,  his  large  practice  reflecting  the  confidence 
and  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  community.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  the 
Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  and  the  Providence  Med- 
ical Society. 

Dr.  Hughes  married  in  Greenville,  R.  I.,  November 
30,  1914,  Mary  M.  Steere,  daughter  of  Elisha  A.  and 
Phoebe  O.  (Mathewson)  Steere,  her  father  a  farmer  of 
Greenville. 


FRANK  D.  ALMY — More  than  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury ago  the  Almy  Water  Tube  Boiler  was  patented  by 
Darwin  Almy  and  the  corporation  formed  to  manu- 
facture what  was  then  an  innovation  in  boilers.  The 
corporation  is  known  as  the  Almy  Water  Tube  Boiler 
Company,  of  which  Frank  D.  Almy,  of  Providence,  is 
now  the  executive  head.  The  two  men,  DarwMn  and 
Frank  D.  Almy,  were  cousins,  and  both  in  the  employ 
of  the  Herreshoflf  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Bristol, 
Darwin  Almy  being  the  superintendent  and  Frank  D. 
Almy,  a  marine  engineer.  The  Almy  W'ater  Tube 
Boiler  Company  was  formed  in  1889,  Darwin  Almy 
being  president  during  the  years  1889-1917,  and  when  he 
died  was  succeeded  by  Frank  D.  Almy,  who  as  super- 


intendent has  been  an  active  factor  in  building  up  the 
successful  business  of  which  he  is  now  the  capable 
head. 

Frank  D.  Almy  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Elam  (2)  and 
Cynthia  ftllen  (Delano)  Almy,  the  former  having  been 
born  July  27,  1838,  and  having  been  a  farmer  at  Tiver- 
ton all  his  life,  dying  in  that  place,  September  14,  1912. 
He  was  a  son  of  Samuel  Elam  (i)  Almy,  who  was  born 
February  18,  1800.  died  August  18,  1889,  and  was  a  son 
of  Cook  Almy.  Cook  .Mmy  was  the  son  of  John  Almy, 
and  was  born  September  27,  1765,  and  died  February  25, 
1861.  John  Almy,  the  son  of  Job  (2)  and  Bridget  (San- 
ford)  Almy,  was  born  .-Xpril  18,  1720,  and  died  .April  20, 
1808.  Bridget  (Sanford)  Almy  was  a  granddaughter  on 
the  maternal  side  of  Governor  William  Coddington.  Job 
(2)  Almy  was  a  son  of  Job  (l)  Almy,  and  was  born 
March  3,  1681,  and  died  January  28,  1767.  Job  (i)  Almy, 
born  in  1640,  died  in  1684,  was  a  son  of  William  Almy, 
born  in  1601,  and  died  in  1676,  who  came  to  Lynn, 
Mass.,  not  later  than  1631.  He  returned  to  England, 
but  came  again  on  the  ship  "Abigail"  in  1635,  with  his 
wife,  Audry  (Almond)  Almy,  and  their  two  children. 
He  moved  to  Sandwich,  Mass.,  in  1637,  to  Portsmouth, 
R.  I.,  in  1641,  and  died  there  in  1676. 

Frank  D.  Almy,  of  the  seventh  American  generation, 
was  born  at  Tiverton,  R.  I.,  June  4,  1865,  and  until  nine- 
teen years  of  age  was  his  father's  farm  assistant.  He 
attended  the  public  schools,  and  continued  to  reside  at 
the  home  farm  until  1885,  and  then  became  an  em- 
ployee of  the  boiler  department  of  the  Herreshoff  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  a  cousin  of 
Frank  D.  Almy,  Darwin  Almy,  being  the  foreman  of 
the  department.  While  working  in  that  department, 
the  young  man  was  sent  to  assist  in  installing  boilers 
and  engines  on  board  vessels,  and  also  accompanied 
vessels  on  trial  trips.  In  this  way  he  became  deeply 
interested  in  the  subject  of  boilers,  and  began  to  qualify 
for  a  position  as  a  marine  engineer.  He  obtained  a 
government  license  as  such  in  1887  and  did  not  take 
a  position  elsewhere,  continuing  with  the  HerrcshofT 
Manufacturing  Company  for  two  years,  1887-1889.  He 
then  joined  with  Darwin  Almy  in  the  organization  of 
the  Almy  Water  Tube  Boiler  Company  to  manufacture 
the  invention  of  Darwin  Almy.  The  corporation  known 
as  the  Almy  Water  Tube  Boiler  Company  began  manu- 
facturing, September  I,  1889,  although  the  patent  for 
the  boiler  was  not  granted  until  the  spring  of  1890. 

Water  tube  boilers  met  with  a  good  deal  of  opposi- 
tion, and  the  .*\lmy  plant  had  no  easy  task  in  establish- 
ing the  soundness  of  the  theory  upon  which  their 
boilers  were  built,  and  after  that  was  done  to  prove  the 
superior  quality  of  the  Almy  boiler.  Darwin  .Mmy, 
as  president,  and  Frank  D.  Almy  as  superintendent 
bent  their  every  energy  to  the  upbuilding  of  a  business 
based  on  quality  of  product,  and  into  every  boiler  wove 
the  Almy  quality,  which  they  rated  above  every  other 
consideration.  Their  success  was  great  and  there  is  no 
manufacturing  business  in  Rhode  Island  which  rests 
upon  a  more  secure  foundation.  In  1017  Darwin  .Almy 
died,  and  was  succeeded  in  the  presidency  by  Frank 
D.  Almy.  Mr.  Almy  is  a  thoroughly  practical  manu- 
facturer and  knows  how  markets  are  gained  and  are 
retained,  and  never  loses  sight  of  the  fact  that  buyers 
are  only  held  to  a  brand  of  manufactured  goods  by 


68 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


one  consideration,  self-interest.  Hence,  he  expects  to 
hold  his  markets  by  maintaining  a  quality  no  rival  can 
surpass,  and  this  plan  of  campaign  he  invariably  carries 
out  to  the  letter.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Providence 
Engineering  Society,  of  What  Cheer  Lodge,  No.  21, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  in  politics  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

Mr.   Almy   married.  June   l8,   1867,  Julia   May   Luce, 
of  Bristol,  R.  L.  and  two  sons  have  been  born  to  them: 

1.  Samuel  Elam,  now  lieutenant  (J.  G.)  Reserve  Force, 
United  States  Navy,  engaged  in  overseas  duty.  He  has 
been  once  the  victim  of  the  German  submarine,  but 
escaped  with  his  life,  although  the  ship  was  destroyed. 
He   married   Catherine   Matheson,   of   Brooklyn,   N.    Y. 

2.  Albert  S..  who  is  a  chemist,  now  employed  in  that 
capacity  by  the  Industrial  Engineering  Company,  of 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.     Mrs.  Almy  died  January  I,  1900. 


WILLIAM  ROSCOE  POTTER— One  of  the  re- 
sults of  the  selection  of  a  farmer  legislator  from  Cov- 
entry to  the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly  was  the 
passage  of  an  act  relative  to  the  licensing  and  bonding 
of  persons  engaged  in  the  sale  of  milk  in  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island.  This  act,  introduced  by  William  Roscoe 
Potter,  and  passed  at  the  January  session  of  the  Gen- 
eral .'Vssembly  in  1918,  is  of  great  value  both  to  milk 
producers  and  users,  modeled  along  the  same  lines  as 
bills  which  are  in  force  in  the  States  of  New  York  and 
New  Hampshire.  Dairy  farming  is  Mr.  Potter's  pet 
occupation,  business  or  hobby,  if  you  please,  and  the 
product  of  his  fine  herd  of  Holsteins  is  his  pride.  The 
bill  which  bears  his  name  is  for  the  protection  of  the 
honorable  producer  and  dealer,  and  if  enforced  will 
prevent  adulteration  and  fraud  practices  which  have  en- 
dangered branches  of  farm  industry  into  disrepute.  Such 
has  been  Mr.  Potter's  public  service  as  a  State  legislator 
since  his  election  to  the  Assembly  in  1916,  but  from 
youthful  manhood  he  has  been  interested  in  public 
affairs  and  in  town  offices.  He  is  now  a  resident  of 
Greene,  R.  I.,  having  purchased  a  farm  there,  but  he 
was  born  at  the  old  Potter  homestead  in  Summit,  and 
at  Bowen's  Hill  taught  school  one  year  in  the  same 
school  in  which  his  mother  taught  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage to  James  J.  Potter.  He  is  also  the  owner  of 
the  old  Potter  homestead  farm  in  Coventry,  near  Hop- 
kins Hollow,  near  the  Connecticut-Rhode  Island  State 
line,  where  James  J.  Potter  resided  for  several  years 
prior  to  his  death,  returning  to  the  old  home  after 
nearly  a  lifetime  spent  in  the  State  of  Connecticut. 

Daniel  D.  Potter,  grandfather  of  William  R.  Potter, 
first  located  upon  the  homestead  which  he  purchased 
from  the  fruits  of  his  trading  trips  with  horse  and 
wagon.  He  prospered  and  the  old  farm  which  he 
bought  from  the  Westcott  family,  when  he  had  scarcely 
a  dollar  and  no  property  save  the  horse  and  wagon 
used  in  his  business,  was  added  to,  until  it  consisted 
of  3300  acres  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Daniel  D. 
Potter  married  Phoebe  Johnson,  the  Potters  and  John- 
sons, both  old  Rhode  Island  families. 

James  J.  Potter,  son  of  Daniel  D.  and  Phoebe  (John- 
son) Potter,  was  born  at  the  old  Potter  homestead  near 
Hopkins  Hollow,  on  the  Connecticut  State  line,  in 
Coventry,  R.  I.,  and  there  spent  the  greater  part  of  his 


adult  life,  a  farmer,  but  late  in  life  returned  to  the 
homestead,  and  there  died  July  25,  1909.  He  was  a  man 
of  industrious  and  upright  life,  a  selectman  in  his  Con- 
necticut home,  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  highly  es- 
teemed by  his  community.  He  married  (first)  Emma 
Capwell,  who  died,  leaving  a  son,  Irving  L.  Potter,  now 
a  resident  of  Oneco,  Conn.  He  married  (second) 
Josephine  Potter,  who  died  in  1895,  daughter  of  Jason 
Potter,  leaving  a  son,  William  Roscoe  Potter,  whose 
useful  life  is  the  inspiration  of  this  review.  He  married 
(third)  Elizabeth  Wood,  who  survives  him  and  resides 
in  Providence. 

William  Roscoe  Potter,  only  child  of  James  J.  Potter 
and  his  second  wife,  Josephine  Potter,  was  bom  at  the 
Potter  Farm,  which  he  now  owns,  at  Summit,  R.  I., 
.•\pril  I,  1879.  He  was  educated  in  Coventry  public 
schools,  and  at  Moosup  High  School,  his  studies  being 
terminated  by  a  severe  illness  which  prevented  gradu- 
ation. He  taught  the  Bowen's  Hill  public  school  for 
one  year,  and  the  next  year  he  presided  over  the 
Cranberry  Hill  School,  that  position  being  his  last  as 
a  pedagogue.  He  next  entered  mercantile  life  as  clerk 
in  a  general  store  in  Greene,  R.  I.,  and  on  June  17, 
1902,  became  telegraph  operator  and  station  agent  at 
Greene  for  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
Railway  Company,  a  position  he  still  retains,  serving 
most  satisfactorily.  In  June,  1916,  he  bought  and 
removed  to  his  present  farm  in  Greene.  There  he  main- 
tains and  personally  cares  for  his  herd  of  Holstein 
cattle,  his  specialty,  dairy  farming.  This  herd  is  at  once 
his  recreation  and  his  work,  for  his  heart  is  in  his 
business,  and  he  has  labored  all  his  life  to  better  con- 
ditions surrounding  milk  production  and  distribution. 
He  has  been  successful  in  his  business  undertakings,  and 
is  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  S'ate  who 
have  labored  not  less  for  the  good  of  all  than  for  their 
own  advancement. 

In  public  life  Mr.  Potter  has  held  several  town  offices 
including  the  superintendency  of  schools,  igoi-02; 
school  committeeman,  1905-13;  town  councilman,  1913- 
16.  In  November,  1916,  he  was  elected  to  represent 
Coventry  in  the  Rhode  Island  House  of  Representa- 
tives, and  in  January,  1918,  introduced  the  Potter  bill, 
regulating  the  sale  of  milk,  previously  referred  to.  In 
the  House  he  served  on  the  committee  on  State  char- 
ities and  corrections.  His  career  has  been  one  of  use- 
fulness and  honor,  and  not  yet  in  the  prime  of  his 
physical  or  intellectual  powers,  the  future  holds  promise 
of  greater  usefulness.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  affiliated  with  Ionic  Lodge,  No.  28,  of  Greene. 
He  has  for  seventeen  years  been  a  member  of  .Anthony 
Lodge,  No.  21,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  is  a  member  of  James  Pike  Council,  No.  86,  Order 
of  United  American  Mechanics.  Since  he  was  four- 
teen years  of  age  he  has  been  a  member  of  Coventry 
Republican  Club,  and  is  now  its  honored  president.  In 
religious  faith  he  is  a  member  of  Greene  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Potter  married  (first)  .August  i,  1901,  Daisy 
Wilbur,  who  died  leaving  a  son,  Everett  James,  now 
residing  at  home,  a  graduate  of  grammar  school  and 
president  of  his  class  (1918).  He  married  (second), 
December  16,  1915,  Mrs.  Dora  E.  Sherman,  daughter 
of  Byron  M.  Lewis. 


^^<^t^ 


Aat^ 


.  ^CT^M^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


69 


FRANCIS  BISHOP  KEENEY— A  young  man, 
finely  educated  and  well  equipped  for  the  practice  of 
law,  Mr.  Keeney  came  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1908. 
He  is  a  native  son  of  the  State  of  Michigan,  his 
parents,  Alanson  and  Mary  Jane  (  Dewey)  Keeney,  yet 
residing  in  that  State  at  Morris.  His  mother  is  a  cousin 
of  Admiral  George  Dewey. 

Francis  Bishop  Keeney  was  born  at  Cambridge, 
Mich.,  a  village  located  twelve  miles  from  Adrian, 
November  12,  1881.  Soon  afterward  his  parents  moved 
to  Adrian  and  there  he  completed  full  courses  of  public 
school  study,  graduating  from  high  school  with  the 
class  of  1902.  From  high  school  he  passed  to  the  col- 
lege dipartment  of  Michigan  State  University,  at  Ann 
Arbor,  receiving  his  A.  B.,  class  of  1906.  Choosing  law 
as  his  profession  he  entered  the  law  department  of 
Michigan  University,  completing  the  course  and  grad- 
uating LL.  B.,  class  of  1908.  The  same  year  he  located 
in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  began  practice  in  the  office  of 
Edwards  &  Angell.  In  November,  1913.  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  partnership  in  that  firm.  On  .Xpril  I,  IQ17,  he 
withdrew  from  the  firm  of  Edwards  &  Angell  to  become 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Swan  &  Keeney,  with  offices 
at  No.  716  Turk's  Head  building.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Bar  Club  and  the  Rhode  Island  Bar 
Association. 

In  politics  Mr.  Keeney  is  a  Republican,  and  in  churcli 
affiliation  a  member  of  the  First  Congregational  Church. 
His  clubs  are  the  University,  Turk's  Head,  and  Unitar- 
ian, he  being  the  present  secretary  of  the  last  named. 
His  college  fraternities  are:  Phi  Beta  Kappa  and  Phi 
Alpha  Delta. 

Mr.  Keeney  married.  May  2S,  1910,  at  Southold,  N. 
Y.,  Bernice  Pearl  Mitchell.  They  have  one  son.  Francis 
Bishop  (2),  born  January  23.  1914. 


mcnt  as  assistant  surgeon  in  the  maternity  department, 
this  service  to  St.  Joseph's  being  increased  in  1915  hy 
his  being  added  to  the  staff,  in  1914,  as  assistant  surgeon 
in  women's  diseases.  As  the  years  have  progressed  he 
has  made  obstetrics  and  women's  diseases  his  special 
branches  of  practice,  his  skill  and  knowledge  being 
largely  devoted  to  this  class  of  patients.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  .American  Medical  Association,  the  Rhode 
Island  Medical  and  Providence  Medical  societies,  his 
standing  among  his  professional  brethren  being  most 
honorable.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  .\gnes  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church,  and  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 

Dr.    Kcnney    married,    January    10,    191 1,    Margaret 
Elizabeth  Walsh,  of  Whitinsville,  Mass. 


JOHN  JOSEPH  KENNEY.M.D.— Since  the  year 
1908  Dr.  Kenney  has  been  engaged  in  mediail  practice 
in  the  city  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  coming  soon  after  his 
graduation  from  medical  school.  While  his  practice  is 
general  in  character,  he  is  a  skilled  surgeon,  and  gives 
preference  to  that  branch  of  practice.  He  is  well  estab- 
lished in  public  regard  and  ministers  to  a  large  clien- 
tele. Dr.  Kenney  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Ellen  (Gib- 
lin)  Kenney,  both  residents  of  Franklin,  Mass.,  where 
Thomas  Kenney  is  a  mill  overseer.  They  are  the 
parents  of  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  all  except  Dr. 
Kenney  being  residents  of  Franklin,  Mass.:  John  J., 
Thomas  J.,  James  F.,  William  E.,  Frederick  L.,  Mary 
E.,   Catherine,   Elizabeth,   Annie,    Margaretia  Veronica. 

John  J.  Kenney  was  born  in  Woonsocket.  R.  I., 
March  9.  1884,  but  when  very  young  he  was  taken  by 
his  parents  to  Franklin,  Mass.,  which  has  since  been 
the  family  home.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Franklin,  completing  high  school  study  with  graduation, 
class  of  1903.  He  then  became  a  student  at  Dean 
Academy,  going  thence  to  Dartmouth  College  Medical 
School,  whence  he  was  graduated  M.  D.,  class  of  1908. 

-After  receiving  his  degree  Dr.  Kenney  returned  to  his 
native  State  and  began  his  professional  career  as  interne 
at  St.  Joseph's  Hospital.  Providence,  serving  as  such 
for  one  year  before  beginning  private  practice.  In  addi- 
tion he  was  also  assistant  physician  to  the  out-patients 
department  of  the  hospital,  and  also  received  appoint- 


IRVING  P.  HUDSON,  the  well  known  editor  and 
publisher  of  the  Pawtu.xct  Valley  "Daily  Times."  of 
.Arctic,  R.  I.,  and  a  prominent  citizen  of  Kent  county, 
is  a  native  of  Warwick,  R.  I.  He  was  born  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Phenix,  .August  5,  1873,  son  of  J.  Ellery  and 
Eliza  (Pearce)  Hudson.  The  former  was  born  in 
Natick  and  the  latter  in  Ironstone,  Mass.  Irving  P. 
Hudson  is  the  oldest  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom 
eleven  survive.  His  father  was  bom  in  September, 
1852,  and  ac(|uired  an  education  through  his  own  efforts. 
.\t  the  age  of  nine  years  he  started  to  work  in  the  mills 
of  Natick  and  Harris,  and  stayed  there  until  he  entered 
Mowry  &  Goff's  School,  of  Providence.  He  then  went 
with  the  Pawtuxet  Valley  "Gleaner,"  at  Phenix,  as  fore- 
man, and  later  became  general  business  manager,  being 
with  this  paper  for  over  thirty  years.  He  was  in  the 
Legislature  two  years.  Governor  Elisha  Dyer  appointed 
him  factory  inspector,  and  he  later  became  chief  factory 
inspector,  which  position  he  occupies  to  date.  He  is 
a  Republican,  and  for  many  years  chairman  of  the 
Town  Committee  of  Coventry,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
State  Central  Committee  from  Coventry.  He  has  al- 
ways been  active  in  the  councils  of  his  party,  and  is  one 
of  the  best  known  men  in  the  State.  He  is  a  past  grand 
master  of  Masons  of  Rhode  Island.  In  1872  he  mar- 
ried Eliza  Pearce,  of  Phenix,  R.  I.  They  were  the 
parents  of  thirteen  children:  Irving  P.,  of  further  men- 
tion; Charles  J.,  Mary  E.,  John  B.,  Laura  M,  Ellery 
E.,  .\rchcr  E.,  James,  Marion  L.,  Royal  C,  Albert  S., 
Wilton  P..  and  Lloyd  E. 

Irving  P.  Hudson  received  his  education  at  the  Harris 
Grammar  School  in  Coventry,  and  afterwards  took  a 
commercial  course  at  the  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business 
College  of  Providence,  R.  I.  After  finishing  school  he 
entered  the  employ  of  John  H.  Campbell,  publisher  of 
the  Pawtuxet  Valley  "Gleaner."  a  well  known  weekly  of 
that  period.  He  was  apprenticed  to  the  printing  trade, 
which  he  completed  there  and  worked  as  a  journeyman 
until  1905,  when  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Provi- 
dence "Tribune"  for  two  years.  In  July  he  purchased 
the  Pawtuxet  Valley  "Daily  Times,"  and  since  that 
time  he  has  taken  an  exceedingly  active  part  in  local 
aflairs.  He  has  made  himself  a  power  for  the  good 
and  general  enlightenment  of  the  community,  and  has 
served  his  fellow-citizens  not  only  as  the  editor  of  one 
of  the  most  progressive  journals  of  this  region,  but 
also  as  holder  of  a  number  of  public  offices.  He  is  a 
staunch  member  of  the  Republican  party,  and  has  al- 
ways been  prominently  identified  with  the  local  Repub- 


70 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


IJcan  organization.  In  1908  he  was  elected  auditor  of 
the  town  of  Coventry.  In  the  year  IQIO  Mr.  Hudson 
was  elected  to  the  Rhode  Island  House  of  Representa- 
tives, and  served  in  that  body  for  three  years,  when  he 
was  elected  to  the  Rhode  Island  Senate.  His  record  as 
a  legislator  has  been  one  of  distinction,  and  he  has  been 
closely  identified  with  the  reform  legislation  that  has 
been  enacted  during  this  period.  He  was  vice-president 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Press  Club  in  1913-14,  and  presi- 
dent in  1915-16.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pen  and  Pencil 
Club ;  the  Town  Criers ;  the  Kent  Club ;  the  Flat  River 
Club,  of  which  he  is  now  secretary ;  Warwick-  Lodge, 
No.  16,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  which  he  is  past 
master;  Land  Mark  Chapter,  No.  10,  Royal  Arch 
Masons;  Providence  Council,  No.  i,  Royal  and  Select 
Masters ;  St.  John's  Comanden.-,  No.  I,  Knights  Tem- 
plar; Palestine  Temple,  Mystic  Shrine;  Eastern  Star, 
Ruth  Chapter,  No.  5,  of  which  he  is  a  past  patron; 
Anthony  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows; 
and  the  Sagamore  Encampment,  of  which  he  is  at 
present  high  priest.  For  the  past  twenty-eight  years 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Phenix  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  West 
Warwick  Typographical  Union.  He  is  at  the  present 
time  president  of  the  Coventry  Town  Council. 

February  i,  1899,  Irving  P.  Hudson  married  Thirza 
Hammond,  daughter  of  John  Hammond,  of  Riverpoint, 
formerly  of  Harbor  Grace,  New  Foundland.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hudson  have  four  daughters:  Dorothy  Isabelle, 
Lucy  May,  Marion  Thirza.  and  Thirza  Hammond. 


ALBERT  F.  SMILEY,  one  of  the  largest  building 
contractors  in  the  region  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  one 
whose  reputation  for  integrity  and  capability  is  second 
to  none,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  and  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Rebecca  (Alexander)  Smiley,  old  and  much  re- 
spected residents  of  the  outlying  regions  about  Mont- 
real. Mr.  Smiley,  the  elder,  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion and  continually  engaged  in  that  line  during  prac- 
tically his  entire  life.  He  died  in  the  year  1902.  but  is 
survived  by  his  wife,  who  at  the  present  time  makes 
her  home  at  Lenoxville,  near  Montreal,  Canada. 

Born  May  17,  1870,  at  Montreal,  Canada,  Albert  F. 
Smiley  spent  the  early  years  of  his  life  on  his  father's 
farm  and  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
region.  .'Vs  he  grew  older  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  car- 
penter and  learned  that  trade,  becoming  very  proficient 
in  it  while  still  a  mere  youth.  Upon  attaining  his 
majority,  he  left  his  father's  home  and  came  to  the 
United  States  locating  in  the  city  of  Manchester,  N. 
H.,  in  1890.  He  worked  at  this  trade  in  the  surround- 
ing region  there  until  the  year  1895,  and  then  came  to 
Rhode  Island,  and  secured  work  on  the  Grosvenor 
building  at  Providence,  which  was  at  that  time  in 
process  of  construction.  During  this  perio<l  he  took  a 
night  school  course  in  architecture  at  the  Rhode  Island 
School  of  Design,  and  supplemented  this  with  a  course 
in  the  Correspondence  School  of  Scranton.  Pa.  His 
skill  and  knowledge  in  the  work  soon  led  to  his  being 
put  in  positions  in  which  he  supervised  his  fellow  labor- 
ers, and  from  1895  to  1905  he  acted  as  foreman  or  super- 
intendent on  several  large  buildings  in  the  neighbor- 
hood and  elsewhere  in  the  State.  During  the  period 
between  1900-1905,  Mr.  Smiley  acted  as  general  super- 
intendent for  Benjamin   F.  Smith,  a  contractor,  build- 


ing in  various  cities  of  Massachusetts,  some  of  the 
largest  mills  in  the  United  States.  In  the  latter  years 
he  determined  to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count, and  in  association  with  George  Humes  and  Peter 
A.  Cruise,  he  organized  the  Hume,  Cruise  &  Smiley 
Construction  Co.,  of  Pawtucket.  Success  quickly  at- 
tended their  efforts  and  during  this  period  the  firm 
erected  the  following  buildings:  In  Pawtucket,  J.  P. 
Coats'  store  house,  Albert  H.  Humes'  private  residence, 
the  Solway  Dyeing  and  Bleaching  Company,  and  Kirby's 
Five  and  Ten  Cent  Building;  in  Prnvidence,  the  Rhode 
Island  Hospital  power  house,  laundry,  sleeping  quarters 
and  tunnel;  the  Rhode  Island  Tool  Company,  and  the 
Slocomb  Machine  Shop;  in  Central  Falls,  the  Sutcliff 
Bank  and  office  building;  in  Whitinsville,  Mass.,  the 
Ring  and  Traveler  Mill ;  in  North  Attleboro,  Mass.,  the 
Badaracco  Office  Building;  and  at  Valley  Falls,  the 
Standard  Nut  and  Bolt  Company.  But  the  year  follow- 
ing, Mr.  Smiley  and  Mr.  Cruise  disposed  of  their  in- 
terests to  Mr.  Humes  and  founded  the  Cruise  &  Smiley 
Construction  Company.  This  association  continued 
until  IQ09  but  in  that  year  Mr.  Smiley  sold  his  interests 
to  his  partner  and  since  then  has  conducted  the  business 
alone.  While  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Cruise 
&  Smiley  they  erected  the  following  buildings :  In  Paw- 
tucket. American  Hall  Building,  Chester  House,  St. 
Mary's  Rectory,  the  John  Smith  Building,  and  the  con- 
crete bridge  for  Darlington  Fertilizer;  in  Central  Falls, 
the  Hemphill  Manufacturing  Company;  in  Providence, 
Ridge  Street  School  and  Church,  and  the  Veazie  Street 
School ;  and  at  Woonsocket,  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Smiley  besides  being  a  complete  master 
of  the  science  of  construction  is  also  a  most  capable 
business  man  and  executive,  and  his  enterprise  has  con- 
stantly grown  under  his  able  management.  Among  other 
large  contracts  carried  out  under  him  have  been  the 
following:  In  Pawtucket,  Swift  &  Company,  Slater 
Mill  Manufacturing  Company,  the  Weeden  Land  Com- 
pany, the  Hamlet  Textile  Company,  American  Textile 
Company,  and  extensive  additions  and  repairs  on  the 
Union  Wadding  Company,  on  the  Memorial  Hospital, 
and  on  the  David  Harley  Company;  in  Mansfield,  Mass., 
the  S.  W.  Card  Company ;  in  Waterville.  Me.,  the 
Lockwood  Company ;  at  Saylesville,  R.  I.,  the  Glenlyon 
Dye  Works,  the  Sayles  Bleachery,  the  Lonsdale  Bak- 
ery, the  Crefield  Waste  &  Batting  Company,  the  Sayles- 
ville School  and  Post  Office;  at  Phillipsdale.  the  Glen- 
lyon Dye  Works,  L.  A.  Lockwood,  the  River  Spin- 
ning Company;  at  Central  Falls,  the  Glenlyon  Dye 
Works,  the  Samoset  Mill,  and  the  Haniley  Textile  Com- 
pany;  at  Mechanicsville,  Conn.,  the  French  River  Tex- 
tile Company,  and  the  Mechanicsville  Mills;  at  Valley 
Falls,  the  Samoset  Mill,  the  River  Spinning  Company 
and  the  Hansahoe  Manufacturing  Company;  and  at 
Woonsocket.  the  River  Spinning  Company;  and  at  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  the  Buena  Vista  .'\partments.  Besides 
these  there  was  the  construction  of  the  Stump  Hill 
Dam,  and  the  Phillipsdale  Dam  on  Ten  Mile  river,  and 
many  others  of  a  similar  type  in  the  past  year  (1918). 
Mr.  Smiley  has  made  the  construction  of  mills  his 
specialty  together  with  their  remodeling  and  exten- 
sion, and  there  is  probably  no  other  man  in  this  par- 
ticular region  who  has  given  so  much  study  and 
thought  to  this  particular  problem  in  construction  or  is 
so  complete  a  master  of  it  in  all  its  aspects. 


'U^c^tCC^ 


/^4^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


71 


Mr.  Smiley  is  a  member  of  the  Master  Builders' 
Association  and  has  done  not  a  little  towards  promot- 
ing the  general  development  of  the  community  by  his 
activities.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Roger  Williams 
Driving  Club,  and  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the  social 
world  of  the  city. 

Albert  F.  Smiley  was  united  in  marriage  on  June  17, 
1895,  at  Manclicsler,  N.  H.,  with  Rose  Goodrich,  a 
daughter  of  Phillip  and  Susan  (Richards)  Goodrich, 
of  Manchester,  N.  H.  They  are  the  parents  of  five 
children:  Clifford  Earl,  now  a  corporal  in  the  Sixty- 
Sixth  Company,  Rhode  Island  Coast  Artillery,  and  at 
present  serving  with  the  .'\merican  E.xpeditionary 
Forces  in  France:  Emma:  Albert:  Doris,  and  Harriet, 
who  reside  with  their  parents.  Mr.  Smiley  and  his 
family  make  their  home  at  No.  129  Chapel  street, 
Saylesville.  His  business  office  is  in  the  Oak  Hall 
Building,  Pawtucket. 


THOMAS    L.    CARTY,    a    popular   and    respected 
attorney  of   l';uvtuckct.  R.  I.,  and  a  native  of  that  city, 
is  a  son  of  Edwin  and  Catherine  (Marran)   Carty,  both 
of  whom  are  natives  of  England.     Edwin  Carty  and  his 
wife  came  to  this  country  in  their  early  married  life  and 
settled  at  Pawtucket.  where  the  former  secured  a  posi- 
tion in  one  of  the  loc&I  industrial   plants.     He   is   still 
thus  employed,  and  they  reside  at  the  present  time  in  this 
place,  where  they  are  well  known  and  highly  respected. 
Born  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  November  21,  1881.  Thomas 
L.  Carty  has  always  resided  there  and  has  made  it  the 
headquarters  of  his  professional  career.     He  began  his 
education  by  attending  the  local  schools  and  was  pre- 
pared for  college  at  these  institutions.    He  next  entered 
Brown   University   at   Providence,   and  there   remained 
for  two  years.     In  the  meantime,  however,  he  decided 
to  follow  law  as  a  profession,  and  accordingly  gave  up 
his  general  studies  to  take  up  his  chosen  subject.     With 
this  purpose  in  view  he  entered  the  famous  law  school 
01  the  University  ot  Michigan  at  Ann  Harbor,  Mich.,  in 
1906.    He  studied  for  three  years  at  this  institution  and 
graduated  with  the  class  of   1909.  receiving  his  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Laws.     Returning  to  Rhode  Island,  he 
passed   his   bar  examination   there,   and   at   once  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  opening  an  office  in  the 
Reed    Building    at    No.     188    Main    street,    Pawtucket, 
where  he  has  remained  up  to  the  present  time.     During 
these   years    he    has    firmly   established    himself    in    the 
legal  world  of  that  city  and  has  won  a  reputation  for 
ability  which   is  second  to  none.     He  has  now  a  large 
practice  and  is  respected  most  highly,  not  only  by  the 
general     public,     but     by     his     professional     colleagues 
throughout  the  city.     Mr.   Carty  is   a   member   of   the 
Pawtucket    Bar    .\ssociation    and    has    done    much    to 
further  the  aims  of  that  valuable  organization.     In  his 
religious  belief  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic.     He  is  also  an 
active  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  Pawtucket 
Council.  No.  412. 


lively,  his  lather  having  come  to  this  country  in  young 
manhood.  The  early  education  of  Dr.  Hayman  was 
received  at  the  public  schools  of  Taunton,  and  he 
graduated  from  the  high  school  there  with  the  class 
of  1901,  having  been  prepared  for  college.  The  young 
man  had  already  determined  upon  medicine  as  a  pro- 
fession and,  accordingly,  matriculated  at  the  Boston 
University  School  of  Medicine,  where  he  took  a  four 
year  course  in  that  study,  according  to  the  Homoeo- 
pathic theory.  He  graduated  with  the  class  of  1905, 
having  taken  his  degree  of  M.  D.,  and  during  the  last 
year  of  his  studies  was  resident  physician  at  the  Hull 
Street  Medical  Mission  at  Boston.  He  then  became 
surgical  interne  at  the  Massachusetts  Homoeopathic 
Hospital,  where  he  remained  until  July.  1906.  .-Xt  that 
time  he  formed  an  association  with  Dr.  Frederick 
Evelcth,  and  with  him  practiced  at  .Amesbury,  Mass., 
until  the  close  of  1907.  It  was  then  that  Dr.  Hayman 
came  to  Providence,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession  and  has  continued  ever  since.  He 
has  built  up  a  large  and  successful  practice,  and  is 
one  of  the  best  known  general  physicians  of  the  city, 
having  devoted  himself  to  no  particular  specialty, 
excepting  that  he  has  won  his  chief  reputation  as  a 
surgeon.  Dr.  Hayman  is  at  the  present  time  a  mem- 
ber of  the  staff  and  a  trustee  of  the  Homoeopathic 
Hospital,  located  on  Jackson  street.  Providence.  He 
is  a  prominent  figure  in  professional  and  fraternal 
circles  in  this  region,  and  is  affiliated  with  a  large 
number  of  organizations  of  various  kinds.  He  is  a 
mcml)er  of  the  American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy, 
the  Massachusetts  Surgical  and  Gynecological  Society, 
the  Rhode  Island  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society,  of 
which  he  served  as  president  during  the  years  1917 
and  1918.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  John's  Lodge,  .An- 
cient Free  and  .\cceptcd  Masons,  Providence  Chap- 
ter, Royal  Arch  Masons,  St.  John's  Commandery. 
Knights  Templar,  Palestine  Temple.  .Xncicnt  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  In  his  religious 
belief  Dr.  Hayman  is  a  Congregationalist  and  attends 
Union  Church  of  that  denomination  in  Providence. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Club  of 
this  city.  In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  Republican,  but 
his  professional  activities  have  prevented  him  from 
taking  an  active  part  in  public  affairs. 

Dr.  Ralph  W.  Hayman  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb- 
ruary 26.  1916,  with  Hope  .\ylesworth,  a  daughter  of 
Ira  Curtis  W.  and  Emma  (Cady)  Aylesworth,  promi- 
nent residents  of  Providence. 


RALPH  W.  HAYMAN,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  popular 
and  successful  physicians  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  is  a 
native  of  Taunton,  Mass.,  where  he  was  born,  Sep- 
tember 27.  1883.  a  son  of  Fred  W.  and  Laura  M. 
(Wilbar)  Hayman.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Shef- 
field, England,  and  South  Middleboro,  Mass.,  respec- 


WILLIAM  A.  BATCHELOR— Woonsocket,  R.  I., 
has  been  the  family  home  01  the  Batchelors  since 
1805,  when  George  Batchelor.  an  English  lad  of  fif- 
teen years,  came  to  the  city  of  St.  John,  New  Bruns- 
wick, Canada.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  that  city, 
became  prominent  in  its  business  and  public  life,  being 
succeeded  as  police  commissioner  by  his  youngest 
son,  William  A.  Batchelor,  who  was  appointed  to  fill 
the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  his  father. 

George  Batchelor.  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth 
Batchelor,  was  born  in  London,  England,  October  12, 
1850.  died  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  December  27,  1913. 
When  he  was  four  years  of  age  he  was  brought  to  St. 


^2 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


John,  New  Brunswick,  that  being  the  family  home 
until  1865,  when  George  Batchelor  began  his  long 
and  honorable  career  in  Woonsocket.  He  was  em- 
ployed in  the  mills  for  some  time,  then  was  a  grocer's 
clerk  until  i&So,  when  he  established  himself  in  the 
grocery  business  under  his  own  name  in  the  Globe 
store  on  South  Main  street.  There  he  continued  a 
successful  business  until  his  retirement,  several  years 
prior  to  his  death.  In  addition  to  the  demands  of  his 
grocery  store,  Mr.  Batchelor  was  called  upon  to  fill 
ofiicial  position  in  various  corporations,  being  for 
years  president  of  the  Woonsocket  Electric  Machine 
Power  Company,  holding  executive  control  of  the  com- 
pany until  its  merger  into  the  Blackstone  Valley  & 
Electric  Company.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
president  of  the  Union  Cemetery  Corporation,  a  trus- 
tee of  the  Producers'  Savings  Bank,  and  a  director  of 
the  Producers'  National  Bank.  He  was  long  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Woonsocket  Business  Men's  Association, 
and  its  president  in  1907-1908.  He  was  an  able  busi- 
ness man,  quick  of  decision,  sound  in  judgment,  and 
the  soul  of  honor.  For  nearly  half  a  century  he  was 
a  resident  of  Woonsocket,  and  he  was  known  the  city 
over  as  a  man  ever  ready  with  counsel  or  substantial 
aid  wherever  needed.  He  was  a  man  of  kindly,  sym- 
pathetic nature,  numbering  a  host  of  friends,  and  re- 
spected by  even  those  who  differed  with  him. 

When  a  young  man,  Mr.  Batchelor  began  his  politi- 
cal career,  being  first  appointed  a  member  of  the 
Republican  Town  Committee.  Later  he  was  chosen 
town  sergeant,  serving  in  that  capacity  for  several 
years.  He  was  then  and  for  twenty-five  years  an 
active  member  of  the  Woonsocket  Fire  Department, 
the  firemen  during  his  term  serving  at  a  salary  of  one 
dollar  monthly,  Mr.  Batchelor  turning  his  pay  into 
the  company's  treasury.  For  years  he  was  foreman 
of  Steamer  No.  i.  and  also  served  as  assistant  chief 
engineer.  When  Woonsocket  became  a  city  he  was 
elected  fire  marshal,  an  office  he  held  for  one  year. 
Later  he  served  a  year  as  license  commissioner,  and  in 
1890-91-92  he  was  elected  highway  commissioner  by  the 
City  Council.  In  1892  he  was  elected  alderman,  serv- 
ing three  terms,  1893-94-95,  being  president  of  the 
board  one  term.  In  1894  he  was  elected  Representa- 
tive to  the  State  Legislature  and  reelected  in  1895. 
He  was  chosen  mayor  of  Woonsocket  in  1897  and 
1898;  was  a  member  of  the  Republican  State  Central 
Committee  from  1897  until  the  spring  of  1909,  serving 
a  part  of  that  time  on  the  executive  committee.  On 
August  5,  1898,  he  was  elected  chairman  of  the  Woon- 
socket Republican  City  Committee,  and  for  nearly 
eleven  years  was  the  directing  head  of  the  party  in 
his  city.  He  resigned  April  7,  1909,  on  account  of  ill 
health,  his  retirement  being  made  the  occasion  of  a 
banquet  in  his  honor,  signalized  by  the  presence  of 
prominent  Republicans  of  city  and  State,  and  the  pre- 
sentation of  a  handsome  loving  cup.  He  remained  a 
private  citizen  but  two  years.  Governor  Pothier  call- 
ing him  from  his  retirement  in  191 1  to  serve  upon  the 
police  commission,  newly  created  hy  the  General  As- 
sembly of  the  State.  The  Governor  named  Mr.  Batch- 
elor as  chairman,  and  with  his  colleagues,  Amie  J. 
Dulude   and   James   M.   McCarthy,   placed  the   police 


department  on  a  higher  plane  of  efticiency  and  greatly 
improved  the  local  licensing  system.  Mr.  Batchelor 
filled  the  position  bestowed  upon  him,  unasked,  until 
his  death.  His  rise  in  politics  was  from  the  very 
bottom,  and  in  his  upward  course  touched  many  depart- 
ments of  city  life.  He  won  recognition  through  his  abil- 
ity to  meet  the  demands  of  every  position  to  which  he 
was  appointed  or  elected,  the  voters  believing  in  him  im- 
plicitly, and  he  never  knew  the  sting  of  defeat  at  the 
polls.  During  his  long  and  active  political  career, 
he  made  and  maintained  a  reputation  as  being  a  fair 
fighter,  and  a  loyal  friend:  a  man  highly  interested 
in  the  welfare  of  his  city,  and  despite  the  acrimonies 
of  political  contest  his  reputation  was  fair  and  un- 
sullied. When  he  succumbed  to  the  last  enemy  after  a 
five  years'  struggle,  the  city  flag  was  placed  at  half 
mast,  the  police  of  the  city  ordered  in  mourning,  and 
full  police  honors  were  paid  the  dead  commissioner. 
The  funeral  was  from  Friends'  Meeting  House,  the 
pall-bearers  and  ushers  being  men  high  in  business 
and  official  life.  Mr.  Batchelor  married,  February  i, 
1870,  Mary  .\.  Miller,  daughter  of  Thomas  Miller, 
of  Woonsocket.  She  survives  her  husband  with  two 
sons:  William  A.,  of  further  mention:  and  J.  Fred 
Batchelor,  of  Dodgeville,  Mass.  Another  son.  Cap- 
tain G.  Frank  Batchelor,  for  years  captain  of  Hose 
Company  No.  4.  died  several  years  before  his  father. 
All  the  sons  married,  J.  Fred  Batchelor  having  a 
daughter  Edna,  and  Captain  Batchelor  leaving  a  son. 
George  (2)   Batchelor,  and  a  daughter  Grace. 

William  A.  Batchelor  was  born  in  Woonsocket. 
May  i,^,  1876,  and  there  completed  courses  of  public 
school  study.  This  was  later  supplemented  by  a 
course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College,  in 
Providence.  He  began  business  as  a  salesman  for 
Swift  &  Company,  wholesale  meat  dealers,  and  for 
twelve  years,  1897-1909,  was  in  their  employ  in  New 
York  City.  In  1909  he  returned  to  Woonsocket,  pur- 
chased the  bottling  works  of  his  brother,  which  he 
still  owns  and  conducts  with  successful  results.  In 
1914  he  was  appointed  police  commissioner  to  fill  out 
the  unexpired  term  of  three  years.  He  is  chairman 
of  the  City  Republican  Committee,  and  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  his  party.  While  in  New  York,  Mr. 
Batchelor  became  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order, 
belonging  to  lodge,  chapter  and  commandery,  and  to 
Mecca  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  .Shrine.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Loyal  Order 
of  Moose,  and  the  Woonsocket  Business  Men's  As- 
sociation. He  is  a  worthy  son  of  an  honored  father, 
and  in  his  way  is  carrying  forward  the  work  begun 
by  George  Batchelor. 

William  A.  Batchelor  married,  in  1914.  Emily 
Farrell. 


EDWARD  F.  CARROLL,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  most 
successful  and  popular  physicians  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
and  at  present  occupying  the  office  of  postmaster  of 
this  city,  is  a  native  of  Rumford,  R.  I.,  where  he  was 
born,  September  13,  1S71,  a  son  of  Charles  and  Mary 
(Monahan)  Carroll.  Both  of  Mr.  Carroll's  parents 
were    natives    of    Ireland,    who    came    to   this    country 


l^lyH^-t^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


73 


shortly  after  their  marriage  and  settled  at  Rumfdrd, 
in  1866.  It  was  at  the  public  schools  of  East  Provi- 
dence that  Dr.  Carrol!  secured  his  education,  and  at 
the  well-known  Brothers'  School  at  LaSalle  Acad- 
emy, from  which  he  graduated  in  1889,  having  been 
prepared  for  college.  He  then  entered  the  medical 
school  in  connection  with  Harvard  University,  from 
which  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1894,  with  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  Immediately  upon 
completing  his  course  in  medicine.  Dr.  Carroll  came 
to  Providence,  and  here  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  Since  that  time  he  has  continued  with 
a  high  degree  of  success  in  this  city,  and  has  now  made 
a  place  for  himself  among  the  leaders  of  the  medical 
profession  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and  is  held  high 
in  the  esteem  of  his  colleagues.  Dr.  Carroll  is  a 
member  of  the  Providence  Medical  Society.  In 
March,  1917,  at  the  time  of  his  appointment  as  post- 
master of  Providence,  Dr.  Carroll  relinquished  his 
practice  in  order  to  attend  more  cfificicntly  to  the 
arduous  duties  of  this  post.  Under  his  capable  man- 
agement the  department  has  developed  greatly  in  size 
and  efficiency,  and  his  work  in  this  connection  is 
appreciated  by  his  fellow  citizens  of  all  political 
parties.  Dr.  Carroll  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has 
been  very  active  in  the  counsels  of  his  party.  He 
has  served  for  three  years  on  the  school  committee 
at  Providence,  and  has  also  held  various  minor 
appointments.  In  his  religious  belief  Dr.  Carroll  is 
a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  St.  Mary's  Church  of 
this  denomination  here.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local 
council.  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  local  lodge  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the 
Rotary,  and  Pen  and  Pencil  clubs  of  Providence.  He 
is  also  an  active  member  of  the  Providence  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  and  has  done  much  in  this  connection 
to  advance  the  general  interests  of  the  community. 

Dr.  Edward  V.  Carroll  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
April,  1901,  with  Mary  T.  Dwyer,  a  daughter  of  Owen 
and  Margaret  Dwyer,  residents  of  Pennsylvania.  To  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Carroll  four  children  have  been  born :  I. 
John  E.,  born  in  1902.  Young  Mr.  Carroll  has  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  youngest  "four  minute  man"  in 
America,  for  while  too  youthful  to  fight  physically  for 
his  country,  he  has  rendered  valuable  aid  on  the  plat- 
form and  stage  in  the  form  of  stirring  appeals  addressed 
to  his  fellow  citizens.  2.  Thomas  P..  born  in  1904.  3. 
Catherine,  bom  in  1909.     4.  Elizabeth,  born  in  1914. 


JAMES  MULLEN,  one  of  the  leading  merchants 
and  e.x-mayor  of  Woonsocket,  is  a  native  of  the  town 
of  Blackstone,  Mass.,  a  son  of  Michael  and  .Mice 
Mullen.  His  birth  occurred  January  19,  1855,  and 
the  years  of  his  childhood  were  passed  in  Blackstone 
and  vicinity,  and  in  the  pursuance  of  his  education, 
which  he  obtained  at  the  local  public  schools.  His 
studies  were  completed  in  the  high  school  of  Black- 
stone and  a  course  at  Bryant  and  Stratton's  Business 
College,  at  Providence.  Mr.  Mullen  then  apprenticed 
himself  to  a  tinsmith  in  Providence,  and  applied  his 
mind  to  learn  that  trade.  For  twelve  years  he  re- 
mained in  the  city  and  then,  in  1884,  came  to  Woon- 
socket, where  he  has  made  his  home  ever  since. 
Here  he  established  himself  in  the  furniture  business 


in  company  with  Daniel  Denipsey,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Mullen  and  Denipsey.  They  prospered  highly,  and 
later  were  obliged  to  remove  to  larger  and  more  ade- 
quate quarters.  Accordingly  he  purchased  the  old 
Harris  Stone  Mill  on  Main  .street,  and  here  began  the 
development  of  what  is  now  the  largest  furniture 
business  in  the  city.  In  1907  Mr.  Denipsey  died  and 
Mr.  Mullen  continued  the  business  as  sole  iiroprietor. 
Besides  his  principal  line  of  furniture,  Mr.  Mullen 
also  handles  on  a  large  scale  rugs,  carpets,  linoleum, 
cooking  ranges  and  kitchen  furnishings.  The  trade  that 
he  has  built  up  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  individual 
efforts,  for  he  has  never  sought  or  had  outside  aid 
of  any  kind.  He  is  a  self-made  man  in  the  best 
sense  of  the  term,  and  the  position  which  he  holds 
to-day  in  the  regard  of  his  fellow  citizens  he  has 
made  for  himself.  He  is  justly  regarded  by  the  com- 
munity at  large  as  one  of  its  most  capable  and  trust- 
worthy citizens,  and  the  influence  that  he  wields  is 
always  exerted  to  the  cause  of  good. 

Shortly  after  his  residence  in  Woonsocket,  Mr. 
Mullen  was  asked  by  his  fellow  citizens  of  the  Third 
Ward  to  fill  an  unexpired  term  in  the  City  Council, 
created  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Doran.  He  was  pos- 
sessed, even  as  a  young  man,  with  an  unusual  grasp 
of  affairs,  and  soon  convinced  his  colleagues  of  his 
fitness  for  office,  albeit  without  any  definite  inten- 
tion to  do  so.  Later  he  became  the  candidate  of  the 
Democratic  party  for  alderman  of  the  Third  Ward, 
and  was  successful  in  the  campaign  that  followed. 
The  proof  of  his  ability  was  shown  in  the  great  sup- 
port he  received  from  his  opposite  party,  the  Repub- 
licans. He  had  already  served  as  councilman,  and 
all  men  were  convinced  of  his  ability  and  disinterest- 
edness. His  election  was  a  tribute  to  his  popularity, 
a  popularity  that  he  did  much  to  confirm  and  increase 
in  the  years  that  followed.  In  the  year  1909  he  was 
elected  mayor  of  W'oonsocket  and  held  this,  the 
highest  office  in  the  city's  gift,  in  that  year  and  in 
1910  and  19H.  His  administration  was  remarkable 
for  its  efficiency  and  the  practical  business  lines  upon 
which  it  was  conducted.  Besides  much  important 
reform,  which  he  instituted  during  these  years,  he 
also  deserves  the  honor  of  having  been  the  only  mayor 
of  the  city  who  ever  actually  reduced  the  municipal 
debt,  .'\nother  achievement  of  his  was  to  stop  public 
dancing  on  Saturday  night  in  the  city,  a  practice  that 
had  led  to  much  that  was  undesirable,  for  which  he 
enjoyed  the  thanks  of  the  better  classes  in  the  com- 
munity. Mr.  Mullen  is  at  the  present  time  a  member 
of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Red  Cross  Society, 
and  is  very  active  in  carrying  on  the  great  work  now 
being  done  by  this  organization  the  world  over.  He 
is  also  a  director  of  the  National  Globe  Bank  of 
Woonsocket.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Mullen  is  a 
Catholic,  and  he  has  been  secretary  of  the  St.  Vincent 
de  Paul  Home  in  this  city  since  its  foundation  and 
incorporation  in  1905:  and  also  president  of  the 
"Particular  Council  of  the  St.  Vincent  dc  Paul  Society" 
of  Woonsocket,  an  organization  for  the  aid  and  relief 
of  the   poor. 

James  Mullen  was  united  in  marriage.  /Xugust  29, 
1889,  with  Catherine  Glynn,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  Glynn,  natives  of  Ireland. 


74 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


RHODE  ISLAND  TEXTILE  COMPANY  of 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  one  of  the  most  successful  and  rap- 
idly developing  among  the  great  industrial  cstablisli- 
ments  of  this  city,  is  a  living  monument  to  the  genius 
of  organization  and  mechanical  skill  of  J.  H.  Conrad, 
its  founder,  treasurer  and  general  manager.  This  con- 
cern has  the  distinction  of  operating  and  working 
every  day  and  night  since  the  plant  was  first  opened, 
a  truly  remarkable  record.  The  rapid  growth  of  this 
concern  is  another  example,  of  which  New  England 
offers  so  many,  of  the  marvelous  ability  in  practical 
affairs,  and  the  industry  of  that  region,  and  well  de- 
serves that  the  salient  points  of  its  career  be  recorded. 
It  was  organized  and  incorporated  by  Mr.  Conrad  in 
association  with  A.  L.  Kelley,  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
in  the  year  1913.  with  Mr.  Kelley  as  president,  and  Mr. 
Conrad,  treasurer  and  general  manager.  Mr.  Kelley 
took  up  the  financial  side  of  the  business  and  has  con- 
fined himself  to  that  ever  since,  while  Mr.  Conrad 
directs  the  practical  operation  of  the  plant  and  all 
the  other  aspects  of  the  work  done.  It  was  started 
in  S'imewhat  restricted  quarters  in  the  American  Hall 
Building,  with  seventy-five  braiding  machines,  but  the 
quality  of  the  product  and  the  energtic  initiative  of 
the  management  soon  gained  for  the  concern  a  wide 
patronage,  and  it  was  necessary  to  keep  the  seventy- 
five  machines  running  steadily,  night  and  day.  But 
even  this  constant  activity  soon  became  insufiicient 
to  handle  the  mass  of  business  that  began  to  pour  in, 
and  larger  quarters  were  sought.  The  plant  was 
moved  to  the  J.  D.  Crosby  Building  on  Prairie  ave- 
nue, Pawtucket,  where  more  space  could  be  had,  but 
even  this  site  proved  inadequate  and  shortly  after  the 
management  decided  upon  a  factory  of  their  own. 
Accordingly,  a  valuable  property  was  purchased 
adjoining  the  Crosby  Building,  situated  on  the  corner 
of  Dean  and  Prairie  avenues,  and  here  a  fine  brick 
structure  begun  in  March,  1916,  was  occupied  in  Au- 
gust of  that  year.  When  completed  it  afforded  twenty- 
five  thousand  square  feet  of  floor  space,  and  in  con- 
struction and  equipment  was  one  of  the  most  com- 
plete and  modern  plants  in  Pawtucket,  its  workman- 
ship and  finish  throughout  being  of  the  finest.  The 
Rhode  Island  Textile  Company  is  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  fine  braids,  and  specializes  largely  in  cor- 
set laces  and  laces  for  "middy  blouses,"  but  their 
best  known  product  is  the  well-Icnown  "Jewel  Lingerie 
Braid,"  which  is  a  nationally  known  commodity  of 
highest  standard.  In  developing  its  present  standard 
of  quality,  the  greatest  degree  of  skill  and  inventive 
genius  have  been  required,  but  Mr.  Conrad  has  proved 
himself  equal  to  every  demand  put  upon  him.  It  had 
long  been  supposed  that  braids  and  lacings  of  very 
delicate  colors,  and  especially  of  pure  white  were  im- 
possible, owing  to  the  difficulty  of  passing  the  material 
used  in  their  manufacture  through  the  braiding 
machines  and  preserving  it  perfectly  clean.  To  the 
problem  of  overcoming  this  obstacle  Mr.  Conrad 
devoted  himself  and  did  so  with  such  success  that 
the  factory  now  turns  out  great  quantities  of  the  most 
delicately  tinted  lacings  and  braids,  as  well  as  the 
pure  white  variety  of  a  quality  satisfying  the  most 
exacting  taste.     The   Rhode   Island   Texlile   Company 


has  refined,  stabilized  and  standardized  the  hereto- 
fore commonplace  varieties  of  braids  and  now  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  being  the  first  to  specialize  in  the  super- 
ior grades.  The  "Jewel"  brand  of  most  delicate  and 
fancy  braids  and  lacings  has  universally  come  to  be 
regarded  the  best  ori  the  market,  and  "Jewel"  lirand 
individual  packages  are  well  deservedly  popular. 

The  career  of  Mr.  Conrad  has  been  a  brilliant  one 
and  is  entirely  the  result  of  his  own  efforts.  He  is  a 
native  of  Danville,  Va.,  where  he  was  born  August  17, 
1880,  a  son  of  Charles  H.  and  Parker  (Holland)  Con- 
rad. His  childhood  was  passed  in  his  native  town  and 
it  was  there  that  he  received  his  education  in  public 
and  private  schools.  In  the  year  1905,  he  came  to  the 
north  and  settled  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he 
secured  a  position  as  a  clerk  in  one  of  the  local  banks. 
He  continued  thus  employed  for  about  two  years,  and 
then,  in  1907,  entered  the  employ  of  a  braid  manufac- 
turing company,  as  a  bookkeeper.  It  was  here  that 
he  first  gained  his  knowledge  of  the  manufacture  of 
braids  and  lacings,  the  actual  processes  employed  in 
the  factory  interesting  him  more  than  the  financial 
side  of  the  business,  although  he  also  applied  him- 
self to  what  was  his  own  task  with  zeal  and  intelli- 
gence. He  soon  proved  himself  of  so  much  value  to 
his  employers  that  he  was  advanced  to  more  and 
more  responsible  posts,  and  had  an  opportunity  to 
become  acquainted  with  every  aspect  of  the  business. 
He  became,  indeed,  a  master  of  the  trade  in  all  its 
details  and  determined  eventually  to  engage  in  a  simi- 
lar business  on  his  own  account.  With  this  end  in 
view  he  associated  himself  with  Mr.  Kelley,  and  the 
year  1913  saw  the  organization  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Textile  Company.  In  addition  to  his  interest  in  the 
great  company  of  his  own  founding,  Mr.  Conrad  is 
half  owner  of  the  R.  C.  N.  Fabric  Company  of  Provi- 
dence, which  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture,  conver- 
sion, refining  and  finishing  of  shoe  laces.  During  the 
war  this  concern  was  engaged  in  work  on  very  large 
government  contracts  for  shoe  and  legging  laces  for 
the  army. 

J.  H.  Conrad  married,  December  2.?,  1909,  Phoebe 
Angell,  a  daughter  of  Jesse  H.  and  Robina  (Holland) 
Angell.  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conrad  make  their  home 
at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Paw- 
tucket Business  Men's  Association,  the  Pawtucket 
Board  of  Trade,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order   of    Elks,   of   Danville,   Va. 


THOMAS    FRANCIS    MOURNIGHAN.    M.    D., 

began  practice  in  Providence,  in  1910,  coming  to  that 
city  after  three  years  of  practical  experience  in  pro- 
fessional work  at  the  State  institutions  at  Howard, 
R.  I.  He  is  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  his  birthplace 
the  village  of  Arctic,  in  the  town  of  Warwick.  His 
parents,  Thomas  and  Fannie  (Mulvihill)  Mournighan, 
have  gone  to  their  reward,  leaving  two  sons,  John  L., 
now  an  eminent  lawyer  of  Oswego,  \.  Y.,  and  Thomas 
P.,  whose  career  is  herein  reviewed. 

Thomas  Francis  Mournighan  was  horn  August  22, 
1884,  at  Warwick,  and  there  completed  grammar 
school    courses    of    study.      He    then    entered    LaSalle 


^^Cl=t^^  ^L 


L^^^i^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


/J 


Academy,  Providence,  also  pursuing  courses  at  Classi- 
cal High  School.  During  the  years  thus  spent,  he 
had  also  learned  the  baker's  trade,  and  was  for  a 
time  engaged  as  a  mill  worker,  thus  financing  his 
preparatory  education,  and  accumulating  a  fund  to  be 
used  later,  when  the  cost  of  his  professional  educa- 
tion must  be  provided  for.  When  ready  to  begin 
medical  study,  he  entered  Baltimore  Medical  College, 
and  there  completed  a  full  course,  receiving  his 
degree,  M.  D.,  with  the  graduating  class  of  1907. 
With  his  newly  acquired  degree  he  returned  to  Rhode 
Island,  and  for  three  years  was  an  interne  at  the  State 
institutions,  advancing  later  to  the  post  of  assistant 
surgeon  under  the  chief  surgeon.  Dr.  Henry  .-V.  Jones. 
With  this  knowledge  gained  through  actual  practice 
to  add  to  his  college  training.  Dr.  Mournighan  came 
to  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1910.  and  at  No.  86  .Kborn 
street  began  the  upbuilding  of  a  private  clientele. 
His  success  has  been  gratifying,  and  he  has  won  not 
only  a  clientele,  but  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  a 
large  degree  of  public  confidence.  He  is  a  member 
of  and  medical  examiner  for  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  Foresters  of  America,  and  physician 
and  surgeon  to  the  United  States  Shipping  Board, 
serving  the  Lord  Construction  Branch  engaged  in 
outfitting  vessels  at  Providence.  His  college  fra- 
ternities are:  Phi  Kappa  Delta  and  Phi  Epsilon:  his 
professional  societies.  The  .\merican,  Rhode  Island, 
and  Providence  Medical;  his  social  fraternity,  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks;  his  re- 
ligious affiliation  with  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  A 
man  of  genial,  social  nature,  he  enjoys  life  in  a  ra- 
tional way,  is  devoted  to  his  profession,  and  holds  the 
high  regard  of  his  medical  brethren. 


CHARLES  SAMUEL  FOSTER— When  Joseph 
Henry  Foster,  contracting  macliinist  in  the  spindle 
department  of  The  Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Company, 
was  obliged  to  surrender  his  obligations  by  weight 
of  years,  after  forty-six  years'  service,  1868-19x4,  his 
son,  Charles  Samuel  Foster,  whom  he  had  taught  the 
trade  and  business,  succeeded  him.  and  thus  continues 
a  connection  with  that  important  Rhode  Island  com- 
pany which  has  existed  from  1830  to  1918.  Charles 
S.  Foster  is  of  the  tenth  generation  of  the  family 
founded  in  New  England  by  Sergeant  Thomas  Foster, 
who  came  in  the  ship  "Hercules,"  in  1614.  The  line  of 
descent  is  through  the  founder's  son.  Dr.  Thomas  (2) 
Foster;  his  son,  Thomas  (3)  Foster;  his  son,  Thomas 
(4)  Foster,  who  bought  land  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  and 
there  lived;  his  son,  Stephen  Foster,  of  Scituate  and 
Foster,  R.  I.:  his  son,  Lemuel  Foster;  his  son, 
Thomas  (5)  Foster;  his  son,  Samuel  Foster,  machin- 
ist of  PawtucVct.  R.  I.,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War; 
his  son,  Joseph  Henry  Foster:  his  son,  Charles  Sam- 
uel Foster,  of  Central  Falls,  a  sterling  twentieth  cen- 
tury representative  of  the  thrifty  New  England  family. 

Joseph  Henry  Foster,  of  the  ninth  generation,  son 
of  Samuel  and  Angeline  (Arnold)  Foster,  was  born  in 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  .August  29.  1846,  and  still  resides 
there  (1018).  He  attended  the  city  public  schools. 
learned  the  machinist's  trade  with  William  H.  Haskell, 
and  continued  in  his  employ  until   1868,  becoming  an 


expert  worker  in  metals.  In  that  year  he  entered  the 
service  of  The  Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Company,  of 
Pawtucket,  as  a  toolmaker,  but  before  a  year  had 
expired  he  changed  his  department,  going  into  the 
spindle  manufacturing  shop  as  a  contractor.  For 
forty-six  years  he  continued  a  contracting  machinist 
with  The  Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Company,  from 
thirty  to  fifty  skilled  machinists  being  kept  constantly 
emidoyed,  and  at  times  the  number  totaling  nearly 
one  hundred.  In  )888  he  admitted  his  son,  Charles 
S.  Foster,  to  a  partnership,  father  and  son  continuing 
the  association   until    1915. 

From  1S72  Mr.  Foster  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  being  a  past  master  of  Jenks  Lodge, 
Free  and  .Accepted  Masons,  of  Central  Falls,  R.  I.; 
later  demiting  to  Union  Lodge  of  Pawtucket;  member 
of  Pawtucket  Chapter.  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Paw- 
tucket Council.  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  Holy  Sepul- 
chre Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  and  in  the  An- 
cient .Accepted  Scottish  Rite  held  the  thirty-two 
degrees  of  Massachusetts  Consistory.  He  is  also  a 
noble  of  Aleppo  Temi)le,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine, 
member  of  the  Masonic  Veterans  Association,  vice- 
president  of  the  Masonic  Temple  Company  of  Paw- 
tucket, 1897-1900,  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  a  member  of  Rhode  Island 
Historical  Society,  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  an 
attendant  of  the  services  of  the   Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Foster  married  (first),  July  31,  1866,  Ellen 
Smith  Parker,  born  October  11,  1844,  in  Perth,  Scot- 
land, who  died  July  2,  1889,  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Roy)  Parker.  Mr. 
Foster  married  (second),  August  28,  1890,  Mary 
Reardon,  born  in  Enfield,  Conn.,  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  (Kelly)  Reardon.  Joseph  H.  and  Ellen 
Smith  (Parker)  Foster  were  the  parents  of  four  sons 
and  three  daughters:  Charles  Samuel,  of  further 
mention:  Cora  Belle,  died  in  childhood:  Mary  .Ange- 
line, married  George  O.  Everett,  of  Pawtucket;  James 
Wheaton,  died  young;  Levi  Arnold,  a  machinist, 
married  Lydia  V.  P.  Vose;  Lester  Parker,  died 
young:  and  Ida  Maude,  married  Ralph  Smith  Pot- 
ter, of  Pawtucket. 

Charles  Samuel  Foster  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
October  12,  1867,  and  has  ever  since  been  a  resident 
of  the  city  of  his  birth.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Pawtucket,  and  the  University  Grammar 
School  of  Providence,  leaving  school  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  and  entering  his  father's  employ  at 
The  Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Company.  He  became 
associated  with  Joseph  H.  Foster  in  his  machine  con- 
tracting operations,  in  1885,  and  from  the  latter  year 
until  1888  he  was  a  student  in  mechanical  draughting 
at  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  in  Providence. 
In  1S88  he  arrived  at  legal  age  and  was  at  once 
admitted  to  a  partnership,  father  and  son  executing 
contracts  with  The  Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Company 
until  1915.  Since  that  date  Charles  S.  Foster  has  con- 
ducted the  business  alone,  and  as  a  contracting  ma- 
chinist has  won  success  and  reputation. 

Like  his  honored  father,  Mr.  Foster  is  prominent 
in  Masonry,  in  both  the  York  and  Scottish  rites.  He 
is  a  past  master  and  since  1900  has  been  treasurer  of 


76 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Union  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  member 
and  since  1898  treasurer  of  Pawtucket  Chapter,  Royal 
Arch  Masons;  member  of  Pawtucket  Council,  Royal 
and  Select  Masters:  a  sir  knight  and  eminent  com- 
mander of  Holy  Sepulchre  Commandery,  Knights 
Templar;  a  noble  of  Palestine  Temple,  Nobles  of 
the  Mystic  Shrine.  In  the  Scottish  Rite  he  holds 
the  thirty-second  degree,  Rhode  Island  Consistory. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  and  Rhode 
Island  Association  of  Knights  Templar  Commanders; 
member  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  Masonic 
Temple  Company,  of  Pawtucket,  a  post  he  has  filled 
since  1901.  In  politics  Mr.  Foster  is  a  Republican, 
and  in  1903  and  1904  served  his  city  in  Council,  being 
president  of  that  body  in  the  last-named  year.  In 
1905  he  was  elected  a  trustee  of  the  Central  Falls 
Public  Library  for  a  term  of  three  years,  and  since 
1905  has  served  as  a  trustee  of  the  Adams  Library. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical 
Society,  the  To  Kalon  Club,  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and 
Central  Falls  Congregational  Church.  He  takes  more 
than  passing  interest  in  these  varied  activities  of  his 
city,  and  lends  his  help  freely  to  all  good  causes. 

Mr.  Foster  married,  June  5.  1890,  in  Marlboro, 
Mass.,  Mary  Alice  Curtis,  daughter  of  Francis  C.  and 
Caroline  A.  W.  (Brigham)  Curtis,  of  the  eighth  gen- 
eration of  the  family  founded  in  New  England  by 
Zacheus  Curtis,  who  was  of  Gloucester,  Mass.,  in 
1659,  died  in  Boxford,  in  16S2.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foster 
are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Chester  Curtis,  born  at  Cen- 
tral Falls.  R.  I.,  September  16,  1891,  a  graduate  of 
Central  Falls  High  School,  class  of  1910,  and  until 
May,  1917,  associated  with  his  father  in  business.  He 
then  enrolled  at  the  OflScers'  Training  Camp  at 
Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  passed  the  vigorous  tests  there 
imposed,  and  on  August  12,  1917,  was  commissioned 
second  lieutenant  in  the  United  States  Army,  and 
ordered  to  report  for  duty  at  Camp  Devons,  Ayer, 
Mass..  September  i,  1917.  After  forty-eight  hours' 
duty  there  he  was  assigned  to  Company  K,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fourth  Regiment  of  Infantry,  Fifty-second 
Brigade,  Twenty-si.xth  Division,  the  regiment  sta- 
tioned at  Westfield,  Mass.,  being  composed  of 
Massachusetts  National  Guard  troops.  They  sailed 
for  the  seat  of  war  in  October,  191 7,  landed  in  Eng- 
land, went  thence  to  France,  where  the  regiment 
underwent  additional  training  until  February.  1918, 
and  then  entered  the  trenches.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles 
Foster  are  also  the  parents  of  two  daughters:  Ellen, 
born  in  Pawtucket,  Dec.  24,  1S9.1,  married,  Oct.  7,  1916! 
Henry  A.  Street,  of  Pawtucket.  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  Mary,  born  Aug.  i,  1917,  and  Caroline  Brig- 
ham,  born  at  Central  Falls,  Oct.  22,  1898. 


FRANK  ELBERT  NICHOLS,  for  many  years 
connected  with  one  of  the  leading  industries  of  South 
county,  is  a  resident  of  Hope  Valley,  in  this  State. 
and  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  figures  in  the  life  of 
the  community.  Mr.  Nichols  is  a  son  of  George  H. 
and  Susan  C.  (Gardner)  Nichols,  and  a  grandson  of 
Alexander  H.  and  Jemima  (Perrin)  Nichols,  his  fam- 
ily having  been  connected  with  the  affairs  of  this 
State  for  several  generations. 


.Mexander  H.  Nichols  was  a  native  of  Kingstown, 
but  as  a  lad  went  with  his  parents  to  Woodstock, 
Conn.,  and  there  spent  his  childhood  and  early  youth. 
He  returned,  however,  to  Rhode  Island,  and  learned 
the  machinist's  trade  in  Hope  Valley.  Afterwards  he 
worked  at  this  craft  for  many  years  at  Woonsocket, 
but  toward  the  end  of  his  life  returned  to  Connecti- 
cut and  made  his  home  at  Greenville,  where  his  death 
occurred  in  1850.  He  was  a  lieutenant  of  militia  in 
the  town  of  Hopkinton.  During  his  first  residence  in 
Connecticut  he  married  Jemima  Perrin,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  George  H., 
mentioned  below;  John  T.,  deceased;  Charles  S., 
married  Mary  M.  Matteson,  served  for  three  years  in 
Company  D,  Second  Regiment,  Rhode  Island  Infan- 
try Volunteers,  and  was  for  a  number  of  years  secre- 
tary of  the  Nichols  &  Langworthy  Machine  Com- 
pany of  Hope  Valley,  died  in  1894;  Lewis,  died  in 
early  youth;  Oliver,  died  in  early  youth;  Caroline  E., 
became  the  wife  of  George  H.  Lewis,  of  Providence. 

George  H.  Nichols,  son  of  Alexander  H.  and  Jemima 
(Perrin)  Nichols,  and  father  of  the  Frank  Elbert 
Nichols,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Connecticut  and  at- 
tended school  at  Greenville  in  that  State,  and  at  Hope 
Valley.  In  his  youth  he  was  employed  in  a  cotton  mill  at 
Voluntown,  and  later  at  Greenville,  and  in  1849  became 
overseer  of  the  weave  shop  in  the  Tefft  Mill  at  Wyom- 
ing. He  also  worked  in  several  other  concerns  of  a  sim- 
ilar character,  and  in  i860  came  to  Loocustville  with  VV. 
R.  Greene  &  Company,  whose  plant  was  moved  from 
Millville,  R.  I.,  to  this  place  at  that  time.  On  September 
25,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Twelfth  Regiment, 
Rhode  Island  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  July 
29,  1863,  when  he  received  his  honorable  discharge.  He 
was  a  member  of  Lincoln  Post  No.  22,  Grand  .Army  of 
the  Republic,  at  Hope  Valley,  and  at  one  time  served 
as  its  commander.  After  his  return  from  the  war  he 
was  given  the  position  of  superintendent  for  W.  R. 
Greene  &  Company,  and  continued  to  hold  that  oflnce 
both  for  that  concern  and  for  its  successors,  the  Nich- 
ols &  Langvvorthy  Machine  Company,  until  1904,  when 
he  retired  from  active  business. 

Mr.  Nichols  was  a  Republican  in  politics ;  served  as 
trustee  of  his  school  district,  and  collector  of  town 
taxes;  was  a  member  of  the  town  council  for  nine 
years;  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  1902-1903;  member  of  the  Rhode  Island 
State  Senate,  1903-1904,  serving  on  important  commit- 
tees in  both  branches.  In  i860  he  joined  Mechanics 
Lodge  No.  14,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
was  a  charter  member  of  Niantic  Encampment  of  that 
order  at  Hope  Valley.  He  was  a  regular  attendant  of 
Hope  \'alley  Baptist  Church.  He  died  December  9, 
1907. 

Mr.  Nichols  married,  September  3,  1854,  at  Sag 
Harbor,  L.  I.,  Susan  Champlain  Gardner,  a  daughter  of 
Stephen  C.  and  Dorcas  W.  (Gardner)  Gardner,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  Mary  Es- 
telle,  born  April  I,  1858,  died  .^ug.  10,  1S78;  George 
Elbert,  died  in  infancy;  Charles  Ray.  born  Aug.  29, 
1861,  for  many  years  a  locomotive  engineer,  but  now  a 
resident  of  Warwick.  R.  I.,  married  Alice  Cemmel; 
Frank  E.,  of  this  review;  Cora  D.,  born  Aug.  25,  1868, 
a  graduate  of  Emerson  College,  Boston,  and  for  several 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


77 


years  teacher  of  elocution  and  physical  culture  in  the 
Woman's  College  at  Whitby.  Ontario,  and  at  a  similar 
institution  at  Jacksonville,  III.,  and  married  Edward 
Barr  Fessenden,  of  rrovidcncc.  Mrs.  Xichols,  the 
mother  of  these  children,  died  September  20,  igog. 

Frank  Elbert  Xichols  was  born  September  19,  1864,  at 
Hope  \'alley,  and  as  a  lad  attended  the  local  public 
school.  When  but  eleven  years  of  age  he  began  to  work 
in  his  vacations,  finding  employment  in  the  W.  R. 
Greene  &  Co.  Mills  under  his  father,  after  which  he  was 
apprenticed  in  the  printing  trade,  serving  four  years. 
He  then  entered  the  Colgate  .Xcademy,  at  Hamilton. 
N.  Y.,  and  continued  to  work  during  his  vacation,  secur- 
ing positions  as  clerk  in  various  hotels  at  Narragansctt 
Pier,  including  the  Massasoit  and  Rookhingham,  and 
in  this  way  secured  the  money  to  pay  his  expenses  at  the 
academy. 

Mr.  Nichols  took  the  usual  classical  course  and  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1888.  Upon  completing  his 
studies  at  this  institution  he  went  to  Chicago,  to  take  a 
position  as  superintendent  for  the  real  estate  company 
in  charge  of  the  old  Phoenix  building,  now  the  West- 
ern Union  building  there.  After  four  years  of  this 
work  he  returned  to  his  native  town  of  Hope  Valley, 
and  became  associated  with  the  Xichols  &  Langworthy 
Machine  Company  as  bookkeeper.  He  was  later  placed 
in  charge  of  the  office  of  this  concern,  and  still  later 
appointed  secretary,  a  position  he  held  until  1905.  In 
that  year  the  corporation  was  sold  to  New  York  inter- 
ests, which  continued  to  operate  it  until  .'\pril  13.  1909, 
when  it  was  badly  damaged  by  fire.  This  disaster  threw 
the  corporation  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  and  it  was 
later  taken  over  by  the  bond  holders,  who  placed  Mr. 
Nichols  in  charge,  and  he  successfully  conducted  it 
until  191S,  when  the  property  was  sold  to  the  Wood 
River  Iron  Works,  Inc.  The  latter  concern  was  ab- 
sorbed in  May,  1918,  by  the  National  Marine  Engine 
Works  of  Scranton,  Pa.  The  Nichols  &  Langworthy 
plant,  with  which  he  has  been  so  long  associated,  was 
originally  built  by  Gardner  Nichols,  a  brother  of  Alex- 
ander H.  Nichols,  the  grandfather  of  Frank  Elbert 
Nichols.  The  Gordon  Job  Printing  Press  was  manu- 
factured here  as  well  as  the  famous  Babcock  &  Wilcox 
boilers,  and  the  Xew  York  Safety  Steam  Power  En- 
gines, and  later  the  Worthington  Water  Tube  Boiler. 
In  addition  to  his  connection  with  this  manufacturing 
concern,  Mr.  Nichols  has  become  associated  with  a  large 
number  of  important  institutions  in  this  region,  and  in 
1917  was  elected  treasurer  of  the  Wood  River  Branch 
Railroad  Company,  a  position  that  he  continues  to  hold 
to-day.  He  is  treasurer  of  the  Hope  \'alley  Machine 
Company,  general  machinists,  and  garage.  This  com- 
pany was  organized  in  1919.  He  is  also  treasurer  of  the 
Pine  Grove  Cemetery  Corporation ;  treasurer  of  the 
school  district  in  1902  and  1903,  and  also  of  the  Old 
Home  Day  Association,  a  branch  of  the  cemetery  cor- 
poration, an  organization  designed  to  hold  open  house 
for  the  entertainment  of  "old  folks"  and  for  appro- 
priate celebration  on  Decoration  Day.  The  cemetery, 
under  Mr.  Nichols'  management,  has  been  successful  in 
every  way,  and  now  owns  a  large  perpetual  fund  which 
has  been  well  invested  for  future  purposes.  Mr.  Nich- 
ols is  a  member  of  Charity  Lodge,  No.  23.  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons;  member  of  Franklin  Chapter,  No.  7, 


Royal  Arch  Masons  of  Hope  Valley;  and  has  held  the 
positions  of  treasurer  and  master  of  his  lodge,  and  high 
priest  of  the  Chapter.  In  his  religious  lielief  Mr. 
Nichols  is  a  Baptist,  and  has  attended  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Hope  \alley  from  1878  to  the  present.  He 
is  also  treasurer  of  the  Church  Society  and  is  active 
in  the  work  of  the  congregation.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  member  of  the  Republican  Town  Commit- 
tee of  Hopkinton.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Langworthy 
Public  Library  Association,  which  was  named  for  one  of 
the  partners  of  the  old  business  with  which  Mr.  Nichols 
had  been  so  long  connected. 

Frank  Elbert  Nichols  married,  February  18,  1892, 
Sarah  Louise  Ellis,  daughter  of  Thomas  H.  and  Louisa 
(Stillman)  Ellis,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
.'\lfred,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nichols  are  the  parents  of 
two  daughters:  Dorothy,  born  March  26,  1894,  became 
the  wife  of  Fred  .\.  Richmond,  of  Hope  X'alley,  now  of 
Yonkcrs,  N.  Y.,  who  is  now  employed  by  the  New 
York  Centra!  Railway;  Margaret  Ellis,  born  Dec.  15, 
1900.  is  now  a  student. 


GEORGE  C.  CROSS— Among  the  most  prominent 
citizens  of  Charlestoun,  R.  I.,  where  for  many  years  he 
was  the  popular  and  efficient  town  clerk  and  one  of  the 
most  successful  contractors,  is  George  C.  Cross,  a  mem- 
ber of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  distinguished  families 
of  the  State,  which  was  founded  in  the  early  Colonial 
period  by  two  brothers,  Ralph  and  John  Cross,  who 
came  from  Scotland  and  settled  here.  Among  his  an- 
cestors was  Joseph  Cross,  who  was  one  of  the  first  men 
to  settle  in  the  town  of  Charlcstown  and  who  was 
a  prominent  man  in  this  community. 

Joseph  Cross,  great-great-grandfather  of  the  George 
C.  Cross,  resided  at  Charlestown.  and  was  active  in  the 
affairs  of  the  community.  His  death  occurred  here  in 
the  year  1751.  He  was  the  father  of  a  large  family  of 
children  among  whom  was  Gideon  Cross,  who  is  men- 
tioned below. 

Gideon  Cross,  was  born  in  February,  1737,  and  died 
March  2^.  1816.  He  resided  at  Charlestown  all  his  life 
and  married  Mary  Wilbur,  a  native  of  this  region,  where 
her  birth  occurred  March  25,  1746.  They  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  Gideon  J.,  born  Aug. 
I.  i77f>;  William  P.,  born  Feb.  6,  1781,  died  Sept.  13, 
1817;  Susan  W.,  born  Feb.  23,  1785,  and  became  the  wife 
of  Peter  Parks;  Joseph,  who  is  mentioned  at  length 
below;  and  Mercy,  born  Oct.  24,  1789,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Joshua  Collins  and  died  April  27,  1830.  She 
was  the  mother  of  James  C.  Collins,  of  Providence, 
formerly  a  member  of  the  Shell  Fish  Commission  and 
the  grandmother  of  James  Cross  Collins.  Jr.,  formerly 
the  assistant  attorney-general  of  Rhode  Island,  and  now 
practicing  law. 

Joseph  Cross,  son  of  Gideon  and  Mary  (Wilbur) 
Cross,  was  born  December  17,  1786,  at  Charlestown, 
and  married,  October  16,  1808,  Martha  Hurdick.  His 
second  wife  was  Polly  Kcnyon.  His  death  occurred 
May  17,  1861.  He  was  the  father  of  the  following 
children:  William  P.,  born  Jan.  7,  1810,  died  Dec.  10, 
1831  ;  .\bby  S.,  born  Dec.  19,  i8ri,  and  became  the  wife 
of  John  Nichols;  Caroline,  born  Oct.  7,  1813,  died 
Dec.  23,  1838:  Charles,  who  is  mentioned  at  length  be- 
low;  Mary  W.,  born   March   6,   1817,  and   became  the 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


wife  of  Robert  Crandall;  Joseph  H.,  born  Nov.  29, 
1823,  and  died  Sept.  29,  1824;  Martha  H.,  born  Sept. 
2,  1830,  married  Charles  Holden,  and  died  Oct.  23,  1869. 

Charles  Cross,  son  of  Joseph  and  Martha  (Biirdick) 
Cross,  and  father  of  George  C.  Cross  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  January  2,  1815,  at  Charlestown,  and  there  passed 
his  childhood  and  early  youth.  As  a  lad  he  lived  upon 
his  father's  farm  and  gained  his  education  at  the  local 
public  schools.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual  ability  and 
remarkable  talent  for  public  affairs  and  in  1852  became 
town  clerk  of  Charlestown,  an  office  in  which  he  con- 
tinued to  serve  until  1881.  From  1884  to  1897  he  was 
town  treasurer  and  he  also  served  for  several  years  as 
deputy  sheriff.  He  was  elected  to  the  General  Assembly 
of  the  State  in  1875  and  returned  to  that  body  in  the 
year  following.  He  was  a  staunch  Republican  in  pol- 
itics and  was  closely  identified  with  the  local  organiza- 
tion of  his  party.  Charles  Cross  died  December  23, 
1902.  He  married,  September  25,  1842,  Martha  B. 
Hazard,  a  native  of  South  Kingston,  where  her  birth 
occurred  April  26,  1812,  and  her  death  took  place  Janu- 
ary 24,  187S.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Brenton  Ward  and 
Nancy  G.  (Childs)  Hazard,  the  former  a  descendant 
of  the  old  Newport  Hazards,  and  a  son  of  George  W. 
and  grandson  of  George  Hazard,  one  of  the  early 
mayors  of  that  city.  Charles  and  Martha  B.  (Hazard) 
Cross  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
James  F.,  born  Dec.  3,  1843.  and  married,  Jan.  i,  1874; 
Sally  Tucker,  and  resides  in  Newcastle,  Ind. ;  Carrie  E., 
born  July  22,  1845,  and  is  the  widow  of  James  S.  Ken- 
yon,  of  Hopkinton ;  Mary  A.,  born  Dec.  8,  1846,  and 
died  unmarried  in  Dec,  1877;  Millard  P.,  born  Sept. 
10,  1850,  married,  June  29,  1873,  Sarah  F.  Merriss,  and 
died  Feb.  6,  1876;  Frank  P.,  born  .\pril  10,  1853,  and 
died  unmarried  July  21,  1881  ;  George  C,  with  whose 
career  we  are  here  especially  concerned. 

George  C.  Cross  was  bom  June  27,  1S55,  at  Charles- 
town, and  has  made  his  home  in  this  place  ever  since. 
As  a  lad  he  attended  the  local  public  schools  and  after 
completing  his  studies  at  these  institutions,  became  ap- 
prenticed to  a  carpenter  from  whom  he  learned  that 
trade.  For  a  time  thereafter  he  worked  as  a  carpenter 
and  then  gradually  went- into  business  for  himself  as 
a  contractor,  meeting  with  a  high  degree  of  success  in 
his  enterprise.  He  has  established  a  large  business  here 
and  has  gained  a  well  deserved  reputation  for  probity 
and  integrity  and  for  the  e.xcellent  quality  of  work 
which  he  always  puts  into  his  jobs.  It  has  been  in  the 
department  of  public  affairs,  however,  that  Mr.  Cross 
has  come  to  be  best  known  in  this  community,  for  he 
has  inherited  his  father's  unusual  ability  in  this  line 
and  for  many  years'  has  occupied  an  exceedingly  influ- 
ential position  in  the  political  life  of  this  region.  Like 
his  father,  he  has  always  been  a  staunch  Republican  and 
has  gradually  come  to  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
influential  members  of  his  party  in  this  region  of  the 
State.  Recognizing  that  in  him  they  possessed  a  strong 
and  capable  candidate  who  would  increase  the  prestige 
of  the  party  hereabouts,  his  colleagues  nominated  him 
for  public  office  at  an  early  age,  and  in  1878  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  school  committee.  Mr.  Cross's 
record  in  this  position  has  been  an  unusual  one,  for  he 
has  served  continuously  until  the  fall  of  1914,  and  dur- 
ing this   period   of   forty  years   has   performed   an   in- 


valuable service  to  the  community.  In  the  year  1887 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
State,  and  was  reelected  to  that  body  in  1888.  In  1889 
he  was  elected  State  Senator  and  reelected  in  1890,  and 
in  both  the  lower  and  upper  house  established  a  repu- 
tation as  a  most  enlightened  and  disinterested  legisla- 
tor, placing  himself  invariably  on  the  side  of  progress 
and  general  improvement.  For  six  years,  between  1889 
and  1805,  he  served  on  the  Shell  Fish  Commission  of 
Rhode  Island,  and  from  1880  to  1884  was  trial  justice  at 
Charlestown.  He  also  held  the  position  of  overseer  of 
the  poor  at  Charlestown  for  two  years.  In  the  year  l88i 
Mr.  Cross  was  elected  to  succeed  his  father  as  town 
clerk  of  Charlestown  and  this  office  he  has  held  con- 
tinuously ever  since.  Indeed  his  father  and  himself  oc- 
cupied it  consecutively  for  more  than  half  a  century,  so 
that  the  office  came  to  be  well  nigh  identified  with  the 
name  of  Cross  here.  In  all  the  posts  which  he  has  filled, 
Mr.  Cross  has  proved  himself  a  most  efficient  public  ser- 
vant and  the  community  owes  him  a  great  debt  of  grati- 
tude for  the  various  capacities  in  which  he  has  served  so 
well.  He  is  a  man  of  the  most  scrupulous  integrity  and 
honor,  and  enjoys  the  highest  esteem  and  admiration  of 
his  fellow  townsmen.  Mr.  Cross  is  a  man  of  kindly  and 
genial  temperament  and  has  made  hosts  of  friends  in  this 
region,  and,  what  is  a  far  more  difficult  feat,  has  al- 
ways kept  the  friendship  of  those  with  whom  he  is 
associated.  He  is  a  man  of  strongly  domestic  instincts 
and  his  home  has  for  many  years  been  noted  for  the 
open-handed  hospitality  displayed  there.  Mr.  Cross  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  Wash- 
ington County  -Agricultural  Society  since  1897.  Mr. 
Cross  is  a  member  of  Charity  Lodge,  No.  23,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  Hope  Valley ;  and  Franklin  Chap- 
ter, No.  7,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  Hope  Valley. 

George  C.  Cross  was  united  in  marriage,  February 
28,  1883,  with  Mary  E.  Budlong,  of  Hopkinton,  where 
her  birth  occurred  October  19,  1856,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  R.  and  Mary  E.  ( Knight j  Budlong.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cross  one  child  has  been  born,  Bessie  May, 
July  24,  1886.  Mrs.  Cross  is  a  member  of  the  Seventh 
Day  Baptist  Church  of  .'\shaway,  and  is  an  active 
worker  therein. 


PETER   A.   CRUISE,   president   of   the   Cruise    & 

Smiley  Construction  Company,  Incorporated,  of  No. 
12  East  avenue,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  one  of  the  most 
successful  men  in  that  line  of  business  in  the  com- 
munity, is  a  native  of  England,  having  been  born  at 
Stockport,  Lancashire,  on  April  30,  1869.  By  blood  he 
is  an  Irishman,  both  his  parents  having  been  born  in 
Ireland  and  having  come  to  England  as  children.  His 
parents  were  John  and  Anna  (Burns)  Cruise  and  his 
father  was  a  municipal  and  corporation  contractor  for 
many  years  in  England,  finally  retiring  from  active 
business  in  1889,  when  he  and  his  wife  came  to  this 
country  and  made  their  home  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  They 
are  now  both  deceased  and  are  buried  in  St.  Francis' 
Cemetery.  The  early  life  of  Peter  A.  Cruise  was  spent 
in  his  native  place  where  he  attended  the  local  public 
schools.  After  completing  his  studies  and  while  still  a 
mere  lad,  he  worked  for  a  brick  manufacturing  concern, 
making  hand-made  bricks.  He  was  of  an  unusually 
ambitious    character,    however,    and    in    the   year    1885, 


."/le  AjTterican  h'tSlon^oi  5ei 


m^  Ot. 


I 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


79 


although  he  was  then  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  came 
to  the  United  States  all  by  himself  and  started  in  at 
the  bottom  of  the  ladder  as  a  brick  layer,  with  the 
intention,  even  at  that  age,  of  working  into  the  con- 
tracting business  and  eventually  making  his  fortune. 
His  first  work  was  on  the  construction  of  the  Ann  and 
Hope  mills  at  Lonsdale,  R.  1.,  and  he  was  employed 
also  on  several  other  large  jobs.  From  the  outset  he 
had  made  Pawtucket  his  home  and  headquarters,  and 
this  he  has  continued  to  do  up  to  the  present  time.  His 
skill  as  a  brick  mason  rapidly  increased  for  he  was  of 
the  type  of  youth  that  readily  picks  up  knowledge  and 
learns  quickly  from  experience.  He  soon  became  a 
master  mason  and  mechanic  and  worked  as  a  journey- 
man on  the  construction  of  the  State  Capitol  Building, 
at  Providence.  It  was  in  the  year  1905  that  he  was 
finally  able  to  engage  in  a  business  of  his  own  and  end 
the  term  of  his  employment  by  others.  In  that  year  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  two  gentlemen,  a  Mr.  Humes 
and  a  Mr.  Smiley,  of  Pawtucket,  and  the  firm  of  Humes, 
Cruise  and  Smiley  was  organized  to  engage  in  business 
as  general  contractors  and  builders.  The  offices  of  the 
new  concern  were  at  first  situated  on  Custom  House 
street.  Providence,  and  in  the  first  year  of  their  business 
existence,  one  of  their  principal  contracts  was  for  the 
erection  of  the  SutclifTe  Building  at  Central  Falls,  and 
the  concern  rapidly  increased  in  size  and  importance 
until  it  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  successful  of 
its  kind  in  the  region.  In  the  year  1907  Mr.  Cruise  and 
his  partner  Mr.  Smiley  sold  their  interests  to  Mr. 
Humes  and.  immediately  afterwards,  the  former  went 
to  Europe  and  visited  his  native  place  and  the  home  of 
his  ancestors  in  Ireland.  Upon  his  return  to  this 
country  in  1908,  a  now  concern  was  formed  and  incor- 
porated under  the  name  of  the  Cruise  &  Smiley  Con- 
struction Company,  a  name  that  has  continued  up  to 
the  present  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  in  1909,  Mr.  Cruise 
purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Smiley  and  has  since 
conducted  the  enterprise  alone.  He  has  steadily  grown 
better  and  better  known  and  more  popular  through  an 
ever  increasing  section  of  the  country,  and  it  has  been 
liis  fortune  to  build  some  of  the  largest  and  most  im- 
portant edifices  in  the  State.  Among  these  are  some 
that  are  universally  recognized  among  the  most  beautiful 
specimens  of  architecture.  A  list  of  the  buildings  of 
various  kinds  put  up  by  Mr.  Cruise  would  extend  beyond 
the  limits  of  a  paper  of  this  character,  but  among  them 
should  be  mentioned  the  following :  In  1908,  the  Vesey 
Street  Grammar  School,  of  Providence,  and  the  rectory 
and  St.  Mary's  Church  at  Pawtucket;  in  1910,  the  last 
section  of  the  Merchants'  Freezing  and  Cold  Storage 
Plant  on  Kinsley  avenue,  Providence,  the  J.  and  P.  Coats 
Power  Plant  and  the  Garibaldi  Playgrounds  on  West 
Exchange  street.  Providence;  in  1912,  he  remodeled 
and  built  over  the  Blackstone  Hotel,  at  Providence ; 
in  1913,  the  Hope  Webbing  Company  Power  Plant  and 
Dye  House,  and  the  D.  Goflf  &  Sons'  Power  Plant ;  in 
1914.  the  D.  Goff  &  Sons'  Dye  House;  the  complete 
plant  of  the  Halliwell  Dye  and  Bleaching  Company ;  the 
McCarty  Dry  Goods  Block,  at  Woonsocket ;  and  the 
N'urses'  Dormitory  at  the  Memorial  Hospital,  at  Paw- 
tucket; in  1915,  the  New  Dormitory  of  the  State  Home 
and  School ;  in  1916,  the  complete  plant  of  the  Crown 
Manufacturing    Company;    and    in    1917,    the    complete 


plant  of  the  United  Lace  and  Braid  Company  at  Crans- 
ton, R.  I.,  besides  many  others. 

Peter  A.  Cruise  was  married  .August  i~,  iS<S8,  to  Miss 
Catherine  Kelly,  a  native  of  Stockport,  Cheshire  county, 
England,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  following 
children  :  William  F.,  who  is  now  the  general  manager 
of  his  father's  concern,  enlisted  in  March,  1918,  in  the 
L'nited  States  Xaval  Reserve  forces,  stationed  at  New- 
port, R.  I.,  where  he  attained  the  rank  of  chief  petty 
officer,  stationed  at  the  receiving  barracks  as  master 
mechanic ;  Gertrude  /\.,  resides  at  home ;  Estolla ;  Lil- 
lian;  Rose;  and  a  son  Raymond  who  died  January  18, 
1916,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  from  internal  in- 
juries sustained  in  playing  basketball. 

The  present  year  ti9l8)  was  one  of  the  busiest  in 
all  Mr.  Cruise's  career,  when  he  built  for  the  city  of 
Providence  the  Fire  .Marm  and  Telegraph  Building. 
He  has  already  completed  the  remodeling  of  the  vulcan- 
izing building  at  tlie  Revere  Rubber  Works;  the  Central 
Fire  Alarm  Building  at  Providence ;  the  storehouse, 
garages,  oil  storage  and  weave  shed  for  D.  GofF  and 
Sons  on  Main,  Elm  and  River  streets,  Pawtucket. 
This  carries  the  distinction  of  being  the  largest  ever 
let  in  Pawtucket.  He  built  also,  the  large  store  house 
for  the  .American  Silk  Spinning  Company,  of  Provi- 
dence ;  and  the  Cruise  (iarage,  a  building  with  housing 
space  for  fifty  motor  cars,  which  he  built  mainly  for 
his  own  use  and  pleasure  and  is  largely  occupied  with 
his  business  trucks.  Some  years  ago  he  built  the 
handsome  tnansion  at  No.  165  Mineral  Spring  avenue, 
Pawtucket,  where  he  and  his  family  now  resides.  Mr. 
Cruise  is  not  a  politician  in  any  sense  of  the  word  and 
he  has  no  political  ambitions,  although  in  1916  he  was 
appointed  by  Governor  Bcekman.  special  State  Con- 
stable, a  commission  that  he  still  holds.  Mr.  Cruise  is 
a  charter  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  Pawtucket  Lodge.  No.  920.  He  is  a 
member  and  president  of  the  Builders'  and  Traders' 
Exchange,  Pawtucket,  and  a  member  of  the  Builders' 
and  Traders'  E.xchangc  of  Providence.  He  belongs 
also  to  the  ToKalon  Club,  the  Business  Men's  Associa- 
tion of  Pawtucket  and  Warwick  Club. 


DANIEL  JENCKES  MANTON— The  town  of 
Lincoln  is  the  scene  of  a  very  large  industry  in  general 
farming  and  dairying,  and  numbers  among  its  inhab- 
itants many  successful  farmers,  whose  activities  are  an 
important  factor  in  the  general  prosperity  and  develop- 
ment of  this  region.  None  of  these,  however,  has 
reached  a  higher  place  in  the  general  esteem  of  the 
community,  or  has  made  himself  a  more  substantial  and 
influential  citizen  here,  than  Daniel  Jenckes  Manton, 
the  well-known  farmer  and  landowner  of  Lime  Rock. 
Mr.  Manton  is  a  native  of  Lincoln  township,  born  June 
9,  1856,  on  the  old  Captain  John  Jenckes  homestead 
farm,  which  has  been  in  the  possession  of  the  family 
for  centuries.  The  Manton  family  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  distinguished  in  Rhode  Island  and  its  an- 
cestors among  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  Providence 
plantations,  having  lived  here  at  least  as  early  as  1640. 

(I)  The  first  ancestor  of  this  family  of  whom  we 
have  authentic  record  was  Edward  Manton.  a  gentle- 
man of  English  origin,  who  was  one  of  the  thirty-nine 
signers   in    1640   for   a    form   of  government   in    Provi- 


So 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


dence.  In  1643  he  was  a  resident  of  Seekonk,  and  in 
165s  was  made  a  freeman  there.  He  was  a  prominent 
man  in  the  community,  and  was  a  juryman  in  1659. 
Edward  Manton  was  the  father  of  one  child,  Shad- 
rach,  mentioned  below. 

(II)  Shadrach  Manton,  son  of  Edward  Manton,  was 
a  resident  of  Providence,  where  he  was  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  a  cooper.  In  the  year  1658  he  was  granted  by 
the  township  a  house  share  adjacent  to  that  of  Epen- 
etus  OIney,  and  in  addition  some  meadow  land  above 
Wanskuck.  In  l6j8  he  was  made  a  freeman,  and  also 
served  as  a  juryman,  constable,  town  clerk,  and  dep- 
uty, filling  the  latter  office  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
later  was  surveyor  of  highways  and  overseer  of  the 
poor.  His  death  occurred  at  Providence,  January  27, 
1714,  after  a  long  and  useful  life.  Shadrach  Manton 
married  Elizabeth  Smith,  daughter  of  John  and  .-Mice 
Smith,  of  Providence,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children :  Edward,  mentioned  below ;  Ann, 
Elizabeth,  Mary,  and  probably  several  other  children 
who  died  in  early  youth. 

(III)  Edward  Manton,  son  of  Shadrach  and  Eliza- 
beth (Smith)  Manton.  was  born  at  Providence,  Decem- 
ber II,  1658,  and  there  spent  his  entire  life,  his  death 
occurring  August  14,  1723.  He  married,  December  9, 
1680,  Elizabeth  Thornton,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah 
Thornton,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Shadrach,  Edward.  Jr.,  mentioned  below; 
John.  .\nn,  Catherine,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  and  Sarah. 

(IV)  Edward  IManton,  Jr.,  son  of  Edward  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Thornton)  Manton.  was  born  at  Providence, 
R.  I.,  and  made  his  home  at  that  place.     He  married 

Tabitha  — ,  and  among  their  children  was  Daniel, 

mentioned  below. 

(V)  Colonel  Daniel  Manton,  son  of  Edward  and 
Tabitha  Manton,  was  born  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  in 
1743,  and  became  a  conspicuous  hgure  in  the  commu- 
nity, taking  an  active  part  in  both  civil  and  military 
affairs.  He  was  captain  of  a  troop  of  Rhode  Island 
Light  Horse  during  the  Revolution,  and  several  of  his 
sons  became  men  of  distinction  in  this  community. 
He  appears  to  have  removed  from  Providence  to  the 
town  of  Johnston,  as  his  children  are  recorded  among 
the  birth  records  of  that  place.  He  married  Patience 
Eddy,  born  in  1743,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Lydia 
(Olney)  Eddy,  of  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  Edward,  mentioned 
below;  Jeremiah,  born  Jan.  13,  1763;  Mchetabel.  born 
July  21,  1766;  Elisha,  born  April  21,  1769;  Olney,  born 
Feb.  27,  1772;  Daniel.  Jr.,  born  Nov.  27,  1774;  John, 
born  May  23,  1777;  William,  born  May  27,  1780;  Esther, 
born  Sept.  8,  1782;  and  Thomas,  born  April  7,  1785. 

(\'I)  The  Hon.  Edward  Manton,  son  of  Colonel 
Daniel  and  Patience  (Eddy)  Manton,  was  born  at 
Johnston,  R.  I..  May  26,  1759,  and  died  September  20, 
1820.  He  resided  at  Johnston  during  his  entire  life 
and,  like  his  father,  was  exceedingly  prominent  in  local 
affairs.  He  married,  April  30,  17S0,  Catherine  Alver- 
son,  who  was  born  in  1761,  daughter  of  William  Alver- 
son,  and  died  December  18,  1842.  Edward  Manton  and 
his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children,  all 
of  whom  were  born  at  Johnston  :  Lydia,  born  May  17, 
1781,  and  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Moses  Mowry; 
Patience,  born   Dec.   14,   1783,  and  died   Feb.  27,   1803, 


unmarried;  Catherine,  born  Oct.  26,  1785,  died  June  II, 
1811  ;  Edward,  Jr.,  born  Nov.  13.  1787,  died  Dec.  29, 
following;  William  James,  mentioned  below;  Marian, 
born  July  29,  1791,  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Stephen 
Harris;  Henry,  born  July  2,  1793,  married  Ann  C. 
Jencks,  and  died  in  Dec,  1841  ;  Abigail,  born  Jan.  29, 
1796,  died  unmarried.  June  12,  1853;  and  Edward  Eddy, 
born  Sept.  17.  1804,  married  Mary  G.  Nightingale. 

(VII)  William  James  Manton,  son  of  Edward 
and  Catherine  (Alverson)  Manton,  was  born  July  (or 
January)  i,  1789,  in  the  town  of  Johnston,  where  he 
made  his  home  during  his  entire  life.  As  a  lad  he 
received  his  education  there,  and  upon  attaining  man- 
hood engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farming,  which  he 
followed  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His  death 
occurred  June  30,  1828,  when  only  thirty-nine  years  of 
age.  He  married,  October  14,  1822,  at  Lime  Rock  in 
the  town  of  Lincoln  (then  Smithfield),  at  the  home  of 
Captain  John  Jenckes.  Freelove  C.  Jenckcs,  who  was 
born  there  in  1799.  Her  death  occurred  December  27, 
1831,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years.  They  were  the 
parents  of  one  child,  Crawford  Jenckes,  mentioned 
below.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Manton  his  widow  re- 
moved to  the  home  of  her  father,  Captain  John  Jenckes, 
at  Lime  Rock,  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  her 
days. 

(VIII)  Crawford  Jenckes  Manton,  son  of  William 
James  and  Freelove  C.  (Jenckes)  Manton,  was  born  on 
his  father's  farm  in  the  town  of  Johnston,  and  there 
grew  to  manhood.  He  subsequently  inherited  this  place, 
which  is  now  occupied  by  his  son,  Daniel  J.  Manton, 
and  which  at  that  time  included  a  tract  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  valuable  woodland.  He  resided  dur- 
ing his  entire  life  on  this  farm,  which  he  did  much  to 
improve  and  develop  during  the  time  that  he  was  active. 
He  was  also  the  agent  for  the  Harris  Lime  Rock  Com- 
pany of  Lime  Rock  for  eighteen  years,  and  proved  him- 
self an  exceedingly  able  business  man.  He  made  for 
himself  a  place  of  importance  and  influence  in  the  com- 
munity and  won  the  high  regard  of  all  his  fellow-citi- 
zens. He  died  on  his  home  farm,  March  13,  1898,  in  his 
seventy-fourth  year,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  Jenckes 
Cemetery  on  the  Lime  Rock  farm.  During  his  youth 
Crawford  Jenckes  Manton  was  a  Whig  in  politics,  but 
later  joined  the  Republican  party  at  the  time  of  its 
organization.  He  was  not,  however,  bound  by  partisan 
consideration,  and  always  claimed  his  right  to  vote  in- 
dependently on  all  issues.  Crawford  Jenckes  Manlon 
was  married  at  Lime  Rock  to  Esther  Brown  Wilbur, 
a  native  of  that  place  and  a  daughter  of  David  and 
Phoebe  (Brown)  Wilbur.  Her  grandfather,  Christo- 
pher Wilbur,  was  a  prominent  man  in  this  region  during 
his  life.  Mrs.  Manton  was  a  woman  of  many  virtues 
and  wide  cultivation  and  was  beloved  of  all  who  knew 
her.  Her  death  occurred  September  24,  1888,  when  she 
was  but  fifty-five  years  of  age.  Crawford  Jenckes 
Manton  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children  ;  Freelove  Jenckes,  born  Jan.  7,  1853.  and  be- 
came the  wife  of  Frank  Draper,  son  of  Alpha  A. 
Draper,  of  Lincoln  ;  William  James,  born  June  7,  1855, 
a  ranchman  and  cotton  grower  of  Bellevue,  Clay  county, 
Tex.,  where  he  makes  his  home;  Daniel  Jenckes,  with 
whose  career  we  are  here  especially  concerned ;  Lydia 
Mowry,   born   Aug.    10,    1859,   and  became  the  wife   of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


8i 


Luther  Thomas  Angell,  of  East  Providence,  where  they 
reside;  Edward,  born  Aug.  17,  i860,  died  in  early 
youth:  Crawford  Jcnckes,  mentioned  below;  Edward 
Eddy,  bom  May  24,  1866,  died  Oct.  5.  1867;  .Xnn  Eve- 
lyn, born  Oct.  27,  1867,  died  May  i,  1893,  unmarried; 
Thomas  Holmes,  mentioned  below ;  Esther  Mabel,  born 
Jan.  28,  1871,  died  June  13,  1885;  Harry,  born  Sept.  3, 
1874,  died  Oct.  i,  of  the  same  year. 

(IX)  Daniel  Jenckes  Manton,  second  son  of  Craw- 
ford Jenckcs  and  Esther  Brown  (Wilbur)  Manton,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Lincoln,  June  9,  1856.  and  has  ever 
since  made  his  home  in  this  region.  .Xs  a  child  he 
attended  the  local  schools  and  afterwards  was  a  pupil 
at  Scofiield's  Commercial  College  at  Providence,  where 
he  took  a  business  course.  Upon  completing  his  stud- 
ies he  returned  to  his  home,  and  became  a  partner  of  his 
father  in  the  latter's  general  farming  and  dairying 
business.  He  had  a  distinct  taste  for  farming  life  and 
has  ever  since  followed  it  with  a  high  degree  of  suc- 
cess. After  his  father's  death  he  continued  to  oper- 
ate the  eld  family  homestead,  consisting  of  two  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  fine  farm  land.  This  was  already 
highly-improved  through  the  accumulated  efforts  of  his 
ancestors,  but  Mr.  Manton  has  still  further  developed 
it,  until  it  is  now  one  of  the  model  farms  of  this  neigh- 
borhood. His  property  has  the  further  advantage  of 
being  crossed  by  the  Providence  &  Burrillville  Electric 
railroads,  which  brings  it  into  easy  communication  with 
the  surrounding  community  and  makes  the  marketing 
of  its  produce  a  simple  matter.  Mr.  Manton  is  a  staunch 
Republican  in  politics,  but  is  quite  witliout  political  am- 
bition, having  avoided  rather  than  sought  public  office. 
His  prominence  in  the  community,  however,  has  caused 
him  to  be  sought  frequently  as  the  candidate  of  his 
party  for  office,  and  he  has  served  one  term  on  the 
Lincoln  Town  Council,  proving  himself  a  most  capable 
and  efficient  public  servant.  He  has  been  for  many 
years  prominently  identified  with  the  Grange  move- 
ment in  this  community  and  was  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  Lime  Rock  Grange,  No.  22,  and  its  first 
master,  a  position  which  he  held  for  two  years.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  Pomona  Grange,  in  which  he  has 
held  the  post  of  gate-keeper.  In  his  religious  belief  he 
is  a  Baptist,  and  with  his  wife  and  family  attends  the 
Lime  Rock  Church  of  that  denomination.  He  is  very 
active  in  the  work  of  the  congregation  and  has  served 
as  treasurer,  being  succeeded  in  that  position  by  Mrs. 
Manton,  who  continues  to  hold  the  office. 

Daniel  J.  Manton  was  united  in  marriage,  October  2, 
1878,  with  Patience  E.  Wickes,  born  July  16,  i860, 
daughter  of  Stephen  and  Ida  (Angell)  Wickes,  and  a 
descendant  in  the  paternal  line  from  the  old  Wickes 
line  of  Warwick.  Mrs.  Manton,  on  the  maternal  side 
of  the  house,  is  descended  from  Thomas  Angell,  one  of 
the  original  settlers  of  Providence,  to  which  place  he 
came  in  the  company  of  Roger  Williams.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Manton  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  as  follows : 
Harry  A.,  born  Dec.  18,  1882,  now  residing  in  East 
Templeton,  Mass.,  and  married,  Sept.  26,  1906,  Cath- 
leen  L.  Jencks,  of  Lime  Rock,  who  has  borne  him  one 
child.  Mabel  Manton ;  Daniel  Jenckes,  Jr.,  born  Sept. 
28,  1888,  and  married  Grace  Henderson,  of  Saylesville. 

(IX)  Crawford  Jenckes  Manton,  Jr.,  fourth  son  of 
Crawford  Jenckes  and  Esther   Brown    (Wilbur)    Man- 

R  1-2—8 


ton,  was  born  on  the  old  Manton  homestead  near  Lime 
Rock.  December  12,  1861.  He  received  his  education 
at  the  local  public  schools,  and  learned  the  trade  of 
machinist  in  the  shop  of  Fales  &  Jenks.  Upon  com- 
pleting his  apprenticeship  he  went  to  the  city  of  Boston, 
where  he  followed  his  trade  for  about  two  years,  and 
then  returned  to  Providence,  where  for  fifteen  years  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  Rhode  Island  Tool  Company. 
.•\fter  the  death  of  his  mother-in-law,  Mrs.  Alpha  A. 
Draper,  of  Lincoln,  he  removed  to  the  Draper  farm, 
and  here  he  still  resides  with  his  family.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias.  Crawford  Jenckes  Manton,  Jr.,  married  Emma 
E.  Draper,  daughter  of  .Mpha  A.  and  Lydia  H.  (Haw- 
kins) Draper,  of  this  place,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
one  son,  .Alpha  D.  Manton. 

(IX)  Thomas  Holmes  Manton,  youngest  surviving 
son  of  Crawford  Jenckes  and  Esther  Brown  (Wilbur) 
Manton,  was  bom  at  Lime  Rock,  on  the  old  Captain 
John  Jenckes  farm,  November  22,  1869.  Mr.  Manton 
received  his  preparatory  education  at  the  local  school 
in  this  region  and  afterwards  was  a  student  for  two 
years  at  the  English  and  Classical  Schocl  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  1.  During  his  childhood  he  lived  on  his 
father's  farm,  where  he  assisted  in  his  spare  hours  with 
the  work  about  the  place.  He  did  not,  however,  finally 
take  up  agriculture  as  an  occupation,  but  in  1888,  when 
nineteen  years  of  age,  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  the 
Berkeley  Mills  at  Berkeley,  one  of  the  plants  owned  by 
the  Lonsdale  Company,  and  continued  in  this  position 
until  1901.  He  was  then  appointed  paymaster  of  the 
concern  and  still  holds  this  responsible  position  after 
seventeen  years.  Mr.  Manton  is  a  man  of  marked 
business  ability,  and  his  genial  personality  endears  him 
to  all  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  He  is  very 
well  liked  both  by  his  employers  and  the  men  who 
work  in  the  mill,  and  enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
all  his  fellow-citizens.  Like  his  father  and  the  other 
members  of  the  family,  he  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
but  while  keenly  interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  com- 
munity has  never  sought  office  of  any  kind.  Thomas 
Holmes  Manton  was  married  in  1903  to  Bertha  M. 
Clark,  of  Boston. 


WILLIAM  ROBE  GILLESPIE— The  business 
with  which  the  S'n.s  nf  William  Kt-bb  Gillespie  are  con- 
nected was  founded  by  their  father  who,  with  fine  busi- 
ness instinct  and  broad  vision,  laid  sure  and  deep  the 
foundation  upon  which  the  substantial  business  edifice 
which  men  know  as  The  Rhode  Island  Processing  Com- 
pany has  been  erected.  Like  a  true  father,  he  built  the 
future  for  his  sons,  and  in  them  his  hopes  have  been 
realized.  He  was  master  of  his  business,  and  when 
the  time  came  to  found  a  business,  he  knew  how  to 
plan,  how  to  build,  and  how  to  weave  into  that  com- 
mercial structure  a  wharf  and  woof  which  should  en- 
dure. 

William  Robb  Gillespie  was  born  in  Scotland,  May  20, 
1858,  and  died  in  Pawtucket.  R.  I.,  March  24,  1917. 
His  schooling  was  meagre,  but  he  gained  valuable 
knowledge  in  the  school  of  experience,  then  was  blessed 
in  his  choice  of  a  wife  who  was  not  only  a  helpmeet 
but  an  educated  woman,  who  acted  as  her  husband's 
tutor  until  both  were  on  an  intellectual  level.    He  mar- 


82 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ried  Elizabeth  Clark,  in  Scotland,  and  here  resided 
until  after  the  birth  of  their  fifth  child,  when  they 
came  to  the  United  States. 

In  Scotland  the  father  was  a  mill  worker,  and  in  the 
United  States  he  followed  the  same  occupation,  going 
first  to  Westbrook,  Me.,  the  pay  then  being  one 
dollar  daily  with  which  to  support  a  wife  and  five 
children.  But  his  careful,  capable  wife  accomplished 
that  feat,  and  step  by  step  he  rose  to  a  better  position 
until  finally  a  superintendent's  position  was  reached. 
Leaving  Maine  he  came  with  his  family  to  Easthamp- 
ton.  Mass.,  there  securing  a  position  as  assistant  super- 
intendent with  the  Hampton  Manufacturing  Company 
in  their  bleaching  and  dyeing  mill  From  Easthamp- 
ton  he  went  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  oflicial  capacity,  thence 
to  Coventry,  R.  I.,  where  he  organized  a  company  and 
absorbed  the  Cooper  Mercerizing  Company.  This  com- 
pany was  greatly  involved,  but  Mr.  Gillespie  reorganized, 
refitted  and  improved,  until  with  better  surroundings 
and  modern  equipment  he  instilled  new  life  into  the 
business,  and  with  the  new  machinery,  much  of  which  he 
designed,  went  a  new  spirit  and  principle  which  in  time 
raised  the  plant  to  a  high  plane  of  usefulness  and  effi- 
ciency. .\  new  mill  later  was  added,  a  large  business 
conducted  and  The  Rhode  Island  Processing  Company 
firmly  established  as  a  productive,  prosperous  manu- 
facturing property.  Letters  from  large  dealers  in  New 
Vork,  Philadelphia,  and  other  cities,  which  have 
been  preserved,  vouch  for  the  high  esteem  in  which 
Mr.  Gillespie  was  held  in  the  business  world.  He  was 
a  man  of  genial  disposition  and  hearty  manner,  making 
friends  with  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  whether 
of  high  or  low  degree.  He  held  particularly  sacred 
his  word  in  financial  matters,  was  prompt  and  punctual 
in  all  his  business  engagements  and  the  soul  of  honor. 
He  erected  a  beautiful  home  in  Pawtucket,  but  one 
week  after  it  was  completed  he  passed  away. 

Mr.  Gillespie  became  a  lover  and  a  student  of  fine 
literature,  and  ranked  especially  high  as  mathema- 
tician. He  had  abrut  completed  arrangements  by  which 
his  business  cares  would  be  assumed  by  his  son,  Andrew 
M.,  his  intention  being  to  retire  and  enjoy  the  fruits 
of  his  life  of  labor  in  his  beautiful  Pawtucket  home. 
He  took  an  interest  in  community  affairs,  served  the 
Council  of  Coventry  Center  for  two  years,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Barney  Merry  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
Pawtucket  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Coun- 
cil, Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  Holy  Sepulchre  Com- 
mandery.  Knights  Templar,  all  of  Pawtucket;  Pales- 
tine Temple,  .•\ncient  .\rabic  Order  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine,  of  Providence ;  was  an  active  member  of 
Woodlawn  Baptist  Church  of  Pawtucket,  and  in  Coven- 
try donated  the  land  upon  which  the  Episcopal  church 
stands. 

Mr.  Gillespie  married  Elizabeth  Clark,  born  in  Scot- 
land, and  they  were  the  parents  of  Barbara,  now  resid- 
ing with  her  widowed  mother  in  Pawtucket ;  John, 
associated  with  textile  manufacturing  in  Holyoke, 
Mass.;  William  R.,  of  Coventry,  R.  I.;  Robert  S..  died 
one  month  before  his  father;  Andrew  M.,  of  Coventry; 
Elizabeth  C,  married  William  Bassett,  of  Coventry; 
Margaret,  married  \\'allace  V.  Thornley,  of  Pawtucket; 
Mae,  married  Edgar  Wilkinson,  of  Pawtucket;  Alfred 
C,  of  Coventry,  R.  I. 


Andrew  Millar  Gillespie  was  born  in  Paisley,  Scot- 
land, November  2,  1885,  and  when  a  child  was  brought 
to  the  LTnited  States  by  his  parents,  residing  in  the 
various  places  in  Maine,  Massachusetts,  New  York  and 
Rhode  Island,  to  which  business  called  his  honored 
father.  He  attended  public  school  in  these'  places,-  and 
when  school  years  were  over  he  learned  the  dyer's  art 
and  the  bleaching  of  cotton  goods  under  his  father's 
direction  and  instruction.  In  time  he  advanced  to  close 
business  association,  became  a  trusted,  confidential 
assistant,  and  diverted  from  his  father's  shoulders  many 
business  burdens.  When  the  father  laid  down  his 
burdens  for  all  time,  the  son  assumed  the  management 
on  behalf  of  the  estate  and  is  now  (1918)  the  efficient 
treasurer  of  the  Cowen  Braid  Manufacturing  Company, 
a  director  of  that  company,  and  treasurer  of  The 
Rhode  Island  Processing  Company,  both  of  Coventry, 
R.  I.  He  is  an  able,  capable  business  man,  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  financial  problems  and  needs  of  the 
corporation  with  which  he  has  been  connected  for  so 
long,  and  is  held  in  high  regard  by  his  business  asso- 
ciates and  contemporaries. 

Mr.  Gillespie  married.  June  17.  1914,  Mae  Eleanor 
Perry,  of  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  Claire  Eleanor  and  William  Robb  Gillespie.  The 
family  home  is  in  Coventry  Center,  R.  I. 


REV.  JOSEPH  H.  BELAND— Ordained  a  priest 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  in  1883.  Father  Beland 
reviews  thirty-five  years  of  pastoral  work  in  his  native 
Canada  and  in  the  United  States,  his  present  pastorate. 
Our  Lady  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  cover- 
ing nearly  a  quarter  £>f  a  century  of  that  period,  1894- 
1918.  He  is  a  son  of  Toussaint  Beland,  a  farmer  of 
the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  born  in  September, 
1822,  died  November  17,  1909.  His  mother,  Elizabeth 
Cartiers  (Dupuis)  Beland,  died  in  November,  1901, 
aged  seventy-seven  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
thirteen  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living;  six  sons, 
one  of  whom,  Victor  Beland,  is  in  charge  of  the  Notre 
Dame  Cemetery  in  Pawtucket,  four  brothers,  business 
men  of  Three  Rivers,  Canada,  the  sixth.  Rev.  Joseph 
H.  Beland,  permanent  rector  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Sacred 
Heart.  Two  of  the  daughters,  Virginia  and  George- 
anna,  the  latter  now  deceased,  took  the  vows  of  the 
Sisterhood  known  as  the  Grey  Nuns,  at  Ottawa,  Ont. 

Joseph  H.  Beland  was  born  at  Three  Rivers,  Prov- 
ince of  Quebec,  Canada,  and  there  completed  primary 
and  grammar  school  courses,  finishing  secular  study  at 
St.  Joseph's  College,  Three  Rivers,  and  was  there  edu- 
cated in  theology  in  preparation  for  consecration  to  the 
life  of  a  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  He  was 
ordained  December  23,  1883,  by  Bishop  Lafleche,  of 
Three  Rivers,  and  began  his  work  as  a  priest  at  Artha- 
basaville,  Quebec,  remaining  there  eighteen  months. 
The  next  year  and  a  half  were  spent  in  pastoral  work 
at  Duluth,  Minn.,  his  work  there  being  brought  to  a 
close  through  a  severe  illness.  He  spent  the  year  fol- 
lowing his  recovery  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  then  for  two  and 
a  half  years  was  curate  of  Sacred  Heart  parish.  New 
Bedford.  Mass.  After  service  at  Flint  College.  Fall 
River,  two  and  a  half  years  pastor  of  St.  James  parish, 
in  Manville,  he  came  to  his  present  parish  in  Central 
Falls,  R.  I.,  being  installed  pastor  of  Our  Lady  of  the 


^1 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


83 


Sacred  Heart  parish  in  February,  1894.  The  parish 
which  he  has  served  so  long,  faithfully  and  well,  is  an 
important  one,  and  its  upbuilding  has  been  the  great 
work  of  the  life  of  this  devoted  son  of  the  church. 
Twelve  hundred  Catholic  families,  numbering  6,000 
souls,  arc  included  within  the  limits  of  the  parish  which 
dates  corporate  existence  from  the  year  1874.  The 
first  pastor.  Father  Dauray,  is  now  a  Monsignor  in 
rank,  his  connection  with  the  parish  beginning  in 
September,  1873,  and  ending  in  November,  1875.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  A.  L.  Bouland,  in  Xovember, 
1875,  and  he  by  Rev.  George  T.  Mahoney,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1880,  Father  Mahoney  serving  for  nearly  fourteen 
years  until  succeeded  by  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Beland,  in 
February,  1894.  The  visible  fruits  of  the  long  con- 
nection which  has  existed  between  Father  Beland  and 
the  parish  are  many ;  schools  are  maintained  where  one 
thousand  pupils  receive  instruction  in  the  grammar 
school  grades ;  a  Sacred  Heart  Brothers  School  is  sup- 
ported where  two  hundred  and  forty  pupils  are  prepar- 
ing for  college;  a  convent  with  twenty-three  sisters  of 
the  Order  of  St.  Anne  is  part  of  the  educational  system 
of  the  parish  ;  thirteen  Brothers  from  the  Sacred  Heart 
Provincial  Home  at  St.  Hyacinthe,  Canada,  comprising 
the  faculty  of  the  Christian  Brothers  School,  previously 
referred  to.  The  rectory  was  built  by  Father  Beland, 
as  was  the  large  school  building ;  the  convent  building 
was  purchased  by  him ;  the  Brothers  school  built,  St. 
Joseph's  gymnasium  built  and  equipped,  the  Church  of 
Our  Lady  of  the  Sacred  Heart  enlarged  and  Notre 
Dame  Cemetery,  on  Daggett  avenue,  Pawtuckct,  estab- 
lished. .'Ml  social,  fraternal  and  religious  societies  of 
the  parish  are  well-maintained.  Father  Beland  being  a 
member  of  the  school  board  of  the  diocese,  a  director 
of  the  Society  of  St.  Jean  de  Baptiste,  Jacques  Cartier 
Circle  Literary  Society,  St.  Joseph's  Gymnasium,  all 
other  interests  of  the  church  claiming  his  closest  per- 
sonal support  and  guidance.  He  has  three  assistants 
in  his  work,  Rev.  A.  P.  Desrochers,  Rev.  Stephen 
Grenier,  and  Rev.  N.  J.  Plasse. 


FREDERICK  A.  POTTER— To  trace  the  con- 
:roie  achie\ement  of  a  career  is  a  task  of  compara- 
tively few  difficulties,  for  we  have  but  to  turn  to  his- 
tory or  well  preserved  tradition  for  ample  data.  But 
to  determine  in  an  accurate  or  approximately  adequate 
degree  the  extent  of  the  sphere  of  influence  of  the  life 
of  an  individual  is  a  task  of  large  proportions.  The 
influence  of  the  conduct  and  bearing  as  well  as  the 
business  efficiency  of  a  man  in  an  executive  office  over 
the  lives  and  minds  of  the  men  whose  work  he  directs 
is  very  great.  The  greatest  of  the  world's  leaders 
have  been  in  the  beginning  imitators  of  the  greatness  of 
the  great  men  who  went  before  them,  tempering  their 
imitation  with  individual  effort,  but  still  imitating.  And 
this  is  true  of  the  lowly  as  of  the  great.  We  look 
instinctively  for  a  model  that  we  may  pattern  after  it. 
As  other  men  have  done  so  also  we  wish  to  do.  The 
aspiration  to  do  even  greater  things  carries  us  only 
a  step  beyond.  Imitation  to  the  very  letter  and  detail 
is  niggardly  and  slavish  and  bears  no  true  relation  to 
greatness.  But  imitation  in  as  far  as  it  is  the  basin 
foundation  of  the  ambition  to  do  great  things,  forms  a 
vital  part  of  every  man's  life,  and  we  find  it  every 


step  along  life's  journey.  The  child  imitates  its  father, 
the  young  man  his  employer,  the  man  who  stands  upon 
the  pinnacle  of  achievement  turns  to  the  pages  of 
history  for  his  example,  and  so  through  all  the  rela- 
tions of  life.  Therefore,  too  great  emphasis  cannot 
be  placed  on  the  physical,  mental  and  moral  fitness  of 
executives  for  the  offices  they  hold.  For  their  example 
is  emulated  and  those  who  come  to  take  their  places 
will  be  essentially  what  they  themselves  have  been. 

.•\  study  of  conditions  in  the  milling  industries  of  the 
country  reveals  to  even  the  most  casual  investigator 
the  great  field  for  either  good  or  evil  influence  the  large 
plants  and  mills  offer.  Young  men  and  women,  not  yet 
out  of  their  teens,  form  a  large  proportion  of  the 
hands  of  these  establishments.  Their  minds  are  par- 
ticularly open  to  impression  at  this  stage,  and  they 
imbibe  and  form  into  active  life  principles  the  ex- 
amples set  by  those  in  authority  over  them.  Careless- 
ness, lack  of  interest,  dishonesty  and  injustice  in  super- 
ior officers,  works  a  harm  which  is  as  irreparable  as  is 
incalculable  the  effect  of  kindness,  justice  and  equity, 
integrity  and  human  understanding. 

Therefore  when  we  say  that  a  life  of  comparative 
retirement  has  wrought  untold  good  through  its  influ- 
ence we  do  not  stray  from  the  truth.  Such  a  life  w'as 
that  of  the  late  Frederick  A.  Potter,  for  many  years 
superintendent  of  the  Fales  &  Jenks  AJachine  Company, 
of  Pawtuckct,  R.  I.  The  nature  of  his  position  with 
this  large  and  well-known  firm  brought  him  constantly 
into  contact  with  its  employees.  Through  the  influ- 
ence of  an  exemplary  Christian  life,  a  broad  and  toler- 
ant understanding  which  allowed  him  to  appreciate  tjie 
weaknesses  of  his  fellowmen,  and  a  cheerful  and  up- 
lifting honesty  and  probity,  Frederick  A.  Potter  left 
the  mark  of  his  life  and  works  on  the  hearts  of  count- 
less men  with  whom  he  came  into  contact  in  the  affairs 
of  every  day  life.  His  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the 
men  under  his  authority  was  fraternal,  and  had  its  root 
in  fellowship,  and  was  far  removed  to  the  paternal 
interest  which  partakes  in  most  instances  of  a  mild 
form  of  despotism,  stifling  individuality.  He  studied 
the  talents  of  the  men  under  his  care,  saw  their  special 
aptness  for  work,  suggested,  guided,  and  aided  them 
along  the  paths  for  which  they  were  most  fitted.  .'Knd 
in  consequence  he  was  loved,  honored  and  emulated, 
and  in  his  own  sphere  left  his  monument  in  the  lives  of 
the  men  who  were  his  co-workers. 

Frederick  A.  Potter  was  born  in  the  town  of  Man- 
ton,  R.  L,  the  descendant  of  an  honored  family  of  that 
vicinity.  The  coat-of-arms  of  the  Potter  family  is  as 
follows : 

Arms — -A-rgrent  on  a  pale  azure  three  wings  con- 
joined  of   the   fir.st. 

Crest — .\  star  of  twelve  rays  or,  between  a  pair  of 
wings  argent. 

Frederick  A.  Potter  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  whither  his  parents  removed 
when  he  was  very  young.  Tiring  of  his  studies  at  an 
early  age,  and  evincing  a  decided  talent  for  things 
mechanical,  he  left  school  and  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Company,  of  Pawtucket.  His 
first  position  with  this  firm  was  in  a  minor  capacity. 
He  rose  rapidly,  however,  through  perseverance  and 
industry  to  a  post  of  large  importance.  Later  he  be- 
came superintendent  of  the  firm,  and  continued  to  fill 


84 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLANU 


the  office  until  the  time  of  his  retirement  from  active 
business  hfe.  During  the  long  period  of  his  connection 
with  Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Company  he  was  one  of 
the  best  loved  of  its  officers,  and  his  retirement  in 
March,  1907,  was  deeply  regretted  by  the  members  of 
the  firm  and  the  employees  alike. 

Although  known  throughout  Pawtucket  as  a  citizen  of 
the  finest  type,  thoroughly  alive  to  the  responsibilities 
of  his  citizenship,  and  a  willing  worker  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  city,  Mr.  Potter  took  but  liUle  part 
in  the  public  life  of  the  city.  His  political  affiliation 
was  with  the  Republican  party,  but  he  was  not  bound 
by  party  principles  against  moral  conviction  in  casting 
his  vote.  He  supported  every  movement  for  the  better- 
ing of  civic  conditions  in  Pawtucket.  He  was  well 
known  in  fraternal  life,  and  was  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Masonic  order.  He  was  a  member  of  Barney  Berry 
Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Paw- 
tucket, of  the  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  Holy  Sepulchre 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar,  and  of  the  Ancient 
Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  of  Boston, 
Mass. 

On  March  20.  1853,  Mr.  Potter  married  in  Woon- 
socket,  R.  I.,  Mary  E.  Whipple,  daughter  of  George 
A.  and  Marianne  (Sheldon)  Whipple.  Mrs.  Potter 
died  April  23,  191 7.  They  were  the  parents  of  one 
daughter,  Florence  E.,  who  resides  at  the  family  home- 
stead. No.  126  Pine  street,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  Fred- 
erick A.  Potter  died  at  his  home  in  Pawtucket,  January 
8,  1908. 


ROBERT  SIMMONS  PHILLIPS,  M.  D.— Seven- 
teen years  of  successful  practice  have  made  the  name 
which  stands  at  the  head  of  this  article  thoroughly 
familiar  to  many  of  the  citizens  of  Providence.  Dr. 
Phillips  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  not  only  as  a 
physician  of  repute,  but  also  as  a  man  ever  ready  to  do 
his  part  toward  serving  the  best  interests  of  his  com- 
munity. 

Henry  Phillips,  father  of  Robert  Simmons  Phillips, 
was  in  business  in  Philadelphia,  but  moved  to  New 
Bedford.  Mass.,  where  he  became  bookkeeper  for  a 
large  mill,  a  position  which  he  retained  to  the  close  of 
his  life.  Mr.  Phillips  married  Harriet  Simmons,  who 
survives  him  and  now  resides  with  her  son  in  Provi- 
dence. 

Robert  Simmons  Phillips,  son  of  Henry  and  Har- 
riet (Simmons)  Phillips,  was  born  January  18,  1873, 
in  Philadelphia,  and  was  six  years  old  when  the  family 
moved  to  New  Bedford.  It  was  in  the  public  schools 
of  that  city  that  he  received  his  elementary  education, 
passing  thence  to  the  high  school  and  graduating  in 
1891.  For  a  few  months  thereafter  he  was  employed 
in  the  Mechanics'  National  Bank  of  New  Bedford,  and 
then  took  a  post-graduate  high  school  course  of  one 
year  preparatory  to  entering  Brown  University,  which 
he  did  in  1892.  In  1896  he  received  from  that  institu- 
tion the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Philosophy,  and  the  same 
year  matriculated  in  the  New  Nork  Homoeopathic  Med- 
ical College,  graduating  in  1900  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  On  competitive  examination  for 
entrance  to  the  Flower  Hospital,  Dr.  Phillips  took  an 
interne  course  in  that  institution,  graduating  in  1901. 
While  at  Brown  University  he  was  an   honor  student, 


being  elected  to  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  In  1901  Dr.  Phillips 
began  practice  in  Providence  and  has  ever  since  re- 
sided continuously  in  that  city,  acquiring  a  large  and 
high-class  patronage  and  building  up  a  reputation  for 
professional  skill  and  unwearied  devotion  to  duty.  He 
holds  the  position  of  attendant  physician  for  the  Home 
for  Aged  Women,  for  St.  Elizabeth's  Home  for  Con- 
firmed Invalids,  and  for  the  Toby  Street  Home  for 
Children.  Among  the  professional  organizations  in 
which  he  is  enrolled  are  the  Rhode  Island  Homceopathic 
Medical  Association  and  the  .\merican  Institute  of 
Homoeopathy.  In  politics  Dr.  Phillips  is  an  independ- 
ent voter  and  has  never  mingled  actively  in  public 
affairs.  His  friends  are  many,  both  within  and  without 
the  pale  of  his  profession.  The  only  other  social  organ- 
ization to  which  he  belongs  is  the  Sigma  Chi  frater- 
nity, in  the  affairs  of  which  he  takes  a  prominent  part, 
having  served  as  its  delegate  to  the  San  Francisco  and 
St.  Louis  conventions.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Protest- 
ant Episcopal  church. 

Dr.  Phillips  has  won  for  himself  an  undisputed 
standing  in  his  chosen  profession.  The  success  which 
he  has  achieved  is  entirely  of  his  own  making  and, 
resting  as  it  does  on  a  solid  foundation  of  learning, 
skill  and  natural  ability,  bids  fair  to  increase  steadily 
and  rapidly  with  the  passing  of  the  years. 


ARTHUR  LIGOURI  FANNING,  one  of  the  most 
successful  and  widely  known  of  Providence  physicians, 
is  a  native  of  this  city,  and  a  son  of  Bernard  and  Mary 
(Carroll)  Fanning,  old  and  highly  respected  residents. 
His  grandfather,  Michael  Carroll,  was  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, and  came  from  that  country  to  the  United  States 
early  in  life.  He  settled  at  Pawtuxet  Valley,  in  the 
year  1828,  and  was  extremely  prominent  in  Providence 
and  River  Point  during  his  life.  The  father  of  Arthur 
Ligouri  Fanning  was  for  many  years  a  skilled  machin- 
ist here  and  is  now  deceased,  while  his  wife  survives 
him  and  makes  her  home  with  her  son. 

Born  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  February  24,  1876,  Arthur 
Ligouri  Fanning  attended  the  parochial  and  public 
schools  of  the  city.  He  studied  for  some  time  at  the 
Providence  High  School,  then  entered  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Boston.  His  ambition  to 
learn  his  profession  was  not  easily  gratified,  as  he  was 
obliged  to  earn  the  money  with  which  to  pay  his  ex- 
penses in  the  medical  school.  In  order  to  accomplish 
this,  the  young  man  engaged  in  various  kinds  of  work, 
taught  in  school  and  tutored  private  pupils  during  the 
time  that  he  was  himself  carrying  on  his  studies.  His 
earnestness  and  courage  at  length  had  its  reward  and 
he  graduated  from  college  with  the  class  of  1907,  taking 
his  medical  degree.  He  then  became  interne  at  St. 
Joseph's  Hospital,  at  Providence,  and  remained  sixteen 
months  there,  gaining  the  necessary  practical  experience 
for  his  career.  In  the  year  1909  he  established  himself 
in  practice  in  this  city,  and  since  that  time  has  met  with 
a  great  and  uninterrupted  success,  which  has  made  him 
a  leader  in  his  profession  here.  Since  1909  he  has  been 
visiting  physician  at  St.  Joseph's  Hospital.  Dr  Fan- 
ning has  been  very  active  in  politics  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  local  Democ- 
racy here.  He  has  not  been  personally  ambitious,  how- 
ever, and  has  held  but  one  office,  that  of  membership 


^v^akaaAanjCk 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


85 


on  the  city  school  board,  to  which  he  was  elected  from 
the  Third  Ward,  and  in  which  he  served  from  IQOO  to 
1902.  In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic, 
and  a  member  of  St.  Michael's  Church  in  this  city.  He 
is  a  member  of  several  societies  and  organizations  of 
various  kinds,  including  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  the  Order  of  Owls,  and  the  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles,  and  is  medical  examiner  for  the  local 
chapters  of  the  two  latter.  He  is  also  afiiliated  with  ihc 
various  professional  societies  including  the  Providence 
Medical  Society,  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  and 
the  American  Medical  Association. 

Dr.  Fanning  was  united  in  marriage,  October  12, 
1910,  at  Providence,  with  Teresa  Mary  Washek,  of 
Providence,  R.  I.,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
Washek,  of  Austria.  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Joseph  Edward,  Mary  Louise  and  Arthur 
Ligouri. 

BERNARD  McCABE — Prominent  in  business  and 
manufacturing  circles  in  the  city  of  Pawtucket  in  the 
closing  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  a  well 
known  though  unofficial  figure  in  public  life,  was  the 
late  Bernard  McCabe,  whose  death  occurred  in  Paw- 
tucket. on  April  15,  1909.  His  career  belongs  to  that 
period  of  development  and  progress  which  brought 
Pawtucket  from  a  place  of  comparative  unimportance 
into  the  foremost  rank  of  Rhode  Island  cities. 

Bernard  McCabe  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  on  March  i, 
1848,  the  son  of  Hugh  and  Catherine  (McEntee)  Mc- 
Cabe. His  father,  a  native  of  Ireland,  emigrated  to 
America  in  1843,  settling  in  Pawtucket,  where  he  died. 
His  son  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  the  city,  but 
was  forced  by  adverse  circumstances  to  curtail  his 
studies  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  He  entered  the 
Pervear  Bolt  Works,  where  he  remained  only  a  short 
time,  leaving  this  employment  to  learn  the  trade  of 
blacksmith  with  Allen  Green  at  Providence.  On  com- 
pleting his  apprenticeship  he  went  to  Boston,  where  he 
was  employed  as  a  journeyman.  In  1875  Mr.  McCabe 
returned  to  Pawtucket  and,  in  partnership  with  Michael 
Whalen.  opened  a  general  blacksmith  and  wheelwright 
shop.  The  business  prospered  from  the  outset,  growing 
within  a  short  period  far  beyond  its  original  limits.  In 
18S0  Mr.  McCabe  purchased  the  interests  of  his  partner, 
and  thenceforward  until  his  death  was  sole  owner  and 
manager  of  the  steadily  increasing  business.  In  1887, 
forced  by  the  volume  of  his  business  to  seek  larger 
quarters,  he  erected  a  wheelwright  and  blacksmith  shop 
on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Bayley  streets,  in  Paw- 
tucket. In  the  same  year  he  opened  the  factory,  which 
he  controlled  until  his  death,  for  the  manufacture  of 
carriages  and  wagons.  The  business  which  he  founded 
and  brought  to  such  successful  proportions  is  now 
conducted  under  the  name  of  the  Bernard  McCabe 
Carriage  Company.  Mr.  McCabe  also  established  a 
store  at  No.  345  Main  street,  for  the  sale  of  bicycles 
and  bicycle  accessories.  He  was  eminently  respected 
in  business  circles,  and  throughout  the  period  in  which 
he  engaged  in  the  carriage  and  wagon  manufacturing 
was  a  leader  in  the  industry  in  Pawtucket.  He  was  a 
business  man  of  shrewd  foresight,  keenly  alert  to  the 
possibilities  of  a  bargain,  yet  fair  and  just  in  all  his 
transactions.     His  success  was  all  the  more  remarkable 


when  considered  in  the  light  of  his  early  handicaps. 
Indomitable  courage,  and  a  strong  determination  to  use 
every  opportunity  of  an  honorable  nature  to  aid  him 
on  his  way  to  success,  brought  him  eventually  into  a 
position  of  responsibility  and  influence  in  the  business 
world. 

Keenly  interested  in  every  development  of  the  times, 
a  student  of  current  events,  and  of  National,  State  and 
civic  issues,  Mr.  McCabe,  although  he  remained  strictly 
aloof  from  political  office  seeking,  was  widely  known  in 
political  circles,  and  frequently  consulted  in  matters  of 
importance  relative  to  civic  issues.  He  was  an  Inde- 
pendent in  local  politics,  but  a  Democrat  in  National 
issues. 

In  July,  1891,  Mr.  McCabe  married  Ellen  M.  P.rady, 
daughter  of  Philip  and  Rose  (Goodwin)  Brady,  of  Attle- 
boro,  Mass.  Mrs.  McCabe,  who  survives  her  husband, 
resides  at  No.  68  Sayles  avenue,  Pawtucket.  She  is 
well  known  in  social  circles  in  the  city,  and  for  many 
years  has  been  identified  with  charitable  and  philan- 
thropic endeavors.  Bernard  McCabe  died  at  his  home 
in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  on  April  15,  1909. 


HARRY  PECKHAM  KENYON,  one  of  the  well- 
known  figures  in  the  financial  and  banking  interests  of 
Providence,  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  distinguished 
Rhode  Island  family  which  has  been  conspicuous  in 
this  region  for  many  years.  He  is  a  great-grandson  of 
Captain  John  and  Kate  (Vars)  Kenyon,  the  latter  a 
member  of  the  old  X'ars  family  of  Niantic,  R.  I.,  a 
grandson  of  Isaac  Kenyon,  and  a  son  of  John  Thomas 
Kenyon,  for  many  years  one  of  the  best  known  men  in 
the  business  and  public  life  of  Olneyville,  in  this  State. 
Captain  John  Kenyon  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children :  Nancy,  Sally,  who  married 
Jarcd  Barber;  Fanny,  who  married  George  Barber; 
Sophia,  who  married  Mitchael  Irving;  Drusilla,  who 
married  Henry  Lowe;  Jesse,  Burdick,  Isaac,  who  is 
mentioned  below;  Charles,  Edward,  Godfrey,  and 
George. 

Isaac  Kenyon,  son  of  Captain  John  and  Kate  (Vars) 
Kenyon,  was  born  at  Hopkinton,  R.  I.,  and  as  a  lad 
attended  the  public  schools  of  that  place  and  Richmond. 
He  was  employed  in  the  mill  at  Brand's  Iron  Works 
(now  Wyoming),  and  lost  his  left  hand  in  a  planing 
machine  at  Locustville  (now  Hope  Valley)  during  the 
war.  He  also  ran  a  grist  mill  at  Wyoming  for  some 
time,  and  there  his  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  si.\ty- 
nine  years.  He  married  Julia  A.  Sheldon,  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Rhoda  (Edwards)  Sheldon,  a  native 
of  Voluntown,  Conn.,  where  she  was  born,  June  28, 
1S12.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  child- 
ren :  John  Thomas,  who  is  mentioned  below ;  Selina 
M.,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  M.  Burdick;  Laur- 
etta, who  became  the  wife  of  David  Segar.  Isaac  Ken- 
yon was  at  first  a  Whig  in  politics,  but  joined  the 
Republican  party  at  the  time  of  its  formation.  He  was 
a  charter  member  of  Mechanics  Lodge,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Hope  Valley. 

John  Thomas  Kenyon,  son  of  Isaac  and  Julia  A. 
(Sheldon)  Kenyon,  was  born  at  Wyoming,  R.  I..  Nov- 
ember 24,  1839.  He  spent  his  childhood  and  early  youth 
in  his  native  place,  and  there  attended  the  local  public 
schools  for  his  education.     After  leaving  school  there 


86 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


he  worked  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  mill  of  A.  & 
W.  Fenner,  of  Wyoming,  until  he  reached  his  majority. 
On  October  4,  1861,  he  responded  to  the  call  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  for  volunteers,  and  enlisted  in  Company 
D,  First  Regiment  Rhode  Island  Cavalry,  and  was 
given  the  rank  of  corporal.  He  saw  much  active  serv- 
ice, and  took  part  in  the  great  engagement  at  Cedar 
Mountain,  the  Second  Battle  of  Bull  Run,  Grafton, 
Fredericksburg  and  Winchester.  On  October  4,  1S64, 
he  was  honorably  discharged  from  service  at  Harris- 
burg,  \'a.,  and  shortly  afterwards  returned  to  his  native 
town  of  Wyoming,  in  this  State.  For  a  short  time  he 
was  employed  in  a  shoe  peg  factory  at  this  place,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1865  secured  a  position  in  the  machine 
shop  of  Nichols  &  Langworthy,  of  Hope  \alley.  At 
the  close  of  the  summer,  of  that  year,  he  secured  a 
clerical  position  in  the  grocery  store  of  Horatio  N. 
Burdick,  of  Hope  Valley,  and  still  later  took  charge  of 
the  store  of  David  Segar,  at  Valley  Falls,  remaining 
with  the  latter  concern  about  eighteen  months.  He  then 
became  the  traveling  agent  for  John  Thurston  &  Com- 
pany, prominent  confectioners,  with  an  office  located  in 
the  City  Hall  building  at  Providence,  and  for  three 
years  was  on  the  road,  driving  to  practically  every  part 
if  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  in  order  to  dispose  of  his 
^ares.  and  also  operated  in  Easton,  Conn.  The  three 
years  following  he  served  in  the  same  capacity  with 
M.  B.  Arnold  &  Company,  confectioners  of  Central 
Falls,  but  in  1873  withdrew  from  that  concern  and  en- 
gaged in  business  for  himself  as  a  jobber  in  confection- 
ery, among  the  trade  in  Providence  and  vicinity  until 
1S90,  when  the  management  was  assumed  by  his  son, 
Harry  P.  Kenyon,  who  continued  the  same  until  191 7. 
Mr.  Kenyon  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  Slocum 
Post,  No.  10,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  the 
local  lodges.  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  the  Order  of  American  Mechanics.  From  early 
youth  Mr.  Kenyon  has  taken  a  keen  interest  in  political 
issues,  both  national  and  local,  and  soon  rose  to  a  posi- 
tion of  leadership  in  the  Republican  party  here.  He 
was  elected  to  represent  Johnston  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature in  1891,  and  was  returned  to  that  body  in  1892- 
94-95-96-97.  In  1900  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
City  Council  of  Providence,  and  in  ick>2  again  served 
as  representative  on  the  Legislature.  In  the  year  1907 
Mr.  Kenyon  made  a  trip  abroad,  and  visited  parts  of 
Europe,  Egypt  and  the  Holy  Land.  He  had  also  widely 
traveled  in  the  United  States,  and  visited  every  State 
of  the  Union  but  two. 

John  Thomas  Kenyon  was  married,  March  26,  1865, 
at  Wyoming,  to  Susan  Elizabeth  Segar,  daughter  of 
Francis  Brayton  Segar,  a  well  known  merchant  of  that 
place.  Mrs.  Kenyon  died  June  28,  1906.  Mr.  Kenyon 
died  October  29,  191 6.  They  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  i.  Frank  Isaac,  born  Feb.  10,  1866, 
at  Hopkinton,  R.  I.  .'\s  a  young  man  he  went  to  Jack- 
sonville, Fla.,  where  he  became  prominent  in  the  affairs 
of  that  city,  and  served  for  two  years  as  its  treasurer. 
His  death  occurred  there  in  1898;  he  married  Nettie 
Hosmer,  of  that  city.  2.  Charles  Segar,  bom  Oct.  30, 
1867,  at  Valley  Falls.  In  his  youth  he  went  to  Savan- 
nah, Ga,.  where  he  became  general  manager  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Georgia  Telegraph  &  Telephone  Company. 


Later,  however,  he  returned  to  Providence,  and  is  now 
associated  with  the  Industrial  Trust  Company  of  this 
city.  He  married  (first)  Nellie  Campbell,  now  de- 
ceased, by  whom  he  had  two  children  :  Susan  H.,  and 
Frank  C. ;  he  married  (second)  Pearl  Carkuf,  by  whom 
he  had  one  son,  John  T.  (2).  3.  Harry  Peckham.  of 
whom  further. 

Harry  Peckham  Kenyon,  third  and  youngest  son  of 
John  Thomas  and  Susan  Elizabeth  (Segar)  Kenyon, 
was  born  December  8,  1871,  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  .As  a 
child  he  attended  the  public  schools  of  Johnston,  and 
after  graduating  from  the  Johnston  High  School,  en- 
tered the  well  known  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  Col- 
lege of  Providence,  where  he  took  a  commercial  course. 
Upon  completing  his  studies  at  the  latter  institution, 
Mr.  Kenyon  engaged  in  business  with  his  father,  and 
was  associated  with  the  confectionery  line  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  or  until  the  death  of  his  father  in  1916. 
Four  months  later  he  disposed  of  this  business  and  since 
that  time  has  been  engaged  in  banking.  At  the  present 
time  he  is  a  trustee  of  the  Old  Colony  Co-operative 
Bank,  of  Providence,  and  the  manager  of  its  real  estate 
department.  He  possesses  a  reputation  throughout  New 
England  as  a  building  estimator, 

!Mr.  Kenyon  is  exceedingly  prominent  in  the  general 
life  of  the  community,  and  is  a  staunch  supporter  of  the 
principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican  party.  He  has 
frequently  been  asked  by  his  fellow  citizens  to  run  for 
many  offices,  but  has  always  refused  the  honor,  for 
although  he  is  keenly  interested  in  the  issues  and  prob- 
lems of  the  day,  he  is  quite  without  ambition  for  poli- 
tical preferment.  He  nevertheless  performs  in  every 
way  the  duties  of  citizenship,  and  is  justly  regarded  as 
being  possessed  of  a  broad  public  spirit  by  his  fellow 
citizens.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Kenyon  is  a  Bap- 
tist and  attends  the  Plainfield  Free  Baptist  Church.  He 
is  a  member  of  Manufacturers'  Lodge,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  past  noble  grand  of  that 
body.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  Nestell  Lodge,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  his  clubs  are  the  Sun- 
set, of  which  he  was  president  and  is  now  treasurer,  and 
the  Pomham.  During  the  continuance  of  the  war.  Mr. 
Kenyon  was  an  active  member  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Food  Administration,  and  performed  an  invaluable 
service  for  his  community  in  this  responsible  post.  He 
has  always  been  actively  interested  in  the  general  wel- 
fare of  the  community  and  is  a  member  of  the  Olney- 
ville  Business  Men's  .Association,  and  has  done  much 
to  promote  it. 

Harry  Peckham  Kenyon  was  united  in  marriage, 
December  12,  1893,  at  Providence,  with  Nancy  L.  Ball, 
of  this  city,  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  G.  and  Mercy,  A. 
(Henry)  Ball,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children  :  Alice  May,  Helen  Ball,  and  Julia  Shel- 
don. These  children  have  all  been  educated  in  the 
Providence  schools,  and  the  youngest  is  now  a  student 
in  the  Technical  High  School  of  Providence. 


JAMES  SPENCER  MOORE,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  physicians  and  surgeons  of  East  Providence. 
R.  I.,  where  he  has  been  in  practice  for  over  twenty 
years,  is  a  native  of  South  Royalton,  Vt.,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  at  that  place,  March  3,  1871.  Dr.  Moore  is 
a  son  of  David  C.  and  Hannah  A.  (Estabrook)  Moore 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


87 


and  a  member  of  an  old  New  England  family.  David 
Comstock  Moore  was  also  a  physician,  and  for  many 
years  practiced  medicine  at  South  Royalton,  and  was 
also  interested  in  the  drug  business.  During  the  Civil 
War  he  served  as  a  surgeon  in  the  Union  army,  and 
was  located  at  one  time  at  the  famous  Point  Lookout, 
Md.  In  1872  he  removed  with  his  family  from  South 
Royalton  to  Charlestown,  N.  H.,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  drug  business  for  a  time.  He  later  returned  to 
South  Royalton,  however,  and  it  was  there  that  his 
death  occurred,  October  9,  i8;6.  He  and  his  wife  were 
the  parents  of  two  sons :  James  Spencer,  of  whom 
further ;  and  Elmer  E.,  who  became  a  physician  and 
practiced  both  in  Rhode  Island  and  Bristol  county, 
Mass. 

James  Spencer  Moore  was  about  five  years  of  age 
when  his  father  died,  and  immediately  after  that  event 
accompanied  his  mother  to  Boston,  where  they  made 
their  home  for  a  time.  It  was  at  Boston  that  he  first 
began  his  schooling,  attending  the  public  institutions 
for  this  purpose,  and  proving  himself  an  alert  and  in- 
dustrious scholar.  In  1887  the  family  removed  to  East 
Providence,  and  here  he  continued  his  studies  and  at- 
tended the  East  Providence  High  School,  where  he  was 
prepared  for  college.  He  then  entered  Brown  Univer- 
sity, at  Providence,  where  he  took  the  usual  classical 
course,  and  graduated  in  1894  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  The  young  man  by  this  time  had 
determined  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and 
elder  brother  in  the  choice  of  a  profession,  and  accord- 
ingly entered  the  medical  school  connected  with  Har- 
vard University.  Here  he  studied  to  such  good  purpose 
that  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1898,  and  at  the 
same  time  received  his  degree  as  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
Dr.  Moore  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  his 
brother's  office,  but  in  1900  came  to  East  Providence, 
and  there  opened  a  small  office  at  No.  6  Walnut  street. 
It  was  not  long  before  he  was  firmly  established  here, 
and  rapidly  increa.sed  this  practice  until  he  has  now  one 
of  the  largest  in  the  city,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
leaders  of  his  profession.  From  his  original  location 
Dr.  Moore  removed,  in  1905,  to  No.  30  Walnut  street, 
where  he  is  situated  at  present.  Dr.  Moore  is  intimately 
identified  with  a  number  of  important  organizations,  in- 
cluding the  Providence  Medical  Society,  the  Rhode 
Island  Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation, of  which  he  is  a  fellow.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Harvard  Medical  Society,  the  Alumni  Society  of 
Brown  University,  the  Theta  Delta  Chi  fraternity,  and 
the  University  Club.  He  has  been  exceedingly  active  in 
public  affairs,  and  although  an  independent  voter,  and 
quite  unaffiliated  with  any  political  party,  has  neverthe- 
less served  in  a  number  of  important  capacities  here. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Town  Council  for  one 
term,  served  on  the  school  committee  for  an  equal 
period,  and  has  been  health  officer  of  this  place  for 
two  terms.  In  his  religious  belief  Dr.  Moore  is  a  Con- 
gregationalist,  and  attends  the  United  Congregational 
Church  of  this  city. 

Dr.  James  Spencer  Moore  was  united  in  marriage, 
September  12,  1901,  at  Creston,  Iowa,  with  .Mice  G. 
Ide,  a  daughter  of  George  A.  and  Ellen  F.  (Allen)  Ide. 
One  child  has  been  born  of  this  union,  Dorothea  Ide, 
bom  October  8,  1908,  and  now  a  pupil  at  the  Lincoln 
School. 


JOHN  ALFRED  SWANSON— That  peculiarly 
.\merican  title  which  is  our  National  pride  is  one  worth- 
ily worn  by  Mr.  Swanson,  and  while  it  is  often  mis- 
applied there  is  no  exaggeration  or  error  made  in  styl- 
ing him,  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  a  "self-made 
man."  It  is  only  in  a  Democracy  that  such  are  pro- 
duced, and  it  is  greatly  to  his  honor  that  coming  to  the 
United  States  a  poor  bc^y,  unfamiliar  with  the  language 
and  without  friends,  he  yet  overcame  this  severe  handi- 
cap and  has  won  an  honorable  position  in  the  manu- 
facturing and  business  world  in  which  he  moves. 

In  i^>;2  Jonas  and  Amanda  (Lundin)  Swanson  with 
their  son.  John  Alfred,  left  their  home  in  Sweden  and 
came  to  the  United  Slates,  locating  in  Pontiac,  R.  I. 
The  lad,  John  Alfred,  was  then  ten  years  of  age  and 
prior  to  the  coming  had  attended  school  in  his  Swedish 
home.  He  completed  his  education  in  the  Pontiac  pub- 
lic schools,  and  there  began  mill  work,  his  first  position 
sweeping  and  cleaning,  his  present  position  superintend- 
ent. He  has  filled  about  every  position  in  the  spinning, 
weaving  and  designing  departments  of  a  textile  mill. 
He  knows  every  operation  from  raw  material  to  finished 
product  from  actually  having  performed  it,  and  to  this 
complete  and  practical  knowledge  he  adds  a  facility  for 
managing  men  and  administering  executive  authority. 
He  is  respected  by  every  man  under  him  for  his  spirit 
of  comradeship  and  fair  dealing  which  forbids  injustice 
or  favoritism  on  the  part  of  the  superintendent,  and 
this  is  fully  understood  by  the  employees  who  appreciate 
the  "square  deal"  which  they  invariably  receive  at  Mr. 
Swanson's  hands. 

John  Alfred  Swanson  w-as  born  in  Ulricehamn, 
Sweden,  February  11,  1872,  his  birthplace  being  the  an- 
cient village  named  in  the  sixteenth  century  in  honor 
of  Queen  Ulrika.  In  1882  he  was  brought  to  Pontiac, 
R.  I.,  by  his  parents  and  there,  after  completing  school 
studies,  he  began  his  wage-earning  career  as  sweeper 
and  cleaner  in  the  spinning  room  of  a  cotton  mill  in 
Pontiac  owned  by  the  great  textile  firm  of  B.  B.  &  R. 
Knight,  his  wages  being  two  dollars  weekly.  While 
working  there  he  attended  night  school,  keeping  up  his 
studies  in  that  manner  for  two  years.  He  soon  began 
learning  the  art  of  spinning  the  cotton  into  yarns,  be- 
came an  adept  in  that  branch,  then  mastered  the  carding 
machines,  and  then  became  a  weaver.  He  continued  in 
Pontiac  until  the  autumn  of  1887;  then  located  in 
Crompton,  R.  I.,  beginning  work  at  the  Crompton  Mills 
as  a  weaver.  In  Crompton  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 
the  principal  of  the  Crompton  grammar  schools,  an 
Episcopal  clergyman,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Auburn,  and  under 
his  direction  night  studies  were  resumed.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  weaving  room  until  1904,  then  spent  a  year 
in  the  cloth  room,  becoming  designer  for  the  mill  in 
1905.  He  was  in  charge  of  the  cloth  room  and  designer 
during  1906,  and  during  1907  was  in  charge  of  the 
examining  and  shipping  departments  of  the  finishing 
room.  He  continued  in  that  capacity  until  1911,  when 
he  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  assistant  to  the  then 
superintendent,  Mr.  C.  D.  Robinson.  Mr.  Swanson 
continued  as  assistant  to  Mr.  Robinson  until  1016,  then 
succeeded  him  as  superintendent  of  the  Crompton  Mills, 
his  present  position. 

Mr.  Swanson  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  for 
several  years  taken  an  active  part  in  town  aflfairs  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Republican  town  committee  for 


88 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  old  town  of  Warwick;  served  the  village  of  Cromp- 
ton  as  assessor  of  taxes  for  several  years;  was  inod- 
erator  for  two  years ;  moderator  of  the  school  district 
one  year;  and  is  the  present  chairman  of  the  fire  board. 
He  is  a  member  of  Providence  Lodge,  No.  14,  Benev- 
olent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks;  and  in  religious 
connection  he  is  identified  with  the  Swedish  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Crompton,  which  was  incorporated  in 

1893. 

Mr.  Swanson  married.  May  12.  1894,  Selma  Pauline 
Johnson,  of  Chicago,  III.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  daughters,  Edith  Charlotte  and  Elsie  Pauline, 
and  of  a  son,  John   Harold. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  AVERY,  prominent 
business  man  of  Hope  Valley,  R.  I.,  where  he  conducts 
a  large  establishment  as  undertaker  and  dealer  in  fur- 
niture, and  a  prominent  figure  in  the  public  affairs  of 
this  community,  is  a  native  of  Groton,  Conn.,  where  his 
birth  occurred,  February  18,  1847.  He  is  a  son  of 
George  W.  and  Frances  (Davis)  Avery,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  that  place,  and  here  his  child- 
hood was  passed. 

George  W.  Avery  attended  in  early  life  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  region,  and  later  the  Mystic  Acad- 
emy, from  which  he  was  graduated  about  1856,  having 
taken  the  English  course.  After  completing  his  studies 
at  this  institution,  Mr.  Avery  secured  a  position  with 
the  Cattrel  &  Mallory  Company  of  Mystic,  where  he 
learned  the  machinist's  trade,  and  remained  with  that 
concern  for  about  three  years,  working  on  marine 
engines.  During  that  time  he  assisted  in  placing  the 
engine  on  the  old  wooden  gunboat  "Verona,"  which 
was  one  of  the  active  Civil  War  vessels,  and  was  even- 
tually sunk  by  the  Confederates.  Upon  leaving  the 
Cattrel  &  Mallory  Company,  Mr.  Avery  went  with  the 
Nichols  &  Langworthy  Machine  Company,  of  Hope 
Valley,  in  their  shop,  and  remained  in  their  employ  for 
about  nine  months.  His  next  position  was  with  the 
Standard  Machine  Company,  of  Mystic,  where  he  was 
employed  in  the  construction  of  book-binding  machines, 
and  here  he  worked  for  some  four  years.  At  the  end 
of  that  period  Mr.  Avery  returned  to  Hope  Valley, 
this  time  entering  the  employ  of  Babcock  &  Wilcox, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  work  on  electrical  engines 
until  1872.  His  ne.\t  move  was  to  Taunton,  Mass., 
where  he  was  employed  for  two  years  by  William  Alason 
&  Coinpany,  in  the  production  of  the  Campbell  presses, 
after  which  he  again  returned  to  Hope  Valley,  and  to 
the  establishment  of  his  old  employers,  Babcock  & 
Wilcox,  where  the  New  York  safety  steam  power  en- 
gines were  being  built.  During  this  entire  period  he 
had  retained  his  residence  in  Hope  Valley,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  make  this  place  his  home  ever  since.  About 
the  year  1902,  in  association  wMth  his  son,  Samuel  R. 
Avery,  he  purchased  the  business  of  Samuel  Richmond, 
at  this  place,  who  was  a  prominent  furniture  dealer  and 
undertaker  here,  who  had  been  established  since  before 
the  Civil  War.  This  business  he  completely  reorgan- 
ized, and  renamed  S.  R.  Avery  &  Company.  Mr. 
Avery  studied  embalming  at  the  H.  S.  Eckles  School 
of  Embalming  at  Philadelphia,  and  under  his  man- 
agement his  business  has  grown  and  prospered  to  a 
remarkable  degree.     He  has  now  a  complete  morgue  in 


connection  with  his  establishment,  and  a  full  equip- 
ment for  the  carrying  on  of  his  business,  including  auto 
cars  for  the  most  up-to-date  kind  of  service,  and  a 
mortuary  chapel  completes  this  establishment.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  business  Mr.  Avery  at  present  operates  a 
small  farm  for  the  use  of  his  family,  and  takes  great 
pleasure  in  his  work  thereon. 

Mr.  Avery  has  been  exceedingly  active  in  public  af- 
fairs here,  and  has  held  a  number  of  offices  in  the  gift 
of  the  community,  including  that  of  tax  assessor,  which 
he  held  for  four  years,  and  a  ten  years'  term  as  truant 
officer.  In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  Republican,  but  has 
never  been  ambitious  for  political  preferment.  He  is  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  here, 
and  is  a  member  of  many  organizations.  He  is  affiliated 
with  Mechanics  Lodge,  No.  14.  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  is  past  noble  grand  of  that  body,  and 
has  also  served  it  as  financial  secretary  for  several 
years;  a  member  of  Niantic  Encampment,  No.  7,  and 
Rhode  Rebecca  Lodge,  No.  23.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  Charity  Lodge,  No.  23,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
of  which  he  is  past  master;  Franklin  Chapter,  No.  7, 
Royal  Arch  Masons ;  Hope  Chapter,  No.  4.  Eastern 
Star,  of  which  he  is  past  patron,  and  is  past  grand  patron 
of  Grand  Chapter,  Rhode  Island  Eastern  Star.  In  his 
religious  belief  Mr.  .^very  is  a  Baptist,  and  for  many 
years  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  First  Church  of 
that  denomination  at  Hope  Valley,  and  has  sung  in  the 
choir  there.  From  early  childhood  Mr.  Avery  has  dis- 
played a  remarkable  musical  talent,  and  has  been  for 
many  years  first  cornetist  of  Killson's  Comet  Band,  and 
became  its  leader  at  the  death  of  Mr.  Killson.  continu- 
ing in  this  capacity  until  1902.  Since  that  year  he  has 
taken  great  pleasure  in  teaching  cornet  playing  and 
band  music.  He  was  also  a  leader  of  the  Taunton  Mas- 
sachusetts Band,  while  living  at  that  place.  Mr.  Avery 
had  a  splendid  military  record  during  the  Civil  War, 
and  enlisted  from  Mystic,  Conn.,  in  Company  A.  Third 
Regiment,  Connecticut  National  Guard,  in  1861.  He 
served,  in  all,  five  years  during  the  war,  and  during  the 
second  year  of  service  received  his  commission  as 
second  lieutenant.     He  resigned  in  1866. 

George  Washington  Avery  was  united  in  marriage, 
February  23,  1S71,  with  Marcia  Elizabeth  Richmond, 
daughter  of  Samuel  N.  and  Rachel  Richmond,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  four  children,  as  follows:  i. 
Carrie  Marcia,  who  became  the  wife  L.  L.  Barber,  of 
Apponaug.  2.  Samuel  Richmond,  who  is  engaged  with 
his  father  in  business.  He  was  a  student  at  the  public 
schools  of  Hope  Valley,  and  afterwards  attended  the 
Clark  Embalming  School  of  Providence,  and  was 
licensed  to  practice  embalming  in  Connecticut  and  Rhode 
Island.  He  is  a  member  of  the  same  fraternal  lodges 
as  his  father,  and  is  recording  secretary  of  Mechanics 
Lodge,  a  position  which  he  has  held  for  a  number  of 
years.  Like  his  father,  he  also  plays  the  cornet  and.  in- 
deed, all  of  Mr.  Avery's  family  are  musical,  including 
the  grandchildren,  so  that  the  family  is  enabled  to  pass 
many  pleasant  hours  in  this  manner.  Samuel  R.  Avery 
married  Ethel  B.  True,  who  has  borne  him  two  children : 
Elwot  T.  and  Kleber  R.  3.  William  Henry,  who  is  now 
associated  with  the  Maine  Cream  Company,  manufac- 
turers of  ice-cream.  He  was  educated  at  the  Bryant  & 
Stratton  Business  College  at  Providence,  and  married 


.#■ 


.< 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


89 


Lillian  Brown,  a  daughter  of  Charles  H.  Brown,  the 
present  postmaster  of  Hope  \'alley.  He  and  his  wife 
are  the  parents  of  two  children  :  Laura  Frances,  and 
Helen  Brown,  both  students  in  the  Providence  High 
School.  4.  Laura  Frances,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thir- 
teen. 


FRANK  AUGUSTUS  McKENNA,  M.  D.— .After 

graduation  from  medical  colleue  in  1S04.  Dr.  McKenna 
soon  returned  to  Pawtucket,  and  has  since  practiced  his 
profession  continuously  and  successfully  in  his  native 
city.  He  is  one  of  the  best  known  physicians  of  the 
city,  and  is  firmly  established  in  public  esteem,  and  has 
a  very  large  practice.  He  is  a  son  of  Frank  and  Mary 
.\.  McKenna,  both  born  in  Ireland,  but  brought  in  child- 
hood to  the  United  States.  Frank  McKenna  settled  in 
Pawtucket,  and  became  a  belt-maker.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  now  deceased. 

Frank  .Augustus  McKenna  was  born  in  Pawtucket, 
R.  L,  September  8,  1866.  and  there  obtained  his  early 
and  preparatory  education.  He  wms  variously  engaged 
for  some  years  after  completing  his  school  years,  but 
later  decided  to  take  up  a  professional  career,  and  re- 
sumed his  studies.  After  reading  medicine  under  a  pre- 
ceptor, he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  New  York,  continuing  there  for  one  year, 
then  transferred  to  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons, Baltimore.  Md.,  there  continuing  until  graduated 
Doctor  of  Medicine,  class  of  '94.  He  spent  one  year  as 
interne  at  Baltimore  City  Hospital,  then  located  for  pro- 
fessional practice  in  Pawtucket,  and  there  has  won  his 
way  to  recognized  jiosition  as  a  physician  of  skill  and 
honor.  The  offices  he  opened  in  the  Ellis  block  in  Paw-- 
tucket,  he  yet  occupies,  tlie  practice  of  that  now  far 
away  day  very  small,  but  always  enough  to  furnish  in- 
spiration and  encouragement,  until  finally  success  came 
in  abundance.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  Medi- 
cal Society,  and  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society.  He 
keeps  in  close  touch  with  all  advancement  in  theory  or 
practice,  and  is  held  in  high  regard  by  his  brethren  of 
the  profession.  He  is  a  communicant  of  St.  Mary's 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  interested  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he  re- 
sides. 

Dr.  McKenna  married,  in  Pawtucket,  Fannie  McGurn, 
daughter  of  Bernard  and  Katherinc  (Feron)  McGum, 
both  born  in  Ireland,  and  now  deceased.  They  are  the 
parents  of  a  daughter,  Frances;  and  sons:  Charles  A. 
and  Lewis  G.  McKenna. 


RAYMON  RESOLVED  RICHARD  RHODES 
WHIPPLE — Prominent  among  the  successful  citi- 
zens of  Natick,  R.  I.,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in 
business  as  a  contractor  and  builder  and  as  a  real  estate 
and  insurance  agent  for  many  years,  is  Raymon  Re- 
solved Richard  Rhodes  Whipple,  a  member  of  one  of 
the  oldest  families  in  the  State,  which  has  made  its  home 
here  since  1635.  He  is  a  son  of  Job  Rhodes  and  Sarah 
Bennett  (King)  Whipple,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents of  the  town  of  Warwick,  where  the  former  was 
engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farming  during  the  greater 
part  of  his  life.  It  was  at  Warwick  that  Mr.  Whipple, 
of  this  sketch,  was  born,  May  28,  1851,  and  there  that 
his  childhood  and  early  youth  was  spent.     There,  too, 


he  gained  the  elementary  portion  of  his  education,  at- 
tending for  this  purpose  the  local  public  schools,  where 
he  proved  himself  an  apt  and  industrious  pupil.  He 
later  entered  the  East  Greenwich  Academy  at  East 
Greonwich,  and  there  completed  his  schooling,  .\fter 
graduation  from  the  latter  institution,  Mr  Whipple  left 
the  parental  home  and  built  a  house  on  part  of  the 
homestead  in  the  section  known  as  Whipple's  Corner, 
and  has  since  made  his  home  there.  Here  he  engaged 
in  the  contracting  and  building  business,  and  met  with 
the  most  gratifying  success.  His  absolutely  trustworthi- 
ness, his  close  application  to  business,  and  his  knowledge 
of  his  subject,  all  were  elements  in  winning  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  the  community  and  in  building  up 
his  notable  business  success.  He  also  added  real  estate 
and  insurance  to  his  other  activities,  and  in  this,  also, 
he  was  highly  successful,  until  to-day  he  does  one  of 
the  largest  businesses  of  its  kind  in  this  neighborhood. 
Mr.  Whipple  has  also  been  extremely  active  in  local  pub- 
lic alTairs,  and  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics,  having 
supported  his  party  consistently  for  a  long  period.  For 
a  quarter  of  a  century  Mr.  Whipple  has  held  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace  and  notary  public  at  this  place, 
and  has  gained  an  enviable  reputation  for  the  justice 
and  wisdom  of  his  decisions,  and  his  impartiality  in  all 
disputes.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Whipple  is  a  Bap- 
tist, and  he  attends  Apponaug  Free  Baptist  Church  of 
that  denomination. 

Mr.  Wliipplc  was  united  in  marriage,  June  13,  1878, 
at  riieni.x,  R.  I.,  with  Lucy  Emma  Luella  Card,  daugh- 
ter of  Stephen  and  Esther  (Edwards)  Card,  well  known 
residents  of  that  place.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whipple  three 
children  have  been  born,  as  follows :  Lulie  Evelyn,  born 
March  30,  1879,  and  became  the  wife  of  Matte- 
son,  of  Whipple's  Corner;  Leon  Eldridge,  born  May 
20,  1881,  and  now  of  Whipple's  Corner;  Lillian  Esther 
Parker,  born  Jan.  11,  1886,  and  became  the  wife  of 
I'rank  Bowen,  of  Whipple's  Corner. 


WILLIAM  FREDERICK  SEARS  is  not  a  native 
of  Rhode  Island,  he  hails  from  the  Cape  Cod  country, 
where  his  family  is  connected  with  the  civil,  social  and 
business  interests  of  that  locality.  Born  at  Brewster, 
Mass..  June  19,  1862,  he  is  the  son  of  Joseph  E.  Sears, 
who  was  engaged  in  shoe  manufacturing  at  East  Dennis, 
Mass.,  and  died  in  South  Harwich,  in  1874,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-three.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Eunice 
Howard  Nickerson,  of  Harwich,  Mass.;  her  death 
occurred  in  1890.  The  children  of  Joseph  E.  and  F^unice 
Howard  (Nickerson)  Scars  are:  i.  Loring,  born  Jan. 
ifi,  1845,  owner  of  a  Boston  fur  company,  of  that  city. 
2.  Elisha  B.,  born  July  7,  1846,  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Otto  Pheler  Company,  of  Boston,  Mass.  3.  Joseph  E. 
(2),  born  April  4,  1848,  a  farmer  at  Dighton,  Mass.  4. 
Mary  Elizabeth,  born  April  23,  1852,  widow  of  Henry  B. 
Nickerson,  of  Harwich.  5.  Alice,  born  Aug.  2,  1854, 
v\-idow  of  Captain  Ernest  Anderson,  who  was  connected 
with  the  line  of  steamers  between  Baltimore  and  Bos- 
ton ;  she  resides  at  Bronxville,  N.  Y.  6.  Benjamin 
Franklin,  born  April  16,  1858,  who  is  proprietor  of  the 
Sears  Department  Store  at  Cotuit,  Mass.  7.  William  F., 
of  this  review. 

The  education  of  William  F.  Sears  was  interrupted 
at  the  age  of  twelve  by  the  death  of  his  father.    He  was 


90 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


compelled  at  this  early  age  to  seek  employment,  and 
found  work  in  a  general  store,  which  also  handled  ship 
chandlery.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  we  find  him 
in  business  for  himself,  as  a  proprietor  of  a  general 
store  in  South  Harwich,  Mass.  Under  his  skillful  man- 
agement this  business  grew  into  one  of  the  finest  on 
Cape  Cod.  The  village  of  South  Harwich,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1899,  was  devastated  by  a  forest  fire,  and  Mr.  Sears 
decided  to  remove  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he 
cstablislied  the  Rhode  Island  Biscuit  Company,  which 
he  managed  successfully  until  1910,  when  he  became 
connected  with  the  well  known  department  store  of  The 
Shepard  Company.  His  first  position  with  his  new  em- 
ployers was  that  of  floor  man,  but  he  was  finally  pro- 
moted to  credit  manager,  which  position  he  now   fills. 

Mr.  Sears  commenced  his  political  career  while  a  resi- 
dent of  Cape  Cod.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Republican 
Town  Committee  of  Harwich,  a  delegate  to  political 
conventions,  a  member  of  the  school  committee  and 
town  auditor.  In  his  adopted  residential  city  he  was  for 
twelve  years  a  member  of  the  City  Council,  representing 
the  Si.xth  Ward.  He  was  elected  in  November,  1918,  a 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly.  In 
politics,  though  he  has  always  affiliated  with  the  Repub- 
lican party,  he  is  noted  for  his  independence,  and  has 
his  own  way  of  making  up  his  mind  on  a  matter  and 
sticking  to  it  when  he  knows  he  is  right.  He  was 
appointed  a  member  of  the  committee  from  Rhode 
Island  to  welcome  home  the  Rhode  Island  boys  in  the 
Twenty-sixth  Division,  who  landed  April  10,  and 
marched  in  review  April  25,  1919. 

Mr.  Sears  has  been  as  successful  in  his  social  career 
as  he  has  been  in  business.  He  is  a  prominent  lodge 
man ;  his  first  start  in  fraternal  organizations  was  when 
he  was  made  the  first  noble  grand  of  Exchange  Lodge, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Harwich,  Mass. 
He  is  president  of  the  Retail  Credit  Men's  Association 
of  Providence;  a  member  of  the  Providence  Chamber  of 
Commerce;  of  the  Washington  Park  Improvement  Soci- 
ety; of  the  St.  Paul's  Men's  Club,  and  has  been  for  the 
last  eighteen  years  treasurer  of  the  St.  Paul's  Church 
of  South  Providence,  R.  I. 

Mr.  Sears  married,  November  25,  1888,  Minnie  R. 
Harward,  of  Dennis,  Mass.,  and  they  have  two  daugh- 
ters: Bernice  Estelle,  born  Sept.  18,  1889,  is  a  teacher  at 
a  private  high  school  at  Harvard,  Mass.;  Maude  Eunice, 
born  Jan.  20,  1892,  is  a  teacher  at  the  Providence  Classi- 
cal High  School,  also  manager  and  conductor  of  Maude 
Eunice  Sears  Ladies'  Orchestra ;  both  have  graduated 
with  honors  from  Brown  University. 


HERBERT  ENOCH  ROUSE,  M.  D.,  a  physician 
of  Shannock,  R.  I.,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  active 
practice  for  the  past  twenty  years  and  has  earned  a 
splendid  reputation  for  ability  and  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  highest  standards  of  his  profession,  is  a  native  of 
Stonington,  Conn.,  his  birth  having  occurred  there  June 
14,  1870.  Dr.  Rouse  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Har- 
riet S.  (Maynard)  Rouse,  and  a  grandson  on  the  mater- 
nal side  of  Antoine  and  Mary  (Lavalle)  Maynard,  or 
Menard,  as  the  name  was  originally  spelled.  The  Men- 
ard family  is  of  French  Huguenot  descent,  their  ances- 
tors being  among  those  who  were  forced  to  leave  the 


country  after  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes. 
Dr.  Rouse  was  four  years  of  age  when  his  parents  re- 
moved from  Stonington,  Conn.,  to  the  town  of  Nor- 
wich, and  it  was  there  that  his  childhood  was  passed 
and  there  that  he  attended  the  local  public  schools  for 
his  education.  Later  he  removed  to  Hartford  with  his 
parents,  and  there  entered  the  Hartford  High  School, 
from  which  institution  he  was  prepared  for  college  and 
graduated  in  1891.  In  1892  he  entered  the  University  of 
Vermont,  where  for  one  year  he  followed  the  study  of 
medicine  and  then  went  to  the  Baltimore  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  to  complete  his  course.  .\t  the 
latter  institution,  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
J896  and  received  his  medical  degree.  Upon  complet- 
ing his  studies  Dr.  Rouse  secured  a  position  as  surgeon 
for  the  Buffalo,  Rochester  &  Pittsburgh  Railway,  and 
after  two  years  of  this  employment  passed  the  examina- 
tions for  physician  in  the  United  States  Navy.  A  com- 
mission was  offered  him  but  at  the  last  moment  he  was 
persuaded  by  his  friends  not  lo  accept,  but  to  remain  in 
private  practice.  In  the  year  1898  he  came  to  Shannock, 
where  he  has  remained  ever  since  and  has  now  devel- 
oped a  large  and  remunerative  practice  here,  which  is 
still  rapidly  growing.  He  has  gained  the  trust  and 
confidence  of  the  community  to  a  large  degree  besides 
the  esteem  and  respect  of  his  professional  colleagues 
throughout  the  region.  Dr.  Rouse  has  been  exceedingly 
active  in  public  affairs,  and  at  the  present  time  occupies 
the  position  of  medical  examiner  for  the  towns  of  Rich- 
mond and  Charleston.  In  politics  he  is  a  staunch  Re- 
publican, but  his  medical  duties  render  it  impossible  for 
him  to  take  as  active  a  part  in  the  affairs  of  his  party 
as  his  inclinations  would  otherwise  urge  him  to,  or  his 
abilities  fit  him  for.  Dr.  Rouse  is  a  member  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Medical  Society  and  the  .American  .Medi- 
cal Association  :  Outside  of  these  professional  societies, 
he  is  also  afliliated  with  a  number  of  orders  and  similar 
organizations  in  this  community  and  is  a  member  of 
Mount  Vernon  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of 
Norwich,  Conn.,  and  of  the  local  lodges  of  the  United 
Order  of  American  Mechanics  and  the  Order  of  Red 
Men.  While  not  a  formal  member  of  any  church,  nor 
active  in  religious  work  here,  Dr.  Rouse  nevertheless 
liberally  supports  the  various  churches  in  the  commu- 
nity. 

Dr.  Rouse  was  united  in  marriage  on  September  29, 
1902,  with  Hortense  James,  daughter  of  Edward  K.  and 
Mary  (Chappell)  James,  of  Richmond  township.  Mrs. 
Rouse  died  January  4,  1904.  Dr.  Rouse  married  (second) 
November  10.  1906,  Marion  Lewis,  daughter  of  John 
F.  Lewis,  of  East  Providence.  Clifford  Rouse,  brother 
of  Dr.  Rouse,  attended  the  public  schools  of  Westerly 
and  the  high  school  there,  and  then  entered  Kingston 
College,  where  he  took  a  course  in  engineering,  and 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1909.  He  then  entered  the 
Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technologv'  at  Boston  to 
continue  his  engineering  studies  and  while  a  student  in 
that  institution,  enlisted  in  the  Tank  Corps  of  the 
United  States  Army.  He  is  now  serving  with  the  Amer- 
ican Expeditionary  Force  in  Europe,  having  gone  to 
France  in  March,  1918.  He  received  a  promotion  to 
the  rank  of  corporal  under  Captain  D.  D.  Eisenhower, 
of  Company  B,  Three  Hundred  and  Fourth  Battalion 
of  the  Tank  Corps,  July  I,  1918. 


<;^^^\^V4.iJLiyi^^t^cC 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


91 


MICHAEL  F.  COSTELLO— A  native  of  Paw- 
tucket,  K.  I.,  Mr.  Costello  returned  to  that  city  after  his 
graduation  from  law  school  in  1908,  since  which  time 
he  has  there  practiced  his  profession.  He  was  born  in 
Pawtuckct,  R.  I.,  October  17,  1879,  son  of  Michael  and 
Jane  (Mangan)  Costello,  both  deceased.  He  completed 
the  grade  and  high  school  courses  of  Pawtucket  public 
schools,  then  entered  Brown  University,  whence  he  was 
graduated  Bachelor  of  Philosophy,  class  of  lyoj.  Choos- 
ing the  law  as  his  profession,  he  entered  Georgetown 
University  Law  School,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  there 
continuing  until  graduated  Bachelor  of  Laws  in  1908. 
He  began  practice  in  Pawtuckct,  the  same  year,  and  is 
there  well  established  in  general  practice.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  law  associations  of  the  State  and  district; 
Delaney  Council,  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  a  charter 
member  of  Pawtucket  Lodge,  No.  920,  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

.Mr.  Costello  married,  January  24,  1916,  Kathryn  H. 
Hoar,  daughter  of  William  and  Ellen  McCarty  Hoar, 
of  .Amherst,  Mass.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a  daugh- 
ter, Helen  Costello. 


SILAS  RUSSELL  RICHMOND,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  Hope  X'aliey,  formerly  known  as 
Locustville,  where  he  has  been  identified  with  banking 
and  financial  interests  for  a  nuinbcr  of  years,  is  a  native 
of  this  place. 

The  Kichmonds  of  Southwestern  Rhode  Island,  of  the 
towns  of  E.xeter,  Hopkinton  and  Westerly,  are  all  de- 
scended from  (i)  John  Richmond,  born  in  1594,  who 
came  to  America  from  Ashton  Keyner,  Wiltshire,  Eng- 
land, as  early  as  1637,  that  year  being  one  of  the  pur- 
chasers of  Taunton.  He  owned  six  acres  in  the  original 
purchase  there,  and  was  one  of  the  older  men  in  the 
settlement,  but  he  seems  to  have  spent  much  time  away 
from  there.  Before  1640  he  took  the  oath  of  fidelity  in 
Taunton.  He  was  in  Rhode  Island  in  1655,  and  the  next 
year  was  one  of  the  commissioners  of  the  Court  of 
Commissioners  held  at  Portsmouth.  The  family  were 
large  landholders  in  the  eastern  part  of  Taunton,  and 
gave  to  a  village  in  that  section  the  name  of  Richmond- 
town,  which  it  still  bears.  Mr.  Richmond  died  at  Taun- 
ton, March  20,  1664,  aged  seventy.  His  children  were: 
John,  of  further  mention ;  Edward,  Sarah  and  Mary. 

(II)  John  (2)  Richmond,  son  of  John  Richmond, 
was  born  about  1627,  before  his  father's  emigration.  He 
was  constable  and  member  of  the  Town  Council,  com- 
missioner and  surveyor.  His  residence  was  not  far 
from  the  Green  or  Taunton  Center,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  are  buried  there.  He  died  October  7,  1715,  aged 
eighty-eight.  He  married  Abigail,  born  in  1641,  daugh- 
ter of  John  Rogers,  of  Duxbury;  she  died  .August  1, 
1727,  aged  eighty-six.  It  is  probable,  says  the  family 
genealogist,  that  Mr.  Richmond  had  a  previous  wife, 
who  died  in  1662,  and  that  he  married  Abigail  Rogers 
early  in  1663.  His  children  were:  Mary,  born  June  2, 
:654,  in  Bridgewater,  Mass.;  John,  born  June  6,  1656,  in 
Bridgewater;  Thomas,  born  Feb.  2,  1659,  in  Newport, 
R.  I.;  Susanna,  born  Nov.  4,  1661,  in  Bridgewater; 
Joseph,  born  Dec.  8,  1663;  Edward,  born  Feb.  8,  1665; 
Samuel,  mentioned  below;  Sarah,  born  Feb.  26,  1671  ; 
John,  born  Dec.  5,  1673  (all  in  Taunton)  ;  Ebenezer, 
born  May  12,  1676;  and  Abigail,  born  Feb.  26,  1679 
(both  in  Newport). 


(III)  Samuel  Richmond,  son  of  John  (2)  and.  Abi- 
gail (Rogers)  Richmond,  born  September  23,  1668,  in 
Taunton,  Mass.,  married  (lirst)  December  20,  1694, 
Mehetabel  .Andrews,  daughter  of  Henry  and  .Mary  An- 
drews, and  (second)  Elizabeth  (King)  Hall,  widow  of 
John  Hall,  and  daughter  of  Philip  and  Judith  (Whit- 
man) King.  He  died  in  1736,  and  she  in  1757.  His 
children,  the  first  two  born  in  Taunton,  and  the  others 
in  Middleboro,  Mass.,  were :  Samuel,  born  Oct.  16, 
1696;  Oliver,  mentioned  below;  Thomas,  born  Sept.  10, 
1700;  Hannah,  born  .Aug.  29,  1702;  Lydia,  born  May  17, 
1704;  Silas,  and  Mehitable. 

(IV)  Oliver  Richmond,  son  of  Samuel  Richmond, 
married  and  resided  in  the  eastern  part  of  Taunton.  In 
1753  'i>i  sold  his  homestead  to  Edward  Paddleford,  and 
removed  to  Killingly,  Conn.,  where  his  children  were 
married.  His  wife's  name  was  Ruth.  His  children 
were:  Philip,  born  Feb.  11,  1735;  Michael,  Oliver,  of 
further  mention  ;   Sybil,  and  Dorcas. 

(\')  Oliver  (2)  Richmond,  son  of  Oliver  and  Ruth 
Richmond,  born  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  was  a  farmer  and  a 
man  of  unblemished  reputation,  and  was  highly  respect- 
ed. In  1798  he  removed  to  Chenango  county.  New  York. 
He  was  a  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  serving  from  its 
beginning  to  its  close.  He  married  Mary  Bateman,  of 
Killingly,  Conn.,  and  their  children,  all  born  there,  were: 
Thomas,  born  Nov.  15,  1770;  Ruth,  born  in  1773;  Oliver, 
born  Nov.  17,  1776;  Mary,  born  about  1778;  Freeman, 
born  about  1780;  Robert,  born  about  1782;  Priscilla, 
born  about  17S4;  Lucinda,  born  June  20,  1785;  and  Silas, 
mentioned  below. 

(VI)  Silas  Richmond,  son  of  Oliver  and  Mary  (Bate- 
man) Richmond,  was  born  June  6,  1788,  in  Killingly, 
Conn.  He  resided  at  various  times  in  Richmond,  Hop- 
kinton and  Charlestown,  K.  I.,  and  in  Pmman,  Conn. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Olney  &  Richmond,  in 
the  town  of  Richmond,  R.  I.,  and  later  kept  the  books 
in  the  cotton  mill  at  Hope  Valley,  R.  I.  The  last  year  of 
his  life  was  devoted  to  farming  in  the  town  of  Killingly,' 
Conn.,  between  Putnam  and  Dayville,  and  there  he  died. 
He  attended  the  Congregational  church  in  Thompson, 
Conn.  He  married  (first)  November  25,  1813,  Marcia 
Leavens,  born  March  9,  1791,  in  Killingly,  daughter  of 
Roland  Leavens,  of  that  town.  He  married  (second) 
June  18,  1S43,  Laura  Leavens,  sister  of  his  first  wife. 
His  children  were:  William,  born  Nov.  6,  1814,  in 
Pomfret,  Conn.;  George  W.,  born  .April  7,  1817,  in 
Providence,  R.  I.;  Mary  B.,  born  Dec.  16,  1818,  in  Fal- 
mouth, Mass.;  Nancy  B.,  born  May  22,  1820,  in  Fal- 
mouth; Angeline  P.,  born  June  16,  1822,  in  Seekonk, 
Mass.;  Henry  H.,  born  Nov.  22,  1823,  in  Seekonk; 
Samuel  Newell,  mentioned  below;  Hannah  W.,  born 
Nov.  24,  1827,  in  North  Providence,  R.  I.. ;  and  Silas  R., 
born  Sept.  i,  1829,  in  North  Providence. 

(VII)  Hon.  Samuel  Newell  Richmond,  son  of  Silas 
and  Marcia  (Leavens)  Richmond,  was  born  May  I, 
1825,  in  North  Providence,  and  spent  his  early  school 
days  in  Pawtucket  and  Hope  Valley,  R.  I.  He  learned 
the  wagon-making  trade  with  T.  T.  and  E.  Barber  at 
Barberville,  R.  I.,  and  followed  that  trade  for  a  short 
time,  soon,  however,  engaging  in  the  furniture  and 
undertaking  business  at  Locustville,  a  part  of  the  village 
of  Hope  Valley.  He  first  located  in  what  is  now  known 
as  the  Joseph  Crandall  house,  which  structure  he  built, 
but  later  sold  it.    In  1858  he  built  a  store  on  Main  street, 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


and  a  little  later  a  residence  west  of  it.  For  some  years 
he  also  carried  on  the  manufacture  of  brick  at  Hope 
Valley,  and  for  three  years  was  in  the  same  line  at  Put- 
nam, Conn.  Public  affairs  always  interested  him,  and 
he  devoted  much  time  to  the  careful  study  of  current 
events.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Town 
Council  of  Hopkinton,  and  also  a  member  of  the  school 
board.  He  served  in  both  branches  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, being  a  member  of  the  Senate  in  1859  and  i860. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  from  Hope 
Valley,  in  the  Twelfth  Rhode  Island  Regiment  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  was  given  the  rank  of  sergeant.  He 
was,  indeed,  offered  a  commission  as  lieutenant  at  that 
time,  but  refused,  serving  throughout  the  war  in  the 
non-commissioned  rank.  He  was  very  active  and  saw 
much  of  the  most  important  service  during  that  momen- 
tous struggle,  taking  part  in  the  Battle  of  Fredericks- 
burg, and  was  one  of  those  to  bring  in  his  lieutenant, 
when  the  latter  was  killed  in  action.  He,  himself,  was 
never  wounded. 

He  was  a  member  and  liberal  supporter  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  at  Hope  Valley,  and  a  regular  attendant 
at  its  services.  His  fraternal  relations  were  with  Me- 
chanics Lodge  (of  which  he  was  a  charter  member), 
and  Niantic  Encampment  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  at  Hope  Valley,  and  he  was  a  staunch 
supporter  of  a  local  temperance  organization.  He  died 
in  1897.  He  married,  July  5,  1846,  Rachel  Thayer,  of 
Hopkinton,  who  died  in  1892.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Russell  Thayer,  who  was  for  many  years  a  partner  of 
Gardiner  Nichols,  in  the  machine  shops  of  Nichols  & 
Thayer,  at  Hope  Valley,  and  who  was  also  in  the  busi- 
ness of  carding  wool  and  finishing  cloth  at  Hopkinton, 
which  he  carried  on  until  1844.  He  died  about  1851. 
There  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family  an  interesting 
piece  of  negro  cloth,  made  on  the  old  loom  of  his  mill. 
Hon.  Samuel  Newell  and  Rachel  (Thayer)  Richmond 
were  the  parents  of :  Marcia  E.,  born  April  29,  1849, 
married  George  \V.  Avery,  of  Hope  \"aney,  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  work;  Silas  R.,  mentioned  below;  and 
Charles  N.,  born  June  22,  1861,  now  of  Yonkers,  N.  Y., 
where  he  is  engaged  in  the  plumbing  business. 

(VIII)  Silas  Russell  Richmond,  son  of  Samuel  New- 
ell and  Rachel  (Thayer)  Richmond,  was  born  Septem- 
ber I,  1851,  in  Hope  Valley.  His  childhood  was  passed 
in  his  native  town,  and  it  was  at  the  public  schools  of 
that  place  that  he  began  his  education.  Later  he  studied 
at  the  Suffield  Literary  Institution,  at  Suffield,  Conn., 
but  during  his  spare  time  from  liis  studies  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  undertaking  establishment  of  his  father. 
Upon  completing  his  studies,  Mr.  Richmond  decided  to 
engage  in  the  banking  business,  and  with  this  end  in 
view  secured,  on  April  i,  1871,  a  position  with  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Hopkinton.  and  it  was  at  that  institu- 
tion that  he  learned  the  details  of  the  business,  becom- 
ing cashier  in  October,  1885.  He  was  also  connected 
with  the  Hopkinton  Savings  Bank,  in  which  institution 
he  held  the  office  of  treasurer,  being  elected  to  that  re- 
sponsible post  on  October  20,  1885.  In  1896  the  Hopkin- 
ton Savings  Bank  was  liquidated,  and  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Hopkinton  was  purchased  by  the  Washington 
Trust  Company  of  Westerly,  and  on  May  25,  1914,  Mr. 
Richmond  became  manager  of  its  branch  in  Hope  Val- 
ley, continuing  to  hold  this  post  at  the  present  time.     In 


these  various  capacities  Mr.  Richmond  has  become  inti- 
mately identified  with  the  financial  situation  in  this 
region,  and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  figures 
therein.  His  judgment  and  advice  are  sought  and  fol- 
lowed by  many  of  his  associates,  who  have  the  highest 
respect  for  his  business  foresight.  In  addition  to  his 
banking  activities,  Mr.  Richmond  has  been  exceedingly 
prominent  in  public  affairs  in  this  region  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  is  a  well  known  figure  in  the  Republican 
party,  with  the  local  organization,  of  which  he  has  for 
long  been  associated.  He  was  elected  on  the  ticket  of 
that  party  to  the  House  of  Representatives  of  this  State, 
and  served  in  that  body  during  the  years  1908  to  191 1, 
being  a  member  of  the  finance  committee  thereof.  In 
1912  he  was  elected  to  the  Rhode  Island  State  Senate, 
served  on  that  body  in  1913  and  1914,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Senate  Committee  on  Finance.  Mr.  Rich- 
mond has  served  the  town  of  Hopkinton  as  town  treas- 
urer since  1883  continuously,  which  is  a  most  remark- 
able record.  In  these  various  capacities  Mr.  Richmond 
proved  himself  to  be  a  most  capable  and  distinguished 
legislator,  and  his  service  in  promoting  reform  legisla- 
tion, particularly  in  connection  with  the  banking  and 
business  interests  of  the  community,  has  been  an  invalu- 
able one.  He  has  been  treasurer  of  the  Langworthy 
Public  Library  since  its  organization  in  1888.  Mr.  Rich- 
mond is  a  member  of  Mechanics  Lodge,  No.  14,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  he  has  held  a  num- 
ber of  offices  in  the  gift  of  that  body,  including  that  of 
treasurer,  which  he  has  filled  since  1880,  and  that  of 
noble  grand,  which  he  has  twice  held.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Richmond  is  a  Baptist,  and  has  for  many 
years  been  a  member  of  the  First  Baptist  Society  of 
Hope  Valley.  He  has  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the 
work  of  this  society,  and  at  the  present  time  holds  the 
office  of  president,  as  well  as  that  of  deacon,  in  the 
church. 

Mr.  Richmond  married,  June  13,  1S75,  at  Hope  Valley, 
Marietta  Anna  Allen,  a  daughter  of  Ray  Greene  and 
Asia  Malinea  (.-Mien)  Allen,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  this  place.  Children:  Lucius  Russell,  born 
in  1877,  died  in  1908;  Fred  Allen,  mentioned  below. 

(IX)  Fred  Allen  Richmond,  son  of  Silas  Russell  and 
Marietta  .A.nna  (.-Mien)  Richmond,  was  born  Novem- 
ber 24,  1890,  at  Hope  Valley.  His  education  was  re- 
ceived in  the  local  schools  of  Hope  V'alley,  where  he 
was  prepared  for  college,  and  at  Kingston  College, 
v.-here  he  took  a  course  in  electrical  engineering.  Mr. 
Richmond  graduated  from  Kingston  College  with  the 
class  of  1912,  and  immediately  thereafter  secured  a  posi- 
tion with  the  General  Electric  Company,  of  New  York. 
He  remained  with  this  great  concern  for  a  short  time, 
and  then  went  with  the  New  York  Central  Railroad,  in 
charge  of  electrical  work  in  the  office  of  the  electrical 
department  of  that  concern.  Fred  .'\llen  Richmond 
married,  in  November,  191 5,  Dorothy  Nichols,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Frank  E.  and  Louise  (Ellis)  Nichols,  the  former 
being  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Two  diildren 
were  born  of  this  union,  as  follows :  Virginia  Louise 
and  Marion  Allen. 


WALTER  BERTRAM  KINGSLEY,  the  popular 
postmaster  of  Allentoii,  R.  I.,  and  a  successful  merchant 
of    this    place,    is    a    native    of    North    Kingston,    now 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


93 


Allenton,  where  his  birth  occurred  November  13.  1877. 
Mr.  Kingsley  is  a  son  of  Emanuel  D.  and  Almira  Ma- 
tilda (Gardiner)  Kingsley  and  a  member  of  a  good  old 
New  England  family.  His  father,  Emanuel  D.  Kings- 
ley,  was  for  many  years  associated  with  the  shipping 
department  of  the  Hamilton  Mills  in  this  region  and 
was  born  on  the  old  Kingsley  homestead  here  on  July  4, 
i?44,  and  died  February  10,  1915.  He  was  a  son  of 
Thomas  C,  Sr.,  and  Abby  F.  Kingsley,  the  former  born 
in  :8i4.  died  July  10.  1873.  His  wife  died  March  6,  1866. 
His  wife  on  the  maternal  side  was  a  granddaughter  of 
Fenjamin  \V.  and  (Wells')  Bicknell,  and  a  de- 
scendant of  the  original  Bicknell  family  of  Rhode 
Island.  Her  parents  were  Robert  and  Almira  (Rick- 
nein  Gardiner,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  here. 
She  was  born  January  24,  1851,  and  died  March  26, 
1903.  Walter  Bertram  Kingsley  was  the  only  child  and 
is  now  deceased. 

The  early  life  of  Walter  Bertram  Kingsley  was 
passed  in  his  native  region,  where  as  a  child  he 
attended  the  village  schools.  .After  completing  his 
studies  at  these  institutions,  he  entered  the  Rhode  Island 
State  College  at  Kingston  in  1894,  and  was  pursuing  his 
course  there  at  the  time  when  the  college  buildings  were 
burned.  While  at  college  he  followed  a  commercial 
course  and  also  a  course  in  English,  and  in  i8q6,  having 
completed  his  studies,  he  began  his  business  career  in  a 
humble  position  in  the  grocery  store  of  John  H.  Rem- 
ington, of  Wick  ford.  He  continued  thus  employed  for 
a  period  of  eight  years  and  then  secured  a  position  in 
the  office  of  the  Aldrich-Eldrich  Company,  of  Provi- 
dence, and  also  worked  for  this  concern  as  a  salesman, 
remaining  in  its  employ  about  four  years.  It  was  in 
1909  that  Mr.  Kingsley  came  to  Allenton,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business  on  his  own  account  in 
association  with  Mr.  A.  A.  Wilbur,  who  had  conducted 
a  mercantile  enterprise  here  for  a  number  of  years.  This 
concern  is  still  operated  by  Mr.  Kingsley  with  a  high 
degree  of  success.  Mr.  Kingsley  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Allenton  on  .'\pril  3,  1915.  by  President  Wil- 
son, and  has  continued  to  fill  this  office  most  efficiently 
ever  since.  In  politics  he  is  an  Independent  and  has 
never  been  bound  by  partisan  consideration.  He  is  quite 
without  political  ambition,  and  with  the  exception  of  his 
postmastership  has  never  accepted  public  office  of  any 
kind.  He  is,  however,  a  man  of  wide  public  spirit  and 
has  participated  actively  in  local  affairs  and  done  much 
to  subser\-e  the  public  interest. 

Walter  Bertram  Kingsley  was  united  in  marriage, 
October  17,  1908,  at  Providence,  with  Lorena  Ruth  Wil- 
bur, daughter  of  A.  A.  and  Harriett  M.  (Pratt)  Wilbur. 
Mr.  Kingsley  is  a  member  of  Washington  Lodge,  No.  5, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

Mrs.  Kingsley  was  a  daughter  of  .-Mbertus  .A.  Wilbur 
and  a  granddaughter  of  Thomas  E.  and  Ruth  Ann 
(Sweet)  Wilbur,  old  residents  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
where  Albertus  A.  Wilbur  was  born  June  8,  J849.  He 
attended  the  Grove  Street  Grammar  School  in  Paw- 
tucket,  where  Judge  Tillinghast  was  the  princi|)al,  and 
also  the  Riverpoint  schools  under  Mr.  Kent.  After  the 
death  of  his  mother,  when  he  was  but  14  years  of  age, 
he  accompanied  an  uncle  to  Massachusetts,  and  made 
his  home  for  a  time  in  Southbridge.  He  enlisted  from 
Worcester  in  the  Fourth  Regiment  Massachusetts  Heavy 


.■\rtillcry,  in  the  autumn  of  1863,  and  served  with  that 
organization  in  the  Civil  War  as  a  private  for  eighteen 
months,  or  until  the  close  of  hostilities.  After  return- 
ing from  the  war,  he  learned  the  trade  of  machinist  at 
the  Attawagan  and  Quinncbog  Mills  under  his  uncle 
Mr.  Charles  J.  Sweet,  at  that  time  master  mechanic  of 
those  and  other  mills.  He  later  secured  a  position  as 
assistant  master  mechanic  at  the  Quinncbog  Mills,  at 
Donaldson,  and  continued  engaged  in  the  cotton  indus- 
try for  a  number  of  years.  He  later  worked  in  the  mills 
of  Christopher  Lippett  as  superintendent,  remaining 
with  that  concern  until  1886.  Mr.  Wilbur  had  intended 
to  follow  the  cotton  manufacturing  business  perma- 
nently, but  was  persuaded  by  a  Mr.  Frissell  to  engage 
with  him  in  the  grocery  business,  and  he  later  bought 
his  partner's  interest  and  continued  in  that  line  most 
successfully  by  himself.  He  came  to  Allenton  in  the 
month  of  January.  1885,  where  he  was  associated  for  a 
time  wilh  F.  R.  Frissell  in  operating  the  general  store 
here,  and  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  this  place.  In 
the  year  1873  he  married  Harriett  M.  Pratt,  daughter  of 
Calvin  Shcpard  and  .'Xshia  Ann  (Hunter)  Pratt.  One 
child  was  born  of  this  marriage,  Lorena  R.,  who  is 
mentioned  above  as  the  wife  of  Walter  Bertram  Kings- 
ley.  Mr.  Wilbur  is  a  member  of  Washington  Lodge, 
No.  5,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  Washington 
Chapter,  Royal  -Arch  Masons,  of  East  Greenwich. 


CHARLES  FREDERICK  SWEET,  M.  D.,  one 

of  the  prominent  physicians  of  Pawtuckct,  K.  I.,  is  a 
native  of  the  town  of  Cumberland  in  this  State,  where 
he  was  bom  .\pril  11,  1869.  a  son  of  George  A.  and 
Abbie  A.  (Fisk)  Sweet,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents of  that  place.  As  a  lad.  Dr.  Sweet  attended  Cole's 
private  school  in  Pawtucket,  where  he  was  prepared  for 
college,  and  then  entered  the  Medical  College  at  Har- 
vard University,  having  determined  to  adopt  medicine 
as  his  profession.  He  graduated  from  that  university 
with  the  class  of  1894,  and  received  his  medical  degree. 
Coming  immediately  to  Pawtuckct,  he  then  established 
himself  in  practice  here  and  has  met  with  well  merited 
success.  His  father,  who  for  many  years  conducted  an 
art  store  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  now  has  retired  from 
active  life  and  resides  with  the  doctor. 

Dr.  Sweet  has  been  closely  identified  with  important 
medical  institutions  of  Pawtucket,  and  has  held  many 
posts  of  responsibility  and  trust.  For  five  years  he  was 
chief  surgeon  of  the  Rhode  Island  National  Guard, 
from  which  he  is  now  retired  with  the  rank  of  lieuten- 
ant-colonel. He  was  a  member  of  the  guard  for  ten 
years,  and  was  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Associa- 
tion of  Military  Surgeons  of  the  United  States.  Dr. 
Sweet  has  also  been  identified  in  the  work  of  conserving 
the  public  health  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  super- 
intendent of  health,  and  city  physician  of  Central  Falls, 
R.  I.  In  addition  to  his  private  practice,  he  is  at  the 
present  time  senior  visiting  physician  of  the  staff  of  the 
Pawtuckct  Memorial  Hospital,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Medical  Association,  the  Rhode  Island  Medi- 
cal Society,  the  Pawtucket  and  Providence  Medical 
associations,  and  the  Rhode  Island  Medico-Legal  Soci- 
ety. He  is  a  Free  Mason  and  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic bodies  in  the  region  of  Pawtuckct. 

Dr.  Sweet  has  been  twice  married.     His  first  wife  was 


94 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Janet  Maude,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Janet  (Mc- 
Dowell) Makin,  of  Pawtucket.  Her  death  occurred 
September  la  1013.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren:  George  Albert,  born  Dec.  21,  igoo;  and  Charles 
Frederick,  Jr.,  born  Aug.  31,  1905.  Dr.  Sweet  married 
(second)  April  18,  1917,  Mabel  Hilton  DeWitt,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  and  .-Xnnie  Allen  (Belyca)  DeWitt,  of 
Frederickton,  New  Brunswick.  One  son,  Thomas  De- 
Witt  Sweet,  was  born  to  them  May  19,  1918. 


JEREMIAH  EDWARD  O'CONNELL— A  grad- 
uate of  hiith  college  and  law  departments  of  Boston 
University.  Mr.  O'Connell  came  to  Providence  soon 
after  acquiring  his  Bachelor  of  Laws  and  Master  of 
Laws  degrees,  and  since  1908  has  practiced  his  profes- 
sion in  that  city  in  all  State  and  Federal  courts  of  the 
Providence  district.  A  member  of  the  eminent  law 
firm  of  Cunningham  &  O'Connell,  he  has  no  spare  hours, 
yet  in  this  crisis  in  his  country's  history,  he  is  devoting 
a  portion  of  his  time  to  service  on  different  boards  and 
committees  of  importance.  He  is  a  son  of  Jeremiah  and 
Margaret  R.  O'Connell,  who  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of 
their  son  were  residents  of  Wakefield,  Mass. 

Jeremiah  E.  O'Connell  was  born  in  Wakefield,  Mass., 
July  8,  1883,  and  there  completed  his  preparatory  study 
with  graduation  from  high  school  with  the  class  of 
1902.  The  following  fall  he  entered  the  college  depart- 
ment of  Boston  University,  where  he  was  graduated 
Bachelor  of  Arts,  class  of  1906.  He  entered  the  law 
department  of  the  University,  was  graduated  Bachelor 
of  Laws,  cum  laude,  1908,  and  Master  of  Laws,  the 
same  year.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Massachusetts  bar 
in  1907,  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar  in  igo8,  and  for  ten 
>ears  has  practiced  at  the  bar  of  the  last-named  State, 
and  in  the  Federal  courts  in  association  with  Joseph  J. 
Cunningham  as  Cunningham  &  O'Connell,  offices  Nos. 
301-302  Grosvenor  building.  Providence.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  local  State  and  National  Bar  associations, 
and  in  addition  to  his  legal  practice  is  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Narragansett  Motors  Company,  of 
Providence.  Mr.  O'Connell  is  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
and  since  1912  has  been  a  member  of  Providence  City 
Council.  He  is  chairman  of  the  legal  advisory  commit- 
tee to  Draft  Board,  No.  3,  Providence;  chairman  of  the 
Red  Cross  committee  on  information  to  soldiers,  sailors 
and  their  families;  member  of  the  Civilian  Relief  Com- 
mittee, the  American  Red  Cross,  past  district  deputy  of 
Knights  of  Columbus,  member  of  the  Catholic  Club  or 
Providence,  and  the  college  fraternities  of  Beta  Theta 
Pi  and  Phi  Delta  Phi. 

Mr.  O'Connell  married,  in  Wakefield,  Mass.,  June 
6,  1910,  Esther  Garraty,  daughter  of  James  and  Annie 
Garraty.     The  family  home  is  at  No.  59  Hilltop  avenue. 


CORNELIUS     JAMES     MAHONEY,    M.     D.— 

There  is  something  intrinsically  admirable  in  the  pro- 
fession of  medicine  that  illumines  by  reflected  light  all 
those  who  practice  it.  Something  that  is  concerned  with 
its  prime  object,  the  alleviaiion  of  human  suffering, 
something  about  the  self-sacrifice  that  it  must  neces- 
sarily involve  that  makes  us  regard,  and  rightly  so,  all 
those  who  choose  to  follow  its  difficult  way  and  devote 
themselves  to  its  great  aims  with  a  certain  amount  of 
respect  and  reverence.    A  man  of  this  type  is  Dr.  Cor- 


nelius J.  Mahoney,  of  Providence,  whose  work  in  that 
city  has  been  of  benefit  to  many. 

Dr.  Cornelius  James  Mahoney,  a  well-known  physi- 
cian of  Providence,  R.  L,  was  born  in  East  Providence, 
January  30,  1875,  a  son  of  Cornelius  and  Catherine 
.White)  Mahoney,  both  deceased.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  four  other  sons  and  five  daughters,  namely: 
Rev.  George  T.  Mahoney,  John  Francis,  Dr.  Michael  P. 
Mahoney,  of  Providence ;  Timothy  J.  Mahoney,  a 
greatly  beloved  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church, 
now  deceased ;  Hannah,  Catherine,  Mary,  Theresa  and 
Agnes. 

Cornelius  J.  Mahoney  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Providence,  at  La  Salle  Academy,  and  St. 
Michael's  College,  from  which  institution  he  was  gradu- 
ated, class  of  1894.  He  decided  upon  medicine  as  his 
profession,  and  entered  Harvard  Medical  School,  there 
pursuing  courses,  and  was  graduated  Doctor  of  Medi- 
cine with  the  class  of  1S98.  From  there  he  passed  to 
hospital  practice  as  interne  at  St.  Joseph's  Hospital  in 
Providence,  but  after  seven  months'  service  his  health 
gave  way,  and  he  was  compelled  to  resign  his  position. 
As  a  means  of  recuperation,  he  went  to  the  State  of 
Colorado,  was  admitted  to  practice  in  that  State,  and 
during  his  four  months'  residence  there  was  engaged  in 
active  practice.  In  December,  1899,  he  returned  to 
Providence  and  be.gan  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
with  offices  at  No.  81  Governor  street.  Dr.  Mahoney  is 
a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  the 
Rhode  Island  Medical  Society.  Providence  Medical  Soci- 
ety, St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  the  Catholic 
Club,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 
In  National  elections  he  is  strongly  Democratic,  but  in 
local  affairs  is  non-partisan  and  extremely  independ- 
ent in  political  action. 

Dr.  Mahoney  married,  January  15,  1902,  Mary  Clogher, 
of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren :    George  T.  and  Cecelia  C.  Mahoney. 


WILLIAM     ALPHONUS     McGROARTY  — As 

executive  head  and  manager  of  the  Warwick  Lumber 
Company,  of  Apponaug,  R.  I.,  Mr.  McGroarty  is  suc- 
cessfully continuing  this,  a  business  established  about 
1835.  His  career  has  been  an  active  one,  and  in  its 
making  he  has  developed  a  strong,  self-reliant  character, 
sound  business  judgment,  and  a  broad-minded,  public 
spirit,  all  tending  to  produce  a  capable  and  valuable  busi- 
ness man  and  citizen.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
(Leddy)  McGroarty,  his  father,  born  in  Donegal,  Ire- 
land, coming  to  Providence  about  1880.  Joseph  Mc- 
Groarty was  a  city  employee  in  the  street  department 
for  a  number  of  years,  then  became  a  watchman,  later 
entering  the  service  of  the  city  of  Providence,  as  a 
policeman,  continuing  in  that  branch  of  the  city  govern- 
ment for  fifteen  years.  He  then  spent  two  years  in  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  as  a  member  of  the  Jefferson  Guards,  the 
police  body  at  the  Exposition  of  1904,  commemorating 
the  Louisianna  Purchase.  He  returned  to  New  Eng- 
land in  1906,  located  in  Lawrence,  Mass.,  where  he 
secured  the  government  position  he  now  holds.  Joseph 
McGroarty  married,  June  12,  1884.  in  Providence  (the 
late  Bishop  Stang  performing  the  ceremony  in  St.  Jo- 
seph's Church)  Mary  Leddy,  born  in  County  Cavan, 
Ireland,    but    from   her   eighteenth    year   a   resident   of 


/v7<si-:^l.-^-^-v   M: 


J 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


95 


Providonce.  They  are  the  parents  of:  William  A.,  of 
further  mention ;  Joseph,  residing  in  New  York ;  John, 
now  serving  in  the  United  States  Navy,  under  a  second 
enlistment ;  James,  died  at  the  age  of  four  years ; 
Charles,  now  serving  in  the  United  States  Navy;  Flor- 
ence, married  Paul  Meister,  of  Providence ;  Aloysius, 
also  serving  in  the  Unfted  States  Navy. 

William  .-\.  McGroarty  was  bom  in  Providence.  R.  I., 
July  i6,  1885,  and  educated  in  the  parochial  schools, 
later  entering  LaSalle  Academy,  where  he  was  gradu- 
ated, class  of  1003.  He  began  business  life  with  the 
Rhode  Island  Company,  being  engaged  as  starter  and 
inspector  until  1907.  He  then  passed  the  required  tests, 
and  on  October  10,  1006,  was  appointed  to  the  Provi- 
dence police  force  as  a  night  patrolman.  In  time  he 
was  promoted  to  the  day  service,  and  was  stationed  at 
Dorrance  &  Westminster  streets  as  traffic  officer,  the 
first  man  ever  regularly  assigned  for  traffic  duty  there. 
He  resigned  from  the  force  in  1912,  then  spent  three 
years  with  his  father-in-law,  Jeremiah  F.  Driscoll.  in 
the  lumber  business,  mastering  that  business  in  all  its 
detail.  In  1915  he  bought  the  Apponaug  Lumber  Com- 
pany, located  at  .\pponaug,  reorganized  the  business  as 
the  Warwick  Lumber  Company,  and,  as  president  and 
treasurer,  is  its  successful  managing  head.  He  is  a 
member  and  trustee  of  St.  Catherine's  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  of  Apponaug;  is  past  district  deputy  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  for  the  State  of  Rhode  Island ; 
member  of  Providence  Council,  No.  195,  the  Catholic 
Club  of  Providence,  the  Holy  Name  Society,  and  be- 
longs to  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  and  the  Rhode 
Island  Lumber  Dealers'  Association. 

Mr.  McGroarty  married,  June  12,  1912,  Anna  Louise 
Driscoll,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  F.  Driscoll,  formerly 
general  manager  of  the  Rhode  Island  Cofiperative  Coal 
Company,  and  connected  with  the  Providence  Teaming 
Company.  He  was  an  official  of  the  Rhode  Island  Lum- 
ber Dealers'  .-Xssociation ;  member  of  the  Roger  Wil- 
liams Driving  Club,  and  was  an  active,  useful  member 
of  St.  Vincent  De  Paul  Society  and  of  the  Holy  Name 
Society  until  his  death  in  the  fall  of  1912.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  McGroarty  are  the  parents  of  two  children :  Wil- 
liam, born  Sept.  6,  1914;  and  Catherine  Anita,  bom  July 
26,  191 7. 


DR.    FRANK    HARRY    ACKRILL,    one    of    the 

most  popular  and  successful  dentists  of  Pascoag,  R.  I., 
and  the  surrounding  region  where  he  has  been  in  prac- 
tice for  a  number  of  years,  is  a  native  of  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  having  been  born  in  that  city  November  3.  1885. 
Dr.  .\ckrill  is  the  son  of  Thomas  R.  and  Edith  Marion 
( Benton  1  .\ckrill,  old  and  highly  respected  residents, 
of  New  Haven.  Thomas  R.  Ackrill  was  a  native  of 
Lancashire.  England,  where  his  birth  occurred  in  i860, 
but  he  came  as  an  infant  to  the  United  States  with  his 
parents  and  his  childhood  was  spent  at  Westhaven, 
Conn.  He  afterwards  resided  at  New  Haven,  in  that 
State,  and  there  his  death  occurred  in  191 5.  His  father 
was  Thomas  .Ackrill,  also  a  native  of  Lancashire,  Eng- 
land, where  he  was  a  wood  turner  by  trade,  and  he 
afterwards  came  to  this  country  with  his  wife,  Sarah 
Ackrill.  Thomas  R.  .Xckrill  married  Edith  Marion  Ben- 
ton, a  native  of  New  Haven,  who  is  still  living  at  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.     They  were  the  parents  of  two  children  : 


Frank  Harry,  of  whom  further;  and  Edith,  who  became 
the  wife  of  .Arlington  Garfield  Post,  of  Pawtuckct.  R.  I., 
where  he  is  engaged  in  business  as  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  National  Coated  Paper  Com- 
pany of  that  city. 

Frank  Harry  Ackrill  was  educated  in  the  grammar 
and  high  schools  of  New  Haven  and  as  soon  as  he  had 
completed  his  studies  in  these  institutions,  he  began  his 
business  career  as  a  boss  dyer  in  the  National  Coated 
Paper  Company,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  For  four  years  he 
remained  thus  employed  and  while  there  studied  at  night 
in  the  office  of  Dr.  B.  Cecil  Burgess,  a  well-known  den- 
tist, of  that  place.  Having  decided  to  adopt  dentistry 
as  his  profession,  his  next  step  was  to  enter  the  Uni- 
versity of  Maryland,  where  he  took  a  course  in  his 
chosen  subject  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1014. 
taking  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery.  Dr. 
.Ackrill  then  came  north  to  Rhode  Island,  and  estab- 
lished himself  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  No.  4 
Westminster  street.  Providence,  where  he  remained 
until  .April.  1918.  At  that  time  Dr.  .Ackrill,  who  had 
alrea'dy  gained  a  wide  reputation  among  the  general 
public  and  his  professional  colleagues,  came  to  his 
present  location  at  Pascoag,  and  here  established  him- 
self. Although  he  has  not  been  very  long  in  practice 
here.  Dr.  .Ackrill  has  already  made  a  name  for  himself 
in  this  locality  and  has  developed  a  large  and  successful 
practice.  In  addition  to  his  professional  activities,  Dr. 
.Ackrill  is  well  known  in  fraternal  and  social  circles  at 
Pascoag,  and  is  especially  conspicuous  in  the  Masonic 
order,  in  which  he  takes  a  keen  interest.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Barney  Merry  Lodge,  No.  29,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  of  Pawtucket ;  Pawtucket  Chapter, 
No.  4,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  and  Pawtucket  Council, 
Royal  and  Select  Masters  No.  2.  Dr.  .Ackrill  is  also  an 
active  member  of  the  Universalist  Glee  Club,  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.  His  residence  is  situated  on  South  Main 
street,  Pascoag.  Dr.  .Ackrill  is  exceedingly  fond  of  out- 
door sports  and  pastimes,  and  is  a  staunch  advocate  of 
these  wholesome  occupations  for  the  young  people  of 
the  community,  and  engages  in  them  himself  to  a  large 
extent. 

Dr.  Ackrill  married,  December  21,  1916,  at  Meriden, 
Conn..  Rachel  Curtis,  of  that  place,  a  daughter  of  Le- 
Roy  Hommans  and  Nellie  May  (Clark")  Curtis,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  there.  Mr.  Curtis  was  born 
January  24,  1870,  and  is  now  engaged  in  business  as  a 
wholesale  fruit  and  produce  dealer.  His  wife,  Nellie 
May  Clark  Curtis,  is  a  native  of  .Ashtabula,  Ohio,  where 
she  was  born  July  7,  1868. 


THEODORE  HOWLAND  BLISS— In  the  town 

of  South  Kingston,  R.  I..  Theodore  H.  Bliss  was  bom, 
his  father,  James  H.  Bliss,  there  owning  and  cultivating 
a  farm  upon  which  the  lad  spent  his  youth.  But  the 
farm  failed  to  hold  him,  and  after  a  season  or  two 
spent  with  the  coast  fishermen,  he  found  his  true  sphere 
in  the  mercantile  world,  beginning  as  a  clerk  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  years.  Nearly  forty  years  since  intervened, 
in  which  time  he  was  actively  engaged  in  business  with 
the  same  firm,  having  filled  all  positions  from  errand  boy 
to  the  responsible  post  of  general  manager,  from  which 
position  he  retired  on  February  26,  1910.  In  public  life 
he  is  now  serving  as  the  able  Senator  from  Narragan- 


q6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


sett,  having  been  elected  for  the  term  1919-20.  The  fam- 
ily has  long  been  identified  with  New  England  histon% 
and  has  furnished  many  men  eminent  in  the  public  and 
private  life  of  the  nation. 

Theodore  H.  Bliss  was  born  in  South  Kingston,  R.  I., 
April  5,  1S60,  son  of  James  H.  and  Laura  (Whaley) 
Bliss.  James  H.  Bliss,  born  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  died 
aged  sixty-nine  years,  a  farmer  of  South  Kingston. 
His  widow  Laura  Whaley  Bliss,  born  in  South  Kings- 
ton, yet  survives  him  (1919),  aged  seventy-nine  years. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Theo- 
dore H.,  of  further  mention;  .A.nnie,  married  William  R. 
Browning,  of  South  Kingston ;  Charles  R.,  a  farmer  of 
South  Kingston;  and  Mary,  married  Russell  Chase,  of 
Newport.  Theodore  H.  attended  the  South  Kingston 
schools,  completing  grammar  school  courses,  was  his 
father's  farm  assistant,  a  fisherman  in  the  early  spring 
and  winter  fishing  seasons,  and  for  two  seasons  was 
in  the  hotel  business  at  Narragansett  Pier.  He  began 
merchantile  life  on  June  25,  1879,  as  a  junior  clerk  in 
the  grocery  and  market  owned  and  operated  by  J.  C. 
Tucker,  at  Narragansett  Pier.  He  became  general  man- 
ager of  the  same  business,  and  one  of  the  substantial 
business  men  of  his  community. 

A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Bliss,  during  the  years, 
1911,  1912,  1916  and  1917,  served  as  a  member  of  the 
town  council,  and  on  January  I,  1917,  took  his  seat  in 
'he  State  Legislature  as  representative  from  Narragan- 
sett, and  in  November,  1918,  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  Rhode  Island  State  Senate  from  Narragansett. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  house  committee  on  Labor 
Legislation,  and  on  the  joint  standing  committee,  Sales 
of  Real  Estate,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Senate 
Educational  Committee  and  a  member  of  the  joint  coin- 
mittee  on  Printing.  He  is  a  member  of  Hope  Lodge, 
No.  25,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  and  of  Wakefield 
Chapter,  Royal  .Arch  Masons ;  and  a  member  of  Nestell 
Chapter,  No.  6,  Order  of  Eastern  Star.  In  religious 
connection  he  is  affiliated  with  the  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Narragansett  Pier. 

Mr.  Bliss  married  at  Narragansett  Pier,  R.  I.,  Novem- 
ber 28,  1888,  Nellie  Knowles,  daughter  of  Horatio  and 
Carrie  (Anthony)  Knowles,  of  Point  Judith,  R,  I.  The 
family  home  is  at  Narragansett  Pier. 


THOMAS  FRANCIS  COONEY— Providence  has 
been  the  scene  of  the  professional  struggles  and  tri- 
umphs of  Thomas  F.  Cooney,  and  there,  since  igoi,  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Cooney  &  Cahill, 
his  practice  large  and  his  reputation  high  as  a  lawyer  of 
ability  and  integrity.  Thomas  Francis  Cooney  was  born 
in  Cranston,  R.  I.,  October  21,  1873,  son  of  James  and 
Bridget  (Sheil)  Cooney,  his  father  deceased,  his  mother 
residing  with  her  son  in  Cranston.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  in  Cranston,  and  LaSalle  -Academy  in 
Providence,  but  while  yet  a  boy  became  a  wage-earner, 
earning  the  means  to  pay  for  his  education.  Three  years 
were  spent  as  a  student  in  Boston  University  Law 
School,  financing  the  entire  course  from  his  own  funds. 
He  was  graduated  Bachelor  of  Laws,  cum  laude,  June 
6,  1900,  and  was  also  honored  by  election  as  president  of 
his  class.  Mr.  Cooney  at  once  began  practice  in  Provi- 
dence, continuing  alone  for  about  a  year,  when  the 
present  firm,  Cooney  &  Cahill,  was  formed,  his  partner, 


James  A.  Cahill.  The  firm  continues  one  of  the  leading 
law  firms  of  the  Providence  bar,  with  offices  at  No.  40 
Grosvenor  building.  Mr.  Cooney  was  in  charge  of  the 
Michael  Hand  will  case,  one  of  the  most  noted  in  the 
State.  This  case  was  on  trial  for  three  months,  and  is 
a  record  one  in  point  of  time  consumed  in  its  hearing. 
A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Cooney  has  twice  been  the 
candidate  of  his  party  in  the  congressional  district  in 
which  he  lives.  Both  in  1908  and  1910  he  ran  ahead 
of  his  ticket,  but  the  Republican  party  has  a  large 
normal  majority  in  the  district  which  he  could  not  over- 
come. He  is  a  member  of  St.  Ann's  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  Cranston ;  is  president  of  the  Catholic  Club, 
Providence ;  is  a  fourth  degree  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus;  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks ;  and  a  lover  of  all  sports  of  the 
great  out-of-doors. 

Mr.  Cooney  married  (first),  June  30,  1904,  Elizabeth 
A.  Reilly,  of  Providence,  who  died  July  19,  1912.  Chil- 
dren :  Thomas  S.,  born  May  4,  1905 ;  Elizabeth,  Nov. 
5,  1906;  Theresa,  June  9,  1910.  He  married  (second), 
November  5,  1913,  Elizabeth  W.  Hayden,  of  Pascoag, 
Burrillvillc. 


HENRY  de  WOLF  ALLEN,  one  of  the  rising 
young  business  men  of  Bristol.  R.  I.,  where  his  birth 
occurred  in  1886,  is  a  son  of  Henry  Crocker  .Alien  and 
Marguerite  (de  Wolf)  Allen,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  this  place.  Mr.  Allen  is  descended  on  the 
maternal  side  of  the  house  from  a  very  old  New  Eng- 
land family,  which  was  founded  in  this  country  by  Bal- 
thasar  de  Wolf,  of  Lyme,  Conn.,  and  the  members  of 
which  have  ever  since  maintained  a  high  place  in  the 
esteem  of  the  various  communities  in  which  they  have 
made  their  homes.  In  the  fourth  generation  from  Bal- 
thasar  de  Wolf,  was  Charles  de  Wolf,  a  native  of  Lyine, 
where  he  was  born  in  1695.  He  married  at  Guadaloupe, 
March  31,  1677,  Margaret  Potter,  and  one  of  their  chil- 
dren was  Mark  Anthony  de  Wolf,  who  served  in  King 
George's  War  in  1774,  under  the  command  of  his 
brother-in-law.  Captain  Simeon  Potter.  He  married, 
Augxist  25,  1774,  .Abigail  Potter.  One  of  the  sons  of 
Mark  Anthony  de  Wolf  was  the  Hon.  William  de  Wolf, 
who  was  born  at  Bristol,  R.  I.,  December  19,  1772.  He 
was  a  very  prominent  man  in  his  day  and  was  a  member 
of  the  Federalist  party  of  1811-12,  and  fought  in  the 
political  battles  of  that  period.  After  the  dissolution  of 
that  party  which  boasted  of  such  men  as  .Alexander 
Hamilton  and  Fisher  .Ames,  Mr.  de  Wolf  retired  from 
public  life.  He  had  filled  with  credit  the  office  of  Sena- 
tor in  the  palmiest  days  of  the  Commonwealth,  but 
jfter  his  retirement  made  his  home  at  his  quiet  farm 
situated  at  Popposquash,  and  there  passed  the  remainder 
of  his  days.  His  death  occurred  .April  19,  1829.  The 
Hon.  William  de  Wolf  married  Finney,  daugh- 
ter of  Josiah  Finney,  a  leading  citizen  of  Bristol  at  that 
time.  One  of  their  children  was  the  Hon.  James  de 
Wolf,  who,  as  a  mere  lad,  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
War  and  took  an  active  part  in  that  historic  struggle. 
He  married,  January  7,  1798,  Nancy  Bradford,  and  died 
January  2,  1838.  The  father  of  Mr.  .Allen,  Henry 
Crocker  .Allen,  was  born  at  Providence.  R.  I.,  and  died 
in  the  year  1888.  He  married  Margaret  de  Wolf,  daugh- 
ter of  Francis  LeBaron  de  Wolf,  who  was  bom  Octo- 


rvn  CL^   (,     L^^-tih^^JL, 


■T^-     old 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


97 


jer  12,  1826,  and  Caroline  (Dexter)  de  Wolf.  Henry 
Crocker  de  Wolf  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  was 
very  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  community.  He  and 
his  wife  were  tlie  parents  of  one  son,  Henry  de  Wolf 
Allen,  of  this  sketch. 

Henry  de  Wolf  .Mien  received  his  early  education  at 
the  pub'ic  schools  of  Bristol,  and  was  afterwards  sent 
to  a  b./arding  school  at  Newport,  where  he  completed 
bis  studies.  During  his  early  life  he  assisted  with  the 
work  on  his  mother's  farm,  and  has  always  rnade  his 
home  on  the  old  homestead.  He  is  now  the  possessor 
of  a  handsome  farm  of  thirty-live  acres  upon  which  is 
situated  his  beautiful  home,  and  here  besides  general 
farming  he  raises  chickens,  making  a  specialty  in  this 
line.  In  1918  Mr.  .Mien  became  farm  manager  of  the 
S.  B.  Colt  farm,  a  magnificent  estate  of  five  hundred 
acres,  which  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  perfectly 
equipped  farms  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  and  he  is 
now  engaged  in  managing  the  same. 

Henry  de  Wolf  Allen  was  united  in  marriage  on  Oc- 
tober 14,  1914,  at  Bristol,  with  Catherine  Reynolds,  a 
daughter  of  John  Post  and  Fannie  (Greenwood)  Rey- 
nolds. Mr.  Reynolds  engaged  for  many  years  in  the  ice 
business  at  Bristol,  where  he  was  also  superintendent 
of  schools,  and  a  very  active  man.  Mr.  Reynolds  died 
in  1916.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  are  members  of  St. 
Michael's  Church  of  Bristol. 


ROBERT  M.  BANNON,  D.  D.  S.— .A.fter  gradu- 
ation from  dental  college,  Dr.  Bannon  located  in  Paw»- 
tucket,  R.  I.,  and  for  the  past  eight  years  has  been  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  city  of  his  birth. 
He  is  a  son  of  Matthew  J.  and  Margaret  M.  (Early) 
Bannon,  both  of  Rhode  Island  birth  and  both  now  de- 
ceased. Robert  M.  Bannon  was  born  in  Pawtuckct,  R. 
I..  November  27,  1885,  and  was  educated  in  the  city 
schools.  Deciding  upon  a  professional  career,  he  en- 
tered the  Baltimore  College  of  Dental  Surgery  in  Balti- 
more, Md.,  pursued  a  full  course  there,  and  in  1910  he 
opened  offices  in  the  Brownell  Building  in  Pawtucket 
and  began  the  practice  of  dentistry,  remaining  there 
until  1 91 7,  when  he  moved  to  his  presc-it  well-equipped 
offices  in  the  Smith  Building.  He  is  building  up  a  loyal 
clientele  and  is  well  established  in  professional  standing. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Dental  Society, 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  the  Knights  of 
Columbus,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
and  the  .\lumni  Association  of  Baltimore  College  of 
Dental  Surgery,  and  is  now  secretary  of  the  latter  asso- 
ciation. 


MARTIN  J.  SINNOTT— From  the  secure  heights 
of  business  success,  Martin  J.  Sinnott,  of  Arctic,  R.  I., 
reviews  a  career  as  merchant  and  business  man,  which 
from  a  modest  beginning  has  continued  to  grow  in  im- 
portance and  usefulness  until  the  present  day.  He  is 
"self  made"  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term,  and  when 
frst  battling  for  a  foothold  in  the  mercantile  world  he 
knew  neither  day  nor  night  so  long  as  there  was  work 
to  be  done  in  his  little  store,  and  meal  hours  were  but 
hasty  lunches  at  any  time  obtainable.  But  success  came 
abundantly,  and  he  is  one  of  the  solid,  substantial  men 
of  his  town,  associated  with  the  leading  men  of  his  com- 
munity   in    the    town's    progress.      His    rise    has    been 


through  his  own  efforts,  and  success  has  been  won  not 
through  the  downfall  of  others  or  by  special  privilege, 
but  by  a  life  of  earnest,  high-principled  endeavor,  which 
has  benefited,  not  harmed  others. 

Martin  J.  Sinnott  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  Au- 
gust 12,  1862,  son  of  John  F.  and  Bridget  (Mackey) 
Sinnott,  his  father  for  many  years  superintendent  of  the 
John  D.  Lewis  Dyeing  and  Bleaching  Company  of 
Providence.  Martin  J.  Sinnott  attended  La  Salle  Acad- 
emy, in  Providence,  until  the  age  of  seventeen,  then 
became  a  clerk  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  Jacob  Schatten- 
berg,  in  Phenix,  R.  I.,  his  salary  seven  dollars  weekly. 
He  continued  a  clerk  until  1885,  then  began  business 
under  his  own  name  in  a  small  store,  eighteen  by  thirty- 
tight,  located  in  Arctic,  where  he  was  well-known  as  a 
young  man  of  industrious  habits  and  pleasing  manner. 
He  worked  hard  to  make  his  little  business  a  success- 
ful one  and  .saw  his  hopes  realized.  Just  across  the 
street  from  the  little  store  in  which  he  began  business 
in  1885  stands  his  present  department  store,  three  stories 
in  height,  well  stocked,  modernly  conducted,  where  a 
very  large  business  is  transacted,  the  reputation  of  the 
store  and  its  management  being  most  enviable. 

.^s  a  merchant  Mr.  Sinnott's  career  may  be  justly 
termed  a  success,  but  to  his  mercantile  activity  he  adds 
largo  mill  interests  and  other  investment  lines.  He  is 
one  of  the  largest  stockholders  and  a  director  of  the 
Warwick  Mills  at  Centerville,  R.  I.;  is  interested  in  the 
Warwick  and  Phenix  Lace  Mills,  the  Pawtucket  Valley 
Street  Railway  Mills  in  Olneyville,  Central  Falls,  and 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.;  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  and  in  the  State 
of  Connecticut.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  Union 
Trust  Company  of  Providence,  a  stockholder  of  the 
National  Exchange  Bank  of  Providence,  and  the  Cen- 
terville National  Bank  of  .Arctic.  He  is  doing  "his  bit" 
as  an  investor  in  liberty  bonds  and  war  saving  stamps, 
being  the  heaviest  individual  buyer  in  the  town  of  West 
Warwick,  and  a  leader  in  selling  bonds  and  stamps  to 
others. 

Mr.  Sinnott  married  Sarah  Elizabeth  Gough,  daughter 
of  James  Gough,  postmaster  of  River  Point,  R.  I.,  for 
many  years,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  sons: 
Richard  Andrew,  general  manager  of  the  Sinnott  de- 
partment store  at  Arctic,  now  serving  in  the  United 
States  Navy;  Martin  and  James  William,  second  and 
third  sons,  respectively,  all  educated  at  La  Salle  Acad- 
emy, Providence.  The  family  home  is  at  Centerville, 
R.  I.  Mr.  Sinnott  is  essentially  a  business  man,  but 
of  quiet,  domestic  tastes,  his  home  claiming  his  leisure 
hours.  He  has  persistently  refused  all  offers  of  political 
office,  but  is  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his  town, 
and  as  a  member  of  the  committee  on  town  debt  served 
with  commendable  zeal.  He  has  many  friends  and  is 
highly  esteemed  as  a  man  of  sterling  and  upright  char- 
acter. 


WILLIAM  FRANCIS  DUFFY,  M.  D.,  of  Bris- 
tol, R.  I.,  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  leading  physicians 
of  this  place,  but  he  is  more  than  that,  he  is  a  person- 
ality, a  figure  possessing  an  individuality  which  makes 
him  inevitably  an  influence  of  moment  in  the  commu- 
nity. Dr.  Duffy  is  a  native  of  Bristol,  his  birth  having 
occurred  here,  December  28,  1871,  but  by  descent  he  is 
of  Irish  blood,  and  inherits  the  notable  talents  of  this 


R  1-2-7 


98 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


race.  His  paternal  grandfather,  James  B.  Duffy,  was 
?  native  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  from  which  city  he  went, 
as  a  young  man,  to  Manchester,  England,  and  eventu- 
ally, in  1848,  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  at 
Bristol,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1886.  He  married 
Margaret  Lowry,  born  in  1817,  at  Kildare.  Ireland,  and 
died  at  Bristol,  in  1904.  One  of  their  children  was 
Thomas  Duf?y,  father  of  Dr.  Duffy,  of  this  sketch,  who 
was  born  Xoveniber  11,  1844,  at  Manchester,  England, 
and  came,  as  a  child  of  four,  with  his  parents  to  the 
United  States  in  1848.  Upon  reaching  manhood  he 
became  associated  with  the  rubber  industry  at  Bristol, 
tnd  eventually  became  a  foreman  for  the  India  Rubber 
Company  of  this  place.  During  his  early  youth  he 
served  his  adopted  country  in  the  Union  army  in  the 
Civil  War,  and  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  Bab- 
bitt Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  His  death 
occurred  July  22,  igoj.  Thomas  Duffy  married  Helena 
Nerone,  born  at  Tipperary,  Ireland,  June  21,  1851,  and 
now  residing  at  Bristol.  They  were  the  parents  01  the 
following  children:  James,  who  died  in  infancy;  Wil- 
liam Francis,  of  further  mention;  Augustus,  who  makes 
his  home  at  Bristol ;  Thomas,  who  resides  at  Boston, 
Mass;  Mary,  deceased;  Margaret;  Catherine,  de- 
ceased; John,  deceased;  James,  deceased;  Joseph, 
now  serving  with  the  .American  Expeditionary  Forces 
in  France,  in  the  301st  Regiment,  Engineers;  and 
Carrie. 

The  childhood  and  early  youth  of  William  F.  Duffy 
were  passed  in  his  native  town,  and  it  was  at  the  public 
schools  here  that  he  received  his  preparatory  education. 
He  passed  through  the  grammar  grades  and  then  the 
lour  years  of  the  high  school,  after  which  he  attended 
the  University  of  Chicago,  and  there  took  a  course  in 
pharmacy.  He  was  registered  as  a  pharmacist  in  Illi- 
nois, in  May,  1893,  and  followed  that  calling  in  Chicago 
for  about  two  years.  He  became  intensely  interested 
in  the  subject  of  medicine  during  that  time,  and  finally 
determined  to  take  it  up  in  a  more  complete  manner 
and  become  a  physician.  Accordingly  he  returned  to 
the  East  and  entered  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  New  York,  from  which,  after  taking  the 
full  course,  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1898, 
and  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  followed 
up  his  studies  with  some  practical  experience  as  an  in- 
terne at  St.  Catherine's  Hospital,  Brooklyn,  remaining 
there  for  the  two  years  between  1898  and  1900.  Com- 
pleting this  work,  he  came  directly  to  Bristol  and  here 
established  himself  in  practice,  which  has  steadily 
grown,  until  it  is  now  one  of  the  important  ones  of 
the  region.  Dr.  Duffy  is  a  man  who  puts  a  premium 
upon  all  the  wholesome  aspects  of  life  and  enjoys  its 
normal  pleasures.  He  is  particularly  fond  of  travel, 
however,  and  has  indulged  this  taste  very  extensively, 
having  visited  almost  every  part  of  Europe  and  .\mer- 
ica,  and  traveled  around  the  world.  He  is  also  keenly 
aHve  to  the  great  issues  of  the  day,  as  well  as  to  those 
of  a  local  character,  and  conscientiously  discharges  the 
duties  of  citizenship.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but 
takes  no  active  part,  as  his  time  and  attention  is  too 
much  taken  up  with  professional  tasks  and  duties.  In 
religious  belief  Dr.  Duffy  is  a  devout  Catholic,  and 
f.ttends  the  church  of  St.  Mary  of  this  denomination  at 
Bristol.     He   is   a   member   of   the   local   lodge    of   the 


Knights  of  Columbus,  and  the  Providence  Medical 
Society,  and  the  Rhode  Island  and  American  Medical 
associations. 

Dr.  Duffy  was  united  in  marriage  at  Washington,  D. 
C,  on  January  23,  1901,  with  Rose  Nolan,  of  that  city, 
a  daughter  of  James  and  Blanche  (Whalen)  Nolan,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  there.  James  Nolan  was 
born  in  Ireland,  June  9,  1839,  and  there  carried  on  a 
successful  business  as  building  contractor  until  his 
death.  March  12,  1899.  His  wife  was  also  a  native  of 
Ireland,  where  she  was  born,  January  20,  1839,  and  died 
April  ii,  1888.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Duffy  are  the  parents  of 
one  child:  William  Francis,  Jr.,  born  March  i,  1914. 
Their  residence  is  situated  at  No.  79  Constitution  street, 
Bristol. 


EDWARD  ARNOLD  JOHNSON,  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful contractors  and  business  men  of  Washington, 
R.  I.,  who  now  resides  at  this  place,  retired  from  active 
labor,  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  distinguished  New 
England  family  which  was  founded  in  this  country 
about  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century  by 
Elkanah  Johnson  and  his  brother,  Elisha  Johnson. 
These  brothers  settled  in  Rhode  Island  at  the  early  date 
above  mentioned,  the  former  at  Warwick  and  the  latter 
at  East  Greenwich.  After  the  division  of  the  towns  in 
1741  they  were  respectively  of  Coventry  and  West 
Greenwich. 

It  was  from  Elkanah  Johnson  that  the  Johnson  family 
with  which  we  are  concerned  was  descended,  and 
through  his  eldest  son,  John,  who  was  born  in  the  year 
1699.  and  died  May  16,  1782.  John  Johnson  married 
Sarah  Phillips,  of  Jamestown,  October  13.  1721,  who 
was  born  in  1703,  and  died  May  14,  1790.  They  were 
the  parents  of  a  number  of  children. 

Jonathan  Johnson,  fourth  son  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Phillips)  Johnson,  was  born  June  21,  1738,  and  died 
in  181 5.  He  married  Elizabeth  Yeates,  December  14, 
1759,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Deborah  (Johnson) 
Yeates,  and  a  granddaughter  of  Elisha  Johnson,  the 
brother  of  Elkanah  Johnson,  mentioned  above.  She 
was  born  May  20,  1740.  and  died  sometime  prior  to  her 
husband's  death. 

Their  youngest  son,  Elisha  Johnson,  was  born  March 
15,  1774,  and  died  in  1819.  He  married  Elizabeth  Ellis, 
daughter  of  Gideon  and  (Helme)  Ellis,  of  North  Kings- 
ton, R.  I.,  who  was  born  April  27,  1774,  and  died  in 
1862.  She  was  a  sister  of  Lieutenant  William  Helme, 
in  the  Revolutionary  navy. 

The  youngest  child  of  Elisha  and  Elizabeth  (Ellis) 
Johnson  was  Jenkins  Jones  Johnson,  who  was  born  July 
21,  1814,  and  died  January  25,  1905.  Mr.  Johnson  mar- 
ried, October  2,  1836.  Cynthia  A.  .Arnold,  a  daughter  of 
Welcome  and  Cynthia  (Knight)  Arnold.  Mrs.  Johnson 
was  born  November  28,  1817,  and  died  April  25,  1887. 
Among  their  children  was  Edward  Arnold  Johnson,  who 
is  mentioned  below. 

Edward  Arnold  Johnson,  second  son  of  Jenkins  Jones 
and  Cynthia  A.  (Arnold)  Johnson,  was  born  January 
7,  1849.  at  Coventry,  R.  I.  He  attended  there,  as  a  child, 
the  local  public  schools.  It  was  his  father's  intention, 
as  well  as  his  own,  when  he  grew  to  the  age  of  judg- 
ment, that  he  should  have  the  advantages  of  a  complete 
education,  and   at   the  age  of  twenty-one   he  began   to 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


99 


study  under  the  direction  of  E.  Benjamin  Andrews,  at 
Southfield,   Conn.,   and   continued    until   compelled    to 
desist   on    account    of    ill    healtli.      Mr.    Johnson,    Sr., 
was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  his  son,  when  he  was  no 
more  than  si.xteen  years  of  age,  had  entered  his  father's 
shop  and   learned   the   detail   of   that   craft.     Later   he 
secured  a  position  as  watchman  on  the  New  York,  New 
Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad,  a  position  which  he   re- 
tained for  several  years,  after  which  he  was  transferred 
to  Nipmuck,  where  he  became  station-master.     In  the 
year  1870,  however,  he  retired  from  his  railroad  work 
and  again  took  up  carpentry,  being  employed  as  a  car- 
penter in  the  various  local  mills  for  a  period  of  from 
eight  to  nine  years.     Mr.  Johnson  was  a  man  of  very 
thrifty  habits,  which  were   stimulated   and  encouraged 
by  a  desire  on  his  part  to  be  engaged  in  business  on  his 
own  account.     As  the  result  of  this  economy  and  his 
industrious  behavior,  he  finally  found  himself  in  a  posi- 
tion to  invest  his  savings  in  local  real  estate,  and  pur- 
chased much  valuable  property  in  and  about  Washing- 
ton, R.  I.    He  also  removed  to  this  place  and  built  his 
present  fine  mansion  here,  and  also  established  a  general 
store  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  Knight  &  Andrews. 
After  conducting  this  business  for  some  four  years,  Mr. 
Johnson  sold  it  and  returned  to  the  carpenter  business, 
which  he  followed  until  the  year  i<yo8,  when  he  finally 
retired.     In  the   meantime    Mr.   Johnson   had   acquired 
some  valuable  tenement  property  which  he  has  devel- 
oped to  a  high  point.    Mr.  Johnson  has  been  very  active 
for  a  number  of  years  in  local  affairs  at  Washington, 
and  has  held  a  number  of  public  offices  here.     He  was 
chairman  of  the  board  of  assessors  for  a  considerable 
period,   and   in   that   responsible   position   performed   a 
valuable  sen-ice  to  the  community.    He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  a  staunch  supporter  of   the   principles 
and  policies  of  that  party.    He  is  a  man  of  very  domes- 
tic instincts,  and  finds  his  recreation  and   happiness  in 
his  own  home.     He  is  vice-president  of   the  Coventry 
Center   Six    Principle    Church    Corporation,   and   was 
treasurer  of  the  Six  Principle  Baptist  Conference  until 
that  body  joined  the  Warren  Association,  of  which  he 
is  now  a  member.     Mr.  Johnson  is  much  interested  in 
history,  especially  in  that  branch  of  it  which  deals  with 
genealogy,  and  has  in  his  possession  the  complete  rec- 
ords of  many  of  the  prominent  Rhode  Island  families. 
Edward   Arnold   Johnson   was   united   in   marriage, 
January  5,   1879,  with  Sarah  A.  Tillinghast,  daughter 
of  Clarke  and  Sarah  B.  (Brown)  Tillinghast  of  Exe- 
ter, R.  I.     Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  October  10,  1858. 
They    are    the    parents    of    one    daughter,    .A.nnie    M. 
Johnson,  born  July  21,  1881,  and  died  January  7,  1905. 
She  married  William  W.  .\nthony,  October  28,  1903, 
the  son  of  Frederick  and  Gertrude  (Briggs)  Anthony. 
Sarah  .•\.  Tillinghast  Johnson  is  a  direct  descendant  of 
Elder  Pardon  Tillinghast,  a  well-known  figure  in  the 
Colonial  history  of  this  place,  and  also  of  Theopholis 
Whaley. 


held  in  highest  esteem  among  his  many  friends  and 
acquaintances.  He  is  a  son  of  Philip  and  Margaret 
Duffy,  of  Clyde,  R.  I.  Philip  Duffy  is  retired  from 
active  life,  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  the  dis- 
tinction of  having  been  the  first  elected  town  treas- 
urer of  West  Warwick.  Philip  and  Margaret  Duffy- 
are  the  parents  of  eleven  children:  Mary  C,  married 
M.  J.  McPartland,  of  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.;  Frank 
P.,  of  further  mention;  J.  Edward,  a  physician  of 
New  York;  Ellen  G.,  married  Henry  F.  Miller,  of 
River  Point,  R.  I.;  Margaret,  residing  with  her 
parents  at  Clyde;  J.  Veronica,  married  Robert  M. 
Easdon,  of  River  Point;  Annie  L.,  residing  with  her 
parents;  Agnes  L.,  a  teacher  in  the  Phenix  school; 
Philip  A.,  a  graduate  in  dentistry,  was  associated  with 
his  brother,  Dr.  Frank  P.  Duffy,  until  his  enlistment 
in  the  United  States  Army,  now  commissioned  first 
lieutenant,  on  duty  at  Camp  Devens;  Beatrice  E.  and 
Mildred,  residing  with  their  parents. 

Frank  P.  Duffy  was  born  at  River  Point,  R.  I., 
March  26,  1878.  He  obtained  his  grammar  school 
education  in  the  schools  of  Phenix,  going  thence  to 
Providence  High  School,  from  which  he  graduated, 
class  of  1896.  The  following  six  years  were  passed 
in  the  employ  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hart- 
ford Railroad,  as  telegraph  operator,  station  master, 
and  general  office  accountant.  He  decided  upon  the 
profession  of  dentistry,  chose  Baltimore  College  of 
Dental  Surgery  as  his  professional  alma  mater,  there 
receiving  his  degree,  D.  D.  S.,  as  valedictorian  of  the 
class,  1906.  Dr.  Duffy  is  a  member  of  Alpha  Chapter, 
Psi  Omega,  a  dental  fraternity  of  Baltimore  Den- 
tal College ;  also  a  member  of  the  advisory  board, 
and  during  1915  was  president  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Dental  .•\ssociation;  member  of  the  National  Dental 
Association;  the  Northeastern  Dental  Society;  the 
Preparedness  League  of  .'Vmcrican  Dentists;  the  State 
Board  of  Registration  in  Dentistry,  appointed  in  Jan- 
uary, 1918,  for  a  term  of  three  years  by  the  Governor. 
He  introduced  dental  inspection  into  the  schools  of 
Warwick,  and  for  three  years  held  the  position  of 
inspector.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  James'  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  is  a  member  of  James  P.  Gibson 
Council,  No.  181,  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  for  five 
years  served  as  a  member  of  the  State  Council  of  the 
order. 

Dr.  Duffy  married,  September  23,  1907,  Alice  A. 
Bradley,  daughter  of  Thomas  H.  and  Ellen  Bradley, 
of  Cranston,  R.  I.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  sons: 
.■\ustin  and  Richard  Philip,  and  of  a  daughter,  Fran- 
ces Rita. 


FRANK  P.  DUFFY.  D.  D.  S.— Upon  receiving 
his  degree  at  Baltimore  College  of  Dental  Surgery, 
Dr.  Duffy  returned  to  his  native  town.  River  Point, 
R.  I.,  and  has  been  in  continuous  dental  practice  there 
for  twelve  years.  He  is  well  known  throughout  his 
section  of  the   State   as  a  skillful   practitioner,  being 


WARREN  MANFORD  GREENE— In  the  same 
house  on  Harking  Hill,  Coventry,  R.  I.,  in  which  his 
father  was  born,  Warren  M.  Greene  first  saw  the 
light,  September  28,  1861,  he  the  son  of  James  Har- 
ris Greene,  a  descendant  of  Quidnesset  John  Greene. 
Of  the  Kingstown  or  Quidnesset  Greenes  Mr.  Henry 
Rousmaniere  w-rote  to  General  George  S.  Greene, 
December  12,  1867:  "I  recollect  a  conversation  I 
had  five  or  six  years  ago  w-ith  Isaac  Greene  of  Exe- 
ter, in  which  he  told  me  that  his  early  ancestors  were 
not  named  Greene  but  had,  a  century  and  a  half  ago. 


lOO 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


adopted  that  cognomen.  Isaac  Greene  was  a  Sena- 
tor for  several  years,  possessed  a  strong  intellect  and 
tenacious  memory,  and  would  not  be  likely  to  be  mis- 
taken in  his  information  of  his  family  history.  Gen- 
eral Greene  endorsed  the  tradition  that  this  family 
bore,  at  an  early  date,  the  name  Clark,  as  he  always 
alluded  to  them  as  'The  Clark-Greenes.'  " 

Warren  Manford  Greene  is  a  son  of  James  Harris 
Greene,  a  direct  descendant  of  Quidnesset  John 
Greene,  through  his  son,  Lieutenant  John  Greene, 
through  his  son,  James  Greene,  his  son,  Isaac  Greene, 
his  son,  James  Greene,  his  son,  Reuben  Greene,  and 
his  son,  James  Harris  Greene.  Reuben  Greene  mar- 
ried Esther  Whaley,  a  descendant  of  Judge  Edward 
and  Theophilus  Whaley.  James  Harris  Greene  was  a 
farmer  and  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church,  a  man  of 
piety  and  high  character.  He  married  Lydia  Ann 
Briggs,  daughter  of  Warren  and  Desire  Briggs.  He 
died  February  23,  igo6;   she  died  February  8,  1905. 

Warren  Manford  Greene,  son  of  James  Harris 
and  Lydia  Ann  (Briggs)  Greene,  was  born  at  Harkney 
Hill,  town  of  Coventry,  Kent  county,  R.  I.,  September 
28,  1861.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years  began  teaching  in  the  Coven- 
try schools,  later  in  Washington  and  River  Point.  He 
then  pursued  courses  in  the  Rhode  Island  State  Nor- 
mal School,  after  which  he  taught  in  the  schools  of 
Coventry  for  about  nine  years,  spending  his  summers 
on  the  farm.  During  this  period  he  served  as  post- 
master of  Coventry  Center,  from  1S85  to  1S89.  He 
also  served  as  State  sealer  of  weights  and  measures. 
He  next  entered  the  employ  of  the  New  York,  New 
Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad  in  the  office  of  freight 
agent  in  Providence,  continuing  until  a  serious  illness 
decided  him  to  abandon  railroading.  After  leaving 
the  railroad,  Mr.  Greene  became  a  tenant  farmer, 
continuing  for  a  few  years,  then  bought  a  farm  in  the 
town  of  Coventry,  one  mile  from  Washington,  upon 
which  he  operated  for  eight  years  very  successfully, 
then  sold,  the  health  of  his  wife  demanding  a  change. 
While  living  on  the  farm,  in  1905.  Mr.  Greene  was 
elected  overseer  of  the  poor.  The  town  endowment 
for  the  poor  had  been  mismanaged,  and  a  poor  busi- 
ness system  had  resulted  in  confusion  and  debt.  He 
introduced  correct  business  methods,  and  as  school 
committeeman  and  town  treasurer  he  has  wrought  a 
wondrous  change  in  town  finance  and  school  efficiency. 
He  accepted  the  office  of  town  treasurer  to  fill  a 
vacancy  in  1909,  and  has  since  been  in  the  office  con- 
tinuously, the  debt  of  the  town,  then  $128,000,  now 
being  reduced  to  $20,000,  and  every  fund  of  the  town 
being  in  similarly  good  condition.  The  standard  of 
school  efficiency  has  been  greatly  raised,  their  scope 
enlarged  and  in  many  ways  the  result  of  Mr.  Greene's 
public  services  has  been  of  the  greatest  benefit  to 
the  community.  He  is  an  agent  for  the  Waterman 
Fund,  the  town  endowment  for  the  benefit  of  the 
poor;  is  superintendent  of  cemeteries,  and  is  giving 
his  time  freely  to  the  public  service.  He  has  refused 
political  office  and  has  no  liking  for  public  office  fur- 
ther than  to  prove  useful  to  his  fellow-men. 

Mr.  Greene  is  a  member  of  Anthony  Lodge,  No. 
21,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  which  he  is 


a  past  grand,  and  when  the  burned  lodge  building 
was  rebuilt  he  was  chairman  of  the  building  commit- 
tee. He  is  chief  patriarch  of  Sagamore  Encampment 
of  Anthony;  member  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  State  of  Rhode  Island; 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  Veteran  Association, 
and  of  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah.  From  the  Re- 
bekahs  he  received  a  handsome  jewel  in  appreciation 
of  his  services  to  the  lodge  during  his  thirty  years  of 
membership,  and  is  the  recipient  of  a  beautiful  past 
grand  regalia  from  his  brethren  of  Anthony  Lodge, 
No.  21,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  Anthony  Grange,  No.  51,  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  and  of  the  Rhode  Island  State  Asso- 
ciation of  Overseers  of  the  Poor,  and  for  two  years 
was   president  of   that   organization. 

Warren  M.  Greene  married  (first),  April  19,  1885, 
Anna  P.  Tillinghast,  who  died  in  1888,  daughter  of 
Clark  and  Sarah  Tillinghast,  and  a  descendant  of 
Pardon  Tillinghast,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  New 
England.  They  were  the  parents  of  a  daughter, 
Leonora  A.  Greene,  residing  at  home.  Mr.  Greene 
married  (second),  September  II,  1890,  Lizzie  S. 
(Bromley)    Branche,   who   died   August   13,   1913. 


MICHEL  NAPOLEON  CARTIER,  for  many 
years  president  and  treasurer  of  the  large  concern 
of  M.  N.  Cartier  &  Son's  Company,  manufacturers 
of  lexonite  plastic  asbestos  roofing  compound  and 
various  waterproof  paints  and  compounds,  and  one  of 
the  most  successful  figures  in  the  industrial  world  of 
Providence,  is  a  native  of  Sutton,  Mass.,  where  he  was 
born  January  9,  1854,  the  son  of  Michel  and  Julia 
(Renault)  Cartier,  now  deceased,  formerly  natives 
of  Canada  and  France,  respectively.  The  Cartiers 
have  resided  in  this  country  for  a  considerable  period, 
although  the  date  of  their  immigration  here  is  uncer- 
tain. Mr.  Cartier  is  a  member  of  a  family  of  dis- 
tinguished French  origin,  a  descendant  of  the  famous 
French  explorer,  Jacques  Cartier,  discoverer  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  river.  Jacques  Cartier,  a  native  of  St. 
Malo,  in  Brittany,  set  sail  on  November  20,  1534,  in 
search  of  a  new  passage  to  tlie  East,  a  quest  which 
had  agitated  all  Europe  from  the  time  of  Columbus. 
He  reached  Newfoundland  on  May  10,  and  after 
exploring  the  coast  returned  to  France.  On  May  16, 
1536,  he  again  set  sail  for  America  with  three  ships, 
and  this  time,  passing  through  the  strait  of  Belle 
Isle,  anchored  on  August  9,  in  Pillage  bay,  which  on 
the  following  day  he  named  the  bay  of  St.  Lawrence. 
The  name  in  course  of  time  spread  to  the  gulf  and  to 
the  river.  Cartier  later  explored  parts  of  Canada 
bordering  on  the  bay,  in  search  of  a  mythical  land  of 
great  riches  called  by  the  Indians,  Saguenay.  He 
later  returned  to  France,  and  subsequently  made  two 
more  voyages  to  the  New  World.  He  died  at  St. 
Malo,  September  i,  1557.  Mr.  Cartier  numbers  among 
his  forebears  the  noted  Canadian  statesman,  Sir 
Georges  Etienne  Cartier  (1814-1873),  in  1S57  attorney- 
general  of  Lower  Canada,  and  from  1858  to  1S62 
prime  minister  of  Canada  with  Sir  John  MacDonald. 
He  favored  the  construction  of  railways  and  to  his 
energy    and    fearless    optimism    are    largely    due    the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


lOI 


eventual  success  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway,  and 
the  resolve  to  construct  the  Canadian  Pacific.  Sir 
George  E.  Carticr  was  instrumental  in  effecting  the 
confederation  of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada,  and  in 
bringing  about  harmonious  relations  between  the 
British  and   French. 

Michel    Cartier,    Sr.,    was    engaged    in    business    at 
Sutton   as   a   shoemaker  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
and  was  well  known  in  that  community.     The  child- 
hood  of   Michel    Napoleon    Cartier   was   spent   in   his 
native  place  and  as  a  lad  he  attended  the  local  public 
schools   and   later  those   of   Millbury,    Massachusetts. 
His   educational   opportunities,   however,   were   of  the 
slightest,   and   when   but   nine   years  of  age,  he  went 
to  work  to  assist  his  father  in  the  making  of  shoes. 
He   remained  thus  employed   until  he   had   completed 
his  fourteenth  year,  when  he  secured  a  position  in  a 
grocery    and    meat    establishment   at    Millbury,    Mass. 
He  remained  with  this  concern  until  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age,  after  which  he  went  to  Putman,  Conn., 
and    became    assistant    manager   of   the    Morse    Mills 
store   for  six   years.     He  then   spent  about   five  years 
in  travel  as  a  salesman  for  a  Boston  company  selling 
groceries  and  liquor,  w^holesale.     At  the  age  of  thirty- 
four,  Mr.  Cartier  engaged  in  the  general  store  busi- 
ness   for    two    years    at    Willi«msvillc,    Conn.,    after 
which    he    removed    to    Putnam,    in    the    same    State, 
where  he  spent  two  years  in  the  dry  goods  business. 
He  then  once  more  became  a  traveling  salesman  for  a 
concern    which    manufactured    roofing    materials    and 
here    learned    the    fundamentals    of    the    business    in 
which  he  has  since  been  engaged.     In  the  year  iiS94, 
when    forty   years   of   age,   possessing   at   that   time   a 
capital  of  but  $16.00,  he  opened  his  first  roofing  and 
building  material  store  at  No.  45  Smith  street.  Provi- 
dence, in  partnership  with  his  eldest  son  and  another 
helper.     He  was  very  successful  from  the  outset,  but 
after   a  time    removed   to   his   present   location.      His 
establishment    was   then    a    comparatively   small    one, 
but  it  has  grown  rapidly  to  its  present  great  propor- 
tions,  until  the   firm   of   Mr.    Cartier   &   Sons   became 
the  largest  dealers  in  roofing  materials  (not  including 
manufacturers)   in  the   United   States.     Some  idea  of 
the  magnitude  of  his  operations  may  be  gained  from 
the   fact   that   his   business   for   igi8,   which    owing   to 
war  conditions  was  a  poor  year,  amounted  to  some- 
thing in  excess  of  $400,000.     The  business  was  incor- 
porated in  the  year  1904  with  Mr.  Cartier  himself  as 
president  and  treasurer,  his   son   George    E.   Cartier, 
as    secretary    and    assistant    treasurer,    another    son, 
Louis  N.  Cartier,  as  vice-president,  another  son,  Jo- 
seph A.  Cartier,  as  second  vice-president,  and  a  fifth 
son,    Charles   A.    Cartier.   as   assistant   secretary.     At 
the    present    time    (1919)    Mr.    Cartier    employs    fifty 
hands  to  carry  on  his  work.     The  business  is  located 
at  291  Canal  street,  and  has  occupied  this  location  for 
the  past  tw-enty-four  years.     In  addition   to  this  mer- 
cantile   enterprise    the    company    is    engaged    in    the 
manufacture  of  the  famous  "lexonite"  plastic  asbestos 
roofing   compound,    and    several    types    of   waterproof 
paints  and  compounds.     They  manufacture  also  vari- 
ous  tools   used   by   roofers,   such   as   heating   kettles, 
roofer's  mops,  roofing  buckets,  gravel   roof  scoopers, 


gravel  spreaders,  tinner's  firepots,  kettle  dippers,  pour- 
ing dippers,  concrete  tampers  and  so  forth.  For  these 
various  articles  they  have  an  exceedingly  wide  market 
and  there  is  no  State  in  the  Union  in  wliich  their  goods 
are  not  sold. 

Mr.  Cartier  is  well  known  in  fraternal  and  social 
circles  in  Providence,  and  is  a  member  of  Palestine 
Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  past  treasurer  of  the 
grand  lodge  of  this  order  in  the  State,  having  served 
six  years  upon  his  resignation,  February  12,  1919. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  National  Association  of 
Roofers,  past  .president  of  the  Travelers'  Protective 
Association,  Rhode  Island  division,  and  a  member  of 
other  bodies.  In  politics  Mr.  Cartier  does  not 
acknowledge  any  partisan  afiiliations,  but  is  entirely 
independent  in  his  judgment  on  public  issues  and 
questions  generally.  Upon  his  65th  birthday,  Mr.  Car- 
tier  retired  from  active  business  life. 

Michel  Napoleon  Cartier  was  united  in  marriage  on 
April   9,    1875,   with    Ozilda   Tetreault,  a   daughter   of 

and    Alixis    (Josette)    Tetreault,    and    seven 

children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows: 
Henry  N.,  George  E.,  Louis  N.,  Joseph  A.,  Charles 
A.,  ail  of  whom  are  engaged  in  business  with  their 
father:  Ozilda,  and  Felix  D.,  both  deceased.  During 
the  whole  course  of  his  career  Mr.  Cartier  has  been 
closely  identified  with  the  industrial  and  financial 
growth  of  Providence,  and  has  been  one  of  the  most 
active  participants  therein,  whose  efforts  are  pri- 
marily directed  towards  the  advancement  of  the 
community  of  which  he  is  a  member.  He  is  pos- 
sessed of  unyielding  will  and  purpose,  and  has  brought 
these  strong  traits  to  bear  upon  the  enterprise  in 
which  he  is  engaged  with  the  inevitable  result  of  its 
great  prosperity.  His  unimpeachable  integrity  and 
rare  sense  of  justice  have  won  for  him  an  enviable 
reputation,  both  as  a  business  man  and  as  one  whose 
conduct  in  the  more  personal  relations  of  life  is 
above  reproach.  The  successes  achieved  by  Mr.  Car- 
tier  have  been  very  remarkable  in  degree,  and  indubit- 
ably the  result  of  uncommon  powers  of  will  and  intel- 
ligence. It  often  seems  in  the  case  of  such  men  that, 
with  their  restless  activity  and  the  quickness  with 
which  they  accomplish  their  results,  that  their  lives 
are  in  eflect  longer  than  that  of  the  average  man. 
Certainly  this  is  true,  if  time  is  to  be  measured  by 
events,  rather  than  in  figures  on  a  dial.  Not  a  moment 
of  Mr.  Cartier's  life  has  been  lost  or  wasted,  and  he 
has  realized  that  ideal  in  Longfellow's  poem,  becom- 
ing one  of  those  who  "While  their  companions  slept 
are  toiling  upwards  in  the  night." 


LE  GRAND  BLAKE.  M.  D.— One  of  the  leading 
physicians  of  Riverside,  R.  I.,  and  the  surrounding 
region,  is  Dr.  LeGrand  Blake,  who  has  one  of  the 
most  important  practices  in  the  community.  Dr. 
Blake  is  a  son  of  Elias  and  Mary  Ann  (.Adams) 
Blake,  the  former  having  been  a  prosperous  carpen- 
ter of  Franklin,  Mass.,  where  the  family  resided  for 
many  years. 

Dr.  Blake  was  born  at  Franklin,  November  11,  1854, 
and  there  received  the  elementary  portion  of  his  edu- 
cation.   It  had  not  been  intended  that  he  should  receive 


I02 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


a  college  course,  but  the  youth  was  exceedingly  ambi- 
tious and  determined  to  gain  one  for  himself.  With 
this  end  in  view  he  began  work  as  a  hatter,  which 
trade  he  learned  and  continued  in  this  occupation  until 
the  year  1890,  when  he  had  earned  a  sufficient  sum  to 
pay  his  way  through  college.  He  then  matriculated 
at  the  medical  department  of  Tufts  College,  having 
determined  upon  medicine  as  a  profession,  and  there 
made  an  excellent  record  for  himself  for  industry  and 
general  good  scholarship.  He  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1894,  receiving  his  medical  degree,  and  at 
once  began  tlie  practice  of  his  profession  in  Milford, 
Mass.  He  remained  for  about  eight  years  there, 
meeting  with  a  high  degree  of  success,  and  then  came 
in  1902  to  Riverside,  where  he  has  been  in  active  prac- 
tice ever  since.  He  has  established  an  enviable  repu- 
tation for  himself  for  his  ability  and  his  adherence  to 
the  highest  ethics  of  his  profession,  and  is  now  one 
of  the  most  prominent  figures  in  the  life  of  this  place. 
He  does  not  belong  to  a  church,  but  his  family  attend 
the  Episcopal  church  at  Riverside.  Dr.  Blake  is  a 
prominent  man  in  the  social  and  fraternal  circles  here, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons;  Warren  Chapter,  Royal  Arch 
Masons;  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star;  and  is  also 
affiliated  with  the  Betsey  Ross  Chapter.  Daughters 
of  Liberty  Grange,  and  is  a  fourth,  fifth  and  sixth 
degree  member.  For  sixteen  years  he  has  held  the 
position  of  local  medical  examiner  for  the  Metropol- 
itan Life  Insurance  Company,  and  has  also  served  in 
this  capacity  for  the  Hartford  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, the  North  Western  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, and  the  Connecticut  General  Life  Insurance 
Company. 

Dr.  Blake  married  (first),  January  i,  1877,  Ellen 
Burns.  He  married  (second),  Marcli  5,  1906,  in  Prov- 
idence, Nancy  E.  Parker,  a  daughter  of  Roswell  P.  and 
Helen  Parker.  The  Parkers  were  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  West  Medway,  Mass. 


CHARLIE  HARRISON  ARNOLD,  now  a  mer- 
chant of  tlie  town  of  Greene,  reviews  an  active  busi- 
ness life  as  mill  worker,  mercantile  clerk  and  pro- 
prietor, his  activity  beginning  at  an  early  age.  He  is 
a  descendant  of  the  ancient  and  honorable  Arnold 
family  of  Rhode  Island,  a  family  that  has  been  prom- 
inent in  Rhode  Island  since  the  coming  of  William 
Arnold  to  Providence  in  the  spring  of  1636.  This 
branch  of  the  family  moved  to  the  State  of  Illinois, 
where  William  Henry  Arnold  was  born  and  spent  his 
early  life,  but  later  he  came  to  the  Hope  Valley  of 
Rhode  Island.  He  studied  for  the  ministry  of  the 
First  Day  Adventist  church,  conducting  farming  oper- 
ations at  the  same  time  but  in  a  small  way.  He  mar- 
ried Almira  N.  Greene,  daughter  of  Randall  and  Nancy 
(Richmond)  Greene.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arnold  are  liv- 
ing at  the  home  of  their  son  Charlie  H.,  the  father 
now  aged  seventy-nine  years. 

Charlie  Harrison  Arnold,  son  of  William  Henry 
and  Almira  N.  (Greene)  Arnold,  was  born  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Barberville,  town  of  Hopkinton,  R.  I.,  Febru- 
ary 27,  1875.  He  spent  his  youth  in  the  village  of  his 
birth,  and  secured  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
there  and  at  Wyoming,  another  village  of  the  Hope 


Valley.  His  first  employment  was  in  the  cotton  mill 
owned  by  A.  T.  Crandall  in  Barberville,  that  position 
being  followed  by  a  term  in  the  Arcadia  Mill  as  a 
weaver.  This  completed  his  experience  as  a  mill 
worker,  his  next  employment  being  as  a  grocer's 
clerk  in  Arcadia.  From  Arcadia  he  went  to  Arling- 
ton, R.  I.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  same  business  for 
five  years.  The  following  seven  years  were  spent  in 
Providence,  R.  I.,  with  the  mercantile  firm  of  Bed- 
ford &  Browning.  He  began  business  for  himself  in 
F.scoheag,  about  1910,  buying  out  an  established  groc- 
ery business.  He  was  appointed  postmaster  of  the 
village  the  same  year,  and  there  continued  in  suc- 
cessful business  until  1913,  when  he  sold  out  and 
moved  to  Greene  in  the  town  of  Coventry.  There  in 
1915  he  bought  the  store  business  wliich  had  been 
founded  fifty  years  earlier.  Mr.  Arnold  has  developed 
a  successful  business  at  the  old  stand,  and  is  one  of 
the  substantial  men  of  his  village.  He  has  repeatedly 
declined  political  office,  but  is  an  ardent  believer  in 
Prohibition  and  interested  in  the  success  of  the  party 
which  makes  it  their  chief  plank.  He  is  an  active, 
useful  member  of  Greene  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
He  is  a  good  business  man,  very  attentive  to  all  his 
interests,  upright  and  honorable  in  his  dealings  and 
highly  esteemed. 

He  married  Alberta  H.  Barber,  daughter  of  Albert 
T.  and  Emma  (Wright)  Barber,  of  Escoheag,  R.  I. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arnold  are  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Mildred  P.,  Lester  W.  and  Albert  B. 


GRAYDON  BROWN  SMITH,  M.  D.— From  the 
earliest  settlement  of  Rhode  Island,  Smiths  have  been 
associated  with  its  history.  John  Smith  coming  with 
Roger  Williams,  and  through  his  occupation  gaining 
the  distinctive  name.  John  Smith  "The  Miller."  A 
descendant,  Jefferson  Smith,  married  Ellen,  a  daughter 
ol  Chad  Brown,  and  their  son.  Rev.  Brown  E.  Smith, 
a  Baptist  minister,  served  Rhode  Island  churches  for 
many  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Roger  Wil- 
liams Society,  tracing  descent  from  the  founder  of 
Providence,  in  the  eleventh  generation.  Rev.  Brown 
F.  Smith  married  Harriet  Wright  Haskins,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of :  Graydon  Brown  Smith,  M.  D.,  of 
Quidnick,  R.  I.,  and  Pearl  G.  Smith,  who  resides  with 
her  mother.  Rev.  Brown  E.  Smith  died  October  9,  IQ16; 
Mrs.  Smith  now  resides  in  Providence. 

Graydon  Brown  Smith  was  born  in  Providence,  R. 
I.,  August  4,  1891.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  necessarily  in  different  towns,  as  his  father 
accepted  calls  from  churches  needing  him,  and  while 
at  Wickford,  R.  I.,  Dr.  Smith  completed  his  high 
school  education,  graduating  with  the  class  of  191 1. 
The  next  four  years  were  spent  as  a  student  at  Hahne- 
mann Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  whence  he 
was  graduated  M.  D.,  class  of  1915.  He  served  as 
interne  at  Pennsylvania  Hospital  in  Philadelphia,  one 
year,  then  began  the  private  practice  of  medicine  in 
Providence,  R.  I.,  opening  offices  at  No.  422  Cranston 
street,  ■  there  remaining  eighteen  months.  In  April, 
1917,  he  located  at  Quidnick,  R.  I.,  where  he  has 
established  a  growing  clientele.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Kent  County  Medical  Society,  the  Rhode  Island 
Homoeopathic    Medical    Society,    the    Rhode    Island 


i^arolD  H.  £0aDi6on 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ici 


State  Medical  Society,  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows. 

Dr.  Smith  married.  June  28,  1916,  Myrtle  L.  Um- 
phrey,  daughter  of  .\rthur  E.  and  Betty  Umphrey,  of 
Washburn,  Me. 


HAROLD  LESTER  MADISON— Madisons  have 
figured  pruminently  in  American  affairs  since  the  close 
ot  the  seventeenth  century.  New  England  has  been 
the  home  of  several  distinguished  branches  of  the 
family  for  two  and  a  half  centuries.  The  Rliode  Island 
Madisons,  represented  in  the  present  generation  by 
several  men  prominent  in  business,  professional  and 
public  life,  have  long  ranked  among  the  foremost 
families  of  the  State.  Harold  Lester  Madison,  curator 
of  Roger  Williams  Park  Museum,  and  editor  and 
authority  on  natural  and  allied  sciences,  is  a  member 
of  the  old  Rhode  Island  Madison  family,  and  the 
descendant  on  both  paternal  and  maternal  sides  of 
several  of  the  oldest  of  New  England  families. 

Mr.  Madison  was  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  Septem- 
ber 22,  1878,  son  of  George  Warren  and  Fannie  Louise 
(Spink)  Madison.  George  Warren  Madison,  son  of 
Joseph  Warren  Madison,  has  been  active  in  public 
life  in  the  State,  and  is  at  present  a  member  of  the 
Upper  House  of  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature;  he  is 
also  an  expert  agriculturist  and  for  many  years  has 
supervised  large  estates.  He  married  Fannie  Louise 
Spink,  of  an  old  Rhode  Island  family,  a  descendant 
of  Robert  Spink,  founder  of  the  family  in  .'\merica, 
who  was  born  in  England  in  1615,  and  sailed  from 
London  in  1635.  He  was  a  resident  of  Newport  and 
Portsmouth,  and  in  1665  settled  in  Kingstown,  where 
his  descendants  have  since  resided.  A  review  of  the 
family  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Harold  Lester  Madison  was  educated  in  the  best 
scientific  schools  of  the  country,  receiving  the  first  rud- 
iments in  the  democratic  surroimdings  of  the  district 
schools  of  Warwick.  He  ne.xt  attended  the  East 
Greenwich  Academy,  where  he  took  the  scientific 
course.  Graduating  in  1897,  he  matriculated  at  Brown 
University,  where  he  began  his  studies  for  a  Ph.  B. 
degree,  which  he  received  in  1901.  After  graduation 
he  continued  his  studies  in  biology  at  the  university 
for  the  A.  M.  degree,  which  he  received  in  igo2.  His 
work  as  a  student  and  instructor  (appointed  January, 
1905)  at  Brown  University  lasted  until  June,  1905,  and 
ht  financed  in  a  large  measure  his  expenses  as  a 
student. 

This  e.xperience  as  an  instructor  opened  up  to  him 
an  interesting  and  absorbing  career,  and  revealed 
the  work  for  which  he  was  best  fitted  by  nature  and 
acquirements.  In  1905,  Mr.  Madison  accepted  the 
chair  of  biologj'  at  the  Southwestern  Baptist  Univer- 
sity, now  Union  University,  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  for 
three  years  was  a  member  of  the  staff  of  the  college. 
On  June  15,  1908,  he  was  appointed  curator  of  the 
museum  at  Roger  W'illiams  Park,  in  Providence.  His 
work  here  has  been  constructive  and  most  valuable. 
He  has  enlarged  the  scope  of  usefulness  of  the  insti- 
tution, and  with  his  democratic  outlook  has  it  serve 
the  masses  of  the  community  as  well  as  the  students  of 
science.  To  this  end  he  publishes  six  times  a  year 
the   "Park  Museum    Bulletin,"   which    is   full   of   very 


interesting  and  vital  material.  In  1916,  Mr.  Madison 
was  elected  councilor  of  the  American  Association  of 
Museums,  and  in  1917  became  editor  of  the  "Museum 
News  Letter"  for  this  association.  In  January,  1918, 
he  was  appointed  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  the 
secretary  of  the  association,  who  had  resigned.  In 
May,  1918,  he  was  elected  secretary  of  the  association 
and  editor  of  a  new  publication  museum  work,  includ- 
ing the  proceedings  of  the  American  .Association  of 
Museums.  The  publication  of  the  '"Museum  News  Let- 
ter" was  discontinued.  From  1914  to  1917  he  was 
president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Fields  Naturalist  Club. 
Since  191 1  he  has  been  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Audubon  Society  of  Rhode  Island.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  -American'  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science,  of  the  American  Ornithological  Union,  the 
National  Geographical  Society,  the  Cooper  Ornitho- 
logical Club,  and  of  the  Rhode  Island  Horticultural 
Society,  of  the  latter  of  which  he  was  treasurer  for 
five  years.  He  was  "director  of  exhibits"  of  the 
United  States  Food  Administration  for  Rhode  Island 
in  1918.  Mr.  Madison  is  a  member  of  King  Solomon 
Lodge,  No.  II,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
and  in  politics  is  an  Independent  Republican.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  People's  Baptist  Church  of  .\uburn, 
R.  I.,  and  was  president  in  1918.  He  has  been  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday  school  since  1909,  was  at  one 
time  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees,  and  is  now  a 
deacon. 

On  August  20,  1905,  Mr.  Madison  married,  at  Block 
Island,  Florence  .Mberta  Ball.  Their  children  are: 
Mary  Frances,  born  .Aug.  23,  1907;  Harold  Lester,  Jr., 
born  May  4,  1908:  Hope  Brown,  born  May  26.  191 1. 


ARTHUR  ABBOT  THOMAS,  one  of  the  leading 
attorneys  of  Providence,  and  a  member  of  the  City 
Council,  is  a  native  of  this  city,  where  his  birth  oc- 
curred June  13,  1878.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  Lloyd 
and  Sarah  Sophia  (Barstow)  Thomas,  both  of  whom 
are  now  deceased.  Charles  Lloyd  Thomas  was  born 
in  Galena.  111.,  having  been  educated  there  in  his  early 
childhood,  and  then  at  Hopkins  Grammar  School,  New 
Haven,  graduating  from  Yale  in  the  famous  class  of 
1853.  After  three  years  of  teaching  in  Louisiana,  he 
studied  law  in  Chicago,  becoming  a  partner  in  the 
firm  of  Smith,  Farwell  &  Thomas.  He  came  East  in 
1861,  and  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Taylor, 
Symonds  &  Company,  with  which  firm  he  was  asso- 
ciated until  his  death.  Sarah  Sophia  (Barstow) 
Thomas  was  a  daughter  of  Amos  Chafee  and  Emel- 
ine  Eames  Barstow.  Her  father,  Mr.  Barstow,  served 
the  city  as  mayor  in  1853-54. 

.Arthur  Abbot  Thomas  was  educated  in  the  English 
and  Classical  School,  with  two  years  in  the  Classical 
High  School,  and  three  years  in  Phillip's  .Academy, 
Andover,  Mass.,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college, 
and  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1897.  He  then 
matriculated  at  Yale  University,  where  he  took  the 
usual  academic  course  and  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1901,  taking  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
He  had  already  determined  to  follow  law  as  his  pro- 
fession, and  with  this  end  in  view  entered  the  law 
school  of  Harvard  University,  taking  the  usual  three 
years'  course,  and  being  graduated  in   1904  with   the 


I04 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


degree  of  LL.  B.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode 
Island  bar  January  5,  1905,  and  since  that  time  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  general  practice  here.  After 
six  months  as  a  student  in  the  office  of  Edwards  & 
Angell,  he  became  associated  with  the  firm  of  Tilling- 
hast  &  Tillinghast,  with  which  he  was  identified  until 
an  illness  necessitated  his  absence  from  the  city,  and 
took  him  out  of  active  practice  for  fourteen  months. 
On  his  return  he  became  associated  with  Charles  E. 
Salisbury  and  Percy  W.  Gardner.  In  1912  he  became 
associated  with  Cyrus  M.  Van  Slyck,  and  after  the 
death  of  the  latter,  continued  with  those  in  the  office, 
at  present  being  associated  with  Frederick  A.  Jones, 
though  there  is  no  partnership.  Recently  he  became 
identified  with  city  politics,  having  been  elected  in 
November,  1918,  to  the  city  council  from  the  Second 
Ward,  and  besides  serving  on  that  body,  is  a  member 
of  its  committees  on  pensions  and  ordinances. 

In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Thomas  is  an  Episcopal- 
ian, and  is  very  active  in  the  parish  of  St.  John's,  hav- 
ing attended  that  church  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
h  also  vestryman  of  St.  John's  Church  and  secretary 
of  the  same.  He  is  secretary  of  St.  Andrew's  Indus- 
trial School,  an  important  charitable  institution  of  the 
State;  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  oi 
Providence  Lying-in  Hospital;  Providence  Boys'  Club; 
Society  of  Organizing  Charities;  Young  Men's  Christ- 
ian Association  and  board  of  trustees  of  the  Young 
Women's  Christian  .\ssociation.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Yale  Association  of  Rhode  Island  and  holds 
the  post  of  secretary-treasurer  thereof;  a  member  of 
the  Hope  and  Agawam  clubs  of  this  city;  and  a  direc- 
tor of  several  business  corporations.  During  the  war 
he  was  government  appeal  agent  of  Ward  Two,  and  a 
member  of  the  commercial  economy  board  under  the 
State  Council  of  National  Defense. 

Arthur  Abbot  Thomas  was  married,  June  i,  1910, 
to  Pauline  de  W'eale  Bartlett,  of  Easton,  Md.,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  C.  Bartlett  and  Matilda  Jane  Bartlett,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  that  city.  Two 
children  have  been  born  of  this  union:  Jane  Bartlett, 
and  Barbara  Ann. 


HARRY  ALEXANDER  MANCHESTER,  M.  D., 

one  of  the  most  popular  and  successful  physicians  of 
Saylesville,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Portsmouth,  this 
State,  born  June  20,  1877,  He  is  a  son  of  Oscar  Con- 
stant and  Ruth  (Manchester)  Manchester,  highly 
respected  residents  of  that  place,  where  they  still  re- 
side. Oscar  Constant  Manchester  has  been  for  many 
years  engaged  in  a  mercantile  business  at  Portsmouth, 
where  he  operates  a  prosperous  store.  His  marriage 
to  Ruth  Manchester,  who  was  no  relative  of  his,  oc- 
curred February  22,  1876. 

The  childhood  of  Dr.  Manchester  was  passed  in 
his  native  town  of  Portsmouth,  where  he  attended  the 
local  public  schools  and  thus  obtained  the  elementary 
portion  of  his  education.  Upon  completing  his  studies 
at  these  institutions,  he  was  given  a  position  in  his 
father's  store,  and  worked  there  for  a  time.  While 
thus  occupied,  however,  a  physician  came  to  the  place 
and  rapidly  gained  a  large  practice  there.  Seeing  the 
success  of  this  man,  young  Mr.  Manchester  decided  to 
enter  this  profession  and  to  this  end  took  private  tui- 


tion under  Everett  Durphy,  of  Fall  River,  Mass.  Dr. 
Manchester  afterwards  went  to  New  York  City,  where 
he  entered  the  New  York  Preparatory  School  on 
Forty-Second  street,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1895. 
He  then  entered  the  Long  Island  Hospital  Medical 
School,  where  he  took  the  regular  course  in  medicine 
and  graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in  i8og.  He 
then  returned  to  Rhode  Island  and  in  1900  began  the 
general  practice  of  his  profession  at  Saylesville,  where 
he  has  remained  ever  since.  He  now  enjoys  a  large 
practice  here.  Dr.  Manchester  is  a  Congregationalist 
in  his  religious  belief  and  attends  the  Sayles  Memor- 
ial Church  at  this  place,  although  not  a  member  of  the 
congregation.  He  is  a  member  of  Eureka  Lodge, 
No.  22,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  of  Lime 
Rock  Grange,  the  Pawtucket  Medical  Society,  the 
Rhode  Island  State  Medical  Association,  and  the 
American  Medical  Association.  He  has  been  keenly 
interested  in  the  fire  department  of  this  town,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Saylesville  Firemens'  .Association. 

Dr.  Manchester  married,  March  7,  1900,  at  Ports- 
mouth. Idella  Harney,  an  old  schoolmate  of  his.  They 
have  one  child,  Fannie  Katherine,  born  September  26, 
1902.  She  is  now  a  student  at  the  Pawtucket  High 
School.  Dr.  Manchester  is  the  only  surviving  mem- 
ber of  the  three  children  born  to  his  parents,  two 
brothers  having  died  in  early  youth.  His  father  was 
for  many  years  postmaster  of  Portsmouth  and  still 
resides  there,  as  does  his  wife;  his  aged  mother,  who 
had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years 
when  she  died,  November  8,  1918,  was  also  a  resident 
of  Portsmouth. 


HENRY  F.  WOODMANSEE,  a  retired  business 
man  of  Wyoming,  R.  I.,  and  a  prominent  figure  in 
the  general  life  of  this  community,  is  a  native  of 
Wyoming,  and  was  born  on  the  old  family  homestead 
here,  August  2.  1844.  He  is  a  son  of  Abner  M.  and 
Eliza  (Boss)  Woodmansee,  the  former  a  tailor  by 
trade  who  carried  on  his  business  in  this  village  until 
his  retirement  from  active  life,  when  he  made  his 
home  with  his  son,  Henry  F.  Woodmansee.  The  elder 
Mr.  Woodmansee  conducted  his  business  in  Wyoming, 
R.  I.  He  was  born  May  28,  1812,  and  died  March  29, 
1881.  Mrs.  Woodmansee  died  June  4,  1852.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Abner  M.  Woodmansee  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Abner  L.,  born  April  21,  1842, 
died  Sept.  21,  1843;  Henry  F.,  of  whom  further;  Lafay- 
ette Greene,  born  July  17,  1847,  a  resident  of  Provi- 
dence, an  employee  of  Brown  &  Sharpe;  Lemira 
Frances,  born  Dec,  1849,  of  California. 

The  childhood  of  Henry  F.  Woodmansee  was  spent 
in  his  father's  home  and  he  worked  at  an  early  age  in 
a  local  cotton  mill,  where  he  remained  until  his  seven- 
teenth year.  It  was  at  that  time  that  the  Civil  War 
broke  out  and  the  young  man  responded  to  the  call  of 
Lincoln  and  enlisted  in  Battery  A,  Third  Rhode  Island 
Heavy  .Artillery  in  the  L^nion  Army.  This  battery 
was  ordered  to  South  Carolina  and  became  a  part  of 
the  Third  Regiment,  Rhode  Island  Heavy  .Artillery. 
As  a  member  of  that  battery,  he  participated  in  many 
of  the  great  engagements  of  the  war,  including  the 
battles  of  James  Island,  Secessionville,  Morris  Island, 
Charleston    and    Savannah   Railroad,   and   Honey   Hill, 


CX^-Ai..^  o^  ^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


loq 


and  the  siege  of  Charleston  and  Fort  Suinpter.  In 
the  battle  of  Honey  Hill,  while  acting  as  a  mounted 
orderly,  Mr.  Woodmansce  had  his  horse  killed  under 
him,  but  was  himself  unwounded.  At  the  close  of 
hostilities,  Mr.  Woodmansee  received  his  honorable 
discharge,  on  his  twenty-first  birthday,  August  2,  1865. 
Returning  to  the  North,  he  resumed  his  interrupted 
career,  and  made  his  home  on  the  old  family  home- 
stead, where  he  continues  to  reside  at  the  present 
time.    Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Woodmansee  has  been  very  prominent  in  the 
life  of  this  place  and  has  been  a  member  of  many 
public  and  fraternal  organizations  here,  and  served  in 
numerous  public  offices  in  the  town  of  Richmond.  He 
was  chosen  moderator  as  many  as  twenty-six  times, 
and  served  for  twenty-five  times  on  the  town  council 
and  was  president  of  that  body  for  eighteen  years.  In 
the  year  igo6  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  com- 
munity in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  and  con- 
tinued to  do  so  until  1909.  In  Xovember,  1918.  he 
was  again  elected  to  represent  the  town  of  Richmond 
in  the  General  .'\ssembly.  He  is  at  the  present  time 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Tax  Assessors  of  Richmond. 
He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Lincoln  Post,  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  and  is  now  a  member  of  Burn- 
side  Post,  Grand  .\rmy  of  the  Republic,  of  Shannock, 
R.  I.  In  the  year  1877  Mr.  Woodmansee  became  a 
member  of  Mechanics  Lodge,  No.  14.  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  has  been  past  noble  grand 
of  that  body  since  1880.  In  the  year  1896  he  was 
appointed  postmaster  of  Wyoming,  but  in  1906,  upon 
his  election  to  the  assembly,  resigned  from  that  post, 
being  succeeded  therein  by  his  wife,  who  continued  to 
hold  it  until  191 5.  Mr.  Woodmansee  was  employed  in 
the  machine  shop  of  the  Nichols  &  Langworthy  Ma- 
chine Company,  but  several  years  ago  retired  from 
active  business. 

Henry  F.  W'oodmansee  was  united  in  marriage  on 
February  10,  1867,  with  Lovina  J.  James,  of  Exeter, 
a  daughter  of  Simeon  and  Elizabeth  (James)  James, 
of  that  place.  Of  this  union  one  child  has  been  born, 
Bernis  L.  Woodmansee,  on  April  15,  1868.  Mr. 
Woodmansee,  Jr.,  attended  the  village  schools  of 
Wyoming,  and  later  the  Eastman  Business  College,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  After  completing  his  studies 
he  was  employed  in  the  Carolina  Mills  store  for  a  time 
and  about  1895  went  to  Providence,  where  he  estab- 
lished a  market  on  Cranston  street.  He  remained  in 
this  business  for  about  eighteen  months,  when  he  sold 
out  and  became  associated  with  the  Providence  branch 
of  the  Nelson  Morris  Provision  Company.  After 
three  years  with  this  company  he  went  with  the  Indus- 
trial Trust  Company  and  has  been  connected  there- 
with for  the  past  eighteen  years.  Bernis  L.  Wood- 
mansee married,  in  1890,  Clara  J.  Burdick,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  J.  Burdick,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three 
children  as  follows:  Sadie  Bernadcta,  died  at  age  of 
six;  Clarence  Henry,  a  graduate  of  Brown  Univer- 
sity, served  as  a  second-lieutenant  with  the  Two  Hun- 
dred and  Thirteenth  Regiment  of  Engineers;  Hazel 
Marie,  a  student  in  the  Classical  High  School,  of  Prov- 
idence. 


There  is  no  citizen  of  Wyoming  more  highly  re- 
spected and  esteemed  than  Mr.  Woodmansce,  who 
enjoys  a  reputation  for  integrity  and  square  dealing, 
second  to  none.  Not  long  ago  he  and  his  wife  cele- 
brated their  golden  wedding,  many  of  their  friends  in 
this  and  the  surrounding  communities  coming  to  the 
Woodmansee  home  to  offer  their  congratulations. 
Among  these  was  a  delegation  from  Mechanics  Lodge, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  which  presented 
Mr.  Woodmansee  with  a  veteran  Odd  Fellows  jewel, 
on  which  were  engraved  the  figures  "40,"  he  having 
been  a  member  of  the  order  for  forty  years. 


IRA  LLOYD  LETTS— .'\mong  the  well  known 
attorneys  of  Prnvidcnci-.  R.  I.,  should  be  numbered  Ira 
Lloyd  Letts,  who  has  practised  in  this  city  but  a  com- 
paratively short  time,  and  has  already  made  a  place  for 
himself  in  the  profession  of  the  law  and  won  the  con- 
fidence of  his  professional  colleagues.  Mr.  Letts  is  a 
native  of  Cortland,  X.  Y.,  where  he  was  born  May 
29,  1889,  a  son  of  George  J.  and  Emma  (Slater)  Letts. 
The  elder  Mr.  Letts  was  a  farmer  for  many  years  and 
still  continues  to  attend  to  some  of  his  farming  inter- 
ests, although  he  now  lives  in  semi-retirement  with  his 
wife  at  Moravia.  N.  Y.  Mrs.  Letts,  Sr..  is  a  member 
of  an  old  Connecticut  family.  While  still  very  young, 
Mr.  Letts'  parents  removed  to  Moravia,  and  it  was  at 
that  place  that  his  childhood  was  principally  spent  and 
there  that  he  attended  the  local  public  schools  He 
was  graduated  from  the  Moravia  High  School  in  1906, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1907  entered  the  State  Normal 
School  at  Cortland,  N.  Y.,  graduating  from  that  in- 
stitution two  years  later.  He  then  entered  Brown 
University,  at  Providence,  and  graduated  in  the  year 
1913  with  the  degree  of  Ph.  B.  The  following  year, 
he  gained  the  degree  of  M.  .'\.  from  the  same  univer- 
sity, and  then  entered  the  law  school  in  connection 
with  Columbia  University,  of  New  York  City.  From 
this  institution  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1916, 
receiving  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  Coming  to  Rhode 
Island  early  in  the  year  1917,  he  passed  the  Rhode 
Island  bar  examinations  and  at  once  opened  his  office 
in  the  Industrial  Trust  building,  where  he  is  now 
situated.  During  his  college  career  he  was  very  prom- 
inent in  the  life  of  the  various  institutions  which  he 
attended,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Theta  Nu  Epsilon, 
the  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon.  and  the  Delta  Sigma  Rho 
fraternities.  He  was  chairman  of  the  national  conven- 
tion of  the  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon  fraternity  in  1912.  He 
was  president  of  the  senior  class  of  Brown  University 
in  1013,  president  of  the  debating  club  of  that  college, 
chairman  of  the  athletic  association,  and  president  of 
the  Sphinx  Club  there.  While  in  the  Columbia  Law 
School,  he  was  on  the  board  of  editors  of  the  Colum- 
bia Law  Review,  and  has  served  as  treasurer  of  the 
Brown  University  Club  of  New  York  City.  His 
scholarship  was  of  a  remarkable  order  and  he  won 
many  honors,  taking  at  Brown  the  Hicks  prize,  for 
three  consecutive  years,  the  Hicks  interclass  prize 
during  his  junior  year  and  the  Carpenter  prize  in  that 
same  year.  At  the  present  time  he  serves  on  the  ex- 
ecutive board  of  the  Brown  Club.     He  is  also  a  mem- 


io6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ber  of  the  East  Side  Tennis  Club,  the  Noon-Dny  Club, 
and  a  number  of  art  clubs  in  Providence.  In  his 
religious  belief  Mr.  Letts  is  a  Congregationalist. 

Ira  Lloyd  Letts  was  united  in  marriage  on  December 
20,  191 7,  at  Providence,  with  Madeleine  H.  Greene,  a 
native  of  Central  Falls,  and  a  daughter  of  Edward  A. 
and  Annie  H.  Greene.  One  child  was  born  of  this 
union,  Barbara  Slater  Letts,  on  Christmas  Day,  1918. 


ALVAH   HENRY   BARNES,  M.   D.— .\t  his   fine 
summer  home  on  the  Bay,  Dr.  Barnes  lays  aside  pro- 
fessional cares  and  enjoys  the  domestic  side  of  life  to 
the  full.     He  is  a  man  of  quiet  tastes  and  life,  one  of 
whom  home  is  the  great  joy  of  life,  but  alas,  is  eminent 
in  a  profession  which  acknowledges  no  devotees  with 
a  divided  interest,  hence  home  joys  are  denied  those 
who  have  won  public  confidence  as  physicians  of  skill 
and  honor.    This  class  includes  Dr.  Barnes  who,  since 
the  year  1900,  has  been  a  practitioner  of  Providence, 
where  he  has  a  large  and  important  clientele.    He  is  a 
son  of  Frederick  John  and  Mary  J.   (Higgins)   Barnes, 
the    former    for    many   years    a    master    mechanic    of 
woolen  mills,  now  deceased,  the  latter  yet  a  resident 
of  Providence,  an  honored  guest  at  the  home  of  her 
son.  Dr.  Alvah  H.  Barnes,  of  No.  449  Plainfield  street. 
Alvah  Henry  Barnes  was  born  in  Worcester,  Mass., 
May  27,   1873,   and   there   attended   public   school   until 
completing  the  high  school  course.    After  leaving  school 
he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  a  hardware  store,  but  as 
soon  as  able  financially,  he  completed  his  English  edu- 
cation.     Medicine    was    a    favored    profession    in    the 
Barnes  family,  seven  of  the  ancestors  of  Alvah  H.  hav- 
ing been  physicians.     This  fact,  perhaps,  influenced  the 
young  man.   and  as   soon   as   possible   he  arranged   for 
the  financing  of  a  medical  education.    He  finally  entered 
the  Medico-Chirugical  Medical  College,  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  in  the  year  igoo,  he 
was  graduated  M.  D.    He  at  once  located  in  Providence. 
R.   I.,   and   began  the   task   of   building   up   a   practice. 
The  years  have  bro\!ght  him  the  honors  and  reward  of 
his  profession,  and  he  ministers  to  a  large  clientele.    He 
is    a    member    of    the    American    Medical    .Association, 
Rhode  Island   State  and   Providence   Medical   societies, 
and  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  brethren  of  the  profes- 
sion.   Dr.  Barnes  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  the 
Independent    Order    of    Odd    Fellows,    past    chancellor 
commander  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  member  of  the 
Uniform  Rank,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  a  member  of 
the   Rhode   Island   Grand   Lodge,    Knights   of   Pythias. 
He  is   a   trustee  of   the   Plainfield   Street   Free   Baptist 
Church,  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  wholly  devoted 
to    his    profession    to   the    exclusion    of   all    desire    for 
political  office. 

Dr.  Barnes  married,  in  Providence,  June  12,  1000, 
.'Mice  E.  Curtis,  of  Worcester,  Mass.  They  are  the 
parents  of  two  daughters  and  a  son :  Dorothy  Ger- 
trude, born  Aug.  12,  1902;  Marjorie  Paine,  Dec.  10, 
1907;  and  Alvah  Henry  (2),  Aug.  23,  igog. 


He  gained  his  education  in  both  public  and  private 
schools  of  Harrisville,  going  later  to  the  preparatory 
school  for  Boston  College.  He  was  also  for  three  years 
at  the  preparatory  school  of  the  Holy  Cross.  He  then 
went  for  two  years  to  St.  Joseph's  College,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1909  with  tiie  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Arts.  He  had  decided  by  the  time  he  left  college 
that  he  would  choose  a  legal  career,  and  therefore  began 
his  preparation  for  the  profession  in  the  law  office  of  a 
practising  attorney,  where  most  of  the  work  was  of  an 
extremely  practical  character.  He  also  spent  one  year  in 
the  New  York  Law  School.  In  1914.  having  passed 
his  examinations,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Rhode 
Island  and  has  been  engaged  in  professional  work  ever 
since  that  time.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
views,  and  has  served  as  moderator  of  Harrisville  for 
a  term  of  two  years,  but  does  not  take  a  very  active 
part  in  party  politics.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  He  has  one  brother,  Thomas  F. 
Smith,  who  lives  also  in  Providence,  and  two  sisters, 
Ellen  M.,  and  Rosemary  L.,  also  of  Providence,  R.  I. 


JAMES    E.    LAWRENCE    SMITH— Among    the 

young  practising  lawyers  of  Providence  is  James  E. 
Lawrence  Smith,  who  was  bom  at  Harrisville.  R.  I.,  in 
December,  1886,  the  son  of  Terence  J.  and  Ellen 
(Leoby)  Smith. 


WILLIAM  RANA  FORTIN,  one  of  the  success- 
ful merchants  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I,,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  the  drug  business  on  a  large  scale,  and  closely  iden- 
tified   with   the   general   life    of    this    community,    is    a 
native  of  Vergennes.  Vt.,  where  he  was  born  August 
26,    1880.     Mr.    Fortin   is   a   son    of    Rana   and   Alzine 
(^lonast)   Fortin,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
that  place.     Mr.  Fortin's  early  life  was  spent  at  Central 
Falls,  R.  I.,  to  which  place  his  parents  removed  when 
he  was  a  small  child,  and  it  was  here  that  he  gained 
his  early  education,  attending  for  that  purpose  the  local 
public   schools.     L^pon   completing  his   studies   at  these 
institutions,   Mr.  Fortin  entered  the  employ  of  a   local 
pharmacist,   and  there  learned  the   drug  business.     He 
was  registered  as  a  drug  clerk  in  1890,  and  in  October, 
of  that  year,  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account, 
starting  a  small  drug  store  at  his  present  location.  No. 
640    Broadway,    Pawtucket.      His    business    has    grown 
rapidly,  and   at   the  present   time  he  owns  one   of  the 
largest  and  most  up-to-date  establishments  of  its  kind 
in  the  city.     The  success  that  he  has  met  with  has  been 
due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts,  and  he  may  be  regarded 
as  a  self-made  man  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term.     Afr. 
Fortin's   residence  is  at  No.  6  Webster  street,   in  this 
city,  and  here  makes  his  home.     In  addition  to  his  busi- 
ness success,  Mr.  Fortin  has  also  taken  a  leading  part 
in  public  affairs  here,  and  has  also  been  active  in  social 
and  club  life.     He  is  intensely  fond  of  the  sports  and 
pastimes  connected  with  open  air  life.     Mr.  Fortin  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Rhode  Island 
College   of   Pharmacy,   and  has  taken   a  great   deal  of 
interest    in    developing    and    making    more    useful    this 
highly  important  institution.    From  1006  to  191 1  he  acted 
as  milk  inspector  for  the  city  of   Pawtucket.     In   1911 
Mr.  Fortin  was  elected  to  represent  District  No.  i,  city 
of   Pawtucket,   in  the   State  Legislature,   and  has   con- 
tinued to  serve  as  a  member  of  that  body  ever  since. 
He  is  chairman  of  the  House  Committee  on   Judiciary, 
and  also  is  the  Republican  floor  leader.     He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Montcalm  Council.  No.  46,  Society  of  St.  Jean 
de  Baptiste,  Pawtucket.     He  is  a  member  of  Pawtucket 
Lodge,    No.   920,   Benevolent   and   Protective   Order  of 
Elks,   and   Ossemequin   Lodge,    Independent   Order   of 


\jm\j 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


107 


Red  Men.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Fortin  is  a  Roman 
Catholic,  and  attends  the  church  of  Our  Lady  of  Con- 
solation at  this  place. 

William  Rana  Fortin  was  united  in  marriage,  .April 
i^.  1903,  at  Pawtucket,  with  Delia  Masse,  of  this  city, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Sophia  (Breault")  Masse,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  here.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fortin  the  following  children  have  been  born :  Rhea, 
born  March  2,  1904,  and  now  a  pupil  at  the  local  high 
school;  William  E.,  born  Dec.  29,  1912;  .\nita,  born 
Tan.  10.  ](}\-. 


WILLIAM  BURT  SHEPARD,  B.  S.,  D.  O.,  one 

of  the  most  successful  and  prominent  osteopaths  of 
Providence  and  Wickford,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  Hills- 
dale, Mich.,  where  his  birth  occurred  April  20,  1884. 
Dr.  Shepard  is  a  son  of  William  Pcnn  and  Lydia 
(Brown)  Shepard,  the  former  deceased  and  the  latter 
still  a  resident  of  Michigan.  William  Penn  Shepard 
was  for  many  years  a  manufacturer  of  leather  goods 
in  the  State  of  Michigan,  and  came  from  old  English 
stock  of  New  York  State,  and  is  a  descendant  of  John 
Shepard,  who  was  commissioned  magistrate  for  the 
Colony  of  New  York,  by  King  George  III. 

Dr.  Shepard  passed  his  childhood  in  his  native  tow-n 
of  Hillsdale,  and  there  attended  the  grammar  and  high 
school,  graduating  from  the  latter  in  1902,  after  being 
prepared  for  college.  He  then  entered  Hillsdale  Col- 
lege in  1902,  where  he  started  to  take  a  classical  course, 
attending  three  years.  He  then  entered  Valparaiso 
University,  at  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  in  1905,  from  which  he 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1906,  taking  the  Bachelor 
of  Science  degree.  After  graduation  he  taught  school 
at  Mt.  Carroll,  111.,  as  assistant  principal  and  teacher 
of  sciences.  In  1907  he  entered  the  Still  College  of 
Osteopathy  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated in  1910  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Osteopathy. 
Upon  completing  his  studies  Dr.  Shepard  came  to  the 
East,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Provi- 
dence, in  June,  1910.  He  opened  an  office  at  No.  146 
Westminster  street,  which  has  remained  his  headquar- 
ters up  to  the  present  time.  Dr.  Shepard  has  been 
extraordinarily  successful,  and  has  won  for  himself  a 
most  envial)le  reputation  in  this  section  of  the  country, 
and  become  a  leader  among  his  professional  colleagues 
here.  He  has  gained  a  large  followin.g.  who  testify 
unreservedly  to  his  skill  and  capability.  Not  long  after 
coming  to  this  place.  Dr.  Shepard  purchased  the  old 
estate  known  as  "Oaklands,"  of  the  late  Governor  Greg- 
ory, and  here  established,  in  101.3.  the  Shepard  School 
for  Boys.  The  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  191 7> 
but  arrangeincnts  were  at  once  made  to  rebuild  on  a 
larger  scale.  Dr.  Shepard  has  been  equally  successful 
with  his  school,  as  with  his  profession,  and  has  already 
achieved  a  work  of  remarkable  significance  and  import- 
ance. The  Shepard  School  was  founded  for  the  partic- 
ular purpose  of  offering  a  carefully  graduated  system 
of  studies  for  boys  physically  handicapped,  together 
with  the  care  w^hich  only  a  physician  can  give.  Its  pur- 
pose is  well  expressed  in  a  quotation  which  appears  in 
the  front  of  the  school's  prospectus,  as  follows  : 

What  the  world  needs  Is  that  balance  of  body,  soul, 
and  mind,  which  spells  etBciency.  But  body  Is  basic. 
It  Is  now  many  years  since  psycholog^lsts  began  to 
Investigate  the  operation  of  the  brain.   In  search  for 


laws  of  growth.  Thought  processes  have  carefully- 
been  studied,  yet.  In  our  consideration  of  child  and 
adult,  we  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  unless 
a  brain  Is  phvsloloelcallv  normal.  It  cannot,  in  fairness 
to  the  individual,  be  measured  by  a  standard  of  normal 
brain  operation.  To  expect  the  hlKhest  return.s,  while 
Igrnorinp  the  fact  of  body  machinery,  l.s  to  build  a 
house  upon  the  sands. 

It  was  with  the  idea  of  aiding  boys  who  started  in 
life  with  this  handicap,  of  d  weak  physical  constitution, 
to  regain  what  is  a  necessary  base  to  their  normal 
mental  development,  and,  while  so  doing,  to  scientifically 
.grade  their  studies  so  as  to  correspond  with  their  sub- 
normal but  growing  abilities  that  Dr.  Shepard's  work 
was  undertaken.  To  quote  once  more  from  his  pros- 
pectus : 

The  Shepard  School  is  the  outBrowth  of  careful 
study  of  boys  and  vounK  men  on  the  part  of  a  company 
of  physicians  and  educators,  who  have  Riven  a  large 
part  of  their  lives  to  this  work.  After  visiting  and 
Investigating  many  .schools,  both  public  and  private, 
as  well  as  Institutions,  the  directors  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  there  was  need  of  a  private  school  adapted 
to  the  care  of  boys  physically  liaiullcapped.  The 
Shepard  School  was  established  to  provide  a  home  and 
school  of  high  standard,  where  the  best  physical 
treatment  could  he  combined  with  tlie  most  efOclent 
teaching.  The  school  Is  Ideally  located,  being  situated 
in  the  small  sea.slde  village  of  Wickford,  on  Narra- 
gansett  bav.  and  here  the  lads  enter  a  climate  and  en- 
vironment "parllcuIaFlv  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of 
physical  health  and  well-being.  The  school  is  essen- 
tially a  home  school,  and  every  boy  who  is  enrolled 
enters  a  real  home,  where  his  comfort  and  welfare  are 
Intimately  looked  after. 

Dr.  Shepard  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  general 
life  of  the  community  of  Wickford,  in  addition  to  his 
duties  in  connection  with  the  school.  He  is  an  Epis- 
copalian in  his  religious  belief,  and  is  a  member  and 
vestryman  of  St.  Paul's  Church  of  that  denomination 
at  W'ickford.  He  is  also  associated  with  a  number  of 
societies  and  other  organizations  here,  professional  and 
otherwise.  He  is  ex-president  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Osteopathic  Society,  having  served  in  that  office  in  1911 
and  1912,  and  since  that  time  has  been  secretary  and 
treasurer  thereof.  In  1914  he  was  elected  trustee  of 
Still  College  of  Osteopathy  for  six  years.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  New  England  Osteopathic  Association, 
and  served  as  treasurer  in  191.S-16,  and  the  .-\merican 
Osteopathic  Association.  Dr.  Shepard  is  prominently 
connected  with  the  Masonic  order,  and  is  a  member  of 
Washington  Lodge,  No.  K,  .Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  of  W'ickford,  R.  I.,  and  of  Providence  Chapter, 
No.  I,  Royal  .\rch  Masons,  of  Providence.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Providence  Lodge.  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Iota  Tau  Sigma  frater- 
nity, and  was  national  president  of  this  society,  and  a 
member  of  the  Rotary  Club  of  Providence,  the  Chur- 
mans  Club,  the  Noonday  Club,  and  the  Edgewood  Yacht 
Club.  While  in  college  Dr.  Shepard  served  three  years 
in  the  Michigan  National  Guard,  with  the  rank  of 
sergeant.  In  1917  he  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the 
North  Kingston  Home  Guards,  and  became  first-lieu- 
tenant in  same.  Dr.  Shepard  was  very  active  during 
the  war  and  served  with  many  organizations  in  various 
capacities  in  Providence  and  Wickford. 

Dr.  Shepard  was  united  in  marriage,  January  i, 
1907,  at  Savannah,  III.,  with  Leta  Cora  Hibbard.  of  that 
place,  a  daughter  of  Rockwell  N.  and  Cora  (Woodruff) 
Hibbard.  Mrs.  Shepard  is  a  member  of  the  Daughters 
of  the  .American  Revolution  and  the  Eastern  Star. 
Four  children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows : 


io8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


William  Northrope,  born  Feb.  12,  191 1;  Lcta  Louise, 
born  Jan.  8,  1913,  and  died  in  infancy;  John  Othur, 
born  Feb.  13,  1914,  and  Alice  Virginia,  born  Feb.  9, 
1917. 


REV.  WILLIAM  J.  KEEFE— In  May,  1906.  Father 
Keefe  came  to  the  parish  of  St.  James,  at  Arctic,  R.  I., 
as  curate,  his  previous  experience  having  been  with  the 
Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  in  East  Providence,  which 
he  served  for  five  years,  from  the  ordination  to  the 
priesthood  by  Cardinal  Gibbons.  From  curate  to  pastor 
was  an  easy  transition,  and  St.  James  has  known  the 
Rev.  Father  as  a  religious  consoler,  as  pastor,  citizen, 
and  neighbor,  for  so  long  a  period  that  he  is  known 
and  liked  by  all,  regardless  of  creed,  and  by  his  own 
people  who  so  intimately  knew  his  great  heart  and 
gentle  spirit  he  is  greatly  beloved. 

William  J.  Keefe  is  a  native  son  of  Rhode  Island, 
born  in  South  Providence,  his  parents,  William  and 
Catherine  (Howard)  Keefe,  both  deceased.  After  com- 
pleting public  and  high  school  courses,  he  studied  in 
other  advanced  schools,  and  at  Grand  Seminary,  Mont- 
real, Canada,  he  spent  two  years  in  philosophy  and  one 
year  in  theological  studies,  and  completed  his  course 
at  St.  Mary's  Seminary.  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  received 
the  rites  of  ordination  at  the  hands  of  his  Eminence, 
Cardinal  Gibbons,  on  December  21,  1901.  His  first 
assignment  was  as  assistant  to  the  pastor  of  the  Church 
of  the  Sacred  Heart,  at  East  Providence,  there  remain- 
ing from  January,  1902,  until  his  transfer  to  St.  James 
Church,  at  Arctic  in  May,  1906.  He  continued  a  curate 
until  February,  1918,  then  was  installed  pastor,  and  has 
since  been  the  devoted  leader  of  that  congregation. 
St.  James  is  a  large  parish  with  schools,  societies  and 
auxiliary  departments  of  Christian  work,  fully  organ- 
ized and  equipped.  Father  Keefe  has  won  the  regard 
of  the  community  for  his  public  spirit  and  the  advanced 
ground  he  has  taken  in  public  affairs.  He  is  a  man  of 
genial,  generous  nature,  deeply  concerned  for  the  wel- 
fare of  his  people  and  the  advancement  of  their  inter- 
ests, spiritual  and  material. 


GEORGE  FREDERICK  FROST,  one  of  the  at- 
torneys of  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  has  been  in 
active  practice  for  several  years  and  at  present  holds 
the  post  of  attorney  for  the  Rhode  Island  Company  of 
this  city,  is  a  native  of  Chelsea,  Mass.,  where  his  birth 
occurred  June  18,  1872.  Mr.  Frost  is  a  son  of  George 
Washington  and  Fannie  (Davenport)  Frost,  both  de- 
ceased, the  former  for  many  years  an  inspector  in  a 
large  manufacturing  plant  at  Boston. 

George  Frederick  Frost  was  still  little  more  than 
an  infant  when  his  parents  removed  from  Chelsea  to 
Hyde  Park,  Mass.,  and  it  was  at  the  latter  place 
that  he  gained  the  elementary  portion  of  his  edu- 
cation, attending  the  public  schools  there  for  that  pur- 
pose. He  graduated  from  the  Hyde  Park  High  School 
in  1892,  and  after  being  prepared  for  college,  immed- 
iately matriculated  at  Brown  University,  removing  to 
this  city  at  the  same  time.  Mr.  Frost  graduated  from 
Brown  University  with  the  class  of  1896,  taking  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  and  one  year  later  took 
the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  as  a  reward  for  special 
post-graduate   work.     .A.fter   completing   his   studies   at 


this  institution  Mr.  Frost,  who  had  not  at  that  time 
made  up  his  mind  to  follow  the  law  as  a  profession,  was 
employed  for  several  years  as  a  teacher  in  the  English 
and  Classical  high  schools  at  Providence.  He  then 
received  the  appointment  of  assistant  clerk  of  court  at 
the  Providence  County  Court  House,  and  while  serving 
in  that  capacity  studied  the  subject  of  the  law.  This 
he  did  to  such  good  purpose  that  in  the  year  1905  he 
took  and  passed  the  bar  examination  and  was  admitted 
to  the  practice  of  the  law  in  Rhode  Island.  Two  years 
later  he  began  his  practice  as  an  attorney  for  the  Rhode 
Island  Company.  He  then  became  associated  with  the 
New  Haven  Railroad  as  attorney,  a  post  that  he  held 
until  1915.  and  in  the  month  of  August,  in  that  year, 
was  appointed  attorney  for  the  Rhode  Island  Company. 
.As  mentioned  above  he  now  holds  the  post  of  attorney 
for  that  company  and  handles  much  very  important 
litigation  on  its  account,  and  has  established  a  most 
enviable  reputation  for  integrity  and  ability  in  his  pro- 
fession. Mr.  Frost  has  always  taken  a  keen  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  is  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  policies 
and  principles  of  the  Republican  party.  He  has  held  a 
number  of  local  positions  in  the  public  life  of  the  com- 
munity, and  was  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  East 
Providence  School  Committee,  in  which  capacity  he  has 
performed  an  invaluable  service  to  the  schools  of  that 
place.  He  was  for  a  time  judge  of  the  Probate  Court 
in  East  Providence,  and  formerly  a  member  of  the 
East  Providence  Republican  Town  Committee.  Mr. 
Frost  attends  the  Newman  Congregational  Church  at 
East  Providence,  and  is  a  trustee  of  the  same.  He  is 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  social  and  club  life  here- 
abouts, and  is  a  member  of  the  University  Club  of 
Providence;  the  Providence  Bar  Club:  the  Rhode 
Island  Bar  Association  and  the  American  Bar  Asso- 
ciation. 


HENRY   CHARLES  GAGNON,  who  is   engaged 

in  the  auto  garage  business  at  Warren,  is  a  native  of 
the  town  of  Harrington,  where  his  birth  occurred, 
November  19,  1884.  He  is  a  son  of  Pierre  and  Marie 
R.  (Boissomeau)  Gagnon,  the  former  a  native  of  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  born  in  Yamachiche,  June 
4,  1838.  The  elder  Mr.  Gagnon  came  to  the  United 
State  Senator,  and  at  the  present  time  a  member  of  the 
son  was  bom,  but  later  moved  to  Warren.  He  was  for 
many  years  a  stationarj-  engineer  by  trade,  but  retired 
from  active  life  in  1914.  He  married.  November  26, 
1871,  Marie  R.  Boissomeau,  like  himself  a  native  of  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  where  she  was  born  October  22, 
1851.  She  came  to  Barrington,  R.  I.,  alone,  when  but 
eighteen  years  of  age,  and  here  met  and  married  the 
elder  Mr.  Gagnon.  Her  death  occurred  March  7,  1917. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Henry  Charles,  of  further  mention  ;  Annie,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Dionis  E.  \'incent,  of  Warren,  a  prominent 
citizen  of  this  community,  who  has  served  in  many 
public  offices  including  that  of  State  Representative, 
State  Senator,  and  at  the  present  time  a  member  of  the 
Town  Committee ;  Wilfred  J.,  who  now  resides  at 
Providence ;  Matilda,  who  became  the  wife  of  Arthur 
Bissoimette,  of  Central  Falls;  Rose,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Telesphore  Lessard,  of  Warren;  Ida,  born  April 
16,  1881,  and  died  April  22,  1906;  Emma,  born  April  28, 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


109 


18S3.  (lied  Jan.  iS,  l8S^ ;  Silvina,  born  April  3,  1888, 
died  April  iS,  1S88;  Edwilda,  bom  July  27.  i88q,  died 
March  30,  1893;  MeKina,  born  Feb.  16,  iSgi  ;  George 
J.,  born  Feb.  2,  i8t)5,  and  now  with  the  .American  Ex- 
peditionary Forces  in  France. 

Henry  Charles  Gagnon  was  a  very  yoimg  child  when 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  Warren,  and  it  was  here 
that  he  gained  his  education,  attending  for  this  purpose 
the  local  grammar  school.  Upon  completing  his  studies 
at  this  institution,  he  learned  the  trade  of  machinist, 
which  he  followed  for  some  thirteen  years,  and  was  at 
one  time  master  mechanic  at  the  Warren  Manufacturing 
Company.  He  then  engaged  in  the  garage  bu.iincss  on 
his  own  account,  opening  an  establishment  on  Childs 
street,  here,  where  he  remained  for  four  years.  Mr. 
Gagnon  then  moved  to  a  larger  place  near  the  center 
of  the  town,  on  Market  street,  and  is  still  located  at 
this  place.  He  conducts  a  very  successful  business,  and 
is  well  and  favorably  known  throughout  the  commu- 
nity. Mr.  Gagnon  has  also  been  active  in  the  general 
life  of  Warren,  and  for  one  year  has  served  on  the 
Town  Council.  He  has  also  been  a  memlier  of  the 
State  Legislature,  being  elected  to  that  body  in  1917, 
and  reelected  for  1919  and  1920.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Providence  Lodge,  No.  14,  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  and  is  prominent  in  social  circles 
here.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Gagnon  is  a  Roman 
Catholic,  and  attends  St.  John  Baptist  Church  of  this 
denomination  at  Warren. 

Henry  Charles  Gagnon  was  united  in  marriage,  March 
3,  1908,  with  F'lora  L.  \'achon,  of  Woonsocket,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Elzeor  and  Mary  (Rancourt)  Vachon,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  place.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gagnon  the  following  children  have  been  born: 
Henry  E.,  born  Feb.  20,  1909,  died  Feb.  22,  of  the  same 
year;  .\ndrew  P.,  born  -\ug.  21,  1911;  Henry  Charles, 
Jr.,  bom  April  9,  1913;  and  Florence  M.,  born  Aug. 
28,  IQ17. 


EMORY  DAVID  FORROW— Figuring  promi- 
nently in  business  life  in  Centerville,  R.  L,  for  several 
decades,  the  late  Emory  David  Forrow  belongs  in  the 
foremost  rank  of  those  men  of  affairs  whose  history  is 
inseparably  interwoven  with  that  of  the  town  in  the 
closing  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Emory  David  Forrow,  son  of  George  and  Laura 
Forrow,  was  born  in  Hillsdale,  Columbia  county,  N  Y., 
on  August  31,  1844,  descendant  of  a  pioneer  family 
prominent  in  the  history  of  the  county.  At  the  age  of 
eight  years,  on  the  death  of  his  mother,  he  went  to 
Dryden,  N.  Y.,  to  the  home  of  his  sister,  where  he 
remained  until  1S64.  During  this  period  he  obtained 
two  years  of  schooling  gained  at  a  sacrifice,  since  he 
was  forced  at  an  early  age  to  earn  his  own  living.  He 
apprenticed  himself  to  learn  the  tinsmith's  trade,  and 
in  1864.  already  a  skilled  workman,  he  went  to  New 
York  City,  and  for  a  short  time  was  employed  in  the 
making  of  canteens  for  the  Union  army.  Having 
amassed  a  small  capital  he  removed  to  Providence,  R. 
L,  where  he  launched  an  independent  venture,  estab- 
lishing himself  on  a  small  scale  in  a  general  tinsmith 
and  hardware  business.  He  had  met  with  a  large 
degree   of   success,    and    was    planning   to    extend    his 


business  when  his  shop  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Mr. 
Forrow  then  removed  to  Centerville,  R.  I.,  with  which 
town  he  was  connected  until  bis  death.  Here  for  a 
short  time  he  was  employed  by  the  late  Samuel  Kings- 
bury, whom  he  left  to  enter  again  business  for  himself. 

His  first  shop  in  Centerville  consisted  of  a  one  room 
building,  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  office 
of  the  Kent  Manufacturing  Company.  He  was  suc- 
cessful from  the  very  outset,  and  succeeded  early  in 
establishing  a  reputation  for  unexcelled  workmanship 
and  quality,  which  brought  him  large  contracts  for  tin 
work  from  the  Laphani  Mills  and  other  large  milling 
companies  of  the  Pawtuxet  Valley.  His  business,  begun 
on  a  small  retail  scale,  he  extended  to  include  whole- 
sale, and  forced  by  the  demands  of  his  steadily  grow- 
ing trade  to  increase  his  quarters,  he  built  a  small 
frame  building  two  stories  in  height  near  the  Center- 
ville station.  This  building  later  proved  inadequate  for 
his  business,  and  he  remodeled  it  into  a  tenement, 
erecting  a  new  store  three  stories  in  hei(.'ht  and  of 
spacious  dimensions.  In  this  new  building  he  con- 
ducted a  large  and  lucrative  business  until  forced  by 
ill  health  to  retire  from  every  form  of  business  activ- 
ity. A  talented  organizer,  keen  and  farsighted  in  his 
judgment,  he  had  developed  from  the  smallest  begin- 
nings and  against  the  greatest  odds,  a  business  which 
entitled  him  to  the  respect  and  admiration  of  his  asso- 
ciates in  the  business  world.  Perseverance,  tireless 
energy,  and  an  unfailing  adherence  to  the  principles  of 
honesty  and  fair  play,  formed  the  foundation  of  his 
success.  He  attained  a  place  of  well  recognized  leader- 
ship in  the  field  in  which  he  engaged,  and  was  widely 
known  as  a  man  of  shrewd  foresight,  keenly  alive  to 
the  changing  times,  progressive  in  all  things,  and  above 
all  unimpeachably  honest  and  just,  .\lthough  actively 
identified  with  many  movements  for  public  welfare  in 
Centerville,  Mr.  Forrow  remained  aloof  from  political 
circles.  He  was  a  continuous  attendant  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  a  generous  supporter  of  its 
charities.  A  man  of  simple,  sincere  personality,  strong 
in  his  friendships,  he  had  made  scores  of  friends  to 
whom  his  death  came  as  a  deep  grief. 

In  1877,  Mr.  Forrow  married  (first)  Mary  A.  Gold- 
smith, who  died  in  1900.  He  married  (second)  Jennie 
E.  Dewel,  who  was  born  on  March  23,  1865,  daughter 
of  Michael  H.  and  Laura  (Pyke)  Dewel,  of  New 
York  State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forrow  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children;  i.  Laura  Verda,  born  Sept. 
29.  1901,  died  at  the  age  of  eight  months.  2.  Oscar  A., 
born  .\pril  23,  1903,  a  sophomore  in  the  West  Warwick 
High  School ;  member  of  Troop  I,  Pawtucket  Valley 
Boy  Scouts;  young  Mr.  Forrow  is  an  able  assistant  to 
his  mother  in  the  management  of  the  estate.  3.  Charles 
Emory,  born  Oct.  20,  1905;  a  student  in  the  West  War- 
wick grammar  school ;  a  member  of  Troop  I.  Paw- 
tuxet Valley  Boy  Scouts.  Mrs.  Forrow,  who  survives 
her  husband,  resides  in  the  Forrow  home  on  Main 
street,  Centerville,  a  handsome  estate  purchased  by 
Mr.  Forrow  in  1900.  She  is  wxll  known  in  social  circles 
in  the  town,  and  has  been  actively  identified  with  many 
notable  charities. 

Emory  David  Forrow  died  at  his  home  in  Centerville, 
R.  I.,  October  7,  1910. 


no 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


HENRY  ALFRED  LANGE,  M.  D.— Among  the 
heroes  who  have  been  developed  by  the  unusual  condi- 
tions of  the  past  four  years  of  international  welfare 
are  those  men  and  women  who  gave  up  position,  home, 
and  prospects,  and  under  the  banner  of  the  Red  Cross 
w-ent  forth  to  seek  out  and  save  the  suffering  and  the 
needy.  His  native  country  was  at  war  when  Dr. 
Lange  went  abroad  in  the  service  of  the  Red  Cross  in 
1915.  but  he  had  been  brought  to  the  United  States  by 
his  Belgian  parents  when  a  boy  of  eight  years,  and 
it  was  as  an  American  that  he  entered  stricken  Bel- 
gium and  gave  to  that  heroic  people  all  that  the  skill 
of  a  physician  and  the  love  of  a  sympathetic  heart  could 
accomplish.  "Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  than 
that  he  should  give  up  his  life  for  his  friend."  Dr. 
Lange  did  not  give  up  his  life,  but  only  the  skill  of 
other  surgeons  saved  it,  two  major  operations  being 
performed  upon  him  ere  the  condition  brought  about 
through  his  self-sacrificing  professional  labor  in  Eng- 
land and  Belgium  was  removed. 

Henry  Alfred  Lange  was  born  in  Verviers,  Belgium, 
September  30,  18S4,  son  of  Alfred  and  Barbara  (Ren- 
som)  Lange.  In  1S93  the  family  came  to  the  United 
States,  settling  in  Woonsocket,  R.  L,  where  the  lad, 
Henry  A.,  began  his  American  education  in  a  parochial 
school.  He  passed  in  succession  from  parochial  schools 
to  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Commercial  School,  his  ulti- 
mate object  being  a  professional  education.  To  this 
end  he  carefully  conserved  his  earning,  and  finally 
entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Balti- 
more, Md.  He  could  not  entirely  finance  the  course 
from  his  previous  earnings,  and  all  through  his  med- 
ical course  he  was  employed  in  some  revenue-producing 
labor.  The  year  1909  saw  the  fruition  of  his  hopes,  and 
with  the  graduating  class  of  that  year  there  was  no 
young  man  whose  M.  D.  had  been  attained  through  more 
worthy  effort.  Another  year  of  preparatory  work  was 
accomplished  as  interne  at  St.  Agnes  Hospital,  Balti- 
more, and  a  term  in  Providence  Hospital  in  similar 
service,  then,  in  191 1,  he  began  private  practice  in  the 
city  of  Providence.  He  made  surgery  a  special  study 
in  college  and  hospital,  and  in  his  practice  has  also 
specialized  in  that  branch  of  the  medical  profession. 
He  quickly  won  public  favor  as  a  physician  and  sur- 
geon of  skill,  and  in  four  years  had  acquired  a  satis- 
factory clientele. 

In  1914  came  the  great  upheaval  and  the  birth  of  the 
modern  Hun,  who,  breathing  out  fire  and  slaughterings, 
made  this  earth  the  abode  of  devils,  not  men.  Over 
fair  Belgium  they  marched,  and  to  his  subjects  in  all 
lands  went  up  the  cry  from  a  noble  monarch  being 
crucified,  because  he  held  his  sword  sacred  and  his 
honor  dear.  The  world  will  never  forget  what  King 
Albert  of  Belgium  did  during  those  fateful  two  weeks 
of  1914,  when,  with  an  army  of  fiends  at  his  throat,  he 
fought  with  a  valor  and  desperation  which  saved  the 
world  from  the  grip  of  that  arch  devil,  the  Kaiser. 
Then  came  the  call  of  the  International  Red  Cross  for 
physicians  and  surgeons,  for  nurses,  supplies,  and 
money,  so  generously  answered  from  every  civilized 
quarter  of  the  globe.  Dr.  Lange,  in  1915,  arranged  his 
affairs  in  Providence,  and  sailed  as  a  Red  Cross  sur- 
geon, and  until  his  breakdown  he  was  in  constant  and 
exhausting    service    in    England    and    Belgium,    when 


nature  at  last  gave  way,  and  only  the  skill  of  the 
surgeon  availed,  after  two  operations  to  save  his  life. 
When  convalescent,  he  returned  to  the  United  States, 
and  when  able,  resumed  practice  in  Providence.  He  is 
interested  in  the  ownership  of  the  Providence  Surgical 
Hospital  and  is  consulting  surgeon  to  that  institution. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association ; 
Providence  Medical  Society ;  St.  Mary's  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church ;  and  in  politics  an  Independent. 

Dr.  Lange  married  in  Washington,  D.  C.  June  S, 
1912,  Bernadette  Donohoe.  They  are  the  parents  of: 
Henry  Alfred  (2),  born  March  14,  1913;  Daniel  Jen- 
kins and  Barbara  Denise  (twins),  born  Dec.  12,  1915; 
and  Bernadette.  born  Oct.  27.  1917. 


ALFRED    HUGH    OLIVER   BOUDREAU,    one 

of  the  most  capable  and  successful  of  the  younger  at- 
torneys of  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  is  now  engaged 
in  the  active  practice  of  the  law,  is  a  native  of  Can- 
ada, his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  city  of  Montreal, 
January  14,  1891.  His  parents,  Oliver  and  Katherine 
(McCoy)  Boudreau,  removed  to  Providence  in  1893. 
Oliver  Boudreau  is  at  present  interested  in,  and  the 
manager  of,  a  large  department  store  in  this  city. 

The  childhood  and  early  life  of  Alfred  H.  O.  Boud- 
reau was  passed  in  Providence,  and  it  was  here  that  he 
secured  his  education  at  the  local  public  schools,  and 
graduated  from  the  Providence  High  School  in  the 
year  1910.  Having  been  prepared  for  college  at  that 
institution,  he  then  entered  Brown  University,  where  he 
remained  for  two  years  and  then  went  to  Yale  Univer- 
sity, where  he  studied  the  usual  classical  subjects,  and 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1914,  taking  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  Mr.  Boudreau  had  in  the  mean- 
time determined  to  adopt  the  law  as  his  career  in  life, 
and  with  this  end  in  view,  entered  the  Harvard  Law- 
School,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  to  such  good  pur- 
pose that  in  1 91 7  he  was  graduated  therefrom  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  In  the  same  year  he  took 
and  passed  the  bar  e.xamination,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  Rhode  Island  bar.  After  his  admission  to  the  bar, 
Mr.  Boudreau  became  associated  with  the  law  firm  of 
Green,  Hinckley  and  Allen,  one  of  the  prominent  law 
firms  of  this  city,  and  continued  thus  occupied  until 
the  month  of  December,  1918.  At  that  time  he  withdrew 
from  this  position  and  established  his  own  office  at  No. 
76  Dorrance  street,  where  he  has  remained  ever  since. 
Mr.  Boudreau  has  met  with  notable  success  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  Providence,  and  has  already 
won  for  himself  the  respect  and  confidence,  not  only 
of  his  own  clientele,  but  of  his  professional  colleagues 
generally,  and  the  community  at  large.  In  his  practice 
he  makes  a  long  and  careful  study  of  each  case  that  is 
entrusted  to  him,  so  that  he  is  never  caught  lacking 
in  any  of  the  essential  details  of  the  case,  with  the 
result  that  he  has  been  unusually  successful,  and  at 
the  present  time  handles  a  great  deal  of  important  liti- 
gation hereabouts.  Mr.  Boudreau  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  but  his  professional  matters  have  prevented 
him  up  to  the  present  time  from  taking  that  part  in  pub- 
lic life  for  which  his  abilities  and  talents  so  admirably 
qualify  him  and  he  has  always  maintained  a  keen  in- 
terest in  local  and  general  affairs.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Boudreau  is  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  attends 


/ 


/^i^i^/ /^TP-Z// 


-7^?^/- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


III 


the  church  of  St.  Charles  of  this  denomination  at  Prov- 
idence. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  local  council  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus. 

Alfred  Hugh  Oliver  Boudreau  was  united  in  mar- 
riage. December  12,  1916,  at  Fall  River,  Mass.,  with 
Maude  Barrett  Price,  of  Pawtuckct,  in  this  State,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Alberta  (Pass)  Price,  old  and 
highly  respected  citizens  there.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boud- 
reau one  child  has  been  born,  as  follows:  Alfred  Hugh 
Oliver.  Jr.,  March  30,  1918. 


THOMAS  FRANCIS  RYAN,  an  enterprising  citi- 
zen of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  the  assistant  baggage 
master  at  the  Union  Station,  in  this  city,  for  the  New 
York,  Xew  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad,  is  a  native  of 
New  York  City,  where  his  birth  occurred  December  14, 
1871.  He  is  a  son  of  John  T.  and  Winifred  Mary 
(Barrett)  Ryan,  both  his  parents  having  been  natives  of 
Ireland,  the  former  born  in  1838,  in  County  Tipperary, 
and  the  latter  in  1846,  in  County  Mayo.  The  elder  Mr. 
Ryan  served  for  twelve  years  in  the  British  army,  his 
father  having  been  an  old  army  man,  and  then  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years  came  to  the  United  States  and 
located  in  Xew  York  City.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade, 
and  carried  on  his  business  for  a  number  of  years  in 
that  city,  linally  coming  to  Lonsdale,  R.  I.,  where  he 
made  his  home  until  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1S80.  He 
married  Winifred  Mary  Barrett,  at  Blackburn,  England, 
in  St.  Alban's  Roman  Catholic  Church.  He  brought 
his  wife  to  this  country,  and  she  eventually  died  at 
Lonsdale,  March  21,  1904.  They  were  the  parents  of 
three  children,  as  follows :  Thomas  Francis,  of  further 
mention:  John  J.,  born  May  I,  1873,  in  New  York 
City,  and  died  in  1900;  William  E.,  bom  May  11,  1876, 
and  died  in  lyi  i. 

The  early  life  of  Thomas  Francis  Ryan  was  passed 
at  Lonsdale,  R.  I.,  whither  his  parents  had  removed 
while  he  was  still  a  small  child.  His  education  was 
attained  at  the  parochial  and  public  schools  of  that 
place,  where  he  continued  to  study  until  he  secured  a 
position  in  a  cotton  mill  at  Lonsdale.  He  was  si.xteen 
years  of  age  at  the  time,  and  displayed  an  unusual 
degree  of  ambition  and  application  to  his  work  for  that 
age,  with  the  result  that  he  was  rapidly  promoted,  until 
he  had  reached  the  position  of  weaver,  during  which 
time  he  had  learned  thoroughly  the  details  of  the  cotton 
industry.  Mr.  Ryan  then  withdrew  from  the  mill,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing and  various  other  enterprises  until,  in  1897,  he 
secured  a  position  as  helper  in  the  baggage  room  of 
the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad.  Here 
he  remained  uninterruptedly  up  to  the  present  time, 
being  advanced  from  rank  to  rank  until  he  now  holds 
that  of  assistant  baggage  master.  In  this  position  Mr. 
Ryan  has  made  himself  of  great  value  to  the  company 
which  he  serves,  as  well  as  to  the  general  traveling 
public,  and  his  efficiency  has  done  much  to  improve  and 
develop  the  methods  of  handling  baggage  in  this  part 
of  the  State.  Mr.  Ryan  is  one  of  those  men  who  de- 
vote their  best  energies  to  the  performance  of  their 
duties,  and  he  has  made  a  substantial  success  for  him- 
self as  well  as  performed  a  valuable  service  for  the 
railroad.  Mr.  Ryan  is  also  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
public  life  of  this  city,  and  has  held  a  number  of 
offices  in  the  gift  of  the  community.     He  is  a  staunch 


supporter  of  the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  was  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket 
to  the  City  Council  from  the  Tenth  Ward,  serving  on 
that  body  in  the  years  1915  and  1916.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Ryan  is  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  attends  the 
church  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  of  this  denomination 
at  Providence.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  local  coun- 
cil of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  of  the  various  rail- 
road organizations  here. 

Thomas  Francis  Ryan  was  united  in  marriage,  at 
Providence,  August  19,  1896,  to  Delia  Talman,  daughter 
of  Edward  and  Bridget  (Mc.Alvey)  Talman,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  this  city.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ryan  the  following  children  were  born:  Thomas 
Norman,  born  July  2,  1^7,  graduated  from  LaSalle 
Academy,  served  in  Battery  A,  on  the  Mexican  border, 
during  our  trouble  with  that  country,  when  he  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  sergeant,  and  then  with 
the  commission  as  second  lieutenant  in  Battery  F,  of 
the  103rd  Field  Artillery,  and  now  undergoing  inspec- 
tion at  Camp  Funston,  with  the  Twentieth  Field  Artil- 
lery; Richard  E.,  born  December  11,  1904,  and  now  a 
student  at  the  LaSalle  Academy.  Mr.  Ryan  and  his 
family  make  their  home  at  No.  5  Winthrop  avenue, 
Providence,  R.  I. 


BRAYTON  ALLEN  ROUND— As  commissioner 
of  shell  lishcrios  for  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  Mr. 
Round  became  intimately  associated  with  the  work 
which  is  being  done  by  the  States  to  conserve  this  great 
national  resource  and  to  add  to  its  value.  As  president 
of  the  National  Association  of  Fisheries  Commission- 
ers, he  has  become  prominent  in  the  public  eye  as  one 
of  the  men  who  earnestly  approach  this  problem  and  are 
attempting  its  solution  intelligently.  He  has  given  the 
last  thirteen  years  of  his  life  to  this  work,  having  been 
clerk  of  Rhode  Island  commission  ever  since  the  expir- 
ation of  his  term  as  commissioner.  The  National  As- 
sociation of  Fisheries  Commissioners  has  during  its 
entire  history  conferred  the  office  of  president  twice 
in  succession  upon  but  two  men,  the  founder  and  first 
president  of  the  association,  and  upon  Brayton  .Allen 
Round,  he  having  been  reelected  at  the  tenth  annual 
convention  of  the  association  held  at  Richmond,  Va., 
May  14,  15,  1918. 

Mr.  Round  is  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam N.  and  Mary  Edna  (Cole)  Round,  of  Foster,  R.  I., 
and  a  grandson  of  William  and  Roby  (Blackinan) 
Round.  His  maternal  grandparents  were  Brayton  H. 
Cole  and  Eliza  (Phillips)  Cole,  the  former,  a  farmer 
and  merchant  of  Foster,  R.  I.,  bom  in  1837,  died  in 
18S9.  William  N.  Round,  who  resided  in  the  town  of 
Scituate,  R.  I.,  where  his  son  was  born,  was  a  member 
of  Covenant  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, of  Scituate,  a  man  highly  regarded  in  his  com- 
munity. His  wife,  Mary  Edna  Cole,  of  Foster,  born  in 
1840,  died  in  1866. 

Brayton  -Allen  Round  was  born  in  Scituate,  February 
4,  1866,  losing  his  youthful  mother  the  same  year. 
After  courses  in  the  public  grammar  and  English  high 
schools,  Providence,  he  attended  Bryant  &  Stratton's 
Business  College,  soon  afterward  entering  Bowdoin 
■  College,  Medical  Department,  where  he  continued  dur- 
ing 1892,  1893  and  1894,  until  compelled  to  leave  in 
1894   on   account   of   sickness.     Later   he   took   special 


112 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


courses  at  Brown  University  in  chemistry,  botany  and 
pharmacy,  becoming  a  registered  pharmacist  under  the 
State  law  of  Rhode  Island,  passing  the  examination  of 
the  State  Board  in  June,  189S.  This  course  of  educational 
and  professional  preparation  for  life  duties  had  been 
financed  by  the  young  man's  own  earnings  as  a  school 
teacher  and  had  been  frequently  interrupted  through  the 
necessity  of  earning  more  funds  to  continue  his  studies. 
He  taught  in  Scituate,  Foster,  and  in  other  towns,  this 
being  his  only  way  of  securing  funds.  He  was  super- 
intendent of  schools  in  Foster  in   i8g6,  1897  and  1898. 

When  finally  he  became  a  registered  pharmacist,  he 
engaged  in  business  at  River  Point,  conducting  a  drug 
store  there  for  three  years  before  selling  out  to  accept 
a  position  as  manager  of  the  Crawford  Pharmacy  at 
Central  Falls,  R.  I. 

In  1905  Mr.  Round  was  elected  to  represent  Foster 
in  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature  and  there  made  so 
favorable  an  impression  that  in  1907  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Shell  Fisheries  Commission,  a  post  he 
filled  most  satisfactorily  until  the  expiration  of  his 
term  in  1910.  He  was  elected  in  1907  as  clerk  of  the 
committee  of  special  legislation  for  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, serving  until  1910.  During  his  term  as 
commissioner,  he  had  acted  as  secretary  or  clerk  of  the 
board  and  after  going  out  of  office  as  commissioner, 
remained  as  clerk,  an  office  he  yet  fills.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican. 

He  was  chairman  of  the  board  of  tax  assessors  in 
1912  and  the  same  year  was  elected  treasurer  of  the 
National  Association  of  Fisheries  Commissioners,  an 
office  he  held  four  consecutive  years,  1912-1916,  the 
office  of  secretary  being  added  in  1916.  He  served  as 
vice-president  of  the  association  for  one  year,  1916-17, 
was  then  elected  president,  and  on  May  15,  1918,  was 
elected  a  second  time. 

When  the  Rhode  Island  College  of  Pharmacy  was 
established  in  Providence,  in  1902,  Mr.  Round  was  one 
of  the  interested  men  who  went  out  and  solicited  funds 
for  the  support  of  the  infant  institution,  acting  very 
materially  in  bridging  the  current  of  needs  during  those 
early  years.  In  return  he  received  the  honor  of  being 
made  a  life  member  of  the  corporation  and  an  honor- 
ary member  of  the  Alumni  Association.  He  is  a  member 
of  Hamilton  Lodge,  No.  15,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
of  Scituate,  R.  I.;  Scituate  Chapter,  Royal  Arch 
Masons;  Lafayette  Lodge,  No.  42,  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows;  and  Queen  of  Sheba  Chapter,  No.  18, 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  His  club  is  the  Rhode 
Island  Republican.  His  favorite  out-of-doors  recrea- 
tion is  landscape  gardening,  his  indoor  occupation  most 
enjoyed  is  writing.  He  has  compiled  valuable  records 
concerning  the  Shell  Fisheries  of  Rhode  Island,  for  this 
department  of  his  work  is  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to 
him.  In  religious  faith  he  is  affiliated  with  Foster 
Centre  Christian  Church  and  is  president  of  the  Clay- 
ville  Christian  Church  Association. 

Mr.  Round  married  in  Foster,  R.  I.,  August  4,  1894, 
Eda  M.  Round,  daughter  of  John  A.  and  Roena  Frances 
(Yeau)  Round,  of  Scituate,  R.  I.,  the  latter  now  de- 
ceased. After  special  courses  in  chemistry  and  botany 
at  Brown  University,  Mrs.  Round  entered  Rhode  Island 
College  of  Pharmacy,  whence  she  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1904  Ph.  G.,  the  first  woman  to  graduate 


from  the  institution.  She  passed  her  examinations  so 
creditably  that  she  was  awarded  all  the  prizes  of  the 
year,  and  was  graduated  with  all  the  honors  the  insti- 
tution could  bestow.  She  tlicn  pursued  special  courses 
in  pharmacy,  toxicology  and  physiology,  but  the  last 
illness  of  her  mother  caused  the  abandonment  of  these 
courses  of  advanced  study.  The  family  home  is  No. 
137  Warren  avenue.  East  Providence,  R.  I. 


LESTER  ANGELL  ROUND,  a  scientist  of  note 
and  an  authority  on  bacteriology  and  kindred  subjects, 
is  a  native  of  Foster,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  born  Novem- 
ber 5,  1888.  Dr.  Round  is  a  son  of  John  Angell  and 
Roena  Frances  (Yeau)  Round,  the  former  the  owner 
of  a  mercantile  establishment  at  Clayville,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  business  for  many  years.  The  early 
life  of  Dr.  Round  was  passed  at  his  native  place,  and 
he  attended  the  local  public  school  there.  Later  his 
parents  moved  to  Scituate,  R.  I.,  and  he  continued  his 
studies  there,  finally  graduating  from  the  North  Sci- 
tuate .-Xcademy  in  the  year  1902.  He  was  prepared  for 
college  at  the  Classical  High  School  of  Providence, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1906.  and  immediately  after- 
wards entered  Brown  University  where  he  pursued 
various  academic  and  scientific  courses.  He  graduated 
with  tlie  class  of  1910  and  received  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts,  but  not  content  with  this,  took 
various  post-graduate  studies,  which  brought  him  the 
degree  of  Master  of  .\rts  in  1911,  and  that  of  Doctor 
of  Philosophy  in  1914.  He  also  attended  the  School  for 
Health  Officers  at  Harvard  University  during  the  years, 
1913  and  1914.  During  his  post-graduate  work  at 
Brown  University,  from  1910  to  1914,  Dr.  Round  acted 
as  assistant  bacteriologist  to  the  Providence  Health 
Department,  and  in  the  same  capacitv'  served  the  Rhode 
Island  Commissioners  of  Shell  Fisheries. 

Upon  completing  his  preparatory  work  in  1914,  Dr. 
Round  was  appointed  bacteriologist  to  the  United  States 
Bureau  of  Chemistry,  Department  of  Agriculture  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  was  engaged  in  research  work 
for  the  government  until  1918,  in  the  matter  of  food 
bacteriology.  On  September  15,  of  that  year,  he  took 
his  present  position  as  pathologist  in  charge  of  the 
Laboratory  of  Pathology  and  Bacteriology  for  the  State 
Board  of  Health  of  Rhode  Island.  Dr.  Round  has 
earned  the  right  to  be  regarded  as  an  authority  on 
bacteriology  and  pathology  and  has  written  and  pub- 
lished numerous  articles  on  the  former  subject.  The 
work  that  he  is  doing  at  the  present  time  in  these  de- 
partments of  science,  is  of  an  exceedingly  valuable 
character,  and  his  service  to  his  State  is  a  most  praise- 
worthy one.  Dr.  Round  is  not  active  in  club  or  social 
life,  but  during  his  college  career,  joined  the  Kappa 
Sigma  fraternity,  and  in  1912  was  elected  a  member  of 
Sigma  Psi,  an  honorary  scientific  society  occupying  the 
same  field  in  scientific  achievement  as  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
fraternity  holds  in  the  academic  world.  In  his  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Presbyterian  and  attended  the  Church  of 
the  Covenant  of  that  denomination  at  Washington,  D. 
C,  during  his  residence  in  that  city.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  American  Public  Health  .Association,  the  Amer- 
ican Society  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  and  the 
Society  of  American  Bacteriologists. 

Lester  Angell  Round  married,  February  18,   1915,  at 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


i'3 


Brooklyn,  N.  V.,  Mildred  Martha  Gay,  daughter  of 
Charles  E.  and  Nellie  (Mansfield)  Gay,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  that  city.  They  are  the  parents 
of  one  son,  Charles  Rrayton,  boni  Jan.  13,  1916. 


PATRICK  EDWARD  DILLON,  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful attorneys  of  Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  where  he  has 
an  office  at  Xo.  295  Broad  street,  is  a  native  of  the 
town  of  Cumberland  in  this  State,  having  been  born 
there  December  24,  1884.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Mary  (Dowlinp;)  Dillon,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents of  that  place. 

The  childhood  and  early  youth  of  Patrick  E.  Dillon 
were  spent  in  his  native  place.  There  also  he  attended 
school  and  passed  through  both  the  grammar  grades  and 
the  high  school,  graduating  from  the  latter  institution 
with  the  class  of  i'j04.  He  then  entered  Brown  Univer- 
sity at  Providence,  R.  L,  where  he  remained  two  years, 
and  then  left  that  college  and  entered  Holy  Cross 
University.  At  both  Brown  and  Holy  Cross  he  took 
the  usual  academic  course,  and  after  completing  that 
entered  Cornell  University  for  special  work.  He  did 
not  complete  this  course,  however,  for  in  the  mean- 
time he  had  decided  to  adopt  the  law  as  a  profession, 
and  accordingly  matriculated  at  the  Law  School  of  the 
Boston  University  to  take  up  the  study  of  that  subject. 
He  was  graduated  from  that  institution  in  the  year 
igio,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws,  and  on 
October  24,  in  the  same  year,  was  admitted  to  practice 
at  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Dillon 
has  been  in  active  practice  at  Providence  and  Blackstone 
Valley,  and  is  now  recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of 
the  bar  in  this  region.  Mr.  Dillon  is  an  active  figure  in 
the  general  life  of  the  community  and  has  taken  a  lead- 
ing part  in  many  important  movements  here.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and 
during  that  time  was  elected  from  the  town  of  Cum- 
berland to  the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly,  in 
November,  1912,  and  served  in  1913  and  1914.  During 
that  time  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Legislative 
Committee  on  Engrossed  Acts.  Of  recent  years  Mr. 
Dillon  has  joined  the  Republican  party  and  is  now- 
prominent  in  the  councils  of  the  local  organization.  In 
his  religious  belief  Mr.  Dillon  is  a  Catholic  and  is  a 
member  of  St.  Patrick's  Church  of  this  denomination  at 
Valley  Falls,  R.  I.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Columbus,  and  of  the  Phi  Kappa  fraternity  of  Brown 
University. 

Patrick  Edward  Dillon  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb- 
ruary 7,  1918,  at  Norwich,  Conn.,  with  Cathryne  C. 
Donovan,  of  that  place,  a  daughter  of  Timothy  and 
Mary   (Shea)   Donovan. 


JOHN  EDWARD  BABCOCK,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  business  men,  bankers  and  men  of  affairs  of 
Wakefield,  R.  I.,  with  the  life  of  which  place  he  has 
been  intimately  identified  for  many  years,  is  a  member 
of  one  of  the  old  Rhode  Island  families,  which  has  been 
resident  in  this  State  for  more  than  two  hundred  years. 
The  Babcock  family  has  given  many  prominent  men  to 
this  State  during  the  Colonial  period  and  subsequently, 
among  whom  should  be  mentioned  the  Hon.  Joshua 
Babcock,  a  major-general  of  militia  in  the  War  of  the 
Revolution,  and  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
R  1-2-8 


Rhode  Island:  Colonel  Henry  Babcock,  famous  in  the 
old  French  War  and  the  Revolution,  and  the  Rev. 
Stephen  Babcock,  who  was  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
divines  of  that  period.  There  have  been  several 
branches  of  the  Babcock  family  in  this  State,  and  John 
E.  Babcock  is  descended  from  that  line  which  made 
its  home  at  South  Kingston,  and  which  came  originally 
from  the  old  Westerly,  R.  I.,  family. 

(I)  James  Babcock.  who  was  the  progenitor  of  the 
family  in  this  country,  was  a  native  of  England,  where 
he  was  born  in  the  year  1612.  He  came  to  this  country 
sometime  prior  to  1642,  and  the  first  record  that  we  have 
of  him  in  America,  is  as  a  resident  of  Portsmouth,  in 
that  year.  He  was  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  Ports- 
mouth, and  was  commissioner  there  in  1656-1659. 
Shortly  after  1664  he  brought  his  family  to  Westerly, 
where  he  continued  to  reside  during  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  He  was  twice  married,  but  beyond  the  fact  that 
the  Christian  name  of  his  first  wife  w-as  Sarah,  and 
that  of  his  second,  Elizabeth,  we  know  comparatively 
little  about  them.  It  is  from  the  first  wife  that  the 
line  with  which  we  are  here  concerned  is  descended, 
and  the  children  of  this  marriage  were  as  follows : 
James,  John,  who  is  mentioned  below;  Job,  and  Mary. 

(II)  John  Babcock,  son  of  James  and  Sarah  Bab- 
cock, was  born  in  the  year  1644,  at  Portsmouth,  and 
came  with  his  parents  to  Westerly,  where  the  remainder 
of  his  life  was  spent,  his  death  occurring  in  1685.  He 
was  a  freeman  of  Westerly  in  1669,  conservator  of  the 
peace  in  1678,  and  deputy  in  1682-84.  He  married  Mary 
Lawton,  daughter  of  George  and  Fllizabeth  (Hazard) 
Lawton,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children :  .Ann,  Mary,  John,  Job,  George,  who 
is  mentioned  below;    Elihu,  Robert,  Joseph  and  Oliver. 

(III)  George  Babcock,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Law- 
ton)  Babcock,  was  born  in  1673,  at  Westerly,  and  died 
there  May  i,  1756.  He  married,  November  28,  1(194, 
Elizabeth  Hall,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Mary,  born  Sept.  20,  1695;  George, 
born  April  9,  1699;  David,  born  Dec.  22,  1700;  Jona- 
than, born  March  22,  1702-03;  Elizabeth,  born  March 
16,  1704-05;  Abigail,  born  Feb.  6,  1706-07;  Ruth,  born 
March  I,  1709;  Eunice,  born  Jan.  13,  1712-13;  Heze- 
kiah,  who  is  mentioned  below;  and  Elisha,  born  May 
18,  1718, 

(IV)  Hezekiah  Babcock,  son  of  George  and  Eliza- 
beth (Hall)  Babcock,  was  born  March  26,  1715,  at 
Westerly,  and  died  in  1798.  He  married,  January  3, 
1739-40,  Mary  Peckham,  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  whose  death 
occurred  in  1796.  Among  their  children  was  Caleb 
Babcock,  who  is  mentioned  below. 

(V)  Caleb  Babcock,  son  of  Hezekiah  and  Mary 
(Peckham)  Babcock,  was  born  June  10,  1741,  and  died 
November  18,  1826.  He  married,  October  3,  1782,  Wait 
Peckham,  who  died  .April  12,  1836,  and  among  their  chil- 
dren was   Hezekiah  Babcock,  who  is  mentioned  below. 

(VI)  Hezekiah  (2)  Babcock,  son  of  Caleb  and  Wait 
(Peckham)  Babcock,  was  born  January  3,  1784.  and 
died  March  4,  1880.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  prom- 
inent members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  Mr. 
Babcock  was  a  staunch  advocate  of  the  temperance 
cause.  As  a  young  man  he  learned  the  trade  of  tanner 
at  the  establishment  of  William  Peckham.  his  father- 
in-law,  and  continued  to  engage  in  that  business  during 


114 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  remainder  of  his  life,  eventually  becoming  the 
superintendent  of  the  tannery  in  which  he  served  his 
apprenticeship.  He  was  also  very  prominent  in  the 
financial  affairs  of  the  community,  and  was  one  of  the 
incorporators  of  the  Wakefield  Institution  for  Savings, 
which  began  business  in  1850.  Mr.  Babcock  was  a 
director  of  that  concern  and  also  of  the  old  State  bank, 
and  for  some  years  was  treasurer  of  the  town  of 
South  Kingston,  where  he  made  his  home.  Hezekiah 
Babcock  married,  January  28,  1813,  Dorcas  Peckham, 
born  February  7,  1787,  died  October  22,  1859,  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Mercy  (Perry)  Peckham.  They  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Dorcas  Gardner, 
born  Feb.  23,  1816,  died  July  7,  1903;  WiUiam  P.,  born 
April  28,  1818,  died  Aug.  3,  1861 ;  Hezekiah,  born  Oct. 
31,  1820,  died  Oct.  10,  1864;  Adam,  born  Dec.  14.  1822, 
died  Oct.  26.  1872;  and  John,  who  is  mentioned  below. 

(VH)  John  Babcock,  son  of  Hezekiah  and  Dorcas 
(Peckham)  Babcock,  was  born  May  2^,  1831,  at  South 
Kingston.  R.  I.  As  a  child  he  attended  the  old  country 
school,  which  was  situated  on  the  Babcock  farm,  and 
as  he  grew  of  an  appropriate  age,  assisted  his  father 
in  the  latter's  tannery  business.  He  continued  to  reside 
at  the  old  family  home  for  many  years,  but  engaged  in 
farming  for  most  of  that  period,  in  which  line  he  was 
exceedingly  successful.  During  his  young  manhood 
he  supported  a  number  of  his  maiden  aunts,  one  of 
whom  was  Elizabeth  Peckham.  a  noted  Quaker  preacher 
of  those  days.  Like  his  parents,  he  was  a  staunch 
member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  was  a  strongly 
religious  man  througl'.out  his  whole  life,  and  highly 
respected  by  the  community.  He  was  a  man  of  marked 
business  talents,  and  in  1854,  though  but  twenty-three 
j'ears  of  age  at  the  time,  was  elected  a  director  of  the 
Wakefield  State  Bank,  and  later  served  in  the  same 
capacity  with  the  Wakefield  Trust  Company.  In  1870 
he  was  appointed  president  of  the  Wakefield  Institute 
for  Savings,  holding  that  position  to  the  present  time 
(1919),  and  from  1867  to  1870  served  in  the  same 
capacity  with  the  Wakefield  National  Bank.  John  Bab- 
cock. during  his  active  life,  was  exceedingly  prominent 
in  public  affairs,  and  held  a  number  of  oflices  of  trust 
and  responsibility  in  the  gift  of  the  town.  He  was  for 
many  years  a  member  of  the  Town  Council  and  for 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  assessor  of  taxes 
in  this  community.  Another  of  his  enterprises  was  the 
operation  of  the  Massasoit  Hotel,  one  of  the  large  hos- 
telries  situated  at  Narragansett  Pier,  and  which  was 
owned  by  the  Wakefield  Institution  for  Savings.  He 
also  represented  South  Kingston  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature, and  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Republican 
party  in  the  State,  of  Rhode  Island,  having  joined  that 
party  at  the  time  of  its  organization.  Mr.  Babcock's 
first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  John  C.  Fremont, 
and  from  that  time  until  the  close  of  his  life  he  was  a 
staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  and  policies  for 
which  the  Republican  party  has  stood.  In  the  year 
1889  Mr.  Babcock  removed  to  Wakefield,  where  he  had 
built  a  splendid  home  and  where  he  is  now  passing  the 
remainder  of  his  days.  He  married,  September  23,  1856, 
Mary  Perry,  who  died  October  26,  1916,  a  daughter  of 
William  S.  and  Lois  (Davis)  Perry,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  Lois  F.lma,  born 
Sept.  6,  1857,  and  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  \.  Tripp, 


of  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  vice-president  of  the  Pairpoint 

Corporation ;  John  Edward,  who  is  mentioned  below ; 
and  William  H..  who  is  at  home. 

(VIII)  John  Edward  Babcock,  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Perry)  Babcock,  was  born  at  Matunuck.  South  Kings- 
ton, R.  I.,  October  7,  1858.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the 
local  public  schools  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
fourteen,  when  his  father  sent  him  to  the  famous 
Friends  School  at  Providence.  Here  he  took  the  usual 
classical  course,  and  graduated  with  the  class  of  1877. 
For  a  time,  after  completing  his  studies,  Mr.  Babcock 
followed  the  profession  of  teaching,  and  was  so  em- 
ployed in  District  School  No.  10,  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  then  became  a  clerk  in  the  Narragansett  Pier  post 
office,  and  held  similar  positions  with  the  Wakefield 
Institute  for  Savings,  and  with  the  Pairpoint  Corpora- 
tion, of  New  Bedford,  Mass.  He  displayed  in  all  of 
these  positions  a  marked  business  talent,  and  became 
well  known  on  account  of  his  exalted  knowledge  of 
banking  and  financial  methods  generally.  In  the  year 
1880  he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  Wakefield 
National  and  Wakefield  Savings  Bank,  and  was  rapidly 
advanced  until  in  January,  1887.  he  was  appointed  sec- 
retary and  treasurer  thereof.  In  addition  to  this  Mr. 
Babcock  also  became  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Wakefield  Trust  Company,  a  banking  concern  which 
was  incorporated  in  July,  1890,  and  this  position  he 
holds  to  the  present  time.  He  is  also  a  director,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Wakefield  Institution  for 
Savings.  For  three  years  he  was  treasurer  of  the 
Narragansett  Pier  Electric  Light  &  Power  Company, 
and  also  served  on  the  directorate  of  this  concern.  Mr. 
Babcock  also  engaged  in  the  fire  insurance  business 
and  has  made  a  notable  success  in  this  line.  In-so-far 
as  the  exacting  demands  made  upon  him  by  his  various 
financial  and  business  activities  would  permit,  Mr.  Bab- 
cock has  been  active  in  local  affairs,  although  he  has 
been  unable  to  accept  a  number  of  public  oflices  which 
his  fellow  citizens  offered  him.  He  did,  however,  serve 
for  a  year  as  member  of  the  school  committee  of 
South  Kingston,  and  performed  a  valuable  service  to 
the  community  in  this  capacity.  He  is  a  conspicuous 
figure  in  the  social  and  fraternal  circles  of  South 
Kingston,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen  and  the  local  lodge  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  His  career  has  been  one  which 
has  combined  personal  achievement  for  himself  with  a 
very  large  and  valuable  scrvii?e  to  his  fellow  citizens, 
and  he  is  at  the  present  time  one  of  the  most  respected 
figures  in  this  progressive  community. 

John  Edward  Babcock  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1890,  at  Peace  Dale,  with  Margie  Hunter 
Rodman,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Kate  (Hunter) 
Rodman,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  this 
place.  Mrs.  Babcock's  father  was  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs  Babcock  two  children 
have  been  born:  Edith  Rodman,  born  May  17,  iSq8; 
John  E.,  Jr.,  born  Dec.  18,  1912. 


HOWARD  DEXTER  WILCOX,  special  repre- 
sentative for  the  Phcenix  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Company  in  Rhode  Island  and  Bristol  countv.  Mass., 
was  born  in  Providence,  June  21,  1883,  son  of  Jon- 
athan  Brenton  Shaw  and  Fannie  Esther   (Irons)   Wil- 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


115 


cox.  natives  of  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut,  respec- 
tively, and  a  descendant  of  early  Colonial  families  in 
New  England.  The  public  schools  of  his  native  city, 
and  the  English  High  School  and  the  Manual  Training 
High  School,  from  which  he  graduated  in  i8f)7,  were 
the  means  by  which  he  received  a  practical  education 
which  prepared  him  for  the  activities  of  life.  Shortly 
after  leaving  school  he  became  associated  with  the 
American  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company,  now  known 
as  the  American  Bell  System.  For  many  years  he  was 
manager  of  the  Westerly  and  Narragansett  Pier  offices 
of  the  Providence  Telephone  Company,  and  later  be- 
came chief  clerk  to  the  general  manager  and  store 
manager  of  the  Western  Electric  Company,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  faithfully  and  efficiently  until  1917, 
in  which  year  he  entered  the  insurance  field  in  Provi- 
dence and  became  special  representative  for  the  Phcenix 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  so  continuing  to  the 
present  time  (1919)  his  services  being  of  such  a  char- 
acter as  to  command  recognition.  In  his  political  affi- 
liation he  is  a  Republican,  and  since  1012  has  served  as 
treasurer  of  the  Republican  Club  in  Rhode  Island.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Central  Congregational  Church,  in 
the  activities  of  which  he  takes  an  active  interest.  He 
is  also  active  in  Masonry,  holding  membership  in  Frank- 
lin Lodge,  No.  20,  Free  and  /Xccepted  Masons,  of 
Westerly ;  Palmer  Chapter,  Xo.  28,  Royal  Arch  Masons, 
of  Westerly;  Providence  Council,  No.  I,  Royal  and 
Select  Masters;  Calvary  Commandery,  Knights  Tem- 
plar, of  Providence;  Rhode  Island  Consistory,  Ancient 
Accepted  Scottish  Rite;  and  Palestine  Temple,  Ancient 
Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks;  the  Council  of  the  Providence  Engineering  So- 
ciety; the  Wasmamoisett  Country  Club,  and  Vesper 
Country  Club  of  Lowell,  Mass. 

Mr.  Wilcox  married,  June  30,  1913,  Edith  Glines, 
daughter  of  Charles  H.  and  Florence  (Bryant)  Glines, 
natives  of  Quincy,  Mass.,  and  a  lineal  descendant  on  the 
maternal  side  of  Governor  Bradford,  of  Massachusetts. 
They  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Dorothy  Bradford, 
born  Xov.  7.  1914. 


TERENCE    MICHAEL    O'REILLY— From    the 

flagpole  surmounting  a  beautiful  seaside  home  at  Ma- 
tunuck,  R.  I.,  two  flags  are  kept  flying  whenever  the 
owner  is  at  home,  the  Stars  and  Stripes  and  the  flag  of 
the  old  Irish  clan  from  which  he  sprang,  the  O'Reilly. 
From  this  ancient  family,  the  Princes  of  East  Brefney, 
comes  Terence  M.  O'Reilly,  of  Providence.  R.  I.,  lawyer 
and  construction  expert.  He  combines  in  himself  the 
mechanic  and  the  professional  man,  and  in  building  his 
Rhode  Island  home  drew  the  plans,  superintended  con- 
struction, and  personally  saw  that  all  matters  legal  were 
perfectly  sure,  safe  and  sound.  Coming  from  ancient 
lineage,  he  also  bears  the  name  of  the  most  ancient  of 
Rhode  Island  schoolmasters,  Terence  O'Reilly  being  the 
first  teacher  of  record  in  the  Providence  Plantations,  and 
the  same  records  show  that  the  Plantations  owed  him 
money  when  he  disappeared.  Terence  M.  O'Reilly  is  a 
son  of  Patrick  and  Bridget  (Moran)  O'Reilly,  both  of 
Irish  birth.  Patrick  O'Reilly  came  from  Ireland  in  1844, 
and  located  in  Providence,  R.  I. 
Terence  M.  O'Reilly  was  bom  in  Providence,  April  12, 


1864,  and  began  his  education  in  the  public  schools. 
Later  he  became  a  student  at  LaSalle  .-Academy,  whence 
he  was  graduated  in  1879,  after  which  he  began  learning 
the  carpenter's  trade,  becoming  a  finished  workman. 
He  was  engaged  in  building  construction  as  a  contractor, 
and  in  that  business  accumulated  the  funds  necessary  to 
carry  out  a  long-formed  ambition — the  study  of  law. 
He  entered  Boston  University  Law  School,  registering 
at  the  same  time  as  a  law  student  in  the  office  of  W.  B. 
N'incent  of  the  Providence  bar,  was  graduated  from  law 
school,  Bachelor  of  Laws,  class  of  1898,  and  on  October 
3,  189S,  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  During 
the  twenty  years  which  have  since  intervened  he  has 
closely  devoted  himself  to  his  profession,  specializing 
in  the  law  of  contracts  and  building  construction.  He 
practices  in  all  State  and  Federal  courts  of  the  district, 
and  has  a  large  clientele,  his  offices  at  No.  728  Gros- 
venor  building.  His  knowledge  of  the  builder's  trade 
and  business  peculiarly  fits  him  for  the  practice  of  the 
special  branches  of  the  law  he  follows,  and  that  practical 
knowledge  has  been  a  factor  in  his  success  at  the  bar. 
Learned  in  the  law  and  skillful  in  its  application,  he  is 
thoroughly  equipped  for  professional  work  and  to  these 
he  adds  energy  and  integrity. 

A  Republican,  and  deeply  interested  in  party  success, 
business  and  professional  engagements  have  prevented 
extended  party  service.  He  has  presided  as  chairman  of 
party  city  conventions  several  times,  and  renders  such 
campaign  aid  as  is  possible.  He  is  also  a  volunteer 
member  of  the  advisory  draft  board  and  also  register 
of  the  draft.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  for  thirty  years,  is  a  past  high  chief  ranger  of 
the  High  Court  of  Rhode  Island,  Independent  Order  of 
Foresters,  for  many  years  was  a  trustee  of  St.  Mat- 
thew's Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
West  Side  Club.  He  is  a  man  of  culture  and  attractive 
personality,  a  lover  of  good  literature,  particularly  his- 
torical, and  proud  of  the  ancient  race  from  which  he 
springs.  His  summer  home  is  one  of  the  show  places 
of  the  section,  and  its  two  flags  can  be  seen  from  far 
oflf  at  sea.  His  city  home  is  on  the  site  of  the  old  Betsey 
Williams  farm  at  Providence. 

Mr.  O'Reilly  married,  in  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  February 
8,  1893,  Catherine  T.  Black.  They  are  the  parents  of  a 
daughter,  Maria  Carmelita,  now  serving  as  a  private  in 
the  Rhode  Island  Red  Cross  Motor  Corps. 


ISAAC  NELSON  EDD'y,  president  of  the  Paw- 
tucket  Ice  Company,  of  No.  126  North  Maine  street, 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens 
of  this  place,  is  a  native  of  Olneyville,  where  his  birth 
occurred  May  19,  1848,  and  a  son  of  Darius  and  Esther 
A.  (Irons)  Eddy,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
this  region.  The  elder  Mr.  Eddy  was  a  native  of  Provi- 
cience,  where  he  was  born  in  the  year  1813,  and  as  a  lad 
began  work  in  one  of  the  local  mills.  He  afterwards 
became  a  moulder,  and  also  worked  in  a  provision  mar- 
ket. He  then  started  the  operation  of  a  meat  wagon  on 
his  own  account,  in  which  he  went  from  place  to  place, 
and  continued  in  this  line  from  1865  until  1883.  He  was 
so  successful  in  his  business  that  he  was  able  to  retire 
therefrom  in  the  latter  year,  about  thirteen  years  prior 
to  his  death  in  1896.  He  was  prominent  in  the  affairs  of 
Olneyville,  and  served  on  the  Olneyville  Town  Council 


ii6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


for  a  term.  His  wife,  who  was  Esther  A.  Irons,  born 
in  1810,  survived  him,  her  death  occurring  in  1906. 

The  education  of  Isaac  Nelson  Eddy  was  begun  at  the 
grammar  scliools  of  his  native  place  and  was  completed 
at  the  well-known  school  of  Jenks  Mowry,  of  Provi- 
dence. After  completing  his  studies  at  the  latter  insti- 
tution Mr.  Eddy,  who  was  very  musically  inclined, 
joined  the  famous  American  Band  on  May  30,  1870, 
which  organization  was  known  throughout  the  whole 
country  by  that  name,  and  led  at  that  time  by  the  famous 
D.  W.  Reeves.  He  has  continued  his  membership  in 
this  organization  ever  since,  and  is  now  the  oldest  active 
member.  With  the  American  Band,  Mr.  Eddy  has  trav- 
eled at  different  times  to  practically  every  part  of  this 
country.  Mr.  Eddy  was  also  employed,  while  still  a 
youth,  by  his  father  in  the  latter's  meat  business,  con- 
tinuing for  fifteen  years  in  this  occupation,  and  in  1895 
purchased  an  interest  in  the  ice  business  of  Dcspeau, 
Russell  &  Company,  of  Pawtucket.  He  had  saved  up 
the  major  part  of  his  earnings  during  the  time  that  he 
worked  for  his  father,  and  was  in  this  manner  able  to 
become  independent.  He  gradually  rose  in  position  in 
this  concern  and  in  iSqo,  when  the  firm  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  Pawtucket  Ice  Company,  he  was 
elected  president,  a  position  that  he  has  served  in  ever 
since.  Under  his  most  capable  and  energetic  manage- 
ment the  Pawtucket  Ice  Company  has  developed  to  large 
proportions,  and  now  transacts  a  large  business,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  important  establishment  of  its  kind  in 
this  region.  Mr.  Eddy  has  always  been  keenly  inter- 
ested in  public  affairs,  both  local  and  general,  but  the 
great  demands  made  upon  his  time  and  attention  by  his 
large  business  interests  have  prevented  him  from  taking 
an  active  part  in  politics.  He  is,  however,  a  staunch 
supporter  of  Republican  principles  and  policies,  and 
exerts  as  a  private  citizen  a  considerable  influence  upon 
affairs. 

Isaac  Nelson  Eddy  was  united  in  marriage,  August  4, 
1873,  with  Martha  Perry  Gardiner,  of  North  Provi- 
dence, a  daughter  of  William  H.  and  Charlotte  E. 
(Read)  Gardiner.  Mr.  Gardiner,  of  South  Kingston, 
R.  I.,  died  at  New  Bedford,  Mass.  He  was  for  many 
years  a  prominent  farmer  at  North  Providence.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Eddy  one  child  has  been  born  ;  William  D. 
Eddy,  born  November  18,  1875,  and  now  in  the  United 
States  Government  Service  at  Newport,  R.  I.  He  mar- 
ried Isabelle  Kendrick,  of  Philadelphia,  and  they  have 
one  child.  Nelson  A.  Eddy,  born  June  28,  1901. 


IRVING  S.  COOK— In  1886  Dr.  Cook,  with  his 
diploma  newly  acquired,  came  to  the  village  of  George- 
ville,  R.  I.,  and  succeeded  Dr.  Nutting  in  practice  at  that 
point.  Dr.  Cook  is  a  son  of  William  W.  Cook,  of 
Wrentham,  Mass.,  and  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  who  came  to 
Woonsocket  shortly  after  the  birth  of  his  son,  Irving  S., 
and  there  conducted  a  successful  grocery  business  until 
his  retirement  several  years  prior  to  his  death  in  1907 
at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  He  was  a  man  of 
strong  character  and  upright  life.  An  ardent,  apostle 
of  the  temperance  cause,  and  for  several  years  an  official 
of  the  Universalist  church.  He  married  Rhoby  Sher- 
burne, of  Wrentham,  Mass. 

Irving   S.   Cook   was   born   in   Wrentham,    Mass.,   in 


1858,  and  in  1864  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Woon- 
socket, R.  I.,  where  he  completed  the  public  school 
course  of  study  with  graduation  from  high  school. 
He  continued  his  education  at  Tufts  College  and  later 
entered  Howard  Medical  College,  whence  he  was  gradu- 
ated, Doctor  of  Medicine,  class  of  1886.  He  at  once 
located  in  Georgeville,  R.  I.,  and  still  continues  there. 
He  has  been  health  officer  of  the  village  and  medical 
inspector  in  the  schools  in  the  town  of  Smithfield.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Medi- 
cal societies. 

An  Independent  in  his  political  action,  Dr.  Cook  has 
never  sought  a  political  office,  but  has  been  very  active 
in  the  work  of  school  board  of  the  town  of  Smithfield 
and  in  the  management  of  the  town  schools  since  1906. 
He  has  been  chairman  of  the  school  committee,  and  was 
superintendent  of  schools  for  nine  years.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Roger  Williams  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons, of  North  Providence,  and  is  interested  in  all  that  is 
of  benefit  to  his  village. 

Dr.  Cook  married,  in  Woonsocket,  Georgia  E.  Paul, 
daughter  of  Seth  D.  Paul,  of  Woonsocket,  the  inventor 
of  the  Paul  loom  and  mule  used  very  extensively  in 
woolen  manufacture.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Cook  are  the  par- 
ents of  three  children:  Alice  F..  a  graduate  of  Pem- 
broke College  of  Brown  University  and  Simmon's  Col- 
lege of  Boston ;  Paul  W.,  educated  at  Providence  Tech- 
nical High  School  and  Kingston  College,  now  enlisted  in 
the  naval  service,  and  in  training  at  Newport,  R.  I.  He 
married  Florence  Anderson,  of  Georgiaville,  and  has 
a  daughter,  Estelle  Alice;  and  a  son.  Freeman  W.,  now 
with  the  Ambulance  Corps  with  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Forces  in  France. 


HARRY  T.  BODWELL— Harry  T.  Bodwell,  the 
president  and  treasurer  of  the  Bodwell  Land  Company, 
is  a  native  of  Castine,  Me.,  where  he  was  born  Janu- 
ary 9,  1882.  He  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  city  of  Providence  and  upon  reaching  his 
majority  was  appointed  assistant  clerk  of  the  Appellate 
Division  of  our  Supreme  Court  and  served  in  that  capac- 
ity for  two  and  one-half  years.  Previous  to  and  during 
this  time  he  pursued  the  study  of  law.  He  was  later 
elected  by  the  General  Assembly,  clerk  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  Eighth  Judicial  District  and  served  in  that 
capacity  for  three  years.  He  was  also  moderator  of  the 
town  of  Cranston  and  in  1914  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature  from  the  Fourth  District,  Cranston,  being 
reelected  in  1016  and  again  in  igi8,  serving  during  these 
legislative  terms  as  a  member  of  the  House  Committee 
on  Finance. 

Mr.  Bodwell  is  a  Free  Mason  being  a  member  of  the 
Harmony  Lodge,  No.  9,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  of 
Pawtuxet,  R.  I.,  of  which  he  is  a  past  master;  Provi- 
dence Chapter,  No.  i.  Royal  Arch  Masons ;  Providence 
Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  Calvary  Command- 
ery,  Knights  Templar;  Palestine  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Pomham  Club,  and  secretary  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Fruit  Growers'  Association.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  is  a  member  of  the  State  Central  Committee 
from  Cranston,  and  also  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee  of  that  body. 


-^l^.JcUl^ 


BIOGIL'\PHICAL 


117 


EUGENE  LOUIS  JALBERT— One  of  the  most 
successful  and  enterprising  among  the  younger  lawyers 
of  Woonsocket,  where  he  has  won  for  himself  an  ex- 
cellent reputation  for  ability  and  integrity,  is  Eugene 
Louis  Jalbcrt,  a  native  of  Arctic  Center,  in  this  State, 
where  he  was  born  April  20,  1885,  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Julie  (Danis)  Jalbert.  Nfr.  Jalbert's  parents  were  both 
natives  of  Canada  and  came  from  that  country  to  the 
United  States  about  forty-five  years  ago.  Joseph  Jal- 
bert was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  which  for  a 
time  he  carried  on  at  Arctic  Center  and  later  in  Provi- 
dence, coming  to  Woonsocket  in  the  year  1889. 

Eugene  Louis  Jalbert  was  but  four  years  of  age  when 
he  came  to  live  at  Woonsocket  with  his  parents,  and  it 
was  at  the  latter  place  that  practically  all  of  his  child- 
hood associations  were  formed.  It  was  at  Woonsocket 
also  that  he  gained  the  elementary  portion  of  his  edu- 
cation, attending  for  this  purpose  the  local  public  and 
parochial  schools.  The  young  man  went  to  Canada, 
where  he  entered  Nfontrcal  College,  Montreal,  and  later 
the  Jolictte  College,  and  there  took  the  usual  classical 
course,  provin.g  himself  a  most  apt  and  intelligent  stu- 
dent. Mr.  Jalbcrt  graduated  from  the  Jesuit  College 
with  the  class  of  1906,  the  possessor  of  an  e.xcellent 
general  education.  He  had  in  the  meantime,  however, 
decided  to  adopt  the  legal  profession  as  a  career  in  life, 
and  with  this  end  in  view,  entered  the  law  school  con- 
nected with  the  Boston  University.  From  the  outset  he 
showed  a  marked  ability  along  his  chosen  line,  and  his 
eminent  qualifications  in  this  direction  early  made  them- 
selves manifest.  At  the  Boston  University  Mr.  Jalt>ert 
pursued  his  studies  with  such  good  purpose  that  he  was 
graduated  therefrom  with  the  class  of  1910,  and  took 
at  the  same  time  the  degree  of  J.  B..  maijna  cum  hiudc. 
Mr.  Jalbert  had  not  waited,  however,  until  his  gradua- 
tion before  beginning  the  practice  of  his  profession,  but, 
in  September,  1909,  took  the  bar  examination  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  on  November  5,  1909,  and  opened 
an  office  at  Woonsocket,  where  he  be.gan  the  practice 
of  law.  From  that  time  on  to  the  present  Mr.  Jalbert 
has  remained  constantly  in  practice,  and  in  the  mean- 
time has  developed  a  verv-  large  and  high-class  clientele. 
His  office  is  situated  at  Rooms  8  and  9.  Longley  build- 
ing, Woonsocket,  and  much  important  litigation  is  now 
handled  there  by  him.  Not  only  has  he  proven  himself 
perfectly  qualified  to  take  a  leading  position  before  the 
Rhode  Island  bar,  but  his  personality  and  democratic 
attitude  towards  his  fellows  have  rendered  him  very 
popular  and  he  at  the  present  time  enjoys  a  host  of 
faithful  friends  and  associates.  Mr.  Jalbert  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  but  the  demands  made  upon  his 
time  and  attention  by  his  professional  activities  have 
up  to  the  present  time  rendered  it  impossible  for  him 
to  take  an  active  part  in  public  aflfairs,  although  his 
views  on  the  practical  side  of  life  and  his  quickness  in 
adapting  himself  to  new  conditions  and  circumstances 
amply  fit  him  for  such  activities.  Mr.  Jalbert  is  a  con- 
spicuous figure  in  the  fraternal  and  social  circles  of 
Woonsocket,  and  he  is  a  member  of  a  number  of  impor- 
tant organizations  here,  among  which  should  be  num- 
bered Woonsocket  Lodge,  No.  850,  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks;  Conseil  No.  2,  of  L'Union  St. 
Jean  Baptiste  d'Amerique;  the  Forestiers  Franco- Amer- 
icains  Cour  Napoleon,  A.  C.  A.;  the  Phi  Delta  Phi  fra- 


ternity; the  .Mumni  .Association  of  the  Boston  Univer- 
sity, and  the  Cercle  National  Dramatique.  In  addition 
to  these  organizations  Mr.  Jalbcrt  is  a  member  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Bar  Association  and  the  Woonsocket 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and.  particularly  in  the  latter 
capacity,  has  done  much  to  promote  the  material  inter- 
ests of  the  community  of  which  he  is  a  member.  In 
his  religious  belief  Mr.  Jalbert  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and 
attends  the  Notre  Dame  des  V'ictoires  Church  of  this 
denomination  at  Woonsocket. 

Kugene  Louis  Jalbert  was  united  in  marriage,  No- 
vember 28,  1912,  with  Nathalie  H.  Moreau,  of  Man- 
chester, N.  H.,  a  dau.ghter  of  J.  J.  and  Marie  Heloise 
(Houde)  Moreau.  Mr.  Moreau  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  business  men  and  particularly  influential  in 
the  business  life  of  Manchester,  where  he  is  without 
doubt  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jalbert  three  children  have 
been  born,  as  follows :     Heloise.  Louis  M..  and  Julienne. 

EVERETT  BURNSIDE  DEXTER— Beyond  doubt 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  energetic  citizens  of 
Scituate,  R.  I.,  is  Everett  Burnside  De.xter,  who  is 
engaged  in  this  community  in  large  farming  operations 
and  as  a  successful  manufacturer.  Mr.  Dexter  is  a 
native  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  his  birth  occurred 
October  15.  1838,  and  a  son  of  William  and  Sahra 
(Narton)  Dexter,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  The 
elder  Mr.  Dexter  was  for  many  years  engaged  in  a 
peddling  business  in  Boston,  New  Haven  and  Provi- 
dence. The  early  life  of  Everett  Burnside  Dexter  was 
spent  at  Providence,  where  he  attended  for  a  short 
time  the  local  public  schools.  His  parents,  however, 
moved  to  Scituate,  R.  I.,  when  he  was  seven  years  of 
age  and  here  he  continued  his  schooling  for  a  time. 
The  circumstances  of  his  family  were  such,  however, 
that  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  engage  in  some 
lucrative  employment  and  while  still  a  mere  lad  he 
secured  a  position  in  a  wheelwright  shop,  where  he 
remained  for  a  time.  He  then  took  up  farming  and 
for  a  number  of  years  was  employed  by  local  farmers 
in  work  upon  their  places.  In  the  year  1882.  having 
by  dint  of  great  industry  and  a  most  commendable 
thrift  laid  by  a  considerable  capital.  Mr.  De.xter  pur- 
chased his  present  farm,  which  at  that  time  consisted 
of  some  forty  acres,  to  which  he  has  since  added  sixty 
acres  more.  The  energy  and  ambition  of  the  lad  which 
manifested  itself  while  he  was  still  employed  by  others, 
continued  to  be  displayed  by  him  when  he  became  the 
owner  of  his  own  place.  At  the  time  of  his  purchase, 
the  property  was  practically  without  improvement,  a 
fact  which  enabled  him  at  that  early  age  to  pay  for  it, 
but  since  that  time  he  has  made  it  through  hard  work 
and  careful  management,  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
and  highly  cultivated  farms  in  this  region.  Upon  it  he 
has  built  every  building  which  now  stands  here,  in- 
cluding his  own  house  and  a  number  of  dwellings  and 
tenements  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Dexter  settle- 
ment. In  addition  to  these  activities,  Mr.  Dexter  has 
branched  out  into  quite  other  departments  and  in  1902 
erected  a  large  cider  mill  for  the  manufacture  of 
vinegar.  This  plant  he  has  conducted  with  the  utmost 
success  and  it  now  turns  out  in  the  neighborhood  of 
one  thousand  barrels  per  year.    Perceiving  that  he  could 


ii8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


save  greatly  if  he  provided  his  own  mill  with  the  bar- 
rels necessary  to  care  for  the  shipment  of  its  product, 
Mr.  Dexter  built  in  1913  a  large  cooper  shop,  where  he 
now  manufactures  barrels  for  himself.  He  employs 
about  twelve  men  in  the  plant.  In  spite  of  these  large 
industrial  enterprises,  Mr.  Dexter  has  not  given  up 
his  farming  and  is  extensively  engaged  in  fruit  grow- 
ing, having  an  extensive  orchard  of  many  acres,  and 
raised  in  1918  ever  5.000  bushels  of  apples.  The  great 
success  achieved  by  him  has  been  due  entirely  to  his 
unaided  efforts,  for  he  did  not  inherit  any  money  at  all, 
and  it  has  been  entirely  owing  to  his  industry  and 
thrift  that  he  amassed  the  capital  necessary  to  starting 
in  his  various  ventures.  Mr.  Dexter  has  earned  a 
well-merited  reputation  for  public  spirit  in  this  com- 
munity and  has  never  failed  to  interest  himself  actively 
in  local  affairs.  He  is  now,  however,  ambitious  on  his 
own  account  for  political  preferment,  and  although  a 
staunch  member  of  the  Republican  party  and  an 
ardent  supporter  of  its  principles  and  policies,  has  never 
sought  office  from  it.  He  has,  nevertheless,  for  many 
years  occupied  the  position  of  forest  warden,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  North  Scituate  Grange  No.  39.  Mr. 
Dexter  has  served  as  master  of  North  Scituate  Grange 
for  the  years  of   1917-18. 

Everett  Burnside  De.xter  was  united  in  marriage  on 
April  26,  1892,  with  Theodora  Augusta  Gurney,  of 
Boston,  Mass.,  a  daughter  of  James  Theodore  and 
Harriet  Augusta  (Haradcn)  Gurney,  old  and  highly 
respected  citizens  of  that  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dexter 
are  the  parents  of  five  children,  as  follows :  Theodore 
and  Irving,  twins;  Horace;  Henry  and  Cora,  twins. 
All  of  these  children  have  received  excellent  educations 
in  the  schools  of  their  native  town.  Theodore,  now 
serving  with  the  First  Division  of  the  United  States 
Army  in  Coblenz,  Germany ;  Irving,  now  serving 
with  the  United  States  Army  in  Siberia;  Horace  served 
six  months  in  the  Engineering  Corps  of  the  United 
States  Army  and  was  honorably  discharged  December 
I,  1918;  Henry  is  assisting  his  father  at  home. 


ERLE  D.  FORREST,  M.  D.,  a  prominent  physi- 
cian of  Edgewood  Station,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  Utica, 
111.,  where  his  birth  occurred  June  18,  1888.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Isabel  E.  (Anfield)  Forrest,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  Franklin,  Mass.,  where 
the  elder  Mr.  Forrest  is  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  The  early  life  of  Dr.  Forrest  was  spent 
in  a  number  of  different  parts  of  the  country,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  his  father's  profession  took  him  from 
place  to  place  as  he  was  given  charge  of  various  par- 
ishes. His  education  was  consequently  gained  at  a 
number  of  different  public  schools  but  he  was  grad- 
uated from  the  high  school  at  Melrose,  Mass.,  in  1903. 
He  then  entered  the  Ogdcnsburg  Academy,  at  Ogdens- 
burg,  N.  Y.,  where  he  took  a  full  English  course  and 
was  graduated  in  1905,  after  being  prepared  for  col- 
lege. Dr.  Forrest  then  entered  Tufts  College,  study- 
ing in  the  medical  department  thereof  and  graduating 
with  the  class  of  1912.  He  served  in  the  Mt.  Sinai 
Hospital  of  Boston,  as  obstetrical  house  officer  there. 
After  a  time  spent  in  this  hospital  he  became  an  in- 
terne in  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital  at  Providence, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years  and  was  then  interne 


in  the  Providence  City  Hospital  until  1915.  In  that  year 
Dr.  Forrest  offered  his  services  to  the  Red  Cross 
Society,  and  was  sent  to  Serbia,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  war  work  for  a  time.  While  in  Serbia,  Dr.  Forrest 
was  transferred  to  the  famous  hospital  corps  of  Lady 
Paget,  and  during  this  time  was  captured  by  Bulgarian 
troops,  during  an  action  at  Uskub,  while  they  were 
overrunning  Serbia.  His  capture  was  occasioned  by 
the  fact  that  the  corps  remained  courageously  on  duty 
at  the  various  hospitals  where  they  were  placed,  rather 
than  abandon  their  wounded  charges.  In  1916,  however, 
he  was  released  from  his  captivity  and  shortly  after  his 
return  to  America,  travelled  to  South  America  and 
was  there  placed  in  charge  of  the  sanitary  condition  of 
properties  of  a  large  industrial  company  in  British 
Guiana.  Later,  however.  Dr.  Forrest  returned  to  the 
United  States,  and  opened  an  office  at  No.  1880  Broad 
street,  Edgewood.  where  he  is  at  present  in  active  prac- 
tice. Since  December,  1916,  w'hen  he  first  established 
himself  at  this  place.  Dr.  Forrest  has  rapidly  grown  in 
popularity  here  and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
successful  among  the  younger  physicians  of  the  place. 
He  has  taken  a  keen  interest  in  the  public  affairs  of 
the  city  but  has  not  affiliated  himself  with  any  of  the 
political  parties,  preferring  to  remain  entirely  inde- 
pendent in  his  judgment  on  local  issues.  In  his  relig- 
ious belief.  Dr.  Forrest  is  a  Methodist  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Temple  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
Boston,  Mass.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Harmony 
Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  and  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Hospital  Club. 

Dr.  Forrest  was  united  in  marriage  on  April  24,  1917, 
with  Miriam  R.  Bliss,  of  Providence.  To  them  one 
child  has  been  born,  Richard  A.  Forrest,  Jan.  25,  1918. 


ANDREW  BROWN  WALLS,  JR.,  agent  of  the 
Manton  Mill,  of  Manton,  R.  I.,  and  a  man  of  influence 
in  the  community,  is  a  native  of  Chatham,  New  Bruns- 
wick, Canada,  where  his  birth  occurred  August  7,  1884, 
and  a  son  of  Andrew  Brown,  Sr.,  and  Mary  C.  (Green- 
ough)  Walls,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
that  place.  Mr.  Walls,  Sr.,  like  his  son,  was  a  native  of 
Chatham,  New  Brunswick,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
tanning  business  at  that  place  for  many  years.  From 
there,  however,  he  removed  to  Chelsea,  Mass.,  where 
he  became  a  carpenter,  and  now  lives  retired,  on  ac- 
count of  ill  health,  at  Revere,  Mass.  He  married  Mary 
C.  Greenough,  a  native  of  West  Petpeswick  Harbor, 
Nova  Scotia,  whose  death  occurred  February  3,  1916. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  Albert 
G.,  now  of  Revere,  Mass.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  overseer  for  the  Penn  Metal  Works ;  Maude, 
who  makes  her  home  at  Revere,  Mass.;  George  E., 
who  resides  at  Maiden,  Mass.,  where  he  is  cashier  of 
the  Joyce  Brothers'  Company ;  Walter  B.,  of  Winthrop, 
Mass.,  where  he  is  assistant  treasurer  of  the  Woolen 
Worsted  Company;  Mark  G.,  of  Medford,  Mass.,  where 
he  is  manager  of  the  "Insurance  Press,"  of  Boston,  and 
Andrew  Brown,  Jr..  of  further  mention. 

Andrew  Brown  Walls,  Jr.,  received  his  education  at 
the  public  schools  of  Chelsea,  Mass.,  to  which  place 
his  family  removed  when  he  was  a  small  child,  but  after 
completing  the  grammar  grades,  it  became  necessary 
for  him  to  secure  some  remunerative  employment,  and 


T 


C«4<c 


r-.^S> 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


119 


accordingly  he  found  work  with  the  American  Woolen 
Mill,  being  placed  in  the  Boston  office  of  that  concern 
in  the  capacity  of  messenger  boy.  He  remained  there 
for  four  years,  during  which  time  he  had  worked  up 
to  a  responsible  clerical  position  in  the  office  of  the 
general  agent.  N'ot  long  afterwards  Mr.  Walls  was 
given  a  position  with  the  Riverside  Mill,  at  Providence, 
and  worked  with  that  concern  from  1903  to  November 
I,  1909.  His  first  position  there  was  that  of  secretary 
to  the  superintendent,  and  at  the  time  he  left  he  held 
the  post  of  assistant  to  the  agent.  Mr.  Walls  then 
went  with  the  Wood  Worsted  Mill,  at  Lawrence,  Mass., 
the  largest  concern  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  as  assistant 
agent  there,  and  after  spending  eight  years  in  its  em- 
ploy was  offered  the  position  of  agent  with  the  Manton 
Mill,  of  Manton,  R.  I.  Accordingly,  he  came  to  this 
place  to  take  up  his  new  duties,  and  has  continued  thus 
occupied  up  to  the  present  time.  In  politics  Mr.  Walls 
is  a  Republican,  and  although  the  great  demands  made 
upon  his  time  and  activities  by  his  responsible  post 
render  it  impossible  for  him  to  take  so  active  a  part  in 
public  affairs  as  he  otherwise  might,  he  nevertheless 
continues  keenly  interested  in  local  and  general  issues, 
and  performs  his  duties  as  citizen  conscientiously.  Mr. 
Walls  is  a  conspicuous  member  of  the  Masonic  order 
in  this  place,  and  is  affiliated  with  Phoenician  Lodge, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Mount  Sinai 
Chapter,  Royal  .-Xrch  Masons,  Lawrence  Council.  Royal 
and  Select  Masters,  and  Bethany  Commandery,  Knights 
Templar.  Mr.  Walls  possesses  the  well-earned  reputa- 
tion as  a  hard  worker  and  capable  business  man,  and 
stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  the  various  mill  owners 
and  operators  in  this  region.  His  chief  recreation  is 
automobiling  and  fishing,  but  he  enjoys  almost  any  of 
the  wholesome  pastimes  which  are  associated  with  out- 
door life.  He  makes  his  home  at  No.  90  Arnold  avenue, 
Edgewood. 

Andrew  Brown  Walls,  Jr.,  was  united  in  marriage, 
October  15,  1907,  at  Everett,  Mass.,  with  Ethel  Cary 
Bruzzell,  a  daughter  of  Frank  A.  and  .A.da  L.  (Cary) 
Bruzzell,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  there. 
Mr.  Bruzzell  was  a  native  of  Maine,  but  came 
to  Everett,  Mass.,  as  a  young  man,  and  was  there 
engaged  in  the  retail  grocery  business  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  June,  1908.  Mrs.  Bruzzell  survives  him,  and 
continues  to  reside  at  Chelsea.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walls, 
Jr.,  three  children  have  been  born,  as  follows:  .\lden 
Roberts,  born  May  23,  1910,  and  now  a  student  at  the 
Cranston  Primary  School;  Gordon  Edward,  born  July 
10,  1914;  Donald  Irving,  born  March  30,  1919. 


PATRICK  FRANCIS  BARRY— Among  the  best 
known  young  lawyers  of  Riverpoint,  R.  I.,  Patrick  F. 
Barry  occupies  a  high  position  in  the  esteem  of  the 
community.  He  is  a  native  of  the  place,  having  been 
born  here,  March  20,  1884,  the  son  of  William  H.  and 
Susan  A.  (Carville)  Barry.  William  H.  Barry  was 
born  in  Cranston.  R.  I.,  and  for  thirty-seven  years  has 
been  connected  with  The  L.  Brayton  Foundry  Company, 
of  Riverpoint,  R.  I.,  a  connection  which  has  given  him 
so  much  satisfaction  that  he  has  repeatedly  refused  to 
consider  more  advantageous  offers.  Susan  A.  Barry 
is  a  native  of  County  Monahan,  Ireland,  and  besides 
Patrick  F.  Barry,  who  is  the  eldest  of  the  family,  there 


were  four  other  children :  William  H.,  Jr.,  who  died 
in  service  in  the  United  States  .Army  at  Camp  Upton, 
L.  I.,  October  18,  1918;  Elizabeth;  Esther  Lilian,  and 
Clara  May,  the  latter  two  of  whom  are  teachers  in 
private  schools  in  Riverpoint. 

Patrick  F.  Barry  was  educated  in  the  grammar  school 
at  Riverpoint,  and  later  finished  the  course  at  the  town 
high  school.  His  ambition  had  been  set  on  the  legal 
profession  from  an  early  period  in  his  life,  and  from 
high  school  he  went  to  the  law  school  of  Boston 
University,  matriculating  in  1908  and  receiving  his 
degree  in  1911.  In  September  of  this  year  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
opened  an  office  in  Riverpoint,  where  he  had  a  large 
circle  of  friends,  and  a  still  larger  connection  of  those 
who  had  known  and  respected,  his  father.  The  young 
lawyer  began  to  make  his  mark  from  the  first,  and  in 
1912  he  was  made  the  ta.x  collector  for  the  old  town  of 
Warwick.  In  1915  and  1916  he  held  the  position  of 
probate  judge  of  West  Warwick,  and  in  1917-18  he  was 
town  solicitor  of  West  Warwick.  Business  enterprises 
also  interested  his  alert  and  ready  mind,  and  one  of  the 
projects  into  which  he  threw  his  energies  in  1917  was 
the  building  of  a  fine  brick  block  for  residence  and 
business  purposes.  In  that  same  year  he  bought  the 
Purity  Ice  Cream  Manufacturing  Company  which  had 
been  established  in  1914,  and  refitting  the  plant  with  a 
complete  equipment  of  the  most  modern  machinery,  he 
has  built  up  a  most  successful  and  prosperous  business. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  of  St. 
Peter's  and  St.  Paul's  Total  Abstinence  Society,  and  of 
the  Fraternal  Sons  of  St.  Patrick,  of  Pawtuxet  Valley, 
and  was  president  of  the  last  named  in  1917-18.  In  his 
political  principles  Mr.  Barry  is  a  Democrat,  though  he 
has  the  friendship  and  respect  of  many  Republicans, 
and  has  enjoyed  their  support  in  public  affairs. 

Mr.  Barry  married,  in  1910,  Rose  M.  Andrews, 
daughter  of  John  C.  and  Mary  A.  (Carroll)  Andrews, 
and  they  have  two  children  :  Francis  H.,  born  Oct.  15, 
1912;  and  Richard  J.,  born  May  4,  1914. 


REV  EUGENE  LESSARD,  rector  of  St.  James 
Roman  Catholic  Cliurcli  at  Manville,  R.  I.,  and  one  of 
the  best  known  and  most  loved  figures  in  this  com- 
munity, is  a  native  of  Canada,  having  been  born 
Elizabeth,  Province  of  Quebec,  in  that  country.  He  is 
a  son  of  Edward  and  Margaret  (Lachance)  Lessard, 
both  of  whom  are  natives  of  France,  the  former  having 
been  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Canada  for 
thirty  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lessard  are  the  parents  of 
eight  sons  and  three  daughters,  as  follows:  Eugene, 
with  whose  career  we  are  especially  concerned;  Joseph, 
who  resides  in  Boston ;  Edward,  who  also  lives  in  that 
city;  Romulus,  of  Ontario,  Canada;  Avila,  also  a  resi- 
dent there;  Adelard,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.;  .\ugust.  of 
Canada;  Emma,  who  makes  her  home  in  Woonsocket; 
Benoni  and  Delima;  Zelima  and  Couronna,  who  are 
deceased. 

Father  Lessard  received  the  elementary  portion  of 
his  education  at  the  public  schools  of  his  native  Prov- 
ince in  Canada,  and  also  attended  classical  courses  at 
Joliette  Seminary,  where  he  gained  a  degree  in  letters. 
While  yet  a  youth  he  realized  that  he  was  called  to 
the   priesthood,    and    began   the   study   of   theology    at 


120 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Montreal  Seminary.  He  was  ordained.  February  28, 
1884.  by  Mgr.  Fabre,  archbishop  of  Montreal,  and  was 
appointed  assistant  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of 
Saint  Cunegonde,  Montreal.  In  1889  he  was  appointed 
assistant  pastor  at  Precious  Blood  Church  at  Woon- 
socket.  He  remained  at  this  post  until  the  year  1896, 
when  he  was  called  to  the  Church  of  St.  James  at 
Manville,  R.  I.,  which  is  the  central  point  of  the  large 
French  colony  here.  He  has  remained  faithful  to  his 
charge  ever  since  and  has  been  responsible  in  a  large 
measure  for  the  growth  in  size  and  importance  of  this 
flourishing  parish.  When  he  first  came  to  Manville. 
the  Parish  of  St.  James  numbered  some  fifteen  hundred 
souls,  and  the  church  property  was  worth  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  He  has  now 
under  his  pastoral  care  twenty-seven  hundred  souls  and 
his  church  property  is  valued  at  more  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  He  has  been  an  active 
builder  and  it  was  he  who  constructed  the  handsome 
and  modern  Sisters'  residence.  In  1903  Father  I.essard 
built  the  present  beautiful  rectory  costing  over  $15,000. 
The  modern  school  which  was  built  by  Father  Beland, 
contains  twelve  large  classrooms,  and  is  under  the 
charge  of  twelve  teaching  sisters,  who  superintend  the 
eight  grades  here.  He  has  also  instituted  post-:_i:raduate 
courses  in  business  and  commercial  subjects,  the  en- 
tire institution  playing  a  most  valuable  part  in  the 
educational  system  of  the  community.  Father  Lessard 
has  also  vastly  improved  and  expanded  the  other 
church  property  and  has  modernized  it  in  every  way. 
He  also  installed  a  fine  modem  pipe  organ  in  the 
church,  1910.  He  has  one  assistant  in  the  parish,  the 
Rev.  Alphonse  Ernest  Olivier. 

It  is  a  mistaken  corollary  from  the  great  and  true 
proposition  that  the  world  is  growing  more  virtuous,  to 
suppose  that  therefore,  of  any  two  epochs,  the  latter 
must  be  the  better.  It  is  true  that  we  are  moving, 
however  slowlj',  towards  what  we  believe  shall  prove 
to  be  the  millennium,  but  we  move  as  do  the  waves  of 
the  sea  and  trough  must  follow  crest  as  well  as  the 
contrary.  It  would  probably  be  a  difiicult  matter,  how- 
ever, to  persuade  anyone  that  the  present  time  occupies 
any  such  ignominious  position  as  that  of  trough  be- 
tween two  crests  of  development,  and  doubtless  most 
men  would  point  indignantly  to  the  marvelous  mechan- 
ical achievements  of  to-day  and  ask  when  the  world 
has  approached  them  in  the  past.  But  there  are  other  and 
surer  ways  of  judging  of  the  worth  of  a  period  than  by 
its  mechanical  inventions,  notably  by  the  amount  of  reli- 
gious enthusiasm  existing,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  to  call  a 
period  in  historj'  at  once  the  "Dark  Ages"  and  the 
"Ages  of  Faith"  is  a  contradiction  in  terms.  That 
to-day  there  is  less  of  religious  belief  than  in  the 
times  that  have  preceded  it  is  hardly  susceptible  of 
denial,  and  this,  according  to  the  above  criterion,  marks 
it  as  in  some  degree  a  retrogression.  To  carry  us 
through  such  times  of  disbelief,  however,  there  are 
several  great  factors  to  which  men  of  more  faithful 
instincts  may  turn  for  support  and  refuge.  One  of  the 
greatest  of  these  is  undeniably  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  in  the  shelter  of  whose  institutions  so  many 
find  security.  It  is  among  the  priests  and  more  devoted 
members  of  the  church  that  we  shall  still  find  some- 
thing that  approximates  the  simple  faith  of  those  old 


times,  a  faith  which  approached  the  moving  of  moun- 
tains. Typical  of  those  who  thus  seem  to  perpetuate  in 
their  own  persons  the  splendid  tradition  of  the  past 
is  Rev.  Father  Eugene  Lessard,  he  himself  having  been 
instrumental  in  building  up  the  parish  to  its  present  size 
and  importance  and  made  it  the  factor  that  it  is  in 
the  religious  life  of  the  community. 


EDWIN  GILPIN  THOMPSON,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing physicians  of  01ne}'^Mlle,  R.  I.,  where  he  has  been  in 
practice  since  the  year  1897,  is  a  native  of  Halifax, 
Canada,  where  his  birth  occurred  April  16,  1865,  and  a 
son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Devine)  Thompson.  The 
elder  Mr.  Thompson  is  now  deceased  but  was  for  many 
years  successfully  engaged  in  business  as  a  manu- 
facturer at  Halifax.  His  wife,  now  resides  with  her 
son.  Dr.  Thompson,  at  this  place.  The  childhood  and 
early  life  of  Dr.  Thompson  were  spent  in  his  native 
city  of  Halifax,  and  it  was  there  that  he  attended  the 
local  public  schools  and  gained  his  elementary  education. 
After  two  years  at  the  high  school,  however,  he  was 
obliged  to  seek  some  remunerative  employment  in 
order  to  gain  funds  to  finish  his  education.  He  en- 
tered in  business  as  grocer  and  general  trader  in 
Bridgetown,  Nova  Scotia,  remaining  two  years.  In  the 
meantime  he  saved  up  with  commendable  thrift  enough 
money  to  enable  him  to  continue  his  studies,  and  ac- 
cordingly came  to  this  country  and  entered  the  Phila- 
delphia Dental  College  of  Philadelphia.  Pa.,  from  which 
institution  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1889-90, 
and  received  his  degree  as  doctor  of  dental  surgery. 
He  had,  however,  determined  to  take  up  the  study  of 
medicine,  but  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  gain  enough 
money  for  this  purpose,  and  accordingly  he  began  the 
practice  of  dentistry  at  Woodstock,  New  Brunswick, 
Canada.  At  the  same  time,  however,  he  entered  the 
Medico-Chirurgical  College  at  Philadelphia,  confining 
his  practice  to  the  months  of  his  vacation  each  year. 
In  the  year  1893  he  graduated  from  the  Philadelphia 
institution  with  the  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine,  and 
then  entered  as  interne  the  hospital  connected  with  the 
Medico-Chirurgical  College.  He  remained  for  two 
years,  gaining  much  valuable  practical  experience,  and 
then  established  himself  in  general  practice  in  Phila- 
delphia. This  was  in  the  year  1895,  and  for  two  years 
following  he  remained  in  that  city.  At  the  same  time 
he  was  given  a  position  as  extern  at  Wills  Hospital 
and  was  also  made  chief  of  the  gyncecological  clinic 
of  the  Medico-Chirurgical  Hospital  and  held  these  two 
responsible  posts  during  the  time  of  his  practice  in 
Philadelphia.  In  1897  Dr.  Thompson  went  to  the  \\'est 
and  began  practice  at  Springfield,  Mo.,  but  later  in  the 
same  year  returned  to  the  East  and  opened  an  office  at 
No.  68  Pocasset  avenue,  Olneyville,  R.  I.  Here  he  has 
remained  in  general  practice  for  about  twenty-one 
years  and  has  now  a  large  and  high  class  clientele  here. 
Dr.  Thompson  was  won  the  confidence  of  the  entire 
comtnunity,  including  his  fellow  physicians,  and  is  justly 
regarded  as  among  the  leaders  of  his  profession  in  this 
city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Medical 
Society,  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Association,  and  the 
American  Medical  Association.  In  addition  to  his 
private  practice,  he  now  holds  the  post  of  medical 
examiner  for  the  Metropolitan  Life  Insurance  Company, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


121 


the  Prudential  Life  Insurance  Company,  and  the  Life 
Extension  Association,  in  this  city.  He  is  surgeon- 
major  of  the  United  Train  of  Artillery,  one  of  the  old- 
est military  organizations  in  the  United  States,  a  char- 
tered command  which  originated  in  1776,  first  lieuten- 
ant and  assistant-surgeon,  Rhode  Island  State  Guard. 
In  politics  Dr.  Thompson  is  a  Republican  and  for  six 
years  was  a  member  of  the  school  committee  from  the 
Eighth  Ward.  In  his  religious  belief  Dr.  Thompson  is 
an  Episcopalian  and  attends  the  church  of  that  denom- 
ination here. 

Dr.  Thompson  was  united  in  marriage  on  March  6, 
1901,  with  Harriett  .\.  Wells,  of  Providence,  a  daughter 
of  Albert  Wells,  old  and  highly  respected  resident  of 
this  city.  Four  children  have  been  born  of  this  union, 
as  follows :  Ernest  Devine,  now  a  pupil  of  the  Classical 
High  School  here;  Mildred  Wells,  a  pupil  at  the  gram- 
mar school,  of  Providence ;  Helen,  also  a  pupil  of 
the  grammar  school,  of  Providence;  and  Louise,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  three  weeks. 


ARTHUR  WALLACE  STEERE,  a  prosperous 
farnu-r  and  successful  business  man  of  Greenville,  R.  I., 
and  one  of  the  largest  land-owners  in  this  rcirion,  is  a 
member  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  prominent  fam- 
ilies of  the  State,  which  was  founded  here  in  early 
colonial  times.  He  is  a  member  of  the  seventh  genera- 
tion from  the  immigrant  ancestor  and  the  following  is 
a  record  of  his  descent. 

(I)  John  Steerc,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  this 
State,  was  born  in  England  in  the  year  1634.  He  came 
to  the  New  England  colonies  prior  to  1660,  and  we  have 
a  record  of  him  on  May  9,  of  that  year,  as  having 
received  a  grant  of  land  at  Providence.  He  was  ac- 
cepted as  townsman  February  18,  1661,  was  town  ser- 
geant in  1663,  and  made  a  freeman  in  1672.  His  death 
occurred  August  27,  1724,  in  the  community  where  he 
had  made  his  home.  It  was  in  1660  that  we  first  have  a 
record  of  him,  when  he  married  Hannah  Wickenden,  a 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  \\'illiam  Wickenden.  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  John,  Sarah, 
Dinah.  Thomas,  James,  Ruth,  William,  .Anne,  and  Sam- 
uel, who  is  mentioned  at  length  below. 

(in  Samuel  Steere,  youngest  son  of  John  and  Han- 
nah (Wickenden)  Steere,  was  born  about  1673  3t  Prov- 
idence, and  removed  from  that  place  to  Bridgewater, 
Mass.,  but  later  returned  and  made  his  home  both  at 
Smithtield  and  Gloucester.  His  death  occurred  October 
18,  1745,  when  about  seventy  years  of  age.  He  married 
Hannah  Field,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Ever- 
den)  Field,  and  a  granddaughter  of  John  Field,  the 
immigrant  settler.  They  w-ere  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children  ;  Urania;  a  son  that  died  in  early  youth; 
Anthony,  born  Dec.  14,  1716;  Jonah,  who  is  mentioned 
at  length  below;  Jeremiah,  born  Feb.  22,  1722;  John, 
born  about  1729;  and  Samuel,  born  Nov.  12,  1731. 

(Ill)  Jonah  Steere,  son  of  Samuel  and  Hannah 
(Field)  Steere,  was  born  in  January.  1720,  at  Gloucester, 
and  made  his  home  there  during  his  entire  life.  He 
was  the  owner  of  about  seventy  acres  of  land  on  the 
road  from  Greenville  to  Harmony,  which  property  was 
deeded  to  him  by  his  brother,  Anthony,  in  1746.  He 
was  admitted  a  freeman  of  the  colony  in  that  year  and 
was  a  prominent  man  there,  having  served  as  a  justice 


of  the  peace  and  on  the  town  council  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  was  appointed  to  the  General  Assembly  in 
1780  from  the  town  of  Gloucester  to  receive  recruits, 
and  his  death  occurred  April  14,  1798.  Jonah  Steere 
married,  December  10,  1741,  Lydia  Whipple,  who  was 
born  in  1725,  a  daughter  of  Job  and  Lydia  (Harding) 
Whipple,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Hannah,  born  April  15,  1743;  Samuel,  born 
Jan.  13,  1744-45;  Simeon,  born  Feb.  26,  1746-47;  Job, 
born  March  21,  1749;  Lydia,  born  Feb.  14,  1751  ;  .Anne, 
born  Jan.  21,  1753;  Drusilla,  born  Oct.  10,  1754;  Asa, 
who  is  inentioned  below;  Abigail,  born  Oct.  27,  1759; 
Nicholas,  born  Jan.  27,  1763,  and  Nehemiah,  born  April 
17.  1765- 

(IV)  Deacon  Asa  Steere,  son  of  Jonah  and  Lydia 
(Whipple)  Steere,  was  born  September  28.  1757,  and 
made  his  home  on  a  place  situated  about  three  miles 
from  Harmony,  in  the  town  of  Gloucester.  He  was  a 
man  of  strong  religious  instincts  and  beliefs,  and  a 
member  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church  at  Chep- 
achet,  of  which  he  became  deacon,  holding  that  office 
for  many  years.  His  death  occurred  January  31,  1835, 
in  his  seventy-eighth  year.  Deacon  .Asa  Steere  married 
Mary  Irons,  born  October  25,  1762,  a  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel and  Hannah  (Waterman)  Irons,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  Riley,  who  is  men- 
tioned at  length  below;  Abigail,  born  .April  15,  1785; 
Lucina.  born  Dec.  22,  1786;  Jonah,  born  Dec.  14,  1788; 
Lydia,  born  March  25,  1790;  Hannah  W.,  born  July  20, 
1792;  Samuel,  born  Jan.  29,  1795;  Whipple,  born  Oct. 
16,  1796;  and  Job,  born  Nov.  16,  1799. 

(V)  Riley  Steerc,  son  of  Deacon  Asa  and  Mary 
(Irons)  Steere,  was  born  at  Gloucester  and  made  his 
home  at  Harmony,  where  he  carried  on  the  business 
of  wheelwright  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Novem- 
ber 17,  1863.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church  at  Scituate.  Riley  Steere  married  (first)  Nancy 
Hunt,  who  was  born  in  February,  1790,  and  died  Janu- 
ary 21.  1826.  He  married  (second)  January  i,  1832, 
Lovina  Goldthwaite,  who  died  February  29,  1864.  He 
was  tlie  father  of  four  children,  all  by  the  first  mar- 
riage, as  follows:  Charles  H.,  born  .Aug.  8,  1810,  who 
was  a  carpenter  and  farmer  at  Gloucester  and  married 
Mehetible  A.  Tourtellot;  Mary  Ann  Evans,  born  Nov. 
5.  1812,  and  died  Nov.  7,  1823;  Nelson,  born  .Aug.  23, 
1815,  and  removed  to  Illinois,  where  his  death  occurred 
June  22,  1862;  Seth  Hunt,  who  is  mentioned  at  length 
below. 

(VI)  Seth  Hunt  Steere,  youngest  son  of  Riley  and 
Nancy  (Hunt)  Steere,  was  born  December  19,  1825,  at 
Harmony,  and  from  his  childhood  w-as  trained  in  farm 
work.  As  a  young  man  he  learned  the  trade  of  painter 
and  followed  in  that  capacity  for  a  few  years,  but  after 
his  marriage  he  located  on  the  farm  which  is  now 
occupied  by  his  son,  Seth  H.  Steere,  on  Snakehill  road, 
where  he  resided  until  his  death,  October  14,  1SS4. 
Mr.  Steere,  in  addition  to  his  farming,  was  engaged  also 
in  business  as  a  dealer  in  firewood  and  timber,  and  was 
very  successful  in  this  line.  He  owned  a  large  and 
productive  farm  at  Scituate  and  was  prominent  in  the 
affairs  of  the  community.  Seth  Hunt  Steere  married, 
February  23.  1851,  Lucy  L.  Smith,  who  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 21,  1831,  at  Gloucester,  a  daughter  of  Gideon  and 
Lucy    (Bowen)    Smith,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 


122 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  following  children :  Lucy  Emma,  born  April  23. 
1852,  and  married,  Jan.  2S,  1872.  James  B.  Coman,  of 
Gloucester ;  Hannah,  deceased ;  Warren  Hunt,  born  Oct. 
9,  1855,  and  married  in  1883  Adelaide  S.  Phillips;  Seth 
Herbert,  born  Nov.  21,  1857,  and  married  Lillie  King; 
Lucius  B.,  of  Harmony;  .\rthur  Wallace,  with  whose 
career  we  are  here  especially  concerned ;  Patience  Smith, 
born  Feb.  11,  1868,  and  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
osteopathy  at  Springfield,  Mass. ;  Asa  Gideon,  born 
Sept.  7,  1871,  a  stone  cutter  of  Greenville,  married 
Lena  Smith. 

(VII)  Arthur  Wallace  Steere,  son  of  Seth  Hunt  and 
Lucy  L.  (Smith)  Steere,  was  born  September  3,  1865, 
on  the  old  family  homestead  at  Gloucester.  As  a  child 
he  assisted  his  father  with  the  work  of  the  farm  and 
attended  the  district  schools.  As  a  youth  he  went  tem- 
porarily to  North  Scituate,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
teaming  for  three  years.  After  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Steere  purchased  his  present  farm  from  the  heirs  of 
his  father-in-law,  David  Brayton.  He  eventually  be- 
came the  owner  of  a  very  large  property,  which  at  one 
time  amounted  to  as  much  as  one  thousand  acres,  one 
hundred  of  which,  however,  he  has  since  disposed  of 
to  the  city  of  Providence.  Mr.  Steere  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  on  a  large  scale  and  also  operated  a 
modern  dairy,  where  at  one  time  he  disposed  of  the 
milk  and  other  products  of  one  hundred  cows.  He  also 
became  interested  in  the  lumber  business,  and  made  a 
specialty  of  providing  ties  and  telegraph  poles  for  the 
railroads  of  the  region,  in  which  process  he  operated 
two  portable  saw  mills.  He  was  engaged  also  in  team- 
ing for  a  number  of  years,  and  operated  as  many  as 
twenty-five  horses  in  this  work  on  the  average,  the 
number  at  sometimes  being  increased  to  as  many  as 
one  hundred  and  fifty.  His  property  lies  in  the  towns 
of  Foster,  Burrillville,  Scituate,  Gloucester,  Johnston, 
and  Smithfield.  Of  recent  years  Mr.  Steere  has  with- 
drawn somewhat  both  from  his  lumber  business  and 
from  his  dairy  operations  and  now  devotes  most  of  his 
attention  to  the  raising  of  fruit  in  which  he  has  been 
very  successful,  especially  in  the  case  of  apples,  and 
possesses  a  large  orchard  of  these  trees.  He  is  a  mod- 
em and  progressive  farmer  in  every  way  and  is  justly 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  substan- 
tial citizens  of  the  community.  In  politics  Mr.  Steere 
is  a  Republican,  and  has  been  very  active  in  pubhc 
affairs,  having  represented  Greenville  in  the  Rhode 
Island  General  Assembly  for  four  years.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Temple  Lodge,  No.  18,  Ancient  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  of  Greenville;  and  Scituate  Chapter, 
Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  North  Scituate.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Steere  is  a  Free  Will  Baptist  and  attends 
the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Greenville. 

Arthur  Wallace  Steere  was  united  in  marriage  (first) 
at  Scituate  with  Sarah  J.  Brayton,  who  was  born  at 
Foster,  August  13,  1867,  a  daughter  of  David  and 
Phoebe  Brayton.  Mrs.  Steere  died  September  4,  1892. 
Mr.  Steere  was  married  (second)  January  24,  1894, 
to  Mamie  E.  Farrar,  of  Smithfield,  a  daughter  of  Miles 
and  Annie  E.  (Allen)  Farrar,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  four  children,  as  follows :  Seth  Hunt,  born  Jan.  24, 
1895;  Arthur  Wallace,  Jr.,  born  May  7,  1905;  Nettie 
E.,  born  Feb.  15,  1911  ;  and  Henry  J.,  born  Sept.  8, 
1913. 


CLIFFORD    BOWEN    COLWELL,    M.    D.— In 

1907  Dr.  Colwell  returned  to  the  city  of  Providence, 
R.  I.,  after  a  long  absence  during  which  he  had  com- 
pleted medical  study,  interne  service  in  Baltimore  and 
Washington  hospitals.  With  this  equipment  to  com- 
mend him,  and  the  good  wishes  of  his  friends  of  a 
lifetime,  he  is  now  (1918)  head  of  a  well-established 
practice.  He  is  the  son  of  James  Brown  and  Sarah 
(Carpenter)  Colwell,  both  deceased,  his  father  a  one 
time  extensive  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  wood. 

Clififord  B.  Colwell  was  born  in  Providence.  R.  I., 
September  12,  1881,  and  there  completed  all  grades  of 
the  public  schools,  finishing  grammar  school  in  1895, 
high  school  in  i8g8.  Three  years  were  then  spent  in 
secular  employment  before  beginning  medical  study, 
which  was  taken  up  in  1901.  He  chose  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Maryland  as  his  ahiia 
mater,  and  there  pursued  courses  until  graduated  M.  D., 
class  of  1905.  He  spent  a  year  as  interne  at  Maryland 
General  Hospital  in  Baltimore,  another  year  in  similar 
station  at  Sibley  Hospital,  Washington.  D.  C,  then  re- 
turned to  Providence,  and  began  private  general  prac- 
tice. The  eleven  years  which  have  since  intervened 
have  dealt  generously  with  him,  and  he  has  reaped  the 
reward  of  a  profession  proverbially  generous  to  her 
devotees.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical 
Association,  Rhode  Island  Society,  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  is  affiliated 
politically  with  the  Republican  party.  Dr.  Colwell  mar- 
ried Elsie  Reichmann,  of  Washington,  D.  C. 


THOMAS  O'BRIEN— The  parents  of  Thomas 
O'Brien,  a  leading  real  estate  and  insurance  broker  of 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  were  Timothy  and  Norah  (Troy) 
O'Brien,  of  County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  and  there  Tim- 
othy O'Brien  died.  They  were  the  parents  of  si.xteen 
sons  and  daughters,  four  of  whom  died  in  infancy, 
twelve  growing  up  and  becoming  citizens  of  the  United 
States.  These  twelve  were :  John,  who  enlisted  in  the 
Union  army  during  the  Civil  War,  and  died  from 
sickness  contracted  in  the  army;  James,  also  a  Union 
veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  he  dying  in  Pawtucket,  R. 
I.,  a  few  years  after  the  war  closed;  Martin,  who 
resided  until  his  death  in  Pawtucket,  R.  L;  Mary,  mar- 
ried John  Donnelly,  of  Pawtucket,  she  too  deceased ; 
David,  now  residing  in  Pawtucket;  Thomas  of  further 
mention ;  Timothy,  deceased,  for  a  long  time  a  resi- 
dent of  Pawtucket;  Honora,  married  John  Hill,  of 
Woonsocket;  Daniel  F.,  now  living  in  Riverside,  R.  I.; 
Winifred,  married  Alfred  Kennedy,  of  New  Bedford, 
Mass.;  Joanna,  married  Peter  Donohue,  of  Pawtucket; 
Margaret,  widow  of  John  Nolan,  of  Pawtucket.  The 
mother  of  these  children  later  joined  them  in  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.,  and  there  died. 

Thomas  O'Brien,  sixth  of  these  children,  was  born  in 
County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  February  27,  1857,  and  there 
lived  until  he  became  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  at- 
tended the  national  schools  until  1871,  then  he  came  to 
the  United  States  and  joined  his  elder  brothers  and 
sisters  who  had  settled  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  He  began 
business  life  as  a  bookkeeper  for  his  brother-in-law, 
John  Donnelly,  who  operated  a  bakery  in  Pawtucket, 
and    for    fourteen   years   he   remained   in   that   employ. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


123 


He  next  spent  eiK'iteen  months  in  the  insurance  depart- 
ment of  the  State  Auditor's  office,  as  bookkeeper,  the 
next  seven  years  thereafter  being  passed  with  the 
Pawtucket  "Tribune."  After  leaving  the  "Tribune" 
he  was  manager  of  a  branch  office  for  the  Isaac  L.  Goflf 
Insurance  Company,  holding  that  position  until  the 
year  1900.  In  that  year  (1900)  he  established  in  busi- 
ness for  himself  in  Pawtucket,  and  is  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial real  estate  brokers  of  the  city.  He  is,  also,  a 
well  known  auctioneer  whose  services  are  in  demand 
far  and  near  at  important  sales. 

\\'ith  the  adaptability  of  his  race  and  tlicir  genius 
for  public  affairs,  Mr.  O'Brien  has  taken  a  leading  part 
in  city  affairs,  representing  his  ward  in  the  common 
council  for  four  years,  and  a  member  of  the  board  of 
aldermen  for  four  years,  also  in  iSgg  and  1902,  repre- 
senting Pawtucket  in  the  Rhode  Island  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives. He  belongs  to  the  Pawtucket  Business 
Men's  Association,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  ."Xncient 
Order  of  Hibernians,  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America. 

Mr.  O'Brien  married,  October  4,  1883,  Mary  .■\.  Mar- 
rin,  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Mary  Marriii,  of  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.  They  are  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Thomas  A.,  a  journalist  of  Hartford,  Conn.; 
Kathleen  C,  a  teacher  of  music.  Providence,  R.  I. ; 
Marian  F.,  and  Rosalcen,  both  teachers  in  Pawtucket 
schools;  and  Francis  Emmctt,  died  aged  eight  years. 


HENRY  FRANCIS  BALDWIN,  the  well  known 
and  successful  real  estate  dealer  of  Providence,  is  a 
native  of  Cranston,  where  his  birth  occurred  .August 
31,  1874.  Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  son  of  Theodore  Augustus 
and  Nancy  Jennings  (Stearns)  Baldwin,  both  of  whom 
are  deceased,  the  former  having  been  a  successful 
wholesale  dealer  in  provisions  at  Providence.  Henry- 
Francis  Baldwin  was  but  one  year  of  age  when  he  came 
to  this  city  with  his  parents,  and  it  was  here  that  his 
childhood  was  spent  and  here  that  he  received  his  educa- 
tion, attending  and  graduating  from  the  Candace  Street 
Grammar  School  in  1889.  Some  time  later  he  engaged 
in  business  on  his  own  account  in  the  same  line  as  his 
father,  and  became  the  owner  of  a  successful  estab- 
lishment in  this  city,  where  he  dealt  in  the  wholesale 
and  retail  provision  trade.  For  nineteen  years  he  was 
actively  concerned  in  the  establishment  and  operation 
of  this  business,  but  in  1914  sold  his  interest  and  re- 
tired. In  igio  Mr.  Baldwin  had  become  interested  in 
the  real  estate  field,  and  upon  selling  his  stores  in 
1914,  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  the  latter  line.  He 
established  in  that  year  the  Hope  Realty  Company, 
which  has  prospered  greatly  since  and  of  this  company 
he  is  the  sole  owner.  He  has  added  to  his  real  estate 
dealings  in  recent  years  a  large  brokerage  business, 
and  now  deals  in  many  commodities,  including  machin- 
ery, odd  lots  of  merchandise,  etc.  He  has  opened 
branch  establishments  in  Providence  and  elsewhere  in 
the  State  and  is  now  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  successful  and  substantial  men  in  the  community. 
Another  of  his  activities  connected  with  his  real  estate 
operations  has  been  the  building  of  many  important 
structures,  including  residences,  large  and  small,  in  this 
region. 


Mr.  Baldwin  has  not  confined  himself,  however,  to 
his  business  activities,  although  these  are  very  great, 
but  is  equally  well  known  in  the  department  of  public 
affairs  here,  and  has  served  as  representative  of  the  city 
in  the  General  .Assembly  of  the  State,  in  1911,  1913 
and  1914.  In  this  capacity  he  had  shown  himself  to  be 
a  very  capable  and  disinterested  legislator  and  served 
on  many  important  committees.  Mr.  Baldwin  was  a 
member  of  the  special  commission  on  the  Bristol  and 
Kelly  bridges,  and  was  appointed  commissioner  thereof 
by  former  Governor  Pothicr.  Mo  was  also  appointed 
a  parole  commissioner  by  Governor  Beeckman.  in  1915, 
and  still  holds  that  office,  having  been  appointed  for  a 
six  year  term.  January  7,  1919,  he  was  made  lieutenant- 
colonel  and  was  appointed  aide-de-camp  by  Governor 
Beeckman  on  his  staff.  He  takes  great  interest  in  this 
work  and  has  performed  an  invaluable  service  to  the 
community  in  connection  with  it.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Put-in-Bay  Celebration  committee. 
Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  Masonic 
order  here,  having  taken  his  thirty-second  degree  in 
Free  Masonry,  and  is  a  member  and  a  past  master 
of  Redwood  Lodge,  No.  35,  Free  and  .Accepted 
Masons ;  a  member  of  Providence  Chapter,  Royal  .A.rch 
Masons;  a  member  of  Providence  Council,  Royal  and 
Select  Masters;  a  meinbcr  and  past  coinmander  of  Cal- 
vary Commandery.  No.  13,  Knights  Templar;  and  a 
member  of  Palestine  Temple,  .'Vncient  Arabic  Order 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  and  of  Rhode  Island  Con- 
sistory, Sovereign  Princes  of  the  Royal  Secret.  Al- 
though not  a  member,  Mr.  Baldw-in  has  attended  the 
.•\sbury  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Providence,  and 
for  many  years  sang  in  the  choir  there  and  was  musical 
director  for  the  same. 

Henry  Francis  Baldwin  was  united  in  marriage  on 
July  3,  1916,  with  Lilla  M.  Taudvin,  of  Providence,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Goss)  Taudvin,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  this  city. 

Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  self  made  man  in  the  best  meaning 
of  that  term.  He  started  life  with  little  or  no  advan- 
tages and  never  inherited  any  money.  In  spite  of  this 
fact,  he  has,  by  dint  of  his  own  efforts,  worked  himself 
up  to  a  position  of  promise  and  influence  in  the  com- 
munity and  enjoys  a  reputation  second  to  none  for 
honor  and  integrity  hereabouts.  Mr.  Baldwin  is  the 
possessor  of  that  fortunate  union  of  qualities  that  so 
often  spells  success,  of  the  most  stable  and  permanent 
character.  He  is  a  conservative  business  man  and  yet 
is  in  no  wise  hidebound  to  the  old  methods,  but  always 
willing  to  adopt  whatever  he  approves  of  in  modern 
ways  and  means.  He  is  progressive  in  the  best  sense, 
and  ever  on  the  outlook  for  new  and  improved  meth- 
ods, which  upon  trial  he  is  only  too  willing  to  adopt. 
Personally  he  is  one  who  at  once  commands  attention 
and  respect,  and  his  associates  instinctively  feel  that 
they  can  trust  him,  both  in  his  intentions  and  capabil- 
ities. He  is  a  charitable  and  public  spirited  man  who 
shares  his  success  with  his  fellows  in  a  large  degree  and 
is  ever  ready  to  assist  any  movement  for  the  public 
good  that  his  reason  can  approve.  He  is  indeed  a 
typical  example  of  the  best  class  of  New  England  busi- 
ness man  and  his  career  may  well  serve  as  a  model  to 
the  youth  of  this  community. 


I2J 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


HENRY  MANCHESTER  BOSS,  of  the  law  firm 
of  Boss  &  Barnefield,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  was  bom 
in  Providence,  September  13,  1875,  the  son  of  Henry 
Manchester  and  Emma  (Wilbur)  Boss.  His  parents 
are  now  living  in  Providence,  where  his  father  is  a 
retired  merchant. 

Mr.  Boss  was  educated  in  the  grammar  and  the  high 
schools  of  Providence,  from  the  latter  of  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1893.  He  then  took  a  special  course  in 
Brown  University.  This  was  followed  by  a  course  in 
the  law  school  of  Yale  University,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1899  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws. 
For  a  time  after  this  he  gained  practical  knowledge  of 
the  law  in  the  office  of  W.  B.  Vincent,  of  Providence, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1900.  In  1904  a  part- 
nership with  R.  T.  Barnefield  and  W.  B.  Vincent  was 
formed,  which  continued  until  Mr.  Vincent  was  elected 
judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  1912,  in  which  year  the 
present  partnership  was  formed.  The  firm  has  a  large 
general  practice,  though  it  makes  a  specialty  of  the 
defense  of  negligence  cases.  On  Xovember  i,  1918,  Mr. 
Boss  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Lee,  Boss  &  Mc- 
Canna,  with  offices  in  the  Hospital  Trust  building. 
Mr.  Boss  is  a  member  of  the  American  Bar  Associa- 
tion, of  the  Rhode  Island  Bar  Association,  of  the  Prov- 
idence Bar  Club,  of  the  Vale  Association  of  Rhode 
Island,  of  the  Turk's  Head  Club,  of  the  Zeta  Psi  fra- 
ternity, and  of  the  East  Side  Tennis  Club,  In  his 
political  views  Mr.  Boss  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Boss  married,  October  20,  1906,  Louise  J.  Gif- 
ford,  of  Swansea,  Mass.,  and  they  have  one  child,  Bet- 
sey, born  July  I,  1909. 


WILLIAM  JAMES  TOBIN,  D.  D.  S.,  one  of  the 

prominent  dentists  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  this 
town,  where  his  birth  occurred  August  2,  1891.  He  is  a 
son  of  James  and  Mary  (Rogers)  Tobin.  Mr.  Tobin, 
Sr.,  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1840,  and  at  the  age  of  ten 
years  came  with  his  parents  to  the  L'nited  States.  The 
family  settled  at  Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  Mr.  Tobin  secured 
a  somewhat  meagre  education  at  the  public  schools  of 
this  place,  which  he  attended  for  a  year  or  two.  He  was 
unable  to  continue  his  studies,  however,  on  account  of 
the  death  of  his  father  and  mother,  so  that  he  was 
obliged  to  seek  remunerative  employment  in  order  to 
support  himself.  Accordingly,  he  went  to  work  in  a 
local  mill  and  after  remaining  there  a  short  time,  en- 
gaged in  the  blacksmith  business  on  his  own  account. 
Still  later  he  worked  on  a  farm  and  eventually  engaged 
in  the  livery  business.  In  this  latter  line  Mr.  Tobin  was 
exceedingly  successful  and  remained  therein  some 
thirty  years.  At  the  close  of  this  period  he  sold  out 
his  livery  business  and  engaged  in  that  of  hardware, 
crockery  and  gentlemen's  furnishings.  Later  he  also 
added  an  undertaking  establishment  and  was  success- 
ful in  them  all.  His  three  establishments  were  entirely 
separate  and  they  are  each  of  them,  the  leaders  in  their 
lines  in  Bristol  at  the  present  time.  About  six  years 
ago  Mr.  Tobin  retired  from  active  business  life  and 
now  resides  on  his  farm  at  Fernclifife.  He  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  in  religious  belief  and  is  a  member  of  a  num- 
ber of  church  societies  and  the  local  lodge  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum  here.  He  never  entered  into  politics  but  was 
nevertheless  a  prominent  and  much  respected  figure  in 


this  place.  He  married  Mary  Rogers,  born  in  Ohio,  in 
1850,  and  died  February,  1907.  Besides  Dr.  William 
James  Tobin,  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Alice,  deceased;  Helen,  wife  of  Dennis  D. 
Sullivan,  of  Bristol;  Charles  Augustus,  now  engaged  in 
the  contracting  business  here;  .•'innie  Marie,  principal 
of  the  Taft  School  of  Bristol ;  Emily  Frances,  now  a 
school  teacher  at  Warren,  R.  I. 

Dr.  William  James  Tobin  was  born  August  2,  1891, 
and  his  education  was  received  in  the  local  public 
schools.  He  completed  the  grade  and  the  high  schools, 
and  prepared  himself  there  for  college.  Upon  complet- 
ing his  studies  at  these  institutions  he  entered  Brown 
University,  but  after  remaining  one  year  there  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Holy  Cross  College  at  Worcester,  Mass. 
In  the  meantime,  however,  Dr.  Tobin  had  decided  to 
take  up  dentistry  as  his  profession,  and  accordingly, 
after  a  year  at  the  latter  institution,  entered  Tufts 
Dental  College.  After  studying  two  and  a  half  years 
there,  he  went  to  the  Cincinnati  College  of  Dental  Sur- 
gery, where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1916, 
receiving  his  degree  of  D.  D.  S.  Since  that  time  he 
has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
successful  of  the  younger  dentists  here.  Dr.  Tobin 
makes  his  home  with  his  father.  Like  the  elder  man 
he  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious  belief,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  He  attends  divine 
service  at  St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  is 
very  active  in  the  support  of  the  work  of  the  parish. 
While  at  Brown  University  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Phi  Kappa  fraternity.    Dr.  Tobin  is  immarried. 


LEONIDAS  POULIOT.  JR.— Since  coming  to  the 
Rhode  Island  bar,  in  1907,  Mr.  Pouliot  has  gained  sub- 
stantial recognition,  and  is  now  serving  as  judge  of 
probate,  an  office  to  which  he  was  first  elected  in  1908. 
He  is  a  son  of  Leonidas  and  Marie  (LeFrancois)  Pou- 
liot, both  now  residents  of  Fall  River,  Mass.,  where 
their  son,  Leonidas  Pouliot,  was  born  March  30,  1882. 
This  son  was  prepared  for  college  in  the  B.  M.  C. 
Durfee  High  School,  Fall  River,  his  primary  and  gram- 
mar school  training  also  being  obtained  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  city.  After  completing  high  school 
study  he  entered  Brown  University,  where  he  spent 
two  years,  a  member  of  the  class  of  1905,  the  two  fol- 
lowing years  being  spent  as  a  student  at  Boston  Univer- 
sity Law  School,  where  he  was  awarded  the  degree 
LL.  B.,  class  of  1907. 

He  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  and  Massachu- 
setts bar  the  same  year,  located  in  Pawtucket,  and 
from  that  year  until  1910,  he  was  on  the  legal  stafif  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Company.  In  1909  he  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  the  United  States  Courts.  In  1910,  he 
resigned  and  began  private  practice.  In  1908,  he  was 
elected  Judge  of  Probate,  an  office  he  held  for  three 
years,  1908- 1909- 1 9 10,  in  connection  with  his  legal  busi- 
ness. He  then  conducted  practice  privately  until  1913, 
when  he  was  again  elected  Judge  of  Probate,  an  office 
he  yet  holds  (I9I9)- 

Mr.  Pouliot  is  chairman  of  the  Legal  .Advisory  Board 
for  Division  No.  7,  State  of  Rhode  Island ;  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Pawtucket  Bar  Association;  and  is  highly 
regarded  as  a  lawyer  of  learning  and  skill.    He  is  now 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


I2q 


supreme  president  of  the  Society  of  Chevaliers  Jacques 
Carticr;  member  of  Pawtucket  Lodge,  No.  020,  Bene- 
volent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks ;  Dclaney  Council, 
\o.  54,  Knights  of  Columbus;  Union  St.  Jean  Baptiste; 
Catholic  Order  of  Foresters;  director  of  the  Cercle 
Franco- .-American ;  and  a  member  of  the  Lincoln  Repub- 
lican Club.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Franco-.\mcr- 
ican  .\u.xiliary  of  the  American  Red  Cross;  chairman 
of  Central  Falls  and  Cumberland  District  of  "Four- 
Minute  Men ;"  chairman  District  No.  2,  Central  Falls 
Council  of  National  Defense;  and  chairman  of  Speakers' 
and  Publicity  Committee  of  Liberty  Loan  Committee  of 
Central  Falls. 

He  married,  July  10,  iQii,  Edna  \'.  Schiller,  daughter 
of  Alphonse  and  Antonia  (Baron  de  Lafranicre)  Schil- 
ler, of  Central  Falls,  R.  L  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pouliot  are 
the  parents  of  Dorothy  Edna,  and  Albert,  born  Nov.  11, 
191?. 


CAPTAIN  HENRY  K.  POTTER— For  many 
years  toward  the  close  of  his  life,  the  late  Captain 
Henry  K.  Potter  held  the  distinction  of  being  one  of 
the  oldest  soldiers  in  the  United  States,  if  not  in  the 
world,  on  active  duty  with  his  original  regiment.  He 
had  been  a  member  of  the  First  Light  Infantry  Regi- 
ment of  Rhode  Island  for  sixty-si.x  years,  and  had 
become  one  of  the  best  loved  figures  in  military  circles 
in  the  State.  His  death  on  July  5,  191 7,  came  as  a 
deep  bereavement  to  military  men  in  Rhode  Island. 

Captain  Henry  K.  Potter  was  born  in  Providence  on 
January  2,  1831,  the  son  of  Roger  Williams  Potter  and 
Sarah  (Langlcy)  Potter,  and  the  descendant  of  a  long 
line  of  men  distinguished  in  the  service  of  their  coun- 
try, and  famous  in  public  life  in  the  early  colony  and 
State.  He  was  a  descendant  in  the  seventh  generation 
of  Roger  Williams  and  among  his  ancestors  who  fought 
in  the  various  wars  were  Major  Benjamin  Potter,  a 
fighter  in  the  French  and  Indian  wars,  and  Holliman 
Potter,  a  lieutenant  in  a  Massachusetts  regiment  during 
the  -American  Revolution.  His  father,  Roger  Williams 
Potter,  and  his  three  brothers  were  members  of  the 
First  Light  Infantry.  Young  Potter  was  educated  in 
public  and  private  schools  in  Providence,  and  on  com- 
pleting his  schooling  went  to  work  in  the  city.  In  i?5l 
he  enlisted  in  the  First  Light  Infantry  Regiment.  Gen- 
eral .Ambrose  E.  Burnside  was  a  private  in  the  organ- 
ization at  that  time,  as  were  many  other  men  who  later 
took  prominent  parts  in  the  Civil  War. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  in  1861,  came  the 
first  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  troops,  and  Captain 
Potter  was  one  of  the  two  hundred  men  furnished  by 
the  First  Light  Infantry  in  the  First  Rhode  Island  In- 
fantry. He  entered  the  service  with  the  rank  of  cor- 
poral, and  when  the  regiment  was  mustered  out  had 
been  advanced  to  the  rank  of  sergeant.  He  reenlisted 
in  the  Eleventh  Rhode  Island,  and  was  with  this  regi- 
ment at  the  front  when  the  war  came  to  an  end.  He 
had  served  through  some  of  the  most  stirring  engage- 
ments of  the  entire  conflict,  and  had  been  in  many  of 
the  great  battle  areas  of  the  South.  Returning  to  the 
North  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  still  retained  his  deep 
interest  in  things  military,  and  again  became  active  in 
the  First  Light  Infantrj-.  When  the  veteran  company 
was   organized,   he   became   a   member  of   it,   and   until 


the  time  of  his  death  was  one  of  its  leaders  and  guid- 
ing spirits.  He  rose  through  intermediate  ranks  to  the 
post  of  captain,  and  toward  the  close  of  his  connection 
with  the  regiment  his  service  bars  numbered,  in  all, 
twenty.  Captain  Potter  was  a  member  of  Slocum  Post, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  was  also  a  member 
of  the  fire  department  for  a  time,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  Providence  Veteran  Firemen's  .Association.  A 
man  of  force  and  determination  he  was  a  vital  figure 
in  the  circles  in  which  he  moved.  .\  venerable  patri- 
arch at  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  one  of  the  last 
of  the  fast  dying  out  race  of  Civil  War  veterans. 

Captain  Potter  married  .Amelia  Seldcn,  daughter  of 
Elijah  and  Frances  L.  Selden,  of  Providence,  R.  I. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i. 
Harriet  Amelia,  who  became  the  wife  of  Edward  H. 
Greene.  2.  Henry  W.,  of  Providence.  3.  Edwin  C, 
of  Providence.     4.  Laura  Maria,  deceased. 

Captain  Potter  died  at  his  home  in  Providence,  July 
5,  191 7. 


RAYNOR    WOODHEAD,    M.    D.,    one    of    the 

prominent  physicians  of  Valley  Falls,  is  a  native  of 
Lancashire,  England,  born  January  24.  1876.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  and  .Ann  (Howarth)  \\'oodhead,  both  of 
whom  are  deceased,  John  Woodhead  having  been  a 
merchant  in  England  for  a  number  of  years,  and  after- 
wards a  well  known  insurance  agent  of  Pawtucket,  com- 
ing to  the  United  States  in  the  year  1894. 

Raynor  Woodhead  attended  school  at  Manchester, 
England,  being  a  pupil  in  the  grammar  grades  there. 
He  was  a  youth  of  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he 
accompanied  his  parents  to  this  country,  and  at  that 
time  had  already  decided  to  make  medicine  his  career 
in  life.  .Accordingly  he  began  the  study  of  his  chosen 
subject  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Harrington  at  Pawtucket, 
and  after  remaining  with  that  well-known  physician  for 
a  time,  entered  the  Medical  Department  of  Tufts  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  graduated  in  the  year  189S  with 
the  degree  of  M.  I).  Instead  of  beginning  his  practice 
immediately,  however,  he  entered  the  University  of 
Buffalo,  N.  v..  where  he  took  a  post-graduate  course. 
He  was  then  appointed  medical  examiner  for  the 
Metropolitan  Life  Insurance  Company  of  New  York, 
at  \'alley  Falls,  R.  I.,  and  has  held  this  position  since 
1899,  besides  engaging  in  general  practice  here  with  an 
office  at  No.  382  Broad  street.  Dr.  Woodhead  has 
made  a  well-deserved  reputation  for  himself  for  his 
ability  and  his  adherence  to  the  highest  standards  of 
professional  ethics.  He  has  already  received  a  valuable 
medal  from  the  Metropolitan  Life  Insurance  Company, 
and  next  year  will  receive  another,  in  honor  of  the 
twenty  years  of  service  which  he  has  rendered  that  in- 
stitution, which  will  be  completed  at  that  time.  Dr. 
Woodhead  is  not  a  member  of  any  church  but  attends 
the  Presbyterian  church  of  Valley  Falls.  He  is  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  is  past  master 
of  Unity  Lodge,  No.  34,  Ancient  Free  and  .Accepted 
Masons,  and  a  member  of  the  Chapter,  Council,  and  a 
Knights  Templar.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Paw- 
tucket Medical  Society  and  the  Rhode  Island  State 
Medical  Society.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  has 
been  very  active  in  local  affairs,  having  identified  him- 
self  closely   with   the   local   organization    of    his    party. 


126 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


For  two  years  he  has  been  chairman  of  the  Republican 
town  committee,  and  has  held  a  number  of  pubHc 
offices  here,  including  an  eight-year  term,  as  health 
officer  of  the  town  of  Cumberland.  He  was  also  elected 
to  the  Town  Council  in  the  year  1905  and  was  president 
of  that  body  for  one  year. 

Dr.  Woodhead  was  united  in  marriage,  March  6, 
1901,  at  Boston,  Mass.,  with  Catherine  Munroe.  a  native 
of  Nova  Scotia,  a  daughter  of  Angus  and  Jessie  (Mac- 
Lennan)  Munroe,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
that  region. 


THOMAS  C.  HART— The  story  of  the  life  of 
Thomas  C.  Hart  is  the  story  of  a  man  who  by  sheer 
force  of  character  and  the  thing  called  "plain  grit"  has 
achieved  success  and  made  for  himself  a  position  of 
respect  and  esteem  among  his  fellow  townsmen  and 
built  up  at  the  same  time  a  competency.  Though  he 
calls  himself  a  farmer,  he  has  been  interested  in  various 
other  types  of  business  enterprise,  and  has  shown  in 
all  these  a  practical  common  sense  and  a  mental  acumen 
that  shows  he  would  have  been  a  success  in  almost  any 
other  line  he  might  have  chosen  to  follow.  He  was 
born  in  Pawtuxet  Neck,  in  Cranston,  R.  I.,  April  16, 
1863,  the  son  of  Noah  W.  and  Margaret  (Salisbury) 
Hart.  His  grandfather  was  Abner  Alden,  who  had 
married  Sallie  Rice  Chase,  all  of  these  being  of  old 
.American  stock  which  had  lived  in  Warwick  since 
Colonial  times. 

Thomas  C.  Hart  had  few  school  advantages,  though 
he  had  the  great  advantage  of  country  surroundings 
and  the  discipline  in  outdoor  work  with  its  calls  on 
every  side  of  the  boy's  nature.  A  rugged  hardihood  of 
character,  although  partly  a  matter  of  inheritance,  is 
also  largely  fostered  by  the  varied  lessons  of  farm  life, 
and  the  later  developments  in  the  career  of  Mr.  Hart 
show  the  value  of  this  early  training  in  the  Spartan 
virtues.  He  was  only  eleven  years  old  when  the  short 
school  days  in  the  "little  red  school  house"  of  the 
neighborhood  came  to  an  end,  and  he  started  out  to 
make  his  own  way.  First  he  worked  on  a  farm  known 
as  Babbitts,  in  North  Kingston,  and  then  went  to  the 
Harris  farm,  where  he  remained  for  three  years.  He 
had  now  gained  both  mental  and  physical  stature,  and 
the  change  to  the  employ  of  the  New  England  Oyster 
Company  was  a  distinct  promotion.  He  had  always 
been  thrifty,  and  saved  his  money  for  the  projects  which 
from  an  early  period  were  simmering  in  his  brain. 
Later  he  became  the  station  master  at  Shawomet,  R.  I., 
and  that  position  he  has  continued  to  hold  till  the  pres- 
ent time.  While  providing  a  good  livelihood,  this  posi- 
tion did  not  occupy  all  the  energies  of  the  ambitious 
young  man.  He  had  early  determined  to  own  a  home 
of  his  own,  an  ambition  which  at  the  time  seemed  rather 
chimerical.  He  set  to  work,  however,  and  when  the 
opportunity  came  to  gain  possession  of  the  lot  opposite 
to  the  station,  he  acquired  it,  though  the  payment  had 
to  be  a  matter  of  arrangement.  Then  he  bought  a 
horse  and  wagon,  and  began  trading.  In  this  way  he 
paid  for  his  lots  in  one  year.  The  land  having  been 
gained  it  was  now  necessary  to  build  a  house.  For  this 
he  had  no  money,  but  he  set  to  work  with  his  usual 
vigor  and  confidence  in  his  ability  to  accomplish  his 
aim,  and  accomplish  it  he  did.     He  drew  his  own  plans. 


and  dug  his  cellar.  He  bought  materials  at  Riverpoint 
and  Providence,  and  with  his  own  hands  did  the  con- 
struction work,  and  when  it  was  nearly  finished  bor- 
rowed the  money  to  pay  for  the  material.  This  is  the 
tj'pe  of  achievement  possible  only  to  the  country-bred 
man  who  comes  of  the  old  American  pioneer  breed. 
This  house,  which  is  the  work  of  his  own  hands,  is  a 
matter  of  worthy  pride  to  Mr,  Hart.  Since  its  com- 
pletion it  has  not  been  changed,  though  additional 
buildings  have  been  erected  and  more  land  has  been 
acquired.  A  good  barn  and  other  outbuildings  have 
been  added.  Mr.  Hart  now  owns  other  farms  and 
some  summer  places  in  the  vicinity,  from  which  he 
makes  a  good  profit.  He  established  the  store  at  Shaw- 
omet, which  he  later  sold  to  advantage. 

A  man  who  has  helped  himself  to  a  well-earned  suc- 
cess is  usually  helpful  to  others,  and  Mr.  Hart  is  no 
exception  to  the  rule.  He  is  the  master  of  Warwick 
Grange,  and  is  active  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  New 
England  farmers.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Moose 
Lodge,  and  has  been  active  in  other  organizations  until 
recently.  He  is  also  the  chief  of  the  Commicut  Fire 
Department. 

Mr.  Hart  married  Nellie  E.  Gardiner,  daughter  of 
Hutchinson  C.  Gardiner,  who  was  born  in  Exeter,  and 
with  her  parents  moved  to  Shawomet,  where  the  old 
homestead  still  stands.  Her  father  was  the  son  of 
Russell  and  Mary  ( Sherman t  Gardiner.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hart  the  following  children  have  been  bom: 
Noah  Webster,  Clarence  T.,  and  Maude  E.,  all  at  pres- 
ent living  at  home. 


SAMUEL  NEWELL  SMITH,  JR.,  M.  D.— Since 
190S,  Dr.  Smith  has  practiced  his  profession  privately, 
that  year  witnessing  the  close  of  long  years  of  college 
and  hospital  study  research  and  practical  preparation 
for  the  profession  he  had  chosen  to  follow.  He  spec- 
ializes in  surgery  and  obstetrics  and  is  well  established 
in  the  confidence  of  a  large  clientele,  with  offices  at 
No.  I  South  Angell  street,  on  Wayland  Square.  He  is 
a  son  of  Samuel  Newell  and  Emma  R.  (Greene)  Smith, 
his  mother  now  deceased,  a  descendant  of  General 
Nathaniel  Greene,  so  conspicuous  in  the  history  of 
Rhode  Island,  as  colony  and  state.  Samuel  Newell 
Smith  is  now  retired  from  all  business  activity,  a  resi- 
dent of  Providence,  his  a  Pawtucket  family  originally. 

Samuel  Newell  Smith,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Providence, 
March  19,  18S1,  and  completed  the  public  school  course 
with  graduation  from  English  and  Classical  High 
School  in  1899.  Two  years  were  then  spent  as  a  student 
at  Brown  University,  before  beginning  medical  study  in 
New  York  City;  he  then  entered  the  medical  department 
of  Cornell  University,  whence  he  was  graduated  M.  D., 
class  of  1905.  Returning  to  Providence,  Dr.  Smith 
formed  a  connection  with  the  medical  staff  of  Rhode 
Island  Hospital,  serving  two  years  as  interne,  then 
going  to  Providence  Lying-in  Hospital,  remaining  there 
until  October  i,  1908.  He  then  began  his  private  prac- 
tice, and  has  won  distinction  among  the  surgeons  and 
obstetricians  of  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  Association,  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society, 
Providence  Medical  Society,  Providence  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  and  member  of  the  Committee  of  One 
Hundred. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


12: 


Dr.  Smith  is  an  independent  voter,  supporting  the 
Repubhcan  ticket  in  national  issues,  but  in  local  affairs 
entirely  non-partisan.  He  is  a  member  of  Central 
Congregational  Church,  Economic  Club,  Brown  Univer- 
sity .AUimni  Association,  and  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon. 

He  married  in  Providence,  June  i,  iix)3,  Celia  S. 
Peckham.  and  they  are  the  parents  of  Francis  Peckham, 
and  Ruth  Greene  Smith. 


WILLIAM  R.  SHERMAN— The  Sherman  family 
has  been  proniinciit  and  intiiifntial  in  the  life  and  atTairs 
of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island  since  the  middle 
of  the  seventeenth  century.  Descendants  of  the  founder, 
the  Hon.  Philip  Sherman,  have  figured  notably  in  offi- 
cial, industrial,  business  and  financial  life  in  the  above 
commonwealths  throughout  this  period.  The  early 
Rhode  Island  Shermans  settled  in  and  about  Newport. 
Portsmouth,  and  Tiverton.  Philip  Sherman,  founder  of 
the  Rhode  Island  family  of  the  name,  of  which  the  late 
William  R.  Sherman,  of  Tiverton,  was  a  member,  was 
born  on  February  5,  1610,  in  Dcdham,  England,  scion 
of  a  family  long  established  in  Essex  county.  He  came 
to  New  England  in  1634  and  settled  in  Ro.xbury,  Mass. 
Espousing  the  popular  side  in  the  Anne  Hutchinson 
agitation  in  Boston,  he  was  forced  with  others  to  leave 
the  colony  and  migrate  to  Rhode  Island.  In  Provi- 
dence the  refugees  met  Roger  Williams  who  advised 
the  purchase  of  the  Island  of  Aquidncck  from  the  In- 
dians. The  purchase  was  completed  on  March  24,  1638, 
and  on  July  I,  1639,  a  regular  government  with  Wil- 
liam Coddington  as  governor  and  Philip  Sherman  as 
secretary  was  established.  After  this  he  often  held 
office  in  the  colony  and  in  most  critical  periods.  He 
was  3  man  of  intelligence,  wealth  and  influence,  and 
was  frequently  consulted  by  those  in  authority.  The 
early  records  prepared  by  him  still  remain  in  Ports- 
mouth, and  show  him  to  have  been  a  skilled  penman. 
After  coming  to  Rhode  Island  he  left  the  Congregational 
church  and  became  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
He  died  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I,,  in  1687.  Philip  Sherman 
married  Sarah  Odding.  daughter  of  Mrs.  John  Porter, 
who  was  a  widow  Odding  at  the  time  of  her  marriage 
to  John  Porter.  Their  descendants  have  spread 
throughout  all  parts  of  Rhode  Island.  William  R. 
Sherman,  the  subject  of  this  memorial,  was  a  member 
of  the  Tiverton  branch  of  the  family. 

William  R.  Sherman,  son  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth 
(Lake)  Sherman,  was  bom  in  Tiverton,  R.  I.,  in  1831. 
He  attended  the  schools  of  his  native  town  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  nine  years,  when  he  came  to  Provi- 
dence, and  continued  his  studies  in  the  schools  of  the 
city.  After  leaving  school,  he  entered  the  employ  of 
his  brother,  who  was  engaged  in  the  teaming  business 
in  Providence.  He  subsequently  rose  to  an  important 
place  in  the  business,  and  purchased  the  interest  of  his 
brother,  becoming  sole  owner  of  an  enterprise  which 
he  later  developed  into  one  of  the  leading  undertakings 
of  its  kind  in  the  city.  Mr.  Sherman  remained  at  the 
head  of  this  steadily  growing  business  until  his  death. 
He  was  widely  known  in  business  circles  in  Providence, 
and  eminently  respected  for  the  honesty  of  his  prin- 
ciples. .Although  he  remained  strictly  outside  political 
affairs  in  Providence,  he  was  deeply  interested  in  civic 
welfare,  and  was  identified  with  many  movements  for 
(he  betterment  of  civic  conditions.    In  early  life  he  was 


a  member  of  the  volunteer  firemen,  and  until  his  death 
was  president  of  the  Survivors  of  N'cteran  Firemen. 
He  was  a  Republican  in  political  affiliation.  Mr.  Sher- 
man was  a  well  known  ligure  in  Masonic  circles.  He 
was  a  member  of  Rising  Sun  Lodge,  No.  30,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Providence  Chapter,  No.  I, 
Royal  Arch  Masons;  Providence  Council,  Royal  and 
Select  Masters ;  Calvary  Commandery,  Knights  Templar, 
No.  13;  Palestine  Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine; 
and  had  attained  to  the  thirty-second  degree  in  Mason- 
ry. He  was  a  member  and  past  patron  of  Providence 
Chapter,  No.  i.  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. 

In  1 886,  Mr.  Sherman  married  in  Providence,  Mary 
W.  Legg,  daughter  of  Willis  Cleveland  Legg,  who  was 
manager  of  the  extensive  furniture  business  of  the 
Clevelands.  and  his  wife,  Amy  Clarke,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Clarke  of  Cumberland,  R.  L  Mrs.  Sherman, 
who  survives  her  husband,  resides  at  No,  6  Hawthorne 
street.  Providence. 

William  R.  Sherman  died  at  his  home  in  Providence, 
December  i,  1909. 


EMERY  PAGE  LITTLEFIELD— The  surname 
Littlefield  is  of  early  English  origin,  and  of  local  deri- 
vation, signifying  literally  "the  little  field."  It  is  taken 
directly  from  Littlefield,  one  of  the  hundreds  of  Kent 
county,  England,  although  of  course  there  were  local- 
ities of  the  name  throughout  England  at  the  time  when 
surnames  were  coming  into  use  among  all  classes  of  the 
English.  The  family  in  America  dates  from  the  early 
decades  of  the  Colonial  period,  and  has  been  prominent 
in  New  England  life  and  affairs  for  two  hundred  and 
fifty  years.  The  name  appears  on  the  records  of  our 
wars,  and  has  been  particularly  distinguished  in  pro- 
fessional fields.  The  late  Emery  Page  Littlefield,  gen- 
tleman farmer  and  for  many  years  a  well  known  resi- 
dent of  Providence,  R.  I.,  was  a  member  of  the  Maine 
branch  of  the  family.  The  Littlefield  coat-of-arms  is 
as  follows : 

Arms — Vert  on  a  chevron  ardent  between  three  garbs 
or,  as  many  boys'  heads  couped  proper. 

Crest — On  a  Karb  or,  a  bird  argent.  In  the  beak  an 
ear  of  wheat  vert. 

Emery  Page  Littlefield  was  born  in  Bnmswick, 
Maine,  March  8,  1822,  and  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  town,  .At  the  age  of  about  si.xteen  years, 
impatient  of  the  restrictions  of  school  and  ambitious 
to  get  started  on  a  business  career,  he  left  home  and 
made  his  way  to  Providence,  R.  L,  with  which  city  he 
was  identified  until  the  time  of  his  death.  His  first 
employment  was  with  the  late  Harrison  Gray,  to  whom 
he  apprenticed  himself  to  learn  the  blacksmith  trade, 
and  for  whom  he  worked  for  a  short  period  of  years. 
Completing  his  training,  and  familiar  with  the  business, 
Mr.  Littlefield  established  himself  in  business,  and  for 
a  number  of  years  conducted  a  blacksmith  shop  in 
OIneyville.  He  was  successful  in  this  venture,  but  on 
receiving  an  offer  from  the  Union  Railroad  Company, 
disposed  of  his  interests  to  accept  the  post  of  head 
blacksmith  of  their  shops.  Mr.  Littlefield  held  this 
position  for  a  number  of  years,  but  resigned  because  of 
the  introduction  of  methods  in  horseshoeing  which  he 
did  not  think  practical.  He  retired  from  active  business 
life    at   this   time,   and    thenceforward    until    his    death, 


128 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


followed  agricultural  pursuits  on  his  farm  on  Hartford 
avenue,  in  Providence. 

On  November  26,  1848,  Mr.  Littlefield  married  (first) 
Mary  B.  Waterman,  who  died  on  November  14,  1863. 
He  purchased  from  her  brother  the  four  acres  on  Hart- 
ford avenue,  which  was  his  home  throughout  his  life. 
Mr.  Littlefield  married  (second)  Mrs.  Caroline  E. 
Lapham,  widow  of  William  B.  Lapham,  of  Millbury, 
Mass.,  and  daughter  of  Cyrus  and  Eleanor  (Smith) 
Stone,  of  OIneyville.  R.  I.  Cyrus  Stone,  for  many  years 
overseer  of  the  Old  Union  Mills,  at  OIneyville.  R.  I., 
was  the  son  of  Edward  Stone,  a  farmer  of  Manton, 
R.  I.,  an  extensive  land  owner.  Edward  Stone  owned 
the  property  where  the  Cranston  Institution  now  stands. 
He  was  active  in  public  affairs,  and  for  many  years 
prominent  in  the  life  of  Manton  and  the  vicinity.  The 
Stone  coat-of-arms  is  as  follows : 

Arms — Per  pale  or  and  gules  an  eagle  displa>-ed  with 
two  necks  counter-changed. 

Crest — A  spaniel  courant  gules. 
Motto — Nil   desperandum. 

The  children  of  Emery  Page  and  Mary  B.  (Water- 
man) Littlefield  were:  l.  A  child  who  died  in  infancy. 
2.  Enieretta,  deceased.  3.  Henry  deceased.  4.  Freder- 
ick, who  married  Emma  White;  they  had  one  daughter, 
Mrs.  Percy  Patterson,  of  Edgewood,  R.  1. 

A  conservative  man  of  strong  convictions,  yet  with  a 
mind  fair  and  unbiased,  Mr.  Littlefield  in  early  life 
allied  himself  with  the  Democratic  party,  but  subse- 
quently became  a  member  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
was  a  public  spirited  citizen  of  the  finest  type,  fulfilling 
the  duties  of  citizenship,  yet  in  no  sense  of  the  word 
seeking  political  preferment.  The  strictest  integrity 
characterized  his  every  transaction,  and  he  was  widely 
known  as  a  just  and  honorable  man. 

Emery  Page  Littlefield  died  at  his  home  on  Hartford 
avenue.  May  I,  1891.  Mrs.  Littlefield,  who  survives 
her  husband,  has  resided  at  the  Hartford  avenue  home 
for  more  than  half  a  centurv. 


LOUIS  J.  A.  LEGRIS,  M.  D.— In  1914  Dr.  Legris 
opened  offices  for  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Pheni.x, 
R.  I.,  and  established  himself  well  in  the  public  favor 
there.  The  name,  Legris,  is  well  known  in  the  town  of 
Warwick  and  in  Kent  county,  R.  I.  For  thirty-eight 
years  Dr.  M.  J.  E.  Legris  lived  in  the  town,  and  has  for 
some  time  been  in  active  practice  there,  his  offices  and 
home  being  at  Arctic,  R.  L  Both  father  and  son  observe 
closely  the  highest  ideals  of  their  profession,  and  are 
highly  esteemed,  the  son  guarding  carefully  the  reputa- 
tion established  by  his  father.  The  family  is  of 
French  ancestry  and  traces  to  Joseph  Legris,  a  farmer 
of  Louisville,  in  the  province  of  Quebec,  Canada.  He 
was  the  father  of  Antoine  Legris,  also  a  farmer  of 
Louisville,  who  reared  a  family  of  eleven  children : 
Mathilde,  deceased;  Ovid  E.,  a  manufacturer  in  Mont- 
real; Adele,  the  wife  of  M.  Lanois,  of  the  vicinity  of 
Louisville,  Quebec;  Agapit,  deceased,  formerly  a  priest 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church;  Charles,  a  physician  in 
Canada ;  Hormidas,  who  farms  the  old  homestead,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Senate  of  Canada;  Marie  Louise, 
of  Arctic,  R.  L;  Annie,  deceased;  Zotique,  an  attorney, 
now  deceased;  and  Marie  J.  E.,  of  further  mention. 


Marie  Joseph  Ernest  Legris  was  born  in  Louisville, 
province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  May  8,  1859.  He  obtained 
his  preparatory  education  in  his  native  town.  He  then 
spent  si.x  years  in  Nicolet  College,  near  Three  Rivers, 
Canada,  and  after  graduating,  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine under  the  preceptorship  of  his  brother.  Dr.  Charles 
Legris.  He  completed  his  professional  study  at  Vic- 
toria Medical  College,  Montreal,  Canada,  and  grad- 
uated, a  doctor  of  medicine,  in  1879.  He  at  once  began 
practice  at  Natick,  R.  I.,  and  continued  there  until 
iSSo,  when  he  located  in  the  town  of  Warwick,  Kent 
county,  R.  I.,  at  Centerville.  The  years  have  brought 
him  well-deserved  success  and  he  is  one  of  the  physi- 
cians of  this  section  whom  men  delight  to  honor.  In 
addition  to  the  cares  of  a  large  practice,  he  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  business,  and  has  served  w'ell  the 
church  of  which  he  is  a  member.  His  residence  is  at 
Arctic.  R.  I.  Dr.  M.  J.  E.  Legris  was  a  director  of 
Centerville  Xational  Bank;  vice-president  of  the  War- 
wick and  Coventry  Water  Works ;  a  member  and  trustee 
of  St.  Jean  Baptiste  Church  in  Centerville;  an  honor- 
ary president  of  the  Society  of  St.  Jean  Baptiste;  a 
member  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  the 
French  Medical  Society  of  New  York  and  New  Eng- 
land; a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society; 
and  a  member  of  the  Kent  County  Medical  Society. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  at  one  time  a  mem- 
ber of  Warwick  Town  Council,  and  member  of  the 
General  Assembly. 

October  24.  18S1,  he  married  Leopoldine  H.  Des 
Rosiers,  daughter  of  Louis  Des  Rosiers,  a  notary  of 
Montreal,  Canada.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Legris  are  the 
parents  of  nine  children  :  Marie  Blanche,  born  May  8, 
1883,  wife  of  Alfred  Demers,  of  Montreal;  Dr.  Louis 
J.  A.,  of  further  mention;  Charles  Ernest,  a  graduate 
of  McGill  L'niversity,  now  a  practising  civil  engineer; 
Jean  M.,  a  graduate  of  Brown  University,  also  a  civil 
engineer,  serving  as  second  lieutenant  in  the  Quarter- 
masters Corps,  United  States  Army,  in  the  great  war; 
Florctte,  at  home;  Edith,  at  home;  and  Leopold  A., 
Nina,  and  Therese,  students. 

Dr.  Louis  J.  A.  Legris,  eldest  son  of  Dr.  M.  J.  E. 
Legris.  was  born  in  Arctic,  Kent  county.  R.  I.,  Novem- 
ber 13,  1884.  He  received  his  early  education  in  paro- 
chial schools  and  in  the  Arctic  Grammar  School.  He 
then  entered  St.  Mary's  College,  Montreal,  Canada. 
From  this  college  he  went  to  the  University  of  Illinois, 
at  Chicago,  and  in  1914  became  a  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
He  passed  the  examining  boards  of  the  states  of  Illi- 
nois, Massachusetts,  and  Rhode  Island,  and  was  thereby 
licensed  to  practice  in  each  of  those  states.  He  chose 
Rhode  Island,  his  native  State,  and  in  1914  he  opened 
an  office  in  Phenix,  in  the  town  of  West  Warwick.  For 
two  years  he  served  as  town  physician,  and  is  now 
winning  his  way  to  a  good  practice.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Kent  County  Medical  Society,  the  Catholic  Order 
of  Foresters,  a  member  of  Notre  Dame  du  Bon  Con- 
seil  Church,  and  the  Canado-American  Association. 
Dr.  Legris  is  unmarried.  He  enlisted  in  the  medical 
corps  of  the  United  States  Army,  receiving  his  com- 
mission as  first  lieutenant,  October  22,  igi8,  and  was 
sent  immediately  to  Camp  Greenleaf,  Fort  Oglethorpe, 
Ga.     He  was  honorably  discharged  December  20,  1918. 


a-^-t-c^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


129 


GEORGE  M.  KITTREDGE— In  New  England 
history  thero  is  perhaps  no  single  surname  having  a 
greater  number  of  its  representatives  in  the  profession 
of  medicine  and  surgery  than  that  of  Kittredi;e,  and 
not  infrequently  has  it  been  remarked  that  the  name  has 
been  synonymous  with  doctor.  Few  families  in  this 
country  can  lay  claim  to  equal  distinction.  In  other 
branches  of  human  endeavor  the  descendants  of  Dr. 
John  Kittrcdge  who  "sat  down  in  the  old  town  of 
Billerica.  Mass.,  about  the  year  1650,"  have  been  equally 
distinguished.  The  family,  from  the  beginning,  seems 
to  have  possessed  a  strong  moral  fiber  which  has  given 
its  members  character  and  substance  wherever  they 
were  located. 

Numerous  traditions  attach  to  the  immigration  of 
Dr.  John  Kittredge.  One  narrates  that  he  came  from 
England  with  his  mother  when  a  young  man,  while  the 
earliest  mention  of  him  in  any  record  extant  speaks 
of  him  as  "one  on  whom  the  healing  art  had  descended 
and  come  down  through  many  generations."  Another 
contemporary  writer  says  there  is  a  tradition  that  the 
ancestor  of  the  Kittredge  family  in  this  country  was 
the  master  of  an  English  ship  and  a  bearer  of  dispatches 
between  the  medical  faculty  of  England  and  a  foreign 
country,  and  that  he  settled  in  Kittery,  Me.  The  "His- 
tory of  Billerica,"  in  speaking  of  the  early  settlers  of 
the  town,  says  "a  few  came  from  England  direct  to 
Billerica,  Mass.,"  and  among  them  mentions  John  Kitt- 
redge "whose  descendants  have  been  many  and  honor- 
able." Dr.  John  Kittredge  was  an  inhabitant  of  Biller- 
ica and  "lived  and  died  southeast  of  Bear  Hill."  His 
"house  lot  was  ten  acres  of  land ;"  he  received  "five 
acres  grant  September  25,  1660,"  and  in  1C63  the  town 
granted  more  to  him  that  "instead  of  ten  poles  of  land 
which  he  should  have  had  upon  ye  township  (by  willm 
patten's  houselot)  to  sett  a  shop  upon"  "that  now  he 
shall  have  it  added  to  his  house  lot  upon  the  south  of 
it."  His  first  grant  of  land  contained  sixty-four  acres 
and  lay  in  that  part  of  Billerica  which  afterwards  be- 
came Tewksbury,  Mass.  In  1665  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  make  a  gratuity  division  of  land  in  the 
town,  and  in  pursuance  of  that  appointment  John  Kitt- 
redge was  granted  "one  third  part  of  five  acres  adjoin- 
ing the  south  side  of  his  house  lot  &  he  is  content." 
That  part  of  Billerica  where  his  descendants  located 
was  incorporated  into  the  tow'n  of  Tewksbury,  Mass., 
December  23,  1734.  Among  the  forty-six  families  from 
Billerica  taken  in  to  the  new  town  were  eleven  by  the 
name  of  Kittredge.  The  progeny  of  Dr.  Kittredge  has 
spread  throughout  New  England.  The  family  to-day 
ranks  among  the  foremost  of  New  England  families  of 
colonial  date. 

The  late  George  M.  Kittredge,  whose  death  occurred 
in  Providence,  R.  I.,  on  June  18,  1915.  was  born  in 
Worcester,  Mass.,  descendant  of  a  family  long  estab- 
lished and  prominent  in  Worcester  and  the  vicinity. 
He  was  identified  with  Providence  from  early  man- 
hood and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  a  prominent 
figure  in  retail  jewelry  circles  in  the  city.  Mr.  Kitt- 
redge w'as  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Worcester, 
and  on  completing  his  studies  entered  immediately  on 
his  business  career,  spending  four  years  in  the  employ 
of  T.  M.  Lamb,  a  jeweler  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  where 
be  learned  the  watch-making  trade.     He  then  came  to 


Providence  where  he  secured  employment  in  the  retail 
jewelry  store  of  Joshua  Gray,  where  he  continued  the 
trade  of  w-atch  making  in  which  he  became  an  expert. 
While  in  the  employ  of  Joshua  Gray  he  familiarized 
himself  thoroughly  with  every  phase  of  the  jewelry 
business,  and  within  a  short  period  established  himself 
independently  in  the  retail  jewelry  trade.  He  was 
highly  successful  in  this  venture  and  for  forty  years 
continued  actively  engaged  in  business  in  Providence 
where  he  was  widely  known  and  eminently  respected. 
Fraternally  he  was  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Heptasophs,  and  of  the  Knights 
of  Honor.  He  attended  Grace  Church,  in  Providence. 
On  November  28,  1878,  Mr.  Kittredge  married  in 
Providence.  R.  I.,  Goldina  C.  Bibby,  daughter  of  the 
late  William  Fischer  Bibby,  a  native  of  Taunton,  Mass. 
William  Fischer  Bibby  married  Charlotte  Brown  Ar- 
nold, member  of  the  famous  Arnold  family  of  Rhode 
Island,  and  daughter  of  Israel  Arnold,  of  Smithfield. 
(See  Arnold).  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kittredge  were  the  par- 
ents of  two  children:  i.  Maude  H.,  now  at  the  National 
Service  Camp  of  the  Society  of  Daughters  of  the 
.\merican  Revolution.  2.  William  B.,  of  Providence. 
Mrs.  Kittredge,  who  survives  her  husband,  resides  at 
No.  19  Westfield  avenue.  Providence.  She  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  by 
virtue  of  descent  from  Israel  Arnold,  who  served  with 
the  Continental  forces  during  the  Revolution.  Mrs. 
Kittredge  has  been  actively  engaged  in  charitable  and 
patriotic  enterprises  for  many  years. 

(The  Arnold  Line). 

The  family  of  Arnold  is  of  great  antiquity,  tracing 
its  origin  to  the  ancient  princes  of  Wales.  According  to 
a  pedigree  recorded  in  the  College  of  .Arms  they  trace 
from  Ynir,  King  of  Gwentland,  who  flourished  about 
the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century,  and  who  was  pater- 
nally descended  from  Vnir,  the  second  son  of  Cad- 
walader.  King  of  the  Britons;  which  Cadwaladcr  built 
.■\bergavenny,  in  the  county  of  Monmouth,  and  its 
castle,  which  was  afterward  rebuilt  by  Hamlet  ap 
Hamlet,  ap  Sir  Druce  of  Balladon,  in  France  and  por- 
tions of  the  walls  still  reinain. 

The  first  of  the  family  to  adopt  a  surname  was 
Roger  Arnold,  a  descendant  in  the  twelfth  generation 
from  Ynir,  King  of  Gwentland.  Roger  was  of  Llan- 
thony,  in  Monmouthshire,  and  married  Joan,  daughter 
of  Sir  Thomas  Gamage,  Knight,  Lord  of  Coytcy. 

From  the  foregoing  source  descended  the  two  Ar- 
nold brothers,  who  came  to  America  and  were  the  pro- 
genitors of  the  numerous  and  distinguished  Arnold 
family  of  Rhode  Island.  Their  lineage  from  Roger 
Arnold  is  through  Thomas,  Richard,  Richard  (2), 
Thomas  (2).  The  latter  lived  for  a  tiine  at  Melcombe 
Horsey,  from  which  place  he  removed  to  Chesel- 
bourne,  settling  himself  on  an  estate  previously  belong- 
ing to  his  father.  He  was  twice  married;  (first)  to 
Alice,  daughter  of  John  Gulley,  of  North  Over,  she 
being  the  mother  of  William  Arnold;  to  his  second 
marriage  was  born  Thomas  Arnold,  who  also  came  to 
New  England.  Thomas  Arnold  settled  at  Watertown, 
Mass.,  as  early  as  1640,  and  removed  to  Providence  not 
far  from  1661.  Here  he  was  several  times  deputy  and 
a  member  of  the   town   council.     William   .Arnold,  the 


R  1—2—8 


no 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


other  immigrant  sailed  from  Dartmouth,  England,  with 
his  family  on  May  i,  1635.  He  was  for  a  time  at 
Hingham,  Mass.,  but  removed  to  Providence,  in  the 
spring  of  1636.  Several  of  the  sons  of  Thomas  became 
conspicuous  public  men  in  Providence,  Richard  being 
many  times  deputy  and  assistant,  speaker  of  the  House 
of  Deputies,  etc. ;  Thomas  and  Eleazer  were  often 
deputies  and  members  of  the  town  council.  Likewise 
several  of  the  sons  of  William  Arnold  were  prominent 
figures  in  official  life.  Benedict,  who  removed  to  New- 
port, was  many  times  commissioner  and  assistant,  presi- 
dent of  the  four  towns  then  established,  and  governor 
for  some  ten  years.  Stephen  Arnold  was  many  times 
deputy  and  assistant.  The  prestige  and  power  of  these 
early  Arnolds  have  never  been  relinquished,  and  the 
family  to-day  is  one  of  the  foremost  of  New  England 
families. 

Charlotte  Brown  Arnold,  who  became  the  wife  of 
William  Fischer  Bibby.  and  mother  of  Mrs.  George  M. 
Kittredge,  was  born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I;,  the  daughter 
of  Israel  Arnold,  a  prominent  resident  of  that  town, 
and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Israel  Arnold,  who  served 
with  the  Rhode  Island  troops  in  the  War  for  Independ- 
ence. She  married  William  Fischer  Bibby,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Goldina 
Camilla,  who  became  the  wife  of  the  late  George  M. 
Kittredge.  2.  William  Richard,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  two  years.  3.  Maud  I.,  who  married  S.  D.  Lewis, 
of  Newport,  N.  H.,  and  is  the  mother  of  one  daughter, 
Goldina  DeWolf  Lewis,  an  operatic  singer  of  great 
talent.  William  F.  Bibby  was  engaged  for  many  years 
in  the  jewelry  business  in  the  employ  of  Flint  &  Blood, 
of  Providence. 


Dr.  Dunphy  married,  May  16,  1916,  Jennie  Edith 
Krum,  born  in  Providence.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dunphy  are 
the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Ethel  May. 


GEORGE    AMBROSE    DUNPHY,    D.    D.    S.— 

Through  his  own  untiring  energy  and  strong  deter- 
mination to  secure  professional  education.  Dr.  Dunphy 
owes  his  position  as  one  of  the  successful  members  of 
the  dental  profession  in  Providence.  He  not  only 
furnished  the  intellectual  ability  and  the  ambition  which 
impelled  him  but  provided  the  means  through  his  own 
labor  for  financing  his  college  course.  The  year  1914 
saw  the  fruition  of  his  hopes,  and  with  his  newly- 
acquired  degree  he  returned  to  Providence,  w-here  he  is 
well  established  as  a  dentist,  skilled  in  his  profession 
and  thoroughly  reliable. 

George  .Ambrose  Dunphy  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  September  25,  1894,  son  of  Patrick  and  Mary 
(Donley)  Dunphy.  He  attended  St.  Mary's  Parochial 
School  and  LaSalle  Academy,  completing  courses  at 
the  last  named  institution  with  graduation,  class  of 
I9T2.  During  those  years  of  study  he  had  been  em- 
ployed in  various  ways  in  out  of  school  hours,  and  after 
entering  the  dental  department  of  Maryland,  in  Balti- 
more, he  continued  an  earner,  financing  his  course  in 
that  manner.  He  was  graduated  D.  D.  S.  in  1914.  He 
at  once  returned  to  Providence  and  began  the  suc- 
cessful professional  career  which  he  now  continues. 
His  offices  are  in  the  Post  OflFice  building  at  Olneyville, 
his  residence.  No.  93  Messer  street.  Dr.  Dunphy  is  a 
member  of  St.  Mary's  Roman  CathoHc  Church,  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Order 
of  Owls,  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  Phi  Kappa  fra- 
ternity, and  in  politics  is  an  Independent. 


TOBIAS  BURKE— The  late  Tobias  Burke,  one  of 
the  foremost  figures  in  racing  circles  in  Rhode  Island, 
a  breeder  of  notable  race  horses  which  have  made 
remarkable  records  on  American  courses,  was  for  many 
years  a  prominent  business  man  of  Providence,  and  head 
of  the  firm  of  Burke  Brothers.  He  was  born  in  County 
Tipperary,  Ireland,  March  6,  1852,  and  in  early  youth 
emigrated  to  America,  settling  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
with  which  city  he  was  identified  until  his  death.  In 
18S0,  Mr.  Burke  entered  the  employ  of  the  James 
Hanley  Brewing  Company,  and  for  five  years  remained 
in  their  employ  as  a  travelling  salesman.  In  1885,  in 
partnership  with  his  brother,  Richard  Burke,  he  estab- 
lished the  firm  of  Burke  Brothers,  on  Eddy  street,  in 
Providence,  on  the  site  of  the  building  now  known  as 
the  Burke  Brothers  building.  He  was  highly  success- 
ful in  this  venture,  which  he  conducted  with  his  brother, 
until  the  latter's  death  in  1906.  He  then  became  sole 
owner  of  the  business,  remaining  at  its  head  until  his 
death. 

To  horse  racing  and  the  breeding  of  thoroughbred 
horses,  he  gave  all  the  time  he  could  spare  from  the 
duties  and  demands  of  his  business  career.  In  these 
he  found  not  only  rest  and  recreation  from  business 
careers,  but  an  avocation  which  amounted  almost  to  a 
career,  and  which  placed  him  prominently  before  the 
eyes  of  the  sporting  world  of  New  England  for  many 
years.  The  love  of  horse-flesh  is  deeply  implanted  in 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race.  Horse  racing,  if  not  introduced 
into  England  by  the  Romans,  at  least  was  encouraged 
by  them  and  flourished  under  Roman  rule.  It  has  since 
ranked  foremost  among  the  national  sports  of  Britain, 
and  in  English  literature  of  every  age  has  been  called 
"the  sport  of  kings."  Racing  in  the  American  colonies 
dates  from  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  when 
it  was  indulged  in  to  a  limited  extent  in  Maryland  and 
\'irginia,  particularly  in  the  latter  colony.  Most  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Virginia  were  immigrants  from  Great 
Britain,  many  of  them  members  of  the  upper  classes, 
who  inherited  and  brought  with  them  an  age  old  love  of 
racing.  After  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the 
importation  of  thoroughbred  horses  from  England  be- 
came quite  common,  and  selections  were  made  from 
the  best  stock  of  the  L^nited  Kingdom.  The  sport  and 
the  breeding  of  thoroughbreds  flourished  until  the  Civil 
War,  when  it  was  broken  up  by  the  commandeering 
of  horses  for  cavalry.  With  the  era  of  prosperity  of 
1870,  however,  progress  began  again  and  has  been  con- 
tinuous almost  to  the  present  time.  The  stock  farm  of 
the  late  Mr.  Burke  was  among  the  best  known  in  New 
England.  It  was  located  on  Chalkstone  avenue,  and 
was  called  the  "Pleasant  \'alley  Stock  Farm."  The 
breeding  of  fast  thoroughbreds  was  his  hobby,  and 
among  other  noted  animals,  he  was  the  owner  of  Don 
Carr,  whose  record  was  am.  6^4s. ;  Winola,  2m.  9s.; 
Busy  Boy,  Sarah  Ann  Patch,  2m.  5s.,  and  Gratton  Boy, 
Jr.,  2m.  13s.  Mr.  Burke  headed  the  movement  which 
resulted  in  the  building  of  the  Roger  Williams  Park 
Speedway.  He  was  a  member  and  vice-president  of 
the  Roger  Williams   Driving  Club,   and  a  director  of 


^Ac 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


131 


the    organization    until    his    retirement    from    office   in 

1913. 

For  many  years  prior  to  his  death,  Mr.  lUirke  was 
active  in  public  affairs  in  Providence.  He  was  promi- 
nently identified  with  many  movements  for  the  im- 
provement of  civic  conditions,  and  was  active  in  pro- 
moting Davis  Park.  He  was  also  a  prime  mover  in 
securing  the  Chalkstone  avenue  street  car  service,  and 
electric  lights.  He  was  engaged  to  a  large  extent  in 
real  estate  operations,  and  erected  many  fine  houses 
and  offices  in  Providence.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  of  the 
John  Mitchell  .-Xssociation.  Mr.  P.urke  remained  active 
in  business  and  public  life  in  Providence  until  shortly 
before  his  death. 

On  July  6,  1879,  Mr.  Burke  married  Maria  Patter- 
son, daughter  of  Richard  and  Mary  (McKeon)  Patter- 
son. Richard  Patterson  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and 
came  to  .A.merica  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years.  He 
served  for  four  years  during  the  Civil  War  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Third  Regiment,  Rhode  Island  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  after  being  honorably  discharged  returned 
to  Providence,  where  he  engaged  in  business  until  his 
death.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burke  were  the  parents  of  two 
children.  I.  Thomas  F.,  who  became  his  father's  partner 
in  business,  and  still  continues  the  same.  2.  Charles 
J.,  head  of  the  Rhode  Island  Real  Estate  Company; 
married  Elizabeth  O'Keefe,  daughter  of  Thomas  J. 
O'Keefe,  of  Providence;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burke  have 
adopied  a  daughter,  Mary  Lillian  Burke.  Mrs.  Burke, 
who  survives  her  husband,  resides  at  No.  721  Chalk- 
stone  avenue.  Providence.  Mr.  Burke  in  his  life  time 
was  a  member  of  St.  Patrick's  Church. 

His  status  in  the  business  world,  as  head  of  the  firm 
of  Burke  Brothers,  and  president  of  the  Consumer's 
Brewery,  was  assured  and  important,  and  his  death 
came  as  a  shock  to  his  numerous  friends  and  asso- 
ciates. Tobias  Burke  died  at  his  home,  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  on  July   12,   1913. 


REV.  JOHN  F.  SULLIVAN— Nearly  a  quarter  of 
a  century  ago,  Father  Sullivan  was  ordained  a  priest 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  in  the  cathedral  at  Balti- 
more, being  one  of  a  class  of  twelve  young  men,  who 
were  ordained,  June  11,  1894,  by  Cardinal  Gibbons. 
Wholly  consecrated  to  his  work,  he  entered  upon  the 
ministry  with  a  devoted  enthusiasm  which  has  been 
succeeded  by  that  calm  unswerving  devotion  to  duty, 
which  is  the  heritage  of  the  faithful  devoted  minister 
of  the  Gospel,  and  which  onlj'  the  years  of  service  can 
give.  His  years  as  an  assistant  to  the  pastor  in  sev- 
eral parishes  were  followed  by  appointment  to  his 
first  pastorate,  the  parish  of  St.  Matthews,  in  Auburn, 
R.  I.,  in  1909.  As  a  pastor,  he  is  not  more  earnest  and 
devoted  than  he  was  as  an  assistant,  but  he  has  grown 
with  his  responsibilities  and  while  of  reserved  coun- 
tenance, he  is  one  of  those  happy,  cheerful  spirits  who 
scatter  kindness  and  sunshine  wherever  they  go.  He  is 
a  true  son  of  the  church  to  which  he  has  devoted  his 
life  and  his  talents. 

Rev.  Sullivan  is  a  son  of  John  Dennis  and  Norah 
(Sullivan)  Sullivan,  of  the  parish  of  South  Kelcaskan, 
County  of  Cork,  Ireland,  and  a  grandson  of  Dennis 
Sullivan  and  Norah  (Sullivan)   Sullivan.    His  maternal 


grandparents  were  Timothy  and  Mary  (Murphy)  Sul- 
livan, he  dying  in  Ireland  in  1846,  she  coming  to  the 
United  States,  where  she  died  in  1882,  aged  seventy-four 
years.  Dennis  Sullivan  was  born  in  County  Cork, 
Ireland,  five  generations  of  his  family  having  been  born 
in  the  same  parish.  He  was  a  farmer  of  South  Kil- 
caskan.  County  Cork,  and  there  died  in  1872,  aged 
seventy-two  years.  He  married  Norah  Sullivan  of  the 
same  parish,  who  died  in  April,  1910.  at  the  venerable 
age  of  ninety-four  years.  John  Dennis  Sullivan,  son  of 
Dennis  and  Norah  Sullivan,  was  born  in  South  Kil- 
caskan,  County  Cork,  Ireland,  December  26,  1832,  and 
died  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  April  11,  191 1.  He  was  a  farmer 
in  Ireland.  He  married  Norah  Sullivan,  born  in  the 
same  parish,  December  24,  1840,  died  at  the  family 
home.  No.  15  Carey  street,  Newport,  R.  I.,  October 
7,  1888,  daughter  of  Timothy  and  Mary  (Murphy)  Sul- 
livan. John  D.  and  Norah  (Sullivan)  Sullivan  were  the 
parents  of  two  sons,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  and 
John  F.,  whose  life  and  services  are  the  inspiration  of 
this  review.  They  also  were  the  parents  of  five  fine 
daughters:  .Amanda  and  Johanna,  who  reside  with  their 
brother.  Father  John  F.  Sullivan,  in  the  parsonage  at 
.•\uburn ;  Mrs.  Ellen  Kelleher,  a  widow  since  August  I, 
1894:  Mrs.  Mary  O'Brien,  a  widow  since  March,  iQio; 
and  Mrs.  William  Kennealley,  residing  at  Auburn,  R.  I. 

John  F.  Sullivan  was  born  in  the  village  of  Upper 
Drcen,  in  the  parish  of  South  Kilcaskan,  commonly 
called  "Clan  Lawrence  Parish,"  Bcarhaven,  County 
Cork,  Ireland,  Saturday,  September  28,  1867.  He  was 
baptized  the  following  October  16,  by  the  pastor  of 
the  parish,  Father  John  O'Reilly,  and  on  July  17.  1877, 
he  was  confirmed  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  David  Moriarty, 
Bishop  of  Kerry.  -At  a  suitable  age,  he  began  his 
studies  in  the  National  School  practically  completing 
the  grammar  school  course,  sailing  for  the  United 
States  only  one  month  prior  to  finishing  the  course. 
The  school  he  attended  was  kept  by  Matthew  Crowley 
at  .\drigole,  less  than  two  miles  from  his  home  in 
Bcarhaven. 

The  family  arrived  from  Ireland  in  1881  and  located 
in  Newport,  R.  I.,  on  June  21,  of  that  year.  There 
John  F.  attended  the  parochial  school  sustained  by  St. 
Mary's  parish,  until  January,  i886,  most  of  that  period 
being  devoted  to  the  study  of  Latin,  Green,  French  and 
higher  mathematics  under  the  instruction  of  Monsignor 
Doran,  \'icar  General  and  Rev.  T.  P.  Grace.  During 
the  period  July,  1881,  to  September,  1885,  he  was  official 
scorer  for  the  Newport  Casino  Tennis  Club.  Destined 
for  the  church,  he  entered  Mt.  St.  Mary's  College, 
Emmettsburg,  Md.,  in  February,  1886,  and  was  one  of 
a  class  of  twelve  who  graduated  from  that  institution, 
June  26,  1889.  The  period  September  27,  1889,  until 
June,  1892,  was  spent  as  a  student  in  St.  John's  Semi- 
nary, Brighton,  Mass.  In  September,  1893,  he  entered 
St.  Mary's  Seminary,  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  spending  three 
years  in  the  study  of  philosophy  and  four  years  in  the 
study  of  theology,  being  invested  with  holy  orders  by 
Cardinal  Gibbons,  June  21,  1894.  .\fter  ordination,  he 
was  appointed  by  his  bishop  to  ministerial  labor,  as  as- 
sistant to  the  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  parish,  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  continuing  there  from  July  7,  1894,  until  Septem- 
ber 3,  1898.  He  was  then  assigned  to  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  as  assistant  to  the  pastor  of  St.  Lawrence,  re- 


1 3-' 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


niaining  there  from  September's,  1898,  until  December 
25,  1902,  when  he  was  appointed  to  the  Church  of  the 
Assumption  in  Providence,  as  assistant  to  Father  Kelley 
of  the  church,  who  had  met  with  an  accident.  In  May, 
1904,  he  succeeded  Rev.  John  E.  Brady,  as  assistant  to 
Father  Clark,  at  Teresa's  in  Providence,  and  when  the 
latter  was  appointed  pastor  of  Holy  Name  parish. 
Providence,  Father  Sullivan  was  assigned  to  the  same 
parish  as  his  assistant,  Jklarch  30,  1906.  There  he  re- 
mained until  April  28,  1909,  when  by  order  of  Kt.  Rev. 
Matthews  Harkins,  Bishop  of  Providence,  Father  Sul- 
livan was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Matthew's  parish. 
Auburn,  R.  I.,  to  succeed  Rev.  J.  J.  Schuren,  who  was 
sent  to  Sacred  Heart  Church  in  East  Providence. 
Father  Sullivan,  after  being  relieved  of  his  duties  as 
curate  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Name,  assumed  his 
responsibilities  as  pastor  of  St.  Matthew's  in  Auburn, 
on  April  28,  1909,  and  in  that,  his  first  pastorate  he  yet 
serves,  loved  by  his  people  and  esteemed  by  those  of  all 
faiths  who  have  met  him  or  know  of  the  great  work 
he  has  accomplished  for  the  cause  he  loves  so  well. 


TIMOTHY  J.  MYERS,  late  founder  and  head  of 
the  Elmwood  Bakery,  and  for  many  years  a  prominent 
figure  in  public  and  political  circles  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Providence,  July  28,  1852.  He 
was  the  son  of  John  and  Catherine  (McCarthy)  Myers, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ireland.  John  Myers 
came  to  America  early  in  life,  settling  in  Providence, 
where  he  established  himself  in  the  coal  business,  even- 
tually becoming  one  of  the  largest  coal  merchants  in 
the  city. 

His  son,  Timothy  J.  Myers,  was  given  excellent  edu- 
cational advantages,  attending  first  the  old  Lime  street 
school.  He  later  entered  La  Salle  Academy  from  which 
he  was  graduated.  Finding  business  rather  than  pro- 
fessional life  more  to  his  liking,  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  firm  of  Rice  &  Haj-ward,  of  Providence,  with 
whom  he  learned  the  baking  trade  which  he  followed  all 
his  life.  After  leaving  the  employ  of  Rice  &  Hay  ward 
he  established  himself  independently  in  business,  open- 
ing the  Elmwood  Bakery  at  No.  751  Potter  avenue. 
This  venture,  started  on  a  comparatively  small  scale, 
proved  highly  successful  and  grew  to  large  proportions. 
Mr.  Myers  was  ail  able  business  man,  keenly  alert  to 
every  changing  phase  in  his  business.  His  plant  was 
always  kept  at  a  high  standard  of  efficiency,  and  con- 
tained the  most  modern  devices  for  safeguarding  the 
lives  and  health  of  his  employees. 

Mr.  Myers  entered  public  life  early,  allying  himself 
with  the  forces  of  the  Independent  Democrats  from  the 
very  outset  of  his  public  career.  For  several  years  he 
was  prominent  in  the  councils  of  his  party,  and  was 
actively  identified  with  many  notable  movements  for 
the  bettering  of  civic  conditions.  He  had  already  ac- 
quired a  reputation  for  steadfast  honesty  and  tireless 
devotion  to  the  interests  of  the  people,  when  in  1904 
he  was  elected  to  represent  the  Seventh  Ward  of 
Providence,  in  the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly. 
He  discharged  the  duties  of  his  office  with  fine  ability 
and  with  the  utmost  integrity,  bringing  all  of  his  influ- 
ence to  bear  on  the  side  of  right.  In  1907,  Mr.  Myers 
was  returned  to  the  Legislature,  and  during  his  second 
term  served  as  a  member  of  the  judiciary  committee, 


rendering  valuable  service  in  this  capacity.  Of  his  pub- 
lic service  as  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  a  tribute  paid 
to  his  memory,  states : 

For  two  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.  He  was  ever  vigilant  to  safeguard 
the  interests  of  his  constituents.  He  was  endowed  with 
an  urbanity  of  manner  and  kindliness  of  spirit  that 
made  him  no  enemies.  Tiiose,  whom  he  was  obliged 
to  oppose  in  following  his  principles,  felt  the  influence 
of  his  sense  of  justice  and  his  absolute  integrity.  He 
was  never  domineering  but  always  willing  to  cooperate 
for  the  best  results. 

Mr.  Myers  was  well  know  and  justly  popular  in  fra- 
ternal and  social  circles  in  Providence  throughout  his 
life.  He  was  a  member  of  .\lcazaba  Caravan,  No.  2, 
of  the  Order  of  Mystic  Nobles  of  Granada,  and  prom- 
inent in  that  organization  for  many  years.  For  a  long 
period  he  was  treasurer  for  Providence  county,  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  and  also  had  been  past 
grand  master  and  treasurer  of  Newman  Council,  No. 
23.  He  was  a  Roman  Catholic  in  religious  faith,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  Church  of  the  Assumption  in 
Providence. 

On  June  12,  1889,  Mr.  Myers  married,  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  Julia  O'Connor,  daughter  of  Timothy  and  Henora 
(Teahan)  O'Connor.  Mrs.  Myers  was  born  in  Ireland, 
where  she  was  educated.  Coming  to  America  after 
completing  her  studies,  she  entered  upon  the  profession 
of  teacher,  which  she  followed  until  the  time  of  her 
marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  i.  John  A.,  assistant  city  editor, 
and  at  present  assistant  sporting  editor  of  the  "Detroit 
Free  Press."  2.  Charles,  attended  Georgetown  Acad- 
emy for  a  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  enlisted  in 
the  Thirtieth  Regiinent,  Coast  Artillery,  is  now  a  cor- 
poral. 3.  Catherine,  a  school  teacher,  of  Providence. 
4.  William,  a  cigar  maker  in  Providence.  5.  Eleanor, 
student  at  the  Rhode  Island  Normal  School.  6.  Vincent, 
attending  LaSalle  University.  7.  Julia.  8.  Mary.  Mrs. 
Myers  survives  her  husband  and  resides  at  the  Myers 
home  at  No.  745  Potter  avenue.  Providence. 

Timothy  J.  Myers  died  at  his  home  in  Providence, 
March  22,  1915,  aged  sixty-three  years.  His  death  was 
sudden  and  unexpected,  coming  as  a  deep  blow  to  his 
many  friends  in  public  and  private  life.  Tributes  to 
his  memory  were  numerous.  The  following  memorial 
presents  vividly  his  admirable  character  and  his  worth 
as  a  man : 

Sir  Noble  Myers  was  a  Just  man.  His  justice,  how- 
ever, was  tempered  "with  mercy  of  the  finest  quality. 
He  did  not  seek  worldly  gains  at  the  expense  of  his 
fellow  man.  He  was  loyal  to  friend,  steadfast  to  prin- 
ciple and  sincere  in  purpose.  He  died  when  apparently 
about  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  labors  here  below. 

His  death  was  deeply  and  sincerely  mourned. 
The  coat-of-arms  of  the  Myers  family  is  as  follows: 

Arms — Argent  on  the  sea  proper  an  ancient  ship  at 
anchor  with  three  mast.s,  on  each  a  single  yard  across, 
the  sails  furled  sable  colors  flying  gules,  on  a  canton 
of  the  last  a  baton  or  and  a  sword,  also  proper,  pom- 
mel and  hilt  gold,  in  saltire,  encircled  by  a  mural 
crown  argent. 

Crest — On  a  wreath  of  the  colors  a  mermaid  proper, 
her  waist  also  encircled  by  a  mural  crown  or. 

Motto — Non  dormiat  qui  custodit. 


FRANK  ANTHONY  CUMMINGS,  M.  D.— Fr.ink 
Anthony  Cummings,  son  of  John  and  Bridget  (Slat- 
tery)  Cummings,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
September  7,  1S83.     After  passing  through  the  graded 


^tA^-^' 


^,        J^ 


/X^^i 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


133 


schools  and  completing  the  shorter  high  school  course 
he  entered  La  Salle  Academy,  whence  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  the  class  of  1907.  He  then  spent  two  years 
at  Brown  University,  after  which  he  entered  Tufts 
Medical  College,  receiving  his  M.  D.,  class  of  1912. 
He  then  devoted  sixteen  months  as  interne  in  Boston 
City  Hospital,  also  receiving  a  diploma  from  that 
institution.  In  1913  he  returned  to  Providence  and 
lias  since  continued  in  successful  practice.  He  is 
devoted  to  his  profession  and  has  no  outside  inter- 
ests, being  unmarried  and  without  club  or  fraternal 
affiliations.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medi- 
cal Association,  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  Prov- 
idence Medical  Society,  St.  Luke's  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  and  politically  is  an   Independent. 


JOHN  DWYER.  ESQ.— The  late  John  Dwyer,  for 
many  years  engaged  in  the  teaming  and  expressing 
business  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  well  known  in  the  busi- 
ness life  of  the  city  in  the  closing  decades  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  was  born  in  Tipperary,  Ireland. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1848,  and  settled 
in  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  shortly  afterward  he 
established  himself  in  the  teaming  and  expressing 
business,  in  which  he  was  highly  successful.  He  was 
widely  known  in  business  circles  until  the  time  of  his 
retirement.  Through  strict  application  to  his  busi- 
ness he  developed  it  from  comparatively  insignificant 
beginnings  into  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  Prov- 
idence. He  was  a  man  of  great  strength  of  purpose 
and  of  tireless  energy,  and  to  these  two  elements  in 
his  character  his  success  in  the  business  world  was 
largely  due. 

John  Dwyer  married  in  Providence.  R.  I.,  on  July 
8,  1850,  Honore  Collins,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  and 
died  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1893,  in  her  sixty-sixth 
year.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: I.  William,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years.  2.  Tliomas  J.,  a  well-known  figure  in  mer- 
cantile and  real  estate  circles  in  Providence  until  his 
death  in  1916;  he  married  and  had  the  following 
children:  i.  Joseph,  who  died  in  infancy;  ii.  Louis, 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years:  iii.  Henry  J., 
born  in  1894;  now  in  the  government  service  in 
Washington,  D.  C;  iv.  Elizabeth,  makes  her  home  in 
Providence.  3.  John  F.,  who  until  his  death  was  en- 
gaged in  the  dry  goods  business  in  Providence.  4. 
Jeremiah,  died  in  in  childhood.  5.  James,  deceased: 
an  expert  box-maker.  6.  Mary  A.  (Mrs.  Maines),  of 
Providence.  8.  William  (2),  died  in  childhood.  7- 
Michael,  founder,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  of 
the  enterprise  in  which  his  brother  later  attained  such 
signal  success:  now  deceased.  During  the  lifetime  of 
Mr.  Dwyer  the  entire  family  were  members  of  the 
Cathedral  parish. 

John  Dwyer  died  at  his  home  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
in   1874.  aged  forty-six  years. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  the  late  Michael 
Dwyer,  son  of  John  Dwyer,  founded  the  drj-  goods 
business  which  his  brothers,  the  late  Thomas  J.  and 
John  F.  Dwyer,  conducted  for  fifteen  years  in  Provi- 
dence, and  developed  into  one  of  the  largest  estab- 
lishments  of   its   kind   in    the   city.     Graduating   from 


La  Salle  Academy,  he  went  immediately  into  business, 
securing  a  position  in  the  "Boston  Store,"  in  Provi- 
dence, where  he  learned  the  general  merchandising 
business  through  strict  application  to  its  every  phase. 
With  a  tenacity  of  purpose  and  determination  out  of 
proportion  to  his  years  he  prepared  himself  to  con- 
duct an  enterprise  of  his  own.  Shortly  afterwards  he 
opened  his  first  store  on  Atwells  avenue,  taking  into 
partnership  with  him  his  brotlier,  John  F.  Dwyer. 
The  venture  met  with  almost  immediate  success,  and 
offered  such  evidence  of  future  development,  that  a 
year  later  Mr.  Dwyer  was  forced  by  the  demands  of 
his  growing  trade,  to  enlarge  his  quarters.  In  the 
following  year  he  established  a  similar  store  on  West- 
minster street,  in  Providence.  He  had  barely  placed 
these  two  enterprises  on  sound  financial  foundations, 
when  he  died.  The  late  Thomas  J.  Dwyer  succeeded 
to  his  brother's  place  in  the  firm,  and  remained  at 
the  head  of  the  business  for  a  period  of  fifteen  years, 
during  which  time  he  was  widely  known  and  emi- 
nently respected  in  mercantile  circles  in  Providence. 
In  1905,  on  the  death  of  John  F.  Dwyer,  Mr. 
Dwyer  became  sole  proprietor,  and  conducted  the 
business  for  a  short  time.  He  later  disposed  of  his 
interests,  and  for  the  remainder  of  his  life  engaged  in 
the  real  estate  business,  gaining  considerable  promi- 
nence in  this  field.  Business  genius  of  a  high  order 
distinguished  these  three  brothers.  The  death  of 
Michael  Dwyer  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  ter- 
minated abruptly  a  career  which  gave  great  promise 
of  future  achievement  in  the  business  world.  John 
F.  Dwyer,  until  his  death  in  1905,  was  well  known  in 
business  life  in  the  city  of  Providence.  Thomas  J. 
Dwyer  died  in  Providence,  in  1916. 


OLIVER  D.  DREW— Of  the  men  in  Rhode  Island 
who  may  be  justified  in  feeling  a  pride  in  their  suc- 
cesses is  Oliver  D.  Drew,  the  superintendent  of  the 
Interlaken  Mills,  Phenix.  R.  I.  He  has  made  his 
way  to  the  top  of  the  mill  business  from  the  lowest 
rung  of  the  ladder,  and  what  he  has  learned  by  dint 
of  persistent  effort  he  has  always  put  into  efficient 
practice.  There  are  men  who  gain  through  experi- 
ence and  immediately  forget  the  lesson,  but  it  has 
been  otherwise  with  Oliver  D.  Drew,  for  he,  having 
put  into  immediate  use  all  he  has  learned,  has 
achieved  successes  of  which  he  himself  is  too  modest 
to  boast,  but  which  are  readily  recognized  by  his 
many  friends.  Endowed  with  a  vigorous  mentality,  an 
astonishing  stock  of  energy,  and  tremendous  will- 
power, his  aim  has  always  been  to  give  the  best  that 
is  in  him.  He  has  had  a  passion  for  perfection,  and 
possibly  that  in  itself  sums  up  the  man  and  his  achieve- 
ments. 

Mr.  Drew  was  a  country  boy,  with  poor  school  ad- 
vantages, bom  in  Saco,  Me.,  June  26,  1848.  When 
only  fourteen  years  of  age  he  began  to  take  care  of 
himself,  obtaining  a  position  in  the  cotton  mills  of 
the  Peperil  Manufacturing  Company  at  Riddcford, 
Me.  Although  working  fourteen  long  hours  each 
day,  and  receiving  the  meagre  sum  of  twenty-five 
cents  for  this  work,  he  was  not  the  boy  to  be  dis- 
couraged by  hardships,  so  by  mastering  every  detail 


134 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  the  cotton  manufacturing  business  he  became,  in  a 
few  short  years,  overseer  of  the  Great  Falls  Manu- 
facturing Company  at  Great  Falls,  N.  H.  He  left 
this  position  to  go  to  Fall  River,  Mass.,  to  work  in 
the  first  mill  of  Richard  Borden,  where  he  remained 
for  nine  years  as  overseer.  Later  he  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  Stafford  &  Mason  Mill  at  Barrows- 
ville,  and  was  also  connected  with  the  Elmwood  Mills 
at  Providence,  R.  I.,  for  a  short  time.  This  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  period  of  nine  years  at  the  Danielson 
Mills  at  Danielson,  Conn.  He  then  worked  for  the 
Dwight  Manufacturing  Company  at  Chicopee,  Mass., 
for  eight  years,  and  while  there  he  rebuilt  and  en- 
tirely refitted  the  mill  along  new  and  modern  lines. 
During  all  this  time  Mr.  Drew  was  making  the  clos- 
est and  most  painstaking  studies  in  the  means  and 
methods  to  produce  the  greatest  efficiency.  He  is 
to-day  an  unexcelled  production  manager,  classed  as 
one  of  the  greatest  of  acknowledged  experts  in  that 
line. 

On  coming  to  the  Interlaken  Mills  at  Phenix,  R.  I., 
in  1908,  he  brought  to  this  concern  vast  experience 
in  all  the  details  of  management,  and  a  judgment  of 
men  and  affairs  which  is  seldom  found.  He  has 
occupied  the  position  of  superintendent  during  all 
this  time,  and  has  done  much  in  the  way  of  improving 
the  plant — having  added  one  new  mill  and  refitted 
the  old  mill  with  new  machinery,  doubling  the  capac- 
ity, a  tliorough  reorganization  of  the  force  having 
accompanied  these  outer  changes.  He  has  introduced 
all  the  modern  ideas  for  the  safety  and  comfort  of 
the  employees,  such  as  supervision  of  the  many  cot- 
tages of  two  villages,  and  the  running  of  a  large  farm 
for  the  benefit  of  the  employees.  During  the  heat- 
less  days  of  the  past  winter  (1918)  when  the  work 
of  the  mills  was  shut  ofif  by  order  of  the  fuel  admin- 
istrator, the  married  men  were  given  work  on  the 
farm.  All  the  families  of  the  employees  are  furnished 
coal  at  cost,  and  are  so  well  looked  after  in  every 
detail  that  there  is  always  a  long  waiting  list  for 
steady  positions.  The  workmen  are  all  Americans, 
a  policy  which  keeps  the  type  of  help  employed  up  to 
the  highest  standard.  Mr.  Drew  believes  that  it  is 
good  business,  as  well  as  good  religion,  to  treat  the 
workers  with  fairness  and  generosity,  and  has  organ- 
ized a  committee  of  public  works  for  both  villages. 
A  notice  of  the  mills  and  a  biographical  sketch  of 
Edward  C.  Bucklin,  the  president,  are  to  be  found 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 

In  the  midst  of  a  busy  life  Mr.  Drew  finds  time 
tc  belong  to  Moriah  Lodge,  No.  15,  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  of  Danielson,  Conn.;  to  the  Friendly 
Union  Lodge,  No.  164,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  of  Fall  River;  and  to  the  American  Me- 
chanics' Association,  having  held  all  offices  in  this 
latter  organization.  One  of  the  secrets  of  his  success 
is  never  being  content  with  what  he  has  accomplished, 
but  always  seeking  for  further  knowledge;  a  progres- 
sive in  the  truest  sense.  His  career  has  been  ever 
marked  by  a  strict  adherence  to  the  best  of  business 
standards,  being  a  man  thoroughly  genuine.  In  view 
of  the  fact  of  his  marked  career,  these  words  are 
strikingly  impressive:     "To  achieve  success,  attend  to 


business    and    possess    the    important    quality    of    in- 
tegrity." 

Mr.  Drew  married  (first)  in  1868,  Emma  Knight, 
of  Saco,  Me.,  who  died  in  1878,  leaving  three  sons  and 
three  daughters:  Willis,  who  fills  the  position  of 
manager  of  the  Interlaken  Mills;  Harry,  who  died 
July  27,  1917,  was  superintendent  of  the  Knight  Mill 
and  also  of  the  Union  Mill  at  Buffalo;  Arthur,  who 
died  April  12,  1916,  was  superintendent  of  the  Halifa.x 
Mill;  Mary,  who  married  George  H.  Chapman,  of 
Providence;  Ada,  who  married  Clinton  Rising,  a 
draftsman  with  the  Taft-Pierce  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany at  Woonsocket,  R.  I.;  and  Caroline  F.,  who 
lives  at  home.  Mr.  Drew  married  (second).  May  19, 
1886,  Helen  F.  Bond,  of  Waterbury,  Me.  There  is 
one  son  by  this  marriage,  Harris,  superintendent  of 
the  Wilkinson  Mill  of  Wilkinsonville,  Mass.  It  is 
a  matter  of  satisfaction  bordering  on  pride  to  Mr. 
Drew  that  his  sons  have  followed  in  his  footsteps,  for 
they  have  certainly  made  a  worthy  record  in  the 
manufacturing  industries. 


EDWARD  EUSTACE  FITZ— When  in  1881,  Ed- 
ward E.  Fitz  entered  the  employ  of  the  Nicholson 
File  Company,  he  had  little  idea  that  his  entire  busi- 
ness life  would  be  spent  with  that  corporation,  but 
so  it  has  proved.  Thirty-seven  years  have  since  (1918) 
intervened,  and  the  stock  room  clerk  of  1881  is  the 
general  superintendent  of  1918,  and  that  responsible 
post  he  has  held  since  1896.  He  is  a  son  of  Rev. 
William  Fitz,  a  gifted  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and 
a  great-grandson  of  Jeremiah  Fitz.  The  line  of 
descent  is  from  "Robert  Fitt,  Planter,"  who  settled 
in  Ipswich,  in  1635.  Jeremiah  Fitz  had  a  son,  Jere- 
miah (2),  who  died  in  Burri-llville,  R.  I.,  November 
26,  1868.  He  married  Hannah  Eaton;  they  tlie  par- 
ents of  seven  sons. 

William  Fitz,  son  of  Jeremiah  (2)  and  Hannah 
(Eaton)  Fitz,  was  bom  in  Haverhill,  Mass.,  August 
5,  1828,  died  at  Burrillville,  R.  I.,  January  8,  1895, 
and  was  laid  in  a  private  burial  ground  on  the  Dr. 
Levi  Eddy  farm,  north  of  Harrisville.  He  literally 
"worked  his  way"  through  the  public  schools  in  Bos- 
ton, Worcester  Academy,  Worcester,  Mass.,  and 
Brown  University,  ill  health  alone  preventing  his 
receiving  a  degree  from  Brown.  He  completed  his 
junior  year  there,  but  severe  illness  caused  him  to 
abandon  his  course.  He  financed  himself  with  money 
earned  during  vacation  periods  and  during  the  school 
term.  Choosing  the  holy  calling  of  a  minister,  he 
pursued  studies  in  divinity  at  Newton  Theological 
Seminary,  was  duly  ordained  a  clergyman  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  in  August,  1857,  was  installed 
pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Westerly,  R.  I. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  many  years'  service  in 
his  Master's  cau.se,  and  during  the  two  years  of  his 
pastorate  at  Westerly,  there  was  a  noticeable  increase 
m  both  church  membership  and  spirituality.  He  re- 
tired from  the  First  Church  in  1859,  and  spent  the 
next  two  years  as  pastor  of  South  Baptist  Church, 
Hartford,  Conn.  In  i86i,  his  health  broke,  but  later 
in  the  year  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  First  Church  of 
Westerly,    filling    that    pulpit    most    acceptably    until 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


135 


1866.  In  that  year  he  became  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  at  Haverhill,  Mass.,  having  at  the 
same  time  calls  from  North  Berwick,  Me.,  and  W'al- 
tham,  Mass.  From  1866  until  1869,  he  served  the 
Haverhill  pulpit,  then  spent  a  rest  period  of  about 
one  year  at  Burrillville.  In  1870,  he  again  entered 
the  active  ministry,  accepting  a  call  from  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Montpelier,  Vt.,  and  declining  a 
call  from  Marquette,  Mich.  He  remained  in  Mont- 
pelier two  years,  then  went  to  North  Attleboro, 
Mass.,  where  he  continued  until  his  health  again 
forced  him  into  retirement.  After  recovering  his 
strength  he  supplied  the  Free  Baptist  Church  at 
Pascoag,  for  nearly  a  year  and  a  half,  living  at  Bur- 
rillville. During  this  period  he  declined  an  invitation 
from  the  First  Church  of  Colorado  Springs.  Colo. 
He  later  organized  the  Burien  Baptist  Church  at 
Harrisville,  which  he  served  for  several  years,  and 
left  in  a  prosperous  condition  when  he  severed  his 
relations  with  the  congregation  to  accept  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  Second  Baptist  Church  of  East  Providence. 
Six  years  were  most  profitably  passed  with  the  Sec- 
ond Churcli.  then  he  accepted  a  call  from  the  First 
Church  at  Kumney,  N.  H.  He  removed  to  Rumney 
from  East  Providence  in  1887,  but  in  i8go,  he  again 
w^as  obliged  to  yield  to  his  physical  condition,  and  his 
resignation  followed.  This  was  his  last  stated  charge, 
although  he  moved  to  Providence  and  supplied  the 
Fourth  Baptist  and  other  churches  nearby  as  they 
had  need  and  as  his  strength  permitted  until  1894. 
He  then  moved  to  Burrillville,  where  he  died  the 
following  January  8,  1895.  He  was  a  man  of  force- 
ful character,  eloquent  in  the  pulpit,  faithful  as  a 
pastor  to  his  people,  and  highly  rated  among  the 
successful  men  of  his  profession.  He  bore  his  handi- 
cap of  physical  weakness  manfully  and  although  it 
prevented  his  career  from  attaining  anywhere  near 
its  full  fruition,  he  never  complained  but  gave  his 
best  as  long  as  he  could.  He  was  a  cultured,  studious 
man,  fond  of  his  library,  and  a  frequent  contributor 
to  church  literature.  He  was  a  strong  friend  of  the 
public  schools,  often  served  on  school  boards  in  the 
town  in  which  his  lot  was  cast,  and  in  1876.  was 
superintendent  of  Burrillville  schools.  During  that 
period  he  wrote  a  history  of  the  schools  of  the  town 
and  did  very  much  for  their  improvement.  His  years, 
numbering  si.xty-seven,  were  well  spent,  and  he  was 
lovingly  remembered  by  the  charges  he  served  as 
each  in  turn  gave  way  to  a  new  pastorate,  who  felt 
they  needed  him  more  than  did  the  one  he  was  leaving. 
Rev.  William  Fitz  married,  August  26,  1856.  Ellen 
L.  Salisbury,  born  in  Providence,  April  16,  1836,  and 
there  yet  resides  at  the  age  of  eighty-two,  with  her 
daughters,  Nellie  F.  and  Emmeline  E.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  M.  and  Emmeline  (Eddy)  Salis- 
bury. Salisburys  were  prominent  in  the  French  and 
Indian  Wars,  were  Revolutionary  soldiers,  early  man- 
ufacturers and  men  of  influence  in  church  and  State. 
Emmeline  Eddy,  wife  of  Daniel  M.  Salisbury,  was  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  Levi  and  Prussia  (.Mdrich)  Eddy,  her 
father  an  eminent  physician  of  Northwestern  Rhode 
Island,  and  a  charter  member  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Medical  Society. 


Rev.  William  and  Ellen  L.  (Salisbury)  Fitz  were 
the  parents  of  four  sons,  all  of  whom  came  to  honor- 
able position  in  the  business  world,  and  of  two 
daughters,  who  occupy  leading  places  as  educators: 
I.  William  Ernest,  of  Pawtucket,  married  Viola  Sher- 
man, and  their  children  were:  Ernest  S.  and  Har- 
old S.  Fitz.  2.  Arthur  Salisbury,  journalist  and  busi- 
ness man,  died  Feb.  26,  191 1.  He  married  Delia  M. 
Richardson,  and  their  children  were:  Arthur  E., 
Robert  R.,  Mollie  E.,  and  Josephine  S.  3-  Edward 
Eustace,  of  further  mention.  4.  Howard  Whittier, 
vice-president  of  the  Slater  Trust  Company,  of  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.,  married  Emily  Vial  Aplin  and  has  a  son, 
Richard  Arnold  Fitz.  5.  Nellie  Faith,  at  home.  6. 
Emmeline  Eddy,  a  graduate  of  Brown  University, 
now  an  instructor  in  French  in  the  high  school  at 
Pawtucket. 

Edward  Eustace  Fitz,  third  son  of  Rev.  William 
and  Ellen  L.  (Salisbury)  Fitz,  was  born  at  Westerly, 
R.  1.,  August  23,  1862.  Until  the  age  of  sixteen 
years,  he  attended  the  schools  of  the  different  places 
in  which  his  father  was  stationed,  then  began  his 
business  career  as  a  clerk  with  D.  C.  and  C.  S.  Rem- 
ington, retail  merchants  of  Harrisville,  R.  I.,  remain- 
ing there  a  few  months  before  going  to  Providence, 
still  as  a  merchantile  clerk.  From  1878  until  1881 
he  was  so  engaged,  but  in  1881,  transferred  to  the 
manufacturing  field  as  store  room  clerk  with  the 
Nicholson  File  Company.  He  did  not  long  remain 
at  the  bottom  but  soon  began  his  upward  climb,  be- 
coming in  turn  superintendent's  clerk  and  purchas- 
ing agent.  He  continued  with  the  company  in  Provi- 
dence for  nine  years,  then  in  1890,  went  with  the 
American  File  Company  as  superintendent  of  their 
plant  at  Central  Falls.  He  held  that  post  for  only  a 
few  months,  then  in  November,  1890,  the  Nicholson 
File  Company  bought  the  plant  of  the  American  File 
Company  at  Central  Falls,  and  with  it  acquired  their 
former  purchasing  agent,  Mr.  Fitz,  whom  they  re- 
tained as  superintendent  of  the  plant  until  the  spring 
of  1896. 

He  spent  in  all,  six  years  at  the  Central  Falls 
plant,  and  during  that  time  increased  the  daily  out- 
put from  three  hundred  dozen  to  eleven  hundred 
dozen,  and  fully  demonstrated  managerial  capacity. 
He  was  then  advanced  to  the  superintendcncy  of  the 
home  plant  of  the  company  at  Providence,  a  posi- 
tion he  has  capably  filled  for  the  past  twenty-two 
years,  1896-1918.  He  was  interested  with  his  brother, 
Arthur  S.,  in  the  Realty  Company  of  America,  as 
vice-president,  but  has  confined  himself  to  his  own 
field,  and  in  his  specialty  is  second  to  none.  He  has 
been  the  builder  of  his  own  fortunes  and  has  won 
his  way  to  honorable  position  without  the  aid  of  influ- 
ence or  favor,  but  through  personal  merit.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  but  never  has  sought  or  desired 
public  office.  His  home  and  his  business  fill  his 
measure  of  life  to  the  full,  and  he  holds  a  few  club 
and  no  fraternal  relations.  His  clubs  are  the  Turk's 
Head,  Commercial  and   Economic. 

Mr.  Fitz  married.  May  26,  1886.  Minnie  L.  Whelden. 
of  East  Providence,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  grand- 
daughter of  Samuel  Whelden.     They  were  the  parents 


1.^6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  two  children:  Helen  E.,  educated  in  music,  mar- 
ried Dr.  Lamcrt  Oulton,  Providence;  and  Erie, 
born  Feb.  I,  1891,  an  employee  of  the  Graton  & 
Knight  Manufacturing  Company  of  Worcester,  Mass. 
Mr.  Fitz  married  (second),  August,  1905,  Lillian 
Metzgcr.   of   Providence.   R.   I. 


ABRAHAM  GREAVES— From  childhood  until  the 
present,  Abraham  Greaves  has  been  a  mill  worker 
or  official,  beginning  so  young  as  to  come  under  the 
operation  of  the  English  law  which  decrees  that  a 
child  shall  have  at  least  one-half  of  each  day  in 
school.  This  continued  until  the  age  of  twelve 
brought  him  to  the  end  of  school  privilege,  save  night 
school,  and  in  that  way  his  education  was  won.  This 
plan  of  development  produced  a  strong,  well-balanced 
operator,  who  soon  advanced  to  better  position,  and 
when  in  1881  he  came  to  Canada,  thence  to  the  United 
States,  it  was  as  superintendent  and  an  experienced 
worsted  manufacturer. 

Abraham  Greaves  was  born  in  Bradford,  England, 
July  16,  1S61,  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Lang- 
ford)  Greaves.  His  father  was  born  in  1838,  and  died 
in  1913.  He  was  a  mill  manager.  Abraham  Greaves 
early  began  work  in  a  worsted  mill,  his  first  job  being 
as  a  bobbin  boy.  He  attended  school  one-half  day 
sessions  until  the  age  of  twelve,  then  became  a  full- 
time  worker,  and  became  a  skilled  worker,  reaching 
an  overseer's  position  at  the  age  of  twenty,  being 
then  employed  by  Samuel  Whitely  &  Sons,  at  Brad- 
ford. In  1881  he  came  to  Canada,  remaining  five 
years  as  overseer  of  the  Rosamond  Woolen  Com- 
pany, of  Almonte,  Ontario.  From  Canada  he  came 
to  Providence,  R.  L,  in  1886.  taking  a  position  as 
superintendent  of  the  French  department  of  the 
Providence  Worsted  Mills,  his  department  making 
yarns.  In  1889  he  went  to  Palmer,  Mass.,  as  super- 
intendent of  the  Massasoit  Carpet  Company,  a  branch 
of  the  Palmer  Company,  manufacturers  of  carpet 
yarns,  remaining  there  until  1890.  From  that  posi- 
tion he  went  to  StatTord  Springs,  Conn.,  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  Warren  Woolen  Company,  yarn 
manufacturers;  returned  in  1891  to  the  Riverside  Mill, 
now  a  part  of  the  American  Woolen  Company,  at 
Providence,  where  for  thirteen  years  he  was  in  charge 
of  the  yarn  department.  He  next  became  superin- 
tendent with  the  Cranston  Worsted  Mills,  at  Bristol, 
R.  I.  In  1905,  with  John  Reid.  he  started  a  co- 
partnership known  as  Greaves  &  Reid,  operating  a 
plant  for  twisting  and  spooling  yarn,  which  firm  con- 
tinued until  absorbed  by  the  Snowdon  Worsted  Mill, 
in  1906.  Mr.  Greaves  then  became  superintendent  of 
the  Crown  Worsted  Company,  and  secretary  and 
superintendent  of  the  Snowdon  Worsted  Mills  of 
Providence,  his  present  ofBcial  position.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  highly  regarded  wherever 
known. 

Mr.    Greaves   married,    February    17,    1897,   Julia    S. 
Sanderson,  of  Boston,   Mass. 


the  medical  fraternity  of  Rhode  Island.  He  is  of 
an  old  Rhode  Island  family,  dating  to  the  coming  of 
Thomas  Harris  with  Roger  Williams.  He  is  a  son 
of  Walter  Douglas  and  Ida  M.  (Clcmence)  Harris, 
the  father  for  thirteen  years  being  postmaster  of 
Olneyville,  R.  I.  His  widow,  Ida  M.  Harris,  survives 
him,  residing  at  No.  112  Francis  street.  Providence, 
also  the  home  of  her  son,   Dr.   Herbert  E.   Harris. 

Herbert  E.  Harris  was  born  in  Johnston,  R.  I., 
September  10,  1885,  and  there  attended  public  school. 
Later  he  entered  the  Providence  High  School,  fin- 
ishing with  graduation  in  1903,  and  following  that 
with  a  four  years'  course  in  Brown  University, 
whence  he  was  graduated  A.  B.,  in  the  class  of  1907. 
From  Brown  he  passed  to  Harvard  Medical  School, 
his  course  there  interrupted  by  a  year  spent  as  an 
interne  at  the  Long  Island  Hospital,  Boston.  This 
lengthened  his  time  at  the  Harvard  Medical  School 
to  five  years,  he  receiving  his  degree  of  M.  D.  with 
the  class  of  1912.  Both  the  classical  course  at  Brown 
and  his  professional  course  at  Harvard  had  been 
financed  by  himself,  his  vacations  being  spent  as  a 
purser  on  steamboats  and  in  other  avocations.  After 
graduation  in  1912,  Dr.  Harris  was  connected  with 
the  Children's  Hospital  in  Boston,  and  he  began  his 
private  practice  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  May  i,  1913. 
He  is  well  established  in  general  practice  with  an 
oflice  at  No.  112  Francis  street;  is  on  the  orthopedic 
staff  of  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital,  and  is  acting  sur- 
geon in  chief  of  the  Orthopedic  Department  of  the 
Memorial  Hospital  at  Pawtucket  since  the  departure 
of  Dr.  Roland  Hammond,  his  chief,  who  is  now 
abroad  with  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital  Base  Unit. 
He  is  also  medical  school  inspector  at  Johnston,  R.  I. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  and  the 
Masonic  order,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.  The 
family  are  attendants  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

Dr.  Harris  married,  in  Providence.  April  16.  1913, 
Lilian  Arthur  Winsor,  of  an  old  and  prominent  Rhode 
Island  family.  They  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Wal- 
ter Douglas. 


HERBERT  ELISHA  HARRIS,  M.  D.,  acting  chief 
surgeon  of  the  Orthopedic  Department  of  the 
Memorial   Hospital,  of   Pawtucket,   is   well   known   to 


REV.  THOMAS  J.  FITZPATRICK,  A.  B.,  S.  T. 

B.,  P.  R. — When  less  than  a  year  old  Thomas  J.  Fitz- 
patrick  was  brought  to  the  ignited  States  by  his  par- 
ents, his  birthplace  being  Lancashire.  England.  The 
family  landed  in  New  York  City,  but  soon  came  to 
Rhode  Island,  locating  at  Georgiaville,  in  the  town 
of  Smithfield.  Later  they  moved  to  Ashton,  in  the 
town  of  Cumberland,  the  lad  attending  public  school 
in  both  towns.  Later  he  was  a  student  at  La  Salle 
Academy,  Providence,  there  continuing  until  1877.  In 
that  year  he  entered  the  University  of  Ottawa,  Ot- 
tawa, Canada,  remaining  a  student  there  until  gradu- 
ated in  1883.  In  the  fall  of  1883,  he  began  theological 
study  at  Grand  Seminary,  Montreal,  there  receiving 
the  degree.  Bachelor  of  Theology.  He  was  ordained 
a  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  December  18, 
1886,  and  as  his  first  assignment  was  sent  to  St. 
Patrick's  Church,  Providence.  R.  I.,  as  assistant  pas- 
tor. There  he  remained  twelve  years  until  June, 
1899.      He    was    then    installed    pastor    of    the    East 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


'0/ 


Greenwich  parish  succeeding  Rev.  Owen  F.  Clarke. 
That  parish  then  included  St.  Bernard's  Church, 
Wick  ford,  also  St.  Catherine's  Church,  Apponaug, 
Father  Fitzpatrick  serving  both  parishes  until  1904, 
when  St.  Bernard's  was  set  off  as  a  separate  parish. 
In  December,  1904,  Father  Fitzpatrick  was  installed 
pastor  of  St.  Mar>'s  Church  at  Bristol,  where  he 
remained  until  March  13,  1908,  when  he  became  irre- 
movable rector  of  St.  Patrick's  parish  at  Valley 
Falls,  where  he  is  also  treasurer  of  the  corporation. 
Durin.c;  these  changes  he  has  accomplished  great  good, 
and  each  church  was  left  in  a  better  state  both  spirit- 
nally  and  financially.  St.  Patrick's  is  a  parish  of 
four  thousand  souls,  with  a  primary  and  grammar 
school,  and  also  the  various  societies  connected  with 
parish  work.  One  of  the  most  imposing  buildings  in 
the  town  of  Cumberland  is  the  Young  Men's  Catholic 
Institute  Association  building  which  belongs  to  St. 
Patrick's  parish.  The  rectory  is  at  No.  285  Broad 
street,  \'alley  Falls.  Father  Fitzpatrick  is  chaplain  of 
St.  Thomas's  Council,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  all 
the  social  activities  of  the  order.  He  is  highly 
esteemed  both  within  and  without  his  own  parish, 
and  in  a  progressive,  public-spirited  way  aids  in  the 
betterment  of  town  conditions. 

F'ather  Fitzpatrick  is  a  son  of  James  Fitzpatrick, 
born  in  Tipperary,  Ireland,  in  1831,  died  July  10,  1912. 
When  about  twenty  years  of  age  he  went  to  Black- 
burn, England,  and  there  married  Matilda  Hayes, 
of  the  Count}'  of  Queens,  Ireland,  born  June  10,  1829, 
died  January  12,  1910.  In  September,  1859,  they  came 
to  the  United  States,  going  to  Holyoke,  Mass.,  thence 
to  Georgiaville,  R.  I.,  thence  to  Valley  Falls,  in  1S88, 
where  the  father  lived  a  retired  life  until  death. 
Children:  Thomas  J.,  of  whom  the  foregoing  is 
written:  Elizabeth,  married  David  M.  McLaughlin, 
manager  of  the  Haywood  Rubber  Company,  of  Paw- 
tucket,  R.  I.;  Mary,  married  John  F.  Fxyan,  of  Lons- 
dale, R.  I.,  died  August  14,  1912:  Catherine,  residing 
with  her  brother  at  \'alley  Falls:  and  Anna  Maria, 
died  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 


JAMES  HEYWORTH  is  remembered  by  the 
older  residents  01  the  city  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  by 
those  who  knew  the  city  in  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  as  a  quiet,  courtly  gentleman,  hon- 
ored and  respected  in  the  community,  retiring  in  his 
tastes,  but  one  of  a  circle  of  men  of  worth. 

James  Heyworth  was  born  in  Accrington,  Lan- 
cashire, England,  March  4,  1811,  and  received  his 
education  in  his  n.itive  England,  and  as  a  youth  came 
to  America,  settling  in  Taunton,  Mass.  Here  he 
practised  the  trade  of  designer  and  block  cutter,  which 
trade  he  learned  in  England.  He  became  a  skilled 
artisan,  and  an  expert.  He  married  in  Taunton,  and 
after  his  marriage  removed  to  Pawtucket,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  same  line  of  endeavor  until  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  was  an  able  business  man,  entrusted 
throughout  the  length  of  his  business  career  with 
heavy  responsibilities.  Mr.  Heyworth  was  well  known 
in  Pawtucket  social  and  fraternal  circles,  but  was 
essentially  a  home-loving  man,  and  found  his  greatest 
enjoyment  in  his  own  home. 


James  Heyworth  married,  in  i8,^6-,3",  .-\nn  Livesey, 
who  was  born  in  England,  in  1816,  and  died  in  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.,  in  1890.  They  were  the  parents  of  a 
daughter,  Annie  E.  Heyworth,  who  resides  at  the 
eld  Heyworth  homestea<i  at  Xo.  177  Walcott  street, 
in  Pawtucket.  Miss  Heyworth  is  the  oldest  resident 
of  Walcott  street,  and  in  her  lifetime  has  seen  much 
of  interest  in  the  growth  and  development  of  Paw- 
tucket. James  Heyworth  died  at  his  ho:ne  in  Paw- 
tucket, January  4,   1886. 


JOHN  BERNARD  McKENNA,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent figures  in  the  medical  worUl  of  East  Proviilence, 
R.  I.,  a  man  of  great  cultivation  and  wide  education, 
whose  position  in  the  community  is  the  result  of  his 
own  character  and  efforts,  is  a  native  of  New  York 
City,  where  he  was  born  August  31,  1863.  Dr.  Mc- 
Kenna  is  a  son  of  John  and  Catherine  (Loughran) 
McKenna,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of  Ireland.  The 
father,  John  McKenna,  was  born  in  County  Mona- 
han,  in  the  year  1828,  and  came  to  the  United  States 
when  seventeen  years  old.  Here  he  located  in  the 
city  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  remaining  there  for  some 
three  years,  and  then  went  to  Boston  to  learn  the 
trade  01  machinist.  After  completing  his  apprentice- 
ship he  went  to  New  York  City  and  assisted  in  open- 
ing a  factory  for  the  Locke  Print  Works,  where  he 
remained  until  1868.  In  that  year  he  returned  to 
Providence,  and  established  himself  in  a  grocery  busi- 
ness, with  a  store  on  Atwell  avenue  and  Piedmont 
street.  He  remained  in  active  business  until  1882 
and  then  retired,  his  death  occurring  three  years  later, 
in  1885.  His  wife,  who  was  Miss  Catherine  Loughran 
before  her  marriage,  also  was  born  in  County  Mona- 
han,  Ireland,  in  the  year  1836.  She  came,  as  a  child, 
to  Prince  Edward  Island,  Nova  Scotia,  with  her 
parents,  and  later  to  the  United  States,  where  she  met 
and  married  Mr.  McKenna  in  Boston.  Dr.  McKenna 
is  the  only  child  of  his  parents  and  early  in  his  youth 
showed  a  marked  taste  for  the  various  arts,  and  is 
now  an  accomplished  musician  and  possesses  a  wide 
familiarity  with  the  best  literature  of  the  world. 

The  early  education  of  Dr.  McKenna  was  obtained 
&t  the  La  Salle  Academy  at  Providence,  and  he  later 
entered  Manhattan  College,  New  York,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1884,  taking  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  Later  he  received  from 
his  alma  mater,  the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of 
Arts,  in  appreciation  of  his  many  accomplishments, 
an  honor  of  which  he  is  justly  proud.  The  young 
man  had  already  determined  to  take  up  the  profes- 
sion of  medicine  as  a  career  in  life,  and  with  this  end 
in  view  entered  the  medical  school  in  connection  with 
Columbia  L'niversity.  He  graduated  from  this  insti- 
tution with  the  class  of  1888  and  received  his  medical 
degree.  Immediately  after  completing  his  studies  he 
located  at  East  Providence,  and  has  been  here  ever 
since.  He  was  connected  with  the  Rhode  Island  Hos- 
pital for  ten  years  and  in  addition  has  built  up  a 
large  private  practice.  He  is  now  regarded  as  one 
of  the  leading  physicians  of  this  region,  and  his 
reputation  has  extended  far  beyond  the  limits  of  his 
own  community.     He  is  now  visiting  surgeon   at  St. 


I3S 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Joseph's  Hospital,  Providence,  and  medical  inspector 
of  the  schools  of  East  Providence.  Dr.  McKenna 
entered  the  Rhode  Island  Militia  as  a  young  man  and 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major,  being  surgeon  of 
the  Second  Rhode  Island  Regiment  for  nine  years 
prior  to  the  Spanish-American  War,  and  a  member 
of  Colonel  Koran's  staff.  Dr.  McKenna  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  in  his  religious  belief  and  attends  the  church 
of  that  denomination  in  this  city.  His  offices  are  at 
\o.  47  Taunton  avenue.  East  Providence.  Dr.  Mc- 
Kenna is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Rhode 
Island  Medical  Association,  the  American  Medical 
Association,  and  the  Catholic  Club  of  East  Provi- 
dence, and  was  elected  a  fellow  of  the  American 
College  of  Surgery,  in  1918.  Dr.  McKenna,  in  addi- 
tion to  his  professional  activities,  has  also  been  very 
prominent  in  the  public  affairs  of  this  community. 
He  is  a  staunch  Democrat  in  politics  and  has  repre- 
sented this  community  in  the  Rhode  Island  State 
Legislature,  serving  that  body  in  the  years  1912  and 
1913.  As  already  mentioned,  he  is  keenly  interested 
in  the  arts,  and  is  a  notable  scholar.  He  has  deliv- 
ered many  lectures  on  various  scientific  and  literary 
subjects  and  is  widely  recognized  as  an  authority  in 
these  subjects.  His  residence  is  situated  at  No.  12 
Summit  street.  East  Providence,  R.  I. 

Dr.  McKenna  married  (first)  Frances  Gerhard, 
whose  death  occurred  in  the  year  1898.  One  child 
was  born  of  this  union,  Ambrose  B.  McKenna,  bcTn 
Aug.  18,  1893.  He  is  a  graduate  of  St.  Mary's  Pri- 
vate School,  La  Salle  Academy,  and  the  Bradford 
Durfee  Textile  School  at  Fall  River,  Mass.  He 
graduated  from  the  latter  institution  in  the  year  1904, 
and  is  now  a  chemist  with  the  General  Electric  Com- 
pany in  New  Jersey.  Dr.  McKenna  married  (sec- 
ond) Aug.  28,  1901,  in  East  Providence,  Mary  E. 
Lewis,  a  daughter  oi  Joseph  and  Mary  (Oliver) 
Lewis,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  this 
place.  They  are  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: Madeline,  born  July  21,  1902,  now  a  pupil  at 
St.  Mary's  Seminary:  John  B.,  born  Aug.  27,  1903, 
now  attending  La  Salle  Academy,  Providence;  Fran- 
cis, born  Oct.  17,  1905,  a  pupil  at  St.  Mary's  Semin- 
ary: and  Mary,  born  Jan.  12,  1911,  also  a  pupil  at 
St.   Mary's  Seminary. 


CHARLES  METCALF  SMITH— The  large  ice- 
cream business  conducted  by  Charles  M.  and  Ralph 
H.  Smith  from  their  splendid  "Oak  Knoll  Farm"  has 
given  the  brothers  State-wide  acquaintance  and  popu- 
larity. They  are  sons  of  Walter  Metcalf  Smith,  who 
owned  and  operated  "Oak  Knoll  Farm,"  located 
near  Woonsocket,  R.  I.  Walter  Metcalf  Smith  mar- 
ried Ellen  Frances  Windsor,  who  survives  him  and 
yet  occupies  the  old  homestead.  Walter  M.  Smith 
died  in  1906.  "Oak  Knoll"  is  a  fine  farm,  well  im- 
proved and  equipped,  including  a  modern  ice-cream 
plant.  Several  residences,  many  barns,  stables,  and 
special  buildings,  with  large  ice-houses,  complete  the 
equipment.  The  brothers  harvest  large  quantities  of 
ire,  for  the  manufacture  of  ice-cream  is  an  important 
business   at   "Oak   Knoll."     Woonsocket   is   the   prin- 


cipal market  for  their  product,  which  is  shipped  to 
all  nearby  towns  and  villages  in  Rhode  Island  and 
Massachusetts.  Deliveries  are  made  by  their  own 
auto  trucks,  and  fifteen  men  are  employed  in  the 
management  of  the  business  and  the  cultivation  of 
the   farm. 

Charles  Metcalf  Smith,  eldest  son  of  Walter  Met- 
calf and  Ellen  Frances  (Windsor)  Smith,  was  born 
at  the  present  homestead,  "Oak  Knoll  Farm,"  July 
20,  1881.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of 
North  Smithtield,  in  Woonsocket  public  schools,  and 
for  one  year  attended  a  Providence  high  school.  From 
birth,  until  recently,  the  old  homestead  has  been  his 
home,  and  since  leaving  school  he  has  been  con- 
cerned in  its  cultivation,  and  with  his  brother  now 
operates  the  ice-cream  manufacturing  business  pre- 
viously mentioned.  In  politics  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Repub- 
lican, served  in  the  Town  Council  in  1914-1915,  and 
in  igi8  was  again  elected  to  that  office.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Woonsocket  Universalist  Church,  and 
the  Junior   Order  of   American    Mechanics. 

Mr.  Smith  married  (first)  Nellie  Drowne  Paine, 
who  bore  him  a  daughter,  Barbara  Paine  Smith; 
mother  and  daughter  now  both  deceased.  He  mar- 
ried (second),  December  28,  1917,  Caroline  Davis 
Flagg,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are 
the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Nancy  Windsor  Smith. 
The  familv  home  is  located  in  Union  Village. 


RALPH  HERMON  SMITH,  youngest  son  of 
Walter  Metcalf  and  Ellen  F'rances  (Windsor)  Smith 
was  born  at  the  homestead,  now  "Oak  Knoll  Farm," 
near  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  March  20,  1883.  He  was 
educated  in  the  district  public  school  and  in  Woon- 
socket public  schools,  his  life,  like  that  of  his  brother, 
having  been  spent  at  the  homestead.  He  was  his 
father's  assistant  for  several  years,  and  since  the 
latter's  death  has  been  a  co-partner  with  his  brother 
Charles  in  the  management  of  the  farm  and  ice- 
cream business  previously  referred  to.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Woonsocket 
L'niversalist  Church,  and  of  the  Junior  Order  of 
American    Mechanics. 

Mr.  Smith  married,  April  12,  1911,  Grace  Brown, 
oi  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
four  children:  Sylvia  Bartlett,  Windsor  Ballou,  Ralph 
Hermon  (2),  Harriet  Susan.  The  family  house  is  a 
beautiful  residence  situated  upon  the  old  homestead 
at  "Oak  Knoll." 

In  addition  to  the  two  sons  named  in  the  fore- 
going review,  Walter  Metcalf  and  Ellen  Frances 
(Windsor)  Smith  were  the  parents  of  three  daugh- 
ters: Eleanor  Amanda,  married  Henry  Payson,  and 
resides  at  "Oak  Knoll  Farm:"  Ruth  Abigail,  mar- 
ried Samuel  Farron,  and  resides  in  Union  Village; 
Pauline  Windsor,  residing  with  her  mother  on  the  old 
homestead. 


DR.  CHARLES  ANTHONY  SYLVIA,  of  Provi- 
dence, has  won  high  standing  as  a  general  practi- 
tioner in  medicine  and  surgery,  and  a  specialist  in 
diseases  of  children.  He  is  a  son  of  Michael  Leal 
Sylvia,  of  New   Bedford,   Mass.,  and   a  native   of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


139 


Azores,  that  country  the  long-time  seat  of  the  Sylvia 
family  which  already  numbers  in  this  country  men 
of  eminence  in  the  profession  and  in  business. 
Michael  Leal  Sylvia  was  an  accountant  in  \ew  Bed- 
ford for  many  years,  but  in  his  later  years  retired 
from  business.  His  wife,  Marian  (Picanso)  Sylvia, 
survives  him,  and  is  yet  a  resident  of  New   Bedford. 

Ciiarlcs  Anthony  Sylvia,  son  of  Michael  Leal  and 
Marian  (Picanso)  Sylvia,  was  born  in  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  April  16,  1878,  and  there  completed  a  full 
course  of  public  school  study,  finishing  with  high 
school  graduation,  class  of  1898.  .After  leaving  high 
school  he  decided  upon  the  medical  profession  and 
entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  Co- 
lumbia University,  New  'iork  City.  He  pursued  a 
full  course  of  study,  then  finishing  with  graduation 
with  the  class  of  1902,  being  then  awarded  the  degree 
M.  D.  During  the  period  of  educational  prepara- 
tion as  boy  and  young  man,  he  had  confined  himself 
to  study,  and  in  all  spare  time  engaged  in  helpful 
labor.  For  one  year  he  served  as  interne  in  St. 
Francis  Hospital,  New  York  City.  This  applica- 
tion resulted  in  the  deterioration  of  his  health,  and  for 
several  months  he  devoted  himself  to  recreation  and 
rest.  In  September,  1901.  he  was  authorized  by  the 
board  of  examiners  to  practice  in  the  State  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, but  did  not  locate  in  that  .State,  and  in 
1903  he  came  to  Rhode  Island.  locating  in  the  city 
of  Providence,  where  he  began  practice  in  the  month 
of  December.  Si.xteen  years  have  since  intervened, 
years  in  which  he  has  grown  in  professional  strength 
and  reputation  and  has  gained  confidence  to  an  un- 
usual degree.  He  is  a  member  of  the  .Vmerican 
Medical  Association,  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  So- 
ciety, the  Providence  Medical  Society,  and  is  held  in 
high  regard  by  the  brethren  of  his  profession. 

Through  his  intimate  knowledge  of  Portugal  and 
the  Portuguese  language.  Dr.  Sylvia  was  appointed 
in  July,  1909,  vice-consul  at  the  city  of  Providence,  by 
the  Portuguese  government,  he  being  the  first  man 
to  hold  that  office  at  that  port.  He  is  an  accom- 
plished linguist  and  is  yet  the  official  Federal  inter- 
preter in  Portuguese.  He  also  speaks  Italian,  Span- 
ish and  French.  He  is  a  director  and  vice-president 
of  the  Columbus  E.xchange  Bank;  president  of  the 
Rosary  Club;  is  ex-supreme  vice-president  of  the 
Portuguese  Fraternity  of  the  United  States.  He  is 
an  independent  voter,  and  in  religious  faith  a  Roman 
Catholic. 

Dr.  Sylvia  married,  September  11.  1904,  Palmyra 
S  Lemos,  of  Xew  Bedford,  Mass.,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  Edmund  and  Regina.  deceased ;  and  of 
six  living  children:  Mary  .\urora,  .Anthony  Leal, 
Catherine  .Angelica.  Helen  .Augusta,  Dorothy  Agnes, 
and  Marian  .Alice. 


of  James  and  Mary  (Farley)  Maher,  who  came  to  the 
United  States  with  their  son  in  1875,  settling  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I. 

James  Joseph  Maher  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland, 
March  21,  1868.  He  was  brought  to  Providence  when 
seven  years  of  age  and  here  completed  full  courses  of 
grammar  school  study,  finishing  in  1880,  then  entering 
La  Salle  Academy,  Providence,  whence  he  was  gradu- 
ated, class  of  1883.  His  first  work  was  in  a  grocery  store 
as  errand  boy,  but  not  long  afterward  he  began  learning 
the  printers'  trade  with  the  book  and  job  printing  tirm 
of  J.  A.  &  R.  A.  Rcid.  He  continued  with  that  firm 
for  three  years,  becoming  a  good  compositor.  He  then 
spent  three  years  more  working  as  a  printer  in  various 
places,  but  in  1888  he  entered  into  a  partnership  with 
his  father  and  established  a  livery  and  sale  stable,  which 
they  jointly  conducted  for  several  years.  After  the 
death  of  his  father,  James  J.  Maher  continued  the  busi- 
ness alone  until  1916,  when  he  sold  out  ::nd  retired,  hav- 
ing been  a  successful  livery  man  for  twenty-eight  years. 

A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Maher  took  no  active 
part  in  politics  during  his  business  life,  but  in  1917  he 
was  chosen  representative  from  Providence,  and  in  1918 
was  reelected.  He  has  seivcd  on  committees  of  fish- 
eries, and  State  property.  On  May  15,  1918,  he  was 
appointed  superintendent  of  armory  for  mounted  com- 
mands. He  is  a  member  of  Cathedral  Roman  Catholic 
Church  I  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  Tyler  Council,  of 
which  he  was  one  time  recording  secretary  and  was  also 
secretary  of  the  fourth  degree  of  that  council.  He  is  a 
member  of  Providence  Lodge.  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Catholic  Club. 

Mr.  Maher  married,  June  13,  1893,  .Alice  M.  Gannon, 
daughter  of  Patrick  and  Celia  (McCarten)  Gannon,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  three  children:  Madeline  C, 
educated  in  public  schools,  graduate  of  State  Normal, 
1916,  now  a  teacher  in  Providence  public  schools ;  Mary 
E..  a  graduate  of  grammar  and  Providence  Technical 
High  School;  .Alice  M.,  died  at  the  age  of  three  years 
and  eight  months. 


JAMES  JOSEPH  MAHER— After  a  lite  of  busi- 
ness activity,  including  twenty-eight  years  in  the  livery 
and  sale  stable  business  in  Providence,  Mr.  Maher  sold 
cut  and  retired.  He  is  a  man  well  liked  wherever 
known,  and  during  his  many  years  of  business  life  in 
Providence  men  learned  that  James  J.  Maher  kept  his 
promises  and  always  made  his  work  good.     He  is  a  son 


JOHN  JOSEPH  HOEY— Through  the  ownership 
of  several  valuable  patents  and  by  the  aid  of  the  most 
modern  and  highly  specialized  machinery,  the  Hoey 
Manufacturing  Company  is  enabled  to  produce  a  large 
output  with  a  coinparatively  small  number  of  employees. 
The  company  was  founded  by  John  Joseph  Hoey,  after 
many  years  of  intimate  experience  with  the  machinery 
trade  as  machinist,  traveling  salesman  and  general  man- 
ager. Mr.  Hoey  is  practically  the  sole  Owner  of  the 
Hoey  Manufacturing  Company,  Inc.,  and  is  its  treasurer 
and  active  managing  head.  The  business  of  the  com- 
pany is  the  manufacture  of  special  machinery.  Mr. 
Hoey  is  of  English  birth  and  parentage,  son  of  John 
Joseph  (i)  and  Mary  (Taylor)  Hoey.  His  father,  a 
machine  blacksmith,  came  to  New  York  in  1862.  his  son, 
John  Joseph,  then  being  four  years  of  age. 

John  Joseph  (2)  Hoey  was  born  in  Bradford,  Eng- 
land, March  24,  1S58.  and  there  passed  his  first  four 
years,  then  being  brought  to  New  York  City  by  his  par- 
ents. He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  New 
York  City  and  at  an  academy,  his  school  years  then 
ending.  .After  leaving  school  he  became  a  machinist's 
apprentice   in   Auburn,    N.    Y.     He    was    an   ambitious 


140 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


young  man  and  in  course  of  time  became  very  proficient 
as  a  worker  in  metal,  continuing  for  many  years  in 
Auburn,  N.  V.,  and  later  learned  the  manufacture 
of  card  clothing,  and  was  employed  by  Rufus  Sargent 
until  the  mill  was  sold  and  the  machinery  removed  to 
Lester,  Mass.,  where  he  continued  until  1886.  He  then 
located  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  being  one  of  the  officials 
of  the  Steadman  &  Fuller  Manufacturing  Company, 
which  removed  from  Lawrence,  Mass.  He  served  as 
traveling  salesman,  and  superintendent,  finally  becoming 
general  manager.  He  continued  in  the  last  named  posi- 
tion until  1912,  when  the  business  was  sold  out.  He  then 
organized  the  Hocy  Manufacturing  Company,  Inc.,  and 
establislied  his  present  business,  the  manufacture  of 
special  machinery.  He  has  won  high  standing  among 
manufacturers  and  keeps  his  plant  constantly  employed 
on  special  and  profitable  work.  He  is  an  independent 
voter,  and  a  member  of  the  Church  of  the  Assumption, 
Roman  Catholic. 

Mr.  Hoey  married,  October  12,  1889,  Margaret 
Hughes,  who  died  June  18,  1910.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoey 
were  the  parents  of  five  children:  John  Joseph  (3),  a 
physician  of  Providence ;  Arthur,  a  foreman  in  a  textile 
plant;  Margaret,  a  bookkeeper;  William,  a  soldier  of 
the  United  States  army,  serving  in  the  paymaster's 
department;  Walter,  a  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church  and  assistant  rector  of  a  parish  in  Maine; 
Charles,  died  aged  five  years ;  George,  died  aged  eighteen 
years. 


WILFRED  JOSEPH  MATHIEU,  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful business  men  of  Woonsocket,  is  a  native  of 
Sorel,  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  his  birth 
having  occurred  there.  October  28,  1S79.  Mr.  Mathieu 
was  a  son  of  Joseph  B.  and  Christine  (Dumas) 
Mathieu,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that 
place,  where  the  former  was  engaged  for  many  years 
in   business  as  a  painter. 

The  childhood  of  Wilfred  Joseph  Mathieu  was 
passed  in  his  native  land,  and  he  began  his  educa- 
tion at  the  local  public  schools  of  Sorel.  He  after- 
wards attended  the  St.  Hyacinthe  College  at  St.  Hya- 
cinthe,  Canada,  and  graduated  from  the  latter,  taking 
the  classical  course,  with  the  degree  of  Batchelor  of 
Arts.  Upon  completing  his  studies  at  the  last  named 
institution  Mr.  Mathieu  came  to  the  United  States 
and  settled  for  a  time  at  South  Framington,  Mass. 
There  he  was  employed  for  si.x  years  in  a  drug  store 
and  there  learned  the  drug  business,  but  after  remaining 
a  w^hile  with  that  concern,  he  went  to  Boston  and  was 
similarly  employed  about  eighteen  months.  L'nlortu- 
natcly  for  Mr.  Mathieu  at  that  time,  his  health  failed, 
and  he  sought  and  found  a  position  with  a  news- 
paper, believing  that  that  occupation  would  be  less 
confining  and  take  him  more  into  the  open  air.  How- 
ever, Mr.  Mathieu  rapidly  rose  in  position  with  the 
"News"  of  Marlborough,  Mass.,  and  eventually  rose 
to  the  position  of  city  editor  there.  In  1908  he  sev- 
ered his  connection  with  that  publication  and  came 
to  Woonsocket,  where  he  was  given  a  similar  position 
with  the  "Daily  Tribune."  As  city  editor  of  this 
paper,  Mr.  Mathieu  did  some  valuable  work  in  con- 
nection with  the  journalistic  life  of  the  city,  and  re- 
mained associated  therewith  for  about  five  years.     At 


the  end  of  that  time,  however,  he  became  interested 
in  the  real  estate  situation  in  this  city,  and  accord- 
ingly resigned  from  his  position  and  established  him- 
self in  the  real  estate  and  insurance  business  here. 
The  enterprise  was  successful  from  the  outset.  From 
the  time  of  his  first  coming  to  Woonsocket,  Mr. 
Mathieu  had  been  exceedingly  active  in  public  affairs 
of  this  region,  and  has  held  a  number  of  offices  of 
trust  and  responsibility  in  the  gift  of  the  community. 
He  is  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  and  poli- 
cies of  the  Republican  party,  in  the  sense  of  which  he 
has  often  wielded  his  very  effective  pen,  and  he  still 
takes  part  in  the  affairs  of  that  party,  and  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  its  leaders  hereabouts.  Mr.  Mathieu 
has  served  on  the  school  committee,  and  was  chair- 
man thereof  at  the  time  the  new  high  school  building 
was  erected,  an  achievement  which  was  due  in  no  small 
measure  to  his  energies  and  ardent  support  of  the 
project.  He  has  also  served  as  a  member  of  the 
City  Council,  and  proven  himself  a  capable  and  dis- 
interested public  servant.  He  is  at  the  present  time 
secretary  of  the  City  Republican  Committee,  and  rep- 
resents the  First  Ward  on  that  body.  He  has  also 
been  secretary  of  the  committees  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature for  six  years,  and  is  exceedingly  active  in  the 
public  affairs  of  the  community.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Mathieu  is  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  attends 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Family  of  this  denomination 
at  Woonsocket.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  local 
lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks;  the  order  of  the  Franco-American  Foresters, 
in  which  he  has  been  and  is  now  the  supreme  financial 
secretary;  the  Franco-American  Catholic  Federation 
of  the  United  States,  of  which  he  is  also  the  supreme 
secretary;  I'Union  St.  Jean  Baptiste,  and  the  Woon- 
socket Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Wilfred  Joseph  Mathieu  has  been  twice  married, 
his  first  wife  having  been  Irene  May  Lambert,  of 
South  Framington,  Mass.,  a  daughter  of  J.  B.  Lam- 
bert, of  that  State.  Seven  children  were  born  to  this 
union,   as   follows:     Wilfred  Joseph,  Jr.,  born   March 

1,  1905;  George  Emile,  born  Feb.  3,  1907;  Beatrice, 
born  in  1909:    Roland,  born  in  1913:    Alice,  born  June 

2,  191S;  Eugene,  born  in  1916;  Germaine,  born  Feb. 
4,  1917.  All  of  these  children  who  are  old  enough  are 
now  attending  the  public  schools  or  the  Sacred  Heart 
College  of  Woonsocket.  The  first  Mrs.  Mathieu  died 
Oct.  18,  1918,  and  Mr.  Mathieu  married  (second) 
Bertha  Cadoret,  a  daughter  of  Frank  C.  Cadoret,  of 
Woonsocket. 


LOUIS  JOSEPH  GARIBALDI  CELLA,  M.  D., 

earned  his  title,  M.  D.,  not  through  the  favor  of  par- 
ents willing  to  finance  the  educational  courses  neces- 
sary, nor  by  the  benevolent  favor  of  patron  or  insti- 
tution, but  by  his  own  efforts  the  means  were  pro- 
vided, and  the  "midnight  oil"  was  often  burned  after 
a  day  of  toil.  His  father  died  when  the  boy  was 
very  young,  and  even  his  public  school  education  was 
obtained  in  the  intervals  of  work  periods,  for  he 
sold  papers,  shined  shoes,  and  missed  no  chance  to 
add  to  the  family  purse.  Came  the  time  when  the 
future    must    be    considered,    and    with    the    courage 


ilOiM^  /% .  ^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


141 


handed  down  to  him  from  his  maternal  ancestor,  the 
great  Italian  patriot,  Garibaldi,  he  boldly  adventured, 
and  through  the  same  course  of  work  and  study  he 
advanced  step  by  step,  earning  the  necessary  money 
to  pay  his  bills  by  waiting  on  table  in  fraternity  and 
boarding  house,  and  by  teaching  in  night  schools.  In 
this  way  the  battle  was  fought  and  the  victory  won. 
Two  professional  schools  certified  to  his  merits  and 
attainment  by  the  conferring  of  the  degrees.  Ph.  G. 
and  M.  D.,  the  ownership  of  these  degrees  being 
badges  of  highest  distinction  for  they  represent  toil, 
privation,  and  self-sacrifice,  in  addition  to  scholarship 
and  professional  learning.  There  is  an  American 
expression  introduced  into  the  language  as  slang,  but 
now  almost  a  classic,  which,  better  than  eulogy  or 
description,  sums  up  Dr.  Cella's  career,  he  "made 
good"  as  a  boy,  as  a  student,  as  a  physician,  as  a  citi- 
zen, and  now,  at  the  age  of  thirty,  is  well  established 
in  the  favor  of  a  large  clientele,  and  is  politically  in- 
fluential in  his  ward. 

Louis  J.  G.  Cella  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
August  28,  1888,  son  of  Antonio  and  Angela  (Gari- 
baldi) Cella,  his  father  a  small  farmer  of  Italy,  his 
mother  a  descendant  in  the  fourth  generation  from  the 
immortal  Garibaldi.  After  coniin.c;  to  the  United 
States,  Antonio  Cella  supported  his  family  by  organ 
grinding  until  his  death,  his  widow,  Angela,  still  sur- 
viving him,  residing  with  her  son,  Dr.  Cella,  in  Provi- 
dence. The  boy,  Louis  J.  G.,  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Providence,  completing  his  grammar 
school  courses  and  a  partial  high  school  course.  He 
then  entered  Rhode  Island  Pharmaceutical  College, 
whence  he  was  graduated  Ph.  G.,  class  of  1909.  This 
was  not,  however,  the  goal  of  his  ambition,  and  as 
soon  as  practicable  he  entered  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Vermont,  and  in  1914  com- 
pleted his  long  years  of  educational  preparation  and 
was  awarded  his  M.  D.  with  the  graduating  class  of 
that  year.  .'\t  medical  school  he  won  special  diploma, 
special  honor  in  scholarship,  represented  by  the  de- 
gree, M.  D.  The  manner  in  which  the  foregoing  edu- 
cational courses  were  financed  has  been  related,  but 
no  description  can  do  justice  to  the  courage,  ambition, 
self-sacrifice  and  determination  of  the  young  man, 
now  the  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  Dr.  Louis 
J.  G.  Cella.  Following  graduation  in  1914,  Dr.  Cella 
spent  a  year  as  interne  in  Lynn  City  Hospital,  begin- 
ning private  practice  in  1915  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
opening  offices  at  Xo.  514  Broadway.  His  practice  is 
confined  largely  to  diseases  of  children,  and  during 
the  three  years  that  he  has  practiced  his  profession  he 
has  been  very  successful.  His  practice  is  large,  he  has 
won  the  respect  of  his  professional  brethren,  and  ranks 
among  the  rising  young  men  of  his  profession. 

Dr.  Cella  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  public 
affairs  ever  since  becoming  a  voter,  and  is  chairman 
of  the  school  committee  from  Ward  Nine,  and  a  can- 
didate for  the  Board  of  .-Mdermen.  He  is  very  popu- 
lar in  his  ward  and  has  many  friends  who  are  always 
ready  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  advance  his  inter- 
ests. He  is  a  progressive  citizen,  and  although  denied 
the  leadership  he  craved  clings  to  the  principle  in- 
volved and  waits   for  its  ultimate   triumph.     He   is   a 


member  of  St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and 
of  many  lodges  and  clubs,  namely:  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  Sons  of  Italy,  Teanese  M.  B.  Society,  Incoronata 
Del  Bosco  Di  Panni,  La  Basilicata,  Laziale  Society, 
Young  Federal  .\tliletic  Club,  Dante  Club,  Working 
Men's  Political  Club.  Imperial  Club,  Phildo  Dramatic 
Club  of  Rhode  Island,  Italia-Amcrican  Club,  Ninth 
Ward  Progressive  Club,  Ricci  Geovanni  B.  Gilentani. 
St.  Eraclio  Di  Petro  Variano  M.  S.,  .Vmcrican  Medi- 
cal Association,  and  Providence  Medical  Association. 
Dr.  Cella  married,  in  Providence,  Jime  30,  IQ15, 
Laura  Tirocchi. 


PETER  HARDEN— The  small  wage,  fifty  cents 
weekly,  which  Peter  Barden  received  for  sweeping 
out  the  office,  and  being  otherwise  useful  around  the 
factory  in  Dodgeville,  was  not  then  the  little  insigni- 
ficant sum  it  now  appears,  but  seemed  entirely  ade- 
quate, and  implanted  within  him  a  spirit  of  independ- 
ence and  self-reliance  which  made  that  half  dollar 
the  foundation  of  his  fortune.  From  that  beginning 
he  went  forward  to  greater  earnings  as  a  mill  hand, 
learned  the  stone  cutter's  trade,  and  finally,  about 
1888,  bought  out  the  marble  and  granite  monumental 
work  of  which  he  has  since  been  owner  and  manager. 
During  these  thirty  years  he  has  erected  monuments 
practically  everywhere  in  Rhode  Island  and  South- 
eastern Massachusetts,  there  being  perhaps  not  a  sin- 
gle cemetery  in  the  sections  named  in  which  Peter 
Barden  has  not  erected  at  least  one  monument.  The 
marble  and  granite  monumental  works  which  he  owns 
was  established  in  1851,  and  is  the  oldest  business 
of  its  kind  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  former  owners 
being:  S.  Brooks  &  Company  and  C.  H.  Brown. 
The  name.  Peter  Barden,  has  been  on  the  sign  for 
thirty  years,  and  he  has  won  the  reputation  which  he 
enjoys  by  rigidly  observing  the  strictest  rules  of  fair- 
ness in  all  his  dealings,  and  by  superior  work,  ma- 
terial and  design.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Ireland,  but 
at  the  age  of  five  years  was  brought  to  the  United 
States,  Dodgeville,  R.  I.,  being  the  first  home  of  the 
family   after  arriving  in  this  country. 

Peter  Barden  spent  his  youth  in  Dodgeville,  first 
being  employed  at  fifty  cents  weekly,  as  told  hereto- 
fore, then  passing  into  the  cotton  mill  and  becoming  a 
spinner.  .-Xbout  i860  he  came  to  Providence  and 
learned  stone  cutting  with  S.  Brooks  &  Company,  be- 
coming an  expert  in  monumental  carving  and  cutting. 
S.  Brooks  &  Company  established  their  business  in 
1851,  but  in  later  years  sold  out  to  C.  H.  Brown, 
Peter  Barden  remaining  in  Mr.  Brown's  employ  as  a 
marble  and  granite  cutter.  He  continued  with  Mr. 
Brown  until  1888.  then  bought  him  out,  and  has  from 
that  date  conducted  the  business  under  the  firm  name, 
Peter  Barden.  The  works  are  located  at  No.  348 
Cranston  street,  and  there  for  over  half  a  century 
Peter  Barden  has  labored  as  apprentice,  journeyman 
and  proprietor.  He  can  review  that  half  century  with 
great  satisfaction  for  he  began  with  nothing  but  cour- 
age, will  power,  and  a  strong  constitution,  and  has  hon- 
orably won  business  standing,  fortune,  and  the  respect 
of  the  community  in  which  he  has  lived  so  long.     He 


142 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


has  not  lived  selfishly,  but  has  with  a  generous  hand 
aided  in  civic  improvements  and  in  church  affairs. 
He  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party  in  National 
politics,  but  in  local  affairs  is  extremely  independent 
in  his  political  action.  In  religious  faith  he  is  a 
Roman   Catholic. 

Mr.  Harden  married  (first)  at  Crompton,  R.  I., 
Mary  Ann  McGrain;  their  only  child,  John  Frank, 
was  being  educated  for  the  priesthood,  but  died  in 
1915,  prior  to  his  ordination.  Mr.  Barden  married 
(second)   Bridget  Kelley. 


JOSEPH  SPELMAN— Now  retired  from  active 
business  life,  Mr.  Spelman  reviews  a  life  of  length 
and  usefulness,  now  in  his  seventy-eighth  year.  He 
is  a  descendant  of  Richard  Spelman,  born  in  Essex, 
England,  in  1665,  died  in  Middletown,  Conn.,  1750. 
Richard  Spelman  resided  in  Danbury.  England,  where 
in  1695  he  married  Mary  Baker,  of  Tillingham,  who 
died  in  1700.  The  same  year  Richard  Spelman  came 
to  New  England,  meeting  on  shipboard  Alcey  French, 
an  English  girl.  Upon  arriving  in  this  country  they 
were  married,  and  soon  afterward  located  in  Middle- 
town,  Conn.,  where  their  six  children  were  born. 

The  line  of  descent  is  through  their  son,  Thomas 
Spelman,  born  April  26,  1712,  and  there  followed  his 
trade,  stone  cutter.  He  married  Mary  Hickox.  They 
were  the  parents  of  Daniel  Spelman,  born  July  12, 
1738,  a  soldier  of  the  Colonies  during  the  French  and 
Indian  War  and  in  the  Revolution.  He  married  Mary 
Carpenter,  of  Providence,  a  descendant  of  William 
Carpenter,  who  settled  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1637. 
They  were  the  parents  of  Captain  Joseph  Spelman, 
born  September  13,  1788.  He  became  a  Hudson  river 
packet  boat  owner,  and  operated  a  line  running  to 
Albany.  He  married  Roxanna  Whiting,  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.  They  were  the  parents  of  Captain  James 
Esdell  Spelman,  born  March  13,  1813,  and  became 
a  master  of  ships,  following  the  sea  for  thirty-five 
years.  He  married  (first)  in  Massachusetts,  in  the 
year  1836,  Hulda  Pond,  born  in  Franklin,  Mass.,  May 
10,  1S18.  He  married  (second)  in  Providence,  October 
12,  1857,  Sarah  J.  Luther,  who  died  April  25,  1895. 

Joseph  Spelman,  son  of  Captain  James  Esdell  and 
Hulda  (Pond)  Spelman,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
October  16,  1840,  and  there  is  yet  living  in  honored 
retirement.  He  attended  the  city  public  schools,  and 
for  one  year  was  a  student  at  the  Samuel  Austin 
Union  School.  He  began  his  business  career  with 
Stephen  D.  Andrews,  continuing  with  him  for  four 
years,  then  going  to  sea  for  two  years  with  his  father. 
In  1859  he  reentered  Mr.  .Andrew's  employ,  and  so 
continued  until  1888,  when  he  became  manager  of  the 
Reliance  Mill  Company,  on  Dyer  street.  Providence, 
remaining  in  that  position  for  eight  years.  In  1896  he 
established  in  business  under  the  firm  name,  Andrews 
&  Spelman,  jobbers  and  wholesalers  of  salt,  hay  and 
grain,  locating  at  No.  173  Dorrance  street.  Providence. 
He  there  continued  a  successful  business  until  1916, 
when  he  withdrew  and  turned  the  management  over 
to  his  capable  son.  He  erected  the  building  in  which 
his  business  is  conducted  on  Dorrance  street,  and  at 


one  period  was  a  member  of  the  Boston  Chamber  of 
Commerce.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Spelman  married,  January  30,  i860,  Isabel 
Glover,  of  Providence,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary 
(Hugh)  Glover,  her  parents  both  from  Prince  Edward 
Island,  Canada,  but  residents  of  Providence  from 
1853  until  death,  her  father  a  carpenter.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Spelman  are  the  parents  of  three  children:  i.  Abby 
G.,  married  Frank  Burrows,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  three  children :  i.  Mrs.  David  Spink,  of  Auburn, 
R.  I.;  ii.  Frank  Spelman  Burrows,  who  married 
Helen  Speck,  he  now  a  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
Army,  being  transport  quartermaster,  and  they  have 
one  son,  Frank  Spelman  Burrows,  Jr.;  iii.  Louise 
Burrows.  2.  Mary  W.,  who  lives  at  home  with  her 
parents.  3.  Joseph  G..  married  Jennie  R.  Greene, 
daughter  of  Ezra  Greene,  of  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.; 
they  are  the  parents  of  three  children:  i.  Joseph  Ray, 
married  Carrie  Ryan,  of  Providence,  and  has  two 
children,  Everil  Ray  and  Evelyn  May ;  ii.  Ruth 
Eleanor,  married  Leo  Ostiguy,  and  has  two  sons, 
George  C.  and  Esdell  Spelman  Ostiguy;  iii.  George, 
married  .\nna  Hargraves,  and  they  have  one  son, 
Milton   Glover   Spelman. 


PATRICK  J.  MANNING— The  name  Manning  is 
one  of  the  most  ancient  of  English  and  Irish  surnames, 
and  is  traced  beyond  the  surname  epoch  into  a  period 
of  most  remote  antiquity.  Mr.  Ferguson,  eminent 
authority  in  the  study  of  patronymics,  derives  the 
name  from  the  Old  Norse  "Manningi,"  which,  trans- 
lated literally  means  a  valiant  man.  Entries  of  the 
surname  are  found  in  the  Domesday  Book,  under  the 
form  Mannig.  Manning  appears  in  the  Hundred 
Rolls,  and  from  the  close  of  the  thirteenth  century  is 
continuous  under  its  present  form  in  England  and 
Ireland.  Irish  families  of  the  name  have  risen  to  con- 
siderable prominence  and  influence  in  several  coun- 
ties of  Ireland,  and  the  name  is  honorably  written 
in  Irish  history.  County  Cork  has  been  the  seat  of  a 
notable  branch  of  the  family  for  several  centuries.  It 
was  here  that  the  late  Patrick  J.  Manning,  for  many 
years  a  prominent  figure  in  business  circles  in  the  city 
of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  was  born.  He  was  the  son  of 
Bartholomew  and  Mary  (McCarthy)  Manning,  and  at 
an  early  age  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  United 
States,  settling  in  South  Providence,  R.  I.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  here,  and  on  completing 
his  studies  learned  the  trade  of  carriage-maker  in 
Pawtucket.  Mr.  Manning  followed  this  occupation 
for  several  years,  despite  the  fact  that  his  heart  was 
not  in  the  work,  during  which  period  he  accumulated 
a  competence  which  enabled  him  eventually  to  estab- 
lish himself  in  business  independently.  Mr.  Manning 
founded  the  undertaking  business  in  Pawtucket  in 
which  he  engaged  actively  until  his  death.  He  rose 
to  a  leading  place  in  the  profession  in  Pawtucket, 
both  through  the  reliability  and  unimpeachable  integ- 
rity of  his  business  principles,  and  his  undoubted 
sincerity,  understanding  and  kindliness.  He  was 
widely  known  and  eminently  respected  in  the  city,  and 
for  many  years  was   a  prominent   figure   in   business 


V  d^J^.^.^^i'^---^^' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


143 


circles.  Beyond  his  activities  in  business  and  pro- 
fessional lines,  he  took  no  active  part  in  Pawtucket 
affairs.  He  was  essentially  a  home  lover,  but  of  a 
genial  and  hospitable  nature,  and  his  home  was  the 
center  of  a  large  circle  of  friends.  Patrick  J.  Man- 
ning was  a  business  man  of  the  type  which  we  are  apt 
to  term  distinctly  American.  His  success  was  in  every 
respect  the  result  of  his  own  efTorts.  He  began  life 
under  the  handicap  of  insufficient  education,  and  was 
thrust  at  an  early  age  into  an  occupation  for  which 
he  had  no  inclination.  Despite  these  odds  he  rose 
through  indomitable  perseverance  and  energy  to  a 
position  of  prominence  in  the  business  world,  winning 
the  respect  of  men,  not  only  because  of  his  ultimate 
achievement,  but  because  he  had  fought  the  coml)at 
single-handed.  His  death  was  widely  and  sincerely 
mourned. 

Mr.  Manning  married  IJridget  McGowen.  daughter 
of  the  late  Michael  and  Bridget  (McGloam)  Mc- 
Gowen, both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ireland,  who 
later  became  residents  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Manning  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: I.  Joseph  John,  deceased.  2.  Daniel  Edward, 
v.dio  succeeded  to  the  management  of  his  father's 
business  on  the  latter's  death.  3.  Mary  Katherine,  de- 
ceased. 4.  Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Dr.  Heflfern,  post- 
master of  Pawtucket.  Mrs.  Manning,  who  survives 
her  husband,  resides  at  No.  33  School  street,  Paw- 
tucket. Patrick  J.  Manning  died  at  his  home  in  Paw- 
tucket,  R.   I.,  on  January  12,   1908. 


REV.  HENRI  ARCHAMBAULT,  pastor  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  01  the  Presentation  at  Marie- 
ville,  R.  I.,  has  been  connected  with  this  parish  but  a 
comparatively  short  time,  but  has  already  made  him- 
self a  recognized  influence  for  good  in  the  community 
and  has  gained  the  staunch  loyalty  and  devotion  of  his 
parishioners.  He  is  a  native  of  Harrisvillc,  R.  I., 
where  he  was  born  March  30,  1868,  a  son  of  Francis 
and  Henrietta  (Poiricr)  Archambault,  who  were  for 
many  years  residents  of  Canada.  His  father,  Francis 
Archambault,  was  born  at  the  town  of  St.  Hyacinth, 
Province  of  Quebec,  in  that  country,  but  in  1827  came 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Rhode  Island, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  farming  business  and  met 
with  a  notable  success.  During  the  later  years  of  his 
life  he  removed  to  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  and  there  his 
death  occurred  in  1914.  His  wife,  who  was  before  her 
marriage  Henrietta  Pairier,  was  a  native  of  St.  Jean 
the  Baptist,  Providence  of  Quebec.  Canada,  and  died 
at  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  .Archambault  were  the  parents  of  a  very 
large  family,  seven  of  whom  are  still  living  as  fol- 
lows: Mizael  A.;  John  B.;  Henri,  with  whose  career 
we  are  here  especially  concerned;  Dinah;  Henrietta; 
Louise:    Celie;    and    Amelia. 

The  early  education  of  Father  Archambault  was 
received  at  the  Marieville  Seminary,  near  Montreal, 
Canada,  after  which  he  entered  the  Grand  Seminary 
in  that  city,  where  he  conducted  his  philosophical  and 
theological  studies  to  fit  him  tor  the  Roman  Catholic 
priesthood,  which  career  he  had  at  an  early  age  de- 
termined to  pursue.     He  was  ordained  to  the  priest- 


hood at  the  Cathedral  at  Montreal,  in  December, 
1901,  by  Archbishop  Bruchesi.  Father  Archambault 
was  then  assigned  to  St.  Charles  Church  at  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  and  coming  to  this  country,  entered  into 
his  priestly  duties  there,  continuing  in  the  same  for 
twelve  years.  He  was  next  sent  to  the  church  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist  at  Warren,  R.  I.,  where  he  remained 
for  four  years  and  then  received  his  present  appoint- 
ment as  pastor  of  the  Church  of  the  Presentation  at 
Marieville,  R.  I.,  December  11,  1917.  This  church 
was  built  in  the  year  1913  by  the  Rev.  Henri  DeFoy. 
The  parish  at  present  numbers  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  families  and  six  hundred  souls.  Father 
.Archambault  has  been  very  active  in  the  work  of  his 
parish  since  coming  here  and  has  done  much  to  assist 
it  both  from  a  spiritual  and  from  a  material  point  of 
view.  He  is  greatly  beloved  and  respected  on  account 
of  his  pious  lite  and  the  many  good  works  he  assidu- 
ously practices  among  the  people  of  his  flock,  and  also 
on  account  of  his  profound  learning  and  wisdom.  He 
resides  in  the  rectory  of  the  church,  which  is  situated 
on  Mineral  Springs  avenue,  Marieville,  R.  I. 


CHARLES  B.  BAMFORTH,  secretary  of  the 
Davol  Rubber  Company,  of  Providence,  and  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  this  city,  is  a  native  of  Mt.  Vernon, 
Iowa,  where  his  birth  occurred,  Xovcmber  5,  1876. 
Mr.  Bamiorth  is  a  son  of  Bentley  and  Ann  (Wood) 
Bamforth,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Yorkshire, 
England,  where  the  father  was  a  worker  in  a  woolen 
mill  for  a  number  of  years.  He  later  came  to  the 
United  States  and  located  in  Massachusetts,  about 
1868,  where  he  was  employed  in  various  woolen  mills 
of  that  State.  In  1876,  however,  he  decided  to  try 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  with  his  wife  went  to  Mt. 
Vernon,  Iowa,  where  their  son,  Charles  B.  Bamiorth, 
was  born.  The  elder  Mr.  Bamforth  did  not,  however, 
locate  there  permanently,  but  returned  to  Massachu- 
setts when  Charles  B.  was  still  a  small  child.  Here 
Bentley  Bamforth  continued  in  the  woolen  industry, 
and  during  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life  was  super- 
intendent of  several  large  mills  in  various  parts  of 
the  State,  continuing  active  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1905.  He  is  survived  by  his  wife,  who 
makes  her  home  in  Providence.  Bentley  Bamforth 
and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  three  children  as 
follows:  Charles  B.,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned:  Walter  I.,  who  died  in  infancy. 
End  Mary  Ethel,  who  resides  with  her  mother  at 
Providence  and  is  now  an  employee  of  the  Davol 
Rubber  Company,  of  which  her  elder  brother  is  the 
secretary. 

The  childhood  of  Charles  B.  Bamforth  was  spent  in 
a  number  of  Massachusetts  towns  and  cities,  the  first 
few  years  after  coming  to  the  East,  at  Uxbridge, 
where  he  attended  the  local  public  school.  He  then 
attended  a  business  college  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and 
finished  his  course  when  only  a  little  more  than  six- 
teen years  of  age.  After  graduating  he  immediately 
applied  for  a  position  as  typist  through  a  typewriting 
machine  agency,  and  by  chance  was  given  an  oppor- 
tunity to  work  as  stenographer  and  typist  for  the 
Davol    Rubber   Company,   of   Providence,   with   which 


144 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


concern  he  has  remained  ever  since.  He  was  the 
first  person  ever  emploj'ed  in  that  capacity  by  the 
Davol  Company,  and  took  up  his  duties  in  the  year 
189J,  this  work  being  of  a  kind  which  had  not  assumed 
the  general  importance  to  which  it  has  since  attained. 
From  the  start  he  proved  himself  of  value  to  his  em- 
ployers, and  was  soon  promoted  by  them  to  a  more 
responsible  position.  Indeed,  he  continued  to  advance 
rapidly  until  May,  1900,  when  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  ledger  "accounts  receivable."  He  continued 
in  the  bookkeeping  department  until  August,  1917, 
when  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors, secretary  of  the  company,  and  its  acting  treas- 
urer. In  these  capacities  Mr.  Bamforth  has  continued 
to  serve  this  concern  most  efficiently  ever  since,  and 
has  now  made  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation  as  a 
successful  business  man  throughout  the  community. 
Mr.  Bamforth  is  a  man  of  quiet  and  retiring  tastes 
and  habits,  and  during  the  quarter  of  a  century  that 
he  has  been  connected  with  the  Davol  Rubber  Com- 
pany has  devoted  himself  with  unusual  singleness  of 
purpose  to  its  interests,  the  years  of  experience  com- 
bined with  strong  native  ability  having  produced  in 
him  an  official  of  rare  capacity  and  worth.  Fra- 
ternally Mr.  Bamforth  is  a  member  of  St.  John's 
Lodge,  No.  I,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Seventeenth  Company  of  Crans- 
ton Blues,  Rhode  Island  State  Militia. 

Charles  B.  Bamforth  was  united  in  marriage,  Sep- 
tember 28,  1898,  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  with  Ida  C. 
Lind,  and  they  are  now  the  parents  of  one  son,  Stanley 
R.  Bamforth. 


JOSEPH  PERKINS— Through  the  obstinacy  of  a 
^"ermont  official.  Joseph  Faquin  on  coming  from  his 
native  Canada  to  that  State,  was  registered  as  Per- 
kins, and  to  that  form  of  his  name  the  emigrant  was 
henceforth  bound.  He  became  Joseph  Perkins,  and 
his  son  was  Joseph  Perkins,  and  his  grandson  is  Jo- 
seph Perkins,  of  Arctic,  R.  I.,  whose  career  fur- 
nishes the  motive  for  this  review. 

Joseph  (l)  Perkins  (Paquin)  was  born  at  Three 
Rivers,  Canada,  about  1805,  died  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
three  at  Centerville,  R.  I.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
came  to  Highgate,  Vt.,  where  the  blunder  with  his 
name  occurred,  and  for  several  years  he  was  back  and 
forth  between  the  two  locations,  coming  to  Vermont 
in  certain  seasons  when  work  was  plentiful  and 
wages  good.  About  1832  he  married  in  Canada,  and 
later  located  in  St.  Albans,  Vt.,  but  a  few  years  later 
removed  to  Pascoag,  R.  I.,  then  returned  to  Vermont, 
settling  finally  at  Centerville,  where  he  died  a  nona- 
genarian. His  wife  died  at  Centerville,  aged  eighty- 
six.  He  was  a  gardener  and  farmer,  a  man  of  indus- 
try and  very  fond  of  his  work. 

Joseph  (2)  Perkins  was  born  in  Canada,  but  at  the 
age  of  three  years  was  brought  to  the  United  States 
by  his  parents,  who  made  their  home  first  in  Vermont, 
next  in  Rhode  Island.  He  became  a  mill  worker; 
was  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Enos  Laphara 
Mill  for  twenty  years,  the  Stone  Mill  at  Centerville 
his  chief  field  of  operations.  There  he  later  pur- 
chased a  house  and  continued  his  residence  until  his 


death  in  1908.  Joseph  (2)  Perkins  married  Natalie 
Laneaux,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren: Joseph  (3),  of  further  mention;  Henry,  of 
Arctic,  R.  I.;  Mary  Jane,  married  Wallace  Gendron, 
of  Arctic;  Julia,  died  in  infancy;  two  sons  died  in  in- 
fancy; Elizabeth,  of  Centerville;  Matilda,  married 
Julius  Maynard;    John  Amedie,  of  Arctic. 

Joseph  (3)  Perkins,  son  of  Joseph  (2)  and  Natalie 
(Laneaux)  Perkins,  was  born  at  Centerville,  R.  I., 
July  8,  1857.  He  attended  public  school  until  nine 
years  of  age,  then  began  in  a  boy's  position  in  the 
Enos  Lapham  Mill  at  Centerville,  his  salary  two  dol- 
lars weekly.  After  six  months  in  the  mill  he  attended 
school  for  another  year,  then  returned  to  the  mill,  con- 
tinuing until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  becoming  an 
expert  spinner.  After  leaving  the  mill  he  was  for  six 
years  in  the  employ  of  B.  B.  &  R.  Knight  as  a  clerk 
in  their  stores  at  White  Rock  and  River  Point.  He 
continued  in  this  employment  in  these  stores  until 
about  1898,  when  he  became  manager  of  the  general 
merchandise  store  of  Duke  &  Wood  at  Centerville, 
remaining  for  two  years.  In  1900,  with  George  I. 
Parker,  he  established  a  general  insurance  business, 
which  was  conducted  as  a  partnership  until  1914,  when 
it  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Perkins  continuing  the  business 
alone  with  much  success,  his  office  in  Arctic,   R.   I. 

Always  interested  in  public  affairs,  Mr.  Perkins  has 
given  a  large  share  of  his  time  to  the  public  service. 
He  has  been  interested  in  the  town  fire  district  ever 
since  its  organization,  in  varied  capacity;  was  school 
census  enumerator  in  Warwick  and  West  Warwick 
for  a  number  of  years;  has  been  police  constable  since 
June  9,  1879,  for  the  town  of  Warwick;  and  in  1902 
was  commissioned  a  notary  public  under  Charles  Dean 
Kendall,  a  distinctive  privilege  he  yet  holds.  In  1915 
he  was  chosen  police  commissioner,  and  is  still  serv- 
ing, in  1917  being  appointed  an  agent  of  the  United 
States  Government  for  Division  K  of  the  State  Food 
Administration  of  Rhode  Island.  He  is  furthermore 
a  gifted  auctioneer,  and  for  thirty  years  has  cried 
sales  in  his  section  of  the  State.  His  political  faith  is 
Republican;  he  is  a  member  of  St.  John's  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  He  is  one  of  the  best  known  men 
of  his  section  of  the  State,  having  been  in  the  public 
service  for  nearly  forty  years.  He  has  a  host  of  close 
friends,  and  to  all  he  is  the  kind,  courteous  and  sym- 
pathetic adviser  and  confidant. 

Mr.  Perkins  married  Celina  Lafereniere,  of  Quid- 
nick,  R.  I.,  who  died  June  17,  1918,  the  mother  of  six 
children:  Celina,  married  Leonard  Theroux,  of  Arc- 
tic, R.  I.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Corine,  Louis,  Lourett;  Henry,  born  Sept.  10,  1878, 
died  June  18,  191 1;  James  L.,  born  Dec.  28,  1879,  a 
pharmacist  of  Centerville;  Ada,  born  May  24,  1881, 
married  Hector  Cloutier,  of  Phenix,  R.  I.,  proprietor 
of  a  bakery,  they  have  one  son,  Albert  Hector  Clou- 
tier;  Fred  X.,  born  Jan.  5,  1894,  clerk  for  Dr.  J.  D. 
McGuire;  Charles  E.,  born  May  16,  1895,  died  Oct. 
I,  1916. 


PETER  BINGHAM  MacMANUS— One  of  the 
leading  business  men  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  late  presi- 
dent   and    treasurer    of   the    Home    Bleach    and    Dye 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


145 


Works,  Incorporated,  was  a  native  of  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, born  March  24,  1837,  son  of  Daniel  MacManus. 

Daniel  MacManus  was  born  in  Glasgow  and  spent 
his  entire  life  there,  engaged  in  carpentering.  He 
died  in  his  native  city,  aged  sixty-three  years,  leaving 
a  widow,  who  had  been  Margaret  Bingham,  of  Olden, 
England,  and  five  children  as  follows:  Daniel,  a  boot 
and  shoemaker,  who  died  in  Glasgow:  Margaret, 
Katherine  and  Ellen,  who  died  in  Scotland;  and 
Peter  B. 

Peter  Bingham  MacManus  attended  the  schools  of 
his  native  city  until  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  and 
then  entered  the  bleaching  and  dyeing  establishment 
of  John  Gettis  &  Son,  Glasgow,  to  learn  the  business, 
recei\-ing  three  cents  a  day — thirty-six  cents  a  week — 
salary,  with  which  he  clothed  himself  and  purchased 
food.  Mr.  MacManus  continued  with  this  firm  for 
about  eleven  years,  being  advanced  on  various  occa- 
sions, and  attended  night  school  during  this  period 
when  he  could  manage  to  do  so.  After  becoming  a 
proficient  workman,  he  was  employed  in  Paisley, 
Scotland,  for  the  J.  &  P.  Coats  Company,  Limited, 
and  various  others  in  the  dyeing  of  silk  and  cotton 
goods  for  six  or  seven  years,  and  then  returned  to 
Glasgow,  becoming  overseer  for  the  .-\nderson  Man- 
ufacturing Company.  Mr.  MacManus  then  went  to 
Perth,  being  employed  by  Garvey  &  Davis  for  two 
years,  and  at  this  place  had  charge  of  the  works.  He 
then  was  employed  by  John  Thompson  at  Belfast, 
Ireland.  Returning  to  Scotland,  Mr.  MacManus  re- 
mained there  for  a  short  time,  and  then  sailed  for 
America  on  the  old  ship  "St.  Patrick,"  which  had  been 
built  about  eighteen  years  before.  He  landed  at 
Quebec,  whence,  in  1870,  he  came  to  the  United 
States.  He  worked  one  year  for  the  Lewiston  Manu- 
facturing Company  at  Lewiston,  Me.,  and  then  spent 
three  months  in  the  Everett  Mills  at  Lawrence,  Mass., 
after  which  he  removed  to  Walpole,  Mass.,  being 
overseer  for  Smith  Gray  &  Company's  mills  for  ten 
years.  In  1881  Mr.  MacManus  located  at  I'awtucket, 
R.  I.,  on  his  arrival  here  becoming  mana.ger  of  the 
Union  Wadding  Company's  bleachery,  a  position 
which  he  continued  to  hold  for  three  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  took  over  the  business,  leasing  the 
plant,  which  he  conducted  under  the  name  of  the 
Home  Bleach  and  Dye  Works.  On  April  15,  1905,  he 
purchased  the  business,  which  he  ever  after  continued 
with  great  success  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  his  pro- 
duct finding  a  ready  market  all  over  the  country.  In 
1889  Mr.  MacManus  leased  the  Valley  Falls  Dyeing 
and  Bleaching  Works,  but  in  February,  1892,  the 
buildings  of  the  plant  were  destroyed  by  fire,  his  loss 
being  about  twenty  thousand  dollars.  One  year  later 
his  Pawtucket  plant  burned  and  this  also  caused  him 
a  considerable  loss.  At  this  time  he  leased  a  portion 
of  the  Cranston  Print  Works  in  Cranston,  and  at  a 
heavy  expense  converted  the  property  for  his  own  use, 
but  after  one  year  he  returned  to  Pawtucket  and  at 
once  rebuilt  there,  transferring  the  Valley  Falls 
business  to  this  place.  The  plant  is  now  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  equipped  in  Xew  England.  Under 
Mr.  MacManus'  able  and  capable  management  the 
business  steadily  and   rapidly  grew  from  a  small  be- 


ginning, when  only  a  few  hands  were  necessary,  to  the 
proportions  that  it  had  assumed  in  1908  at  the  time  of 
its  death,  when  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  hands 
were  employed,  and  with  a  capacity  of  twenty-five 
thousand  pounds  a  day.  In  1904  the  business  was 
incorporated  with  a  capital  stock  of  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  as  the  Home  Bleach  and  Dye  Works, 
and  Mr.  MacManus  was  elected  president  and  treas- 
urer, which  offices  he  held  until  his  death.  About 
two  years  before  his  demise  Mr.  MacManus  was 
taken  ill  and  from  that  time  devoted  very  little  time 
to  the  conduct  of  his  business.  He  passed  away  on 
the  morning  of  February  29,  igaS,  at  his  home,  Xo. 
870  North  Main  street,  Pawtucket,  after  serious  ill- 
ness of  several  weeks.  In  his  long  connection  with  the 
dyeing  and  bleaching  business,  Mr.  MacManus  was 
widely  known  throughout  the  State. 

Mr.  MacManus  was  connected  with  the  Masonic 
organization,  holding  membership  in  Union  Lodge, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Pawtucket 
Chapter,  No.  4,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Pawtucket  Coun- 
cil, No.  2,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  Holy  Sepulchre 
Conimandery,  No.  8,  Knights  Templar;  and  Palestine 
Temple,  Ancient  .-Xrabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine,  of  Providence.  He  was  an  honorary  member 
of  Tower  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  Paw- 
tucket, was  connected  with  the  Veteran  Firemen's 
Association,  the  Business  Men's  Association  of  Paw- 
tucket, and  for  several  years  was  a  member  of  the 
Chess  Club  of  Pawtucket.  He  was  independent  on 
public  questions  and  never  sought  office,  the  only 
public  office  he  ever  held  being  as  member  of  the 
Grade  Crossing  Commission,  to  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed when  the  commission  was  organized.  He 
was  a  man  of  wide  sympathies  and  many  charities,  but 
his    gifts   of    such    nature    were    made   very    quietly. 

In  August,  1S59,  Mr.  MacManus  was  married  to 
Mary  Hunter,  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  daughter  of  John 
Hunter.  She  died  April  2,  1902,  at  Pawtucket.  To 
this  union  were  born:  i.  Hugh,  who  met  his  death  at 
Lewiston,  Me.,  where  he  was  drowned  at  the  age  of 
ten  years.  2.  Peter  B.,  Jr.,  mentioned  at  length 
below.  3.  Mary,  born  July  1,  1873,  at  Walpole,  Mass., 
married  William  F.  Roberts,  D.  D.  S.,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  dentistry  at  Pawtucket,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Charles  Franklin,  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  Navy,  Mary  Hunter  and  Hilton  Davis. 
Mrs.  Roberts  is  a  director  of  the  Home  Bleach  and 
Dye  Works.  4.  John,  born  May  29,  1876,  at  Walpole, 
Mass.,  married  Adelaide  Davis,  by  whom  he  had  three 
children,  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  resides  at  Utica,  N.  Y.; 
Louise  Bingham,  deceased,  and  John,  Jr.  John  Mac- 
Manus learned  the  business  of  bleaching  at  the  Lons- 
dale Mills,  where  he  spent  three  years,  going  from 
there  to  the  Utica  Willowvale  Bleaching  Company  of 
Chadwicks,  N.  Y.,  of  which  he  became  the  superin- 
tendent. He  was  a  graduate  of  Brown  University. 
Eventually  he  became  connected  with  his  father's 
business,  and  upon  the  death  of  the  elder  man  became 
vice-president  of  the  concern.  His  untimely  death, 
which  occurred  June  24,  1916,  ended  a  brilliant  career. 
He  is  survived  by  his  wife. 
Peter   B.   MacManus,   Jr.,   second   child   of   Peter   B. 


R  1-2-10 


146 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


MacManus,  was  born  January  i,  1872,  at  Lewiston, 
Me.  His  parents  did  not  remain  in  Lewiston  long 
enough  for  him  to  begin  his  education  in  the  schools 
ot  that  city,  but  while  he  was  yet  a  small  boy  removed 
to  Walpole,  Mass.,  where  he  attended  the  graded 
schools.  Still  later  they  removed  to  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
and  here  he  completed  his  general  education,  though 
he  supplemented  this  with  a  special  commercial  course 
at  the  business  college  of  Bryant  and  Stratton  in  the 
neighboring  city  of  Providence.  After  his  graduation 
from  this  institution,  he  at  once  entered  the  employ  of 
his  father  and  worked  in  the  establishment  of  the 
Home  Bleach  and  Dye  Company  as  a  clerk.  It  was 
his  purpose  to  master  the  complete  operation  of  the 
business  in  all  its  details,  by  working  at  first  in  the 
humblest  positions  and  gradually  taking  positions  of 
greater  trust  and  responsibility.  This  he  accom- 
plished so  successfully  that  upon  his  father's  death,  in 
igoS,  he  was  able  to  step  into  the  latter's  place  and 
was  accordingly  elected  to  the  double  office  of  presi- 
dent and  treasurer.  These  posts  he  still  holds,  and 
under  his  most  capable  guidance  the  business  has 
thriven  and  prospered  as  never  before  and  is  now 
one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  this  region.  Mr.  Mac- 
Manus has  also  been  exceedingly  active  in  many  other 
of  the  departments  of  the  community's  life  and  has 
been  a  leader  in  many  movements  undertaken  for  the 
common  welfare.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Providence 
County  Savings  Bank,  vice-president  of  the  Paw- 
tucket Boys'  Club,  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the 
Memorial  Hospital  of  Pawtucket,  and  was  for  a 
number  of  years  vice-president  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  .Association  here.  In  his  religious  belief  he 
is  an  Episcopalian  and  attends  the  Church  of  the  Good 
Shepherd  of  that  denomination.  He  is  a  very  promi- 
nent Free  Mason,  and  is  affiliated  with  the  Lodge, 
Chapter,  Council,  Commandery  and  Temple. 

Mr.  MacManus  was  united  in  marriage,  December 
2,  1903,  at  Pawtucket,  with  Carrie  Powers,  a  daughter 
of  .'\lmon  and  Alice  A.  (Jenkes)  Powers,  and  a  native 
of  Pawtucket.  Her  parents  were  born  at  Montpelier, 
Vt.,  and  at  .Ashton,  R.  I.,  respectively.  Mr.  Powers 
was  for  many  years  a  contractor  of  Pawtucket,  and 
he  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  a  number  of  chil- 
dren. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  MacManus  five  children  have 
been  born,  as  follows:  Donald  Hunter,  .\lmon  Bing- 
ham, Peter  B.,  Robert  Gordon,  and  Alice  Louise. 
The  two  nephews  of  Mrs.  MacManus,  sons  of  Charles 
P.  Powers,  brother  of  Mrs.  MacManus,  of  Chicago, 
are  Leland  Stanford  Powers  and  Almon  Philips  Pow- 
ers, both  now  in  France,  enlisted  in  the  Signal  Corps. 


ROBERT  PIERCE  BAILEY,  a  prominent  under- 
taker of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  one  of  the  most  active 
and  successful  of  the  younger  business  men  of  this 
city,  is  a  native  of  Victory  Mills,  N.  Y.,  where  his 
birth  occurred  December  12,  1881.  He  is  a  son  of 
Robert  J.  and  Ella  M.  (Pierce)  Bailey,  the  former  a 
native  of  Richmond,  Me.,  where  he  was  born  in 
March,  1S47,  and  formerly  engaged  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness at  Berkeley,  R.  I.,  the  latter  a  native  of  Rhode 
Island,  where  she  was  born  m  1861,  and  died  in  the 
year   1906.     Robert  J.   Bailey  and   his  wife   were   the 


parents  of  the  following  children:  Josephine,  now  the 
wife  of  George  F.  Drake,  of  Winsted.  Conn.;  Rob- 
ert Pierce,  of  further  mention;  Hattie  Pierce,  who 
is  now  the  wife  of  Frank  H.  Webb,  of  Lawrence, 
Mass. 

The  education  of  Robert  Pierce  Bailey  was  begun 
in  the  schools  of  .Augusta,  Ga.,  and  lie  later  became 
a  pupil  in  the  grammar  schools  of  East  Greenwich, 
and  the  East  Greenwich  Academy,  where  he  com- 
pleted his  studies.  Having  determined  upon  the  un- 
dertaking business  as  a  career,  Mr.  Bailey  learned 
that  business  with  J.  H.  Williams,  of  East  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  remaining  in  the  employ  of  that  gentle- 
man for  about  si.x  years.  In  the  year  1910  he  opened 
an  establishment  of  his  own  at  No.  61  Plainfield 
street,  Providence,  and  has  continued  at  this  location 
ever  since.  He  has  worked  up  a  large  and  success- 
ful business,  which  is  still  enjoying  a  period  of  rapid 
growth,  and  he  is  regarded  as  among  the  most  suc- 
cessful and  substantial  citizens  of  the  city.  He  is 
well  known  in  the  social  life  of  Providence,  and  pos- 
sesses a  host  of  devoted  friends  here.  Mr.  Bailey 
has  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  public  life  of 
Providence,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leaders  of 
the  Republican  party  here.  In  the  year  1919  he  was 
elected  as  a  representative  of  this  city  in  the  State 
Legislature  for  a  term  which  will  expire  at  the  end 
of  1920.  He  is  a  member  of  Ivanhoe  Lodge,  No.  19, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  in  which  he  has  held  the  position 
of  past  chancellor;  and  Manufacturers'  Lodge,  No. 
15,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His  clubs 
are  the  Rotary,  the  Sunset,  and  the  Olneyville  Busi- 
ness Men's  xAssociation. 

Robert  Pierce  Bailey  was  united  in  marriage,  Sep- 
tember 29,  1915.  at  Providence,  with  Maud  Tupper, 
of  this  city,  a  daughter  of  Albert  R.  and  Alveretta 
(Waterman)  Tupper,  natives  of  Massachusetts  and 
Providence,  respectively,  the  former  born  in  1844,  and 
died  in  1908,  and  the  latter  born  December  26,  1847, 
and  died  December  26,  1915.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey 
are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Alveretta  Waterman, 
born  January  14,  1917. 


DEXTER  STEVENS— The  value  of  the  two  great 
schools  of  Massachusetts,  one  at  Lowell,  the  other 
at  New  Bedford,  has  been  demonstrated  over  and 
over  again  by  the  young  men  they  have  sent  forth  to 
important  positions  in  the  textile  mills,  well  equipped 
with  technical  knowledge  and  practical  manufacturing 
experience.  From  the  Lowell  Textile  School  came 
Dexter  Stevens,  now  manager  of  the  plant  of  the 
Esmond  Mills,  a  Massachusetts  corporation,  manu- 
facturers of  cotton  blankets  and  bath  robes,  with  a 
plant  at  Esmond,  R.  I. 

Dexter  Stevens  was  born  in  Maiden,  Mass.,  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1885,  and  there  completed  courses  of  grade 
and  high  school  study.  After  leaving  high  school  he 
entered  Lowell  Textile  School,  there  pursuing  a  three 
years'  course  in  cotton  manufacturing.  With  his  cre- 
dentials from  the  Textile  School,  he  early  secured 
remunerative  positions,  and  several  years  were  spent 
in  different  localities,  and  in  varying  capacity,  but 
in    all,    gaining    strong    mechanical    and    professional 


(Ly!?/tcr(P. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


147 


experience.  Finally  lie  became  a  designer  at  the 
Parkhill  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Fitchburg,  Mass., 
remaining  one  year,  thence  going  to  the  Lancaster 
Mills,  at  Clinton,  Mass.,  as  superintendent  which  posi- 
tion he  held  for  seven  years.  He  then  went  South, 
and  at  Cumberland,  X.  C,  was  for  some  time  man- 
ager of  the  Xecronsett  Mills.  His  next  change  was 
to  the  Esmond  Mills,  at  Esmond.  R.  I.,  in  1914,  com- 
ing as  superintendent,  later  being  promoted  to  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  plant  which  employs  about  eight 
hundred  and  fifty  hands.  He  is  thorough  in  his  knowl- 
edge of  cotton  mill  management,  and  has  won  high 
standing   among  his   contemporaries. 

Mr.  Stevens  is  a  member  of  the  Textile  Club  of 
Boston,  the  Southern  New  England  Textile  Club,  and 
the  National  Association  of  Cotton  Manufacturers. 
He  married  in  Maiden,  Mass.,  Margaret  Robinson, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  sons:  Dexter  (2) ;  and 
Robinson. 


THE  ESMOND  MILLS,  located  at  Esmond,  R.  L, 
a  typical  New  England  mill  village,  is  a  great  cor- 
poration engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  fancy  cotton 
blankets  and  bath  robes,  a  corporation  with  an  author- 
ized capital  of  $2,000,000,  of  which  $1,405,000.  has 
been  issued.  The  present  officials  of  the  company 
are:  President,  Clarence  Whitman,  head  of  Clar- 
ence Whitman  &  Son,  Incorporated,  of  \cw  Vr)rk 
City;  treasurer,  Harold  C.  Whitman,  of  New  York 
City;  vice-president,  Henry  P.  Binney,  of  Boston: 
secretary,  John  A.  Pearson;  and  Dexter  Stevens, 
manager.  The  directors  in  addition  to  the  above 
are:  Clift  Rogers  Clapp,  of  Boston,  and  F.  Gilbert 
Hinsdale,  of  New  York  City.  The  company  was  in- 
corporated in  1906,  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New 
Jersey,  and  in  1910,  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
Massachusetts.  The  old  mill  at  Esmond  was  torn 
dow-n  after  its  purchase  from  William  J.  Dunn,  of 
Fall  River,  and  in  1906  the  present  large  mill  was 
built.  The  mill  employs  eight  hundred  and  fifty 
hands. 


NILES  BROWN — .Among  the  successful  physicians 
of  Providence,  R.  I.,  should  be  mentioned  Niles 
Brown,  a  native  of  Carlyle,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was 
horn  March  23,  1877,  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary 
E.  (Louck)  Brown,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
of  that  place.  Mr.  Abraham  Brown  is  now  deceased, 
but  is  survived  by  his  wife  who  is  a  descendant  from 
an  old  French  Huguenot  family,  the  name  having 
originally  been  spelled  Laux.  Her  ancestor  first 
came  to  the  United  States  during  the  religious  perse- 
cutions of  the  Huguenots,  following  the  Revocation  of 
the  Edict  of  Nantes  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago.  Dr.  Brown's  paternal  ancestry  was  of  German 
Huguenot,  or  Lutheran  stock,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  during  the  terrible  Thirty  Years'  War  in  Cen- 
tral Europe.  The  childhood  of  Dr.  Brown  was  spent 
at  his  native  place  and  he  there  attended  the  local 
public  school  and  spent  two  years  in  the  Cobleskill 
High  School.  The  circumstances  of  his  family  were 
such  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  work  during  the 
entire   period   of  his   schooling,   but  he  was   intensely 


ambitious  and  overcame  every  obstacle  in  his  way. 
After  the  two  years  spent  at  high  school,  Dr.  Brown 
attended  for  a  similar  period  the  New  York  State 
Normal  School  at  Cortland,  all  the  time  continuing 
his  work  outside.  He  had  determined  to  become  a 
physician,  and  being  greatly  interested  in  the  new 
theories  of  the  osteopathic  system  of  therapeutics, 
attended  the  Osteopathic  College  at  Kirksville,  Mo. 
He  did  not  graduate  from  that  institution,  however, 
but  entered  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Osteopathy, 
where  he  completed  his  studies  and  graduated  in 
1910  with  the  degree  of  D.  O.  Upon  completing  these 
studies  Dr.  Brown  went  to-  Quebec,  Canada,  where 
he  engaged  in  practice  for  a  short  time,  but  in  the 
same  year  returned  to  the  United  States  and  settled 
in  the  city  of  Providence  where  he  established  himself 
permanently  in  his  profession.  He  has  built  up  a 
very  large  practice  in  the  eight  years  that  he  has 
resided  here,  and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  lead- 
ing osteopathic  physicians  in  this  section  of  the  State. 
Dr.  Brown  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
general  life  of  Providence,  and  is  a  meml)er  of  a 
number  of  the  local  organizations,  fraternal  and  other- 
wise. H(e  is  particularly  well  known  in  Masonic 
orders.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Mount  Vernon 
Lodge,  .Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons:  the  Prov- 
idence Chapter,  Royal  .Arch  Masons;  the  Providence 
Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;    St.  John's  Com- 

mandery,    Knights    Templar   of   this    city;    and   

Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine  of  Providence.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
.American  Osteopathic  .Association,  the  Providence  Oste- 
opathic .Association,  and  the  Rhode  Isbmd  Osteopathic 
Society,  and  was  president  of  the  last  named  for  some 
time.  He  belongs  also  to  the  Rotary  Club.  Dr. 
Brown  is  an  Independent  Republican  in  politics,  and 
though  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  and  poli- 
cies of  that  party,  in  all  national  issues,  reserves  to 
his  own  judgment  his  decision  on  local  matters  and 
the  election  of  candidates. 

Dr.  Brown  married,  January  28.  1901,  at  Chicago, 
111..  Emma  Brassard,  of  New  York  City,  a  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Matilda  Brassard,  and  a  member  of  an 
old   French   Huguenot  family. 


JESSE  WANTON  SHIPPEE  LILLIBRIDGE— 
This  is  one  of  the  old  Rhode  Island  families,  and 
through  intermarriage  connected  with  the  Sherman, 
Greene,  Shippee  and  Knight  families,  thus  tracing 
to  early  days  in  Rhode  Island,  the  paternal  line  begins 
with  Thomas  Lillibridge,  the  founder  of  the  Lilli- 
bridge  family  in  this  country,  born  in  England,  1662. 
His  earliest  known  record  in  New  England  is  as  signer 
of  a  petition  dated  Newport,  September  26,  1699,  to 
the  Earl  of  Bellomont.  then  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  to  use 
his  influence  with  his  Majesty.  William  III.,  for  the 
establishment  of  a  Church  of  England,  at  Newport. 
This  is  the  original  Trinity  Church  in  which  Thomas 
Lillibridge  was  a  warden  in  1709,  1713,  and  where 
he  owned  pew  8  until  1719.  He  was  admitted  a  free- 
man at  Newport.  May  6,  1701,  and  was  vestryman, 
1718,  1722-1724,  in  St.  Paul's  (Narragansett)  Church, 
built  in   1707,  moved  to  Wickford  in  1800,  said  to  be 


148 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  oldest  Episcopal  churcli  building  north  of  the 
Potomac  river.  He  settled  in  Old  Westerly,  in  1715, 
in  that  part  set  off  as  Richmond,  where  he  died  Au- 
gust 29,  1724.  He  left  by  will  lands,  personal  property, 
and  two  slaves,  Ming  and  Ring.  He  married  (first) 
Mary  Hobson,  (second)  Sarah  Lewis.  Children  by 
his  first  wife:  Elizabeth,  married  Richard  Easton; 
and  Catherine,  married  Robert  Wilson.  Children 
by  second  wife:  Thomas  (2),  died  Feb.  8,  1757,  aged 
fifty-four  years;  Sarah,  married  George  Fitch;  Rob- 
ert, admitted  a  freeman.  May  4,  1731;  Mary,  married 
Jonathan  Clark;  Esther,  married  (first)  James  Mar- 
tin, (second)  William  Peckham;  Benjamin,  of  fur- 
ther mention;  John,  married  Marcy  Enos;  Edward, 
married  Esther  Hill;  Patience,  born  in  1716,  married 
Paul  Tew. 

(II)  Benjamin  Lillibridge,  son  of  Thomas  Lilli- 
bridge,  and  his  second  wife,  Sarah  (Lewis)  Lilli- 
bridge, was  born  July  11,  1712,  and  died  August  ii, 
1806.  He  married  Annie  Sherman,  daughter  of  Jona- 
than Sherman,  a  descendant  of  Henry  Sherman,  of 
Dedham,  England,  he  also  the  ancestor  of  General 
William  T.  Sherman,  of  Civil  War  fame.  The  line 
is  traced  from  Henry  Sherman,  of  Dedham,  England, 
through  his  son,  Samuel,  his  son,  Philip,  the  first 
treasurer  of  the  Colony  of  Rhode  Island,  his  son, 
Benjamin,  his  son,  Jonathan,  his  daughter,  Annie, 
wife  of  Benjamin  Sherman.  They  were  the  parents 
of  eight  children:  David,  born  September  18,  1744, 
died  January  19,  1831 :  Mary,  married  William  Rey- 
nolds, and  settled  at  Hoosick,  N.  Y.;  Josiah,  born 
Aug.  12,  1749,  died  Aug.  13,  1827;  Jonathan,  of  fur- 
ther mention;  Gideon,  a  Revolutionary  pensioner, 
list  of  1840:  Benjamin,  born  Aug.  14,  1756,  died  May 
II,  1828;  Gardiner,  a  Revolutionary  pensioner,  list 
of  1835;    Annie,  married  Christopher  Harrington. 

(III)  Jonathan  Lillibridge,  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Annie  (Sherman)  Lillibridge,  was  born  August  28, 
1751,  and  died  October  13,  1836.  He  was  a  man  of 
large  physical  proportions,  a  substantial  farmer  of 
Exeter,  owning  three  hundred  acres  of  farm  land. 
He  served  as  ensign  of  the  Third  Exeter  Company, 
G.  Wilcox,  captain.  Ensign  Jonathan  Lillibridge 
married  Mary,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mehitable 
(Waite)  Reynolds.  Children:  Anna  (Nanny),  mar- 
ried Willett  Rathbone;  Clark,  of  further  mention; 
Reynolds,  born  Nov.  14,  1782,  died  June  8,  1868,  at 
Exeter;  Hannah,  married  James  Dye,  and  settled  in 
Lebanon,  N.  Y.;  a  child,  died  in  infancy;  Mary, 
married  at  the  age  of  fourteen  George  Hazard,  of 
South  Kingston,  R.  I. 

(IV)  Clark  Lillibridge,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Mary 
(Reynolds)  Lillibridge,  was  born  in  Exeter.  R.  I., 
August  4,  1779,  died  July  21,  1864,  and  is  buried  with 
his  second  wife  at  Patchaug,  Griswold,  Conn.  He 
married  (first),  Feb.  14,  1799,  Lydia  Lewis,  born  Oct. 
19,  1780,  died  June  26,  1818,  daughter  of  David  and 
Molly  (Sweet)  Lewis.  He  married  (second),  Aug. 
15,  1819,  Phoebe  Bales,  born  Feb.  27,  1794,  died  Aug. 
4,  1862.  daughter  of  Mowry  and  Hannah  (Lewis) 
Bates.  Children  of  first  wife:  Abbe,  married  Bene- 
dict Kenyon,  of  Richmond;  Clark  (2),  married  Eliza 
Tefft;    Mary,  married  William  Esmond;    Jonathan,  of 


further  mention;  Benjamin,  born  May  21,  1810,  died 
March  18,  1886;  Daniel,  born  May  12,  181 1,  died  Feb., 
1879;  a  child  who  died  unnamed;  David,  born  Sept. 
I,  1814,  drowned  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  ii,  1835;  Lewis, 
died  in  infancy.  Children  by  second  wife:  Nathan 
Bates,  born  June  21,  1820,  died  July  i,  1887;  Henry 
Reynolds,  born  March  9,  1822,  died  Oct.  9,  1875;  Har- 
riet, born  July  9,  1824,  married  Nelson  Eno;  William 
Smith,  married  Matilda  Corey;  Lydia,  married  Henry 
F.  Douglas. 

(V)  Jonathan  (2)  Lillibridge,  son  of  Clark  Lilli- 
bridge and  his  first  wife,  Lydia  (Lewis)  Lillibridge, 
was  born  May  31,  1809,  and  died  November  16,  i860. 
He  married  Elizabeth  E.  .\rnold,  who  died  in  1893, 
aged  ninety-three  years.  Children:  Jesse  Reynolds, 
of  further  mention;  Lydia  Lewis,  born  in  1S36,  died 
unmarried,  April  22,   1900;    Phoebe,  died  young. 

(VI)  Jesse  Reynolds  Lillibridge,  son  of  Jonathan 
(2)  and  Elizabeth  E.  (.\rnold)  Lillibridge,  was  born 
June  7,  1829,  and  is  still  living  and  resides  in  East 
Greenwich.  He  married,  March  21,  1852,  Mary  C. 
Greene,  born  Dec.  13,  1831,  died  June  27,  1899.  Chil- 
dren: Herbert  M.,  born  Nov.  19,  1852,  and  resides  in 
Cliftondale,  Mass.;  Seth  Edwin,  of  further  mention; 
Nellie  E.,  died  in  infancy;  Byron  Jesse,  born  Oct. 
3.  i860,  a  graduate  in  medicine,  Jefferson  College, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  a  practicing  physician  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  married  Gertrude  Vinal,  of  Scituate,  R.  I.; 
Mary  B.,  born  Sept.  28,  1S66,  died  June  5,  1906. 

(VII)  Seth  Edwin  Lillibridge,  son  of  Jesse  Rey- 
nolds and  Mary  C.  (Greene)  Lillibridge,  was  born 
June  4,  1856,  and  died  April  25,  igio.  He  gained  a 
practical  education  by  attending  public  schools  and 
East  Greenwich  Academy,  and  after  completing  his 
studies  he  assisted  his  father,  who  for  about  twenty 
years  was  farm  superintendent  for  Mrs.  William  God- 
dard,  and  upon  the  death  of  Mrs.  Goddard  the  estate 
passed  to  her  son,  M.  B.  I.  Goddard.  At  that  time 
Seth  E.  Lillibridge  became  farm  superintendent  and 
continued  as  such  for  about  thirty  years,  until  the 
death  of  the  owner.  Mr.  Lillibridge  was  a  quiet,  un- 
assuming man,  of  strong  character,  honest,  staunch 
and  loyal,  very  highly  respected,  and  very  faithful  to 
the  interests  of  his  employers.  He  was  a  member  of 
Quidnessett  Baptist  Church,  and  of  King  Solomon's 
Lodge,  No.  II.  Mr.  Lillibridge  married,  March  14, 
1877,  Zilpha  Knight  Shippee,  daughter  of  Wanton 
and  Zilpha  B.  (Knight)  Shippee,  and  their  children 
were:  i.  Jesse  Wanton,  born  Nov.  4,  1877,  died  .^ug. 
5,  1878.  2.  Jesse  Wanton  Shippee,  of  further  men- 
tion. 3.  Maude  Evelyn,  born  Aug.  23,  1882;  married. 
May  II,  1910,  George  A.  Whitworth,  of  East  Green- 
wich, R.  I.,  one  daughter,  Marion.  4.  Elizabeth  Hope, 
born  Nov.  28,  1884;  married.  Aug.  2,  1905.  Lucius 
Gilbert  Eldredge,  of  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.;  chil- 
dren: Lucius  Gilbert,  Jr.,  and  Amie  Gilbert.  5.  Har- 
riett Frances,  born  Aug.  9,  1887,  died  Feb.  21,  1888.  6. 
Edna  Raea,  born  .'\ug.  2.  1889;  married,  Nov.  26, 
1906,  Fritz  V.  Algren,  of  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.; 
three  children:  A.  E.  Leroy,  Beatrice  M.,  Norman  F. 
7.  Helen  Zilpha,  born  June  5,  1891;  married  Jan.  i, 
1915,  Thomas  Earl  Laughlin,  of  Alden,  Pa.,  one  son, 
Thomas    Earl,    Jr.   '  8.  Edwin,    born    Nov.    15,    1895, 


-'^s.^-ttn^-^'ijYi^/^j-r^-i, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


149 


died  Nov.  17,  1895.  g.  Unnamed  son,  born  and  died 
Sept.  23,  1899.  Mrs.  Lillibridge  was  a  descendant  of 
David  Shippee,  who  on  -Vugust  15,  1664,  married,  in 
Warwick,  R.  I.,  Margaret  Scranton.  The  line  of 
descent  was  through  their  son,  Samuel  Shippee,  his 
son,  Thomas  Shippee,  his  son,  Caleb  Shippee,  his  son, 
Lodowick  Shippee,  a  resident  of  Shippectown,  R.  I., 
his  son.  Wanton  Shippee,  born  July  27,  1827,  father 
of  Mrs.  Lillibridge.  On  the  maternal  side,  Mrs.  Lilli- 
bridge was  a  granddaughter  of  Bucklin  and  Harriott 
Knight,  and  a  great-granddaughter  of  Dr.  Nathan 
Knight. 

(VIII)  Jesse  Wanton  Shippee  Lillibridge,  son  of 
Seth  Edwin  and  Zilpha  Knight  (Shippee)  Lillibridge, 
was  born  at  the  old  homestead  in  East  Greenwich, 
R.  I.,  November  12,  1879.  After  attending  the 
public  schools  he  became  a  student  at  East  Green- 
wich .\cademy,  continuing  until  graduation  in  1900. 
He  then  entered  Brown  University,  class  of  1904, 
but  left  in  his  junior  year  to  become  director  of  the 
commercial  department  of  the  Southwestern  Louisiana 
Industrial  Institute  at  Lafayette,  La.,  a  position  he 
filled  for  four  years.  He  then  returned  to  the  old 
homestead,  and  has  since  confined  his  activities  to 
general  farming  and  dairying,  and  official  relation 
with  the  East  Greenwich  Farmers'  Cooperative  .As- 
sociation, of  which  he  is  vice-president,  the  East 
Greenwich  Savings  Fund  and  Loan  .Association,  of 
which  he  was  the  first  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  is 
now  a  member  of  its  board  of  directors.  He  is  a 
member  of  Quidnessett  Baptist  Church,  Quidnessett 
Grange,  King  Solomon's  Lodge,  No.  11,  Ancient  Free 
and  -Accepted  Masons;  Narragansett  Chapter,  No. 
11,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  St.  John's  Commandery,  No. 
I,  Knights  Templar.  An  unusual  coincidence  was 
noted  in  King  Solomon's  Lodge  of  East  Greenwich 
at  meetings  occasionally,  viz.,  the  presence  of  three 
generations  of  this  family  in  the  lodge  room  at  the 
same  time,  namely:  Jesse  R.  Lillibridge,  grandfather; 
Seth  E.  Lillibridge,  father,  and  Jesse  W.  S.  Lilli- 
bridge. 


FRANCIS  JOSEPH  McCABE,  the  popular  and 
efficient  postmaster  of  .Apponaug,  R.  I.,  and  a  man 
who  almost  more  than  any  other  is  identified  with  the 
public  aft'airs  of  this  place,  is  a  son  of  Edward  and 
Catherine  (McConnell)  McCabc.  The  elder  Mr.  Mc- 
Cabe  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  having  come  to  this  coun- 
try in  the  year  1888  and  settled  at  the  town  of  Ap- 
ponaug,  April  2,  in  that  year.  He  built  his  home 
at  .Apponaug  and  has  resided  in  this  place  ever  since. 
Mr.  McCabe  is  associated  with  the  .Apponaug  Com- 
pany in  an  office  of  responsibility  and  trust,  and  is  a 
well  known  man  in  the  community.  His  wife,  who 
was  Catherine  McConnell  before  her  marriage  to 
him,  was  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  died  at 
Phenix,  March  12,  1893. 

Born  March  26,  1890,  at  Phenix.  R.  I.,  Francis  Jo- 
seph McCabc  received  his  early  education  at  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Warwick,  and  afterwards  attended  eve- 
ning school  there.  He  was  but  twelve  years  of  age 
when  he  secured  a  position  with  the  company  of  S.  H. 
Greene  &  Son  at  a  salary  of  two  dollars  per  week. 


and  worked  for  two  years  there  in  the  bleachcry. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  became  an  office  boy 
for  the  building  and  contracting  firm  of  S.  H.  Watson, 
the  concern  that  constructed  the  .Apponaug  grammar 
school.  His  next  position  was  in  the  office  of  the 
.Apponaug  Company,  with  which  his  father  was  asso- 
ciated, where  he  worked  as  a  lot  tracer,  until  January 
15,  1914.  It  was  on  that  date  that  Mr.  McCabe  was 
appointed  by  President  Wilson  postmaster  of  .Appo- 
naug, R.  I.,  being  at  the  time  the  youngest  postmaster 
in  New  England.  The  Apponaug  post  office  was  then 
of  the  third  class,  but  has  since  been  advanced  in 
grade,  its  gross  receipts  and  salaries  having  risen  to 
a  considerable  degree.  On  September  13,  1918,  Mr. 
McCabe  was  reappointed  postmaster  of  .Apponaug 
by  executive  order  of  the  President,  until  death,  resig- 
nation or  removal.  He  has  been  an  exceedingly  active 
and  capable  officer  in  this  important  post  and  has 
done  much  to  develop  the  department  here,  having  ex- 
tended the  rural  delivery  to  several  localities  in  this 
region,  while  the  post-office  boxes  have  increased 
in  number  from  one  hundred  and  eighty  to  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty-four.  He  has  also  had  the  rural  free 
delivery  extended  so  as  to  benefit  the  shore  resorts 
adjacent  and  thereby  benefiting  over  five  hundred 
people.  In  June,  1915,  the  post  office  was  removed 
from  its  old  location  to  the  new  building  on  Main 
street,  near  the  center  of  the  business  district.  Mr. 
McCabe  has  thrown  himself  with  enthusiasm  into  the 
war  work  of  the  community,  and  near  the  close  of  the 
War  Saving  Stamp  campaign,  had  made  the  record  of 
selling  fourteen  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  the  stamps 
to  the  twelve  hundred  people  of  the  community.  He 
has  also  served  as  register  in  the  draft  board,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Local  Council  of  National  Defense 
and  its  executive  secretary.  He  has  not  limited  his 
activities,  however,  to  his  official  capacity,  but  has 
given  general  assistance  to  the  draft  board  in  various 
ways,  and  especially  in  locating  the  drafted  men.  He 
has  been  for  a  number  of  years  a  prominent  factor 
in  the  local  organization  of  the  Democratic  party, 
and  served  as  a  member  of  its  town  committee  before 
his  appointment  as  postmaster.  Mr.  McCabe  has  been 
very  active  in  the  real  estate  and  fire  insurance  busi- 
ness which  he  established  at  Apponaug,  in  April, 
1916,  and  is  an  agent  for  the  Home  Fire  Insurance 
Company  and  other  great  .American  companies.  Mr. 
McCabe  was  largely  instrumental  in  securing  the 
plant  of  the  Narragansett  Cotton  Mills  Corporation 
to  locate  in  Apponaug.  having  sold  tlie  site  for  the 
location  of  the  plant.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Warwick 
Central  Grange.  Mr.  McCabe  was  keenly  interested 
in  the  part  that  this  country  played  in  the  great  war 
in  Europe,  and  has  done  much  to  assist  the  young 
men  of  this  region  from  the  time  of  their  enlistment 
until  their  departure.  He  possesses  a  unique  collec- 
tion of  photographs  of  all  the  boys  who  have  enlisted 
from  this  neighborhood,  many  of  which  have  been 
sent  to  him  from  the  front  in  France.  He  was  ex- 
ceedingly active  in  the  Liberty  Loan  drives,  and 
these  pictures,  together  with  relics  sent  to  him  from 
France,  have  been  used  by  him  in  his  activities  in 
this  direction.     In  his  conduct  of  the  post-office   Mr. 


150 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


McCabc  is  assisted  by  the  following  staff:  Miss 
Elinor  R.  Kirhy,  assistant  postmistress;  George  W. 
Briggs,  a  Civil  War  veteran,  now  mail  messenger; 
Frederick  F.  Howard,  rural  mail  carrier,  and  Francis 
B.   Winter,  substitute  carrier. 


ERNEST  AMABLE  CHARON,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 

leading  pliysici?.ns  oi  Manville,  and  a  very  prominent 
citizen  of  this  place,  is  a  native  of  Chambly,  Quebec, 
Canada,  where  his  birth  occurred  March  26,  1S68. 
He  is  a  son  of  Amable  and  Elmira  (Dauray)  Charon, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that  place,  of 
whom  the  former  is  deceased,  and  the  latter  now 
makes  her  home  at  Providence,  R.  I.  Mr.  Charon, 
Sr.,  was  a  wheelwright  by  trade,  the  early  part  of  his 
life  being  spent  at  Montreal  and  the  latter  at  Provi- 
dence in  this  State. 

The    family    removed   from    Canada   to    the    United 
States  when  Dr.  Charon  was  twelve  years  of  age,  and 
here  he  gained  the  elementary  portion  of  his  educa- 
tion by  attending  La  Salle  Academy.     He  was  a  very 
ambitious  youth,  and  determined  to  follow  the  medical 
profession  as  his  career  in  life,  with  which  end  in  view 
he   matriculated  at   Laval   University,   Montreal,   Can- 
ada,  where    he   established   an   excellent    record   as    a 
brilliant  student,  his  work  gaining  the  favorable  atten- 
tion of  the  faculty  of  that  great  institution.     He  gradu- 
ated with  the  class  of  1894,  having  taken  his  medical 
degree,  and  then   became   an  interne  at  St.   Joseph's 
Hospital  at  Providence,  where  he  remained  one  year, 
gaining  the  necessary  practical  experience  as  a   sup- 
plement  to    his    theoretical    knowledge.      In    1896    he 
established  himself  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at 
Providence,    remaining    in    that    city    for    about    nine 
years,   and    in    1905    came    to   Manville,    R.    L,   where 
he  has  been  active   ever  since.     He  was  governed   in 
his  purpose   of  coming  to  this  place  by  the  presence 
here   of   a   large   French   settlement,   and   it   is   among 
these  primarily,  although  by  no  means  solely,  that  Dr. 
Charon    has   gained   the    large    practice    that   he    now 
enjoys.     In  the  thirteen  years  that  he  has  been  prac- 
ticing here  he  has  established  an  enviable  reputation 
for   skill  and   for   adherence   to  the   highest   ethics   of 
his  profession,   and   is   now   universally   recognized   as 
one  of  the  leading  physicians  in  this   region.     In  his 
religious    belief     Dr.     Charon    is    a    staunch     Roman 
Catholic  and  is  at  the  present  time  a  member  of  the 
parish  of  St.  James  Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Man- 
ville.    He  is  very  active  in  the  work  of  the  church  and 
a    liberal    supporter,    particularly    of    its    philanthropic 
and    benevolent    undertakings.      He    is    a    member    of 
the    local    lodge    of    the    Knights    of    Columbus,    and 
those  of  the  Order  of  Maccabees,  the  Loyal  Order  of 
Moose,   the   National   Order  of   St.   John  the   Baptist. 
Order  of  Artisans  and  the  Canada-.\merican  Associa- 
tion.   With  the  exception  of  the  Order  of  the  Macca- 
bees, he  is  the  medical  examiner  of  all  these  bodies. 
In   his   politics   Dr.    Charon   is   a   Democrat,   and   has 
been  actively  associated  with  the  local  organization  of 
this  party  for  a  number  of  years.     He  was  a  member 
of  the   school   committee   of  the   town  of   Lincoln   in 
1912-13-14,   and   at   one  time   ran   on   the   Democratic 
ticket    as    candidate    for    the    State    Senate,    but    was 


defeated  at  the  election.  Recently,  Dr.  Charon  has 
found  it  necessary  to  withdraw  from  his  political 
activities  on  account  of  the  onerous  demands  made 
upon  his  time  and  energy  by  his  professional  work,  to 
which  he  devotes  himself  with  unreserved  enthusiasm 
and  zeal. 

Dr.  Charon  was  united  in  marriage,  October  26, 
l8g6,  at  Montreal,  Canada,  with  Augustine  LaBelle, 
of  that  city,  a  daughter  of  P.  E.  and  Euphemia  La- 
Belle.  They  are  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  as 
follows:  Edward,  John,  Leo,  Ann,  Ernest,  Charles 
Dauray,  Gerard,  Robert,  Madeline,  George,  Eu- 
genia, Joseph,  all  of  whom  but  the  last  three  named 
are  now  at  school.  In  addition  to  these  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Charon  had  two  children,  now  deceased,  Charles 
Edward  and  Ernest. 


FREDERICK     TILLINGHAST     ANDREWS  — 

Among  the  influential  citizens  of  Oak  Lawn,  R.  I., 
should  be  mentioned  Frederick  Tillinghast  Andrews, 
who  has  for  many  years  been  engaged  successfully  in 
the  occupation  of  farming,  and  who  has  attained  a  high 
position  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  townsmen.  Mr. 
Andrews  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  distinguished 
New  England  family  which  came  originally  from 
Scotland,  and  was  founded  in  this  country  by  one 
John  Andrews,  at  an  early  period  in  our  Colonial 
history. 

(I)  John  McAndrews,  or  Andrews,  first  of  Kings 
Town,  came  from  Scotland  to  the  New  Eng- 
land colonies  and  lived  for  a  time  at  Boston  and 
Cape  Cod,  Mass.  He  is  known  to  have  lived 
in  Kings  Town  before  May  20,  1671,  and  his  death 
occurred  at  that  place  before  August  22,  1693,  for  at 
that  date  his  eldest  son,  John  .\ndrews,  settled  in  the 
State.  He  was  twice  married,  the  name  of  his  first 
wife  being  unknown,  but  by  this  union  he  had  two 
children.  John  and  William,  the  latter  mentioned  at 
length  below.  He  married  (second)  Mary  Ridgley, 
who  died  in  1716,  the  mother  of  five  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Charles,  James,  Thomas,  Edward  (or  Ed- 
mund), and  Benoni. 

(II)  William  .Andrews,  son  of  John  Andrews^  was 
born  August  23,  1679,  at  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  and 
married,  September  25,  1700,  .''innie  Searle,  by  whom 
he  had  four  children,  as  follows:  John,  who  is  men- 
tioned below;  Charles.  Mary,  and  William,  Jr.  Wil- 
liam, Sr.,  died  in  1762,  and  his  administration  was 
granted  to  his  eldest  son,  John  Andrews,  in  Cov- 
entry. 

(III)  John  Andrews,  son  of  William  and  Annie 
(Searle)  .Andrews,  was  born  March  23,  1702,  at  East 
Greenwich.  He  later  removed  to  Coventry,  where 
his  death  occurred  May  18,  1795.  He  married  Hannah 
Greene,  daughter  of  John  and  Abigail  D.  Greene,  and 
granddaughter  of  John  Greene,  of  London,  England, 
the  traditional  regicide  judge  clerk,  who,  like  others, 
fled  when  Charles  II.  came  to  the  throne  of  England, 
less  they  should  be  executed  for  condemning  his 
father.  John  Andrews  came  from  Frenchtown,  East 
Greenwich,  and  settled  on  Maple  Root  plains,  in 
Coventry.  He  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Maple  Root  Six  Principle  Baptist  Church.    They  were 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


151 


the  parents  of  lour  children,  as  follows:  Annie,  who 
married,  Jan.  4,  17S1,  Robert  Weaver,  of  Coventry; 
Hannah,  who  died  unmarried,  at  an  advanced  age; 
Elnathan,  who  is  mentioned  at  length  below:  and 
William,  who  married  Rebecca  Greene,  of  Coventry,  a 
daughter  of   Ebenezer   Greene. 

(IV)  Elnathan  Andrews,  son  of  John  and  Hannah 
(Greene)  Andrews,  was  born  February  22.  1732  (the 
same  day  that  the  birth  of  George  Washington  oc- 
curred), and  probably  married,  June  22,  1757,  Jane 
Greene,  of  Coventry,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Greene, 
granddaughter  of  John  and  Abigail  Greene,  and 
great-granddaughter  of  John  Greene,  of  London.  Mr. 
Andrews  died  June  21,  1824,  at  the  age  of  ninety-two 
years.  He  married  (first)  Waitey  ,  and  (sec- 
ond) Elizabeth,  the  widow  of  Ezekiel  Johnson.  By 
his  first  wile  he  had  the  following  children:  Waitey, 
Bethana,  Timothy,  who  is  mentioned  below:  John, 
and  Rebecca. 

(V)  Timothy  .\ndrews,  son  of  Elnathan  and  Waitey 
Andrews,  was  born  November  27,  1762,  at  Coventry, 
and  died  at  West  Greenwich,  September  5.  1843.  He 
married  Russelle  Mattison.  of  West  Greenwich,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Sarah  (Lee)  Mattison.  the  former  a 
son  of  Joseph  and  Martha  (Greene)  Mattison.  and  the 
latter  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Rachel  (Russelle)  Lee. 
Mrs.  Andrews  was  born  in  1757,  and  died  February 
J.  1847.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: I.  Bethana,  born  in  Coventry,  Jan,  2,  1785,  died 
at  West  Greenwich,  Jan.  29,  1865;  married,  July  28, 
1807,  Caleb  Sweet,  of  that  place.  2.  Freelove,  born  in 
Coventry,  July  13,  1786,  died  in  West  Greenwich.  Dec. 
29,  1871:  in  1805  she  married  (first)  Benjamin  Vick- 
ery,  of  Dighton,  Mass.,  by  whom  she  had  seven  chil- 
vJren:  she  married  (second)  Aug.  30,  1835.  .Amos 
^L^ttison,  of  West  Greenwich.  3.  Peleg.  born  at  Cov- 
entry, April  29,  1790,  died  March  6,  1855:  married 
Marcey  James,  born  April  23,  1790,  died  April  11,  1855, 
by  whom  he  had  four  children.  4.  Jane,  born  at  Cov- 
entry, April  10.  1792,  died  there,  Jan.  2;^,  1881;  mar- 
ried, in  1809,  Perry  Greene  James,  of  West  Green- 
wich, son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Greene)  James. 
5.  Charles,  born  at  Coventry,  in  i793.  died  when 
about  twelve  years  of  age.  6.  Sally,  born  at  Cov- 
entry, in  1794,  died  Nov.  27,  1842,  at  West  Green- 
wich; married,  in  1817,  William  Sweet,  of  West 
Greenwich,  son  of  Barton  and  Rachel  Sweet,  to  whom 
she  bore  nine  children.  7.  George,  born  at  Coventry, 
Aug.  7,  1797,  died  at  Noank,  (Tonn.,  April  7,  1872; 
married,  Dec.  11,  1829,  Mary  Esther  Barnes,  of  Led- 
yard,  Conn.,  daughter  of  Amos  and  Mary  Barnes.  8. 
Mattison,  born  at  Coventry,  in  1799,  died  at  Xatick, 
R.  L,  Jan.  27,  1852;  married,  in  the  autumn  of  1819, 
Lucy  Sweet,  of  South  Kingstown,  by  whom  he  had 
nine  children.  9.  Jonathan,  born  at  Coventry,  Oct. 
5,  1801,  died  in  Minnesota,  Jan.  24.  1868:  married, 
Aug.  30,  1825,  Ruby  Sweet,  of  West  Greenwich, 
daughter  of  Burton  and  Rachel  Sweet,  she  born  Nov. 
2,  1802,  at  Crossville,  Tenn.,  died  Aug.  10,  1869,  the 
mother  of  seven  children.  10.  Joanna,  born  at  Cov- 
entry, in  1804,  died  there,  .\ug.  14,  1879;  in  1824-25 
she  married  Seneca  Williams,  of  North  Stonington, 
Conn.,  son  of  Uriah  and  Johanna  Williams,  to  whom 


she  bore  four  children.  11.  John,  who  is  mentioned  at 
length  below.  12.  Nelson,  born  at  Coventry,  Oct. 
30,  1808,  died  there,  .\ug.  28,  1882;  married,  Jan.  2, 
1833,  Merebah  Whitman  Harrington,  of  West  Green- 
wich, daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Huldah  (.Johnson) 
Harrington,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children. 

(VI)  John  Andrews,  eleventh  child  of  Timothy  and 
Russelle  (Mattison)  Andrews,  and  father  of  Frederick 
Tillinghast  Andrews,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  July 
4,  1806,  at  Coventry,  and  died  at  Cranston,  R.  I.,  Oct. 
3,  1896.  He  married  (first)  Aug.  25,  1827,  Antha 
Sweet,  of  West  Greenwich,  daughter  of  William  and 
Elsie  Sweet,  she  born  Sept.  7,  1809,  and  died  Oct.  10, 
1859,  at  West  Greenwich.  He  married  (second)  Mary 
(Battey)  Mattison,  of  West  Greenwich,  daughter  of 
James  and  Maplet  Battey,  and  widow  of  Thomas  Mat- 
tison. By  his  first  wife  John  .Andrews  had  thirteen 
children,  as  follows:  I.  Timothy,  born  Nov.  30,  1828, 
married,  Dec.  18,  1847,  Eunice  Mattison.  of  West 
Greenwich,  daughter  of  Asa  and  Merebah  (Potter) 
Mattison.  2.  William,  born  Sept.  i,  1830,  at  West 
Greenwich,  married  (first)  May  18,  1849.  .\bbie  Wood- 
mansee.  daughter  oi  Samuel  and  Mehala  Woodman- 
see,  and  (second)  in  1862,  .Ann  Mystilla  Tarbox,  of 
East  Greenwich.  3.  Elsie,  born  in  West  Greenwich, 
April  15,  1832,  married,  Dec.  12,  1847,  John  Mattison, 
of  West  Greenwich,  son  of  Asa  and  Merebah  (Pot- 
ter) Mattison,  to  whom  she  bore  nine  children.  4. 
Mary  Ann,  born  at  West  Greenwich,  May  7,  1834,  died 
April  20,  1861:  married,  Sept.  11,  1852,  Samuel  Hoxie 
Barber,  of  Exeter,  R.  I.,  to  whom  she  bore  four  children. 
5.  Jonah  Titus,  born  at  West  Greenwich,  July  31,  1836, 
married.  Sept.  10,  1857,  Mary  Ann  Sweet,  daughter  of 
Amos  and  Ruth  C.  (Browm)  Sweet.  6.  Phebe,  born 
at  West  Greenwich,  May  13,  1839,  died  Sept.  8,  1843. 
7.  .Abel,  born  at  West  Greenwich,  April  17,  1841,  died 
Sept.  5,  1843.  8.  Abbie  Frances,  born  at  West  Green- 
wich, March  31,  1843,  died  there,  in  June.  1875;  mar- 
ried, July  7,  i860,  Job  Whitman  Harrington,  born  July 
23,  1842,  at  West  Greenwich.  9.  John  Francis,  born 
at  West  Greenwich,  May  2,  1845,  died  Nov.  11,  1878; 
married,  December  25,  1866,  Mary  Elizabeth  Howard, 
by  whom  he  had  two  children.  10.  Lois  A.,  born  at 
West  Greenwich,  .April  15,  1847,  married,  June  30, 
1864,  Lucius  E.  Cahoon,  born  Oct.  12,  1840.  11.  Nel- 
son, born  at  West  Greenwich,  April  5,  1849,  married, 
June  II,  1871,  Phebe  E.  Spencer,  of  East  Greenwich, 
by  whom  he  had  one  child.  12.  Frederick  Tillinghast, 
who  is  mentioned  at  length  below.  13.  Jane,  born  at 
West  Greenwich.  May  10,  1853,  married,  Oct.  12,  1876, 
Halscy  James  Briggs,  of  West  Greenwich,  to  whom 
she  bore  three  children. 

(VII)  Frederick  Tillinghast  Andrews,  twelfth  child 
ofjohn  and  Antha  (Sweet)  Andrews,  was  born  March 
23,  1851,  at  West  Greenwich,  R.  I.  As  a  child  he 
attended  the  local  district  school,  where  he  established 
an  excellent  reputation  for  scholarship.  While  still  a 
lad,  he  assisted  his  father  with  the  work  on  the  lat- 
ter's  farm  and  has  always  continued  in  this  occupa- 
tion up  to  the  present  time.  He  became  the  owner 
of  his  present  farm  at  Oak  Lawn,  Cranston  township, 
in  1900,  and  since  that  time  has  developed  and  im- 
proved  his   place   highly.     This   property  consists   of 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


one  hundred  and  ninety-two  acres  of  excellent  farm 
land  and  here  Mr.  Andrews  has  built  a  modern  and 
up-to-date  dairy.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and 
dairy  operations  and  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  herd  of 
fifty-five  milch  cows,  the  product  of  which  he  sells  in 
the  surrounding  region.  He  also  owns  a  number  of 
fine  horses,  oxen,  etc.,  to  carry  on  the  work  of  his 
farm.  He  is  at  the  present  time  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  substantial  and  successful  farmers  of  the 
region  and  his  business  is  a  large  one.  Mr.  .\ndrews 
has  also  been  exceedingly  active  in  the  public  life  of 
the  community  and  has  identified  himself  with  a  num- 
ber of  important  organizations  here.  In  his  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Baptist  and  attends  the  Maplewood 
Church  of  that  denomination  at  Cranston.  Fie  is  a 
Republican  in  politics  and  is  one  of  the  leaders  of  the 
party  in  this  region,  which  he  has  represented  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  of  the  State,  serving  on 
that  body  from  1908  to  1910  inclusive.  At  that  time 
he  also  served  on  the  legislative  committees  on  the 
military  and  labor.  He  has  also  held  other  offices  in 
this  region  and  was  for  sixteen  years  a  member  of  the 
county  board. 

Frederick  Tillinghast  Andrews  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, .August  31,  1876,  with  Clara  J.  Vaughn,  daugh- 
ter of  George  B.  and  Mary  A.  Vaughn,  and  a  native 
of  West  Greenwich,  where  she  was  born  September 
29-  1855- 


CALIXTE  J.  COUTU— Prominent  in  Franco- 
American  circles  in  the  Pawtuxet  Valley,  a  business 
leader  and  well  known  contractor  for  several  decades, 
a  notable  figure  in  club  and  fraternal  life,  the  late 
Calixte  J.  Coutu,  of  Arctic,  R.  I.,  was  a  vital  factor  in 
many  departments  of  the  life  of  the  valley,  and  a  man 
whose  place,  vacated  by  death,  will  never  be  ade- 
quately filled.  Calixte  J.  Coutu  was  born  in  the  town 
of  St.  Feli.x  de  Valois,  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada, 
son  of  Pierre  and  Angele  (Charpagne)  Coutu,  on  .^pril 
22,  1874,  member  of  a  French-Canadian  family  of 
considerable  antiquity  and  prominence.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  his  native  village,  and  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  came  to  the  United  States,  set- 
tling with  relatives  in  the  Pawtuxet  Valley.  Here 
he  continued  his  education  under  the  tutelage  of  Pro- 
fessor Deering,  attending  also  the  evening  schools  to 
perfect  a  knowledge  of  English.  In  early  manhood 
he  apprenticed  himself  to  the  carpenter's  trade,  and 
after  a  short  training  as  apprentice  and  journeyman, 
established  himself  in  business  independently  on  a 
small  scale  in  the  town  of  Arctic.  He  rose  rapidly  to 
the  fore  in  this  field,  and  within  a  short  period  attained 
a  widespread  reputation  in  the  Pawtuxet  Valley  for 
ability  as  a  contractor  and  builder.  Mr.  Coutu  was 
for  nearly  two  decades  one  of  the  foremost  contrac- 
tors in  the  valley,  as  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  he 
was  awarded  contracts  for  numerous  public  and  semi- 
public  buildings.  Among  the  buildings  of  note  which 
he  erected  in  Kent  county  are:  The  St.  Onge  block, 
and  the  Archambault  block  in  Arctic;  the  addition  to 
St.  Joseph's  Church,  Natick;  the  addition  to  the  Baker 
Street  School,  Natick;    the  addition  to  the  Centreville 


school,  and  the  Buttonwoods  school;  and  the  Odeon 
building,  the  finest  building  in  Arctic  (French  Thea- 
tre). He  was  also  constantly  engaged  in  the  building 
of  fine  private  residences.  He  was  the  proprietor  of 
the  well  known  Arctic  Cabinet  Works  and  Lumber,  a 
business  which  is  a  monument  to  his  genius  as  an 
organizer  and  executive.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  engaged  in  building  the  new  club  of  the  .An- 
thony Athletic  Association. 

Through  prominence  in  business  circles  he  was 
brouglit  naturally  into  the  field  of  public  afltairs,  and 
although  deterred  by  business  responsibilities  from 
continued  participation  in  public  affairs,  in  1915  he 
accepted  the  nomination  for  office  as  tax  assessor. 
He  was  reelected  in  1916,  and  again  in  1917,  and  on 
the  completion  of  his  third  term  refused  renomination. 
He  was  actively  identified  with  all  movements  which 
had  for  their  end  the  advancement  of  public  welfare. 
An  ardent  Democrat  in  political  affiliation,  he  was  for 
many  years  influential  in  the  councils  of  the  party. 

A  prominent  figure  and  recognized  leader  in  club 
and  fraternal  circles,  Mr.  Coutu  was  a  member  of 
Court  George  Etienne  Cartier,  Canado-.\mericains, 
of  which  he  was  president:  James  P.  Gibson  Coun- 
cil, No.  181,  Knights  of  Columbus:  Warwick  Aerie, 
No.  1313,  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles;  Warwick 
Lodge.  No.  996,  Loyal  Order  of  Moose;  Court  Mer- 
cier,  Franco-.-\merican  Foresters,  and  Union  St.  Jean 
Baptiste  Societe.  He  was  highly  esteemed  in  all 
these  organizations,  and  his  sudden  death  at  the  height 
of  a  successful  career  which  gave  promise  of  still 
further  attainments,  came  as  a  decided  blow  and  deep 
grief  to  hundreds  of  his  friends  and  acquaintances.  A 
man  of  strong  and  virile  personality,  sincere  in  his 
friendships,  courteous  and  kindly,  rich  in  sympathy 
and  understanding,  he  drew  to  him  magnetically  men 
of  all  walks  of  life,  who  remained  his  steadfast  friends 
throughout  life.  As  a  business  man  of  more  than 
ordinary  ability,  indomitable  of  purpose,  and  of  unim- 
peachable integrity,  a  keen  competitor,  though  fair,  he 
gained  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  business 
world  of  Kent  county.  Men  who  knew  him  and  saw 
his  feet  firmly  planted  on  the  ladder  of  success,  ex- 
pected still  greater  success  for  him. 

On  June  5,  1893,  Mr.  Coutu  married  (first)  Malvina 
Laplume.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children:  I. 
Albert,  born  May  4,  1S95.  2.  Alice,  born  .\ug.  6,  1896. 
3.  Anatole,  born  July  24,  1898.  Mr.  Coutu  married 
(second)  Feb.  i,  1904,  Mary  Jeanne  Forcier,  daughter 
of  Nazarre  Forcier  and  Helene  (.\uclair)  Forcier,  of 
Canada.  Mrs.  Coutu,  who  survives  her  husband,  and 
resides  in  .Arctic,  R.  I.,  manages  the  extensive  Coutu 
business  interests  with  the  aid  of  her  step-sons.  She 
is  also  active  in  war  work,  and  since  the  outbreak  of 
the  European  W'ar  has  made  her  home  the  head- 
quarters for  the  collection  and  repairing  of  garments 
for  the  stricken  people  of  Belgium  and  northern 
France.  Mrs.  Coutu  has  long  been  a  leader  in  social 
circles  in  the  valley. 

Calixte  J.  Coutu  died  suddenly  at  his  home  in 
Arctic,  R.  I.,  on  December  11,  1917,  aged  forty-three 
years. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


153 


CHARLES     HENRY     CASEY,    D.    D.    S.— The 

years,  twenty-nine,  comprising  the  span  of  life  thus 
far  accomphshcd  by  Dr.  Casey  have  been  spent  in 
Providence,  R.  I.,  barring  only  the  years  spent  in  den- 
tal college  in  Baltimore,  Md.  He  is  a  true  native  son, 
and  is  one  of  those  whom  the  city  takes  pride  in 
acknowledging.  He  is  a  son  of  Patrick  Francis  and 
Mary  (Reilly)  Casey,  they  the  parents  of  three  sons 
and  two  daughters,  all  living.  The  parents  reside  in 
Riverside,  R.  I.,  the  father  holding  responsible  posi- 
tion in  a  department  store  in  Providence.  Dr.  Casey 
has  practiced  his  profession  in  Providence  since  1913, 
and  has  succeeded  in  establishing  a  good  practice,  but 
at  his  country's  call  he  volunteered  his  services  in 
1917,  and  is  a  member  of  the  United  States  Dental 
Ofticers'  Reserve  Corps,  ranking  as  first  lieutenant, 
entered  regularly  upon  his  duties  in  June,  191S. 

Charles  Henry  Casey  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
June  29,  1889,  and  obtained  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  also  in  La  Salle  .Academy,  and 
while  there  formed  the  resolution  to  become  a  den- 
tist. \\'hile  still  a  school  boy  he  was  employed  in  the 
office  of  Dr.  Burgess,  a  prominent  dentist,  evenings, 
Saturdays  and  vacation  periods,  the  money  thus  earned 
being  placed  in  a  fund  to  finance  his  own  professional 
education.  He  was  in  Dr.  Burgess'  office  three  years, 
then  in  lOlo,  entered  the  dental  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Maryland,  Baltimore,  whence  he  was  grad- 
uated D.  D.  S.,  class  of  1913.  The  same  year  he 
returned  to  Providence,  began  practice,  and  so  con- 
tinues, his  call  to  the  colors  in  June,  1918,  being  the 
first  break  in  his  practice.  His  way  was  not  made 
easy  for  him,  either  in  acquiring  his  education  or  in 
building  up  a  practice,  as  he  financed  his  own  educa- 
tion and  has  bent  every  energy  to  making  the  educa- 
tion he  strove  so  hard  for,  yield  its  proper  harvest.  He 
is  a  member  of  St.  Brendon's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
the  Knights  of  Columbus,  Psi  Omega  Delta  fraternity, 
and  in  politics  is  an  Independent.  Dr.  Casey  is  un- 
married. 

Dr.  Casey  has  two  brothers.  .Austin  Paul  Casey,  in 
the  medical  department,  United  States  army,  stationed 
at  Spartansburg,  S.  C,  going  to  France;  Calvert  Ed- 
mond,  a  student  in  Brown  University.  He  also  has 
two  sisters,  Alice  Claire  and  Madeline  Estelle,  both 
residing  at  home. 


JAMES  RICHARDS  LAWRY— Since  1914  Mr. 
Lawry  has  been  engaged  in  business  operations  in 
Providence  as  head  of  the  firm  of  J.  R.  Lawry  &  Son, 
conducting  a  monumental  works  as  the  successor  of 
John  O'Brien,  whose  location  and  business  interests 
he  purchased.  Mr.  Lawry  is  a  son  of  John  T.  and 
Elizabeth  (Richards)  Lawry,  and  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  the  various  places  in  Maine  and  Massachu- 
setts to  which  his  father's  business,  stone  cutting, 
carried  the  family.  As  a  young  man  he  learned  the 
stone  cutter's  art  and  to  the  present  time  he  has  fol- 
lowed that  calling.  .\  few  years  after  making  his 
home  in  Providence  he  became  the  owner  of  the  busi- 
ness he  now  conducts,  his  son  associated  with  him 
until  his  death.  Mr.  Lawry  is  himself  an  expert 
worker  in  stone  and  a  designer  of  taste  and  ability, 


specimens  of  his  work  in  the  largest  cemeteries  of  the 
State  bearing  eloquent  testimony  to  the  high  order  of 
his  firm's  workmanship.  J.  R.  Lawry  &  Son  have 
e.xecuted  commissions  for  monuments  that  have  been 
placed  in  burial  grounds  in  other  States,  and  the  repu- 
tation of  the  firm  is  of  the  best.  Mr.  Lawry  is  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  fraternizes  with 
the  Masonic  order  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Mr.  Lawry  married,  July  3,  1914,  Sarah  M.  (Green- 
ougli)  Lynn,  widow  of  John  Lynn,  born  in  Halifax, 
Nova  Scotia,  died  February  7,  1918.  By  her  former 
marriage  Mrs.  Lawry  was  the  mother  of  two  children: 
Ellis,  who  died  May  7,  1917,  was  adopted  by  Mr. 
Lawry  and  given  his  name,  his  associate  in  business; 
and  Lulu. 


WILLIAM  JAMES  SWORD,  proprietor  of  the 
large  and  popular  tlorist  establishment  in  Valley  Falls, 
is  a  native  of  this  place,  his  birth  having  occurred 
here  on  February  28,  1884.  He  is  a  son  of  Walter 
Scott  Sword,  whose  death  occurred  August  12,  1918, 
and  who  was  the  founder  of  the  large  florist  business 
of  which  his  son  is  now  the  head.  The  elder  Mr. 
Sword  was  born  at  Marblchead,  Mass.,  in  the  year 
1857,  and  there  received  his  education  at  the  local 
public  school.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  went 
to  Bristol,  R.  I.,  where  for  a  time  he  worked  in  the 
large  industrial  plant.  His  next  move  was  to  Paw- 
tuckot,  where  he  secured  a  position  with  James  Nes- 
bit,  who  owned  a  florist  business  there,  and  here  he 
gained  a  wide  knowledge  and  a  strong  taste  for  this 
kind  of  work.  After  his  marriage  in  1881,  he  came  to 
Valley  Falls,  and  here  established  the  present  business 
of  which  he  remained  the  head  until  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Valley  Falls  Baptist 
Church,  and  was  a  man  of  strong  religious  instincts 
and  an  upright  Christian  life.  He  was  affiliated  with 
a  large  number  of  fraternal  associations  here,  and  was 
a  member  of  Good  Samaritan  Lodge,  No.  8,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  which  he  joined  April 
4,  1885;  of  Manchester  Encampment,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  of  Conorchet  Lodge,  No.  ID, 
Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  and  was  past  sachem 
of  the  same.  For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Sword 
w^as  chief  of  the  Valley  Falls  fire  department,  and 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Florist  As- 
sociation, and  an  associate  member  of  the  Pawtucket 
Post,  Grand  .Army  of  the  Republic.  He  married  Mary 
Nickle,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  as 
follows :  William  James,  with  whose  career  we  are 
here  especially  concerned ;  David,  who  now  resides  at 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.;  Charles,  who  makes  his  home  at 
South  .\ttleboro,  Mass. ;  and  Jennie,  who  became  the 
wife  of  George  B.  Campbell,  of  Valley  Falls,  R.  I. 

William  James  Sword  attended  the  grammar  and  high 
school  grades  at  the  public  schools  of  Valley  Falls,  and 
after  three  years  at  the  latter  institution,  worked  with 
his  father  in  the  florist  business  which  he  had  estab- 
lished here  in  1881.  He  learned  quickly  and  l>ecame  a 
thorough  master  of  all  the  details  of  this  business,  and 
for  two  years  before  his  father's  death,  in  1918,  was 
practically  the  manager  of  the  concern.  Since  that 
event  he  has  become  its  owner  and  his  long  experience 


154 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


has  eminently  fitted  him  to  carry  on  successfully  his 
father's  work.  Although  not  formally  a  member  of  any 
church,  Mr.  Sword  attends  Christ's  Episcopal  Church  of 
Lonsdale,  and  is  an  active  supporter  of  the  work  of 
the  church.  Like  his  father  he  is  a  member  of  Good 
Samaritan  Lodge,  No.  S,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows;  Manchester  Encampment,  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows;  Conorchet  Lodge,  No.  10,  Improved 
Order  of  Red  "Men.  and  is  prominent  in  social  circles 
here.  He  is  now  collector  for  the  Improved  Order  of 
Red  Men.  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  United  Order 
of  .American  Mechanics.  In  politics  he  is  independent 
of  any  party,  and  at  the  present  time  is  tree  warden  of 
\'alley  Falls. 

William  James  Sword  was  united  in  marriage,  Novem- 
ber i6,  1909,  with  Emma  Gertrude  McCauley,  of  this 
town,  a  daughter  of  the  late  State  Senator  J.  P.  and 
Mary   (Parker)   McCauley,  of  Lonsdale. 


JAMES  EDWARD  CUFF,  well  and  favorably 
known  chief  of  police  of  Cranston,  R.  I.,  is  a  prom- 
inent figure  in  the  life  of  the  community  in  which  he 
lives.  He  was  born  December  28,  1876,  in  East  Green- 
wich, R.  I.,  son  of  Patrick  F.  and  Mary  A.  (McCabe) 
Cuff,  both  of  whom  are  now  living  in  Cranston. 

Patrick  F.  Cuff  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  at  the  age 
of  ten  years  he  came  with  his  parents  to  America, 
locating  in  Cranston,  R.  I.  It  was  here  that  Patrick 
F.  Cuff  began  life  in  his  new  country  as  an  employee 
of  the  Cranston  Print  Works.  Alert  and  industrious, 
he  rapidly  worked  his  way  up  until  he  became  the  fore- 
man of  the  plant.  He  then  removed  to  East  Green- 
wich. R.  I.,  and  after  a  short  stay  returned  to  Cranston, 
assuming  again  his  position  as  bleacher  foreman  and 
continuing  in  that  capacity  until  his  retirement.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Patrick  F.  Cuff  were  the  parents  of  six 
children,  viz. :  James  Edward,  of  whom  further ;  Mary 
A.,  deceased ;  Eva  Irene,  deceased ;  Walter  Leo,  bom 
1885,  now  manager  of  the  J.  E.  Cuff  plumbing  estab- 
lishment; Ella  M.,  the  wife  of  Richard  T.  Healey  of 
Chicago,  III.;  and  Etta,  who  is  at  home  with  her 
parents. 

James  Edward  Cuff  was  born  at  East  Greenwich, 
during  the  short  residence  of  his  parents  in  that  vil- 
lage, and  was  brought  by  them  to  Cranston  when  he 
was  three  years  of  age.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Cranston,  after  which  he  entered 
business  life  as  an  apprentice  to  the  plumbing  trade. 
In  1903  he  engaged  in  that  business  on  his  own  account, 
opening  an  establishment  at  No.  587  Broad  street, 
Providence,  R.  I.  This  concern  is  to-day  at  the  same 
location,  and  is  managed  by  his  brother.  Walter  L.  Cuff. 
In  1910,  when  Cranston  was  incorporated  as  a  city, 
James  Edward  Cuff  was  appointed  to  the  position  of 
the  first  chief  of  police.  In  the  new  office  he  instituted 
many  reforms,  and  through  his  ingenuity  made  the 
organization  a  modern  and  efficient  department.  He 
inaugurated  a  system  of  supervision  and  discipline  of 
members,  and  installed  and  equipped  the  department 
and  its  personnel  with  every  modern  accoutrement,  and 
the  efficiency  resulting  reflects  very  great  credit  upon 
the  city  and  its  executive  head.  Some  idea  of  the  ex- 
acting duties  required  may  be  seen  in  knowledge  of  the 
fact  that  the  department  polices  an  area  of  over  thirty 
square  miles.     Mr.  Cuff's  first  term  of  appointment  as 


chief  of  police  expired  in  1912,  and  in  1915  he  was 
re-appointed  to  that  office,  and  continues  in  that  capacity 
at  the  present  time   (1919). 

James  Edward  Cuff,  as  his  successful  career  in  the 
department  of  police  shows,  is  a  most  public-spirited 
man,  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  many  different 
aspects  of  the  life  of  this  place.  He  serves  his  city  of 
Cranston  also  as  a  member  of  the  Fire  Department.  He 
is  a  prominent  and  respected  member  of  St.  Anne's 
Roman  Catholic  Church  and  belongs  to  the  Cranston 
Council  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  He  is  aftiliated 
with  the  Edgewood  Yacht  Club,  and  the  Rhode  Island 
Yacht  Clul).     Mr.  Cuff  is  not  married. 


WILLIAM  RAYMOND  BURKE,  D.  D.  S.,  well 
know-n  dental  practitioner,  was  born  in  Stonington, 
Conn.,  November  13,  1883.  He  is  a  son  of  Edward  and 
Mary  (Sullivan)  Burke,  his  father  a  retired  con- 
tractor of  Stonington,  Conn.,  his  mother  deceased.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Burke  had  four  daughters,  Catherine,  .Annie, 
Frances  and  Helen,  all  now  residing  in  Providence, 
and  two  other  sons,  Edward,  a  student  in  Tufts  Medi- 
cal College,  class  of  1918,  and  John,  a  resident  of  Prov- 
idence. 

William  Raymond  Burke  completed  the  public  school 
courses  at  Stonington  with  graduation  from  high  school 
in  igo2.  He  was  variously  employed  for  a  year  or 
two,  then  decided  upon  a  profession,  and  entered  Bal- 
timore College  of  Dentistry,  and  in  1907  was  graduated 
D.  D.  S.  The  same  year  he  located  in  Providence.  R.  I., 
opening  office  at  No.  411  Howard  building,  there  min- 
istering to  the  dental  needs  of  a  large  clientele.  Dr. 
Burke  is  a  member  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Knights  of 
Columbus.  Catholic  Club,  Columbus  Club,  St.  Michael's 
Catholic  Club.  Metacomet  Golf  Club,  Providence  Lodge, 
No.  14.  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  Phi 
Psi  Phi  fraternity,  Rhode  Island  Dental  Society,  and 
member  of  the  executive  committee.  His  favorite  re- 
creations are  golf  and  fishing,  his  politics,  independent. 

Dr.  Burke  married,  September  9,  1914.  in  St.  Joseph's 
Church,  Providence,  R.  I.,  .A.gnes  Cecelia  Conlonche. 
They  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Barbara,  born  in 
Providence,  January  16,  1918. 


JAMES  GERALD  HINES— On  October  i,  18S3, 
the  business  now  incorporated  as  the  Thurston  Manu- 
facturing Company,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  was  estab- 
lished by  Horace  Thurston  for  the  manufacture  of 
machinery  and  fine  tools  used  by  the  jewelry  trade. 
The  company  has  ever  been  a  prosperous  one,  their 
product  being  sold  all  over  the  United  States  and  in 
foreign  countries.  Since  1903  Mr.  Hines  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  company,  and  since  July,  1913,  has  been 
treasurer  and  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors. 

James  G.  Hines  was  born  in  Oak  Lawn,  town  of 
Cranston.  R.  I.,  December  22,  1879,  son  of  James  and 
Mary  (Cuddy)  Hines,  his  father  deceased,  his  mother 
a  resident  of  Oak  Lawn.  He  finished  public  school 
courses  with  graduation  from  Cranston  High  School 
in  1900,  following  this  study  by  eighteen  months  at 
LaSalle  Academy,  Providence.  He  was  a  student  in 
Canada  for  eighteen  months  after  leaving  LaSalle,  then 
took  a  course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College, 
Providence.  He  began  business  life  as  a  clerk  with 
the  Thurston  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Providence, 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


155 


and  for  the  past  fifteen  years,  1903-18,  he  has  been 
associated  with  the  company,  now  being  treasurer  and 
director.  Mr.  Hines  is  a  member  of  St  Michael's 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  treasurer  of  the  local  order. 
Knights  of  Columbus;  member  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks;  and  in  politics  is  an  In- 
dependent. 

Mr.  Hines  married,  November  22,  1917,  Ellen  Mary 
Stone,  of  Auburn,  R.  I.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a 
son,  Jnmes  Gerald,  Jr. 


RALPH    COLLINGWOOD    WATROUS— Since 

1804  the  real  estate  business  has  closely  held  the  interest 
of  Ralph  C.  Watrous,  and  so  vigorously  has  he  pur- 
sued the  business  that  since  August,  1908,  it  has  been 
conducted  by  a  corporation  known  as  the  Ralph  C. 
Watrous  Company,  of  which  he  is  president  and  a  direc- 
tor. The  offices  of  the  company  are  at  \o.  436  Indus- 
trial Trust  building.  Providence,  and  there  a  very  large 
business  is  conducted  through  the  varied  departments 
of  real  estate  operation  and  development  into  which 
the  company  is  divided.  Mr.  Watrous  is  one  of  the 
leading  operators  of  the  city,  and  during  the  quarter  of 
a  century  that  he  has  operated  in  Providence  he  has 
been  concerned  in  many  of  the  most  important  move- 
ments in  Providence  real  estate,  both  city  and  sub- 
urban. He  is  an  expert  on  valuation  and  investment, 
his  opinion  on  property  values  having  the  weight  of 
linal  authority.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  his 
undertakings,  and  is  one  of  the  substantial,  highly 
regarded  men  of  his  business.  He  is  a  son  of  Leonard 
and  Mary  .\.  (Nichols)  Watrous,  of  Mystic,  Conn. 

Ralph  Collingwood  Watrous  was  born  in  Mystic, 
Conn.,  July  19,  1866,  and  there  obtained  his  early  edu- 
cation in-  the  public  schools.  He  continued  his  studies 
in  the  public  schools  of  Hope  Valley,  R.  I.,  and  was 
variously  engaged  until  1894,  when  he  located  in  the 
city  of  Providence.  R.  I.,  which  city  has  since  been  his 
home.  After  coming  to  the  city  he  opened  a  real 
estate  office,  and  soon  became  well  known  as  a  j'oung 
man  of  great  energy  and  unusual  ability.  His  opera- 
tions increased  in  importance  as  the  years  passed,  until 
finally  his  business  grew  bej'ond  his  ability  to  handle 
•t  properly  and  to  distribute  the  work,  and  the  Ralph 
C.  Watrous  Company  was  incorporated,  Ralph  C.  \\'at- 
rous,  president.  This  office  he  still  holds,  the  company 
a  large  and  prosperous  realty  corporation.  In  the  pur- 
suit of  his  career  Mr.  ^^'atrous  has  acquired  other  in- 
terests of  importance,  and  holds  official  relation  with 
,  them.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Rhode  Island  Safe 
Deposit  Company;  director  of  the  Title  Guarantee  Com- 
j  pany  of  Rhode  Island,  and  a  member  of  the  executive 
I  committee;  is  president  of  the  Wood  River  Branch 
Railroad  Company;  and  has  other  interests. 
In  1907  and  1908.  Mr.  Watrous  was  lieutenant-gov- 
!  emor  of  Rhode  Island,  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
'  his  record  as  presiding  officer  of  the  Senate  and  in  the 
performance  of  the  other  duties  of  his  office  being 
highly  creditable.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Providence 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Radio  Institute  of  New 
York,  Lodge,  Chapter,  Council  and  Commandery  of  the 
York  Rite  of  Masonry,  a  thirty-second  .degree  member 
of  the  Ancient  .\ccepted  Scottish  Rite,  a  member  of 
Central  Congregational  Church,  and  of  the  Providence 
clubs,    Chomouwauke    Lodge,    Squantum    Association, 


.\rt  and  Turk's  Head.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  social 
instincts,  and  extremely  fond  of  out-of-door  sports,  is 
an  expert  amateur  photographer,  and  an  adv.Tnced  ex- 
perimenter in  wireless  telegraphy.  His  summer  home 
at  Warwick  Neck  is  an  abode  of  hospitality  and  good 
cheer. 

Mr.  Watrous  married,  June  23,  1892,  Susan  A.  Al- 
drich,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  The  family  home  is  at 
No.  20  Deman  place. 


FREDERIC  S.  NOCK— The  career  of  Frederic  S. 
Niick  is  an  excellent  example  of  the  i)ossibilities  that 
await  an  ambitious  and  well  educated  young  man  who 
comes  here  to  make  his  home  and  his  fortune.  There 
is  always  an  element  of  the  picturesque  and  interesting 
in  the  story  of  the  foreigner  who  makes  his  way  to 
the  top  of  the  ladder  of  success  and  wins  the  prize 
despite  every  handicap,  and  this  is  true  in  the  case  of 
the  life  history  of  Frederic  S.  Nock.  It  is  no  less 
noteworthy  because  he  came  trained  for  the  work  he 
was  to  undertake,  for  many  as  well  equipped  as  he  have 
never  acquired  the  necessary  momentum  to  enable 
them  to  leave  the  ranks  and  attain  a  competency  and 
success. 

Frederic  S.  Nock  is  a  designer  and  builder  of  yachts 
and  other  small  craft  at  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  and  in 
this  village  conducts  a  large  and  flourishing  business  at 
the  foot  of  Division  street.  He  is  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, having  been  born  in  Birmingham,  November  20, 
1.H71.  He  is  a  son  of  Stephen  Leith  and  Emma  (Marsh) 
Nock,  of  that  city,  his  father  having  been  a  noted 
worker  in  art  metal,  and  was  an  authority  in  the 
ecclesiastical  branch  c^f  this  art.  He  was  also  a  skilled 
construction  engineer.  Stephen  L.  Nock  died  in  1906, 
his  wife  still  being  alive  and  now  makes  her  home 
with  her  son  in  East  Greenwich. 

Frederic  S.  Nock  was  educated  under  private  tutors 
in  Birmingham  up  to  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the 
family  to  London,  after  which  he  entered  Hand's 
School,  where  he  did  college  preparatory  work.  He 
then  went  to  the  school  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Schools  Society  in  London,  and  was  graduated  from 
its  technical  course.  He  was  then  apprenticed  under 
the  direction  of  his  father  to  the  trade  of  pattern- 
making  in  wood  and  metal.  He  was  an  energetic  and 
ambitious  young  man,  and  foreseeing  the  larger  oppor- 
tunities awaiting  effort  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic, 
came  over  early  in  life  to  try  his  fortune  in  America. 
In  the  j'ear  1894  he  founded  the  Narragansett  Yacht 
Agency,  a  highly  successful  enterprise  in  Providence, 
and  in  1900  became  connected  with-  the  Holmes  Ship- 
building Company  of  Mystic,  Conn.,  in  which,  on  acr 
count  of  his  wide  knowledge  of  ship  construction,  he 
was  employed  as  naval  architect  and  superintendent. 
In  the  year  1902  he  acquired  the  possession  of  the  boat- 
shops  and  marine  railway  situated  at  the  foot  of 
Division  street.  East  Greenwich,  and  here  a  large  and 
prosperous  business  is  at  present  conducted  under  his 
personal  management.  The  establishment  is  large  and 
splendidly  equipped  with  every  modern  device  in  use 
for  the  building  of  vessels  of  all  types,  and  there  is 
every  preparation  for  doing  high-class  building  and  repair 
work.  His  docks  contain  twelve  feet  of  water  at  low 
tide,  making  them  adequate  for  the  receiving  of  vessels 
of  large  size.     There  is  a  large  basin  for  storage  pur- 


•156 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


poses,  with  twenty  feet  of  water  and  with  every  facility 
for  the  hauling  out  of  vessels  and  their  storage  during 
winter  months. 

Mr.  Nock's  skill  as  a  designer  and  builder  of  vessels 
has  brought  him  into  wide  prominence  in  yachting 
circles  throughout  the  entire  country,  and  has  brought 
him  patronage  from  far  and  near.  His  ability  has  been 
amply  proven  through  many  years  of  activity,  and 
many  of  the  finest  sailing  yachts  and  power  boats  have 
come  from  his  stocks.  He  was  the  designer  and  builder 
of  the  launch  "Circe,"  which  in  its  time  was  the  finest 
gasoline  launch  of  its  size  in  the  country.  Perhaps  his 
most  famous  work  was  the  "Ethelea,"  a  gasoline  yacht 
seventy  feet  in  length,  with  a  speed  of  twenty-three 
knots,  which  is  the  finest  and  fastest  of  her  kind  yet 
built.  This  boat  is  a  radical  departure  from  all  the 
accepted  standards,  but  her  performance  has  been 
such  as  to  vindicate  in  every  particular  the  theories  of 
her  builder,  and  is  still  in  active  service.  Mr.  Nock  is 
universally  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  capable  and 
masterly  builders  of  vessels  who  has  ever  operated  in 
this  region,  and  takes  a  high  place  among  the  whole 
fraternity  of  builders  and  designers  in  the  United 
States.  He  keeps  in  touch  with  all  the  advances  made 
in  the  science  of  ship-building,  and  he  never  allows  any 
detail  on  the  technical  or  business  side  of  the  enterprise 
to  escape  his  vigilance.  Mr.  Nock  is  an  active  and  in- 
terested member  of  the  Society  of  Naval  Architects  and 
Marine  Engineers,  and  of  the  New  England  Engine 
and  Boat  Association.  He  also  holds  membership  in 
the  Varnum  Continentals,  a  military  organization  of 
East  Greenwich ;  in  the  Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club ;  in 
the  Edgewood  (R.  I.)  Vacht  Club;  in  the  East  Green- 
wich (R.  I.)  Yacht  Club;  in  the  Harrington  (R.  I.) 
Yacht  Club,  and  in  the  Boston  (Mass.)  Yacht  Club. 
In  political  beliefs  Mr.  Nock  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Nock  married,  January  30,  1897,  Florence  E. 
Adams,  daughter  of  S.  F.  Adams,  of  Providence,  R.  I. 


JOSEPH  B.  O'NEILL,  A.  B.,  M.  D.,  a  native  and 
life-long  resident  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  where  he  now 
enjoys  a  wide  reputation  as  a  capable  and  successful 
physician,  was  born  March  7,  1871,  a  son  of  Daniel 
and  Ellen  (McCanna)  O'Neill.  His  parents  were  both 
born  in  Ireland  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  early 
youth  and  settled  in  Massachusetts  where  they  were 
married  and  shortly  afterwards  removed  to  Pawtucket. 
Mr.  O'Neill  here  became  one  of  the  pioneer  undertakers 
of  the  city  and  died  in  the  year  1905.  His  wife  had 
already  died  in  the  year  iSgo. 

Joseph  B.  O'Neill,  their  son,  attended  the  public 
schools  at  Pawtucket,  where  he  was  prepared  for  col- 
lege, and  then  attended  Brown  University  from  which 
institution  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1894,  receiv- 
ing the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  had  already 
determined  upon  medicine  as  a  profession,  and  accord- 
ingly entered  the  Medical  School  of  the  University  of 
Maryland  where  he  gained  his  medical  degree  in  1900. 
Dr.  O'Neill  then  took  a  post-graduate  course  at  the 
Post  Graduate  Hospital  at  New  York  City,  and  after 
remaining  there  for  two  years,  returned  in  1902  to 
Pawtucket  and  began  active  practice  there.  He  met 
with  substantial  success  from  the  outset  and  eventually 
opened  an  office  at  No.  180  liast  avenue,  and  still  makes 
that  his  headquarters. 


Dr.  O'Neill  married.  November  23,  1910,  at  Paw- 
tucket. Miss  Margaret  F.  Montague,  a  daughter  of 
Michael  and  Sarah  (Mc."\levy)  Montague,  old  and  high- 
ly respected  residents  of  that  city.  Mr.  Montague,  who 
was  for  many  years  an  employee  of  the  Union  Wadding 
Company,  is  now  deceased,  but  Mrs.  Montague  sur- 
vives him  and  resides  still  at  Pawtucket.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
O'Neill  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Margaret  M. 

Dr.  O'Neill  enlisted  and  was  commissioned  first- 
lieutenant  in  the  Medical  Corps  of  the  United  States 
Army,  October,  1918,  and  was  stationed  at  Camp  Green- 
leaf  (Chicamaugua  Park),  Ga.,  and  was  mustered  out 
December  20,  1918. 

Dr.  O'Neill  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the  social  and 
club  life  of  Pawtucket  and  is  associated  with  a  number 
of  important  organizations  there.  Besides  the  Provi- 
dence Medical  Association,  of  which  he  is  a  very 
active  member,  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Pawtucket 
Council,  Knights  of  Columbus;  the  Ancient  Order  of 
Hibernians,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America;  and 
the  Irish  National  Foresters.  He  has  always  been  in- 
terested in  the  welfare  of  the  city  and  has  given  many 
proofs  of  his  public  spirit. 


GEORGE   WILLIAM   SMITH— As   agent  of  the 

National  &  Providence  Worsted  Mills,  Mr.  Smith  is 
at  the  head  of  an  important  branch  of  the  American 
Woolen  Company.  The  history  of  these  mills  is  very 
interesting,  and  dates  from  1876,  when  Charles  Fletcher 
established  them  under  the  name  of  the  Providence 
Worsted  Mills,  which  became  the  corporate  name  in 
1883  under  Rhode  Island  State  laws.  On  the  premises 
there  was  an  old  stone  mill  which  burned  several  years 
ago,  and  in  that  building  the  company  began  the  spin- 
ning of  yarn.  Upon  that  business  has  grown  up  the 
largest  individual  fancy  worsted  mill  in  the  country. 
In  18S6,  a  weaving  department  was  added,  the  firm 
incorporating  as  the  National  Worsted  Mills.  These 
two  corporations  pursued  business  separately  until  1893, 
when  they  merged  and  became  the  National  &  Provi- 
dence Worsted  Mills,  chartered  under  Rhode  Island 
laws  and  capitalized  at  $2,000,000.  This  mill  together 
with  the  Saranack  Mills,  of  Blackstone,  Mass.,  was 
absorbed  by  the  American  Woolen  Company,  at  the 
time  of  its  formation  in  1899. 

George  W.  is  a  son  of  Richard  P.  Smith,  born  in 
Leominster,  Mass.,  June  20,  1848,  died  October,  1912, 
a  master  mechanic  of  woolen  and  worsted  mills.  He 
married  Margaret  H.  Monahan,  born  in  January,  1837, 
who  survives  him,  now  a  resident  of  Providence.  They 
were  the  parents  of;  George  W.,  of  further  mention; 
Mary  C,  widow  of  Thomas  McGctrick,  of  East  Green- 
wich and  Providence;  Eleanor  B.,  a  teacher,  married 
Fred  Ritchie,  of  Dorchester,  Mass.,  now  with  a  medical 
unit.  American  Expeditionary  Forces  in  France;  Helen 
S.,  married  James  W.  McNamara,  assistant  principal 
of   the   Fitchburg,   Mass.,  High   School. 

George  William  Smith  was  born  in  Leominster, 
Mass.,  February  22,  1871,  and  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  city  and  Fitchburg.  finishing  in  high 
school.  During  his  school  years  he  was  employed  at 
times  in  the  James  Phillips  Mills,  and  after  finishing 
high  school  he  spent  five  years  in  the  office  employ  of 
the  same  mills  becoming  assistant  paymaster.  From  the 
Phillips  Mills,  Mr.  Smith  went  to  New  York  City,  where 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


157 


he  spent  six  months  in  the  clerical  employ  of  the  New 
York  "Press,"  of  New  York  City,  resigning  to  return 
to  New  England.  There  he  became  a  bookkeeper  in 
the  Star  Worsted  Mills  at  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  later  re- 
ceiving appointment  to  the  post  of  assistant  superin- 
tendent. He  remained  at  the  Star  Mills  five  years, 
then,  in  1894.  came  to  Rhode  Island,  locating  in  Prov- 
idence, where,  in  1507  he  became  assistant  superinten- 
dent, and  later  agent  of  the  Valley  Mills,  continuing 
in  this  capacity  until  191 1.  The  Valley  Mills  were 
owned  by  the  .\merican  Woolen  Company,  and  in  191 1 
were  closed,  the  company  transferring  Mr.  Smith  to 
their  plant,  the  National  &  Providence  Worsted  Mills, 
as  manager  of  the  yam  department.  He  was  manager 
of  the  yarn  mill  from  191 1  to  1916.  then  he  was  appointed 
agent  for  The  National  &  Providence  Worsted  Mills, 
a  position  which  he  now  fills. 

In  political  faith  a  Republican.  Mr.  Smith  for  seven 
years  represented  his  ward,  the  Ninth,  in  the  Provi- 
dence Common  Council.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  the  Catholic  Club,  the  Wannamoisett 
Country  Club,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  and  is  a  communicant  of  St.  Michael's  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  He  married  in  Providence,  October 
20,  1900,  Catherine  T.  Carroll,  of  Providence,  daughter 
of  .\ndrew  and  Helen  (Flynn)  Carroll.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Richard  Carroll,  born 
February  zj,  1902,  now  a  Classical  High  School  stud- 
ent, class  of  1919. 


DR.  LAMERT  OULTON,  one  01  the  leading  phy- 
sicians and  surgeons  of  Providence.  R.  I.,  and  a  well 
known  figure  in  the  general  life  of  the  community,  is  a 
native  of  Shemoguc.  New  Brunswick,  Canada,  where 
his  birth  occurred  July  4,  1882.  a  son  of  George  and 
Mary  Bell  (Phelan)  Oulton,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  that  place,  who  are  now  both  deceased. 
On  the  paternal  side.  Dr.  Oulton  is  a  descendant  of 
Zachary  Taylor,  twelfth  president  of  the  United  States, 
and  a  son  of  Colonel  Richard  Taylor,  a  veteran  of  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Zachary  Taylor  served  with  dis- 
tinction as  captain  during  the  War  of  181 2,  and  sup- 
pressed the  Indian  uprisings  in  Florida,  and  in  1845 
marched  his  troops  into  Texas  and  played  a  veo'  im- 
portant part  in  the  Mexican  War.  He  was  breveted 
major-general  during  the  Mexican  War.  He  died  July 
9.  1850. 

The  childhood  of  Dr.  Oulton  was  passed  in  his 
native  region,  and  as  a  lad  he  attended  the  local  public 
schools  and  graduated  from  the  high  school  there  with 
the  class  of  1901.  He  then  attended  for  a  year  the 
Canadian  Commercial  College  at  Fredericton.  N.  B., 
and  on  completing  his  studies  at  that  institution  in 
1902,  came  to  the  United  States.  Dr.  Oulton  had  con- 
ceived a  great  interest  in  medicine,  and  entered  the 
Massachusetts  College  of  Pharmacy  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1905  with  the  degree  of  Ph.  B.  He  then 
entered-  the  medical  department  of  Tufts  College  and 
graduated  with  the  class  of  191 1,  receiving  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Prov- 
idence, where  he  immediately  entered  the  Pawtucket 
Memorial  Hospital  and  remained  as  an  interne  in  that 
institution  until  1913.  He  was  then  appointed  to  the 
staff  of  the  same  hospital,  and  at  the  same  time  began 


a  general  practice  in  this  city.  It  was  not  long  before 
Dr.  Oulton  made  a  position  of  importance  for  himself 
in  the  medical  profession  of  Providence,  and  he  is 
widely  known  as  a  successful  specialist  in  general 
surgery.  He  is  now  an  assisting  visiting  surgeon  of 
the  Pawtucket  Memorial  Hospital.  Dr.  Oulton  is  well 
known  in  the  fraternal  and  social  circles  of  Provi- 
dence, and  is  a  member  of  the  American  Hospital 
.Association,  the  Providence  Medical  Society,  and  Rhode 
Island  Medical  Society,  the  Clinical  Congress  of  North 
American  Surgeons,  and  is  a  fellow  of  the  American 
Medical  Society.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  Putnam 
Lodge,  .Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  In  politics 
Dr.  Oulton  is  a  Republican,  and  he  attends  the  Central 
Congregational  Church.  Dr.  Oulton  enlisted  in  the 
navy  upon  the  entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the 
European  War,  and  holds  the  commission  of  a  surgeon 
in  "The  Navy  at  Large"  and  is  still  on  call. 

Dr.  Oulton  was  united  in  marria.trc.  July  20.  1914,  at 
Pawtucket,  with  Helen  Eddy  Fitz.  a  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward E.  and  Minnie  L.  (Whelden)  Fitz,  and  a  great- 
granddaughter  of  Raymond  P.  Eddy,  a  very  distin- 
guished physician  in  his  time  and  the  first  president  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Oul- 
ton are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Ruth  Oulton.  born 
December  16.  1917. 


WILLMARTH  -  MacKILLOP.   Incorporated  —As 

general  contractor.>;  anil  builders  and  lumlier  dealers, 
Willmarth-MacKillop,  Incorporated,  have  won  a  repu- 
tation which  extends  far  Iieyond  local  limits.  The 
business  was  started  in  a  small  way  by  John  W.  Will- 
marth  and  R.  K.  MacKillop  in  1879.  and  existed  as  a 
partnership  until  1910  under  the  firm  name,  Willmarth 
&  MacKillop.  They  began  business  modestly,  but  ex- 
pansion soon  be,gan,  and  each  year  more  and  larger 
building  contracts  were  executed,  and  more  men  em- 
ployed. In  1910.  the  business  was  incorporated  as 
Willmarth-MacKillop,  Incorporated.  John  W.  Will- 
marth, president;  Willard  .\.  Lenz,  vice-president;  R. 
K.  MacKillop.  treasurer;  and  W.  N.  Brown,  secretary 
and  assistant-treasurer. 

Among  the  buildings  erected  by  the  firm  the  most 
prominent  are :  The  Masonic  Hall  in  Providence,  since 
destroyed  by  fire ;  the  Soldiers  Home  at  Bristol ;  the 
Slater  Trust  Company  building,  and  remodeled  banking 
room;  Public  Library  at  Brockton,  Mass.;  the  City 
Hospital  in  Providence;  and  several  school  buildings. 
During  the  past  twenty  years  mills  and  manufacturing 
plants  have  been  the  principal  buildings  erected,  these 
including  the  greater  part  of  the  plant  of  the  Phillips 
Wire  Company,  and  that  of  the  Royal  Weaving  Com- 
pany, in  Pawtucket.  Prior  to  1900.  the  firm's  offices  and 
yards  were  located  on  Dexter  street,  on  land  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  Union  Wadding  Company  for  their  of- 
fices. In  1900  they  erected  their  present  building  on 
Freeman  street,  between  Central  avenue  and  Cottage 
street. 


JOHN  W.  WILLMARTH— One  of  the  founders 
of  the  well  established  and  highly  reputable  contract- 
ing and  lumber  dealing  companies.  Willmarth-Mac- 
Killop. Incorporated,  was  John  W.  Willmarth,  the 
present  executive  head  of  the  corporation.     He  is  the 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


fourth  son  of  Pascal  Ellery  Willmarth.  and  his  second 
wife.  Mary  E.  (Webster)  Willmarth,  of  Freetown, 
Mass.  Pascal  Ellery  Wilimartli  was  a  son  of  John 
Willmarth.  son  of  Nathaniel  Willmarth,  son  of  John 
Wiomot  or  Willmarth,  who  was  of  Rehoboth,  Mass., 
February  6,  167!.  Pascal  Ellery  Willmarth,  of  the  sixth 
generation,  died  in  Seekonk,  March  26,  1864,  and  his 
widow.  Mary  E.  (Webster)  Willmarth,  survived  him 
thirty  years,  until  August  7,  1S94,  aged  sixtv-seven 
years. 

John  W.  Willmarth  was  born  in  Seekonk,  R.  I., 
December  8,  1851,  and  there  attended  the  district 
schools  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age.  He  assisted 
in  the  farm  work  until  his  seventeenth  year,  then  began 
learning  the  carpenter's  trade  with  Bliss  &  Carpenter, 
continuing  with  that  building  firm  for  eight  years.  He 
became  a  skilled  workman,  and  after  completing  his 
term  of  apprenticeship  was  employed  as  a  journevman. 
In  1876  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Carpenter, 
his  old  employer,  and  as  Carpenter  &  Willmarth  they 
conducted  a  building  business  for  two  years.  In  1878 
Robert  K.  MacKillop  purchased  Mr.  Carpenters  inter- 
est, and  the  firm  of  Willmarth  &  MacKillop  was 
launched.  Forty  years  have  since  intervened  and  both 
men  are  yet  closely  identified  with  the  business  which 
has  become  one  of  the  stable  institutions  of  Pawtucket, 
now  housed  in  its  own  building,  with  a  wood  working 
plant  unsurpassed  in  its  equipment  and  scope.  Since 
1910  Mr.  Willmarth  has  been  president  of  the  company. 
For  many  years  Mr.  Willmarth  was  connected  with 
the  Pawtucket  fire  department,  and  on  March  i,  i8g6, 
succeeded  John  Brierly,  a  chief,  being  the  second  man 
to  hold  the  office  since  Pawtucket  became  a  chartered 
city.  He  is  a  member  of  all  bodies  of  the  Masonic 
order,  and  holds  the  highly  coveted  thirty-third  degree. 
Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  and  is  highly  regarded 
by  his  brethren  of  the  Rite. 

Mr.  \\'illmarth  married,  in  1907,  Ida  Cross,  of  South- 
bridge.  Mass.,  and  resides  in  the  handsome  home  he 
purchased  at  the  corner  of  Orchard  and  Central  avenues 


passed  have  not  broken  either  the  business  association 
nor  the  friendship,  and  together  the  two  men  have  built 
up  the  contracting  and  lumber  business  which  they  in- 
corporated in  1910,  Mr.  MacKillop  being  treasurer. 

Mr.  MacKillop  married,  in  iSSo,  Adela  Josephine 
Phillips,  of  Providence.  Thev  are  the  parents  of  two 
daughters  :    Margery  and  Mild'red  Adela. 


ROBERT  K.  MacKILLOP,  now  treasurer  of  Will- 
marth-MacKilIop,  Incorporated,  of  which  he  was  a 
founder,  came  to  Rhode  Island  in  1871,  and  with  that 
firm  he  began  his  long  and  successful  career  as  a 
builder  and  business  man  of  Pawtucket.  He  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Catherine  (Kelso)  MacKillop,  both  natives 
of  Scotland.  In  1829  they  came  to  the  Province  of 
Quebec.  Canada,  County  of  IMegantic.  settling  in  the 
town  of  Inverness,  where  their  third  child,  Robert  K 
was  born.  ' 

Robert  K.  MacKillop  was  born  in  Inverness.  Canada, 
November  2S.  1S47.  and  after  attending  school  in  his 
youth,  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  In  1871  he  located 
in_  Providence.  R.  I.,  and  a  year  later  in  Pawtucket, 
being  in  charge  of  the  work  on  the  interior  finishing  of 
the  Pawtucket  Town  Hall.  After  completing  his  work 
on  the  Town  Hall,  he  was  next  emploved  by  Kenvon, 
Drown  &  Company,  of  Pawtucket,  and  in  the  mean- 
time made  the  acquaintance  of  John  W.  Willmarth. 
The  young  men  were  mutuallv  attracted,  with  the 
result  that  in  1878  the  new  firm,  Willmarth  &  Mac- 
Killop, was  formed.    The  forty  years  which  have  since 


HERBERT  LESLIE  CARPENTER— Among  the 
successful  attorneys  and  influential  citizens  of  Woon- 
socket,  R.  I.,  the  name  of  Herbert  Leslie  Carpenter  is 
prominently  identified  with  many  dififerent  departments 
of  the  community's  affairs,  and  in  all  of  them  is  a 
leader.  Mr.  Carpenter  is  a  native  of  Menden,  Mass., 
where  his  birth  occurred  September  2,  1878.  He  is  a 
son  of  Leslie  and  Clara  (Wilson)  Carpenter,  the  former 
now  deceased.  The  first  five  years  of  Mr.  Carpenter's 
life  were  spent  in  the  town  of  Menden,  but  in  the  year 
1S83,  his  parents  removed  to  the  town  of  North  Smith- 
field,  R.  I. 

It  was  at  North  Smithfield  that  Herbert  Leslie  Car- 
penter first   attended   school,   and  it  was   at   the   public 
institutions  of  that  place  that  he  gained  his  elementary 
education.      He    then    attended    the    Woonsocket    High 
School   where  he  was  prepared   for   college   and  grad- 
uated in  the  year  1898.     In  the  meantime  he  had  deter- 
mined upon  the  law  as  his  profession,  and  accordingly 
entered     the    law     department    of    the    University    of 
Boston,  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1901,  with 
the  degree  of  LL.  B.     In  the  month  of  October,  in  the 
same  year,   Mr.  Carpenter  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode 
Island  bar,  and  he  at  once  began  active  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Woonsocket  and  has   remained   thus  en- 
gaged ever  since.     He  has  gained  an  enviable   reputa- 
tion  for  ability  and   for  the  high  standards  of  profes- 
sional ethics  which  he  has  always  maintained,  and  he  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  bar  in 
Woonsocket.     Mr.  Carpenter  has  also  been  exceedingly 
active  in  the  political  affairs  of  the  town,  and  has  held 
a  number  of  the  most  important  offices  in  the  gift  of 
the  community.     He  is  a  staunch  Democrat  in  politics, 
and  was  elected  on  the  ticket  of  that  party  in   1905,  to 
the  Rhode  Island  State  Legislature  to  represent  Woon- 
socket, serving  on  that  body  in   1905  and   1906.     Later 
he   was   elected   to   the   Town    Council    and   served   as 
president   of   that   body   in    1917.      Mr.    Carpenter  is   a 
prominent  figure  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  here,  and 
is   a   member   of   Eureka   Lodge,    No.   28.    Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  Myrtle  Lodge,  No.   i.  Knights 
of   Pythias,   being  past   chancellor   commander   of   that 
Ijody;  Winona  Council,  No.  i.  Junior  Order  of  Amer- 
ican   Mechanics;    Woonsocket    Lodge,    Benevolent    and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks;  he  is  also  affiliated  with  the 
Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  the  Ironstone 
Country  Club,  of  which  he  is  president.    In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Carpenter  is  a  Congregationalist  and  attends 
the  church  of  that  denomination  here. 

Herbert  Leslie  Carpenter  was  united  in  marriage 
October  5,  1905.  at  Blackstone.  Mass.,  with  Gertrude 
Woodworth,  a  daughter  of  Rollin  and  Mary  (Kelly) 
Woodworth,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  there. 
One  child  has  been  born  of  this  union,  Woodworth 
Leslie. 


/x  ^-TT  Co-^^i^l^c^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


159 


ALBERT  EDWIN  HAYES,  M.  D.,  was  born  in 
Birmingliam,  England.  ]<"cbruary  9,  1867,  son  of  Edwin 
and  Emma  (Chamberlain)  Hayes.  He  attended  the 
board  U'ul'l'c)  schools  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
and  then  entered  King  Edward's  School  (high  school), 
completing  a  four  years'  course.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
he  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of  mctalist,  correspond- 
ing to  the  trade  known  in  the  United  States  as  die 
cutter.  In  1888  he  came  to  the  United  States,  arriving 
November  5,  and  proceeded  the  same  day  to  Providence, 
R.  I.  He  was  employed  at  his  trade  in  Providence  that 
winter  and  the  following  year,  returning  to  England  in 
l8go.  The  same  year  he  came  again  to  New  York  City, 
there  remaining  about  three  years,  working  at  his  trade 
until  June,  1893,  then  returning  to  Providence. 

Deciding  upon  a  professional  career,  he  entered  Har- 
vard Medical  School,  and  there,  after  a  most  creditable 
career  as  a  student  was  graduated  an  M.  D.,  class  of 
1898.  This  was  a  long  step  toward  the  realization  of 
his  ambition,  but  he  spent  another  year  in  hospital  work 
in  St.  John's  Hospital  in  Lowell,  Mass..  .going  thence 
to  England,  where  he  spent  sixteen  months  in  special 
study  of  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat.  Dr. 
Hayes  returned  from  abroad  in  1904,  and  at  once  began 
practice  in  Providence,  as  general  practitioner,  but  as 
the  years  have  passed  he  has  given  more  and  more 
attention  to  eye,  ear.  nose  and  throat  diseases,  special- 
izing in  those  diseases  to  a  large  extent.  Since  1900  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  staff  of  the  Eye  Department 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Medical  Association.  Rhode  Island  Medical, 
Massachusetts  Medical,  and  Providence  Medical  asso 
ciations.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  is  devoted 
to  his  profession,  and  has  taken  no  part  in  public  affairs, 
nor  affiliated  with  the  fraternal  orders. 

Dr.  Hayes  married.  January  I,  1904,  Fannie  A.  Col- 
well,  of  Providence,  they  the  parents  of  two  dan.ghters 
and  a  son:  Marjorie,  died  June  2,  1916;  Elizabeth, 
born  Sept.  3,  1909;  Albert  Edwin  (2),  born  March  10, 
1913- 


ORRIS  P.  HUNTLEY— .'\s  a  retired  business  man 
of  long  standing,  and  at  present  a  State  representative, 
Mr.  Huntley  naturally  holds  a  conspicuous  place  in  his 
home  town  of  Pawtucket.  He  plays  a  large  part  in 
local  affairs  of  the  Grand  .'^rniy  of  the  Republic,  and 
in  connection  with  numerous  fraternal  and  social  or- 
ganizations. 

Seth  P.  Huntley,  father  of  Orris  P.  Hnntloy,  was  born 
in  1796,  and  was  a  farmer,  filling  also  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace.  He  was  of  Franklin  county.  Ver- 
mont. Mr.  Huntley  married  Hannah  Fields,  who  was 
born  in  1798,  in  Genesee,  N.  Y.,  and  their  children 
were:  Orrilla  Denio;  Charles  C.  died  in  1917;  Oliver 
F.,  died  in  1909;  Lois  R. ;  Lydia  P.;  Zenas  P.,  died  in 
1904;  Mary  J.,  died  in  1909;  Chester  S.,  died  in  1916; 
Orris  P.,  mentioned  below;  and  Roxana,  died  in  1907. 
Lois  and  Lydia  were  twins.  Lydia  died  in  TS94,  and 
Lois  is  now  living  at  the  age  of  ninety-two  years.  Mr. 
Huntley  died  in  -August,  1862,  and  his  widow  passed 
away  in   1885. 

Orris  P.,  son  of  Seth  P.  and  Hannah  (Fields)  Hunt- 
ley, was  born  July  18.  1842,  in  Bakersfield,  \'t.,  and 
received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Lander- 


hill  and  \ermont  and  at  Green  Academy.  He  then 
engaged  in  farming,  going  in  1S62  to  Lesucur  county, 
Minnesota,  and  associating  himself  with  the  lumber 
and  flour  business.  Soon  after  going  there  Mr.  Hunt- 
ley enlisted  in  Company  K,  Fourth  Regiment,  Minne- 
sota Infantry,  and  served  one  year  as  a  soldier  of  the 
Civil  War. 

In  1873  Mr.  Huntley  came  to  Pawtucket.  where  for 
a  time  he  was  variously  employed,  eventually  obtain- 
ing a  position  in  the  shipping  department  of  the  J.  & 
P.  Coates  Thread  Company.  This  position  he  retained 
for  twenty-six  years,  retiring  in  October,  1910. 

In  politics  Mr.  Huntley  has  long  been  active.  He  is 
now  notary  public,  and  in  1918  was  elected  State  rep- 
resentative, much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  large  num- 
ber of  his  fellow  citizens  who  regard  him  with  implicit 
confidence.  He  is  past  commander  of  the  Tower 
Port,  No.  17,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  Paw- 
tucket, and  for  twenty-six  years  has  served  as  collector 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  also  hold- 
ing membership  in  the  New  England  Workmen.  He 
belongs  to  the  Republican  Club,  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Huntley  married.  March  17,  1867,  in  Ottawa, 
Minn.,  Mary  W.,  born  November  2,  1846,  daughter  of 
Seth  and  Christiana  (Dexter)  Cowan,  the  former  a 
contractor,  of  Mattapoisett,  Mass.  The  following  childr 
ren  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huntley:  Lila  M.,  born 
.■\ug.  2,  1868.  married  Howard  L.  .-Xngell,  of  Providence, 
who  died  Oct.  s,  1906;  and  Frank  K..  born  Nov.  20, 
1870,  now  employed  on  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and 
Hartford  Railroad.    Mrs.  Huntley  died  Dec.  16.  1917. 

As  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Huntley  finds  his 
greatest  interest,  apart  from  his  political  obligations,  in 
the  affairs  of  the  Grand  .Army  of  the  Republic.  Both 
as  soldier  and  citizen,  he  has  a  most  honorable  record, 
and  his  fellow  citizens  have  emphatically  testified  to 
their  appreciation  of  his  character  and  work. 


FRANK  JOSEPH  DUFFY,  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful of  the  younger  attorneys  of  Olncyville,  R.  I.,  is 
a  native  of  County  Monahan,  Ireland,  where  his  birth 
occurred  Februarv  2,  1884.  Mr.  Duffy  is  a  son  of 
Michael  and  Sarah  (DufTy)  Duffy,  who  left  their 
native  land  and  came  to  the  United  States  when  their 
son  was  about  eighteen  months  of  age.  Mr.  Duffy's 
life  has  of  course  been  entirely  associated  with  the 
United  States,  where  he  has  resided  since  that  early 
age,  and  it  was  at  the  schools  of  Providence,  that  he 
received  his  education.  He  attended  the  Harris  avenue 
Grammar  School  at  Riverpoint.  and  the  English  High 
School,  graduating  from  the  latter  with  the  class  of 
1905.  About  this  time  his  father  died,  and  the  young 
man  had  to  seek  remunerative  employment  at  once  in 
order  to  aid  in  the  support  of  the  family.  He  was 
twenty  years  of  age  at  the  time  and  his  first  employment 
was  at  the  Atlantic  Mills,  where  he  worked  in  the 
wool  room.  Shortly  afterwards  he  secured  a  position 
at  the  Providence  Public  Market.  He  had  not,  how- 
ever, surrendered  his  ambition  for  a  good  education, 
and  as  soon  as  his  means  permitted,  he  entered 
the  Union  University  at  .Albany,  the  best  known 
law  school  of  that  city,  and  there  prepared  himself  to 
practice  the  profession  of  law.  After  distinguishing 
himself  for  scholarship  and  general  good  character,  at 


i6o 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


this  institution,  Mr.  Duffy  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1911,  taking  his  degree  of  LL.  B.,  and  at  once  entered 
the  office  of  Thomas  A.  Carroll,  a  prominent  attorney 
of  Providence.  Here  he  remained  until  his  admission 
to  the  Rhode  Island  bar  in  1913,  after  which  he  estab- 
lished himself  in  practice  on  his  own  account  and  has 
continued  thus  actively  engaged  up  to  the  present  time. 
In  spite  of  the  comparatively  few  years  in  which  Mr. 
Duffy  has  been  active  here,  he  has  already  made  for 
himself  an  enviable  reputation  and  is  now  regarded  as 
among  the  leading  of  the  younger  attorneys  of  the  city. 
Mr.  Duffy  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious  belief 
and  attends  St.  Mary's  Church  of  this  denomination  at 
Providence.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus, the  Olneyville  Business  Men's  Association  and 
serves  on  the  executive  committee  of  the  latter.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  is  exceedingly  active  in 
the  work  of  his  party  and  has  served  on  the  Demo- 
cratic State  Central  Committee.  He  ran  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  as  candidate  for  the  Assembly  of  the 
State,  but  was  defeated.  At  the  present  time  his  law 
practice  has  grown  to  such  size,  that  it  is  now  very 
difficult  for  him  to  devote  any  time  to  politics  or  other 
outside  matters.  Mr.  Duffy  was  a  member  of  a  family 
of  six  children,  including  himself,  two  of  whom  are 
now  deceased,  a  brother,  Michael,  Jr.,  having  died  in 
Ireland,  and  a  sister  who  became  the  wife  of  Herbert 
McAlister,  who  died  in  Pittsburgh,  in  the  month  of 
December,  1918.  The  members  of  the  family  now  liv- 
ing, besides  Mr.  Duffy,  are  as  follows:  John  Thomas, 
who  resides  in  Cranston  ;  Patrick  John,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Providence;  and  IMargaret,  who  resides  with 
her  mother  and  Mr.  Duft'y  in  this  city. 


JESSE  P.  DAWLEY— The  Rocky  Hill  farm,  now 
the  property  of  Jesse  P.  Dawley,  of  Warwick.  R.  I., 
was  purchased  in  the  long  ago  by  his  grandfather,  Jesse 
Brown  Dawley,  who  there  lived  until  his  death.  Jesse 
P.  Dawley  is  a  son  of  Thomas  W.  Dawley,  and  a 
descendant  of  John  Dawley,  of  French  Huguenot  ex- 
traction. His  ancestors  fled  from  France  and  found 
refuge  in  England,  later  settling  in  Ireland.  John 
Dawley  came  to  New  England  in  1660.  and  later  came 
to  Rhode  Island,  settling  first  in  the  "Great  Plain"  in 
North  Kingstov.n.  They  came  to  grief  here,  through 
the  purchase  of  land  from  dishonest  sellers  who  could 
not  give  title.  Later  he  settled  in  the  town  of  Exeter, 
where  the  family  is  yet  found.  The  line  of  descent 
from  John  Dawley,  of  Exeter,  R.  I.,  is  through  the 
founder's  son  Nicholas,  his  son  Nathan,  his  son  Shcb- 
na,  his  son  Jesse  Brown,  his  son  Thomas  W.,  father  of 
Jesse  P. 

Shebna  Dawley,  great-grandfather  of  Jesse  P.  Daw- 
ley, was  born  September  2,  1759,  died  September  19, 
1827.  He  married  Mary  Sherman,  born  October  9, 
1760,  died  October  7.  1833.  They  were  the  parents  of 
a  large  family,  including  a  son,  Jesse  Brown  Dawley, 
born  October  19,  1802,  died  April  27,  1880.  He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  and  in  1861  came  to  the  town 
of  Warwick,  purchasing  a  farm  at  the  summit  of 
Rocky  Hill,  where  he  resided  until  death.  This  farm 
was  located  on  the  highest  elevation  of  land  in  the 
town,  and  during  the  Revolution  the  hill  was  used  as 
an  observation  point   from  which  to  obtain  a  view  of 


the  enemy.  Mr.  Dawley  was  a  man  of  energy  and  pro- 
gressive ideas,  a  good  farmer,  successful  in  all  his 
undertakings.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  served 
as  surveyor  of  highways,  and  was  one  of  the  useful, 
public-spirited  men  of  his  community.  He  bore  the 
military  titles  of  lieutenant  and  captain,  having  been 
commissioned  lieutenant  by  Governor  John  Brown 
Francis,  of  Rhode  Island,  June  29,  1835,  and  captain 
by  the  same  authority,  November  16,  1S36;  his  com- 
mand was  the  First  Company  of  Infantry,  Exeter, 
Washington  county,  R.  I.  Captain  Dawley  married 
Lydia  T.  Rose,  born  September  16,  1S04,  died  May  4, 
1863.  They  were  tlie  parents  of  fourteen  children,  all 
of  whom  have  passed  away  save  Benjamin  Franklin 
Dawley,  of  Crompton,  the  youngest  of  that  large 
family. 

Thomas  W.  Dawley,  thirteenth  child  of  Captain  Jesse 
Brown  and  Lydia  T.  (Rose)  Dawley.  was  born  in 
Crompton,  R.  I.,  June  12,  1845,  died  August  24,  1914. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  town.  With  his  brother  Benjamin  F.  he  worked 
on  the  home  farm,  which  they  received  on  the  death 
of  their  father.  They  continued  to  operate  it  until 
1006,  when  Benjamin  F.  sold  his  share  to  Thomas  W., 
who  conducted  it  with  the  aid  of  his  son.  He  was  a 
very  successful  farmer,  and  highly  respected  in  the 
community  in  which  he  resided.  Thomas  W.  Dawley 
was  trustee  of  the  local  school  board,  and  supervisor  of 
highways.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican.  He  mar- 
ried Eliza  Williams  Shippee.  They  were  the  parents 
of  a  son,  Jesse  P.  Dawley,  of  further  mention,  and  a 
daughter,  Gladys  May,  born  February  26,  1891.  married 
Edward  E.  Searles,  and  resides  in  California. 

Jesse  P.  Dawley,  only  son  of  Thomas  W.  and  Eliza 
\\"illiams  (Shippee)  Dawley,  was  bom  in  Warwick, 
R.  I.,  February  6,  18S0.  and  attended  the  grammar 
school  of  that  place.  LIpon  the  completion  of  his 
studies  he  became  his  father's  assistant  in  the  conduct 
of  the  home  farm,  which  under  their  skillful  manage- 
ment was  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  was 
carefully  cared  for  by  both  father  and  son.  Mr.  Daw- 
ley devotes  his  entire  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  is  very  successful.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  in  religious  affiliation  is  a  member  of  the  Taber- 
nacle Free  Baptist  Church  of  Fiskeville,  R.  I.  He  is 
unmarried. 


HAROLD    GRANVILLE   CALDER,   one    of   the 

leading  physicians  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  a  well 
known  specialist  in  pediatrics,  the  diseases  of  children, 
is  a  member  of  an  old  and  distinguished  New  England 
family,  which  has  been  prominent  in  this  city 
for  a  number  of  generations.  The  earliest  an- 
cestor of  the  Calder  family  of  whom  we  have  definite 
record  was  Alexander  Calder,  a  native  of  Aberdeen, 
Scotland,  where  his  birth  occurred  in  1660.  He  made 
that  city  his  home  during  his  entire  life  and  died  there 
in  1715.  The  founder  of  the  family  in  America  was  his 
son,  VVilliam  Calder,  who  was  born  at  Aberdeen,  Scot- 
land, in  1690,  and  came  to  Boston  prior  to  1732,  where 
he  engaged  in  business  as  a  brewer.  He  is  believed  to 
have  been  lost  at  sea  in  the  year  1768.  Through  him 
the  line  descends  through  his  son,  James  Calder,  to 
John    Calder,   the   great-grandfather   of    Harold    Gran- 


'^^^■^»rrdx^//isfi'rrj-tti'S» 


'^rfii^ 


yyi-o-f  //// cA) ct  It  C  / 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


i6i 


ville  Calder  of  this  sketch.  John  Calder  was  born  Jan- 
uary 23,  1790.  and  died  at  Providence,  August  10.  1873. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  plumbing  business,  and  was 
highly  successful  therein.  His  son,  John  Lewis  Calder, 
was  born  .\pril  8,  1824,  and  died  at  Providence,  Jan. 
25,  1887.  He  married,  Oct.  4,  1S47,  Julia  Frances  Eddy, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  six  children  of  whom  the 
fourth,  in  point  of  age,  was  Charles  Granville,  the 
father  of  the  Dr.  Calder,  of  this  sketch.  Charles 
Granville  Calder,  was  born  Aug.  4,  1857,  and  married, 
Oct.  28,  1880,  Florence  Nightingale  Williams,  a  daughter 
of  Nathan  Bangs  and  Abby  A.  (Jillson)  Williams. 
Four  children  were  born  of  this  union,  as  follows : 
Harold  Granville,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned;  Ernest  Spencer,  born  June  12, 
1S86,  a  prominent  dentist  of  Providence;  Richard 
Lewis,  born  July  5,  1888;  and  Katherine  Florence,  born 
Dec.  8,  1897.  Dr.  Calder  is  a  nephew  of  Professor 
Edwin  Eddy  Calder,  one  of  the  best  known  scientists  in 
the  State  during  the  past  generation,  professor  of 
chemistry  and  dean  of  the  Rhode  Island  School  of 
Pharmacy,  and  a  man  whose  exceptional  ability  in  the 
scientific  world  is  respected  and  admired  by  his  fellow 
citizens  universally. 

Harold  Granville  Calder  was  born  .\ugust  14,  1881, 
at  Providence,  R.  L,  and  received  the  elementary  por- 
tion of  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  this  city. 
He  attended  the  Classical  High  School  of  Providence, 
where  he  was  prepared  for  college,  and  from  which  he 
graduated  in  the  year  1898.  He  then  entered  Brown 
University,  where  he  took  the  usual  academic  course 
and  after  establishing  an  excellent  reputation  for 
scholarship,  graduated  in  1902  with  the  degree  of  Bach- 
elor of  .Arts.  Dr.  Calder  had  already  decided  to  make 
medicine  his  profession  at  this  time,  and  accordingly 
entered  the  Harvard  Medical  School  where  he  w-ell 
maintained  his  reputation  as  a  student,  and  won  the 
regard  of  his  masters  and  the  warm  friendship  of  his 
fellow  undergraduates.  He  graduated  from  the  Har- 
vard Medical  School  with  the  class  of  1906,  received  his 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  and  at  once  became  an 
interne  of  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital,  where  he  gained 
the  practical  experience  necessary.  He  remained  at 
this  institution  for  two  years  and  then  became  con- 
nected with  the  Children's  Hospital,  of  Boston,  Mass., 
serving  at  that  institution  for  another  year.  In  1909 
Dr.  Calder  came  to  Providence,  and  here  established 
himself  in  general  practice.  He  has  gradually,  how- 
ever, come  to  specialize  more  and  more  in  the  diseases 
of  children  and  now  devotes  himself  entirely  to  this 
branch  of  his  profession.  He  has  already  made  for 
himself  an  enviable  reputation  in  his  chosen  field,  and 
is  regarded  as  an  authority  therein.  In  addition  to  his 
private  practice,  Dr.  Calder  has  become  associated  with 
a  number  of  important  hospitals  and  is  visiting  physi- 
cian of  the  out-patient  department  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Hospital,  assistant  visiting  physician  of  the  pediatric 
department  of  the  same  hospital,  and  assistant  physi- 
cian of  the  pediatric  department  of  the  Providence  City 
Hospital.  He  is  also  pediatrician  at  the  Rhode  Island 
Rest  Cottage  and  the  Sophia  Little  Home.  Dr.  Calder 
is  a  fellow  of  the  American  Medical  Society,  a  member 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  the  New  England 
Pediatric  Society,  the  Providence  Medical  Society,  and 
R  I-2-n 


the  Medical  Research  Club.  In  politics  he  is  an  In- 
pendent  Republican,  but  his  professional  activities  make 
so  great  a  demand  upon  his  time  and  attention,  that  it 
is  impossible  for  him  to  take  as  prominent  a  part  in 
affairs  as  his  abilities  undoubtedly  fit  him  for.  In  his 
religious  belief  Dr.  Calder  is  a  member  of  the  Elm- 
wood  Christian  Church,  which  is  attended  also  by  the 
members  of  his  family.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Delta 
Tau  Delta  fraternity,  the  Alpha  Omega  .Mpha  frater- 
nity, and  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa. 

Dr.  Calder  was  united  in  marriage,  December  28, 
lyio,  with  Mildred  Milton,  of  New  Brunswick,  Canada, 
a  daughter  of  Isaac  L.  and  Elizabeth  (Pearson)  Mil- 
ton, old  and  highly  respected  residents  there.  Four 
children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows: 
Milton  Granville,  Lorna  iMildred,  Edward  Williams, 
and   Robert  Jillson,  who  died  May  31,  1918. 


WILLIAM  H.  COTTON— There  is  no  name  that 
stands  out  more  prominently  in  the  civic  and  ecclesi- 
astical history  of  early  New  England  than  that  of 
John  Cotton,  English  and  American  Puritan  divine, 
who  is  sometimes  called  "The  Patriarch  of  New  Eng- 
land." Descendants  of  John  Cotton,  both  in  the  direct 
and  collateral  lines,  have  wielded  large  influence  in 
New  England  since  the  time  of  the  founding  of  Col- 
onial America  to  the  present  time.  Newport,  R.  I., 
has  been  the  home  of  a  distinguished  branch  of  the 
Cotton  family  since  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  Dr.  Charles  Cotton,  surgeon  and  patriot  of 
the  War  of  1812,  was  of  the  sixth  generation  in  de- 
scent from  Rev.  John  Cotton,  and  the  founder  of  the 
Newport  branch  of  the  family.  His  son,  the  late 
Dr.  William  H.  Cotton,  for  many  decades  was  one 
of  the  foremost  figures  in  the  public  and  business  life 
of  the  city  of  Newport.  The  Cotton  family  coat-of- 
arms  is  as  follows. 

Arms — Sable  on  a  chevron  or,  between  three  grifflns' 
heads  erased,  argent. 

Crest — A  griffin's  head  erased,  argent,  holding  In  the 
mouth  a  gauntlet  proper. 

(1)  John  Cotton,  the  founder,  was  born  in  Derby, 
England,  December  4,  1585,  son  of  Rowland  Cotton,  a 
lawyer  of  Derby.  The  following  comprehensive  biog- 
raphy of  his  life  is  taken  from  the  article  by  Willis- 
ton  Walker,  Ph.  D.,  D.  D.,  professor  of  church  his- 
tory, Yale  University,  and  an  eminent  authority  on 
early  New  England  history: 

He  was  educated  at  Trinity  College,  Cambridge, 
graduating  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  1G03,  and  Master  of  Arts 
in  IGO6.  and  became  a  fellow  in  Emmanuel  College, 
Cambridge,  then  a  stronghold  of  Puritanism,  where, 
during  the  next  six  years,  according  to  his  friend  and 
biographer.  Rev.  Samuel  Whiting,  he  was  "head  lec- 
turer and  dean,  and  Catechist."  and  "a  dilligent  tutor 
to  many  pupils"  In  .June.  Ii;i2,  he  l)Ccame  vicar  of  the 
parish  church  of  St.  Botolph's,  in  Boston.  Lincolnshire, 
where  he  rem.ained  for  twenty-one  years  and  was 
extremely  popular.  Becoming  more  and  more  a  Purl- 
tan  in  spirit,  he  ceased,  about  1615,  to  observe  certain 
ceremonies  prescribed  ijy  the  legally  authorized  ritual, 
and  in  1G32  action  was  begun  against  him  in  the  High 
Commission  Court.  He  thereupon  escaped,  disguised, 
to  London,  lay  in  concealment  there  for  several  months, 
and,  having  been  deeply  interested  from  its  beginning 
in  the  colonization  of  New  Kngland,  he  eluded  the 
watch  set  for  him  at  the  various  English  ports,  and  in 
July,  1633,  emigrated  to  the  colon.v  of  Mas.<iachusetts 
Bay,  arriving  at  Boston  early  in  September.  On  the 
10th  of  October  he  was  chosen  "teacher"  of  the  First 


1 62 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Church  of  Boston,  of  which  John  WUson  (158S-1667) 
was  pastor,  and  here  he  remained  until  his  death  on 
the  23rd  of  December,  1652.  In  the  newer,  as  In  the 
older  Boston,  his  popularity  "was  almost  unbounded, 
and  his  influence,  both  in  ecclesiastical  and  in  civil 
affairs,  was  probably  greater  than  that  of  any  other 
minister  in  theocratic  New  England.  According  to  the 
contemporary  historian,  William  Hubbard,  "Whatever 
he  delivered  in  the  pulpit  was  soon  put  into  an  order 
of  court,  if  of  a  civil,  or  set  up  as  a  practice  in  the 
church,  if  of  an  ecclesiastical  concernment."  His  Influ- 
ence, too.  was  generally  beneficent,  though  it  was 
never  used  to  further  the  cause  of  religious  freedom, 
or  of  democracy,  his  theory  of  government  being  given 
in  an  oft-quoted  passage;  "Democracy,  I  do  not  con- 
ceyve  that  ever  God  did  ordeyne  as  a  fltt  government 
eyther  for  church  or  commonwealth.  •  •  •  As  for 
Monarchy  and  aristocracy  they  are  both  for  them 
clearly  approved,  and  directly  in  Scripture  yet  so  as 
(God)  referreth  the  sovereigntle  to  himselfe,  and  set- 
teth  up  Theocracy  in  both,  as  the  best  form  of  govern- 
ment." He  naturally  took  an  active  part  in  most.  If 
not  all.  of  the  political  and  theological  controversies 
of  his  time,  the  two  principal  of  which  were  those  con- 
cerning Antinomianism  and  the  expulsion  of  Roger 
Williams.  In  the  former  his  position  was  some- 
what equivocal — he  first  supported  and  then  violently 
opposed  Anne  Hutchinson — in  the  latter  he  approved 
Williams's  expulsion  as  "righteous  In  the  eyes  of  God." 
and  subsequently  in  a  pamphlet  discussion  with  Wil- 
liams, particularly  in  his  "Bloudy  Tenement,  Washed 
and  made  White  in  the  Bloud  of  the  Lamb"  (1647), 
vigorously  opposed  religious  freedom.  He  was  a  man 
of  great  learning  and  was  a  prolific  writer.  John 
Cotton  married  (first)  Elizabeth  Horrocks;  (second) 
Sarah  Story. 

(II)  John  Cotton,  Jr.,  son  of  John  (i)  Cotton,  was 
graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  the  class  of  1657. 
He  settled  in  Connecticut  and  was  the  founder  of  the 
Cotton  family  there.  John  Cotton.  Jr.,  was  minister 
of  the  church  at  Wethersfield,  and  became  a  freeman 
in  Connecticut  Colony  in  1661.  He  preached  at  Guil- 
ford, Conn.,  and  was  ordained  at  Plymouth,  June  30, 
1669,  and  served  as  minister  there  for  twenty-eight 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  period  he  went  to  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  where  he  ministered  until  his  death.  He 
was  an  eminent  authority  on  Indian  dialects,  and  min- 
istered among  the  tribes  at  Martha's  Vineyard  and 
Plymouth.  He  subsequently  revised  and  corrected 
John  Eliot's  Indian  Bible.  John  Cotton  married,  in 
1660,  Joanna  Rossiter,  daughter  of  Bray  Rossiter,  of 
Wethersfield,   Conn. 

(III)  Josiah  Cotton,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Joanna 
(Rossiter)  Cotton,  was  born  in  Plymouth,  in  1675. 
He  married,  in  1708,  Hannah  Sturtevant. 

(IV)  John  (3)  Cotton,  son  of  Josiah  and  Hannah 
(Sturtevant)  Cotton,  was  born  in  1712,  in  Plymouth, 
and  married  there,  Hannah  Sturtevant. 

(V)  Rossiter  Cotton,  son  of  John  (3)  and  Hannah 
(Sturtevant)  Cotton,  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Mass.,  in 
1758.  He  married,  in  1783,  Priscilla  Jackson,  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  Jackson. 

(VI)  Dr.  Charles  Cotton,  son  of  Rossiter  and  Pris- 
cilla (Jackson)  Cotton,  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Mass., 
October  7,  17S8.  He  was  given  excellent  educational 
advantages,  and  in  1806  was  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  and  six 
years  later  he  received  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 
He  also  graduated  from  Brown  University  in  1813. 
Early  in  1811  he  was  appointed  surgeon's  mate  on  the 
frigate  "Constitution,"  and  on  April  2,  1812,  received 
his  commission  in  the  United  States  navy.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1812,  he  was  assigned  to  the  "Hornet,"  under  Cap- 
tain Lawrence,  and  in  .-Xpril,  1813,  was  commissioned 
surgeon.  Dr.  Cotton  was  on  board  the  "Constitution" 
at  the  time  she  escorted  the  Hon.  John  Jay  to  France, 


and  on  his  return  was  stationed  at  the  Charlestown 
(Mass.)  Navy  Yard.  In  1817  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Naval  Hospital  at  Newport,  R.  I.  He  took  part 
in  some  of  the  most  stirring  engagements  of  the  War 
of  1S12,  among  them  the  battle  between  the  "Hornet" 
and  the  "Peacock,"  after  which  he  was  severely  cen- 
sured by  Commodore  Bainbridge  for  unnecessarily  ex- 
posing himself  to  danger.  In  1820  he  was  awarded  a 
silver  medal  for  gallant  service  by  Act  of  Congress, 
which  order,  however,  has  never  been  executed.  In 
1823  Dr.  Cotton  resigned  his  commission  in  the  navy, 
and  from  that  time  until  his  death  devoted  his  time 
entirely  to  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Newport. 

Dr.  Cotton  sprang  almost  immediately  into  promi- 
nence in  the  medical  profession  in  Newport,  and 
throughout  the  fifty  years  of  his  active  practice  main- 
tained a  leading  position  in  medical  circles  in  the 
city.  A  skilled  surgeon  and  physician,  his  services 
were  in  constant  demand,  and  he  attended  many  not- 
able Newport  families  during  the  entire  period  of  his 
practice.  His  presence  in  the  sick  room  inspired  con- 
fidence, and  brought  the  element  of  cheer  and  hope  so 
necessary  to  a  successful  handling  of  difficult  cases. 
He  was  not  only  the  physician,  but  the  beloved  friend 
and  advisor  of  his  patients.  Dr.  Cotton  was  a  re- 
spected and  revered  figure  in  the  life  of  Newport,  and 
universally  admired.  Much  of  his  very  extensive  prac- 
tice had  been  among  the  poor  of  Newport,  whom  he 
attended  with  all  the  care  and  devotion  which  he  gave 
those  who  paid  liberally  for  his  services.  Dr.  Cot- 
ton was  well  known  in  the  organizations  of  the  medical 
profession  in  Rhode  Island,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Medical  Consociation  of  Brown  University.  He  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society 
on  September  29,  1817.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society  and  of  the  Pil- 
grim Society,  and  delivered  an  address  before  the  lat- 
ter body  on  the  occasion  of  the  removal  of  a  portion 
of  Plymouth  Rock  to  the  society's  premises,  which, 
however,  later  was  restored  to  its  original  position. 

Dr.  Cotton  married,  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  Mary  Nor- 
tham,  daughter  of  Captain  Stephen  T.  and  Mary 
(Langley)  Northam,  who  died  March  12,  1876.  They 
were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children,  among  them, 
the  late  William  H.  Cotton,  mentioned  below.  Dr. 
Charles  Cotton  died  at  his  home  in  Newport,  R.  I., 
February  3,  1870. 

(VII)  William  H.  Cotton,  son  of  Dr.  Charles  and 
Mary  (Northam)  Cotton,  was  born  in  Plymouth, 
Mass.,  February  6,  1837.  He  studied  medicine  under 
the  guidance  of  his  father,  after  completing  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Newport,  and  during  the  lifetime 
of  Dr.  Cotton,  Sr.,  he  assisted  the  older  man  in  the 
extensive  drug  business  which  he  had  established. 
Finding  that  his  ability  and  inclinations  fitted  him  more 
for  this  branch  of  medicine,  he  abandoned  the  idea  of 
practice,  and  thenceforward  confined  himself,  with  rare 
exceptions,  to  the  management  of  the  drug  business. 
He  was  nevertheless  skilled  in  practical  medicine  and 
was  on  numerous  occasions  called  to  prescribe.  He 
was  known  widely  in  Newport  as  "Dr."  Cotton,  and 
became  a  prominent  figure  in  that  city  and  throughout 
Rhode  Island  in  the  drug  business.  Dr.  Cotton  was 
for  many  years  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Phar- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


163 


macy,  and  served  as  president  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Pharmaceutical   Society   for   several  terms. 

William  H.  Cotton  was  well  known  in  social  and 
fraternal  circles.  In  1876  he  became  a  member  of  St. 
Paul's  Lodge,  No.  14,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  and  in  1879  was  made  master  of  the  lodge. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Newport  Chapter,  Royal 
.Arch  Masons,  and  of  Washington  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar,  serving  for  two  years  as  eminent 
commander  of  the  latter  body.  He  was  prominent  in 
Masonic  affairs  in  Rhode  Island  until  the  time  of  his 
death. 

On  October  23,  1871,  Dr.  Cotton  married  Elizabeth 
Hazard,  daughter  of  the  late  George  Borden  and 
Martha  (Clarke)  Hazard.  Mrs.  Cotton  is  a  member 
of  the  noted  Hazard  family  of  Rhode  Island,  a  de- 
scendant in  the  seventh  generation  of  Thomas  Haz- 
ard, founder  of  the  family  in  .America,  who  was  of 
Boston  as  early  as  1635,  and  subsequently  became  one 
of  the  foremost  of  the  early  planters  of  Rhode  Island, 
a  figure  of  prominence  in  the  affairs  of  the  early 
colony.  TJie  Cotton  family  has  lived  for  over  one 
hundred  years  in  the  historic  old  house  in  Cotton's 
Court,  Newport,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  famous  of 
Newport's  homes.  This  house  was  the  residence  of 
the  first  mayor  of  Newport.  It  is  here  that  Mrs.  Cot- 
ton makes  her  home.  She  has  preserved  carefully  and 
in  their  original  setting  numerous  articles  of  great 
historic  interest  and  value  with  which  the  old  man- 
sion abounds.  Mrs.  Cotton  is  well  known  in  social 
circles  in  Newport.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Cotton  were  the 
parents  of  two  children:  i.  Mary  E.  Cotton,  who 
resides  with  her  mother  in  Newport.  2.  William  H. 
Cotton,  Jr.,  a  prominent  portrait  artist  of  New  York 
City;  Mr.  Cotton  studied  under  masters  in  New  York, 
later  at  the  Cowles  Art  School,  in  Boston,  and  com- 
pleted his  studies  in  the  studios  of  Paris  and  Rome. 
He  now  maintains  a  studio  in  New  York.  In  1907 
he  received  from  the  National  Academy  of  New  York 
City  the  first  "Hallgarten  prize"  for  his  painting,  called 
"The  Bathing  of  the  Princess."  He  is  now  an  asso- 
ciate member  of  the  National  .Academy  of  New  York. 

William  H.  Cotton  died  at  his  home  in  Newport, 
R.  I.,  July  25,  1900. 


CHARLES  BROWN— The  Brown  families  of 
Rhode  Island,  ranking  among  the  foremost  of  Ameri- 
can families  of  early  Colonial  date,  comprise  the  pro- 
geny of  four  founders  of  the  name,  all  of  whom  settled 
in  Rhode  Island  before  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  namely :  Chad.  Beriah,  Henry  and  Nicholas 
Brown.  No  bond  of  kinship  has  been  discovered  be- 
tween these  men  beyond  the  fact  that  they  were  all 
Englishmen  of  the  finest  type.  The  prominence  of 
their  descendants  in  Rhode  Island  affairs  has  been 
exceeded  by  no  other  family  in  the  history  of  the 
Colony  and  Commonwealth.  Warwick  has  been  the 
home  of  the  branch  of  the  family  herein  under  consid- 
eration for  a  century  and  a  half. 

Brown  Arms — Sable  three  lions  passant  between  two 
bendlets  ardent  and  as  many  trefoils  slipped  ermine. 

Crest — A  buck's  head  sable  attired  or,  Issuing  from 
a  crown,  paly.  gold. 

Motto — Si  sit  prudentia. 


(I)  Beriah  Brown,  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder 
of  the  family,  is  first  of  record  in  Kingstown,  R.  I., 
in  1687,  when  his  name  appears  on  the  tax  list.  In 
1703  he  was  appointed  with  others  to  lay  out  highways. 
In  1709  he  and  five  others  received  a  grant  of  792 
acres  of  land  in  Narragansett,  allotted  them  by  the 
General  Assembly.  Beriah  Brown  died  in  February, 
1717.  He  married,  about  1685,  Abigail  Phenix,  daugh- 
ter of  Alexander  and  Abigail  (Scwall)   Pheni.x. 

(II)  Alexander  Brown,  son  of  Beriah  and  Abigail 
(Phenix)  Brown,  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  North 
Kingstown,  R.  I.  He  married  (first)  Honour  Huling, 
daughter  of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Wightman) 
Huling,  who  died  in  1758.  He  married  (second) 
Lydia  . 

(III)  Beriah  (2)  Brown,  son  of  Ale.xander  and 
Honour  (Huling)  Brown,  was  born  in  North  Kings- 
town, R.  I.,  January  16,  1715.  He  was  sherifT  of  Wash- 
ington county  for  several  years.  He  married  Eliza- 
beth Smith,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Stafford) 
Smith,  and  among  his  children  was  Beriah,  mentioned 
below. 

(IV)  Beriah  (3)  Brown,  son  of  Beriah  (2)  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Smith)  Brown,  was  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
North  Kingstown,  and  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Quaker  sect.  He  married  Amey  Shearman,  daughter 
of  Abiel  and  Sussannah  (Boss)  Shearman. 

(V)  Jesse  Brown,  son  of  Beriah  (3)  and  Amey 
(Shearman)  Brown,  married  I-'reelove  Dawley,  daugh- 
ter of  David  or  Daniel  Dawley,  a  Revolutionary  sol- 
dier, of  E.xeter,  R.  I.  He  was  at  one  time  superin- 
tendent of  the  old  Stone  Mill  (cotton)  in  Crompton. 

(VT)  Pcleg  Dawley  Brown,  son  of  Jesse  and  Free- 
love  (Dawley)  Brown,  for  many  years  high  sheriff  of 
Kent  county,  R.  I.,  and  a  well-known  figure  in  public 
life  in  the  county  in  the  middle  decades  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  was  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  Septem- 
ber 8,  1814.  He  owned  and  operated  an  extensive 
farm  in  Crompton,  and  was  active  in  town  affairs  until 
his  death.  Mr.  Brown  was  for  many  years  road  com- 
missioner of  Warwick.  Peleg  Dawley  Brown  mar- 
ried, April  21,  1836,  Phebe  Ann  Bailey,  daughter  of 
Jeremiah  Bailey,  and  a  descendant  in  the  seventh  gen- 
eration of  William  Bailey,  founder  of  the  family  in 
Rhode  Island.  They  were  the  parents  of  Charles, 
mentioned  below.     (See   Bailey  VII). 

(VII)  Charles  Brown,  son  of  Peleg  D.  and  Phebe 
.Ann  (Bailey)  Brown,  was  born  in  Crompton,  R.  I., 
May  19,  1844.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Crompton,  and  on  completing  his  studies  learned  the 
trade  of  wheelwright  and  carriage  builder.  He  estab- 
lished himself  independently  in  business  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Crompton  at  one  time.  He  died  June  I,  1893. 
On  January  31,  1869,  Charles  Brown  married  Sarah 
Holdcn,  daughter  of  Cyrus  and  Amanda  (Wcstcott) 
Holden,  of  Crompton.  (See  Holden  VIII).  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Brown  made  their  home  after  their  marriage  in 
the  old  Holden  homestead  in  Crompton,  which  was 
purchased  by  Captain  John  Holden,  in  October,  1816. 
Mrs.  Brown  removed  from  the  homestead  to  her  pres- 
ent home  in  July,  1896,  taking  with  her  many  precious 
heirlooms  and  antiques,  among  which  was  the  grand- 
father's clock,  which  had  stood  in  one  corner  of  the 


1 64 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


old  liome  for  seventy  years.  It  would  he  a  pleasant 
task  to  weave  a  romance,  rich  in  anecdotes  of  genera- 
tions gone  by,  around  the  scenes  on  which  the  old 
clock  has  looked  down. 

(VIII)  Mabel  Brown,  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Sarah  (Holden)  Brown,  was  born  in  Crompton,  R.  I., 
July  I,  1874.  She  received  her  education  in  Cromp- 
ton, and  at  an  early  age  began  the  study  of  the  piano, 
subsequently  taking  up  voice  culture.  She  is  well 
known  in  musical  circles.  On  June  10,  1901,  she  mar- 
ried Leonard  A.  Chase,  of  Providence,  who  died  in 
Deceml)er.  1917.  Mrs.  Chase  is  a  member  of  Gaspee 
Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  by 
virtue  of  her  descent  from  Charles  Holden,  Thomas 
Westcott,  Thomas  Rice,  Anthony  Rice,  Daniel  or 
David  Dawley,  and  Joseph  Bailey.  For  five  years  she 
was  recording  secretary  of  the  chapter. 

(The  Bailey  Line). 

Arms — Ermine  tliree  bars  wavy  .sable. 
Crest — A  demi-lady    holding   on    lier   dexter    hand   a 
tower,  in  her  sinister  a  laurel  branch  vert. 

The  surname  Bailey,  signifying  literally  "the  bailifif," 
dates  from  a  very  early  period  of  English  history. 
Bailie,  a  form  of  baihff,  now  obsolete  in  England,  is 
retained  in  a  special  sense  in  Scotland:  the  word  had 
its  origin  in  the  Old  French  "bailli."  Families  of  the 
name  have  figured  prominently  in  English  life  and 
affairs  for  centuries. 

The  American  family,  prominent  for  two  and  a  half 
centuries  in  Rhode  Island,  comprises  the  progeny  of 
WilliaiTi  Bailey.  From  generation  to  generation,  since 
the  founding  of  the  family,  descendants  of  William 
Bailey  have  been  among  the  leading  and  substantial 
families   of  their  communities. 

(I)  William  Bailey,  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder, 
is  first  of  record  in  the  town  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  on 
June  14,  165s,  when  he  bought  property  there  of 
Gabriel  Hicks,  bounded  partly  by  the  sea.  One  year 
later  he  is  styled  in  the  records  of  the  town  as  Wil- 
liam Bailey.  Sr.  Family  tradition  states  that  he  was 
a  resident  of  London,  England,  and  a  weaver  of  silk 
ribbons  by  occupation.  He  died  some  time  before  1676. 
He  married  Grace  Parsons,  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I., 
daughter  of  Hugh  and  Elizabeth  Parsons,  who  after 
his  death  married  (second)  Thomas  Lawton. 

(II)  Hugh  Bailey,  son  of  William  and  Grace  (Par- 
sons) Bailey,  was  a  resident  in  early  life  of  Newport, 
R.  I.,  but  later  removed  to  East  Greenwich,  where  he 
became  a  freeman  in  1702.  He  died  in  1724,  and  his 
will,   date   unknown,   was   proved   August    10,   of   that 

year.   Hugh  Bailey  married  (first)  Anna ,  who  died 

February  26,  1721;  (second)  May  30,  1724,  Abigail 
Williams. 

(III)  William  (2)  Bailey,  son  of  Hugh  and  Anna 
Bailey,  was  born  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  April  29,  1696. 
He  married  and  among  his  children  was  Caleb,  men- 
tioned below. 

(IV)  Caleb  Bailey,  son  of  William  Bailey. 

(V)  Joseph ,  Bailey,  son  of  Caleb  Bailey,  served  in 
the  Rhode  Island  inilitia,  stationed  to  guard  the  shores 
of  Narragansett\Bay  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 
He  was  granted  a.  pension,  having  become  lame  from 
exposure.  \ 

(VI)  Jeremiah  Bailey,  son  of  Joseph  Bailey. 


(VII)   Phebe    Ann    Bailey,    daughter    of    Jeremiah 

Bailey,  married,  April  21,  1836,  Peleg  Dawley  Brown, 

and  was  the  mother  of  the  late  Charles  Brown.     (See 

Brown   VI). 

(The   Holden  Line). 

Arms — Sable   a  fesse  between  two  chevrons   ermine, 
between  the  fesse  and  upper  chevron  a  covered  cup  or. 
Crest — A  pheasant  proper. 

The  Holden  family  of  Rhode  Island  ranks  among 
the  foremost  and  oldest  of  the  Commonwealth.  It 
comprises  the  posterity  of  Captain  Randall  Holden, 
of  Warwick,  and  has  been  continuous  in  Rhode  Island 
since  the  year  previous  to  the  signing  of  the  Ports- 
inouth  Compact  in  1638.  Randall  Holden  was  a  con- 
spicuous figure  in  the  official  life  of  early  Warwick, 
assistant  and  deputy  through  a  long  term  of  years, 
and  commissioner  of  the  colony.  Through  the  Revo- 
lution the  family  was  officially  represented  in  govern- 
mental affairs  in  the  colony  as  in  actual  service  on  the 
battlefield.  Hon.  Charles  Holden,  of  the  Warwick 
family,  was  a  member  of  the  Colonial  Assembly  in 
1776  and  of  the  Hartford  Convention  in  1779.  De- 
scendants of  Randall  Holden  have  figured  prominently 
in  Rhode  Island  affairs  for  two  hundred  and  eighty 
years.  Warwick  has  been  the  principal  seat  of  the 
family  throughout  this  period,  and  it  was  here  that 
Cyrus  Holden,  a  prominent  resident  in  Warwick,  and 
for  more  tlian  fifty  years  justice  of  the  peace  for  War- 
wick, was  born,  member  of  a  family  long  prominent  in 
the  vicinity,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Captain  Ran- 
dall Holden. 

(I)  Randall  Holden,  the  founder  and  immigrant 
ancestor,  was  born  in  Salisbury,  Wiltshire,  England, 
about  1612.  The  exact  date  of  his  coming  to  America 
is  not  known.  The  first  record  of  him  in  Rhode  Island 
occurs  on  March  4,  1637,  when  he  and  Roger  Williams 
were  witnesses  to  a  deed  of  Aquidneck  from  Canoni- 
cus  and  Miantonomi  to  William  Coddington,  etc. 
Early  in  163S  he  became  a  resident  of  Portsmouth, 
where  he  was  one  of  the  nineteen  signers  of  the  com- 
pact, on  March  7,  1638.  In  the  same  year  he  was 
elected  marshal  and  also  corporal,  and  received  a  grant 
of  five  acres  of  land.  On  March  16,  1641,  he  was  dis- 
franchised with  three  others  and  their  names  can- 
celled from  the  Roll  of  Freemen  of  Newport.  Not 
long  after  this  affair  he  removed  to  Warwick,  R.  I., 
where  on  January  12,  1643,  he  and  ten  others  bought 
of  Miantonomi  for  144  fathoms  of  wampum  the  tract 
of  land  called  Shawomet.  In  1643,  when  the  famous 
controversy  arose  with  regard  to  the  jurisdiction  of 
Massachusetts  over  the  territory  of  Shawomet  or 
Warwick,  Samuel  Gorton  and  his  friends,  among  whom 
was  Randall  Holden,  were  taken  by  an  armed  force  of 
forty  men  and  carried  to  Boston,  where  they  were  im- 
prisoned and  subsequently  put  on  trial  for  their  lives. 
They  were  saved  from  the  death  penalty  by  a  majority 
of  only  two  votes,  and  Gorton  was  sent  to  jail  at 
Charlestown  and  Holden  imprisoned  in  Salem.  Each 
of  the  eleven  prisoners  was  "compelled,"  as  we  learn 
from  Knowles,  "to  wear  an  iron  chain,  fast  bolted 
round  the  leg,  and  in  this  manner  to  labor.  If  they 
spoke  to  any  person  except  an  officer  of  the  church 
or  State,  they  were  to  suffer  death.  They  were  kept 
at  hard  labor  during  the  winter,  and  were  then  ban- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


I6S 


ished  from  Massachusetts,  and  from  the  lands  at  Shaw- 
omet,  on  pain  of  death."  After  their  release,  Samuel 
Gorton,  Randall  Holden  and  John  Greene  went  to 
England,  and  were  successful  in  obtaining  an  order 
from  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  and  his  associate  com- 
missioners, dated  August  19,  1644,  forbidding  Massa- 
chusetts to  disturb  the  settlers  at  Warwick.  We  are 
told  "Massachusetts  reluctantly  complied,  and  Mr. 
Gorton  and  his  followers  occupied  their  lands  in 
quiet."  Under  the  Parliamentary  Patent,  Holden  was 
general  treasurer  for  two  years,  May,  1652,  to  May, 
1654.  In  1653  he  was  elected  general  assistant  for  the 
town  of  Warwick,  and  filled  the  office  again  in  1654. 
A  court  of  commissioners  had  been  appointed  to  see 
what  could  be  done  toward  perfecting  a  reunion  of 
the  towns  on  the  Island  and  on  the  mainland;  an 
amicable  adjustment  of  pending  difficulties  was  made, 
and  the  f"ur  towns,  Portsmouth  and  Newport,  Provi- 
dence and  Warwick,  agreed  "to  order  this  colony  by 
the  authority  of  the  charter  granted  to  us  by  the  hon- 
ored Parliament  of  the  Commonwealth  of  England, 
bearing  date  the  14th  day  of  May,  1643."  .'Xmong  the 
six  commissioners  from  Warwick  was  Randall  Holden. 
For  several  years  after  this  he  was  general  assistant 
from  Warwick.  He  died,  August  23,  1692.  His  wife 
was  Frances,  daughter  of  William  and  Frances 
(Latham)  Dungan.  Their  descendants  are  very 
numerous.  As  a  friend  and  associate  of  Samuel  Gor- 
ton, in  whose  fortunes,  prosperous  and  adverse,  he 
shared,  he  fills  a  conspicuous  place  in  that  part  of 
Rhode  Island  history  which  related  to  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Warwick.  The  proceedings  against  these  men 
furnish  us  a  fair  illustration  of  the  temper  of  the 
times  in  which  they  lived.  Professor  Knowlcs  says  on 
this  subject:  "The  conduct  of  Massachusetts  none  will 
now  defend.  It  was  a  manifest  usurpation  and  a  cruel 
abuse  of  power.  It  is  a  profitable  example  of  the 
manifold  evils  of  erecting  the  civil  government  into  a 
court  of  inquisition.  It  was  the  alleged  heresies  and 
blasphemies  of  Mr.  Gorton  and  his  friends  against 
which  the  edge  of  this  persecution  was  directed:  and 
those  unhappy  men  narrowly  escaped  the  fate  which, 
a  few  years  later,  befell  the  Quakers.  The  rulers  and 
clergy  of  Massachusetts  undoubtedly  thought  that 
they  were  impelled  by  an  honest  zeal  for  the  purity 
of  religion  and  the  glory  of  God.  Their  conduct 
proves  that  a  being  so  fallible  as  man  is  unfit  to  be 
intrusted  with   power  over  the   conscience." 

(II)  Charles  Holden,  son  of  Ran<lall  and  Frances 
(Dungan)  Holden,  was  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  March 
22,  1666,  and  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  the  town.  He 
became  a  prominent  figure  in  civic  and  military  affairs 
and  was  active  in  these  fields  until  his  death.  Previ- 
ously he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
and  in  :702  gave  three  shillings  toward  the  building 
of  the  Quaker  meeting  house  at  Mashapaug.  In 
1710-16  he  served  as  deputy  from  Warwick  to  the 
Rhode  Island  General  Assembly.  Charles  Holden 
bore  the  title  of  lieutenant.  He  married  Catherine 
Greene,  who  was  born  August  15.  1665,  daughter  of 
John  and  .^nn  (.Mmy)  Greene,  and  granddaughter  of 
Surgeon  John  Greene,  founder  of  the  famous  family 
known  as  the  Warwick  Greenes.    Charles  Holden  died 


July  21,  1717,  and  his  will,  dated  nine  days  prior  to  his 
death,  was  proved  .August   17th  following. 

(III)  Captain  Charles  (2)  Holden,  son  of  Charles 
(i)  and  Catherine  (Greene)  Holden,  was  born  in  War- 
wick, R.  I.,  September  24,  1695.  He  inherited  a  por- 
tion of  his  father's  extensive  landed  property  and  made 
Warwick  his  home  throughout  life.  Like  his  father 
he  was  active  in  civic  and  military  affairs,  and  held  the 
rank  of  captain  in  the  local  militia.  On  December 
13,  1716,  he  married  Penelope  Bennett,  daughter  of 
John  and  Margaret  Bennett,  and  granddaughter  of 
Robert  Bennett,  the  founder  in  .\merica.  .Among 
their  children  was  John,  mentioned  below. 

(IV)  John  Holden,  son  of  Captain  Charles  (2)  and 
Penelope  (Bennett)  Holden,  was  born  in  Warwick, 
R.  I.,  May  18,  1724.  He  was  a  prosperous  farmer 
and  prominent  citizen  of  the  town  throughout  his  life, 
ranking  as  captain  of  the  local  militia.  On  August 
5,  1744,  Captain  John  Holden  married  Dorothy  Rice, 
who  was  born  October  30,  1723,  daughter  of  Captain 
Thomas  and  Ann  (Low)  Rice,  granddaughter  of  John 
and  Elnathan  (Whipple)  Rice,  and  great-granddaughter 
of  John  and  Elizabeth   (Holden)   Rice. 

(V)  Hon.  Charles  (3)  Holden,  son  of  John  and 
Dorothy  (Rice)  Holden,  was  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I., 
and  died  there.  He  served  as  paymaster  of  the  Con- 
tinental troops  of  Rhode  Island  during  the  Revolution- 
ary War,  during  which  period  he  made  his  home  in 
Providence,  R.  I.  He  represented  Warwick  in  the 
first  General  .'\sseml)!y,  convened  in  May,  1776,  when 
he  was  appointed  paymaster  general  for  the  first  dis- 
trict. In  October,  1779,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Hartford  Convention.  He  married,  November  3,  1771, 
Sarah  Remington,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Abigail 
(Eldred)  Remington,  and  a  descendant  of  John  Rem- 
ington,   the    founder,    through    Thomas    (i),    Thomas 

(2)  and  Thomas  (3).  She  was  also  a  lineal  descendant 
of  the  celebrated  Samuel  Gorton. 

(VI)  Captain  John  (2)  Holden,  son  of  Hon.  Charles 

(3)  and  Sarah  (Remington)  Holden,  was  born  in 
Providence,  R.  I.,  .April  2,  1775,  and  died  in  Crompton, 
in  the  town  of  Warwick,  January  31,  1845.  He  was  a 
shareholder  and  the  first  bookkeeper  of  the  Providence 
Manufacturing  Company,  at  Crompton.  He  was  also 
justice  of  the  peace  for  a  time,  and  trial  justice.  He 
was  a  master  mariner,  and  many  curios  and  art  treas- 
ures collected  by  him  on  his  voyages,  among  them  an 
antique  grandfather's  clock  brought  from  England,  and 
many  beautiful  pictures,  dishes  and  candle  sticks,  are 
in  possession  of  his  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Sarah  Holden 
(Brown)  Kenyon,  and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Chase. 
Captain  John  Holden  was  a  prominent  resident  of 
Crompton  in  Warwick,  and  the  owner  of  considerable 
property  in  the  township.  After  his  retirement  from 
the  sea  he  established  a  variety  store  in  Crompton, 
which  on  his  death  passed  to  his  son,  Cyrus  Holden. 
He  married  Barbary  Rice,  who  was  born  February 
12,  1776,  and  died  .April  28,  1843,  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Rosanna  (Blanchard)  Rice.  She  was  a  descend- 
ant of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Hidden)  Rice,  through 
John  and  Elnathan  (Whipple)  Rice.  Thomas  and  Ann 
(Low)  Rice,  and  Thomas  and  Rosanna  (Blanchard) 
Rice.     Thomas   Rice,  her  father,  was  captain  in  Col- 


1 66 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


onel  John  Waterman's  Regulars,  Kent  county  militia, 
in  1776-77-78:  he  also  served  as  justice  of  the  peace 
and  trial  justice  in  Warwick.  Barbary  (Rice)  Holden 
was  a  descendant  of  William  Arnold,  one  of  the  orig- 
inal purchasers  of  Providence  Plantations,  scion  of  an 
ancient  English  family  whose  lineage  is  traced  to  the 
twelfth  century. 

(VII)  Cyrus  Holden,  son  of  Captain  John  (2) 
and  Barbary  (Rice)  Holden,  was  born  in  Crompton, 
Warwick,  R.  I.,  December  25,  1816,  died  there,  June 
14,  1895.  He  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  the  town,  and 
for  more  than  fifty  years  held  the  office  of  justice  of 
the  peace  for  the  town  of  Warwick.  At  an  early  age 
he  served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  jewelry  trade,  but 
was  unable  to  stand  the  confinement  of  bench  work 
and  abandoned  it.  On  the  death  of  his  father  he  suc- 
ceeded to  the  ownership  of  the  latter's  general  mer- 
chandise store  in  Crompton,  which  he  conducted  suc- 
cessfully for  several  decades.  Cyrus  Holden  was  a 
prominent  figure  in  business  and  official  life  in  Cromp- 
ton for  over  half  a  century.  In  June,  1842,  by  act  of 
the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly,  during  the  ad- 
ministration of  Governor  Samuel  Ward  King,  he  was 
appointed  justice  of  the  peace  for  the  town  of  War- 
wick, an  office  which  he  filled  ably  until  1895.  Cyrus 
Holden  was  a  man  of  broad  education,  gained  mostly 
in  later  years  through  the  medium  of  well-chosen  read- 
ing and  through  keen  observation;  a  student  of  Eng- 
lish literature,  he  was  a  lover  of  Pope  and  Shakespeare. 
He  was  also  a  keen  enthusiast  in  his  appreciation  of 
good  music. 

One  June  30,  1842,  Mr.  Holden  married  Amanda 
Westcott.  who  was  born  August  22,  1816,  and  died 
November  26,  1876,  daughter  of  Captain  John  and 
Sarah  (Rice)  Westcott,  and  a  descendant  of  Stukely 
Westcott,  founder  of  the  family  in  New  England,  and 
one  of  the  thirteen  original  purchasers  of  Providence 
Plantations.  (See  Westcott  VII).  They  were  the 
parents  of  three  children:  i.  Sarah,  mentioned  below. 
2.  Jane,  twin  of  Sarah,  born  Jan.  14,  1848,  died  Nov. 
II,  1858.    3.  A  son,  who  died  in  infancy. 

(VIII)  Sarah  Holden,  daughter  of  Cyrus  and 
Amanda  (Westcott)  Holden,  was  born  in  Crompton, 
R.  I.,  January  14,  1848,  and  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  her  native  town.  She  married  (first)  on 
January  31,  1869,  Charles  Brown,  son  of  Peleg  D.  and 
Phebe  A.  (Bailey)  Brown,  descendant  of  one  of  the 
foremost  families  of  Rhode  Island,  protninent  for  over 
a  century  in  the  town  of  Warwick.  (See  Brown  VII). 
She  married  (second)  on  April  17,  1904,  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  William  Kenyon,  a  native  of  England.  William 
Kenyon  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  six  years.  At 
an  early  age  he  entered  a  print  mill,  where  he  worked 
until  his  sixteenth  year,  wlien  in  an  accident  he  lost 
an  arm.  The  following  years  of  his  early  manhood 
were  a  constant  struggle  against  odds  which  at  times 
seemed  overwhelming.  Only  an  iron  determination 
and  courage  of  the  highest  order  carried  him  onward 
to  success.  Mt.  Kenyon  established  himself  in  the 
grocery  business  in  Crompton  on  a  small  scale,  and 
at  the  outset  peddled  groceries  in  a  basket  through  the 
town.     Gradually  the  business  grew  to  larger  propor- 


tions, eventually  becoming  the  largest  establishment 
of  the  kind  in  Crompton.  Well-earned  prosperity 
came  to  him  in  middle  life,  and  until  his  '■etirement 
from  business  he  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of 
the  community.  Mr.  Kenyon  admitted  his  brother  to 
partnership  in  the  business,  and  on  his  retirement  dis- 
posed of  his  interests  to  him.  He  died  in  Crompton, 
March  14,  1914.  Mrs.  Kenyon  met  her  death  by  acci- 
dent, November  4,  1918.  She  had  been  active  in  char- 
itable and  philanthropic  efforts  in  the  towm,  and  from 
the  outbreak  of  the  European  War  until  her  death 
was  actively  engaged  in  relief  work. 

(The  Westcott  Line). 

Arms — Or,  a  chevron  between   three  escallop.^  sable. 

Crest — A  stag's  head  cabos-sed  sable,  attired  or;  be- 
tween the  attires  a  bugle  horn  gold,  hanging  from  a 
bend  gules. 

Motto — Vlrl  boni  nemguam  morinutes. 

The  Westcotts  have  ranked  prominently  among 
Rhode  Island  families  since  the  founding  of  Providence 
Plantations,  of  which  Stukely  Westcott  was  one  of  the 
thirteen  original  purchasers.  His  descendants  have 
figured  prominently  in  Rhode  Island  life  and  affairs  for 
a  period  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  years.  The  name 
is  not  only  an  ancient  one  but  an  honored  one  in  New 
England,  and  is  spelled  in  various  ways,  namely: 
Westcot,  Westcote,  Westcott. 

(I)  Stukely  Westcott,  the  immigrant  ancestor  and 
founder,  was  born  in  England  in  1592.  He  is  first  of 
record  in  America  in  the  year  1636,  when  he  became  a 
freeman  and  was  received  as  an  inhabitant  of  Salem, 
Mass.  He  was  exiled  from  the  Massachusetts  Colony 
in  1638,  with  others  whose  religious  opinions  did  not 
coincide  with  those  of  the  Puritan  authorities,  and  in 
the  same  year  removed  to  Providence,  where  he  was 
one  of  the  twelve  who  had  a  deed  from  Roger  Wil- 
liams of  the  land  the  latter  had  purchased  of  Mian- 
tonomi.  He  was  later  granted  a  house  lot.  Stukely 
Westcott  was  one  of  the  twelve  original  members  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Providence,  in  1639.  He 
was  recorded  as  an  inhabitant  of  Warwick  in  1648. 
For  several  years,  commencing  with  1651,  he  was 
commissioner,  and  beginning  with  1652  he  was  for  sev- 
eral years  surveyor  of  highways.  He  was  assistant  in 
1653  and  deputy  in  1671.  He  figured  largely  in  the 
afTairs  of  the  colony  until  his  death. 

(II)  Jeremiah  Westcott,  son  of  Stukely  Westcott, 
was  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Warwick,  R.  I.  He  mar- 
ried, on  July  27,  1665,  Eleanor  England,  daughter  of 
William  and  Elizabeth  England,  who  died  in  1686.  On 
November  22,  1670,  he  had  a  deed  of  certain  land  from 
his  father  as  a  gift.  In  1672  he  became  a  freeman. 
Jeremiah  Westcott  died  intestate  in  1686,  and  his 
will  was  made  by  the  Town  Council  of  Warwick. 

(III)  Josiah  Westcott,  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Eleanor 
(England)  Westcott,  was  born  in  V/arwick.  R.  I., 
in  1675.  He  married,  January  i,  1701,  Hannah  Gardi- 
ner, daughter  of  George  and  Tabitha  (Taft)  Gardiner, 
and  they  resided  in  Providence,  R.  I,  Josiah  Westcott 
died  November  11,  1721,  and  his  widow  married  (sec- 
ond) Thomas  Burlingame.  Josiah  Westcott  Iield  the 
title  of  captain. 

(IV)  Nathan  Westcott,  son  of  Captain  Josiah  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


167 


Hannah  (Gardiner)  Westcott,  was  born  in  Warwick, 
R.  I.,  March  23,  171 1,  and  resided  there  until  his  death, 
February  25,  1791.  He  married,  June  16,  1745,  Mary 
Ruttenberg,  who  was  born  December  10,  1726,  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  and  Ann  (Davis)  Ruttenberg,  and 
granddaughter  of  John  Ruttenberg,  the  first  of  the 
family  in  New  England. 

(V)  Thomas  Westcott,  son  of  Nathan  and  Mary 
(Ruttenberg)  Westcott,  was  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I., 
July  16,  1758.  He  was  high  sheriflf  of  Kent  county. 
He  served  during  the  American  Revolution  with  the 
Rhode  Island  troops,  and  after  the  war  was  brigadier- 
general  of  the  militia,  and  was  associate  justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  in  1810.  After  the  war  he  returned  to 
Warwick,  where  he  followed  agricultural  pursuits  until 
his  death.  He  married,  February  4.  1781,  Marcy  Arn- 
old, daughter  of  Caleb  Arnold,  and  a  descendant  in 
the  fifth  generation  of  Thomas  .\rnold,  founder  of  the 
family  in  America.  Thomas  Westcott  died  in  War- 
wick, September  22,   1838. 

(VI)  John  Westcott,  son  of  Thomas  and  Marcy 
(Arnold)  Westcott,  was  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I., 
August  25,  1792,  and  died  there  December  5,  1844.  He 
married  (first)  in  1814,  Sarah  Rice,  who  was  born 
July  18,  1795,  and  died  .April  18,  1822,  daughter  of 
Anthony  and  Martha  (Cooke)  Rice,  of  Warwick. 
John  Westcott  married  (second)  Elizabeth  Rice,  sis- 
ter of  Sarah  Rice.  John  Westcott's  wife,  Sarah, 
whose  mother  was  Martha  Cooke,  was  a  descendant  of 
John  Cooke,  of  the  "Mayflower"  Pilgrims. 

(VII)  .Amanda  Westcott,  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Rice)  Westcott,  was  born  August  22,  1816, 
and  died  November  26,  1876.  She  married,  June  .30, 
1842,  Cyrus  Holden,  of  Warwick,  (see  Holden  VII), 
and  was  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Holden  (Brown) 
Kenyon,  of  Crompton,  R.  I. 

(The   Bernon   Line). 
Arms — Gules,  a  chevron  between  three  wolves'  heads 
erased   or. 

Crest — A  wolf's  head  erased  or. 

The  Bernon  family  was  among  the  most  ancient  and 
honorable  in  France,  when  Gabriel  Bernon,  for  the 
sake  of  religious  principles,  set  aside  social  position, 
wealth  and  honor  and  sought  freedom  of  conscience 
in  the  New  World.  The  Bernons  originated  in  Bur- 
gundy before  the  twelfth  century,  when  they  were 
already  a  long  established  and  recognized  house, 
wielding  power  in  religious  and  secular  fields.  The 
name  is  found  in  a  list  of  those  families  who  sent 
their  sons  into  the  Holy  Land  in  the  Crusades.  From 
the  twelfth  to  the  eighteenth  century  members  of  the 
family  figured  notably  in  the  history  of  church  and 
State.  During  the  eighteenth  century,  however,  the 
Bernons  allied  themselves  with  the  Huguenots  and 
Protestantism,  and  it  is  said  formed  the  nucleus  of  the 
sect  in  La  Rochelle.  The  defection  from  Roman 
Catholicism  of  members  of  a  family  which  had  long 
formed  one  of  the  mainstays  of  the  religion  in  France 
was  looked  upon  with  horror,  and  on  those  who 
joined  the  Huguenots  fell  the  full  force  of  authority  of 
a  State  in  which  the  church  was  supreme.  Gabriel 
Bernon  fied  France  and  became  the  founder  in  .Amer- 


ica of  the  noted  family  which  bears  his  name.  The 
French  house  considers  itself  a  cadet  branch  of  the 
House  of  the  Counts  of  Burgundy,  from  the  name, 
borne  by  several  of  the  princes  of  that  house  from  895, 
and  from  conformity  of  armorial  bearings.  From  the 
fourteenth  century,  beginning  with  Raoul  de  Bernon, 
it  possesses  all  the  necessary  proof  of  its  affiliation. 
(Livre  d'Or  de  la  Noblesse  de  France).  The  pedi- 
gree of  the  house,  from  Raoul,  the  founder,  to  Ga- 
briel Bernon,  founder  of  the  .American  branch,  is  given 
herewith: 

(I)  Raoul  Bernon,  head  of  the  La  Rochelle  branch 
of  the  Bernon  family,  married  Charlotte  de  Talmont, 
daughter  of  Sire  Hclic,  an  ancient  mayor  of  La 
Rochelle. 

(II)  Nicholas  Bernon,  son  of  Raoul  Bernon,  was 
chosen  mayor  of  La  Rochelle,  in  1357.  He  married 
Jeanne  de   Mauleon. 

(III)  Jehan  Bernon,  son  of  Nicholas  Bcrntm,  called 
"honorable  et  saige"  in  the  records,  became  mayor  of 
the  city  of  La  Rochelle  in  i.igS.  He  married,  in  1399, 
Jeanne  Trongure. 

(IV)  Jean  Thomas  Bernon,  son  of  Jehan  Bernon, 
was  Sieur  de  Bcrnonville  et  Bcrnoniere.  He  married, 
in  1435,  Marie  Marais. 

(V)  .Andre  Bernon,  son  of  Jean  Thomas  and  Marie 
(Marais)  Bernon,  married  Louise  Sarot,  on  March  3, 
1476.    They  had  two  sons,  Pierre  and  Jean. 

(VI)  Jean  Bernon,  son  of  .Andre  and  Louise  (Sarot) 
Bernon,  married  Pierette  Dorin. 

(VII)  .Andre  (2)  Bernon,  son  of  Jean  and  Pierette 
(Dorin)     Bernon,    married    Catherine    du    Bouche    in 

1545. 

(^VIII)  Leonard  Bernon,  son  of  .Andre  (2)  and 
Catherine  (du  Bouche)  Bernon,  married  Francoise 
Carre  in  1578. 

(IX)  Andre  (3)  Bernon,  son  of  Leonard  and  Fran- 
coise (Carre)  Bernon,  married  (first)  Jeanne  Lescour. 
He  married   (second)   in   1605,   Marie   Papin. 

(X)  .Andre  (4)  Bernon,  son  of  Andre  (3)  Bernon, 
married  Susanna  Guillemard,  in   1631. 

The  Family  in  America. 
(I)  Gabriel  Bernon,  son  of  Andre  (4)  and  Susanne 
(Guillemard)  Bernon,  was  born  at  La  Rochelle, 
France,  April  6,  1644.  He  became  the  founder  of  the 
American  family.  That  the  family  connection  of  Ga- 
briel Bernon  is  veritably  traced  is  proved  by  letters 
found  by  his  descendants  from  Samuel  Bernon,  his 
brother,  deploring  his  heresy  and  abandonment  of  the 
Roman  church,  also  by  the  family  seal  brought  to 
America,  corresponding  to  that  now  extant  of  the 
Bernon  family  in  France.  Tradition  has  it  that  prior 
to  his  coming  to  America,  Gabriel  Bernon  held  the 
office  of  hereditary  registrar  of  La  Rochelle.  Having 
allied  himself  with  the  cause  of  the  Huguenots  he 
was  forced  to  leave  his  home  by  the  presecution  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  authorities,  and  for  several  years 
was  engaged  in  Quebec,  Canada,  then  a  French  prov- 
ince, as  a  representative  of  the  banking  and  commer- 
cial interests  of  his  father,  .Andre  Bernon.  On  the 
Revocation   of  the   Edict  of   Nantes  he  was   deported 


1 68 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


from  Canada  and  returned  to  France  by  way  of  Ams- 
terdam. He  was  imprisoned  for  several  months  and 
on  his  release  went  forthwith  to  London,  where  he 
was  persuaded  by  those  interested  in  the  colonization 
of  America  and  in  sympathy  with  the  Huguenots  to 
set  sail  for  America  with  his  wife,  family  and  servants. 
He  paid  the  passage  of  more  than  forty  persons  on  the 
voyage  to  America,  and  landed  in  Boston  on  July  5, 
1688.  on  the  ship  "Dolphin"  from  Gravesend.  In  ful- 
fillment of  a  promise  made  to  him  in  London  there 
was  granted  him  in  Oxford,  Mass.,  a  tract  of  land  of 
2,672  acres  which  he  valued  at  £1,000.  In  the  settle- 
ment of  this  tract  by  French  Huguenots  Gabriel  Ber- 
non  took  a  great  interest.  He  was  for  ten  years  a 
resident  of  Boston.  In  1693  lie  went  to  England  to 
contract  with  the  government  for  supply  of  naval  stores. 
In  1696  he  again  went  to  England,  this  time  to  fur- 
ther his  commercial  enterprises.  In  the  year  1697  we 
find  him  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  where  two  years  later  he 
signed  a  petition  for  the  establishment  of  an  Episco- 
pal church  (Trinity).  The  petition  was  sent  to  the 
Earl  of  Bellamont,  then  governor  of  the  American 
Colonies,  and  was  granted,  a  ininister  being  sent  to 
them  and  a  house  of  worship  erected  in  1702.  In  1712 
he  was  at  Kings  Town,  and  at  this  date  purchased 
from  Lodowick  Updike  a  lot  at  Wickford,  where  he 
built  a  wharf,  warehouse  and  sloop.  In  1718  he  was 
elected  one  of  the  vestry  of  St.  Paul's  Church.  In  the 
following  year  he  removed  from  Wickford  to  Provi- 
dence, where  in  1722  he  was  instrumental  in  founding 
St.  John's  Church.  In  1724  he  again  went  to  England 
to  urge  upon  the  authorities  there  the  need  of  a  church 
in  Providence.  Gabriel  Bernon  died  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  February  i,  1736.  He  was  twice  married.  His 
first  wife  was  Esther  Le  Roy,  daughter  of  Francois 
Le  Roy  of  La  Rochelle,  France;  she  died  in  New- 
port, June  14,  1710,  the  mother  of  ten  children,  eight  of 
whom  came  to  .A-merica  with  their  parents,  the  daugh- 
ters marrying  into  notable  Rhode  Island  families.  Ga- 
briel Bernon  married  (second)  in  1712,  Mary  Harris, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Harris,  and  grandniece  of  Roger 
William's  companion,  William  Harris. 

The  house  in  which  Mr.  Bernon  lived  in  Providence 
was  directly  opposite  what  was  known  as  King's  now 
St.  John's  Church,  and  next  north  of  the  house  occu- 
pied afterward  by  his  great-grandson.  Governor  Philip 
.•\llen.  .\  bronze  tablet  to  his  memory  was  erected  in 
St.  John's  Church.  Several  interesting  memorials  have 
been  preserved  by  his  descendants,  including  a  gold 
rattle,  carved  chairs,  a  sword,  bearing  the  date  1414,  a 
psalm  book  (said  by  tradition  to  have  been  presented 
to  him  by  a  fellow  prisoner  in  France).  He  was 
buried  in  St.  John's  Church.  On  July  19,  1736,  the 
following  obituary  notice  appeared  in  Boston:  "On 
the  first  instant,  departed  this  life,  at  Providence,  Mr. 
Gabriel  Bernon,  in  the  92nd  year  of  his  age.  He  was  a 
gentleman  by  birth  and  estate,  born  in  Rochelle, 
France,  and  about  fifty  years  ago  he  left  his  native 
country,  and  the  greatest  part  of  his  estate,  and  for 
the  cause  of  true  religion,  fled  into  New  England, 
where  he  has  ever  since  continued,  and  behaved  him- 
self as  a  zealous   Protestant  professor.     He  was  cour- 


teous, honest  and  kind,  and  died  in  great  faith  and  hope 
in  his  Redeemer,  and  assurance  of  salvation;  and  has 
left  a  good  name  among  his  acquaintances.  He  evi- 
denced the  power  of  Christianity  in  his  great  suffer- 
ings, by  leaving  his  country  and  his  great  estate,  that 
he  might  worship  God  according  to  his  conscience. 
He  was  decently  buried  under  the  Episcopal  church 
at  Providence,  and  a  great  concourse  of  people  at- 
tended his  funeral  to  whom  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brown- 
preached  an  agreeable  and  eloquent  funeral  sermon, 
from  Psalms  x.x.xix:4." 

(II)  Susannah  Bernon,  eldest  daughter  of  Gabriel 
and  Mary  (Harris)  Bernon,  was  born  in  1716.  She 
married,  August  23,  1734,  Joseph  Crawford  (Crotford), 
who  was  born  in  1712,  the  son  of  William  and  Sarah 
(Whipple)  Crawford,  and  died  September  29,  1776. 
Susannah  (Bernon)  Crawford  died  February  18,  1802, 
the  mother  of  several  children,  among  them  Sarah 
Crawford  (CrofTord),  born  September  23,  1735,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Captain  Silas  Cooke.  (See  Cooke 
VI).  Their  daughter,  Martha  Cooke,  born  July  7, 
1767,  married,  January  3,  1790,  Anthony  Rice.  Their 
daughter,  Sarah  Rice,  born  July  18,  1795,  died  April  18, 
1S22:  married,  in  1814,  John  Westcott.  Their  daugh- 
ter, Amanda  Westcott,  born  August  22,  1816.  died  No- 
vember 26,  1878;  married,  June  30,  1842,  Cyrus  Holden. 
Their  daughter  was  Sarah  Holden  (Brown)   Kenyon. 

(The  Cooke  Line). 

Arms — Paly  of  six  gules  and  sable  three  eag-les  dis- 
played  argent. 

Crest — A  demi-eagle  per  pale  gules  and  sable  with 
wings   displayed  and  ducally  crowned   or. 

The  Cooke  family  history  runs  contiguous  with 
that  of  New  England  itself  from  the  time  of  the 
founding  of  Plymouth  Colony  to  the  present  day. 
Among  the  little  band  of  Pilgrim  Fathers  who  gathered 
in  the  cabin  of  the  "Mayflower,"  on  that  grim  Novem- 
ber day  in  the  year  1620.  to  affix  their  names  to  the 
Compact  under  which  their  settlement  was  to  be  gov- 
erned, was  one  Francis  Cooke,  an  English  gentleman, 
who  subsequently  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  aflfairs 
of  the  Plymouth  Colony.  The  descendants  of  Francis 
Cooke  have  always  figured  prominently  in  New  Eng- 
land affairs.  Branches  of  the  family  are  found  in  all 
parts  of  the  country  to-day. 

(I)  Francis  Cooke,  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder, 
was  born  in  England.  He  was  with  the  Pilgrims  at 
Leyden,  Holland,  and  married  there  Hester  Mahieu, 
a  ^^'alloon,  a  member  of  the  church  at  Leyden.  He 
and  his  son,  John,  came  in  the  "Mayflower,"  in  1620. 
Francis  Cooke  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Mayflower 
Compact.  His  wife  Hester  and  children,  Jacob,  Jane 
and  Hester,  came  in  the  ".^nn"  in  July,  1623,  and  in 
the  division  of  land  made  the  following  spring,  Mr. 
Cooke  received  two  acres  on  the  south  side  of  the 
brook,  toward  the  bay,  and  four  acres  toward  Straw- 
berry Hill.  He  settled  at  Plymouth.  His  name  is 
found  on  the  list  of  freemen  dated  1633,  which  heads 
the  first  court  orders  of  the  colony.  His  name  is  of 
frequent  record  in  connection  with  the  affairs  of  the 
early  and  later  settlement.  His  frequent  service  on 
the  grand  inquest  and  trial  juries  and  as  a  surveyor 


i^ct),  €lpl)cgc  Caron 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


169 


of  highways  makes  it  clear  that  he  was  a  man  of  sound 
judgment  and  had  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the 
community.     He  died  April  7,  1663. 

(II)  John  Cooke,  son  of  Francis  and  Hester  (Ma- 
hieu)  Cooke,  was  born  during  the  stay  of  the  Pil- 
grims in  Holland.  He  came  to  Plymouth  in  1623. 
John  Cooke  married  Sarah  Warren,  daughter  of  Rich- 
ard Warren,  of  the  "Mayflower." 

(III)  Walter  C<H>ke,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (War- 
ren^ Cooke,  settled  in  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony, 
and  was  a  resident  of  Weymouth  as  early  as  1643. 
He  was  a  freeman  there  in  1653,  and  in  1663-64  re- 
moved with  his  three  sons  and  two  daughters  to  Men- 
don,  Mass.  With  him  ^Iso  were  Gregory  and  Stephen 
Cooke,  his  brothers  perhaps,  but  certainly  relatives, 
who  afterward  removed  to  Milford,  Mass.  The  Cooke 
homestead  in  Mendon  was  built  near  the  site  of  the 
house  owned  by  Aaron  C.  Cook.  Walter  Cooke  was 
granted  a  forty  acre  lot,  and  in  addition  to  this  property 
later  acquired  lands  in  Milford,  Bcllingham,  VVren- 
tham.  and  on  the  Rhode  Island  line.  He  died  Janu- 
ary 5,  1695-96,  and  his  wife  Catherine  died  two  days 
later. 

(IV)  Samuel  Cooke,  son  of  W'alter  and  Catherine 
Cooke,  was  born  about  the  year  1659,  and  was  a  life- 
long resident  and  prominent  citizen  of  Mendon,  Mass. 
He  married  Lydia  White,  at  Medficld,  Mass.,  April  27, 
1681;  she  was  born  December  17,  1662,  at  Braintree, 
Mass.,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Lydia  (Rogers)  White, 
and  granddaughter  of  Thomas  White. 

(\')  Ebenezcr  Cooke,  son  of  Samuel  and  Lydia 
(White)  Cooke,  was  born  October  28,  1684.  in  Men- 
don, Mass.,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  In 
1723  he  was  elected  constable  at  Mendon.  In  1732  and 
1735  his  name  appears  on  a  list  of  Quakers  freed  from 
rates.  On  July  6,  1715,  he  had  forty  acres  of  land 
laid  out  to  him  on  both  sides  of  Mill  river,  near  Great 
river.  Again  in  1719  and  1749  he  had  grants  of  land 
which  he  augmented  by  purchase.  Ebenezcr  Cooke 
lived  where  the  "Social"  mill  now  stands  in  Woon- 
socket,  R.  I.  He  subsequently  sold  this  property  to 
the  Arnolds  and  removed  to  Burrillville,  R.  I.  He 
married  (first)  in  Mendon,  December  10,  1720,  Huldah 
Hayward,  perhaps  the  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah 
(Butterworth)  Hayward.  He  married  (second)  Ex- 
perience Butterworth.  Among  their  children  was 
Silas,  mentioned  below.  ' 

(VI)  Captain  Silas  Cooke,  son  of  Ebenezcr  and  Ex- 
perience (Butterworth)  Cooke,  was  born  in  Men- 
don, Mass.,  August  8,  1733.  He  was  a  lieutenant  on 
the  brigantine  "Providence,"  serving  under  Esek  Hop- 
kins in  the  war  between  England  and  France,  in  which 
the  colonies  took  part  (1757).  Esek  Hopkins  was 
given  power  to  capture  French  ships  and  convey  them 
to  the  nearest  port.  In  the  event  that  Hopkins  should 
be  absent  at  any  time.  Lieutenant  Cooke  was  empow- 
ered to  take  his  place.  A  document  to  this  effect, 
signed  by  Stephen  Hopkins,  then  governor  of  Rhode 
Island,  dated  April  8,  1757,  in  the  13th  year  of  the 
reign  of  King  George,  is  in  the  possession  of  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Silas  Cooke,  a  member  of  the  West- 
cote  family,  and  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Holden 
(Brown)  Kenyon.    It  is  also  recorded  that  Lieutenant 


Silas  Cooke,  while  commanding  the  brigantine  "Prov- 
idence," was  taken  prisoner  by  the  French  on  April 
20,  1759,  and  his  ship  confiscated.  He  was  later  ran- 
somed, and  commanded  the  privateer  "Roby"  in  1760. 
Captain  Silas  Cooke  married  Sarah  Crawford, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Susannah  (Bernon)  Craw- 
ford.     (See    Bernon   II). 


REV.  ELPHEGE  CARON,  pastor  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist  Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Warren,  R.  I.,  a 
man  most  beloved  and  honored  not  only  by  his  parish- 
ioners, but  by  the  community-at-large,  is  a  native  of 
Canada,  having  been  born  April  21.  i860,  at  St.  An- 
toinc.  County  Verchere,  province  of  Quebec,  in  that 
countr}'.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Clcmence  (Ren- 
aud)  Caron,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  St. 
.'\ntoine,  where  his  father  was  born.  Mr.  Caron  spent 
his  entire  life  at  that  place  and  was  a  well  known 
figure  in  the  community  there,  his  death  occurring  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1908,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  Mrs. 
Caron  also  died  there,  January  26,  1916,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-seven  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  ten  sons  and  two  daughters,  as  follows: 
Stanislow,  born  in  1868,  now  chaplain  of  the  Hospital 
of  St.  .-kntoine,  at  Woonsockct,  R.  I.;  Marie,  deceased; 
Flora ;  Noel,  now  engaged  in  business  as  a  building  con- 
tractor at  Montreal ;  Ulderic,  deceased ;  (jcorge,  de- 
ceased ;  Pierre,  deceased,  formerly  a  teacher  at  St. 
\'catcur  College;  Clement,  now  a  teacher  at  that  insti- 
tution ;  .Xntoine,  engaged  in  business  as  a  tailor  at 
Montreal;  Raphael;  Francois;  and  Joseph,  all  deceased. 
Father  Caron  received  his  early  education  at  Assump- 
tion Seminary,  and  afterwards  attended  Grand  .Semi- 
nary and  St.  Sulpicc  Seminary  at  Montreal,  graduating 
from  the  latter  in  1886  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts.  At  the  two  latter  institutions  he  had  studied 
theological  subjects,  for  it  had  been  his  intention  to 
enter  the  priesthood,  and  on  December  18,  18^,  he  was 
ordained  by  Bishop  Fable  of  Montreal. 

Father  Caron  was  first  sent  as  a  young  priest  to  the 
Church  of  St.  Liboire,  in  the  county  of  Bajot,  in  the 
province  of  Quebec,  where  he  remained  four  years,  and 
then  for  three  years  was  at  St.  Gudes.  in  the  county  of 
Hyacinthe.  His  next  church  was  that  of  St.  Aime, 
County  Richeleau,  where  he  remained  four  years,  after 
which  he  went  to  Granby,  and  was  connected  for  four 
years  with  the  Church  of  Saint  Coeur  de  Marie.  Father 
Caron  then  came  to  County  Missiquois,  having  been 
appointed  pastor  of  the  Church  of  St.  Francois,  at 
Fredericksburg,  of  which  he  remained  in  charge  for 
another  four  years.  It  was  then  that  he  first  came  to 
the  United  States  as  pastor  of  the  Church  of  the 
Precious  Blood,  at  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  where  he  re- 
mained twelve  years.  .\t  the  expiration  of  that  time 
Father  Caron  was  appointed  to  his  present  pastorage 
of  the  Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  at  Warren,  R.  I., 
where  he  now  serves.  The  parish  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist  numbers  three  hundred  families,  and  sixteen 
hundred  souls,  and  Father  Caron  has  been  particularly 
active  in  securing  the  best  educational  advantages  for 
the  children  in  his  charge.  There  is  a  parochial  school 
here  under  the  charge  of  five  Sisters  of  Mercy,  who 
teach  the  classes  which  are  attended  by  some  two  hun- 


I/O 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


dred  pupils.  Father  Caron  is  an  exceedingly  energetic 
and  capable  man,  and  a  period  of  happy  prosperity 
may  be  predicted  for  the  parish  now  under  his  charge. 
It  is  doubtless  due  to  the  strange  dual  character  of 
man,  an  immortal  soul  which  would  be  dealing  with 
infinite  things,  and  a  very  finite  intelligence  to  grapple 
with  them,  that  some  of  the  profoundest  truths  of  life, 
appear  to  us  in  the  form  of  paradoxes.  One  of  the 
distinctions  of  the  Catholic  church  is  that  it  places  these 
paradoxes  frankly,  and  without  illusion,  candidly  ad- 
mitting its  own  inability  and  the  inability  of  any  finite 
agency,  to  explain  what  is  only  reconcilable  in  God. 
Not  the  least  striking  of  these  paradoxes  is  that  which 
forces  itself  more  and  more  upon  the  conviction  of 
every  earnest  man  as  long  as  he  lives,  the  paradox  that 
the  way  to  reach  the  most  desirable  of  things  is  not  to 
strive  for  them.  How  true  this  is  of  happiness,  v/e  are 
often  assured  by  the  wisest  and  taught  by  that  still 
more  convincing  preceptor,  experience.  Another  form 
in  which  this  may  be  stated,  not  lacking  in  suggestive- 
ness  to  us,  is  that  the  best  road  to  fulfillness  is  through 
forbearance.  We  have  not  to  seek  far  for  examples  of 
this  truth,  which  are  afforded  us  in  great  numbers  by 
the  priesthood  of  the  very  church  we  have  already 
mentioned.  For  these  men,  in  giving  up  all  things  that 
the  earth  holds  precious,  even  the  praise  that  would 
normally  attach  to  such  self-sacrifice,  meet  with  a 
deeper  and  surer  realization.  It  is  with  them,  be  they 
sincere  in  their  ministry,  that  peace  dwells  most  con- 
stantly ;  they  are  the  meek  that  inherit  the  earth.  In 
the  brief  sketch  which  precedes,  the  career  of  such  a 
man  is  traced  in  outline  too  meagre  to  express  in  any 
way  adequately  the  impulses  or  results  of  the  service 
to  which  he  has  so  completely  and  disinterestedly 
devoted  himself.  But  although  it  is  impossible  more 
than  to  suggest  this  in  the  scantiest  manner,  it  is  a  truth 
well  realized  by  the  many  members  of  the  several  flocks 
over  which  Father  Caron  has  presided  during  the  years 
of  his  priesthood. 


JOHN  DAVID  LEMAY,  mayor  of  Central  Falls, 
and  a  prominent  and  successful  merchant  of  the  town, 
is  a  native  of  Canada,  having  been  born  at  St.  Jude, 
February  3,  1859.  He  is  the  son  of  David  and  Mary 
(Rochford)  Lemay.  His  father  was  born  in  St.  Jude, 
Canada,  and  died  at  Centerville,  R.  I.,  January  3,  1903, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  His  mother,  Mary 
(Rochford)  Lemay,  was  born  at  St.  Robert,  Canada, 
and  is  now  living  at  Arctic  Centre,  R.  I.  His  parents 
were  married  in  Phenix,  R.  I.,  in  1858,  and  then  went 
to  live  in  Canada,  where  their  son,  John  David,  was 
born.  Their  other  children  were:  Eli  Lemay,  of  Arctic 
Centre ;  Robert,  of  Pawtucket,  who  is  in  the  grocery 
business;  Rosie,  who  lives  with  her  mother;  and  Alex- 
ander, of  Quidncck.  David  Lemay's  father  was  born  in 
France,  and  his  mother  was  Marance  Laboute,  a  Can- 
adian.    David  Lemay  was  himself  a  machinist  by  trade. 

The  educational  advantages  of  John  David  Lemay 
were  very  limited,  though  when  the  family  returned 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  at  Natick,  R.  I.,  in 
1886,  he  went  to  school  for  a  time.  At  a  very  early 
age  he  went  to  work,  becoming  at  first  a  sweeper  in  a 
mill,  later  working  up  to  the  position  of  general  boy. 


In  1873  he  went  to  work  in  the  store  of  A.  W.  Sprague 
and  was  there  until  1881,  then  went  to  Woonsocket 
and  secured  a  position  in  a  grocery  store  where  he 
remained  for  two  years,  going  thence  to  Central  Falls, 
where  he  did  similar  work  for  four  years.  He  was  an 
ambitious  and  energetic  youth,  and  his  rise  was  in- 
evitable from  the  first.  He  entered  into  partnership 
with  Richard  Keene  in  the  grocery  business,  and  their 
establishment  was  located  on  the  corner  of  Pine  and 
Park  streets.  He  sold  out  his  interest  in  this  con- 
cern in  1887,  and  served  for  a  period  of  nine  months 
on  the  police  force,  then  started  the  business  at  80 
Summer  street,  where  he  has  been  located  ever  since, 
making  this  venture  a  successful  and  prosperous  under- 
taking. As  a  business  man,  and  as  a  good  citizen,  Mr. 
Lemay  is  greatly  respected  for  his  sound  sense  and  his 
high  principle,  as  well  as  for  his  devotion  to  the  inter- 
ests of  the  community  in  which  he  has  elected  to  live 
and  now  has  the  privilege  of  serving  as  mayor,  having 
been  elected  in  1917  to  serve  two  years. 

Mr.  Lemay  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  attend- 
ing Notre  Dame  Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  LTnion  of  St.  Jean  the 
Baptiste. 

He  married  at  Arctic  Centre,  R.  I.,  January  20,  1877, 
Orville  Brandemour,  daughter  of  Nelson  and  Olive 
(Eenoit)  Brandemour,  both  of  whom  had  been  born 
in  Canada.  Their  children  are :  Walter  J.,  born  in 
Quidnick,  Oct.  7,  187O;  Noe  J.,  born  at  Woonsocket, 
Aug.  26,  1881,  married  Lillian  Paquine,  of  Pawtucket, 
and  their  two  children  are :  Germaine  B..  and  Reta 
Boni. 


STEPHEN     ALOYSIUS     KENNEY,     M.     D.— 

Among  the  well  known  and  popular  physicians  of  Val- 
ley Falls,  R.  I.,  where  he  occupies  a  prominent  position 
in  the  life  of  the  place,  is  Stephen  Aloysius  Kenney,  of 
No.  258  Broad  street.  Dr.  Kenney  was  born  December 
26,  1872,  at  Andover,  Mass.,  a  son  of  Edward  and 
Catherine  (Carcaron)  Kenney,  highly  respected  resi- 
dents of  Andover  and  Millville.  Edward  Kenney,  the 
father,  was  foreman  in  a  mill  at  Andover,  and  later  of 
Millville,  Mass.,  where  he  and  his  wife  passed  away. 
He  was  a  man  of  intelligence  and  character. 

His  son,  Dr.  Kenney,  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Millville,  Mass.,  which  he  attended  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  at  the  Blackstone  High  School, 
where  he  studied  for  two  seasons.  He  was  prepared 
for  college  at  the  latter  place,  and  immediately  after 
completing  his  studies  there  entered  Holy  Cross  Col- 
lege. After  two  years  at  Holy  Cross,  he  went  to  Phil- 
adelphia and  there  entered  Villanova  College,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1895  with  the  degrees  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts  and  Bachelor  of  Science.  He  was 
active  and  prominent  in  the  baseball  and  football  teams. 
The  young  man  had  in  the  meantime  determined  upon 
medicine  as  a  career  in  life,  and  with  this  end  in  view 
entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of 
Baltimore,  Md.  Here  he  maintained  the  admirable 
record  which  he  had  already  established  for  himself  as 
a  student,  and  in  iSOQ  graduated  therefrom  with  the 
degree   of   M.   D.     He  then   did   interne   work   for  six 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


171 


months  at  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and 
followed  this  with  a  post-graduate  course  at  Johns  Hop- 
kins University.  Dr.  Kenne}-  then  came  directly  to 
Valley  Falls,  where  he  opened  an  office  at  his  present 
address,  and  at  once  began  practice.  He  has  now  been 
thus  engased  for  a  period  of  twenty  years,  and  in  the 
meantime  has  made  for  himself  a  reputation  among  the 
leading  members  of  his  profession.  Dr.  Kenney  is  one 
of  those  progressive,  enterprising  men,  who  are  not 
content  with  allowing  the  great  advances  in  science 
made  in  this  modern  age  to  pass  by  unnoticed.  He  has 
done  everything  to  keep  abreast  of  medical  progress  and, 
following  a  marked  tendency  of  to-day,  has  taken  sev- 
eral post-graduate  courses  at  Harvard  Universit)'.  In 
his  religious  belief  Dr.  Kenney  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and 
attends  St.  Patrick's  Church  of  this  denomination  at 
Valley  Falls.  He  is  prominent  in  the  work  of  the  parish, 
and  is  a  practical  observer  of  the  tenets  of  his  religion. 
He  is  also  prominent  in  social  circles  in  this  region, 
is  a  member  of  the  Hibernian  Division  of  the  .Ancient 
Order  of  Hibernians,  the  Valley  Falls  Lodge,  No.  1375, 
Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  the  Court  Lily  of  the  Black- 
stone  Lodge,  No.  25,  Foresters  of  America,  as  well  as 
of  various  medical  societies,  including  the  .Xmerican 
Medical  Association.  He  also  belongs  to  the  .■Mumni 
associations  of  Villannva  College,  and  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Baltimore.  In  politics  Dr. 
Kenney  is  a  Democrat,  and  although  quite  without  ambi- 
tion for  anything  like  public  office,  or  political  prefer- 
ment, he  has  nevertheless  served  as  medical  examiner 
of  Cumberland  for  three  terms,  and  proved  himself  a 
most   disinterested  and  capable  public  servant. 

Stephen  Aloysius  Kenney  was  united  in  marriage, 
January  7,  1902,  with  Catherine  Zeta  McGrath,  of 
Central  Falls,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  McGrath. 
To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kenney  two  children  have  been  born, 
as  follows:  Joseph  Clifford,  born  March  29.  1904,  a 
graduate  of  the  local  grammar  school,  and  now  a  pupil 
in  the  High  School  at  Central  Falls;  and  Mary  Bis- 
cilla,  born  May  29,  1909,  and  now  a  pupil  in  the  sixth 
grade  of  St.  Patrick's  Roman  Catholic  Parochial 
School  of  Valley  Falls. 


PHILO  ELISHA  THAYER— For  several  decades 
the  late  Philo  Elisha  Thayer  occupied  a  prominent 
place  in  the  industrial  and  civic  life  of  the  city  of 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.  As  head  of  the  P.  E.  Thayer  Com- 
pany he  was  well  known  and  prominent  in  the  business 
circles  of  the  city,  a  leader  whose  influence  was  felt  in 
the  larger  corporations  of  Pawtucket,  and  one  whose 
voice  was  heeded.  Honored  and  respected  among  his 
business  associates,  as  he  was  loved  and  revered  in 
private  life,  his  career  was  that  of  the  upright  Chris- 
tian gentleman.  A  talented  organizer  and  executive, 
he  was  the  prime  factor  in  the  development  of  the 
P.  E.  Thayer  Company  and  was  responsible  for  its 
rapid  growth  from  an  enterprise  of  comparative  insig- 
nificance to  one  of  large  importance  in  the  brush  mak- 
ing industry  of  Rhode  Island. 

The  Thayer  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  .Xmerica, 
dating  from  the  first  decade  of  the  period  of  Colonial 
emigration.  Since  the  year  1630  members  of  the 
family  have  played  prominent  parts  in  the  history  of 
Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island,  and  we  find  the  name 


in  places  of  note  in  the  records  first  of  the  two  com- 
monwealths and  later  of  the  States.  The  coat-of-arms 
of  the  Thayer  family  is  as  follows : 

Arm.« — Per  pale  ermine  and  gules  three  talbots' 
heads  erased,  counterchanged. 

Cre.st — A  talbot's  head  erased,  per  fesse  ermine  and 
gules. 

The  progeny  of  the  founders,  Thomas  and  Margery 
Thayer  is  numerous,  and  has  become  divided  into 
branches  designated  by  the  sections  in  which  they  have 
resided.  The  line  herein  under  consideration  is  known 
as  the  Rhode  Island  branch.  The  line  of  descent  of  the 
late  Philo  E.  Thayer  from  the  founder  includes  eight 
generations  of  pure  American  stock,  and  in  the  col- 
lateral lines  are  to  be  found  many  noted  Colonial 
families,  among  them  the  Haywards,  Wares,  Wheel- 
ocks  and  Greenes.  Thomas  Thayer,  the  founder,  mar- 
ried Margery ,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  Fer- 

dinanda,  who  married  Huldah  Hayward;  Isaac  Thayer, 
son  of  Ferdinanda  and  Huldah  (Hayward)  Thayer, 
married  (first)  Mercy  Ward;  Ebenezer  Thayer,  son  of 
Isaac  and  Mercy  (Ward)  Thayer,  married  Mary 
Wheelock;  Captain  Ebenezer  (2)  Thayer,  son  of 
Ebenezer  (l)  and  Mary  (Wheelock)  Thayer,  married 
Hannah  Greene;  Ebenezer  (3)  Thayer,  son  of  Cap- 
tain Ebenezer  (2)  and  Hannah  (Greene)  Thayer,  mar- 
ried Martha  Thayer,  a  kinswoman ;  Ebenezer  (4) 
Thayer,  son  of  Ebenezer  (3)  and  Martha  (Thayer) 
Thayer,  married  Sabra  Darling;  Samuel  Thayer,  son  of 
Ebenezer  (4)  and  Sabra  (Darling)  Thayer,  married 
Miranda  Sherman  Thayer. 

Samuel  Thayer  was  born  in  Rellingham,  Mass.,  April 
22.  1804;  he  inherited  from  his  father  considerable 
valuable  farming  property.  This  he  later  increased  by 
purchase,  and  though  he  entered  business  life  at  a 
later  period  of  his  life,  always  continued  his  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  stock-raising.  He  became  connected 
with  a  Mr.  Cook  in  the  brush  manufacturing  industry, 
and  was  highly  successful  in  this  venture.  Samuel 
Thayer  died  in  the  prime  of  life  as  the  result  of  an 
accident  sustained  on  his  farm.  He  was  of  the  splendid, 
rugged  and  upright  type  of  New  Englander  of  the  past 
century,  of  robust  build  and  great  strength,  kindly, 
courteous  and  generous  in  his  impulses  and  deeds.  In 
1826  he  married  Miranda  Sherman,  of  Foxboro,  Mass., 
a  member  of  an  old  established  family  of  that  region. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i. 
.Mien,  who  was  engaged  as  a  grocer  in  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  where  he  died.  2.  Ellis.  3.  George  Wesley.  4. 
Philo  E.,  mentioned  below.  5.  Julia  Ann,  married 
George  F.  Greene,  a  brush  manufacturer  of  North 
Attlcboro,  Mass.  6.  Sarah  Wilbur,  married  Henry  E. 
Craig,  of  Walpole,  Mass. 

Philo  E.  Thayer,  son  of  Samuel  and  Miranda  (Sher- 
man) Thayer,  was  born  on  the  ancestral  farm,  at  Rell- 
ingham, Mass.,  March  4,  1847,  in  the  ninth  generation 
of  the  family  in  America.  He  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Bellingham,  but  after  the 
death  of  his  father  removed  to  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  with 
his  mother,  where  he  attended  the  grammar  and  high 
schools.  His  mother  subsequently  married  Samuel 
Kelley,  a  woolen  manufacturer  of  West  Milton,  Ohio, 
and  he  removed  to  the  West,  where  he  completed  his 
studies  and  was  graduated  from  high  school.  Deter- 
mined on  entering  the  business  world,  and  having  pre- 


172 


"HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


viously  gained  a  small  knowledge  of  brush  making  in 
his  father's  factory  in  Bellingham,  he  returned  to  New 
England,  in  1864.  and  entered  the  employ  of  his  brother, 
Ellis  Thayer,  who  was  a  brush  manufacturer  at  Wor- 
cester, Mass.  A  few  months  later  he  was  in  the  employ 
of  his  brother,  a  grocer  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  with 
whom  he  remained  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  until  1870. 
In  the  latter  year  he  joined  his  two  brothers,  Ellis  and 
George  Wesley  Thayer,  who  had  purchased  Thomas 
Greene's  brush  factory  on  East  avenue.  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.  For  two  years  he  was  foreman  of  the  factory 
in  Pawtucket,  but  at  the  end  of  that  time  returned  to 
Woonsocket.  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  A.  B. 
Warfield,  a  grocer  of  the  city,  as  a  clerk. 

In  1873  he  was  once  again  drawn  into  the  brush 
making  industry,  by  the  illness  of  his  brother,  George 
W.  Thayer.  He  returned  to  his  position  as  foreman 
of  the  factory  in  Pawtucket,  and  shortly  afterward, 
realizing  the  possibilities  of  the  business,  purchased 
the  interest  of  his  brother,  George  W.  Thayer,  in  the 
firm,  and  with  his  brother,  Ellis  Thayer,  conducted  the 
business  under  the  name  of  Thayer  Brothers  until 
1880.  He  then  purchased  Ellis  Thayer's  interests  and 
became  sole  proprietor,  operating  under  the  name  of 
P.  E.  Thayer  &  Company.  The  business  developed 
rapidly  beyond  the  expectations  of  its  owner,  and  he 
became  one  of  the  foremost  and  most  prosperous  man- 
ufacturers of  the  city.  In  1907  the  business  was  incor- 
porated, as  the  P.  E.  Thayer  Company,  with  Mr. 
Thayer  as  president.  He  was  also  the  holder  of  large 
mterests  in  similar  industries,  but  in  1893  disposed  of 
his  interest  in  a  brush  factory  of  Woonsocket  to  his 
nephew.  Walter  S.  Thayer.  He  was  a  director  of  the 
Pawtucket  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company,  the  Isaac 
Shove  Insurance  Company,  the  Oneonta  Electric  Light 
and  Power  Company,  in  which  last  named  company  he 
served  as  a  member  of  the  executive  committee. 

Philo  E.  Thayer  was  a  prominent  figure  in  public 
life  in  the  city  of  Pawtucket  for  many  years.  He  main- 
tained a  deep  interest  in  the  advancement  of 
civic  welfare  throughout  his  life,  and  although 
distinctly  not  an  office  seeker  appreciated  to  the 
fullest  his  duties  as  a  citizen.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Common  Council,  representing  the  Third  Ward 
during  six  terms,  and  for  four  years  was  president  of 
the  Board  of  Aldermen.  His  services  in  this  capacity 
were  so  highly  beneficial  to  the  city  as  a  whole  that  he 
was  elected  by  a  large  majority  to  represent  it  in  the 
General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  this  body  for  six  years,  and  during  this  period 
was  influential  in  securing  the  passage  of  much  val- 
uable legislation.  On  May  24.  1897,  he  was  appointed 
a  member  of  the  new  State  line  commission:  was  chair- 
man of  the  Pawtucket  commission  to  abolish  grade 
crossings;  was  a  member  of  the  special  committee  ap- 
pointed by  the  City  Council  in  charge  of  the  "Cotton 
Centennial"  in  1890,  and  chairman  of  the  sub-committee 
on  manufactures.  Mr.  Thayer  was  particularly  active 
in  preparing  the  exhibit  of  cotton  manufacturing  in 
all  its  phases,  from  the  raw  state  to  the  completion  of 
the  finished  cloth,  an  exhibit  which  drew  widespread 
attention.  In  political  affiliation  Mr.  Thayer  was  a 
member  of  the  Republican  party. 

F'or  many  years  he  was  one  of  the  leading  figures  in 


Masonic  interests  in  Pawtucket.  He  was  a  member  of 
Morning  Star  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
LTnion  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Pawtucket  Coun- 
cil, Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  Woonsocket  Command- 
ery.  Knights  Templar;  Palestine  Temple,  Ancient 
Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  and  of  all 
the  Consistory  bodies  of  the  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish 
Rite.  He  had  obtained  to  the  thirty-second  degree  in 
the  York  and  Scottish  Rite  bodies.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  of  which  he  was  treasurer 
for  twelve  years,  a  past  regent,  and  Knight  of  Honor. 
In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Universalist,  and  attended 
the  High  Street  Universalist  Church,  serving  on  the 
board  of  trustees.  He  belonged  also  to  the  Pawtucket 
Business  Men's  Association,  the  West  Side  Club  of 
Pawtucket,  and  the  Central  Club  of  Providence. 

On  March  7,  1866,  Mr.  Thayer  married  Georgianna 
F.  Arnold,  daughter  of  Ira  W.  and  Harriet  (Snell) 
Arnold,  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thayer 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  I.  Annie 
Louise,  who  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Frank  R.  Jenks. 

2.  Hattie  Miranda,  who  married  (first)  Fletcher; 

C second)   Church.     3.  A  daughter  who  died  in 

infancy.  Mrs.  Thayer  survives  her  husband,  and  resides 
at  the  family  homestead  at  No.  58  Olive  street.  Paw- 
tucket. She  is  active  and  well  known  in  social  life  in 
Pawtucket.  Philo  Elisha  Thayer  died  at  his  home  in 
Pawtucket,  R.  I. 


WILLIAM  ALPHONSE  BERNARD,  M.  D.,  one 

of  the  leading  physicians  of  Woonsocket,  where  he  has 
been  engaged  in  active  practice  for  about  twenty  years, 
is  a  native  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  where  he  was  born.  April 
12,  1875.  Dr.  Bernard  is  a  son  of  Alphonse  and  Celina 
(Senay)  Bernard,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
of  Lowell  and  Woonsocket,  where  the  former  still 
resides.  Alphonse  Bernard  is  a  native  of  Canada  and 
came  from  that  country  to  the  United  States  when  a 
young  man.  Dr.  Bernard  received  the  elementary  por- 
tion of  his  education  at  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
city  and  was  prepared  for  college  at  the  Lowell  High 
School.  He  then  entered  the  normal  school  at  IMont- 
real,  Canada,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1804.  and 
from  there  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  Laval 
University.  After  taking  the  usual  medical  course  he 
was  graduated  from  that  institution  with  the  class  of 
1899  and  received  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
He  then  had  considerable  experience  in  hospital  work 
and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Woonsocket, 
in  1S99,  opening  an  office  at  No.  23  Hamlet  avenue, 
where  he  has  remained  ever  since.  During  that  time 
Dr.  Bernard,  who  is  engaged  in  general  practice  here, 
has  built  up  a  large  and  high  class  clientele,  and  is  now 
regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  this  region. 
In  addition  to  his  private  practice.  Dr.  Bernard  holds 
the  position  of  assistant  to  the  general  surgeon  of 
Woonsocket  Hospital,  and  has  done  much  valuable 
work  in  this  connection.  In  1918  he  was  appointed  the 
medical  examiner  of  the  selective  draft  board  of  Woon- 
socket. a  position  which  he  still  holds.  Since  1917  he 
has  been  medical  examiner  for  the  Metropolitan  Life 
Insurance  Company  of  New  York.  Dr.  Bernard  has 
alwavs  taken  a  keen  and  active  interest  in  local  affairs. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


173 


and  has  been  a  leader  in  many  movements  undertaken 
for  the  betterment  of  civic  conditions  in  this  city.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  never  been  ambi- 
tious to  hold  olTicc.  In  his  religious  belief,  Dr.  Bernard 
is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  the  Church  of  the 
Sacred  Blood  of  this  denomination  at  Woonsocket.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  St.  John  the  Bapiistc,  of  the 
Franco-.Vmerican  Club,  the  Kewannis  Club,  the  Franco- 
American  Order  of  Foresters,  the  Woonsocket  Medical 
Society,  the  Franco-.Vmerican  Medical  .Kssociation,  and 
is  a  fellow  of  the  American  Medical  .\ssociation. 

Dr.  Bernard  was  united  in  marriage,  .•Kpril  18,  1912, 
at  Southbridge,  Mass.,  with  Josephine  Bonneau,  a  native 
of  Canada  and  a  daughter  of  .-Mfred  and  Philomeni 
(Lussier)  Bonneau,  the  former  deceased,  the  latter 
residing  in  Webster.  Mass.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bernard  are 
the  parents  of  two  children,  as  follows :  Mary  Martha, 
born  May  i<),  1914;  and  Roberta,  born  Feb.  4,  1917. 


ANDREW  E.  RYLANDER  (JANSON),  secre- 
tary and  general  manager  of  the  General  Machinery 
Company,  was  born  in  Sweden,  October  19,  1888.  His 
father,  .-Vnders  Janson,  a  wealthy  lumber  and  real 
estate  operator,  died  in  1S93,  following  a  financial  crisis. 

His  mother,  Emelie  Elvira  Janson,  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1894  and  married  (second)  Nels 
Martin  Rylander,  proprietor  of  the  Standard  Copper- 
smith Co.  In  1905,  Andrew  E.  Janson  was  taken  to 
this  country,  by  Mr.  J.  P.  Larson,  and  legally  adopted 
by  his  stepfather  whose  name  he  took.  Nels  Martin 
Rylander  died  in  1903.  His  widow  married  (third) 
Carl  V.  Hcnning.  and  resides  in  Detroit,  Mich. 

The  son  attended  the  public  schools  until  twelve  years 
of  age.  then  began  working.  His  ambition  was  for  an 
education,  and  he  continued  study  at  night  along  engi- 
neering lines,  attending  evening  high  school,  took  a 
correspondence  course  in  Mechanical  Engineering  and 
later  attended  Upsala  College.  He  also  attended  lec- 
tures on  subjects  of  interest  to  him. 

This  course  of  study  extended  over  several  years,  and 
in  the  meantime  he  had  become  an  expert  machinist, 
serving  a  regular  apprenticeship  begun  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  years,  with  the  Goodson  Electric  Ignition  Com- 
pany of  Providence.  With  his  general  machinist's 
trade,  he  combined  skill  as  a  tool  maker  and  a  draught- 
man,  and  for  a  time  was  general  superintendent  of  the 
Morgan  Manufacturing  Company;  production  man,  ma- 
chine and  tool  designer  for  the  Langelier  Manufacturing 
Company ;  chief  engineer  for  the  Price-Campbell  Cotton 
Picker  Company.  He  was  sent  to  Texas  by  the  last 
named  company,  and  there  redesigned  their  machines 
and  so  improved  their  machine  that  he  was  made  chief 
engineer  of  the  company's  plant  at  \\'oonsocket.  The 
McMcehan  Engineering  Staff  of  which  he  is  general 
manager,  is  a  company  formed  to  design  and  develop 
industrial  plants,  and  is  a  growing  concern.  On  August 
2,  1917,  Mr.  Rylander  took  charge  of  the  plant  of  the 
General  Machinery  Company  as  general  manager,  and 
later  was  elected  secretary  of  the  company.  The  business 
of  the  firm  is  contract  work,  the  manufacture  of  auto- 
motive parts,  production  tools  and  special  machinery, 
textile  machinery  tenders  and  braiders.  The  plant  has 
executed  and  has  on  hand  orders  for  special  machin- 
ery for  the  United  States  Government.     The  company 


is  well  managed  and  prosperous.  Mr.  Rylander  is  a 
member  of  Gustaf  Adolph  II.,  Order  of  \asa,  was  a 
member  of  the  reception  committee  appointed  to  wel- 
come Prince  William  of  Sweden  upon  the  occasion  of 
his  visit  to  Providence  in  1908,  and  in  his  religious  faith 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church. 

He  married  February  27,  1913,  Signe  M.  Johnson, 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Regina  Johnson  of  Worcester, 
Mass.  They  are  parents  of  Dorothy  Signe  Rylander, 
born  December  31,  1916,  and  reside  in  East  Providence, 
on  the  historic  Chaffee  Estate,  which  they  purchased. 


THOMAS  McKENNA— .\t  the  age  of  sixty-nine, 
Thomas  McKenna  passed  away,  leaving  to  posterity  the 
record  of  a  useful,  blameless  life  lived  under  two  flags, 
for  he  was  born  in  Scotland,  but  when  a  year  old  was 
brought  to  the  United  States,  which  was  ever  "his  land." 
He  was  born  in  1849,  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1850,  died  in  \'alley  Falls,  R.  I.,  July  '-.  1918.  His 
parents  located  in  Valley  Falls  on  coming  to  the  United 
States,  and  there  Thomas  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  and  parochial  schools.  When  yet  a  boy,  he 
became  a  mill  worker,  continuing  in  Rhode  Island  mills 
for  several  years,  then  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  but 
soon  returned  and  reentered  a  Valley  Falls  mill  as  a 
mule  spinner.  This  was  the  old  Happy  Hollow  Mill, 
and  there  he  continued  a  spinner  as  long  as  he  remained 
a  textile  worker.  Finally  he  left  the  mill  and  entered 
the  employ  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
Railroad,  and  for  over  thirty  years  he  continued  with 
that  company  holding  the  position  of  car  inspector.  He 
then  retired,  and  during  the  last  fourteen  years  of  his 
life  was  engaged  as  a  tea,  coffee,  and  spice  merchant, 
at  \'alley  Falls. 

Mr.  McKenna  was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  faith 
and  ranked  high  as  a  local  party  leader.  In  1903  he 
was  elected  State  Senator,  and  so  well  did  he  meet  the 
demands  of  that  office  that  he  was  retained  by  succes- 
sive rcclections  until  1914.  In  1917,  he  was  again 
elected  to  the  Senate,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
in  office.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  .Ancient  Order  of  Hiber- 
nians, and  was  chief  ranger  of  the  Rhode  Island  Order 
of  Foresters.  Although  he  never  paraded  the  fact,  Mr. 
McKenna  bore  arms  during  the  early  part  of  the  Civil 
War.  He  went  to  Washington,  was  enlisted  in  the 
transport  service,  and  when  Washington  was  threatened 
he  was  enrolled  with  the  defenders  of  the  city  bearing 
arms. 

Thomas  McKenna  married  (first)  Mary  McNiff,  the 
mother  of  two  children:  William,  deceased;  and  Mary, 
who  married  Thomas  McNulty.  He  married  (second) 
Catherine  Sullivan,  who  bore  him  six  children:  Walter 
v..  born  1887,  and  died  March  19,  191 1;  J'-'lin  F.,  of 
Valley  Falls;  Arthur  L.,  of  Valley  Falls;  Charles  A., 
of  Valley  Falls;  Agnes,  married  Thomas  McCarthy; 
Louise  A.,  residing  at  home.  He  married  (third)  Anna 
Barnes,  who  died  without  issue.  The  children  of 
Thomas  McKenna  were  all  born  at  \'alley  Falls,  and 
there  they  were  educated.  Charles  A.,  was  born  in 
1883,  and  is  now  in  the  employ  of  C.  E.  and  J.  F. 
Skinner,  of  Valley  Falls.  He  married  Christina  Fallon, 
of  \'alley  Falls,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a  son, 
Thomas  J.  McKenna. 


1/4 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


JOHN    THOMAS    WARD,    M.   D.,   was   born   in 

Providence,  R.  I.,  August  21,  1S74,  the  son  of  John 
Patrick  and  Mary   (Mallory)   Ward. 

He  was  educated  in  the  parochial  schools,  the  Christ- 
ian Brothers  School,  class  of  1892,  and  St.  Michael's 
College,  where  he  pursued  the  classical  course  until 
graduation  in  1896.  He  then  began  professional  study 
at  Harvard  Medical  School,  whence  he  was  graduated 
M.  D.,  class  of  1900.  For  two  years  after  graduation 
Dr.  Ward  was  abroad,  studying  in  hospitals  in  Dublin, 
Ireland;  London,  England,  \'ienna,  Austria,  but  in  1902 
he  returned  to  the  United  States  and  opened  an  office 
at  No.  726  Broad  street,  and  began  practice  as  a  spec- 
ialist in  internal  medicine.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
State  and  City  Medical  societies,  and  has  built  up  a 
lucrative  practice,  continuing  his  office  on  Broad  street. 
Dr.  Ward  is  a  member  of  St.  Michael's  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church,  and  of  the  Rhode  Island  Catholic  Club, 
and  in  politics  is  an  Independent  Democrat. 

He  married,  in  St.  Patrick's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
Providence,  R.  I.,  June  16,  1904,  Harriet  Vernon  Mc- 
Govern,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Mary  Margaret,  born  Oct.  4,  1905;  John  Thomas,  Oct, 
16,  1907;  and  Matthew  Edward,  July  12,  1912,  all  of 
them  pupils  in  Providence  public  schools. 


TOM  HOWICK— Born  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  the 
demands  of  his  position  with  the  United  States  govern- 
ment has  taken  him  to  many  localities,  and  thus,  in 
1917,  he  became  a  resident  of  Providence,  R.  I.  He 
comes  from  a  family  of  strong,  virile  men  of  the 
Central  West,  whose  greatest  lack  was  capital,  and  in 
order  to  obtain  an  education  Tom  Howick  was  com- 
pelled to  provide  the  necessary  funds.  He  has  earned 
everything  he  has  in  open  competition  and  upon  his  own 
merits.  He  is  a  son  of  Stephen  and  Mary  (Rice) 
Howick,  both  deceased. 

Tom  Howick  was  born  in  Neptune,  a  village  of  Mer- 
cer county,  Ohio,  five  miles  from  Celina,  August  8,  1886. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Celina,  a  town  on  the 
Grand  Reservoir,  thirty-two  miles  from  Lima,  Ohio,  but 
before  finishing  his  high  school  course  was  obliged  to 
leave  school  and  become  a  wage  earner.  His  first  im- 
portant position  was  deputy  treasurer  of  Mercer  county, 
Ohio,  which  he  held  two  years,  being  followed  by  a  year 
at  Ohio  Wesleyan  College.  He  taught  school  one  term 
following  his  year  at  college,  then  secured  a  position  as 
secretary  to  Congressman  J.  H.  Goeke,  of  Ohio,  and 
accompanied  him  to  Washington.  There  he  attended 
night  classes,  and  later  lectures  at  the  law  department 
of  Georgetown  University,  but  continued  to  fill  his  sec- 
retarial duties.  He  continued  his  law  studies  at  George- 
town, and  in  1912  was  awarded  his  degree  LL.  B.  With 
his  degree  honorably  secured,  Mr.  Howick  found  his 
path  in  life  made  much  easier,  but  he  yet  had  his  way 
to  win.  He  continued  as  secretary  to  Congressman 
Goeke  for  a  time,  then  was  appointed  to  a  position  in 
the  manufacturing  department  of  the  United  States 
Census  Bureau,  so.on  afterward  being  admitted  to  the 
bar,  and  was  retained  by  the  Government  as  special 
agent.  Department  of  Justice,  in  the  case  of  the  Steam- 
boat "Eastland"  disaster  at  Chicago;  continuing  in  this 
capacity,  he  was  sent  to  Seattle,  Wash.,  there  rep- 
resenting the  Government  for  eighteen  months  on  special 


service.  In  1917  he  was  detailed  to  take  charge  of  the 
office  of  Bureau  of  Investigation,  Department  of  Jus- 
tice, in  Providence,  R.  I.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  the  D.  O.  K.  K.,  Sigma  .^Ipha  Epsi- 
lon  fraternity,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 

Mr.  Howick  married,  October  18,  1915,  at  Sidney, 
Ohio,  Jennie  Lynn,  of  that  city,  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  a  daughter,  Bettie  Jane,  born  in  Seattle,  Wash., 
November  12,  1916. 


REV.  JOHN  F.  SULLIVAN  was  born  in  New- 
port, R.  I.,  August  27,  1867.  being  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Catherine  (Fitzgerald)  Sullivan.  He  attended  the 
public  and  private  schools  of  the  city,  going  thence  to 
Mount  St.  Mary's  College,  Emmitsburg,  Md.  From 
Mount  St.  Mary's  he  passed  to  Manhattan  Colleq'e,  New 
York  City,  whence  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
A.  B.  in  the  class  of  1886.  He  then  pursued  theological 
studies  at  St.  Mary's  Seminary,  Baltimore,  Md.,  there 
received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Sacred  Theology, 
and  during  the  years  1889-91  studied  at  the  Catholic 
University  of  America  in  Washington,  being  one  of  the 
first  students  to  enter  that  institution.  He  was  ordained 
to  the  priesthood  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  at  the 
Cathedral  in  Providence,  June  24,  1891,  by  Rt.  Rev. 
Matthew  Harkins,  D.  D.  He  served  as  assistant  pastor 
of  St.  Mary's  parish.  Providence,  for  thirteen  years, 
then  in  July,  1904,  was  appointed  pastor  to  the  newly- 
created  parish  of  St.  Agnes,  located  on  Branch  avenue. 
In  May  1912,  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Trinity,  Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  and  is  now  perma- 
nent rector  of  that  parish. 

For  several  years  Father  Sullivan  was  interested 
actively  in  the  Diocesan  Union  of  Temperance  Socie- 
ties, and  was  president  of  the  Union,  1901-1903.  He 
is  Procurator  Fiscalis,  or  Diocesan  Attorney  for  the 
Diocese  of  Providence.  He  is  the  author  of  'The  Ex- 
ternals of  the  Catholic  Church,"  published  in  November, 
1917,  which  is  now  in  its  second  edition.  The  parish  of 
Holy  Trinity  was  founded  in  April,  1889,  by  Rev.  Pat- 
rick Farrelly,  who  was  its  pastor  until  May,  1912,  when 
he  was  transferred  to  the  pastorate  of  St.  Michael's 
Church,  Providence,  R.  I.,  Father  Sullivan  succeeding 
him  at  Holy  Trinity.  The  parish  contains  three  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  fifty  souls,  maintains  a  parochial 
school  where  six  hundred  and  forty  pupils  are  being 
educated,  a  convent  with  eighteen  sisters  of  the  Presen- 
tation and  a  club  for  young  men  with  one  hundred  and 
fiftv  members. 


STANLEY  N.  CHASE,  a  well  known  real  estate 
and  insurance  dealer,  and  a  business  man  of  the  very 
highest  standing  in  the  city  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  is  a 
member  of  an  old  and  very  distinguished  New  Hamp- 
shire family,  the  name  of  Chase  being  one  of  those 
most  closely  identified  with  the  struggle  for  American 
Independence  in  the  Revolutionary  annals  of  the  State. 
He  is  a  son  of  A.  A.  and  Anna  M.  (Young)  Chase, 
both  natives  of  New  Hampshire,  where  the  elder  Mr. 
Chase  spent  a  considerable  portion  of  his  life.  He  was 
an  expert  cotton  goods  finisher,  and  eventually  removed 
to  Saylesville,  R.  I.,  where  he  became  associated  with 
the  Sayles  Finishing  Company.  This  association  con- 
tinued   without    interruption    until    Mr.    Chase    retired 


^X5i><3-it>:si.^vA^   C3 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1/5 


entirely  from  active  business.  He  now  makes  his  home 
at  Saylesvillc,  R.  I.,  where  he  lives  in  retirement. 

Born  May  2;,  1877,  at  Newport,  N.  H.,  Stanley  N. 
Chase  was  but  three  years  of  age  when  he  was  brought 
by  his  parents  to  Saylcsville,  R.  I.,  so  that  it  was  with 
the  latter  place  that  his  earliest  associations  were 
formed.  For  his  education  he  attended  the  Lincoln 
grade  schools,  and  later  the  Central  Falls  Hi.nh  School, 
where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  He  had  decided 
upon  a  business  career,  however,  so  entered  the  well 
known  Coles  Business  College  and  there  took  a  com- 
mercial course.  Graduating  with  the  class  of  1895,  anJ 
coming  directly  to  Pawtucket,  not  yet  eighteen  years 
of  age,  he  engaged  here  in  the  insurance  business,  open- 
ing an  office  in  the  Whitney  block,  which  has  remained 
his  headquarters  ever  since.  In  spite  of  his  youth,  he 
met  with  notable  success  from  the  outset,  and  since  that 
time  has  continued  to  build  up  and  develop  his  large  and 
remunerative  business.  He  added  real  estate  to  his 
insurance  business  a  few  years  afterwards  and  in  this 
also  met  with  the  highest  kind  of  success,  and  he  now 
handles  every  kind  of  insurance  and  real  estate,  mak- 
ing mortgages  his  specialty.  He  has  been  treasurer  of 
the  Pawtucket  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  for  some 
fifteen  years,  and  is  regarded  as  an  authority  on  all 
matters  pertaining  to  insurance  throughout  the  entire 
region.  In  many  other  aspects  of  the  community's  life 
he  is  no  less  conspicuous  and  active.  He  is  atTiliated 
with  a  great  many  important  organizations  of  the  city, 
social,  fraternal  and  otherwise.  He  is  a  Free  Mason, 
and  is  a  member  of  Barney  Mary  Lodge,  No.  29,  An- 
cient Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Pawtucket  Chapter, 
Royal  Arch  Masons;  Pawtucket  Council,  Royal  and 
Select  Masters,  and  besides  these  Masonic  bodies,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
Good  Samaritan  Lodge,  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

Stanley  N.  Chase  married,  September  11,  1906,  at 
Pawtucket.  Lucy  W.  Jackson,  a  daughter  of  David  and 
Clara  M.  (Bucklin)  Jackson,  and  a  member  of  distin- 
guished Pawtucket  families  on  both  the  paternal  and 
maternal  sides  of  the  house.  One  child  has  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chase,  a  daughter,  Dorothy  R.,  who 
resides  with  them  in  this  city. 


and  in  politics  an  Independent.  His  social  order  is  the 
Providence  Lodge,  No.  14,  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  As  a  member  of  the  dentists  branch 
of  the  Preparedness  League,  Dr.  McKanifti  proffered 
his  services  to  the  government,  and  served  as  tirst  lieu- 
tenant in  the  Dental  Reserve  Corps,  United  States  army. 


HARRY  FRANCIS  McKANNA,  D.  M.  D.— Not 
long  after  receiving  his  degree  in  dentistry.  Dr.  Mc- 
Kanna  located  in  River  Point,  R.  I.,  where  he  is  rap- 
idly winning  both  friends  and  patronage.  He  is  a  son 
of  Joseph  and  Julia  .\.  (Gary)   McKanna. 

Harry  F.  McKanna  was  born  in  Crompton,  R.  I., 
April  5,  1890,  and  here  he  passed  the  public  school 
grades.  He  next  entered  Warwick  High  School,  whence 
he  was  graduated  in  1909.  The  next  two  years  were 
spent  at  the  University  of  Minnesota,  after  which  he 
entered  Harvard  Dental  School  and  in  1914  was  grad- 
uated, D.  M.  D.  After  graduation  he  spent  a  year  in 
association  with  Dr.  Midgely  of  Providence,  then  opened 
an  office  of  his  own  in  the  Thornton  Theatre  building 
at  River  Point,  R.  I.,  and  is  there  establishing  high 
reputation  in  the  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Dental  Association,  the  Rhode  Island  Dental 
Society,  and  the  college  fraternity  Sigma  Nu.  In  religion 
he  is  a  member  of  St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 


WILLIAM  CECIL  GILL— At  the  age  of  ten 
years  Mr.  Gill  came  to  the  United  States,  and  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  months  spent  in  Moosup,  Conn.,  he 
has  since  been  a  resident  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island, 
now  being  the  capable  agent  of  the  Pocasset  Worsted, 
Company,  of  Thornton.  R.  I.  That  corporation  has 
existed  only  since  January  I.  191 7,  but  the  business  it 
represents  was  established  in  1S97,  by  Charles  Fletcher, 
to  whom  several  other  worsted  mills  in  Rhode  Island 
owe  their  existence.  The  plant  of  the  company,  both  as 
a  partnership  and  a  corporation,  is  located  at  Thorn- 
ton, R.  I.  the  mill  modern  in  every  respect  and  well 
equipped  with  the  best  of  machinery  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  worsted  yarns  for  weaving  and  knitting  pur- 
poses. William  O.  Todd,  the  lirst  secretary  of  the  coiyi- 
pany,  is  now  president  of  the  corporation,  while  Wil- 
liam C.  Gill,  who,  when  a  boy,  entered  the  service  of 
the  Fletchers,  when  the  enterprise  was  young,  is  now 
agent,  having  filled  many  difterent  positions  in  his  up- 
ward rise,  but  never  leaving  the  employ  of  the  Pocas- 
set Worsted  Company.  It  is  a  coincidence  that  the 
company  he  has  served  so  long  and  so  well  was  organ- 
ized in  the  same  year  in  which  he  first  set  foot  on 
American  soil,  their  fortunes  becoming  linked  not  long 
afterward,  nearly  twenty-one  years  having  since  elapsed. 

William  C.  Gill  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England, 
October  22,  1S87,  and  there  he  spent  the  first  ten  years 
of  his  life  attending  public  school  from  the  age  of  five 
years.  In  the  spring  of  1897,  he  came  to  Providence, 
R.  I.,  there  remaining  six  months  at  the  National  and 
Providence.  Then  went  to  Thornton  when  the  Pocas- 
set Worsted  Company  started  business,  .-^fter  being 
there  three  years  he  went  out  to  work  in  various  mills  to 
acquire  experience,  returning  to  the  Pocasset  Worsted 
Company  when  the  plant  was  doubled  up.  The  Pocas- 
set Worsted  Company,  is  a  partnership  with  a  plant 
at  Thornton,  R.  I.,  Charles  Fletcher,  Frederick  C. 
Fletcher,  and  William  O.  Todd  having  been  the  officials 
of  the  company  at  that  time.  He  began  his  career  with 
the  Pocasset  Worsted  Company,  in  the  drawing  room, 
and  advanced  through  the  various  grades  of  promo- 
tion until  he  became  agent  and  factory  manager,  his 
present  position.  The  business  of  the  company  is  the 
manufacture  of  yarns.  The  business  was  incorporated 
January  I,  1917,  William  O.  Todd,  of  Providence, 
president;  C.  D.  Hoye,  of  Sharon,  Mass,  first  vice- 
president;  George  Dickinson  of  Providence,  second 
vice-president ;  William  C.  Gill  of  Thornton,  R.  I., 
agent ;  F.  O.  White,  of  Providence,  assistant  treasurer ; 
Patrick  Darcey,  of  Boston,  Mass..  secretary.  Seven 
hundred  and  fifty  hands  are  now  employed  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  worsted  yarns,  which  are  shipped  all  over 
the  United  States. 

There  are  few  men  better  fitted  for  the  position  they 
hold  than  Mr.  Gill,  and  still  fewer  who  can  trace  their 
rise,  step  by  step,  in  the  same  plant  solely  upon  their 
own  merit.     He  has  won  each  promotion,  and  now  is 


176 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


master  of  his  business,  having  learned  every  detail 
under  that  best  of  teachers,  experience.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  What  Cheer  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
is  a  Republican  in  politics;  and  in  religious  faith,  an 
Episcopalian. 

Mr.  Gill  married,  April  17,  1904,  Edith  Crow,  of  Brad- 
ford, England,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Wil- 
liam Ronald,  born  in  1909. 


JOHN  A.  TAUDVIN,  instructor  in  the  Rhode 
Island  School  of  Design,  and  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Providence,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  the  Provipce  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  the  town  of 
Smith  Falls,  in  that  place,  August  i5,  1S69.  Mr.  Taud- 
vin  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Sara  (Goss)  Taudvin, 
highly  respected  residents  of  Smith  Falls.  The  elder 
Mr.  Taudvin  was  born  March  5,  1840,  at  Prince  Edward 
Island,  and  died  August  25,  1916.  He  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade  and  retired  from  active  life  a  few  years  prior 
to  iiis  death.  In  religion  he  was  a  Methodist.  He  mar- 
ried Sarah  Goss,  like  himself  a  native  of  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island,  where  she  was  born  July  12,  1842.  Her 
death  occurred  in  1913.  They  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Annie  M.,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Alfred  M.  Thompson,  of  Providence;  John  A.,  with 
whose  career  we  are  here  especially  concerned ;  Charles, 
born  October  2;.  1871,  and  died  in  18S9;  Joseph  T.', 
now  resides  at  Providence,  where  he  is  employed  as 
superintendent  of  the  Xew  England  Button  Company; 
Lilla,  wife  of  Henry  Baldwin  of  Providence,  who  is 
now  lieutenant-colonel  on  the  staff  of  Governor  of  the 
State. 

John    A.    Taudvin    was    educated    at    the    Providence 
Grammar    School    and    the    Rhode    Island    School    of 
Design,  and   after  completing  his   studies  at  the  latter 
institution,    he    sought    at    once    remunerative    employ- 
ment and  secured  a  position  with  the  American  Screw 
Company,  of   Providence.     He   at  first   worked  in  the 
humble  capacity  of  office  boy  there,  but  after  remaining 
three    years    in    the    place    had    gained    a    considerable 
knowledge  of  the  business  and  had  been  promoted  to 
a    more    responsible    position.      He    was    then    made    a 
foreman    and    served    in    that    capacity    for    the    same 
concern  about  eight  years.     He  was  later  sent  by  the 
American  Screw  Company  to  Canada  as  an  e.xpert  with 
the   Canada    Screw    Manufacturing   Company   and   was 
employed  on  rolled  screws  for  about  three  and  a  half 
years  by  that  concern.    He  next  became  superintendent 
of  the  New  England  Screw  Company  of  Boston,  serv- 
ing in  that  capacity   for   about  two  and  a  half  years, 
when   he  returned  once  more  to   the  American   Screw 
Company  and  was  connected  with  that   concern   for  a 
time.     Mr.  Taudvin  then  accepted  a  position  offered  to 
him  as  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Eastern  Bolt  & 
Nut  Company  of  East  Providence,  and  remained  with 
that  concern  until  1918.     In  the  meantime  he  had  been 
advanced   until   he   served   as   head   of   the   mechanical 
department  of  the  School  of  Design,  his  appointment  to 
that  place  taking  place  in  190S.     Mr.  Taudvin  has  grad- 
ually given  up  his  other  work  as  the  demands  made  by 
the  School  of  Design  became  more  and  more  insistent 
and  he   now   devotes  practically   all   of  his   time  to   it' 
He  is  keenly  interested  in  this  work,  however    and  it 


has  been  no  hardship  to  him  to  give  up  other  lines  for 
the  sake  of  this  work  in  the  school.  In  igii  Mr. 
Taudvin  was  appointed  president  of  the  Pawtucket 
Screw  Company  and  has  occupied  that  post  ever  since. 
He  is  a  prominent  figure  in  social  and  fraternal  life 
here  and  is  affiliated  with  the  local  lodge  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  and  the  Providence  Society  of  Mechanical 
Engineers.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Taudvin  is  a 
Methodist  and  attends  the  Matthewson  Street  Church 
of  that  denomination.  He  makes  his  home  at  No.  109 
Taber  avenue,  Providence. 

John  A.  Taudvin  was  married  (first)  March  16,  1891, 
at  Providence,  to  Harriette  j\I.  Barton,  of  Providence^ 
where  she  was  born  January  26,  1871,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Catherine  (Scott)  Barton,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  Providence.  John  Barton  was 
for  many  years  superintendent  of  the  Silver  Springs 
Bleachery,  at  Providence.  Mr.  Taudvin  married  (sec- 
ond) June  18,  1913,  Grace  Newman  Carpenter,  of  East 
Providence,  a  daughter  of  William  and  .-Knuie  M. 
(George)  Carpenter,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
of  this  place.  Mr.  Taudvin  is  the  father  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Sara  K.,  born  Oct.  23,  1894;  Eva  C, 
born  Jan.  5.  1900,  and  Dorothea  B.,  born  Aug.  9,  1907.' 


WALTER  GREEN  SULLIVAN,  M.  D.— Dr.  Sul- 
livan was  educated  in  tlie  public  schools  of  Providence. 
He  was  graduated  from  Harvard  Medical  School  in 
1S96,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  After  serving  as  surgical 
dresser  in  the  Boston  City  Hospital,  and  as  interne  in 
the  Carney  Hospital,  Boston,  for  eighteen  months,  he 
established  himself  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Prov- 
idence, where  he  has  continued  to  practice  his  chosen 
profe<^sion.  Dr.  Sullivan  is  the  son  of  Timothy  J.  and 
Margaret  (Green)  Sullivan.  His  father  was  a  one- 
time contractor  of  Providence,  now  deceased.  His 
mother  is  also  deceased.  He  has  one  brother.  Frank 
G.  Sullivan,  a  linotyper  on  the  "Providence  Journal," 
and  four  sisters :  Mrs.  Lucy  T.  Miller,  of  North  Attle- 
boro,  Mass.;  Mrs.  Mary  F.  Fanning,  of  Belmont,  Mass.  • 
Margaret  Maud  Sullivan,  and  Elizabeth  B.  Sullivan', 
who  reside  in  Providence. 

Walter  Green  Sullivan  was  born  in  Providence,  R. 
I.,  September  20,  1873,  and  there  completed  his  prelimi- 
nary education,  graduating  from  the  Classical  High 
School  in  1892.  He  decided  on  a  professional  career 
entered  the  Medical  School  of  Harvard  University,' 
from  which  institution  he  was  awarded  the  degree  of 
M.  D.,  in  1896.  Dr.  Sullivan's  office  is  at  No.  319 
Prairie  avenue,  and  he  resides  at  No.  646  Public 
street.  Dr.  Sullivan  is  gynaecological  surgeon  at  St. 
Joseph's  Hospital,  Providence,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Medical  .dissociation,  the  Rhode  Island  Med- 
ical Society,  the  Providence  Medical  Association,  and 
the  Harvard  Medical  Alumni  Association.  Dr.  Sullivan 
IS  a  member  of  St.  Michael's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  the  Catholic  Club. 


THE    MOSSBERG    WRENCH    COMPANY,    of 

Providence,  R.  I.,  was  organized  in  1893  when  it  started 
business  in  Attleboro,  Mass.  At  that  time  its  principal 
product  was  a  line  of  bicycle  wrenches  which  achieved 
a  world-wide  reputation  and  put  Attleboro  on  the  map 


-^?r^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


177 


as  a  wrench  making  town.  Another  article  for  which 
both  the  company  and  the  town  became  noted,  was  the 
Develine  Whistle,  a  siren  mouth  whistle  which  rivalled 
the  Banshee  in  weirdness.  and  tilled  the  community 
with  mingled  feelings  of  hilarious  joy  and  wrathful  con- 
sternation. In  1902  the  company  moved  to  Central 
Falls,  R.  I.,  where  it  engaged  more  particularly  in  ma- 
chine work,  developing  its  present  lines ;  and  in  May, 
191 7,  it  moved  to  its  present  quarters  at  25-27  Charles 
street,  Providence.  The  principal  products  are  the 
K-A  Electrical  Warp  Stop  for  Looms ;  Warp  Step 
Drop  Wires  of  various  kinds;  the  Sim-Pull  and  Sim- 
plex Countershafts  and  Belt  Shifters;  the  Kight-in- 
Sight  Copyholder  for  typewriters  and  other  purposes. 
Special  tools  and  machinery  also  are  made  for  others, 
on  contract. 

The  K-A  Electrical  Warp  Stop  for  Looms  is  a  device 
for  automatically  stopping  a  loom  when  a  single  warp 
thread  breaks.  It  is  used  in  the  weaving  of  cotton, 
woolen,  worsted  and  silk,  both  here  in  Rhode  Island 
and  elsewhere,  by  representative  mills.  The  verdict  of 
its  users  is  that  it  is  unexcelled  in  simplicity  and  effi- 
ciency, and  in  its  adaptability  to  varying  requirements 
of  different  fabrics. 

Besides  making  the  K-A  Electrical  Warp  Stop,  a  line 
of  drop  wires  is  made  for  use  with  different  kinds  of 
warp  stops,  this  company  being  a  specialist  in  this  line, 
having  made  drop  wires  for  other  makers  of  warp 
stops  as  well  as  for  its  own  device. 

The  Sim-Pull  and  Sim-Plex  Countershafts  and  Belt 
Shifters  are  made  for  use  with  machine  tools,  textile 
machiner}',  and  for  other  purposes.  They  have  been 
adopted  by  representative  machinery  manufacturers  as 
equipment  for  their  machines,  and  a  substantial  portion 
of  the  business  consists  in  supplying  such  manufacturers 
with  countershafts.  The  Sim-Pull  and  Sim-Plex 
Countershafts  and  Belt  Shifters  are  recognized  as 
safety  devices  by  State  and  Insurance  Factory  Inspec- 
tion Departments,  several  of  such  departments  having 
installed  exhibits  for  reference.  In  1914  they  received 
the  Gold  Medal  award  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Safety  at  Xew  York,  and  at  the  request  of  the  Museum 
a  permanent  exhibit  was  installed  there. 

The  Right-in-Sight  Copyholder  is  used  principally 
with  typewriters,  but  it  is  also  used  elsewhere  for  hold- 
ing shop  slips  and  other  reference  material.  It  is 
universally  adjustable,  permitting  the  copy  to  be  moved 
toward  or  away  from  the  operator  to  accommodate 
individual  vision ;  and  it  is  also  adjustable  from  one 
side  to  the  other,  as  well  as  by  inclination  to  accommo- 
date the  copy  to  the  light  by  which  the  copyist  works. 
The  copyholders  are  in  use  with  government  depart- 
ments, as  well  as  with  representative  offices  and  schools 
throughout  the  country. 

.'\11  of  the  foregoing  products  are  of  Rhode  Island 
origin  both  as  regards  invention  and  manufacture,  and 
all  of  them  have  been  sold  abroad  as  well  as  at  home. 
.All  of  these  same  products  participated  in  the  conduct 
of  the  war  activities  of  1917-1918,  as  is  evidenced  by 
the  preponderance  of  sales  orders  carrying  govern- 
ment numbers  and  priorities.  The  present  officers  of 
the  corporation  are :  Simon  W.  Wardwell.  president ; 
Arthur  .\.  .\rmington,  vice-president;  and  Edwin  C. 
Smith,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

R  1—2-12 


GEORGE  HENRY  CLARKE— A  particular  type 
of  progressive  and  versatile  manufacturing  and  financ- 
ing genius  is  characteristic  of  New  England,  and  is 
probably  more  commonly  found  here  than  in  any  other 
part  of  the  world.  This  type  of  man  is  one  essential 
to  the  development  of  communities  and  industries.  It 
would  be  very  difficult  to  find  a  better  example  of  such 
a  man  than  in  the  person  of  George  Henry  Clarke, 
general  manager  of  the  Warwick  Lace  Works,  of 
River  Point,  R.  I.  He  came  to  N'ew  England  well 
recommended  from  his  English  home,  and  as  a  designer, 
draughtsman  and  superintendent  of  lace  mills  has  fully 
proven  his  ability  and  worth. 

George  Henry  Clarke,  son  of  Thomas  and  Harriet 
(Smedley)  Clarke,  was  born  at  Sawley,  Derbyshire, 
England,  April  to,  1885.  He  attended  the  National 
school,  and  during  his  noon  hour  carried  his  father's 
dinner  to  him  at  the  mill,  where  the  boy  became  inter- 
ested in  the  machinery  used  in  lace  making,  that  being 
his  father's  trade.  Leaving  school  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
he  took  up  designing  and  draughting  at  Long  Eaton, 
England,  eight  miles  from  Nottingham,  which  is  the 
lace  manufacturing  center.  After  having  spent  five 
years  here  in  mastering  the  different  phases  of  lace 
manufacturing,  he  became  an  expert  in  this  line  and 
finally  the  manager  of  a  lace  manufacturing  plant  at 
New  Sawley,  England.  He  held  tliis  responsible  posi- 
tion until  1911,  when  he  left  his  native  land  on  the  Sth 
of  September  of  the  same  year  with  the  belief  that 
better  opportunities  for  advancement  would  be  offered 
him  in  the  United  States.  He  arrived  in  Boston,  Mass., 
on  the  steamship  "Kranconia,"  eight  days  later,  shortly 
afterwards  entering  the  employ  of  the  .Xmerican  Textile 
Company  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  remaining  there  two  years 
as  a  designer  and  draughtsman.  From  there  he  went, 
as  superintendent,  to  the  Warwick  Lace  Works,  at 
River  Point,  R.  I.,  where  he  is  residing  at  the  present 
time.  He  was  particularly  well  fitted  to  meet  the  wants 
of  this  plant,  having  the  practical  knowledge  of  design- 
ing and  of  mill  management,  both  of  which  were  sorely 
needed  here.  It  meant  long  hours  of  hard  work  for 
him,  hut  nothing  daunted  he  stepped  right  in  and  the 
plant  quickly  responded  to  his  intelligent  management 
In  1917  he  was  advanced  to  the  post  of  general  man- 
ager and  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors. 
This  advancement,  giving  him  greater  authority  and 
freedom  of  action,  enabled  him  to  bring  the  plant  up 
to  the  highest  point  of  perfection. 

Mr.  Clarke  is  a  member  of  the  New  England  Lace 
Manufacturers'  Association,  the  American  Lace  Manu- 
facturers' Association,  the  Southern  Textile  Association, 
and  is  one  whose  future  business  success  is  assured. 
X'arious  and  extensive  as  are  his  business  interests,  he 
has  found  time  to  cultivate  and  perfect  an  inborn  talent 
which  has  proven  of  great  pleasure  and  worth  to  him. 
.-\t  the  age  of  ten  years  he  began  playing  a  trombone 
in  a  band,  and  later  became  cornetist  in  a  famous 
English  band,  which  position  he  held  for  three  years. 
As  a  cornet  soloist  he  was  well  known  and  popular 
and  among  his  trophies  or  souvenirs  arc  four  medals 
won  at  festivals  in  Birmingham,  Hucknall,  Sheffield  and 
Tamworth,  England.  He  is  a  member  of  Warwick 
Lodge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons,  and  the  Order  of 
the  Eastern  Star;  he  is  a  Republican  in  politics.     Mr. 


178 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Clarke  is  a  man  of  social  and  genial  nature,  whose  at- 
tractive personality  and  essential  good  fellowship  have 
gained  for  him  a  host  of  friends.  He  certainly  justly 
deserves  the  popularity  and  success  which  spring  from 
a  nature  such  as  his. 

Mr.  Clarke  was  married  in  England,  December  24, 
1906,  to  Edith  Ethel  Smith,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Mary  Ann  (Grundy)  Smith,  of  Long  Eaton,  England. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clarke  are  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Winifred  Edith,  born  Jan.  28,  1915,  and  George  Ber- 
nard, born  May  12,  1918.  The  family  home  is  at  River 
Point,  R.  I. 


JAMES  FRANCIS  RYAN,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing physicians  of  Edgewood,  R.  I.,  where  he  has  been 
engaged  in  practice  for  the  past  eight  years,  is  a  native 
of  Providence,  and  a  son  of  Michael  Edward  and  Mar- 
garet C Campbell)  Ryan,  both  deceased.  The  birth  of 
Dr.  Ryan  occurred  November  9,  1881,  and  as  a  lad  he 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Providence.  He  was 
graduated  from  the  English  High  School  of  that  city 
with  the  class  of  igoi,  and  was  there  prepared  for  col- 
lege. Dr.  Ryan  had  decided  upon  a  medical  career,  and 
with  this  end  in  view  entered  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  where  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1909  and  received  his  degree. 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  then  became  associated  with 
St.  Joseph's  Hospital  at  Providence,  as  an  interne,  where 
he  spent  twenty  months  adding  the  necessary  practical 
experience  to  his  theoretical  knowledge.  In  1910  he 
opened  his  first  office  at  No.  1397  Broad  street,  but 
shortly  afterwards  removed  to  his  present  place  at 
No.  1413  Broad  street,  Edgewood.  Here  he  has  been 
engaged  in  active  practice  ever  since.  His  reputation 
now  extends  beyond  the  confines  of  his  own  town  and 
he  enjoys  the  absolute  confidence  not  only  of  his  own 
clientele,  but  of  his  professional  colleagues  and  the 
community  at  large.  He  is  at  present  physician  in 
charge  of  the  Children's  Out-Patient  Department  of 
St.  Joseph's  Hospital.  While  at  college,  Dr.  Ryan  took 
a  special  course  in  the  diseases  of  the  chest,  heart,  and 
lung,  and  although  he  has  not  actually  specialized  in 
this  line,  is  regarded  as  an  authority  therein. 

Dr.  Ryan  is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Medical 
Society,  and  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Association,  and 
is  active  in  the  work  of  these  two  organizations,  in 
advancing  the  welfare  of  his  profession  in  the  State. 
In  his  religious  belief  Dr.  Ryan  is  a  Roman  Catholic 
and  attends  St.  Paul's  Church  of  this  denomination. 
In  politics  he  is  an  Independent  Democrat,  supporting 
the  general  principles  and  policies  of  his  party,  but 
holding  himself  free  of  partisan  considerations  in  his 
judgment  on  all  local  issues  and  candidates. 


JOHN  FOLEY,  for  thirty-five  years  identified  with 
the  Smith  Granite  Company,  and  a  well  known  figure 
in  business  circles  in  Westerly  in  the  late  seventies,  was 
born  in  County  Galway,  Ireland,  in  1824.  and  came  to 
America  in  his  boyhood.  Locating  with  friends  in 
Boston,  he  remained  there  for  several  years.  In  this 
period  he  learned  the  trade  of  stone  cutting,  and  on 
completing  his  apprenticeship  went  to  Stoney  Creek, 
New  London,  where  he  secured  his  first  position  as  a 
journeyman   stone  cutter.     Here  he  was   employed   on 


cutting  fine  work  for  the  famous  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral, 
in  New  York  City,  then  in  course  of  construction. 
Later  Mr.  Foley  came  to  Westerly,  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Smith  Granite  Company.  He  occupied  a 
position  of  responsibility  and  trust  with  this  firm  for 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  during  which  period 
he  directed  much  of  its  finest  and  most  exacting  work. 
He  supervised  the  erection  of  the  John  R.  Mackay 
jMemorial  in  Greenwood  Cemetery,  New  York.  He 
oversaw  much  of  the  fine  construction  and  cutting  work 
of  the  company,  and  in  addition  engaged  in  other  en- 
terprises of  a  like  nature.  He  retired  from  business  at 
the  conclusion  of  his  thirty-fifth  year  with  the  Smith 
Granite  Company. 

Mr.  Foley  was  well  known  and  eminently  respected 
in  business  circles  in  Westerly.  He  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  civic  affairs,  and  for  many  years  was  active 
in  movements  which  had  for  their  end  the  advance- 
ment of  civic  welfare.  Kind  hearted,  quick  to  sym- 
pathize, and  generous  to  a  fault,  he  was  always  a  liberal 
donor  to  charitable  causes,  and  rarely  turned  away  an 
appeal  for  aid.  He  was  in  no  sense  of  the  word  an 
office  seeker,  despite  the  fact  that  he  might  have  had 
public  honors  had  he  sought  them.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians.  For  many  years 
he  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  St.  Michael's 
Church,  of  Pawcatuck,  which  church  he  helped  to 
build. 

Mr.  Foley  married  in  Boston,  Mass.,  Ellen  Murray, 
who  died  in  Westerly,  December  9,  1896.  Their  home 
in  Westerly,  purchased  from  Latham  Thompson,  origi- 
nally comprised  land  on  both  sides  of  Franklin  street. 
This  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  Mr.  Foley  erected  on 
the  site  two  new  buildings  which  are  now  rented  by  his 
estate.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foley  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children :  i.  William,  died  in  Westerly.  Oct. 
7.  1913,  aged  sixty  years;  he  was  connected  with  the 
Smith  Granite  Company,  and  the  Rhode  Island  Granite 
Works  as  a  stone  cutter  for  many  years.  2.  John,  Jr., 
died  .'\pril  22,  1801 ;  was  manager  of  the  Martin  Ciga? 
Manufacturing  Company.  3.  Mary  A.,  was  educated  at 
St.  Joseph's  Convent,  Hartford,  Conn.;  she  married. 
May  13,  1875,  Michael  F.  Martin,  at  St.  Michael's 
Church,  Westerly.  Mr.  Martin  was  born  in  Ireland 
and  came  with  his  parents  to  Hartford  in  early  child- 
hood. Ill  health  forced  him  virtually  to  retire  from 
active  business  life  a  few  years  after  his  marriage,  and 
Mrs.  Martin,  a  woman  of  extraordinary  business  abil- 
ity, gradually  assumed  the  management  of  her  hus- 
band's affairs.  In  1888  she  began  the  erection  of  the 
Hotel  Martin,  now  one  of  the  leading  hotels  of  West- 
erly, a  building  six  stories  high,  with  seventy-five  sleep- 
ing rooms.  After  establishing  this  enterprise  on  a 
sound  basis,  Mrs.  Martin  went  to  Boston,  where  she 
opened  a  corset  and  millinery  business  on  the  corner 
of  Boylston  street  and  Massachusetts  avenue,  placing 
the  management  of  the  millinery  department  in  the 
hands  of  her  daughter,  Mary  Agnes  Martin,  who  is 
now  a  millinery  designer  w^tli  one  of  the  leading  mil- 
linery houses  of  New  York.  Mrs.  Martin  married 
(second),  in  1899,  Joseph  Graf,  of  New  York,  and 
shortly  afterwards  disposed  of  her  Boston  business, 
and  settled  in  Westerly,  w-here  she  again  assumed  the 
management  of  the  Hotel  Martin,  which  for  a  number 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


179 


of  years  had  been  under  other  management  and  had 
been  allowed  to  deteriorate.  She  at  once  began  to 
reorganize  and  redecorate  the  hotel,  and  by  dint  of 
hard  work  and  tireless  effort  succeeded  in  bringing  the 
hotel  up  to  its  present  standard  of  efficiency  and  refine- 
ment. Mrs.  Graf  was  aided  in  the  management  of  tlie 
business  by  her  husband,  but  since  his  death  has  con- 
tinued it  alone.  Joseph  Graf  was  born  in  New  York 
City,  and  was  educated  in  St.  John's  College.  He  began 
business  life  in  the  employ  of  his  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
Garrish.  a  tobacco  expert  and  merchant  of  Xew  York, 
for  whom  he  was  a  traveling  salesman  for  several 
years.  Following  his  removal  to  Westerly.  Mr.  Graf 
interested  himself  deeply  in  local  affairs.  He  was  well 
known  in  Masonic  circles,  and  was  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  I-'lks. 
No.  678.  of  Westerly,  which  was  organized  at  a  ban- 
quet at  the  Hotel  Martin.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  and  a  generous  supporter  of  all  its 
charities.  Mr.  Graf  died  in  Westerly,  September  13, 
IQ09. 

Michael  F.  and  Mary  A.  (Foley)  Martin  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  l.  Mary  A.,  before 
mentioned.  2.  John  F.,  connected  with  Hunt  &  Com- 
pany, of  Boston,  for  eleven  years;  Mr.  Martin  later 
entered  Tufts  Medical  Institute  and  began  the  study 
of  medicine ;  he  was  graduated  with  honors :  and  is 
now  supervisor  of  the  Depot  Hospital  at  Hempstead, 
Mass.,  and  medical  examiner  of  aviators  for  overseas 
duty ;  he  married  Mary  DeCosta,  of  Braintree,  Mass. 
3.  Thomas  F.,  a  buyer  of  china  and  bric-a-brac  for 
Seigel  Company,  for  twelve  years ;  now  with  Blomen- 
stein  in  New  York ;  married  Ella  Riley,  of  New  York ; 
their  children  are:  John  J.,  Eleanor,  Virginia,  and 
Thomas.  Jr.  4.  William,  resides  in  Westerly ;  clerk  in 
the  Hotel  Martin.  5.  .Andrew  J.,  is  proprietor  of  the 
Hotel  Martin. 

John  Foley  died  at  his  home  in  Westerly.  J:\nuary  22, 
1884,  aged  sixty  years. 


EDGAR  M.  DOCHERTY— The  William  C.  Greene 
Company,  manufacturing  jewelers  of  Providence,  dates 
its  beginning  from  the  year  1849,  when  William  C. 
^•reene.  "he  founder,  formed  a  partnership  and  trading 
under  the  name,  Mathewson  &  Greene.  Their  first 
place  of  business  was  a  site  on  Westminster  street, 
later  occupied  by  Hall  &  Lyon,  as  a  drug  store.  Changes 
in  the  company  were  made  as  the  years  passed,  being 
successively,  Mathewson,  Greene  &  Mauran,  in  1853; 
Greene,  Mauran  &  Company,  in  1854;  Mr.  Greene  with- 
drawing in  1S65. 

In  1866  Mr.  Greene  formed  the  firm  of  Greene  & 
Bliss,  continuing  in  business  on  Pine  street  for  twenty- 
eight  years.  Charles  H.  Bliss  became  a  partner  in 
1873.  and  the  firm  name  became  W.  C.  Greene  &  Com- 
pany. Mr.  Greene  later  purchased  the  business,  con- 
ducting it  as  sole  owner,  he  being  the  oldest  active  man- 
ufacturer of  jew-elry  in  Providence  at  that  time.  Later 
he  moved  his  plant  to  its  present  location,  No.  loi 
Sabin  street,  in  the  Manufacturers'  building.  Mr. 
Greene  retired  from  business  in  1908  or  1909  and  died 
February  3,  1914.  In  1917  this  business  was  incor- 
porated as  the  William  C.  Greene  Company,  Frank  R. 
Budlong,  president;  Edgar  M.  Docherty,  secretary  and 


treasurer.  The  William  C.  Greene  Company  now  con- 
tinues as  before  in  the  manufacture  of  solid  gold 
jewelry. 

The  following  is  taken  from  the  October  19,  1899. 
issue  of  "The  Manufacturing  Jeweler:" 

WlllLim  O.  Greene  was  horn  nt  Kast  Greenwicli,  In 
.\UKUSt.  1S26,  and  lieean  in  IS-l.')  as  an  apprentice  of 
Allen  Rrown.  who.«e  shop  was  on  the  curner  of  Pine 
and  OraiiKe  streets.  Four  years  later  he  was  a  partner 
of  Nathan  F.  Matlu'W.son,  forminK  the  firm  of  Mathew- 
son &  Greene.  ThPir  shop  was  on  Westminster  street, 
between  the  present  "Journal'  offlce  and  the  Paris 
House.  It  was  afterwards  removed  to  the  corner  of 
I'ay-e  and  Friendship  streets,  where  the  tirm  became 
Mathewson.  Greene  &  Mauran.  In  1S54  Mathewson 
droi>ped  out.  and  the  (Irni  was  then  Greene,  .Mauran 
&  Company,  remaining  thus  until  l.SBl.  At  this  time 
^^r.  Greene  sold  his  interests  to  the  other  memtiers  of 
tite  firm  and  accepted  the  position  as  superintendent 
of  the  factory  for  five  years,  leavinpr  there  to  become 
a  partner  of  Alfred  Bliss,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Greene  cfc  Bliss.  This  firm  was  continued  until  1872. 
In  IST.'i  Mr.  Greene  united  with  other  parties,  forming 
the  firm  of  William  C.  Greene  &  Company,  lotatingr  his 
business  at  No.  95  Pine  street,  and  continuing  there 
until  the  erection  of  the  Manufacturers'  building, 
when  a  removal  was  made  thereto.  William  C.  Greene 
died   February  3.  1914. 


GEORGE  ALBERT  MITCHELL— In  the  list  of 
successful  men  of  this  region  of  Rhode  Island,  which 
includes  the  city  of  Providence  and  its  surrounding 
towns,  the  name  of  George  .Albert  Mitchell,  the  pros- 
perous farmer  of  Saylesville.  should  be  mentioned,  both 
on  account  of  the  substantial  prosperity  which  he  has 
won  by  hard  work  and  sound  judgment,  and  on  account 
of  the  reputation  which  he  has  gained  among  his  fellow 
citizens  here.  George  .-Mbert  Mitchell  is  a  native  of  the 
town  of  Lincoln,  R.  I.,  having  been  born  on  his  father's 
farm.  October  11,  1867.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Jane 
(Mitchell)  Mitchell,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
of  Lincoln. 

John  Mitchell,  who  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  successful  farmers  and  dairymen  in  the  town  of 
Lincoln,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  was  born  in 
County  Tyrone  in  1827.  His  childhood  was  spent  in 
his  native  land,  but  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age  he 
embarked  on  a  sailing  vessel  for  the  United  States. 
This  voyage  occupied  five  weeks  and  three  days,  and  the 
lad  arrived  in  New  York  City  alone  and  friendless,  and 
without  funds  to  aid  him  in  his  search  for  a  livelihood 
here.  He  had,  however,  unlimited  ambition,  and  at  once 
set  about  finding  employment.  This  was  in  the  year 
1843.  when  the  Harlem  bridge  was  being  constructed 
in  New  York,  and  Mr.  Mitchell's  first  work  was  on 
that  structure.  After  remaining  for  a  short  time  in 
New  York,  he  came  to  Providence,  where  he  secured 
employment  with  the  firm  of  Palmer  &  Andrews,  who 
did  a  large  business  here  as  masons  and  builders. 
Shortly  afterwards  he  left  this  concern  and  for  a  time 
was  occupied  driving  milk  wa.gons  in  various  parts  of 
this  community  for  the  dairy  farmers  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. In  addition  to  his  industry  he  was  a  most 
thrifty  youth  and  saved  up  an  extraordinary  amount  of 
his  earnings,  considering  how  slender  they  were.  This 
he  did  because  of  his  intense  desire  to  become  inde- 
pendent, a  desire  which  he  was  soon  able  to  gratify. 
.'Vccordingly.  in  1857  he  came  to  what  was  then  Smith- 
field,  but  has  now  become  the  tow-n  of  Lincoln,  where 
he  bought  a  tract  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land  from 
Dwight  Hammond,  and  here  engaged  in  farming  on  his 


i8o 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


own  account.  He  was,  indeed,  only  able  to  secure  this 
property  by  heavily  mortgaging  it,  but  he  at  once  went 
to  work  with  such  energy  in  his  new  business,  that 
before  a  great  time  had  passed  he  was  able  to  pay  off 
his  indebtedness,  and  begin  the  task  of  improving  his 
farm  in  earnest.  He  had  seen  that  the  dairy  business 
was  a  good  one,  and  accordin,gly  secured  what  was  at 
first  a  small  herd  of  excellent  milch  cows,  which  in  time 
grew  to  large  proportions.  He  also  erected  fine  barns 
and  outbuildings  and  eventually  a  handsome  house  for 
himself.  He  carried  on  here  a  general  farming,  stock 
raisin.g  and  dairy  business,  and  prospered  so  highly  that 
he  later  purchased  the  adjacent  farm  of  fifty  acres 
from  John  Smith,  and  became  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful dairymen  in  this  region.  The  produce  of  his  farm 
he  marketed  in  the  neighboring  city  of  Pawtucket, 
where  he  gained  a  reputation  second  to  none  for  hon- 
esty and  square  dealing.  As  time  went  on,  Mr.  Mitchell, 
in  addition  to  his  farming  operations,  became  interested 
in  real  estate,  both  in  Pawtucket  and  Providence,  and 
purchased  much  valuable  property  in  these  two  cities. 
Upon  this  he  erected  a  large  number  of  tenement 
houses  which  he  rented  on  reasonable  terms  and  which 
brought  him  in  a  handsome  return.  His  death  occurred 
June  ig,  1903,  and  he  was  buried  in  the  old  North 
Burying  Ground  at  Providence.  He  was  a  Congrega- 
tionalist  in  his  religious  belief,  and  in  politics  an  active 
Republican,  but,  although  he  took  an  active  interest  in 
town  affairs,  he  was  never  ambitious  to  hold  office. 
John  Mitchell  married  Jane  Mitchell,  a  daughter  of 
William  Mitchell  of  this  place,  and  a  member  of  a  fam- 
ily which  had  no  relation  to  his.  Mrs.  Mitchell  died  in 
February,  1891.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  James,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  years ;  William  J.,  Robert  H.,  Anna  L.,  who  died 
in  early  youth;  Arabelle  E.,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Benjamin  A.  Hawkins;  George  .Albert,  with  whose 
career  we  are  here  especially  concerned;  and  Charles 
E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years. 

The  early  education  of  George  Albert  Mitchell  was 
gained  at  the  local  public  schools  in  the  township  of 
Lincoln.  During  his  childhood  his  father's  affairs  were 
still  more  or  less  uncertain,  and  at  an  early  age  he  was 
obliged  to  assist  him  in  the  work  of  the  farm.  Indeed 
he  spent  his  vacations  and  spare  hours  from  school  in 
this  occupation,  and  thus  became  familiar  with  agricul- 
tural methods  when  still  very  young.  He  has  always 
had  a  strong  taste  for  the  rural  life  in  which  his  early 
days  were  passed,  and  like  his  father,  has  been  a  farmer 
all  his  life.  Upon  reaching  manhood,  he  engaged  in 
farming  in  earnest,  and  in  1913  purchased  his  present 
farm.  This  property,  which  is  situated  near  Saylesville, 
was  at  the  time  very  little  improved,  but  Mr.  Mitchell 
set  about  erecting  the  necessary  buildings  and  bringing 
it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  built  a  large  barn 
with  gorid  out-buildings,  and  a  two-car  garage,  and 
fenced  the  whole  place.  He  also  erected  for  his  own 
use  a  fine  house,  and  is  now  engaged  most  successfully 
in  general  farming  here.  He  has  one  large  motor  truck 
with  which  he  markets  his  produce  in  the  large  neigh- 
boring communities,  and  a  big  touring  car  for  his 
personal  use.  He  is  a  man  of  great  energy  and  re- 
sourcefulness, and  has  taken  every  advantage  of  the 
opportunities   offered   by   his    farm,   which   is   now   re- 


garded as  one  of  the  model  places  in  this  community. 
Like  his  father,  he  enjoys  an  enviable  reputation  for 
integrity  and  ability,  as  well  as  the  esteem  and  affec- 
tion of  his  fellow  citizens.  In  politics  Mr.  Mitchell  is 
a  Republican  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  local 
affairs.  For  six  years  he  served  on  the  Lincoln  Town 
Council,  and  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  highway 
committee.  In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a  Baptist  and, 
although  not  a  formal  member  of  any  church,  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  congregation  here.  He  is 
affiliated  with  Lime  Rock  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  of  Lincoln. 

George  Albert  Mitchell  was  united  in  marriage,  June 
14,  1906,  at  Bristol,  R.  I.,  with  Annie  S.  Sweeten,  of 
Providence,  a  daughter  of  Moses  and  Anna  (.-Vsh) 
Sweeten,  well  known  residents  of  that  city. 


JAMES  ARTHUR  ATWOOD— Soon  after  gradu- 
ation from  college  in  1S85,  Mr.  Atwood  entered  active 
business  life,  became  familiar  with  cotton  mill  man- 
agement, and  for  thirty  years  has  been  closely  iden- 
tified with  The  Wauregan  Company,  of  Wauregan, 
Conn.,  and  for  nearly  as  long  with  the  Quinebang  Com- 
pany, of  Danielson,  Conn.,  and  with  the  Williamsville 
Manufacturing  Company  of  Williamsville,  Conn,  His 
home  is  in  Wauregan,  Conn,,  his  business  headquarters 
in  the  city  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  at  No.  20  Market 
square,  from  which  he  manages  his  manufacturing  in- 
terests in  Connecticut. 

James  Arthur  Atwood,  son  of  James  S.  and  Julia  A. 
M.  (Haskell)  Atwood.  of  Revolutionary  ancestry,  was 
born  at  Wauregan,  Conn.,  May  18,  1864,  After  prep- 
aration at  Phillips  Academy,  Andover,  Mass.,  which 
he  completed  in  1S81,  he  entered  Sheffield  Scientific 
School,  Yale  LIniversity,  whence  he  was  graduated  Ph. 
B.,  class  of  '85.  In  1889  he  became  agent  of  The 
Wauregan  Company,  a  position  he  filled  until  1908.  He 
was  general  manager  from  1908  until  1917,  when  he 
was  made  treasurer.  In  1897  he  was  appointed  agent 
of  the  Quinebaug  Company,  of  Danielson,  Conn.,  hold- 
ing as  such  until  1908,  when  he  was  made  general  man- 
ager, 1908,  until  1917,  and  treasurer  in  1917.  He  is  one 
of  the  thoroughly  informed  textile  men  of  the  country, 
and  his  practical  knowledge  of  every  detail  of  market- 
ing textiles  gives  to  his  opinions  the  weight  of  author- 
ity. He  has  grown  far  beyond  the  limitations  of  the 
Wauregan  and  Quinebaug  companies,  and  in  Connec- 
ticut and  Rhode  Island  he  has  important  interests, 
manufacturing  and  financial.  From  1890  until  1902, 
he  was  president  of  the  Williainsville  iSIanufacturing 
Company,  Williamsville,  Conn.;  from  1904  until  1914. 
president  of  the  Windham  County  National  Bank,  of 
Danielson,  Conn.;  is  president  of  the  Danielson  Trust 
Company;  president  of  Brooklyn  (Conn.)  Savings; 
director  of  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital  Trust  Company, 
from  1908  until  191 1;  was  general  tnanager  of  the 
Lockwood  Company,  of  Waterville.  Me.;  has  been 
treasurer  and  director  of  the  Ponemah  Mills,  of  Tafts- 
ville,  Conn.,  since  1909;  is  a  director  of  the  Samoset 
Company,  Valley  Falls,  R.  I.;  the  Ancona  Company, 
Fall  River,  Mass.;  the  Firemen's  Mutual  Insurance 
Company  and  the  Union  Mutual  Insurance  Company, 
of  Providence,  R.  I.;  and  has  other  interests  of  lesser 
importance. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


i8i 


Although  thoroughly  devoted  to  his  business  enter- 
prises and  official  position  therewith,  Mr.  Atwood  has 
not  given  himself  slavishly  to  such  affairs,  but  enjoys 
the  social  side  of  life,  and  in  the  cities  wherein  much 
of  his  time  is  necessarily  spent,  he  holds  club  member- 
ship. In  Providence  he  belongs  to  the  Rhode  Island 
Country,  Hope  and  L'niversity  clubs;  in  New  Haven, 
to  the  Graduates'  Club;  in  Xew  York  City,  to  the 
Merchants'  and  St.  Anthony  clubs.  His  fraternity  is 
the  Delta  Phi;  his  politics,  Republican. 

Mr.  .-\t\vood  married,  December  il,  1888,  Helen 
Louise  Mathewson,  of  Central  \illage.  Conn.  They 
arc  the  parents  of :  James  Arthur,  who  married  Lucile 
Lawson,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1914;  and  a  daughter, 
Dorothv. 


WILLIAM  FRANCIS  FLANAGAN,  M.  D.— As 
a  physician  who  has  been  for  eighteen  years  in  active 
practice  in  Providence,  Dr.  Flanagan  is  too  well  known 
to  need  any  introduction  to  the  reader  of  those  pages. 
In  addition  to  his  professional  reputation  his  activities 
in  military  circles  have  made  him  widely  known,  and  he 
is  respected  as  one  of  the  most  public-spirited  residents 
of  his  home  city. 

William  Francis  Flanagan  was  born  .April  28,  1872, 
at  Warwick,  R.  1.,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Joanna 
(Buckley)  Flanagan.  Mr.  Flanagan,  who  was  in  busi- 
ness in  Warwick,  is  now  deceased,  as  is  also  his  wife. 
The  early  education  of  William  Francis  Flanagan  was 
obtained  in  the  public  and  grammar  schools  of  his  native 
town,  after  which  he  attended  LaSalle  Academy,  Prov- 
idence, graduating  in  1892.  Next  he  studied  at  Man- 
hattan College,  New  York  Citj',  receiving  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts,  in  1903.  He  was  fitted  for  his  profes- 
sion at  the  Long  Island  College  Hospital,  graduating 
with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  After  a  year 
spent  as  interne  in  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  New  York, 
Dr.  Flanagan  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Providence,  wdiere  he  has  ever  since  remained,  gain- 
ing an  extensive  and  lucrative  patronage  and  building 
up  a  reputation  second  to  none.  Dr.  Flanagan  makes 
a  specialty  of  the  surgical  branch  of  his  profession. 
F'rom  1904  to  1913  he  was  visiting  surgeon  at  St.  Jo- 
seph's Hospital  and  since  1914  has  been  consulting  sur- 
geon. The  same  year  he  became  medical  superintendent 
of  the  institution,  and  this  office,  also,  he  still  retains. 
In  1917  Dr.  Flanagan  was  elected  vice-president  of  the 
Providence  Medical  Association,  and  in  1918  was  chosen 
president.  He  belongs  to  the  Rhode  Island  Medical 
Society,  the  .American  College  of  Surgeons  and  the 
American  Medical  .Association.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Catholic  Club,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  Joseph's  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  As  a  citizen-soldier  Dr.  Flanagan  has 
rendered  efficient  service.  For  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Light  Infantry,  serving  in  1913- 
1914-15  as  surgeon  and  major,  and  in  1916-17-18  holding 
the  rank  of  colonel  commanding.  He  belongs  to  the 
.Association  of  Military  Surgeons  of  the  United  States. 
In  politics  he  is  an  Independent  Democrat. 

Dr.  Flanagan  married,  September  13,  1904,  Sarah 
Tierney,  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Sarah  (Coyle)  Tier- 
ney.  of  Providence,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three 
children:     James  Vincent,  born  Aug.  11,  1906;  Sarah 


Patricia,  born  Oct.  5,  1908;  and  William  Francis, 
horn  .April  II,  191 1.  Mrs.  Flanagan,  a  woman  of  most 
pleasing  personality,  is  an  accomplished  home-maker, 
and  her  husband,  a  man  of  strong  domestic  affections, 
is  never  so  happy  as  in  the  hours  which  the  demands 
of  his  profession  leave  him  free  to  spend  at  his  own 
fireside.  Dr.  Flanagan  is  in  the  prime  of  life  and  much 
of  his  career  still  lies  before  him.  While  his  record 
is  filled  with  accomplishment,  no  doubt  those  chapters 
of  it  which  yet  remain  to  be  written  will  show  an  even 
richer  harvest  of  results. 


WILLIAM  JAMES  PARK,  publicity  manager  of 
the  Republican  Club  of  Rhode  Island,  with  office  in  the 
Butter  E.xchangc,  Providence,  is  a  native  of  F'all  River, 
Mass.,  and  a  member  of  an  old  Scottish  family,  whose 
home  was  in  Argylshire  county,  Scotland. 

Mr.  Park's  lather,  Robertson  Park,  was  born  in 
Peterhead,  a  fishing  town  on  the  northern  coast  of 
Scotland,  on  February  28,  1846,  and  passed  his  early 
boyhood  days  there  before  going  to  Aberdeen  to  serve 
his  apprenticeship  in  the  drygoods  business  with  the 
firm  of  Blackie  &  Company.  About  1S70  he  came  to 
.America  on  a  sailing  vessel  and  landed  at  the  then 
famous  landing-place,  "Castle  Garden."  F'rom  there 
he  went  to  Fall  River,  Mass.,  and  engaged  with  the 
firm  of  Stewart  &  Hamilton,  a  concern  which  origi- 
nated from  the  firm  of  Callcndcr,  Mac.Auslin  &  Troop, 
of  Providence,  as  the  above  firm  had  brought  him  from 
Scotland. 

During  the  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  he  was  con- 
nected with  this  firm,  Mr.  Park,  Sr.,  gradually  rose  in 
rank,  becoming  successively  buyer,  manager,  and  finally 
was  admitted  into  the  concern  as  a  partner.  He  finally 
withdrew  from  the  concern  and  went  into  business  on 
his  own  account,  founding  the  Paris  Cloak  &  Suit 
Company,  a  concern  which  prospered  and  which  he 
continued  for  some  years. 

About  the  year  1900  the  family  moved  to  Everett, 
Mass.,  and  a  few  years  later  Mr.  Park,  Sr.,  with  a  Mr. 
Nathan  Hoplow,  now  of  Dorchester,  Mass.,  established 
the  manufacturing  concern  called  the  Century  Skirt 
Company  of  Boston,  a  concern  which  started  in  a  loft 
over  the  firm  of  Browning,  King  &  Company,  in  Wash- 
ington street,  Boston,  Mass.  From  a  humble  beginning 
the  firm  has  grown  to  be  an  important  industrial  insti- 
tution in  the  city  of  Boston.  After  fifteen  years  of 
successful  business  with  this  firm  and  with  the  advance 
of  old  age,  and  approaching  ill-health,  he  severed  his 
connection  with  the  firm  to  spend  the  remaining  days  of 
his  life  in  his  delightful  home  on  Broadway,  Everett, 
and  there  his  death  eventually  occurred,  August  16, 
1 91 6. 

He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  Mary  J.  F. 
Britton,  who  was  the  daughter  of  John  and  Rebecca 
Britton,  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  died  November 
21,  1877;  his  second  wife  was  Catherine  E.  Roy,  of 
Pine  Tree,  Pictou  county.  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  who 
was  born  in  1842  and  died  October  13,  1915,  at  Everett, 
Mass.,  and  was  buried  in  the  family  lot  in  the  Oak 
Grove  Cemetery,  Fall  River,  Mass. 

Besides  the  William  J.  Park  of  this  sketch,  Robert- 
son Park  was  the  father  of  two  other  sons,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Fall  River:    Clarence  Harvey,  now 


1 82 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  Boston,  where  he  is  the  general  manager  of  the  Fox 
Fultz  Company.  Inc.,  and  is  very  prominent  in  busi- 
ness circles:  and  George  Robertson,  also  connected  with 
the  same  firm.  Born  September  14,  18/6,  at  Fall 
River,  Mass.,  William  James  Park  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  city  and  also  attended  the  Thi- 
bodean  Commercial  School.  He  supplemented  the  later 
with  a  special  course  of  studies  and  later  took  up  the 
study  of  law.  He  entered  business  with  his  father  as 
a  salesman  "on  the  road,"  for  the  Century  Skirt  Com- 
pany, of  Boston,  about  1906,  and  represented  them  for 
almost  eight  years.  Later  on  he  formed  a  connection 
with  Abram  f.  l*uller  Company,  of  Boston,  as  a  sales- 
man for  the  Packard  Motor  Car  Company.  He  was  a 
student  of  advertising  and  publicity  methods  and  proved 
himself  so  practical  and  efficient  that  he  became  the 
advertising  manager  for  the  Providence  Board  of  Trade 
of  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  May,  191 1.  He  remained  for 
about  four  years  thus  occupied  and  then  left  to  accept 
a  similar  post  for  the  Republican  Club  of  Rhode  Island, 
a  position  making  great  demand  upon  the  skill  and 
good  judgment  of  the  incumbent.  Mr.  Park  has  held 
this  office  with  the  highest  degree  of  efficiency  and 
success  ever  since.  Mr.  Park  is  keenly  interested  in 
the  questions  and  isms  of  the  day  and  is  an  effective 
advocate  of  the  principles  and  policies  for  which  his 
party  stands. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Liberty  Loan  Committee  of 
this  city.  He  belongs  to  the  Everett  Lodge  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  to  the 
Providence  Veteran  Fireman's  Association.  His  hobby 
has  always  been  horses  and  dogs. 

William  James  Park  married,  February  26.  1903. 
Hortense  Estelle  Turner,  granddaughter  of  Thomas 
S.  Turner,  a  pioneer  manufacturer  of  Willimantic, 
Conn.,  and  daughter  of  Albert  S.  Turner  (retired)  and 
Mary  Turner,  his  wife.  Two  children  were  born  of 
this  union,  Edith  Turner,  born  May  7,  1905.  and  Philip 
Dana,  born  March   13,  1910. 

Mr.  Park  was  divorced  from  the  above  wife  in  June, 
1916. 


JOHN  HENRY  WHIPPLE— John  Henry  Whip- 
ple, for  many  years  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and 
successful  farmers  of  Georgiaville,  vi'here  he  now  lives 
retired,  and  a  citizen  of  prominence  and  wide  influence 
in  this  community,  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  dis- 
tinguished Rhode  Island  family  which  was  founded  in 
this  country  at  an  early  date  in  New  England's  Col- 
onial history.'  Mr.  Whipple's  farm  in  Georgiaville  was 
originally  known  as  the  old  Farnum  homestead  which 
was  built  in  1752  and  occupied  by  his  grandfather  in 
1834.  This  historic  old  home  has  sheltered  four  gen- 
erations of  the  Whipple  family. 

The  immigrant  ancestor  of  the  numerous  members  of 
the  Whipple  family,  which  is  widely  spread  throughout 
this  State  and  adjacent  regions  in  New  England,  was 
Captain  John  Whipple,  a  native  of  England,  where  his 
birth  occurred  about  1617.  He  came  to  this  country 
probably  in  the  neighborhood  of  1630,  and  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Dorchester,  Mass.,  as  early  as  1632,  in  which 
year  we  have  a  record  of  him  as  being  engaged  in  the 
service  of  Israel  Stoughton.  He  was  a  carpenter  by 
occupation  and  an  energetic  man,  who  rose  to  a  high 


position  in  the  esteem  of  the  colony.  In  the  year 
1637  he  received  a  grant  of  land  in  Providence,  so  that 
he  must  have  been  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  that 
place,  and  in  1659  was  received  as  a  purchaser  of  lands 
in  that  place.  He  became  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
public  affairs  of  Providence,  and  held  the  post  of 
deputy  in  1666-69-70-72  and  1676-77.  His  death  oc- 
curred May  16,  1685,  and  that  of  his  w'ife  in  1666,  and 
they  were  both  buried  on  his  farm,  though  afterwards 
their  remains  were  removed  to  the  Old  North  Burying 

Ground.     He  married,  in   1639,  Sarah  ,  who  was 

born  about  1624,  and  both  were  united  with  the  church 
in  1641.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  John,  born  in  1640;  Sarah,  1642;  Samuel, 
1644;  Eleanor,  1646;  Mary,  1648;  William,  1652;  Ben- 
jamin. 1654;  David,  1656;  Abigail,  1659;  Joseph,  1662; 
Jonathan,  1664. 

From  these  children  are  descended  all  the  branches  of 
the  Whipple  family  which  w-e  now  find  settled  in 
Rhode  Island,  and  from  them  is  descended  John  Henry 
Whipple,  of  this  sketch.  Mr.  Whipple  is  a  son  of 
John  E.  Whipple,  and  a  grandson  of  Ephraim  Whipple, 
both  of  whom  owned  the  old  family  homestead  where 
Mr.  Whipple  carried  on  his  farming  operations  for 
many  years.  Ephraim  Whipple  married  Susan  Far- 
num. a  member  of  an  old  Rhode  Island  family,  and  of 
this  union  John  E.  Whipple  was  born.  John  E.  Whipple 
was  a  successful  farmer  here  for  many  years,  and  held 
several  important  town  offices.  He  was  a  very  active 
man  and  was  prominent  both  in  the  civic  affairs  of  the 
community  and  of  the  church.  He  w^as  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  a  Baptist  in  religion.  John  E.  Whipple 
married,  in  1865,  Anna  M.  Arnold,  who  was  also  a 
member  of  a  distinguished  Rhode  Island  family,  an 
account  of  which  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  work,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  three  sons:  John  H.,  with 
whom  we  are  here  especially  concerned ;  William  A., 
and  George  F. 

Born  December  23,  1867,  in  the  old  family  home 
where  his  father  had  been  born  before  him,  John  Henry 
Whipple  has  passed  his  entire  life  in  this  region.  His 
childhood  was  spent  amid  the  rural  scenes  of  the 
farm,  and  at  an  early  age.  he  helped  his  father  with 
the  work  of  the  place.  He  was  educated  at  the  local 
public  schools  of  Georgiaville.  and  afterwards  took  a 
commercial  course  at  the  well  known  Bryant  &  Strat- 
ton's  Business  College  at  Providence.  He  intended 
originally  to  pursue  a  commercial  and  business  career, 
and  after  completing  his  studies  became  a  salesman  for 
the  Providence  Steam  &  Gaspipc  Company  and  spent 
two  years  as  their  traveling  representative.  He  then 
went  to  Vermont,  where  for  two  years  he  engaged  in 
the  lime  business,  and  the  following  four  years  were 
spent  by  him  in  Arkansas.  Since  that  time  he  has  lived 
on  the  old  home  place  in  Georgiaville,  where  he  has 
been  successfully  engaged  in  the  general  farming  busi- 
ness and  in  running  a  dairy  until  1917.  He  made  many 
improvements  on  the  old  place  which  was,  however, 
already  in  an  excellent  state  of  cultivation,  and  sold  the 
produce  of  his  labor  in  the  surrounding  commmunities. 
The  farm  consisted  of  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  acres  at  the  time  that  Mr.  Whipple  inher- 
ited it,  but  he  has  since  added  an  almost  equal  area, 
so  that  he  is  now  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  forty 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1^3 


acres  of  as  fine  farm  land  as  is  to  be  foutui  in  the 
State.  Here  he  kept  a  herd  of  seventeen  cnws  wliich 
supplied  his  dairy  with  milk.  In  lyi"  Mr.  Whipple 
retired  from  this  business  and  sold  his  interest  in  it, 
and  at  the  present  time  leases  his  farm.  Mr.  Whipple 
is  a  prominent  figure  in  the  social  life  of  this  com- 
munity, and  is  a  member  of  Yellvillc  Lodge,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  ^'cllville,  Ark.  Like 
his  father  before  him,  he  is  a  Baptist  in  his  nligious 
belief  and  attends  Georgiavillc  Free  Baptist  Church. 
He  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics,  but  althuugh 
keenly  interested  in  local  affairs  and  issues  has  never 
actively  entered  the  political  field. 

John  Henry  Whipple  married  (first)  in  iSyi,  at 
Daniclson,  Conn.,  Lillie  M.  Andcrstn,  of  that  place, 
by  whom  he  had  three  children,  as  follows:  Maude  A., 
who  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  D.  D.  Smith,  of  New 
York  City;  Irving  E.,  who  is  now  serving  his  country 
in  the  United  States  Navy;  and  Walter  E.,  who  died  in 
infancy.  The  first  Mrs.  Whipple  died  in  1908  In 
1912  Mr.  Whipple  married  (second)  Amanda  Haub, 
of  Georgiaville,  a  daughter  of  Rivard  Haul),  now  de- 
ceased. 


JAMES  J.  BARON,  a  well  known  physician  of 
Providence,  K.  I.,  was  born  in  Armenia,  Western  Asia, 
July  3,  iti72.  Alter  preparation  in  the  American  schools 
he  entered  and  completed  a  course  at  Anatolia  College, 
Sivas,  Asiatic  Turkey,  being  awarded  the  degree,  A.  B., 
class  of  i8<)5.  The  same  year  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  entered  Vale  Divinity  School,  Yale  Univer- 
sity, and  in  1898  was  graduated  B.  D.  Later  he  began 
the  study  of  medicine  at  Yale  Medical  School,  taught 
in  New  York  City  for  one  year  (1901),  and  in  1903  was 
awarded  his  degree  of  M.  D.  After  graduation  he 
spent  eight  months  as  interne  at  the  State  llosjjital  for 
the  Insane,  Middletown,  Conn.;  was  foiir  months  in- 
terne at  the  Connecticut  General  Hospital  at  Bridge- 
port; two  months  as  interne  at  General  ll<jspital  at 
New  Haven,  Conn.;  house  physician  at  Fitch  Hospital 
for  Soldiers,  at  Norton,  Conn.,  January  i,  1905,  to 
April  I,  \<)Ot>;  and  took  a  post-graduate  course  at  Cor- 
nell Medical  School,  New  York  City. 

In  July,  1906,  Dr.  Baron  located  for  practice  in  Prov- 
idence. R.  I.,  opened  offices  at  No.  27  Halsey  street, 
and  there  continued  until  April,  1908,  when  he  moved 
to  his  present  offices  at  No.  181  Benefit  street.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Providence  Medical  .Association,  and  is  a 
Republican  in  politics. 

Dr.  Baron  married,  in  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  in  June, 
1906,  Mary  Chase,  daughter  of  George  N.  Chase,  a  man- 
ufacturing superintendent,  now  retired,  and  Elviner 
(Wright)  Chase,  deceased.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Baron  are 
the  parents  of:  George  Chase,  born  May  11,  1907; 
Sidney  Wright,  Oct.  14,  1912;  and  Elviner  Herbert, 
June  22,  1918. 


OCTAVE  COLLINS— Born  at  Three  Rivers,  Can- 
ada, of  English-I'rench  parentage,  Octave  Collins  left 
his  native  land  in  1895,  with  two  brothers,  and  at  Lowell, 
Mass.,  all  learned  boiler  making  at  the  Scannell  Boiler 
Works.    These  three  brothers  seem  to  have  acted  with 


singular  unanimity  in  their  business  arrangements,  and 
when  they  came  to  choose  wives  married  three  sisters 
who  were  also  named  Collins.  These  sons,  Richard,  Oc- 
tave and  William,  are  sons  of  Jacob  Collins,  a  farmer  of 
Three  Rivers,  Canada,  who  married  Glorin  Gilbrere. 
Jacob  Collins  had  two  brothers,  who  married  sisters  of 
Jacob's  wife.  One  of  these  brothers,  Peter  Collins,  set- 
tled at  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  there  his  three  daughters 
were  born:  Lillie.  married  Richard  Collins;  Alen,  mar- 
ried Octave  Collins;  -Mary,  married  William  Collins; 
these  men,  all  sons  of  Jacoli  Collins,  brother  ot  Peter 
Collins.  When  Octave  Collins  who,  while  not  the  eldest, 
but  the  leader  among  the  brothers,  moved  to  Providence, 
they  all  followed,  and  when  the  Rhode  Island  Boiler 
Works  was  organized  all  had  a  share,  and  to-day  the 
three  are  its  sole  owners. 

Richard  Collins,  eldest  son  of  Jacob  Collins,  was  born 
at  Three  Rivers,  Canada,  in  1872,  married  Lillie  Collins, 
of  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  is  now  residing  in  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  a  partner  in  the  Rhode  Island  Boiler  Works.  They 
had  chihlren :  Armaiid,  Andrae,  Cecil,  Jeanette,  Lillie, 
Eva.  Joseph. 

Octave  Collins,  the  second  son,  is  of  further  men- 
tit)M. 

William  Collins,  the  third  son,  was  born  at  Three 
Rivers,  Canada,  in  1886,  married  Mary  Collins,  of 
Lowell,  Mass.,  resides  in  Pawtucket,  and  is  ass(jciated 
with  his  brothers  in  the  operation  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Boiler  Works.  They  are  the  i)arents  of  two  children: 
Pearl  and  Rudolph. 

Octave  Collins  was  born  at  Three  Rivers,  Canada,  in 
1876,  there  was  educated  and  remained  until  1895,  when 
he  came  to  the  United  Stales  with  his  brothers,  settling 
at  Lowell,  Mass.  Octave  was  a  guide  and  adviser  to 
the  brothers,  and  when  it  was  decided  to  learn  boiler 
making,  all  entered  the  employ  of  the  Scannell  Boiler 
Works  and  became  expert  workmen.  All  married  and 
continued  prosperous  lives  in  Lowell  until  190O,  when 
Pawtucket  became  the  residence  of  Octave  Collins, 
and  soon  all  were  living  there.  Mr.  Collins  obtained 
employment  at  his  trade  with  the  Wholey  Boiler  Works, 
there  continuing  until  October,  1912,  when  Octave  Col- 
lins, Benjamin  A.  Lowe  and  Richard  Collins  organized 
the  Rhode  Island  Boiler  Works,  to  manufacture  and 
repair  all  kinds  of  boilers,  stacks,  and  heavy  tanks. 
William  Collins  had  a  sitiall  interest  in  the  company, 
but  on  September  22,  1917,  Benjamin  A.  Lowe,  one  of 
the  original  partiurs,  sold  him  his  interest,  which  gave 
the  brothers  full  ownership  and  control.  They  have 
built  up  a  prosperous  business,  its  force  of  three  men 
in  the  beginning  having  increased  to  an  average  of 
twenty  men.  The  original  capital  was  $1,200,  and  to 
win  success  the  partners  worked  regardless  of  hours  or 
days  of  the  week.  But  they  have  their  reward,  a  well- 
established  and  profitable  business  which  is  their  own 
property  equally  held.  Octave  Collins  is  a  member  of 
St.  Jean  Baptiste  Church  of  Pawtucket,  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters  for  twenty 
years,  and  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He  is  a  good 
business  man,  and  in  his  work  and-  home  finds  his  happi- 
ness. 

Mr.  Collins  married,  June  18,  1900,  Alen  Collins,  of 
Lowell,   Mass.,  their  only  child  a  daughter  Mabel. 


i84 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


FREDERICK  V.  KENNON— When  John  T. 
Mauran.  in  1850,  founded  tlie  company  which  bears  his 
name,  he  built  so  strongly  and  well  that  now,  1918,  the 
John  T.  Mauran  Manufacturing  Company  is  not  only 
the  oldest  jewelry  manufacturing  establishment  in  Prov- 
idence, but  one  of  the  prosperous,  reliable  business  insti- 
tutions of  the  city.  John  T.  Mauran  died  about  188.4, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  William  L.  Mauran,  as 
the  head  of  the  company  which  was  incorporated  at  that 
time,  Mr.  Kennon  becoming  secretary  in  1896,  the  duties 
of  treasurer  being  later  added,  and  since  190S  he  has 
been  its  efficient  secretary-treasurer  and  general  man- 
ager. The  president  of  the  company,  not  being  active 
in  the  business  control  of  the  same,  Mr.  Kennon  carries 
much  of  the  burden  of  the  management,  a  duty  his 
years  of  selling  experience  have  admirably  fitted  him 
for. 

Mr.  Kennon  is  a  native  of  Providence,  R.  I.  His 
father,  Linnaeus  V.  Kennon,  was  born  in  England,  and 
came  to  Providence  in  the  early  days  of  gas  manufac- 
ture, becoming  a  manufacturer  of  gas  fixtures  and 
chandeliers.  His  plant  was  located  in  the  old  Callender 
building  on  Sabin  street,  and  there  he  conducted  a  suc- 
cessful business  until  his  retirement.  He  married,  in 
Providence,  Lucyette  F.  Martin,  daughter  of  William 
J.  Martin,  who  was  a  descendant  of  the  Providence 
Peck  family,  from  whom  Peck  street  takes  its  name. 
Linnaeus  V.  Kennon  died  in  1888.  He  was  a  member 
of  St.  John's  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
and  St.  John's  Commandery. 

Frederick  V.  Kennon  was  born  in  Providence,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1S61,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College.  During  his 
earlier  years  of  manhood  he  was  associated  with  his 
father  and  otherwise  engaged,  not  coming  to  the  John 
T.  Mauran  Manufacturing  Company  until  1890.  During 
the  years,  1890-1908,  Mr.  Kennon  thoroughly  absorbed 
every  detail  of  the  business  with  which  he  was  con- 
nected, beginning  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  con- 
cern. He  was  successful  as  a  salesman  and  gradually 
his  trips  were  shortened  until-  he  became  sales  manager. 
In  1908,  William  L.  Mauran  retired  from  active  con- 
nection, and  Mr.  Kennon  advanced  to  his  present  offi- 
cial designation,  secretary-treasurer  and  general  man- 
ager. A  great  deal  of  e.xecutive  control  has  accompanied 
the  office  and  these  duties  have  been  performed  with  a 
knowledge  which  comes  from  Mr.  Kennon's  years  of 
training  in  the  various  departments.  He  is  not  only 
letter  perfect  in  factory  management  and  jewelry  manu- 
facture, but  has  caught  the  spirit  of  the  founder,  who 
demanded  that  quality  and  integrity  should  be  the  gov- 
erning principles  in  the  Mauran  plant.  Neither  princi- 
ples nor  name  have  been  deviated  from  during  the 
sixty-eight  years  the  company  has  existed,  and  the  suc- 
cess that  has  been  attained  has  been  fairly  won.  Mr. 
Kennon  has  been  a  twentieth  century  factor  in  that  suc- 
cess, and  under  him  there  has  been  no  departure  from 
former  higher  standards.  Mr.  Kennon  is  a  member  of 
Wannamoisett    Club    and   the   Edgewood    Yacht    Club. 

Mr.  Kennon  married  (first),  in  1885,  Jennie  Sheridan, 
of  Providence,  who  died  in  1896,  leaving  a  daughter, 
Florence  A.,  who  married  Alfred  H.  Gurney,  of  Provi- 
dence. He  married  (second),  in  1900,  Mae  Nickerson, 
of  Providence. 


FREDERICK    DENNISON    GREENE— One    of 

the  successful  and  prosperous  farmers  of  Cranston,  R. 
L,  is  a  member  of  a  family  which  has  long  been  identi- 
fied with  the  agricultural  interests  of  this  region.  He 
was  born  in  the  house  that  he  now  resides  in  on  October 
25.  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  George  N.  and  Mary  J. 
(Wood)   Greene. 

As  a  child  he  attended  the  common  schools  of  Crans- 
ton, which  were  then  held  in  what  is  now  the  Public 
Library  building  at  Oaklawn,  but  his  educational  advan- 
tages were  decidedly  slender  as  it  became  necessary  for 
him  early  in  life  to  engage  in  active  work.  From  child- 
hood to  the  present  time  Mr.  Greene  has  been  engaged 
only  in  farming,  and  even  as  a  schoolboy  assisted  his 
father  with  the  work  about  the  place  during  his  vacation 
and  in  spare  hours.  He  is  of  an  exceedingly  enterpris- 
ing nature,  however,  and  when  twenty-eight  years  of 
age  rented  the  farm  on  which  he  was  employed,  not 
far  from  his  present  one  in  Cranston,  and  operated  it 
successfully  for  himself.  In  the  year  1906,  however,  he 
came  into  possession  of  the  old  homestead  place,  which 
he  has  run  most  successfully  ever  since  and  upon  which 
he  has  made  many  improvements.  The  old  house  in 
which  his  family  has  resided  for  so  many  years  he  has 
remodeled,  and  he  has  also  added  many  outbuildings 
necessary  to  the  operation  of  a  successful  modern  farm. 
The  chief  achievement  of  Mr.  Greene,  however,  is  the 
extraordinarily  high  state  of  cultivation  to  which  he 
has  brought  his  property  and  which  he  maintains  only 
by  the  most  constant  and  painstaking  work  and  by  a 
knowledge  of  agriculture  which  is  at  once  theoretical 
and  practical.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  eighteen  acres 
of  what,  under  his  careful  management  has  become 
some  of  the  best  farming  land  in  the  State,  and  here  he 
raises  hay  and  fodder  and  conducts  a  large  dairy.  A 
large  herd  of  fine  milch  cows  supply  this  dairy  with  milk 
and  Mr.  Greene  sells  on  an  average  of  about  three  hun- 
dred quarts  per  day.  He  is  a  very  hardworking  and 
energetic  man,  and  it  is  due  to  this  and  to  the  intelli- 
gent application  of  his  skilled  knowledge  that  his  suc- 
cess is  due.  He  is  keenly  interested  in  public  affairs 
and  in  politics  is  a  staunch  Republican.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  within  two  miles  up  and  down  the  road 
upon  which  his  place  fronts  live  five  brothers  of  Mr. 
Greene,  all  of  whom  are  engaged  in  farming  and  some 
of  whose  places  may  be  seen  from  his.  They  are  as 
follows :  George  N.,  John  B.  W.,  Levi  H.,  William  H., 
and  James  E.  Another  brother,  Charles,  also  lived  in 
the  near  vicinity  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Sep- 
tember, 1900.  Mr.  Greene  also  had  three  sisters,  one  of 
whom,  the  eldest,  Jessie  J.  Greene,  is  deceased,  and  the 
others,  Annie  A.  and  Mary  Eliza,  reside  in  this  com- 
munity. 

Frederick  Dennison  Greene  was  united  in  marriage, 
April  S,  1896,  at  Cranston,  R.  I.,  with  Lillian  M.  Wilbur, 
of  that  place,  a  daughter  of  Robert  A.  and  Ellen  C. 
Wilbur. 


ALBERT  WATERMAN  ROUNDS,  M.  D.— For 

nearly  eighteen  years  Dr.  Rounds  has  practiced  his  pro- 
fession in  Providence,  and  by  far  the  greater  part  of 
that  period  he  has  been  connected  with  the  department 
of  orthopedic  surgery  of  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital, 
being  now  the  senior  in  that  department    During  recent 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


I8S 


years  he  has  confined  his  practice  as  far  as  possible  to 
orthopedic  surgery. 

Albert  W^atcrman  Rounds,  son  of  D.  Everett  and 
Ada  A.  (Waterman)  Rounds,  of  Providence,  was  born 
in  Johnson,  R.  I.  (now  Providence),  September  13, 
1873.  He  began  his  education  under  a  private  teacher, 
and  later  attended  the  University  grammar  school, 
I  graduating  in  1S91.  He  then  pursued  courses  of  study 
in  Brown  University  for  three  years,  going  thence  to 
Harvard  Medical  School,  receiving  his  degree  M.  D. 
at  the  end  of  a  four  years'  course.  The  following  year 
was  spent  as  an  interne  at  Worcester  City  Hospital ; 
the  next  year  in  similar  duty  at  various  hospitals  in 
New  York  City,  this  hospital  experience  completing  his 
preparation  for  private  practice  of  his  own.  In  1900 
he  opened  an  office  at  No.  236  Broad  street,  Providence, 
R.  I.,  and  from  here  later  removed  to  his  present  office. 
No.  -9  Broad  street.  He  is  one  of  the  well  known  phy- 
sicians of  the  city,  his  skill  fully  recognized  by  the  pro- 
fession and  by  a  large  clientele.  Since  1901  he  has  been 
examining  physician  for  the  Rhode  Island  Company,  a 
corporation  operating  all  the  traction  lines  in  the  State 
of   Rhode   Island. 

On  June  26,  1916,  it  was  voted  by  the  board  of  fel- 
lows of  Brown  University  that  Dr.  Rounds  be  enrolled 
with  the  class  of  1895,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  At  col- 
lege he  became  a  member  of  the  fraternity  Psi  Upsilon, 
his  clubs  being  the  University  and  the  Turk's  Head. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  .American  Medical  .'\ssociation, 
and  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church. 


EVANGELIST  TURGEON— In  1891,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one.  Evangelist  Turgeon  located  in  the  city 
I  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  there  has  developed  a  large 
and  prosperous  contracting  and  building  business.  This 
business,  built  up  from  a  small  beginning,  is  the  result 
of  Mr.  Turgeon's  mechanical  skill  and  business  ability 
coupled  with  an  untiring  industry  which  has  character- 
ized his  life  from  boyhood.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Can- 
ada, his  parents,  John  and  Celina  (Lecour)  Turgeon, 
both  deceased,  his  father  having  been  a  small  farmer. 
The  family  lived  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  and  there 
the  early  life  of  E.  Turgeon  was  passed  as  his  father's 
assistant  in  farm  work.  The  family  purse  was  a  slender 
one,  and  he  could  not  devote  but  a  few  years  to  obtain- 
ing an  education,  but  nevertheless  he  improved  such 
advantages  as  were  within  his  reach,  and  by  later  study 
has  secured  a  goodly  share  of  knowledge  of  the  most 
practical  sort.  He  is  held  in  high  regard  in  the  circle 
in  which  he  moves,  and  is  rated  among  the  substantial 
adopted  citizens  of  the  city  in  which  he  has  made  so 
signal  a  business  success. 

Evangelist  Turgeon  was  born  in  the  Province  of 
Quebec.  Canada,  March  i,  1870,  and  there  spent  the 
first  nineteen  years  of  his  life,  a  farm  worker  from 
early  boyhood,  attending  the  parish  school  for  limited 
periods  during  the  winter  months.  In  1889  he  came  to 
the  United  States,  locating  at  Holyoke,  Mass.,  where 
many  of  his  countrymen  had  previously  settled.  There 
he  secured  an  opportunity  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade, 
and  for  two  years  he  was  engaged  in  Holyoke  and 
Worcester,  Mass.,  in  the  acquirement  of  the  foundation 


upon  which  he  has  built  a  successful  business  career. 
In  1801  he  came  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  for  the  six 
succeeding  years  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
becoming  a  skilled  worker  in  wood  and  acquiring  Amer- 
ican contracting  methods.  He  began  as  a  contractor 
of  building  in  1897,  employing  three  journeymen  upon 
his  first  contract,  working  w-ith  them  and  constituting  a 
full  hand  himself.  From  that  first  contract  his  reputa- 
tion grew  and  he  is  now  one  of  the  reliable  and  sub- 
stantial builders  of  the  city.  He  has  erected  hundreds 
of  residences  in  Providence  and  vicinity,  thirty  having 
been  erected  in  one  year,  and  a  force  of  mechanics, 
numbering  at  times  seventy-five,  is  constantly  kept 
employed.  Mr.  Turgeon  is  a  member  of  St.  Charles 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  the  Society  of  St.  Jean  Bap- 
tiste,  Palestine  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  in  poli- 
tics a  Republican. 

Mr.  Turgeon  married.  June  3.  1S95,  Dclphinc  Bachand, 
of  Providence.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  sons  and 
two  daughters :  John,  now  a  soldier  of  the  United 
States  -Army,  serving  in  France;  Rhea,  her  father's 
ofiice  manager;  Edward,  Alfred,  Cecile  and  Henry. 


JAMES  HENRY  WHITWORTH— In  the  career 
of  James  Henry  Wbitwortli  is  to  be  seen  a  fine  example 
of  w-hat  may  be  accomplished  by  a  man  of  intelligence, 
force  of  character,  and  ambition  if  he  makes  the  neces- 
sary effort  to  achieve  success  in  this  land  of  opportunity. 
He  never  inherited  a  cent  and  beginning  with  nothing 
has  made  for  himself  a  prosperous  business  which  he 
may  look  upon  as  the  return  of  his  own  unaided  achieve- 
ment. He  is  of  English  birth,  born  in  Lancashire,  Eng- 
land, October  4,  1872,  the  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Waring)  Whitworth.  Both  of  his  parents  are  now 
dead. 

His  educational  opportunities  w^ere  meagre,  and  it  was 
necessary  for  him  to  leave  school  early  to  go  to  work. 
Since  he  had  little  chance  to  gain  a  good  training  in  any 
trade  until  he  was  a  full-grown  man  he  had  to  take 
almost  anything  that  came  to  hand,  with  the  result  that 
he  tried  many  things.  In  England  he  worked  as  a 
weaver  in  a  cotton  mill  for  a  time,  but  having  taken 
up  the  study  of  music  in  his  spare  time  he  found  that 
more  was  to  be  made  as  a  professional  musician,  playing 
in  bands  and  orchestras,  than  in  the  cotton  industry. 
But  about  this  time  some  of  the  stories  of  the  success 
to  be  won  in  America  came  to  his  ears  and  he  had 
enough  of  the  daring  and  feeling  for  adventure  to  leave 
the  humdrum  chances  that  lay  before  him  in  England 
and  want  to  seek  his  fortune  over  here.  He  came, 
therefore,  to  the  United  States  in  1894,  locating  in  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.  It  was  necessary  for  the  young  and  friend- 
less stranger  to  try  his  hand  at  a  number  of  things 
before  he  found  the  type  of  business  that  suited  him. 
An  opening  in  the  Atlantic  Mills  was  obtained  and  this 
position  he  held  for  five  years.  He  then  became  a  shoe 
salesman  in  a  store,  and  later  an  agent  for  sewing- 
machines.  He  was  a  good  salesman  with  a  personality 
that  was  at  once  convincing  and  sincere.  He  was  in- 
duced to  take  up  an  agency  in  an  industrial  insurance 
company  and  for  these  people  he  worked  for  a  year. 
Then  for  five  months  he  worked  at  painting.  In  1901 
he  made  a  radical  departure  when  he  went  into  the 
meat  business,  and  learned  the  trade  of  butcher  in  all 


1 86 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


its  details.  He  had  early  made  up  his  mind  to  be  his 
own  master  and  to  own  a  store.  So  he  saved  his  money 
and  lived  as  frugally  as  possible  in  order  to  lay  by  all 
he  could  for  this  undertaking.  In  five  years  time  he 
reached  part  of  his  ambition  when  he  found  himself  in 
possession  of  his  own  establishment.  This  was  in  1906, 
and  since  that  the  business  has  steadily  grown  until  it 
has  become  the  present  large  establishment,  he  having 
occupied  his  present  quarters  since  1914.  That  he  has 
accomplished  so  much  without  any  help  from  family 
or  influence  of  any  kind  should  be  a  matter  of  worthy 
pride.  Mr.  Whitworth  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  and  is  now  (1918)  worthy 
advisor  in  the  order,  belonging  to  Willow  Camp,  No. 
7726.  In  political  matters  he  preserves  an  open  mind 
and  counts  himself  an  Independent. 

Mr.  Whitworth  married  Elizabeth  N.  Smith,  of  Eng- 
land, April  3,  1893,  and  they  have  one  son,  Charles 
Henry,  born  June  3,  1895.  He  has  been  educated  at  the 
public  schools  and  the  high  school  of  Providence,  and 
has  recently  been  taken  into  partnership  with  his  father. 
He  left,  July  23,  1918,  for  Camp  Upton,  Long  Island, 
to  serve  in  the  United  States  Army. 


DR.  FEDELE  UBALDINO  LUONGO,  of  Provi- 
dence, is  one  of  the  most  prominent  among  the  younger 
physicians  of  this  city  where  he  has  a  large  practice, 
particularly  among  the  Italian  members  of  the  com- 
munity. Dr.  Luongo  is,  himself,  a  native  of  Italy,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  the  town  of  Tufo,  (Province  of  Avel- 
lino)  in  that  country,  February  23,  1887.  He  is  a  son 
of  Vincent  and  Maria  (Ruotolo)  Luongo,  also  natives 
of  Italy,  from  which  country  they  came  to  the  United 
Stales.  Upon  reaching  this  country  they  lived  for  a 
time  in  New  York  City  and  it  was  there  Mrs.  Luongo, 
Senior,  died  .\ugust  10,  191 6.  The  elder  Mr.  Luongo 
survives  his  wife  and  at  the  present  time  makes  his 
home  in  Providence.  He  is  now  retired,  being  sixty- 
four  years  of  age  (1919),  but  during  his  residence  in 
Italy  was  one  of  three  managers  or  administrators  of  a 
large  manufacturing  plant  in  his  native  region. 

The  childhood  and  early  youth  of  Fedele  Ubaldino 
Luongo  was  spent  in  his  native  land,  and  it  was  there 
that  he  received  his  education  both  general  and  that 
which  was  to  fit  him  for  the  practice  of  his  chosen 
profession.  He  spent  five  years  in  the  elementary 
schools  at  Tufo,  which  correspond  to  the  grammar 
schools  of  this  country,  and  a  similar  period  in  the 
gymnasium,  which  would  be  our  high  school.  He  then 
studied  for  three  years  in  the  lyceum,  which  corresponds 
with  our  normal  schools,  and  upon  graduating  from  that 
institution  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Naples.  Here  he  took  his  medical  course 
and  graduated  with  the  class  of  1912,  receiving  his 
degree.  During  the  last  two  years  of  his  study  at  the 
University  of  Naples,  Dr.  Luongo  gained  also  a  prac- 
tical experience  in  his  profession  by  serving  as  interne 
at  the  Polyclinic  Hospital  at  Naples,  where  he  showed 
himself  capable  of  dealing  with  responsible  and  com- 
plicated situations.  It  was  in  1912  that  the  young 
physician  with  his  family  came  to  the  United  States, 
and  for  about  eighteen  months  thereafter  he  remained 
in  New  York  City,  practicing  his  profession  there  in 
connection    with    the    Italian   Hospital   of    Eighty-third 


street.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  however,  he  came  to 
Providence,  where  he  has  remained  ever  since  and  now 
enjoys  a  large  general  practice  largely  among  people 
of  his  own  race  or  of  Italian  descent.  He  has  proven 
himself  to  be  exceedingly  capable,  and  is  not  only  a 
profound  student  of  his  subject  but  is  also  a  natural 
diagnotician  and  is  highly  thought  of  not  only  by  his 
own  clientile,  but  by  the  community  at  large  and  his 
fellow  physicians  throughout  the  city.  Dr.  Luongo  has 
been  exceedingly  interested  in  treating  diseases  with  all 
the  modern  developments  of  his  time,  and  has  taken  an 
exceedingly  practical  way  of  accomplishing  this  end. 
He  has  studied  for  and  afterwards  taken  the  examina- 
tions to  permit  him  to  practice  in  the  various  States 
of  the  Union,  and  at  the  present  time  has  the  right  to 
practice  in  no  fewer  than  thirty  of  these  States.  This 
constant  study  has  had  much  the  same  effect  as  con- 
tinual post-graduate  work,  and  very  little  has  been  dis- 
covered in  medicine  with  which  Dr.  Luongo  is  not 
familiar  at  the  time.  Dr.  Luongo  is  a  Roman  Catholic 
in  his  religious  belief  and  attends  the  St.  Ann's  Church 
of  this  denomination  at  Providence.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  local  council  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus;  the 
Court  Libia  of  the  Order  of  Foresters;  all  the  branches 
of  the  Sons  of  Italy;  and  is  now  the  treasurer  of  the 
Italian  Medical  Society  of  Rhode  Island.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  Providence  Medical  Society.  He  is  medical 
examiner  for  the  Knights  of  Columbus  here,  and  for 
the  Order  of  Foresters  and  two  branches  of  the  Sons  of 
Italy.  In  politics  Dr.  Luongo  is  an  Independent,  pre- 
ferring to  exercise  his  own  judgment  in  the  selection 
of  candidates  to  adhering  strictly  to  any  of  the  great 
political  parties.  He  is  a  man  of  original  thought  and 
ideas,  and  represents  the  highest  type  of  citizenship. 
Dr.  Luongo  was  united  in  marriage  November  10, 
1915,  in  New  York  City,  with  Esther  Ballarin,  of  that 
place,  a  daughter  of  Raphael  and  Teresa  (Armaroli) 
Ballarin.  Besides  his  wife  there  also  resides  with  Dr. 
Luongo  his  sister,  Dora,  who  like  himself  was  educated 
in  Italy  and  is  the  only  remaining  member  of  their 
father's   familv. 


JOHN  GREENUP  WHITTAKER,  the  manager 
of  the  Lonsdale  Bleachery  and  Dyeworks,  is  a  native  of 
Halifa.x,  England,  having  been  born  in  that  country  in 
1864.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1882  and  shortly  after 
his  arrival  entered  the  employ  of  the  Glenlyon  Dye- 
works.  Saylesville,  R.  I.,  and  continued  with  that  con- 
cern in  various  positions,  finally  becoming  manager,  a 
position  he  held  for  several  years,  leaving  that  plant  to 
assume  the  management  of  the  Lonsdale  Bleachery  in 
1916.  Mr.  Whittaker  is  a  member  of  Jenckes  Lodge, 
Ancient  and  .-Kccepted  Masons,  a  member  of  Christ 
Church,  Lonsdale,  and  a  Republican  in  politics. 


DAVID  D.  JOHNSTON,  one  of  the  successful 
merchants  of  Lonsdale,  R.  I.,  and  -a  man  of  wide  promi- 
nence in  the  affairs  of  the  community,  is  a  native  of 
Scotland,  in  which  country  he  was  born  on  April  15, 
1876.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Marcella  (Dunwoodie) 
Johnston,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Scotland,  and 
who  passed  their  youth  in  that  country.  John  Johnston 
came  from  his  native  land  to  Rhode  Island  in  1881.  He 
had  been  manager  of  a  large  print  works  in  his  native 


cZJ^      \^^^  ^  ^  d'^^^"^^ 


/-^-y  Ly/ (^C^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


187 


land,  and  upon  coming  to  this  country  settled  at  the 
town  of  Lonsdale,  where  he  secured  a  position  as 
assistant  manager  with  the  Lonsdale  Company  here. 
After  eighteen  months  with  this  concern,  he  proved 
himself  of  so  much  value  that  he  was  made  its  manager 
and  continued  in  this  line  of  business  until  his  death  in 
1904  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  Two  years  prior  to 
his  death  he  was  elected  town  clerk  for  Lincoln  and 
held  this  post  until  the  close  of  his  life.  He  and  his 
wife  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  two  of  whom 
are  now  living,  as  follows :  Annie,  who  became  the 
wife  of  George  W.  Miller,  of  Central  Falls ;  and  David 
D..  with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially  interested. 

The  childhood  of  David  D.  Johnston  was  spent  in  his 
native  region  in  Scotland,  but  he  was  still  very  young 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States,  and 
it  was  at  Lonsdale  that  he  first  began  his  education.  He 
also  attended  the  private  school  at  Providence,  but 
throughout  this  time  Uorked  in  his  spare  hours  at  the 
bicachery  at  Lonsdale,  belonging  to  the  Lonsdale  Com- 
pany, an  institution  with  which  his  father  was  asso- 
ciated. .-\fter  remaining  with  this  concern  a  number 
of  years  Mr.  Johnston  decided  to  engage  in  business  on 
his  own  account,  and  with  this  end  in  view  formed  a 
partnership  with  Mr.  H.  Ramsbottom,  and  together 
they  bought  the  S.  D.  Angell  Company  at  Lonsdale,  and 
is  operating  this  large  dry  goods  establishment  at  the 
present  time.  Mr.  Johnston  has  always  been  actively 
interested  in  local  politics,  and  in  1904  was  elected  town 
clerk  of  Lincoln,  a  position  previously  held  by  his 
father,  and  has  served  in  this  capacity  ever  since.  He  is 
also  probate  clerk  and  in  both  of  these  offices  has  proved 
himself  a  most  capable  and  disinterested  public  servant. 
He  has  instituted  in  his  office  a  card  index  and  loose 
leaf  system  which  have  greatly  simplified  and  assisted 
the  work  thereof.  Mr.  Johnston  is  a  prominent  Free 
Mason  and  is  a  member  of  Unity  Lodge,  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons;  Pawtucket  Chapter,  Royal  Arch 
Masons ;  Pawtucket  Council,  No.  2,  Royal  and  Select 
Masters;  Holy  Sepulchre  Commandery,  No.  8,  Knights 
Templar;  and  Palestine  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  Besides  these  Masonic 
bodies  he  is  also  a  member  of  Lime  Rock  Grange,  and 
of  the  local  lodge.  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks. 

David  D.  Johnston  was  united  in  marriage,  August  I, 
1902.  at  Plymouth,  New  Hampshire,  with  Nellie  G. 
Corey,  daughter  of  Kirk  and  Henrietta  Corey,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  the  town  of  Wentworth 
in  that  State.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnston  one  child  has 
been  born,  a  daughter,  Henrietta. 


GEORGE  FRANCIS  McCOY— .-X  conspicuous  figure 
in  the  official  and  business  circles  of  Providence,  George 
F.  McCoy  is  a  man  who  owes  mainly  to  his  own  effort 
his  success  and  reputation  among  his  colleagues.  He  is 
a  man  of  energy,  ability,  tact,  and  would  have  made  a 
success  of  almost  any  calling  which  he  undertook.  It 
is  because  of  such  me»  that  the  name  of  New  England 
is  known  the  world  over  for  progressivencss  and  force. 

He  was  born  in  Norwich,  Conn.,  February  9,  1876, 
the  son  of  Thomas  and  Abbie  (Casey)  McCoy.  His 
education  was  gained  at  the  public  schools,  which  he 
followed  by  a  three  years'  course  at  the   high   school 


at  Norwich,  Connecticut.  Ho  then  went  to  a  private 
school  at  the  same  place,  and  this  academic  work  was 
followed  by  a  course  in  business  training  in  a  business 
school  in  Norwich.  He  then  went  back  to  the  private 
school  for  work  that  could  best  be  done  there.  An 
opportunity  at  this  time  came  to  him,  and  he  accepted 
a  position  in  a  clothing  store.  In  1910  he  found  the 
true  business  interest  of  his  life  when  he  went  into  the 
real  estate  field.  In  this  line  of  activity  Mr.  McCoy  has 
shown  great  ability  and  has  been  very  successful.  Mr. 
McCoy  is  a  Democrat  in  his  voting,  takes  a  keen  inter- 
est in  political  affairs,  and  has  served  the  city  since 
1016  on  the  school  board.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Tenth 
Ward  Democratic  Committee,  and  also  serves  on  the 
Committee  of  Accounts,  of  Evening  Schools,  of  Hy- 
giene, and  Summer  Schools.  He  is  a  membei;  of  St. 
Thomas'  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  he  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Foresters  of  America. 


ROY  RAWLINGS,  a  successful  farmer  and  busi- 
ness man  of  Hope  \'allcy,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  Franklin, 
111.,  where  his  birth  occurred  March  8,  1883.  He  is 
a  son  of  J.  H.  and  Martha  Emma  (Seymour<?)  Rawlings, 
of  that  place,  and  his  childhood  was  spent  on  his  father's 
farm  there.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the  grammar  and  high 
schools  of  his  native  town,  and  after  preparing  for  col- 
lege, entered  the  Whipple  .\cadciny,  at  Jacksonville, 
III.,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  year  1901.  He 
then  studied  for  three  years  at  the  DePauw  LIniversity 
of  Greencastle,  Ind.,  after  which  he  entered  the  Emerson 
College  of  Oratory  at  Boston.  He  graduated  from  this 
institution  in  1907.  and  then  returned  to  the  DePauw 
University  and  graduated  in  the  following  year.  After 
completing  his  studies  at  the  latter  institution,  Mr. 
Rawlings  went  upon  the  stage  as  an  actor,  in  the  fall 
of  1908,  and  played  with  Benjamin  Chapin  in  his  Lin- 
coln plays.  He  had  been  well  prepared  for  this  work 
at  the  Emerson  College  of  Oratory,  and  enjoyed  greatly 
the  dramatic  part  of  the  business.  Realizing,  however, 
that  his  abilities  lay  in  the  direction  of  business,  he 
finally  abandoned  this  line  of  work,  and  in  igio  returned 
to  Illinois,  where  for  three  years  he  managed  his  fath- 
er's farm.  In  1913,  however,  he  came  to  Rhode  Island, 
which  was  the  birthplace  of  his  wife,  and  here  pur- 
chased the  Lillybridge  farm,  a  property  consisting  of 
one  thousand  acres  in  the  town  of  Richmond.  Here  Mr. 
Rawlings  has  been  actively  engaged  in  farming  on  a 
large  scale,  having  specialized  in  the  raising  of  corn,  to 
which  purpose  he  devotes  the  whole  of  his  farm.  Some 
years  ago  he  erected  a  small  mill,  run  by  water  power, 
on  his  place,  and  this  formed  the  nucleus  for  his  large 
grain  mill  and  elevator,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  and  production  of  Johnny  cake  meal. 
In  the  summer  of  1918  he  removed  this  business  to 
Hope  Valley,  where  the  modern  elevators  and  mill 
buildings  were  erected,  and  a  corporation  formed,  of 
which  Mr.  Rawlings  is  manager.  It  was  Mr.  Rawlings 
who  introduced  the  tractor  and  power  machinery  upon 
his  farm,  and  he  has  met  with  much  success  in  this 
innovation,  and  is  at  the  present  time  reclaiming  many 
acres  of  good  soil,  which  had  not  been  used  for  years. 
The  mill  business  has  provided  an  excellent  outlet  for 
his  large  products  of  corn,  and  he  has  built  up  a  most 
successful  and  paying  business  in   this   line.     In   spite 


i88 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  his  many  activities,  however,  Mr.  Rawlings  has  re- 
mained essentially  a  farmer,  and  has  always  been 
chiefly  interested  in  this  side  of  his  work.  He  began 
his  farming  without  capital,  and  has  made  a  very  extra- 
ordinary success  for  so  short  a  time.  His  place  is  run 
on  a  strictly  business  basis,  and  has  therefore  been  a 
success.  Mr.  Rawlings  is  justly  regarded  as  a  most 
public  spirited  man.  and  has  always  maintained  a  keen 
interest  in  town  affairs,  although  he  has  consistently 
refused  to  enter  politics  or  hold  public  office.  He  is 
a  Republican  in  principle,  and  has  always  ardently 
supported  his  party.  He  is  a  strong  temperance  man, 
and  has  been  active  in  promoting  the  cause  of  Prohi- 
bition hereabouts.  Mr.  Rawlings  was  reared  in  the 
Methodist  church  and  is  still  a  member  of  the  little 
church  of  that  denomination  in  his  home  town  in  Illi- 
nois. 

Mr.  Rawlings  was  united  in  marriage,  November  3, 
1910,  with  Lucy  Irene  Gammell,  daughter  of  J.  W. 
and  Lucy  (Wake)  Gammell,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  Providence,  where  Mr.  Gammell  is  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  dye.  Mrs.  Rawlings,  like 
himself,  was  educated  for  theatrical  work,  and  after 
studying  in  the  Providence  School  and  the  Acme  Acad- 
emy of  Dramatic  Arts  at  New  York,  entered  upon  her 
professional  career  in  the  same  year  and  the  same 
company  with  Mr.  Rawlings.  It  was  here  they  met 
and  were  married  later. 


MRS.  ESTHER  AMANDA  (SPENCER)  BRIGGS, 

of  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  where  she  has  resided  during 
her  entire  life,  is  a  well  known  figure  in  the  affairs  of 
this  community  and  is  a  recognized  authority  on  local 
history  and  genealogical  matters.  She  is  a  member  of 
a  very  old  and  distinguished  Rhode  Island  family  and 
is  descended  from  John  and  Susannah  (Griffin)  Spen- 
cer, who  came  to  this  region  during  the  early  Colonial 
period.  From  John  Spencer, "  the  founder,  the  line 
runs  through  John  and  Audrey  (Greene)  Spencer,  Wil- 
liam and  Elizabeth  (Rice)  Spencer,  William  and  Mary 
(Manchester)  Spencer,  and  John  and  Hulda  (Johnson) 
Spencer,  to  Richard  and  Roby  M.  (Tarbox)  Spencer, 
who  were  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Briggs.  The  Greene- 
Spencer  line  is  as  follows:  John  Greene  was  grand- 
father of  Audrey  Greene  Spencer.  The  Greene  fam- 
ily are  of  royal  descent.  (See  Americans  of  Royal 
Descent,  by  Browning).  They  trace  back  to  Henry  I, 
of  France,  and  Hugh  Capit,  whose  wife,  Adele,  was 
descended  from  Henry  I,  Emperor  of  Germany.  The 
latter's  mother,  Hedwig,  was  a  great-granddaughter  of 
Charlemagne. 

Richard  Spencer,  who  has  just  been  mentioned,  was 
born  May  9,  1798,  on  his  father's  farm  at  East  Green- 
wich, where  he  spent  practically  his  entire  life.  He 
was  educated  in  the  local  district  school,  the  building 
which  his  father  had  assisted  to  build,  and  after  com- 
pleting his  studies  there  began  his  career  by  following 
in  his  father's  footsteps  and  taking  up  the  occupation 
of  farming.  The  old  Spencer  farm  which  originally 
consisted  of  ninety  acres  was  reduced  to  seventy  acres 
by  sale  in  order  to  supply  the  funds  to  procure  a  sub- 
stitute for  Revolutionary  War  service,  when  John 
Spencer,  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Briggs,  was  drafted 


for  this  purpose.  Richard  Spencer,  his  son,  was  given 
one-half  of  this  homestead  on  account  of  his  generous 
treatment  and  support  of  his  parents  and  later  pur- 
chased the  remaining  half.  From  time  to  time  he 
added  other  properties  to  this  nucleus,  a  large  propor- 
tion of  which  was  under  cultivation.  Richard  Spencer 
was  a  man  of  very  frugal  and  industrious  habits  and 
soon  became  one  of  the  most  substantial  citizens  of  the 
region  and  a  man  of  influence  here.  He  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics  and  was  very  active  in  local  affairs, 
holding  a  number  of  important  public  posts.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Town  Council,  auditor  and  overseer 
of  highways  at  East  Greenwich  for  twenty  years,  man- 
ager of  the  town  asylum,  and  was  appointed  justice  of 
the  peace,  but  refused  this  honor.  He  also  refused 
nomination  to  the  State  Legislature,  finding  it  impos- 
sible to  attend  the  duties  of  that  office  in  view  of  his 
own  extensive  interests.  Mr.  Spencer  was  also  exec- 
utor and  administrator  for  several  important  estates 
hereabouts. 

Richard  Spencer  was  a  man  of  very  strong  religious 
instincts  and  beliefs,  and  always  kept  his  business 
activities  subordinate  to  his  church  and  his  religious 
duties.  As  Mr.  Spencer  described  it,  "He  was  born  a 
second  time  in  1836  when  he  joined  the  Six  Princi- 
ples Baptist  Church  of  French-Town,  at  East  Green- 
wich, in  December  of  the  same  year."  He  was  or- 
dained deacon,  1838;  died  December  19,  1889.  He 
owned  real  estate  in  West  Greenwich,  Coventry  and 
Exeter.  His  homestead  is  now  owned  by  descendants 
of  his  eldest  child,  Richard  Anthony,  who  died  in  New 
York  City,  aged  twenty-seven  years,  leaving  one  child, 
.•^nna  Maria,  who  married  John  J.  Spencer.  It  was 
his  great  pride  to  live  every  day  a  good,  faithful.  Chris- 
tian life  and  he  enjoyed  the  highest  esteem  of  his  fel- 
low citizens  throughout  the  community. 

Richard  Spencer  was  united  in  marriage,  April  3, 
1817,  with  Roby  M.  Tarbox,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Esther  (Whitford)  Tarbox,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  this  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer  were 
the  parents  of  the  follovnng  children:  Richard  An- 
thony, who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years; 
Audra  E.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Spencer; 
Joseph  J.;  William  A.;  Hulda  E.,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Daniel  C.  Bailey;  Esther  .■\manda,  with  whom  we 
are  here  especially  concerned;  and  two  children  who 
died  in  early  infancy. 

Esther  Amanda  Spencer  was  born  on  January  21, 
1835,  at  East  Greenwich.  It  was  at  this  place  that  she 
gained  her  education,  and  here  she  has  made  her  home 
consistently  ever  since.  She  married.  December  21, 
i860,  Job  Briggs,  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  Mastin 
(Hornell)  Briggs,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
this  place,  who  are  now  deceased.  Job  Briggs  was 
born  October  12,  1827.  and  died  December  16,  1910. 
Mrs.  Briggs  has  retained  her  physical  and  mental 
powers  in  a  remarkable  degree  and  still  takes  an  active 
part  in  the  general  life  of  the  community,  where  she  is 
much  beloved  and  has  a  host  of  friends.  Mrs.  Briggs 
has  devoted  much  of  her  time  to  collecting  old  family 
records  of  this  region  and  intends  to  leave  a  most 
valuable  historical  collection  to  the  Rhode  Island  His- 
torical Societ)'. 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


189 


BYRON  READ — For  more  than  half  a  century 
Mr.  Read  lias  been  a  prominent  figure  in  the  business 
life  of  Rhode  Island.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and 
Phebe  (Wait)  Read,  of  Coventry,  R.  I.,  a  grandson  of 
Joseph  and  Sabria  (Knight)  Read,  descendant  of  an 
ancient  and  notable  family  of  both  Old  and  Xcw  Eng- 
land. Rhode  Island  has  been  the  family  seat  for  sev- 
eral generations,  Massachusetts  the  original  place  of 
settlement. 

Henry  Read,  a  farmer,  born  in  Coventry,  Kcrtt 
county,  R.  I.,  .Vpril  7,  1801,  died  .August  11,  1887.  His 
wife,  Phebe  (Wait)  Read,  born  September  6,  1804,  died 
February  20,  1805.  They  were  the  parents  of  thirteen 
children:  1.  .Mmond,  a  resident  of  Washington,  K.  I., 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  Jan.  21,  1907,  having  no  chil- 
dren. 2.  Levi  B.,  died  at  Quidnick,  R.  I.,  Oct.  7, 
1897,  having  had  three  children:  Cynthia,  Melissa, 
and  Celinda,  all  deceased.  3.  Julia  A.,  twin  of  Levi 
B.,  died  at  .Anthony,  R.  I.,  Oct.  14,  1893;  married 
David  Matteson  and  left  a  daughter,  Mary  Jane,  who 
married  William  Henry  Clarke,  of  Anthony,  R.  L 
4.  Rebecca  W.,  died  at  .Anthony,  R.  L,  .April  28,  1900; 
married  Johri  W.  Manchester,  of  Anthony.  R.  L; 
five  children,  two  deceased;  three  living:  Thomas, 
Job,  Mary  E.  5.  Henry,  Jr.,  died  at  Anthony,  R.  L, 
March  8,  1873,  leaving  two  daughters,  both  now  resi- 
dents of  Providence,  Emma  F.  Pinckney  and  Annie 
J.  Chappell.  6.  Sheffield  W.,  died  in  Providence,  R. 
L,  April  II,  1900,  leaving  a  daughter,  Emily  J.  Read, 
now  residing  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.  7.  Sybiel  W., 
married  Horace  N.  Foster,  of  Anthony,  R.  I.,  and  they 
have  one  daughter,  Ofa  J.,  also  of  Anthony.  8. 
Joseph,  a  resident  of  Anthony,  R.  L;  has  children: 
Phebe  W.,  of  Anthony,  the  widow  of  John  Love; 
Joseph,  Jr.,  of  Providence;  Walford  B.,  of  .Anthony; 
Lowell  T.,  of  Providence;  and  Roscoe,  who  died 
as  a  result  of  a  railroad  accident,  g.  Sheldon,  died 
May  29,  1873,  leaving  a  daughter,  Everline,  wife  of 
Asa  Richmond,  of  Providence.  10.  Christopher  J., 
died  Jan.  22,  1914,  leaving'  two  children:  Carrie,  wife 
of  James  Dowling,  of  Providence,  R.  L,  and  Christo- 
pher J.,  a  resident  of  Anthony;  R.  L  11.  Phebe  W., 
married  Job  Harvey,  of  .\nthony.  12.  Jane  W.,  died 
Dec.  29,  1868;  married  John  W.  Brown,  of  Hartford, 
Conn.     13.  Byron,  of  whom  further. 

Byron  Read,  youngest  of  the  children  of  Henry 
and  Phebe  (Wait)  Read,  was  born  in  Coventry,  Kent 
county,  R.  I.;  April  7,  1845,  and  until  his  minor  years 
expired  was  his  father's  assistant  on  the  home  farm. 
He  obtained  his  education  in  the  Coventry  district 
school,  and  even  in  his  boyhood  was  industrious  and 
persevering  and  gave  evidence  of  unusual  business 
capacity.  Upon  coming  of  age,  in  1866,  he  left  the 
farm  and  found  employment  with  his  brother,  Henry 
Read,  Jr.,  who  was  engaged  in  the  village  of  .Vnthony. 
R.  L,  as  an  undertaker,  furniture  and  hardware 
dealer.  Six  years  later,  in  1872,  he  bought  a  one- 
half  interest  in  the  business,  which  was  henceforth  con- 
ducted under  the  firm  name,  Henry  Read,  Jr..  & 
Company.  Henry  Read.  Jr.,  died  in  March,  1873, 
Byron  Read  then  becoming  sole  owner  through  pur- 
chase of  the  Henry  Read  interest  from  the  heirs. 
He    conducted    the    business    under    the    old    name. 


Henry  Read,  Jr.,  &  Company  until  1880,  but  from 
that  year  operated  under  the  firm  style  and  title, 
Byron  Read.  As  sole  owner  and  manager  he  gave 
full  scope  to  his  business  genius  and  executive  ability, 
prosperity  resulting  to  such  a  degree  that  larger  quar- 
ters became  imperative.  The  building  he  was  occu- 
pying was  leased  from  the  estate  of  Isaac  B.  Ayles- 
worth,  the  original  founder  of  the  business  Mr.  Read 
was  conducting.  Mr.  Read  purchased  a  building 
site  directly  opposite  his  then  place  of  business,  and 
in  1878  erected  a  barn  thereon,  40  x  80  feet,  with  an 
"L"  20x21  feet,  especially  arranged  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  his  business.  In  1897  this  barn  was  enlarged 
to  40  x  100  feet,  and  in  1882  a  store  building.  40  x  100 
feet,  three  stories  and  basement,  was  erected,  the 
builder  Mr.  Read's  brother-in-law,  Horace  N.  Fos- 
ter, of  Anthony.  The  basement  was  equipped  as  a 
workship  and  storeroom,  a  receiving  and  embalming 
room,  an  elevator  connecting  all  floors.  A  complete 
modern  office  equipment  was  installed,  call  bells  and 
speaking  tubes  connecting  ofiice,  show  rooms  and  store 
with  every  department  of  the  business.  There  Mr. 
Read  continues  in  successful  business,  pro.spering  in 
every  department  of  the  business  he  entered  fresh 
from  the  farm  when  a  young  man  of  twenty.  The 
business  comprises  an  undertaking  establishment  oper- 
ated along  the  best  modern  methods,  a  furniture  store, 
and  a  hardware  store,  .Anthony,  R.  I.,  its  location  from 
the  beginning.  The  development  of  the  business  is 
the  highest  tribute  to  Mr.  Read's  industry,  progres- 
sive spirit,  and  enterprise  which  can  be  paid,  and  is  a 
fitting  monument  to  his  life  of  public-spirited  useful- 
ness. He  is  a  director  in  the  Phenix  Trust  Company, 
of  Phenix,  R.  I.,  and  in  the  Pawtuxet  Valley  Water 
Company. 

Mr.  Read,  in  1887,  purchased  the  old  Oliver  Matte- 
son  homestead  in  Anthony  from  the  daughter,  Mrs. 
Eliza  F.  Briggs,  removed  the  old  dwelling  to  another 
location,  and  erected  on  the  site  a  modern  mansion, 
which  he  still  occupies.  He  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, but  has  resolutely  declined  all  offers  of  public 
office  made  him  by  his  party  friends,  and  has  con- 
fined his  public  service  to  the  conscientious  perform- 
ance of  civic  duty  as  a  private  citizen.  Yet  he  is 
and  always  has  been  interested  in  all  good-  works  and 
generously  aids  those  causes  which  make  for  better 
conditions  and  the  greater  happiness  of  men.  He  is  a 
member  of  Manchester  Lodge,  No.  12,  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  and  of  Anthony  Lodge,  No.  21,  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  In  religious  faith 
he  is  a  Baptist.  Such  are  the  leading  events  only  in  a 
life  now  in  its  seventy-fifth  year,  a  life  well  lived  and 
free  from  reproach.  Still  in  good  health,  Mr.  Read 
enjoys  the  pleasures  of  social  life,  is  fond  of  the  so- 
ciety of  his'  friends,  and  extends  a  generous  hospi- 
tality at 'his  beautiful 'home.  He  owns  a  host  of 
friends  and  is  most  highly  esteemed  and  respected  in 
the  community  in  which  his  life  has  been   spent. 

Byron  Read  married  (first)  in  June,  1870.  Julia  A. 
Pinckney,  who  died  in  1906,  daughter  of  Edward  S. 
and  Eleanor  (Johnson)  Pinckney,  of  Coventry  Cen- 
ter, R.  I-.,  and  "granddaughter  of  Jacob  and  Sarah 
(Fowler)     Pinckney,    of     Providence.      Children:      i. 


IQO 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Herman  Byron,  born  Feb.  17,  1878,  married  Hannah 
Maude  Gorton,  of  Coventry,  daughter  of  Jason  T. 
and  Anna  L.  (Andrews)  Gorton,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren: Herman  Mihon  and  Virginia  Maud  Read.  2. 
Charles  Sheldon,  born  Nov.  23,  1879,  a  graduate  of 
Brown  University,  A.  B.,  1901.  Byron  Read  married 
(second)  April  28,  1909,  Mercy  Mabel  Parker,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  K.  and  Hattie  (Joslin)  Parker,  of  Al- 
lenton,  R.  I.,  and  granddaughter  of  William  H.  and 
Mercy  R.  Parker,  of  North  Kingston. 


AUGUSTUS   WOODBURY   CALDER,   M.  D.— 

For  twenty  years  Dr.  Calder  has  practiced  general 
medicine  and  surgery  in  the  city  of  Providence,  a  city 
honored  by  the  patriotic  service  and  public  spirit  of 
his  father,  Albert  Lawton  Calder,  his  grandfather, 
William  Calder,  and  his  great-grandfather,  James 
Calder,  the  latter  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  born  in 
Boston,  Mass.,  a  paper  maker,  who  died  in  Provi- 
dence, November  22,  1843.  James  Calder  was  a  son 
of  William  Calder.  who  came  from  his  Scotch  home 
in  Aberdeen,  prior  to  1732,  son  of  Alexander  and  Bar- 
bara (Shane)  Calder.  James  Calder,  the  founder  of 
the  family  in  Providence,  came  to  Providence  in  1780 
to  superintend  the  erection  of  a  paper  mill,  later  made 
the  moulds  and  the  first  sheet  of  paper  ever  made  in 
Rhode  Island.  In  181 1  he  went  to  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  in  association  with  Wing  &  Taber,  but  in 
1813  retired  from  paper  manufacturing  and  returned 
to  Providence.  He  later  was  a  miller  at  Olneyville, 
and  a  grocer,  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight. 

William  Calder,  son  of  James  Calder,  the  founder, 
was  a  pewterer  by  trade  in  Providence,  his  shop  on 
North  Main  street  occupying  the  present  site  of  St. 
John's  parish  house.  In  1825  he  bought  a  house  on 
North  Main  street,  had  his  shop  and  store  on  the  first 
floor,  and  there  he  resided  until  his  death  in  1856,  at 
the  age  of  si.xty-four.  He  was  a  well  informed  man, 
convincing  in  argument,  and  remarkably  well  read. 
He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  First  Universalist 
Church  of  Providence,  and  was  not  averse  to  argu- 
ment with  those  of  a  different  faith.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  volunteer  fire  department  and  captain  of 
one  of  the  companies. 

.Albert  Lawton  Calder,  son  of  William  and  Eliza 
Treadwcll  (Spencer)  Calder,  was  born  in  Providence, 
September  6,  1825,  died  in  his  native  city,  May  23, 
1898.  He  became  a  drug  clerk,  then  a  wholesale 
c'niggist  of  Boston  and  Lowell,  Mass.,  but  from  1851 
to  1885  was  in  the  drug  business  in  Providence.  He 
sold  out  his  drug  business  in  1885  to  give  his  entire 
time  to  promoting  the  sale  of  Calder's  Dentine,  a 
preparation  he  owned  and  advanced  to  a  large  sale 
all  over  the  country.  When  he  retired  from  the  retail 
business  it  was  said  that  he  was  the  very  last  one 
of  the  merchants  that  were  in  business  on  Westmins- 
ter street  in  1851.  Mr.  Calder  was  active  in  public  life, 
serving  in  Common  Council  and  State  Legislature. 
He  was  an  original  member  of  the  State  Board  of 
Pharmacy,  serving  from  1870  until  1885,  declining  fur- 
ther appointment:  trustee  of  the  Rhode  Island  Hos- 
pital   for    many    years;     treasurer    of    the    Providence 


Fr;inklin  Society;  director  of  the  American  Unitar- 
ian .Association;  president  01  the  Providence  L^nitarian 
Club:  director  of  the  Industrial  Trust  Company  until 
his  death,  also  for  years  vice  president  and  member 
of  the  executive  committee:  member  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society,  Rhode  Island  Pharmaceu- 
tical Society,  Providence  and  Westminster  Congrega- 
tional Society.  He  was  a  man  of  integrity,  highly 
esteemed  for  his  sterling  qualities.  Albert  L.  Calder 
married  (first)  Martha  Ann  Howland,  who  died  Feb- 
ruary 13,  1887,  a  descendant  of  John  Howland  of  the 
''Mayflower." 

Augustus  Woodbury  Calder,  youngest  son  of  Al- 
bert Lawton  and  Martha  .Ann  (Howland)  Calder, 
was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  September  28,  18691 
He  was  educated  in  private  schools,  Mowry  and 
Goft's  English  and  Classical  Institute,  Brown  Uni- 
versity, A.  B.,  1891,  Harvard  Medical  School,  M.  D., 
1895.  The  following  eighteen  months  were  spent  in 
study  abroad,  he  visiting  the  famed  hospitals  of 
\'ienna,  Dresden,  Berlin  and  Paris.  In  1898  he  re- 
turned to  Providence,  and  began  practice,  specializing 
in  nervous  diseases  and  surgery.  He  is  president  of 
Providence  Surgical  Hospital,  and  performs  all  major 
surgical  operations,  having  four  assistant  physicians 
and  fifteen  trained  nurses  in  attendance  at  the  hospi- 
tal, which  is  a  private  institution.  For  twenty  years 
his  office  has  been  at  No.  184  Angel  street,  Providence, 
and  there  he  ministers  to  a  large  clientele  in  both  med- 
icine and  surgery. 

Dr.  Calder  enlisted  in  the  Rhode  Island  National 
Guard  in  1897  as  a  private  in  the  hospital  corps.  He 
rose  through  the  rank  of  second  lieutenant,  first  lieu- 
tenant, captain  of  the  hospital  corps,  and  during  the 
Spanish  War  was  post-surgeon  during  the  forming  of 
the  regiment  for  service  in  that  war.  In  1906  he  was 
appointed  surgeon  of  cavalry  with  the  rank  of  major. 
In  191 1  he  was  appointed  chief  surgeon  of  Rhode 
Island  National  Guard,  and  in  1916  went  into  Fed- 
eral service  and  was  assigned  as  camp  surgeon  with 
the  troops  leaving  for  service  along  the  Mexican 
border.  In  1917  he  again  entered  the  Federal  service, 
serving  until  January,  1918,  as  camp  surgeon.  He  in- 
troduced typhoid  inoculation  into  the  Guard  in  1913, 
it  being  voluntary,  and  on  the  first  call  for  volunteers, 
but  twenty-five  soldiers  out  of  seventeen  hundred  in 
the  Guard  volunteered  to  take  the  prophylaxis.  But 
so  successful  did  it  prove  that  all  men  both  wanted 
and  received  it.  The  doctor  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Medical  Association,  Rhode  Island  Medi- 
cal Society,  Providence  Medical  Society,  .Association 
of  Military  Surgeons  of  the  United  States,  Military 
Service  Institute:  his  clubs  the  Hope,  University, 
.Agawam  Hunt,  Wannamoisett,  Rumford  Polo,  Nar- 
ragansett  Boat,  Republican,  and  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church. 

Dr.  Calder  married,  April  17,  1906,  Sarah  Senter 
Allen,  daughter  of  Crawford  .Allen,  prominent  in 
Providence  annals,  they  the  parents  of:  Augustus 
Woodbury,  Jr.,  born  Dec.  30,  1907;  Martha  Howland, 
born  July  21,  1912;  Crawford  Allen,  born  February  14, 
1917. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


191 


JOSEPH  HORACE  CHARPENTIER,  prcsidt.nt 
and  general  manager  of  Tb.c  W'ooil  and  Metal  Com- 
pany of  No.  66  Pleasant  street,  Pawtuckct,  R.  I.,  and  a 
prominent  citizen  of  this  community,  is  another 
striking  example  of  that  capable  and  intelligent  race 
which  has  played  so  large  a  part  in  the  dcvehipment  of 
this  part  of  the  country,  the  French  Canadians,  who 
during  the  generation  just  passed,  as  well  as  previ- 
ously, have  come  in  great  numbers  from  their  more 
northern  clime  to  Rhode  Island  and  settled  here  to 
the  great  benefit  of  the  State  as  well  as  their  own. 
Mr.  Cliarpentier  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Bedford, 
in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  where  his  birth 
occurred  May  28,  1891.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Amanda  (Dupuis)  Charpentier,  the  former  born  in 
Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  in  the  year  1865,  and 
the  latter  near  Bedford,  Quebec,  the  same  country, 
in  the  following  year.  The  elder  Mr.  Charpentier 
was  engaged  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  door,  sash 
and  blind  manufacturing  business,  but  in  the  year  1892 
he  moved  to  Central  Falls,  in  this  State,  where  he 
continued  in  that  line  until  1917.  when  he  changed  to 
the  box  manufacturing  business  in  which  he  is  at  pres- 
ent engaged.  He  is  the  owner  of  large  lumber  hold- 
ings at  Brookfield,  Mass.  In  the  year  1902,  ten  years 
after  his  migration  to  the  United  States,  he  became  a 
naturalized  .American  citizen  and  at  the  present  time 
makes  his  home  at  Pawtucket.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Church  of  Notre  Dame,  at  this  place  and  is  prom- 
inent in  affairs  here,  being  affiliated  with  a  number 
of  fraternal  organizations,  including  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Woodmen 
of  .America.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charpentier,  Sr.,  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Joseph  Horace, 
with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially  concerned; 
Blanche,  now  Mrs.  George  Morin,  of  Pawtucket; 
Aldemar,  who  is  a  member  of  the  .301st  Engineers 
Regiment,  which  formed  a  part  of  the  .\rmy  of  Occu- 
pation with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  in 
Germany:  Fleur  Ange,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Lorenzo  La  Liberte;  L.  Paul;  and  Isabel,  all  of 
whom  reside  at  Pawtucket. 

Joseph  Horace  Charpentier  was  but  one  year  of 
age  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  the  United 
States  and  made  his  home  at  Central  Falls,  R.  I.  It 
was  in  that  place  that  he  began  his  education,  attend- 
ing for  this  purpose  the  Garfield  street  public  school 
when  still  a  very  young  child.  At  the  age  of  ten  he 
had  the  advantage  of  one  year's  schooling  at  the  Stan- 
bridge  School,  at  Stanbridge,  Province  of  Quebec, 
Canada,  but  two  years  later  discontinued  his  schooling 
and  began  work  with  his  father  in  the  manufacture 
of  house  finishings  of  various  kinds.  He  w^as  of  an 
exceedingly  ambitious  temperment,  however,  and 
while  working  during  the  days,  devoted  his  attention 
to  continuing  his  education  by  attending  night  school 
at  Kenyon's  Business  School,  Pawtucket.  A  little 
later  he  took  a  night  course  at  the  Pawtucket  High 
School  and  still  later  a  course  in  building  contracting 
with  the  International  Correspondence  School.  He 
began  work  with  his  father  as  a  helper,  but  displayed 
so  much  ability  at  his  work  that  it  was  not  long  before 
he   was   promoted   and   in   time   he   came   to   hold   the 


position  of  superintendent  in  his  father's  large  works. 
He  was  at  that  time  only  seventeen  years  of  age  and 
the  fact  that  he  handled  his  responsible  post  with 
great  cfliciency  and  skill,  is  evidence  of  his  remark- 
able ability  and  business  talent.  Some  years  later  the 
young  man  withdrew  from  his  father's  establishment 
and  began  for  himself  in  the  business  of  manufac- 
turing wooden  boxes,  an  enterprise  which  met  with 
success  from  the  outset.  In  October,  1918,  the  busi- 
ness which  by  that  time  had  greatly  increased  in  di- 
mensions was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the 
Wood  &  Metal  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Charpentier 
became  the  president  and  general  manager.  Some 
idea  of  the  growth  of  the  enterprise  of  which  Mr. 
Charpentier  is  the  head  may  be  gathered  from  the 
fact  that  when  he  started  it  he  carried  on  all  the  oper- 
ations by  himself,  while  at  the  time  of  its  incorpora- 
tion he  employed  fifteen  men  in  the  work.  Since 
this  time  it  has  further  increased  and  he  now  employs 
twenty  men  in  the  carrying  out  of  his  large  operations. 
Besides  his  own  private  business  interests,  Mr.  Char- 
pentier is  intimately  affiliated  with  the  general  finan- 
cial and  business  conditions  of  the  community.  He 
was  at  one  time  secretary  and  a  director  of  the  Na- 
tional Tennis  Raquet  Company.  Mr.  Charpentier  is 
keenly  interested  in  the  general  life  of  the  community 
and  takes  a  leading  part  in  many  different  depart- 
ments of  activity  here.  In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Roman  Catholic,  and  attends  the  Church  of  Notre 
Dame  at  Pawtucket.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
local  council  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  of 
St.  Jean  de  Baptiste  Society.  He  has  always  been 
keenly  interested  in  outdoor  sports  and  pastimes,  and 
is  especially  fond  of  autnmobiling.  fishing,  and  boat- 
ing, and  finds  opportunity  to  indulge  in  these  whole- 
some outdoor  enjoyments  to  a  large  extent.  He 
makes  his  home  at  No.  75  .Abram  street,  Pawtucket, 
and  also  owns  a  charming  summer  residence  at  Nar- 
ragansett  Terrace. 

Joseph  Horace  Charpentier  was  united  in  marriage 
on  October  25,  1916,  at  Pawtucket,  with  .Anna  Mc- 
Gowan,  of  that  place,  a  daughter  of  James  J.  and 
Emma  (Beswick)  McGowan,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  here.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charpentier,  one 
child    has  been   born,    Hcrmelyn,    January   27,    1918. 


DANIEL  ALFRED  CAMERON,  vice  president 
of  the  Charles  B.  Maguirc  Company,  of  Providence, 
R.  I.,  one  of  the  largest  contracting  firms  in  the  city, 
and  a  man  of  influence  in  business  circles  here,  is  a 
native  of  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred near  the  town  of  Pictou,  in  that  country,  Sep- 
tember 9,  T87.3.  Mr.  Cameron  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and 
Catherine  Cameron,  both  of  whom  are  deceased,  the 
former  having  been  a  farmer  at  Pictou  for  many 
years.  Mr.  Cameron's  ancestors  originally  came  from 
Scotland  and  settled  in  Canada  many  years  ago. 

The  childhood  of  Mr.  Cameron  was  spent  in  his 
native  place,  and  it  was  there  that  he  attended  the 
local  public  schools  and  received  his  education.  Until 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  remained  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  assisted  with  the  work  thereof. 
At  that  age,  however,  he  left  the  parental  home  and 


192 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


went  to  the  town  of  Glasgow,  Nova  Scotia,  where  he 
was  apprenticed  to  a  large  firm  of  contractors,  and 
later  to  the  S.  M.  Brookfield  Company,  of  Halifax, 
Nova  Scotia,  and  various  others.  During  that  time 
he  learned  thoroughly  the  details  of  the  contracting 
and  building  business,  and  in  1899  came  to  the  United 
States,  settling  at  first  at  Medford,  Mass.,  where  he 
secured  a  position  as  foreman  for  a  contracting  firm. 
In  1900  he  came  to  Providence  and  was  associated 
with  Maguire  &  Penniman,  the  firm  at  that  time  not 
being  incorporated.  Here  he  proved  most  valuable, 
and  upon  the  incorporation  of  the  concern,  in  1908, 
was  chosen  vice  president,  a  position  which  he  has 
continued  to  hold  ever  since.  Mr.  Cameron  has 
worked  in  the  contracting  business  from  the  bottom 
up  to  his  present  position,  and  is  now  justly  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  capable  business  men  in  the  com- 
munity. He  is  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word  self-made, 
and  the  company  with  which  he  is  associated  ranks 
among  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  New  England.  Mr. 
Cameron  is  an  Independent  Republican  in  his  poli- 
tics and  is  keenly  interested  in  all  local  affairs  and 
issues,  but  while  adhering  to  the  general  principles  of 
his  party,  holds  himself  entirely  free  to  vote  for  the 
candidate  that  he  considers  it  to  the  best  interest  of 
the  community  to  elect.  The  family  attended  Cal- 
vary Baptist  Church  in  Providence.  Mr.  Cameron  is 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  social  and  fraternal  circles 
at  Providence,  and  is  affiliated  with  Providence 
Lodge!  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
the  Providence  fraternity,  and  the  Rotary  Club  of 
Providence.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  Fire 
Department,  a  volunteer  organization,  and  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  .Association  of  Providence.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  State  Guard,  and  takes 
an  active  part  in  its  work. 

Daniel  Alfred  Cameron  was  united  in  marriage, 
February  18,  1904,  with  Mrs.  Mary  J.  MacLean,  of 
Nova  Scotia.  Mrs.  Cameron  had  three  children  by 
her  former  marriage,  namely:  Gordon,  deceased; 
Viola,  and  James,  who  reside  in  Providence.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Daniel  A.  Cameron  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Donald  and  Louise,  who  reside  with 
their  parents  in  this  city.  Mr.  Cameron  has  a  brother 
and  sister  living,  the  former.  Hugh  Williams  Cameron, 
is  an  optician  at  Halifa.x,  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  and 
the  latter  Mrs.  Daniel  Cameron,  of  Pictou,  Nova 
Scotia. 


FORREST  JOSEPH  PERKINS,  president  and 
treasurer  of  the  Perkins  Brothers'  Lumber  Company, 
and  one  of  the  prominent  members  of  the  industrial 
world  of  Providence,  is  a  native  of  Montpelier,  Vt., 
and  a  member  of  a  family  which  resided  in  that  State 
for  many  years.  The  Perkins  family  had  its  origin  in 
England,  coming,  it  is  believed,  from  Falmouth,  in 
that  country,  and  settling  in  Vermont,  where  it  has 
always  held  a  high  position  in  the  community  where 
it  made  its  home.  Mr.  Perkins  is  a  son  of  Ezra  K. 
and  .Alice  (Wheaton)  Perkins,  the  former  deceased 
and  the  latter  now  residing  with  her  son,  Mr.  Perkins. 

The  education  of  Forrest  Joseph  Perkins  was  re- 
ceived at   the  local   schools   of  Providence,   and   later 


at  the  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College.  Upon 
completing  his  studies  at  the  latter  institution,  Mr. 
Perkins,  in  1896,  engaged  in  his  present  line  of  busi- 
ness, in  association  with  his  father  and  uncle,  the 
office  of  the  concern  being  situated  at  No.  970  West- 
minster street,  Providence,  where  it  has  continued  up 
to  the  present  time.  This  business  was  established 
by  Ezra  K  and  Burmah  E.  Perkins,  who  came  from 
Vermont  and  established  themselves  at  Providence, 
in  18S4.  It  was  originally  a  very  small  concern,  but 
rapidly  grew  in  size  and  importance,  and  was  incor- 
porated in  the  year  1906.  At  the  present  time  Forrest 
Joseph  Perkins  is  president  and  treasurer  of  the  con- 
cern, Bertha  M.  Perkins,  his  wife,  is  vice  president, 
and  Fred  B.  Kenyon  is  assistant  treasurer  and  secre- 
tary. They  employ  twenty  men  in  its  operation  and  it 
is  one  of  the  most  important  establishments  of  its 
kind  in  Rhode  Island.  He  served  as  president  of  the 
Lumber  Dealers'  Association  of  Rhode  Island  in 
1913.  Mr.  Perkins  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the 
social  and  club  life  of  the  community,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Providence  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of 
Elks,  and  has  held  the  position  of  inner  guard  of  this 
body.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Rotary  Club  and 
has  held  the  office  of  president  of  the  same  since  June, 
igiS.  In  this  connection  it  should  be  mentioned  that 
Mr.  Perkins  has  been  one  of  the  real  "live  wires"  in 
Providence.  It  was  he  who  engineered  the  Mam- 
mouth  Christmas  Tree,  given  in  this  city  in  1918,  at 
which  time  as  many  as  twenty  thousand  children  were 
provided  with  presents  by  the  Rotary  Club.  This 
Christmas  tree,  which  was  set  up  in  the  Mall  in  Prov- 
idence, was  eighty  feet  in  height.  In  many  other 
ways  Mr.  Perkins  has  exhibited  his  public  spirit  and 
charity,  and  it  has  been  through  him  in  a  large  meas- 
ure that  the  Rotary  Club  has  taken  the  prominent 
place  in  the  life  of  the  community  which  it  now  holds. 
Mr.  Perkins  is  also  a  member  of  the  Turk's  Head 
and  Pomham  clubs,  and  of  the  Providence  Athenaeum. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  held  a  number 
of  important  local  offices,  having  served  on  the  City 
Council  and  on  several  important  committees  thereof. 
Forrest  Joseph  Perkins  was  united  in  marriage, 
October  14,  1907,  with  Bertha  S.  Manchester,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Walter  H.  Manchester,  of  the  firm  of  Man- 
chester &  Hudson,  of  Providence. 


ALONZO  P.  MOWRY— The  Mowry  family  has 
ranked  prominently  among  Rhode  Island  families  of 
pre-Revolutionary  date  since  the  middle  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  and  has  figured  largely  in  official,  in- 
dustrial and  business  life  in  the  State  for  two  hundred 
years.  The  family  in  New  England  comprises  the 
progeny  of  Roger  Mowry,  immigrant  ancestor,  who 
was  in  Plymouth  barely  a  decade  after  the  coming  of 
the  Pilgrim  Fathers.  His  descendants  have  resided 
since  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century  in  South- 
eastern Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island.  The  late 
Alonzo  P.  Mowry,  former  president  of  the  National 
Exchange  Bank  of  Greenville,  R.  I.,  descended 
through   a   distinguished  line   from  the   founder. 

Roger    Mowry,    immigrant   ancestor   and    founder   of 
the    family   in   .America,    settled   in    Plymouth,    Mass., 


:7^^^-y,  ^A, 


7^^Z.€^ 


BIOGRArniCAL 


193 


about  1630-31.  and  in  May,  1631,  became  a  freeman  ni 
the  colony.  Soon  afterward  lie  removed  to  Salem, 
where  he  became  a  member  01  the  church  in  1636.  In 
the  following  year  he  received  a  grant  of  land  in 
Salem,  his  family  at  the  time  comprising  five  persons. 
About  1643  he  removed  to  Providence,  and  was  made  a 
freeman  of  Providence  Plantations  in  1655.  Roger 
Mowry  served  as  commissioner  of  the  colony  in  the 
year  1658,  and  was  evidently  a  man  of  considerable 
importance  in  Colonial  affairs.  One  tradition  of  the 
family  states  that  Roger  Williams  and  Roger  Mowry 
were  cousins  or  kinsmen  in  some  degree.  The  fact 
that  they  lived  successively  in  the  same  towns  (Ply- 
mouth, Salem  and  Providence)  is  cited,  with  the  coin- 
cidence of  Christian  names  as  corroborative  of  this 
tradition.  Roger  Mowry  died  on  January  5,  1666.  His 
widow,  Mary  Johnson,  who  was  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Margery  Johnson,  married  (second)  John  Kings- 
ley,  and  died  in  January,  1679. 

deorge  W.  Mowry,  father  of  the  late  .Monzo  P. 
Mowry,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  Sep- 
tember 22,  1806,  and  spent  his  early  life  in  the  town.  In 
young  manhood  he  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  ma- 
chinist in  Hawkin's  machine  shop  at  Skeeterville,  town 
of  Smithfield,  but  finding  the  work  not  only  distasteful 
but  injurious  to  his  health,  he  abandoned  it.  For  sev- 
eral years  following  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. After  his  marriage  he  rented  for  two  years  the 
Philip  Allen  farm  in  North  Providence,  wliich  is  now 
within  the  city  limits.  In  1836  Mr.  Mowry  purchased 
the  Thomas  Paine  farm  and  tavern-stand  in  Smith- 
field,  which  he  conducted  with  a  high  degree  of  suc- 
cess until  his  death.  He  was  the  last  to  conduct  the 
tavern  above  mentioned,  before  the  building  of  the 
Providence  &  Springfield  Railroad.  His  hostelry,  con- 
ducted along  the  hospitable,  liberal  lines  of  the  olden 
times,  was  located  on  one  of  the  main  lines  of  travel 
from  Providence  to  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts, 
and  had  a  large  patronage.  In  addition  to  this  enter- 
prise and  his  farming  activities,  Mr.  Mowry  also  dealt 
extensively  as  a  buyer  and  seller  of  live  stock.  He 
made  numerous  trips  to  Canada  for  horses,  cattle  and 
sheep,  which  he  brought  to  Rhode  Island  and  <oUl. 
He  was  widely  known  in  business  circles  in  Providence 
and  the  vicinity,  and  was  eminently  respected  for  the 
integrity  of  his  principles  and  unswerving  fairness  of 
his  transactions.  His  success  was  essentially  self- 
made.  Mr.  Mowry  was  a  prominent  figure  in  business 
and  official  life  in  Smithfield  and  the  surrounding 
towns.  He  remained  strictly  outside  the  field  of  poli- 
tics, however,  beyond  performing  the  duties  of  citizen- 
ship. In  early  life  he  was  a  Democrat,  but  later  affili- 
ated himself  with  the  Republican  party.  For  many 
years  he  was  a  director  of  the  National  Exchange 
Bank  at  Greenville. 

On  March  23.  1830,  Mr.  Mowry  married  Hannah 
Aldrich,  who  was  born  December  23,  1812,  in  Smith- 
field,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Diana  (Gaskill)  .\ld- 
rich,  who  descended  from  George  Aldrich  (in  the 
eighth  generation),  immigrant  ancestor,  who  came  to 
America  in  1631.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mowry  were  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  i.  Henr\'  C.  2.  Susan 
G.,  married  Lamed  Dean,  of  Johnston,  R.  I.  3-  Mary 
R  1-2-13 


E.,  became  the  wife  of  William  K.  Atwood,  of  Provi- 
dence. 4.  Gilbert  L.  5.  George  G.,  deceased,  was  a 
resident  of  Geneseo,  III.  6.  Edward  A.  7.  .Monzo  P., 
mentioned  below.    8.  Diana  A. 

George  W.  Mowry  died  at  his  home  in  Smithfield, 
R.  I.,  February  28,  1877,  and  was  buried  in  a  private 
lot  on  his  own  property.  Mrs.  Mowry,  who  sur- 
vived her  husband,  made  her  home  for  several  years 
with  her  son,  the  late  .-Monzo  P.  Mowry;  she  died  in 
Greenville,  R.  I.,  February  19,  igo8,  at  the  venerable 
age  of  ninety-five  years.  She  was  keenly  alive  to  cur- 
rent events,  and  retained  her  faculties,  completely,  to 
the  end. 

Alonzo  P.  Mowry,  son  of  George  W.  and  Hannah 
(Aldrich)  Mowry,  was  born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  on 
December  20,  1843,  and  was  educated  in  the  primary 
schools  of  his  native  town,  later  attending  Jencks 
Mowry's  School,  at  Mount  Pleasant,  where  he  spent 
two  years,  and  the  Lapham  Institute,  w-here  he  studied 
for  three  years.  On  completing  his  studies  he  re- 
turned to  Smithfield,  and  until  he  attained  his  ma- 
jority was  his  father's  assistant  on  the  farm  and  in  his 
Inisiness  activities.  In  1865  he  became  a  clerk  in  the 
shoe  store  of  his  brother-in-law,  William  K.  .Atwood, 
in  Providence,  with  whom  he  remained  for  two  years, 
during  which  period  he  made  a  study  of  the  business 
with  the  intention  of  launching  an  independent  venture. 
In  1867,  in  company  with  John  Atwood,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Atwood  &  Mowry,  Mr.  Mowry  established  a 
shoe  business  on  North  Main  street,  in  Providence. 
Later,  the  business,  which  from  the  outset  was  highly 
successful,  was  transferred  to  Olneyville.  Eight 
years  later,  Mr.  Mowry  disposed  of  his  interests,  and 
removed  to  the  homestead,  where  he  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  and  dairying.  He  was  successful  in  this 
work,  and  his  farm  was  one  of  the  finest  in  the  entire 
countryside.  He  added  more  land  to  the  original 
tract,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  the  estate  consisted 
of  nearly  three  hundred  acres. 

From  the  time  of  his  return  to  Smithfield  until  his 
death,  Mr.  Mowry  was  a  power  in  public  life  in  the 
town.  He  was  a  Republican  in  political  affiliation, 
but  in  no  sense  of  the  word  an  office  seeker.  The 
welfare  and  advancement  of  the  community  were 
always  close  to  his  heart,  and  he  had  the  complete 
confidence  of  the  people.  In  1882  he  was  elected  to 
the  Upper  House  of  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature  to 
represent  Smithfield,  and  filled  the  office  ably  and  well 
until  1891,  during  w-hich  period  he  was  influential  in 
securing  the  passage  of  much  beneficial  legislation. 
In  1899  Mr.  Mowry  was  elected  president  of  the  Na- 
tional Exchange  Bank,  succeeding  the  late  Henry  E. 
Smith:  for  many  years  previously  he  had  been  a  direc- 
tor and  stockholder,  ^nd  his  election  to  the  office  of 
chief  executive  was  an  appreciation  of  his  keen  busi- 
ness judgment  and  integrity.  He  was  one  of  the 
trustees  of  the  Free  Baptist  Church  at  Greenville,  and 
for  several  decades  was  one  of  its  staunch  supiiortcrs, 
and  a  liberal  donor  to  its  charities. 

On  June  15,  1869,  Mr.  Mowry  married  Marianna 
Gavitt,  who  was  born  September  21,  1846,  in  Smith- 
field,  daughter  of  Ezekiel  and  Betsey  C.  (Maxfield) 
Gavitt.     Mrs.  Mowry  traces  to  a  distinguished  Revolu- 


19-1 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLA\D 


tionary  lineage.  She  is  a  great-granddaughter  of  Ed- 
ward Gavitt,  who  served  in  the  American  Revolution. 
and  of  Benjamin  Drown,  Jr.,  who  was  a  member  of 
Captain  Thomas  Allen's  company,  becoming  a  corporal 
in  August,  1775.  He  served  on  the  Bristol  Alarm, 
April  I,  1776,  and  was  sergeant  in  Viall  Allen's  com- 
pany in  1780.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mowry  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  children:  i.  Mattie  Aldrich,  born 
March  28,  1874;  married,  Oct.  9.  1895,  Chester 
Eugene  Walcott,  and  resides  in  Smithfield;  they  are 
the  parents  of  two  children:  i.  Willard  Mowry,  born 
April  9,  1900.  ii.  Mary  Louise,  born  Jan.  23.  1906.  2. 
Percy  Wilson,  born  April  i,  1876,  died  in  June  of  the 
same  year.  3.  Bessie  Mabel,  makes  her  home  with 
her  mother.  Alonzo  P.  Mowry  died  at  his  home  at 
Greenville,  R.  I.,  on  July  7,  1914.  Mrs.  Mowry,  who 
survives  her  husband,  resides  at  the  Mowry  homestead 
at   Greenville. 


ODILON  THEOPHILE  PARADIS,  who  is  now 
living  retired  at  his  home.  No.  225  Willow  street,  Woon- 
socket,  and  who  for  many  years  has  been  most  closely 
connected  with  the  growth  of  this  community,  is  a 
native  of  Canada,  where  his  birth  occurred  on  his 
father's  country  place  at  the  town  of  St.  Guillaume,  in 
the  Province  of  Quebec,  May  18,  1852.  Mr.  Paradis 
is  a  son  of  Theophile  and  Mathilde  (Lessard)  Paradis, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that  region,  where 
his  father  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  merchant  for 
many  years  and  carried  on  a  private  trade.  The  busi- 
ness of  the  elder  Mr.  Paradis  included  considerable 
export  work  in  the  United  States  and  it  was  largely 
through  this  field  that  association  in  this  country  came 
to  be  formed. 

The    childhood    of    Odilon    Theophile    Paradis    was 
passed  at  his  native  place  and  in  addition  to  obtaining 
his  education  at  the  local  public  and  parochial  schools, 
he  assisted  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  latter's  farm' 
and  in  his  store.     When  fourteen  years  of  age,  the  lad 
went   to  the   town   of    St.    Aines,   where   he   secured   a 
position  as   clerk   in    the   local   store   and   continued  to 
work  in  that  capacity  for  a  period  of  some  three  years. 
He  then  went  to  Montreal,  Canada,  and  resided  in  that 
city   for  about  ten  years,  during  this   time   doing  very 
much  the  same  kind  of  work  in  several  different  mer- 
cantile   establishments    there.      He    was    about    twenty- 
si.x  years  of  age,  when  in  1879  he  came  to  the  United 
States  and  at  once  settled  at  Woonsocket  which  at  that 
time    was   a   comparatively    small   place,    and    there    he 
took  a  position  as  clerk  in  one  of  the  mercantile  stores 
and   was  thus   occupied   for  a  time.     Mr.   Paradis  had, 
however,    a    strong   ambition    to    start    in    business    on 
his  own  account  and  with  this  end  in  view  he  saved  up 
religiously   a   considerable   portion   of   his   earnings,   so 
that  he  found  himself  in  a  position  to  gratifv  his  ambi- 
tion   m    1880,    only   one   year   after   coming    to   Woon- 
socket.    Accordingly  in  that  year  the  beginnings  of  Mr 
Paradis'    business    were    small,    but    under    his    most 
capable    management,    it    rapidly   grew    until    his    store 
was  one  of  the  most  important  in  the  developing  com- 
munity.    Later  he  found  himself  in  a  position  to  open 
a  number  of  similar  stores  in  other  places  both  in  this 
State  and  Massachusetts,  and  came  eventually  to  have 


a  chain   of   stores   which   did   a   large   business   in   this 
section  of  the  country.     Mr.  Paradis  continued  in  active 
management  of  the  business  until  the  vear   1915    when 
he    disposed    of    his    interests,    and    since    then    he    has 
lived  in  retirement.     During  his  time  he  has  been  ex- 
ceedingly active  m  the  development  of  this  city  and  is  a 
large  owner  of  real  estate  here.     He  has  built  a  great 
number   of  houses  upon   various  parts  of  his  holdings 
and  opened  a  number  of  streets,  thus  originating  new 
and    very    desirable    residential    sections    in    the    city 
Among  such  districts  should  be  mentioned  Carrington 
avenue,  Paradis  avenue,  and  Willow  street,  the  second 
of  these  streets  being  named   for  him.     Another  valu- 
able work  of  Mr.  Paradis  was  the  publication  by  him 
from   1S89  to  the  date  of  his  retirement,  of  a  French 
Almanac    business    guide,    the    only    publication    of    its 
kind  in  this   State.     This  volume  he  brought  out  each 
year,  and  it   was  an  ambitious  work  and  great  aid  to 
the  active  business  men  of  the  place.     Mr.  Paradis  is 
now   a   stockholder   and    one   of   the    founders   of   "La 
Tribune,"  the  only  French  daily  paper  in  Rhode  Island. 
Mr.    Paradis   has   always   been    exceedingly   active   in 
public  life  in  this  community  and   for  many  years  has 
been  regarded  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the'  Republican 
party.     He  is  a  member  of  numerous  organizations  the 
object  of  which  is  the  physic  betterment  and  the  gen- 
eral improvement  of  conditions  here,  and  he  was  con- 
nected with  and  was  a  representative  to  the  first  City 
Council  in  Woonsocket  when  this  place  became  a  city. 
Mr.    Paradis   is    a   Roman    Catholic    in   religious   belief 
and   attends   the   Church   of   the    Precious    Blood   here 
Mr.    Paradis    is    a    member   of    St.    Jean    the    Baptiste 
Lodge;  the  C.  N.  D  Lodge;  and  the  Lodge  of  Artisans. 
Odilon  Theophile  Paradis  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first   wife    being    Eugenie    Larivel,    who    died    in    1898. 
Sixteen  children  were  born  to  this  marriage,  eleven  of 
whom  are  now  deceased,  ten  of  whom  died  in  infancy, 
and  the  other,  Montcalm,  died  in  young  manhood.     The 
five   who   survive   are   as    follows":     Odilon    Theophile, 
Jr.,  educated  in  the  schools  at  Woonsocket,  and  mar- 
ried   Matilda    McMullen    who    has    borne    him    three 
children:    Henry,  Annette,  and  .Alexander;  Aram,  who 
was    educated    at    Woonsocket,    and    an    instructor    in 
Xavarian   College,  of  Richmond,   Va. ;  Joseph   D.,  edu- 
cated   at    Woonsocket    and    the     Victoria     College    at 
Montreal,  Canada,  and  married  Bessie  Quinn,  of  Rice 
Lake,  Wis.;   Valmar  L.,  who  enlisted  in  the  Canadian 
Expeditionary  Force,  and  is  now  a  soldier  in  France; 
Jeanne  d'Arc.  educated  at  the  Jesus  Marie  Convent,  of 
Woonsocket,   and   became  the   wife  of   .Albert   Roburg, 
of   Woonsocket.     On  April  2,   1899,   Mr.   Paradis  mar- 
ried  (second)    Ozena  R.  Mongeau.  a  daughter  of  Am- 
able   and   Juliene    Mongeau,    old    and   highly    respected 
residents  of   Springfield,  Mass.,  where  the  former  was 
engaged    in   business    as    a    merchant    for   many   years. 
One    child    has    been    born    of    this    union,    Marguerite 
Yvonne. 


JAMES    AUGUSTINE    LYNCH,    D.    D.    S.— In 

County  Meath,  Ireland,  lived  Thomas  Lynch,  and  in 
the  neighboring  county,  Louth,  lived  Margaret  Murray. 
In  1841,  when  both  were  under  eight  years  of  age, 
they   were   brought   to  the   United   States^  the   families' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


195 


locating  in  Westboro,  Mass.,  where  Thomas  Lynch 
and  Margaret  Murray  married  in  1853.  In  1862  they 
moved  to  Worcester.  Mass.  They  were  the  parents  of 
sons,  Christopher  and  Thomas,  who  were  for  years 
associated  with  the  Worcester  Gas  Company;  John 
Edward,  principal  of  Woodland  Street  Sch(X)l  in  Wor- 
cester ;  Henry,  an  employee  of  the  Third  Avenue  Kail- 
way  Company,  New  Vork  City;  James  A.,  of  further 
mention;  and  Mary,  their  only  daughter,  a  teacher  in 
Worcester  public  schools. 

James  Augustine  Lynch  was  born  in  Westboro,  Mass., 
April  7.  1861,  and  educated  in  the  grammar  and  classi- 
cal high  schools  of  Worcester,  Ma.ss.,  to  which  city  his 
parents  removed  in  1862.  He  finished  high  school  study 
in  18S0.  then  left  school,  and  for  six  years  was  a  clerk 
with  Denholm  &  McKay  Company,  dry  gi^xjds  merchants 
of  Worcester.  In  1886  he  came  to  Providence,  R.  I., 
and  entered  the  employ  of  the  H.  W.  Ladd  Company, 
continuing  with  that  company  until  1890.  He  entered 
Philadelphia  Dental  College,  Pennsylvania,  in  1890,  and 
was  graduated  D.  D.  S.,  class  of  1892.  From  college  he 
came  directly  to  Rhode  Island,  locating  in  ProN-idence. 
where  for  a  little  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  he 
has  practiced  dentistry.  He  is  a  member,  and  for  two 
years  was  president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Dental  Asso- 
ciation, and  is  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  profession 
in  the  State.  His  offices  are  at  No.  y)  Conrad  building. 
Providence.  R.  I.  Dr.  Lynch  is  a  Democrat  in  pol- 
itics, but  never  sought  nor  held  public  office.  His 
recreations  are  sports  of  the  open  air.  principally  golf, 
at  the  grounds  of  the  Mctacomet  Golf  Club,  of  which  he 
is  a  member,  and  for  three  years  was  on  the  board  of 
governors.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks  of  Providence;  member  of 
the  Medical  .\dvisory  Board  of  Rhode  Island;  is  a 
Knight  of  Columbus;  member  of  the  Cathedral  Roman 
Catholic  Church;  and  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Club. 


THOMAS  WILSON  DORR  CLARKE— There  is 
no  name  more  numcnmsly  represented  in  the  pioneer 
settlement  of  New  England  than  this.  The  many 
families  bearing  it  render  distinctions  somewhat  con- 
fusing and  uncertain.  The  name  appears  at  a  very 
early  date  in  the  several  New  England  colonies.  Con- 
necticut alone,  for  more  than  two  and  a  hall  centuries 
the  home  of  the  branch  of  Clarkes  of  which  the  late 
Thomas  Wilson  Dorr  Clarke,  of  Centre ville,  R.  I.,  was 
a  member,  harbored  six  or  more  immigrants  of  the 
name  in  the  early  decades  of  its  history.  Rhode  Island 
has  been  the  home  of  one  of  the  most  notable  branches 
of  the  progeny  of  the  famous  divine,  Dr.  John  Clarke. 
Many  of  the  American  lines  trace  a  distinguished  and 
ancient  ancestry  in  England.  The  Clarke  immigrants 
were  for  the  most  part  men  of  superior  mentality  and 
attainments,  and  their  traits  are  evident  t<i-day  in  their 
descendants,  many  of  whom  have  gained  great  promi- 
nence in  professional  and  intellectual  fields. 

The  surname  has  an  origin  of  great  antiquity  and 
interest,  taking  its  source  from  the  office  of  clerk. 
i.  e.,  clergyman,  a  clerk  in  holy  orders.  In  medieval 
English  ecclesiastical  law,  a  clerk  was  any  one  who 
had  been  admitted  to  the  ecclesiastical  state,  and  had 
taken  the  tonsure.    The  word  also  developed  another 


sense.  In  medieval  times  the  pursuit  of  letters  and 
general  learning  was  confined  to  the  clergy,  and  as  they 
were  practically  the  only  persons  who  could  read  and 
write,  all  notorial  and  secretarial  work  was  discharged 
by  them,  so  that  in  time  the  word  was  used  with  spe- 
cial reference  to  secretaries,  notaries,  accountants  or 
even  mere  penman.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  when 
the  adoption  of  surnames  became  common,  and  the 
taking  of  a  name  from  one's  calling  or  occupation  be- 
came more  frequent,  the  class  of  men  who  adopted 
the  surname  Clark,  or  Clarke,  were  men  of  learnmg, 
scholars,  students  and  intellectuals,  who  transmitted  a 
rich  heritage  to  their  progeny.  The  accepted  Eng- 
lish pronunciation  is  found  in  the  South  of  England 
as  early  as  the  fifteenth  century. 

The  late  Thomas  Wilson  Dorr  Clarke,  well  known 
financier  of  the  Pawtuxct  valley,  former  cashier  of  the 
Centreville  National  Bank,  and  treasurer  of  the  Cen- 
treville  (R.  I.),  Savings  Bank,  was  a  member  of  a 
family  long  prominent  in  Windham  county.  Conn. 
He  was  the  son  of  Caleb  Clarke,  a  prominent  mason, 
contractor,  and  successful  farmer  of  Killingly  and 
Putnam.  Conn.  Caleb  Clarke  was  a  resident  of  the 
town  of  Pomfret  in  early  lite,  and  there  learned  the 
trade  of  stone  mason,  which  he  followed  in  surround- 
ing towns  for  several  decades,  with  a  large  degree  of 
success.  In  middle  life  he  removed  to  Killingly,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm.  Still  later  he  settled  in  Put- 
nam, Conn.,  where  he  followed  agricultural  pursuits 
on  a  large  scale  until  his  death  in  his  seventy-seventh 
year.  He  was  an  ardent  Democrat  of  the  Jeffersonian 
school,  an  admirer  of  the  principles  and  policies  of 
Thomas  Wilson  Dorr,  though  not  of  the  violent  meth- 
ods by  which  he  sought  to  secure  his  end.  Caleb 
Clarke  married  Mary  Snow,  of  Pomfret.  Conn.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years,  and  is  buried 
beside  her  husband  in  Putnam.  Their  children  were 
eleven  in  number. 

Thomas  Wilson  Dorr  Clarke,  son  of  Caleb  and  Mary 
(Snow)  Clarke,  was  born  in  Killingly,  Conn.,  on  May 
25.  1844.  He  spent  his  early  boyhood  in  the  health- 
ful rural  atmosphere  of  his  father's  farm.  He  was 
educated  in  the  district  schools  of  Putnam,  in  the 
Putnam  High  School,  and  in  the  well  known  East 
Greenwich  Academy.  His  summers  were  spent  on 
neighboring  farms  as  a  farm  hand,  for  which  labor 
he  received  fifteen  dollars  per  month  the  first  season. 
Later  Mr.  Clarke  qualified  as  a  teacher  and  was  given 
the  school  at  Killingly.  where  he  taught  for  a  year. 
In  the  following  year  he  taught  the  Quadic  school,  in 
the  town  of  Thompson,  Conn.,  eking  out  his  slender 
pay  as  a  teacher  by  working  on  farms  in  the  summer 
months,  and  subsequently  was  offered  the  position  of 
principal  of  the  Wickford  .Academy.  Here  he  re- 
mained for  two  and  one-half  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  determined  to  abandon  teaching  in  favor  of  a 
business  career.  Mr.  Clarke  then  became  connected 
with  the  firm  of  A.  &  W.  Sprague,  at  Cranston,  R.  I., 
in  the  capacity  of  salesman.  In  1869  he  was  given  the 
management  of  the  firm's  store  at  Quidnick,  R.  I.,  and 
was  later  transferred  to  Morgan  Mills  as  chief  clerk 
of  the  counting  room  and  store  of  A.  &  W.  Sprague 
there.     He  subsequently  accepted  the  position  of  man- 


196 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ager  of  the  Lapliam  <tnre  at  Ccntreville.  R.  I.,  where 
he  remained  two  years,  at  the  end  of  this  time  return- 
ing to  A.  &  W.  Sprague  as  head  clerk  of  their  count- 
ing room  and  paymaster  at  Arctic,  R.  I.  He  spent 
eight  years  there  and  then  accepted  a  like  position  with 
the  Crompton  Company,  at  their  mills  at  Crompton. 
After  nine  months  he  returned  again  to  the  employ  of 
A.  &  W.  Sprague  as  clerk  and  paymaster.  In  1882 
Mr.  Clarke  became  chief  clerk  and  paymaster  of 
the  Lanphear  Machine  Company  at  Harris,  R.  I.,  a 
position  he  held   for  five  years. 

On  December  8.  1S86,  Mr.  Clarke  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  clerk  of  the  Ccntreville  National  Bank,  then 
located  at  Ccntreville,  the  bank  at  that  period  being 
under  the  presidency  of  the  late  Hon.  Enos  Lapham. 
On  the  death  of  the  late  Dr.  Moses  Fifield,  in  1900,  he 
was  chosen  cashier,  which  office  he  filled  with  con- 
summate ability  and  tireless  devotion  until  his  death. 
He  became  widely  known  in  banking  circles  in  the 
State  of  Rhode  Island,  and  was  universally  considered 
a  careful  and  able  financier.  He  was  also  treasurer 
and  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Ccntre- 
ville Savings  Bank.  After  his  removal  to  Centreville, 
in  1887,  Mr.  Clarke  identified  himself  closely  with 
many  departments  of  town  life.  He  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  educational  matters  and  was  for  many  years 
clerk  of  School  District  No.  8.  He  was  also  tax  col- 
lector for  the  Warwick  and  Coventry  Fire  District 
from  the  time  of  its  organization  until  the  year  1900, 
when  he  became  its  treasurer,  which  position  he  held 
for  a  number  of  years. 

Mr.  Clarke  was  well  known  in  fraternal  circles,  and 
for  many  years  prior  to  his  death  was  a  prominent 
figure  in  Masonry  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  hav- 
ing attained  to  the  thirty-second  degree.  He  was  a 
member  and  past  master  of  Manchester  Lodge,  No. 
12,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Anthony; 
of  Landmark  Chapter,  No.  10,  Royal  Arch  Masons, 
of  Phenix;  of  Calvary  Commandery,  No.  13,  Knights 
Templar,  Providence,  and  of  the  Rhode  Island  Con- 
sistory, Scottish  Rite,  in  which  he  had  reached  the 
thirty-second  degree.  He  was  one  of  the  oldest  mem- 
bers of  Washington  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  at  Riverpoint,  R.  I.  He  was  an  asso- 
ciate member  of  McGregor  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  of  Phenix,  R.  I.  He  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Philognothian  Society  of  the  East 
Greenwich  .'Xcademy.  In  political  affiliation  he  was 
a  staunch  Republican.  From  the  time  of  his  first 
arrival  at  Centreville  until  his  death  he  was  a  leader 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  For  many  years 
he  was  superintendent  of  its  Sunday  school,  a  member 
of  the  board  of  trustees  and  a  steward.  He  was  also 
chorister,  and  at  his  death  was  president  of  the  board 
of  trustees.  Most  valued  of  all,  however,  was  his  tire- 
less personal  service. 

Mr.  Clarke  married  (first)  in  1873,  Adelaide  Bel- 
den,  who  died  in  Centreville,  R.  I.  He  married  (sec- 
ond) at  ,^nthony,  R.  I.,  Susan  E.  Hammond,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Susan  .'^nne  (Mumford)  Hammond, 
of  Newport  and  Providence,  respectively.  They  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  William 
Hammond,    born    March    27,    1876,    died    in    1890.      2. 


Thomas  Henry,  born  April  14,  1878.  at  .\rctic,  R.  I.; 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Quidnick  and  Centre- 
ville, and  on  completing  his  studies  entered  the  Cen- 
treville National  Bank  as  assistant  to  his  father,  suc- 
ceeding him  in  June,  1900,  as  clerk.  In  November, 
1900,  he  became  a  student  in  the  East  Greenwich 
Academy,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
1905.  In  1908  he  was  graduated  from  Boston  Univer- 
sity Law  School,  and  in  the  follow-ing  year  was  admit- 
ted to  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  beginning  the  practice  of 
his  profession  immediately  in  Centreville.  Mr.  Clarke 
has  been  highly  successful,  and  is  well  known  and 
eminently  respected  in  legal  circles  in  the  Pawtuxet 
valley.  In  November,  1914,  he  was  elected  town  treas- 
urer of  West  Warwick,  which  oflice  he  holds  at  the 
time  of  writing  (1919).  Mr.  Clarke  is  a  member  of 
Manchester  Lodge,  No.  12,  Ancient  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  of  which  he  has  been  grand  master; 
of  Land  Mark  Chapter,  No.  10,  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
of  St.  John's  Commandery,  No.  i.  Knights  Templar,  of 
Providence;  of  the  legal  fraternity  of  Gamma  Eta 
Gamma;  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon;  the  Philognothian 
Society  of  East  Greenwich  Academy.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Centreville  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  he  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees,  record- 
ing steward,  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school. 
He  married,  October  18,  1910,  Marie  Ellis  Theis,  of 
Ivoryton.  Conn.,  daughter  of  Adam  and  Anna  Cath- 
erine (Eickel)  Theis,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one 
child,  Thomas  Theis  Clarke,  born  in  igi2.  3.  Mary 
Susan,  born  Sept.  30,  1S80,  died  in  18S2.  4.  Richard 
Harold,  born  June  27,  1882;  was  educated  in  the 
schools  at  Centreville  and  the  East  Greenwich  Acad- 
emy, and  on  completing  his  studies  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Crompton  Company,  at  Crompton,  as  a  clerk. 
He  was  subsequently  connected  with  the  Phenix  Elec- 
tric Company,  the  Providence  Telephone  Company, 
and  the  brokerage  firm  of  Taylor  &  Carmichael.  In 
1917  he  became  affiliated  with  the  firm  of  Hollister, 
White  &  Company.  Mr.  Clarke  is  a  member  of  Mount 
Vernon  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
and  the  Philognothian  Society  of  East  Greenwich 
Academy.  In  August,  1906,  he  married  Hazel  B. 
Hitchcock,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Richard  Hammond,  born  Sept.  7,  1907;  and  Theo- 
dore Scammell,  born  Oct.  21,  1917.  5.  Helen  Eliza- 
beth, born  Sept.  3,  1885;  attended  the  common  schools 
at  Centredale,  the  East  Greenwich  Academy  and  the 
Warwick  Higli  School;  she  is  a  member  of  the  Eta 
Gamma  Alpha  Society,  and  of  the  Centreville  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church.  6.  Ruth  Mumford,  born  Aug. 
27,  1887;  was  educated  in  the  elementary  schools  of 
Centreville,  and  attended  the  East  Greenwich  Acad- 
emy in  1903  and  1904,  from  which  she  entered  the  War- 
wick High  School,  completing  her  studies  there  in 
1907:  in  1908  Miss  Clarke  became  connected  in  a 
clerical  capacity  with  the  Centreville  National  and 
Savings  Bank,  a  position  she  retained  until  April,  1919; 
she  is  a  member  of  Ruth  Chapter,  No.  5,  of  the  East- 
ern Star,  of  Phenix.  R.  I.  7.  Mary  Fifield,  born  Oct. 
7,  1890;  was  educated  in  the  elementary  schools  of 
Centreville;  prepared  for  college  at  the  Warwick 
High  School,   from  which  slie  was  graduated  in   1909, 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


197 


and  entered  the  Women's  College  at  Brown  Univer- 
sity as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1913.  After  taking 
her  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  Miss  Clarke  taught 
until  1917  in  the  West  Warwick  High  School  as  head 
of  the  French  and  German  departments;  she  is  now 
teaching  French  and  English  at  Putnam  High  School, 
Putnam,  Conn.  She  is  a  member  of  Rutli  Chapter, 
Xo.  5.  of  the   Eastern  Star. 

Thomas  Wilson  Dorr  Clarke  died  in  Ccntreville, 
February  24,  1918.  Mrs.  Clarke  survived  her  hus- 
band until  December  10,  1918. 


RODNEY  FENNER  DYER— The  history  of  the 
Dyer  family  is  in.separably  wrapped  up  with  that  of 
Rhode  Island.  William  Dyer,  immigrant  ancestor  and 
founder  of  the  family  in  New  England,  figured  largely 
in  Colonial  affairs  from  the  time  of  the  settlement  of 
Portsmouth  until  his  death,  occupying  a  position  of 
prominence  in  official  life  which  his  descendants  have 
never  relinquished.  Among  the  Dyers  of  subsequent 
generations  there  have  been  statesmen,  financiers,  cap- 
tains of  industry  and  commerce,  lawyers,  physicians, 
divines,  who  have  written  their  names  large  in  the 
annnis  of  Rhode  Island.  Every  period  of  Rhode  Island 
history  has  seen  members  of  the  family  in  the  high 
places.  Notable  in  the  nineteenth  century  were  tlie 
Hon.  Elisha  Dyer,  Governor  and  pioneer  cotton  man- 
ufacturer; his  son,  Hon.  Elisha  Dyer,  who  also  filled 
the  chair  of  chief  executive.  The  family  herein  under 
consideration  has  been  known  for  generations  as  the 
Cranston  Dyers.  Among  its  most  distinguished  rep- 
resentatives in  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury was  Rodney  Fenner  Dyer,  for  many  years  a 
well-known  figure  in  legislative  circles  in  Rhode  Island. 

The  surname  Dyer,  in  use  in  England  since  the 
reign  of  Edward  III.,  is  of  the  occupative  class,  and 
had  its  origin  in  the  trade  of  those  who  first  adopted 
it.  The  medieval  English  "deyen,"  meaning  to  dye. 
is  the  source  of  the  trade  name,  and  we  find  reference 
to  the  trade  in  Chaucer's  "Canterbury  Tales."  The 
first  mention  of  the  name  in  ancient  roles  appears  in 
Kirby's  Quest  for  Somerset,  where  we  find  the  entry, 
John  Dyar. 

D.ver  Arms — Sable  a  fesse  engrailed  or,  between  three 
goats  passant  argent. 

Crest — A  saracen's  head  in  profile  proper,  on  the 
head  a  cap  or,  verged  round  the  temples  chequy  argent 
and  azure. 

(I)  William  Dyer,  the  American  progenitor,  was  a 
native  of  England,  plying  the  trade  of  milliner  in  Lon- 
don prior  to  his  removal  to  the  American  colonies. 
He  is  first  of  record  in  the  New  World  in  Boston, 
Mass..  in  December.  1635,  when  he  and  his  wife  Mary 
joined  the  church  of  which  Mr.  Wilson  was  pastor. 
Sometime  afterward  he  became  a  follower  of  Mr. 
AX'heelwright  and  Ann  Hutchinson,  and  fell  into  dis- 
repute with  the  Boston  authorities.  In  1638,  ha\ing 
suffered  petty  annoyances  at  the  hands  of  the  Puri- 
tans, he  removed  to  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  and  on  March 
7,  i6,?8,  signed  with  eighteen  others  the  compact  for  a 
form  of  civil  government.  On  the  same  day  he  was 
elected  clerk.  On  April  28,  16,^9,  he  with  eight  others 
signed  a  compact  for  the  settlement  of   Newport,  he 


signing  as  clerk  of  the  compact,  and  William  Codding- 
ton  as  judge.  On  June  5.  1639,  he  and  three  others 
were  apportioned  land.  He  was  secretary  for  the 
towns  of  Portsmouth  and  Newport  for  the  years  1640- 
41-42-43-44-45-46-47:  general  recorder  in  1648;  attor- 
ney general  in  1650-51-52-53.  In  1653  he  returned  from 
England,  having  gone  there  with  John  Clarke  and 
Roger  Williams  to  obtain  a  revocation  of  Governor 
Coddington's  power.  On  May  18,  1653,  he  received  a 
commission  from  the  .-Xssembly  to  act  against  the 
Dutch — the  officers  to  be  "Captain  John  Underbill, 
Commander-in-Chief  upon  the  land,  and  Captain  Wil- 
liam Dyer,  Commander-in-Chief  upon  sea,"  His  wife 
Mary  accompanied  him  upon  his  expedition  to  Eng- 
land in  1652,  and  returned  in  1657,  after  a  stay  of  five 
\ears,  having  in  this  time  become  a  Quakeress.  On 
disembarkation  at  Boston,  she  was  imprisoned  by  the 
authorities,  but  was  released  at  the  intercession  of  her 
husband,  and  leave  was  granted  him  to  take  her  home 
to  Rhode  Island.  She  spent  some  time  in  Newport 
after  this,  but  in  1659  returned  to  Boston,  where  she 
was  tried  and  condemned  to  death  with  Marmaduke 
Stephenson  and  William  Robinson.  She  was  reprieved 
on  the  very  scaffold,  with  the  rope  already  about  her 
neck,  and  was  sent  by  the  magistrates  to  Rhode  Island, 
and  thence  to  Long  Island.  She  returned  to  Boston, 
May  12,  1660,  and  was  brought  before  Governor  Endi- 
cott,  who,  because  she  still  owned  herself  a  Quakeress, 
sentenced  her  to  death  on  the  gallows.  She  was  exe- 
cuted on  June  i,  1660,  and  was  accompanied  from  the 
prison  to  the  gallows  by  a  band  of  soldiers  and  drums 
were  beaten  before  her  and  behind  her  that  none  might 
hear  her  speak.  She  is  described  as  "a  person  of  no 
mean  extract  or  parentage,  of  an  estate  pretty  plenti- 
ful, of  a  comely  stature  and  countenance,  of  a  piercing 
knowledge  in  many  things,  of  a  wonderful  sweet  and 
pleasant  discourse."  In  1661-62  William  Dyer  held 
the  office  of  commissioner;  he  was  deputy  in  1664- 
65-66,  general  solicitor  in  1665-66-68.  In  1669  he  was 
secretary  to  the  Council.  William  Dyer  married  (sec- 
ond)   Catherine   ,   who   died    in    1687.      He   died 

in   1677. 

(II)  Charles  Dyer,  son  of  William  and  Mary  Dyer, 
was  born  in  1650,  and  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  New- 
port, R.  I.,  where  he  was  the  owner  of  a  considerable 

property.     He  married  (first)    Mary  ;    (second) 

Martha  Wait,  widow  of  Jeremiah  Wait,  and  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  .Ann  Brownell,  who  was  born  in  May, 
1643,  and  died  February  15,  1744.  Charles  Dyer  died 
May  15,  1709,  and  was  buried  on  the  Dyer  farm  in 
Newport. 

(III)  Charles  (2)  Dyer,  son  of  Charles  (i)  and 
Mary  Dyer,  was  born  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  where  he  re- 
sided in  early  life.  He  subsequently  removed  to 
Dartmouth,  Mass.  In  1718  he  purchased  for  £600  a 
house  and  one  hundred  and  thirteen  acres  of  land  in 
Providence,  three  miles  west  of  saltwater,  and  at  the 
same  date  purchased  several  other  parcels  of  land.  In 
17.35  liis  widow,  Mary  Colvin,  deeded  to  her  son,  John 
Dyer,  sixty  acres  and  dwelling  house  in  Mashantatack, 
where  her  husband.  Charles  Dyer,  had  lived.  He  was 
a  blacksmith  by  trade.  Charles  Dyer  married,  August 
26,  1709,  Mary  Latham,  who  was  born  October  5,  1686, 


198 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


daughter   of  John   and   Mary    (Mann)    Latham.     She 
married   fsecdnd)    November  21,   1734,  John   Colvin. 

(IV)  Deacon  John  Dyer,  son  of  Charles  (2)  and 
Mary  (Latham)  Dyer,  was  born  in  1719,  and  died  Jan- 
uary 3,  1801.  On  November  23,  1738,  he  married 
Freelove  Williams,  who  was  born  in  1719,  and  died  in 
April,  1775. 

(V)  John  (2)  Dyer,  son  of  Deacon  John  (i)  and 
Freelove  (Williams)  Dyer,  was  born  September  30, 
1739.  He  was  a  resident  of  Cranston  and  Warwick, 
R.  L  He  married  (first)  March  11,  1762,  Roby  Ran- 
dall, who  was  born  in  1743,  daughter  of  John  Randall. 
She  died  and  Mr.  Dyer  married  (second)  May  11, 
1793,  Mary  Lockwood,  born  May  20,  1756,  daughter 
of  Amos  Lockwood. 

(VI)  Reuben  Dyer,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Roby  (Ran- 
dall) Dyer,  was  born  in  1772.  He  married  Celinda 
Fenner,  who  was  born  in  1767,  and  died  November  5, 
1S19.  Reuben  Dyer  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  Crans- 
ton, where  he  died  in  1821.  Children:  Rodney  Fenner, 
mentioned  below:  Lydia  Battey,  who  married  Syl- 
vanus  Henry,  and  died  in  1836. 

(VII)  Rodney  Fenner  Dyer,  son  of  Reuben  and 
Celinda  (Fenner)  Dyer,  was  born  in  Cranston,  R.  I., 
January  29,  1810.  He  was  educated  at  Dr.  Fiske's 
Academy,  at  South  Scituate.  Mass.,  one  of  the  fore- 
most schools  of  the  day  in  Massachusetts.  Completing 
his  studies  he  returned  to  his  father's  large  farm  in 
Cranston,  which  he  inherited  on  coming  of  age,  and 
which  he  conducted  along  the  most  scientific  lines  until 
his  death.  This  farm,  which  consisted  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  was  known  as  the  Dyer  farm.  Later 
in  life  Mr.  Dyer  established  himself  in  the  meat  busi- 
ness on  a  small  scale.  The  venture  proved  highly 
profitable  and  he  developed  it  within  a  short  period 
into  a  flourishing  and  lucrative  enterprise.  He  was 
an  able  business  man,  and  rose  to  a  position  of  con- 
siderable prominence  in  mercantile  circles  in  Rhode 
Island.  Deeply  interested  in  politics  and  public  affairs, 
he  was  for  several  decades  a  vital  figure  in  official  life 
in  the  towns  of  Cranston  and  Johnston,  which  latter  he 
represented  for  several  terms  in  the  State  Senate.  In 
late  life  he  retired  from  business  and  public  aflfairs, 
and  gave  his  attention  solely  to  the  management  of 
his  extensive  property  interests.  Mr.  Dyer  died  in 
Cranston,  R.  I.,  September  30,  1892,  and  was  buried 
in  Pocasset  Cemetery. 

Rodney  Fenner  Dyer  married  in  Cumberland,  R.  I., 
November  16,  1831,  Barbara  Arnold  Jillson,  who  was 
born  November  17,  1813,  and  died  October  29,  1890, 
daughter  of  Wila  Jillson.  They  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  i.  Sarah  E.,  born  April  16, 
1834;  Miss  Dyer  resides  at  No.  39  Ralph  street,  Provi- 
dence. 2.  Lydia  B..  born  Feb.  19,  1836;  married  An- 
drew J.  Barnes,  of  Manton,  R.  I.,  whom  she  survives: 
their  children  were;  Georgina:  Walter  I.,  died  Feb. 
7.  1908:  Sarah  Dyer,  resides  in  Manton:  Elinor  M., 
deceased;  Mrs.  Barnes  resides  in  Manton.  3.  John, 
married,  June  29,  1868.  Elizabeth  H.  Atwood;  he  is 
now  deceased.  4.  Byron  W.,  born  Dec.  14,  1843:  served 
as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War  in  the  Fourth  Rhode 
Island  Regiment,  was  wounded  at  Petersburg,  Va., 
and   died   from   wounds,   July   31,    1864.     5.  Mary    P., 


married  (first)  George  L.  Ladd;  (second)  William 
Allen  Aldrich.  6.  Elisha,  deceased,  married  Clara  J. 
Mason,  and  their  daughter,  Georgia  B.,  became  the 
wife  of  Elisha  McCrillis.  7.  George  A.,  born  Jan. 
22,  1853,  died  Sept.  23,  1863. 


GENERAL  HIRAM  KENDALL— The  Kendall 
family  of  New  England  comprises  the  progeny  of 
Francis  Kendall,  an  Englishman  of  substance,  who 
settled  in  Charlestown.  Mass.,  prior  to  1640,  and  be- 
came the  founder  there  of  a  family  which  has  since 
spread  throughout  the  country,  and  has  figured  promi- 
nently since  the  early  colonial  days  in  .American  affairs. 
The  surname  is  of  local  classification,  and  signifies  lit- 
erally "of  Kendall,"  a  famous  old  English  town  on  the 
river  Kent,  Westmoreland  county,  notable  even  in  the 
thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  "Kendal  green."  The  name,  a  combination  of 
Kent  and  dale,  is  familiar  to  every  directory  in  the 
English  speaking  world.  The  American  emigrants 
were  Francis  and  Deacon  Thomas  Kendall,  who  sailed 
from  England  under  the  alias  Myles,  in  all  probability 
to  deceive  the  English  authorities  as  to  their  identity 
and  religious  sympathies.  At  the  time,  in  order  to 
secure  permission  to  emigrate  to  the  colonies,  it  was 
necessary  to  obtain  a  certificate,  swearing  conformity 
to  the  rules  of  the  Church  of  England.  All  expedients 
were  resorted  to  to  overcome  this  obstacle.  From 
the  fact  that  Francis  and  Thomas  Kendall  were  forced 
to  assume  an  alias,  it  is  evident  that  the  name  was 
well  known  in  connection  with  the  Puritan  movement. 
The  branch  of  the  family  herein  under  consideration, 
that  of  the  late  General  Hiram  Kendall,  has  been 
identified  with  Rhode  Island  life  and  aflfairs  for  over 
a  hundred  years.  It  is  a  branch  of  the  Watertown, 
Mass.,  family. 

(I)  Francis  Kendall,  immigrant  ancestor  and  pro- 
genitor, was  born  in  Cambridge,  England,  the  son  of 
John  Kendall,  who  died  there  in  1660.  He  was  in 
Charlestown,  Mass.,  prior  to  1640,  and  at  a  later  date 
removed  to  Woburn.  He  was  a  large  landholder, 
and  by  occupation  was  a  miller.  He  married,  at 
Woburn,  December  24,  1644,  Mary  Tidd,  daughter  of 
Rev.  John  and  Abigail  Tidd,  of  Woburn,  who  died  in 
1705.     He  died  in  1708. 

(II)  Jacob  Kendall,  son  of  Francis  and  Mary  (Tidd) 
Kendall,  was  born  at  Woburn.  Mass.,  January  25, 
1661,  and  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  the  town.  He  was. 
like  his  father,  an  extensive  property  holder,  and  a 
prominent  citizen.  Jacob  Kendall  married  (first)  Jan- 
uary 2.  1683,  Persis  Hayward.  who  died  October  19, 
1694:  he  married  (second)  January  10,  1695,  Alice 
Temple. 

(III)  Joseph  Kendall,  son  of  Jacob  and  Persis 
(Hayward)  Kendall,  was  born  in  Woburn.  Mass.,  De- 
cember 16,  1688,  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
in  that  town  all  his  life.  He  married  (first)  Susanna 
:    (second)  Marcy  . 

(IV)  Joshua  Kendall,  son  of  Joseph  and  Susanna 
Kendall,  was  born  in  Woburn.  Mass.,  March  7,  1720. 
He  married  (first)  Esther  Breck  (Brick),  in  1745; 
(second)  on  May  2,  1753,  Susanna  Johnson,  of  Woburn. 

(V)  Joshua    (2)    Kendall,    son    of   Joshua    (i)    and 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


199 


Esther  (Breck)  Kendall,  was  born  in  Wobu...,  Febru- 
ary 9,  17^7.  He  settled  in  the  town  of  East  Sudbury, 
then  adjoining  Watertown,  and  was  the  only  one  of  the 
name  at  that  time  in  the  vicinity.  He  lived  on  the 
road  from  Bigelow's  corner  to  Wayland  center.  East 
Sudbury  (incorporated,  1780)  became  the  town  of  Way- 
land,  March  11,  1835.  Joshua  Kendall  resided  there 
until  about  1785.  He  married,  December  6,  1770, 
Mary  Rutter,  who  was  born  April  8,  1744,  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Mary  Rutter.  Joshua  Kendall  served  in 
the  Continental  army  during  the  Revolution,  as  cor- 
poral in  Captain  Nathaniel  Cudworth's  company.  Col- 
onel Abijah  Pierce's  regiment,  on  the  Lexington  alarm. 

(VI)  Paul  Kendall,  founder  of  the  family  in  Rhode 
Island,  was  born,  probably  at  Wayland,  Mass.,  in 
1775  or  1783.  He  died  February  22,  1825.  He  set- 
tled in  Watertown.  Mass.,  and  later  in  life  removed 
to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  established  a  chan- 
dlery and  soap  business.  An  interesting  tradition  con- 
cerning the  birth  of  Paul  Kendall  is  found  in  this 
branch  of  the  family.  He  is  said  to  have  been  born 
while  his  father  was  at  the  battle  of  Lexington.  On 
his  return,  when  Joshua  Kendall  was  told  of  the  birth 
of  a  son,  some  one  said:  "Who  knows  but  he  will 
be  a  Tory?"  "Rather  than  that,"  the  father  said, 
drawing  his  sword,  "I  would  run  this  through  his 
body."  Paul  Kendall  married,  June  23,  1804,  Susan 
Carter,  who  was  born  October  7,  1779,  and  died  .^pril 
23,  1858,  daughter  of  Ephraim  and  .^me  (Reeves)  Car- 
ter, of  East  Sudbury,  now  Wayland.  Several  of  their 
children  settled  in  Providence. 

(VII)  Benjamin  F.  Kendall,  son  of  Paul  and  Susan 
(Carter)  Kendall,  was  born  at  Watertown,  Mass.,  .Au- 
gust 18,  1817.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Providence,  and  on  completing  his  studies  entered 
his  father's  business,  with  which  he  was  identified 
until  his  death.  He  succeeded  his  father  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  business  which  under  him  was  brought 
to  a  most  successful  stage  of  development.  He  in- 
vented numerous  specialties,  among  them  the  cele- 
brated soap  and  washing  powder  known  as  soapine. 
The  business,  now  conducted  by  the  Kendall  Manu- 
facturing Company  of  Providence,  was  disposed  of  by 
the  family  in  1912.  Benjamin  F.  Kendall  was  one  of 
the  foremost  business  men  of  Providence  in  the  middle 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  He  died  at  Providence,  No- 
vember 4,  1862. 

He  married  Julia  Ballou,  daughter  of  Fcnncr  and 
Julia  .^nn  (.Mdrich)  Ballou,  and  a  descendant  in  the 
seventh  generation  of  Maturin  Ballou,  founder  of  the 
family  in  .America.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  I.  Henry  L.,  a  commission  mer- 
chant, of  Chicago:  his  daughter,  Eleanor,  became  the 
wife  01  Charles  H.  Lester,  a  banker,  of  Chicago;  now 
living  in  Englewood,  N.  J.  2.  Hiram,  mentioned  be- 
low. 3.  Ella  D.,  married  John  C.  Sheldon,  of  Sioux 
Falls,  S.  D. :  children:  i.  Palmer,  living  in  .Aberdeen, 
S.  D.;  ii.  Marguerite,  married  Edward  McXeil,  and 
is  the  mother  of  Sheldon  and  Mildreda  McNeil. 

(VIII)  General  Hiram  Kendall,  son  of  Benjamin 
F.  and  Julia  (Ballou)  Kendall,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  July  29.  1S55.  He  was  educated  in  the  Provi- 
dence schools,  and  prepared  for  college  at  the  Water- 


town  High  School.  He  matriculated  at  the  Boston 
L'nivcrsity,  and  on  completing  his  course  entered  the 
Massachusetts  .\gricultural  College,  at  Amherst,  Mass. 
A'ith  the  intention  of  entering  the  United  States  army 
he  prepared  for  and  passed  the  required  examination 
for  a  lieutenant's  commission,  but  later  abandoned  his 
original  determination  and  identified  himself  with  the 
Kendall  Manufacturing  Company.  For  many  years  he 
was  active  in  the  management  of  this  concern,  but 
eventually  retired  to  accept  the  post  of  superintendent 
with  the  Shepard  Company,  of  Providence.  In  the 
latter  years  of  his  life  he  was  successfully  engaged  in 
the  brokerage  business  in  the  Banigan  building,  in 
Providence,  and  was  a  figure  of  prominence  in  finan- 
cial circles  in  the  city. 

General  Kendall  ranked  among  the  foremost  military 
men  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  in  the  latter  half  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  His  military  career  dated 
from  -April  28,  1884,  when  he  was  elected  to  Company 
C,  First  Light  Infantry,  Rhode  Island  State  Militia, 
and  immediately  thereafter  was  made  assistant  com- 
missary on  the  staflf  of  Major  Thornton.  He  served 
in  this  capacity  until  the  following  .April,  when  he  was 
made  captain  of  the  first  regiment  under  a  commission 
dated  May  15,  1885.  His  military  ability  and  thorough 
training  resulted  in  excellent  discipline  and  thorough 
efliciency  in  his  command.  He  was  chosen  major, 
.April  26,  1889,  in  the  First  Light  Infantry,  and  retained 
his  commission  as  captain  in  the  First  Regiment.  He 
succeeded  Major  J.  A.  Brown  in  the  First  Regiment, 
December  13,  1889,  and  on  February  25,  1891,  suc- 
ceeded Colonel  Brown  as  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  reg- 
iment. His  commission  as  brigadier-general  was  dated 
.April,  1892.  and  he  served  until  1903,  when  he  resigned 
and  was  succeeded  by  Brigadier-General  Tanner.  His 
excellent  work  in  command  of  the  brigade  brought  him 
into  a  position  of  authority  in  military  circles,  and 
gave  him  a  national  reputation.  General  Kendall  was 
the  first  to  introduce  competitive  examinations  for 
non-commissif)ned  officers,  and  also  the  system  of 
awarding  badges  for  marksmanship.  This  competition 
among  the  militia  men  of  the  State  for  marksmen's 
badges  at  rifle  practice  at  the  State  armory  range  is 
exceedingly  popular  and  has  resulted  in  vastly  im- 
proving the  skill  of  soldiers. 

General  Kendall  was  active  for  many  years  in  politi- 
cal circles  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  He  was  a 
resident  of  North  Kingston,  and  in  1892  was  president 
of  the  Town  Council.  In  1892  he  was  elected  to  rep- 
resent the  city  of  Providence  in  the  Rhode  Island  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  and  during  his  term  of  office  was 
chairman  of  the  military  committee  of  the  house.  In 
this  capacity  he  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  pass- 
age of  many  highly  beneficial  measures,  among  them 
the  act  which  made  it  compulsory  for  the  State  to  pay 
rent  of  armories  for  the  militia  throughout  the  State. 
He  was  a  Republican  in  political  affiliation,  and  was 
active  in  the  councils  of  the  party.  .After  moving  to 
East  Greenwich  he  was  twice  a  candidate  for  State  Sen- 
atorship,  but  was  defeated  by  a  very  narrow  margin. 
General  Kendall  was  widely  known  in  club  circles  in 
Rhode  Island.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Hope  Club; 
the    Squantum    Association;     the    Narragansett    Boat 


200 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Club,  of  which  he  was  president;  the  Metacomet  Golf 
Club:  the  Talma  Club,  of  which  he  w^as  the  first  presi- 
dent; the  First  Light  Infantry  Veteran  Association; 
and  the  Officers'  Rifle  Association  of  Rhode  Island. 
It  is  seldom  we  find  combined  in  one  career  signal 
ability  in  so  many  fields.  General  Kendall  was  not 
only  an  able  military  man,  a  political  leader  and  a 
public  officer  of  the  finest  type,  but  he  was  a  business 
man  of  genius.  His  friends  were  legion,  and  his  death 
on  March   ii,  igii.  was  sincerely  mourned. 

On  January  5,  1882,  General  Hiram  Kendall  mar- 
ried Lydia  Kent  Kilburn.  daughter  of  the  late  George 
and  Mary  Elizabeth  (Kent)  Kilburn,  of  Lonsdale, 
R.  I.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendall  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children;  I.  Hope  Kendall,  born  Feb.  26, 
1883;  married  Stephen  Nelson  Bourne  (2),  of  East 
Greenwich.  2.  Marjorie  Kilburn,  born  May  18,  1886; 
married.  .April  20,  1907,  Sydney  Tucke  Curtiss,  of 
New  York.  3.  Lydia  Kent,  born  May  23,  1890;  mar- 
ried William  B.  Shaw;  they  are  the  parents  of  a 
daughter,  Barbara  Shaw.  4.  Dorothy  Elizabeth,  born 
June  23,  1893;  married  Howard  F.  Moultrop,  of 
Providence;  one  son,  Kendall  Moultrop,  of  Provi- 
dence. 5.  Hiram  Kendall,  born  Sept.  17,  1897,  is  con- 
nected with  the  Industrial  Trust.  Mrs.  Kendall,  who 
survives  her  husband,  makes  her  home  in  Providence. 

(The  Kilburn  Line). 

The  early  generati')ns  of  the  Kilburn  family  re- 
mained, almost  without  exception,  in  the  vicinity  of 
of  ancient  Wethersfield,  where  Thomas  Kilburn. 
the  immigrant  ancestor  and  progenitor,  settled  in 
1635.  Later  generations  spread  throughout  New  Eng- 
land, and  the  branch  herein  under  consideration,  that 
of  the  late  George  Kilburn,  of  Lonsdale,  R.  I.,  set- 
tled in  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  subsequently  removed 
to  Walpole,  N.  H.  The  surname,  variously  spelled 
Kilborn,  Kilbon,  Kilbourn  and  Kilbourne,  is  of  local 
origin,  and  appears  in  English  records  of  as  early 
date  as  the  Hundred  Rolls. 

(I)  Thomas  Kilburn.  the  founder,  was  a  native  of 
Wood  Button,  Cambridgeshire,  England,  where  he  was 
baptized  on  May  8,  1578.  The  records  show  that  he 
was  warden  of  the  church  at  Wood  Dutton,  in  1632, 
and  a  member  of  the  established  church.  Family  tradi- 
tion affirms  that  he  was  a  man  of  education  and  refine- 
ment, and  the  descendant  of  an  ancient  English  family 
long  prominent  in  Cambridgeshire.  Thomas  Kilbourn 
came  to  the  New  England  colonies  in  1635,  a  passen- 
ger on  the  ship  "Increase,"  with  his  wife,  Frances,  and 
children,  Margaret,  Lydia,  Marie,  Frances  and  John. 
He  settled  in  the  town  of  Wethersfield  in  the  New 
Haven  Colony,  where  he  died  in  1639.  His  wife,  Fran- 
ces, died  in  1650,  and  her  estate  was  appraised  at  three 
hundred  forty-nine  pounds,  eight  shillings,  four  pence. 
Eight  of  their  children  settled  in  America.  Their 
second  son,  George,  probably  succeeded  to  America 
and  settled  first  in  Roxbury  shortly  before  1638. 

(II)  John  Kilburn,  known  in  the  history  of  Con- 
necticut as  "Sergeant  John  Kilburn,"  was  baptized  in 
Wood  Dutton,  Cambridgeshire,  England,  February 
29,  1624,  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Frances  Kilburn. 
He  accompanied  his  parents  and  sisters  to  America  on 


the  ship  "Increase,"  sailing  from  London,  .April  15, 
1635.  He  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  Westersfield, 
Conn.,  and  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  his 
time.  On  September  24,  1647,  he  was  appointed  col- 
lector of  taxes.  His  name  appears  on  the  records  as 
a  landholder.  May  20,  1649.  On  March  8,  1654,  he 
served  on  a  committee  to  run  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween Wethersfield  and  Middletown.  Three  years 
later  he  served  on  a  committee  for  the  same  purpose, 
and  on  April  2,  1655,  was  appointed  one  of  the  com-  ( 
mittee  to  run  the  line  between  Wethersfield  and  Hart- 
ford. In  May,  1657,  he  was  appointed  sergeant.  In 
1660,  and  for  seven  sessions  thereafter,  he  represented 
the  town  in  the  Connecticut  General  Court.  In  1662 
he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  colonial  grand  jury, 
and  served  in  this  capacity  until  May,  1666.  He 
served  often  as  grand  juror  of  Hartford  county,  and 
of  particular  courts  and  courts  of  magistrates.  John 
Kilburn  was  also  prominent  in  town  affairs,  and  for 
many  years  held  the  offices  of  clerk,  lister  and  con- 
stable. Between  the  years  of  1657  and  1681,  inclusive, 
he  served  as  selectman  eleven  times.  He  was  active 
from  time  to  time  on  important  committees.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1675,  during  King  Philip's  War,  he  petitioned 
the  council  of  war  to  be  relieved  from  the  office  of 
sergeant,  which  he  had  held  eighteen  years.  He  died 
April  9,   1703,  aged  seventy-eight  years.     He  married 

(first)   1650,  Naomi  ,  who  died  October  I,  1659; 

(second)   Sarah,  daughter  of  John   Bronson,  of  Farni- 
ington.  Conn. 

(III)  John  (2)  Kilburn,  son  of  John  (i)  and  Naomi 
Kilburn,  was  born  in  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  February 
15,  1651.  Shortly  after  his  marriage  he  removed  to 
■what  is  now  the  town  of  Glastonbury,  then  Naubuck, 
where  he  settled  on  the  east  side  of  the  Great  river. 
He  was  made  a  freeman,  October  13,  1681,  and  later 
took  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  local  affairs.  He 
was  made  fence-view-er  in  1685,  and  in  1689.  In  1690 
he  signed  the  petition  to  have  Glastonbury  made  a 
separate  town.  In  1693,  and  1708  he  held  the  office  of 
selectman;  constable,  1696,  1705;  lister  of  Wethers- 
field, and  in  1710,  of  Glastonbury;  grand  juror  of 
Hartford  county,  1695-1700-1703,  and  other  times.  On 
October  22,  1692,  he  gave  land  for  a  parsonage  in 
Glastonbury.  He  married  (first)  Marcli  4,  1673,  Susan- 
nah Hills,  daughter  of  William  Hills,  born  about  1651, 
died  in  October,  1701;  (second)  May  12,  1702,  Eliza- 
beth Mitchell,  daughter  of  John  Mitchell,  of  Hartfi>rd, 
who  died  June  8,  1718. 

(IV)  John  (3)  Kilburn,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Susan- 
nah (Hills)  Kilburn,  was  born  in  Glastonbury,  Conn., 
October  30,  1677.  He  resided  in  Glastonbury  during 
tlie  early  portion  of  his  life,  and  in  1710  held  the  office 
of  surveyor  there.  He  subsequently  settled  in  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  where  he  died.  John  (3)  Kilburn  married 
(first)  January  25,  1699,  Sarah  Kimberly,  who  died  De- 
cember 25,  1713.  He  married  (second)  at  Springfield, 
Mass.,  September,  1720,  Mercy  Day. 

(V)  Captain  John  (4)  Kilburn,  son  of  John  (3)  and 
Sarah  (Kimberly)  Kilburn,  was  born  in  1704,  in  Glas- 
tonbury, Conn.,  and  removed  with  his  father  to  Spring- 
field, where  he  was  living  in  1725.  In  1737  he  sold  his 
lands  in  Middletown,  and  settled  in  Northfield,  Mass. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


201 


In  1/49  he  moved  still  farther  up  tlie  Connecticut  river 
and  became  the  tirst  settler  oi  Walpole,  N.  H.,  in 
which  town  he  subsequently  took  a  prominent  part  in 
public  affairs.  Between  1755  and  1762  he  held  the 
otlice  o!  selectman  six  tiines,  and  was  also  surveyor, 
assesscr,  sealer  of  weights,  and  collector  of  school 
rates.  He  served  on  the  committee  of  inspection  and 
correspondence  in  1771,  and  in  1782  on  a  committee  to 
raise  money  for  Continental  soldiers,  although  at  the 
lime  he  was  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  This  service 
in  the  cause  of  independence  entitles  his  descendants 
to  membership  in  Revolutionary  societies.  The  name 
of  Captain  John  Kilburn  figures  prominently  in  the 
history  of  the  Indian  Wars  in  \ew  England.  His 
defence  of  his  garrison  house,  August  17,  1755,  against 
two  hundred  Indians,  "was  one  of  the  most  heroic  and 
successful  efforts  of  personal  courage  and  valor  re- 
corded in  the  annals  of  Indian  warfare."  The  number 
of  Indians  (about  two  hundred)  against  whom  John 
Kilburn,  his  son  and  wife  and  daughter,  and  John 
Peak  (or  Pike)  and  his  son.  were  obliged  to  contend 
for  their  lives,  shows  the  disparity  of  forces.  Peak 
was  mortally  wounded,  but  the  other  defenders  of  the 
garrison  escaped  without  injury.  Interesting  accounts 
of  this  incident  and  others  in  the  life  of  Captain  John 
Kilburn  are  related  in  the  "Early  History  of  New 
England,"  by  Rev.  Henry  White,  and  in  Thatcher's 
"Tales  of  the  Indians."  He  married  (first)  October 
26.  17.^2,  Mehitable  Bacon,  daughter  of  Andrew  and 
Mehitable  Bacon,  of  Middletown,  Conn.:  she  died 
about  i7,v,  and  he  married  (second)  Hannah  Fo.k, 
of  Glastonbury,  who  died  January  I,  1807. 

(\T)  Captain  John  (5)  Kilburn,  son  of  Captain 
John  (4)  and  Mehitable  (Bacon)  Kilburn,  was  born  in 
Middletown,  Conn.,  .April  i,  1736.  He  removed  to 
Walpole,  X.  H.,  with  his  father,  and  there  signed  the 
charter  covenant  of  the  town,  January  7,  1767.  He  was 
active  in  civil  and  religious  affairs  in  the  town  until 
179,^,  when  he  removed  to  Shrewsljury,  Vt.  He  was 
church  treasurer,  constable,  grand  juror,  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  member  of  the  school  committee  in  1777. 
John  Kilburn  served  with  the  Continental  forces  in 
the  .American  Revolution,  as  lieutenant  in  Captain 
Samuel  Wetherbee's  company.  He  died  at  Shrews- 
bury. July  20,  1819.  Captain  John  Kilburn  married, 
March  10,  1762,  Content  Carpenter,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Ezra  Carpenter,  of  Swanzey:  she  was  born  in  1740 
and  died  October  22,   1813. 

(VII)  Elijah  Kilburn.  son  of  Captain  John  (5)  and 
Content  (Carpenter)  Kilburn,  was  born  at  Walpole, 
N.  H..  September  30,  1772.  He  resided  in  Wal- 
pole during  the  early  part  of  his  life,  but  removed 
later  to  Shrewsbury,  Vt.,  where  he  died.  He  married, 
in  1798.  Rebecca  Jennison,  daughter  of  John  and  Sybil 
Jennison,  who  died  in  1849.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  among  them,  George  Kilburn.  mentioned 
below. 

(VIII)  George  Kilburn,  son  of  Elijah  and  Rebecca 
(Jennison)  Kilburn,  was  born  in  Walpole,  N.  H.,  De- 
cember I,  1803.  He  was  for  many  years  a  prominent 
figure  in  the  milling  industry  in  Rhode  Island,  and 
was  superintendent  of  the  Lonsdale  Cotton  Manufac- 
turing and  Bleaching  Company.     For  over  thirty  years 


he  was  connected  with  the  Goddard  Mills.  Mr.  Kil- 
burn was  prominent  in  civil  and  public  affairs  in  Lons- 
dale, which  was  his  home  during  the  greater  part  of 
his  life.  He  married  (first)  Laura  Hooper,  of  Fall 
River,  Mass.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  survive:  Mrs.  William  Root,  oi 
Princeton,  N.  J.,  and  Mrs.  Henry  E.  Wright,  of 
Providence.  He  married  (second)  Mary  Elizabeth 
Kent,  of  Cumberland,  R.  1.  Their  daughter,  Lydia 
Kent,  is  mentioned  below. 

(IX)  Lydia  Kent  Kill)urn.  daughter  of  George  and 
Mary  Elizabeth  (Kent)  Kilburn,  was  born  June  6, 
1859.  Slie  married.  January  5,  1882,  General  Hiram 
Kendall,  of  Providence.     (See  Kendall  VI 1 1). 


CHARLES  E.  GORMAN— .Among  the  most  famil- 
iar and  most  highly  venerated  figures  in  the  judicial 
and  legal  circles  of  Rhode  Island  was  the  late  Charles 
E.  Gorman,  who  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  the 
oldest  practicing  lawyer  in  the  State.  For  many  years 
he  was  a  leader  in  public  and  political  life,  as  well  as 
one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  practicing  before  the  Rhode 
Island  bar.  His  career  holds  not  a  little  of  the  un- 
usual and  romantic.  Born  in  comparatively  humble  sur- 
roundings, he  rose  from  the  occupation  of  newsboy  to 
the  position  of  honor  which  he  held  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  through  sheer  force  of  will,  indomitable  courage, 
and  native  genius.  It  is  said  that  he  was  the  first 
Irish-American  and  Roman  Catholic  member  of  the 
bar  in  Rhode  Island,  of  the  Rhode  Island  Legisla- 
ture, and  of  the  Providence  City  Council.  His  promi- 
nence was  Slate-wide,  and  of  so  great  a  de.gree  that 
both  branches  of  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature  ap- 
pointed committees  to  represent  the  State  at  his 
funeral.  Xot  only  was  he  honored  for  the  breadth  of 
his  achievement,  but  he  was  loved  as  a  man,  and  his 
death,  on  February  16,  1917,  was  honestly  and  deeply 
mourned. 

Charles  E.  Gorman  was  born  in  the  city  of  Boston. 
Mass.,  July  26,  1844.  the  son  of  Charles  and  Sarah 
J.  (Woodbury)  Gorman.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Ireland,  and  a  member  of  a  family  of  ancient  and  hon- 
orable lineage.  His  mother  was  a  direct  descendant  of 
John  Woodbury,  founder  of  the  Woodbury  family  in 
New  England,  and  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  the 
Cape  Ann  colony  in  Massachusetts.  Through  the  ma- 
ternal line,  Mr.  Gorman  derived  his  right  of  member- 
ship in  the  Sons  of  the  .American  Revolution. 

Arms^Azure  a  lion  passant  between  three  swords 
erect  ardent. 

Crest — .\n  arm  cmhowed  in  armour,  pra-sping  in  the 
hand  a  sword  blade  wavy,  all  proper. 

Mr.  Gorman  was  three  years  old  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Providence,  where  his  schooling  began 
and  was  continued  until  he  reached  the  age  of  eleven 
years.  He  then  left  school  and  became  a  newsboy, 
from  that  time  forward  until  he  reached  his  sixteenth 
year  continuing  his  education  in  the  school  of  experi- 
ence, developing  in  the  first-hand  contact  with  life, 
qualities  which  later  stood  him  in  good  stead  in  his 
legal  career.  Not  the  least  of  these  was  the  lightning 
(|uickness  of  mind  and  ju<lgnient,  the  sure  reading  of 
character,  which  distinguished  him  in  later  life.     From 


202 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


his  sixteenth  year  lie  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  mer- 
cantile establishments,  but  only  lor  a  short  period. 

His  ambition  to  study  law  dated  from  early  in  his 
youth.  In  this  he  had  the  encouragement  and  inter- 
est of  ex-Chief  Justice  Richard  W.  Greene,  whose 
office  he  entered  to  begin  his  studies.  Under  the  pre- 
ceptorship  of  this  able  jurist  he  prepared  for  the  bar, 
and,  despite  the  drawback  of  a  lack  of  early  training, 
progressed  rapidly,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode 
Island  bar  on  December  12,  1865,  when  he  was  only 
twenty-one  years  old.  He  immediately  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  and  met  with  a  gratifying 
degree  of  success  from  the  very  outset.  He  rose  rap- 
idly to  prominence  in  legal  circles  in  Rhode  Island,  and 
until  the  time  of  his  death  remained  a  powerful  and 
influential  figure  in  the  legal  life  of  the  State.  He  was 
thoroughly  versed  in  every  phase  of  the  law,  and  com- 
manded a  fine  flow  of  language.  His  mind  was  of  the 
keen  analytic  type  which  is  the  finest  asset  of  the 
attorney-at-law,  and  after  remarkable  success  in  some 
of  the  famous  civil  cases  of  his  day,  President  Cleve- 
land appointed  him  United  States  District  Attorney  for 
Rhode  Island.  He  filled  this  office  tor  two  terms,  dis- 
charging its  duties  with  an  ability  and  success  which 
marked  him  as  one  of  the  ablest  men  who  had  held  it 
for  many  decades.  His  masterful  handling  of  the  diffi- 
cult cases  which  came  under  his  jurisdiction  during  this 
period,  established  his  reputation,  and  to  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  honored  and  respected  not  only  for 
his  signal  achievements  in  office,  but  for  his  unim- 
peachable integrity,  and  purity  of  purpose.  The  press 
of  his  day  spoke  often  in  his  favor,  and  paid  frequent 
tribute  to  his  powers  as  a  lawyer,  his  erudition,  and 
his  versatility  and  keenness  of  mind.  Mr.  Gorman  was 
a  close  student  of  constitutional  law,  and  was  regarded 
as  an  authority  in  this  branch  of  legal  science.  In 
l8g6,  Georgetown  University,  Washington,  D.  C,  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  degree  of  Dfictor  of  Laws,  recog- 
nizing his  worthiness  for  the  honor  in  the  following 
tribute  by  the  vice  president  of  the  University: 

The  gentleman  who  will  receive  at  your  hands  from 
this  University  its  degree  of  LL.  D.,  is  the  Hon.  Charles 
E.  Gorman,  United  States  District  Attorney,  of  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island.  He  has  been  selected  by  the 
president  and  directors  of  Georgretown  University  to 
receive  the  degree  of  LJj.  D.  because  of  his  eminent 
legal  qualities,  his  untiring  and  unselfish  zeal  in  all 
public  affairs,  wherein  he  has  ever  displayed  a  oalm 
and  discriminating  judgment  combined  with  the 
attractivene.ts  of  a  cultivated  mind.  His  published 
pleadings  are  marked  by  philo.«iophical  analysis,  and 
the  literary  charm  of  his  writings  makes  interestingly 
instructive  that  class  of  literature  which  the  unini- 
tiated pass  by  as  unworthy  of  notice.  .As  a  simple 
citizen,  and  in  those  walks  Which  have  led  him  aloof 
from  the  maddening  crowd  of  political  turmoil  or  legal 
dispute,  we  have  ever  found  him  to  be  a  gentleman  of 
high  and  earnest  resolves,  simplicity  of  character  and 
gentle  kindness  of  heart. 

In  his  legal  capacity  he  was  made  a  member  of  many 
important  committees  of  a  public  and  semi-public 
nature.  His  advice  was  implicitly  relied  upon.  He  in- 
fused into  his  legal  pleadings  and  into  all  his  work  as 
a  lawyer  and  as  a  public  servant,  a  deep  understand- 
ing of  human  nature,  and  a  fine  sympathy  for  human 
failings.     He  was  just  in  all  things. 

Mr.  Gorman's  political  career  dated  from  1867,  and 
ran  parallel  to  his  legal  practice  until  the  close  of  the 


past  century.  In  1867  he  became  a  member  of  the 
school  committee  of  North  Providence,  which  com- 
prised what  is  now  the  northern  part  of  Providence, 
and  all  that  part  of  Pawtucket  which  is  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Blackstone  river,  as  well  as  the  present  town 
of  North  Providence.  In  1870,  by  which  time  he  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  rising  figures  in  political  life  in 
the  community,  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature. 
His  chief  opponent  was  Thomas  Davis, '  Republican, 
ex-Congressman,  also  of  Irish  blood,  who  later  gave 
Davis  Park  to  the  city  of  Providence,  and  who  subse- 
quently left  the  Republican  party  for  the  special  pur- 
pose of  espousing  the  movement  for  the  enfranchise- 
ment of  the  foreign-born  citizens  of  the  State.  The 
contest  over  this  election  was  intensive,  and  resulted 
in  no  election  on  the  first  ballot;  however,  Mr.  Gor- 
man was  chosen  on  the  second  ballot,  and  during  his 
term  in  the  Legislature  proved  conclusively  his  fitness 
and  talent  for  public  office.  The  following  year  he 
ran  again  for  office,  but  was  defeated.  In  1S74  the  am- 
bitions of  North  Providence  citizens  became  so  dis- 
turbing to  politicians  that  a  new  organization  of  the 
town's  political  centres  was  decreed.  Accordingly, 
North  Providence  was  divided  in  thirds,  one  part  con- 
solidating with  Providence,  another  with  Pawtucket, 
and  the  third  remaining  intact  as  North  Providence,  as 
it  is  to-day.  In  this  year  Mr.  Gorman  became  a 
citizen  of  Providence,  with  which  city  he  remained 
identified  until  the  time  of  his  death.  His  prominence 
in  North  Providence  was  not  diminished  by  the  divi- 
sion and  consolidation  with  the  larger  city,  and  he 
quickly  came  to  the  fore  in  political  and  public  life 
in  Providence,  becoming  a  member  of  the  Common 
Council  in  the  first  election  held  after  1874,  In  1879, 
1880  and  1881  he  was  elected  to  represent  the  Tenth 
Ward  of  Providence  in  the  Board  of  .Mdermen.  His 
services  in  this  capacity  were  of  so  markedly  valuable  a 
nature  that  he  came  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest 
and  most  distinguished  men  in  the  public  service  of  the 
day.  In  1884  Mr.  Gorman  was  nominated  for  the 
mayoralty  a,gainst  Mayor  Doyle  and,  though  defeated 
for  office,  polled  the  largest  Democratic  vote  ever  cast 
in  the  city  up  to  that  time.  In  1885  he  was  elected  to 
the  Rhode  Island  Legislature,  and  reelected  in  1887,  in 
which  year  he  served  as  Speaker  of  the  House.  Be- 
tween the  years  1880  and  1887  the  movement  to  abolish 
the  property  qualification  for  suffrage  in  Rhode  Island 
gained  great  strength,  Mr.  Gorman  being  one  of  the 
most  active  workers  in  behalf  of  the  movement.  In 
1885  the  Republican  party  made  a  concession  to  the 
demand  which  made  it  possible  for  all  veterans  of  the 
Civil  W^ar  to  vote  without  paying  a  property  tax.  In 
1887,  when  Mr.  Gorman  was  speaker,  the  pressure  of 
public  opinion  made  it  necessary  that  the  Republicans 
act  on  the  whole  question,  and,  after  a  sharp  contest 
over  the  form  of  the  new  law  and  the  time  of  its  adop- 
tion, they  approved  a  bill  for  an  amendment  to  the  con- 
stitution. This  was  repassed,  as  required  by  law,  the 
next  year,  under  the  speakership  of  Mr.  Gorman,  and 
in  1888  was  submitted  to  the  people.  It  was  known  as 
the  Bourn  amendment,  and  was  adopted  as  Article  VII 
of  Amendments  to  the  Constitution.  In  appreciation 
of  his  long  and  ardent  work  for  the  passage  of  this 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


203 


amenflment,  Mr.  Gorman  was  accorded  a  testimonial 
banquet  at  the  Narragansett  Hotel,  on  which  occasion 
he  was  presented  with  a  silver  tea  service  obtained  by 
popular  subscription,  "In  recognition  of  twcnty-tive 
years'  service  in  behalf  of  equal  rights."  In  1890  Mr. 
Gorman  was  again  elected  alderman  from  the  Tenth 
Ward.  In  1895  President  Cleveland  apjiointed  him 
United  States  Di.strict  Attorney  for  Rhode  Island.  In 
1900  he  was  nominated  for  Con.uress  from  the  First 
Congressional  District  of  Rhode  Island,  and  ran  for 
office  against  the  late  Melville  Bull,  of  Newport,  who 
was  successful. 

In  the  late  nineties,  the  question  of  constitutional  re- 
form came  emphatically  to  the  fore  of  the  political  hor- 
izon, and  one  of  the  results  of  the  agitation  was  tlie 
establishment  of  the  Constitutional  League,  of  which 
both  Republicans  and  Democrats  were  members.  The 
pressure  brought  to  bear  by  the  people  was  so  great 
that  finally  the  Republican  party  managers  appointed 
a  commission  to  revise  the  Constitution.  Mr.  Gorman 
was  a  member  of  this  body.  The  revised  instrument 
from  this  source  was  defeated  at  the  polls  in  1898,  and 
a  similar  document,  hurried  through  the  General  .As- 
sembly in  the  hope  it  would  pass  the  next  year,  also 
failed  of  adoption.  Mr.  Gorman,  as  a  Democrat, 
strongly  advised  his  party  to  vote  for  both  revisions, 
but  was  not  successful  in  securing  their  passage.  In- 
1912  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  commission 
to  consider  the  amendment  and  revision  of  the  State 
constitution.  On  the  completion  of  his  duties  on  this 
commission,  he  retired  from  politics,  and  devoted  the 
remaining  years  of  his  life  to  his  large  practice.  Dur- 
ing the  period  in  which  he  had  figured  largely  in  the 
political  life  of  Providence,  he  had  continued  his  legal 
practice,  and  was  often  in  the  courts.  .After  1912  he 
devoted  his  attention  mainly  to  office  work,  and  the 
care  of  the  numerous  cntates  of  which  he  was  trustee. 
For  some  time  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Gorman.  Egan  &  Gorman,  the  other  members  being 
James  T.  Egan,  and  Mr.  Gorman's  son,  C.  Woodbury 
Gorman,  who  died  in  October,  1915. 

In  addition  to  his  prominence  in  public  life  in  Provi- 
dence, Mr.  Gorman  was  also  well  known  in  fra- 
ternal circles.  He  was  at  one  time  president  of  the 
Brownson  Lyceum,  and  was  also  a  member  of  Frank- 
lin Lyceum.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Lniversity 
Club,  of  the  Catholic  Club,  and  of  the  Sons  of  the 
American  Revolution,  to  which  he  was  eligible  through 
his  maternal  ancestry.  His  interest  in  military  affairs 
continued  throughout  his  life,  although  his  active  par- 
ticipation covered  but  one  year  (1869)  when  he  was 
commissioned  lieutenant  and  adjutant  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Guards,  an  organization  of  the  Rhode  Island 
militia. 

On  July  8,  1874,  Charles  E.  Gorman  married  Jose- 
phine C.  Dietrich,  of  Maryland.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  five  children,  of  whom  only  one,  Clement  Die- 
trich Gorman,  survives. 

Charles  E.  Gorman  died  at  his  home  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  February  16,  1917.  Grief  at  his  death  was  pro- 
found and.  as  a  parting  tribute  of  honor  to  his  mem- 
ory, Lieutenant-Governor  San  Souci,  on  the  part  of  the 
Senate,  appointed  Senator  William  G.  Troy,  of  Provi- 


dence, and  Senator  .Xrthur  L.  Smith,  of  Barrington,  to 
be  present  at  the  funeral.  In  the  House.  Speaker 
Hammill  appointed  Deputy  Speaker  Richard  W.  Jen- 
nings, of  Cranston,  and  Representatives  Daniel  E. 
Geary  and  Michael  P.  McLaughlin,  of  Providence. 


ALFRED  MITCHELL  MERRIMAN,  M.  D.,  one 
of  the  most  prominent  and  successful  physicians  of 
Bristol,  R.  I.,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  prac- 
tice for  a  number  of  years,  is  a  native  of  Harpswell, 
Me.,  his  birth  occurring  at  that  place  May  i,  1S68,  and 
a  son  of  Walter  and  Levinia  .Abigail  Merriman,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  Harpswell.  Dr. 
Merriman's  father  was  for  many  years  a  well-known 
sea  captain  of  Harpswell,  who  retired  some  years  prior 
to  his  death,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  Captain 
and  Mrs.  Merriman  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  .Alfred  Mitchell;  Sam  Lorenzo,  who  was 
born  on  the  Pacific  ocean  while  his  family  was  taking 
a  sea  voyage,  and  was  named  for  the  first  land  that 
was  sighted  after  his  birth.  He  was  a  graduate  of 
Bowdoin  College  with  the  class  of  1897,  taking  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  and  is  now  principal  of 
the  Normal  School  at  Presque  Isle.  Me. 

The  education  of  Alfred  Mitchell  Merriman  was 
begun  at  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  of 
Harpswell,  and  he  later  attended  the  Brunswick  High 
.School,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  He  then 
matriculated  at  Bowdoin  College,  where  he  took  the 
usual  classical  course,  graduating  with  the  class  of 
1892,  receiving  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  .Arts,  and  in 
189.1  received  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  In  the 
meantime.  Dr.  Merriman  had  decided  to  follow  the 
medical  profession  as  his  career  in  life,  and  with  this 
end  in  view  entered  the  medical  school  in  connection 
with  Bowdoin.  He  was  graduated  from  the  last 
named  institution  in  189.=;,  taking  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine.  After  graduation  at  Bowdoin,  Dr.  Mer- 
riman served  in  the  capacity  of  assistant  to  the  pro- 
fessor of  chemistry  there,  and  was  instructor  in  that 
subject  while  himself  studying  medicine.  Upon  com- 
pleting his  medical  studies  Dr.  Merriman  came  to 
Rhode  Island  and  was  associated  with  the  State  Insti- 
tute as  interne  for  two  years  and  later  as  assistant 
physician.  He  then  removed  to  Bristol,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  general  practice  of  his  profession  and  has 
followed  same  ever  since.  Dr.  Merriman  soon  made 
a  prominent  position  for  himself  in  the  medical  pro- 
fession here,  and  in  addition  to  his  private  practice 
holds  the  office  of  surgeon  to  the  Soldiers'  Home  at 
this  place,  and  is  also  physician  to  the  National  India 
Rubber  Company  of  Bristol.  Dr.  Merriman  has  always 
been  keenly  interested  in  military  affairs,  and  was  sur- 
geon of  the  Bristol  Artillery  Train  at  the  time  that 
it  was  converted  into  the  State  Guard  by  the  Federal 
Government.  He  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant  of 
the  sanitary  unit  connected  with  the  Thirteenth  Com- 
pany, Rhode  Island  State  Guard.  In  addition  to  his 
professional  activities.  Dr.  Merriman  has  served  this 
community  in  the  capacity  of  inspector  of  public 
schools,  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  Bristol  School 
Board  for  six  years.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  although  his  professional  activities  have  prevented 


204 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


him  from  taking  tliat  part  in  public  affairs  for  which  his 
abiHties  so  well  fit  him,  he  has  always  maintained  a 
keen  interest  in  all  public  issues.  Dr.  Merriman  is  a 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  and  the 
American  Medical  Association,  and  is  past  master  of 
St.  .Mban's  Lodge,  No.  0,  .Ancient  Free  and  .\ccepted 
Masons  of  Bristol.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Bristol 
Young  Men's  Christian  .Association,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Bristol  Yacht  Club,  the  West  Barrington  Yacht 
Club  and  the  Business  Men's  Club  of  Bristol.  His 
home  is  situated  at  No.  597  Hope  street,  in  this  city. 
Dr.  Merriman  was  united  in  marriage  (first)  at 
Bristol.  R.  I.,  with  Fannie  Perry,  of  this  place,  a 
daughter  of  Major  Raymond  Perry,  the  former  a  Civil 
War  veteran.  One  child  was  born  of  this  union,  Fran- 
ces Lavinia,  September  19,  1900.  .After  the  death  of 
his  first  wife,  Dr.  Merriman  married  (second)  at  Paw- 
tucket,  Xovember  29,  191 1,  Cordelia  .Allen,  daughter  of 
Charles  .Allen,  a  prominent  merchant  of   Pawtucket. 


Daniel  Jackson  died  at  his  home  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
on  May  31,  1916.  Mrs.  Jackson,  who  survives  her  hus- 
band, resides  in  Providence. 


DANIEL  JACKSON,  noted  New  England  cotton 
expert,  was  born  in  Providence,  February  20,  i860, 
the  son  of  the  late  Ephraim  S.  and  Rachel  (Graham) 
Jackson,  member  of  a  family  long  established  and 
prominent  in  Rhode  Island.  Ephraim  S.  Jackson 
served  at  one  time  as  postmaster  of   Providence. 

ArraS' — Gules  a  fesse  between  three  shovellers,  tufted 
on  the  head  and  breast,  argent,  each  charged  with  a 
trefoil,    slipped   vert. 

Crest — .\   shoveller,   as   in   the   arms. 

Supporters — Two    lions    proper. 

^lottoes — Ovei-  the  crest — Innocentiae  securus.  Under 
the  arms — Malo  mori  quam  faedari. 

Daniel  Jack^on  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  city,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  went  South 
to  study  the  cotton  industry,  living  for  a  period  of  six 
years  in  Houston,  Te.x.,  and  in  New  Orleans.  On 
his  return  he  associated  himself  with  Frank  Reynolds 
in  the  cotton  brokerage  business  in  Providence.  He 
was  successful  in  this  venture,  but  about  1S96  disposed 
of  his  interests  to  devote  his  time  thenceforward  until 
his  death  to  the  cotton  manufacturing  industry  of  New 
England,  in  the  capacity  of  expert  and  consultant.  In 
1896  he  became  identified  with  the  firm  of  B.  B.  &  R. 
Knight,  cotton  goods  manufacturers,  one  of  the  larg- 
est firms  in  New  England  engaged  in  the  production 
of  cotton  goods.  His  work  covered  the  expert  classi- 
fication of  all  the  cotton  used  by  the  Knight  Mills, 
work  of  a  highly  technical  character  which  brought  him 
renown  in  manufacturing  and  milling  circles  through- 
out the  East. 

Daniel  Jackson  was  widely  known  in  public  life  in 
the  city  of  Providence.  He  was  a  public-spirited  citi- 
zen, deeply  interested  in  the  advancement  of  civic 
welfare.  He  was  a  member  and  at  one  time  an  officer 
of  the  Providence  Chamber  of  Commerce.  .An  enthusi- 
astic sportsman  and  a  lover  of  nature,  he  was  the 
owner  of  many  prize  dogs,  and  was  devoted  to  yacht- 
ing. His  home  was  the  center  of  a  cultured  society 
which  included  some  of  the  foremost  men  of  Provi- 
dence of  his  time.  Mr.  Jackson  was  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  the  Quarter  Century  Club,  in  which  he  had  held 
every  office.     He  was  widely  known  in  club  circles. 


JOHN  BULL — For  an  explanation  of  the  origin  of 
Bull  as  a  surname,  we  have  but  to  turn  to  "John  Bull," 
the  English  national  nickname.  The  traits  of  char- 
acter of  the  English  people  which  gave  rise  to  a 
sobriquet  of  this  character  were  those  which  in  the 
early  surname  era  caused  a  man  to  be  distinguished 
by  the  nickname  "the  bull."  Kirby's  Quest  for  County 
Somerset,  I  Edward  III.,  contains  the  entry  "John 
le  Bole."  The  name  occurs  with  great  frequency  in 
medieval  registers.  .As  early  as  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury the  particle  "le"  had  been  dropped  and  the  name 
assumed  the  form  under  which  it  has  survived  to  the 
present  day. 

The  Rhode  Island  family  of  the  name,  proininent  in 
the  life  of  the  colony  and  State  for  over  two  and  a  half 
centuries,  comprises  the  progeny  of  Henry  Bull,  a 
prominent  figure  in  the  early  affairs  of  Newport,  and 
governor  of  the  colony  in  1685-86-90.  Newport  has 
been  the  home  of  his  descendants  since  1639. 

(I)  Henry  Bull,  immigrant  ancestor  and  progenitor, 
is  thought  to  have  been  a  native  of  Wales.  On  July 
17.  1635,  he  sailed  from  London,  a  passenger  on  the 
ship  "James,"  John  Jay,  master ;  at  this  time  he  was 
twenty-five  years  old.  He  settled  first  in  Roxbury, 
where  in  1636  he  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  joined  the 
church.  On  May  17,  1637,  he  was  admitted  a  freeman. 
Shortly  afterward  the  Roxbury  church  record  says  of 
him:  "Being  weak  and  affectionate  was  taken  and 
transported  with  the  opinion  of  familism,"  etc.  On  No- 
vember 20,  following,  he  and  others  were  warned  to 
deliver  up  all  guns,  pistols,  swords,  powder,  shot,  etc., 
because  "the  opinions  and  revelations  of  Mr.  Wheel- 
wright and  Mrs.  Hutchinson  have  seduced  and  led  into 
dangerous  error  many  of  the  people  here  in  New  Eng- 
land." On  March  7,  1638,  he  was  one  of  the  nineteen 
signers  of  the  compact  for  the  incorporation  of  Ports- 
mouth, R.  I.  On  March  12,  1638,  he  and  others  were 
ordered  to  depart  from  Massachusetts,  or  else  appear 
at  the  next  court  to  answer  charges  against  them.  In 
June  he  was  present  at  a  general  meeting  held  at  Ports- 
mouth: later  he  was  chosen  corporal  of  the  train  band. 
'3n  January  24,  1639,  he  was  chosen  sergeant.  The 
duties  of  the  oflice  at  this  time  included  the  keeping  of 
the  prison,  and  on  the  same  date  it  was  ordered  that 
the  prison  be  finished  and  set  near  or  joined  to  the 
house  of  Henry  Bull.  On  April  28,  1639,  he  and  eight 
others  signed  the  compact  perparatory  to  the  settle- 
ment of  Newport,  he  signing  as  elder.  Soon  after- 
ward he  removed  there,  and  in  1640-41-42  was  sergeant. 
On  March  16,  1641.  he  was  made  freeman.  In  1655  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  commissioner,  and  again 
filled  it  in  1657.  In  1666-72-73-74-79-80-81-90  he  was 
deputy  to  the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly:  in 
1671.  juryman:  in  1674-75,  assistant.  In  1685-86-90, 
by  this  time  one  of  the  leading  public  men  of  the 
colony,  he  was  elected  Governor,  and  was  reelected  to 
office  in  t686  and  1690,  after  which  date  he  retired  from 
public  life. 


n 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


205 


Henry  Bull  was  evidently  a  man  of  considerable 
wcahli.  He  owned  extensive  properties  in  Xewport 
and  tlie  vicinity,  much  of  which  he  disposed  of  by  deed 
before  his  death.  He  was  also  a  slave  owner,  and  on 
November  27,  1688,  he  deeded  for  love,  etc.,  to  grand- 
children, Christopher  and  Elizabeth  Allen,  of  Little 
Compton,  twenty-six  acres  there  and  seven  negroes 
(two  men,  a  woman  and  four  children).  The  inven- 
tory of  his  estate  was  £968,  is.,  consisting  of  money, 
plate,    cattle,    sheep,    household    goods    and    accounts. 

Henry  Bull  married  (first)  Elizabeth  ,  who  died 

October  i,  1665.  He  married  (second)  about  i566, 
Esther  Allen,  who  was  born  December  8,  1648,  and  died 
March  26,  1676,  a  daughter  of  Ralph  and  Esther 
(Swift)  Allen.  He  married  (third)  March  28.  1677, 
Ann  (Clayton)  Easton,  widow  of  Nicholas  Easton, 
who  was  born  in  1628,  and  died  Jaimary  30,  1708. 
He  died  January  22,  1694. 

(II)  Jireh  Bull,  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  Bull, 
was  born  in  September,  1638.  He  was  a  resident  of 
Newport  in  early  life.  In  March,  1661,  he  signed 
articles  relative  to  Misquamicut  (Westerly)  lands.  On 
June  4,  1668,  he  purchased  five  hundred  acres  in  Petta- 
(|uamscutt  for  £28.  Soon  afterward  he  removed  to 
Kingstown,  where  in  1669-70-78-83  he  was  conservator 
of  the  peace.  On  October  26,  1670,  he  and  four  others 
were  appointed  to  make  a  rate  for  Petta(|uamscutt.  On 
May  19,  1671,  he  was  chosen  lieutenant.  On  May  14, 
1672,  he  was  appointed  on  a  committee  to  meet  the 
Connecticut  commissioners  to  put  a  final  end  to  all  dif- 
ferences between  the  two  colonies.  Hubbard  in  his 
account  of  the  Indian  wars,  says:  "Captain  Prentice 
with  his  troops  being  sent  to  Pettaquamscutt,  returned 
with  the  sad  news  of  burning  of  Jerry  Bull's  Garrison 
house  and  killing  of  ten  Englishmen  and  five  women 
and  children,  but  two  escaping  in  all."  This  outrage 
was  perpetrated  in  December,  1675.  In  the  following 
year  he  was  again  commissioned  lieutenant.  On  Au- 
gust 24,  1676,  he  was  a  member  of  the  court  martial 
held  at  Newport  for  the  trial  of  certain  Indians 
charged  with  being  en,gaged  in  King  Philip's  designs. 
In  1683  he  had  services  held  at  his  house  on  Petta- 
quamscutt Hill,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Spear,  minister  of  the 
church  of  England.  He  died  about  1684.  The  name 
of  his  wife  is  unknown. 

(III)  Henry  (2)  Bull,  known  as  Henry  Bull,  Jr.,  to 
distinguish  him  from  his  grandfather,  was  the  son  of 
Jireh  Bull.  He  was  a  resident  of  Kingstown,  where 
he  married  .'Knn  Cole,  who  was  born  March  7,  1661, 
died  May  31,  1704,  daughter  of  John  and  Susanna 
(Hutchinson)  Cole.  In  1687  he  was  a  member  of  the 
grand  jury,  and  in  1690  conservator  of  the  peace. 
Henry   Bull  died  about   1691. 

(IV)  Henry  (3)  Bull,  son  of  Henry  (2)  and  .*\nn 
(Cole)  Bull,  was  born  November  23,  1687.  At  an  early 
age  he  was  left  an  orphan,  and  with  his  sister,  .Ann,  was 
confided  by  his  grandfather  to  the  care  of  his  aunt, 
Mary,  wife  of  James  Coggeshall.  He  was  apprenticed 
to  learn  the  trade  of  carpenter,  which  he  abandoned  to 
take  up  the  profession  of  the  law.  He  was  the  owner 
of  considerable  property  in  Newport,  and  also  owned 
land  in  the  Narragansett  country,  near  Tower  Hill,  a 
part  of  which  still  goes  by  the  name  of  the  Bull  Farm. 


He  married  (first)  Martha  Odlin,  daughter  of  John 
Odlin,  of  Newport,  on  June  22,  1710;  she  died  Febru- 
ary II,  1720,  aged  twenty-nine  years.  Henry  Bull 
married  (second)  Phoebe  Coggeshall,  daughter  of 
Daniel  Coggeshall,  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I.  Among  their 
children  was  John,  mentioned  below.  Henry  Bull  was 
one  of  the  early  promoters  of  the  establishment  of 
Trinity  Church  in  Xewport:   his  wife  was  a  Quakeress. 

At  the  age  of  about  twenty-seven  years,  Henry  Bull 
commenced  the  practice  of  the  law.  He  eventually  be- 
came one  of  the  foremost  lawyers  of  his  day  in  Rhode 
Island.  He  was  a  slave  owner  and  kept  nine  black 
family  servants.  In  1720,  he  was  appointed  captain  of 
the  First  Military  Company  in  Xewport.  He  was 
elected  Representative  to  the  General  .Assembly  in 
1720:  Attorney-General  in  1722.  He  was  again  elected 
Representative  and  was  Speaker  of  the  House  in 
1728-29.  He  was  one  of  the  committee  to  review  the 
Statutes  of  the  Colony  in  1728,  and  was  first  justice  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  the  County  of  New- 
port, at  the  first  establishment  of  tliose  courts  in  the 
colony  in  1729.  Henry  Bull  died  December  27,  1774. 
His  wife  died  December  23,  1774,  and  both  are  buried 
in  the  same  grave  in  the  common  burying  place  in 
Newport. 

(Vj  John  Bull,  son  of  Henry  and  Phoebe  (Cog- 
geshall) Bull,  was  born  in  Newport,  September  8,  1734. 
He  was  given  a  common  school  education,  and  at  an 
early  date  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade  of  stone 
cutter.  Dissatisfied  with  his  master,  however,  he  ran 
away,  and  secretly  shipped  on  board  a  vessel  bound 
on  a  foreign  voyage.  He  continued  the  sea-faring  life, 
and  was  master  of  a  privateersman  in  the  war  with  the 
French,  bringing  in  a  valuable  prize.  At  the  age  of 
about  twenty-eight  or  thirty  years,  he  left  the  sea,  and 
returned  to  Newport,  where  he  resumed  his  trade.  In 
the  period  preceding  the  Revolution,  and  throughout 
the  trying  difficulties  with  the  British,  he  was  an  ardent 
Whig,  and  for  his  sentiments  and  activities  was  im- 
prisoned with  many  others  on  board  the  Lord  Sand- 
wich Prison  Ship,  for  about  six  weeks. 

John  Bull  married,  .August  18,  1769,  Ruth  Cornell, 
daughter  of  George  Cornell,  of  Middletown,  R.  I.; 
she  died  September  15,  1799. 

(VI)  Henry  (4)  Bull,  son  of  John  and  Rulh  (Cor- 
nell) Bull,  was  born  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  .August  28, 
1778.  His  education  was  fragmentary,  and  at  an  early 
age  he  was  forced  by  his  father's  ill-health  not  only  to 
become  self-supporting  but  to  become  the  main  sup- 
port of  the  family.  In  1794,  when  about  seventeen 
years  of  age,  he  erected  a  small  grocery  store  on  his 
father's  property,  and  for  a  few  years  conducted  this 
successfully,  at  the  same  time  plying  his  trade  of  stone- 
mason and  engaging  in  the  making  of  .gravestones.  .At 
the  age  of  twenty-three  years  he  realized  his  ambition 
to  embark  on  a  sea-faring  life,  which  he  followed  until 
1807,  investing  heavily  in  coastwise  cargoes  with  vary- 
ing degrees  of  success. 

On  retiring  from  the  sea,  Mr.  Bull  returned  to  X'ew- 
port,  where  in  partnership  with  Messrs.  Earle  and 
.AUston  he  established  a  lumber  yard.  In  1809  or  1810 
S.  T.  Northam  was  admitted  to  partnership,  the  firm 
name  becoming  Henry   Bull  &  Company,  and  a  gro- 


206 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


eery,  auction  and  commission  business  was  added  to  the 
lumber  yard.  In  addition  to  this  he  engaged  success- 
fully for  several  years  in  the  chandler>'  and  soap  man- 
ufacturing business,  in  partnership  with  Messrs.  Moses 
and  William  Thurston  and  Sanford  Bell.  In  1812,  Mr. 
Bull  purchased  the  interests  of  Messrs.  Earle  and  Alls- 
ton  in  the  firm  of  Henry  Bull  &  Company,  and  in  the 
following  year  the  business  was  dissolved.  Mr.  Bull 
next  established  a  gin  distillery,  but  the  venture  did 
not  prove  successful  and  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  it 
as  a  great  loss;  shortly  afterward  he  converted  his 
gin-making  apparatus  to  the  making  of  rum  which  he 
manufactured  successfully  and  at  a  large  profit  for 
several  years.  The  closing  years  of  his  life  were 
spent  in  retirement  from  business  affairs,  on  his  estate 
in  Newport.  Henry  Bull  was  widely  known  and  emi- 
nently respected  in  business  and  social  circles  in  New- 
port. He  remained  totally  aloof  from  politics  or  fra- 
ternal connections,  however. 

On  July  30,  1805,  he  married  Mary  Fones  Tilling- 
hast.  daughter  of  Dr.  William  Tillinghast,  and  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Pardon  Tillinghast.  founder  of  the  well- 
known  Rhode  Island  family  of  the  name.  She  was 
born  June  i!,  1782,  and  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two 
years.    Henry  Bull  died  in  Newport,  August  28,  1778. 

(VII)  John  (2)  Bull,  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  Fones 
(Tillinghast)  Bull,  was  born  July  n,  1822,  in  Newport, 
and  died  after  a  lifelong  residence  there,  on  June  22, 
1863. 

John  Bull  married,  September  22,  1842,  Clarissa 
Amelia  Peckham,  who  was  born  December  19,  1823, 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Almy)  Peckham, 
of  Newport.  She  died  November  23,  1891.  Children  of 
John  and  Clarissa  Amelia  (Peckham)  Bull:  I.  Mary 
Tillinghast  Bull,  born  in  Newport,  Aug.  26,  1843,  now 
living  in  Newport.  2.  Daniel  P.,  died  at  the  age  of 
about  si.xty  years,  and  never  married.  3.  Evan  M.  J., 
lives  near  Boston,  Mass.,  married  and  has  four  children. 
4.   Phebe   Carpenter,  of   whom   further. 

(VIII)  Phebe  C.  Bull,  daughter  of  John  (2)  and 
Clarissa  .Amelia  (Peckham)  Bull,  was  born  January 
2,  1853,  in  Newport,  and  has  been  a  prominent  resi- 
dent there  all   her  life. 


FRANK    ADELBERT    REYNOLDS— Prominent 

in  business  circles  of  Providence,  Frank  A.  Reynolds  is 
a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  having  been  born  in  Cov- 
entry Center,  August  27,  1856,  a  son  of  Bowen  and 
Isabella  D.  (Watson)  Reynolds,  who  were  both  natives 
of  North  Kingstown,  in  the  State.  There  were  three 
early  settlements  of  the  Reynolds  family  in  the  pioneer 
days.  Jonathan  Reynolds  settled  at  Bristol,  John  Rey- 
nolds, called  also  "John  the  Carpenter,"  at  what  is  now 
Exeter,  and  James  Reynolds  in  what  is  now  North 
Kingstown.  It  is  from  the  last  that  Frank  A.  Rey- 
nolds derives  his  descent.  The  record  of  the  will  of 
James  Reynolds  is  still  to  be  seen  at  North  Kingstown, 
where  it  was  admitted  to  probate  in  1702.  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds' grandfather  was  William  Reynolds,  and  came 
of  old  Quaker  stock.  His  father,  Bowen  Reynolds, 
was  in  his  early  manhood  a  teacher  in  North  Kings- 
town, but  later  became  engaged  in  the  general  mer- 
■chandise  business  in  Coventry. 


Frank  A.  Reynolds  attended  the  school  in  his  native 
town,  and  then  entered  the  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business 
College  and  took  a  short  course  in  that  institution. 
When  he  was  a  young  man  he  obtained  a  position  in 
the  employ  of  the  late  Senator  Thomas  C.  Peckham,  a 
mill  owner  in  Coventry,  remaining  connected  with  him 
and  filling  a  variety  of  olticcs  for  twenty  years.  He 
then  came  to  Providence  and  entered  the  service  of 
Hartwell  Richards  &  Company,  wholesale  dry  goods 
merchants,  and  remained  in  this  employ  for  about 
three  years.  He  then  became  associated  with  Richard 
Thornley,  wool  and  wool  waste  broker,  this  connec- 
tion continuing  for  five  years,  when  Mr.  Thornley  died. 
In  the  readjustment  of  the  affairs  of  the  organization  a 
new  combination  was  effected  when  Mr.  Reynolds,  in 
partnership  with  James  S.  Daneker,  purchased  the 
business  and  founded  the  present  firm  of  Reynolds  & 
Daneker,  wool  and  wool  waste  dealers,  and  in  this  firm 
Mr.  Reynolds  has  remained  up  to  the  present  time. 
In  his  political  principles  Mr.  Reynolds  is  a  Republi- 
can, and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Adventist  Christian 
Church,  holding  the  office  of  treasurer  for  the  organi- 
zation. 

He  married,  in  1883,  Lillian  M.  Jillson,  a  native  of 
Norwich,  Conn.,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  four 
children:  Arthur  L.,  an  instructor  in  the  High  School 
at  Waterbury,  Conn.;  Harry  H.  and  Adelbert  B.,  who 
are  still  students;  and  Earl,  deceased. 


GEORGE    HERBERT    PETTEE— When    a    man 

has  held  for  many  years  a  prominent  position  in  the 
business  world  of  his  community,  the  publication  of 
his  name  calls  for  no  introduction.  This  is  the  case 
with  Mr.  Pettee,  who,  as  one  of  the  representatives 
of  the  Providence  Public  Market,  has  long  been 
known  as  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  Provi- 
dence. 

George  Herbert  Pettee  was  born  November  14,  1867, 
on  a  farm  at  Foxboro,  Mass.,  and  is  a  son  of  David 
and  Nancy  (Kirby)  Pettee,  both  of  whom  are  now 
deceased.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  home 
town  and  then  passed  to  the  high  school,  which,  how- 
ever, he  was  obliged  to  leave  in  his  senior  j'ear,  it  being 
necessary  that  he  should  become  a  wage-earner.  For 
one  year  he  was  employed  in  the  meat  business  in 
Foxboro,  and  then  went  to  Melrose,  Mass.,  where  he 
secured  a  position  in  the  same  line,  which  he  retained 
for  two  years.  In  1890  he  found  employment  in  the 
Boston  Public  Market,  remaining  there  until  1892, 
when,  in  company  with  his  present  partner,  Oscar 
Swanson,  he  came  to  Providence  and  organized  the 
Providence  Public  Market.  The  business  is  not  incor- 
porated but  has  always  remained  a  partnership. 

It  was  in  October,  1892,  that  the  business  was  estab- 
lished with  about  twenty-five  employees,  and  during 
the  years  which  have  since  elapsed  it  has  steadily 
grown  to  what  may  be  termed,  without  exaggeration, 
an  immense  concern.  The  firm  now  has  several  large 
markets  located  in  Providence  and  Worcester,  Mass., 
and  gives  employment  to  fifteen  hundred  hands,  both 
men  and  women.  The  annual  yearly  business  exceeds 
ten  million  dollars,  and  its  equipment  is  complete,  in- 
cluding truck  deliveries,  warehouses,  sales  and  display 


'jy\jj^^^4^^^.^^^  y6 .  Li^CUQ^  ■ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


207 


rooms,  and  everything  else  belonging  to  a  thoroughly 
modern  and  progressive  concern.  The  creation  and 
upbuilding  of  this  establishment  has  been,  to  a  marked 
degree,  the  efforts  and  energy  of  the  man  of  whom  we 
are  writing. 

With  all  his  enthusiasm  for  business,  Mr.  Pettee 
has  a  predominant  taste  for  agriculture  and  his  farms 
are  among  the  show  places  of  the  State.  Here,  as  else- 
where, his  business  judgment  has  produced  profitable 
results.  On  his  two  farms  he  concerns  himself  chiefly 
with  the  breeding  of  ducks,  chickens,  hogs  and  cows — 
all  tine  stock.  He  has  from  twenty  to  thirty  thousand 
chickens,  twenty-five  hundred  ducks,  several  hundred 
hogs,  ninety  cows,  and  many  horses.  Thirty  hands  are 
employed  on  his  farms.  Mr.  Pettee  is  also  interested 
in  fine  horses,  as  the  medals  and  cups  won  by  his  firm 
convincingly  attest.  These  prizes,  of  which  there  are 
at  least  a  dozen  various  kinds,  were  won  by  the  firm 
for  fine  delivery  teams,  matched  teams  and  similar 
varieties,  in  the  days  of  horse  deliveries. 

A  Kepublican  in  politics,  Mr.  Pettee  has  never  taken 
any  active  part  in  public  afTairs,  devoting  his  time  and 
efforts  to  his  business.  He  is  an  active  supporter  to 
all  movements  for  the  betterment  and  improvement  of 
both  city  and  State.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Terminal 
Warehouse  Company  of  Providence,  and  his  clubs  are 
the  West  Side,  Pomham,  Country,  of  which  he  is  a 
stockholder;  the  Boston  Athletic,  and  East  Side 
Skating. 

Mr.  Pettee  married,  September  5,  1893,  Annie  Betha 
Bachelor,  daughter  of  William  and  .Annie  (Marden) 
Bachelor,  of  Wakefield,  Mass.,  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  one  son,  Herbert  Bachelor,  born  February  26, 
1895,  attended  the  Bronson  School  and  Hope  High 
School,  and  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  World 
War  was  a  student  at  Amherst  College;  he  promptly 
enlisted  in  Battery  A,  Rhode  Island  Field  Artillery,  of 
the  Twenty-si.xth  Division,  and  saw  eighteen  months 
of  active  service  in  F'rance,  and  returned  home  with 
his  glorious  division  in  .April,  1919. 

For  over  twenty-seven  years,  Mr.  Pettee  has  been 
identified  with  a  business  which  from  a  small  beginning 
has  developed  to  one  of  the  largest  institutions  of  its 
kind  in  New  England,  and  has  unquestionably  earned 
that  .American  title — a  self-made  business  man. 


WILLIAM  BRYANT  CUTTS,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 
well  known  surgeons  01  Providence,  was  born  at  North 
Anson,  Me.,  February  3,  1869.  He  completed  the  gram- 
mar school  course  of  public  instruction,  and  attended 
Anson  .Academy  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1887. 
He  then  entered  Bates  College,  Lewiston,  Me.,  and  there 
was  graduated  B.  A.,  class  of  1891.  He  had  devoted 
his  spare  time  during  his  college  years  to  teaching,  in 
order  to  earn  money  to  continue  his  education.  His 
plan  was  to  become  a  teacher,  and  he  was  appointed 
instructor  in  science  at  Haverford  College  Grammar 
School,  where  he  continued  until  the  end  of  the  summer 
term  01  1895.  It  was  while  at  Haverford  that  he  de- 
cided to  study  medicine,  and  in  the  fall  of  1895  he 
entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  awarded  his  M.  D.  with  the 
class  of   1899.     The  same  year  his  alma  nuitcr,  Bates 


College,  conferred  on  him  the  M.  A.  upon  the  sub- 
mitting of  a  special  thesis,  at  the  completion  of  other 
prescribed  work. 

Dr.  Cutts,  in  selecting  a  location  in  which  to  practise 
medicine,  chose  Providence,  and  there  spent  two  years 
as  interne  in  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital  before  begin- 
ning private  practice  in  July,  1901.  He  has  been  very 
successful  in  his  practice,  and  is  well  established  in  the 
regard  of  a  most  satisfactory  clientele.  He  is  a 
skilled  surgeon,  and  is  an  enthusiast  over  the  value  of 
the  Roentgen  Rays  in  locating  internal  troubles,  which 
ofttimes  baffle  the  physicians'  and  surgeons'  skill.  He 
is  a  fellow  of  the  .American  College  of  Surgeons,  a 
member  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  Rhode 
Island  Medical  Society,  Providence  Medical  Society, 
and  is  visiting  surgeon  to  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  is  an  Inde- 
pendent in  politics,  his  fraternities  are  Phi  Delta  Theta 
and  Nu  Sigma  Nu,  and  his  clubs  the  University  and 
Clinical.  In  June,  1918,  Dr.  Cutts  was  appointed  cap- 
tain in  the  Medical  Corps,  United  States  army,  and 
served  as  surgeon  at  the  United  States  Army  General 
Hospital,  No.  2,  Fort  McHenry,  Maryland.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  December  14,  1918,  and  returned 
to  Providence  to  resume  private  practice. 

Dr.  Cutts  married,  November  2,  1904,  Florence  M. 
Budlong,  of  Auburn.  They  are  the  parents  of  a  son, 
Frank  Bryant,  born  in  Providence,  August  15,  1907. 


BRAYTON  FAMILY— Among  the  very  oldest 
of  .American  families  is  that  which  bears  the  name 
of  Brayton,  which  was  established  in  the  Colony  of 
Rhode  Island  some  time  before  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  centurj-,  probably  in  the  year  1643,  when 
its  founder  was  received  as  an  inhabitant  of  Ports- 
mouth. The  members  of  the  Brayton  house  have  been 
extremely  prominent  in  connection  with  the  develop- 
ment of  Southeastern  Massachusetts,  particularly  with 
that  region  centering  about  the  city  of  Fall  River,  and 
the  early  territory  which  went  to  form  that  city.  The 
great  industries  which  have  grown  up  thereabouts  are 
not  a  little  indebted  to  the  enterprise  and  intelligence  of 
the  early  Braytons,  various  members  of  the  family  hav- 
ing numbered  among  the  most  prominent  business  lead- 
ers, financiers,  and  promoters  of  the  colossal  milling 
industries  of  the  region. 

Brayton    Arms — Azure,     two    chevrons    between     as 
many  mullets  or. 
Crest — A  mullet  or. 
Motto — Catus  semper  viret. 

(I)  Francis  Brayton,  the  founder  of  the  family  in 
America,  was  born  in  England,  in  1611-12.  He  came  to 
this  country  as  a  young  man,  and  was  received  as  a 
resident  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  as  early  as  the  year  1643. 
Twelve  years  later,  in  1655,  he  was  made  a  freeman,  and 
in  1662-63  was  elected  a  member  of  the  General  Court. 
He  served  as  deputy  to  the  General  Court  in  1669,  1670- 
71,  1679,  and  1684.  In  1667  he  enlisted  in  the  troop  of 
horse  which  was  maintained  for  the  common  defense, 
and  generally  played  a  prominent  part  in  the  life  of  the 

community.      Francis    Brayton    married    Mary    , 

who  died  about  the  year  1692.  He  died  in  the  same 
year.  Children:  i.  Francis,  died  in  1718.  2.  Mary, 
married  Joseph   Davol.     3.   Stephen,   mentioned  below. 


208 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


4.  Martha,  married  John  Pearce.     5.  Elizabeth,  married 
Jared  Bourne.     6.  Sarah,  married  Thomas  Gatchell. 

(II)  Stephen  Brayton,  son  of  Francis  and  Mary 
Brayton,  was  a  resident  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  probably 
all  his  life,  although  the  date  of  his  birth  is  not  known, 
and  it  is  possible  that  he  may  have  been  a  native  of 
England.  He  was  a  freeman  in  the  year  1678,  and  a 
member  of  the  grand  jury  in  1687.  He  married,  March 
8,  1679,  Ann  Tallman.  daughter  of  Peter  and  Ann  Tall- 
man,  of  Portsmouth,  and  died  in  1692.  Children:  I. 
Mary,  born  Feb.  12,  1680.  2.  Elizabeth,  born  Dec.  8, 
1681.  3.  Ann,  born  July  6,  1683.  4.  Preserved,  men- 
tioned below.  5.  Stephen,  born  Aug.  2,  1686.  6.  Israel, 
died  about  1756. 

(III)  Preserved  Brayton.  son  of  Stephen  and  Ann 
(Tallman)  Brayton.  was  born  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I., 
March  8,  1685.  He  became  a  freeman  in  Portsmouth  in 
1706,  the  year  in  which  he  attained  his  majority,  and 
lived  there  until  1714,  when  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  land  in  the  settlement  of  Swansea, 
Mass.  He  made  that  place  his  home  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  This  farm  came  to  be  known  as 
the  Brayton  homestead,  and  is  still  called  that  to  the 
present  day.  It  is  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Taunton  river,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Somerset, 
which  was  set  off  from  Swansea  in  the  year  1790.  This 
was  not  the  whole  of  Preserved  Brayton's  holdings. 
He  owned  in  addition  another  farm  in  Swansea,  be- 
sides property  in  Freetown,  Rchoboth,  and  Smithfield, 
R.  I.  He  was  married,  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  to  Con- 
tent Coggeshall.  daughter  of  John  Coggeshall,  and 
granddaughter  of  John  (i)  Coggeshall,  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  Rhode  Island,  and  one  of  the  foremost  figures 
in  the  early  life  of  the  colony.  Preserved  Brayton  and 
his  wife  both  died  in  Swansea,  the  former  on  May  22, 
1 761,  and  the  latter  in  1759. 

(IV)  Israel  Brayton,  son  of  Preserved  and  Content 
(Coggeshall)  Brayton,  was  born  in  Swansea,  Mass., 
October  13,  1727,  and  inherited  his  father's  farm  in 
Swansea,  known  as  the  Brayton  homestead.  Here  he 
spent  his  entire  life,  and  was  a  well  known  figure  in  the 
affairs  of  Swansea  for  several  decades.  He  married, 
April  19,  1752.  Mary  Perry,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of   nine  children,  among  them  John,  mentioned  below. 

Perry  Arms — Quarterly,  g:ule.s  and  or,  on  a  bend, 
argent,  three  lions,  pa.ssant.  proper. 

Crest — A  lion's  head,  proper,  ducally  crowned,  or. 

(V)  John  Brayton,  son  of  Israel  and  Mary  (Perry) 
Brayton,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Swansea,  Mass.,  April 
12,  1762.  To  him  descended  the  old  Brayton  homestead, 
purchased  by  his  grandfather,  and  there  he  spent  his  life. 
It  was  during  his  lifetime  that  Somerset  was  set  apart 
from  Swansea,  and  in  the  former  town  he  died  May 
12,  1829. 

He  married,  November  21,  1782,  Sarah  Bowers, 
daughter  of  Philip  and  Mary  Bowers,  and  a  sister  of 
Philip  Bowers,  Jr.,  who  married  Mary  Brayton,  his 
sister.  She  was  born  July  13,  1763,  and  died  August  17, 
1843,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  eleven  children,  of  whom  Israel,  who  is  men- 
tioned below,  was  the  fifth. 

(VI)  Israel  Brayton,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Bow- 
ers) Brayton,  was  born  in  Somerset,  Mass.,  on  the 
Brayton  homestead,  July  29,  1792.     He  spent  his  entire 


life  there,  and  died  November  5,  1866.  He  married,  in 
August,  1813,  Keziah  .\nthony,  a  daughter  of  David  and 
Submit  (Wheeler)  ."Anthony,  the  former  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  John  Anthony,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  Rhode  Island,  who  came  from  England,  in  the  year 
1634.  (See  .\nthony).  The  .\nthony  family  was  promi- 
nent in  Rhode  Island  affairs,  and  had  become  allied  with 
many  of  the  most  important  families  of  the  colony. 
Keziah  (Anthony)  Brayton  was  born  in  Somerset,  July 
27,  1792,  and  died  in  the  same  place,  October  24,  1880. 
Israel  and  Keziah  (Anthony)  Brayton  were  the  parents 
of  nine  children  :  i.  Mary,  born  in  Fo.xboro,  Mass.,  May 
9,  1814;  married  (first)  in  1842,  Major  Bradford  Dur- 
lee.  of  Fall  River,  who  died  in  1843,  leaving  one  son, 
Bradford  Matthew  Chaloncr  Durfee,  born  June  15, 
1843,  died,  unmarried,  in  1872.  His  mother  gave  in  his 
memory  the  B.  M.  C.  Durfee  High  School  in  the  city 
of  Fall  River.  She  married  (second)  in  1851,  the  Rev. 
Jeremiah  S.  Young,  who  died  in  1861.  She  died  in  Fall 
River.  March  22,  1891.  2.  William  Bowers,  born  in 
Swansea,  .^pril  6,  1816;  married  Hannah  Turner  Law- 
ton,  of  Tiverton,  R.  I.  3.  Nancy  Jarrett  Bowers,  mar- 
ried Daniel  Chase,  and  their  only  child  died  in  infancy. 

4.  Elizabeth  Anthony,  married  Rev.  Roswell  Dwight 
Hitchcock,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:     Roswell,  Mary  B.,  Harriet  W..  Bradford  W. 

5.  David  .Anthony,  born  in  Swansea,  April  2,  1824,  died 
.Aug.  20,  1881  ;  married  Nancy  R.  Jenckes,  of  Fall  River. 

6.  John  Summerfield.  born  in  Swansea,  Dec.  3,  1826; 
married  Sarah  J.  Tinkham.  of  Middleboro,  Mass.  7. 
Israel  Perry,  born  in  Swansea,  May  24,  1829;  married 
Parthenia  Gardner,  of  Swansea.  8.  Hezekiah  Anthony, 
mentioned  below. 

(VII  )  Hezekiah  Anthony  Brayton,  one  of  the  most 
vital  figures  in  the  history  of  industrial  development  in 
Fall  River,  was  the  son  of  Israel  and  Keziah  (.\nthony) 
Bravton,  and  was  born  June  24,  1832,  on  Main  street, 
Fall  River,  Mass.  Here  he  passed  his  childhood  and 
attended  local  schools  for  his  education.  Later  he  was 
sent  to  the  academy  at  East  Greenwich.  R.  I.,  and  after 
being  graduated  from  this  institution,  returned  to  his 
native  State  and  taught  school  for  one  year  in  the  town 
of  Seekonk.  He  did  not  find,  however,  the  opportunity 
for  development  in  this  calling  that  he  desired,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  first  year  he  secured  a  position  in  a  rail- 
road office,  where  beside  the  work  involved  in  his  duties 
he  continued  the  study  of  mathematics,  specializing  in 
that  branch  of  the  science  which  bears  directly  on  civil 
engineering.  His  character  was  of  the  type  with  which 
New  England  has  made  us  familiar ;  determined  to 
advance  himself  he  perfected  himself  sufficiently  in  the 
study  of  mathematics  to  qualify  as  a  surveyor.  In  this 
capacity  he  went  West  and  worked  for  a  considerable 
time  in  Texas.  He  then  returned  to  the  North  and  set- 
tled for  a  time  at  Lawrence.  Mass.,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  carding  and  mechanical  engineering  de- 
partment of  the  Pacific  Mills  in  that  city. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  there  occurred  in  the  East 
what  was  known  as  the  "Westward  movement,"  and 
this  Mr.  Brayton  joined,  in  association  with  his  brother, 
Israel  Perry  Brayton,  and  established  himself  in  Chicago, 
engaged  in  the  grain  and  commission  business  on  the 
Chicago  Board  of  Trade.  This  business  was  afterward 
transferred  to  New  York  City,  and  was  carried  on  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


209 


connection  with  the  produce  exchange  there.  Mr.  Bray- 
ton  spent  nearly  twenty-five  years  in  Chicago  and  New 
York,  and  in  1872  returned  to  Massachusetts,  where  he 
remained  until  the  close  of  his  lite.  In  Massachusetts 
lie  took  an  active  part  in  the  manufacturing  interests 
of  Fall  River,  and  was  most  successfully  identified  with 
these  during  the  remainder  of  his  career.  He  was  made 
vice-president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Fall  River, 
in  which  institution  he  also  held  the  office  of  cashier. 
.A  number  of  years  later,  upon  the  failure  of  the  Saga- 
more Mills,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  trustees  in 
charge  of  that  property.  Mr.  Brayton  played  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  settlement  of  the  afTairs  of  this  con- 
cern, and  upon  its  reorganization  as  the  Sagamore 
Manufacturing  Company,  was  elected  its  treasurer  and 
a  member  of  the  board  of  directors.  These  two  offices 
he  continued  to  hold  until  his  death,  and  the  large 
growth  of  the  business  was  due  in  no  small  measure  to 
his  capable  management.  Beside  the  Sagamore  Manu- 
facturing Company,  Mr.  Brayton  was  interested  in  the 
Durfee  Mills,  of  which  he  was  president  and  a  director. 
Mr.  Brayton  was  regarded  by  his  associates  in  Fall 
River,  and  throughout  the  milling  industry  in  Rhode 
Island  and  Massachusetts,  as  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful mill  operators  of  that  region.  During  the  period  of 
his  management  the  Sagamore  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany did  a  most  extraordinary  business,  and  established 
a  record  that  has  not  been  surpassed.  His  great  suc- 
cess in  large  affairs  was  undoubtedly  due  to  the  fact  that 
he  found  one  of  his  keenest  pleasures  in  business  com- 
binations and  organization,  and  he  was  in  a  great 
measure  a  prototype  of  the  great  captains  of  industry 
of  to-day.  His  conception  of  mill  operations  was  inten- 
sive in  character,  and  he  carried  the  efficiency  of  his 
mills  to  a  high  point,  keeping  equipments  and  conditions 
up  to  the  very  latest  and  most  modern  standards.  He 
rarely  made  an  error,  and  his  judgment  was  much 
sought  in  financial  affairs.  .*\t  the  time  that  he  first 
took  charge  of  the  Sagamore  Manufacturing  Company, 
one  mill  was  in  operation  and  the  foundation  of  a  stone 
mill  had  been  laid.  Quickly,  however,  the  results  of 
his  progressive  policy  were  discernible,  and  Mr.  Bray- 
ton rapidly  erected  the  requisite  buildings.  Some  time 
later,  when  one  of  the  mills  was  destroyed  by  fire,  he  re- 
built it  in  a  surprisingly  short  time.  William  Lawton 
Slade  Brayton  engaged  in  business  as  a  cotton  broker, 
and  on  the  death  of  his  father  became  treasurer  of  the 
Sagamore  Mills. 

Hezekiah  A.  Brayton  was  deeply  interested  in  the 
welfare  of  the  city  of  Fall  River,  and  devoted  much  time 
to  work  in  its  behalf.  He  possessed  great  faith  in  the 
future  of  the  city,  and  did  all  he  could  to  improve  its 
fortune.  He  was  always  conceiving  new  combinations 
in  the  business  world,  and  was  ever  ready  to  aid  in  the 
development  of  new  and  promising  enterprises.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  present  great  prosperity  of 
the  city  owes  much  to  his  judgment  and  foresight,  his 
energy  and  enthusiasm,  wdiich  were  contagious.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  the  last  cotton  corporation 
formed  in  Fall  River  prior  to  his  death  had  his  back- 
ing, and  that  he  was  a  large  subscriber  to  its  stock. 

His  death  occurred  at  his  home  in  North  Main  street. 
Fall  River,  March  24,  1908,  in  his  seventy-sixth  year. 
The  board  of  directors  of  the  Sagamore  Manufacturing 


Company  passed  the  following  resolutions  to  his  memory 
at  a  meeting  convened  the  day  after  his  death: 

Hezekiah  A.  Brayton,  treasurer  of  this  corporation 
since  the  6th  day  of  November,  1S79,  died  after  a  siiort 
illness--,  on  the  twent.v-fourth  day  of  March,  190S,  in 
tile  sevent.v-.'^i.xtli  year  of  iiis  age.  Tile  ability  and 
sipnal  .«ucvcss  with  which  he  manaped  the  affairs  of 
thi.s  forporatlon  are  recognized  by  every  one  familiar 
with  it,  and  by  the  community  at  large.  His  per.-^onal- 
ily  dominated  the  entire  organization  and  impressed 
upon  it  his  own  belief  in  honest  work  and  fidelity  to 
everyday  duty.  It  was  his  pride  to  make  good,  and  to 
keep  his  "word  absolutely.  A  contract  wa.s  to  him  a 
matter  of  personal  iionor,  a^  well  as  of  <IolIars  and 
cents.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  and  uniiiue  individual- 
ity, direct  and  straightforward  in  his  dealings,  frank  of 
speech,  absolutely  honest  and  with  a  rare  touch  of 
humor.  Behind  his  apparent  impulsiveness,  there  often 
lay  long  and  deeply  considered  reasons.  As  the  years 
passed,  he  acquired  in  an  extraordinary  and  ever  in- 
creasing degree  the  confidence  of  those  who  asso- 
ciated and  dealt  with  him.  He  was  fortunate  in  his 
life,  and  he  died  at  the  height  of  his  success,  before 
age  had  dul]e<l  his  interest  or  impaired  his  mental 
vigor.  His  death  is  a  serious  loss  to  this  corporation, 
and  to  us,  his  associates. 

Mr.  Brayton  married,  March  25,  186S,  Caroline  Eliz- 
abeth Slade,  of  Somerset,  Mass.,  a  <laughtcr  of  the  late 
Hon.  William  Lawton  and  Mary  (Sherman)  Slade. 
Mrs.  Brayton  survives  her  husband  and  resides  at  the 
Brayton  home  in  F'all  River.  (See  Slade  VII).  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Brayton  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  i.  Caroline  Slade,  born  March  10,  1869;  re- 
sides in  New  York  City.  2.  Abby  Slade,  born  Nov.  10, 
1870,  in  New  York  City;  married  Randall  Nelson  Dur- 
fee, of  Fall  River,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren :  Randall  Nelson,  Jr.,  born  March  13,  1807;  Brad- 
ford Chaloner,  born  Aug.  12,  1900;  Caroline,  born 
March  12,  1904;  Mary  Brayton,  born  March  4,  1009.  3. 
William  Lawton  Slade,  born  Nov.  13,  1872,  in  New 
York  City ;  now  treasurer  of  the  Sagamore  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  to  which  office  he  succeeded  his  father. 
He  married,  June  18,  \(i03.  Mary  Easton  Ashley,  daugh- 
ter of  Stephen  B.  and  Harriet  Remington  (Davol)  Ash- 
ley, of  Fall  River;  their  children  are:  Lawton  Slade, 
born  June  20,  1904;  Lincoln  Davol,  born  Oct.  20,  1905; 
Constance,  born  March  22,  1907 ;  Ruth  Sherman,  born 
.'\pril  17,  1908;  Perry  .'\shley,  born  May  25,  1910;  Mary 
Elizabeth,  born  June  11,  1912;  Richard  Anthony,  born 
June  19,  1913;  Sherman,  born  July  19,  1915;  Harriet, 
born  Dec.  26,  1916.  4.  Israel,  born  -Aug.  5,  1874,  in  Fall 
River;  is  now  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Jennings 
&  Brayton  ;  married  Ethel  Moison  Chace,  of  Fall  River, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children :  Charlotte, 
born  March  24,  191 3;  Philip  Sherman,  born  Dec.  9, 
1914;  Roswell.  born  April  14,  1917.  5.  Mary  Durfee, 
born  May  I,  1877,  died  March  18,  1889.  6.  Stanley,  born 
March  20,  1879,  died  June  29,  1902,  at  Caux,  Switzer- 
land. 7.  Arthur  Perry,  of  whom  further.  8.  Margaret 
Lee.  born  Dec.  14,  1883.  9.  Dorothy,  born  Dec.  9.  1885; 
married,  Feb.  23,  1916,  Dr.  William  Russell  Mac.Ausland, 
of  Boston,  Mass.;  they  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter, 
Dorothy,  born  April  16,  191 7.  10.  Katharine,  born  Dec. 
16,  1887. 

Mr.  Brayton  was  no  less  happy  in  his  domestic  rela- 
tions than  in  his  business.  His  home  was  always  the 
abode  of  hospitality,  and  expressed  in  its  appearance  the 
culture  and  refinement  of  its  dw'cllers.  He  was  a  de- 
voted husband  and  father,  and  the  same  characteristics 
which  made  him  so  popular  among  his  friends  kept  his 
household  in  an  ever  cheerful  state. 


R  1—2—14 


2IO 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAXD 


(VIII)   Arthur  Perry  Brajton,  son  of  the  late  Heze- 
kiah  A.  and  Caroline  E.   (Slade)    Brayton,  and  the  de- 
scendant of  several  of  the  oldest  and  most   influential 
families  of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island,  was  born 
in  Fall  River,  Mass.,  May  25,  1881.    He  was  educated  in 
the   B.   M.  C.   Durfee  High   School  of  Fall   River,  and 
later  attended  the  Hotchkiss  School  in  Lakeville,  Conn. 
On  completing  his  studies  he  engaged  in  business  pur- 
suits  in   Fall   River,   and   devoted   his   attention   to   the 
management  of  the  Durfee  farm  in  South  Somerset  of 
which  he  was  owner.     In   connection  with  the   Durfee 
farm  he  conducted  a  highly   successful   dairy  business. 
Following    the    entry    of    the    United    States    into    the 
war,  and   up  to   the  time  of   his   death,   he   served   the 
government   in   an   official   capacity   in    the   training   of 
women    for    agricultural    work,    and    employed    many 
on   his   farm   in   Somerset.     He  also  supplied   farmer- 
ettes  to   the   neighboring    farmers.     An    able   business 
man  and  an  active  worker  in  charitable  and   religious 
fields,    he    had    crowded    into    his    comparatively    brief 
span   of   years   a   wide   range   of    interests   which    sel- 
dom   characterizes    the    man    who    has    attained    three 
score  and  ten.     Business  was  not  his  field— he  was  suc- 
cessful in   the  ventures   which   he  entered,  a  keen  and 
sagacious   investor,   and    an    able   manager,   yet    he    re- 
sented the  demands  which  large  affairs  almost  invariably 
make   to   the   exclusion   of   other   interests.     He   was   a 
man  of  broad  minded  tolerance,  a  keen  observer,  widely 
travelled,  who  had  weighed  the  frenzied  rush  and  spe- 
cialized ef^'ort  of  commercialism  against  the  well  ordered, 
well  rounded  life  of  the  man  who  engages  in  many  pur- 
suits, and  finds  the  zest  of  life  in  widely  diversified" chan- 
nels. 

A  sincere  desire  to  be  of  aid  to  humanity,  to  do  the 
greatest  good  for  the  greatest  number,  inspired  the  en- 
tire career  of  Arthur  P.  Brayton.     In  1896  he  became  a 
member  of  the  First  Congregational  Church,  and  until 
his   death   maintained  an   active   interest   in   the  church 
and  Sunday  school.     For  many  years  he  was  clerk  of 
the  church,  president  of  the  Young  People's  Society,  and 
librarian  of  the  Sunday  school.     He  was  also  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Adams  and  Junior  .^danis  clubs,  church 
societies  for  men.     He  was  prominently  identified  with 
many   church   organizations,   and    for   inanv   years   was 
treasurer  of  the  Seaside  Home.     His  gifts  to  charitable 
causes  were  large,  and  no  reasonable  appeal  to  him  was 
ever  refused.     He  gave  impulsively,  and  for  this  reason 
the  actual  extent  of  his  gifts  to  charitable  and  philan- 
thropic causes   never   became   known.     He   was   a   man 
well  loved  by  hundreds,  for  he  had  the  social  instinct, 
the  gift  of  making  and  holding  a  friendship,  an  earnest 
sincerity  and  warmth  which  drew  men  to  him  instantly. 
Mr.  Braj-ton  was  a  favorite  in  club  circles.     He  was  a 
member  of  the  Quequechan  Club,  the  Fall  River  Coun- 
try Club,  and  numerous  business  organizations.     Yacht- 
ing was   his   favorite   sport,  and  he   was   the  owner  at 
different  times   of  several  yachts   and  speed  boats.     A 
commodore  of  the   Fall   River   Yacht  Club   for  several 
years,  he  did   much  to  promote  its  interests.     He  was 
also   president  of  the  Narragansett   Bay   Yacht   Racing 
Association  from  February  14.  191 -,  until  his  death. 

Mr.  Brayton  was  unmarried.  His  death  in  Fall  River, 
Mass.,  October  14,  1918,  was  the  cause  of  sincere  and 
widespread  grief. 


SLADE   FAMILY— The   following   is   the  heraldic 
description  of  the  Slade  arms: 


Crest— -On  a  mount  vert  a  horse's  head  erased  sahlp 
encircled  with  a  chain  in  form  of  an  arch    |old  ' 

-Motto— Fidus  et  audax.     (Faithful  and  bold). 

The  Slade  coat-of-arms  as  it  was  originallv  registered 
during  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth  was : 

guteT"''"''^'"*''"''    ^^''^^    horses'    heads    sable,    a    chief 

Crest — A  horse's  head,  erased  sable. 

The  name  Slade  has  an  interesting  origin.  Its  mean- 
ing as  a  common  noun  is  "a  small  strip  of  green  plain 
within  a  woodland."  One  of  the  rhymes  about  Robin 
Hood  runs : 

It  had  been  better  of  William  a  Trent 
To  have  been  abed  with  sorrowe 

Than  to  be  that  day  in  greenwood  'slade 
To  meet  with  Little  John's  arrowe. 

^  In  England  we  have  the  de  la  Slades  of  the  Hundred 
Rolls.  The  word  is  seen  in  many  compounds  like:  Rob- 
ert de  Greneslade  (of  the  greenslade);  William  de  la 
Morslade  (the  moorland  slade);  Richard  de  Wytslade 
(the  whiteslade);  Michael  de  Ocslade  (the  oakslade). 
Sladen,  that  is  sladeden,  implies  a  woodland  hollow. 
The  name  Slade  in  this  country  has  sometimes  been 
written  Slead,  or  Sleed.  During  the  period  which  has 
witnessed  the  growth  and  development  of  the  city  of 
Fall  River  as  an  industrial  center,  the  name  Slade  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  its  afl^airs. 

(I)  William  Slade,  founder  of  the  family  in  this 
country,  is  said  to  have  been  born  in  Wales,  and  was 
the  son  of  Edward  Slade.  The  family  appears  to  have 
been  but  temporarily  located  in  Wales,  as  it  was  long 
identified  with  Somersetshire,  England.  William  Slade 
appears  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  in  1659,  when  he  was  ad- 
mitted a  freeman  of  the  colony,  and  became  an  early 
settler  in  the  Shawomet  purchase,  included  in  that  part 
of  Swansea,  Mass.,  which  became  the  town  of  Somerset 
in  1690.  As  early  as  1680.  when  the  first  record  of  the 
town  begins.  Mr.  Slade  was  a  resident  of  Swansea,  and 
the  meetings  of  the  proprietors  were  held  at  his  house 
after  their  discontinuance  at  Plymouth,  in  1677.  He  was 
a  large  landholder,  his  domain  including  the  ferry  across 
Taunton  river,  which  has  ever  been  known  as  Slade's 
Ferry,  and  this  ferry  remained  in  possession  of  the 
family  until  the  river  was  bridged  in  1876,  at  which  time 
it  was  operated  by  William  L.  Lawton  and  Jonathan 
Slade.  William  Slade  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Obadiah  Holmes,  of  Rehoboth.  The  Holmes  coat-of- 
arms  is  as  follows : 

Arms — Barry  wavy  of  six  or  and  azure  on  a  canton 
gules  a  lion  passant  of  the  first. 

Crest — Out  of  a  naval  crown  or.  a  dexter  arm  em- 
bowed   in  armor,   holding  a  trident  proper,   spear  gold 

Motto — Justum  et  tenacem   propositi. 

Children  of  William  and  Sarah  (Holmes)  Slade:  i. 
Mary,  born  May,  1689.  2.  William,  born  in  1692.  3. 
Edward,  mentioned  below.  4.  Elizabeth,  born  Dec.  2, 
1695.  5.  Hannah,  born  July  15,  1697.  6.  Martha,  born 
Feb.  27.  1699.  7.  Sarah.  8.  Phebe,  born  Sept.  25,  1701. 
9.  Jonathan,  born  Aug.  3,  1703,  died  aged  about  eight- 
een.    10.  Lydia,  born  Oct.  8,  1706. 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


211 


(II)  Edward  Slade,  son  of  William  and  Sarah 
(Holmes')  Slade,  was  born  in  Swansea,  Mass.,  June 
14,  1694.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
He  married  (first)  in  1717,  Elizabeth  Anthony,  who 
bore  him  one  son,  William,  born  September  25,  1718. 
He  married  (second)  December  6,  1720,  Phebe,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Sherman)  Chase.  He  mar- 
ried (third)  Deborah  BufFum.  The  children  01  second 
marriage  were:  i.  Samuel,  mentioned  below.  2.  Eliza- 
beth, born  April  29,  1723.  3.  Joseph,  born  Nov.  16, 
1724.  Children  of  third  marriage:  4.  Edward,  bom 
Nov.  II,  1728.  5.  Philip,  born  .■\pril  ig,  1730.  6.  Phebe, 
born  July  4.  1737.    7.  Mercy,  born  in  1744. 

(III)  Samuel  Slade,  son  of  Edward  and  Phebe 
(Chase)  Slade,  was  born  November  26.  1721,  in  Swan- 
sea, where  he  lived  and  received  from  his  uncle.  Cap- 
tain Jonathan  Slade  (who  died  without  issue),  the 
ferry  previously  alluded  to  as  Slade's  Ferry.  Beside 
conducting  the  ferry  he  also  engaged  in  agriculture  and 
blacksmithing.  He  married  Mercy,  daughter  of  Jon- 
athan and  ^Iercy  Buffum,  born  July  3,  1723,  in  Salem, 
Mass.,  died  November  18,  1797,  in  Swansea.  Children, 
all  born  in  Swansea:  i.  Jonathan,  mentioned  below. 
2.  Robert,  born  Oct.  7,  1746.  3.  Henry,  born  .Vug.  20, 
1748.  4.  Edward,  born  Sept.  27,  1749.  5.  Samuel,  born 
Jan.  20,  1753.  6.  Caleb,  born  June  24,  1755.  7.  Buffum, 
born  May  31.  1757.  8.  William,  born  Oct.  18,  1759.  9- 
Bpnjamin.  born  March  14,  1762. 

(I\')  Jonathan  Slade,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mercy 
(BufFum)  Slade,  was  bom  .'\ugust  13,  1744,  in  Swan- 
sea, where  he  passed  his  life,  and  died  November  16, 
181 1.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mary 
Chase,  born  15th  of  the  12th  month,  1746,  in  Swansea, 
died  there  September  7,  1814.  Children:  1.  Jonathan, 
born  lOth  of  2nd  month,  1768,  died  8th  of  12th  month, 
1797.  2.  Mercy,  born  31st  of  6th  month,  1770.  3.  Mary, 
iSth  of  4th  month,  1772.  4.  .Anna,  20th  of  1st  month, 
177s,  died  19th  of  5th  month,  1805.  5.  Patience,  5th 
of  Sth  month,  1777,  died  26th  of  loth  month,  1798. 
6.  William,  mentioned  below.  7.  Nathan,  loth  of  2nd 
month,  1783.  8.  Phebe,  15th  of  5th  month,  1785.  9. 
Hannah,  l8th  of  ist  month,  1788,  died  J3rd  of  5th  month, 
1805.  10.  Lydia,  3rd  of  4th  month,  1791,  died  26th 
of  loth  month,  1804. 

(V)  William  (2)  Slade,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Mary 
(Chase)  Slade.  w-as  born  June  4,  1780.  in  Swansea,  and 
resided  in  that  part  of  the  town  which  became  Somer- 
set, where  all  his  children  were  born,  and  died  Septem- 
ber 7,  1852.  He  was  an  influential  and  active  citizen 
of  the  community,  and  filled  many  offices  of  trust  and 
responsibility.  In  1826  he  began  the  operation  of  a 
horse  boat  at  the  ferry,  and  in  1846  adopted  steam  as 
a  motive  power.  In  1812  he  was  one  of  the  purchasers 
of  the  land  upon  which  was  built  the  Pocasset  Com- 
pany's mill,  one  of  the  first  two  mills  in  what  was  then 
the  town  of  Troy,  now  the  city  of  Fall  River.  These 
mills  were  the  subsequent  pioneers  in  the  cloth-making 
industry,  established  in  1813.  Mr.  Slade  was  one  of 
the  original  stockholders  in  the  Fall  River  Manufac- 
tory, and  in  1822  was  one  of  the  eight  corporators  of 
the  Pocasset  Manufacturing  Company,  which  gave  great 
impetus  to  the  cotton  manufacturing  industry  of  Fall 
River.  He  was  also  an  original  proprietor  of  the 
Watuppa  Manufacturing  Company. 


He  married  Phebe,  daughter  of  William  and  Abigail 
Lawton,  born  August  21.  1781,  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  died 
March  18,  1874,  in  her  ninety-third  year. 

The   Lawton  coat-of-arms  is  as  follows: 

Arms — .\rgent  on  a  fesse  between  three  cresses 
crosslet  fitchee  sable  as  many  cinquefolls  of  the  field. 

Crest — A  demi-wolf  salient  rej^uardant  argent,  vulnod 
in  the  breast  gules. 

Motto — Liberie  toute  entiere   (Liberty  unfettered). 

Children,  all  born  in  Somerset:  i.  .•\bigail  L.,  born 
Jan.  22,  1809.  2.  Lydia  Ann,  Sept.  17.  1811.  3.  .-Xmanda, 
Dec.  2,  1813.  4.  Jonathan,  Sept.  23,  1815.  5.  William 
Lawton,  mentioned  below.  6.  David,  Sept.  4,  1819.  7. 
Mary,  Sept.  30,  1821. 

(VI)  Hon.  William  Lawton  Slade,  son  of  William 
(2)  and  Phebe  (Lawton)  Slade,  was  born  September  6, 
1817,  in  Somerset,  and  was  reared  upon  the  homestead 
farm,  attending  the  common  schools  of  the  section,  and 
later  the  Friends'  School  at  Providence.  He  continued 
to  operate  the  ferry,  and  was  an  extensive  farmer,  ac- 
quiring in  his  lifetime  several  fine  farms.  In  1871  he 
purchased  the  ferry  property  of  the  Brightmans,  lying 
on  the  east  side  of  Taunton  river,  and  in  company  with 
his  brother,  Jonathan  Slade,  was  the  last  to  operate  the 
ferry  which  had  been  in  the  family  more  than  two 
centuries,  and  was  discontinued  on  the  construction  of 
the  bridge  in  1876.  He  early  became  interested  in  the 
manufacturing  concerns  at  Fall  River,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  first  board  of  directors  and  later  president  of 
the  Montaup  Mills  Company,  organized  in  1871  for  the 
manufacture  of  duck  and  cotton  bags,  then  a  new  indus- 
try in  Fall  River.  He  was  one  of  the  promoters  in 
1871  of  the  Slade  Mill,  the  first  of  the  group  of  factories 
erected  in  the  southern  district  of  the  city,  built  on  a 
Slade  farm,  of  which  he  was  director  and  president. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
Stafford  Mills,  and  held  stock  in  several  other  manu- 
facturing industries  of  Fall  River.  In  i860  he  was 
made  a  director  of  what  subsequently  became  the  Fall 
River  National  Bank. 

For  many  years  he  served  as  a  selectman  of  the 
town  of  Somerset,  his  long  continuance  in  this  office 
testifying  to  his  efficiency.  In  1859  and  again  in  1864 
he  represented  the  town  of  Somerset  in  the  General 
.-\ssembly  of  the  State,  was  a  member  of  the  committee 
on  agriculture  during  his  first  term,  and  on  public  char- 
itable institutions  in  his  second,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  committee  of  arrangements  for  the  burial  of  Sen- 
ator Charles  Sumner.  In  1863  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  Senate,  in  which  body  he  served  as  a 
member  of  the  committee  on  agriculture.  His  political 
affiliations  were  with  the  Republican  party,  but  he  was 
never  an  office  seeker,  and  accepted  public  service  as 
a  part  of  his  duty  as  a  good  citizen.  He  was  often 
called  upon  to  engage  in  the  settlement  of  estates  and 
served  as  a  commissioner  for  that  purpose.  In  him  the 
cause  of  temperance  ever  found  a  staunch  and  energetic 
supporter.  He  was  a  lifelong  member  of  the  Society 
of  Friends. 

He  died  July  29,  1895.  and  two  days  later  the  board 
of  directors  of  the  Sla<lc  Mill  testified  to  his  character 
and  services  in  the  following  resolution,  which  was 
entered  upon  their  records  : 

William  Lawton  Slade  was  one  of  the  originators  of 
this   cumpanyi     and   has   been    its   president   since   the 


212 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


date  of  its  incorporation  in  1871.  He  has  always  iden- 
tified himself  with  its  interests,  and  its  welfare  has 
been  his  constant  care.  He  gave  freely  of  his  time 
and  thought  to  the  business  of  the  corporation.  Every 
subject  presented  to  his  attention  received  from  him 
calm  consideration  and  mature  deliberation,  and  his 
judgment  w'as  universally  respected.  He  was  broad  in 
his  views,  farseeing  in  his  suggestions  and  looked  not 
alone  to  the  present,  but  to  the  future. 

He  was  a  man  of  noble  presence,  high  character, 
sound  judgment  and  unswerving  integrity.  He  was 
pleasant  in  his  manner,  and  was  universally  esteemed 
and  respected. 

This  corporation  has  lost  in  him  a  firm  friend,  a  wise 
counsellor  and  a  sagacious  adviser,  and  its  directors, 
each  and  ever>'  one.  feel  a  keen  sense  of  personal  be- 
reavement. 

It  is  resolved  that  we  attend  his  funeral  in  a  body 
and  that  copies  of  this  record  be  furnished  to  his  fam- 
ily and  for  publication. 

HENRY  S.  FENNER,  Clerk. 

Mr.  Slade  married,  October  5,  1842,  Mary  Sherman, 
daughter  of  .-^sa  and  Elizabeth  (Mitchell)  Sherman,  of 
Portsmouth,  R.  I.  (See  Sherman  VI).  She  was  born 
September  16,  1815,  in  Portsmouth,  and  died  March 
29,  1900,  in  Somerset,  Mass.  Children:  i.  Caroline 
Elizabeth,  mentioned  below.  2.  Abigail  L.,  born  March 
IS,   1848;  married  James  T.  Milne;   died  Nov.  5,   1872. 

3.  Mary,  born  July  12.  1852,  died  Aug.  15,  1877;  mar- 
ried Velona  \V.  Haughwout,  and  left  three  children: 
Mary,  Alice,  and  Elizabeth ;  of  these,  Mary  and  Eliza- 
beth died  in  young  womanhood,  and  Alice  is  the  wife  of 
Preston  C.  West,  and  resides  in  Saskatchewan,  Canada. 

4,  Sarah  Sherman,  died  young.  5.  Anna  Mitchell,  died 
young. 

(VII)  Caroline  Elizabeth  Slade,  eldest  child  of  Wil- 
liam Lawton  and  Mary  (Sherman)  Slade,  was  born 
January  3,  1846,  in  Somerset,  and  became  the  wife  of 
Hezekiah  Anthony  Brayton,  of  Fall  River.  (See 
Bray  ton  VII). 


SHERMAN  FAMILY— The  following  is  an  her- 
aldic description  of  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  Shermans 
of  Yaxley,  County  Suffolk,  given  under  Henry  VII  to 
Thomas  Sherman: 

Arms — Or,  a  lion  rampant,  sable,  between  three  oak 
leaves  vert. 

Crest — A  sea  lion,  sejant,  sable,  charged  on  the 
shoulder  with  three  bezants,  two  and  one. 

Motto — Mortem  vince  virtute. 

Of  the  London  Shermans,  descendants  of  the  ^'a.xley 
house : 

Arms — Same  arms.     An  annulet  for  difference. 

Crest — A  sea  lion,  sejant,  per  pale,  or  and  argent, 
guttee-de-poix,  finned,  of  the  first,  gold,  on  the  shoulder 
a  crescent  for  dilference. 

Of  Ipswich,  County  Suffolk;  brother  of  Thomas 
Sherman,  of  Yaxley : 

Arms — Azure,  a  pelican  or,  vulning  her  breast  proper. 
Crest — A    sea    lion,    sejant,   per   pale,    or   and    argent, 
guttee-de-poix.  finned,  gold. 

The  surname  of  Sherman  in  England  is  of  German 
origin,  and  at  the  present  time  in  Germany  and  adjacent 
countries  the  name  is  found  spelled  Schurman,  Schear- 
man,  Scherman.  It  is  derreed  from  the  occupation  of 
some  progenitor,  who  was  a  dresser  or  shearer  of 
cloth.  The  family  bore  the  Suffolk  coat-of-arms,  and 
probably  lived  in  the  county  of  Suffolk  originally,  whence 
they  removed  to  Essex  in  the  fifteenth  century.  The 
name  is  found  in  England  as  early  as  1420,  and  through 
wills  and  other  documents  is  traced  as  follows : 


(I)  Thomas  Sherman.  Gentleman,  was  born  about 
1420.  and  resided  at  Diss  and  Yaxley,  England,  dying 
in  1493.    He  had  a  wife  Agnes,  and  a  son  John. 

(II)  John  Sherman,  a  gentleman  of  Yaxley,  born 
about  1450,  died  November,  1504.  He  married  .^gnes, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Fullen.     They  had  a  son,  Thomas. 

(III)  Thomas  (2)  Sherman,  son  of  John  and  Agnes 
(Fullen)  Sherman,  was  born  about  1480,  and  died  in 
November,  1551.  He  resided  at  Diss,  on  the  river 
Waveney,  between  the  counties  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk. 
His  will  mentions  property,  including  the  manors  of 
Royden  and  Royden  Tuft,  with  appurtenances,  at  Roy- 
den  and  Bessingham,  and  other  properties  in  Norfolk 
and  Suffolk.  His  wife,  Jane,  who  was  probably  not 
his  first,  was  a  daughter  of  John  Waller,  of  Wortham, 
Suffolk.  Children:  Thomas,  Richard,  John.  Henry, 
William,   .\nthony,   Francis,   Bartholomew,  James. 

(IV)  Henry  Sherman,  son  of  Thomas  (2)  and  Jane 
(Waller)  Sherman,  was  born  about  1530,  in  Yaxley, 
and  is  mentioned  in  his  father's  will.  His  will,  made 
January  20,  1589,  proved  July  25,  1590,  was  made  at 
Colchester,  where  he  lived.  His  first  wife,  Agnes 
(Butler)  Sherman,  was  buried  October  14,  1580.  He 
married  (second)  Margery  Wilson,  a  widow.  Child- 
ren: I.  Henry,  mentioned  below.  2.  Edmund,  married 
Anna  Clere,  died  1601 ;  his  son  Edmund  was  father  of 
Rev.  John  Sherman,  of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  where  Ed- 
mund died  in  1641.  3.  Dr.  Robert,  of  London.  4. 
Judith,  married  Nicholas  Fynce.  5.  John,  died  with- 
out issue. 

(V)  Henry  (2)  Sherman,  son  of  Henry  (i)  Sher- 
man, was  born  about  1555,  in  Colchester,  and  resided 
in  Dedham,  County  Essex,  where  he  made  his  will 
August  21,  proved  September  8,  1610.  He  married 
Susan  Hills,  whose  will  was  made  ten  days  after  his, 
and  proved  in  the  following  month.  Six  of  the  sons 
mentioned  below  were  living  when  the  father  died. 
Children:  I.  Henry,  born  1571,  died  in  1642.  2.  Samuel, 
mentioned  below.  3.  Susan,  born  in  1575.  4.  Edmond 
or  Edward,  born  about  1577.  5.  Nathaniel,  born  1580, 
died  young.  6.  Nathaniel,  born  1582.  7.  Elizabeth,  born 
about  1587.  8.  Ezekiel,  born  July  25,  1589.  9.  Mary, 
born  July  27,  1592.  10.  Daniel,  died  in  1634.  11.  Anne, 
married  Thomas  Wilson.  12.  Phebe,  married  Simeon 
Fenn. 

(VI)  Samuel  Sherman,  son  of  Henry  (2)  and  Susan 
(Hills)  Sherman,  was  born  1573,  and  died  in  Dedham, 
in  1615.     He  married  Philippa  Ward. 

(The  Family  in  America). 

(I)  Philip  Sherman,  immigrant  ancestor  and  progen- 
itor of  the  .American  branch  of  the  Shermans,  was  the 
seventh  child  of  Samuel  and  Philippa  (Ward)  Sher- 
man, and  was  born  February  5,  1610,  in  Dedham,  Eng- 
land. He  died  in  March,  1687,  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.  He 
came  to  America  when  twenty-three  years  old,  and  set- 
tled at  Roxbury,  Mass.,  where  he  was  made  freeman. 
May  14,  1634.  standing  next  on  the  list  after  Governor 
Haynes.  In  1635  he  returned  to  England,  remaining 
for  a  short  time,  but  was  again  in  Roxbury,  November 
20,  1637,  when  he  and  others  were  warned  to  give  up 
all  arms  because  "the  opinions  and  revelations  of  Mr 
Wheelwright  and  Mrs.  Hutchinson  have  seduced  and 
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BIOGRAPHICAL 


213 


New  England."  The  church  record  says  he  was 
brought  over  to  "Familism"  by  Porter,  his  wife's  step- 
father. 

In  1636  he  was  one  of  the  purchasers  of  the  island  of 
Aquidneck,  now  Rhode  Island,  and  on  the  formation  of 
a  government  in  1639,  became  secretary  under  Governor 
William  Coddington.  The  Massachusetts  authorities 
evidently  believed  he  was  still  under  their  jurisdiction 
for,  on  March  12,  1638,  though  he  had  summons  to 
appear  at  the  next  court,  "if  they  had  not  yet  gone  to 
answer  such  things  as  shall  be  objected,"  he  did  not 
answer  this  summons,  but  continued  to  be  a  prominent 
figure  in  Rhode  Island  affairs.  He  continued  to  serve 
in  public  office,  and  was  made  freeman,  March  16,  1641, 
was  general  recorder  1648  to  1652,  and  deputy  from 
1665  to  1667.  He  was  among  the  sixteen  persons  who 
were  requested,  on  April  4,  1676,  to  be  present  at  the 
next  meeting  of  the  deputies  to  give  advice  and  help  in 
regard  to  the  Narragansett  campaign.  He  was  public- 
spirited  and  enterprising.  After  his  removal  to  Rhode 
Island  he  left  the  Congregational  church  and  became  a 
member  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  Tradition  affirms 
that  he  was  "a  devout  but  determined  man."  The  early 
records  prepared  by  him  still  remain  in  Portsmouth, 
and  show  him  to  have  been  a  very  neat  and  expert  pen- 
man, as  well  as  an  educated  man.  His  will  shows  that 
he  was  wealthy  for  the  times.  In  1634  he  married 
Sarah  Odding,  stepdaughter  of  John  Porter,  of  Rox- 
bury,  and  his  wife  Margaret,  who  was  a  Widow  Od- 
ding at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to  Porter.  Philip 
Sherman's  children:  i.  Eber,  born  1634,  lived  in  Kings- 
town, R.  I.,  died  in  1706.  2.  Sarah,  born  in  1636;  mar- 
ried Thomas  Mumford.  3.  Peleg,  born  1638,  died  1719, 
in  Kingstown,  R.  I.  4.  Mary,  born  1639,  died  young. 
5.  Edmond,  born  1641 ;  lived  in  Portsmouth  and  Dart- 
mouth; died  in  1719.  6.  Samson,  mentioned  below.  7. 
William,  born  1643,  died  young.  8.  John,  born  1644; 
a  farmer  and  blacksmith  in  what  is  now  South  Dart- 
mouth; died  .April  16,  1734.  9.  Mary,  born  1645;  mar- 
ried Samuel  Wilbur.  10.  Hannah,  born  1647;  married 
William  Chase.  11.  Samuel,  born  1648;  lived  in  Ports- 
mouth, died  Oct.  9,  1717.  12.  Benjamin,  born  1650; 
lived  in  Portsmouth.  13.  Philippa,  burn  Oct.  1,  1652; 
married  Benjamin  Chase. 

ni)  Samson  Sherman,  son  of  Philip  and  Sarah 
(Odding)  Sherman,  was  born  1642,  in  Portsmouth, 
where  he  passed  his  life,  and  died  June  27,  1718.  He 
married,  March  4,  1675,  Isabel  Tripp,  born  1651,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Mary  (Paine)  Tripp,  died  1716.  Chil- 
dren: I.  Philip,  born  Jan.  16,  1676.  2.  Sarah,  Sept.  4, 
1677.  3.  Alice,  Jan.  12,  1680.  4.  Samson,  Jan.  28,  1682. 
5.  Abiel,  Oct.  15,  1684.  6.  Isabel,  i68().  7.  Job,  men- 
fioned  below. 

(Ill)  Job  Sherman,  son  of  Samson  and  Isabel 
(Tripp)  Sherman,  was  born  November  8,  1687,  in 
Portsmouth,  and  died  November  16,  1747,  •"  Ports- 
mouth. He  married  (first)  December  23.  1714,  Bridget 
Gardiner,  of  Kingstown,  and  (second)  in  1732,  Amie 
Spencer,  of  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.  Children  of  first 
marriage:  i.  Philip,  born  Oct.  12,  1715.  2.  Israel,  bom 
Oct.  31,  1717.  3.  Mary,  born  Jan.  16,  1719.  4.  Job, 
born  May  2,  1722.  5.  Bridget,  born  May  7,  1724.  6. 
Sarah,  born  Oct.  29.  1726.  7.  .-Mice,  born  April  25, 
1728.    8.  Mary,  born  Oct.  13,  1730.    Children  of  second 


marriage:  9.  Amie,  born  May  27,  1734.  10.  Benjamin, 
born  Sept  14,  1735.  II.  Samson,  mentioned  below.  12. 
Martha,  born  Nov.  29,  1738.  13.  Walter,  born  Aug.  20, 
1740.  14.  Dorcas,  born  Nov.  2,  1742.  15.  Abigail,  born 
Sept.  10,  1744. 

(IV)  Samson  (2)  Sherman,  son  of  Job  and  Amie 
(Spencer)  Sherman,  was  born  July  23,  1737,  in  Ports- 
mouth, where  he  spent  his  life,  engaged  in  agriculture, 
and  died  January  24,  1801.  He  married,  December  9, 
1761,  Ruth,  daughter  of  David  and  Jemima  (Tallman) 
Fish,  of  Portsmouth.  Children:  I.  Walter,  born  April 
4,  1763;  married  Rebecca  .Anthony,  of  Portsmouth.  2. 
-Amy,  born  Jan.  6,  1764;  married  Daniel  Anthony,  of 
Portsmouth.  3.  Job.  born  Jan.  21,  1766;  married  Alice 
Anthony.  4.  Susaima,  born  Oct  19,  1767;  married 
Peleg  Almy,  of  Portsmouth.  5.  Hannah,  born  Jan.  27, 
1769;  married  Jonathan  Dennis,  of  Portsmouth.  6. 
Anne,  born  Nov.  19,  1770;  married  Nathan  Chase,  of 
Portsmouth.  7.  David,  born  June,  1772;  married  Waite 
Sherman,  of  Portsmouth.  8.  Ruth,  born  Oct  21,  1773, 
(lied  in  infancy.  9.  Ruth,  born  Feb.  20,  1778;  married 
Obadiah  Davis,  of  New  Bedford,  Mass.  10.  Asa,  men- 
tioned below.  II.  .Abigail,  born  April  2,  1782;  married 
Abram  David,  of  Fair  Haven,  Mass.  12.  Mary,  born 
Nov.  18,  1783;  married  David  Shove,  of  Berkley,  Mass. 

(V)  Asa  Sherman,  son  of  Samson  (2)  and  Ruth 
(Fish)  Sherman,  was  born  December  22,  1779,  in  Ports- 
mouth, and  died  at  Fall  River,  December  29,  1863.  His 
remains  were  interred  in  the  Friends'  Cemetery  at 
Portsmouth.  He  was  a  birthright  nieml)er  of  the 
Friends,  was  a  farmer  and  landowner  in  Portsmouth. 
He  married,  at  the  Friends'  Meeting  in  Newport,  No- 
vember II,  1805,  Elizabeth  Mitchell,  born  October  17, 
1782,  in  Middletown,  R.  I.,  daughter  of  Richard  and 
Joanna  (Lawton)  Mitchell.  (See  Mitchell  IV). 
Children:  i.  Ruth,  born  Nov.  21,  1806.  2.  Joanna,  born 
July  30,  1808,  died  at  Fall  River,  Sept.  9,  1863.  3. 
Sarah,  born  Feb.  30,  1810;  married,  Nov.  20,  1839, 
Abner  Slade,  of  Swansea,  Mass.  4.  Amy,  born  Sept. 
16,  181 1 ;  married,  Oct  21,  1839,  Mark  Anthony,  of 
Taunton,  Mass.  5.  Richard  Mitchell,  born  Sept.  16, 
1813.  6.  Mary,  mentioned  below.  7.  Asa,  born  Dec. 
23,  1817.  8.  Daniel,  born  June  25,  1820.  9.  William, 
born  .April  9,  1823.  10.  .Annie,  born  July  17,  1826,  died 
at  Fall  River,  Jan.  15,   1849. 

(VI)  Marj'  Sherman,  fifth  daughter  of  Asa  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Mitchell)  Sherman,  was  born  September  16, 
1815,  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.  She  married,  October  5, 
1842,  Hon.  William  Lawton  Slade,  of  Somerset.  (See 
Slade  VI). 

(MI)  Caroline  Elizabeth  Slade,  daughter  of  Hon. 
William  Lawton  and  Mary  (Sherman)  Slade,  married, 
March  25,  1868,  Hezckiah  Anthony  Brayton,  of  Fall 
River. 


MITCHELL  FAMILY— The  following  is  the  de- 
scription of  the  Mitchell  arms: 

Arms — Sable,  a  fess,  -wavy  between  three  mascles  or. 
Crest — A  phoenix  in  flames  proper. 
Motto — Spemlt  humum. 

(I)  Richard  Mitchell,  the  ancestor  of  a  New  Eng- 
land family,  was  a  native  of  Bricktowp,  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  Great  Britain,  where  he  was  born  in  1686. 
There  he  learned  the  trade  of  tailor,  and  on  attaining 


214 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


his  majority  decided  to  -go  into  business  for  himself 
in  his  native  place.  He  visited  London,  there  to  obtain 
the  necessary  materials,  and  while  there  was  seized  by 
a  press  gang  and  taken  on  board  a  man-of-war.  Tailors 
were  not  then  exempted,  as  were  other  mechanics,  from 
impressment.  The  vessel  on  which  he  sailed  spent  some 
time  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  here  Richard  Mitchell  found 
opportunity  to  escape.  He  made  a  suit  of  clothes  for 
the  governor's  son.  which  so  pleased  the  latter  that 
he  secreted  him  and  kept  him  in  concealment  until  after 
the  vessel  had  sailed.  He  continued  to  reside  in  New- 
port, and  became  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
later  taking  a  prominent  part  in  the  life  of  the  com- 
munity. 

He  married,  in  1708,  Elizabeth  Tripp,  of  Dartmouth, 
Mass.,  born  in  1685,  daughter  of  James  and  Mercy 
(Lawton)  Tripp,  granddaughter  of  James  and  Mary 
(Paine)  Tripp,  and  also  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Haz- 
ard) Lawton,  great-granddaughter  of  Thomas  Hazard, 
the  founder  of  a  noted  family  in  Rhode  Island,  Rich- 
ard Mitchell  died  September  24,  1722,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-six  years,  and  his  widow  married  (second)  April 
18,  1734,  William  Wood;  she  died  February  13,  1740. 
Children  of   Richard   and   Elizabeth    (Tripp)    Mitchell: 

1.  Elizabeth,  born  July  13,  1709;  married,  Dec.  8,  1726, 
Jabez  Carpenter.  2.  Mary,  born  Oct.  17,  1712;  married. 
May  18,  1732,  Caleb  Coggeshall.  3.  James,  mentioned 
below.  4.  Richard,  born  Sept.  5,  1719;  settled  in  Nan- 
tucket, Mass.    5.  Joseph,  born  Nov.  25,  1720. 

(II)  James  Mitchell,  first  son  of^Richard  and  Eliza- 
beth (Tripp)  Mitchell,  was  born  April  20,  1715,  in  New- 
port, R.  I.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
in  which  he  was  an  elder,  and  died  October  5,  1799.  He 
lived  for  a  time  at  Nantucket,  Mass.,  where  he  married 
Anna  Folger,  daughter  of  Jethro  and  Mary  Folger, 
of  Nantucket.  He  moved  later  to  Middletown,  R.  I., 
near  the  Portsmouth  line,  and  there  continued  to  make 
his  home  until  his  death.  Children:  i.  Mary,  born 
Nov.   10,   1739;   married   Mathew   Barker,  of   Newport. 

2.  James,  born  Aug.  31,  1743;  married  Elizabeth  An- 
thony. 3.  Elizabeth,  born  July  9,  1746;  married  Giles 
Hoosier.  4.  Hepsabeth,  born  March  14,  1750;  married 
(first)  Peter  Chase;  (second)  David  Buffum.  5. 
Richard,  mentioned  below. 

(III)  Richard  (2)  Mitchell,  son  of  James  and  Anna 
(Folger)  Mitchell,  was  born  November  25,  1754,  in 
Middletown,  R.  I.,  and  lived  in  that  town,  near  what 
is  known  as  Mitchell's  Lane,  where  he  died  October 
26,  1833,  and  where  he  is  buried.  He  married,  Novem- 
ber 6,  1776,  Joanna  Lawton,  a  native  of  Portsmouth, 
daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  Lawton,  who  died  August 
6,  1830.  Children :  i.  Jethro  Folger,  born  March  14, 
1778;  married  Anne  Gould.  2.  Isaac,  born  Aug.  21, 
1779;  married  Sarah  Gould.  3.  John,  born  Jan.  15, 
1781 ;  married  Katherine  Gould.  4.  Elizabeth,  mentioned 
below.  5.  Peter,  born  July  3,  1784;  married  Mar>- 
Wales.  6.  Sarah,  born  May  19,  1787.  7.  Joanna,  born 
Dec.  3,  1788;  married  David  Rodman.  8.  Ann,  born 
Aug.  6,  1 791.    9.  Richard,  born  Feb.  20,  1793. 

(IV)  Elizabeth  Mitchell,  eldest  daughter  of  Richard 
(2)  and  Joanna  (Lawton)  Mitchell,  was  born  October 
17,  1782,  in  Middletown,  R.  I.,  and  became  the  wife  of 
Asa  Sherman,  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I.     (See  Sherman  V). 


Prominent  Persons  of  the  Mitchell  Family. 

Sir  Andrew  Mitchell,  vice-admiral  of  the  British 
fleet  that  forced  tlie  entrance  to  Texel  Island,  Holland, 
in  the  war  against  the  French  and  Dutch,  in  1794.  He 
captured  the  Dutch  fleet,  helping  to  establish  the  naval 
supremacy  of  Great  Britain. 

Sir  Charles  H.  B.  Mitchell,  High  Commissioner  of 
the  State  of  Perak,  one  of  the  Malay  States,  and  was 
directly  responsible  for  the  first  meeting  between  the 
native  chiefs  and  the  British  residents  for  the  purpose 
of  friendly  discussion,  in  1897. 

James  Mitchell,  Scotchman,  who  perfected  an  ingen- 
ious amplification  of  the  Maelzel  metronome. 

John  Mitchell,  who  perfected  and  manufactured  the 
first  machine  that  made  steel  pens. 

J.  A.  Mitchell,  one  of  the  founders  and  the  first  edi- 
tor of  the  weekly  magazine,  "Life." 

J.  C.  Mitchell,  one  of  the  most  famous  of  the  early 
racquet  players. 

J.  K.  Mitchell,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  liquid  gas 
field.     He  first  froze  sulphurous  acid  gas  to  a  solid. 

Dr.  P.  Chalmers  Mitchell,  member  of  the  Zoological 
Society  of  London;  a  recognized  authority  in  the  study 
of  mammalia. 

R.  A.  H.  Mitchell.  Eton,  Oxford,  Hants.  Prominent 
Britainer  and  the  greatest  cricket  player  of  all  times. 

W.  M.  Mitchell,  well  known  astronomer,  specializing 
in  the  study  of  the  sun. 

Dr.  Samuel  Latham  Mitchell,  of  the  Long  Island 
branch.  United  States  Senator  and  author,  who  urged 
the  adoption  of  Fredonia  as  the  proper  name  for  this 
country  in  his  "Address  to  the  Fredes  or  People  of  the 
L'nited  States." 

Stephen  Mitchell,  a  tobacco  manufacturer  of  inter- 
national repute;  founded  the  second  largest  library  in 
Scotland. 

The  Mitchells  in  America. 

There  are  many  branches  of  this  family  scattered 
throughout  the  United  States,  founded  in  early  Col- 
onial days  by  the  several  representatives  of  the  house 
who  came  from  England  and  Scotland,  and  settled  prin- 
cipally in  the  New  England  States.  The  descendants 
were  numerous,  and  migrated  from  one  part  of  the 
country  to  another  as  new  regions  were  opened.  Al- 
most invariably,  however,  members  of  the  various 
branches  are  to  be  found  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
original  location  of  the  progenitor. 

The  Mitchells  of  Roanoke  county,  Va.,  offer  a  good 
example  of  this  rule.  Founded  in  the  early  part  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  the  descendants  continue  to  live 
on  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old  family  estate,  while 
other  members  are  found  throughout  the  South.  They 
are  related  by  marriage  to  the  family  of  Colonel 
Zachary  Lewis,  whose  father  was  a  messmate  of 
Washington  during  the  war  with  the  French.  They 
are  connected  in  the  same  degree  with  the  Thomas 
and  Graham  families,  the  latter  that  of  a  Governor  of 
North  Carolina,  William  Graham. 

The  Pennsylvania  family  was  founded  by  the  de- 
scendants of  William  Mitchell  and  wife  Elizabeth,  who 
emigrated   from  Yorkshire   county,   England,   and  set- 


^-**%      •-»  >■''.  1} 


THE    NANTUCKET    MITCHELL    HOMESTEAD 


'T  /   CC    L   '_ 


^z<^7S^5^ 


<^c^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


2i: 


tied  in  Bermuda.  Offsprings  of  this  branch  also  set- 
tled in  Baltimore,  .\nother  branch  of  York  county, 
Pa.,  claims  George  Mitchell,  born  in  Scotland  in  1734, 
as  progenitor. 

The  Long  Island  family,  of  ancient  origin,  has  fur- 
nished many  famous  public  men,  as  have  the  Nantucket 
stock,  of  which  Professor  Maria  Mitchell  and  her 
brother  Henry  were  descended.  The  Connecticut 
Mitchells  claim  kin  with  Rebecca  Motte,  of  Revolu- 
tionary fame:  with  Governor  Saltonstall,  and  Gov- 
ernor Dudley,  of  Massachusetts;  also  with  the  Gardi- 
ners  of  Gardiner's  Island. 

One  western  branch  of  the  family  claim  "Honest 
John  Hart"  as  an  ancestor.  He  was  one  of  the  signers 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  from  New  Jersey. 
James  Mitchell,  a  Scotch  settler  from  Glasgow  in  17.30, 
founded  the  family  which  produced  among  other  well 
known  men,  Stei)hen  Mitchell,  his  son,  who  was  one  of 
the  settlers  of  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  and  a  member  of 
the  first  Congress  at  Philadelphia.  He  was  also  Chief 
Justice  of  Connecticut.  Donald  Mitchell,  best  known 
as  "Ike  Marvel,"  the  essayist,  was  of  the  third  genera- 
tion in  America.  Stephen  Mitchell  had  six  sons,  all 
college  graduates.  Matthew  Mitcliell  was  the  progeni- 
tor of  another  family  in  Connecticut.  He  was  a  passen- 
ger on  the  "James"  in  1635,  together  with  his  wife  and 
child,  and  settled  in  Connecticut,  near  Wethersfield,  of 
which  place  he  became  town  clerk  in  1639.  He  was  a 
representative  at  court  from  Saybrook;  he  took  an 
active  part  in  the  Pequot  War,  and  removed  to  Hemp- 
stead, Long  Island,  in  1643.  The  town  of  Hingham, 
Mass.,  was  probably  named  by  Edward  Mitchell,  a 
passenger,  in  1638,  on  the  "Diligent,"  from  Hingham, 
England. 

E.xperience  Mitchell,  who  lived  at  Plymouth,  Dux- 
bury  and  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  came  from  England  on 
the  "Ann,"  in  1623.  He  married  Jane,  the  daughter 
of  Francis  Cook,  who  was  one  of  the  "Mayflower"  Pil- 
grims. 

Many  of  the  famous  men  of  the  Revolution  were 
members  of  the  Mitchell  family.  They  include:  Major 
.Abicl  and  Colonel  Mitchell,  from  Massachusetts:  Cap- 
tain Alexander  Mitchell,  from  New  Jersey:  Nathaniel 
Mitchell,  captain  of  a  battalion  of  the  Flying  Camp, 
from  Delaware:  Captain  Joseph  Mitchell,  from  Vir- 
ginia; Captain  James  and  Major  Ephraim  Mitchell,  of 
South  Carolina,  and  Lieutenant  John  Mitchell,  of 
Georgia. 


MISS  MARIA  MITCHELL— The  most  prominent 
member  of  tlie  Nantucket  family  of  that  name,  de- 
scendant of  old  Quaker  stock,  Maria  Mitchell,  was 
born  August  i,  1818,  the  daughter  of  William  Mitchell. 
Her  father  (1791-1869)  was  a  school  teacher  and  a 
salf-taught  astronomer,  who  rated  chronometers  for 
Nantucket  whalers.  He  was  well  known  in  the  New 
England  States  as  a  learned  man,  and  held  the  position 
of  overseer  of  Harvard  University  from  1857  to  1865, 
with  all  the  prestige  attached  to  such  an  oflSce.  For 
a  time  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  United  States 
Coast  Survey,  and  did  some  excellent  work  in  that 
department. 

Miss  Maria  Mitchell  had  as  early  as  1831  (during 
the  annual  eclipse  of  the  sun)  been  her  father's  assist- 


ant, and  the  progress  she  made  under  his  tutorage, 
together  with  the  certain  genius  she  possessed  in  the 
science,  may  be  visualized  from  the  fact  that  sixteen 
years  later,  on  October  i,  1847,  she  discovered  a  tele- 
scopic comet,  seen  by  De  Vico  on  October  3,  by  W.  R. 
Dawes,  October  7,  and  by  Madame  Rumker,  October 
II.  For  this  discovery,  outstripping  as  she  did  the 
famous  astronomers  of  the  world,  she  received  a  gold 
medal  with  the  congratulations  of  the  King  of  Den- 
mark, and  was  elected  in  1848  to  the  American  Acad- 
emy of  Arts  and  Sciences,  being  the  first  woman  mem- 
ber of  this  organization.  In  1850,  as  a  further  recogni- 
tion of  her  excellent  work,  she  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  .American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science. 

She  removed  from  Nantucket  to  Lynn,  Mass.,  in 
1861,  setting  up  in  the  latter  city  the  great  equatorial 
telescope  which  had  been  presented  to  her  by  popular 
subscription  by  the  women  of  America.  Here  she  lived 
and  studied  until  late  in  the  year  iS<')5,  when  she  was 
chosen  professor  of  astronomy  and  director  of  the 
Observatory  at  Vassar  College.  She  continued  ac- 
tively in  this  position  until  1888,  when  she  became 
professor  emeritus.  For  many  years  she  had  special- 
ized in  the  study  of  Jupiter  and  Saturn,  and  in  1874 
she  began  to  make  jihotographs  of  the  sun.  She  died 
at   Lynn,  Mass.,  June  28,   1889. 

Henry  Mitchell,  her  brother,  was  a  famous  hydro- 
grapher.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1S30,  and  died  in 
1902. 

Adjoining  the  Maria  Mitchell  homestead,  which  is 
still  carefully  preserved,  stands  a  memorial  astronomi- 
cal observatory  and  library  erected  in  Miss  Mitchell's 
honor  by  popular  subscription  in  1908.  In  it  are  kept 
the  excellent  collections  and  records  which  she  and 
her  brother  made  during  the  years  of  patient  research 
in  the  fields  of  their  chosen  sciences. 


LAURISTON  HALL  GREENE— Few  families  in 
the  history  of  American  life  and  affairs  have  attained 
the  prominence,  the  historic  importance  and  influence 
of  the  Warwick  Greenes.  A  history  of  Colonial  New 
England,  compiled  without  reference  to  them,  would 
be  inaccurate  and  incomplete.  In  military,  official,  pro- 
fessional and  social  life  the  family  have  figured  notably 
since  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  .Among 
the  most  notable  of  early  American  patriots  was  Major- 
General  Nathanael  Greene,  of  Revolutionary  War 
fame.  Still  another  Greene  of  historic  note  was 
George  Washington  Greene,  .American  historian  and 
linguist,  grandson  of  Major-General  Nathanael  Greene, 
author  of  an  "Historical  View  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution" (1865),  "Life  of  Nathanael  Greene"  (three 
volumes,  1867-1871),  "The  German  Element  in  the  War 
of  American  Independence"  (1876),  and  a  "Short  His- 
tory of  Rhode  Island"  (1877). 

The  lineage  of  the  -American  Greenes  is  of  great 
antiquity  and  distinction,  extending  in  England  from 
the  time  of  the  Norman  Conquest  over  fourteen  gener- 
ations to  the  immigrant  ancestor  and  progenitor.  Dr. 
John  Greene.  The  English  Greenes  have  figured  not- 
ably in  history.  Sir  Henry  Greene,  knight,  lord  chief 
justice  of  England  in  1353,  was  head  of  the  family  in 
his  time.     His  younger  son.  Sir  Henry   Greene,  was 


2l6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


beheaded  for  his  attachment  to  the  cause  of  Richard 
II.  Queen  Catherine  Parr,  consort  of  Henry  VIII. , 
was  a  member  of  the  family,  her  mother  being  Mathilda 
Greene,  daughter  and  co-heiress  of  Sir  Thomas  Greene, 
of  Greene's  Norton.  Rhode  Island  has  been  the  home 
of  the  Greenes  since  the  time  of  the  founding  of  the 
family  in  the  New  World. 

(I)  Lord  Alexander  de  Greene  de  Boketon.  a 
knight  at  the  king's  court,  was  the  great-grandson  of 
one  of  the  Norman  nobles  who  accompanied  William 
the  Conqueror  to  England  in  1066.  In  1202  King  John 
bestowed  upon  him  the  estate  of  Boughton  in  North- 
amptonshire, in  all  probability  for  his  services  in  put- 
ting down  a  rebellion  of  King  John's  nobles.  Lord 
Alexander  subsequently  assumed  a  surname  after  his 
chief  estate,  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  which  name  trans- 
lated literally  means  Lord  of  the  Park  of  the  Deer 
Enclosure,  Greene  signifying  park,  and  Boketon  sig- 
nifying a  deer  enclosure.  Centuries  ago  the  terminal 
syllable  "ton"  had  lost  its  "original  sense,  and  meant 
a  town,  so  that  Boketon,  still  used  in  the  original  sense, 
shows  Lord  Alexander  came  to  an  estate  named  long 
before,  and  noted  for  its  extensive  parks  and  deer 
preserves.  Boketon  eventually  became  Boughton,  the 
present  name  of  the  estate  in  Northamptonshire. 

(II)  Sir  Walter  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  son  of  Sir 
Alexander  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  succeeded  his  father 
to  the  title  and  estate,  and  was  probably  a  crusading 
knight  in  the  seventh  crusade  which  ended  .in  1240, 
as  he  was  listed  in  the  old  rolls  of  the  twentieth  year  of 
Henry  III  (1236)  arid '  the  forty-fifth  year  of  the 
same  king  (1261). 

(III)  Sir  John  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  son  of  Sir 
Walter  de  Greene  de  Boketon.  accompanied  King  Ed- 
ward III.  to  the  Holy  Land  as  a  crusading  knight 
and  perished  there,  leaving  an  infant  son. 

(IV)  Sir  Noinas  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  son  of  Sir 
John  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  received  the  title  of  his 
ancestors  in  his  infancy.  He  accompanied  Edward  I. 
against  the  Scots  in  1296  and  is  mentioned  in  the  rec- 
ords of  1319  as  then  living.  He  married  Alice,  daugh- 
ter and  co-heir  of  Sir  Thomas  Botrishane,  of  Braus- 
ton. 

(V)  Sir  Noinas  (2)  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  fifth 
Lord  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  was  born  in  1292,  son 
of  Sir  Noinas  (i)  de  Greene  de  Boketon.  From  1330 
to  1332  he  held  the  office  of  high  sherif?  of  Northamp- 
ton, in  the  early  part  of  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  "The 
ofifice  in  those  days  was  esteemed  equal  to  the  care  of 
princes,  a  place  of  great  trust  and  reputation."  He 
married  Lucie,  sister  of  Eudo  de  la  Zouche  and  Mil- 
licent,  sister  and  heir  of  George  de  Cantelupe,  Lord  of 
Abergaveny.     Lady  Lucie  had  royal  blood. 

(VI)  Sir  Henry  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  son  of  Sir 
Noinas  (2)  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  was  the  foremost 
lawyer  of  his  day  in  England,  and  was  made  Lord 
Chief  Justice  of  the  kingdom.  He  was  speaker  of 
the  House  of  Lords  in  two  parliaments  (1363-64),  and 
became  at  last  the  king's  nearest  counselor;  He  died 
in  1370,  aged  sixty,  and  was  buried  at  Boughton.  He 
left  to  his  posterity  one  of  the  most  considerable  estates 
of  the  age.  He  married  Katherine,  daughter  of  Sir 
John  Drayton,  and  only  sister  of  Sir  Simon  Drayton, 
of  Drayton. 


(\'I1)  Sir  Henry  (2)  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  second 
son  of  Sir  Henry  (i)  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  was 
made  heir  of  his  father  in  spite  of  the  English  law  of 
primogeniture  through  a  special  license  given  by  the 
king.  He  married  Matilda,  sole  heiress  of  her  father. 
Lord  Thomas  Mauduit,  who  had  five  lordships  and 
other  fair  possessions.  His  estate  was  one  of  the  larg- 
est in  England.  Sir  Henry  de  Greene  de  Boketon  rose 
to  considerable  prominence  as  a  statesman.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Commons  and  one  of  its  lead- 
ers. He  was  subsequently  knighted  and  became  one 
of  the  king's  near  counselors.  As  a  favorite  of  the 
king,  he  received  many  more  manors  and  estates.  Sir 
Henry  was  one  of  a  commission  appointed  over  King 
Richard  II,  whose  eccentricity  amounted  almost  to 
insanity,  and  as  such  counseled  the  king  to  confiscate 
the  estates  of  the  banished  Henry  Bolingbroke,  duke 
of  Hereford  and  Lancaster.  After  the  overthrow  of  ' 
Richard,  Sir  Henry  was  taken  prisoner  by  Bolingbroke 
and  beheaded  in  the  market  square  in  Bristol,  Sep- 
tember 2,  1399.  Shakespeare  devotes  much  of  Acts  I. 
and  II.,  of  his  "Richard  II.,"  to  Sir  Henry  Greene. 

(\'III)  Thomas  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  third  son 
of  Sir  Henry  (2)  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  was  the  only 
son  of  his  father  whose  line  remained  to  bear  the  name 
of  Greene.  From  him  descended  the  Gillingham 
Greenes,  of  whom  the  American  family  is  a  collateral 
branch. 

(IX)  The  name  of  the  son  of  Thomas  de  Greene 
de  Boketon,  wlio  was  the  ninth  of  this  line,  has  not 
been  preserved.  He  was  born  about  1420,  and  came  to 
manhood  in  the  middle  of  the  "bloody  century."  This 
included  the  period  of  the  Wars  of  the  Roses,  and 
but  little  authentic  history  of  many  families  during 
this  time  is  to  be  found. 

(X)  John  Greene,  next  of  the  line,  grandson  of 
Thomas  de  Greene  de  Boketon,  is  supposed  to  have 
been  born  about  1450.  Dickens  says  that  King  Rich- 
ard III.  sent  word  to  Sir  Robert  Brackenbury  by  John 
Greene,  to  put  to  death  the  two  princes  then  impris- 
oned in  the  Tower.  Sir  Robert  refused  to  execute 
the  command.  After  the  death  of  Richard.  John  Greene 
lost  no  time  in  putting  the  seas  between  himself  and 
Henry  VII.,  the  rival  and  successor  of  Richard.  He 
returned  to  England,  however,  where  he  lived  a  while, 
then  fled  again  and  died  abroad.  He  is  known  as 
"John,  the  fugitive"  in  the  family  records. 

(XI)  Robert  Greene  owned  and  resided  on  his 
estate  at  Bowridge -Hill  in  the  parish  of  Gillingham, 
County  Dorset,  when  taxed  on  the  Subsidy  Rolls  in 
the  time  of  King  Henry  VIII  (i543).  in  the  first  year 
of  Edward  VI.  (i547).  and  in  the  first  year  of  Queen 
Elizabeth   (1558).     The  name  of  his  wife  is  unknown. 

(XII)  Richard  Greene,  son  of  Robert  Greene,  in- 
herited the  property  of  Bowridge  Hill  as  heir-at-law 
and  "residuary  legatee  of  his  brother,  Peter  Greene." 
He  was  taxed  on  the  Subsidy  Rolls,  twenty-ninth  of 
Queen  Elizabeth  (1587).  His  will,  dated  May  10,  1606, 
was  proved  May  3,  1608.  The  name  of  his  wife  is  not 
known. 

(XIII)  Richard  (2)  Greene,  son  of  Richard  (i) 
Greene,  succeeded  to  Bowridge  Hill,  in  1608.  He  was 
appointed  executor  of  his  father's  will.  He  married 
Mary,  daughter  of  John   Hooker   (alias  Vowell),  who 


-€-Irr^.-.v-.//  /I  .?   ... 


^^  <^cy^ ,  ^cy^^^e^^^^^-L^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


217 


was  chamberlain  01  the  city  of  Exeter,  England,  Sep- 
tember 12,  1534,  and  represented  Exeter  in  Parlia- 
ment; he  was  uncle  to  the  celebrated  divine,  Richard 
Hooker,  rector  of  Bascombe,  County  Wilts,  Eng- 
land, and  prebendary  of  Salisbur>-.  Mary  (Hooker) 
Greene  was  the  grandniece  01  Archbishop  Grindal, 
of  Canterbury. 

(The  Family  in  America). 

(From  Dr.  .John  Greene,  the  founder,  through  eijrht 
fjeneriiUons  to  the  late  L,auriston  Hall  Greene,  of  East 
Greenwich,   Rhode   I.sland). 

(I)  Dr.  John  Greene,  American  ancestor  and  pro- 
genitor, was  born  on  his  father's  estate  at  Bowdridge 
Hill,  parish  of  Gillingham,  County  Dorset,  England, 
about  1590.  He  followed  the  profession  of  surgeon,  and 
for  sixteen  years  practiced  at  Salisbury.  On  .^pril  6, 
i6,S5.  lie  was  registered  for  embarkation  at  Hampton, 
England,  with  his  wife  and  six  children,  in  the  ship 
"James,"  William  Cooper,  master,  lor  New  England. 
After  a  voyage  of  fifty-eight  days,  he  arrived  in  Bos- 
ton. Mass.,  June  3,  1635.  He  located  first  at  Salem, 
Mass.,  where  he  became  associated  with  Roger  Wil- 
liams, and  where  he  purchased  a  lot  and  erected  a 
house.  Soon  after  Mr.  Williams'  flight  from  Salem  in 
1636,  he  sold  his  property  and  joined  him  in  Provi- 
dence. He  subsequently  became  one  of  the  foremost 
leaders  of  the  newly  founded  colony.  Dr.  John  Greene 
was  granted  lot  No.  15  on  the  main  street  in  Provi- 
dence. He  was  one  of  eleven  men  baptized  by  Roger 
Williams,  and  one  of  the  twelve  original  members  of 
the  first  Baptist  church  in  .-\merica,  organized  at  Prov- 
idence. He  was  the  first  professional  physician  and 
surgeon  of  Providence  Plantations.  Goodwin,  in  his 
"Pilgrim  Republic"  (p.  407),  alludes  to  him  as  "one 
of  the  two  local  surgeons"  at  Providence,  in  1638, 
although  we  are  told  "the  people  of  Providence  relied 
solely  upon  him  for  surgical  aid  long  after  his  removal 
to  Warwick  in  1643."  He  was  one  of  the  twelve  origi- 
nal purchasers  of  Shawomet,  a  tract  of  land  embrac- 
ing a  greater  part  of  the  present  towns  of  Warwick  and 
Coventry.  In  1644  he  went  to  London  to  negotiate 
for  the  \arragansett  country,  and  was  one  of  the 
committee  who  first  organized  the  colony  of  Rhode 
Island,  under  the  charter  obtained  from  Charles  I., 
in  1647.  From  the  time  of  his  coming  to  Rhode 
Island  until  shortly  before  his  death.  Dr.  John  Greene 
was  a  power  in  official  life  in  the  colony.  On  .August 
8,  1647,  he  was  appointed  member  of  the  first  Town 
Council  of  Warwick;  February  26.  1648.  commissioner 
(Representative  of  Warwick  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly); May  7,  1649,  magistrate  of  the  Court  of  Trials 
at  Warwick;  June  4,  1649,  assistant;  July  2,  1649, 
member  of  the  Town  Council;  commissioner  on  the 
following  dates:  October  26,  1650,  May  8,  1655,  Octo- 
ber 6,  1656,  August  9,  1657. 

Dr.  John  Greene  married  (first)  at  St.  Thomas 
Church,  November  4,  1619,  Joanne  Tattershall  (writ- 
ten on  the  church  register  Tatarsole),  who  died  soon 
after  their  removal  to  Rhode  Island,  and  according 
to  tradition  was  buried  at  Conimicut,  Old  Warwick, 
R.  I.  Dr.  John  Greene  married  (second)  "Alisce 
(.■Mice)  Daniels,  a  widow."  She  died  in  October,  1643. 
He  married   (third)   in  London,   England,  about   1644, 


Phillippa  (always  written  Philip) 


who  returned 


with  him  to  Warwick,  in  1646,  and  died  there  March 
II,  1687,  aged  about  eighty-seven  years.  Dr.  John 
Greene  died  in  January,  1659,  and  was  buried  at 
Conimicut,  Warwick. 

(II)  Major  John  (2)  Greene,  son  of  Dr.  John  (1)  and 
Joanne  (Tattershall)  Greene,  was  born  in  1620,  in 
England,  and  accompanied  his  parents  to  America 
in  1635.  He  located  with  his  father  in  Warwick,  and 
subsequently  rose  to  great  prominence  in  otficial  life 
in  Rhode  Island.  He  was  commissioner  from  War- 
wick, and  assistant,  later  being  chosen  to  the  office  of 
Deputy-Governor,  which  he  held  from  i6go  to  1700, 
a  longer  term  than  that  of  any  other  Colonial  Governor, 
with  the  exception  of  Governor  Cranston.  John  Greene 
filled  the  offices  of  recorder  and  attorney-general  and 
was  one  of  the  committee  appointed  in  1654  to  revise 
the  laws,  serving  also  in  1(364  on  the  commission  for 
the  same  purpose  in  association  with  Roger  Wil- 
liams. In  1670  he  was  appointed  to  go  to  England  to 
vindicate  the  charter  before  the  King  and  from  1683 
until  the  time  of  Andros  he  held  a  commission  in  the 
army  of  "major  of  the  main,"  equivalent  to  the  present 
rank  of  a  major-general  in  the  United  States  army.  In 
i(j()6  he  was  notified  by  Governor  Andros  of  his  ap- 
pointment as  a  member  of  the  later's  council,  and  in 
l()90  he  with  others  sent  a  letter  of  congratulations  to 
William  and  Mary  on  their  accession  to  the  throne. 
Major  John  Greene  married  Ann  .'\Imy,  who  was  born 
in  1627,  died  May  17,  1709.  He  died  November  27, 
1708. 

(III)  Captain  Peter  Greene,  son  of  Major  John  (2) 
and  Ann  (.'Mmy)  Greene,  was  born  February  4,  1654, 
at  Warwick,  R.  I.,  and  inherited  by  will  from  his  uncle, 
Peter  Greene,  the  homestead  of  his  grandfather,  Dr. 
John  Greene,  the  American  immigrant,  near  Conimicut 
Point,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Old  Warwick,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death  about  1723.  He  held  various 
responsible  town  offices,  was  captain  of  the  train 
band,  and  for  many  years  represented  Warwick  in  the 
general  court.  He  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Stephen  and  Sarah  (Smith)  Arnold,  of  Pawuixet.  born 
November  2,  1659. 

(IV)  Elisha  Greene,  son  of  Captain  Peter  and  Eliz- 
abeth (.\rnold)  Greene,  was  born  F"ebruary  13,  1692, 
in  Warwick,  R.  I.  In  early  life  he  removed  to  Ap- 
ponaug,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
well  known  citizen  until  his  death  in  1767.  He  married 
Mary  Greene,  who  died  September  27,  1750. 

(V)  Elisha  (2)  Greene,  son  of  Elisha  (i)  and  Mary 
(Greene)  Greene,  was  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  July 
7,  17-26.  His  early  life  was  spent  in  Apponaug  on  his 
father's  farm,  which  he  conducted  for  several  years  in 
conjunction  with  a  distillery.  Later  he  removed  to 
East  Greenwich,  where  he  continued  farming,  and  died 
in  1802.  He  married  (first)  Isabel  Budlong,  daughter 
of  John  Budlong,  and  (second)  Sarah  Johnson,  who 
survived  him. 

(VI)  Stephen  Greene,  son  of  Elisha  (2)  and  Isabel 
(Budlong)  Greene,  was  born  November  5,  1752,  in 
Warwick,  R.  I.  He  was  prominent  in  official  and  pub- 
lic life  in  East  Greenwich,  serving  as  a  judge  of  the 
lower  courts,  and  Representative  in  the  Rhode  Island 


2l8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Legislature.  An  ardent  patriot,  when  prevented  from  en- 
tering active  service,  he  provided  a  substitute.  Stephen 
Greene  married,  December  i,  I77l<  Elizabeth  Wight- 
man,  daughter  of  George  Wightman,  of  North  Kings- 
town. He  resided  at  Greene's  Corners,  in  East 
Greenwich,  where  he  died  June  20,  1833,  surviving  his 
wife,  who  died  April  i,  1830,  in  her  eightieth  year. 

(VII)  William  Greene,  son  of  Stephen  and  Eliza- 
beth (Wightman)  Greene,  was  born  November  8,  1784, 
in  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  and  resided  there  all  his  life, 
a  prominent  figure  in  town  afYairs,  and  a  substantial 
and  prosperous  member  of  the  community.  He  fol- 
lowed agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death.  William 
Greene  was  active  in  politics  in  East  Greenwich  for 
several  decades.  He  represented  the  town  in  the  State 
Legislature.  A  Democrat  in  political  afifiliation  in  the 
early  years  of  his  political  career,  and  one  of  the 
eleven  who  voted  for  Andrew  Jackson  when  he  was 
first  a  candidate  for  president,  he  later  became  a  sup- 
porter of  Whig  principles  and  policies,  but  died  before 
the  founding  of  the  Republican  party.  In  1820  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  was  an 
active  worker  in  all  its  interests  until  his  death. 

On  June  16,  181 1,  William  Greene  married  Abigail 
Reynolds,  daughter  of  John  Reynolds,  of  Warwick, 
who  survived  him  many  years,  dying  in  East  Green- 
wich, at  the  home  of  her  son,  the  late  Lauriston  H. 
Greene,  March  26.  1889,  near  the  close  of  her  ninety- 
fifth  year.  Their  children  were:  I.  John  R.,  deceased. 
2.  Mary  R.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Fry,  and 
died  in  Providence.  3.  Elizabeth  Isabella,  married 
John  Pitcher,  died  in  East  Greenwich.  4.  William  C., 
deceased.  5.  Thomas  T.,  deceased.  6.  George  F., 
deceased.  7.  Henry  C.,  deceased.  8.  Lauriston,  men- 
tioned below.  William  Greene  died  at  his  home  in 
East  Greenwich,  March  3,  1854. 

(VIII)  Lauriston  Hall  Greene,  son  of  William  and 
Abigail  (Reynolds)  Greene,  was  born  July  19,  1S33,  on 
the  paternal  homestead  in  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  which 
he  subseijuently  inherited  and  which  was  his  home 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  long  career.  He  grew 
to  early  manhood  in  the  healthful  atmosphere  of  a  rural 
community.  He  was  given  excellent  educational  ad- 
vantages, and  availed  himself  of  every  opportunity  to 
study,  becoming  highly  proficient  as  a  student.  Despite 
studious  tendencies,  however,  he  chose  a  business 
rather  than  a  professional  career,  and  in  early  life 
went  to  Providence,  where  he  learned  the  manufac- 
turing jewelry  trade  under  his  brother,  the  late  Wil- 
liam C.  Greene,  with  whom  he  was  connected  for  ten 
years,  during  part  of  this  period  acting  as  foreman. 
On  the  death  of  his  brother,  George  F.  Greene,  he  was 
called  upon  to  settle  the  estate,  and  to  manage  the 
extensive  Greene  properties  in  East  Greenwich.  In 
order  to  give  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  this  task 
he  retired  from  active  business,  and  from  1861  until 
his  death  made  his  home  on  the  ancestral  estate.  In 
1861  he  purchased  the  interests  of  the  other  heirs,  be- 
coming sole  owner  of  the  property,  which  he  began 
at  once  to  develop  to  the  highest  state  of  efficiency, 
introducing  many  modern  improvements,  and  the  most 
recent  scientific  methods  of  farming.  The  estate,  com- 
prising one  hundred  sixty-five  acres,  thrived  under  his 


direction  and  became  one  of  the  show  places  of  War- 
wick. 

For  several  decades  Mr.  Greene  was  an  influential 
and  honored  figure  in  public  and  political  circles  in 
East  Greenwich.  He  was,  however,  in  no  sense  of  the 
word  an  ofiiceseeker,  and  repeatedly  refused  political 
honors.  He  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the 
Town  Council,  and  in  this  capacity  served  the  town 
ably  and  well;  he  also  filled  other  town  offices.  As  a 
member  of  the  Quidnessett  Baptist  Church,  he  was  one 
of  its  staunchest  supporters,  and  a  most  liberal  con- 
tributor to  all  its  charities.  He  was  a  firm  believer  in 
the  cause  of  temperance. 

On  December  12,  1855.  Mr.  Greene  married  (first) 
Abby  Ripley,  daughter  of  Bradley  Ripley,  of  Provi- 
dence; she  died  on  March  2,  1904.  He  married  (sec- 
ond) January  16,  1907,  Lydia  Parker  Brown,  who 
died  in  1908.  He  married  (third)  on  October  20.  1909, 
in  Providence,  Lydia  A.  Greene,  who  was  born  August 
18,  1853,  in  East  Greenwich,  daughter  of  Stephen  and 
Almira  (Sherman)  Greene,  and  granddaughter  of  Val- 
entine Greene,  who  was  a  son  of  Stephen  and  Eliza- 
beth (Wightman)  Greene.  (See  Greene  VI).  Mrs. 
Greene  traces  a  most  distinguished  lineage  on  both  the 
paternal  and  maternal  sides.  She  is  well  known  and 
eminently  respected  in  the  more  conservative  social 
circles  of  East  Greenwich. 

Lauriston  Hall  Greene  died  at  his  home  in  East 
Greenwich.  R.  I.,  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-three 
years.  Few  men  in  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  his  associates  and  contemporaries  in  the  life 
and  affairs  of  East  Greenwich,  attained  to  position  of 
honor  and  veneration  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  which 
he  held.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  un- 
swerving in  his  integrity,  upright  in  purpose,  kindly, 
courteous,  and  above  all,  just. 


CHRISTOPHER  MARBLE  LEE— Few  families 
have  attained  to  greater  prominence  in  American  his- 
tory than  that  of  Lee.  From  the  early  days  of  Colonial 
America,  Lees  have  figured  largely  in  American  affairs, 
and  have  made  their  name  and  their  race  an  honored 
and  distinguished  one.  The  family  is  of  very  ancient 
English  origin,  having  its  source  in  the  Anglo-Saxon 
ley,  legh,  lea,  or  lay, — a  meadow,  or  grassy  plain. 
Many  parts  of  England  are  characterized  by  great 
rolling  plains  or  leas,  and  this  accounts  for  the  numer- 
ous local  surnames  which  are  compounds  of  the  word 
lea.  leigh,  ley,  and  for  the  great  popularity  of  the  sur- 
name Lee  itself.  At  a  time  when  men  took  their  names 
from  the  localities  in  which  they  lived,  it  came  naturally 
into  prominence  through  its  common  use.  It  later 
came  to  be  associated  with  some  of  the  foremost  fami- 
lies in  the  kingdom,  however;  great  landed  estates 
came  under  the  control  of  the  Lees,  and  when  the 
time  of  Colonial  immigration  came,  the  Lees  who 
sought  the  adventure  and  promise  of  the  New  World 
were  men  of  fine  lineage,  upright  and  honorable  prin- 
ciple, large-hearted,  and  in  all  things  gentlemen.  The> 
were  the  founders  of  a  race  which  has  never  ceased 
to  bear  an  honorable  and  notable  part  in  .^mericain  life. 

Arms — Azure  two  bars  erminois,  over  all  a  bend 
counter  compony  of  the  second  and  gules. 


^X.;^  W,!d,. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


219 


Crest — A  bear  statant  proper  muzzled  gules,  col- 
lared and  chained  argent,  charged  on  the  shoulder  with 
a  bezant. 

The  late  Hon.  Christopher  Marble  Lee.  former  .As- 
sociate Justice  of  the  Superior  Court  of  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,  was  a  descendant  in  the  si.xth  American 
generation  of  Samuel  Lee,  of  Swansea,  founder  of  the 
Xew  England  family  of  the  name  which  is  to  be 
treated  herein. 

(I)  Samuel  Lee.  the  first  of  the  line  of  whom  we 
have  any  information,  was  a  native  of  England,  where 
he  was  residing  in  1716.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Quaker  sect. 

(II)  Samuel  (2)  Lee,  immigrant  ancestor  and  pro- 
genitor of  the  family  in  New  England,  was  the  son  of 
Samuel  (i)  Lee.  He  was  in  .America  at  a  date  prior 
to  1716,  and  settled  in  Swansea,  Mass.  He  was  also 
a  Quaker.  He  was  a  shipwright  by  trade.  The  river 
Lee  was  named  for  him. 

(III)  William  Lee.  son  of  Samuel  (2)  Lee.  married, 
in  1760,  Mary,  daughter  of  Nicholas  Easton,  and  a 
direct  descendant  of  Nicholas  Easton,  who  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  one  of  the  most 
prominent  figures  in  the  early  life  of  the  town  and 
colony.     He  had  a  son  James,  mentioned  below. 

(IV)  James  Lee,  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Easton) 
Lee,  married,  and  was  the  father  of  Samuel,  mentioned 
below. 

(V)  Samuel  (3)  Lee,  son  of  James  Lee,  was  of 
Newport,  R.  I.  He  married  Sarah  Jouvet,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Samuel, 
Jr.,  who  followed  the  sea  for  the  greater  part  of  his 
life,  and  died  in  Newport.  2.  William,  who  left  New- 
port in  early  life,  and  was  never  heard  from  again.  3. 
Henry,  a  sea  captain,  drowned  in  Newport  harbor.  4. 
Thomas  J.,  mentioned  below.  5.  Susan,  married  .\'or- 
ris  Lawton,  and  died  at  Natick,  R.  I.  6.  Sarah,  mar- 
ried (first)  William  Weedcn,  and  (second)  Erastus 
Williams;  died  at  Lebanon.  Conn.  7.  Peter  J.,  who 
followed  the  fishing  industry  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  where 
he  died. 

(VI)  Thomas  J.  Lee,  son  of  Samuel  (3)  and  Sarah 
(Jouvet)  Lee,  was  born  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  February 
22,  1819.  and  died  there  September  4,  1884.  Like  many 
of  the  Lee  family  in  earlier  generations,  he  followed 
the  sea,  and  became  captain  of  a  whaling  vessel  early 
in  life.  He  married  Mary  Lewis,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  Mary  and  Thomas 
J.,  Jr.,  both  of  whom  died  in  childhood;  Christopher 
Marble,  mentioned  below. 

(VII)  Christopher  Marble  Lee,  son  of  Thomas  J. 
and  Mary  (Lewis)  Lee,  was  born  at  Newport,  R.  I., 
October  18,  1854.  He  received  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Newport,  and  was  graduated  from 
the  Newport  High  School  with  the  class  of  1873,  when 
the  Hon.  Nathan  W.  Littlcfield  was  its  principal.  In 
the  fall  of  1873  he  entered  Brown  University,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1877  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  From  early  boyhood  athletics  were 
his  hobby,  and  entering  college  with  a  reputation  in 
this  line  made  in  the  Rogers  High  School,  he  be- 
came a  leader  in  the  varsity  baseball  team  in  his  fresh- 
man year,  holding  the  position  of  shortstop  all  the  time 
he  was  in  the  university.     He  was  also  an  able  oars- 


man, and  was  captain  of  one  of  the  few  boat  crews 
Brown  ever  had.  receiving  a  loving  cup  for  the  laurels 
he  won  in  the  boat  races  of  the  year  1874. 

After  completing  his  studies  at  Brown  L"nivcrsity, 
Mr.  Lee  entered  the  office  of  the  late  Hon.  Francis  B. 
Peckham,  who  at  that  time  was  city  solicitor  of  New- 
port, and  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  barristers  in 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  In  September,  1S79,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Rhode 
Island,  and  immediately  began  the  practice  of  the  law, 
establishing  himself  in  Newport,  where  he  engaged 
successfully  for  six  years.  .Vt  the  end  of  this  period, 
desiring  to  broaden  the  sphere  of  his  activities, 
he  removed  to  Providence,  where  in  1885  he  opened 
an  office.  Through  successful  handling  of  many  diffi- 
cult and  notable  cases,  he  came  shortly  to  be  known  as 
one  of  the  ablest  of  the  younger  attorneys  of  the 
city;  on  November  6,  1896,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court. 

Thmugh  the  nature  of  his  le.gal  affairs  he  was 
brought  naturally  into  public  life.  Mr.  Lee  was  a 
staunch  upholder  of  the  principles  and  policies  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  was  prominent  in  its  ranks.  In 
1904  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Common  Coun- 
cil of  Providence,  to  represent  the  Seventh  Ward,  and 
in  1905  he  filled  the  same  office.  In  May,  1905.  he  was 
elected  by  the  General  Assembly  clerk  of  the  District 
Court  of  the  Sixth  Judicial  District  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  in  April  of  that  year,  upon  the  creation  of  asso- 
ciate justice  of  this  court,  he  was  elevated  to  the  new 
office.  His  occupancy  of  this  office  was  distinguished 
throughout  with  a  calm  and  level  judgment  and  an 
able  handling  of  the  cases  brought  before  him.  He 
was  universally  recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost 
judges  in  point  of  ability  and  integrity  to  occupy  the 
bench  of  the  District  Court  since  its  organization.  On 
March  3,  1909,  upon  the  resignation  of  Judge  Charles 
C.  Mumford,  he  was  nominated  associate  justice  of  the 
Superior  Court,  and  was  elected  to  that  post  by  an 
unanimous  vote.  .At  the  time  of  his  election  the  fol- 
lowing tribute  to  his  fine  ability  as  a  lawyer  and  judge 
was  paid  him  by  a  prominent  citizen: 

Judge  Lee  Is  a  man  worthy  of  the  high  office  of 
Justice  of  the  Superior  Court.  He  was  bom  In  Rhode 
Island,  obtained  his  education  in  Rhode  Island,  and  ia 
a  Rhode  Islander  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  He  will 
add  strength  and  dlgmity  to  the  Superior  Court.  His 
depth  of  legal  acquirements  has  been  obtained  by 
many  years  of  extensive  private  practice  before  the 
State  and  Federal  courts;  he  is  well  known  and  highly 
respected  by  the  bench  and  bar  and  people  of  the  city 
and  St.ite.  His  elevation  to  the  bench  of  the  Superior 
Court  is  a  well  merited  reward  for  the  legal  attain- 
ment, ability  and  faithful  performance  of  dutv;  while 
honored  by  the  position,  he  also  honors  the  position  bv 
his  knowledge  of  the  law,  grace  of  diction,  and  im- 
partial administration  of  justice.  The  dignitv  of  the 
court  is  upheld,  at  the  same  time  an  atmosjiihere  of 
geniality  surrounds  him,  taking  the  .severity  from  all 
his  decisions,  and  making  him  the  friend  of  all  who 
come  before  him. 

He  continued  a  prominent  figure  in  public  and  legal 
circles  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Bar  Association  of  Rhode  Island,  and  was  well 
known  in  club  life  in  the  city  of  Providence.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  West  Side  Club,  of  which  he  was 
president  for  three  years;  a  member  and  president  of 
the  Providence  Camera  Club  for  many  years,  and  of 
the  University  Club.    His  religious  affiliation  was  with 


220 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  Beneficent  Congregational  Cliurch,  and  he  was 
president  of  the  Men's  Club  of  the  church.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon  fraternity. 

His  entire  career  on  the  bench  was  characterized  by 
a  tempering  of  the  severity  of  the  law  by  the  milk  of 
human  kindness.  Never  rela.xing  one  iota  of  the  dig- 
nity of  his  position,  he  contrived  to  bring  the  element 
of  sympathy  and  understanding  into  all  his  judgments, 
and  was  honored  and  respected  not  for  the  leniency 
but  for  the  fairness  of  his  decisions.  He  was  of  clear 
and  analytic  mind,  thoroughly  versed  in  every  branch 
of  the  law,  and  familiar  with  the  subterfuges,  super- 
fluous verbiage,  and  legal  technicalities  of  many  attor- 
neys. No  quibbing  was  attempted  before  him.  His 
courtesy  was  uniform,  alike  to  the  high  and  the  lowly. 
He  was  honored  and  respected  by  men  in  all  walks  of 
life,  and  to  the  attorneys  of  Rhode  Island  he  repre- 
sented the  best  in  legal  life  and  traditions.  His  death 
was  deeply  and  earnestly  mourned. 

Judge  Lee  died  at  his  home  at  No.  260  Elmwood 
avenue,  Providence,  on  May  20,  1912,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-seven  years.  Eloquent  tribute  was  paid  to  him  in 
the  press  of  Providence.  The  "Providence  Journal," 
in  its  editorial  columns  said  of  him: 

The  suddenness  of  the  death  last  evening  of  .\ssociate 
Justice  Christopher  M.  L.ee,  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
must  greatly  shock  the  bar  and  that  part  of  the  public 
that  has  known  him.  Although  his  service  on  the 
State  Bench  of  the  Superior  Court  covered  but  three 
years,  it  sufficed  to  give  Judge  I^ee  a  high  place  in  the 
respect  of  associates  of  the  bench  and  bar.  The  fact 
that  when  off  the  bench  he  was  companionable  and 
democratic  did  not  lessen  his  dignity  in  court.  But  to 
the  kindliness  and  breadth  of  view  that  contributed  to 
those  persona!  i)ualitie.s  were  due  his  courtesy  and 
fairness  to  all  who  came  before  his  official  capacity, 
whether  as  parties  to  litigation,  attorneys,  witnesses 
or  jurors.  His  rulings  were  prompt — a  fact  that  grati- 
fied attorneys — and  seldom  reversed.  The  general 
verdict  will  be  that  he  performed  his  judicial  duties 
with  the  success  that  comes  from  a  high  degree  of  con- 
scientiousness and  discerning  good  sense. 

The  following  appeared  editorially  in  the  "Provi- 
dence News:" 

By  the  death  of  Justice  Christopher  M.  Lee,  of  the 
Superior  Court,  the  State  loses  an  able,  genial,  indus- 
trious, and  worthy  public  servant,  and  the  bench  one 
of  its  most  popular  justices.  His  death,  after  a  very 
brief  illness,  calls  seriously  to  the  attention  of  all  the 
uncertainty  of  human  life.  Judge  Lee  was  a  man  with 
many  lovable  traits  of  character.  If  at  times  upon  the 
bench  he  appeared  brusque,  a  casual  accjuaintance  with 
him  enabled  one  to  see  how  democratic  was  his  char- 
acter and  how  well  he  understood  the  fine  art  of  good 
fellowship.  He  will  be  sincerely  mourned  by  a  large 
circle  of  friends,  but  by  none  will  tiis  loss  be  more 
keenly  felt  than  by  those  members  of  the  local  press 
who  have  reported  the  proceedings  at  the  county 
court  house.  He  was  a  man  wlio  simply  seemed  to 
consider  it  a  privilege  to  give  from  a  richly  stored 
mind  the  information  sought,  and  his  death  is  indeed 
a  severe  shock.  .Judge  Lee  took  a  great  interest  in 
the  large,  worth-while  things,  and  he  understood  and 
appreciated  men  and  the  world  in  which  they  lived, 
taking  a  great  pleasure  in  the  glories  of  the  outdoor 
world,  as  well  as  in  his  books.  Those  who  had  the 
good  fortune  of  meeting  him  day  by  day  will  long 
recall  his  happy  and  buoyant  nature.  It  is  indeed  a 
thing  to  be  regretted  that  one  who  so  thoroughly  en- 
joyed the  beauty  of  spring  and  summer  should  have 
been  called  away  so  quickly. 

On  June  i,  1881,  Judge  Lee  married  Laura  Chand- 
ler Gardiner,  daughter  of  the  late  Aldridge  B.  and 
Agnes  D.  (Jackson)  Gardiner,  of  Providence,  and  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  foremost  of  Rhode  Island's 
early  Colonial  families.     (See  Gardiner  VIII). 


(The  Gardiner   Line). 

Arms — Quarterly,  first  and  fourth,  or  a  fesse  chequy, 
argent  and  azure  three  lions  passant  sable;  second  and 
third;  or,  a  griffin  passant  azure  on  a  chief  sable  three 
pheons'  heads  argent. 

Crest — An    eagle's   head   erased,    between   two   wings. 

Supporters — Dexter,  a  man  in  complete  armour,  gar- 
nished or,  having  on  his  cap  three  feathers,  two  argent 
and  one  gules;  sinister,  a  queen  in  her  royal  vestments 
gules,  girded  azure  over  all  a  mantle  purple,  doubled 
ermine,  her  feet  bare,  hair  dishevelled,  and  ducally 
crowned  or. 

Motto — Nil  desperandum. 

The  surnames  Gardiner,  Gardner,  Gardener,  Gaird- 
ner,  all  have  a  common  origin,  and  are  of  the  occupa- 
tive  class,  signifying  literally  "the  gardener."  As 
might  be  expected,  this  name  was  a  familiar  entry  in 
every  medieval  record.  Other  theories  as  to  its  ori- 
gin have  been  advanced,  but  none  seem  practicable. 
The  family  of  Gardiner  has  been  a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential one  in  many  parts  of  England  for  several  cen- 
turies. Scions  of  many  of  its  branches  have  distin- 
guished themselves  and  honored  the  name  in  many 
branches  of  public  and  professional  life.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  period  of  Colonial  immigration,  sev- 
eral immigrants  of  the  name  came  to  New  England. 
They  were  all  men  of  rugged  uprightness,  strong  and 
virile,  men  of  fine  moral  stamina,  who  rose  to  promi- 
nence in  the  communities  where  they  settled,  and  who 
were  the  progenitors  of  a  notable  house.  The  Gardi- 
ners  of  Rhode  Island  have  occupied  a  conspicuous 
place  in  the  history  of  the  early  Colony  and  Common- 
wealth for  a  period  of  two  hundred  and  seventy  years. 
The  line  herein  under  consideration  is  that  of  the  late 
Aldridge  Bissell  Gardiner,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  who 
was  a  descendant  in  the  seventh  generation  of  George 
Gardiner,  who  was  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  as  early  as  1638. 
(I)  George  Gardiner,  immigrant  ancestor  of  the 
family  in  New  England,  was  a  native  of  England,  and 
according  to  an  entry  in  an  old  Gardiner  family  Bible, 
dated  1760,  he  was  the  son  of  Joseph  Gardiner,  and 
grandson  of  Thomas  Gardiner,  Knight.  He  was  born 
in  England  in  1601,  and  died  in  Kings  county,  R.  I., 
in  1679.  From  what  it  has  been  possible  to  glean  from 
early  records  and  family  tradition,  he  was  a  man  of 
e.xcellent  education.  He  was  admitted  an  inhabitant 
of  the  Island  of  Aquidneck,  R.  I.,  September  i,  1638, 
and  in  1640  was  present  at  a  General  Court  of  Elec- 
tion. His  name  is  found  on  the  records  from  that 
time  until  his  death,  and  is  spelled  Gardiner  and  Gard- 
ner. He  married  (first)  Herodias  (Long)  Wickes, 
about  1640,  who  declared  that  when  she  was  be- 
tween thirteen  and  fourteen  years  of  age  she  was 
married  in  London  to  John  Wickes  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  her  friends.  Soon  after  they  reached  Rhode 
Island,  the  Gardiners  separated,  he  going  to  New 
Amsterdam,  or,  as  she  expressed  it,  "to  the  Dutch." 
Her  marriage  to  George  Gardiner  was  the  Quaker 
ceremony,  which  consisted  in  their  going  before  some 
Friends  and  declaring  themselves  husband  and  wife. 
She  refused  to  take  the  usual  ceremony,  as  she  was 
a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  was  so 
bound  to  her  religion  that  she  cheerfully  walked  from 
Newport  to  Boston  to  receive  a  whipping  at  the  post, 
to  which  she  had  been  sentenced  by  the  Quaker-bait- 
ing Puritan  authorities,  carrying  with  her  in  her  arms 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


221 


a  young  child.  According  to  her  own  account,  George 
Gardiner  neglected  to  provide  for  her  numerous  family 
adequately.  It  may  have  been  her  pressing  needs, 
and  it  may  have  been  the  superior  attractions  of  John 
Porter,  with  his  great  wealth  of  lands  (he  was  one  of 
the  original  Pettaquamscutt  purchasers)  and  his  prom- 
ise to  provide  for  her  children,  that  awakened  her 
religious  scruples  about  the  legality  of  her  marriage 
with  George  Gardiner.  At  all  events,  she  petitioned 
the  Legislature  for  a  divorce,  which  was  granted,  and 
in  itself  proved  the  legality  of  her  marriage.  She 
then  married  John  Porter,  who  faithfully  kept  his 
promise,  giving  large  farms  to  each  of  her  sons,  pos- 
sibly to  her  daughters,  for  the  land  of  John  Watson 
(who  married  in  succession  two  of  her  daughters)  ad- 
joined the  Gardiner  lands.  George  Gardiner  married 
for  his  second  wife  Lydia  Bolton,  daughter  of  Robert 
and  Susannah  Bolton.  Children  of  the  first  marriage 
were:  I.  Benoni,  who  was  born  about  1645.  2.  Henry, 
born  in  1647.  3.  George,  born  in  1649.  4.  William, 
born  in  1651.  5.  Nicholas,  mentioned  below.  6.  Dor- 
cas, married  John  ^^'atson.  7.  Rebecca,  who  was  prob- 
ably the  infant  carried  by  her  mother  to  Boston,  in 
1658.  The  children  of  the  second  marriage  were:  8. 
Samuel.  9.  Joseph.  10.  Lydia,  who  married  Joseph 
Smith.  II.  Mary.  12.  Peregrine.  13.  Robert.  14. 
Jeremiah. 

(II)  Nicholas  Gardiner,  son  of  George  and  Herodias 
(Long-Wickes)  Gardiner,  was  born  in  Newport,  R.  I. 
He  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  in  1671.  He  received  a 
large  farm  as  a  gift  from  his  wealthy  stepfather,  John 
Porter,  and  settled  in  Kingstown,   R.  I.     He  married 

Hannah  ,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  several 

children,  among  whom  was  Nicholas,  mentioned  below. 

(III)  Nicholas  (2)  Gardiner,  son  of  Nicholas  (i) 
and  Hannah  Gardiner,  was  born  in  Kingstown,  R.  I., 
about  16S0.  He  married  there,  October  13,  i/og,  Mary 
Eldred,  daughter  of  Thomas  Eldred.  of  Kingstown, 
R.  I.  Their  children  were:  i.  Nicholas,  mentioned 
below.  2.  Ezekiel,  born  Sept.  29,  1712.  3.  Sylvester, 
born  .^ug.  3,  1714.  4.  Hannah,  bom  Sept.  2,  1717.  5. 
Amey,  born  June  17,  1723.  6.  Susannah.  7.  Thomas. 
8.  Dorcas.  Nicholas  Gardiner  was  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  prominent  member  of  the  community  at 
Kingstown. 

(IV)  Nicholas  (3)  Gardiner,  son  of  Nicholas  (2) 
and  Mary  (Eldred)  Gardiner,  was  born  in  Kingstown, 
R.  I.,  and  died  in  1801,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
one  years.  He  was  a  large  landowner  and  successful 
farmer,  owning  extensive  properties,  some  of  which 
he  inherited  from  his  father,  and  some  acquired  by 
purchase.  He  also  owned  many  slaves.  Nicholas  (3) 
Gardiner  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  his 
day  in  Kingstown  and  the  surrounding  country.  He 
married  (first)  in  1729,  Martha  Havens,  daughter  of 
William  Havens,  of  North  Kingstown.  R.  I.  He  mar- 
ried (second)  Dorcas  .  Children  of  first  mar- 
riage: I.  Mary,  born  Sept.  22,  1732;  married,  Feb.  28, 
17.S9.  Oliver  Reynolds.  2.  William,  born  Sept.  19,  1734; 
married,  March  2,  1760,  Martha  Reynolds.  3.  Mar- 
garet 4.  Nicholas,  mentioned  below.  5.  Martha,  born 
.^ug.  31,  1739;  married,  March  3,  1760,  Stephen  Arn- 
old.    6.  Anna,   born    May  28,    1741;    married   Samuel 


Norey.  7.  Elizabeth,  born  Sej)t.  22,  1743;  mar- 
mied  Daniel  Champlin.  8.  Huling,  l)orn  .-Kug.  18,  1745; 
married  Elizabeth  Northup,  daughter  of  Immanuel 
Northup.  Children  of  second  marriage:  9.  James,  born 
Oct.  26,  1750.  10.  Sylvester,  born  Aug.  .^o,  1752; 
married  Hannah  Reynolds.  11.  Francis,  born  .Xpril  4, 
1755;  married  Waity  West.  12.  Dorcas,  born  March 
12,   1760. 

(V)  Nicholas  (4)  Gardiner,  son  of  Nicholas  (3)  and 
Martha  (Havens)  Gardiner,  was  born  in  Kingstown, 
R.  I.,  March  2,  1738.  He  was  a  resident  of  E.xeter, 
R.  I.,  where  he  died  June  6,  1815,  aged  seventy-seven 
years.  He  married  (first)  Honour  Brown,  born  May 
10,  1740,  daughter  of  Beriah  Brown,  of  North  Kings- 
town, R.  I.  She  died  August  19,  1760,  without  issue, 
and  he  married  (second)  October  19,  1761,  Deborah 
\incent.  of  E.xeter.  who  was  born  in  1740,  and  died  May 
23,  1813:  he  married  (third)  Ruth  Tillinghast.  His 
children  were:  l.  Honour,  born  Jan.  3,  1763,  died  un- 
married. May  20,  1817.  2.  Vincent,  liorn  Dec.  9,  1764; 
married    Mary,   daughter  of  Judge    Ezekiel    Gardiner. 

3.  Elizabeth,  born  April   10,   1767,   died  June    10,    1776. 

4.  Nicholas,  born  .^ug.  11,  1769.  5.  Beriah,  mentioned 
below.  6.  Willett,  born  Feb.  13,  1774.  7.  Elizabeth, 
born  Oct.  6,  1776.    8.  Benjamin  C.,  born  April  27,  1779. 

(VI)  Beriah  Gardiner,  son  of  Nicholas  (4)  and  De- 
borah (Vincent)  Gardiner,  was  born  in  E.xeter,  R.  I., 
November  16,  1771.  During  the  earlier  part  of  his  life 
he  followed  the  occupation  of  farmer,  first  in  his  native 
town  and  later  at  Point  Judith.  He  was  obliged  to 
dispose  of  his  property  at  Point  Judith,  however,  be- 
cause of  financial  reverses,  and  removing  to  Wickford 
he  became  interested  in  the  coasting  trade.  He  fol- 
lowed the  sea  until  the  time  of  his  death.  Beriah  Gardi- 
ner was  familiarly  known  in  Wickford  as  "Uncle 
Beriah;"  he  was  a  prominent  figure  in  the  life  of  the 
town  for  many  decades.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church.  He  married  (first)  October  21,  1792, 
Phebe  Gardiner,  born  October  16,  1772.  died  ."Kpril  6, 
1808.  He  married  (second)  October  15,  1808,  Eliza- 
beth Hammond,  daughter  of  Joseph  Hammond,  born 
.April  3,  1787,  and  died  September  i.  1S63.  The  chil- 
dren of  first  marriage  were  eight  in  number.  Children 
of  second  marriage:      i.  Joseph   Hammond,  born    Feb. 

22,  181 1,  died  Nov.  23,  1S93.  2.  James  .-Vnthony,  born 
Jan.  23,  1813:  died  Dec.  23,  1852.  3.  Harriet  Cottrell, 
born  March  11,  1815;  married  Stephen  B.  Reynolds, 
and  died  Nov.  7.  1896.  4.  Lucy  .Xnn,  born  July  21, 
1817:  married  Thomas  Rathbun,  and  died  Oct. 
16,  1878.    5.  Benjamin  C,  born  Sept.  II,  1821.  died  Oct. 

23,  1863.  6.  .Mdridge  Bissell,  mentioned  below.  7. 
William  Northup,  born  Dec.  15,  1828.  died  Aug.  30, 
1875.     Beriah  Gardiner  died  February  12,  1S53. 

(VII)  .Aldridge  Bissell  Gardiner,  son  of  Beriah  and 
Elizabeth  (Hammond)  Gardiner,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Wickford,  R.  I.,  May  25,  1826.  He  received  his  ele- 
mentary education  in  the  public  schools  of  Wickford, 
and  later  attended  the  Wickford  Academy,  which, 
however,  he  left  on  reaching  his  thirteenth  year  in 
order  to  enter  upon  a  seafaring  life,  as  most  of  his 
brothers  had  done.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  he 
shipped  before  the  mast,  and  after  several  years'  ex- 
perience  at   sea   he    apprenticed   himself   to   learn   the 


222 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


manufacturing  jewelry  trade  with  Messrs.  Hunt  & 
Owen,  of  Providence,  with  whom  he  remained  for  nine 
years.  In  1866  he  launched  an  independent  venture  in 
this  line,  which  proved  highly  successful.  In  this  he 
had  for  a  partner  the  late  Josiah  W.  Richardson,  and 
the  firm  name  became  Josiah  W.  Richardson  &  Com- 
pany, and  the  two  men  remained  associated  with  one 
another  until  1881,  when  the  death  of  Mr.  Richardson 
dissolved  the  partnership.  From  1881  until  1S93  Mr. 
Gardiner  conducted  the  business  in  partnership  with 
George  H.  Richardson,  son  of  his  former  partner. 
During  this  period  it  was  developed  into  one  of  the 
leading  enterprises  of  its  kind  in  the  city  of  Providence, 
and  to-day  occupies  an  honored  and  influential  place 
among  the  jewlery  manufacturing  houses  of  the  city. 
For  a  long  period  it  was  the  only  firm  to  specialize  in 
the  making  of  society  emblems.  Mr.  Gardiner  was 
well  known  and  highly  respected  for  his  business  abil- 
ity, and  the  fairness  and  justice  of  all  his  dealings. 

He  was  a  prominent  figure  in  the  military,  fraternal 
and  social  life  of  Providence.  For  ten  or  more  years 
he  was  an  active  member  of  the  First  Company  of 
Light  Infantry  of  Providence,  and  later  became  a 
member  of  its  Veteran  Association.  During  the  Dorr 
War  he  was  among  the  first  who  offered  themselves 
for  service.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  old- 
est member  of  St.  John's  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons;  he  was  also  a  member  of  Provi- 
dence Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Providence  Coun- 
cil, Royal  and  Select  Masters;  and  of  St.  John's  Com- 
mandery.  Knights  Templar,  in  which  at  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  the  oldest  Sir  Knight.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Consistory,  thirty-second 
degree,  Scottish  Rite,  and  of  Palestine  Temple,  An- 
cient .Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  Mr. 
Gardiner  was  a  member  of  the  last  delegation  from 
St.  Jolm's  Commandery  to  visit  the  Richmond  Com- 
mandcry  before  the  Civil  War,  and  of  the  first  to  visit 
it  after  the  close  of  the  conflict.  He  had  the  honor 
of  being  the  first  man  to  be  made  a  Knight  of  Pythias 
in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  His  clubs  were  the  West 
Side  and  Pomham,  of  both  of  which  he  was  a  founder, 
and  the  .Athletic  Club.  His  political  affiliation  was 
with  the  Republican  party. 

On  June  14,  1854,  Mr.  Gardiner  married  .Agnes 
Doughty  Jackson,  who  was  born  in  Rockaway,  Morris 
county,  N.  J.,  daughter  of  John  D.  and  Agnes 
(Ludlow)  Jackson,  a  member  of  the  family  to  which 
belonged  General  Andrew  Jackson,  and  a  cousin  of  the 
late  Governor  Ludlow,  of  New  Jersey.  Mrs.  Gardi- 
ner died  June  21,  1897.  Children:  i.  Annie  Rath- 
bun,  who  became  the  wife  of  Frank  T.  Pearce,  manu- 
facturer, of  Providence;  issue;  Aldridge  Gardiner, 
born  April  2,  1875;  .Anna  Elizabeth.  2.  Laura  Chand- 
ler, mentioned  below.  ,1.  John  Jackson,  died  in  1877, 
aged  seventeen  years.  Aldridge  Bissell  Gardiner  died 
on  August  II,  1905. 

(VIII)  Laura  Chandler  Gardiner,  daughter  of  .Ald- 
ridge B.  and  Agnes  Doughty  (Jackson)  Gardiner,  was 
born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  December  6,  1857.  She 
married.  June  I,  1881,  Judge  Christopher  Marble  Lee, 
of  Providence,  R.  I.  (See  Lee  VII).  Mrs.  Lee  sur- 
vives her  husband,  and  resides  at  No.  260  Elmwood 
avenue,  Providence. 


HON.    GEORGE    CARMICHAEL— As    a    leader 

in  military  circles,  a  public  official  of  note,  and  a 
business  man  and  executive  of  the  first  rank,  the  late 
Hon.  George  Carmichael  occupied  a  place  of  promi- 
nence in  the  life  of  Rhode  Island  in  the  last  half  of 
the  nineteenth  century  to  which  few  of  his  contempor- 
aries attained.  Although  a  native  of  Scotland,  Mr. 
Carmichael  developed  intii  an  .American  citizen  of  the 
finest  type,  and  his  patriotism  and  love  for  .American 
institutions  is  finely  evidenced  in  his  long  and  honor- 
able career  as  a  public  servant  and  in  his  ardent  sup- 
port of  the  cause  of  the  Union  in  the  Civil  War. 

Hon.  George  Carmichael  was  born  at  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  November  22,  1838,  member  of  an  ancient 
and  distinguished  family  which  was  descended  from 
one  of  the  oldest  of  the  Scottish  border  clans.  Ma- 
ternally he  was  descended  from  the  Rutherfords,  a 
famous  Highland  clan.  He  came  to  Westerly,  R.  I., 
with  his  parents  in  early  boyhood,  and  there  obtained 
a  fragmentary  schooling.  While  still  a  boy  he  went  to 
work  in  the  mills,  and  for  several  years  attended  school 
at  night,  after  a  day  of  tedious  labor.  He  secured  his 
first  experience  in  the  field  in  which  he  later  became 
a  leader  as  a  mill  hand  in  the  employ  of  Welcome  and 
Orsemus  Stillman  at  Westerly.  Evincing  unusual  abil- 
ity, however,  he  was  advanced  rapidly  to  positions  of 
larger  responsibility  in  the  mills  at  .Ashaway,  R.  I., 
Bethel  and  Laurel  Glen,  Conn.,  and  in  these  estab- 
lishments laid  the  foundation  of  his  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  the  milling  industry  and  the  conditions 
governing  mill  operation.  In  1875,  having  amassed 
a  small  capital,  Mr.  Carmichael  founded  the  Carmichael 
Manufacturing  Company,  for  the  manufacture  of 
woolen  goods  at  Shannock,  R.  I.,  and  was  active  in  the 
management  of  this  concern  until  his  death.  Through 
this  enterprise  he  was  brought  into  prominence  in 
manufacturing  circles  in  the  State,  and  he  maintained 
a  prominent  position  in  this  field  until  his  death. 

It  was  principally  through  his  activities  in  public 
affairs  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  that  the  name  of 
the  Hon.  George  Carmichael  will  stand  forth  on  the 
pages  of  its  history.  In  political  affiliation  he  was  a 
stalwart  Republican.  In  1877,  while  residing  in  Shan- 
nock, in  the  town  of  Richmond,  he  was  elected  to  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  State  and  reelected  for  a  sec- 
ond term.  Declining  a  third  term,  he  was  elected  in 
1879  president  of  the  Town  Council  of  Richmond,  and 
he  administered  the  affairs  of  the  town  in  a  highly  sat- 
isfactory manner.  Against  his  own  wishes,  he  yielded 
to  the  pressure  of  public  sentiment  and  accepted  an- 
other term  in  the  General  .Assembly,  being  unanimously 
elected  in  1880.  In  this  session  his  work  as  a  legisla- 
tor took  on  a  larger  degree  of  importance.  At  this 
time  the  remnant  of  the  famous  old  Narragansett  tribe 
of  Indians  still  retained  their  tribal  government  and 
lands  in  the  town  of  Charlestown.  Their  reservation 
consisted  of  six  thousand  acres.  Many  attempts  to 
induce  the  Indians  to  become  citizens  of  the  State  and 
relinquish  their  tribal  organization  had  failed.  They 
were  exempt  from  taxation  and  from  arrest  or  civil 
process  while  on  their  reservation.  They  maintained 
their  own  poor  and  the  State  provided  their  schools. 
Mr.  Carmichael  interested  himself  in  the  Indians,  and 
was  appointed  on  a  commission  with  Dwight  R.  Adams 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


223 


and  William  P.  Sheffield  to  negotiate  for  the  purchase 
of  the  common  lands  of  the  Indians  and  to  adjust  all 
the  affairs  of  the  tribe.  The  work  was  accomplished 
in  three  years,  and  proved  satisfactory  both  to  the 
Indians  and  to  the  people  of  the  State.  The  Indians 
were  paid  for  their  property:  they  were  admitted  to 
citizenship  and  their  children  entered  the  public 
schools.  When  it  was  suggested  that  a  monument  be 
raised  to  Roger  Williams  in  Providence,  Mr.  Car- 
michael  was  one  of  the  staunch  supporters  of  the  pro- 
ject, and  when  the  monument  was  finally  dedicated  he 
was  one  of  the  speakers  at  the  exercises.  He  secured 
from  the  State  an  appropriation  for  the  purchase  of  the 
ancient  Indian  burying  ground  in  Charlestown,  where 
were  buried  the  principal  men,  the  warriors,  kings  and 
queens  of  the  Xarragansetts,  and  providing  for  the  care 
and  fencing  of  the  land  and  the  erection  of  a  suitable 
tablet  within  the  enclosure.  .\t  the  same  session  of  the 
General  .Assembly,  Mr.  Carmichael  secured  an  appro- 
priation to  protect  the  outlet  connecting  Great  Salt 
pond  in  Charletown  with  the  ocean,  preventing  the 
closing  of  the  inlet  by  storms  and  tide  and  thus  pre- 
serving the  fishing  and  shellfish  in  the  pond.  In  1882 
Mr.  Carmichael  changed  his  residence  to  the  town  of 
Charlestown,  and  in  1883  he  was  elected  to  the  General 
Assembly  from  that  town.  He  continued  in  the  House 
of  Representatives  until  1887.  and  was  then  elected  to 
the  State  Senate,  where  he  served  for  two  years.  For 
many  years  no  man  possessed  greater  influence  in 
South  county  affairs,  and  few  men  in  the  State  were 
more  successful  in  securing  the  ends  they  had  in  view 
for  the  public  welfare.  His  name  was  known  and  re- 
spected throughout  the  State,  and  he  gave  his  time  and 
ability  to  serve  the  entire  State  and  to  promote  all 
movements  intended  for  the  public  welfare.  In  1884 
he  was  a  presidential  elector  from  Rhode  Island  and 
voted  for  James  G.  Blaine  for  President.  In  18S8  he 
was  elected  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  Court  of 
Common  Pleas  for  Washington  county,  and  served  one 
year.  He  was  a  member  of  the  committee  appointed 
to  investigate  State  prison  affairs  in  1887.  In  1892 
he  was  appointed  special  agent  for  the  United  States 
general  land  office,  and  spent  three  years  in  this  office, 
being  absent  from  home  during  a  greater  part  of  the 
time. 

During  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Carmichael  served  in 
Company  B,  of  the  Ninth  Rhode  Island  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, from  May  to  September,  1862.  and  he  was  after- 
ward captain  of  Company  H,  Eighth  Regiment,  for 
three  years,  sening  during  a  part  of  the  time  in  gar- 
risoning the  forts  along  the  west  passage  of  Xarra- 
gansett  bay.  .-^fter  the  war  he  was  prominent  in  the 
Grand  .Army  of  the  Republic,  a  member  of  Burnside 
Post,  No.  2,  of  Shannock.  He  was  a  commissioner  for 
the  relief  of  needy  soldiers  and  sailors,  and  was  a 
prime  mover  in  securing  the  necessary  legislation  to 
reimburse  the  soldiers  of  the  Fourth  Regiment  for 
their  uniforms,  for  which  they  were  charged  errone- 
ously. No  better  evidence  of  the  value  of  Mr.  Car- 
michael's  labors  in  behalf  of  the  Grand  .Army  of  the 
Republic  can  be  asked  than  the  following  resolutions 
which  were  presented  to  him  at  his  home  in  Shannock 
by   a   delegation   of   about    fifty   representative    Grand 


Army  men  of  the  State.  The  resolutions  were  beauti- 
fully engrossed,  and  were  jjresented  by  Daniel  R.  Bal- 
lou,  of  Providence,  in  an  appropriate  speech: 

Assistant   .V'Jjiitant-Generars  Oinoe. 

Headquarters  Depart  men  i  of  Rhode  I.slaii.i, 

Grand  .\rniy  of  the  Uepublic. 

Providence,  Rhode  I.-iland.  February  9,  ]S91. 

.Vt  a  meeting  of  the  24th  annual  encampmi-nt  held  in 
Providence  on  February  C.  1,S91.  the  followins  pre- 
amble and   resolutions  were   unanimou.slv  adopted: 

Whereas.  The  Department  of  Ithode  I.sland.  Grand 
Army  of  the  Keiiublic.  at  all  times  feel  under  deep 
oblig-atlons  to  any  citizen  of  the  State  for  service  ren- 
dered in  the  Interest  and  welfare  of  the  Veterans  of 
the  War  of  tlie   Rebellion,  1S61-65;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  Department,  in 
convention  assembled,  are  most  heartily  extended  to 
our  comrade,  State  Senator  George  Carmichael,  of 
Burnside  Post,  No.  2,  for  his  untiring  efforts  and  inter- 
e.st  taken  in  behalf  of  the  Veteran  .Soldiers  and  Sailora 
before  the  I^egi.<lalure  of  the  Slate  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  for  introducing  into  the  General  Assembly  the 
resolution  calling  for  the  revision  of  the  -Vdiutant- 
Generals  report  for  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  for  the 
year  1S65. 

Resolved.  That  the  foregoing  resolution  be  spread 
upon  the  records  of  ihe  Department  and  that  a  copv 
of  the  same  be  suitably  engrossed  and  framed  at  the 
expense  of  the  Department  and  pre.'^ented  to  Comrade 
George  Carmichael.  BE.NJ.\MIN  F.  DAVIS. 

Attest:  Department  Commander. 

EDMUND   F.    PRKNTISS, 
Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

On  November  7,  1858,  Mr.  Carmichael  married  (first) 
Abby  Sanford  Thomas,  of  North  Kingston,  who  died 
February  19,  iSiSs.  On  April  11,  1888,  he  married  (sec- 
ond) Nellie  A.  Clark,  daughter  of  Simeon  P.  and  Cath- 
erine (Perry)  Clark,  of  Shannock.  Mrs.  Carmichael, 
during  the  lifetime  of  her  husband,  was  active  in  social 
life  in  Westerly  and  Shannock.  A  charming  hostess, 
she  made  her  home  the  center  of  a  refined  and  cultured 
society,  and  to  it  came  some  of  the  foremost  of  her  hus- 
band's contemporaries.  Mrs.  Carmichael  still  resides 
at  "River  View,"  in  Shannock.  The  children  of  the  first 
marriage  were:  i.  George  \.,  born  Dec.  22,  1869;  was 
for  several  years  freight  agent  of  the  New  York,  New 
Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad  Comjjany  at  Worcester, 
Mass.,  but  resigned  to  enter  the  brokerage  busi- 
ness in  Providence;  is  now  claim  agent  of  the  util- 
ity commission.  2.  Welcome  S.,  born  Dec.  21,  1878; 
now  a  member  of  the  staff  of  the  Providence  "Jour- 
nal;" is  connected  with  the  L'nderwood  Typewriter 
Company. 

Hon.  George  Carmichael  died  July  12,  1903,  and  was 
buried  in  River  Bend  Cemetery,  Westerly.  It  is  given 
to  few  men  to  attain  the  prominence  and  influence 
which  was  his  svithout  incurring  enmity,  yet  throughout 
his  entire  career  he  made  no  enemies  nor  was  any 
stain  ever  put  upon  his  escutcheon.  A  man's  man,  his 
friends  were  legion,  and  he  was  universally  loved  and 
respected. 


JAMES  HENRY  BUGBEE— While  the  surname 
Bugbee  thrives  in  .\mcrica.  it  is  almost  extinct  in  its 
English  home.  The  name  is  of  very  ancient  English 
origin,  and  is  found  in  records  of  as  early  date  as  the 
Hundred  Rolls  of  1273.  It  is  of  local  derivation,  and 
signifies  "of  Buckby,"  a  parish  in  County  Northamp- 
ton, where  it  is  certain  all  the  first  bearers  of  the 
name  resided.  In  "Old  and  New  London"  is  a  map 
showing  Bugby  marshes,  not  far  from  the  town. 


224 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


The  Bugbee  family  in  America  dates  from  the  third 
decade  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  ranks  among 
the  foremost  New  England  Colonial  families.  It  has 
attained  distinction  and  prominence  in  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island,  where  for  many  generations  it  has 
wielded  large  power  in  industrial,  business  and  financial 
life,  and  has  participated  notably  in  public  affairs.  The 
late  Edwin  H.  Bugbee,  of  the  Connecticut  family,  for 
many  years  occupied  a  position  of  prominence  in  the 
life  of  Danielson,  Conn.,  and  was  the  donor  of  the 
handsome  library  building  known  as  the  Bugbee  Me- 
morial. Associated  closely  with  the  business  world 
of  Providence,  R.  I.,  are  the  names  of  the  late  James 
Henry  Bugbee,  head  of  the  firm  of  Bugbee  &  Brow- 
nell,  wholesale  grocers  and  dealers  in  spices,  and  the 
late  John  Edwin  Bugbee,  head  of  the  firm  of  Bugbee 
&  Thompson,  stationers  and  blank  book  manufac- 
turers, well  known  and  prominent  figures  in  business 
circles. 

(I)  Edward  Bugby,  immigrant  ancestor  and  progeni- 
tor of  the  family  in  America,  was  a  native  of  England, 
where  he  was  born  in  1594.  He  was  preceded  to  Amer- 
ica by  his  brother,  Richard  Bugby,  who  came  with 
John  Winthrop,  and  was  the  first  of  the  family  in  the 
New  World.  Edward  Bugby.  prior  to  his  emigration 
from  England,  resided  at  Stratford-le-Bow,  on  the 
river  Lee,  near  its  junction  with  the  Thames.  Strat- 
ford-le-Bow, which  now  forms  a  part  of  the  city  of 
London,  may  or  may  not  have  been  his  birthplace.  He 
brought  with  him  to  New  England  his  wife,  Rebecca, 
and  his  daughter,  Sarah,  sailing  from  Ipswich,  on  the 
ship  "Francis."  He  settled  in  Roxbury.  Mass.,  where 
he  acquired  a  large  property  which  descended  to  his 
son,  Edward  (2)  Bugby,  who  remained  at  Roxbury. 
He  died  there,  January  26,  i66g. 

(II)  Joseph  Bugbee,  son  of  Edward  and  Rebecca 
Bugby,  was  born  at  Roxbury,  Mass.  He  and  his 
brothers  were  the  first  to  assume  the  present  form  of 
the  surname.  They  were  among  the  fifty  proprietors 
of  what  is  now  Woodstock.  Conn.,  which  was  settled 
by  men  from  Roxbury,  Mass.,  and  originally  called 
New  Roxbury.  Joseph  Bugbee  married  Experience 
Pitcher,  daughter  of  Andrew  Pitcher,  of  Dorchester, 
Mass.,  and  among  their  children  was  Samuel,  men- 
tioned below. 

(III)  Samuel  Bugbee,  son  of  Joseph  and  Experience 
(Pitcher)  Bugbee,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Roxbury, 
Mass.,  in  167.3.  He  accompanied  his  parents  to  Wood- 
stock, Windham  county.  Conn.,  where  he  resided  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  his  life.  He  married  Dorothy 
Carpenter,  daughter  of  John  Carpenter,  of  Rehoboth, 
Mass. 

(IV)  James  Bugbee,  son  of  Samuel  and  Dorothy 
(Carpenter)  Bugbee,  was  born  in  Woodstock,  Conn., 
July  II,  1715.  He  resided  there  all  his  life,  and  was 
a  prosperous  farmer  and  highly  respected  member  of 
the  community.  He  married  (first)  Hannah  Gary,  and 
(second)  Mary  May,  March  16,  1745.  She  was  a  de- 
scendant of  Samuel  May,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
Woodstock. 

(V)  Hezekiah  Bugbee,  son  of  James  and  Mary 
(May)  Bugbee,  was  born  in  Woodstock,  Conn.,  Feb- 
ruary  19,   1746,  and  died  there.     He  married.  January 


21.  i77ji,  Bathsheba  Holmes,  who  was  born  May  6, 
1753.  and  died  in  1833,  daughter  of  Dr.  David  Holmes, 
and  aunt,  of  the  late  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes.  Dr. 
David  Holmes  served  as  a  captain  in  the  Colonial  wars 
and  later  as  a  surgeon  in  the  American  Revolution. 
He  was  a  descendant  of  John  Holmes,  one  of  the 
original  settlers  of  Woodstock,  Conn. 

(VI)  James  (2)  Bugbee,  son  of  James  (i)  and  Bath- 
sheba (Holmes)  Bugbee.  was  born  in  Woodstock, 
Conn.,  April  11,  1788.  Early  in  life  he  removed  to 
Warren,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  employed  as  an  account- 
ant. He  subsequently  returned  to  Woodstock,  and 
established  a  mercantile  business  there  with  a  branch 
in  Thompson,  Conn.,  which  he  conducted  f'.r  several 
years.  Retiring  a  number  of  years  prior  to  lii.;  death, 
he  removed  to  Killingly.  Conn.,  where  he  died  July  17, 
1866.  James  (2)  Bugbee  married.  December  26.  181 1, 
in  Warren,  R.  I.,  Elizabeth  Dorrance,  a  native  of 
Scituate,  Mass.,  daughter  of  Samuel  Dorrance.  (See 
Dorrance  II).  Mrs.  Bugbee  died  at  Warren,  R.  I., 
at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Charles  J.  Harris, 
on  her  eighty-ninth  birthday.  The  children  of  James 
(2)  and  Elizabeth  (Dorrance)  Bugbee  were:  i.  James 
Henry,  mentioned  below,  2.  Mary  A.,  married  Charles 
J.  Harris,  cotton  manufacturer,  and  an  e.xpert  in  mill 
machinery;  she  was  a  resident  of  Warren,  R.  I.,  where 
she  died.  3.  Edwin  H.,  mentioned  below.  4.  Sarah 
Tully.  married  William  Torrey  Harris,  LL.  D.,  well 
known  author  and  educator,  who  was  for  many  years 
L^nitcd  States  commissioner  of  education:  resided  at 
Washington,  D.  C. 

(VII)  James  Henry  Bugbee,  son  of  James  (2)  and 
Elizabeth  (Dorrance)  Bugbee,  was  born  in  Warren, 
R.  I.,  December  5,  1812.  He  entered  the  employ  of 
James  Rhodes  &  Son.  manufacturers  at  Pawtuxet, 
R.  I.,  but  left  their  employ  to  follow  the  sea.  He  later 
became  master  of  a  vessel  plying  between  Providence 
and  European  ports,  and  was  lost  at  sea,  March  4,  1846. 
James  Henry  Bugbee  married,  June  18,  1834.  in  War- 
wick, R.  I.,  Maria  Smith  Potter,  who  was  borti  in 
1810,  and  died  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  .\ugust  27.  1874, 
aged  sixty-four  years.  She  was  a  daughter  of  William 
Anson  and  Sally  (Smith)  Potter,  granddaughter  of 
Mesheck  Potter,  a  woolen  manufacturer  of  Plain- 
field,  Conn.,  where  he  died,  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Roger  Williams,  and  of  many  of  the  oldest  families 
of  Rhode  Island,  among  which  were  the  Smiths,  Pot- 
ters, Williamses,  Harrises,  Olneys,  Arnolds  and  Car- 
penters. Sally  Smith's  mother  was  Hope  Harris, 
daughter  of  John  H.  Harris,  son  of  Toleration  Harris, 
son  of  William  Harris.  Children,  born  at  Pawtuxet: 
I.  Elizabeth  Dorrance,  born  in  183.=;.  who  resides  at 
No.  179  Hope  street.  Providence;  Miss  Bugbee  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  So- 
ciety. 2.  James  Henry,  mentioned  below.  3.  John 
Edwin,  mentioned  below. 

(VII)  Edwin  H.  Bugbee,  son  of  James  (2)  and 
Elizabeth  (Dorrance)  Bugbee,  was  born  in  Thompson, 
Conn.,  April  26,  1S20.  In  1839,  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years,  he  went  to  Lymansville.  R.  I.,  where  he  secured 
employment  in  a  factory  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  and 
bookkeeper.  Later,  in  association  with  Henry  Weaver, 
he  established  a  mill,  which  he  conducted  for  several 


o-?^''>,  ^.-. 


L 


'^t^xy-^^^.^i^z^c^^.^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


225 


years  with  success,  and  finally  disposed  of  in  1849.  In 
the  latter  year  lie  became  connected  with  the  Wil- 
liamsville  Manufacturing  Company  (if  Killingly,  Conn., 
(S.  &  VV.  Foster  were  the  Providence  agents)  and  he 
remained  identified  with  this  concern  until  the  time  of 
his  retirement  from  active  business  life,  in  1879.  For 
several  years  he  had  occupied  a  position  of  prominence 
in  the  manufacturing  world  of  Eastern  Connecticut, 
and  had  been  repeatedly  urged  to  enter  public  aflfairs, 
and  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  governorship  of  the 
State  and  Congressman  from  his  district.  He  declined 
to  enter  public  life,  however,  but  worked  constantly 
and  earnestly  in  behalf  of  the  welfare  of  the  people. 
He  was  one  of  the  foremost  figures  in  life  and  affairs 
of  Eastern  Connecticut,  in  his  time.  In  1857-59-61-63- 
69-71-73,  he  represented  the  town  of  Killingly  in  the 
Connecticut  State  Legislature.  From  1865  to  1868  he 
was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  from  the  Fourteenth 
Connecticut  District.  Mr.  Bugbee  filled  the  office  of 
president  pro  tem  of  the  Senate  in  1868,  and  in  1871 
was  Speaker  of  the  House.  Prior  to  his  death  he  was 
a  resident  of  the  town  of  Putnam,  and  was  a  director 
of  one  of  its  banks.  He  was  universally  recognized  as 
a  man  of  fine  ability  and  unimpeachable  integrity,  and 
in  many  elections  received  the  support  of  both  the 
Democrats  and  Republicans.  Justice  and  absolute  fair- 
ness marked  all  his  dealings  of  a  business  nature  and 
was  notat>le  in  his  long  career  as  a  public  servant.  Mr. 
Bugbee  was  a  member  of  the  New  England  Historic- 
Genealogical  Society,  and  held  the  office  of  vice-presi- 
dent for  Connecticut.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  his- 
toric and  genealogical  research,  and  devoted  much 
time  to  the  subject,  amassing  a  large  fund  of  valuable 
information  and  collecting  a  large  library  on  it.  .■\t  the 
time  of  his  death  he  willed  the  sum  nf  $15,000  to  erect 
the  Bugbee  Memorial  Library  at  Danielson,  Conn., 
which  contains  his  extensive  private  library.  Ed- 
win H.  Bugbee  married,  in  1865,  Selenda  Howard  Gris- 
wold,  who  died  a  few  months  after  their  marriage.  He 
died  on  January  26,  1900. 

(VIII)  James  Henry  (2)  Bugbee,  son  of  James 
Henry  (i)  and  Maria  Smith  (Potter)  Bugbee,  was 
born  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  February  14,  1837.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  and 
in  1854  went  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Fosters  &  Fisher,  wholesale  grocers. 
Within  a  few  years  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the 
business,  and  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  the  firm 
name  being  changed  to  Fosters,  Fisher  &  Company. 
On  the  withdrawal  of  Messrs.  Fosters  and  Fisher  from 
the  firm,  Mr.  Bugbee  formed  a  partnership  with  Henry 
Parsons,  under  the  firm  name  of  Parsons,  Bugbee  & 
Company.  At  a  still  later  date  he  became  associated 
with  Seth  H.  Brownell  in  the  wholesale  grocery  and 
spice  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Bugbee  & 
Brownell.  This  venture  proved  highly  successful,  and 
Mr.  Bugbee  continued  at  the  head  of  it  until  1888, 
when  he  retired  from  active  business  life.  He  was 
prominent  and  highly  respected  in  business  circles  in 
Providence,  and  was  for  many  years  a  member  of 
the  Providence  Board  of  Trade,  serving  at  one  time  on 
its  e-xecutive  council.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  his- 
torical   research,   and   was   an   active   member   of   the 

R  1—2-15 


Rhode  Island  Historical  Society.  For  many  years  he 
was  a  well  known  figure  in  club  and  social  life  in 
Providence,  and  was  president  of  the  Squanluni  .Asso- 
ciation at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  old  Union  Club.  Mr.  Bugbee  married,  June 
17,  1868,  Emma  Tingley,  who  was  born  in  1848,  and 
died  .April  16,  1873.  They  were  the  parents  of  a 
daughter,  Alice  Stewart,  born  June  8,  1870,  died  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1881.  He  died  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  March 
5,  1900. 

(VIII)  John  Edwin  Bugbee,  son  of  James  Henry 
(i)  and  Maria  Smith  (Potter)  Bugbee,  was  born  in 
Warwick,  R.  I.,  November  14,  1843.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  of  Pawtuxet,  but  did  not  continue 
beyond  the  grammar  school.  He  entered  business  life 
at  an  early  age,  securing  his  first  employment  as  clerk 
in  the  book  store  of  George  Whitney,  of  Providence, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
subsequently  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Thomp- 
son for  the  manufacture  of  stationery,  blank  books, 
fancy  goods,  etc.,  under  the  firm  name  of  Bugbee  & 
Thompson.  The  enterprise  proved  highly  successful, 
and  Mr.  Bugbee  remained  actively  engaged  in  it  until 
the  time  of  his  death.  Beyond  discharging  his  duties  as 
a  citizen  to  the  fullest  degree,  Mr.  Bugbee  remained 
outside  public  life.  He  was  unmarried.  John  Edwin 
Bugbee  died  at  his  home  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  Decem- 
ber 20,  1890. 

(The  Holmes  Line). 

The  surname  Holm  or  Holmes  is  obviously  of  that 
class  which  was  derived  from  the  nature  of  the  physi- 
cal environment  of  the  individual  or  family  who  first 
assumed  it.  A  flat  ground  in  or  near  water  was  called 
a  "holm."  The  present  form,  no  doubt,  is  a  possessive 
form  that  in  the  course  of  time  became  established. 
More  than  twenty-five  spellings  of  this  name  are  to  be 
found  in  the  records  during  the  Colonial  period. 

(I)  John  Holmes  was  one  of  the  original  proprietors 
of  the  town  of  Woodstock,  Conn.  As  all  but 
three  of  these  proprietors  are  known  to  have  removed 
from  Roxbury,  Mass.,  it  has  been  assumed  by  Mr.  E. 
Holmes  Bugbee,  who  made  diligent  search,  that  John 
Holmes  was  a  native  of  Roxbury,  and  a  son  of  David 
Holmes,  who  died  in  Dorchester,  in  1666.  John  Holmes 
was  born  about  1644,  and  on  April  9,  1690,  married 
Hannah,  daughter  of  Isaac  Newell,  of  Roxbury,  and 
granddaughter  of  Abraham  Newell,  who  came  over  in 
the  ship  "Francis,"  from  Ipswich,  in  1634.  She  was 
baptized  February  19,  1671,  and  died  May  9,  1743.  John 
Holmes  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  Woodstock  set- 
tlement, and  held  many  important  positions  there,  for 
which  services  he  was  compensated  by  grants  of  land. 
He  died  June  20,  1713. 

(II)  Deacon  David  Holmes,  son  of  John  and  Han- 
nah (Newell)  Holmes,  was  born  in  Woodstock,  Conn., 
in  1692.  He  married  Bathsheba  Sandford.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  first  church  of  Woodstock. 
He  died  May  22,  1745.  His  widow  married  Joseph 
Edmunds  and  lived  to  an  advanced  age.  She  was  a 
woman  of  great  energy  and  activity,  both  mentally  and 
physically.  She  had  a  wide  reputation  as  a  doctor  and 
midwife,  and  hesitated  at  no  personal  inconvenience  or 


226 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


physical  hardship  when  she  could  be  of  help  in  time  of 
sickness. 

(HI)  Dr.  David  (2)  Holmes,  the  eldest  child  of 
Deacon  David  (i)  and  Bathsheba  (Sandford)  Holmes, 
was  born  in  Woodstock,  Conn.  He  married  for  his 
first  wife,  Mehitable,  daughter  of  Ephraim  and  Eliza- 
beth Mayhew.  David  Holmes  served  during  the  three 
campaigns  of  the  French  and  Indian  War,  the  last 
terminating  with  the  conquest  of  Canada,  September 
4,  1760.  He  joined  Colonel  Fitch's  regiment  in  Hart- 
ford, June  5,  1758,  and  was  captain  of  his  company. 
He  joined  the  army  in  his  professional  character  of 
surgeon  upon  the  Lexington  Alarm,  and  served  until 
the  fourth  year  of  the  war,  when  he  was  so  worn  from 
his  labors  and  from  the  rigors  of  camp  life  that  he  was 
compelled  to  return  home,  where  he  died  soon  after, 
March  19,  1779.  His  son,  Abiel  Holmes,  was  the  father 
of  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes. 

(IV)  Bathsheba  Holmes,  youngest  child  of  Dr. 
David  (2)  and  Mehitable  (Mayhew)  Holmes,  was 
born  May  6,  1753;  she  married  Hezekiah  Bugbee, 
January  21,  1773,  and  died  April  25,  1833  (see  Bug- 
bee  V). 

(The   Dorrance   Line). 

The  family  is  undoubtedly  of  French  origin.  The 
name  D'Orrance  is  still  to  be  found  in  Normandy.  It 
is  probable  that  the  Torrance  families  of  England  and 
Scotland  came  from  the  D'Orrance  family  of  France. 
The  apostrophe  was  dropped  from  the  name  in  Scot- 
land, whence  the  family  had  fled  about  1598  to  escape 
the  persecutions  to  which  the  French  Huguenots  were 
subjected.  The  motto  of  the  Torrance  family  is  "I 
saved  the  King,"  and  was  conferred  on  the  founder  of 
the  Turnbull  family,  a  peasant  named  Torrance,  for 
having  saved  the  King  from  an  attack  by  a  furious  bull, 
when  he  was  hunting.  The  name  of  Turnbull,  and  the 
crest,  a  bull's  head,  were  also  conferred  with  a  pen- 
sion at  the  same  time.  The  Dorrance  family  in  Amer- 
ica dates  from  the  year  1720.  It  has  been  particularly 
prominent  in  Rhode  Island,  in  Providence  and  the 
surrounding  territory. 

(I)  Rev.  Samuel  Dorrance,  the  ancestor  of  this 
branch  of  the  family  in  America,  was  born  in  Scotland 
in  1685.  In  1709  he  received  the  honors  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Glasgow,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  by 
the  Presbytery  of  Dumbarton  in  171 1.  About  1720  he 
came  to  the  New  England  Colonies  with  his  three 
brothers,  James,  George  and  John,  from  Ulster  county 
in  the  North  of  Ireland,  and  settled  in  Connecticut. 
Rev.  Samuel  Dorrance  settled  in  what  is  now  Sterling, 
Windham  county,  Conn.,  where  he  was  pastor  of  the 
church  for  nearly  fifty  years.  It  was  said  of  him:  "His 
management  of  church  affairs  gave  good  satisfaction 
and  he  was  much  respected  by  his  brethren  in  the  min- 
istry." He  occupied  the  pulpit  from  1723  to  1771, 
inclusive,  and  retired  with  a  pension  of  £25  per  year 
for  life.  He  died  November  12,  1775.  On  August  i, 
1726,  he  married  Elizabeth  Smith,  who  died  September 
10,  1730. 

(II)  Samuel  (2)  Dorrance,  son  of  Rev.  Samuel  (i) 
and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Dorrance,  was  born  Octirber 
10,  1740.  .\t  the  outbreak  of  the  American  Revolution 
he  was  a  resident  at  Scituate,  R.  I.,  where  he  held  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace.    From  a  letter  written  to 


his  wife,  dated  Warwick,  March  14,  1777,  it  is  evident 
that  he  was  clerk  of  Captain  John  Edwards'  Alarm 
Company,  stationed  at  W.  D.  Warner's.  After  the 
war  he  was  one  of  a  company  of  pioneers  that  went 
to  the  frontier  settlement  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  under 
General  Putnam,  was  assigned  land  there,  and  returned 
to  the  East  for  his  family,  where  he  died.  A  letter 
to  his  wife,  Ann  (Tully)  Dorrance,  of  Saybrook,  Conn., 
from  there  under  date  of  August  17,  1788,  has  been  pre- 
served. In  it  he  recounts  the  varied  e-xperience  of  the 
journey  and  writes  a  most  alluring  description  of  the 
attractions  and  advantages  oi^'ered  by  the  new  country. 
He  says:  "I  shall  be  in  a  hurry  to  get  home  and  settle 
my  affairs,  in  order  to  move  in  the  spring,  for  I  think 
we  may  live  here  in  safety  in  the  pleasantest  place  in 
the  world." 

He  returned  to  Saybrook,  Conn.,  within  a  year, 
leaving  his  son  William  in  charge  of  his  property  in 
Ohio.  The  son  lost  his  life  mysteriously,  and  the 
father  never  returned  to  the  West.  Samuel  Dorrance 
died  August  2,  1812,  aged  seventy-two  years,  according 
to  the  inscription  on  his  tombstone  in  the  family  bury- 
ing ground  at  Coventry.  His  widow  paid  taxes  on 
ii73!-'i  acres  of  land  in  Washington,  Hocking  and  Gal- 
lis  counties,  Ohio,  until  her  death,  which  occurred  July 
I,  1S32.  On  November  15,  1773,  Samuel  Dorrance 
married  Ann  Tully  (see  Tully  — ).  Their  daughter, 
Elizabeth  or  Eliza,  was  one  of  the  twins  born  August 
15,  1790.  She  married,  December  26,  181 1,  James  Bug- 
bee,  and  died  .August  15,  1879  (see  Bugbee  VI). 

(The  Harris  Line). 

The  derivation  of  the  surname  Harris  is  of  large 
interest,  since  it  came  from  a  personal  name  which  has 
been  one  of  the  most  popular  in  England  from  a  time 
greatly  antedating  the  reign  of  King  Henry  VIII.,  who 
in  some  of  his  lighter  moods  preferred  to  be  called 
"The  Blufif  King  Hal,"  and  to  be  popularly  known  as 
"King  Harry."  Harry  is  not,  as  has  been  widely 
stated,  a  nickname,  but  is  the  English  attempt  to  ren- 
der the  French  name  Henri,  and  is  to  be  regarded  as 
the  representative  English  form.  The  name  enjoyed 
a  very  great  popularity,  and  many  English  kings  were 
known  in  their  own  times  as  Harry,  the  custom  of 
calling  them  Henry  being  of  quite  recent  date.  Hence 
our  endless  Harrisons,  not  Henrysons.  Six  or  seven 
centuries  ago  the  surname  was  a  common  entry  in 
English  registers,  and  it  is  found  in  American  Colonial 
records  from  the  earliest  decades  of  the  emi- 
gration period.  The  family  in  .America  has  attained  a 
large  degree  of  prominence  in  many  walks,  and  its 
branches  in  New  England  are  many  of  them  notable. 
The  Rhode  Island  branch  of  the  family  was  very 
prominent  in  the  founding  of  the  colony. 

(I)  William  Harris,  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder 
of  this  branch  of  the  family,  was  a  native  of  England, 
where  he  was  born  about  1609,  and  sailed  from  Bris- 
tol in  the  ship  "Lyon,"  with  his  brother,  Thomas 
Harris,  and  Rev.  Roger  Williams.  When  Roger  Wil- 
liams was  banished  from  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Col- 
ony, William  Harris  and  four  others  joined  him  at 
Morton's  Neck  in  Seekonk,  in  the  spring  of  1636,  where 
they  began  to  plant.  Upon  the  gentle  remonstrance  of 
Governor    Winthrop   that    they   were   still   within    the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


227 


jurisdiction  of  Plymouth  Colony,  they  crossed  the  ii\cr 
and  received  from  the  Indians  the  famous  greeting 
"What  Cheer  Netop."  The  rest  of  that  early  history 
is  too  well  known  to  need  repetition  here.  William 
Harris  was  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  the 
Colony.  He  was  one  of  the  twelve  persons  to  whom 
Roger  Williams  deeded  landed  on  October  8,  1638, 
which  he  had  bought  from  Canonicus  and  Miantnomi. 
He  was  one  of  the  twelve  original  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist church.  On  July  2-j,  1640,  he  was  one  of  the  thirty- 
nine  who  signed  a  compact  for  good  government,  and 
subsequently  served  on  important  committees.  He  and 
Rogers  Williams  later  came  to  differ  radically  in  some 
of  their  views  concerning  individual  liberty,  Harris 
being  a  most  pronounced  individualist.  He  was  a  very 
successful  lawyer  and  went  to  England  three  times  on 
business  concerning  his  lands,  and  was  on  his  fourth 
voyage  when  he  was  captured  by  a  Barbary  corsair 
and  sold  in  the  market  in  .A.lgiers  as  a  slave,  Febru- 
ary 24,  1680.  After  suffering  many  cruelties  for  more 
than  a  year  he  was  ransomed  at  a  cost  of  more  than 
$1,200.  He  traveled  through  Spain  and  France,  reach- 
ing London  only  three  days  before  his  death  in   1681. 

He  married,  in  1632,  Susanna ,  who  died  in  1682. 

Their  children  were:  I.  Andrew,  mentioned  below. 
2.  Mary.  3.  Susanna.  4.  Howlong.  5.  Toleration, 
who  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  and  died  without  issue. 

(II)  Andrew  Harris,  son  of  William  and  Susanna 
Harris,  was  born  in  1635,  and  died  May  i,  1686.  He 
had  land  laid  out  to  him  in  1661,  and  was  deputy  in 
1669-70  and  1676.  He  married,  December  8,  1670,  Mary 
Tew,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Mary  (Clark)  Tew,  and 
granddaughter  of  Henry  Tew,  a  pioneer  of  Newport, 
R.  I.  Their  children  were:  i.  Mary,  born  Dec.  17, 
1671.  2.  Anne,  born  Nov.  22,  1673.  3.  Andrew,  born 
Feb.  4,  1677,  died  unmarried.  4.  Hope,  born  Dec.  14, 
1679.  5.  Patience,  born  June  21,  1682.  6.  Toleration, 
mentioned  below. 

(III)  Toleration  Harris,  son  of  .•\n<lrew  and  Mary 
(Tew)  Harris,  was  born  June  10,  1685,  in  Providence, 
and  resided  in  that  town  and  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  where 
he  died  in  1767.  He  married  Sarah  Foster,  who  died 
in  1766.  Children:  I.  Anne,  born  Dec.  31,  1709.  2. 
William,  mentioned  below.  3.  Joseph,  born  June  15, 
1713.  4.  -Andrew,  born  Nov.  18,  1715.  5.  Mary,  born 
Dec.  18,  1718.  6.  Sarah,  born  June  9,  1722.  7.  John, 
born  .'\ug.  19,  1724,  died  young.  8.  Phebe,  lorn 
Sept.  7,  1726;   married  Lenight  De.xter,  Sr.    9.  Lydia. 

(IV)  William  Harris,  son  of  Toleration  and  Sarah 
(Foster)  Harris,  was  born  July  23,  171 1.  He  mar- 
ried, and  had  children,  among  whom  was  John,  men- 
tioned below. 

(V)  John  Harris,  son  of  William  Harris,  married 
and  had  a  daughter,  Hope  Harris. 

(VI)  Hope  Harris,  daughter  of  John  Harris,  mar- 
ried   Smith,  and  was  the  mother  01  Sally  Smith, 

who  married  William  -\nson  Potter.  Their  daughter, 
Maria  Smith  Potter,  married,  June  18.  1834,  in  War- 
wick, R.  I.,  James  Henry  Bugbee  (see  Bugbee  VII). 


FRANK  FULLER  OLNEY— The  name  of  Olney 
has  ironi  the  date  c'f  the  earliest  settlement  been  one 
of  the  most  honored  in  this  country.     Its  origin  in  Eng- 


land is  traced  back  to  the  time  of  the  Conquest,  and 
it  appears  in  the  Domesday  Book.  In  .America  those 
bearing  it  have  been  found  in  posititms  of  responsibil- 
ity in  every  generation  from  Thomas  Olney,  the  first  of 
the  family  to  emigrate  to  America. 

( 1  )  Thomas  Olney,  the  founder  of  the  family  in 
America,  was  born  in  1600.  He  was  a  native  of  Hert- 
ford, Hertfordshire,  England,  and  in  1635  received  a 
royal  permit  to  colonize  in  New  England,  and  in  that 
year  came  to  Salem,  Mass.,  in  the  ship  "Planter."  He 
was  made  a  freeman  in  1636,  and  early  associating  him- 
self with  those  who  accepted  the  views  of  Roger  Wil- 
liams was  with  others  excluded  from  the  Colony, 
March  12,  1638.  Prior  to  this  he  had  made  a  visit  with 
Roger  Williams  to  the  shores  of  Narragansett  bay  to 
locate  a  site  for  settlement,  and,  with  Williams  and 
eleven  others  from  Massachusetts,  formed  a  new  set- 
tlement on  the  west  side  of  the  Seekonk  river,  at  the 
head  of  the  bay,  which  they  named  Providence,  in 
grateful  remembrance  of  their  deliverance  from  oppres- 
sion. They  became  the  original  thirteen  proprietors  of 
the  town,  and  from  this  time  the  history  of  the  family 
is  closely  interwoven  with  the  history  of  the  town.  Mr. 
Olney  was  chosen  the  first  treasurer  of  the  Colony  in 
1638.  In  1647  he  was  chosen  commissioner  to  form  a 
town  government.  He  was  chosen  assistant  from 
Providence  in  1648,  and  in  1665  with  Roger  Williams 
and  Thomas  Harris  he  was  chosen  a  judge  of  the 
Justice  Court.  Mr.  Olney  was  also  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Baptist  church  in  Providence.  He  died  in  1682. 
He  married,  in  1631,  Marie  Small.  Issue:  Thomas, 
mentioned  below;  Epenctus,  Nedebiah,  Stephen,  James, 
Mary,  Lydia. 

(II)  Thomas  (2)  Olney,  son  of  Thomas  (i)  and 
Marie  (Small)  Olney,  was  born  in  1632.  He  became 
one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  Rhode  Island  Colony; 
was  chosen  assistant  in  1669,  1670,  1677,  1678  and  1679; 
for  thirty  years  was  a  member  of  the  town  council,  and 
frequently  a  member  of  the  Colonial  Assembly.  In 
1668  he  was  ordained  a  minister  and  served  as  pastor  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church,  succeeding  Rev.  Gregory 
Dexter,  until  about  1710  to  1715.  He  owned  a  large 
tract  of  land  known  as  the  Wenscot  farm  in  what  is 
now  North  Providence  and  Lincoln.  He  died  June 
II,  1722.  He  married,  July  3,  1660,  Elizabeth  March, 
of  Newport.  Issue:  Thomas,  mentioned  below;  Wil- 
liam,  Elizabeth,  Anne,  Phebe. 

(III)  Thomas  (3)  Olney,  son  of  Thomas  (2)  and 
Elizabeth  (March)  Olney,  was  born  May  4,  1661,  died 
March  i,  1718.  He  married,  July  13,  1687,  Lydia 
Barnes,  of  Swansea,  Mass.,  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Prudence  Barnes.  Issue:  Lydia,  Phebe,  Sarah, 
Thomas,  mentioned  below;  Elizabeth,  .-Xnne,  Mary, 
Obadiah. 

(IV)  Thomas  (4)  Olney,  son  of  Thomas  (3)  and 
Lydia  ( Barnes)  Olney,  was  born  January  18,  1696.  He 
inherited  from  his  grandfather  the  north  part  of  Wen- 
scot farm.  He  died  December  7,  1758.  He  married, 
August  8,  1724,  Sarah,  daughter  of  Joseph  Smith.  Is- 
sue: Joseph,  Thomas,  mentioned  below;  Isaac,  Ezra, 
Ithamar. 

(V)  Thomas  (5)  Olney,  son  of  Thomas  (4)  and 
Sarah  (Smith)  Olney,  was  born  July  29,  1726,  lived  in 


228 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


North   Providence,   died   April    13,    1793.      He   married 
Liboletli  Whipple.  Issue:     Thomas,  mentioned  below. 

(VI)  Thomas  (6)  Olney.  son  of  Thomas  (5)  and 
Liboleth  (Whipple)  Olney,  sold  his  farm  in  North 
Providence,  and  with  nearly  all  of  his  family,  about 
1790-95,  removed  to  New  York  State,  where  he  died. 
He  married,  in  1771,  Olive  Olney,  daughter  of  Charles 
Olney.  Issue:  Elizabeth,  Stephen,  mentioned  below; 
Olive,  Thomas,  Whipple,  Nancy,  Lavina,  Charles, 
Elisha. 

(VII)  Stephen  Olney,  son  of  Thomas  (6)  and  Olive 
(Olney)  Olney,  was  born  November  24,  1773.  He  died 
while  on  board  the  privateer  brig  "Macdonough,"  in 
Bristol,  R.  I.,  on  March  20,  1815.  He  married  January 
21,  1800,  Polly  Thayer.  Issue:  Elam  Ward,  men- 
tioned below:  Stephen  T.,  who  in  company  with  the 
late  Jesse  Metcalf  founded  the  Wanskuck  Manufac- 
turing Company,  accumulated  a  large  property:  died 
unmarried,  June  4,  1877. 

(VIII)  Elam  Ward  Olney,  son  of  Stephen  and 
Polly  (Thayer)  Olney,  was  born  October  2,  1802, 
moved  to  Providence  in  i860,  died  April  7,  1862.  He 
married,  in  1842,  Helen  Fuller.  Issue:  i.  Mary  H., 
born  Nov.  9,  1843;  married  Dr.  Fenner  H.  Peckham, 
of  Providence.  2.  Clara  Thayer,  born  March  9,  1845; 
married  James  H.  D.  Van  Ness.  3.  Abby  S.,  bom 
April  17,  1846;  married  Elisha  S.  Stout;  she  died 
Nov.  5,  1906,  in  Scranton,  Pa.  4.  Stephen  T.,  born  Oct. 
15,  1847,  died  Nov.  7,  1S49.  5.  Elam  W.,  born  Feb.  16, 
1849,  died  Nov.  7,  1849.  6.  Frank  Fuller,  mentioned 
below.  7.  Eliza  S.,  born  May  2,  1852;  married  Waldo 
W.  Bartlett.  8.  Sarah,  born  in  1853,  died  Sept.  19, 
1853.     9.  Stephen  T.,  born  Aug.   i,   1859,  died  June  4, 

1877. 

(IX)  Frank  Fuller  Olney,  son  of  Elam  Ward  and 
Helen  (Fuller)  Olney,  was  born  March  12,  1851,  at  Eliza- 
beth, N.  J.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools 
of  that  city.  He  was  but  a  boy  of  about  nine  years  of 
age  when  he  removed  with  his  father  to  Providence, 
R.  I.  His  father  died  in  1862,  and  young  Olney  made 
his  home  with  his  uncle,  Stephen  T.  Olney.  There  he 
attended  the  public  schools  and  the  University  Gram- 
mar School,  graduating  in  1867.  His  training  for  busi- 
ness began  in  the  office  of  the  Wanskuck  Company  (of 
which  his  uncle  was  one  of  the  founders),  where  he 
became  a  clerk  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  and  his 
principal  business  relation  was  his  connection  with  this 
firm,  he  having  succeeded  to  his  uncle's  large  interest 
in  the  company  upon  the  latter's  death.  During  his 
early  manhood  he  had  a  decided  leaning  toward  a  legal 
career,  and  took  up  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of 
W.  W.  and  S.  T.  Douglass,  but  the  pressure  of  e.xten- 
sive  private  interests  prevented  him  from  entering  upon 
the  practice  of  the  profession.  Perhaps  it  was  one  of 
those  accidents  which  in  time  prove  to  have  been  pro- 
ductive of  more  good  results  than  could  possibly  have 
attended  the  carrying  out  of  the  original  intention. 
None  but  a  trained  business  man  could  have  carried  the 
multiplicity  of  interests  which  filled  the  years  of  his 
prime  and  middle  age  to  overflowing  and  rounded  out 
his  many-sided  character  to  the  perfect  symmetry  of 
ideal  Christian  manhood. 

It  has  been  said  of  him  that  the  strength  of  mind 


developed  by  the  ancestors  in  years  of  struggle  was  a 
leading  trait  of  his  disposition.  It  is  certain  that  none 
of  the  virtues  he  inherited  suffered  deterioration  in  his 
life.  Such  qualities,  indeed,  in  him  took  on  new  beauty 
in  the  light  of  the  gracious,  social  atmosphere  which  he 
created  wherever  he  went.  This,  perhaps,  was  the 
most  remarkable  phase  of  a  remarkable  character. 
He  turned  from  the  demands  of  business  life  to  the 
exactions  of  public  service,  the  pleasures  of  social  life, 
the  voluntary  duties  of  benevolence  and  charity,  with 
a  readiness  and  ease  and  a  facility  for  enthusiasm  in 
all,  which  would  lead  one  unacquainted  witli  his  re- 
sponsibilities to  believe  that  they  were  centered  in  one 
subject.  He  grasped  details  intuitively,  else  he  could 
never  have  mastered  the  intricacies  of  problems  so 
diverse  that  his  e.xperience  in  one  line  was  of  so  little 
use  to  him  in  another. 

With  the  instinct  of  the  thorough  man  of  affairs, 
Mr.  Olney  recognized  the  fact  that  none  are  better 
fitted  than  business  men  to  manage  public  interests. 
In  the  conduct  of  his  large  private  interests  he  came 
to  know  most  clearly  the  needs  of  the  municipality  and 
State,  and  he  was  not  afraid  to  make  personal  sacrifice 
of  energy  and  time  to  attain  worthy  ends  in  civil  ad- 
ministration, or  to  secure  the  adoption  of  measures  of 
whose  wisdom  he  was  assured  by  his  own  experience. 
Taking  the  measure  of  the  man  by  his  other  achieve- 
ments, it  is  no  wonder  that  he  became  a  power  in  this 
field  as  in  every  other  lie  entered.  He  was  a  Republi- 
can and  in  the  year  1889  was  honored  with  the  chair- 
manship of  the  city  committee  of  his  party,  continuing 
in  this  office  for  a  number  of  years — until  he  became 
identified  with  the  Police  Commission.  In  the  same 
year — 1889 — he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  Common 
Council  from  the  First  Ward,  and,  being  twice 
reelected,  served  in  that  body  during  1890,  1891  and 
1892,  in  the  latter  year  being  elected  alderman  from  the 
same  ward.  He  rounded  out  seven  years  of  continuous 
service  to  his  city  by  three  years  as  the  executive  head 
of  the  municipal  government,  having  been  elected 
mayor  in  the  fall  of  1893,  and  reelected  in  1894  and 
1895.  True  to  his  reputation  and  principles,  he  honored 
the  office  in  every  act  of  his  administration,  and  made 
the  period  of  his  service  a  credit  to  the  city  as  well  as 
to  himself — a  compliment  to  the  judgment  of  those- 
whose  votes  had  placed  him  in  the  chair.  Many  other 
offices  were  also  filled  by  him,  the  variety  of  the  interest 
involved  indicating  equally  the  versatility  of  his  sym- 
pathies and  abilities.  From  April  30,  1893.  until  1898, 
he  served  as  chairman  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities 
and  Corrections,  a  position  requiring  much  tact  as  well 
as  executive  force,  and  in  January,  1901,  he  was  again 
appointed  on  that  board  by  the  General  Assembly,  to 
serve  for  six  years.  The  same  year  Governor  Kimball 
appointed  him  chairman  of  the  new  Board  of  Police 
Commissioners,  and  to  his  excellent  judgment  and  un- 
prejudiced interest  was  due  much  of  the  improvement 
noticed  in  that  department.  .Mthough  at  the  time  he 
accepted  the  appointment  the  condition  of  his  health 
scarcely  warranted  any  new  strain  upon  his  energies, 
he  gave  himself  to  the  work  with  the  vigor  and  applica- 
tion of  one  whose  resources  could  be  given  unreserv- 
edly to  the  task  in  hand.    Mr.  Olney  was  also  member 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


229 


of  the  Board  of  Park  Commissioners  from  January, 
1895,  until  his  death,  October  24,  1903,  and  for  two 
years  previous  to  his  death  was  chairman  of  that  board, 
succeeding  the  late  I\.  H.  Deming.  No  higher  recogni- 
tion of  faith  and  elVicicnt  work  could  be  given  than  the 
resolutions  adopted  by  his  associates  in  the  public  serv- 
ice, copies  of  which  we  give  on  a  following  page. 

Military  matters  always  formed  an  important  inter- 
est in  the  life  of  Mr.  Olney.  Perhaps  the  quickening 
influences  of  the  Civil  War  period,  coming  in  his  youth 
am!  early  manhood,  awakened  in  him  the  spirit  which 
made  him  so  useful  and  popular  a  member  of  the  mili- 
tary organizations  famous  throughout  the  country.  As 
the  scion  of  an  old  and  honorable  family  noted  for  their 
interest  in  military  affairs,  it  was  but  natural  that  he 
should  belong  to  the  .-Xncient  and  Honorable  Artillery 
Company  of  Massachusetts,  the  National  Lancers  of 
Boston,  the  Boston  Light  Infantry  Corps  (in  which  he 
■was  captain),  and  the  Continental  Guards  of  New  Or- 
leans. But  to  none  of  these  did  he  attach  himself  with 
the  same  devotion  which  marked  his  connection  with 
the  First  Light  Infantry  Regiment  of  Providence, 
with  which  he  was  identified  a  number  of  years  prior 
to  his  death.  On  January  2,  1882,  he  joined  Company 
D.  On  .'\ugust  6,  1884,  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Veteran  .\ssociation  of  the  Regiment,  in  which  he  was 
elected  to  the  position  of  commissary,  May  3,  1886, 
continuing  in  that  position  until  he  was  chosen  colonel, 
May  13,  1889.  He  served  as  such  for  four  years.  In 
1897,  when  the  provisional  Company  E  was  organized 
to  fill  the  vacancy  made  by  the  deflection  of  Company 
D,  Mr.  Olney  was  one  of  the  first  to  join  the  new 
company,  his  connection  therewith  dating  from  March 
12.  He  did  everything  in  his  power  to  make  a  success 
of  the  new  company,  and  thus  it  goes  without  saying 
that  it  was  a  success.  At  the  first  election  of  officers, 
held  on  .'\pril  19,  he  was  chosen  second  lieutenant,  and 
on  June  14.  Captain  Thornton  dying,  he  was  elected 
first  lieutenant  Captain  Kendrick  died  within  the  year 
following  and  on  April  18,  1898,  Lieutenant  Olney  was 
unanimously  elected  to  the  command  of  the  company. 
In  this  incumbency,  in  which  he  continued  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  his  social  position  and  ample 
means  were  used  to  further  the  well-being  of  the  or- 
ganization whose  interests  were  so  near  to  his  heart. 
Its  efficiency  and  high  reputation  were  jealously 
guarded,  and  the  liberal  assistance,  financial  and  other- 
wise, which  he  gave  to  his  regiment  at  that  crisis  in 
its  affairs,  though  as  modestly  and  unostentatiously 
done  as  all  his  other  acts  of  a  similar  nature,  was  recog- 
nized and  appreciated  by  all  from  the  colonel  down. 

Except  for  his  membership  in  Corinthian  Lodge, 
Ancient  Free  and  .'\ccepted  Masons,  Mr.  Olney  had 
no  connection  with  secret  orders.  But  with  organiza- 
tions formed  purely  for  social  pleasures  he  was  in 
ready  sympathy,  and  exchanged  social  courtesies  with 
his  fellow  members  in  all  the  leading  clubs  and 
societies  of  the  city,  and  others  of  more  than  local 
note.  On  July  29,  1890,  he  joined  the  Pomham 
Club;  in  1892  he  became  a  member  of  the  Squan- 
tum  Association;  on  September  3,  1898,  of  the 
Providence  Central  Club;  and  he  also  belonged  to 
the   Hope   Club  of  Providence,  the  .'\thletic  Club,  the 


West  Side  Club,  the  Providence  Art  Club,  the  Provi- 
dence Whist  Club,  the  Rhode  Island  Philatelic  Society, 
the  Rhode  Island  Temperance  League,  the  Rhode 
Island  Veteran  Citizens'  Historical  .-Xssociation,  the 
Rhode  Island  School  of  Design,  the  Home  Market 
Club  of  Boston  and  the  Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club.  He 
was  counted  among  the  active  members  of  all  these 
organizations,  but  his  special  enthusiasm  was  for 
yachting  circles  in  which  he  was  prominent  no  less  as 
a  social  factor  than  as  an  ardent  devotee  of  the  sport. 
He  belonged  to  the  Rhode  Island,  New  York  and  Bris- 
tol Yacht  clubs.  He  joined  the  Rhode  Island  Club  in 
1892,  and  in  1898  was  elected  vice-commodore,  holding 
that  position  until  elected  commodore,  on  February  19, 
1902.  He  continued  as  such  until  his  death,  and  the 
Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club  never  had  a  better  man  at 
the  head  of  its  affairs.  He  was  an  ideal  commodore, 
and  made  a  name  for  himself  and  his  club  among 
Rhode  Island  yachtsmen,  and,  indeed,  all  along  the 
coast.  Liberal  in  this  as  in  all  things,  he  gave  many 
handsome  cups  and  other  trophies,  and  his  strict  sense 
of  honor  forbade  anything  that  had  even  the  semblance 
of  unfairness  or  dishonesty.  He  entertained  lavishly, 
and  nothing  delighted  him  more  than  to  share  the 
pleasures  of  the  sport  with  those  who  could  not  obtain 
it  themselves.  He  had  no  greater  delight  than  seeing 
his  guests  happy.  The  first  boat  he  owned  was  the 
steam  yacht,  "L  Pli  Cita,"  which  was  succeeded  by 
the  sloop,  "Amy,"  a  fast  racer  and  cruiser,  which  he 
purchased  in  1894  and  with  which  he  won  several 
prizes.  In  1898  he  came  into  possession  of  the  schooner 
yacht,  "Rusalka,"  the  latter  a  powerful  boat  in  her  own 
class.  Later  he  became  the  owner  of  the  "Ingomar," 
a  magnificently  fitted  schooner  yacht;  he  changed  her 
name  to  the  "Esperanza."  His  captain,  Lewis  H.  Til- 
linghast,  of  Pawtuxet,  is  one  of  the  best  known  racing 
yachtsmen  on  this  coast. 

Mr.  Olncy's  religious  connection  was  with  the  First 
Congregational  Church,  Unitarian.  Christianity  to  him 
was  the  embodiment  of  the  highest  principles  of  man's 
duty  to  man,  and  he  endeavored  to  exemplify  his  faith 
in  his  daily  walk.  His  home  life  was  in  keeping  with 
the  rest  of  his  character,  even  and  beautiful,  his  devo- 
tion to  his  loved  ones  vying  with  their  devotion  to  him. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  many  expressions  of 
.sympathy  which  poured  in  from  all  sides  at  the  an- 
nouncement of  Mr.  Olney's  death.  The  "Providence 
Journal"  said  in  part: 

It  is  almost.  If  not  entirely,  possible  to  .say  of  Colonel 
Olney  that  he  did  not  possess  an  enemy  in  the  world. 
If  he  had  enemies,  they  were  men  who  did  not  know 
him  personally,  for  all  animo.slty  would  disappear  upon 
contact  with  the  man.  He  was  of  an  unusually  lovable 
disposition,  kind-hearted  and  generous  to  a  fault  and 
with  the  exuberant  and  happy  spirit  of  a  boy  only  half 
concealed  behind  the  manner  of  .a  ni.in  of  the  world. 
It  .seemed  his  delight  to  afford  happiness  to  others;  he 
was  a  charming  companion,  and  as  a  host  his  bounti- 
ful hospitality,  dispensed  with  tlie  manner  of  sincere 
enjoyment,  was  not  a  matter  to  be  easily  forpotten. 
His  philanthropic  dlaiiosition  found  continuous  exer- 
cise; his  Klfta  to  various  charities  were  not  small;  and 
never  ending  little  acts  of  kindness  to  poor  people  won 
for  him  a  host  of  humble  friends  who  sincerely  mourn 
him. 

Among  the  resolutions  of  regret  passed  by  his  fellow 
workers  in  the  public  service,  were  those  received  from 


230 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the   Republican   City   Committee,  the   Police   Commis- 
sion and  the  Board  of  Park  Commissioners: 

Resolved,  That  we,  members  of  the  Republican  City 
Committee  of  the  City  of  Providence,  moved  with  deep 
sorrow  by  the  sudden  death  of  our  fellow  citizen, 
Frank  Fuller  OIney.  desire  to  record  our  profound 
affection,  admiration  and  respect  for  him  as  a  man,  a 
public  official  and  co-worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  Re- 
publican party. 

His  life  affords  an  inspiring  example  of  the  citizen 
of  independent  means,  unsparingly  devoting  his  time 
and  energies  to  the  public  service,  animated  by  no  sel- 
fish purpose,  but  by  a  high  sense  of  civic  duty.  The 
positions  of  honor  and  responsibility  to  which  "he  was 
from  time  to  time  called,  he  accepted,  without  a 
thought  of  the  personal  sacrifices  they  involved,  and 
discharged  his  public  duties  with  courage,  Justice  and 
wisdom.  Full  of  love  and  loyalty  for  the  State  to 
which  he  was  bound  by  ties  of  birth  and  family  history 
he  was  ever  alert  to  advance  its  glory  and  guard  its 
honor.  Second  only  to  his  patriotism  was  his  devotion 
to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  to  which  he 
gave  a  lifelong  fidelity,  and  the  Republicans  of  Provi- 
dence will  ever  remember  with  gratitude  the  success- 
ful services  he  rendered  during  the  fourteen  years  a& 
Chairman  of  this  Committee.  Generous,  broad-minded 
and  warm-hearted,  he  was  beloved  by  all  who  knew 
him,  and  his  memory  will  long  be  cherished  by  the 
people  of  this  city  and  State,  for  whose  interests  he 
ever  labored. 

Whereas,  The  Board  of  Police  Commissioners  for  the 
City  of  Providence  has  learned  with  feelings  of  deepest 
sorrow  and  regret  of  the  removal  by  death  of  one  of 
it6  members,  and 

Whereas.  By  the  death  of  Frank  Fuller  Olney  this 
Board  has  lost  a  stanch  friend  and  earnest  worker  and 
the  city  of  Providence  a  public  servant  who  has 
labored  zealously  for  the  improvement  of  the  several 
city  and  State  departments  with  which  he  was  con- 
nected,   therefore   be   it 

Flesolved,  That  we,  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Po- 
lice Commissioners  for  the  city  of  Providence,  do 
hereby  express  our  profound  sorrow  and  regret  at  the 
death  of  our  beloved  associate.  During  the  two  years 
of  service  as  Chairman  of  the  Board,  he  gave  the  clos- 
est attention  to  every  detail  of  the  work  at  great  per- 
sonal sacrifice,  that  he  might  counsel  wisely  when  the 
time  for  action  arrived.  He  was  always  courteous  to 
people  who  had  occasion  to  call  upon  him  and  his  kind 
words  and  ready  response  to  those  in  need  of  material 
assistance  will  cause  him  to  be  remembered  with  love 
and  reverence  by  hundreds  of  beneficiaries. 

Resolved.  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent 
to  the  family  of  Mr.  Olney. 

Whereas.  The  Board  of  Park  Commissioners  learn 
with  feelings  of  the  deepest  sorrow  of  the  death  of 
Frank  Fuller  Olney,  a  member  of  the  Board  since  Jan- 
uary 7th.  1S95.  and  its  President  since  January  10th, 
1903,  and.  whereas,  by  the  death  of  Frank  Fuller  Olney 
this  Board  has  lost  a  valued  member  and  the  city  of 
Providence  an  earnest  worker,  who  faithfully  labored 
for  the  improvement  of  the  Parks  of  this  citv.  as  well 
as  for  its  highest  interests  in  all  other  departments; 
therefore,    be   it 

Resolved.  That  we.  the  members  of  the  Board  of 
Park  Commissioners  of  the  city  of  Providence,  do 
hereby  express  our  heartfelt  sorrow  and  regret  at  the 
death  of  our  beloved  associate. 

Resolved,  That  on  the  minutes  of  this  meeting  be 
entered  the  sincere  regrets  of  his  associates,  with  their 
appreciation  of  his  ability  and  courtesy  as  presiding 
officer  of  this  Board,  and  his  devotion  to  the  work  of 
the  commission,  and  also  that  a  copy  of  these  resolu- 
tions be  sent  to  the  family  of  the  deceased   President. 

The  First  Light  Infantry  Regiment  gave  appropriate 
expression  to  their  feelings  in  the  memorial  service 
held  in  the  captain's  honor  at  the  Church  of  Our  Savior 
on  Monday,  December  14,  1903.  The  entire  regiment 
was  present  in  full  dress  uniform.  Chaplain  Whitte- 
more  preached  the  sermon,  and  the  simple  services 
were  such  as  the  one  whose  memory  they  honored 
would  himself  have  chosen.  What  he  was  to  his  com- 
rades in  that  organization  is  indicated  in  the  resolu- 
tions they  adopted: 

We,  the  members  of  the  First  Light  Infantrv  Regi- 
ment  of   Providence,    Rhode   Island,    In   appreciation   of 


our    great    loss    in    the    death    of   our   comrade.    Frank 
Fuller  Olney.    in   meeting  assembled,    have 

Resolved,  That  we  can  not  adequately  express  our 
grief  that  there  should  be  taken  from  us  one  who.  for 
more  than  twenty  consecutive  years,  gave  his  con- 
stant thought  and  energy  for  the  success  of  this  Regi- 
ment, which  as  private  and  officer  he  served  loyally 
and  faithfully. 

Resolved.  That  we  dwell  with  loving  memory  upon 
those  genial  traits  of  his  character  which  endeared 
him  to  all.  and  with  pride  upon  those  abilities  by  which 
our  comrade  merited  and  attained  the  highest  civic 
honors. 

Resolved,    That    we    will    endeavor    to    maintain    the 
enthusiasm  which  he  inspired  by  striving  earnestly  for 
the   welfare  of  the   regiment  he  so  dearly  loved. 
For  the  Regiment. 

WALTER  J.   COMSTOCK,       JOHN  A.  S.  GAMMONS, 
WALTER  J.  LEWIS.  JOHN  E.  PICKUP. 

SAMIIEL  A.  HOWLAND.         FREDERICK  HAYES, 
HERBERT  A.  D-AJS'IELS.        JOHN  C.  PEGRAM.  JR., 
J.  HENRY  DAVENPORT.       F.  LEE  WHITTEMORE. 

The  Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club  sent  the  folhiwing: 

Whereas.  Frank  Fuller  Olney.  Commodore  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club,  since  February  24,  1902,  died 
at  his  home  in  Providence,  October  24,  1903,  and, 
whereas,  the  Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club  has  sustained  a 
most  severe  loss  in  tlie  removal  of  one  so  esteemed  and 
beloved  by  all,  and  one  who  took  such  an  active  per- 
sonal interest  in  the  affairs  of  this  club  and  gave  to 
it  his  generous  support:    therefore,  be  it 

Resolved.  That  we.  the  members  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Yacht  Club,  place  on  record  this  expression  of  pro- 
found sorrow  for  our  loss,  and  be  it  further  resolved 
that  we  hereby  express  sincerest  sympathy  to  the  fam- 
ily of  our  late  Commodore,  and  that  a  copy  of  these 
resolutions  be  engrossed  and  forwarded  to  them. 

Mr.  Olney's  remains  were  borne  to  their  last  rest- 
ing place  in  Swan  Point  Cemetery  with  the  same  lack 
of  pomp  and  display  which  characterized  him  through 
life,  but  the  hearts  in  Providence  who  knew  him  need 
the  recollections  of  no  elaborate  funeral  service  to  fi.x 
his  name  in  tlieir  memor*.     He  died  October  24,  1903. 

Mr.  Olney  married,  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  Lizzie  F. 
Dow,  a  native  of  that  city,  daughter  of  George  Smith 
and  Abigail  (Livermore)  Dow,  and  in  the  maternal  line 
a  descendant  of  the  famous  Livermore  family  of  Bos- 
ton, one  of  the  oldest  in  that  city  of  fine  old  families. 
Issue:  I.  Florence,  born  Jan.  4,  1873;  married  Robert 
Blakely  Crawford,  of  Houston,  Tex.  2.  Elam  W., 
born  June  30,  1874,  died  Aug.  31,  1874.  3.  Elam  VV., 
born  Nov.  28,  1875;  member  of  White  Cross  Toilet 
Powder  Company  of  New  York  City;  married  Ada 
Blackford;  issue:  Elam  W.,  died  in  infancy ;  Elam  W., 
born  Feb.  2ji,  1907. 


ALLEN  ORMSBEE  PECK— The  name  Peck  is 
local  in  derivation  and  signifies  "at  the  peck,"  i.  e.,  at 
the  hilltop.  The  form  of  the  word  in  medieval  English 
is  pek,  "the  hul  of  the  pek,"  meaning  the  hill  of  the 
peak,  in  Derbyshire.  Another  form  of  the  name  is 
Peak.  It  is  of  great  antiquity,  and  is  found  in  Eng- 
land, in  Belton,  Yorkshire,  at  a  very  early  date.  The 
first  mention  of  the  name  on  authentic  records  occurs 
in  the  year  1273,  John  del  Pek.  London.  In  the  reign 
of  Edward  III.,  Henry  Pek;  1379,  Ricdarus  del  Pecke; 
1590,  An,  wife  of  John  Peck,  buried  at  St.  .Antholia, 
London;  1660,  Katherine  Pecke,  baptized  at  St.  Peter, 
Cornhill.  The  final  "e"  on  the  name  is  now  generally 
dropped. 

The  family  has  an  ancient  and  honorable  lineage, 
and  from  the  pedigree  of  the  English  family  of  Peck, 
to  be  found  in  the  British  Museum  in  London,   Eng- 


4 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


231 


land,  it  has  been  established  that  Joseph  Peck,  the 
immigrant  ancestor  of  the  American  family  of  Peck 
herein  dealt  with,  was  of  the  twenty-first  generation 
in  direct  descent  from  John  Peck,  Estiiiire,  of  York- 
shire, England,  and  was  baptized  in  England  on  April 
30,  1587,  and  emigrated  to  America  at  the  age  of  fifty 
years. 

The  following  certificate  of  the  HeraUls  accompanies 
the  pedigree  and  arms  of  the  Peck  family  in  the  Brit- 
ish Museum  in  London: 

20  Nov.  1620. 

Visum  ugnitum  et   in   munlmenta  CoUegil  Heraldoru 
relatuni  <iie  at  anno  suprascriptis. 
Testamur  hoc. 

HENRY  ST.  GEORGR.  Richmond. 
HK.\"1{V    CHITTING,    Gliestcr. 
.JOHN    PHILPOTT,    KouKe   Dragon, 

This  letter  testifies  in  the  Latin,  in  which  all  ofticial 
documents  of  the  time  w-ere  written,  that  the  under- 
signed men  have  seen,  e.xamined  and  acknowledged  to 
be  true  the  given  pedigree  and  arms. 

Arms — First  and  Fourth:  .Ardent,  on  a  chevron  en- 
grailed; gules,  three  crosses  formee,  of  tlie  first,  .Sec- 
ond: .\zure  two  bars  nebule,  argent.  Third:  Gules,  a 
cross  patonce,  or;  on  a  chief  azure,  three  round  t>uckles 
of  the  second. 

Crest — .\  cubit  arm  erect,  habited,  azure;  cuffed 
argent,  hand  pjroper,  holding  on  one  stalk  entiled  with 
a  scroll,  three  roses,  gules;    leaves  vert, 

.Motto — Provitatem  quam  divitias. 

(I)  Joseph  Peck,  immigrant  ancestor  of  the  .Ameri- 
can family,  was  baptized  in  Beccles,  Suffolk  county, 
England,  April  30,  1587,  the  son  of  Robert  and  Helen 
(Babbs)  Peck,  of  that  place.  His  mother  was  the 
daughter  of  Nicholas  Babbs,  of  Guilford.  Joseph  Peck 
later  removed  to  Hingham,  Norfolk  county,  England. 
He  was  an  avowed  Puritan,  and  suffered  continual  per- 
secution at  the  hands  of  the  church  party  then  in  power. 
Heavy  fines,  maltreatment,  imprisonment,  confisca- 
tion of  property,  and  the  intolerance  of  the  entire  peo- 
ple whose  minds  were  poisoned  against  the  Puritans 
by  religious  and  civil  authorities,  finally  became  too 
great  to  bear,  and  in  1638,  in  company  with  other  Puri- 
tans, under  the  leadership  of  his  brother.  Rev.  Robert 
Peck,  he  fled  persecution.  The  little  company  left 
England  in  the  ship  "Diligent,"  John  Martin,  master. 
Some  conception  of  Joseph  Peck's  former  position  in 
England  may  be  gained  from  the  fact  that  he  brought 
with  him  to  .Xmerica  two  man  servants  and  three 
maid  servants.  He  was  of  the  gentry  class,  a  man  of 
wealth,  and  entitled  to  bear  arms.  Soon  after  his 
arrival  in  -America  he  settled  in  Hingham,  Mass.,  with 
his  w-ife,  three  sons  and  daughter,  and  the  servants 
above  mentioned.  He  married  (first)  Rebecca  Clark, 
at  Hingham,  England.  May  21,  1617.  She  died  and  was 
buried  there,  October  24,  1637,  The  name  of  his  sec- 
ond wife  is  not  known. 

From  the  public  records  of  the  towns  in  which  he 
resided  have  been  gleaned  the  following  details  of  the 
life  and  public  service  of  Joseph  Peck:  He  received 
a  grant  of  seven  acres  of  land  for  a  house  lot  in  Hing- 
ham next  to  that  of  his  brother,  Robert  Peck.  He  also 
received  other  grants  of  land  in  the  public  division  of 
lands.  After  a  residence  of  seven  years  in  Hingham, 
however,  he  removed  to  the  new  settlement  at  Seekonk, 
Mass.     At  Hingham  he  was  one  of  the  most  promi- 


nent men  of  the  town  and  held  various  public  offices. 
He  was  deputy  to  the  General  Court  in  the  years  i6.?g, 
1640,  1641,  and  1642.  He  was  active  in  business  there 
also.  Joseph  Peck  was  chosen  one  of  the  selectmen, 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  also  assessor.  He  was 
appointed  by  the  General  Court  to  grant  summons  and 
attachments,  to  see  people  joined  in  marriage,  to  keep 
public  records,  etc.  In  1641  he  was  one  of  the  princi- 
pal purchasers  of  the  Indian  tract  called  Seekonk, 
now  Rehoboth,  Mass.  In  1645  he  removed  there.  In 
Seekonk,  as  in  Hingham,  he  occupied  a  place  of  public 
importance,  until  age  made  necessary  his  retirement 
from  public  life.  He  was  appointed  to  assist  in  ni;it- 
ters  of  controversy  at  court,  and  in  1650  was  appointed 
to  administer  marriage;  in  165 1  appointed  tt>  deter- 
mine all  controversies  not  exceeding  a  certain  amoimt; 
administer  oaths,  and  issue  warrants.  He  was  one  of 
the  wealthiest  men  in  the  town  and  paid  tlie  largest 
taxes.  His  home  stood  on  the  plain  in  the  northerly 
part  of  the  town,  the  "Ring  of  the  Town,"  near  the 
junction  of  the  present  Pawtucket  road  with  the  old 
Boston  and  Bristol  roads.  At  his  death  he  gave  all 
his  real  estate  to  his  sons,  and  also  his  right  in  the 
undivided  land  of  the  town.  Some  of  this  property  still 
remains  in  the  family.  He  died  on  December  2,?,  166,?, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  His  children  were: 
I.  .Xnna,  baptized  in  Hingham,  England,  March  12, 
1617  or  i6i8;  married  there,  July  27,  1636.  2.  Rebecca, 
baptized  at  Hingham,  England.  May  25,  1620;  mar- 
ried    Hubbcrt.     3.  Joseph,  mentioned  below.     4. 

John,  baptized  in  Hingham.  England,  1626.  5.  Nicho- 
las, baptized  in  England,  .April  9,  1630.  6.  Samuel, 
baptized  at  Hingham.  Mass,,  Feb.  3,  1638-39.  7.  Na- 
thaniel, baptized  at  Hingham,  Mass.,  Oct.  31,  1641.  8. 
Israel,  baptized  at   Hingham,  Mass.,  March  4,   1644. 

(II)  Joseph  (2)  Peck,  son  of  Joseph  (i)  and  Re- 
becca (Clark)  Peck,  was  born  in  Hingham,  England, 
and  baptized  there  on  August  23,  1623.  He  came  to 
America  with  his  father  in  1638  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  and  settled  in  Hingham.  In  1645  he  removed  to 
Seekonk,  and  settled  near  his  father.  His  home  lot 
was  the  site  on  which  the  Boston  &  Providence  Rail- 
road depot  now  stands.  He  was  one  of  the  important 
men  of  the  town,  and  held  public  office  at  several  times. 
In  165;  he  was  a  member  of  a  committee  to  levy  a  ta.x 
or  rate  for  the  maintenance  of  a  minister.  In  1661  he 
drew  a  lot  in  the  north  purchase.  He  was  appointed  to 
view  the  damage  in  the  Indian  corn  and  give  the  town 
notice  of  it.  He  was  a  wealthy  land  owner  and  a  pub- 
lic spirited  citizen.  Much  of  his  property  came  to  him 
through  his  father's  will,  but  this  he  increased  by  pur- 
chase, becoming  one  of  the  largest  land  holders  in  the 
town.  He  advanced  money  privately  to  be  used  in 
King  Philip's  War.  In  1660  he  settled  in  Rehoboth, 
on  Palmer's  river.  He  died  in  Rehoboth.  His  chil- 
dren were:  i.  Rebecka,  born  Nov.  6,  1650.  2.  Han- 
nah, born  March  25,  1653.  3.  Elizabeth,  born  Nov.  26, 
1657.  4.  Jathiel,  born  July  24,  1660.  5.  Mary,  born 
Nov.  17,  1662.  6.  Ichabod,  born  Sept.  12,  1666.  7. 
Patience,  born  Oct.  11,  1669.  8.  Samuel,  mentioned 
below. 

(III)  Samuel  Peck,  son  of  Joseph  (2)  Peck,  settled 
on    his    father's    farm    at    Palmer's    river,    Rehoboth, 


232 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Mass.  He  was  a  large  land  holder,  farmer,  and  prom- 
inent in  the  town.  He  was  an  officer  of  the  church  at 
Palmer's  river.  He  died  June  g,  1736,  at  the  age  of 
si.xty-four  years,  and  was  buried  on  his  own  land. 
His  wife  died  November  12,  1756.  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-one  years.  Samuel  Peck's  will  is  dated  May 
I.  1736,  and  is  to  be  found  on  page  367,  Book  8,  of 
the  Taunton  Records.  His  children  were:  I.  Hannah, 
born  July  21,  1697,  baptized  Sept.  12,  1703.  2.  Eliza- 
beth, born  June  5,  1700,  died  March  29,  1703.  3.  Ben- 
jamin, born  May  26,  1702,  died  March  27.  1703.  4. 
Rachael,  born  Sept.  12,  1704,  baptized  April  22,  1705. 
5.  Samuel,  mentioned  below.  6.  Ebcnezer,  born  April 
21,  1714. 

(IV)  Rev.  Samuel  (2)  Peck,  son  of  Samuel  (l) 
Peck,  was  born  December  2,  1706,  and  baptized  April 
13,  1710.  He  prepared  for  the  ministry  and  was  or- 
dained a  Baptist  clergyman.  He  was  known  as  a  zeal- 
ous preacher.  He  married  Hannah  Allen.  Their  chil- 
dren were:  i.  Samuel,  born  Feb.  27,  1734-35.  2.  Allen, 
mentioned  below.  3.  Josiah,  born  May  18,  1740.  4. 
Benjamin,  born  Nov.  18,  1741.     5.  Lewis,  born  Feb.  3, 

1745- 

(V)  Allen  Peck,  son  of  Rev.  Samuel  (2)  and  Hannah 
(Allen)  Peck,  was  born  February  i,  1735  or  1736,  in 
Rehoboth,  Mass.,  where  his  parents  resided.  For  sev- 
eral years  he  resided  in  Providence,  R.  I.  He  returned 
to  Rehoboth,  however,  later  in  life,  and  died  there. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Dexter,  of  Providence.  Their 
children  were:  i.  Hannah,  born  Feb.  5,  1777.  2. 
Elizabeth,  born  Sept.  20,  1779.  3.  Benjamin,  men- 
tioned below.    4.  John  R.,  born  March  18,  1784. 

(VI)  Benjamin  Peck,  son  of  Allen  and  Elizabeth 
(Dexter)  Peck,  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  on 
December  25,  1781.  He  settled  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
where  he  engaged  in  commercial  pursuits.  He  married 
Roby  A.  Ormsbee,  who  died  in  1806.  He  died  in  1843. 
Their  children  were:  i.  .*\llen  Ormsbee,  mentioned 
below.  2.  Mary  Spurr,  born  May  19,  1806;  married 
Esek  Aldrich;    resides  in  Providence. 

(VII)  Allen  Ormsbee  Peck,  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Roby  A.  (Ormsbee)  Peck,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  November  17,  1804.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  and  private  schools  of  Providence,  and  after  a 
college  preparatory  course  in  the  University  Grammar 
School,  entered  Brown  University,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  B.  A.,  in  1824.  He 
decided  after  graduation  to  enter  the  legal  profession, 
and  to  that  end  read  law  under  Judge  Thomas  Bur- 
gess, securing  under  him  an  exhaustive  and  valuable 
training  which  had  its  effect  on  his  work  later  in  the 
profession,  and  in  the  other  lines  of  endeavor  in  which 
he  subsequently  engaged.  In  1826  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  on  a  competitive  examination,  and  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  in  Providence.  Despite  the 
fact  that  he  succeeded  admirably,  Mr.  Peck  found  the 
law  distasteful,  and  in  1831  gave  up  his  large  and  suc- 
cessful practice  to  enter  a  line  of  work  more  con- 
genial. He  became  the  secretary  in  the  American  In- 
surance Company,  which  was  in  1831.  The  analytical 
turn  of  mind,  and  the  constructive  imagination  which 
characterized  him  as  a  lawyer,  brought  an  unusual 
degree  of  success  to  his  work  with  the  American   In- 


surance Company,  and  the  value  of  his  business  ability 
and  genius  for  management  led  to  his  advancement  to 
the  office  of  president,  as  successor  to  President  Wil- 
liam Rhodes.  Under  his  administration  the  business 
grew  in  size  and  financial  standing.  Mr.  Peck  became 
known  throughout  the  city  and  State  as  a  man  of  keen 
and  sound  business  judgment,  and  largely  responsible 
for  the  upbuilding  of  a  corporation  which  assumed  a 
position  of  importance  in  the  business  interests  of  the 
city  and  State.  Mr.  Peck's  connection  with  the  com- 
pany in  the  capacities  of  secretary  and  president  cov- 
ered a  period  of  thirty-six  years.  In  1862,  because  of 
failing  health  and  the  multiplicity  of  his  duties,  he  was 
compelled  to  resign. 

After  travel  and  rest  in  the  interest  of  his  health, 
he  again  entered  the  business  world  as  head  of  the 
Narragansett  Insurance  Company,  of  which  corpora- 
tion he  had  been  connected  as  a  member  of  the  board 
of  directors  since  its  incorporation  in  1857.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Ameri- 
can Bank. 

Mr.  Peck  married,  on  July  25,  1855,  Mary  Elizabeth 
Whitaker,  daughter  of  Josiah  and  Parmelia  (An- 
drews) Whitaker,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  The  children 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peck  are:  i.  Ellen  Ormsbee.  2. 
Mary  Talbot,  deceased.  3.  Maria  Storrs,  deceased.  4. 
Elizabeth  Andrews.     5.  Jessie  Comstock,  deceased. 

Mr.  Peck  was  prominent  in  the  political  and  official 
life  of  the  city  of  Providence,  and  was  one  of  the 
chief  figures  in  the  campaign  for  the  incorporation  of 
Providence  as  a  city.  Providence  became  a  city  by 
special  act  of  the  General  Assembly  in  November, 
1831,  which  act  went  into  operation  the  first  Monday 
in  June,  of  the  following  year.  To  him  is  due  the  credit 
of  raising  the  sum  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  from  the 
business  men  of  Providence  for  the  installation  of  the 
first  public  lighting  plant  in  the  city.  Mr.  Peck  was 
clerk  of  the  Common  Council  from  June,  1832,  to 
June,  1834.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Historical  Society.  His  religious  affiliation  was  with 
the  Unitarian  church. 

Mr.  Peck  died  September  15.  1871. 

(The  Whitaker  Line). 

Arm.'i — Per  pale  argent  and  azure  a  chevron  embat- 
tled between  three  mascles  counterchanged. 

Crest — A  horse  passant  argent  gorged  with  a  collar 
gemel  and  resting  the  dexter  foreleg  on  a  mascle 
azure. 

Motto — Spes  et  fldes. 

Ranking  high  among  the  families  of  historical  and 
traditional  prominence  in  Rhode  Island,  and  through- 
out New  England,  the  Whitaker  family  is  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  and  well  known  of  those  families 
which  form  the  aristocracy  of  that  section  of  the  coun- 
try. The  family  was  established  in  America  in  the 
early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  has  been 
continuous  here  since  the  Colonial  period. 

The  surname  is  of  English  origin,  and  signifies,  lit- 
erally, "the  white  acre."  It  is  found  in  various  locali- 
ties throughout  England,  and  is  frequent  in  the  Hun- 
dred Rolls.  It  appears  as  early  as  the  year  127.1. 
It  is  popular  in  England  to-day,  and  is  found  in  all 
parts  of  America. 


BIOGR^\PHICAL 


233 


Josiah  Whitaker,  father  of  Mrs.  Peck,  was  a  mcm- 
lier  of  one  of  the  well  known  branches  of  the  Whitaker 
family  in  Rhode  Island,  and  was  born  in  Centerville, 
Iv.  I.  He  was  an  expert  jeweler  and  designer,  a 
jeweler  of  more  than  ordinary  talent,  and  reached  a 
high  place  in  the  trade.  Josiah  Whitaker  was  the  son 
of  Thomas  and  Rachel  (Greene)  Whitaker.  Thomas 
Whitaker  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  holding 
an  officer's  commission.  His  children  were:  Thomas, 
who  was  killed  in  an  Indian  fight  in  Xew  York  State: 
Josiah,  who  married  Parmelia  Andrews,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Andrews,  and  was  the  father  01  Mrs.  Peck. 

Mary  Elizabeth  Whitaker,  daughter  of  Josiah  and 
Parmelia  (.\ndrews)  Whitaker,  was  born  in  Provi- 
dence, March  9.  1822,  and  died  there  November  20. 
1904.  She  married,  July  25,  1855,  Allen  Ormsbee  Peck, 
of  Providence,  R.  I.  (see  Peck  \'ir). 


JAMES  HAYDON  COGGESHALL— Coggeshall 
is  an  early  English  surname  of  local  origin,  and  de- 
notes residence  in  the  parish  of  St.  .Mbans,  in  the  town 
of  Coggeshall. 

Arms — Argent  a  cross  between  four  escallops  sable. 
Crest — A  stag  lodged  sable,  attired  or. 

The  Coggeshall  family,  whose  history  is  wrapped  in- 
separably with  that  of  Rhode  Island  from  the  very 
earliest  times,  is  one  of  the  most  distinguished  in  the 
annals  of  the  colony  and  in  its  later  history.  The 
progenitor  of  the  Coggeshalls  in  America,  John  Cogge- 
shall, was  the  first  president  of  the  struggling  lit- 
tle Colony  of  Rhode  Island,  a  man  of  great  prominence 
and  public  influence.  The  family  has  been  honoral>ly 
connected  with  the  several  wars  of  the  country,  since 
its  establishment  here,  and  has  borne  well  its  part  in 
the  making  of  the  nation.  Its  sons  have  held  high 
places  in  the  councils  of  the  State.  The  late  Hon. 
James  Haydon  Coggeshall,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
public  men  of  his  day,  was  a  direct  descendant  in  the 
seventh  generation  of  the  founder,  John  Coggeshall. 

(I)  John  Coggeshall,  progenitor  of  the  family  in 
America,  and  first  president  of  the  Colony  of  Rhode 
Island,  was  a  member  of  an  ancient  and  honorable 
English  family  whose  lineage  has  been  traced  to  the 
early  part  of  the  twelfth  century,  to  one  Thomas  de 
Coggeshall,  the  owner  of  vast  estates  in  Essex  and 
Suffolk,  England,  in  1135-54.  He  was  born  in  Eng- 
land, about  1581,  and  died  at  Xewport,  R.  I.,  Novem- 
ber 27,  1647.  He  emigrated  from  England  to  the  New- 
World,  arriving  at  the  port  of  Boston,  Mass.,  with  his 
wife  Mary  and  three  children,  John.  Joshua,  and 
Anne,  on  September  16,  1632.  His  name  and  that  of 
his  wife  are  on  the  original  records  of  the  church  of 
Roxbury,  of  which  John  Elliot  was  pastor.  He  was 
admitted  a  freeman  of  Roxbury  on  November  6,  1632, 
and  two  years  later,  in  1634,  removed  to  Boston,  where 
he  became  a  merchant.  John  Coggeshall  became  one 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  Boston,  and  in  the  year  of 
his  arrival  there  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Selectmen  and  a  deacon  of  the  church.  His  name 
also  heads  the  list  of  deputies  to  the  General  Court  of 
Massachusetts  from  Boston,  May  14,  1634,  and  he 
served,  with  three  interruptions,  until  November  2, 
l6i7.     He  was  one  of  the  staunchest  supporters  and 


defendants  of  .'\nne  Hutchinson,  and  upon  her  ban- 
ishment was  expelled  from  the  court  and  from  the 
State  of  Massachusetts,  in  company  with  eighteen  other 
men  who  were  also  identified  with  her.  These  eighteen 
men,  and  a  company  including  William  Coddington, 
John  Clarke,  the  Hutchinson  family,  and  others,  set- 
tled on  the  island  of  .■\quidneck,  by  the  advice  of  Roger 
Williams,  who  had  already  settled  in  Providence.  The 
land  was  purchased  from  the  Narragansett  sachems, 
and  the  form  of  government  there  established  was  one 
of  the  first  in  New  England  which  separated  the  civic 
from  the  religious  issues.  The  colony  grew  with  great 
rapidity,  and  to  accommodate  newcomers  and  the  over- 
flow, the  town  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  was  established.  On 
the  return  of  Roger  Williams  from  England  with  a 
charter,  they  organized  a  government  in  September, 
1644.  In  1647  John  Coggeshall  was  elected  president 
of  Rhode  Island,  with  Roger  Williams  as  assistant  for 
Providence,  William  Coddington  for  Newport,  and 
Randall  Holden  for  Warwick.  While  in  this  office  he 
was  the  founder  or  was  largely  influential  in  founding 
two  cities,  two  States  and  two  separate  and  inde- 
pendent governments.  He  died  in  office,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-si.x  years,  and  is  buried  on  his  estate  in  New- 
port. He  married,  in  England,  Mary  Surgis,  born  in 
1604,  died  on  November  8,  1684,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
nine. 

(II)  Joshua  Coggeshall,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Cog- 
geshall, was  born  in  England,  in  1623,  and  accompanied 
his  parents  to  .America  in  1632.  He  removed  to  Ports- 
mouth, R.  I.,  after  the  death  of  his  father.  Here  he 
purchased  a  farm  on  the  west  side  of  the  island,  where 
he  resided  until  his  death.  A  large  part  of  this 
original  purchase  still  remains  in  the  hands  of  lineal 
descendants.  Joshua  Coggeshall  became  a  man  of 
prominence  in  Portsmouth,  and  served  in  public  office 
on  several  occasions.  He  was  a  deputy  to  the  General 
Court  of  Rhode  Island  in  the  years  1664,  1666,  1667, 
1668,  1670,  1671,  1672,  and  was  several  times  assistant. 
He  married  (first)  December  22,  1652,  Joan  West,  who 
died  April  24,  1676,  at  the  age  of  forty-one  years:  he 
married  (second)  June  21,  1677,  Rebecca  Russell,  a 
Quakeress,  of  London,  England.  Mr.  Coggeshall 
joined  the  ranks  of  the  Quakers  in  1660,  and  on  a  visit 
to  Plymouth  Colony,  Mass.,  shortly  afterwards,  was 
seized,  deprived  of  his  horse,  and  thrown  into  jail,  be- 
cause of  his  religious  convictions. 

(III)  Josiah  Coggeshall,  son  of  Joshua  and  Joan 
(West)  Coggeshall,  was  born  in  November,  1662. 

(IV)  Josiah  (2)  Coggeshall,  son  of  Josiah  (i)  Cog- 
geshall, married .  and  was  the  father  of 

four  children:  John,  James,  Mary,  Catherine;  John 
is  mentioned  below. 

(V)  Major  John  (2)  Coggeshall,  son  of  Josiah  (2) 
Coggeshalll,  was  born  October  5.  1757,  in  Rhode  Island. 
About  the  year  1770.  he  removed  to  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  where  he  purchased  a  farm.  He  served  with 
distinction  during  the  .American  Revolution,  and  was 
prominently  identified  with  the  military  affairs  of  New- 
Bedford.  He  w-as  a  member  of  the  train  band  in  1773, 
and  upon  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  in  the  Revolution 
joined  the  .American  army.  He  served  for  three 
months  in   1775  as  a  corporal   in   Captain    Kempton's 


234 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


company,  Colonel  Danielson's  regiment,  from  Dart- 
mouth. Mass.,  enlisting  in  May  of  that  year.  He  also 
served  in  1778  and  1780,  and  is  said  to  have  partici- 
pated at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  at  the  battle  of 
Dorchester  Heights,  and  was  a  member  of  the  first 
regiment  to  march  into  Boston  after  its  evacuation 
by  the  British  troops.  He  held  the  rank  of  major  in  the 
American  army.  Major  Coggeshall  died  on  July  19, 
1830,  at  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years,  and  was  buried  on  the  Coggeshall  farm  there. 
He   married   Abigail    Haydon. 

(VI)  Haydon  Coggeshall,  son  of  Major  John  (2)  and 
Abigail  (Haydon)  Coggeshall,  was  born  in  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass.,  and  resided  there  all  his  life  time.  He 
became  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  citi- 
zens of  the  town,  a  leader  in  civic  and  religious  issues 
in  his  day.  He  was  a  deacon  of  the  Congregational 
church,  and  active  in  the  work  of  that  body  in  New 
Bedford.  He  married  Joanna  Brown,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Brown,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  Haydon  Cogge- 
shall died  March  20,  1861. 

(VII)  James  Haydon  ■  Coggeshall,  son  of  Haydon 
and  Joanna  (Brown)  Coggeshall,  was  born  in  New 
Bedford,  Mass.,  on  January  29,  1820.  He  was  given 
every  educational  advantage  to  fit  him  for  a  profes- 
sional career,  and  prepared  for  college  under  the  in- 
struction of  John  W.  Page,  of  New  Bedford.  After 
completing  his  preparatory  education  he  entered  Brown 
University,  in  Rhode  Island,  where  he  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1840.  He  took  an  active  part  in  all 
the  departments  of  college  life,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  fraternity.  .A.fter  leaving  college 
he  taught  for  a  period  of  a  few  years  in  the  Friends' 
Academy  at  New  Bedford. 

Mr.  Coggeshall  left  New  Bedford  in  the  fifties,  com- 
ing to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  established  him- 
self in  business,  continuing  in  this  line  until  the  year 
1863,  when  he  retired  from  business  life  to  enter  pub- 
lic service,  to  which  he  thenceforward  devoted  his 
entire  time  and  attention.  During  the  time  which  he 
spent  in  the  business  world,  he  became  well  known  in 
Providence  as  a  man  of  the  highest  principles  and  un- 
impeachable integrity.  In  the  spring  of  1863,  Mr. 
Coggeshall  received  appointment  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  enrollment  of  the  First  Congressional  Dis- 
trict of  Rhode  Island.  He  gradually  assumed  a  posi- 
tion of  importance  in  public  life,  going  from  one  posi- 
tion to  another  of  larger  influence  in  the  aflfairs  of  the 
city  and  State.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mon Council  of  Providence  in  i860,  being  rei^lected  to 
the  office  until  1866,  when  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  .Mdermen  of  the  city.  He  served  in  the  last 
named  position  until  1872.  In  1871  he  was  appointed 
United  States  marshal,  and  filled  that  office  faithfully 
and  well  for  sixteen  years,  or  until  1887.  when  he 
retired. 

Mr.  Coggeshall's  service  in  office  and  in  behalf  of 
the  public  was  absolutely  free  from  adverse  comment 
or  criticism.  He  was  universally  conceded  to  be  a  man 
of  the  finest  and  most  honorable  ideals,  patriotic  in 
the  extreme,  serving  his  country  for  the  pure  love  of 
it,  and  putting  into  his  work  an  energy  and  talent  which 
accomplished  the  best  results,  and  raised  his  office  to 


an  unusual  standard  of  efficiency.  He  was  thoroughly 
respected  and  loved,  widely  read,  and  of  keen  literary 
tastes.  He  was  also  deeply  interested  in  charitable 
work,  and  gave  much  in  an  unostentatious  manner. 
Mr.  Coggesliall  was  prominent  in  Free  Masonry  in 
Rhode  Island. 

Mr.  Coggeshall  married  (first)  January  2.  1844, 
Frances  Brush  Low,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mahala 
(Wight)  Low,  born  June  4,  1821,  died  January  20, 
i860.  He  married  (second)  July  3,  1861,  Hannah 
Angell,  daughter  of  Andrew  A.  and  .\mey  (.-Mdrich) 
Angell,  and  a  descendant  in  the  direct  line  of  Thomas 
Angell,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Coggeshall  died  in  Providence,  on  May  28, 
1890,  and  is  survived  by  his  wife,  Mrs.  Hannah  (Angell) 
Coggeshall,  and  by  his  daughter,  Jessie  Low  Cog- 
geshall, who  resides  at  No.  178  Bowen  street.  Provi- 
dence, R.  I. 

(The  Angell  Line). 

Authorities  differ  as  to  the  origin  of  the  name  .Angell. 
It  is  claimed  by  some  to  be  derived  from  Angel,  a  town 
in  France,  and  by  others  to  have  come  from  tlie  Greek 
word  for  messenger.  According  to  some,  it  is  of  bap- 
tismal origin,  and  signifies  "Son  of  Angel."  It  is  known 
that  in  early  times  the  word  was  used  as  a  descriptive 
term  applied  to  character  and  was  later  used  to  denote 
extraordinary  beauty.  Example  of  this  second  use  is 
found  in  the  year  1 185,  when  Konstantinos,  a  noble  of 
the  Byzantine  Empire,  received  the  name  of  .Angelos 
by  reason  of  his  comeliness.  The  name  was  once  a 
very  popular  one  in  England,  and  was  thoroughly 
hated  by  the  Puritans,  who  were  unable,  however,  to 
oust  it. 

.Arms — Or.  three  fu.sils  in  fesse  azure  over  all  a  bas- 
ton  gules. 

Crest — Out  of  a  ducal  coronet  or,  a  demi-pegasus 
argent,  crined  g^ules. 

The  .\ngell  family  was  established  in  America  in 
the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  by  Tliomas 
Angell,  a  descendant  of  an  old  English  family,  and  has 
been  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  New  England  in  the 
successive  generations  since  the  founder. 

(I)  Thomas  Angell,  progenitor  of  the  .\merican 
branch  of  the  family,  was  born  in  England  about  1618. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  he  was  the  son  of  Henry 
Angell,  of  Liverpool,  England,  and  that  at  the  age  of 
twelve  years  he  came  to  London  to  seek  his  fortune. 
In  1631  he  came  to  .\merica  in  the  ship  "Lion."  sail- 
ing from  London.  He  was  of  the  party  of  Roger  Wil- 
liams, and  was  then  regarded  as  a  servant  or  appren- 
tice of  Roger  Williams.  He  arrived  in  Boston,  and 
went  with  Roger  Williams  to  Salem,  Mass.,  where  he 
remained  until  1636.  When  religious  intolerance  and 
persecution  of  those  of  his  sect  in  Massachusetts  drove 
Williams  to  seek  a  home  elsewhere,  Thomas  .Angell 
accompanied  him,  and  in  1636  settled  in  Provid"ence, 
R.  I.,  where  he  had  granted  him  the  lot  fronting  on 
North  Main  street,  where  now  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  the  High  School  and  .\ngell  street  are  situ- 
ated. In  1652-53  he  was  elected  a  commissioner,  and 
became  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  in  early 
Providence.  In  1655  he  was  constable,  which  office 
he  held  for  many  years.     He  was,  as  were  all  the  in- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


235 


habitants  of  Providence  in  that  day,  a  farmer.  His 
will  was  dated  May  3,  1685,  and  proved  September  18, 
1685.     He  was  about  seventy-six  years  old  at  the  time 

of  his  death.     He  married  Alice  ,  whose  will  is 

dated  October  2,  1694,  and  was  proved  in  January  of 
the  following  year. 

(II)  John  Angell,  son  of  Thomas  and  ."Mice  .^ngell, 
was  born  in  Providence,  F\.  I.,  and  died  there  on  July 
27,  1720.  He  was  admitted  a  freeman  of  Providence, 
R.  I.,  October  16,  1670.  For  a  few  years  he  lived  on 
the  Daniel  Jenckes  farm,  five  miles  from  Providence, 
toward  Lime  Rock,  on  the  Lewisquisit  road.  He  re- 
moved to  Providence  later  in  life,  and  there  followed 
the  occupation  of  farmer.  He  married,  in  1669,  Ruth 
Field,  daughter  of  John  Field,  of  Providence. 

(III)  Thomas  (2)  .Angell,  son  of  John  and  Ruth 
(Field)  Angell,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  March 
25,  1672.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he 
followed  during  his  entire  life  time,  erecting  many 
buildings  in  Providence  in  his  time,  the  most  famous 
of  which  is  the  old  .-Xngell  Tavern,  in  Scituate,  R.  I. 
This  tavern,  which  was  built  by  Thomas  .Angell  in 
1710,  is  located  on  the  old  Plainfield  turnpike,  and  was 
occupied  by  the  family  for  several  generations.  This 
house  was  used  as  a  general  meeting  place  for  the 
townspeople,  and  was  the  scene  of  public  meetings  of 
the  town  of  Scituate  for  a  long  period.  Thomas  .Angell 
was  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  and  business 
men  of  Providence,  widely  known  and  respected.  In 
the  capacity  of  inn  keeper  he  was  brought  into  con- 
tact with  travelers  from  all  parts  of  the  colonies,  and 
was  consequently  a  man  well  informed  on  current 
issues.  He  was  well  educated,  and  a  keen  business 
man  as  well  as  a  genial  host.  He  died  in  Scituate, 
R.  I.,  in  1714,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  meeting  house 
lot  in  South  Scituate.  Thomas  (2)  Angell  married, 
April  4,  1700,  Sarah  Brown,  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Alice  Brown:  she  was  born  in  1677,  and  survived  her 
husband   many   years. 

(IV)  Jeremiah  .Angell.  son  of  Thomas  (2)  and 
Sarah  (Brown)  Angell,  was  born  in  Scituate,  R.  T.,  on 
June  2g,  1706,  and  died  there  in  1786.  He  inherited 
the  Angell  tavern  from  his  father,  whom  he  succeeded 
in  the  management  and  proprietorship  of  the  famous 
inn.  He  was  also  a  capable  business  man,  and  man- 
aged his  real  estate  interests  very  successfully.  Jere- 
miah .Angell  also  inherited  his  father's  farm  in  South 
Scituate,  which  he  cultivated  and  brought  up  to  a  fine 
standard  during  his  lifetime.  He  cleared  and  planted 
much  of  this  large  farm,  giving  much  of  his  time  to  the 
study  of  his  work,  which  for  several  generations  con- 
tinued to  produce  results.  One  orchard  which  he 
planted  furnished  fruit  for  four  generations.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  duties  as  inn  keeper  and  his  work  as  a 
farmer,  he  found  time  to  make  a  considerable  study  of 
the  law.  He  was  constantly  sought  bj'  the  people  of 
the  town  on  legal  questions,  and  was  probably  the 
most  influential  public  man  in  Scituate  of  his  time. 
He  was  for  several  years  justice  of  the  peace,  and  was 
eminently  a  peacemaker,  doing  his  best  to  bring  about 
a  settlement  between  the  parties  in  a  lawsuit,  by  tell- 
ing them  the  law  in  their  case  and  advising  that  they 
settle  their  differences  without  recourse  to  law.    Jere- 


miah .Angell  died  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  in  1786,  and  was 
buried  in  the  old  meeting  house  lot.  He  married  (first) 
Mary  Matthewson;  (second)  Abigail  Downs;  (third) 
Betsey  Stone. 

(V)  .Andrew  .Angell,  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Mary 
(Matthewson)  .Angell,  was  born  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  Jan- 
uary 3,  1742.  He  was  educated  to  become  his  father's 
assistant  and  successor  in  his  various  interests  in  Scit- 
uate, and  early  rendered  valuable  services  to  the  elder 
Mr.  Angell  in  the  management  of  the  Angell  Tavern, 
to  which  he  succeeded  at  the  death  of  the  elder  man. 
He  was  also  a  well  educated  man,  of  intellectual  tastes, 
refined  and  cultured,  and  possessed  of  unusual  ability 
in  business.  He  was  a  true  representative  "mine  host" 
of  the  old  school — hospitable,  courteous,  genial  and 
accommodating.  He  was  an  excellent  conversational- 
ist, and  drew  much  of  his  ability  in  this  line  from  the 
variety  and  multitude  of  the  experiences  of  the  travel- 
ers who  stopped  at  his  house,  which  in  that  day  was 
one  of  the  most  famous  in  that  section  of  the  country. 
The  dangers  of  navigation,  or  in  some  cases  its  total 
obstruction,  increased  travel  greatly  on  the  Providence 
and  Norwich  road,  and  brought  to  the  tavern  much 
patronage  which  otherwise  would  not  have  reached  it. 
Many  men  of  fame  in  the  early  history  of  the  country 
traveled  this  road,  among  them  General  Washington, 
General  Lafayette,  and  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin.  .An- 
drew Angell  married  Tabitha  Harris,  who  was  born 
June  21,  174.?.  He  died  on  June  29,  1792.  After  his 
death  his  widow  rented  the  tavern  and  resided  on  the 
farm  in  Scituate,  where  she  died. 

(VI)  Charles  .Angell,  son  of  .Andrew  and  Tabitha 
(Harris)  Andrews,  was  born  at  the  .Angell  Tavern,  in 
Scituate,  R.  I.,  in  1775.  According  to  the  custom  of 
the  family,  which  had  been  to  give  its  sons  the  best 
advantages  possible  in  education,  he  was  excellently 
trained.  He  subsequently  became  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  affairs  of  the  community,  as  his  forebears  had 
been  for  generations  before.  He  was  president  of  the 
Town  Council,  and  served  for  several  years  in  the 
State  Legislature,  a  strong  figure  in  the  affairs  of  that 
body,  and  a  valu.able  man  to  the  section  which  he  rep- 
resented, both  because  of  his  honesty  and  unimpeach- 
able integrity,  and  because  of  his  keeness  of  intellect 
and  talent  for  legal  affairs  and  public  service.  He  was 
one  elected  to  the  post  of  a  judge  of  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas.  He  was  an  able  and  convincing  public 
speaker  and  a  contemporary  report  says  "he  talked 
pointedly  and  well.  He  spoke  of  the  question  before 
him,  upon  which  he  had  reflected  sufficiently  to  see 
clearly  the  order  of  his  thoughts  and  to  cormect  them 
in  an  unbroken  chain,  each  link  representing  an  idea." 
Charles  Angell  conducted  the  Angell  Tavern  during 
the  War  of  1812,  and  saw  much  of  the  stirring  events 
of  that  time,  learning  much  of  the  progress  of  the  war 
also  through  the  men  who  came  to  his  tavern.  Charles 
Angell  died  in  his  forty-sixth  year,  on  Xovember  13, 
1821.  He  married  Olive  Aldrich,  daughter  of  James 
Aldrich,  of  Scituate,  R.  I.  Their  children  were:  I. 
Tabitha  H.,  horn  Feb.  12,  1801 ;  married  Ahner  Peck- 
ham.  2.  Andrew,  mentioned  below.  3.  .Alice  Smith, 
born  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  Sept.  21,  1805:  married  George 
Aldrich. 


^ 


236 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


(VII)  Andrew  A.  Angell,  son  of  Charles  and  Olive 
(Aldrich)  Angell,  was  born  in  South  Scituatc,  R.  I., 
December  7,  1802.  He  was  the  fifth  generation  in  the 
direct  line  to  inherit  and  occupy  the  Angell  Tavern, 
but  because  of  the  change  of  the  attitude  of  the  public 
toward  inns,  and  the  growing  strength  of  the  temper- 
ance reform,  together  with  the  inroads  which  steam 
railroads  made  on  the  trade  which  accrued  to  the 
taverns  from  travel,  Mr.  Angell  thereafter  directed  his 
entire  time  and  attention  to  the  management  of  his 
farm  in  South  Scituate.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
gave  this  farm  to  his  wife,  who  sold  it  after  his  death. 
Thus  both  the  tavern  and  farm  passed  out  of  the  con- 
trol of  the  Angells  in  whose  hands  they  had  been  for 
nearly  two  centuries.  Mr.  Angell  died  on  October  15, 
1865.  He  married  Amey  Aldrich.  Among  their  chil- 
dren are:  i.  James  Burrill,  famous  educator,  presi- 
dent of  the  University  of  Michigan.  2.  Eliza  A.,  mar- 
ried Jeremiah  Adams;  both  deceased.  3.  Charles,  de- 
ceased. 4.  Hannah,  who  became  the  wife  of  James 
Haydon  Coggeshall.  5.  Caroline  F.,  married  Peter 
Collier;   both  deceased.    6.  William  F.,  of  Chicago,  III. 


JOHN  BRAYTON  ANTHONY— The  Anthony 
family  of  Rhode  Island  traces  its  descent  from  the 
Elizabethan  age  in  England,  when  its  progenitor,  Dr. 
Francis  Anthony,  was  born  in  London,  April  16,  1550. 
He  is  the  first  of  the  family  with  whose  name  we  are 
acquainted,  although  we  know  of  his  father  that  he 
was  an  eminent  goldsmith  in  London,  and  held  a  re- 
sponsible position  in  the  jewel  office  during  the  reign 
of  Queen  Elizabeth.  The  son,  Francis  Anthony,  was 
given  a  very  thorough  education  at  home,  and  in  1569, 
when  nineteen  years  of  age,  entered  Cambridge  Uni- 
versity. From  this  institution  he  was  graduated  in 
1574  with  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts,  having  during 
his  course  there  given  particular  attention  to  the  sub- 
ject of  chemistry,  in  which  indeed  he  became  an  author- 
ity. He  devoted  much  of  his  time  after  leaving  col- 
lege to  a  continuation  of  his  studies  and  to  the  practice 
of  medicine,  into  which  he  entered  at  first  as  a  sort  of 
subsidiary  of  his  other  work.  In  the  year  1598  he  pub- 
lished a  treatise  setting  forth  the  value  of  a  certain 
medicine,  prepared  by  him,  as  he  claimed,  from  gold. 
In  1600  he  was  disbarred  from  practice,  as  he  had  no 
regular  license,  but,  disregarding  the  order  of  the  Col- 
lege of  Physicians,  was  fined  five  pounds  and  commit- 
ted to  prison.  He  appears  to  have  had  a  friend  at 
court,  however,  and  secured  a  warrant  from  the  Lord 
Chief  Justice  releasing  him  from  duress.  L'pon  re- 
gaining his  freedom  he  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
again,  quite  oblivious  of  the  indignation  which  he 
stirred  up  on  the  part  of  the  College  of  Physicians,  or 
of  the  threat  of  this  body — a  threat,  by  the  way.  never 
carried  out.  He  gained  not  a  little  fame  in  London  at 
that  time,  and  performed  some  cures  on  the  persons 
of  several  distinguished  men.  His  remedy,  which  he 
called  ".Xurum  Potabile,"  or  Potable  Gold,  and  for 
which  he  claimed  that  it  was  a  cure  for  all  diseases, 
was  regarded  with  great  suspicion  by  his  fellow  prac- 
titioners, and  not,  we  are  bound  to  add,  without  con- 
siderable grounds,  especially  as  he  refused  to  make 
public   its   formula.     In   spite  of  this,   however,   there 


is  evidence  to  regard  Dr.  Anthony  as  a  man  of  real 
learning  and  high  character,  and  he  certainly  gained 
not  only  a  considerable  fortune  from  his  practice,  but 
the  respect  and  admiration  of  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  professionally  and  otherwise.  After 
his  death  he  was  buried  in  the  Church  of  St.  Bartholo- 
mew the  Great  in  London,  and  a  handsome  monument 
erected  over  his  remains  in  the  aisle,  with  the  follow- 
ing inscription: 

Sacred   to   the   memory   of  the  worthy   and   learned 

Francis  Anthony.   Dr.   of  physick. 
There  needs  no  verse  to  beauty  tliy  praise 

Or  keep   in  memory  thy  spotlessname; 
Religion,   virtue  and    thy   skill   did    raise 

A   threefold  pillar  to  thy  lasting  fame, 
Though  pois'nous  envey  ever  sought  to  blame 

Or  hide  the  fruits  of  thy  intention; 
Yet  shall   they  commt-nd   that   high   design 
Of  purest  gold   to  make  a   medicine. 

That    feel    thy   help    by   that   thy    rare    invention. 

Dr.  Anthony  married  twice,  the  second  time,  Sep- 
tember 23,  1609,  Elizabeth  Lante,  of  Trinity  Meneries, 
London,  a  widow  of  Thomas  Lante.  His  children  were 
by  his  first  wife,  as  follows:  John,  mentioned  below; 
Charles  and  Frances. 

(II)  John  .Anthony,  son  of  Dr.  Francis  Anthony, 
was  born  in  the  year  1607,  in  Hamstead,  England,  and 
resided  during  his  youth  in  that  village,  near  London 
City.  On  April  16,  1634,  however,  he  sailed  for  the 
American  colonies  on  board  the  barque  "Hercules," 
and  settled  at  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  where  he  is  of  record 
in  1640.  In  this  year  he  was  made  a  freeman  on  the 
date  of  July  14.  He  appears  to  have  been  extremely 
active  in  the  affairs  of  the  colony,  and  was  a  corporal 
in  a  military  company  there,  and  was  granted  lands 
at  the  "Wadding  River"  in  1644.  On  May  25,  1655,  he 
was  granted  authority  to  keep  an  inn,  or  house  of  en- 
tertainment, at  Portsmouth;  and  he  was  commissioner 
of  that  place  in  1661,  and  a  deputy  from  1666  to  1672. 
His  death  occurred  there  in  1675,  when  he  was  but 
sixty-eight  years  of  age.  He  married  Susanna  Potter, 
who  also  died  in  1675,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  John,  bom  1642;  Susanna,  1644; 
Elizabeth,  1646;  Joseph,  1648;  and  Abraham,  men- 
tioned below. 

(III)  Abraham  Anthony,  son  of  John  and  Susanna 
(Potter)  Anthony,  was  born  at  Portsmouth,  in  the  year 
1650.  He  was  made  a  freeman  of  that  place  in  1672, 
and  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  community,  serv- 
ing as  deputy  from  1703  to  171 1,  while  in  the  two  years 
of  i/og-io  he  was  Speaker  of  the  House.  His  death 
occurred  at  Portsmouth,  October  10,  1727.  He  mar- 
ried, December  26,  1671,  Alice  Woodell,  born  Febru- 
ary 10,  1650,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Woodell, 
of  Portsmouth,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  John,  born  Nov.  7,  1672;  Susanna 
and  Mary  (twins),  born  Aug.  29,  1674;  William,  men- 
tioned below;  Susanna  (2),  born  Oct.  14,  1677;  Mary 
(2)  and  Amey,  born  Jan.  2.  16S0;  Abraham,  born  April 
21,  1682;  Thomas,  born  June  30,  1684:  Alice  and  James, 
Jan.  22,  1686;  Amey  (2),  born  June  30,  1688:  Isaac, 
born  April  10,  1690;    Jacob,  born  Nov.  15,  1693. 

(IV)  William  Anthony,  son  of  Abraham  and  Alice 
(Woodell)  Anthony,  was  born  at  Portsmouth,  Octo- 
ber 31,  1675.  He  did  not,  however,  remain  in  his  native 
town,  but  removed  to  Swansea,  Mass.,  where  he  con- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


237 


tinued  to  live  until  his  death,  December  28,  1744.  He 
married,  March  14,  1694,  Mary  Coggeshall,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Ehzabcth  (Tinibcrlake)  Coggeshall,  and 
a  granddaughter  of  Major  John  and  Elizabeth  (Baul- 
stone)  Coggeshall,  and  great-granddaughter  of  the 
John  Coggeshall  who  came  from  Essex,  England,  and 
founded  the  family  here.  To  William  and  Mary  (Cog- 
geshall) Anthony  were  born  the  following  children: 
William,  May  14,  1695;  Abraham,  Sept.  25,  l6g6; 
Elizabeth,  May  2,  1698:  Mary,  Dec.  8,  1699;  John, 
Sept.  12.  1702;  Alice,  May  22,  1705;  .\nn,  March  17, 
1707:  John  and  Amy,  Nov.  16,  1708;  William,  Oct. 
26,  1709:  James,  Nov.  9,  1712;  Job,  April  lo,  1714; 
Benjamin,  mentioned  below;   and  Daniel,  May  19,  1720. 

(V)  Benjamin  .Anthony,  son  of  William  and  Mary 
(Coggeshall)  Anthony,  was  born  June  10,  1716.  He 
made  his  home  during  practically  his  entire  life  en  a 
farm  near  Somerset,  Mass.,  where  he  carried  on  agri- 
cultural operations  on  a  large  scale.  He  married  Mar- 
tha Luther,  a  daughter  of  Hezekiah  Luther,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Abner, 
Peleg,  Kufus,  Reuben,  Hezekiah,  James,  Benjamin, 
Luther,  Caleb,  Nathan,  and  David,  mentioned  below. 

(VI)  David  .'\nthony,  youngest  child  of  Benjamin 
and  Martha  (Luther)  .Anthony,  was  born  .August  ,^, 
1760,  at  Somerset.  Mass.,  where  he  continued  to  live 
during  his  entire  life,  engaged  in  the  same  pursuit  as 
his  father  before  him.  He  married  Submit  Wheeler, 
who  was  born  February  17,  1760,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of:  Elizabeth,  Nathan.  Jeremiah.  David,  men- 
tioned below;  Hezekiah,  Elisha.  Keziah,  Submit.  Ben- 
jamin and  Mary  B. 

(VII)  David  (2)  Anthony,  son  of  David  (l)  and 
Submit  (Wheeler)  Anthony,  was  born  January  9,  1786, 
at  Somerset,  Mass.  He  received  his  education  at  the 
local  schools,  and  spent  his  youth  on  his  father's  farm, 
but  when  fourteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  employ 
of  one  John  Bowers,  a  prominent  man  in  the  com- 
munity, a  large  real  estate  owner  and  the  proprietor  of 
a  country  store.  He  served  Mr.  Bowers  in  several 
capacities  in  this  store,  and  there  learned  at  first  hand 
business  methods.  When  but  eighteen  years  of  age, 
however,  his  employer,  Mr.  Bowers,  met  with  reverses 
which  rendered  the  closing  out  of  his  business  neces- 
sary, and  this  responsible  task  fell  upon  the  shoulders 
of  young  Mr.  .\nthony.  It  was  a  task  which  most 
young  men  of  his  age  might  well  hesitate  to  under- 
take, but  which  Mr.  Anthony  carried  out  to  a  success- 
ful conclusion.  His  success,  however,  left  him  without 
a  position,  and  for  a  time  he  took  up  teaching  in  the 
schools  of  the  locality.  Later  he  went  to  Providence, 
R.  I.,  where  he  secured  a  position  in  the  crockery 
establishment  of  J.  P.  Hellen,  and  there  remained  for 
two  years.  In  1808  he  went  to  Pawtucket,  where  he 
was  engaged  by  Samuel  Slater  as  a  hand  in  his  cotton 
spinning  mill.  Mr.  Slater  was  often  spoken  of  by  Mr. 
Anthony  as  the  "father  of  the  cotton  manufacturing 
business  in  this  country."  In  this  establishment  Mr. 
Anthony  learned  all  the  details  of  the  cotton  industry, 
which  stood  him  in  good  stead  later  on.  His  next 
move  was  to  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  and  finally  to  Fall 
River.  It  was  here  that  he  met  Dexter  Wheeler,  who 
as  early  as  the  year  1807  had  operated  a  small  yarn  mill 


at  Rehoboth,  run  by  horse  power.  Mr.  Anthony  and 
Mr.  Wheeler,  together  with  several  other  men.  estab- 
lished a  plant  in  Fall  River  in  the  year  1813,  which  was 
the  first  regular  yarn  manufacturing  concern  there,  and 
which  thus  led  the  way  in  the  development  of  the 
enormous  industry  which  is  now  carried  on  there. 
Mr.  .Anthony  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Fall  River  Manufactory,  another  company  of  the  same 
kind,  and  of  this  he  was  the  agent  and  treasurer.  From 
this  time  on  Mr.  .Anthony  continued  to  make  his  home 
in  Fall  River,  and  to  carry  on  his  many  activities 
there  up  to  about  the  year  1839,  when  he  retired  alto- 
gether from  active  business.  He  was  conspicuously 
identified  with  the  general  life  of  the  community,  and 
was  particularly  prominent  in  social  and  religious  cir- 
cles there.  He  was  a  Congregationalist  in  religious 
belief,  and  was  a  deacon  in  the  church  of  that  denom- 
ination at  Fall  River.  His  death  occurred  July  6,  1867, 
in  that  city. 

David  Anthony  married  (first)  Lauretta  Bishop 
Wheaton,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  Wheaton,  of  Rehoboth, 
by  whom  he  had  two  children,  one  who  died  in  infancy, 
and  .Amanda  Maria,  who  became  the  wife  of  Edward 
Keep,  and  died  October  18,  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years.  Mr.  .Anthony  married  (second)  Nancy  Jarett 
Bowers  Brayton,  of  Somerset,  Mass..  and  a  daughter 
of  John  Brayton,  of  that  place.  Of  this  union  the  fol- 
lowing children  were  born:  Lauretta,  James  and  Fred- 
erick, who  died  in  infancy.  The  death  of  the  second 
Mrs.  .Anthony  occurred  March  2,  1822.  Mr.  .Anthony 
married  (third)  Mary  Borden,  born  .April  7.  1797.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  F"rancis 
Wheaton,  born  Nov.  26,  1825,  died  Nov.  13,  1868; 
Thomas  Smith,  born  .Aug.  27,  1827.  died  Feb.  26,  1875; 
John  Brayton,  mentioned  below;  David  Edward,  born 
Aug.  24,  1835,  died  Jan.  27,  1836;  Henry  Josepheus, 
born  July  14,  1837,  died  Feb.  15,  1887;  David  Henry, 
born  Feb.  16,  1840,  died  .April  7.  1864;  Mary  Amanda, 
born  Jan.  17,  1843,  became  the  wife  of  George  R. 
Fiske,  of  Boston,  where  she  died  in  the  month  of 
Feb.,  1912. 

(VIII)  John  Brayton  .Anthony,  son  of  David  (2) 
and  Mary  (Borden)  .Anthony,  was  born  October  i, 
1829,  at  Fall  River,  Mass.  He  gained  his  education  in 
the  local  public  schools,  and  after  completing  his  stud- 
ies at  these  institutions  he  secured  a  position  as  clerk 
in  the  office  of  the  Fall  River  Iron  Works  at  Provi- 
dence. For  seven  years  he  remained  with  this  com- 
pany, and  only  left  them  in  1853  to  accept  the  position 
of  treasurer  of  the  Providence  Tool  Company.  .An 
uncle  of  his,  Richard  Borden,  was  president  of  this 
concern,  and  after  twenty-one  years  of  active  service 
Mr.  Anthony  succeeded  him  in  this  office.  In  1882 
the  Providence  Tool  Company  was  disorganized,  and 
Mr.  Anthony  accepted  the  position  of  general  man- 
ager of  the  Household  Sewing  Machine  Company,  a 
post  which  he  filled  most  efficiently  for  a  period  of 
seven  years.  He  then  went  with  the  Cranston  Print 
Works,  with  the  office  of  treasurer,  and  was  still  occu- 
pying this  responsible  post  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
December  7,  1904.  Mr.  Anthony  was  very  active  in 
the  public  life  of  Providence,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
city  council  in  1869  and  1870,  and  an  alderman  in  1875 


] 


238 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


and  1876.  He  always  took  a  keen  interest  in  the  history 
of  his  region,  and  was  an  active  member  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society  for  many  years.  His  reli- 
gious belief  affiliated  him  with  the  Episcopal  church, 
and  he  was  vestryman  and  junior  or  senior  warden  of 
the  Grace  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  Providence 
for  nearly  fifty  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Churchman's  Club,  and  took  an  active  part  in  religious 
afifairs  generally. 

On  June  20,  1854.  Mr.  Anthony  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Ellen  De  Forest  Miller,  a  native  of  Provi- 
dence, born  April  3,  1831,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Lewis 
Leprilete  Miller.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  I.  Lewis  Miller,  born  Nov.  25,  1856, 
died  Jan.  15,  i860.  2.  David,  born  March  4,  1862,  died 
April  12,  1862.  3.  Mary  Borden,  born  June  19,  1863; 
educated  at  Miss  Abbott's  School  of  Providence;  en- 
gaged in  philanthropic  work;  general  treasurer  and 
Rhode  Island  Diocesan  president  of  Girls'  Friendly 
Society  in  America;  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
Providence  -A.rt  Club,  and  Providence  Plantations 
Club.  4.  Anne  .A.lwood,  born  Sept.  22,  1864,  and  be- 
came the  wife  of  Frederick  H.  Perkins,  of  Brookline, 
Mass.,  June  13,  1893.  5.  Ellen  Miller,  born  Dec.  10, 
1865.  6.  Jane  Leprilete,  born  July  12,  1868.  7.  Louise 
Darwin  Miller,  born  July  16,  1871,  and  became  the  wife 
of  Mayburry  Brooks  Mellor,  of  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  Feb. 
I,   1893. 


WILLIAM     LEPRILETE     BECKWITH  — The 

English  family  of  Beckwith,  to  which  the  ancestry  of 
the  immigrant  ancestor  of  the  American  families  of 
Beckwith  has  been  traced  with  a  reasonable  degree 
of  authenticity,  is  descended  from  Hugh  de  Malbisse, 
a  knight  under  William  the  Conqueror  at  the  battle  of 
Hastings.  The  pedigree  of  the  Beckwiths  has  been 
accurately  traced  from  the  founding  of  the  family  in 
England  by  the  Norman  French  knight,  and  is  carried 
down  through  seventeen  generations  which  cover  a 
period  of  six  hundred  years,  and  include  men  who 
brought  distinction  to  the  family  name  and  honor  upon 
themselves  in  the  service  of  the  Crown.  The  Beck- 
with coat-of-arms  is  as  follows; 

Arms — -Argent  a  chevron  gules  fretty  or  between 
three  hinds'  heads  erased  of  the  second,  on  a  chief 
engrailed  gules  a  saltire  engrailed  between  two  roses 
or  in  pale,  and  on  a  chief  joining  to  the  dexter  and 
sinister  sides  a   demi-fleur-de-lis   palyways  or. 

Crest — An  antelope  proper,  in  the  mouth  a  branch 
vert. 

Motto — Jouir  en  Bien. 

(I)  Hugh  de  Malbisse,  one  of  the  Norman  French 
knights  who  accompanied  the  Conqueror  to  England 
and  there  established  himself,  served  valiantly  at  the 
battle  of   Hastings  in   1066. 

(II)  Hugh  (2)  de  Malbisse,  son  of  Hugh  (i)  de 
Malbisse,  married  (first)  Emma,  daughter  of  William 
de  Bray  and  Adelaide  de  Tonbridge;  married  (second) 
Maud   Knyveton. 

(III)  Sir  Simon  de  Malbisse,  son  of  Hugh  (2)  and 
Emma  (de  Bray)  de  Malbisse.  was  lord  of  Cowton  in 
Craven,  England,  and  married  a  daughter  of  John, 
Lord  of  Methley. 

(IV)  Sir  Hercules  de  Malbisse,  son  of  Sir  Simon  de 
Malbisse,  married  Lady  Beckwith  Bruce,  daughter  of 


Sir  William  Bruce,  of  Uglebarnby,  and  heiress  of  an 
estate  named  Beckwith.  Sir  Hercules  de  Malbisse 
retained  the  Malbisse  escutcheon,  and  assumed  as  a 
surname,  during  the  period  when  surnames  were  being 
adopted  in  England,  the  name  of  his  wife's  estate. 

(V)  Sir  Hercules  (2)  de  Beckwith,  son  of  Sir  Her-      J 
cules  (i)  de  Malbisse  and  Lady  Beckwith  (Bruce)   de 
Malbisse,  married  a  daughter  of  Sir  John  Ferrers,  of 
Tamworth,  England. 

(\T)  Nicholas  de  Beckwith,  son  of  Sir  Hercules 
(2)  de  Beckwith,  married  a  daughter  of  Sir  John 
Chaworth. 

(VII)  Hamon  Beckwith,  son  of  Nicholas  de  Beck- 
with, married  a  daughter  of  Sir  Philip  Sydney.  He 
was  the  first  of  the  family  to  drop  the  use  of  the  par- 
ticle "de"  in  the  surname. 

(VI II)  William  Beckwith,  son  of  Hamon  Beck- 
with, married  a  daughter  of  Sir  Gerard  Usfleet. 

(IX)  Thomas  Beckwith,  son  of  William  Beckwith. 
was  of  Clint.  He  married  a  daughter  of  John  Saw- 
ley,  of  Saxton. 

(X)  Adam  Beckwith,  son  of  Thomas  Beckwith,  mar- 
ried (second)  Elizabeth  Malebisse,  widow  of  John 
Heringe.     His  children  were  all  by  his  first  wife. 

(XI)  Sir  William  Beckwith,  son  of  Adam  Beck- 
with, married  a  daughter  of  Sir  John  Baskerville,  a 
descendant  of  English  and  French  ancestry,  who 
traced  his  lineage  to  the  Emperor  Charlemagne. 

(XII)  Thomas  (2)  Beckwith,  son  of  Sir  William 
Beckwith.  was  of  Clint,  and  married  a  daughter  of 
William  Heslerton.     He  died  in  1495. 

(XIII)  John  Beckwith,  son  of  Thomas  (2)  Beck- 
with, married  a  daughter  of  John  RadclifT,  of  Mul- 
grave. 

(XIV)  Robert  Beckwith,  of  Broxholm,  son  of  John 
Beckwith,  was  living  at  the  above  mentioned  place  in 
1468. 

(XV)  John  (2)  Beckwith,  son  of  Robert  Beckwith, 
was  living  in  the  year  1469,  according  to  a  record  of 
that  time. 

(XVI)  Robert  (2)  Beckwith,  son  of  John  (2)  Beck- 
with, made  his  will,  October  6,  1536,  and  died  before 
March  following. 

(XVII)  Marmaduke  Beckwith,  son  of  Robert  (2) 
Beckwith,  was  of  Dacre  and  Clint,  in  Yorkshire.  Eng- 
land. He  married  (first)  Anne,  daughter  of  Robert 
Dyneley,  of  Bramhope;  married  (second)  Ellen,  widow 
of  William  Style,  of  Haddockson.  In  1597  he  sold 
Clint  and  purchased  Fetherstone  and  Aikton  (or  Ac- 
ton). Among  his  numerous  children  were:  William 
Beckwith,  the  founder  of  the  Virginia  line  of  Beck- 
withs, who  landed  in  .America  in  1607.  He  sailed  from 
England  in  the  ship  "Phoenix,"  and  arrived  in  com- 
pany with  Captain  John  Smith,  at  Jamestown,  Va. 
Matthew  Beckwith.  who  according  to  many  genealog- 
ists was  also  a  son  of  Marmaduke  Beckwith,  "is  first 
recorded  at  Saybrook  Point,  Conn.,  in  1635,  and  is 
the  ancestor  of  by  far  the  largest,  numerically,  of  the 
American  Beckwiths  and  whose  descendants  are  to 
be  found  in  every  State  of  the  Union,  Canada,  and  the 
Sandwich  Isles." — From  "The  Beckwiths,"  by  Paul 
Beckwith. 

Matthew  Beckwitli,  immigrant  ancestor  and  progeni- 


BIOGRArniCAL 


239 


tor  of  the  Bcckwiths  of  New  England  and  those 
branches  of  the  family  which  are  offshoots  of  the  New 
England  lines,  was  born  in  England  about  the  year 
1610.  The  history  of  his  life  to  the  time  of  his  coming 
to  America  is  somewhat  obscure.  He  is  found  early 
at  Hartford,  Conn.  Here  he  bought  the  homestead 
of  William  Pratt,  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of 
Hartford,  in  1645.  About  1652  he  was  at  New  Lon- 
don, and  Lyme,  in  the  same  colony,  his  land  lying  in 
both  towns.  It  is  judged  from  the  size  of  his  real  estate 
holdings  that  he  was  a  man  of  considerable  wealth. 
He  was  able  to  give  land  to  his  sons  liberally,  and  it 
is  recorded  that  in  1675  thirty  acres  of  additional  land 
were  granted  to  him,  all  of  which  he  gave  to  his  son, 
Joseph  Beckwith.  Matthew  Beckwith  occupied  a 
prominent  place  in  the  community,  and  was  one  of  its 
most  prominent  citizens.  He  was  killed  on  October 
21,  1680,  "by  a  fall  in  a  dark  night  down  a  ledge  of 
rocks."  This  gave  occasion  at  the  time  for  a  sermon 
on  the  providence  of  God  which  took  away  Matthew 
Beckwith  and  spared  a  fellow  traveler.  The  inquest 
showed  that  he  was  then  seventy  years  of  age,  and  this 
record  is  the  only  evidence  as  to  the  year  of  his  birth. 
He  was  survived  by  his  widow  Elizabeth,  who  married 
Samuel  Buckland,  and  died  before  1690. 

The  progeny  of  the  original  Matthew  Beckwith  in 
.America  is  numerous.  .\  direct  descendant  of  Mat- 
thew Beckwith.  and  a  member  of  a  well-known  branch 
of  the  family  in  Hartford.  Conn.,  was  the  late  William 
Leprilete  Beckwith,  prominent  citizen  of  Providence, 
and  a  well  known  figure  in  real  estate  circles  in  the 
last  mentioned  city  in  the  late  sixties  and  early  seven- 
ties. He  was  the  son  of  William  Clark  Beckwith, 
M.  D.  The  founder  of  the  family  in  Providence  was 
Alonzo  S.  Beckwith,  father  of  Dr.  William  Clark 
Beckwith. 

Alonzo  Skinner  Beckwith  was  born  in  Hartford, 
Conn.  Early  in  life  he  removed  to  Providence,  I\.  I., 
where  he  remained,  however,  for  only  a  short  period. 
He  later  returned  to  Hartford,  where  he  became  a 
leader  in  business  affairs,  and  established  for  himself 
a  large  and  lucrative  business.  Alonzo  S.  Beckwith 
married  Laura  Mnscly  Clark,  of  Hartford.  Their  chil- 
dren were:  l.  William  C,  mentioned  below.  2.  Laura 
C.  3.  Henry  Clark,  died  in  .Aug..  1883:  married  Clara 
Brownell.  niece  of  Bishop  Brownell.  4.  Charlotte  G., 
married  Daniel  R.  Croiise,  of  Utica,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  William  Clark  Beckwith,  son  of  Alonzo  Skin- 
ner and  Laura  Mosely  (Clark)  Beckwith.  prepared  for 
the  medical  profession,  and  after  receiving  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  He  practiced  in  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
from  1851  to  1855.  In  the  latter  year  he  came  to  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  where  he  established  himself,  and  con- 
tinued in  active  practice  until  the  time  of  his  death. 
October  7,  1868.  He  married  Jane  Leprilete  Miller, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Lewis  Leprilete  Miller.  Their  chil- 
dren were:  i.  William  Leprilete,  mentioned  below.  2. 
Walter,  died  young. 

William  Leprilete  Beckwith,  son  of  Dr.  William 
Clark  and  Jane  Leprilete  (Miller)  Beckwith.  was  born 
in  Providence,  R.  L,  June  8.  1850.  and  died  at  War- 
wick  Neck,   R.   L,  August  21,   1888.     He  received  his 


educational  training  in  private  schools  of  Providence, 
and  was  given  all  the  advantages  of  liberal  education. 
Upon  completing  his  courses,  he  traveled  for  a  con- 
siderable period.  Not  being  specially  interested  in 
business  pursuits,  he  was  for  only  a  short  time  engaged 
in  the  insurance  business  in  Providence.  After  retiring 
from  active  business  life,  and  for  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  he  was  connected  unofficially  with  the  business 
affairs  of  the  city.  Mr.  Beckwith  was  a  keen  student 
of  current  events,  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  trend 
of  the  times,  an  interesting  speaker  and  conversa- 
tionalist. He  was  also  deeply  interested  in  art  and  letters. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Grace  Episcopal  Church  of 
Providence,  and  was  always  a  liberal  contributor  to 
its  support.  He  was  fond  of  sports,  and  was  par- 
ticularly interested  in  yachting  and  driving.  The  at- 
traction of  nature  and  the  great  "outdoors"  was  strong 
for  him.  and  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  pursuits 
which  kept  him  in  the  open  air.  He  was  a  member  of 
Hope  Club,  and  the  Currie-Tuck  Shooting  Club  of 
North    Carolina. 

William  Leprilete  Beckwith  married,  June  18,  1885, 
Emily  Matilda  Jones,  daughter  of  George  F.  and 
Lorania  (Carrington)  Jones,  who  died  July  i,  1887. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beckwith  were  the  parents  of  one  child, 
Lorania  Carrington  Beckwith.  Miss  Beckwith  resides 
at  the  family  residence  at  No.  72  Manning  street,  her 
cousins,  the  Misses  Mary  B.,  Ellen  M.  and  Jane  L. 
Anthony,  having  lived  with  her  since  early  childhood. 
She  is  very  active  in  the  work  of  the  Episcopal  church, 
and  deeply  interested  in  the  Girls'  Friendly  Society,  of 
which  she  is  a  member.  She  is  also  active  in  work  tor 
suffrage  in  Rhode  Island.  Miss  Beckwith  is  promi- 
nent in  social  circles  in  Providence. 


JOSEPH  GILCHRIST  CHARNLEY— "Human 
life  is  like  the  waves  of  the  sea.  They  tiash  a  few 
brief  moments  in  the  sunlight,  marvels  of  power  and 
beauty,  and  then  are  dashed  upon  the  remorseless 
shores  of  death  and  disappear  forever.  As  the  mighty 
deep  has  rolled  for  ages  past  and  chanted  its  sublime 
requiem  and  will  continue  to  roll  during  the  coming 
ages  until  time  shall  be  no  more,  so  will  the  waves  of 
human  life  follow  each  other  in  countless  succession 
until  they  mingle  at  last  with  the  billows  of  eternity's 
boundless  sea." 

To  acquire  distinction  or  great  prosperity  in  the  busi- 
ness pursuits  which  give  to  the  country  its  financial 
strength  and  credit  requires  ability  of  as  high  an  order 
as  that  which  leads  to  victory  on  the  field  of  battle. 
This  fact  is  apparent  to  all  who  engage  in  the  thor- 
oughfares of  trade,  commerce  and  finance.  Eminent 
business  talent  is  composed  of  a  combination  of  high 
mental  and  moral  attributes.  It  is  not  simple  energy 
and  industry;  there  must  be  sound  judgment,  breadth 
of  capacity,  rapidity  of  thought,  justice  and  firmness, 
the  foresight  to  perceive  the  course  of  the  drifting  tides 
of  business  and  the  will  and  ability  to  control  them. 
The  combination  of  these  qualities  in  the  late  Joseph 
Gilchrist  Charnlcy  made  him  in  his  day  one  of  tlie 
most  prominent  hotel  proprietors  of  the  city  of  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  a  man  known  throughout  Central  New 
England  in  the  hotel  business,  and  a  figure  of  promi- 


240 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


nence    in    the    affairs    of   the    city,    where    for    several 
decades  he  carried  on  his  affairs. 

Joseph  Gilchrist  Charnley  was  a  son  of  William  and 
Dorothy  Charnley.  and  a  descendant  of  an  old  and 
honorable  English  family. 

^Vrms — Azure,  a  bend  between  three  hawks'  lures  or. 
Crest — A  griffin  pa.ssant  argent  holding  In  the  dexter 
claw  a  buckle  argent. 

William  Charnley.  the  father  of  Joseph  G.  Charnley, 
was  connected  with  the  huge  cotton  industry  in  Eng- 
land, and  was  a  superintendent  in  a  large  mill  there. 
He  lived  and  died  in  his  native  land.  After  his  death 
his  widow,  Dorothy  Charnley,  emigrated  to  America 
with  her  three  daughters,  settling  there. 

Joseph  Gilchrist  Charnley  was  born  in  Cheshire, 
England,  where  the  family  has  been  located  for  several 
generations,  in  the  opening  years  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  He  received  an  excellent  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Cheshire,  and  on  reaching  a  suitable 
age  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade  of  block  printer. 
Thinking  the  United  States  a  better  field  for  success 
in  this  line  he  left  England  in  his  early  youth.  .Ar- 
riving here  he  found  employment  in  his  trade  diflicult 
to  secure  and  intermittent.  After  a  short  period  spent 
at  his  trade  in  different  cities  in  the  East,  Mr.  Charn- 
ley come  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  the  city  with  which  he 
was  conspicuously  identified  until  the  time  of  his 
death.  His  first  venture,  which  proved  highly  suc- 
cessful, was  the  Manufacturers'  Hotel,  which  was  situ- 
ated at  what  is  now  No.  20  Market  Square.  The  ex- 
cellence of  the  accommodations,  service  and  cuisine 
here  brought  to  the  hotel  numerous  patrons,  and  the 
fact  that  the  stage  coach  line  from  Providence  to  Bos- 
ton started  at  his  hotel  brought  to  Mr.  Charnley  a 
large  and  prosperous  clientele.  The  financial  success 
of  his  first  venture  enabled  him,  shortly  afterwards, 
to  open  the  Union  House  on  Weybosset  street.  Provi- 
dence, and  here  he  initiated  a  policy  like  that  of  the 
Manufacturers'  Hotel.  The  Union  House  was  equally 
successful,  and  for  several  years  Mr.  Charnley  con- 
ducted both  houses.  This  continued  up  to  the  time  of 
his  retirement  from  active  business  life. 

Mr.  Charnley  was  intimately  connected  with  public 
and  fraternal  interests  in  Providence  during  the  period 
of  his  active  business  life.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
First  Light  Infantry  of  Providence,  under  Colonel 
Brown.  Though  he  maintained  no  connection  with 
the  organization  here  he  was  an  officer  in  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  England,  prior  to 
his  immigration  to  this  country.  He  was  a  man  of 
magnetic  personality,  well  known,  loved  and  highly 
respected  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 
He  drew  to  his  hotels  patronage  of  a  high  class,  and 
they  were  frequented  by  some  of  the  most  prominent 
men  of  the  day,  men  who  have  since  become  famous 
in  various  walks  of  life.  A  genial  host  and  fine  con- 
versationalist, diffusing  hospitality  broadcast,  radiating 
good  cheer,  he  became  a  figure  of  prominence  in  the 
social  interests  of  the  city.  His  retirement  from  busi- 
ness was  accepted  with  genuine  regret. 

Joseph  Gilchrist  Charnley  married  (first)  .Ann 
Pearce,  of  New  Bedford,  Mass.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  three  children:     i.  William   Henry,  who   was 


born  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  but  in  early  life  removed  to 
Providence,  R.  I.,  with  which  city  he  was  afterward 
connected;  he  was  prominent  in  public  life  in  Provi- 
dence, and  was  responsible  for  the  preservation  to  the 
city  of  Abbott  Park  in  which  he  made  many  improve- 
ments, among  them  the  placing  of  the  fountain;  he  was 
prominent  in  club  and  fraternal  life  in  the  city,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  old  Union  Club  and  several  others  of  im- 
portance; he  was  one  of  the  Grace  Church  Corpora- 
tion; he  died  in  Providence,  March  18,  1904.  2.  Ellen 
S.  3.  .Amelia  A.  Joseph  G.  Charnley  married  (sec- 
ond) Isabella  Bartlett,  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  July  8, 
1S22,  died  at  the  Charnley  residence  in  Providence, 
March  21,  1907.  After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs. 
Charnley  resided  in  the  family  home  with  her  three 
daughters.  The  children  of  Joseph  G.  and  Isabella 
(Bartlett)  Charnley  were:  i.  Edward  A.,  died  in  in- 
fancy. 2.  Isabella  J.,  residing  at  the  family  residence  in 
Providence.  3.  Mary  C,  residing  with  her  sister.  4. 
Annie  L.,  who  died  Nov.  4,  1915.  Mrs.  Charnley  was 
the  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  Bartlett,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Scotland,  later  emigrating  to 
America,  and  settling  in  Boston,  Mass.  The  death  of 
Joseph  Gilchrist  Charnley  occurred  in  his  home  in 
Providence,  in  the  year  1868,  in  his  sixty-second  year. 
The  surname  Bartlett  is  of  the  baptismal  class,  and 
is  derived  from  the  nickname  Bartle,  and  its  diminu- 
tives Bartlot  and  Bartlet,  signifying  "the  son  of  Bar- 
tholomew." The  varients  of  the  name  are  very  num- 
erous, and  from  ancient  English  records  it  is  evident 
that  Bartlet  or  Bartlot  was  a  very  popular  nickname. 
The  English  family  of  Bartlett  dates  back  to  the  time 
of  the  Norman  Conquest,  and  the  name  in  England 
and  Scotland  is  an  ancient  and  honored  one,  recurring 
frequently  in  history  and  tradition. 

Bartlet  Arms — Sable  three  sinister  falconer.s'  gloves 
argent  arranged  triangularly  two  above  and  one  below 
pendant  bands  around  the  wrist  and  tassels  or. 


FRANK  PAINE  COMSTOCK— There  is  a  differ- 
ence of  opinion  among  authorities  as  to  the  origin  of 
the  name  Comstock.  It  is  held  by  some  to  be  of  Ger- 
man origin,  and  by  others  to  have  been  derived  from 
an  English  source,  and  to  this  latter  theory  the  majority 
incline.  The  source  of  the  English  surname  was  the 
place-name  Culstock,  or  Colmstocke,  an  ancient  town 
of  England,  which  is  found  mentioned  in  the  Domes- 
day Book  in  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror.  The 
name  is  found  later  in  the  records  of  the  town  ol  Exe- 
ter, in  the  vicinity  of  Culstock,  in  the  year  1241,  when 
Petro  de  Columstock  is  entered  as  a  witness.  The 
office  of  prior  at  Taunton.  England,  was  occupied  in 
1325  by  Richard  de  Colstoke,  and  in  1331  by  Ralph  de 
Colmstoke,  who  resigned  in  1338.  For  several  cen- 
turies the  name  was  found  prominently  throughout  all 
England,  and  the  family  was  large  in  numbers,  of  high 
rank  and  reputation,  and  held  much  landed  property. 
Its  numbers  were  much  depleted  by  Colonial  emigra- 
tion. The  family  in  America  came  to  occupy  a  similar 
position  to  that  of  the  English  family. 

Arms — Or.  a  sword  point  downwards,  issuing  from 
a  crescent,  in  base  gules,  between  two  bears  rampant 
sable.    ' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


241 


Crest — An  elephant  rampant  proper,  issuing  out  of  a 
baron's  coronet. 

Motto — Nid  cytoeth  ond  boddlondeh.  (Not  wealth, 
but  contentment). 

The  theory  of  the  German  origin  of  the  name  is 
based  on  the  following  statements.  There  has  been 
no  proof  found,  however,  and  research  has  failed  to 
discover  the  records  mentioned  and  said  to  exist 
in  the  Muniment  Office  at  Frankfort-on-Main,  in  Ger- 
many. The  name  in  Germany  is  spelled  with  a  "K," 
and  there  is  said  to  exist  in  the  Muniment  Office  a 
pedigree  of  the  family  of  Komstock  extending  for 
nine  generations  previous  to  the  year  1547,  when 
Charles  Von  Konistohk,  a  baron  of  the  Koitian  Empire, 
was  implicated  in  the  Von  Benedict  treason  and 
escaped  into  England  with  several  nobles  of  Austria 
and  Silesia,  founding  there  a  branch  of  the  family. 

In  the  opening  years  of  the  Colonial  period  there 
came  to  the  New  World  one  William  Comstock,  an 
Englishman,  the  first  of  the  name  to  arrive  in  New 
England,  and  the  progenitor  of  the  large  Comstock 
race  in  this  country.  Since  the  time  of  its  establish- 
ment the  family  has  occupied  in  its  various  branches 
a  position  of  prominence  and  influence  in  the  affairs 
of  New  En.gland,  and  has  made  the  name  known  in  all 
fields  of  endeavor  in  that  section  of  the  country. 

(I)  William  Comstock,  immigrant  ancestor  and 
founder  of  the  family,  was  a  native  of  England.  He 
was  twice  married,  and  came  to  America  with  his 
second  wife,  Elizabeth.  The  date  of  his  arrival  in  this 
country  is  not  known,  but  he  is  known  to  have  been  in 
Wethersfield,  Conn.,  early.  According  to  the  historian, 
Stiles,  in  his  "History  of  Wethersfield,"  William  Com- 
stock was  doubtless  one  of  the  fifty-six  men  who  under 
the  leadership  of  Captain  John  Mason  captured  Pequot 
Fort,  at  Mystic,  Conn.,  May  26,  1637,  and  killed  about 
five  hundred  Indians.  During  the  time  of  his  residence 
in  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  he  was  the  owner  of  land  on 
the  Connecticut  river;  this  fact  is  recorded  under  the 
date  of  April  28,  1641.  The  land  was  not  received  by 
grant,  but  was  purchased  by  him  from  Richard  Milles. 
Richard  Milles  was  the  plaintiff  in  an  action  against 
William  Comstock  and  John  Sadler,  charging  slander, 
argued  before  the  Court  of  Election  at  Hartford, 
Conn.,  August  i,  1644:  the  damages  awarded  were 
£200.  William  Comstock  later  remo\ed  to  the  town 
of  Pequot.  which  is  now  New  London,  Conn.  There, 
with  several  others,  he  agreed  to  accept  the  judgment 
of  the  Court  of  Magistrates  of  the  town  in  the  matter 
of  gifts  and  grants  of  rights  of  land  there.  He  re- 
ceived a  grant  of  land  from  the  town  on  June  21,  1647, 
and  on  December  2,  165 1,  received  a  grant  at  Nahantic 
(Niantic).  .Xt  a  town  meeting.  November  10,  1650,  he 
voted  to  cooperate  with  John  Winthrop  in  erecting 
a  corn  mill,  and  in  July  of  the  following  year  he,  with 
other  townsmen,  worked  on  a  mill  dam  which  is  still 
in  use.  On  February  25,  1662,  "Old  goodman  Com- 
stock" was  chosen  sexton,  to  order  the  youth  in  the 
meeting.  The  children  of  William  Comstock  were: 
I.  John,  an  influential  and  prominent  member  of  the 
community  at  Saybrook,  Conn.  2.  Samuel,  mentioned 
below.  3.  Daniel,  died  at  New  London,  in  168.3.  4- 
Christopher,  died  Dec.  28,  1702.  5.  Elizabeth,  died  in 
July,  1659. 

R  I_2_18 


(II)  Samuel  Comstock,  son  of  William  Comstock, 
was  probably  born  in  England,  and  accompanied  his 
father  on  the  voyage  to  .\mcrica.  The  first  record  of 
him  in  New  England  is  found  in  the  Colonial  records 
of  Conn.,  on  March  i,  1648,  on  w^hich  date  he  gave 
recognizance  at  Hartford  for  ten  days  of  good  be- 
haviour and  for  satisfying  what  damage  Mr.  Robbins 
should  sustain  for  the  want  of  his  servant.  This  would 
seem  to  indicate  that  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  said 
Mr.  Robbins.  Samuel  Comstock  left  Connecticut  and 
settled  in  Rhode  Island  in  the  year  1653,  and  was  the 
first  of  the  name  to  reside  in  the  Colony.  In  the  same 
year,  when  relations  with  the  Dutch  were  strained  and 
war  was  looming  on  the  horizon,  he  went  on  the 
"Swallow"  to  Block  Island,  where  the  ship's  company 
seized  the  goods  and  people  under  the  Dutch  Captain 
Kempo  Sybando,  bringing  the  entire  outfit  back  to 
New  London,  in  all  probability  to  Governor  John 
Winthrop.  He  purchased  his  house  and  lot  in  Provi- 
dence on  March  i,  1654,  of  John  Smith.  Samuel  Com- 
stock   married    Anne    ,    who    married    (second) 

John  Smith,  a  stone  mason  of  Providence.  His  death 
occurred  some  time  previous  to  March  9,  1660,  on 
which  date  the  Town  Council  of  Providence  took  action 
regarding  the  estates  of  Samuel  Comstock  and  John 
Smith,  deceased.  On  May  4,  1661,  Anne  Smith,  of 
Providence,  widow  of  John  Smith,  and  formerly  widow 
of  Samuel  Comstock,  sold  the  house  and  home  plot  of 
Samuel  Comstock  to  Roger  Mowry.  This  land  was  a 
tract  of  four  acres  situated  in  the  northern  part  of 
Providence.  Anne  Smith  died  after  February  10,  1667. 
Children:  i.  Samuel,  mentioned  below.  2.  Daniel, 
born   May   12,   1656. 

(III)  Captain  Samuel  (2)  Comstock,  son  of  Samuel 
(i)  and  Anne  Comstock,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
in  1654.  He  later  rose  to  prominence  in  public  affairs, 
and  held  many  oi  the  important  offices  in  the  gift  of 
the  Colony.  He  was  taxed  eight  pence  on  July  i,  1679. 
He  servea  as  deputy  to  the  General  Assembly  of 
Rhode  Island  i:>  the  years  1669- 1702 -07 -08- 11,  and  on 
May  6,  1702,  was  appointed  a  member  of  a  committee 
by  the  Assembly  to  audit  the  general  treasurer's  ac- 
count and  the  colony  debts.  In  Apr:!,  1708,  he  served 
on  a  committee  to  fix  the  rates  of  grain  and  other 
articles  brought  to  the  treasury.  He  was  active  in  the 
military  aflFairs  of  the  colony,  and  held  the  rank  of 
captain  in  the  militia  at  the  time  of  his  decease.  In 
August,  1710,  he  ordered  Henry  Mowry  to  impress 
men  to  go  to  Port  Royal.  Captain  Samuel  Comstock 
was  the  plaintiflt  in  a  long  action  against  the  town  of 
Mendon,  Mass.,  regarding  the  ow-nership  of  a  nine 
hundred  acre  tract  of  land  on  the  present  boundary  of 
the  States  of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island.  He 
received  permission  from  the  selectmen  of  Mendon  to 
cut  timber  for  a  saw  mill  and  dam  at  the  falls  on  the 
Great  river  on  November  21,  1698.  Among  others  he 
received  a  grant  of  land  on  Woonsockct  Hill,  R.  I.,  on 
April  14,  1707,  and  he  and  Richard  .Arnold  were  the  first 
settlers  of  the  place.  On  May  6,  1707,  Ensign  Samuel 
Comstock  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  deputy  to  the 
General  Court  from  Providence.  He  was  a  resident 
of  that  part  of  Providence  known  as  Smithfield.  Ac- 
cording to  a  deposition  taken  on  March  22,   1717,  he 


242 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


was  then  sixty-three  years  of  age.  He  died  on  May 
27,  1727,  and  his  will,  dated  April  10,  1725,  was  proved 
December  8,  1727. 

He  married,  November  22,  1678,  Elizabeth  Arnold, 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Phebe  (Parkhiirst)  Arnold. 
She  was  born  in  Watcrtown,  Mass.,  in  1645,  and  died 
October  20,  1727.  Children:  i.  Samuel,  born  April 
16,  1679,  died  April  i,  1727:  married  .Anna  Inman.  2. 
Hazadiah,  born  .April  16,  1682,  died  Feb.  21,  1764; 
married  (first)  Catherine  Pray;  (second)  Aug.  10, 
17,30,  Martha  Balcom.  3.  Thomas,  born  Nov.  7,  1684, 
died  in  1761;  married,  July  9,  1713.  Mercy  Jenckes.  4. 
Daniel,  born  July  9,  1686,  died  Dec.  22,  1768;  married 
(first)  ;  (second)  Aug.  2,  1750,  Eliza- 
beth Buffum.  5.  Elizabeth,  born  Dec.  i8,  ifxjo:  mar- 
ried, Dec.  I,  1717,  John  Sayles.  6.  John,  mentioned 
below.  7.  Ichabod,  born  June  9,  1696,  died  Jan.  26, 
1775;  married  (first)  Sept  13,  1722.  Zibiah  Wilkinson; 
(second)  March  26,  1747,  Elizabeth  Boyce.  8.  Job, 
born  April  4,  1699;  married  (first)  Phebe  Jenckes; 
(second)  Nov.  22,  1735,  Phebe  Balcom. 

(IV)  John  Comstock,  son  of  Samuel  (2)  and  Eliza- 
beth (Arnold)  Comstock,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  March  26,  1693.  He  followed  the  occupation  of 
blacksmith  in  his  native  town  all  his  life.  He  inherited 
a  large  portion  of  the  landed  property  of  his  father,  and, 
adding  to  this  through  purchase,  he  increased  his 
holdings  greatly,  becoming  one  of  the  largest  real 
estate  owners  in  Providence  and  one  of  the  wealthiest 
men  of  his  time  in  the  colony.  He  disposed  of  the 
greater  part  of  his  property  in  gifts  to  his  sons  before 
his  death.  His  son  Samuel  received  thirty  acres, 
dwelling  house  and  barn;  Joseph,  seventeen  acres  and 
dwelling  house;  John,  a  quarter  of  forge  adjoining  to 
corn  mill,  etc.;  Jeremiah,  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres; 
to  sons  John,  Jonathan,  James,  Nathan  and  Ichabod, 
"my  homestead  farm  and  dwelling  house  in  which  I 
now  dwell,  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres,  and 
also  land  in  the  neck  I  bought  of  Sam,  an  Indian,  and 
other  lots."  He  died  in  Providence,  January  12,  1750, 
and  was  buried  in  the  North  Burial  Ground.  Adminis- 
tration on  his  estate  was  granted  to  his  sons  Samuel 
and  John.  February  12,  1750.  The  inventory  of  the 
estate  amounted  to  £1968  2s. 

John  Comstock  married  (first)  Esther  Jenckes, 
daughter  of  William  and  Patience  (Sprague)  Jenckes; 
married  (second)  Sarah  De.xter,  born  June  27,  1698, 
died  in  1773,  daughter  of  John  and  Alice  (Smith)  De.x- 
ter. Children:  i.  Samuel,  born  in  1715.  died  Jan.  16, 
1755;  married,  Jan.  i,  1738,  Anne  Brown.  2.  Jo- 
seph, married,  June  7,  1747,  Anne  Comstock.  3.  Jere- 
miah, married,  Oct.  25,  1749,  Phebe  .Arnold.  4.  John, 
died  in  1813.  5.  Jonathan,  married,  April  9,  1750,  Sarah 
Comstock.  6.  James,  mentioned  below.  7.  Ichabod, 
born  in  1734,  died  Dec.  19,  1800;  married,  April  11, 
1760,  Sarah  Jenckes.  8.  Nathan,  born  Dec.  5,  1735, 
died  in   1816;    married,  March  29,   1764,  Marj'  Staples. 

(V)  James  Comstock,  son  of  John  Comstock,  was 
born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  December  12,  1733.  In  1756 
he  sold  land  in  Providence,  and  in  the  following  year 
became  a  freeman.  In  1774  he  was  a  resident  of  North 
Providence,  R.  I.  He  owned  considerable  real  estate, 
and  was  a  well-known  man  in  local  affairs.     He  mar- 


ried, about  1752-53,  Esther  Comstock,  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Mary  (Jenckes)  Comstock,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Samuel  (2)  Comstock,  above  mentioned. 
She  died  in  Providence,  March  12,  1808.  The  children 
of  James  and  Esther  (Comstock)  Comstock  were:  l. 
Richard,  born  April  19,  1754.  2.  -Amy,  born  Sept.  21, 
1755-  3-  Mercy,  born  July  20,  1757.  4.  Woodbury, 
mentioned  below. 

(VI)  Woodbury  Comstock,  son  of  James  and  Esther 
(Comstock)  Comstock,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
December  9,  1759.  He  removed  to  North  Providence, 
and  there  established  himself.  He  died  in  North 
Providence,  November  7,  1793.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Society  of  Friends.  Woodbury  Comstock  married 
Hannah  Read,  daughter  of  John  Read.  She  married 
(second)  Samuel  Smith,  of  Mendon,  Mass.,  and  died 
February  26,  1838.  Their  children  were;  i.  Lydia.  born 
Nov.  23,  1786.  2.  Amey,  born  Aug.  19,  1788.  3.  Mercy, 
born  April  14,  1791.     4.  James,  mentioned  below. 

(VII)  James  (2)  Comstock,  son  of  Woodbury  and 
Hannah  (Read)  Comstock,  was  born  in  North  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  February  27,  1793.  He  removed  with  his 
mother,  after  her  second  marriage,  to  that  part  of 
Mendon.  Mass.,  which  is  now  called  Blackstone.  Here 
he  farmed  on  a  large  scale,  and  also  conducted  a  retail 
butcher  trade.  He  died  in  Blackstone,  April  26,  1861. 
James  Comstock  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends.  He  married.  March  9.  1814,  Catherine  Far- 
num,  of  Cheshire,  Mass.,  born  November  i,  1793,  died 
July  20,  1S67,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Farnum,  of 
Cheshire,  and  a  descendant  of  Ralph  Farnum.  the  pro- 
genitor of  the  Farnum  lines  of  Worcester  and  the  vi- 
cinity. Their  children  were:  i.  W'oodbury  L.,  born 
Jan.  26,  1815.  2.  Lydia,  born  Dec.  15,  1816;  married 
Laban  Bates.  3.  Jonathan  Farnum,  born  Nov.  24, 
1818;  married  Mary  Hall.  4.  .Anna  Smith,  born  Dec. 
9,  1820;  married  Albert  Gaskill.  5.  .Andrew,  men- 
tioned below.  6  and  7.  James  Kelley  and  Catherine 
Farnum,  twins,  born  June  29,  1S27;  the  former  mar- 
ried Charlotte  Kelley (  Benson),  and  the  latter  Richard 
Beede. 

(VIII)  Andrew  Comstock,  son  of  James  (2)  and 
Catherine  (Farnum)  Comstock,  was  born  March  6, 
1823,  in  Blackstone,  Mass.,  and  died  November  30, 
1898.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  Friends' 
School  in  Providence,  and  upon  leaving  this  institu- 
tion entered  the  business  world.  Shortly  afterward  he 
entered  into  partnership  with  his  brother,  Jonathan 
Farnum  Comstock,  in  the  wholesale  beef  and  pork 
business,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  F.  &  A.  Com- 
stock. The  business,  which  was  begun  on  a  small  scale, 
rapidly  developed  to  the  point  where  increased  quarters 
were  necessary,  and  in  1857  the  establishment  was  re- 
moved to  Providence.  Here  the  firm  met  with  success 
and  grew  to  be  one  of  the  foremost  of  the  kind  in  the 
surrounding  country,  ranking  high  among  concerns 
of  like  nature,  and  enjoying  a  reputation  for  purity 
of  product  and  fairness  of  dealing,  which  was  excelled 
by  none  other.  Mr.  Comstock  also  was  prominent  in 
the  organization  and  management  of  the  firm  of  Com- 
stock &  Company  for  a  period,  but  withdrew  from  this 
to  give  his  attention  to  his  other  large  interests.  He 
was    known    throughout    the    East    and    Middle    West 


^^^^^^^i^i^^'L^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


243 


in  connection  with  the  wholesale  beef  and  pork  provi- 
sion business,  and  was  president  of  the  G.  H.  Ham- 
mond Company,  one  of  the  largest  beef  houses  of 
Hammond,  Ind.,  operating  plants  in  Chicago  and 
Omaha.  He  was  also  a  well-known  figure  in  the  fi- 
nancial circles  of  Providence,  and  for  several  years 
filled  the  office  of  president  of  the  Commercial  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Providence,  administering  the  duties  of 
his  incumbency  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  institu- 
tion. He  was  also  a  trustee  of  the  People's  Savings 
Bank  and  of  Brown  University. 

Mr.  Comstock  was  a  member  of  the  Cranston  Street 
Baptist  Church  of  Providence,  and  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  work  of  the  parish.  He  contributed  often 
and  generously  to  the  support  of  movements  conducted 
under  the  auspices  of  the  church,  and  was  prominent 
in  almost  every  phase  of  its  labors.  He  was  one  of 
its  deacons  for  twenty-eight  years.  Although  closely 
in  touch  with  every  department  of  the  city  life,  he  never 
took  an  active  part  in  politics.  He  was,  nevertheless, 
an  e.xcellent  citizen,  and  a  man  who  appreciated  the 
duties  and  benefits  of  his  citizenship  to  the  fullest 
extent.  He  at  one  time  served  as  a  mt-mbcr  of  the 
Rhode   Island   Legislature,   representing  Providence. 

Andrew  Comstock  married,  May  24,  1856,  Juliette 
Paine,  daughter  of  John  Jay  and  Olive  (Hall)  Paine, 
of  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  and  a  descendant  in  the  eighth 
generation  of  Stephen  Paine,  the  progenitor  in  Amer- 
ica of  one  of  the  numerous  and  distinguished  Paine 
families  of  New  England.  Mrs.  Comstock  was  born 
December  25,  1825,  and  died  February  3,  191 1.  She 
was  a  Christian  gentlewoman  of  the  highest  type,  and 
was  deeply  loved  and  reverenced  by  all  with  whom  she 
came  in  contact.  The  children  of  .Xndrew  and  Juliette 
(Paine)  Comstock  were:  i.  Frederick  Dana,  born 
May  27,  1858,  died  Oct.  11,  1858.  2.  Frank  Paine,  men- 
tioned below.  3.  Clara  Elizabeth,  born  Nov.  6,  1866, 
now  residing  at  the  old  family  home.  No.  550  Broad 
street,  Providence,  R.  I.;  Miss  Comstock  was  gradu- 
ated from  Brown  University  in  the  class  of  1895  with 
the  degree  of  Ph.  B.,  two  years  later  receiving  the 
degree  of  A.  M.;  she  has  traveled  extensively  in  this 
country  and  in  Europe;  Miss  Comstock  is  a  member 
of  the  .Association  of  Collegiate  .\lumnae,  the  Rhode 
Island  Society  for  the  Collegiate  Education  of  Women, 
the  Rhode  Island  Women's  Club,  and  vice-president 
of  the  Consumer's  League  of  Rhode  Island;  she  is  also 
a  director  of  the  Federal  Hill  House  .Association. 

(IX)  Frank  Paine  Comstock,  son  of  .Andrew  and 
Juliette  (Paine)  Comstock,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  February  26,  1864.  He  received  his  early  educa- 
tion at  the  Mowry  &  Goff  English  and  Classical  School 
in  Providence,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institution 
in  the  class  of  1881.  Upon  completing  his  education 
he  immediately  entered  the  business  of  J.  F.  Comstock 
&  Sons,  with  which  he  has  since  been  connected.  Mr. 
Comstock  is  now  one  of  the  ablest  men  in  the  large 
concern.  He  was  also  a  director  for  several  years  of 
the  G.  H.  Hammond  Company  and  the  Hammond 
Packing  Company.  He  was  president  of  the  Provi- 
dence Ice  Company  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  fond 
of  horses,  of  travel,  possesses  a  good  sense  of  humor, 
quiet  and  unassuming,  and   generous  in  his  charities. 


He  is  well  known  in  business  life  and  in  club  and  fra- 
ternal circles  in  Providence,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Hope  Club,  the  Squantum  Association,  the  Commercial 
Club,  the  Providence  Board  of  Trade  and  the  Church- 
man's Club.  He  is  a  member  of  Grace  Episcopal 
Church,  where  he  is  one  of  the  vestry. 

Frank  Paine  Comstock  married,  May  11,  1887,  Laura 
W.  Burroughs,  daughter  of  Samuel  N.  and  Katherine 
(Sherman)  Burroughs,  of  Providence.  They  are  the 
parents  of  three  children:  i.  Andrew  Burroughs,  born 
Aug.  4,  1888;  married,  June  18,  1914,  Marion  Hamilton. 
2.  Hope  Marguerite,  born  Oct.  16,  1891.  3.  Katherine, 
born  March  4,  igoo. 


EDWIN  R.  GARDINER— The  surname  Gardiner 
is  of  the  occupativc  class,  and  signifies  "the  gardener," 
and,  as  might  be  expected,  is  a  familiar  entry  in  every 
mediaeval  record.  The  name  is  represented  among 
all  classes  in  England,  and  was  brought  to  America 
early  in  the  Colonial  period  by  immigrants  whose 
progeny  is  now  numerous,  and  is  found  in  every  State 
in  the  Union.  The  name  of  Gardiner  has  attained  a 
large  degree  of  distinction  in  .American  affairs,  and  in 
the  old  Colony  and  Commonwealth  of  Rhode  Island 
has  been  especially  prominent. 

Arms — Azure  a  chevron   ermine  between   three  grif- 
fins'  heads   era.sed  argreni. 
Crest — A   stork   proper. 

( I )  George  Gardiner,  immigrant  ancestor  and  pro- 
genitor, is  believed  to  have  been  the  son  of  Sir  Thomas 
Gardiner,  knight.  He  was  born  in  England  in  1601, 
and  died  in  Kings  county,  R.  I.,  in  1679.  He  was 
admitted  an  inhabitant  of  Aquidneck,  R.  I.,  Septem- 
ber I,  1638,  and  in  1640  was  present  at  a  General  Court 
of  Election.  His  name  is  found  on  the  records  often 
from  that  time  until  his  death,  and  it  was  spelled  Gard- 
ner, Gardiner,  and  Gardener.  He  married  (first)  about 
1640,  Herodias  (Long)  Wickes,  who  declared  that  when 
she  was  between  thirteen  and  fourteen  years  of  age 
she  was  married  in  London  to  John  Wickes,  with- 
out knowledge  of  her  friends.  Soon  after  they  reached 
Rhode  Island  he  deserted  her,  going  to  New  Amster- 
dam, or,  as  she  expressed  it,  "to  the  Dutch,"  taking 
with  him  most  of  her  property  left  to  her  by  her 
mother.  Her  marriage  to  George  Gardiner  was  rather 
irregular  in  form,  consisting  in  their  going  before  some 
Friends  and  declaring  themselves  husband  and  wife. 
She  refused  to  take  the  usual  ceremony,  as  she  was  a 
member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  was  so  bound 
to  her  religion  that  she  cheerfully  walked  from  New- 
port to  Boston  to  receive  a  whipping  at  the  post  be- 
cause of  her  religious  beliefs,  carrying  a  young  child 
in  her  arms  the  entire  di'^tance.  .According  to  her  own 
account,  George  Gardiner  neglected  to  provide  ade- 
quately for  her  numerous  family.  It  may  have  been 
the  pressing  needs,  and  it  may  have  been  the  superior 
attractions  of  John  Porter,  with  his  great  wealth  of 
lands  (he  being  one  of  the  original  purchasers  of  Pet- 
taquamscutt)  and  his  promise  to  provide  for  her  chil- 
dren, that  awakened  her  scruples  about  the  legality  of 
her  marriage  with  George  Gardiner.  At  any  date,  she 
petitioned  the  General  Assembly  for  a  divorce,  which 
was  granted,  thus  providing  the  legality  of  her  mar- 


244 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


riage.  She  then  mnrricd  John  Porter,  who  faithfully 
kept  his  promise,  giving  large  farms  to  each  of  her 
sons,  and  possibly  her  daughters,  for  the  land  of  John 
Watson  (who  married  two  of  her  daughters)  adjoined 
the  Gardiner  lands.  George  Gardiner  was  a  man  of 
prominence  in  the  community,  highly  respected,  and 
honored  frequently  with  public  office.  He  became  a 
freeman  in  1641,  was  constable  and  senior  sergeant  in 
1642,  ensign  in  1644,  a"d  commissioner,  an  office  of 
great  importance  in  the  early  Colony,  in  1662.  He 
married  (second)  Lydia  Bolton,  daughter  of  Robert 
and  Susannah  Bolton.  Children  of  first  wife:  I. 
Bcnoni,  mentioned  below.  2.  Henry,  born  about  1647. 
3.  George,  born  in  1649.  4.  William,  born  in  1651.  £. 
Nicholas,  born  in  1654.  6.  Dorcas,  born  in  1654,  twin 
of  Nicholas.  7.  Rebecca,  probably  the  infant  carried 
by  her  mother  to  Boston  in  1658.  Children  of  second 
wife:  8.  Samuel.  9.  Joseph.  10.  Lydia,  who  married 
Joseph  Smith.  II.  Mary.  12.  Peregrine.  13.  Robert. 
14.  Jeremiah. 

(II)  Benoni  Gardiner,  son  of  George  and  Herodias 
(Long-Wickes)  Gardiner,  was  born  probably  in  .^quid- 
neck,  or  Newport,  R.  I.,  about  1645.  He  took  the  oath 
of  allegiance.  May  19,  1671,  and  is  found  on  the  tax 
list  in  1687.  He  was  the  owner  of  considerable  prop- 
erty, and  in  1705  deeded  one  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  Kingstown,  R.  I.,  to  his  son  Nathaniel,  and  later 
sold  and  deeded  other  lands.  He  died  about  1721,  and 
his  wife  Mary,  November  16,  1729.  They  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  William,  mentioned 
below;    Nathaniel,  Stephen,  Isaac,  Bridget. 

(III)  William  Gardiner,  torn  in  1671,  was  the  son 
of  Benoni  and  Mary  Gardiner.  He  married  (first) 
Abigail  Remington,  and  she  after  his  death  in  1732 
married  Job  Almy.  Their  children  were:  i.  John, 
born  in  1696.  2.  William,  married  Elizabeth  Gibbs. 
3.  Thomas,  died  without  issue.  4.  Sylvester,  born  June 
29,  1707;  became  an  eminent  physician  of  Boston  and 
Newport,  and  was  a  wealthy  man.  He  sympathized 
with  the  cause  of  England  during  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, and  spent  the  period  of  the  war  in  the  mother 
country,  returning  at  the  close  of  hostilities  to  New- 
port, where  he  died.  Gardiner,  Me.,  is  named  in  his 
honor,  and  in  the  Episcopal  Cemetery  there  is  a  cenotaph 
to  his  memory.  One  of  the  sons  of  Dr.  Sylvester 
Gardiner  attained  wide  distinction  as  a  lawyer,  and  a 
grandson  became  a  distinguished  scholar  and  clergy- 
man. 5.  Abigail,  married  (first)  Caleb  Hazard,  and 
(second)  Deputy  Governor  William  Robinson.  6. 
Hannah,  married  Rev.  Dr.  McSparran,  a  very  promi- 
nent New  England  divine  of  the  period.  7.  Lydia, 
married  John  .\rnold,  a  grandson  of  Governor  Bene- 
dict .A.rnold. 

(IV)  John  Gardiner,  son  of  William  and  .-Xbigail 
(Remington)  Gardiner,  was  born  March  16,  1696.  He 
was  a  prominent  and  wealthy  resident  of  Newport  all 
his  life.  He  married  (first)  Mary  Hill;  (second) 
Mary  Taylor,  of  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  and  niece  of 
Francis  Willett,  Esq.  He  died  March  31,  1752.  Chil- 
dren of  first  marriage  were  three  in  number,  those  of 
the  second  as  follows:  i.  Thomas,  who  died  without 
issue.     2.  Amos.     3.  William,    married    Eunice    field- 


ing, of  Hartford.  Conn.    4.  John,  married  .\my  Gardi- 
ner.    5.  Benjamin,  mentioned  below. 

(V)  Hon.  Benjamin  Gardiner,  son  of  John  and 
Mary  (Taylor)  Gardiner,  was  prominent  in  life  and 
affairs  in  Newport,  R.  I.  He  married,  January  13, 
1774,  Elizabeth  Wickes,  born  November  7,  1754,  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  and  Ruth  (Brown)  Wickes,  and  a  de- 
scendant in  the  fourth  generation  of  the  founder  of 
the  family  in  America,  John  W'ickes,  who  was  at  Plym- 
outh, Mass.,  as  early  as  1637,  and  received  as  an  inhabi- 
tant of  Rhode  Island  two  years  later.  The  children 
of  Hon.  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  (Wickes)  Gardiner 
were:  i.  Thomas,  born  June  20,  1775,  died  .Aug.  11, 
i"75-  2.  Wickes,  mentioned  below.  3.  Benjamin,  born 
July  14,  1779,  died  April  3,  1780.  4.  Elizabeth,  born 
Aug.  3,  1781,  died  May  29,  1786.  5.  Ruth,  born  Aug. 
2,  1784.  6.  .\lbert,  born  .April  25,  1786.  7.  Edwin,  born 
Dec.  9,  1787.  8.  James  Sayer,  born  March  18,  1789; 
died  -Aug.,  1872.     9.  Benjamin,  born  Dec.  31,  1790. 

(VI)  Wickes  Gardiner,  son  of  Hon.  Benjamin  and 
Elizabeth  (Wickes)  Gardiner,  was  born  at  Tower  Hill, 
R.  I.,  September  12,  1777.  He  inherited  the  large 
estate  of  his  grandfather,  Thomas  Wickes,  at  Old 
Warwick,  R.  I,,  and  became  a  man  of  prominence 
and  influence  in  that  community.  He  married.  Decem- 
ber 19,  1802,  Waitey  Rhodes,  who  died  .August  23, 
1840.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: I.  Elizabeth  Wickes,  born  Feb.  27,  1804,  died 
March  8,  1863.  2.  Thomas  Wickes,  born  July  25,  1805; 
was  a  farmer  at  W'arwick;  married  (first)  Eliza  D. 
Greene;  (second)  Phoebe  Potter.  Children  by  first 
wife:  Thomas  Wickes,  Jr.,  who  married  Lydia  Car- 
penter; Mary;  Eliza  Draper;  children  by  second 
wife:  James  Sayer,  born  May  27,  1851;  was  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Potter  &  Gardiner,  lumber  dealers  of 
Providence,  R.  I.;  he  died  Aug.  13,  1887;  Mary  Eliz- 
abeth born  Nov.  6,  1853;  Carrie  Potter,  born  Nov.  7, 
1855;  Nellie  Rhodes,  born  June  10,  1859.  3.  Malachi 
Rhodes,  mentioned  below.  4.  Mary  Rhodes,  born 
Feb.  I.  1810,  died  March  4,  1852;  married,  June  25, 
1838,  Abel  Lincoln;  issue:  Albert  Chandler,  bom 
.April  21,  1841,  died  Nov.  6  of  the  same  year;  Roswell 
Gardiner,  born  April  28,  1844,  died  .Aug.  16,  1846; 
Eugene  Hcnshaw,  born  May  25,  1847,  a  prominent  at- 
torney, and  at  one  time  coroner  of  the  city  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.  5.  Edwin,  born  Feb.  12,  1812,  died  in 
infancy.  6.  Benjamin,  born  July  i,  1821,  died  Nov., 
1901.  He  married  Caroline  Greene;  they  were  the 
parents  of:  Walter  Scott,  Richard  Wickes,  Harriet 
Rhodes,  Elizabeth  Wickes,  Caroline,  Charles  Carroll 
(of  the  firm  of  Potter  &  Gardiner,  lumber  dealers); 
married  Ethelind  Richards,  and  they  have  one  son, 
Charles  Carroll  Gardiner.  Jr.;  .Albert  Greene,  married 
Marion  Dow,  and  they  have  three  children:  Eliza- 
beth Trott,  Caroline  Greene,  and  .Albert  Greene,  Jr. 

(VII)  Malachi  Rhodes  Gardiner,  son  of  Wickes 
and  Waitey  (Rhodes)  Gardiner,  was  born  in  Old  War- 
wick, R.  I.,  December  21.  1807.  He  was  educated  in 
the  local  schools,  but  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years  dis- 
continued his  education,  and  came  to  the  city  of 
Providence,  where  he  entered  the  counting  room  of 
George    S.    Rathbone,    on    South    Water    street.      He 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


245 


later  became  a  factor  of  importance  in  the  business  of 
the  firm,  which  was  one  of  tlie  largest  establishments 
of  its  kind  in  Rhode  Island,  and  carried  on  a  flourish- 
ing trade  in  grain  and  southern  merchandise.  In  1838 
he  became  a  partner  in  the  firm,  which  then  became 
known  under  the  firm  name  of  Rathbone  &  Gardiner. 
His  connection  with  the  firm  covered  a  period  of  forty- 
six  years,  during  thirty  of  which  he  was  a  partner.  He 
became  a  well-known  figure  in  the  importing  and  busi- 
ness world  of  Providence,  and  was  honored  and  re- 
spected as  a  man  of  high  principles  and  honest  deal- 
ing. In  1868,  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Rathbone,  he 
retired  from  active  business  life.  Mr.  Gardiner  was 
a.  member  of  Grace  Church,  Providence,  and  was  active 
in  its  work  and  interests,  serving  at  one  time  as  vestry- 
man, and  teacher  of  the  Sunday  school.  On  March 
30,  i8ji,  Malachi  Rhodes  Gardiner  married  Harriet 
Brownell,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Susannah  A.  Brow- 
nell,  born  September  13,  1807,  died  July  13,  1902.  Mr. 
Gardiner  died  October  6,  1882.  Issue:  Edwin  R., 
mentioned  below. 

(VIII)  Edwin  R.  Gardiner,  son  of  Malachi  Rhodes 
and  Harriet  (Brownell)  Gardiner,  was  born  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  November  26,  1834.  He  was  educated  in 
the  schools  of  Providence,  and  after  being  graduated 
from  the  Providence  High  School  entered  Trinity  Col- 
lege, Hartford,  in  1852,  taking  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  .'Xrts  in  1856.  He  spent  a  period  of  ten  years  fol- 
lowing his  graduation  from  college  as  a  reporter  for 
the  newspaper  press  of  Providence,  reporting  during 
this  time  for  the  Supreme  Court  of  Rhode  Island.  For 
many  years  he  made  verbatim  reports  of  literary  and 
scientific  lectures  for  various  journals,  and  for  a  time 
he  served  as  shorthand  amanuensis  for  the  Hon.  Sal- 
mon P.  Chase,  during  the  latter's  term  as  secretary  of 
the  treasury.  Because  of  his  extraordinary  ability  he 
was  chosen  one  of  the  corps  of  stenographers  who  re- 
ported the  debates  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
Illinois,  which  began  its  work  in  1869  and  continued 
for  five  months.  From  1870  to  1871  he  served  as  a 
member  of  the  corps  of  official  stenographers  of  the 
city  of  Chicago.  He  subsequently  became  associated 
with  Mr.  James  M.  W.  Yerrington,  official  court  re- 
porter in  Boston,  Mass.,  with  whom  he  was  connected 
for  a  period  of  eight  years,  doing  much  of  the  heavy 
work  in  the  law  courts  in  that  city.  He  was  known 
throughout  the  East  in  official  circles  as  a  stenographer 
of  great  talent,  accurate  and  rapid.  In  1882  he  was 
appointed  oflScial  reporter  for  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  of  Rhode  Island,  and  held  this  important  post 
until  1897,  when  he  retired  from  active  work  in  his  pro- 
fession. 

Mr.  Gardiner  was  for  many  years  special  stenog- 
rapher of  the  National  Association  for  the  Promotion 
of  the  Interests  of  the  American  Trotting  Turf,  re- 
porting its  meetings  and  those  of  its  Board  of  Review. 
He  also  for  ten  years  made  verbatim  reports  of  the 
extemporaneous  sermons  of  Bishop  David  H.  Greer, 
then  rector  of  Grace  Church,  Providence,  and  now 
Bishop  of  the  Episcopal  Diocese  of  New  York.  Mr. 
Gardiner  was  third  president  of  the  New  England 
Shorthand  Reporters'  Association.  .A  man  of  broad 
culture    and    excellent    education,    he    had    developed. 


during  the  long  term  of  years  which  he  spent  in  the 
courts  and  official  circles  of  Rhode  Island,  a  literary 
style  which  found  expression  in  the  brilliant  paper 
"The  Reporter  as  a  Student  of  Language,"  in  which  he 
defended  the  thesis  that  the  science  of  language  is  pre- 
eminently the  study  of  the  shorthand  reporter.  He 
delivered  other  addresses  on  shorthand  and  related 
topics  before  both  the  New  York  State  Stenographers' 
Association  and  the  New  England  Shorthand  Re- 
porters' Association.  In  1897  lie  received  the  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts  from  Trinity  College.  Mr.  Gardiner 
was  naturally  of  a  retiring  disposition  and  a  lover  of  his 
home.  Though  widely  known  and  universally  re- 
spected, devotion  to  the  engrossing  demands  and  inter- 
ests of  his  profession  left  him  but  little  time  for  the 
social  side  of  life.  His  retirement  from  active  work, 
five  years  prior  to  his  death,  was  due  to  failing  health. 

Edwin  R.  Gardiner  married,  October  20,  1870,  Abbie 
Sanford,  born  November  20,  1838.  daughter  of  Ezbon 
and  Mary  (Sanford)  Sanford,  died  July  17,  igoi.  They 
were  the  parents  of  one  daughter,  Edna  Rhodes 
Gardiner. 

Edwin  R.  Gardiner  died  June  28,  1903,  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I. 


DR.  AMOS  BRADISH  HAWES— The  surname 
Hawes  is  of  early  English  origin,  and  was  derived 
from  the  place  name  "haw,"  which  signified  a  hedge, 
garth,  yard,  or  enclosure.  It  is  of  local  origin  and 
means  literally  "at  the  haw."  We  find  recorded  the 
name  of  Alen  del  Hawes,  in  the  Hundred  Rolls  in  the 
year  1273,  and  also  use  of  the  word  in  its  local  sense  in 
Chaucer: — "and  eke  ther  was  a  polkat  in  his  hawe." 
An  interesting  verse  concerning  the  name  Hawes  runs 
as  follows: 

"Thy  name  Is  not  of  German  born 
But  of  the  fragrant  English  thorn." 

The  name  has  been  variously  spelled  through  suc- 
cessive centuries,  though  the  forms  most  commonly 
used  to-day  in  England  and  .America  are  Hawes, 
Hayes,  Haighs,  and  Hay.  At  least  four  immigrants 
of  the  name  came  to  the  Massachusetts  Bay  CoUniy 
prior  to  1650.  Edmund  Hawes,  of  Plymouth,  was  later 
of  Duxbury  and  Yarmouth,  and  was  the  founder  of  a 
large  progeny;  at  a  later  date  came  Edward  Hawes, 
founder  of  the  line  herein  considered;  Richard  Hawes, 
of  Dorchester,  followed  him,  and  at  still  a  later  date 
came  Robert  Hawes,  of  Roxbury.  The  progeny  of 
these  early  founders  is  numerous,  and  has  attained 
distinction  throughout  the  East,  some  of  its  branches 
spreading  to  the  West.  The  town  of  Wrentham, 
Mass.,  has  been  the  home  of  the  branch  of  the 
family  of  which  the  late  Dr.  Amos  Bradish  Hawes, 
of  Providence,  R.  I.,  was  a  member,  for  five  genera- 
tions, covering  a  period  of  about  two  centuries. 

Arm.s — Azure  on  a  chevron  or,  three  cinquefolls  grules 
a  canton  ermine. 

Crest — Out  of  a  ducal  coronet  or.  a  stag's  head 
proper,  holding  in  tile  mouth  a  sprig  of  laurel  vert, 

(I)  Edward  Hawes,  immigrant  ancestor  of  most  of 
the  Hawes  families  of  Massachusetts,  and  especially 
of  those  which  are  long  established  in  what  is  now 
Norfolk    county    in    that    State,    came    from    England. 


246 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


where  he  was  probably  born  about  1620.  He  settled 
in  Dedham,  Mass.,  about  1648,  when  the  records  show 
that  he  was  engaged  to  plaster  the  meeting  house 
there.  Edward  Hawes  was  a  mason  by  trade,  and  be- 
came a  prominent  and  respected  member  of  the  com- 
munity at  Dedham,  where  he  died  June  28,  1686.  He 
married,  April  15,  1648,  at  Dedham,  Mass.,  Eliony 
Lombard.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Lydia,  born  Jan.  26,  1649:  Mary,  bom  Nov. 
4,  1650;    Daniel,  mentioned  below;    Hannah,  born  Feb. 

I,  1654-55;  John,  born  Dec.  17,  1657;  Nathaniel,  born 
-Aug.  14,  1660:  .Abigail,  born  Oct.  2,  1662;  Joseph,  born 
Aug.  9,  1664;    Deborah,  born  Sept.  i,  1666. 

(II)  Daniel  Hawes,  son  of  Edward  and  Eliony  (Lom- 
bard) Hawes,  was  born  in  Dedham.  Mass.,  February 
10,  1652.  Later  in  Hie  he  removed  to  the  town  of 
Wrentham,  Mass.,  where  he  purchased  property  and 
became  a  prosperous  farmer  and  prominent  citizen. 
He  married  (first)  on  January  23,  1678,  .\bigail  Gay, 
daughter  of  John  and  Joanna  Gay,  who  was  born  April 

23,  1649,  and  died  June  17,  1718.     (See  Gay  11).    After 

her   death   he  married   (second)    Bridget  ,   who 

married  (second)  April  24,  1739,  William  Man.  She 
died  January  1,  1747.  Children  of  first  marriage: 
Mary,  born  Sept.  17,  1679;  Abigail,  born  Nov.  15,  1681; 
Daniel,  mentioned  below;  Josiah,  born  April  6.  1687; 
Hezekiah,  born  Nov.  22,  1688;  Ruth,  born  July  9,  1691 ; 
Benjamin,  born  March   14,  1696. 

(III)  Daniel  (2)  Hawes,  son  of  Daniel  (i)  and  .\bi- 
gail  (Gay)  Hawes,  was  born  in  Wrentham,  Mass., 
March  30,  1684,  resided  there  all  his  life,  following  the 
occupation  of  farmer.  He  died  in  Wrentham,  Mass., 
January  15,  1763.  Daniel  Hawes  married  (first)  De- 
cember 20,  1710,  Beriah  Man,  born  March  30,  1687, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Samuel  and  Esther  (Ware)  Man, 
who  died  February  28,  1734.  (See  Man  III).  He  mar- 
ried (second)  December  2,  1734,  Jane,  widow  of 
Michael  Ware  and  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Eliza- 
beth (Hawes)  Wight,  born  September  6,  1688,  and  died 
April  26,  1754.     Mr.  Hawes  married  (third)  December 

II,  1754,  Hannah  Fisher.  The  children  of  Daniel  (2) 
?nd   Beriah    (Man)    Hawes   were:     Daniel,   born   Oct. 

24,  171 1 ;  Samuel,  mentioned  below;  Peletiah,  born 
Oct.  8,  1714;  Moses,  born  Aug.  28,  1716;  Aaron, 
born  April  13,  1718;  Ichabod.  born  Sept.  12,  1720;  Tim- 
othy, born  June  21,  1722;  Beriah  (son),  born  March 
20,  1724;  Josiah,  born  March  20,  1724,  twin  of  Beriah; 
Mary,  born  Feb.  11,  1726;  Joseph,  born  March  21, 
1728. 

(IV)  Samuel  Hawes,  son  of  Daniel  (2)  and  Beriah 
(Man)  Hawes,  was  born  in  Wrentham,  Mass.,  January 
7,  1712.  He  resided  in  the  town  all  his  life,  a  success- 
ful farmer,  and  well-known  citizen.  He  married,  De- 
cember 17,  1741,  Priscilla  Ruggles,  who,  according  to 
the  inscripticm  on  their  gravestones  in  the  West  Wren- 
tham Burial  Ground,  died  on  the  same  day  as  her  hus- 
band: "In  memory  of  Mr.  Samuel  Hawes  and  Pris- 
cilla his  wife,  who  died  October  ye  5th  1795.  Samuel 
in  ye  83rd  year  of  his  age,  and  Priscilla  in  ye  72nd 
year  of  her  age."  They  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Samuel,  mentioned  below;  John, 
born   Dec.  8,   1745:    Lois,  born  April  6,   1748;    Elisha, 


born  June  i,   1750;    Jebez,  bom  Oct.  20,  1755;    David, 
born  .-^ug.  4,  1758.     Chloe. 

(V)  Samuel  (2)  Hawes,  son  of  Samuel  (i)  and  Pris- 
cilla (Ruggles)  Hawes,  was  born  in  Wrentham,  Mass., 
November  5,  1743.  He  served  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
American  Revolution  as  one  of  the  minute-men,  who 
were  organized  toward  the  close  of  1774  and  early 
in  1775.  He  was  in  the  force  which  on  the  19th  of 
April  confronted  the  British  at  Lexington  and,  accord- 
ing to  a  tradition  long  established  in  the  Hawes  fam- 
ily, was  the  first  soldier  to  fall  in  battle.  If,  how- 
ever, we  accept  his  journal  as  authentic,  and  all  evi- 
dence points  to  the  fact  that  it  is  an  historic  and  true 
record,  it  is  impossible  to  believe  the  tradition.  Sam- 
uel Hawes'  journal,  begun  by  him  in  Wrentham,  Mass., 
April  19,  1775,  gives  a  brief  account  of  the  battle  of 
Lexington,  but  makes  no  mention  of  any  participation 
in   it.     The  first  entry  is  dated   Wrentham,   .April   19: 

About  one  o'clock  the  minute-men  were  alarmed  and 
met  at  Landlord  Moons.  We  marched  from  there  the 
sun  about  half  an  our  high  towards  Ro.xbury  for  we 
heard  that  the  regulars  had  gone  out  and  had  killed 
six  men  and  had  wounded  some  more  that  wa.s  at  Lex- 
inton  then  the  kings  troops  preceded  to  concord  and 
there  they  were  Defeated  and  Drove  Back  fiting  as 
they  went  they  gat  to  charlestown  hill  that  night.  We 
marched  to  headens  at  Walpole  and  their  got  a  little 
refreshment  and  from  their  we  marched  to  Doctor 
Cheneys  and  their  we  got  some  victuals  and  Drink  and 
from  tlience  we  marched  to  Landlord  elises  at  Dedham 
and  tlieir  captain  parson  and  company  joined  us  and 
then  we  marched  to  Jays  and  their  captain  Boyd  and 
company  joined  us  and  we  marched  to  Landlord  Whit- 
ings we  taried  their  about  one  hour  and  then  we 
marched  to  richardes  and  Searched  the  house  and 
found  Ebenezer  aldis  and  one  pery  who  we  supposed 
to  Be  torys  and  we  searched  them  and  found  Several 
Letters  about  them  which  they  were  a  going  to  cary 
to  Nathan  aldis  in  Boston  but  makeing  them  promis 
reformation  We  let  them  go  home  then  marching  for- 
ward we  met  colonel  graton  returning  from  the  en- 
gagement which  was  the  Day  before  and  he  Said  that 
he  would  be  with  us  amediately  then  we  marched  to 
Jamicai  plain  there  we  heard  that  the  regulars  Were- 
a  coming  over  the  neck  then  we  striped  of  our  coats 
and  marched  with  good  courage  to  Colonel  Williams 
and  their  we  heard  to  the  contrary.  We  staid  their 
some  time  and  refreshed  our  Selves  and  then  marched 
to  Roxbury  parade  and  their  we  had  as  much  Liquor 
as  we  wanted  and  every  man  drawd  three  Biscuit 
which  were  taken  from  the  regulars  the  day  before 
which  were  hard  enough  for  flints.  We  la\'  on  our 
arms  until  toward  night  and  then  we  repaired  to  Mr. 
Slaks  house  and  at  night  Six  men  were  draughted  out 
for  the  main  guard  nothing  strange  that  night. 

The  journal  is  chiefly  interesting  in  that  it  is  a  chron- 
icle of  the  life  of  the  soldier  at  the  time  of  the  Revo- 
lution, and  gives  an  insight  into  conditions  in  tha. 
Continental  army,  the  drilling,  marching  from  town 
to  town  on  alarms,  billeting  at  the  inns,  the  food  and 
quarters,  the  reports  of  skirmishes,  the  killed  and 
wounded,  attendance  at  church  services.  Recurring 
frequently  throughout  the  journal,  as  simple  entries 
without  comment,  we  find  mention  of  severe  punish- 
ments. Flogging,  as  high  as  a  thousand  stripes, 
although  seventy  were  considered  a  very  severe  pun- 
ishment, was  common  in  both  the  English  and  .Ameri- 
can armies,  for  the  slightest  breach  of  military  disci- 
pline. Samuel  Hawes'  journal  runs  on  until  February 
!0,  1776,  when  it  stops  with  "Nothing  Strange  this 
day." 

Samuel  Hawes  married  at  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  Sep- 
tember 20,  1772,  Rebecca,  daughter  of  John  Earring- 
ton,  of  that  town. 


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(Ot::i/L^  r^^,  jr{^^X^^.Aj''U) 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


247 


FarrlriKton  Arms — Ermine  on  a  chevron  gules  be- 
tween three  leopards'  faces  sable,  as  many  bombs  or, 
flred  proper. 

Crest — A  dragon,  wings  elevated,  tall  nowed.  vert, 
bezanty,  gorged  with  a  mural  crown  argent,  and  chain 
reflexed  over  the  back  or.  charged  on  the  body  with 
two  galtraps  fesseways  of  the   last. 

Motto — l^e  bon  temp.s  vlendra. 

We  have  not  the  date  of  the  death  of  Samuel  Hawes, 
but  it  must  have  been  before  1780,  when  the  records 
state  that  Ichabod  Thompson  and  Rebecca  Hawes  were 
married,  November  loth  of  that  year.  Samuel  and 
Rebecca  (Farrington)  Hawes  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  i.  Polly,  born  Dec,  1773,  men- 
tioned in  the  will  of  her  grandfather,  Samuel  (i) 
Hawes,  1795.  She  married,  Dec.  15,  1796,  Dan- 
iel Richardson,  of  Attleboro.  2.  Samuel,  mentioned 
below. 

(VI)  Samuel  (3)  Hawes,  son  of  Samuel  (2)  and 
Rebecca  (Farrington)  Hawes,  was  born  in  Wrcntham, 
Mass.,  January  25,  1775.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  owned 
considerable  farming  property  in  the  town,  some  of 
which  was  inherited  from  his  father  and  some  of  which 
he  acquired  by  purchase.  He  took  no  active  inter- 
est in  the  public  life  of  Wrentham,  although  he  main- 
tained always  a  deep  concern  in  its  welfare.  Samuel 
(3)  Hawes  married  Polly  Moore. 

Moore  Arms — Argent  three  greyhounds  courant.  In 
pale  sable,  collared  or. 

Crest — A  moor-cock  proper. 
Motto — Dum  spiro  spero. 

Samuel  (3)  and  Polly  (Moore)  Hawes  were  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  1.  Samuel,  married  and 
had  two  daughters.  2.  Mary,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Amory  Cook.  3.  Sarah,  who  married  Pliny  Ray.  4. 
Eliab.  5.  Mehitable,  who  married  Albert  Ware.  6. 
Melita,  married  Lewis  Leander  Rockwood.  7.  Levi, 
married  Lucetta  Bond.  8.  Amos  Bradish,  mentioned 
below.  9.  .'Krnold  C,  who  became  a  doctor  of  den- 
tistry, practicing  at  Providence:  he  married  (first) 
Hannah  Jane  Wardlow,  and  (second)  Eliza  Cooke 
Wardlow:  he  died  at  Xoroton,  Conn..  .Xpril  7,  1895. 
10.  Eleanor  Farrington,  who  became  the  wife  of  Ellis 
Norcross. 

(VII)  Dr.  Amos  Bradish  Hawes.  son  of  Samuel  (3) 
and  Polly  (Moore)  Hawes,  was  born  in  Wrentham, 
Mass.,  May  15,  181 1.  He  spent  the  early  years  of  his 
life  on  the  old  Hawes  homestead  in  the  town  of  Wren- 
tham, and  received  his  education  in  the  local  public 
schools.  After  completing  his  schooling,  he  entered 
the  mills  at  Lonsdale,  R.  I.,  in  the  capacity  of  ma- 
chinist, where  he  made  excellent  progress  through  a 
native  inventive  and  mechanical  genius.  He  was, 
however,  ambitious  to  enter  professional  life,  and  hav- 
ing earned  enough  money  to  enable  him  to  start  on 
a  course  of  dentistry,  severed  his  connection  with  the 
Lonsdale  Mills.  He  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  the  city  of  Providence,  meeting  almost 
at  once  with  a  very  great  degree  of  success.  Dr. 
Hawes  rose  to  prominence  in  the  dental  profession  in 
Providence,  becoming  one  of  its  leaders,  a  position 
which  he  held  unchallenged  for  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury. He  was  highly  respected  both  as  a  man  and  as  a 
citizen,  and  was  favorably  and  well  known  throughout 
the  city.  Dr.  Hawes  was  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
Masonic  order  in  Rhode  Island.    He  was  a  member  of 


St.  John's  Lodge,  of  Providence,  and  had  attained  to 
the  thirty-second  degree  of  Masonry.  His  religious 
affiliation  was  with  the  Westminster  Unitarian  Society 
of  Providence. 

Dr.  Amos  Bradish  Hawes  married,  September  18, 
1853,  in  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  Mary  Hidden  Wardlow, 
daughter  of  James  and  Eliza  (Cooke)  Wardlow,  and  a 
member  of  a  very  old  and  distinguished  Massachusetts 
family.  She  died  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  January  17, 
1905,  aged  seventy-nine  years.  Dr.  Hawes  died  in 
Prondence.    December    11,    1890. 

The  children  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hawes  were:  I. 
Lyslie  Moore,  born  June  9,  1855:  Miss  Hawes  resides 
at  the  old  family  home  at  No.  428  Pine  street,  Provi- 
dence; she  is  administratrix  of  the  estates  of  her 
father  and  mother  and  a  business  woman  of  ability.  2. 
Lewis  Clinton,  born  Nov.  12.  1857,  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Providence,  and  at  Lapham  Institute,  Scitu- 
ate,  R.  I.;  now  owner  of  a  prosperous  twenty-two 
hundred  acre  ranch  in  Ford,  Kan.:  married  Lutie  M. 
Dempsey;  children:  Amos  Wardlow  and  Mary  Wyn- 
thorpe.     3.  Earl  Palmer,  mentioned  below. 

(VIII)  Earl  Palmer  Hawes,  D.  D.  S.,  M.  D..  son 
of  Dr.  Amos  Bradish  Hawxs  and  Mary  H.  (Ward- 
low)  Hawes,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  June  i, 
i860.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  city,  and  later  matriculated  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  pursued  a  course 
in  dentistry.  He  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery  in  the  class  of  1881,  and  in 
1883,  on  further  study,  received  the  degree  of  Doc- 
tor of  Medicine.  During  his  college  course,  Dr.  Hawes 
became  a  member  of  the  Chi  Phi  fraternity.  W'hile 
pursuing  his  studies,  Dr.  Hawes  aided  his  father  in 
his  dental  practice  during  his  vacation  periods.  In 
1883  he  entered  into  active  practice  with  his  father, 
succeeding  him  at  the  time  of  the  latter's  death,  which 
occurred  in  Providence.  R.  I.,  December  11,  1890. 

Dr.  Hawes  married  Mary  Lilias  Pcarce,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  Pearce,  and  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  prominent  of  New  England's  Colonial 
families.  They  were  the  parents  of  one  child, 
(jeoflfrey  Weed,  bom  June  24,  1889,  died  January  23, 
1905.  Dr.  Hawes  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Dental  Society  and  the  National  Dental  Associa- 
tion. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Yacht 
Club,  the  Unitarian  Club,  and  the  Central  Club. 

(The  Gay  Line). 

Arms — Or.  a  chevron  between  three  escallops  azure. 

Crest — On  a  chapeau  gules  turned  up  ermine  a  lion 
pa-ssant  guardant  or,  charged  on  the  breast  with  an 
escallop  azure. 

The  surname  Gay  had  its  origin  in  the  nickname  "the 
gay,"  "the  light-hearted,"  the  application  of  which  is 
obvious.  At  the  time  of  the  wide-spread  adoption  of 
surnames  in  England,  this  name  became  firmly  estab- 
lished throughout  the  kingdom.  Many  families  of  the 
name  rose  to  prominence  in  English  life  and  affairs. 
The  family  was  established  at  an  early  date  in  New 
England. 

(I)  John  Gay,  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder  of 
the  .-\merican  family,  was  a  native  of  England,  and 
came  to   the   American   Colonies,   in   the   ship   "Mary 


2^8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


and  John,"  in  1630.  He  arrived  on  the  30th  of  May 
and  was  landed  at  Nantasket.  Part  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany located  at  what  was  known  among  the  Indians 
as  "Mattapan,"  and  others,  among  them  John  Gay, 
proceeded  up  the  Charles  River,  engaged  an  interpre- 
ter from  among  the  Indians,  made  a  small  settlement 
at  Charlestown,  and  continued  on  until  they  reached  a 
place  near  where  the  United  States  arsenal  now  standi 
at  Watertown,  Mass.  There  they  found  an  encamp- 
ment of  some  three  hundred  Indians,  hastened  to  de- 
clare their  peaceful  intentions  through  their  interpre- 
ter, and  were  allowed  to  settle  there,  thus  becoming 
"the  first  settlers  of  Watertown."  John  Gay  received 
a  grant  in  the  Beaver  Brook  plow  lands,  and  had  in 
all  about  forty  acres.  -^  few  years  after  the  settlement 
of  Watertown,  he,  with  eighteen  other  settlers,  pushed 
on  up  the  river,  and  settled  a  plantation  which  they 
called  "Contentment,"  which  became  in  course  of  time, 
Dedham.  He  was  one  of  the  petitioners  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  town  of  Dedham,  September  6.  1636, 
and  was  among  the  original  proprietors  of  the  town, 
where  he  served  as  selectman  in  1654. 

John  Gay  died  in  Dedham,  Mass.,  March  4,  1688. 
His  wife,  Joanna,  said  to  have  been  a  Widow  Bald- 
wich  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to  him,  survived  him 
over  three  years,  dying  .August  14,  l6gi.  The  inven- 
tory of  his  estate  amounted  to  £91  5s.  8d.  The  chil- 
dren of  John  and  Joanna  (Baldwich)  Gay  were:  Sam- 
uel, born  March  10,  1639:  Hezekiah,  born  July  3,  1640; 
Nathaniel,  born  Jan.  11,  1643;  Eliezer,  born  June  25, 
1647;  Abigail,  mentioned  below;  Judith,  twin  of  Abi- 
gail, born  April  23,  1649;  John,  born  May  6,  1651; 
Jonathan,  born  Aug.  i,  1653:  Hannah,  born  Oct.  16, 
1656;    Elizabeth,  married  Richard  Martin. 

(II)  Abigail  Gay,  daughter  of  John  and  Joanna 
(Baldwick)  Gay,  was  born  in  Dedham,  Mass.,  April 
23,  1649.  She  married,  January  23,  1678,  Daniel 
Hawes,  of  Wrentham,  Mass.,  and  died  June  17,  171S. 
(Sec  Hawes  II). 

(The    Man    Line). 

Arms — ..\zure,  on  a  fes.se  counter-embattled,  between 
three  groats  passant  argent,  as  many  pellets. 

Crest — A  dragon's  head  between  t^o  dragons'  wings 
expanded  gules,  guttee  d'or. 

The  surname  Man,  in  its  most  ancient  form,  written 
with  a  single  n,  can  be  traced  in  Germany  to  a  very 
remote  period.  The  earliest  notice  of  the  name  in 
England  is  found  in  the  Domesday  Book,  A.  D.  1086, 
where  mention  is  made  of  Willelmus  filius  Manne, 
meaning  William  the  son  of  Man.  "Patronymica 
Britannica,"  inclines  to  the  opinion  that  the  name 
Man  signifies  in  the  old  French.  Norman.  The  fam- 
ily is  one  of  the  most  ancient  in  England,  dating  from 
the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror,  when  the  above- 
mentioned  Willelmus  Manne  was  a  landholder  in 
County  Hants.  At  a  subsequent  period  the  name  be- 
came a  very  prominent  one  in  England,  and  its  bearers 
were  numerous.  There  were  for  a  long  period  fifteen 
distinct  and  notable  branches  of  the  house,  each  en- 
titled to  bear  arms.  For  a  long  period  the  king's 
private  secretaries  were  selected  from  a  family  of  this 
name,  which  was  also  the  family  name  of  Lord  Corn- 
wallis,  commander  of  the  British  at  Yorktown.     Vari- 


ous branches  of  the  English  family  are  found  in  coun- 
ties Norfolk,  Northampton,  Gloucester,  Lincoln,  and 
York.  The  principal  seat  seems  to  have  been  at 
Bramley.  County  York,  and  from  this  branch  springs, 
it  is  believed,  the  ancestor  of  the  .American  family, 
William  Mann,  who  settled  at  Cambridge,  in  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  Colony.  At  least  two  of  the  sur- 
name Man,  or  Mann,  were  among  the  original  found- 
ers of  New  England:  Richard,  who  settled  in  Scitu- 
ate,  Mass.,  and  William,  of  Cambridge,  who  was  the 
progenitor  of  what  is  known  of  the  Wrentham  branch 
of  the  family.  Others  of  this  name  are  found  in  the 
early  vital  records  of  Boston,  Lexington,  and  Reho- 
both,  Mass.;  Providence,  R.  I.;  Portsmouth,  N.  H.; 
also  in  Virginia,  Connecticut,  New  Jersey,  and  Penn- 
sylvania, some  of  whom  were  natives  of  England,  and 
others,  descendants  of  English  immigrants.  The  name 
is  to  be  found  in  the  muster  rolls  of  the  Continental 
army,  and  during  the  past  century  a  large  number  of 
its  bearers  attained  prominence  in  professional  and 
religious  and  business  lite. 

(I)  William  Man,  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder 
of  the  Wrentham  branch  of  the  American  family,  was 
born  in  England,  probably  in  County  Kent,  about  1607, 
and  was  the  youngest  of  eleven  children.  Students 
of  the  history  of  the  family  have  advanced  the  opinion 
that  he  was  the  son  of  Sir  Charles  Mann,  of  Hatton 
Braddock,  County  Kent,  who  was  knighted  in  1635  by 
Charles  I.  William  Man  immigrated  to  the  New 
England  Colonies  in  1634,  or  perhaps  prior  to  that 
date.  He  was  a  proprietor  of  the  town  of  Cambridge, 
in  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony,  in  1634,  and  was 
prominent  in  the  life  of  the  early  settlement.  He  mar- 
ried (first)  in  1643,  Mary  Jarrad,  who  came  from  Eng- 
land, and  (second)  June  11,  1657,  .Alice  Tiel.  His 
will,  dated  December  10,  1661,  was  proved  .April  i, 
1662.  It  bequeathed  to  his  wife  and  only  son,  Samuel, 
and  was  unsigned. 

(II)  Rev.  Samuel  Man,  son  of  William  and  Mary 
(Jarrad)  Man,  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  July  6, 
1647.  He  was  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in 
1665,  and  began  to  teach  school  at  Dedham,  Mass., 
May  13,  1667.  He  taught  for  five  years,  and 
preached  to  the  small  society  in  that  part  of  Dedham, 
now  Wrentham,  until  March  ,^0,  1676,  when  the  people 
fled  from  the  town  on  account  of  Indian  hostilities 
during  King  Philip's  War.  He  was  again  at  Dedham 
as  a  teacher  in  1676  and  1678.  In  the  fall  of  1677  the 
town  of  Dedham  voted  to  invite  him  to  become  their 
minister  for  the  winter,  and  early  the  following  spring 
he  was  engaged  to  preach  at  Milton,  but  returned  to 
Dedham  in  the  summer  of  1680.  Here  he  continued 
his  ministerial  labors  until  a  church  of  ten  members 
was  gathered,  and  April  13,  1693,  he  was  ordained  and 
preached  his  own  ordination  sermon.  On  October  26, 
1699,  "In  the  dead  of  night"  his  dwelling  house  with 
the  church  records  was  burned.  It  is  said  his  mind 
was  afflicted  with  infirmities,  and  for  twenty-five  years 
before  his  death  he  did  not  go  out  of  his  own  town. 
One  of  the  first  men  of  the  province  writes  of  him: 
"He  was  not  only  a  very  good  but  a  very  learned  man." 
He  wrote  a  work  containing  advice  to  his  children, 
who  were  soon  to  be  married.     "His  ordinary  sermons 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


249 


were  fit  for  the  press."  and  "yet  such  was  his  humility 
that  he  thought  nothing  of  his  worth  publishing."  He 
was  beloved  by  his  people.  His  last  sermon  was  from 
the  text,  "I  have  seen  all  the  works  that  are  done  under 
the  sun,  and  behold  all  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit." 
He  died  at  Wrentham,  May  22,  1719.  He  married, 
May  19,  1673,  Esther  Ware,  born  September  28,  1655, 
died  September  3.  1734,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Mar- 
garet (Hunting)  Ware.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  among  them  Beriah,  mentioned  below. 
(Ill)  Beriah  Man,  daughter  of  Rev.  Samuel  and 
Esther  (Ware)  Man,  was  born  in  Dedham,  Mass., 
March  30,  1687.  She  married,  December  20,  1710, 
Daniel  Hawes,  son  of  Daniel  and  Abigail  (Gay) 
Hawes,  and  died  February  28,  1734.  (See  Hawes 
III). 

(The  Wardlow  Line). 

County  Antrim.  Ireland,  has  been  the  seat  of  the 
Wardlow  family  for  several  centuries.  Stoiieyford, 
the  original  Wardlow  estate,  was  located  in  County 
Antrim,  near  the  great  city  of  Belfast,  and  was  a 
manor  of  consequence  in  the  life  of  the  surrounding 
countryside.  Descendants  of  the  early  Wardlows  were 
gentlemen  and  squires  well  known  in  Antrim,  active 
in  the  public  affairs  of  the  large  cities,  and  wielding 
large  influence  in  the  rural  districts  in  the  vicinity  of 
Stoneyford.  The  family,  however,  is  of  French  Hu- 
guenot stock,  and  was  one  of  the  many  that  left  France 
for  England,  Ireland,  and  America  during  the  latter 
half  of  the  sixteenth  century.  In  1555  the  term  "Hu- 
guenots" was  first  applied  to  the  adherents  of  the 
Protestant  faith  in  France.  The  terrible  massacres  of 
1572  were  followed,  as  time  passed,  by  more  vigorous 
and  severe  measures  against  the  unfortunate  Hugue- 
nots, deprived  of  a  political  voice  since  the  fall  of 
Rochelle  and  the  entrance  of  Richelieu  into  power; 
their  persecution,  revived  strenuously  under  Louis 
XIV.,  at  last  culminated,  following  a  gradual  depriva- 
tion of  civil  rights,  in  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of 
Nantes  to  produce  the  original  promulgation  of  which 
perhaps  no  body  or  nation  ever  fought  harder  or 
more  stubbornly  than  did  the  Huguenots.  With  many 
of  their  places  of  worship  demolished  (according  to 
Anquetil.  seven  hundred  between  1657  and  1685),  thou- 
sands of  French  refugee  Protestants,  of  lineages  illus- 
trious in  the  great  and  heroic  deeds  of  world  history, 
escaped  to  Switzerland,  the  Netherlands,  Germany, 
and  the  British  Isles,  many  coming  also  to  the  New  Eng- 
land colonies  in  the  New  World.  The  Wardlows  of 
County  Antrim,  Ireland,  were  of  that  heroic  body  of 
French  Huguenots,  who,  for  the  sake  of  religious 
principle,  severed  the  ties  of  home  and  country,  and 
sought  liberty  of  conscience  in  foreign  lands.  In 
the  centuries  since  the  founding  of  the  line  in  Ireland, 
branches  have  spread  to  many  parts  of  the  world. 
Streets  are  named  for  the  family  in  Burton,  Wales, 
Victoria,  British  Columbia,  in  England,  and  in  the 
United  States. 

Arm? — Azure,   three  mascles  or. 
Crest — An  estolle  or. 

Motto — Parailias  firmat  pietas.  (Piety  strengthens 
families). 

(I)  James  Wardlow,  the  first  of  the  direct  line  whom 
it  has  been  possible  to  trace,  was  born  in  Ireland,  the 


son  of  parents  in  excellent  circumstances,  and  the 
descendant  of  a  long-established  and  time-honored 
family,  of  County  .Xntrim.  He  married  and  remained 
in  Ireland  all  his  life,  a  substantial  gentleman,  and 
highly  honored  member  of  the  cominunity.  James 
Wardlow  married  Hannah  Wilson,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  four  children;  John;  William,  married  and 
had  four  children;  James,  mentioned  below;  Jane, 
married  English. 

(II)  James  (2)  Wardlow,  son  of  James  (l)  and 
Hannah  (Wilson)  Wardlow,  was  born  in  County  .-Xn- 
trini.  Ireland.  .\t  an  early  age  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Pawtucket,  Mass., 
now  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  mer- 
chants of  the  town,  well  known  and  highly  respected 
in  business  circles,  and  greatly  esteemed  as  a  citizen. 
He  married  Eliza  Cooke,  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Bethiah  (Hyde)  Cooke,  a  member  of  an  old  New 
England  family.  Their  children  were:  Hannah  Jane, 
Eliza  Cooke,  Mary  Hidden,  mentioned  below;  Rachel 
Jackson,  Charlotte  Cooke,  James  Henry,  John  Ed- 
win. James  Wardlow  died  at  Xoroton,  Conn.,  at  the 
home  of  his  daughter,  Eliza  (Cooke)  Hawes,  wife  of 
.•\rnold  C.  Hawes. 

Cooke  Arms — Paly  of  six  gules  and  sable  three 
easles   displayed  arg-ent. 

Crest — .\  deml-eaKle.  per  pale  Kules  and  .sable  with 
wings  displayed  and  ducally   crowned   or. 

(III)  Mary  Hidden  Wardlow,  daughter  of  James 
(2)  and  Eliza  (Cooke)  Wardlow,  was  born  in  Paw- 
tucket, Mass.,  October  17,  1826,  and  died  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  January  17,  1905.  She  married,  on  Sep- 
tember 18,  1853,  Dr.  Amos  Bradish  Hawes,  of  Provi- 
dence, and  they  were  the  parents  of  Lyslie  M.  Hawes, 
of  Providence.     (See  Hawes  VII). 

Armorial  Designations. 

COOKK — The  shield  is  red  and  blark.  Red  represents 
in  heraldry  Are,  blood,  war,  fortitude.  Black — sorrow, 
grief,  calamity.  Silver  denotes  purity  of  thought,  sin- 
cerity, etc. 

The  fact  that  the  red  and  black  are  shown  in  per- 
pendicular stripes  alternately,  onlv  means  that  they 
were  arranged  that  way  to  suit  the  fancy  of  the 
grantee  and  to  show  in  a  pleasing  form. 

The  eagle  is  deemed  the  king  of  birds,  and  Is  exten- 
sively used  in  heraldry  on  account  of  its  swiftness, 
courage,  and  surety  of  eye.  It  is  said  that  the  female 
exi)oses  her  young  against  the  beams  of  the  sun.  and 
such  of  them  that  cannot  look  at  the  brightness  are 
cast  out.  The  annstor  was  probably  granted  the  right 
to  adopt  the  eagle  as  his  arms  and  crest  on  account  of 
his  quickness  and  surety  of  action  and  an  overtower- 
Ing  intellect,  being  a  prince  among  men.  The  crown 
on  the  eagle's  head  denotes  noble  blood. 

MAN — Blue  field — faithfulness.  The  fesse  in  this 
case  resembles  a  wall  with  embattlements.  The  black 
roundles  are  also  called  gunstones,  and  resemble  can- 
non balls.  The  goat  is  calculated  for  liberty  more  than 
for  confinement,  and  as  it  undertakes  the  most  dan- 
gerous enterprises,  it  is  appropriately  applied  in 
armory. 

The  dragon  is  an  imaginary  monster,  represented  as 
a  strong  and  fierce  animal  and  is  deemed  an  emblem 
of  vlciousness  and  envy.  In  armor.v  it  is  properly 
applied  to  tyranny,  or  the  overthrow  of  a  vicious 
enemy. 

FAIiRINGTON — The  shield  Is  ermine,  the  royal  fur. 
The  chevron  exemplifies  the  rafters  of  a  roof,  an  allu- 
sion to  the  building  of  a  home  and  family.  The  color, 
red,  charged  with  burning  bombs,  denotes  war  and 
battle. 

Leopards  are  animals  not  possessed  with  the  good 
qualities  of  the  lion,  being  fierce  without  provocation 
and  cruel  without  cause.  The  dragon,  an  imaginary 
monster,  is  supposed  to  be  a  strong  and  fierce  animal 
and  is  deemed  the  emblem  of  vlciousness  and  env\-.  In 
heraldry   they  are  properly  applied  to   tyranny  or  the 


250 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


overthrow  of  a  vicious  enemy.  The  mural  crown 
around  the  dragon's  neclc  signifies  the  storming  of  a 
wall  or  castle. 

Motto — -Le  bon  temps  vlendra.  (There  is  a  good  time 
coming). 

WARDIjOW — Blue,  faithfulness;  three  mascles;  goia. 
wealth.  A  mascle  is  the  same  as  a  lozenge,  only 
avoided  so  as  to  leave  a  narrow  frame.  It  has  no 
special  meaning;  the  arms  of  a  lady,  whether  she  be 
maid  or  widow,  are  always  displayed  on  a  lozenge. 
The  crest,  an  estoile  <a  wavy  star),  means  that  the 
hearer  of  the  arms  was  rewarded  for  some  valorous 
service,  a  service  which  put  liim  on  a  plane  above  his 
fellows.      Stars   mean   grandeur,   power,   etc. 

Motto — Familias  firmat  pietas.  (Piety  strengthens 
families). 

H.A.WES — The  shield  i-«  blue  and  gold.  Blue  denotes 
loyalty,  truth,  devotion;  its  jewel  is  the  sapphire.  Gold 
denotes  nobility,  respect,  authority,  greatness;  its 
Jewel  the  topaz.  Blue  and  gold,  placed  the  way  they 
are,  denote  joy  and  pleasure.  The  cinquefoils  (five 
leaved  leaves)  are  emblematic  of  the  protection  and 
shelter  a  man  and  soldier  owes  his  country  and  its 
widows  and  orphans,  because  the  leaves  protect  the 
fruit  from  wind  and  rain.  The  crown  denotes  noble 
blood. 

The  stag's  head  in  the  crest  signifies  gentleness  and 
meekness.  The  antlers  denote  strength,  and  are  also 
emblematic  of  fearlessness  and  skill.  The  laurel  twig 
in  the  stag's  mouth  denotes  victory. 

MOORE — The  shield  is  gold  and  blue.  Gold  is  em- 
blematic of  nobility,  greatness,  authority  and  power; 
its  jewel  the  topaz.  Blue  represents  loyalty,  faithful- 
ness and  devotion;  the  jewel,  the  sapphire.  The  com- 
bination of  gold  first  and  blue  second  indicates  avarice 
and  a  tendency  to  hoard.  Red  represents  fire,  forti- 
tude,  blood  or  war. 

Stars  in  heraldry,  special  honor,  splendor,  brilliancy; 
a  man  above  his  countemporaries  in  bravery,  intelli- 
gence or  prowess   is  considered  a  star. 

The  crown  is  the  symbol  of  nobilit>'.  The  swan  was 
always  regarded  as  the  symbol  of  peace  and  prosperity. 

Motto — Fortis  cadere  non  potest.  (The  brave  man 
may  fall,  but  cannot  yield). 


LYRA  BROWN  NICKERSON— The  name  of 
Nickerson  is  an  ancient  English  surname  of  baptismal 
origin,  and  it  i.s  a  corruption  of  the  turname  Nichol- 
son, for  which  it  was  used  almost  interchangeably  in 
early  American  colonial  records.  It  signifies  "the  son 
of  Nicholas,"  taking  its  form  from  the  nickname 
Nichol  or  Nicol,  which  for  several  centuries  held  a 
high  place  in  popular  favor  in  England. 

Nickerson  Arms — Azure,  two  bars  ermine,  in  chief 
three  suns. 

The  first  mention  of  the  name  in  the  early  Colonial 
records  of  New  England  occurs  under  date  of  June  20, 
1637,  when  William  Nickerson,  immigrant  ancestor 
and  progenitor  of  all  of  the  long  established  families  of 
the  name  in  America  to-day,  landed  at  the  port  of 
Boston,  in  the  Massachusetts  Colony.  He  was  the 
founder  of  a  progeny  which  has  left  its  mark  deep  upon 
the  annals  of  Southern  Massachusetts  and  Rhode 
Island,  a  strong,  virile  race,  which  has  played  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  history  of  public  affairs  and  industry 
in  New  England.  The  name  of  the  late  Edward  Irv- 
ing Nickerson  will  long  be  remembered  in  connection 
with  the  profession  of  architecture  in  Providence  and 
the  larger  cities  of  New  England,  and  that  of  the  late 
Lyra  Brown  Nickerson,  of  more  recent  connection 
with  vital  affairs  in  the  city  of  Providence,  will  remain 
vivid  in  the  memory  of  men  and  women  in  all  walks  of 
life. 

Lyra  Brown  Nickerson,  daughter  of  the  late  Edward 
Irving  and  Lyra  Frances  (Brown)  Nickerson,  was 
born  in  the  family  residence  at  the  corner  of  Angell 


and  Prospect  streets,  Providence,  R.  I.,  December  7, 
1885.  Her  education  in  elementary  stages  was  placed 
in  the  hands  of  private  tutors.  She  later  entered  the 
private  academy  of  the  Misses  Bowen  and  Oilman  in 
Providence,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institution  in 
the  class  of  1904.  Miss  Nickerson  accompanied  her 
parents  on  several  of  their  trips  abroad,  traveling  ex- 
tensively in  Europe  with  tliem,  and  acquiring  during 
these  trips  the  polish  and  education  of  the  cosmopoli- 
tan, which  later  in  life  made  her  so  interesting  and 
entertaining  a  conversationalist.  After  the  death  of 
her  parents  she  continued  her  travels  abroad,  and  was 
traveling  in  Europe  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of 
the  recent  conflict,  experiencing  great  difficulty  in  get- 
ting out  of  Germany. 

Miss  Nickerson  was  brought  prominently  and  con- 
stantly before  the  public  eye  in  Providence  by  the 
lavish  generosity  of  her  gifts  to  charity,  art,  science, 
and  public  works.  The  huge  wealth  which  was  hers  she 
used  wisely  and  well  to  further  for  the  greater  part  the 
interests  of  society  and  the  civic  body,  in  which  it  inay 
be  said  she  was  perhaps  the  most  prominent  woman 
who  devoted  time,  attention  and  resources  to  such 
interests.  She  was  deeply  interested  in  educational 
and  patriotic  questions.  Her  first  gift  of  public  im- 
portance was  that  of  the  famous  architectural  library 
of  her  father,  the  late  Edward  Irving  Nickerson,  one 
of  the  finest  collections  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  made 
to  the  Providence  Public  Library  after  his  death.  This 
consists  of  seven  hundred  volumes,  and  is  known  as 
the  Nickerson  Architectural  Collection.  On  June  i, 
1908,  Miss  Nickerson  gave  ten  thousand  dollars  to  the 
library.  Her  gift  of  one  and  a  half  million  dollars  to 
the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  was  one  unpre- 
cedented in  the  history  of  benevolences  in  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island.  The  "Providence  Tribune"  comments 
as  follows  on  the  gift  and  the  wisdom  of  Miss  Nicker- 
son in  disposing  of  her  fortune  in  so  excellent  a 
cause: 

The  Providence  Public  Library  and  the  Rhode  Island 
School  of  Design  are.  it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  the  two 
public  institutions  which  are  doing  the  most  widely 
diffused  good  in  this  community.  In  giving  practically 
the  whole  of  her  large  fortune  to  them  she  makes  sure 
that  the  money  w^hich  was  made  here  by  hei-  family 
will  be  used  for  the  perpetual  benefit  of  the  people 
here,  and  for  the  special  benefit  of  those  artisan  classes 
of  the  more  studious  and  ambitious  sort  wlio.  as  the 
labor  factor,  contributed  most  to  the  accumulation  of 
the  money  which  Miss  Nickerson,  after  her  few  years' 
use  of  it,  has,  now  returned  to  them. 

Very  few,  when  called  upon  to  dispose  of  their  prop- 
erty at  the  end  of  life,  have  as  much  to  dispose  of  as 
Miss  Nickerson  had.  Fewer  are  so  free  as  she  was 
from  the  conventional  oblie:ations  of  blood  relation- 
ship. Still  fewer  are  so  wide-seeing  and  judicious  as 
she  has  shown  herself  in  tlieir  use  of  such  opportuni- 
ties for  benevolence  as  are  given  to  them. 

Many  of  her  gifts,  indeed  the  greater  proportion  of 
them,  were  made  unostentatiously  and  were  known 
only  to  the  executive  officers  of  the  charitable,  educa- 
tional and  civic  associations  to  which  she  made  them. 
In  October,  1915,  Miss  Nickerson  contributed  seven 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars  to  the  Aero  Club  of 
America  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  an  aeroplane. 
The  Aero  Club  later  originated  tlie  plan  of  developing 
an  aviation  corps  for  the  Naval  Militia  or  National 
Guard  of  the  several  States  of  the  Union,  and  at  the 
suggestion  of  Miss  Nickerson  gave  an  aeroplane  to  the 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


2^1 


Rhode  Island  National  Guard.  She  was  keenly  inter- 
ested in  aviation  as  a  means  of  national  defence,  and 
had  learned  to  fly. 

Miss  Nickerson  was  active  in  social  lite  in  Rhode 
Island,  and  was  well  loved  in  a  circle  of  friends  promi- 
ent  also  in  the  social  activities  of  the  State  and  city. 
But  her  death  was  a  cause  of  grief  to  men  and  women 
in  practically  every  walk  of  life,  men  and  women  whom 
she  had  aided,  and  who  had  worked  witli  her  in  the 
various  enterprises  which  she  directed.  The  element 
of  the  tragic  was  greatly  accentuated  in  her  death 
by  the  fact  that  she  was  so  potent  a  factor  for  good  in 
the  community,  and  by  her  youth.  It  may  be  truly 
said  of  her,  and  without  the  suggestion  of  triteness, 
that  she  was 

A  perfect  woman,   nobly  planned 
To  guide,  to  comfort,  and   command. 

Lyra  Brown  Nickerson  died  at  her  summer  home  at 
Narragansctt  Pier,  R.  I.,  August  30,  1916.  Because  of 
the  lack  of  adequate  standards  by  which  to  judge,  it  is 
difficult  to  estimate  the  value  to  the  community  of  the 
life  of  a  woman  such  as  Lyra  B.  Nickerson.  The  con- 
crete evidence,  as  is  found  in  her  great  gifts  to  charity 
and  public  institutions,  cannot  be  overestimated.  But 
of  the  value  of  her  work  during  her  lifetime,  her  con- 
tinuous support  of  efforts  which  had  for  their  end  the 
advancement  of  learning,  the  lightening  of  human  suf- 
fering, it  is  not  possible  to  form  a  clear  conception, 
for  the  reason  that  her  work  was  quietly  done.  Her 
life  was  totally  different  from  that  of  the  average 
woman  of  her  wealth  and  position  in  life,  in  that  it 
was  far  removed  from  the  trivial  and  self-seeking.  It 
counted  as  few  lives  of  women  do,  in  the  active  shajjing 
of  affairs  in  the  community. 

Brown  Arms — A  field  sable  three  lions  passant  ar- 
gent in  bend. 

Crest — A  griffin's  head  or.  dentele. 
Motto — Laetl  completi  laliore.-;. 


WILLIAM  MILLEN — Loyalty  to  country  and  to 
the  ideals  has  characterized  the  Scot  from  time  im- 
memorial, and  it  has  persisted  in  those  men  of  Scotch 
descent  who  have  left  their  mother  country-  to  make 
America  their  home.  The  intense  patriotism  of  the 
Scotch  has  made  them  ever  rebellious  against  authority 
other  than  right,  has  fostered  in  them  an  independence 
which  the  most  heartless  persecution  in  civil  and  re- 
ligious matters  was  unable  to  destroy,  and  has  made 
them  a  race  of  rugged,  upright.  God-fearing  men.  The 
proportion  of  Scotch  immigrants  to  .America  is  a 
comparatively  small  one,  yet  in  those  sections  where 
they  have  settled,  well  ordered  and  prosperous  com- 
munities have  sprung  up,  notable  enterprises  have  been 
initiated  and  men  who  have  left  the  imprint  of  their 
lives  and  works  on  history  have  been  born  and  have 
flourished.  Much  has  been  written  on  the  hardy  com- 
mercial qualities  of  the  canny  Scot,  his  business  acu- 
men, and  keen  bargaining  instinct.  Much  also  of  his 
integrity  and  high  standard  of  honor.  Of  his  fierce 
loyalty  to  his  honor,  his  home  and  his  country,  there 
has  not  been  enough  written.  Figures  noted  in  history 
spring  to  the  mind  at  the  mention  of  the  bravery  of 
this   race.     The    pages   of   American   history   carry   a 


large  burden  of  the  deeds  of  .American  citizens  of 
Scotch  ancestry.  The  rosters  and  muster  rolls  of  all 
our  wars  are  replete  with  the  names  of  men  of  Scotch 
blood. 

Arms — Or.  a  cross  moline  engrailed  azure  between 
three   mullets  of   the   last. 

Cre.st — In  the  sea  proper,  a  cro.>i.s  moline  sable,  within 
two  ears  of  wheat   or,  stalked  vert,   in  orle. 

Motto— Clarum  reddet  industria.  (Industry  renders 
Illustrious). 

It  is  to  the  honesty,  bravery,  and  solid  virtues  of 
the  late  William  Millen,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  an 
American  of  Scotch  descent,  as  embodied  in  his  career 
as  a  soldier  in  the  Union  forces  during  the  Civil 
War,  and  in  his  subsequent  career  as  a  business  man 
and  public  servant,  that  this  article  pays  tribute.  Wil- 
liam Millen  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1837. 
His  father  was  a  prosperous  and  well  known  Scotch 
merchant  of  the  city,  and  gave  his  son  excellent  educa- 
tional advantages  in  preparation  for  college.  Ambi- 
tious and  eager  to  enter  business  life,  however,  young 
Millen  disregarded  his  advantages  in  this  line,  and  at 
about  the  age  of  seventeen  years  discontinued  his  stud- 
ies, and  entered  the  employ  of  a  Mr.  Fisher,  of  New 
York,  who  was  engaged  in  raftin.g  lumber  down  the 
Hudson  river.  After  a  short  period  spent  in  this 
field,  he  came  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  secured 
employment  in  a  bo.x  factory. 

In  1861,  at  the  first  news  of  the  outbreak  of  the  Re- 
bellion, fired  with  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  Union, 
Mr.  Millen  enlisted  in  Battery  E.  Rhode  Island  Light 
Artillery,  and  October  5,  1861,  left  for  the  battle  front 
from  Camp  Parry,  where  the  troops  had  been  en- 
camped. He  took  part  with  Battery  E  in  some  of  the 
most  stirring  engagements  of  the  entire  war,  and  dis- 
played remarkable  courage  and  daring  on  the  field 
of  battle.  Three  horses  were  killed  under  him,  but  he 
retained  through  the  long  term  of  his  service  a  cool 
and  fearless  bravery  which  became  proverbial  in  his 
battery.  After  three  years  and  three  months  of  active 
service,  he  was  discharged  and  mustered  out,  October 
.3,   1864. 

Returning  North  shortly  afterward,  Mr.  Millen  estab- 
lished himself,  in  1866.  in  the  crockery  and  tinware 
business,  locating  on  North  Main  street.  Providence, 
at  the  corner  of  Cady.  He  later  removed  to  No.  130 
North  Main  street,  finding  it  necessary  to  enlarge  his 
quarters  to  accommodate  increasing  business.  He  also 
extended  his  stock  to  include  furnaces,  stoves  and 
ranges.  Mr.  Millen  was  highly  successful  in  business 
and  became  known  throughout  the  city,  not  only  as  a 
merchant,  but  as  a  public-spirited  citizen.  His  exte«- 
sive  business  interests  brought  him  naturally  into  con- 
tact with  many  men,  and  his  acquaintance  was  large. 
He  was  eminently  respected,  and  in  i8()0  was  prevailed 
upon  to  accept  nomination  as  a  candidate  for  the  Com- 
mon Council.  He  was  elected  and  filled  this  ofl^ice, 
lepresenting  the  Fourth  Ward  of  Providence  for  six 
years.  During  the  period  he  was  influential  in  securing 
the  passage  of  much  needed  and  valuable  legislation 
in  the  interests  of  the  city.  He  was  in  no  sense  of  the 
word  a  politician,  and  performed  his  duties  with  the 
straightforwardness  and  honesty  which  characterized 
him  as  a  business  man.     Mr   Millen  became  known  as 


252 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  people's  "Champion,"  through  his  well-known  inter- 
est in  the  welfare  of  the  people. 

William  iMillen  was  a  well  known  figure  in  fraternal 
life  in  Providence.  He  was  a  member  of  NestcU 
Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  of 
Providence  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons.  His  reli- 
gious affiliation  was  with  the  Baptist  church  of  Provi- 
dence, and  he  was  generous  in  his  gifts  to  all  its  work. 
He  was  widely  read,  and  was  a  man  of  fine  culture 
and  refinement,  well  abreast  of  the  times,  and  keenly 
interested  in  current  events.  His  interests  in  life  were 
many  and  varied.  Mr.  Milieu  maintained  always  a 
deep'  liking  for  things  military,  and  for  many  years  held 
the  rank  of  colonel  of  the  Marine  Artillery. 

He  married,  August  20,  18S2,  Abbie  M.  Dye,  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  and  Deborah  (Kenyon)  Dye,  of  Prov- 
idence, descendant  of  a  prominent  Quaker  family  of 
the  city.  Mrs.  Millen  survives  her  husband  and  resides 
at  the  Millen  home,  No.  120  Butler  street.  Providence. 
She  is  active  in  charitable  and  philanthropic  endeavors, 
and  is  prominently  identified  with  the  work  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church. 

William  Millen  died  at  his  home  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
August  I,  1898,  and  was  buried  with  military  honors  in 
Pocasset  Cemetery,  wrapped  in  the  flag  for  which  he 
had  fought  on  the  battlefields  of  the  South  from  1861 
to  1S64.  Delegations  from  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  the  Veteran  Artillerymen's  Association,  and 
the  Masonic  bodies  of  which  he  was  a  member.  Battery 
E,  the  Common  Council,  and  the  City  Government, 
attended  his  funeral,  which  was  conducted  by  his  old 
friend  and  war  time  army  captain.  Rev.  J.  H.  Bucklyn, 
A.  M.  .The  following  excerpt  is  taken  from  the  words 
of  Rev.  Bucklyn,  on  that  occasion: 

We  feel  more  like  mingling  our  tears  with  the 
mourners.  Some  of  us  knew  Comrade  Millen  very  well. 
We  have  known  him  since  1S61  and  we  feel  we  can 
say  of  him  to-dav,  that  he  fought  a  good  fight,  that  he 
kept  the  faith  and  has  now  received  the  reward  of 
those  who  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
Comrade  Millen  was  a  brave  man.  We  have  seen  him 
in  times  of  great  danger  and  he  was  never  known  to 
fail  in  doing  the  duty  required  of  him.  He  did  his 
duty  as  a  soldier  and  he  has  tried  to  do  it  as  a  citizen. 
He  was  a  Christian  man  in  the  army  as  he  has  been 
a  Christian  man  at  home. 

WILLIAM  MILLEN. 

While  we  in  sorrow   gather  here. 

To  bear  away  our  coinrade's  bier. 

His  many  virtues  to  recall, 

And  to  Tell  how  he  has  blest  us  all. 

Tell  how  he  lived  a  Christian   life, 

In   peaceful  home,  on  field  of  strife; 

Tell  of  his   inner  life   so  pure. 

Tell  of  his  friendships. — none  were  truer. 

We  know  we  should  not  drop  a  tear. 
Because  our  comrade  is  not  here. 
He's  served  his  time,  he's  mustered  out: 
Of  his  discharge  there  is  no  doubt. 
In  honor  his  long  service  passed. 
In  honor  he's  discharged  at  last. 
Secure  from  every  sin  and  sorrow. 
He  lives  where  there  is  no  to-morrow. 

But  comrade!  we  shall  miss  you  so. 
Miss   you  everywhere   we   go. 
Miss  you  at  the  comrades'  meeting. 
Miss  j'our  kind  and  cheerful  greeting. 
Language  has  no  words  to  tell 
How  sad   for  us  is  tliis  farewell. 
Only   those  compelled  to  bow 
Beneath    the    blow    as    we    do    now, 
Can  know  the  sorrow  of  this  day 
In  which  we  bear  thy  form  away. 


But  we  will  trust  the  Father's  word, 
And  cast  our  burdens  on  the  Lord. 
Again   we'll   yield    to   life'.s   demands, 
Resume  again  its  thoughts  and  plans. 
Walking  along  the  King's  highway. 
Out  of  darkness  into  day. 
Doing  the  work  we  find  to  do. 
Comrade,  until  we  come  to  you. 

(The  Dye  Line). 

Arms — Argent  a  tesse  sable  in  chief  three  mullets 
of  the  second. 

Crest — On  a  ducal  coronet,  or,  a  swan  with  wings 
endorsed,   ducally  gorged  proper. 

The  Dyes  for  several  generations  have  made  their 
home  in  Richmond,  South  county,  R.  I.,  and  in  the 
towns  thereabout.  The  family,  one  of  the  leading 
Quaker  families  of  the  county,  has  been  established 
there  since  the  eighteenth  century. 

(I)  Enoch  Dye  was  born  in  the  town  of  Richmond, 
R.  I.  He  spent  his  entire  life  there,  in  agricultural 
pursuits.      He   married   Fannie  James. 

(II)  Captain  Thomas  Dye,  son  of  Enoch  and  Fannie 
(James)  Dye,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Richmond,  R.  I., 
in  1813.  He  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm  in 
Richmond,  and  for  a  period  of  years  followed  the  life 
of  a  farmer.  He  later  became  interested  in  milling 
pursuits,  and  became  a  mill  owner.  Captain  Dye  re- 
moved to  Hopkinton,  R.  I.,  where  he  spent  the  greater 
part  of  his  life.  He  was  prominent  in  the  life  and 
affairs  of  the  town,  taking  an  active  part  in  the  civic 
and  religious  affairs  of  the  community.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  First  General  Baptist  Church,  of  which 
his  wife  also  was  a  member.  He  held  the  rank  of 
captain   in   the   local   militia   during  the   Dorr   War. 

Captain  Thomas  Dye  married,  January  i,  1840,  De- 
borah Kenyon,  daughter  of  Corey  and  Sarah  (Rick- 
ard)  Kenyon,  and  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  first  fami- 
lies of  Richmond,  R.  I.  (see  Kenyon,  VI).  They  were 
the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  which  Abbie  M.  Dye, 
mentioned  below,  was  the  third.  Captain  Dye  died  in 
1896,  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

(III)  Abbie  M.  Dye,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  De- 
borah (Kenyon)  Dye,  was  born  in  Richmond,  R.  I., 
November  24,  1844.  She  married,  August  20,  1882, 
William   Millen,  of  Providence,   R.   I.   (see   Millen). 

(The  Kenyon  Line). 

Arms — Sable  a  cross  lozengy  argent,  over  all  a  bend 
gobonated  or  and   gules. 

Crest — On  a  rock  a  dove  and  olive  branch,  all  proper. 

From  Kenyon,  a  township  in  the  parish  of  Winwick, 
County  Lancaster,  the  surname  Kenyon  was  derived 
as  early  as  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century.  Since 
that  time  the  family  has  flourished  in  Lancaster,  one 
of  its  most  notable  and  historic  branches  being  the 
Kenyons  of  Peel,  to  whom  many  authorities  trace  the 
ancestry  of  the  founder  of  the  American  family,  John 
Kenyon,  who  it  is  claimed  was  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Jordan  de  Lanton,  lord  of  Kenyon,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  III.,  of  England.  The  American  branch  was 
established  in  New  England  prior  to  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  has  been  especially  promi- 
nent in  the  life  and  affairs  of  Rhode  Island,  the  early 
Colony  and  Commonwealth.  South  county,  R.  I.,  has 
been  the  home  for  more  than  two  and  a  half  centuries 
of  the  main  line  of  the  Kenyons,  and  it  was  here  that 


BIOGRAniTCAL 


253 


John  Kenyon,  the  founder,  settled  at  a  very  early  but 
unknown  date. 

(I)  John  Kenyon,  immigrant  ancestor  and  progeni- 
tor, was  born  in  England  in  the  year  1605.  He  married, 
about  1627,  Ann  Smith.  The  date  of  his  coming  to 
the  New  England  Colonics  is  not  known.  He  settled 
in  Kings  Town,  as  it  was  then  called,  where  he  became 
the  owner  of  extensive  property  holdings.  Children:  i. 
John,  mentioned  below.  2.  James,  settled  in  Kings- 
town and  Westerly;  followed  the  occupation  of  mil- 
ler;   married  Ruth  ,  and  had  children:     James, 

Thomas,  Ebenezer,  John,  Peter,  Sarah,  Ruth.  3. 
Roger,  married,  in  1683,  Mary  Ray.  and  settled  at  New 
Shoreham.  now   Block  Island,  in   Rhode  Island. 

(II)  John  (2)  Kenyon,  son  of  John  ( i)  Kenyon,  was 
born  in  1657,  according  to  his  sworn  statement.  He 
resided  in  Kingstown,  and  later  in  life  in  Westerly, 
R.  I.  Dying  in  1732,  he  bequeathed  his  personal  prop- 
erty to  his  son  Jonathan,  and  £  10  each  to  his  sons, 
John,  James,  Enoch,  Joseph  and  David.  Children:  i. 
John,  mentioned  below.  2.  James.  3.  Enoch.  4. 
David.  5.  Jonathan.  6.  Samuel.  7.  Daughter,  who 
married  John  W^'ebster.  first  town  clerk  of  Rich- 
mond, R.  I. 

(III)  John  (3)  Kenyon,  son  of  John  (2)  Kenyon, 
was  born  in  Kingstown,  R.  I.,  in  January,  1682,  and 
died  in  January,  1745.  In  July,  1704,  he  married  Eliz- 
abeth Remington,  born  in  1685,  daughter  of  John  and 
Abigail  Remington,  of  North  Kingstown,  R.  I.  John 
Kenyon  was  a  large  land  owner,  and  prosperous  mem- 
ber of  the  community  of  Richmond.  He  had  a  large 
family  of  which  many  members  intermarried  with  the 
leading  families  of  South  county. 

(IV)  Benedict  Kenyon,  son  of  John  (3)  and  Eliza- 
beth (Remington)  Kenyon,  was  born  in  Richmond, 
R.  I.,  in  1735.  He  resided  there  all  his  life,  a  well- 
known  and  eminently  respected  farmer.  Benedict  Ken- 
yon married  (first)  Amy  Barber,  who  was  born  May 
29,    1759.   and   (second)    Phoele   Thurston.      Children: 

1.  Edith,  born  Aug.  11,  1760;   married  William  Ho.xsic. 

2.  Samuel,  born  .^pril  17,  1762;  married  Mary  West- 
cott.  3.  Remington,  born  June  11,  1764:  married  (first) 
Charity  Rathbone,  who  died  March  10,  1795,  and  (sec- 
ond) Patience  Webster.  4.  Silas,  born  Aug.  28,  1766; 
married  Hannah  Clarke.  5.  Benedict,  Jr.,  born  Dec. 
26,  1768;  married  Phoebe  Champlin,  and  died  .April 
18,  1857.  6.  John,  born  March  9,  1771.  7.  Corey,  men- 
tioned below.  8.  Amy,  born  Sept.  26.  1774:  married 
Judge  William  James,  of  Richmond,  R.  I.  9.  Betsey, 
born  Jan.  3,  1778;  remained  unmarried.  10.  George, 
born  Feb.  9,  17S3,  died  unmarried. 

(V)  Corey  Kenyon,  son  of  Benedict  Kenyon,  was 
bom  in  Richmond,  R.  I.,  April  13,  1773.  He  was  a  life- 
long resident  of  Richmond,  and  a  prominent  figure  in 
the  life  of  the  town  in  his  time.  He  married  (first) 
Sarah  Rickard,  and  (second)  Mrs.  Waitey  (Moore) 
Barber,   of  Richmond. 

(VI)  Deborah  Kenyon,  daughter  of  Corey  and  Sarah 
(Rickard)  Kenyon,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Richmond, 
R.  I.  She  married  there.  Captain  Thomas  Dye,  also 
a  resident  of  Richmond,  and  a  descendant  of  one  of 
the  oldest  families  of  the  town.  They  were  the  par- 
ents  of  seven  children,  among  them   Abbie   M.    Dye, 


mentioned  below.     Deborah  (Kenyon)  Dye  died  at  the 
age  of  forty-five  years. 

(VII)  Abbie  M.  Dye,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  De- 
borah (Kenyon)  Dye,  was  born  in  Hopkinton,  R.  I., 
November  24,  1844.  She  married,  .Xugust  20,  1882, 
William   Millen,  of  Providence,   R.   I.   (see  Millen). 


WILLIAM  P.  METCALF— The  authority  Bards- 
ley  says  on  the  subject  of  the  name:  "I  feel  assured 
that  the  name  is  local,  and  that  it  is  a  modification 
of  Medcroft  or  Medcraft,  of  which  an  instance  still 
remains  in  the  London  Directory.  Mctcalf  and  Turn- 
bull  were  great  Yorkshire  names.  I  have  seen  them 
side  by  side  in  Yorkshire  records  of  five  hundred  years 
ago."     Horace  Smith   still  keeps  them  in  company: 

Mr.  Metcalf  ran   off  on   meeting  a  cow, 
\VHh  pale  Mr.  Turnbull   behind  him. 

Arms — Ardent  on  .1   fesse  vert   between   three   calves 
pa.^sant  sable,  a  leopard's  face  between  two  annulets  or. 
Crest — A  demi  sea  calf  purtled  or. 

Since  the  year  1637  the  Mctcalf  family  has  been  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  life  of  New  England,  and 
in  the  period  of  over  two  and  a  half  centuries  since 
its  establishment  on  this  continent,  has  been  well 
known  and  prominent  in  American  life  and  affairs.  In 
the  fifth  American  generation,  the  Rhode  Island 
branch  of  the  family  was  established  in  Providence, 
and  has  since  the  year  1737  held  a  prominent  place 
among  the  families  of  historic  and  honorable  lineage  in 
that  city.  The  name  is  a  well  known  one  also  in  the 
industrial  history  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  The 
ancestry  of  the  English  family  of  which  the  American 
branch  is  an  offshoot  has  been  traced  for  five  genera- 
tions prior  to  the  emigration  of  the  progenitor  of  the 
American  line  to  New  England. 

(I)  Brian  Metcalf,  of  Bere  Park,  as  early  as  145S-59 
was  mentioned  in  the  Middlcham  Roll  of  i465-f56.  In 
14S4  he  received  a  grant  of  an  annuity  out  of  the  lord- 
ship of  Middleham.  and  died  about  1501.  The  fact  that 
James  Metcalf,  of  Nappa,  was  one  of  the  adminis- 
trators of  the  will  of  Humphrey  Metcalf,  son  of  Brian, 
connects  the  two,  but  we  have  no  evidence  that  James 
and  Brian  were  not  father  and  son,  nor  brothers; 
Humphrey,  son  of  Brian,  is  mentioned  below. 

(II)  Humphrey  Metcalf,  son  of  Brian  Metcalf  (?), 
was  born  probably  before  1460,  at  Bere  Park,  York- 
shire, England,  and  died  in  1507,  intestate.  As  evi- 
denced by  the  land  records  of  the  period,  he  had  one 
son,   Roger. 

(III)  Roger  Metcalf,  son  of  Humphrey  Metcalf  (?), 
was  born  before  i.=iOO,  and  died  before  1542.  He  mar- 
ried Elizabeth .   Had  a  son  Leonard,  as  is  shown 

by  the  land  records  and  other  evidence. 

(IV)  Leonard  Metcalf,  probably  the  son  of  Roger 
Metcalf,  was  born  as  early  as  1530,  for  in  1544  Henry 
VII  granted  to  Leonard  Metcalf  the  estate  at  Bere 
Park  in  consideration  of  £147,  etc.,  and  to  William 
Metcalf,  who  was  probably  a  brother,  yeoman,  of 
London,  and  to  the  heirs  of  John  Bannister,  who  very 
likely  married  a  sister.  In  1569  Leonard  Metcalf  took 
part  in  the  rising  of  the  North  and  was  convicted  of 
high  treason,  sentenced  to  death,  and  his  estate  for- 
feited.     At    the    last    moment    he    was    respited,    and 


254 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


on  September  i,  15-1.  was  pardoned.  Two  years  later 
he  paid  a  fine  and  received  a  lease  of  his  lands,  for- 
merly lands  of  Roger  Metcalf.  He  had  sons  John, 
Christopher,  Brian  and  Roger.  There  is  no  evidence 
that  he  had  a  son  Leonard  or  a  grandson  of  that  name. 

(V)  Rev.  Leonard  Metcali,  thought  by  the  compilers 
of  the  extensive  Metcalf  genealogy  (1891-1898),  Wal- 
ter C.  Metcalf  and  Gilbert  Metcalf,  to  have  been  a 
nephew  of  Leonard  Metcali,  and  perhaps  the  son  of 
William  Metcalf,  must  have  been  born  as  early  as 
1545.  In  1580  and  afterward  he  was  the  rector  of  the 
parish  at  Tatterford,  Coimty  Norfolk,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Richard  Metcalf.  In  the  parish  records  is 
found  the  date  of  the  birth  of  the  American  immi- 
grant. The  children  of  Rev.  Leonard  Metcalf  were: 
I.  Michael,  baptized  Sept.  3,  1585,  died  young.  2. 
Michael,  mentioned  below. 

Xote: — The  preceding  generations,  and  their  rela- 
tions to  one  another,  are  held  by  the  compilers  of  the 
Metcalf  genealogy-,  not  beyond  dispute.  The  best  of 
circumstantial  evidence  points  toward  the  facts  as 
they  are  given,  but  absolute  proof  is  lacking  on  some 
points. 

(The  American   Metcalf.<!). 

(I)  Michael  Metcalf,  immigrant  ancestor  and  pro- 
genitor of  the  family  in  America,  was  born  in  Tatter- 
ford, County  Xorfolk.  England,  and  was  baptized  there 
on  June  17,  1587.  He  followed  the  occupation  of  dor- 
nic  weaver  and  tapestry  maker,  and  it  is  said  that  he 
employed  one  hundred  men  at  Norwich,  England. 
Religious  persecution  and  intolerance  made  living  in 
the  mother  country  unbearable,  and  in  1637,  in  com- 
pany with  his  wife  and  nine  children  and  one  servant, 
Michael  Metcalf  immigrated  to  .America.  He  married 
(first)  in  England,  on  October  13,  1616,  Sarah  Ellwyn, 
born  June  17,  1598,  in  Heigham,  near  Waynham,  Eng- 
land, daughter  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Ellwyn. 
Upon  arriving  in  .America  he  settled  in  Dedham, 
Mass.,  where  he  was  admitted  a  freeman  of  the  Colony, 
June  14,  1637.  He  joined  the  church  there  two  years 
later.  From  the  fact  that  Michael  Metcalf  brought  with 
him  to  .America  a  servant,  and  from  the  position  which 
he  later  assumed  in  the  Colony,  it  is  probable  that  he  was 
a  man  of  means.  He  was  elected  a  selectman  in  Ded- 
ham in  1641.  His  wife  Sarah  died  November  30,  1644, 
and  he  married  (second)  Mary  Pidge,  a  widow  of  Rox- 
bury.  He  died  in  Dedham,  December  24,  1664.  Eng- 
lish records  confirm  the  statement  of  Michael  Metcalf 
that  he  was  forced  to  leave  England  by  reason  of  reli- 
gious persecution.  Before  leaving  England,  and  while 
absent  from  Norwich  trying  to  avoid  persecution,  he 
wrote  a  long  letter  "to  all  true  professors  of  Christ's 
Gospel  within  the  City  of  Norwich."  After  coming  to 
America  he  wrote  the  following,  which  is  printed  with 
the  other  in  the  "Metcalf  Genealogy"  of  1898: 

I  was  persecuted  in  the  land  of  my  father's  sepul- 
chres for  not  bowing  at  the  name  of  Jesus  and  observ- 
ing the  ceremonies  inforced  upon  me  at  the  instance 
of  Bishop  Wren,  of  Norwich,  and  his  Chancellor  Dr. 
Corbet,  whose  violent  measures  troubled  me  in  the 
Blshop'3  court,  and  returned  me  into  the  Hifjh  Com- 
mi-ssioner's   Court. 

Suflferine  many  times  for  the  cause  of  religion.  I  was 
forced  for  the  sake  of  liberty  of  my  conscience  to  flee 
from  my  wife  and  children  to  go  into  New  England: 
taking  ship  for  the  voyage  at  London,  17th  Sept.,  1636, 


and  being  by  tempests  tossed  up  and  down  the  seas 
till  the  Christmas  following:  then  veering  about  to 
Plymouth,  In  Co.  Norfolk,  whence  I  finally  shipped  my- 
self and  family  to  come  to  New  England;  sailed  .\pril 
15,  1637,  and  arrived  three  days  before  Midsummer 
with  my  wife,  nine  children,  and  a  servant,  Thomas 
Comberbach,  aged   16. 

Michael  Metcalf  and  his  family  were  passengers  on 
the  ship  "John  and  Dorothy."  His  children  were:  i. 
Michael,  born  Nov.  13,  1617,  died  young.  2.  Mary  (or 
Marcy),  born  Feb.  14,  1619.  3.  Michael,  mentioned 
below.  4.  John,  born  Sept.  5,  1622.  5.  Sarah,  born 
Sept.  10,  1624.  6.  Elizabeth,  born  Oct.  4,  1626.  7. 
Martha,  born  March  27,  1628.  8.  Thomas,  born  Dec. 
27,  1629.  9.  Ann,  also  called  Joanne,  born  March  i, 
1631,  died  young.  10.  Jane,  born  March  24,  1632.  11. 
Rebeka,   born   .April   5,    1635. 

(II)  Michael  (2)  Metcalf.  son  of  Michael  (i)  and 
Sarah  (Ellwyn)  Metcalf,  was  born  in  Norwich,  Eng- 
land, August  29.  1620,  and  accompanied  his  parents  to 
America,  settling  in  Dedham,  where  he  died  March  25, 
1654.  He  married,  in  Dedham,  April  2,  1644,  Mary, 
daughter  of  John  Fairbanks,  Sr.,  born  about  1620,  and 
died  June  4,  1684,  and  by  her  he  had  five  children, 
among  them  Jonathan,  mentioned  below. 

(III)  Jonathan  Metcalf,  son  of  Michael  (2)  and 
Mary  (Fairbanks)  Metcalf,  was  born  at  Dedham, 
Mass,,  September  21,  1650,  and  died  there  May  27, 
1727.  He  married,  April  10,  1674,  Hannah  Kenric, 
born  November  12,  1639,  a  daughter  of  John  Kenric; 
she  died  December  22.  1731,  at  Dedham,  Mass.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eight  children. 

(IV)  Nathaniel  Metcalf,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Han- 
nah (Kenric)  Metcalf.  was  born  in  Dedham,  Mass., 
April  2-17,  1689,  and  died  April  16,  1752.  He  married, 
February  17,  1712,  Mary  Gay,  born  May  30,  1693, 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Fisher)  Gay.  Their  chil- 
dren were:  Mary,  Nathaniel,  mentioned  below;  Han- 
nah, Sarah,  Margaret,  Mercy.  Ebenezer,  Lydia. 

(V)  Nathaniel  (2)  Metcalf,  son  of  Nathaniel  (i) 
and  Mary  (Gay)  Metcalf,  was  born  at  Dedham,  Mass., 
May  29,  1714,  and  died  January  14,  1798,  at  .Attleboro, 
in  his  eighty-fourth  year.  He  married.  May  3,  1739, 
Ruth  Whiting,  of  Dedham,  Mass.,  and  shortly  after- 
ward removed  to  .Attleboro,  where  they  resided  for 
many  years.  Ruth  (Whiting)  Metcalf  was  a  descendant 
of  a  prominent  family  of  Dedham.  She  was  born  at 
Dorchester,  Mass.,  July  5,  1721,  and  died  January  14, 
1796,  in  her  seventy-fifth  year.  Their  children  were: 
Nathaniel,  Ebenezer,  mentioned  below;  Michael,  Joel, 
Jesse,  Samuel,  Lucy,  Catherine,  Ruth,  Lucy,  Sarah, 
Molly. 

(VI)  Ebenezer  Metcalf,  son  of  Nathaniel  (2)  and 
Ruth  (Whiting)  Metcalf,  was  born  June  30,  1748.  He 
became  the  owner  of  much  property  in  Cumberland, 
R.  I.,  in  which  town  he  settled.  He  was  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  influential  citizen.  He  located  near  the 
present  town  of  Arnold's  Mills,  and  there  died  Octo- 
ber 23,  1820.  He  married  (first)  February  22,  1776, 
Asenath  Davis,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  (Wil- 
kinson) Davis,  and  granddaughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary, 
or  Mercy  (Smith)  Davis.  She  died  November  22, 
1783.  He  married  (second)  Anna  Jenckes,  July  3. 
1787.  His  second  wife  died  October  II,  1795.  He  mar- 
ried (third)  Abigail  Dexter.    Children  by  first  wife:     I. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


255 


Liljcrty,  mentioned  below.  2.  Davis,  born  Feb.  16, 
l""^-  3-  .-\mnion,  born  Dec.  28,  1779.  4.  Ebcnezer, 
born  Dec.  17,  1781.  5.  Joseph,  born  Oct.  27,  1783. 
Child  of  second  wife:  6.  Whipple,  born  May  29,  1788, 
died  Sept.  20,  179.?.  By  third  wife:  7.  Dexter,  who 
married  Polly  Bishop. 

(VII)  Liberty  Metcalf,  son  of  Ebenezcr  and  Ascnath 
(Das'is)  Metcalf,  was  born  August  8,  1777,  and  died 
March  5,  1853.  He  married,  June  2,  1799,  Sclinda 
Brown,  born  July  18,  1775,  died  June  iS,  1825. 

(VIII)  Henry  B.  Metcalf,  son  of  Liberty  and  Be- 
linda (Brown)  Metcalf.  was  born  in  Cumberland,  R.  I., 
May  13,  1S18,  and  died  there  October  26,  1897.  He 
was  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  the  town, 
and  was  active  in  public  affairs.  He  married.  May  i, 
1845,  Mary  Turner  Haskell,  born  November  4,  1817, 
and  dieil  January  18,  1909,  one  of  twins. 

(IX)  William  P.  Metcalf,  son  of  Henry  B.  and 
Mary  Turner  (Haskell)  Metcalf,  was  born  September 
26,  1850,  in  Providence,  R.  I.  He  married  Isabel  Har- 
ris, (laughter  of  Hon.  Edward  Harris,  of  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  Xovember  14.  1878  (see  Harris  VIII).  Their 
children  were:  i.  Edward  Harris,  born  Sept.  10,  1879. 
2.  Ernest  Turner  Harris  (twin),  born  March  31,  1881, 
in  Boston,  Mass;  married.  May  I,  1915.  Virginia  Shep- 
ley,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Harris 
Metcalf,  born  Aug.  13,  1916.  3.  Russell  Metcalf  (twin 
to  Ernest  T.  H.),  born  March  31,  i88i,  died  in  Boston, 
Mass.,  Feb.  27,  1883. 

(The  Harris  Line). 

(I)  Thomas  Harris,  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder 
of  the  line  in  .'\merica,  came  with  Rou'cr  Williams  in 
16.^0,  in  company  with  his  brother,  William  Harris, 
sailing  on  the  ship  "Lyon"  from  Bristol,  England,  and 
arriving  in  the  port  of  Boston.  Thomas  Harris  was 
one  of  the  thirteen  signers  of  the  Providence  Com- 
pact in  1637,  and  was  one  of  the  thirty-nine  signers  of 
an  agreement  for  a  form  of  government,  in  1640. 
For  the  one  year,  from  1652  to  1653,  he  was  commis- 
sioner: he  was  lieutenant  in  1654:  juryman  in  1656; 
deputy.  1664 -66-67-70-82-83:  and  a  member  of  the 
Town  Council  in  1664-65-66-69;  was  assistant,  1666- 
67-68-69-71-72-73-74-75.  Thomas  Harris  died  June  7, 
1686;  his  wife  Elizabeth  died  in  1687.  Their  children 
were:     Thomas,   mentioned   below;     Mary,    Martha. 

(II)  Thomas  (2)  Harris,  son  of  Thomas  (i)  and 
Elizabeth  Harris,  was  of  Providence.  He  was  a 
deputy  much  of  the  time  from  1671  to  1710.  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Town  Council  in  1684-85-S6.  He  married, 
November  3,  1664,  Elnathan  Tew,  born  October  15, 
1644,  died  in  171,'!,  a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Mary 
(Clark)  Tew.  Tlieir  children  were:  i.  Thomas,  born 
Oct.  19,  1665.  2.  Richard,  mentioned  below.  3.  Nicho- 
las, born  April  i,  1671.  4.  William,  born  May  11, 
1673.  5.  Henry,  born  Nov.  ic,  1675.  6.  .Amity,  born 
Dec.  10.  1677.  7.  Joab,  born  Jan.  11,  i(58i,  died  Jan., 
1689.  8.  Elnathan.  9.  Mary.  10.  Joab,  born  in  1690, 
died  in  1729. 

(III)  Richard  Harris,  son  of  Thomas  (2)  and  El- 
nathan (Tew)  Harris,  was  born  October  14,  1668,  died 
August  18,  1750. 

(I\')  David  Harris,  son  of  Richard  Harris,  was  bom 
in  Providence,  March  7,  1714,  died  March  31,  1797.    He 


married,  September  23,  1749,  Martha  Jenckes,  who  was 
born  January  22,  1725,  died  June  22,  1826. 

(V)  Joseph  Harris,  son  of  David  and  Martha 
(Jenckes)  Harris,  was  born  in  Providence,  .Kpril  3, 
1752,  died  February  25,  1823.  He  graduated  from  the 
fourth  class  ever  graduated  from  Brown  University, 
then  called  Rhode  Island  College,  and  situated  in  War- 
ren. He  married,  October  28,  1779,  Hephsilnih  Bunker, 
a  descendant  of  the  old  French-Huguenot  family  whose 
surname  was  originally  spelled  De  Bon  Coeur,  born  in 
Nantucket,  July  i,  1757,  died  September  26,  1846,  at 
Smithtield,  R.  I.,  in  the  ninetieth  year  of  her  age. 

(\'l)  David  (2)  Harris,  son  of  Joseph  and  Hephsibah 
(Bunker)  Harris,  was  born  in  Nantucket,  .August  17, 
1780.  His  parents  removed  to  Smithfield  soon  after 
his  birth.  He  himself  immigrated  West  about  1818, 
settling  at  Salem,  Ohio,  where  he  died,  October  13, 
1848.  He  married,  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  December  31, 
1800.  Lydia  Streeter. 

(VII)  Hon.  Edward  Harris,  son  of  David  (2)  and 
Lydia  (Streeter)  Harris,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Smith- 
field,  near  Lime  Rock.  R.  I.,  October  3,  1801,  died  at 
his  home  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  November  24,  1872. 
In  his  early  childhood  his  parents  removed  to  Dutchess 
county.  New  York,  and  remained  there  until  1818, 
when  they  went  to  Salem,  .Ashtabula  county,  Ohio. 
Edward  Harris  received  only  ordinary  advantages  of 
education.  His  boyhood  and  youth  were  spent  at  home, 
his  time  being  employed  in  farming,  studying,  and 
teaching  school.  What  he  lacked  in  literary  attain- 
ments he  made  good  by  a  critical  observance  of  men 
and  things,  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  of  character 
that  fitted  him  to  become  one  of  the  ablest  business 
men  of  the  country.  Previous  to  1823,  that  is,  previous 
to  the  age  of  twenty-one.  he  had  had  no  connection 
with  manufacturing  or  industrial  interests,  but  in  the 
latter  year,  upon  returning  from  the  West  to  his  place 
of  nativity,  and  having  only  twenty-five  cents  left  after 
paying  his  traveling  expenses,  he  entered  the  counting 
house  of  his  uncle,  William  Harris,  who  was  then  one 
of  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  in  Rhode  Island, 
located  at  Valley  Falls,  in  the  capacity  of  a  minor  as- 
sistant. In  1824  he  transferred  his  services  from  Wil- 
liam Harris'  counting  house  to  the  Albion  Mills,  at 
that  time  owned  by  his  two  uncles,  William  and  Sam- 
uel B.  Harris,  and  Abraham  and  Isaac  Wilkinson, 
continuing,  however,  in  the  immediate  service  of  Wil- 
liam Harris.  Some  time  later  he  began  work  for 
Samuel  B.  Harris,  receiving  one  dollar  and  thirty-three 
cents  a  day;  and  at  the  end  of  eighteen  months  he 
had  saved  one  hundred  and  six  dollars  from  his  earn- 
ings, with  which  he  paid  all  his  debts.  In  the  second 
year  of  his  identification  with  the  Albion  Mills  his  pay 
was  increased,  and  soon  after  he  was  appointed  super- 
intendent of  the  factory,  in  which  position  he  continued 
until  1828.  In  November  of  the  latter  year  he  became 
the  agent  of  the  Harris  Lime  Rock  Company,  which 
was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lime  on  land 
granted  to  his  ancestors  by  the  Indians  near  Smith- 
field,  and  this  agency  he  held  until  November  i,  rS.^o. 
when,  with  a  capital  of  $3,500,  $2,500  of  which  he  had 
saved  from  his  earnings,  and  $1,000  he  had  borrowed 
from  his  father,  he  purchased  a  small  woolen  mill, 
later  known  as  "Mill   No.   i,"  of  the   Harris   Woolen 


^56 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Company,  with  one   set   cf  machinery,  on   the   Black- 
stone  river,  at  Woonsocket,  beginning  in  March  1831, 
with    Edward    Seagrave   and    Willard    B.    Johnston    as 
associates,  the  manufacture  of  satinets.     Shortly  after- 
ward he  met  with  reverses  in  the  shape  of  a  decline  of 
woolen  goods  which  reduced  his  capital  to  $1,000  and 
necessitated  his  retirement  from  this  his  first  venture. 
He  again  entered  the  Albion  Mills  and  resumed  his  old 
position  as  superintendent,  still  retaining,  however,  his 
share  of  the  interests  in  the  satinet  mill,  in  which  he 
had  not  lost  faith.     During  the  following  year,  a  boom 
period   in   the   woolen    market,    the    advance    in    value 
of  his  fabrics  netted  him  a  clear  $5,000,  and  this  may 
be  taken  as  the  material  evidence  of  the  starting  point 
of  his  great  success  in  business.     He  again   assumed 
control  of  Mill  Xo.  I,  and  in  18.36  built  the  stone  struc- 
ture  in   Woonsocket  designated  as   "Mill   No.  2."     In 
1837  Mr.  Seagrave  withdrew  from  the  firm,  and  there- 
after Mr.  Harris  remained  sole  owner  of  the  great  or- 
ganization.    After  the  erection  and  equipment  of  Mill 
No.    2,    Mr.    Harris    began    the    manufacture    of    his 
"Merino   Cassimere,"   and   in    1842   first   produced   his 
all-wool   fabrics  known   far  and   wide   as   the   "Harris 
Cassimeres."    "Mill  No.  3,"  the  great  brick  and  stone 
structure    in    the    central    part    of    Woonsocket,    was 
erected  in  1S44,  and  one  year  later  (1845)  "No.  4"  was 
created.     These  four  buildings  formed  the  group  best 
known  to  the  older  inhabitants  of  Woonsocket  as  the 
"Old    Mills."     They    were    run    by   water    and    steam 
power,  the  water  power  being  derived  from  the  Woon- 
socket Falls,  and  they  were  equipped  with  twenty-five 
sets  of  wool  cards,  capable  of  turning  out  12,000  yards 
of  the  best  quality  "Harris  Cassimeres"  a  week.     His 
cotton  mill  "No.  5,"  was  equipped  in  Mr.  Harris's  day 
with   seven   thousand   spindles.      In   the   year    i860  he 
began   the   construction   of   his    manufactory   "No.   6," 
located  on  the  Mill  river,  some  little  distance  north  of 
Woonsocket.  and  commonly  known  as  the  "New  Mill." 
This  was  the  last  great  work  of  his  life.     The  build- 
ing of  brick,  on  deep-laid   foundations,  was  erected  in 
the  form  of  an  L;    the  entire  length  of  both  sections 
was   four  hundred  and  forty-two  feet,  sixty   feet  wide 
and  five   stories   high,   one  of  the   largest   in   point   of 
size;    of  the  best,  in  point  of  equipment;    and  one  of 
the  most  admired  in  point  of  quality  of  production,  in 
either  the  United   States   or  England.     The  construc- 
tion and  equipment  of  this  mill  was  the  work  of  five 
years,  and  it  was  not  until  1865  that  it  was  finisb.ed  and 
set  in  operation.     It  contained  a  Corliss  engine  of  one 
hundred   and  seventy-five  horse-power,  a  water-wheel 
of   twenty-eight    feet   breast   and   forty   feet   diameter, 
which  furnished  all  the  power  used  in  the  mill;    there 
were  twenty-five  sets  of  woolen  machinery  for  the  pro- 
duction of  fancy  cassimeres  and  staple  woolens,  and  in 
connection    with    the    plant    were    dye-houses,    picker- 
houses,  a  foundry,  planing  and  saw-mills,  and  eishly 
houses   with   two   hundred   and   fifty   tenements   which 
were  used,  exclusively,  by  his  employees.     Under  his 
strictly  followed  rule,  "Make  the  best  goods  possible." 
he  produced  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  different  styles 
of  cassimeres  a  year. 

Progressiveness,    coupled    with    the    virtues    of    con- 
servatism, was  the  keynote  of  his  career,  and  this   is 


Aell  illustrated  by  his  treatment  and  consideration  of 
employees  at  a  period  when  the  comfort  and  well 
being  of  workers  was  a  minor  element  in  the  thoughts 
of  the  employers,  as  well  as  by  the  quality  of  the  equip- 
ment and  machinery  in  his  plants.  He  was  keenly 
alert  as  to  the  details  of  his  business,  varied  as  they 
were,  and  he  studied  his  employees  carefully.  He 
worked  on  the  theory  that  every  person  could  accom- 
plish some  one  thing  better  than  another,  and  he  real- 
ized that  it  was  to  the  advantage  of  his  own  affairs, 
as  well  as  to  those  of  a  particular  worker,  to  discover 
what  he  could  do  best.  Labor  troubles  as  far  as  they 
affected  the  mills  in  his  care  were  unknown,  and  the 
satisfaction  of  his  men  was  reflected  in  the  quality  of 
the  cloth  they  produced.  Mr.  Harris,  because  of  this 
quality,  had  always  at  his  command  a  wide  market;  his 
mills  were  consequently  always  working  at  full  capacity, 
even  when  immediate  neighbors  were  silent.  When 
others  suspended  operations,  he  was  in  a  position  to 
buy  supplies  cheaply,  and  worked  his  mills  the  more 
vigorously.  In  1855  he  opened  a  warehouse  in  New 
York,  making  delivery  of  his  product  much  more 
quickly  than  was  possible  for  competitors  less  favorably 
situated.  This,  and  the  early  payments  it  induced, 
brought  him  almost  complete  immunity  from  the  crisis 
of  1857.  In  the  troublesome  days  of  1861,  many  mills 
refused  all  credit,  but  Mr.  Harris,  with  characteristic 
I'oresight  and  directness,  and  in  implicit  faith  of  the 
lurability  of  the  Union,  offered  goods  at  even  more 
liberal  terms  than  before,  increasing  his  trade  to  tre- 
1  lendous  proportions. 

His  robust  constitution,  clear  head,  quick  thinking 
;  nd  great  energy,  carried  him  through  perplexities  and 
1  esponsibilities  of  the  greatest  magnitude;  what  would 
1  ave  overwhelmed  others  was  to  him  a  pleasing  stimu- 
lant. Rising  early,  he  attended  to  the  details  of  his 
c  xtensive  business,  and  never  trusted  to  others  what  he 
( ould  do  himself.  He  was  often  asked  why  he  did  not 
Ifave  the  minor  and  relatively  unimportant  details  to 
ihe  care  of  subordinates,  instead  of  insisting  that  all 
these  things  be  brought  to  his  notice,  and  he  answered 
that  the  most  humiliating  thing  he  could  think  of  was 
lor  a  man  to  remain  in  ignorance  of  any  part  of  a 
ijeat  organization  of  which  he  was  the  creator;  if  he 
was  asked  a  question  about  his  great  plants,  it  was  his 
wish  to  answer  it  himself  and  not  refer  the  questioner 
10  a  subordinate. 

At  the  time  of  his  death,  his  mills  were  producing 
m  average  of  750,000  yards  of  expensive  cassimeres 
annually,  and  the  cotton  mill  150.000  yards.  It  was 
estimated  that  the  aggregate  business  transactions  of 
his  estate  exceeded  $3,000,000  a  year.  When  we  .com- 
pare this  figure  with  his  starting  capital  of  $3. 500,  or 
still  further  back,  of  twenty-five  cents,  there  remains  no 
mystery  attached  to  the  term  by  which  he  was  often 
known— "The  Successful  Man  of  Woonsocket."  These 
interests,  during  his  lifetime,  he  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  the  "Harris  Woolen  Company,"  to  be  con- 
tinued as  such  after  his  death,  when  Mr.  Harris's  son- 
in-law,  Oscar  J.  Rathbun,  became  president,  and  Jo- 
seph E.  Cole,  treasurer  and  secretary.  The  property, 
under  his  will,  was  divided  among  his  heirs. 

Mr.    Harris    was    liberally   philanthropic,    quietly    so 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


257 


when  possible,  so  that  few  had  an  idea  of  the  extent 
oi  his  charities.  In  a  public  way  he  expended  at  least 
$100,000  for  the  building  of  new  and  the  repair  of  old 
streets  in  Woonsocket;  he  donated  the  land  on  which 
the  Woonsocket  High  School  is  located,  the  site  for  a 
district  school  in  the  vicinity,  land  for  a  park,  and  the 
property  now  occupied  by  the  beautiful  Oak  Hill 
Cemetery;  in  June,  1863,  he  gave  to  his  townsmen  the 
beautiful  building  and  grounds  now  known  as  the 
"Harris  Institute,"  whose  first  board  of  trustees  were 
Dr.  Ariel  Ballou,  Oscar  J.  Rathbun,  Joseph  E.  Cole, 
Samuel  S.  Foss  and  Reuben  G.  Randall,  "with  per- 
petual succession,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the 
moral,  intellectual,  and  social  improvement  of  the  in- 
habitants of  the  district"  named  in  the  second  section 
of  the  act  incorporating  the  Institute,  which  embraced 
a  free  library,  a  large  hall  for  free  lectures,  and  on  the 
ground  floor,  three  stores  and  the  post-office.  He 
devoted  a  sum  towards  forming  the  nucleus  of  the 
library  which  now  contains  thousands  of  volumes. 

Mr.  Harris  was  one  of  the  originators  and  the  first 
president  of  the  old  Railroad  Bank,  organized  in  1851, 
and  he  held  that  office  until  his  death,  the  name  of 
the  institution  in  the  meantime  being  changed  to  the 
First  National  Bank.  In  1862  he  became  president  of 
the  People's  Savings  Bank,  holding  that  office  also 
until  death,  and  he  was  director  and  stockholder  in 
many  other  institutions  and  business  houses  through- 
out the  New  England  States.  As  closely  identified  as  he 
was  with  the  very  life  of  Woonsocket  and  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  be  other- 
wise than  prominent  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  day. 
In  middle  life  he  served  several  terms  in  the  General 
Assembly,  but  in  later  years,  with  the  cares  of  his 
own  business  increasing,  he  found  no  time  in  which 
to  assume  the  duties  of  public  office. 

Mr.  Harris  was  a  strong  opponent  of  intemperance 
and  slavery,  and  in  the  days  preceding  the  Civil  War 
did  not  hesitate  to  give  his  opinions  in  the  strongest 
terms.  This,  naturally,  injured  his  extensive  business 
in  the  South,  and  he  was  often  requested  by  interested 
parties  to  omit  his  name  from  the  goods  shipped  in  the 
latter  territory.  Instead,  he  printed  his  full  name  in 
bold,  black  letters  at  each  end  of  every  piece  of  fabric 
which  left  his  plants.  He  contributed  greatly  to  the 
anti-slavery  cause,  and  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
greatest  Abolitionists  of  the  period.  At  one  time  he 
stipulated  an  exclusive  agency  with  a  great  New  York 
dealer  on  condition  that  all  notes  taken  for  "Harris 
Cassimeres"  should  be  kept  in  a  separate  package,  so 
that  no  notes  from  those  holding  or  dealing  in  slaves 
would  come  in  contact  with  them.  While  John  Brown 
was  in  prison  under  sentence  of  death,  Mr.  Harris, 
recognizing  the  ideals,  while  condemning  the  methods 
of  that  violent  apostle  of  human  liberty,  sent  to  him  a 
consoling  letter,  accompanying  it  with  a  substantial 
check  for  the  support  of  Mr.  Brown's  family.  This 
letter  was  received  and  acknowledged  by  Brown  the 
day  before  his  execution. 

Mr.  Harris  took  great  pride  and  interest  in  his  own 

estate     on     the     outskirts     of     Woonsocket.       Three 

graperies,  a  peach  house  and  conservatory  with  very 

extensive    gardens    of    flowers,    fruit    and    vegetables, 

R  I_2_17 


shrubs  and  trees  of  every  variety,  a  deer  park,  rabbit 
hutch,  large  stables  and  carriage  houses,  with  the  farm 
house  about  a  mile  back  of  the  residence,  were  all 
kept  at  a  high  standard  of  excellence  during  his  life. 
Since  his  death  the  adjoining  villages  of  Blackstone 
and  Woonsocket  have  grown  and  mingled  together. 
Little  by  little  it  was  necessary  to  sell  the  land;  the 
large  house,  which  contained  fourteen  bedrooms,  was 
taken  down,  and  nothing  remains  to  show  where  the 
estate  lay,  except  the  granite  posts  which  marked  the 
entrance  to  the  driveway;  and  now,  with  a  little  tri- 
angle of  green  and  shrubbery  cared  for  by  the  Vil- 
lage Improvement  Society,  marks  one  end  of  Home- 
stead road,  in  the  city  of  Woonsocket. 

Edward  Harris  married  (first)  December  2,  18,35, 
Rachel  Farnum,  daughter  of  Moses  Farnum,  of  Black- 
stone,  Mass.,  and  a  sister  of  Welcome  and  Darius  D. 
Farnum,  extensive  manufacturers  of  woolen  goods  at 
Waterlord,  Mass.  She  died  February  7,  1846.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  children:  i.  David  F.  2. 
Rachel  F.,  who  married,  Oct.  24,  i860,  Oscar  J.  Rath- 
bun,  of  Woonsocket,  son  of  Aaron  and  Julia  E. 
(Jenckes)  Rathbun.  Mr.  Harris  married  (second), 
Abby  P.  Metcalf,  daughter  of  Joseph  Mctcalf,  of  Cum- 
berland, R.  I.,  and  a  granddaughter  of  Ebenezer  Met- 
calf (see  Metcalf  VI).  She  was  born  July  2.3,  1824, 
died  June  7,  1906.  The  marriage  occurred  April  19, 
1848,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  i.  Joseph  M.,  died  Oct.  21,  1872,  at  Berlin, 
Prussia,  in  his  twenty-fourth  year;  he  was  greatly  in- 
terested in  his  father's  business,  and  his  early  demon- 
strations of  innate  ability  gave  promise  of  his  proving 
a  worthy  successor;  he  was  a  graduate  of  Brown 
University;  was  greatly  beloved  for  his  genial  dispo- 
sition, and  his  loss  was  keenly  felt.  2.  Emma  G., 
unmarried.  3.  Isabel,  mentioned  below.  4.  Helen, 
unmarried. 

(VIII)  Isabel  Harris,  daughter  of  Hon.  Edward 
and  Abby  P.  (Metcalf)  Harris,  married  William  P. 
Metcalf.     (See  Metcalf  IX). 


DANIEL  S.  JENCKES— The  Jenckes  family  has 
figured  notably  in  the  history  of  Rhode  Island  for  over 
two  hundred  fifty  years.  Few  families  of  early  Colonial 
date  in  New  England  can  boast  a  more  distinguished 
history.  The  family  traces  its  descent  traditionally 
from  an  ancient  Welsh  family  of  importance,  of 
which  Joseph  Jenckes,  immigrant  ancestor  and  progen- 
itor of  the  American  house,  was  a  member. 

Joseph  Jenks  or  Jenckes,  an  inventor  of  considerable 
genius,  was  born  in  1602,  either  at  Hammersmith, 
Hounslaw,  or  Colebrook,  towns  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
city  of  London.  He  is  first  of  record  in  the  New 
World  in  1643,  when  it  is  thought  he  was  one  of  the 
workmen  brought  from  England  by  John  Winthrop, 
the  younger,  to  found  an  iron  works  on  the  Saugus 
river,  the  first  in  New  England.  Historians  state  that 
he  was  "the  first  founder  who  worked  in  brass  and  iron 
on  the  American  continent;'"  this  statement  is  perhaps 
exaggerated,  but  may  be  taken  to  mean  that  he  was  the 
first  highly  skilled  worker  in  metals  who  began  opera- 
tions in  the  English  colonies  in  North  America.  In 
1646  the  Massachusetts  General  Court  granted  him  a 


2=;8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


patent  for  three  important  inventions — a  water-mill  or 
wheel,  a  machine  for  making  scythes  (and  other  edged 
tools)  and  a  saw-mill.  He  then  purchased  the  right  to 
build  a  forge  at  the  iron  works  for  the  manufacture 
of  scythes.  Joseph  Jenckes  had  married  in  England 
prior  to  his  departure  for  America,  and  his  wife  had 
died,  the  mother  of  two  sons,  whom  their  father  left 
in  the  care  of  maternal  relatives.  The  elder  is  thought 
to  have  settled  in  Virginia,  but  the  younger,  Joseph, 
Jr.,  was  to  join  his  father  in  America  on  becoming  of 
age. 

Joseph   Jenks,   or   Jenckes,   Jr.,   became    the    founder 
of  the  family  in  Rhode  Island,  and  it  is  through  him  that 
the  ancestry  of  all  of  the  name  in  the  State  is  traced. 
He  rose  almost  immediately  to  prominence  in  manu- 
facturing and  public  interests  in  the  colony  after  his 
removal  from  Massachusetts,  and  was  a  notable  figure 
in    Colonial   affairs   until   his   death.     The    family   has 
never   relinquished    the    prestige   which    accrued    to  ,it 
through    the    career    of    this    early    ancestor.      Joseph 
Jenckes   is   reported   to  have  been   with   his   father   in 
Lynn,   Mass..  in   1647,  where  in  all  probability  he  re- 
mained  until   his   removal   to   Providence   Plantations. 
He  was  the  first  white  man  to  build  a  home  in  Paw- 
tucket,  whither  he  was  attracted  by  the  waterpower  to 
drive  his  forge  and  saw-mill.     Family  tradition  asserts 
that    he    settled    in    Pawtucket    in    1655,    but   the    first 
authentic  record  of  him  is  in  a  deed  of  land  he  pur- 
chased at  Pawtucket  Falls,  on  October  10,  1671,     He  is 
referred  to  in  this  instrument  as  an- inhabitant  of  the 
town  of  Providence.     On  March  25,  1669,  he  had  been 
granted  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Pawtuxet  river.     In 
January.  1670,  his  name  appears  on  the  Warwick  rec- 
ords as  foreman  of  a  jury.     Some  of  the  family  tradi- 
tions point  to  his  original  residence  in  Warwick.     Jo- 
seph Jenks  built  his  forge  below  the  Falls  on  the  south 
side  of  the  present  Main  street  in  Pawtucket.     He  was 
a  man  of  much  enterprise,  active  not  only  in  his  own 
business,  but  in  promoting  the  interests  of  the  strug- 
gling  little   town.      He   was   a   member    of    the    town 
council   in    1680;    moderator  of  town   meeting   in    1679 
or  1680,  and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  tax  assessors. 
On  April  28,  1679,  he  was  chosen  to  represent  Provi- 
dence   in    the    General    Assembly    at    Newport;     was 
Speaker  of  the  Assembly  from  October,  1698,  to  Feb- 
ruary, 1699,  and  is  referred  to  constantly  in  the  town 
and  colony  records  from  1684  to  1698  as  "assistant,"  in 
which   capacity  he   acted   as   a   justice   and   performed 
marriages.     Joseph  Jenks  married  Esther  Ballard  be- 
fore his  removal  to  Rhode  Island;    they  were  the  par- 
ents of  four  sons  and  six  daughters.     The  sons.   Na- 
thaniel, Ebenezer,  Daniel  and  William,  succeeded  their 
father  in  business,  and  all  took  prominent  positions  in 
town  and  colony.     Through  them  descend  the  Jenckes 
of  Rhode  Island  to-day.     Daniel  Jenks  or  Jenckes,  the 
youngest  of  the  sons  of  Joseph  Jenks,  settled  in  Cum- 
berland or  Smithfield,  R.  I.     His  progeny  in  that  sec- 
tion of  the  State  are  numerous  and  prominent.     It  is 
through  this  line  that  the  late   Daniel   S.  Jenckes,  of 
Graniteville,  descended. 

Daniel  S.  Jenckes,  son  of  the  late  George  N.  and 
Eliza  A.  (Sweet)  Jenckes,  was  bom  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  in  1855.     His  father,  George  N.  Jenckes,  was  a 


well-known  merchant  and  produce  dealer,  who  made 
his  home  on  the  old  Sweet  homestead  at  Graniteville. 
He  married  Eliza  A.  Sweet,  a  descendant  of  Daniel 
Sweet,  a  pioneer  land  owner  of  Graniteville,  who 
erected  and  was  the  first  preacher  of  the  Graniteville 
Baptist  Cliurcli.  Their  son,  Daniel  S.  Jenckes,  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  North  Providence, 
later  continuing  his  studies  at  the  Jencks  Mowry  In- 
stitute, from  which  he  was  graduated.  Completing  his 
course,  he  entered  immediately  upon  the  business  of 
life,  apprenticing  himself  to  learn  the  trade  of  stone 
cutting.  This  he  followed  for  a  period  of  years,  but 
abandoned  to  learn  the  trade  of  carpenter,  which  he 
followed  throughout  his  active  business  career.  He 
was  engaged  for  several  years  independently  as  an 
interior  finisher,  but  later  became  connected  with  the 
firm  of  Brown  &  Sharpe  Company.  In  addition  to 
these  interests,  he  was  also  active  in  real  estate  fields, 
improving  the  property  of  the  old  Sweet  addition  in 
Graniteville,  in  which  town  he  made  his  home.  Mr. 
Jenckes  was  widely  known  in  town  life,  and  was 
always  prominently  identified  with  movements  for  the 
advancement  of  local  welfare.  He  was  in  no  sense  of 
the  word  an  office-seeker,  although  he  upheld  to  the 
fullest  extent  his  duty  as  a  citizen.  His  political  affili- 
ation was  with  the  Republican  party. 

March  29,  1884,  Mr.  Jenckes  married  in  East  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  Clara  Jane  Andrews,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Andrews,  of  Johnston,  R.  I.,  and  granddaughter 
of  John  Andrews,  a  native  of  England,  who  came  to 
America,  settling  first  in  Philadelphia,  whither  he 
removed  to  Massachusetts.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jenckes 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Eliza 
May.  2.  George  A.,  of  Providence;  married  Ella 
Richmond;  they  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Howard  R. 
3.  William  S.,  resides  at  home.  Mrs.  Jenckes,  who 
survives  her  husband,  makes  her  home  on  Jenckes 
street,  Graniteville.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  church.  Daniel  S.  Jenckes  died  at  his  home 
in  Graniteville,  R.  I.,  June  8,  1912. 


CLARENCE  TRIPP  GARDNER,  M.  A.,  M.  D.— 

The  origin  of  the  name,  Gardner,  is  a  very  obvious 
one,  being  derived  from  that  basic  vocation  upon  which 
the  whole  superstructure  of  society  is  built  and  which 
we  are  informed  was  that  of  our  first  ancestors. 
Bardsley,  the  eminent  authority  on  the  origin  of  sur- 
names, has  this  to  say  of  it:  "As  might  be  expected, 
a  familiar  entr>-  (that  of  the  name  Gardner)  is  in  every 
mediaeval  record.  The  large  number  of  representa- 
tives in  the  London  Directory  indirectly  proves  the 
popularity  of  the  avocation."  The  name  is  found 
under  various  spellings  in  various  parts  both  of  Eng- 
land and  the  LTnited  States,  such  forms  appearing  as 
Gardiner,  Gardner,  Gardener,  Gairdner,  etc.,  etc. 
The  Gardner  arms  are  as  follows: 

Arms — Or,  on  a  chevron  gules,  between  two  grifRns' 
heads,  erased,  azure  an  anchor  erect,  between  two  lions 
guardant  counter-passant  of  the   field. 

Crest — A  demi-grifHn  azure,  collared  and  lined,  and 
supporting  in   the  claws  an  anchor  or. 

Supporters — Two  prifflns'.  wings  elevated  azure, 
beaked,  membered.  and  gorged  with  a  naval  coronet  or, 
each  resting  the  interior  hind  toot  on  an  anchor  with 
cable  sable. 

Motto — Valet  anchora  virtus. 


6i^^ 


u , 


"il  '*^C^t- 


^tS^^lC  V  ,  /^ 


2 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


259 


The  Gardner  family,  which  was  rcp.csented  in  the 
past  generation  at  Providence,  K.  I.,  by  the  distin- 
guished physician,  Clarence  Tripp  Gardner,  M.  A., 
M.  D.,  had  its  origin  in  Dorsetshire,  from  which  place 
one  Thomas  Gardner  came  to  the  New  England  col- 
onies in  the  year  1624.  For  more  than  three  centuries, 
the  Gardners  had  been  resident  in  Dorsetshire  and  arc, 
of  course,  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  the  New  World. 
Thomas  Gardner  settled  at  Gloucester,  Cape  Ann, 
upon  the  .urant  of  Lord  ShelVield  to  Robert  Cushnian 
and  Edward  Winslow,  made  in  January,  1624,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Dorchester  Company.  He  was  one 
of  a  party  of  fourteen  which  included  the  Rev.  John 
White,  and  was  appointed  overseer  of  the  plantation, 
while  his  companions,  John  Tylley  and  Robert  Coiiant, 
were  overseer  of  the  fisheries  and  governor,  respec- 
tively. The  colony  did  not  come  up  to  their  antici- 
pations, and  in  1626  they  removed  to  Naumkeag  or 
Salem,  and  here  Mr.  Gardner  made  his  permanent 
home,  and  which  indeed  continued  to  be  the  home  of 
his  descendants  down  to  the  last  century.  Thomas 
Gardner  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Salem  and  an 
original  member  of  the  First  Church.  He  played  a 
prominent  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  community,  became 
freeman  there  in  1637  and  served  as  deputy  in  the  same 
year.  Various  grants  of  land  were  made  him  at  Salem 
during  the  next  few  years  until  he  became  one  of  the 
large  land  owners  of  the  region  and  held  a  number  of 
important  local  offices.  He  was  twice  married,  the 
first  time  to  Margaret  Friar  and  the  second  time  to 
Damaris  Shattuck,  and  by  these  two  unions  he  was 
the  father  of  the  following  children:  Thomas,  George, 
Richard,  John,  Samuel,  Joseph.  Sarah,  Seth  and  Mir- 
iam. His  son,  Joseph,  was  active  in  the  military  affairs 
of  the  community  and  commanded  the  Salem  Company 
in  King  I'hilip's  War,  in  which  he  displayed  great 
gallantry,  and  the  courage  which  has  since  been  com- 
mended by  historians  of  that  epoch.  He  was  killed  in 
the  great  Xarragansett  swamp  fight  in  December,  1675. 
Joseph  Gardner  was  married  to  a  Miss  Downing,  a 
daughter  of  Emanuel  Downing  and  sister  of  the  cele- 
brated Sir  George  Downing,  <me  of  the  earliest  grad- 
uates of  Harvard  College,  and  from  whom  Downing 
street,  in  London,  was  named. 

(II)  Richard  Gardner,  son  of  Thomas  Gardner,  of 
Salem,  Mass.,  was  born  there  at  the  home  of  his 
father  and  continued  to  reside  there  during  his  early 
life.  Eventually,  however,  while  still  a  young  man,  he 
removed  with  his  wife  and  three  children  to  Nantucket 
and  from  him  has  descended  a  line  which  has  been 
represented  in  various  generations  by  men  prominent 
in  the  affairs  of  their  community,  such  as  the  late  Hon. 
Johnson  Gardner,  M.  D.,  who  for  many  years  was  one 
of  the  most  prominent  public  men  in  both  Massachu- 
setts and  Rhode  Island  and  one  of  the  leading  physi- 
cians of  the  earlier  part  of  the  nineteenth  century:  the 
late  Hon.  John  A.  Gardner,  attorney,  legislator  and 
United  States  District  Attorney  for  Rhode  Island: 
Walter  Scott  Gardner,  one  of  the  most  successful  man- 
ufacturers of  Pawtucket,  and  perhaps  most  important 
of  all,  Clarence  Tripp  Gardner,  M.  D.,  whose  career 
forms  the  subject  matter  of  this  brief  appreciation. 
Richard  Gardner  was  a  man  of  very  strong  religious 


feelings,  and  he  and  his  wife  were  excommunicated 
for  attending  a  Quaker  meeting,  and  it  was  this  which 
caused  his  removal  from  Salem  to  Nantucket,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  and  died  January  21, 
16S8.  This  move  was  made  in  1666  and  in  167,3  he  and 
his  brother,  John,  acted  as  messengers  from  the  Gov- 
ernor of  New  York  to  the  people  of  Nantucket,  with 
instructions  as  to  the  form  of  government  for  the 
island.  He  was  married,  in  1652,  to  Sarah  Shattuck,  a 
native  of  Salem,  where  she  was  born  in  1632,  her 
death  occurring  at  Nantucket  in  1724.  They  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  Richard,  born  in 
■653:  Joseph,  Sarah,  Deborah,  Damaris,  born  in  1662; 
James,  who  is  mentioned  below;  Miriam,  born  in  1665; 
Nathaniel,  born  in  1669;  Hope,  born  in  1669:  and 
Love,  born  in  1672. 

(III)  James  Gardner,  son  of  Richard  and  Sarah 
(Shattuck)  Gardner,  was  born  May  (or  .August)  19, 
1664.  at  Salem,  Mass.,  and  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Nantucket  when  only  two  years  of  age  and  continued 
to  reside  in  that  place  until  his  death  on  June  1,  1723. 
Mr.  Gardner  was  four  times  married,  his  first  wife 
being  a  Mary  Starbuck;  his  second.  Rachel  Brown, 
widow  of  John  Brown,  and  daughter  of  John  and 
Priscilla  (Grafton)  Gardner;  his  third,  named  Patience, 
was  a  widow,  and  the  daughter  of  Peter  and  Mary 
(Morrill)  Folger;  and  his  fourth,  Mary  Pinkham, 
a  widow  of  Richard  Pinghani.  and  daughter  of  James 
and  Mary  ( Severance  1  Coffin.  All  of  his  children, 
save  two,  were  the  issue  of  his  first  marriage,  as  fol- 
lows :  Samuel.  Elizabeth,  Jethro,  Mehetable,  born  in 
1693;  Barnabus,  born  in  1695.  Another  son,  Jonathan, 
born  in  1706,  was  the  child  of  his  second  wife,  while 
James,  who  is  mentioned  below,  was  the  child  of  his 
third  wife. 

(IV)  James  (2)  Gardner,  youngest  son  of  James 
( I )  Gardner,  was  born  near  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century  at  his  father's  home  in  Nantucket,  where  he 
continued  to  live  until  his  death,  April  10,  1776.  He 
married,  September  I,  1724,  Susanna  Gardner,  a 
daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  .Xbigail  (Coffni)  Gardner, 
who  was  born  in  1706  and  died  June  9,  1781.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Rachel, 
born  May  29,  1725;  Eliphalet,  born  Oct.  17,  1726:  De- 
borah, born  Aug.  16,  1728;  Benjamin,  born  Sept.  25, 
1732:  Susan;  Mehetable,  born  .April  i,  1738;  and 
James,  who  is  mentioned  below. 

(V)  James  (3)  Gardner,  son  of  James  (2)  and 
Susanna  (Gardner)  Gardner,  was  born  February  17, 
1745.  and  lived  for  at  least  a  portion  of  his  early  life 
at  Swansea,  Mass.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first 
wife,  with  whom  he  was  united  January  24,  1771,  was 
Prudence  Case,  of  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  and  after  the 
marriage   Mr.   Gardner  went  there  to  live.     After  the 

death  of  his  first  wife  he  married  Susanna .    The 

children  by  the  first  marriage  were  as  follows:  Mar- 
tha, born  Jan.  19,  1772:  Sarah,  born  June  15,  1775; 
Mary,  born  June  5,  1776;  Mercy,  born  Feb.  28,  1778; 
Prudence,  born  Feb.  17,  1780;  and  James  Sweet,  born 
March  8,  1782.  To  James  Gardner  and  his  second  wife 
were  born:  Ambrose,  Jan.  25,  1795;  Susan,  Oct.  16, 
1797;   and  Johnson,  who  is  mentioned  below. 

(VI)  Johnson  Gardner,  son  of  James   (3)   and   Su- 


26o 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


sanna  Gardner,  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  Novem- 
ber  22,    1-99.      It   was   he   that   founded   the   family   m 
Rhode' Island,   moving  in   early   life  to   North   Provi- 
dence, there.     He  afterwards  resided  at  what  was  then 
known  as  Seekonk,  Mass.,  but  which  later  became  East 
Providence,   R.   I.     He   married,  June  8,   1829,    Phebe 
Lawton   Sisson,  of   Portsmouth,   R.   I.,  the  only   child 
of  Aaron   Sisson,  the   marriage   ceremony  being  per- 
formed by  the  Rev.  James  O.  Barney.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gardner   were  the  parents  of  the   following  children: 
John  Aaron,  who  is  mentioned  below;    Eleanor  Phebe, 
born  Feb.  4,  18.32,  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  H.  Bourn, 
and  eventually  died  in  Providence;    Josephine  Amelia, 
born    Oct.    7,    1833,    became    the    wife    of    Lyman    B. 
Frieze    and    died    in    Providence;     Ruth    Almy,    born 
Feb.  19,  1836,  died  April  20.  1845;    Adalaide  Victoria, 
born  Jan.   i,   1838,  died  April  27,   1845:    Walter  Scott, 
born   Sept.   9,    1839;     Leonora    Susan,    born    Nov.   29, 
1842,  became  the  wife  of  Richard  Grinnell  and  died  in 
New    Bedford,    Mass.;     Clarence    Tripp,    with    whose 
career  this  sketch  is  particularly  concerned.     Johnson 
Gardner    spent    his    childhood    in    his    native    town    of 
Rehoboth,  and  after  completing  his  studies  in  the  local 
schools,  began  teaching  in  the  same  institutions.     He 
then  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  preceptor- 
ship  of  Dr.  Usher  Parsons,  of  Providence,  remaining 
in  that  physician's  office  for  about  two  years.  _  He  then 
commenced    the    practice    of   his   profession   in    Provi- 
dence in  the  year  1826,  and  soon  grew  to  be  recognized 
as  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  the  city.     In  1842 
he  removed  to  Seekonk,  where  in  a  large  measure^  he 
gave  up  his  professional  practice  and  devoted  his  time 
to   agricultural   pursuits   of   which   he   was   very   fond, 
and  became  a  prominent  member  of  the  Bristol  County 
Agricultural  Society.     He  was  very  active  in  the  local 
affairs   of  Seekonk,   a    Democrat  in   politics,   and  was 
elected  several  times  to  the   Massachusetts   House  of 
Representatives  on  this  party's  ticket.     He  also  repre- 
sented   his   community    in   the    State    Senate    and    was 
chosen  a  member  of  the   Governor's  council  in   1852, 
during     the     administration     of     Governor     Boutwell. 
Later  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Briggs,  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, as  one  of  the  three  commissioners  to  set- 
tle the  local  boundry  line  between  that  State  and  Rhode 
Island,  and  it  was  his  recommendation  that  was  finally 
followed.     In   1853-54  Dr.   Gardner  removed  to   Paw- 
tucket  and  was  living  at  this  place,  when  at  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War  in  1861  he  was  appointed  exam- 
ining  surgeon   of   recruits   by    President   Lincoln    and 
Governor   James   Y.   Smith,  and   opened   an   office   on 
Benefit  street.  Providence.    These  duties  he  continued 
to  discharge  until  recruiting  ceased,  in  the  meantime 
resuming  his  private  practice  on  a  large  scale.     This, 
however,  he  finally  gave  up  about  two  or  three  years 
after  the  close  of  the   Civil  War,  on  account  of  fail- 
ing health,  and  returned  to  Pawtucket,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  his  death  on  December  12.  1869. 
(VII)  John  Aaron  Gardner,  eldest  son  of  Dr.  John- 
son  and   Phebe   Lawton   (Sisson)    Gardner,  was  born 
April   10,   1830,  at  Pawtucket,   R.   I.     The  preliminary 
portion    of    his    education    was    received    in    the    local 
schools  of  Providence,  and  he  was  prepared   for  col- 
lege in  the  University  Grammar  School  of  that  city, 


at  that  time  in  charge  of  Messrs.  Merrick  and  Emory 
Lyon.     Upon  completing  his  studies  at  this  institution, 
he   matriculated   at    Brown    University   and   graduated 
therefrom  with  the  class  of  1852.     A  professional  life 
appealed  to  him  and  for  a  time  he  thought  of  following 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and  actually  pursued  the 
study  of  medicine  for  a  time.    He  shortly  after  changed 
his  mind,  however,  and  took  up  law  instead,  studying 
this  subject  in  the  office  of  the  Hon.  Wingate  Hayes. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  of  Rhode  Island  in  1855 
and   was    almost    immediately    appointed   clerk    of   the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  a  position  which  he  held 
for  ten  years.     In  1866-67,  he  was  elected  Representa- 
tive from  Providence  to  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature, 
and  during  Grant's  administration  was  elected   United 
States   District  Attorney,  succeeding  in  that  office  his 
former  friend  and  preceptor,  the  Hon.  Wingate  Hayes. 
He  continued  to  serve  in  this  capacity  for  a  period  of 
six  years,  and  greatly  added  to  his   reputation   as   an 
attorney.     He   resigned   in    1877   and   returned   to   his 
private   practice,   his   death   occurring  two  years   later 
on  March  26,  1879.     For  four  years  Mr.  Gardner  was 
the    legal    adviser    of   the   firm  of    Messrs.    .A.    &    W. 
Sprague.      Mr.    Gardner    was    married    (first)    in    the 
year  1855,  to  Mary  Anna  Field,  a  daughter  of  John  A. 
Field,    of    Providence.      After    the    death    of    his    first 
wife,  he  married  Gertrude  Bowen,  of   Philadelphia,  a 
daughter  of  William   E.   Bowen,  of  that  city.     Of  the 
first  union  the  following  children  were  born:     i.  Sophie 
L.,   who   became    the   wife   of    Rathbone    Gardner,    of 
Providence,    to    whom    she    has    borne    two    children, 
Henry  W.,   and   Marianna   Field,  who  married   Royal 
C.  Taft.     2.  Marianna  Field,  who  became  the  wife  of 
William   B.  Waterman,  and  died  in   Providence,  leav- 
ing three  children,   Harold  G.,   Edith  and  William   B. 
3.  Howard    I.,   who   married    Maria    L.   Almy,   and   is 
now  engaged  in  the  cloth  and  yarn  business  at  Provi- 
dence.    John  Aaron  Gardner  had  two  children  by  his 
second    wife,    as    follows:      Thomas    Kirtley.    of    New- 
York,  now  vice-president  of  the  Globe   Lithographing 
Company,    married    Emma    R.    Burges   and   has    three 
children,  Harriet  Burges,  Thomas  Kirtley,  Jr.,  the  lat- 
ter deceased;   and  John  A.,  who  is  a  resident  of  Provi- 
dence. 

(VII)  Clarence  Tripp  Gardner,  youngest  son  of 
Dr.  Johnson  and  Phebe  Lawton  (Sisson)  Gardner, 
was  born  October  24,  1844,  in  that  part  of  Seekonk 
which  is  now  a  part  of  East  Providence,  R.  I.  He 
passed  the  first  nine  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  town 
and  attended  the  local  public  schools  there  for  a  few 
years  before  accompanying  his  parents  to  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  whither  they  moved  in  1853.  Upon  coming  to 
Pawtucket,  he  continued  his  studies  in  the  Grove 
Street  Grammar  School  there,  and  later  at  the  Paw- 
tucket High  School  where  he  was  prepared  for  col- 
lege and  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  year  i860.  In 
the  same  year  he  matriculated  at  Brown  LTniversity, 
although  but  sixteen  years  of  age  at  the  time,  but  after 
studying  a  single  year  at  this  institution,  he  aban- 
doned his  courses  there  to  enlist  in  the  First  Rhode 
Island  Detached  Militia,  under  Colonel  Burnside, 
which  was  recruited  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War. 
This    regiment   marched   under    Colonel    Burnside    to 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


261 


Washington  and  there  the  young  man  remained  during 
the  period  of  his  first  enlistment.  This,  however,  ex- 
tended only  over  three  months,  when  perceiving  that 
his  country's  need  was  as  great  as  ever,  he  at  once 
reenlisted  with  the  tliird  Rhode  Island  Heavy  Artillery, 
receiving  in  that  body  the  office  of  first  sergeant.  On 
July  8.  1S62,  he  received  his  commission  as  second  lieu- 
tenant and  was  soon  afterwards  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  first  lieutenant  and  transferred  to  Battery  B,  First 
United  States  Artillery,  which  for  a  time  he  com- 
manded. He  resigned  from  the  service  October  24, 
1863,  and  returning  Xorth,  entered  the  Harvard  Medi- 
cal School,  where  he  remained  until  the  autumn  of  1S64, 
and  then  reentered  the  United  States  army,  acting  as 
assistant  surgeon  in  response  to  a  call  for  twenty  assist- 
ant surgeons  from  the  Harvard  Medical  School.  He 
was  assigned  to  the  Light  Artillery  Brigade  of  the 
Twenty-fifth  Army  Corps,  serving  under  Captain 
Langdon,  of  the  First  United  States  .Artillery,  in  this 
capacity.  He  served  in  the  .Army  of  the  Potomac,  the 
Army  of  the  James,  and  the  Department  of  the  South, 
and  in  the  course  of  this  service  participated  in  many 
great  battles.  Indeed,  from  the  first  he  saw  many 
active  engagements,  being  present  at  the  first  Battle  of 
Bull  Run,  Port  Royal.  James  Island,  the  Siege  of 
Pulaski,  the  Battle  of  Morris  Island,  the  Battle  of 
Fort  Wagner  and  the  battles  of  Fort  Gregg,  Fort 
Sumpter,  Petersburg  and  Appomattox  Court  House. 
On  May  4,  1865,  he  was  finally  mustered  out  of  service 
and  returned  at  once  to  the  Harvard  Medical  School, 
where  lie  completed  his  course  in  medicine  and  grad- 
uated in  1866  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
In  the  year  1872  he  was  commissioned  surgeon  of  the 
First  Light  Infantry  Regiment  of  Providence,  a  posi- 
tion which  he  held  for  four  years,  and  was  then,  in 
1877.  elected  a  member  of  the  honorary  staff. 

After  his  graduation  from  the  Harvard  Medical 
School,  Dr.  Gardner  established  himself  in  practice 
in  the  city  of  Providence  and  from  that  time  onward 
until  his  death  on  May  2.5.  1907.  met  with  the  highest 
degree  of  success.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
basic  cause  of  this  success  was  his  profound  fondness 
for  his  subject  and  many  of  his  personal  friends  and 
professional  associates  have  borne  witness  to  the 
fact  that  he  was  endowed  with  talents  which  seemed  to 
adapt  him  specially  to  his  profession.  Besides  his 
private  practice  he  was,  while  still  a  comparatively 
young  man,  appointed  consulting  surgeon  to  St.  Jo- 
seph's Hospital,  a  post  which  he  was  regarded  as  emi- 
nently well  fitted  to  fill,  as  he  had  made  something  of 
a  specialty  of  surgery  and  had  already  established  an 
enviable  reputation  in  that  line.  He  more  than  ful- 
filled the  high  expectations  held  of  him.  and  during  the 
many  years  in  which  he  held  that  post,  proved  himself 
a  most  invaluable  member  of  the  staff  of  the  hospital. 
As  time  w'ent  on,  the  position  which  he  held  in  his 
profession  became  ever  more  honorable  and  he  was 
eventually  ranked  among  the  foremost  surgeons  of  the 
State.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Providence  Medical 
Association  and  the  Rhode  Island  State  Medical  So- 
ciety from  the  time  of  his  graduation  until  his  death, 
and  took  a  very  leading  part  in  the  affairs   of  both 


organizations.  He  was  secretary  of  the  Providence 
Medical  Association,  and  on  March  2,  1874,  was  elected 
president  of  the  State  society.  He  was  also  a  member 
of  the  American  Medical  Association.  Besides  these 
professional  organizations.  Dr.  Gardner  was  affiliated 
with  the  University  Club  of  Providence.  He  was  also 
connected  with  a  number  of  business  concerns,  among 
which  was  the  Home  Telephone  Company  of  Rhode 
Island,  which  was  organized  not  long  before  his  death, 
and  of  which  he  was  vice-president.  Although  always 
observing  fully  his  obligations  as  a  citizen.  Dr.  Gardner 
never  took  part  in  politics  to  any  extent,  for  the  de- 
mands made  upon  his  time  and  attention  by  his  profes- 
sional duties  rendered  that  impossible.  Besides  his 
home  in  the  city  of  Providence,  he  had  a  charming 
summer  estate  at  Seaconnet,  in  which  he  took  a  great 
and  justifiable  pride,  and  where  he  found  plenty  of 
opportunity  for  exercise  in  his  favorite  sports  of 
hunting  and  fishing.  In  the  year  1891  he  received  by 
special  vote  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  from  Brown 
University  and  always  greatly  prized  this  honor  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  his  alma  mater. 

Dr.  Gardner  was  united  in  marriage  on  May  1.3, 
1862,  with  Mary  Frances  Hawkins,  a  daughter  of  Al- 
bert and  Julia  (Bourn)  Hawkins,  highly  respected 
residents  of  Pawtucket.  Mrs.  Gardner  died  on  .April 
14,  1908,  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years.  One  child 
was  born  to  them,  Clarence  Howard  Gardner,  October 
28,  1864,  at  Providence.  He  received  his  preliminary 
education  at  the  local  public  schools  and  later  at  the 
famous  Mowry  and  GofT  English  and  Classical  School 
of  that  city,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  He 
had  determined  to  follow  in  his  father's  footsteps  in 
the  choice  of  a  career  in  life,  and  with  this  end  in  view 
he  began  the  study  of  medicine  as  a  pupil  of  his 
father,  after  leaving  school.  He  then  entered  the  Uni- 
versity of  the  city  of  New  York,  matriculating  in  the 
medical  department  there  and  after  graduation  gained 
much  valuable  practical  experience  as  an  interne  at 
Bellcvue  Hospital  in  N'ew  York,  where  he  remained 
for  two  years.  He  then  returned  to  Providence  and  prac- 
ticed in  association  with  his  father  until  the  latter's 
<leath.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Hope  and  University  clubs. 

Dr.  Clarence  Tripp  Gardner  was  almost  equally 
eminent  in  the  various  branches  of  his  profession,  but 
perhaps  his  chief  claim  to  fame  was  as  a  surgeon  and 
diagnostician.  In  the  latter  realm  he  had  very  few 
equals,  and  his  ability  in  this  direction  made  him  par- 
ticularly valuable  in  a  capacity  as  consulting  surgeon 
such  as  he  held  in  connection  with  the  St.  Joseph's 
Hospital.  For  more  than  forty  years.  Dr.  Gardner 
continued  his  labors  among  the  sick  in  Providence  and 
the  surrounding  region,  and  he  gained  besides  the 
enviable  reputation  which  was  his,  what  was  perhaps 
an  even  higher  compliment,  the  genuine  affection  of  the 
community-at-large.  To  a  personal  friend  of  Dr. 
Gardner,  who  for  many  years  had  been  associated  with 
him,  we  are  indebted  for  the  follow'ing  words:  "I 
never  heard  him  utter  one  word  of  detraction  or  dis- 
paragement of  a  brother  practitioner,"  and  the  "Provi- 
dence Journal"  of  May  24,  1907,  commenting  upon  his 
death,  spoke  as  follows: 


262 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


For  twoscore  vears,  Dr.  Clarence  T.  Gardner  has 
practiced  medicine  in  Providence  with  distinguished 
success,  and'  his  exceptional  ability  has  been  cheerfully 
acknowledged  bv  our  leading-  physicians  and  surgeons 
who'  have  constantly  sought  his  aid  and  counsel  in 
critical  cases.  The  part  that  such  a  man  plays  in  our 
do^e.'^tic  life  is  fully  appreciated  by  all  thoughtful 
j.ersons.  .  iiiirely  has  the  physician's  responsibility  to 
the  commuiiitv  been  more  succinctly  stated  than  it  was 
last  year  by  Dr.  Gardner,  himself,  when  he  was  re- 
ferring' to  the  then  closing  life  work  of  Dr.  J.  W.  C. 
Elv.  His  professional  ideals  were  high,  and  hundreds 
of  homes  will  miss  the  keen  diagnosis,  the  skillful 
treatment,  and  the  encouraging  confidence  that  he 
brought  to  the  sick  chamber.  For  several  years  he  has 
known  of  his  own  serious  physical  ailments,  but  he  has 
kept  to- his  beloved  calling  as  steadily  as  his  health 
would  permit.  It' is  drawing  no  invidious  comparison 
to 'pay  tribute  to  his  memory  as  one  of  the  State's  able 
sons,  "whose  ministrations  entitled  him  to  rank  at  the 
very  front  of  our  physicians  and  surgeons. 

■The  success  of  Dr.  Gardner  in  his  chosen  profession 
was  due  to  the  possession  by  him  of  a  combination  of 
virtires  and  talents  greatly  in  demand  in  this  world.  At 
the  bas.is.of  his  character,  as  they  are  at  the  basis  of 
all  character,  that  amounts  to  anything,  were  the  funda- 
m.ental  virtues  of  sincerity  and  courage,  a  sincerity 
■which  rendered  him  incapable  of  taking  advantage  of 
another,  and  a  courage  that  kept  him  cheerful  and  de- 
termined in  the  face  of  all  obstacles.  To  these  he 
added  a. practical  grasp  of  affairs  and  an  idealism  which 
kept  his  outlook  fresh  and  his  aims  pure  and  -high 
minded.  -Both  these  qualities,  it  is  hardly  necessary, tp 
point  out,  are  most  valuable  ones  in  the  profession  of 
medicine  and,  indeed,  his  work  as  a  physician  amply 
showed  this  happy  union  of  qualities.  In  all  the  rela- 
tions of  his  life,  in  all  his  associations  with  his  fellows, 
these  same  qualities  stood  out  in  a  marked  manner 
and  gained  for  him  the  admiration  and  affection  of  all 
who  came  in  contact  with  him,  even  in  the  most  casual 
way.  ■  In  his  family  life,  his  conduct  was  of  the  highest 
type,  a  devoted  husband  and  father,  who  found  his 
chief  happiness  in  the  intimate  intercourse  of  his  own 
household  bv  his  own  hearthstone. 


.FARRAND  STEWART  STRANAHAN— As  head 
of_tlie  firm  of  Stranahan  and  Company,  Mr.  Stranahan 
holds  notable  position  in  financial  circles  in  Providence, 
where  he  has  been  in  business  since  1906,  since  1910 
operating  in  stocks  and  bonds  under  the  present' style. 
In  addition  to  his  own  successful  enterprise,  which 
prior  to  the  war  maintained  offices  in  Providence,  New 
York  City,  Boston,  and  Worcester,  Mr.  Stranahan  has 
extensive  private  interests,  financial  and  business,  and 
is  a'ssociated  with  the  social  and  civic  life  of  his  city 
in  many  organizations.  His  support  of  progressive 
movements'  for  the  advancement  of  Providence  is 
assured,  and.  during  the  war  he  was  a.  leader  in  the 
activities  of  the  government  and  relief  organizations, 
his  services  particularly  useful  and  effective  in  the  five 
Liberty  Loan  drives.  Mr.  Stranahan,  through  devoted 
arid' high'-minded  service,  contributed  largely  to  the 
splendid  sjiowihg  made  by  his  adopted  State  in  its 
subscriptions  to  each  .issue. 

Farrand  Stewart  Stranahan  is  a  son  of  Farrand 
Stewart  and  Miranda  .\ldis  (Brainerd)  Stranahan,  a 
direct  descendant  of  Roger  Williams  in  maternal  line, 
and  was  born  in  St.  .\lbans,  'Vt.,  May  20,  1869.  He 
attended  public  and  private  schools,  entering  Harvard 


Law  School,  but  after  legal  preparation  chose  a  busi- 
ness rather  than  a  professional  career,  and  was  first 
employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  Waldcn  National  Bank  of 
St.  Albans,  Vt.,  which  had  been  an  interest  of  his  fain- 
ily  for  considerable  time.  After  several  years  in  this 
employ  he  became  a  salesman  for  a  well-known  bond 
house  of  New  York,  and  with  a  year  of  successful  ex- 
perience established,  with  Joseph  Balch.  a  New  Eng- 
land branch  of  the  firm  of  O'Connor  and  Kahler.  In 
1906  Mr.  Balch  and  Mr.  Stranahan  formed  a  partner- 
ship and  began  independent  dealings  in  stocks  and 
bonds,  their  association  enduring  until  1910,  when 
Mr.  Stranahan  continued  the  business  alone  under 
the  corporate  title  of  Stranahan  and  Company.  Under 
Mr.  Stranahan's  direction  the  field  of  the  company  was 
so  widened  that  the  establishment  of  branches  in' New 
York,  Boston,  and  Worcester  became  necessary,  and 
continued  prosperity  has  resulted  from  his  wise  and 
careful  management.  Stranahan  and  Company,  during 
the  nine  years  of  its  existence,  has  grown  into  the  con- 
fidence of  a  numerous  clientele  of  high  standing,  con- 
fidence gained  and  justified  by  the  adherence  of  Mr. 
Stranahan  and  his  associates  to  the  fairest  principles 
of  strict  business  dealings. 

In  his  private  operations  Mr.  Stranahan  has  always 
been  interested  in  public  utilities  as  a  profitable  field 
of  investment  and  he  holds  official  connection  with 
many  such  enterprises.  In  addition  to  the  executive 
control  of  Stranahan  and  Company,  he  is  president  of 
the  Public  Light  and  Power  Company,  of  Tennessee; 
treasurer  of  Purity  Cross,  Inc.,  of  Orange,  N.  J;  the 
Tennessee  Water  Company,  the  Usave  Stores  Corpor- 
ation, of  Boston.  Mass..  and  several  others. 

While  a  resident  of  Vermont,  1898-1900,  he  was 
prominent  in  State  military  affairs  and  served  as  a 
member  of  the  staff  of  Governor  E.  C.  Smith,  with 
the  rank  of  colonel.  He  has  met  the  many  demands  of 
good  citizenship  in  his  new  as  in  his  old  home  and 
served  with  particular  distinction  as  chairman  of  the 
speakers'  bureau  for  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  in  all 
of  the  Liberty  Loan  and  War  Savings  Stamp  drives. 
His  long  financial  experience  gave  him  eminent  quali- 
fications for  this  important  post  and  his  wide  acquaint- 
ance among  men  expertly  versed  in  the  sale  of  securi- 
ties was  a  valuable  aid  in  securing  the  speakers  best 
fitted  to'  present  the  government's  proposition  to  the 
people  of  the  State.  Mr.  Stranahan  is  a  member  of 
the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United 
States,  second  class,  is  vice-president  of  "The  Play- 
ers," and  his  clubs  are  the  Harvard,  of  New  York, 
Providence,  and  Boston,  the  Turk's  Head,  Art,  and 
Wannamoisett  Country  clubs,  of  Providence. 

He  married,  June  6,  1894,  Florence  Gertrude  Bruce, 
of  St.  Albans,  Vt.,  and  the  family  home  is  at  No."  133 
Hope  street.  Providence.  They  have  one  son,  Far- 
rand   Stewart    (3).   a   student   in    Harvard   University. 


COLONEL  GEORGE  LEANDER  SHEPLEY— 

'The  firm.  Starkweather  &  Shcpley,  insurance  agents 
and  brokers,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  was  formed  in  1879, 
and  incorporated  in  1908.  and  is  recognized  as  stand- 
ing for  the  highest  practice  and  the  best  service  of  the 
profession.      Like    certain   brands    of    merchandise    or 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


263 


like  hall-marked  plate,  Starkweather  &  Sheplcy  policies 
are  regarded  sterling.  The  public  learns  to  discrim- 
inate between  the  good,  the  bad,  and  the  indifferent, 
and  by  "their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them"  is  a  valid 
criterion  of  the  policy  forms  of  company  or  broker. 
By  this  test  Starkweather  &  Shcpley  policies  have 
been  judged  and  not  found  wanting.  The  story  of 
the  development  of  the  firm  from  an  ordinary  begin- 
ning to  one  of  the  largest  businesses  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  is  one  of  deep  interest,  and  forms  a  bright 
page  in  insurance  history. 

The  firm  was  founded  in  Providence  in  1879  by  J.  O. 
Starkweather  and  George  L.  Shepley.  Mr.  Stark- 
weather, who  was  the  elder  of  the  two  men,  died  in 
1887,  but  from  its  inception  the  leading  spirit  of  the 
firm  was  the  younger  man,  who,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, in  1871,  had  entered  the  insurance  field.  The 
Rhode  Island  business  was  incorporated  under  a  spe- 
cial charter,  and  with  the  name  of  Starkweather  & 
Shepley,  Inc.  Besides  transacting  a  general  broker- 
age business  the  firm  is  the  Providence  agents  of  the 
Liverpool  and  Globe,  the  Aetna,  the  Scottish  Union, 
and  many  other  companies.  They  are  the  general 
agents  of  the  Rhode  Island  Insurance  Company,  and 
the  United  States  managers  of  the  Union  of  Paris,  the 
Nationale  of  Paris,  and  the  Phoenix  and  .^bcille  of 
Paris.  Perhaps  no  better  index  of  the  business  acu- 
men and  the  progressive  methods  of  Mr.  Shepley  can 
be  found  than  the  outstanding  fact  that  his  was  the 
pioneer  brokerage  firm  that  came  from  the  "prov- 
inces" to  challenge  boldly  the  competition  and  business 
of  the  metropolis.  When  Mr.  Shepley  commissioned 
Mr.  J.  F.  Huntsman,  Jr.,  then  the  head  clerk  of  the 
Providence  office,  to  open  the  New  York  branch  of 
the  firm,  there  was  a  general  chorus  of  disapprobation 
and  a  huge  outcry  against  the  unprecedented  assump- 
tion of  an  outside  firm  in  attacking  the  brokerage  prob- 
lem on  its  native  health.  Mr.  Shepley  was  over- 
whelmed with  predictions  of  disaster,  but  he  has  lived 
to  see  not  only  his  enterprise  justified,  but  his  example 
followed  in  a  number  of  important  instances.  The 
New  York  office  was  opened  by  Mr.  Huntsman  with 
one  clerk;  to-day  he  has  an  office  force  of  thirty 
assistants.  The  success  of  the  New  York  venture 
has  since  been  duplicated  in  Boston,  Chicago,  and 
Paris,  in  each  of  which  cities  the  firm  maintains  exten- 
sive offices  and  a  big  staff  of  assistants. 

Colonel  Shepley  is  of  English  parentage,  his  father, 
John  Shepley,  coming  to  the  United  States  from  Eng- 
land, in  early  life,  settling  in  Dover,  N.  H.  He  mar- 
ried there  Sarah  E.  Huntress,  of  Dover,  and  in  1856 
came  to  Rhode  Island,  locating  in  Providence,  where 
he  died  December  20,  1874,  aged  fifty  years,  his  widow- 
surviving  him  until  June  20,  1887,  aged  fifty-four.  They 
were  the  parents  of  George  Leander  Shepley,  whose 
career  is  the  inspiration  of  this  review,  and  .Mice  B.. 
who  married  Thomas  A.  Richardson,  of  Providence. 

George  Leander  Shepley  w-as  born  in  Dover,  N.  H., 
October  II,  1854,  but  in  1856  his  parents  moved  to 
Providence,  a  city  which  has  since  been  his  home. 
After  completing  his  studies  in  the  public  schools  he 
began  his  long  and  important  connection  with  the 
insurance  business,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  was  suc- 


cessfully established  as  an  agent.  In  1875  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Caleb  Farnum,  which  continued  until 
1879,  when  the  firm.  Starkweather  &  Shepley,  was 
formed,  of  which  he  is  still  the  vigorous,  capable  head. 
The  business  of  the  firm  grew  by  leaps  and  bounds  and 
became  so  important  that  to  secure  its  perpetuation  a 
charter  was  secured  from  the  State  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  the  firm  name  became  Starkweather  &  Shepley, 
Inc.,  George  L.  Shepley,  president,  then  as  now.  Mr. 
Shepley's  activities,  moreover,  have  not  been  confined 
purely  to  business  and  financial  enterprises.  His 
many-sided  mind  and  his  vigorous  personality  have 
impressed  themselves  on  the  march  of  events,  not  only 
in  the  city  of  Providence,  but  in  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island  as  well.  In  1907,  when  the  Rhode  Island  Insur- 
ance Company  began  to  write  business,  Mr.  Shepley 
became  its  first  president  and  has  continued  in  this 
capacity  ever  since.  This  sterling  company  has  made 
excellent  progress  under  its  officers,  who  are  all  ex- 
perienced underwriters.  With  a  paid  in  capital  of 
$500,000,  and  a  net  surplus  of  the  same  amount,  the 
company  enjoys  the  most  substantial  local  backing, 
and  its  loss-paying  record  is  beyond  question.  No  lit- 
tle of  the  credit  for  the  good  name  and  excellent  works 
of  this  commendable  company  must  be  ascribed  to  the 
presiding  influence  and  direction  of  Mr.  Sheplcy.  The 
underwriting  facilities  of  the  Rhode  Island  Insurance 
Cf)mpany  are  greatly  enlarged  and  its  service  rendered 
highly  efficient  by  the  fact  that  Starkweather  and 
Sheplcy  are  the  United  States  managers  of  several  im- 
portant French  companies.  These  companies  are  all 
in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  the  American  as  well 
as  the  French  assets  of  these  companies  arc  not  only 
secure  but  comfortably  ample  to  provide  a  first-class 
indemnity  for  any  American  risk.  Colonel  Shepley  is 
a  director  of  the  .American  Screw  Company,  the  Nar- 
ragansett  Electric  Lighting  Company,  the  American 
Woolen  Company,  the  National  and  Providence  Wor- 
sted Mills,  and  the  Providence  Ice  Company. 

.*\  Republican  in  politics,  he  has  served  his  State  as 
a  member  of  Governor  Dyer's  staff  with  the  rank  of 
colonel,  and  in  1902  he  was  elected  Lieutenant- 
Governor  of  the  State,  being  the  choice  of  the  jjarty 
caucus  ratified  by  the  General  Assembly  by  a  vote  of 
seventy-three  against  twenty-one.  Every  move  that 
has  been  made  for  the  betterment  of  the  State  as  well 
as  every  good  cause  in  the  city  of  Providence,  has 
found  in  him  an  able  supporter  and  ardent  advocate. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  affiliated  with 
Adelphoi  Lodge,  Providence  Chapter,  No.  i ;  St.  John's 
Commandery,  No.  i,  of  which  he  was  an  eminent  com- 
mander in  1884.  He  is  a  past  potentate  of  Palestine 
Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  and  in  the 
Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite  he  l:as  attained  the 
thirty-third  and  crowning  degree,  and  was  governor 
for  several  years  of  the  Society  of  the  Colonial  Wars. 
He  is  a  wide  traveler,  an  out-of-door  sportsman,  and 
a  member  of  many  social  and  sporting  clubs.  His 
yacht  "Southwinds"  is  well  known  off  shore  between 
Montauk  and  Cape  Cod,  and  every  spring  that  he  is 
not  in  Europe — and  he  has  made  a  hundred  crossings — 
finds  him  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  hunting  the  elusive 
tarpon.     Mr.  Shepley  yields  to  the  enthusiasts  of  the 


264 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


collector  and  has  something  of  the  expert's  knowledge 
and  judgment  of  rare  "Americana."  His  library  of 
colonial  and  historical  relics  is  said  to  be  one  of  the 
finest  and  most  original  in  the  country.  It  includes  a 
collection  of  original  documents,  charters,  letters, 
prints  and  books,  that  is  not  only  unique,  and  many 
items  of  which  cannot  be  duplicated,  but  which  is  also 
of  priceless  historical  value  and  a  veritable  mine  of 
information  for  the  future  historian  of  Rhode  Island. 
His  name  carries  weight  throughout  the  insurance 
world  as  one  not  only  synonymous  with  success,  but 
one  that  stands  for  proven  integrity,  sound  judgment 
and  splendid  manhood.  Colonel  Shepley  was  president 
of  the  Narragansett  Boat  Club  for  many  years,  was 
president  of  the  Commercial  Club  during  the  old 
regime,  and  after  its  reorganization,  his  other  Provi- 
dence clubs  being  the  Hope,  Squantuni  Association, 
and  West  Side.  Out-of-town  clubs  are  the  St.  James, 
of  Montreal,  Canada;  Union  League,  New  York 
Yacht,  and  Down  Town  of  New  York;  Exchange,  of 
Boston;    and  Travelers',  of  Paris. 

Colonel  Shepley  married,  in  Providence,  September 
15,  1880,  Carrie  L.  Peck,  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  died 
February,  1912,  daughter  of  Edwin  and  Emma  R. 
Peck,  of  ancient  New  England  lineage.  Colonel  and 
Mrs.  Shepley  are  the  parents  of  two  daughters:  Hope; 
and  Virginia,  now  Mrs.  E.  H.  F.  Metcalf. 


DR.  WILLIAM  HENRY  BOWEN,  one  of  the  best 
known  and  most  popular  physicians  of  Scituate,  R.  I., 
where  he  has  been  for  many  years  engaged  in  the  gen- 
eral practice  of  his  profession,  is  a  member  of  an  old 
and  prominent  New  England  family,  which  was  founded 
in  this  country  in  the  early  Colonial  period.  The 
Bowen  family  is  believed  to  have  been  of  Welsh 
origin  and  has  been  for  many  years  identified  with 
the  life  of  Gloucester  and  Scituate,  where  many  of  its 
members  have  held  distinguished  positions. 

(I)  Richard  Bowen  is  believed  to  have  been  a  native 
of  Glamorganshire,  Wales,  and  to  have  come  from 
that  region  about  1640  to  the  New  England  colonies, 
where  he  settled  in  the  town  of  Rehoboth.  Mass.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  purchasers  of  the  lands  in  that 
town  in  1643.  and  the  value  of  his  allotment  was  fixed 
at  two  hundred  seventy  pounds  sterling,  a  large  sum 
for  those  days.  He  was  one  of  the  first  board  of  select- 
men of  Rehoboth,  being  elected  to  that  body  on  the 
ninth  of  December,  1644.  His  name  appears  on  the 
town  register  as  a  landowner  in  1645,  and  he  was 
admitted  as  a  freeman  in  1651.  He  owned  a  large  tract 
of  land  along  the  Fresh  Water  tributary  of  the  river 
flowing  south  from  Seekonk.  which  later  became 
known  as  Runens  river,  and  Bowen's  bridge  across 
the  stream  is  still  referred  to.  On  this  river  and  about 
what  was  known  as  "Hundred  Acre  Cove,"  there  ex- 
tended large  fresh  and  salt  water  meadows,  which 
were  in  demand  by  the  early  settlers  in  Rehoboth,  on 
account  of  the  excellent  food  which  they  furnished  for 
the  cattle  and  horses  during  the  winter  months.  Rich- 
ard Bowen's  name,  together  with  that  of  other  citizens 
of  Rehoboth,  is  recorded  as  engaged  in  a  conference 
with  the  men  from  the  Sowams  region,  to  fix  the 
boundary   line   between   the   two   places.     Among  the 


latter  was  Myles  Standish  of  Colonial  fame.  Richard 
Bowen  married,  March  4,  1646,  Esther  Sutton,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Wil- 
liam, Obediah,  who  is  mentioned  below;  Richard,  Jr., 
Alice  W'heaton,  Sarah  Fuller,  and  Ruth  Leverich. 

(II)  Obediah  Bowen,  second  son  of  Richard  and 
Esther  (Sutton)  Bowen,  was  born  at  Rehoboth  and 
made  that  town  his  residence  through  his  life.  He 
married  Mary  Clifton  and  their  children,  all  of  whom 
were  born  in  Rehoboth,  were  as  follows:  Obediah, 
Jr.,  born  Sept.  18,  1651;  Mary,  born  Jan.  18,  1653; 
Sarah,  born  Nov.  6,  1654;  Samuel,  born  July  16,  1659; 
Joseph,  who  is  mentioned  below;  Thomas,  born  Aug. 
3,  1664;    Hannah,  born  May  3,  1665;    Lydia,  born  April 

23,  1666;  Mercy,  born  March  18,  1672;  and  Isaac,  born 
Sept.  30,  1674.  The  parents  of  these  children  died  at 
Swansea,  Mass.,  in  1710  and  1697,  respectively. 

(III)  Joseph  Bowen,  son  of  Obediah  and  Mary 
(Clifton)  Bowen,  was  born  at  Rehoboth,  June  26,  1662, 
and  resided  there  during  his  entire  life.     He  married 

Elizabeth  — •,   and   they   were   the   parents   of  the 

following  children:  John,  born  Sept.  26,  1689;  Ruth, 
born  Oct.  15,  1691;  Elisha,  who  is  mentioned  below; 
Obediah,  born  July  7,  1695;  Naomi,  bom  Sept.  9, 
1697;  Joseph,  Jr.,  born  Nov.  9,  1699;  Jabish  (or  Jabez), 
born  Nov.  23,  1701;  Elizabeth,  born  June  6,  1704.  and 
Mary,  born  July  i,  1706.  Of  these  children,  Elisha, 
Obediah  and  Jabish  (Jabez)  seemed  to  have  removed 
from  Rehoboth  to  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  in  which  place 
the  family  has  since  been  numerous. 

(IV)  Elisha  Bowen,  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth 
Bowen,  was  born  at  Rehoboth,  July  6,  1693.  He  later 
removed  to  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  and  it  was  there  that 
his  death  occurred.  He  married  in  September,  1714, 
Susannah  Simons,  of  Rehoboth,  and  they  were  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  Hannah,  born  Marcli 
9,  1716,  at  Rehoboth;  Hezekiah,  who  is  mentioned 
below;  Elisha,  Jr.,  born  .\ug.  18,  1724,  and  died  in 
infancy;  Elisha,  Jr.,  born  Feb.  15,  1726,  at  Rehoboth; 
and  William  and  Jabez  (twins)  who  were  bom  at 
Gloucester,   R.   I. 

(V)  Hezekiah  Bowen,  son  of  Elisha  and  Susannah 
(Simons)  Bowen,  was  born  at  Rehoboth,  January  20, 
171S.  He  removed  with  his  parents  to  Gloucester, 
R.  I.,  where  he  resided  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life  and  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farming.  He 
probably  married  (first)  November  12,  1740,  Mary 
Ormsby,   of   Barrington,   R.   I.,  and   (second)    Zerviah 

,   of   Scituate.     By  his   first  marriage   he  had  a 

large  number  of  children,  among  whom  should  be 
mentioned  Hezekiah,  Jr..  Simeon,  and  Asahel,  who  is 
mentioned  at  length  below.  By  his  second  wife  he  had 
two  children.  Jesse  and  Asa. 

(VD  Asahel  Bowen,  son  of  Hezekiah  and  Mary 
(.^rmsby,  or  Ormsby)  Bowen,  was  born  at  Gloucester, 
R.  I.,  March  12,  1760.  He  was  a  farmer  and  lived  at 
Gloucester,  near  the  Scituate  line.  His  death  occurred 
when  he  was  but  forty  years  of  age  and  he  was  survived 
many  years  by  his  wife,  who  died  March  27,  1837.  He 
married  Lavina  Coman.  born  March  14,  1760,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children;  David, 
who  is  mentioned  at  length  below;   Joshua,  born  Sept. 

24,  1782;    Eber,  born  Jan.  i,  1786;    Coman,  born  Sept. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


265 


8,  17SS;  Deborah,  born  May  21,  1791;  Joseph,  born 
March  J.,.  1794,  and  died  in  infancy;  Joseph  (2),  horn 
March  3,  1795;  Riley,  born  Aug.  29,  1797;  and  Dor- 
cas, born  Sept.  27,  i8oi. 

(\in  David  Bowen,  son  of  Asahel  and  Lavina 
(Coman)  Bowen,  was  born  November  24,  1780.  at 
Gloucester,  R.  I.  In  his  early  life  he  followed  the 
trade  of  carpenter,  but  later  engaged  in  farming  at 
Gloucester.  He  married  Mary  Bussey  and  their  deaths 
occurred  respectively,  September  4,  1862.  and  March 
19,  of  the  same  year.  They  are  both  buried  in  the  old 
family  burying  ground  at  Gloucester,  near  the  line  of 
Scitiiate,  R.  I.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Elijah  B.,  Thankful  B.,  David  A., 
Asahel,  all  of  whom  died  young;  Nicholas,  who  mar- 
ried Sarah  Ann  Card:  David  A.,  who  married  Caro- 
line Rounds:  Mary  S.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Daniel 
Gorey;    and  Lyman,  who  is  mentioned  at  length  below. 

(VIID  Lyman  Bowen,  youngest  son  of  David  and 
Mary  (Bussey)  Bowen,  and  father  of  Dr.  William 
Henry  Bowen  of  this  sketch,  was  born  July  16.  1815. 
in  the  town  of  Scituate.  R.  I.,  and  there  was  a  farmer 
during  most  of  his  life.  He  married  Phebe  .\nn  Bur- 
gess, born  May  8,  1822,  at  Johnston,  R.  L  Among  the 
children  born  to  them  is  William  Henry  Bowen,  M.  D., 
with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially  concerned. 

(IX)  William  Henry  Bowen,  M.  D.,  son  of  Lyman 
and  Phebe  Ann  (Burgess)  Bowen,  was  born  April  18, 
1840.  on  his  father's  farm,  in  the  western  part  of  the 
town  of  Scituate.  As  usual,  with  the  lads  of  that  period 
and  region,  he  was  set  to  work  early,  assisting  his 
father  on  the  farm,  and  attending  in  the  meantime  the 
local  public  schools.  Although  his  educational  advan- 
tages were  very  slender,  he  was  naturally  a  student, 
and  while  little  more  than  a  child  developed  a  strong 
taste  for  books  and  study.  He  was  not  more  than 
twelve  years  of  age  when  he  decided  on  the  profession 
of  medicine  as  a  career  in  life,  but  this  ambition  seemed 
at  first  to  be  in  danger  of  premature  extinction.  His 
father's  family  was  a  large  one  and  his  financial  cir- 
cumstances not  very  good,  so  that  he  was  unable  to 
assist  his  son  to  any  e.xtent  in  the  latter's  efforts  to 
secure  a  medical  education,  and  it  became  necessary 
for  the  lad.  when  only  fourteen  years  of  age.  to  engage 
in  some  remunerative  occupation  in  order  to  earn 
money  for  his  education.  Accordingly,  he  secured 
employment  from  a  neighboring  farmer,  where  he 
worked  until  he  had  earned  a  sufficient  sum  of  pay  for 
his  tuition  at  the  Smithfield  Seminary,  to  which  insti- 
tution he  then  repaired,  walking  daily  the  four  miles 
between  his  home  and  the  school.  He  had,  however, 
to  continue  his  employment  in  order  to  meet  the 
many  incidental  expenses  in  connection  with  his  stud- 
ies, and  worked  both  on  the  farms  of  the  neighborhood 
and  as  a  teacher  in  the  local  school  for  this  purpose. 
For  five  years  he  continued  this  double  labor,  and  by 
dint  of  hard  work  and  rigid  economy,  prepared  himself 
for  college.  Three  nf  these  five  years  were  spent  at 
the  East  Greenwich  Academy,  where  he  completed  his 
preliminary  studies,  and  then,  at  the  age  of  nineteen, 
entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Charles  H.  Fisher,  of  North 
Scituate.  where  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine. 
Later  he  entered   Dartmouth   College,  where  he  took 


the  regular  medical  course,  and  in  addition  applied 
himself  to  special  work  in  chemistry  and  to  the  learn- 
ing of  the  French  language.  He  was  graduated  with 
his  degree  as  Doctor  of  Medicine,  October  30,  186.3, 
when  only  twenty-three  years  of  age.  Immediately 
after  completing  his  professional  studies,  Dr.  Bowen 
settled  at  Clayville,  where  he  was  in  general  practice 
for  about  three  or  four  years,  after  which  he  removed 
to  Rockland,  in  the  town  of  Scituate,  where  he  made 
his  home  for  twenty-one  years,  and  practiced  continu- 
ously during  that  period.  After  twenty-five  years 
of  rural  practice,  during  which  Dr.  Bowen  had  gained 
a  wide  reputation  in  this  community,  he  removed  in 
November,  1888,  to  Providence,  where  he  established 
himself  in  the  large  medical  practice,  continuing  until 
1915.  when  he  removed  to  Scituate.  He  is  now  uni- 
versally recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  members  of 
his  profession  in  this  city  and  enjoys  a  wide  popularity 
and  the  esteem  of  the  community-at-large.  In  politics 
Dr.  Bowen  has  always  been  an  Independent,  but 
although  he  has  never  identified  himself  with  any  polit- 
ical organization,  his  personal  popularity  with  his 
fellow-citizens,  and  the  confidence  that  they  repose  in 
him  are  such,  that  he  has  been  elected  a  member  of 
the  school  committee  of  Scituate,  and  has  served  on 
that  body  for  many  years.  He  has  also  been  school 
superintendent  of  that  place,  and  has  performed  an 
invaluable  service  to  the  community  in  the  work  which 
he  has  done  for  education  there.  Dr.  Bowen  is  a 
member  of  the  Providence  Medical  Association,  and 
the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society.  He  is  a  prominent 
Free  Mason  and  belongs  to  Hamilton  Lodge,  Ancient 
Free  and  .Accepted  Masons,  of  which  he  is  past  mas- 
ter: Scituate  Chapter,  Royal  .\rch  Masons,  of  which 
he  is  past  high  priest;  and  St.  John's  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar.  One  of  the  great  interests  of  Dr. 
Bowcn's  life  in  recent  years  has  been  the  cause  of 
temperance,  in  which  he  has  been  exceedingly  active 
and  has  done  much  to  influence  the  community.  He 
has  read  a  number  of  sermons  on  this  subject  in  most 
of  the  churches  in  Scituate,  and  has  spoken  frequently 
in  public  here,  and  elsewhere.  In  his  religious  belief 
Dr.  Bowen  is  a  Baptist  and  attends  the  church  of  that 
denomination  at   Scituate. 

Dr.  Bowen  was  united  in  marriage.  February  22, 
1865,  with  Phebe  Smith  .\ldrich,  daughter  of  Arthur 
Fenncr  and  Mary  Ann  (Harris)  Aldrich,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  North  Scituate.  To  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Bowen  seven  children  have  been  born,  four 
of  whom  are  now  living,  as  follows:  Cora  Aldrich, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Henry  C.  Sherman,  Professor 
of  chemistry  at  Columbia  University,  New  York,  to 
whom  she  has  borne  four  children:  Phoebe.  Henry, 
William  and  Carrie:  Harry  Lyman,  who  married  .\nna 
Tuttle,  now  deceased,  of  Fall  River,  Mass.,  and  re- 
sides at  Chicago;  William  Henry,  now  a  practicing 
physician  of  Wickford,  R.  L,  who  married  Mabel 
Snow,  of  Providence;  and  Frank  Aldrich,  who  is  un- 
married. 


HUGH  LINTON — Over  seventy  years  ago,  Hugh 
Linton,  founder  of  the  business  now  conducted  under 
the   corporate   name,    Pawtucket    Glazed    Paper   Com- 


266 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


pany,  of  which  he  was  president  and  treasurer,  came 
across  the  Atlantic  with  his  parents  from  their  native 
Scotland.  He  was  then  a  small  boy,  and  the  exact 
year  of  his  coming  was  1851,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  becom- 
ing the  family  home.  There  Hugh  Linton  attended 
public  school,  there  founded  the  business  of  glazing 
paper,  built  a  mill  in  the  rear  of  the  homestead,  and 
there  established  a  business  incorporated  in  1914,  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  his  sons  into  partnership  with 
him.  The  corporate  name  of  the  company  is  the  Paw- 
tucket Glazed  Paper  Company,  Inc.,  Manufacturers  of 
Glazed  Papers.  The  officials  are:  Jesse  Linton,  pres- 
ident and  treasurer;  H.  E.  A.  Linton,  vice-president; 
C.  M.  Linton,  secretary.  About  twenty-five  hands  are 
employed  in  the  factory  when  running  regular  time, 
and  a  large  business  in  their  line  has  been  established 
with  Japan,  Argentine,  Australia,  and  with  firms  in 
London.  From  the  very  first,  Hugh  Linton  kept  in  the 
very  closest  touch  with  his  business,  and  for  years  his 
days  of  labor  ran  far  into  the  nights,  so  determined 
was  he  that  his  little  venture  should  succeed.  Mr. 
Linton's  hobby  was  the  light  harness  horse,  and  in  his 
younger  days  he  owned  some  good  ones,  and  w'ith 
other  business  men  of  Providence  and  Pawtucket,  de- 
lighted in  a  good  road  race  whenever  he  came  up  with 
another  "good  one."  Until  his  death,  his  residence 
was  on  the  grounds  of  the  old  homestead,  and  there 
amid  the  many  changes  which  have  taken  place,  he 
enjoyed  a  long  and  successful  business  life.  Hugh 
was  the  son  of  Hugh  and  Nancy  (Mitchel)  Linton, 
born  in  Scotland,  his  father  dying  in  Pawtucket,  R.  L, 
in  1865,  his  mother  surviving  until  1873. 

Hugh  Linton  was  born  in  Paisley,  Scotland,  July 
13,  1846.  In  1851  the  family  took  passage  for  the 
United  States  in  a  sailing  vessel,  and  six  weeks  later 
arrived  at  New  York  City,  going  thence  to  Pawtucket. 
R.  I.  He  attended  the  old  Prospect  Street  Public 
School,  which  is  now  used  as  a  residence,  and  con- 
tinued through  grammar  grades.  He  early  became  a 
worker,  his  first  position  being  with  Ray  Potter  in  his 
cardboard  mill  in  the  rear  of  the  lot  on  East  avenue, 
now  the  site  of  American  Hall.  There  he  worked  on 
a  calendar  for  finishing  cardboard,  but  his  next  work 
was  in  the  new  cotton  mill  which  stood  on  the  site  of 
the  present  Scenic  Theatre,  and  owned  by  Ellis  Pitcher, 
Ben  Pitcher  and  Ellis  Thayer.  He  went  from  there  to  a 
cotton  mill  in  Ingramhamville,  owned  by  Hugh  Lackey, 
his  work  there  being  in  the  spinning  room.  James 
Brown,  who  afterward  founded  the  Brown  Machinery 
Company  on  Main  street,  next  employed  the  young 
man  in  making  brick  and  from  there  he  went  to  the 
Jacob  Dunnell's  print  works,  being  employed  in  the 
packing  room.  About  this  time  the  Lintons  moved 
to  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  and  there  Hugh,  Jr.,  was  em- 
ployed in  the  Schrowder  Print  Works,  going  thence 
to  a  better  position  at  the  Lonsdale  Mill.  Soon  after 
taking  the  last  named  position  the  family  returned  to 
Pawtucket.  moving  into  the  old  Tavern  House  on 
Slacks  lane.  While  residing  there,  Hugh,  Jr.,  was 
employed  in  the  Hiram  Thomas  cardboard  mill  on 
East  avenue,  there  remaining  for  some  time.  Hugli 
Linton,  Sr.,  bought  a  farm  at  South  .'\ttleboro,  Hu.gh, 
Jr.,  accompanying  the  family  there  and  remaining  three 


years,  when  they  all  returned  again  to  Pawtucket, 
locating  their  home  in  the  cottage  on  North  Bend 
street,  yet  standing  and  know-n  as  the  "old  homestead." 

All  this  moving  around  had  given  the  young  man 
valuable  business  experience,  and  he  decided  he  could 
do  business  for  himself.  He  found  a  financial  backer  in 
his  old  employer,  Hiram  Thomas,  and  in  the  old  gage 
mill  he  began  making  cardboard.  His  venture  suc- 
ceeded, and  needing  more  room  he  moved  to  the  Hope 
Thread  Mill,  where  he  secured  enlarged  quarters  and 
better  manufacturing  facilities.  There  he  remained  sev- 
eral years,  then  with  his  brothers  moved  to  the  Linton 
Brothers'  factory  on  Bailey  street,  there  continuing 
for  ten  years.  During  the  last  two  years  with  Linton 
Brothers  he  experimented  with  a  white  glaze  paper, 
and  finally  decided  to  leave  his  brothers  and  begin 
the  manufacture  of  the  same.  He  had  the  necessary 
capital,  and  erected  a  mill  of  wood,  one  story  high, 
300x400  feet,  ground  plan,  locating  it  upon  the  rear  of 
the  homestead  on  North  Bend  street.  In  the  mill  he 
installed  two  coating  machines  and  four  calendars,  and 
began  making  white  glaze  as  well  as  some  colored 
glaze  and  lithograph  papers.  He  started  the  mill  with 
a  force  of  ten  men,  and  with  very  few  changes  oper- 
ated the  plant  until  July  7,  1891,  when  a  fire  swept  the 
factory  out  of  existence  and  left  the  former  owner 
"broke."  It  was  two  years  later  before  he  was  able 
to  rebuild,  and  in  1893  he  erected  a  building  250x40 
feet,  two  stories  high,  on  the  site  of  the  old  factory, 
therein  installing  three  coating  machines,  four  friction 
calendars,  and  one  cutter,  the  plant  giving  employment 
to  fifteen  hands.  For  twenty-one  years  Hugh  Linton 
ran  his  mill  and  business  very  successfully  along  the 
lines  upon  which  he  started,  glazed  paper  his  product. 
Then  his  sons  who  had  been  his  assistants  became  their 
father's  partners  through  the  forming  of  a  stock  com- 
pany, with  the  stock  all  held  in  the  family,  Hugh  and 
his  three  sons  forming  the  company's  official  force,  as 
given  previously.  Five  years  have  since  elapsed,  and 
The  Pawtucket  Glazed  Paper  Company  (Inc.),  has 
continued  the  successful  career  begun  as  a  firm.  In 
igi7  a  fireproof  building,  225  x  40  feet,  two  stories  high, 
a  large  shipping  room  and  a  new  boiler  house  were 
erected,  the  twent\--five  men  now  employed  operating 
seven  coating  machines,  eight  calendars,  two  stack 
calendars  and  two  cutting  machines. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  Mr.  Linton's  favorite 
recreation,  driving,  also  to  his  energy  and  business 
ability.  A  talent  and  a  love  for  music  have  added  to  the 
joy  of  his  life,  his  instrument  being  the  E.  flat  cornet. 
At  different  times  he  has  been  associated  with  men 
who  were  the  best  of  their  day,  W'illiam  E.  Gilniore, 
Harlow,  Appelles,  Arbuckle  and  D.  W.  Reeves,  who 
in  Mr.  Linton's  opinion  was  the  greatest  of  them  all  as 
a  leader.  Bowen  R.  Church,  the  noted  cornetist  and 
Mr.   Linton  were  very  intimate  friends. 

Mr.  Linton  married  in  Pawtucket.  March  23.  1871, 
Elizabeth  Maxwell,  daughter  of  Hugh  and  Sarah  Max- 
well, Rev.  Constantine  Blodgett  performing  the  cere- 
mony. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Linton  were  attendants  of  the 
Pawtucket  Congregational  Church.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  two  daughters  and  five  sons,  two  deceased, 
Frederick,  died  aged  two  months,  Joseph,  at  the  age 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


267 


of  twenty-seven  years.  The  daughters  are:  Maud, 
who  married  Fred  S.  Crawford,  and  Louise,  who  mar- 
ried Ruel  P.  Luges.  The  living  sons  are  all  associated 
with  the  Pawtucket  Glazed  Paper  Company:  Jesse, 
president  and  treasurer,  married  .Anna  Davis;  Hugh 
E.  A.,  vice-president,  married  Marian  E.  Devlin; 
Carro  M.,  secretary,  married  Hazel  B.  White.  In  July, 
igi6,  Hugh  Linton  was  stricken  with  a  paralytic  stroke, 
which  resulted  in  his  death.  He  was  a  lover  of  his 
home  and  family,  and  was  one  who  believed  in  helping 
charitv. 


daughter  of  Feli.x  and  Rose  (Hurtibire)  Decarie.  To 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rocheleau  two  children  have  been  born, 
as  follows:  Walter  Claver,  Jr.,  .(Xpril  4,  1912;  and 
Pauline,  Dec.  s,  191.3. 


WALTER  CLAVER  ROCHELEAU,  M.  D.— 
.•\mong  the  prominent  surgeons  of  Woonsocket,  the 
name  of  Walter  Claver  Rocheleau  stands  very  high, 
his  reputation  and  popularity  being  the  test  of  the 
esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  the  community  where 
he  is  engaged  in  practice.  Dr.  Rocheleau  is  a  native 
of  Worcester,  Mass.,  where  his  birth  occurred  May  5, 
1881.  and  a  son  of  Joseph  C.  and  Josephine  (Tougas) 
Rocheleau,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that 
place.  Joseph  C.  Rocheleau  was  lor  many  years  en- 
gaged in  the  clothing  business  at  Worcester,  and  now 
lives  retired  with  his  wife  at  W'oonsocket.  Dr.  Roche- 
leau, as  a  child,  attended  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  city,  and  later  came  with  his  parents  to  Woon- 
sockct,  where  he  continued  his  education.  He  attended 
W'oonsocket  High  School  and  entered  Holy  Cross 
College  at  Worcester,  where  he  took  the  usual  classi- 
cal course.  He  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1903, 
with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  .'\rts.  and  then,  having 
determined  upon  medicine  as  his  profession,  he  entered 
the  medical  school  connected  with  McGill  University, 
at  Montreal,  Canada.  He  was  graduated  from  the 
last  named  institution  with  the  class  of  190S,  and  re- 
ceived the  degrees  of  M.  D.  and  C.  M.,  at  the  same 
L'niversity.  He  then  became  an  interne  at  the  Royal 
Victoria  Hospital  of  Montreal,  Canada,  remaining 
there  for  a  year  and  a  half,  after  which  he  spent  a 
similar  period  with  the  W^oonsocket  Hospital  in  this 
city. 

In  1910  Dr.  Rocheleau  began  the  active  practice  of 
his  profession  here,  but  from  the  start  he  specialized 
in  surgical  work  and  has  made  a  position  for  himself 
as  a  leader  in  his  specialty  here.  In  addition  to  his 
private  practice.  Dr.  Rocheleau  occupies  the  responsi- 
ble position  of  chief  surgeon  for  the  W'oonsocket  Hos- 
pital, where  his  work  in  this  line  has  excited  much 
favorable  comment.  Dr.  Rocheleau  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  public  affairs  in  W'oonsocket,  but  has  never 
affiliated  himself  with  any  political  party,  preferring 
to  remain  independent  in  all  matters  of  public  interest. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society, 
the  Woonsocket  Medical  Society,  and  the  .American 
College  of  Surgeons,  and  is  a  fellow  of  the  .American 
Medical  .Association.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  the 
Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  local  lodge  of 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the 
St.  Jean  the  Baptiste.  In  his  religious  belief.  Dr. 
Rocheleau  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  St.  .Ann's 
Church  of  that  denomination  here. 

Dr.  Rocheleau  was  united  in  marriage,  October  21, 
1910.   at   Montreal,   Canada,   with   .Apolline   Decarie,  a 


POTTER  BROTHERS — Among  the  most  success- 
ful manufacturers  and  prominent  figures  in  the  general 
life  of  South  Scituate  are  the  Potter  brothers,  where 
they  are  engaged  in  business  as  bobbin  and  spool  man- 
ufacturers. They  are  natives  of  Scituate,  and  sons  of 
Samuel  P.  and  Catharine  F.  (Wilbur)  Potter,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  this  place,  and  grand- 
sons of  Moses  Potter,  one  of  the  most  successful  men 
of  this  region  during  his  life.  The  business  which  they 
are  now  engaged  in  was  established  here  in  the  year 
1842  by  Moses  Potter,  who  conducted  it  under  the 
name  of  Moses  Potter  &  Sons  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  it  has  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  family 
ever  since. 

Moses  Potter,  a  descendant  of  Robert  Potter,  who 
came  in  1634  from  Coventry,  England,  bought  in  1828 
the  farm  where  the  bobbin  shop  now  stands.  On  this 
farm  was  a  hotel  where  stage  coaches  stopped  for  fresh 
horses,  dinner,  etc.  This  place  was  called  Pottcrsville, 
and  was  half  way  between  Providence  and  Plainfield. 
It  has  been  a  center  for  the  manufacture  of  bobbins 
and  spools  for  over  seventy  years.  The  shop  was 
destroyed  by  fire  July  17,  1878.  The  present  shop  was 
built  immediately  after  the  fire.  The  firm  was  known 
as  Moses  Potter  &  Sons  for  over  fifty  years.  Moses 
Potter  married  Susanna  Angell,  who  was  a  descendant 
in  the  sixth  generation  of  Thomas  Angell,  who  came 
over  in  1631  in  the  ship  "Lion"  with  Roger  Williams. 
Her  father.  Colonel  Israel  Angell,  was  one  of  the 
Revolutionary  heroes,  and  received  two  gold  medals 
for  his  bravery,  one  from  Wasliington.  and  another 
from  Lafayette.  Both  the  .Angell  and  the  Potter  fam- 
ily had  a  coat-of-arms.  They  were  the  parents  of  five 
sons,  as  follows:  Emra  A.,  Nehemiah  K.,  Moses  O., 
Samuel  P.,  and  Harley  W.  Three  of  the  sons  were 
associated  in  the  business  with  their  father,  and  oper- 
ated under  the  name  of  Moses  Potter  &  Sons. 

Samuel  P.  Potter,  son  of  Moses  and  Susanna 
(.Angell)  Potter,  was  born  in  Scituate,  and  succeeded 
his  father  in  the  management  of  the  old  concern,  re- 
maining there  until  his  death.  He  married  Catharine 
F.  Wilbur,  also  a  resident  of  Scituate.  They  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children  :  Ella  Lovisa,  mar- 
ried .Albert  Luther:  Mary  Esther,  married  .Arthur  B. 
Barden;  George  Henry,  born  June  3,  1859,  married 
Grace  Barden:  Frederich  James,  born  Nov.  29,  1864, 
married  Vivian  Stecre;  Nellie  Brownell;  Samuel 
Eugene,  born  March  23,  1869,  and  married  (first)  Mat- 
tie  Rathbun.  and  (second)  Annie  Sayles.  George  H. 
and  Grace  (Barden)  Potter  were  the  parents  of: 
Alice  Beatrice,  George  Preston,  and  Harriet  May. 
George  Preston  Potter  enlisted  October  20,  1917.  He 
was  in  the  Headquarters  Company,  66th  Artillery, 
C.  -A.  C.  He  served  his  country  in  France  about  six 
months,  and  received  his  discharge.  March  20,  1919. 

George  H.,  Fred  J.,  and  Samuel  Eugene,  sons  of 
Samuel  P.  and  Catharine  F.  (Wilbur)  Potter,  were 
born    in    Scituate,    where    their    childhood    was    spent. 


268 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


and  their  early  education  was  obtained  in  the  public 
schools  of  this  town.  They  afterwards  entered  the 
academy  at  East  Greenwich,  where  they  took  com- 
mercial courses  and  established  an  excellent  record  for 
scholarship  and  good  conduct.  Upon  completing  their 
education  they  entered  the  old  concern,  which  had 
been  established  by  their  grandfather,  for  the  purpose 
of  learning  the  business  and  have  remained  connected 
with  it  ever  since.  After  the  death  of  Moses  Potter, 
the  founder,  this  business,  which  is  the  oldest  of  its 
kind  in  Rhode  Island,  was  known  for  a  number  of 
years  as  the  Potter  Company,  but  in  1898  the  name 
was  changed  to  that  of  the  Potter  Brothers,  which  it 
retains  to  the  present  time.  The  brothers,  Frederich 
J.,  George  H.,  and  Samuel  E.  Potter,  continue  the 
business  at  the  present  time.  They  are  all  well  known 
in  the  general  life  of  South  Scituate,  and  in  politics  are 
staunch  advocates  of. the  principles  and  policies  of  the 
Republican  party  but,  like  all  the  members  of  the 
family,  for  three  generations,  they  are  quite  unam- 
bitious for  public  office  of  any  kind,  and  had,  on  a 
number  of  occasions,  refused  nomination  proffered 
them  by  their  party  organization. 


EDWARD  EVERETT  DODGE,  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  private  secretary  to  F.  A.  Sayles  and  for  many 
years  associated  with  the  great  Sayles  interests  in  this 
community,  is  a  native  of  Brooklin,  Me.,  where  his 
birth  occurred  December  i,  1858. 

On  June  29.  1629,  O.  S.  (now  July  10,  N.  S.),  ar- 
rived at  Naumkeag,  Mass.,  later  called  Salem,  on  a 
vessel  named  "The  Lyon's  Whelp,"  in  the  company 
of  its  first  settlers  from  England,  William  Dodge, 
from  whom  are  descended  all  who  bear  the  name  of 
Dodge  in  the  United  States.  One  writer  thus  de- 
scribes the  Dodges: 

They  have  never  known  poverty,  but  have  never 
been  ostentatiou.s  in  their  way  of  living — set  up  no 
style — are  not  fond  of  show — cannot  endure  shams  of 
any  kind.  At  school  there  are  always  bright  bovs  and 
girls,  capable  scholars,  but  the  boys'hate  restraint  and 
as  soon  as  possible  get  into  business  requiring  activitv 
of  mind  and  body.  This  may  also  be  said  to  be  true  in 
the  fullest  extent  of  the  exact  characteristics  of  the 
Dodge  family  of  Eastern  Maine  and  of  their  younger 
generation,  especially  is  this  true  of  their  integrity, 
honesty,   and  virtue. 

Mr.  Dodge  is  a  son  of  Abner  E.  and  Abigail  E. 
(Haskell)  Dodge,  the  former  a  native  of  Brooklin. 
Me.,  where  he  was  born  May  10,  1825,  and  died  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1904,  and  the  latter  of  Surry,  Me.,  where  she 
was  born  April  21,  1832,  her  death  occurring  Septem- 
ber 23,  1871.  Abner  E.  Dodge  was  a  shipwright  by 
trade  and  afterwards  went  to  sea  as  captain  of  a  trad- 
ing vessel.  He  retired  some  time  prior  to  his  death 
and  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  a  well-earned 
leisure.  He  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Mark  L.  B.,  born  Jan.  18,  1855,  and 
now  making  his  home  at  Brooklin,  Me.,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  business.  He  has  held  a  number  of  pub- 
lic offices,  including  that  of  tax  collector,  first  select- 
man, superintendent  of  schools,  and  also  representing 
his  community  in  the  Maine  State  Legislature;  Ed- 
ward Everett,  with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially 
concerned;  NeUie  E.  B.,  born  June  3,  1862,  and  died 
Aug.  6,  1863. 


Edward  Everett  Dodge  attained  his  education  at  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  town,  attending  both  the 
grammar  and  high  school  grades.  After  completing 
his  studies  at  the  last  named  institution  he  went  to 
Arctic,  town  of  Warwick,  R.  L,  where  he  secured  a 
position  as  entry  clerk  with  the  Sprague  store  of  this 
city.  Two  years  were  spent  by  him  in  this  occupa- 
tion, after  which  he  returned  to  Maine  on  account  of 
the  temporary  failure  of  his  health  and  was  obliged 
to  remain  out  of  active  life  for  a  period  of  some  twelve 
months.  Being  then  completely  restored  to  health  and 
strength,  he  returned  once  more  to  Rhode  Island  and 
this  time  secured  a  position  as  office  manager  for  H. 
W.  Potter,  who  conducted  a  coal  and  wood,  building 
material,  and  hay  and  grain  business  at  Riverpoint 
and  Cowesett,  here.  It  was  in  the  year  18S4,  two 
years  later,  that  he  first  became  associated  with  W.  F. 
&  F.  C.  Sayles,  at  Saylesville,  R.  I.,  working  for  a 
time  as  bookkeeper  in  their  office  here.  Later  he  was 
sent  by  his  employers  to  the  Phillipsdale  Bleachery  to 
fill  the  position  of  assistant  treasurer  and  finally  about 
1010  came  to  the  main  office  in  Pawtucket.  where  he 
has  remained  ever  since.  Upon  coming  to  this  city  he 
was  given  the  position  of  private  secretary  to  Mr.  F.  A. 
Sayles  and  has  continued  to  hold  this  very  responsible 
post  up  to  the  present  time.  A  number  of  very  im- 
portant interests  are  entrusted  to  Mr.  Dodge's  man- 
agement, and  in  addition  to  the  private  secretaryship, 
holds  the  office  of  assistant  treasurer  and  secretary 
with  the  Hamlet  Textile  Company,  the  River  Spinning 
Company,  the  Slater  Manufacturing  Company,  the 
Slater  Yarn  Company,  the  East  Providence  Water 
Company,  the  Putnam  Light  &  Power  Company,  and 
the  Central  Construction  Company.  Mr.  Dodge's 
grasp  of  practical  affairs  is  notable,  and  he  is  justly 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  most 
capable  business  men  in  this  community  and  exerts  an 
important  influence  upon  affairs  here.  He  resides  at 
Xo.  20  Allen  avenue,  and  has  a  summer  home  at  Sabin 
Point,  R.  I.  In  politics  Mr.  Dodge  is  a  Republican, 
but  the  ardent  duties  of  his  offices  render  it  impossible 
for  him  to  take  active  part  in  public  affairs.  He  is, 
however,  devoted  to  all  sorts  of  outdoor  sports  and 
pastimes,  especially  to  golf,  in  which  he  finds  his  great- 
est relaxation,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  Golf 
Club. 

Edward  Everett  Dodge  was  united  in  marriage  on 
Septemlier  18,  1883,  at  Crompton.  R.  I.,  with  Nellie 
E.  Wilde,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Hilton) 
Wilde,  and  a  member  of  an  old  English  family.  Mr. 
Wilde,  who  was  engaged  in  the  milling  business  at 
Manchester,  England,  now  resides  at  Centerville, 
R.  I.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dodge  the  following  children 
have  been  born:  Emma  A.  B.,  June  6,  1885,  a  gradu- 
ate of  Greely  School  of  Elocution  and  Dramatic  Art  of 
Boston:  Sarah  E.  B.,  March  15,  1889,  who  became 
the  wife  of  William  Arthur  Dalton,  of  Southbridge, 
Mass.:  Ruth  E.  B.,  Dec.  28,  1896,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Arthur  Lincoln  Stanley,  of  Pawtucket. 


JOSEPH  BALCH,  of  the  Balch  Audit  Company, 
located  at  Xo.  914  Turk's  Head  building.  Providence, 
R.    I.,   an   influential   citizen   of   tliis   community,    is   a 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


269 


member  of  an  old  and  distinguished  Xcw  England 
family,  and  traces  his  descent  from  John  Balch,  who 
was  one  of  the  first  men  to  settle  in  Salem,  Mass.,  in 
the  year  1636.  Mr.  Balch  is  a  son  of  Joseph  P.  and 
Laura  Tiffany  (Field)  Balch,  and  througli  the  maternal 
side  of  his  family  is  connected  also  with  a  number  of 
distinguished  New  England  houses.  The  father  of 
Mr.  Balch  was  a  native  of  Providence,  and  was  born 
in  tliis  city  in  the  year  1822,  and  died  here  in  1872. 
For  many  years  he  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  whole- 
sale druggist  in  Providence,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  citizens  of  the  community.  He  had  a 
brilliant  record  of  service  in  the  Civil  War  and  served 
as  major  in  command  of  the  I'irst  Rhode  Island  Regi- 
ment at  the  Battle  of  Bull  Run.  At  the  close  of  hos- 
tilities he  was  honorably  mustered  out  with  the  title 
of  brevet  brigadier  general.  He  married  Laura  Tiffany 
Field,  also  of  Providence,  who  was  born  in  Provi- 
dence and  died  in  the  year  1902,  and  they  were  the  par- 
ents of  three  children:  One  who  died  in  infancy; 
Joseph,  with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially  con- 
cerned: and  Mary  H.,  who  also  resides  in  this  city. 
Joseph  Balch  was  bom  on  July  16,  i860,  in  Provi- 
dence, and  attended  the  private  schools  of  this  place, 
completing  his  formal  education  at  the  Mowry  and 
Goff  School.  Upon  graduating  from  the  last  named 
institution,  Mr.  Balch  secured  a  position  with  the 
Providence  Institution  of  Savings  in  this  city  and  con- 
tinued associated  with  this  important  institution  for  a 
period  of  twenty-seven  years.  In  the  year  1904  he  was 
appointed  national  bank  examiner,  and  served  most 
efficiently  in  that  responsible  capacity,  resigning  there- 
from in  1913,  when  he  accepted  the  position  of  vice- 
president  of  the  Brooks  Audit  Company,  and  two  years 
later  purchased  the  local  business  of  that  concern, 
adopting  the  name  of  the  Balch  .Audit  Company.  Since 
it  has  come  under  his  management,  this  concern  has 
grown  and  developed  and  is  now  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  important  of  its  kind  in  this  vicinity.  Mr. 
Balch  has  not  by  any  means  confined  his  activities  to 
the  conduct  of  his  business  but  has  taken  always  the 
keenest  active  interest  in  public  affairs,  displaying  a 
public  spirit  that  has  won  much  commendation  from 
his  fellow-citizens  throughout  the  city.  He  has  always 
been  prominent  in  local  affairs,  especially  in  connection 
with  politics,  and  his  influence  in  this  department  of 
the  city's  life  is  very  extensive.  Mr.  Balch  has  served 
his  fellow-citizens  in  an  official  capacity  and  was  for 
nine  years,  since  1901,  a  member  of  the  City  Council, 
and  for  four  of  those  years  (1906-1910)  its  president. 
He  has  served  since  1910  on  the  Board  of  .Mdermen 
and  at  the  present  time  (1919)  is  president  of  the 
board.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  commission  on  the 
abolishing  of  grade  crossings  in  this  city;  a  commis- 
sioner of  the  Providence  City  Hospital  and  was  in  1912 
president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Society,  Sons  of  the 
American  Revolution.  His  clubs  are  the  Hope,  Turk's 
Head  and  Kiwanis.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
corporation  of  the  Providence  Institution  for  Savings. 
He  has  one  son,  Joseph  Balch,  Jr.,  born  Xovember 
1.3,  1890.  The  young  man  has  been  educated  at  the 
Providence  schools  and  the  Worcester  Polytechnic,  and 


finally  took  a  course  at  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology  at  Boston.  When  the  United  States  en- 
gaged in  the  great  European  War,  Mr.  Balch,  Jr., 
offered  his  services  and  was  attached  to  Brigade  Head- 
quarters of  the  5 1  St  Regiment  of  p'ield  Artillery,  26th 
Division,  and  served  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces  throughout  the  war. 


HALSEY  DE  WOLF,  M.  D.— The  name  of 
"Wolf,"  with  or  without  the  prefi.x,  has  its  counter- 
part in  many  tongues.  In  the  Teutonic  languages  the 
name  is  traced  back  to  a  Teutonic  original,  while  in 
the  Romance  languages  the  name  has  a  Latin  root. 
Among  the  Romans,  Lupus  stood  not  only  for  the 
beast  which  suckled  the  mythic  founders  of  the  State, 
but  also  designated  individuals  of  the  human  family. 
The  name  suggests  the  close  association  of  primitive 
man  with  the  animals  of  the  forest,  and  was  no  doubt, 
adopted  because  of  the  fancied  resemblance  between 
some  qualities  in  the  man  and  the  animal.  If  space 
permitted  it  would  be  interesting  to  note  and  trace 
some  of  the  forms  this  name  has  taken  on  the  con- 
tinent and  in  Great  Britain.  The  house  of  Guelph,  of 
which  Queen  Victoria  was  the  most  distinguished  and 
conspicuous  member,  descends  from  an  ancient  Euro- 
pean family  of  Welf  or  Wolf. 

Much  has  been  written  concerning  the  origin  of  the 
De  Wolf  family.  Genealogists  have  devoted  years  of 
research  to  the  subject,  and  have  unearthed  data  of 
great  interest  and  undoubted  authenticity.  Opinions 
differ  greatly,  however,  as  to  the  source  of  the  early 
De  Wolfs;  nevertheless,  it  is  universally  agreed  that 
the  family  is  among  the  most  ancient  and  aristocratic 
of  Europe.  Many  incline  to  the  following  theory  as  to 
the  source  of  the  name:  In  1.370,  Louis  de  Saint- 
Etienne,  a  French  nobleman,  attended  King  Charles, 
the  Fifth,  on  a  hunting  expedition.  During  the  chase. 
King  Charles  mortally  wounded  a  wolf  cub.  His 
lance  breaking  against  a  tree,  the  King  had  only  his 
hunting  knife  with  which  to  defend  himself  against 
the  mother  of  the  cub,  which  came  bounding  from  the 
forest.  Thereupon  Louis  de  Saint-Eticnnc  rushed  be- 
tween the  beast  and  the  King,  killing  the  wolf  with  his 
sword.  In  recognition  of  this  service  the  King 
knighted  Louis,  who  became  Louis  de  Loup,  and  was 
the  founder  of  the  French  family  of  that  name.  In  1423 
his  grandson,  Emilc  de  Loup,  accompanied  Princess 
Mathilda  to  Germany,  where  she  married  Frederick, 
Elector  and  Duke  of  Saxony.  Emile  de  Loup  became 
a  great  favorite  of  the  court,  and  was  made  a  baron 
in  1427.  He  then  changed  his  name  from  French  to 
German,  and  was  thence  forward  known  as  de  Wolf. 
His  direct  descendant,  Maximilian  de  Wolf,  founded 
the  Belgian  family  of  the  name.  The  title  of  baron  is 
borne  by  members  of  the  family  at  the  present  time  in 
Belgium,  Holland,  Germany  and  Livonia,  and  in  Eng- 
land, and  these  branches  have  borne  arms  for  cen- 
turies. 

The  prominence  of  the  de  Wolf  family  in  early  times 
is  clearly  attested  by  the  fact  of  its  many  well  defined 
and  notable  branches.  .Among  the  most  famous  of 
these  were  the  de  Goults,  or  de  Wolfs,  of  Provence 
(in  the  language  of  the  South  of  France,  wolf  is  ren- 


270 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


dcrcd  by  "Goult").  The  following  is  translated  from 
"L'etat  de  la  Provence  by  I'Abbe  Robert  de  Briancon," 
published  by  P.  Aubouen,  Paris,  1693. 

The  French  family  de  Goult — de  Wolf — of  Provence 
Is,  according-  to  tradition,  descended  from  a  prince  of 
Saxonv.  There  is  no  more  famous  family  in  the 
Provencal  nobilitv  than  the  de  Goults.  The  first  re- 
corded ancestor  of  the  de  Goults  in  Provence  was  Ros- 
tain  de  Goult.  His  son.  Remond  de  Goult.  received  the 
haronv  de  Saut  from  Emperor  Henry  V.  in  llOS.  Ber- 
trand  de  Guuli,  his  son.  distinguished  himself  in  the 
war  wag-ed  in  1150  by  the  Countv  of  Provence  against 
Princess  Etiennette  des  Baux.  His  descendant.  Isnard 
de  Goult.  was  appointed  grand  seneschal  de  Provence 
for  the  years  12S4  and  1286.  Another  well  known 
member  of  the  family  was  Remond  de  Goult.  who  was 
sent  on  a  mission  by  the  City  of  Aix  to  Queen  Jeanne 
of  Naples  in  1365.  Anaud  de  Goult.  a  knight  of  the 
Cirder  of  the  King,  was  the  founder  of  another  branch 
of   the  de   Goults.   the  lords   of   llouriez. 

The  house  of  de  Goult  bears  of  ancientry,  gold  with 
azure,  ravenous  wolf,  lanprued.  armed  and  villained  of 
gules.     Crest,  a  nascent   wolf  from   the   helmet. 

The  castle  of  the  French  de  Goults  overlooks  the 
little  town  of  "Goult,"  about  forty  kilometres  east  of 
Avignon  in  the  department  of  Vaucluse.  Exact  sim- 
ilarity exists  between  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  de  Goults 
as  described  above,  and  that  borne  by  Captain  Charles 
de  Wolf,  son  of  Mark  Anthony  and  Abigail  (Potter)  de 
Wolf,  who  was  of  the  sixth  generation  of  the  family 
in  New  England.  This  fact  would  seem  to  indicate  a 
close  connection  between  the  de  Goults  of  Provence  and 
the  founder  of  the  family  in  America. 

However,  it  is  thought  by  many  eminent  genealog- 
ists that  the  immigrant  ancestor,  Balthasar  de  Wolf, 
came  from  the  Livonian  branch  of  the  family,  which 
is  an  offshoot  of  the  earlier  Silesian  house  of  de  Wolfl. 
Of  this  branch  traces  are  found  as  early  as  the  thir- 
teenth century,  when  the  Scotch  family  of  McDecor, 
the  Wolf,  left  Scotland  to  escape  political  persecution 
and  settled  in  Germany.  The  first  record  of  the  de 
Wolfs  of  Sagan,  in  Silesia,  occurs  in  the  archives  of 
that  State  in  the  year  1452,  when  George  de  WolfiE 
was  plenipotentiary  of  the  Dukes  Balthasar  and  Ru- 
dolf of  Sagan  to  the  town  of  Goerlitz.  In  1465,  at  the 
sale  of  a  share  in  the  town  hall  of  Sagan  by  Duke 
Hans,  among  the  witnesses  mentioned  is  "our  dear 
faithful  Hans  de  Wolff"  (State  Archives  of  Dresden, 
Xo.  4371).  In  1474  a  grant  was  made  by  the  Dukes 
Ernest  and  Albrecht  of  Saxony  to  Jorge  de  Wolff  over 
Hansdorf,  Wolfsdorf  and  Klien  Selten,  in  the  princi- 
pality of  Sagan.  In  1539  there  is  a  record  of  the  inher- 
itance homage  of  the  brothers  Balthasar  and  Casper  de 
Wolff  to  Duke  Heinrich  of  Saxony.  In  1543  the  let- 
ters-patent given  by  Duke  Moritz  of  Saxony  to  the 
brothers  Balthasar  and  Casper  de  Wolff  over  the 
estates  of  Hansdorf,  Wolfsdorf  and  Klein  Selton  are 
confirmed. 

The  coat-of-arms  of  the  De  Wolf  family  in  America 
is  as  follows: 

Arms — Gold  with  azure,  ravenous  wolf,  langued, 
armed  and  vilained  of  gules. 

Crest — A  nascent   wolf  from   the  helmet. 

The  genealogist  of  the  de  Wolf  family  in  America 
has  satisfied  himself  that  the  immigrant  ancestor  of 
the  family  here  under  consideration  came  from  the 
Livonian  branch  of  the  ancient  de  Wolfs  of  Europe. 
The  crest  of  the  Livonian  de  Wolffs  is  the  same  as  that 
of   the   American   family,   and   there   is  a   widely   held 


tradition  in  the  family  of  Baron  Ariste  de  Wolff,  that 
early  in  the  seventeenth  century  a  younger  son  of  the 
baron  of  that  day  left  Livonia,  presumably  for  Ainer- 
ica,  and  was  never  heard  from.  Another  tradition, 
accepted  by  some  of  the  family,  is  that  their  ancestors 
emigrated  from  the  Baltic  province  of  Livonia  to  Ger- 
many, thence  to  Xormandy  and  from  there  to  England 
with  William  the  Conqueror.  This  would  seem  to  be 
borne  out  by  the  names  of  the  children  in  this  country, 
which  are  those  of  the  English  Bible,  and  in  common 
use  in  England.  In  view  of  the  prejudices  of  the  time, 
the  fact  that  Balthasar  de  Wolf's  children  married  into 
the  best  families  of  Lyme,  Conn.,  would  add  further 
support  to  the  tradition. 

(I)  Balthasar  de  Wolf,  or  as  the  name  is  spelled, 
Baltazer  de  Woolfe,  is  first  recorded  in  America  on 
March  5,  1656,  when  he  was  one  of  those  presented 
before  "A  Perticular  Court  in  Hartford,"  Conn.,  "for 
smoking  in  the  street  contra  to  law."  At  that  time  he 
was  evidently  a  resident  of  what  is  now  Branford,  for 
we  find  his  name  on  a  list  of  persons  who  settled  in 
that  town  between  1645  and  1660.  In  1664  he  was  a 
resident  of  Wethersfield,  Conn.  Four  years  later  he 
and  his  three  sons  were  members  of  the  train  band  at 
Lyme,  Conn.  He  was  made  a  freeman  at  the  General 
Court  held  at  Hartford,  in  May,  1671.  In  1677  he  was 
chosen  a  member  of  the  committee  of  the  town,  and 
was  yet  alive  in  1695.  Little  is  known  of  his  wife, 
Alice.  She  was  living  on  March  5,  1687,  when  she  is 
mentioned  in  a  deed  of  land  given  by  Balthasar  to  his 
son,  Simon. 

(II)  Edward  de  Wolf,  son  of  Balthasar  and  Alice 
de  Wolf,  was  born  in  1646,  and  died  March  24,  1712. 
He  is  referred  to  in  the  records  of  Lyme,  Conn.,  as  a 
carpenter.  He  was  a  member  of  a  committee  to  arbi- 
trate the  differences  between  the  people  of  New  Lon- 
don and  the  builders  of  a  church.  About  16S8.  Ed- 
ward de  Wolf  was  one  of  four  to  whom  permission 
was  granted  to  build  a  saw-mill  at  Eight-Mile  river. 
In  1701  he  was  granted  liberty  to  set  up  a  corn-mill 
near  the  saw-mill  by  his  house.  This  is  supposed  to  be 
the  site  owned  by  the  late  Oliver  Lay,  in  Laysville, 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  center  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Lyme.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  was  also  a 
millwright  and  miller.  He  was  one  of  the  volunteers 
in  Kin,g  Philip's  War,  who  in  December,  1675,  sur- 
rounded the  Indians  in  the  Swampy  Fort,  and  to  whom 
the  State  of  Connecticut  granted  the  township  of  Nar- 
ragansett,  now  X'oluntown,  Conn.,  as  a  reward  for 
their  services.  Edward  de  Wolf  probably  continued 
to  reside  in  Lyme,  however.  He  was  survived  by  his 
wife,  Rebecca,  to  whom  he  had  been  married  not  later 
than  1670. 

(III)  Charles  de  Wolf,  son  of  Edward  and  Re- 
becca de  Wolf,  was  born  September  18,  1673.  and  died 
December  5,  1731.  He  married  Prudence  (according 
to  some  authorities  Patience)  White,  and  resided  in 
Glastonbury  and  Middletown.  Conn.  He  engaged  in 
business  as  a  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  and  by 
his  industry  and  thrift  acquired  a  handsome  property. 

(IV)  Charles  (2)  de  Wolf,  son  of  Charles  (i)  and 
Prudence  (White)  de  Wolf,  was  born  in  1695,  at 
Lyme,   Conn.,  the  eldest  of  a   family  of  ten  children. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


271 


Apparently  he  learned  the  same  trade  as  his  grand- 
father, for  it  is  said  he  "went  from  Lyme,  Conn.,  to 
the  Island  of  Guadeloupe  as  a  millwright."  It  is 
thought  that  he  remained  in  the  French  Indies  for  the 
rest  of  his  life.  There  he  married,  on  March  31,  1717, 
an  Englishwoman,  Margaret  Potter,  who  never  came 
to  the  United  States. 

(V)  Captain  Mark  Anthony  de  Wolf,  son  of  Charles 
(2)  and  Margaret  (Potter)  de  Wolf,  was  born  Novem- 
ber S,  1726,  on  the  Island  of  Guadeloupe,  in  the  French 
Indies.  He  was  educated  in  a  French  school  on  the 
island.  When  he  was  about  seventeen  years  old,  he 
was  brcught  to  Bristol,  R.  I.,  by  Captain  Simeon  Pot- 
ter, whose  sister,  Abigail,  he  later  married.  Young 
de  Wolf  spoke  several  languages,  and  because  of  his 
proficieiicy  in  them  became  Captain  Potter's  secretary 
and  clerk,  and  accompanied  him  on  many  of  his  famous 
buccaneering  e.xpcditions,  and  later  commanded  ships 
belonging  to  him.  In  December,  1744,  a  few  months 
after  his  marriage,  he  sailed  from  Bristol,  as  first 
officer  i>f  the  privateer  "Prince  Charles  of  Lorraine," 
which  was  under  the  command  of  Captain  Potter,  and 
on  December  22,  of  that  year,  surprised  and  captured 
the  French  settlement  of  Oyapoc,  French  Guiana, 
making  heavy  reprisals  on  the  inhabitants  of  the  town. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution,  de  Wolf  found 
himself  in  comfortable  circumstances.  He  settled  in 
Bristol,  R.  L,  where  his  house  was  one  of  the  nineteen 
burned  by  the  British  in  1778.  It  was  located  at  the 
south  corner  of  Burton  and  Hope  streets.  After  the 
burning  of  his  home,  he  removed  for  the  safety  of  his 
family  to  Swansea,  Mass.,  where  he  settled  on  a  farm, 
and  undismayed  by  his  misfortunes  set  about  ener- 
getically to  recoup  his  losses.  In  1793  he  returned  to 
Brist'd.  reinstated  in  his  fortunes.  On  August  26,  1744, 
Mark  Anthony  de  Wolf  married  Abigail  Potter,  born 
February  2,  1726,  in  Bristol,  daughter  of  Hopestill  and 
Lydia  Potter,  and  sister  of  Captain  Potter.  Their  sons 
later  figured  prominently  in  the  shipping  and  commer- 
cial life  of  Bristol.  Abigail  de  Wolf  survived  her 
husband  and  died  February  7,  iSog. 

(\"I)  Hon.  John  De  Wolf,  son  of  Mark  Anthony 
and  .\bigail  (Potter)  de  Wolf,  was  born  in  Bristol, 
R.  I.,  May  17,  1760.  He  was  a  lifelong  resident  of 
Bristol,  a  ship  owner  and  merchant,  and  as  contem- 
porary records  tell  us  "one  of  the  best  farmers  in  "New 
England."  For  many  years  he  represented  Bristol  in 
the  f'Jhode  Island  State  Legislature,  and  on  one  occa- 
sion was  a  presidential  elector.  Hon.  John  De  Wolf 
married  in  1784,  Susan  Reynolds,  who  was  born  No- 
vember 24,  1759,  and  died  December  29,  1838.  He  died 
October  10,  1841. 

(VII)  Professor  John  (2)  De  Wolf,  son  Hon.  John 
(i)  and  Susan  (Reynolds)  De  Wolf,  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1786.  He  was  given  the  finest  educational 
advantages  which  the  times  afTorded,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  Brown  University  with  the  degree  of  M.  A. 
in  1813,  In  1817  he  was  chosen  Professor  of  Chem- 
istry at  Brown,  and  filled  the  chair  until  1834,  during 
which  time  he  was  one  of  the  most  popular  members 
of  the  faculty  of  the  university.  He  was  a  distin- 
guished scholar  in  Latin,  English,  Greek  and  Hebrew; 
and  also  in  ethics,  mathematics,  chemistry  and  astron- 


omy. During  his  connection  with  Brown  University, 
Professor  DeWolf  delivered  numerous  courses  of  pub- 
lic lectures  on  chemistry,  which  were  largely  attended 
not  only  because  he  was  an  authority  in  this  field,  but 
because  he  was  a  forceful  and  charming  speaker. 

He  at  one  time  represented  Bristol  in  the  Rhode 
Island  State  Legislature,  assuming  the  otTice  solely  to 
oppose  the  dismemberment  of  Bristol,  which  question 
was  then  before  the  House.  His  style  of  oratory  was 
an  unusual  one,  but  while  he  amused  by  his  trenchant 
wit,  he  convinced  by  the  soundness  of  his  arguments 
and  the  justice  of  his  appeals,  and  he  was  almost 
wholly  responsible  for  securing  for  Bristol  the  contin- 
uation of  its  rights  as  a  town.  On  December  10,  1806, 
Professor  De  Wolf  married  (first)  Elizabeth  James, 
who  died  January  7,  1818.  He  married  (second)  May 
13,  i8ig.  Sylvia  Griswold,  daughter  of  Rt.  Rev.  Alex- 
ander Viets  Griswold.  She  died  in  .April,  1834,  and 
he  died  March  2,  1862. 

(VIII)  Dr.  John  James  De  Wolf,  son  of  Professor 
John  (2)  and  Elizabeth  (James)  De  Wolf,  was  born 
in  Bristol,  R.  I.,  September  11,  1807.  He  was  graduated 
from  Brown  University  and  from  Harvard  Medical 
School.  For  nearly  a  half  century.  Dr.  De  Wolf  was 
actively  engaged  in  practice  in  Providence,  where  he 
rose  to  the  foremost  rank  in  the  medical  profession  in 
the  city.  He  married  Annette  Halsey  Winthrop, 
daughter  of  John  Winthrop,  of  Boston,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  famous  old  Winthrop  family  of  Massachu- 
setts.    Dr.  John  James  De  Wolf  died  July  25,  1894. 

(IX)  Winthrop  De  Wolf,  son  of  Dr.  John  James 
and  Annette  Halsey  (Winthrop)  De  Wolf,  was  born 
March  14,  1830.  In  early  life  he  served  on  the  Texas 
Coast  Survey.  During  the  Civil  War  he  served  in  the 
Second  Rhode  Island  Regiment,  and  was  a  member  of 
General  Burnside's  staff.  He  was  treasurer  of  the 
Franklin  Institution  for  Savings,  in  Providence,  treas- 
urer of  the  Bay  State  Brick  Company,  of  Boston; 
and  also  treasurer  of  the  People's  Gas  Company  of 
Boston.  Winthrop  De  Wolf  married,  June  10,  1863, 
Eugenia  Tamms,  who  was  born  October  3,  1832,  in 
Philadelphia.  Their  children  were:  l.  John  Win- 
throp, born  July  14,  1864.  2.  Agnes,  born  Dec.  13, 
1867.     3.  Halsey,   mentioned  below. 

(X)  Dr.  Halsey  De  Wolf,  son  of  Winthrop  and 
Eugenia  (Tamms)  De  Wolf,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  December  31,  1870.  He  was  prepared  for  col- 
lege at  Cambridge,  Mass..  and  matriculated  at  Har- 
vard. He  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1892,  with 
the  degree  of  A.  B.,  and  at  once  began  his  studies  for 
the  medical  profession  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  was  graduated  in  1897.  From  1897 
to  1899  he  was  an  interne  in  the  Rhode  Island  Hospi- 
tal. In  1899  he  entered  upon  a  general  practice  in 
Providence,  and  almost  immediately  rose  to  a  position 
of  leadership  in  the  profession.  Dr.  De  Wolf  is  a 
member  of  the  American  Medical  Society,  the  Rhode 
Island  Medical  .Association,  the  Providence  Medical 
Society;  while  a  student  at  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, he  was  a  member  of  the  H.  C.  Wood  Medical 
Society.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Agawam  Country 
Club,  .Art  Club,  University  Club,  Hope  Club,  and 
Squantum  Association  of  Providence;   of  the  Harvard 


272 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


clubs  of  New  York  and  Rhode  Island,  and  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Historical  Society.  In  June,  1917,  Dr. 
De  Wolf  was  commissioned  lieutenant  commander, 
United  States  Naval  Reserve  Force,  and  for  seven 
months  was  in  active  service  at  home  and  abroad. 
His  hospital  associations  are:  Physician  to  the  Rhode 
Island  Hospital  and  Providence  Lying-in  Hospital; 
consulting  physician  to  Butler  Hospital,  Providence 
City  Hospital,  and  Pawtucket  Memorial  Hospital.  In 
political  affiliation  he  is  an  Independent  Republican. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 

On  March  8,  1916,  Dr.  De  Wolf  married  Edith 
Howe,  of  Philadelphia,  daughter  of  Herbert  Marshall 
and  Mary  Wilson  (Fell)  Howe.  Mrs.  De  Wolf  is  a 
direct  descendant  of  Abigail  de  Wolf,  a  sister  of  Hon. 
John  De  Wolf  and  daughter  of  Mark  Anthony  de 
Wolf.  They  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Mary 
Howe  De  Wolf.  The  De  Wolf  home,  at  No.  305 
Brook  street,  Providence,  is  a  fine  old  Colonial  man- 
sion, nearly  a  century  and  a  half  old. 


WILLIAM  BROWN  ORR,  a  principal  figure  in 
the  business  life  of  Forestdale,  R.  I.,  and  the  sur- 
rounding section  of  the  State,  and  treasurer  and  agent 
of  the  great  Forestdale  Manufacturing  Company,  is  a 
native  of  Scotland,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  the 
Bridge  of  Weir  in  that  country,  .\ugust  20,  1866.  He 
is  a  son  of  James  and  .Agnes  (Brown)  Orr,  w'ho  came 
to  this  country  in  the  year  1870  and  settled  at  .\dams, 
Mass.  Here  William  Brown  Orr  attended  the  local 
public  schools  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  when  he  abandoned  his  studies  and  began  his 
business  career  in  the  humble  capacity  of  a  clerk  with 
the  Renbrew  Manufacturing  Company.  Mr.  Orr  re- 
mained with  this  concern  until  1906  and  learned  thor- 
ougly  all  the  details  of  cotton  manufacture,  working 
his  way  up  in  the  meantime  to  the  position  of  general 
superintendent.  In  1906,  however,  he  severed  his  con- 
nection with  the  firm  and  came  to  Rhode  Island,  pur- 
chasing his  present  plant  at  Forestdale,  which  was 
then  but  a  small  place.  From  that  time  to  the  pres- 
ent Mr.  Orr  has  met  with  phenomenal  success,  which 
has  been  due  directly  to  his  own  splendid  judgment 
and  business  foresight,  and  the  hard  and  devoted  work 
which  he  has  given  to  building  up  his  business.  He  is 
keenly  interested  in  industrial  problems  and  finds  him- 
self entirely  sympathetic  with  the  circumstances  of  his 
chosen  career.  The  Forestdale  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  1906  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$300,000,  the  officers  being:  H.  T.  Haywood,  of 
Franklin,  Mass.,  president;  W.  E.  Schuster,  of  East 
Douglas,  Mass.,  vice-president;  and  William  Brown 
Orr,  treasurer  and  agent.  Mr.  Orr  has  vastly  increased 
the  plant  of  this  concern,  the  output  of  which  is  cot- 
ton yarn.  He  has  built  a  new  four-story  daylight 
building  and  the  plant,  with  its  water  rights,  occupies 
an  area  of  ninety-two  acres.  There  -are  employed 
there  about  two  hundred  fifty  hands,  and  the  floor 
space  of  the  combined  buildings  amounts  to  more  tlian 
thirty-five  thousand  square  feet.  In  addition  to  this 
great  business,  of  which  he  is  the  virtual  manager,  Mr. 
Orr  owns  many  valuable  properties,  consisting  of  tene- 
ment houses  at  Forestdale. 


William  Brown  Orr  w-as  united  in  marriage,  No- 
vember 15,  1893,  with  Emma  Brooks,  of  Marston, 
N.  H.,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Abbie  (Sargent) 
Brooks,  old  and  higiily  respected  residents  of  that 
place.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Orr,  one  child  has  been 
born,  Marion  G.,  who  has  been  educated  at  the  public 
schools  of  Woonsocket,  at  a  private  school  at  North- 
ampton, Mass.,  and  is  now  a  student  in  the  Boston 
School  of  Design,  at  Boston. 


CLARENCE  HUGH  WALL,  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful of  the  practicing  osteopaths  of  Rhode  Island, 
where  he  has  a  large  clientele,  is  a  native  of  Ashland, 
Mass.,  his  birth  having  occurred  there  April  10,  1864. 
He  is  a  son  of  Franklin  A.  and  Alothina  V.  (Harts- 
horn) Wall,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased,  the  for- 
mer having  been  a  successful  contractor  and  builder 
for  many  years.  The  childhood  of  Mr.  Wall  was  spent 
in  his  native  town  of  Ashland,  until  he  had  reached  the 
age  of  ten  years,  and  it  was  there  that  he  began  his 
education,  attending  for  this  purpose  the  local  public 
schools.  At  the  age  of  ten,  however,  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Natick,  Mass.,  where  he  continued  his 
schooling.  After  completing  the  grammar  grades  the 
young  man  entered  the  employ  of  a  drug  firm  at  Lynn, 
Mass.,  and  there  continued  to  work  for  about  ten 
years.  He  was  exceedingly  ambitious,  however,  and 
had  a  strong  desire  to  add  to  his  educational  advan- 
tages with  a  professional  career  in  view.  Accordingly, 
he  entered  the  dental  department  of  Tufts  College  at 
Boston.  He  was  graduated  from  this  institution  with 
the  class  of  1891  and  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Dental  Surgery.  Immediately  afterwards,  he  began 
the  practice  of  this  profession  and  continued  for  ten 
years,  but  his  attention  was  called  to  the  subject  of 
osteopathy,  which  he  decided  to  study.  He  then 
entered  the  Massachusetts  School  of  Osteopathy,  at 
the  same  time  continuing  his  dental  practice,  and  in 
1899  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Osteopathy.  In  the  same  year  he  began  the  practice  of 
this  profession,  and  established  the  first  practice  of 
osteopathy  in  Rhode  Island.  He  has  a  large  and  suc- 
cessful practice,  and  is  well  known  not  only  in  Provi- 
dence, but  throughout  the  State. 

Dr.  Wall  has  been  exceedingly  active  in  the  general 
life  of  the  city,  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  its 
affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Osteopathic 
Association,  the  Boston  Osteopathic  Society,  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Osteopathic  Society,  the  New  York  State 
Osteopathic  Society,  the  Rhode  Island  State  Board  of 
Examiners,  the  State  representative  of  the  National 
Legislation.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  New  Eng- 
land Osteopathic  Association,  and  is  past  president  and 
treasurer  of  the  same.  In  his  religious  belief  Dr.  Wall 
is  a  Methodist,  and  attends  the  Mathewson  Street 
Church  of  that  denomination.  Dr.  Wall  is  prominent 
in  Masonic  circles  in  Providence,  being  a  thirty-second 
degree  Mason.  He  is  affiliated  with  St.  John's  Lodge, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  which  he  is  a 
past  master;  Providence  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
Providence  Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters:  St. 
John's  Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  and  the  Rhode 


^^--x-«<x=^  t^^^i^z^^,  'tuo 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


273 


Island    Consistory,    Sublime     Princes    of    the     Royal 
Secret. 

Dr.  Wall  was  united  in  marriage.  June  8,  1892,  with 
Edith  Maude  Rich,  of  Boston.  Mass.,  daughter  of 
Luther  W.  and  Clarinda  S.  (Buck)  Rich,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  city.  They  are  the 
parents  01  two  children,  as  follows:  Eleanor  Rich, 
who  resides  with  her  parents;  and  Gardiner  Hough- 
ton, who  died  in  infancy. 


RUFUS  JENCKES— For  a  period  of  over  two  hun- 
dred and  til'ty  years  the  Jenckes  family  has  figured  not- 
ably in  official,  business  and  manufacturing  life  in 
Rhode  Island.  Members  of  the  family  have  been 
loaders  of  prominence  in  public  life  since  the  middle 
of  the  seventeenth  century.  Joseph  Jenckes,  the  immi- 
grant ancestor  and  founder,  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
having  been  "the  first  founder  who  worked  in  brass  and 
iron  on  the  American  continent."  This  statement  is 
perhaps  exaggerated.  Beyond  doubt,  however,  Joseph 
Jenckes  was  the  first  of  the  early  pioneers  to  engage 
in  brass  and  iron  manufacturing  on  a  large  scale  in  the 
English  colonies  in  North  America.  Mechanical  gen- 
ius has  distinguished  his  descendants  through  two  and 
a  half  centuries.  The  Jenckes  have  been  business  lead- 
ers since  the  time  of  the  founding  of  the  family  in 
America.  Public  men,  financiers,  manufacturers  and 
inventors  have  placed  the  family  in  a  position  of  prime 
importance  among  Rhode  Island  families  of  early 
Colonial  date.  The  line  of  ancestry  herein  under  con- 
sideration is  that  of  the  late  Rufus  Jenckes,  for  many 
years  a  prominent  resident  and  business  man  of  the 
town  of  Lincoln,  R.  I. 

(I)  Joseph  Jenckes,  progenitor  of  the  family  in 
America,  was  born  either  at  Hammersmith,  Hounslow, 
or  Colebrook,  in  the  vicinity  of  London,  in  1602.  His- 
tory tells  us  that  he  was  an  inventor  of  considerable 
genius,  who  accompanied  the  younger  Winthrop  to 
New  England,  to  aid  in  the  founding  of  an  iron  works 
on  the  Saugus  river.  He  is  first  of  record  in  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay  Colony  in  the  year  1643.  In  1646  the 
Massachusetts  General  Court  granted  him  a  patent 
for  three  important  inventions — a  water-mill  or  wheel, 
a  machine  for  making  scythes  and  other  edged  tools, 
and  a  saw-mill.  He  then  purchased  the  right  to  build 
a  forge  at  the  iron  works  for  the  manufacture  of 
scythes.  Joseph  Jenckes  married  in  England,  where 
his  wife  died.  His  two  sons  were  left  in  the  care 
of  their  mother's  relatives  with  instructions  to  follow 
their  father  at  a  later  date.  The  cider  is  thought  to 
have  settled  in  Virginia.  Joseph  Jenckes,  Jr.,  was  to 
join  his  father  in  America  on  becoming  of  age,  but  was 
in  Xcw  England  considerably  before  that  time. 

(II)  Joseph  (2)  Jenckes,  the  son  of  Joseph  (i) 
Jenckes,  became  the  founder  of  the  Rhode  Island  fam- 
ily. He  settled  in  what  is  now  the  city  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  and  rose  almost  immediately  to  a  position  of 
prominence  in  early  manufacturing  interests  of  the 
town.  He  was  also  a  notable  figure  in  Colonial  affairs 
until  his  death.  Joseph  Jenckes  is  reported  to  have 
been  with  his  father  in  Lynn,  Mass.,  in  1647,  where  in 
all  probability  he  remained  until  his  removal  to  Provi- 
dence   Plantations.     He   was   the    first   white    man   to 

R  1-2-18 


builil  a  home  in  Pawtucket,  whither  he  was  attracted 
by  the  water-power  to  drive  his  forge  and  saw-mill. 
Family  tradition  states  that  he  settled  in  Pawtucket  in 
1655,  but  the  first  record  of  him  appears  in  a  deed  of 
land  he  purchased  in  Pawtucket,  on  October  10,  1671. 
He  is  referred  to  in  this  instrument  as  an  inhal)itant 
of  the  town  of  Providence.  On  March  25.  1669,  he 
had  a  grant  of  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Pawtucket 
river.  In  January,  1670,  his  name  appears  on  the  War- 
wick records  as  foreman  of  a  jury.  Joseph  Jenckes 
built  his  forge  below  the  falls  on  the  present  Main 
street  in  Pawtucket.  He  was  a  man  of  much  inter- 
prise,  active  not  only  in  business,  but  in  civil  and  pub- 
lic life.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Town  Council  in 
1680;  moderator  of  the  town  meeting  in  1679  and  1680, 
and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  ta.\  assessors.  On 
April  28,  1679,  he  was  chosen  to  represent  Providence 
in  the  General  Assembly  at  Newport;  was  Speaker  of 
the  Assembly  from  October,  1698,  to  February,  1699, 
and  is  referred  to  constantly  in  the  town  and  colony 
records  from  1684  to  1698  as  "assistant,"  in  which  ca- 
pacity he  acted  as  a  justice  and  performed  marriages. 
Joseph  Jenckes  married  Esther  Ballard  before  his 
removal  to  Rhode  Island;  they  were  the  parents  of 
four  sons  and  six  daughters.  The  sons,  Nathaniel, 
Ebenezer,  Daniel  and  William,  succeeded  their  father 
in  business.    .Ml  were  prominent  in  Colonial  affairs. 

(III)  Judge  William  Jenckes,  son  of  Joseph  (2)  and 
Esther  (Ballard)  Jenckes,  was  born  in  1675.  He  re- 
sided in  Providence  and  in  North  Providence,  and  was 
a  man  of  much  importance  in  the  early  colony.  In  1727- 
28-29  he  held  the  office  of  deputy  to  the  General  Court. 
In  February,  1731,  he  was  appointed  member  of  a 
committee  with  si.x  others,  to  meet  the  Ma^^sachusetts 
commissioners  to  make  and  settle  finally  the  boundaries 
of  the  colony.  In  October  of  the  same  year  he  was 
allowed  .£  100  by  the  Assembly  to  erect  half  a  bridge 
at  Pawtucket  Falls.  In  1734-35  he  was  appointed  by 
the  Assembly,  justice  of  the  Inferior  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas,  with  three  others.  In  1730  he  was  chosen 
to  represent  the  town  of  Smithfield  in  the  .Assembly. 
On  December  2,  1640,  he  was  appointed  member  of  a 
committee  to  represent  and  manage  the  affairs  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Colony  before  the  commissioners,  to 
hear  and  determine  the  boundaries  between  Rhode 
Island  and  Massachusetts.  Judge  William  Jenckes  mar- 
ried (first)  Patience  Sprague,  daughter  of  Jonathan 
and  Mehitable  (Holbrook)  Sprague.     His  second  wife 

was  Mary ,  who  died  in  1765.    He  died  October 

2,   1765. 

(IV)  Dr.  John  Jenckes,  son  of  Judge  William  and 
Patience  (Sprague)  Jenckes,  was  born  in  1732.  He 
was  a  practicing  physician,  and  was  known  as  "Dr. 
John."  He  married  Rachel  Lawrance,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  eleven  children,  among  them  Thomas, 
mentioned  below. 

(\')  Thomas  Jenckes,  son  of  Dr.  John  and  Rachel 
(Lawrance)  Jenckes,  was  born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  and 
was  a  lifelong  resident  there.  He  married  Patience 
Smith. 

(VI)  Rufus  Jenckes,  only  son  of  Thomas  and  Pa- 
tience (Smith)  Jenckes,  was  born  on  the  Jenckes  farm 
in  Smithfield.  which  he  inherited  and  made  his  home 


274 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


He  married  in  Smithfield,  AmyEldridge  and  Valentine  Inman.     Mrs.  Jenckes  is  de- 


throughout  his   life. 

Arnold,   member  of   a   prominent   family  of   Pittstield, 

Mass. 

(VII)  Geocge  Jenckes,  son  of  Rufus.  and  Amy 
(.Arnold)  Jenckes,  was  born  in  Smithfield,  in  lypS-  He 
settled  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Lincoln,  R.  I.,  where 
he  owned  a  Targe  farm  on  Jenckes'  Hill.  He  was  a 
prosperous  farmer  and  prominent  member  of  the  com- 
munity. George  Jenckes  married,  on  Ndyember.  i.o, 
i8.'2,  Mary  Ballou,  who  was  born  September  22,  1799, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Peter  Ballou;  she  died  June  26.  1885. 
He  died  on  h,is  farm  at  Lincoln,  January  18,  1885,  aged 
eighty-seven  y.ears.  They  were,  the  parents  of  two 
children:  I.  Newton,  died  young.  2.  Rufus,  men- 
tioned below.   '■'  T 

(VIII)  Rufus  Jenckes,-  son  of  George  and  Mary 
(Ballou)  Jenckes,  was  born  in- Lincoln,  R:  L,  Novem- 
ber 5,  1827.  He  .was  educated!  as  wei-e  most  farmer's 
sons  of  the  period,  attending  the  local  district  schools 
during  the  winter  months,  and  helping  with  the  work 
of  the  farm  during  the  summer.  At  an  early  age  he 
learned  the  trade-of 'cooper.  He' later  followed  the  sea 
for  a  period  of  years,  making  his-  first  voyage  on  the 
whaling  brig'  "Frances,"  which  sailed  from  Warren,- 
R.  I.  He  was  engaged  in  the  merchant  service,  plying 
between  the  United  States,  and  European  and  West 
Indian  ports.  ■  On  retiring,  from  the  sea,  he  returned  to 
his  former  trade,  and  entered  upon  the  manufacture  of 
barrels  at  Lim"e-  Rock  for  the  Limp  Rock  companies. 
In  1859  Mr.  Jenckes  retired  fi-om  busi'n'ess  life  to  de- 
vote his  entire  time  and  attention  to  the  management 
of  his  farm  "at  Lincoln,  wKich  he  conducted  ,  scien- 
tifically and  on  a  large  scale'until  ,his  death.  He  also 
engaged  extensively  -in. -dairying,  and  was  widely 
known  in  Lincoln  and  'the  vicinity .  as  -a  '  scientific, 
farmer.  He  was  successful  in  business  life  and  retired 
with  a  comfortable  fortiine.--=-  -     '.  '    '    ■       ■'       •      :■  ' 

Mr.  Jenckes- was  an  enthusiastic'  sportsman  and  a 
lover  of  out  door  life.  His  fiunting  and.  fishing' tours 
had  carried  hi'm  to  atlthe  large  game  preserves  'of  New 
England.  He  had  a  wide  reputation  in  the  hunting  of 
foxes  and  as  a  brush  shooter  had  few  equals.  He  was 
a  leader  in  sportin'g  circles,  and' was  "a  frequent  com- 
petitor at  shooting' tournaments  in  New  England,  at 
which  he  had  won  numerous  trophies.  He  was  partic- 
ularly fond  of  his  hunting  dogs,  and  always  had  one 
or  more  pedigreed  animals.  Mr.  Jenckes 'was  also 
active  in  fraternaL circles,  and  was  a  member'of  Mt. 
Moriah  Lodge,--No.  8,  .Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Ma^ 
sons,  at  Lime  Rock.  His  political  affiliation  was  with 
the  Republican  party,  but  beyond  performing  the 
duties  of  a  citizen  he  remained  totally  aloof. from  pub- 
lic affairs  and  politics.  ' 

On  July  4'  11853,  -Mr.  Jenckes  married  (first)  in 
Smithfield,  R.^L,  "Martha  E.  Angell,  who  died  in  1857, 
the  mother  of  two  children:  I.'  Oliver  A.,  who  mar- 
ried Cynthia  B.  Taylor,  now  deceased,  and  resides  at 
Pawtuckct,  R.  I.  2.  Ella  Maria,  who  married  Syl- 
vanus  L.  Peck,  and  died  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  Dec. 
18,  1894.  Mr.  Jenckes  married  (second)  on  January 
16,  1859,  Mary  E.  Eldridge,  who  was  born  Scpitember 
22,  1840,  at  Harrisville,  R.  I.,  daughter  of  Merrill  and 
Mary  (Inman)   Eldridge,  and  granddaughter  of  Caleb 


scended  lineally  from  several  of  the  foremost  of  Rhode 
Island  Colonial'  families,  and  numbers  among  her 
ancestors  patriots  of  the  .\merican  Revolution.  She 
resides  on  the  old  Jenckes  homestead  at  Lincoln,  on 
which  Dr.  John  Jenckes  settled  in  the  middle  of  the 
eighteenth  century  and  which  has  remained  in  the  fam- 
ily since  that  date.  The  estate  is  located  on  the  his- 
toric Jenckes'  Hill,  which  was  used  as  a  signal  station 
during  the  American  Revolution;  the  grove  on  the  hill 
was  a  Revolutionary  camp  ground.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jenckes  were  the  parents- of  six  children:  i.  Adna 
Mary  born  Jan.  7,  1861,  died  April  2,  1892;  was  for 
many  years  a  contributor  to  the  Pawtticket  "Gazette" 
and  "Chronicle."  -2.  Eliza  C,  born  Oct.  28,  1862,  died 
April  30,  1893;  married  Fred  I.  Vose,  of  Cumberland 
Hill.  3.  George  Thomas,  born  July  27.  1S65,  died 
April  26,  1904;  married  Ruth  Mabel  Vose,  of  Cum- 
berland Hill;  their  children  were:  i.  Bertram  Rufus; 
ii.  Everett  Ornando.  4.  Martha  E.,  born -Aug.  16, 
1866:  a  graduate  of  the  State  Normal  School;  prior 
to  her  marriage  she  was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of 
Rhode  Island;  she  married,  Charles  F.  Potter,  who 
died  in  May,  1895;  they  were  the  parents  of  one  daugh- 
ter, '  Ivy  Eldridge,  who  is  now  a  teacher  in  Lons- 
dale. Mrs.  Potter  is  now  principal  of  the  public 
schools  of  Saylesville,  R.  I.  5.  Smith  A.,  born  Oct. 
II,  1872;  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Lincoln,  and 
later  attended  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College, 
Providence;  he  is  now  residing  on  the  Smith  Jenckes 
farm  in  Lincoln;  Mr.  Jenckes  married  Pamelia  Beau- 
lieu.  6.  Eva  L.,  born  Aug.  28,  1876;  married  Frank  E. 
Vose,  and  died  May  21,  1893;  their  children  are:  i. 
Evelyn  Elsworth;  ii.  Louis  Frank.  Rufus  Jenckes 
died  at  his  home  in  Lincoln,  R.  I.,  March  13,  1895. 


•  MICHAEL  J.  HOULIHAN  was  born  in  Millbury. 
Mass.,  August  2,  i860,  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Keo- 
han)  Houlihan,  who  were  both  born  in  County  Water- 
•ford;  Ireland,  and  came  to  the  United  States  about 
the  "year  1848  and  settled  in  Millbury,  Mass.  His 
;father  was  a  man  of  limited  means  and  education,  and 
made- a  livelihood  as  a  farmer.  He  died  in  1868,  leav- 
.ing  his  widow  and  four  children. 

'  Michael  J.  Houlihan's  early  education  was  only  such 
as  he-  could  -obtain  in  primitive  district  schools,  but  he 
was  possessed  of  a  receptive  mind  and  habits  of 
thought  and  observation,  and  through  these  he  was 
enabled  to  acquire  a  generous  store  of  practical  knowl- 
edge which,  gave  him  position  beside  many  who  won 
■college  honors.  .\t  the  age  of  eighteen  he  set  out  to 
makq  his  own  way.  He  served  an  apprenticeship  of 
seven  years  at  the  carpenter  and  mason  trades,  in  Wor- 
cester, Mass.  During  that  period  he  took  a  course  in 
architecture  at  the  night  school.  At  the  expiration  of 
his  apprenticeship  he  worked  as  a  journeyman  for  a 
short  time,  then  entered  the  employ  of  Norcross 
Brothers,  contractors  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  as  assistant 
superintendent.  He  remained  with  that  firm  three 
years.  He  then  became  general  superintendent  for 
barling  Brothers  of  W''orcester,  a  firm  who  took  con- 
tracts all  over  the  country. 

While  with  Darling   Brothers  he  superintended  the 


zy 


K. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


275 


erection  01  the  Salisbury  Laboratory  building  at  Wor- 
cester, Polytechnic  Institute,  and  the  Magnetic  Meas- 
urement building  in  the  same  city.  He  was  in  charge 
of  the  erection  of  the  Bristol  County  Court  House,  the 
National  Bank  building,  the  Bowcnsville  Station  for 
the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad,  all 
in  Fall  River,  Mass.;  the  Arnold  stables  in  Pawtucket, 
these  all  being  notable  buildings  in  their  class. 

These  years  of  experience  as  a  superintendent,  com- 
bined with  his  skill  as  a  mechanic,  gave  Mr.  Houlihan 
the  foundation  with  which  to  build  a  business  for  him- 
self, and  in  1902  he  resigned  his  position  with  Darling 
Brothers  and  came  to  Providence,  where  with  Charles 
B.  Maguire  he  organized  the  contracting  firm  of  Houli- 
han and  Maguire.  The  first  contract  secured  by  the 
new  firm  was  for  the  erection  of  a  grandstand  in  Wor- 
cester, Mass.  This  was  followed  by  a  successful  bid 
for  the  building  at  124-126  Mathewson  street,  Provi- 
dence, now  occupied  by  the  Casino  Theatre.  They 
erected  the  Tillinghast  building,  corner  Westminster 
and  ^L^thewson  streets,  the  Arnold  building  on  Wash- 
ington and  Mathewson  streets,  the  Dutee-Wilcox 
building  on  Aborn  and  Washington  streets,  and  Hen- 
drick  Street  School,  all  in  Providence.  These  con- 
tracts, executed  in  strict  accordance  with  specifications 
and  agreements,  gave  the  new  firm  reputation,  and 
soon  a  demand  came  from  outside  Providence.  The 
Conant  building  in  Pawtucket  was  erected  l)y  them  and 
the  Rhode  Island  .Armory  building  in  that  city:  the 
Library  building  at  North  Attleboro,  and  many  smaller 
contracts.  The  year  1905  witnessed  the  dissolution  of 
the  firm  of  Houlihan  and  Maguire.  Mr.  Houlihan 
continued  business  alone  for  the  period  of  nine  years, 
and  acquired  a  position  in  the  contracting  world  sec- 
ond to  none  in  New  England. 

Mr.  Houlihan  erected  the  Lederer  building  on  Ma- 
thewson street;  the  hotel  at  the  corner  of  Snow  and 
Weybosset  streets;  the  house  and  stable  on  the  Henry 
Pearce  Estate,  corner  of  Brook  and  George  streets; 
St.  Michael's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  Oxford  street; 
Church  of  The  Blessed  Sacrament,  .Academy  avenue; 
John  W,  Keefe  Surgery  on  Blackstone  boulevard  (of 
which  he  was  also  the  designer) ;  the  old  Empire 
Theatre,  which  was  located  on  Westminster  street, 
W'here  the  new  Emprise  street  now  crosses;  the  build- 
ings of  the  James  Hanley  Brewing  Company  of  Jack- 
son street,  and  the  Providence  Brewing  Company's 
plant  on  Harris  avenue.  He  also  erected  St.  Paul's 
Roman  Catholic  Church  and  rectory  at  Edgewood, 
R.  I.,  and  St.  .Anthony's  Roman  Catholic  Church  at 
New  Bedford,  one  of  the  largest  churches  in  New 
England.  Other  buildings  of  which  he  was  both  de- 
signer and  builder  are  numerous,  including  the  plant 
of  the  Providence  Steel  and  Iron  Company,  which  plant 
he  owns,  the  brick  storehouse  of  the  Belcher  & 
Loomis  Hardware  Company,  which  extends  from  Or- 
ange to  Dorrance  streets;  the  Standard  Machinery 
Company's  plant  and  Hope  Foundry,  both  at  Auburn, 
R.  I.  Sound,  practical,  common  sense  governed  his 
construction  work,  and  although  not  in  the  mildest 
degree  a  lawyer,  he  is  a  recognized  authority  on  the 
building  "code." 
In  December,  igor,  with  John  J.  Maguire,  of  Paw- 


tucket, R.  I.,  Mr.  Houlihan  bought  the  Manufacturers' 
building  at  loi  Sabin  street,  an  immense  structure  hous- 
ing many  manufacturing  concerns.  In  1911  he  sold  his 
interest  in  the  building  and  became  a  principal  owner 
in  the  Standard  Machinery  Comiiany,  one  of  the 
tenants  of  the  Manufacturers'  building.  In  the  same 
year  he  designed  and  built  the  plant  at  Auburn  for  this 
company  which  they  now  occupy. 

Mr.  Houlihan  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Union 
Trust  Company,  also  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and 
The  Marine  Dry  Dock  and  Engineering  Company.  He 
has  been  treasurer  of  the  Builders'  and  Traders'  Ex- 
change since  January,  191 1;  treasurer  of  the  Standard 
Machinery  Company,  and  president  and  treasurer  of 
the  Barrington  Steam  Brick  Company  since  February, 
igi2.  This  company  has  a  finely  eciU'PPed  plant  at 
Barrington,  R.  I.,  famous  for  the  quality  of  its  face 
brick.  It  is  the  only  brick  manufacturing  plant  in 
Rhode  Island.  In  1912  he  was  appointed  by  the  city 
government  one  of  the  commissioners  on  the  layout  of 
Waterman  street  extension,  and  in  1914  he  was  selected 
one  of  three  commissioners  on  the  Empire  street  ex- 
tension, which  was  one  of  the  greatest  street  improve- 
ments undertaken  by  the  city. 

In  the  year  1914  Mr.  Houlihan  withdrew  from  the 
building  field.  He  acquired  a  high  reputation  as  an 
appraiser  of  real  estate  and  fire  insurance  losses,  and 
in  this  capacity  he  is  without  a  superior  and  appeals 
from  his  estimates  arc  rare.  He  has  also  been  trustee 
in  bankruptcy  for  several  companies  in  the  winding 
up  of  their  affairs.  On  July  16,  1915,  he  was  chosen  by 
The  Rhode  Island  Company  to  represent  them  on  a 
board  of  arbitration  to  determine  certain  questions  in 
dispute  between  The  Rhode  Island  Company  and 
Providence  Division,  No.  618,  of  the  .Amalgamated  As- 
sociation of  Street  and  Electric  Railway  Employees  of 
America.  The  board  rendered  their  decision  Decem- 
ber 24.  1915.  On  .April  2.3,  1919,  he  was  appointed  by 
His  Excellency  R.  Livingston  Beeckman,  Governor  of 
Rhode  Island,  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Labor 
for  t!ie  term  ending  January  .31,  1925. 

Mr.  Houlihan  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Club  and 
Knights  of  Columbus,  Providence  Council.  No.  95. 
He  always  refrained  from  any  active  participation  in 
political  affairs  and  is  an  independent  voter. 

He  married  Mary  Lacey,  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  No- 
vember 19,  1888.  There  were  two  sons  born  of  this 
union:  John  W.,  born  Nov.  16,  1890,  died  July  20, 
1914:  William  L.,  born  July  13,  1893,  died  Oct.  5, 
1911.  The  older  son  was  a  young  man  of  strong  busi- 
ness ability,  closely  associated  with  his  father  in  his 
various  enterprises.  Michael  J.  Houlihan  is  a  fin°  ex- 
ample of  the  "self  made"  man,  for  as  a  general  contrac- 
tor, manufacturer,  financier  and  appraiser,  there  is  not 
a  man  in  Rhode  Island  more  successful.  .A  man  of 
great  force  of  character  and  determination,  he  has 
won  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  public. 


JAMES  HELME  RICKARD,  JR.,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing attorneys  of  Woonsockct,  R.  I.,  where  he  has  been 
actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  for 
upward  of  twenty  years,  is  a  native  of  this  city,  his  birth 
having  occurred  here,  .April  i,  1875,  and  a  son  of  James 


276 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Helme  and  Abbie  Smith  (Weld)  Rickard,  both  of 
whom  are  now  deceased.  The  elder  Mr.  Rickard  was 
a  contractor  and  builder  in  this  region,  and  for  many 
years  carried  on  a  successful  business  here.  He  is  a 
descendant  on  the  paternal  side  from  the  Helme  family, 
one  of  the  oldest  and  most  distinguished  in  Washington 
county,  R.  I.,  and  that  region  of  the  State.  Mrs.  Rick- 
ard, the  mother  of  James  Helme  Rickard,  Jr.,  was  also 
descended  from  an  old  and  honorable  family,  the  Weld 
family. 

James  Helme  Rickard,  Jr.,  received  the  elementary 
portion  of  his  education  at  the  public  schools  of  Woon- 
socket,  and  graduated  from  the  high  school  there  in 
l8g2,  having  been  prepared  for  college  there.  He  then 
entered  Brown  University  at  Providence,  where  he 
took  the  usual  cljissica!  course,  and  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1S96,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
In  the  meantime  Mr.  Rickard  had  determined  to  make 
the  profession  of  the  law  his  career  in  life,  and  with  this 
end  in  view,  entered  Harvard  Law  School.  After  two 
years  at  the  latter  institution,  however,  he  entered  the 
law  office  of  Elder.  Wait  &  Whitman,  well  known  attor- 
neys of  Boston,  Mass.  He  was  adinitted  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts bar  in  the  month  of  February,  1899.  On  July 
23,  1900,  Mr.  Rickard  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island 
bar,  and  at  once  returned  to  Woonsocket,  where  he 
established  himself  in  the  general  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, and  has  been  thus  engaged  ever  since.  He  has 
developed  a  large  legal  business  in  this  city,  and  is  now 
regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  here,  much 
important  litigation  being  entrusted  to  him.  He  has 
won  an  enviable  reputation  for  ability  and  the  high  pro- 
fessional standards  which  he  has  always  stood  for,. and 
enjoyed  the  confidence  alike  of  his  professional  col- 
leagues and  the  community  at  large.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Bar  Association.  Mr.  Rickard  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  has  already  made  himself 
Eictive  in  local  aft'airs.  He  has  held  the  office  of  coroner 
since  1907.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Rickard  is  an 
Episcopalian  and  attends  St.  James  Church  of  that 
denomination  here.  He  is  also  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
social  and  fraternal  circles  of  this  city,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Eureka  Lodge,  No.  28,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  Loyal  Rebecca  Lodge,  No.  29.  Mr. 
Rickard  was  appeal  agent  under  the  selected  service 
law  from  .August,  1917,  to  December,  1917,  and  was 
chairman  of  the  local  board  for  the  city  of  Woon- 
socket from  December,  1917,  to  the  end  of  the  war, 
and  was  also  a  "four-minute"  speaker  during  the  war 
period. 

On  June  17,  1903.  Mr.  Rickard  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, at  Oneida,  N.  Y.,  with  Leah  M.  Horton.  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  H.  and  Etta  (Davis)  Horton.  Two  child- 
ren have  been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows:  Carroll 
Helme,  born  .\pril  20,  1909,  and  Dorothy,  born  January 
18,  1917. 


GILBERT  AMOS  ALDRICH— For  many  cen- 
turies the  name,  .\ldrich,  has  existed  in  England  and 
America,  first,  as  a  personal  name,  belonging  to  that 
class  which  is  baptismal  in  its  derivation,  and  originally 
rneant  "the  son  of  .Alderick,"  and  with  the  introduc- 
tion of  surnames  or  family  names  into  common  usage, 
it  became  one  of  the  most  prominent  in  England,  later 


to  be  transplanted  in  .American  soil,  where  it  has  since 
flourished.  It  is  found,  in  the  modern  day,  in  two 
forms,  Aldrich  and  Aldridge,  the  former  at  once  the 
most  ancient  and  the  most  popular.  The  latter  form  is 
used  to  a  great  extent  in  England,  and  counts  among 
its  representatives  several  members  of  the  nobility;  in 
the  L'nited  States,  however,  it  is  rarely  found. 

For  some  years  authorities  di.*lfered  as  to  the  source  of 
the  name.  Evidence  seemed  to  point  in  the  direction  of 
a  local  source ;  that  is,  that  the  founders  of  the  families 
assumed  the  name  of  their  locality  as  their  own,  as  well 
as  to  the  theory  of  a  baptismal  origin.  The  latter 
theory,  however,  has  been  conclusively  proved  by  the 
authority,  Bardsley,  in  his  more  recent  investigations, 
and  it  is  generally  recognized  as  being  correct. 

The  medieval  records  and  registers  of  ancient  Eng- 
land furnish  many  examples  of  the  early  forms  under 
which  the  name  existed.  William  Ailrich,  of  the  county 
Somerset,  England,  was  very  prominent  under  the 
reign  of  Edward  III.  (1312-1377).  In  the  "Calendarium 
Rotulorum  Patentium  in  Turri  Londinensi,"  we  find 
mention  of  John  fil.  Aldrech.  The  Hundred  Rolls,  of 
the  year  1273,  give  the  name  of  John  Aldrich.  of  Com- 
bridge  county,  and  the  Writs  of  Parliament,  1313,  men- 
tion John  Alrich.  Robertus  Aldrech,  1379,  was  a  man 
of  prominence  throughout  England,  and  John  .\ldryche 
was  bailiff  of  Yarmouth,  England,  in  1469.  Peter 
Aldrich  lived  in  London  as  a  prosperous  merchant  in 
1609-10,  and  Robert  Aldrich,  or  Aldridge,  as  he  was 
sometimes  known,  who  died  in  1556,  is  mentioned  in  the 
English  "Dictionary  of  National  Biography,"  as  a 
"scholar  and  divine,  was  born  at  Burnham  in  Bucking- 
hamshire,  toward   the   close   of   the   fifteenth   century." 

In  America  the  family  has  been  preeminent  since  the 
early  days  of  the  seventeenth  century,  particularly  in 
the  New  England  States;  and  in  later  years  they  are 
found  scattered  throughout  the  North,  South,  East  and 
West.  One  ancient  branch  of  Derbyshire  stock  found 
a  haven  in  the  Massachusetts  Colony  as  early  as  1631, 
and  it  is  of  the  descendants  in  this  line  that  ;his  article 
treats. 

The  Aldrich  coat-of-arms  is  as  follows: 

Arms— Or,  on  a  fesse  vert,  a  bull  passant  argent. 

We  find,  in  the  present  day,  residing  in  and  about  the 
city  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  representatives  of  an  Amer- 
ican fatnily  of  most  ancient  and  honorable  lineage,  a 
family  whose  founding  on  Massachusetts  shores  fol- 
lowed the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  so  closely  as 
to  be  separated  from  that  event  by  hardly  a  decade,  a 
line  that  has  produced,  in  each  successive  generation, 
men  of  a  type  true  to  the  original  founder,  whose  spirit 
of  purpose  and  high  ideals  seems  mirrored  in  the 
nature  of  each  following  descendant;  that  of  Aldrich, 
represented  in  the  present  generation  by  Mrs.  Cyrena 
J.  Aldrich,  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  has  produced,  in  the 
long  years  of  American  residence,  men  of  such  ability 
as  to  command  the  admiration  and  respect  of  a  nation. 

(I)  George  Aldrich,  the  progenitor  of  the  American 
family  of  Aldrich,  as  represented  in  later  generations  in 
the  colonies  and'  States  of  Massachusetts  and  I-vhode 
Island,  was  a  native  of  County  Derbyshire,  England, 
born  in  the  early  seventeenth  century,  of  good  parent- 
age and  excellent  family.  Perhaps  because  of  religious 
persecutions,  perhaps  through  a  love  of  adventure  and  a 


^(.yClcyy^^  //,  :^'Zji>Oy-<sLy^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


277 


longing  for  travel,  George  Aldrich,  in  the  fall  of  1631, 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  Katherine  (Sayers)  Aldrich, 
embarked  for  America,  and  landed  on  the  New  England 
shore.  He  settled  first  at  Dorchester,  Mass.,  where  he 
was  made  a  freeman  of  the  settlement  in  1631.  He  later 
removed  to  Braintree,  and  still  later  to  Mendon,  where 
he  was  one  of  the  first  seven  settlers  of  the  township 
of  that  name.  Many  cities  and  towns  of  the  present 
day  were  then  a  part  of  the  township.  He  owned  land 
and  was  known  as  one  of  the  prominent  citizens.  He 
was  a  resident  of  Braintree  from  1644  to  1663.  He  and 
his  wife  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  born  in 
Dorchester  and  Braintree,  namely:  Abel,  born  1633; 
Joseph,  1635;  Miriam,  1639;  E.xperience,  1641;  John, 
1644;  Sarah,  1646;  Peter,  1648;  Mercy,  1650;  Jacob, 
mentioned  below.  George  Aldrich  died  at  Mendon, 
Mass.,  in  1683. 

(H)  Jacob  Aldrich,  youngest  son  of  George  and 
Katherine  (Sayers)  Aldrich,  was  born  at  Braintree, 
Mass.,  February  28,  1652.  When  he  was  a  small  child 
his  parents  removed  to  Mendon.  and  here  he  received 
his  early  training  and  such  rudimentary  elements  of 
education  as  his  mother  was  able  to  give  to  him.  His 
early  years  were  spent  in  that  place  until  1676,  when, 
on  the  outbreak  of  King  Philip's  War,  he  returned  to 
Braintree,  where  he  resided  until  peace  was  restored, 
and  then  made  his  way  back  to  Mendon.  He  was  one 
of  the  prominent  men  of  the  town  for  many  years;  in 
1694  he  acted  as  assessor,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  styled  husbandman.  He  married,  November  3, 
1675,  Huldah  Thayer,  an  early  member  of  the  old  New 
England  Thayer  family,  the  daughter  of  Ferdinando 
and  Huldah  (Hayward)  Thayer,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  eleven  children:  Jacob,  born  1678;  Scth, 
1679;  Huldah,  Nov.  6,  ifxSo;  Rachel,  1682;  Sarah,  1683; 
David,  16S5;  Peter,  1686;  John,  1688;  Moses,  men- 
tioned below;  Mercy,  1692;  Rachel,  1694. 

(HI)  Moses  Aldrich,  youngest  son  of  Jacob  and  Hul- 
dah (Thayer)  Aldrich,  was  born  at  Mendon,  Mass., 
April  I.  1690.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  was  widely  known  as  a 
preacher.  He  was  an  all-round  mechanic,  which  trade 
he  followed.  Moses  Aldrich  and  his  brother,  David, 
were  the  first  users  of  water  power  in  Rhode  Island  to 
operate  a  forge.  Previous  to  this  it  was  used  to  carry 
water  nn  grass  meadows  to  grow  meadow  grass.  He 
married,  April  23,  171 1,  Hannah  White,  born  Decem- 
ber 9,  1691.  Their  children  were:  Abigail,  born  Sept. 
18,  1712;  Mary,  Feb.  15.  1714;  George,  Jan.  13,  1716; 
Mercy,  Nov.  28,  1717;  Robert,  mentioned  below;  Lydia, 
Oct.  28,  1721;  Thomas.  Feb.  24,  1724;  Caleb,  Jan.  14, 
1726;  Luke,  Feb.  9,  1728;  Alice,  May  2,  1730;  Moses, 
April  19.  1732;  Aaron.  Jan.  3,  1734. 

(IV)  Robert  Aldrich,  son  of  Moses  and  Hannah 
(White)  Aldrich,  was  born  at  Mendon,  Mass.,  Decem- 
ber II,  1719.  He  was  the  first  of  the  family  to  reside 
in  what  is  now  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  then  Cumberland, 
whither  he  removed  from  Mendon  in  1767,  and  pur- 
chased land  in  Cumberland.  He  was  the  owner  of  a 
tract  of  more  than  two  hundred  acres,  a  part  of  which, 
now  occupied  by  Gilbert  Amos  .\ldrich,  has  remained 
in  the  hands  of  the  family  since  that  day.  The  property 
extended  from  Monument  Square  to  the  State  Line 
^Massachusetts),  up  North  Main  street  from  Prospect 


street  to  State  Line,  Prospect  to  Somers  street,  to  the 
tract  owned  by  Joseph  C.  .■Mdrich,  a  brother,  to  Black- 
stone  river  and  up  the  river  to  the  Ellis  Mill,  which  was 
built  later.  The  land  owned  by  Darius  Buffum  and  the 
Catte  family  bounded  it  on  the  south.  The  old  family 
homestead,  built  by  Robert  .-Mdrich  in  1767-68,  stood 
on  the  Blackstone  road,  which  is  at  the  present  time  one 
of  the  finest  parts  of  the  city.  The  homestead  stood  on 
hand,  part  of  which  was  later  sold  to  the  Harris  fam- 
ily, and  which  became  a  part  of  the  estate.  Mr.  Harris 
also  bought  land  previously  owned  by  Benjamin  .\rnoId, 
at  the  rate  of  forty  dollars  an  acre,  and  included  about 
one  hundred  acres.  Robert  .\ldrich  married,  September 
7,  1746,  Patience  Mann,  and  their  children,  born  in 
Cumberland  and  there  registered,  were :  Jacob,  born 
Dec.  15,  1747;  Anne,  Dec.  15,  1749;  Mary,  .\pril  23, 
1752;  Zaban,  .Xpril  8,  1754;  .'\mos,  mentioned  below; 
.\mey,  June  30,  1758;  Baruch,  March  14,  1760;  .\bigail, 
Dec.  15,  1761;  Luke,  March  17,  1764;  Patience,  Feb.  23, 
1766;  Rachel,  Feb.  11,  1770. 

(\)  .-Xmos  .Aldrich,  son  of  Robert  and  Patience 
(Mann)  Aldrich,  was  born  at  Cumberland,  R.  I..  June 
II,  1756,  and  there  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 
He  married  at  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  July  20,  1782,  Sally 
Cook,  daughter  of  Silas  Cook,  of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  and 
their  children,  born  in  Cumberland,  were:  James,  men- 
tioned below;  Crawford,  born  July  6,  1785;  Joseph 
Cook,  .April  13,  1787;  Lydia,  Sept.  3,  1789;  Varnum,  Dec. 
4,  1791 ;  John  Innis,  -April  10,  1796;  Baruch,  May  16, 
1798. 

(VI)  James  .Mdrich,  son  of  Amos  and  Sally  (Cook) 
Aldrich,  was  born  at  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  November  29, 
1783.  He  married  (first)  Susan  Wilco.x,  daughter  of 
Stephen  Wilco.x,  and  they  had  one  child,  Amos,  men- 
tioned below.  He  married  (second)  Waity  Arnold, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  two  children:  James 
.Arnold  and  Susan  .Arnold  .Aldrich. 

(VII)  Amos  (2)  Aldrich,  son  of  Amos  (i)  and 
Susan  (Wilcox)  Aldrich,  was  born  at  Cumberland, 
January  24,  1813.  He  married  Senah  Abigail  Cook, 
daughter  of  Horace  Cook,  of  Wrentham,  Mass.  Their 
children  were:  Gilbert  .Amos,  mentioned  helmv:  Louis 
James,  born  at  Mendon,  Mass.,  1839,  died  in  1859; 
Lucretia  Bates,  born  in  1849,  died  in  1879;  she  married 
an  Aaron  Ciaflin,  of  Milford,  Mass.,  and  they  had  three 
children,  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  deceased. 

(\III)  Gilbert  Amos  Aldrich,  oldest  son  of  Amos 
(2)  and  Senah  Abigail  (Cook)  .Aldrich,  was  born  at 
Mendon,  Mass.,  August  II,  1837,  in  the  same  house  in 
which  his  grcat-great-great-great-grandmolher,  Huldah 
(Thayer)  Aldrich,  was  born.  It  had  long  been  in  the 
possession  of  the  Thayer  family,  and  from  them  de- 
scended to  the  Aldrichs.  Mr.  Aldrich  removed  from 
-Mendon,  Mass.,  to  Cumberland,  now  Woonsocket,  R.  I., 
with  his  parents  in  July,  1844,  when  seven  years  of  age. 
In  that  year  his  father  built  upon  land  which  had  been 
under  the  Aldrich  title  from  1767,  the  house  which  is 
considered  the  present  homestead  of  the  family.  It  was 
first  built  at  No.  324  North  Main  street,  but  was  later 
moved  to  No.  338,  and  in  its  place  was  built  a  more 
modern  structure.  Gilbert  .A.  .Aldrich  attended  the  first 
public  schools  of  Cumberland  and  the  village  of  Woon- 
socket, and  graduated  at  the  first  high  school,  which 
has  since  been  destroyed  by  fire.     He  attended  school 


278 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


during  the  winter  months,  and  aided  his  father  on  the 
farm  during  the  remainder  of  the  year.  Shortly  after 
completing  his  studies,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
American  Wringer  Company,  at  its  incorporation.  Dur- 
ing the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  he  served  as  assistant 
postmaster  under  John  Bumham,  who  was  then  post- 
master. Shortly  after  this  he  became  interested  in  the 
grocery  business,  engaging  as  a  clerk,  in  which  capacity 
he  served  for  six  years.  In  1876  he  opened  a  store  of 
his  own,  and  continued  in  that  line  of  business  for 
fourteen  years,  and  since  that  time  has  lived  in  retire- 
ment. 

Mr.  Aldrich  has  witnessed  the  growth  of  Woon- 
socket  from  a  small  village  to  a  town,  from  a  town  to 
a  city,  and  has  noted  all  the  changes  that  have  taken 
place.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  is  almost  eighty 
years  of  age,  he  is  very  active,  and  retains  all  his  excel- 
lent faculties,  being  especially  noted  for  a  good  memory. 
He  remembers  the  time  before  railroads  were  running 
in  that  section,  the  town's  transportation  facilities  con- 
sisting of  teams,  stages  and  canal  boats,  the  latter  ply- 
ing the  Blackstone  canal.  He  has  a  vivid  recollection 
of  these  boats,  and  all  the  sights  of  the  day.  He  remem- 
bers when  it  was  necessary  for  the  voters  of  the  town 
to  go  to  Cumberland  Hill,  where  the  only  poll  was 
situated.  He  cast  his  first  ballot  in  old  Armory  Hall  in 
VVoonsocket.  He  holds  the  record  among  living 
persons  for  continual  inhabitance  of  Woonsocket. 
Mr.  Aldrich  takes  great  pride  in  the  possession  of  a 
suit  of  clothes  worn  by  Amos  Aldrich  in  1816,  when 
three  years  of  age,  calico  print  pair  of  rompers,  im- 
ported goods,  diamond  pink  and  white  design,  wooden 
button-molds  covered  with  same  material,  ruffles  on 
the  trouser  cuffs,  which  is  in  wonderful  condition.  The 
first  day  the  suit  was  worn  by  Amos  Aldrich.  he  was 
taken  by  his  mother  to  Social  Village  to  visit  relatives, 
and  when  crossing  a  brook  he  lost  his  footing  and  his 
clothes  were  covered  with  black  mud.  The  descendants 
to  this  day  wear  the  suit,  for  a  short  period,  as  a  sort 
of  rite. 

Mr.  .Mdrich  married,  in  1862,  Minerva  A.  Wilkinson, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  (2)  Wilkinson,  of  Cumberland, 
R.  I.,  and  they  had  three  children,  as  follows:  i.  Jennie 
Louise,  who  became  the  wife  of  Fred  Haskell,  of  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business. 
2.  Minnie  Leona,  born  in  1866,  died  in  1869.  3.  James 
Gilbert  .'\mos,  born  in  1873,  married  Malvina  Kimball, 
of  Boston,  Mass. 


BENJAMIN  C.  GLADDING— The  surname  Glad- 
ding appears  lirst  in  New  England  Colonial  records  in 
the  year  1640,  when  John  Gladding,  the  immigrant 
ancestor  and  founder  of  the  family  in  America,  arrived 
at  Plymouth  in  the  Massachusetts  Colony.  Since  that 
date,  and  throughout  a  period  of  more  than  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy  years,  the  name  of  Gladding  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  New  England  life  and  industry.  The  family, 
although  originally  planted  in  Massachusetts,  is  found 
in  Rhode  Island  as  early  as  1666.  In  the  early  Rhode 
Island  Colony  and  in  the  Commonwealth,  the  family 
has  played  a  notable  part  in  public  affairs,  and  in  busi- 
ness and  finance.  The  late  Benjamin  Chandler  Glad- 
ding, treasurer  of  the  Phoenix  Iron  Foundry,  of  Provi- 


dence, was  a  member  of  the  early  Colonial  family,  and 
a  descendant  in  the  sixth  generation  of  John  Ghdding, 
the  progenitor. 

The  name  is  found  in  American  Colonial  records 
under  many  different  forms,  the  most  common  being 
Glading,  Gladden,  Gladen,  and  Gladding,  which  latter 
is  in  use  in  all  branches  of  the  family  to-day.  It  is  an 
ancient  English  surname  of  the  baptizmal  class,  and 
signifies  literally  "the  son  of  Gladwin."  Under  the 
entry  "Walter  Gladewyne."  the  name  is  found  in  the 
Hundred  Rolls  (1273). 

(I)  John  Gladding,  immigrant  ancestor,  was  a  native 
of  England  and  immigrated  to  .America  in  the  year 
1640,  landing  first  at  Plymouth.  He  removed  the  same 
year  to  Bristol.  R.  I.,  and  must  have  made  a  further 
change  of  residence,  for,  on  July  17,  1666,  his  marriage 
to  Elizabeth  Rogers  is  recorded  at  Newbury.  Mass., 
where  record  of  the  birth  of  their  first  six  children  also 
was  made.  This  was  not  a  permanent  residence,  appar- 
ently, for  the  births  of  his  last  three  children  were 
recorded  at  Bristol,  R.  I.,  to  which  town  he  most  prob- 
ably returned  later  in  life.  Children:  i.  Susanna,  born 
Oct.  6,  1668.  2.  John,  mentioned  below.  3.  William, 
born  July  25,  1673.  4.  Elizabeth,  born  Sept.  15,  1676. 
5.  Mary,  born  Jan.  14.  1679.  6.  Hannah,  born  Nov.  8, 
1 681.  The  following  children  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Rogers)  Gladding  are  of  Bristol.  R.  I.,  record:  7. 
Jonathan,  born  May  6,  1685.  8.  Daniel,  born  Nov.  8, 
1687.  9.  Sarah,  born  Nov.  20,  i6gi.  John  Gladding 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years,  according  to  fam- 
ily manuscript. 

(II)  John  (2)  Gladding,  son  of  John  (l)  and  Eliza- 
beth (Rogers)  Gladding,  w-as  born  at  Newbury.  Mass., 
October  II,  1670.  He  later  removed  to  Bristol,  where 
he  was  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  community.  He 
married  Alice  Wardwell,  born  October  31,  1663,  daugh- 
ter of  Uzal  Wardwell,  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of 
early  Bristol.  Their  children  were:  i.  Mary,  born 
Nov.  30,  1693.  2-  John,  born  Sept.  8,  1694.  3.  William, 
born  Oct.  13,  1698.  4.  Jonathan,  mentioned  below.  5. 
Ebenezer,  born  Dec.  8,  1702.  6.  Joseph,  born  Oct.  2, 
1704.  7.  Alice,  born  March  24,  1705-06.  8.  Elizabeth, 
born  Sept.  13,  1708.  9.  Nathaniel,  born  Dec  16,  1709. 
10.  Sarah,  died  May  27,  1712,  aged  eight  days.  II. 
Sarah  (2),  born  May  2,  1715.  Alice  (Wardwell)  Glad- 
ding died  March  3,  1720. 

(III)  Jonathan  Gladding,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Alice 
(Wardwell)  Gladding,  was  born  in  Bristol,  R.  I.. 
January  5,  1701.  He  was  a  life-long  resident  there,  and 
was  a  prominent  and  successful  farmer.  Jonathan 
Gladding  married  Sarah  Carey,  of  Bristol,  on  July  2, 
1726;  she  died  December  26,  1786,  aged  eighty-three 
years.  His  death  occurred  on  October  27,  1743.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Sarah, 
born  Sept.  i,  1727.  2.  Elizabeth,  born  Sept.  22,  1729.  3. 
Priscilla,  born  April  9,  1733.  4.  Nathaniel,  born  Oct.  6, 
'735-  5-  Jonathan  (2),  mentioned  below.  6.  Timothy, 
born  Nov.  18,  1740.    7.  Benjamin,  born  June  22.  1743. 

(IV)  Jonathan  (2)  Gladding,  son  of  Jonathan  (l) 
and  Sarah  (Carey)  Gladding,  was  born  in  Bristol,  R.  I., 
October  12,  1737.  He  married,  in  1764,  Susanna  Carey, 
who  was  born  in  Bristol,  R.  I.,  daughter  of  Allen  and 
Hannah  (Church)  Carey,  and  a  descendant  of  Colonel 
Benjamin   Church,   of  King   Philip's   War   fame.     Jon- 


BTOGRAPHICAL 


279 


athan  Gladding^  subsequently  removed  to  Providence, 
R.  I.,  and  was  a  resident  there  at  the  time  of  the 
American  Revolution.  Children  of  Jonathan  (2)  and 
Susanna  (Carey)  Gladding:  i.  Allen,  born  N'ov.  14, 
176^;  died  May  28,  1839.  2.  Jonathan.  3.  Phtbc.  4. 
Susan,  married  William  Davenport.  5.  Benjamin.  6. 
.Abigail.  7.  Sarah,  married  Walker  Humphrey.  8.  John, 
mentioned  below. 

(\")  Captain  John  (3)  Gladding,  son  of  Jonathan  (2) 
and  Susanna  (Carey)  Gladding,  was  born  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  1.,  .-\pril  I,  1777.  His  schooling  was  meagre, 
and  early  in  life  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  Providence 
merchant,  Corless,  by  name,  who  was  engaged  in  the 
East  Indian  trade.  His  first  voyage  was  made  as  super- 
cargo. Within  a  comparatively  short  period,  however, 
he  had  attained  the  rank  of  captain.  He  followed  the 
sea  until  1820,  visiting  all  parts  of  the  world.  In  1818 
he  was  in  St.  Petersburg,  and  during  one  of  his  trips 
an  efifort  was  made  to  induce  him  to  take  Mapoleon  from 
the  Island  of  St.  Helena.  He  was  a  man  of  wide 
mental  capacity,  and  spoke  Spanish  and  Russian  with 
great  fluency.  Extensive  travel  gave  him  the  polish 
and  versatility  of  the  cosmopolitan,  and  made  him  an 
excellent  conversationalist  and  a  host  par  excellence. 
In  1820  Captain  Gladding  retired  from  the  sea  and 
purchased  a  large  farm  near  Taunton,  Mass.,  where  he 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His  life  on  the  sea 
covered  one  of  the  most  stirring  periods  of  our  history, 
immediately  following  the  Revolution  and  extending 
shortly  beyond  the  War  of  1812.  In  the  latter  conflict 
he  served  as  captain  of  the  militia  company  which  was 
stationed  at  Fort  William  Henry,  his  commission  bear- 
ing the  date  of  July,  1814.  After  his  retirement  he 
lived  at  Taunton,  where  his  farm  was  noted  for  hospi- 
tality and  good  cheer.  He  was  popular  and  highly 
respected  among  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. 

Captain  John  (3)  Gladding  married  (first)  Eliza 
GifFord;  (second)  Margaret  Padelford;  and  (third) 
Mary  Tillinghast,  daughter  of  Captain  Joseph  and 
Mary  (Earle)  Tillinghast.  Children  of  the  first  mar- 
riage: I.  Josiah  G.,  born  Jan.  22,  i-gg.  2.  Louisa,  born 
Sept.  29,  1801.  3.  Henry  G.,  born  Sept.  2,  1803.  4.  Eliz- 
abeth, born  April  2,  1805.  5.  John  Carey,  born  Nov.  7, 
1807.  Children  of  the  third  marriage:  6.  Joseph,  born 
Feb.  17,  1823;  died  young.  7.  Allen,  born  May  5,  1824; 
died  young.  8.  Benjamin  Chandler,  mentioned  below. 
9.  Margaret,  born  July  30.  1827;  died  young.  10.  Mary, 
died  young.  Captain  Gladding  died  at  Providence, 
where  he  had  resided  for  some  years.  Fraternally  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons. 

(VI)  Benjamin  Chandler  Gladding,  son  of  Captain 
John  (3)  and  Mary  (Tillinghast)  Gladding,  was  born 
in  the  city  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  November  17,  1825.  at 
the  house  at  No.  20  .Arnold  street,  which  remained  his 
home  throughout  his  entire  life.  This  house  was  built 
by  a  man  named  Carpenter,  from  whom  Captain  Glad- 
ding purchased  same.  He  attended  the  public  and  pri- 
vate schools  of  Providence  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
sixteen  years.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of  his 
father,  remaining  in  the  latter's  establishment  for  two 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  entered  the  employ 
of  James  Hale,  of  New  York,  his  immediate  superior 


being  Nathaniel  Church,  the  agent  at  Providence.  James 
Hale  at  this  time  was  making  a  notable  attempt  to 
establish  a  postal  system  in  opposition  to  that  of  the 
government ;  his  rates,  which  bring  to  light  an  inter- 
esting comparison  between  postal  charges  in  the  middle 
of  the  past  century  and  those  of  the  present  day,  were 
ten  cents  from  Providence  to  Boston,  and  eighteen  and 
three-quarter  cents  from  Providence  to  New  York. 
Three  years  later  he  left  the  employ  of  Mr.  Hale  and 
Iwcame  associated  with  the  firm  of  Thurston,  Greene  & 
Company,  of  Providence,  builders  of  steam  engines, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  eleven  years.  Shortly  after- 
ward he  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business  in  Providence, 
but  discontinued  this  sometime  prior  to  the  Civil  War. 

Mr.  Gladding  then  entered  the  employ  of  the  firm  with 
which  he  remained  connected  for  the  rest  of  his  busi- 
ness career,  the  Phoenix  Iron  Foundry.  From  the 
comparatively  unimportant  post  of  bookkeeper,  he  rose 
to  the  post  of  assistant  treasurer,  and  finally  became 
treasurer.  In  this  post  he  rose  to  considerable  promi- 
nence in  the  business  and  industrial  world  of  Provi- 
dence. In  1888,  Mr.  Gladding  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness life,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years,  terminating  a 
connection  of  thirty  years  length  with  the  Phoenix 
Iron  Foundry. 

Mr.  Gladding  was  well  known  in  connection  with 
public  afTairs  in  Providence,  and  from  1865  to  i86g 
served  with  ability  as  a  member  of  the  City  Council 
from  the  Third  Ward.  As  a  member  of  the  City  Guards, 
enlisting  from  the  Third  Ward  of  Providence,  he  served 
in  the  Dorr  Rebellion.  He  later  became  connected  with 
the  .Vational  Cadets,  the  First  Light  Infantry,  and  at  a 
still  later  date  with  the  Veterans'  Association  of  the 
First  Light  Infantry.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Pioneer 
Fire  Company,  under  Captain  Rodman.  For  many  years, 
in  fact  many  decades,  he  was  a  well  known  figure  in  the 
life  of  Providence,  honored  and  highly  respected  as  a 
business  man  and  public  servant.  He  was  a  charter 
member  of  the  Squantum  Club,  and  an  honorary  mem- 
ber of  the  Marine  Society.  His  religious  affiliation  was 
w^ith  the  First  Unitarian  Church  of  Providence. 

Benjamin  C.  Gladding  married  Hannah  Thayer  Pope, 
daughter  of  William  R.  Pope,  of  Enfield,  Mass.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  i.  Mary 
Tillinghast.  born  Dec.  II,  1853;  Miss  Gladding  resides 
in  the  old  Gladding  residence  at  No.  20  Arnold  street. 
Providence.  2.  Frank,  born  Jan.  19,  1855.  died  May  9, 
l9or  ;  married  Corinne  Stearns  Halliday,  of  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.;  their  children  are:  i.  Benjamin  Halliday,  born 
Sept.  30,  1891  ;  ii.  Mary  Tillinghast,  born  Dec.  20,  1895. 
Benjamin  C.  Gladding  died  at  his  home  in  Providence, 
on  June  5,  1914. 

(The   Church   Line). 

(I)  Richard  Church,  the  immigrant  ancestor  of  this 
branch  of  the  family  in  America,  came  to  New  England 
in  the  fleet  with  Governor  Winthrop  in  1630.  He  was 
admitted  a  freeman,  October  19,  1630,  although  he  did 
not  take  the  customary  oath,  and  removed  from  Wey- 
mouth, to  Eel  river,  in  Plymouth,  Mass.,  where  he 
was  admitted  a  freeman,  October  4,  1632.  He  was 
taxed  in  Duxbury  in  1637.  He  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  and  with  John  Thompson  was  engaged  to  build 
the  first  meeting  house  and  the  first  gun   carriage  in 


28o 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Plymouth,  in  1637.  In  1649  lie  sold  his  land  at  Plymouth 
and  removed  to  Eastham.  He  was  at  Charlestown  in 
1653,  and  at  Hingham  in  1657.  We  find  him  at  Sand- 
wich in  1664,  when  he  deposed  that  he  was  fifty-six 
years  of  age,  which  fixes  the  year  of  his  birth  as  1608. 
Richard  Church  served  frequently  as  a  member  of  the 
"Grand  Enquest,"  and  was  made  referee  many  times. 
In  the  Pcquot  War  he  served  as  a  sergeant.  He  died 
at  Dedham,  Mass.,  December  27,  1668.  His  widow 
died  at  Hingham,  in  1670.  Richard  Church  mar- 
ried, in  1636,  Elizabeth  Warren,  daughter  of  Richard 
Warren,  of  Plymouth,  who  came  to  New  England  in  the 
"Mayflower,"  and  his  wife.  Elizabeth  (Jouat)  Warren. 

(II)  Colonel  Benjamin  Church,  son  of  Richard  and 
Elizabeth  (Warren)  Church,  was  bom  in  Plymouth, 
Mass.,  in  1639,  and  died  January  17,  1718.  He  was 
famous  as  an  Indian  fighter,  and  his  exploits  are 
narrated  in  early  histories  of  the  colonies,  prominent 
among  which  is  the  "History  of  King  Philip's  War," 
which  was  written  from  memoranda  made  by  himself. 
Little  is  known  of  his  early  history.  He  followed  his 
father's  trade.  On  December  26.  1667,  he  married  Alice 
Southworth,  daughter  of  Constant  and  Elizabeth  (Col- 
lier) Southworth,  of  Duxbury,  and  granddaughter  of 
the  wife  of  Governor  William  Bradford.  At  the  time 
of  his  marriage  he  was  a  resident  of  what  is  now 
known  as  Little  Compton,  R.  I.  He  was  made  a 
freeman  at  Duxbury  on  May  29,  1670,  and  constable 
in  June  of  the  following  year.  On  September  14.  1680, 
he  signed  and  sealed  the  "Grand  Articles"  for  the  set- 
tlement of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  on  July  7,  1681,  he 
was  authorized  to  cut  and  clear  a  more  direct  way 
from  Mount  Hope  to  Boston.  Colonel  Benjamin  Church 
is  the  first  of  the  seventy-six  names  on  the  list  of  the 
first  proprietors  who  decided  on  September  I,  1681,  that 
the  naine  of  the  town  should  be  Bristol.  He  was  chosen 
deputy  from  Bristol  to  the  Colonial  Court  on  May  22, 
1682,  and  at  the  same  time  was  also  chosen  as  first 
selectman  of  the  town.  These  offices  he  continued  to 
hold  during  his  residence  in  Bristol.  On  July  7,  1682,  he 
was  commissioned  a  magistrate,  and  with  authority  to 
perform  marriages.  He  was  one  of  the  eighty  orig- 
inal members  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  of 
Bristol.  About  1696  or  1697  he  removed  to  Freetown, 
now  Fall  River,  Mass.,  with  his  brother  Caleb,  and 
established  a  saw-mill,  a  fulling-mill,  and  a  grist-mill. 
This  property  he  sold  on  September  18,  1714,  to  Richard 
Borden,  of  Tiverton.  In  1705  he  removed  to  Little 
Compton,  and  helped  to  establish  the  Congregational 
church  there.  The  following  year  he  represented  that 
town  in  the  General  Court.  He  served  frequently  as 
moderator  of  the  town  meetings,  as  trial  justice  and  as 
referee.  He  dealt  extensively  in  lands,  waterpower 
privileges  and  mills  in  that  section.  He  was  thrown 
from  his  horse  on  January  16,  1718,  while  returning 
from  a  visit  to  his  sister,  Mrs.  Irish,  and  died  about 
twelve  hours  after  the  accident.  His  funeral  was 
accompanied  with  great  pomp  and  military  honors. 

Alice  (Southworth)  Church,  wife  of  Colonel  Benja- 
min Church,  was  a  member  of  an  English  family  of 
great  antiquity,  whose  pedigree,  according  to  a  state- 
ment in  the  New  England  Historic  and  Genealogical 
Register,  has  been  traced  for  many  generations  in  the 
mother  country. 


Edward  Southworth,  father  of  the  American  immi- 
grant, was  a  native  and  lifelong  resident  of  England, 
where,  in  1614,  he  married  Alice  Carpenter.  Their  son. 
Constant  Southworth,  was  the  founder  of  the  family  in 
America.  He  was  born  in  England,  in  1615,  and  came 
to  Massachusetts  in  1628,  settling  early  in  the  town  of 
Duxbury.  He  married,  November  2,  1637,  EHzabeth 
Collier,  and  died  March  lO,  1679,  leaving  an  estate  valued 
at  £360.  Among  the  items  was  an  Indian  boy  valued 
at  £  10.  -Alice  Southworth,  daughter  of  Constant  and 
Elizabeth  (Collier)  Southworth,  was  born  in  1647,  and 
became   the   wife   of   Colonel   Benjamin   Church. 

(III)  Thomas  Church,  son  of  Colonel  Benjamin  and 
Alice  (Southworth)  Church,  was  born  at  Duxbury, 
Mass.,  in  1673-74,  and  died  at  Little  Compton,  R.  I., 
March  12,  1746.  He  married  (second)  April  16,  1712, 
Edith,  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah  (Timberlake) 
Woodman.     She  w'as  born  in  1685,  and  died  in  1718. 

(IV)  Hannah  Church,  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Edith  (Woodman)  Church,  was  born  in  1714,  and  mar- 
ried Allen  Carey.     (See  Carey  V). 

(The  Carey  Line). 

The  family  of  Carey  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  England, 
as  well  as  one  of  the  most  illustrious  and  honored  in 
the  Kingdom.  In  the  year  1 198,  Adam  DeKarry  was 
lord  of  Castle  Karry  or  Kari,  in  the  county  of  Somer- 
set. For  centuries  the  castle  has  existed  only  in  history, 
and  the  village  situated  in  that  locality  is  known  as 
"Castle  Cary."  As  early  as  the  reign  of  Edward  I.  the 
name  was  spelled  Cary,  but  many  of  the  families  of  the 
present  day  spell  it  Carey. 

(I)  William  Cary,  father  of  John  Cary,  the  immi- 
grant ancestor  of  the  .A.merican  family,  was  baptized 
in  St.  Nicholas  parish.  Bristol,  England,  October  3, 
1550,  and  was  buried  in  the  same  parish  on  March  I, 
1632.  He  married  for  his  first  wife,  Alice  Goodale,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  seven  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters. Three  of  the  sons  came  to  America.  William 
Cary  was  sheriff  of  Bristol,  in  1599,  and  was  mayor  of 
that  city  in  161 1.  Evidently  the  family  was  one  of 
prominence   and    influence. 

(II)  John  Cary,  founder  of  the  family  in  New  Eng- 
land, was  the  eldest  son  of  William  and  Alice  (Good- 
ale)  Cary,  and  was  born  in  Bristol,  England,  about  the 
year  1610.  The  exact  date  of  his  corning  to  America 
is  unknown.  From  a  manuscript  over  a  hundred  years 
old,  believed  to  have  been  written  by  a  grandson  of 
John  Cary,  it  is  believed  that  differences  with  his  broth- 
ers over  the  settlement  of  his  father's  estate  led  to  his 
departure  for  America.  His  name  is  found  among  the 
original  proprietors  and  first  settlers  of  Duxbury  and 
Bridgewater.  It  occurs  in  the  original  grant,  as  well  in 
the  subsequent  deed  made  by  Ousamequin,  the  sachem 
of  the  Peckonocket  Indians,  in  1639,  This  deed  was 
made  to  Miles  Standish,  Samuel  Nash,  and  Constant 
Southworth,  as  trustees  in  behalf  of  William  Bradford, 
John  Cary  and  fifty-two  others  therein  named.  John 
Cary  drew  as  his  share  a  lot  a  mile  wide,  a  portion  of 
which  is  still  occupied  by  his  descendants.  In  1656 
"Duxbury  New  Plantations"  was  incorporated  into  a 
new  and  distinct  town  and  called  Bridgewater.  John 
Cary  was  elected  constable,  the  first  and  only  officer 
elected  in  the  town  that  year.    He  was  also  elected  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


281 


first  town  clerk,  and  held  the  office  each  consecutive 
year  until  1681.  In  1656  he  was  one  of  the  ten  freemen 
in  the  town.  In  the  same  year  he  was  appointed  on  a 
jury,  "to  lay  out  the  ways  requisite  in  the  town."  In 
1667  Deacon  Willis  and  John  Cary  were  chosen  "to 
lake  in  all  the  charges  of  tlie  latter  war  (King  Philip's) 
since  June  last  and  the  expenses  of  the  scouts  before 
and  since  June."  John  Cary  was  prominent  among  the 
townsmen,  and  took  an  active  part  in  public  affairs. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  he  taught  the  first  Latin  class 
in  the  Colony.  He  was  intelligent,  well  educated,  and 
highly  cultured.  John  Cary  married  Elizabeth  God- 
frey, daughter  of  Francis  and  Elizabeth  Godfrey.  P'ran- 
cis  Godfrey  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Bridge- 
water,  where  he  died  in  1681. 

(III)  John  (2)  Carey,  son  of  John  (i)  and  Elizabeth 
(Godfrey)  Cary,  was  born  in  1645,  and  died  in  1721. 
He  was  a  resident  of  Providence,  and  of  Bristol,  R.  I. 
He  married,  in  1670,  Abigail  .Mien. 

(I\')  Benjamin  Carey,  son  of  John  (2)  and  .\bigail 
(Allen)  Carey,  was  born  in  Bristol,  R.  I.,  in  1681,  and 
died  there,  in  1734.    He  married  Susanna . 

(V)  .-Mien  Cnrey,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Susanna 
Carey,  was  bom  in  Bristol,  and  was  a  life  long  resident 
of  that  town.  He  married  Hannah  Church,  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Edith  (Woodman)  Church.  (See 
Church  IV). 

(\"n  Susanna  Carey,  daughter  of  .Mien  and  Hannah 
(Church)  Carey,  was  born  in  Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  mar- 
ried, in  1764,  Jonathan  (2)  Gladding,  of  Bristol.  (See 
Gladding  IV). 

Recafihilation — Line  of  descent  of  Mary  Tillinghast 
Gladding  from  Mr.  Richard  Warren,  of  the  "May- 
flower." 

(I)  Richard   Warren   and    his   wife   Elizabeth    Jouat. 

(II)  Richard  Church  and  his  wife  Elizabeth  Warren. 
(Hi)   Benjamin    Church    and    his    wife    Alice    South- 
worth. 

(IV)  Thomas  Church   and   his   wife   Edith    Woodman. 

(V)  Allen  Carey  and  his  wife  Hannali  Church 

(VI)  Jonathan  (2)  Gladding  and  his  wife  Susanna 
Care.v. 

(VII)  Captain  Jonathan  (3)  Gladding  and  his  wife 
Mary  Tillinghast. 

(VIII)  Benjamin  Chandler  Gladding  and  his  wife 
Hannah   Thayer  Pope. 


JOHN  SWIFT  HOLBROOK— This  record  of  the 
ancient  family  of  Holbrook,  traced  from  Thomas  Hol- 
brook.  of  Dorsetshire,  England,  later  of  Weymouth, 
Mass.,  is  concerned  principally  with  the  chronicle 
of  the  life  and  works  of  Edward  Holbrook,  presi- 
dent of  the  noted  Gorham  Manufacturing  Company,  and 
the  career  of  his  son,  John  Swift  Holbrook,  formerly 
vice-president,  but  now  president,  of  that  famous  old 
concern.  The  former  was  associated  with  the  Gorham 
interests  for  almost  half  a  century,  thirty-two  years  of 
which  were  passed  in  official  capacity,  and  death  came 
upon  him  in  1919.  while  he  was  filling  the  office  of 
president.  His  services  to  the  Gorham  Manufacturing 
Company  were  recognized  widely  as  the  determining 
factor  in  that  organization's  national  greatness  and 
prosperity.  His  associates  of  years  joined  in  tributes 
to  the  strength  of  his  character  and  worth  of  his  life, 
and  with  one  accord  credited  him  with  the  vision,  initia- 
tive, and  executive  power  that  had  placed  and  main- 
tained the  Gorham  Manufacturing  Company  in  a  posi- 


tion of  leadership  among  the  silversmiths  of  the  world. 
.\mong  the  many  recognitions  of  service  and  achieve- 
ment that  came  to  him  in  the  course  of  a  long  and  busy 
life  none  was  more  prized  than  the  award  of  the 
medal  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  by  the  French  Govern- 
ment, a  decoration  given  more  frequently  to  ."Xmericans 
in  the  Great  War,  but  then  an  honor  exceedin,gly  rare. 
In  the  service  of  John  Swift  Holbrook  as  representa- 
tive of  the  United  States  Government  in  Paris  during 
the  Paris  Exposition  there  is  an  interesting  parallel  in 
the  lives  of  father  and  son  in  relation  to  the  country 
which  afterward  made  such  close  alliance  with  the 
United  States,  while  a  daughter  is  a  resident  of  France. 

(I)  The  line  of  Holbrook  to  which  they  belong  is  of 
English  ancestry,  seated  in  Dorsetshire,  England,  and 
founded  in  America  by  Thomas  Holbrook,  son  of  Sir 
Thomas  Holbrook,  of  Broadway,  Dorsetshire,  England. 
Thom.-!s  Holbrook  was  born  in  i()Oi,  and  left  Weymouth, 
England,  in  1635,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  Jane  (Kenz- 
man)  Holbrook,  and  their  four  children.  He  is  of 
record  at  Weymouth,  Mass.,  in  1640,  having  settled  in 
that  part  of  the  town  called  Old  Spain.  He  was  appar- 
ently a  leading  citizen,  was  selectman  in  1641,  1645, 
1646,  1651,  1652  and  1654.  He  was  one  of  the  grantees 
of  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  in  1645,  but  forfeited  his  share  for 
the  reason  that  he  did  not  go  there  and  settle.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  committee  in  1649  to  lay  out  a  highway 
from  Weymouth  to  Dorchester,  Mass.  Thomas  and 
Jane  Holbrook  were  the  parents  of :  John,  Thomas, 
of  whom  further.  Captain  William,  lived  at  Scituate, 
.Ann,  Elizabeth,  and  Jane. 

(II)  Thomas  (2)  Holbrook,  son  of  Thomas  (I) 
Holbrook,  through  whom  the  line  herein  recorded  con- 
tinues, lived  at  Scituate,  Weymouth  and  Braintree, 
Mass.  In  1653  he  bought  a  farm  of  fifty-three  acres 
in  Braintree,  and  later  became  the  owner  of  much  real 
estate.  His  wife,  Joanna,  survived  him,  and  descent 
is  through  his  son.  Deacon  Peter. 

(III)  Deacon  Peter  Holbrook,  son  of  Thomas  (2) 
Holbrook,  was  born  September  6,  1656,  and  died  1712- 
1713.  He  settled  in  Mendon,  where  he  inherited  lands 
from  his  father,  most  of  which  was  afterward  included 
in  Bcllingham,  and  was  a  man  of  influence  and  import- 
ance in  his  community.  His  children  were  all  of  his 
first  wife,  Alice,  who  died  /Xpril  29.  1705,  his  second 
wife,  Elizabeth  (Pool)  Holbrook,  surviving  him  and 
marrying  (second)  Robert  Ware,  of  Wenham.  Deacon 
Peter  Holbrook  was  the  father  of  nine  children,  includ- 
ing Eliphalet,  of  this  line. 

(I\)  Eliphalet  Holbrook,  son  of  Deacon  Peter  Hol- 
brook, was  born  January  27,  1691-92,  and  died  October 
"J,  1775.  at  Bellingham,  called  "yeoman."  He  married, 
November  17,  1716,  Hannah  Rockwood,  and  had  seven 
children,  among  them  Eliphalet. 

(\')  Eliphalet  (2)  Holbrook,  son  of  Eliphalet  (i) 
Holbrook,  was  born  October  25,  1723.  He  died  intes- 
tate, and  administration  was  granted  his  son,  Henry, 
on  whom  the  homestead  was  settled,  .April  10,  1778.  He 
married,  November  26,  1753,  .Abigail  Wight,  who  died 
September  3,  1808,  the  mother  of  twelve  children. 

(VI)  Ensign  Henry  Holbrook.  son  of  Eliphalet  (2) 
Holbrook,  was  born  .August  27,  1756,  died  at  Belling- 
ham, his  birthplace,  October  i,  1833.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolution  in  the  company  of  Captain  Jesse  Hoi- 


282 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


brook  on  the  Lexington  Alarm.  April  ig,  1775,  and 
served  from  May  9  until  August  of  that  year  in  Cap- 
tain Samuel  Cobb's  company,  Colonel  Joseph  Read's 
regiment.  He  was  also  in  Captain  Jesse  Holbrook's 
company.  Colonel  Wheelock's  regiment,  in  1776  on  the 
Rhode  island  .Alarm;  in  Captain  Samuel  Fiske's  com- 
pany, Colonel  Ephraim  Wheelock's  regiment,  in  Rhode 
Island  in  1777;  also  in  Captain  Amos  Ellis'  company. 
Colonel  Benjamin  Hawes  regiment,  in  Rhode  Island  in 
1777-78;  and  in  Captain  Nathan  Thayer's  company. 
Colonel  Ebenezer  Thayer's  regiment  in  the  Continental 
army  in  New  York  in  1780.  He  married  (first)  De- 
cember 20,  1780,  at  Bellingham,  Elizabeth  Cook,  born 
July  16,  1753,  died  August  4,  1803;  (second)  Eunice 
Badger,  born  June  17,  1769,  died  March  lO,  1818.  En- 
sign Henry  Holbrook  was  the  father  of  four  children, 
all  of  his  first  marriage,  his  second  son,  Eliab. 

(VII)  Eliab  Holbrook,  son  of  Ensign  Henry  Hol- 
brook, was  born  at  Bellingham.  May  6,  1784.  He  mar- 
ried there  (intentions  dated  October  15,  1809)  Betsey 
Ide,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  Elizabeth.  Lurania, 
and  Eliab. 

(VIII)  Eliab  (2)  Holbrook,  son  of  Eliab  (i)  Hol- 
brook, was  born  at  Bellingham,  October  8,  181 7.  He 
married  (first)  .April  25.  1839.  Hannah  Pickering,  who 
died  January  9,  1841,  daughter  of  Ellery  Thayer;  (sec- 
ond) June  23.  1842  (intention  at  Bellingham,  May  15, 
1842)  Julia  Ferry  Morse,  born  July  9,  1817,  daughter 
of  Eliakim  Morse.  Child  of  first  wife:  Helen  ."^ngelia, 
born  .^pril  26,  1840.  Children  of  second  wife,  born  at 
Bellingham :  Hannah  Elizabeth,  born  Aug.  23,  1843 ; 
Gilbert  M.,  born  March  31,  1845;  Hiram  Pond,  born 
Feb.  15,  1848;  John  A.;  .Alfred  G.,  died  in  Dec,  1909; 
Edward,  of  whom  further. 

(IX)  Edward  Holbrook,  son  of  Eliab  (2)  and  Julia 
Ferry  (Morse)  Holbrook,  was  born  at  Bellingham, 
Mass.,  July  7,  1849,  died  at  his  summer  home  at  Stam- 
ford, Conn.,  May  19,  1919.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Bellingham  and  Hopkinton,  Mass.,  and  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years  entered  the  employ  of  Bigelow, 
Kennard  &  Company,  dealers  in  watches,  jewelry  and 
silverware  in  Boston.  For  five  years  he  worked  in  the 
store  of  this  concern,  and  in  1870,  the  year  he  attained 
his  majority,  he  became  a  salesman  for  the  Gorham 
Manufacturing  Company,  an  old  established  silverware 
manufacturing  house.  He  was  subsequently  placed  in 
charge  of  the  New  York  agency  of  this  firm,  his  serv- 
ices valued  so  highly  that  in  18SS,  he  was  elected  treas- 
urer of  the  company.  In  1S94  he  succeeded  William  H. 
Crins  in  the  presidency  as  the  third  president  of  the 
company  since  its  founding,  discharging  the  duties  of 
treasurer  and  chief  executive  jointly  until  1918,  when 
he  resigned  from  the  treasurership,  the  labors  of  his 
dual  office  too  heavy  for  his  advancing  years.  The 
advance  of  the  Gorham  Manufacturing  Company  dur- 
ing his  administration  is  without  equal  in  the  history 
of  the  manufacture  of  silverware.  Under  his  keen  and 
far  sighted  direction  new  avenues  of  business  were 
opened,  additional  departments  instituted,  and  silver- 
smithing  given  a  greater  impetus  along  artistic  lines  than 
it  had  ever  before  enjoyed.  The  name  of  the  Gorham 
Company  in  connection  with  silver  manufacturing  came 
to  indicate  the  height  of  quality  and  reliability  and  the 
utmost  achievement   in   the   silversmith's   art,  and   this 


reputation  Mr.  Holbrook  jealously  guarded  throughout 
his  long  executive  term.  Endowed  with  capabilities 
that  enabled  him  to  plan  for  the  development  and  ex- 
tension of  his  company's  interests,  he  also  possessed 
an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  details  of  the  business 
that  permitted  him  to  confer  with  and  advise  intelli- 
gently the  heads  of  departments,  designers,  or  even  the 
artisans  of  the  Gorham  plant,  and  this  was  the  secret 
of  his  great  success. 

Mr.  Holbrook  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Sil- 
versmiths Company  in  1905  and  was  elected  its  first 
president,  an  office  he  filled  until  his  death,  serving  as 
well  as  a  director  of  the  subsidiary  organizations  of 
that  company.  His  business  interests,  unconnected  with 
silversmithing,  were  many  and  important,  and  he  ser\-ed 
as  a  director  of  the  .American  Brass  Company,  the 
Hanover  National  Bank  of  New  York,  the  Massachu- 
setts Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  Spaulding  & 
Company  of  Chicago,  the  Maiden  Lane  Realty  Com- 
pany, of  New  York,  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital  Trust 
Company,  of  Providence,  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher 
Company,  the  Biltmore  Hotel  Company,  of  New  York, 
and  he  was  also  a  trustee  of  the  Garfield  Safe  Deposit 
Company,  of  New  York.  He  had  served  at  various 
times  in  the  capacity  of  director  of  the  Merchants' 
National  Bank  and  the  Harriman  National  Bank,  both 
of  New  York  City. 

Finding  in  business  the  pleasure  that  men  successful 
in  the  measure  of  his  accomplishment  always  rind  in 
the  task  that  confronts  them,  he  was  nevertheless  fond 
of  the  social  relations  of  life.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Union  Club  and  the  Union  League,  of  New  York 
City,  also  belonging  to  the  New  England  Society  of 
New  York  and  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  the  Hope 
Club  of  Providence,  and  the  Pilgrims,  an  .American 
club  of  London.  England.  He  received  the  medal  of 
the  Legion  of  Honor  from  the  F'rench  Government  at 
a  time  when  possession  of  this  great  distinction  was 
held  by  but  few  -Americans.  Throughout  a  life  which 
numbered  nearly  three  score  and  ten  years  he  stood 
rigidly  by  high  ideals  in  business  as  well  as  in  personal 
relations,  finding  and  taking  advantage  of  ample  oppor- 
tunity in  his  daily  life  for  that  kindly,  constant  service 
of  his  fellows  that  was  marked  by  all  who  knew  him. 
He  was  a  man  of  splendid  talents,  and  in  his  contact 
with  life  under  many  varying  conditions  he  exercised 
his  gifts  to  the  fullest  benefit  of  his  associates.  His 
death  meant  to  the  Gorham  organization  more  than  the 
loss  of  a  strong  executive,  it  brought  to  every  man  a 
real  and  personal  loss,  the  taking  away  of  a  friend  and 
advisor. 

Edward  Holbrook  married,  February  18,  1874.  in 
Boston.  Mass.,  Frances,  daughter  of  John  J.  and  Mary 
(Hichborn)  Swift,  her  father  president  of  the  Boston 
&  Fitchburg  Railroad  Company,  her  mother  a  member 
of  the  Boston  Hichborn  family  to  which  .Admiral  Hich- 
born belongs.  Children  of  Edward  and  Frances 
(Swift)  Holbrook:  John  Swift,  of  whom  further; 
Lilian,  born  March  7,  1878,  married.  Jan.  3,  1906,  Count 
Guillaume  de  Balincourt,  and  resides  at  Neuilly-sur- 
Scine.  France. 

(X)  John  Swift  Holbrook,  son  of  Edward  and  Fran- 
ces (Swift)  Holbrook,  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass., 
March  4,   1875.     He  was  educated  in  New  York  City, 


BIOGR-^PHICAL 


283 


where  the  family  home  had  been  made  in  1876,  in  pri- 
vate schools  in  preparation  for  Harvard  University, 
whence  he  was  graduated  A.  B.  in  the  class  of  1896. 
Subsequently  he  completed  a  two  years  post-graduate 
course  in  architecture  at  Columbia  University,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1898,  journeying  to  Paris,  where  he  studied  arch- 
itecture in  the  atelier  of  M.  Henri  Duray.  He  was 
appointed  attache  of  the  United  States  Government  to 
the  service  of  parks  and  gardens  at  the  Paris  Exposi- 
tion, and  from  November,  1898,  to  November,  1900,  he 
served  in  all  capacities  in  that  department,  gaining  a 
valuable  experience  in  association  with  masters  of  land- 
scape architecture.  At  the  completion  of  his  work  in 
Paris  he  traveled,  from  November,  1900,  to  July,  1901, 
in  Italy,  Sicily,  Egypt,  and  Germany,  in  furtherance  of 
his  preparation  for  the  calling  of  landscape  engineer, 
then  until  September,  1901,  studying  in  Kew  Gardens, 
London.  In  the  autumn  of  1901  he  returned  to  the 
United  States,  taking  up  his  business  and  private  resi- 
dence in  New  York  City,  forming,  November  I.  1901, 
the  firm  of  Brinley  &  Holbrook,  landscape  engineers 
and  architects.  Until  May,  1906,  when  the  connection 
was  discontinued,  this  firm  was  actively  engaged  in 
professional  work  in  New  York  and  vicinity,  gaining 
rapidly  in  standing  and  reputation  from  the  time  of 
its  establishment. 

In  1905  Mr.  Holbrook  had  been  elected  to  the  direc- 
torate of  the  Gorham  Manufacturing  Company,  and  in 
May,  1906,  he  assumed  the  duties  of  the  vice-presi- 
dency, his  headquarters  in  the  New  York  offices  of  the 
company.  On  October  15.  1908,  he  moved  to  Providence, 
where  he  has  since  resided,  devoting  himself  to  the 
interests  of  the  Gorham  Manufacturing  Company, 
which  have  benefited  so  largely  through  the  Holbrook 
name.  On  May  28,  1919,  Mr.  Holbrook  was  made  presi- 
dent to  succeed  his  father.  His  other  business  connec- 
tions are  as  president  and  director  of  the  Silversmiths 
Company ;  director  and  executive  committeeman  of  the 
Industrial  Trust  Company,  of  Providence ;  treasurer 
and  director  of  the  National  Protection  Company ; 
treasurer  and  director  of  the  Maiden  Lane  Realty  Com- 
pany, of  New  York,  and  president  and  director  of  W. 
B.  Durgin  &  Company.  Mr.  Holbrook  is  active  in 
organized  business  interests  in  his  city  and  is  a  direc- 
tor of  the  Providence  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  which 
he  was  president  in  1915  and  1916. 

He  is  a  supporter  of  Republican  principles,  but  has 
never  entered  into  political  nor  public  life.  In  1914  he 
was  appointed  a  member  of  the  State  House  Commis- 
sion of  Rhode  Island  and  was  reappointed  in  1917  for 
a  term  expiring  in  1923.  He  gave  valuable  time  and 
service  to  the  work  of  the  District  Board  of  Division 
No.  I  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  Selective  Service 
during  the  war,  filling  the  office  of  chairman  of  that 
board  from  July  4,  igi~,  until  the  completion  of  the 
work  of  the  board  subsequent  to  the  signing  of  the 
armistice.  The  exacting  and  important  duties  of  this 
board  required  a  large  share  of  his  and  his  fellow 
members'  time  and  energy,  and  their  tireless  devotion  to 
their  weighty  task  brought  it  to  completion  with  a  lack 
of  friction  creditable  in  the  extreme. 

Mr.  Holbrook  attends  the  Unitarian  church.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Hope,  University.  Agawam  Hunt,  Rhode 
Island  Country,  Commercial,  and  University  Glee  clubs, 


of  Providence,  the  Harvard  Club  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
the  Harvard  University,  and  University  Glee  clubs,  of 
New  York  City. 

Mr.  Holbrook  married,  .-\pril  11,  1908,  Grace  M.  Sin- 
clair, of  New  York  City. 


RT.  REV.  JAMES  DE  WOLF  PERRY,  D.  D., 
Bishop  of  Rhode  Island — Ordained  a  priest  of  the 
Protcst.int  Episcopal  cluirch  in  1896,  Dr.  Perry,  fifteen 
years  later,  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  in  the  Episcopacy  has  fully  met  the  traditional  re- 
quirements of  that  high  and  holy  office.  He  is  the  son 
of  the  Rev.  James  De  Wolf  Perry,  D.  D. ;  grandson  of 
James  De  Wolf  Perry;  and  great-grandson  of  Captain 
Raymond  H.  J.  Perry,  who  was  a  brother  of  Commo- 
dore Oliver  Hazard  Perry,  the  hero  of  Lake  Erie; 
they  were  the  sons  of  Captain  Christopher  Raymond 
Perry,  a  seaman  during  the  Revolution,  and  appointed 
a  captain  in  the  United  States  Navy  in  June,  1798,  to 
command  the  frigate  "General  Greene."  Captain  Perry 
was  the  son  of  Freeman  Perry,  a  physician  and  surgeon, 
grandson  of  Benjamin  Perry,  and  great-grandson  of 
Edmund  Perry,  the  .Xmerican  ancestor  of  this,  one  of 
the  famous  historical  families  of  New  England. 

(I)  Edmund  Perry  left  Devonshire,  England,  about 
1650,  and  soon  afterward  was  of  record  in  Sandwich, 
Mass.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends  and  earnestly  defended  the  peculiar  tenets  of 
that  faith.  He  married  Mary  Freeman,  daughter  of 
Governor  Edmund  Freeman.  One  of  their  daughters, 
Mary,  married  Nathaniel  Greene,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  General  Nathaniel  Greene,  of  Revolutionary 
fame. 

(II)  Benjamin  Perry,  son  of  Edmund  and  Mary 
(Freeman)  Perry,  was  born  in  1677,  died  at  Kingston, 
R.  I.,  in  1742.  He  purchased  land  in  Kingston  in  1702, 
and  was  made  a  freeman  of  the  colony  in  1716.  He 
married  (second)  October  11,  1727,  Susannah  Barber, 
daughter  of  Moses  and  Susannah   (Wait)   Barber. 

(HI)  Justice  Freeman  Perry,  son  of  Benjamin  Perry, 
and  his  second  wife,  Susannah  (Barber)  Perry,  was 
born  January  21,  1740,  died  October  15,  1813.  He  was 
a  physician  and  surgeon,  also  prominent  in  public  life, 
holding  several  important  offices,  one  being  chief  justice 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  Washington  county, 
R.  I.,  an  office  he  filled  from  1780  until  1791.  His 
home  estate  was  in  Matunuck.  erroneously  called  "Com- 
modore Perry's  birthplace."  This  estate  was  partly 
divided  between  his  sons.  Dr.  Joshua  Perry  and  Cap- 
ta-in  Christopher  R.  Perry,  during  his  lifetime,  the  res- 
idue willed  to  the  latter  at  the  father's  death.  Justice 
Freeman  Perry  married  Mercy  Hazard,  a  descendant 
of  Thomas  Hazard,  of  Boston,  the  name  Hazard  lieing 
prominent  in  the  names  of  many  Perry  descendants. 

(IV)  Captain  Christopher  Raymond  Perry,  third  son 
of  Justice  Freeman  and  Mercy  (Hazard)  Perry,  was 
born  December  4,  1761.  .At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  en- 
listed in  the  Kingston  Reds,  but  preferring  the  sea 
served  on  the  privateer  "Captain  Reed;"  later  was 
appointed  midshipman  on  the  ship  ".Mifflin;"  was  four 
months  a  prisoner  on  the  "Jersey;"  later  was  again  a 
prisoner  for  eighteen  months  on  the  north  coast  of 
Ireland,  escaping  in  disguise  after  the  war  closed.  In 
June,  1798,  he  was  appointed  a  captain  in  the  United 


284 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


States  Xavy,  and  on  Marcli  i,  1799,  was  commissioned 
a  captain  to  rank  from  the  first  date.  He  was  discharged 
under  the  Peace  Establishment  Act  of  April  13,  1801, 
and  later  was  collector  of  internal  revenues,  for  Rhode 
Island  ports.  Captain  Perry  married  Sarah  Wallace 
Alexander,  a  direct  descendant  of  Sir  William  Wal- 
lace, to  whose  Castle  Dundonald  his  nephew,  Sir 
■William  Wallace,  retired  after  the  burning  of  the 
"barns  of  .Ayr."  .After  their  marriage  Captain  Perry 
moved  to  the  Commodore's  House  built  by  Wil- 
liam Rodman  in  the  village  of  Rocky  Brook,  and  there 
Oliver  Hazard  Perry  was  born,  he  being  their  first 
child.  The  children  of  Captain  Christopher  R.  Perry 
are  worthy  of  more  e.xtended  mention,  but  the  life  of 
the  eldest,  Commodore  Oliver  Hazard  Perry,  the  hero 
of  Lake  Erie,  is  well  known,  he  having  been  born  in 
August,  1785.  The  second  son,  Captain  Raymond  H. 
J.,  is  of  further  mention.  .A  daughter,  Anna  Maria, 
married  Commodore  George  W.  Rodgers,  United  States 
Navy,  and  two  of  their  sons.  Admiral  C.  R.  P.  Rodgers 
and  Captain  John  Rodgers,  were  both  famous  officers 
of  the  United  States  Navy.  Another  daughter,  Jane 
Tweedy,  married  Dr.  William  Butler,  United  States 
Navy,  and  two  of  their  sons  served  with  distinction  in 
the  Confederate  Army,  one  of  them  later  a  United 
States  Senator  from  South  Carolina.  A  younger  son, 
James  Alexander  Perry,  was  a  midshipman  and  was 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Lake  Erie,  serving  on  his 
famous  brother's  ship.  In  1822  he  lost  his  life  in  the 
harbor  of  Valparaiso,  while  trying  to  save  a  friend 
from  drowning.  Nathaniel  Hazard  Perry,  the  youngest 
son,  was  a  purser  in  the  United  States  Navy. 

(V)  Captain  Raymond  H.  J.  Perry,  second  son  of 
Christopher  R.  and  Sarah  Wallace  (Alexander)  Perry, 
was  born  February  11,  1789.  He  married  Marianne  De 
Wolf,  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  daughter  of  James  De  Wolf,  a 
wealthy  merchant,  shipowner,  and  United  States  Sen- 
ator, a  descendant  of  Charles  De  Wolf,  of  Guadaloupe, 
through  Mark  .Anthony  De  Wolf,  ancestor  of  the  Bristol 
De  Wolf  family.  Children:  James  De  Wolf,  of  fur- 
ther mention;  Raymond,  died  young;  Nancy  Bradford, 
married  Robert  Lay;  .Alexander,  of  Bristol,  a  man  of 
cultured  tastes  and  courtly  manners,  representative  of 
the  best  type  of  American  citizenship. 

(VI)  James  De  Wolf  Perry,  son  of  Captain  Ray- 
mond H.  J.  and  Marianne  (De  Wolf)  Perry,  was  born 
September  2,  1815,  and  died  in  Bristol,  R.  I.,  September 
9,  1876.  He  was  agent  for  the  Dighton  Manufacturing 
Company  for  some  years,  also  a  retail  coal  dealer,  and 
later  a  farmer,  dispensing  a  generous  hospitality  at  his 
historic  home,  "Silver  Creek,"  a  man  honorable,  straight- 
forward and  outspoken.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
General  .Assembly,  first  elected  in  1863,  then  reelected 
some  half  a  dozen  times  to  succeed  himself;  was  called 
to  other  important  public  duties;  was  a  leading  church- 
man, many  times  a  delegate  to  the  General  Convention 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  and  for  a  quarter 
of  a  century  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  of 
St.  Michael's  Church.  He  was  one  of  the  original  pro- 
prietors of  beautiful  Juniper  Hill  Cemetery,  and  did  a 
great  deal  to  adorn  and  beautify  it.  He  married  Julia 
Bourne  Jones,  daughter  of  Abiel  and  Julia  Jones,  and 
granddaughter  of  the  Hon.  Benjamin  Bourne,  of 
Bristol,  R.  I.    Children:   Major  Raymond  Henry  Jones; 


Tames  De  Wolf  (2),  of  further  mention;  Rev.  Gal- 
braith  Bourne  Perry,  D.  D.;  Julia  Bourne;  Charles 
Varnum;  Oliver  Hazard;  William  Wallace. 

(VII)  Rev.  James  De  Wolf  (2)  Perry,  second  son 
of  James  De  Wolf  (i)  and  Julia  Bourne  (Jones) 
Perry,  was  born  in  Bristol,  R.  I.,  December  22,  1839. 
He  was  graduated  from  Brown  University,  M.  A.,  class 
of  i860;  studied  at  Berkeley  Divinity  School,  Conn.; 
was  graduated  from  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Divinity 
School  of  Philadelphia,  class  of  1864;  then  pursued 
medical  study  at  Jefferson  Medical  College,  M.  D., 
1886.  He  was  ordained  a  deacon  in  1861 ;  a  priest  in 
1864;  was  assistant  pastor  at  Grace  Church,  Providence, 
R.  I.,  1S61-62;  St.  Luke's,  Philadelphia,  1862-64;  asso- 
ciate rector  of  St.  Paul's,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  1864-66; 
rector  of  Calvary  Church,  Germantown,  Philadelphia, 
1866-IQ — .  He  was  president  of  the  Convocation  of 
Germantown  in  1S66-1902,  warden  and  vice-president 
of  the  Church  Training  and  Deaconess  House,  Phila- 
delphia, 1896  to  date  (1919)  ;  president  of  the  standing 
committee,  Diocese  of  Philadelphia,  1900  to  present 
time;  member  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  Pro- 
testant Episcopal  Divinity  School,  Philadelphia ;  vice- 
president  of  the  Board  of  City  Missions ;  member  Phi 
Beta  Kappa,  and  the  Society  of  the  War  of  1812.  Dr. 
Perry  married  (first)  November  2,  1865,  Elizabeth 
Russell  Tyson,  born  April  5,  1841,  died  in  October, 
1910,  daughter  of  George  and  Meribah  (Russell)  Tyson. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  children:  l.  Robert 
Swaine.  born  -Aug.  19,  1867;  identified  with  large  chem- 
ical producing  industries  of  Philadelphia,  N.  Y.,  and 
the  South;  a  resident  of  New  York  City  and  Cave 
Spring,  Ga.  2.  Julia  Bourne,  born  March  5,  1869;  mar- 
ried William  B.  Thurber,  general  manager  of  the 
Walter  Baker  Company,  of  Milton,  Mass.  3.  James  De 
Wolf,  of  whom  further.  4.  Elizabeth  Russell,  born  Jan. 
9,  1875;  married  Russell  Sturges,  president  of  the  Har- 
rison Brothers  Company,  of  Philadelphia,  who  died  in 
1918.  while  serving  on  the  Federal  War  Industries 
Board.  5.  Emily  Tyson,  born  April  23,  1881 ;  married 
James  D.  Russell,  of  Milton,  Mass.  Dr.  Perry  married 
(second)   October  29,  1914,  Mariam  Frazier  Harris. 

From  such  distinguished  ancestry  comes  Dr.  Perry, 
bishop  of  Rhode  Island,  his  antecedents  equally  mili- 
tant and  churchly.  He  could  fight  under  either  banner 
and  still  do  no  violence  to  family  tradition,  and  the 
World  War  in  which  he  worked  so  effectively  as  the 
representative  of  the  church  would  have  given  him 
equal  opportunity  as  a  combatant  to  attain  the  high 
rank  of  his  famous  forebears.  He  is  of  the  eighth 
American  generation  of  his  family,  third  son  of  Rev. 
James  De  Wolf  (2)  Perry,  D.  D.,  and  his  first  wife, 
Elizabeth  Russell   (Tyson)    Perry. 

(VIII)  Rt.  Rev.  James  De  Wolf  (3)  Perry,  D.  D., 
son  of  James  De  Wolf  (2)  Perry,  was  born  at  German- 
town,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  October  3,  1871.  After  gradu- 
ation from  Germantown  Academy  in  1887,  he  entered 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  whence  he  was  grad- 
uated A.  B.,  class  of  1891.  Taking  a  post-graduate 
course  at  Harvard  in  1892,  he  subsequently  entered 
Cambridge  Theological  School,  whence  he  was  grad- 
uated B.  D.,  class  of  1895.  In  the  year  of  his  comple- 
tion of  his  theological  course,  he  was  ordained  a  deacon, 
and  the  following  year,  1896,  a  priest  of  the  Protestant 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


285 


Episcopal  chiircli.  He  was  assistant  pastor  of  Christ 
Clinrch.  SprinKficld.  Mass.,  from  1895  to  189".  and 
luld  his  first  independent  cliarge  as  rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  from  1897  to  i<X)4.  From 
ii»4  to  101 1  he  was  rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  and  was  called,  January  6,  191 1,  from 
that  charge  for  consecration  as  bi.<hop  of  Rhode  Island, 
which  high  office  he  has  since  tilled. 

From  the  entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  Great 
\\'ar.  Dr.  Perry's  time  and  labor  were  devoted  to  the 
organization  and  direction  of  the  work  of  the  Episcopal 
church  in  the  training  camps  and  at  the  front.  He  was 
made  national  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of 
the  Episcopal  Church  War  Commission,  with  offices  at 
No.  14  WaU  street,  New  York  Cit>-,  and  in  addition  to 
planning  the  field  work  of  the  commission  threw  him- 
self enthusiastically  into  the  campaign  for  financing 
the  vast  project.  In  this  behalf  he  journeyed  through 
the  West  and  Middle  West,  noting  the  needs  of  the 
men  in  the  camps,  his  intimate  knowledge  of  the  situa- 
tion causing  Secretary  of  War  Baker  to  appoint  him  a 
member  of  the  Committee  of  Six  on  religious  work. 
Until  July,  1918,  Dr.  Perry  devoted  himself  tirelessly 
to  the  activities  of  this  committee,  at  that  time  receiving 
a  commission  to  represent  the  Episcopal  church  of  the 
United  States  in  France.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in 
France  he  was  appointed  chief  of  the  Red  Cross  bureau 
of  hospital  chaplains,  with  headquarters  in  Paris,  and 
from  .\ugust  9,  1918,  until  February  i,  1919,  he  was  in 
charge  of  the  appointment,  assignment,  and  work  of  the 
hospital  chaplains  throughout  the  American  Expedition- 
ary Force.  There  were  seventy-six  chaplains  in  this 
service  and  in  the  supervision  of  their  work  Dr.  Perry 
visited  nearly  all  of  the  hospitals  in  France,  base,  evacu- 
ation, and  field  units,  both  before  and  after  the  armi- 
stice. During  the  straightening  of  the  Saint  .MihicI 
sector  by  the  .•\merican  troops  he  was  at  the  front  in 
the  organization  of  emergency  service  by  the  chaplains 
of  his  church.  To  appreciate  the  value  of  the  service  of 
these  men  of  the  church,  who  labored  sometimes  in 
danger,  more  often  in  isolated,  dreary  security,  always 
in  an  atmosphere  of  suffering  and  pain,  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  ask  of  one  who  saw  their  work  or  was  min- 
istered to  by  them.  Volumes  will  be  written  on  the 
attitude  of  the  church  toward  the  war,  but  the  devotion 
and  self-sacrifice  of  these  men  will  live  in  the  hearts 
and  will  influence  the  lives  of  thousands  of  men  who 
will  never  see  the  volumes. 

During  the  winter  of  1918-19  Dr.  Perry  conducted 
numerous  special  services  in  Paris  and  London,  making 
several  visits  to  England.  On  Thanksgiving  Day,  1918, 
he  conducted  the  service  and  preached  the  sermon  at 
famous  old  St.  Martin's  on  the  Strand,  with  represen- 
tatives of  the  British  and  American  governments  in 
attendance. 

Prior  to  the  war  Dr.  Perry  had  been  chaplain  of  the 
Sixth  Regiment,  Massachusetts  National  Guard,  from 
1898  to  1904.  In  addition  to  the  many  church  offices 
he  holds,  he  is  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  St. 
George's  School,  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  of  St.  Andrew's 
Industrial  School,  Barrington,  R.  I.  The  University  of 
Pennsylvania  honored  him  with  the  degree  of  S.  T.  D. 
in  191 1,  and  in  the  following  year  Brown  University 
conferred   that    of   D.    D.     His   distinguished   ancestry 


gives  him  membership  in  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati 
and  the  Society  of  the  War  of  1812.  His  fraternity  is 
the  Phi  Kappa  Sigma;  his  clubs,  the  Agawam,  Hunt, 
and  Art. 

Dr.  Perry  married,  January  2,  1908,  Edith  Dean  Weir, 
of  New  Haven,  Conn.  They  are  the  parents  of  James 
De  Wolf  (4),  Beatrice  Weir,  died  in  1917,  and  John 
Weir.  The  home  address  is  Bishop's  House,  Provi- 
dence, R.  I. 


HENRY  D.  SHARPE— In  this  branch  the  descend- 
ants   of    Robert    Sharp,    who    came    from    England    in 
1635,  remained  in   that  colony  until    1721,  when   Pom- 
fret  became  the  family  seat,  and  there  Wilkes  Sharpe 
was   born   and  lived  until   coming  to   Rhode  Island,  a 
young  man.  and  locating  in   Providence.     He  married 
Sally  A.  Chaffee,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  Lucian 
Sharpe,   who   on   March    i,    1853,    formed   the   partner- 
ship out  of  which  grew  the  great  Brown  &  Sharpe  Man- 
ufacturing  Company,    of   which    Henry    D.    Sharpe,   of 
Providence,  is  president  and  treasurer.     Lucian  Sharpe 
gave   to   the   partnership   untiring  energy   and   business 
ability  of  the  highest  order,  Mr.  Brown  possessing  the 
mechanical  genius  and  inventive  ability  upon  which  the 
business  was  based.     They  were  as  one  in  their  deter- 
min.-.lion  that  only  work  of  the  best  quality  should  bear 
their  name,  and   that  determination  passed  into  a  law 
of  the  plant,  not  less  unalterable  than  that  of  the  Medes 
and   Persians.     The   founding  of  a  great  business  and 
its   successful   development   attaches   particular   interest 
to  the  names  of  these  two  men,  Joseph  Rogers  Brown, 
born  at  Warren,  R.  I.,  January  26,  1810,  Lucian  Sharpe, 
born    in    Providence,    R.    I.,    March   20,    1830;    and   the 
debt   Providence  owes  to  the  Brown  &  Sharpe  Manu- 
facturing Company,  which  they  created,  is  by  no  means 
a  small  one.    Thousands  of  men  find  daily  employment 
at  the   plant,  and  the   varied   mechanical   product  goes 
to  various  parts  of  the  world.     To  this  business  came 
Henry  D.  Sharpe,  in  1894,  a  young  man  just  from  Uni- 
versity  halls,   now    its   treasurer   and    responsible   head. 
Lucian  Sharpe,  son  of  Wilkes  and  Sally  A.  (Chaffee) 
Sharpe,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  March  20,  1830, 
and  died  on  his  return  from  a  European  visit,  October 
17,    1899.     His  youth   was   spent   in   different   localities 
and  in  acquiring  an  education,  his  apprenticeship  under 
Joseph    R.    Brown,   of   Providence,   beginning   in   1848. 
Joseph    R.    Brown    was    considered    one    of    the    best 
mechanics  in  the  city  of  Providence,  and  between  him 
and  his  apprentice  there  grew  up  a  genuine  friendship 
which  drew  them   into  partnership,  which  existed  until 
the  death  of  Mr.  Brown  at  the  Isles  of  Shoals,  N.  H., 
July  3,  1876.     The  firm  of  J.  R.  Brown  &  Sharpe  was 
formed   March   i,   1853,  and  in   1858  a  connection  was 
formed    with    the    Willcox    &    Gibbs    Sewing    Machine 
Company  which  gave  the  new  firm  an  added  prominence 
in   mechanical   work   and  eventually   led   to   the   manu- 
facture of  machine  tools.     In   1868  the  firm  became  a 
corporation   which   the    founders   controlled   until   each 
was   called   to   his   long   home,   and   is   now   under  the 
management  and  control  of  their  sons.     Lucian  Sharpe 
was   also   a  director  of   the   Willcox   &   Gibbs   Sewing 
Machine   Company,    1874-99;    a    trustee   of   the    Provi- 
dence Institution   for  Savings,   1881-99;  director  of  the 
Rhode   Island   Hospital    Trust    Company    from    1897; 


286 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


director  of  the  Providence  Gas  Company,  1883-99; 
president  of  the  Providence  Journal  Company,  1886-99. 
Brown  University  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary 
degree,  A.  M.,  in  1892.  In  his  relations  with  his  em- 
ployees, Mr.  Sharpe  was  most  happy.  He  was  deeply 
interested  in  their  welfare  and  sought  in  every  way  to 
add  to  it.  He  was  greatly  beloved,  his  passing  causing 
great  sorrow  and  genuine  regret.  Lucian  Sharpe  mar- 
ried. Tune  25,  1857,  Louisa  Dexter,  daughter  of  Lewis 
and  Mary  (Angell)  Dexter,  of  Smithfield,  R.  L  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

Henry  D.  Sharpe,  son  of  Lucian  and  Louisa  (Dex- 
ter) Sharpe,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  L,  December 
12,  1872.  After  due  preparations  in  the  best  schools,  he 
entered  Brown  University,  there  completing  a  classical 
course,  with  graduation  A.  B.,  class  of  1894.  Acquir- 
ing his  practical  experience  by  three  years  service  in 
the  shops  of  the  company,  he  later  entered  the  office 
and  on  his  father's  death,  in  1899,  assumed  the  official 
direction  of  the  business.  While  serving  as  treasurer 
and  executive  head  of  the  company,  he  has  assumed 
other  important  official  business  connections,  serving 
upon  the  boards  of  directors  of  the  Manufacturers 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company,  the  Providence  Gas 
Company.  Rhode  Island  Hospital  Trust  Company,  Prov- 
idence Journal  Company  (vice-president),  Providence 
Institution  for  Savings  (vice-president  and  trustee). 
Since  1904  Mr.  Sharpe  has  served  Brown  University, 
his  alma  nmter,  as  member  of  the  corporation  as  a 
trustee.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Rhode  Island  School  of 
Design;  was  for  some  years  president  of  the  Provi- 
dence Society  for  Organizing  Cliarity ;  and  is  an  asso- 
ciate member  of  the  American  Society  Mechanical  Engi- 
neers. His  fraternities  are  Phi  Beta  Kappa  and  Alpha 
Delta  Phi ;  his  clubs  the  Hope,  Art,  Agawam,  Turks 
Head,  all  of  Providence,  the  Alpha  Delta  Phi,  and  the 
University,  of  New  York. 


WILLIAM  MILTON  HARRIS,  JR.— The  asso- 
ciation between  the  family  of  Harris  and  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island  extends  over  a  period  of  almost  three 
centuries,  its  present  day  representative  in  active  busi- 
ness life  in  Providence,  William  Milton  Harris,  Jr.,  a 
member  of  the  eighth  .A.merican  generation.  The  record 
of  the  line  in  Colonial  days  is  an  illustrious  one,  while 
in  modern  day  the  achievements  of  its  members  in  many 
fields  give  it  proud  position.  It  is  a  matter  of  his- 
torical record  that  during  the  century  beginning  in 
1648  there  was  scarcely  a  session  of  the  Colonial 
Assembly  of  which  a  Harris  was  not  a  member,  while 
the  name  of  the  founder  of  the  family  herein  recorded, 
Thomas  (1)  Harris,  upon  the  Providence  Compact,  is 
in  itself  a  charter  of  distinction  in  Rhode  Island.  Wil- 
liam Milton  Harris,  Jr.  is  known  in  the  business  fra- 
ternity of  Providence  as  a  long  established  and  success- 
ful merchant  in  lumber  and  building  materials  and  as 
the  originator  and  executive  head  of  the  Terminal 
Warehouse  Company  of  Rhode  Island. 

(I)  Thomas  Harris,  ancestor  of  William  M.  Harris, 
Jr.,  came  to  America  from  Bristol,  England,  in  the  ship 
"Lion,"  with  Roger  Williams,  landing  in  Boston.  Mass. 
Later  he  came  to  Rhode  Island,  was  one  of  the  thirteen 
signers  of  the  "Compact"  in  1637,  and  in  1640  joined 
with  thirty-eight  others  in  an  agreement  upon  a  form  of 


government.  He  was  several  times  a  commissioner 
between  1652-63,  a  lieutenant  in  1654,  juryman  in  1656, 
and  deputy  for  six  terms  between  1664  and  1673.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Town  Council  four  terms,  and  an 
assistant  to  the  governor  nine  terms,  1666-77.  He  died 
in  1686,  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  in  1687,  leaving  a  son, 
Thomas   (2)  and  two  daughters. 

(II)  Thomas  (2)  Harris,  son  of  Thomas  (i)  Harris, 
inherited  his  father's  ability  in  and  inclination  toward 
public  affairs.  From  1671  to  1710  he  served  almost 
continuously  as  deputy,  and  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Providence  Town  Council  in  1684-86.  He  died  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1711,  his  widow,  Elnathan  (Tew)  Harris, 
dying  the  same  year.  The  line  continues  through  his 
eldest  son,  Thomas   (3). 

(III)  Thomas  (3)  Harris,  son  of  Thomas  (2)  Harris, 
was  born  in  Providence,  October  19,  1665,  died  Novem- 
ber I,  1741.  He  married  Phebe  Brown,  the  line  of 
descent  being  traced  through  their  son,  Charles. 

(IV)  Charles  Harris,  son  of  Thomas  (3)  Harris, 
was  born  in  Providence  in  1709,  married  Mary  Hopkins, 
and  reared  a  large  family,  one  of  their  sons,  George, 
living  to  the  great  age  of  ninety-three  years. 

(V)  Stephen  Harris,  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Hop- 
kins) Harris,  was  born  in  Scituate,  April  23,  1761,  on 
the  farm  still  in  possession  of  the  Harris  family,  and 
died  September  4,  1843.  He  married  Lydia  Beverly,  of 
Providence,  who  died  May  11,  1837,  leaving  two  sons, 
Russell  S.  and  Aldis. 

(VI)  Russell  Slack  Harris,  oldest  of  the  sons  of 
Stephen  and  Lydia  (Beverly)  Harris,  was  born  in 
Scituate,  July  27,  1800,  and  lived  at  Scituate,  R.  I.,  and 
Williamstown,  Mass.  He  married  Julia  Potter,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of:  Joseph  Warren,  Stephen  C, 
Lydia,  married  George  F.  Ingraham,  of  New  Ashford, 
Mass.,  and  William  Milton,  of  whom  further. 

(VII)  William  ^Milton  Harris,  youngest  of  the  child- 
ren of  Russell  Slack  and  Julia  (Potter)  Harris,  was 
born  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  June  14,  1842.  He  was  educated 
in  Scituate  and  Williamstown,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four  years  located  in  Providence,  where  he  was 
for  four  years  employed  by  a  dealer  in  lumber  and 
building  materials.  In  1870  he  established  independently 
in  these  lines,  and  through  diligent  application  built  up, 
from  small  beginnings,  a  business  substantial  and  profit- 
able. He  is  now  (1919)  practically  retired  from  active 
affairs,  after  a  career  long  and  strenuous,  rewarded 
by  a  competency  and  fair  business  reputation.  He  mar- 
ried, July  23,  1S68,  Ellen  M.  Hunt,  daughter  of  James 
L.  Hunt,  of  North  Providence.  Their  children  are: 
William  Milton  (2),  of  whom  further;  Frederick  R., 
born  November  20,  1874,  associated  with  William  M. 
Harris  &  Company,  of  Providence,  married,  June  22, 
1898,  Sarah  D.  Evans. 

(VIII)  William  Milton  (2)  Harris,  son  of  William 
Milton  (l)  and  Ellen  M.  (Hunt)  Harris,  was  born  in 
Providence.  R.  I.,  February  13,  1870.  He  was  educated 
in  the  Mowry  and  Goff  English  and  Classical  School,  of 
Providence,  graduating  in  the  class  of  1888.  During 
his  spare  time  and  in  vacation  periods  he  had  worked 
in  his  father's  establishment,  and  when  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  elder  Harris  it  was  with  a  fair  familiarity 
with  the  lumber  business  and  the  handling  of  builders' 
materials.     This  business  had  always  made  an  appeal 


WVv-^-^e^Tl'^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


287 


to  him,  and  in  1S92  he  estabhshed  as  an  independent 
dealer  at  the  corner  of  Harris  and  Atwcll  avenues, 
Providence.  His  beginning  was  made  entirely  on  his 
vision  of  opportunity  in  that  field  and  without  pro- 
spective trade,  but  efficient  service  and  close  personal 
attention  to  the  fulfillment  of  his  first  contracts  won 
his  firm  excellent  reputation  among  the  builders  and 
contractors  of  the  locality,  his  business,  wholesale  and 
retail,  increasing  in  volume  until  it  is  the  largest  of  its 
kind  in  Providence. 

While  devoting  himself  diligently  to  the  upbuilding 
of  a  prosperous  enterprise  in  his  own  name,  Mr  Harris 
planned  and  worked  steadily  lor  the  realization  of  a 
'  large  terminal  warehouse  in  Providence,  with  far- 
sighted  faith  in  the  future  of  his  city  as  a  port.  Ac- 
quiring important  waterfront  property,  be  began  the 
formation  of  a  company  to  finance  the  project.  Fierce 
opposition  from  special  interests  and  combinations  of 
capital  whose  monopoly  and  development  would  be  dis- 
turbed was  encountered  in  countless  forms,  and  at  times 
the  successful  organization  of  a  controlling  company 
seemed  almost  impossible.  But  Mr.  Harris  stood  firmly 
by  his  original  plan  of  giving  Providence  a  terminal 
warehouse  with  proper  trackage  facilities  and  deep 
water  connection,  and  the  incorporation  of  the  Terminal 
Warehouse  Company  of  Rhode  Island  marked  the  vic- 
tory in  the  long,  hard  struggle.  This  company  has 
erected  a  series  of  modern  warehouses,  constructed 
along  the  most  advanced  lines  and  protected  by  every 
known  device  against  fire  and  water,  with  water  ap- 
proach by  means  of  new  docks,  piers  and  ample  track- 
age from  the  land.  This  is  the  most  complete  system 
of  its  kind  in  New  England,  and  with  several  additional 
units  to  be  constructed,  the  investment  of  the  company 
totals  more  than  a  million  dollars.  The  project  is  far 
beyond  a  stage  where  there  is  any  uncertainty  as  to 
its  future,  and  it  ranks  among  the  leading  enterprises 
of  Rhode  Island  in  the  magnitude  of  its  scope  and  the 
impetus  given  commercial  operations  throughout  the 
region  Mr.  Harris  is  treasurer  and  general  manager 
of  the  company,  so  largely  the  result  of  his  strenuous 
labors,  and  in  his  executive  capacity  directs  the  use  of 
its  vast  equipment  in  competent  and  successful  manner. 

Mr.  Harris'  social  connections  are  with  the  West  Side 
CIul)  and  the  Rhode  Island  Country  Club.  He  is  an 
Independent  in  political  action,  and  takes  no  part  in 
public  affairs  other  than  as  a  progressive,  interested 
citizen,  strong  in  his  pride  in  his  city. 

Mr.  Harris  married,  September  15,  1891.  Emma  M. 
Tinker,  of  Providence,  and  they  are  the  parents  of : 
Maud,  married  W.  P.  H.  Turner,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.; 
Pauline;  and  William  M..  3d,  living  at  home,  and  who  is 
preparing  to  enter  and  follow  the  business  of  his  father. 


FRANK  LESLIE  ODELL— The  family  of  which 
Frank  Leslie  Odell  is  a  member  in  the  ninth  .American 
generation  is  one  with  an  extremely  ancient  history,  care- 
fully recorded,  and  tracing  to  lines  of  nobility  in  England 
and  France.  There  have  been  wide  variations  in  the 
orthography  of  the  name,  ranging  from  Wahull  to  Odell 
in  the  forms  of  Wahull.  de  Wahul,  Wodhull.  Woodhull, 
Wodell  and  Odill.  Wodhull  was  the  spelling  favored 
by  the  founder  of  the  line  herein  recorded,  and  his 
English     family    traced    connection    with    Edward    II., 


Henry  X'lII.,  and  William  the  Conqueror,  rulers  of 
England:  and  to  Charles  the  Eald,  King  of  France. 
The  seat  of  the  ancient  barony  of  Wodhull  was  Odell, 
Bedfordshire,  England,  where  the  Odell  parish  church 
still  stands,  although  the  direct  line  became  extinct  in 
England,  in  1816. 

There  follows  the  line  of  descent  of  the  American 
family  from  the  Counts  of  F'landers,  who  traced  their 
lineage  to  Priam.  King  of  Troy,  about  1 190,  B.  C. ; 
Saluari,  first  Count  of  Flanders,  Prince  of  Dijon, 
about  790:  Lideric  le  Brie,  foimdcr  of  "The  Foresters"; 
Ingleram;  Baldwin  I.,  called  .Audacer  and  Bras  le  Fir; 
Bahlwin  II.,  the  Bald,  died  918;  Arnulf,  died  989;  Bald- 
wiTi  III.;  Baldwin  IV.,  died  1036;  Baldwin  V'.,  called 
Debrunair;  Walter  Flandreusis;  his  eldest  daughter 
Matilda,  married  William  the  Conqueror,  and  he  was 
created  by  him  the  lirst  Baron  de  Wahull  or  Wodhull; 
Simon  de  Wahull  or  Wodhull;  Walter  de  Wahull  or 
Wodhull;  Walter  de  Wahull  or  Wodhull;  Saher  de 
Wahull  or  Wodhull;  Walter  de  Wahull  or  Wodhull; 
John  de  Wahull  or  Wodhull;  Thomas  de  Wahull  or 
Wodhull;  John  de  Wahull  or  Wodhull;  Nicholas  Wod- 
hull, died  in  1410;  Thomas  Wodhull:  Thomas  Wod- 
hull; John  Wodhull;  Fulk  Wodhull;  Nicholas  Wod- 
hull; to  William  W'odhull,  called  Odell,  the  American 
ancestor  of  this  line. 

William  Wodhull.  called  Odell,  came  to  .'\incrica  at 
the  time,  probably,  of  the  emigration  of  the  Rev.  Peter 
Bulkeley.  who  was  rector  of  the  parish  of  Odell  in 
Bedfordshire,  England,  and  came  to  New  England  in 
1635.  William  Odell  first  appears  at  Concord.  Mass., 
where  his  naine  appears  in  town  records  as  early  as 
1639.  He  moved  to  Fairfield,  Conn.,  about  1644,  and 
became  the  owner  of  a  large  estate.  His  name  appears 
in  the  probate  records  with  the  comparatively  rare  pre- 
fix of  "Mr.,"  in  those  days  a  distinctive  and  honorable 
title.  From  him  the  line  continues  through  William 
Odell,  Jr.,  who  signed  a  petition  in  1668,  as  William 
Wodhull;  Isaac  Odell  and  Annie  Tompkins,  his  wife; 
Joshua  Odell  and  Sarah  Jones,  his  wife;  Joshua  (2) 
Odell  and  Mary  Vincent,  his  wife;  John  Odell  and 
Esther  Crawford,  his  wife;  Daniel  L.  Odell  and  Malinda 
Leroy,  his  wife;  Eliphalet  P.  Odell  and  Geraldine  S. 
Miller,  his  wife;  to  Frank  L.  Odell,  of  Providence. 

Frank  Leslie  Odell,  son  of  Eliphalet  P.  and  Gerald- 
ine S.  (Miller)  Odell,  was  born  in  Dutchess  county, 
N.  v.,  May  17,  1873.  ?Ie  attended  the  district  schools 
in  his  youth,  also  studied  under  the  instruction  of  an 
uncle,  and  was  an  assistant  on  his  father's  farm  at 
Staatsburgh,  N.  V.,  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  of 
age.  Then,  in  i8(/),  he  began  his  long  association  with 
the  Wilber  Mercantile  .Agency,  of  New  York  City,  rising 
to  responsible  and  confidential  position  with  this  con- 
cern. During  his  connection  with  the  Wilber  Mercan- 
tile Agency  he  maintained  his  residence  in  Brooklyn 
and  was  there  prominent  and  active  in  civic  aflfairs, 
with  nuiTicrous  social  and  political  affiliations.  Mr. 
Odell  resigned  his  office  with  the  Wilber  firm  to  accept, 
July  5,  191 1,  a  confidential  position  in  the  executive 
office  of  the  National  Jewelers'  Board  of  Trade  in  New 
York  City,  and  in  February,  1912,  took  up  the  duties  of 
manager  in  the  Providence  office.  He  is  well  and  widely 
known  in  business  circles  of  Providence,  his  acquaint- 
ance extending  far  beyond  the  business  of  his  immediate 


288 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


interest,   and   he  is  a  participant   in   all   movements   of 
civic  importance  as  well  as  in  projects  of  trade  expaii- 
sion.     He   is   vice-president   of   the   Providence   Credit 
Men's  Association,  and  for  over  twenty  years  has  been 
a  member  of  the  National  Association  of  Credit  Men. 

Mr.  Odell  has  been  a  lifelong  -supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  served  for  two  years  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Thirty-second  Ward  Citizens'  Association 
of  Brooklyn,  was  a  member  of  the  Flatbush  (New 
York)  Tax-payers'  Association,  a  charter  member  of 
the  Jamaica  Bay  (New  York)  Improvement  Associa- 
tion, and  was  a  long  tim.e  member  of  the  Union  League, 
Knickerbocker-Field  and  Colonial  clubs  of  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.  He  is  now  a  non-resident  member  of  the  King's 
County  (New  York)  Historical  Society,  in  whose  work 
he  took  an  interested  part  during  his  Brooklyn  resi- 
dence, and  was  its  first  treasurer  and  served  as  one  of 
its  first  trustees.  For  four  years  he  was  vice-president 
of  the  Eighteenth  Assembly  District  Republican  Com- 
mittee of  Brooklyn,  of  which  he  was  a  member  for 
many  years.  Mr.  Odell  is  numbered  among  the  pro- 
gressive citizens  of  Providence,  interested  in  all  that 
concerns  her  welfare,  and  through  his  daily  activity 
adding  to  the  stability  of  her  business  structure. 

Mr.  Odell  married,  October  i8,  191 1,  Edwina  Van 
Burgh  Peterson,  born  June  21,  1SS3,  a  daughter  of  the 
later  Edwin  Gardner  and  Elizabeth  Greenleaf  (Pattee) 
Peterson,  and  a  descendant  of  Admiral  Peterson  of  the 
Dutch  Navy.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter, 
Geraldine  Frances,  born  Jan.  28.  1917. 


COLONEL    NATHANIEL    W.    SMITH— When 

Colonel  Smith  embraced  the  profession  of  law  he  did 
violence  to  family  tradition,  as,  with  the  exception  of 
his  father,  who  was  a  business  man  of  Providence,  his 
progenitors  had  been  agriculturists  and  mariners  of  the 
towns  of  Barrington  and  Warren,  R.  I.  Nathaniel  has 
been  a  persistent  name  in  this  branch.  Colonel  Smith  be- 
ing the  fifth  in  direct  line  from  James  Smith  to  bear  that 
given  name.  The  first  Nathaniel  Smith,  son  of  James 
and  Sarah  (Kent)  Smith,  was  a  farmer  of  Rumstick, 
owning  a  large  tract  of  cultivated  land.  He  was  an 
ardent  patriot,  and  as  a  minute  man,  recruiting  officer, 
sergeant,  and  colonel,  rendered  valuable  service  to  the 
cause  of  independence.  After  the  war  he  returned  to 
his  farm  and  there  continued  in  peaceful  prosperity 
until  his  death  in  1823,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  He 
married  Lillis  Humphrey,  they  the  parents  of  seven 
sons ;  Colonel  Smith,  of  Providence,  tracing  descent 
through  the  second  son,  Nathaniel  (2)  Smith,  born  Jan- 
uary 23,  1772.  This  Nathaniel  Smith  was  a  farmer  of 
Barrington,  representative  from  that  town  to  the  State 
Legislature.  He  married  Wait  Mauran,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Carlo  and  Olive  Mauran.  These  names.  Wait, 
and  Mauran.  were  thus  brought  into  the  Smith  family 
and  have  been  freely  used  as  a  given  and  middle  name. 
Nathaniel  Church  Smith,  youngest  son  of  Nathaniel 
(2)  and  Wait  (Mauran)  Smith,  was  born  at  the  home- 
stead in  Barrington,  October  2,  i8ii,  and  all  his  life 
cultivated  his  own  acres  in  his  native  town  at  Rum- 
stick.  He  was  a  member  of  the  School  Committee  and 
Town  Council  for  many  years,  was  captain  of  the  Bar- 
rington Militia,  and  is  believed  to  have  been  the  Nathan- 
iel  Church   Smith,  who,  in   1836,  was   made  major  of 


Bristol  County  Militia.  He  was  a  Democrat  until  the 
Civil  War,  then  joined  with  the  Republican  party, 
serving  as  representative  to  the  State  Legislature,  1865- 
i86g,  and  1870,  also  1S71.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  church,  and  of  him  Dr.  Bicknell  wrote : 

He  was  devoted  to  the  growth  and  interests  of  Bar- 
rington, was  public  spirited,  firm  in  his  adherence  to 
conscientious  beliefs,  pos.-essed  of  grenial,  social  nature, 
looked  at  men  and  events  from  the  hopeful  stand- 
point, spoke  evil  of  no  one.  was  respected  )iy  all,  and 
beloved  by  those  who  know  him  best.  Hi.s  family, 
parents,  and  children  have  been  ornaments  of  Har- 
rington. 

Nathaniel  Church  Smith  married,  April  8.  1835.  Sally 
Bowen,  daughter  of  Judge  James  Bowen,  of  Barring- 
ton. 

Nathaniel  Wait  Smith,  son  of  Nathaniel  Church  and 
Sally  (Bowen)  Smith,  was  born  at  the  Smith  home- 
stead at  Rumstick,  in  Barrington,  December  18,  1842, 
and  died  at  Providence,  January  7,  1875.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  and  in  choosing  a  career 
went  far  afield,  entering  business  life  as  a  clerk  with 
Snow  &  Claflin.  a  wholesale  drug  firm  of  Providence. 
He  displayed  unusual  aptitude  for  business  life,  and 
so  established  himself  in  the  regard  of  the  proprietor, 
that  when  the  firm  of  George  L.  Claflin  &  Company  was 
formed,  in  1873.  he  was  admitted  as  one  of  the  active 
partners.  His  life  of  brilliant  promise  ended  two  years 
later,  at  the  age  of  thirty-three,  but  his  short  career  was 
suflicient  to  establish  a  high  reputation  as  a  man  of 
ability  and  high  character,  and  to  win  deserved  popu- 
larity with  all  classes.  He  married,  in  April,  1870, 
Emily  F.  Cole,  daughter  of  Edmund  and  Olive  Maria 
(Wheeler)  Cole,  he  the  son  of  Luther  and  Sally  C Salis- 
bury) Cole,  he  the  son  of  Benjamin,  son  of  Ebenezer 
Cole,  a  prominent  man  and  patriot  of  Warren.  R.  I., 
who  married  Patience  Miller.  Ebenezer  Cole  was  a 
son  of  Ebenezer  and  Mehitable  (Luther)  Cole,  he  a 
son  of  Hugh  and  Mary  (Foxwell)  Cole.  Hrgh.  the  son 
of  James  Cole,  the  founder  of  this  branch  of  the  Cole 
family  in  New  England.  Nathaniel  Wait  and  Emily  F. 
(Cole)  Smith  were  the  parents  of  two  sons:  i.  Walter 
Cole,  born  Jan.  g.  1871,  who  became  an  officer  of  the 
Vermont  Farm  Machinery  Company,  manufacturers  of 
dairy  implements  of  Bellows  Falls,  Vt. ;  he  married 
Bertha  D.  Somers,  of  Poughkeepsie.  N.  Y..  they  the 
parents  of:  Margaret  Dunham,  Walter  Cole  (2).  2. 
Nathaniel  Waite  (2),  of  further  mention,  and  Esther 
Smith. 

Nathaniel  Waite  (2)  Smith,  youngest  of  the  sons  of 
Nathaniel  Wait  (l)  Smith,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  L,  November  18,  1873.  After  preparing  in  Provi- 
dence and  \'ermont  public  schools  he  entered  Yale 
University,  whence  he  was  graduated  A.  B.,  class  of 
1896.  Neither  business  nor  agriculture  appealed  to 
him,  but  the  legal  profession  did,  and  a  course  of 
study  was  pursued  at  the  New  York  Law  School, 
whence  he  was  graduated  LL.  B.,  class  of  i8qS.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  New  York  bar  in  1898,  to  the  Rhode 
Island  bar  in  1899,  choosing  Providence  as  a  location 
in  which  to  begin  practice.  He  at  once  became  asso- 
ciated with  the  law  firm,  Edwards  &  Angell,  as  law  clerk 
and  assistant,  becoming  a  member  of  the  firm  in  May, 
1903.  In  January,  1004,  he  was  appointed  assistant 
attorney  to  the  New  York.  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
Railroad  Company,  a  position  he  held  until  1907.  when 


^ji^^^^^C-s^  *^y^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


289 


he  was  raised  to  the  dignitj-  of  counsel,  with  offices  in 
Providence,  and  later  to  that  of  general  attorney,  with 
headquarters  at  New  Haven,  Conn.  That  position  he 
now  holds,  his  professional  services  having  been  devoted 
exclusively  to  this  branch  of  practice  since  1904.  From 
1907  to  1914,  he  was  also  general  counsel  for  the  Rhode 
Island  Company,  the  leading  street  railway  company  of 
the  State.  Colonel  Smith  derives  his  military  title  from 
the  judge  advocate  general's  department,  to  which  he 
was  appointed  in  the  spring  of  1906,  first  as  assistant 
judge  advocate  general  on  the  General  Military  stafi  of 
Rhode  Island. 

In  his  special  line  of  practice.  Colonel  Smith  has  been 
connected  with  some  of  the  important  cases  in  Rhode 
Island  courts,  and  has  won  high  standing  in  his  pro- 
fession. He  is  a  member  of  the  law  association,  and 
is  on  good  terms  with  his  fellowmen  in  society  and 
fraternity.  He  is  a  member  of  Orpheus  Lodge,  Prov- 
idence Chapter,  and  St.  John's  Commandery  of  the 
York  Rite  of  Masonry,  and  in  the  Scottish  Rite  has 
attained  the  thirty-second  degree,  Rhode  Island  Con- 
sistory. His  college  fraternity  is  Alpha  Delta  Phi,  and 
he  belongs  to  the  Hope,  Agawam  Hunt,  and  Art  clubs 
of  Providence,  and  the  Yale  Club  of  New  York  City. 

Nathaniel  (Waite)  (2)  Smith  married,  at  South 
Kingstown,  September  25,  1905,  Ellen  Howard,  daughter 
of  William  B.  W'ecden,  of  Providence.  They  are  the 
parents  of  Mary  Weeden,  born  Oct.  10,  1906,  and  Na- 
thaniel, born  Sept.   16,  1907. 


CHARLES  POTTER,  secretary  of  the  Penal  and 
Charitable  Commission,  and  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  prominent  business  men  and  influential  citizens  of 
Gloucester,  is  a  member  of  the  old  Rhode  Island  family 
of  Potter,  and  a  descendant  in  the  eighth  generation 
from  Robert  Potter,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  Amer- 
ica. Mr.  Potter's  ancestors  on  both  sides  of  the  fam- 
ily have  occupied  prominent  places  in  the  affairs  of 
this  region.  He  is  descended  from  Roger  Williams, 
Thomas  Olney,  who  is  elsewhere  mentioned  in  this 
work,  John  Whipple,  also  the  subject  of  extended  men- 
tion in  this  work,  Captain  Arthur  Fenner,  who  was  an 
ensign  in  a  troop  of  horse  in  Cromwell's  .Army,  John 
Smith,  the  miller,  and  Richard  Borden,  and  others.  The 
Potter  lineage  is  as  follows : 

(I)  Robert  Potter  is  believed  to  have  come  from 
Coventry,  England,  and  arrived  in  the  year  1628  at 
Salem,  Mass.  He  was  admitted  a  freeman  there,  Sep- 
tember 3,  1631,  but  soon  after  removed  to  Rhode  Island, 
where  for  a  time  he  resided  in  the  Portsmouth  colony, 
but  was  recorded  as  of  Newport  in  July,  1638.  Three 
years  later  he  went  to  Gorten.  in  the  settlement  of 
Shawomet,  now  Warwick,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
twelve  purchasers  of  the  site  of  that  town  from  the 
Indian  chief,  Miantonomi,  and  it  appears  had  his  share 
of  property  set  off  on  Warwick  Xeck,  and  other  places. 
He  was  prominent  in  the  community  and  represented 
Warwick  in  the  Rhode  Island  General  Council,  in  1648- 
51-52  and  55.  The  name  of  Robert  Potter's  first  wife 
was  Isabella,  and  her  death  occurred  in  1643.  She  was 
the  mother  of  five  children,  as  follows :  Anthony,  Icha- 
bod,  Elizabeth,  Deliverance,  and  John,  who  is  mentioned 
below.  His  second  wife,  Sarah,  was  living  at  the  time 
of  his  death  in  1655. 

K  I-I-19 


(II)  John  Potter,  son  of  Robert  Potter,  was  bom  in 
Portsmouth  in  1639  and  resided  during  practically  his 
entire  life  at  Warwick,  where  his  death  occurred  in 
1694.  He  was  for  many  years  clerk  of  the  Colony  of 
Rhode  Island.  During  the  Indian  War  he  took  his 
family  to  the  island  of  Rhode  Island,  and  there  re- 
mained until  peaceful  times  returned.  John  Potter  mar- 
ried (first)  June  2,  1664,  Ruth  Fisher,  daughter  of 
Edward  Fisher,  and  (second)  January  7.  1684,  Sarah 
Collins.  He  was  the  father  of  the  following  children : 
Robert;  Fisher;  John,  who  is  mentioned  below;  Wil- 
liam; Samuel;  Isabella  Ruth;  Edward  and  Content. 

(III)  John  (2)  Potter,  son  of  John  (i)  and  Ruth 
(Fisher)  Potter,  was  born  November  27,  1668,  and 
died  February  5,  171 1,  as  the  result  of  an  accident  in 
felling  a  tree.  He  married  Jane  Burlingame,  daughter 
of  Roger  and  Mary  Burlingame,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  John,  William,  Amy, 
Mary,  Fisher,  who  is  mentioned  below,  and  .Mice. 
After  the  death  of  John  Potter,  his  widow  became  the 
wife  of  his  brother,  Edward. 

(IV)  Fisher  Potter,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Jane 
(Burlingame)  Potter,  was  born  September  29,  1706,  at 
Cranston,  R.  I.,  and  afterwards  resided  at  Scituate,  in 
this  State,  where  his  death  occurred  .'\pril  28,  1789.  He 
married,  November  10,  1728,  Mary  Winsor,  born  in 
1707,  and  died  in  1789.  She  was  a  great-granddaughter 
of  Roger  Williams,  through  his  daughter,  Mercy,  who 
married  for  her  second  husband.  Samuel  Winsor,  Mrs. 
Potter's  grandfather.  They  wxre  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Philip,  born  .Aug.  27,  1729;  Sam- 
uel, born  Jan.  10,  1731 ;  Mary,  born  Dec.  23,  1733;  Fisher, 
Jr.,  born  June  10,  1735;  Jeremiah,  born  March  3,  1737; 
Phebe,  born  May  20,  1742;  Christopher,  born  .Aug.  22, 
1744;  John,  who  is  mentioned  below,  and  Winsor,  bom 
Jan.  15,  1749. 

(V)  John  (3)  Potter,  son  of  Fisher  and  Mary  (Win- 
sor) Potter,  was  bom  November  11,  1747,  at  Scituate, 
R.  I.,  and  resided  with  his  parents  on  a  farm,  situated 
about  a  third  of  a  mile  south  of  the  Four  Corners.  He 
was  a  stone  mason  and  was  engaged  in  that  trade  at 
Pawtuxet  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 
In  the  early  morning  he  heard  the  alarm  bells  ringing 
at  Providence,  and  walking  to  that  city,  to  discover  the 
cause,  he  heard  the  call  for  troops.  He  promptly  went 
to  Hopkins  Mills,  where  his  military  company  met, 
and  with  them  marched  to  Providence  that  night,  where 
they  learned  that  the  affair  was  over.  The  company, 
however,  was  warned  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness 
for  action  at  a  moment's  notice.  It  would  seem  that  his 
walk  of  thirty-eight  miles  that  day  had  satisfied  Mr. 
Potter  with  service  in  the  infantry,  as  he  promptly  en- 
listed in  a  troop  of  horse  and  was  detailed  as  a  "rider" 
or  messenger,  and  in  that  capacity  went  about  carrying 
orders  and  news  from  place  to  place.  After  the  expir- 
ation of  his  term  of  enlistment,  Mr.  Potter  settled  at 
North  Scituate,  and  lived  there  during  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  During  the  rest  of  the  Revolution,  he  served 
as  picket  guard  on  the  shores  near  Point  Judith,  to 
guard  against  landing  expeditions  from  the  British 
fleet.  Towards  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  commis- 
sioned an  ensign  in  the  Company  of  Minute  Men  at 
Scituate,  but  it  is  uncertain  whether  he  was  ever  in 
the  field  with  his  company.    After  the  establishment  of 


290 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


peace,  he  and  his  wife  joined  the  Society  of  Friends. 
They  had  long  been  of  that  belief,  but  Mr.  Potter  would 
not  become  identified  with  them  until  the  fighting  was 
over.  John  Potter  married  September  8,  1777,  Wait 
Waterman,  born  December  17,  1750,  a  daughter  of 
Colonel  John  and  Sally  (Fenner)  Waterman.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Waterman, 
who  is  mentioned  at  length  below;  Elizabeth,  born 
March  14,  1784,  and  married,  Oct.  24,  1802.  Peter  Cush- 
man;  Mary,  born  May  7,  1786,  and  married,  Dec.  28, 
1807,  William  Smith,  of  Scituate,  where  she  died  Jan. 
21,  1855;  John,  born  Jan.  25,  1789;  Waity,  born  April 
14,  1791,  and  died  Aug.  3,  1837,  in  Ohio,  unmarried; 
Jeremy,  born  Dec.  18,  1795,  and  died  March  3,  1S79,  at 
Burrillville;  Sally,  born  ^March  29,  1779,  and  died  Sept. 
18,  186S. 

(VI)  Waterman  Potter,  son  of  John  (3)  and  \\'ait 
(Waterman)  Potter,  was  born  March  18,  1782,  at  Sci- 
tuate, R.  I.  He  was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  set  up 
machinery  in  many  factories  in  Rhode  Island,  his  best 
work  in  this  State  being  to  install  machinery  in  the 
cotton  factory  in  Lymansville,  near  Manton.  About 
1S20,  he  went  to  Globe  Village,  near  Southbridge,  IMass., 
and  set  up  the  machinery  in  a  new  cotton  mill  in  that 
village.  Having  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  instal- 
lation of  cotton  machinery  since  the  War  of  1812  had 
been  so  extensive  as  to  make  the  future  possibilities 
of  his  work  extremely  limited,  consequently  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Globe  Village  and  devoted  the  remain- 
der of  his  active  life  to  farming.  Some  ten  years 
later  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Southbridge,  Mass.,  in 
which  town  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He 
was  a  deacon  in  the  Sturbridge  Congregational 
Church  and  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  the 
town.  His  death  occurred  May  20,  1852.  Water- 
man Potter  married  (first)  October  3,  1813,  Clarissa 
Wolcott,  born  in  1793,  and  died  in  1823,  daugh- 
ter of  Joshua  and  Eliza  Wolcott,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  William  A., 
born  Oct.  2,  1814,  and  died  July  29,  1826;  John 
Waterman,  born  June  13,  1816,  and  died  March  3.  1818; 
Elizabeth  W.,  born  June  28,  1818,  became  the  wife  of 
James  A.  Harris,  and  died  Nov.  7,  1880;  Henry  Wol- 
cott, born  Feb.  17,  1820,  died  July  5,  1842,  and  Edward 
W.,  born  April  25,  1823,  married  Malora  Walker,  and 
died  Aug.  4,  1906.  Waterman  Potter  married  (second) 
March  25,  1824,  Tryphena  Stedman,  daughter  of  John 
Stedman.  Two  children  were  born  of  this  marriage  as 
follows :  John  Stedman,  born  Feb.  20,  1826,  and  died 
March  28,  1897;  and  Albert,  who  is  mentioned  below. 

(VII)  Dr.  Albert  Potter,  youngest  son  of  Waterman 
and  Tryphena  (Stedman)  Potter,  was  born  February 
28,  1831,  at  Sturbridge,  Mass.  As  a  child  he  attended 
the  public  schools  of  that  place,  and  later  Monson 
Academy,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  Mr. 
Potter  then  entered  the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann 
Arbor,  but  sometime  afterwards,  having  determined  to 
take  up  the  profession  of  medicine,  entered  the  medical 
school  of  Harvard  University,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1855,  with  his  medical  degree.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Scituate,  R.  I.,  where  he  practiced  medicine 
for  a  year,  after  which  for  four  years  he  was  prac- 
ticing at  Charlton,  Mass.  In  i860  he  located  at  Burrill- 
ville, R.  I.,  and  on  October  10,  of  the  following  year, 


was  commissioned  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Fifth  Regi- 
ment Rhode  Island  Heavy  .\rtillery,  having  volunteered 
for  service  in  the  Civil  War.  His  regiment  formed  part 
of  the  .Army  of  General  Burnside,  upon  his  expedition 
into  North  Carolina,  and  Dr.  Potter  was  soon  com- 
missioned surgeon,  remaining  with  his  regiment  until 
finally  mustered  out  of  the  army,  at  the  expiration  of 
his  term,  December  22,  1864.  He  was  also  in  charge  of 
Eelger's  battery,  and  was  examining  surgeon  for  re- 
cruits in  North  Carolina  in  1864.  In  1S63  he  had  charge 
of  the  Foster  General  Hospital  for  some  time.  Upon 
returning  from  the  war.  Dr.  Potter  settled  at  Chep- 
achet,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  practice  until  his 
death,  October  2,  1902,  at  which  time  he  was  the  oldest 
active  physician  in  this  section  of  the  State.  Dr.  Potter 
was  a  Republican  in  politics  and  was  active  in  local 
affairs,  being  president  of  the  Town  Council  of  Glou- 
cester for  a  time,  and  chairman  of  the  school  committee 
there.  He  was  a  fellow  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical 
Society,  and  its  president  in  1888-S9.  He  was  a  past 
master  of  Friendship  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  and  surgeon  and  adjutant  of  Charles  E.  Guild 
Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Dr.  Potter  was 
also  a  member  and  an  ex-president  of  the  Fifth  Rhode 
Island  and  Battery  F.  Veteran  Association,  and  a  few 
years  before  his  death,  became  a  member  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Commandery,  of  the  Loyal  Legion.  Dr.  Potter 
married,  June  10.  1855,  at  Scituate,  R.  I.,  Urania  Tour- 
tellot  Harris,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  A.  and  Mary  (Tour- 
tcUot)  Harris,  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Potter  survived  her 
husband,  and  resided  at  Chepachet,  until  her  death, 
October  16,  1906.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  child- 
ren :  Charles,  with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially 
concerned;  and  Frank  H..  a  resident  of  Pascoag,  and 
clerk  of  the  Ninth  Judicial  District  Court  of  Rhode 
Island. 

(VIII)  Charles  Potter,  elder  son  of  Dr.  Albert  and 
Urania  Tourtellot  (Harris)  Potter,  was  born  Novem- 
ber 20,  1858,  at  Charlton,  Mass.,  and  was  very  young  at 
the  time  his  parents  removed  to  Rhode  Island.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Gloucester  as  a  lad,  and 
afterwards  the  well  known  Mowry  and  Goff's  English 
and  Classical  School  at  Providence.  Upon  completing 
his  studies  at  the  latter  institution,  he  secured  a  position 
as  clerk  in  a  store  at  Harrisville,  where  he  remained 
for  about  two  years,  and  then  took  a  similar  position  in 
a  store  in  Chepachet,  operated  by  the  Hon.  Walter  A. 
Read,  later  treasurer  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  He 
worked  as  a  clerk  here  until  1889,  in  which  time  he 
proved  his  loyalty  and  devotion  as  well  as  his  ability  to 
such  an  extent  that  Mr.  Read  admitted  him  into  part- 
nership, and  the  firm  became  known  as  Read  &  Potter. 
In  1900  Mr.  Read  withdrew  from  the  business,  selling 
his  interest  to  James  L.  Brown,  and  the  firm  became 
known  as  Potter  &  Brown,  which  it  remained  until  the 
retirement  of  Mr.  Potter  in  1910.  The  business  con- 
ducted during  this  period  was  an  exceedingly  successful 
one,  and  the  store  became  the  most  important  establish- 
ment of  its  kind  in  the  neighborhood.  In  the  year  1910, 
however,  Mr.  Potter  was  offered  the  position  of  secre- 
tary on  the  Board  of  State  Charities  and  Correction,  and 
withdrew  from  business  in  order  to  accept  it.  Since 
that  time  he  has  served  the  community  most  efficiently 
in  this  capacity,  and  has  gained  an  enviable  reputation 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


291 


as  a  disinterested  and  capable  public  servant.  Mr. 
Potter  has  always  been  a  staunch  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, and  is  an  influential  figure  in  the  organization  of 
his  party.  He  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Chepachet 
by  President  Harrison,  was  removed  by  President  Cleve- 
land, and  reappointed  by  President  McKinley,  after 
which  he  held  the  office  until  igoo.  In  that  year  he  was 
elected  to  represent  Gloucester  in  the  State  Senate  and 
served  in  that  capacity  for  ten  years.  He  has  also  held 
a  number  of  important  local  positions,  was  town  treas- 
urer and  moderator  in  1892,  and  in  that  year  was  elected 
president  of  the  Town  Council,  a  post  which  he  has  held 
continuously  ever  since  with  the  exception  of  the  two 
years,  1899  and  1000.  He  is  also  treasurer  of  the 
Chepachet  Fire  District.  Mr.  Potter  is  a  conspicuous 
figure  in  the  social  and  fraternal  life  of  the  community, 
is  a  member  and  past  master  of  Friendship  Lodge, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Burnside  Camp,  Sons  of 
Veterans,  at  Providence;  Massachusetts  Commandery 
of  the  Loyal  Legion.  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men, and  is  eligible  for  membership  in  the  Sons  of  the 
American  Revolution. 

Charles  Potter  was  united  in  marriage  in  the  year 
1878,  at  Chepachet,  with  Ann  Janet  Sayles,  a  native  of 
Chepachet  and  daughter  of  Leonard  and  Almira  (Pray) 
Sayles.  Mrs.  Potter  died  October  9,  1909.  To  them 
two  children  were  born :  A  daughter  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; and  Edgar  Sayles,  a  review  of  whom  follows. 


DR.  EDGAR  SAYLES  POTTER,  a  worthy  repre- 
sentative of  prominent  Rhode  Island  families,  is  a 
grandson  of  Dr.  Albert  Potter,  and  a  son  of  Charles 
Potter,  both  of  whom  are  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
sketch. 

Edgar  Sayles  Potter  is  the  only  son  of  Charles  and 
Ann  Janet  (Sayles)  Potter,  and  was  born  in  Chepachet, 
December  25.  1884.  He  attended  public  school  until 
fourteen  years  of  age,  then  an  accident  prevented 
further  school  attendance,  and  he  devoted  a  great  deal 
of  his  time  henceforth  to  the  acquiring  of  a  knowledge 
of  music,  finally  becoming  so  proficient  that  he  taught 
others.  He  was  organist  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Chep- 
achet, and  later  was  choir  director  and  organist  of  the 
Tremont  Street  Baptist  Church,  in  Boston.  He  was  a 
highly  rated  musician,  teaching  both  vocal  and  instru- 
mental music,  and  was  himself  a  highly  educated  musi- 
cian, a  graduate  of  the  best  schools  in  Boston.  In  1910 
he  gave  up  his  music  and  began  the  study  of  medicine 
at  the  medical  department  of  Tuft's  College,  in  Boston. 
He  was  graduated  M.  D.,  class  of  1914,  having  also 
accomplished  a  course  in  obstetrics  in  ilount  Sinai  Hos- 
pital. In  1915  he  began  practice  in  Chepachet,  and  is 
steadily  acquiring  favor,  striving  to  emulate  his  worthy 
grandfather,  Dr.  .-Mbert  Potter,  who  administered  to  the 
needs  of  the  village  fifty  years  ago.  Dr.  Potter's  home 
and  office  are  in  the  old  Colonial  mansion  which  has 
been  in  the  family  for  many  years,  and  there  are  many 
old  and  valuable  pieces  of  furniture  handed  down  out 
of  the  past.  One  of  these  is  a  chair  owned  by  Gideon 
Potter.  1755. 

Dr.  Potter  married.  September  25,  1910,  Bertha 
Josephine  Carlson,  of  Boston,  also  a  talented  musician. 
Two  children  were  born  to  them:  Charles  (2),  who 
died  December  26,  1918,  and  .Ann  Janette. 


FRANCIS  STOWE  BARKER  — The  surname, 
Barker,  is  of  ancient  English  origin,  and  of  the  occu- 
pative  class.  The  barker  or  tanner  was  an  artisan  of 
considerable  importance  in  every  early  English  town, 
and  the  occupation  was  one  which  was  apt  to  become 
hereditary.  On  the  adoption  of  surnames  among  the 
people.  Barker  sprang  into  use  as  a  family  name.  En- 
tries of  the  name  occur  in  rolls  and  registers  of  the 
thirteenth  and  fourteenth  century,  and  in  the  middle 
ages  families  of  the  name  had  already  sprung  into 
prominence  in  England.  We  find  reference  to  the  trade 
of  barker  in  "The  Tanner  of  Tamworth,"  in  the  con- 
versation between  Edward  I\'  and  the  tanner; 

"What  craft.sman  art  thou?"  said  the  Kine, 
"I  pray   thee   telle  me  trowe;" 
■I  am  a  barker,  sir.  by  my  trade; 
Xow  tell  mc,  what  art  thou?" 

The  .American  Barkers,  of  which  the  Rhode  Island 
family  form  the  most  important  branch,  was  founded 
in  Rhode  Island,  in  1634,  by  James  Barker.  His  de- 
scendants have  been  prominent  in  Rhode  Island  history 
for  two  hundred  fifty  years.  Among  them  there  have 
been  many  men  noted  in  professional,  financial,  public 
and  business  life,  whose  careers  entitle  them  to  the 
foremost  rank  among  the  leaders  of  Rhode  Island  life 
and  affairs. 

The  Barker  coat-of-arms  is  as  follows ; 

Arms — Azure    five   escallops    In    cross   or. 
Crest — On  a  rock  argent  a  hawk  close  or. 

(I)  John  Barker,  the  first  to  whom  the  American  line 
is  traced,  lived  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Hill,  daughter  of  Thomas  Hill, 
and  niece  of  Sir  Rowland  Hill,  the  first  Protestant  Lord 
Mayor  of  London,  1549. 

(II)  Edward  Barker,  son  of  John  Barker. 

(III)  Rowland  Barker,  son  of  Edward  Barker,  re- 
sided at  Wollerton,  County  Salop,  England,  and  was 
granted  a  coat-of-arms. 

(I\')  James  Barker,  son  of  Rowland  Barker,  was 
born  in  England.  He  embarked  on  March  24,  1634,  in 
the  "Mary  and  John"  with  Nicholas  Easton  for  New 
England,  but  died  on  the  voyage.  He  directed  that  his 
son,  James,  who  was  with  him,  should  be  left  in  the 
care  of  the  boy's  aunt,  Christiana,  sister  of  James  Bar- 
ker, who  had  come  over  in  1630,  with  her  husband, 
Thomas  Beecher.  After  the  death  of  Thomas  Beecher, 
she  married  Nicholas  Easton  who  lived  at  Charles- 
town.  Mass.,  and  Newport,  R.  I. 

(V)  James  (2)  Barker,  immigrant  ancestor  and  pro- 
genitor of  the  family  in  Rhode  Island,  was  bom  in 
Harwich,  Essex,  England.  He  resided  with  his  aunt 
in  Charlestown,  and  in  Newport.  In  1644  he  was  cor- 
poral, and  in  1648  ensign,  and  member  of  the  General 
Court  of  Elections.  He  was  appointed  on  May  18,  1653, 
with  another  messenger  to  demand  the  statute  books 
of  Mr.  Coddington.  In  1655,  1661,  and  1663  he  was 
commissioner.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittee to  receive  the  contributions  to  the  amount  of 
£200  for  the  agents  in  England,  Roger  Williams  and 
John  Clarke,  who  were  sent  to  obtain  a  royal  charter  in 
1661.  In  the  same  year  he  was  appointed  one  of  the 
trustees  to  manage  Westerly  affairs.  He  was  one  of 
those  named  in  the  charier  granted  July  8,  1663,  by 
King  Charles  II.     For  many  years  he  was  one  of  the 


292 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


foremost  figures  in  Colonial  affairs.  He  was  assistant 
of  the  colony  in  1663-64-65-66-71-72-76-77-78,  and  dep- 
uty to  the  General  Assembly  in  1667-69-70-71-76-77-81- 
83-S4-85-86.  In  1670  he  was  one  of  the  commissioners 
in  the  matter  of  the  disputed  territory  with  Connec- 
ticut. During  King  Philip's  War,  he  was  one  of  those 
called  upon  to  advise  with  the  General  Assembly  "in 
these  troublous  times  and  straits  in  this  Colony."  In 
1678  he  was  elected  deputy  governor.  In  1690  James 
Barker  assisted  in  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Richard  Ding- 
ley,  indicating  that  he  was  a  lay  preacher,  or  "preach- 
ing brother"  of  the  Baptist  faith.  He  married,  in  1664, 
Barbara  Dungan,  daughter  of  William  and  Frances 
(Latham)   Dungan. 

(VI)  James  (3)  Barker,  son  of  James  (2)  and  Bar- 
bara (Dungan)  Barker,  was  born  in  1648.  He  married 
in  1673  Sarah  Jafferay,  born  in  1656,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  (Gould)  Jafferay,  of  Newport.  He  was 
admitted  a  freeman  in  1675;  was  deputy  in  1678-90-96, 
1701-03-05-06-07-09-16,  and  assistant  in  1695-96-98-99. 

(VII)  James  (4)  Barker,  son  of  James  (3)  and 
Sarah  (Jafferay)  Barker,  was  born  December  4,  1675; 
he  married  in  1699,  Mary  Cook,  and  lived  in  Newport, 
and  Middletown,  R.  I.  He  was  admitted  a  freeman  in 
1704,  and  was  deputy  to  the  General  Assembly  in  1709- 
1717-25-26.  For  fifty  years  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Second  Baptist  Church  of   Newport.     He  died   March 

26,  1758,  and  his  wife,  Mary,  February  24,  1758. 

(VIII)  James  (5)  Barker,  son  of  James  (4)  and 
Mary  (Cook)  Barker,  was  born  December  30,  1700.  He 
married  (first)  January  21,  1724,  Mary  Peckham,  bom 
September  7,  1704,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
(Tew)  Peckham.  She  died  June  12,  1728,  and  he  mar- 
ried (second)  Margaret  Weeden,  who  was  born  in 
1701,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Mary  (Clarke)  Weeden, 
who  died  May  9,  1785.  He  was  admitted  a  freeman  of 
Middletown,  in  1722,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Town 
Council   in    1743-44-45-46-58-59-65-66.     He   died    March 

27,  177-2- 

(IX)  James  (6)  Barker,  son  of  James  (5)  and  Mary 
(Peckham)  Barker,  was  born  December  12,  1725.  He 
was  a  farmer  and  tailor  of  Middletown,  R.  I.,  and 
Lanesboro,  Mass.  In  1753  he  became  a  lieutenant  in 
the  train  band  of  Middletown,  and  served  five  years 
under  Captain  Bliss.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Town 
Council  in  1755-56-57-60-61,  and  deputy  to  the  General 
Assembly  in  1758-59-61-62-63-64;  and  assistant  in  1768- 
1769-72-73.  He  was  active  in  public  service  until  the 
time  of  his  removal  from  Rhode  Island.  In  1773  he 
went  into  the  northwestern  part  of  Massachusetts,  sell- 
ing his  Middletown  property.  He  became  active  and 
prominent  in  public  life  there,  and  was  judge  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas,  first  register  of  deeds  for  the 
district  and  first  town  clerk  of  Cheshire.  On  September 
16,  1745,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Second  Baptist 
Church  of  Newport.  James  (6)  Barker  married  on 
January  5,  1749,  Ann  Peckham,  who  was  bom  August 
13.  ^73^,  died  November  17,  1797,  daughter  of  Isaac 
and  Jane  (Sisson)  Peckham.  He  died  on  January  17, 
1796. 

(X)  Isaac  Barker,  son  of  James  (6)  and  Ann  (Peck- 
ham) Barker,  was  born  May  21,  1752.  He  was  a  car- 
penter and  farmer  and  resided  in  Middletown,  R.  I. 
He  was  active  and  prominent  in  town  affairs  through- 


out his  life,  and  in  1794-95,  1805-06-09-14-15  served  as 
deputy  to  the  General  Assembly.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Town  Council  in  1803-04-05-06-07-08-1 1-14-15-16. 
He  was  the  first  in  Rhode  Island  to  engage  in  the  rais- 
ing of  silk  worms.  Isaac  Barker  served  for  more  than 
a  year,  beginning  in  August,  1778,  in  a  most  dangerous 
and  important  post  in  the  Continental  army.  When  the 
British  took  possession  of  Rhode  Island  in  1776.  a  regi- 
ment of  Hessians  was  quartered  upon  his  farm  at 
Middletown.  Isaac  Barker,  pretending  strong  Tory- 
sympathies,  deceived  the  colonel  of  the  regiment,  and 
arranged  secret  signals  with  Lieutenant  Chapin.  of  Col- 
onel Sherbourne's  regiment,  in  Little  Compton,  to  dis- 
close British  plans.  His  services  were  acknowledged 
by  General  Gates  to  have  been  of  the  greatest  import- 
ance in  the  campaigns  in  Rhode  Island. 

Isaac  Barker  married  (first)  February  12.  1775, 
Sarah  Peckham,  who  was  born  August  9,  1756.  and 
died  October  29,  1832,  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Naomi 
(Weeden)  Peckham.  He  married  (second)  Welthian 
Tripp,  who  was  born  March  14,  1785,  died  February  7, 
1867,  daughter  of  Levi  and  Sarah  Tripp.  He  died 
September  7.  1834. 

(XI)  Stephen  Barker,  son  of  Isaac  and  Sarah  (Peck- 
ham) Barker,  was  born  October  26,  1779.  He  was  a 
farmer  on  a  large  scale  in  Middletown,  R.  I.,  until  late 
in  life,  when  he  removed  to  Dartmouth,  Mass.  He 
returned  to  Middletown,  however,  and  again  resumed 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  prominent  in  public 
affairs  in  Whig  politics  in  Middletown,  and  for  sev- 
eral years  was  a  member  of  the  Town  Council  and  tax 
collector  for  the  town.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church  of  Portsmouth.  Mr.  Barker  married, 
December  24,  1807,  Martha  Peckham,  born  January  9, 
1788,  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Rebecca  (Hoswell)  Peck- 
ham, who  died  April  18,  1869.    He  died  July  7.  1842. 

(XII)  Stephen  Peckham  Barker,  son  of  Stephen  and 
Martha  (Peckham)  Barker,  was  born  in  Middletown, 
R.  I.,  July  19,  1815.  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  town.  He  followed  agricultural  pursuits 
throughout  his  life,  devoting  his  time  exclusively  to  his 
large  farm  and  property  interests.  He  was  well  known 
and  highly  respected  in  Middletown.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Christian  Church. 

In  1837  Stephen  Peckham  Barker  married  Betsey 
Gardner  Barker,  daughter  of  Colonel  Peter  Barker  of 
Middletown.  She  died  in  1S96,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years,  at  the  famous  "Hessian  House"  in  Middle- 
town.     Mr.  Barker  died  on  February  28,  1898. 

(XIII)  Francis  Stowe  Barker,  son  of  the  late  Stephen 
Peckham  and  Betsey  Gardner  (Barker)  Barker,  was 
born  October  15,  1843,  in  ^Middletown,  R.  I.  He  re- 
ceived his  elementary  education  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  town,  and  later  attended  the  Dartmouth  Acad- 
emy, at  Dartmouth,  Mass.,  of  which  Professor  Hurd 
was  the  head.  In  his  eighteenth  or  nineteenth  year,  he 
sailed  on  the  whaler  "Cleone,"  from  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  under  Captain  William  Allen,  and  was  gone 
eighteen  months  on  a  whaling  voyage.  He  later  sailed 
under  Captain  William  Maxfield  of  Dartmouth  and 
Captain  Francis  Flamders,  around  Cape  Horn,  visiting 
the  ports  of  St.  Helena,  the  Western  Islands  and  Africa. 
Returning  to  Middletown,  he  spent  one  year  in  the 
employ  of  his   uncle,   Paul   M.   Barker,  on  the  latter's 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


293 


farm  in  Middletown,  but  finding  the  life  unsuited  to 
his  tastes,  he  removed  to  Newport,  where  he  secured  a 
position  as  outside  foreman  with  the  Newport  Gas 
Light  Company.  Mr.  Barker  continued  in  this  capacity 
for  si.Nteen  years,  at  the  end  01  which  time  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  brother,  Stiphen  P.  Barker,  and 
together  they  estabHshed  a  gas  and  steam  fitting  busi- 
ness, under  the  firm  name  of  Barker  Brothers.  The 
firm  located  on  Thames  street,  in  Xewport.  The  ven- 
ture was  highly  successful,  and  Mr.  Barker  continued 
active  in  the  business  tor  sixteen  years,  developing  it 
from  a  comparatively  small  shop  into  one  of  the  larg- 
est concerns  of  its  kind  in  Newport.  In  1894  Charles 
E.  Peckham  became  a  member  of  the  firm  and  the 
name  was  changed  to  Barker  Brothers  &  Company.  In 
1806,  Mr.  Barker  and  his  brother  withdrew  from  the 
business  and  retired  from  active  business  life.  Thence- 
forward until  his  death,  he  devoted  his  time  to  the 
designing  and  inventing  of  heating  appliances.  He  was 
well  known  and  highly  respected  in  business  circles  in 
Xewport,  ar.d  for  many  years  was  prominent  in  public 
life. 

In  1906,  under  the  first  election  held  under  the  new 
charter  granted  the  city  of  Newport,  Mr.  Barker  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  representative  council  from 
the  Second  Ward  for  the  two  year  term.  He  was  a 
staunch  believer  in  the  principles  and  policies  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  was  active  in  its  councils.  For 
many  years  prior  to  its  liquidation,  Mr.  Barker  was  a 
director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Newport.  He 
later  became  a  member  of  the  board  of  managers  of 
the  Newport  Branch  of  the  Industrial  Trust  Company. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Newport  Historical  Society, 
and  for  many  years  a  director  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  .Association,  and  one  of  the  assignees  of  the 
John  Clarke  charitable  funds. 

On  November  23,  1870,  Mr.  Barker  married  Ruth 
Maria  Underwood,  daughter  of  the  late  Peter  B.  and 
Ruth  (Peckham)  Underwood,  of  Middletown,  R.  I. 
Mrs.  Br.rlcer  descends  in  a  distinguished  line  from 
Henry  Underwood  who  was  of  Newport  in  1655,  and 
was  the  founder  of  a  family  which  has  intermarried 
with  the  foremost  families  of  Rhode  Island.  Mrs. 
Barker  survives  her  husband  and  resides  at  No.  105 
Broadway.  Newport.  She  is  well  known  in  social 
circles  and  has  been  active  in  charitable  endeavors  for 
many  years.  Francis  Stowe  Barker  died  at  his  home 
in  Xewport,  R.  I.,  on  December  28,  1915. 


DR.  CHARLES  D.  WINSOR— From  the  time  ol 
the  settlement  of  Providence  to  the  present  day,  branches 
of  the  Winsor  family,  descendants  of  Joshua  Winsor, 
have  figured  prominently  in  Rhode  Island  life  and  af- 
fairs. The  family  can  be  traced  to  Robert  Windsor,  a 
descendant  of  Lord  Edward  Windsor,  and  a  knight  of 
influence,  who  about  1520.  in  the  reign  of  King  Henry 
VIII..  raised  an  army  to  defend  a  monastery  against 
the  power  of  the  Protestants.  Robert  Windsor  had  a 
son  Samuel,  after  whom  in  successive  generations 
came  John,  Samuel  (2)  and  Joshua  Windsor.  The 
last  named  was  the  first  of  the  family  to  settle  in 
America. 

Joshua  Winsor   (who  dropped  the  "d"  after  coming 


to  the  .'\merican  Colonies),  was  a  native  of  the  borough 
of  Windsor,  where  the  family  had  been  established  for 
centuries.  It  is  claimed  that  he  was  a  member  of  the 
original  party  which  accompanied  Roger  Williams  to 
Providence  to  choose  the  site  of  the  future  settlement. 
In  1638  he  was  one  of  the  signers  in  Providence  of  the 
compact  "for  the  public  good."  On  July  27,  1640,  he 
with  thirty-eight  others  signed  an  agreement  for  a  form 
of  government.  Joshua  Winsor  is  the  common  an- 
cestor of  all  of  the  name  in  Rhode  Island  whose  an- 
cestry antedates  .American  Independence.  The  late 
Charles  D.  Winsor,  well  known  in  Providence  and 
Wickford  as  a  leader  in  the  dental  profession,  was  a 
lineal  descendant  of  Joshua  Winsor. 

Dr.  Charles  D.  Winsor,  son  of  J.  B.  Winsor,  was  born 
in  Providence.  November  25.  1868.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  school  of  the  city,  and  on  completing  his 
studies  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  M.  S.  Eldredge,  under 
whom  he  began  the  study  of  dentistry.  He  later  spent  a 
short  time  with  Dr.  W.  P.  Church.  In  1890  he  matric- 
ulated at  the  Philadelphia  Dental  School  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1892.  Returning  to  Providence,  Dr.  Winsor 
associated  himself  in  practice  with  Dr.  Church.  With- 
in a  short  period  he  had  built  up  a  most  successful  prac- 
tice, and  established  offices  for  himself  at  No.  86  Wey- 
bosset  street,  where  he  practiced  actively  until  his 
death.  Dr.  Winsor  occupied  an  enviable  place  of  lead- 
ership in  his  profession  in  Rhode  Island.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Dental  Society,  and  for 
many  years  served  as  librarian  of  the  Society,  and  mem- 
ber of  the  executive  committee.  He  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  First  District  Dental  Society  of  New  York. 

In  1910,  attracted  by  the  beauty  of  the  country  round 
about  Wickford,  Dr.  Winsor  purchased  a  tract  of  four 
hundred  acres  of  land  on  the  Post  road  there,  and 
erected  a  bungalow  on  the  height  known  as  Hall's 
Rocks.  He  began  at  once  the  work,  really  a  labor  of 
love,  for  he  was  a  great  lover  of  nature,  of  developing 
this  property,  and  he  eventually  made  it  one  of  the  finest 
tracts  of  land  in  the  county.  Several  old  farmhouses 
on  his  estate  he  rebuilt  in  Colonial  style,  restoring  the 
orchards  as  well.  He  brought  ancient  and  injured 
forest  trees  back  to  flourishing  life  by  careful  tree 
surgery,  putting  into  practice  with  remarkable  success 
the  most  advanced  principles  of  scientific  forestry  and 
farming.  He  became  widely  known  among  landowners 
in  South  county  and  his  experiments  in  Wickford  were 
closely  followed. 

Dr.  Winsor,  although  he  remained  aloof  from  poli- 
tics in  Wickford,  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare 
and  advancement  of  the  town.  He  was  one  of  the  com- 
mittee which  secured  for  North  Kingstown  a  new 
motor  fire  engine.  He  was  subsequently  elected  one  of 
the  fire  commissioners,  and  filled  the  office  ably  until 
his  death.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Wickford  \'illage 
Improvement  Society,  and  of  the  Wickford  National 
Defence  League.  He  was  widely  known  and  eminently 
respected  in  the  town.  Always  approachable,  kindly, 
symflathetit.  Dr.  Winsor  had  made  many  staunch 
friends.  He  was  the  confidant  and  adviser  of  many 
young  men,  who  looked  to  him  constantly  for  profes- 
sional guidance.  His  professional  status  was  of  the 
highest. 


294 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Dr.  Winsor  married,  in  1911,  Louise  Williams  Greene, 
daughter  of  Stephen  D.  and  Anna  L.  (Williams) 
Greene,  of  Providence.  (See  Williams  VI D.  Mrs. 
Winsor  survives  her  husband,  and  makes  her  home  on 
the  estate  in  Wickford,  which  she  helped  to  bring  to  its 
present  state  of  perfection  and  beauty.  Dr.  Charles  D. 
Winsor  died  at  his  home  in  Wickford,  R.  I.,  January  23, 
1919,  aged  fifty-one  years. 

(The   "Williams   Line). 

(I)  Roger  Williams,  founder  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Colony,  and  of  the  notable  Rhode  Island  family  of  the 
name,  was  born  in  England  in  1599,  and  died  in  1683, 
in  Rhode  Island.  Little  is  known  of  his  parentage  or  of 
his  early  life.  His  parents  were  James  and  Alice  (Pem- 
berton)  Williams,  the  former  a  merchant  tailor  in 
London,  where  he  died  in  1621.  Roger  Williams  was 
employed  in  some  capacity,  it  seems,  by  the  great  lawyer, 
Sir  Edward  Coke,  who  placed  him  at  the  Charterhouse 
School  in  1621,  and  afterward  at  Pembroke  College, 
Cambridge,  where  he  took  a  degree.  He  was  admitted 
to  orders  in  the  Church  of  England,  but  soon  becoming 
the  friend  and  companion  of  John  Cotton  and  Thomas 
Hooker  adopted  the  most  advanced  views  of  the  Puri- 
tans, and  prepared  to  leave  England  for  the  American 
Colonies.  On  December  i,  1630,  he  embarked  at  Bristol, 
on  the  ship  "Lion,"  and  on  February  5,  1631,  arrived  at 
Boston.  He  had  then  been  recently  married,  but  of  his 
wife  nothing  is  known  but  her  name,  which  was  M.-iry. 
Mr.  Williams  was  already  distinguished  as  an  eloquent 
preacher  and  ripe  scholar,  and  soon  after  arrival  in 
Massachusetts  was  invited  to  the  church  at  Salem,  as 
assistant  to  the  pastor,  Mr.  Skelton.  His  radical  views 
brought  him  into  disrepute  with  the  authorities  early,  and 
he  found  his  position  at  Salem  so  uncomfortable  that 
before  the  end  of  the  summer  he  sought  shelter  under 
the  more  tolerant  jurisdiction  of  Plymouth  Colony. 
Here  he  was  settled  in  August,  1631,  as  assistant  to  the 
pastor,  Ralph  Smith.  About  this  time  he  was  first  sus- 
pected of  the  "heresy  of  Anabaptism."  He  returned  to 
Salem,  in  1633,  followed  by  several  members  of  the 
congregation  who  had  become  devotedly  attached  to  him. 
In  1634  he  was  settled  as  pastor  of  the  church  at  Salem. 
He  soon  got  into  trouble,  however,  by  denying  the  valid- 
ity of  the  charter  granted  by  Charles  I.  to  the  Company 
of  Massachusetts  Bay  in  1629.  He  maintained  that  the 
land  belonged  to  the  Indians,  and  not  to  the  King  of 
England,  who  therefore  had  no  right  to  give  it  away. 
The  settlers  of  Massachusetts  condemned  Mr.  Williams 
and  his  views.  This  purely  political  question  was  com- 
plicated with  disputes  arising  from  his  advanced  views 
on  toleration.  He  maintained  that  "no  human  power 
had  the  right  to  intermeddle  in  matters  of  conscience; 
and  that  neither  church  nor  state,  neither  bishop  nor 
king,  may  prescribe  the  smallest  iota  of  religious  faith." 
For  this  he  said:  "Man  is  responsible  to  God  alone." 
He  denounced  the  law  requiring  every  man  to  con- 
tribute to  the  support  of  the  church.  The  ministers  of 
the  colony,  with  his  friends.  Cotton  and  Hooker,  at 
their  head,  sent  a  committee  to  Salem  to  censure  him; 
but  he  denied  the  spiritual  jurisdiction,  and  declared  his 
determination  to  "remove  the  yoke  of  soul-oppression." 
In  July,  1635,  he  was  summoned  before  the  General 
Court  to  answer  to  charges  of  heresy.  In  October,  1635, 
he  was  ordered  to  quit  the  Colony.     It  was  about  this 


time  that  it  was  reported  that  many  of  the  followers  of 
Mr.  Williams  meditated  withdrawing  from  Massachu- 
setts and  founding  a  colony  on  Xarragansett  bay,  in 
which  the  principle  of  religious  toleration  should  be 
strictly  upheld.  Mr.  Williams  was  granted  a  tract  of 
land  on  the  Seekonk  river  by  Massasoit,  chief  of  the 
Pokanoket  Indians,  who  dwelt  between  the  Charles 
river  and  Mt.  Hope  bay.  There  he  was  joined  by  his 
friends  from  Salem  in  the  spring,  and  they  began  to 
build.  But  in  order  to  avoid  any  complications  with  the 
Plymouth  Colony  they  removed  to  the  site  of  Provi- 
dence, where  they  made  their  first  settlement  in  June, 
1636.  This  territory  was  purchased  by  Roger  Williams 
from  the  Narragansett  chiefs,  Canonicus  and  Mianto- 
nomi.  His  influence  over  these  Indians  was  great,  and 
it  soon  enabled  him  to  perform  for  the  infant  colonies  a 
service  that  no  other  man  in  New  England  could  have 
undertaken  with  any  hope  of  success. 

In  1643  Mr.  Williams  went  to  England  and  obtained 
the  charter  for  the  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  settle- 
ments, which  bears  the  date  of  March  14,  1644.  Through 
his  executors  a  treaty  was  made  with  the  Narragansetts, 
August  4,  1645,  which  saved  New  England  from  the 
horrors  of  an  Indian  war.  In  1651  he  again  went  to 
England  on  business  pertaining  to  the  government  of 
the  Island  of  Rhode  Island  and  Conanicut.  He  re- 
turned to  Providence  in  1654,  and  took  part  in  the  re- 
organization of  the  Colonial  government  in  that  year. 
He  was  chosen,  September  12,  1654,  president  of  the 
colony  and  held  that  office  until  May,  1658.  During  this 
time  he  secured  toleration  for  the  Quakers,  who  were 
beginning  to  come  to  New  England,  and  on  this  occa- 
sion he  was  again  brought  into  conflict  with  the  gov- 
ernment of  Massachusetts. 

On  July  8,  1663,  a  new  charter  was  granted  to  Rhode 
Island  under  which  Benedict  Arnold  was  the  first  gov- 
ernor and  Roger  Williams  one  of  the  assistants.  In 
1663  Mr.  Williams  was  appointed  commissioner  for 
settling  the  eastern  boundary,  which  had  long  been  the 
subject  of  dispute  between  Plymouth  and  Massachu- 
setts. For  the  ne.\t  fourteen  years  he  was  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  either  a  representative  or  an 
assistant.  In  1672  Mr.  Williams  was  engaged  in  his 
famous  controversy  with  the  Quakers,  of  whose  dec- 
trines  and  manners  he  strongly  disapproved,  though  he 
steadfastly  refused  to  persecute  them.  In  King  Philip's 
War  he  accepted  a  commission  as  captain  of  the  militia, 
though  his  advanced  age  prevented  his  taking  the  field. 

Concerning  the  closing  years  of  Roger  Williams' 
life,  w-e  know  but  little.  He  outlived  most  of  his  con- 
temporaries, dying  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four 
years,  in  the  full  vigor  of  his  intellectual  faculties. 
With  ample  means  for  the  acquisition  of  wealth  in  his 
earlier  career,  he  was  compelled,  it  appears,  in  his  latter 
days  to  endure  the  ills  of  poverty.  The  precise  date  of 
his  death  is  mentioned  nowhere.  It  must  have  occurred 
early  in  1683,  for  Mr.  John  Thornton,  of  Providence, 
writing  to  Rev.  Samuel  Hubbard,  of  Boston,  und^r  date 
of  May  10  of  this  year,  says :  "The  Lord  hath  arrested 
by  death  our  ancient  and  approved  friend,  Mr.  Roger 
Williams,  with  divers  others  here."  He  was  buried 
under  arms,  "with  all  the  solemnity  the  Colony  was  able 
to  show,"  says  Callender. 

Roger  Williams  was  a  forceful  and  prolific  writer. 
Professor  Tyler  has  given  a  masterly  analysis   of  his 


BIOGR.\PHICAL 


295 


writings    in    his    "History    of    American    Literature." 
"Roger  Williams,"  he  says  in  the  commencement: 

Xever  In  anything  addicted  to  i»ncealments,  has 
put  himself,  without  reserve,  into  his  wrllinprs.  There 
he  still  remains.  There,  if  anywhere,  we  may  get  well 
acquainted  with  him.  Scarchinfr  for  him  along  the 
two  thousand  printed  padres  upon  which  he  has 
stamped  his  own  portrait,  we  seem  to  see  a  very 
human  and  fallible  man.  with  a  large  head,  a  w-arm 
heart,  a  healthy  body,  an  eloquent  and  imprudent 
tongue:  not  a  symmetrical  person,  poised,  cool,  accu- 
rate, circum.spect:  a  man  ver.v  an.\ious  to  be  genuine, 
and  to  get  at  the  trutli.  hut  impatient  of  slow  meth- 
ods, trusting  gallantly  to  his  own  intuitions,  easily 
deluded  by  his  own  hopes;  an  imaginative,  svmpa- 
thetic,  affluent,  impulsive  man:  an  optimist;  his 
master-passion  benevolence;  •  •  •  lovely  in  his 
carriage;  •  •  •  of  a  hearty  and  sociable  turn; 
•  •  •  in  truth  a  clubable  person;  a  man  whose 
dignity  would  not  have  petrified  us,  nor  his  saintll- 
ness  given  us  a  chill;  •  •  •  fiom  early  manhood 
even  down  to  old  age  •  •  •  in  New  England  a 
mighty  and  benignant  form,  always  pleading  for 
some  magnanimous  idea,  some  tender  charity,  the 
rectification  of  some  wrong,  the  exercise  of  some  sort 
of  forbearance   towards  men's   bodies   or  souls. 

(II)  Joseph  Williams,  son  of  Roger  and  Mary  Wil- 
liams, was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  December  12.  1642. 
He  was  a  life-long  resident  of  Providence,  and  on  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1665,  had  lot  forty-three  in  the  division  of 
lands.  He  served  in  King  Philip's  War  in  1676.  In 
1683-84-93-96-97-98-1713,  he  represented  Providence  in 
the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly,  and  in  1684-85-86- 
1687-91-93-94-1713-14-15  was  a  member  of  the  Town 
Council.  He  was  an  active  and  influential  figure  in  pub- 
lic affairs  in  the  colony  until  shortly  before  death.  In 
169S-99-1700-01-02-03-04-05-06-07  he  held  the  office  of 
assistant.  His  will,  dated  October  26,  1717,  was  proved 
October  12,  1724.  He  died  August  17,  1724.  On  Decem- 
ber 17,  1669,  he  married  Lydia  Olney,  who  was  born  in 
1645,  and  died  September  9,  1724,  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  (Small)  Olney. 

(III)  Joseph  (2)  Williams,  son  of  Joseph  (i)  and 
Lydia  (Olney)  Williams,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
November  10,  1673,  and  died  .August  15.  1752.  He  in- 
herited one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  at  Machapauge 
under  his  father's  will.  His  will,  dated  August  24,  1748, 
was  proved  September  24,  1752.  Joseph  Williams  mar- 
ried Lydia  (Hearnden)  Harrington,  who  died  in  1763, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Lydia  Hearnden. 

(IV)  Jeremiah  Williams,  son  of  Joseph  (2)  and 
Lydia  (Hearnden)  Williams,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.  He  settled  at  Auburn,  R.  I.,  and  there  built  the 
house  which  was  subsequently  used  as  a  hotel  during 
the  Revolution,  and  where  one  of  his  daughters  was 
married  to  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  The  house  was 
taken  down  toward  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
Jeremiah  Williams  married  Abigail  Mathewson,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  ten  children. 

(\')  Andrew  Williams,  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Abigail 
(Mathewson)  Williams,  was  born  in  Cranston,  and  was 
a  life-long  resident  of  the  town,  a  prosperous  farmer 
and  well  known  member  of  the  community.  He  mar- 
ried Lydia  Mathewson. 

(VI)  Mathewson  Williams,  son  of  Andrew  and 
Lydia  (Mathewson)  Williams,  was  a  resident  of  Prov- 
idence. He  married  Mary  Greene,  a  descendant  of 
Surgeon  John  Greene,  of  Warwick.  .Among  their  chil- 
dren was  William  Greene,  mentioned  below. 

(V'll)  William  Greene  Williams,  son  of  Mathewson 
and  Mary  (Greene)   Williams,  was  a  well  known  resi- 


dent of  Providence  in  the  middle  decades  of  the  last 
century.  His  home  stood  on  the  corner  of  Snow  and 
Washington  streets.  He  married  Sarah  Blinn.  Their 
children  were  :  I. -Anna  L.,  mentioned  below.  2.  Charles 
Williams,  rewarded  premium  for  the  best  Latin  essay 
during  his  Freshman  year  at  Brown  University,  a  great 
student  and  brilliant  scholar.  3.  Sarah  Blinn,  wife  of 
Hugh  Bain. 

(VIII)  .\nna  L.  Williams,  daughter  of  William 
Greene  and  Sarah  (Blinn)  Williams,  was  born  in 
Providence.  She  became  the  wife  of  Stephen  D.  Greene, 
of  Providence,  a  descendant  of  Surgeon  John  Greene, 
of  Warwick,  through  the  famous  Revolutionary  patriot 
and  soldier.  General  Nathanael  Greene.  Their  daughter, 
Louise  Williams  Greene,  became  the  wife  of  the  late 
Dr.  Charles  D.  Winsor,  of  Providence  and  Wick  ford. 
(See  Winsor). 


ARTHUR  HENIUS— During  times  of  no  particu- 
lar stress  Mr.  Henius  attained  to  and  occupied  lead- 
ing place  in  the  business  world  of  Providence  as  the 
head  of  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  dia- 
mond cutting  and  importing  firms  in  the  United  States, 
known  to  many  circles  as  a  citizen  progressive,  sub- 
stantial, and  generously  public  spirited.  With  the 
entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  World  War  he, 
in  common  with  many  of  his  associates,  relegated  per- 
sonal interests  to  a  position  of  secondary  importance, 
and  from  early  in  1917  until  victory  rested  with  the 
Allies,  he  was  in  the  midst  of  Rhode  Island's  activities 
in  support  of  government  measures  and  relief  organi- 
zations. In  the  sale  of  securities,  the  conservation  of 
food,  the  support  of  the  American  Red  Cross  and  kin- 
dred institutions,  and  in  all  the  many  ways  in  which 
the  people  at  home  held  up  the  hands  of  the  armed 
forces  in  the  field,  he  worked  zealously  and  con- 
stantly. He  served  on  committees  whose  duties  were 
the  provision  of  comforts  and  light  luxuries  for  sol- 
diers and  sailors  leaving  the  country,  the  shipping 
of  such  useful  and  enjoyable  gifts  as  possible  during 
their  absence,  and  their  welcoming  home  from  field 
and  camp  and  sea.  This,  in  brief,  represents  a  part 
of  the  service  of  Mr.  Henius,  not  his  sacrifice.  "This 
came  in  the  death  oversea  of  his  son,  Cyril  Henius, 
September  22,  1918,  while  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States. 

Arthur  Henius  was  born  in  Copenhagen,  Denmark, 
February  6,  1870,  and  as  a  child  was  brought  to  the 
United  States  by  his  parents,  who  made  their  home  in 
Providence,  in  which  city  he  attended  the  public 
schools  until  he  was  si.xteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
made  his  beginning  in  the  business  he  has  followed 
all  his  life.  He  entered  the  employ  of  D.  and  M. 
Bruhl,  the  oldest  and  largest  diamond  cutting  and  im- 
porting firm  in  the  United  States,  established  in  1848, 
and  through  successive  promotions  from  the  minor 
capacity,  in  which  he  first  worked,  gained  a  complete 
and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  all  phases  of  the 
business.  In  his  progress  he  was  rewarded  by  an 
interest  in  the  firm,  and  in  1905  he  was  admitted  a 
partner,  the  name  being  changed  to  Bruhl  Brothers  & 
Henius,  as  it  continued  until  1913.  In  this  year  Mr. 
Henius  purchased   the   Bruhl   interests   and   incorpor- 


296 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ated  the  business  as  lienius  &  Company,  Inc.,  of 
which  he  is  president,  a  brother,  Henry  Henius,  treas- 
urer, and  their  sister,  Flora  Henius,  secretary.  Henius 
&  Company,  Inc.,  are  rated  among  the  prominent  deal- 
ers in  precious  gems  in  this  country  and  rank  with  the 
largest  in  volume  of  business,  the  development  of  the 
business  under  its  new  direction  in  accord  with  the 
high  reputation  it  had  borne  during  the  previous  sixty- 
five  years. 

In  the  larger  sphere  of  trade  interests,  Mr.  Henius 
has  performed  labor  of  great  and  permanent  value. 
He  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  planning  and  organi- 
zation of  the  American  Jewelers'  Protective  Associa- 
tion, of  which  he  is  a  director.  This  association,  of 
national  scope  and  influence,  extending  to  almost  every 
city  of  importance  in  the  Union,  has  as  its  principal 
object  the  detection  and  disruption  of  any  illicit  deal- 
ing or  smuggling,  and  the  discouragement  of  question- 
able trade  methods.  It  has  had  the  effect  of  reducing 
such  operations  to  a  minimum  and  has  introduced  a 
helpful  spirit  of  cooperation  among  its  large  member- 
ship. Mr.  Henius  was  president  of  the  National  Jew- 
elers' Board  of  Trade  for  two  years,  and  directed  the 
work  of  that  organization  into  widely  useful  channels. 
One  of  his  few  business  connections  outside  the  line 
of  his  life  work  is  as  a  director  of  the  National  Ex- 
change Bank",  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Henius  is  an  Independent  in  political  action, 
and  although  public  life  and  politics  have  no  attrac- 
tion for  him  he  has  on  several  occasions  been  im- 
pressed into  service.  By  appointment  of  Governor 
Beekman,  August  14,  1918,  he  became  a  member  of 
the  Metropolitan  Park  Commission,  of  Providence, 
and  on  February  12,  1919,  was  appointed  a  member 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Penal  and  Charitable  Commis- 
sion, a  distinction  he  declined.  In  July,  1919,  Mayor 
Joseph  H.  Gainer  appointed  him  a  member  of  the 
City  Planning  Committee,  of  Providence. 

From  the  earliest  days  of  United  States  participa- 
tion in  the  European  War,  Mr.  Henius  has  been  an 
untiring  worker  in  every  cause  affecting  the  welfare 
of  American  soldiers  and  sailors  and  the  success  of 
government  projects,  devoting  himself  with  whole 
souled  devotion  and  unremitting  energy  to  every  task 
that  came  to  his  hand.  He  was  the  first  solicitor  for 
money  for  the  use  of  the  Providence  Chapter  of  the 
American  Red  Cross  early  in  1917  in  providing  heavy 
clothing  for  United  States  sailors  before  government 
contracts  could  be  fulfilled,  and  from  that  time  until 
the  arrival  home  of  the  troops  of  the  American  Ex- 
peditionary Force  he  led  in  the  worthy  accomplish- 
ments that  will  remain  a  proud  part  of  the  history  of 
Providence.  He  was  called  to  heavy  responsibilities 
in  quick  succession.  On  October  6,  1917,  he  was 
appointed  by  Food  Administrator  Herbert  Hoover 
director  of  the  food  campaign  for  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island,  a  project  he  conducted  with  such  eminent  suc- 
cess that  his  State  was  the  second  in  the  Union  in 
results  realized.  On  November  i,  1917,  he  was  elected 
a  director  of  the  Providence  Society  for  Organizing 
Charity,  and  on  November  15,  1917,  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Providence 
Chapter  of  the'  American   Red   Cross.     He  served  as 


cliairman  of  numerous  subordinate  committees  in  the 
various  drives  of  the  Red  Cross,  as  well  as  discharg- 
ing the  duties  of  executive  committeeman,  among  them 
the  Committee  for  Relief  of  Troops  in  service,  and  in 
1918  he  was  appointed  State  chairman  of  the  War 
Camp  Community  Service.  In  1919  he  was  the 
chairman  of  the  City  and  State  Welcome  Home  Com- 
mittee, directing  the  preparations  for  the  reception  of 
the  State's  soldiers  and  sailors.  Into  this,  his  final 
task  of  the  war,  he  put  the  same  careful  planning,  the 
same  energetic  prosecution  that  had  brought  to  a  suc- 
cessful conclusion  all  of  the  many  movements  with 
which  he  had  been  identified.  Always  a  man  of  high 
standing  in  his  community,  respected  for  a  business 
career  of  impeccable  honor,  Mr.  Henius,  during  the 
months  of  his  devoted  public  service,  gained  a  secure 
place  in  the  affectionate  regard  of  his  fellows.  He 
gave  of  a  strong  executive  ability,  an  effective  power 
of  organization,  and  a  determination  that  leveled  all 
obstacles,  to  the  cause  of  victory.  Providence  came 
to  know  him  and  to  love  him  and  a  universal  sympathy, 
strong  and  sincere,  went  out  to  him  that,  in  welcom- 
ing the  thousands  of  the  sons  of  the  State,  he  could 
not  welcome  home  his  own. 

Mr.  Henius  is  a  member  of  a  number  of  the  social 
organizations  of  Providence,  and  fraternally  affiliates 
with  the  Masonic  order,  being  a  past  master  of  Adel- 
phi  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

Mr.  Henius  married,  in  1893,  Henrietta  La  Reau, 
of  Providence,  and  they  are  the  parents  of:  Cyril, 
born  June  16,  1895,  died  overseas  in  the  service  of  his 
country  at  Naval  Base  Hospital,  No.  4,  Sept.  22,  1918; 
Muriel  and   Rue!,  both  living  at  home. 


CHARLES   FRANKLIN   BROOKS— This   is   the 

name  of  a  man,  the  earlier  portion  of  whose  business 
career  witnessed  many  changes  but,  who  has  now,  for 
a  long  time,  held  an  assured  position  as  the  proprietor 
of  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  popular  restaurants 
in  Providence.  Mr.  Brooks  has  been  active  in  local 
politics,  and  for  four  years  filled  with  credit  the  office 
of  police  commissioner. 

(I)  Earl  Brooks,  great-grandfather  of  Charles 
Franklin  Brooks,  was  born  in  New  York  State,  and 
was  a  descendant  of  Dutch  ancestors.  He  married 
Dorcas  Kibbe,  a  native  of  Somers,  Conn. 

(II)  Truelove  Brooks,  son  of  Earl  and  Dorcas 
(Kibbe)  Brooks,  was  born  in  1807,  in  Indian  Orchard, 
Mass.,  and  was  a  farmer.  He  married  Eliza  Fowler, 
who  was  born  August  3,  1809,  in  Westfield,  Mass.,  and 
died  February  26,   1901. 

(III)  Silas  Perkins  Brooks,  son  of  Truelove  and 
Eliza  (Fowler)  Brooks,  was  born  April  12,  1829,  in 
Westfield,  Mass.,  and  for  many  years  served  in  the 
police  department  of  Springfield,  Mass.  At  the  time 
of  his  death  he  held  the  office  of  city  marshal.  Mr. 
Brooks  married  Madeline  Wilks,  who  was  born  in 
1831,  in  Tiverton,  R.  I.,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
a  son  and  a  daughter:  Charles  Franklin,  mentioned 
below:  and  Emma,  married  Joseph  C.  Davenport,  of 
Providence,  R.  I.  The  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Brooks, 
who  died  in  1878,  were  David  Fowler  and  Lovira 
Porter,    both    of    whom    were    natives    of    Westfield, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


297 


Mas?.,  and  traced  their  lineage  from  ancestors  who 
came  in  the  "Mayllower."  Mr.  Brooks  died  before 
his  wife,  passing  away  in  1S73.  He  was  a  much  re- 
spected citizen. 

(IV)  Charles  Franklin  Brooks,  son  of  Silas  Per- 
kins and  Madeline  (Wilks)  Brooks,  was  born  July 
25.  1S57,  at  Springfield,  Mass.  He  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  grammar  school  of  his  native  town.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen  he  came  to  Providence  and  with 
enterprise  remarkable  in  one  who  had  scarcely 
emerged  from  boyhood  engaged  in  the  restaurant  bus- 
iness for  himself.  Still  more  remarkable  was  the  fact 
that  for  three  years  he  remained  the  proprietor  of 
a  restaurant  on  South  Water  street  which,  at  the 
end  of  that  time,  he  disposed  of.  prior  to  setting  out 
on  his  travels  through  the  Middle  West.  In  this  way 
he  spent  two  years,  stopping,  meanwhile,  in  St.  Louis 
and  Chicago,  and  on  his  return  to  Providence  he 
again  engaged  in  the  restaurant  business.  This  time 
he  established  himself  on  Fulton  street,  but  after 
two  years  again  sold  out  in  order  that  he  might  try 
his  fortune  in  the  livery  business  with  headquarters 
on  Fenner  street.  Three  years  later,  having  convinced 
himself  that  his  chances  of  success  were  best  in  the 
calling  which  he  had  twice  abandoned,  he  opened  a 
restaurant  on  South  Main  street  and  there,  for  about 
five  years,  conducted  a  flourishing  business.  He  then 
moved  to  his  present  site  at  No.  io8  Washington 
street,  also  opening  a  restaurant  on  Wcybossett 
street,  which,  after  a  time,  he  discontinued,  deciding 
to  concentrate  all  his  efforts  and  energy  on  the  man- 
agement of  his  place  on  Washington  street.  That  his 
decision  was  a  wise  one,  the  result  has  abundantly 
proved. 

In  addition  to  his  responsibilities  as  the  proprietor 
of  a  leading  restaurant,  Mr.  Brooks  fills  the  position 
of  treasurer  of  the  Blackstone-Hall  Company.  He 
adheres  to  the  Republican  party  and  is  active  in  local 
politics,  having  served  his  fellow  citizens  four  j'cars 
in  the  office  of  police  commissioner,  serving  from  No- 
vember, 1Q14,  until  November,  1918.  He  is  now  pres- 
ident nf  the  Republican  Club,  Warwick.  It  may  well 
be  supposed  that  in  his  busy  life  he  has  little  time  for 
recreation,  but  he  finds  his  favorite  means  of  amuse- 
ment and  relaxation  in  devotion  to  the  national  game 
of  base  ball. 

Mr.  Brooks  married,  in  Providence.  Emma,  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  and  Hannah  Billings,  of  Phillipsdale, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: I.  Grace,  born  July  25,  1894;  married  Rus- 
sell Pray,  of  Dorchester,  Mass..  and  resides  in  Co- 
nimicut.  2.  Charles  J.,  born  Nov.  9,  1900;  graduate 
of  Childs'  Business  College.  3.  Gladys,  born  Nov. 
2,  1002:  graduate  of  Warwick  High  School.  4.  Doro- 
thy, born  Feb.  i6,  1907;  attends  Warwick  Grammar 
School.  For  the  last  fifteen  years,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brooks  have  resided  in  Conimicut,  generally  spend- 
ing their  winters  in  the  South  and  most  frequently  in 
Florida. 

Charles  Franklin  Brooks  has  served  his  community 
both  as  business  man  and  citizen,  and  in  the  one 
capacity  as  well  as  in  the  other  has  merited  and  re- 
ceived the  respect  and  gratitude  of  his  fellow  citizens. 


HENRY  ALBERT  PEACE  was  born  at  Victoria 
Cottage,  Pittsmore,  Sheffield,  England,  October  18, 
1852.  He  was  the  son  of  parents  who  were  able  to 
give  him  every  educational  advantage,  sending  him 
to  Switzerland,  to  specialize  in  French  and  German, 
which  languages  he  spoke  fluently  and  taught  with 
success.  When  a  young  man.  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  America.  They  remained  for  a  short  time  in 
New  York  City,  and  then  settled  in  Pawtucket  and 
also  in  Providence.  He  taught  in  a  private  school  and 
also  in  the  pul)lic  schools  for  a  few  years.  Later,  he 
became  identified  with  the  John  Hancock  Life  Insur- 
ance Company  of  Pawtucket,  and  for  several  years 
prior  to  his  death  was  an  assistant  superintendent  of 
the  company,  and  was  active  in  its  affairs  and  highly 
respected  for  the  integrity  and  uprightness  of  his 
entire  career.  He  was  a  member  of  St.  Paul's  Episco- 
pal Church  of  Pawtucket.  A  man  of  magnetic  per- 
sonality, kindly,  courteous,  sincere,  he  won  the  lasting 
friendship  of  many.  His  death,  on  April  23,  1903,  was 
deeply   mourned. 

On  July  10,  1882,  Mr.  Peace  married  Willieana 
Thornton  Chase,  of  Lincoln.  R.  I.,  daiighter  of  Ben- 
jamin Ellery  and  .Mzada  S.  (Thornton)  Chase.  Ben- 
jamin Ellery  Chase  was  born  March  21,  1809,  in  Ports- 
mouth, son  of  Humphrey  and  Sarah  Chase,  and  re- 
sided in  Lincoln.  He  was  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
the  owner  of  one  of  the  best  farms  on  Great  Road. 
Benjamin  Ellery  Chase  married  .A.lzada  Smith  Thorn- 
ton, who  was  born  August  27,  1818,  in  Mendon,  Mass., 
and  died  December  16,  1888.     He  died  July  22,  1892. 

Mrs.  Peace's  home  is  opposite  the  Chase  farm  in 
Lincoln.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peace  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  i.  Newman  Chase.  2.  Henry 
Thornton,  who  during  the  great  World  War  served 
as  master  electrician  of  the  Seventy-third  C.  A.  C. 
(Heavy  Artillery)  .'\mcrican  Expeditionary  Forces, 
serving  overseas.  3.  Bernard  Slaiter,  who  died  July 
-7,  '895.     4.  Samuel   Parkin. 

Henry  Peace,  father  of  the  late  Henry  Albert 
Peace,  was  born  in  England,  February  25,  1820,  and 
before  coming  to  .America  was  of  the  firm  of  Peace, 
Ward  Company,  of  Sheffield,  manufacturers  of  cut- 
lery and  files.  He  died  in  Providence,  June  4,  1885. 
He  was  a  fine  old  English  gentleman  and  highly  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  him. 


JAMES  HART  HAMMETT— The  surname,  Ham- 
mett.  is  one  of  the  many  which  had  their  origin  in  the 
baptismal  name  Hamon.  As  a  font-name,  Hamon  has 
nearly  disappeared.  The  stem  survives  in  the  sur- 
names Hammon,  Hamlet,  Hamlyn,  Hamblin,  Hani- 
metf.  and  numerous  others.  These  names  appear  in 
English  records  of  very  early  date. 

The  Hammett  family  in  America  dates  from  the 
year  1658,  when,  according  to  Savage,  one  Thomas 
Hammett,  Hamot  or  Hammott,  of  the  town  of  Scar- 
borough, owned  allegiance  to  Massachusetts.  He  be- 
came a  freeman  in  the  same  year,  and  in  1663  again 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance.  He  married  the  widow 
of  John  Eurrage.  The  name  first  appears  in  the  vital 
records  of  the  town  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  with  the  mar- 
riage of  John  Hammett,  on  January  10,  1705,  to  Sarah 


298 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Carr,  daughter  of  Governor  Caleb  Carr,  the  ceremony 
being  performed  by  Governor  Samuel  Cranston.  John 
Hamniett  became  a  freeman  of  the  Colony  of  Rhode 
Island  at  the  May  session  of  the  General  Assembly 
in  170S.  He  was  chosen  clerk  of  the  assembly,  June 
28,  171 1,  to  serve  until  the  next  election  of  general 
ofticers.  In  May,  1714,  he  succeeded  in  this  olifice  by 
Nicholas  Carr.  On  June  30,  1712,  John  Hammett  was 
chosen  attorney-general  of  the  Rhode  Island  Colony. 
According  to  a  long  established  tradition  in  the 
Hammett  family,  the  immigrant  ancestor  came  from 
Liverpool.  England,  to  Martha's  Vineyard,  where  he 
founded  a  branch  of  the  English  family.  Two  of  his 
descendants,  brothers,  settled  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  early 
in  the  eighteenth  century.  The  elder  remained,  and 
was  the  founder  of  the  line  herein  under  consideration, 
that  of  which  the  late  James  Hart  Hammett,  of  New- 
port, was  a  member. 

(I)  Edward  Hammett,  founder  of  the  Newport 
family  of  Hammett,  was  born  in  Newport,  April  15, 
1704,  and  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  the  town.  He 
married  Sarah  Waldron,  who  was  born  in  Newport, 
in  1705,  and  died  there  in  1777.  Edward  Hammett 
died  May  9,  1775. 

(II)  Benjamin  Hammett,  son  of  Edward  and  Sarah 
(Waldron)  Hammett,  was  born  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  in 
1750.  He  resided  in  Newport  all  his  life,  a  respected 
member  of  the  early  community.  He  married  (first) 
Elizabeth  X'iall,  who  was  born  in  1755.  She  died  in 
1803,  and  he  married  (second)  Leah  Fairbanks.  He 
died  in  1814. 

(III)  Captain  Charles  E.  Hammett,  son  of  Benja- 
min and  Elizabeth  (Viall)  Hammett,  was  born  in 
Newport,  R.  I.,  July  7,  1790.  In  early  life  he  followed 
the  sea,  engaging  in  the  coastwise  trade,  but  on  retir- 
ing from  the  sea,  settled  in  Newport,  where  he 
entered  business  life.  Mr.  Hammett  established  him- 
self in  the  grocery  business,  in  which  he  engaged  suc- 
cessfully for  many  years.  He  was  well  known  and 
highly  respected  in  Newport  business  and  fraternal 
circles,  but  remained  totally  outside  public  life.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Republican  party,  and  upheld  to 
the  fullest  extent  his  duty  as  a  citizen.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Newport  Marine  Society,  and  attended 
the  Congregational  church.  Charles  E.  Hammett 
married  Betsey  Wood  Davenport,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  among  them  the  late  James 
Hart  Hammett.  Mr.  Hammett,  Sr.,  died  in  Newport 
in  1878. 

(IV)  James  Hart  Hammett,  son  of  Captain  Charles 
E.  and  Betsey  Wood  (Davenport)  Hammett,  was  born 
in  Newport,  R.  I.,  February  12,  1825.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Newport,  and  on  com- 
pleting his  studies  entered  business  life  immediately, 
securing  his  first  employment  in  the  dry  goods  estab- 
lishment of  Edward  Sherman.  He  remained  for  sev- 
eral years  in  the  employ  of  Edward  Sherman,  one  of 
the  leading  merchants  of  Newport  of  his  day,  and 
familiarized  himself  thoroughly  with  every  detail  of  the 
business.  Mr.  Hammett  later  established  himself  in 
business  independently,  locating  on  the  west  side  of 
Thames  street.  The  business  grew  rapidly  to  large 
proportions  and  he  was  obliged  to  increase  his  quar- 


ters, moving  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  Here 
for  a  period  of  nearly  fifty  years  he  engaged  success- 
fully in  business.  Mr.  Hammett  ranked  among  the 
foremost  merchants  of  Newport,  and  was  a  figure  of 
importance  in  mercantile  life  in  the  city  until  the  time 
of  his  retirement  from  active  business  life,  at  an  ad- 
vanced age.  He  disposed  of  his  business  to  the  New- 
port Dry  Goods  Company. 

Although  he  remained  strictly  outside  the  field  of 
politics  and  public  affairs,  he  was  prominently  iden- 
tified throughout  his  life  with  movements  which  had 
for  their  end  the  betterment  of  civic  conditions  in 
Newport.  He  was  active  also  in  educational  and 
cliaritable  work  in  the  city,  and  for  many  years  was 
commissioner  of  the  Newport  Asylum.  Young  men 
found  him  not  only  an  able  advisor,  but  a  kind  and 
interested  friend,  and  he  was  universally  respected  and 
admired.  His  political  affiliation  was  with  the  Re- 
publican party.  For  a  long  period  prior  to  his  death, 
Mr.  Hammett  was  trustee  of  the  Savings  Bank  of 
Newport. 

On  October  31,  1S49.  Mr.  Hammett  married  Eliza- 
beth Rogers  Tilley,  who  was  born  February  26,  1828, 
daughter  of  Deacon  George  and  Mary  (Lawton)  Til- 
ley,  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I.  Mrs.  Hammett  died  in  Oc- 
tober, 1900.  Their  children  were:  i.  Sarah  Tilley.  2. 
Louisa  Davenport.  3.  Fred  Mason,  member  of  the 
staff  of  the  Newport  "Daily  News."  4.  Elizabeth,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  three  years.  5.  Lincoln,  founder 
and  head  of  the  firm  of  Lincoln  Hammett  &  Company, 
of  Newport.  6.  Bessie  Wood,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years.  The  Misses  Sarah  Tilley  and  Louisa 
Davenport  Hammett  reside  at  No.  32  School  street, 
Newport. 

James  Hart  Hammett  throughout  the  period  in 
which  he  engaged  in  business  in  Newport  was  well 
known  in  dry  goods  and  mercantile  circles  in  New 
York  and  Boston.  He  was  universally  respected  not 
only  for  the  success  which  he  achieved  in  his  business, 
but  for  the  integrity  and  unswerving  fairness  of  his 
business  policies.  His  death  in  Newport,  on  De- 
cember 30,  1900,  was  widely  mourned. 


COLONEL   ALBERT   C.   LANDERS— Since   the 

early  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  Landers 
family  has  been  represented  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  by  men 
whose  lives  and  careers  have  been  influential  in  shap- 
ing the  history  of  the  city.  The  family,  an  early  Mas- 
sachusetts line,  ranks  prominently  among  the  leading 
families  of  the  city.  The  late  Colonel  Albert  C. 
Landers,  for  several  decades  one  of  the  foremost  fig- 
ures in  public  life  in  the  city  of  Newport  and  the 
State  of  Rhode  Island,  State  auditor,  insurance  com- 
missioner, and  postmaster  of  Newport  under  the  ad- 
ministration of  President  McKinley,  was  a  dominant 
figure  in  every  department  of  the  life  of  the  city, 
and  one  of  its  most  beloved  citizens  until  his  death, 
April  18,  191 1. 

Colonel  Albert  C.  Landers  was  born  in  Newport, 
June  19,  1845,  the  son  of  Edward  and  Mary  Foster 
(Bodfish)  Landers,  both  of  whom  were  members  of 
early  New  England  families.  Edward  Landers  was  a 
native  of  Falmouth,  Mass.,  but  in  early  life  removed 


.y/Cij^-^>^'-o^Aji-^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


299 


to  Newport,  where  he  established  himself  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  carriages  on  Sherman  street.  He  was  suc- 
cessful and  became  prominent  in  business  circles  in 
the  city.  He  was  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity,  de- 
spising unfairness  in  business  dealing.  For  many 
years  he  was  active  in  the  wnrk  of  the  First  Congre- 
gational Church  of  Newport,  and  for  more  than  thirty- 
four  years  was  a  member  of  its  choir.  He  married 
Mary  Foster  Bodfish,  of  Falmouth,  Mass.,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  John 
B.,  who  was  a  member  of  Company  F,  First  Rhode 
Island  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  the  Civil  War,  being 
promoted  to  captain  in  the  Fifth  Rhode  Island  Infan- 
try; on  the  conclusion  of  peace  he  returned  North, 
and  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Jamestown,  R.  I., 
which  office  he  held  until  his  death  there  in  1907.  2. 
William  R.,  resided  all  his  life  in  Newport,  where  he 
died  in  1907,  aged  seventy-two  years;  he  was  commis- 
sioned captain  in  the  Fifth  Rhode  Island  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  after  the  war  returned  to  Newport, 
where  he  was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  car- 
riage making  business.  3.  Edward  D.,  connected  with 
the  firm  of  William  C.  Cozzens  &  Company  for  sev- 
eral years  in  the  carpet  and  general  hoiiscfurnishing 
business;  he  later  established  himself  in  this  business 
in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  died.  4.  James  H,  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Civil  War,  with  the  Fourth  Rhode  Island 
Volunteer  Infantry,  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg. 5.  Thatcher  T.,  of  Charlestown,  Mass. 
6.  .Albert  C,  mentioned  below. 

Albert  C.  Landers  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Newport,  and  on  completing  his  studies  entered 
business  life  independently  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years,  launching  a  small  fruit  and  confectionery  busi- 
ness at  No.  67  Broad  street,  now  Broadway,  in  New- 
port. He  met  with  a  considerable  degree  of  success 
in  this  venture,  and  was  able  three  years  later  to  pur- 
chase the  business  of  William  E.  Dennis,  which  em- 
braced china,  glassware  and  fancy  goods.  Mr.  Land- 
ers developed  this  business  from  its  original  propor- 
tions into  one  of  the  largest  establishments  of  its  kind 
in  Newport.  He  subsequently  admitted  to  partnership 
his  son,  William  Gould  Landers,  the  firm  name  be- 
commg  A.  C.  Landers  &  Son,  under  which  name  the 
business  is  now  conducted. 

Throughout  his  life  he  was  vitally  interested  in  the 
welfare  of  the  city  of  Newport,  and  intensely  proud 
of  its  history  and  its  achievement.  From  earliest  man- 
hood he  was  active  in  public  and  political  affairs  in 
the  city,  and  with  the  increasing  prominence  of  his 
position  in  the  business  world  he  was  brought  more 
and  more  into  the  public  eye.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  at  an  early  age  became  a 
member  of  the  State  central  committee,  of  which  he 
continued  an  active  member  for  more  than  twenty 
years.  For  more  than  a  quarter  century  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  Republican  city  committee.  From  1883 
until  1885  he  served  as  aide-de-camp  on  the  personal 
staflf  of  Governor  Bourne,  with  the  rank  of  colonel. 
From  the  spring  of  iSoi  until  1899  he  was  State  audi- 
tor and  insurance  commissioner.  He  resigned  from 
all  political  and  public  offices  in  1899  to  accept  the 
appointment  of  postmaster  of  Newport  under  the  ad- 


ministration of  President  McKinley,  in  which  post  he 
served  ably  and  well  until  191 1.  For  many  years  Col- 
onel Landers  was  officially  identified  with  many  finan- 
cial and  corporate  interests.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Island  Savings  Bank,  and 
a  director  and  secretary  of  the  Old  Colony  Street  Rail- 
way Company.  He  was  well  known  and  well  liked  in 
fraternal  circles,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  Knights  of  Honor  and  Good  Fellows. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Lawrence  Club,  of  which  he 
was  at  one  time  president,  and  of  the  Athletic  Club 
of  Providence.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Con- 
gregationalist,  and  a  member  and  active  supporter  of 
the   United   Congregational   Church  of   Newport. 

In  June,  1866,  Colonel  Landers  married  Sarah  Perry 
Clarke,  daughter  of  Jonathan  C.  Clarke,  of  South 
Kingstown,  R.  I.,  and  his  wife,  Mary  Perry,  who  was 
the  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Joshua  Perry,  of  New- 
port. 

The  Clarke  coat-of-arms  is  as  follows: 

Arm!? — Argent  on  a  fesse  between  three  crosses 
pattte  sable  three  pl.itcs. 

Crest — A  cross  patti-e  or,  between  a  pair  of  wings 
erect,   expanderl  azure. 

Motto — Absit  ul  glorler  nisi  in  cruce. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Landers  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  i.  Edward  Perry,  who  resides  in 
Newport.  2.  William  Gould,  member  of  the  firm  of 
A.  C.  Landers  &  Company;  unmarried,  resides  in 
Newport.  3.  Albert  C,  Jr.,  member  of  the  firm  of 
Landers  and  Peckham.  of  Newport,  dealers  in  but- 
ter, eggs,  etc.;  married  Charlotte  Easton,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Easton,  of  Newport;  issue:  i.  .Mbert 
Crocker;  ii.  Stewart.  4.  Mary  F.,  widow  of  Obia  L. 
Syphcr;  Mrs.  Sypher  makes  her  home  with  her 
mother;  she  is  the  mother  of  one  daughter.  Mary 
Louise  Sypher.  5.  Charles  S.,  connected  with  the  firm 
of  George  E.  Vernon  &  Company,  of  Newport;  mar- 
ried Jane  Easton,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Easton,  of 
Newport.  They  have  two  children:  George  Vernon 
and  Benjamin  Easton.  6.  Sarah  Perry,  wife  of  Col. 
Harold  A.  Peckham.  of  the  firm  of  Landers  &  Peck- 
ham;  they  arc  the  parents  of  a  son,  Harold  L.  Peck- 
ham. 7.  Martha  Smith,  resides  at  home,  unmarried. 
8.  Earle  E.,  in  the  War  Department,  Washington,  D. 
C;  married  Olive  Dockray,  of  Woonsocket.  R.  I..  9. 
Harry  R.,  connected  with  Hammer  Mill  P,-iper  Com- 
pany. Erie,  Pa.;  married  Marion  Lloyd,  of  Erie,  Pa.; 
one  son:  William  Gould.  Mrs.  Landers  survives  her 
husband  and  resides  at  No.  22  Rhode  Island  avenue, 
Newport,  R.   I. 


JOHN  EDMUNSON  MENZIES,  M.  D.— When 
James  Menzies  came  from  his  native  Scotland  to  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  1872,  he  settled  for  a  time  in  New  Bed- 
ford, where  his  son,  John  E.  Menzies,  was  born.  His 
wife.  Mary  (Gordon)  Menzies.  whom  he  married  in 
Scotland,  accompanied  him  to  New  Bedford,  and  both 
are  now  residing  in  Providence,  R.  I.  James  Men- 
zies, long  an  e.xpert  mechanic,  is  now  living  retired. 

John  Edmunson  Menzies  was  born  in  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass.,  December  8,  1874,  and  there  attended  the 


300 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


grade  and  high  schools.  He  early  decided  upon  a 
medical  career  and  that  ambition  was  not  lost  sight 
of  during  the  eight  years  which  he  spent  in  various 
employments.  On  the  contrary,  the  resolution  grew 
stronger  with  each  year,  and  every  cent  possible  was 
saved  and  all  night  study  performed,  which  would 
help  him  later.  Finally  he  made  the  start  by  taking 
the  New  York  State  regents  e.xamination,  which  if 
passed,  would  admit  him  to  McGill  University,  at 
Montreal,  Canada.  He  was  successful  and  entered 
McGill,  but  all  through  his  course  he  was  obliged  to 
work  at  night,  holidays  and  vacation  periods  to  finance 
his  education.  But  he  won  the  goal,  and  in  1902  was 
graduated  M.  D.,  C.  M.  He  then  accomplished  six 
months  at  the  Royal  Infirmary,  Edinburgh,  Scotland, 
finally  returning  to  the  United  States,  but  not  until  his 
funds  were  exhausted  did  he  give  up  his  study  in  Scot- 
land, he  reaching  the  United  States  with  hardly  a  dol- 
lar in  his  pocket.  In  1903  Dr.  Menzies  began  practice 
in  Providence,  R.  I.  His  office  is  at  No.  i  Elmwood 
avenue.  Providence,  his  home  is  also  at  that  number. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Medical  Society, 
and  of  a  non-denominational  church.  Dr.  Menzies' 
recreation  is  his  profession  to  which  he  continuously 
devoted  his  entire  time.  After  the  outbreak  of  war 
between  Great  Britain  and  Germany,  he  examined 
many  volunteers  for  the  Canadian  and  British  armies, 
being  the  official  examiner  for  that  purpose. 

Dr.  Menzies  married,  August  4,  1902,  Rachel  Willis 
Gatie,  of  New  Bedford.  The  are  the  parents  of 
three  sons  and  three  daughters:  Rachel  Caldwell, 
born  Aug.  27,  1903 ■.  Gordon  Edmunson,  born  March 
5,  1905;  Eleanor  Ridley,  born  Aug.  i,  1907;  John 
Edmundson,  Jr.,  born  dct.  23,  1909;  Mary  Mitchell, 
born  April  26,  1912;  William  Gordon,  born  Aug.  4, 
1914. 


PELEG  SMITH  BOSWORTH— This  name  ap- 
pears in  the  very  early  days  of  the  Massachusetts 
Bay  Colony.  Zacheus,  or  Zachariah,  Bosworth  was  of 
Boston  in  1630,  probably  having  come  over  in  the  fleet 
with  Winthrop.  Benjamin  Bosworth  was  of  Hing- 
ham,  in  1635.  John  Bosworth  was  of  Hull,  where  he 
w-as  admitted  a  freeman  in  1634.  Hananiel  Bosworth 
was  a  citizen  of  Ipswich  in  1648.  Edward  Bosworth, 
the  founder  of  the  line  herein  under  consideration,  of 
whom  the  late  Peleg  Smith  Bosworth,  of  Newport, 
R.  I.,  was  a  descendant,  may  not  truly  be  called  a 
Colonial  settler,  for  he  died  before  reaching  the  shores 
of  New  England.  His  sons  and  widow,  however,  set- 
tled in  Massachusetts.  From  these  Bosworths  and 
still  others  came  the  Bosworths  of  to-day  in  New 
England.  The  Bosworths  of  Rehoboth,  of  which  the 
Newport  branch  is  a  collateral  line,  have  been  par- 
ticularly prominent  in  Southeastern  Massachusetts 
since  the  opening  of  the  Colonial  period. 
The  Bosworth  coat-of-arms  is  as  follows: 

Arms — Gules  a  cross  vair6  between  four  annulets  or. 
Crest — A  lily  proper  slipped  and  leaved. 

(I)  Edward  Bosworth,  the  first  of  the  direct  line  of 
whom  we  have  definite  information,  embarked  for  New 
England  with   his  wife,   Mary,  in  the  ship   "Elizabeth 


and  Dorcas,"  in  1634.  He  died  at  sea,  however,  as  the 
vessel  was  nearing  the  port  of  Boston,  and  his  remains 
were  interred  in  Boston.  His  widow  and  children  next 
appear  on  the  records  of  the  town  of  Hingham,  Mass., 
in  the  following  year,  1635.  The  widow,  Mary  Bos- 
worth, died  in  Hingham,  May  18,  1648. 

(II)  Jonathan  Bosworth,  son  of  Edward  and  Mary 
Bosworth,  was  born  in  England  about  1611,  and  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  America  in  1634.  He  Settled 
in  Hingham,  where  he  married;  among  his  children 
was  Jonathan,  mentioned  below. 

(III)  Jonathan  (2)  Bosworth,  son  of  Jonathan  (l) 
Bosworth,  was  born  in  Hingham,  Mass.,  where  he  re- 
sided all  his  life.  He  married  Hannah  Howland, 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Tilley)  Howland, 
both  of  whom  were  of  the  "Mayflower"  company  in 
1620.  Among  the  children  of  Jonathan  (2)  and  Han- 
nah (Howland)  Bosworth,  was  Jonathan,  mentioned 
below. 

(IV)  Jonathan  (3)  Bosworth,  son  of  Jonathan  (2) 
and  Hannah  (Howland)  Bosworth,  was  born  Septem- 
ber 22,  1680.  He  married  Sarah  Rounds,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  four  children. 

(V)  Ichabod  Bosworth,  son  of  Jonathan  (3)  and 
Sarah  (Rounds)  Bosworth,  was  born  May  31,  1706,  in 
the  town  of  Swansea,  Mass.  He  married  (first)  Janu- 
ary 12,  1726-27,  Mary  Brown,  and  they  were  the  par- 
ents of  four  children.  He  married  (second)  in  War- 
ren, R.  I.,  November  19,  1748,  Bethia  Wood,  of  Swan- 
sea, Mass.,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  Peleg  Bos- 
worth, mentioned  below.  Ichabod  Bosworth  was  a 
prosperous  farmer  and  a  well  known  citizen  of 
Swansea. 

(VI)  Peleg  Bosworth.  son  of  Ichabod  and  Bethia 
(Wood)  Bosworth,  was  born  May  6,  1754,  in  Swansea, 
Mass.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,  serving  as 
a  private  in  Captain  Stephen  Bullock's  Company,  Col- 
onel Carpenter's  regiment,  marching  to  Bristol,  R.  I., 
on  the  alarm  of  December  8,  1776,  serving  twelve  days 
to  December  20,  1776;  also  in  Captain  Israel  Hick's 
company.  Colonel  John  Daggett's  regiment,  marched 
January  5,  1778,  discharged  March  31,  1778,  serving  two 
months,  twenty-seven  days,  in  Rhode  Island;  also  in 
Lieutenant  James  Horton's  company,  Colonel  Thomas 
Carpenter's  regiment,  enlisted  August  2,  1780.  dis- 
charged, August  7,  1780:  serving  six  days  on  an  alarm, 
marched  to  Tiverton.  R.  I.  ("Massachusetts  Soldiers 
and  Sailors  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,"  Vol.  2, 
page  382).  Peleg  Bosworth  married.  September  I, 
1774,  Mary  (Polly)  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Rehoboth, 
Mass.,   in   August,   1749.  and  died  in  1818. 

(VII)  Peleg  (2)  Bosworth.  son  of  Peleg  (i)  and 
Mary  (Smith)  Bosworth,  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass., 
March  5,  1779.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  builder,  and 
at  difi'erent  times  in  his  life  lived  at  Bristol  Neck, 
Smithfield,  and  Providence,  R.  I.  His  business  in 
Providence  was  very  extensive  and  necessitated  the 
employment  of  a  large  force  of  men.  He  was  highly 
successful,  and  in  his  later  years  retired  from  business, 
returning  to  his  farm  in  Rehoboth,  where  he  followed 
agricultural  pursuits  until  the  time  of  his  death,  on 
April  29,  1829.     Peleg  Bosworth  married,  February  7, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


301 


1803,  Susannah  Rounds,  who  was  born  January  3,  1782, 
daughter  ot  Deacon  Rounds,  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  of  Kehoboth.  She  died  on  the  Bosworth  farm 
in   Kehoboth,  August  7,   1863. 

(VIII)  Smith  Bosworth,  son  of  Peleg  (2)  and  Su- 
sannah (Rounds)  Bosworth,  was  born  in  Rehoboth, 
Mass.,  November  21,  1811.  He  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Rehoboth,  attending  school  during  the  win- 
ter months,  and  aiding  in  the  work  of  his  father's  large 
farm  during  the  summer  months.  On  reaching  his 
cigliteenth  year,  in  1829,  he  went  to  Providence  where 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  firm  of  Tallman  &  Buck- 
land,  with  whom  he  remained  as  a  journeyman  carpen- 
ter until  1832.  In  this  year  he  returned  to  Rehoboth 
and  in  the  spring  of  1832  went  to  New  Bedford,  where 
he  worked  as  a  carpenter  until  1833.  Early  in  1834  he 
located  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  where  he  worked  for  about 
two  years  with  William  Weeden.  At  the  end  of  this 
period  he  established  himself  in  business  independently, 
shortly  afterward  becoming  associated  with  Henry  Bull 
in  his  saw  mill  on  Bull  street  where  they  continued  in 
business  until  1850.  In  1851  Mr.  Bosworth  removed 
a  portion  of  the  machinery  and  tools  of  the  latter  mill 
to  his  establishment,  West  Broadway,  Newport.  He 
continued  in  business  there  under  the  style  of  Gideon 
Lawton  &  Company,  of  which  firm  he  was  a  partner, 
until  1873,  when  his  sons  purchased  the  interests  of  the 
other  partners,  and  the  name  of  the  firm  was  changed 
to  Smith  Bosworth  &  Company.  This  firm  operated  a 
sawmill  and  sash  and  blind  factory,  manufacturing 
stairs,  blinds,  doors,  sash,  moldings,  etc.,  until  1903, 
when  the  business  was  practically  discontinued.  In 
this  year  Mr.  Bosworth  retired  from  active  business 
life.  His  death  occurred  in  Newport,  May  16,  1907,  in 
the  ninety-si.xth  year  of  his  age.  He  had  been  a  figure 
of  prominence  in  business  circles  in  Newport,  for  forty 
years,  highly  honored  for  the  fairness  of  his  business 
dealings.  He  was  well  known  in  social  circles  in  the 
city.  His  political  affiliation  was  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  City  Council  for 
two  years. 

In  1837  Mr.  Bosworth  married  Rebecca  Kaighn 
Taylor,  daughter  of  Captain  Edward  Easton  Taylor,  of 
Newport,  who  died  in  i88g,  in  her  seventy-sixth  year. 
With  her  husband  she  attended  the  Channing  Memo- 
rial Church  (Unitarian),  and  the  family  were  active 
in  all  its  endeavors. 

(IX)  Peleg  Smith  Bosworth,  son  of  Smith  and  Re- 
becca Kaighn  (Taylor)  Bosworth,  was  born  in  New- 
port, April  12,  1839.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Newport,  and  on  completing  his  studies  entered  the 
business  world,  in  1873  becoming  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Smith  Bosworth  &  Company,  of  which  he  continued 
a  member  until  the  dissolution  of  the  firm  in  1903.  He 
was  a  business  man  of  excellent  executive  ability  and 
organizing  talent,  and  during  the  last  decade  of  the 
existence  of  the  firm  of  Smith  Bosworth  &  Company 
was  its  active  manager.  He  was  favorably  known  in 
business  and  financial  circles  in  Newport. 

Mr.  Bosworth  was  a  member  of  Coronet  Council, 
No.  63,  Royal  Arcanum,  of  Newport,  and  of  Mian- 
tonomi  Commandery,  Order  of  the  Golden  Cross.  He 
was  a  Republican  in  political  belief,  but  although  he 


upheld  to  the  fullest  extent  his  duty  as  a  citizen,  was 
in  no  sense  of  the  word  an  office  seeker. 

In  May,  1861,  Mr.  Bosworth  married  Annie  Waters, 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage  a  resident  of  Newport,  R. 
I.,  and  died  December  15,  1914.  They  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  children:  i.  Elizabeth,  who  is  un- 
married and  resides  in  Newport;  she  is  active  in  social 
life,  and  is  a  teacher  in  Townsend  Industrial  School. 
2.  Rebecca,  married  Philip  McVickar,  of  Newport.  3. 
William,  died  unmarried.  4.  .^nnie  W.,  who  married 
Philip  Simmons.  5.  Edward  T.,  connected  with  the 
Providence  Telephone  Company  of  Newport.  Peleg 
Smith  Bosworth  lives  in  Newport.  R.  I. 


DONALD  ELDREDGE  JACKSON— The  line 
founded  in  Rhode  Island  by  Stephen  Jackson  when  he 
came  from  his  home  in  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  during  the 
first  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century  is  a  numerous 
one  whose  members  have  found  useful  and  honorable 
place  in  many  channels  of  the  life  of  their  State.  This 
record  is  of  the  life  and  activity  of  Donald  Eldredge 
Jackson,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  son  of  Richard  Henry 
Jackson. 

Donald  Eldredge  Jackson  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  February  10,  1887,  and  after  attendance  at  the 
public  schools  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  in 
the  class  of  1906.  His  business  career  began  at  once 
with  his  entry  into  the  field  of  real  estate  and  insurance, 
and  his  advance  in  his  chosen  line  has  been  steady.  He 
has  added  manufacturing  interests  to  his  activities,  being 
president  of  the  Eastern  Bolt  &  Nut  Company,  and  he 
serves  the  following  concerns  in  the  capacity  of  direc- 
tor :  The  Washburn  Wire  Company,  American  Electrical 
Works,  the  Boston  Mercantile  Company,  and  the  Eugene 
F.  Phillips  Electric  Works,  of  Montreal,  Canada.  He 
is  treasurer  of  the  Edwin  A.  Smith  Company  and  man- 
ager of  the  Edwin  .V.  Smith  estate. 

Mr.  Jackson  is  a  communicant  of  St.  Martin's  Church, 
and  belongs  to  the  Hope,  .'\gawam  Hunt,  Rhode  Island 
Country,  Noonday,  and  Anawam  clubs,  of  Providence. 
He  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 

Mr.  Jackson  married.  October  27,  1909,  Rachel  Smith, 
daughter  of  Edwin  Augustus  and  Harriet  J.  (Dean) 
Smith. 


EDWIN  AUGUSTUS  SMITH— The  record  of  the 
family  of  which  E<lwin  .Augustus  Smith,  of  Providence, 
was  a  member  is  an  illustrious  one.  dating  far  back  into 
Colonial  days  and  being  allied  with  those  names  prom- 
inent among  the  founders  of  the  Rhode  Island  Com- 
monwealth— Roger  Williams,  Thomas  Barnes,  Robert 
Potter,  Richard  Waterman,  Stephen  Paine,  Thomas 
Olney.  John  Steerc,  Thomas  Harris,  Thomas  .Xngell, 
John  Field,  Rufus  Barton,  Samuel  Gorton,  Clement 
King,  Anthony  Low,  Zachariah  Rhodes,  .Arthur  Fenner, 
Joseph  Jenckes,  William  Wickcnden,  and  John  Whip- 
ple. Nor  is  the  family  dependent  upon  its  alliance  with 
notable  lines  for  fair  reputation,  for  its  own  members 
have  sat  in  high  legislative  council  and  have  served 
their  times  in  peace  and  war  with  distinction  and  honor. 

This  record  begins  with  Christopher  Smith,  who 
was  of  record  in  Providence  in  1650.  being  made  a 
freeman  in  1655.  He  became  owner  of  several  tracts 
of  land  between   1658  and   1665  and  took  the  oath  of 


302 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


allegiance  in  1667.     During  King  Philip's  War  he  went 

to  Newport  and  his  death  is  the  first  recorded  in  the 
Friends'  record,  where  he  is  referred  to  as  "an  ancient 
Friend"  of  Providence.  He  and  his  wife,  Alice,  were 
the  parents  of  Susanna.  Thomas.  Benjamin,  and  Ed- 
ward. Benjamin,  son  of  Christopher  and  Alice  Smith, 
was  a  representative  to  the  Colonial  Assembly  for  many 
years,  was  several  times  attorney-general,  deputy  a 
number  of  times,  and  in  1709,  speaker  of  the  House  of 
Deputies. 

Edward  Smith,  third  son  of  Christopher  and  Alice 
Smith,  resided  in  Providence,  his  death  occurring  in 
1693.  He  became  a  townsman  and  voted  in  1656,  was 
made  a  freeman  in  1658,  was  town  sergeant  in  1662, 
and  a  member  of  the  Colonial  Assembly  between  1665 
and  1683.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Town  Council 
for  nine  years,  between  1678  and  1688,  and  assistant  in 
1691.  He  married,  in  1663,  Anphillis  Angell,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Angell,  and  they  were  the  parents  of :  Alice, 
Edward.  Anphillis,  Thomas,  Christopher,  of  whom 
further;  Benjamin,  and  Joseph. 

Christopher  (2)  Smith,  son  of  Edward  and  Anphillis 
(Angein  Smith,  moved  to  Scituate,  R.  I.,  where  his 
death  occurred.  He  disposed  of  his  farm  in  Smith- 
field,  now  Lincoln,  to  William  Jenckes,  the  husband  of 
his  daughter,  Anphillis.  He  married  (first)  Elizabeth 
Arnold ;  his  second  wife  was  nained  Mary.  He  was  the 
father  of:  Deborah.  Christopher  (3),  of  whom  further; 
Benjamin,  Elizabeth,  Abigail,  Anphillis,  and  Captain 
John. 

Christopher  (3)  Smith,  son  of  Christopher  (2)  Smith, 
resided  in  Scituate,  where  he  died  January  27,  1781.  He 
married  Amity  Harris,  daughter  of  Richard  Harris, 
born  October  10,  1697,  and  died  May  5,  1769.  They 
were  the  parents  of:  Gideon.  Stephen,  of  whom  further; 
Dorothy,  Amity,  Mary,  Ruth,  Jeremiah,  Richard,  and 
Amity. 

Stephen  Smith,  son  of  Christopher  (3)  Smith,  was 
born  January  8,  1725,  and  died  August  12,  1802.  For 
many  years  prior  to  his  death  he  was  proprietor  of  a 
tavern  at  North  Scituate.  He  was  active  in  the  local 
militia,  serving  first  as  ensign,  then  lieutenant,  and 
finally  as  captain  of  the  Third  Company  of  Providence 
Militia.  He  married,  Nov.  24,  1749,  Sarah  Coomer,  born 
July  5,  1732,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Coomer.  She  died 
Jan.  9,  1797.  Children:  Elizabeth,  born  July  15,  1750; 
Sarah,  born  Oct.  15,  1752;  Coomer,  of  whom  further; 
Anne,  born  April  29,  1757;  Amitta,  born  Feb.  8,  1760; 
Stephen,  born  March  14,  1762;  Rhoda,  born  April  18, 
1764;  Chloe,  born  March  12,  1766;  Gideon,  born  June 
21,  1768;  and  Amie,  born  Dec.  5,  1774. 

Captain  Coomer  Smith,  son  of  Stephen  and  Sarah 
(Coomer)  Smith,  was  born  February  18,  1755,  died  in 
Scituate,  R.  I.,  August  17,  1793.  He  resided  in  Scituate 
and  during  the  Revolutionary  War  served  as  captain 
of  the  Scituate  Hunters,  a  company  of  patriots.  He 
married,  March  21,  1773,  Freelove  Barnes,  daughter  of 
Elisha  Barnes,  and  their  children  were :  Lydia,  born 
Jan.  I,  1774;  Clemence,  born  Jan.  31,  1776;  Gardiner, 
born  in  Aug.,  1779;  -Arnold;  Sarah,  born  Oct.  g,  1784; 
and  William,  of  whom  further. 

William  Smith,  son  of  Captain  Coomer  and  Freelove 
(Barnes)  Smith,  was  born  November  4,  1786,  and  died 
September   14,    1841,    in    Scituate.     He    married    Mary 


Potter,  daughter  of  John  Potter,  in  1807.  She  was  born 
May  7,  1786,  and  died  January  21,  1855.  They  were  the 
parents  of:  Emily  P.,  born  March  31,  1808,  married 
Benjamin  B.  Aldrich,  and  resided  at  Phenix.  where  she 
died  Sept.  I,  1875;  Fenner,  born  April  20,  1810,  married 
Eliza  Fenner,  and  resided  first  at  Scituate,  later  at 
Providence,  where  he  died  Feb.  8,  1894;  Henry,  of  whom 
further;  Lydia,  born  March  17,  1814,  married  Jesse 
Armstrong,  and  died  in  Providence.  April  4,  1S92:  Wil- 
liam G.,  born  March  23,  1816,  married  Eliza  A.  Smith, 
and  died  at  North  Scituate,  Aug.  31,  1892;  Mary,  bom 
Oct.  26,  1819,  died  July  9,  1901,  at  North  Scituate,  un- 
married; Waity,  born  March  20,  1822,  married  Harley 
P.  Angell;  Sarah,  born  July  17,  1824,  died  Aug.  23, 
1899,  unmarried;  and  Clarissa,  born  Sept.  11,  1826,  died 
June  27,  1827. 

Henry  Smith,  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Potter) 
Smith,  was  born  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  died  in  Providence, 
November  12,  1885.  During  his  active  years  he  was  an 
overseer  in  a  cotton  manufacturing  plant,  and  during 
his  latter  years  was  a  resident  of  Providence.  He  mar- 
ried Emeiine  F.  Paine,  of  Johnston,  born  August  21, 
181 7.  died  March  3,  1894,  daughter  of  Asahel  and  Rhoda 
(Steere)  Paine  (the  latter  a  daughter  of  Jonah  Steere) 
and  granddaughter  of  Squire  Paine.  Children :  Edwin 
Augustus,  of  whom  further;  Emma  Frances,  born 
March  30,  1848,  married  Cyril  A.  Babcock,  of  Provi- 
dence. 

Edwin  Augustus  Smith,  son  of  Henry  and  Emeiine 
F.  (Paine)  Smith,  was  born  in  North  Scituate,  R.  L, 
April  3,  1843.  and  died  in  Providence,  February  9,  1919. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  birthplace 
and  Smithville  Academy,  afterward  attending  Pierce 
Academy  in  Middleboro,  Mass.,  where  he  came  under 
the  instruction  of  Professor  J.  W.  P.  Jencks,  a  grad- 
uate of  Brow^n  University.  For  brief  periods  he  was 
a  teacher  and  clerk  in  a  store  in  his  native  village,  then 
entering  the  employ  of  the  old  Scituate  Bank,  where  he 
remained  until  1S61.  During  this  period  he  w^as  also 
assistant  to  the  town  clerk.  In  that  year  he  moved  to 
Providence,  becoming  a  clerk  in  the  old  State  bank,  and 
at  the  youthful  age  of  nineteen  years  he  advanced  to 
the  cashiership  of  that  institution.  In  1866  he  assumed 
the  duties  of  cashier  of  the  City  National  Bank,  begin- 
ning a  connection  that  endured  with  profitable  result 
throughout  twenty-seven  years,  resigning  in  1893  to 
accept  the  treasureship  of  the  Mechanics'  Savings 
Bank,  of  Providence,  an  office  he  filled  until  its  absorp- 
tion by  the  Industrial  Trust  Company  in  1904.  Mr. 
Smith  had  been  a  director  of  the  City  National 
Bank  during  the  greater  part  of  his  long  term  as 
cashier,  and  upon  the  death  of  Amos  C.  Barstow,  he 
succeeded  to  the  presidency  of  that  institution,  retaining 
his  association  during  his  active  years.  He  was  a 
financier  of  sterling  ability,  his  long  experience  giving 
him  an  insight  into  situations  and  conditions  that  could 
only  have  been  gained  by  keen  observation  over  long 
periods.  He  held  the  confidence  of  his  fellows  in  the 
banking  world  and  his  name  in  connection  with  an 
enterprise  was  in  itself  an  assurance  of  stability  and 
trustworthiness.  His  recognized  business  ability  was 
sought  in  advisory  capacity  and  he  gave  close  and  per- 
sonal attention  to  several  industrial  concerns,  being 
president  of  the  Eastern  Bolt  &  Nut  Company,  the  Col- 


BIOGRAFHICAL 


303 


well  Worsted  Company,  and  the  Iroquois  Machine  Com- 
pany, vice-president  of  the  Washburn  Wire  Company, 
the  Eugene  F.  Phillips  Electric  Company,  and  serving 
as  a  director  of  the  Joslin  Manufacturing  Company,  the 
Union  Hardware  &  Electric  Supply  Company,  and  the 
Manchester  Manufacturing  Company. 

Mr.  Smith  was  a  member  of  the  Tenth  Rhode  Island 
\'oluntecrs  during  the  Civil  War.  He  served  his  city 
as  a  member  of  the  Common  Council,  Board  of  Alder- 
men, and  the  School  Board,  feeling  that  to  be  the  extent 
of  his  obligation  and  refusing  other  civic  honors.  He 
belonged  to  the  Providence  Board  of  Trade,  actively 
supporting  its  plans  and  projects  for  the  industrial  and 
business  advancement  of  the  city.  He  held  the  thirty- 
second  degree  in  the  Masonic  order;  Iiis  clubs  were  the 
Squantum,  Pomham,  and  Central ;  also  held  member- 
ship in  Slocum  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and 
the  Tenth  Regiment  X'eteran  .Association,  having  been 
president  of  the  last  named  organization.  Mr.  Smith 
was  proud  of  the  achievements  and  record  of  his  family 
and  during  his  busy  life  found  time  to  search  out  and 
preserve  much  valuable  information  relating  to  his  own 
and  other  prominent  families  of  Scituate. 

Edwin  .\ugustus  Smith  married,  .'^pril  24.  1884,  Har- 
riet J.  Dean,  daughter  of  Sager  Dean,  who  was  born 
August  13,  1S53,  in  Providence.  Children:  Florence, 
bom  March  13,  1885,  died  July  14,  18S5;  Rachel,  born 
Nov.  6.  1S87,  married  Donald  Eldrcdge  Jackson,  Oct. 
27,  1909,  a  sketch  of  whom  precedes;  and  Sianley,  bom 
June  25,  1890,  died  Oct.  2,  1890. 


JOSEPH  WEST  LEWIS— Entering  the  f^eld  of 
real  estate  tour  years  after  his  graduation  from  Brown 
University  as  an  employee  of  the  Henry  W.  Cooke 
Company,  Mr.  Lewis  has  continued  in  that  and  allied 
lines  for  more  than  twenty  years,  with  conspicuous 
success.  He  has  been  active  in  the  development  of  the 
interests  of  this  firm,  whose  operations  include  broker- 
age business  in  mortgages  and  insurance,  and  has  risen 
to  official  position,  in  addition  to  important  connection 
with  numerous  other  real  estate  and  insurance  com- 
panies. Mr.  Lewis  is  a  native  of  Providence,  and  his 
identification  with  the  best  interests  of  the  city  is 
thorough  and  complete  in  business,  social,  and  civic 
circles. 

(I)  He  is  a  descendant  of  an  ancient  New  England 
ancestry,  his  line  founded  by  Edmund  Lewis,  of  Lynn 
Regis,  England,  who  at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years 
sailed  in  the  ship  "Elizabeth"  from  Ipswich,  England, 
April  10,  1634,  with  his  wife,  Mary,  and  sons,  John, 
aged  three  years,  and  Thomas,  aged  nine  months.  He 
settled  in  Watertown,  Mass.,  where  he  owned  a  good 
estate,  later  taking  up  his  residence  in  Lynn. 

(II)  The  line  of  descent  to  Joseph  West  Lewis,  of 
this  record,  is  through  his  son,  Thomas  Lewis,  born  in 
England  in  1633,  who  was  successively  a  citizen  of  L>'nn, 
Northampton,  1661-62,  Swansea,  1669,  and  Bristol,  R.  I., 
in  1681,  his  death  occurring  in  the  last  named  place, 
April  26,  1709.  He  married,  November  11,  1659,  Han- 
nah Baker. 

(III)  Thomas  (2)  Lewis,  son  of  Thomas  (i)  and 
Hannah  (Baker)  Lewis,  was  born  in  Lynn,  Mass.,  .•\pril 
29,  166S.  He  married,  in  Swansea,  April  16,  1689,  Eliz- 
abeth Brooks,  of  Wobum,  Mass. 


(IV)  Samuel  Lewis,  son  of  Thomas  (2)  and  Eliza- 
beth (Brooks)  Lewis,  was  born  at  Swansea,  April  16, 
1702,  and  died  between  September  15  and  October  5, 
1763.  He  married,  December  27,  1727,  at  Dighton,  Han- 
nah Mason,  born  in  March,  1710,  and  died  subsequent 
to  1763. 

(V)  Benjamin  Lewis,  son  of  Samuel  and  Hannah 
(Mason)  Lewis,  was  born  at  Swansea,  December  21, 
1733.  and  died  in  .April,  1767.  He  married,  August  22, 
1754,  Ruth  Norton,  of  Swansea,  who  died  in  April,  1767. 

(\'I)  Benjamin  (2)  Lewis,  son  of  Benjamin  (i)  and 
Ruth  (Norton)  Lewis,  was  born  at  Dighton.  Mass., 
February  16,  1761,  and  died  February  16,  1849.  He  mar- 
ried (first)  November  23,  1783.  Lydia  Bozworth,  of 
Rehoboth;  (second)  Hannah  Rounds,  of  Rehoboth, 
March  27,  1796. 

(\'II)  Chace  Lewis,  son  of  Benjamin  (2)  and  Han- 
nah (Rounds)  Lewis,  was  born  in  Dighton,  November 
I,  1798,  and  died  .April  30,  1883.  His  trade  was  that  of 
stone  mason,  which  he  followed  in  Providence  after 
1820.  doing  a  large  part  of  the  work  on  the  Arcade  prior 
to  1828.  He  married,  June  25,  1829,  Nancy  Coleman 
West,  of  Nantucket,  born  July  31,  1803,  died  July  i, 
1834. 

(VIII)  Joseph  West  Lewis,  son  of  Chace  and  Nancy 
Coleman  (West)  Lewis,  was  bom  December  17,  1831, 
and  died  January  4,  1877.  He  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools.  He  went  to  Omaha,  Nebr.,  while  quite  a 
young  man,  and  was  very  active  in  real  estate  and  farm 
land  operations,  going  from  there  to  Chicago,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  returning  to  Prov- 
idence, where  after  studying  law  in  the  office  of  James 
Tillinghast,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  practicing  inde- 
pendently and  specializing  in  conveyancing  and  law  of 
real  property.  He  was  successful  in  his  profession,  con- 
tinuing in  active  practice  until  his  early  death  at  the 
age  of  forty-si.\  years.  He  married  (second)  Melissa 
A.  (Horton)  Clarke,  widow  of  John  M.  Clarke,  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1871.  She  was  born  .April  18,  1846,  and  died 
March  i,  1899.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  sons, 
Joseph  West,  of  whom  further,  and  Frank  H.,  born  in 
1872,  died  in  Colorado,  in  1914. 

(IX)  Joseph  West  (2)  Lewis,  son  of  Joseph  West 
(i)  and  Melissa  .A.  (Horton-Clarke)  Lewis,  was  born 
in  Providence,  October  27,  1871.  After  attendance  in 
the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  his  native  city,  he 
entered  Brown  University,  whence  he  was  graduated 
.A.  B.,  in  the  class  of  1894.  His  first  employment  was 
in  a  wool  scouring  mill  of  Lawrence,  Mass.,  where  he 
remained  for  three  years,  then  returned  to  Providence, 
where  in  1898  he  became  associated  with  the  Henry 
W.  Cooke  Company  in  real  estate  dealings.  He  won 
advancement  from  minor  capacity  to  the  office  of  sec- 
retary, and  about  1909  succeeded  to  the  treasurership. 
This  company  resulted  from  the  consolidation  of  the 
interests  of  Francis  M.  Smith  and  Henry  W.  Cooke, 
and  conducts  a  large  business  in  real  estate,  mortgages, 
and  insurance,  in  addition  to  the  management  and  direc- 
tion of  many  estates,  their  activities  in  this  department 
surpassing  those  of  similar  Providence  organizations. 
Upon  the  incorporation,  in  April,  1906,  of  the  Beach 
and  Sweet  General  Insurance  .Agency,  Mr.  Lewis  became 
secretary  of  the  new  concern,  and  has  contributed  largely 
to  its  success  and  prosperity.    His  other  real  estate  con- 


304 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


nections  are  as  president  of  the  Updike  Real  Estate 
Company,  president  of  the  Union  Realty  Company,  and 
treasurer  of  the  Cheapside  Land  Company.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Providence  Real  Estate  Exchange,  held  in 
high  opinion  by  his  business  associates,  and  holds  place 
among  progressive  and  prominent  men  of  affairs  of 
his  city. 

Mr.  Lewis  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  his  social 
memberships  are  in  the  Turk's  Head  Club,  the  L^niver- 
sity  Club,  the  Squantum  Association,  and  the  Wanna- 
moisctt  and  Rhode  Island  Country  clubs.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society,  and  at 
Brown  University  he  won  the  coveted  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
key.  one  of  the  highest  of  scholastic  honors,  and  was 
elected  to  the  Delta  Phi  fraternity.  He  is  a  fellow  of 
the  American  Geographical  Society. 

Mr.  Lewis  married,  November  i8,  1896,  Josephine 
Billings,  of  Providence,  daughter  of  Henry  A.  Billings, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children :  Joseph  W., 
and  Geraldine. 


JACOB  STEPHANS— As  president  of  the  Stephans 
Nut  &  Bolt  Company,  Mr.  Stephans  occupies  an  im- 
portant place  among  the  business  men  of  the  cit)',  a  place 
he  w'orked  for  and  fully  earned,  .^s  a  manufacturer 
he  employs  the  methods  evolved  from  his  years  as  a 
worker,  and  has  never  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  his 
factory  experience  fitted  him  for  the  higher  place  he 
now  fills.  He  is  not  only  a  skilled  machinist  but  is  a 
designer  of  special  machines  used  in  his  own  plant,  and 
more  are  in  course  of  construction.  He  is  the  third 
son  of  Henry  and  Carlotta  (Wagner)  Stephans,  of 
Rehborn,  Bavaria. 

Jacob  Stephans  was  born  in  Rehborn,  Bavaria,  Au- 
gust 8,  1S53,  and  there  resided  until  his  fifteenth  year, 
coming  to  the  United  States  in  1S68.  He  was  appren- 
ticed as  a  machinist  in  a  rubber  mill  at  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  until  1876,  then  for  a  time  was  employed  at 
Forestdale,  then  returned  to  Woonsocket,  where  he 
lived  until  1878.  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  then  became  his 
home,  he  remaining  in  the  employ  of  Cole  Brothers  and 
the  William  H.  Haskell  Company,  until  1881,  then  going 
to  the  Pawtucket  Manufacturing  Company,  in  charge  of 
the  press  room  machines,  but  later  was  overseer  of  the 
bolt  department  of  the  plant.  He  continued  with  that 
company  until  1895,  then  with  Charles  H.  Bloodgood 
formed  the  Pawtucket  Nut  Company,  Mr.  Steplians 
manager.  The  plant  of  the  company  was  located  on 
Jenks  avenue  in  the  rear  of  No.  170  Main  street,  and 
there  a  prosperous  business  was  conducted  until  Octo- 
ber I,  1898,  when  the  William  H.  Haskell  Company  and 
the  Pawtucket  Nut  Company  consolidated  tlieir  inter- 
ests, Mr.  Stephans  continuing  with  the  combined  com- 
panies until  September,  1914,  when  he  resigned  as  an 
oflicial  and  disposed  of  his  stock. 

In  October,  1914,  Mr.  Stephans  organized  in  Paw- 
tucket, R.  1.,  the  Stephans  Nut  and  Bolt  Company, 
which  became  a  chartered  corporation  the  following 
January,  Jacob  Stephans  president.  The  company  be- 
gan business  in  the  Main  street  building  owned  by  the 
Bliss  Manufacturing  Company,  but  when  the  business 
outgrew  that  location,  in  191 5,  they  bought  the  old 
Acme  Leather  Company  building  at  No.  755  High 
street,  installed  more  machinery,  and  began  the  manu- 


facture of  nuts  and  special  stamping  on  an  enlarged 
scale.  The  demand  has  again  caught  up  with  the 
supply,  and  new  machinery  is  being  added  to  manufac- 
ture bolts  and  nuts.  Mr.  Stephans  is  also  president  of 
the  Providence  Art  Metal  Company,  an  office  he  has 
held  since  the  reorganization  of  the  company.  A  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  Mr.  Stephans  represented  the  Fourth 
Ward  of  Pawtucket  in  Common  Council  in  1894  and 
1895;  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Veteran  Fireman's  Association.  Mr. 
Stephans  is  a  member  of  the  ToKalon  Club,  Pomham 
Club,  and  the  following  Masonic  bodies :  Union  Lodge, 
No.  10.  Royal  .\rch  Chapter,  Pawtucket  Council,  No. 
2,  Holy  Sepulchre  Commandery,  No.  8,  Mystic  Shrine 
(Palestine  Temple),   Providence. 

Mr.  Stephans  married  (first)  in  1874,  Jennie  Cam- 
eron, of  Pawtucket,  who  died  in  1898,  leaving  four 
children :  Sarah ;  Albert,  born  in  1878,  now  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Stephans  Nut  &  Bolt  Company; 
Carlotta,  and  Isabella.  Mr.  Stephans  married  (second) 
Adeline  M.  B.  Thomas,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1903. 


EDWARD  DOUGLAS  PEARCE— The  first  Ed- 
ward Douglas  Pearce  to  reside  in  Providence  gave  the 
name  to  his  son,  Edward  Douglas  (2)  Pearce,  now 
president  of  the  Providence  Institution  for  Savings, 
whose  eldest  son,  Edward  Douglas  (3)  Pearce,  has  a 
son,  Edward  Douglas  (4)  Pearce. 

Edward  Douglas  (i)  Pearce  was  the  son  of  Earl 
Douglas  Pearce,  of  the  seventh  American  generation, 
and  the  first  of  this  branch  to  make  Providence  his 
home,  coming  from  Rehoboth,  Mass.  He  was  a  de- 
scendant of  the  famed  Indian  fighter.  Captain  Michael 
Peirce,  who  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  his  savage 
foes,  to  whose  memory  and  to  those  who  fell  w'ith  him 
stands  the  monument  at  Central  Falls,  R.  I.  From  this 
brave  captain  springs  a  very  large  family  of  eminent 
sons  and  daughters,  the  name  spelled  Pierce,  Peirce  and 
Pearce  by  the  different  branches.  Earl  Douglas  Pearce 
married  Lydia  Wheaton,  their  eldest  son,  Edward 
Douglas  (i),  being  the  first  son  in  this  branch  born  in 
Providence.  He  resided  on  Benefit  street,  was  a  grad- 
uate of  Brown  University.  A.  B.,  A.  M.,  and  an  Inde- 
pendent in  his  political  faith.  He  married  Sarah  B. 
Mauran,  born  June  22,  1826,  died  February  10,  1897, 
having  survived  her  husband  fourteen  years,  his  death 
occurring  January  20,  1SS3,  his  age  sixty-four  years. 
Their  eldest  son  and  child  was  Edward  Douglas  (2), 
of  further  mention. 

Edward  Douglas  (2)  Pearce  was  born  in  Providence, 
February  24,  1849.  After  passing  through  the  primary 
and  grammar  grades  he  entered  St.  Paul's  School, 
Concord,  N.  H.,  thence  to  Harvard  University,  where  he 
received  his  A.  B.,  with  the  graduating  class  of  1871. 
At  college  he  specialized  in  chemistry,  and  from  the 
time  he  left  college  until  igog  was  a  manufacturing 
chemist,  operating  as  T.  P.  Shepard  &  Company.  In 
addition  to  his  commercial  interests,  Mr.  Pearce  had 
been  interested  in  the  trust  companies  of  the  city  as 
a  director,  and  had  served  the  Merchants  National 
Bank  as  both  director  and  president.  In  1909  he  re- 
signed as  a  director  of  the  Merchants  National  Bank  to 
accept  the  presidency  of  the  Providence  Institution  for 
Savings,  a  position  he  is  now  filling.    He  retains  a  place 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


30s 


on  the  directorate  of  the  Rhode  Island  Trust  Company, 
but  has  retired  from  the  boards  of  the  other  two  trust 
companies  of  the  city.  As  chemist  and  banker,  Mr. 
Pearce  has  proved  his  versatility,  and  has  demonstrated 
that  the  social  side  of  life  is  not  ignored  by  his  mem- 
bership in  the  Harvard  Club  of  Rhode  Island,  the  Hope 
Club,  the  Squantum  Association  and  Rhode  Island 
School  of  Design.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  John's 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  politics  a  Repub- 
lican. His  official  life  covers  a  term  of  two  years  as 
common  councilman,  one  year  as  alderman,  and  as  a 
member  of  tlt.e  Sinking  Fund  Commission  from  1901  to 
the  present  time,  1918. 

Mr.  Pearce  married,  October  29,  1885,  Isabelle  V. 
Seagrave,  born  August  12,  1864,  daughter  of  Caleb  and 
Helen  D.  (Bucklin)  Seagrave.  They  are  the  parents 
of  two  children:  Edward  Douglas  (3)  and  Mauran 
Seagrave  Pearce,  the  latter  born  November  22,  1S91. 

Edward  Douglas  (3)  Pearce  was  born  at  Providence, 
January  16,  1887.  He  was  prepared  at  St.  Paul's  School, 
Concord,  N.  H.,  entered  Harvard  University,  and  in 
three  years,  1909,  received  his  degree  of  .^.  B.  He 
married,  -April  4,  1910,  Elsie  Simmons,  now  deceased, 
daughter  of  Frank  Daniel  and  Mary  Elizabeth  (Little) 
Simmons.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pearce  were  the  parents  of 
one  child,  Edward  Douglas  (4)  Pearce,  born  .'Xpril  17, 
1911. 


MAURICE  J.  KARPELES,  president  of  the  Karpe- 
les  Company,  Inc.,  was  born  in  Washington,  D.  C,  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1878,  son  of  Leopold  Karpeles,  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  War,  who  left  his  son  the  legacy  of  an  honor- 
able life.  The  elder  Karpeles  was  awarded  a  Congres- 
sional medal  for  bravery  during  his  military  career  and 
was  a  man  of  honorable,  upright  life.  The  boy,  Maurice 
J.  Karpeles,  had  a  struggle  from  boyhood  to  acquire 
an  education,  but  finished  high  school  and  added  a 
course  in  business  college.  He  came  to  Providence, 
R.  I.,  in  the  year  1899,  and  the  following  year  started 
in  business  for  himself  in  a  small  way  and  established 
a  manufacturing  business  of  imitation,  precious  and 
semi-precious  stones,  on  Westminster  street.  There 
he  prospered  and  in  a  few  years  organized  the  Low- 
Tausig-Karpeles  Company,  of  which  he  was  president. 
That  company  continued  until  1918,  when  it  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Karpeles  Company,  Inc.,  importers  of 
precious,  synthetic  and  imitation  stones,  pearls  and  La 
Tauica  necklaces,  Maurice  J.  Karpeles  president. 

During  the  years  1900-1918  the  business  of  the  com- 
pany grew  to  very  large  proportions,  3,000  persons  being 
employed  directly  and  indirectly  in  the  business  in  the 
L'nitcd  States  and  Europe.  The  Karpeles  Company  deal 
in  every  kind  of  precious  stones  and  are  manufacturers 
of  every  kind  of  imitation  stones,  including  the  well 
known  "La  Tausca  pearls,"  they  owning  that  trade 
mark.  The  New  \'ork  City  offices  of  the  company  are 
in  the  Silversmith  building.  No.  15  Maiden  Lane.  The 
Paris  branch  is  located  at  No.  17  Rue  Bergere  and  dur- 
ing the  present  year  (1019)  branches  will  be  opened  in 
London  and  in  cities  of  Continental  Europe.  Mr.  Kar- 
peles has  grown  with  the  business  which  he  founded 
when  but  twenty  years  of  age  and  is  thorough  master 
of  its  every  detail.  He  is  a  member  of  many  organiza- 
R  1—2—20 


tions,  "too  numerous  to  mention,"  in  some  of  which  he 
holds  important  office.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Provi- 
dence Trade  Committee  of  the  New  England  Jewelers 
&  Silversmiths  Association,  member  of  the  Foreign 
Committee  of  the  Providence  Board  of  Trade,  member 
of  the  Jewish  Synagogue,  Providence,  the  Republican 
and  Friars  clubs  of  New  York  City,  the  Turk's  Head 
Club  of  Providence,  the  -American  Club  and  the  .Amer- 
ican Chamber  of  Commerce,  Paris,  France. 


HERBERT  WAYLAND  RICE— For  almost  sixty 
years  the  name  of  Rice  has  been  associated  with  the 
paint  business  in  Rhode  Island,  from  1861  to  1886  in 
wholesale  lines  and  since  the  latter  date  as  mnnufaclur- 
ers,  the  United  States  Gutta  Percha  Paint  Company,  of 
which  Herbert  W.  Rice  is  president  and  'reasurer, 
founded  in  1886  by  his  honored  father,  Joseph  William 
Rice.  This  company  is  of  international  importance  and 
standing  in  the  paint  industry,  manufacturing  in  their 
splendidly  equipped  Providence  plant  the  product  that 
is  widely  known  as  "Barreled  Sunlight,"  Rice's  Gloss 
Mill  White,  an  oil  paint  for  interior  use  that  has  gained 
general  popularity  in  this  and  foreign  countries.  Since 
the  settlement  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  in  1660,  of  John  Rice, 
who  came  from  his  English  home,  the  Rice  family  has 
been  resident  in  Rhode  Island,  where  its  members  have 
borne  worthy  part  in  the  history  of  Colony  and  State. 
Joseph  William  Rice,  of  the  seventh  American  genera- 
tion, was  a  leading  citizen  of  Providence,  his  death  in 
1910  removing  not  only  a  successful  business  man  but 
a  devoted  worker  in  the  church  and  Sunday  school  and 
missions  of  the  Congregational  church,  and  a  generous 
supporter  of  all  philanthropic  enterprises. 

(I)  The  founder  of  this  line  of  Rice  was  John  Rice, 
who  was  bom  in  England  in  1646,  died  in  Warwick, 
R.  I.,  January  6,  1731.  He  came  to  America  with  Ed- 
mund Calverly,  who  had  been  in  the  English  army,  prob- 
ably under  the  Protector,  Oliver  Cromwell.  John  Rice 
was  made  a  freeman  in  1675,  served  on  the  grand  jury 
in  1687,  and  was  deputy  in  1710.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Holden. 

(II)  John  (2)  Rice,  son  of  John  (i)  Rice,  was  born 
in  1675,  died  January  9,  1755.  He  marri.ed,  July  23. 
1695,  Elnathan  Whipple,  born  January  2,  1675.  died  in 
1753- 

(III)  Thomas  Rice,  second  son  and  third  child  of 
John  (2)  and  Elnathan  (Whipple)  Rice,  was  born  April 
26,  1700,  and  died  in  1779.  He  married  (first)  Mary 
Holden,  (second),  June  19,  1740,  -Ann  Haynes,  of  War- 
wick. 

(I\)  William  Rice,  third  son  and  child  of  Thomas 
and  .Ann  (Haynes)  Rice,  was  born  February  11,  1745, 
and  died  in  1824.  He  was  the  owner  of  large  lands  in 
Cowesett  and  Crompton,  R.  I.  He  married,  January 
29,  1769,  Maplet  Remington.  Descent  is  through  his 
son,  Jeffrey  .Amherst. 

(V)  Jeffrey  Amherst  Rice,  son  of  William  Rice,  was 
born  in  1770,  died  March  11,  1823.  He  married.  Decem- 
ber 8,  1803,  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Joseph  Burlingame, 
their  fourth  child,  Joseph  Burlingame  Rice,  father  of 
Joseph  William  Rice,  and  grandfather  of  Herbert  Way- 
land  Rice. 


3o6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


(VI)  Joseph  Burlingame  Rice,  son  of  Jeffrey  Am- 
herst Rice,  was  born  July  ii,  iSii,  and  died  January 
26,  1889.  He  married,  September  14,  1832,  Sarah  Luther 
Burt,  born  October  31.  1810,  died  February  23,  1895,  and 
their  eldest  son  was  Joseph  William,  of  whom  further. 

(\'II)  Joseph  William  Rice,  son  of  Joseph  B.  and 
Sarah  L.  (Burt)  Rice,  was  born  in  Coventry,  R.  I., 
July  23,  1833,  and  died  June  18,  1910.  His  boyhood  was 
spent  in  the  place  of  his  birth  and  there  he  obtained 
his  education.  His  first  work  was  in  the  Pacific  Mills, 
of  Lawrence,  Mass.,  and  in  1861  he  began  his  residence 
of  almost  half  a  century  in  Providence.  In  that  year 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  Charles  E.  Boone,  estab- 
lishing a  retail  paint  business  on  Exchange  place  and 
operating  as  Boone,  Rice  &  Company.  He  continued  in 
the  same  line  as  a  member  of  the  firms  of  Rice,  Draper 
&  Company,  Rice,  Starkweather  &  Company,  in  1886 
withdrawing  from  the  last-named  firm  and  entering  the 
manufacturing  field,  founding  the  Ignited  States  Gutta 
Percha  Paint  Company.  Subsequently  his  son,  Herbert 
W.  Rice,  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  the  firm,  Mr. 
Rice  filling  the  offices  of  president  and  treasurer  until 
his  death.  A  great  degree  of  prosperity  attended  the 
operations  of  this  company,  the  superior  quality  of  its 
product  and  its  capable  marketing  giving  the  United 
States  Gutta  Percha  Paint  Company  high  rank  in  the 
paint  industry  of  America. 

From  the  time  of  his  coming  to  Providence  Mr.  Rice 
was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Beneficent  Congregational 
Church,  a  regidar  attendant  at  its  services  and  a  faith- 
ful worker  in  its  different  departments.  For  more  than 
twenty  years  he  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school  and  for  many  years  was  in  charge  of  the  foreign 
department  of  the  church  work,  in  this  capacity  direct- 
ing a  large  class  of  Chinese,  in  whose  progress  and  wel- 
fare he  was  deeply  concerned.  The  Rhode  Island  Home 
Missionary  Society  benefited  from  his  able  services  as 
treasurer,  while  he  filled  the  same  office  in  the  Fountain 
Street  Church  House,  and  was  also  a  director  of  the 
Homoeopathic  Hospital  of  Rhode  Island.  He  was  a 
charter  member  of  Orpheus  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  and  belonged  to  the  Pomham,  Central,  and 
Congregational  clubs.  He  was  held  in  affectionate 
esteem  by  a  large  circle  of  friends,  respected  for  his 
strong,  manly  Christianity,  and  honored  for  the  un- 
selfish spirit  of  brotherhood  that  prompted  him  in  his 
fruitful  missionary  endeavors.  Throughout  a  long  life 
of  seventy-seven  years  his  course  was  marked  by  stead- 
fast adherence  to  high  ideals,  earnest  service  of  his 
fellows,  and  constant  loyalty  to  the  cause  of  his  Master. 
He  carried  with  him  through  life  the  good  will  of  all 
who  knew  him,  and  his  memory  endures  among  those 
who  were  privileged  to  know  him. 

Joseph  William  Rice  married,  in  June,  1856,  Emily 
A.  Lamprey,  of  Belmont,  N.  H.,  who  died  in  January, 
1916,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  Walter  Lamprey, 
born  in  1861,  of  Providence,  and  Herbert  Wayland,  of 
whom  further. 

(VIII)  Herbert  Wayland  Rice,  son  of  Joseph  Wil- 
liam and  Emily  A.  (Lamprey)  Rice,  was  born  in  Prov- 
idence. R.  I.,  June  22,  1869,  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  city,  graduating  from  high 
school  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  with  first  honors. 


His  business  career  was  immediately  begun  in  a  minor 
capacity  with  the  United  States  Gutta  Percha  Paint 
Company,  and  he  was  given  opportunity  to  learn  the 
details  of  all  departments  of  the  business.  With  the 
expansion  of  the  company's  interests  his  responsibil- 
ities became  heavier,  and  upon  the  incorporation  of  the 
company  in  1893  he  assumed  the  duties  of  secretary. 
For  twenty  years  the  company  was  housed  in  the  Fuller 
building  on  Mathewson  street,  and  in  1907  the  present 
home  of  the  business  on  Dudley  street  was  built.  This 
plant,  erected  to  meet  the  special  demands  of  their  in- 
dustry, was  designed  to  accommodate  the  vigorous 
and  rapid  growth  of  the  company.  The  United  States 
Gutta  Percha  Paint  Company  maintains  branch  sales 
offices  and  warehouses  in  different  parts  of  the  country, 
selling  direct  to  consumers  or  users  the  product  that 
their  exclusively  controlled  process  of  manufacture  and 
skillfully  directed  advertising  campaigns  has  made  inter- 
nationally famed,  "Barreled  Sunlight,"  the  Rice  Process 
Mill  White.  "Barreled  Sunlight"  is  an  oil  paint  for 
interior  use  in  factories,  industrial  plants,  and  all  build- 
ings where  a  maximum  of  light  is  an  aid  to  work  and 
health.  In  1919  more  than  five  thousand  factories  used 
"Barreled  Sunlight"  on  the  interiors  of  their  buildings, 
and  in  addition  to  the  large  domestic  market  shipments 
are  made  to  Java,  China,  Japan,  Denmark,  India.  .Aus- 
tralia, and  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  It  is  an  interesting 
fact  that  the  first  .American  cotton  mill  erected  in  China, 
the  Vu  Yuen  Textile  Mills,  at  Tientsin,  used  "Barreled 
Sunlight"  throughout  on  walls  and  ceilings. 

Mr.  Rice  became  owner  of  the  common  stock  of  the 
company  in  1907,  and  as  its  executive  head  continued  his 
energetic,  progressive  mana.gement  of  its  affairs,  al- 
though no  change  was  made  in  its  officials  until  the 
death  of  Joseph  William  Rice,  when  Herbert  W.  Rice 
became  president  and  treasurer  of  the  company.  The 
company  is  a  strongly  established,  vigorous,  prosper- 
ous concern,  an  example  of  the  trend  toward  the  elimi- 
nation of  unessential  factors  in  modern  business  and 
the  increasing  reliance  placed  in  forceful  and  e.xpertly 
prepared  direct  advertising  literature.  With  the  original 
mill  white  which  is  the  standard,  protected  by  a  process 
of  manufacture  known  only  in  the  laboratories  of  the 
plant,  the  United  States  Gutta  Percha  Paint  Company, 
under  the  wise  direction  of  the  Rices,  father  and  son, 
has  developed  a  business  whose  dimensions  are  con- 
stantly on  the  increase  and  whose  demands  are  being 
met  (1919)  by  the  erection  of  a  large  addition  to  the 
existing  plant. 

Mr.  Rice's  business  connections,  aside  from  the  above 
mentioned  company,  are  as  president  and  treasurer  of 
the  J.  Wilbur  Corporation,  of  Philadelphia,  grinders  of 
mineral  paint;  vice-president  of  the  Morris  Plan  Com- 
pany, of  Rhode  Island;  director  of  the  Mechanics'  Na- 
tional Bank,  of  Providence;  and  trustee  of  the  People's 
Savings  Bank,  to  all  of  which,  in  the  proportion  of  his 
responsibility,  he  gives  of  the  same  wise  guidance  that 
had  made  his  own  concern  a  leader  in  its  line. 

He  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  political  faith,  and  on 
several  occasions  has  been  induced  to  accept  official 
place.  In  1905  he  was  elected  from  a  Providence  dis- 
trict to  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature  and  was  reelected 
in  1908,  an  important  part  of  his  service  as  a  member  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


307 


the  finance  committee,  while  in  1912  and  1916  he  was  a 
delegate  from  Rhode  Island  to  the  National  Republican 
Convention.  Mr.  Rice  is  treasurer  of  the  National 
Efficiency  Society,  of  New  York,  member  and  formerly 
vice-president  of  the  Paint  Manufacturers  of  America, 
and  a  member  of  the  Chemists'  Club,  of  New  York.  His 
social  membership  is  in  the  Hope,  Turk's  Head,  Com- 
mercial. Pomham,  Squantum  Association,  Rhode  Island 
Country,  and  Wannamoisctt  Country  clubs.  For  two 
years  he  was  president  of  the  Pomham  Club,  and  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Aero  Club  of  New  York.  The  patriotic 
services  of  his  early  ancestors  give  him  membership  in 
the  Society  of  Colonial  Wars.  His  fraternal  affiliation 
is  with  the  Masonic  order,  in  which  he  holds  the  thirty- 
second  degree,  belonging  to  Orpheus  Lodge,  I-Vee  and 
Accepted  Masons ;  Providence  Chapter.  Royal  Arch 
Masons :  Providence  Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ; 
St.  John's  Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  and  Rhode 
Island  Consistory,  Sovereign  Princes  of  the  Royal 
Secret,  also  holding  membership  in  Palestine  Temple, 
Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 
Like  his  father  he  is  a  generous  supporter  of  the  Homo- 
eopathic Hospital  of  Rhode  Island,  serving  this  insti- 
tution as  trustee,  having  been  formerly  vice-president. 
Mr.  Rice  is  fond  of  golf,  in  this  sport  and  other  social 
recreaiions  finding  the  balance  for  his  diligent  applica- 
tion to  business  affairs.  He  is  a  constant  student  and 
is  widely  read,  enjoying  the  works  of  modern  writers 
as  well  as  those  of  the  classic  masters.  His  place  among 
his  f(.'ll<  \v  citizens  is  that  of  a  leading  man  of  affairs, 
a  man  cf  pride  in  his  city  and  willingness  to  serve  her 
interests. 

Mr.  Kice  married,  in  1893,  Jennie  Wilbur,  daughter 
of  Job  Wilbur,  of  Rhode  Island,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  three  children:  l.  Wayland  Wilbur,  born 
April  1.4,  i8t)4;  a  graduate  of  P.rown  University,  Ph.  B., 
in  the  class  of  1917;  enlisted  in  the  United  States  .-\rmy 
in  1917.  and  later  was  attached  to  the  Chemical  War- 
fare Division,  where  he  gained  a  first  lieutenant's  rank  ; 
he  is  now  chemical  engineer  of  the  United  States  Gutta 
Percha  Paint  Company.  2.  Wilbur  Lamprey,  born  July 
I",  1S96;  a  student  in  Brown  University;  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  Army  in  1917  and  was  recommended  for 
a  commission  in  the  Quartermaster  Corps  which  the 
cancellation  of  all  promotions  prevented  his  receiving. 
3.  Emily  Frances,  lives  at  home. 


MICHAEL  JAMES  NESTOR,  well  known  physi- 
cian and  surgeon,  of  Providence,  was  born  in  West- 
erly, R.  I.,  March  15,  1876,  a  son  of  Patrick  and  Brid- 
get (Hayes)  Nestor.  He  there  completed  the  grammar 
school  and  part  of  the  high  school  courses  of  study. 
Later  he  decided  upon  a  professional  career,  com- 
pleted the  necessary  preparation  and  entered  the  Col- 
lege of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Baltimore,  Md., 
there  continuing  until  graduated,  M.  D.,  class  of  1905. 
After  graduation  he  spent  a  year  as  interne  at  Balti- 
more City  (now  Mercy)  Hospital,  returning  to  Rhode 
Island  and  locating  in  Providence  where  he  is  well 
established  in  general  practice.  Since  1908  he  has  been 
a  member  of  the  staff  of  Rhode  Island  Hospital  Out 
Patient  Department,  in  charge  of  pulmonary  diseases 
and  tuberculosis.     He  is  visiting  physician  to   Provi- 


dence City  Hospital,  a  member  of  the  associate  staff 
of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital;  and  is  highly  regarded  by  his 
professional  associates  of  these  institutions.  He  is  a 
man  of  strong,  self-reliant  character,  deeply  devoted 
to  his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  .American 
Medical  Association;  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society; 
Providence  Medical  Association;  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception;  Knights  of 
Columbus;  Providence  Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks;  and  in  politics  is  an  Independent 
Democrat. 

Dr.  Nestor  married  Marie  Antoinette  Agnew,  of 
Baltimore.  Md.,  October  31,  1908.  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  five  children:  Marie  Antoinette;  Thomas  .Ag- 
new; .Xgnes  Rosalie;  Catherine;  and  Elizabeth  Ann 
Nestor. 


GUILLAUME  MYETTE— One  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful among  the  younger  attorneys  of  Woonsocket 
where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  active  practice  of  the 
law,  is  Guillaume  Myette,  a  native  of  this  city,  where 
his  birth  occurred  October  14,  1885.  Mr.  Myette  is  a 
son  of  William,  Sr.,  and  Delia  (Plasse)  Myette,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  Woonsocket,  where 
they  now  reside.  The  elder  Mr.  Myette  is  at  the  pres- 
ent time  engaged  in  business  as  a  real  estate  broker 
in  this  city,  where  he  has  met  with  a  high  degree  of 
success.  Ainong  the  children  of  the  elder  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Myette  is  Guillaume  Myette,  whose  entire  life  up 
to  the  present  has  been  spent  in  this  city,  where  he 
has  been  closely  associated  with  the  general  life  of  the 
community.  Both  he  and  his  father  were  determined 
that  he  should  have  a  first  class  education,  which  he 
begun  by  attending  the  public  and  parochial  schools  of 
Woonsocket.  He  then  went  to  Providence,  where  he 
entered  the  La  Salle  Academy,  and  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1907,  after  being  prepared  for  college.  He 
then  entered  St.  Marie  College  at  Montreal,  Canada, 
where  he  started  to  take  the  usual  classical  course, 
but  was  unfortunately  prevented  from  completing  this 
by  ill  health,  which  caused  his  retirement  from  the 
college.  It  was  necessary  also  for  him  to  take  a  com- 
plete rest  of  a  year,  and  during  that  time  the  young 
man  determined  to  follow  the  profession  of  the  law  for 
his  career  in  life.  Accordingly,  his  health  restored  by 
his  rest,  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  Boston 
L'niversity,  where,  after  taking  the  usual  course,  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  191 1,  with  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Law.  During  this  time  he  also  entered 
the  law  office  of  George  W.  Green,  a  well  known 
attorney  of  Woonsocket.  where  he  gained  much  valu- 
able practical  experience  in  legal  work.  He  was  one 
year  with  Judge  E.  J.  Daignault.  L'pon  his  admission 
to  the  Rhode  Island  bar  in  the  year  1912,  he  opened  his 
own  office  in  Woonsocket,  where  he  has  been  actively 
engaged  in  general  practice  ever  since.  Mr.  Myette 
rapidly  won  the  confidence,  not  only  of  bis  professional 
colleagrues,  but  of  the  community  at  large,  both  on 
account  of  his  ability,  and  the  high  ethical  standards 
which  he  has  maintained  in  his  work,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent time  much  important  litigation  passes  through  his 
office.  Mr.  Myette  is  also  keenly  interested  in  local 
and  general  public  issues,  and  is  a  staunch  and  ardent 


3o8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


supporter  of  the  Republican  party  in  this  State.  His 
ability  was  soon  recognized  by  his  pohtical  colleagues, 
and  as  a  young  man  he  was  elected  to  the  Woonsocket 
Council,  from  the  First  Ward  of  this  city,  and  held 
that  post  in  the  years  1917  and  1918.  He  was  defeated 
in  the  campaign  for  Representative  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature in  1918,  but  he  is  spoken  of  as  the  Republican 
candidate  for  the  next  election,  and  intends  to  run 
again.  In  his  religious  belief,  Mr.  Myette  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  and  attends  the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood 
in  this  city.  He  is  a  member  of  Council  No.  2,  I'Union 
St.  Jean  Baptiste  d'Ameriijue,  and  was  president  of 
that  organization  for  three  years.  He  is  also  affiliated 
with  the  local  council  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus, 
the  Franco-American  Order  of  Foresters,  la  Sociote 
des  Artisans  Canadiens-Francais,  and  the  Woonsocket 
Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Guillaume  Myette  was  united  in  marriage,  October  26, 
1915,  at  Woonsocket,  with  Flora  E.  Surprenant,  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  Michel  and  Marie  (Potvin)  Surprenant, 
old  residents  of  this  city.  The  Potvin  family  was  of  the 
first  French  families  to  locate  in  Woonsocket.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Myette  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Jean  Guil- 
laume Myette,  born  March  15,  1917. 


MERIE  WENCELAS  ACHILLA  PRINCE— One 

of  the  most  active  and  best  beloved  figures  in  the  relig- 
ious life  of  Woonsocket,  R.  L,  is  the  Rev.  Father  Merie 
Wencelas  Achilla  Prince,  pastor  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Aloysiiis  here,  who  had  endeared  himself  not  only  to 
his  congregation,  but  to  the  community  at  large  by  his 
holy  and  pious  life  and  by  the  great  epoch  that  he  has 
made  in  the  direction  of  bringing  religious  truths  into 
the  daily  lives  of  the  people.  Father  Prince  is  a  native 
of  St.  Gregoire,  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada, 
where  his  birth  occurred  September  28,  1872.  Father 
Prince  is  the  son  of  Cecil  and  Adeline  (Boudreault) 
Prince,  who  also  were  natives  of  St.  Gregoire,  Quebec, 
where  they  were  born,  respectively,  in  1836  and  1831. 
Mr.  Prince  who  was  engaged  in  business  for  many  years 
in  Canada,  is  now  living  retired  and  makes  his  home 
with  Father  Prince  of  this  sketch.  His  wife,  the  mother 
of  Father  Prince,  died  in  1875.  They  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  children:  Antonio,  a  graduate  of  Nic- 
olet  College,  became  an  attorney  at  Montreal,  which  he 
represented  for  a  time  in  the  Canadian  Parliament,  and 
died  in  the  year  1908;  Charles,  now  engaged  in  business 
as  a  photographer  at  Woonsocket ;  Peter,  a  graduate  of 
the  Jesuit  College  at  Montreal,  and  now  a  priest  of  the 
Jesuit  Order;  Francis,  who  studied  law  and  is  now  a 
judge  at  Lake  Linden,  Mich.;  Joseph,  a  graduate  of 
LaSalle  Academy,  Montreal,  and  now  the  superior  in 
charge  of  Arthabaska  College  at  Arthabaska,  Quebec; 
Merie  Wencelas  Achilla,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned;  John  Baptiste.  a  graduate  of  the 
University  of  Lavelle,  Montreal,  and  now  a  practicing 
physician  in  that  city;  Josephine,  a  sister  of  the  Order 
of  the  Assumption  and  now  superior  of  the  convent  at 
the  Parish  of  St.  Cyrille. 

The  childhood  of  Father  Prince  was  passed  at  his 
native  town  of  St.  Gregoire,  and  he  there  began  his 
education  by  attending  the  local  grammar  school.  He 
next  studied   at  the  Xicolet   Seminary  of   Quebec,   and 


then,  having  determined  to  enter  the  priesthood  of  the 
Catholic  church,  became  a  student  at  the  Nicolet  Col- 
lege, taking  a  classical  course  and  philosophy,  and  at  the 
Grand  Seminary  of  Montreal,  where  he  took  a  course 
in  theology  in  order  to  prepare  himself  for  his  high 
calling.  Father  Prince  graduated  from  the  Grand 
Seminary  with  the  class  of  1900,  and  was  ordained  at 
St.  Gregoire,  December  23,  1900,  by  Bishop  Brunault, 
of  Nicolet.  While  attending  the  Grand  Seminary, 
Father  Prince  gave  much  of  his  time  as  a  teacher  at 
the  Nicolet  Seminary  where  he  had  himself  studied 
previously,  and  he  spent  as  much  as  a  year  there.  After 
his  ordination.  Father  Prince  was  assigned  as  curate  to 
the  Church  of  Notre  Dame  at  Central  Falls,  R.  L, 
where  he  remained  for  thirteen  years  and  three  months. 
On  March  19,  1914,  he  was  put  in  charge  as  pastor  of 
St.  Aloysius  Church,  of  Woonsocket,  and  has  here  re- 
mained ever  since.  Father  Prince  has  been  most  active 
in  his  development  of  the  parish  since  coming  here, 
and  has  done  a  great  deal  of  good  work  therein.  Among 
other  things  he  has  built  a  convent  building  and  a  school 
building  and  there  operates  a  grammar  school  presided 
over  by  twelve  teachers,  and  numbers  as  many  as  six 
hundred  pupils.  The  church  of  St.  Aloysius  numbers 
as  many  as  three  thousand  eight  hundred  communicants 
and  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  flourishing  in 
the  entire  community.  The  work  of  the  parish  has  been 
so  large  that  Father  Prince  has  had  two  curates  assigned 
to  him,  the  Rev.  Ernest  Morin  and  the  Rev.  Albert 
Forcier.  Father  Prince  has  always  taken  a  keen  interest 
in  educational  matters  and  at  the  present  time  is  serving 
on  the  school  committee  of  Woonsocket,  and  his  voice 
carrys  great  weight  in  the  council  of  that  body.  He 
makes  his  home  at  323  Rathbun  street,  Woonsocket. 


PAUL  APPLETON,  M.  D.— Among  the  most  ac- 
tive and  prominent  figures  in  the  medical  circles  of  the 
city  of  Providence  is  Dr.  Paul  .Appleton,  who  is  closely 
identified  with  many  activities  in  this  city  and  has  won 
for  himself  a  place  high  in  the  esteem  and  regard  of  the 
community  at  large.  Dr.  Appleton  is  a  native  of  Prov- 
idence, born  December  6,  18S7,  a  son  of  J.  Howard  and 
Louise  Mumford  (Day)  Appleton,  both  of  whom  make 
their  home  in  this  city.  J.  Howard  Appleton  was  for 
many  years  a  professor  at  Brown  University  and  is 
now  living  in  a  well  earned  retirement.  Dr.  Appleton 
began  his  education  at  the  public  schools  of  Providence, 
attending  these  institutions  for  a  number  of  years  and 
finally  graduating  from  the  high  school  with  the  class 
of  1907,  and  then  completing  his  preparation  for  col- 
lege. He  then  entered  Brown  LTniversity,  where  his 
father  was  then  occupying  the  chair  of  chemistry,  and 
after  studying  at  that  institution  for  four  years,  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  191 1,  receiving  at  the  same 
time  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Philosophy.  The  young 
man  had  in  the  meantime  determined  to  adopt  the  med- 
ical profession  as  his  career  in  life,  and  with  this  end 
in  view  entered  the  medical  school  connected  with 
Harvard  University,  where  after  taking  the  usual  course 
he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1915  with  the  degree 
of  M.  D.  Upon  completing  his  theoretical  studies  in 
medicine,  Dr.  Appleton  supplemented  these  with  the 
practical  experience  gained  as  an  interne  at  the  Massa- 


A(^i<Uj 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


309 


chusetts  General  Hospital  where  he  remained  for  two 
years.  Dr.  Applcton  then  began  the  practice  of  this  pro- 
fession at  Providence,  making  a  specialty  in  surgery, 
but  before  he  had  been  long  established,  the  entrance 
of  the  United  States  into  the  great  World  War,  drew 
him  into  a  different  line  of  activity.  Dr.  .^ppleton  at 
once  volunteered  his  services  to  the  government  and 
on  July  28,  1917,  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant  in 
the  Medical  Corps  of  the  Rhode  Island  National  Guard. 
For  a  time  during  the  months  of  September  and  Octo- 
ber, 1917,  he  acted  as  medical  examiner  for  the  local 
board  of  Division  No.  2,  in  this  city,  and  on  September 
16,  191 7.  was  mustered  into  the  federal  service.  On 
December  i,  following,  he  was  honorably  discharged 
for  physical  disability,  and  during  January,  February, 
and  March  of  1918,  he  again  served  as  medical  exam- 
iner here.  He  returned  for  a  time  to  private  practice, 
never  discontinuing  his  attempt,  however,  to  engage  in 
the  great  undertaking  to  which  his  country  was  pledged, 
and  on  September  18,  1918,  he  was  re-commissioned 
first  lieutenant  in  the  medical  corps  of  the  United  States 
.•\rmy  and  assigned  for  active  duty.  On  September  28 
and  November  15,  of  that  year,  he  was  on  duty  at  the 
medical  officers'  training  camp,  Camp  Greenleaf,  Chick- 
amauga  Park,  Ga.  On  the  latter  date  he  was  apjiointcd 
instructor  in  surgical  anatomy  at  the  School  of  Military 
Surgery,  M.  O.  T.  C,  at  Camp  Greenleaf,  Chattanooga. 
Tenn.  He  served  for  a  month  at  Camp  Greenleaf,  and 
then  was  detailed  to  the  headquarters  at  Camp  Green- 
leaf, Ga.,  where  he  remained  from  December  18,  1918, 
to  January  5,  1919.  The  next  post  filled  by  Lieutenant 
Appleton  was  as  a  member  of  the  surgical  staflf  of  the 
United  States  Army,  General  Hospital,  No.  14,  at  Fort 
Oglethorpe,  Ga.,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  Jan- 
uary 26,  1919.  He  was  then  appointed  a  member  of  the 
surgical  staff  of  the  Walter  Reed  General  Hospital  of 
Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  remained  until  he  received 
his  honorable  discharge  on  February  20,  1919. 

Upon  returning  to  civil  life.  Dr.  Appleton  resumed 
his  practice  in  this  city  and  has  made  for  himself  a 
place  of  importance  in  medical  circles  here,  being  es- 
teemed not  only  by  his  personal  clientele  but  by  his 
|)rofessional  colleagues  throughout  the  city.  .\t  the 
present  time.  Dr.  Appleton  holds  a  number  of  important 
posts  with  various  hospitals  in  this  region  and  is  surgical 
extern  of  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital,  surgeon  of  the 
out  patient  department,  Memorial  Hospital,  of  Paw- 
tucket,  surgeon  of  the  out  patient  department  of  the 
Providence  Lying  In  Hospital.  Dr.  Appleton  is  affil- 
iated with  all  the  professional  societies  and  organiza- 
tions in  this  neighborhood  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Providence  Medical  Society,  the  Rhode  Island  Medical 
Society,  the  .American  .Association  of  Surgery,  and  a 
fellow  of  the  .'\merican  Medical  .Association.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  University  Club  of  Providence,  the 
Delta  Phi  fraternity.  Phi  Beta  Kappa  fraternity.  Dur- 
ing the  years  1916  and  1917,  he  held  the  post  of  research 
biologist  of  the  Rhode  Island  Commission  of  Inland 
Fisheries.  In  politics  Dr.  .Appleton  is  a  Republican, 
and  in  religious  belief  is  a  Congregationalist,  attend- 
ing the  Central  Church  of  that  denomination  at  Prov- 
idence. He  is  also  affiliated  with  the  Orpheus  Lodge, 
No.  36,  .Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  Dr.  Apple- 
ton  is  unmarried. 


CYRUS  EDWARD  LAPHAM.  well  known  in  the 
banking  circles  of  Providence  and  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
was  born  in  .Attleboro,  Mass.,  .August  21,  1S45.  He  is  a 
son  of  Edward  L.  Lapham,  a  native  of  Smithfield,  R.  I., 
his  birthday  being  September  30,  1814.  The  elder  Lap- 
ham  did  not  receive  the  advantage  of  a  liberal  education, 
and  in  early  life  became  identified  with  the  cotton  mill- 
ing business,  being  overseer  of  a  manufacturing  industry 
in  that  line  for  over  thirty  years.  He  was  a  man  de- 
voted to  his  home  surroundings,  of  a  quiet  disposition, 
and  in  politics  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party.  He 
married  in  East  Providence,  Mary  H.  Bliss,  born  in 
Rehoboth,  Mass.,  October  17,  1816,  and  their  children 
are:  .Miriam  W.,  born  Feb.  7,  1840,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Harrison  Davis,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.;  Cyrus 
Edward,  the  subject  of  this  narrative;  and  Ella  M., 
born  July  i,  1852,  who  resides  with  her  brother.  Ed- 
ward L.  Lapham  died  in  April,  1884,  and  was  survived 
by  his  wife,  her  death  occurred  in  June,  i8<.)4. 

The  early  education  of  Cyrus  E.  Lapham,  the  only  son 
of  Edward  L.  and  Mary  H.  (Bliss)  Lapham,  was  ob- 
tained at  the  Paw-tucket  Grammar  School,  and  at  the 
early  age  of  fourteen  he  became  a  clerk  in  a  retail 
grocery  store.  After  following  this  occupation  for  five 
years,  he  became  a  student  at  the  Bryant  and  Stratton 
Business  College,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  to  perfect  him- 
self in  bookkeeping  and  mercantile  business.  .After  his 
graduation  from  this  college  he  was  for  six  years  con- 
nected as  clerk  and  bookkeeper  with  the  Slater  National 
Bank  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  In  November,  1872,  he  be- 
came identified  with  the  First  National  Bank  of  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  and  was  connected  with  that  institution  for 
thirty-two  years.  He  began  as  clerk  and  was  success- 
ively promoted  until  in  1880  he  became  cashier.  The 
First  National  Bank  was  merged  into  the  Rhode  Island 
Hospital  Trust  Company  in  1904,  and  for  eleven  years 
he  was  assistant  secretary  of  the  latter  institution,  when 
he  retired  from  active  business,  in  December,  1915. 
During  the  existence  of  the  First  National  Bank  he  was 
a  member  of  the  board  of  directors.  Though  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  he  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  State 
or  civic  honors.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket 
Business  Men's  Association,  and  a  regular  attendant  of 
St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church  of  Pawtucket,  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Men's  Club  of  that  church.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Economic  Club  of  Providence.  Mr. 
Lapham  has  never  married,  and  resides  with  his  sister 
at  No.  64  Harrison  street,  Pawtucket,  R.  I. 


GEORGE  FREDERICK  ROUSSEAU  is  one  of 
the  successful  attorneys  and  an  influential  citizen  of 
Woonsocket,  where  his  birth  occurred  September  25, 
18C7.  Mr.  Rousseau  is  a  son  of  Esdras  and  .Archange 
(Remillard)  Rousseau,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
The  elder  Mr.  Rousseau  was  one  of  the  French  Cana- 
dian pioneers  to  Rhode  Island,  having  come  with  the 
first  five  families  to  settle  in  this  State.  He  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade  and  was  highly  respected  and  honored 
by  his  fellow  citizens.  The  childhood  of  George  Fred- 
erick Rousseau  was  passed  in  this  place  and  it  was  here 
that  he  began  his  education,  attending  the  local  public 
schools,  eventually  graduating  from  the  Woonsocket 
High  School  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  He 
then  entered  Holy  Cross  College,  but  did  not  complete 


310 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


his  course  at  that  institution.  The  circumstances  of  his 
family  at  that  time  rendered  it  impossible  for  his  father 
to  continue  to  pay  for  his  son's  education  and  accord- 
ingly the  young  man  returned  to  Woonsocket,  where 
he  secured  a  position  in  the  assessor's  office,  it  being 
his  intention  to  earn  there  sufficient  money  to  continue 
his  education.  This  he  succeeded  in  doing,  but  by  that 
time  had  determined  to  make  the  the  law  his  career  in 
life,  and  with  this  end  in  view  entered  the  law  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Boston.  Once  more,  how- 
ever, he  did  not  complete  his  course,  but  returned  to 
Woonsocket,  and  entered  a  local  law  office,  where  he 
continued  to  read  his  subject,  and  that  to  such  good 
purpose  that  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Rhode 
Island,  in  the  year  1902.  He  at  once  began  the  general 
practice  of  his  profession  here  in  Woonsocket,  and  for 
a  time  practiced  by  himself,  but  in  1913  the  present  firm 
of  Greene  &  Rousseau,  was  established. 

Mr.  Rousseau  has  made  for  himself  a  position  among 
the  leading  attorneys  of  this  place  and  at  the  present 
time  much  of  the  important  litigation  here  passes 
through  his  office.  In  addition  to  his  legal  practice  which 
is  now  a  very  large  one,  Mr.  Rousseau  has  been  active 
in  public  life  and  is  identified  with  the  local  organization 
of  the  Republican  party.  In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Roman  Catholic  and  attends  the  Church  of  the  Assump- 
tion of  this  denomination  here.  George  Frederick  Rous- 
seau was  united  in  marriage  January  29,  1919,  with 
Esther  G.  Peters,  of  Boston,  Mass. 


JOSEPH  ROY— As  president  and  secretary  of  the 
Union  Handkerchief  Company,  Mr.  Roy  holds  a  com- 
manding position  in  the  business  world  of  Woonsocket, 
and  he  is  also  identified  with  the  city's  insurance  inter- 
ests. He  has  long  been  active  in  local  politics,  is  well 
known  in  fraternal  circles  and  takes  a  prominent  part 
in  church  and  religious  work. 

Ambrose  Roy,  grandfather  of  Joseph  Roy,  was  born 
in  1799,  in  St.  Louis,  Gouzague,  Province  of  Quebec,  and 
was  a  farmer.  He  married  Angel  Poirier.  The  death 
of  Mr.  Roy  occurred  in  1871. 

Ambrose  (2)  Roy,  son  of  Ambrose  (i)  Roy,  was 
born  May  7,  1830,  in  the  same  place  as  his  father  and 
likewise  followed  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  a 
Conservative  in  politics  and  for  two  years  served  as 
selectman.  Mr.  Roy  married  Philomena  Labcrge,  born 
October  10,  1833,  in  St.  Martine,  Province  of  Quebec, 
and  died  September  2,  1906,  in  Woonsocket.  Mr.  Roy 
died  in  the  same  place  April  15,  1907. 

Joseph  Roy,  son  of  Ambrose  (2)  and  Philomena 
(Laberge)  Roy,  was  born  January  13,  1866,  in  St.  Louis 
Gouzague,  Bcauharnais  county.  Province  of  Quebec, 
and  at  the  age  of  ten  went  to  Ottawa  where  he  attended 
school  until  his  fourteenth  year.  On  leaving  school  he 
went  to  Chippewa  Falls,  Wis.,  in  the  service  of  a  lum- 
ber company,  remaining  five  years.  His  next  removal 
was  to  Woonsocket  where  he  was  employed  as  weaver 
in  a  mill,  afterward  working  for  six  months  as  second 
hand  in  the  Eagle  Mill,  and  then,  for  twenty  years, 
filling  the  position  of  overseer  in  the  same  place.  In 
his  spare  hours  he  supplied  by  his  own  efforts  the 
deficiencies  of  his  early  education.  In  1911  Mr.  Roy 
organized  the  Lhiion  Handkerchief  Company,  becoming 
its    president    and    secretary,    while    Philippe    Boucher 


filled  the  office  of  treasurer.  The  enterprise  has  been 
very  successful,  the  firm  now  conducting  a  flourishing 
business.  Mr.  Roy  also  has  an  interest  in  the  J.  L. 
Fleurant  Insurance  Company.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  for  six  years  served  as 
assistant  factory  inspector  in  Rhode  Island. 

Always  an  active  Republican,  Mr.  Roy  served  for 
fifteen  years  as  chairman  of  the  Republican  Committee 
of  the  First  Ward,  and  is  now  chairman  of  the  Repub- 
lican City  Committee.  He  belongs  to  the  State  Repub- 
lican Club.  The  other  social  and  fraternal  organizations 
in  which  Mr.  Roy  is  enrolled  are  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Cercle  Nationale  Dram- 
atique,  St.  John's  Society,  the  Franco-.\merican  For- 
esters, Artisans  Canadians-Francais.  He  is  a  trustee  of 
the  St.  Antoine  Home  and  the  St.  Claire  School,  presi- 
dent of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society  and  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Particular  Council  of 
Woonsocket,  also  belonging  to  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul 
Council  of  Providence.  He  is  a  member  and  trustee 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood. 

Mr.  Roy  married,  August  20,  1894,  Marie  Louise, 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Christine  (Vaudal)  Peloquin, 
of  Sorel,  Province  of  Quebec,  the  former  a  retired  mill 
worker.  Mr.  Roy  resides  in  Woonsocket  and  his  sum- 
mer home  is  at  South  Shore,  R.  I.,  where  he  finds  re- 
creation in  fishing  and  out-door  sports.  Both  as  busi- 
ness man  and  citizen  he  is  a  valuable  member  of  the 
community. 


HARRY  D.  Mac  LEAN — .-\bout  twenty-two  years 
ago,  in  1897,  Harry  D.  Mac  Lean  arrived  in  Providence, 
a  lad  of  sixteen,  without  friends  and  little  ready  cash. 
That  these  handicaps  were  but  temporary  is  shown  by 
his  present  position  as  head  and  sole  owner  of  the 
business  of  H.  D.  Mac  Lean,  hardwood  and  parquetry 
floors.  Room  438,  Industrial  Trust  building.  He  is  a 
son  of  James  M.  and  Margaret  A.  (Reid)  Mac  Lean, 
of  Pictou  county,  Nova  Scotia;  his  father  a  blacksmith 
and  farmer,  is  now  deceased.  On  both  the  paternal 
and  maternal  lines,  Mr.  Mac  Lean  traces  to  Scotch 
ancestry,  three  generations,  however,  have  resided  in 
Nova  Scotia. 

Harry  D.  Mac  Lean  was  born  in  Pictou  county.  Nova 
Scotia,  March  24,  1881.  He  was  able  to  secure  few 
educational  advantages  in  his  youth,  but  this  lack  was 
made  up  by  soHtary  study  and  constant  application.  In 
1897  he  left  home  and  came  to  Providence,  where  he 
became  interested  in  building  operations,  advanced 
rapidly,  and  after  becoming  a  foreman  was  in  charge 
of  important  construction  work.  In  a  few  years  he 
established  in  business  independently,  specializing  in 
hardwood  floors.  In  1905  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  a  Mr.  Ross  and  under  the  firm  name  of  Ross  and 
Mac  Lean,  operated  until  1909.  He  then  bought  his 
partner's  interest  and  from  that  year  until  the  present, 
1919,  has  conducted  the  business  under  his  own  name, 
H.  D.  Mac  Lean,  hardwood  and  parquetry  floors.  Dur- 
ing the  European  War,  Mr.  Mac  Lean  was  interested 
with  the  C.  B.  Maguire  Construction  Company  in  a 
four  and  one-half  million  dollar  contract  for  the  L'nited 
States  Naval  Department,  including  the  erection  of 
housing  facilities  for  officers  and  enlisted  men  at  Cod- 
dington  Point,  Newport.    Mr.  Mac  Lean's  share  of  the 


iMsmi^mamiiimm 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


311 


contract  called  for  the  laying  of  floors  in  two  hundred 
buildings,  the  amount  of  flooring  used  in  this  work 
more  than  one  million  live  hundred  thousand  feet,  far 
exceeding  the  largest  flooring  contract  ever  let  prev- 
iously in  Rhode  Island. 

Intensely  loyal  to  the  Allied  cause,  Mr.  Mac  Lean  took 
a  very  active  part  in  intelligence  work  for  the  govern- 
ment, first  as  a  member  of  the  American  Protective 
League,  an  organization  operating  under  the  approval 
and  direction  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Jus- 
tice, and  later  as  a  special  agent  of  the  Bureau  of 
Investigation  of  the  Department  of  Justice.  He  was 
regularly  commissioned  a  special  agent  by  the  .Attorney 
General  of  the  United  States  and  was  able  to  accom- 
plish valued  service,  his  time  being  given  without  com- 
pensation. 

Mr.  Mac  Lean  is  a  member  of  Harmony  Lodge,  No. 
9,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Pawtuxet,  R.  I. ; 
Providence  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  and  St.  John's 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar.  He  served  the  Provi- 
dence Rotary  Club  for  four  years  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  directors  and  still  retains  a  lively  interest  in 
that  organization.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been 
an  active  member  of  the  Town  Criers  and  several  years 
ago  represented  that  society  as  a  delegate  to  the  Inter- 
national Convention  of  Advertisers,  held  in  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Metacomet  Golf  Club, 
of  Providence,  and  has  numerous  other  affiliations, 
social,  civic,  and  business. 

He  married,  in  1907,  Florence  M.  Greenup,  of  Provi- 
dence, who  died  March  24,  191 7,  leaving  a  son,  Ken- 
neth Reid  Mac  Lean,  born  July  26,  1913. 


of  Samuel  ."Xppleton  Brown  and  -Abby  Francis  (Woods) 
Abbott.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kilvert  are  the  parents  of  four 
daughters  and  one  son:  Elizabeth  Francis,  born  Feb. 
27,  1905;  Anne  Woods,  born  May  13,  1908;  Jean  Dun, 
born  March  16,  1910,  died  Sept.  27,  1910;  Priscilla  Mar- 
shall, born  Feb.  19,  1912;  and  Charles  Alexander,  Jr., 
born  Dec.  20,  1918.  The  family  home  is  at  No.  15 
Charles  Field  street.  Providence. 


CHARLES     ALEXANDER     KILVERT— As     a 

dealer  in  stocks  and  bonds,  head  of  the  firm  of  C.  A. 
Kilvert  &  Company,  Mr.  Kilvert  is  well  known  to  the 
investing  public,  and  socially  is  equally  well  known  to 
Providence  clubmen.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Whalley 
and  Elizabeth  (Dun)  Kilvert,  who  at  the  time  of  the 
birth  of  their  son  were  residents  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio, 
although  Samuel  W.  Kilvert  was  a  native  of  Providence, 
born  in  1836.  When  a  young  man,  Samuel  W.  Kilvert 
moved  to  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in  busi- 
ness, and  was  married  in  1867.  In  1882  the  family 
went  to  Europe  for  the  education  of  the  children  and 
upon  their  return  in  1890  made  Providence  their  horr(e, 
and  here  both  parents  died,  Mrs.  Kilvert  in  April,  1908, 
and  Samuel  Whalley  Kilvert  in  April,  1909. 

Charles  A.  Kilvert  was  born  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio,- Jan- 
uary 14,  1874,  and  there  began  a  course  of  study  which 
was  later  mainly  pursued  in  Germany  and  Switzerland, 
and  finished  at  Johns  Hopkins  University,  Baltimore, 
Md.,  whence  he  was  graduated  A.  B.,  in  the  class 
of  1895.  He  has  been  engaged  as  stock  and  bond  dealer 
during  his  entire  business  life.  Since  1901  he  has  been 
in  independent  dealings  and  is  now  the  senior  partner 
of  C.  A.  Kilvert  &  Company,  with  offices  in  the  Hos- 
pital Trust  building  of  Providence.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Hope,  Agawam  Hunt,  and  Turk's  Head  clubs, 
all  of  Providence,  his  college  fraternity,  Alpha  Delta 
Phi.  He  is  an  attendant  of  St.  Stephen's  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Kilvert  married,  in  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Provi- 
dence, December  2,  1903,  Anne  Francis  Abbott,  daughter 


STEPHEN  HENRY  CLEMENCE,  JR.— The 
Clemencc  family  in  Rhode  Island  dates  from  the  middle 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  while  not  large  has 
been  prominent  in  the  history  of  Providence  county 
since  that  date.  Thomas  Clemcnce,  the  founder,  rose 
to  a  place  of  importance  in  the  official  life  of  the  early 
settlement  at  Providence.  His  descendants  have  made 
their  home  for  the  greater  part  in  the  vicinity  of  Provi- 
dence, and  in  the  towns  which  froin  time  to  time  have 
been  created  out  of  it.  The  name  appears  on  Revolu- 
tionary rosters,  and  is  well  represented  in  the  annals  of 
business  and  finance.  The  late  Stephen  Henry  Clem- 
ence,  Jr.,  for  many  years  one  of  the  foremost  residents 
of  Johnston,  and  a  man  well  known  in  business  circles 
in  the  city  of  Providence,  was  a  lineal  descendant  of 
the  founder,  Thomas  Clemence. 

(1)  Thomas  Ckmence,  immigrant  ancestor,  was  in 
all  probability  an  Englishman.  He  is  first  of  record 
in  Providence,  R.  I.,  on  November  3,  1649,  when  he  was 
granted  twenty-five  acres  of  land,  and  all  former  grants 
made  him  were  annulled.  This  indicates  the  fact  that 
he  was  in  Providence  before  1649.  On  April  20,  1653, 
he  endorsed  the  interesting  document  entitled  "Salus 
Populi."  On  January  9,  1654,  he  purchased  of  Wissaw- 
yaniake,  an  Indian,  living  at  Sekescute,  near  Providence, 
eight  acres  of  meadow.  Thomas  Clemence  became  a 
freeman  in  1655,  and  subsequently  became  active  in 
public  affairs.  On  February  19,  1665,  in  a  division  of 
lands  he  drew  lot  No.  90.  On  June  12  of  the  same  year 
he  and  his  wife  sold  John  Scott  twenty  acres.  From 
1666  to  1672  he  held  the  office  of  deputy  to  the  Rhode 
Island  General  Assembly,  and  in  1667  was  town  treas- 
urer for  Providence.  He  was  one  of  those  "who  staid 
and.  went  not  away"  in  King  Philip's  War,  and  conse- 
quently had  a  share  in  the  Indian  captives  whose  services 
were  sold  for  a  term  of  years  following  the  cessation 
of-  hostilities.      Thomas    Clemence    married    Elizabeth 

— ,  who  died  after  1721.    He  died  in  1698. 

(II)  Richard  Clemence,  son  of  Thomas  and  Eliza- 
beth Clemence,  was  a  resident  of  Providence,  where  he 
was  a  prosperous  land  owner  and  farmer.  His  name 
appears  with  considerable  frequency  in  the  land  records. 
Richard  Clemence  ■  married  Sarah  Smith,  who  died 
October  14,  1725,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Whipple) 
Smith.  He  died  October  11,  1723,  and  his  will,  dated 
January  2,  1721,  was  proved  December  9,  1723.  Richard 
and  Sarah  (Smitli)  Clemence  were  the  parents  of  six 
children,,  of  whom  two  were:  Thomas  and  Richard. 
The  descendants  of  Thomas  Clemence,  the  immigrant, 
trace  their  ancestry  through  these  two. 

(Ill)  Thomas  or  Richard  Clemence  forms  the  next 
link  in  the  chain.  Paucity  of  data  and  lack  of  early 
records  make  it  impossible  to  establish  which  of  the 
two  sons  of  Richard  and  Sarah  (Smith)  Clemence 
carried  on  the  line  herein  under  consideration. 


312 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


(IV)  Richard  (2)  Clemcnce. 

(V)  Ricliard  (3)  Clemence,  known  in  the  records  as 
"Richard  Clemence,  Jr.,"  married,  according  to  John- 
ston records,  on  October  16,  1760,  Alney  (OIney) 
Wright,  daughter  of  Stephen  Wright.  They  were  the 
parents  ol'  Wright,  mentioned  below. 

(VI)  Wright  Clemence,  son  of  Richard  (3)  and 
Alney  (Olney)  (Wright)  Clemence,  was  a  resident  of 
the  town  of  Burrillville,  R.  I.,  where  he  died.  He  was  a 
prosperous  farmer  and  a  large  land  owner.  He  mar- 
ried, November  l,  1788,  Sarah  Crossman,  daughter  of 
Elam  Crossman,  of  Glocester,  R.  I. 

(VII)  Richard  Wright  Clemence,  son  of  Wright  and 
Sarah  (Crossman)  Clemence,  was  born  in  Burrill- 
ville, R.  I.,  February  8,  1791.  At  an  early  age  he  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  and  subsequently  established  him- 
self in  business  as  a  carpenter  and  contractor.  He  was 
highly  successful,  and  developed  his  business  to  a  con- 
siderable size,  employing  many  workmen.  He  furnished, 
and  drew  with  oxen,  the  lumber  for  the  old  Red  Bridge 
at  Providence.  He  also  built  a  house,  still  standing  on 
Broadway,  which  is  regarded  as  a  landmark.  After 
his  retirement  from  active  business  life,  he  devoted  his 
time  to  the  management  of  his  farm  at  Glocester.  Mr. 
Clemence  was  a  Democrat  in  political  affiliation,  punc- 
tilious in  the  performance  of  his  duties  as  a  citizen,  but 
in  no  sense  of  the  word  an  office  seeker.  He  was  an 
able  business  man,  and  ranked  prominently  in  his  trade. 
Richard  Wright  Clemence  married  Mary  Place,  who 
died  May  16,  1866,  aged  seventy-one  years;  she  was  the 
daughter  of  Reuben  Place.  Richard  Wright  Clemence 
died  at  his  home  at  Glocester,  R.  I.,  November  28,  1873. 

(VIII)  Stephen  Henry  Clemence,  son  of  Richard 
Wright  and  Mary  (Place)  Clemence,  was  born  in 
Glocester,  January  13,  1834.  He  was  given  excellent 
educational  advantages,  completing  his  studies  in  the 
Smithfield  Seminary  at  North  Scituate,  then  under  the 
preceptorship  of  the  noted  educator,  Hosea  Quimby. 
For  a  short  period  he  taught  a  select  school  at  Gloces- 
ter, but  abandoned  this  profession  to  engage  in  farm- 
ing. In  1864  he  removed  to  Johnston,  R.  I.,  and  settled 
on  the  Pardon  Sweet  homestead,  which  he  had  prev- 
iously purchased.  On  this  property,  which  is  located  on 
Greenville  avenue,  about  one  mile  west  of  Manton 
village,  Mr.  Clemence  has  since  been  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  scientific  dairying.  After  his  removal  to  Green- 
ville, he  became  actively  interested  in  local  affairs,  and 
has  since  been  one  of  the  most  valued  members  of  the 
community.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  director  of 
the  National  Exchange  Bank  at  Greenville.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  party. 

On  January  11,  i860.  Mr.  Clemence  married  in  Smith- 
field,  R.  I.,  Elsie  A.  Paine,  daughter  of  Mathewson  and 
FiDelia  (Darling)  Paine,  who  was  descended  both 
paternally  and  maternally  from  Rhode  Island  families 
of  early  Colonial  date.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clemence  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Mary  A.,  born 
April  4,  1862;  Ida  M.,  born  Feb.  18,  1864:  Stephen 
Henry,  mentioned  below ;  Richard  R.,  born  March  24, 
1870. ' 

(IX)   Stephen  Henry   (2)    Clemence,  son  of  Stephen 
Henry   (i)   and  Elsie  A.   (Paine)   Clemence,  was  born 
at  Glocester,  R.  I.,  June  24,  1867.    He  was  educated  in 
the  local  district  schools  and  attended  the  private  school 


of  Mowry  and  Goff,  and  on  completing  his  studies 
became  his  father's  assistant  in  the  management  of  the 
farm  and  dairy,  succeeding  the  elder  man  on  his  retire- 
ment from  active  business  life.  Mr.  Clemence  was  suc- 
cessful in  building  up  the  large  dairy  product  business 
of  w^hich  he  was  tlie  head  until  his  death.  He  was  a 
business  man  of  the  most  progressive  type,  and  was  an 
able  organizer.  Mr.  Clemence  was  widely  known  in 
business  circles,  and  was  active  in  the  public  affairs 
of  Greenville,  although  he  remained  strictly  outside  the 
field  of  politics.  In  1893  he  purchased  property  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  old  Clemence  homestead  on  the 
Greenville  pike,  and  there  erected  a  home. 

On  March  16,  1893,  Mr.  Clemence  married  Susan  .-Mice 
Gary  Flint,  daughter  of  William  H.  and  Frances  J. 
(Brown)  Flint,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  several 
notable  old  Rhode  Island  families,  among  them  the 
Brown  family.  Mrs.  Clemence,  who  survives  her  hus- 
band, conducted  his  business  for  nearly  two  years  fol- 
lowing his  death.  She  is  prominent  in  social  life  in 
Greenville,  and  has  been  active  for  many  years  in  char- 
itable efforts.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Society  of  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  by 
virtue  of  descent  from  John  Flint,  who  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Noadiah  Flint,  grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Clemence,  married  Sarah  Cary,  a  native  of  John- 
ston, R.  I.,  and  descendant  of  Cary,  Viscount  of  Falk- 
land, of  the  counties  of  Devon  and  Somerset. 

Cary  Arms — Quarterly,  1  and  4  argent,  on  a  bend 
sable  three  roses  of  the  field,  barbed  and  seeded 
proper;  2  argent,  a  fess  between  si.x  annulets  gules; 
3  argent.  France  and  England  quarterly  within  a  bor- 
dure  compony  argent  and  azure. 

Crest — A  swan,  wing.-i  elevated,  proper. 

Supporters — Dexter,  a  unicorn  argent,  his  horn, 
mane,  tufts  and  hoofs  or;  Sinister,  a  lion  guardant 
proper  with  a  ducal  crown  and  plain  collar  or. 

Motto — In    utroque    fidelis.      (Faithful   In    both). 

Arms  of  France — Azure,  three  fleurs-de-lis  or. 
Arms  of  England — Gules,  three  lions  passant  guard- 
ant in  pale  or. 

William  H.  Flint,  father  of  Mrs.  Clemence,  was  a 
native  of  Windham  county,  Conn.,  and  in  early  life 
taught  school  in  the  town  of  Thompson.  He  later 
settled  in  Smithfield,  R.  !.,  with  his  wife,  Frances 
Janette  (Brown)  Flint,  who  was  a  native  of  Smith- 
field,  R.  I.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Edith  M.,  Mrs.  G.  O.  Ross,  of  Putnam,  Conn.;  Mary 
F.,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Anthony,  of  Providence,  R.  I.;  Susan 
Alice  Cary,  Mrs.  Clemence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clemence 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  I.  Elsie 
Frances,  born  April  25,  1895;  a  graduate  of  Bryant  & 
Stratton's  Business  College  of  Providence,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution.  2. 
Alice  May,  born  March  25,  1900.  3.  Bernice  Emily, 
born  June  20,  1906.  Stephen  Henry  Clemence  died 
Oct.  4.  1916. 


JOHN  OLSON — Since  his  nineteenth  year  Mr. 
Olson  has  been  a  worker  in  the  steel  industry,  and  is 
active  in  that  line  in  Providence  at  the  present  time  as 
head  of  the  firm  of  John  Olson  &  Son.  He  has  been 
associated  with  several  large  and  important  plants  in 
the  East,  and  prior  to  his  establishment  of  his  present 
firm  in  1910  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  independent 
operations  in  this  city,  then  going  to  Massachusetts. 
Mr.  Olson  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  son  of  Olaf  P.  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


313 


Anna  M.  (Larson)  Larson,  his  parents  of  different 
family  lines. 

John  Olson  was  born  in  Lilla  Edet,  Sweden,  October 
3,  1869,  and  left  school  at  an  early  age  to  begin  the  work 
of  life.  His  first  employment  was  in  a  match  factory 
where  he  remained  three  years,  followed  by  a  short 
period  in  a  sugar  refinery  and  two  years  on  the  sea. 
When  a  young  man  of  nineteen  years  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  making  his  home  in  Towanda,  Pa.,  where 
he  became  employed  in  a  rolling  mill,  his  first  exper- 
ience in  the  industry  which  became  his  life  work.  In 
addition  to  his  steel  mill  training,  he  was  also  employed 
in  the  lumber  camps  of  Western  Pennsylvania,  then  he 
farmed  for  a  short  time,  after  which  he  was  employed 
as  a  coal  miner  for  two  years,  these  activities  covering 
a  period  of  about  four  years.  In  ifc'93  he  moved  to 
Providence,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  .Amer- 
ican Locomotive  Company,  his  service  with  this  company 
covering  a  short  period.  Entering  the  plant  of  the 
Brown  &  Sharpe  Manufacturing  Company,  in  the  twelve 
years  of  his  continuance  with  that  company  he  rose 
from  the  grade  of  helper  in  the  steel  hardening  depart- 
ment to  the  assistant  foreman's  position  in  the  same 
department.  He  began  independent  business  in  1Q06, 
but  after  a  short  time  abandoned  operations  to  accept 
the  position  of  foreman  of  the  steel  hardening  depart- 
ment of  the  Union  Twist  Drill  Company,  of  Athol, 
Mass..  where  he  remained  for  four  years. 

In  igio  Mr.  Olson  returned  to  Providence  and  opened 
a  steel  hardening  plant  on  Eddy  street,  and  two  years 
afterward  erected  on  Clifford  street  his  present  specially 
designed  structure  furnished  with  the  best  of  modern 
equipment.  He  is  an  e.xpert  in  his  line  and  has  built 
up  a  business  large  and  profitable,  although  its  nature 
and  the  efficient  machine  methods  used  necessitate  the 
employment  of  a  comparatively  small  number  of  hands. 
Mr.  Olson's  standing  in  manufacturing  circles  is  due 
entirely  to  his  diligent  industry  and  his  exact  and  com- 
prehensive knowledge  of  steel  manufacture  and  hard- 
ening. His  beginnings  were  small,  but  from  them  he 
has  achieved  enduring  success  and  has  created  a  busi- 
ness reputation  of  stability  and  honor. 

Mr.  Olson  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Episcopal 
Church,  and  holds  the  thirty-second  degree  in  the 
Masonic  order,  belonging  to  Star  Lodge,  Ancient  Free 
and  .Accepted  Masons;  Union  Chapter,  Royal  Arch 
Masons,  in  -Athol,  Mass.;  and  Providence  Council,  Royal 
and  Select  Masters;  St.  John's  Commandery  and  Rhode 
Island  Consistory,  Ancient  .Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  in 
Providence,  R.  I.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish 
Workmen's  Association,  and  in  politics  is  an  Independ- 
ent Republican.  His  action  at  the  polls  is  taken  in 
regard  to  men  and  measures  rather  than  the  label  of 
party. 

John  Olson  married,  Xovcmber  28,  1894.  in  Provi- 
dence. .Anna  S.  Johnson,  of  Sweden,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of:  i.  John  Maurice  Clifton,  educated  in  the 
Providence  schools  and  Childs  Business  College,  an 
expert  in  steel  hardening  and  associated  with  his  father, 
married  Mabel  Elsie  Colman ;  during  the  great  World 
War  he  served  in  the  Washington  Navy  Yard,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  in  the  heat  treating  department,  as  a 
civilian  employee,  serving  from  April,  1917,  to  Decem- 
ber, 1919.    2.  Mabel  Florence,  attended  the  Providence 


schools  and  business  colle.ge  and  Bishop  Hopkins  Hall, 
a  finishing  school  of  Burlington.  V't.  3.  Anna  Mildred, 
attended  the  Providence  schools  and  business  college, 
was   for  a  time  her   father's  office  assistant. 


REV.  MICHAEL  JOSEPH  McCABE— Father 
Michael  J.  McCabc,  pastor  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Edge- 
wood,  was  born  November  24,  1865,  at  No.  27  Dodge 
street,  Providence,  R.  I.  He  is  the  son  of  Hugh  and 
.Ann  (McMahon)  McCabe,  natives  of  County  Mon- 
aghan,  Ireland,  who  came  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1850. 

Michael  Joseph  McCabe  was  educated  at  Lime  Street 
Parochial  School,  La  Salle  Academy,  and  Manhattan  Col- 
lege, New  York  City,  whence  he  was  graduated  Bachelor 
of  Arts,  with  the  class  of  i88g.  He  made  his  theological 
studies  at  St.  John's  Seminary,  Brighton,  Mass.,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1893.  He 
was  ordained  a  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church 
by  .Archbishop  Williams  at  the  Cathedral  in  Boston, 
Mass.,  December  23,  1893.  He  was  immediately  as- 
signed to  St.  Mary's  Church  at  Fall  River,  Mass.,  as 
assistant  to  the  Rev.  Christopher  Hughes,  remaining 
six  years.  His  next  service  was  as  a  member  of  the 
Diocesan  Mission  Band,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the 
original  members.  .After  two  years  spent  in  giving  mis- 
sions throughout  the  diocese,  he  returned  to  St.  Mary's 
at  Fall  River  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  was 
then  transferred  to  St.  Mary's  in  Pawtucket,  as  assistant 
to  Rev.  J.  C.  Tennian. 

July  20,  1907,  he  was  appointed  to  organize  the  new 
parish  at  Edgewood  in  the  town  of  Cranston.  Three 
months  after  the  formation  of  the  parish  the  present 
church  was  completed  and  was  dedicated  on  October 
27,  1907.  The  parish  has  prospered  spiritually  and 
materially  during  I'athcr  McCabe's  eleven  years'  pastor- 
ate. The  property  acquired  since  the  formation  of  the 
parish  consists  of  over  two  acres  in  the  most  beautiful 
section  of  Edgewood,  on  which  Father  McCabe  plans 
to  erect  a  parochial  school  and  a  larger  and  more  suit- 
able church. 

Father  McCabe  is  assisted  in  his  work  by  Rev.  P.  S. 
Canning,  a  graduate  of  Holy  Cross  College,  Worcester, 
Mass.,  and  Grand  Seminary,  Montreal;  and  Catholic 
University  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


THOMAS  PHILIP  BURKE— In  the  year  i860,  P. 
Francis  and  Roxanna  Burke  were  living  in  the  town  of 
Richmond,  Washington  county,  R.  I.,  and  there  a  son, 
Thomas  Philip  Burke,  was  born  May  22,  i860.  P. 
Francis  Burke,  a  designer  of  woolens,  and  manager  of 
Kenyon's  Woolen  Mill  at  Richmond,  enlisted  in  the 
Union  .Army  in  1861,  and  saw  hard  service  with  that 
famous  regiment,  the  Seventh  Rhode  Island  Volunteer 
Infantry.  At  Gettysburg  he  was  wounded,  but  after 
recovery  he  returned  to  his  regiment  and  continued  in 
the  service  until  honorably  discharged  and  mustered 
out  at  the  close  of  the  war,  his  services  covering  the 
four  years  of  that  historical  struggle  between  the 
States.  He  later  in  life  moved  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  where 
he  conducted  a  successful  business  for  many  years, 
finally  returning  to  Rhode  Island,  and  dying  in  Paw- 
tucket, in  1901.  Mrs.  Burke  survived  her  husband 
until  the  spring  of  191S. 


314 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


The  lad,  Thomas  P.  Burke,  born  in  Richmond,  there 
spent  his  boyhood,  attended  public  schools,  and  when 
suitable  age  arrived  learned  a  trade.  After  finishing 
his  years  of  apprenticeship  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Baltic  Mills  at  Baltic,  Conn.,  beginning  as  a  journey- 
man machinist,  and  becoming  master  mechanic,  con- 
tinuing in  that  position  until  iS88,  when  the  mills  were 
destroyed  by  fire.  His  next  position  was  as  master 
mechanic  at  the  Acushnet  Mills,  Xew  Bedford,  Mass., 
remaining  there  until  1890,  when  he  became  superin- 
tendent of  the  Aldrich  Manufacturing  Company  of 
Moosup,  Conn.  After  two  years  in  that  position  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Providence  Steam  Engine 
Company,  as  erecting  engineer,  but  soon  left  that  posi- 
tion to  take  a  master  mechanic  place  with  the  Hebron- 
ville  Mills,  owned  by  B.  B.  R.  Knight.  He  was  next 
with  the  United  States  Cotton  Company  of  Central 
Falls,  remaining  with  that  company  until  1903.  During 
this  entire  period  Mr.  Burke  was  constantly  studying  to 
perfect  himself  in  the  business  which  he  had  chosen, 
and  in  1903  he  deemed  that  his  attainment  justified  the 
forming  of  a  company  which  should  represent  himself 
and  the  advanced  system  of  draft  control  for  steam 
boilers.  The  Burke  Engineering  Company,  general 
engineers,  was  organized  in  1O03,  and  offices  were  at 
once  opened  in  the  Industrial  Trust  building.  Provi- 
dence. The  company  installs  the  Burke  system  of 
automatically  controlled  mechanical  draft  for  steam 
boilers,  a  system  invented  by  Mr.  Burke  to  eliminate  the 
smoke  nuisance  from  factory  stacks.  They  do  not  con- 
fine their  business  to  the  Burke  system,  but  execute 
all  kinds  of  power  house  contracts.  The  company 
equipped  the  American  Girls  College  at  Constantinople, 
Turkey,  with  the  Burke  mechanical  draft  control,  in 
addition  to  other  engineering  work  done  at  the  college 
in  1912-13.  Their  principal  business  is  in  New  England, 
and  as  president,  treasurer,  and  general  manager  of  the 
company,  Mr.  Burke  is  head  and  controlling  spirit  of  a 
very  active  company,  doing  a  prosperous  business. 

For  ten  years  Mr.  Burke  was  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  controlling  the  "National  Engineer,"  the 
official  organ  of  the  National  Association  of  Stationary 
Engineers,  and  is  a  member  of  Pawtucket  Lodge,  No. 
2.  of  the  National  Association  in  Pawtucket.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Engineers  Blue  Room  Club  of  Boston, 
Mass.;  is  a  life  member  of  Barney  Merry  Lodge,  No. 
29,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Pawtucket  Chapter, 
No.  4,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Pawtucket  Council,  Royal 
and  Select  Masters ;  Holy  Sepulchre  Commandery,  No. 
8,  Knights  Templar,  all  of  Pawtucket.  He  is  also  a 
noble  of  Palestine  Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine, 
of  Providence. 

Mr.  Burke  married,  March  14,  1888,  Margaret  Bar- 
bara Miller,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  Miller.  The 
family  home  is  at  No.  20  Beech  street,  Pawtucket,  R.  L 


being  now  deceased.  The  early  education  of  Dr.  Lafer- 
riere  was  obtained  at  the  parochial  schools  of  his  native 
place,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  He  then 
entered  Joliette  College  at  Joliette,  where  he  took  the 
usual  classical  course  and  was  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1883,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  had 
already  determined  to  adopt  medicine  as  his  profes- 
sion, and  with  this  end  in  view,  entered  the  Victoria 
Medical  College,  connected  with  Laval  University  of 
Montreal.  Here  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1887, 
taking  at  the  same  time  his  degree  in  medicine  and  also 
the  surgical  degree  of  C.  M.  D.  In  the  same  year  he 
came  to  Woonsocket  and  opened  an  office  at  No.  100 
Social  street,  establishing  himself  in  the  general  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  Since  that  time  Dr.  Laferriere 
has  won  a  position  for  himself  high  in  the  esteem  not 
only  of  his  clientele,  but  of  the  community  at  large  and 
his  professional  colleagues.  He  is  now  regarded  as  one 
of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  the  community  and 
is  a  familiar  figure  in  the  general  life  of  the  place.  Dr. 
Laferriere  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious  belief 
and  attends  Notre  Dame  des  \'ictoires  Church  of  this 
denomination  here.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Foresters,  of  Toronto,  Canada. 

Dr.  Laferriere  was  united  in  marriage.  February  13, 
1893,  at  Woonsocket,  with  Josephine  Pothier,  a  sister 
of  ex-Governor  Aram  Pothier,  and  a  daughter  of  Jules 
and  Domethilde  (Dallaire)  Pothier.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Laferriere  are  the  parents  of  two  children :  Roderic 
Pothier,  born  Jan.  30,  1899;  he  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic and  commercial  schools  of  Woonsocket ;  and  Jules 
Aram,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 


CHARLES  EDOUARD  AURAY  LAFERRIERE, 

M.  D.,  one  of  the  most  popular  and  successful  physi- 
cians of  Woonsocket,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  his  birth 
having  occurred  at  the  town  of  St.  Culbert,  in  the  Prov- 
ince of  Quebec,  March  24,  1861.  Dr.  Laferriere  is  a 
son  of  Michel  and  Emerite  (Lambert)  Laferriere,  the 
former  for  many  years  a  farmer  in  Quebec,  and  both 


EDWARD  JUDSON  JONES— As  Rhode  Island 
State  representative  for  the  Manufacturers  Liability  In- 
surance Company  of  New  Jersey,  Mr.  Jones  enters  there- 
by the  industrial  life  of  the  State,  the  liability  laws  of 
recent  date  establishing  a  relation  between  employer  and 
employee,  which  opens  a  field  of  usefulness  in  which  a 
liability  company,  rightly  managed,  may  safely  operate 
to  the  mutual  advantage  of  employer,  employee  and 
company.  The  Manufacturers  Liability  Insurance  Com- 
pany under  the  able  management  of  Mr.  Jones  has  been 
able  to  prove  its  value  to  the  State  and  is  doing  a  very 
satisfactory  business.  The  company  employs  no  solicit- 
ors, extending  its  business  mainly  through  the  efforts 
of  its  policy  holders  who  realize  that  as  the  company's 
volume  of  business  increases,  all  are  benefited  by  lower 
rates  as  the  company  is  run  on  a  cooperative  plan.  They 
maintain  thirty-four  hospital  units  in  heavily  insured 
centers,  presided  over  by  skillful  surgeons  and  surgical 
nurses,  the  surgeon  personally  sees  every  injured  em- 
ployee. The  Providence  County  Hospital  makes  an 
average  of  eight  hundred  surgical  dressings  monthly, 
Augustus  W.  Calder,  surgeon,  being  in  charge,  and  this 
charge  is  justified  by  the  injured  party's  quicker  return 
to  his  duties  and  consequently  a  lessened  loss  to  the 
three  interested  parties. 

Edward  Judson  Jones  was  born  in  Montclair,  N.  J., 
March  4,  1880,  son  of  William  Fenwick  Jones,  who  died 
in  189S,  and  his  wife,  Frances  Lillian  Jones,  who  died 
in  1S80,  soon  after  the  birth  of  her  son.     Soon  after  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


315 


death  of  his  wife,  Mr.  Jones  moved  to  Long  Island, 
living  first  at  Bayside,  later  in  Brooklyn,  finally  return- 
ing to  Xew  Jersey,  settling  at  Elizabeth.  Union  county. 
There  Edward  J.  Jones  obtained  his  education,  finish- 
ing with  graduation  from  high  school  when  fifteen  years 
of  age.  His  first  position  was  an  errand  boy  in  a  fac- 
tory, beginning  in  1895  a"d  remaining  eighteen  months. 
The  next  year  was  spent  in  the  employ  of  a  wholesale 
hatter,  and  his  next  employer  being  the  Central  Rail- 
road of  New  Jersey,  he  filling  during  his  term  with  that 
company  positions  in  the  general  office,  telegraph  office, 
auditor  office  of  the  freight  traffic  department,  claim 
clerk's  department,  filing  clerk  department,  claim  record- 
ing department,  and  estimated  earnings  department. 
The  death  of  his  father  broke  up  the  home,  and  soon 
afterward  Edward  J.  Jones  went  to  Tuxedo  Park,  N.  Y., 
as  bookkeeper  for  the  Tuxedo  General  Stores  Company. 
Later  he  was  again  in  the  employ  of  the  Central  Rail- 
road of  New  Jersey  at  pier  46,  New  York  City.  After 
again  leaving  the  Central,  Mr.  Jones  accepted  his  first 
insurance  position,  his  connection  being  with  the  wire 
inspection  bureau,  affiliated  with  the  Underwriters' 
Laboratories,  of  Chicago,  a  company  afterward  incor- 
porated with  Edward  J.  Jones  as  president,  a  position 
he  held  for  two  years. 

When  legislation  began  making  compensation  laws 
effective.  Mr.  Jones,  in  1913,  formed  a  connection  with 
the  Manufacturers  Liability  Insurance  Company  of  New 
Jersey,  and  in  October.  1914,  was  appointed  State  repre- 
resentative  for  Rhode  Island  with  headquarters  at  Prov- 
idence, No.  42  Weybosset  street.  Room  34.  He  has  ably 
represented  the  company  and  has  placed  it  in  a  strong 
position  in  this  State  as  an  agent  for  good. 


Mr.  Mills  married,  in  Providence,  June  7,  1893,  Isabel 
King,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (McNabb)  King. 
They  were  the  parents  of  one  child,  a  son,  who  died  at 
birth,  March  16,  iS*». 


JOSEPH  WILLIAM  MILLS,  vice-president  of 
the  William  Hughes  Company,  Inc.,  was  born  in  Lan- 
cashire. England,  January  19.  1867,  a  son  of  Abraham 
and  Mary  (Smith)  Mills,  who  came  to  .\mcrica  in 
1887,  locating  in  Providence. 

Joseph  W.  Mills  attended  the  public  schools  in  Lan- 
cashire until  fourteen  years  of  age,  the  last  six  years 
being  but  a  half-day  school,  the  other  part  of  the  day 
being  spent  as  a  mill  worker.  From  the  age  of  four- 
teen until  the  age  of  twenty  he  was  a  full  time  cotton 
mill  worker,  employed  in  the  spinning  department.  In 
1887  he  came  to  the  United  States  with  the  family,  and 
with  them  made  Providence  his  home.  He  secured  his 
first  employment  with  the  Rhode  Island  Tool  Company, 
soon  going  to  the  Corliss  Steam  Engine  Company.  In 
1905,  he  became  associated  with  William  Hughes  and 
when  the  William  Hughes  Company  was  incorporated, 
he  became  vice-president  and  assistant  treasurer,  con- 
tinuing in  that  capacity  at  the  present  time  (1918).  The 
William  Hughes  Company,  Inc.,  is  located,  with  shops 
and  garage,  at  the  corner  of  Bough  and  Dike  streets. 
Providence;  the  company  is  also  the  selling  agents  for 
the  Reo  car.  Mr.  Mills  is  secretary  of  the  Olneyville 
Business  Men's  .Association ;  member  of  Mount  X'ernon 
Lodge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons ;  Providence  Lodge, 
No.  14,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks;  Gar- 
field Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias;  and  of  the  Sunset  Club 
of  Olneyville,  and  Providence  Rotary  Club,  and  is  active 
in  all  movements  for  the  betterment  of  Olneyville.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


DAVID  WILLIAM  McCOID— Many  years  .igo 
Charles  McCoid  established  a  floral  establishment  in  the 
city  of  Providence,  which  he  conducted  until  his  death, 
the  business  he  founded  being  continued  by  his  son, 
David  W.  McCoid,  whom  he  taught  his  art  and  trade. 
The  small  business,  as  founded  by  Charles  McCoid,  has 
grown  into  a  most  important  one  under  the  son,  who  has 
gained  such  excellent  reputation  as  a  skilled  florist  that 
his  auto  trucks  are  kept  busy  in  delivery  work  all  over 
Providence  and  nearby  towns.  His  place  of  business  is 
at  No.  63  Halsey  street.  Providence,  the  business  claim- 
ing the  time  of  five  to  ten  hands  permanently,  and  need- 
ing thirty  during  the  busiest  season. 

David  W.  McCoid,  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Jami- 
son) McCoid,  was  torn  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  April  18, 
1864,  and  obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools. 
He  became  his  father's  assistant  in  his  work  as  a  florist, 
and  when  the  father  died  the  son  succeeded  him,  and 
has  carried  the  business  forward  to  a  higher  plane  and 
greater  prosperity.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  in  politics  is  an  Independent. 

David  W.  McCoid  married,  March  2,  1893,  Jemima 
A.  Johnson,  of  Providence,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  four  children:  Ethel,  who  died  in  infancy,  Ethel, 
Irving,  and  Florence. 


JAMES  AUGUSTINE  CULLEN,  one  of  the  well 
known  physicians  of  Yalley  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Lincoln, 
R.  I.,  at  which  place  he  was  born,  November  10,  1876. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Skaham)  Cul- 
len,  both  deceased ;  his  father  was  for  many  years  an 
employee  of  the  Lonsdale  Company,  of  Lonsdale,  R.  I. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cullen,  Sr.,  were  the  parents  of  four  sons, 
as  follows:  James  Augustine,  with  whose  career  we 
are  here  especially  concerned ;  John,  a  resident  of  Lons- 
dale, R.  I. ;  William,  who  makes  his  home  at  Paw- 
tucket,  and  Walter,  deceased.  They  also  had  three 
daughters,  as  follows :  Katherine,  who  resides  at  \'al- 
ley  Falls;  Margaret,  who  became  the  wife  of  Phillip 
Landy,  of  Yalley  Falls;  and  Mary,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Edwin  O'Malley,  of  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

Dr.  Cullen  received  his  elementary  education  at  the 
public  schools  of  Valley  Falls,  and  also  attended  the 
parochial  school  in  connection  with  St.  Patrick's  Roman 
Catholic  Church  here,  .\fterwards  he  became  a  student 
at  the  Christian  Brothers  College,  and  also  attended 
the  Cumberland  High  School  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1897.  He  then  matriculated  at  Dartmouth  College 
where  he  took  the  medical  course  and  graduated  in  his 
chosen  subject  with  the  class  of  1902.  He  immediately 
returned  to  Valley  Falls  and  here  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  Since  that  time  he  has  made  a  prom- 
inent position  for  himself  in  medical  circles  here,  and 
is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  physicians  in  this 
region.  Dr.  Cullen  is  a  staunch  Roman  Catholic  in  his 
religious  faith,  and  attends  St.  Patrick's  Church  of  this 
denomination  here.  He  is  active  in  the  work  of  the 
parish  and  is  a  member  of  the  local  body  of  the  Knights 


3i6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  Columbus,  of  which  order  he  is  the  examining 
physician,  and  is  ex-lecturer  of  the  same.  He  has 
taken  a  very  prominent  part  in  local  affairs,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  party,  on  the  ticket  of  which 
he  has  been  the  successful  candidate  for  a  number  of 
positions  in  the  local  government.  He  has  served  for 
three  years  on  the  school  committee,  and  for  five  years 
held  the  responsible  post  of  health  officer  here.  In  1918 
he  was  elected  representative  to  the  General  Assembly 
from  the  First  District  in  the  town  of  Cumberland. 


FRANCIS  J.  DUFFY— The  Duffy  family  is  seated 
in  the  County  of  Monaghan,  Ireland.  The  subject  of 
this  narrative  was  born  in  that  county,  September  30, 
1867.  He  attended  the  schools  of  his  native  land  until 
he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  his  parents  emi- 
grated to  America.  They  settled  at  Apponaug,  in  Kent 
county,  R.  I.  Here  he  attended  school  for  a  year,  and 
for  the  next  two  years  was  employed  by  the  Apponaug 
Dye  House.  He  then  removed  to  Pawtuckct.  R.  I.,  and 
was  for  four  years  with  what  is  now  the  United  States 
Finishing  Company.  A  year  was  then  spent  in  a  machine 
shop,  and  the  following  six  years  were  passed  in  the 
employ  of  the  Marran  Market  Company,  during  the 
latter  part  of  which  he  occupied  the  position  of  manager. 
Resigning  this  position  in  1892,  he  engaged  in  the  elec- 
trical business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Duffy  Brothers, 
on  Main  street,  Pawtucket.  As  the  business  increased, 
the  firm  moved  to  East  avenue,  and  combined  hardware 
with  electrical  supplies.  Here  they  remained  three  years, 
when  a  store  was  taken  in  the  Smith  building  on  Main 
street.  Another  removal  was  made  to  the  corner  of 
East  avenue  and  Main  street,  and  later  the  property 
formerly  occupied  by  the  Pawtucket  Steam  &  Gas  Com- 
pany was  purchased  on  East  avenue.  The  business  was 
carried  on  at  this  location  until  1908,  when  the  partner- 
ship was  dissolved.  Francis  J.  Duffy  took  for  his  in- 
terest in  the  partnership  a  branch  store  that  had  been 
opened  at  the  corner  of  Peck  and  Weybosset  streets,  in 
the  city  of  Providence.  He  immediately  incorporated 
the  business  under  the  style  of  the  Duffy  Hardware 
Company,  Inc.,  and  became  president  and  treasurer  of 
the  corporation. 

Mr.  Duffy  is  a  Democrat  in  politics ;  a  member  of 
St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Columbus;  a  mystic  noble  of  Gren- 
ada; a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks ;  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  Business  Men's 
Association;  of  the  Providence  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
and  of  the  New  England  Hardware  Dealers'  Associa- 
tion. 

Mr.  Duffy  married,  at  Uxbridge,  Mass.,  June  28, 
1904.  Mary  .Agnes  O'Brien,  daughter  of  Martin  and 
Bridget  (Chapman)  O'Brien.  They  have  two  children: 
Francis  Chapman,  born  Dec.  ig,  1905;  Agnes  Anna,  born 
April  I,  1907. 


BERNARD  F.  KELLY,  secretary  of  the  Central 
Warp  Company  of  Central  Falls,  and  a  well  known  and 
successful  business  man  of  this  city,  is  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, having  been  born  February  15,  1879,  in  County 
Tyrone.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (McDuff) 
Kelly,  of  that  place,  where  the  former  was  engaged  in 
the  shoe  business.     James   Kelly  was  born  in   County 


Tyrone,  and  after  remaining  during  his  childhood  and 
early  manhood  at  his  native  place,  came  to  the  United 
States  about  1880  and  there  worked  at  the  machinist's 
trade.  About  five  years  ago  he  retired  from  active 
life,  and  now  makes  his  home  at  Pawtucket.  His  wife 
is  also  a  native  of  County  Tyrone. 

Bernard  F.  Kelly  came  with  his  parents  to  the  United 
States  as  a  small  child,  and  his  education  was  received 
in  this  country  at  the  public  schools  of  Pawtucket, 
which  he  attended,  and  graduated  from  the  high  school. 
He  then  secured  a  position  as  clerk  and  office  boy  with 
the  United  States  Finishing  Company  of  Pawtucket, 
where  his  energy  and  industry  so  recommended  him  to 
his  employers  that  he  was  rapidly  advanced  in  position 
until  he  became  paymaster  there.  He  remained  eight 
years  in  all  with  the  United  States  Finishing  Company, 
and  then  secured  an  excellent  position  as  bookkeeper 
and  paymaster  with  the  Home  Bleach  &  Dye  Works. 
He  remained  with  the  latter  concern  for  some  seven 
years,  and  then  was  offered  his  present  post  as  secre- 
tary of  the  Central  Warp  Company  of  Central  Falls. 
He  has  remained  consistently  with  this  company  ever 
since  and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  its  most  capable 
and  valuable  officers.  He  is  also  treasurer  of  the  Jililano 
Silk  Weaving  Company  of  Pawtuckct.  Mr.  Kelly  is 
greatly  interested  in  the  business  and  commercial  devel- 
opment of  the  community  of  which  he  is  a  member,  and 
takes  a  most  practical  way  of  expressing  this  interest  by 
teaching  commercial  courses  in  the  evening  school  at 
Pawtucket  and  Valley  Falls  for  four  terms.  He  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics  and  prominent  in  public  affairs, 
having  refused  the  nomination  of  mayor  of  the  city  of 
Pawtucket  in  1918,  owing  to  his  business  interests.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
and  in  his  membership  of  this  important  organization 
has  also  been  active  in  promoting  the  material  interests 
of  the  community'.  Mr.  Kelly  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in 
his  religious  belief  and  attends  St.  Joseph's  Church  of 
this  denomination  at  Central  Falls.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  of  St.  Joseph's 
Catholic  Club  and  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Catholic  Club. 

Bernard  F.  Kelly  was  united  in  marriage  at  Pawtucket, 
June  7,  1895,  with  Sadie  Donnelly,  of  Central  Falls,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  A.  Donnelly,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  this  place,  where  Mr. 
Donnelly's  death  occurred  July  17,  1916,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kelly  the  follow- 
ing children  have  been  born:  Mary  A.,  April  27,  1896; 
Elizabeth  N.,  Sept.  13,  1897;  Martha  N.,  Nov.  i,  1899; 
\\'inifred  A.,  May  19,  1913.  Mr.  Kelly  and  all  of  his 
family  attend  the  Catholic  church,  he  having  handed 
down  his  faith  to  his  children,  as  in  turn  he  has  received 
it  from  his  father.  Mr.  Kelly  and  his  family  reside 
at  No.  749  York  avenue,  Pawtucket. 


EDWARD   WILLIAM   THIENERT,  one   of   the 

most  successful  farmers  of  Lincoln,  and  a  man  of  State 
wide  reputation,  is  a  native  of  Pittsfield,  I\Iass.,  born 
October  29,  1859.  He  is  a  son  of  August  and  Johanna 
(Walther)  Thienert,  both  of  whom  are  deceased,  the 
former  having  been  a  weaver  in  the  textile  mills  at  that 
place. 

Edward  William  Thienert  attended  the  public  schools 
of   Pittsfield   until  he   reached   the  age  of  eight  years. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


317 


when  on  account  of  the  poor  circumstances  of  his  fam- 
ily it  was  necessary  for  him  to  go  to  work.  He  secured 
a  humble  position  in  one  of  the  local  woolen  mills  and 
served  there  in  practically  every  capacity  from  the 
bottom  to  the  responsible  position  at  the  top.  He  was 
an  alert  and  conscientious  worker  and  remained  at 
this  mill  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  thirty-five 
years,  having  received  in  the  meantime  many  promo- 
tions. In  the  year  of  1894  he  left  his  old  employment 
and  came  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  for  two  years 
longer  he  worked  in  the  mill.  It  was  never  Mr.  Thie- 
ncrt's  intention,  however,  to  continue  in  this  line  of 
occupation  longer  than  was  necessary,  and  to  his  in- 
dustry he  added  a  most  commendable  economy,  so  that 
when  lhirt\-scven  years  of  age  he  found  himself  in  a 
position  to  become  independent.  It  was  then,  in  1896, 
when  he  first  engaged  in  farming ;  he  leased  land  on 
Morris  avenue  in  Providence,  where  he  continued  eight 
years.  In  1904  he  purchased  his  present  farm,  consist- 
ing of  a  tract  of  excellent  land,  including  some  one 
hundred  and  seventy-one  acres.  When  Mr.  Thienert 
first  began  operations  here,  he  was  the  possessor  of  a 
capital  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars,  but  he 
at  once  started  in  to  make  improvements  and  develop 
his  farm,  with  which  he  has  met  with  great  success.  He 
now  operates  a  large  and  successful  dairy  besides 
carrying  on  general  farming  on  a  great  scale.  Although 
he  began  so  late  in  life  to  gain  his  experience  as  a 
farmer,  Mr.  Thienert  is  now  an  expert  agriculturalist 
and  is  recognized  throughout  this  region  as  an  author- 
ity upon  the  raising  of  crops.  He  has  been  the  recipient 
of  many  prizes  and  is  the  owner  of  cups,  trophies,  etc., 
in  addition  to  having  received  a  number  of  handsome 
cash  prizes,  which  attest  to  his  success  in  his  chosen 
line.  Among  these  should  be  mentioned  the  first  prize 
tor  raising  the  most  corn  per  acre  in  New  England ; 
the  first  prize  for  champion  corn  grower  in  Rhode 
Island,  the  latter  being  a  handsomely  engraved  silver 
cup ;  first  prize  at  the  Pan-.-\mer:can  Exhibition  in  Cali- 
fornia for  the  finest  corn  grown  in  Rhode  Island,  a 
handsome  bronze  trophy;  first  prize  at  the  Annual  Na- 
tional Corn  Exposition  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  as  well  as 
many  others  of  almost  equal  note.  Mr.  Thienert  is  one 
of  the  principal  organizers  of  the  New  England  Milk 
Producers'  Association,  a  member  of  the  executive 
board  of  the  Rhode  Island  Corn  Growers'  .\ssociation. 
and  an  organizer  of  the  Rliode  Island  Milk  Producers' 
Cooperative  Association.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lime 
Rock  Grange. 

A  Socialist  in  politics,  Mr.  Thicntrt  has  been  an 
cfficial  lecturer  for  Rhode  Island.  Connecticut  and  Mas- 
sachusetts. He  is  a  very  prominent  member  of  his 
party,  and  has  run  for  Governor  of  the  State  on  the 
Socialist  ticket  in  IQOO.  1904  and  1014,  and  was  candi- 
date for  the  United  Str-tes  House  of  Representatives  in 
1915-  Although  a  member  of  a  p.trty  which  has  been 
greatly  in  the  minority  in  Rhode  Island.  Mr.  Thienert 
has  made  himself  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by  his 
fellow-citizens  generally,  and  in  1914  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Rhode  Island 
State  College, 

Edward  William  Thienert  married  (first)  Louise 
Reudgen,  by  whom  he  had  two  children :  Louise,  who 
became  the  wife  of   Edgar   Mason,  and   now   lives   at 


Greenwood,  R.  I. ;  and  Edward,  who  is  now  serving  in 
the  United  States  Navy.  Mr.  Thienert  married  (sec- 
ond) Louise  Frantz,  a  native  of  .A.lsace-Lorraine.  their 
niarriage  being  celebrated  at  Rockville,  Conn.,  Decem- 
ber 22,  i?93.  They  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  as 
follows:  William,  who  resides  with  his  parents;  Wal- 
ter, who  also  lives  at  home ;  Rose,  a  bookkeeper  at  Pen- 
nickee  Silk  Mills  at  Valley  Falls,  and  resides  with  her 
parents ;  .Annie,  student  at  Central  Falls  High  School, 
and  Lillian,  at  home.  Annie  Thienert,  although  but  six- 
teen years  of  age,  is  temporary  instructor  in  canning  at 
the  Rhode  Island  State  School,  and  has  taken  many 
prizes  in  this  work.  She  is  the  possessor  of  the  hand- 
some O'Shaunnessey  cup  for  judging  contests,  and  also 
a  fine  cup  for  judging  corn.  She  was  but  twelve  years 
of  age  when  she  started  this  work,  and  is  an  unusually 
brilliant  girl.  Mr.  Thienert  is  a  fine  example  of  the 
self-made  farmer  and  his  great  success  is  entirely 
merited,  being  the  result  of  his  own  unaided  efforts. 
He  is  a  man  of  whom  any  community  may  well  be 
proud,  and  his  success  is  still  growing. 


SAM  DOLBEY  is  the  practical  head  of  the  Dolbey 
Ice  Cream  Company,  a  concern  which  he  founded  and 
developed  to  a  high  point  of  success.  He  is  a  son  of 
William  Dolbey,  born  in  Warwickshire,  England,  March 
22.  1848.  He  married  Mary  .\spinall,  horn  in  Yorkshire, 
England,  in  1851.  and  in  1881  came  to  the  United  States, 
settling  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  employed  in 
the  .Atlantic  Mills  until  his  retirement  in  1908.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  William  Dolbey  are  the  parents  of  Harry  S. 
L')olbey,  a  machinist  of  Providence ;  Sam  Dolbey,  of 
further  mention  ;  Stephen  G.  Dolbey,  D.  D.  S.,  of  Provi- 
ilcnce :  and  Elizabeth,  married  C.  B.  Tidd,  a  police  in- 
spector of  Providence.  The  family  home  is  No.  47 
Dorchester  avenue.  Providence. 

Sam  Dolbey  was  born  in  ''i'orkshire.  England,  Decem- 
ber 3,  1875,  and  in  1881  was  brought  to  the  United 
States  by  his  parents.  The  family  settled  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  where  for  four  years  he  attended  Mt.  Pleasant 
Grammar  School.  He  then  began  working  part  of  each 
day  in  a  cotton  mill,  but  later  became  a  clerk  in  a  book 
and  stationery  store,  continuing  there  for  six  years. 
He  then  started  in  business  for  himself,  opening  an 
ice  cream  parlor  on  Manton  avenue,  there  continuing  a 
retail  business  for  two  years.  He  then  moved  to  larger 
quarters  on  Rye  street,  there  adding  a  wholesale  depart- 
ment. The  business  which  he  began  witli  but  a  single 
helper  soon  demanded  more  room  and  another  move 
was  made  to  No.  479  Plain  field  street,  where  he  re- 
mained twelve  years,  the  business  expanding  to  larger 
rronortions.  In  loi  i  he  incorporated  as  the  Dolbey 
Ice  Cream  Company,  the  officers,  Sam  Dolbey,  James  F. 
Kelley  and  Mary  Dolbey.  In  1915  the  company  erected 
a  large  modern  brick  building  at  No.  485  Plainfield 
street.  Providence,  planned  especially  for  their  own 
business  use.  and  from  there  the  largest  ice  cream  busi- 
ness in  Rhode  Island  is  conducted,  fifty-eight  people 
being  employed.  In  addition  to  a  large  local  demand, 
ice  cream  and  ices  of  varied  kind  are  shipped  all  over 
Rhode  Island,  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts.  The 
present  officers  of  the  company  are:  Charles  G.  Morris, 
president;  W.  H.  McLean,  treasurer;  Sam  Dolbey.  sec- 
retary and  manager.     Mr.  Dolbey  can  review  his  busi- 


3i8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


r.css  career  with  satisfaction,  for  he  has  won  his  way 
trom  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  to  a  position  of  honor 
and  trust,  the  title  of  "Self  Made  Man"  applying  to  him 
in  its  truest  and  best  sense.  He  is  a  member  of  Mt. 
Vernon  Lodge.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  and  belongs 
to  the  OIneyville  Business  Men's  Association  and  the 
Rotary  Club. 

Mr.  Dolbey  married  (first)  in  Providence.  R.  I.,  in 
1907,  Nettie  Underwood,  who  died  in  1914.  aged  thirty- 
three  years,  daughter  of  Alfred  Underwood,  an  uphol- 
sterer and  cabinet  maker  of  Providence.  Mrs.  Dolbey 
left  a  daughter,  Lois  Eleanor,  born  June  15,  1914.  Mr. 
Dolbey  married  (second)  November  17,  1917,  Florence 
Bird,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Bird,  her  father  a 
silversmith  of  Providence,  her  mother  deceased.  The 
city  home  of  the  family  is  No.  240  Hamilton  street. 
Providence,  their  summer  home  is  located  at  Maswaw- 
cicut  Lake.  Mr.  Dolbey  is  fond  of  active  out-of-door 
sports,  particularly  fishing,  and  usually  spends  his  vaca- 
tion periods  with  rod  and  reel  with  his  companions. 


PATRICK  McNEIL,  one  of  the  well  known  citizens 
of  Pawtuckct.  who  now  lives  retired  after  a  number  of 
years  as  a  successful  merchant  here,  is  a  native  of 
County  Monaghan,  Ireland,  where  he  was  born  in  the 
year  1S46.  He  is  a  son  of  Hugh  and  Alice  (Groomer) 
McNeil,  the  former  a  native  of  County  Monaghan,  who 
came  to  this  country  and  resided  for  many  years  at 
Arctic,  R.  L  In  1S62  he  removed  to  Pawtucket  and 
here  his  death  occurred  three  years  later.  His  wife, 
Mrs.  McNeil,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  County  Tyrone,  Ire- 
land, and  died  in  Artie  in  1858. 

Patrick  McNeil  was  merely  a  child  when  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  the  L^nited  States,  and  his  childish 
associations  were  formed  at  Arctic,  R.  I.,  where 
as  a  boy  he  worked  in  a  mill.  After  seven  years  of  this 
employment  he  had  made  himself  so  valuable  to  his 
superiors  that  he  had  worked  up  to  the  position  of 
daffer.  He  then  left  that  company  and  came  to  Paw- 
tucket, where  he  worked  for  a  time  with  the  Dorrence 
Manufacturing  Company.  He  then  found  employment 
with  the  dyeing  and  bleaching  concern  of  Healey  & 
Harrison,  and  still  later  with  the  Howard  Contracting 
Company.  After  remaining  with  the  last  named  con- 
cern for  some  time.  Mr.  McNeil  finally  became  con- 
nected with  the  line  of  business  in  which  he  afterwards 
engaged  so  successfully  on  his  own  account,  and  be- 
came an  employee  in  the  Elmer  Hawkins  Market.  His 
last  position  in  the  employ  of  others  was  with  the 
Albert  Haynes  Market,  and  after  remaining  there  for  a 
time  he  embarked  upon  an  enterprise  of  his  own.  Mr. 
McNeil  opened  an  establishment  on  Main  street,  where 
he  met  with  great  success  for  a  period  of  two  years 
and  then,  finding  his  quarters  inadequate  to  his  growing 
business,  removed  to  a  larger  store  in  the  Gardiner 
building.  Three  years  at  this  location  increased  his 
trade  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  again  necessary  to 
make  a  change,  and  he  removed  to  the  Taylor  building 
on  the  corner  of  Main  street  and  East  avenue.  In  the 
meantime  Mr.  McNeil's  attention  had  been  called  very 
forcefully  to  the  great  opportunities  awaiting  an  in- 
vestor in  the  real  estate  of  the  progressive  and  growing 
community  where  he  made  liis  home.  Accordingly,  he 
began  to  invest  his  earnings  from  the  market  business 


in  this  property,  and  after  four  years  of  business  at  the 
last  named  location  gave  up  the  mercantile  line  alto- 
gether and  entered  the  real  estate.  He  continued  as  a 
real  estate  man  for  many  years,  meeting  with  the  high- 
est degree  of  success,  and  finally  retiring  from  active 
life  in  the  year  1914.  Mr.  McNeil  is  a  Roman  Catholic 
in  his  religious  belief,  and  an  active  member  of  St. 
Mary's  Church  of  this  denomination  at  Pawtucket.  He 
is  a  public  spirited  and  charitable  man  and  has  done 
much  to  assist  the  needy  among  his  fellow-citizens  here. 
He  has  always  been  an  industrious  worker,  and  the 
excellent  education  which  he  possesses  is  the  result 
almost  entirely  of  his  own  efforts.  He  is  a  self-made 
man  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  and  the  position  that 
he  enjoys  to-day  is  the  fruit  of  long  and  worthy  en- 
deavor. He  is  now  enjoying  a  well-earned  leisure  in 
which  he  can  gratify  the  taste  for  outdoor  life  that  he 
has  always  had.  He  is  a  great  lover  of  horses  and  his 
stables  contain  many  valuable  animals. 

Patrick  McNeil  was  united  in  marriage  at  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  with  Mary  A.  Goodwin,  a  daughter  of  Hugh  and 
Catherine  (Turbit)  Goodwin,  old  residents  of  this  city, 
where  the  former  was  engaged  for  many  years  in  busi- 
ness as  a  tanner.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McNeil  the  follow- 
ing children  have  been  born  ;  Katherine.  now  employed 
as  a  teacher  at  the  .\bbott  Street  School,  Pawtucket; 
Sarah  B..  who  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  L.  McDon- 
ald; George  P.;  Joseph,  deceased;  Leo  V.,  married 
Katherine  Bennett ;  Edward  ;  Joseph  and  Francis  (twins), 
deceased :  Edwin  F.,  employed  as  assistant  buyer  in  the 
shoe  department  of  the  Shattenburg  Department  Store 
at  Pawtucket ;  Ambrose  J.,  employed  as  floor  walker  in 
O'Gorman's  Dollar  Store  of  Pawtucket.  Two  of  Mr. 
McNeil's  sons,  George  P.  and  Leo  V.,  are  now-  em- 
ployed in  taking  care  of  their  father's  real  estate  inter- 
ests. Mr.  McNeil  and  his  family  now  live  in  the  charm- 
ing home  at  No.  225  East  avenue,  Pawtucket. 


GIDEON  LESTER  BATEMAN— Four  years  after 
the  establishment  of  the  Metropolitan  Park  Board  in 
1904,  Gideon  L.  Bateman  entered  the  employ  of  the 
board  as  a  civil  engineer.  That  was  in  1908,  and  for 
the  past  ten  years  he  has  continued  in  that  service,  and 
is  now  (1918)  chief  engineer,  a  most  responsible  posi- 
tion for  so  young  a  man  to  hold.  But  he  has  fully  met 
every  demand  made  upon  his  professional  skill,  ability 
or  judgment,  and  cooperated  with  the  board  in  every 
matter  of  joint  responsibility  that  neither  friction  nor 
illy  directed  effort  can  be  detected.  He  is  a  son  of 
Gideon  and  Emma  (Gardner)  Bateman,  both  residing 
in  Providence,  R.  I. 

Gideon  Lester  Bateman  was  born  in  Providence, 
February  8,  1888,  and  there  finished  the  entire  public 
school  course  of  instruction,  ending  with  high  school 
graduation  in  1907.  He  chose  civil  engineering  as  his 
professional  work,  and  devoted  his  nights  and  all 
spare  hours  to  its  study.  In  1908  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  Metropolitan  Park  Board  in  the  engineering 
division,  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  assistant 
engineer  in  1913,  and  on  January  I,  1918,  he  was 
appointed  chief  engineer.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Providence  Engineer's  Society,  and  has  made  rapid 
strides  in  his  profession.     Mr.  Bateman  is  a  member 


Lm(H(K 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


319 


of  What  Cheer  Lodge,  Ko.  21,  Chapter,  Council  and 
Commandery  of  the  Masonic  order,  is  an  Independent 
in  politics,  and  in  religious  preference  a  Congrega- 
tionalist. 

Mr.  Bateman  married,  June  24,  1909,  Nellie  Dyer 
Fenner,  of  Providence.  They  are  the  parent.s  of  Ruth 
Fenner,  born  November  i,  1913,  and  William  Lester, 
born  March  21.  1917. 


REV.  EDWARD  M.  RAFTERY— Needless  is  it  to 
say  in  a  work  of  this  character  that  this  name  is  that 
of  the  loved  and  honored  pastor  of  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart  in  Woonsocket.  While 
it  is  but  two  years  since  Rev.  Raftery  came  to  his  pres- 
ent pastorate  he  has,  in  that  comparatively  brief  space 
of  time,  won  the  respect  of  the  entire  community  and 
the  cordial  friendship  of  many  who  are  not  included  in 
the  number  of  his  parishioners. 

William  Raftery,  father  of  Edward  M.  Raftery,  was 
born  in  1834,  in  County  Galway,  Ireland,  Province  of 
Conaught,  town  of  Athlone,  and  came  as  a  young  man 
to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Milford,  Massachu- 
setts, where  he  engaged  in  shoe  manufacturing.  Mr. 
Raftery  married  Mary  Cooney,  born  at  White  Church, 
County  Cork.  Ireland,  in  1829,  and  their  children  were: 
Mary,  wife  of  Michael  Halpin,  of  Milford,  now  de- 
ceased; Edward  M.,  mentioned  below;  Ella,  wife  of 
John  Egan,  of  Chicago;  Thomas,  of  Milford:  William: 
.A.nnie;  and  John.  The  three  last  mentioned  died  young. 
Mrs.  Raftery  passed  away  in  1871,  and  the  death  of 
Mr.  Raftery  occurred  in  1906. 

Edward  M.  Raftery,  son  of  William  and  Mary 
(Cooney)  Raftery,  was  born  July  16.  1857.  in  Milford, 
Mass..  and  received  his  preparatory  education  in 
the  grammar  school  of  his  native  town,  afterward 
entering  Phillips  Exeter  .\cademy  and  graduating  in 
the  class  of  1880.  He  then  matriculated  in  Holy  Cross 
College,  receiving  from  that  institution,  in  1882,  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  Immediately  thereafter 
Rev.  Raftery  went  abroad  and  pursued  the  study  of 
theology  and  philosophy  at  the  University  of  Inns- 
bruck, Tyrol,  Austria,  graduating  in  1886.  In  June, 
1887,  he  was  ordained  at  Innsbruck  by  the  Prince 
Bishop  of  Bri.xen.  to  the  cathedral  in  Providence,  R.  I. 
After  spending  nine  years  there,  serving  as  curate,  he 
was  transferred  to  St.  Charles'  Church,  in  Woon- 
socket. where  he  remained  thirteen  months  before 
becoming  pastor  of  St.  Francis'  Church,  in  Wakefield, 
R.  I.  During  seventeen  years'  incumbency  much  ardu- 
ous and  able  work,  fruitful  in  results,  testified  to  his 
fidelity  and  efficiency.  In  1917  Rev.  Raftery  was  in- 
stalled in  his  present  parish,  where  he  has  already 
strengthened  and  enlarged  his  work  and  made  for 
himself  a  secure  place  in  the  affections  of  his  people. 
The  devotion  of  Rev.  Raftery  to  his  work  permits  him 
to  enjoy  but  few  leisure  hours  and  in  these,  being  a 
man  of  literary  tastes,  he  finds  his  chief  recreation 
in  reading  and  writing. 


his  boyhood,  .^t  W'esterly  he  established  a  market 
and  conducted  a  prosperous  business  until  his  retire- 
ment. He  died  in  Westerly  in  1905.  his  widow,  Jane 
Haswell  Rossiter,  surviving  him  until  191 1,  dying  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  Joseph  was  the  son 
of  Joseph  Rossiter,  a  merchant,  born  in  England  in 
1797,  and  died  there  in  1874.  Joseph  and  Jane  (Has- 
well) Rossiter  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: Isabel,  who  married  Thomas  Joyce;  Albion 
Tom,  of  further  mention;  and  Annie  H.,  who  married 
Wallace  Holgate,  a  chemist  in  the  employ  of  the  Gor- 
ham  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Providence. 

Albion  Tom  Rossiter,  the  only  son  of  Joseph  (2) 
and  Jane  (Haswell)  Rossiter,  was  born  in  Westerly, 
R.  I.,  .Xpril  19,  1866,  and  until  he  was  thirteen  years  of 
age  he  attended  the  Westerly  public  schools.  He  then 
began  as  a  mill  worker,  starting  in  the  spinning  room 
r.nd  there  remaining  until  the  age  of  seventeen  years. 
He  was  then  apprenticed  to  T.  and  J.  Sawyer,  plumb- 
ers, in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  continued  as  apprentice 
and  journeyman  plumber  until  1891.  In  that  year  he 
established  a  business  under  his  own  name  in  Olney- 
ville,  R.  I.,  and  there  built  up  a  prosperous  plumbing 
business,  located  at  No.  464  Plainfield  street.  His 
quarter  of  a  century  as  a  contracting  plumber  has 
brought  him  high  reputation  and  material  prosperity. 
In  addition  to  his  private  business  he  is  interested  in 
manufacturing  and  lumbering  enterprises,  serving  as 
a  director  of  the  Parker  Yarn  Company,  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.  In  November,  1918,  Mr,  Rossiter  was 
elected  to  serve  four  years  on  the  Board  of  Police 
Commissioners,  in  the  town  of  Warwick. 

Mr.  Rossiter  married,  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  Hen- 
rietta Whitney,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Hannah  (Fay) 
Whitney,  both  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  now  deceased.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Rossiter  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Nina 
W.,  born  in  Providence,  graduate  of  a  business  col- 
lege, now  the  wife  of  Everett  Barrus,  of  Pawtuckct, 
R.  I.,  in  the  clerical  service  of  the  Arnold  Hoffman 
Company.  The  Rossiter  residence  is  in  Conimicut.  in 
the  town  of  Warwick.  Mr.  Rossiter  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  interested  in  all  that  improves  or  prom- 
ises to  improve  community  conditions. 


ALBION  TOM  ROSSITER— When  a  young  man, 
Joseph  Rossiter  came  from  his  native  England  (born 
1828)  to  the  L"nited  States,  locating  in  Westerly,  R.  I., 
where  his  son.  .-Mbion  T.  Rossiter,  was  born,  and  spent 


HERBERT  1.  MATHEWSON— Mathewsons  have 
been  prominent  in  Rhode  Island  since  the  arrival  of 
James  Mathewson,  who  came  from  England  to  Plym- 
outh, Mass.,  prior  to  his  settling  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
where  he  tx)ught  land  in  1658,  and  died  in  1682.  He 
married  Hannah  Fuld.  who  died  in  1703.  They  were 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  from  whom  sprang  a 
numerous  and  influential  family.  Herbert  I.  Mathew- 
son, of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  is  a  son  of  Charles  H.  and 
Mary  E.  (Broughton)  Mathewson,  and  grandson  of 
Sylvester  Mathewson,  of  Greenville,  in  the  town  of 
Smithfield.  R.  I. 

Herbert  I.  Mathewson  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
December  21,  1879.  His  education  consisted  of  pub- 
lic school  study  with  high  school  graduation.  Prior  to 
his  finishing  high  school  he  entered  the  employ  of  a 
paper  box  manufacturer,  and  remained  in  that  position 
for  about  seven  years.  After  leaving  the  mill,  he 
established  a  bakery  delivery  service,  which  he  owned 


320 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


and  operated  four  and  a  half  years,  finally  selling  out 
prior  to  190S.  In  that  year  Mr.  Mathewson  began  bus- 
iness as  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  for  ten  years 
has  continued  with  very  great  success.  He  constructs 
buildings  for  business  purposes,  residences,  garages, 
and  of  any  form  of  material  desired.  He  has  gained  a 
good  reputation  as  a  contractor  of  integrity  and  has 
established  a  prosperous  business  upon  the  firm  basis 
of  fair  dealing.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  in  his  political  faith 
is  a  Republican. 


REV.  FATHER  CAMILLE  VILLIARD,  pastor 
of  St.  Ann's  Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  and  one  of  the  well  known  figures  in  the  religious 
life  of  this  community,  is  a  native  of  Yamaska,  Prov- 
ince of  Quebec,  Canada,  where  his  birth  occurred 
April  19,  1875.  Father  Villiard  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Delphine  (Vanasse)  Villiard,  who  were  both  natives  of 
Yamaska,  Quebec,  where  they  were  born,  respectively, 
October  18,  1848,  and  December  23,  1845.  Mr.  Villiard 
was  for  many  years  active  in  business  at  Yamaska, 
but  is  now  living  in  Manville,  R.  I.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vil- 
liard were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Vir- 
ginia; Hermine;  Camille,  with  whose  career  we  are 
here  especially  concerned;  Marie  Theresa;  Philippe; 
Josepli,  and   Mary  ."Vnue. 

Father  Villiard's  preliminary  education  was  obtained 
in  St.  Louis,  Province  of  Quebec,  and  he  was  there 
prepared  for  college.  .After  this  he  attended  Marie- 
ville  College,  Province  of  Quebec,  where  he  took  the 
usual  classical  course  and  graduated  with  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  .Arts.  He  had  determined  definitely  to 
enter  the  priesthood  and  accordingly  matriculated  at 
Brighton  Seminary  at  Boston,  where  he  took  a  course 
in  theology  and  philosophy,  graduating  with  the  class 
of  1904  and  receiving  at  the  same  time  his  degree  as 
Bachelor  of  Philosophy.  He  was  ordained  to  the  priest- 
hood on  June  29,  1904,  by  Bishop  Harkins,  of  Provi- 
dence, and  was  at  once  assigned  (June  24,  1904),  as 
curate  to  St.  Edward's  Church  of  Providence,  R.  I. 
Accordingly.  Father  Villiard  came  to  this  country  and 
worked  in  the  capacity  to  which  he  was  appointed  until 
January,  1913,  when  he  was  given  charge  as  pastor  of 
St.  Charles'  Church  in  Providence.  In  March,  1904,  he 
became  pastor  of  St.  .\nn's  Church,  Woonsocket,  and 
here  he  has  remained  actively  at  work  ever  since. 
Father  Villiard  has  made  himself  exceedingly  promi- 
nent in  the  religious  life  of  the  community  here  and 
has  done  much  to  develop  the  size  of  his  parish  and 
bring  the  religious  feeling  home  to  the  personal  lives 
of  his  flock.  He  has  also  been  a  distinguished  organ- 
izer, and  the  beautiful  church  which  was  begun  dur- 
ing the  pastorship  of  his  predecessor  has  been  com- 
pleted by  him.  The  parish  of  which  he  is  pastor  pos- 
sesses a  splendid  grammar  school  which  is  presided 
over  by  eighteen  well  qualified  teachers  and  numbers 
as  many  as  one  thousand  pupils  in  its  various  classes. 
The  parish  at  the  present  time  numbers  as  many  as 
six  thousand  four  hundred  communicants,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  flourishing  in  the  city.  Father  Villiard 
makes  his  residence  at  No.  82  Cumberland  street, 
Woonsocket. 


CHARLES  HENRY  PAGE— The  Page  family,  of 
which  Charles  H.  Page,  a  representative  citizen  of 
Providence,  is  a  worthy  member,  have  made  their 
residence  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  for  many  years, 
the  communities  in  which  they  settled  having  been 
aided  materially  by  their  efforts  along  varied  lines, 
each  member  contributing  largely  to  the  upbuilding 
and  prosperity  of  their  particular  section,  thus  mak- 
ing the  name  honored  and  esteemed.  The  Rhode 
Island  Pages  were  active  in  the  War  for  Independence, 
Captain  William  Page,  of  Providence,  serving  through- 
out the  struggle. 

George  Henry  Page,  father  of  Charles  H.  Page,  was 
a  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Steere)  Page,  and  grand- 
son of  William  Page,  of  Scituate.  He  was  born  in 
Gloucester,  R.  I.,  August  10,  1832.  After  the  com- 
pletion of  his  studies,  he  learned  the  trade  of  carpen- 
ter, and  for  a  number  of  years  was  a  contractor  and 
builder.  In  1858  he  located  in  Centerdale,  R.  I.,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  carriages,  and  about 
1870  he  removed  to  Providence,  in  which  city  he  en- 
gaged in  the  buying  and  selling  of  horses,  and  subse- 
quently purchased  a  farm  in  North  Swansea,  Mass., 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  was  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  held  membership  in  Hope 
Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Mr.  Page 
married  (first)  in  1850,  Frances  Wellman,  who  bore 
him  two  children:  Frederick  and  Evert.  Mrs.  Page 
died  September  15,  1861.  Mr.  Page  married  (second) 
in  1S62,  .'Abigail  (Mason)  Horton,  who  bore  him  seven 
children,  one  of  whom  was  Charles  Henrj",  of  whom 
further.  Mr  Page  died  February  28,  1898,  and  his 
widow  passed  away  January  8,  1907. 

Charles  H.  Page  was  born  in  North  Providence, 
R.  I.,  March  20,  1S63.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  city  and  in  a  private  school,  and  his  first 
experience  in  business  life  was  gained  in  the  employ 
of  William  R.  Briggs,  an  undertaker,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  one  year.  He  then  entered  his  father's 
employ  in  the  livery  business,  and  at  the  expiration  of 
five  years,  having  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
details  of  the  business,  he  took  over  the  entire  con- 
trol of  the  same,  and  added  to  it  an  undertaking  busi- 
ness, located  at  No.  200  South  Main  street.  Provi- 
dence, operating  the  two  in  combination  at  the  present 
time  (1918).  The  success  which  has  attended  his 
efforts  is  the  direct  result  of  industry,  perseverance, 
judgment  and  capable  management,  coupled  with  a 
pleasing  personality.  Mr.  Page  has  for  years  been 
interested  in  the  collection  of  antique  china,  and  he 
has  in  his  possession  some  rare  specimens  which  he 
prizes  highly.  He  is  an  Independent  Republican,  and 
holds  membership  in  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  and  in  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  in  which  order  he  is  past  grand. 

Mr.  Page  married  (first)  May  29,  1884,  Etta  Lee 
Crumb,  of  Westerly,  R.  I.  She  died  December  28, 
1891,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine.  He  married  (second) 
March  22,  1893,  Ellen  M.  Holden,  of  Acrington.  Lan- 
cashire, England.  She  was  born  December  23,  1S69, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Radcliffe)  HoMen.  the 
former  named  died  in  England,  and  the  latter  named  in 
Providence,   R.   I.,  in   1907.     Children  of  second  mar- 


/^    1^  a^^^-c/^  /^^^^^c.t^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


321 


riage:  Ralph  Horton,  born  Sept.  13,  1894,  graduated 
from  the  Commercial  School  of  Providence,  and  is  now 
sergeant  of  the  gth  Battery,  J.  A.  R.  D.,  serving  in 
France,  and  Walter  Holden,  born  Oct.  18,  1895,  died 
Sept.  23,  1906. 


CHARLES   EDGAR   BARBER,   head  of  the  well 

known  hrm  uf  undertakers,  Charles  E.  Barber  &  Com- 
pany, of  Providence,  R.  I.,  was  born  May  14,  1849,  at 
Charlestown.  and  passed  his  boyhood  there.  His  edu- 
cation was  begun  at  the  local  schools,  which  he  at- 
tended a  number  of  years.  He  was  then  sent  to  the 
Connecticut  Literary  Institution  at  Sufliekl,  Conn.,  fin- 
ishing with  the  class  of  1868.  He  began  his  business 
career  in  the  humble  capacity  of  clerk  in  the  local 
hardware  store  at  Hope  Valley,  R.  I.,  and  remained 
thus  employed  for  three  years.  He  later  secured  a  po- 
sition as  bookkeeper  in  the  office  of  the  cotton  man- 
ufacturing establishment  of  B.  B.  and  R.  Knight,  at 
Hebronville,  Mass.  Remaining  there  for  a  similar 
period,  he  worked  hard  and  saved  up  a  large  propor- 
tion of  his  earnings  in  order  that  he  might  be  able 
to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  account.  Mr.  Barber 
was  one  of  those  ambitious  young  men  with  an  alert 
and  flexible  mind  who  are  bound  to  advance  them- 
selves, however  humble  their  first  position  in  the  busi- 
ness world  may  be,  and  this  he  soon  proved  when,  after 
only  si.x  years  of  employment  by  others,  he  severed 
his  connection  with  the  B.  B.  and  R.  Knight  concern, 
and  in  association  with  Charles  \V.  LillH)ridge,  estab- 
lished a  general  commercial  line  at  Central  Village, 
Conn.  The  enterprise  was  successful  and  he  re- 
mained at  Central  Village  for  about  nine  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  period  he  came  to  Providence  and  here 
became  associated  with  the  undertaking  firm  of  Miles 
&  Luther.  He  continued  this  association  for  eight 
years,  during  which  time  he  thoroughly  learned  his 
business,  and  in  1891  formed  a  partnership  with  Wil- 
liam E.  Whiting,  under  the  firm  name  of  Whiting  & 
Barber,  and  they  carried  on  an  undertaking  business 
at  No.  27  Broad  street,  Providence,  his  present  loca- 
tion. In  the  year  1910  Mr.  Whiting  died  and  Mr. 
Barber  carried  on  the  business  alone  under  the  name 
of  Charles  E.  Barber.  He  continued  alone  until  Janu- 
ary, 1913,  when  he  admitted  Ernon  M.  Holdredge  into 
the  business,  and  the  firm  became  Charles  E.  Barber 
&  Company,  its  present  style.  The  success  that  has 
attended  Mr.  Barber's  efforts  has  been  very  great, 
and  all  of  it  is  due  to  his  energy  and  business  capacity. 
He  has  been  indefatigable  in  his  work  and  no  one  has 
ever  deserved  his  fortune  better  than  he. 

But  Mr.  Barber  has  not  been  selfishly  concerned 
with  his  own  affairs  only.  On  the  contrary  he  has 
taken  a  most  active  interest  in  the  general  life  of  the 
community  and  of  the  city  in  which  he  has  chosen  to 
live,  and  proved  himself  a  public-spirited  and  valuable 
citizen  thereof.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has 
identified  himself  prominently  with  the  local  organiza- 
tion of  his  party.  He  was  elected  to  the  City  Com- 
mon Council  in  1910  and  has  served  on  that  body  unin- 
terruptedly during  the  eight  subsequent  years,  and  is 
now  one  of  its  best  known  members.  He  has  also 
served  as  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Registration 

R  1-2-21 


in  Embalming,  ever  since  the  State  Legislature  passed 
the  law  creating  this  body,  in  January,  1910.  He  is  a 
very  prominent  Free  Mason,  having  taken  liis  thirty- 
second  degree  in  that  order,  and  is  now  affiliated  with 
What  Cheer  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons, to  which  he  was  transferred  from  Moosup  Lodge, 
of  Moosup,  Conn.,  of  which  he  was  past  master;  Prov- 
idence Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Providence 
Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  Calvary  Com- 
niandery.  Knights  Templar;  Rhode  Island  Consistory, 
.Ancient  .Accepted  Scottish  Rite  Masons;  and  Pales- 
tine Temple,  Ancient  .Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mys- 
tic Shrine.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Mechanics'  Lodge, 
No.  14,  of  Hope  Valley,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  Besides  these  fraternal  associations,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Providence  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  the  Providence  Central  Club.  In  his  religious 
belief,  Mr.  Barber  is  a  staunch  Baptist  and  belongs  to 
the  Central  Church  of  that  denomination  in  Provi- 
dence. 

Charles  Edgar  Barber  was  united  in  marriage  (first), 
in  March,  1869,  at  Hope  Valley,  R.  I.,  with  Marion  E. 
Olney,  a  daughter  of  George  H.  and  .Amanda  (Bick- 
nell)  Olney,  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Barber  died  April 
7,  191 1,  and  Mr.  Barber  married  (second)  Mrs.  Mary 
L.  (White)  Manchester,  widow  of  Fred  L.  Manches- 
ter, of  Providence. 


EUGENE  CLAYTON  WIGHTMAN,  a  retired 
manufacturer  and  well  known  citizen  of  South  Scituate, 
R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  New  Berlin,  \.  V..  whore  he  was 
born  October  2,  1844.  Mr.  Wightman  is  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam Colgrove  and  Helen  (Kenney)  Wightman,  both  of 
whom  are  now  deceased,  the  former  having  been  en- 
gaged in  the  occupation  of  farming  all  his  life.  The 
early  life  of  Eugene  Clayton  Wightman  was  passed  at 
his  home  town  of  New  Berlin,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was 
educated  in  the  local  public  schools.  As  a  lad  he 
spent  his  vacation  and  spare  hours  in  working  on  the 
farm  and  continued  thus  employed  until  1868  when  he 
was  twenty-four  years  of  age.  In  that  year  he  came  to 
Rhode  Island  and  since  then  has  lived  at  Scituate.  Mr. 
Wightman  was  in  the  draft  during  the  Civil  War,  buf 
was  not  called.  His  career  in  Rhode  Island  has  en- 
gaged him  in  several  different  lines  of  business  and  he 
has  been  a  farmer  and  manufacturer  at  different  times. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  operated  a  saw  mill,  grist 
mill  and  bobbin  mill  at  Scituate.  He  was  successful  in 
all  of  his  undertakings  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
substantial  citizens  of  this  place.  In  the  year,  191 1,  Mr. 
Wightman  retired  from  active  business  life  on  account 
of  bad  health  and  since  that  time  has  been  living  in 
well  earned  leisure  at  his  home  here. 

Eugene  Clayton  Wightman  was  united  in  marriage 
on  September  3,  1871,  at  Foster,  R.  I.,  with  Emcrette 
Estelle  Hicks.  Mrs.  Wightman  is  a  daughter  of  Levi  L. 
and  Sarah  .Ann  (Lewis)  Hicks,  old  and  highly  respected 
icsidents  of  Scituate.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wightman  four 
children  have  been  born,  as  follows:  i.  Ettie  Imogene, 
who  became  the  wife  of  James  Spencer,  of  Providence, 
R.  I.,  to  whom  she  has  borne  two  children.  Pearl  W. 
and  Mary  E.  2.  Lena  Elnora,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Edward 
Barden,  of  Providence,  and  the  mother  of  three  chil- 


322 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


dren,  Lena  R.,  Emerette  W.,  and  Edward  W.,  Jr.  3. 
Mary  Esther,  who  married  John  Barden,  of  Johnston, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  Mary 
Corinne,  John  W.  and  Eugene  W.  4.  Levi  Eugene,  who 
resides  at  present  in  North  Carolina.  He  married 
Grace  Jordan,  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children,  Levi 
Eugene,  deceased,  and  Eugene  Francis.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wightman  attend  the  Baptist  church.  Mr.  Wightnian  is 
an  independent  Democrat  in  politics.  He  is  a  member 
of  Hamilton  Lodge,  No.  15,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
and  Scituate  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  No.  8,  and  has  been 
past  master  of  the  lodge  and  high  priest  of  the  chapter. 


REV.  FATHER  JOSEPH  STANISLAS  FOR- 
TIN,  rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Family,  at  No. 
414  South  Main  street,  Woonsockct,  R.  L,  and  one  of 
the  most  influential  figures  in  the  religious  life  of  this 
community,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  having  been  born 
at  the  town  of  St.  Anicet,  Huntingdon  county.  Province 
of  Quebec,  a  son  of  Hermengilde  and  Elizabeth 
(Moore)  Fortin,  of  that  place.  Father  Fortin's  father 
was  born  at  St.  Jean  Port  Joli,  Province  of  Quebec. 
His  wife,  who  was  Elizabeth  Moore  before  her  mar- 
riage, was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  came  to  Canada  as 
a  young  girl.  She  was  reared  in  a  French  family  at 
St.  Jean  and  there  met  and  married  her  husband.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fortin  the  following  children  were  bom  : 
Elizabeth,  who  now  resides  at  L'Hospice  St.  Antoine, 
Woonsocket,  R.  L;  Hermenegilde;  Alphonse;  Lucien; 
Napolean;  Francois;  Joseph  Stanislas,  with  whose 
career  we  are  here  especially  concerned ;  Dominique ; 
Emily,  now  deceased,  and  formerly  a  sister  of  the 
Order  of  the  Miserecordia  De  Jesus.  Charles  Fortin, 
a  son  of  Napolean,  is  a  graduate  of  Grand  Seminary 
at  Montreal,  ordained  to  the  priesthood  December  25, 
191 7,  and  now  an  assistant  at  the  Church  of  Immacu- 
late Heart  of  Mary  at  Winchendon,  Mass. 

The  childhood  of  Father  Joseph  Stanislas  Fortin  was 
passed  at  his  native  village  of  St.  Anicet,  and  it  was 
there  that  he  gained  the  elementary  portion  of  his  edu- 
cation, attending  the  grammar  school  of  the  village  for 
this  purpose.  After  completing  this  preparatory  study 
he  entered  the  Little  Seminary  of  Quebec  for  a  classi- 
cal course,  then  entered  the  Grand  Seminary  of  Quebec 
to  study  theology  and  allied  subjects,  it  being  his  pur- 
pose to  enter  the  priesthood  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church.  He  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1881  from 
Grand  Seminary,  and  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood 
May  30,  1885,  by  Cardinal  Taschereau,  of  Quebec. 
After  his  ordination,  Father  Fortin  for  a  time  taught 
at  the  Seminary  of  Quebec,  and  then  after  a  year  of 
this  work  was  appointed  curate  at  Pointe  Claire,  Mon- 
treal. He  served  in  this  capacity  from  1886  to  1888, 
when  he  was  given  the  same  position  at  the  Church  of 
St.  Cunegonde  at  Montreal,  where  he  remained  until 
1890.  It  was  in  the  latter  year  that  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  having  been  appointed  curate  at  the 
Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart  at  New  Bedford,  Mass. 
He  was  associated  with  that  parish  until  February  6, 
1900,  when  he  was  sent  in  the  same  capacity  to  the 
Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  at  Maplewood,  Fall 
River,  and  remained  there  until  i(x>2.  It  was  in  the 
latter  year  that  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Family  at  Woonsocket,  and  has  remained  in 


this  charge  ever  since.  Father  Fortin  has  been  ex- 
ceedingly active  in  his  care  of  this  parish  and  has  done 
a  great  deal  to  advance  its  interests  and  the  cause  of 
religion  here.  At  the  time  of  his  coming  here,  the 
parish  was  practically  unorganized,  and  he  said  his  first 
mass  at  the  rectory,  August  15,  1902,  a  building  which 
was  purchased  by  him  in  that  year.  For  one  year  he 
said  mass  in  the  baseinent  of  the  Church  of  the  Precious 
Blood,  while  he  was  establishing  his  parish.  Father 
Fortin  had  purchased  a  large  property  at  414  South 
Main  street,  Woonsocket,  and  here  the  cornerstone  of  a 
magnificent  church  structure  was  laid  in  the  year  1909. 
For  a  time  he  held  his  masses  in  the  basement  of  the 
present  church,  which  was,  however,  finally  opened  with 
a  solemn  high  mass,  celebrated  in  the  church  on  January 
22,  191 1.  In  addition  to  this  very  important  work, 
Father  Fortin  has  also  established  a  convent,  which  is 
served  by  ten  nuns,  and  a  school  which  is  taught  by 
nine  teachers  and  contains  the  various  grammar  grades. 
Here  there  are  four  hundred  and  thirty  pupils,  and  since 
the  school  is  equipped  with  every  modern  appliance  and 
its  teachers  are  highly  praised,  it  occupies  an  important 
l:art  in  the  educational  system  of  the  community. 
Father  Fortin's  parish  now  numbers  eight  hundred  and 
twenty-five  families  and  has  two  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  thirty-five  communicants.  It  is,  without  doubt, 
one  of  the  most  flourishing  parishes  of  Woonsocket, 
and  Father  Fortin  deserves  a  great  deal  of  credit 
for  work  which  he  has  done  in  bringing  it  to  its  present 
flourishing  stage.  He  has  endeared  himself  greatly  to 
all  the  members  of  his  parish  as  well  as  to  the  com- 
munity at  large,  and  is  highly  venerated  and  loved 
throughout  Woonsocket. 


THE  REV.  FATHER  ALPHONSE  GRATON, 

rector  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  Roman  Catholic  Church 
of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  St.  Scholastique, 
Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  born  February  25,  1865. 
He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Marie  Louise  (Vermette) 
Graton,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  St.  Scho- 
lastique. His  father  was  born  at  that  place  in  the  year 
:833,  and  was  a  man  of  prominence  in  the  community 
and  a  very  fine  character.  He  retired  from  active  life 
sometime  prior  to  his  death,  which  occurred  November 
15,  1904.  He  married  Marie  Louise  Vermette,  also  a 
native  of  St.  Scholastique,  bom  November  22,  1832,  and 
where  her  death  occurred  September  24.  1914.  They 
were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children,  as  follows : 
Joseph,  who  is  now  the  owner  of  the  old  homestead ; 
the  Rev.  Jules,  now  retired  at  St.  Scholastique,  Prov- 
ince of  Quebec;  Rose  DeLima ;  Honore;  Rev.  Edmond, 
retired  at  St.  Therese,  Hospice  Drapeau ;  J.  Hormisdas, 
now  a  practicing  physician  at  Detroit,  Mich.;  Alphon- 
sine,  who  died  the  day  she  was  to  have  taken  the  veil 
of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  at  St.  Lawrence;  Al- 
phonse, with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially  con- 
cerned; Wilfred;  Amanda;  Louis,  who  carried  on  a 
business  as  druggist  at  Pawtucket  for  a  time,  and  now 
operates  a  general  store  at  St.  Scholastique ;  -Angelina ; 
Marie  Louise,  and  a  little  girl,  also  by  the  name  of 
Rose  Delima,  who  died  in  infancy. 

The  Rev.  Alphonse  Graton  passed  his  childhood  at 
his  father's  home  in  St.  Scholastique,  and  the  early 
portion  of  his  education  was  received  at  the  St.  Scho- 


W^  s^^U  ^   ^  ^  -^'l^tl'uA; 


BIOGRAnilCAL 


323 


lastique  Academy  there.  He  then  took  a  six-year  classi- 
cal course  at  St.  Thcresc  Seminary,  near  Montreal.  By 
this  time  he  had  recognized  his  call  to  the  priesthood 
and  accordingly  began  his  theological  study.  He  first 
took  a  philosophical  course  with  the  Oblate  Fathers  at 
their  St.  Joseph's  Scholasticate  in  Ottawa.  Ontario, 
where  he  also  pursued  his  theological  studies  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  supplemented  this  work  wi;h  a 
summer  course  in  chemistry  at  Harvard  University,  and 
triught  history,  mathematics,  chemistry  and  the  French 
language  at  the  University  of  Ottawa.  On  April  27, 
1890,  he  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  by  Mgr.  Club, 
O.  M.  I.,  of  the  Vicariate  Apostolic  of  McKcnzie  at 
the  Scholasticate  of  Ottawa.  Canada.  .After  two  years 
cf  teaching  at  the  university,  feeling  that  he  had  dis- 
positions for  the  parochial  ministry  and  rather  inclined 
towards  that  work,  he  regularly  arranged  things  with 
his  superiors  and  came  to  the  United  States,  where  he 
resided  with  his  brother,  Rev.  Jules  Graton,  pastor  of 
St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Worcester.  In 
February,  1892.  he  was  appointed  by  the  Right  Rev. 
M.  Harkins,  D.  D.,  assistant  to  Father  Napoleon  Lechre, 
rector  of  St.  Ann's  Church,  Woonsocket.  R.  I.  Here 
l.e  remained  two  years  and  then  was  sent  to  Notre 
Dame  Church,  Central  Falls,  to  assist  the  Rev.  Father 
Beland,  in  which  capacity  he  continued  to  serve  for 
eight  years.  In  the  month  of  March,  1902,  he  was 
appointed  administrator  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  Parish, 
Pawtucket,  and  in  the  month  of  June,  of  the  same  year, 
he  was  made  the  rector  of  that  church,  in  charge  of 
which  he  has  continued  ever  since.  Father  Graton  has 
performed  a  work  of  great  service  for  this  parish  and 
has  developed  its  importance  and  usefulness  greatly 
during  the  seventeen  years  that  he  has  been  in  charge 
here.  At  the  time  of  his  coming,  it  was  comparatively 
unimportant,  there  being  five  hundred  and  five  families 
and  twenty-two  hundred  souls  within  its  limits,  whereas 
it  now  has  nine  hundred  families  and  forty-six  hun- 
dred and  fifty  souls.  He  has  always  had  the  matter  of 
the  education  of  his  flock  close  at  heart,  and  has  done 
nnich  toward  the  building  and  equipping  of  schools  for 
the  use  of  the  parish.  He  has  a  kindergarten  class  of 
one  hundred  and  ten  pupils  and  in  the  paroch'al  school 
itself  there  are  five  hundred  and  fifteen  children.  In 
addition  to  these  institutions  he  has  established  a  day 
and  boarding  school  in  separate  buildings,  and  in  still 
another  building,  a  high  school  which  is  on  the  list  of 
schools  approved  by  the  State  Board  of  Education. 
These  various  institutions  are  under  the  charge  of 
twenty-five  sisters  of  the  Holy  Union  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  members  of  an  order,  the  mother  house  of  which 
is  in  Belgium,  while  their  provincial  house  is  in  Fall 
River,  Mass.  In  addition  to  the  usual  high  school  stud- 
ies, there  are  also  commercial  and  classical  courses  and 
classes  in  music  and  the  various  arts.  The  church  of 
St.  John  the  Baptist  was  built  in  1807.  but  the  parish 
had  developed  but  little  at  the  time  that  Father  Graton 
first  took  charge.  There  was  then  but  one  school  build- 
ing which  contained  six  classrooms  in  contrast  to  the 
four  fine  buildings  now  in  use.  There  is  also  a  convent 
here,  and  near  the  church,  which  stands  at  the  corner 
of  Quincy  avenue  and  Slater  street,  is  a  very  handsome 
rectory  at  No.  36,  on  the  latter  street.  On  October  16, 
1918,   the  whole   church   burned   down.     Nothing   of   it 


was  left  that  could  be  used  for  a  new  one.  A  temporary 
chapel  was  immediately  looked  after  and  on  the  prem- 
ises of  the  Corporation  of  the  Church,  the  regular  Sun- 
day offices  could  be  held  and  the  people  were  well  ac- 
commodated for  the  divine  service.  At  the  cost  of  twelve 
thousand  dollars  everything  was  put  on  a  fine  basis.  A 
drive  was  organized  in  December,  191S,  and  realized  the 
fine  amount  of  ninety-five  thousand  three  hundred  dol- 
lars. \'cry  soon  a  new  church  will  be  erected  that  will 
be  a  monument  in  the  city  of  Pawtucket  and  a  credit 
to  the  religious  people  of  the  parish  of  St.  John's.  Father 
Graton  is  a  member  and  ex-chaplain  of  the  chapter  of 
the  Order  of  Foresters  connected  with  his  church  and 
ex-supreme  chaplain  of  the  Society  of  Chevaliers  Jacques 
Cartier.  which  is  the  French  society  corresponding  to 
our  Knights  of  Columbus.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Corpiiration  of  St.  Francis  Orphanage,  Woonsocket, 
and  of  the  Sayles  Memorial  Hospital  at  Pawtucket. 
He  has  for  his  work  in  the  parish,  three  assistants, 
these  positions  being  filled  by  the  Rev.  Father  .'\.  F. 
Fournier,  the  Rev.  Father  J.  A.  Belisle,  and  the  Rev. 
C.  O.  Valois. 

It  is  the  peculiar  privilege  of  the  Catholic  church  to 
speak  most  nearly  to  those  great  masses  of  people  that 
we  roughly  class  as  "the  poor,"  and  its  strength  that 
it  speaks  to  them  in  a  language  which  they  understand 
and  love.  It  does  not  lack  authority  for  stating  as  one 
of  the  proofs  of  the  truth  of  its  mission,  that,  "the  poor 
have  the  gospel  preached  to  them."  This  alliance,  the 
strongest  of  earthly  unions,  because  it  bears  in  it 
something  of  the  divine,  the  alliance  between  the  church 
and  the  democracy,  is  further  manifested  in  the  fact 
that,  not  alone  are  its  congregations  made  up  so  largely 
of  the  poor,  but  that  its  priests  and  ministers  are  also 
drawn  in  large  proportion  from  the  humble  and  simple 
classes  of  society  and  especially  from  the  simple  rural 
class.  There  is  no  race  which  contributes  more  largely 
to  this  high  ministry  and  from  this  class  of  its  popula- 
tion, than  the  French,  whose  people  generally  have  been 
foremost  in  their  faithfulness  and  loyalty  to  the  religion 
of  their  fathers.  An  excellent  example  of  the  self- 
sacrificing  devotion  exhibited  by  those  who  have  en- 
tered the  priesthood  from  this  source  is  to  be  found 
in  the  career  of  the  Rev.  leather  .-Mphonse  Graton,  the 
venerated  and  beloved  pastor  of  the  Church  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist. 


CAPTAIN  ROBERT  HENRY  BRESLIN,  a  vet- 
eran of  the  World  War,  and  tne  of  the  best  known 
and  most  popular  among  the  younger  physicians  of 
Providence,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  Providence,  born 
October  9,  1888,  a  son  of  James  and  Catherine  (Moon- 
ey)  Bresiin,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Prov- 
idence, where  the  former  for  many  years  was  engaged 
in  business  as  a  merchant  and  was  prominent  in  com- 
mercial circles  of  that  city.  He  is  now  living  in  retire- 
ment there,  a  well  known  and  much  respected  figure. 
James  Bresiin  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  as  follows:  Robert  Henry,  with  whose  career 
we  are  here  especially  concerned;  James  Edward,  who 
served  as  fir.st  lieutenant  in  the  Twenty-sixth  Division 
of  the  American  E.xpcditionary  Forces  throughout  the 
war;  .Agnes,  who  became  the  wife  of  Robert  Gilmore; 
.Annie  J. ;  Katherine  C. ;  Florence  H. ;  Elizabeth  F. ;  and 


324 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Eva,  who  became  the  wife  of  Earle  Carpenter  Peter- 
son, lieutenant,  who  served  during  the  war  with  the 
United  States  navy. 

Captain  Robert  H.  BresHn  spent  the  years  of  his 
childhood  in  Providence,  and  attended  the  public  schools 
there,  graduating  from  the  Providence  High  School 
with  the  class  of  1906.  From  there  he  went  directly  into 
service  in  the  United  States  navy,  in  which  he  served 
from  1907  to  191 1  in  the  medical  department.  It  was 
during  that  period  that  he  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a 
trip  around  the  world  made  with  the  American  fleet 
under  the  command  of  Admiral  Evans,  who  was  known 
to  the  country  as  "Fighting  Bob."  He  visited  many 
ports  and  saw  much  of  the  world  in  a  manner  highly 
treasurable.  The  young  man  received  his  honorable 
discharge  from  the  navy  in  the  year  1911,  and  having 
acquired  during  his  service  a  keen  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject of  medicine,  entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  where  he  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  191 5  and  received  his  medical  degree. 
For  some  four  months  thereafter,  he  served  as  house 
surgeon  at  St.  Mary's  Hospital  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and 
acted  thereafter  for  a  year  in  the  same  capacity  at 
St.  Francis'  Hospital  at  Hartford,  Conn.  Having 
gained  the  requisite  practical  experience  to  carry  on 
his  professional  activities.  Dr.  Breslin  came  to  Provi- 
dence and  there  began  to  practice.  He  remained  for 
about  one  year  thus  engaged  and  then,  in  1917,  upon 
the  entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  great  World 
War,  he  at  once  offered  his  services  and  was  accepted. 
On  March  31,  1917,  he  was  commissioned  first  lieu- 
tenant of  the  Medical  Corps  and  on  April  15,  follow- 
ing, was  called  to  service,  and  assigned  to  the  104th 
Ambulance  Company.  His  company  was  mobilized  for 
active  service  on  August  5,  191 7,  at  Quonset  Point, 
R.  I.,  and  also  at  a  camp  in  Connecticut,  and  some 
months  after  he  was  assigned  with  his  company  to  the 
26th  Division,  known  popularly  as  the  "Yankee  Divi- 
sion," made  up  exclusively  of  New  England  troops. 
With  the  rest  of  this  unit,  he  entrained  for  Montreal, 
Canada,  on  September  21,  1917,  and  embarked  at  that 
point  for  Liverpool,  England.  He  arrived  in  the  Eng- 
lish city  October  7,  I9!7,  and  after  remaining  only  five 
days  in  England,  was  sent  on  to  France  and  at  once 
placed  in  active  service.  On  April  20,  1918,  he  was 
transferred  to  the  103rd  United  States  Infantry,  and 
given  the  post  of  battalion  surgeon.  After  this  pro- 
motion, which  increased  the  number  of  men  under  his 
charge  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  one  thousand,  he 
was  commissioned  captain  in  the  Medical  Corps,  De- 
cember 17,  1918.  The  103rd  Regiment  was  also  a  unit 
in  the  26th  Division  and  Captain  Breslin  was  present  in 
every  engagement  fought  by  that  gallant  body  from 
Seicheprey  and  Chateau  Thierry  to  the  end  of  the  war. 
The  Yankee  Division  was  placed  on  the  Verdun  front 
made  famous  by  the  heroic  and  costly  defence  of  it  by 
the  French  troops  in  1916,  and  there  took  part  in  some 
of  the  bloodiest  fighting  of  the  war.  Captain  Breslin 
was  cited  for  bravery  in  action  at  Chateau  Thierry,  and 
on  November  10,  1918,  one  day  before  the  signing  of 
the  armistice,  was  severely  wounded  at  Verdun.  His 
recovery,  however,  was  complete  and  he  returned  to 
active   duty   as    early   as   possible,    remaining   with    his 


division  until  honorably  discharged,  April  29,  1919. 
After  thus  completing  his  record  for  service  and  gal- 
lantry with  the  American  army,  Captain  Breslin  re- 
turned to  civil  life,  coming  to  Providence,  re-opened  an 
office  at  No.  1494  Broad  street,  on  May  19,  1919,  and 
resumed  the  active  practice  of  his  profession.  Captain 
Breslin  specializes  in  surgery,  a  branch  of  his  profes- 
sion in  which  he  has  had  a  magnificent  practical  train- 
ing and  experience  during  his  stay  in  France.  This 
training,  which  he  could  not  have  received  under  any 
other  conditions,  has  especially  fitted  him  for  the  prac- 
tice of  his  specialty  and  he  is  recognized  as  a  most 
capable  surgeon  not  only  by  the  community-at-Iarge, 
but  by  his  professional  colleagues,  among  w'hom  he  is 
greatly  respected  and  liked. 


PATRICK  FRANCIS  TAVNON,  a  member  of  the 
General  Assembly,  representing  the  second  district  of 
Woonsocket,  and  a  well  known  citizen  of  Woonsocket, 
is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Bridget  (Sullivan)  Tavnon. 
Michael  Tavnon  was  born  in  County  Galway,  Ireland, 
and  came  to  the  United  States  as  a  boy,  finding  em- 
ployment in  the  town  of  Lincoln,  R.  I.,  working  a 
number  of  years  in  the  Woonsocket  Rubber  Works.  He 
was  a  veteran  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
having  served  two  years  and  nine  months  on  the  "Mer- 
rimac,"  and  having  also  seen  service  on  the  "Raleigh." 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Farragut  Naval  Veterans. 
Mr.  Tavnon  married  Bridget  Sullivan,  born  in  County 
Tipperary,  Ireland.  Their  children  were:  Mary,  wife 
of  Patrick  Battel,  of  Woonsocket;  Nellie;  Catherine, 
wife  of  Patrick  Canning;  Gertrude,  wife  of  Matthew 
Kelly,  of  Woonsocket;  Josephine,  wife  of  Frederick 
Lemieux ;  Patrick  Francis,  of  whom  further;  and  John 
J.,  of  Woonsocket.  Mr.  Tavnon,  father  of  this  family, 
died  in  October,  1909.  aged  seventy-two  years.  His  wife 
died  in  March,  1905,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years. 

Patrick  Francis  Tavnon  was  born  in  Woonsocket, 
January  21,  1877.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
grammar  schools,  which  he  attended,  until  he  was 
twelve  years  old.  He  then  w'orked  for  three  years  in 
the  supply  department  of  the  Woonsocket  Rubber  Com- 
pany. At  the  end  of  that  time  he  became  a  clerk  for 
Frank  Pierce,  a  fish  dealer,  remaining  there  for  another 
three  years.  Turning  his  attention  to  another  sphere  of 
action.  Mr.  Tavnon  spent  six  years  in  the  ofiice  of  the 
"Evening  Call."  The  following  three  years  he  spent 
with  George  S.  Hope  in  the  retail  fish  business.  He  then 
associated  himself  with  the  Wales  &  Smith  Baking 
Company.  Beginning  as  a  clerk,  in  the  course  of  time 
he  became  manager,  but  in  September,  1918.  he  resigned. 
Since  that  time  he  has  been  stock  clerk  for  the  Amer- 
ican Wringer  Company.  In  politics  Mr.  Tavnon  is  a 
Democrat,  and  early  became  active  in  the  affairs  of  that 
organization.  After  serving  as  warden  and  ward  clerk, 
he  was  eleced  in  1919  to  the  Legislature,  where  he  is 
making  a  record  which  fully  justifies  his  party  for  hav- 
ing selected  him  as  its  representative.  Mr.  Tavnon  is 
a  member  of  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  and  a 
Roman  Catholic.  His  social  and  fraternal  associations 
are  with  the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  the  Father  Ma- 
thew  Temperance  Society. 


C/i-t/u-CK^y^^-^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


325 


MARTIN  MICHAEL  McLOUGHLIN— It  would 
be  difficult  ti>  pciint  to  a  better  example  of  what  is 
meant  by  the  typically  American  phrase,  "self-made 
man,"  than  that  contained  in  the  rapid  rise  to  a  position 
of  influence  in  the  community  and  in  the  career  of 
Martin  Michael  McLoughlin,  capable  business  man  and 
at  present  State  Senator  from  \\oonsocket,  R.  I.  Mr. 
McLoughlin  is  a  native  of  this  place,  where  his  birth 
occurred  November  8,  1885.  He  is  a  son  of  Michael 
and  Elizabeth  (Tracy)  McLoughlin,  the  former  a  suc- 
cessful mason  and  contractor,  as  well  as  a  large  real 
estate  owner  in  this  city,  where  he  enjoys  a  reputation 
for  integrity  and  ability  second  to  none.  Mr.  McLough- 
lin's  mother  died  in  1891,  and  his  father  married  (sec- 
ond) .\nnie  Carroll.  By  his  second  marriage  the  elder 
.Mr.  McLoughlin  has  had  one  daughter,  .Annie  Christina 
McLoughlin,  who  resides  with  her  parents  in  Woon- 
socket.  The  childhood  of  Martin  Michael  McLoughlin 
was  passed  in  his  native  city  and,  as  a  lad,  he  attended 
the  local  public  and  parochial  schools  here,  .\fter 
spending  about  eighteen  months  in  the  high  school 
grades,  the  young  man  abandoned  his  studies  and  en- 
gaged in  business  on  his  own  account.  He  opened  at 
Woonsocket  a  grocery  business,  which  he  operated  one 
year.  In  the  meantime  he  became  interested  in  his 
father's  line  of  business,  and  apprenticed  himself  to  the 
firm  of  J.  VV.  Bishop  &  Company  where  he  learned  the 
trade  of  mason.  He  was  an  apt  student  and  in  1908 
became  a  journeyman  mason,  a  craft  which  he  has  fol- 
lowed to  a  greater  or  less  extent  ever  since.  Most  of 
this  periol  he  has  been  engaged  in  work  for  his  fath- 
er's concern,  but  his  business  career  has  to  a  certain 
extent  been   subordinated   to  his   political   activity. 

From  early  youth  Mr.  McLoughlin  has  been  keenly 
interested  in  local  afTairs,  and  has  himself  participated 
actively  in  city  and  State  politics.  He  is  by  instinct 
and  philosophy  a  Democrat  and  has  affiliated  himself 
with  the  local  organization  of  the  party.  It  was  not 
long  before  Mr.  McLoughlin  was  recognized  by  his 
political  colleagues,  as  possessing  the  qualities  of  leader- 
ship in  a  marked  degree,  and  he  has  during  the  last  si.x 
or  seven  years  held  very  important  official  posts  in  the 
gift  of  this  community.  In  1911  he  was  elected  from 
Woonsocket  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  served  as  a 
member  of  the  lower  house  in  igi2.  1913,  1914,  191.=;,  1916, 
and  served  in  the  Senate  in  191 7  and  1918.  In  the  lat- 
ter year  he  was  reelected  to  the  State  Senate  for  a  term 
of  two  years  and  is  now  a  member  of  that  body  and 
served  on  the  senatorial  committee  of  finance,  agricul- 
ture and  engrossed  bills.  Mr.  McLoughlin's  legislative 
career  has  been  an  eminent  success  and  he  has  proved 
himself,  not  only  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  own  con- 
stituency, but  to  the  community-at-large,  to  be  a  dis- 
interested and  capable  public  servant.  He  has  stood  for 
much  reform  legislation,  and  is  unquestionably  one  of 
the  young  men  who  will  in  the  future  see  the  more  pro- 
gressive element  of  the  political  life  of  this  community 
brought  to  a  more  complete  expression  of  the  ideals  and 
standards  of  democracy.  Mr.  McLoughlin  is  a  con- 
spicuous figure  in  club  and  social  circles  here,  and  is 
a  member  of  a  number  of  prominent  organizations, 
among  which  should  be  included  Division  No.  6,  An- 
cient Order  of  Hibernians;  Council  Xo.  113.  Knights 
cf    Columbus    of    Woonsocket,    and    the    B.    M.    and 


P.  I.  Union,  No.  S,  of  Rhode  Island,  of  which  he 
has  been  financial  secretary  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Saffield  Literary  As- 
sociation, and  takes  a  keen  interest  in  the  promotion 
of  culture  and  general  enlightenment  in  the  commu- 
nity. In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  McLoughlin  is  a 
Roman  Catholic  and  for  a  number  of  years  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  this 
denomination  at  Woonsocket. 

Martin  Michael  McLoughlin  was  united  in  marriage 
on  June  29,  1915,  with  Rose  E.  McKenna,  of  Woon- 
socket, who  has  proved  a  most  capable  and  effective 
helpmate  to  her  husband,  and  has  taken  an  active  part 
in  assisting  him  through  his  career  by  advice  and  good 
council.  Mrs.  McLoughlin  is  one  of  five  children  born 
to  Daniel  A.  and  Sarah  (Donnolley)  McKenna,  the 
others  being  as  follows:  William;  Frank;  Mary,  wife 
of  Charles  P.  Nadeau,  of  Montreal ;  and  Sarah,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Edward  Gagnon;  all  of  whom 
reside  in  this  city. 


LOUIS  MONAST— When  Louis  Monast  came 
from  his  native  Qtieliec.  with  his  young  son,  Louis  (2), 
they  comprised  the  first  French  family  to  settle  within 
the  borders  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  They  were  of  pure 
French  ancestry,  but  two  generations  removed  from 
France,  Louis  (2)  Monast  being  of  the  fourth  genera- 
tion in  .America,  and  the  second  in  the  United  States. 
.Although  his  birth  occurred  in  Canada,  he  was  of  such 
tender  years  when  brought  to  the  United  States  that  he 
knows  no  other  country  as  his.  He  was  born  in  Mary- 
ville,  Iberville,  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  July  I,  1863, 
a  son  of  Louis  and  Louise  (Berard)  Monast.  The 
mother  of  Louis  Monast  died  .August  17,  1864,  in  Que- 
bec; his  father  removed  to  Pawtucket  soon  after,  and 
died  here  in  1912. 

Louis  .Monast  attended  the  i)ublic  schools  of  Paw- 
tucket until  nine  years  of  age,  when  he  became  a  worker 
in  the  Conant  Mills,  and  later  at  the  Slater  Mills.  As 
a  young  man  he  established  the  Central  Falls  Bakery, 
of  which  he  was  proprietor  prior  to  starting  the  Pleas- 
ant View  Bakery.  Later  he  organized  and  is  now  presi- 
dent and  director  of  the  Central  Warp  Company,  of 
Pawtucket.  In  1892  Mr.  Monast  began  the  building 
business,  and  in  1913  the  company  which  bears  his 
name.  The  Monast  Realty  Company,  Incorporated, 
cf  which  he  is  president,  treasurer  and  manager,  was 
launched  on  a  career  of  unusual  success.  During 
the  twenty-seven  years  that  Mr.  Monast  has  been 
operating,  over  one  thousand  houses  have  been 
erected,  and  Pawtucket  owes  much  of  its  residen- 
tial growth  to  the  public  spirit,  energy  and  business 
foresight  of  Mr.  Monast  and  his  associates.  Mr. 
Monast  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  during  the 
years  1909- lo-n  represented  Pawtucket  in  the  Rhode 
Island  House  of  Representatives.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Builders  &  Traders  .Association;  the  Knights  of 
Pythias;  Pawtucket  Lodge,  No.  920.  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks;  the  Pawtucket  Board  of 
Trade;  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association;  and  the 
Roman  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Monast  was  one  of  the 
founders  and  first  members  of  the  Central  Falls  French 
Republican  Club,  the  first  French  Republican  organiza- 
tion in  the  State,  and  also  of  the  Ctrcle  Jacque  Cartier, 


^26 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  Centra!  Falls;  the  founder  and  first  president  of  the 
Pothier  Club,  of  Pleasant  View.  He  was  very  prom- 
inent in  assisting  in  the  financing  and  building  of  all 
French  churches  in  Pawtucket  and  Central  Falls. 

Pic  married  (first)  May  5,  1886,  Odile  Chartier ; 
married  (second)  Annie  .A.rmstrong;  married  (third) 
Marie  ?Iawkins.  Children  of  the  first  marriage  are 
Florence  O.  and  Bertha  A.,  also  four  who  died  in 
infancy. 

WILLIAM  JOSEPH  CLEGG.  D.  M.  D.— So  well 
established  is  Dr.  Clegg's  professional  reputation  that 
to  couple  his  name  with  any  introductory  clause  would 
be  wholly  superfluous  in  a  work  intended  for  the  peru- 
sal of  his  fellow  citizens  of  Providence.  In  addition 
to  this.  Dr.  Clegg,  during  the  recent  World  War.  gave 
proof  of  patriotism  by  making  for  himslef  a  record  of 
faithful  and  extremely  valuable  military  service. 

John  Cleg.g,  father  of  William  Joseph  Clegg,  was  born 
in  1862,  in  Leeds.  England,  and  is  a  master  mechanic, 
being  now  connected  with  the  American  Textile  Com- 
pany. He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
finds  his  favorite  recreation  in  music,  being  a  skilled 
performer  on  the  cornet.  He  married  Mary  Jane 
Proctor,  of  Providence,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a 
son  and  a  daughter:  William  Joseph,  mentioned  below; 
and  Corina,  wife  of  Edward  H.  Scattergood,  of  Woon- 
socket,  R.  I.  Mr.  Clegg  has  been  for  many  years  a 
resident  of  Providence. 

William  Joseph  Clegg.  son  of  John  and  Mary  Jane 
(Proctor)  Clegg,  was  born  November  21,  l886,  in  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  and  received  his  education  in  the  public 
and  high  schools  of  his  native  city.  He  was  fitted  for 
his  profession  at  Tufts  Dental  College,  graduating  with 
the  class  of  1910.  and  receiving  the  degree  of  D.  M.  D. 
Immediately,  thereafter,  Dr.  Clegg  returned  to  Prov- 
idence and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
associating  himself  with  Dr.  Midgley.  The  connection 
was  maintained  until  191 5,  when  Dr.  Clegg  opened  an 
office  for  himself  at  his  present  location,  No.  301  Butler 
Exchange. 

While  the  World  War  interrupted  the  professional 
labors  of  Dr.  Clegg,  it  transferred  them  to  a  wider 
sphere.  On  June  17,  1917,  he  offered  his  services  to  the 
government  and  on  August  7,  1917,  was  appointed  first 
lieutenant.  He  was  sent  first  to  the  Quonset  Point 
(R.  I.)  Unit,  but  at  the  end  of  a  month  was  trans- 
ferred to  Niantic,  Conn.  On  September  20,  1917,  he 
was  ordered  I0  France  and  assigned  to  the  One  Hundred 
and  Second  Field  Hospital,  Neufchatoau.  where  he  re- 
mained until  November  24,  191 7.  He  was  then  sent 
with  the  One  Hundred  and  First  Machine  Gun  Batta- 
lion to  Mont  Neufchateau  and  served  there  until  Feb- 
ruary 7,  1918,  when  he  was  ordered  to  the  Soissons 
front.  There  he  remained  until  March  18,  1918,  and 
while  there  was  assigned  to  the  One  Hundred  and 
Third  Field  Artillery.  From  .'\pril  4  to  July  5,  1918,  he 
served  in  the  Toul  Sector  and  then,  until  .August  10, 
took  part  in  the  Chateau  Thierry  drive,  leaving  then  for 
St.  Mihiel.  where  he  remained  until  September  11,  re- 
turning on  that  day  to  the  One  Hundred  and  Second 
Field  Hospital  for  Dental  Surgery.  On  October  11, 
1918,  he  was  sent  to  \'erdun.  remaining  until   Novem- 


ber 15  and  then  going  to  the  One  Hundred  and  First 
Machine  Gun  Company.  On  November  24,  1918,  all  were 
sent  to  Mont-Tigney  Leroy.  On  February  17,  1919,  Dr. 
Clegg  was  promoted  to  captain  and  on  April  8,  of  the 
same  year,  he  returned  to  Camp  Devens.  On  April  29, 
1919,  he  received  an  honorable  discharge,  returning  then 
to  Providence,  where  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  .-Vmong  the  professional  organizations  in 
which  Dr.  Clegg  is  enrolled  are  the  Rhode  Island  Den- 
tal Society,  the  Massachusetts  Dental  Society  and  the 
Northeastern  Society,  also  Tufts  Alumni  .Association. 
He  affiliates  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Mount 
Vernon  Blue  Lodge,  Free  and  .\ccepted  Masons. 

Dr.  Clegg  married,  October  31,  1912,  in  Providence, 
Alary  Helen  Heppcnstall,  daughter  of  Hirst  and  .\nn 
(Taylor)  Heppcnstall,  of  Golcar,  England.  Mr.  Hep- 
pcnstall is  a  mill  man  and  came  to  Providence  about 
1S94.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Clegg  are  the  parents  of  one 
child:  Jean,  born  June  29,  1918.  Dr.  Clegg  has  proved 
his  professional  ability  not  only  in  civil  life,  but  also 
when  subjected  to  the  severe  and  exceptional  tests  of 
military  service,  and  everything  indicates  that  the  future 
holds  for  him  a  career  of  more  than  ordinary  dis- 
tinction. 


GILBERT  ROUNDS— Beyond  the  fact  tliat  the 
Rounds  family  of  southeastern  Massachusetts  and  Rhode 
Island  is  one  of  honorable  and  historic  antiquity,  re- 
search has  revealed  little.  The  link  connecting  the 
Rhode  Island  family  with  the  parent  line  in  Massa- 
chusetts has  never  been  established,  although  geneal- 
ogists have  advanced  the  opinion  that  those  of  the 
early  family  who  settled  in  and  around  the  towns  of 
Scituate  and  Foster  were  originally  of  the  Rehoboth 
Rounds.  The  name  first  appears  in  vital  statistics  in 
Rehoboth  in  the  first  decade  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
when  Hannah  Carde  of  that  town  married  John  Rounds 
of  Swansea.  In  the  half  century  following  numerous 
families  of  the  name  flourislied  in  Rehoboth  and  Swan- 
sea. It  is  not  until  the  latter  half  of  the  century  that 
members  of  the  family  appear  in  Rhode  Island.  In 
i7.=;7  John  Rounds,  of  Scituate.  was  admitted  a  freeman 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Colony  at  the  May  session  of  the 
General  Assembly.  In  1759  and  1760  he  held  the  rank 
of  ensign  in  the  Third  Company  in  Scituate.  The  name 
is  contiinious  in  public  records  from  this  time  forward. 
Foster,  R.  I.,  has  been  the  home  of  the  familv  herein 
under  consideration  since  the  end  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  Here  Deacon  Benoni  Rounds,  the  first  of  the 
direct  line  of  whom  we  have  definite  information,  was 
born  and  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  The  family 
is  among  the  foremost  in  Providence  county.  The  late 
Gilbert  Rounds,  for  several  decades  one  of  the  vital 
figures  in  public  life  in  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  was  a  member 
of  this  branch  of  the  family. 

(I)  Deacon  Benoni  Rounds,  grandfather  of  the  late 
Gilbert  Rounds,  was  born  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
town  of  Foster,  R.  I.,  where  he  spent  the  early  vears  of 
his  life.  Following  his  marriage  he  settled  in  Gloucester, 
where  he  followed  agricultural  pursuits  on  a  large  scale 
until  his  death.  He  was  a  well  known  figure  in  relig- 
ious life  in  Gloucester  and  surrounding  towns,  and  for 
many   years   was   a  deacon   of   the   North   Foster   Free 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


3-2; 


Baptist  Church.  Deacon  Bcnoni  Rounds  was  buried  on 
his  own  property  in  the  town  of  Foster.  He  married 
Nancy  Cole,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  i.  Susan,  married  Rufus  Simmons,  of  East 
Killingly,  Conn.  2.  Benjamin,  resided  at  Pawtucket. 
3.  Charles.  4.  Samuel.  5.  Rebecca,  married  Lorenzo 
Crandall,  of  Pawtucket.  6.  Wheaton.  7.  Lawton  Cole, 
of  whom  further. 

(II)  Lawton  Cole  Rounds,  son  of  Deacon  Benoni 
and  Nancy  (Cole)  Rounds,  was  born  in  Foster,  R.  1., 
on  December  j-6,  1813.  In  early  life  he  settled  in 
Gloucester,  where  for  a  time  he  was  employed  at  sash 
and  blind  making  in  Chcpachet.  He  subsequently 
learned  the  trade  of  painter,  and  after  a  short  exper- 
ience as  journeyman,  established  himself  independently 
in  business  at  Chepachet.  The  enterprise  proved  highly 
successful  from  the  outset,  and  within  a  short  period 
Mr.  Rounds  established  a  countrywide  reputation  for 
excellence  of  work,  which  brought  him  most  reiiiun- 
eraiive  contracts.  Abandoning  house  painting,  he  de- 
voted his  time  solely  to  carriage  painting  and  the  finer 
grades  of  work.  He  was  widely  known  in  business 
and  public  circles  and  frequently  sought  for  public 
office,  which  he  consistently  refused.  He  fulrilled 
earnestly  his  duties  as  a  citizen,  however,  and  was  prom- 
inently identitied  with  all  movements  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  welfare  of  Gloucester  and  Chepachet.  Mr. 
Rounds  was  a  member  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church 
at  Chepachet.  On  .\ugust  7,  1836.  Lawton  C.  Rounds 
married  (first)  at  Greenville,  R.  I.,  Elder  Reuben  Allen 
officiating,  Minerva  Davis,  who  was  born  June  10,  1820. 
daughter  of  Dexter  and  Rebecca  (Cook)  Da\is,  of 
Chepachet.  He  married  (second)  Mercy  Ann  Irons, 
who  was  born  January  6,  1814,  in  Gloucester,  daughter 
of  Jesse  and  Susan  (Williams)  Irons,  a  lineal  de- 
scendant in  the  seventh  .generation  from  Roger  Wil- 
liams. The  children  of  the  second  marriage  were:  I. 
Gilbert,  of  further  mention.  2.  .A  daughter,  born  Aug. 
21,  1843,  died  Sept.  16  following.  3.  Susan  J.,  born 
Jan.  I,  1846,  died  July  14.  1850.  4.  Edwin,  born  Sept. 
14,  185T,  died  July  14,  1853. 

(Ill)  Gilbert  Rounds,  son  of  Lawton  Cole  and 
Mercy  .Ann  (Irons)  Rounds,  was  bom  in  Chepachet, 
R.  I.,  on  September  16,  1841,  and  died  there,  July  13, 
1915.  He  was  educated  in  the  local  district  school, 
and  on  completing  his  studies  learned  the  trade  of 
painter  in  his  father's  establishment.  For  a  period  of 
years  following  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  by  the 
firm  of  Wade  &  Read,  and  by  Philip  W.  Hawkins 
and  William  Hawkins  at  Chepachet,  but  later  returned 
to  his  trade.  Mr.  Rounds  established  himself  in  busi- 
ness at  Chepachet,  and  continued  actively  engaged  as 
a  painter  and  contractor  until  his  retirement  from 
active  business  life.  At  an  early  date  Mr.  Rounds 
became  active  in  public  alTairs  in  Gloucester.  He  was 
appointed  a  deputy  sheriff  under  the  late  high  sheriff, 
Christopher  Holdcn,  and  filled  the  office  ably  and  well 
for  several  years.  He  was  a  staunch  believer  in  the 
principles  and  policies  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
was  a  leader  in  its  councils  until  his  death.  For  about 
fifteen  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Town  Council, 
and  its  president  during  half  that  period.  He  also 
served  as  town  sergeant.     Mr.   Rounds  was  for  many 


years  active  in  fraternal  circles,  and  was  a  member 
of  Friendship  Lodge,  \o.  7,  Ancient  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  at  Chepachet,  of  which  he  served  as 
secretary. 

On  January  I,  1863,  Mr.  Rounds  married,  at  Che- 
pachet, R.  I.,  Mary  Elizabeth  Eddy,  who  was  born 
April  22,  1841,  daughter  of  Clovis  H.  and  Lydia  Ann 
(.Arnold)  Eddy,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  several  of 
the  foremost  of  Rhode  Island's  Colonial  families.  Mrs. 
Rounds,  who  survives  her  husband  and  resides  at 
Chepachet,  traces  a  most  distinguished  Revolutionary 
ancestry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rounds  were  the  parents  of 
two  children:  i.  Lydia  Ann,  born  March  31,  1864, 
died  Jan.  4,  1868.  2.  Clovis  Eddy,  born  Nov.  20,  1868; 
he  was  educated  in  the  local  schools  and  entered  busi- 
ness life  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Walter  A.  Read, 
later  working  for  Robert  Wade,  of  Chepachet.  For 
fifteen  months  he  conducted  the  "Manufacturers' 
Hotel"  at  Pascoag,  at  the  end  of  this  time  removing 
to  Burrillville,  where  he  was  employed  in  a  woolen 
mill.  Later  he  became  connected  with  the  firm  of 
Inman  &  Brooks,  at  Bridgeton.  He  is  widely  known 
and  eminently  respected  in  Burrillville,  and  is  active 
in  public  affairs.  Mr.  Rounds  is  chief  of  the  Fire 
Department  of  Pascoag.  He  is  past  grand  of  Granite 
Lodge,  No.  33,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  is  an  officer  in  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Cross. 
Clovis  E.  Rounds  married  .Annie  Ellen  Hey,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  two  children:  i.  Emma  H.,  born 
Dec.  22,  1S90,  died  .Aug.  14,  1891 :  ii.  Lawton  Gilbert, 
born  March  28,  1896.  Mrs.  Gilbert  Rounds  spends 
the  summer  months  at  her  cottage  "The  Bungalow," 
on  the  banks  of  the  Pascoag  reservoir,  residing  during 
the  winter  in  Chepachet. 


HENRI  JOSEPH  FAUCHER— A  violinist  of 
great  ability  and  high  rank,  Henri  J.  Faucher,  of 
Providence,  is  well  known  to  music  lovers  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada  as  artist  and  composer.  In 
Providence  the  Faucher  School  of  Music  and  Fauch- 
er's  Orchestra  are  held  in  highest  repute,  the  artistic 
standing  of  the  Fauchers,  father,  mother  and  son, 
being  a  full  guarantee  of  excellence.  Henri  J.  Faucher 
is  a  native  son  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  Millbury, 
May  22,  1872,  his  parents.  Telesphore  and  .Alexandria 
Faucher,  the  father  now  deceased.  The  lad,  Henri  J., 
began  study  in  the  public  schools  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
then  a  wealthy  merchant  of  the  State  assumed  the 
management  of  his  education  and  he  finished  under 
private  tutors,  special  attention  being  given  to  the 
development  of  his  musical  talent.  His  tutors  in 
music  were:  Frederick  Bedard,  of  Pawtucket:  Fred- 
erick Von  Olcan,  of  Providence:  and  C.  N.  .Allen, 
of  Boston:  all  famous  masters  of  the  violin.  Three 
and  one-half  years  were  then  spent  as  a  student  at 
the  Conservatory  of  Music,  Paris,  under  Charles 
Daucla,  the  eminent  violinist,  as  his  personal  scholar. 
During  this  period  the  young  man  was  a  first  violinist 
in  Lamaroux  Symphony  Orchestra  of  Paris,  and  no 
expense  was  spared  by  his  patron  to  give  Mr.  Faucher 
a  thorough  education  in  the  branch  of  music  he  had 
chosen  as  his  life  work.  Upon  his  return  to  the  United 
States,  he  made  a  concert  tour,  appearing  in  all  the 


;28 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


large  cities  of  the  country.  He  next  touched  the 
Keith  Circuit,  finally  locating  permanently  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.  There  he  founded  the  Faucher  School 
for  Violin  Instruction,  and  organized  the  Faucher's 
Orchestra.  Since  founding  and  taking  upon  himself 
the  management  of  Faucher's  School,  he  has  made 
tours  of  the  country,  appearing  as  a  violin  soloist  with 
Reeves  American  Band,  with  Bowen  R.  Church,  and 
with  Siguor  Tomasi  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  Com- 
pany of  New  York.  He  is  a  member  of  many  socie- 
ties and  organizations,  professional  and  social;  is  a 
member  of  St.  Benedict's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
and  affiliated  with  Providence  Lodge,  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  Politically  he  is  an  Inde- 
pendent. 

Professor  Faucher  married  Marie  Bouchard,  of 
Providence,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Leo 
Joseph  Faucher,  also  a  skilled  violinist  and  a  teacher 
in  the  Faucher  School.  Marie  Bouchard  Faucher  is 
highly  educated  in  music,  is  an  accomplished  pianist, 
and  plays  at  all  her  husband's  concerts  and,  as  a 
teacher  of  the  piano,  has  no  superiors.  As  a  com- 
poser. Professor  Faucher  is  best  known  through  his 
popular  compositions,  "The  Butterfly,"  "La  Pierre," 
and    'Soliloquy,"  all  nf  which  have  made  a  large  sale. 


THOMAS  JOSEPH  McLAUGHLIN— Among  the 

prominent  physicians  of  Woonsocket,  Dr.  Thomas  Jo- 
seph McLaughlin,  member  of  the  State  Board  of 
Heahh,  health  officer,  and  the  holder  of  many  other 
official  posts  here,  deserves  to  rank  high  both  for  his 
ability  and  skill  as  a  physician  and  for  the  valuable 
public  service  which  he  has  given  to  the  community- 
at-Iarge.  Dr.  McLaughlin  is  a  native  of  Woon- 
socket,  his  birth  having  occurred  here  December  12, 
1880,  and  a  son  of  Thomas  B.  and  Annie  (Campbell) 
McLaughlin,  residents  of  Woonsocket.  Thomas  B. 
McLaughlin,  father  of  Thomas  Joseph  McLaughlin, 
was  for  many  years  identified  with  the  industrial  life 
of  Woonsocket  as  a  manufacturer. 

The  early  life  of  Dr.  McLaughlin  was  spent  in 
his  native  town  and  there  he  received  the  pre- 
liminary courses  of  his  education,  attending  for  this 
purpose  the  parochial  and  public  schools  of  Woon- 
socket. Dr.  McLaughlin  graduated  from  the  Woon- 
socket High  School  with  the  class  of  1899  and  imme- 
diately afterwards  entered  Mount  St.  Mary's  College, 
Md.,  where  he  took  the  usual  classical  course  and  was 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in 
1902,  and  he  received  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts 
two  years  later.  The  young  man  had  already  deter- 
mined at  tliis  time  to  adojjt  the  profession  of  medi- 
cine, and  with  this  end  in  view  matriculated  at  the 
medical  school  of  Harvard  University,  where  in  1912 
he  was  graduated  with  the  medical  degree.  Dr.  Mc- 
Laughlin is  one  of  those  men  who  is  never  satisfied 
with  his  present  knowledge  but  continues  a  student 
indefinitely.  To  this  day  he  takes  post-graduate  work 
every  year  at  Harvard  University  and  thus  keeps  him- 
self in  touch  with  the  most  recent  progress  of  his 
science.  He  is  rightfully  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
progressive  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
physicians  of  Woonsocket  and  enjoy  a  wide  popular- 


ity. He  has  developed  a  very  large  general  prac- 
tice, which  extends  well  beyond  the  bounds  of  the 
city  of  Woonsocket,  and  no  man  engaged  in  medical 
practice  in  this  region  enjoys  to  a  higher  degree  the 
confidence  and  trust  not  only  of  the  community-at- 
large,  but  of  his  professional  colleagues,  all  of  whom 
admire  and  respect  him  both  on  account  of  his  ability 
and  the  high  standard  of  ethical  conduct  which  he 
maintains  in  all  the  relations  of  life.  Dr.  McLaughlin 
in  addition  to  his  private  practice  has  always  been 
actively  interested  in  the  public  life  of  the  commun- 
ity and,  as  already  mentioned,  held  a  number  of  im- 
portant posts  in  this  State.  .At  the  present  time  he 
holds  the  position  of  health  officer  of  Woonsocket  and 
is  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Health  and  the 
Woonsocket  Board  of  Health.  In  addition  to  this 
Dr.  McLaughlin  holds  the  post  of  visiting  physician 
at  St.  Joseph's  Hospital  at  Providence,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  staff  of  the  Woonsocket  Hospital,  at  Woon- 
socket. Dr.  McLaughlin  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in 
the  fraternal  and  social  life  of  this  city.  He  is  a 
member  of  a  number  of  important  organizations,  in- 
cluding the  local  lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  the 
Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  the  Independent  Order 
of  Foresters,  and  the  Order  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  the  World,  and  is  medical  examiner  for  the 
last  mentioned  organization.  He  is  also  affiliated  with 
the  local  council,  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Woon- 
socket Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Warwick  Club, 
as  well  as  the  Woonsocket  Medical  Society,  the  Rhode 
Island  Medical  Society,  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation, of  wdiich  he  is  a  fellow,  and  the  American 
Public  Health  Society.  In  his  religious  belief  Dr. 
McLaughlin  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  the 
Church  of  St.  Charles  in  Woonsocket. 

Dr.  McLaughlin  was  united  in  marriage,  November 
8,  191 1,  at  Brighton,  Mass.,  with  Bessie  J.  Welch. 


HAROLD  LIBBY,  physician,  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  October  31,  1885, 
son  of  Selig  and  Rachel  (Lipsky)  Libby.  His 
father  was  a  dry  goods  merchant  of  Providence  about 
1870,  and  five  years  later  established  himself  in  Bos- 
ton, continuing  until   1905,  when  he  retired. 

Dr.  Libby  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  October  31, 
1885,  and  there  completed  the  public  school  course  of 
study  with  graduation  from  high  school  in  1903.  The 
same  year  he  entered  Harvard  University,  whence  he 
was  graduated  A.  B.,  1907,  M.  D.,  1910.  For  one  year 
he  was  house  officer  at  St.  Joseph's  Hospital  at  Provi- 
dence, then  interne  at  the  New  York  Lying-In  Hos- 
pital until  December  31,  191 1,  when  he  located  in 
Providence,  beginning  private  practice  in  February, 
1912.  He  was  visiting  physician  to  the  North  End 
Dispensary  and  is  on  the  staff  of  the  Out-Patient  medi- 
cal department  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Providence  and  Rhode  Island  State 
medical  societies,  the  American  Medical  Association, 
the  Harvard  Club  of  Rhode  Island,  the  Jewish  Syna- 
gogue, and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.  Dr.  Libby  is 
establishing  a  good  practice  in  the  city  and  is  highly 
regarded   by  his  professional   brethren. 


'Tuy*--^j.(/^''^o^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


329 


EDWARD  JOSEPH  McCAFFREY— Among  the 
pruiniiu-iit  and  inthicntial  citizens  oi  I'rovidence  should 
be  mentioned  Edward  Joseph  McCaffrey,  a  manufac- 
turer, and  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Police  Commissioners  here.  Mr.  McCaffrey  is  a 
native  of  County  Roscommon,  Ireland,  where  his  birth 
occurred  November  28,  1877,  and  a  son  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (McDermott)  McCaffrey,  who  were  born 
and  married  there. 

Edward  Joseph  McCaffrey  was  but  five  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  came  to  the  United  States,  settling 
in  the  city  of  Providence,  where  they  have  since  made 
their  home.  It  was  here  that  the  childhood  and  early 
youth  of  Mr.  McCaffrey  was  spent,  and  here  he 
obtained  his  education,  attending  first  the  Providence 
grammar  school  and  later  the  high  school,  where  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1897,  afterward  being 
prepared  for  college.  From  childhood  Mr.  McCaffrey 
had  been  extremely  interested  in  all  chemical  sub- 
jects and,  accordingly,  upon  matriculating  at  Brown 
University^  in  that  year,  took  up  the  regular  chemical 
courses  and  special  courses  in  the  same  study,  with 
the  idea  of  making  this  his  profession  in  life.  He  was 
graduated  from  Brown  University  with  the  class  of 
1903,  taking  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Philosophy, 
and  at  once  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account 
as  a  manufacturing  chemist.  Not  long  after,  Mr.  Mc- 
Caffrey admitted  his  brother,  John  McCaffrey,  into 
partnership  with  him  and  extended  the  scope  of  his 
industry.  From  the  outset  this  was  a  notable  suc- 
cess and  the  concern  as'^umed  large  proportions, 
which  was  later  sold  to  the  What  Cheer  Chemical 
Company,  Inc.  Mr.  McCaffrey  and  his  brother  later 
established  the  Hope  Chemical  Company,  which  is  still 
in  progress  of  organization,  and  is  also  interested  in 
the  manufacturing  of  dyes  and  dye  intermatics.  In 
his  religious  belief  Mr.  McCaffrey  is  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic, and  attends  the  Church  of  St.  Sebastian's.  He 
has  ahv.iys  been  keenly  interested  in  educational 
works,  especially  those  concerning  his  imme<Iiate  home 
vicinity,  and  served  for  a  number  of  years  on  the 
school  committee  of  Providence,  being  elected  to  the 
school  cfimmittee  from  the  Third  Ward.  In  1913  he 
was  appointed  by  the  mayor  to  be  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Police  Commissioners  in  the  city  of  Provi- 
dence, and  his  handling  of  the  responsible  and  difficult 
matters  connected  with  this  post  has  been  of  such  a 
valuable  character  that  he  has  been  reappointed  ever 
since  that  time.  Mr.  McCaffrey  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  is  a  member  of  the  local  council  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  and  the  Catholic.  West  Side, 
Mctacomet  Golf  and  Pen  and  Pencil  clubs. 

Edward  Joseph  McCaffrey  was  united  in  marriage, 
November  10,  1909,  with  Mary  E.  Morrissey,  of  Mil- 
ton, Mass.,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  Mor- 
rissey, and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  as 
follows:  Elizabeth  Gibbons,  Mary  Virginia  and  Ed- 
ward Joseph,  Jr. 


CAMILLE  BOUCHER,  successful  proprietor  of 
the  large  grocery  store  and  market  at  Nos.  14  and  16 
Cumberland  street.  Woonsocket.  and  a  well  known 
and  highly  esteemed  resident  of  this  place,  is  a  native 


of  St.  Cuthbert,  Berthier  county,  province  of  Quebec, 
Canada,  where  his  birth  occurred  September  18,  1S71. 
Mr.  Boucher  is  a  son  of  Benoni  and  Josephine  (Grand- 
prc)  Boucher,  both  of  whom  were  born  at  the  town  of 
St.  Cuthbert,  in  the  county  of  Berthier,  and  the  prov- 
ince of  Quebec,  the  former  in  1816  and  the  latter  in 
1831.  The  elder  Mr.  Boucher  went  as  a  young  man 
to  California,  where  he  prospected  for  gold  and  was 
fortunate  enough  to  find  it  in  considerable  quantity. 
After  remaining  in  that  region,  however,  for  some 
time,  he  sold  his  mining  interests  and  returned  East, 
to  the  little  town  of  St.  Cuthbert,  where  he  was  mar- 
ried. He  then  moved  to  St.  Barthelemi,  where  he 
took  up  farming  and  met  with  a  considerable  degree 
of  success  in  that  enterprise.  In  the  year  1871  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  but 
ten  years  later  returned  to  his  old  home,  where  he 
died  in  1910.  Me  was  a  man  of  quiet  and  conservative 
habits  and  mind  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  his 
fellow-citizens  in  the  several  communities  where  he 
dwelt.  He  married  early  in  life  Josephine  Grandpre, 
a  young  lady  fifteen  years  his  junior,  who  survived 
him  for  one  year,  dying  in  191 1  in  Canada.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Boucher,  Sr.,  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  .\glae,  who  responded  to  a  very  definite 
call  to  the  religious  life  and  became  Sister  Marie 
Elise  of  the  Providence  Order  of  the  Mercy  Sis- 
ters at  Montreal,  where  she  died;  Henri,  who  is  now 
engaged  in  farming  at  St.  Barthelemi,  Canada; 
Arthemise,  who  also  became  a  Sister  of  the  Order  of 
Providence,  being  known  as  Sister  Boucher  after  her 
family  name,  and  is  now  also  deceased;  Philippe,  who 
makes  his  home  at  Woonsocket:  Clovie,  who  met  his 
death  by  drowning  in  an  accident  at  Woonsocket; 
Anna,  who  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Maillou,  of  St. 
Barthelemi.  and  is  now  deceased;  Maria,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Henri  Lanoix,  of  Maskinonge,  Canada,  and 
is  now  deceased;  Urgel,  who  is  now  following  the 
profession  of  civil  engineer  in  Canada  with  head- 
quarters at  Montreal;  Zennon,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
occupation  of  farming  at  St.  Barthelemi;  and  Camille, 
with  whose  career  we  are  especially  concerned.  Of 
these  children  Philippe  Boucher  is  also  the  subject 
of  extended  mention  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Most  of  the  childhood  and  early  life  of  Camille 
Boucher  was  passed  at  Woonsocket,  to  which  place 
his  parents  had  brought  him  when  very  young.  He 
attended  the  local  public  school  until  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  ten  years,  and  was  then  sent  to  St.  Bar- 
thelemi .Academy,  situated  in  his  native  town,  and 
there  took  a  course  of  three  years'  study.  He  was 
next  a  pupil  at  the  Jacques-Cartier  Normal  School  at 
Montreal,  where  he  took  the  usual  four  years'  course, 
and  graduated  with  the  class  of  1889.  Returning  to 
Woonsocket.  at  the  end  of  that  time,  the  young  man 
began  his  successful  business  career  tiy  working  for 
his  brother,  Philippe  Boucher,  in  the  latter's  success- 
ful grocery  business,  and  remained  thus  employed 
until  February  4,  1901.  The  young  man  was,  how- 
ever, of  an  exceedingly  ambitious  and  independent 
temperament,  and  it  was  his  strong  desire  to  be  en- 
gaged in  business  on  his  own  account.  Accordingly, 
when   the   opportunity  arose   on  the   day   above   men- 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


tioned,  he  severed  liis  connections  with  the  elder  man 
and  eslabhshed  himseh'  in  his  own  grocery  business  in 
Woonsocket.  His  store  was  situated  at  No.  8  Cum- 
berland street,  where  lie  remained,  meeting  with  a 
considerable  degree  of  success  until  May,  190S.  At 
that  time  his  business  had  grown  to  such  proportions 
that  the  little  place  on  Cumberland  street  was  inade- 
quate for  his  needs,  and  accordingly  the  young  man 
purchased  his  brother's  business  and  moved  to  his 
present  location  at  Nos.  14  and  16  Cumberland  street, 
where  he  has  since  remained.  Here  his  enterprise 
has  flourished  e.xceedingly  and  is  now  one  of  the  most 
important  of  its  kind  in  this  entire  region,  so  that  Mr. 
Boucher  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  capable 
and  progressive  merchants  in  Woonsocket.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  grocery  business,  Mr.  Boucher  is  exceed- 
ingly active  in  the  general  life  of  the  community  and 
is  affiliated  with  a  number  of  different  organizations, 
social  and  otherwise,  here.  He  is  particularly  inter- 
ested in  the  work  for  national  temperance  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Circle  Lacordaire  Temperance  Asso- 
ciation, Xo.  4,  of  Woonsocket.  He  has  done  some 
very  effective  work  for  this  cause  which  lies  nearest 
his  heart,  and  is  greatly  esteemed  by  his  colleagues 
on  this  account.  Mr.  Boucher  is  also  vice-president 
of  the  Social  Street  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Local 
Council  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  St.  John 
the  Baptiste  Society,  and  the  Sacred  Heart  Society  in 
connection  with  his  parish.  In  religious  belief  he  is 
a  staunch  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  St.  Ann's 
Church  in  Woonsocket.  He  is  also  ex-president  of 
St.  Ann's  Church  Band,  and  is  a  talented  musician 
himself. 

Camille  Boucher  was  united  in  marriage,  April  2, 
1894,  at  Woonsocket,  with  Mary  Louise  Jalbert,  of 
Woonsocket,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Julia  (Danis) 
Jalbert,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  here.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boucher  the  following  children  have 
been  born:  Horace,  born  Jan.  9,  1895,  died  Aug.  4, 
1918;  Blanche  Yvonne,  born  March  n.  1897;  Camilda 
Arthemise,  born  July  12.  1898.  who  with  her  elder  sis- 
ter are  graduates  of  St.  Hyacinthe's  College,  Canada, 
with  the  class  of  191 1;  she  was  married,  June  4,  1919, 
to  Anton  Langhammer,  instructor  in  the  University  at 
Morgantown,  W.  Va.;  Philippe,  torn  March  28, 
1900,  died  June,  1903;  Bertrand,  born  Oct.  17,  1902, 
now  a  graduate  of  the  Sacred  Heart  College  at 
Woonsocket  with  the  class  of  1919:  Beatrice,  born 
Dec.  27,  1903,  graduate  of  Sisters  of  Presentation  Con- 
vent in  1919;  Eva  Margurite.  born  March  8,  1908; 
Irene  Graziella,  born  Sept.  9,  1909:  and  Camille  Ray- 
mond, born  Jan.  27,  1914. 


JOHN  BARONE — .\mong  the  most  successful  and 
young  business  men  of  the  city  of  Providence  is  John 
Barone,  office  manager  of  the  firm  of  Frank  D.  Mc- 
Kendall,  a  member  of  the  City  Council  and  closely 
identified  with  the  general  life  of  the  community.  Mr. 
Barone  is  the  son  of  .Antonio  and  Isabella  (Deluca) 
Barone,  both  his  parents  having  been  born  in  Italy, 
coming  to  the  United  States  at  an  early  age,  where 
they  were  among  the  earliest  Italians  to  emigrate  to 
the   State   of   Rhode    Island.     Antonio    Barone    is   now 


living  retired  in  this  city,  his  wife  having  died  here  in 
the  year   1894. 

John  Barone  was  born  February  28,  1884,  at  Provi- 
dence, and  was  educated  in  the  grammar  schools  here. 
From  an  early  age  he  was  always  ambitious  to  engage 
in  active  business  life  and,  after  completing  his  studies 
in  the  city  institutions,  he  decided  to  give  up  further 
schooling  in  order  to  get  an  early  start  in  life.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  secured  a  position  with  Frank  D.  Mc- 
Kendall,  a  prominent  dealer  in  lumber  and  builders' 
materials  in  the  year  1898.  Mr.  Barone  started  in  a 
humble  clerical  position  in  the  office  of  this  concern, 
but  soon  showed  himself  to  be  of  value  to  his  em- 
ployer, who  recognized  his  alert  mind  and  consistent 
attention  to  work,  and  promoted  him  to  various  posi- 
tions, until  he  was  appointed  head  bookkeeper  and 
office  manager,  a  position  which  he  holds  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  Mr.  Barone  has  never  been  associated  with 
any  other  concern,  but  through  his  capable  and  effi- 
cient work  as  manager  of  this  large  establishment,  he 
has  won  for  himself  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  busi- 
ness circles  of  the  city.  In  addition  to  his  activities 
in  this  connection,  Mr.  Barone  has  made  himself 
something  of  a  leader  in  political  circles  here,  and 
has  held  several  public  offices.  He  has  shown  himself 
unusually  well  qualified  to  take  part  in  this  kind  of 
work,  and  enjoys  a  wide  popularity  in  his  district  and 
among  the  Italian  residents  of  the  State.  He  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics  and  for  six  years  served  on  the 
school  committee  of  his  ward,  serving  during  this  time 
on  several  important  sub-committees  and  devoting 
himself  with  energy  and  enthusiasm  to  improving  the 
schools  of  the  city.  In  the  year  1916,  he  was  appointed 
to  the  City  Council,  upon  which  body  he  is  now  serv- 
ing with  efficiency  and  ability,  his  influence  always 
being  exerted  in  the  course  of  reform  and  the  better- 
ment of  municipal  institutions.  Mr.  Barone  is  a  Ro- 
man Catholic  in  his  religious  belief  and  attends  St. 
Ann's  Church  of  this  denomination.  He  was  very 
active  in  the  work  of  the  parish,  and  at  one  time 
served  as  secretary  of  the  school  corporation,  from 
which  position  he  has  recently  resigned.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  having  joined 
the  local  council  at  the  time  of  its  organization,  when 
he  was  elected  its  first  grand  knight,  a  position  that 
he  continued  to  hold  for  five  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Providence  Fraternity  and  is  at  the  present  time 
treasurer  of  the  Verdi  Lodge  of  same.  Mr.  Barone 
has  always  been  intensely  interested  in  musical  and 
dramatic  affairs,  and  although  not  himself  a  musician, 
is  now  serving  as  the  president  of  the  Providence 
Musical  and  Dramatic  Club. 

John  Barone  was  united  in  marriage,  September  5, 
1905,  at  St.  Ann's  Church,  Providence,  with  Victoria 
Campanini,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Vincenza  Cam- 
panini,  by  whom  he  has  had  four  children,  as  follows: 
Anthony  John;  Phillip  William;  Antoinette  Vin- 
cenza. all  of  whom  are  now  pupils  in  the  local  public 
school,  and  John,  Jr.,  an  infant. 


D.  H.  FARRAR — There  are  few  men  to  whom  the 
term  "a  self-made  man"  may  be  more  appropriately 
applied  than  to   D.   H.   Farrar,  one  of  the  owners  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


331 


the  Woonsocket  Lumber  Company,  a  man  who  lias 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  business  life  of  the  com- 
munity for  many  years,  and  has,  through  his  own 
efforts,  raised  himself  to  a  position  of  influence  and 
prominence  among  his  fellow-citizens,  both  in  the 
business  world  and  in  other  departments  of  the  place. 
Mr.  Farrar  is  a  native  of  Woonsocket,  where  he  was 
born  May  4,  1885,  and  a  son  of  Thomas  Henry  and 
Laura  A.  (Frost)  Farrar,  both  of  whom  survive 
to-day.  The  elder  Mr.  Farrar,  like  his  son,  is  a  native 
of  Woonsocket,  and  has  been  for  many  years  em- 
ployed as  an  expert  wool  sorter  in  the  factories  of 
this  region.  The  education  of  D.  H.  Farrar  was 
secured  at  the  public  schools  of  Woonsocket.  but  the 
financial  circumstances  of  his  family  were  such  that 
it  became  necessary  for  him  to  give  up  his  studies 
when  but  fifteen  years  of  age  and  secure  some  remun- 
erative employment.  .\ccordingIy,  he  secured  a  posi- 
tion with  the  Woonsocket  Lumber  Company,  with 
which  be  has  been  associated  in  various  difTercnt  ca- 
pacities ever  since.  His  first  position  was  a  compara- 
tively humble  one,  but  he  soon  proved  his  value  to 
his  employers  and  worked  his  way  up.  serving  in  all 
the  various  departments  of  the  concern.  The  Woon- 
socket Lumber  Company  is  one  of  the  oldest  if  not 
the  very  oldest  enterprise  of  its  kind  in  this  region, 
and  from  its  earliest  organization  has  borne  the 
same  name.  It  was  established  by  Elliott  Nathaniel, 
about  1862,  and  some  years  later  was  purchased  by 
Benjamin  Hawkins,  a  prominent  business  man  of  that 
time  here.  Still  later  it  fell  in  the  hands  of  the  Woon- 
socket Spool  it  Bobbin  Company,  who  eventually  sold 
it  to  Dexter  B.  Clark  and  .\.  W.  Bucklin.  who  estab- 
lished the  name  of  the  Woonsocket  Lumber  Com- 
pany. These  gentlemen  ran  it  in  association  until 
the  death  of  the  latter,  after  which  Mr.  Clark  con- 
tinued its  operation  until  January  7,  1916,  when  it  was 
purchased  by  Mr.  Farrar  and  his  present  partner, 
Paul  Lavinodicre.  These  gentlemen  removed  it  from 
its  old  location  on  North  ^L^in  street  to  Xo.  58  Rivu- 
let street.  They  have  erected  entirely  new  buildings, 
equipped  with  all  modern  devices  and  appliances  for 
handling  and  storing  lumber  in  its  various  forms. 
About  half  of  the  property  is  covered  with  buildings 
and  the  rest  is  used  as  yards  for  lumber.  At  the 
present  time  the  Woonsocket  Lumber  Company  does  a 
large  and  remunerative  business  and  hardly  a  pub- 
lic building  in  this  community  has  been  erected  which 
does  not  contain  some  of  their  output.  Many  resi- 
dences have  been  constructed  of  the  material  stored 
and  manufactured  in  their  plant,  and  they  also  do  a 
large  trade  at  U.\bridge,  Millville  and  Blackstone, 
Mass..  and  at  North  Smithfield,  Cumberland,  and  Lin- 
coln, in  this  State.  During  the  busy  season  they  cm- 
ploy  as  many  as  twenty-five  men.  Mr.  Farrar  him- 
self enjoys  a  reputation  second  to  none,  both  for 
integrity,  business  ability  and  foresight,  and  the  work 
and  material  which  comes  from  this  plant  is  counted 
upon  as  being  of  the  most  reliable  quality. 

The  business  activities  of  Mr.  Farrar  have  pre- 
vented him  from  taking  active  part  in  public  life.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  his  political  belief  and  takes  a 
keen  interest  in  all  public  issues,  whether  of  local  or 


national  significance.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Far- 
rar is  an  Episcopalian  and  attends  the  St.  James' 
Church  of  that  denomination  here.  He  is  also  a  prom- 
inent figure  in  social  and  fraternal  circles,  and  is  a 
member  (if  a  number  of  important  organizations  here, 
including  the  W'oonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the 
Kawanis  Club.  Morning  Star  Lodge,  No.  13,  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  the  W^oonsocket  Lodge,  Benev- 
olent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the  local 
organizations  of  the  Junior  Order  of  Mechanics,  and 
the   New   England  Workmen. 

Mr.  Farrar  was  united  in  marriage,  October  4.  1910, 
at  Fall  River,  Mass..  with  Bessie  Gregson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  William  11.  and  Catherine  (Cranshaw) 
Gregson,  the  latter  now  residing  in  W'oonsocket.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farrar  three  children  have  been  born: 
Edith,  Catherine  and   Phillis. 


SIMON  GEILECH  LENZNER— Dr.  Lcnzner  re- 
qi:ire5  no  introduction  to  his  fellow  citizens.  Over 
and  above  his  professional  reputation  at  home  his 
record  of  service  in  France  during  the  World  War 
placed  him  among  those  of  his  fraternity  who  conse- 
crated their  talents  to  the  cause  of  their  country  and 
of  civilization. 

Isaac  Lenzner,  father  of  Simon  Geilech  Lenzner, 
is  now  living  in  Trenton,  N.  J.,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  the  furniture  business.  He  married  Jeannette 
Geilech,  and  their  children  are:  Simon  Geilech,  men- 
tioned below:  Harry,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  now  practising  law  in  New  York 
City;  Oscar,  studying  dentistry  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania;  Joseph,  in  the  Trenton  High  School; 
Isidor,  in  the  same  school;  Sadie,  wife  of  Daniel 
Snyder,  of  Providence,  K.  I.;  and  Augusta,  at  school 
in  Trenton. 

Simon  Geilech  Lenzner,  son  of  Isaac  and  Jeannette 
f  Geilech)  Lenzner,  was  born  August  16.  1889,  in  New 
York  City,  where  he  received  his  rudimentary  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools,  also  attending  those  of 
Trenton,  N.  J.  In  1908  he  graduated  from  the  New 
York  High  School  and  then  spent  two  years  at  the 
New  York  University,  also  studying  at  the  summer 
school  of  Columbia  University.  He  then  entered  the 
University  of  Maryland.  Baltimore,  graduating  in  1912 
with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  After  serv- 
ing for  a  time  as  interne  at  St.  Michael's  Hospital, 
Newark,  N.  J.,  Dr.  Lenzner  liecame  senior  assistant 
resident  surgeon  at  the  New  York  Lying-in  Hospi- 
tal, and  Sloan's  Hospital,  and  while  filling  these  two 
appointments  he  decided  that  Providence,  R.  I., 
should  be  his  field  for  independent  practice.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  1914,  Dr.  Lenzner  came  to  Providence 
and  opened  an  oflfice,  beginning  at  once  to  build  up  a 
profitable  practice.  In  addition  to  engaging  exten- 
sively in  general  medical  work  he  specializes  in  sur- 
gery, having  acquired  an  enviable  reputation  for  skill 
and  knowledge  in  both  these  branches.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  staff  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  serving  in 
the  out-patient  surgical  department,  and  holding  the 
same  position  in  the  North  End  Dispensary.  He  be- 
longs to  the  American  Medical  .Association,  the  Rhode 
Island   Medical   Society,  the   Providence   Medical   So- 


zi2 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ciety  and  the  Zeta  Beta  Tan  fraternity.  His  religious 
affiliations  are  with  Temple  Bethel.  In  the  sphere  of 
politics  he  is  an  independent  voter. 

When  the  United  States  entered  the  World  War, 
Dr.  Lenzner  was  among  the  first  to  offer  his  services 
to  the  government,  enlisting  in  June.  1917,  in  the 
Medical  Corps  and  receiving  a  commission  as  first 
lieutenant.  He  was  assigned  to  Camp  Greenleaf, 
being  subsequently  transferred  to  Camp  Wadsworth. 
In  July,  1918,  he  was  assigned  to  No.  5J,  Pioneer  In- 
fantry, .American  E.xpeditionary  Forces,  up  until  the 
armistice,  then  transferred  to  Base  Hospital  No.  69, 
where  he  served  through  the  entire  campaigns  of  St. 
Mihiel  and  the  Argonne-Meuse.  On  February  17, 
1919,  he  was  promoted  to  captain,  and  on  March  17, 
1919,  received  an  honorable  discharge.  He  returned 
to  Providence  and  resumed  practice,  showing  in  his 
alert,  soldiery  bearing  the  stamp  of  his  two  years' 
military  experience.  Dr.  Lenzner  married,  June  i, 
1916,  Jcannette  Brooks,  daughter  of  George  B. 
Brooks,  of  Providence.  Almost  at  the  outset  of  his 
career.  Dr.  Lenzner  has  made  for  himself  a  record, 
both  in  peace  and  war,  which  promises  increasing 
professional  distinction  as  the  years  go  on. 


REV.  JOSEPH  P.  COLEMAN— As  the  pastor  oi 
St.  Agnes'  Roman  Catholic  Church,  Rev.  Coleman  is 
well  known  to  a  majority  of  the  citizens  of  Providence 
to  whom  he  had  previously  been  a  familiar  presence 
by  reason  of  his  labors  both  as  an  ecclesiastic  and  an 
instructor.  Father  Coleman  is  also  a  public  spirited 
citizen,  taking  a  helpful  interest  in  all  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  improvement  of  conditions  in  his  home  com- 
munity. 

Patrick  H.  Coleman,  father  of  Joseph  P.  Coleman, 
was  born  in  1849,  in  County  Roscommon,  Ireland,  and 
as  a  young  man  came  to  the  United  States,  settling  in 
Providence,  where  lie  engaged  in  business  with  a 
plumbing  concern.  He  married  Margaret  Tague,  a 
i;ative  of  County  Leitrim,  Ireland,  and  their  children 
were:  James  H.;  William  C;  John  M.:  Thomas  F.; 
Margaretta,  deceased;  Joseph  P.,  mentioned  below; 
and  George  \'.,  who  graduated  from  Holy  Cross  Col- 
lege in  1915  with  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  and 
from  Harvard  Medical  School  in  1919  with  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine,  now  serving  as  interne  in  Rhode 
Island  Hospital.  All  the  sons  are  residents  of  Provi- 
dence. Mr.  Coleman,  the  father,  died  December  i, 
1899. 

Joseph  P.  Coleman,  son  of  Patrick  H.  and  Margaret 
(Tague)  Coleman,  was  born  March  16,  18S0,  in  Provi- 
dence, and  received  his  preparatory  education  in  pub- 
lic and  high  schools  of  his  native  city.  He  then  entered 
Holy  Cross  College,  class  of  1900,  passing  thence  to 
St.  John's  Seminary,  Brighton,  Mass.,  class  of  1904. 
In  Providence,  on  June  29,  1904,  he  was  ordained  by 
Bishop  Hawkins  and  was  immediately  appointed  cur- 
ate at  St.  Joseph's  Church.  After  faithfully  minister- 
ing there  for  fifteen  years  he  was  appointed,  in  May, 
1919,  pastor  of  St.  Agnes'  Parish. 

For  a  short  time  Rev.  Coleman  acted  as  assistant 
in  a  Roman  Catholic  school  and  for  ten  years  he  filled 
the  position  of  instructor  in   Christian  doctrine  in  St. 


Joseph's  School.  At  the  time  of  the  death  of  Bishop 
Doran,  Father  Coleman  had  been  his  assistant  for  a 
considerable  period.  He  is  chaplain  to  Providence 
Council,  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  a  member  of  the 
Holy  Cross  Alumni  of  Rhode  Island.  In  1911  Holy 
Cross  College  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  degree 
of  Master  of  Arts.  By  his  fidelity  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties  as  pastor,  instructor  and  citizen  Father 
Joseph  P.  Coleman  has  set  an  example  worthy  to  be 
emulated  not  only  by  the  youth  of  his  own  parish,  but 
also  by  the  entire  body  of  the  younger  generation  of 
his   fellow  citizens. 


THOMAS     HENRY     O'BRIEN  — After     several 

years'  experience  as  an  enamcler  of  jewelry,  Mr. 
O'Brien  engaged  as  a  manufacturer  of  the  same  com- 
modity and  became  so  important  a  factor  in  the  busi- 
ness that  his  plant  was  bought  by  Carpenter  &  Wood, 
Inc.,  Mr.  O'Brien  being  made  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  the  purchasing  company.  He  is  a  man  young 
in  years,  his  business  career  beginning  at  the  age  of 
thirteen,  but  his  rise  has  been  constant  and  he  is  a  fine 
example  of  the  prosperous  self-made  man.  He  became 
interested  in  enamel  and  enameling  first  as  an  em- 
ployee of  Philip  Wunderle,  and  after  that  his  interest 
became  deeply  personal.  He  pursued  a  course  of 
study  in  chemistry  bearing  directly  upon  the  making 
of  jeweler's  enamel  and  in  time  he  became  an  expert 
enameler  and  manufacturer.  The  house  of  Carpenter 
&  Wood,  Inc.,  manufacturers  of  jewelers'  enamel,  sell 
their  products  all  over  the  United  States,  export  to 
Canada  and  Australia,  in  fact,  sell  wherever  there  are 
manufacturing   jewelers. 

Thomas  H.  O'Brien  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
January  19.  1884.  a  son  of  Thomas  H.  and  Jennie 
(Miner)  C)'Brien,  his  father  deceased  since  1886,  his 
mother  yet  living  (1919).  ."Mter  attending  primary 
and  grammar  schools  until  he  was  thirteen  years  of 
age,  the  lad,  Thomas  H.,  who  was  left  fatherless  at  the 
age  of  two  years,  began  his  business  life  with  the 
Davol  Rubber  Company,  remaining  with  them  five 
years.  He  then  spent  a  short  time  with  the  J.  H.  Col- 
lingwood  Company,  but  remained  with  his  next  em- 
ployer, C.  H.  Miller  Company,  for  five  years.  One 
year  was  then  spent  in  the  automobile  business.  At 
the  close  of  this  year  in  the  automobile  business  he 
again  entered  the  enamel  business.  Three  years  were 
spent  again  with  the  C.  H.  Miller  Company,  Mr. 
O'Brien  however,  continuing  his  studies  and  experi- 
menting and  preparing  to  begin  business  for  himself. 

Leaving  the  C.  H.  Miller  Company  in  1913,  he  began 
business  as  an  enamel  manufacturer,  continuing  very 
successfully  until  January  I.  1916,  when  he  became 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  Carpenter  &  Wood,  Inc., 
that  corporation  having  bought  his  business.  The 
plant  is  located  at  No.  27  Matthewson  street.  Provi- 
dence, the  company  a  large  and  prosperous  manufac- 
ture of  jewelers'  enamel.  They  are  the  oldest  com- 
pany in  Rhode  Island  in  that  business,  having  been 
founded  in  1879  by  A.  I.  Carpenter  and  E.  B.  Wood, 
they  operating  as  a  partnership  until  1908.  The  busi- 
iess  was  continued  by  C.  H.  Weeden  until  1913,  and 
was  incorporated  the  same  year  as  Carpenter  &  Wood, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


333 


,Inc.,  the  present  management  assuming  control  in 
1916:  Charles  H.  Weeden,  president;  Thomas  H. 
O'Brien,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  O'Brien  is  a 
member  01  St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
Providence  Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  and  other  organizations,  his  political  I'ailh. 
Republican. 

Mr.    O'Brien    married,    .Xpril    28,    1916,    Jennie    G. 
Shannon,  of  Providence. 


STEPHEN  D.  WATSON,  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful real  estate  operators  in  tliis  region  and  a  promi- 
nent and  influential  citizen  oi  Providence,  is  a  son  of 
Moses  L.  and  Lotisa  V.  (Crossett)  Watson,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  the  town  of  Hookset, 
X.  H.,  where  they  resided  for  many  years,  and  where 
tlie  former  was  born  in  1840.  He  was  a  contractor, 
and  died  in  the  year  1900.  He  married  Lotisa  V. 
Crossett,  of  VVaterl)ury,  Vt.,  where  she  was  born  in 
1845,  and  died  at  Providence.  R.  L,  in  the  year  1907. 
The  elder  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  were  the  parents  of 
tlic  following  children:  Stephen  D.,  with  whose 
career  we  are  here  especially  concerned;  Eliza  P.,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Charles  Hopkins;  Francis  H., 
John  B.  .-MI  of  these  children  continue  to  reside  at 
Providence. 

Stephen  D.  Watson  is  a  native  of  Hookset,  \.  H., 
where  his  birth  occurred.  February  22,  1864.  The  first 
ten  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  his  native  place  and 
he  then  came  to  Providence,  where  he  attended  the 
grammar  and  high  school  grades.  Upon  completing 
his  studies  at  these  institutions  Mr.  Watson  secured 
a  position  in  a  clerical  capacity  in  a  general  store  at 
North  Dighton,  Mass.,  but  some  time  later,  perceiv- 
ing the  great  opportunities  that  awaited  the  energetic 
man  in  this  line  of  business,  severed  his  connection 
with  the  old  firm  and  removing  to  Providence  estab- 
lished a  general  store  in  association  with  his  brother, 
F.  H.  Watson.  F'or  two  years  he  continued  in  this 
occupation  and  then  entered  the  contracting  business 
in  partnership  with  his  brother,  doing  much  road 
work,  teaming,  etc.  Mr.  Watson  continued  in  this 
line  for  upwards  of  twenty  years,  and  during  this 
period,  went  for  a  time  to  N'orfolk,  Va.,  where  he 
engaged  in  real  estate  operations  but  shortly  after- 
wards returned  to  the  old  place.  It  was  in  the  year 
191 1  that  Mr.  Watson  finally  gave  up  contracting  and 
entered  the  present  real  estate  business,  in  which  he 
is  now  engaged.  In  this  enterprise  he  is  associated 
with  his  brother,  F.  H.  Watson,  under  the  firm  name 
of  S.  D.  &  F.  H.  Watson.  Their  line  is  the  develop- 
ment of  suburban  property,  and  they  are  the  owners  of 
extensive  tracts  of  land  in  Warwick  and  Cranston, 
R.  I.,  and  Fall  River,  Mass.  In  addition  to  this  Mr. 
Watson  is  a  director  in  the  East  Fairmont  Corpora- 
tion. The  great  demands  made  upon  his  time  and  at- 
tention by  his  business  have  rendered  it  impossible  for 
Mr.  Watson  to  take  tliat  active  part  in  public  affairs 
for  which  he  is  so  well  qualified  by  his  numerous  tal- 
ents and  wide  experience  in  practical  matters.  He  is, 
however,  a  member  01  the  local  lodge,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  while  he  finds  his  single  recreation  in  driving 
his  automobile. 


Stephen  D.  Watson  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb- 
ruary 13,  1890,  at  Camden,  N.  C,  with  Florence  G. 
Halstead,  a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Helen  (Farabee) 
Halstead,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that 
place.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  the  following  chil- 
dren have  been  born:  Percy  L.,  born  in  Oct.,  1891, 
and  now  engaged  in  business  as  a  civil  engineer  at 
Miami,  Fla;  Alvcrsia  V.,  born  in  -Aug.,  1893;  Moses 
L.,  born  in  Aug.,  1896,  and  now  employed  as  a  sales- 
man with  the  Brown  Howland  Company  of  Provi- 
dence. 


THOMAS  READY— When  wo  add  to  this  name 
the  words,  "Proprietor  of  the  Providence  Lubricating 
Company,"  we  describe  one  of  the  most  active  and  suc- 
cessful business  men  of  a  progressive  city.  Mr.  f^eady, 
after  a  somewhat  adventurous  and  eventful  career  has 
achieved  success  and  at  the  same  time  has  made  for 
himself  a  place  among  the  successful  citizens  of 
Providence. 

Michael  Ready,  father  of  Thomas  Ready,  was  born 
in  County  Tipperary  (or  County  Waterford),  Ireland, 
and  as  a  young  man  emigrated  to  the  L'nited  States, 
settling  in  Provincetown.  Mass.  There  he  filled  the 
position  of  boss  stevedore  for  tlie  firm  of  E.  &  E.  R. 
Cook  &  Company  until  1872,  when  he  moved  to  Lons- 
dale, where  he  engaged  in  farming.  He  married 
Mary  Connors,  a  native  of  the  same  county  as  him- 
self, and  their  children  were:  Thomas,  mentioned 
below;  Walter,  deceased;  John;  Catherine,  deceased; 
Annie;  and  Mary,  deceased.  Mr.  Ready  died  in  1887, 
and  his  widow  passed  away  in  1889. 

Thomas  Ready,  son  of  Michael  and  Mary  (Connors) 
Ready,  was  born  December  8,  1855,  in  Provincetown, 
Mass.,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  found  employment  in 
the  sea  fisheries,  continuing  to  attend  school  during 
the  winter  months.  In  1872,  when  the  family  moved 
to  Lonsdale,  R.  I.,  he  worked  for  a  time  in  the  bleach- 
ery  of  that  town,  but  at  the  age  of  nineteen  went  on 
a  whaling  voyage  in  the  ship  ".•\licia."  He  was  absent 
a  year  cruising  in  the  south  seas,  and  on  his  return  to 
Lonsdale  resumed  work  in  the  bleachery.  Not  to 
remain  long,  however,  for  he  soon  became  traveling 
salesman  for  Bush  and  Gagnon.  He  ne.xt  went  to 
Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  where  he  engaged  in  business  on 
his  own  account,  but  soon  returned  to  the  calling  of 
a  traveling  salesman,  this  time  in  the  service  of  Burke 
Brothers,  wholesale  liquor  dealers.  J-le  was  then,  for 
nine  years,  associated  with  Calef  Brothers,  dealers  in 
greases  and  tallow,  and  then  went  to  Brooklyn,  X.  Y., 
where  he  learned  the  manufacturing  end  of  the 
business. 

After  working  for  a  time  as  traveling  salesman  for 
F.  A.  Saylor,  of  Phillipsdale,  R.  L,  Mr.  Ready  estab- 
lished himself  in  business  on  South  Water  street,  man- 
ufacturing lubricating  greases.  The  enterprise  pros- 
pered, the  growth  of  the  business  obliging  him,  in  the 
course  of  time,  to  take  in  all  the  buildings  from  No. 
368,  where  he  was  already  established,  to  No.  466 
South  Water  street.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
before  going  into  business  for  himself  Mr.  Ready  had 
become  a  resident  of  Providence  and  that  that  city 
has  been,  ever  since,  the  center  of  his  interests.     In 


334 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  quarters  which  lie  now  occupies,  he  carries  on  a 
flourishing  and  steadily  increasing  business.  As  a 
young  man  Mr.  Ready  was  a  wrestler  of  renown,  con- 
tending with  some  of  the  most  noted  practitioners  of 
the  art  in  the  United  States  and  in  England,  and  for 
many  years  he  was  active  in  all  athletic  sports.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Cathedral  (Roman  Catholic) 
Parish. 

Mr.  Ready  married,  in  1S92,  in  Lonsdale,  Ellen 
Moore,  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Ellen  (Ryan)  Moore, 
of  Smithfield.  and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Catherine  A.;  Mary,  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Greves.  of  Providence;  and  Walter,  now  asso- 
ciated in  business  with  his  father.  Mrs.  Ready  died 
in  March,  1916.  Thomas  Ready  is  a  useful  citizen, 
respected  both  in  business  circles  and  municipal 
affairs.  He  is  the  kind  of  man  whom  every  community 
needs. 


MICHAEL  NICHOLAS  CARDARELLl,  a  prom- 
inent citizen  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  business  as  a  real  estate  and  insurance  agent,  is 
a  native  of  Hammonton.  N.  J.,  where  he  was  born 
June  15,  1886.  Mr.  Cardarelli  is  a  son  of  Francesco 
and  Criscenza  (Cuculo)  Cardarelli,  both  his  parents 
having  been  born  in  the  village  of  Fontegreca,  Prov- 
ince of  Caserta,  Italy,  and  now  making  their  home  at 
Providence.  The  elder  Mr.  Cardarelli  had  been  a  sol- 
dier during  his  youth  and  served  under  Gen.  Garibaldi 
in  the  Italian  War  of  Liberation  in  1870.  He  had  also 
taken  part  in  several  battles  during  the  previous  war, 
but  in  1874  brought  his  family  to  the  LTnited  States, 
and  for  a  time  lived  at  Hammonton,  N.  J.  Later  he 
removed  to  Providence,  in  1889,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  grocery  business,  and  he  is  now,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years,  still  active  in  this  line,  and  ranks 
as  one  of  the  leading  grocers  in  this  city.  He  met 
with  severe  business  reverses  at  one  time,  but  after- 
wards reestablished  himself  in  the  grocery  business  and 
has  continued  therein  up  to  the  present  time.  In  addi- 
tion to  their  son,  Michael  Nicholas  Cardarelli,  with 
whose  career  we  are  here  especially  concerned,  the 
elder  Mr.  Cardarelli  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of 
two  daughters,  as  follows:  Giovanna,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Antonio  A.  Mariani;  and  Irene,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Antonio  M.  Frattarclli. 

The  education  of  Michael  Nicholas  Cardarelli  was 
brought  to  an  abrupt  termination  after  one  term  in 
the  Providence  High  School  by  the  business  reverses 
suffered  by  his  father,  which  rendered  it  necessary 
that  he  should  engage  in  some  remunerative  occupa- 
tion. He  had  already  worked  as  an  errand  boy  in  a 
jewelry  store  during  his  school  vacation,  but  after 
giving  up  his  studies,  he  secured  a  regular  position 
with  the  Theodore  Foster  Company,  a  firm  of  jew- 
elers in  this  city,  .^fter  remaining  a  short  period  with 
this  concern,  he  became  apprenticed  to  the  Messier 
Jewelry  Company,  and  there  started  to  learn  the  jew- 
elry trade.  He  did  not  continue  in  this  line,  how- 
ever, but  after  one  year  gave  it  up  and  secured  a  posi- 
tion with  the  Rhode  Island  Tool  Company.  He 
worked  in  the  inspector's  room  of  this  concern  for 
about  eighteen  months,  and  was  then  given  a  position 


in  the  grocery  establishment  of  the  Aldridge-EIdridge 
Company.  Later  he  worked  as  a  shipping  and  receiv- 
ing clerk  for  two  years  with  Caproni  Brothers,  after 
which  he  first  became  acquainted  with  the  insurance 
business  as  a  clerk  in  the  local  office  of  the  Metro- 
politan Life  Insurance  Company.  The  next  position 
held  by  Mr.  Cardarelli  was  as  salesman  for  the  F.  M. 
Tuell  Company  for  whom  he  traveled  to  various  parts 
of  the  country,  proving  himself  of  great  value  to  his 
employers.  It  was  during  this  time  that  Mr.  Carda- 
relli first  began  to  deal  in  real  estate  in  a  small  way 
and  from  1909  to  1913  he  gradually  worked  up  so  large 
a  business  that  in  the  latter  year  he  was  able  to  sever 
his  connections  with  the  tool  company  and  engage  in 
the  real  estate  and  insurance  business  on  his  own 
account.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Cardarelli  has  met  with 
a  very  marked  success,  and  is  now  one  of  the  most 
prominent  men  in  the  line  hereabouts.  For  about 
eighteen  months  he  acted  as  real  estate  agent  and 
interpreter  for  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hart- 
ford Railroad,  during  the  improvements  made  by  that 
concern  in  the  northern  part  of  this  city.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  he  handles  principally  improved  property, 
and  does  a  very  large  high  class  business.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  many  business  activities,  Mr.  Cardarelli 
has  been  very  prominent  in  local  affairs,  and  is  high  in 
the  local  councils  of  the  Democratic  party.  Some 
years  ago  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  school  com- 
mittee from  the  Third  Ward  and  still  holds  that  posi- 
tion. In  1919  he  was  a  Democratic  candidate  to  the 
.State  Assembly,  from  the  Sixth  Assembly  District  of 
Rhode  Island,  and  after  an  active  campaign  was  suc- 
cessfully elected  to  this  responsible  post,  which  he 
still  holds  at  the  present  time.  The  success  which 
Mr.  Cardarelli  has  made  in  politics  has  been  due  en- 
tirely to  his  own  efforts  and  to  a  very  pleasant,  genial 
manner  and  personality,  a  combination  with  a  real 
concern  for  the  best  interests  of  the  constituency 
which  he  represents.  In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Roman  Catholic  and  attends  St.  Ann's  Church  of  this 
denomination  here.  He  is  also  past  grand  knight  of 
J.  A.  Finnegan  Council,  and  a  member  of  St.  .A.nthony 
Council,  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  at  the  present  time 
holds  office  of  treasurer  for  the  same.  Mr.  Carda- 
relli is  also  associated  with  the  local  lodge  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  Provi- 
dence, and  is  an  honorary  member  of  the  Madonna 
Delia  Carita  and  Santa  Lucia  clubs.  As  a  young  man 
he  was  always  keenly  interested  in  athletics  and  was 
himself  a  very  creditable  athlete,  being  an  expert 
wrestler  and  ball  player,  and  at  one  time  played  pro- 
fessional baseball  for  a  local  club. 

Michael  Nicholas  Cardarelli  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, on  January  22,  1917,  with  Bessie  M.  Welsford, 
at  Providence,  a  daughter  of  W'alter  G.  and  Mary 
(.•\bram)  Welsford,  and  a  member  of  a  Canadian  fam- 
ily of  English  descent.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cardarelli, 
two  children  have  been  born,  as  follows:  Esther 
Isabella  and  Jennie   May. 


ANTONIO   GIOVANNI   FIDANZA— Among  the 

most  active  and  successful   of  the  younger  physicians 
of   Providence  and   OIneyville,   Dr.   Antonio   Giovanni 


UM4^U^ti0  y^  ^^^^  ^,^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


335 


Fidanza  is  a  prominent  figure  and  is  now  regarded 
as  one  of  the  leading  members  of  his  profession  here. 
Dr.  Fidanza  is  a  native  of  Wilmington,  Del.,  where 
his  birth  occurred  February  21,  1887.  a  son  of  Nicho- 
las and  Carmclla  (DeLcIlis)  Fidanza,  the  former  being 
a  retired  contractor,  of  \\'ilmingti)n.  TIic  childhood 
and  early  life  of  Dr.  Fidanza  were  spent  in  his  native 
city  and  it  was  there  that  he  attended  the  public  schools 
for  his  preliminary  education.  He  graduated  in  the 
year  1903  from  Wilmington  High  School,  and  having 
determined  upon  the  profession  of  medicine  as  a 
career  in  life,  entered  the  University  College  of  Medi- 
cine at  Richmond,  V'irginia.  Here  he  established  an 
enviable  reputation  for  scholarship  and  general  good 
character,  and  won  the  favorable  regard  of  his  mas- 
ters and  instructors  there.  He  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1908,  receiving  at  the  same  time  his  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  Dr.  Fidanza  then  passed  the 
necessary  examinations  to  permit  of  his  practice  in 
Delaware,  but  changing  his  mind,  came  to  fihode 
Island  in  the  same  year  (1908)  and  has  practised  here 
ever  since.  Dr.  Fidanza  rapidly  won  the  confidence  of 
the  community  where  he  settled  and  has  now  built  up 
a  large  general  practice  and  is  highly  successful.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Medical  Society,  the 
Rhode  Island  Medical  /Vssociation,  and  the  .\merican 
Medical  .Association.  In  his  religious  belief  Dr.  Fi- 
danza is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  St.  Bartholo- 
mew's Church  of  this  denomination  at  Olncyville.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Society 
of  the  Sons  of  Italy,  and  some  fourteen  other  Italian 
societies  and  other  organizations.  Dr.  Fidanza's 
office  is  situated  at  No.  240  Pocasset  avenue,  and  he 
is  very  prominent  in  Italian  circles  here. 

Dr.  P^idanza  was  united  in  marriage,  .-\pril  23,  1912, 
with  Annie  E.  Rice,  who  at  that  time  was  a  teacher 
in  the  public  schools  of  Providence.  One  child  has 
been  born  of  this  union,  Carmella  M.   Fidanza. 


JOHN  KENNEDY— Among  those  who  are  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  baking  business  of  the  city 
of  Providence  is  John  Kennedy.  He  is  of  Scotch 
descent,  son  of  Gavin  and  Elizabeth  (Gillon)  Kennedy. 
His  father  was  a  successful  business  man  of  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
and  retail  baking  business.  Of  a  family  of  thirteen 
children  six  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  four 
brothers,  John,  Robert,  James,  and  Gavin.  They 
became  residents  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  Gavin  Ken- 
nedy's death  occurring  in  March,  191,1.  Two  sisters, 
Susan,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  Robertson, 
and  Elizabeth,  who  married  Thomas  Lambie,  also 
came  to  .America.  Their  parents  both  died  in  Glas- 
gow, Scotland. 

John  Kennedy  was  born  in  Glasgow.  Scotland,  June 
18,  1855.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city.  At  a  very  early  age  he 
began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  baker,  and  as  was  cus- 
tomary in  Scotland,  only  one  branch  of  the  business 
was  taught'  at  a  time.  He  first  learned  fancy  pastry 
baking  and  later  mastered  every  branch  of  the  trade. 
He  then  found  employment  as  a  journeyman,  finally 
attempting  business  for  himself.    He  met  with  reverses 


and  decided  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States.  This 
was  in  1877,  and  for  nearly  ten  years  he  was  em- 
ployed in  Boston,  Mass.,  some  of  the  time  being 
foreman  in  large  baking  shops.  During  his  residence 
in  Boston  he  made  a  visit  to  his  native  country.  Dan- 
iel Seymour,  in  1S86,  was  a  well  known  baker  in  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.  He  went  to  Boston  seeking  a  foreman, 
and  as  Mr.  Kennedy  was  highly  recommended  to  him 
Mr.  Seymour  engaged  him  as  foreman  of  his  exten- 
sive bakery.  Here  he  was  employed  for  two  years  and 
a  half,  when  he  severed  his  connection,  and  with  capi- 
tal partially  borrowed,  Mr.  Kennedy  purchased  a  bak- 
ing business  at  No.  1065  Westminster  street,  where 
he  has  continued  at  the  same  location  for  thirty-two 
years.  In  his  new  enterprise  he  worked  hard  for  suc- 
cess, the  night  as  well  as  during  the  day  being  spent 
in  placing  the  business  on  a  profitable  basis.  At  first 
his  only  employee  was  a  boy,  but  gradually  the  busi- 
ness grew  so  rapidly  that  it  became  the  largest  retail 
establishment  in  Providence. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Kennedy  in  local 
affairs  is  an  Independent,  voting  for  the  candidates  he 
believes  most  fitted  for  the  office.  On  material  issues 
he  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  Roger  Williams  Lodge,  No.  3,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  also  a  member  of 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Hundred  Aero  Club  of  South 
Kingston,  and  is  president  of  the  same;  a  member  of 
the  Elks  Club,  Providence  Gun  Club  and  the  Fish 
and  Game  Association. 

He  married  Lena  McDonald,  of  Pictou,  Nova 
Scotia.  They  arc  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Isabelle, 
born  March  2,  1900.  Mr.  Kennedy  is  a  selfmade  man, 
liberal  and  free-hearted,  fond  of  outdoor  life,  his 
amusement  diversions  being  automobiling,  hunting  and 
fishing.  Among  his  wide  acquaintance  his  compan- 
ionable nature  makes  for  him  many  warm  friends, 
while  his  sturdy  integrity  and  independence  secures 
their  high  esteem. 


JAMES  EARLE  CHEESMAN— Prominent  in  in- 
dustrial circles  in  New  England,  where  he  is  recog- 
nized as  an  executive  of  unusual  ability  and  an  au- 
thority on  the  subject  of  textile  manufacture,  is  James 
Earle  Cheesman,  New  England  manager  of  the  Cham- 
plain  Silk  Mills,  with  headquarters  in  Providence  and 
home  office  in  New  York  City.  Mr.  Cheesman  is  a 
native  of  Fort  Edward,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born 
February  25,  1862,  and  is  the  son  of  James  H.  and 
Sarah  Wright  Cheesman.  The  father,  as  well  as  the 
son,  was  born  in  Fort  Edward,  where  for  many  years 
he  conducted  a  successful  mercantile  business,  and 
died,  August  5,  1917,  respected  by  the  entire  com- 
munity. He  was  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum, 
an  elder  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  had  held 
offices  of  trust  in  the  National  Bank  Cemetery  .Asso- 
ciation, Washington  County  .Agricultural  Society  and 
served  as  clerk  of  the  village.  His  wife,  who  survives 
him,  was  born  in  Jackson,  Washington  county,  N.  Y. 
She  still  resides  in  the  family  residence  in  Fort  Ed- 
ward with  the  other  child  of  this  union,  Caroline 
Elizabeth. 


336 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


The  education  of  James  Earle  Cheesman  was  begun 
in  tlie  public  schools  of  the  village,  and  continued  in 
the   Island  Grove  School  of  the  same  place  and  later 
the    Fort    Edward    Collegiate    Institute.      Mr.    Chees- 
man's  business   career  began  in  the  position  of  teller 
of   the    People's   National   Bank   at   Sandy    Hill    (now 
Hudson  Falls,  N.  Y.),  and  he  remained  with  this  in- 
stitution  for  over  four  years.     He   then   accepted   the 
position  of  cashier  of  the  Columbia  Savings   &   Loan 
Company  of   Cleveland,   Ohio,  which  he  held  for  live 
years.      From    Cleveland,    Mr.    Cheesman    entered    the 
cotton    industry,    in    which    he    continued    for    nearly 
eighteen   years,    during   which   time   he    was   occupied 
with  the  inventive  and  also  the  commercial  lines  of  the 
industry,    being    the    inventor    of    the    Cheesman    Sea 
Island  Cotton  Gin  and  the  organizer  of  the  Cheesman 
Cotton  Gin  Company  which  placed  the  invention  upon 
the  market.     He  was  made  president  and  general  man- 
ager   of    this    company,    introduced    the    machine    in 
Egypt  and  also  erected  plants  in  Georgia,  Florida  and 
other    Southern    points.      Continuing    his    experiments 
with  cotton  machinery,  Mr.   Cheesman   later  invented 
a  device  for  cleaning  cotton,  and  founded  the   "Fed- 
eral Cotton  Corporation,"  with  headquarters  at  Mem- 
phis,   Tenn.      He    acted   as    general    manager   of    this 
enterprise  for  two  years  and  then,  upon  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war,  returned  North  and  became  engaged 
in   the  handling  of   another  natural   fibre-silk,   accept- 
ing   the    position    of    New    England    manager    of    the 
Champlain  Silk  Mills,  which  he  has  held  successfully 
since,  winning  for  himself  a  reputation  second  to  none 
for  ability  and  integrity.     In  addition  to  his  business 
operations,   Mr.   Cheesman's   activities   have   added   to 
the  general  life  along  industrial  and  social  lines  of  the 
community  of  which  he  thus  became  a  member.     He 
is   a    member   of   the    Providence    Chamber   of    Com- 
merce, the  .^nti-Tuberculous  League  of  Rhode  Island, 
the  Wannamoisette  Country  Club,  Southern  New  Eng- 
land Textile  Club,  Noon  Day  Club,  and  other  organ- 
izations.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
a  Free  Mason  and  a  Son  of  the  American  Revolution. 
James    Earle    Cheesman  was   married,    December   3, 
i8gi,  at  Fort  Edward,  N.  Y.,  to  Helen  Melissa  King, 
a   daughter   of    Dr.   Joseph    E.    and    Melissa    (Bailey) 
King,  of  that  place.     Dr.  King  was  for  over  fifty  years 
the  principal  and  owner  of  the  Fort  Edward  Collegiate 
Institute,   which   institution    sent  out  thousands   of   its 
students   to    take    their    place    in    tlie    work   of   nearly 
every  State  in  the  Union.     Dr.  King  was  a  member  of 
the     Troy     Conference    of     the     Methodist     Episcopal 
church,  a  director  of  the  Glens  Falls  Insurance  Com- 
pany and  a  trustee  of  VVesleyan  L'niversity,  of  which 
University  he  was   an   alumnus.     Mrs.    King  came   of 
old   New   England  stock,   her  grandfather  having  re- 
ceived the  original  grant  of  land  of  Newbury,  Vt.,  her 
native   place.      Mrs.    Cheesman,   inheriting  the   ability 
and  culture   of  her  parents,  has  taken   active  interest 
in  the  new  activities  of  women.     She  is  a  Daughter  of 
the    American    Revolution,    a    past    president    of    the 
Woman's   Club   of   Orange,   N.   J.    (the   fourth   oldest 
organization  of  its  kind  in  the  country  and  one  of  the 
largest),  past  president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Woman's 


Club,  the  Providence   Plantations   Club,  and  other  or- 
ganizations here. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cheesman  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio:  Ruth  Helen,  born 
June  21,  1893,  graduated  from  Miss  Beard's  School, 
Orange,  N.  J.,  in  June,  1912,  making  her  debut  the 
following  December,  and  being  married  December  29, 
1915.  to  Wilard  Miner  Osborn,  of  East  Orange,  N.  J.: 
John  King  Cheesman,  born  March  29,  1896,  graduated 
from  the  South  Orange  Grammar  School,  the  Tome 
School  for  Boys  in  Maryland,  and  now  a  senior  at 
Middlebury  College,  Middlebury,  Vt.,  serving  his 
country  in  France  as  a  member  of  the  13th  Regiment, 
L'nited'  States  Marines,  in  the  World  War.  He  is  a 
member  of  the   Delta   Kappa   Epsilon   fraternity. 


WILLIAM  UNDERWOOD  ARNOLD  and  JO- 
SEPH ALBERT  ARNOLD  are  two  of  the  promi- 
nent citi.-!cns  of  Cranston,  R.  I.,  with  the  affairs  of 
which  place  they  have  been  intimately  associated  for 
a  number  of  years.  They  are  the  sons  of  Byron  Lin- 
coln and  Abbie  Congdon  (Gardner)  Arnold  and  the 
grandsons  of  James  Arnold,  who  was  born  on  the  old 
Arnold  farm  at  Cranston.  During  the  Civil  War 
James  Arnold  was  employed  in  the  drilling  of  troops 
for  the  Union  army.  It  was  his  intention  and  desire 
to  get  into  active  service,  but  General  Burnside  told 
him  that  he  could  do  more  good  drilling  the  raw 
troops,  and  much  against  his  will  he  was  kept  at  that 
duty.  His  son,  Byron  Lincoln  Arnold,  was  born  at 
Cranston  in  1846  and  in  1870  moved  to  Wakefield, 
where  he  followed  the  trade  of  carpenter  for  a 
time.  Later  he  moved  to  Hamilton,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  business  as  a  millwright,  carrying  on  his 
operations  in  the  local  mills  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  finally  went  to  Providence,  where  he  made  his 
home  until  the  time  of  his  death  in  March,  1918.  He 
married  Abbie  Congdon  Gardner,  daughter  of  Var- 
num  Gardner,  of  Arlington,  R.  I.,  by  whom  he  had 
three  children:  Charles  P.,  of  Saylesville;  William 
Underwood,  and  Joseph  Albert,  who  are  mentioned 
at  length  below. 

William  Underwood  Arnold  was  born  at  Wakefield, 
in  the  year  i8;8  and  received  his  education  at  the 
schools  of  Hamilton,  where  his  father  resided  for  a  time. 
Upon  completing  his  studies  at  these  institutions,  he 
secured  employment  in  the  local  mill  and  continued  to 
work  there  until  the  time  of  our  war  in  the  Philip- 
pines, when  he  joined  the  Forty-sixth  United  States 
Volunteers  as  a  musician,  and  spent  two  years  in  the 
Philippines.  He  played  the  cornet  with  the  regimental 
band  and  saw  much  active  service.  He  then  returned  to 
the  United  States,  and  for  a  time  made  his  home  at 
Pawtucket,  where  he  was  engaged  as  a  loom  fixer  in  the 
Hope  Webbing  Company's  mill  here  for  about  seven 
years.  In  1907  he  came  to  Cranston,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  eighteen  acres,  which  was  a  part  of  the 
old  Olney  .Arnold  farm  and  which  he  has  since  devel- 
oped and  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  has 
placed  many  improvements  on  this  property  and  set  oiit 
an  orchard  here.  He  is  now  engaged  in  farming  this 
property    and    also    does    teaming    in    the    surrounding 


i^.      /rl^  c^^Cct  i^  /^  M-uA/c-c-e-^^y-t^ 


T-'^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


337 


country.  Mr.  Arnold  has  met  with  a  very  substantial 
success  in  his  work  and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the 
prominent  citizens  of  this  place.  William  Underwood 
.Arnold  was  united  in  marriage.  September  l8,  1901, 
with  Etta  .Arnold,  daughter  of  Alonzo  and  Sarah 
(Gardner)  .Arnold.  One  child  has  been  born  of  this 
union.  Chester  J.  Arnold. 

Joseph  Albert  Arnold,  youngest  son  of  Byron  Lin- 
coln and  Abbie  Congdon  (Gardner)  Arnold,  was  born 
July  12,  i88o,  at  Kingston  and  received  his  education  at 
the  Hamilton  and  Wickerford  Academy.  Upon  com- 
pleting his  studies  at  this  institution,  he  secured  a  posi- 
tion w^ith  the  Hope  Webbing  Company,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years,  when  he  went  with  Otis  Clapp  &  Com- 
pany, a  firm  of  druggists,  where  he  worked  in  the 
capacity  of  messenger  boy.  Mr.  .Arnold  has  remained 
with  this  concern  up  to  the  present  time,  and  was  rap- 
idly advanced  in  position  until  he  has  now  held  the 
oftice  of  manager  for  eighteen  years.  Besides  his 
responsible  business  position,  Mr.  .Arnold  has  been  ex- 
ceedingly active  in  the  general  life  of  the  community, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Grange.  .AH  Saints 
Chapter.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  .Arnold  is  a  Bap- 
tist and  attends  the  Fourth  Church  of  that  denomina- 
tion at  Providence.  He  is  past  grand  master  of  the 
Washington  Lodge,  .Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

Mr.  Arnold  was  married,  January  19,  1914,  to  Nellie 
Mariah  Earle,  of  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
F.  and  Catherine  (Bowen)  Earle,  old  and  highly  re- 
spected residents  of  that  place,  where  Mr.  Earle  was 
a  successful  farmer  until  his  death  which  occurred  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  Mrs.  Earle  is  still  living. 
Mr.  Arnold  has  always  been  intensely  interested  in  the 
question  of  Indian  life  and  traditions  and  has  a  very 
valuable  collection  of  Indian  relics.  He  is  also  a  keen 
lover  of  out-door  sports  and  pastimes  and  is  a  talented 
writer  and  lecturer  on  these  matters. 


REV.  MICHAEL  DUTKIERWICZ— Despite  the 
fact  that  only  three  years  have  elapsed  since  Rev. 
Dutkierwicz  became  a  resident  of  Providence  his  per- 
sonality and  work  have  been  for  a  considerable  time  well 
recognized  factors  in  all  that  makes  for  the  betterment 
of  the  community.  In  educational  as  well  as  in  religious 
matters  his  influence  has  made  itself  strongly  and  ben- 
eficially apparent. 

Leopold  Dutkierwicz,  father  of  Michael  Dutkierwicz, 
was  born  November  18.  1S42,  in  Plock,  Poland,  and  was 
employed  as  cashier  for  large  estates.  He  has  always 
been  much  interested  in  educational  work  and  is  past 
president  of  the  Educational  Society  of  Poland.  He 
married  Josephine  Lipka,  who  was  born  March  19, 
1845.  Mr.  Dutkierwicz  has  relinquished  the  activities 
of  business  and  is  now  living  in  retirement. 

Michael  Dutkierwicz,  only  child  of  Leopold  and  Jos- 
ephine (Lipka)  Dutkierwicz,  was  born  August  13,  1875, 
in  Plock,  Poland,  and  was  educated  at  the  College  of 
Warsaw,  graduating  with  the  class  of  1894.  He  then 
entered  the  Seminary  at  Plock.  and  in  1900  graduated 
from  that  institution.  On  May  27,  of  that  year,  he  was 
ordained,  and  he  then  entered  upon  a  course  of  study 
at  the  Catholic  University  of  Fribourg,  Switzerland, 
graduating   with   the    class   of    1904   and   receiving   the 

R  1—2—22 


degree  of  St.  Th.  L.  His  first  appointment  was  as 
curate  at  Pahiki,  Poland,  whence,  at  the  end  of  a  year, 
he  was  transferred  to  Sicrpe,  Poland,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years. 

In  1907  Rev.  Dutkierwicz  came  to  the  United  States, 
having  been  appointed  to  the  Diocese  of  Providence  as 
pastor  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  at  Quidnick,  R.  I. 
After  remaining  there  six  years,  he  was  transferred  to 
Brockton.  Mass.,  where  he  ministered  for  two  years.  In 
1916  he  came  to  Providence  and  founded  St.  Hedwig's 
Parish,  where  he  has  ever  since  labored  earnestly,  reap- 
ing most  gratifying  and  beneficent  results.  The  parish 
numbers  one  thousand  souls  and  the  pastor  has  recently 
instituted  a  summer  school  for  the  children.  He  is  a 
wide  reader,  keeping  always  abreast  of  the  times  and 
is  an  enthusiast  in  the  cause  of  education.  The  work 
of  Rev.  Dutkierwicz  has  been  fruitful  in  the  past  and 
promises  even  larger  results  in  the  years  to  come. 


THOMAS  FRANCIS  KANE,  the  well  known 
dealer  in  coal  and  wood  at  Slatcrsville,  is  a  native  of 
Lincoln  township,  where  his  birth  occurred  May  31, 
1873.  He  is  a  son  of  Peter  Kane,  who  was  born  in 
Ireland  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1854  and 
settled  at  Slatcrsville.  where  he  was  employed  by  Mr. 
Slater  on  his  farm.  Mr.  Kane,  Sr.,  enlisted  in  the  Civil 
War  and  after  the  close  of  hostilities  in  1865  went  West 
to  Iowa,  where  he  was  engaged  in  railroad  construction 
work.  The  following  year,  however,  he  returned  to 
Slatcrsville,  where  he  worked  for  a  number  of  years  in 
Slater's  Mill  at  this  place.  During  the  latter  part  of 
his  life  he  removed  to  Woonsocket,  where  his  death 
occurred  in  1904  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  He  was 
an  excellent  citizen  and  highly  respected  in  the  com- 
munities where  he  dwelt.  Peter  Kane,  by  his  first  mar- 
riacre,  had  three  children,  all  of  whom  arc  dead.  His 
second  marriage  was  with  Margaret  Gerharty,  a  native 
of  Fall  River,  Mass.,  and  by  this  union  he  had  six 
children,  as  follows :  Thomas  Francis,  with  whom  we 
arc  here  especially  concerned ;  John  L.,  Bernard  F., 
James  S.,  .Anna  M.,  and  Kathcrine,  all  of  whom  but  the 
subject  now  reside  at  Woonsocket. 

The  early  life  of  Thomas  Francis  Kane  was  passed 
at  Slatcrsville,  where  he  attended  the  local  public 
schools,  and  he  was  afterwards  a  pupil  at  the  Woon- 
socket Night  School  and  Woonsocket  Business  Col- 
lege. At  an  early  age  he  secured  employment  in 
Slater's  Mill  in  this  place,  where  his  father  also  worked, 
but  he  later  went  with  the  Lorraine  Manufacturing 
Company  of  Pawtucket,  where  he  worked  for  two 
years  as  a  loom  fixer.  At  the  end  of  that  period  Mr. 
Kane  returned  to  Slatcrsville,  and  engaged  in  business 
as  a  teamster.  He  also  took  up  dealing  in  coal  and 
wood  and  the  latter  enterprise  rapidly  grew  and  in- 
creased in  importance,  until  he  now  conducts  a  very 
extensive  business.  In  addition  he  does  contract  team- 
ing and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  successful  busi- 
ness men  and  merchants  of  this  region.  Mr.  Kane  is 
also  exceedingly  active  in  public  affairs  and  has  played 
a  keen  part  in  politics  here  for  a  number  of  years. 
For  four  years  he  was  town  sergeant  and  in  191 5  was 
elected  to  represent  Slatcrsville  in  the  Rhode  Island 
State  Legislature.     He  has  been  reelected  to  this  body 


338 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ever  since  and  is  now  a  prominent  member  thereof  and 
serves  on  the  labor  committee.  Mr.  Kane  has  estab- 
lished a  reputation  as  a  most  efficient  and  public  spirited 
legislator  and  has  been  identified  prominently  with  most 
of  the  important  reform  legislation  carried  on  in  the 
State  since  he  became  a  member  of  the  legislature.  He 
is  a  staunch  Democrat  in  politics  and  possesses  a  large 
personal  following.  He  was  also  highway  surveyor  for 
three  years.  Mr.  Kane  is  prominent  in  social  and  fra- 
ternal circles  here  and  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen,  the  Modern  Foresters  of 
America,  the  Order  of  Maccabees  and  the  Knights  of 
Columbus.  He  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious 
belief  and  attends  St.  John's  Church  of  this  denomina- 
tion at  Slatersville.  He  is  very  active  in  the  work  of 
his  parish  and  is  a  trustee  of  the  church. 

Thomas  Francis  Kane  was  united  in  marriage  Au- 
gust i8,  i8g6,  at  Slatersville,  with  DesAnge  Tessier,  a 
native  of  this  town,  and  a  daughter  of  Nelson  and 
Elizabeth  Tessier.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  child, 
Thomas  Francis  Kane,  Jr.,  who  is  now  a  student  at  the 
New  York  Institute.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kane  reside  in  their 
house  at  Slatersville,  R.  I.,  which  was  built  by  Mr. 
Kane  a  number  of  years  ago. 


HENRY  SIMON  WIRSCHANG— No  citizen  of 
Providence  deserves  more  that  phrase  "the  selfmade 
man"  than  does  Henry  Simon  Wirschang,  president  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Fish  Company,  and  connected  with 
numerous  other  similar  concerns,  through  which  he 
transacts  a  very  large  business  here.  Mr.  Wirschang 
was  born  at  Norwich,  Conn.,  September  lo,  1869,  and  is 
a  son  of  Edward  and  Christina  (Frick-man)  Wirschang, 
both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  The  elder  Mr. 
Wirschang  was  a  carriage  maker  by  trade,  and  he  and 
his  family  removed  from  Norwich  to  New  London, 
Conn.,  when  the  son,  Henry  Simon  Wirschang,  was  but 
six  years  of  age.  It  was  at  New  London  that  he  re- 
ceived his  education,  attending  there  the  local  public 
school,  but  he  did  not  continue  his  studies  long,  giving 
them  up  in  order  to  engage  in  some  remunerative  occu- 
pation. His  first  employment  as  a  boy  was  in  the  fish 
markets  of  New  London,  where  he  earned  only  one 
dollar  per  week  and  there  he  remained  some  three 
years,  gaining  a  complete  knowledge  of  the  fishery 
trade.  Upon  reaching  young  manhood  he  gave  up  his 
former  occupation  and  took  a  position  on  the  coasting 
steamer  "Sophia,"  under  Captain  Harry  Fordham.  Later 
he  shipped  on  the  fishing  schooner  "Emma,"  under 
Captain  Nat  Goodwin,  and  on  several  other  cruisers 
and  steamers,  all  of  which  were  engaged  in  the  fishing 
trade,  including  the  "Hattie  Rebecca,"  of  Block  Island. 
In  the  year  iSgo  he  became  steward  of  the  steamer 
"Danielson,"  plying  between  Providence,  Newport  and 
Block  Island,  a  position  which  he  held  for  two  years. 
During  this  time  he  spent  two  evenings  each  week  in 
Providence,  and  while  here  attended  the  evening  class 
of  the  Spcncerian  Business  College.  In  the  meantime 
Mr.  Wirschang  had  grown  to  feel  a  great  fondness  for 
Block  Island,  and  accepted  an  offer  to  become  manager 
or  keeper  of  one  of  the  large  estates  there.  He  con- 
tinued thus  occupied  until  1900,  and  then  came  to  Prov- 


idence, where  he  started  a  fish  market  on  Thurbers 
avenue  on  his  own  account.  The  business  here  was  a  re- 
tail one  for  a  time,  but  in  the  fall  of  1900  he  purchased 
the  wholesale  fish  business  of  William  Shaw,  at  No.  488 
South  Water  street.  This  he  successfully  conducted 
for  about  two  years.  He  then  leased  the  old  stand  and 
business  of  J.  I\I.  Di.xon,  one  of  the  oldest  wholesale 
fish  markets  in  Providence,  and  this  he  merged  with  his 
former  company  and  incorporated  in  1905  as  the  Rhode 
Island  Fish  Company.  His  new  concern  is  located  at 
No.  169  South  Water  street  and  rapidly  he  developed  a 
large  business  there.  A  new  modern  building  is  now 
under  construction  at  No.  119  to  125  South  Water 
street.  In  1909,  Mr.  Wirschang  took  over  the  Provi- 
dence Fish  Company,  which  he  consolidated  with  his 
own  concern  and  added  considerably  to  its  size.  He  is 
now  president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Fish  Company,  one 
of  the  largest  concerns  of  its  kind  in  the  State,  and 
which  he  conducts  in  the  most  modern  and  up-to-date 
manner.  They  supply  a  large  portion  of  the  city  with 
every  variety  of  fish,  and  are  also  extensive  shippers 
throughout  the  State.  A  branch  of  the  business  is 
located  on  Commercial  Wharf,  at  Newport.  The  com- 
pany also  operates  two  steamers  engaged  in  the  food 
fishing  industry.  In  addition  to  the  Rhode  Island  Fish 
Company,  Mr.  Wirschang  is  also  treasurer  of  the  Cape 
Ann  Fish  Company,  both  large  concerns.  The  enter- 
prise in  which  he  is  most  interested,  however,  and  to 
which  he  gives  the  greater  part  of  his  attention  is  the 
Rhode  Island  Fish  Company,  in  the  operation  of  which 
he  employs  as  many  as  thirty-five  men.  While  not  a 
member  of  any  church,  Mr.  Wirschang  supports  the 
Calvary  Baptist  church,  of  this  city  and  gives  liberally 
to  all  the  work  of  the  congregation,  particularly  to 
those  concerned  with  philanthropic  and  benevolent  pur- 
poses. Mr.  Wirschang  is  a  very  prominent  figure  in 
fraternal  circles  in  Providence,  especially  in  connection 
with  the  Masonic  lodge,  having  taken  his  thirty-second 
degree  in  Free  Masonry.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Block  Island  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons ;  Providence  Chapter,  Royal  .Arch  Masons ;  Provi- 
dence Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  St.  Johns 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  •  Temple,  An- 
cient Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  and 
the  Rhode  Island  Consistory.  Sublime  Princes  of  the 
Royal  Secret.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  past  noble 
grand  of  the  Neptune  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  of  Block  Island,  and  a  member  and  past 
chancellor  commander  of  Columbus  Lodge,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  of  Block  Island.  His  clubs  are  the  Pawtucket 
Athletic  Club  and  the  Travelers'  Protective  .\ssociation. 
In  politics  Mr.  Wirscliang  does  not  identify  himself  with 
any  political  party  but  is  an  Independent  voter,  pre- 
ferring to  exercise  his  own  judgment  in  the  selection  of 
candidates  and  the  choice  of  policies. 

Henry  Simon  Wirschang  was  united  in  marriage, 
December  3,  1895,  at  Block  Island,  with  Anna  B.  Rose, 
daughter  of  Frederick  A.  and  Sarah  Frances  (Little- 
field)  Rose,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children, 
as  follows :  Sarah  Frances,  Florence  Harriett,  and 
Bessie  Dodge,  all  of  whom  have  received  their  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Providence,  the  youngest 
being  now  a  student  at  the  high  school  here. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


339 


JOSEPH  ELIE  GRENON,  owner  nnd  operator 
of  a  lar.ce  garagi-  ami  automobile  business  at  W'oon- 
socket.  and  an  iiitlucntial  citizen,  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Elsie  (I.anse')  Grcnon,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents of  Manville,  in  this  State.  The  elder  Mr.  Grenon 
is  now  engaged  in  active  business  at  Manville  where  he 
operates  a  successful  store.  He  was  formerly  located  at 
Woonsocket,  where  he  conducted  a  large  real  estate 
business  and  built  a  number  of  residences  in  the  south- 
western quarter  of  the  city.  He  and  his  wife,  who  is 
now  deceased,  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Joseph  Elie.  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned;  Alfred  Albert;  Urick,  who  is 
now  serving  with  the  .American  E.xpeditionary  Forces 
in  France ;  Florida,  who  became  the  wife  of  Lorenzo 
Dolan ;  Rose,  who  became  the  wife  of  Jean  Simard; 
and  Eva,  who  became  the  wife  of  George  Walker,  the 
latter  being  also  a  soldier  with  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Forces. 

The  birth  of  Joseph  Elie  Grenon  took  place  at  his 
father's  home  in  Manville,  on  July  15,  1883,  and  at  the 
public  schools  he  received  the  elementary  portion  of  his 
education.  After  attending  these  institutions  for  some 
years,  he  went  to  New  York  and  became  a  pupil  at  a 
private  night  school  there,  but  showing  at  an  early  age 
an  unusual  adaptability  for  mechanics,  he  decided  to 
secure  a  scientific  educational  training,  and  with  this 
end  in  view  entered  the  New  York  Electrical  College 
where  he  studied  electrical  engineering  and  also  took 
a  course  in  mechanical  drafting.  During  the  days  of 
his  schooling,  Mr.  Grenon,  being  of  an  extremely  inde- 
pendent nature,  was  also  employed  in  a  number  of  occu- 
pations, which  he  follow'ed  for  the  purpose  of  providing 
the  funds  necessary  to  carry  on  his  education.  Since 
completing  his  course  in  the  New  York  institution,  Mr. 
Grenon  has  been  more  or  less  closely  associated  with 
the  automobile  industry,  in  which  he  takes  a  keen  inter- 
est. For  a  time  he  did  a  very  successful  business  as  a 
consulting  automobile  engineer,  and  finally  (in  1916) 
established  his  present  large  garage  business  here.  In 
addition  to  renting,  repairing  and  boarding  automobiles 
and  other  similar  functions  of  the  garage,  Mr.  Grenon 
is  also  agent  for  the  Chandler  car.  and  handles  that 
business  in  this  district.  His  repair  and  tire  depart- 
ment are  among  the  largest  and  best  equipped  in  Woon- 
socket where  he  does  a  large  and  remunerative  business. 
His  garage  faces  on  Front  street,  along  which  it  extends 
about  one  hundred  twenty-tive  feet,  and  the  floor  space 
of  his  building  is  ten  thousand  square  feet.  At  the 
present  time  he  employs  about  fourteen  men  in  the  work 
and  enjoys  a  reputation  for  reliability  and  integrity 
second  to  none  in  this  community.  Mr.  Grenon  is  in  the 
best  sense  of  the  word  a  scli'-made  man.  He  began  his 
work  early  in  life  and  it  has  been  by  gift  of  his  own 
efforts  and  through  no  favor  or  influence  that  he  has 
been  able  to  organize  and  develop  his  present  large 
establishment.  Mr.  Grenon  supervises  his  business  per- 
sonally, and  always  sees  to  it  that  only  the  best  quality 
of  work  is  turned  out  on  his  premises.  In  his  religious 
bchef  Mr.  Grenon  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  the 
Church  of  the  Precious  Blood  of  this  denomination  here. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  foimd  time 
to  engage  actively  in  public  affairs,  concerning  himself 


with  the  scrupulcnt  discharge  of  his  duties  as  a  citizen. 
He  has,  himself,  held  no  offices  of  a  public  character, 
but  his  father  has  been  at  different  times  councilman, 
representative  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  deputy  sher- 
iff of  Manville. 

Joseph  F.lie  Grenon  was  united  in  marriage  on  June 
12,  iQii.  with  .\urora  Alard,  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Adele  .Mard,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  that  place.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grenon  two 
children  have  been  born,  as  follows ;  Ruth  Josephine, 
and  Doris. 


JOSEPH  ADOLPHUS  BONVOULOIR— A  suc- 
cessful business  man  who  is  at  the  same  time  a  State 
representative  is  not  likely  to  fall  into  the  background 
in  his  community  and  therefore  the  name  which  heads 
this  article  will  receive  instant  recognition  from  the 
citizens  of  Central  Falls.  Mr.  Bonvouloir  is  active  in 
social  and  church  organizations  and  takes  a  lively  inter- 
est in  all  that  concerns  the  general  welfare. 

Pierre  Bonvouloir,  father  of  Joseph  Adolphus  Bon- 
vouloir, was  a  farmer  of  Ste.  Brigi<le.  Canada,  and  a 
prominent  man  in  the  community,  serving  on  the  school 
and  town  committees.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  Mr.  Bonvouloir  married  (tirst)  Mary 
Louise  Benoit,  and  their  children  were :  Pierre,  for  the 
last  twenty-five  years  city  treasurer  of  Holyoke,  Mass. ; 
Excline.  wife  of  John  B.  LaRoche,  of  Holyoke,  Mass., 
and  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Bonvouloir  died  in  1863,  and 
Mr.  Bonvouloir  married  (second)  Zoi  Xadcaii.  by 
whom  he  had  the  following  children :  Joseph  Adolphus, 
mentioned  below;  Adelard,  farmer  on  homestead;  Em- 
ile,  also  farmer  on  homestead ;  Sigefroi,  travelling 
salesman  of  Holyoke;  Ulderic,  of  Central  Falls,  died  in 

1904.  Mr.  Bonvouloir,  who  was  born  in  1831,  died 
October  20,  1916,  remaining  active  to  the  last.  His 
second  wife,  who  was  born  October  15,  1836,  in  Marie- 
ville,  Rouvile  county,  is  still  living. 

Joseph  Adolphus,  son  of  Pierre  and  Zoi  fXadeau) 
Bonvouloir,  was  born  January  2,  1872,  in  Ste.  Erigide, 
Iberville  county.  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  where 
he  attended  the  public  schtwls.  He  afterward  attended 
evening  schools  at  Central  Falls.  Going  to  St.  Albans, 
\'t..  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  followed  it  for 
one  year.  At  the  end  of  that  time  Mr.  Bonvouloir  came 
to   Central   Falls   and   here   worked   at   his   trade   until 

1905,  when  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself  as  a 
contractor.  He  succeeded  well  and  is  now  conducting 
a  flourishing  business.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Credit 
Union  Bank  of  Central  Falls  and  also  serves  as  a 
trustee  of  the  Bertrand  estate. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bonvouloir  is  a  Democrat,  and  since 
1917  has  been  State  representative  of  his  party,  who 
have  reason  to  be  well  satisfied  with  their  choice.  He  is 
past  president  of  the  Artisans  Canadian  Francais  and 
the  .Mliance  Nationale.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Cercle 
Franci>.-\merican  Club  and  belongs  to  the  St.  Jean 
Baptiste  and  the  St.  Joseph's  societies.  His  religious 
membership  is  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Notre 
Dame,  and  he  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the 
finance  committee  appointed  to  raise  funds  for  the 
building  of  a  new  edifice.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
Delany  Council,  Knights  of  Columbus. 


340 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Mr.  Bonvouloir  married,  August  7,  1900,  Arzelia. 
daughter  of  Victor  Bachand.  a  retired  wine  merchant  of 
Woonsocket,  and  his  wife.  Philomena  (La  Liberte) 
Bachand.  Mr.  Bachand,  who  is  now  deceased,  retired 
from  business  prior  to  his  death.  Mr.  Bonvouloir  is  a 
very  busy  man  and  finds  his  chief  recreation  in  motor- 
ing. This  is  the  second  time  he  has  filled  the  office  of 
State  representative,  and  conditions  seem  to  indicate 
that  it  will  not  be  the  last. 


JOHN  O'CONNOR — When  n  lad  of  fourteen,  John 
O'Connor  came  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  from  his  native 
Ireland,  and  with  the  exception  of  three  years  spent  in 
Colorado  that  city  has  been  his  home  and  the  seat  of  his 
business  activity.  As  a  real  estate  dealer  he  has  aided 
materially  in  the  reclaiming  of  a  great  deal  of  property 
and  converting  it  into  residential  property. 

John  O'Connor  was  born  in  County  Sligo,  Ireland, 
in  1852,  and  there  resided  until  1866,  then  came  to 
Providence,  his  present  home.  His  first  position  was 
with  the  Providence  &  Worcester  Railroad  Company 
as  clerk  at  the  wharf,  and  while  employed  there  attended 
Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College  during  its  even- 
ing sessions,  being  one  of  the  first  in  Providence  to 
take  a  scholarship  in  that  school.  He  continued  vari- 
ously employed  until  about  the  age  of  twenty-five,  then 
became  a  coal  dealer,  operating  very  successfully  until 
1S81,  then  sold  his  yards  and  went  West.  He  was  the 
first  Irishman  to  en.gage  in  the  coal  business  in  Provi- 
dence. He  became  a  land  promoter  in  Colorado,  and 
during  the  three  years  spent  in  that  State  was  concerned 
in  some  important  operations.  In  1884  he  returned  to 
Providence,  where  he  has  since  devoted  himself  to  real 
estate  dealing,  promotion  and  building.  He  was  at 
one  time  a  large  owner  of  vacant  lots  in  the  Moses 
Brown  farm  section,  1872-73,  and  was  one  of  the  pro- 
moters of  the  Govenor  Street  Railway  line.  He  built  a 
large  residence  at  the  corner  of  President  and  Slater 
avenues,  and  several  apartment  houses  in  the  city.  He 
has  operated  in  a  public  spirited  way,  and  Providence 
has  benefited  by  his  activities.  He  is  a  Democrat,  but 
very  independent  in  political  thought  and  action.  He  is 
a  member  of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church  and  the 
Catholic  Club. 

Mr.  O'Connor  married  (first)  in  1S73,  in  Providence, 
Rosanna  L.  Kievnan,  who  died  leaving  children  :  John, 
Frederick.  Louis.  Mary  and  William.  He  married  (sec- 
ond) in  Providence.  Mary  Keefe,  they  the  parents  of 
Eleanor  and  Alice  O'Connor.  He  married  (third)  in 
1916,  Jane  M.  Hennessy,  of  Providence. 


CALEB  EZRA  MOFFITT,  son  of  Eugene  C.  and 
Ellen  (Norcross)  ISIoffitt,  and  grandson  of  Caleb  Greene 
Moffitt,  was  born  in  Fayette,  Maine,  February  10,  1883. 
Eugene  C.  Moffitt  was  for  many  years  a  merchant  of 
Readfield,  Maine,  and  he  is  now  deceased.  His  widow 
resides  in  Winthrop,  Maine. 

Caleb  Ezra  Moffitt  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Readfield.  Me.  After  completing  high  school  study 
and  a  short  course  in  preparatory  school  in  1898,  he 
entered  his  father's  store  as  clerk,  remaining  in  that 
position  for  three  years.  For  a  short  time  thereafter  he 
was   clerk   in   a   store  in    Rockland,   Maine,   then   spent 


a  few  months  in  the  employ  of  the  Maine  Central  Rail- 
way, following  that  service  with  a  two  years'  period 
of  farm  labor  on  the  farm  of  an  uncle  at  Winthrop, 
Maine.  From  that  Iklaine  farm  he  went  to  Massachu- 
setts State  Hospital,  remaining  as  an  employee  there 
for  two  years,  then  was  connected  with  the  Boston  Hos- 
pital in  a  similar  capacity  for  a  short  time.  These  years 
of  diversified  employment  created  in  him  a  desire  for  a 
permanent  occupation,  and  he  decided  to  learn  the 
trade  of  machinist.  He  began  in  a  shop  in  Beverly, 
Mass.,  here  remaining  until  1907,  when  he  came  to 
Providence,  R.  I.,  and  for  four  years  was  engaged  as  a 
machinist  in  the  Brown  &  Sharpe  shops.  He  was  then 
at  Southbridge,  R.  I.,  for  a  short  time,  finally  in  June, 
1914.  locating  in  the  village  of  Greenville,  R.  I.,  a  vil- 
lage of  the  town  of  Smithfield,  in  which  his  grand- 
father, Caleb  Greene  Moffitt,  was  born.  There  he  has 
since  resided,  engaging  in  business  as  a  mercantile 
clerk.  On  July  16,  1917,  he  was  elected  town  clerk  of 
the  town  of  Smithfield,  a  position  he  still  holds  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  town.  Mr.  Moffitt  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  and  attends  St.  Thomas'  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church.  In  his  political  faith  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

Mr.  Moffitt  married,  in  .\llston,  Mass.,  Mary  E. 
Madlniry.  of  Greenville.  R.  I.,  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  two  daughters:  Helen  E.  and  Angeline  L. 
Moffitt.     The  family  home  is  in  Greenville. 


MYRON    LOUIS   BALLOU   SWEATT— One   of 

the  most  enterprising  and  successful  business  men  of 
Woonsocket,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  insurance  busi- 
ness on  a  large  scale  and  is  also  prominently  identified 
with  the  industrial  interests  of  the  place,  is  Myron 
Louis  Ballou  Sweatt,  a  native  of  Woonsocket,  his  birth 
having  occurred  here  October  15,  1S75.  Mr.  Sweatt  is 
a  son  of  Enoch  G.  and  Marie  Louise  (Ballou)  Sweatt, 
the  former  for  many  years  interested  in  a  lar.ge  way  in 
the  industrial  and  railroad  interests  of  this  region  and 
connected  with  many  manufacturing  plants  as  a  builder 
of  a  number  of  important  mill  structures  hereabouts. 
Mrs.  Sweatt.  Sr.,  was  a  member  of  an  exceedingly  old 
and  distinguished  New  England  family,  belonging  to 
the  Woonsocket  branch  of  the  Ballou  house,  the  mem- 
bers of  which  have  for  many  generations  been  identified 
with  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  city. 

The  childhood  and  early  life  of  Myron  Louis  Ballou 
Sweatt  was  passed  in  his  native  city  of  Woonsocket, 
and  it  was  at  the  local  public  and  private  schools  of  this 
place  that  he  gained  the  elementary  portion  of  his  edu- 
cation. Later  he  was  sent  by  his  father  to  Dean  Acad- 
emy at  Franklin.  Mass.,  where  after  displaying  unusii- 
ally  good  scholarship  and  winning  the  approval  of  his 
instructors  and  masters  he  was  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1894.  The  young  man,  having  been  prepared  for  col- 
lege at  that  institution,  then  entered  Brown  University 
as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1898.  He  continued  his 
excellent  record  as  a  student  at  the  University  and  would 
have  graduated  therefrom  with  his  class  but  for  the 
unfortunate  circumstances  of  the  death  of  his  father 
which  necessitated  the  somewhat  abrupt  abandoning  of 
his  studies.  The  elder  Mr.  Sweatt  had  been  president 
of  the  \\'oonsocket  Machine  Press  Company,  and  it  was 


C--^^^  ^^^^t-u*:'       C-^C  .        V ^^^^^-^  /^^^«J— y^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


341 


with  this  concern  that  the  young  man  first  became  asso- 
ciated upon  leaving  his  school.  Although  heavily  inter- 
ested in  the  company,  young  Mr.  Sweatt  applied  him- 
self to  learn  the  machinist  trade  and  continued  to  be 
actively  employed  by  the  company  for  some  seventeen 
years.  In  the  year  igii  Mr.  Sweatt  established  his 
present  insurance  business  at  Woonsockct  and  now  docs 
a  very  large  business  here.  He  handles  all  kinds  of 
insurance  and  represents  a  number  of  important  com- 
panies. 

Mr.  Sweatt  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  been 
exceedingly  active  in  public  affairs,  being  regarded  as 
one  of  the  leaders  of  his  party  in  Woonsocket.  He 
served  for  five  years  as  a  membir  of  the  Woonsocket 
City  Council  and  the  last  year  of  that  period  was  presi- 
dent of  the  same.  During  that  time  he  established  for 
himself  an  excellent  reputation  as  a  disinterested  and 
able  public  servant,  and  was  identified  with  much  of  the 
most  important  reform  work  of  the  body.  .Mthough  not 
holding  public  office  at  the  present  time,  he  maintains 
a  keen  interest  in  all  issues  affecting  the  public  interest, 
both  local  and  general,  and  is  a  staunch  supporter  of 
the  principles  and  policies  for  which  his  party  has  for 
so  many  years  stood.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Sweatt 
is  a  Universalist  and  attends  the  church  of  that  denom- 
ination at  Woonsocket.  Mr.  Sweatt  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Masonic  order  here  and  has  gained  the 
thirty-second  degree  in  Free  Masonry.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Morning  Star  Lodge,  No.  13,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons ;  Royal  .\rch  Masons ;  Woonsocket 
Council,  No.  4,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  Woonsocket 
Commandery.  No.  24,  Knights  Templar;  Palestine 
Temple,  .Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Woonsocket  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce,  the  Cumberland  Golf  Club,  of  Woon- 
socket, the  Brae  Bum  Country  Club  of  Boston,  the 
Turk's  Head  Club  of  Providence,  the  Rhode  Island 
Country  Club,  and  the  West  Side  Club,  also  of  Provi- 
dence. He  has  for  many  years  interested  himself 
keenly  in  the  local  branch  of  the  Young  Men's  Christ- 
ian .Association,  and  has  served  in  the  double  office  of 
director  and  treasurer  thereof  since  the  time  of  its 
organization  in  Woonsocket.  He  was  sugar  and  license 
diroctor  of  the  United  States  Food  .Administration  for 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island  during  the  recent  war. 

Mr.  Sweatt  has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife  with 
whom  he  was  united  on  .April  20,  1904,  having  been 
before  her  marriage  Alice  E.  Kelsey,  of  Mcriden,  Conn., 
a  daughter  of  Otis  S.  and  Jenny  (Barlow)  Kelsey,  of 
that  place.  Three  children  were  born  of  this  union,  as 
follows :  Kelsey  Ballou,  Helen  Louise,  and  .Alice  Vir- 
ginia, all  of  whom  have  received  their  education  at  the 
private  and  public  schools  of  Woonsocket.  The  first 
Mrs.  Sweatt  died  December  11,  1914.  Mr.  Sweatt  mar- 
ried for  his  second  wife,  Mrs.  Eleanor  M.  Ross,  of 
East  Dennis.  Mass.,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Isa- 
belle  F.  Mansfield,  of  Peoria,  111. 


a  private  law  practice.  He  is  a  son  of  Luigi  and  En- 
richetta  (D'Orsi)  Capotosto,  both  now  residing  with 
their  son  in  Providence,  the  father  a  tailor  by  trade. 

-Antonio  A.  Capotosto  was  born  in  Naples,  Italy,  Sep- 
tember 23.  1879,  but  when  a  hoy  was  brought  to  the 
United  States  by  his  parents,  who  settled  in  Boston.  He 
was  educated  in  the  Quincy  grammar  school,  Boston ; 
Boston  English  High  School,  regular  and  post-grad- 
uate courses;  Ilarv.ird  University,  .\.  H.,  1902;  Har- 
vard Law  School.  LL.  B.,  1904.  He  did  not  only  absorb 
at  the  University  hut  gave  out  as  well,  and  in  1899  was 
instructor  in  Italian  at  Harvard  Summer  School,  and 
from  1899  to  1904,  instructor  in  the  same  language  at 
Harvard  University.  Admitted  to  the  Massachusetts 
bar  in  1904.  he  spent  eighteen  months  in  the  law  office 
of  James  .A.  Sweeney,  Boston,  Mass.,  coming  to  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  in  11x16,  and  here  practicing  privately  until 
1912.  In  that  yiar  he  was  appointed  third  assistant 
attorney-general  by  Herbert  .A.  Rice,  attorney-general 
for  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  He  served  in  that  office 
until  191 5,  then  was  promoted  to  the  post  of  second 
assistant  altorney-gineral,  an  office  he  most  ably  fills 
in  addition  to  the  demands  of  a  good  private  practice. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Harvard  Cluli  of  Rhode  Island; 
Court  Italia.  No.  263,  Sons  of  Italy:  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus: Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks;  Phi 
Beta  Kappa,  Kappa  Gamma  Chi  (Harvard  fraternities)  ; 
the  Pen  and  Pmcil  Club,  Holy  Cross  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Capotosto  married,  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  October 
20,  1909,  Clementine  Eletta  Castiglioni,  daughter  of 
Rinaldo  and  .Alice  (McDermott)  Castiglioni.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Capotosto  are  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  a 
daughter:  Alice  Henrietta,  born  Dec.  2,  1910;  Louis 
Alfred,  ifarch  17,  1912;  Antonio  Eugene,  Nov.  30, 
1914:  Henry  Edward,  July  I.  1917. 


ANTONIO    ALFREDO    CAPOTOSTO— In    the 

year  i<X/).  Mr.  Capotosto  came  to  Rhode  Island,  settling 
in  Providence,  where  since  1912  he  has  been  an  assistant 
to  the  attorney-general  of  the  State,  as  well  as  head  of 


FRANK  FENNER  DAVIS— For  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  Frank  F.  Davis,  of  Chepachet,  R.  I.,  has  de- 
voted himself  to  the  public  service  of  town  and  State, 
and  is  one  of  the  best  known  and  highly  esteemed  men 
of  his  native  town.  To  the  office  of  treasurer  of  the 
town  of  Glocester  he  has  added  justice  of  the  peace  as 
a  permanent  office,  while  to  keep  busy  he  has  served 
twelve  years  as  tax  collector,  eleven  years  as  town 
clerk,  nine  years  as  member  of  the  General  .Assembly, 
with  other  honors  and  dignities  thrown  in,  one  of  them, 
speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  These  offices 
and  honors  have  not  been  sought  but  have  come  to  him 
unsolicited,  and  while  he  never  seeks  an  office,  neither 
does  he  decline  a  public  duty,  and  because  his  numerous 
friends  deem  him  the  best  man  for  the  position  held, 
he  is  elected  again  and  again.  His  record  is  one  of 
efficiency  and  honest  performance  of  every  duty,  and  his 
friends  delight  to  do  him  honor.  He  is  a  son  of  Gilbert 
H.  and  Abigail  (Briggs)  Davis,  of  Glocester,  R.  I.,  and 
a  descendant  of  the  ancient  and  eminent  Fenner  fam- 
ily, who  gave  two  governors  to  the  State,  .Arthur 
Fenner,  1797-1806;  James  Fenner,  1S07-11,  1824-31;  and 
in  each  generation,  Fenners  have  contributed  to  the 
advancement  of  their  State.  His  grandfather,  Briggs, 
was  of  an  old  New  England  family,  as  was  his  grand- 


342 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


father,  Dexter  Davis,  a  blacksmith  of  Glocester,  whose 
wife,  Rebecca  (Cook)  Davis,  traced  descent  from  a 
"Mayflower"  passenger. 

Frank  Fenner  Davis  was  born  in  Glocester,  R.  I.,  Jan- 
uary I,  1873,  and  was  there  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  his  school  privilege,  however,  ending  at  the  age 
of  fourteen.  He  began  his  business  career  with  Walter 
A.  Read,  of  Chepachet,  R.  I.,  a  general  store  merchant, 
who  from  1S9S  to  the  time  of  his  death,  December  14, 
191S,  had  been  general  treasurer  of  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island.  For  twelve  years  he  continued  in  Mr.  Read's 
employ,  then  retired  from  mercantile  life,  and  for  two 
and  a  half  years  was  in  the  employ  of  Oscar  H.  White, 
a  manufacturer  of  woolens.  At  the  end  of  that  period 
he  withdrew  from  business  to  devote  himself  to  the 
service  of  the  public.  Mr.  Davis  was  elected  to  the 
first  public  office  in  1894,  he  being  barely  twenty-one 
years  of  age  when,  in  that  year,  he  was  chosen  treasurer 
of  the  town  of  Glocester,  and  until  igi2  he  held  the 
office  through  successive  reelections,  with  the  exception 
of  two  years.  In  1895  he  was  elected  collector  of  taxes, 
an  office  he  held  until  1907,  and  in  1904  he  was  elected 
a  justice  of  the  peace,  an  office  he  yet  holds.  From 
1901  until  1912  he  was  town  clerk ;  from  1906  until 
1914.  inclusive,  he  represented  Glocester  in  the  Rhode 
Island  Assembly,  serving  as  speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  in  1913-14.  He  was  appointed  a  mem- 
ber, and  also  is  secretary,  of  the  board  of  tax  com- 
missioners for  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  in  igi2,  he 
resigning  two  offices,  town  treasurer  and  town  clerk,  in 
order  to  accept  the  latter  office,  an  important  one  to  the 
State.  This  office  he  yet  holds,  1919,  he  having  now 
rounded  out  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  public  service, 
1894-1919.  In  1918  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
school  committee  of  the  town  of  Glocester.  This 
record  of  continuous  and  overlapping  continuance  in 
important  office  from  the  age  of  twenty-one  to  forty- 
six,  is  one  rarely  equalled,  and  even  were  it  to  end,  the 
present  stamps  Mr.  Davis  as  a  man  holding  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  his  community  to  an  unusual  degree. 
He  is  public  spirited  and  progressive,  bringing  to  ever\' 
duty  a  zest  and  zeal  remarkable,  the  spirit  and  strength 
which  impels  him  being  daily  renewed  in  healthful 
recreations  of  the  out-of-doors.  He  is  very  fond  of 
walking,  fishing,  and  camp  life,  but  walking  is  a  pas- 
sion, his  enjoyment  therefrom  deep  and  lasting. 

His  interest  in  his  party,  the  Republican,  dates  from 
early  life,  and  extends  beyond  local  affairs  to  the 
greater  concerns  of  county  and  State.  He  is  widely 
known  throughout  the  State,  and  has  an  attentive  hear- 
ing in  State  party  councils.  He  has  been  secretary  of 
the  Republican  town  committee  of  Glocester  for  more 
than  twenty  years.  In  the  House  his  service,  other  than 
that  as  a  speaker,  has  been  in  valued  committee  work, 
and  he  was  one  of  the  workers  of  the  House  both  on 
the  floor  and  in  committee.  In  1907  he  served  on  the 
committee  on  special  legislation;  from  1908  to  1912  a 
member  of  finance  committee,  of  which  he  was  chairman 
from  1910  to  1912,  and  in  the  latter  year  was  also 
a  member  of  the  joint  committee  on  accounts  and 
claims.  As  chairman  of  the  committee  on  finance 
he  filled  a  very  important  position,  that  commit- 
tee  having   charge   of   all   nieasures   relating  to   State 


appropriations  and  revenue.  Prior  to  his  election 
as  speaker  of  the  House,  he  served  two  terms  as  deputy 
speaker.  In  1912  he  was  appointed  a  member  and  be- 
came chairman  of  the  commission  that  erected  and 
dedicated  the  tablet  commemorating  the  Dorr  War.  He 
is  a  skilled  parliamentarian,  and  as  a  presiding  officer 
won  high  encomiums  from  both  parties  for  his  unfailing 
courtesy,  fairness,  and  just  rulings.  In  religious  faith 
he  is  a  CongregationaHst,  a  member  of  the  Glocester 
Evangelical  Society  of  Chepachet,  which  has  the  active 
operation  of  the  church  in  charge.  He  is  a  member  and 
past  master  and  now  secretary  of  Friendship  Lodge, 
No.  7,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Chepachet ;  mem- 
ber of  Philia  Chapter,  Order  of  Eastern  Star,  being  a 
past  patron  of  that  lodge;  of  the  Pen  and  Pencil  Club 
of  Providence;  and  the  Republican  Club  of  Rhode 
Island.  He  is  secretary  of  the  Chepachet  Cemetery 
Association  since  1903,  associate  member  of  legal  ad- 
visory board  for  Glocester  in  selective  service  (draft 
board)  1918;  chairman  of  the  district  comprising  towns 
of  Glocester,  Smithfield,  Scituate  and  Foster,  in  the 
four  liberty  loan  drives  of  1917-18. 

Mr.  Davis  married,  January  i,  1894,  Mary  Chace.  of 
Xevv  Bedford,  Mass..  of  an  ancient  New  England  fam- 
ily. They  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Edith  Chace 
Davis. 


WILFRED  CARPENTER— Among  the  prosper- 
ous and  successful  business  men  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I., 
should  be  mentioned  Wilfred  Carpenter,  who  conducts 
a  large  business  in  automobile  parts,  tires  and  similar 
commodities  in  this  city  and  who  has  through  his  own 
industry  and  business  judgment  won  his  way  to  a  posi- 
tion in  the  respect  and  regard  of  his  fellow-citizens 
here. 

Wilfred  Carpenter  is  a  son  of  Eugene  and  Josephine 
(Racine)  Carpenter,  the  latter  now  deceased,  old  and 
highly  respected  citizens  of  Worcester  for  many  years. 
The  elder  Mr.  Carpenter,  w-ho  is  now  seventy-four 
years  of  age  and  yet  continues  to  actively  assist  his 
son  in  the  latter's  business,  was  one  of  the  first  French 
Canadians  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States,  coming  to 
Worcester  when  only  seven  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Car- 
penter, who  is  now  deceased,  was  a  member  of  the  old 
Racine  family,  which  has  been  prominent  not  only  in 
this  city  but  also  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts  during 
a  long  period. 

Wilfred  Carpenter  was  born  in  his  father's  home  in 
Worcester,  Mass.,  August  30,  1871,  and  it  was  at  the 
local  public  schools  that  he  received  his  early  education. 
His  position  was  such  at  that  time,  however,  that  it 
became  necessary  for  him  to  give  up  his  studies  while 
still  little  more  than  a  lad,  and  seek  such  kind  of  work 
which  would  assist  in  the  support  of  his  father's  fam- 
ily. .Accordingly,  after  an  apprenticeship,  the  young 
man  became  qualified  as  a  mechanic  and  shortly  after- 
wards took  up  the  bicycle  business  in  which  he  became 
an  acknowledged  expert.  He  was  a  youth  of  the  ut- 
most industry  and  perseverance  and  his  determination 
and  ambition  to  succeed  caused  him  to  work  in  a  degree 
which  would  have  seemed  impossible  for  the  average 
young  man  of  his  age.  He  turned  his  hand  to  all  sorts 
of  various   employments,   and   is   said  to   have  worked 


^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


343 


nights  and  days  in  a  very  literal  bend.  During  the  day 
he  worked  as  a  journeyman  at  his  trade,  and  secured  in 
addition  to  this  the  position  of  night  foreman  at  the 
American  Steel  Wire  Company  at  Worcester,  Mass. 
He  continued  to  reside  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  un  ,1  the 
year  1909,  when  he  came  to  W'oonsocket  and  at  once 
engaged  in  his  present  business,  locating  his  establish- 
ment on  the  corner  of  Clinton  and  Pond  streets,  where 
he  continues  up  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Carpenter 
leased  the  property  at  that  location  and  erected  upon  it 
his  own  building,  and  now  has  an  up-to-date  and  tmely 
equipped  establishment  where  he  sells  parts  of  auto- 
mobiles, tires,  bicycles  and  their  pans,  and  also  makes 
repairs  on  various  kinds  of  machinery.  He  is  himself 
so  much  of  a  mechanical  genius  that  almost  any  kind 
of  work  in  this  nature  at  all  will  be  accepted  by  him, 
and  carried  out  most  successfully  and  capably.  His 
enterprise  is  at  the  present  time  one  of  the  largest  of 
its  kind  in  this  community,  and  Mr.  Carpenter  is  right- 
fully recognized  as  one  of  W'oonsockct's  progressive 
and  enterprising  men.  In  addition  to  his  business  activ- 
ities, Mr.  Carpenter  is  keenly  and  actively  interested  in 
public  affairs,  particularly  those  connected  with  the 
locality  where  he  is  a  resident,  and  himself  takes  an 
active  part  therein.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
is  an  e.xceedingly  prominent  figure  in  the  work  of  his 
party  in  this  city,  his  voice  carrying  great  influence  in 
its  councils  and  his  advice  being  respected  by  his  polit- 
ical colleagues  throughout  the  region.  He  generally 
acts  personally  in  the  capacity  of  inspector  at  the  voting 
places  on  election  day,  and  is  a  well  known  figure  in 
political  circles  throughout  the  city.  For  a  number  of 
years  Mr.  Carpenter  has  been  a  member  of  the  Woon- 
socket  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  in  this  capacity  has 
done  much  to  promote  the  general  business  prosperity 
of  the  community,  being  always  active  in  encouraging 
industrious  and  business  enterprises  here  and  making 
it  worth  while  for  industrial  men  to  locate  in  the  com- 
munity.   Mr.  Carpenter  is  unmarried. 


THOMAS  SHAW,  president  and  general  manager 
of  the  Simplex  Tool  Company  of  Woonsocket,  situated 
at  the  corner  of  Social  and  W'orrall  streets,  is  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  industrial  life  of  this  community. 
Mr.  Shaw  was  born  in  London,  England,  January  21, 
1888. 

The  childhood  and  early  life  of  Thomas  Shaw  was 
passed  in  his  native  country,  where  he  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  afterwards  took  a  course  in  the  Borough 
Polytechnic  Mechanical  School  at  London.  Here  he 
became  an  expert  mechanic  and  devoted  his  time  to 
a  mastery  of  the  craft  of  tool  making.  Upon  completing 
his  education  in  this  line  Mr.  Shaw  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  at  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  where  he  made 
his  home  for  a  short  time.  It  was  not  long,  however, 
before  he  left  that  place  and  came  to  Woonsocket  and 
here  secured  a  position  as  tool  maker  with  one  of  the 
local  factories.  He  continued  to  follow  this  line  of 
work  until  the  year  1915,  when,  being  of  an  ambitious 
nature  and  very  anxious  to  be  engaged  in  business  on 
his  own  account,  he  organized  the  nucleus  of  what  is 
now  the  Simplex  Tool  Company  of  Woonsocket.  At 
the  time  of  the  organization  this  concern   was  indeed 


small,  but  the  industry  and  business  judgment  of  Mr. 
Shaw  soon  caused  it  to  develop  rapidly  until  on  Feb- 
ruary 7,  191",  it  was  incorporated  witli  Mr.  Shaw  as 
president  and  general  manager.  Shortly  afterwards  the 
plant  was  moved  to  its  present  location,  where  large  and 
adequate  quarters  were  provided  for  it,  and  equipped 
with  the  most  modern  machinery  and  all  the  most 
recent  appliances  for  carrying  on  this  work.  The  plant 
is  modern  in  every  particular.  .-X  new  building  with 
twenty  thousand  square  feet  of  tloor  space  and  lighted 
entirely  by  daylight  has  recently  been  erected.  The 
building  is  so  arranged  that  as  many  as  two  hundred 
hands  may  be  employed  there  at  one  time,  and  here  the 
finest  grades  of  tools  for  all  forts  of  mechanical  pur- 
poses are  turned  out.  The  Simplex  Tool  Company  does 
a  very  extensive  business,  not  only  with  all  the  States 
of  the  Union,  hut  with  most  of  the  European  countries 
as  well  and  with  Canada  and  South  America.  It  is  one 
of  the  best  equipped  plants  of  this  kind  in  this  country 
and  its  products  enjoy  a  reputation  throughout  the 
world  second  to  none. 


LUIGI  DePASQUALE— Luigi  DePasqualc,  one 
of  the  best  known  and  most  successful  among  the  young- 
er members  of  the  Providence,  R.  I.  bar,  is  a  native  of 
Providence.  R.  I.  He  is  a  son  of  Antonio  and  Maria 
(Vitale)  DePasquale,  who  were  born,  respectively, 
at  San  Marco  la  Catola,  in  the  Province  of  Foggia, 
Italy,  and  at  Santa  Crocc  del  Sannio,  in  the  Province  of 
Venevento,  Italy.  The  early  youth  of  both  his  parents 
was  passed  in  their  native  land  and  they  were  there 
married.  At  the  time  that  Antonio  DePasquale  was 
twenty-two  years  of  age  the  young  couple  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled,  first  at  Providence,  R.  I., 
where  he  engaged  in  the  shoemaker's  trade.  Shortly 
after,  however,  they  removed  to  Milford,  Mass.,  and 
there  he  established  himself  in  the  undertaking  business 
and  met  with  success.  They  still  reside  at  Milford  and 
are  fifty-seven  and  fifty-nine  years  of  age,  respectively. 
They  arc  the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  Arthur; 
Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  A.  Murray,  of 
Milford;  Luigi,  with  whom  we  are  here  especially  con- 
cerned; Joseph;  Gemma  and  Eva.  Joseph  DePasquale 
is  a  graduate  of  the  law  department  of  the  Boston  Uni- 
versity, class  of  1916. 

Born  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  December  13,  1892,  Luigi 
DePasquale  grew  to  manhood  in  the  town  of  Milford, 
Mass.,  to  which  place  his  parents  moved  soon  after  he 
was  bom.  It  was  there  that  he  received  his  preparatory 
education,  attending  for  this  purpose  the  local  public 
schools.  He  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  there, 
and  at  once  entered  the  law  department  of  the  Boston 
University,  having  decided  to  adopt  this  as  his  pro- 
fession. He  distinguished  himself  as  a  brilliant  and 
painstaking  student  during  his  three  years  course  at 
that  institution,  and  in  due  course  of  time  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1913,  taking  his  degree  of  Bach- 
elor of  Laws.  He  took  his  bar  examinations  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  the  Massachusetts  courts,  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1914,  and  began  his  professional  career  at 
Milford.  He  remained  nine  months  in  his  native  town 
and  then  came  to  Rhode  Island  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar   of  this    State,   November  9,    1914     He   settled  at 


344 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Providence,  which  has  since  been  his  home  and  pro- 
fessional headquarters,  and  here  became  associated  with 
Joseph  W.  Grimes.  This  association  was  severed,  how- 
ever, about  four  montlis  later,  when  Mr.  DePasquale 
formed  a  partnership  with  Anthony  V.  Pettine  under  the 
style  of  Pettine  &  DePasquale.  This  firm  has  met  with 
a  high  degree  of  success,  having  now  a  large  practice 
and  handling  much  important  litigation.  Mr.  DePas- 
quale's  native  abilities  and  his  deep  learning  in  the  law 
are  universally  recognized,  and  he  is  regarded  as  a 
leading  figure  in  the  legal  world  here.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Bar  Association,  and  has  been 
active  in  advancing  the  interests  and  objectives  of  this 
organization.  He  has  also  been  a  very  conspicuous  fig- 
ure in  the  general  life  of  the  communitj-,  especially  in 
connection  with  the  interests  and  affairs  of  his  fellow 
Italians  here.  He  has  taken  a  keen  interest  in  politics, 
and  has  identified  himself  prominently  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  of  the  principles  and  policies  of  which  he 
is  a  staunch  supporter.  He  was  elected  on  the  ticket  of 
his  party,  January  19,  1917,  to  represent  the  fourteenth 
representative  district  in  the  Legislature  of  the  State. 
He  is  at  present  a  very  active  member  of  this  body  and 
also  the  youngest.  He  is  a  member  of  several  fraternal 
bodies  including  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  the  Order  of  Eagles  and  the  Foresters  of 
America.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Society  of  the 
Sons  of  Italy,  the  Dante  Alighieri  Club  and  the  Italo- 
American  Club,  and  is  active  in  the  Young  Men's  Christ- 
ian Association. 


FREDERICK  CHARLES  GREEN— This  name, 
as  every  citizen  of  Providence  knows,  should  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  words,  "Superintendent  of  Parks."  Mr. 
Green  has  long  been  of  high  standing  in  his  occupation, 
and  during  his  ten  years'  residence  in  Providence  has 
been  numbered  among  her  most  respected  and  useful 
citizens. 

Joseph  Green,  father  of  Frederick  Charles  Green,  was 
born  in  1833,  in  Cheddington,  Buckinghamshire,  England, 
and  was  a  gardener,  working  all  his  life  on  the  estates 
of  the  Rothschilds  and  Lord  Roseberry.  He  married 
Maria  Sayell,  also  a  native  of  Cheddington.  Mr.  Green, 
the  father,  is  now  pensioned  and  living  in  London. 
Mrs.  Green  passed  away  in  ipoS^ 

Frederick  Charles  Green,  son  of  Joseph  and  Maria 
(Sayell)  Green,  was  born  November  10,  1864,  in  Ched- 
dington, Buckinghamshire,  England,  and  was  educated 
in  his  native  place  and  in  Mantmore,  Bedfordshire.  He 
then  became  an  apprentice  on  the  estate  of  the  Roths- 
childs, and  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  having  attained  to 
the  rank  of  an  improver,  went  to  London,  where  he 
was  employed  at  the  Veitch  Nurseries,  thus  acquiring  a 
knowledge  of  the  business.  At  the  end  of  six  months 
he  went  to  Tunbridge  Wells,  County  of  Kent,  where  for 
two  years  he  worked  as  a  journeyman.  Feeling  him- 
self then  completely  equipped  for  success  in  his  chosen 
field  of  endeavor,  Mr.  Green  came  to  the  United  States, 
where  for  two  years  and  a  half  he  had  charge  of  the 
estate  of  John  Jay,  in  Westchester  county,  N.  Y.  He 
then  went  to  Wellesley,  Mass.,  and  there  for  two  years 
cared  for  the  greenhouses  on  B.  P.  Cheney's  estate. 
His  next  migration  was  to  the  estate  of  General  S.  C. 


Lawrence,  at  Medford,  Mass.,  where  for  seven  years 
he  filled  a  similar  position.  Coming  then  to  Rhode 
Island,  he  laid  out  the  Nelson  W.  Aldrich  estate  at  War- 
wick, of  which  for  the  ensuing  eleven  years  he  had 
entire  charge.  In  1909  he  came  to  Providence  to  become 
head  of  the  park  department,  a  position  which  he  has 
ever  since  continuously  filled.  The  results  of  his  work 
testify  eloquently  to  his  practical  ability,  his  artistic  gen- 
ius and  his  fidelity  in  the  performance  of  the  duties  of 
his  office.  All  the  parks  and  playgrounds  of  the  city  are 
committed  to  his  care.  In  addition  to  being  admirably 
fitted  for  his  work  he  sincerely  loves  it,  finding  a  source 
of  amusement  as  well  as  profit  in  laying  out  parks  and 
experimenting  with  bulbs  and  seeds.  Among  the  pro- 
fessional organizations  in  which  Mr.  Green  is  enrolled 
are  the  National  Association  of  Gardeners,  the  Amer- 
ican Association  of  Park  Superintendents,  and  the  New 
England  Park  Association.  He  affiliates  with  Mount 
Hermon  Blue  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Med- 
ford, Mass;  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  St.  John's  Command- 
ery ;  Palestine  Temple  and  Shrine,  Providence ;  and  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His  only  club  is 
the  Central. 

Mr.  Green  married,  January  7,  1894,  in  Boston,  Mass., 
Margaret  Bell,  of  Ashton  Underlyne,  Lancashire,  Eng- 
land, daughter  of  William  and  Margaret  Grimshaw  Bell. 
Mr.  Bell,  who  is  an  accountant  of  Duckinfield,  Lanca- 
shire, is  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green  are  the 
parents  of  two  children :  Dorothy  Sayell,  born  July  19, 
1905,  at  Warwick,  R.  I.;  and  Hervey  Ely,  born  Feb. 
28.  1913,  in  Providence. 

To  Frederick  Charles  Green  the  people  of  Providence 
owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  the  valuable  service  he  has 
rendered  in  helping  to  create  and  preserve  the  beauty 
of  their  beloved  city. 


GODFROY  DAIGNAULT— Into  a  life  that  num- 
bered comparatively  few  years,  fifty-four,  Godfroy  Daig- 
nault  put  more  of  energetic  aspiration  and  enduring 
achievement  than  usually  marks  the  record  of  men  of 
successful  effort  whose  span  of  life  is  much  longer,  and 
his  life  contained  a  measure  of  material  accomplish- 
ment that  might  well  have  represented  the  labors  of 
several  men  with  credit.  Mr.  Daignault  entered  into 
numerous  fields  and  in  each  of  them  rose  to  successful 
prominence,  the  attributes  by  virtue  of  which  he  rose 
above  his  fellows,  a  tireless  ambition,  indomitable  cour- 
age, and  a  business  acumen  that  mastered  and  retained 
every  detail  of  a  new  enterprise.  He  found  time  for 
the  service  of  his  fellows  in  public  oflice  and  met  the 
obligations  of  citizenship  with  a  willing  public  spirit 
that  brought  much  of  benefit  to  his  city.  The  follow- 
ing is  a  brief  record  of  his  life  and  works. 

Godfroy  Daignault  was  of  French  Canadian  descent 
and  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Woonsocket,  son  of 
Godfroy  and  Marceline  Daignault.  He  was  born  at  St. 
Gregoire,  County  of  Iberville,  Province  of  Quebec,  in 
1849.  and  died  September  12,  1903.  He  attended  the 
schools  of  the  place  of  his  birth  and  came  to  Woon- 
socket, R.  I.,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  at  once  ap- 
prenticing himself  to  Joseph  Page,  of  Providence,  to 
learn  the  trade  of  carpenter.  He  continued  with  Mr. 
Page  until  1874,  thoroughly  mastering  his  trade,  and  in 


t::Zy'^2y<^a--pty  , 


'^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


345 


tliat  year  he  discontinued  carpenter  work,  establishing  in 
meat  dealing  in  the  social  district.  The  business  that  he 
here  founded  was  so  favorably  received  and  developed 
to  such  an  extent  that  he  soon  afterward  opened  sim- 
ilar places  of  business  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  Danielson 
and  Wauregan,  Conn.,  and  Blackstone,  Mass.,  all  of 
which  met  with  the  same  prosperity  as  the  first.  Mr. 
Daignaiilt  directed  these  enterprises  until  1900,  when  he 
sold  his  interests  in  this  line,  disposing  of  his  Black- 
stone  market  to  his  son-in-law,  George  H.  Valois,  who 
conducts  it  to  the  present  time. 

At  the  time  he  began  his  career  as  a  merchant,  Mr. 
Daignault  also  became  interested  in  stone  quarrying, 
and  a  few  years  afterward  engaged  in  lumber  manu- 
facture at  St.  Cecile,  Quebec,  marketing  the  product  of 
his  mill  through  his  Woonsocket  office.  In  1900  he 
erected  a  box  and  molding  shop  at  \'illa  Xova,  through 
all  of  this  period  operating  widely  in  real  estate.  He 
built  several  large  stores  and  tenements  in  the  social 
district  and  at  his  death  held  title  to  two  stores  and 
one  hundred  and  forty-six  tenements.  His  investments 
were  made  with  the  prudence  and  careful  judgment  of 
the  trained  nian-of-affairs,  and  seldom  was  he  in  error 
in  appraising  the  merits  of  a  financial  or  business  prop- 
osition. The  record  of  his  transactions  might  well  have 
been  an  open  book,  for  never  did  he  swerve  from  the 
strictest  principles  of  honorable  dealing,  and  until  his 
death  he  held  the  full  measure  of  the  confidence  and 
regard  of  his  associates. 

Mr.  Daigiiault  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  was  a 
member  of  the  Woonsocket  Town  Council  before  the 
incorporation  of  the  city  and  for  seven  years  assessor 
of  taxes.  During  1898  and  1899  he  was  the  represen- 
tative of  the  Fifth  Ward  on  the  Board  of  Aldermen 
and  in  this,  as  in  his  other  public  capacities,  he  ably  and 
conscientiously  discharged  his  obligations.  He  was  an 
earnest  Catholic,  a  trustee  of  St.  .\nn's  Church,  a 
member  of  the  Union  of  Prayer  of  that  congregation, 
and  he  was  also  a  member  of  the  Jean  Baptiste  Society 
of  Woonsocket  and  the  Alliance  Nationale.  His  death 
occurred  after  an  illness  of  eight  months,  and  he  was 
buried  in  the  cemetery  of  the  Church  of  the  Precious 
Blood,  attended  by  the  sorrow  of  his  commtinity  for  the 
passing  of  a  man  of  upright  life  and  beneficent  influence. 

Godfroy  Daignault  married,  in  Woonsocket,  Elmire 
.\rchombault,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  thirteen 
children,  three  dying  in  infancy :  Elmire,  married 
George  H.  Valois;  Mclanie,  deceased;  Elise,  Exilia, 
Elizabeth,  died  March  11,  1904;  Alice,  Godfroy,  Jr., 
born  .April  3,  1876,  married  Angelina  Cote;  Eugene  J., 
born  Nov.  29,  1877,  married  (first)  Georgianna  Allaire, 
who  died  March  17,  1900,  (second)  .Arthemise  Bclisle; 
Elphege  J.,  born  June  8,  1879,  married  Fiorina,  daughter 
of  Alphonse  Gaulin;  Eustache  L.,  born  Jan.  18,  1883. 


EUGENE  JOSEPH  DAIGNAULT,  manager  oi 
the  Godfroy  Daignault  Company,  of  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  and  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  success- 
ful business  men  of  this  place,  is  a  native  of  Woon- 
socket, where  his  birth  occurred  in  the  same  building 
in  which  is  now  located  the  office  of  the  company  of 
which  he  is  manager.  He  was  born  November  29, 
1877,    a    son   of   (xodfroy   and    Elmire    (.\rchombault) 


Daignault,  a  sketch  of  whom  precedes  this  one.  The 
education  of  Mr.  Daignault  was  begun  in  the  public 
and  parochial  schools  of  Woonsocket,  and  he  after- 
wards entered  the  Sherbrooke  College,  at  Sherbrooke, 
Canada,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.  He  then 
matriculated  at  St.  Mary's  College,  Montreal,  but 
before  completing  his  course  there,  he  determined  to 
begin  his  business  career.  With  this  end  in  view,  he 
secured  a  position  with  his  father  and  continued  in 
association  with  the  elder  man  up  to  the  time  of  the 
latter's  death.  Godfroy  Daignault  was  one  of  the 
most  successful  and  wealthy  men  of  Woonsocket,  and 
tl'.e  present  Godfroy  Daignault  Company  includes  the 
business  and  estate  oi  its  namesake,  one  of  the  larg- 
est in  the  city.  Mr.  Daignault  has  been  very  success- 
ful in  continuing  this  great  business  and  is  justly 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  capable  men  in  the  com- 
munity and  the  possessor  of  an  unusual  grasp  01  prac- 
tical atTairs.  Mr.  Daignault  is  an  ardent  supporter  of 
the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican  party, 
but  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in  the  political  life 
of  the  community,  the  great  demands  made  upon  his 
time  and  energies  by  the  interests  which  he  handles 
preventing  him  from  taking  part  in  any  other  activi- 
ties. Mr.  Daignault  is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic Church  of  St.  .Ann,  and  is  affiliated  with  a  number 
of  important  organizations  here,  including  St.  Jean 
Baptiste  Society  and  the  local  lodge  of  the  Federated 
Order  of  Eagles,  the  local  lodge  of  the  Knights  of 
Columbus,  and  the  Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. 

Mr.  Daignault  married  (first)  May  12,  1889,  Georgi- 
anna .Allaire.  She  died  March  17,  1900.  He  married 
(second)  April  16,  1904,  at  Woonsocket,  Arthcmise 
Belisle.  of  this  place,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Vitalie 
(Menard)  Belisle.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daignault  four 
children  have  been  born,  as  follows:  Alice,  Yvonne, 
Eugene  Joseph,  Jr.,  and  Aime. 


GARABED   SARKIS    GHAZARIAN,   M.    D.— In 

the  year  1917,  during  the  wholesale  murdering  of  de- 
fenseless .Armenian  women  and  children,  Sarkis  and 
Khanum  (Dcrbalian)  Ghazarian,  parents  of  Dr.  Gara- 
btd  S.  Ghazarian.  of  Providence,  fell  victims  of  the 
wrath  of  the  "unspeakable  Turk."  They  were  natives  of 
Aintab,  Armenia,  where  their  son,  Garabed  Sarkis 
Ghazarian,  was  born,  April  7,  1886.  He  was  educated 
by  the  American  missionaries  in  their  schools  in  Ar- 
menia, and  in  1908  was  graduated  Bachelor  of  Arts 
from  the  .American  College  at  .Aintab.  He  came  to 
the  United  States,  arriving  at  New  York,  August  10, 
1909;  three  days  later  he  came  to  Boston,  Mass.,  and 
entered  the  State  Hospital  at  Palmer,  Mass.,  doing 
dispensary  work  for  one  year.  He  next  entered 
Tufts  Medical  College,  at  Boston,  there  continuing 
vntil  graduated  in  the  class  of  1915,  with  honors  cum 
laude  in  addition  to  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
Until  August,  1916,  he  was  interne  at  the  Memorial 
Hospital,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  but  in  the  month  and  year 
named  he  began  private  practice  in  Providence,  spe- 
cializing in  surgery,  although  his  general  medicine 
practice  is  large.     Dr.   Ghazaiian   is  a  member  of  the 


346 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


staffs  of  both  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital  and  the 
Memorial  Hospital  of  Pawtucket,  serving  in  the  surgi- 
cal out-patient  department  of  the  first  named,  and  is 
assistant  surgeon  in  the  otological  department  of  the 
last  named.  The  doctor's  ambition  is  to  become  a 
truly  great  surgeon,  and  to  that  end  bends  every 
energy  and  keeps  up  the  closest  study.  He  is  accumu- 
lating a  splendid  library  and  is  in  close  touch  with  all 
progress  in  theory,  treatment  and  operation.  He,  of 
course,  mastered  English  in  his  college  work  in  Ar- 
menia and  has  not  had  the  handicap  of  a  strange 
tongue  in  establishing  a  practice.  He  speaks  several 
languages  fluently  and  has  made  extraordinary  pro- 
gress in  his  chosen  profession. 

Dr.  Ghazarian  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church;  St.  John's  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons: 
American  Medical  Association;  American  Public 
Health  Association;  Massachusetts  Board  of  Health 
Association;  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society;  Provi- 
dence Medical  Society;  Rhode  Island  Otological  and 
Ophthalmological  Society;  National  Geographic  So- 
ciety; Providence  Medical  Literature  Association; 
Volunteer  Medical  Service  Corps  of  the  United  States; 
and  during  the  World  War  was  the  first  medical 
examiner  for  first  Exemption  Board  in  Pawtucket. 
He  has  contributed  many  articles  to  the  medical 
journals,  and  to  the  proceedings  of  the  various 
societies,  and  has  won  high  standing  among  his  pro- 
fessional brethren. 

Dr.  Ghazarian  married,  in  Providence,  September 
12,  1918,  Haigoohi  Epekjian,  also  of  Armenian  par- 
entage, her  parents  born  in  Armenia,  but  she  was 
born  in  Fresno,  Cal.  She  is  a  woman  of  keen  intel- 
ligence, and  deeply  interested  in  her  husband's  work. 


DANIEL  J.  BYRNE— When  a  young  man  Mar- 
tin Byrne  came  from  Ireland  to  the  United  States, 
locating  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  engaged 
as  a  mill  worker  until  his  death  in  1916,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-three.  He  married,  in  Providence,  Ellen 
Tully,  of  Wickford,  R.  I. 

Their  son,  Daniel  J.  Byrne,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  June  I,  1873,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
and  private  schools.  He  began  his  wage-earning 
career  as  a  machine  hand  in  a  mill,  leaving  that  em- 
ploy to  go  with  the  Metropolitan  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany as  collector  and  agent,  remaining  with  the  latter 
company  three  years.  He  then  began  business  for 
himself  at  No.  684  Atwells  avenue,  there  opening  a 
cigar,  news  and  confectionery  store,  which  he  has 
now  conducted  successfully  for  twenty  years.  Later 
he  fitted  up  a  five  alley  bowling  room  just  across  the 
street  from  his  store,  and  for  ten  years  managed  both 
establishments,  finally  selling  out.  A  resident  of  the 
Tenth  Ward,  Mr.  Byrne  has  from  youthful  man- 
hood been  connected  with  public  affairs,  and  has  re- 
ceived several  evidences  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  is 
held  by  his  friends  of  the  ward.  He  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Common  Council  in  1914,  and  has 
returned  as  each  term  expired,  he  yet  serving  the  ward 
as  councilman,  elected  as  a  Democrat.  During  the 
first    term    he    was    a    member    of    the    committee    on 


water,  now  being  on  the  committee  on  sewers.  In 
Council  he  introduced  the  resolution  to  extend  the 
Providence  sewer  system  to  Manton,  and  has  been  a 
consistent  friend  of  public  improvement.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  Knights  of  Columbus,  Regent  Literary  and 
Social  Club,  and  the  Father  Simmon's  Branch,  No. 
65S,  I.  C.  B.  U. 

Mr.  Byrne  married,  in  April.  1893,  Elizabeth 
O'Brien,  of  Wheeling,  W.  Va.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  three  children;     Lillian,  Gertrude  and  Earl. 


JOHN  EDWARD  McGUINES,  treasurer  and 
general  manager  of  tlie  Central  Warp  Company,  of 
Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  and  a  public-spirited  and  promi- 
nent citizen  of  this  place,  is  a  native  of  England, 
having  been  born  in  Herefordshire,  May  14,  1854.  He 
is  the  son  of  Edward  McGuines,  a  native  of  the  Isle 
of  Man,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  British  army,  serv- 
ing in  the  Fusilier  Guards  for  twenty-one  years,  after 
which  he  was  pensioned  from  service  and  became  a 
drill  instructor  in  Scotland,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  1888  at  the  age  of  seventy.  Edward  McGuines 
married  Agnes  Dick,  a  native  of  Scotland,  born  at 
Douglas,  Lanarkshire,  about  1822,  and  died  in  the 
year   1855. 

John  Edward  McGuines  received  his  education  at 
the  Grammar  School,  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and  upon 
completing  his  studies  secured  a  position  in  the  card- 
ing room  of  a  mill  at  Glasgow,  Scotland.  He  was 
an  alert  and  energetic  worker,  and  was  rapidly  pro- 
moted until  he  reached  the  position  of  long  chain 
beamer,  remaining  at  that  mill  for  a  period  of 
about  five  years.  He  then  secured  a  position  as 
beamer  at  the  Kerr  Mill  at  Glasgow,  where  he  worked 
for  nine  years,  in  the  meantime  becoming  a  thorough 
master  of  his  trade.  In  the  year  1881  Mr.  McGuines 
came  to  the  United  States  and  located  at  Westbrook, 
Me.,  where  he  began  business  as  a  slasher  tender  in 
the  W'.  K.  Darrie  Mill.  He  remained  there  for  about 
a  year  and  then,  when  the  first  gingham  mill  was 
started  at  Westbrook,  he  took  charge  of  that  insti- 
tution, continuing  for  about  two  and  a  half  years.  It 
was  in  the  year  1885,  at  the  close  of  that  period,  that 
he  came  to  Pawtucket,  where  he  secured  employment 
with  the  Lorraine  Manufacturing  Company,  where  he 
displayed  such  evident  ability  that  he  was  promoted 
to  the  position  of  assistant  superintendent.  After 
fifteen  years  at  this  place,  Mr.  McGuines  was  offered 
the  position  of  general  manager  of  the  Solway  Mills 
at  Westerly,  R.  I.,  and  continued  in  that  capacity  for 
eleven  years.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  McGuines,  who 
was  exceedingly  ambitious  and  desired  strongly  to  be 
engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account,  had  saved  up 
sufficient  capital  to  enable  him  to  realize  this  wish, 
and  accordingly  he  organized  and  founded  the  Cen- 
tral Warp  Company,  on  Blackstone  street,  Pawtucket. 
He  continued  to  operate  his  mill  at  that  place  for 
three  years,  and  then  removed  to  his  present  location 
at  No.  891  Broad  street.  Central  Falls,  R.  I.  He  has 
been  exceedingly  successful  here  and  now  owns  and 
operates    one    of    the    largest    industrial    plants    of    its 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


347 


kind  in  tliis  vicinity.  Mr.  McGuines  has  been  active  in 
many  different  departments  of  the  community's  affairs, 
and  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  social  and  political  cir- 
cles here.  His  residence  is  situated  at  No.  312  Pros- 
pect street,  Pawtucket,  and  he  is  well  and  favorably 
known  for  his  i)ublic  spirit  and  liberality  throughout  the 
entire  community.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  is  a  member  of  tlie  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men, 
Order  of  Scottish  Ciansmcn,  and  Franklin  Lodge, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Westerly. 

John  Edward  McGuines  was  united  in  marriage, 
December  31,  1872,  at  Glasgow,  Scotland,  with  Isabel 
Cunningham  Morton,  a  native  of  that  city.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Isabel  (Cunningham)  Morton 
The  death  of  Mr.  Morton  occurred  in  1864.  when  he 
was  only  forty  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Morton  died  in 
1863.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGuines  the  following  chil- 
dren were  born:  Alexander.  Agnes,  Mary,  Ellen,  and 
Margaret,  who  are  deceased;  Isabella,  Robert,  Mabel, 
who  married  Leslie  Makeut,  and  John,  all  residents 
of  Pawtucket. 


THOMAS  TULLY— In  far  away  County  Cavan, 
Ireland,  James  Tully,  lather  of  Thomas  Tully,  of 
Providence,  R.  I.,  was  born  and  there  resided  until 
the  year  1847-48,  then  came  to  the  United  States,  set- 
tling at  Providence,  R.  I.  His  first  employer  was 
Albert  Waterman,  whom  he  served  as  engineer  until 
1861.  The  next  few  years  were  spent  in  the  employ  of 
the  Richmond  Manufacturing  Company,  going  thence 
to  Payne  &  Sackett,  woolen  manufacturers.  After  a 
few  years  he  formed  a  partnership  with  William  Col- 
lins, the  firm  Tully  &  Collins  becoming  well  known 
undertakers  of  Providence.  He  continued  in  business 
until  a  few  years  prior  to  his  death,  then  retired  and 
spent  his  declining  years  in  contented  ease.  He 
was  a  member  of  St.  John's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
and  in  political  faith  was  a  Democrat.  He  married 
Margaret  Burns,  born  in  Ireland,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  five  children:  i.  Thomas,  of  further  men- 
tion. 2.  Matthew,  now  deceased,  married  Mary  Calla- 
han, leaving  two  children:  Margaret  and  Mary  Eliz- 
abeth, who  married  John  Smith,  of  Mount  Pleasant; 
they  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Mary, 
John,  Isabelle,  Esther,  who  died  in  infancy,  and  Mar- 
garet, who  married  Walter  Seward  Smith.  3.  Rev. 
John  F.,  pastor  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  Roman 
Catholic  Church  of  Providence.  4.  James,  deceased. 
5.  Mary,  also  deceased. 

Thomas  Tully,  eldest  son  of  James  and  Margaret 
(Burns)  Tully,  was  born  in  Olneyville.  R.  I.,  in  1852, 
and  in  his  youth  attended  the  Harris  avenue  public 
school.  His  first  employment  was  with  the  paint 
works,  but  later  he  learned  the  cooper's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  several  years.  He  then  bought  prop- 
erty on  Atwell  avenue.  Providence,  and  for  twenty 
years  was  engaged  in  the  liquor  business,  retiring  at 
the  end  of  that  period,  but  is  somewhat  interested  in 
real  estate  operating.  He  is  an  active  Democrat,  a 
member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  and  St.  John's  Roman  Catholic  Church.  Mr. 
Tully  married,  in  1901,  Anna  O'Donnell,  of  Provi- 
dence. 


REV.  PIERRE  SWITALA— One  of  the  best 
known  figures  in  the  religious  life  of  Rhode  Island  is 
the  Rev.  Father  Pierre  Switala,  pastor  of  St.  Stanis- 
laus Kostka  Church,  of  Woonsockct,  and  a  man 
greatly  beloved  by  the  whole  community  for  his  good 
works  and  piuus  life,  and  for  his  profound  learning 
which  is  always  at  the  service  of  those  who  seek  from 
him  aid  and  counsel.  I-'ather  Switala  is  a  native  of 
Poland,  having  been  born  at  the  town  of  Jaskulki,  in 
the  Province  of  Posen,  in  that  country,  .August  2, 
1883.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Josephine  (Bicrnat)  Swi- 
tala, residents  of  Jaskulki,  Poland,  where  his  father  is 
engaged  in  large  agricultural  operations.  He  is  a  man 
of  about  si.xty  years  of  age,  energetic  and  capable, 
and  from  him  his  son  inherits  many  of  his  sterling 
qualities  of  character.  Father  Switala's  mother,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  Jaskulki,  died  in  the  year  1889, 
at  the  age  of  forty-two  years.  Mr.  Switala  has  since 
that  time  married  again,  his  second  wife  having  been 
Elizabeth  Szlachta,  who  is  now  living.  Father  Swi- 
tala has  a  number  of  brothers  and  sisters,  as  fol- 
lows: Palagia,  John,  Constantine,  Mary,  Magdelinc 
and  the  following  half  sisters:  .Vngela,  Marcel  and 
Antoinette. 

The  early  education  of  Father  Switala  was  obtained 
in  the  schools  of  his  own  region  and  afterwards  he 
became  a  pupil  at  Ostrowo,  where  he  studied  at  the 
Imperial  Gymnasium,  graduating  from  the  same  in 
1904.  He  then,  having  decided  to  enter  the  priest- 
hood, went  to  Belgium  where  he  entered  Louvain 
University,  one  of  the  most  famous  schools  in  the 
world,  where  was  centered  a  unique  library  of  medie- 
val books  and  manuscripts,  which  has  since  been  de- 
stroyed, together  with  the  university,  by  the  German 
aimy.  .At  Louvain  Father  Switala  pursued  his  theo- 
logical and  philosophical  studies  for  the  priesthood 
and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  190S.  He  was 
ordained  on  July  12,  in  that  year,  at  Louvain,  by 
Bishop  Ludwick  Joseph  Lcgram.  He  then  came  to 
the  United  States  and  first  settled  at  Providence,  R.  I., 
remaining  there,  however,  but  a  very  short  time,  being 
appointed  to  the  pastorate  of  St.  Casinier's  of  War- 
ren, R.  I.,  on  September  i,  1908.  During  the  ten 
years  which  have  elapsed  since  that  time.  Father 
Switala  has  been  untiring  in  his  efforts  for  the  good 
of  the  parish  and  has  accomplished,  besides  his  spir- 
itual work,  some  noted  material  improvements.  In 
the  year  1909  he  constructed  the  former  church  build- 
ing which  was  amply  adequate  to  care  for  the  needs  of 
the  one  hundred  forty  families  and  eight  hundred 
souls,  but  this  structure  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  May 
I,  1913,  since  which  time  he  has  rebuilt  it  and  added  to 
its  size  and  beauty.  He  has  also  just  completed  a 
school  here  to  fake  care  of  the  educational  needs  of 
the  children  of  the  parish  and  it  is  a  model  institution. 
On  October  i,  1918,  Father  Switala  was  promoted  to 
his  present  parish,  which  is  one  of  the  best  and  largest 
Polish  parishes  in  Rhode  Island.  Father  Switala  is 
by  taste  a  great  reader  and  student  and  he  devotes 
such  time  as  he  can  spare  from  the  business  and 
spiritual  needs  of  the  parish  to  his  books.  He  is  essen- 
tially a  scholar,  and  his  researches  into  many  different 
departments  of  human  and  divine  knowledge  have 
been  profound. 


348 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


TERRENCE  McQUADE — When  a  young  man 
Terrence  McQuadc  came  from  his  native  Ireland,  his 
brother  Patrick  having  previously  come  to  the  United 
States  and  had  an  established  meat  and  grocery  busi- 
ness o.i  Atvvells  avenue,  Providence,  R.  I.  Terrence 
McQuade  entered  his  brother's  employ  as  a  clerk  in  the 
store,  remaining  there  about  three  years,  then  engaged 
in  business  for  himself  as  a  wholesale  dealer  in  dressed 
pork,  one  of  the  first  men  in  Providence  to  engage  in 
a  business  restricted  to  pork  and  pork  products.  He 
purchased  teams,  made  a  specialty  of  deliveries  even  to 
surrounding  tov.-ns,  and  through  hard,  persistent  effort 
built  up  a  large  and  a  profitable  business.  Upon  the 
death  of  his  brother  Patrick  he  bought  the  grocery  and 
provision  store,  at  No.  315  Atvifells  avenue,  in  which 
he  had  begim  business  as  a  clerk.  He  owned  that  prop- 
erty, which  he  had  greatly  enlarged  and  improved,  and 
conducted  the  business  until  191 1,  then  sold  out  his  busi- 
ness enterprises,  having  since  devoted  himself  to  real 
estate  dealing.  In  1913  he  purchased  the  block  on  Bene- 
fit street,  including  the  historic  Mansion  House,  once 
occupied  by  Generals  Washington  and  Lafayette  for  a 
brief  period.  This  he  has  skillfully  managed  and  con- 
verted into  a  valuable  investment.  He  has  won  his  way 
to  business  success  from  the  bottom,  and  in  so  doing 
has  many  warm  friends  who  hold  him  in  the  highest 
esteem.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church, 
and  in  politics  an  Independent. 

Mr.  McQuade  married,  in  Providence,  in  1893,  Anna 
Fitzpatrick,  daughter  of  Philip  and  Catherine  (Brady) 
Fitzpatrick,  both  born  in  Ireland,  but  later  and  until 
death,  residents  of  Providence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McQuade 
are  the  parents  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter:  i.  Thomas, 
M.  D.,  educated  in  Academy  street  school,  Holy  Cross 
College,  and  Tufts  Medical  College,  now  a  inember  of 
the  United  States  Medical  Corps,  stationed  in  the  super- 
intendent's office  in  Hoboken,  N.  ].,  and  has  been  twice 
to  France  with  the  army  transports.  2.  Catherine,  a 
graduate  of  .-\cademy  street  school,  and  of  Sacred 
Heart  Convent,  Elmhiirst,  class  of  1915;  she  is  chair- 
man of  the  ways  and  means  committee  of  the  Catholic 
Ladies'  Society,  and  very  active  in  Red  Cross  work  and 
benefit  entertainments.     3.  Edward,  residing  at  home. 


JOSEPH    CHARLES   NAPOLEON   BOUVIER, 

one  of  the  most  active  business  men  of  Woonsocket  and 
a  leading  contractor  and  builder,  is  a  native  of  Canada, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  Province  of  Quebec, 
August  30,  1850.  His  parents  were  Charles  and  Marie 
(Dufault)  Bouvier,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
of  that  place,  who  are  now  both  deceased.  The  child- 
hood of  Joseph  Charles  Napoleon  Bouvier  was  passed 
in  his  native  place  and  he  received  his  education  at  the 
local  primary  schools.  The  financial  circumstances  of 
his  family  were  such  that  it  became  necessary  for  hira 
to  begin  his  business  career  at  an  early  age,  and,  accord- 
ingly, when  but  sixteen  years  old,  he  began  work  as  a 
carpenter,  serving  his  apprentice  under  a  local  drafts- 
man and  continuing  work  at  that  trade  as  a  journeyman 
until  the  year  1865.  It  was  at  that  place  that  Mr.  Bou- 
vier first  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  at 
Woonsocket,  which  has  since  remained  his  home.    Here 


he  continued  to  work  as  a  carpenter  for  a  time  and 
then  became  foreman  for  a  large  contracting  firm.  After 
working  in  this  capacity  for  a  number  of  years,  Mr. 
Bouvier  returned  to  Canada,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
contracting  business  on  his  own  account  for  a  time. 
However,  in  1892,  he  came  once  more  to  Woonsocket 
and  here  established  his  present  large  contracting  and 
building  business.  He  has  continued  to  reside  at  Woon- 
socket from  that  time  to  the  present  and  has  met  with 
a  most  notable  success,  having  developed  one  of  the 
largest  establishments  of  the  kind  in  this  city.  From 
ver\'  small  beginnings,  he  has  developed  a  business  in 
which  he  now  employs  as  many  as  fifty  men,  while  his 
work  includes  very  many  handsome  residences,  school 
buildings,  mills,  churches,  and  other  important  buildings 
here.  He  has  erected  many  churches,  schools  and  mills, 
as  well  as  a  multitude  of  private  houses  and  other  such 
buildings.  Mr.  Bouvier  has  not  confined  his  work  to 
Woonsocket  nor  even  to  the  State,  but  also  does  a 
large  business  in  Massachusetts,  while  his  reputation  for 
efficiency  and  for  the  high  order  of  integrity  maintained 
:n  all  his  contracts  has  won  for  him  a  reputation  second 
to  none  in  the  entire  region.  Although  interested  in 
public  affairs  and  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles 
and  policies  of  the  Republican  party,  Mr.  Bouvier  has 
never  run  for  any  office  here,  being  quite  unambitious 
in  this  line.  He  was,  however,  during  his  second  resi- 
dence in  Canada,  mayor  of  the  borough  of  St.  Helen, 
m  the  Province  of  Quebec,  holding  that  office  for  six 
years.  He  does,  however,  take  an  active  part  in  public 
life,  so  far  as  he  is  interested  in  the  development  of  the 
material  interests  of  this  place  and  has  done  much  to 
promote  the  same  as  a  member  of  the  Woonsocket 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr. 
Bouvier  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  the  Church 
of  the  Precious  Blood  of  this  denomination  here.  He 
i.*;  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Artisans,  and  past  presi- 
dent of  St.  Joseph's  Society. 

Joseph  Charles  Napoleon  Bouvier  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, July  3,  1876,  at  Grafton,  Mass.,  with  Carolina 
Mandeville,  of  that  place,  a  daughter  of  Louis  and 
Madeline  Mandeville,  old  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dents there.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bouvier  seven  children 
have  been  born,  of  whom  two  survive.  These  children 
were  as  follows:  l.  Louis,  who  married  Wilfred  Re- 
gina,  to  wliom  she  has  borne  three  children:  Alden, 
Evon  and  Alice,  the  latter  deceased.  2.  Napo- 
leon, born  May  26,  1878.  and  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Woonsocket  and  Canada;  married  Marie 
Bleauoin,  who  has  borne  him  five  children:  Alfred, 
Corrine,  Henry,  Louise  and  Irene;  he  is  connected  with 
his  father  in  business.  3.  Telesphore,  born  April  17, 
1885,  educated  at  the  grammar  schools  of  Woonsocket 
and  the  Academy  of  the  Sacred  Heart  at  Woonsocket; 
he  married,  Sept.  15,  1915,  Aourianna  Guay,  of  Man- 
ville,  R.  I.,  a  daughter  of  Napoleon  and  Vitaline  (Bil- 
ladiam)  Guay,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
that  place,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
as  follows :  Therese  and  Ruth ;  he  is  also  associated 
with  his  father  in  business.  4.  Alexandra,  deceased. 
5.  Medrcise,  deceased;  she  became  the  wife  of  George 
Mandeville,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  one  child, 
Virginia.     6.  Ulderic,  deceased.    7.  Rosanna. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


349 


CLINTON  LOCKWOOD—Bonajah  Thomas  Lod<- 
wodcl,  a  farii:cr  and  c..;t,.i;  mill  superintendent  of  War- 
wick, R.  I.,  died  August  li.  1875.  aged  liity-sevcn  years. 
His  wife.  Ri.oda  J.  Lockwood,  born  February  8.' 1824, 
is  still  living  (1918).  They  were  the  parents  of  a  son, 
Benajali  Thomas  (2)  Lockwood.  born  September  24, 
1849,  died  January  13,  191-.  an  engineer  of  Cranston, 
R.  L  He  married  Susan  Wilmanh  Barnes,  born  in 
Johnstown,  R.  L.  in  Ociober,  1850.  yet  residing  in 
Cranston,  which  has  long  been  her  home. 

Clinton  Lockwood,  son  of  Benajah  Thomas  (2)  and 
Susan  Wilmarth  (Barnes)  Lockwood,  was  born  in 
Cranston,  R.  I.,  July  II,  1883.  He  was  educated  in 
Cranston  public  schools,  Mowry  &  GofT's  Classical 
School  and  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College.  He 
chose  a  trade,  and  in  1003  began  learning  hub  and  die 
cutting,  becoming  an  expert,  now  engaged  in  the  business 
of  h-.ib  and  die  cutting.  located  at  Xo.  23  Broad  street. 
Providence.  He  is  a  member  of  the  M.isonic  order,  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church. 

Mr.  Lockwood  married,  in  Providence,  October  26, 
1910,  Elizabeth  H.  Bens,  daughter  of  William  and  Hcd- 
wig  (Thienne)  Bens,  of  Providence.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lockwood  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter.  Anna  Louise, 
born  June  I,  1912,  and  a  son,  Clinton,  Jr.,  born  May  6, 
1916. 


VITO  NICOLA  FAMIGLIETTI— When  a  young 
man  of  nineteen  years,  \'ito  N.  Famiglietti  came  to 
Providence,  R.  I.,  and  during  the  twenty  years  which 
have  since  intervened  he  has  risen  to  a  commanding 
position  as  a  contractor,  and  to  influential  station  as  a 
member  of  the  municipal  government  both  as  council- 
man and  alderman.  His  building  operations  are  always 
extensive,  and  at  times  large  numbers  of  men  are  em- 
ployed. His  business  headquarters  are  Kos.  166-202 
Broadway.  Providence,  R.  I.  He  is  a  son  of  .Xngelo 
Michaele  and  Rosa  Famiglietti.  his  father  a  contractor 
of  mason  work  in  Italy,  his  mother  deceased. 

V'ito  N.  Famiglietti  was  born  in  Frigento,  Provincia 
DeAvellino,  Italy,  February  22.  1872,  and  until  thirteen 
years  of  age  attended  school,  then  became  his  father's 
helper,  in  fact,  he  began  at  an  earlier  age.  but  continued 
school  attendance  until  1885.  He  worked  at  the  mason 
trade  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  then  came  to  the 
United  States,  settling  in  Providence,  R.  I.  He  accepted 
such  einployment  as  ofTcred  during  the  early  period  of 
his  .American  residence,  and  during  the  earlier  years 
pursued  a  special  course  at  the  Rhode  Island  School  of 
Design.  When  he  first  began  bu.<iness  as  a  contractor 
it  was  in  association  with  his  cousin,  Rocco  M.  Famig- 
lietti. they  continuing  business  for  four  years,  the  part- 
nership then  dissolving,  \'ito  N.  Fainiglietti  continuing 
the  business  as  The  Famiglietti  Brothers  Company,  con- 
tractors and  builders,  of  which  he  is  president,  treasurer 
and  director.  He  is  also  a  contractor  of  railroad  con- 
struction and  other  heavy  work,  while  his  building 
operations  include  churches,  school  houses  and  business 
blocks,  as  well  as  residences  and  apartment  houses. 
Over  four  hundred  men  are  now  on  his  payroll,  and 
there  is  no  better  known  citizen  of  Providence  among 
her  sons  of  foreign  birth  than  he. 


Aher  becoming  a  citizen,  Mr.  Famiglietti  afliliatcd 
with  the  Republican  party,  and  became  influential  in  his 
Ward,  N'o.  9.  largely  inhabited  by  his  countrymen.  In 
190S  he  was  elected  to  represent  the  ward  in  Common 
Council,  and  served  the  ward  continuously  until  1914, 
when  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Alder- 
men. During  this  period  of  ten  years  in  the  city's  law- 
making body,  he  has  served  on  many  regular,  joint,  and 
special  committees,  and  is  now  serving  on  committees 
on  highways,  poor,  police,  lire  department,  pensions  and 
military.  He  is  a  member  of  the  executive  committee 
of  the  Builders'  and  Traders'  Exchange,  a  director  of 
the  Morris  Plan  Company  of  Rhode  Island,  member  of 
Holy  Ghost  Roman  Catholic  Church,  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Foresters  of  .Xmcrica, 
Sons  of  Italy.  Italian  and  Prosperity  Club,  the  West 
Side  Club,  and  other  organizations. 

Mr.  Famiglietti  married.  July  i.  i8<)5,  Carolina  St. 
Angelo,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  six  children  :  Al- 
bert, born  in  1899;  William,  1901  ;  William,  1903;  Ma- 
tilda, 1905;  Nicholas,  ifKD7.  and  Elaine,  1915.  Albert, 
the  eldest  son,  a  high  school  graduate,  is  now  associated 
with  his  father  in  business,  the  others  all  now  being 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  except  Elaine.  One 
child.  Roseanna.  died  at  the  age  of  three  years  and  six 
months.  The  family  home  is  at  N'o.  202  Broadway, 
Providence. 


PATRICK  TIERNEY,  JOHN  TIERNEY— The 
P.  &  J.  Tierney  Company  has  been  a  prominent  factor 
in  the  plumbing  trade  in  Providence  since  1871,  when 
it  was  established  by  the  Tierney  brothers,  Patrick  and 
John.  Death  has  called  both  of  the  founders  from 
their  labors,  but  the  firm  bearing  their  name  continues 
under  the  able  direction  of  Tlumas  J.  Tierney,  son  of 
Patrick  Tierney,  who  is  treasurer  and  manager  of  the 
company.  How  strongly  they  founded  the  business 
that  perpetuates  their  names  and  memory  in  the  Provi- 
dence business  world  is  attested  by  its  vigor  and  ad- 
vanced development  throughout  almost  half  a  century. 
Into  every  church,  every  public  building,  every  home 
with  whose  construction  they  were  connected,  went 
something  of  the  character  of  these  brothers,  sturdiness, 
strength,  and  dependability,  qualities  and  virtues  that 
brought  them  from  material  obscurity  to  financial  inde- 
pendence and  positions  of  business  importance. 

Patrick  Tierney.  son  of  John  and  Julia  (Fitzgerald) 
Tierney.  was  born  in  Ireland.  March  17,  1844.  and  when 
seven  years  of  age  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Con- 
necticut. He  attended  the  public  schools  of  South  Nor- 
walk.  Conn.,  in  his  youth,  but  he  early  became  a  pro- 
ducer and  in  early  manhood  learned  the  plumber's 
trade,  which  he  followed  in  Norwalk  and  Bridgeport, 
Conn.,  and  New  York  City.  His  ambitions  and  capa- 
bilities were  far  beyond  the  work  of  journeyman  and 
in  1871,  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  John,  he  estab- 
lished the  firm  of  P.  &  J.  Tierney.  From  small  begin- 
nings a  business  of  large  size  and  importance  was  de- 
veloped. In  the  year  after  the  establishment  of  the 
firm  they  received  their  first  contract  of  consequence, 
the  installation  of  the  plumbing  in  the  Providence  City 
Hall.  Since  that  time  P.  &  J.  Tierney  have  figured  in 
the  construction  of  many  public  buildings  and  churches 


35° 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


throughout  Rhode  Island,  in  addition  to  their  large  resi- 
dential business,  some  of  the  well  known  Providence 
buildings  containing  their  work  being  the  Banigan 
building,  the  Union  Trust  building,  the  Union  Station, 
the  original  Industrial  Trust  building,  the  Crown  Ath- 
letic Association,  now  the  Crown  Hotel,  the  Newman 
Hotel,  the  Elks'  Home,  the  Providence  Public  Librarj', 
the  Steinert  building,  the  Jackson  building,  and  factories 
of  the  Gorham  Manufacturing  Company,  the  Brown  & 
Sharp  Manufacturing  Company,  and  the  Royal  Weav- 
ing Company  of  Pawtucket.  The  growth  of  the  com- 
pany made  incorporation  desirable  in  1901,  employing  a 
large  force  for  a  business  of  that  nature. 

Patrick  Tierney  was  a  member  of  the  Master  Plumb- 
ers' Association  and  in  1900  and  IQOI  was  president  of 
the  National  Plumbers'  Association,  serving  as  well  for 
many  years  as  a  director  of  that  body.  He  was  a  de- 
voted communicant  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral, 
belonging  to  the  Catholic  Knights  and  the  Knights  of 
Columbus.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Home  Club. 
He  was  pledged  to  no  political  party,  casting  his  vote 
as  he  ordered  his  entire  life,  in  accordance  with  strict 
standards  of  right  and  wrong.  His  death  occurred  Au- 
gust 31.  1QO4.  after  a  busy,  useful  life  of  three  score 
years  spent  in  quiet  performance  of  his  duty. 

Patrick  Tierney  married,  January  i.  1872.  in  New 
York  City,  Sarah  Frances  Coyle,  of  that  place,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  Julia,  deceased:  James  P.;  Sarah 
F.,  wife  of  William  F.  Flanagan,  M.  D.,  of  Providence ; 
Thomas  J;  and  John  M.,  deceased. 

John  Tierney,  son  of  John  and  Julia  Fitzgerald  Tier- 
ney, was  bom  in  Ireland,  and,  like  his  brother,  Patrick, 
came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents.  He  learned 
the  plumber's  trade  and  in  all  business  respects  his  life 
closely  paralleled  that  of  his  brother,  whose  partner  he 
was.  They  were  held  close  by  material  interests  as 
well  as  by  the  ties  of  brotherhood,  and  the  years  of 
their  association  were  marked  by  unusual  harmony  and 
singleness  of  purpose.  The  plans  of  expansion  and 
development  of  the  partner  brothers  have  been  carried 
to  completion  by  Thomas  J.  Tierney.  the  present  head 
of  the  business,  under  whose  management  it  has  re- 
tained leading  position  in  the  city  and  State. 

Joh.n  Tierney  married  Alary  Catharine  Sinnott,  of 
Providence,  R.  I.,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  children:  Catharine,  deceased, 
and  Elanor,  of  New  York  City. 


RAPHAEL  PIERRE  DAIGNAULT— The  name 
cf  a  former  mayor  of  Woonsocket  certainly  requires  no 
introduction  in  a  work  of  this  character,  especially  when 
his  reputation  as  a  business  man  equals  his  celebrity  as 
a  public  official.  As  president  of  the  Woonsocket 
Realty  Company,  Mr.  Daignault  ranks  among  the  fore- 
most representatives  of  the  city's  real  estate  interests, 
and  as  president  of  the  Model  Dyeing  and  Printing 
Company,  he  is  numbered  among  her  leading  manufac- 
turers. In  fraternal  and  social  circles  Mr.  Daignault 
is  active,  popular  and  extremely  influential.  The  Daig- 
nault family  was  transplanted  from  France  to  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  and  it  was  there  that  God- 
frey Dai.gnault  married  Marceline  Benoit,  who  was  also 
of  French  ancestry. 

Raphael  Pierre  Daignault,  son  of  Godfroy  and  Mar- 


celine (Benoit)  Daignault,  was  born  October  6,  1868,  at 
St.  Gregoire,  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  and  was  thir- 
teen months  old  when  his  parents  brought  him,  with  his 
..umerous  elder  brothers  and  sisters,  to  the  United 
States,  whither  their  son,  Godfroy,  had  preceded  them. 
The  family,  numbering  in  all  ten  or  twelve,  settled  first 
m  Danielson.  Connecticut,  removing  at  the  end  of  three 
years  to  Woonsocket,  and  it  was  in  the  public  and 
parochial  schools  of  that  town  that  Raphael  Pierre 
Daignault  received  his  education.  He  was  early  obliged 
to  become  a  wage-earner,  his  first  occupation  being 
that  of  a  salesman.  Enterprise  and  energy  insured  his 
advancement,  and  about  1803  he  established  a  sign  busi- 
ness, which  prospered  from  its  inception. 

In  the  course  of  time,  Mr.  Daignault  became  inter- 
ested in  real  estate  and  in  this.  also,  he  was  successful, 
the  same  good  fortune  attending  him  as  a  manufacturer. 
He  is.  to-day,  president  of  the  Woonsocket  Realty  Com- 
pany, a  concern  which  owns  the  Federal  block  and  the 
Exchange  block,  both  of  which  consist  of  very  large 
office  buildings.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Mode!  Dye- 
mg  and  Printing  Company,  owning  and  operating  an 
extensive  factory  plant.  In  other  enterprises  Mr.  Daig- 
nault holds  directorships.  His  sign  business  has  for 
some  years  been  discontinued  and  he  now  devotes  all 
his  time  to  the  care  of  his  real  estate  and  manufacturing 
interests.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  number  of  real  estate 
holdings  in  Woonsocket  smaller  than  the  very  large 
ones  already  mentioned. 

As  an  adherent  of  the  Republican  party,  Mr.  Daig- 
nault has  taken  an  active  part  in  local  politics  and  for 
four  years  served  his  community  as  a  member  of  the 
City  Council,  acting  for  two  years  as  its  president.  For 
three  years  he  occupied  a  seat  on  the  city  Board  of 
Aldermen  and  for  three  years  he  filled  the  responsible 
office  of  mayor  of  Woonsocket  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  Mr.  Daignault  is 
a  member  of  the  Woonsocket  Business  Men's  .Associa- 
tion, serving  as  its  president  for  some  years.  This 
organization  was  merged  into  the  present  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  He  is  past  exalted  ruler  of  Woonsocket 
Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Society  of  St. 
John  the  Baptiste  and  the  Cercle  Nationale.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

Mr.  Daignault  married  (first)  Ellen  McDonnell,  of 
Woonsocket,  who  died  in  IQII,  leaving  one  son: 
Raphael  Louis,  educated  in  Woonsocket  schools  and 
the  Boston  Lfniversity,  graduating  in  IQ14  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  the  same  year.  He  spent  two  years  in  the  army 
during  the  war.  serving  in  France  and  Germany.  Mr. 
Daignault  married  (second)  November  11.  1014,  in 
New  Haven,  Elsie  Troup,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children  :  Alexander  Troup,  born  March  12,  1016, 
and  .Mfred  Philip,  born  Dec.  15,  IQ18. 

Mr.  Dni.gnault  has  now  withdrawn  from  the  strenu- 
ous business  activities  to  which  he  devoted  so  many 
years  and  is  enjoying  a  well  earned  and  richly  merited 
semi-retirement.  His  countenance  as  well  as  his  record 
shows  him  to  be  a  man  of  good  family,  fine  abilities 
;md  strict  integrity,  and  he  has  rendered  valuable  assist- 
;,nce  in  making  Woonsocket  the  prosperous  city  that 
she  is  to-day. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


O.T 


JAMES  JOSEPH  DUFFY,  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent and  snccessful  citizens  of  Valley  Falls,  where  he 
conducts  an  undertaking  business  at  Xo.  309  Broad 
street,  is  a  native  of  this  town,  born  August  14,  18S7. 
He  is  a  son  of  Martin  and  Eliza  (Green)  Duffy,  both 
deceased. 

The  early  advantages  of  Mr.  DufTy  were  decidedly 
meager,  his  father  being  a  laborer  by  occupation,  and 
his  only  education  was  received  in  the  grammar  grade 
of  St.  Patrick's  Parochial  School.  Before  he  could 
complete  his  studies  it  was  necessary  lor  him  to  go  to 
work,  and  he  first  obtained  employment  as  a  clerk 
in  a  local  grocery  store.  He  remained  in  that  place 
for  seven  years  and  then  became  a  conductor  on  the 
street  railway  here,  where  he  remained,  however,  only 
eighteen  months.  Mr.  DuflFy  was  an  ambitious  lad, 
and  had  during  this  time  carefully  saved  such  of  his 
earnings  as  it  was  possible  to  do  in  order  to  enable 
him  to  attend  the  Barnes  School  of  .\natomy  of 
Embalming  in  Boston.  This  he  accordingly  did.  and 
graduated  from  that  institution  in  the  year  1910,  hav- 
ing gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  his  subject.  He 
at  once  returned  to  his  native  Valley  Falls,  and  here 
established  his  present  business.  He  has  met  with 
remarkable  success,  which  has  been  due  in  a  certain 
measure  to  his  close  connection  with  St.  Patrick's 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  in  the  parochial  school  of 
which  he  studied  as  a  boy  and  of  which  he  has  been 
a  devoted  parishioner  ever  since.  He  is  a  great  per- 
sonal friend  of  Father  Fitzpatrick,  the  pastor  of  this 
church,  and  is  active  in  many  ways  in  the  parish.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Co- 
lumbus, and  of  the  Undertakers'  .Association  of  Rhode 
Island. 

James  Joseph  DufTy  was  united  in  marriage,  June  25, 
1913,  with  .Ardelia  Borden  Read,  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Charles  M.  and  Mary  Read,  old  and  highly  re- 
spected residents  of  Pawtucket,  the  latter  named  liv- 
ing at  the  present  time. 


Rivelli,  father  of  Frank  J.  Rivelli,  is  yet  a  resident  of 
Italy,  aged  seventy-eight,  but  his  wife,  Frances 
Rivelli,  is  deceased. 


FRANK  J.  RIVELLI— In  1890.  in  company  with 
his  elc'.-r  brother,  Fr.ink  J.  Rivelli  left  his  native  Italy, 
where  he  was  born  N'ovember  II,  1S7S,  and  came  to 
the  United  States,  finding  a  home  in  Providence.  R.  I. 
In  that  city  he  attended  the  public  schools,  and  Rhode 
Island  Commercial  College,  and  prepared  himself  for 
citizenship  and  a  profession.  He  made  his  own  way 
in  the  world,  and  at  such  times  as  he  could  spare  he 
read  and  studied  law  books  at  the  State  Law  Library. 
He  continued  his  studies  faithfully,  and  entirely  self- 
taught,  without  any  institutional  training,  he  went 
before  the  examining  board,  passed  all  required  tests, 
and  in  1913  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  Rhode 
Island  bar.  He  at  once  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession  and  has  gained  a  clientele  which  he  satis- 
factorily serves.  His  offices  are  at  Xo.  301  Turk's 
Head  building.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks. 

Mr.  Rivelli  married,  X'ovember  i,  1903.  .\mma 
Lanz,  of  Providence.  They  are  the  parents  of  a  son, 
Allen  Rudolph  Rivelli,  born  .August  12,  1906.     Donate 


AXEL  HJALMAR  HELANDER— In  1888  Mr. 
Helaniler,  then  a  youth  of  sixteen,  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  the  same  year  found  a  permanent  loca- 
tion in  Providence,  being  now  a  tool  designer  with  the 
Universal  Winding  Company,  of  Providence,  R.  I. 
He  is  a  son  of  Fritz  and  Mary  (.Anderson)  Helander, 
of  Espered  Village,  near  Boras,  Sweden,  his  parents 
both  deceased.  His  father  was  a  merchant  and  later 
a  farmer. 

.Axel  H.  Helander  was  born  in  Espered,  Sweden, 
June  27,  1872.  He  remained  in  his  native  land  until 
sixteen  years  of  age,  attended  both  State  and  private 
schools,  then  came  to  the  United  States,  as  stated,  and 
for  over  thirty  years  has  been  a  resident  of  Provi- 
dence. He  first  received  employment  as  a  weaver, 
later  learning  the  machinist's  trade  at  the  Rhode 
Island  Locomotive  Works,  remaining  in  that  employ 
five  years.  During  that  time  he  further  added  to  his 
mental  equipment  by  a  course  in  a  correspondence 
school.  After  severing  his  connection  with  the  Loco- 
motive Works  he  was  with  Xicholson  &  Waterman, 
as  a  machinist  for  one  year,  then  for  eighteen  months 
was  in  the  employ  of  Howard  &  Bullock,  also  as  a 
machinist.  After  two  years  with  the  General  Fire 
E.xtinguisher  Company  in  their  machine  shop,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  L'nivcrsal  Winding  Company, 
of  Providence,  the  present  year  (1918),  completing  a 
term  with  that  company  covering  a  period  of  nine- 
teen years,  as  machinist,  foreman,  and  now  designer  of 
tools. 

Mr.  Helander  is  one  of  the  men  who  have  risen 
above  circumstances,  and  since  coming  to  the  United 
States  he  has  prospered,  and  is  a  part  owner  of  the 
Capitol  Real  Estate  Company,  owning  real  estate  in 
Providence.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  was  at 
one  time  a  member  of  the  school  committee,  and  since 
1912  has  been  a  member  of  the  Providence  City 
Council.  He  has  served  on  various  committees, 
railways,  parks,  and  other  important  committees  of 
the  Council,  and  on  special  committees  as  required. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Civilian  Relief  Committee  of 
the  Red  Cross,  and  active  in  other  Red  Cross  work. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church, 
and  is  one  of  the  active,  devoted  members,  having 
served  in  about  every  church  office,  organist,  Sunday 
school  superintendent,  secretary  of  the  church,  dea- 
con, president  of  the  Young  People's  Society,  and  is 
now  chairman  of  the  Xational  Committee  of  Swed- 
ish churches.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  a  Republican  in  politics, 
belonging  to  the  Fifth  Ward  Swedish  Republican 
Club,   and   to   the   Swedish    Republican   Central   Club. 

Mr.  Helander  married  Wendla  Swcnson,  of  Provi- 
dence. R.  I.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Helander  are  the  parents 
of  two  daughters:  Lillian,  a  graduate  of  the  grammar 
and  technical  high  schools,  now  a  student  in  the 
Rhode  Island  School  of  Design:  Elsie  W.,  now  in 
grammar  school.  The  family  home  is  at  No.  11  Har- 
vard avenue,  Providence. 


35-' 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


BENJAMIN  FRANK  SEARLL,  for  over  tliirty 
years  connected  with  the  P.  E.  Thayer  _  Company, 
Inc..  of  which  he  is  now  the  head,  occupies  an  im- 
portant position  in  the  manufacturing  circles  of  Paw- 
tucket,  R.  I.  He  was  lorn  in  Pawtueket,  October  31, 
1S60,  the  only  son  of  Benjamin  Franklin  and  Ruth 
Anna  (Binford)  Searll,  the  former  a  tinsmith,  and 
both  of  them  now  deceased  and  buried  in  the  Wal- 
nut Hill  Cemetery  in  Pawtueket.  Both  Mr,  Searll 
.and  his  mother  were  born  in  the  same  house,  the  old 
Nathaniel  Jenks  house  on  North  Main  street.  Paw- 
tueket. His  father  was  a  native  of  Providence,  R.  I. 
Mr.  Searll  early  went  to  the  grade  schools  of  his 
native  place,  and  in  due  course  of  time  passed  through 
the  high  school.  As  a  very  young  man  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  P.  E.  Thayer  Company  as  a  book- 
keeper, and  for  thirty  years  his  interests  have  been 
identified  with  that  company.  In  the  latter  part  of 
1915  the  interest  of  the  Thayer  heirs  was  purchased 
by  B.  Frank  Searll  and  his  son.  Earl  B.  Searll,  the 
father  becoming  president  and  treasurer,  and  the  son, 
secretary  and  manager.  The  company  had  been 
founded  in  1870  under  the  name  of  Thayer  Brothers, 
Philo  E.  Thayer  and  Ellis  Thayer  being  the  owners. 
In  1880  Philo  E.  Thayer  purchased  his  brother's  inter- 
est, and  the  concern  continued  under  the  name  of  the 
P.  E.  Thayer  Company  until  1907,  when  it  was  incor- 
porated under  the  name  of  the  P.  E.  Thayer  Com- 
pany, P.  E.  Thayer  being  the  president  and  treasurer, 
and  B.  F.  Searll,  secretary.  P.  E.  Thayer  died  in 
1908,  and  since  then  the  business  has  been  carried  on 
by  B.  Frank  Searll,  whose  connection  with  the  firm 
has  not  only  been  of  long  duration  but  has  been  char- 
acterized by  energy,  faithfulness  and  efficiency  in  its 
most  far-reaching  and  modern  sense.  The  company 
manufactures  mill,  machine,  and  jewelers'  brushes, 
and  the  products  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the 
country. 

Mr.  Searll  married.  January  6,  1886,  Emmie  Jane 
Williams,  daughter  of  John  M.  and  Elizabeth  (Inman) 
Williams,  of  .•\nthony,  R.  I.,  both  of  whom  are  now 
dead.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Searll  are;  Earl 
B.,  who  served  as  corporal.  Company  C,  301st  En- 
gineers, with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  in 
France:  and  Ruth  Inman,  now  assistant  secretary 
of  the  P.  E.  Thayer  Company. 


JOSEPH  EMILE  HEROUX,  of  No.  9  Cumber- 
land street,  Woonsocket.  where  he  conducts  a  most 
successful  real  estate  and  insurance  business,  is  a 
native  of  Canada,  having  been  born  on  his  father's 
farm  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  in  that  country,  April 
13,  1872.  Mr.  Heroux  is  a  son  of  Dolphis  and  Mary 
(Lamonte)  Heroux,  the  former  engaged  for  many 
years  in  agricultural  operations  in  Quebec.  The  child- 
hood of  Joseph  Emile  Heroux  was  passed  in  his  native 
place,  and  it  was  there  that  he  received  the  elementary 
portion  of  his  education.  He  later  entered  the  Que- 
bec Seminary,  from  which  he  graduated  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years.  Mr.  Heroux.  upon  completing  his 
education,  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  at 
Lowell.  Mass.,  where  he  procured  a  position  as  man- 
ager of  the  branch  office  of  the  piano  house   of   Elie 


Delisle.     He  continued  for  four  years  in  this  capacity, 
and  then  engaged  in  the  patent  medicine  business,  in 
which  he   met  with  a  marked  degree   of  success,  and 
continued  in   that  business   for  a  period   of   some  ten 
years.     Mr.  Heroux  is  still  the  owner  of  these  patents, 
although   at   the   present   time   he   is   not   making  any 
new    developinents    in   this    direction.      It   was    in   the 
year   1910   that   Mr.   Heroux   first  entered  his   present 
business  and  opened  a  real  estate  and  insurance  office 
at    Woonsocket.      From    the    outset    his    success    was 
assured,  for  he  is  one  of  those  men  who  in  the  par- 
lance of  the  modern  world  is  a  "hustler,"  and  there  are 
few    establishments    of   this   kind    which    have    rivaled 
his  in  rapidity  of  development.     He  is  a  man  of  very 
large   and   liberal   views,   and   himself   engages   in   the 
development  of  a  great  deal  of  property  in  this  region, 
being  his  habit  and  practice  to  build  a  house  for  any 
workman  or  laborer  of  whose  happiness  I'.e  is  assured. 
Mr.  Heroux  handles  only  fire  insurance  in  this  line  of 
his  business,  but  has  been   eminently  successful  here. 
In  politics  Mr.   Heroux  is  a  staunch  Republican,  and 
has  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  his  party 
for  a  number  of  years.     At  the  present  time  he  holds 
the    office    of    councilman    at    Woonsocket,    and    has 
served   on  that   body   for  the   last  two  years.     He  is 
chairman  of  the   Highway   Committee,  and  a  member 
of  the  Sewer,  Water  and  City  Property  Committee.    In 
his   religious  belief   Mr.   Heroux  is   a   staunch   Roman 
Catholic    and    attends    the    St.    Ann's    Church    of    this 
denomination  here.     He  is  a  member  of  the   Catholic 
Order    of    Foresters,   of   which   he   was    chairman    for 
three  years;   high  commissioner  of  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island  for  five  years  and  now  is  trustee;    member  of 
the  Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  which  he 
is  a  charter  member  and  at  the  present  time  is  pres- 
ident.     He    has    always    keenly    interested    himself    in 
the  welfare  of  the  community-at-large,  and  in  his  ca- 
pacity as  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  has 
done    an   invaluable   service   to   the   town   in   the   pro- 
motion and  development  of  its  material  interests.     Mr. 
Heroux  is  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word  a  selfmade 
man.      He    began    life    without    a    dollar    of    inherited 
money    and    with    practically    no    influence    in    a    land 
where  he  was  a   stranger.     In  spite  of  this,  however, 
he  has  worked  his  way  up  to  a  position  in  which  he 
is  now  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  citi- 
zens of  Woonsocket,  and  enjoys  the  esteem  and  regard 
of  all  his  fellow-citizens. 

Joseph  Emile  Heroux  was  united  in  marriage.  May 
16.  1893,  at  Somersville,  R.  I.,  with  Virginia  Couture, 
who  is  also  a  native  of  Canada.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Heroux  are  the  parents  of  seven  children,  as  follows: 
Ida,  Alberta,  Annette,  Ivette,  Albert,  Leo  Paul,  Hu- 
bert, the  first  four  of  whom  are  now  students  in  the 
public  and  parochial  schools  of  this  city,  the  rest  be- 
ing too  young  to  attend  as  yet. 


GUISEPPE     ANTONIO     MERCURIO— .\mong 

the  prominent  citizens  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  Guiscppe 
Antonio  Mercurio.  the  successful  merchant  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  City  Council  here,  should  be  numbered. 
Mr.  Mercurio  is  a  native  of  Italy,  where  his  birth 
occurred  on  November  11,  1879,  and  a  son  of  Guiseppe 


~^^^> 


^ 


^- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


353 


Antonio  and  Anna  (Russo)  Mercuric,  both  of  whom 
are  deceased.  Mr.  Mercurio,  Sr.,  was  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  a  fruit  peddler  and  coming  to  this  country 
first  sold  his  wares  from  a  push  cart,  but  afterwards 
from  a  wagon.  The  childhood  and  early  life  of  the 
Mr.  Mercurio  of  this  sketch  were  passed  in  his  native 
Italy,  and  he  there  attended  school.  He  was  but 
nine  years  old,  however,  when  his  family  removed  to 
the  United  States  and  settled  in  the  city  of  Providence, 
where  the  lad  continued  his  education,  until  he  had 
completed  the  courses  at  the  city  public  schools.  He 
assisted  his  father  with  the  lattcr's  business  until  he 
had  reached  the  age  of  twenty  years,  when  he  started  a 
small  wholesale  fruit  and  vesetabic  store  on  his  own 
account.  His  first  enterprise  was  situated  in  a  very 
small  basement  and  was  altogether  an  exceedingly 
small  establishment,  but  the  young  man  was  ambi- 
tious and  possessed  excellent  business  judgment  and 
gradually  his  business  grew  and  his  affairs  prospered. 
At  the  present  time  he  is  the  owner  of  a  large  whole- 
sale fruit  and  produce  business  at  No.  48  South  Water 
street.  Providence,  which  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant concerns  of  its  kind  in  the  neighborhood,  and  he 
employs  therein  as  many  as  twenty  hands.  He  has 
now  a  complete  truck  delivery  system  and  docs  a  large 
business  in  the  city.  In  politics  Mr.  Mercurio  has 
always  been  a  Democrat,  and  is  now  regarded  as  one 
of  the  leaders  of  his  party  in  the  Ninth  Ward  of  the 
city.  In  November,  1918,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Providence  City  Council  and  serves  on  that  body 
at  the  present  time.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Mer- 
curio is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  although  not  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Holy  Ghost  Church  of  this  denomination, 
attends  divine  service  there.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
local  lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  the  Society  of  the  Sons  of  Italy,  and  the 
Societies  of  Madonna  Del  Carmina,  Italian  .American 
Club,  the  Verdi  M.  F.  S.  Club,  and  the  Societa  di  M. 
S.  Trinaerina. 

Guiseppe  Antonio  Mercurio  traveled  to  Italy  and 
was  married  there  September  20,  1902,  to  Angelina 
Mercurio,  no  relative  of  his  in  spite  of  the  identical 
name,  a  daughter  of  Gitoni  Mercurio.  They  are  the 
parents  of  six  children,  as  follows:  Anna  Loucello, 
Marie  Cristina,  Guiseppe  .Xntonio,  Jr.,  Gitoni  Gio- 
vanni, Salvatore,  and   Paul. 


NAPOLEON  LALIME,  the  prosperous  under- 
taker and  well  known  citizen  of  Manville,  is  a  native 
of  Borgat,  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  at 
which  place  he  was  born  on  March  6,  1865.  He  is  a 
son  of  Joseph  and  Zoe  (Langevin)  Lalime,  his  father 
having  been  a  small  farmer  at  Borgat,  whose  death 
occurred  in  1877,  and  that  of  his  wife  in  191 5. 

Mr.  Lalime  attended  the  public  and  parochial  schools 
of  his  native  region,  and  during  his  spare  hours 
assisted  his  father  with  the  farm  work.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  years  he  completed  his  studies,  and  leaving 
home  came  to  Adams,  Mass.,  where  he  secured  em- 
ployment at  the  limekiln  and  worked  there  for  about 
five    months.      He    then    went    to    Groverdale,    Conn., 

R  1-2-23 


where  he  learned  the  trade  of  weaver,  and  remained 
in  that  place  for  three  years.  It  was  in  1S83  that  he 
came  to  Manville  and  made  his  home  in  the  large 
French-Canadian  colony  at  this  place.  Here  he 
worked  for  about  eighteen  years  as  a  weaver  in  the 
local  textile  mills,  showing  himself  to  be  a  most 
industrious  and  thrifty  young  man.  He  was  also  pos- 
sessed of  a  great  ambition  to  become  independent,  and 
with  this  end  in  view,  during  the  last  few  years  of  his 
employment,  he  took  a  course  at  the  Moss  School  of 
Embalming,  where  he  received  his  diploma,  Septem- 
ber 27,  1S96.  In  the  meantime  he  had  saved  up  enough 
of  his  earnings  to  enable  him  to  start  a  business  of 
his  own,  and  accordingly  he  opened  an  undertaking 
establishment  in  the  same  year.  Mr.  Lalime  did  not, 
however,  at  once  give  up  his  work  as  a  weaver,  but 
continued  in  the  mills  for  about  two  years  longer  and 
at  the  same  time  devoted  his  attention  to  the  develop- 
ment of  his  business.  In  the  latter  activity  he  met 
with  marked  success,  and  at  about  the  end  of  the  two 
years  his  business  had  grown  to  such  an  extent  that 
it  became  necessary  for  him  to  give  his  entire  time 
to  it.  Since  1898  he  has  been  exclusively  occupied 
in  this  way  and  has  now  built  up  one  of  the  largest 
businesses  of  its  kind  in  this  region.  Mr.  Lalime  is  a 
Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious  faith,  and  is  an  active 
member  of  St.  James  Roman  Catholic  parish  here, 
and  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  work  of  the  church. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  St.  James  Society  connected 
with  this  church,  of  the  Societic  La  Temperance,  and 
he  is  also  afliliatcd  with  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose, 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the  Circle 
Harmony  Club.  In  his  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  has  been  very  active  in  local  politics  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  For  five  years  he  served  as  a  member 
of  the  Manville  Town  Council,  but  resigned  from  that 
body  in  1916.  During  his  legislative  career  he  served 
on  four  important  committees,  i.  e.,  those  on  light, 
water,  the  police  and  poor.  He  was  also  highway 
commissioner  for  district  No.  i  for  several  years. 

Napoleon  Lalime  was  united  in  marriage,  Septem- 
ber 28,  1884,  at  Manville,  with  Ellen  Delise,  like  him- 
self a  native  of  Canada.  Mrs.  Lalime  died  April  24, 
1916.  Two  children  were  born  of  this  union,  as  fol- 
lows: I.  Emil  Joseph,  born  July  26,  1887;  educated 
in  the  public  and  parochial  schools  of  Manville;  he 
also  took  a  classical  course  for  four  years  at  St. 
Mary's  Seminary  at  Marysville,  Canada;  he  is  at  the 
present  time  his  father's  assistant  in  the  undertaking 
business,  and  also  works  in  the  local  textile  mill;  he 
married  Ellen  Lambert,  of  Manville,  April  19,  1910, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Fernande  Rena, 
born  January  6,  1914.  2.  Napoleon,  Jr..  born  June  27, 
1889:  educated  in  the  public  and  parochial  schools 
of  Manville:  he  also  studied  for  a  year  at  St.  Mary's 
Seminary  at  Marysville,  Canada;  Mr.  Lalime,  Jr.,  is 
not  married  and  at  the  present  time  is  engaged  in  war 
business  at  Surrey,  England,  where  he  has  been  situ- 
ated for  four  years;  he  enlisted  in  the  Canadian 
forces  very  soon  after  the  entrance  of  Canada  into  the 
war,  and  is  now  employed  in  valuable  business  for  the 
British  government. 


354 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


JAMES  F.  MURPHY— When  Robert  J.  and  Mar- 
garet (Murray)  Murphy  came  from  their  homes  in 
Ireland,  they  were  unknown  to  each  other,  but  met 
and  married  in  the  United  States,  and  located  in  War- 
wick, R.  I.,  where  their  son,  James  F.,  was  born. 
Robert  J.  Murphy  was  a  farmer,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  have  passed  to  their  reward.  James  F.  Murphy 
was  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  March  15,  1862.  He 
obtained  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools,  and 
after  full  preparation  at  Mt.  Pleasant  Academy,  Prov- 
idence, he  entered  Brown  University,  whence  he  was 
graduated  A.  B.,  class  of  "87."  He  later  received  the 
degree  of  A.  M.  from  the  same  institution.  He  pur- 
sued legal  study  in  the  law  offices  of  James  Tilling- 
hast,  at  Providence,  and  in  1889  passed  the  required 
examination,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  Rhode 
Island  courts.  Later  he  was  admitted  to  the  United 
States  District  Court,  and  is  now  thoroughly  well 
established  in  the  regard  of  a  large  clientele.  His 
offices  are  in  the  Slater  Trust  building,  Pawtucket. 
He  is  learned  in  the  law,  skillful  in  its  application,  a 
formidable  opponent  and  a  powerful  advocate  for  the 
cause  he  champions. 

Mr.  Murphy  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  long 
been  active  in  public  affairs  at  Central  Falls,  his 
home.  He  was  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
Union  School  Districts,  Nos.  i  and  2,  town  of  Lin- 
coln in  1889;  moderator,  in  1891;  town  solicitor,  in 
1900;  member  of  Central  Falls  school  committee, 
189S-1901;  member  of  the  Lower  House  of  the  Rhode 
fsland  General  Assembly,  1903-1905,  1907-1908;  is 
now  a  member  of  the  Central  Falls  school  committee, 
and  a  member  of  local  board  for  Division  Xo.  7.  State 
of  Rhode  Island,  Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  being  secretary 
of  that  body. 

Mr.  Murphy  married  Mary  Pauline  McGrath, 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Hughes)  McGrath.  of 
Central    Falls,  both  of  whom  were  born  in   Ireland. 


LEON  ELLSWORTH  DANFORTH— A  trustee 
of  the  Co-Operativo  Investment  Company,  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  Mr.  Danforth  is  the  local  head  of  a  large 
investment  business,  and  at  No.  76  Dorrance  street. 
Providence,  conducts  a  large  real  estate,  mortgage, 
general  building  and  insurance  business.  He  has 
been  in  that  business  for  about  fifteen  years,  operating 
chiefly  in  Providence  and  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  but  has 
many  clients  throughout  the  New  England  states.  He 
is  of  an  ancient  and  honorable  New  England  family, 
son  of  John  Murray  Danforth,  and  grandson  of  Daniel 
Osgood  Danforth,  the  latter  a  Universalist  minister, 
music  master,  and  justice  of  the  peace  of  Amherst  and 
South  Merrimack,  N.  H. 

Daniel  Osgood  Danforth  was  born  at  Blue  Hill, 
Me.,  March  17,  1816.  and  died  in  Merrimack,  N.  H., 
October  31.  i88.^  He  married,  December  24,  1840, 
Harriet  E.  Couch,  daughter  of  Shepherd  and  Sarah 
Couch.  Mrs.  Danforth  was  born  in  Manchester,  N. 
H.,  July  II,  1818,  and  lived  to  celebrate  her  eighty- 
third  birthday.  Until  i860,  .Amherst,  N.  H.,  was  the 
family  home,  and  at  the  home  farm  there,  all  their 
children  were  born.  Later  they  moved  to  South  Mer- 
rimack, N.  H. 


John  Murray  Danforth  was  born  in  .\niherst,  X.  H., 
.August  21,  1845,  and  died  in  May,  1910.  His  occupa- 
tion was  that  of  master  mechanic.  He  married,  in 
Merrimack,  N.  H.,  January  16,  1879,  Sarah  Angeline 
(Coburn)  Sargent,  his  father.  Squire  Daniel  O.  Dan- 
forth, performing  the  ceremony.  She  was  born  in 
Tyngsboro,  Mass.,  October  14,  1837.  Mrs.  Danforth 
survives  her  husband,  residing  at  Nashua,  N.  H.  She 
has  two  sons,  Raymond  Edwin  Danforth,  born  August 
23,  1886.  a  farmer  and  dairyman  of  Nashua,  N.  H., 
and   Leon    Ellsworth    Danforth.    mentioned    below. 

Leon  Ellsworth  Danforth  was  born  in  Nashua,  N. 
H.,  March  22,  1880,  and  there  completed  the  courses  of 
public  instruction,  with  graduation  from  the  Nashua 
High  School,  in  the  class  of  1898.  For  three  years, 
while  attending  high  school,  he  was  connected  with 
the  Nashua  "Daily  Press"  as  a  reporter,  working  at 
night,  and  after  graduation  became  a  regular  member 
of  the  reportorial  staff  of  that  paper,  and  also  a  reg- 
ular correspondent  for  several  New  York  and  Boston 
papers.  He  spent  eighteen  months  in  that  capacity 
with  the  Nashua  "Daily  Press,"  then  transferred  his 
services  to  the  Nashua  "Daily  Telegraph,"  remaining 
with  that  paper  one  year.  He  was  ne.xt  in  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  there  being  city  reporter  and  editor  of  the 
Labor  Department  on  the  Pawtucket  "Evening 
Times,"  holding  that  relation  until  1906,  when  he 
resigned  to  establish  a  real  estate,  mortgage,  building, 
insurance  and  investment  business.  For  one  year  he 
occupied  offices  in  the  Kenyon  Block,  No.  23  Broad 
street.  Pawtucket.  then  moved  to  the  newly  com- 
pleted Oak  Hall  building.  No.  308  Main  street,  Paw- 
tucket, where  he  fitted  up  a  large  suite  of  offices.  .As 
business  increased  he  established  brokerage  offices 
in  other  parts  of  New  England,  but  later  sold  them, 
and  confined  his  interests  to  Pawtucket.  In  1908  he 
sold  his  business  there,  but  retained  an  interest  until 
1914,  when   he  retired  completely. 

In  November,  190S,  Mr.  Danforth  removed  to  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.,  where  he  has  been  located  for  more 
than  eleven  years,  his  present  offices  being  suite  405-A, 
in  the  Case-Mead  building.  No.  76  Dorrance  street. 
He  is  one  of  the  leading  mortgage  brokers  in  the 
city,  his  clientele  being  investors  located  in  all  of  the 
New  England  States  and  in  New  York,  this  clientele 
including  several  of  the  wealthiest  private  investors  of 
the  United  States,  and  large  institutions,  financial  and 
speculative.  The  volume  of  mortgages  placed  annu- 
ally by  Mr.  Danforth  totals  over  half  a  million  dol- 
lars, one  of  the  buildings  he  financed  in  Providence 
being  the  new  $100,000  home  of  Providence  Aerie, 
No.  99,  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  on  Westminster 
street,  and  another,  the  new  $35,000  garage  built  by 
A.  C.  Trimble  on  Atwells  avenue.  His  real  estate 
dealings  are  also  large,  and  for  several  years  he  has 
been  general  State  agent  for  the  United  States 
Casualty  Company  of  New  York  City,  and  is  general 
agent  in  Rhode  Island  for  the  Health  and  Accident, 
Plate  Glass,  Burglary,  and  Industrial  departments  of 
the  Massachusetts  Bonding  &  Insurance  Company  of 
Boston,  Mass.  He  represents  several  strong  fire  insur- 
ance companies,  including  the  Providence  Washington 
Insurance  Company.     He  is  trustee  of  the  Co-Opera- 


'^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


355 


live  Investment  Company,  a  real  estate  and  mortKage 
tnist  company  with  an  authorized  capitalization  of 
$2,000,000.  and  through  liis  etiicicnt  guidance  the  com- 
pany occupies  a  place  among  the  sound  savings  and 
investment  institutions  of  Rhode  Island.  In  1919,  Mr. 
Danforth  organized  and  established  in  Providence 
the  Ideal  Concrete  Products  Company,  incorporated 
in  Rhode  Island  with  a  capitalization  of  $100,000.  and 
he  was  elected  president  and  treasurer  of  the  corpo- 
ration. The  company  manufaciures  "Ideal"  concrete 
building  blocks  and  cement  and  concrete  products  of 
all  kinds,  making  a  specialty  of  artistic  and  ornamental 
cement  work  in  all  colors  and  designs.  Other  com- 
panies represented  by  Mr.  Danforth  are  the  Great 
Eastern  Casualty  Company,  of  New  York,  as  State 
agent;  Peerless  Casualty  Company,  of  Keenc.  X.  H., 
as  State  agent;  Law  Union  and  Rock  Fire  Insurance 
Company.  Limited,  of  London,  England,  as  State  agent, 
and  sub-agent  of  the  Phoenix  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Company,  of  Hartford.  Conn.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Providence  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  of  the  Insur- 
ance Association  of  Providence.  In  politics  he  is  an 
independent  Republican. 

Throughout  that  period  of  the  World  War  in  which 
the  United  States  participated  with  the  Allies,  against 
Germany,  from  April  6,  1917.  to  November  11.  1918, 
Mr.  Danforth  took  an  active  part  in  the  furtherance 
of  the  various  War  charities,  Liberty  Loan  and  Vic- 
tory Bond  "drives,"  and  he  subscribed  most  willingly 
to  all  of  them.  A  rather  memorable  incident  is  the 
fact  that  Mr.  Danforth  received  his  questionnaire 
from  the  United  States  War  Department  on  the 
morning  the  Armistice  was  signed. 

Mr.  Danforth  married,  in  Providence,  August  19, 
1908,  Sarah  V.  Quinn.  daughter  01  John  and  Bridget 
(McDermott)  Quinn,  of  Providence.  R.  I.  John 
Quinn  was  born  in  Maine,  died  in  Providence,  in 
September,  1882:  his  wife  died  September  22,  1909. 


FRANK  EDWARD  FITZSIMMONS  was  born  in 
Smitlifield,  now  Lincoln.  July  -■').  1863.  the  son  of  John 
and  Catherine  (McGuire)  Kitzsimmons.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  primary  and  grammar  schools,  Lin- 
coln High  School,  and  by  private  teachers.  He  has 
held  many  public  offices,  among  them:  Treasurer, 
Lonsdale  Fire  District,  1884-S7;  postmaster,  Lons- 
dale, 1887-90;  school  committee,  various  terms.  1889- 
1907  (chairman,  1907);  superintendent  of  schools, 
1890-91:  deputy  town  and  probate  clerk,  1889-90:  judge 
of  Probate  Court,  various  terms,  1902-10;  member  and 
secretary.  Board  of  Tax  Assessors,  1909:  chairman, 
bi-partisan  commission  to  erect  Town  Hall,  1910; 
trustee.  Rhode  Island  Institute  and  School  for  the 
Deaf,  1903  (appointed  by  Governor  Garvin,  but  unable, 
through  pressure  of  business,  to  serve);  collector  of 
customs  for  the  District  of  Rhode  Island  and  custodian 
of  Federal  building,  1914 — .  Was  delegate  from 
Rhode  Island,  unanimously  chosen.  Postmasters' 
National  Convention.  Washington.  D.  C,  1887.  Mem- 
ber of  committee  of  five  to  draft  bill  for  revision  of 
postmasters'  compensation  law,  1888. 

Judge  Fitzsimmons  was  for  many  years  an  active 
newspaper  man.     From  March  25.  1902,  to  March   10, 


190(1.  he  was  editor-in-chief  of  the  Providence  "Tele- 
gram." Independent-Democratic,  daily  and  Sunday; 
and  from  March  12.  1906,  to  July  20.  1907,  was  an  edi- 
torial writer,  non-political  topics.  Providence  "Tri- 
bune." Republican,  daily  and  Sunday.  At  an  earlier 
time  he  was  connected  with  the  office  of  the  Paw- 
tucket  "Tribune"  and  the  Providence  "World-Record." 
Since  1908  Judge  Fitzsimmons  has  been  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Fitzsimmons,  Johnson  & 
Broderick,  general  insurance,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Pawtucket  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  and  the 
Casualty   Underwriters   Association   of    Rhode    Island. 

Immediately  upon  attaining  his  majority.  Judge 
Fitzsimmons  became  affiliated  with  the  Democratic 
organization  of  his  town,  and  from  that  time,  except- 
ing his  term  of  service  as  postmaster,  up  to  his 
appointment  to  the  collectorship,  he  was  closely  asso- 
ciated with  the  management  of  his  party.  He  was 
the  Democratic  candidate  for  Secretary  of  State  in 
1901,  1902  and  1905;  president  of  the  State  League  of 
Democratic  Clubs.  1896;  chairman  of  several  Demo- 
cratic State  conventions,  including  those  of  1900  and 
1908.  Was  unanimously  chosen  delegate  to  the 
National  Democratic  Convention,  Kansas  City,  1900, 
but  declined  in  order  that  the  city  of  Providence 
might  have  representation;  alternate,  Democratic 
National  Convention,  St.  Louis,  1904;  delegate,  Demo- 
cratic National  Convention,  Denver,  1908,  and  member 
of  committee  on  platform;  alternate.  Democratic 
National  Convention,  Baltimore,  1912;  member.  Demo- 
cratic State  Central  Committee  for  nineteen  years, 
and  chairman  from  1906  to  1914. 

Judge  Fitzsimmons  is  a  member  of  several  civic 
betterment  organizations.  He  was  for  two  years  gen- 
eral secretary  of  the  Catholic  Total  /Vbstinence  Union 
of  Rhode  Island,  and  for  several  terms  was  president 
of  the  Catholic  Institute  Association  of  Valley  Falls, 
the  largest  and  wealthiest  educational-recreational 
organization  for  young  men  and  young  women  in  the 
Rhode  Island  diocese.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  in  which  order  he  has  served  as  advo- 
cate and  as  district  deputy.  He  is  also  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  Diocesan  Catholic  Club  and  Pen  and  Pencil 
Club. 

In  the  many  war  work  and  soldier-welfare  under- 
takings of  1917  and  1918,  Judge  Fitzsimmons  was  a 
potent  factor  for  success.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
State  Executive  Committee  and  chairman  of  his  town 
in  the  Liberty  Loan,  War  Stamp.  Red  Cross,  Knights 
of  Columbus,  St.  Joseph's  Hospital  and  other  drives, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  and  Blackstone 
Valley  Welcome  Home  Committee,  and  chairman  of 
the  speaker's  committee  for  the  Service  Men's  Recep- 
tion exercises  in  Slater  Park,  Pawtucket,  on  Septem- 
ber 7,  1919,  at  which  Ambassador  Jusserand,  of 
France,  was  the  guest  of  honor.  Chairman,  bi-parti- 
san commission,  to  erect  Saylesville  Grammar  School, 
1915;  chairman,  bi-partisan  commission  to  erect  Sol- 
diers' and  Sailors'  Memorial   School,   1919. 

.'\s  a  public  speaker  Judge  Fitzsimmons  ranks  very 
high,  enjoying  a  reputation  for  depth  of  thought, 
breadth  of  vision,  clarity  of  statement  and  felicity  of 
expression.    His   services   as   an   orator   for   important 


356 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


occasions  have  frequently  been  availed  of,  not  only  in 
Rhode   Island,  but  in  several   other   States. 

On  .■\pril  28,  1885.  he  was  married  to  Mary  Martin, 
daughter  of  Mr.  Henry  Martin,  of  Killyleigh,  Ireland, 
and  resides  at  No.   I   Hope  street,  Lonsdale. 


TELESPHORE  DESROSIERS,  president  of  the 
Globe  Coal  Company,  of  No.  136  Main  street,  Woon- 
socket,  and  one  of  the  successful  business  men  of  this 
place,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  having  been  born  on  his 
father's  farm  at  Lanoraie,  in  the  Province  of  Quebec, 
in  that  coimtry,  February  17,  1S70.  He  is  a  son  of 
Gilbert  and  Renna  (Leclerc)  Desrosiers.  Gilbert 
Desrosiers  came  to  the  United  States  and  took  up  his 
abode  at  \\'illimantic.  Conn.,  when  Telesphore  Des- 
rosiers was  but  six  years  of  age.  It  was  at  Wil- 
limantic  that  the  lad  secured  the  elementary  portion 
of  his  education,  and  he  attended  for  this  purpose  the 
public  and  parochial  schools  of  that  place  until  he 
had  reached  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  He  then  re- 
turned, temporarily,  to  Canada,  and  entered  Lanoraie 
Academy  and  Joliette  College  at  Joliette.  He  then 
returned  to  the  United  States  and  went  for  a  time  to 
New  York  City,  where  he  secured  a  position  on  the 
State  Board  of  Charities.  Unfortunately,  however,  his 
health  was  very  poor  at  this  period  of  his  life  and  he 
was  obliged  to  give  up  his  position  and  return  to  his 
native  land  for  a  prolonged  rest.  He  remained  one 
year  in  Canada  and  then,  having  fully  regained  his 
health  and  strength,  came  to  Woonsocket.  After  a 
few  months'  stay  here  he  went  to  Northampton, 
Mass.,  where  for  two  years  and  a  half  he  taught  in 
the  local  school.  At  the  end  of  that  period  Mr.  Des- 
rosiers returned  to  Woonsocket  and  here,  in  associa- 
tion with  George  V.  Bu.xton,  founded  his  present  coal 
business.  From  its  small  beginning  the  Globe  Coal 
Company  has  grown  remarkably.  It  is  equipped  with 
a  large  number  of  modern  motor  trucks,  as  well  as 
several  horse-drawn  vehicles,  which  deliver  coal  and 
other  commodities,  not  only  throughout  Woonsocket, 
but  to  outside  communities  as  well.  In  addition  to  the 
coal,  the  Globe  Coal  Company  handles  wood,  cement, 
stone  and  other  builders'  materials,  and  does  a  large 
trucking  business. 

Mr.  Desrosiers  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics, 
and  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  public  affairs 
here,  and  has  held  several  local  offices  of  importance. 
He  was  for  two  years  a  member  of  the  City  Council, 
and  he  was  also  a  member  of  the  city  Board  of  Alder- 
men for  four  years,  and  during  the  last  two  years  was 
its  chairman.  Mr.  Desrosiers  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in 
his  religious  belief  and  attends  the  Church  of  the 
Precious  Blood  of  this  denomination  at  Woonsocket. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  local  council.  Knights  of 
Columbus;  the  local  lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks;  the  Cercle  National  Dram- 
atique;  Cour  Lafontaine.  Forestiers,  Franco-Ameri- 
cains,  and  has  held  all  the  chairs  in  this  order.  Mr. 
Desrosiers  is  a  member  of  the  Woonsocket  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  and  has  been  very  active  in  promoting 
general  business  interests  of  the  community  in  this 
capacity. 
Telesphore  Desrosiers  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb- 


ruary 3,  1891,  at  St.  Cuthbert,  Canada,  with  Albina 
Destramps,  of  that  place,  and  a  daughter  of  Remi 
and  Orelli  (Roberge)  Destramps.  Four  children  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Desrosiers,  as  follows;  I. 
."Arthur,  who  died  when  nine  months  old.  2.  Eugene 
W.,  who  was  educated  at  the  Woonsocket  schools  and 
La  Salle  Academy,  of  Providence,  and  the  Jesuit  Col- 
lege at  Montreal,  Canada;  is  now  associated  with  his 
father  in  business;  married  Alice  Wade,  of  this  city. 
3.  Florence  B..  who  was  educated  at  the  Jesus  Marie 
Convent,  Lachine  .Academy,  at  Lachine,  Canada,  and 
the  Elmhurst  Finishing  School  at  Providence,  which 
she  is  still  attending.  4.  Alice  B.,  who  was  educated 
the  same  as  her  sister,  and  is  now  residing  at  home. 


ROCCO  MARIA  FAMIGLIETTI— From  sunny 
Italy,  now  war-rocked  and  storm-tossed  by  the  mighty 
forces  battling  for  national  life  against  the  unholy  alli- 
ance seeking  that  which  is  not  theirs,  came  Rocco  M. 
Famiglietti,  in  1892,  coming  direct  to  Providence,  R.  I., 
where  he  is  now  well  established  as  a  general  contractor 
and  builder,  and  a  rising  figure  in  political  life.  His 
parents,  Remigio  and  Marie  Giuseppa  Famiglietti,  are 
both  deceased,  they  never  leaving  their  native  Italy. 

Rocco  M.  Famiglietti  was  born  in  Frigento.  .Avellino, 
Italy,  August  25,  1870.  He  attended  the  public  school 
until  completing  five  grades,  then  began  work,  aiding 
his  father  in  his  teaming  and  transfer  business.  Later 
he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  became  an  expert 
workman,  and  engaged  as  a  contractor,  so  continuing 
until  1892,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He 
located  in  Providence  soon  after  his  arrival  in  this 
country,  and  until  1904  was  engaged  as  a  journeyman 
carpenter  with  several  of  the  contractors  of  this  city. 
In  1904,  in  association  with  his  brother,  Vito  N.,  he 
engaged  in  business  as  a  contractor,  they  operating 
under  the  firm  name,  Famiglietti  Brothers.  Later  the 
brothers  separated  their  business  interest,  Rocco  M. 
establishing  in  the  same  business  at  No.  539  Charles 
street,  which  is  now  the  headquarters  of  a  prosperous 
contracting  business,  about  fifty  men  being  usually  em- 
ployed, although  at  times  that  number  greatly  increases. 
He  is  a  well  known  and  reliable  builder,  also  a  license 
drain  layer,  and  to  all  work  undertaken  he  gives  per- 
sonal attention.  His  near  quarter  of  a  century  in 
Providence,  have  been  years  of  contentment  and  pros- 
perity ;  he  is  well  established  in  business,  possesses  a 
fine  home,  and  to  his  children  he  has  given  the  excellent 
educational  advantages  Providence  offers  to  all.  Indus- 
try and  thrift  have  placed  him  in  his  now  comfortable 
circumstances,  and  as  he  is  just  in  the  prime  of  life  the 
future  holds  greater  gifts  that  Providence  will  bestow 
upon  her  adopted  son. 

In  political  affiliation.  Mr.  Famiglietti  is  allied  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  is  a  leader  in  the  Third  Ward, 
one  of  the  Democratic  strongholds  of  the  city.  As  the 
Republican  candidate  for  councilman,  he  has  made  three 
unsuccessful  campaigns,  but  each  time  he  has  lowered 
the  previous  adverse  majority  until  at  the  last  election 
it  had  almost  disappeared,  twenty-seven  votes  alone 
standing  between  him  and  victory.  He  is  a  member  of 
St.  Ann's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  the  Foresters  of 
America,  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Arcese  Club, 
the   Society  of   St.   Rocco,  president  since  June,   1899; 


{^-xL^zyt^ 


yy^'^i  0  .\^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


357 


the  Italian  Club,  and  the  Italian  Pictro  Metastasio  Re- 
publican, being  its   treasurer. 

Mr.  Famitrlictti  married  (first)  May  2,  1893,  Mar- 
garita Famiglietti,  who  died  in  1894,  leaving  a  girl, 
Margarita,  wife  of  .\ntonio  Marcaccio,  of  Providence. 
He  married  (second)  June  3.  1805,  Filomena  Modar- 
relli,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  eight  children:  An- 
tonio, Josephine,  Rose,  Henry,  Jennie,  Edward,  Louis 
and  Edmund.  The  family  residence  is  at  Xo.  367 
Branch   avenue.   Providence. 


ADELARD  ARCHAMBAULT— Beyond  doubt, 
one  of  the  principal  figures  in  the  life  and  affairs  of 
Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  is  .\delard  .Archambault,  attorney, 
man  of  affairs,  and  public  spirited  citizen.  Mr.  Arch- 
ambault  is  a  native  of  Canada,  where  he  was  born  on 
a  farm  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  December  28,  1864. 
His  father,  Francois  Archambault,  was  for  many  years 
engaged  in  agricultural  operations  in  that  region,  later 
removing  to  Holycke,  Mass.,  where  he  died  February 
II,  1905.  He  married  Delphin  Bouthillier,  who  survives 
him  and  still  resides  at  Holyoke  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Archainbault,  St..  were  the 
parents  of  eight  children,  all  of  whom  came  to  the 
United  States,  where  they  have  made  successes  for 
themselves  and  won  high  places  in  the  various  com- 
munities where  they  reside. 

The  childhood  of  Adelard  Archambault  was  passed 
in  his  native  region  and  it  was  there  that  he  began  his 
education,  attending  for  this  purpose  the  local  public 
school.  After  being  prepared  for  college  he  entered  the 
college  of  L'Assomption,  Quebec,  where  he  took  the 
usual  classical  course  and  was  graduated  in  the  year 
1883  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  .-Krts  from  Lavalle 
University,  with  which  the  College  of  L'Assomption  is 
affiliated.  Upon  completing  his  studies  at  the  last 
named  institution,  Mr.  Archambault  left  and  returned 
to  the  United  States,  settling  for  a  time  at  Holyoke, 
Mass.,  where  he  sought  and  found  employment.  In 
the  meantime,  having  determined  to  follow  the  profes- 
sion of  law  as  a  career,  he  applied  himself  to  the  study 
cf  that  subject,  and  that  to  so  good  purpose  that  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Massachusetts  bar  in  the  year  1887. 
After  remaining  at  that  place  for  a  time,  he  came  to 
Woonsocket  in  the  year  1890  and  in  the  following  year 
was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  He  then  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Woonsocket  and  has 
since  remained  so  engaged,  although  with  some  break 
during  the  time  in  which  he  held  public  office. 

Although  recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  bar 
here  and  well  known  among  his  professional  colleagues 
and  to  the  community-at-large.  Mr.  Archambault  is  even 
more  closely  identified  in  the  popular  mind  with  the 
public  affairs  of  the  community  than  his  connection 
with  his  profession.  He  is  a  staunch  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  has  held  many  of  the  most  important 
offices  in  the  gift,  not  only  of  his  home  community,  but 
of  the  State.  In  1901  he  was  elected  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket,  to  the  State  Legislature  as  representative 
from  Woonsocket,  and  served  on  that  body  in  that  and 
the  following  years.  During  his  service  on  that  body, 
he  distinguished  himself  as  a  most  able  and  disinter- 
ested legislator  and  won  the  complete  confidence  and 
respect  of  the  community  which  he  represented,  as  well 


as  of  various  other  parts  of  the  State.  In  1903  he  was 
elected  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Rhode  Island,  and  again 
proved  himself  most  capable  in  the  discharge  of  those 
exceedingly  responsible  duties.  In  1906  he  was  elected 
mayor  of  Woonsocket  and  again  was  elected  to  that 
cffice  in  1917.  Mr.  .\rchambault's  administration  of  the 
city's  affairs  was  most  successful  and  he  has  won  for 
himself  a  reputation  for  public  spirit  and  ability  that 
is  second  to  none  in  the  cominunity.  In  addition  to 
his  many  public  duties  and  professional  activities,  Mr. 
Archambault  is  also  very  conspicuous  in  the  social  and 
club  life  of  the  community  and  is  a  member  of  a  num- 
ber of  important  organizations  here.  He  is  affiliated 
with  the  Rhode  Island  Bar  .Association,  the  local  lodge 
cf  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the 
local  council  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  In  his  reli- 
gious belief,  Mr.  Archambault  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and 
has  for  many  years  been  a  member  of  the  Parish  of  the 
Sacred  Heart,  and  active  in  the  work  of  the  church. 
Mr.  Archambault,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  is  a 
typical  man  of  action,  is  nevertheless,  possessed  of  the 
scholar's  outlook  on  life,  and  is,  himself,  a  man  of  the 
most  developed  culture.  He  has  for  many  years  been 
a  devoted  student  and  is  especially  interested  in  the 
study  of  the  French  language  from  the  standpoint  of 
philology.  He  has  given  frequent  lectures  on  this  and 
various  other  topics  in  different  cities  throughout  Rhode 
Island,  Massachusetts,  and  the  other  N'ew  England 
States.     Mr.  Archambault  is  unmarried. 


JOSEPH  OLIVER  LeFRANCOIS,  who  has  been 

engaged  successfully  in  the  trucking  business  at  Woon- 
socket for  a  number  of  years,  is  a  native  of  this  city, 
born  June  i,  1876,  and  a  son  of  Fabien  and  Mary 
(Lanoir)  LcFrancois.  The  older  Mr.  LeFrancois  was 
a  native  of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  and  it  was 
there  that  he  was  married  and  carried  on  e.xtensive 
farming  operations  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  one 
of  the  early  French-Canadian  emigrants  to  the  United 
States  and  had  a  small  trucking  and  transfer  business 
at  Woonsocket  when  that  was  a  comparatively  small 
place.  He  is  now  deceased,  but  his  wife  survives  him 
and  continues  to  make  her  home  at  this  place. 

Joseph  Oliver  LeFrancois  had  but  a  very  meager  edu- 
cation and  began  work  with  his  father  when  only  eight 
years  of  age.  A  little  later  he  secured  work  in  some  of 
the  local  cotton  mills,  and  when  a  lad  of  thirteen  went 
with  the  American  Wringer  Company.  He  remained 
with  this  concern  for  ten  years,  first  in  the  capacity  of 
helper  and  later  as  foreman  of  the  teaming  department. 
.'\t  the  close  of  that  period  Mr.  LcFrancois  withdrew 
from  this  concern  and  started  in  the  trucking  and  team- 
mg  business  on  his  own  account,  feeling  so  confident 
of  success  that  he  borrowed  a  sufficient  capital  to  meet 
his  initial  expenses.  Although  his  enterprise  was  begun 
on  a  small  scale,  Mr.  LcFrancois's  business  ability  has 
brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  success  and  it  has  in  the 
last  two  years  developed  wonderfully,  doing  a  large 
volume  of  business,  and  his  employees  number  as 
many  as  eighty,  while  he  uses  many  trucks,  both  horse 
and  motor,  and  maintains  routes  to  many  different 
points.  Mr.  LeFrancois  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
although  the  great  demands  made  by  his  business  inter- 
ests upon  his  attention  do  not  permit  of  his  taking  active 


358 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


part  in  public  life,  he  always  takes  the  time  to  vote, 
and  maintains  keen  interest  in  local  and  general  issues. 
In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  LeFrancois  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  and  attends  St.  Ann's  Church  of  this  denomi- 
nation at  Woonsocket.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Cercle 
Kationale,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  the  Improved  Order 
of  Red  Men,  the  L'Union  St.  Jean  Baptiste  Amerique, 
.ind  the  Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Joseph  Oliver  LeFrancois  was  united  in  marriage, 
August  7.  1899,  in  St.  Ann's  Church,  Woonsocket,  with 
Rosanna  L.  Allaire,  a  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Clarice 
Allaire,  of  this  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  LeFrancois  are  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  Horace,  Eva, 
Blanche,  Lillian,  Esther,  Hugo.  Florence,  .\drien,  and 
John.  These  children  have  all  been  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Woonsocket  and  the  St.  Ann's  Paro- 
chial School,  while  the  eldest,  Horace,  has  also  attended 
Sacred  Heart  College  of  Woonsocket.  and  a  Providence 
business  college.  He  is  now  assisting  his  father  in  the 
latter's  business.  The  second  child,  Eva,  is  also  asso- 
ciated with  her  father  in  business.  Besides  the  nine 
children  mentioned  above,  six  others  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  LeFrancois,  all  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 


PIERRE  CHAPDELAINE— High  in  the  midst  of 
the  successful  business  men  of  Woonsocket  stands  the 
name  of  Pierre  Chapdelaine,  whose  real  estate  business 
conducted  at  No.  11,^4  Social  street  in  this  city  is  one  of 
'he  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  community  and  whose 
general  influence  upon  the  afTairs  of  this  State  has 
always  been  active  in  the  course  of  right  and  better- 
ment. Mr.  Chapdelaine  is  a  native  of  Canada,  his  birth 
having  occurred  at  the  town  of  St.  Ours,  in  the  Prov- 
ince in  Quebec  in  that  country,  April  ig,  i8<S4.  He  is  a 
son  of  Joseph  and  Genevieve  (Chapdelaine)  Chapde- 
laine, both  of  whom  are  now  deceased,  and  the  former 
having  been  engaged  in  agricultural  operations  in  Que- 
bec for  many  years. 

The  birth  of  Pierre  Chapdelaine  occurred  on  his 
lather's  farm,  and  it  was  there  that  his  childhood  was 
passed.  His  early  educational  advantages  were  decid- 
tdly  meagre,  but  he  attended  the  local  public  schools 
for  some  years,  and  showed  himself  an  apt  and  indus- 
trious pupil.  Mr.  Chapdelaine  was  but  nine  years  of 
age  when,  in  1853,  he  came  to  the  L'nited  States,  where 
be  remained  for  a  short  time  at  Woonsocket.  He  also 
attended  school  very  irregularly  in  that  city  during  his 
first  stay,  and  in  1857  returned  to  Canada  and  there 
worked  in  the  local  mills  for  a  number  of  years.  Later 
he  engaged  in  the  business  of  manufacturing  shoes  and 
learned  the  trade  of  shoemaker  under  a  local  operative. 
Upon  completing  the  period  of  apprenticeship  Mr. 
Chapdelaine  returned  to  the  United  States  and  for  a 
time  made  his  home  in  Woonsocket,  but  from  there 
went  to  Milford  and  Southborough,  Mass.,  and  made 
l.is  home  in  those  towns  until  the  year  1898.  While  in 
Milford,  Mr.  Chapdelaine  lived  upon  a  farm,  but  upon 
his  return  to  Woonsocket  he  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
business  and  has  been  thus  occupied  ever  since,  a 
period  of  over  twenty  years.  He  rapidly  developed 
a  large  business  and  became  one  of  the  most  successful 
operators  in  this  line  in  the  region.  While  thus  engaged 
in   business    Mr.    Chapdelaine   also    invested   largely   in 


real  estate  at  Woonsocket  on  his  own  account,  and  is 
now  a  large  property  owmer  here,  his  business  at  the 
present  time  being  to  a  great  extent  the  purchase  of 
land  upon  which  he  erects  many  different  types  of  build- 
ings, but  especially  tenements  which  he  then  resells  or 
rents  and  further  develops.  Mr.  Chapdelaine  also  pur- 
sues this  same  operation  at  Blackstone,  Mass.,  and  is 
now  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  citizens 
financially  in  this  region  of  the  State.  Mr.  Chapdelaine 
is  a  selfmade  man  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  as  he 
inherited  but  a  very  small  sum  of  money,  and  his  subse- 
quent good  fortune  has  been  the  result  entirely  of  his 
own  activities  and  energetic  seizure  of  the  opportuni- 
ties open  to  him.  It  was  Mr.  Chapdelaine  who  built  up 
and  opened  Adams  street  in  Woonsocket,  and  the  detail 
of  his  business  has  grown  to  such  proportions  that  it 
is  necessary  for  him  to  employ  the  services  of  eight 
men  to  care  for  it.  Mr.  Chapdelaine  is  an  independent 
voter,  preferring  to  remain  aloof  from  both  political 
parties  and  exercise  his  own  judgment  in  the  matter 
of  public  issues  and  the  choice  of  candidates.  In  his 
religious  belief  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  the 
Church  of  St.  Louis  in  Woonsocket. 

Pierre  Chapdelaine  has  been  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  having  been  Caroline  Potvin,  to  whom  he  was 
united  on  April  26,  1870,  at  St.  Ours,  Canada.  Of  this 
union  three  children  were  born,  as  follows:  i.  Amelia 
L.,  born  Aug.  28,  1875 ;  educated  at  the  public  schools 
of  Southborough,  Mass.,  and  the  Presentation  Convent, 
St.  Ours,  Canada;  she  also  studied  for  a  time  at  the 
High  School  in  Milford,  Mass.,  and  now  resides  with 
her  father  at  home.  2.  Louis  L..  born  April  i,  1878; 
educated  at  the  public  schools  of  Southborough.  Mass., 
and  St.  Aime  Convent  of  Canada ;  he  is  now  engaged 
in  business  as  a  painting  contractor  in  Woonsocket ;  he 
married  Louisa  Savagean,  of  Woonsocket,  by  whom  he 
has  had  eight  children,  as  follows:  Doris,  Roland, 
Semorde,  Andrew,  Ella.  Belle.  Dorothy,  Estelle.  3. 
Octavie.  born  Aug.  6.  1882;  educated  as  were  her  elder 
brother  and  sister;  at  the  present  time  she  resides  with 
her  parents  at  Woonsocket.  There  was  a  fourth  child 
born  to  Mr.  Chapdelaine  by  his  first  wife,  a  daughter, 
Celine,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years.  The  first 
Mrs.  Chapdelaine  died  in  1894,  a"d  o"  November  28, 
1906,  Mr.  Chapdelaine  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Cordelia  Dubin. 


ANTONIO  CORRENTE— The  real  estate  and  in- 
burance  interests  of  Providence  have  no  more  able  or 
energetic  representative  than  they  possess  in  the  citizen 
whose  name  heads  this  article.  As  senior  partner  in 
the  well  known  firm  of  A.  &  M.  C.  Corrente,  Mr.  Cor- 
rente  is  one  of  the  best  known  business  men  in  the  com- 
munity and  as  a  civic  worker  he  has  proved  himself  of 
great  value,  while  with  religious  activities  he  is  earn- 
estly and  conspicuously  identified. 

Antonio  Corrente  was  born  March  12,  1886,  at  Mar- 
zano,  .\ppio,  Italy,  and  is  a  son  of  Francisco  and  Pe- 
trina  (Longo)  Corrente.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  public  and  evening  high  schools  of  Providence. 
After  completing  his  course  of  study  he  was  employed 
for  a  time  at  several  trades,  but  in  1903  opened  a  real 
estate  office  on  Swiss  street.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  increase  in  his  business  justified  him  in  moving  to 


C ^J^T^^^^-VX-^l-O       __,-^G-<'-^>'t^^*''l'^^ 


%pL,^n.yUi^a.^.S^   ^^  * 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


359 


Acorn  street,  where  he  remained  one  year,  at  the  end 
of  that  time  organizing  the  Enterprise  Real  Estate 
Company,  with  an  office  on  Atwells  avenue.  After  the 
lapse  of  a  year  he  moved  to  Wcybossett  street,  remain- 
mg  there  two  years  and  then  disposing  of  the  business 
prior  to  estabHshing  himself  on  Tell  street  under  his 
own  name.  The  venture  prospered  and  in  1913  the 
firm  of  A.  &  M.  C.  Corrente  was  organized  with  offices 
on  Atwells  avenue.  The  tirm,  which  handles  all  kinds 
of  insurance,  with  the  exception  of  life  insurance,  also 
handling  mortgages,  has  made  for  itself  an  undisputed 
position  among  the  business  organizations  of  Provi- 
dence. 

In  community  affairs  Mr.  Corrente  has  always  taken 
a  public  spirited  interest,  more  especially  in  educa- 
tional matters,  serving  as  a  member  of  the  Providence 
school  committee,  and  from  1903  to  1908  teaching  in 
the  city's  evening  schools.  He  is  a  past  president  of 
the  Taft  Republican  Club  and  cx-secretary  of  the 
Young  Afen's  Italian  Republican  Club  of  the  Ninth 
Ward,  also  a  charter  member  of  the  Ninth  Ward  Im- 
provement Society.  He  occupies  a  scat  on  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  Federal  House  .Association,  is  honor- 
rary  ex-prcsidcnt  of  the  Federal  Labor  Union  of  City 
Employees,  and  ex-president  of  the  Italian  Republican 
Club  of  the  Fourteenth  District.  He  fills  the  position  of 
court  interpreter.  Mr.  Corrente  is  the  founder  of  the 
Marzano-.Appio  Lodge,  Order  of  the  Sons  of  Italy,  and 
its  past  secretary.  He  is  past  lecturer  of  St.  .Anthony's 
Council,  Knights  of  Columbus,  a  member  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Lecture  Bureau  f'f  that  order,  a  member  of 
Italia  Lodge,  Sons  of  Italy,  and  the  Liberty  and  Pros- 
perity Club. 

.-\s  an  American  citizen.  Mr.  Corrente  has  abounded 
in  proofs  of  devotion  to  his  adopted  country.  It  was  as 
instructor  in  English  that  he  was  connected  with  the 
evening  schools,  and  during  the  World  War  he  traveled 
throughout  the  State  as  a  member  of  the  speakers' bur- 
eau, durin.g  the  various  Liberty  Loan  drives,  and  section 
manager  of  the  Ninth  Ward's  War  Saving  .Stamp  cam- 
paign, and  also  active  in  the  Red  Cross  drive  and  other 
war  work.  He  also  did  considerable  work  as  interpre- 
ter and  notary  public  during  the  war.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Holy  Ghost  Roman  Catholic  Church ;  be- 
longs to  the  Holy  Name  Societj-  and  is  past  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Holy  Name  Union,  being  the  only  man 
who  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  served  two  terms 
in  this  office;  also  ex-president  of  the  Voung  Men's 
Catholic  Club  of  the  Holy  Ghost  Church.  He  belongs 
to  the  Catholic  Club  of  Rhode  Island.  On  two  occa- 
sions he  acted  as  division  marshal  of  the  Holy  Name 
Union  parade,  and  he  belonged  to  the  Italian  commit- 
tee which,  with  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  conducted 
the  first  Columbus  Day  parade  in  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island.  Antonio  Corrente.  as  business  man,  citizen  and 
religious  worker,  is  active,  aggressive  and  thoroughly 
broad-gauged.  He  is  the  kind  of  man  needed  by  every 
community,  whether  great  or  small. 


MARIANO  C.  CORRENTE— Among  the  younger 
business  men  of  Providence  none  has  built  up  for  him- 
self a  more  desirable  reputation  than  the  junior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  A.  &  M.  C.  Corrente,  a  concern  which 


stands  in  the  front  ranks  of  the  real  estate  business. 
Mr.  Corrente  is  actively  interested  in  municipal  politics 
and  is  helpfully  identiticd  with  fraternal  affairs  and  reli- 
gious enterprises. 

Francisco  Corrente,  father  of  Mariano  C.  Corrente, 
was  born  January  16,  JS42.  in  Teano,  Italy,  and  always 
devoted  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1890  he 
emigrated  to  the  United  States.  He  married  Pctrina 
Longo,  who  was  born  .Vpril  JO,  1850.  in  Marzano,  Appio, 
Italy,  and  their  children  were:  .Alexander;  Antonio,  a 
biography  of  whom  precedes  this  one ;  and  Mariano  C., 
mentioned  below.  He  has  now  relinquished  active  work 
and  is  living  in  retirement. 

Mariano  C.  Corrente,  son  of  Francisco  and  Pctrina 
(Longo)  Corrente,  was  born  July  4,  1888,  in  Marzano, 
Appio,  Italy,  and  was  about  four  years  old  when 
brought  by  his  parents  to  the  United  States.  His  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of 
Providence,  and  after  being  employed  for  a  short  time 
at  tailoring,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Park  .Manu- 
facturing Company.  His  purpose  was  to  learn  the 
printers'  trade  and  he  remained  with  the  concern  eleven 
years,  steadily  advancing  and  eventually  working  his 
way  up  to  the  position  of  outside  salesman.  In  1912, 
in  association  with  his  brother.  .Antonio,  he  engaged  in 
the  real  estate  business  under  the  firm  natne  of  A.  & 
M.  C.  Corrente,  and  during  the  time  which  has  since 
elapsed  has  done  mvich  to  promote  the  growth  of  the 
business  and  to  bring  it  to  its  present  prosperous  condi- 
tion. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Providence  Real  Es- 
tate Exchange.  In  addition  to  this  Mr.  Corrente  has 
for  six  years  filled  the  position  of  court  interpreter. 

In  advocating  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party 
Mr.  Corrente  has  been  ever  ready  to  render  all  the 
assistance  in  his  power  and  is  serving  as  a  member  of 
the  Republican  City  Committee  from  the  Third  Ward. 
In  war  work  he  has  taken  a  special  patriotic  interest, 
having  been  active  in  the  endeavors  01  the  Red  Cross, 
the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  the  various  Liberty  Loans 
and  lectured  for  the  Food  .Administration  throughout 
the  State. 

The  fraternal  associations  of  Mr.  Corrente  are  very 
numerous.  He  is  now  grand  knight  of  St.  .Anthony's 
Council,  No.  1618,  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  be- 
longs to  the  Woodn-.en  of  the  World,  having  served  as 
delegate  to  the  Head  Camp  conventions  held  in  1917-19. 
He  is  chief  ranger  of  Court  Libia,  No.  49,  Foresters  of 
.America,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Pictro 
Metastasio  Republican  Club.  He  is  the  first  Italian 
vice-president  of  the  Holy  Name  Union  of  Rhode 
Island  and  past  president  of  the  Young  Men's  Catholic 
Club  of  the  Holy  Ghost  Church.  He  is  also  past  presi- 
dent of  the  Holy  Name  Society  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
Church. 

Mr.  Corrente  married.  June  5.  1912.  in  Providence, 
Dusolina  Desimone,  daughter  of  Crescenzo  and  Maria 
(Falarde)  Desimone.  Mr.  Desimone  was  born  at  Ca- 
priati-Voltorno,  Italy,  and  his  wife  was  a  native  of 
Sala-Consolina,  Italy.  They  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  becoming  members  of  the  Italian  Colony  of 
Providence  in  1877,  and  operated  the  first  Italian  gro- 
cery store  in  the  Charles  street  section.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Corrente  are  the  parents  of  two  children:  Veronica 
A.    P..   bom    December   19,    1913,   and   William    Dante, 


360 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


born  December  18,  1917.  Both  as  a  business  man  and 
citizen,  Mariano  C.  Corrente  has  already  accomplished 
much  and  there  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  in  the  future 
he  will  achieve  larger  results  than  in  the  past. 


SAMUEL     FRASER     McINTOSH— There     are 

many  monuments  in  Rliode  Island  and  other  States 
testifying  to  the  ability  of  Mr.  Mcintosh  as  a  con- 
structive engineer.  He  came  to  his  present  position 
as  a  contractor  through  the  draughting  room  and  pri- 
vate engineering  courses  of  study,  and  for  ten  years 
prior  to  engaging  in  business  for  himself  was  em- 
ployed in  responsible  positions  by  others.  Since  1908 
he  has  been  in  business  under  his  own  name  in  Provi- 
dence, as  a  civil  engineer  and  contractor.  He  is  a 
son  of  Alexander  .Alfred  Mcintosh,  long  a  resident 
of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence,  he  now  living  retired 
from  life's  more  active  duties  in  Providence.  Alex- 
ander A.  Mcintosh  married  Elizabeth  Fraser. 

Samuel  Fraser  Mcintosh  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  April  26,  1879.  He  passed  the  grades  of  Doyle 
Avenue  Grammar  School  and  entered  high  school,  but 
did  not  graduate,  finishing  his  studies  under  private 
tutors  in  technical  lines,  especially  engineering  and 
draughting.  After  completing  his  studies  he  spent 
four  years  as  draughtsman  with  the  Silver  Spring 
Bleaching  Company,  then  was  with  the  J.  \V.  Bishop 
Company  five  years,  leaving  the  last  named  building 
firm  in  1907,  to  engage  in  building  for  himself  as  an 
en.eineer  on  building  work.  During  the  ten  years  he 
has  been  in  business.  Mr.  Mcintosh  has  been  con- 
nected with  a  great  deal  of  important  building  con- 
struction in  New  England.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
.American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  American  So- 
ciety of  Mechanical  Engineers,  Providence  Society  of 
Mechanical  Engineers,  the  Southbridge,  Turk's  Head, 
Wannamoiset  and  Old  Colony  clubs.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican.  He  has  gained  public  confidence 
and  no  feature  of  success  but  has  been  won  by  well- 
directed,  personal  elTorts,  and  he  can  review  his  career 
with  satisfaction  as  entirely  the  result  of  his  own 
labors.  He  has  won  his  way  from  the  bottom  to  hon- 
orable position,  and  being  yet  young  the  future  holds 
naught  but  bright  promise.  Mr.  Mcintosh  married, 
June  I,  1911,  Marjorie  Jane  Fraser,  of  Providence, 
daughter  of  Duncan  and  Eliza  (Campbell)  Fraser,  and 
they  have  one  daughter,  Jean  Mcintosh. 


JOHN  LEONARD— When  a  youth,  John  Leonard 
came  from  his  native  New  Hampshire,  and  settled  in 
Georgiaville.  R.  I.,  which  was  ever  afterward  his 
home.  During  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  he  attempted 
to  enlist  in  Rhode  Island,  but  the  authorities  refused 
his  services  as  he  was  then  but  about  fourteen  years 
of  age.  He  was  determined  to  get  into  the  army,  how- 
ever, and  finally  passing  the  recruiting  ofiicers  at 
Fall  River,  Mass.,  he  went  to  the  front  and  compiled 
a  fine  record  as  a  soldier.  He  was  born  in  Meredith, 
N.  H.,  in  1849,  died  in  Rhode  Island,  in  1S91.  In 
Rhode  Island  he  was  a  mule  spinner  in  a  Georgia- 
ville cotton  mill  for  many  years,  after  retiring  from 
the  army.  In  the  spring  of  1864,  he  first  enlisted  in 
Company    D,   Sixtieth   Massachusetts   Infantry,   fought 


with  that  egiment  in  several  engagements,  and  won 
a  share  of  the  credit  they  won  from  General  Burnside 
for  their  bravery  in  action.  After  receiving  honorable 
discharge  in  Boston,  in  1864,  he  reenlisted  in  Com- 
pany H,  Second  Regiment,  Rhode  Island  Volunteer 
infantry,  and  served  until  honorably  discharged,  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1865.  He  was  a  member  of  Slocum  Post, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  all  his  life  kept  in 
touch  with  his  old  army  comrades. 

John  Leonard  married  Mary  Jean  Finnegan,  born 
in  Phenix,  R.  I.,  daughter  of  Hugh  and  Catherine 
(Lochran)  Finnegan.  Her  father  was  a  master  dyer, 
and  like  his  son-in-law,  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
War,  his  service  having  been  with  the  Fourth  Rhode 
Island  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  twice  wounded 
in  action,  once  at  the  battle  of  Antietam,  and  again 
at  Fredericksburg.  John  and  Mary  J.  (Finnegan) 
Leonard  were  the  parents  of  four  children:  James 
W. ;  John  Thomas,  deceased;  Frank  Hugh;  and 
Clara  A.,  who  married  H.  C.  Nelson,  now  serving 
with  the  Canadian  forces  with  the  British  army  in 
France.  They  have  two  children:  Harold,  and  Mar- 
tina Nelson. 

Frank  Hugh  Leonard  was  born  in  Georgiaville, 
R.  I.,  in  1879,  and  e.lucated  in  East  Greenwich 
schools.  For  a  time  he  was  a  core  maker  in  a 
foundry,  then  was  employed  in  wire  manufacture  as 
a  drawer.  In  1908,  he  returned  to  Georgiaville,  which 
is  yet  his  home.  He  married,  in  Georgiaville,  in  1911, 
Jennie  Brady,  daughter  of  Peter  Brady.  They  are  the 
parents  oi  two  children:  Berenice,  and  Francis  Jo- 
seph Leonard. 


EDWARD  ALKER— From  youth,  Mr.  Alker  has 

been  connected  with  the  foundry  business,  now  super- 
intendent of  the  foundry  department  of  the  Franklin 
Machine  Company,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  For  thirty 
years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and 
there  he  has  won  high  position  as  a  citizen,  being  now 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  .Mdermen.  Edward  Alker 
is  a  son  of  Edward  and  Harriet  (Adams)  Alker,  both 
his  parents  now  deceased,  his  father  having  been 
an  English  cotton  mill  foreman  for  many  years. 

Edward  Alker  was  born  in  Droylsden,  near  Man- 
chester, England,  January  31,  1859.  He  acquired  a 
grammar  school  education  in  the  public  schools,  then 
began  his  long  connection  with  foundry  work.  He 
began  as  an  apprentice,  and  until  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  remained  at  his  English  home.  In  1880  he  came  to 
the  L'nited  States,  and  later  located  his  home  in 
Paw'tucket,  R.  I.,  and  secured  employment  with  the 
Franklin  Machine  Company.  The  association  then 
begun  has  continued  under  varied  form,  Mr.  .-Mker 
now  being  superintendent  of  the  foimdry  department 
of  the  plant  located  on  Charles  street.  Providence. 
He  is  a  master  of  his  trade,  a  good  manager  of  men, 
his  department  one  of  the  most  smooth-running  and 
efficient.  After  acquiring  citizenship,  Mr.  .\lker  affil- 
iated with  the  Republican  party,  and  has  always  been 
loyal  to  the  principles  of  that  party.  In  1906  he  was 
elected  to  represent  his  ward  on  the  Pawtucket  Board 
of  Aldermen,  and  for  twelve  years  has  held  tliat  office 
through   successive   reelections.     He   has   rendered  his 


:«>. 


>Z^1^       ^,      AL<.<^t^^t--t^^  . 


BIOGR.^PHICAL 


^6 1 


city  important  service  both  on  committee  and  on  the 
floor,  zealously  advocating  such  measures  as  his  judg- 
ment approved,  and  boldly  opposing  such  bills  as  he 
believed  opposed  to  the  public  good.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Enterprise 
Lodge  of  Pawtucket,  and  of  the  Church  oi  the  Ad- 
vent  (Episcopal). 

Mr.  .Mkcr  married,  in  Pawtucket,  .\pril  23,  1881, 
Alice  Ann  Banforth,  of  English  birth  and  parentage, 
but  was  brought  to  the  United  States  when  a  child. 
They  are  the  parents  of  a  son  and  a  daughter:  i. 
William  Edward,  born  August  28,  1885;  married 
Agnes  Shaw:  they  have  two  children,  Dorothy  May 
and  William  .Arthur.  2.  Sarah  Irene,  married  .\rthur 
Ruyter,  of  Providence,  now  first  class  machinist  in 
United  States  navy  at  Charleston,  S.  C.  The  family 
home  is  No.  815  Main  street,  Pawtucket. 


REV.  JOHN  FRANCIS  MURRAY— The  pastoral 
labors  of  Father  Murray  in  his  native  city  have  made 
his  name  one  of  those  most  familiar  to  the  people  of 
Pro.  idence,  while  his  work  during  the  recent  World 
War  caused  it  to  be  known  throughout  the  State.  In 
his  home  community  Father  Murray  is  indefatigable 
in  his  efforts  to  further  improvement  of  conditions. 
Daniel  Murray,  grandfather  of  John  Francis  Murray, 
was  bom  in  County  Cork,  Ireland,  and  emigrated  to 
St.  John,  N'ew  Brunswick,  later  coming  to  the 
United  States  and  settling  in  Boston.  He  married 
Bridget   Dailey,   also   a  native  of   County   Cork. 

Michael  J.  Murray,  son  of  Daniel  and  Bridget 
(Dailey)  Murray,  was  born  February  10,  1859,  in 
Boston,  Mass.,  and  became  a  master  mechanic.  He 
married  Catherine  Gorman,  born  .Xugust  13,  i86r,  in 
Providence,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Ellen  (Maguire) 
Gorman.  Mrs.  Murray  passed  away  July  26,  1916, 
and  the  death  of  her  husband  occurred  July  11,  1918. 
Mr.  Murray  was  a  man  of  sterling  character  and 
kindly,  genial  disposition,  winning  the  affection  and 
respect  of  all  to  whom  he  was  knowm. 

John  Francis  Murray,  son  of  Michael  J.  and  Cath- 
erine (Gorman)  Murray,  was  born  July  4,  1880,  in 
Providence,  and  received  his  preparator>-  education  in 
the  public  and  high  schools  of  his  native  city,  after- 
ward entering  Brown  University,  class  of  1903. 
Thence  he  passed  to  St.  Mary's  Seminan'.  Baltimore, 
Md.  The  degrees  conferred  on  him  were  those  of 
Bachelor  of  .Arts  and  Master  of  Arts.  Mr.  Murray 
then  spent  one  year  in  traveling  in  the  West  and 
teaching  fundamental  Latin  and  Greek,  and  also 
music,  at  the  Sacred  Heart  College,  Denver,  Colo. 
In  addition  to  his  work  as  an  instructor  he  was  active 
in  athletics  and  coached  the  ball  team.  In  September, 
1904,  Mr.  Murray  entered  the  .American  College,  a 
part  of  the  Louvain  University,  remaining  there  three 
years.  In  that  city,  on  July  14.  1907,  he  was  ordained 
by  Bishop  Maes,  of  Covington,  Ky.,  and  then  returned 
to  Providence,  where  he  was  assigned  to  the  Cathe- 
dral parish.  This  was  the  scene  of  his  labors  until 
October  3,  191S,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Church  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Father  Murray 
is  chaplain  of  the  Catholic  Women's  Benevolent   Le- 


gion, officiating  in  the  same  capacity  for  the  Phi  Kappa 
fraternity  of   Brown   University. 

During  the  recent  World  War  Father  Murray  was 
conspicuously  active  in  patriotic  work,  being  the  only 
priest  in  the  diocese  of  Providence  to  olTiciate  as  a 
"four-minute"  man.  His  work  as  a  war  lecturer  was 
01  exceptional  value.  One  of  Father  Murray's  pre- 
dominant characteristics  is  an  ardent  love  of  music 
and  he  has  made  its  cultivation  and  use  a  leading  and 
most  influential  factor  in  different  branches  of  his 
work.  As  priest  and  patriot  Father  Murray  has  made 
himself  loved  and  honored  throughout  the  City  of 
Providence  and  the  State  of  Rhode   Island. 


ACHILLE  P.  COTfi.  D.  M.  D.— Among  the 
prominent  professional  men  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I., 
may  be  mentioned  .Achillc  P.  Cote,  a  successful  den- 
tist, with  olTiCcs  in  the  Longlcy  building.  He  is  of 
French  descent,  both  parents  being  French-Canadians 
from  the  Province  of  Quebec.  The  father,  Pierre  C. 
Cote,  was  born  at  Lange  Ga'rdain,  in  that  province, 
August  22,  1S48,  coming  to  VV'oonsocket  in  1868,  then 
only  a  young  man  oi  twenty!  He  was  a  particularly 
energetic  young  man  and  soon  established  himself  in 
a  market  business,  .Vs  the  years  went  by  he  became 
more  and  more  successful,  until  by  the  time  he  had 
reached  middle  life  he  was  able  to  retire,  in  1905. 
The  elder  Mr.  Cote  was  at  one  time  a  member  of  the 
City  Council  in  the  home  of  his  adoption;  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Society  of  St.  Jean  Baptiste  and  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  cliurch,  attending  the  Church  of 
the  Precious  Blood.  He  married,  very  early  in  liic, 
Cordelia  .Xuthicr,  born  at  St.  Cesaire,  in  the  Province 
of  Quebec,  in  1854.  She  died  in  1900.  They  had  two 
children:  Achille  P.,  of  further  mention:  and  Omcr 
H.,  who  now  resides  at  Pawtucket.  R.  I. 

Achille  P.  Cote  was  born  in  Woonsocket,  April  11, 
1877.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools 
of  Woonsocket  and  later  was  sent  to  Mount  St.  Louis 
Institute,  of  Montreal,  Canada.  Here  he  took  both 
classical  and  scientific  courses,  graduating  in  1897. 
He  then  became  enrolled  as  a  student  at  the  dental 
school  of  Tufts  College  in  Massachusetts,  being  a 
member  of  the  class  of  1900,  receiving  at  his  gradu- 
ation the  degree  of  D.  M.  D.  He  returned  to  Worm- 
socket,  and  as  Dr.  Berthiaume  desired  to  give  up  his 
practice.  Dr.  Cote  became  his  successor,  and  he  has 
remained  in  the  same  location  ever  since.  The 
younger  brother,  Omer  Cote,  received  the  same  thor- 
ough educational  training  at  the  same  institutions  to 
fit  him  for  a  professional  life,  he  being  a  dentist  also. 

Dr.  Cote  married,  in  Woonsocket,  .\pril  15,  1903, 
Antonia  Farley,  daughter  of  Edward  and  Delvina 
(La-Croix)  Farley.  Mr.  Farley  was  in  the  insurance 
business  and  also  a  dealer  in  shoes.  The  children  of 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Achille  P.  Cote  are  as  follows:  Ger- 
maine,  born  Feb.  29,  1904;  Marguerite,  born  March 
II,  1908;    Paul,  born   Nov.  7,   1912. 

Like  his  father,  Dr.  Cote  is  a  Roman  Catholic,  at- 
tending the  same  church  and  also  being  a  member  of 
the  Society  of  St.  Jean  Baptiste.  .-Xt  one  time  he  was 
president  of  the  Woonsocket  Dental  Association.     He 


362 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


is  devoted  to  athletics  and  finds  his  chief  recreation  in 
a  good  game  of  golf,  being  a  member  of  the  Winne- 
suket  Golf  Club,  of  Woonsocket.  When  seeking  di- 
version from  business  cares,  if  not  on  the  golf  links. 
Dr.  Cote  may  generally  be  found  playing  tennis  or 
motoring,  in  both  of  which  pastimes  he  is  greatly  inter- 
ested. Dr.  Cote  resides  at  No.  243  Carrigan  avenue, 
Woonsocket. 


PHYDIME  J.  HEMOND— In  Saint  Ferdinand  de 
Haliia.x,  a  post  village  of  Megantic  county,  Province 
of  Quebec,  Canada,  on  Lake  Williams,  seventeen 
miles  from  Somerset,  both  Phydimc  J.  Hemond  and 
his  father,  Honore  Hemond,  were  1  orn,  the  father  in 
1S38,  the  son  in  1875.  Honore  Hemond  became  a 
prominent  man  in  his  locality,  being  the  leading  black- 
smith of  the  town,  second  treasurer  of  the  school  com- 
mittee, and  active  in  church  affairs.  He  retired  from 
business  in  1907,  settled  his  affairs  and  joined  his 
children  in  Woonsocket.  R.  I.,  where  he  died  Decem- 
ber 25,  1910.  He  married  Rose  de  Lima  Pichet,  born 
in  Saint  Ferdinand  de  Halifax,  in  1843,  died  there 
April  iS,  1903;  children,  all  living  in  Woonsocket: 
Phydime  J.,  Joseph  Napolecn,  Albert,  Marie  Laure, 
and  Theodule. 

Phydime  J.  Hemond  was  born  July  25,  1875,  and 
spent  the  first  twenty-five  years  of  his  life  in  his  native 
Saint  Ferdinand  de  Halifax.  He  was  educated  at 
Saint  Joseph's  College  at  Saint  Ferdinand,  and  com- 
pleted a  classical  course  in  the  Seminary  of  Quebec, 
class  of  1897.  He  came  to  the  L'nited  States  in  1900, 
locating  at  Fall  River,  Mass.,  there  acting  as  reporter 
on  the  staff  of  the  Fall  River  "Journal."  From  Fall 
River  he  came  to  Woonsocket.  R.  L,  becoming  a 
member  of  the  reportorial  staff  of  the  "Tribune,"  so 
continuing  for  seven  years.  He  then  resigned  to 
accept  the  post  of  assistant  editor  on  "L'Union,"  the 
organ  of  the  Societe  L'Union,  St.  Jean-Baptiste  d'.Amer- 
ique.  He  continued  the  "L'Union"'  for  three  years, 
then  retired  to  accept  appointment  as  general  secretary 
of  Societe  L'Union,  St.  Jean-Baptiste  dWmerique,  a 
position  he  held  for  thirteen  months. 

In  1912  Mr.  Hemond  entered  the  real  estate  field  in 
Woonsocket  as  a  member  of  the  firm  Caron  &  He- 
mond, with  offices  at  No.  315  Wood  avenue.  That 
firm  was  succeeded  eighteen  months  later  by  Hemond 
&  Fournier,  with  offices  at  No.  115  Cumberland 
street,  Stanislas  Fournier  the  junior  member  of  the 
firm.  Mr.  Hemond  is  a  member  of  Saint  Anne's 
Roman  Catholic  Church;  past  secretary  general  of 
Societe  L'Union  St.  Jean-Baptiste,  of  Council  La 
Belle,  No.  122;  founder  and  first  secretary  of  the 
Circle  Dauray,  A.  C.  J.  F.  A.;  first  president  of  the 
Circle  Tardivel;  past  general  treasurer  of  the  As- 
sociation Catholique  de  la  Jennesse  Franco-.\meri- 
caine,  and  the  first  secretary  of  Circle  Lecordaire,  No. 
4,  Association  Antialeoolique.  In  politics  he  is  an 
Independent. 

Mr.  Hemond  married,  in  Notre  Dame  Sacred  Heart 
Church,  July  14,  1902,  Marie  Selfride  Fontaine,  of 
Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  daughter  of  Timothe  Fontaine,  a 
retired  school  teacher,  born  in  Saint  .•\ngele  de  Mon- 
noir,   Quebec,  Canada,  who  came  to   Central   Falls  in 


1884  and  there  died,  aged  thirty-five  years.  Timothe 
Fontaine  married  Virginia  Forand,  born  in  Saint  Jean 
d'Ibcrville,  Quebec,  Canada,  died  in  September,  1905,  at 
Central  Falls,  aged  fifty-eight  years.  Children  of  Phy- 
dime J.  and  Marie  Selfride  (Fontaine)  Hemond:  Fer- 
nand,  born  .April  13,  1903:  Jean  Berchmans,  born  .Aug. 
4,  1904;  Gaetan,  born  Nov.  9,  1906;  Joseph,  born  March 
3,  1908,  died  in  infancy;  Cecile,  born  May  18,  1909; 
Marguerite-Marie,  born  Nov.  23,  1911;  .Aline,  born  May 
16,  1913;  Alphonse  Rodriguez,  born  Oct.  17,  1917;  Ger- 
ard, born  Feb.  2J,  1918.  The  family  home  is  at  No. 
108  Chalapa  avenue,  Woonsocket. 


WILFRED  JACQUES,  son  of  Onesime  and  Deline 
(Cate)  Jacques,  was  born  in  Woonsocket.  R.  I..  July  18, 
1875,  his  parents  both  of  Canadian  birth.  His  school 
years  were  limited,  for  at  the  age  of  nine  he  began 
doing  a  boy's  work  in  a  cotton  mill,  and  for  five  years 
thereafter  continued  in  that  line  of  work.  During  a 
part  of  that  period  he  helped  in  a  barber  shop  at  night, 
and  in  that  way  learned  the  barber's  trade.  Later  he 
went  to  Millville,  Mass.,  where  he  was  employed  in  a 
shop  for  a  short  time,  later  returning  to  Woonsocket, 
where  for  twelve  years,  he  was  in  the  employ  of  Benja- 
min Hope.  In  1903  he  bought  out  Alexander  Coutu, 
and  for  a  year  was  a  member  of  the  firm,  Bazinet  & 
Jacques.  In  1910  he  bought  his  partner's  interest  and 
continued  alone  until  1012,  when  he  sold  out  and  has 
since  devoted  himself  to  the  business  which  he  started 
in  a  small  way  while  yet  engaged  in  the  barber  business. 

The  Rhode  Island  Machine  &  Tool  Company,  of  which 
Mr.  Jacques  is  owner  and  manager,  was  founded  by 
him  as  a  small  machine  repair  shop,  one  man  being  the 
entire  mechanical  force.  In  1912,  the  little  shop  having 
demonstrated  its  right  to  exist,  Mr.  Jacques  sold  his 
other  business  interests  and  has  since  devoted  himself 
to  the  machine  shop  and  its  development.  Eight  men 
are  now  continuously  employed  in  a  well  equipped  plant 
and  the  Rhode  Island  Machine  &  Tool  Company  is  be- 
coming well  known  to  mill  machinery  buyers. 

For  six  years  Mr.  Jacques  w'as  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Barber  Commissioners.  He  is  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, and  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  and 
of  the  Foresters  of  America.  He  married,  in  Woon- 
socket, November  27,  1893,  Rosanna  M.  Masse,  born  in 
Woonsocket,  August  12,  1872,  daughter  of  Oliver  Masse, 
born  in  1853,  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  and 
his  wife,  Adeline  Breault,  born  in  1852,  in  the  same 
province  as  her  husband.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacques  are  the 
parents  of  seven  children:  I.  Reynolds  P.,  born  Sept 
19.  1S95;  married,  June  18,  1917,  in  Woonsocket.  Rose 
Anna  Lafleur.  2.  Arthur  A.,  born  June  6,  1807,  mar- 
ried in  Woonsocket,  June  24,  1918,  Azelia  \'.  Labeau. 
3.  Ella  L.,  born  .April  8,  1899.  4.  Florence  R.,  born  Dec 
31,  1901.  5.  Wilfred,  Jr.,  born  Oct.  3,  1903,  died  in 
April,  1904.  6.  Viola  L..  born  Sept.  I,  1905.  7.  Mar- 
guerite C,  born  Jan.  9,  1914. 


SAVERIO  NICANDRO  PENNINE,  D.  M.  D.— 
The  high  professional  reputation  of  Dr.  Pennine  ren- 
ders wholly  superfluous  any  explanatory  phrases  in 
connection  with  the  introduction  of  his  name  in  a  work 
of  this  character.  Dr.  Pennine  is  well  known  as  a 
dental  surgeon  and  a  lecturer  on  matters  allied  to  his 


\/-<Z^<^'^^y^U-0 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


363 


profession,  and,  as  a  citizen,  is  held  in  the  Rrcatest 
esteem. 

Antonio  Pennine,  father  of  Saverio  Nicnndro  Pen- 
nine, was  born  in  1848,  in  Capua,  Italy,  and  was  a  vet- 
erinary surgeon.  He  married  Gicondina  Borrclli,  who 
was  born  in  \'enafro,  Italy,  and  their  children  were: 
Saverio  Xicandro,  mentioned  below  ;  Ernest,  Josephine, 
Arthur,  Bri^ida,  and  .Mfred.  Mr.  Pennine  died  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1916,  and  his  widow  is  still  living  in  Provi- 
dence. 

Saverio  Nicandro  Pennine,  son  of  Antonio  and  Gicon- 
dina (Borrelli)  Pennine,  was  born  December  1?,  1S88,  in 
Venafro,  Italy,  and  when  live  years  old  was  brought 
by  his  parents  to  the  United  States  and  to  Providence. 
It  was  in  the  public  schools  of  that  city  that  he  received 
his  early  education,  passing  thence  to  La  Salle  Acad- 
emy, taking  the  classical  course  to  enter  college.  Im- 
mediately thereafter  he  entered  Childs"  Business  Col- 
lege, graduating  in  1908.  and  then  taking  a  comi)Iete 
course  in  stenography  at  the  Ma.\  Magnus  Shorthand 
School,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1909.  While  still 
attending  school,  Mr.  Pennine  learned  the  barber's 
trade,  w'orking  at  it  in  the  evenings  until  I90<:).  when  he 
obtained  the  position  of  head  bookkeeper  and  cashier 
for  the  Providence  branch  of  the  National  Cash  Reg- 
ister Company  for  ten  years,  and  while  holding  the 
same  ofTicc.  he  went  to  Tufts  Dental  College  every  day 
for  three  years,  going  to  and  from  Boston  to  school, 
and  working  evenings  for  the  same  concern.  For  one 
year  he  was  instructor  in  English  in  the  public  evening 
grammar  school  for  the  city  of  Providence. 

In  191S  Mr.  Pennine  turned  his  attention  to  the  pro- 
fession of  dentistry,  entering  upon  a  course  of  training 
and  instruction  at  Tufts  Dental  College  while  still 
employing  his  evenings  in  the  supervision  of  the  affairs 
of  the  office  of  the  National  Cash  Register  Company. 
In  1918  he  graduated  and  at  once  opened  his  present 
office  on  Empire  street,  where  he  has  since  built  up  a 
large  and  lucrative  practice.  Dr.  Pennine  was  admitted 
to  practice  dentistry  in  two  states,  Massachusetts  and 
Rhode  Island,  immediately  after  he  had  completed  his 
course  in  dentistry,  1918.  He  is  now  taking  a  medical 
course  at  the  University  of  Massachusetts,  East  Cam- 
bridge, class  of  1920.  Dr.  Pennine  is  a  close  student 
of  everything  pertaining  to  his  profession  and  is  favor- 
ably known  as  a  lecturer  on  those  phases  of  impaired 
health  caused  by  neglected  teeth.  He  belongs  to  the 
Rhode  Island  Dental  Association  and  the  Psi  Omega 
Dental  fraternity  of  Boston  and  Tufts  Dental  Alumni. 
He  is  ex-secretary  of  the  Barbers'  Union,  Local  224, 
and  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Young 
Imperial  Italian  Club,  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World. 

Dr.  Pennine  married,  .\pril  26,  191 1.  Ella  DeCourcey, 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Ellen  (Tully)  DeCour- 
cey, of  Providence,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Mary  Eleanor,  born  June  12,  191.3:  Edna 
Elizabeth,  born  Feb.  9,  1917;  and  William  .Vnthony, 
born  Nov.  22,  191S. 

Both  as  a  professional  man  and  a  citizen  Dr.  Pennine 
has  made  for  himself  an  enviable  position  in  the  com- 
munity, enjoying  at  once  the  sincere  respect  and  cordial 
liking  of  his  Italian  and  American  friends  and  neigh- 
bors. 


THOMAS  STEPHEN  FLYNN.  M.  D.,  one  of  the 

most  successful  ami  pnpular  aiming  the  younger  physi- 
cians of  Woonsocket,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  active 
practice  for  about  three  years,  is  a  native  of  this  city, 
his  birth  having  occurred  here  October  10,  1890  He  is 
a  son  of  Michael  M.  and  Catherine  A.  ( Meancy) 
Flynn,  the  former  of  whom  is  deceased,  and  the  latter 
still  a  resident  of  this  city.  The  elder  Mr.  Flynn  was. 
for  forty-eight  years  prior  to  his  death,  general  man- 
ager of  the  .Vmerican  Wringer  Company  01  Woon- 
socket, and  was  an  important  figure  in  the  industrial  life 
of  the  place.  He  was  a  man  of  much  ability  and  wide 
public  spirit,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow 
citizens  here.  Michael  M.  Flynn  and  his  wife  were  the 
parents  of  four  children,  as  follows :  Thomas  Stephen, 
with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially  concerned; 
Ralph  F.,  educated  in  the  Woonsocket  public  schools, 
enlisted  in  the  United  States  navy  upim  the  entrance  of 
the  United  States  into  the  great  World  War,  and  is  now 
serving  his  government  there ;  Helen,  educated  in  the 
Woonsocket  public  schools,  and  a  graduate  of  the  high 
school  in  this  city;  Florence,  who  was  also  educated 
in  the  Woonsocket  public  schools,  and  after  her  gradu- 
ation from  the  high  school  took  a  course  in  the  Rhode 
Island  State  Normal  School  for  the  purpose  of  lilting 
herself  for  the  teaching  profession,  which  she  is  at  the 
present  time  following. 

Dr.  Flynn  began  his  education  by  attending  the  local 
public  schools  and  was  graduated  from  the  Woonsocket 
High  School  with  the  class  of  i<>X),  afterwards  being 
prepared  for  college.  He  then  entered  the  University 
of  \'ermont  (medical  department^,  having  determined 
to  adopt  this  profession  as  a  career,  .\fter  taking  ihe 
usual  course  here,  he  was  graduated  in  I'm6  with  the 
degree  of  Medical  Doctor.  .After  completing  his  thc- 
(•relical  studies.  Dr.  Flynn,  in  order  to  gain  the  re<|uisite 
practical  experience,  entered  the  Memorial  Hospital 
of  Pawtucket,  as  an  interne,  and  served  in  that  capac- 
ity for  a  number  of  months.  It  was  in  the  month  of 
July,  191'),  that  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
at  Woonsocket.  opening  an  olTice  there,  and  here  he  has 
remained  ever  since.  Dr.  Flynn  is  unusually  well 
qualified  both  by  natural  inclination  and  talent  and  by 
the  profound  study  that  he  has  made  of  the  subjict  of 
medicine  for  work  as  a  physician,  and  he  has  already 
made  a  place  for  himself  in  professional  circles  here, 
and  developed  a  large  and  high-class  clientele.  He  is 
now  serving  as  a  member  of  the  staff  of  the  Pawtucket 
Memorial  Hospital,  ami  the  Woonsocket  Hospital,  in 
addition  to  his  private  practice,  and  is  highly  esteemed 
by  his  fellow  members  on  that  staff  as  well  as  by  the 
medical  profession  generally  and  the  communily-at- 
large.  On  January  5,  1918,  he  was  commissioned  first 
lieutenant  in  the  medical  section  of  the  LInited  States 
army  and  re-commissioned  a  captain,  July  17,  I9i9- 

Dr.  Flynn  has  never  allied  himself  with  any  of  the 
political  parties,  preferring  to  exercise  without  other  con- 
siderations, his  independent  judgment  on  all  matters  of 
public  interest,  and  in  his  choice  of  political  candidates. 
He  is  a  man  of  independent  mind  and  original  thought, 
and  for  this  reason  may  be  classed  among  that  group 
of  men  who  are  sufficiently  progressive  to  stand  outside 
of  the  formal  political  parties  and  who  represent  the 


364 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


most  enliglitened  and  progressive  element  in  the  citizen- 
ship of  the  community.  In  his  religious  belief  Dr. 
Flynn  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  St.  Charles" 
Church  of  this  denomination  at  Woonsocket.  He  is  also 
a  well  known  figure  in  social  and  club  life  here  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Phi  Chi  and  Phi  Alpha  Epsilon  Col- 
lege fraternities.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Woon- 
socket Medical  Society,  the  Rhode  Island  State  Med- 
ical Society  and  a  fellow  of  the  .American  Medical  As- 
sociation. 


sacred  office  he  has  greatly  commended  to  his  fellow 
citizens  the  form  of  communion  of  which  he  is  a  rep- 
resentative. 


REV.  JOSEPH  GANEM— This  name  represents, 
to  his  fellow  citizens  of  Providence,  a  man  who,  as 
priest  and  pastor,  has  ministered  helpfully  to  parishes 
in  the  Old  World  and  has  added  to  this  record  a  narra- 
tive of  faithful  service  in  more  than  one  city  of  the 
United  States.  During  the  years  which  have  elapsed 
since  Father  Ganem  became  a  resident  of  Providence 
his  ability  and  devotion  have  caused  him  to  be  very 
highly  esteemed  by  the  community-at-large. 

Assef  Ganem,  father  of  Joseph  Ganem,  was  born 
in  1830,  in  Gabali,  Mount  Lebanon,  Syria,  and  followed 
the  calling  of  a  farmer.  He  married  Mariam  Moussi, 
who  was  horn  in  1820,  in  the  same  place,  and  their 
children  were:  I.  Joseph,  mentioned  below.  2.  Fran- 
cis, who  was  born  in  1858  and  was  a  farmer;  he  mar- 
ried Merina  Korkemas.  of  Gabali.  and  their  children 
were:  i.  Assef,  of  Providence,  ii.  George,  of  New 
York  City.  iii.  Stephen,  of  the  Argentine  Republic, 
iv.  Paris,  of  Arizona,  v.  Abdella,  now  Brother  Fran- 
cis of  St.  Anthony's  Order  of  Monks,  vi.  Toufic, 
now  attending  a  Jesuit  College  in  Syria,  vii.  Tou- 
ficca  (a  daughter).  viii.  Joseph.  i.x.  Fouad.  The 
three  last  are  living  with  their  mother  in  Gabali.  The 
father  passed  away  in  1907.  Assef  Ganem,  the 
grandfather,  died  as  a  young  man  in  1858,  and  the 
death  of  his  widow  occurred  in  1884. 

Joseph  Ganem,  son  of  Assef  and  Mariam  (Moussi) 
Ganem,  was  born  November  7,  1854,  i"  Gabali,  Mount 
Lebanon,  Syria,  and  received  his  education  at  the 
Maronite  Seminary,  graduating  in  1S77.  He  was  then 
ordained  by  John  Hage,  Bishop  of  Baalbek  and  later 
Patriarch  of  Antioch.  During  the  ensuing  two  years 
he  officiated  as  curate  at  Jounie,  Mount  Lebanon,  and 
then  went  to  Bethlehem  as  a  missionary,  serving  first 
under  the  Latin  Patriarch,  Vincenco  Bracco,  and  later 
under  Ludovicus  Piavvi,  and  remaining,  in  all,  five 
years. 

At  a  subsequent  period,  Father  Ganem  served  seven 
years  as  a  missionary  at  Nazareth  and  four  years  as  a 
missionary  at  Jerusalem.  He  was  then,  for  sixteen 
years,  a  pastor  at  Sarba,  Mount  Lebanon,  coming  at  the 
end  of  that  time  to  the  United  States  and  taking  up  his 
work  in  Boston,  Mass.  In  that  city  he  served  four 
months  as  assistant  at  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  the 
Cedars  of  Mount  Lebanon.  From  Boston  he  came  to 
Providence,  where  he  founded  St.  George's  Parish,  of 
which  he  has  been  ever  since  the  faithful  and  beloved 
pastor. 

Father  Ganem  is  the  only  Maronite  priest  in  the  dio- 
cese of  Providence,  having  charge  of  all  the  Maronite 
parishes,  and  by  his  daily  example  in  the  labors  of  his 


FRANCIS  S.  TURNER  was  for  many  years  a  suc- 
cessful farmer  of  Oak  Lawn,  and  was  a  member  of  an 
old  and  distinguished  Rhode  Island  family,  and  a  de- 
scendant of  Joshua  Turner,  who  resided  here  during 
the  early  years  of  the  eighteenth  century.  The  family 
was  founded  in  this  country  by  Captain  William  Turner, 
who  was  of  Dorchester,  Mass.,  from  1642  to  1644,  and 
in  the  latter  year  removed  from  that  place  to  Boston, 
where  he  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church.  He  had  command  of  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Connecticut  river,  in  King  Philip's  War,  and  surprised 
the  Indians  on  May  18  there,  where  the  falls  have  since 
borne  his  name.  He  gave  them  a  signal  defeat,  but  on 
his  return  was  surprised  and  surrounded  b)'  the  In- 
dians in  his  turn  and  was  killed  with  fourteen  of  his 
men.  His  wife,  Frances,  was  probably  the  mother  of 
all  of  his  children,  which  were  as  follows:  Patience, 
Thomas,  William,  Joshua,  mentioned  below;  Josiah, 
Elizabeth,  Prudence,  and  Joseph. 

(H)  Joshua  Turner  came  from  his  Massachusetts 
home  to  Rhode  Island,  where  in  1725  he  married  Free- 
love  Wescot,  a  native  of  Old  Warwick,  where  she  was 
born  July  i,  1702,  and  a  daughter  of  Stukeley  and  Pris- 
cilla  (Bennett)  Wescot.  of  Warwick  and  Cranston. 
She  was  a  descendant  of  Stukeley  Wescot,  a  native  of 
England,  where  he  was  born  about  1502,  probably  in 
Devonshire,  and  came  to  New  England  and  was  received 
as  a  freeman  of  the  Salem  Colony  as  early  as  1636.  He 
later  came  to  Providence  and  in  1648  removed  to  War- 
wick. The  children  of  Joshua  and  Freelove  (Wescot) 
Turner,  were  as  follows :  Joshua,  who  is  mentioned  be- 
low ;  William  and  Freelove.  The  old  homestead  of 
Joshua  and  Freelove  Turner  is  situated  in  the  south- 
western part  of  the  town  of  Cranston,  and  here  is  the 
old  family  burying  ground,  which  contains  the  remains 
of  generations  of  the  Turner  family.  This  land  is  at 
or  near  Searl's  Corners,  now  Oak  Lawn,  and  is  still 
owned  and  occupied  by  members  of  the  family. 

(III)  Joshua  (2)  Turner,  son  of  Joshua  and  Free- 
love (Wescot)  Turner,  resided  on  the  old  family  place 
throughout  his  entire  life.  He  and  his  wife  were  the 
parents  of  three  children,  as  follows:  Reuben,  who  is 
mentioned  below ;  Amos ;  and  Mercy. 

(IV)  Reuben  Turner,  son  of  Joshua  (2)  Turner, 
was  born  about  1755,  and  died  August  11,  1799,  at  the 
age  of  forty-four  years.  He  married,  November  28, 
1784,  Rebecca  Randall,  a  daughter  of  William  Randall, 
of  Cranston,  and  she  died  January  16,  1S49,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-five  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children :  Stephen,  who  is  mentioned  below ; 
and   Stukeley. 

(V)  Stephen  Turner,  son  of  Reuben  and  Rebecca 
(Randall)  Turner,  was  born  about  1786  and  was  for 
many  years  a  resident  of  Pawtuckct.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  S.  S.  Turner,  which  is  said  to  have; 
founded  the  business  now  conducted  at  that  place  by 
the  Union  Wadding  Company.  His  death  occurred 
September  30,   1871.     Stephen   Turner  married   Huldah 


{ 


TkL.    (1^     )4a^<z.JZ£   .^^^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


3f'5 


Colwcll,  a  direct  descendant  of  Roger  Williams,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  Wil- 
liam C,  born  Aug.  i,  1S15.  married  (tirst)  Mary  Slade, 
and  (second)  Mary  J.  Kinkhcad ;  Martha  W.,  born 
Sept.  27,  1818,  married  (tirst)  Philip  A.  Baker,  and 
(second)  E.  L.  Clapp;  Phcbe  R.,  born  Dec.  4,  1820. 
and  became  the  wife  of  Samuel  R.  Parker  of  Provi- 
dence; Francis  S.,  who  is  mentioned  below;  Maria  L., 
born  Feb.  27,  1825.  and  became  the  wife  01  William 
Bowen.  of  Providence;  Hannah  S.,  born  March  9,  1827; 
Cyrus  C,  born  March  15,  1829;  Huldah.  born  July  11, 
1832,  and  became  the  wife  of  Caleb  S.  Mann. 

(\'I)  Francis  S.  Turner,  son  of  Stephen  and  Huldah 
(Cohvell)  Turner,  was  born  March  11,  li^Ji,  on  the 
Turner  homestead,  Cranston.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the 
local  district  schools,  where  his  educational  advan- 
tages were  decidedly  meager,  and  while  still  quite 
young,  began  his  career  in  life.  In  the  year  1848  he 
became  the  owner  of  what  was  then  known  as  the  Searl 
farm  at  Searl's  Corners,  now  Oak  Lawn,  at  Cranston, 
and  there  carried  on  successful  agricultural  operations 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  had  a  strong  taste  for  farm- 
ing life  and  was  much  interested  in  stock,  was  an 
expert  judge  of  horses  and  other  domestic  animals  and 
took  great  pride  in  his  own  fine  stock.  It  is  said  that 
when  an  octogenarian,  he  could  drive  and  handle  a  pair 
of  spirited  horses  with  more  ease  than  most  young  men. 
For  many  years  he  served  as  postmaster  of  Cranston 
and  was  in  every  way  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  life 
of  the  place.  He  was  a  man  of  strongly  domestic  tastes 
and  habits,  and  his  kindly  and  genial  disposition  won  for 
him  a  large  number  of  personal  friends.  Francis  S. 
Turner  married.  June  i,  1849,  Sarah  J.  Maguire,  born 
February  14,  1828,  and  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Maguire. 
They  made  their  home  in  the  old  family  mansion  for 
more  than  half  a  century,  and  there  eleven  children 
were  born  to  them,  of  whom  the  following  survived 
their  father:  Eugene  F.,  of  .Auburn;  Henry  C,  de- 
ceased; Elliott  S.,  of  Oak  Lawn;  Robert  C. ;  Mary  G., 
who  became  the  wife  of  the  Hon.  Robert  B.  Treat;  and 
Agnes  L.  Francis  S.  Turner  died  March  7,  1905,  and 
his  wife.  May  4,  1894.  They  are  both  buried  on  the 
old  homestead  at  Cranston. 


THEODORE  CONRAD  HASCALL,  M.  D.— Ten 
years  of  continuous  practice  in  Riverside  render  wholly 
superfluous  any  e.xplanatory  phrases  in  connection  with 
the  introduction  of  Dr.  Hascall's  name  in  a  work  of 
this  character.  While  the  foundation  of  his  reputation 
was  laid  in  civil  life,  it  has  been  greatly  strengthened 
and  enhanced  by  his  long  and  active  career  in  the  army. 

William  H.  S.  Hascall,  father  of  Theodore  Conrad 
Hascall,  was  born  December  30,  1850,  in  Vermont,  and 
for  about  twenty-five  years  was  a  Baptist  missionary  in 
Burmah,  India.  For  two  years  he  was  pastor  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  of  Farmington,  Me.,  and  for 
four  years  filled  a  pastorate  in  Dover,  N.  H.  For 
three  years  he  was  pastor  of  the  Harlem  Memorial 
Church  of  New  York  City,  and  for  six  years  assistant 
pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Fall  River,  Mass. 
In  191 7  he  retired.  During  his  years  as  a  missionary 
Mr.  Hascall  translated  gospel  hymns  into  Burmanese. 
He   now    spends   his    winters    in   Florida,   his   summer 


home  being  at  .Vorthfield,  Mass.  Mr.  Hascall  married 
Emma  A.  Chace,  who  was  born  October  2S,  1848,  in 
Providence,  R.  I.,  and  their  children  were:  i.  William 
Chace.  born  Oct.  16,  1880;  in  1905  received  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Philosophy  from  Brown  University; 
was  efficiency  engineer  of  the  Cheney  Silk  Company  and 
is  now  major  of  the  Kineticlh  Infantry,  unattached.  2. 
Charles  Shailcr.  born  .April  21.  1882;  in  iiX)4  graduated 
from  Brown  University  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts,  and  is  now  a  certified  public  accountant  with  the 
Conduit  Electrical  Supply  Company,  of  Boston.  3. 
Theodore  Conrad,  mentioned  below.  Mr.  Hascall  is  now 
enjoying,  after  many  years  of  arduous  and  fruitful 
labor,  a  well-earned  season  of  rest. 

Theodore  Conrad  Hascall,  son  of  William  H.  S.  and 
Emma  .A.  (Chace)  Hascall,  was  born  November  28, 
1883,  at  Henzada,  Burmah,  India,  and  attended,  suc- 
cessively, the  grammar  schools  of  Fall  River,  Mass.,  the 
high  school  of  Dover,  N.  H..  and  the  Hebron  .Academy 
at  Hebron,  Me.,  graduating  from  the  last  named  in- 
stitution with  the  class  of  1901.  In  1905  he  graduated 
from  Brown  L'nivcrsity  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Philosophy,  and  in  1909  he  received  from  the  med- 
ical school  of  Cornell  University  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine.  Immediately,  thereafter.  Dr.  Hascall,  in 
association  with  Dr.  Dorran  B.  Coxe,  began  practice  at 
Riverside.  .At  the  end  of  two  years  the  connection  was 
dissolved  and  Dr.  Hascall  has  since  practiced  alone, 
building  up  a  profitable  and  constantly  growing  clien- 
tele. He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical 
Association,  the  Providence  Medical  Society,  the  Delta 
Tau  Delta  fraternity  of  Brown  University,  and  the 
Phi  .Alpha  Sigma  of  Cornell  Medical  School.  In  com- 
munity affairs  Dr.  Hascall  takes  an  active  interest.  In 
1916  he  became  a  member  of  the  East  Providence 
School  Committee,  resigning  in  1919  while  absent  in 
France.  He  aflSliates  with  St.  Andrew's  Lodge,  No.  39, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  f-tiverside;  Knights  of 
Pythias;  Noami  Chapter,  of  Eastern  Star;  Liberty 
Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  and  is  chairman  of  Riv- 
erside Post,  of  the  American  Legion.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Judson  Memorial  Baptist  Church  of  New  York. 

Dr.  Hascall  married,  .April  II,  i'K)7,  in  New  York 
City.  Emma  Frances  Manchester,  daughter  of  James 
and  Mary  (Davis)  Manchester,  of  Providence.  Mr. 
Manchester  was  a  farmer  of  Steep  Brook,  Mass.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Hascall  are  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Ruth,  born  .April  9,  1910;  Olive  Frances,  born 
Feb.  22,  1912;  and  Lillian  N.,  born  Aug.  7,  1915. 

Long  before  the  outbreak  of  the  late  World  War. 
Dr.  Hascall  identified  himself  with  the  military  life  of 
his  State.  On  May  23,  1912,  he  was  commissioned  lieu- 
tenant of  the  junior  grade  of  the  Rhode  Island  Naval 
Battalion  (now  the  National  Guard),  resigning  January 
25,  191 5.  On  January  26,  1915,  he  was  commissioned 
first  lieutenant  of  the  Medical  Corps  of  the  Rhode 
Island  National  Guard  and  was  assigned  to  the  Coast 
.Artillery.  On  April  2,  1917,  he  was  mustered  into  the 
Federal  service  and  assigned  to  the  troops  guarding 
bridges  and  water  works  within  the  limits  of  the  State. 
On  July  27,  1917,  he  was  sent  to  Fort  Greble,  Narra- 
gansett  bay,  and  on  .August  20  transferred  to  the  One 
Hundred  and  Third  Field  .Artillery  (Twenty-sixth  Divi- 


366 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


sioii).  at  Boxford,  Mass.  On  October  ii,  1917,  he 
sailed  for  France  with  this  division.  On  March  31, 
1919,  he  sailed  for  the  United  States,  and  on  arriving 
was  sent  to  Camp  Devens.  On  April  29,  1919,  he  was 
mustered  out.  On  November  4,  1918,  while  in  Verdun 
Sector,  Dr.  Hascall  was  commissioned  captain,  and  on 
July  I,  1919,  he  received  a  commission  as  major  in  the 
Medical  Reserve  Corps. 

Almost  at  the  opening  of  his  professional  career,  Dr. 
Hascall  has  achieved  a  brilliant  military  record.  May  it 
be  followed,  as  the  years  go  on,  by  equal  success  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  civil  life. 


at  Woonsocket.  9.  Rhea,  educated  at  Woonsocket.  Be- 
sides these,  one  child,  a  daughter,  Cora,  was  born,  who 
died  in  infancy.  The  first  Mrs.  Bourcier  died  July  16, 
IQ05,  and  Mr.  Bourcier  married  (second)  at  Woon- 
socket, March  7,  1916,  Rosanna  Rainville,  of  this  city, 
a  daughter  of  John  Baptist  and  Louise  (Revet)  Rain- 
ville, old  and  highly  respected  residents  here. 


SEBASTIAN  BOURCIER,  contractor  and  team- 
ster of  Woonsocket,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  his  birth 
having  occurred  at  the  town  of  St.  Helene,  Province 
of  Quebec,  June  29,  1850.  Mr.  Bourcier  is  a  son  of 
Sebastian  and  Lena  (Martin)  Bourcier,  both  of  whom 
are  now  deceased,  the  former,  for  many  years,  engaged 
in  the  business  of  teaming  and  contracting  in  his  native 
country  of  Canada.  The  childhood  of  Sebastian  Bour- 
cier was  passed  at  the  town  of  St.  Helene  and  it  was 
there  that  he  gained  the  very  scanty  education  which 
he  enjoyed  as  a  boy.  For  a  number  of  years  he  worked 
in  various  capacities  in  different  parts  of  Canada,  until 
1876,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in 
Woonsocket,  which  has  remained  his  home  ever  since. 
Upon  first  coming  to  Woonsocket,  Mr.  Bourcier  worked 
in  the  local  mills  and  also  followed  the  trade  of  car- 
penter for  a  time.  He  then  established  himself  in  busi- 
ness as  a  carpenter  and  continued  in  that  line  until 
1888,  when  he  founded  his  present  teaming  business,  at 
first  with  but  one  team  of  horses  and  a  capital  of  twelve 
dollars.  Even  this  money  was  borrowed  from  a  friend 
to  assist  him  in  the  opening  of  his  career,  but  the  suc- 
cess of  his  enterprise  was  assured  from  the  outset  and 
it  was  not  long  before  he  was  doing  an  excellent  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Bourcier  now  employs  eight  men  in  the 
conduct  of  his  business,  as  well  as  fourteen  horses,  and 
utilizes  ten  wagons  and  several  trucks.  He  does  both 
local  and  long  distance  hauling  and  moving,  and  deals 
in  hard  and  soft  wood.  In  his  politics  Mr.  Bourcier  is 
an  Independent  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Order  of  the  Foresters  of  America,  and  the  Woonsocket 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  social  branch.  Mr.  Bourcier 
is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious  belief  and  attends 
the  Church  of  Notre  Dame  at  Woonsocket. 

Sebastian  Bourcier  married  (first)  Mary  Peltien,  also 
a  native  of  Canada.  Nine  children  were  born  of  this 
union,  as  follows:  1.  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of 
L.  R.  Rondeau,  of  this  city,  to  whom  she  has  borne  five 
children,  as  follows:  Arthur,  Robert,  both  living;  Cora, 
Edna,  and  Florence,  all  deceased.  2.  Alphirie,  who  was 
educated  in  Woonsocket  and  married  Alma  Laferrier, 
of  this  city,  who  has  borne  him  three  children:  Lucien, 
Armand,  and  Lillian,  deceased.  3.  Ulysses,  educated 
at  Woonsocket.  4.  Edgar,  also  educated  at  Woon- 
socket and  now  a  soldier  in  the  British  army.  5.  Celina, 
who  resides  at  home.  6.  Eva,  educated  at  Woonsocket, 
and  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Grimard,  of  Meriden, 
Conn.,  to  whom  she  has  borne  one  child,  Robert.  7. 
Hector,  educated  at  Woonsocket.     8.  Almira,  educated 


EUGENE  CAPRON  HAMLETT,  superintendent 
of  the  Manville  Manufacturing  Company  of  Man- 
ville,  R.  I.,  and  one  of  the  most  prominent  citi- 
zens of  this  place,  is  a  native  of  the  city  of 
Woonsocket,  where  he  was  born  February  3,  1874, 
and  a  son  of  Luther  and  Ellen  (Capron)  Ham- 
lett.  Mr.  Hamlett,  Sr.,  who  is  now  deceased,  was  for 
a  number  of  years  a  conductor  on  one  of  the  trains  of 
the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad.  Mrs. 
Hamlett  is  the  sister  of  Adin  B.  Capron,  for  whom  our 
subject  received  his  middle  name,  a  man  famous  in 
Rhode  Island  politics  during  the  generation  just  past,  of 
whom  a  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Eugene  Capron  Hamlett  attended  as  a  lad  the  local 
public  schools  in  his  native  city  of  Woonsocket,  and 
afterwards  those  at  Stillwater,  to  which  place  his  parents 
moved  while  he  was  still  a  lad.  At  the  high  school  at 
the  latter  place  he  was  prepared  for  college,  and  he 
then  entered  the  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College 
at  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  took  a  commercial  course. 
Being  thus  well  fitted  both  by  character  and  knowledge 
to  play  a  prominent  part  in  the  business  world,  the 
young  man  sought  employment  and  in  1890  secured  a 
position  in  the  A.  B.  Warfield  Grocery  Store.  He  did 
not  remain  there  very  long,  however,  but  in  the  same 
year  came  to  the  Manville  Manufacturing  Company, 
where  he  secured  a  comparatively  humble  position  in 
the  office.  He  was  at  first  employed  in  the  Woonsocket 
branch,  remaining  at  that  place  until  igio,  when  after 
many  promotions  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of 
the  present  great  mill  at  Manville.  He  has  now  been 
associated  with  this  company  for  a  period  of  twenty- 
eight  years,  and  is  one  of  the  most  valued  members  of 
its  staff.  The  mill  of  which  he  is  at  present  superin- 
tendent is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  Manville  Company 
and  employs  nineteen  hundred  hands,  thirty  per  cent. 
of  which  are  women.  It  uses  both  water  and  steam  as 
motive  power  and  is  equipped  with  all  the  most  modern 
machinery  and  devices.  His  position  as  superintendent 
of  it  is  an  exceedingly  responsible  one,  and  Mr.  Ham- 
lett is  regarded  justly  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
men  of  this  town.  He  is  a  man  of  great  energy  and 
ability,  and  his  executive  talent  is  well  shown  by  his 
very  capable  management  of  the  great  property  in  his 
charge.  Mr.  Hamlett  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  is 
not  ambitious  for  public  office  and  does  not  take  a  very 
active  part  in  the  politics  of  the  community,  contenting 
himself  with  adequately  fulfilling  his  duties  as  a  good 
citizen.  In  his  religious  belief,  Mr.  Hamlett  is  a  Uni- 
versalist  and  attends  the  church  of  that  denomination 
at  Woonsocket. 

Eugene  Capron  Hamlett  was  united  in  marriage,  Sep- 
tember 21,  1914,  with  Elizabeth  Lillian  Lennon,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  Lennon,  of  Pawtucket 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


3*57 


DR.  JOSEPH  GASPARD  BOUCHER,  of  No.  60 

Cunilfcrl.Tiiil  street,  Woonsocket.  R.  I.,  a  very  popular 
and  successful  physician  of  this  place,  is  a  native  of 
Canada,  where  his  birth  occurred  February  23.  1873, 
near  Montreal.  He  is  a  son  of  Paul  and  Adelaide 
(Loiseau)  Boucher,  the  former  for  many  years  a  far- 
mer in  that  region.  It  was  on  his  father's  farm  that 
Dr.  Boucher  was  born,  and  as  a  lad  he  attended  the 
public  and  parochial  schools  of  his  native  region.  He 
then  entered  the  Jesuit  college  of  Montreal,  where 
he  studied  for  a  time.  The  young  man  early 
determined  upon  the  medical  profession  as  a  career 
in  life,  and  with  this  end  in  view  entered  the  medical 
school  of  Laval  University,  at  Montreal.  He  grad- 
uated from  that  institution  with  the  degree  of  Medical 
Doctor  in  1893,  when  but  twenty  years  of  age,  and  im- 
mediately, thereafter,  came  to  the  United  States  and 
took  a  post-graduate  course  at  the  Fifth  .Vvenue  Hos- 
pital, in  New  York  City.  After  completing  his  studies 
there,  Dr.  Boucher  did  not  at  once  begin  practice,  but 
traveled  extensively  in  various  parts  of  the  world 
until  1901.  In  the  latter  year  he  came  to  Woonsocket, 
where  he  opened  his  present  establishment,  and  has  been 
in  active  practice  here  ever  since.  During  that  time  Dr. 
Boucher  has  developed  a  large  and  high  class  clientele 
and  now  enjoys  a  wide  popularity  in  this  district.  Dr. 
Boucher  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has  been  very 
active  in  public  life,  at  present  holding  the  office  of 
physician  for  the  poor  here.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  staff  of  the  Woonsocket  City  Hospital.  In  his  relig- 
ious belief,  Dr.  Boucher  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  at- 
tends St.  Ann's  Church  of  this  denomination  at  Woon- 
socket. Dr.  Boucher  is  a  member  of  St.  John  the  Bap- 
tiste,  the  Order  of  the  Foresters  of  America,  the  Fed- 
erated Order  of  Eagles,  the  Woonsocket  Medical  So- 
ciety, and  is  a  fellow  of  the  .\merican  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. At  the  present  time  Dr.  Boucher  holds  the 
position  of  medical  examiner  for  the  John  Hancock 
Life  Insurance  Company,  the  State  Life  Insurance 
Company,  and  for  many  lodges. 

Dr.  Boucher  was  united  in  marriage,  September  10, 
1906,  with  Emma  Bonin,  of  Grosvcnordale,  Conn.,  a 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Julie  (Galipeau)  Bonin. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Boucher  are  the  parents  of  five  children, 
as  follows :  Paul  Emile,  Raymond  .Mphonse,  Louise 
Gabriel,  Adrien  Roland,  and  Madelain  Clair  Denise. 
The  first  three  of  these  children  arc  now  attending  the 
parcrchial  schools  of  Woonsocket. 


REV.  MICHAEL  FRANCIS  O'BRIEN— There  is 

probably  no  name  in  Providtiuc,  nor  in  its  neighbor- 
hood, w-hich  would  be  more  quickly  recognized  by  a 
large  number  of  people  than  the  one  which  stands  at 
the  head  of  this  article.  Father  O'Brien,  who  is  now 
pastor  of  St.  John's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  has  long 
been  well  known  as  an  organizer  and  mission  worker 
and  as  a  man  of  distinct  literary  ability. 

Michael  Francis  O'Brien,  son  of  John  and  Johanna 
(Cunningham)  O'Brien,  was  born  May  24,  1876,  at 
Clashmore,  County  Waterford,  Ireland,  and  at  the 
age  of  five  years  was  brought  to  the  United  States. 
He  attended  Lime  street  school  of  Providence,  pass- 
ing thence   to   La   Salle   Academy   and   then   entering 


Mount  St.  Mary's  College,  Emmittsburg,  Maryland, 
where  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1S97,  receiving 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  .Xrts.  .After  graduating  in 
1901  from  Grand  Seminary,  Montreal,  Province  of 
Quebec,  he  was  ordained  on  December  20,  of  the 
sr.me  year,  by  Archbishop  Bruchesi,  of  Montreal,  and 
was  assigned  to  St.  Mary's  Church,  Bristol,  R.  I.,  where 
he  remained  six  months,  being  then  transferred  to  the 
Mission  Band  (Providence  Apostolate)  and  laboring 
there  for  a  period  of  ten  years. 

The  next  work  to  which  Father  O'Brien  devoted 
himself  was  that  involved  in  the  editorship  of  the 
"Visitor."  in  which  he  was  engaged  four  years.  He 
was  then  appointed  to  St.  Benedict's  parish,  at  Conim- 
icut,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  must  successful  as  a  pioneer, 
founding  the  parish  and  building  the  church.  He  re- 
mained there  until  January,  1919,  when  he  was  made 
pastor  of  St.  John's  parish.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus.  The  pastoral  work  of  the  Rev. 
Michael  Francis  O'Brien  has  included  that  of  an  or- 
ganizer as  well  as  that  of  an  upbuilder  and  sustainer. 
These,  together  with  his  literary  labors,  have  minis- 
tered forcefully  and  fruitfully  to  the  enlightenment  and 
uplifting  of  his   fcllowmen. 


JOSEPH  ANTONIO  POIRIER— The  names  of 
few  business  men  of  Woonsocket  are  better  known 
than  Joseph  .Antonio  Poirier.  As  head  of  the  Econ- 
omy Handkerchief  Company,  Mr.  Poirier  represents  a 
flourishing  concern  and  he  is  also  interested,  like  all 
other  good  citizens,  in  promoting  the  general  welfare 
of  his  community. 

Moise  Poirier,  father  of  Joseph  .Antonio  Poirier, 
was  born  in  1836,  in  Montreal,  Canada,  and  long 
served  as  a  conductor  on  the  Grand  Trunk  Canadian 
Railway.  He  married  Julia  Lerou,  who  was  born  in 
1846,  in  Montreal,  and  died  in  Woonsocket,  in  191 1. 
The  death  of  Mr.  Poirier  occurred  in  1904.  They  left 
the  following  children:  George,  in  the  cloOiing  busi- 
ness in  Montreal;  Joseph  Antonio,  mentioned  below; 
Kosairo,  dentist,  now  serving  as  sergeant-major  in 
the  Canadian  forces  in  France;  and  Ottelea,  married, 
in  1890,  Paul  Bedard,  of  Grand  Mere,  Canada,  now- 
deceased. 

Joseph  Antonio  Poirier.  son  of  Moise  and  Julia 
(Lerou)  Poirier,  was  born  December  8,  1875,  in  Mon- 
treal, Canada,  and  received  his  education  at  the  gram- 
mar and  commercial  schools  of  his  native  city.  He 
was  then  employed  for  a  time  by  the  Singer  Sewing 
Machine  Company  of  Montreal,  serving  in  the  me- 
chanical departincnt  for  thirteen  years.  On  March  3, 
1906,  Mr.  Poirier  came  to  W'oonsockct,  where  he  was 
employed  as  overseer  by  the  Jesse  Sharpe  Company. 
Later,  in  association  with  others,  he  organized  the 
Union  Handkerchief  Company,  conducting  it  for  five 
years,  and  then  went  into  business  for  himself  as  pro- 
prietor of  the  Economy  Handkerchief  Company.  He 
made  a  beginning  on  his  present  site  with  four  ma- 
chines and  six  girl  operators  and  now  has  fifty 
machines  and  forty  girls  and  has  built  a  large  plant — 
certainly  conclusive  evidence  of  success.  Having  few 
leisure  hours  .it  his  command,  Mr.  Poirier  belongs 
to  no  social  organizations   with  the  exception   of  the 


368 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  tlie 
Society  of  St.  John  the  Baptiste.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood. 
Mr.  Poirier  married.  August  26,  1895,  in  Montreal, 
Mary  Jane  Landry,  daughter  of  Dennis  and  Mary 
(Zelinas)  Landry,  of  that  city,  where  Mr.  Landry  was 
engaged  in  the  paint  business.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poirier 
are  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Alberta, 
born  in  1897,  married  Wilfred  Rondeau,  of  Montreal; 
George,  born  in  1899;  Clores,  born  in  1901:  Napoleon, 
born  in  1905;  Irene,  born  in  1907;  and  Antonio,  born 
in  1909.  Mr.  Poirier  is  devoted  to  his  family.  He  is 
an  able  business  man  and  a  good  home  man,  a  com- 
bination which   always  makes   a   good  citizen. 


EUGENE  SILAS  GRAVES— The  dye  industry 
and  its  relation  to  the  United  States  is  a  subject  that, 
in  the  years  of  the  European  War,  came  to  be  a  daily 
topic  of  conversation  with  large  numbers  of  people 
who,  prior  to  that  time,  knew  and  cared  little  or  noth- 
ing about  it.  With  Mr.  Graves  it  has  been  the  field 
of  his  life  work,  and  in  his  present  connection  as  vice- 
president  and  general  manager  of  the  Franklin  Pro- 
cess Company  he  has  brought  to  his  industrial  labors  a 
knowledge  wide  and  comprehensive,  gained  in  study 
and  experience  at  home  and  abroad,  and  during  the 
decade  of  his  residence  and  business  lite  in  Providence 
he  has  assumed  responsible  position  among  the  men  of 
affairs  of  the  city. 

Eugene  Silas  Graves  is  a  son  of  Eugene  and  Fannie 
M.  (Brayton)  Graves,  and  was  born  in  Chicago,  111., 
November  20,  1876.  W'hen  he  was  two  years  of  age, 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  became  the  family  home,  and  there 
his  early  life  was  passed  in  attendance  in  the  public 
schools.  He  was  graduated  from  high  school  in  the 
class  of  1896  and  then  entered  Case  School  of  .Ap- 
plied Science,  of  Cleveland,  one  of  the  leading  techni- 
cal schools  of  the  country,  whence  he  was  graduated 
B.  S.,  in  1899.  During  the  remainder  of  1899  and  1900 
he  pursued  post-graduate  studies  in  the  same  institu- 
tion and  subsequently  completed  a  course  in  the  Cre- 
feld  Dyeing  and  Finishing  School  in  Germany.  He 
then  worked  in  the  factory  of  the  Cassella  Color  Com- 
pany, at  Frankfort,  Germany,  adding  practical  experi- 
ence to  his  theoretical  knowledge  of  German  systems 
and  methods,  and  upon  his  return  to  the  United  States 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  William  J.  Matheson 
Company,  a  large  dyeing  and  bleaching  concern  of 
New  York  City,  in  the  capacity  of  chemist.  Later  he 
became  professor  of  the  chemistry  of  dyeing  in  the 
New  Bedford  Technical  School,  of  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  for  seven  years  serving  as  a  valued  member  of 
the  faculty  of  that  school.  Deciding  at  the  end  of 
this  period  to  reenter  the  industrial  field,  he  became 
associated  as  treasurer  and  general  manager  of  the 
Agavvam  Bleachery,  of  New  Bedford,  after  which  he 
established  his  present  enterprise,  the  Franklin  Pro- 
cess Company,  of  which  he  is  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral manager.  This  company  was  founded  in  1910, 
and  since  that  time  has  had  a  prosperous  and  success- 
ful continuance,  employing  one  hundred  and  fifty  per- 
sons and  occupying  210,000  square  feet  of  floor  space. 
The  company  manufactures  machines  of  various  types 


for  the  dyeing  of  yarns  in  the  wound  form,  and  de- 
spite the  necessity  for  a  difficult  educational  cam- 
paign because  of  the  revolutionary  nature  of  the  sys- 
tem, their  machines  are  in  use  in  every  industrial 
country  of  the  world.  Mr.  Graves  holds  the  control- 
ling interest  in  this  strongly  developing  enterprise, 
which  embodies  so  much  of  the  result  of  his  study, 
research,  and  invention.  Five  general  types  of  dyeing 
machines  are  manufactured,  the  package  dyeing  ma- 
chine, the  jackspool  machine,  the  top  dyeing  machine, 
ihe  hosiery  dyeing  machine,  and  the  raw  stock  ma- 
chine, and  the  advertising  and  selling  campaigns  of 
the  company  are  based  upon  proven  statements  of 
economy  and  superior  efficiency.  Mr.  Graves  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  a  communicant  of 
the  Central  Congregational  Church,  and  belongs  to 
the  Wamsutta  Club  in  New  Bedford  and  Wanna- 
moisctt  Country  Club. 

Mr.  Graves  married,  June  4,  1901,  Delia  L.  Newton, 
of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four 
children:  Albro  Newton,  Eugene  Brainard,  Huliert 
Newton,  and  Jean. 


GEORGE  BENEDICT  ARNOLD— The  fine  old 
Rhode  Island  family,  descendants  of  which  are  now 
found  over  all  the  United  States  in  positions  of  honor 
and  trust,  are  descended  from  William  Arnold,  born 
in  England,  June  24,  15S7,  settled  in  Hingham,  Mass., 
in  1635,  and  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1636,  one  of  the 
twelve  associates  of  Roger  Williams,  one  of  the  four 
who  settled  at  Pawtuxet  in  1638,  and  one  of  the  first 
twelve  members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  1639. 
One  of  his  sons,  Benedict  Arnold,  was  president  of 
the  Providence  plantation  and  Colonial  Governor,  and 
for  more  than  fifty  years  the  Arnold  and  Carpenter 
families,  allied  by  marriage,  were  the  largest  land 
owners  and  chief  taxpayers  of  the  Plantation.  George 
Benedict  Arnold,  superintendent  of  the  main  pump- 
ing station  of  the  city  of  Providence  at  the  Pettacon- 
sett  pumping  station,  the  filtration  plant,  and  the 
Socckanosset  reservoir,  supplying  the  city  of  Providence 
with  water,  is  a  descendant  of  William  .Arnold  through 
Joseph  Stephen  Arnold,  of  Rhode  Island.  George  B. 
Arnold  is  a  great-grandson  of  Benedict  .'\rnold, 
grandson  of  George  S.  Arnold,  and  son  of  Gilbert  D. 
Arnold,  of  Oswego  county,  N.  Y.,  but  of  Warwick, 
R.  I.,  birth. 

Gilbert  D.  Arnold  was  an  overseer  in  the  cotton 
mill  of  Stephen  and  Cyrus  Harris.  He  settled  in  Os- 
wego county,  N.  Y.,  remaining  for  a  few  years,  then 
returned  to  Rhode  Island,  where  he  died  in  January, 
1913,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  He  married 
Nancy  Boyer,  of  Oswego  county,  N.  Y.,  who  died  in 
1894,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  as 
follows:  Elenora  L.,  deceased,  married  John  Greene, 
of  Centerville,  R.  I.;  George  B.,  of  whom  further; 
Maria  R.,  the  widow  of  S.  H.  Angel,  of  Centerville; 
Juliet  G.,  wife  of  Oliver  J.  Chappell,  of  Apponaug, 
R.  I.;  Charles  H.,  a  railroad  man  of  Providence,  died 
in  1896;  and  Everett  D.,  an  employee  of  the  Standard 
Oil  Company  of  New  York  City. 

George  Benedict  Arnold  was  born  April  :^o,  1847, 
while  his  parents  were  living  in  Oswego  county,  N.  Y. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


369 


When  he  was  but  ;i  small  boy  his  parents  returned  to 
Rhode  Island,  whore  he  was  educated  and  began 
work  in  a  cotton  mill.  He  was  in  his  seventeenth  year 
wlien  he  passed  the  recruiting  ol'iicer  in  1S6-I,  enlisting 
for  a  term  of  three  years  "or  during  the  war."  He 
served  in  the  department  of  Washington  Signal  Corps, 
United  States  Army,  until  honorably  discharged  and 
mustered  out  on  .August  21,  1865.  He  was  stationed 
at  Fort  Bunker  Hill,  Fort  Reno,  Md. :  then  at  Pros- 
pect Hill,  near  Lynchburg,  \'a.:  from  there  returned 
to  Fort  Reno.  Md.;  then  to  Fairfa.x  Courthouse,  Va., 
where  he  remained  for  about  eight  months ;  then  re- 
called to  Washington  to  be  discharged.  He  then 
returned  home  and  began  learning  the  machinist's 
trade  in  the  Taunton  Locomotive  Works,  Taunton, 
Mass.,  and  continued  as  a  machinist,  skillful  and  cap- 
able, for  twenty-five  years,  working  in  Massachusetts, 
Rhode  Island  and  Xew  York  during  that  period.  In 
1891  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Pettacon- 
sttt  pumping  station,  and  kindred  offices  above  men- 
tioned. He  has  now  (1919)  filled  that  position  for 
twenty-eight  years,  during  which  period  he  has  done 
much  to  improve  the  water  system  and  to  increase  the 
efficiency  of  the  pumping  station,  which  has  for  a  long 
time  been  his  especial  care.  Tlie  installation  of  the 
Worthington  high  duty  engine,  and  the  25.000.000  gal- 
lon .Mlis-Chalmers  triple  expansion  pumping  engine, 
was  a  great  step  forward,  in  addition  to  which  the 
plant  has  an  .Ames  high  speed  engine,  si.x  Babcock 
boilers,  three  steam  turbines,  a  .wooo.ooo  gallon  elec- 
trically driven  pump,  two  20,000,000  gallon  electrically 
driven  pumps  at  the  nitration  plant  which  employs  the 
services  of  fifty  men,  for  a  day  and  night  force  must 
be  maintained.  The  plant  is  entirely  under  the  super- 
vision of  Mr.  .Arnold,  who  has  proved  himself  wholly 
loyal  to  the  service  of  the  plant.  Since  1876  he  has 
been  a  member  of  Warwick  Lodge,  No.  16,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons.  He  is  a  member  of  Prescott  Post, 
No.  I,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  Providence.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is  highly  esteemed 
both  as  an  official  and  as  a  man. 

Mr.  Arnold  married,  in  1886,  Sarah  A.  (Tillinghast) 
Everett,  widow  of  George  Everett,  and  daughter  of 
Benjamin  V.  Tillinghast,  born  in  Providence,  on  the 
site  of  the  .Arcade  building.  She  is  of  an  ancient 
Rhode  Island  family,  and  is  a  descendant  of  Pardon 
Tillinghast. 


STANISCLAS  BRIEN,  founder  of  the  firm  of  S. 
Brien  &  Son,  contractors,  of  No.  680  Manville  road, 
Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  and  an  influential  citizen  of  this  com- 
munity, is  a  native  of  the  town  of  St.  Lin,  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec.  Canada,  where  he  was  born  on 
his  father's  farm,  March  6,  i860.  Mr.  Brien  is  the  son 
of  Francois  and  Matilda  (Cordrey)  Brien,  the  former 
for  many  years  engaged  in  farming  in  Quebec.  It 
!  was  amid  the  rural  surroundings  of  his  lather's  farm 
that  the  childhood  of  Stanisclas  Brien  was  passed.  He 
enjoyed  but  very  meager  educational  advantages  and 
from  childhood  up  was  obliged  to  work  in  order  to 
support  his  father.  When  but  twelve  years  of  age  he 
had  to  support  himself  and  from  then  until  fifteen  years 
old  worked  on  various  farms  in  his  native  region. 
R  I_2— 24 


When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  Denver,  Colo., 
in  the  L'nited  States,  to  secure  a  position  in  some  of 
the  mines  in  that  country,  where  he  worked  until  nine- 
teen years  old.  He  then  returned  to  Canada,  where 
he  farmed  for  a  while  and  later  established  a  butcher 
shop  in  his  old  town,  but  perceiving  that  greater  oppor- 
tunities awaited  him  in  a  larger  community,  he  went 
to  Montreal  and  in  that  city  established  himself  in 
the  same  business,  remaining  there  for  about  eighteen 
months.  It  was  after  this  experience  that  Mr.  Brien 
first  came  to  Woonsocket,  being  at  that  time  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  and  began  his  experience  here  by 
working  in  the  cotton  mills  of  the  locality.  Believing, 
however,  that  life  in  the  mills  was  distinctly  unhealthy, 
and  having  a  strong  taste  for  outdoor  existence,  Mr. 
Brien  finally  gave  up  this  line  of  work  and  became  a 
stone  mason,  which  trade  he  learned  with  a  local  con- 
cern. He  continued  in  this  line  until  1907,  showing 
the  most  admirable  thrift  and  economy  and  saving  up  a 
considerable  portion  of  his  earnings,  with  the  end  in 
view  of  establishing  himself  in  an  independent  busi- 
ness. In  the  year  last  named,  Mr.  Brien  found  him- 
self able  to  gratify  this  ambition  and  established  his 
present  contracting  and  building  business,  which  met 
with  a  notable  success  from  the  outset.  One  year  later 
he  admitted  into  partnership  his  son,  Albert  Brien,  and 
the  firm  name  became  S.  Brien  &  Son,  which  has  con- 
tinued until  to-day.  The  achievement  of  building  up 
the  present  large  business  of  S.  Brien  &  Son  is  due 
exclusively  to  the  genius  of  Mr.  Brien.  for  upon  com- 
ing first  to  Woonsocket  he  had  but  thirty  cents  in  his 
possession  besides  the  clothes  that  he  wore.  In  spite 
of  this,  however,  he  gradually  built  up  a  larger  and 
larger  establishment,  until  at  the  present  time  he 
employs  as  many  as  fifty  hands  and  utilizes  ten  teams 
and  a  number  of  trucks  in  the  conduct  of  his  business. 
He  also  makes  use  of  modern  cement  mixers  and  other 
equipment  recently  produced,  and  his  work  is  justly 
regarded  as  of  the  finest  type  of  masonry.  His  con- 
cern owns  large  property  on  Manville  road,  and  an- 
other strip,  six  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in  length 
on  the  same  thoroughfare.  This  firm  also  owns  the 
property  and  buildings  in  Court  street  square,  Woon- 
socket. Mr.  Brien  numbers  among  the  structures 
which  he  has  erected  many  important  buildings  in  this 
city,  including  schools,  churches,  mills,  residences, 
etc.,  and  he  has  also  laid  down  many  miles  of  side- 
walk in  this  vicinity.  In  politics  Mr.  Brien  is  a  Re- 
publican, but  the  great  demands  made  upon  his  time 
and  energy  by  his  building  operations  have  made  it 
impossible  for  him  to  take  part  in  public  affairs.  In 
his  religious  belief,  Mr.  Brien  is  a  Roman  Catholic 
and  attends  the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood  of  this 
denomination  at  Woonsocket.  Mr.  Brien  is  not  closely 
associated  with  many  fraternal  or  social  associations, 
but  is  a  member  of  the  Lodge  of  Artisans  at  Woon- 
socket. 

Stanisclas  Brien  was  united  in  marriage,  .April  18. 
1887,  while  residing  in  Canada,  with  Eulalie  Marien, 
a  daughter  of  .Adlaile  and  .Alphonse  Marien,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  region.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Brien  eleven  children  have  been  born,  as  follows: 
I.  Albert,  born  Oct.  22,  i8gi,  in  Canada,  and  educated 


370 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ill  the  schools  both  of  that  country  and  at  Woon- 
socket,  R.  I.  He  has  been  a  very  ambitious  young 
man,  and  in  his  childhood  worked  during  his  vacation, 
and  in  the  evening  with  his  father.  He  began  to  learn 
the  trade  of  mason  when  but  fifteen  years  of  age,  and 
was  soon  admitted  to  his  father's  establishment  on  the 
basis  of  a  partnership.  He  has  proved  a  worthy  lieu- 
tenant of  his  father,  and  possessed  of  many  of  the  same 
talents  as  the  elder  man,  and  is  now  holding  the  posi- 
tion of  general  manager  of  the  business  here.  Albert 
Brien,  like  his  father,  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends 
the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood  at  Woonsocket. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Loyal  Order  of 
Moose,  and  the  Artisans,  of  this  city.  He  is  also  a 
Republican  in  politics,  but  has  not  taken  a  very  active 
rart  in  public  affairs.  He  married,  Sept.  20,  1917,  Ora 
Lavallee,  of  this  city.  2.  Albertine,  w-ho  was  educated 
in  the  local  public  schools  and  now  resides  at  Woon- 
socket. 3.  Louis,  who  was  educated  in  the  public 
and  parochial  schools  of  this  city  and  in  the  Sacred 
Heart  College,  of  Woonsocket:  he  is  now  employed 
as  a  teacher  in  the  St.  Michael  .JLCademy,  at  Jouquieres, 
Canada.  4.  Leo  M.,  who  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  at  the  St.  Hyacinthe  College,  at  St.  Hya- 
cinthe,  Canada;  he  enlisted  in  the  American  army 
during  the  great  European  War.  serving  nineteen 
months  abroad  with  the  Twenty-sixth  Division.  5. 
Mariene,  was  educated  at  the  local  public  schools  and 
at  the  Jesus  and  Mary  Convent,  and  now  resides  at 
Woonsocket.  6.  Marie  Rose,  who  was  educated  in 
the  same  institutions  as  her  sister  Mariene,  and  also 
resides  at  Woonsocket  at  the  present  time.  7.  Alman- 
zor,  who  is  now  associated  with  S.  Brien  &  Son.  8. 
Lodowiska,  who  is  also  a  student  at  Sacred  Heart 
College.  9.  Rosa,  who  is  now  a  student  at  the  Sacred 
Heart  College.  10.  Jeanette,  who  is  now  studying  at 
the  Jesus  and  Mary  Convent  at  Woonsocket.  11. 
Leonil,  also  a  student  at  that  institution.  Besides 
these  children  there  was  one,  Leo,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  two  years. 


JOSEPH  HECTOR  PAQUIN,  the  popular  and 
efficient  city  clerk  of  Woonsocket,  and  one  of  the 
most  active  and  progressive  members  of  this  com- 
munity, is  a  native  of  Woonsocket,  where  his  birth 
occurred  April  14,  1890.  Mr.  Paquin  is  a  son  of 
George  Joseph  and  the  late  Mary  (Proulx)  Paquin, 
natives  of  Vermont  and  Massacliusetts,  respectively. 
The  families  were  of  French  origin,  their  early  ances- 
tors settling  in  Canada  and  from  there  coming  to  the 
United  States.  The  elder  Mr.  Paquin  is  a  well  known 
painting  contractor  of  Woonsocket.  Joseph  Hector 
Paquin  received  his  education  at  the  public  and  paro- 
chial schools  of  Woonsocket.  Upon  completing  his 
studies  at  these  institutions  the  young  man  secured  a 
position  as  reporter  on  the  "Woonsocket  Reporter." 
He  showed  great  natural  aptitude  for  this  work  and 
rapidly  rose  in  position  on  the  paper  until  he  was  given 
the  responsible  post  of  city  editor  on  the  "Woonsocket 
Call."  It  was  while  thus  employed  that,  on  December 
29,  1915,  he  was  appointed  deputy  city  clerk,  in  which 
position    he    discharged    his    duties   so   efficiently,   that 


only  a  few  months  later,  March  28,  1916,  he  was  elected 
city  clerk.  He  continued  to  give  great  satisfaction  in 
the  discharge  of  his  responsible  duties,  and  has  been 
returned  to  that  office  ever  since.  He  is  a  strong  sup- 
porter of  Ixepublican  principles  and  policies,  and  is 
already  recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  party  in 
this  city.  He  enjoys  a  wide  popularity  in  the  com- 
munity and  is  well  known  as  a  "hustler,"  so  that  the 
future  promises  him  a  brilliant  career  in  public  life 
here.  In  his  religious  belief,  Mr.  Paquin  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  and  attends  St.  Ann's  Church  of  this  denom- 
ination at  Woonsocket.  He  is  active  in  the  work  of 
his  parish  and  is  interested  in  furthering  the  cause  o' 
his  church  here.  He  is  also  a  man  of  wide  public 
spirit  and  is  the  leader  of  many  movements  undertaken 
to  advance  the  interests  of  this  city.  Mr.  Paquin  is 
p  member  of  St.  John  the  Baptiste  Society  and  the 
Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Joseph  Hector  Paquin  was  united  in  marriage,  Janu- 
ary 21,  1914,  with  Violet  T.  I'Espeance,  of  Woon- 
socket, a  daughter  of  Raoul  T.  and  the  late  Emma 
'Laviolette)  I'Espeance,  of  this  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Paquin  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Jean  Hector 
Talon   Paquin,  born   October  9,   1914. 


JOSEPH  LAUZON— .\t  St.  David  d'  Yamaska,  or 
River  David,  a  post  village  and  parish  of  Yamaska 
county.  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  lived  Bazile 
Lauzon.  and  there  his  son,  Joseph  Lauzon,  was  born, 
and  spent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life.  Bazile 
Lauzon  was  born  at  St.  David,  January  12,  1856,  and 
yet  resides  there,  and  is  a  prosperous  merchant,  e.x- 
mayor,  and  councilman.  He  married  Rosilda  Dufresne, 
who  was  born  in  November,  1848,  and  died  in  St.  David. 
They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Joseph,  of 
further  mention;  Omer,  just  discharged  from  the  Tenth 
Company,  Twenty-first  .-Mberta  Reserves,  Canadian  Ex- 
peditionary Forces ;  Adrien,  Famer,  St.  David,  Mary 
.-\nn,  and  Annoncita,  the  latter  residing  with  her  father 
in  St.  David. 

Joseph  Lauzon  was  born  in  St.  David  d'  Yamaska, 
Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  January  16,  1882.  He 
was  educated  in  the  parochial  school  at  St.  David,  and 
at  St.  .A.imee  College,  St.  Aimee.  Canada,  finishing 
his  studies  and  coming  to  the  L'nited  States  in  the 
year  1900.  He  located  in  Arctic  Center,  a  manufac- 
turing village  of  Kent  county,  twelve  miles  from  Prov- 
idence. There  he  began  learning  the  harnessmaker's 
trade,  continuing  one  year,  then  moving  to  Woon- 
socket, and  entered  the  employment  of  Peter  Coyer, 
harnessmaker  and  undertaker,  with  whom  he  remained 
ten  years.  During  this  time  he  gave  particular  atten- 
tion to  undertaking,  completing  a  course  at  the  Barnes 
School  of  .'\natomy  and  -Scientific  Embalming,  receiv- 
ing his  diploma  in  1909.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Goyer 
until  1912,  then  started  in  business  for  himself  as  un- 
dertaker and  funeral  director,  opening  mortuary 
rooms  at  No.  87  Benson  street.  Woonsocket.  Later 
he  moved  to  his  present  location.  No.  61  Rathbun 
street,  where  he  is  established  in  business.  Mr.  Lau- 
zon is  a  member  of  St.  .'\nn's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters,  the  Order  of 
.'\rtisans,     the     Canadian-French     Society,     Fraternal 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


371 


Order  of   Eagles,   Circle   Champlain,   Circle   La   Car- 
diere,  and  Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Mr.  Lauzon  married,  in  Woonsocket,  June  21,  1910, 
Exaure  Vadnais,  daughter  of  Onesime  and  Olivene 
(Gaulet)  Vadnais,  her  lather  a  farmer.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lauzon  are  the  parents  of  two  sons:  Walter  J.  C, 
and  Rudolph  R. 


PIERRE  PLASSE,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Pierre  Plasse  &  Son,  electrical  contractors  and  dealers 
of  Woonsocket,  and  a  prominent  figure  in  commercial 
circles  here,  is  a  native  of  Sorrell.  Canada,  where  his 
birth  occurred  February  4,  1852.  Mr.  Plasse  is  a  son 
of  William  and  Theotisse  (Peloquin)  Plasse,  both  of 
whom  are  deceased,  the  former  having  been  engaged 
in  farming  operations  for  many  years  in  Canada.  The 
birth  of  Pierre  Plasse  occurred  on  his  father's  farm 
and  it  was  there  that  he  spent  his  childhood  and  early 
youth  up  to  the  age  of  fourteen.  During  this  period 
the  lad  had  had  the  advantage  of  an  education  obtained 
in  the  public  and  parochial  schools  of  his  native  place, 
but  when  fourteen  years  old  (18C6)  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  and  settling  at  Woonsocket,  worked  for 
a  number  of  years  in  the  various  mills  in  that  locality. 
He  had  already  displayed  marked  ability  and  a  con- 
scientious attention  to  duty  which  recommended  him 
strongly  to  his  employers.  After  a  time  at  these  mills 
he  left  them  and  engaged  in  work  as  a  section  man  on 
the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad. 
Here  again  his  unusual  ability  marked  him  out  from 
among  his  fellows  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  had 
secured  promotion  to  be  a  foreman  of  one  of  the 
gang  engaged  in  construction  work  on  that  railroad. 
Other  promotions  following,  he  finally  went  into  the 
electrical  signal  department  of  the  same  company, 
where  he  continued  his  rapid  upward  career  and  was 
appointed  superintendent  of  that  department  after  a 
comparatively  short  service  therein.  During  this  time 
he  had  gained  knowledge  which  was  to  stand  him  in 
excellent  stead  in  subsequent  life  and  had  become 
thoroughly  familiar  with  every  kind  of  electrical  appli- 
ance used  in  railroad  and  other  industrial  work  so  that 
he  felt,  after  a  few  years  of  this  training,  that  he  was 
amply  fitted  to  engage  in  the  electrical  bu.'iiness  on  his 
own  account.  Accordingly,  in  the  year  1909,  he  re- 
signed from  his  post  with  the  New  York,  New  Haven 
&  Hartford  Railroad  Company  and  engaged  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  in  Woonsocket.  Here  he 
met  with  success  and  rapidly  developed  a  very  large 
and  remunerative  trade  in  this  region  and  elsewhere. 
In  November,  1917,  his  son,  William  Vincent  Plasse, 
was  admitted  into  the  concern,  the  firm  of  which  there- 
after became  Pierre  Plasse  &  Son.  Under  this  new  or- 
ganization, the  firm  has  continued  its  exceedingly  suc- 
cessful career  and  is  now  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
important  of  its  kind  in  this  region.  The  firm  is 
engaged  in  all  classes  of  electrical  work,  including 
contracting  and  line  work,  and  also  handles,  in  large 
quantities,  electrical  fixtures,  supplies,  etc.  A  great 
deal  of  the  ver>-  finest  kind  of  work  has  been  turned 
out  from  this  plant  and  is  now  in  use  in  Woonsocket 
and  the  vicinity.    Mr.  Plasse  is  a  man  of  unusual  abil- 


ity and  is  justly  and  highly  respected  and  esteemed 
by  the  community-at-large  where  he  has  elected  to 
make  his  lumic.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Plasse  is 
n  Roman  Catholic  and  belongs  to  the  Church  of  the 
Precious  Blood  of  this  denomination  here.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  St.  John  the  Baptiste  Society  and 
the  institute  of  the  same  order.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican  but  has  never  taken  any  great  active 
part  in  local  affairs  and  is  quite  unambitious  to  hold 
office  of  any  kind. 

Pierre  Plasse  married  Rose  \'inccnt,  born  December 
18,  1864,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Aurclie  (Lussier) 
Vincent,  now  both  deceased.  Mr.  Vincent  was  for 
many  years  engaged  in  busmess  as  a  blacksmith  at 
Lawrence.  Mass.,  and  was  a  well  known  figure  in  the 
comnninily.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Plasse 
was  celebrated  at  the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood, 
Woonsocket,  R.  L  Pierre  Plasse  and  his  wife  are  the 
parents  of  eight  children,  as  follows:  i.  Pierre  Wil- 
liam, born  in  Canada,  Jan.  5,  1879,  and  is  now  superin- 
tendent of  the  fire  alarm  system  at  Woonsocket;  he 
married  Alice  Tctreault,  of  this  city,  by  whom  he  has 
had  three  children.  2.  William  Vincent,  who  is  men- 
tioned at  length  below.  ^.  Eli  Raymond,  who  received 
an  excellent  education  and  is  now  giving  his  services 
in  the  .American  National  army.  4.  Arthur  Henry, 
born  .Xiiril  6.  1890,  who  has  just  been  discharged  from 
the  Twenty-sixth  Division  of  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Forces,  known  popularly  as  the  "Yankee  Di- 
vision." 5.  Louis,  born  Nov.  12,  1895,  who  also  re- 
ceived an  excellent  education  and  is  now  holding  the 
position  of  a  policeman  in  Woonsocket;  he  married 
Yvonne  Bcliveau,  by  whom  he  has  had  one  child, 
Louise  Yvonne.  6.  Louise,  a  twin  sister  of  Louis,  who 
died  when  seventeen  years  of  age.  7.  Frank  Joseph, 
born  October  12,  1898,  educated  in  the  parochial 
schools  of  Woonsocket  and  now  a  musician  in  this 
city.  8.  Albert,  a  twin  brother  of  Frank  Joseph,  who 
was  also  educated  in  the  parochial  schools  of  Woon- 
socket and  now  holds  a  position  as  electrician  in  the 
firm  of  Pierre  Plasse  &  Son. 

William  Vincent  Plasse,  second  son  of  Pierre  and 
Rose  (Vincent)  Plasse,  was  born  June  7,  1887,  at 
Woonsocket,  R.  L,  and  received  his  education  in  the 
public  and  parochial  schools  of  this  place.  He  later 
took  a  preparatory  course  in  the  Catholic  College  at 
Lawrence,  Mass.  After  completing  his  studies  there, 
he  began  work  with  the  New  England  Telephone  Com- 
pany, at  Providence.  He  remained  with  that  concern 
for  twelve  years,  then,  in  1917,  was  admitted  by  his 
father  into  the  large  business  established  by  him.  Mr. 
Plasse  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious  belief  and 
attends  the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood  at  this  place. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Loyal  Order  of 
Moose,  and  Knights  of  Maccabees.  In  politics  he  is  an 
Independent  Republican.  W'illiam  Vincent  Plasse  was 
united  in  marriage,  October  30,  1912,  with  Zephie 
Grace  Barsalou,  by  whom  he  has  had  three  children: 
William  Barsalou,  and  Robert  Vincent,  both  of  whom 
are  now  living.  Besides  these  there  has  been  one 
child.   Lois  Z.,  now  deceased. 


37- 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


THE  HANSAHOE  MANUFACTURING  COM- 
PANY, a  cotton  manufacturing  concern,  was  organ- 
ized in  the  spring  of  1915,  and  on  April  12,  1915,  was 
incorporated  with  Donald  M.  Hill,  president;  Fran- 
cis U.  Stearns,  vice-president  and  treasurer;  Dana 
T.  Gallup,  secretary.  The  company  bought  the  plant 
of  the  Tilton  Mills  on  Mt.  Meeting  street,  Valley  Falls, 
and  began  the  manufacture  of  cotton  specialties.  Pres- 
ident Hill  is  a  Boston  attorney  and  capitalist;  Mr. 
Stearns,  of  Adams,  Mass.,  is  vice-president  and  treas- 
urer of  Renfrew  Manufacturing  Company,  vice-presi- 
dent of  F.  U.  Stearns  &  Company,  vice-president  of 
Brancord  Manufacturing  Company;  E.  V.  Sutton,  the 
present  treasurer,  a  native  son  of  Rhode  Island,  born 
in  East  Providence,  and  previous  to  becoming  treas- 
urer of  the  Hansahoe  Manufacturing  Company,  was 
office  manager  of  the  Slater  Manufacturing  Company 
of  Pawtucket.  Charles  L.  Favinger  is  now  secretary 
of  the  company,  and  Carl  T.  Tourtellot,  agent.  The 
company  employs  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  hands 
and  is  one  of  the  standard  industries  of  Valley  Falls. 

FRANK  A.  MATTHEWS— .\s  superintendent  of 
De-xter  .Asylum  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  Mr.  Matthews  is 
rounding  out  a  long  term  of  service  to  the  city,  now 
covering  a  period  of  forty  years,  divided  between  the 
fire  and  police  departments,  and  since  191,^  at  Dexter 
Asylum.  Thirty-two  years  of  his  long  term  of  public 
service  was  spent  with  the  police  department,  and 
included  service  as  patrolman,  sergeant,  lieutenant, 
captain  and  chief.  He  is  a  son  of  Allen  G.  Matthews, 
a  farmer  and  grain  merchant  of  Waitsfield,  Washing- 
ton county,  \'t.,  a  post  village  about  thirty  miles  south- 
east of  Burlington.  His  mother,  Ellen  (Chipman) 
Matthews,  was  a  descendant  of  the  early  Lockwood 
family  of  Rhode  Island,  through  her  mother.  Xancy 
(Lockwood)   Chipman. 

Frank  A.  Matthews  was  born  at  Waitsfield,  Wash- 
ington county,  Vt.,  November  23,  1S56,  and "  there 
obtained  a  good  public  school  education.  He  first  came 
to  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1874,  and  until  1878  was  a 
grocer's  clerk,  first  with  George  Bates  and  later  with 
George  Rice  in  the  market.  In  1878  he  was  appointed 
fireman  and  assigned  to  Hook  and  Ladder  Company, 
No.  I.  Providence  Fire  Department,  and  served  with 
that  company  as  tillerman.  Later  he  was  tranferred 
to  Hose  Company  No.  4,  as  driver  of  the  hose  wagon, 
a  post  he  filled  until  November  23,  1880.  He  was 
then  appointed  to  the  Providence  police  force,  and  for 
thirty-two  years  he  continued  in  that  department  of 
the  city  government,  holding  all  ranks  from  patrol- 
man to  captain,  and  from  1902  until  1907  was  the  duly 
elected  chief  of  police.  He  returned  to  the  force  in 
1907,  and  until  his  resignation  in  1913  ranked  as  cap- 
tain. After  resigning  from  the  force  he  at  once  became 
superintendent  of  Dexter  Asylum,  which  post  he  has 
now  filled  for  five  years  most  efficiently.  Lender  his 
administration  a  new  hospital  building  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $So,ooo,  while  the  asylum  building  proper  has 
been  completely  remodeled  and  modernized.  A  fea- 
ture of  the  institution  is  the  farm  of  about  thirty-nine 
acres  of  rich,  well-cultivated  land,  where  all  kinds  of 
garden  produce  are  grown,  and  six  greenhouses  with 


a  special  heating  plant  for  forcing  flowers,  plants,  and 
vegetables.  On  the  farm  a  dairy  is  maintained  which 
holds  the  second  best  record  in  all  New  England  from 
the  milk  standard,  the  twenty-five  cows  well  cared  for 
and  productive  as  dairy  stock.  Superintendent  Mat- 
thews devotes  his  entire  time  to  the  management  of 
the  asylum,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  patients  there 
being  cared  for,  insane  cases  no  longer  being  admit- 
ted. Mr.  Matthews  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  in 
Masonry  holds  the  degrees  of  lodge,  chapter  and 
commandery. 

Mr.  Matthews  married,  in  Providence,  December  6, 
1886,  Susan  E.  Burdick,  daughter  of  Franklin  Burdick, 
a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  yet  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Matthews  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter  and  four 
sons:  Wilfred,  now  with  the  Adirondack  Electric 
Power  Company;  Frank  E.,  now  serving  in  the  United 
States  Navy  in  the  war  against  the  Central  European 
powers,  having  a  commission  with  rank  of  ensign; 
Alice  E.;  Ralph  H.;  and  Clififord  C,  residing  at 
home. 


STANISLAS  FOURNIER,  who  conducts  an  un- 
dertaking business  at  Xo.  115  Cumberland  street, 
Woonsocket,  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  influential  citi- 
zens of  this  place,  and  is  a  native  of  St.  Germaine, 
Canada,  where  his  birth  occurred  in  February,  1863. 
The  first  seven  years  of  Mr.  Fournier's  life  were  spent 
in  his  native  place  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  and  he 
then  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  United  States. 
Until  the  age  of  ten  the  lad  attended  the  public  schools, 
when  he  abandoned  his  studies  to  begin  work  in  a  local 
mill.  Here  the  young  man  learned  the  trade  of  weav- 
ing and  continued  to  follow  it  for  a  period  of  eleven 
years,  or  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He 
was  of  an  exceedingly  ambitious  temperament,  how- 
ever, and  desired  to  continue  his  studies  in  order  to 
complete  his  education,  and  with  this  end  in  view,  hav- 
ing attained  his  manhood,  he  returned  to  his  native 
country,  where  he  attended  an  excellent  private  school 
for  a  couple  of  years.  Once  more  coming  to  the 
United  States,  he  settled  this  time  at  Taftville.  Conn., 
where  he  worked  as  a  clerk  in  a  general  store.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  displayed  great  industry  and  thrift  and 
was  able  at  the  end  of  a  short  period  to  engage  in 
business  on  his  own  account.  This  was  also  at  Taft- 
ville, Conn.,  but  shortly  afterwards  he  came  to  Provi- 
dence and  here  established  himself  in  the  market  busi- 
ness, which  he  conducted  for  a  couple  of  years  with  a 
high  degree  of  success.  The  next  venture  of  Mr. 
Fournier's  was  in  the  bakery  business,  in  which  he  was 
associated  with  a  Mr.  Trottier,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Trottier  &  Fournier.  This  concern  continued  for 
some  twelve  years  and  was  then  finally  dissolved,  Mr. 
Fournier  continuing  the  business  himself  for  seven 
years  longer.  During  the  association  of  these  two 
gentlemen  there  had  also  been  started  by  them,  in 
addition  to  the  baking  business,  a  company  known 
as  the  American  Pickling  Company.  This  concern 
was  also  conducted  with  a  high  degree  of  success.  At 
the  time  of  Mr.  Trottier's  withdrawal  from  the  asso- 
ciation, Mr.  Fournier.  together  with  other  gentlemen, 
founded    the    New    England    Investment    Company,   of 


^UJ^^C 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


373 


which  he  was  appointed  president  and  manager,  an 
office  which  he  continued  to  hold  until  1910.  In  that 
ytar  he  withdrew  from  both  concerns,  and  since  that 
time  has  devoted  his  attention  exclusively  to  caring 
for  his  large  real  estate  and  brokerage  business,  until 

1914- 

In  the  last  named  year  Mr.  Fournier  came  to  Woon- 
socket,  where  he  engaged  in  his  present  l)usine5s,  first 
having  an  office  at  No.  79  Cumberland  street.  In  this 
undertaking  he  was  associated  with  others  and  the 
concern  became  known  as  the  National  Funeral  As- 
sociation, of  which  lie  was  president  and  treasurer. 
Later,  Mr.  Fournier  removed  to  No.  115  Cumberland 
street,  where  he  is  now  located,  and  the  concern's 
n.nme  was  changed  to  Fournier  &  Fournier,  which  it 
continues  up  to  the  present  time.  Under  the  extremely 
able  management  of  Mr.  Fournier,  this  enterprise  has 
grown  from  its  original  small  character  to  its  present 
large  proportions,  until  it  is  now  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant of  its  kind  in  this  community,  and  Mr.  Four- 
nier has  gained  the  title  of  being  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising men  hereabouts.  In  addition  to  his  under- 
taking business,  Mr.  I'ournier  has  continued  his  real 
estate  operations  since  coming  to  Woonsocket  and  is 
now  associated  with  Phydine  Hermond,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Fournier  &  Hermond,  which  is  also  a  very 
large  and  successful  organization.  At  No.  115  Cum- 
berland street,  where  Mr.  Fournier  now  conducts  his 
business,  there  is  a  most  up-to-date  establishment, 
e<iuipped  with  every  modern  device,  including  parlors 
and  other  contingencies  for  patrons.  Mr.  Fournier 
and  his  sons,  who  are  associated  with  him  in  the  firm, 
devote  practically  their  entire  time  to  the  conduct  of 
their  large  establishment.  Mr.  Fournier  has  always 
maintained  his  early  fondness  for  study  and  at  the 
present  time  his  leisure  hours  are  spent  in  reading  and 
research,  by  which  means  he  finds  the  best  form  of 
recreation.  Mr.  Fournier  is  a  man  of  strongly  reli- 
gious instinct  and  belief,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood,  where 
he  is  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  work  of  the  parish, 
especially  in  philanthropic  undertakings.  He  is  a 
member  of  St.  John  the  Baptiste  Society  and  the 
Order  of  Artisans  of  America. 

Stanislas  Fournier  was  united  in  marriage,  at  Taft- 
ville,  Conn.,  with  Zepherine  Gadbois,  like  himself  a 
native  of  Canada,  her  birth  having  occurred  at  the 
town  of  Vershere,  in  the  Province  of  Quebec.  Mrs. 
Fournier  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Arzlie  Gadbois, 
the  former  a  successful  farmer  in  Quebec.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fournier  are  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: I.  Rose  Alma,  born  May  3,  1887,  and  died  Dec. 
27,  1907.  2.  Ovilard  S.,  born  May  27,  1888,  educated 
in  the  public  and  private  schools  of  Providence  and 
St.  Hyacinth  Seminary,  at  St.  Hyacinth,  Canada,  where 
he  remained  six  years,  and  later  at  De  Kermeno. 
Montreal.  He  was  licensed  an  undertaker  January 
II.  191 7,  and  is  now  a  member  of  his  father's  firm. 
He  was  married,  at  Woonsocket.  Nov.  20,  1917,  to 
.Azalia  Dickey,  of  this  place,  who  has  borne  him  one 
child,  Muriel  .\..  who  was  born  Sept.  8,  1918.  3.  Hec- 
tor L.,  born  in  Nov.,  1891,  educated  at  the  Providence 
public  schools  and  at   St.   Hyacinth   Seminary,  at   St. 


Hyacinth,  Canada,  where  he  spent  five  years.  He 
then  took  a  course  at  La  Salle  .-\cademy,  after  which 
he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  navy,  serving  for  four 
years  therein,  and  afterwards  with  the  Naval  Reserve 
for  the  duration  of  the  World  War.  He  has  recently 
been  admitted  as  a  member  of  his  father's  firm,  having 
completed  a  course  at  the  New  lingland  Institute  of 
Anatomy.  Hector  L.  Fournier  married,  Nov.  20,  IQ17, 
at  Woonsocket,  Mabel  Dumas,  of  this  city,  who  has 
borne  him  one  child.  Ruger,  born  in  Feb.,  1919.  4. 
Arthur  Victor,  born  June  13,  1893,  educated  at  the 
Providence  grammar  and  high  schools  and  licensed 
as  an  undertaker  on  July  9,  1914.  Shortly  afterwards 
he  entered  in  business  with  his  father  and  is  now 
a  member  of  that  concern.  Stanislas  Fournier  and  his 
three  sons  are  fine  examples  of  the  best  type  of  citi- 
zenship and  have  in  Wotmsocket  a  reputation  both  for 
integrity  and  ability  second  to  none,  and  take  an  active 
part  in  all  the  various  departments  of  the  city's  life 
and  exhibit  a  public  spirit  and  willingness  to  take 
their  share  of  the  burden  of  public  affairs  which  is 
most  commendable.  They  well  deserve  to  be  held  up 
as  examples  to  the  youth  of  the  community  where  they 
reside. 


JOHN  MARTIN  ANDERSON  is  among  the  self- 
made  men  of  Providence,  whose  activities  and  associa- 
tions have  placed  him  in  the  foremost  rank  of  well 
known  citizens.  Not  only  is  Mr.  .\ndcrson  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  large  trucking  business,  but  he  is  promi- 
nently identified  with  a  number  of  fraternal  orders, 
and  is  well  known  as  a  man  who  seeks,  in  all  things, 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  his  community. 

John  Martin  Anderson  was  born  June  2,  1870,  in 
Sweden,  and  is  a  son  of  August  and  Annie  (Olson) 
Anderson.  .-Kugust  Anderson  was  a  farmer,  and  later 
in  life  served  in  the  army  with  the  rank  of  captain. 
Mrs.  Anderson  is  now  deceased,  but  the  elder  Mr. 
Anderson,  who  has  relinquished  active  labor,  is  still 
living  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 

.As  a  lad  John  Martin  /Vnderson  worked  on  his 
father's  farm,  also  attending  school  and  graduating 
■from  the  high  school  in  1887.  When  .seventeen  years 
of  age  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  the  first  em- 
ployment he  obtained  was  on  a  farm  at  Portsmouth, 
N.  H.,  and  then  entered  the  service  of  Brady  &  Com- 
pany, machinists  of  Cambridge,  Mass.  In  traveling  to 
and  from  his  work  he  passed  through  Providence  and 
was  so  favorably  impressed  that  he  decided  to  settle 
there.  During  the  first  two  years  of  his  residence  in 
this  city,  Mr.  Anderson  was  employed  by  the  Harris- 
Corliss  Steam  Engine  Company,  and  then,  for  a  year 
and  a  half,  worked  for  the  W.  H.  Miller  Company. 
He  was  next  associated  with  the  .Mien  Fire  Depart- 
ment Supply  Company,  first  as  shipping  clerk  and  later 
as  machinist,  remaining  in  all  twelve  years.  During 
all  this  time  Mr.  Anderson  was  acquiring  experience 
and  accumulating  capital,  eventually  feeling  himself 
justified  in  making  an  independent  venture.  On  Janu- 
ary 3,  1903,  he  went  into  his  present  business,  buying 
a  wagon  and  harness  on  the  terms  of  five  dollars  down 
and  subsequent  monthly  payments  of  five  dollars  each, 
for  his  capital  was  small  and  he  was  too  prudent  to 


374 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


risk  much  at  the  outset.  Success  attended  the  enter- 
prise. At  tirst  he  did  all  the  work  himself,  but  he 
now  employs  a  large  number  of  men  and  horses  and 
motor  trucks.  With  his  extensive  equipment  he  makes 
a  specialty  of  heavy  trucking.  He  has  developed  a 
business  from  a  small  beginning  to  one  of  the  largest 
in  Rhode  Island. 

Politically  Mr.  Anderson  is  independent,  voting  for 
the  best  man  irrespective  of  party  considerations.  His 
public  spirit  led  him  to  join  the  Volunteer  Fire  Asso- 
ciation, and  he  is  now  a  member  of  the  Veteran  Fire- 
men's Association,  also  belonging  to  the  Swedish 
Workingmen's  Society.  He  affiliates  with  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  being  past  chancellor  of  his  lodge,  and  also 
a  member  of  the  Grand  Lodge.  He  is  past  sachem  of 
Wansetta  Tribe,  No.  7,  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men, 
also  a  member  of  the  Warwick  and  West  Side  clubs 
and  many  others.  Mr.  Anderson  married.  May  5, 
1897,   Hilda   Danielson,  of  Sweden. 

John  Martin  Anderson  is  one  of  the  successful  busi- 
ness men  of  Providence,  made  so  by  his  own  unaided 
efforts.  He  is  active  in  all  things  pertaining  to  the 
growth  and  development  of  his  city  and  State.  He 
looks  the  earnest,  honest,  energetic  man  he  has  proved 
himself  to  be,  and  the  story  of  his  career  teaches  a 
lesson  which  our  young  men  would  do  well  to  ponder. 


JOHN  EDWARD  CRAY,  superintendent  of  the 
mills  of  the  Berkeley  Company  at  Berkeley,  this  State, 
and  one  of  the  best  known  figures  in  the  industrial 
world  of  the  region,  is  a  native  of  Harrisville,  X.  H., 
where  his  birth  occurred,  June  7,  1855.  Mr.  Cray  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Mary  Cray,  old  and  highly  re- 
spected residents  of  that  place. 

John  Edward  Cray  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early 
age,  his  father  having  died  when  he  was  but  seven 
years  old,  and  his  mother,  six  months  later.  The  con- 
ditions surrounding  his  early  life  were  such  that  he 
could  enjoy  but  little  schooling,  but  from  an  early  age, 
he  was  exceedingly  ambitious  and  determined  to  gain 
a  good  education,  so  that  he  read  assiduously  and  with 
great  good  judgment,  until  he  made  himself  the  culti- 
vated and  enlightened  gentleman  that  he  is  to-day.  Mr. 
Cray,  of  necessity,  went  to  work  early  in  the  local 
mills,  and  his  career  since  then  has  been  a  remarkable 
one  in  this  line  of  activity.  He  continued  to  work  with 
the  companies  of  his  home  town  until  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  fifteen  years,  when  he  went  to  Lonsdale  and 
worked  in  the  plant  of  the  Lonsdale  Company  there  for 
one  year.  His  next  employment  was  with  the  Nelson 
D.  White  Mills,  at  Winchendon.  where  he  remained  for 
three  years,  and  then  secured  employment  with  the 
Boston  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Waltham,  Mass. 
With  the  latter  concern  he  remained  nine  years,  being 
promoted  several  times  during  that  period  and  then 
went  for  about  a  year  to  Lowell,  Mass.  From  Lowell, 
Mr.  Cray  went  to  Manchester,  N.  H.,  and  worked  in 
the  mills  of  that  city  for  about  one  year  and  eight 
months.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  overseer  of  carders  at  the  mills  of  Grosvenor 
Dale,  Conn.,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  about  four 
years  and  eight  months,  when  he  accepted  a  similar  posi- 
tion in  the  mills  at  New  Bedford,  Mass.    Mr.  Cray  had. 


of  course,  during  this  time,  become  highly  expert  in 
all  matters  concerning  the  manufacture  of  piece  goods, 
and  at  the  last  named  place,  it  was  he  who  organized 
and  put  in  operation  the  carding  room  of  the  mill.  It 
was  in  the  year  1899  that  Mr.  Cray  became  associated 
with  the  Berkeley  Company,  of  Berkeley,  his  first  posi- 
tion being  as  overseer  of  the  carding  room  here,  a  work 
which  he  continued  for  fifteen  years.  In  the  early  part 
of  1913,  however,  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  posi- 
tion of  superintendent,  and  since  that  time  has  over- 
seen the  operations  of  the  plant  in  a  most  capable  and 
expert  manner.  He  has  also  been  placed  in  charge  of 
all  the  tenements  on  the  big  farm  owned  by  the  Berk- 
eley Company. 

Mr.  Cray  is  exceedingly  active  in  the  general  life  of 
the  community  and  is  a  well  known  figure  in  fraternal 
circles  here,  being  a  member  of  Mt.  Moriah  Lodge, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  Pawtucket  Chap- 
ter, No.  4,  Royal  Arch  Masons ;  Pawtucket  Council,  No. 
2,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  and  Woonsocket  Com- 
mander}', No.  24,  Knights  Templar.  He  was  classed 
as  an  Independent  Republican  in  politics  and.  while 
not  being  at  all  ambitious  for  public  preferment  of  any 
kind,  always  performs  conscientiously  his  duties  as  a 
citizen.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Cray  is  an  Episco- 
palian and  attends  St.  John's  Church  of  that  denomi- 
nation at  .\shton. 

John  Edward  Cray  was  united  in  marriage,  .April  10, 
1S86,  with  Sarah  F.  Obrey,  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  the 
wedding  being  celebrated  at  Manchester,  in  that  State. 
One  child  was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cray,  as  follows : 
Louise,  who  became  the  wife  of  Henry  Jackson,  who 
is  employed  as  a  bookkeeper  in  Providence,  and  to 
whom  she  has  borne  one  child,  Frank  Cray  Jackson. 


GEORGE  JOSEPH    BIBEAULT— Zachariah   Bi- 

beault,  father  of  George  J.  Bibeault,  of  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  was  born  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  in 
June,  1858,  died  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  .\pril  30.  190S. 
He  was  educated  in  his  native  province,  there  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  and  remained  until  about  1870, 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Woon- 
socket, where,  for  many  years,  he  was  foreman  for 
J.  E.  Bradford,  contractor  and  builder.  In  IQOI  Mr. 
Bibeault  began  business  under  his  own  name,  and  until 
his  death,  seven  years  later,  was  a  successful  contractor. 
He  is  survived  by  his  wife,  Adele,  who  was  born  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  March  18,  1861.  They 
were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children:  George  Joseph, 
Leona,  married  Emil  Duchane;  Homides,  Dora, 
Aldea,  Rosa,  Donat,  Ascou,  and  six  who  died  in 
infancy. 

George  Joseph  Bibeault,  son  of  Zachariah  and  Adele 
Bibeault,  was  born  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  February  25, 
7883,  and  secured  his  education  in  the  public  schools. 
Early  in  life  he  began  learning  the  carpenter's  trade 
with  his  father  and  upon  becoming  a  capable  workman 
became  the  Intter's  assistant  in  his  contracting  busi- 
ness. Upon  the  death  of  Zachariah  Bibeault.  in  1908. 
George  J.  succeeded  him  as  contractor  and  builder,  and 
so  continues.  Mr.  Bibeault  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  for  the  past  six  years  has  held  the  position  of  sur- 
veyor of  lumber.  In  1919  he  was  elected  representa- 
tive to  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature  from  Woonsocket 


iM:A^f 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


375 


to  serve  two  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Knights  ot  Colum- 
bus, the  National  Circle,  the  Society  of  St.  Jean  Bap- 
tiste,  and  Holy  Kamily  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

George  J.  Bibeault  married,  in  Woonsocket.  February 
2.  1910,  Clorinda  .\rchanibault,  daughter  of  .\dolph  and 
Sophia  (Peloquicr)  Archambault.  of  Woonsocket. 
Children:  George  Bcrtrand,  born  in  .\ug..  igii;  Con- 
stance Jeanette,  born  in  Xov..  lou;  Estelle  .Adrianne, 
born  Feb.  10,   IQ18. 


CLARENCE  EDMUND  COLVIN,  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful farmers  of  Oak  Lawn,  Cranston  township,  R.  L, 
a  native  of  this  place,  was  horn  .-\pril  2,  1893.  He  is  a 
son  of  Albertus  Mervin  and  Julia  Maria  (Whitman) 
Colvin.  grandson  of  Samuel  .Mfred  and  Mariah  (Hop- 
kins) Colvin  and  great-grandson  of  Holdeii  and  Sally 
(Taylor)  Colvin.  The  Colvin  family  has  resided  in 
this  State  for  many  generations  and  its  members  have 
been  intimately  identified  with  the  affairs  of  this  region. 
-Mbertus  Mervin  Colvin,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  at  Hopkinton,  R.  I.,  May  28,  iSf)6, 
and  there  resided  until  he  had  completed  his  twelfth 
year,  when  his  parents  removed  to  Scituatc.  He  studied 
in  the  schools  of  both  these  places,  but  while  still  a 
mere  lad,  began  to  w-ork  in  the  local  mill.  He  later 
assisted  his  father  on  his  farm  at  Scituate  and  at- 
tended the  public  schools  there  during  the  winter 
months.  He  then  worked  at  Warwick  on  the  farm  of 
Stephen  Harris  and  after  one  year  was  made  super- 
intendent. In  1890  he  came  to  Cranston,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  lumbering  and  made  a  specialty 
of  the  retail  milk  business.  In  the  latter  he  began  with 
only  six  cows,  but  developed  his  business  until  he  had 
a  herd  of  more  than  eighty  cows,  and  produced  over 
seven  hundred  quarts  of  milk  per  day.  His  farm  also 
became  one  of  the  model  properties  in  this  region  and 
he  erected  upon  it  a  splendid  hay  and  cattle  barn,  meas- 
ing  si.xty  by  eighty  feet,  which  has  been  accounted 
the  finest  of  its  kind  in  this  section  of  the  country. 
Mr.  Colvin  also  built,  in  1907,  one  of  the  handsomest 
residences  hereabouts  and  fitted  it  with  every  modern 
improvement.  He  married,  December  24,  1887.  Julia 
Mariah  Whitman,  a  daughter  of  Alfred  Young  and 
Sylvania  (Colvin)  Whitman,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  children:  Mabel  Mariah,  born  Nov. 
21,  iSgo;  Erio  .'Vlvin,  who  is  now  in  the  United  States 
.\rmy  and  was  born  May  6,  1892;  Clarence  Edmund, 
with  whose  career  we  arc  here  especially  concerned; 
and  Elmer  Everett,  born  March  25,  1897. 

Clarence  Edmund  Colvin  received  his  education  at  the 
public  schools  of  Oak  Lawn  and  Knightsville,  and  early 
in  his  life  assisted  his  father  in  the  lattcr's  agricultural 
operations,  his  first  occupation  being  to  drive  a  milk 
wagon  in  the  surrounding  region.  He  is  now  engaged 
independently  in  the  milk  business  and  is  the  owner  of 
a  small  but  highly  improved  farm,  possessing  his  own 
sterilizing  plant  and  producing  about  si.x  hundred  quarts 
of  milk  per  day.  Mr.  Colvin,  in  addition  to  his  large 
farming  business,  is  active  in  the  general  life  of  the 
community,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Oak  Lawn  Grange. 
In  politics  he  is  an  independent  voter,  casting  his  ballot 
for  the  candidate  and  issue  which  he  himself  believes 


most  likely  to  benefit  the  community  and  without  re- 
gard to  partisan  consideration.  Although  not  a  mem- 
ber of  any  church.  Mr.  Colvin  attends  the  Oak  Lawn 
Baptist  Church  and  is  active  in  the  work  of  the  con- 
gregation. He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent of  the  rising  young  men  of  this  community. 

Clarence  Edmund  Colvin  was  united  in  marriage  on 
September  20,  191 1,  with  Miriam  Esther  Cottrcll,  of 
Cranston,  and  one  child  has  been  born  of  this  union, 
Edmund  Lester  Colvin,  October  7,  1917. 


IRVING  CARPENTER,  one  of  the  progressive 
and  successful  farmers  of  Manville,  R.  I.,  and  a  native 
of  Cumberland,  in  this  Slate,  was  born  in  the  old  family 
homestead,  January  9,  i860,  and  is  a  member  of  an  old 
and  distinguished  Rhode  Island  family,  the  members  of 
which  have  been  prominent  in  the  life  of  this  State  for 
many  generations.  The  Carpenter  family,  indeed,  may 
claim  an  honorable  antiquity  long  before  the  settle- 
ment of  this  country,  and  traces  its  descent  from  one 
Jc^hn  Carpenter  who  resided  in  England  in  the  year 
1300.  From  this  progenitor  the  line  runs  through  Rich- 
ard, John  (2),  Jchn  (3),  William,  James,  Jnfin  (4), 
William  (2),  and  William  (3),  to  William  Carpenter, 
the  founder  of  the  line  in  .America.  William  (3)  Car- 
penter was  a  resident  of  London  and  accompanied  his 
son  to  this  country,  but  returned  to  England  in  the 
same  vessel  which  he  sailed  in. 

(I)  William  Carpenter,  the  settler,  was  born  in  Eng- 
land in  the  year  1605  and  came  to  the  New  England 
colonies  prior  to  the  year  1640,  when  he  was  a  freeman 
at  Weymouth.  He  was  a  very  prominent  man  in  the 
affairs  of  that  settlement,  and  represented  it  in  1641 
and  1643  in  the  General  Court  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay 
Colony.  Shortly  after  he  removed  to  Rehoboth  and 
was  admitted  an  inhabitant  of  that  town  in  1645  and 
represented  it  in  the  General  Court  in  the  same  year. 
In  1643  to  1649  he  served  as  proprietors'  and  town 
clerk,  and  his  death  occurred  at  Rehoboth,  February  7, 
1659.     William  Carpenter  was  married,  in  England,  to 

Abigail  ,  and  of  their  children  three  were  born 

in  that  country.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  John,  born  about  1628;  William  (2), 
who  is  mentioned  below;  Joseph,  born  about  1O33 ;  Han- 
nah, born  .April  3,  1640;  .Abiah  and  .•\bigail  (twins), 
burn  .Xpril  9,   1643;  and  Samuel,  bom  about   1644. 

(II)  William  (2)  Carpenter,  son  of  William  and 
Abigail  Carpenter,  was  born  about  1631,  in  England, 
and  came  with  his  parents  to  this  country.  He  was  a 
resident  of  Rehoboth,  Massachusetts,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  occupation  of  farming.  Like  his  father,  he  was 
prominent  in  the  community  and  was  elected  town  clerk 
in  1668.  holding  that  office,  with  the  exception  of  the 
year  1693,  until  his  death,  January  26,  1703.  He  was 
also  deputy  from  Rehoboth  to  the  General  Court  in 
1668,  and  was  chosen  deacon  of  the  church  there  in  the 
same  year.  He  owned  considerable  property  in  that 
section  and  was  one  of  the  committee  to  settle  the 
bounds  between  the  town  of  Taunton  and  the  north 
purchase  in  1670.  He  married  (first)  Priscilla  Bennett, 
who  died  October  20,  1663,  and  (second)  December  10, 
Jt/ij,  Miriam  Searles.  By  these  two  marriages  he  was 
the  father  of  fourteen  children,  all  of  whom  were  born 


0/ 


76 


HISTORY  OF  RHODM  ISLAXD 


at  Rchobc'th,  as  follows:  Jolin,  born  in  iCijj;  William, 
born  in  1659;  Priscilla,  born  in  1661;  Benjamin,  born  in 
1663;  Josiah.  born  in  1664;  Nathaniel,  born  in  1667; 
Daniel,  born  in  iC/)Q;  Noah,  who  is  mentioned  below; 
Miriam,  born  in  1674;  Obediah,  born  in  1677-78;  Eph- 
raini,  born  in  1681  ;  Ephraim  (2),  born  in  i6f<3-84; 
Hannah,  born  in  1684-85;    and  Abigail,  born  in  16S7. 

(III)  Noah  Carpenter,  born  March  28,  1672,  a  son 
of  William  (2)  and  Miriam  (Searles)  Carpenter,  was 
a  farmer  at  Attleboro,  l\Iass.,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  1756.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  town  and  pro- 
prietors' clerk.  He  married  (first)  December  3.  1700, 
Sarah  Johnson,  (second)  May  22,  1727,  Ruth  Follet 
Talbotl.  and  (third)  Tabithy  Bishop.  By  his  three 
marriages  he  was  the  father  of  the  following  children: 
Xoah,  born  Nov.  21,  1701;  Marian,  born  Dec.  25,  1702; 
Sarah,  born  Sept.  24,  1704;  Stephen,  who  is  mentioned 
below;  Asa,  born  March  10,  1707;  Mary,  born  Jan.  24. 
1709-10;  Margaret,  born  March  30,  1712;  Simon,  born 
Nov.  13,  1713;  Isaiah,  born  Feb.  7,  1715;  Simon,  born 
Aug.  20,  1716;  Martha,  born  May  25,  1719;  Elisha,  born 
Aug.  28,  1721  ;  Amy,  born  Feb.  2,  1723-24;  and  Pris- 
cilla, born  May  I,  1728. 

(IV)  Stephen  Carpenter,  son  of  Noah  and  Sarah 
(Johnson)  Carpenter,  was  born  July  23,  1706,  and  was 
a  farmer  and  shoemaker  at  Attleboro.  He  married 
(fir.st)  November  28,  1734,  Dorothy  Whittaker,  and 
(second)  June  6,  1768,  Rebecca  Sprague,  of  Providence. 
His  children,  all  of  whom  were  born  at  Attleboro,  were 
as  follows:  Stephen,  born  July  11,  1735;  Asa,  who  is 
mentioned  below;  Stephen,  born  Dec.  9,  1737;  Stephen 
(3),  born  Oct.  15,  1740;  Charles,  born  Feb.  11,  1743; 
Hannah,  born  Jan.  3,  1744-45;  Dorothy,  born  Nov.  4, 
1746;  Mary,  born  July  6,  1748;  Charles  (2),  born  Sept. 
13,  1754;  and  Joseph,  born  July  30,  1751. 

(V)  Asa  Carpenter,  son  of  Stephen  and  Dorothy 
(Whittaker)  Carpenter,  was  born  December  29,  1736. 
It  was  Asa  Carpenter  who  first  moved  to  Rhode  Island 
and  founded  the  family  in  this  State,  making  his  home 
at  Cumberland,  where  he  was  a  farmer,  and  whore  his 
death  occurred  in  1810.  He  married  Abigail  FoUett, 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Bishop)  Follett,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  a  number  of  children,  among  whom 
was  Levi  Carpenter,  who  is  mentioned  below. 

(VI)  Levi  Carpenter,  son  of  Asa  and  Abigail  (Fol- 
lett) Carpenter,  was  born  March  25,  1765,  at  Cumber- 
land. Like  his  father,  he  was  engaged  in  fanning  all 
his  life,  and  died  April  16,  1856.  He  married.  May  20, 
1707,  Rebecca  Sheldon,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
a  number  of  children,  among  whom  was  James  M.  Car- 
penter, who  is  mentioned  below. 

(VII)  James  M.  Carpenter,  son  of  Levi  and  Rebecca 
(Sheldon)  Carpenter,  was  born  March  29,  1798,  at 
Cumberland,  and  lived  in  that  place  until  his  death, 
March  28,  1848.  He  married,  in  1831  or  in  1832.  Bet- 
sey Newman,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  a  number 
of  children,  among  whom  was  George  Mendol  Car- 
penter, who  is  mentioned  below. 

(VIII)  George  Mendol  Carpenter,  son  of  James  M. 
and  Betsey  (Newman)  Carpenter,  was  born  May  10, 
1833,  and  made  his  home  in  the  northern  part  of  Cum- 
berland. His  education  was  gained  at  the  district 
schools  at  Chapel  Four  Corners  and  at  the  Academy  at 


Seckonk.  After  completing  his  studies,  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  eighty  acres  and,  thereon,  in  1876,  built  a 
handsome  residence.  For  a  short  time  he  conducted  a 
general  store  in  Manville.  The  remainder  of  his  life 
was  spent  in  agricultural  pursuits,  in  which  he  was 
very  successful.  He  had  a  large  dairy  business,  selling 
the  product  of  his  farm  at  Valley  Falls.  He  was  also 
very  prominent  in  the  general  life  of  the  community, 
especially  in  religious  matters,  and  was  a  very  promi- 
nent member  of  the  L'niversalist  church  at  Chapel  Four 
Corners,  where  for  thirty-three  years  he  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday  school.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
were  staunch  supporters  of  the  Temperance  cause,  the 
latter  being  especially  active  in  this  work.  Mr.  Car- 
penter was  also  a  member  of  Cumberland  Grange,  No. 
2,  and  of  Pomona  Grange,  and  for  some  time  was 
master  and  overseer  of  the  former.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Prohibitionist.  Mr.  Carpenter  married,  in  1856,  Sarah 
Cook,  daughter  of  Olney  M.  and  Harriet  (.Arnold) 
Cook,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Irving,  who  is  mentioned  below;  Edmund  Ar- 
nold, born  Jan.  17.  1865;  Clara  Annette,  born  July  I, 
1 866. 

(IX)  Irving  Carpenter  passed  his  childhood  upon  his 
father's  farm,  and  as  a  lad  attended  the  local  public 
schools  of  Cumberland.  During  his  spare  hours  and 
in  vacations,  he  worked  on  the  paternal  place  and  there 
gained  his  great  love  of  a  rural  life,  which  has  re- 
mained with  him  ever  since.  Mr,  Carpenter  has  made 
his  home  on  the  old  farm  continuously  to  the  present 
time  and  since  his  father's  retirement  froin  active  life 
has  operated  it  with  the  exception  of  two  years,  when 
he  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  teatiister.  He  has 
greatly  improved  the  property,  and  his  residence,  barn, 
and  all  outbuildings,  are  of  the  most  modern  type  and 
thoroughly  equipped  with  every  appliance  for  the 
carrying  on  of  an  up-to-date  farm.  He  conducts  gen- 
eral farming  and  dairy  operations  here  and  a  large 
milk  route  in  the  surrounding  community.  Mr.  Car- 
penter has  been  very  successful  in  his  chosen  work 
and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  substantial 
citizens  of  Manville.  He  is  a  member  of  Cumber- 
land Grange,  No.  2,  and  has  held  the  chairs  of 
steward  and  gatekeeper  in  that  organization.  In  pol- 
itics he  is  an  Independent,  refusing  to  be  bound  by 
partisan  considerations  of  any  sort,  and  prefers  to 
exercise  his  own  judgment  upon  all  issues  that  arise. 
Although  not  a  member,  Mr.  Carpenter  attends  the 
Univcrsalist  church  and  is  active  in  the  work  of  the 
congregation. 

Irving  Carpenter  was  united  in  marriage,  April  27, 
1898,  with  .Anna  Belle  Mowry,  a  daughter  of  Charles 
M.  and  Avis  M.  (.A.dains)  Mowry,  old  and  highly  re- 
spected residents  of  this  place.  Mr.  Mowry  is  now  de- 
ceased, but  Mrs.  Mowry  survives  him  and  makes  her 
home  with  her  daughter  and  son-in-law. 


AUGUSTUS  S.  BARTLETT,  a  successful  farmer 
and  dairyman  of  Lincoln,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  born  December  20.  1862.  He  is  a  son  of 
Stephen  D.  and  Sarah  (Sadley)  Bartlett,  both  of  whom 
were  members  of  old  New  Hampshire  families. 

The  childhood  of  Mr.  Bartlett  was  spent  in  his  native 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


}>77 


region  and  it  was  there  that  he  gained  his  education, 
but  when  a  young  man  Ik-  left  the  parental  roof  and 
came  to  Rhode  Island,  where  his  three  elder  brothers 
had  previously  migrated.  The  three  brothers  were  at 
that  time  working  for  the  Rhode  Island  Tool  Company, 
but  Mr.  Hartlctt  did  not  seek  employment  with  that 
concern.  On  the  contrary  he  worked  for  a  time  on  a 
farm  in  Lincoln,  and  later  went  to  Xonh  Providence, 
where  for  twelve  years  he  operated  a  general  store  and 
milk  business.  In  this  enterprise  he  was  highly  success- 
ful and  in  191 5  purchased  the  old  Olney  farm,  situated 
in  the  town  of  Lincoln,  and  came  here  to  make  his 
home.  It  was  his  idea  to  operate  his  own  dairy  and 
thus  provide  an  adequate  and  excellent  supply  of  milk 
for  his  many  customers.  Once  again  Mr.  Uartlctt  was 
successful,  and  has  now  for  three  years  carried  on 
extensive  operations  in  general  farming  and  also  runs 
a  large  and  excellent  dairy,  which  is  supplied  by  the 
milk  of  twenty-tive  cows.  This  dairy  he  has  equipped 
with  all  the  most  modern  and  up-to-date  devices  for 
maintaining  a  perfectly  hygienic  condition,  and  his 
milk  is  regarded  as  superior  to  that  of  practically  any 
other  dairy  in  the  region.  For  a  period  of  about  six 
years  Mr.  Bartlett  was  employed  by  the  street  railroad 
company  of  Rhode  Island,  that  being  the  day  of  the 
old  horse  car,  but  he  gave  up  this  work  when  his 
indtpendent  business  began  to  be  remunerative. 

.Xugustus  S.  Bartlett  was  united  in  marriage.  February 
20,  1888.  at  North  Providence,  with  Xettie  M.  Irons, 
of  that  city,  a  daughter  of  Martin  and  Julia  (Gleason) 
Irons,  old  and  highly-respected  residents  there.  Mr. 
Martin  Irons  was  a  man  of  prominence  and  was  a 
member  of  a  very  dis;in.::;uished  Rhode  Island  family. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartlett  eight  children  have  been  born, 
as  follows:  Sarah,  who  bccanic  the  wife  of  Herbert 
Turner,  of  Lincoln,  to  whom  she  has  borne  three  chil- 
dren:  Helen,  who  became  the  wife  of  Walter  E.  Tay- 
lor, of  Massachusetts,  to  whom  she  has  borne  six  chil- 
dren;  Stephen  B.,  who  married  a  Miss  Jordan,  of 
Providence,  by  whom  he  has  had  one  child ;  Albert, 
who  resides  with  his  parents  at  home :  Lucy,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Maurice  Smith,  of  Carpenter,  R.  I.; 
Clara,  who  became  the  wife  of  Bernhard  Norton,  of 
Providence,  by  whom  she  has  had  one  child;  Walter, 
who  resides  with  his  parents  ;  and  .Xugustus,  who  also 
makes  his  home  with  them. 


EDWARD  FRANCIS  GREENE,  a  successful 
dairyman  and  farmer  <jf  Linciln,  was  born  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Lincoln,  December  I,  1S72.  He  is  a 
■^•■Ti  of  John  and  Margaret  (McCormick)  Greene,  both 
whom  were  born  in  Ireland.  John  Greene  came  to 
.i.is  country  in  1854  and  settled  at  .•Xshton,  R.  I.,  where 
he  started  a  quarrying  business  in  the  lime-rock  district. 
Nine  years  later,  in  1863,  he  purchased  twenty  acres  of 
the  old  Hudson  farm,  in  the  town  of  Lincoln,  and  here 
resided  for  twelve  years.  He  then  purchased  forty-five 
acres  of  the  John  Knight  estate,  adjoining  the  old  farm, 
and  gradually  developed  these  two  places  until  he 
brought  them  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Here  he 
carried  on  a  successful  farm,  and  here  he  lived  until 
his  death,  .\pril  17,  1907,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years.     He  was  a  verj-  highly-respected  and   esteemed 


member  of  the  community,  and  was  well  known  for  his 
public  spirit  and  the  services  which  he  performed  in 
the  community,  especially  in  connection  with  the  good 
roads  movement  in  which  he  was  keenly  interested. 
He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  Roman  Catholic 
in  his  religious  belief,  attending  the  Church  of  St. 
Joseph  of  this  denomination  in  Lincoln.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  the  Cathedral  in  Providence  to  Margaret  Mc- 
Cormick, who  had  come  to  this  country  from  Ireland 
with  her  parents  when  only  six  years  of  age.  Mrs. 
Greene,  Sr.  survives  her  husband,  and  is  still  living  at 
Lincoln.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  as 
follow? :  Philip,  who  now  makes  his  home  at  Paw- 
tucket ;  Mary  Ella;  Rosa  A.;  and  Edward  Francis,  with 
whose  career  we  are  here  especially  ci  nccrned. 

The  early  life  of  Edward  Francis  Greene  was  spent 
on  his  father's  farm,  and  his  education  was  received  at 
the  public  schools  of  Lincoln,  and  at  ScofTield's  Com- 
mercial College  at  Providence,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1S02.  Upon  completing  his 
studies  at  the  last-named  in.siitution,  the  young  man 
returned  to  his  native  region  and  here,  following  in  his 
father's  footsteps,  took  up  farming  as  his  life  occupa- 
tion. It  was  he  who,  together  with  his  father,  made  all 
the  improvements  on  the  old  farm,  which  is  now  thor- 
oughly equipped  in  the  most  modern  and  up-to-date 
fashion  for  the  carrying  on  of  a  large  dairy.  Upon  the 
death  of  his  father,  the  young  m.in  inherited  this  prop- 
erty and  is  now  operating  a  fine  dairy,  the  milk  being 
supplifd  by  twenty-seven  cows,  and  this  produce  is  dis- 
posed of  in  the  large  markets  in  the  surrounding  pros- 
perous communities.  Mr.  Greene  is  also  exceedingly 
active  in  the  general. life  of  Lincoln  and  its  environs, 
and  has  held  a  number  of  pulilic  offices  here.  He  is  a 
staunch  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  held  the  position 
of  highway  commissioner  of  Lincoln  for  one  year.  He 
is  exceedingly  interested  in  the  good  roads  movement 
of  the  community,  and  has  done  much  to  secure  to  this 
region  its  present  excellent  system  of  highways.  He  is 
a  staunch  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious  faith,  and  is 
a  member  of  St.  Joseph's  parish  here.  He  takes  an 
active  interest  in  the  work  of  the  church,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Holy  Name  Society.  Mr.  Greene  is  also 
affiliated  with  the  local  lodge  of  the  Bene\olent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  with  Lime  Rock  Grange. 
Mr.  Greene  is  not  married,  but  resides  in  the  old  home- 
stead with  his  mother  and  sisters. 


CHARLES  H.  STONE— This  is  the  name,  as  his 
neighbors  of  Cranston  well  know,  of  a  progressive 
farmer  and  an  active  citizen.  Mr.  Stone  is  so 
thoroughly  identified  with  the  leading  interests  of 
his  community  that  to  introduce  him  seems  wholly 
superfluous.  Charles  .•\.  Stone,  father  of  Charles  H. 
Stone,  was  born  in  Scituate,  and  educated  in  the 
schools  of  that  place,  learning  the  carpenter's  trade 
and  following  it  all  his  life  in  Scituate  and  Crans- 
ton. His  father,  .Asahel  Stone,  could  trace  his  ances- 
try back  to  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century 
in  Rhode  Island.  Charles  .■\.  Stone  was  a  Demo- 
crat. He  married  Selinda  W.  Howard,  born  in  Fos- 
ter, R.  I.,  daughter  of  Gardner  and  Selinda  W. 
Howard,  and  his  death  occurred  July  24,   lyit,  at  the 


378 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


age  of  seventy-three.  He  was  a  good  citizen,  but  a  man 
of  exceedingly  quiet  disposition. 

Charles  H.  Stone,  son  of  Charles  A.  and  Selinda  W. 
(Howard)  Stone,  was  born  August  20,  1873,  at  Johns- 
ton. R.  I.,  and  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  place  and  of  Cranston.  After  working 
for  a  time  as  a  carpenter  he  spent  four  years  at  the 
Rhode  Island  School  of  Design,  and  then  turned  his 
attention  to  farming,  in  which  he  has  been  continuously 
engaged  ever  since,  always  in  Cranston.  In  1910  Mr. 
Stone  moved  to  the  old  Hazard  farm,  which  he  has 
since  purchased.  The  estate  consists  of  one  hundred 
and  forty-seven  acres,  and  the  house  is  the  oldest  now 
standing  in  Rhode  Island.  He  is  a  general  farmer,  also 
engaging  in  dairy  work.  He  built  an  ice  house  of  two 
tliousand  tons'  capacity  in  1919,  cutting  ice  from  the 
lake  on  his  property. 

In  politics  Mr.  Stone  is  a  Democrat,  and  for  four 
years  occupied  a  seat  in  the  City  Council  of  Cranston. 
He  laid  out  Walnut  Grove  plot,  on  which  he  has  built 
three  houses,  thus  showing  his  desire  for  the  improve- 
ment and  development  of  his  community. 

Mr.  Stone  married,  February  5,  1893,  in  Cranston, 
Evalina  V.  Corey,  daughter  of  Henry  T.  and  Melissa 
(Pierce)  Corey,  the  former  a  carpenter  and  a  member 
of  an  old  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stone  are  the  parents 
of  the  following  children:  Dolly  May,  born  in  18^4; 
Ruth  Adeline,  born  in  1896;  Raymond  Howard,  born  in 
1898;  and  Ethel  Helen,  born  in  1900.  All  these  have 
been  educated  in  the  schools  of  Cranston. 

Mr.  Stone  is  the  type  of  man  every  community  needs 
— progressive,  active  and  public  spirited. 

(The  Howard  Line). 

Selinda  W.  (Howard)  Stone  was  a  daughter  of 
Gardner  Howard,  and  a  great-granddaughter  of  Isaac 
Howard.  Gardner  Howard  was  born  June  14,  1798,  in 
Foster,  R.  I.,  son  of  David  Howard,  who  was  born  in 
July,  1752.  Gardner  Howard  was  a  farmer,  and  held 
the  offices  of  town  clerk,  judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  and 
perhaps  others.  He  was  a  Democrat.  He  married 
Selinda  Whipple,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  Mrs.  Stone .  being  the  fifth.  The  death  of 
Gardner  Howard  occurred  in  1882. 


ALEXANDER  FRAZIER  SHAW— All  of  his 
active  years  passed  in  the  textile  industry,  Mr.  Shaw's 
association  with  Rhode  Island's  industrial  life  is  as 
president  and  general  manager  of  the  Greeneville 
Finishing  Company.  He  was  the  leading  factor  in  the 
founding  of  this  organization  in  1916,  and  from  that 
date  until  August,  1919,  he  served  in  executive  capacity 
in  this  company  and  in  the  Acme  Finishing  Company, 
of  Pawtucket,  with  which  concern  he  had  been  identi- 
fied since  1912. 

Mr.  Shaw  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  son  of  John  Watt 
Shaw,  who  was  born  at  Thornliebank,  near  Glasgow, 
Scotland.  John  W.  Shaw  learned  the  engraver's  art  in 
his  native  country,  and  followed  this  calling  after  com- 
ing to  the  United  States  in  1881.  He  made  his  new 
home  in  Chester,  Pa.,  whither  he  was  accompanied  by 
his  wife  and  six  children,  and  where  his  death  occurred 
in   1891.     He  was  a  substantial  member  of  the  com- 


munity, where  he  was  held  in  excellent  report  and 
high  esteem.  His  wife  survived  him  until  1901,  for 
a  time  a  resident  of  Norwich,  Conn.  They  were  the 
parents  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  seven  died  in 
infancy,  the  others  being  as  follows:  William,  a  retired- 
merchant,  now  a  resident  of  Norwich,  Conn;  Mary, 
married  (first)  James  Strahan,  (second)  Frank  Rum- 
ford,  of  Chester,  Pa.,  she  is  now  deceased;  Elizabeth, 
married  Charles  Pedrick,  of  Providence,  R.  I.;  Alex- 
ander F"razier,  of  whom  further;  Jessie,  married  Wal- 
ter Allen,  of  Norwich,  Conn.;  Agnes,  the  wife  of 
Thomas  Haslam,  of  Norwich,  Conn. 

Alexander  Frazier  Shaw  was  born  at  Thornlie- 
bank, Scotland,  and  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age 
attended  school  in  his  birthplace,  then  being  brought 
by  his  parents  to  the  United  States.  At  an  early  age 
he  became  employed  in  the  Eddystone  Print  Works, 
oi  Chester,  Pa.,  where  he  learned  calico  printing,  at 
the  same  time  attending  night  school  in  Chester  and 
Philadelphia.  In  1892  he  entered  another  branch  of 
the  textile  industry  as  foreman  in  the  plant  of  the 
United  States  Finishing  Company,  at  Greeneville, 
Conn.,  and  so  favorably  impressed  those  at  the  head 
of  the  organization  that  in  1902  he  was  appointed  resi- 
dent manager  of  the  company.  His  direction  of  the 
large  affairs  of  the  company  and  his  management  of 
the  eight  hundred  employees  of  the  plant  showed  his 
strong  business  grasp  and  executive  power,  and  he 
became  widely  known  in  industrial  circles.  Later  he 
became  superintendent  of  the  Aspinook  Finishing 
Company,  of  Jewett  City,  Conn.,  in  19:2  accepting 
the  vice-presidency  and  general  managership  of  the 
Acme  Finishing  Company,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  a  cor- 
poration capitalized  at  $225,000,  employing  about  three 
hundred  workers  in  the  bleaching,  dyeing,  and  finishing 
of  cotton  cloth. 

In  December,  1916,  Mr.  Shaw  and  some  business 
associates  purchased  the  plant  and  ground  of  the  old 
Windsor  Company,  at  Greeneville,  R.  I.,  organizing 
the  Greeneville  Finishing  Company,  of  which  he  be- 
came president  and  general  manager.  Under  his 
instructions  the  remodeling  and  modernizing  of  the 
old  plant  was  undertaken,  additions  made,  the  latest 
improvements  in  textile  machinery  installed,  and  the 
mill  finally  made  ready  for  operation.  From  the  first 
gratifying  results  were  obtained  in  large  orders  for 
bleaching,  dyeing,  mercerizing,  and  printing,  the  de- 
mands of  its  constantly  increasing  business  requiring 
(1919)  a  force  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  hands.  In 
August,  1919.  Mr.  Shaw  severed  his  official  connection 
with  the  Acme  Finishing  Company  to  devote  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  the  Greeneville  Finishing  Com- 
pany. A  splendid  testimonial  of  the  regard  and  esteem 
of  his  coworkers  of  the  former  company  was  a  banquet 
tendered  him  upon  his  resignation  by  the  employees  of 
the  .\cme  Finishing  Company,  at  which  he  was  pre- 
sented with  a  beautiful  loving  cup.  This  was  the  most 
happy  tribute  possible  to  a  leadership  that  had  been 
at  once  firm  and  kind,  efficient  and  businesslike,  yet 
generous  and  considerate,  forming  a  relationship  be- 
tween employer  and  employee  that  is  the  solution  of 
all  industrial  unrest.  Mr.  Shaw's  business  record  is 
one  of  continuous  advancement  in  his  chosen  calling, 
promotion  based  on  earnest  application,  hard  and  un- 


/ 


^^^/^^'^yZ-.'^^'^-^-O-^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


379 


remitting  labor,  and  complete  mastery  of  the  work 
at  hand.  In  positions  oi  responsibility  he  developed 
natural  qualities  of  leadership  and  able  executive  quali- 
ties, and  in  the  founding  and  direction  of  a  large  enter- 
prise he  has  won  business  prosperity  and  wide  reputa- 
tion. From  the  time  when,  as  a  youth,  he  passed  his 
leisure  time  in  diligent  study  to  the  present,  he  has 
neglected  no  opportunity  to  add  to  his  equipment  of 
knowledge  and  experience,  and  of  his  own  etTort  he 
has  attained  worthy  industrial  position  and  standing 
in  his  community.  Mr.  Shaw  affiliates  with  Somerset 
Lodge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons,  of  Xorwich, 
Conn.,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  \V'anamois.*:ett 
Country  Club,  indulging  his  liking  for  golf  on  the 
links  of  this  club. 

Mr.  Shaw  married,  in  Xorwich,  Conn.,  in  1S94. 
Mary,  daughter  of  William  Burton,  of  Norwich,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of:  Alexander  Frazier,  associated 
with  his  father  in  the  Greencville  Finishing  Company; 
William  Burton,  also  associated  with  his  father: 
Elizabeth  Pedrick,  Alice  May,  John  Watt,  Mary  Bur- 
ton, all  at  home. 


TCRDELL  D.  HOPKINS,  who  is  successfully  en- 
g:iged  in  business  as  a  fanner  and  dairyman  in  the 
town  of  Cranston,  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
progressive  and  public  spirited  citizens  of  this  place, 
with  the  affairs  of  which  he  has  been  closely  identified 
for  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  Hopkins  is  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam H.  and  Watie  (Sweet)  Hopkins,  his  father  having 
been  a  native  of  Scituate,  and  for  thirty-two  years  en- 
gaged in  business  for  himself  as  a  painter  in  the  Paw- 
tuxet  valley  and  the  surrounding  region.  The  elder 
Mr.  Hopkins  died  in  the  year  1918,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-two, and  his  wife  survives  him.  He  married 
Watie  E.  Sweet,  a  daughter  of  .\rnold  Sweet,  and  a 
member  of  an  old  Foster,  R.  I.  family.  They  were  the 
parents  of  four  children,  as  follows :  Ernest  A.,  who 
makes  his  home  at  Scituate ;  .\rdell  D.,  of  whom 
further;  Natalie,  who  became  the  wife  of  Mamford 
Yaw,  of  Cranston,  and  Sadie,  who  became  the  wife  of 
William  Franklin,  of  West  Warwick.  Mrs.  Hopkins 
now  resides  with  her  son,  Ardell  D.  Hopkins. 

Born  .August  19,  1877,  in  the  town  of  Foster,  .Ardell 
D.  Hopkins  passed  his  early  life  in  the  home  of  his 
parents,  and  grew  up  with  a  strong  desire  to  possess 
a  farm  of  his  own,  and  operate  it.  The  town  of  his 
birth  was  situated  on  the  line  between  Rhode  Island 
and  Connecticut,  and  he  continued  to  reside  there  until 
the  year  1913,  when  he  came  to  Cranston,  finding  him- 
self in  a  position  to  gratify  his  wish.  In  that  year  he 
bought  about  forty  acres  of  land,  a  portion  of  the  old 
David  Whitman  farm,  in  the  western  part  of  this  town, 
and  this  place  he  at  once  set  about  improving,  develop- 
ing the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  adding  buildings  of  a  mod- 
ern character  well  equipped  to  carry  on  his  operations  as 
a  dairyman.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  a  herd  of  thirty 
cows,  which  supply  his  dairj',  the  products  of  which  he 
disposes  of  to  the  surrounding  communities.  In  addi- 
tion to  a  large  barn  which  he  built  here,  to  accommo- 
date his  cows,  he  has  also  erected  a  number  of  out- 
buildings, besides  adding  to  and  remodeling  his  house, 
so  that  the  place  is  now  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the 


finest  of  the  kind  hereabouts.  In  addition  to  his  dairy- 
ing, Mr.  Hopkins  also  carries  on  general  farming  here, 
and  as  he  is  markedly  progressive  in  his  ideas,  he  has 
availed  himself  of  the  great  advance  in  the  knowledge 
of  farming  made  in  recent  years,  so  that  his  opera- 
tions are  conducted  in  the  most  modern  and  approved 
form.  In  addition  10  his  farming,  he  has  interested 
himself  keenly  in  the  general  life  of  the  community. 


GEORGE  B.  SALISBURY,  one  of  the  most  pros- 
perous fanners  of  the  town  of  Johnston,  R.  I.,  was 
born  at  this  place  in  the  year  i860.  He  is  a  son  of 
Squire  William  Salisbury,  who  was  a  native  of  Foster, 
K.  I.,  where  he  was  born  in  1819,  and  a  grandson  of 
Daniel  Salisbury  of  that  place.  Squire  Salisbury  came 
to  Johnston  about  the  year  1845,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  farmed  not  far  from  the  place  now  owned  by  his 
son.  Later,  however,  he  bought  the  place  in  question, 
then  known  as  the  Henry  Green  place,  on  the  Plainfield 
Pike,  which  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
acres  of  land  that  was  mostly  uncleared.  He  promptly 
proceeded  to  clear  it  and  to  cultivate  the  land,  and  made 
many  notable  improvements  on  the  farm,  so  that  in 
course  of  time  it  became  an  unusually  fine  place,  and 
here  his  death  occurred  in  1878.  He  married  Phoebe 
.A.  Hopkins,  of  Hopkins  Mills,  town  of  Foster,  R.  I.,  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  Hopkins  of  that  place.  Her  death 
occurred  in  1910.  Squire  William  Salisbury  and  his 
wife  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  as  follows: 
Daniel  H.,  who  now  resides  at  East  Providence ;  Henry 
W.,  who  also  makes  his  home  there;  Julia  .A.;  Walter, 
who  resides  at  Scituate,  R.  I.;  George  B.,  of  further 
mention;  Eugene  D. ;  Joseph,  deceased;  and  Edward, 
deceased. 

George  B.  Salisbury  received  his  education  at  the 
local  schools  here.  .As  a  lad  he  assisted  his  father  with 
the  work  upon  the  place  and,  as  he  grew  older,  aided 
him  with  the  clearing  and  cultivation  of  it,  so  that 
upon  the  death  of  the  elder  man,  the  management  of 
the  farm  devolved  upon  him.  Mr.  Salisbury  has  al- 
ways followed  general  farming  and  has  continued  the 
improvement  of  the  farm  begun  by  his  father,  so  that 
he  now  has  what  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  model  farms 
of  this  region.  He  markets  his  products  in  the  flour- 
ishing communities  of  the  neighborhood,  and  is  a  sub- 
stantial and  well-to-do  citizen.  Like  his  father  he  has 
always  been  noted  for  his  public  spirit,  and  is  inter- 
ested in  the  growth  and  progress  of  the  community 
where  he  lives.  His  father  was  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, but  Mr.  Salisbury  has  become  a  member  of  tl.r 
Republican  party  and  is  now  active  in  local  affairs. 

George  B.  Salisbury  was  united  in  marriage  in  1882, 
at  Scituate,  R.  I.,  with  Clara  A.  Lovell,  of  that  place, 
daughter  of  George  W.  Lovell,  a  prominent  resident 
there.  Two  children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  as 
follow  s :  LeRoy  H.,  who  married  Irene  Davis,  of 
Providence.  R.  I.,  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children, 
Roger  and  Barbara,  and  now  lives  on  a  place  adjoin- 
ing that  of  lii*-  father's;  and  Edna  M.,  at  home. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  YOUNG,  one  of  the  most 
successful  farmers  in  the  region  of  Oak  Lawn,  in  this 
State,  where  he  is  engaged  in  a  successfull  and  general 


38o 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


farming  business,  is  a  son  of  Br>'an  Oscar  and  Annie 
Rayford  (Battey)  Young,  old  and  highly  respected  res- 
idents of  Cranston  and  later  of  Johnston  township. 
The  elder  Mr.  Young  was  for  many  years  engaged  in 
business  as  a  farmer,  and  his  death,  which  occurred 
March  12,  1902,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years,  removed 
from  the  community  a  man  who  had  for  many  years 
been  prominent  in  its  afTairs  and  stood  high  in  the 
esteem  and  regard  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

William  Henry  Young  was  born  in  Johnston  town- 
ship, in  June,  1879,  in  the  old  family  homestead,  situ- 
ated on  the  General  pike.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the 
local  public  school  and  afterwards  became  a  student 
at  the  famous  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College  in 
Providence.  He  has  always  lived  on  the  home  farm 
and  has  done  much  to  develop  and  improve  that  prop- 
erty. .After  the  death  of  his  father,  the  place  was 
divided  between  him  and  his  elder  brother,  Delmar 
Howlett  Young,  the  former  taking  that  portion  which 
is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  Plainfield  pike.  Here  he 
has  engaged  in  dairying  with  a  high  degree  of  suc- 
cess, and  his  farm  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest 
in  this  part  of  the  country.  As  stated  above,  he  has 
done  much  to  develop  and  improve  the  place,  increas- 
ing greatly  its  fertility  and  adding  to  the  buildings  here, 
so  as  to  make  it  modern  and  adequate  in  every  sense 
of  the  terms  for  the  carrying  out  of  his  business.  He 
built  an  addition  to  the  old  barn,  measuring  thirty-six 
by  thirty-six  feet,  and  also  a  large  cowbarn  with 
accommodation  for  twenty-six  head  of  stock.  Mr. 
Young,  in  addition  to  his  business  activities,  has  also 
been  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  community,  and  is 
a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  and  policies  of  the 
Republican  party. 

William  Henry  Young  was  united  in  marriage,  at 
Oak  Lawn,  in  1908,  with  Minnie  Anthony,  daughter  of 
John  Anthony,  and  granddaughter  of  Thomas  An- 
thony. She  is  a  member  of  the  Newport  branch  of  the 
old  and  distinguished  Anthony  family,  which  has  been 
for  many  generations  identified  with  the  affairs  of  this 
State.  Her  father  was  a  resident  of  Auburn,  where  he 
was  engaged  successfully  in  the  jewelry  business. 
They  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Byron  E.  Young. 

On  his  maternal  side  Mr.  Young  is  also  descended 
from  a  prominent  Rhode  Island  family,  and  his  mother, 
who  is  still  a  resident  of  this  place,  is  a  member  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  and  other  sim- 
ilar organizations.  His  maternal  grandmother  was  a 
member  of  the  old  Lawton  family  and  through  this  he 
is  related  to  many  of  the  most  important  families  of  the 
region. 


WILLIAM  H.  WATSON,  one  of  the  well  known 
farmers  of  Johnston,  K.  I.,  and  an  influential  citizen  of 
this  place,  is  a  native  of  England,  born  in  Yorkshire  in 
the  year  1863.  He  is  a  son  of  Edward  J.  Watson,  a 
native  of  the  famous  city  of  Coventry,  Midland  county, 
England,  who  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in 
the  city  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  about  1880.  Mr.  Watson, 
Sr.,  was  a  watchmaker  by  trade,  and  for  five  years  was 
the  proprietor  of  a  jewelry  store  on  Manton  avenue. 
Providence.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  moved  out  to 
Johnston,  where  he  bought  a  farm  of  fifty  acres,  known 


as  the  Horace  Windsor  Farm,  and  there  took  up  farm- 
ing and  dairying.  He  improved  the  place  greatly  and 
set  out  a  large  number  of  fruit  trees,  making  it  his  home 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  year 
191 5,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  Edward  J.  Watson 
married  Anna  A.  Dalby,  of  England,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  six  of  whom  survive,  as 
follows  :  William  H.,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned ;  Edward  J.,  who  makes  his  home 
at  Providence;  Stephen  B.,  who  resides  at  Minneapolis, 
Minn.;  Arthur,  Alfred  and  Philip  S.,  all  of  Providence. 

William  H.  Watson  accompanied  his  parents  to  the 
United  States  in  1880.  He  had  already  learned  the  trade 
of  watchmaker,  and  upon  arriving  in  this  country  en- 
gaged in  business  with  his  father  on  Manton  avenue. 
Providence.  He  continued  in  this  line  until  his  father 
bought  his  farm  in  Johnston,  and  then  opened  a  jewelry 
establishment  of  his  own  in  Providence  and  continued 
thus  occupied  until  about  1912,  when  he  moved  to  the 
farm  of  his  father,  who  placed  him  in  charge  of  the 
same.  Mr.  Watson  has  continued  to  live  here  ever 
since,  but  has  added  greatly  to  the  property,  purchasing 
the  adjoining  farm  of  Ethan  Ezekiel  Thornton,  so  that 
his  place  now  consists  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
and  has  three  thousand  feet  of  waterfront  on  the  lake. 
There  Mr.  Watson  has  built  about  thirty  bungalows 
for  summer  residents,  which  he  rents  by  the  season 
and  which  form  an  excellent  investment.  He  has  also 
continued  to  improve  his  farm  and  operate  the  dairy, 
and  at  the  present  time  owns  a  herd  of  about  thirty 
fine  milk  cows.  He  has  also  added  to  the  fruit  trees 
set  out  by  his  father  and  sells  fruit  and  the  produce  of 
his  dairy  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  He  is  a  very  active 
and  energetic  man,  and  his  farm  is  always  kept  at  the 
highest  point  of  cultivation.  Mr.  Watson  is  prominent 
in  social  and  fraternal  circles  here,  and  is  a  well  known 
Free  Mason,  being  aftiliated  with  Nestel  Lodge,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Providence;  and  Prov- 
idence Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  Providence. 

William  H.  Watson  was  united  in  marriage,  Decem- 
ber 24,  1884,  at  Providence,  with  Grace  Aspinall.  who 
like  himself  was  a  native  of  England,  and  the  daughter 
of  Hadfield  .\spinall.  They  are  the  parents  of  three 
children,  as  follows:  Lydia,  who  became  the  wife  of 
L.  R.  Dix,  of  Providence;  Grace,  who  married  S.  E. 
Gardiner,  of  Hartford,  Conn.;  and  William  H.,  who 
makes  his  home  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  he  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  Phoenix  Fire  Insurance  Company  of 
that  city. 


HENRY  G.  KENYON,  of  Cranston,  R.  I.,  is  one 
of  the  most  successful  farmers  in  this  region,  where  he 
has  been  engaged  in  this  occupation  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  has  also  earned  a  reputation  as  the  most 
public  spirited  citizen  here.  Mr.  Kenyon  is  a  native  of 
Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  where  he  was  born  October  22, 
"1861,  and  a  son  of  Peleg  G.,  and  Sarah  (Spencer)  Ken- 
yon. Peleg  G.  Kenyon  was  a  native  of  this  State,  born 
at  Richmond,  R.  I.  He  afterwards  went  West,  and 
became  a  steamboat  pilot  on  the  Ohio  river,  and  for  a 
time  resided  at  Jeffersonville,  Ind.  Toward  the  latter 
part  of  his  life  he  returned  to  Rhode  Island,  and  pur- 
chased   a    farm    at    Cranston,    where    he    continued    to 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


3^1 


reside  until  the  time  of  his  death.  His  wife,  who  before 
her  marriage  was  Sarah  Spencer,  was  born  at  East 
Greenwich.  R.  I,,  and  died  there.  Tliey  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children  :  Kathcrine.  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Henry  Rathbonc.  of  East  Greenwich; 
Thomas,  a  retired  farmer,  livinc;  in  .-Xuburn  ;  and  Henry 
G.,  of  whom  further.  .After  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Peleg  G.  Kenyon  married  (second)  Jane  McCormick. 
of  Kentucky. 

Henry  G.  Kenyon  was  a  small  child  when  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  Rhode  Island,  and  it  was  at  East 
Greenwich  that  his  education  was  secured  at  the  gram- 
mar school,  although  he  had  attended  the  schools  of 
JeflFersonville,  Ind.,  for  a  short  period  before  coming 
East.  Upon  completing  his  studies,  he  began  to  work  as 
a  farm  hand  in  this  region,  and  continued  thus  en- 
gaged for  a  period  of  some  nine  years.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  he  came  to  his  present  location  and  purchased 
the  old  Potter  farm,  which  had  been  in  the  possession 
of  his  wife's  family  for  a  number  of  years.  This  prop- 
erty consists  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres, 
and  Mr.  Kenyon  has  steadily  improved  it,  and  has  at 
the  present  time  thirty  acres  under  intensive  cultiva- 
tion. He  is  a  most  capable  farmer,  and  the  splendid  crops 
which  he  produces  here  bear  witness  to  his  skill  and 
thoroughness.  He  has  been  most  industrious  in  his 
work  on  his  farm,  and  the  flourishing  communities  of 
the  neighborhood  offer  him  an  excellent  market  for  his 
products.  His  residence  is  situated  on  Pippin  Orchard 
avenue,  Cranston.  Mr.  Kenyon  is  a  staunch  Democrat 
in  politics,  but  his  activities  on  the  farm  take  so  much 
of  his  time  and  attention  that  he  has  never  actively  en- 
tered public  life. 

Henry  G.  Kenyon  was  united  in  marriage.  September 
17,  1870.  with  .Annie  M.  Potter,  a  daughter  of  David 
W.  and  Emily  J.  (Jorden)  Potter,  and  a  granddaugh- 
ter of  .Allen  Potter,  who  first  came  to  this  rccion  and 
purchased  the  farm  now  in  Mr.  Kenyon's  possession. 
He  was  succeeded  in  his  ownership  of  the  place  by 
David  W.  Potter,  who  was  born  at  Scituate,  R.  I., 
ifarch  21,  1834,  and  died  here  February  21,  1901.  Mrs. 
Potter  was  born  November  12,  1843,  and  survives  her 
husband.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenyon  the  following  chil- 
dren have  been  born:  .Annie  E.,  and  Harry  G  P.,  both 
of  whom  reside  with  their  parents. 


FRANCISCO  JOSEPH  GARDELLA— In  the  year 
1870,  Antonio  B.  Gardella,  a  farmer,  born  in  Rocca- 
taliata.  Province  of  Genoa.  Italy,  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  wife  and  family,  his  son.  Francisco  J., 
being  then  a  lad  of  ten  years.  Antonio  B.  died  in  Boston, 
Mass.,  in  February,  IQ07;  his  wife,  Mary  Gardella,  born 
in  1835,  in  the  same  town  and  province  as  her  husband, 
died  in  Boston.  January  14.  1918.  They  were  the  parents 
of:  Francisco  J.,  of  further  mention;  Catherine,  Louise, 
Mary,  Henry  and  Louis. 

Francisco  J.  Gardella  was  born  in  Roccataliata,  Prov- 
ince of  Genoa,  Italy,  May  17,  i860,  and  there  spent  the 
first  ten  years  of  his  life.  He  w^as  brought  to  the 
United  States  by  his  parents  in  1870  and  with  them 
settled  in  Boston.  Mass.  He  attended  Boston  schools 
for  a  short  time,  then  became  a  wage  earner,  beginning 
as    a   bootblack.     He   was    next   employed   in   a   retail 


fruit  store  and  was  clerk  in  several  such  stores  until 
he  had  accumulated  sufficient  capital  to  start  a  small 
store  of  his  own  at  No.  32  Cambridge  street,  Boston. 
He  was  successful  in  that  venture,  but  eighteen  months 
later  sold  out  and  for  a  time  was  in  the  employ  of 
Jc'hn  Gaty,  a  fruit  dealer  of  Boston,  with  whom  he 
remained  one  year.  In  1892  he  located  in  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  where  for  one  year  he  was  in  the  employ  of 
Gennassao  Brothers,  retail  fruit  dealers.  At  the  end 
of  a  year  he  bought  an  interest  in  the  firm,  remaining 
a  partner  for  two  years.  He  then  sold  his  interest  and 
a  little  later  established  a  fruit  business  under  his  own 
name  on  Main  street.  Woonsocket.  For  nine  years  he 
operated  very  successfully  at  that  location  and  during 
that  period  added  a  wholesale  department  to  his  retail 
business  and  did  a  large  business  in  both  branches, 
having  a  large  warehouse  on  High  street.  Finally  he 
closed  out  his  retail  branch  and  has  since  devoted  him- 
self to  the  wholesaling  of  fruit  of  various  kinds.  He 
moved  to  his  present  location.  No.  289  Railroad  street, 
Woonsocket,  in  October,  1914,  and  there  has  developed 
the  largest  business  of  its  kind  in  Woonsocket.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Mutual  Relief  Society  of  Bcston. 
Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  St.  Charles 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  In  politics  he  is  an  Inde- 
pendent. 

Mr.  Gardella  married,  in  Boston,  Mass.,  October  25, 
1885,  Teresa  Gnecco,  born  in  Cecagna,  Genoa,  Italy, 
daughter  of  James  and  Madeline  Gnecco,  of  Genoa, 
Italy,  and  Boston,  Mass.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gardella  are 
the  parents  of  the  following  children :  .Antonio,  born  in 
Aug.,  i^'S6;  Emma,  born  in  1887;  Rose,  bcrn  in  Jan., 
1S90;  Joseph  J.,  born  in  Oct.,  1892;  William,  born  in 
Sept.,  1804;  Teresa,  born  in  Feb..  1895:  Frank,  born  in 
.Aug..  1897,  died  in  .April,  1901  ;  Grace  E,,  born  in  July, 
1898;  Mabel,  born  in  Dec,  1900;  Frederick,  born  in 
Sept.,  1902;  Amelia,  born  in  Jan.,  1904;  Gertrude,  born 
in  Oct.,  1005 ;  Margaret,  born  in  Feb.,  1908.  The  fam- 
ily home  is  at  No.  2,;9  High  street,  Woonsocket,  their 
summer  home  is  at  i^'   '  '      '   Teach. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  GREENE— Among  the  suc- 
cessful farmers  nf  Oak  Lawn.  Cranstf'U  township,  R.  I., 
f'ue  of  the  prominent  figures  is  William  Henry  Greene, 
a  native  of  this  pipce  where  his  birth  occurred  .April  9, 
1874.  Mr.  Greene  is  one  of  a  large  family  born  to 
Geor.ge  Noycs  and  Mary  Jane  (Wood)  Greene,  whose 
deaths  occurred  respectively  in  1898  and  1903.  The 
elder  Mr.  and  Mrs.  (ireene  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  William  Henry,  with  whose  career 
we  are  here  especially  concerned ;  John  B.  W.,  George 
N.,  Fred  D.,  James  E..  Lewis  H.,  Charles  W.,  deceased ; 
Frank,  deceased ;  .Annie,  who  became  the  wife  of  Eben 
Moon;  Lila,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  Briggs; 
and  Jessie  Jane,  deceased. 

William  Henry  Greene  was  bom  .April  9.  1874  and 
received  his  education  at  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town.  At  an  early  age  he  began  work  on  his  father's 
farm  and  has  been  a  farmer  ever  since.  Mr.  Greene 
purchased  his  present  farm  of  sixty  acres  in  the  year 
1904  and  has  brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
and  improved  it  greatly.  .At  the  time  of  his  purchase  it 
consisted  entirely  of  unimproved  land  and  from  that  he 


382 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


has  made  it  one  of  the  finest  properties  in  this  region. 
He  has  erected  thereon  a  handsome  modern  residence, 
and  a  large  barn  and  silo,  together  with  many  out- 
buildings for  the  carrying  on  of  his  operations.  He 
now  conducts  his  property  as  a  general  and  dairy  farm 
and  has  a  large  wholesale  milk  business.  His  dairy  is 
equipped  with  every  modern  appliance  for  the  handhng 
of  milk.  In  addition  to  his  agricultural  operations, 
Mr.  Greene  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the  general  life  of 
Cranston.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  exerts 
considerable  influence  in  the  affairs  of  his  party,  but 
althouffh  he  has  often  been  requested  to  run  for  public 
office  here,  has  always  declined,  owing  to  the  great  de- 
mands made  upon  his  time  and  attention  by  his  busi- 
ness. In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Greene  is  a  Baptist, 
and  attends  the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Fiske- 
ville,  being  active  in  the  work  of  the  congregation. 

William  Henry  Greene  was  united  in  marriage  on 
.\pril  12,  1899,  with  Eva  Madora  Wilber,  of  Cranston, 
a  daughter  of  Robert  A.  and  Ellen  (.Andrews)  Wilber, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  this  place.  Two 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  both  of  whom  died 
in  infancy. 


HORACE  F.  AND  HORACE  A.  CARPENTER— 

For  over  si.xty  years  the  name  of  Carpenter  has  been 
known  throughout  America  in  connection  with  the  man- 
ufacture of  chemically  pure  gold  and  the  refining  and 
assaying  business.  Horace  Francis  Carpenter,  founder 
of  the  firm  of  Carpenter  &  Son,  is  a  descendant  from  one 
of  the  oldest  of  New  England  families.  The  pedigree 
of  the  American  Carpenter  family  is  traced  by  a  gene- 
alogist of  the  family  to  John  Carpenter,  1300,  town  clerk 
of  London,  from  whom  the  lineage  of  William  Car- 
penter, the  emigrant  settler  in  America,  is  through 
Richard.  John  (2),  John  (3),  William,  James,  John  (4), 
William  (2),  and  William  (3)  Carpenter,  a  resident  of 
London,  who  accompanied  his  son  William,  the  settler, 
to  this  country,  but  who  himself  returned  to  England 
in  the  same  vessel  in  which  he  came. 

William  Carpenter,  born  in   1605,  in  England,  there 

married   Abigail  .      On   coming  to   America   he 

first  settled  in  Weymouth,  where  he  became  a  free- 
man in  i6j}0.  He  was  a  representative  from  W^eymouth 
in  1641  and  1643,  and  from  Rehoboth  in  1645.  He  was 
also  made  a  freeman  in  that  same  year.  From  1643 
to  1649  he  served  as  proprietors'  and  town  clerk.  He 
died  February  7,  1659,  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  his  widow, 
.•Abigail,  dying  February  22,  1687.  Three  of  their  chil- 
dren were  born  in  England,  the  next  tliree  in  Wey- 
mouth, and  the  youngest  in  Rehoboth. 

William  (2)  Carpenter,  born  about  1631  or  1632  in 
England,  married  (first)  October  5,  1651,  Priscilla 
Bennett.  She  died  October  20,  1663,  and  he  married 
(second)  December  10,  1663,  Miriam  Searles.  Mr. 
Carpenter  was  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Rehoboth, 
Mass.,  occupied  in  farming.  He  was  elected  town 
clerk  in  1668,  and  held  that  office,  with  the  exception 
of  the  year  1693,  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  January  26,  1703.  He  was  also  deputy  from 
Rehoboth  in  1668.  He  was  chosen  deacon  of  the 
church  the  same  year.  He  was  one  of  the  purchasers 
of  the  North  Purchase.     He  was  one  of  the  committee 


to  settle  the  bounds  between  the  town  of  Taunton  and 
the  North  Purchase  in  1670,  and  clerk  of  the  com- 
munity of  the  North  Purchase  in  1682,  and  his  name 
is  found  in  connection  with  other  important  public 
affairs.  He  was  a  man  of  superior  ability,  accurate  in 
all  his  business  transactions,  and  a  reliable  counsellor 
in  tlie  Colony.  His  fourteen  children  were  all  born  in 
Rehoboth. 

Horace  Francis  Carpenter,  of  this  line,  was  born  in 
Pawtucket,  Mass.,  October  19,  1842,  son  of  Horace 
and  Charlotte  Carpenter.  He  received  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Pawtucket,  and  after  his  grad- 
uation from  the  Pawtucket  High  School  he  entered 
Brown  University  for  a  special  course  in  analytic 
chemistry.  He  then  accepted  a  position  with  L.  B. 
Darling,  the  veteran  refiner  in  Providence,  to  manufac- 
ture nitrate  of  silver  and  chloride  of  gold.  .About  a 
year  later  Mr.  Carpenter  entered  into  partnership  with 
the  late  John  Austin  to  engage  in  the  refining  business. 
The  partnership  was  continued  for  ten  and  a  half 
years,  when  Mr.  Carpenter  separated  from  Mr.  Aus- 
tin and  entered  into  business  for  himself  in  the  pres- 
ent quarters  on  Page  street.  In  1912  he  retired  from 
active  business.  He  was  the  discoverer  of  the  process 
of  extracting  gold  and  silver  from  photographic  waste, 
also  the  process  for  obtaining  chemically  pure  g'dd  for 
commercial  purposes.  Mr.  Carpenter  discovered  three 
new  shell-bearing  mollusks,  and  is  regarded  as  the 
leading  authority  in  Rhode  Island  on  that  subject. 
He  has  written  a  great  many  books  on  inorganic  and 
medical  chemistry,  qualitative  and  quantitative  analy- 
sis, mineralogy,  and  the  use  of  the  blowpipe ;  also  a 
series  of  twenty  lectures  on  conchology  of  Rhode 
Island;  catalogue  of  the  mineral  localities  of  New 
England:  catalogue  of  the  shell-bearing  moUusca  of 
Rhode  Island.  Mr.  Carpenter  presented  to  the  City 
of  Providence  his  library  on  natural  history,  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty-seven  volumes,  and  the  collection  of 
twelve  hundred  species  and  varieties  of  minerals  and 
four  thousand  species  of  shells  consisting  of  seventy- 
five  hundred  specimens.  In  political  belief  Mr.  Car- 
penter is  a  Republican.  He  is  ex-president  of  the 
.■\rion  Club,  and  for  eighteen  years  was  treasurer  of 
the  New  England  Manufacturing  Jewelers'  and  Sil- 
versmiths' Association  and  is  one  of  its  two  honorary 
members.  He  was  solo  baritone  singer  in  various 
Providence   churches   for  sixteen  years. 

Mr.  Carpenter  married  (first)  Maria  Wood  Free- 
man, and  they  were  the  parents  of  one  son,  Horace 
-Austin  Carpenter,  mentioned  below.  He  married  (sec- 
ond) February  23,  1895,  Jennie  Hastings,  of  Spencer, 
Mass. 

Horace  Austin  Carpenter  was  born  in  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  February  23,  1865.  He  secured  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Providence  and  Central  Falls.  In 
early  life  he  became  devoted  to  music,  and  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  went  abroad  to  pursue  musical  study  at 
the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Music  at  Leipsic,  Germany. 
He  remained  there  two  years,  1884-86,  then  yielded  to 
the  wishes  of  his  father  and  returned  to  Providence 
with  him,  Mr.  Carpenter,  Sr.,  having  made  the  voyage 
expressly  to  see  his  son.  Upon  his  return  to  Provi- 
dence in  1886,  he  entered  the  business  of  Carpenter  & 


i^oracc  if.  Carpenter 


^^^^^U^'^ej^,  ^    ^Zy^u^^Z- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


3Sj 


Son.  He  still  continued  his  interest  in  music,  being 
a  skilled  and  well  known  violinist,  his  attainments 
those  of  a  high  class  professional.  He  has  appeared 
with  the  famous  Reeves  .American  Band  and  with 
other  musical  organizations.  Music  is  his  great  love 
and  recreation,  and  his  mastery  of  the  violin  is  com- 
plete. In  the  affairs  of  Carpenter  &  Son  he  has  been 
active  since  1886.  his  father's  partner  and  trusted  rep- 
resentative for  fifteen  years,  preceding  igu,  and  since 
then  owner  and  manager.  Carpenter  &  Son  do  a  large 
business  with  the  manufacturing  jewelers  and  silver- 
smiths of  the  United  States,  and  occupy  a  leading  posi- 
tion in  the  trade,  the  firm  being  one  of  the  oldest  of 
its  kind  in  the  country.  Mr.  Carpenter  is  an  able,  suc- 
cessful business  man,  and  has  filled  his  position  in  the 
commercial  world  with  great  credit.  He  is  very  active 
in  Masonn.-,  being  a  master  of  Ionic  Lodge,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons;  a  member  of  Providence  Chapter, 
Royal  .-\rch  Masons:  Providence  Council.  Royal  and 
Select  Masters;  St.  John's  Commandery,  Knights 
Templar:  Palestine  Temple,  .-\ncient  .\rabic  Order 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  Rhode  Island  Con- 
sistory. Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  in  which  he 
holds  the  thirty-second  degree;  and  Providence  Lodge, 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  In  politics 
f    he  is  a  Republican. 

■        Mr.   Carpenter  married   (first)   in   May.   1SS7,  Jennie 

L.   Young,  of   .Appleton,   Me.,  who  died   in    igoo.      He 

married  (second)  in  June,  1903,  Lottie  P.  Wadsworth, 

;    of  .^ppleton.  Me.    They  are  the  parents  of  two  daugh- 

I    ters:      Dorothy    F.   and   Corinnc    Carpenter,   both   stu- 

;    dents  in  Classical   High  School,  Providence,  and  of  a 

son,   Horace   Wadsworth   Carpenter,  a   student  of  the 

;mmar   school   at    Washington    Park. 


FRANK  MELVILLE  KNIGHT— One  of  the  most 
successful  dair>mcr.  ;>.iid  farmers  of  Cranston  is  Frank 
Melville  Knight,  who  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the 
influential  citizens  of  this  community  and  a  fine  example 
of  the  self-made  man.  Mr.  Knight  is  a  native  of  Scitu- 
ate,  where  his  birth  occurred  February  15,  1868,  and  a 
son  of  Herman  Horace  and  .Xiigelina  (Orton)  Knight, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  that  place,  where 
the  former  is  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farming. 
The  education  of  Mr.  Knight  was  received  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  town,  and  as  soon  as  he  had 
attained  an  age  to  make  it  possible,  he  engaged  in  help- 
ing his  father  with  the  latter's  farm,  and  during  that 
time  he  gained  a  taste  for  this  life,  which  has  continued 
ever  since.  Upon  reaching  manhood,  Mr.  Knight  pur- 
chased his  own  farm  at  Scituate.  which  he  worked  for 
about  twelve  years,  but  his  property  was  then  con- 
demned by  the  State  to  form  the  large  reservoir  for 
Providence  city,  which  was  then  being  built.  After  sell- 
ing his  property  to  the  State,  Mr.  Knight  bought  his 
present  farm  at  Cranston,  in  .\pril.  1916.  This  propert>', 
which  consists  of  one  hundred  acres  of  excellent  farm 
land,  he  has  greatly  improved  and  developed  and  has 
now  made  it  one  of  the  most  modern  and  complete  dairy 
farms  in  the  region.  He  engaged  in  the  wholesale  milk 
business  only,  and  his  equipment  for  this  work  is  very 
complete.  He  operates  at  the  present  time  two  automo- 
biles and  one  truck  for  the  disposal  of  his  produce,  and 


is  one  of  the  most  I'rogressive  and  successful  men  of  the 
region.  Mr.  Knight  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  is 
not  ambitious  for  public  office,  although  he  has  con- 
scientiously discharged  his  duties  as  a  citizen.  In  reli- 
gion he  is  a  Baptist  and  attends  the  Kent  Church  of  that 
denomination  here. 

Frank  Melville  Knight  was  united  in  marriage,  on 
June  22.  1899,  at  Scituate.  R.  I.,  with  .Addie  .Xnn  Hall, 
a  daughter  of  .Mbcrt  and  Mary  (King)  Hall,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Knight's 
parents  both  died  when  she  was  a  child  of  three  years 
old,  and  she  was  reared  and  educated  by  relatives.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knight  six  children  have  been  born,  as 
follows:  Howard  Walter,  Lester  Herman,  Florence, 
Chester,  Forest  Raymond  and  Barbara,  the  last  named 
deceased. 


CHARLES  FABIAN  EASTON.  a  successful 
farmer  of  Sayltsvillc,  R.  1..  and  one  "f  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  in  this  region  of  the  State,  is  a  member  of 
a  family  which  has  for  many  generations  been  closely 
identified  with  the  affairs  of  Rhode  Island.  He  is  de- 
scended directly  from  one  N'icholas  Faston,  who.  with 
his  brother  John,  sailed  from  England  to  the  Xew  Eng- 
land colonies  on  the  good  ship  "Marion  John"  and 
landed  in  the  Massachusetts  Colony  in  the  year  1634. 
The  Easton  family  were  among  the  most  prominent  of 
the  early  inhabitants  of  Xewpi.rt,  the  two  brothers  hav- 
ing been  driven  from  the  Massachusetts  Colony  on  ac- 
count of  their  religious  belief  at  about  the  same  time 
that  Roger  Williams  was  also  banished.  It  was  then 
that  they  came  to  Newport,  of  which  city  Nicholas  Eas- 
ton was  one  of  the  founders.  He  was  a  tanner  by  trade, 
and  held  a  very  prominent  place  in  the  new  colony,  as 
well  as  a  number  of  important  offices.  He  was  on  many 
occasions  assistant  between  1640  and  1653,  was  pres- 
ident in  i6;o,  1651  and  1654,  commissioner  in  1660,  1665 
and  1666,  deputy-governor  from  1666  to  1671,  and  gov- 
ernor in  r672.  1673  and  1674.  His  two  sons,  Peter  and 
John  Easton,  also  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the 
community,  and  filled  many  positions  of  trust  and  honor. 
Nicholas  Easton  was  born  in  1593  in  England,  and  was 
three  limes  married,  the  name  of  his  first  wife,  who 
was  the  mother  of  his  children,  being  unknown.  His 
house  was  the  first  one  built  in  the  Newport  Colony,  and 
it  was  he  who  gave  the  name  to  Coaster's  Island,  as  it 
is  known  to  this  day.  One  of  his  descendants,  also  a 
Nicholas  Easton.  was  the  grandfather  of  the  Mr.  Eas- 
ton of  this  sketch.  He  lived  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and 
there  also  lived  his  son,  still  another  Nicholas  Easton. 
The  latter  was  married  to  Marion  Eddy,  a  member  of 
a  distinguished  Rhode  Island  family,  and  among  their 
children  was  Charles  Fabian  Easton,  with  whom  we  are 
here  especially  concerned. 

Born  January  12,  1843.  at  the  old  family  home  in 
Providence,  Charles  Fabian  Easton  received  the  ele- 
mentary portion  of  his  education  at  the  public 
schools  here.  He  attended  the  grammar  schools 
and  the  Classical  High  School,  and  at  the  latter 
institution  was  prepared  for  college.  He  then  ma- 
triculated at  Brown  University,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1865,  and  was  after- 
wards given  a  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  by  his  alma 


3?4 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


mater.  He  had  been  a  particularly  fine  scholar  during 
his  college  career,  and  immediately  after  his  graduation 
took  a  position  as  instructor  in  Greek  at  the  Murray  Hill 
Institute  in  Xew  York  City.  After  one  year  of  this 
work  he  came  back  to  Rhode  Island  on  a  vacation  and 
while  here  was  requested  by  Governor  Bourn  to  become 
a  member  of  the  National  Rubber  Company  at  Bristol. 
Here  he  occupied  the  position  of  clerk,  bookkeeper  and 
paymaster  for  five  years,  until  1871.  When  he  first 
began  his  work  at  the  company  there  were  sixty  work- 
men, and  five  years  later,  at  the  time  of  his  leaving,  these 
had  increased  to  the  number  of  fifteen  hundred.  At  this 
time  (1871)  a  company  was  formed  to  build  a  large 
rubber  plant  at  W'illiamsport,  Pa.,  and  Mr.  Easton  was 
sent  there  to  superintend  the  erection  of  the  plant.  He 
remained  at  Williamsport  for  two  years,  until  this  work 
was  completed,  and  the  large  and  handsome  mill  later 
became  one  of  the  Colts  plants.  He  then  returned  once 
more  to  Rhode  Island  and  here  was  given  a  position  as 
bookkeeper  by  the  firm  of  Littlefield  Brothers,  where  he 
remained  five  years.  At  the  end  of  this  period  Mr.  Eas- 
ton left  this  concern  and  engaged  in  the  cotton  business 
on  his  own  account,  first  in  the  brokerage  line  and  later 
as  a  manufacturer.  He  rented  a  mill  which  he  operated 
for  two  years.  He  then  commenced  the  manufacture 
of  stockinet  and  arctic  fining  for  rubber  goods,  and 
established  a  knitting  mill  for  this  purpose.  The  pro- 
duct of  this  mill  is  used  as  a  basis  for  the  manufacture 
of  rubber  shoes,  gaiters  and  boots,  and  had  a  very  large 
market,  so  that  his  enterprise  was  a  great  success.  He 
continued  in  this  line  until  1895,  when  he  retired  from 
the  industrial  world  altogether.  Three  years  previously 
Mr.  Easton  had  purchased  a  splendid  farm  in  Lincoln, 
R.  I.,  and  to  this  place,  after  his  withdrawal  from  busi- 
ness, he  retired.  Although  this  property  was  potentially 
an  excellent  one,  the  farm  had  been  very  much  run 
down  when  he  moved  upon  it  and  he  at  once  set  about 
improving  it  and  bringing  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. It  is  now  modern  in  every  respect,  with  all  im- 
provements, a  fine  house  and  many  substantial  farm 
buildings  have  been  erected,  and  here  very  scientific  and 
profitable  farming  is  carried  on  by  Mr.  Easton.  Mr. 
Easton  has  been  very  active  in  public  life  and  has  held 
a  number  of  important  offices.  He  was  probate  judge  at 
Central  Falls  for  four  years,  when  it  was  known  as  Lin- 
coln, and  was  also  town  clerk  of  Lincoln  for  ten  years. 
These  positions  were,  however,  never  sought  by  Mr. 
Easton.  who  while  he  had  a  full  sense  of  the  duties  of 
citizenship  was  never  a  politician  in  any  sense  of  the 
word,  nor  ambitious  of  public  office.  He  is  a  member  of 
Jenks  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of 
Central  Falls. 

Charles  Fabian  Easton  was  united  in  marriage,  April 
6,  1867,  with  Laura  A.  Peck,  of  Central  Falls,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Stephen  and  Eliza  (Tingley)  Peck,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  Cumberland.  Mrs.  Easton  died  in 
1915.-  Two  children  were  born  of  this  union,  as  follows: 
I.  Mable  Redwood,  who  was  educated  at  the  public 
schools  of  Barrington,  R.  L,  where  she  was  graduated 
from  the  high  school;  she  has  been  a  teacher  in  the 
schools  of  Central  Falls  for  a  number  of  years.  2. 
Charles  Reginald,  who  married  Elizabeth  Jordon ;  he 
was  educated  at  the  Barrington.  R.  I.,  Grammar  School, 


the  Pawtucket  High  School,  and  Brown  University, 
from  the  latter  of  which  he  was  graduated  in  1896  and 
received  the  degree  of  A.  B. ;  he  was  also  a  Phi  Beta 
Kappa  man  and  was  the  honor  student  of  his  class ;  he 
served  as  town  solicitor  from  1899  to  1903,  and  from 
1902  to  1905  was  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Senate. 
Mr.  Easton  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Harris  &  Cham- 
plin,  and  is  now  the  senior  member  of  the  legal  firm  of 
Easton,  Williams  &  Rosenfeld,  well  known  attorneys  of 
Providence. 


JORDAN  BROTHERS  — The  firm  of  Jordan 
Brothers,  well  known  as  among  the  largest  and  most 
successful  farmers  and  dairymen  in  the  region  of 
Saylesville,  R.  I.,  is  composed  of  Elisha  Packard  Jor- 
dan and  his  brother,  Farnum  Buflum  Jordan.  They  are 
the  sons  of  John  Henry  and  Sarah  Louise  (Slocuni) 
Jordan,  the  former  of  whom  is  deceased,  and  the  latter 
now  makes  her  home  with  her  sons.  The  elder  Mr. 
Jordan  was  born  at  Elmwood,  R.  I.,  and  operated  a  farm 
there  for  some  years,  after  which  he  opened  a  grocery 
store  in  Providence,  to  which  city  he  removed.  Still 
later  he  bought  the  farm  that  is  at  present  occupied  by 
his  sons,  at  Saylesville.  and  moved  here  in  the  year 
1888.  The  remainder  of  his  life  was  spent  at  this  place, 
and  here  his  death  occurred  June  6.  1903. 

Elisha  Packard  Jordan  was  born  on  this  farm,  Janu- 
ary 20.  1892,  and  his  education  was  received  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  the  neighborhood.  During  his  vacation 
and  spare  hours  he  assisted  his  father  in  work  on  the 
farm,  and  upon  the  death  of  the  elder  man  took  charge, 
in  associations  with  his  brothers,  of  the  place.  They 
have  done  much  to  improve  and  develop  the  property 
which  consists  of  a  tract  of  ninety  acres  of  excellent 
land,  which  they  turn  entirely  to  dairy  uses.  The  two 
brothers  have  been  active  in  erecting  fine  modern  build- 
ings on  the  place,  among  which  should  be  mentioned  a 
large  white  barn,  which  has  just  been  completed,  to- 
gether with  silos  and  a  complete  equipment  of  modern 
machinery  and  dairy  devices.  They  now  have  a  herd  of 
twenty-five  fine  milk  cows,  the  milk  from  which  supplies 
their  dairy,  the  products  of  which  they  dispose  of  in  the 
L-.rge  local  markets.  When  they  inherited  the  farm 
from  their  father  they  were  without  capital,  and  it  is 
greatly  to  their  credit  and  proves  them  to  be  progres- 
sive men  that  they  have  in  the  short  time  intervening 
accomplished  so  much.  They  have  two  brothers,  both 
of  whom  arc  prominent  in  the  community,  as  follows: 
H.  P.  B.  Jordan,  who  graduated  from  the  medical  de- 
partment of  Tufts  College  with  the  class  of  IQ12,  and 
was  for  a  time  physician  and  assistant  superintendent  of 
the  City  Hospital  at  Providence.  He  is  now  captain  and 
surgeon  in  the  medical  department  of  the  L'nited  States 
army  in  France.  The  other  brother,  Henry  Rich  Jordan, 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Rhode  Island  Pharmaceutical  Col- 
lege, and  now  holds  the  position  of  pharmacist's  mate  on 
the  transport  "Louisville,"  which  was  employed  in  trans- 
porting troops  to  France. 


JOHN     THOMAS     MONAGHAN— Among     the 

prominent  farmers  of  Saylesville,  R.  I.,  a  distinguished 
figure  is  John  Thomas  Monaghan,  the  owner  of  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  this  district,  where  he  operates  a  most 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


>^5 


successful  dairy.  Mr.  Monaghan  is  a  native  of  Lincoln, 
R.  I.,  having  been  born  on  a  farm  not  far  from  his 
present  property  on  June  15,  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  Peter 
and  Eliza  (Costello)  Monaghan,  the  former  being  a 
prosperous  farmer  in  this  region.  His  parents  had  borne 
to  them  five  children  besides  John  Thomas,  as  follows : 
Peter,  now  deceased;  Elkn  and  Kathryne,  both  of  whom 
make  their  home  with  Mr.  Monaghan  at  the  present 
time;  Elizabeth  and  Mary,  both  deceased.  Mr.  Mon- 
aghan, Sr.,  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  purchased 
the  farm  now  operated  by  John  Thomas  Monaghan  and 
here  his  death  occurred. 

John  Thomas  Monaghan,  as  a  lad,  attended  the  Lime- 
Rock,  Lincoln  township,  public  schools  and  later  became 
a  pupil  at  the  famous  LaSalle  .Academy  of  Providence, 
where  he  completed  his  general  education.  He  then 
entered  the  Bryant  &  Slratton  Business  College  of 
Providence,  where  he  took  a  commercial  course  which 
has  been  of  great  value  to  him  in  his  practical  career 
since  then.  .As  a  lad  he  assisted  his  father  on  the  lat- 
ter's  farm,  most  of  his  time  being  spent  on  the  present 
property,  which  his  father  had  recently  purchased,  and 
here  he  has  lived  altogether  for  about  forty-three  years. 
L'pon  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  Monaglian  and  his 
brother  took  over  the  farm  and  ran  it  together,  but  in 
the  year  1015  Peter  Monaghan  died,  since  which  time 
John  T.  Monaghan  has  been  in  complete  control.  The 
farm  consists  of  a  tract  of  tifty  acres  of  excellent  farm 
land,  upon  which  there  are  the  most  modern  improve- 
ments in  the  way  of  building  and  other  devices  for 
carrying  on  the  work,  and  Mr.  Monaghan  never  relaxes 
his  endeavors  to  keep  it  in  the  highest  state  of  cultiva- 
tion possible.  He  is  at  the  present  time  carrying  on 
general  farming  here  and  al.so  operates  a  very  success- 
ful dairy,  the  products  of  which  he  markets  in  the  sur- 
rounding comnninities.  In  his  politics  Mr.  Monaghan 
is  an  independent  Democrat,  but  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  he  has  never  completely  identified  himself  with  any 
political  organization  is  very  prominent  in  local  affairs, 
and  has  gained  lor  himself  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
his  fellow  citizens  to  the  point  where  they  have  elected 
him  to  fill  public  office  in  the  town.  He  has  served  on 
the  town  committee  for  one  term,  and  proved  himself  a 
disinterested  and  capable  public  servant.  In  his  reli- 
gious belief  Mr.  Monaghan  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and 
attends  St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Ashton, 
being  very  active  in  the  work  of  the  parish  and  a  liberal 
supporter  of  its  various  charities  and  benevolences.  Mr. 
Monaghan  is  not  married. 


THEODORE  HENRY  LAWTON,  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  and  influential  citizens  of  Cranston, 
R.  I.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  business  as  a  most  success- 
ful farmer  and  dairyman,  is  a  native  of  this  place,  his 
birth  having  occurred  June  13,  1885.  He  is  a  son  of 
Theodore  Frclinghuyscn  and  -Mariah  E.  (Walker)  Law- 
ton,  old  and  high  respected  residents  of  this  place  and 
now  both  deceased.  Mr.  Lawton.  Sr.,  was  also  a  suc- 
cessful farmer  and  operated  the  same  farm  that  is  now 
worked  by  his  son  and  where  the  latter  was  born. 

The  early  life  of  Theodore  Henry  Lawton  was  passed 
on  his  father's  farm,  and  he  attended  the  local  schools 
of  Cranston  for  his  education.    He  studied  through  the 

Rl_2_23 


grammar  grades  and  pursued  a  two  years'  course  in  the 
High  School,  but  then  terminated  his  studies  in  order 
to  take  up  active  farming.  He  had  already  received  a 
thorough  training  in  this  line  of  work,  as  he  had  assisted 
his  father  with  his  place  during  his  vacations  while  a 
schoolboy,  and  he  continued  an  assistant  to  the  elder 
man  until  the  laiter's  death  in  the  year  1902.  The  man- 
agement of  the  farm  and  its  ownership  then  passed  into 
his  hands,  and  since  that  time  he  has  conducted  it  very 
successfully.  The  place,  which  consists  of  one  hundred 
and  si.xty  acres  of  excellent  farm  land,  has  been  greatly 
improved  by  him  and  he  now  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing and  an  extensive  dairy.  The  products  of  his  farm 
he  disposes  of  in  Cranston  and  the  neighboring  com- 
munities, and  he  has  been  so  successful  that  he  is  now 
regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  this  place. 
Mr.  Lawton  is  a  Baptist  in  his  religious  belief  and 
attends  the  church  of  that  denomination  in  Cranston. 
He  is  not  a  member  of  any  clubs  or  lodges,  finding  his 
recreation  and  pleasure  in  his  home.  In  politics  he  is  an 
Independent  Republican,  reserving  the  right  to  form  his 
own  judgments  in  all  local  issues  without  regard  to  par- 
tisan considerations. 

Theodore  Hcnrj'  Lawton  w.ts  united  in  marriage.  Au- 
gust 19.  1908.  with  Evelyn  Whitford,  of  Stockton,  Cal., 
a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  Whitford,  of  that 
place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawton  have  had  four  children 
born  to  them,  as  follows:  Charles  Whitford,  Glenn 
Shippce,  Ruth  Evelyn,  deceased,  and  Theodore  Henry, 
deceased. 


OWEN  MURPHY — .Among  the  prosperous  and 
successful  fanners  01  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  a  well  k-nown 
figure  is  Owen  Murphy,  who  has  resided  in  this  county 
a  number  of  years  and  made  himself  respected  and 
esteemed  by  his  fellow  citizens  generally.  Mr.  Mur- 
phy is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  County  .Armagh,  July 
16,  i860,  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Fagin)  Murphy,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  that  place,  who  are 
now  both  deceased.  The  elder  Mr.  Murphy  was  himself 
a  farmer  in  the  old  country  and  it  was  there  that  Owen 
Murphy  gained  his  knowledge  of  agriculture  and  his 
taste  for  a  rural  life  which  has  never  left  him. 

.As  a  lad  he  never  had  any  advantages  in  the  way  of 
schooling,  but  was  obliged  from  tender  years  to  assist 
his  father  in  the  work  on  the  lattcr's  farm.  In  1884  he 
joined  the  great  throng  of  his  fellow  countrymen,  who 
were  emigrating  from  their  native  land  to  the  United 
States,  and  came  to  this  country,  landing  in  Boston  and 
making  his  way  directly  from  that  city  to  Cumberland. 
For  a  time  Mr.  Murphy  worked  as  a  hand  on  various 
farms  in  this  locality,  but  being  of  a  most  industrious 
and  thrifty  character,  he  gradually  saved  up  a  small 
capital  from  his  scanty  earnings  and  in  due  course  of 
time  was  able  to  buy  a  small  farm.  It  had  been  his 
ambition  from  the  start  to  become  a  landowner  and 
engage  in  farming  on  his  own  account,  and  once  this 
was  realized  he  made  rapid  progres.s,  buying  one  piece 
of  property  after  another,  until  at  the  present  time  he 
owns  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  lying  partly 
in  Massachusetts  and  party  in  this  State,  all  of  which 
he  now  has  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  has 
greatly  improved  his  property,  and  at  the  present  time 


386 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


conducts  a  very  successful  dairy  farm  here,  supplying 
a  large  section  of  the  neighborhood  with  dairy  products. 
Mr.  Murpliy  is  a  man  of  great  native  intelligence  and 
has  done  much  to  make  up  for  his  early  lack  of  school- 
ing. He  has  never  identified  himself  with  any  political 
party,  but  has  continued  an  independent  voter,  support- 
ing such  issues  and  candidates  as  he  honestly  believes 
most  to  the  advantage  of  his  adopted  community.  In 
his  religious  belief  Mr.  Murphy  is  a  Roman  Catholic 
and  is  a  member  of  St.  Patrick's  Church  of  this  denom- 
ination at  Valley  Falls,  devoting  much  energy  to  the 
support  of  the  work  of  his  parish.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  the  Thomas  Davis 
Club. 

Owen  Murphy  was  united  in  marriage,  November  9, 
1887,  at  Valley  Falls,  with  Margaret  Lawless,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  and  Bridget  Lawless,  of  that  place.  They 
are  the  parents  of  four  children,  as  follows :  Thomas 
Joseph,  who  is  now  engaged  in  business  as  an  ice  dealer 
at  Ashton,  married  Ora  Brooks,  of  that  place;  John 
Andrew,  who  served  in  the  American  army  and  was 
stationed  in  a  camp  in  the  South;  Rebecca,  who  is  em- 
ployed as  a  school  teacher  at  Woonsockct ;  and  Henry, 
who  resides  at  home  with  his  parents. 


Henry  .\nthony  Lawton  was  united  in  marriage,  July 
I,  1014.  at  Coventry,  R.  I.,  with  Gertrude  Harrington, 
a  daughter  of  John  D.  and  Margaret  Harrington,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  Coventry.  Child,  Eliz- 
abeth, born  November  10,  igi6. 


HENRY  ANTHONY  LAWTON,  one  of  the  most 
progressive  farmers  and  business  men  of  Hope,  R.  I., 
and  a  prominent  citizen  of  this  place,  is  a  native  of  the 
town  of  Scituate,  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  makes 
his  home,  June  2,  1858.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  Andrew 
and  Charlotte  (Richardson)  Lawton,  both  of  whom  are 
now  deceased,  the  former  having  been  a  farmer  in  the 
same  town   for  many  years. 

Henry  Anthony  Lawton  attended  as  a  lad  the  district 
school  of  this  region  and  worked  for  his  father.  From 
his  youth  he  displayed  marked  business  ability,  and  by 
dint  of  careful  economy  and  hard  work  saved  up  enough 
of  his  earnings  to  make  him  independent.  After  a  num- 
ber of  years  spent  in  the  employ  of  other  farmers,  he 
became  the  owner  of  his  own  place,  and  is  now  in  pos- 
session of  three  hundred  acres  of  fine  farm  land.  Here 
he  operates  a  large  dairy  and  butcher  house  and  engages 
in  general  farming.  He  now  supplies  all  the  villages  of 
the  neighborhood  with  fresh  beef  which  he  kills  himself 
on  his  farm.  In  his  various  operations  he  has  met  with 
marked  success,  and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
successful  farmers  in  this  region  as  well  as  one  of  the 
most  public-spirited  and  influential  citizens  here.  The 
demands  upon  his  time  and  energy  have  made  it  im- 
possible for  Mr.  Lawton  to  take  an  active  part  in  the 
public  life  of  the  community,  but  he  is  none  the  less 
keenly  interested  in  local  affairs,  and  is  a  staunch  sup- 
porter of  the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican 
party.  While  not  active  in  the  political  world,  he  always 
fulfills  his  duties  as  a  good  citizen  and  regularlv  casts 
his  vote.  Mr.  Lawton  has  worked  hard  all  his  life,  and 
has  earned  by  his  own  efforts  everything  that  he  now 
possesses,  having  inherited  practically  nothing  from  his 
father.  His  farm  has  been  brought  to  a  state  of  high 
cultivation  by  him  and  he  continually  keeps  it  at  the 
highest  point  of  fertility  and  productiveness.  He  has 
made  many  improvements  upon  it.  and  it  is  now  un- 
questionably one  of  tlie  most  flourishing  places  in  the 
neighborhood. 


GEORGE  DUBEAU — .\mong  the  succesful  farm- 
ers of  Oak  Lawn,  Cranston  township.  R.  I.,  a  prominent 
figure  is  that  of  George  Debcau,  who  has  been  for  many 
years   identified   with  the   agricultural   interests   of  this 
section  of  the  State  and  has  also  taken  an  active  part  in 
the  community's  general  life.     Mr.  Dubeau  is  a  native 
of  Canada,  having  been  born  on  a  farm  in  the  Province 
of  Montreal,  .A.pril  14,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Frank  and 
Jeanette    ( Clermont  "I    Dubeau,  both  of   whom  arc  now 
deceased.    The  elder  Mr.  Dubeau  was  a  native  French- 
Canadian  and  a  man  who  was  engaged  in  farming  in  a 
small  way  in  Canada.    The  education  of  George  Dubeau 
was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  place, 
and  during  his  spare  hours  he  devoted  himself  to  work- 
ing on  his  father's  farm,  where  he  gained  a  strong  taste 
for  rural  life  and  a  complete  knowledge  of  agricultural 
methods.     He  left  school  at  an  early  age  and   farmed 
many  years.     Later  he  built  a  cheese  factory  near  his 
home.     He  also  continued  his  fanning  work  and  in  1896 
came  to  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  where  he  filled  a  number  of 
positions  on  the  local   farm  here.     He  also  worked  in 
other   lines   of   business   at   Pawtucket   and   at   Center- 
dale,  and  continued  in  this  manner  until  1898,  when  he 
came  to  Cranston.     Mr.  Dubeau  had  by  that  tiine  laid 
by  a  siTiall  capital  and  was  enabled  to  rent  a  farm  here, 
where  he  carried  on  farming  operations  until  1902.     He 
had  in  the  meantime  made  a  great  success  of  these  oper- 
ations and  in  the  latter  year  purchased  his  present  farm, 
a  property  consisting  of  something  over   fifty  acres  of 
excellent  farm  land.    As  soon  as  this  property  had  come 
into  his  possession,  Mr.  Dubeau  set  about  actively  im- 
proving it  and  soon  had  it  under  cultivation  for  general 
farming  purposes.     For  a  time  he  devoted  much  of  his 
attention   to   a   large   retail   milk   route,  but   about   1913 
sold  this  and  now  disposes  of  his  entire  milk  supply  in 
the  wholesale  market.    He  has  continued  his  dairy  work, 
however,  and  is  the  owner  of  a  large  and  fine  herd  of 
milch  cows.     His  farm  is  regarded  justly  as  one  of  the 
best  dairy  farms  in  this  region,  and  Mr.  Dubeau  is  still 
very  actively  engaged  in  operating  it.     Some  years  ago 
Mr.   Dubeau   improved  the  old   residence  on   his   place, 
which  is  finely  equipped  and  furnished  with  every  mod- 
ern improvement.     One  room  in  an  upper  story  of  his 
house  has  been  fitted  as  a  sanctuary  with  altar  and  other 
religious  equipment  in  the  most  complete  manner.    This 
has  been  done  for  the  use  of  one  of  Mr.  Dubeau's  sons 
who  is  a  prominent  Catholic  priest  of  Montreal,  Canada, 
and  who  pays  an  annual  visit  to  his  father,  during  which 
time  he  goes  into  retreat.     Mr.  Dubeau  is  a  member  of 
the  Phoeni.x  Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Cranston,  and 
is  a  man  of  strong  religious   instincts  and  beliefs  and 
faithful  in  the  performance  of  his  religious  duties.     He 
is  prominently  connected  with  the  work  of  his  parish 
and  is  a  liberal  supporter  of  all  its   philanthropic  and 
benevolent  undertakings.     Mr.  Dubeau  is  a  member  of 
the  National  .-Mliance  and  has  held  numerous  offices  in 
this  society,  with  which  he  has  been  associated  for  thirty 
years.    In  politics  Mr.  Dubeau  is  a  Republican  but  is  not 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


3S7 


particularly  active  in  public  aflfairs  as  his  large  business 
demands  most  of  his  time  and  attention,  and  he  is  quite 
without  ambition  for  political  preferment.  Mr.  Dubeau 
is  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term,  a  self-made  man,  and 
his  career  has  been  of  such  a  character  that  it  must  be 
regarded  as  an  asset  to  the  community-at-large. 

George  Dubeau  has  been  three  times  married  before 
his  present  union.  He  married,  March  9,  1886,  Valerie 
Lamois.  Mr.  Dubeau  is  the  father  of  the  following 
children  :  Joseph,  who  is  now  engaged  in  business  in 
Canada:  Mary  Louise,  who  became  the  wile  of  Adelphiis 
Bussiere,  of  St.  Charles,  Canada ;  .Annie,  who  resides 
at  home  with  her  parents ;  Frank,  who  also  resides  at 
home;  .\rthur,  a  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
and  teacher  of  philosophy  in  Montreal,  Canada.  In  ad- 
dition to  these  children  four  are  now  deceased  as  fol- 
lows: .'Mphonsine,  who  died  in  1918;  Jeanette,  Ernest, 
and  Joseph,  all  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 


.August  21,  1901,  with  Clara  May  Hervcy,  a  daughter  of 
William  H.  and  Sophia  A.  (Battcy)  Hervey,  old  and 
prominent  residents  of  Cranston.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Greene  one  child  has  been  born,  Lawrence  Edward 
Greene,  born  June  15,  1910,  and  now  a  pupil  in  the  local 
schools.     Mrs.  Greene  is  a  member  of  the  Grange. 


JAMES  EDWARD  GREENE,  who  is  one  of  the 
substantial  farmers  ot  Oak  Lawn,  in  the  township  of 
Cranston,  R.  L,  is  a  native  of  this  place,  his  birth  having 
occurred  here  on  February  i,  1877.  His  father,  George 
Noyes  Greene,  also  was  engaged  in  farming  in  this 
region,  and  at  one  time  conducted  a  coal  business  at 
Oak  Lawn.  George  N'oyes  Greene  married  ^fary  Jane 
Wood,  and  their  deaths  occurred  respectively  in  1898 
and  1903.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  James  Edward,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned ;  George  N.,  John  B.  W.,  Levi  H., 
Fred  D.,  William  H.,  all  of  whom  are  mentioned  else- 
where in  this  work;  Charles,  and  Frank,  who  are  de- 
ceased; .Annie,  who  became  the  wife  of  Eben  Moon; 
Lila,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  Briggs;  and  Jes- 
sie, deceased.  James  Edward  Greene  was  a  pupil  in  the 
schools  of  Cranston  during  his  childhood,  but  in  early 
life  began  work  on  his  father's  farm,  and  soon  developed 
a  strong  taste  for  this  life  and  became  an  expert  farmer. 
As  a  young  man  he  purchased  his  present  farm,  consist- 
ing of  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  acres  at  Oak  Lawn, 
in  1905,  the  place  at  that  time  being  quite  without  im- 
provement of  any  kind,  and  very  much  run  down.  Mr. 
Greene  at  once  set  to  work  to  improve  his  property,  and 
has  built  thereon  every  building  which  now  stands  there, 
including  modern  barns,  silos,  and  outbuildings,  and  a 
handsome  residence.  He  has  brought  the  place  to  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  and  now  carries  on  general 
farming  here,  and  operates  in  addition  a  large  dairy, 
engaging  in  both  the  wholesale  and  retail  milk  business. 
Mr.  Greene  has  met  with  signal  success  in  his  enter- 
prise and  is  at  the  present  time  recognized  as  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  and  successful  agriculturalists  in  this 
section  of  the  country.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Grange  and  at  present  holds  the  position  of  steward 
of  his  lodge  at  Oak  Lawn.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republi- 
can, but  the  demands  made  upon  his  time  and  attention 
by  his  large  farming  activities  have  prevented  him 
from  taking  that  active  part  in  affairs  for  which  his 
abilities  and  talents  eminently  fit  him.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Greene  is  a  Baptist  and  attends  the  church 
of  that  denomination  at  Oak   Lawn. 

James   Edward   Greene   was   united   in   marriage   on 


JAMES  KING,  who  is  one  of  the  successful  farm- 
ers oi  Cranston.  K.  I.,  where  he  has  been  successfully 
engaged  in  agricultural  operations  for  a  number  of 
years,  is  a  native  of  .Montreal,  Canada,  his  birth  occur- 
ring at  that  place  February  7,  187J.  He  is  a  son  of 
Joseph  and  Julia  (Marcier)  King,  who  were  residents 
of  that  city,  where  his  father  was  employed  for  many 
years.  His  parents  removed  from  Canada  to  the  United 
States  when  he  was  seven  years  of  age,  and  settled  at 
Woonsockct,  where  he  attended  the  parochial  school. 
Upon  completing  his  studies,  -Mr.  King,  who  was  then 
but  thirteen  years  of  age,  came  to  Cranston,  where  he 
secured  a  position  in  a  local  mill.  He  worked  in  the 
mills  of  this  neighborhood  for  about  twelve  years,  and 
then  determined  to  engage  in  farming,  in  which  he  had 
always  been  keenly  interested.  -Accordingly,  he  rented 
a  farm  at  Connecticut,  which  he  operated  for  about  three 
years,  and  then  again  returned  to  work  in  the  mills,  at 
which  he  remained  for  a  similar  period.  This  time  was 
spent  at  Phcnix,  R.  I.,  after  which  he  once  more  took 
up  farming,  this  time  at  Scituate,  and  remained  there 
for  some  fourteen  years.  In  the  year  1915  he  purchased 
his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  at 
Cranston,  and  since  that  time  has  been  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  and  conducting  a  dairy  here.  Mr.  King 
also  operates  an  automobile  supply  station,  where  he 
does  a  large  and  remunerative  business.  He  is  very 
progressive  and  has  met  with  a  high  degree  of  success 
in  all  his  enterprises,  devcloi)ing  his  farm  until  it  has 
become  one  of  the  model  places  of  the  community.  He 
is  at  present  the  owner  of  a  large  herd  of  milch  cows, 
and  his  dairy  is  equipped  in  the  most  modern  and  up-to- 
date  manner.  About  fifteen  years  ago  Mr.  King  became 
a  citizen  of  this  country  and  since  that  time  has  been 
actively  interested  in  public  affairs,  although  he  has 
never  held  public  office.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  consistently  discharges  the  duties  of  full  citizenship. 
In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  King  is  a  Roman  Catholic, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Notre  Dame  Du  Bon 
Conseil  of  this  denomination. 

James  King  married  (first)  Josephine  Jervis,  now 
deceased,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Florence  and  Albert,  who  are  at  the  present  time  both 
students  in  the  local  public  school.  Mr.  King  married 
(second)  March  10,  1914,  at  Phenix,  Falada  Boucher, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  Boucher,  an  old  and  highly  re- 
spected resident  of  that  place.  One  child  has  been  born 
of  this  union.  Fabiola  Pcetier.  Mrs.  King  is  one  of  a 
family  of  eight  children,  born  to  her  parents  as  fol- 
lows: Falada,  who  is  already  mentioned  as  the  wife 
of  James  King;  Joseph,  who  resides  at  Pawtucket;  Al- 
bert, who  makes  his  home  at  Providence;  Wolfred,  who 
also  resides  in  that  city;  Archie,  who  lives  at  Phenix; 
Oscar,  who  is  now  serving  in  the  United  States  army; 
\'era,  and  Laura,  who  both  reside  at  Phenix. 


388 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


JOHN  JOSEPH  MAGUIRE,  freight  agent  of  the 
New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad  Company, 
with  ofSces  at  No.  480  Eddy  street.  Providence,  R.  I.,  is 
a  native  of  Rum  ford,  where  his  birth  occurred,  July  9, 
1SS5.  Mr.  Maguire  is  the  son  of  Philip  J.  and  Katherine 
(Flood)  Maguire,  the  former  deceased,  the  latter  mak- 
ing her  home  with  her  son,  John  J.  Maguire.  Philip  J. 
Maguire  was  for  many  years  engaged  in  the  electrical 
business,  and  was  a  well  known  member  of  the  com- 
munity. 

John  Joseph  Maguire  received  the  elementary  por- 
tion of  his  education  at  the  public  schools  of  Rumford, 
and  upon  completing  his  studies  at  these  institutions, 
entered  La  Salle  Academy  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  where 
he  remained  for  two  years.  In  1904  Mr.  Maguire 
entered  the  service  of  the  New  Haven  Railroad  Com- 
pany, in  the  position  of  yard  clerk.  Mr.  Maguire  soon 
proved  his  value  to  his  employers,  and  was  promoted 
to  the  position  of  billing  clerk,  and  later  to  that  of  agent 
of  the  station  of  Phillipsdale,  R.  I.  Still  later  he  be- 
came freight  agent  at  South  Providence  for  the  New 
York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad.  It  was  in  that 
year  that  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  position, 
which  he  has  held  with  the  utmost  efficiency  and  ability 
ever  since.  Mr.  Maguire.  although  keenly  interested  in 
public  issues  and  questions  generally,  has  never  iden- 
tified himself  with  any  political  party,  preferring  on  the 
contrary  to  remain  entirely  independent  of  all  partisan 
consideration  in  the  casting  of  his  ballot.  In  his  reli- 
gious belief  Mr.  Maguire  is  a  Roman  Catholic,  and 
attends  St.  Clary's  Church  of  this  denomination  at  Rum- 
ford.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Traffic  Club  of  Provi- 
dence; the  Rumford  Improvement  Society,  and  is  vice- 
president  of  the  latter  organization;  also  a  member  of 
the  New  Haven  Club  and  the  New  England  Agents' 
Association. 


JACQUIN  THAYER  BRAZIL— One  of  the  most 
prominent  and  successful  farmers  of  Cranston,  R.  I.,  is 
Jacquin  Thayer  Brazil,  a  native  of  the  Westward  Island, 
a  Portuguese  possession,  and  a  son  of  John  and  Marie 
(Brazil)  Brazil,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
that  place.  His  parents,  although  their  names  were  the 
same,  were  no  relation  to  one  another,  and  lived  during 
their  entire  life  in  the  Westward  Island.  There  the 
childhood  of  Jacquin  Thayer  Brazil  was  passed.  His 
educational  opportunities  in  his  native  land  were  some- 
what meager  and  he  remained  there,  working  at  various 
occupation's,  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  seventeen 
years.  He  was  an  ambitious  lad,  and  determined  to 
come  to  a  country  where  larger  opportunities  awaited 
him  than  he  could  hope  to  find  at  home.  Accordingly, 
in  1889,  he  set  sail  for  the  United  States,  and  after 
reaching  this  country,  came  to  Rhode  Island,  where  he 
settled  and  made  his  home.  For  a  time  he  worked  as 
a  farm  hand  and  by  dint  of  industry  and  strict  economy, 
saved  up  the  major  part  of  his  earnings  with  the  idea 
of  eventually  making  himself  independent.  In  the  year 
190S,  Mr.  Brazil  was  able  to  purchase  his  present  farm, 
and  has  operated  it  himself  ever  since.  This  tract  con- 
sists of  seventy-six  acres  of  land,  some  of  which,  how- 
ever, he  has  added  since  the  original  purchase,  and  this 
he  constantly  keeps  in  the  highest  possible  state  of 
productivity.     He  is   engaged   in  general   farming  and 


dairying  and  has  met  with  success  in  both  departments 
of  his  work.  He  has  made  many  improvements  on  his 
land,  including  the  construction  of  several  large  build- 
ings, a  barn,  silo,  etc.,  and  is  now  thoroughly  equipped 
to  carry  on  his  work  in  the  best  possible  manner.  His 
achievement  has  been  the  result  entirely  of  his  own 
endeavors,  and  he  has  worked  hard  and  saved  money 
consistently,  so  that  he  thoroughly  deserves  the  position 
which  he  has  reached  in  his  adopted  community.  Mr. 
Brazil  enjoys  a  reputation  second  to  none  for  honesty 
and  fair  dealing,  and  the  excellent  products  of  his  farm 
arc  marketed  throughout  this  region. 

Jacquin  Thayer  Brazil  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1913,  with  Margaret  Greenville,  of  Crompton, 
R.  I.,  a  daughter  of  Robert  L.  Greenville,  now  deceased. 


JAMES  BOWIE— When  in  1875,  James  Bowie 
arrived  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  from  Scotland, 
he  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-four,  an  experienced 
pattern-maker  and  foundryman.  Forty-three  years  have 
since  elapsed,  and  he  is  still  a  foundryman,  hale  and 
hearty,  with  a  record  of  not  having  missed  a  day  from 
his  post  since  1885.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  foreman 
of  the  pattern-making  department  and  foundry  super- 
intendent of  the  Builders'  Iron  Foundry  of  Providence, 
and  since  September,  1909,  has  been  superintendent  of 
Fuller's  Iron  Foundry  of  Providence,  R.  I. 

James  Bowie  was  born  in  Scotland,  in  1851,  and  there 
attended  the  public  schools.  Upon  arriving  at  suitable 
age  he  entered  the  Mechanics'  Institute,  and  was  there 
taught  mechanical  drawing.  He  became  a  skilled  pat- 
tern-maker, and  for  several  years  he  was  employed  at 
the  Blakie  Brothers'  Iron  Works  at  Aberdeen,  Scotland, 
holding  the  position  of  foreman.  In  1875  he  came  to 
the  United  States,  locating  in  Philadelphia,  where  he 
was  employed  as  a  pattern-maker,  there  continuing  until 
coming  to  Rhode  Island.  Here  he  has  won  high  stand- 
ing for  mechanical  ability  and  integrity,  has  advanced 
in  rank  until  reaching  his  present  position  as  superin- 
tendent of  Fuller's  Iron.  Foundry,  a  post  he  has  held 
about  nine  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Unitarian 
church,  is  a  lover  of  good  literature,  and  a  man  of 
many  friends. 

Mr.  Bowie  married,  in  Scotland,  Ellen  Dallas,  they 
the  parents  of  seven  children:  Ellen,  born  in  Scotland, 
married  George  McElndowney,  president  of  the  First 
State  Bank  of  Chicago  Heights,  near  Chicago,  111.; 
Catherine,  born  in  Scotland,  married  .Arthur  L.  Vaughn, 
of  Lakewood,  R.  I.;  Annie,  born  in  Philadelphia,  mar- 
ried Newton  Randelman,  of  Butler,  Pa.;  Frank  H.,  born 
in  Providence,  at  what  is  now  the  site  of  the  Builders' 
Iron  Foundry,  he  now  being  a  moulder  in  the  employ  of 
that  company;  James  R.,  born  in  Providence,  now 
assistant  superintendent  of  the  Franklin  Machine  and 
Foundry  of  Providence;  Florence,  born  in  Providence;, 
and  Mabel,  born  in  Chicago  Heights. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  ERSKINE,  superintendent 
of  the  ."Mbion  Mills  at  .\lbion,  and  one  of  the  most 
prominent  figures  in  the  industrial  world  of  this  region, 
is  a  native  of  Quidnick,  where  his  birth  occurred  Janu- 
ary 24,  i860.  Mr.  Erskine  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  .-Ann 
(Frame)  Erskine,  the  former  having  been  a  small  linen 
manufacturer  in  this  State.     Mr.  Erskine's  father  died 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


389 


in  1S67,  when  he  was  but  seven  years  of  age,  and  he 
was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  a  very  early 
period  in  life.  He  enjoyed  but  one  year's  schooling  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  began  to  work 
in  the  local  mills  when  but  eight  years  of  age.  He  has 
been  associated  with  various  mills  in  this  State  con- 
tinuously ever  since,  except  for  a  period  of  twelve  years, 
when  he  was  engaged  in  business  on  the  road  in  setting 
up  machinery  at  various  places  for  a  certain  manufac- 
turer of  cotton  goods.  In  the  year  1902  he  was  ap- 
pointed superintendent  of  the  Albion  Mills  and  has  con- 
tinued in  this  responsible  position  up  to  the  present  time. 
The  concern,  all  the  work  of  which  he  superintends, 
employs  at  the  present  time  about  five  hundred  ninety 
hands.  It  has  grown  enormously  under  the  capable 
management  of  Mr.  Erskine,  and  from  thirty-eight 
thousand  spindles,  which  wore  operated  when  he  first 
took  control,  the  number  has  grown  to  that  of  sixty-two 
thousand.  During  the  same  period  the  looms  had  in- 
creased in  number  from  eight  hundred  thirty-eight  to 
twelve  hundred  ninety.  About  thirty-tive  per  cent,  of 
the  employees  are  women.  Mr.  Erskine  has,  therefore, 
increased  the  capacity  of  the  plant  almost  one  hundred 
per  cent,  since  first  coming  here,  and  is  justly  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  successful  manufacturers  in  the 
State. 

Mr.  Erskine  is  also  prominent  in  the  general  life  of 
the  community,  is  a  member  of  Pawtucket  Lodge.  No. 
920.  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  is 
well  known  in  social  circles  here.  He  is  an  Independent 
in  politics,  but  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  is  not  affiliated 
with  any  party,  has  been  very  prominent  in  public 
::fTairs.  He  enjoys  a  large  personal  following,  and  in 
~  and  1908  represented  this  community  in  the  State 
:  Liiatc.  During  these  two  years  he  served  as  chairman 
of  the  committee  on  State  property  and  as  a  member 
of  the  committee  on  pardons.  Mr.  Erskine  has  also 
served  for  a  number  of  years  on  the  Lincoln  Town 
Council,  and  was  president  of  the  same  for  two  years. 

William  Henry  Erskine  was  united  in  marriage 
(first)  in  October,  1890,  with  Ellen  Reed,  whose  death 
occurred  October  4,  1894.  They  were  the  parents  of 
two  children,  as  follows :  William  Henry,  Jr.,  who 
served  two  years  in  the  15th  Company,  Coast  .Artillery 
Corps,  of  Rhode  Island,  with  the  American  E.xpedi- 
tionary  Forces ;  and  Francis  Thomas,  whose  death 
occurred  October  i.  1918.  Mr.  Erskine  married  (sec- 
ond) March  6,  1896,  Margaret  Reed,  a  cousin  of  his 
first  wife,  and  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Helena  Reed. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erskine  four  children  have  been 
born,  as  follows :  John  Henry ;  Charles  Edward ;  Man' 
E. ;   and  Margaret. 


HARRY  OGDEN  BEDFORD— .\s  superintendent 
of  the  Victoria  Mills  of  Thornton,  R.  I.,  engaged  in  the 
textile  business  as  commission  combers  of  wool,  Mr. 
Bedford  holds  an  important  position,  as  the  business 
is  a  large  and  important  one.  The  plant  employs  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  hands  in  fifty  thousand  square 
feet  of  floor  space,  the  main  building  being  U\c  and 
six  stories  in  height,  three  large  and  one  small  auto 
truck  being  used  in  the  receiving  and  delivery  depart- 
ments.     Mr.    Bedford's    connection    with    the    Victoria 


Mills  dates  from  the  year  1898,  when  he  entered  the 
clerical  service  of  the  corporation  and  in  which  he 
advanced  in  rank  until,  at  the  death  of  his  honored 
father,  he  succeeded  him  as  superintendent. 

Ephraim  Bedford,  of  Bradford,  England,  a  skilled 
textile  worker  and  mill  manager,  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  family  in  September,  1897,  and  in  1898 
became  superintendent  of  the  \'ictoria  Mills  at  Thorn- 
ton. R.  I.,  a  position  he  held  until  his  death  in  Septem- 
ber, 1916.  He  married,  in  England,  .\nnic  Ogden,  who 
is  yet  living,  a  resident  of  Thornton. 

Harry  Ogden  Bedford,  son  of  Ephraim  and  .\nnie 
(Ogden)  Bedford,  was  born  in  Bradford,  England,  No- 
vember 6,  1884,  and  there  resided  until  1898,  obtaining 
his  education  in  the  public  schools.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents,  and  in  the  same  year 
entered  the  office  employ  of  the  \'ictoria  Mills  at  Thorn- 
ton. R.  I.,  his  father  being  superimcndent  of  the  mills. 
Twenty  years  have  since  elapsed  and  the  association 
still  continues,  he  succeeding  his  father  as  superin- 
tendent in  1916.  He  has  been  connected  with  every 
department  in  his  upward  rise,  is  master  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  a  thoroughly  capable  superintendent.  Mr. 
Bedford  is  a  member  of  the  National  .Association  of 
Woolen  and  Worsted  Overseers,  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, a  communicant  of  Holy  Nativity  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  a  member  of  the  Pocassct  Social 
Club  of  Thornton. 

Mr.  Bedford  married.  June  20,  1907,  Ivy  Dalton,  of 
Thornton,  and  they  arc  the  parents  of  two  daughters: 
Marjorie  Dalton  and   Beatrice   Eleanor. 


DAVID  A.  HAIG,  the  efficient  and  successful 
agent  of  the  Weybosset  Mills  of  Olneyville,  is  a  native 
of  Scotland,  having  l)ecn  born  at  Innerleithen,  in  that 
country,  March  23,  1877.  He  is  a  son  of  .-\dam  .\.  and 
Julia  (.Aaronson)  Haig,  the  former  a  native  of  Edin- 
burgh, where  he  was  born  in  1838,  and  the  latter  of 
Glasgow,  where  she  was  born  in  1849.  The  elder  Mr. 
Haig  was  a  successful  mill  man  and  his  death  occurred 
on  November  5,  1894,  and  that  of  his  wife  in  1909. 
The  childhood  and  early  life  of  David  A.  Haig  was 
passed  in  his  native  land  and  it  was  there  that  he 
received  his  education,  attending  the  local  public  schools 
for  this  purpose.  Upon  completing  his  studies  he  served 
as  an  apprentice  designer,  in  the  mill  at  Innerleithen  for 
five  years  and  from  there  went  to  Selkirk,  Scotland, 
where  he  was  employed  for  one  year.  Voung  Mr.  Haig 
was  of  an  exceedingly  enterprising  nature,  and  deter- 
mined to  come  to  .America  to  engage  in  the  manufac- 
turing industry  here.  Accordingly,  he  made  the  trip  to 
this  country  and  settled  at  Skowhegan,  Me.,  where  he 
became  associated  with  the  .Anderson  Mill  of  that  place, 
continuing  there  for  twelve  years,  first  in  the  capacity  of 
designer,  later  as  superintendent,  and  finally  as  agent. 
It  was  at  the  close  of  that  period  that  Mr.  Haig  came 
to  Olneyville,  in  this  State,  to  take  the  position  as  agent 
with  the  great  Weybossett  Mill,  a  position  which  he  has 
continued  to  hold  since  1910.  Mr.  Haig  has  met  with 
great  success  in  his  chosen  career  and  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  most  successful  mill  men  of  this  district.  His 
personality  and  character  have  won  him  a  host  of  warm 
friends  and  admirers,  and  he  enjoys  a  wide  popularity 


390 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


throughout  the  community  at  large.  Mr.  Haig  is  a 
prominent  figure  in  fraternal  and  club  circles  here  and 
is  a  member  of  various  Masonic  bodies,  the  Wanna- 
moisett  Country  Club,  the  Rhode  Island  Country  Club, 
and  the  Southern  New  England  Textile  and  Economic 
Club. 

David  A.  Haig  was  united  in  marriage  on  September 
14,  1904,  at  Skovvhegan,  Me.,  with  Sarah  L.  Jewett,  of 
that  place,  and  a  daughter  of  David  C.  and  Louise 
(Moore)  Jewett,  the  former  a  farmer  of  Skowhegan. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haig  one  child  has  been  born,  Jessie 
L.  Haig,  May  15,  1912,  who  is  now  a  pupil  in  the  local 
kindergarten.  Mr.  Haig  finds  his  recreation  in  golf  and 
other  outdoor  sports.    He  is  also  a  wide  reader. 


JOHN  JOSEPH  MADDEN,  M.  D.— A  graduate 
of  Tufts  Medical  School,  Dr.  Madden  has  practiced 
in  Providence  since  1913,  and  is  winning  his  way  to 
public  confidence  and  favor,  his  ofSce  at  No.  116  Gov- 
ernor street.  He  was  born  in  Nenagh,  County  Tip- 
perary,  Ireland,  February  23,  1880,  son  of  John  Joseph 
and  Winifred  (Kennedy)  Madden,  both  deceased,  his 
father  an  Irish  gentleman  of  some  means.  In  1883 
the  family  came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Wal- 
tham,  Mass.,  where  John  J.  Madden  attended  paro- 
chial school  and  La  Salle  Academy,  being  a  graduate 
of  the  latter  institution,  class  of  1899.  He  was  vari- 
ously engaged  until  1908,  when  he  entered  the  medical 
department  of  Tufts  L'niversity,  there  continuing  until 
1912,  when  he  was  graduated  M.  D.  He  was  interne 
at  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  Providence,  during  the  next 
eighteen  months,  but  in  1913  he  began  general  prac- 
tice in  Providence,  where  he  continues,  well  estab- 
lished and  successful.  He  is  a  member  of  local  medi- 
cal societies,  St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
Knights  of  Columbus,  Tufts  Medical  School  Alumni 
Association,  and  a   Democrat  in  politics. 

Dr.  Madden  married,  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  Novem- 
ber 30,  1916,  Elizabeth  Veronica  Campbell,  of  that 
city.  Other  members  of  his  family  in  the  L^nited 
States  are  his  two  brothers,  Matthew,  of  Waltham, 
Mass.,  and  Thomas,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  also  two 
sisters,  Margaret,  of  Waltham,  Mass.,  and  Annie,  of 
New   Haven.  Conn. 


EDWIN  BOWEN  EVANS— In  the  "Evans  neigh- 
borhood," near  the  present  town  line  dividing  Smith- 
field  from  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  Richard  (2)  Evans, 
son  of  Richard  Evans,  the  Englishman  who  located 
in  Dorchester,  Mass.,  in  1635,  settled,  having  sold 
his  homestead  in  Killingly,  about  1710.  He  was 
accompanied  by  his  family,  and  there  the  Rhode 
Island  family  of  Evans  was  founded.  Edwin  Bowen 
Evans,  manufacturing  jeweler  of  Providence,  is  of 
the  eighth  American  generation,  son  of  Henry  Rem- 
ington Evans,  of  Providence,  son  of  Jehu  Evans, 
of  Johnston,  son  of  Elisha  Evans,  of  Smithfield,  son 
of  David  (2)  Evans,  the  farmer-miller  of  the  "Evans 
neighborhood,"  son  of  David  (l)  Evans,  who  came 
with  his  father  from  Killingly,  Conn.,  son  of  Richard 
(2)  Evans,  the  first  known  white  settler  of  Killingly, 
Conn.  (1693),  son  of  Richard  Evans,  of  Dorchester, 
Mass.,   1640. 


Henry  Remington  Evans,  of  the  seventh  genera- 
tion, was  born  in  the  town  of  Johnston,  R.  I.,  and 
there  attended  the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  fif- 
teen he  left  school,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  came 
to  Providence,  where  under  the  instruction  of  his 
brother,  Elisha  Owen,  he  learned  the  mason's  trade, 
working  thereat  for  five  years.  During  this  period  he 
attended  Schofield's  Commercial  College  in  Worcester 
for  two  terms,  taking  special  courses  in  architectural 
drawing.  After  mastering  the  mason's  trade,  he  did 
not  follow  that  occupation,  but  joining  another 
brother,  James  Simmons  Evans,  a  millwright,  he 
learned  that  and  other  branches  of  the  carpenter's 
trade,  working  as  journeyman  until  1875.  In  that  year 
he  began  contracting  under  his  own  name,  so  contin- 
uing until  1887,  when  his  son,  Henry  L.  Evans,  was 
admitted  to  a  partnership,  and  the  firm  became  Henry 
R.  Evans  &  Son.  They  became  one  of  the  strong 
contracting  firms  of  the  city,  making  a  specialty  of 
residences,  but  also  executing  some  mill  contracts.  In 
1901  Henry  R.  Evans  was  appointed  superintendent  of 
public  buildings  of  the  city  of  Providence,  appointed 
and  reappointed  by  the  Common  Council  as  each  term 
expired.  In  politics  he  was  an  Independent,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  Providence  Central  Club.  Mr.  Evans 
died  May  6,  1914. 

Mr.  Evans  married,  in  Greenville.  R.  I.,  Novem- 
ber 20,  1859,  Anna  McDermontt  Rowe,  born  Sep- 
tember 8,  1841,  daughter  of  John  and  Bessie  (Leon- 
ard) McDermontt  Rowe.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  were 
the  parents  of  six  children,  four  daughters  and  two 
sons:  I.  Anna  Eliza,  married  Henry  F.  Horton,  of 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  they  have  children:  Henry  F., 
Jr.,  Anna  E.,  Elizabeth 'b..  Earl  R.,  and  Ruth  S. 
Horton.  2.  Abby.  died  in  childhood.  3.  Henry  Lester, 
born  Sept.  4,  1867,  long  associated  in  business  with 
his  father.  He  married  Florence  L.  Eaton.  4.  Fan- 
nie R.,  married  John  C.  Budlong,  Jr.,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  Martha  Williamson  Budlong.  5.  Sarah 
Bowen,  married  Frederick  R.  Harris.  6.  Edwin 
Bowen,    of    further   mention. 

Edwin  Bowen  Evans  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
February  10,  1878,  and  moved  to  Providence  in 
June,  1893,  and  prepared  for  college  in  the  Provi- 
dence High  School.  He  then  entered  Brown  Univer- 
sity, whence  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
A.  B.,  class  of  looi.  Mr.  Evans  began  his  business 
career  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  tlie  firm  of  Waite, 
Mathewson  Company,  manufacturing  jewelers,  of 
Providence.  He  continued  with  this  concern  for  four 
years,  until  1905.  He  then  became  office  manager  and 
in  1908  the  firm  incorporated  as  the  Waite,  Evans 
Company,  of  which  Mr.  Evans  became  the  secretary, 
treasurer,  and  general  manager,  and  as  such  he  con- 
tinues to  date  (ignf).  The  Waite,  Evans  Company 
make  a  general  assortment  of  gold  jewelry,  church 
goods  and  special  emblems  and  the  like  for  fraternal 
societies. 

On  October  28,  1903.  Mr.  Evans  married  Helen  A. 
Waite.  daughter  of  Charles  D.  Waite,  of  Providence. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  were  the  parents  of  a  daughter, 
Marian  Isabella,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Evans  is 
a    member    of    Corinthian    Lodge,    No.    27,    Free    and 


^t^t^^^^^y 


■9?. 


BIOGR.'VPHICAL 


391 


Accepted  Masons,  of  which  he  is  a  past  master;  Provi- 
dence Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons:  St.  John's  Com- 
itiandery,  Xo.  i,  Knights  Templar;  Palestine  Temple, 
Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine; 
Rhode  Island  Consistory,  in  which  he  has  received  the 
thirty-second  degree;  the  Providence  Central  Club; 
and  the  Economic  Club. 


MONSIGNEUR  CHARLES  DAURAY— It  is  the 

peculiar  privilege  of  the  Catholic  church  to  speak 
most  intimately  to  those  great  masses  of  people  that 
we  roughly  class  as  "the  poor,"  and  its  strength  that 
It  speaks  to  them  in  a  language  that  they  both  under- 
stand and  love.  It  does  not  lack  authority  for  stating 
as  one  proof  of  the  truth  of  its  mission  that  "the  poor 
have  the  gospel  preached  to  them."  This  alliance,  the 
strongest  of  earthly  unions,  because  it  bears  in  it 
something  of  the  divine,  the  alliance  between  the 
church  and  the  democracy,  is  further  manifested  in  the 
f.TCt  that,  not  alone  are  its  congregations  made  up  so 
largely  of  the  poor,  but  that  the  training  that  it  pre- 
scribes for  its  priests  and  ministers  is  such  as  to  em- 
phasize and  lay  stress  on  those  very  qualities  of  meek- 
ness and  humility  that  we  think  of  as  the  attributes  at 
once  of  the  lowly  and  unfortunate  classes  of  the  heav- 
enly leader  when  He  took  upon  Himself  the  human 
I  haracter.  It  is  these  qualities,  the  possession  of  which 
i^  a  condition  of  entrance  to  the  ranks  of  this  high 
I  riesthood.  that  give  to  its  ministries  that  devotional 
ciiaracter  inseparable  from  reverence  and  self-forget- 
fulness,  and  make  them  above  all  others  a  power  for 
overcoming  the  sorrows  and  difficulties  of  the  world. 
An  excellent  example  of  this  self-sacrificing  devotion 
on  the  part  of  the  Catholic  priest  is  to  be  found  in 
the  career  of  Monsigneur  Charles  Dauray,  the  vener- 
able rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood,  of 
\\'oonsocket  who,  for  nearly  half  a  century,  has  been 
identified  with  the  religious  life  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
in  that  time  has  made  for  himself  a  position  in  the 
esteem  and  affection,  not  only  of  his  co-religionists,  but 
of  the  community-at-large.  shared  by  very  few. 

Monsigneur  Dauray  is  a  native  of  Canada,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  the  town  of  Marieville,  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  March  15,  1838.  As  a  lad  he 
attended  the  parochial  schools  of  his  native  place,  and 
after  preparation  for  college,  entered  the  College 
at  Marieville.  where  he  took  the  usual  classical  course. 
The  young  man  had  early  realized  his  call  to  a  reli- 
gious life  and  determined  to  abandon  the  world  and 
enter  the  priesthood  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  to 
which  his  forebears  had  been  adherents  from  time  im- 
memorial. Accordingly,  upon  completing  his  regular 
college  course,  he  entered  Grand  Seminary,  the  famous 
Catholic  theology  school  at  Montreal,  and  there  pur- 
sued his  studies  in  divinity.  He  was  ordained  a  priest, 
December  17,  1870.  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Charles  Larocque, 
Bishop  of  St.  Hyacinthe.  Two  years  later,  having 
been  director  of  the  College  de  Monnoir.  Marieville, 
he  came  to  Providence.  R.  I.,  for  a  vacation,  his  health 
being  rather  poor.  Bishop  Hendricken  was  looking  for 
a  priest  to  take  charge  of  the  French  people  of  Paw- 
tucket,  so  obtaining  the  permission  of  his  Bishop  from 
St.  Hyacinthe,  he  consented  to  stay  a  couple  of  years 
to  org^anize  the  new  congregation.    This  task  was  one 


in  which  the  unusual  talent  at  organizing  of  Father 
Dauray  was  very  valuable  and  he  accfimplished  it  with 
a  high  degree  of  success.  He  built  a  church  at  that 
place  and  the  parish  grew  and  prospered  exceedingly 
under  his  capable  guidance  until  1875.  when  he  was 
transferred  and  appointed  pastor  of  the  rapidly  devel- 
oping parish  of  The  Precious  Blood  of  Woonsocket, 
where  he  has  remained  ever  since. 

The  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood,  of  which  Mon- 
signeur Dauray  has  been  the  pastor  for  so  many  years, 
is  an  offshoot  of  the  Church  of  St.  Charles,  one  of  the 
oldest  in  the  community,  and  which  was  founded  by 
the  Rev.  Father  Robert  D.  Woody  in  1828,  when  he 
came  to  Woonsocket  and  for  a  time  said  mass  in  a 
private  house  here.  There  was  soon  a  large  element 
oi  F'rench-Canadians  in  the  congregation,  for  whom 
was  provided  an  assistant  to  the  pastor  who  was  able 
to  preach  to  them  in  French.  This  lasted  until  the  year 
1S7J,  when  a  new  parish  was  furmed  uf  those  who  spoke 
that  language  and  the  parish  of  Du  Precieux  Sang 
came  into  existence.  The  first  pastor  of  this  new 
(lock  was  the  Rev.  Father  .-Kntoine  D.  Bernard,  who 
in  the  following  year  purchased  the  land  and  laid  the 
cornerstone  of  a  large  church  edifice.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded about  that  time  by  the  Rev.  Father  Berkins, 
who  built  the  church.  It  was  not  finished  inside.  The 
basement  had  been  arranged  as  a  place  of  worship. 
He  was  removed  in  1875.  It  was  in  that  year 
Father  Dauray  was  appointed  pastor  of  the  Church  of 
the  Precious  Blood.  Scarcely  three  months  after  his 
appointment,  February  2,  1876,  the  church  was  blown 
down,  and  he  was  left  without  a  church.  This  acci- 
dent entailed  upon  the  parish  a  pecuniary  loss  of  some 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  but  in  spite  of  it,  and 
under  the  leadership  of  Father  Dauray,  a  new  attempt 
was  made  with  the  result  that  by  July  29,  1888,  the  new 
church  was  ready  for  dedication.  The  general  appear- 
ance of  the  church  is  one  of  dignified  simplicity  with- 
out and  richness  01  decoration  within,  which  makes  it 
one  of  the  handsomest  structures  of  its  kind  in  the 
city.  It  contains  the  customary  three  altars,  the  prin- 
cipal one  being  less  than  thirty-three  feet  in  height, 
and  an  organ  thirty-one  feet  high.  It  accommodates 
a  congregation  of  two  thousand,  and  cost  in  all  the 
sum  of  eighty  thousand  dollars.  But  it  is  not  so  much 
the  material  achievement  of  Monsigneur  Dauray  in 
behalf  of  the  parish  that  is  noteworthy,  although  that 
has  been  considerable  enough,  but  the  religious  influ- 
ence he  has  had  upon  his  flock  and  his  work  for  their 
spiritual  betterment.  He  has  made  a  unique  place  for 
himself  in  their  esteem  and  affection,  and  so  harmon- 
ious has  been  the  relation  that  he  has  attained  for  the 
pastorate  one  irremovable,  by  order  of  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Matthew  J.  Harkins,  bishop  of  the  Providence  dio- 
cese, which  gives  him  his  present  post  permanently  so 
that  he  and  the  members  of  his  flock  may  never  be 
separated  during  his  life.  This  is  a  high  honor  which 
has  been  bestowed  upon  very  few  parishes  in  the 
diocese,  which  in  order  to  receive,  must  he  firmly 
established  with  church,  schools,  etc.,  and  with  a  debt 
less  than  one-fourth  of  the  total  valuation  of  the  prop- 
erty. In  the  case  of  the  Parish  of  the  Precious  Blood, 
when  it  was  given  this  status,  the  property  was  valued 
at  above  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  while  the  debt 


392 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


amounted  to  about  forty-seven  thousand.  Among  the 
notable  achievements  of  Monsigneur  Dauray  during  his 
long  pastorate  here  have  been  the  erection  of  a  build- 
ing for,  and  the  establishment  of  the  convent  and 
school  of  Les  Dames  de  Jesus-Marie,  at  a  cost  of  some 
seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  Later  on,  the  same  sis- 
ters became  proprietors  of  that  property  and  erected 
thereon  a  new  school  (academy)  at  the  cost  of  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  keeping  the  main  building 
for  a  boarding  school,  where  they  have  seventy-five 
pupils.  This  is  now  occupied  by  thirty-five  sisters  of  that 
order,  thirty  of  whom  are  teachers  and  have  charge  of 
the  excellent  school,  with  an  attendance  of  upwards  of 
one  thousand  pupils.  Then  there  is  also  the  Sacred 
Heart  Academy,  with  nine  male  teachers  of  that  order 
and  three  hundred  pupils.  In  addition  to  these,  the 
Franciscan  Sisters,  Missionaries  of  Mary,  have  a 
house  of  their  order,  where  they  are  in  charge  of  an 
orphanage,  where  they  take  care  of  three  hundred  chil- 
dren. There  is  also  the  Hospice  St.  Antoine,  where 
the  gray  nuns  take  care  of  the  aged.  In  the  great 
work  which  these  various  foundations  entail  in  addi- 
tion to  the  customary  activities  of  the  parish,  Mon- 
signeur Dauray  has  had  the  assistance  of  several 
priests,  his  curates,  who  have  ably  seconded  his  efforts, 
and  not  the  least  of  his  achievements  has  been  that  he 
has  instituted  and  maintained  a  spirit  of  complete  har- 
mony and  peace  in  the  workings  of  the  various  factors 
in  the  complex  organization  that  he  heads. 

On  June  8,  1918,  Father  Dauray  was  raised  to  the 
rank  of  monsigneur,  by  His  Holiness,  Pope  Benedict 
XV.,  as  a  fitting  honor  and  recognition  of  his  great 
and  worthy  services,  not  only  to  his  own  parish,  but  to 
the  cause  of  religion  generally.  Monsigneur  Dauray 
is  the  possessor  of  qualities  of  mind  and  spirit  that  fit 
him  peculiarly  for  the  priesthood.  Hs  is  a  man  with 
a  natural  bent  for  spiritual  things,  his  attention  spon- 
taneously fixed  upon  them,  and  it  is  while  employed  in 
their  study  and  contemplation  that  he  is  happiest. 
Kindly  in  manner  and  easy  of  approach,  he  quickly 
wins  the  hearts  of  all  those  who  come  in  contact  with 
him.  and  especially  of  those  who  are  his  natural 
charges,  the  members  of  his  congregation,  none  of 
whom  but  love  him  and  come  to  him  with  their  trou- 
bles and  problems,  prcassured  of  help  and  good  advice. 
His  attitude  towards  his  fellow  men  is  informed  and 
guided  by  a  true  sense  of  Christian  charity  and  none 
ever  came  to  him  for  succor  and  went  away  unsatis- 
fied. His  work  among  the  poor  of  his  flock  has  been 
notable  and  he  has  made  a  place  for  himself  in  the 
community  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  fill.  Much 
might  be  said  of  his  work,  but  perhaps  it  may  best  be 
summed  up  in  the  statement  that  he  fulfills  the  duties 
of  his  high  office  adequately  and  in  the  spirit  of  the 
great  institution  whose  servant  it  is  his  pride  to  be 
counted. 


Burnham,  a  cabinet  maker  of  that  town,  and  Abigal 
(Patch)  Burnham.  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
children:  George;  Abby,  deceased:  Edward  Everett. 
Edward  E.  Burnham  was  educated  in  the  Manches- 
ter primary,  grammar,  and  high  schools.  When 
eighteen  years  old  he  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  but 
not  caring  to  continue  in  this  line  of  work,  he  became, 
at  twenty-two  years  of  age,  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of 
Joseph  b.  Proctor,  who  conducted  a  fishing  busi- 
ness at  Gloucester,  Mass.,  but  left  Mr.  Proctor's 
employ  to  go  into  partnership  with  some  others  in 
the  fishing  business  under  the  name  of  Edward  E. 
Burnham  &  Company.  This  was  closed  out  in  1871, 
and  for  a  time  the  young  man  was  connected  with  J.  R. 
Bartlett  &  Company  as  salesman,  later  giving  this  up 
to  become  a  salesman  for  Masury.  Young  &  Company, 
dealers  in  oils,  greases,  soaps,  diiiinfectants,  etc.,  these 
supplies  being  used  in  the  manufacture  of  textile 
goods,  cotton  and  woolen  fabrics.  He  has  been  con- 
nected with  this  concern  ever  since.  It  is  interesting 
to  quote  here  from  the  "Trade  Journal"  of  1913,  a 
short  article  commenting  upon  this  long  continued 
service  in  one  firm: 

It  is  probable  that  Edward  E.  Burnham  holds  the 
record  for  the  longest  continual  representation  of  any 
Boston  firm  as  a  traveling  salesman.  On  the  tenth  of 
November.  1871,  fortv-one  years  ago,  he  started  out  on 
the  road  for  the  flrin  of  Masury,  Young  &  Company, 
now  the  Masury-Young  Company,  importers  and  deal- 
ers in  oiI.«.  greases,  etc.,  99  Central  street,  Boston, 
Mass.  He  has  been  with  this  firm  ever  since  and  there 
is  no  man  in  that  line  of  business  better  known  in  the 
offices  of  more  mills  than  Mr.  Burnham.  He  is  now 
seventv-four  years  of  age,  and  on  his  regular  round  of 
calls  is  welcomed  by  a  host  of  friends  among  mill 
managers,  manv  of  whom  he  has  seen  grow  up  from 
bovhood,  through  different  departments  of  responsi- 
bility. 

In  point  of  age  Mr.  Burnham  is  probably  one  of  the 
oldest  salesmen  on  the  road.  While  Mr.  Burnham  is 
a  Free  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  he  is  not  at  the  present  time 
affiliated  with  any  particular  lodge.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  a  Universalist  in  religion. 

Mr.  Burnham  married  (first)  Emily  W.  Davis,  of 
Gloucester,  daughter  of  John  J.  Davis,  a  sea  captain 
of  that  place.  She  died  in  1881.  The  children  of  this 
marriage  are:  I.  Everett  D.,  born  Nov.  21,  1866;  a 
mill  overseer  in  Nashua;  married  Esther  Mills,  of 
Lawrence,  Mass.,  and  they  have  one  child,  Esther 
Burnham.  2.  Abram  W.  D.,  born  July  10,  1873;  with 
the  Carter  Rice  Paper  Company  of  Nashua;  married 
Cora  Parker,  of  Nashua,  and  has  one  child,  Edward 
P.  Burnham.  Mr.  Burnham  married  (second)  Clara 
D.  Eldridge,  of  New  Bedford,  daughter  of  John 
Eldridge,  for  many  years  superintendent  of  the  New- 
Bedford  Cordage  Works.  There  is  one  child  by  this 
marriage,  Mabel,  born  April  12.  1885.  Mrs.  Burnham 
died   October  26,   1914. 


EDWARD  EVERETT  BURNHAM  is  a  man, 
upright,  just  and  manly,  and  in  business  affairs  the 
soul  of  honor.  These  commendable  qualities,  together 
with  a  long  successful  career  as  a  salesman,  naturally 
gained  for  him  a  wide  circle  of  warm  personal  friends. 
Edward  Everett  Burnham  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Manchester,    Mass.,    July    21,    1839,    the    son    of    Arba 


FRANK  L.TUCKER— The  Tuckers  are  an  ancient 
New  England  family,  but  in  Rhode  Island  not  a 
numerous  one,  according  to  vital  records.  John  Tucker 
was  admitted  a  freeman  of  the  colony  at  Providence 
in  1708,  Nathaniel  at  Smithfield  in  1734,  Silas  at  Glou- 
cester in  1735,  Morris  at  Westerly  in  1738,  and  Ben- 
jamin at  Portsmouth  in   1740.     The  great-grandfather 


/^O-^.'v-tX^      -^    €!,i3LtyVl»yYoLf 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


393 


of  Frank  L.  Tucker,  of  Pawtuxet,  settled  in  Con- 
necticut, but  his  son  settled  in  Pawtuxet,  R.  I.  He 
was  a  sea  captain  and  owned  vessel  property,  but  also 
became  heavily  interested  in  real  estate,  and  at  one 
time  owned  from  the  bay  back  to  the  river,  being  one 
of  the  rich  men  of  his  town.  Captain  Tucker  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  sons:  James,  Zachariah,  Henry,  and 
George  L..  all  of  whom  became  prominent  in  business 
and   professional   life. 

George  L.  Tucker  was  born  in  Pawtuxet.  R.  I.  As 
a  young  man  he  engaged  successfully  in  the  jewelry 
manufacturing  business,  which  was  later  destroyed  by 
fire.  He  then  engaged  in  the  coal  business  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  located  on  Westminster  street,  then  on 
Eddy  street,  and  then  on  Dorrance  street,  conducting 
a  very  large  and  successful  contracting  business  for 
five  years,  after  which  time  he  retired.  Finding  time 
heavy  on  his  hands,  he  learned  dentistry  from  his 
bosom  friend.  Dr.  Martin,  one  of  the  old  time  den- 
tists of  Providence.  Dr.  Tucker  practiced  for  ten 
years,  and  in  September,  1897,  he  inherited  property 
from  his  father,  and  that  part  suitable  he  platted  as  an 
addition  to  Pawtuxet,  his  son,  Frank  L.,  now  residing 
on  Tucker  avenue,  which  avenue  was  named  for  the 
family.  George  L.  Tucker  married  Carrie  V".  Lyon, 
of  Massachusetts  birth,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
a  daughter,  Elizabeth,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
eight  years,  and  a  son,  Frank  L.,  of  whom  further. 

Frank  L.  Tucker,  only  son  of  George  L.  and  Car- 
rie V.  (Lyon)  Tucker,  was  born  in  Providence.  R.  L, 
at  the  family  home  on  Stewart  street,  November  28, 
1853,  but  two  years  later  he  was  taken  to  Pawtuxet, 
which  has  since  been  his  home.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  and  Schofield's  Commercial  Col- 
lege, beginning  his  business  career  as  office  clerk  in 
a  factory  of  Providence,  R.  L,  remaining  three  years. 
He  then  was  sent  out  as  a  traveling  salesman,  and 
for  ten  years  sold  the  products  of  the  same  mill  to 
the  trade  in  the  territory  assigned  him.  He  next 
spent  three  years  in  the  same  service  for  a  New 
York  house.  He  then  retired  from  the  road  and 
located  in  Providence,  and  there  for  thirty  years  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  the  brokerage  business.  During 
twenty  of  those  years,  he  also  engaged  in  extensive 
real  estate  operations,  platted  additions  to  Pawtuxet, 
built  fourteen  residences  there,  and  has  added  greatly 
to  the  residence  desirability  of  that  community.  He 
resides  on  a  part  of  the  ancient  lands  owned  by  his 
grandfather.  In  his  younger  days,  Mr.  Tucker  was 
an  owner  of  a  large  number  of  horses,  and  for  four- 
teen years  owned  one  of  the  largest  and  best  equipped 
stock  farms,  and  owned  many  famous  trotters  in  his 
davs. 


DANIEL  MANN  EDWARDS,  M.  D.— A  native 
son  of  Maine,  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army,  a  medical 
practitioner  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  1867-1885.  and  from 
the  latter  year  until  his  death  in  1919  a  leader  in  the 
real  estate  business,  the  long  life  of  Dr.  Daniel  Mann 
Edwards  reflected  credit  upon  himself  and  the  hon- 
ored family  name  he  bore.  Seventy  and  five  were  the 
years  of  his  life  and  from  boyhood  they  were  years  of 
activity  and  usefulness.    A  soldier  of  the  Union  at  the 


age  of  nineteen,  a  graduate  in  medicine  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three,  a  practicing  physician  until  age  of 
forty-one,  compelled  to  abandon  his  profession  through 
deafness  caused  by  the  war,  and  then  until  his  death, 
in  1919,  a  successful  business  man.  Doctor  Edwards' 
life  contained  no  blank  pages,  but  is  a  record  of  con- 
stant, energetic,  helpful  effort.  A  leader  in  the  real 
estate  business,  he  contributed  much  to  the  progress 
of  the  town  and  city  of  Woonsocket  and  went  to  his 
grave  honored,  loved  and  respected. 

Dr.  Edwards  is  a  son  of  .Azariah  and  Catherine 
(Mann)  Edwards  and  a  descendant  of  Samuel  Mann, 
one  of  the  first  graduates  of  Harvard  College.  .■Xzariah 
Edwards  cleared  from  the  wilderness  the  large  farm 
he  owned  at  Lincoln,  Me.,  and  there  dwelt  for  many 
years,  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  a  citizen  of  influence 
and  substance.  Catherine  (Mann)  Edwards,  a  woman 
of  marked  intellectuality,  was  a  successful  writer  of 
Sunday  school  books,  and  in  connection  with  her  liter- 
ary work  journeyed  often  to  Boston,  where  she  met 
and  fraternized  with  the  cultured  minds  of  her  day. 

Daniel  Mann  Edwards  was  born  in  Lincoln.  Me., 
January  28,  1844.  died  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  June  6, 
1919.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  and  academy  of 
Lincoln,  and  there  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his 
life.  He  then  entered  in  the  First  Regiment  of  Maine, 
Heavy  Artillery,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
In  1S65  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  there  continuing  until  graduated 
M.  D.,  class  of  1867.  He  located  to  practice  in  Woon- 
socket, R.  I.,  and  there  continued  with  success  until 
deafness,  contracted  in  the  war,  compelled  him  to  re- 
linquish professional  work  in  1885.  Thereafter  he 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in  Woonsocket  and 
in  that  line  of  activity  continued  with  abundant  results 
until  his  death,  thirty  years  later.  In  his  real  estate 
operations  he  designed  the  buildings  he  caused  to  be 
erected  on  the  various  tracts  which  he  improved  and 
added  to  the  city's  area,  and  was  preeminently  useful 
in  the  upbuilding  of  Woonsocket.  He  was  a  man  of 
superior  intellectual  attainments,  a  wide  reader  and 
traveler,  conserving  his  enthusiasm  for  life  and  his 
deep  human  sympathy  until  his  very  death.  He  was 
elected  vice-president  of  the  New  England  Association 
of  the  alumni  of  the  University  of  Michigan  at  its 
organization,  and  aided  in  founding  the  Cumberland 
Golf  Club  of  Wooniiocket.  He  also  served  as  a  trustee 
of  the  Woonsocket  Public  Library.  The  following 
just  tribute  to  his  marked  personality  was  paid  him  by 
an  old  friend: 

He  was  a  man  of  high  Intelligence  and  rare  ability, 
useful  In  his  profession,  of  true  literary  taste,  of  most 
pleasing  presence  and  courteous  manner.s.  Our  very 
agreeable  companionship  of  the  days  of  the  long  ago 
Is  among  my   cherished  memories. 

Dr.  Edwards  married,  January  26.  1870,  Laura  Bal- 
lou,  youngest  daughter  of  .^riel  Ballou,  M.  D..  her 
father  one  of  early  Woonsocket's  most  serviceable, 
progressive  and  honored  citizens.  Mrs.  Edwards,  a 
woman  of  marked  personality,  for  twenty-five  years  a 
leader  in  the  social  and  club  life  of  Woonsocket, 
really  beloved  and  appreciated,  died  June  24,  1918,  in 
her  seventy-eighth  year.     Dr.  and  Mrs.   Edwards  are 


394 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


survived  by  three  children:  Ariel  Ballou,  of  further 
mention;  Edith,  born  July  20,  1873,  in  Woonsocket, 
K.  I.,  and  Daniel  Mann  (2).  Edith  Edwards  was  edu- 
cated in  private  schools,  at  Miss  Abbott's,  in  Provi- 
dence, and  in  Paris,  France,  and  is  a  graduate  of  Byrn 
Mawr  College,  class  of  1901.  Her  life  has  since  been 
spent  at  home,  where  in  association  with  her  cultured 
mother,  she  has  been  prominent  in  the  activities  of 
women's  organizations.  The  brilliant  and  faithful  serv- 
ice she  has  rendered  along  social  welfare  lines  has 
won  her  a  name  and  honored  place  among  the  women 
of  Rhode  Island.  During  the  World  War  she  was 
chairman  of  the  Rhode  Island  Committee,  cooperating 
with  the  Comite  Franco-Americain  pour  la  Protection 
des  Enfants  de  la  Frontiere,  01  New  York  and  Paris. 
In  addition  to  her  work  for  the  children  of  France, 
Miss  Edwards  is  now  serving  on  the  committe  for 
Permanent  Homes  of  the  Rhode  Island  Society  for 
the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children,  and  in  other 
capacities. 

ARIEL  BALLOU  ED'WARDS— Through  his  Ed- 
wards ancestry,  a  "Mayilower"  descendant,  through  the 
Manns,  tracing  to  another  ancient  and  honorable  Mas- 
sachusetts family,  and  through  his  Ballou  connection, 
springing  from  one  of  Rhode  Island's  strongest  and 
most  honored  Colonial  families,  Mr.  Edwards  comes 
highly  recommended  and  in  his  own  right  has  gained 
honorable  position  in  his  native  city. 

Ariel  Ballou  Edwards,  eldest  son  of  Daniel  Mann 
and  Laura  Ballou  Edwards,  and  grandson  of  Dr.  Ariel 
Ballou,  was  born  at  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  January  27, 
1871.  He  completed  grade  and  high  school  courses  of 
study  at  Woonsocket,  then  studied  abroad  during  the 
years  1S88  and  1889,  completing  his  education  at  Mas- 
sachusetts Institute  of  Technology,  class  of  '9.',.  With 
his  father.  Dr.  Daniel  M.  Edwards,  he  built  the  St. 
James  Hotel,  in  Woonsocket,  of  which  he  has  been 
manager  for  many  years.  He  has  other  real  estate 
interests  in  Woonsocket,  and  is  identified  with  many 
of  the  city  organizations. 

Mr.  Edwards  is  an  enthusiastic  sportsman  and  spends 
many  of  his  hours  of  recreation  with  gun  and  rod. 
In  fact,  apart  from  his  business  interests,  he  finds  his 
deepest  enjoyment  in  forest  or  field  or  by  running 
stream.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Fish 
and  Game  Protection  Association,  and  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Rhode  Island  Fish  snd  Game  Asso- 
ciation, of  which  he  is  the  vice-president.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Ironstone  Country  Club,  member  of  the 
board  of  governors  of  the  Woonsocket  Country  Club, 
member  of  the  Cumberland  Golf  and  of  the  Winne- 
suhet  Golf  clubs  of  Woonsocket,  Metacomet  Golf 
Club  of  Providence,  and  a  member  of  the  board  of 
governors  of  the  Horsemen  of  Rhode  Island.  Through 
paternal  lines  he  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Society  of  Mayflower  Descendants  and  of  the  board 
of  assistants. 


HERBERT  OLIN  BRIGHAM— The  ill  health 
which  caused  Mr.  Brigham  to  leave  Brown  University 
before  graduation  also  gave  to  the  State  a  librarian  of 
ability,  as  had  he  completed  his  university  course  an- 


other profession  would  have  claimed  him.  It  is 
remarkable  that  the  two  sons  of  John  Olin  Brigham 
should  both  choose  the  librarian's  profession,  the 
younger  son,  Clarence  Saunders  Brigham,  having 
been  librarian  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society, 
1900-1908,  and  since  has  been  librarian  of  the  Ameri- 
can .Antiquarian  Society,  of  W'orcester,  Mass.  This 
family  is  traced  in  Xew  England  to  Thomas  Brigham, 
v;ho  came  in  the  ship  "Susan  and  Ellen,"  in  1635,  set- 
tling in  Cambridge.  Marlboro  and  Westboro  were 
family  seats  through  five  succeeding  generations, 
Charles  Corriden  Brigham,  of  the  seventh  generation, 
removing  to  Rhode  Island,  where  his  son,  John  Olin 
Brigham,  was  born.  The  line  of  descent  through 
these  eight  generations  from  Thomas  Brigham  is 
through  Thomas  (2)  Brigham,  of  Marlboro;  his  son, 
Gershom  Brigham,  of  Marlboro;  his  son,  Gershom 
(2)  Brigham,  of  the  same  place;  his  son.  Dr.  Ger- 
shom (3)  Brigham,  of  Westboro,  Mass.,  and  Fitzwil- 
liam,  N.  H.;  his  son,  Joseph  Brigham,  of  Westboro 
and  Shrewsbury;  his  son,  Charles  Corriden  Brigham, 
of  Westboro,  and  Blackstone,  R.  I.,  a  manufacturer 
of  loom  harness  and  mill  supplies;  his  son,  John 
Olin  Brigham,  of  Providence;  his  son,  Herbert  Olin 
Brigham,  of  the  ninth  American  generation. 

John  Olin  Brigham,  son  of  Charles  Corriden  and 
Sabre  (Butler)  Brigham,  was  born  in  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  July  IS,  1848.  His  youth  was  spent  in  Woon- 
socket and  Carolina,  R.  I.,  his  Providence  residence 
beginning  in  1866.  He  was  employed  by  his  uncle, 
John   Kendrick,  a  manufacturer  of  mill  supplies,  until 

1873,  when  he  entered  the  wholesale  grocery  business. 
In  18S5  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Joseph  H.  Bab- 
cock,  and,  as  Babcock  &  Brigham,  they  traded  until 
1890,  the  firm  then  dissolving.  Mr.  Brigham  then 
became  connected  w-ith  real  estate  operations,  until  his 
death,    November   7,    1913.      He   married,    October    14, 

1874,  Alice  Saunders,  born  July  6,  1854,  daughter  of 
Peleg  and  Keturah  (Gavitt)  Saunders,  she  a  descend- 
ant of  Tobias  Saunders,  who  is  of  record  in  Salem,  in 
Taunton,  Mass.,  in  1643,  and  made  a  freeman  of  New- 
port. R.  I.,  in  1655.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brigham  were  the 
parents  of  two  sons:  Herbert  Olin,  of  further  men- 
tion; Clarence  Saunders,  a  graduate  of  Brown  L'ni- 
versity,  class  of  '99,  a  well  known  historical  writer, 
since  1908  librarian  of  the  American  .\ntiquarian  So- 
ciety, Worcester,  Mass. 

Herbert  Olin  Brigham,  eldest  son  of  John  Olin  and 
Alice  (Saunders)  Brigham,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  December  15,  1875.  He  prepared  in  the  Mowry 
&  Gofif's  School,  entered  Brown  University  in  1895, 
but  through  ill  health  was  unable  to  complete  the  full 
course.  He  became  second  assistant  librarian  of 
Brown  University  in  1899,  a  post  he  filled  most  satis- 
factorily until  July  21,  1903.  On  that  date  he  was 
appointed  State  librarian  of  Rhode  Island,  the  ap- 
pointment being  made  by  Secretary  of  State,  Charles 
P.  Bennett,  the  vacancy  having  been  caused  by  the 
resignation  of  F.  G.  Bates,  Ph.  D.  Plans  prepared 
by  his  predecessor  were  carried  through  to  fulfillment 
by  Mr.  Brigham,  and  the  excellent  State  library  entered 
upon  a  new  era  of  usefulness  and  efficiency.  When  the 
new  plans  had  been   fully  proven  and  the  library  was 


BIOGR.APHICAL 


395 


running  smoothly  and  satisfactorily.  Mr.  Brigham  in- 
troduced other  improvements  that  experience  has  shown 
were  needed  among  them — a  legislative  reference  bureau, 
system  of  reference  successfully  employed  in  other 
States  and  now  proving  its  value  in  the  Rhode  Island 
State  Library.  In  .August,  1910,  Mr.  Brigham  became 
e.x-officio  State  Record  Commissioner,  and  has  under 
his  supervision  compilation  of  Revolutionary  data  and 
the  care  and  safeguarding  of  town  and  city  records  and 
documents. 

In  the  profession  he  has  chosen.  Mr.  Brigham  has 
attained  high  position,  and  is  devoting  his  talents  to 
placing  the  Rhode  Island  State  Library  upon  a  plane 
of  usefulness  and  efficiency  equal  to  the  best  in  the 
country.  He  is  a  member  of  the  National  .Association 
of  State  Librarians,  the  .American  Library  .Association, 
the  Rhode  Island  Library  .Association.  New  England 
Historic-Genealogical  Society.  .American  Historical 
.Association,  .American  Political  Science  .Association, 
American  Economic  .Association,  .American  .Academy 
of  Political  and  Social  Science,  Bibliographical  Society 
of  .America,  keeping  in  touch  with  the  most  advanced 
thought  of  his  profession  through  these  societies,  their 
conventions  and  their  literature. 


HENRY  S.  GREENE— The  name  just  inscribed  is 
that  of  one  who  not  many  years  ago  "ceased  from 
earth,"  leaving  a  record  of  sustained  and  honorable 
usefulness  which  gives  him  a  permanent  place  among 
those  who  have  been  foremost  in  developing  the  manu- 
factures of  New  England.  During  the  years  of  Mr. 
Greene's  residence  in  W'oonsockct,  he  founded  the 
Woonsocket  Napping  Machinery  Company,  serving  as 
its  treasurer,  and  over  and  above  his  prestige  in  com- 
mercial circles  was  esteemed  as  a  type  of  the  truly  pub- 
lic-spirited .American  citizen. 

Henry  S.  Greene  was  born  .April  16,  1832,  in  Preston, 
Ontario,  Canada.  Early  in  life  he  began  to  learn  the 
art  of  woolen  manufacture,  filling  various  positions  in 
mills  in  his  home  neighborhood.  At  the  age  of  forty- 
five  years,  having  ac(|uired  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  business.  Mr.  Greene  came  to  the  United  States, 
settling  in  Clayville,  N.  Y.,  where  he  became  over- 
seer of  the  finishing  department  in  a  very  large  mill. 
Two  years  later  he  removed  to  Woonsocket,  where  he 
was  employed  in  a  similar  position  in  the  old  Harris 
Mill,  then  situated  on  Main  street,  and  there  he  re- 
mained until  1892.  In  1888,  Mr.  Greene,  with  the  aid 
of  his  son,  Thomas  H.  Greene,  obtained  patents  on  a 
napping  machine  to  be  used  in  the  manufacture  of  all 
kinds  of  cloth.  The  manufacture  was  begun  at  Law- 
rence, Mass.,  and  there  the  firm  of  Henry  S.  Greene  & 
Son  (Thomas  H.)  was  incorporated.  The  machines 
turned  out  were  so  vastly  superior  to  any  other  then 
used  for  the  same  purpose  that  within  a  short  time 
the  demand  became  too  great  for  the  firm  to  meet  in 
their  original  quarters,  and  they  were  forced  to  move 
the  business  to  Woonsocket,  where  they  purchased  land 
and  erected  a  small  factory.  The  enterprise,  from  its 
very  inception,  has  enjoyed  a  career  of  continuous  suc- 
cess. Improvements  were  made  in  the  machinery  and 
extensions  were  added  to  the  building  with  the  result 
that  to-day  the  concern  stands  alone  in  the  processes  of 


its  manufacture  and  the  excellence  of  its  products. 
\'cry  largely  is  this  due  to  the  business  acumen  and 
mechanical  genius  of  its  founder  who,  to  the  close  of 
his  life,  retained  the  office  of  treasurer,  and  was  the 
dominant  and  moving  spirit  of  the  entire  great  estab- 
lishment. 

Mr.  Greene  married,  in  1851,  in  Preston,  Susan  Hel- 
mer.  His  son,  William  L.,  was  born  July  9.  1852,  in 
Hamburg,  Ontario,  and  in  his  youth  worked  as  a 
woolen  cloth  finisher;  in  1896  he  came  to  Woonsocket, 
and  until  the  death  of  his  father  was  employed  as  a 
salesman  in  the  latter's  business,  succeeding,  on  the 
decease  of  Mr.  Greene,  to  the  office  of  treasurer,  having 
previously  held  that  of  vice-president,  which  he  still 
ret.iins. 

On  May  4.  1915,  Mr.  Greene  passed  away  in  his  home 
at  Woonsocket,  having  entered  the  eighty-fourth  year 
of  his  age,  leaving  a  record  of  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury of  honorable  and  successful  endeavor.  He  was 
survived  by  nine  children,  twenty  grandchildren  and 
twelve  great-grandchildren.  Henry  S.  Greene  left  be- 
hind him  work  which  lives  after  him.  His  monument 
is  the  widely  known  industry  which  was  founded  and 
maintained  by  his  genius  and  sagacity,  and  of  which  his 
eldest  son  is  now  the  wise  guide  and  the  energetic  and 
controlling  spirit. 


FRANK  W.  HAYDEN,  M.  D.— Nearly  twenty 
years  i>f  successful  practice  render  it  wholly  super- 
fluous for  the  biographer  to  accompany  the  introduction 
of  Dr.  Hayden's  name  with  any  explanatory  sentences. 
It  has  long  since  been  a  household  word  in  Pawtucket, 
where,  in  addition  to  its  professional  reputation,  it  is 
respected  as  that  of  a  valued  citizen. 

Prank  W.  Hayden  was  born  February  20,  1871,  in 
Burlington,  Maine,  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Eunice  P. 
(Brown)  Hayden,  both  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  State, 
Mr.  Hayden  being  a  farmer  and  lumber  dealer.  As 
a  boy  Frank  W.  Hayden  attended  the  schools  of  his 
native  town,  and  on  reaching  manhood  decided,  after 
mature  deliberation,  to  adopt  the  medical  profession  as 
his  lifework.  .Accordingly,  in  1898,  he  entered  Baltimore 
Medical  College,  graduating  in  1901  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  Dr.  Hayden  spent  three  years  as 
interne  in  the  Maryland  General  Hospital,  Baltimore, 
during  this  period,  and  in  1901  came  to  Pawtucket, 
where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  work  of  a  gen- 
eral practitioner,  building  up  a  large  and  constantly 
increasing  clientele  and  winning  many  warmly  attached 
friends.  Since  February,  1919,  he  has  held  the  office  of 
city  physician  as  successor  to  the  late  Dr.  Watts.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  Medical  Society  and  the 
.American  Medical  Association. 

In  addition  to  acquiring  an  enviable  professional 
reputation,  Dr.  Hayden  has  proved  himself  a  public- 
spirited  citizen,  earnestly  and  helpfully  interested  in  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  his  community  and  ever  ready 
to  do  all  in  his  power  for  the  cause  of  good  government 
and  the  amelioration  of  general  conditions.  In  appear- 
ance and  manner  Dr.  Hayden  is  the  true  physician  and 
the  real  gentleman.  The  entire  period  of  his  private 
practice  has  been  passed  in  Pawtucket,  thus  far,  and  it 
is  to  be  sincerely  wished  that  it  may  be  lengthened  by 
many  years  in  the  same  environment. 


396 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


HERVE  J.  LAGACE — In  any  list  of  Woonsocket 
business  men  the  name  \vc  have  just  written  would  stand 
very  near  the  head.  Mr.  Lagace  is  extensively  engaged 
in  both  the  wholesale  and  retail  oil  business,  also  dealing 
in  auto  accessories,  his  establishment  ranking  among  the 
very  first  of  its  kind.  He  has  long  been  prominent  in 
city  and  State  politics,  and  now  represents  the  Seventh 
District  in  the  State  Legislature. 

(I)  Joseph  Lagace.  grandfather  of  Herve  J.  Lagace, 
came  from  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  to  Mil- 
ford,  Mass.,  where  he  worked  for  a  time  in  the  mills, 
settling  eventually  in  Woonsocket.  He  married  Marie 
Lussier,  also  a  native  of  French  Canada,  and  it  was  not 
until  a  number  of  years  after  that  they  came  to  the 
United  States.  In  1863,  while  employed  in  construction 
work  on  the  Harris  Mill,  Mr.  Lagace  was  killed  by  a 
blow  from  a  falling  stone  which,  by  a  remarkable  co- 
incidence, still  lies  where  it  fell  after  dealing  the  fatal 
stroke. 

(II)  Jean  B.  Lagace,  son  of  Joseph  and  Marie  (Lus- 
sier) Lagace,  was  born  in  the  Province  of  Quebec, 
Canada,  and  was  ten  years  old  when  the  family  set- 
tled in  Woonsocket.  On  reaching  manhood  he  was 
employed  as  a  mill-worker  until  1874,  when  the  So- 
cial Mill  was  destroyed  by  fire,  he  then  becoming  a 
bricklayer  and  plasterer.  He  married  Marie  Trot- 
tier,  who  was  also  born  in  the  Providence  of  Que- 
bec, and  of  the  fourteen  children  born  to  them 
the  following  are  now  living:  Herve  J.,  men- 
tioned below:  Gaudias  J.,  of  Woonsocket;  Edmond 
J.,  also  of  Woonsocket;  Aurore  (Lagace)  Cassette, 
wife  of  Frank  Cassette,  of  Woonsocket;  Valeda  (La- 
gace) Tessier,  wife  of  Frederick  J.  Tessier;  and  Alida 
(Lagace)  Gamache,  wife  of  Thomas  J.  Gamache.  De- 
spite the  fact  that  he  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
hardest  working  men  in  Woonsocket,  Mr.  Lagace  gave 
proof  of  public  spirit  by  serving  in  the  city's  volunteer 
fire  department,  and  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  veterans  of 
that  organization.  He  and  his  wife,  who  are  respec- 
tively sixty-four  and  sixty-five  years  old,  and  happy  in 
their  children  and  grandchildren,  are  enjoying  a  period 
of  richly  merited  repose. 

(III)  Herve  J.  Lagace,  son  of  Jean  B.  and  Marie 
(Trottier)  Lagace,  was  born  November  5,  1S76,  in 
Woonsocket,  and  attended  first  the  private  schools  and 
parochial  schools,  then  the  public  schools,  and  finally 
Sacred  Heart  College,  receiving  the  somewhat  meager 
education  which  was  all  that  these  institutions  were  able 
to  furnish  at  that  time.  He  early  became  a  wage  earner, 
first  in  the  Woonsocket  mill,  and  then  as  an  employee 
of  the  Woonsocket  Machine  and  Press  Company,  with 
which  he  remained  about  two  years.  For  the  greater 
part  of  this  time  he  attended  night  school,  being  anxious 
to  repair  his  educational  deficiencies.  After  leaving  the 
Machine  &  Press  Company,  he  associated  himself  with 
his  father  in  the  latter"s  business  of  mason  and  plas- 
terer, maintaining  the  connection  until  1910.  In  that 
year  Mr.  Lagace  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail 
oil  business,  keeping,  in  addition,  a  stock  of  auto  acces- 
sories at  his  retail  store.  In  these  comparatively  few 
years  the  concern  has  attained  proportions  which  ex- 
ceeded even  his  most  sanguine  expectations,  and  he 
finds  himself  at  the  head  of  two  establishments  of  as- 


sured standing,  a  large  wholesale  house  on  Rathbun 
street,  and  a  store  on  Blackstone  street,  fully  equipped 
for  the  retail  oil  business  and  carrying  a  full  line  of 
auto  accessories.  The  concern,  as  a  whole,  bears  elo- 
quent testimony  to  the  enterprising  spirit  and  wisely 
aggressive  methods  of  its  founder  and  head.  The  So- 
cial and  National  Acceptance  Corporation,  an  organi- 
zation of  recent  date,  but  of  much  promise,  is  another 
of  Mr.  Lagace's  important  business  interests.  He  was 
one  of  its  incorporating  directors,  and  is  now  its  busi- 
ness manager.  Still  another  of  his  connections  is  the 
Social  Amusement  Corporation. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Lagace  has  been  active  in  the 
work  of  Democratic  organization,  and  an  influential 
factor  in  its  council.  He  was  instrumental  in  endeavor- 
ing to  secure  the  abolition  of  the  voter's  property  qual- 
ification act  from  the  Rhode  Island  statutes,  and  he  now 
occupies  a  seat  in  the  State  Legislature  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  his  party  from  the  Seventh  District.  He  is 
president  of  the  Independent  Club  of  Millerville,  chair- 
man of  the  Fifth  Ward  Democratic  Committee,  and  a 
member  of  the  State  Central  Committee.  In  the  spring 
of  T919  he  was  one  of  Rhode  Island's  representatives 
at  the  convention  held  in  Washington  for  the  purpose 
of  giving  opportunity  for  the  discussion  by  mayors 
and  governors  of  the  "after  the  war"  problem.  The 
social  and  fraternal  affiliations  of  Mr.  Lagace  are 
numerous.  He  is  president  of  St.  Jean  Baptiste  No.  2, 
the  largest  council  of  L'U.  St.  J.  B.  d'A.  in  America, 
and  also  holds  membership  in  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  No.  850;  the  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus, No.  113;  and  the  Eagles,  No.  205.  He  is  president 
of  L' Association  St.  Joseph,  an  auxiliary  corporation  to 
the  St.  Aloysius  Corporation,  which  lately  organized  a 
Church  Building  Fund  Drive  that  went  over  the  top  with 
over  $52,000.00  of  subscriptions,  and  also  president  of  the 
Social  Church  Committee,  taking  an  active  and  helpful 
interest  in  the  work  of  the  parish. 

M.r.  Lagace  married  Olida  Therien,  daughter  of 
Henri  and  Georgianna  (Morin)  Therien,  natives  of 
Quebec,  Canada,  who  settled  in  Woonsocket  when  their 
daughter  was  a  young  child.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Therien 
are  still  living  in  that  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lagace  are  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  Estee;  Cea,  wife  of 
Ovila  Robidoux,  of  Woonsocket;  Herve  A.,  associated 
with  his  father  in  the  latter's  retail  store;  and  Ernest 
B.,  attending  St.  Joseph's  College  of  Berthierville,  Can- 
ada, under  the  Clerics  of  St.  Viateur. 

Mr.  Lagace's  record  shows  him  to  be  a  man  abounding 
in  initiative  and  force  of  character,  and  every  line  in 
his  face  confirms  the  testimony  of  the  narrative.  He 
looks,  indeed,  the  man  he  is,  able  and  successful,  and 
withall  a  true  friend,  respected  and  beloved  by  his 
neighbors  and  fellow-citizens.  He  has  accomplished 
much,  both  in  the  sphere  of  business  and  in  the  realm 
of  politics,  and  as  he  is  still  in  the  prime  of  life  his 
community  is  justified  in  expecting  from  him  still 
greater  services  and  achievements. 


JAMES  T.  GREENE  is  one  of  the  well  known  rep- 
resentatives of  the  legal  fraternity  in  Woonsocket. 
After  a  brief  but  creditable  military  record,  Mr.  Greene 


a  /  9^^/^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


397 


has  returned  to  the  practice  of  the  profession  to  which 
he  is  allied  by  family  tradition. 

George  W.  Greene,  father  of  James  T.  Greene,  grad- 
uated from  the  Woonsocket  schools,  and  in  1889  re- 
ceived from  the  Boston  University  the  degree  of  Bach- 
elor of  Laws.  For  a  number  of  years  he  practiced  alone, 
but  is  now  head  of  the  firm  of  Greene,  Kennedy  & 
Greene.  Distinguished  in  the  sphere  of  his  profession, 
Mr.  Greene  has  also  been,  since  early  manhood,  a  prom- 
inent figure  in  the  political  world.  In  l8<»-9l-92  he 
occupied  a  sent  in  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature,  and  in 
1896-99- 1 000-0 1 -02  he  was  mayor  of  Wconsocket.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
National  Committee.  Mr.  Greene  married  Gertrude  E., 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  James  H.  and  Frances  Nutting, 
the  former,  pastor  of  a  Methodist  Epi.scopal  church  at 
Cranston,  R.  I.,  and  at  one  time  chaplain  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Institution  of  that  communion  there.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Nutting  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Greene  are  the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  James 
T.,  mentioned  belcw ;  George  W.,  Jr. ;  Stephen  H., 
Harry  N.,  and  Robert  E. 

James  T.  Greene,  son  of  George  W.  and  Gertrude  E. 
(Nutting)  Greene,  was  born  May  11,  1890,  at  Cranston, 
R.  I.,  and  received  his  early  education  in  the  grammar 
schools  of  Woonsocket,  passing  thence  to  the  Phillips 
Exeter  Academy,  where  he  was  prepared  for  Williams 
College,  Williamstown,  Mass.,  where  he  graduated  in 
1913  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  was 
fitted  for  his  profession  at  Harvard  Law  School,  that  in- 
stitution conferring  upon  him  in  1916  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Laws.  For  one  year  thereafter  Mr.  Greene 
practiced  his  profession  in  association  with  the  firm  of 
Green,  Hinckley  &  Allen,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time, 
with  tlie  entrance  of  America  into  the  World  War, 
came  the  call  to  arms  which  stirred  the  heart  of  every 
patriotic  citizen.  James  T.  Greene  instantly  responded, 
enlisting,  in  May,  1917,  as  first  lieutenant  of  301  Supply 
Train,  M.  T.  C,  Seventy-sixth  Division.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  service,  he  returned  home  with  a 
most  honorable  record.  He  has  been  since  then  asso- 
ciated in  practice  with  his  father,  the  style  of  the  firm 
being  Greene,  Kennedy  &  Greene.  His  only  fraternal 
affiliation  is  with  the  Theta  Delta  Chi.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Greene  married,  May  6.  igi",  Marion  D.,  daugh- 
ter of  Herbert  O.  and  Dora  (Thayerj  .-Mdrich.  of  North 
Smithfield,  Mr.  Aldrich  being  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business. 

Almost  immediately  after  entering  upon  the  practice 
of  his  profession,  and  when  his  career  was  opening  un- 
der favorable  auspices,  James  T.  Greene  deserted  the 
office  and  the  court  room  for  the  camp  and  the  battle- 
field, and  now,  having  given  proof  of  patriotism  in 
time  of  war,  he  has  returned  to  do  his  duty  as  a  civilian, 
by  helping  to  maintain  the  prestige  of  the  bar  of  his 
native  State  of  Rhode  Island. 


ALFRED  DAIGNAULT— For  many  years  num- 
bered among  Woonsocket's  most  aggressive  and  suc- 
cessful business  men,  Mr.  Daignault,  in  retiring,  has 
not  ceased  to  be  a  potential  factor  in  the  commercial 
and   financial    life   of   his    community.     He   has    never 


mingled  actively  in  politics,  but  is  a  figure  of  prominence 
in  social  and  fraternal  circles. 

Godfrey  Daignault,  father  of  .Mfred  Daignault,  was 
a  farmer  in  Canada,  and  came  to  the  United  States, 
settling  first  in  Danielson,  Conn.,  and  then  removing  to 
Woonsocket,  R.  I.  He  married,  in  Canada,  Marceline 
Benoit,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Godfrey,  deceased;  Oliver,  of  Providence,  now 
deceased;  Joseph,  of  Woonsocket,  also  deceased; 
Emma:  Mary:  Azilda;  Mederise:  Elmira,  of  Woon- 
socket: Alfred,  mentioned  below;  Raphael  P.,  whose 
biography  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work;  and  one 
who  died  in  infancy.  .Ml  the  daughters,  with  the 
exccition  of  the  youngest,  are  now  deceased.  The 
death  of  Mr.  Daignault  occurred  aliout  a  year  after 
coming  to  Woonsocket,  and  was  the  result  of  a  sun- 
stroke which  befell  him  while  living  near  Danielson. 

Alfred  Daignault,  son  of  Godfrey  and  Marceline 
(Benoit)  Daignault,  was  born  .August  25,  1866.  at  St. 
Grcgoire,  Province  of  Quebec.  Canada,  and  was  but 
five  ye.-^rs  old  uhen  death  deprived  him  of  his  father. 
He  attended  the  common  schools  of  Woonsocket  and 
then,  for  a  shrrt  time,  was  employed  in  the  Social  Cot- 
ton Mill,  .\fter  learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  he 
served  as  foreman  for  his  brother  Joseph  until  the 
lattcr's  death,  which  occurred  in  1900.  Mr.  Daignault 
succeeded  him  as  owner  of  the  business,  and  for  seven- 
teen years  thereafter  was  actively  engaged  in  general 
contracting.  He  became  one  of  Woonsocket's  most 
extensive  builders,  erecting  a  number  of  important 
structures,  including  the  Holy  Family  Church,  Sl 
.-Xnne's  Church  cjf  Woonsocket,  the  orphanage  on  Ber- 
non  Heights,  and  many  others.  Not  only  were  his  trans- 
actions large,  but  they  were  also  extremely  profitable, 
and  he  became  a  successful  man  in  every  sense  of  the 
word. 

In  1917  Mr.  Daignault  witlidrew  from  general  con- 
tracting, having  previously  acquired  interests  in  the 
Mulvey  Hat  Store,  the  Veronean  Boot  Shop,  the  Woon- 
socket Realty  Company,  and  the  Model  Dyeing  and 
Printing  Company.  In  all  the  above  named  concerns  he 
holds  the  office  of  treasurer.  He  is  also  a  director  of 
the  National  Globe  Bank.  These  varied  interests  absorb 
all  the  time  and  attention  which  he  now  cares  to  bestow 
on  matters  of  business.  He  occupies  a  seat  in  the 
Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce.  While  always  a 
good  citizen,  ever  ready  10  do  his  part  toward  improve- 
ment of  community  conditions,  Mr.  Daignault  has 
steadily  held  aloof  from  active  participation  in  political 
affairs,  and  has  never  been  included  in  the  ranks  of  the 
office  seekers.  He  affiliates  with  the  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus, and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 

Mr.  Daignault  married,  .\pril  28,  1891,  Catherine, 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Moriarfy)  Cobb,  natives 
of  Millbury,  but  later  of  Blackstone,  Mass.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cobb  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daig- 
nault have  been  the  parents  of  three  children:  One  who 
died  at  the  age  of  nine  months;  Clarence  Alfred,  grad- 
uate of  the  Woonsocket  High  School;  and  Marie  Med- 
erise. Both  these  children  are  still  at  home  with  their 
parents.  The  family  residence  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  in  Woonsocket. 

Alfred  Daignault  has  been  an  almost  lifelong  resident 


398 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  the  city  which  is  now  his  home,  and  no  son  by  birth- 
right could  have  more  attentively  studied  her  interests. 
Both  as  business  man  and  citizen  he  has  done  much  to 
further  her  prosperity  and  welfare,  and  fully  merits  the 
grateful  regard  given  him  by  his  friends  and  neigh- 
bors. 


JAMES  MONROE  ARMSTRONG,  M.  D.  V.— So 

long  has  Dr.  Armstrong  stood  in  the  front  rank  of 
veterinary  surgeons  that  it  is  safe  to  assert  that  few 
citizens  of  Providence  will  fail  to  accord  to  his  name  the 
tribute  of  instant  recognition.  By  a  much  wider  circle 
it  will  be  greeted  as  that  of  a  former  State  senator,  the 
faithful  and  vigilant  champion  of  the  rights  and  inter- 
ests of  his  constituents. 

John  Armstrong,  father  of  Dr.  James  Monroe  Arm- 
strong, was  born  in  Manchester,  England,  1830,  and 
was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  About  1863  he  emigrated 
to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  soon 
after  moving  to  East  Providence,  where  he  con- 
ducted his  own  business  until  1892,  when  he  retired. 
He  married  Mary  Monroe,  a  native  of  Pictou,  Nova 
Scotia,  and  tlieir  children  were:  Mary,  married  Wil- 
liam Russell,  of  Providence;  John,  William,  Andrew, 
James  Monroe,  mentioned  below.  All  these,  with  the 
exception  of  the  youngest,  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  Arm- 
strong died  in  1907,  and  his  widow  is  now  living  in 
East  Providence. 

Dr.  James  Monroe  Armstrong,  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Monroe)  Armstrong,  was  born  November  11,  1874,  in 
East  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  high  school  of  his  native  town. 
He  then  entered  the  veterinary  department  of  Harvard 
University,  graduating  with  the  class  of  1896,  and  re- 
ceiving the  degree  of  .AI.  D.  V.  After  serving  one  year 
at  the  Harvard  Free  Clinic,  and  another  in  the  Boston 
Hospital,  Dr.  Armstrong  opened  an  office  on  First 
street.  East  Providence,  meeting  with  such  success  that 
in  the  course  of  time  he  established  another  office  on 
Dorrence  street,  and  became  the  owner  of  a  stable  in 
connection  with  his  First  street  office.  On  February  i, 
1919,  he  was  made  State  meat  inspector  for  a  five  year 
term.  As  a  Progressive  Republican,  Dr.  Armstrong  has 
for  a  number  of  years  taken  an  active  part  in  local  and 
State  politics.  From  191 5  to  1918  he  was  the  representa- 
tive of  his  district  in  the  State  senate,  the  record  he 
made  in  this  responsible  office  more  than  justifying  the 
choice  of  his  party.  His  interest  in  community  affairs 
is  always  keen  and  helpful,  and  for  si.x  years  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  school  committee. 

The  favorite  recreations  of  Dr.  Armstrong's  busy  life 
are  found  in  the  reading  of  history  and  travels,  and  also 
in  traveling,  whenever  his  strenuous  duties  permit  liim 
to  take  a  brief  holiday.  He  has  seen  in  this  way  much 
of  the  United  States,  the  West  Indies  and  the  different 
countries  of  Europe.  Nor  does  he  neglect  the  social 
side  of  life  as  his  great  personal  popularity  bears  wit- 
ness. He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  affiliating 
with  Rising  Sun  Blue  Lodge,  No.  30,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons;  Providence  Chapter,  Providence  Council,  Cal- 
vary Commandery,  and  Palestine  Shrine ;  also  belong- 
ing to  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men  and  the  Ben- 
evolent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.     His  clubs  are 


the  University,  Massasoit  and  Metacomet  Golf,  and  he 
is  first  vice-president  of  the  Harvard  Alumni  .Associa- 
tion. He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Veterinary 
Association,  the  Massachusetts  Veterinary  Association, 
and  vice-president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Veterinary  So- 
ciety. Dr.  Armstrong's  professional  and  political  rec- 
ords are  both  highly  deserving  of  preservation,  and  no 
annals  of  either  his  city  or  his  State  would  be  com- 
plete without  them. 


ARTHUR  BENJAMIN  HARRINGTON,  proprie- 
tor of  the  firm  of  Harrington  &  Son,  which  is  engaged 
in  the  insurance,  building  and  loan  brokerage,  and  other 
lines  of  business,  is  a  native  of  Providence,  where  he 
was  born  February  25,  1882,  a  son  of  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin and  Bena  ( Hoffman)  Harrington,  old  and  highly 
respected  citizens  of  this  place.  The  elder  Mr.  Har- 
rington is  the  founder  of  the  firm  of  Harrington  &  Son, 
and  for  many  years  was  active  in  the  business  life  of 
Providence.  He  continues  to  make  his  home  liere  with 
his  wife  and  family. 

The  education  of  Arthur  Benjamin  Harrington  was 
obtained  at  the  local  public  school  and  he  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Providence  High  School  with  the  class 
of  1900.  Upon  completing  his  studies  at  these  institu- 
tions, young  Mr.  Harrington  determined  to  pursue  his 
business  career,  and  with  this  end  in  view,  secured  a 
position  with  a  concern  engaged  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness here.  He  spent  the  first  eighteen  months  of  his 
career  in  this  occupation,  and  then  for  six  months  car- 
ried on  a  jewelry  jobber's  business  with  a  marked 
degree  of  success.  In  the  year  1902,  in  association  with 
his  father,  he  established  the  present  firm  of  Harring- 
ton &  Son,  and  continued  as  the  junior  member  of  that 
concern  until  the  retirement  of  the  elder  man  from 
active  participation  in  its  affairs  in  the  year  1908.  Since 
that  time  Mr.  Harrington  has  continued  as  the  sole 
owner  of  the  large  business  that  has  grown  up,  and 
continues  to  conduct  it  to-day  with  the  most  marked 
success.  The  firm  represents  in  this  community  the 
Standard  Liability  Insurance  Company;  the  Zurick  Lia- 
bility Insurance  Company;  the  Standard  Fire  Insurance 
Company;  the  Netherlands  Fire  Insurance  Company; 
the  County  Fire  Insurance  Company;  the  Royal  Ex- 
change Fire  Insurance  Company;  the  Fireman's  Fund 
Fire  Insurance  Company;  and  the  Svea  Fire  Insurance 
Company.  In  addition  to  their  extensive  insurance 
business,  the  firm  of  Harrington  &  Son  also  transact  a 
large  building  and  loan  business,  building  homes  on  the 
monthly  payment  plan  for  many  deserving  people. 
Hundreds  of  homes  of  all  sizes  have  been  built  in  this 
manner  at  Providence,  Cranston,  East  Providence,  War- 
wick and  other  places  in  the  region,  so  that  the  concern 
is  now  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  State.  Al- 
though his  business  activities  occupy  all  the  time  and 
attention  of  Mr.  Harrington,  yet  he  has  not  allowed  this 
to  be  the  case  to  the  extent  of  interfering  with  a  prom- 
inent participation  in  public  affairs  of  the  community. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  for  some  years  has 
been  regarded  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  party  in  this 
neighborhood.  In  the  year  1918  he  was  elected  on  his 
ticket  to  the  Town  Council  of  Warwick,  and  is  still 
serving    with    efficiency    and    disinterestedness    on    that 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


399 


body.  In  his  religious  belief  ifr.  Harrington  is  an 
Episcopalian.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Lodge, 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  of  Provi- 
dence, and  also  of  the  Providence  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. 

Arthur  Benjamin  Harrington  was  united  in  marriage, 
June  10,  191 1,  with  Ethel  Hay  Thatcher,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  F.  Thatcher,  a  resident  of  Providence. 


ADELARD  LUDGER  SOUCY,  mayor  of  Woon- 
socket.  and  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  this 
city,  an  editor  and  publisher  of  the  community  for  many 
years,  is  a  native  of  Manville,  R.  I.,  born  May  28,  1886. 
Mr.  Soucy  is  a  son  of  Bruno  and  Olivine  (Henault) 
Soucy,  old  and  highly  respected  citizens  of  Woon- 
socket,  and  now  both  deceased. 

The  first  three  years  of  Mr.  Soucy's  life  were  passed 
in  his  native  village,  but  he  then  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  W'oonsocket,  and  it  was  there  that  he  received 
his  elementary  education,  in  both  the  public  and  paro- 
chial schools.  He  then  attended  the  "Seminaire  de 
Joliette,"  of  Joliette,  Province  of  Quebec,  affiliated  to 
Laval  University,  this  great  institution  of  learning  of 
Quebec,  Canada,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institu- 
tion with  the  class  of  1909-10,  taking  his  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  It  was  Mr.  Soucy's  intention  as  a 
youth  to  enter  the  church,  and  after  coinpleting  his 
studies  at  the  "Seminaire  de  Joliette"  he  took  special 
courses  in  theology  at  that  institution,  but,  unfortunately 
for  his  determination,  he  was  taken  ill  and  obliged  to 
abandon  his  studies.  For  some  time  thereafter  Mr. 
Soucy  resided  on  a  farm  in  northwest  Canada,  in  the 
Province  of  Alberta,  where  he  worked  in  the  open  air 
for  a  time  with  the  intention  of  regaining  his  health. 
In  this  he  was  entirely  successful,  and  soon  returned  to 
the  East,  where  he  became  interested  in  the  newspaper 
business,  and  in  the  year  1913  he  went  to  Manchester, 
N.  H.,  and  took  the  position  of  editor  of  the  "Canado- 
Americain."  He  was  very  successful  in  this  venture, 
and  made  of  the  paper  over  which  he  presided  an 
influential  periodical  in  the  neighborhood,  devoting  his 
attention  to  the  mutual  interests  of  the  two  countries, 
Canada  and  .\merica,  and  promoting  mutuality  among 
the  fraternal  societies  of  French  lineage.  In  May,  1914, 
Mr.  Soucy  returned  to  Woonsocket,  and  here  estab- 
lished his  present  business,  dealing  largely  in  insur- 
ance, real  estate,  loans,  etc.,  a  business  that,  under  his 
skillful  management,  has  grown  to  large  proportions. 

Mr.  Soucy's  natural  interest  in  public  affairs,  which 
has  been  greatly  developed  by  his  close  observation  dur- 
ing the  period  when  he  held  the  editorship  of  the 
"Canado-.Americain,"  led  him  to  take  an  active  part  in 
politics  ever  since  he  returned  to  his  home  city,  and  it 
was  soon  realized  that  he  had,  in  an  extraordinary 
degree,  the  qualities  of  leadership.  He  is  a  man  who. 
by  inclination  as  well  as  by  much  thought,  has  espoused 
the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Democratic  party  as 
being  more  allied  to  the  true  principles  of  fundamental 
democracy  than  those  of  any  other  party,  so  that  he  con- 
sequently allied  himself  with  the  local  organization  here. 
He  has  displayed  the  utmost  energy  in  his  participation 
in  political  and  public  affairs,  yet  his  energy  has 
always  been  guided  and  informed  by  the  best  judgment 


and  most  careful  consideration  of  the  problems  to  be 
faced,  so  that  they  have  been  rendered  as  effective  as 
possible.  His  remarkable  success  in  this  line  of  en- 
deavor is  the  best  witness  possible  to  the  power  he  has 
gained  in  the  community,  his  personal  popularity  having 
overcome  many  great  handicaps  descendant  upon  poli- 
tical prejudices  of  long  standing.  In  this  stronghold 
of  Republicanism,  Mr.  Soucy  was  the  first  Democrat  to 
be  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  from  his  district  in 
many  years,  and  during  his  service  on  that  body  he 
displayed  such  a  masterly  knowledge  of  conditions  and 
such  an  understanding  of  the  way  to  handle  public 
issues  as  they  arose,  that  he  gained  the  absolute  confi- 
dence, not  only  of  his  own  constituency,  but  of  the  en- 
tire community  who  paid  a  tribute  of  admiration  to  him 
for  his  interest  and  efficiency  as  a  public  servant.  In 
the  year  1918  he  was  nominated  on  the  Democratic 
ticket  as  the  candidate  for  mayor  of  Woonsocket,  and 
his  personal  popularity  was  again  evidenced  by  his 
election  to  that  office  by  the  largest  popular  plurality 
ever  given  a  candidate  for  mayor  in  this  city.  Mr. 
Soucy's  career  has  been  indeed  marvelous,  and  the  fu- 
ture seems  to  promise  a  long  vista  of  even  more  bril- 
liant successes  and  more  complete  opportunities  for 
public  service.  He  is  without  question  one  of  the  lead- 
ers of  his  party  in  this  region,  and  it  appears  likely  that 
he  will  reach  great  heights  of  influence  and  power. 

In  addition  to  his  business  and  political  activities,  Mr. 
Soucy  has  taken  an  active  part  in  almost  every  phase  of 
the  life  of  the  community,  and  is  a  well  known  figure 
in  social,  religious,  and  club  circles  here,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  many  important  organizations.  He  is  affiliated 
with  the  Millerville  Independent  Club,  the  Social  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce,  in  which  he  has  done  much  to  pro- 
mote the  material  interest  of  the  community,  the  Can- 
ado-.\mericain  Society,  the  local  lodge  of  the  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles,  and  Council  \o.  2  of  L'U.  St.  J.  B. 
d'A.,  Societe  St.  Jean  Baptisie,  the  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus, the  Jacques  Cartier  d'Amcrique;  he  is  also  the 
president  of  the  Social  &  National  .■\cceptancc  Corpora- 
tion. Mr.  Soucy  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious 
belief,  and  is  a  member  of  St.  Aloysius  Church  of  this 
denomination  at  W'oonsocket.  He  is  a  man  of  pro- 
found religious  feelings  and  convictions,  which  is  largely 
proven  by  his  early  desire  to  enter  the  church,  and  he  is 
now  exceedingly  active  in  promoting  the  welfare  both 
of  his  parish  in  particular  and  the  Roman  Catholic 
church  in  general  throughout  this  region. 

.•\delard  Ludger  Soucy  was  united  in  marriage,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1915,  with  Eva  Gclinas,  of  Woonsocket,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  .Vdelc  (Lacombc)  Gelinas,  both 
of  whom  reside  in  this  city.  There  have  been  two  chil- 
dren born  of  this  union,  as  follows:  Adelard  L.,  Jan. 
3.  1917,  and  Lionel  Rodriguez,  March  4,  1918;  the  l.itter 
died  April  23,  1919. 


REV.  JOHN  HENRY  McKENNA,  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  East  Providence,  is  a 
native  of  Providence,  born  February  12,  1S68.  His 
father,  Michael  McKenna,  born  in  Ireland,  came  to  the 
city  a  small  boy,  and  growing  with  it  was  known  for 
many  years  as  one  of  its  sterling  business  men  in  his 
line  of  plasterer  and  stucco  worker.    His  mother,  Cath- 


400 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


eriiie  E.  (Pagan)  McKenna,  was,  like  her  son,  a  native 
of  Providence.  The  grandparents  on  both  sides  were 
among  the  first  Catholic  settlers  in  this  vicinity.  Two 
brothers  of  Mrs.  McKenna,  Rev.  John  and  Rev.  James 
Pagan,  were  priests  in  the  diocese  of  Hartford.  John 
Henry  McKenna,  brother  of  Michael  McKenna,  served 
in  the  Civil  War,  and  died  in  Andersonville  prison. 

Father  McKenna  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Providence.  After  graduating  from  the  High  School, 
he  spent  one  year  at  St.  Charles  College  in  Maryland. 
He  then  entered  Holy  Cross  College  at  Worcester,  and 
was  graduated  therefrom  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  in 
the  class  of  1889.  For  the  next  three  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  theological  studies  at  the  .American  College, 
connected  with  the  University  of  Louvain  in  Belgium. 
Thence  he  proceeded  to  the  Catholic  University  of  Lille 
in  Northern  France  to  continue  higher  studies.  Called 
h.ome  in  February,  1803,  he  was  ordained  in  the  Cathe- 
dral at  Providence  on  Fcbruarv-  22  by  the  Right  Rev. 
Matthew  Harkins.  .After  his  ordination  he  was  as- 
signed to  assist  for  a  time  at  St.  Patrick's  Church, 
Harrisville.  In  the  following  year  he  was  appointed 
assistant  at  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  in 
Providence.  Here  he  remained  for  eleven  months.  He 
was  then  sent  .as  assistant  to  Rev.  William  Pyne  at 
St.  Edward's.  He  remained  here  for  nine  and  a  half 
years,  serving  during  the  last  three  under  the  then 
Father  Stang.  In  June,  1904,  Father  McKenna  was  ap- 
pointed first  resident  pastor  of  St.  Bernard's  Parish, 
Wickford,  which  up  to  this  time  had  been  a  mission  of 
East  Greenwich.  There  he  built  a  rectory,  and  organ- 
ized the  different  spiritual  and  temporal  activities  of 
the  parish.  A  summer  mission  at  Saunderstown  was 
included  among  these.  In  October,  1915,  Father  Mc- 
Kenna was  appointed  pastor  of  the  Church  of  the 
Sacred  Heart,  East  Providence.  Since  his  arrival  he 
has  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  on  Taunton  avenue 
to  be  used  later  in  the  development  of  parish  activities. 
He  has  remodeled  an  old  rectory  and  made  of  it  the 
first  parochial  school  in  the  town.  He  has  installed  the 
Sisters  of  Mercy  in  a  comfortable  convent  on  the 
grounds.  His  ambition  is  to  replace  the  present  church 
with  a  new  structure,  and  in  due  time  to  build  a  suit- 
able school  which  shall  care  for  the  future  education  of 
the  Catholic  children  of  this  growing  section. 


JOSEPH  THOMAS  ROSWELL,  who  has  been 
intimately  associated  with  the  medical  life  of  Woon- 
socket  for  more  than  two  decades  and  who  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  profession  in  this  city, 
is  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  his  birth  occurred 
December  27,  1865.  Dr.  Roswell  is  a  son  of  Steven 
and  Emma  (Cherry)  Roswell,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  that  city,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
Steven  Roswell  engaged  in  business  as  a  brass  founder 
for  a  number  of  years  at  St.  Louis  and  later  removed 
with  his  family  to  Pittsburgh  when  his  son,  the  present 
Dr.  Roswell,  was  a  mere  child.  It  was  with  the  latter 
city  that  Dr.  Roswell's  childhood  was  most  intimately 
associated  and  it  was  there  that  he  first  attended  school, 
studying  in  the  public  schools  of  Pittsburgh.  Dr.  Ros- 
well then  entered  the  University  of  Pittsburgh  where  he 
took  a  course  in  civil  engineering,  and  graduated  with 


the  class  of  1885,  with  the  degree  of  Civil  Engineer. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  somewhat  delicate  health  at 
that  time  and  after  his  somewhat  strenuous  studies  was 
obliged  to  take  a  rest  cf  two  years.  During  that  time 
however,  the  young  man  had  decided  to  give  up  engi- 
neering and  embrace  the  career  of  a  physician,  with 
which  end  in  view  he  came  to  New  York  City  and  en- 
tered the  medical  college  in  connection  with  Bellevue 
Hospital,  now  known  as  Bellevue  University.  Prom 
this  institution  Dr.  Roswell  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1894,  taking  his  medical  degree,  and  thereafter  served 
as  an  interne  in  Bellevue  Hospital  for  some  months. 
Later  he  became  house  surgeon  of  the  celebrated  in- 
stitution and  after  gaining  invaluable  experience  there 
he  came  North,  to  Rhode  Island,  and  settled  in  the  city 
of  Providence,  in  1S96.  He  there  engaged  in  the  gen- 
eral practice  of  his  profession,  but  one  year  later,  in 
1897,  he  came  to  Woonsocket,  where  he  has  remained 
ever  since.  Dr.  Roswell  rapidly  made  a  name  for  him- 
self in  the  professional  life  of  this  city  and  has  now 
developed  one  of  the  largest  general  practices  here  and 
does  in  addition  a  great  deal  of  work  in  connection  with 
the  local  hospitals.  Dr.  Roswell,  although  keenly  in- 
terested in  political  issues  and  questions  of  the  day,  has 
found  it  impossible  to  take  an  active  part  in  public 
affairs  as  his  inclination  might  lead  him  to  or  his  tal- 
ents and  abilities  qualify  him  for,  but  he  has  served  for 
a  number  of  years  on  the  Woonsocket  School  Board, 
during  which  time  he  did  a  very  valuable  service  for 
the  educational  system  of  this  city.  He  is  an  inde- 
pendent Republican  in  politics  but  is  not  bound  by 
partisan  consideration  in  the  formation  of  his  judg- 
ment on  public  questions  generally.  During  his  brief 
stay  in  Providence,  between  1896  and  1897,  he  served  as 
surgeon  in  the  out-patient  department  of  St.  Joseph's 
Hospital  in  that  city,  and  he  is  now  on  the  medical 
staff  of  the  Woonsocket  Hospital,  and  is  a  visiting 
physician  of  the  same  hospital.  He  is  a  member  of 
Morning  Star  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of 
Woonsocket. 

Dr.  Roswell  was  united  in  marriage,  January  I,  igoi, 
at  Woonsocket,  with  Harriet  Elizabeth  Read,  of  this 
city,  a  daughter  of  George  S.  and  Lavilla  A.  Read,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  here.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ros- 
well are  the  parents  of  two  children,  who  are  twins,  as 
follows :  Helen  Cherry,  and  Madeleine  Read,  both  of 
whom  are  students  in  the  Woonsocket  High  School  at 
the  present  time. 


ROBERT  LAWTON  BOWEN— As  a  civil  engi- 
neer, Mr.  Bowen  is  well  known  throughout  Rhode 
Island.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Brown  University,  C.  E., 
1904,  and  has  been  connected  with  important  construc- 
tion work  both  in  Providence  and  New  York.  He  is  a 
descendant  of  Richard  Bowen,  of  Welsh  parentage,  who 
came  to  New  England  in  1640,  and  settled  in  the  town 
of  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  being  one  of  the  first  purchasers 
of  land  in  that  town  in  1643.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
first  Board  of  Selectmen  and  a  land  owner.  He  was 
buried  February  4,  1674.  From  Richard  Bowen  sprang 
a  long  line  of  descendants,  including  Robert  Lawton 
Bowen.  of  Providence,  son  of  John  E.  Bowen,  and 
grandson   of   Dr.    Israel   M.    Bowen,   of    Coventry  and 


cz^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


401 


Johnston,  R.  I.,  who  practiced  the  profession  of  med- 
icine in  Johnston  for  many  years,  and  died  in  i8;9,  at 
the  age  of  seventy  years.  He  married  Ruth  Water- 
man, of  Coventry,  who  died  in  iSSS,  she  also  a  descend- 
ant of  an  ancient  New  England  family,  founded  by 
Richard  Waterman,  one  of  the  party  who  came  to  Rhode 
Island  with  Roger  Williams  in  1634.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children;  those  now  livinji  are:  John 
E.,  Mrs.  Annie  S.  Edmondson,  and  .Abbie  M.,  of  John- 
ston. 

John  E.  Bowen  was  born  in  Johnston,  .\ugust  27, 
1845.  He  was  graduated  from  Brown  L'niversity.  A.  B., 
class  of  1867;  was  a  chemist  for  a  time,  but  since  1S69 
has  been  in  the  service  of  the  city  of  Providence  as 
civil  engineer  in  charge  of  the  sewer  department.  For 
ten  years  he  was  president  of  the  Town  Council  of 
Johnston,  and  for  three  years  represented  the  town  in 
the  Rhode  Island  Legislature.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  an  e.x-prcsident  of  the 
Olncyvillc  Free  Library  Association,  ex-president  of 
Olneyville  Business  Men's  Association,  and  a  member 
of  the  Sunset  Club.  John  E.  Bowen  married,  in  Crans- 
ton, R.  I.,  Martha  Emily  Lawton,  born  in  Cranston, 
December  27,  1847,  daughter  of  Robert  Lawton,  born  in 
Newport,  R.  I.,  a  farmer  of  Cranston  all  his  active 
life  until  his  death  in  1901.  aged  ninety-one  years. 
Robert  Lawton  married  (first)  .Anna  .A.  Chase,  of 
Cranston,  who  died  when  her  daughter,  Martha  Emily, 
was  an  infant.  Robert  Lawton  married  (second)  Susan 
Tillinghast.  Robert  Lawton  married  (third)  Caroline 
E.  Matsan,  of  South  Kingston.  By  his  third  marriage 
he  had  two  daughters,  Frances  and  Sarah,  both  now 
residing  in  Cranston,  unmarried. 

Robert  Lawton  Bowen,  only  child  of  John  E.  and 
Martha  Emily  (Lawton)  Bowen,  was  born  in  Johnston, 
October  23,  iS'79,  and  there  attended  the  public  schools. 
He  completed  college  preparation  at  Providence  Classi- 
cal High  School,  then  entered  Brown  University,  whence 
he  was  graduated,  A.  B.,  class  of  1902,  and  C.  E.,  class 
of  1904.  His  first  professional  engagement  was  as 
engineer  with  the  New  Jersey  Bridge  Company  in  the 
construction  of  a  bridge  at  Manasquan,  N.  J.,  going  to 
the  Westinghouse.  Church,  Kerr  Company  of  New  York 
City,  after  a  brief  engagement  with  the  first  named 
company.  He  was  with  the  latter  company  from  Janu- 
ary, 1905,  until  July,  1911,  and  during  that  time  was 
connected  with  engineering  in  connection  with  the  tun- 
nel underground  work  and  erection  of  the  New  York 
tunnel  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  In  191 1  he  was 
appointed  engineer  to  the  Rhode  Island  Harbor  Im- 
provement Commission ;  was  resident  engineer  during 
the  construction  of  State  Pier  No.  i  at  Providence,  and 
later  was  engineer  in  charge  of  the  building  of  a  State 
dock  at  Pawti-.cket.  In  September,  1918,  he  became 
chief  engineer  for  the  Charles  B.  Maguire  Company,  of 
Providence,  at  the  I'nited  States  Naval  Training  Camp 
at  Cottington  Point,  Newport.  Mr.  Bowen  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  .Vmcrican  Society 
of  Civil  Engineers,  a  member  of  the  University  Club, 
the  Churchman's  Club,  and  is  a  vestryman  of  the  Church 
of  the  Messiah. 


CHARLES  ISAAC  GOODCHILD— Since  Janu- 
ary I.  1919,  owner  and  head  of  the  business  of  Good- 
child  &  GoodcbiUl.  of  I'rovidencc,  Charles  Isaac 
Goodchild  is  well  known  anicjng  the  younger  genera- 
tion of  Providence  business  men.  He  was  born  in 
.•\uburn,  R.  I.,  May  15,  iSAj,  son  of  Isaac  and  Minnie 
Frances  (Potter)  Goodchild.  He  early  attended  the 
public  schools  of  Cranston,  R.  I.,  and  was  graduated 
from  the  Technical  High  School  of  Providence,  in  the 
class  of  1909.  -After  two  years  in  Kingston  College, 
Kingston,  R.  I.,  he  entered  mercantile  life  in  connection 
with  his  father's  business,  subsequently  becoming  a 
partner.  On  January  I,  1919,  he  became  full  owner 
through  purchase  and,  his  father  retiring,  assumed  en- 
tire control  of  the  firm's  activities.  Goodchild  & 
Goodchild  is  the  title  under  which  he  operates  in  the 
general  provision  business,  in  which  his  active  years 
have  been  passed,  and  his  thorough  knowledge  of  this 
line  and  his  experience  therein  arc  reliable  indications 
of  continued  prosperity  for  the  house. 

Mr.  Goodchild  is  a  member  of  the  Calvary  Baptist 
Church,  and  is  identified  with  the  Young  Men's  .Asso- 
ciation of  that  church.  He  belongs  to  the  P.  I.  K.  Greek 
letter  fraternity  and  in  political  preference  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  is  also  associated  with  the  New  England 
Consolidated  Company. 

Mr.  Goodchild  married,  in  Providence,  May  15,  1915, 
Helen  Louise  .Ames,  of  this  city,  and  they  arc  the  par- 
ents of  Dorothy  Florence,  born  July  21,  1916. 


CHARLES  ALBERT  GAMWELL— One  fre- 
quently turns  to  nature  for  a  simile  expressive  of  the 
growth  of  man's  genius  and  ability  resulting  in  success- 
ful accomplishment.  The  groat  river  that  finds  its 
source  in  the  little  spring,  the  strong  and  sturdy  tree 
that  sprang  from  the  tiny  seed,  and  many  other  phe- 
nomena of  nature  have  been  made  the  metaphorical 
expression  of  man's  development.  Any  such  would 
aptly  apply  to  the  life  record  of  Charles  .Albert  Gam- 
well,  who  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  became  associated 
with  the  .American  Enamel  Company  and  built  that 
organization  from  an  infant  industry  to  the  largest  of 
its  special  kind  in  this  country. 

Charles  Albert  Gamwcll  was  born  May  3.  1S51,  in 
Chester,  Mass.,  son  of  William  and  Sarah  Conant  (Wil- 
lard)  Gam  well,  and  grandson  of  Samuel  and  Clarissa 
(Moore)  Gamwell,  his  maternal  grandparents  being 
Rev.  Benjamin  and  Sally  (Conant)  Willard,  descend- 
ants, as  were  his  paternal  ancestors,  of  the  sturdy  old 
New  England  stock.  William  Gamwcll  was  the  founder 
and  for  many  years  the  principal  and  head  instructor 
in  the  private  academy  at  Holyoke,  Mass.,  and  prom- 
inent in  his  day  in  educational  work  in  that,  his  native 
State.  Charles  .A.  Gamwell,  coming  to  this  State  in 
1856.  received  instruction  in  private  schools  of  this 
State  before  entering  and  attending  the  public  schools 
of  Rhode  Island,  afterward  taking  a  special  educational 
course  at  the  Bryant  and  Stratton  Commercial  College 
in  Boston  and  at  Providence  to  fit  him  for  a  business 
career,  toward  which  his  mind  was  early  bent.  .At  the 
age  of  fifteen  years  he  secured  his  first  position  as  clerk 
in  a  mercantile  house  in  Boston,  Mass.,  remaining  two 


R  1-2-26 


402 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


years.  In  iS68  he  came  to  Providence  and  accepted  an 
office  position  in  a  Textile  Manufacturing  Corporation, 
becoming  secretary  of  the  company  two  years  later, 
which  position  he  held  until  1S73,  when  he  resigned  to 
accept  the  position  offered  him  of  secretary  of  the 
American  Enamel  Company.  This  corporation  at  the 
time  of  Mr.  Gamwcll's  entrance  was  young  and  but 
little  known,  except  locally,  the  pay  roll  employees  then 
consisting  of  but  a  few  men  only.  With  an  ambition 
to  develop  and  enlarge  the  business,  he  was  at  that 
time  instrumental  in  raising  new  capital,  and  beginning 
the  building  of  an  added  new  and  larger  plant,  since 
fully  equipped  and  still  further  enlarged.  Seeing  the 
possibilities  of  such  a  business,  with  characteristic  de- 
termination, Mr.  Gam  well  threw  himself  energetically 
into  the  work,  studying  carefully  and  persistently  for 
years  the  details,  capabilities  and  needs  of  every  depart- 
ment in  order  to  thoroughly  master  and  improve  it  in 
every  respect,  where  possible,  and  since  that  time,  for 
a  period  of  nearly  forty-five  years,  the  history  of  Mr. 
Gamwell's  life  is  the  history  of  the  large  growth  and 
development  of  the  American  Enamel  Company.  A 
short  time  after  becoming  associated  with  the  company 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors,  and 
then  became  treasurer  and  general  manager,  and  each 
year  the  company  steadily  grew  to  larger  proportions. 
Mr.  Gamwell  became  the  guiding  genius,  and  through 
his  direction  the  plant  was  being  gradually  enlarged  to 
meet  the  ever  increasing  demands  put  upon  it. 

From  the  first,  and  as  the  plant  and  the  business  grew, 
he  carefully  and  wisely  drew  around  him,  by  good 
selection,  the  best  assistants,  helpers  and  able  employees, 
to  which  policy  he  adhered.  Mr.  Gamwell  aimed  to  have 
his  company  the  pioneer,  as  it  was,  in  every  new  feature 
and  process  of  the  business.  One  such  important  fea- 
ture was  the  process  of  dipping  bicycle  and  automobile 
metal  parts,  and  other  large  work,  doing  away  with  the 
former  or  old  hand  brushing  slower  method,  which  was 
unsatisfactory  and  required  a  very  considerable  extra 
amount  of  men  and  time,  and  consequent  extra  cost, 
the  dipping  process  applying  the  enamel  more  uniformly 
and  evenly.  This  process  became  so  much  in  demand 
that  the  superintendent  of  the  company  was  sent 
throughout  the  country  installing  dipping  plants,  appa- 
ratus and  ovens,  and  instructing  workmen  in  the  pro- 
cess. The  company,  under  Mr.  Gamwell's  enameling  ad- 
ministration, bought,  built,  equipped  and  now  still  oper- 
ate three  lumber  mills  in  Maine,  lumber  being  a  raw  ma- 
terial largely  used  by  the  company  in  manufacturing 
various  lines  of  work,  the  turned  and  shaped  wood  being 
enameled  and  used  for  building  and  various  decorative 
manufacturing  purposes.  For  many  years  the  company 
was  a  large  producer  of  enameled  water  pipe  and  elec- 
tric conduit  pipe. 

Mr.  Gamwell  was  also  instrumental  in  establishing  a 
wide  field  for  the  use  of  the  American  Enamel  Com- 
pany's enamels,  and  to-day  the  company  has  developed 
a  large  demand  for  its  enamels  throughout  .\merican 
and  European  countries,  being  one  of  the  large  dis- 
tributors in  this  country  of  this  special  material.  Mr. 
Gamwell  always  aimed  to  make  for  his  company  a  repu- 
tation for  high  quality  work  in  every  department  of  its 
business,    and    was    persistent    in    this,    and    customers 


dealing  with  the  company  soon  learned  of  this  char- 
acteristic trait  and  the  general  manager's  insistence 
upon  quaHty  and  service,  which  became  a  recognized 
valuable  asset  of  the  company  and  made  the  name  of 
its  goods  most  favorably  known.  In  1917  Mr.  Gam- 
well was  elected  president,  as  also  again  general  man- 
ager and  treasurer,  and  after  forty-five  years  of  suc- 
cessful management,  he  withdrew  in  1918  from  active 
work  and  retired.  It  is  with  comfort  and  satisfaction 
that  he  can  review  a  busy,  useful  business  life  of  half  a 
century,  and  the  builder  of  a  business  which  grew  from 
two  or  three  employees  to  nearly  five  hundred. 

While  of  a  quiet  and  retiring  disposition,  he  has  been 
active  in  the  public  welfare  and  development  of  his 
adopted  city  and  State,  and  to-day  enjoys  a  well  earned 
rest,  and  a  wide  circle  of  valued  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  has  always 
declined  public  office.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Royal  Arcanum,  Unity  Council,  for  thirty-five  years, 
one  of  its  charter  members,  and  has  held  the  offices  of 
orator,  vice-regent  and  regent;  he  is  a  life  member  and 
active  in  the  development  of  the  Young  Men's  Christ- 
ian Association.  Member  of  the  Economic  Club,  and 
of  the  Providence  .Athletic  Club,  while  it  existed,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Providence  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. The  family  are  communicants  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist CInirch  of  Providence. 

Charles  .Albert  Gamwell  married.  May  16,  1878,  Eliza- 
beth M.  Gulick.  daughter  of  Orramel  Hinckley  and 
Annie  (Clark)  Gulick,  of  Honolulu,  Hawaii,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  three  children :  Louise  Conant, 
born  Aug.  29,  1879,  who  became  the  wife  of  Luther  F. 
Cobb,  of  Providence,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work ; 
Irene  Burnham,  born  Dec.  10,  1883,  now  deceased; 
Lauriston  Moore,  born  June  14,  1889. 


WILLIAM  L.  HODGMAN— A  native  of  New 
York  State  and  a  citizen  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  by  adop- 
tion, Mr.  Hodgman  has  been  for  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  identified  with  the  legal  and  financial  in- 
terests of  his  city,  at  this  time  (1919)  devoting  himself 
almost  exclusively  to  business  affairs  in  the  capacity  of 
president  of  the  Title  Guarantee  Company,  of  Rhode 
Island. 

William  L.  Hodgman  is  a  son  of  Lansing  D.  and 
Abbie  C.  (Cook)  Hodgman,  both  deceased,  his  father 
a  native  of  Stillwater,  Saratoga  county,  N.  ¥.,  a  civil 
engineer  of  Bath.  N.  Y.  Mr.  Hodgman  was  born  in 
Bath,  Steuben  county,  N.  Y.,  September  28,  1854,  and 
after  attending  the  public  schools  of  Bath  and  Wil- 
son's Grammar  School  of  Rochester,  in  his  native  State, 
entered  Yale  University,  whence  he  was  graduated  with 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  the  class  of  1876.  At 
the  completion  of  his  scholastic  course  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Guy  H.  McMaster, 
of  Bath,  N.  Y.,  after  which  he  took  the  degree  of 
LL.  B..  at  the  Albany  Law  School,  Albany,  N.  Y.  He 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  1881,  the  year  of  his  gradu- 
ation from  law  school,  and  at  once  commenced  profes- 
sional work  in  Bath,  his  birthplace.  In  1884  he  opened 
offices  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  successfully  engaged  in 
general  practice  in  that  city  until  1892.  when  he  moved 
to  Providence,  his  present  home  and  since  that  time  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


403 


scene  of  his  professional  and  business  activities.  He 
continued  in  legal  work  until  1003,  when  he  was  the 
organizer  of  the  Title  Guarantee  Companj-,  of  Rhode 
Island.  Mr.  Hodgman  has  since  directed  the  policy  of 
this  company  as  president,  and  its  interests  and  scope 
have  widened  in  vigorous  and  healthful  expansion.  The 
company  is  well  and  favorably  known  throughout  the 
region  and  has  become  a  recognizedly  valuable  institu- 
tion in  the  community.  Mr.  Hodgman  is  associated 
with  numerous  other  Providence  corporations  of  im- 
portance, including  the  Morris  Plan  Company  of  Rhode 
Island,  which  he  serves  as  director;  the  Providence  In- 
stitution for  Savings,  of  which  he  is  a  trustee;  the 
Rhode  Island  Hospital  Trust  Company,  a  director;  the 
Providence  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company;  the  Prov- 
idence Gas  Company,  and  the  Providence  Journal  Com- 
pany. His  interest  and  effort  extend  beyond  his  busi- 
ness concerns  to  the  philanthropic  institutions  of  the 
city  and  to  all  good  causes,  and  he  is  a  trustee  of  the 
Butler  Hospital  and  of  the  Providence  Lying-in  Hos- 
pital. He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  in  religious 
faith  is  an  Episcopalian.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Agawam  Hunt,  Hope,  University,  Turk's  Head,  and 
Squantum  clubs  of  Providence,  and  the  Yale  and  Uni- 
versity clubs  of  New  York  City. 

William  L.  Hodgman  married,  June  12,  18S8,  Adelaide 
Maria  Knight,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Brayton  and 
Phoebe  A.  (Slocum)  Knight,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  a  daughter,  Hope  Knight. 


JOSEPH  CRONIN  EMIDY— Among  those  who 
have  recently  leturiied  to  .America  from  service  abroad 
in  the  employ  of  the  United  States  Government  may  be 
mentioned  Joseph  Cronin  Emidy,  a  young  lawyer  of 
VVoonsocket,  R.  I.  He  can  point  with  pride  to  his  hav- 
ing been  connected  with  the  Diplomatic  Service  of  his 
country  during  the  World's  War  in  Lisbon,  Portugal, 
and  in  Rome.  Italy,  being  stationed  in  the  former  city  at 
the  time  of  the  recent  revolution  in  Portugal.  He  re- 
signed from  the  Diplomatic  Service,  May  9,  1919. 

In  1864  Joseph  Emidy,  father  of  Joseph  C.  Emidy, 
came  to  .America  from  Trurotown,  Cornwall,  England, 
and  settled  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.  He  was  a  baker  by 
trade,  and  for  some  years  was  employed  in  that  line, 
but  in  1891  he  established  a  baking  business  in  con- 
nection with  one  of  his  brothers  under  the  firm  name 
of  Emidy  Brothers.  Joseph  Emidy  married  .Anne 
Dolan,  born  at  U.xbridge,  Mass.,  in  i860.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Emidy  were  the  parents  of  eight  children :  .Annie,  mar- 
ried Florence  McCrohan,  of  Woonsocket ;  Joseph 
Cronin,  Theodore,  William,  Rachel,  Lorenzo,  Walter, 
Stephen.  Lorenzo  Emidy  was  a  student  at  Brown  Uni- 
versity, class  of  1920,  but  gave  up  his  studies  there  to 
become  a  soldier  at  the  call  of  his  country,  serving  with 
Battery  B.  One  Hundred  and  Third  Field  .Artillery.  He 
is  now  attending  the  summer  school  at  Harvard  Med- 
ical Department. 

Joseph  Cronin  Emidy  was  born  at  Woonsocket,  March 
16.  1887,  receiving  his  early  education  in  the  grammar 
and  high  schools  of  that  city.  He  then  went  to  Boston 
L'niversity,  entering  the  Law  School,  and  graduating 
from  that  institution  in  the  class  of  1915,  with  the 
degree  of  LL.  B.     Returning  to  his  native  city,  he  en- 


gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession  under  the  firm 
name  of  Carpenter  &  Emidy,  continuing  in  this  parner- 
ship  for  two  years.  Mr.  Emidy  then  entered  the  law 
department  of  the  Rhode  Island  Railroad  Company, 
where  he  remained  for  one  year,  resigning  tc  join  the 
Diplomatic  Service.  One  year  later  he  returned  to 
America  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law  in  Woon- 
socket, with  offices  at  No.  517  Social  street.  In  politics 
Mr.  Emidy  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  represented  his  party 
in  the  State  Legislature  in  1917  and  1918.  In  religion 
he  is  a  Roman  Catholic,  being  a  member  of  Sacred 
Heart  Church.  His  parents  are  also  Roman  Catholics. 
-Mr.  Emidy,  Sr.,  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Elks,  but 
the  son  has  not  become  connected  with  any  organiza- 
tions except  a  college  secret  society,  that  of  Phi  Delta 
Phi,  a  legal  fraternity.  Mr,  Emidy  is  at  present  un- 
married, and  resides  at  No.  146  Third  avenue.  Woon- 
socket, R.  I. 


J.  ELLERY  HUDSON— Few  citizens  ot  Provi- 
dence are  better  known  and  none  are  more  highly 
respected  than  the  man  whose  name  we  have  just 
inscribed  on  this  page.  Mr.  Hudson,  who  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  being  the  oldest  factory  inspector  in  the 
United  States,  has  served  two  terms  as  Representative 
oi  his  district,  in  addition  to  holding  various  local 
political  offices  of  trust  and  responsibility. 

(I)  William  Hudson,  grandfather  of  J.  Ellery  Hud- 
son, was  a  native  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  always  fol- 
lowed the  sea.  The  name  of  his  wife  was  Peace 
(Moore)   Hudson. 

(II)  James  Moore  Hudson,  son  of  William  and 
Peace  (Moore)  Hudson,  was  born  December  2,  1814, 
in  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  for  a  long  period  filled  the  posi- 
tion of  mill  overseer.  He  married  Mary  Ann,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  (Haliburton)   Buckley,  both 

natives  of  England,  Mr.  Buckley  having  been  born  in 
Manchester.  Mrs.  Hudson  passed  away  September  5, 
1863,  and  the  death  of  Mr.  Hudson  occurred  March, 
1902.  They  were  survived  by  three  sons:  I.  William 
M.,  born  1838,  in  business  as  a  jeweler,  died  in  1915. 
2.  George  T.,  born  in  1840.  now  retired  and  living  at 
Attleboro,  Mass;  was  formerly  in  business  as  a  car- 
riage painter.     3.  J.  Ellery,  mentioned  below. 

(III)  J.  Ellery  Hudson,  son  of  James  Moore  and 
^fary  .Ann  (Buckley)  Hudson,  was  born  December  23, 
1850,  at  Natick,  R.  I.,  and  until  the  age  of  eleven  years 
attended  the  schools  of  Coventr>-.  He  then  found  his 
first  employment  in  the  cotton  mill  at  Harris,  remain- 
ing until  his  nineteenth  year,  when  he  entered  the 
establishment  oi  E.  T.  Lamphear  for  the  purpose  of 
learning  the  printer's  trade.  He  was  afterward  cm- 
ployed  by  the  Pawtuxet  "\'alley  Gleaner,"  first  as  a 
worker  at  the  press,  later  as  foreman,  and  finally  as 
general  manager.  For  twenty-one  years  Mr.  Hudson 
maintained  his  connection  with  the  paper,  severing  his 
connection  in  February,  1897.  In  February,  1898.  he 
was  appointed  factory  inspector  to  fill  the  vacancy 
caused  by  the  death  of  Colonel  Elisha  H.  Rockwell. 
When  assistants  were  provided  he  was  made  chief,  and 
this  very  responsible  position  he  has  filled  continuously 
ever  since,  discharging  in  the  most  thorough  and  satis- 
factory manner  the  duties  involved  in  its  tenure.     In 


404 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


politics  Mr.  Hudson  has  always  been  a  faithful  Re- 
publican, and  his  fellow-citizens  have  testified  to  their 
confidence  in  him  by  calling  him  to  serve  them  in  vari- 
ous capacities.  For  many  years  he  has  been  moderator 
of  the  fire  district,  and  for  about  thirty  years  he 
served  as  either  chairman  or  secretary  of  the  Repub- 
lican town  committee.  In  1897-98  he  was  the  chosen 
representative  of  his  district,  and  as  such  never  failed 
in  fidelity  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him.  making  the  best 
interests  of  his  constituents  his  sole  care  and  giving 
to  their  furtherance  his  constant  attention.  Mr.  Hud- 
son is  now  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of 
the  Republican  State  Central  Committee,  and  chair- 
man of  the  Second  Congressional  District  Commit- 
tee. He  affiliates  with  the  Masonic  fraternity;  is  a 
past  grand  master  of  Masons  in  Rhode  Island. 

Mr.  Hudson  married,  September  23,  1872,  Eliza  Jane, 
daughter  of  Joseph  W.  and  Eliza  (Powell)  Pearce.  of 
Harris,  R.  I.  Mr.  Pearce  was  a  native  of  Trowbridge, 
Wiltshire,  England.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hudson  became  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Irving  Pearce, 
born  Aug.  i,  1873;  now  proprietor  and  editor  of  the 
Pawtuxet  Valley  "Daily  Times."  2.  Charles  Joseph, 
born  June  23,  1875;  now  a  resident  of  Attleboro,  Mass. 
3.Mary  Eliza,  who  married  Silas  T.  Nye,  of  Westerly, 
R.  I.  4.  Ellery  Emerson,  for  the  last  twenty  years 
adjutant-general  in  the  office  of  the  State  House.  5. 
James  Albert,  deceased.  6.  Laura  Mabel,  married 
Walter  Lindsay,  of  River  Point,  R.  I.  7-  John  Buck- 
ley. 8.  Marian  Louise,  born  Jan.  27,  1899.  9.  Archer 
Everett,  now  an  architect  in  the  Army  of  Occupation. 

10.  Royal  Carlton,  now  a  student  in  the  Medical  School 
of  Howard  University,  class  of  1921 ;  served  during 
the  war  in  the  medical  department  of  the  naval  service. 

11.  Albert  Sprague,  second  lieutenant  in  the  Twenty- 
sixth  Machine  Gun  Battalion;  now  attending  Rhode 
Island  State  College,  class  of  1920.  12.  Wilton  Powell, 
who  served  during  the  war  in  the  quartermaster's  de- 
partment.    13.  Lloyd  Edgar,  deceased. 

The  family  residence  is  at  Harris,  and  there  Mr. 
Hudson  delights  to  spend  the  few  leisure  hours  of  his 
busy  life.  He  finds  his  favorite  means  of  recreation  in 
fishing,  gardening  and  various  forms  of  out-door 
sports,  enjoying  to  the  full,  life  in  the  open.  Through- 
out his  long  political  career  J.  Ellery  Hudson  has 
proved  himself  truly  public-spirited  and  his  fellow- 
citizens,  appreciating  his  fidelity,  have  insisted  upon 
retaining  him  in  their  service.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
he  will  respond  to  their  call  for  many  years  to  come. 


FRED  WEBSTER  MORSE,  treasurer  and  gen- 
era! manager  oi  the  Fred  W.  Morse  Company,  of  No. 
121  Dyer  street.  Providence,  and  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  of  this  city,  is  a  native  of  Boston,  Mass., 
where  his  birth  occurred  April  23,  1854.  He  is  a  son 
of  Mark  F.  and  Sarah  A.  (German)  Morse,  the  former 
for  many  years  prominent  in  the  business  circles  of 
Providence,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  busi- 
ness now  operated  by  his  son. 

Fred  Webster  Morse  received  his  elementary  educa- 
tion at  the  local  public  schools  of  Chelsea,  Mass.,  and 
after  completing  his  studies  there,  entered  the  Bryant 
&  Stratton  Business  College  of  Providence,  where  he 
took   a    commercial   course.      In   the   year    1871,   when 


seventeen  years  of  age,  the  young  man  entered  the 
shop  of  his  father's  establishment,  and  there  learned  the 
details  of  the  tinware  manufacturing  business,  which 
line  of  business  he  has  been  in  ever  since.  In  addition 
to  his  business  activities,  Mr.  Morse  has  been  a  promi- 
nent figure  in  the  general  life  of  the  community,  espe- 
cially in  connection  with  public  afifairs.  For  twelve 
years  he  has  represented  the  Sixth  Ward  of  this  city 
in  the  Providence  City  Council,  and  is  at  the  present 
time  chairman  of  the  Highway  Committee  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Committee  on  Garages  and  Engineering. 
There  are  at  present  but  two  other  members  of  the 
council  who  have  served  upon  that  body  longer  than 
he.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Morse  is  a  Baptist  and 
attends  the  Stewart  Street  Church  of  that  denomina- 
tion here.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Nestle  Lodge,  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons:  .-Xncient  Order  of  United 
Woodmen;  the  Providence  Fraternity;  the  New  Eng- 
land Order  of  Protection;  the  Central  Club,  and  the 
Washington  Park  Yacht  Club. 

The  Fred  W.  Morse  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Morse 
is  treasurer  and  general  manager,  is  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  every  variety  of  high  grade  tinware 
and  is  the  oldest  and  one  of  the  best  equipped  concerns 
of  its  kind  in  the  State.  It  was  established  in  1869  by 
Mr.  Morse's  father,  Mark  F.  Morse,  who  came  from 
Boston  to  Providence  for  that  purpose.  Here  he  asso- 
ciated himself  with  two  other  gentlemen  and  the  firm 
was  first  known  as  Hill,  Morse  &  Knight.  Two  years 
later  the  present  Mr.  Morse  became  an  employee. 
During  the  years  in  which  he  was  employed  here,  his 
father  and  Mr.  Hill  gradually  gained  control  of  the 
concern,  purchasing  the  interest  of  Mr.  Knight  and 
later  that  of  Mr.  Hill.  This  was  prior  to  the  year 
1876,  at  which  time  Mr.  Fred  Webster  Morse  was 
admitted  into  partnership  and  still  later  his  brother, 
.\lbert  W.  Morse,  also  became  a  member  of  the  firm. 
In  the  course  of  time  the  two  young  men  purchased 
the  business  from  their  father,  and  finally  Albert  W. 
Morse  sold  his  interests  to  Fred  W'.  Morse,  who  is 
now  the  head  of  the  concern,  later  forming  a  partner- 
ship with  his  brother-in-law,  Sylvester  Ripley,  Mr. 
Morse  later  purchasing  his  interest  in  the  business. 
In  the  year  1907  the  business  had  grown  to  such  large 
proportions  that  Mr.  Morse  incorporated  it  under  the 
name  of  the  Fred  W.  Morse  Company,  with  himself 
as  treasurer  and  general  manager,  and  it  is  under  that 
name  that  it  is  operated  to-day. 

Fred  Webster  Morse  was  united  in  marriage  De- 
cember 27.  1876,  at  Providence,  with  Adeline  M.  Rip- 
ley, a  daughter  of  Sylvester  Ripley.  Two  children  have 
been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows:  I.  Lillian  A.,  who 
received  her  elementary  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Providence,  where  she  was  graduated  from  the 
high  school.  Miss  Morse  then  took  a  special  course 
in  gymnasium  work  at  Harvard  University  and  still 
later  attended  the  domestic  science  department  of 
Columbia  University  in  New  York  City.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  she  is  a  teacher  of  domestic  science  at  the 
Lexington  School,  Providence.  2.  Fred  Webster,  Jr., 
who  was  educated  in  the  Providence  public  schools 
and  after  graduation  from  the  high  school  took  a  spe- 
cial college  course.  At  the  present  time  he  is  engaged 
with  his  father  in  the  latter's  business  enterprise. 


•'^::iy'.:. ..:::.- "'■Ti*'^    tifcjlgy:^^''"'^;''    <;Tv.':^^^y; 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


REV.  PETER  A.  HANLEY_A  majority  of  the 
rcsiclciits  oi  Rumford  will  immediately  recognize  this 
name  as  that  of  the  recently  appointed  pastor  of  St 
Margaret's  Roman  Catholic  Church.  Father  Hanley 
has  already  become  known  in  his  new  field  of  labor 
as  an  earnest  churchman  and  a  good  citizen. 

Francis  Hanley,  father  of  Rev.  Peter  A.  Hanley,  was 
born  January  i,  1842,  at  Castlcmine,  Roscommon 
county,  Ireland,  and  in  1865  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  settling  in  OlneyviUe,  where  he  engaged  in 
business  as  a  contractor  and  builder. 

Peter  A.  Hanley,  son  of  Francis  and  Delia  (O'Gara) 
Hanley,  was  born  July  13,  1880,  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
and  received  his  elementary  education  in  St.  Theresa's 
Parochial  School,  afterward  attending  La  Salle  Acad- 
emy and  graduating  with  the  class  of  1897.    Ne.xt  came 
a  course  of  study  at   Manhattan   College,  terminating 
in  iSqg  with  the  conferring  of  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of    Arts,    and    immediately    thereafter    he   entered    St. 
John's  Seminary,  Brighton,  Mass.,  and  was  ordained  to 
the  priesthood  on  June  29,    1904,   by   Bishop   Harkins. 
The   first   appointment   of   Father   Hanley  was  to  the 
Providence   Apostolate    (Mission    Band)    in   which   he 
labored    two   years.      He    also,    for    one   year,    taught 
classes  at  La  Salle  Academy.     He  was  next  assigned 
to  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  at  East  Green- 
wich, where  he  remained  two  years,  and  in  1908  he  was 
transferred    to    the    Cathedral.       .\fter    serving    there 
eleven  years  he  was  appointed,  on  May  9,  1919,  to  his 
present   parish,   St.   Margaret's,   of   Rumford.     Father 
Hanley  brings  to  his  new  pastorate  the  experience  ac- 
quired during  fifteen  years  of  earnest  work,  and  it  is 
already  apparent  that  he  will  be  rewarded  with  most 
satisfactory  results  in  the  sphere  of  activity  upon  which 
he  has  recently  entered. 


CHARLES  BORROMEO   O'ROURKE,  M.  D.— 

Among  the  prominent  physicians  of  Providence  should 
be  mentioned  Dr.  Charles  Borromeo  O'Rourke,  who 
has  been  in  practice  here  for  more  than  a  decade  and 
has  developed  a  large  and  high-class  clientele  in  East 
Providence,  with  his  present  office  at  \o.  776  North 
Broadway.  Dr.  O'Rourke  is  a  native  of  Woonsocket, 
his  birth  having  occurred  there  March  6,  1884,  and  a 
son  of  Patrick  Joseph  and  Nora  (Ryan)  O'Rourke. 
Both  of  Dr.  O'Rourke's  parents  were  born  in  County 
Tippcrary,  Ireland,  the  former  in  the  year  1848  and 
the  latter  in  the  year  1862.  The  elder  Mr.  O'Rourke 
came  to  America  as  a  young  man  and  was  for  a  time 
a  weaver  in  the  Social  Mill  at  Woonsocket.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  now  deceased,  their  deaths  occurring 
respectively  in  1903  and  1907.  They  were  the  parents 
of  seven  children,  as  follows:  James  H.,  who  is  now- 
engaged  successfully  in  the  grocery  business  in  this 
city:  Joseph  P.,  also  of  Providence:  Lawrence  S.,  of 
East  Providence;  Katherine  F.,  of  Providence:  Alice 
M.,  of  Providence:  Thomas,  deceased;  and  Charles 
Borromeo,  with  whose  career  we  are  here  especially 
concerned.  Dr.  O'Rourke's  elementary  education  was 
received  in  the  parochial  schools  of  Providence,  to 
which  city  he  had  come  as  a  child  with  his  parents. 
He  then  studied  for  a  time  in  a  private  school  in  this 
city  and  later  entered  the  Baltimore  Medical  College, 


405 

from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1907 
takmg  his  medical  degree  at  the  same  time.  Returning 
to  Providence,  he  practiced  for  a  year  in  the  city 
proper,  and  then  came  to  this  location  in  East  Provi- 
dence, where  he  has  remained  ever  since.  Dr. 
O'Rourke  has  always  been  active  in  the  general  life 
of  the  community  and  is  at  the  present  time  occupying 
the  office  of  medical  examiner  of  East  Providence.  He 
IS  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious  belief  and  attends 
the  Sacred  Heart  Church  of  this  denomination  here 
and  has  been  very  active  in  the  work  of  the  parish. 
He  IS  a  member  of  the  local  chapter  of  the  Knights  of 
Columbus,  of  which  he  was  chancellor  for  two  years- 
the  local  lodge  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  the  World' 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks-  the 
Massasoit  Club;  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Associa- 
tion, and  the  Providence  Medical  Society.  Dr 
O'Rourke  has  always  been  very  fond  of  outdoor  sports 
and  pastimes,  and  spends  most  of  his  leisure  hours  in 
motoring. 

At  the  time  of  the  entry  of  this  nation  into  the  great 
World  War,  Dr.  O'Rourke,  strongly  impelled  by  mo- 
tives of  patriotism,  enlisted,  in  September,  1918.  On 
the  24th  of  that  same  month  he  was  commissioned  a 
first  lieutenant  and  assigned  to  Camp  Wadsworth 
Spartensburg,  S.  C,  where  he  did  valuable  work  as  a 
surgeon.     He  was  honorably  discharged  March  i,  1919. 

LOUIS  CHRISTOPHER  LAFAYETTE— Among 

the  many  French  residents  of  Woon.-^ockct,  R.  I.,  none 
is  more  highly  regarded  than  Louis  Christopher  Lafa- 
yette, overseer  of  the  poor  of  that  city.     He  was  born 
at  St.  Dominique,  Province  of  Quebec.  Canada,  April 
20,  1863,  the  son  of  John  B.  Lafayette,  a  French-Cana- 
dian, who,  like  his  son,  was  also  born  at  St.  Dominique, 
November  5,   1827.     He  was  a  mill  worker,  and  fol- 
lowed his  trade  after  he  came  to  the   United   States, 
which   he   did   in    1866.   settling  in   Slatersville,   R.    I., 
where   he   died   August   2.    1896.     He   married    (first) 
Scholistiques  Favreau,  born  in  St.  Dominique,  Canada. 
They  had  six  children:     Adele,  John   B.,  Jr.,  Joseph, 
Alfred,  Mary,  \irginie.     These  are  all  now  deceased.' 
John   B.  Lafayette  married   (second)   .Axilda   Favreau, 
born  in  St.  Cesaire,  December  8,  1845,  and  died  April 
14,  1917.    Their  children  were:     Louis  Christopher,  of 
Woonsocket;    Alfred   H.,  of   Pawtucket;    Edward,  of 
Woonsocket;     Josephine,     married     Levi     Valois,'   of 
Woonsocket;   Semeas  A.,  deceased;   Adolphinc;    Rosc- 
alba,  wife  of  Joseph  Rousseau,  of  Woonsocket;    Flor- 
ilda;    Palmy  re;    Maria,  married  James  Jewell;    Elmire, 
married  John  Kerrigan,  both  of  these  living  in  Woon- 
socket;    Arthur.,   a    priest   of    Pawtucket;     Henry    E., 
of  Woonsocket;    Emma;    Toussant,  deceased;    Ferdi- 
nand,  deceased;     Imalda,   married   Amidee    Libby,   of 
Davenport,  Iowa;    Frederick  F.,  of  Woonsocket. 

Louis  Christopher  Lafayette,  eldest  son  of  John 
B.  and  .•\xilda  (Favreau)  Lafayette,  was  educated  as  far 
as  possible  at  the  Slatersville  district  school,  but  as 
he  started  to  be  a  wage  earner  at  the  early  age  of  ten 
years,  this  education  was  of  necessity  quite  meager. 
He  worked  in  a  weaving  mill  in  Slatersville,  R.  I.,  until 
he  was  twenty-three  years  old,  when  he  went  to  Fall 
River.    The  young  man  was  ambitious  to  have  an  edu- 


4o6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


cation,  realizing  the  need  of  it  if  one  is  to  succeed  in 
life,  so  he  entered  the  evening  school  in  Fall  River, 
studying  diligently  for  one  year,  making  French  his 
specialty.  This  evening  school  was  the  foundation  of 
his  education,  for  after  leaving  it  he  continued  to  study 
and  has  since  improved  himself  greatly.  In  1886  Mr. 
Lafayette  went  to  Woonsocket,  where  he  has  been 
located  ever  since,  working  in  one  capacity  and  then 
another,  the  first  being  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  and  bakery 
shop  where  he  remained  for  eight  years.  He  then 
was  clerk  in  clothing  store  of  Tongas  &  Company, 
later  with  J.  C.  Rocheleau,  and  after  that,  clerking  for 
Nathan  Falk  and  Albert  Terkel.  In  1917  he  was  ap- 
pointed overseer  of  the  poor,  and  has  successfully 
filled  that  position  to  the  present  time. 

While  not  aggressive  in  politics,  Mr.  Lafayette  has 
enrolled  himself  under  the  Republican  banner.  In  re- 
ligion he  is  a  Roman  Catholic,  he  and  his  family 
attending  the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood.  Among 
his  brothers  and  sisters  may  be  found  several  who  have 
taken  holy  orders,  one  being  the  Rev.  Arthur  A.  Lafa- 
yette, of  Pawtucket.  His  sister  Adolphine  became  Sis- 
ter Alice  of  the  Convent  of  St.  Sacrement  in  Los  .An- 
geles, Cal.  She  belongs  to  the  order  of  the  Little 
Sisters  of  the  Poor.  Another  sister,  Florilda,  is  now 
Sister  Gonzaga  of  the  Divine  Order  of  Providence, 
now  stationed  at  Corbin,  Ky.;  Palmyra  is  also  one  of 
the  Divine  Order  of  Providence,  and  is  known  as  Sis- 
ter Marie  De  La  Salle  in  a  convent  in  Catonsville,  Md. 
Emma,  another  sister  of  the  same  order,  was  Sister 
Imalda,  of  Newport,  Ky.,  but  now  deceased.  Of  his 
father's  family  of  eighteen  children  by  his  second  wife, 
five  of  them  became  consecrated  to  the  church.  Mr. 
Lafayette  has  held  membership  in  several  fraternal 
societies  of  Woonsocket.  For  the  past  eighteen  years 
he  has  been  financial  secretary  of  Court  La  Fontain, 
a  lodge  of  Foresters  made  up  of  Franco-.A.mericans, 
and  he  is  also  a  member  of  D'Alliance  Nationale,  a 
French  society,  and  he  is  an  ex-vice-president,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Society  of  St.  Jean  Baptiste 
D'Amerique. 

.At  Woonsocket,  April  9,  1883,  Louis  Christopher 
Lafayette  was  married  to  Malvina  La  Liberie.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  Treffle  and  Edesse  (Messier)  La 
Liberie,  who  reside  in  Woonsocket.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lafayette  have  three  children:  i.  Mederise,  born  Feb. 
16,  1889.  2.  Hermina,  born  Dec.  3,  1892.  3.  Lionel  L., 
born  Nov.  13,  1895,  died  July  29,  1917;  he  was  account- 
ant of  L'union  St.  Jean  Baptiste.  Mr.  Lafayette  is  a 
most  home  loving  man,  and  when  not  engaged  in  the 
pursuit  of  business  may  be  found  at  his  residence,  No. 
374  Carrington  avenue.  His  great  recreation  is  read- 
ing, in  whicli  he  finds  relaxation  from  his  duties  as 
overseer  of  the  poor.  His  choice  in  literature  covers 
a  large  and  varied  field. 


CHARLES   HERBERT   MORSE— As  one  of  the 

members  of  the  Indian  Packing  Corporation,  Mr. 
Morse  is  well  known  in  the  business  world  of  his  com- 
munity. He  has  been  a  lifelong  resident  of  Provi- 
dence, and  has  for  years  been  active  in  the  sphere  of 
local  politics,  having  filled  several  positions  of  munici- 
pal importance. 


William  M.  Morse,  father  of  Charles  Herbert 
Morse,  was  born  October  15,  1826,  in  Medfield,  Mass., 
and  for  over  thirty  years  was  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business.  He  married  Tabitha  Maxon,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  their  children  were:  Charles  Her- 
bert, mentioned  below:  Ella  A.,  married  William  Bar- 
rett, and  is  now  deceased;  Emma  A.,  became  the  wife 
of  Benjamin  F.  Brown,  and  is  also  deceased:  and  Ida 
Estella.  Mr.  Morse  died  in  1883,  in  Providence,  and 
Mrs.  Morse  passed  away  in  1896. 

Charles  Herbert  Morse,  son  of  William  M.  and  Ta- 
bitha (Maxon)  Morse,  was  born  May  23,  1856,  in  Prov- 
idence, and  received  his  education  in  the  public  and 
high  schools  of  his  native  city.  He  served  an  appren- 
ticeship to  business  in  the  office  of  the  city  engineer, 
remaining  four  years,  and  was  then,  for  eighteen  years, 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  grocery  business.  He 
next  served  for  three  years  as  traveling  salesman  for 
a  cigar  concern,  and  then  for  another  three  years  was  a 
commission  agent  for  the  New  England  Supply  Com- 
pany. He  then  became  local  salesman  for  the  same 
concern,  a  position  which  he  retained  for  eight  years. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  he  served  for  two  years  as 
sales  manager,  and  then  for  another  two  years  as  su- 
perintendent. For  about  two  years  he  filled  the  posi- 
tion of  assistant  manager.  In  1919  the  New  England 
Supply  Company  was  taken  over  by  the  Indian  Pack- 
ing Corporation,  whose  main  offices  are  in  Green  Bay, 
Wis.,  the  Providence  plant  taking  care  of  the  middle, 
western  and  eastern  trade.  Mr.  Morse  then  became 
one  of  the  managers  of  the  organization,  succeeding 
that  with  which  he  had  been  connected  for  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century  and  to  whose  prosperity  and 
upbuilding  he  had  contributed.  In  the  New  England 
Supply  Company  he  was  one  of  the  board  of  directors, 
and  is  a  stockholder  of  the  Indian  Packing  Corpora- 
tion. As  an  advocate  of  Republican  principles,  Mr. 
Morse  has  long  been  a  factor  to  be  reckoned  with  in 
local  politics.  For  fifteen  years  he  has  served  as  chair- 
man of  ward  committees,  and  for  the  last  three  year* 
he  has  represented  the  Si.xth  Ward  in  the  Common 
Council.  He  is  a  member  of  Corinthian  Lodge,  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Calvary 
Baptist  Church,  belonging  to  the  Brotherhood  Club,  and 
taking  a  helpful  interest  in  its  work.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  Westminster  Club. 

Mr.  Morse  married  (first)  October  9,  1878,  Harriet 
B.  Wolfindale,  of  Providence.  Their  daughter,  Edith 
May,  is  now  the  wife  of  Howard  L.  Corthell,  of  New 
York  City.  Mr.  Morse  married  (second)  June  29, 
1892,  Ida  May.  daughter  of  Calvin  and  Mary  (Davis) 
Wilbur,  of  Providence.  Mr.  Wilbur  was,  up  to  the 
time  of  his  retirement,  the  leading  veterinary  surgeon 
of  Providence,  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  the 
city's  oldest  voter.  During  the  winters  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Morse  reside  in  Providence,  their  summer  home  being  at 
Buttonwoods,  R.  I.  In  his  younger  days  Mr.  Morse 
took  great  enjoyment  in  fast  horses,  but  he  now  de- 
scribes himself  as  "a  devotee  of  books  and  home." 
The  record  of  Charles  Herbert  Morse,  both  in  business 
and  politics,  justly  entitles  him  to  be  numbered  among 
the  useful,  public-spirited  and  loyal  citizens  of  his  native 
Providence. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


407 


PERCY  T.  PHILLIPS,  general  manager  01  the 
American  Textile  Company.  The  lace  industry  in  the 
United  States  is  comparatively  new.  and  for  the  length 
of  time  that  it  has  been  in  existence,  and  the  many 
handicaps  that  have  had  to  be  overcome,  its  develop- 
ment has  been  phenomenal.  The  largest  lace-making 
plant  in  the  country  and  that  where,  to  a  large  extent, 
the  problems  of  lace-making  here  have  been  worked  out, 
is  that  of  the  American  Textile  Company  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  L  The  lace  industry  was  founded  in  the  year  1589 
by  a  student  of  Oxford  College,  England,  since  which 
time  remarkable  progress  has  been  made,  both  in  the 
methods  of  manufacture  and  in  the  quality  and  char- 
acter of  the  fabrics  produced.  The  major  part  of  this 
progress  has  been  confined  to  Europe,  however,  and 
even  to-day  America  buys  fully  eighty  per  cent,  of  the 
lace  used  here  Irom  European  countries.  .\  number  of 
abortive  attempts  were  made  in  this  country  to  start 
this  industry  here  in  the  early  days,  and  Pawtucket, 
which  has  always  been  the  center  of  these  attempts,  was 
the  scene  of  the  first  one.  In  the  year  1^26,  long  before 
the  era  of  complex  mill  machinery,  a  beautiful  lace  dress 
was  made  by  hand  and  exhibited  at  the  Rhode  Island 
State  Fair.  Great  interest  was  created  and  the  dress 
itself  was  subsequently  purchased  by  President  .-\dams, 
but  nothing  came  of  it  in  a  practical  way.  .-\  number  of 
more  serious  attempts  were  made  towards  the  close  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  but  the  men  interested  in  these 
had  to  contend  with  a  high  duty  on  lace-making  imple- 
ments and  machines  which  made  the  price  prohibitive. 
It  was  not,  indeed,  until  the  year  1910  that  conditions 
were  so  altered  as  to  allow  of  success  being  obtained, 
and  it  is  from  then  that  the  industry  dates  its  growth. 
The  late  Nelson  Aldrich,  Senator  from  Rhode  Island, 
exerted  his  influence  in  that  year  to  have  the  duties 
temporarily  raised,  and  at  once  plants  were  established 
at  Pawtucket  and  the  wheels  of  a  new  activity  com- 
menced turning.  Bearing  in  mind  the  short  period  in 
which  these  enterprises  have  flourished,  the  matter  for 
surprise  is  not  that  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  laces 
sold  here  are  of  European  origin,  but  rather  that  it  is 
not  still  larger.  To-day  ( 1918)  everything  in  the  nature 
of  laces,  from  the  cheapest  cotton  \'als  at  one  cent  a 
yard,  to  the  handsomest  silk  flounces,  at  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  a  yard,  is  made  here  and  the  enterprising 
men  at  the  head  of  the  business  are  constantly  feeling  out 
for  larger  and  more  extended  markets,  and  more  and 
more  capturing  the  domestic  trade.  Most  successful 
among  the  individual  concerns  identified  with  the  great 
industrial  movement  is  the  .American  Textile  Company, 
of  Pawtucket,  which  operates  as  many  as  sixty-six  lace 
machines  and  employs  about  five  hundred  hands  in  its 
work.  This  great  concern  was  incorporated  in  the 
year  1899,  and  its  first  officers  were  Hezekiah  Conant, 
president;  Lyman  B.  Goff,  vice-president;  and  George 
M.  Thornton,  secretar>-  and  treasurer.  It  has  been 
since  1910.  however,  that  the  really  great  growth  of  the 
concern  has  occurred,  when  the  tariff  was  taken  from 
the  lace  machines,  and  at  the  present  time  the  officers 
are  Lyman  B.  Goff,  president;  Joseph  Bodell,  vice- 
president;  Frederick  \Vilcox,  treasurer:  and  Percy  T. 
Phillips,  general  manager. 

Percy  T.  Phillips,  the  talented  and  successful  general 


manager  of  the  .American  Textile  Company  of  Paw- 
tucket, is  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  born  March  18, 
1882.  His  general  education  was  obtained  at  the  local 
schools  of  his  native  place,  and  he  later  took  a  technical 
course  at  the  F'hiladelphia  Textile  School,  the  fore- 
most institution  in  the  United  States.  From  this  insti- 
tution he  graduated  with  honors  and  a  degree,  and 
shortly  afterwards  came  to  Pawtucket  and  here  became 
a  designer  for  the  Hope  Webbing  Company,  a  concern 
which  is  elsewhere  mentioned  in  this  work.  Mr.  Phillips 
was  a  talented  designer,  but  he  soon  proved  hmiscif  of 
even  greater  value  as  an  officer,  and  was  rapidly  pro- 
moted to  the  position  of  superintendent.  He  continued 
in  this  capacity  until  the  year  1917,  when  he  was  offered 
the  position  of  general  manager  at  the  .\merican  Tex- 
tile Company's  plant  and  at  once  accepted.  It  was  thus 
that  he  formed  his  present  association  in  which  he  has 
already  made  a  most  enviable  record  for  himself. 

Mr.  Phillips'  interest  in  his  business  is  far  more  altru- 
istic and  intelligent  than  the  merely  perfunctory  in- 
terest felt  by  most  men  in  the  activity  by  which  they 
make  their  wealth.  He  has  a  clear  vision  for  the  future 
and  a  just  appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  lace  making 
art.  His  purpose  in  all  his  efforts  is  not  merely  to 
advance  his  personal  interests,  but  to  enlarge  the  scope 
and  aims  of  the  industry  and  increase  its  resthetic 
value.  How  genuine  this  interest  is  he  has  shown  by 
his  association  with  Mr.  Herman  Werner  in  the  found- 
ing and  organizing  of  the  Rhode  Island  Textile  School 
at  Providence,  R.  I.  This  school,  which  now  serves  a 
most  important  function,  was  begun  in  the  year  1903, 
these  two  gentlemen  being  its  principal  promoters,  as 
they  have  since  been  its  chief  supporters.  Mr.  Werner, 
indeed,  gave  up  his  other  activities  and  devoted  him- 
self exclusively  to  the  work  of  the  school,  while  Mr. 
Phillips  spent  all  his  spare  time  in  personally  teaching 
the  classes  for  a  period  of  above  ten  years.  Mr.  Phillips 
is  a  member  of  the  To-Kalon  Club  of  Pawtucket,  the 
Pawtucket  Golf  Club,  and  the  Delta  Kappa  Phi  (Phil- 
adelphia Chapter),  a  textile  fraternal  organization. 

Percy  T.  Phillips  was  united  in  marriage  June  23, 
1906.  at  Providence,  with  Ethelyn  M.  Shoemaker,  of 
Philadelphia.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  them: 
Virginia,  Taylor,  and  Stewart,  the  latter  meeting  his 
death  in  an  accident  at  the  age  of  nine  years. 


DANIEL  J.  MALONEY— This  name  announces 
one  of  the  most  aggressive  of  Woonsocket's  present  day 
business  men.  widely  known  as  sole  owner  of  the  Prov- 
idence Knitting  Company,  a  concern  which,  in  its  four 
years  of  existence,  has  achieved  an  enviable  reputation. 
Before  entering  the  manufacturing  field,  Mr.  .Maloney 
had  won  marked  recognition  for  the  superiority  of  his 
work  as  an  engineer,  having  pursued  his  profession 
most  successfully  for  fourteen  years. 

Daniel  J.  Maloney  was  born  October  29,  1879,  in  Chic- 
opee  Falls,  Mass.,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Britton)  Maloney.  John  Maloney,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased, was  employed  for  a  number  of  years  in  the 
Woonsocket  Cotton  Mills.  Mrs.  Maloney  is  still  living 
and  resides  in  that  city.  Daniel  J.  Maloney  was  four 
years  old  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  VVoonsocket, 
and  in  1897  he  graduated   from  the  Woonsocket  High 


4o8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


School.  He  then  entered  the  engineering  department  of 
Brown  University,  receiving  his  degree  in  1901.  While 
a  student  Mr.  Malonoy  specialized  in  bridge  designing, 
and  after  graduating  he  obtained  the  position  of  designer 
for  the  American  Bridge  Company  at  Athens,  Pa. 
After  retaining  this  position  from  1901  to  1907,  he  went 
to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  where  for  one  year  he  was  employed 
in  the  same  capacity.  In  1908  Mr.  Maloney  became  as- 
sistant engineer  in  the  New  York  City  Department  of 
Bridges,  Civil  Service,  and  his  name,  as  designer,  is 
one  of  those  inscribed  on  the  tablet  on  Manhattan 
Bridge.  In  1915  Mr.  Maloney  resigned  his  position, 
having  made  up  his  mind  to  enter  the  realm  of  manu- 
facture. In  the  e-xecution  of  this  purpose  he  removed 
to  Providence  and  organized  the  Providence  Knitting 
Company.  So  rapidly  did  the  business  develop  that 
within  one  year  it  outgrew  the  capacity  of  this  struct- 
ure, causing  Mr.  Maloney  to  decide  to  remove  to 
Woonsockct.  Accordingly,  he  purchased  a  large  site  on 
Ballou  street  and  erected  a  factory  equipped  with 
twenty  knitting  machines.  The  business  has  since  been 
steadily  increasing  to  such  an  extent  that  it  has  become 
necessary  to  plan  extensions  to  the  buildings.  Daniel 
J.  Maloney  is  a  man  of  all  round  development.  After 
attaining  an  assured  standing  as  an  engineer,  he  has 
become  a  well  established  manufacturer.  What  many 
men  fail  in  doing — scoring  in  two  totally  diliferent 
spheres    of    action — he    has    successfully    accomplished. 


REV.  JOSEPH  MARIE  LEON  GIROUX— Rev. 

Joseph  Marie  Leon  Giroux,  pastor  of  the  church  of 
Notre  Dame  des  Victoires,  of  Woonsocket,  and  one  of 
the  principal  figures  in  the  religious  life  of  the  com- 
munity, is  a  native  of  Canada,  born  at  St.  Michel, 
.\rchange,  Comte  Napiereville,  in  the  Province  of  Que- 
bec. Father  Girou.x  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Cecil  (Pin- 
sonneault)  Giroux,  natives  of  St.  Remi,  Province  of 
Quebec. 

Father  Giroux  began  his  education  in  the  schools  of 
Coaticook,  Province  of  Quebec,  where  he  was  prepared 
for  college.  He  then  took  the  classical,  philosophical, 
and  theological  courses  at  the  College  of  Montreal,  at 
Montreal,  where  he  studied  for  the  priesthood.  He  was 
ordained  September  30,  1894,  at  Coaticook,  by  Bishop 
Paul  Larocque,  of  the  See  of  Sherbrook.  After  this 
event  Father  Giroux  went  to  Rome  to  continue  his 
theological  studies  for  one  year,  and  was  then,  on 
November  25,  1895,  appointed  curate  at  Arctic  Center, 
R.  I.  He  filled  this  position  until  February,  1902,  when 
he  became  curate  of  St.  Anne's  Church  at  Woonsocket. 

It  was  in  the  year  1909  that  Father  Giroux  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  of  Notre  Dame 
des  Victoires,  at  Woonsocket,  a  position  which  he  has 
held  continuously  up  to  the  present  time  (1919).  This 
parish  has  been  developed  by  Father  Giroux  from  a 
mission,  and  in  1918  two  hundred  families  were  added 
to  the  parish  which  now  numbers  over  seven  hundred 
families  and  thirty-five  hundred  souls.  Father  Giroux 
has  two  curates  to  assist  him  in  his  work  here,  namely, 
the  Rev.  Father  J.  Adrian  Forest,  and  the  Rev.  Father 
Francois  Desmarais. 

Father  Giroux  has  worked  with  the  greatest  personal 
disinterestedness    and    devotion    for    the    good    of    his 


parishioners  and  of  his  church,  and  has  endeared  him- 
self to  the  entire  community  for  his  pious  and  self 
sacrificing  life.  He  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the 
general  life  of  the  community,  and  at  the  present  time 
he  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  education  of  this 
diocese.  In  1909  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Pothier 
to  sene  on  the  board  of  education  connected  with  the 
State  Normal  School.  He  is  a  member  also  of  St. 
Francois  Orphan  Asylum  at  Woonsocket.  He  has 
recently  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  at  the  junction 
of  Spring  and  Prospect  streets,  in  this  city,  where  he 
expects  to  build  a  beautiful  modern  church  edifice  at 
some  future  date.  This  church  will  also  be  a  memorial 
to  the  heroes  of  Woonsocket,  who  served  and  who  gave 
their  lives  in  the  great  struggle  for  Democracy.  His 
residence  is  at  the  rectory  connected  with  the  church, 
at  No.  253  Social  street,  Woonsocket.  The  present 
rectory  will  be  remodeled  into  a  modern  parochial  school. 


ERNEST  B.  SELLEW,  president  and  general  man- 
ager of  the  Sellew  Machine  Tool  Company  of  No.  28 
Bayley  street,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  one  of  the  growing  con- 
cerns of  this  kind  in  the  region,  is  a  native  of  Hartford, 
Conn.,  born  Alarch  26,  1876,  a  son  of  .\lbertus  H.  and 
Ellen  (Humphrey)  Sellew,  for  some  time  residents  of 
that  city.  The  father,  Albertus  H.  Sellew,  was  a  native 
of  Glastonbury,  Conn.,  and  was  engaged  for  a  number 
of  years  in  the  wholesale  hardware  business,  and  also 
kept  a  retail  establishment.  His  wife  was  a  member 
of  the  Humphrey  family  of  Farmington,  Conn.,  where 
her  birth  occurred. 

The  early  life  of  Ernest  B.  Sellew  was  passed  in  his 
native  city.  After  a  few  years  of  school,  he  was  ap- 
prenticed to  the  Pratt  &  Whitney  Company  of  Hartford, 
a  concern  that  may  rightly  claim  to  be  the  pioneer  mak- 
ers of  machine  tools  in  this  country.  Chief  draftsman 
of  this  plant  was  one  John  Johnston,  under  whose 
guidance  and  direction  the  youth  worked,  and  this 
assistance  was  so  advantageous  that  it  was  not  long 
before  he  was  promoted.  It  was  in  1899  that  Mr. 
Johnston  with  Mr.  James  C.  Potter  established  and  in- 
corporated the  Potter  &  Johnston  Machine  Company  at 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.  Mr.  Sellew  accompanied  his  former 
chief  to  this  city  and  became  chief  draftsman  for  the 
new  concern.  This  position  he  held  for  eleven  years 
and  then,  in  i9io,.he  took  over  the  building  of  some  of 
their  machines.  He  with  others  then  formed  and  incor- 
porated the  Sellew  Machine  Tool  Company,  and  Mr. 
Sellew  became  its  president  and  manager,  and  Mr.  J. 
Lawrence  Hood,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Sellew 
is  a  member  of  Union  Lodge,  No.  10,  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons ;  Pawtucket  Chapter,  Royal  Arch 
Masons ;  the  Pawtucket  Golf  Club,  and  the  To-Kalon 
Club  of  this  city. 

Mr.    Sellew   married,   Aitgust   7,    1902,   in   Pawtucket, 
Gertrude   L.    Morrison,   daughter   of   John   Henry  and 
Emma     (Smith)     Morrison,    residents     of     Pawtucket.      „ 
John  Henry  Morrison  was  a  native  of  Norwich,  Conn.,      I 
and   his   wife   of    Willimantic   in   that   State,   but  they      ^ 
afterwards   removed  to   Pawtucket  and  here   spent  the 
remainder  of  their  lives.    They  are  both  now  deceased. 
Mr.   and    Mrs.   Sellew   have  one   child,   Barbara,   bom 
May  7.  1910. 


y   ^iyxi,        ~Ol4.<?-£^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


409 


ROBERT  DOW,  secretary-treasurer  and  general 
manager  of  the  Sohvay  Dyeing  &  Textile  Company — In 
the  year  IQOI,  some  capitalists  of  New  York  and  West- 
erly. R.  I.,  conceived  the  idea  of  and  subscribed  the 
capital  for  a  mill  to  weave  fabrics  of  cotton  and  silk, 
principally  fancy  colored  cotton  goods,  consisting  of 
tine  Madras  shirtings  and  dress  goods,  the  output  of 
the  projected  mill  being  designed  to  compete  with  the 
finer  grades  of  foreign  fabrics  which  hitherto  had  a 
monopoly  of  the  American  market.  Robert  Dow  and 
Albert  E.  Henry  were  the  true  pioneers  of  this  enter- 
prise, known  then  and  later  as  the  Sohvay  Mills,  located 
at  Westerly,  R.  I.  The  business  was  started  in  a  mill 
whose  last  owners,  w'oolen  manufacturers,  had  moved  to 
Woonsocket,  and  when  ready  to  begin  weaving  under 
the  new  company,  three  hundred  looms  were  ready  to 
give  employment  to  about  two  hundred  hands,  that  then 
being  Westerly's  most  prosperous  and  enterprising  plant. 
From  this  company,  the  Sohvay  Mills,  came  the  present 
Sohvay  Dyeing  &  Textile  Company,  of  Ingrahamville, 
R.  I.,  of  which  Robert  Dow  is  secretary-treasurer,  and 
general  manager. 

Robert  Dow  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1864,  son  of  James  and  Catherine  Dow.  He 
came  to  the  United  States,  in  1893,  the  family  having 
previously  located  in  Chicago,  111.  Prior  to  coming  to 
the  United  States,  Robert  Dow  had  acquired  a  good 
education,  and  an  expert  knowledge  of  fancy  goods 
designing,  and  textile  manufacturing,  having  begun  at 
the  bottom  as  an  apprentice  and  worked  his  way  up- 
ward to  responsible  position.  In  designing  he  ranked 
high,  and  for  textile  designs  of  superior  merit  and 
beauty  had  been  awarded  both  the  Queen's  medal  and 
the  Owen  Jones  medal.  During  his  years  of  business 
life  in  Scotland,  he  had  been  connected  with  the  tex- 
tile manufacturing  firms,  R.  .-\.  Whytlaw  &  Sons,  and 
Caldwell,  Young  &  Company,  of  Glasgow.  Upon  com- 
ing to  the  United  States,  in  1893,  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Lorraine  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  as  head  designer,  and  for  seven  years  most  effi- 
ciently served  that  company. 

In  1901,  with  Albert  E.  Henry,  a  contemporary  in 
the  employ  of  the  Lorraine  Manufacturing  Company,  of 
Pawtucket,  and  other  men,  he  organized  the  Sohvay 
Mills  Corporation,  as  stated,  the  company  beginning 
business  at  Westerly,  R.  I.,  with  three  hundred  looms 
and  two  hundred  hands.  The  business  prospered 
aboundantly  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Dow  and 
Mr.  Henry,  and  it  was  not  long  ere  they  purchased  an 
interest  in  the  Ingrahamville  Dye  Works  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  this  move  being  taken  to  insure  proper  dyeing 
facilities  for  the  fancy  yarns  the  Sohvay  Mills  were 
using  in  the  superior  Madras  shirtings  they  were  mak- 
ing at  the  Westerly  Mill.  Prosperity  followed  so 
abundantly  that,  in  1906,  finding  the  Westerly  plant 
sadly  outgrown,  enlargement  was  secured  by  consoli- 
dation of  the  Sohvay  Mills  and  the  Ingrahamville  Dye- 
ing &  Textile  Company,  and  erecting  a  large  and  mod- 
em mill,  moving  the  Sohvay  Mills'  equipment  to  the 
new  mill  at  Ingrahamville.  The  consolidated  company 
bore  the  title  of  "The  Solway  Dyeing  &  Textile  Com- 
pany," the  mill  located  just  off  Prospect  street,  giving 
employment  to  four  hundred  and  fifty  people,  the  prod- 


uct of  its  seven  hundred  looms  being  well  and  favorably 
known  in  all  textile  markets.  Mr.  Dow  is  treasurer  and 
general  manager  of  The  Solway  Mills,  and  as  such  is 
in  complete  control  of  the  plant  and  its  operation,  his 
management  being  most  enlightened  and  profitable. 
When  the  consolidation  came  he  was  continued  as  such 
under  the  new  company,  the  offices  of  secretary-treasurer 
being  added,  and  Thomas  T.  Anderson  being  superin- 
tendent of  the  Ingrahamville  plant. 

The  success  of  the  company  he  manages  has  been  a 
most  satisfactory  endorsement  of  the  ability  Mr.  Dow 
possesses,  and  has  won  for  him  an  enduring  name 
among  textile  manufacturers,  and  he  has  proved  his 
worth  in  both  his  native  and  adopted  land  both  as 
designer  and  manager  in  a  field  crowded  with  men  of 
ability  and  education,  no  industry  attracting  a  more 
superior  class  of  young  men.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
To-Kalon  Club,  and  Business  Men's  Association  of 
Pawtucket. 

Mr.  Dow  married,  in  Paisley,  Scotland,  Marian  Boyd, 
of  that  city,  her  parents  living  and  dying  there  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dow  arc  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Lillian 
Catherine. 


ALPHfiE  PHILEAS  BELLIVEAU.  electrical 
contractor  and  one  of  the  successful  business  men  of 
Woonsocket,  is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick.  Canada, 
where  his  birth  occurred  September  25,  1882,  and  a  son 
of  Pierre  and  Mary  (V'autour)  Bellivcau,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  that  place.  Early  in  his  life  the 
elder  Mr.  Belliveau  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
in  which  he  made  a  marked  success,  and  later  lived  in 
retirement  until  his  death.  He  removed  with  his  family 
to  Milhille,  Mass.,  at  the  time  that  Alphee  Philcas 
Belliveau  was  six  years  of  age.  It  was  in  Milhille  that 
the  lad  received  his  education,  attending  the  local  pub- 
lic and  parochial  schools  for  this  purpose  and  in  the 
meantime,  during  vacation  and  spare  hours  generally, 
he  worked  in  the  stores  of  Millville,  working  in  the 
capacity  of  clerk.  While  still  very  young  he  determined 
to  become  an  electrical  worker  and,  accordingly,  with 
this  end  in  view,  returned  to  Boston  where  he  secured 
a  position  in  the  establishment  of  a  large  electrical  con- 
tractor and  remained  at  that  place  for  about  eighteen 
months.  From  Boston  Mr.  Belliveau  went  to  Water- 
bury,  Conn.;  and  there  for  six  months  engaged  in  the 
same  work.  It  was  at  the  end  o(  that  period  that  he 
finally  came  to  Woonsocket,  which  has  remained  his 
home  ever  since,  and  here  he  secured  a  similar  posi- 
tion with  one  of  the  largest  electrical  workers  in  this 
city.  After  remaining  for  seven  years  in  this  large 
concern,  Mr.  Belliveau  severed  his  connection  and  en- 
tered the  contracting  business  on  his  own  account,  es- 
tablishing a  fully  equipped  electrical  shop  here.  From 
the  outset  he  met  with  a  marked  success  and  he  has  now 
to  his  record  much  of  the  most  impcirtant  and  largest 
electrical  jobs  that  has  been  accomplished  in  this  city. 
He  is  also  engaged  on  several  important  works  outside 
of  this  city  and  in  many  other  places  in  the  State.  At 
the  present  time  Mr.  Belliveau  employs  twelve  men  in 
outside  work  besides  his  office  force.  Mr.  Belliveau  is 
a  Republican  in  politics  but  takes  very  little  active  part 
in  public  affairs,  as  the  demands  of  his  business  for  his 


4IO 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


time  and  energy  do  not  allow  him  opportunity  to  do  so. 
In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends 
the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood  of  this  denomination 
here.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Federated  Order  of 
Eagles,  the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters,  the  C.  N. 
D.  French  Club,  St.  John  the  Baptiste,  the  Woonsocket 
Chamlier  of  Commerce  and  the  Kewanis  Club. 

.\lpliee  Phileas  Belliveau  was  united  in  marriage. 
May  6,  1902,  at  St.  Ann's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  with 
Malvina  E.  .\ubin.  of  this  city,  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Louis  S.  and  Angelina  (Peloquin)  .\ubin,  of  Woon- 
socket. Two  children  have  been  born,  as  follows: 
Noella,  and  Cecile,  who  are  now  both  students  at  the 
Jesus  Mary's  Convent,  at  Woonsocket. 

REV.  JAMES  ALOYSIUS  CRAIG,  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  Saint  Sebastian,  was  born  in  Providence.  He 
was  graduated  from  La  Salle  .A-cademy  in  the  class  of 
1889.  He  entered  ^Manhattan  College,  New  York  City, 
which  conferred  the  degree  of  A.  B.  upon  him  in  1891. 
He  then  entered  Saint  John's  Theological  Seminary  in 
Brighton,  Mass.,  w^here  he  received  the  degree  of  Ph,  B. 
He  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Matthew  Harkins,  D.  D.,  in  the  Cathedral  of  Saints 
Peter  and  Paul,  Providence,  R.  I.,  on  September  24, 
1S95.  He  immediately  began  a  post-graduate  course 
at  the  Catholic  University  in  Washington,  which  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  degree  of  S.  T.  B.  He  was  then 
assigned  to  the  Sacred  Heart  Church,  Pawtucket,  as 
assistant  to  Rev.  John  Harty.  .About  two  years  later  he 
was  transferred  to  become  assistant  to  Rev.  Thomas 
P.  Grace,  pastor  of  Saint  Mary's  Church,  Providence, 
where  he  remained  fifteen  years.  When  the  new  par- 
ish of  Saint  Sebastian  was  formed,  in  March,  1915, 
Father  Craig  was  named  as  its  first  pastor.  With  the 
approval  of  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Harkins,  he  selected  the 
site  of  the  proposed  church  on  the  land  bounded  by 
Lloyd,  Cole  and  President  avenues.  He  at  once  began 
the  erection  of  a  modern  Gothic  church,  the  chapel  of 
which  was  completed  and  dedicated  on  the  feast  of 
Christmas,  1915.  The  purchase  of  a  neighboring  house 
and  its  removal  to  the  church  property  established  a 
parish  rectory  in  1919.  The  Church  of  Saint  Sebastian, 
with  its  unusually  attractive  surrounding,  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  in  Providence. 

Father  Craig  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  representa- 
tive family.  His  parents,  Bernard  and  Mary  (McCor- 
mick)  Craig,  were  married  and  reared  their  family  in 
the  Cathedral  Parish  in  Providence,  R.  I.  Father  Craig 
is  one  of  the  two  sons  who  became  priests,  the  other 
being  Rev.  Frank  Craig,  who  is  pastor  of  Saint  Ed- 
ward's Church,  Providence.  The  other  surviving  mem- 
bers of  the  family  are  daughters.  Father  Craig  is  a 
fourth  degree  Knight  of  Columbus. 


THEODORE  VINCENT  GALASSI— Despite  the 

fact  that  it  is  l)Ut  a  few  years  since  Mr.  Galassi  estab- 
lished himself  in  Providence,  he  is  now,  as  president  of 
the  Galassi  Company,  Incorporated,  one  of  the  well 
known  business  men  in  the  city.  Mr.  Galassi  has  also 
made  a  reputation  as  an  inventor,  and  is  numbered 
among  the  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  his  community. 
Frank   Galassi,   father  of   Theodore  Vincent   Galassi, 


was  born  in  1848,  and  followed  the  trade  of  a  copper- 
smith, in  which  he  excelled.  He  was  influential  in 
municipal  affairs  and  fraternal  circles.  He  married 
Manuela  Ferretti,  who  was  born  in  1854,  in  the  same 
place  as  her  husband,  and  their  children  were :  Elia, 
of  Boston,  proprietor  of  the  Galassi  Mosaic  and  Tile 
Company ;  Theodore  Vincent,  mentioned  below ;  Joseph, 
of  California;  John,  of  Boston,  a  coppersmith  like  his 
father;  Pasquelle,  manager  of  the  tile  and  marble  de- 
partment of  Waldo  Brothers;  Mary,  married  Pasquelle 
Milanese,  of  Medford,  Mass.  Mr.  Galassi,  the  father, 
died  in  1913,  and  his  widow  is  still  living. 

Theodore  Vincent  Galassi  was  born  October  10,  1877, 
in  Carovilli  Province,  Campohasso,  Italy,  and  received 
his  education  in  the  grammar  schools  of  that  town. 
.■\t  the  age  of  twelve  he  began  to  learn  the  marble  and 
stone  business,  and  at  fifteen  he  emigrated  to  the 
L^nited  States,  settling  first  in  Philadelphia,  where  he 
remained  one  year.  He  then  spent  four  years  in  Boston, 
working  at  his  trade,  migrating  at  the  end  of  that  time 
to  San  Francisco,  where  he  established  the  T.  V.  Ga- 
lassi Mosaic  Company.  He  was  very  successful,  his 
work  embracing  Roman,  Venetian,  glass,  pearl  and 
ceramic  mosaic  decorations,  and  giving  employment  to 
seventy-five  of  those  working  on  the  capitol  at  Sacra- 
mento, where  the  floors  were  decorated  with  California 
poppies.  Mr.  Galassi  was  also  employed  in  the  decor- 
ation of  the  LTnited  States  post  offices  at  San  Francisco 
and  Oakland,  Cal.,  and  Portland,  Ore.,  and  on  the  bat- 
tleships at  Mare  Island.  Among  the  many  public  build- 
ings for  which  he  supplied  the  decorative  work  were 
the  Union  Savings  Bank  at  Oakland,  the  St.  Francis 
Hotel,  San  Francisco,  the  Columbia  Savings  and  Loan 
Company's  building,  also  of  San  Francisco,  and  the  fol- 
lowing structures  all  of  which  belonged  to  the  same 
city:  The  buildings  of  the  Pacific  State  Telegraph  and 
Telephone  Companies,  the  Italian-American  Bank,  the 
Yokohama  Specie  Bank,  the  Iroquois  .\partments,  the 
Buckingham  .Apartments,  the  James  Flood  Building. 
Some  of  those  he  decorated  elsewhere  were  the  fol- 
lowing: The  Union  Savings  Bank  at  Oakland  and  the 
Central  Bank  at  the  same  place,  the  library  buildings  at 
\'alleio  and  Berkeley,  churches  and  public  buildings  at 
Palo  .Alto,  St.  Joseph's  Church,  the  new  Albee  Theatre, 
old  Keith's,  now  Victory,  the  Jackson  Building  and 
the  Dexter  Asylum.  All  these  are  of  Providence.  He 
also  decorated  State  buildings  at  Howard,  R.  I.;  the 
Narragansett  Pier  post  office,  the  Newport  training  sta- 
tion. St.  Luke's  Hospital  at  New  Bedford,  the  Sayler 
Bleachery,  and  many  of  the  large  mills  in  Rhode 
Island.  He  has  also  worked  on  the  Bureau  of  Mines, 
United  States  Government,  at  Pittsburgh,  finished  the 
fourth  and  fifth  floors  of  tlie  Federal  Building,  and  all 
the  tile  and  marble  work  for  Walter  H.  Arnold,  at  East 
Greenwich.  The  foregoing  is  a  complete  list  of  Mr. 
Galassi's  contracts  down  to  the  present  time.  As  an 
inventor  he  has  been  awarded  several  patents. 

In  1906  Mr.  Galassi  sold  out  his  San  Francisco  busi- 
ness and  spent  some  time  in  travel,  stopping  in  Boston 
a  short  time,  and  then  proceeding  to  Italy.  Merely  for 
his  own  pleasure,  while  on  his  travels,  he  took  vocal 
lessons  of  noted  instructors.  In  191 1  he  returned  to  the 
United  States,  and  in  the  autumn  of  the  following  year 


l/^z^^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


411 


came  to  Providence,  where  he  established  himself  in 
business  in  a  modest  way  on  West  Exchange  street. 
The  increase  of  his  trade  was  such  that,  after  eighteen 
months,  he  was  obliged  to  remove  to  his  present  site  on 
O.xford  street,  on  which  he  has  erected  a  substantial 
structure  and  now  employs  fifty  men  in  the  tile,  slate, 
mosaic  and  glass  business.  The  flourishing  condition  of 
the  entire  concern  testifies  most  eloquently  to  his  effi- 
ciency as  president  and  general  manager.  In  politics 
Mr.  Galassi  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  taken  any 
part  in  public  affairs  more  active  than  the  exercise  of 
his  right  as  a  voter.  In  any  project  for  the  improve- 
ment of  community  conditions  he  can  always  be  counted 
on  to  do  his  share. 

Mr.  Galassi  married  (first')  in  1902,  Emily  Brochcr. 
of  San  Francisco,  who  died  in  1905.  He  married  (sec- 
ond) in  Xovembcr,  191 1.  in  his  birthplace,  Lucy  Milan- 
ese, of  the  same  place,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  Lilia,  born  1912;  Theodore  \'., 
Jr.,  born  1914,  died  Oct.,  1916;  Victoria  I.,  born  .Xpril, 
1917;  and  Irnia  Bianca,  born  March,  1919. 

The  reputation  which  Theodore  N'incent  Galassi  has 
built  up  for  himself  is  both  enviable  and  complex.  He 
is  known  as  a  man  of  superior  business  abilities,  as  an 
artist  in  his  own  particular  line  of  work,  and  as  an  in- 
ventor of  constructive  genius. 


ERIK  MAGNUS  SODERSTROM— There  are  few 
records  which  tell  of  more  worthy  elTort  to  achieve  an 
end,  of  greater  difficulty  overcome,  or  of  a  more  well 
deserved  success  finally  crowning  these  efforts,  than  that 
of  the  career  of  Erik  Magnus  Sodcrstrom,  M.  D.,  who 
from  a  humble  beginning  has  risen  to  a  place  among  the 
leading  physicians  of  Providence.  Dr.  Soderstrom  is 
a  native  of  Sweden,  having  been  born  in  that  country, 
July  17,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Wilheim  and  Louise 
Ulrika  Soderstrom,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
The  former  was  employed  at  manual  labor  in  the  sur- 
rounding country.  It  thus  happened  that  the  son  was 
obliged  to  work  consistently  from  a  very  early  age  and 
such  education  that  he  received  was  due  entirely  to 
his  own  efforts.  The  lad  was,  however,  exceedingly  am- 
bitious, and  after  attending  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  region,  determined  to  follow  some  professional 
career.  With  this  end  in  view,  he  entered  the  Univer- 
sity of  Sweden  at  Upsala,  where,  after  studying  a  num- 
ber of  years,  he  received  a  diploma.  By  this  time  he 
had  determined  upon  the  profession  of  medicine  and, 
accordingly,  pursued  his  studies  at  the  Carolian  Medico 
Surgical  Institute  of  Stockholm,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1894  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  It  had 
been  necessary  for  the  young  man  to  work  with  great 
diligence,  to  pay  his  own  expenses  while  at  college. 
Having  completed  his  studies  and  fitted  himself  for 
medical  practice.  Dr.  Soderstrom  came  to  the  United 
States  in  the  autumn  of  1894.  and  settled  first  in  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.  Two  months  later  he  removed  to  Providence, 
and  here  established  himself  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, in  which  he  has  continued  with  a  high  degree 
of  success  ever  since.  Dr.  Soderstrom's  knowledge  of 
his  profession  soon  brought  him  into  prominence  in 
medical  circles  here.  He  devoted  himself  entirely  to 
the  service  of  his  personal  clientele.     He  enjoys  a  wide 


popularity,  and  the  respect  and  confidence  not  only  of 
the  community-at-large,  but  of  his  professional  col- 
leagues generally.  He  is  a  member  of  the  .Vmerican 
Medical  .\ssociation,  and  of  the  Local  Lodge.  Modern 
Workmen  of  the  World,  being  the  medical  examiner 
of  the  latter  institution.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 
He  has  been  assi'ciated  with  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  of  Providence,  and  has  done  much  to  support 
the  work  of  the  congregation. 

Dr.  Soderstrom  was  united  in  marriage,  March  17, 
1895.  with  .-\nnie  F.  Halstrom,  of  this  cily.  One  child 
was  born  of  this  union,  Edwin  Norman,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  three  years. 


CHARLES  L.  KIRBY— Engaged  in  insurance 
operations  in  W'oonsocket,  R.  I.,  since  1914,  Mr.  Kirby's 
business  career  was  interrupted  by  a  period  of  service 
in  the  L'nited  Stales  army  during  the  great  war.'  He 
received  an  honorable  discharge  from  the  service  as  a 
second  lieutenant  of  infantry,  resuming  his  previous 
business  connection. 

Charles  L.  Kirby  is  a  son  of  John  H.  and  Bridget 
(Kirrane)  Kirby,  residents  of  W'oonsocket,  his  father 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  business,  also  serving  as  tax 
assessor  of  the  city.  Charles  L.  Kirby  was  born  in 
Woonsockct,  R.  I.,  March  15,  1895,  and  after  attending 
the  public  schools  of  his  birthplace  entered  Mount  St. 
Mary's  College,  of  Maryland,  whence  he  was  graduated 
in  the  class  oi  1912,  continuing  his  studies  in  Holy 
Cross  College,  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  for  two  years. 
Upon  the  completion  of  his  education  he  entered  the 
insurance  field  in  W'oonsocket  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  J.  F.  and  C.  L.  Kirby.  Success  attended  the 
activities  of  the  firm,  C.  L.  Kirby's  participation  in  its 
affairs  interrupted  by  his  enlistment  in  the  United  States 
army.  He  was  successively  stationed  at  Camp  Devens, 
Camp  Lee,  and  Camp  Meade,  qualifying  for  Officers' 
Training  Camp  and  receiving  a  commission  as  second 
lieutenant  in  infantry  upon  the  completion  of  his  course. 
Assigned  to  the  Seventy-first  Regiment  of  the  Eleventh 
Division,  he  served  with  that  organization  until  his  dis- 
charge. 

The  firm  of  which  he  is  a  member  represents  the 
Girard  Fire  Insurance  Company,  the  Westchester  Fire 
Insurance  Company,  the  Royal  Fire  Insurance  Company, 
the  Maryland  Casualty  Company,  the  Columbia  Insur- 
ance Company,  the  New  York  Life  Insurance  Company, 
and  the  Globe  Insurance  Company.  They  have  acquired 
a  gratifying  clientele  in  the  comparatively  short  period 
of  their  association  and  have  written  large  amounts  of 
insurance  of  all  kinds  in  the  locality.  Mr.  Kirby  is  a 
communicant  of  St.  Charles  Roman  Catholic  Church. 


FRANK  AVALLONE — .\mong  the  successful  men 
of  Woonsockct,  R.  1.,  should  be  mentioned  Frank  .^val- 
lone,  who  is  engaged  in  the  contracting  and  building 
business  located  at  No.  55  Commercial  building,  in  this 
city,  and  who  is  exceedingly  active  in  social  and  general 
affairs  of  the  place.  Mr.  .\vallone  is  a  native  of  Italy, 
having  been  born  in  the  city  of  Naples,  May  5,  1883. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Furineco)  .'Kvallone, 
the  former  for  many  years  an  employee  of  the  Italian 
government,  now  deceased,  while  the  latter  still  makes 


412 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


her  home  in  Italy.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  sons, 
as  follows:  Frank,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned;  Marie,  who  now  makes  his  home 
in  New  York  City:  Aboste,  Rohesia,  Philemeno,  all 
three  of  whom  continue  to  reside  in  Italy. 

The  education  of  Frank  Avallone  was  secured  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  land,  but  at  a  very  early 
age  he  gave  up  his  studies  and  secured  work  with  a  local 
contractor  and  builder.  For  some  years,  thereafter,  he 
continued  to  work  for  concerns  of  this  kind,  and  gained 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  all  the  details  of  the  con- 
tracting business,  which  has  since  stood  him  in  good 
stead.  Mr.  .Avallone  was  always  of  an  exceedingly 
ambitious  and  enterprising  character,  and  keenly  de- 
sired to  become  independent  in  business.  With  this  end 
in  view,  he  finally  severed  his  ^connection  with  the  com- 
pany which  then  employed  him  and  engaged  in  a  similar 
contracting  business  on  his  own  account.  This  he  con- 
ducted for  some  little  time  in  his  native  land,  when  his 
attention  being  called  to  the  opportunities  awaiting  en- 
terprising and  progressive  men  in  America,  he  decided 
to  come  here  in  search  of  his  fortune.  Mr.  Avallone 
has  been  justified  in  the  event,  for  his  career  in  this 
country  has  been  one  of  practically  uninterrupted  suc- 
cess. He  came  to  Woonsocket  in  the  year  1903,  and  at 
once  engaged  in  the  contracting  business  here,  con- 
tinuing in  the  same  up  to  the  present  time.  He  has  been 
successful  and  has  done  a  very  large  part  of  excellent 
work  in  this  city  and  vicinity.  Many  fine  residences  as 
well  as  factories,  schools,  churches  and  other  public 
buildings,  together  with  sewers,  streets,  etc.,  have  been 
constructed  and  erected  by  him.  Some  of  his  larger 
works  are  the  St.  Charles  Church,  the  Toronas  Mills 
of  Woonsocket,  and  the  Riverside  Mills  of  Providence. 
His  business  is  now  an  exceedingly  busy  one,  and  he 
employs  no  fewer  than  eighty  hands  when  engaged  on 
a  large  job. 

There  is  no  question  but  that  Mr.  Avallone's  success 
has  been  a  phenomenal  one.  Coining  here  as  he  did,  a 
stranger  in  a  strange  land,  without  friends  or  influence, 
his  achievement  in  raising  himself  to  so  high  a  plane 
in  the  business  world  of  his  adopted  community  is  one 
to  be  noted  with  admiration  and,  indeed,  Mr.  Avallone 
enjoys  fully  the  respect,  confidence  and  esteem  of  his 
fellow  citizens  here.  His  reputation  for  honesty  and 
square  dealing  is  second  to  none  in  the  community,  and 
he  deserves  that  typically  .'\merican  title,  a  self-made 
man.  In  his  religious  belief  Mr.  Avallone  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  and  attends  St.  Charles  Church  of  that  de- 
nomination here.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Holy 
Name  Society,  and  the  local  lodges  of  the  Loyal  Order 
of  Moose  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Red  Men.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  the  great  demand  made 
upon  his  time  and  energies  by  his  large  business  has 
made  it  impossible  for  him  to  take  a  very  active  part  in 
public  affairs  up  to  the  present  time. 


and  Mary  Elizabeth  (Cranston)  Caton.  His  father, 
John  Hirst  Caton,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  .\ugust 
30,  1866,  and  in  the  same  city  his  mother,  Mary  Eliza- 
beth (Cranston)  Caton,  was  born  on  September  3, 
1866.  Earle  F.  Caton  was  the  second  oldest  of  his  five 
brothers  and  sisters,  as  follows:  I.  John  Hirst  (3),  a 
graduate  of  Cranston  High  School,  and  a  graduate  of 
the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology,  class  of 
1908;  he  worked  for  the  United  States  Government  as 
civil  engineer  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  is  now 
(reserved  officer)  major  of  the  Thirty-third  Regiment 
of  Engineers,  .American  Expeditionary  Forces.  2.  Earle 
Francis,  of  whom  further.  3.  Lillie  Anna,  now  the 
wife  of  E.  A.  Dow,  of  Charlotte,  N.  C.  4.  Stuart,  an 
automobile  tires  salesman,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.  5. 
Jesse  H.,  with  the  same  firm.  6.  Mary  Cranston,  now 
the  wife  of  Thomas  H.   Roberts,  of  Providence,  R.   I. 

Earle  Francis  Caton  received  the  elementary  portion 
of  his  education  in  the  local  grammar  school  of  his 
native  Philadelphia.  He  completed  his  preparatory 
training  in  the  high  school  at  Cranston,  R.  I.,  and  in 
1906  attended  the  State  College.  In  1910  he  graduated 
from  Brown  University  with  the  degree  of  B.  S.  C. 
Mr.  Caton  began  his  business  career  in  the  time  keep- 
ing department  of  the  firm.  Brown  &  Sharp,  in  which 
capacity  he  remained  for  about  one  and  one-half  years. 
His  second  business  connection  was  with  the  New 
York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad,  where  he  was 
occupied  in  the  engineering  department  as  structural 
draftsman  on  bridges  and  buildings.  Mr.  Caton  re- 
mained as  draftsman  with  the  railroad  for  a  period  of 
four  and  one-half  years.  He  then  transferred  to  his 
third  and  present  position  with  the  Industrial  Chemical 
Company,  in  which  he  holds  the  office  of  manager  of 
the  branch  plant  of  that  concern.  The  main  plant  is 
located  at  East  Providence,  while  the  branch  is  at  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.  The  company  is  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  dyes  and  intermediates.  Mr.  Caton's  affilia- 
tions are  with  Hiram  Lodge,  No.  i.  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  and  with  the  Greek  letter  college  fraternity. 
Phi  Gamma  Delta,  of  Brown  University.  He  finds  his 
recreation  in  the  sports  of  the  great  out-of-doors,  and 
his  favored  pleasures  therein  are  found  in  motoring  and 
in  tennis. 

On  June  3,  191 4,  Earle  Francis  Caton  married  Louise 
Hanson,  of  New  Haven,  Conn.  Both  Mrs.  Caton's 
father,  Thorwald  Hanson,  an  engineer,  now  deceased, 
and  her  mother,  Gustava  Hanson,  were  from  Norway. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caton  were  bom  three  children,  two 
daughters,  twins,  and  a  son,  as  follows :  Mary  Eliza- 
beth and  Louise  Francis,  born  Feb.  21,  191 5,  the  latter 
deceased:    and   Earle  Francis,  Jr.,  born  April  26,  1916. 


EARLE  FRANCIS  CATON  — Among  the  re- 
spected and  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  Providence,  R. 
I.,  is  Earle  Francis  Caton,  the  successful  manager  of 
the  branch  plant  in  Providence  of  the  Industrial  Chem- 
ical Company,  of  East  Providence,  R.  I.  He  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  July  22,  1885,  a  son  of  John  Hirst 


WILLIAM  RHODES  WILDER— The  first  rec- 
ord of  the  Wilder  family  in  Rhode  Island  is  the  mar- 
riage in  Scituate  of  Asaph  Wilder,  of  Killingly,  Conn., 
to  Olive,  daughter  of  Captain  Benjamin  and  Mary 
(Rhodes)  Wilkinson,  of  Scituate,  R.  I.  The  ceremony 
was  performed  March  29,  1778,  by  Elder  John  Westcott. 

Asaph  Wilder  was  born  August  20,  1750,  and  died 
May  10,  1799.  His  wife  was  born  March  23,  1758,  and 
died  April  28,  1807.  She  was  a  descendant  in  the  fifth 
generation    from    Lawrence    Wilkinson,    the    .American 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


413 


ancestor  of  the  family,  her  line  being  through  Samuel, 
Joseph,  Captain  Benjamin.  Mary  (Rhodes)  Wilkin- 
son, wife  of  Captain  Benjamin  Wilkinson,  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Zachariah  Rhodes,  and  a  great-granddaughter  of 
Zachariah  Rhodes,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Paw- 
tuxet,  R.  I. 

To  Asaph  and  Olive  (Wilkinson)  Wilder  were  bom 
eight  children.  The  fifth  child  was  named  .\saph,  and 
was  known  as  Captain  Asaph  Wilder,  a  title  he  received 
as  an  officer  in  the  local  militia.  He  resided  in  Glo- 
cester,  R.  I.,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  was  recognized  as 
a  man  of  uncommon  ability,  and  one  of  the  foremost 
citizens  of  the  community.  He  married  Mary  (or  Polly) 
Mowry,  a  daughter  of  Abel  Mowry.  Their  eldest  son, 
John,  was  the  father  of  William  Rhodes  Wilder.  He 
was  born  on  the  home  farm  in  Glocestcr,  R.  I.,  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1818.  In  early  life  he  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade,  to  which  vocation  he  devoted  much  attention,  in 
connection  with  farming,  throughout  his  life.  He  mar- 
ried three  times;  in  1855  removed  with  his  family  to 
Henry  county,  III.,  and  later  to  Denver,  Colo.,  where 
he  died  in  January,  1906.  There  were  two  children  by 
the  marriage  of  John  Wilder  and  Eliza  Westcott :  Wil- 
liam Rhodes  and  J.  Frank.  The  latter  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Union  army  as  a  member  of  the  Twelfth  Rhode 
Island  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  died  at  .Aquia  Creek 
Hospital  from  illness  contracted  in  the  service.  Mrs. 
Wilder  was  descended  from  Stukeley  Westcott  (or 
Westcote)  through  the  following  lines:  Jeremiah, 
Jonah.  Captain  Oliver,  Caleb,  and  Thomas  Knowlton, 
her  father,  who  was  in  the  si.xth  generation  from  the 
Rhode  Island  settler,  Stukeley  Westcott.  Thomas 
Knowlton  Westcott  was  a  successful  farmer,  command- 
ing the  esteem  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him.  His 
daughter  Eliza  was  born  July  5,  1820,  and  died  October 
5.  1846. 

W^illiam  Rhodes  Wilder  was  born  in  Glocester,  R.  I., 
November  II,  1843.  His  education  was  partly  obtained 
in  the  Academy  School  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  the  winter  of 
1855-56  was  spent  at  the  Hammond  Street  School  in 
Providence,  R.  I.,  and  later  he  attended  the  district 
school  in  Henry  county,  111.  When  his  parents  removed 
to  Illinois  he  was  a  youth  of  about  thirteen  years.  He 
performed  farm  work  until  the  beginning  of  the  Civil 
War,  and  though  only  eighteen  years  of  age  he  ten- 
dered his  services  to  the  government,  becoming  a  pri- 
vate in  the  Ninth  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  was  with  his 
regiment  in  all  its  vicissitudes  during  the  entire  period 
of  the  war.  The  regiment  was  stationed  principally  in 
the  State  of  Tennessee.  They  were,  at  various  times, 
under  the  command  of  Generals  Steele,  Sherman  and 
Thomas,  being  with  the  last  named  when  the  Confed- 
erate General,  Hood,  was  routed  at  Nashville.  Mr. 
Wilder  was  honorably  discharged  at  Sclma,  .Ma.,  Oc- 
tober 31,  1865,  and  subsequently  mustered  out  of  the 
United  States  service  at  Springfield,  111.  There  he  re- 
mained until  January,  i8t8.  when  he  returned  to  Rhode 
Island,  becoming  a  resident  of  Scituate,  where  he  was 
employed  for  a  few  years.  Later  he  removed  to  Hope- 
dale,  Mass.,  where  for  fourteen  years  he  was  employed 
in  the  spindle  mill  of  his  uncle.  .Asa  A.  Westcott.  He 
purchased,  in  the  spring  of  1888,  the  Benoni  Mathewson 
farm   in   Johnston,   R.   I.,  where   he  has   since  resided. 


On  this  farm  he  engaged  in  general  farming,  along  the 
most  progressive  lines;  he  also  carries  on  an  extensive 
dairy,  having  between  thirty  and  fifty  head  of  cattle. 
He  has  made  many  improvements  on  the  property, 
prominent  among  which  is  an  extensive  orchard.  He  is 
an  enterprising  and  public-spirited  gentleman,  cooper- 
ating in  all  measures  that  will  advance  the  interests  of 
his  community,  town  or  State,  and  he  enjoys  the  con- 
fidence and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact. His  home  bears  indications  of  refinement  and 
culture,  and  the  latch-string  is  always  within  easy 
reach  of  friends  and  acquaintances.  While  he  has  no 
special  part  or  interest  in  political  affairs,  he  is  a 
staunch  Republican  in  sentiment. 

Mr.  Wilder  married,  at  Scituate,  September  12,  1869, 
Elizabeth  Weaver  Tourtellot,  who  was  born  in  Scitu- 
ate, R.  1.,  May  14,  1846.  She  was  descended  from  two 
notable  French  families;  on  the  paternal  side  irom  Abra- 
ham Tourtellot,  who  arrived,  a  widower,  at  Boston, 
Mass.,  in  1687.  He  was  a  native  of  Bordeaux,  France. 
Soon  after  his  arrival  he  married  Marie,  a  daughter  of 
Gabriel  and  Esther  (LeRoy)  Bcrnor.  The  former  was 
a  Protestant  merchant  of  an  ancient  and  honorable  fam- 
ily of  Rochelle,  France.  For  his  zeal  in  the  Protestant 
cause  he  becanie  obnoxious  to  the  authorities  some  time 
previous  to  the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  and 
was  imprisoned  for  two  years.  On  his  release  from 
prison  he  took  refuge  in  England,  but  in  1687  came  to 
America,  and  in  1698  removed  to  Providence,  R.  I. 
Five  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilder:  i. 
Jacob  B.  W.,  who  resides  in  Johnston,  R.  I.;  married 
Gertrude  Webb,  and  have  children:  Webb  Westcott 
and  Magcl  Craig.  2.  Frank  K.,  resides  in  Providence, 
R.  I.;  married  Lillian  Gardner;  they  have  one  child, 
Natalie.  3.  Eliza  W.,  a  most  estimable  young  lady,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two.  4.  William  T.,  resides 
with  his  parents  on  the  home  farm.  5.  Raymond  M., 
who  lived  on  part  of  his  father's  farm,  married  Ida  M. 
Kimball,  and  they  have  had  four  children:  Raymond, 
Marion,  Lues=.^,  and  Hope,  who  died  in  infancy. 


WELLES  (Woonsocket  FamUy)— The  Wells  or 
Welles  family  oi  England  is  of  very  ancient  origin, 
clearly  traceable  back,  it  is  claimed,  to  the  time  of  the 
Norman  Conquest.  About  1635  several  of  the  name, 
which  was  then  sometimes  spelled  Wells,  but  oftener 
Welles,  came  from  England  to  Massachusetts,  and 
there  was  Governor  Thomas  Welles,  of  Hartford  and 
Wethersfield,  who  appears  first  of  record  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Court  of  Magistrates  in  1637.  He  was  an 
original  proprietor  of  Hartford,  1639,  his  house-lot 
being  on  the  east  side  of  what  is  now  Governor  street. 
He  removed  to  Wethersfield,  where  he  was  also  an  origi- 
nal proprietor.  On  March  28,  1637.  he  became  a  member 
of  the  Court  of  Magistrates,  and  continued  until  he 
was  chosen  Deputy  Governor,  May  18,  1654.  He  was 
again  chosen  Deputy  Governor  in  1656,  1657,  and  1659. 
He  was  the  first  treasurer  in  1639,  and  was  secretary 
of  the  colony  from  1640  and  1649.  In  the  last  named 
year  he  was  commissioner  of  the  United  colonies,  and 
Governor  from  1655  to  1658.  Mr.  Welles  was  twice 
married,  marrying  (first)  in  England.  Elizabeth  Hunt, 
and   (second)   about   1645  or   1646,   Elizabeth   Deming, 


414 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


widow  of  X'athaniel  Foote,  of  Wethersfleld.     He  died 
in  VN'ethersfield,  January  14,  1659-60. 

For  some  forty  years  past  a  branch  of  the  Connec- 
ticut Welles  family  has  resided  in  Woonsocket,  this 
State,  the  head  of  which  is  the  present  George  M. 
Welles,  Esq.,  of  that  city,  for  years  one  of  its  substan- 
tial men  and  useful  citizens,  representing  his  ward  in 
both  branches  of  the  city  government,  and  as  well  fill- 
ing other  positions  of  trust,  honor,  and  responsibility. 
This  George  M.  Welles  is  a  direct  descendant  of  Gov- 
ernor Thomas  Welles,  from  whom  his  lineage  is 
through  John.  Captain  Robert,  John  (2),  James,  Allyn, 
and  .-\aron  Dutton  Welles.  These  generations  in  detail 
and  in  regular  order  follow. 

(II)  John  Welles,  son  of  Governor  Thomas  Welles, 
born  in  1621,  in  Northamptonshire,  England,  came  to 
.America  with  his  father  in  1636.  He  went  with  his 
father  from  Saybrook,  where  the  latter  had  landed  in 
the  autumn  of  1636,  to  the  settlement  at  Hartford,  and 
in  1645,  removed  to  Stratford,  Fairfield  county. 
Conn.,  where  he  lived  the  remainder  of  his  lifetime, 
and  died  in  1659,  aged  thirty-eight  years.  Mr.  Welles 
was  made  a  freeman  in  Hartford  in  1645;  was  repre- 
sentative in  1656  and  1657;  was  elected  magistrate  of 
Stratford,  in  165S,  at  the  same  time  his  father  was  Gov- 
ernor of  Connecticut.  He  held  other  important  posi- 
tions for  years,  fn  1647  he  married  EliEabeth  Bourne, 
and  their  children,  born  in  Stratford,  Conn.,  were: 
John,  born  in  1648:  Thomas  and  Robert  (twins),  in 
1651:  Temperance,  in  1654;  Samuel,  in  1656;  Sarah, 
in  1659;    and  Mary,  in  1661. 

(III)  Captain  Robert  W'elles,  son  of  John  Welles, 
born  in  1651,  in  Stratford,  Conn.,  married  Elizalieth 
Goodrich,  daughter  of  William  Goodrich.  Mr.  Welles 
was  adopted  by  his  grandfather.  Governor  Thomas 
Welles,  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  removed  to  Wethers- 
field,  where  he  died  June  22,  1714.  His  children  were: 
Thomas,  John  (2),  of  further  mention:  Joseph,  Pru- 
dence, Robert  and  Gideon. 

(IV)  John  (2)  Welles,  son  of  Captain  Robert 
Welles,  was  born  in  1678,  in  Wethersfleld,  Conn. 

(V)  James  Welles,  son  of  John  (2)  Welles,  born 
September  13,  1728.  in  Wethersfleld,  Conn.,  married, 
September  i,  1753,  Prudence  Wright.  Their  children 
were:  Timothy,  born  March  20,  1754,  who  died  July 
15,  1759:  Ebenezer,  born  .'\pril  10,  1756:  Mary,  born 
Oct.  I,  1758:  Hannah,  born  May  3,  1761:  Martha,  born 
Aug.  8,  1763.  who  died  Nov.  20,  1776:  James,  born 
March  23,  1766;  Lucy,  born  Sept.  16,  1769  (date  of 
death  unknown):  Allyn,  of  further  mention;  Pru- 
dence, born  Jan.  i.  1774,  died  the  same  day;  and 
Moses,  born  Dec.  18,  1775. 

(VI)  Allyn  Welles,  son  of  James  Welles,  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Wethersfleld,  Hartford  county,  Conn., 
April  12,  1771,  and  was  a  carpenter  and  joiner  by  occu- 
pation. He  died  suddenly  of  heart  failure,  January  12, 
1840,  in  his  sixty-ninth  year.  On  January  15,  1801, 
he  was  married  in  Watertown,  Conn.,  to  Anna  button, 
who  was  born  September  13,  1775,  and  they  settled  in 
Plymouth,  Conn.  Mrs.  Welles  died  September  15, 
1847.  aged  seventy-two  years.  They  had  children  as 
follows:  I.  A  daughter,  who  died  in  infancy.  2.  Joseph 
Allyn,  born  Nov.  16,  1805;   married  (first)  Sarah  Caro- 


line Boardman,  who  died  in  1838,  and  was  the  mother 
of  one  child,  Catharine  Louise,  born  .^ug.  26,  1837. 
He  married  (second)  Anna  Keziah  Merriam,  who  died 
Dec.  30,  1891,  aged  eighty-four  years.  3.  Aaron  Dutton, 
of  further  mention.  4.  James,  married  Harriet  Ruth 
Terry,  March  23,  1834,  and  they  had  four  children:  i. 
Sarah  Ann.  born  May  2,  1835,  who  married,  Jan.  21, 
1863,  Charles  W.  Harrison,  who  died  Nov.  9,  1870, 
they  the  parents  of  one  child,  Charles  William  Edward, 
born  May  7,  1870,  who  married  Florence  Brainard 
Fayles,  May  20,  1901,  and  had  three  children:  Flor- 
ence, born  Aug.  16,  1902;  Eleanor,  born  Feb.  16,  1905, 
and  Catherine,  born  June  ig,  1907;  ii.  William  Allyn, 
born  Feb.  i,  1837,  who  died  unmarried;  iii.  Edward 
Terry,  born  June  9,  1S44,  who  married,  May  16,  1872, 
Emma  Powell,  who  died  Dec.  4,  1879,  ^ind  he  died  Jan. 
20,  1S82:  they  had  two  children:  a.  Howard  Edward, 
born  March  26,  1875,  who  married,  June  5,  1899,  in 
Tenafly,  N.  J.,  Kate  McKeon,  and  had  three  children: 
Edward,  born  March  29,  1900,  Kate,  born  Aug.  4,  1902, 
and  Thomas:  b.  Paul,  born  Nov.  25,  1879,  who  died 
Dec.  12,  1879;  iv.  James  Dutton,  born  Jan.  10,  1848, 
who  died  in  infancy.  5.  Thomas  Wright,  who  died 
March  12,  1876,  married  Susan  Smith  Moore,  and  they 
settled  in  Brasher  Falls,  St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.; 
their  children  were:  i.  Joseph,  who  died  unmarried; 
ii.  Anna  Dutton,  who  married  Doctor  Jackson  and  had 
one  child,  Joseph;  iii.  Wallace  Herbert,  who  married 
Carrie  Boynton.  and  had  one  child,  Anna,  who  married 
Edward  J.  Mulholland,  and  they  had  one  child,  Henry 
Welles,  born  Jan.  20,  1905.  They  reside  in  Fierce- 
field,  N.  Y. 

(VII)  .Aaron  Dutton  Welles,  son  of  Allyn  Welles, 
born  in  Plymouth,  Litchfield  county.  Conn.,  was  edu- 
cated there,  and  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter,  which 
he  followed  for  several  years.  He  was  also  engaged 
in  farming  on  his  father's  place,  where  he  spent  his 
life,  and  where  he  died  in  April,  1871,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three  years.  His  remains  rest  in  the  New  Ceme- 
tery at  Plymouth.  Mr.  Welles  was  originally  a  Whig 
in  political  sentiment,  later  becoming  a  Republican, 
and  he  was  an  anti-slavery  man  and  a  strong  advocate 
of  temperance,  taking  a  deep  interest  in  every  move- 
ment which  he  considered  favorable  to  the  advance- 
ment or  enlightment  of  the  human  race.  He  was  quite 
active  in  local  public  matters,  filling  the  offices  of 
selectman  of  Plymouth,  member  of  the  board  of  relief, 
and  justice  of  the  peace. 

Mr.  Welles  married  Martha  Bull,  of  Plymouth, 
daughter  of  Jabez  and  Betsey  (Benedict)  Bull,  and 
sister  of  Isaac  Bull.  She  died  June  20,  1887,  aged 
seventy-six  years,  and  was  buried  beside  her  husband 
in  the  New  Cemetery.  Mrs.  Welles  was  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church.  She  was  the  mother  of 
three  children:  i.  Allyn,  born  in  Plymouth,  in  1837, 
went  to  Wisconsin  when  twenty-one,  and  there  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life;  married  (first)  Mary  Me- 
hitable  Bushncll,  and  had  two  children:  i.  George  A., 
who  married  Fannie  Gould,  and  had  two  adopted 
children,  Katherine,  and  Gould,  who  live  in  Des 
Moines,  Iowa;  ii.  Asa  A.,  a  resident  of  Pasadena,  Cal., 
who  married  Carrie  Treat,  and  has  three  children: 
Eva   (deceased);    Bernice,  and   Carlos.     .'Mlyn  Welles 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


415 


married  (second)  Hcttie  Bushnell,  a  sister  of  his  first 
wife,  and  she  still  resides  in  Wisconsin.  2.  Elizabeth, 
born  July  26,  18.59.  died  April  17,  1903.  3.  George 
Merriam,  of  further  mention. 

(VIII)  George  Merriam  Welles,  son  of  Aaron  Dut- 
ton  Welles,  was  born  October  29,  1845,  in  the  town  of 
Plymouth,  Conn.,  and  acquired  his  early  education  in 
the  schools  of  his  native  town  and  those  of  New  Britain, 
Conn.  Subsequently  he  continued  his  studies  and  was 
prepared  for  business  in  a  commercial  college  at  Phil- 
adelphia. In  1S65  he  located  in  the  city  of  Woon- 
sockct,  R.  I.,  entering  the  employ  of  his  uncle,  the 
late  Isaac  M.  Bull,  Esq.,  in  the  office  of  the  Hamlet 
Mills.  Here,  as  time  passed  and  he  grew  in  experience 
and  usefulness,  his  value  was  recognized  from  time  to 
time,  until,  in  1881,  he  was  made  superintendent  of  the 
mills,  a  relation  he  sustained  until  1885.  Subsequently, 
he  was  for  a  period  in  the  employ  of  the  executor  of 
the  large  Bull  estate,  occupied  in  its  settlement.  Stil! 
later  Mr.  Welles,  besides  being  interested  in  a  number 
of  enterprises,  became  associated  in  the  livery  business 
with  Mr.  Turner,  as  junior  member  of  the  firm.  Turner 
and  Welles.  .After  giving  up  this  business  he  became 
-.  member  of  the  City  Lumber  Company,  in  18S9,  and 

r  the  past  nineteen  years  has  been  identified  with 
w:at  concern.  He  is  also  interested  in  real  estate, 
and  is  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Building  &  Loan 
.\ssociation,  which  he  helped  to  organize  and  of  which 
he  has  been  president   since    1S89.     Durmg  this   long 

riod  the  association  has  never  lost  a  cent,  and  three 

r  cent,  interest,  compounded  semi-annually,  has  been 
paid  continuously.  Mr.  Welles  is  also  president  of  the 
People's  Savings  Bank  of  Woonsocket,  is  a  trustee 
•  f  the  Woonsocket  Institution  for  Savings,  and  is  a 
.rector  of  the  Woonsocket  Gas  Company.  His  repu- 
tation in  his  community  and  wherever  known  is  that 
ot  a  substantial  man  of  good  business  ability  and  judg- 
ment, whose  integrity  is  unquestioned. 

Having  managed  his  own  business  aflfairs  success- 
fully, as  well  as  those  of  others  under  his  charge,  Mr. 
Welles'  fellow-citizens  have  recognized  in  him  one 
well  adapted  to  look  after  public  interests,  and  several 
times  they  have  elected   him  a  member  of  the  Town 

uncil;    for  si,\  years  he  served  efficiently  as  assessor 

:  taxes;    on  the  formation  of  the  city  government  of 

Woonsocket  he  was  chosen  alderman   from  the  First 

Ward.    His  political  support  is  given  to  the  Republican 

party. 

On  October  18,  1870,  Mr.  Welles  was  married,  in 
Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  to  Eleanor  Ives,  who  was  bom 
at  Plymouth,  daughter  of  John  O.  and  Martha  (Tom- 
linson)  Ives,  and  they  had  one  child,  Charles  Ives. 
The  family  is  highly  respected. 

(IX)  Charles  Ives  Welles,  son  of  George  Merriam 
Welles,  born  in  Woonsocket,  August  19,  1872,  received 
his  education  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of  his 
native  place,  and  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  Col- 
lege, Providence,  and  the  Worcester  (Mass.)  .Acad- 
emy. For  some  time  after  commencing  his  business 
career  he  was  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  insur- 
ance business,  later  becoming  a  wholesale  dealer  in 
meats,   with   headquarters   at   Worcester.     He   is   now 


connected  with  the  City  Lumber  Company,  Woon- 
socket. He  is  a  director  in  the  People's  Savings  Bank. 
Mr.  Welles  married  (first)  Inez  A.  Cook,  daughter 
of  the  late  Theodore  Cook,  who  died  January  31,  1900, 
leaving  one  child,  Ives  Cook  Welles,  born  Jan.  30,  1930. 
He  married  (second)  Harriet  Pond,  daughter  of 
Charles  Pond,  and  to  them  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren: Charles  Allyn,  born  Feb.  4,  1904;  George  Hay- 
ward,  born  July  10,  1905;  and  Eleanor,  born  Jan.  8, 
1907. 


DARIUS  DANIELS  FARNUM— The  late  Darius 
Daniels  Farnuni  was  a  mcml>er  of  the  Smithfield 
branch  of  the  old  Massachusetts  Farnum  family,  which 
has  ranked  among  the  proudest  of  .American  Colonial 
lines  since  the  eirliest  years  of  our  history.  The  Far- 
nums  comprise  the  progeny  of  two  emigrants,  John  and 
Ralph  Farnum.  The  latter  is  the  progenitor  of  the 
.Andovcr,  Mendnp  and  Uxbridge  stock,  from  which 
spring  the  Smithfield  families  of  the  name.  .Accord- 
ing to  Burke,  the  Farnhams  or  Farnums  were  firmly 
seated  at  Querndon  House,  in  Leicestershire,  at  a 
very  early  period  of  English  history.  By  deeds  with- 
out dates,  there  appear  to  have  been  two  Lords  of 
Querndon  in  Leicestershire  prior  to  the  reign  of  Ed- 
ward I.  This  ancient  house  is  regarded  as  the  root  of 
all  families  of  the  name  in  England  and  .America 
to-day. 

Darius  Daniels  Farnum,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Minerva 
(Buxton)  Farnum,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Ralph 
Farnum,  was  born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  February  3,  1827. 
He  was  the  last  survivor  of  five  brothers,  Charles  E., 
Jonathan  B.,  Welcome,  and  Captain  Samuel  Farnum, 
the  last  having  rendered  distinguished  service  in  the 
Union  army  during  the  Civil  War,  and  was  lost  at  sea 
on  his  way  home.  When  Darius  Daniels  Farnum,  the 
oldest  brother,  was  four  years  old  his  parents  removed 
to  Uxbridge,  where  he  worked  on  the  farm  and  at- 
tended school  when  there  was  opportunity,  usually 
in  the  winter  months  during  the  lull  in  farm  work.  Part 
of  his  time  was  spent  in  the  Friends'  School  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  now  known  as  the  Moses  Brown  School. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  in  1844,  he  determined 
to  seek  other  employment,  and  entered  the  service  of 
Edward  Harris  as  office  boy.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  a  connection  with  the  Harris  interests  which,  with 
a  short  interruption,  during  the  days  of  the  "gold 
fever,"  when  he  went  to  California,  a  "forty-niner,"  to 
seek  his  fortune,  lasted  for  over  fifty  years.  After  a 
stay  of  short  duration  in  the  gold  fields,  he  realized 
the  futility  of  his  efforts,  and  returned  to  Rhode  Island 
and  resumed  his  work  with  Edward  Harris.  During 
the  latter  part  of  his  connection  with  the  Harris  inter- 
ests, he  served  as  secretary  and  confidential  assistant 
to  Mr.  Harris,  after  whose  death  he  continued  with 
the  Harris  Woolen  Company,  in  active  charge  of  their 
affairs. 

For  many  years  he  was  prominent  in  banking  cir- 
cles, always  having  taken  a  great  interest  in  this  field 
of  business  activity.  .At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
a  director  of  the  National  Globe  Bank,  having  served 
as  its  president  for  four  years,  declining  reelection  for 


4i6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


a  longer  period  on  account  of  advancing  years,  and 
was  also  trustee  and  a  member  of  the  board  of  invest- 
ment of  the  Mechanics  Savings  Bank  of  Woonsocket. 
He  was  also  sometime  a  director  of  the  Citizens'  Na- 
tional Bank,  of  the  First  National  Bank,  of  the  Na- 
tional Union  Bank,  and  a  trustee  of  the  People's  Savings 
Bank,  all  of  Woonsocket.  For  a  number  of  years  Mr. 
Farnum  represented  the  Consolidated  School  district 
in  Woonsocket,  and  in  1899  served  as  member  of  the 
first  Common  Council  ever  assembled  in  Woonsocket 
after  it  became  a  city.  From  1859  Mr.  Farnum  kept 
a  meteorlogical  record,  and  for  the  last  sixty-five  years 
of  his  life  entered  each  day's  record  in  it.  Painstak- 
ing, accurate,  and  methodical,  Mr.  Farnum  was  an 
expert  in  the  drawing  up  of  deeds  and  the  searching 
of  titles. 

On  April  17,  1851,  he  married  Adeline  Frances  Darl- 
ing, who  died  in  1902.  They  were  the  parents  of  four 
children:  i.  Frank  E.,  vice-president  and  cashier  of 
the  National  Globe  Bank,  and  treasurer  of  the 
Mechanics'  Savings  Bank;  he  married  Isadore  Maud, 
daughter  of  Daniel  B.  Pond  (see  Pond).  2.  Rachel 
F.,  married  Charles  James  Tucker,  deceased.  3.  Ade- 
line May,  married  Frederick  B.  Hicks.  4.  Minerva, 
died  in  1901.  Darius  Daniels  Farnum  died  at  his  home 
in  Woonsocket,  March  8,   1914. 


THE  POND  FAMILY— The  origin  of  this  early 
Colonial  family  is  well  established  and  authenticated 
by  the  writings  of  Governor  John  Winthrop,  which 
disclose  the  fact  that  two  of  the  name  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  him  in  i6,w,  from  Groton,  England.  That 
the  Ponds  were  neighbors  and  acquaintances  of  his 
in  the  Mother  Country  is  shown  by  his  letter  to  his 
son  prior  to  sailing  for  America,  and  his  subsequent 
message  to  their  father,  after  arrival  here,  as  to  their 
good  health  and  fidelity  to  their  "duty."  Other  letters 
and  memoranda  of  the  Winthrops  show  a  neighborly 
acquaintance  between  the  families  running  back  to 
1596. 

Descendants  of  original  immigrants  have  figured 
prominently  in  the  history  of  Southeastern  Massachu- 
setts and  Rhode  Island  for  more  than  two  and  a  half 
centuries.  The  Ponds  have  figured  notably  in  the 
annals  of  practically  every  walk  of  life,  and  the  name 
carries  particular  distinction  in  military  affairs.  "In 
the  struggle  for  independence,  they  rose  almost  to  a 
man  in  defence  of  their  rights,  and  Revolutionary 
records  bear  ample  evidence  of  their  alacrity  and  zeal. 
Among  the  first  to  spring  to  arms  at  the  receipt  of 
the  Lexington  alarm,  on  the  morning  of  the  memor- 
able 19th  of  April,  1775,  there  were  those  of  the  name 
who  did  not  sheath  the  sword,  until,  long  years  after- 
ward, peace  had  been  declared  through  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land,  and  the  country  for  which 
they  sacrificed  so  much,  no  longer  needed  their  serv- 
ices." One  of  the  most  distinguished  representatives  of 
this  family  in  recent  generations  was  the  late  Daniel 
B.  Pond,  one  of  the  foremost  cotton  and  woolen  man- 
ufacturers in  Rhode  Island  in  the  last  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century. 

(I)   Robert   Pond,   immigrant  ancestor  and   progeni- 


tor, one  of  the  brothers  who  came  over  with  Governor 
Winthrop  in  1630,  settled  in  Dorchester. 

(II)  Daniel  Pond,  who  according  to  Savage's  Genea- 
logical Dictionary,  was  a  son  of  Robert  Pond,  of  Dor- 
chester, settled  in  Dedham,  Mass.,  where  his  name 
first  appears  on  the  records  in  1652,  when  he  pur- 
chased of  Nathaniel  Fisher  two  acres  of  upland.  Ten 
years  later  he  bought  of  Ralph  Wheelock  his  estate, 
on  which  was  a  dwelling  house  and  barns.  He  was 
received  into  full  communion  in  the  church  at  Ded- 
ham, January  8,  1653.  He  owned  land  also  at  Wren- 
tham,  which  was  set  off  from  Dedham  in  1661.  He 
received  several  grants  of  land  there,  but  probably 
never  lived  in  Wrentham.  He  was  admitted  a  free- 
man in  1660,  and  was  lieutenant  in  the  militia.  He 
died  at  Dedham,  February  4,  1697-98.  His  will,  dated 
February  2,  1697-98,  proved  March  3,  1697-98,  be- 
queathed to  his  wife,  children  and  grandchildren.  He 
married  (first)  Abigail  Shepard,  who  died  July  5,  i56l, 
daughter  of  Edward  Shepard,  of  Cambridge.  He 
married  (second)  September  18,  1661,  Ann  Edwards, 
who  survived  him  and  died  June  6,  1732,  aged  ninety- 
two  years. 

(III)  Captain  Robert  (2)  Pond,  son  of  Daniel  Pond, 
was  born  at  Dedham,  August  5,  1667,  and  baptized 
August  II,  of  the  same  year.  He  was  a  house  carpen- 
ter, and  in  deeds  was  called  captain;  he  owned  land 
in  Wrentham,  and  was  granted,  July  6,  1696,  a  lot  on 
Mine  brook.  He  became  a  large  landowner.  He  mar- 
ried (first)  Joanna  Lawrence,  who  was  the  mother 
of  his  children.  He  married  (second)  January  16, 
1728-29,  Abigail  Fisher.  He  married  (third)  November 
17,  1747.  Sarah  Shuttleworth,  widow.  He  died  July  3, 
1750.  His  will  was  dated  December  23,  174S,  and  his 
son  Baruch  was  the  executor. 

(IV)  Ichabod  Pond,  son  of  Robert  (2)  Pond,  born 
at  Wrentham,  May  31,  1699,  died  at  Franklin,  May  2, 
1785,  intestate.  In  January,  1722,  his  father  conveyed 
to  him  his  new  house  and  lands,  together  with  all  the 
cattle,  farming  implements,  and  personal  property  of 
his  estate  on  Mine  brook.  He  deeded  the  real  estate 
of  this  property  to  his  son  Benjamin  in  1773  and  1776. 
He  married  (first)  November  30,  1721,  Milcah  Far- 
rington,  who  was  the  mother  of  all  his  children.  He 
married  (second)  May  25,  1747,  Deborah  Thurston. 
He  married  (tliird)  September  28,  1762,  Mehitable 
Aldis,  widow  of  John  Aldis.  She  died  February  26, 
1785,  in  her  eighty-second  year. 

(V)  Eli  Pond,  son  of  Ichabod  Pond,  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1743.  He  finally  settled  at  Franklin,  Mass., 
after  having  lived  in  Medway,  HoUiston  and  Belling- 
ham,  in  each  of  which  towns  he  seems  to  have  become 
the  owner  of  real  estate.  He  was  very  active  in  the 
militia.  He  was  a  drummer  in  a  company  of  minute- 
men  under  Captain  John  Boyd,  which  marched  from 
Wrentham,  April  19,  1775;  was  sergeant  in  Captain 
Josiah  Fuller's  company.  Colonel  Wheelock's  regi- 
ment, which  marched  December  8,  1776,  from  Medway 
to  Warwick,  R.  I.;  was  lieutenant  in  Captain  Amos 
Ellis's  company.  Colonel  Benjamin  Hawes'  regiment, 
on  service  in  Rhode  Island  from  September  25  to  Octo- 
ber 31,  1777;    was  lieutenant  in  a  company  commanded 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


417 


by  Lieutenant  Hezekiah  Ware,  on  service  in  Rhode 
Island  from  June  20  to  July  14,  1778. 

He  marrierl  Huldah  Hill,  of  Medway,  by  whom  he 
had  quite  a  large  family.  He  died  May  20,  1802,  and 
administration  on  his  estate  was  granted  to  his  son 
Eli.  His  sons  were  rather  remarkable  for  their  enter- 
pripc  and  business  ability.  One  of  them  became  largely 
interested  in  the  lumber  trade  in  Maine,  another  was 
sheriff  of  Hancock  county  in  that  State,  and  a  third 
was  of  the  firm  of  Peters  &  Pond,  respected  and  thriv- 
ing merchants  of  Boston.  During  the  War  of  1812  he 
lost  a  vessel  and  cargo  by  French  spoliation. 

(\'I)  Eli  (2)  Pond,  son  of  Eli  (i)  Pond,  in  addition  to 
the  name  01  his  father,  became  possessor  of  his  estate 
in  Franklin,  where  he  passed  his  days  following  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer.  The  old  homestead  and  other 
portions  of  his  estate  are  still  in  the  possession  of  his 
grandchildren.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  good  sense 
and  probity,  well  known  and  influential  in  his  neigh- 
borhood. He  married  for  his  first  wife  Hannah,  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  and  Mary  Daniels,  of  HoUiston,  by  whom 
he  had  two  children.  For  a  second  wife  he  married 
Mrs.  Ruth  (Wiswall)  BuUard,  widow  of  Dr.  Daniel 
Bullard,  of  Holliston. 

"  (VII)  Eli  (3)  Pond,  son  of  Eli  (2)  and  Hannah 
(Daniels)  Pond,  married  Mari  Bullard.  He  and  his 
wife  came  to  W'oonsocket,  then  a  small  village,  in  1827, 
soon  after  their  marriage.  Mr.  Pond  had  previously 
pushed  out  from  the  paternal  roof,  and  served  an 
apprenticeship  to  the  trade  of  a  painter.  He  imme- 
diately took  up  his  calling,  and  was  soon  a  contractor 
and  employer  of  men.  He  early  purchased  land  on 
Main  street,  where  he  built  a  residence  and  stores,  and 
afterward  built  what  is  known  as  Pond's  block.  He 
successfully  conducted,  for  many  years,  a  wholesale 
and  retail  trade  in  paints,  oils  and  manufacturers'  sup- 
plies. He  was  also  at  one  time  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  "muslin  delaines,"  being  an  original  manu- 
facturer of  that  class  of  goods  in  Rhode  Island;  and 
was  subsequently  engaged  in  cotton  manufacturing.  In 
his  earlier  days  he  was  an  active  supporter  of  all  the 
village  interests,  and  especially  interested  in  the  fire 
department.  The  records  show  him  to  have  been  "first 
warden"  for  eleven  years.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were 
active  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  did  much 
to  promote  its  interests.  In  1840  he  purchased  the 
Jonathan  Russell  farm  in  Mendon,  Mass.,  where  he 
moved  his  family,  who  continued  to  reside  there  until 
after  his  wife's  death,  which  occurred  May  7,  1864. 

(VIII)  Daniel  B.  Pond,  son  of  Eli  (3)  and  Mari 
(Bullard)  Pond,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Smithfield, 
October  21,  1830.  He  attended  the  common  schools 
until  the  age  of  ten,  when  his  parents  moved  to  Men- 
don, Mass.  Here  he  continued  at  school  until  fifteen, 
subsequently  becoming  a  pupil  of  Professor  James 
Bushee's  school  at  the  "Old  Bank  Village,"  and  later 
of  the  Manual  Labor  School  at  Worcester,  Mass. 
Afterward  he  entered  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover, 
Mass.,  to  fit  for  college,  in  which  institution  he  con- 
tinued for  two  years,  and  then  finished  his  preparatory 
course  at  a  private  institution  in  Concord,  Mass.,  re- 
maining there  one  year,  during  which  time  he  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Emerson,  Hawthorne  and  Thoreau. 

R  1-2-27 


He  next  entered  Brown  University  for  a  classical 
course,  Francis  Wayland  being  then  president.  He 
graduated  in  1S57  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  the  cele- 
brated Barnes  Sears  being  president.  He  next  entered 
the  law  school  at  Albany,  X.  Y.,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.,  and  was  shortly  after- 
ward admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
New  York.  .'Xbout  this  time  he  was  engaged  as  attor- 
ney for  the  township  corporation  of  Ceredo,  Va.,  where 
he  remained  for  a  brief  period,  and  then  came  East 
and  entered  into  law  partnership  with  P.  P.  Todd, 
Esq.,  in  Blackstone.  In  1859  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts.  About 
this  time  a  law  and  collection  oflice  for  the  United 
States  was  opened  by  the  law  firm  of  which  he  was  a 
partner  on  State  street,  Boston,  and  Mr.  Pond  had  full 
charge  of  this  office  for  a  year.  He  then  removed  to 
New  York,  where  headquarters  were  established  in 
Wall  street,  and  seven  clerks  employed,  and  where 
claims  against  Southerners  aggregating  $1,000,000  were 
entered  for  collection.  This  was  in  i860;  the  follow- 
ing year  saw  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  and  whole- 
sale destruction  of  business.  In  1862,  Mr.  Pond  came 
to  Woonsocket  and  began  to  manufacture  cotton  warps 
in  what  was  known  as  Harris's  No.  i  Mill,  afterward 
building  what  is  known  as  Pond's  Mill  on  Bernon 
street,  where  he  continued  actively  in  business  for  sev- 
eral years.  He  was  the  first  cotton  and  woolen  manu- 
facturer in  the  State  to  shorten  the  hours  of  labor. 
Mr.  Pond  was  from  the  beginning  successful,  making 
$100,000  in  a  few  years,  but  the  failures  of  debtors 
caused  a  suspension  of  business,  and  to  meet  his  obli- 
gations he  divided  his  last  dollar  with  his  creditors. 
This  was  in  1873,  and  he  then  resumed  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  at  the  same  time  taking  an  active  part 
in  politics  on  the  side  of  the  laboring  class  against 
corporations. 

His  political  history  embraces  an  election  on  several 
occasions  to  the  Council,  elections  for  the  years  1864 
and  1S66  to  the  Lower  House  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly, for  the  years  1867,  1868  and  1869  to  the  Senate, 
which  office  he  resigned,  Januarj'  6,  1870.  While  in 
the  House  he  formulated  the  enactments  for  the  divi- 
sion of  Woonsocket  from  the  town  of  Cumberland,  and 
was  the  first  Senator  elected  from  the  new  town.  He 
was  also  town  solicitor  for  1879-80,  when  there  were 
claims  against  the  town  for  damages,  amounting  to 
$60,000,  not  one  cent  of  which  was  ever  recovered. 
He  was  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Con- 
solidated District,  and  chairman  of  the  board  of  trus- 
tees of  the  fire  corporation,  which  he  was  instrumental 
in_  establishing.  He  was  appointed  chairman  of  the 
committee  to  draw  up  a  new  charter  for  the  fire  cor- 
poration, and  obtained  the  necessary  legislation  by 
which  it  was  efTected  in  1869.  He  served  on  several 
committees,  was  chairman  of  the  board  when  the  trans- 
fer of  the  fire  corporation  property  was  made  to  the 
town  in  1884,  and  served  on  the  committee  for  the 
erection  of  the  town  asylum. 

Mr.  Pond  represented  his  party  and  delivered  an 
address  on  the  occasion  of  the  Garfield  memorial  serv- 
ices in  Woonsocket,  September  26,  1881.  He  was  also 
on   the   committee   to   locate   the   soldiers'   monument, 


4i8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


commissioner  in  the  laying  out  of  various  highways, 
and  chairman  of  the  committee  appointed  to  superin- 
tend the  construction  of  the  Summer  street  school 
building.  Mr.  Pond  was  the  candidate  of  his  party  for 
the  cilice  of  general  treasurer  of  the  State  in  1880.  He 
was  reelected  first  councilman  and  president  of  the 
board  in  June,  1887,  but  resigned  the  office  to  accept 
that  of  high  sheriff  of  Providence  county,  to  which 
he  was  elected  by  the  General  Assembly  in  grand  com- 
mittee at  the  May  session  in  Newport.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  board  of  assessors  of  taxes  for  1S86, 
1SS7,  and  1888.  Mr.  Pond  drew  up  the  original  charter 
for  the  city  of  Woonsocket.  and  secured  its  introduc- 
tion to  the  General  Assembly  at  the  January  session 
of  1888,  from  which  it  was  continued  to  the  May  ses- 
sion and  passed  witli  slight  changes.  He  was  the  can- 
didate for  State  Senator  in  April,  1889,  and  was  elected 
first  Senator  from  the  new  city  by  226  majority.  In 
the  fall  of  1S89  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Woonsocket 
by  442  majority.  This  office  he  held  for  four  consecu- 
tive years.  In  politics,  Mr.  Pond  was  a  Republican 
from  the  organization  of  the  party  until  1872,  when  he 
swerved  his  allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party.  He 
was  a  Democratic  leader  until  his  death,  and  labored 
continuously  to  raise  the  standards  of  the  party.  He 
was  at  one  time  chairman  of  the  Democratic  State  Cen- 
tral Committee,  chairman  of  the  executive  committee, 
and  chairman  of  the  Democratic  Town  Committee 
until  he  declined  reelection  to  the  office. 

Daniel  B.  Pond  married  Isadora  Verry,  only  child 
of  James  and  Nancy  (Nolen)  Verry.  Mr.  Verry  was  a 
successful  woolen  manufacturer,  for  many  years  asso- 
ciated with  Mr.  Edward  Harris.  He  severed  his  con- 
nection with  Mr.  Harris  in  1863,  and  became  largely 
interested,  as  a  stockholder,  in  the  Merchants'  Woolen 
Company  at  Dedham,  Mass.,  where  he  was  under  con- 
tract for  a  term  of  years  as  manager.  After  a  two 
years'  residence  at  Dedham.  he  obtained  a  release  from 
his  contract  as  manager,  and  thenceforward  until  his 
death  devoted  his  time  solely  to  his  home  and  private 
interests.  Mr.  Verry  married  Nancy  Nolen,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  Isadore  Verry,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Daniel  B.  Pond.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pond  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Verry  Nolen, 
died  young.  2.  Clarence  Eli,  died  young.  3.  Isadore 
Maud,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank  E.  Farnum,  of  Woon- 
socket, R.  I.  4.  Nancy  May.  5.  Grace  Verena.  Dan- 
iel B.  Pond  died  at  his  home  in  Woonsocket,  Septem- 
ber g,  i8g6. 


FREDERICK  LEWIS  BLAIR,  M  D.— As  a  phy- 
sician who  has  a  record  of  active  service  in  three  wars, 
the  name  of  Dr.  Blair  should  be  prefaced  by  no  intro- 
ductory phrases  in  a  work  of  this  character.  The 
Blair  family  is  of  Scotch  origin  and  was  transplanted 
to  the  American  colonies  early  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. The  male  representatives  of  the  race  appear 
to  have  been,  at  that  time,  sea-faring  men,  some  of  them 
being  sea  captains.  Later  they  engaged  in  ship  build- 
ing. During  the  war  for  independence  a  number  of 
the  Blairs  served  in  the  Patriot  army.  James  Blair, 
who   served   in  the   Revolutionary   War,   great-grand- 


father of  Frederick  Lewis  Blair,  was  the  father  of 
William  Blair. 

George  Washington  Blair,  son  of  William  Blair, 
and  father  of  Frederick  Lewis  Blair,  was,  early  in 
his  career,  a  shipbuilder.  Later  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  Fairbanks  Company,  now  the  Fairbanks-Morse 
Company,  with  whom  he  remained  many  years,  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  being  devoted  to  lighter  labors. 
Among  these  were  included  the  duties  of  a  notary 
public.  He  served  throughout  the  Civil  War  as  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Union  army.  Mr.  Blair  married  Isabella 
Hegan,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Hegan,  and  a 
descendant  of  Revolutionary  ancestors,  some  of  whom 
were  closely  related  to  the  Ross  family,  of  which  Mrs. 
Betsey  Ross,  maker  of  the  first  American  flag,  was, 
perhaps,  the  most  distinguished  representative,  .''ifter 
a  happy  union  of  sixty  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blair  were 
separated  by  death  only  si.x  months,  both  passing  away 
in  1917. 

Frederick  Lewis  Blair,  son  of  George  Washington 
and  Isabella  (Hegan)  Blair,  was  born  March  21, 
1878,  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city,  graduating  from  the  high 
school  in  1895.  He  had  always  been  greatly  interested 
in  things  military  and  after  completing  his  course  of 
study  he  associated  himself  with  the  Rhode  Island 
Guard.  It  was  not  long  before  the  outbreak  of  the 
Spanish-American  War  gave  him  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  active  service  and  he  went  through  the  Porto 
Rico  campaign  under  the  command  of  General  Miles. 
On  April  15.  1899,  he  was  discharged  from  active  serv- 
ice, but  for  some  time  thereafter  remained  in  the  gov- 
ernment service.  His  duty  was  at  first  to  manufacture 
medical  supplies,  especially  vaccine,  for  use  in  treat- 
ing smallpox  and  other  diseases  in  Porto  Rico.  Sub- 
sequently, he  served  as  recruiting  officer  in  Porto  Rico, 
recruiting  the  first  Porto  Rico  battalion. 

After  resigning  from  the  government  service.  Dr. 
Blair  returned  to  Providence  where,  for  about  two 
years,  he  was  engaged  in  the  optical  business,  econo- 
mizing his  profits  in  order  that  he  might  accumulate 
a  fund  for  professional  studies.  He  entered  the  medi- 
cal department  of  the  University  of  Maryland,  gradu- 
ating in  June,  191 1,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine.  After  serving  for  a  time  as  interne  in  the 
University  Hospital,  Baltimore,  he  took  special  courses 
and  spent  a  certain  period  in  travel.  Late  in  191 1,  he 
returned  to  Providence,  where  he  practised  success- 
fully until  the  oncoming  of  the  agitation  on  the  Mexican 
border.  This,  which  we  include  as  the  second  of  three 
wars  (albeit  in  this  case  there  was  no  declaration  of 
hostilities),  caused  Dr.  Blair  to  relinquish  his  work  at 
home  in  order  that  he  might  associate  himself  with  the 
medical  department  of  the  army  dispatched  to  the 
scene  of  action,  where  he  rendered  valuable  service. 
On  October  17,  1916.  he  returned  to  Providence,  where 
he  was  continuously  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  until  the  entrance  of  the  United  States  into 
the  World  War,  then  in  progress. 

Then,  indeed,  he  immediately  ofi'ered  his  services, 
the  value  of  which  his  former  work  had  placed  beyond 
dispute  to  the  Federal  government.     His  first  task  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


419 


to  reorganize  the  Rhode  Island  Ambulance  Company, 
and  he  also  served  on  examining  boards  for  the  Na- 
tional army  and  the  Rhode  Island  militia.  He  was 
likewise  medical  examiner  for  Rhode  Island  of  candi- 
dates for  the  Officers'  Training  Camp  at  Plattsburg, 
N.  Y.,  and  served  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  in  the 
First  Rhode  Island  Ambulance  Company,  being  trans- 
ferred later  to  the  One  Hundred  and  Fourth  .\mbu- 
lance  Company,  Twenty-sixth  division.  On  July  25, 
1917,  he  was  mustered  into  the  Federal  service  as  first 
lieutenant  of  the  same  company,  being  subsequently 
changed  to  the  One  Hundred  and  Fourth  Ambulance 
Company,  and  sent  to  various  training  camps.  On 
September  25,  1917,  he  set  out  by  train  for  Montreal, 
Canada,  and  one  day  later  started  for  overseas  service. 
From  Liverpool,  England,  he  went  to  France,  and 
thenceforth  was  in  every  engagement  in  which  the 
Twenty-sixth  Division  participated.  The  different 
ranks  held  by  Dr.  Blair,  with  their  dates,  were  as  fol- 
lows: First  lieutenant,  June  15,  1915;  captain,  Febru- 
ary 17,  1918;  and  major,  February  17,  1919.  He  re- 
ceived citations  from  the  commander  of  the  Twenty- 
sixth  Division  and  also  from  General  Petain,  of  the 
French  army,  and  he  was  decorated  with  the  Croix  de 
Guerre,  with  palm.  On  April  20,  lyiS,  he  was  gassed 
and  wounded. 

On  June  i,  1919,  Dr.  Blair  resumed  practice  in  Prov- 
idence, having  been  discharged  from  the  army  on 
April  29,  of  the  same  year.  His  work  is  that  of  a  gen- 
eral practitioner,  but  he  devotes  himself  with  special 
interest  to  the  study  of  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose 
and  throat.  He  was  appointed  chief  surgeon  of  the 
Rhode  Island  National  Guard.  September  17,  1919. 
Among  the  professional  organizations  in  which  Dr. 
Blair  is  enrolled  are  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  the  Provi- 
dence Medical  Society  and  the  American  Associa- 
tion of  Military  Surgeons.  He  affiliates  with  Mount 
Vernon  Lodge,  No.  4,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons, 
and  the  chapter  and  council,  and  also  belongs  to  the 
Sons  of  Veterans,  the  American  Legion,  the  United 
Spanish  War  Veterans,  and  the  college  fraternity 
Gamma  Psi  Zeta.  He  affiliates  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  his  only  club  is  the  Rotary. 
The  family  church  is  the  Plymouth  Congregational, 
but  he  attends  the  Plainfield  Baptist. 

Dr.  Blair  married,  September  15.  1904,  Emma  Fran- 
ces Proud,  daughter  of  .'\ustin  M.  and  Mary  Francis 
Proud,  of  Pownal,  Vt.  W  hile  Frederick  Lewis  Blair 
has  been  true  to  the  military  traditions  of  his  veteran 
father  and  his  fighting  Revolutionary  ancestors,  he  has 
been  able,  as  a  physician,  to  care  lor  the  sick  and 
wounded  and  to  render  service  to  the  afflicted  in  peace 
as  well  as  in  war. 


HENRY  METCALF,  one  of  the  successful  farm- 
ers of  .Vrnold  Mills.  R.  I.,  and  a  prominent  figure 
in  the  general  life  of  the  community,  is  a  native  of 
this  place,  his  birth  having  occurred  here  August 
18,  1847.  Mr.  Metcalf  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Lydia 
B.  (Smith)  Metcalf,  and  a  member  of  an  old  and 
distinguished  Rhode  Island  family,  which  was  founded 
in   this    country    by   one    Michael    Metcalf,    who   was 


born  in  1586  at  Tatterford,  Norfolkshire,  England, 
where  he  was  a  weaver.  He  came  to  New  England  in 
1637  on  account  of  religious  persecution,  and  made 
his  home  at  Dedham,  Mass.,  where  he  was  admitted  a 
freeman  July  14  of  that  year.  He  married  (first)  in 
England,  October  13,  1616,  Sarah  ,  who  accom- 
panied him  to  this  country  and  died  November  30,  1644. 
He  married  (second)  August  13,  1645.  Mary  Pidge,  a 
widow,  of  Roxbury,  Mass.  He  died  December  2^, 
1664,  the  father  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  Michael 
(2)  Metcalf  is  of  further  mention. 

(II)  Michael  (2)  Metcalf,  son  of  Michael  (i)  and 
Sarah  Metcalf,  was  born  .Xugust  29,  1620,  at  Norwick, 
England,  and  accompanied  his  parents  to  this  country. 
He  married  Mary  Fairbanks,  and  settled  at  Dedham, 
where   his  death  occurred   December  24,   1654. 

(Ill)Jonathan  Metcalf,  one  of  the  five  children  born 
to  Michael  (2)  and  Mary  (Fairbanks)  Metcalf,  was 
born  September  21,  1650,  at  Dedham,  Mass.  He 
married,  .'\pril  10,  1674,  Hannah  Kenric,  daughter 
of  John  Kenric,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  of  whom  Nathaniel  Metcalf  is  of  further  men- 
tion. 

(IV)  Nathaniel  Metcalf,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Han- 
nah (Kenric)  Metcalf,  was  born  April  17  or  22,  1691, 
and  died  March  15,  1752.  He  married,  February  13  or 
17,  1713,  Mary  Gray. 

(V)  Nathaniel  (2)  Metcalf,  son  of  Nathaniel  (i)  and 
Mary  (Gray)  Metcalf,  was  born  August  29,  1718,  and 
married  Ruth  Whiting,  of  Attleboro,  Mass.  Among 
their  children  was  Ebenezer  Metcalf,  of  further  men- 
tion. 

(VI)  Ebenezer  Metcalf,  second  child  of  Nathaniel  (i) 
and  Ruth  (Whiting)  Metcalf,  settled  near  Arnold  Mills, 
in  the  town  of  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  and  thus  became  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  this  State.  He  was  the  owner 
of  a  large  tract  of  land  here  and  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing as  an  occupation.  His  death  occurred  October  23, 
1820.  He  married  (first)  Asenath  Davis,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Liberty, 
born  Aug.  18,  1776;  Davis,  of  further  mention;  Am- 
mon,  born  Dec.  28,  1779;  Ebenezer,  born  Dec.  17, 
1781;  and  Joseph,  born  Oct.  27,  1783.  Ebenezer  Met- 
calf married    (second)   July  3,   1787,  Whipple, 

and   (third)    Abigail   Dexter. 

(VII)  Davis  Metcalf,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Asenath 
(Davis)  Metcalf,  was  born  February  16,  1778,  at  Cum- 
berland, and  spent  his  youth  at  that  place,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  business  for  a  time  as  a  boat  builder. 
Later,  however,  he  gave  up  this  business  to  engage  in 
farming  and  was  the  owner  of  a  valuable  property  of 
one  hundred  acres  near  Arnold  Mills.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  was  a  Whig  in  poli- 
tics. He  married,  in  Cumberland,  Sarah  Newell, 
daughter  of  Jason  Newell,  and  among  their  children 
was  Charles  Metcalf,  of  further  mention. 

(VIII)  Charles  Metcalf,  son  of  Davis  and  Sarah 
(Newell)  Metcalf,  was  born  December  10,  1803,  on  his 
father's  farm.  After  completing  his  education  he 
learned  the  machinist's  trade  under  his  uncles,  Joseph 
and  Ebenezer  Metcalf,  and  was  engaged  with  them  in 
the  manufacture  of  spinning  frames  and  similar  de- 
vices.    His  death  occurred  January  27,  1877.     He  mar- 


420 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ried  Lyclia  B.  Smith,  born  July  20,  iSog,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children;  Horace,  born 
Oct.  19,  1828,  and  now  deceased;  Omar,  born  April  15, 
1S32,  deceased;  Sarah,  born  July  18,  1834,  deceased; 
Mary,  born  Aug.  11,  1836,  resides  in  Providence; 
Eunice,  born  Nov.  7,  1844,  who  resides  with  her 
brother  Henry;  and  Henry,  with  whose  career  we  are 
here  especially  concerned. 

(IX)  Henry  Metcalf.  son  of  Charles  and  Lydia  B. 
(Smith)  Metcalf,  was  born  at  Arnold  Mills,  August  18, 
1847,  and  received  his  education  at  the  local  public 
schools  of  Cumberland.  After  completing  his  educa- 
tion, Mr.  Metcalf  engaged  in  farming  and  has  con- 
tinued to  be  so  occupied  up  to  the  present  time.  All 
the  earlier  part  of  his  life  was  spent  on  the  family 
homestead,  and  he  has  moved  but  once  in  his  life, 
when,  in  1886,  he  came  to  the  farm  which  he  now  occu- 
pies and  which  belonged  to  his  paternal  grandfather, 
the  two  places  being  about  a  mile  apart.  The  house  in 
which  he  now  (igig)  resides  was  built  and  occupied 
ninety  years  ago,  on  Thanksgiving  Day,  1829.  It  is  a 
handsome  old  residence  and  possesses  all  the  charm 
and  beauty  of  the  period  in  which  it  was  built.  Mr. 
Metcalf  has  engaged  largely  in  stock  raising  and  gen- 
eral farming,  but  of  recent  years  has  abandoned  the 
former  business  and  devoted  himself  entirely  to  the 
latter.  In  his  early  childhood  Mr.  Metcalf  was  a  very 
delicate  boy  and  it  was  thought  for  a  time  that  he 
could  not  survive.  He  has,  however,  entirely  outgrown 
his  ill  health  and  is  now  the  possessor  of  a  fine  and 
robust  constitution.  Mr.  Metcalf  has  been  exceedingly 
active  in  the  public  life  of  the  community  and  has 
served  for  a  number  of  years  on  the  Cumberland  Town 
Council,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  police  force. 
He  is  an  Independent  in  politics,  and,  like  his  ances- 
tors for  many  generations,  a  member  of  the  Society 
of  Friends.  He  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  fra- 
ternal and  social  life  of  this  place,  and  is  a  member 
and  past  master  of  Cumberland  Grange,  No.  2,  and  a 
member  of  Pomona  Grange. 

Henry  Metcalf  was  united  in  marriage,  March  30, 
1872,  with  Emily  A.  Carpenter,  a  daughter  of  Louis 
and  Cynthia  (Cargill)  Carpenter,  old  and  highly  re- 
spected residents  of  Cumberland.  Mrs  Metcalf  died  in 
1912.  Of  this  union  two  children  were  born,  as  fol- 
lows: Nellie  Carpenter,  who  became  the  wife  of  Ross 
R.  Clark,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Cumberland;  Frank 
Clifford,  born  November  28,  1878,  who  resides  with  his 
father  at  home. 


WALDO  ELLIS  FRANKLIN,  one  of  the  success- 
ful farmers  and  dairymen  of  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  and  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  the  general  life  of  this  place, 
where  he  has  resided  during  practically  his  entire  life, 
was  born  here,  November  8,  1885.  Mr.  Franklin  is  a 
son  of  Henry  Herbert  and  Ellen  E.  (Taft)  Franklin, 
the  former  a  native  of  Cumberland,  whose  death  oc- 
curred here,  November  4,  1917.  Mrs.  Franklin  is  a 
daughter  of  James  Waterman  and  Betsey  Jacques 
(Carpenter)  Taft,  all  natives  of  Rhode  Island.  She  is 
a  granddaughter  of  Mowry  Taft,  and  a  descendant  of 
Captain  Elisha  Waterman,  of  Revolutionary  fame. 
Henry   Herbert   Franklin  was  born  at  Cumberland  in 


1854,  and  educated  at  the  local  public  schools  and  the 
Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College  at  Providence,  and 
followed  farming  and  dairying  all  his  life.  He  was  the 
son  of  William  Rhodes  and  Mary  Ellen  (Brown) 
Franklin,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  this 
place,  and  the  grandson  of  Washington  Franklin, 
who  was  a  descendant  of  John  Franklin,  the  brother  of 
Benjamin  Franklin,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  William 
Rhodes  Franklin  worked  as  a  young  man  on  the  island 
of  Jamestown,  but  later  came  to  Cumberland,  where 
he  bought  the  old  Blanding  place,  a  farm  of  forty-five 
acres,  to  which  he  added  later  several  other  properties, 
until  he  owned  seventy  acres  of  good  farm  land  in  all. 
Here  he  built  the  old  Franklin  mansion  in  1865,  and 
here  his  death  occurred  in  1907. 

Waldo  Ellis  Franklin,  with  whose  career  we  are 
here  especially  concerned,  attended  as  a  lad  the  public 
schools  of  Cumberland,  and  graduated  from  the  Cum- 
berland High  School  with  the  class  of  1903.  As  a 
yijung  man  he  became  his  father's  assistant  in  the  lat- 
ter's  agricultural  operations  and  continued  so  employed 
until  the  death  of  the  elder  man  in  1917.  Since  that 
time  Mr.  Franklin  has  conducted  the  property  him- 
self and  is  now  the  owner  of  a  very  successful  and 
modern  dairy,  which  he  supplies  with  the  milk  of 
twenty-five  cows.  Both  he  and  his  father  have  made 
many  improvements  on  the  place  and  together  built 
and  equipped  a  modern  cow  barn  and  all  the  necessary 
appliances  for  the  conducting  of  a  modern  dairy.  Mr. 
Franklin  has  been  exceedingly  active  in  public  affairs 
here  and  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  members  of  the 
Democratic  party  in  tliis  region.  His  father  was  for 
many  years  president  of  the  Town  Council  and  at  his 
death  Waldo  Ellis  Franklin  succeeded  him  as  a  mem- 
ber of  that  body.  He  is  also  president  and  chairman  of 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  local  branch  of  the  New 
England  Milk  Producers'  Association  and  has  taken 
a  prominent  part  in  improving  the  agricultural  condi- 
tion of  this  region.  Mr.  Franklin  is  one  of  four  chil- 
dren born  to  his  parents,  the  others  being  as  follows: 
Clifford  T.,  who  makes  his  home  at  Providence; 
Louise  W.,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  G.  Car- 
penter, a  first-class  electrician,  who  was  employed  in 
that  capacity  on  the  United  States  transport  "Levia- 
than" during  the  great  World  War,  and  is  now  an 
employee  of  the  Narragansett  Electric  Lighting  Com- 
pany, of  Providence;  and  Harold  E.,  who  still  resides 
with  his  mother  at  Cumberland. 


SARAH  JANE  PETERSON— Among  the  success- 
ful and  prosperous  farmers  of  Valley  Falls,  R.  I.,  a 
conspicuous  figure  is  that  of  Sarah  Jane  Peterson, 
better  known  as  Jennie  Peterson,  who  since  the  death  of 
her  husband,  in  1903,  has  most  efficiently  managed  her 
large  farm  in  this  region  and  has  exhibited  a  skill  in 
agriculture  and  a  talent  in  business  management  which 
has  been  at  least  the  equal  of  the  most  successful  of 
the  male  farmers  hereabouts.  Mrs.  Peterson  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Mary  (Asher)  Monkhouse,  and  a 
member  of  the  Monkhouse  family  which  came  from 
England  at  an  early  period  and  settled  in  this  part  of 
the  country.  Her  father,  James  Monkhouse,  was  born 
in    Cumberland,    England,   and   came   to   America   as  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


431 


youth.  He  resided  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  was  married  there.  He  lived  for  three 
years  in  California  at  the  time  of  the  gold  fever,  but 
came  back  to  Newport  in  1853  and  bought  the  farm  in 
1854  on  which  Mrs.  Peterson  now  resides. 

The  childhood  of  Mrs.  Peterson  was  spent  in  her 
native  region,  where  her  birth  occurred  October  25, 
1855.  As  a  child  she  attended  the  local  public  schools 
and  has  made  the  same  farm  her  home  during  the 
major  portion  of  her  life.  On  February  22,  1887,  she 
married  John  Levi  Peterson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  where 
his  birth  occurred  March  16,  1846.  Mr.  Peterson  was 
educated  in  his  native  country  and  for  a  number  of 
years  was  engaged  in  the  profession  of  teaching  there, 
as  was  his  father  before  him,  but  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen years  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled 
in  Cumberland  county,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  Mrs.  Peterson,  from  her  earliest  childhood, 
was  interested  in  agricultural  matters  and  of  recent 
years  has  taken  up  the  management  of  the  farm  which 
she  has  inherited  from  her  ancestors  and  now  carries 
on  successful  operations  here.  The  property  consists 
of  thirty  acres,  and  has  been  well  improved  both  by 
her  father  and  by  herself.  The  old  family  home, 
in  which  she  was  born,  and  which  stood  here  for  a 
number  of  generations,  was  torn  down  in  the  year 
1900  and  the  present  modern  residence  erected.  Mrs. 
Peterson  is  a  member  of  Cumberland  Grange,  Xo,  2, 
and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  promotion  of  good 
agricultural  methods  and  conditions  in  this  section  of 
the  State.  Mrs.  Peterson  attends  the  chapel  at  Pour 
Corners,  a  little  chapel  near  her  home. 

Mrs.  Peterson  has  one  brother  living,  James  Monk- 
house,  who  resides  at  Pierre,  S.  D. ;  and  one  sister,  who 
is  deceased,  Elizabeth  (Monkhouse)  Lee.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lee  were  the  parents  of  one  son,  Walter  Lee,  who 
resides  at  Riverside,  R.  L 


EMIL  J.  C.  SHULZE— .-\mong  the  successful  men 
identified  with  the  industrial  life  of  Providence,  is 
Emil  J.  C.  Shulze,  superintendent  of  the  g^reat  River- 
side Mills,  and  influential  in  the  affairs  of  the  concern. 
Mr.  Shulze  is  a  native  of  Grossenhain,  Saxony,  Ger- 
many, where  his  birth  occurred  July  i,  i8;8,  a  son  of 
Charles  C.  J.  and  Augusta  (Dutchsek)  Shulze,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  place.  The  elder  Mr. 
Shulze  was  born  at  Peitz,  Germany,  September  I, 
1850,  and  there  passed  his  childhood  and  some  of  his 
early  manhood,  gaining  there  his  education  and  a  wide 
knowledge  of  the  art  of  weaving  on  hand  looms,  his  ap- 
prenticeship being  before  the  invention  of  machinery  for 
this  purpose.  In  1883  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
located  at  Holyoke,  Mass.,  where  he  worked  in  the 
woolen  mills  for  a  number  of  years.  From  Holyoke 
he  removed  to  Rockville,  Conn.,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  rugs,  and  continued  in  that  specialty 
until  a  few  years  ago,  when  he  retired.  He  married,  at 
Grossenhain,  Germany,  October  II,  1877,  Augusta 
Dutchsek,  a  native  of  Brunn,  .\ustria,  of  German  par- 
entage, end  they  are  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Emil  J.  C,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned;  Herman,  born  Jan.  21,  1881,  and 
now  in  the  business  of  designing  at  Scowhegan,  Me.; 


Helen,  born  July  30,  18S6,  became  the  wife  of  Morris 
Murphy,  of  Boston;  Annie,  born  Jan.  20,  1890,  became 
the  wife  of  Walter  I.  Gill,  of  Middletown,  Conn.; 
Frieda,  born  Jan.  20,  1890,  now  Mrs.  John  R.  Argenta, 
of  Hartford,  Conn.;  Rose,  born  Dec.  5,  1892;  Emmie, 
born  July  20,  1894,  now  Mrs.  Conrad  Anderson,  of 
New  London,  Conn.;  Lily,  born  Sept.  30,  1895,  now 
Mrs.  Harold  Clark,  of  Hartford,  Conn.;  Elsie,  born 
Jan.  22,  1899;  and  Carl,  born  Dec.  25,  1901. 

Emil  J.  C.  Shulze  was  a  small  child  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  the  United  States,  and  it  is  with 
this  country  that  his  childish  associations  are  connected. 
His  early  years  were  spent  at  Holyoke,  Mass.,  and  it 
was  there  that  he  first  attended  school.  He  had  about 
completed  the  primary  grades  when  the  family  removed 
to  Rockville,  Conn.,  and  he  was  a  pupil  at  the  gram- 
mar schools  of  that  town  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
was  yet  little  more  than  a  lad  when  he  gave  up  his 
schooling  in  order  to  enter  a  cotton  mill  and  there  learn 
the  trade  of  manufacturing  that  staple.  For  several 
years  he  worked  in  that  mill  and  others,  especially  those 
where  wools  and  silks  were  produced,  and  was  also  em- 
ployed for  a  time  at  the  manufacture  of  carpets. 
After  a  time  he  entered  the  employ  of  George  Mab- 
bett,  a  manufacturer  of  worsteds  on  a  large  scale  at 
Plymouth,  and  there  worked  as  a  loom  fixer  for  a  year. 
His  next  position  was  as  second  hand  at  the  Farwell 
Mills  of  Central  Falls,  where  another  year  was  spent, 
and  he  then  went  South  and  took  a  position  as  over- 
seer of  the  weaving,  designing  and  dressing  depart- 
ments in  the  mills  at  Martinsburg,  \V.  Va.  After  six 
months  spent  there,  however,  he  returned  to  the  North 
to  accept  the  post  of  assistant  designer  with  the  Farwell 
Mills  at  Central  Falls,  where  he  had  before  worked  in  a 
minor  capacity.  It  was  in  1004  that  he  first  came  to  the 
Riverside  Mills  of  Providence,  taking  first  the  same 
position  he  had  held  at  the  Farwell  Mills,  but  he  proved 
himself  so  efficient  and  valuable  to  his  employers  that 
eight  months  later  he  was  promoted  to  ihe  post  of 
designer,  and  then,  in  1913,  was  made  superintendent  of 
the  works.  He  continues  to  hold  this  most  responsible 
post  at  the  present  time,  and  the  high  quality  and  great 
quantity  of  the  work  turnc<l  out  here  is  due  in  no  small 
degree  to  his  masterly  handling  of  it.  He  is  a  strong 
Republican  in  politics,  taking  a  keen  and  broadminded 
interest  in  the  local  and  general  issues,  and  always  per- 
forms his  duties  as  a  citizen  with  the  utmost  con- 
sistency. 

Emil  J.  C.  Shulze  was  united  in  marriage,  September 
3,  1903,  with  Luella  M.  Brown,  of  East  Providence,  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Lottie  (Tingley)  Brown,  both 
deceased,  their  deaths  occurring  on  April  30,  1913,  and 
May  30,  1892,  respectively.  Mrs.  Shulze  is  descended 
on  the  paternal  side  of  the  house  from  one  of  the  old- 
est of  the  Cape  Cod  families,  and  some  of  her  ancest- 
ors came  over  on  the  famous  "Mayflow^er"  and  were 
among  the  Pilgrim  fathers.  Her  father  was  a  prom- 
inent man  at  East  Providence,  and  was  in  charge  of  the 
railroad  terminals  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  & 
Hartford  Railroad  Company  at  that  place.  On  the 
maternal  side  Mrs.  Shulze  is  also  descended  from  an  old 
New  England  family,  and  numbers  among  her  ancestors 
Roger  Williams,  the  founder  of  the  Quaker  sect  in  this 


422 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


country  and  of  the  Colony  of  Rhode  Island.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Shulze  the  following  children  have  been  born: 
Carlton  E..  born  Oct.  g,  1904 ;  Doris  Helen,  born  July 
29.  igo6;  Ruth  Luella,  born  Dec.  13.  iQoo. 


FREDERICK  J.  BANCROFT— For  more  than  a 
third  of  a  century  no  name  stood  higher  in  the  manu- 
facturing circles  of  Pawtucket  than  the  one  we  have 
just  written  and  now,  with  silent  eloquence,  it  appeals 
to  the  great  body  of  her  citizens  by  whom  Mr.  Bancroft 
was  deservedly  honored  as  well  as  to  the  large  number 
who  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  his  personal  friendship. 
Ever  loyal  to  the  best  interests  of  his  community,  this 
good  citizen  was  as  highly  esteemed  for  public  spirit 
as  for  sagacit)'  in  matters  commercial. 

The  late  Frederick  J.  Bancroft,  founder  and  head  of 
the  widely  known  manufacturing  concern  designated  as 
the  House  of  Bancroft,  was  born  December  23.  1843, 
in  Plainfield,  Vt.,  and  was  a  son  of  John  and  Alice 
(.'\yers)  Bancroft,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
Green  Mountain  State,  Mr.  Bancroft  being  a  farmer  of 
Plainfield.  It'  seemed  for  a  time  that  his  son  might 
follow  the  same  calling,  but  the  youth,  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  developed  a  desire  to  become  a  worker  of 
W'ood  which  neutralized  any  wish  he  might  have  had  for 
the  life  of  a  farmer.  Accordingly  he  engaged  himself 
to  a  contractor  and  builder,  with  whom  he  remained 
four  years,  goirrg  then  to  Massachusetts,  where  he 
worked  on  wood  in  Salem,  Taunton  and  Boston,  being 
employed  in  the  construction  of  passenger  cars. 

On  leaving  Boston,  Mr.  Bancroft  came  to  Pawtucket, 
where  he  established  himself  in  the  grocery  business 
which,  however,  he  soon  abandoned,  returning  to  his 
former  occupation  of  wood-working.  Engaging  in  the 
pattern  model  and  cabinet-making  industry  he  soon 
scored  a  success,  and  some  years  later  became  interested 
in  the  making  of  tennis  rackets.  At  last  he  had  found 
his  special  work,  the  line  of  business  in  which  he  was 
destined  to  achieve  celebrity.  From  the  very  begin- 
ning success  attended  him,  and  as  the  years  went  on  he 
built  up  a  business,  exceeding,  perhaps,  in  magnitude 
and  prosperity-,  his  most  sanguine  expectations.  The 
Bancroft  factory,  situated  on  Bayley  street,  is  devoted 
exclusively  to  the  making  of  rackets  and  bats  which 
are  pronounced  by  competent  judges  the  best  the  world 
can  produce  or  money  can  buy.  They  are  the  result  of 
slow,  careful  processes,  will  stand  long  and  hard  usage, 
in  fact,  service  and  long  life  are  inseparable  from 
everything  turned  out  by  Bancroft.  The  making  of 
rackets  by  the  Bancroft  method  has  its  origin  in  the 
forests  of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont.  There,  every 
winter,  the  Bancroft  experts  seek  the  choicest  speci- 
mens of  Second  Growth  White  Ash,  which  is  the  prin- 
cipal wood  used  in  the  making  of  Bancroft  rackets. 
The  house  operates  two  saw  mills,  one  at  Plainfield, 
Vt.,  and  the  other  at  Lower  Cabot,  in  the  same  State. 
The  logs  are  quartered  and  the  bow  strips  brought  to 
Pawtucket  and  placed  in  the  store  room.  There  they 
are  seasoned  by  air-drying,  a  process  which  requires  a 
year.  After  the  racket  has  been  completely  built  up  in 
its  several  parts,  it  is  taken  to  the  shellac  room  where 
it  is  filled,  branded  and  shellaced,  ready  for  the  pol- 
ishers,   who   rub   it   down   and   polish    it    with   pumice 


stone,  producing  a  fine  finish.  The  finishing  touches 
are  then  added  and  the  rackets  are  ready  to  be  packed 
in  bags  and  bo.xes  and  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  world 
w-here  tennis  is  played.  A  specialty  is  made  of  chil- 
dren's rackets. 

While  Mr.  Bancroft  never  entered  the  sphere  of 
politics,  he  was  far  from  indifferent  to  the  progress  of 
events,  always  taking  a  keen  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his 
city.  State  and  nation.  He  belonged  to  the  Business 
Men's  Association,  was  a  charter  member  of  Enter- 
prise Lodge.  No.  22,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, also  affiliating  with  Blackstone  Encampment,  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  Leah  Lodge, 
Rebekah  Degree,  and  holding  membership  in  Charles 
E.  Chickering  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias.  Those  fa- 
miliar with  his  personal  appearance  will  readily  recall 
his  face  and  figure,  which  w-ere  so  thoroughly  typical 
of  the  part  he  played  in  life.  No  one,  not  even  a  casual 
observer,  would  have  been  surprised  to  learn  that  he 
was  the  founder  and  head  of  a  business  which  en- 
joyed an  international  reputation. 

Mr.  Bancroft  married,  April  3,  1872,  Julia  Houston, 
of  Pawtucket.  Mrs.  Bancroft  passed  away  in  1907. 
The  death  of  Mr.  Bancroft,  which  occurred  September 
10,  1918,  came  at  the  close  of  a  long,  strenuous  and 
Well  spent  life.  Though  for  some  time  he  had  been  in 
failing  health  he  continued,  to  his  latest  day,  his  busi- 
ness activities.  His  city  mourned  him,  and  his  busi- 
ness associates  and  personal  friends  united  in  paying 
heartfelt  tributes  to  his  worth  as  a  citizen  and  his  gen- 
ius as  a  business  man.  He  was  survived  by  his  brother, 
William  Bancroft,  who  succeeded  him  as  the  head  of 
the  House  of  Bancroft,  and  a  brief  narrative  of  whose 
career  is  appended  to  this  biography. 

It  has  been  truly  said  of  Frederick  J.  Bancroft  that 
he  did  much  to  make  Pawtucket  the  "live"  city  she  is, 
to  place  her  among  our  national  centres  of  industry  and 
to  give  her,  in  one  respect  at  least,  an  international 
reputation.  Long  and  gratefully  will  his  name  and 
work  be  held  in  remembrance  in  the  city  which,  for 
half  a  century,  was  his  home  and  the  center  of  all  his 
interests. 

William  Bancroft,  son  of  John  and  Alice  (Ayers) 
Bancroft,  and  brother  of  Frederick  J.  Bancroft,  was 
born  July  4,  1864,  on  the  homestead,  and  received  his 
education  in  local  schools.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he 
came  to  Pawtucket  to  visit  his  brother,  but  was  even- 
tually employed  by  him  as  a  carpenter  in  the  erection 
of  a  house  which  ]\Ir.  Bancroft  was  then  building.  He 
remained  in  Pawtucket  for  some  time,  working  at  his 
trade,  and  after  a  short  visit  home  returned  to  be  asso- 
ciated with  his  brother  in  the  latter's  tennis  racket 
business.  The  connection  thus  formed  was  maintained 
until  the  death  of  Mr.  Bancroft.  William  Bancroft 
rendering  most  valuable  assistance  in  the  development 
of  the  business,  and  eventually  succeeding  his  brother 
as  head  of  the  house.  Like  his  brother,  Mr.  Bancroft 
is  a  good  citizen,  always  ready  to  do  his  part  toward 
betterment  of  community  conditions.  He  affiliates  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Mr.  Bancroft  married,  October  28,  1892.  Margaret, 
daughter  of  William  and  Margaret  (Park)  MacNeil, 
who  in  their  youth  came  from  Scotland  and  settled  in 


J 


BIOGRAnilCAL 


423 


Newark,  Mr.  MacXeil  obtaining  employment  in  a  cot- 
ton mill,  later  removing  to  Pawtuoket.  The  marriage 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  MacN'eil  took  place  shortly  alter  their 
arrival  in  this  country.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bancroft  are 
without  children  of  their  own,  but  have  an  adopted 
daughter,  a  niece  of  Mrs.  Bancroft,  early  left  an 
orphan,  Mary  Elizabeth   MacXeil. 

Frederick  J.  Bancroft  left  his  great  business  in  good 
hands.  Under  the  able  leadership  of  William  Bancroft 
it  promises  not  only  to  maintain  its  old  time  reputation, 
but  to  increase  in  magnitude  and  prosperity. 


AUSTIN  T.  LEVY  is  treasurer  and  general  man- 
ager of  tile  Stillwater  Worsted  Company.  The  Still- 
water Worsted  Company  manufactures  fine  worsted 
goods  for  men's  wear.  Eight  hundred  persons  arc  em- 
ployed. The  plant  is  modern  both  as  to  buildings  and 
equipment  and  covers  an  area  of  upwards  of  150,000 
square  feet.  Motive  power,  electricity  and  water.  The 
officers  of  the  company  are :  William  I.  Spiegelberg, 
president;  Austin  T.  Levy,  treasurer;  Samuel  M. 
Fischer,  secretary. 


JAMES  MATHEWSON  FORD,  one  of  the  ener- 
getic and  successful  farmers  of  Scituatc,  R.  I.,  and  a 
public-spirited  and  influential  citizen  here,  is  a  native 
of  this  place,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  farm 
which  he  now  operates,  Augu.st  21,  1871.  Mr.  Ford  is  a 
son  of  Pardon  Bowen  Smith  and  Ceria  Mathewson 
(Smith)  Ford,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  Tlie  elder 
Mr.  Ford  was  also  a  farmer. 

James  Mathewson  Ford  passed  his  childhood  upon 
his  father's  farm,  where  he  assisted  with  the  work  about 
the  place,  being  thus  occupied  during  the  spare  time 
when  he  was  not  attending  school.  Although  he  at- 
tended the  public  schools  for  a  few  years,  his  educa- 
tional advantages  were  exceedingly  limited  on  account 
of  the  circumstances  of  his  family,  and  he  was  but  ten 
years  of  age  when  bound  out  to  another  farmer  to  work 
for  his  board  and  clothes.  He  continued  to  be  thus 
occupied  for  a  time,  and  was  then  hired  by  other  local 
farmers  up  to  the  time  when  he  was  seventeen  years  of 
age.  His  father's  lack  of  business  judgment  and  suc- 
cess was  more  than  compensated,  however,  by  the  skill 
and  foresight  of  his  son,  who,  realizing  that  he  had  his 
own  way  to  make  in  the  world,  proceeded  not  only  to 
carry  on  his  work  with  the  utmost  energy  and  devo- 
tion, but  also  laid  aside  religiously,  a  portion  of  his 
meagre  earnings,  with  the  intention  of  eventually  be- 
coming independent.  The  death  of  his  father  occurred 
when  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age.  With  his  custo- 
mary energy  and  determination,  Mr.  Ford  set  to  work 
to  build  up  the  home  farm,  and  has  since  developed  a 
splendid  farm  here.  It  has  been  due  to  his  efforts  that 
the  present  improvements,  consisting  of  an  excellent 
house,  a  large  barn  and  many  outbuildings,  have  been 
erected,  and  he  now  carries  on  his  operations  to  the  best 
advantage  by  means  of  modern  equipment  of  all  kinds. 
The  farm  consists  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and 
in  addition  to  general  farming  activities  he  operates  a 
successful  dairy  and  also  raises  chickens.  Mr.  Ford's 
extreme  devotion  to  his  work  may  be  judged  from  the 
fact  that  in  thirty  years  he  has  had  but  one  holiday, 


upon  whi:h  occasion  he  made  a  trip  to  New  York  City. 
In  his  rcligous  belief  Mr.  Furd  is  a  Baptist  and  attends 
the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Scituate,  liberally 
supporting  the  work  of  the  congregation.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  has  made  himself  very  active 
and  prominent  in  local  affairs,  being  a  leader  of  the 
Republican  organization  here.  He  has  served  two  terms 
on  the  Town  Council  and  was  road  supervisor  for  this 
district  for  one  year.  Mr.  Ford  has  one  brother, 
Coomcr  S.  Ford,  and  a  sister  Hanna,  who  keeps  house 
for  him. 

ROMAULD  JOSEPH  TALBOT— The  following 
is  the  record  oi  two  members  of  the  Talbot  family, 
father  and  son,  covering  a  period  of  nearly  seventy 
years  in  association  with  Rhode  Island.  Romauld 
Joseph  Talbot,  father  of  Louis  Joseph  Talbot,  was 
born  September  i,  1841,  in  Halifax,  Province  of  Que- 
bec, and  as  a  youth  went  to  Island  Point,  Vt.,  where 
he  was  employed  on  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad. 
About  1861  he  came  to  Providence,  and  there  for  many 
years  followed  the  trade  of  carriage  building.  He 
was  employed  by  Walter  Mason,  the  Monohan  Ve- 
hicle Company,  Archibald  Martin,  and  others.  He 
constructed  several  fire  wagons  and  police  patrols,  and 
assisted  in  the  building  of  the  old  "Black  Maria," 
which  for  a  number  of  years  was  used  to  convey  pris- 
oners to  the  State  institutions  at  Howard.  Mr.  Tal- 
bot was  for  a  time  engaged  in  the  meat  and  grocery 
business  in  Woonsockct,  R.  I.,  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Descham  &  Talbot. 

It  was,  however,  as  an  inventor  that  Mr.  Talbot  did 
his  most  important  work.  While  employed  by  Mr. 
Mason  in  .-Xrscnal  lane,  he  invented  the  revolving 
boat  merry-go-round  and  experimented  with  it  in  the 
old  armory  on  Meeting  street  with  the  aid  of  children 
as  passengers.  Later  he  established  it  for  commercial 
purposes  at  Crescent  Park,  then  the  old  Bullock's 
Point  resort.  It  was  first  run  by  a  hand-crank  and 
later  by  steam,  and  was  abandoned  after  an  electrically 
operated  device  had  been  established  by  Mr.  Talbot 
at  Rocky  Point,  where  it  still  stands,  .•\nothcr  ma- 
chine, which  was  eventually  sold  to  a  minstrel  man- 
ager, was  operated  at  Mount  Hope  Park.  From  the 
revolving  boats  Mr.  Talbot  developed  the  circle  side 
swing  which  he  established  at  Rocky  Point  with  his 
son,  Louis  Joseph  Talbot,  as  manager.  This  inven- 
tion was  subsequently  sold  to  an  amu>ement  company 
which  established  numerous  machines  in  different  parts 
of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Talbot  was  the  inventor  of 
several  other  devices,  among  them  a  bob  runner,  used 
for  commercial  delivery  wagons  during  the  sleigh- 
ing season.  Mr.  Talbot  married,  October  10,  1875, 
in  Halifax,  Marie  Clemence  Bernie,  of  Sorel,  Prov- 
ince of  Quebec,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  two 
sons:  Louis  Joseph,  mentioned  below:  and  .'\rthur 
Joseph,  born  in  1879,  died  in  1898.  Mrs.  Talbot  passed 
away  December  8,  1917,  and  the  death  of  Mr.  Talbot 
occurred  in  March,  1918. 

Louis  Joseph  Talbot,  son  of  Romauld  Joseph  and 
Marie  Clemence  (Bernie)  Talbot,  was  born  October 
26,  1876.  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  received  his  educa- 
tion  in  the  grammar  schools  of  that  city.     He   then 


424 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


devoted  two  years  to  learning  the  machinist's  trade 
with  Henry  Blundell  &  Company,  of  Providence, 
afterward  working  three  winters  for  the  Lorraine  Man- 
ufacturing Company.  At  this  time  he  was  associated 
during  the  summers  with  the  business  carried  on  by 
his  father  in  connection  with  the  latter's  inventions. 
After  serving  for  three  years  with  the  firm  of  Jordan 
&  Marsh,  of  Boston,  he  spent  another  three  years  as 
clerk  for  the  New  England  Grocery  Company.  About 
this  time  Mr.  Talbot  turned  his  attention  to  another 
field  of  endeavor,  entering  the  E.  LeRoy  F^yer  School 
of  Optometry  in  New  York,  and  in  1905  graduated 
from  that  institution.  He  then  served  for  one  year 
as  clerk  in  the  othce,  doing  night  duty,  afterward 
holding  a  clerkship  for  another  year  with  the  firm  of 
Siegel  &  Cooper.  A  third  year  was  spent  as  clerk 
for  Lord  &  Taylor,  and  then  Mr.  Talbot  returned  to 
Providence,  establishing  himself  in  his  present  busi- 
ness of  jewelry  specialties.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that 
Mr.  Talbot  has  inherited  a  large  measure  of  his 
father's  inventive  genius,  and  that  this  has  enabled 
him  to  extend  the  sphere  of  his  business  activities  in 
an  unusual  manner.  He  designs  much  of  the  jewelry 
in  which  he  deals,  and  in  various  department  stores 
takes  charge  of  a  portion  of  the  jewelry  department, 
selling  his  own  line  of  goods,  including  his  original 
devices.  At  the  present  time  this  branch  of  his  busi- 
ness is  confined  to  New  England.  For  the  last  twenty 
years  Mr.  Talbot  has  been  associated  with  the  busi- 
ness conducted  by  his  father,  maintaining  his  connec- 
tion with  it  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Talbot,  St.,  and  at 
the  present  time  carrying  on  that  branch  of  it  which 
has  long  been  established  at  Rocky  Point. 

Mr.  Talbot  married,  June  5,  1918,  at  Warehouse 
Point,  Conn.,  Harriette  Emma,  daughter  of  James  and 
Harriette  (Fiske)  Price,  of  that  place.  Mr.  Price  was 
born  March  23,  1838,  at  Kidderminster,  County  Kent, 
England,  and  his  wife  was  born  March  10,  1840,  at 
Templeton,  Mass.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Talbot  are  the  par- 
ents of  one  child,  Roland  Price,  born  March  13,  1919. 

Louis  Joseph  Talbot  is  a  man  of  business  enterprise 
and  inventive  genius.  By  the  exercise  of  these  quali- 
ties he  has  already  gone  far,  and  there  seems  no  rea- 
son to  doubt  that  the  years  to  come  will  witness  his 
further  advancement. 


JOHN  CROWTHER— As  a  pioneer  in  narrow 
fabric  manufacturing  in  his  locality,  Mr.  Crowther  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Shannock  Narrow  Fabric 
Company,  at  Shannock.  R.  L,  an  enterprise  that  has 
developed  into  a  leading  position  in  its  field  and  is 
now  located  at  Pawtucket,  R.  L  Nor  is  its  sound  con- 
dition and  prosperity  its  sole  claim  to  industrial  dis- 
tinction, for  within  its  organization,  under  Mr.  Crow- 
ther's  close  direction  and  management,  has  been 
worked  out  in  splendid  manner  the  greatest  industrial 
problem  of  the  times,  the  satisfactory  cooperation  of 
all  elements  contributing  to  the  permanence  and  suc- 
cess of  a  business.  The  following  are  the  leading 
facts  of  John  Crowther's  busy  life. 

Son  of  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  (Brewster)  Crow- 
ther, both  of  whom  are  now  deceased,  he  was  born  in 
Media,    Delaware   county.   Pa.,   October  2,    1866.      His 


father  was  for  many  years  manager  of  a  large  cotton 
mill  at  Upland,  Pa.,  at  which  place  John  Crowther 
attended  the  public  schools,  at  the  same  time  becoming 
familiar  with  textile  manufacturing  as  his  father's 
assistant.  He  supplemented  his  practical  training  with 
a  course  in  the  Philadelphia  Textile  School  and  after 
his  graduation  in  1893  came  to  Pawtucket  as  designer 
for  Charles  Sisson,  of  the  Hope  Webbing  Company. 
For  seven  years  he  was  employed  in  this  capacity  and 
then,  equipped  by  training  and  experience  for  inde- 
pendent enterprise,  became  associated  with  Cyrus  Dav- 
ison and  Albert  Turner  in  the  organization  and  incor- 
poration of  the  Shannock  Narrow  Fabric  Company,  at 
Shannock,  R.  L  The  officers  of  the  newly  formed 
company  were:  Cyrus  Davison,  president;  Albert 
Turner,  vice-president,  and  John  Crowther,  secretary, 
treasurer,  manager  and  superintendent.  Twelve  looms 
were  the  main  apparatus  of  the  company  at  its  found- 
ing, but  its  business  increased  at  such  a  rapid  rate 
that  within  three  years  more  spacious  quarters  were 
necessary,  and  as  it  was  impracticable  to  add  to  the 
buildings  it  then  occupied,  the  company  erected  in 
Pawtucket  a  plant  with  accommodations  for  forty 
looms.  A  number  of  the  citizens  of  Shannock  peti- 
tioned Mr.  Crowthe-  to  continue  the  plant  at  that 
place,  and  in  an  endeavor  to  satisfy  the  popular  request 
both  were  operated  for  a  short  time.  Soon  afterward, 
however,  still  further  enlargements  were  required  and 
the  Shannock  plant's  equipment  was  moved  to  Paw- 
tucket. 

The  company's  growth  has  been  remarkable  in  its 
vigor  and  extent.  A  steadily  mounting  volume  of 
business  necessitated  additions  in  1913,  again  in  igi6, 
and  once  more  in  1919.  Its  present  home  is  a  large 
brick  building  of  special  construction,  erected  along 
the  most  approved  lines  of  industrial  architecture,  con- 
taining seventy  looms  and  ten  knitting  machines  of  the 
company's  own  exclusive  design,  a  fine  goods  mill 
manufacturing  narrow  woven  fabrics,  including  special 
tapes,  shoe  and  hat  ribbons  and  trimmings,  mercerized 
and  silk,  of  a  quality  unexcelled  in  any  of  the  world's 
plants.  "F-eatherstitch  braids,"  a  trade-marked  brand, 
have  become  particularly  popular.  The  present  offi- 
cers of  the  company  are:  Charles  S.  King,  president; 
George  A.  Carmichael,  vice-president,  and  John  Crow- 
ther, secretary,  treasurer,  manager  and  superintendent. 
While  building  up  a  modern  and  efficient  plant  and 
equipping  it  with  the  best  machinery  obtainable,  Mr. 
Crowther  has  given  of  his  best  thought  to  the  per- 
sonnel of  the  company.  He  has  been  constantly  in 
intimate  touch  with  all  departments  and  has  made  a 
close  study  of  the  needs  and  conditions  of  his  em- 
ployees. Profit  sharing  is  a  long  established  principle 
in  the  plant,  as  is  freedom  of  intercourse  between 
employer  and  employed,  and  his  familiarity  with 
everything  affecting  the  material  welfare  of  his  men 
has  enabled  him  to  inaugurate  many  provisions  for 
their  comfort,  convenience,  and  substantial  benefit. 
Every  employee  of  the  plant  is  insured  against  death, 
accident,  and  disability,  and  when  opportunity  offers 
for  their  aid  in  the  purchase  of  household  necessities 
amounting  to  considerable  sums,  such  as  coal,  large 
quantity  provisions,  etc.,  the  company  gladly   finances 


[yurH4fiAr^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


425 


!ch  investment.     In  these  respects  the  plant  organi- 
.;tion   approaches   the  idea!,  and,   that  the  obligation 
may  not  rest  altogethor  on  one  side,  the  company  has 
been    rewarded    with   a    high   degree   of   personal   etfi- 
i      ciency  in  all  branches  of  tlie  business,  labor  troubles 
I       have  been  unknown,  and  a  healthy  spirit  of  coiipera- 
i       tion  and  industry  is  marked  throughout  the  mill.    The 
establishment  of  these  measures  and  the  cultivation  of 
these    relations    have    been    ends    toward    which    Mr. 
Crowther  has  earnestly,  tactfully,  and  whole-heartedly 
labored,   and   in   the   cordial   reception   tendered   them 
by  his  men  and  their  successful  continuance  lies  a  long 
I      share    of    the    responsibility    for    the    company's    pros- 
perity. 

The  United  States  Glazed  Yarn  Company,  of  Paw- 
tucket,  is  another  of  Mr.  Crowther's  interests,  and  he 
rves  this  company  as  treasurer,  manager,  and  agent. 
1  heir  product  is  yarns  glazed  by  means  of  specially 
designed  and  patented  machines,  the  patents  secured 
!  V   E.  E.  Aspinwall,  of  Pawtuckct,  who  was  manager 
the  concern  for  one  year.     Prior  to  the  founding  of 
is   company,   machines    for   the    process   were    found 
•  ly  in  Germany  and  England.    To  the  management  of 
::  IS  mill  and  the  disposal  of  its  output  Mr.  Crowther 
ives  the  close  application  and  wise  direction  that  have 
ade  his  industrial  career  a  success.    He  is  a  member 
the    Pawtuckct   and    National    Chambers   of    Com- 
merce,  a   decided  progressive  in  business   views.     He 
is   also   a   member   of   the   Pawtuckct    Business    Men's 
Association.     His  fraternity  is  the  Masonic,  and  he  is 
also  a  member  of  the   Pawtuckct   Golf  Club  and  the 
Philadelphia  Te.xtile  School. 

Mr.  Crowther  married.  July  9,  1907,  Minnie  Mellor, 
daughter  of  Jonas  and  Jane  (Brewster)  Mellor,  of 
Millville.  X.  J.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  son, 
Franklin  Shields,  born   .\ugust  7,  1909. 


reported  on  January  I,  1919,  was  191,392  volumes, 
of  which  179.341  were  on  the  shelves  of  the  Central 
Library,  the  remainder  being  in  the  four  branches. 


THE  PROVIDENCE  PUBLIC  LIBRARY— The 

history  of  the  Providence  Public  Library,  as  an  insti- 
t  ition  in  actual  operation,  dates  only  from  February 
;,  1878,  on  which  day  its  doors  were  first  opened  to  the 

!blic.  Its  charter  was,  however,  adopted  in  1874,  and 
that  is  the  date  born  on  its  seal.  It  has  occupied  sev- 
eral diflerent  locations  during  the  past  forty  years,  the 
present  building  having  been  completed  and  occupied 
in  1900.  In  1913,  the  securing  or  a  strip  of  land  to 
the  northeast  placed  it  in  possession  of  the  entire 
t  lock,  and  plans  have  already  been  drawn  for  an  ex- 
tension which  will  double  the  building's  present  ca- 
pacity. 

The  library  has  been  fortunate  in  securing  from  time 
to  time  extremely  valuable  special  collections  on 
various  subjects,  but  its  chief  efforts  have  been  di- 
rected to  securing  a  wide  use  of  the  library  by  the 
entire  community.  To  this  end  close  relations  have 
been  established  with  the  school  system,  the  local 
industries,  and  the  business  organizations.  For  the 
past  three  years  a  monthly  journal  issued  by  the 
Providence  Chamber  of  Commerce  has  contained  in 
each  issue  a  department  in  charge  of  the  Providence 
Public  Library,  with  timely  material  directly  adapted 
to  the  needs  of  the  business  interests.    The  total  stock 


RICHARD  WATERMAN,  for  many  years  a  promi- 
nent figure  among  the  agriculturists  of  Cumberland, 
R.  I.,  and  now  living  in  well  earned  retirement  at  this 
place,  was  born  in  Cumberland,  March  13,  1S34.  in  the 
very  room  which  he  now  occupies  in  the  old  family 
mansion.  This  house  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, the  central  wing  having  stood  for  about  two 
centuries  and  a  half,  but  his  father  and  he  have  built 
additions  thereto  and  made  it  a  comparatively  modern 
residence  in  many  of  its  features.  In  this  same  house 
his  grandfather  and  father  were  also  l.orn. 

Richard  Waterman  is  a  descendant  of  Captain 
Elisha  Waterman,  born  in  .\ugust,  1743,  and  died 
March  3,  1832.  He  was  prominent  in  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island  during  the  Revolution,  took  an  active 
part  in  military  affairs,  and  was  one  of  the  signers 
from  Rhode  Island  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, May  4,  1776.  His  son.  James  Waterman,  was 
born  .\pril  9,  1778,  and  died  February  21.  1812.  He 
married,  December  15,  1796,  Freelove  Whipple,  born 
October  iS,  1775.  Their  son,  Amaziah  Waterman,  was 
born  in  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  Xovember  14,  1801,  and 
died  March  8.  1837.  He  married,  August  28,  1825, 
Hannah  Lee,  daughter  of  Ephraim  Lee,  of  Cumber- 
land, and  her  death  occurred  February  14,  1837.  They 
were  highly  respected  residents  of  Cumberland,  and 
the  parents  of  the  following  children,  all  born  in  Cum- 
berland: Alpha  Lee,  who  died  in  Cumberland;  Elisha, 
who  went  to  California  in  185 1,  and  never  returned, 
dying  in  Folsom  in  1885,  and  is  buried  in  the  Citizen's 
Burying  Ground  in  Folsom;  Rufus,  who  died  in  Cum- 
berland; and  Richard  Waterman,  of  further  mention. 

Richard  Waterman  obtained  his  education  in  the 
local  public  schools,  and  in  early  life  received  his  train- 
ing as  a  farmer  by  assisting  his  grandfather,  Ephraim 
Lee,  in  the  latter's  operations.  From  that  time  to  this 
he  has  never  done  anything  but  farm  work,  excepting 
for  a  short  period  when  he  was  employed  in  the  nearby 
mills.  Under  his  capable  management,  his  farm  has 
been  greatly  developed  and  improved,  and  has  been 
for  many  years  a  highly  successful  and  paying  prop- 
erty. Mr.  Waterman  has  also  been  exceedingly  active 
in  local  affairs,  and  as  a  Republican  has  played  a 
prominent  part  in  politics,  and  held  several  positions 
in  the  gift  of  his  townspeople.  He  has  served  as 
school  trustee  of  the  district  and  as  district  surveyor, 
but  at  the  present  time  (1919)  holds  no  office.  In  his 
religious  belief.  Mr.  Waterman  is  a  Universalist  and 
attends  Chapel  Four  Corners  Church  in  Cumberland. 
He  is  a  member  of  X^alley  Falls  Lodge,  Improved 
Order  of  Red  Men,  and  has  for  many  years  been  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  here. 

Mr.  W'aterman  married.  November  29,  1855,  at  Cum- 
berland, Rebecca  Sheldon  Carpenter,  a  daughter  of 
Levi  and  Rhode  Ann  (Jencks)  Carpenter,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  that  town.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Waterman  three  children  have  been  born,  as  fol- 
lows:    I.  Elisha  Amaziah,  born  July  16,  1858;  married 


426 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Susan  Evans,  and  they  reside  in  Cumberland,  where  he 
is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  2.  Elsie  Carpen- 
ter, born  Jan.  18,  1864,  who  served  in  the  capacity  of 
school  teacher  until  her  death,  May  15,  1913.  3.  Byron 
Levi,  born  March  14,  1870,  who  now  resides  at  Provi- 
dence, and  is  treasurer  and  manager  of  the  United 
Lace  and  Braid  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Auburn, 
R.  L;  he  married,  at  Valley  Falls,  Lucy  Clark,  who 
has  borne  him  three  cliildren:  Helen,  Richard  Clark, 
and  Jeanette. 


Arlon  and  Esther  (Whipple)  Whipple,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  this  region.  Arlon  Whipple  is 
himself  the  subject  of  extended  mention  elsewhere  in 
this  work.  One  child  has  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mfs. 
Eugene  J.  Whipple,  a  daughter,  Esther  L.,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Harold  B.  Monroe,  of  East  Provi- 
den 


EUGENE  J.  WHIPPLE,  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful farmers  of  the  region  about  Cumberland,  R.  L,  and 
an  influential  citizen  in  this  community,  was  born  at 
Cumberland,  September  7,  1869,  and  has  always  made 
his  home  here.  Mr.  Whipple  is  a  son  of  Welcome  and 
Julia  A.  P.  (Thomas)  VVhipple,  both  of  whom  are 
deceased.  The  elder  Mr.  Whipple  was  for  many  years 
a  farmer  at  Cumberland,  and  the  owner  of  much  land 
in  this  region,  .-^mong  his  holdings  was  the  farm 
which  has  since  been  purchased  by  the  Pawtucket 
Water  Works,  and  which  is  now  occupied  in  part  by 
the  reservoir  which  supplies  the  community  with 
water.  Welcome  Whipple  was  a  man  of  great  courage 
and  activity,  a  leader  in  the  community,  where  he  spent 
practically  his  entire  life.  He  was  also  a  traveller  and 
made  several  trips  to  the  western  coast  of  the  United 
States,  on  one  occasion  taking  the  route  around  Cape 
Horn. 

The  childhood  of  Eugene  J.  Whipple  was  spent  at 
Cumberland,  and  it  was  here  that  he  secured  his  edu- 
cation, attending  for  this  purpose  the  local  public 
schools.  For  a  time  he  assisted  his  father  with  the 
work  on  the  home  place,  and  then  for  several  years 
resided  on  his  mother's  farm  at  Diamond  Hill,  where 
he  continued  to  work  as  a  farmer.  He  then  bought 
a  small  place  near  Grant's  Station,  where  he  lived 
and  did  a  little  farming,  in  the  meantime  following  the 
trade  of  carpenter  for  a  number  of  years.  He  then 
secured  a  position  as  manager  of  a  farm  at  Tower 
Hill,  but  in  the  year  1910  he  returned  to  the  old  home 
farm  on  which  he  was  born,  to  work  for  his  brother, 
who  was  at  that  time  manager  thereof.  This  was  the 
property  which  had  been  sold  to  the  city  of  Pawtucket, 
and  which  comprised  some  six  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  three  hundred  and  twenty  of  which  was  used  as 
a  reservoir,  and  the  remainder  still  farmed  by  the  city. 
Mr.  Whipple's  brother  remained  manager  of  the  farm 
from  April  until  the  autumn,  when  he  resigned  from 
the  position,  and  Mr.  Whipple  himself  was  appointed 
to  it,  a  post  which  he  has  most  efficiently  held  ever 
since.  On  this  property  Mr.  Whipple  operates  a 
modern  up-to-date  dairy,  which  is  supplied  by  the  milk 
of  a  herd  of  seventeen  cows,  and  here  also  he  keeps 
a  variety  of  other  stock,  his  place  being  a  model  one. 
Mr.  Whipple  is  a  member  of  the  Milk  Produce  Asso- 
ciation, the  Cumberland  Grange,  and  other  organiza- 
tions in  this  region.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  has  made  himself  active  in  public  affairs,  holding 
at  this  present  time  the  position  of  clerk  of  elections  of 
Cumberland  township. 

Eugene  J.  Whipple  was  united  in  marriage  in  De- 
cember, 189s,  with  Alice  Elvira  Whipple,  daughter  of 


LEONARD  WHEATON  HORTON— The  general 

practice  which  Mr.  Horton  established  in  Providence 
became  more  and  more  specialized,  until  at  this  time 
(igig)  his  field  has  become  almost  entirely  corporation 
law.  He  has  gained  an  enviable  reputation  in  this 
department  of  his  profession,  his  pr.ictice  extending 
to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  and  he  is 
regarded,  in  legal  circles  and  among  his  large  clien- 
tele, as  one  of  the  ablest  corporation  lawyers  of  the 
East.  Mr.  Horton  is  a  standing  master  in  chancery 
for  Rhode  Island  and,  in  addition  to  his  work  as  coun- 
sel for  important  business  and  financial  interests,  has 
performed  extensive  public  service  of  a  public  and 
semi-public   nature. 

Mr.  Horton  is  a  son  of  William  Henry  and  Char- 
lotte Collins  (White)  Horton,  both  natives  of  Bristol, 
R.  I.,  and  grandson  of  Captain  Leonard  Wheeler 
Horton.  born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  who  died  about 
1878.  William  Henry  Horton  died  in  Providence, 
September  5,  1916,  and  is  survived  by  his  wife. 

Leonard  Wheaton  Horton  was  born  in  Warren, 
R.  I.,  April  2,  1875.  Providence  became  the  family 
home  in  the  following  year,  and  there  he  obtained  his 
education,  attending  the  public  schools  and,  after  a 
course  in  high  school,  entering  Brown  University.  He 
was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Ph.  B.,  in  the  class 
of  1897,  and  at  once  began  legal  study  in  the  office  of 
Judge  Walter  B.  Vincent,  of  Providence,  and  Judge 
Eugene  F.  Warner,  of  Kent  county,  R.  I.  Subse- 
quently he  studied  in  the  office  of  George  E.  Webster, 
clerk  of  the  Common  Pleas  Division  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  now  the  Superior  Court  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
profited  by  an  unusual  training  in  assisting  his  pre- 
ceptors in  writing  the  official  records  of  the  same. 
Even  to  a  casual  student  this  work  would  have  been 
productive  of  beneficial  result,  while  Mr.  Horton's  dili- 
gent application  gained  him  an  exactness  of  knowledge 
that  has  been  a  valuable  asset  and  fostered  a  legal 
style  that  makes  his  professional  documents  models 
of  legal  form  and  diction.  He  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice, September  23,  1899,  and  remained  in  the  office  of 
Judge  Walter  Vinceat  until  June,  1905.  At  this  time 
he  began  independent  work  of  a  general  character,  but 
with  the  passing  years  has  confined  himself  almost 
entirely  to  corporation  law.  He  has  been  retained  in 
numerous  important  cases  involving  the  direction  and 
activities  of  large  groups  of  capital,  and  is  counsel  for 
many  New  York,  Washington,  Boston,  and  Providence 
corporations. 

As  a  standing  master  in  chancery  for  Rhode  Island, 
an  office  he  holds  by  State  appointment,  Mr.  Horton 
has  had  exercise  for  an  accurate  and  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  the  principles  of  equity,  and  his  admin- 
istration of  his  responsible  position  has  been  satis- 
factory and  highly  commended.     Owing  to  his  great 


c^^^^.c-^t.aJ^cO  \_yi.  ^crtXi^ 


c-y-xy 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


427 


proficiency,  large  numbers  of  divorce  cases  are  con- 
stantly being  privately  heard  before  him  as  standing 
master  in  chancery.  As  legal  advisor  in  affairs  of 
public  and  quasi-public  nature,  he  has  been  consider- 
ably in  the  public  eye.  Mr.  Horton  has  also  devoted 
himself  in  the  past  to  patent  law,  and  has  gained 
more  than  local  standing  as  a  patent  attorney.  During 
twenty  years  of  strenuous  professional  activity,  his 
record  has  been  free  from  anything  not  in  accord  with 
the  worthiest  ethics  and  principles  of  his  honored  pro- 
fession. Learned  in  the  law  and  forceful  in  its  presen- 
tation, his  professional  skill  has  been  tested  in  the 
most  difficult  branches,  and  his  present  leading  posi- 
tion has  been  fairly  won  through  earnest  endeavor.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  no  active  party 
associations.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Beta  Theta  Pi 
Club,  of  New  York  City,  having  been  elected  to  Kappa 
Chapter  of  the  Beta  Theta  Pi  fraternity  at  Brown  Uni- 
versity, the  Brown  Club,  of  New  York  City,  and  the 
Bay  Spring  Yacht  Club,  fie  belongs  to  What  Cheer 
Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

Mr.  Horton  married,  June  4,  1902,  Gertrude  Spencer, 
of  Pawtuckct,  daughter  01  Frank  Gideon  Spencer, 
formerly  superintendent  of  the  Worcester  Division  of 
the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Horton  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter, 
Dorothy  Spencer  Horton,  born  March  24,  1903. 


CLIFFORD  ALLEN  WALKER,  one  of  the  well 
known  farmers  of  North  Scituate,  R.  L,  is  a  native 
of  this  place,  born  October  24,  1875.  Mr.  Walker  is 
a  son  of  William  Henry  and  .Alice  (.-Mien)  Walker, 
grandson  of  Pardon  Walker,  and  great-grandson  of 
Philip  and  Amy  Walker.  Philip  Walker  settled  on 
the  old  farm  at  Scituate,  situated  northwest  from  the 
village  of  North  Scituate,  and  consisting  of  about  four 
hundred  acres  of  land,  where  both  his  son.  Pardon 
Walker,  and  grandson,  William  Henry  Walker,  were 
born.  The  former  greatly  improved  the  property, 
clearing  much  of  the  land  and  making  it  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  the  region.  His  son,  William  Henry, 
the  father  of  Clifford  .-Kllen  Walker,  kept  the  property 
in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  resided  there  until 
his  death  in  the  year  1878.  He  married  .Mice  Allen, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Reuben  .-Xllen,  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church  at  North  Scituate,  and  her  death 
ccurred  in  February,  1915.  Philip  Walker,  who  first 
settled  on  this  property,  was  a  son  of  Archibald 
W^alker.  a  native  of  England,  who  came  from  that 
countrj-  to  the  New  England  colonies  shortly  after  the 
historic    trip    of   the    "Mayflower." 

The  early  life  of  Clifford  .Allen  Walker  was  passed 
on  the  old  family  homestead,  and  his  education  was 
received  at  the  local  district  schools.  Upon  com- 
pleting his  studies  at  these  institutions,  Mr.  Walker 
followed  the  trade  of  painting  for  a  time,  but  of  recent 
years  has  abandoned  that  business  and  is  now  engaged 
in  farming  on  the  home  place,  a  property  consisting 
nf  one  hundred  acres  of  excellent  farm  land.  He  has 
been  exceedingly  successful  in  his  operation,  and  is 
justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
this    community.      He    is    a    Baptist    in    his    religious 


belief   and    attends   the    church   of   that    denomination 
here. 

Clifford  Allen  Walker  was  united  in  marriage, 
November  28,  1895,  at  North  Scituate,  with  .\bbie 
Hopkins,  a  daughter  of  Alfred  and  Abbie  (Jordan) 
Hopkins,  and  granddaughter  of  Alfred  Hopkins,  of 
Foster.  Mrs.  Walker's  mother,  .Abbie  (Jordan)  Hop- 
kins, was  of  Coventry,  R.  L,  where  her  family  have 
resided  for  many  years.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W'alker 
four  children  have  been  born,  as  follows:  Blanche  A., 
Dorothea  A.,  Clifton  A.,  and  Lindsey  C. 


WILLIE  CHASE  EDSON— Among  the  prominent 
farmers  of  the  town  of  Scituate,  R.  I.,  is  Willie  Chase 
Edson.  He  is  the  son  of  William  E.  and  Emily 
(Chase)  Eiison,  and  was  bom  at  East  Killingly, 
Conn.,  April  7,  1870.  His  father  was  engaged  in  the 
plumbing  business  in  East  Killingly  and  Pomfret, 
Conn.  His  mother  was  descended  from  one  of  the  old 
New  England  families. 

Willie  Chase  Edson  was  educated  at  the  public 
schools  of  East  Killingly  and  Pomfret.  Conn.  He  has 
always  been  engaged  in  farming,  and  moved,  in  1906, 
to  his  present  location  in  the  town  of  Scituate.  He 
takes  an  active  interest  in  politics,  is  a  member  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  was  elected,  in  1918.  a  member 
of  the  Town  Council.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church,  also  connected  with  the  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  and  was  overseer  of  his  grange  for  two 
years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edson  have  never  had  any  children, 
but  have  raised  from  infancy  two  sons  of  a  brother, 
Arthur  Leroy  Edson  and  Charles  Ellsworth  Edson. 


AIMfi     GfiLINAS — The     younger     generation    of 

Woonsocket  business  men  has  no  more  aggressive 
representative  than  the  secretary  of  the  Social  and 
National  .^cceptance  Corporation.  Mr.  Gelinas  is  also 
paymaster  and  purchasing  agent  of  the  French 
Worsted  Company  and  as  a  citizen  is  no  less  highly 
esteemed  than  as  a  financier  and  business  man. 

Joseph  Gelinas,  father  of  .Ximc  Gelinas.  was  born  in 
the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  and  was  by  trade  a 
carpenter,  but  has  now  retired  from  business.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Woonsocket, 
R.  L,  where  he  married  Adele  Lacombe.  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Denis, 
Donat,  Maria.  .Mbertine,  wife  of  Philippe  Bellerose; 
Diana,  wife  of  Eli  Messier;  Eva,  wife  of  Adelard  Lud- 
ger  Soucy:  Etna,  and  .-\imc,  of  further  mention.  All 
these  children  are  of  Woonsocket.  and  in  that  city 
their  parents  also  reside.  Mrs.  Gelinas.  like  her  hus- 
band, is  a  native  of  the  Province  of  Quebec. 

Aime  GcMinas,  son  of  Joseph  and  Adele  (Lacombe) 
Gelinas,  was  born  June  27,  1892.  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I., 
and  received  his  early  education  in  the  public  and 
parochial  schools  of  his  native  city.  Later  he  took  a 
commercial  course  at  the  Sacred  Heart  College,  and 
completed  his  business  training  at  the  Woonsocket 
Commercial  School. 

In  1910  Mr.  Gelinas  entered  the  service  of  the 
French    Worsted    Company,   being     successively     em- 


428 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ployed  in  every  department  and  acquiring  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  every  detail  of  the  business.  In  1912 
he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  paymaster,  which 
he  still  retains  in  conjunction  with  that  of  purchasing 
agent.  The  French  Worsted  Company  is  the  .Ameri- 
can branch  of  one  of  the  largest  concerns  of  its  kind 
in  Europe,  where  they  manufacture  yarns  and  finished 
cloth.  In  the  United  States  they  make  worsted  and 
merino  yarns  on  the  French  system,  but  do  not 
finish.  The  principal  owner  o!  the  company  is  Charles 
Tiberghien,  whose  son,  George  Tiberghien,  was  among 
the  number  lost  on  the  "Lusitania."  The  factories 
of  the  company  in  Northern  France  were  in  the  path 
taken,  early  in  the  war,  by  the  invading  German 
hordes,  and  were  stripped  of  their  entire  equipment. 
The  buildings  were  used  by  the  enemy  until,  in  the 
last  few  months  of  the  war,  they  were  finally  driven 
out. 

In  June,  1919,  Mr.  Gelinas  became  secretary  of  the 
Social  and  National  .Acceptance  Corporation,  his  inti- 
mate relation  to  finance  in  connection  with  the  French 
Worsted  Company  having  qualified  him  to  an  excep- 
tional degree  for  the  duties  of  this  new  office.  His 
desire  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  workers  with 
whom  he  is  daily  brought  into  contact  is  a  trait  in  his 
character  which  peculiarly  fits  him  for  activity  in  the 
sphere  of  action  into  which  he  enters  as  an  officer  of 
this  organization.  He  was  the  first  member  of  the 
board  of  directors  to  say:  "No  members  of  this  board 
of  directors  should  receive  any  salary  until  dividends 
are  paid  on  the  common  stock."  These  words  testify 
to  his  fidelity  to  the  standards  of  the  ideal  financier. 

Mr.  Gelinas  married.  May  18,  1915,  Alma  Remi, 
daughter  of  Jean  B.  and  Celanise  (Bousquet)  Remi, 
of  Woonsocket,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren: Lionel,  born  July  19,  1917;  and  Claire,  born 
May  21,  1919.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gelinas  are  members  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  church,  and  he,  himself,  belongs 
to  Conseil  No.  2,  Societe  St.  Jean  Baptiste,  of  Woon- 
socket, and  U.  St.  J.  B.  d'  A.,  of  which  he  was  the  finan- 
cial secretary  for  five  years. 

.As  a  young  man  Mr.  Gelinas  has  made  for  himself 
an  undisputed  position  in  the  realm  of  finance,  a  posi- 
tion which  will  undoubtedly  prove  a  stepping-stone  to 
further  advancement,  thus  opening  the  way  into  fields 
of  enlarged  usefulness. 


JOSEPH  A.  TROTTIER— Known  in  Woonsocket, 
R.  1.,  as  treasurer  of  the  Social  and  National  .Ac- 
ceptance Corporation,  Mr.  Trottier,  who  is  a  resident 
of  Bellingham,  Mass.,  is  a  man  widely  recognized  and 
respected  in  the  business  world  by  reason  of  his  long 
and  successful  identification  with  hay  and  grain  inter- 
ests, both  wholesale  and  retail.  Mr.  Trottier  is  an 
extensive  owner  of  Bellingham  real  estate,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  aggressive  men  of  affairs  to  be  found  in 
New  England. 

Joseph  Trottier,  father  of  Joseph  .A.  Trottier,  was 
born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  and  came  to  the  United 
States,  settling  in  Massachusetts,  where,  in  different 
places,  he  followed  his  trade,  which  was  that  of  a 
shoemaker.      He    married    Mary    Desnoyers,    also    a 


native  of  Montreal,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  a  son 
and  a  daughter:  Joseph  A.,  mentioned  below;  and 
Mary,  wife  of  Louis  Lussier,  of  Worcester,  Mass. 
Mrs.  Trottier  passed  away  October  10,  1881,  and  her 
husband  survived  her  many  years,  his  death  occurring 
on  February  9,  1910. 

Joseph  .A.  Trottier,  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Des- 
noyers) Trottier,  was  born  October  24,  1872,  in  New 
England  Village,  now  North  Grafton,  Mass.,  and  has 
been  for  the  last  thirty  years  associated  with  the  hay 
and  grain  business.  While  still  a  very  young  man  he 
became  manager  of  the  Joel  Houghton  hay  and  grain 
store,  in  Wilkinsonville,  Mass.,  and  at  a  later  period 
filled  the  same  position  in  the  F.  A.  Dodge  hay  and 
grain  store,  wholesale  and  retail,  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I. 
In  1906,  on  the  death  of  the  proprietor,  Mr.  Trottier 
purchased  the  firm  and  during  the  years  which  have 
since  intervened  has  greatly  strengthened  the  founda- 
tions of  the  business  and  enlarged  the  scope  of  its 
transactions. 

Later  Mr.  Trottier  became  treasurer  of  the  Social 
and  National  .Acceptance  Corporation  of  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.  He  assisted  in  its  organization,  feeling  that  in 
doing  so  he  was  taking  a  step  toward  the  realization 
of  his  financial  ideals.  This  feeling  has  been  justified 
by  the  results  already  achieved,  the  organization  being 
animated  by  a  spirit  of  democracy  in  finance  and  hav- 
ing in  view,  in  its  three  sources  of  profit,  the  better- 
ment of  the  condition  of  the  working  class.  The  first 
of  these  sources  is  the  company's  brokerage  on  financ- 
ing house  builders  among  the  laboring  classes  through 
their  perfected  system  of  trade  acceptance:  the  second 
is  their  regular  interest  charges:  and  the  third  is  their 
commissions  derived  from  the  insurance  policies.  It 
is  easily  seen  that  the  company  is  intimately  connected 
with  the  ideal  of  the  people  of  moderate  means,  aim- 
ing to  promote  their  highest  possibility  of  happiness 
by  enabling  each  one  to  own  a  comfortable  home  with 
a  garden,  which  might  become  a  centre  of  the  family 
life. 

The  real  estate  interests  of  Mr.  Trottier  are  very 
extensive.  The  land  and  buildings  now  owned  by  him 
in  the  town  of  Bellingham,  near  the  city  line  of  Woon- 
socket, constitute  what  is  known  as  "Trottier  Village." 
He  has  transmuted  much  of  his  wealth  into  houses  and 
land  and  is  now  the  owner  of  vast  tracts  and  many 
charming  dwellings  in  the  exceptionally  fine  environ- 
ment of  Crook's  Corner,  where  all  the  tenants  are  pro- 
vided with  facilities  for  the  enjoyment  of  rural  life 
and  the  cultivation  of  a  garden.  The  development  of 
a  spring  water  power  of  a  capacity  of  thousands  of 
gallons  daily  is  another  proof  of  the  strong  and  prac- 
tical initiative  of  this  enterprising  man.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 

Mr.  Trottier  married  (first)  June  16,  1896,  Mar- 
garet Corey,  of  Fisherville,  Mass..  who  died  April  13, 
1897.  He  married  (second)  Ida  Baudry.  daughter  of 
Edward  and  Marie  Baudry,  of  Woonsocket,  both  of 
whom  are  deceased.  Mr.  Baudry  executed  the  con- 
tract for  erecting  the  building  now  occupied  by  Mr. 
Trottier's  business.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trottier  are  the 
parents  of  two  children:  Eva,  and  Arthur,  born  Sep- 
tember 29,  1901. 


ir:MJji/  Oc^.  f^yur^^l^A^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


429 


Joseph  A.  Trottier  is  numbered  among  the  men  who 
are  tlie  upbuilders  of  communities.  To  every  under- 
taking with  which  he  is  connected  he  imparts  a  por- 
tion of  his  vitalizing  energj',  and  success  with  him,  is 
almost  a  "foregone  conclusion." 


ARTHUR     MICHEL     SURPRENANT,    one     of 

the  successful  attorneys  ui  Fau tucket,  K.  I.,  where 
he  has  proved  himself  a  man  of  great  ability  and  deep 
learning,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Southbridge,  Mass., 
and  is  descended  from  good  old  French  stock.  Me  is 
a  son  of  Michel  and  Marie  (Potvin)  Surprcnant.  his 
father  having  been  one  of  the  pioneer  merchants  of 
Southbridge,  where  he  did  a  large  and  prosperous  busi- 
ness, and  was  highly  respected.  Later  he  removed 
to  Woonsockct,  R.  I.,  and  there  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  business  for  a  number  01  years.  Mrs.  Michel 
Surprenant  survives  her  husband,  who  died  some  years 
ago,  and  continues  to  make  her  home  at  Woonsockct. 
Born  at  Southbridge,  Mass.,  November  20,  1888, 
Arthur  M.  Surprenant  passed  the  first  eleven  years  of 
his  life  at  his  native  place.  It  was  at  Southbridge  that 
he  first  attended  school  and  studied  for  a  time  in  the 
primary  grades.  His  father  was  anxious  that  his  son 
should  have  every  possible  educational  advantage,  and 
the  lad  was  sent  at  various  times  to  a  number  of  the 
finest  schools  both  in  this  country  and  abroad.  At 
the  age  of  eleven  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Rhode 
Island  and  for  a  time  his  home  was  at  Woonsocket. 
The  following  year  he  was  sent  to  Marieville  College, 
Montreal,  Canada,  where  he  remained  for  five  years, 
taking  the  regular  classical  course.  He  showed,  even 
at  that  age.  a  most  unusual  ability  as  a  student,  and 
great  precocity,  and  graduated  from  the  institution 
when  but  seventeen  years  of  age.  He  then  crossed  the 
ocean  and  became  a  student  at  the  famous  Gregorian 
University  at  Rome,  where  he  took  a  course  in  philos- 
ophy, in  which  he  greatly  distinguished  himself.  Re- 
turning to  the  United  States,  he  entered  the  senior 
class  at  the  Boston  College,  and  in  1909  graduated 
from  that  institution  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts.  He  had,  in  the  meantime,  determined  to  adopt 
the  law  as  a  profession  and  accordingly  matriculated 
at  the  law  school  of  Harvard  University,  taking  the 
course  there  and  graduating  with  the  class  of  1912. 
He  then  came  to  Pawtucket,  where  he  passed  his  bar 
examinations  and  was  admitted  to  practice  before  the 
Rhode  Island  courts.  This  was  in  1912,  since  which 
time  he  has  come  to  occupy  a  conspicuous  place  in 
legal  circles  here  and  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  city  bar.  Through  his  office,  which  is 
situated  in  the  Oak  Hall  building,  there  passes  much 
important  litigation,  and  by  his  able  and  conscientious 
handling  of  every  case  given  him,  whether  large  or 
small,  he  has  earned  the  hearty  admiration  and  respect 
of  all  who  have  come  into  business  relations  with  him. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  Bar  .Association; 
the  Rhode  Island  Bar  .Association;  DeLany  Council, 
Knights  of  Columbus;  Pawtucket  Business  Men's  As- 
sociation: Pawtucket  Chamber  of  Commerce;  St.  Jean 
the  Baptiste  Society;  Chevalier  Jacques  Cartiers 
Society;  Cercle  Franco-American,  of  Central  Falls: 
Franco-American  Historical  Society  of  Boston,  and  is 


the  legal  advisor  for  the  Credit  Union  Bank  of  Central 
Falls. 

.\rthur  M.  Surprenant  was  united  in  marriage  June 
30,  1914,  at  Woonsocket,  R.  1..  with  Cccile  Viau,  a 
daughter  of  Professor  Eusebe  and  Marie  Louise  (Le- 
boeuf)  Viau,  of  Woonsocket. 


GEORGE  EATON  SIMPSON,  M.  D.,  assistant 
superintendent  of  the  Rhode  Island  State  Hospital  for 
mental  diseases,  and  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Howard, 
stands  high  among  the  physicians  of  the  State,  and  is  a 
recognized  authority  on  mental  disease  and  psychology. 

Dr.  Simpson  was  born  at  Charlestown.  Mass.,  Decem- 
ber 15,  1S70,  and  is  a  member  of  an  old  Maine  family, 
being  a  son  of  My  rick  and  Laura  A.  (Sawyer)  Simp- 
son, and  a  grandson  of  John  and  Sophronia  ( Dole) 
Simpson,  all  natives  of  that  State.  His  grandfather, 
John  Simpson,  who  was  born  at  .Mna,  Me.,  in  the 
year  1814,  and  was  for  a  long  period  the  proprietor  of  a 
hotel  at  Alna,  at  which  place  he  died  in  1863.  His 
wife,  who  was  Sophronia  Dole  before  her  marriage, 
was  born  at  .Alna,  in  1815.  and  died  in  1901. 

One  of  their  children,  Myrick  Simpson,  father  of 
Dr.  Simpson,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  at  Masardis, 
Me.,  September  19,  1839,  and  as  a  young  man  went  to 
Boston,  Mass.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  express  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  and  was  highly  successful. 
In  1876  he  retired  from  his  business  and  returned  to 
Maine,  where  he  resided  on  a  farm  that  was  earned  by 
him  at  N'ewcastle.  Later  he  removed  to  another  farm 
of  his  at  .Mna,  Me.,  where  he  continued  to  live  until 
his  death,  February  27,  1904.  Myrick  Simpson  married 
Laura  A.  Sawyer,  who  was  horn  at  Cumberland,  Me., 
May  25,  1840,  and  who  now  survives  him,  making  her 
home  at  the  old  Sawyer  farm  at  .Mna,  which  was  pur- 
chased by  her  father.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Captain 
Josiah  and  Harriet  (Sturdivant)  Sawyer,  the  former 
for  many  years  one  of  the  old  Maine  captains,  and 
engaged  in  the  Cuban  trade.  To  Myrick  and  Laura  A. 
(Sawyer)  Simpson  three  children  were  born,  as  fol- 
lows: I.  George  E.,  with  whose  career  we  are  especially 
concerned.  2.  Gertrude,  who  became  the  wife  of  Fred 
E.  Hilton,  a  successful  jeweler  at  .Augusta.  Me.  3. 
Edgar  Myrick,  a  graduate  of  Bowdoin  College  with 
the  class  of  1894,  after  which  he  became  principal  of 
Gould  Academy  at  Bethel,  Me.;  he  remained  there, 
however,  but  oi~.e  year,  and  then  took  up  the  study  of 
the  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  Maine  bar  in  the  year 
1898:  he  also  taught  in  the  Bangor  High  School  for 
one  year,  and  was  later  appointed  a  member  of  the 
faculty  of  the  University  of  Maine,  where  he  taught 
law  from  1901  to  1917;  in  1916  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  a  Mr.  Ryder,  and  the  firm  of  Ryder  &  Simpson  is 
now  one  of  the  representative  law  firms  of  Maine. 

Dr.  George  Eaton  Simpson  was  still  a  small  child 
when  his  parents  removed  from  Charlestown,  Mass., 
to  Xewcastle,  Me.,  and  the  elementary  portion  of 
his  education  was  received  at  the  Lincoln  .Acad- 
emy in  the  latter  place.  .After  preparing  for  col- 
lege at  that  institution,  the  young  man  entered 
Bowdoin  College,  from  which  he  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1895,  taking  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  .Arts. 
He  was  then  appointed  principal  of  Washington  .Acad- 


430 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


cmy  at  East  Machias,  Me.,  and  remained  in  charge 
there  for  one  year.  In  the  meantime  he  had  deter- 
mined to  take  up  medicine  as  a  profession,  and  with 
this  end  in  view  entered  the  Maine  Medical  College 
in  connection  with  Bowdoin  and  was  graduated  there- 
from in  i8gg  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  It  was  imme- 
diately after  his  graduation  that  Dr.  Simpson  same  to 
Rhode  Island,  where  he  became  an  interne  in  the  State 
Alms  House,  and  there  gained  the  requisite  practical 
experience.  After  eighteen  months  of  this  work,  he 
was  appointed  in  May,  1901,  assistant  physician  at  the 
Rhode  Island  State  Prison,  and  at  the  same  time 
opened  an  office  at  No.  656  Broad  street.  Providence, 
and  engaged  in  the  private  practice  of  his  profession. 
In  1904  he  resigned  from  his  position  with  the  State 
prison,  but  on  July  I,  1905,  was  appointed  to  his  pres- 
ent position  as  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Rhode 
Island  State  Hospital,  for  mental  diseases.  His  work 
connected  with  this  institution  was  such  that  it  became 
necessary  for  him  to  give  up  his  private  practice  and 
devote  all  his  time  and  attention  to  it,  and  it  was  due 
in  no  small  measure  to  his  splendid  service  that  the 
State  Hospital  occupies  the  high  position  which  it  does 
among  medical  institutions  at  the  present  time.  Dr. 
Simpson  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Medical 
Association,  the  Providence  Medical  Society,  the 
American  Medico  Psychological  Society,  the  New 
England  Society  of  Pyschiatry,  and  the  Rhode  Island 
Medico-Legal  Society.  He  is  also  associated  with  the 
local  lodge.  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Dr.  Simpson  was  united  in  marriage,  October  29, 
1902,  at  East  Machias,  Me.,  with  Minerva  Maloon,  a 
daughter  of  George -Edwin  and  Isabel  (Foster)  Ma- 
loon. Mr.  Maloon  was  born  at  East  Machias,  and  was 
connected  with  the  mill  industry  at  that  place,  and  his 
wife  was  a  native  of  Salmon  River,  New  Brunswick, 
Canada.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson  three  children 
were  born,  as  follows:  Dorothy,  Oct.  12,  1903,  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Cranston  High  School,  now  a  student  of 
Brown  University,  member  of  the  class  of  1923;  Eliz- 
abeth, born  April  21,  1905,  now  a  student  at  Cranston 
High  School  with  the  class  of  1921;  Katherine,  born 
Dec.  18,  1906,  now  studying  in  the  grammar  schools  at 
Cranston.  Dr.  Simpson  has  always  been  exceedingly 
fond  of  outdoor  sports  and  pastimes,  and  finds  his  chief 
recreation  during  his  few  leisure  hours  in  automobiling 
and  fishing.  He  is  also  very  fond  of  reading,  and  is 
acquainted  with  a  wide  range  of  literature. 


of  cargo  carrying  vessels.  While  so  engaged  he  be- 
came interested  in  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion work,  and  later  attended  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  College,  at  Springfield,  Mass.  There 
he  became  interested  in  the  Boy's  Club,  became  its  sec- 
retary, and  started  it  on  its  prosperous  course  from  a 
one-room  club  to  the  present  prosperous  organiza- 
tion housed  in  a  $65,000  building.  At  the  same  time, 
and  for  six  years,  he  was  probation  officer  to  the  Ju- 
venile Court  of  Springfield,  and  then  spent  a  year  in 
similar  work  at  the  Industrial  School  for  Boys  at 
Shirley,  Mass.  His  interest  in  boys  and  their  develop- 
ment had  grown  with  his  continued  associations  with 
them,  and  so  successful  had  he  been  in  reaching  them, 
to  their  own  advantage,  that  he  determined  to  continue 
work  among  the  boys  and  make  it  his  life's  ambition. 
He  was  appointed  chief  Scout  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Boy  Scouts,  and  under  his  inspiring  leadership  that 
organization  grew  and  prospered,  and  is  a  wonder- 
fully effective  force  in  the  development  of  boys  along 
the  most  healthful  and  helpful  lines.  On  February  16, 
1918,  he  accepted  appointment  from  the  State  as  super- 
intendent of  the  Sockanossett  School  for  Boys,  at 
Howard,  and  in  his  new  position  he  is  already  planning 
greater  usefulness  for  that  institution  in  fitting  boys 
for  the  future.  The  secret  of  the  success  Mr.  North 
has  had  in  his  boys'  work  (which  has  been  remark- 
able) may  be  primarily  ascribed  to  his  deep  interest  in 
boys.  His  love  for  them  has  led  him  to  study  them, 
and  he  has  found  the  way  to  a  boy's  heart,  which  is  not 
hard  to  find  if  intelligently  sought  with  a  right  motive. 
Mr.  North  married,  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  in  1914, 
Alena  Underbill,  of  Springfield,  Mass.  They  are  the 
parents  of  a  daughter,  Elsie,  and  two  sons.  Donald, 
and  Stuart  North.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  North  are  members 
of  St.  John's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 


DONALD  C.  NORTH— From  Kent,  England, 
came  Donald  C.  North,  of  Cranston,  R.  I.  He  re- 
ceived his  early  education  at  St.  Saviour's  School, 
Southworth,  London,  England,  of  which  John  Har- 
vard, founder  of  Harvard  University,  was  also  a  stu- 
dent, centuries,  however,  intervening  between  their 
attendance. 

Donald  C.  North  was  born  in  Norwood,  Kent,  Eng- 
land, February  27,  1876,  and  there  obtained  his  educa- 
tion. At  a  comparatively  early  age  he  went  to  sea  as 
a  deck  boy,  and  for  ten  years  continued  a  sea-faring 
mate,  becoming  purser,  and  also  sailing  as  third  mate. 
He  then  took  a  position  on  land,  and  came  to  Mon- 
treal, Canada,  where  he  was  employed  in  the  loading 


BERTRAND  ALPHONSE  HUOT— Among  Paw- 
tucket's  lawyers  of  the  younger  generation  who  are 
rapidly  coming  to  the  front,  Mr.  Huot  holds  a  dis- 
tinctly leading  position.  He  has,  also,  a  most  credit- 
able record  of  service  during  the  late  war  and  takes  an 
active  and  helpful  interest  in  community  affairs. 

Prudent  M.  Huot,  grandfather  of  Bertrand  Alphonse 
Huot,  came  from  Montreal,  Canada,  to  Central  Falls, 
R.  I.,  being  one  of  the  first  Frenchmen  to  settle  there, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  hay  and  grain  business.  He 
married,  in  Montreal,  Mary  Nadeau,  and  both  he  and 
his  wife  are  now  deceased. 

George  H.  Huot,  son  of  Prudent  M.  and  Mary 
(Nadeau)  Huot,  was  born  in  Chicopee  Falls,  Mass., 
and  attended  school  first  in  Central  Falls  and  after- 
ward in  Montreal.  He  has  now,  for  several  years, 
managed  a  clothing  establishment  in  Pawtucket.  Mr. 
Huot  married,  in  Woonsocket,  Rose  Fontaine,  born 
at  Woodstock,  Vt.,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mar- 
guerite F'ontaine,  who  moved  to  Woonsocket,  R.  I., 
when  their  daughter  was  very  young.  Mr.  Fontaine 
became  a  prominent  contractor  and  builder  of  Woon- 
socket. He  is  now  deceased,  but  his  widow  still  resides 
in  Woonsocket. 

Bertrand  .\lphonse  Huot,  son  of  George  H.  and 
Rose   (Fontaine)    Huot,  was  born   February   16,   1894, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


431 


at  Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  where  he  attended  the  grammar 
school,  afterward  taking  a  preparatory  course  at  Mon- 
treal. This  was  followed  by  a  course  at  Laval  Univer- 
sity, where  he  graduated  in  1915  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  then  entered  the  law  school  of 
Boston  University,  receiving  from  that  institution,  in 
1918,  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  The  World 
War  was  then  in  progress,  and  immediately  after  his 
admission  to  the  bar,  which  took  place  in  .\pril,  1918, 
Mr.  Huot  enlisted  in  the  army,  serving  as  an  instruc- 
tor of  French  to  United  States  army  otiicers  until  Feb- 
ruary, 1919,  when  he  received  an  honorable  discharge. 
In  March,  1919,  after  his  return  home,  he  was  sworn 
in  as  a  member  of  the  legal  profession  and  imme- 
diately began  practice  alone  in  Pawtucket.  He  has 
already  won  a  fair  measure  of  recognition  and  his 
career  opens  under  favorable  auspices. 

Mr.  Huot,  who  is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  has  prefaced  his  professional  career  with  a 
period  of  honorable  military  service,  and  everything 
indicates  that  his  record  at  the  bar  will  bring  him  well 
merited  distinction  in  a  diiYerent  sphere  of  action.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  .American  Legion  and  on  the  execu- 
tive board.  Post  Xo.  5,  Central  Falls;  a  member  of 
the  Roosevelt  Republican  Club,  Central  Falls,  and  a 
member  of  the  board  of  directors;  and  a  member  of 
Pawtucket  Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks. 


CHARLES  EDWARD  LINSCOTT,  the  popular 
and  et^icient  warden  of  the  State  Prison  at  Howard, 
R.  L,  and  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  the  place,  is 
a  native  of  Maine,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  the 
t".vn  of  Windsor,  that  State,  May  11,  1874.  He  is  a 
of  Elwell  Scott  and  Clara  S.  (Cooper)  Linscott, 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  Maine,  the  former 
ing  been  born  there  June  27,  1849,  at  Windsor,  and 
inc  latter,  at  .Augusta,  November  27,  1856.  The  elder 
Mr.  Linscott  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  but  retired, 
and  made  his  home  at  Brocton  for  ten  years  before  his 
death,  which  occurred  June  27,  1919.  He  and  his  wife, 
who  died  July  21,  1900,  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Charles  Edward,  with  whose  career  we 
are  here  especially  concerned;  Harriet  Maud,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  George  F.  Crocker,  of  Augusta; 
George  Herbert,  born  Jan.  3.  1880,  died  Jan.  22,  1899; 
Addie  Belle,  married  J.  Ross  Chapman,  of  St.  Johns- 
bury,  Vt,  deceased;  Walter  Ray,  now  connected  with 
the  ofifice  of  the  American  E.xpress  Company  at  Au- 
.    -ta.  Me. 

I  he    childhood    of    Charles    Edward    Linscott    was 
scd    at    his    native    town    of    Windsor,    where    he 
■nded  both   public  and   private  schools.     Upon  the 
completion    of    his    studies,    he    began    his    business 
career  in  the  huml)lc  capacity  of  a  worker  in  a  lum- 
ber  mill   in    New    Hampshire,   and   continued   so   em- 
I'loyed   until   he   had   reached   his   twenty-second  year, 
V,!  en  he  secured  a  position  as  attendant  at  the  Insane 
Hospital  at  Middlctown  and  remained  at  that  institu- 
I     tion  for  one  year.     He  then  went  to  the  State  Prison 
i     at  Wcthersfield,  Conn.,  where  he  continued  for  sixteen 
■    years,   starting   as   a   guard   and   working   his   way   up 
through  all  the  various  ranks  until  he  was  appointed 


assistant  warden.  He  resigned  from  that  position  to 
accept  that  of  deputy  superintendent  at  the  Connec- 
ticut Reformatory  at  Cheshire,  a  post  which  he  filled 
with  much  ability  for  four  years  and  a  half.  On  Jan- 
uary 19,  1918,  he  was  appointed  deputy  warden  of  the 
Rhode  Island  State  Prison  at  Howard,  and  held  that 
pi'St  until  January  8,  1919,  when  he  was  appointed  to 
his  present  post  as  warden.  Under  his  very  able  man- 
agement a  number  of  reforms  have  been  instituted  in 
the  prison  man.igement,  namely:  installing  electricity, 
light  in  every  cell;  a  toilet  and  wash  bowl  in  every 
cell,  which  work  is  under  way;  a  card  index  of  mail 
to  and  from  all  inmates,  and  a  censure  system,  and  the 
institution  is  regarded  with  justice  as  a  model  one. 
Mr.  Linscott  is  a  well  know  figure  in  the  general 
life  of  the  community,  and  is  a  member  of  a  number  of 
important  organizations  here,  including  Hartford 
Lodge,  No.  88,  .\ncient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons; 
Pythagoras  Chapter,  No.  17,  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
Walcott  Council,  No.  i.  Royal  and  Select  Masters; 
Washington  Commandery,  No.  i.  Knights  Templar,  all 
of  Hartford;  E.  G.  Storer  Lodge  of  Perfection,  of 
New  Haven;  Elm  City  Council,  Princes  of  Jeru- 
salem, of  New  Haven;  New  Haven  Chapter,  Rose 
Croix,  of  New  Haven;  Sphynx  Temple,  .Ancient  .Ara- 
bic Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of  Hartford; 
and  Lafayette  Consistory,  Sovereign  Princes  of  the 
Royal  Secret,  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Prison  Association,  Turk's  Head 
Club  of  Providence,  State  of  Maine  Club  of  Provi- 
dence, Crescent  Chapter,  No.  40,  Order  of  the  Eastern 
Star,  of  Cheshire,  Conn.  Mr.  Linscott  finds  his  chief 
recreation  in  hunting  and  various  outdoor  sports,  and 
is  himself  an  accomplished  athlete. 

Charles  Edward  Linscott  married  (first)  Novem- 
ber 9,  1898,  at  Wcthersfield,  Conn.,  Emma  Jane  Teed, 
born  April  25,  1872,  died  December  13,  1901,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Benjamin  S.  Teed,  of  Cumberland,  Nova  Scotia. 
Mr.  Linscott  married  (second)  December  15,  1903, 
Kathryn  Watrous,  of  Essex,  a  daughter  of  Lofher  S. 
and  .Abbic  (Roland)  Watrous,  of  Essex  and  Lynn, 
Conn.,  respectively.  Mr.  Watrous  was  a  farmer  for 
many  years  at  Essex.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Linscott  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  as  follows:  Thelma  Teed, 
born  Dec.  16,  1906,  and  Maxine  Watrous,  born  Feb. 
9.  1911. 


FREDERICK    DELANEY    GARLAND,    one    of 

the  most  popular  of  the  rising  dentists  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  this  city,  and  a  son  of  James 
and  Bridget  (Casey)  Garland,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  this  place.  James  Garland,  who  was  an 
expert  machinist  here  for  many  years,  is  now  deceased, 
but  his  wife  survives  him  and  still  makes  her  home 
in  the  city. 

Born  June  6,  1886,  Frederick  Delaney  Garland  at- 
tended as  a  lad  the  local  public  schools  and  showed 
himself  an  apt  pupil  even  at  that  early  age.  He  was 
then  sent  by  his  parents  to  the  La  Salle  Academy, 
the  famous  Catholic  preparatory  school  at  Providence, 
R.  I.,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1903.  The 
young  man  had  in  the  meantime  determined  to  take  up 
dentistry  as  a  career,  and  with  this  end  in  view  entered 


432 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  Baltimore  College  of  Dental  Surgery  at  Baltimore, 
Md.,  and  graduated  with  the  class  of  1907,  taking  his 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery.  Upon  complet- 
ing his  course  at  this  institution.  Dr.  Garland  returned 
at  once  to  Pawtucket  and  commenced  his  practice 
here,  since  which  time  he  has  been  very  successful  in 
building  up  a  large  business  and  is  now  regarded  as 
one  of  the  leaders  of  his  profession  in  the  city.  Dr. 
Garland  is  one  of  those  men  whose  interests  and  sym- 
pathies are  not  to  be  confined  to  one  line  of  activity, 
however  absorbing  it  may  be,  and  he  therefore  takes 
an  active  part  in  many  departments  of  the  community's 
life.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Dental  So- 
ciety, newly  organized,  and  is  a  prominent  figure  in 
social  circles,  an  enthusiastic  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  in  which  he  has  taken  the  fourth  degree, 
and  the  Young  Men's  Catholic  Association.  Dr.  Gar- 
land is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  religious  faith,  and  a 
member  of  St.  Mary's  Church  at  Pawtucket. 

Frederick  Delaney  Garland  was  united  in  marriage, 
September  26,  1916,  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  with  Mary 
M.  Brennan,  daughter  of  John  and  Rose  (O'Shaun- 
nessy)  Brennan,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  who  taught 
primary  grades  in   Providence  public  schools. 


JOSEPH  OTT— The  story  of  the  business  life  of 
Joseph  Ott  since  1888  is  the  story  of  the  silk  indus- 
try in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  the  Royal  Weaving  Company, 
of  which  he  is  agent,  a  corporation  founded  in  iSgi  on 
the  business  Joseph  Ott  started  in  1888,  employs  about 
two  thousand  hands  at  their  plant  in  Pawtucket,  has 
the  largest  weaver  shed  in  the  world,  and  manufac- 
tures dress  and  lining  silks  and  high  grade  cotton 
yarns.  The  officers  are  D.  L.  Gofif,  president;  Charles 
E.  Pervear,  secretary  and  treasurer;  Joseph  Ott, 
agent. 

Joseph  Ott  was  born  in  Trochtelfinger,  Hohenzol- 
lern,  Germany,  in  1861,  and  there  remained  until  com- 
ing to  the  United  States  to  escape  military  service 
in  the  German  army.  In  the  United  States  he  worked 
for  various  textile  companies,  being  familiar  with  silk 
manufacturing.  In  1888  he  came  to  Rhode  Island, 
locating  in  Pawtucket,  where  in  the  Old  Hicks  build- 
ing, near  East  avenue,  he  inaugurated  the  manufac- 
ture of  silk  in  the  city  and  gave  to  Pawtucket  a  great 
industry.  He  began  weaving  silk  at  his  Hicks  build- 
ing plant  with  eight  looms.  One  year  later,  having 
shown  in  capital  the  possibilities  for  profitable  manu- 
facturing that  the  silk  business  offered,  he  enlisted  the 
cooperation  of  Darius  GofT  and  Daniel  Littlefield  and 
the  Royal  Weaving  Company  was  incorporated  in 
i88g,  the  plant  removed  to  the  Pawtucket  Hair  Cloth 
Company,  and  a  period  of  expansion  and  prosperity 
inaugurated.  The  present  large  and  modern  silk 
manufacturing  plant  was  erected  in  1900;  a  most  desir- 
able feature  in  silk  weaving  was  introduced  in  the  new 
mill,  lighting  from  the  roof,  and  one  of  the  sights  of 
the  city  is  the  great  weave  shed  unrivaled  anywhere  in 
the  world. 


Jean  de  Niatha,  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  June  8, 
1871.  Dr.  Poirier  is  the  son  of  Onezime  and  Eliza- 
beth (Manville)  Poirier,  both  of  whom  are  deceased, 
the  former  for  many  years  a  farmer  in  Quebec.  Dr. 
Poirier  received  the  preliminary  courses  of  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools,  and  later  entered  Joliette 
College  at  Joliette,  Canada,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  the  class  of  1894,  with  the  degree  of  Batche- 
lor  of  Arts.  The  young  man  had  by  this  time  deter- 
mined upon  the  medical  profession  as  a  career  in  life 
and  accordingly  entered  the  medical  school  connected 
with  Laval  University  at  Montreal.  He  was  gradu- 
ated from  this  institution  in  1S9S  with  his  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  then  went  to  Paris,  where  for 
two  years  he  was  engaged  in  special  medical  work, 
after  which  he  returned  to  America  and  took  a  post- 
graduate course  at  the  New  York  Post-Graduate  Col- 
lege, New  York  City.  Thus  equipped  in  an  unusual 
degree  for  the  carrying  on  of  his  professional  work. 
Dr.  Poirier  came  to  Woonsocket  in  the  month  of  De- 
cember, 1908,  and  at  once  established  himself  in  prac- 
tice here. 

Dr.  Poirier  has  specialized  in  surgery,  and  has  be- 
come recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  surgeons  of 
this  region  and  an  authority  upon  his  chosen  subject. 
Dr.  Poirier  is  a  member  of  the  surgical  staff  of  the 
Woonsocket  City  Hospital,  and  he  is  affiliated  with  a 
number  of  professional  organizations,  including  the 
Woonsocket  Medical  Society,  the  Rhode  Island  State 
Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, and  the  Franco-American  Medical  Association.  In 
politics  Dr.  Poirier  is  an  Independent  and  has  not 
affiliated  himself  with  any  party,  preferring  to  exercise 
with  the  greatest  freedom  his  own  judgment  upon  all 
public  issues  and  questions  in  the  choice  of  candidates. 
He  is  prominent  in  many  important  movements  under- 
taken for  the  community's  welfare  and  has  done  much 
in  connection  with  the  work  of  the  Woonsocket  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  He  also  served  on  the 
district  board.  No.  2,  for  State  of  Rhode  Island  for  the 
first  conscription  draft  until  December  15,  1917,  when 
owing  to  ill  health  he  was  forced  to  resign.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, the  Kiwanis  Club  and  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks.  Dr.  Poirier  is  a  Roman  Catho- 
lic in  his  religious  belief  and  attends  the  Church  of 
St.  John  the  Baptist  of  this  denomination  at  Woon- 
socket. Dr.  Poirier  was  a  member  of  a  large  family 
of  children  born  to  his  parents,  and  has  five  brothers 
and  five  sisters  living  in  Canada  at  the  present  time, 
as  follows:  Joseph,  Pierre,  Onegine,  Eugene,  Adelard, 
Dulmus,  Aletia,  Cordelia,  Mary  Louise,  and  . 


ALFRED  POIRIER,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar and  successful  physicians  of  Woonsocket,  is  a 
native   of    Canada,   his   birth    having   occurred    at    St. 


THE  REV.  FRANK  RECTOR,  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Pawtucket  since  1900.  and  one  of  the 
most  prominent  figures  in  the  work  of  the  Baptist 
churches  in  this  State,  is  a  native  of  West  Virginia, 
having  been  born  in  the  country  near  the  town  of  Park- 
ersburg,  July  20,  1851.  He  is  a  son  of  Enoch  and 
Mindwell  (Noyes)  Rector,  of  that  place. 

As  a  child  Frank  Rector  attended  the  local  public 
schools.  He  then  entered  Dennison  University  at  Gran- 
ville,  Ohio,  where  he  took  a  preparatory  course   and 


mM_^^^^, 


^j^i:^i^^ 


.^ 


4 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


433 


later  a  classical  course  at  the  college  there.  He  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1878,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven,  taking  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  A  youth 
of  strong  religious  feelings  and  impulses,  Mr.  Rector 
determined  to  enter  the  ministry,  and  with  this  end  in 
view  matriculated  at  the  Xewton  Theological  Institu- 
tion at  Newton  Center,  Mass.,  and  was  graduated  there 
in  1881,  with  the  degree  of  B.  D.  Upon  completing  his 
studies  in  Divinity,  Mr.  Rector  was  called  to  be  pastor 
of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Xewport.  R.  I.,  and  con- 
tinued in  charge  there  from  1S81  to  1886.  In  the  latter 
year  he  went  to  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  as  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church  there,  but  in  1900  he  returned  to  Rhode 
Island  to  take  his  present  charge,  the  First  Baptist 
(lurch  of  Pawtuckct.  He  has  been  very  active  in  this 
>  ■;. .  and  has  worked  indefatigably  to  advance  the  inter- 
ests of  church  and  congregation.  Rev.  Frank  Rector 
has  served  as  president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Baptist 
State  Convention,  and  before  that  was  its  vice-president 
for  eight  years.  He  is  at  the  present  time  president  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Baptist  Educational  Society,  a  trustee  of 
the  Newton  Theological  Institution,  where  he  was  a 
student  in  his  youth,  and  trustee  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Bible  Society,  and  for  several  years  was  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  the  American  Foreign  Missionary 
Society. 

Rev.  Frank  Rector  married  (first)  October  18,  1881, 
Martha  Pickering,  of  Belliugham.  Mass.,  who  died  in 
the  year  1907.  Five  children  were  born  of  this  union, 
as  follows:  Vera,  Beulah,  Miriam,  Randolph,  was  in 
the  medical  service  of  the  United  States  army,  now  a 
student  at  Newton  Theological  Institution;  and  Gor- 
don, was  a  member  of  Battery  F,  Three  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fourth  Regiment  of  Field  Artillery,  now  in 
Dennison  University,  Granville,  Ohio.  Rev.  Frank 
Rector  married  (second)  October  16,  191 1,  Mary  L. 
Rogers,  of  Pawtucket. 


THE    ATWOOD,    CRAWFORD    COMPANY— 

Established  in  1848  in  a  small  shop  at  Cumberland. 
R.  I.,  The  Atwood,  Crawford  Company,  of  Pawtuckct, 
R.  I.,  is  noted  as  being  the  oldest  spool  manufacturing 
concern  in  the  United  States.  It  was  founded  by  Rob- 
ert Cushman,  father  of  Robert  Cushman,  the  present 
treasurer  and  general  manager,  and  has  an  exceedingly 
interesting  history,  the  career  of  its  founder  no  less  so. 
Robert  Cushman,  Sr.,  was  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Robert  Cushman,  the  founder,  who  was  one  of  the 
group  of  strong  men  who  founded  the  Plymouth  Col- 
ony. Robert  Cushman,  Sr.,  was  born  at  North  Attlc- 
boro,  September  17,  1821,  and  with  a  natural  aptitude 
for  mechanics,  as  a  young  man  entered  a  wood  turn- 
ing shop  at  Central  Falls.  He  worked  for  a  time  in  this 
place,  when  his  spirit  of  enterprise  and  independence 
led  him  into  independent  operations.  He  decided  to 
make  the  manufacture  of  spools  his  field  of  endeavor, 
there  being  then  only  three  or  four  factories  in  the 
world  where  they  were  made.  But  the  comparative 
obscurity  of  the  industry  raised  a  great  obstruction  in 
the  young  man's  path,  the  impossibility  of  securing  the 
necessary  machinery.  Undeterred  by  this  fact,  Mr. 
Cushman,  with  the  aid  of  one  of  his  workmen,  designed 
and  constructed  machines  for  the  purpose  that  were  so 

R  I_2_2S 


great  an  improvement  upon  those  then  in  use  that  they 
were  subsequently  adopted  by  all  spool  manufacturers 
and  became  world  standards.  The  basic  soundness 
of  the  principles  incorporated  in  their  design  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  all  present  spoolmaking  machines,  im- 
proved in  type  and  altered  for  present  day  motive 
power,  are  modeled  upon  these  early  machines  of  Mr. 
Cushman.  In  1850  Mr.  Cushman  moved  his  establish- 
ment from  Cumberland  to  Central  Falls,  locating  in  an 
old  church  building,  known  as  the  Wood  and  Adams 
Mill.  Nine  years  afterward  the  business  was  housed  at 
No.  5  Central  avenue,  Pawtucket.  It  had  in  this  period 
developed  to  large  proportions,  and  in  Pawtucket  took 
place  among  the  thriving,  prosperous  industries  of 
that  place.  In  1868  the  firm  became  Cushman,  Phillips 
&  Company,  and  this  was  succeeded  in  1874  by  .Ktwood, 
Crawford  &  Company,  the  business  being  incorporated 
in  1890  as  The  .-Klwood,  Crawford  Company.  Mr. 
Abner  Atwood  had  become  a  member  of  the  original 
company  in  1866,  and  Messrs.  C.  Fred  Crawford  and 
John  H.  Crawford  joined  it  a  little  later. 

The  present  Robert  Cushman  has  been  connected 
with  the  business  built  up  by  his  father  since  1894.  He 
entered  it  as  a  superintendent,  an  office  he  held  until 
1909,  when  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Walter  Crawford,  he 
took  his  present  office  of  treasurer  and  general  manager. 
The  concern  is  still  a  vigorous,  growing  enterprise,  and  a 
great  variety  of  wood  products,  principally  spools,  is 
manufactured.  In  addition  to  a  considerable  amount 
of  novelty  wood  turning,  spools  for  cotton,  thread, 
silk,  wire,  and  tinsel  are  made,  and  braider  and  silk 
winder  bobbins  and  web  rolls  for  narrow  fabrics  are 
manufactured  in  large  quantities.  The  yearly  con- 
sumption of  the  plant  has  increased  from  a  few  cords 
of  white  birch  poles,  brought  in  by  the  neighboring 
farmers,  to  over  a  million  feet  of  lumber,  chiefly  white 
birch  squares  shipped  from  Maine  and  New  Hamp- 
shire. 


ROBERT  CUSHMAN,  son  of  Robert  Cushman, 
founder  of  The  -Atwood.  Crawford  Company,  was  born 
in  Pawtucket,  R.  I..  July  9,  1864.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  of  his  birthplace,  being  graduated  from 
the  high  school  in  1881.  From  1886  to  1894  he  was 
identified  with  the  .Adam  SutclifTe  Company  as  book- 
keeper and  assistant  manager,  in  the  latter  year  begin- 
ning his  present  association  with  The  .\twood,  Craw- 
ford Company.  He  retains  his  connection  with  the 
Adam  SutclifTe  Company  as  secretary.  Mr.  Cushman 
is  a  member  of  the  Pawtuckct  Business  Men's  .Associa- 
tion, and  an  interested  participant  in  all  movements 
of  civic,  business,  and  industrial  progress.  He  is  a 
staunch  supporter  of  the  cause  of  temperance,  as  was 
his  honored  father,  and  is  active  in  religious  work  in 
his  community.  He  has  been  president  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Christian  Endeavor  Union  for  sixteen  years, 
until  1902  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  of 
the  Central  Falls  Congregational  Church,  and  is  n-'w 
a  deacon  of  that  church. 

Mr.  Cushman  married.  September  21,  1897.  Eliza- 
beth Little,  daughter  of  Stewart  and  Eliza  Little,  of 
Pawtucket.  Children :  Robert,  Jr.,  Elizabeth  Foster, 
Mary  Bradford,  and  Stewart  Little.     Robert  Cushman. 


434 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Jr.,  while  a  student  in  Oberlin  College,  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  Naval  Reserve  at  Newport  in  April,  1917, 
within  ten  days  after  President  Wilson's  call  for  vol- 
unteers. He  died  in  the  Naval  Hospital  at  Philadelphia, 
September  3,  1918,  at  the  time  of  his  death  being  a  first 
class  quartermaster  in  naval  aviation,  attached  to  the 
flying  corps  at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard. 


C.  FRED  CRAWFORD— The  life  of  C.  Fred 
Crawford,  whose  death  occurred  March  30,  1915,  at  the 
age  of  seventy  years,  was  filled  with  activity  in  many 
fields,  in  industry,  in  the  public  service,  and  in  the  gen- 
eral life  of  his  community.  Descendant  of  an  old  New 
England  family,  ninth  child  of  George  and  Hannah 
(Donleavey)  Crawford,  he  was  born  in  Pawtucket, 
Mass.,  December  27,  1844.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  birthplace,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years  entered  the  employ  of  R.  &  G.  Cushman  &  Com- 
pany as  a  reamer  in  their  spool  and  bobbin  factory. 
He  remained  with  this  firm  and  its  successor,  Cushman, 
Phillips  &  Company,  and  upon  Mr.  Phillips'  death  be- 
came a  clerk  and  bookkeeper  in  the  office.  For  some 
time  thereafter  the  business  was  continued  under  the 
old  title,  Abner  Atwood  having  been  admitted  a  member 
of  the  firm.  Upon  the  retirement  of  Robert  Cushman, 
Sr.,  his  interest  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Crawford  and 
John  H.  Crawford,  the  firm  name  then  becoming  At- 
wood, Crawford  &  Company.  Incorporation  as  The 
Atwood,  Crawford  Company  followed  in  iSgo,  and  he 
shared  in  the  direction  of  the  business  of  this  concern, 
first  as  secretary  and  then  as  president.  His  admin- 
istration as  chief  executive  was  marked  by  long,  for- 
ward strides  in  the  development  of  the  company's  in- 
terests. 

From  early  manhood,  Mr.  Crawford  was  interested 
in  political  and  public  affairs,  always  as  a  loyal  Repub- 
lican. He  was  treasurer  of  the  Republican  Town  Com- 
mittee of  Lincoln,  and  held  the  same  ofifice  in  the  Rhode 
Island  Republican  League  and  the  Lincoln  Republican 
Association.  In  1891  he  was  first  elected  clerk  of  the 
old  town  of  Lincoln,  continuing  in  that  capacity  until 
the  incorporation  of  the  city  of  Central  Falls,  when  he 
became  city  clerk  of  Central  Falls,  an  office  in  which 
he  was  serving  at  his  death.  In  1886-87  he  repre- 
sented the  town  of  Lincoln  in  the  lower  house  of  the 
State  Assembly,  during  his  term  rendering  important 
service  on  the  military  committee.  He  was  the  delegate 
of  his  party  at  State  and  National  conventions,  and 
labored  zealously  for  its  welfare.  In  his  public  record 
there  is  a  worthy  tribute  to  his  standing  in  his  com- 
munity, for  he  was  never  defeated  in  his  candidacy  for 
any  office  within  the  popular  gift. 

Mr.  Crawford  was  a  trustee  of  the  Adams  Free 
Library;  was  a  charter  member  and  past  master  fore- 
man of  Pawtucket  Lodge,  No.  I,  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen ;  past  chancellor  of  Washington 
Lodge,  No.  4,  Knights  of  Pythias;  member  of  Pawtucket 
Council,  No.  537,  Royal  Arcanum;  associate  member  of 
Ballou  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Camp  Comfort  Club.  For  ten  years  he  was 
a  member  and  for  seven  years  secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Fire  Wardens  of  the  Central  Falls  Fire  District, 
and    he   was    president    of    the    Central    Falls    Veteran 


Firemen's  .Association.  His  church  was  the  Congre- 
gationalist.  He  was  an  earnest  supporter  of  all  depart- 
ments of  church  work,  and  for  thirty-three  years  was 
librarian  of  the  Sunday  school  of  the  Central  Falls 
Congregational  Church. 

C.  Fred  Crawford  married  Mattie  M.  Horton,  daugh- 
ter of  Nathan  S.  and  .Abbie  M.  (Martin)  Horton,  of 
Smithfield,  R.  I.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  Fred  S. 
and  C.  Louie  Crawford. 


GEORGE  H.  LUMB — A  member  of  the  Pawtucket 
community  since  1885,  a  manufacturer  since  1892,  and 
since  1898  head  of  the  Lumb  Knitting  Company,  Mr. 
Lumb  is  widely  known  in  industrial  circles  in  Rhode 
Island.  He  has  numerous  business  connections  outside 
of  the  textile  industry,  and  socially  and  fraternally  has 
a  wide  acquaintance.  He  is  of  English  birth,  born  in 
1861,  and  was  brought  to  the  United  States  by  his  par- 
ents when  three  years  of  age. 

The  greater  part  of  his  youth  was  spent  in  the  city  of 
Worcester,  Mass.,  and  in  1885  he  came  to  Pawtucket, 
having  been  since  actively  identified  with  the  develop- 
ment and  progress  of  this  prosperous  industrial  center. 
From  the  time  of  his  arrival  until  1892  he  was  employed 
as  bookkeeper  with  the  Slater  Stocking  Company,  and 
in  the  latter  year,  in  partnership  with  A.  H.  Smith,  he 
founded  the  Blackstone  Stocking  Company.  In  1898 
Mr.  Lumb  sold  his  interest  in  this  concern,  founded  the 
Lumb  Knitting  Company,  and  since  that  time  has  been 
engaged  in  independent  textile  manufacturing  opera- 
tions. This  company  had  its  beginning  in  a  single 
room  on  Jenckes  lane,  equipped  with  six  machines,  and 
its  early  expansion  made  larger  quarters  necessary, 
which  in  looo  w'ere  found  in  the  CoUyer  Machine  Com- 
pany building,  where  the  equipment  was  increased  to 
twenty-five  knitting  and  fifty  sewing  machines.  The 
principal  product  has  been  women's  ribbed  underwear 
and  union  suits  and  infants'  wrappers,  and  under  the 
trade  mark  ".A.thena  Brand"  these  have  enjoyed  a  wide 
popularity  and  sale.  In  1907  the  demands  of  the  busi- 
ness caused  the  erection  of  the  first  mill  on  the  com- 
pany's property  at  the  corner  of  Central  and  Robinson 
avenues,  giving  the  dilTerent  departments  of  the  industry 
a  total  of  forty  thousand  feet  of  floor  space.  This  has 
been  added  to  from  time  to  time,  the  entire  plant  now 
covering  ninety  thousand  square  feet,  equipped  with 
one  hundred  and  forty  knitting  and  one  hundred  and 
ninety-two  sewing  machines.  Its  construction  has  been 
along  the  most  approved  and  advanced  lines  of  indus- 
trial architecture,  providing  a  maximum  of  light  and 
air,  the  plant  laid  out  and  the  operations  noted  for  the 
utmost  efticiency.  Mr.  Lumb  is  president  of  the  sub- 
stantial, thriving  business  he  founded,  and  associated 
with  him  is  his  son,  Ralph  G.  Lumb.  treasurer  of  the 
Lumb  Knitting  Company.  In  addition  to  this,  his  chief 
interest,  Mr.  Lumb  is  president  of  the  Pawtucket  Hos- 
iery Company,  and  director  of  the  CoUyer  Insulated 
Wire  Company,  of  Pawtucket,  and  of  the  Stevens  Nut 
and  Bolt  Company,  of  Pawtucket. 

Mr.  Lumb's  clubs  are  the  To-Kalon,  the  Rhode  Island 
Country,  and  the  Pawtucket  Golf.  He  belongs  to  lodge, 
chapter,  council,  and  commandcry  of  the  Masonic  order, 
all  in  Pawtucket,  and  is  a  member  of  Palestine  Temple, 


^'^dT^^oM. 


-^ 


p^^^^^l^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


435 


Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of 
Providence. 

Mr.  Lumb  married,  1883,  Bessie  Gledhill,  of  Wor- 
cester. Mass.,  and  they  have  had  children :  Frederick, 
died  aged  thirteen  years ;  Ralph  G.,  who  came  into  his 
father's  factory  in  1909  to  learn  the  business,  spent 
several  years  in  this  employment,  advancing  step  by 
step  until  1913,  when  he  was  elected  assistant  treasurer, 
and  in  IQ16  was  elected  treasurer,  devoting  his  entire 
time  to  the  work  in  the  factory:  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Pawtucket  Blue  Lodge,  Free  and  .\cceptcd  Masons, 
Pawtucket  Country  Club  and  To-Kalon  Club;  he  mar- 
ried, in  June,  1915,  Mary,  daughter  of  James  C.  Potter, 
of  Pawtucket,  and  has  a  daughter,  Charlotte,  born 
Dec.  24,  1 91 6. 


EDWARD  E.  GOFF— Richard  E.  Goff,  father  of 
Edward  E.  GofT,  a  representative  citizen  of  Pawtucket, 
was  born  January  12,  1S40.  He  was  educated  in  Reho- 
both,  Mass.,  and  during  his  boyhood  removed  to  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Union 
Wadding  Company,  of  which  his  uncle,  Darius  GofT, 
was  the  president  and  active  factor,  and  was  succes- 
sively promoted  until  he  attained  the  position  of  master 
mechanic,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  his  death, 
February  25,  1888.  He  was  a  member  of  Good  Samar- 
itan Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  this 
constituting  his  affiliation  with  societies,  he  being  very 
domestic  in  his  tastes  and  inclinations.  Mr.  GofT  mar- 
ried Sarah  Elizabeth  Oldham,  whose  birth  occurred 
near  Manchester.  England,  and  she  is  living  at  the  pres- 
ent time  (1919).  Children:  Elizabeth  A.,  wife  of 
Sylvian  B.  Carpenter,  of  Central  Falls;  Samuel  A.,  of 
Pawtucket;  Flora  L.,  deceased;  Edward  E.,  of  further 
mention ;  and  Fannie  L,  wife  of  Walter  E.  Kirby,  of 
Pawtucket. 

Edward  E.  GofT  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  R.  L,  May 
18,  1873.  He  there  attended  the  graded  schools  until 
the  death  of  his  father,  in  1888,  compelled  the  lad  to 
become  a  wage  earner.  He  obtained  his  first  employ- 
ment with  D.  GofT  &  Sons,  in  the  plush  factory,  but 
the  labor  was  both  unhealthy  and  unpleasant,  and,  ac- 
cordingly, he  relinquished  his  position  in  the  fall  of 
1891.  He  then  entered  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business 
College,  completing  the  course  the  following  February. 
He  then  secured  a  position  as  bookkeeper  with  the  Til- 
den-Thurber  Company,  of  Providence,  remaining  with 
that  firm  until  December,  1894.  He  then  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Union  Wadding  Company,  as  clerk, 
passed  through  various  grades  of  promotion,  finally 
attaining  the  secrctary-treasurership  of  the  company, 
in  1 916,  a  position  he  has  since  ably  filled.  Mr.  GofT  is 
a  Republican  in  politics ;  has  served  his  city  in  the  Com- 
mon Council  from  1904  to  1909.  three  years  of  this  per- 
iod serving  as  president;  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Aldermen,  1910,  serving  as  president  during 
this  term.  He  is  a  member  of  Park  Place  Congrega- 
tional Church;  Barney  Merry  Lodge,  No.  29,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons;  Pawtucket  Chapter,  No.  4.  Royal 
Arch  Masons:  Pawtucket  Council.  No.  2,  Royal  and 
Select  Masters;  Holy  Sepulchre  Commandery,  No.  8, 
Knights  Templar;  and  Palestine  Temple,  Ancient  .Ara- 
bic Order  Nobles  of  the   Mystic   Shrine.     During  the 


World  War,  Mr.  GofT  rendered  highly  patriotic  service 
on  the  Liberty  Loan  Committee. 

Mr.  GofT  married,  October  12,  1893,  ^L  Helen  Fol- 
lett,  adopted  daughter  of  Jabez  and  Susan  (Chamber- 
lain) Follett,  of  Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  her  adopted  par- 
ents both  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  GofT  are  the  parents 
of  three  daughters:  Dorothy  Follett,  Elsie  .\llen  and 
Hazel  Mac. 


IRA  E.  HIGGINS— This  branch  of  the  Higgins 
family  was  originally  settled  on  Cape  Cod,  Mass..  but 
while  N'ermont  was  still  a  colony,  a  branch  settled  there, 
and  from  the  pioneer  sprang  the  branch  of  which  Ira 
E.  Higgins,  of  Howard,  R.  I.,  is  a  representative.  The 
name  Higgins  is  an  ancient  and  honorable  one  in 
Rhode  Island,  it  having  been  borne  by  a  governor  of 
the  State  and  by  many  men  of  mark.  Ira  E.  Higgins 
is  a  grandson  of  Edson  Higgins,  born  in  Vermont,  a 
Cape  Cod  farmer,  who  reared  a  family,  one  of  his 
children  a  son.  Samuel  B.  Higgins.  father  of  Ira  E. 
Higgins.  Samuel  B.  Higgins  was  a  Vermont  farmer, 
highly  respected  in  his  community  as  a  man  of  up- 
right, honorable  life.  He  married  Charlotte  Lyndon, 
born  in  Dublin,  Ireland. 

Ira  E.  Higgins,  son  of  Samuel  B.  and  Charlotte 
( Lyndon  1  Higgins.  was  born  at  the  home  near  Brook- 
line,  Vt..  in  1874.  and  there  grew  to  manhood.  He  was 
educated  in  a  district  school,  and  Leiand  &  Grey  .Acad- 
emy, of  Townsend,  \'t.  His  business,  farming,  from 
his  youth.  In  l8go  he  came  to  Rhode  Island,  where 
he  obtained  a  position  at  the  State  Farm  at  Howard,  as 
overseer,  under  Mr.  Eastman,  who  promoted  Mr.  Hig- 
gins to  a  position  in  the  office  with  himself  and  to- 
gether the  two  men  worked  in  greatest  harmony  for  the 
good  of  the  institution  until  Mr.  Eastman's  death  in 
1907.  James  McCusker,  acting  superintendent  for  two 
years,  succeeded  Mr.  Eastman  as  superintendent,  and 
he  in  turn  gave  way  to  Dr.  Jcwett,  all  three  men  re- 
taining Mr.  Higgins  as  their  assistant.  On  December 
30,  1916,  Mr.  Higgins  was  appointed  superintendent  of 
the  State  Farm  and  on  January  i.  1917,  given  full  com- 
mand where  heretofore  he  had  been  a  subordinate.  He 
has  made  improvements  in  method  since  taking  charge 
and  is  gradually  bringing  the  farm  to  a  basis  which 
will  render  it  self-sustaining.  He  is  an  expert  in  agri- 
culture, eminently  qualified  for  the  position  he  fills, 
and  in  addition  possesses  strong  administrative  ability. 
In  1919  he  collected  $1,000  more  per  month  than  the 
previous  year  on  products,  showing  now  within  $3,000 
of  the  total  maintenance  for  the  past  nine  months.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  in  politics  a 
Republican. 

Mr.  Higgins  married,  in  Providence,  in  191 1,  Mary 
C.  Collins,  of  Gloucester,  Mass. 


LIEUTENANT -COLONEL  BENJAMIN  JO- 
SEPH BUTLER,  M.  D..  one  of  the  most  prominent 
physicians  of  East  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  recently  re- 
tired from  the  National  army  with  the  rank  of  lieu- 
tenant-colonel, is  a  native  of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  born 
December  5,  1873.  Dr.  Butler  is  a  son  of  James  But- 
ler, of  this  region,  whose  death  occurred  in  1876. 


436 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Benjamin  J.  Butler  was  brought  up  by  foster  parents, 
residents  of  Warwick,  and  early  in  life  worked  at 
various  remunerative  occupations,  saving-  up  sufficient 
money  to  pay  for  his  education.  Accordingly,  he  en- 
tered Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  School  at  Provi- 
dence, after  attending  the  local  grammar  school,  and 
graduated  from  the  former  institution  well  prepared 
for  a  business  career.  Shortly  afterwards  he  secure^ 
a  position  as  bookkeeper  with  a  concern  at  Pawtucket, 
where  he  remained  for  a  time,  and  then  was  employed 
in  a  similar  capacity  by  the  Interlaken  Mills  at  Ark- 
wright.  He  continued  with  this  concern  for  eight  years, 
from  1892  to  1900,  and  in  the  meantime  determined 
upon  a  professional  career.  With  this  end  in  view 
he  entered  the  medical  school  in  connection  with  the 
University  of  \'ermont,  and  graduated  from  the  same 
with  the  class  of  1003,  taking  the  degree  of  doctor  of 
medicine.  Dr.  Butler  then  located  at  Warwick,  where 
he  practiced  his  profession  until  191 1,  when  he  removed 
to  East  Providence.  From  1907  until  he  came  to  East 
Providence,  Dr.  Butler  acted  as  health  officer  at  War- 
wick, and  was  also  connected  with  the  Rhode  Island 
Hospital,  in  the  eye,  ear  and  nose  department.  He  has 
specialized  in  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear  and  nose,  and 
gained  a  wide  reputation  as  an  authority  in  this  line. 
At  the  time  when  the  United  States  entered  the  Great 
World  War,  Dr.  Butler  at  once  offered  his  services  to 
his  country  in  the  cause  of  Democracy  and  enlisted  in 
the  month  of  April,  1917.  in  the  medical  corps.  He  was 
commissioned  first  lieutenant,  June  28,  1917,  and  ordered 
to  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison  on  the  13th  of  August  fol- 
lowing, for  a  course  of  instruction.  He  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  captain,  November  6,  1917,  and  ordered 
to  Camp  Morrison,  Virginia,  where  he  was  connected 
with  the  air  service  depot,  November  23  of  that  year. 
Camp  Morrison  was  at  that  time  in  process  of  construc- 
tion, and  Dr.  Butler  became  its  first  camp  surgeon, 
where  he  did  such  excellent  work  that  he  received  a 
promotion  to  the  rank  of  major,  April  3,  1918,  then 
the  highest  grade  possible  in  the  Medical  Reserve 
Corps.  In  addition  to  professional  duties,  Major  Butler 
supervised  the  construction  of  a  three  hundred  bed 
hospital,  of  which  he  became  the  commanding  officer, 
and  which  was  reputed  to  be  one  of  the  finest,  if  not 
the  finest  and  most  complete  and  sanitary  camp  in  the 
South.  Dr.  Butler  was  honorably  discharged  from 
active  duty,  June  9,  1919,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant- 
colonel,  the  highest  military  grade  to  which  any  officer 
from  Rhode  Island  has  attained  in  the  medical  corps. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Butler  now  resides  at  No.  1387 
Pawtucket  avenue,  Rumford,  where  he  has  resumed 
his  civilian  medical  practice.  He  likewise  has  a  city 
office  at  No.  72  Broad  street,  Providence,  where  he  has 
a  large  practice  as  well.  Dr.  Butler  was  commissioned 
past  assistant  surgeon,  United  States  Public  Health 
Service,  in  July,  1919.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Medical  Association,  American  Medical  Society, 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  Lodge  No. 
14;  Providence  West  Side  Club,  Warwick  Club,  and 
Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  of  East  Providence. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Butler  married  Hettie  F.  Jackson, 
a  daughter  of  Arthur  and  Sine  (Chase)  Jackson,  old 
and  highly  respected  residents  of  Warwick,  and  great- 


granddaughter  of  Governor  Jackson,  of  Rhode  Island. 
He  has  one  child,  Robert  L.,  bom  January  2,  1892,  and 
now  (1910)  a  member  of  the  class  of  1920  at  Brown 
L^niversity.  Robert  L.  Butler  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Officers  Training  School  at  Camp  Lee,  Petersburg, 
Va.,  and  commissioned  second  lieutenant  in  the  Na- 
tional army. 


THE  H.  &  B.  AMERICAN  MACHINE  COM- 
PANY was  established  in  Pawtucket  in  1894  under  the 
name  of  Howard  &  BuIIough  .American  Machine  Com- 
pany, Ltd.,  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton  preparatory 
and  spinning  machinery. 

For  many  years  Messrs.  Howard  &  BuIIough,  Ltd.,  of 
Accrington,  England,  had  exported  considerable  ma- 
chinery to  America  through  their  agents,  Messrs.  C. 
E.  Riley  Company,  of  Boston.  Mr.  Riley,  having  been 
identified  with  the  textile  trade  for  a  number  of  years, 
undertook  the  erection  of  the  plant  at  Pawtucket  to 
produce  a  similar  line  of  machinery  to  that  built  by 
Messrs.  Howard  &  BuIIough,  Ltd.  Identified  with  him 
were  the  English  Company  and  Mr.  J.  C.  Potter,  now 
of  Potter  &  Johnston. 

The  output  at  first  consisted  only  of  pickers,  cards 
and  drawing  frames.  The  increasing  demand  prompted 
enlargements  to  include  the  manufacture  of  slubbing, 
intermediate  and  roving  frames,  and  a  few  years  later 
further  additions  were  provided  for  producing  spinning 
frames,  twisters  and  winders.  The  company  is  now 
prepared  to  furnish  a  complete  yarn  mill  equipment, 
their  output  being  approximately  a  ten  thousand  spindle 
mill  weekly.  The  highest  standard  has  always  char- 
acterized the  machinery  produced  by  this  firm,  and 
their  product  is  extensively  used  by  many  of  the  best 
known  cotton  mills  in  New  England  and  the  South,  as 
well  as  Japan  and  South  America.  Their  clients  in 
this  State  being:  Messrs.  J.  &  P.  Coats  (R.  I.),  Inc., 
Lorraine  Manufacturing  Company,  Burgess  Mills,  Lons- 
dale Company,  Clark  Thread  Company.  Lawton  Spin- 
ning Company,  Manville  Company,  Warwick  Mills, 
Coventry  Company,  Quidnick  Manufacturing  Company, 
Hope  Company,  Interlaken  Mills,  Berkeley  Company, 
International  Braid  Company. 

The  plant  is  situated  at  the  end  of  North  Main 
street,  Pawtucket,  covers  many  acres,  and  runs  parallel 
with  the  main  line  tracks  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven 
&  Hartford  Railroad.  The  foundry  and  machine  shops 
are  equipped  with  the  latest  and  most  improved  ma- 
chine tools,  electric  cranes  and  trucks  are  provided  for 
handling  all  heavy  parts,  and  group  motor  driving  is 
adopted  throughout  the  plant.  About  1200  skilled  oper- 
atives are  employed,  and  the  company  maintains  a 
service  department,  where  each  man's  record  is  taken  on 
entering  their  employ,  and  every  means  adopted  for  his 
safety  and  welfare.  A  social  and  athletic  association 
is  run  by  the  employees,  and  the  management  maintain 
a  scientific  school  for  educational  purposes.  The  officers 
of  the  company  are:  President,  C.  E.  Riley,  of  Boston; 
treasurer,  E.  R.  Richardson,  of  Pawtucket;  secretary, 
E.  L.  Martin,  of  Providence;  purchasing  agent,  J.  W. 
Richardson,  of  Providence,  all  of  which  have  been  asso- 
ciated with  the  company  for  many  years,  and  are  highly 
regarded  throughout  the  textile  trade. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


437 


EDMUND  RUSSELL  RICHARDSON,  treasurer 
of  the  II.  &  B.  American  Machine  Company,  was  bom 
in  Nova  Scotia,  in  1867.  After  graduating  from  high 
school,  he  entered  the  employ  of  C.  E.  Riley  Company, 
Boston,  -Mass.,  importers  of  textile  machinery.  He 
rose  rapidly  to  a  leading  position,  and  finally  became 
cffice  manager  of  the  firm.  In  1894,  when  the  Howard 
&  Bullough  American  Machine  was  established  in  Paw- 
tucket,  Mr.  Richardson  was  made  assistant  treasurer. 
Upon  the  reorganization  of  the  company  in  1912,  Mr. 
Richardson  was  made  treasurer  and  has  continued  in 
that  position  ever  since.  Mr.  Richardson  is  widely 
known  in  the  textile  trade,  having  been  identified  with 
same  for  the  past  thirty-five  years.  He  is  a  member  of 
many  business  and  social  organizations,  but  prefers  to 
lead  a  quiet  life.  Much  of  his  time  is  devoted  to  the 
business  which  he  has  by  close  application  and  industry 
been  largely  instrumental  in  bringing  to  its  present 
high  state  of  efficiency.  He  is  a  director  in  many  cotton 
mills  and  textile  corporations. 


EDWARD  LIVINGSTONE  MARTIN  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  in  1S75.  After  attending  preparatory 
school  and  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Martin 
entered  the  banking  business,  but  left  to  serve  in  Bat- 
tery A  of  the  Pennsylvania  Natior.al  Guards  in  the 
Spanish-.'\merican  War.  He  accompanied  the  organ- 
ization to  Porto  Rico,  and  upon  the  conclusion  of  peace 
he  went  on  a  visit  to  the  South  and  became  interested  in 
cotton  spinning.  He  spent  a  year  working  in  a  cotton 
mill  and  assisted  in  erecting  new  machinery  being  in- 
stalled by  the  Howard  &  Bullough  .American  Machine 
Company,  of  Pawtucket.  He  entered  the  employ  of 
this  firm  and  served  several  years,  working  in  the  differ- 
ent departments  of  the  shop.  Later  he  was  advanced 
to  salesman  and  represented  the  company  in  that  capac- 
ity until  their  reorganization  in  1912,  when  he  was 
made  secretary  of  the  H.  &  B.  .American  Machine  Com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Martin's  family  on  his  mother's  side  originally 
came  from  New  England,  his  sixth  great-grandfather 
being  Edward  Winslow,  third  governor  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  Colony,  and  his  great-grandfather,  Seth 
E.  Winslow,  attended  Brown  University,  being  in  the 
class  of  1812.  His  father's  family  were  early  settlers 
in  Maryland  and  Delaware. 

Mr.  Martin  married,  in  1916,  Mrs.  Lillian  Bailey 
Adamson,  of  Philadelphia,  and  lives  at  No.  37  George 
street.  Providence.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hope  Club, 
Agawam  Hunt,  To-Kalon  Club  of  Pawtucket,  Que- 
ciuechan  Club  of  Fall  River,  also  the  Southern  New 
England  Textile  Club  and  the  National  Association  of 
Cotton  Manufacturers.  Mr.  Martin's  outside  interests 
includes  the  Boy  Scouts  of  America.  He  is  scout 
commissioner  for  Pawtucket  and  a  member  of  the 
Providence  Council,  Boy  Scouts  of  America. 


P.  Currigan  upon  the  retirement  of  that  eminent  physi- 
cian, and  the  demands  of  this  and  his  own  clientele  have 
occupied  him  without  intermission  to  the  present  time. 
Dr.  Miller  is  a  member  of  the  associations  through 
which  medical  men  exchange  opinions  and  knowledge, 
is  connected  with  many  interests  in  his  city,  and  is  held 
in  favorable  regard  as  a  physician  and  citizen. 

John  H.  Miller  is  a  son  of  Matthew  and  Matilda 
(Neil)  Miller,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  England, 
coming  to  the  United  States  when  young.  They  made 
their  hoiTie  in  Cumberland,  where  Matthew  Miller  was 
employed  in  a  mill.  Matilda  (Neil)  Miller  died  in 
1892;  Matthew  Miller  is  now  living,  retired,  at  the  home 
of  Dr.  John  H.  Miller. 

Dr.  Miller  was  born  in  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  May  28, 
1877,  and  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age  he  attended 
the  parochial  school  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Paw- 
tucket. After  leaving  school  he  held  various  positions 
in  the  local  mills  until  1903,  during  all  of  the  time  con- 
tinuing solitary  study  and  specializing  in  scientific  sub- 
jects, mathematics  and  languages,  and  in  the  latter 
year  entered  the  Maryland  Medical  College  at  Balti- 
more. He  was  graduated  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  the 
class  of  1907,  and  during  a  year's  intcrneship  in  the 
Franklin  Square  Hospital  of  that  city  he  took  post- 
graduate work  under  the  preceptorship  of  Dr.  George 
B.  Schell,  of  Johns  Hopkins  University.  In  1908  he 
established  in  practice  in  Pawtucket,  his  office  in  the 
Beswick  block,  and  upon  the  withdrawal  from  practice 
of  the  well  known  Dr.  John  P.  Corrigan,  Dr.  Miller 
continued  his  practice,  occupying  Dr.  Corrigan's  offices 
in  the  Sheldon  building.  In  December,  1917,  Dr.  Miller 
purchased  the  mansion  of  the  late  Hon.  Henry  B.  Met- 
calf,  the  prominent  prohibition  leader  and  one  time 
prohibition  party  candidate  for  the  presidency,  and  this 
large  and  handsome  residence  he  has  since  made  his 
home,  there  maintaining  his  office.  Dr.  Miller  is  a 
member  of  the  associate  staff  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital, 
of  Providence.  From  1908  to  191 1  he  was  health  officer 
of  the  town  of  Lincoln.  He  belongs  to  the  Rhode  Island 
Medical  Society,  and  the  Pawtucket  Medical  Society, 
is  a  member  of  the  United  States  Medical  Reserve 
Corps,  and  a  F'ellow  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. His  non-professional  affiliations  are  with  the  St. 
Joseph's  Holy  Name  Society,  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Club, 
the  Friendly  Sons  of  St.  Patrick,  the  Young  Irish- 
Americans,  all  of  Pawtucket;  Pawtucket  Lodge,  Ben- 
evolent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  which  he  is 
a  charter  member;  also  charter  member  of  Providence 
Aerie,  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles;  St.  Thomas  Council, 
Knights  of  Columbus,  of  Valley  Falls.  He  is  a  com- 
municant of  St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Church. 


JOHN  H.  MILLER,  M.  D.— All  of  Dr.  Miller's 
professional  work  has  been  done  in  the  city  of  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.,  where  he  established  in  practice  in  1908 
upon  the  completion  of  his  medical  course  and  interne- 
ship  in  a  Baltimore  college  and  hospital.  He  assumed 
the  responsibilities  of   the   large  practice  of   Dr.  John 


WALLACE  Y.  THORNLEY.  a  well  known  busi- 
ness man  of  Pawtucket,  K.  I.,  is  a  native  of  the  city, 
having  been  bom  here,  July  i,  1890,  a  son  of  John  Y. 
and  Harriet  E.  (Merry)  Thoniley  (q.  v.). 

Mr.  Thornley  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Pawtucket,  and  then  took  a  course  in  jewelry  design- 
ing in  Providence,  the  great  centre  of  that  industry. 
He  then  became  a  designer  in  the  C.  M.  Robbins  Com- 
pany, of  .^ttleboro,  Mass.,  and  this  connection  lasted 
for  a  year.     He  left  this  firm  to  became  a  member  of 


438 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  Rhode  Island  Machinery  Company,  of  Pawtucket, 
as  salesman  of  automobiles,  and  here  continued  until 
1911.  Mr.  Thornlcy  is  a  member  of  the  Thornley  Sup- 
ply Company,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Mr.  Thornley  married,  June  I,  191S.  Margaret  Gil- 
lespie, daughter  of  William  R.  and  Elizabeth  (Clark) 
Gillespie,  of  Central  Falls,  R.  I.  Mr.  Gillespie  is  now 
dead,  but  Mrs.  Gillespie  is  still  living  and  resides  in 
Central  Falls.  Mr.  Thornley  holds  membership  in  the 
Royal  .\rcanum,  and  the  Masonic  order. 


ALBERT  L.  THORNLEY,  a  member  of  the  firm, 
Thornley  Supply  Company,  of  Pawtucket,  a  biographi- 
cal notice  of  his  father,  John  Y.  Thornley,  being  found 
elsewhere  in  this  work,  and  his  brother,  Wallace  Y. 
Thornley,  mentioned  above,  was  born  in  Pawtucket, 
October  3.  1891,  his  mother's  name  having  been 
Harriet  E.  (Merry)  Thornley.  As  Mr.  Thornley 
grew  up,  he  attended  the  public  schools  and  the  high 
school  of  the  town,  and  completed  his  studies  in  the 
Rhode  Island  .State  College,  taking  one  year  of  its 
collegiate  course.  In  191 1  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  his  brothers  in  the  firm  known  as  the  Thornley 
Supply  Company,  and  this  connection  has  continued  up 
to  the  present  day  (1918).  Mr.  Thornley  is  a  member 
of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  the  Masonic  order. 

Mr.  Thornley  married.  September  20,  1912,  Edith  M. 
Mitchell,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Frazer)  Mitch- 
ell, the  latter  deceased.  They  have  four  children; 
Frazer,  Lovice,  Gordon,  and  Arlene. 


MOULTON  FAMILY— The  Moultons  or  de  Moul- 
tons,  throughout  a  long  historic  period,  were  one  of 
the  proudest  and  most  powerful  families  of  England. 
It  came  to  that  country  at  the  time  of  the  Norman  Con- 
quest in  the  person  of  Sir  Thomas  de  Moulton,  one  of 
the  favorite  followers  of  the  Conqueror,  who  rewarded 
him  with  great  tracts  of  land  in  Lincolnshire,  and  there 
the  family  estates  and  the  ancestral  home  were  located 
for  many  years.  Many  of  the  descendants  of  the  first 
Sir  Thomas  distinguished  themselves  in  the  service  of 
the  Kings  whose  liegemen  they  were,  and  their  names 
have  come  down  to  us  in  record  and  legend  of  the  time. 
It  was  another  Sir  Thomas  de  Moulton,  or  de  Multon, 
whom  Scott  makes  the  favorite  and  most  faithful 
attendant  of  the  fiery  Coeur  de  Lion,  in  his  novel,  "The 
Talisman."  and  there  are  others  only  less  renowned. 
By  the  year  1 100  a  village  of  Moulton  existed  in  Lin- 
colnshire, which  secured  from  the  King  grants  for  the 
establishment  of  public  markets  and  all  other  necessar>' 
municipal  privileges.  In  very  early  times  the  arms  of 
the  de  Moultons  varied  somewhat,  especially  in  color, 
but  certain  characters  were  constant.  There  was  always 
a  plain  field,  either  of  silver  or  blue,  crossed  by  three 
horizontal  bars,  generally  red  and  sometimes  black. 
In  1 571  this  was  finally  made  permanent  by  the  heraldic 
authorities  of  the  time  in  the  more  complete  form  which 
follows :  Argent,  three  bars  gules  between  eight  es- 
callop shells  sable,  three,  two,  two  and  one.  Crest :  On 
a  pellet  a  falcon  rising  argent. 

(I)   The  Moulton  family  was  founded  in  America  by 
William   Moulton,  who  was  born  at  Ormsby,  Norfolk- 


shire.  England,  about  1617.  He  came  to  this  country 
in  1637.  and  resided  at  Newbury,  Mass.,  for  a  time.  He 
then  joined  the  new  settlement  at  Winnacunnett,  now 
Hampton,  N.  H.,  and  resided  there  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  married,  in  England,  Margaret,  a  daughter 
of  Captain  Robert  and  Lucia  Page,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  Joseph,  who  married 
Bathyah  Swaine ;  Benjamin,  Hannah,  Mary.  Sarah, 
Ruth,  Robert,  and  William,  mentioned  below. 

(II)  William  (2)  Moulton,  son  of  William  (i) 
Moulton.  was  born  May  25,  1664,  and  died  in  1732.  He 
lived  at  Newbury,  Mass.,  and  was  the  first  of  the  famous 
Moulton  silversmiths.  He  married  (first)  May  27, 
1685,   .\bigail   Webster,   who   died   July   24.    1723.     He 

married     (second)     Sarah    ,    who    survived    him. 

Children  by  first  wife:  Abigail,  Batt,  William,  Jono- 
than,  Joseph,  Stephen,  mentioned  below ;  Margaret, 
Sarah  and  Mary. 

(III)  Stephen  Moulton,  son  of  William  (2)  Moul- 
ton, was  born  at  Newbury,  Mass.,  and  lived  at  Reho- 
both.  He  married  (first)  December  14,  1721,  Rebecca 
Chase,  and  (second)  February  22,  1770,  Deliverance 
Peck.  Children  by  first  wife :  Rebecca,  Abigail,  Mary, 
Judith,  Elizabeth,  Stephen,  mentioned  below;  and  Elihu. 

(IV)  Stephen  (2)  Moulton,  son  of  Stephen  (l) 
Moulton,  was  born  July  11,  1738,  at  Rehoboth,  INIass. 
He  settled  in  his  native  town,  and  died  there  Septem- 
ber 13,  1802.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution. 
Stephen  (2)  Moulton  married,  November  24,  1757, 
Hannah  Bliss,  and  their  children  were  as  follows: 
Stephen,  Hannah,  Rachel,  William,  and  Chase,  men- 
tioned below. 

(V)  Chase  Moulton,  son  of  Stephen  (2)  Moulton, 
was  born  December  8,  1767,  at  Rehoboth,  and  died  there 
October  12,  1813.  He  married,  October  3,  1791,  Lucy 
Drowne.  and  their  children  were  as  follows :  Hannah, 
Royal.  George,  Lucy,  Mary  C,  and  James  Bliss,  men- 
tioned below. 

(VI)  James  Bliss  Moulton,  son  of  Chase  Moulton, 
was  born  September  28,  1808,  at  Rehoboth.  He  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  and  also  operated  a  farm.  From 
Rehoboth  he  removed  to  Taunton,  Massachusetts, 
where  his  death  occurred  November  18,  1883.  He  mar- 
ried, January  29,  1832,  Abigail  Whipple  Carpenter,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Mel- 
inda,  Rebecca,  Stephen  Carpenter,  mentioned  below ;  and 
James. 

(\TI)  Stephen  Carpenter  Moulton,  son  of  James 
Bliss  Moulton.  was  born  July  3i,  1837,  at  Rehoboth, 
Mass.,  and  died  January  24,  1908.  He  passed  his  early 
years  at  his  father's  home,  and  there  gained  his  educa- 
tion. He  later  removed  to  East  Providence,  R.  I.,  and 
there  his  death  occurred.  On  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War  he  enlisted  in  the  First  Regiment,  Massachusetts 
Cavalry,  and  saw  much  active  service.  He  was  a 
staunch  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  church.  He  married,  November  28, 
1867,  Sarah  Olney  Lawless,  born  June  6.  1841,  died 
July  6,  1909.  a  daughter  of  Gilbert  Richmond  Lawless, 
of  Bristol,  R.  I.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Annie  Richmond,  born  Aug.  21,  1868, 
died  Feb.  17,  1881 ;  Gilbert  Carpenter,  born  Sept.  30, 
1870,   died  .^ug.   12,   1872;   Henry  Holden,  born  Oct.  5, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


439 


1872;  and  Edward  Stephen,  born  April  25,  1876,  mar- 
ried, May  14.  1902,  Elizabeth  Edge  Armington,  by  whom 
he  has  had  one  child,  Pruda  Armington,  born  Jan.  6, 
1905. 


JAMES  SUTER  DANEKER— During  the  years 
following  graduation  from  high  school  (i8o_i)  and  the 
year  iy02,  Mr.  Daneker  became  an  expert  in  wool  and 
woolens,  gaining  his  experience  with  the  Phoenix  Wor- 
sted Company  and  with  William  Brown  &  Sons,  both 
old,  reliable,  and  prominent  Philadelphia  houses.  This 
preceded  his  coming  to  Providence  to  enter  the  employ 
of  Richard  Thornley,  dealer  in  wool  and  wool  waste. 
Mr.  Thornley  and  Mr.  Daneker  had  never  met  prior  to 
the  engagement,  but  a  warm  friendship  grew  up  between 
the  two  men,  and  the  younger  always  acknowledged 
the  debt  he  owed  to  the  elder  for  his  wise  counsel  and 
guidance  in  correct  business  principles  and  habits.  The 
years  which  have  since  intervened  have  witnessed  the 
expansion  of  the  business,  the  retirement  of  Mr,  Thorn- 
ley, and  the  passing  of  the  business  under  the  control 
of  two  of  his  employees,  Frank  A.  Reynolds  and  James 
S.  Daneker,  located  at  No.  97  Canal  street.  Providence, 
trading  as  Reynolds  &  Daneker,  wool  and  wool  waste. 

James  Suter  Daneker  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
June  5,  1876,  and  there  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  where  he  completed  his  studies  with  graduation 
from  the  high  school  in  1894.  He  at  once  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Phoenix  Worsted  Mills  Company,  begin- 
ning at  the  bottom,  and  gaining  practical  knowledge  of 
the  detail  of  worsted  manufacture.  From  the  Phoenix 
Worsted  Mills  Company  he  passed  to  the  employ  of 
the  concern,  William  Brown  &  Sons,  wool  dealers,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  there  he  gained  intimate  knowledge 
of  another  branch  of  the  wool  business.  Eight  years 
he  spent  with  these  two  houses,  then,  in  1902.  he  came 
to  Providence,  and  entered  the  employ  of  Richard 
Thornley,  a  prosperous  dealer  in  wool  and  wool  waste. 
When  Mr.  Thornley  passed  to  his  reward,  Mr.  Daneker 
and  Frank  A.  Reynolds,  on  March  20,  1905,  purchased 
the  business  which  they  have  successfully  conducted 
under  the  firm  name,  Reynolds  &  Daneker.  The  busi- 
ness is  well  conducted  and  prosperous,  for  the  partners 
keep  fully  abreast  of  the  times  in  all  matters  pertaining 
to  their  line  and  stand  high  in  the  regard  of  the  business 
circle  in  which  they  move. 

Progressive,  public-spirited,  and  generous.  Mr.  Dan- 
eker enjoys  life,  alternating  his  work  and  his  play 
judiciously,  finding  his  recreations  in  those  time-hon- 
ored out-of-door  sports,  fishing,  boating,  and  hunting. 
At  his  summer  home  in  Charlestown  Beach,  in  the  midst 
of  scenes  practically  as  first  found  by  the  white  settler, 
the  owner  finds  rest  and  contentment.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Harmony  Lodge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons ; 
Providence  Chapter,  Royal  .Arch  Masons;  Providence 
Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters ;  and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Turk's  Head  Club.  Mr.  Daneker  attends  the 
Mathewson  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  is 
a  member.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  On  .-Xugust 
I,  1918,  Mr.  Daneker  was  appointed  vice-chairman  of 
the  Providence  District  for  the  War  Savings  Stamp 
work,  and  he  did  notable  work  in  that  campaign  until 


his  final  resignation,  in  February,  1919.  For  his  efforts 
in  extending  the  sale  of  War  Savings  Stamps  in  Rhode 
Island,  no  man  in  that  State  is  more  worthy  of  honor- 
able mention  than  Mr.  Daneker.  He  gave  of  his  time 
and  ability  with  the  same  high  grade  service  that  char- 
acterizes his  business  career.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Pawtuxet  Auxiliary  of  Providence  Chapter  of  the 
American  Red  Cress,  in  which  he  also  did  notable  work. 
Mr.  Daneker  married,  December  26,  1904,  Helen  S. 
Butts,  of  Norton,  Mass. 


HOWARD  E.  BLANCHARD,  M.  D.— The  career 
of  Dr.  Howard  E.  Blanchard,  of  Providence,  R,  I., 
while  yet  largely  in  the  making,  has  already  been 
marked  by  several  most  creditable  deeds,  and  that  now 
he  has  received  a  captain's  commission  in  the  United 
States  army,  Medical  Reserve  Corps,  and  his  foreign 
service  will  soon  begin,  the  true  quality  of  the  man  will 
rapidly  develop,  and  .■\merica's  Roll  of  Honor  will  gain 
another  name.  The  young  physician  who,  when  Hali- 
fax called  for  help  after  the  recent  great  disaster,  was 
one  of  the  group  of  fifty-six  physicians  and  surgeons 
that  responded  with  the  Rhode  Island  Red  Cross  Unit, 
has  hitherto  met  every  emergency  manfully,  and  neither 
lack  of  funds  nor  any  other  obstacle  has  been  able  to 
stop  him  in  his  aims.  He  is  eminently  fitted  to  serve 
his  country  as  surgeon,  and  to  ability  he  adds  the  highest 
order  of  patriotism.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Basil  and 
Ella  Frances  (French)  Blanchard,  both  parents  yet 
living  in  Providence. 

Howard  E.  Blanchard  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
November  11,  1882,  and  after  passing  the  grades  en- 
tered high  school  and  was  graduated  in  1901.  He 
worked  his  way  through  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Phil- 
adelphia, receiving  his  M.  D.  from  that  institution, 
class  of  1905.  The  next  year  was  spent  as  interne  at 
Rhode  Island  Hospital,  and  this  was  followed  by  a  term 
at  Providence  Lying-in  Hospital  during  June,  July 
and  August,  1906;  next  he  served  Rhode  Island  Hos- 
pital, out-patients  department,  and  the  same  department 
as  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat  specialist  until  1912.  Dur- 
ing the  years,  191 1-12,  he  took  post-graduate  courses 
at  Harvard  Medical  School,  fitting  himself  to  special- 
ize in  ear,  nose  and  throat  practice.  For  twelve  years 
he  has  been  in  private  practice  in  Providence,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  institutional  duty  performed,  and  has  won 
public  confidence  to  an  unusual  degree  for  so  young  a 
physician.  When  the  call  for  help  went  up  from 
stricken  Halifax,  during  the  winter  just  passed,  Dr. 
Blanchard  volunteered  his  services  and  spent  days  in 
the  midst  of  the  scenes  of  distress  and  suffering.  He 
volunteered  again  for  service  in  the  Medical  Reserve 
Corps,  United  States  army,  and  on  December  3,  1917, 
he  was  commissioned  captain,  and  assigned  to  the  ear, 
nose  and  throat  section.  Dr.  Blanchard  is  a  member  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  Rhode  Island  Hos- 
pital Internes  Club,  J.  A.  Wilson  Medical  Society 
(Jefferson  Medical  College),  lodge,  chapter,  council  and 
shrine  of  the  Masonic  order,  Central  Club  of  Provi- 
dence, AH  Saints  Episcopal  Church,  and  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics. 


440 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


CHARLES  IRVING  COLE— Among  the  promi- 
nent farmers  and  agriculturists  of  Glocester,  R.  I.,  is 
Charles  Irving  Cole,  who  has  for  many  years  been 
closely  identified  with  the  general  life  of  the  com- 
munity and  who  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  influ- 
ential citizens  here.  Mr.  Cole  is  a  native  of  Scituate, 
born  January  g,  1865,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Ann 
(Weaver)  Cole.  His  father,  whose  death  occurred  in 
1910,  was  a  prominent  farmer  of  this  region,  and  the 
first  boss  farmer  for  a  number  of  large  estates  here, 
the  operations  of  which  he  superintended.  He  after- 
wards bought  the  farm  now  occupied  by  the  T.tr.  Cole 
of  this  sketch.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Jane  M.  (Knight)  Weaver,  who  were  prominent 
citizens  of  Johnson. 

Charles    Irving    Cole    received    his    education    at   the 
public  schools  of  Scituate,  Cranston,  Narragansttt  Pier 
and  Glocester,  in  all  of  which  places  his  parents  resided 
at   different   times.     Their   removal  to   the   last-named 
place  had  occurred  when  Mr,  Cole  was  twelve  years  of 
age.     At   that   time  they   settled   on   the   present    farm, 
which   was   known   as   the   old   Dr.   Walden   farm,   and 
which   is  one  of  the  most   fertile   in  the  neighborhood 
and  embraces  eighty-seven  acres  of  land.     Mr.  Cole  has 
continued  to  make  his  home  here  since  that  time,  and 
has  always  engaged   in   farming.     He  is  now   carrying 
on  general  farming  operations  here  and  has  met  with  a 
high    degree    of   success.     At   the   age    of    twenty-one 
years    Mr.    Cole   applied   himself   to  learn   the   butcher 
business,  and  was  active  in  all  branches  of  that  occu- 
pation,  from  the  killing  of  the  animal   to  the  sale  of 
the   meat  in   Providence.     He   remained   thus   occupied 
for  about  three  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  the 
farming  activities  to  which  he  had  become  accustomed 
in  youth.    Mr.  Cole  has  been  a  very  active  figure  in  the 
general  life  of  the  community  here,  and  has  occupied  a 
number  of  public  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility. 
He    has    served    on    the    School    Board    for    about    ten 
years,  and  was  clerk  of  that  body  for  one  year,  and  its 
chairman    for  the   remaining   nine.     He   has   also   been 
superintendent   of   the   schools   of   Glocester    for   about 
three  years,  road  commissioner  for  a  similar  period,  and 
overseer   of   the   poor   for   two  years.     At   the   present 
time   he  holds   no   political   office.     Mr.    Cole   has  been 
exceedingly  active   and   progressive   as   a   farmer   here, 
and  has  done  much  to  improve  agricultural  conditions 
in  this  region.     He  is  also  engaged  in  the  breeding  and 
raising  of  thoroughbred  Ayrshire  cattle.     He  is  at  the 
present  time  president  of  the   Providence  County  Fair 
.-\ssociation,  a  post  that  he  has  held  ever  since  the  in- 
corporation of  this  body,  and   it  was  he  whose  efforts 
secured  a  charter  for  the  same.     He  takes  a  keen  in- 
terest  in   the   work   of   the   association,   and   has  been 
instrumental  in  a  large  degree  towards  making  it  the 
important   organization    which    it   is   to-day.     Although 
brought  up  in  the  Baptist  church,  Mr.  Cole  is  not  at  the 
present  time  affiliated  with   any  religious   organization. 
Charles  Irving  Cole  was  united  in  marriage.  May  31, 
1893,  in  what  was  then  the  town  of  Johnson,  but  is  now 
a  part  of  Providence,  with  Cora  Ella  Hill.    They  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  as  follows:    1.  Lena  Josephine, 
born  May  6,  1894,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Glocester 
public  school.     2.   Harold   Bertley,   born   Feb.   23,   1897, 
and  now  actively  engaged  in  farming. 


AXEL  FREDERICK  ANDELBERG— When  Dr. 

Andelbcrg  came  to  the  United  States  in  1902,  he  was  a 
duly  accredited  dentist,  having  passed  a  five  years' 
course  at  The  Dental  Preceptory  in  Stockholm,  Sweden. 
He  had  been  left  fatherless  at  the  age  of  eight  years, 
and  from  that  time  forward  life  had  been  a  struggle 
for  his  mother  to  provide  for  her  children,  but  she  was  ' 
equal  to  the  task,  and  the  boy  Axel  F.,  although  helping 
whenever  he  could  to  earn  money,  was  kept  in  school, 
obtaining  a  good  education  in  Stockholm's  e.xcellent 
institution.  The  professional  education  was  accom- 
plished, and  in  the  freer  opportunity  of  the  Western 
world  the  son  has  reaped  the  reward  of  the  self  sac- 
rifice and  devotion  of  the  mother  who,  in  Stockholm, 
rejoices  over  the  success  of  her  son,  and  shares  in  the 
material  fruits  of  that  success. 

Axel  F.  Andelberg  was  born  in  Stockholm,  Sweden, 
November  11,  1883.  son  of  Lars  and  Christina  (Holm- 
berg)  .-Kudelberg,  his  mother  yet  a  resident  of  that  city. 
He  attended  public  school  in  Stockholm,  aided  mate- 
rially in  the  support  of  the  family,  finished  a  five  years' 
course  in  dentistry,  and  came  to  the  United  States,  all 
during  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life.  He  located 
in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1902.  .  He  practiced  dentistry 
in  Providence  three  years,  then  spent  about  five  years 
in  practice  in  New  York  City,  returning  to  Providence 
in  1910.  opening  ofiices  at  No.  73  Broad  street,  which  he 
still  occupies.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  practice, 
has  many  friends,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  as  a  pro- 
fessional man  and  citizen.  He  is  an  extensive  traveler, 
spending  his  long  summer  vacations  in  foreign  travel, 
visiting  his  mother  in  Stockholm,  and  in  1912  attended 
the  Olympian  games  held  in  that  city.  He  is  familiar 
also  with  the  great  cities  of  Europe,  London,  Paris  and 
Berlin,  his  vacation  tours  extending  to  all  parts  of  the 
Continent  of  Europe.  Dr.  Andelberg  is  very  popular 
with  his  countrymen,  and  is  affiliated  with  them  in  the 
Order  of  Vasi,  the  Swedish  Singing  Society,  the  Swed- 
ish Working  Men's  Society,  and  the  Scandinavian  Sick 
Benefit  Association  of  Pawtucket.  He  is  an  ex-secretary 
of  the  Knights  of  Maccabees,  and  in  politics  is  an  In- 
dependent. 

Dr.  .\ndelberg  married,  July  18,  1906,  Abertine  Cole, 
of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  born  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  they 
the  parents  of  a  son  Karl,  born  Jan.  9,  1908.  The  fam- 
ily home  is  at  Warwick,  R.  I. 


WILLIAM  LABURTON  WHIPPLE,  one  of  the 

most  successful  and  prosperous  farmers  of  Diamond 
Hill,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  a  number  of  years,  is  a  native  of  this  place, 
his  birth  having  occurred  here  November  23,  i860. 
Mr.  Whipple  is  a  son  of  Welcome  and  Julia  A.  P. 
(Thomas)  Whipple,  the  former  named  having  been  a 
farmer  in  this  region  for  many  years  and  a  large  land 
owner. 

Mr.  Whipple  passed  his  childhood  on  the  old  home- 
stead, and  received  his  education  in  what  was  then  the 
Tinglcy  District  School,  assisting  during  his  vacations 
and  spare  hours  with  the  work  of  the  farm,  as  did  his 
brothers.  As  a  young  man  Mr.  Whipple  was  appren- 
ticed to  a  jeweler,  and  for  two  years  and  nine  months 
applied  himself  to  learn  that  trade,  but  never  com- 
pleted  this   task   as    his   taste    for   agriculture    was   so 


^lljC^  ^ /t^^M 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


441 


strong  that  he  decided  to  make  farming  his  career. 
Accordingly,  he  returned  to  the  old  farm,  which  he  has 
since  inherited,  and  has  continued  to  operate  it  with  a 
high  degree  of  success  up  to  the  present  time.  The 
place  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  region,  but  the  house 
where  he  now  resides  has  been  completely  modernized 
and  fitted  with  every  up-to-date  improvement.  Mr. 
Whipple  has  specialized  in  truck  farming,  and  at  pres- 
ent devotes  his  entire  time  to  this  particular  work  and 
has  a  well  equipped  and  m(  dern  farm.  He  has  been 
exceedingly  successful  in  his  operations,  and  his  place 
is  now  a  very  remunerative  one.  Mr.  Whipple  is  an 
Independent  Republican  in  politics,  and  although  he 
has  never  taken  an  active  part  in  public  affairs,  has 
always  been  most  conscientious  in  the  performance  of 
his  duties  as  a  citizen.  While  not  a  formal  member  of 
any  church,  Mr.  Whipple  attends,  with  the  other  mem- 
bers of  his  family,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in 
this  region  and  has  been  liberal  in  his  support  of  the 
parish.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  Cumberland  Grange, 
No.  2.  At  the  present  time  he  has  four  brothers  and 
two  sisters  living  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  as  fol- 
lows:  George,  Elmer,  Albert,  Eugene,  Idella  and 
Lillian. 

William  Laburton  Whipple  was  united  in  marriage, 
June  7,  1899,  with  Lena  Rogers  Fisher,  of  Cumberland, 
a  daughter  of  Charles  Edwin  and  Cornelia  (Benedict) 
Fisher,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  this  place. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whipple  two  cliildrcn  have  been  born, 
as  follows:  Charles  William,  born  Aug.  15,  1903,  died 
Dec.  3,  1918;  Helen  Louise,  born  Oct.  31,  1910,  and 
now  a  pupil  in  the  public  schools  of  this  region.  Mrs. 
Whipple  has  one  sister  living,  Miss  Ida  Fisher,  who  re- 
sides at  Diamond  Hill. 


ERFORD  L.  MARTIN— The  Martin  family  is  one 
of  the  original  New  England  families.  Two  brothers, 
Robert  and  Richard  Martin,  came  from  Badcombe, 
England ;  the  former  as  early  as  1635  settled  at  Wey- 
mouth, Mass.,  afterwards  went  to  Rehoboth,  Mass.  His 
brother  Richard,  who  was  bequeathed  by  his  brother 
lands  in  Rehoboth,  came  to  America  in  1663,  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  that  town.  From  these  early  set- 
tlers descended  Hezekiah  Martin,  who  was  born  in 
Rehoboth,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming.  His  son, 
Darius  Martin,  married  Catherine  Lane,  and  followed 
the  vocations  of  stone  mason  and  farmer.  He  lived 
for  a  while  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  but  eventually  removed 
to  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  died. 

Erford  L.  Martin,  son  of  Darius  and  Catherine 
(Lane)  Martin,  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  Novem- 
ber 17,  1846.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  after  com- 
pleting his  common  school  education  in  his  native 
town,  he  spent  four  winters  as  a  student  of  Thomas 
W.  Bicknell,  one  winter  at  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  and  three 
winters  at  Bristol,  R.  I.  Soon  after  this  he  commenced 
his  mercantile  life  in  the  wholesale  boot  and  shoe  in- 
dustry with  the  firm  of  Arnold,  Martin  &  Potter.  At 
the  close  of  his  seven  years  service  with  this  firm  he 
purchased  the  interest  of  the  senior  member  of  the  part- 
nership and  continued  the  business  under  the  firm  name, 
Martin  &  Potter.  This  business  was  conducted  suc- 
cessfully for  a  decade  of  years  when  Mr.  Martin  dis- 


posed of  his  interests  and  engaged  in  the  mill  supply 
business,  which  he  carried  on  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  until 
about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  The  fol- 
lowing ten  years  were  spent  in  various  different  business 
enterprises,  and  at  the  age  of  si.\ty-five  years  he  retired 
from  active  business  life  in  which  he  had  been  engaged 
for  nearly  a  half  century  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  a  well 
earned  rest. 

He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  was  never  an  as- 
pirant for  political  honors.  In  his  early  life  Mr.  Martin 
was  a  tnember  of  the  Chestnut  Street  Methodist  Church; 
was  active  in  the  directing  and  developing  of  the  first 
large  church  choir  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  which  at  times 
numbered  over  forty  members.  Later  in  life  he  became 
a  member  of  the  Congregational  church,  but  in  recent 
years  he  became  a  convert  of  the  studies  and  teachings 
of  Mary  Baker  Eddy  of  the  Christian  Science  church, 

Mr.  Martin  married,  February  3,  1870,  Charlotte 
Fabyan,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Charles  W.  Fahyan,  a  well 
known  physician  of  Providence  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  past  century.  Mrs.  Martin  died  September  19, 
1916.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  one  of 
whom  died  in  infancy,  the  others:  Nellie  Elizabeth, 
who  resides  with  her  father  in  Providence ;  Charles 
Fabj'an,  who  resides  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  married  Edna 
Chenery,  and  their  three  children  are :  Charlotte,  Eliz- 
abeth and  Xewton  Ivirl ;  Marshall  Burnham,  mentioned 
below. 

Marshall  Burnham  Martin,  youngest  son  oi  Erford 
L.  and  Charlotte  (Fabyan)  Martin,  was  born  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  ].,  October  14,  1884.  His  education  was  ob- 
tained at  the  public  schools  of  Providence,  he  gradu- 
ating in  1903  from  the  high  school  in  that  city.  He  then 
engaged  in  commercial  business,  was  for  a  time  a  clerk, 
and  finally  was  employed  in  the  real  estate  olhce  of 
R.  .X.  Hariey  &  Company,  where  he  remained  until  1909, 
when  he  engaged  in  that  line  of  business  himself.  He 
became  known  as  a  hu.'^tler  in  his  adopted  busines.i,  and 
has  successfully  conducted  a  number  of  large  deals 
in  real  estate,  not  only  to  the  benefit  of  himself,  but  to 
his  clients.  Mr.  Martin  is  an  independent  voter,  does 
not  acknowledge  the  ties  of  any  political  party,  but 
exercises  his  suffrage  for  the  support  of  those  candi- 
dates that  in  his  judgment  are  best  fitted  to  perform 
the  duties  of  public  offices.  He  belongs  to  F'irst  Church 
of  Christ  Scientist,  in  Providence.  In  Masonic  affil- 
iations he  is  a  member  of  Orpheus  Lodge,  No.  36,  .An- 
cient Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Providence  Chapter 
and  Providence  Council.  His  social  clubs  are :  The 
Art  Club  of  Providence  and  the  Players'  Club  of  that 
city.  Mr.  Martin  married,  November  25,  1913,  Helen 
Doak,  of  Belfast,  Me.  They  have  four  children:  Mar- 
shall Burnham,  Jr.,  born  June  13,  1914;  Joyce,  born  Feb. 
21,  1916;  Doak,  born  Aug.  5,  1917,  and  Richard  Fab- 
yan, born  Aug.  28,  1919. 


ALFRED  W.  LOVE,  M.  D.— Since  1907  Dr.  Love 
has  practiced  his  profession  in  Providence,  previously 
having  practiced  privately  and  as  house  surgeon  at 
Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York  City,  from  graduation  in 
1901.  He  is  a  specialist  in  Roentgenology  and  has  been 
very  successful  in  his  practice.  He  is  a  son  of  Rev. 
Edward    and    Alice    (Bostock)    Love.      Rev.    Edward 


442 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Love  was  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  London,  Eng- 
land, and  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  The  family  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1872. 

Alfred  W.  Love  was  born  in  New  York  City,  May  18, 
1877,  and  four  years  later  his  parents  moved  to  Pough- 
keepsie,  N.  Y.,  where  for  five  years  he  attended  a  private 
school.  In  1886  another  removal  was  made  to  Plain- 
field,  N.  J.,  and  there  the  lad  attended  grade  and  high 
schools.  He  then  continued  study  in  a  Plainfield  priv- 
ate school,  later  took  a  commercial  course  at  business 
college,  and  afterwards  he  followed  a  commercial  ca- 
reer for  two  years.  He  prepared  for  and  subsequently 
passed  the  New  York  State  Regents  Examination  for 
admission  to  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College,  and  in 
1897  entered  as  a  student  and  in  1901  received  his 
degree  of  M.  D.  In  iqoi  he  entered  as  a  competitor 
for  the  position  of  house  surgeon  at  Bellevue  Hospital, 
a  post  that  was  to  be  filled  by  the  winner  in  a  com- 
petitive examination,  which  proved  to  be  Dr.  Love. 
He  filled  the  position  two  years,  then  the  post  was 
again  competed  for.  Dr.  Love  again  coming  out  first  in 
the  examination.  In  1904  he  located  in  Plainfield,  N. 
J.,  practicing  there  until  1907,  and  that  year  he  came 
to  Providence,  R.  I.,  there  forming  a  professional  part- 
nership with  Dr.  L.  S.  Hill,  an  association  which  con- 
tinued two  years.  Dr.  Love  practicing  alone  since  the 
dissolution.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  his  prac- 
tice, is  very  progressive  and  modern  in  his  treatment  of 
disease,  not  hesitating  to  adopt  any  new  theory  or 
method,  if  his  judgment  approves  its  use.  Dr.  Love 
is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  .Xssociatinn ; 
Rhode  Island  State  Medical  Society;  Providence  Med- 
ical Society;  Alumni  Association  of  Bellevue  Hospital; 
Ahellon  Absolew  Phi  fraternity;  Orpheus  Lodge,  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons;  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows;  the  Presbyterian  churcli,  and  in  politics  is  an 
Independent. 

Dr.  Love  married,  in  Providence,  November  2,  igo8, 
Leonora  Hill,  daughter  of  Dr.  L.  S.  Hill,  of  the  old 
and  influential  Hill  family  of  Providence.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Love  are  the  parents  of  two  daughters:  .-Mice 
Elizabeth,  born  Jan.  2,  1910;  and  Dorothy  Roxanna. 
bom  Nov.  4,  191 1. 


DR.  GEORGE  W.  JENCKES— The  founder  of  the 
Jenckes  family  in  New  England,  Joseph  Jenckes,  who 
came  to  America  in  1642,  is  given  the  distinction  of  hav- 
ing been  "the  first  founder  to  work  in  brass  and  iron 
on  the  -American  Continent."  He  was  granted  the  first 
patent  issued  in  America,  and  is  said  to  have  cut  dies 
for  the  Boston  mint.  He  also  patented  an  improved 
grass  scythe,  which  is  practically  the  same  one  in  use 
to-day.  Joseph  Jenckes  is  representative  of  the  high- 
est type  of  pioneer,  and  was  the  founder  of  a  stock 
which  ranks  among  the  foremost  in  New  England  in 
point  of  achievement  in  the  various  industrial  and  pro- 
fessional fields.  The  Rhode  Island  family  of  the  name 
is  one  of  the  most  prominent  families  in  the  State,  and 
its  members  have  figured  actively  in  Rhode  Island  life 
and  affairs  since  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. The  late  Dr.  George  W.  Jenckes,  for  many  years 
a    well    known    member   of    the    medical    profession    in 


Woonsocket,  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  founder, 
Joseph  Jenckes,  through  a  line  of  distinguished  fore- 
bears. 

(I)  Joseph  Jenckes,  the  founder,  was  born  in  Eng- 
land, in  1602.  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city  of  Lon- 
don, and  is  thought  to  have  come  to  New  England  with 
John  Winthrop,  the  younger,  in  1643.  He  is  thought 
to  have  been  one  of  the  men  engaged  to  establish  the 
iron  works  on  the  Saugus  river,  the  first  in  New  Eng- 
land. At  least  he  was  employed  there  soon  after  the 
beginning  of  the  enterprise.  In  1646  the  Massachusetts 
General  Court  granted  him  a  patent  for  three  impor- 
tant inventions:  A  water  mill  or  wheel,  a  machine  for 
making  scythes  and  other  edged  tools,  and  a  saw-mill. 
He  then  built  a  forge  at  the  iron  works  for  the  manu- 
facture of  scythes.  He  was  the  first  coiner,  and  the 
famous  "pine  tree"  shilling  of  Massachusetts  was  cast 
in  dies  of  his  manufacture.  He  had  married  in  Eng- 
land, but  his  wife  died  prior  to  his  coming  to  Amer- 
ica. He  was  married  a  second  time  in  Lynn,  Mass., 
before  1650. 

(in  Joseph  (2)  Jenckes,  son  of  Joseph  (i)  Jenckes, 
joined  his  father  in  America,  and  probably  resided  at 
Lynn,  before  his  removal  to  Rhode  Island.  He  was  the 
first  white  man  to  build  a  home  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
where  he  was  probably  induced  to  locate  because  of  the 
water  power  to  drive  his  forge  and  saw  mill.  Accord- 
ing to  family  tradition  he  settled  there  in  1655,  but 
there  is  no  authentic  evidence  to  support  this  claim. 
The  first  mention  of  him  in  the  records  of  Providence 
is  in  the  deed  of  land  he  purchased  at  Pawtucket  Falls, 
October  10,  1671,  when  he  is  referred  to  as  an  inhab- 
itant of  Providence.  On  March  25,  i6<;iq,  he  had  been 
granted  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Pawtucket  river.  In 
January.  1670,  his  name  appears  on  the  Warwick  rec- 
ords as  foreman  of  the  jury.  Some  of  the  family  tra- 
ditions point  to  his  original  residence  in  Warwick.  Mr. 
Jenckes  built  his  forge  below  the  Falls,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  present  Main  street  of  Pawtucket.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Town  Council  in  1680,  moderator  of 
the  town  meeting  in  1679-80,  and  one  of  the  tax  asses- 
sors at  the  same  period.  On  April  28,  1679.  he  was 
chosen  to  represent  Providence  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly at  Newport,  was  speaker  of  the  assembly  from 
October,  1698,  to  February.  1699,  and  is  referred  to 
constantly  in  the  town  and  colony  records  as  "assist- 
ant" from  1684  to  1698,  during  which  time  he  acted  as 
justice  and  performed  marriages.  Joseph  Jenckes  mar- 
ried Esther  Ballard,  daughter  of  William  and  Eliza- 
beth Ballard,  of  Lynn. 

(Ill)  William  Jenckes,  son  of  Joseph  (2)  and  Es- 
ther (Ballard)  Jenckes,  was  born  in  1675;  he  was  a 
resident  of  Providence  and  North  Providence,  and  one 
of  the  foremost  men  in  Rhode  Island  in  his  day  He 
was  deputy  to  the  General  Assembly  in  1727-28-29-38. 
In  October,  1731,  he  was  allowed  £100  by  the  .Assembly 
to  build  half  a  bridge  at  Pawtucket  Falls.  In  1734-35 
he  was  justice  of  the  Inferior  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
for  the  county  of  Providence.  In  1739  he  was  deputy 
from  Smithfield.  William  Jenckes  married  (first)  Pa- 
tience   Sprague,    daughter    of   Jonathan   and    Mehitable 

(Holbrook)    Sprague.     His  second  wife,   Mary , 

died  in  1765.     He  died  October  2,  1765. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


443 


(IV)  William  (2)  Jcnckcs.  son  of  William  (i)  and 
Patience  (Sprague)  Jenckes,  was  a  resident  of  North 
Providence.  Among  his  children  was  William,  men- 
tioned below. 

(V)  William  (3")  Jenckes,  son  of  William  (2) 
Jenckes,  was  born  in  North  Providence,  and  was  a 
prosperous  farmer  there  all  his  life.  He  married.  Jan- 
uary 17,  1772,  Phebe  Jenckes,  daughter  of  Ebcnezer 
Jenckes.  Among  their  children  was  Job,  mentioned 
below. 

(VI)  Job  Jenckes,  son  of  William  (3)  and  Phebe 
(Jcnckcs)  Jenckes.  married  Sarah  .Mdrich. 

(Nil)  George  Jenckes,  son  of  Job  and  Sarah  (.Md- 
rich) Jenckes,  was  a  resident  of  Cumberland,  R.  1. 
He  married  .-Kbigail  Farniim,  member  of  a  prominent 
old  Rhode  Island  family,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
Dr.  George  W.  Jenckes,  mentioned  below. 

(VIII)  Dr.  George  Washington  Jenckes,  son  of 
George  and  Abigail  (Farnum)  Jenckes,  was  born  in 
Cumberland.  R.  I.,  August  17,  1829.  He  received  his 
early  education  in  private  schools  in  Union  Village, 
Smithfield,  R.  I.,  and  later  attended  a  private  academy 
at  Worcester,  Mass.,  where  he  was  prepared  for  col- 
lege. He  entered  Brown  University,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1851,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts.  In  the  same  ye.Tr  he  entered  the  Harvard  Med- 
ical School,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1854.  He  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,  in  the  same  year,  and  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  settled  in  Woonsocket,  and  with- 
in a  short  period,  having  demonstrated  his  skill  and 
ability  as  a  physician  and  surgeon,  he  built  up  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice.  Dr.  Jenckes  was  highly  re- 
spected among  fellow  members  of  the  profession,  not 
only  for  his  ability  in  his  chosen  work,  but  for  his  in- 
defatigable efforts  on  behalf  of  the  Woonsocket  Hos- 
pital, of  which  he  was  one  of  the  foremost  promoters, 
and  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  tireless  workers.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  committee  which  had  charge  of 
the  building  of  the  hospital,  which  was  dedicated  on 
July  9,  18S8,  and  throughout  his  life  was  one  of  the 
most  active  and  influential  of  its  benefactors.  It  was 
his  especial  pride,  and  under  his  direction  the  institu- 
tion was  greatly  expanded  and  developed.  Dr.  Jenckes 
was  for  many  years  head  of  the  medical  staff  of  the 
hospital,  a  member  of  the  executive  committee,  and  of 
the  board  of  trustees,  and  also  president  of  the  hos- 
pital corporation.  At  one  time  he  was  president  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Medical  Society.  For  several  decades 
prior  to  his  retirement  from  practice  in  1907,  he  was  one 
of  the  foremost  leaders  of  the  medical  profession  in 
Woonsocket,  and  his  career  has  left  a  deep  imprint  on 
the  annals  of  the  profession. 

Dr.  George  W.  Jenckes  married,  January  i,  1859, 
Martha  Ann  Hunt,  daughter  of  George  Washington 
and  Nancy  (Harkness)  Hunt,  of  Mendon,  Mass  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  1.  Dr. 
Frank  H.  Jenckes,  of  Woonsocket.  2.  Waldo  W.,  of 
Milford.  Mass.  3.  Clara  H.,  who  resides  at  No.  159 
Spring  street,  Woonsocket.  4.  Earl  S.,  of  Reading,  Pa, 
Dr.  Jenckes  died  at  his  home  in  Woonsocket.  R.  I., 
January  27,  1913. 


WILLARD  TREAT  HATCH— Faithful  and  in- 
telligent work,  coupled  with  imatjination  restrained  by 
common  sense,  have  contributed  largely  to  the  useful- 
ness of  the  life  of  Willard  Treat  Hatch,  who  for  more 
than  thirty  years  has  been  prominent  in  the  engineering 
service  of  the  Bnwn  &  Sharpc  .Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, of  Providence,  R.  I.  Mr.  Hatch  counts  among 
his  ancestors  an  unusual  number  of  the  earliest  settlers 
of  New  England.  Through  his  father  he  is  descended 
from  John  .-Mden  and  Priscilla  Mullens,  and  from 
William  and  Susanna  White,  who  came  to  Plvmouth  in 
the  "Mayflower"  on  her  famous  voyage  in  1620.  He  is 
descended  from  Elder  William  Hatch,  and  the  farm 
in  Marsht'ield,  Mass.,  upon  which  he  was  born,  has  been 
initil  recently  owned  continuously  by  his  Hatch  an- 
cestors for  upwards  of  two  hundred  years.  .\t  least 
two  of  his  great-grandfathers.  Lieutenant  Amos  Hatch 
and  Major  Briggs  Thomas,  did  military  duty  during  the 
Revolutionary  War.  .Among  Mr.  Hatch's  nialernal  an- 
cestors are:  William  .Ames,  born  in  Bruton,  England, 
in  i()05,  who  settled  in  Braintree,  Mass.,  iKrfore  1640; 
Humphrey  Turner,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Sci- 
tuate,  Mass.;  and  the  "Widow  Ford,"  who  came  with 
her  children  in  the  "Fortune"  in  1621. 

Willard  Treat  Hatch  was  born  October  30,  1852. 
His  father.  Israel  Hatch,  was  born  upon  the  ancestral 
farm  in  Marshtield,  September  16,  1818,  and  died  there 
I'ebruary  16.  1854.  He  was  a  consistent  Christian,  a 
respected  citizen,  and  a  good  carpenter.  The  mother 
of  Willard  T.  Hatch  was  .Abigail  Ford  (.Ames)  Hatch, 
born  in  Hanover.  Mass.,  June  27.  1818.  She  combined 
rare  artistic  skill  with  great  practical  wisdom.  She  was 
beloved  for  her  personal  graces  and  for  her  fine  Chris- 
tian character.  Mr.  Hatch's  parents  were  married 
November  26,  1840.  He  was  the  youngest  of  their  five 
children.  In  1859,  his  widowed  mother  married  Sam- 
uel Trolman,  of  South  Scituate,  Mass.,  the  family  then 
moving  to  that  town.  The  mother  died  there  March 
15.   '8<'>2. 

The  early  education  of  Willard  Treat  Hatch  was 
secured  in  the  district  schools  of  Marshfield  and  South 
Scituate,  at  Hanover  Academy,  and  at  the  Hanover 
High  School.  In  the  spring  of  1869,  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Putnam  Machine  Company  of  Fitchburg, 
Mass.,  as  an  apprentice.  He  soon  perceived  the  close 
relation  between  manual  skill  and  engineering  theory, 
and  accordingly  entered  the  Worcester  Polytechnic  In- 
stitute, from  wliich  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1873, 
with  the  degree  of  B.  S.  He  then  returned  to  the 
Putnam  Machine  Company  as  a  machine  draughts- 
man, and  remained  with  them  until  the  spring  of  1875, 
when  he  removed  to  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  to  accept 
an  engineering  position  with  the  Atlas  Works,  of  that 
city.  This  company  was  later  reorganized  as  the  .Atlas 
Engine  Works,  and  he  became  its  superintendent  in 
1S79.  Mr.  Hatch  severed  his  connection  with  the  .Atlas 
Engine  Works  in  1883,  to  become  superintendent  of  the 
Dayton  Screw  Company  of  Dayton,  Ohio.  He  again 
returned  to  Fitchburg,  temporarily,  in  connection  with 
the  Simonds  Rolling  Machine  Company.  He  later  re- 
moved to  Providence,  and  soon  after  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Brown  &  Sharpe  Manufacturing  Company, 
as  a  mechanical  engineer.    This  was  in  1889,  and  he  has 


444 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


remained  with  this  concern  ever  since.  During  this 
time  their  works  have  been  very  greatly  extended  and 
very  largely  in  accordance  with  his  designs.  Mr. 
Hatch  has  long  been  regarded  as  an  authority  upon  the 
planning  and  arrangement  of  manufacturing  buildings, 
including  their  construction  and  equipment,  the  devel- 
opment and  distribution  of  power,  and  the  kindred 
problems  connected  with  modem  industrial  develop- 
ment. Mr.  Hatch  is  a  member  of  the  American  So- 
ciety of  Mechanical  Engineers,  of  the  Providence  Engi- 
neering Society,  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  So- 
ciety, the  Providence  Athenaeum,  the  Rhode  Island 
School  of  Design,  the  Wannamoisett  Country  Club, 
and  of  numerous  local  societies.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Rhode  Island  Society  of  Mayflower  De- 
scendants, and  has  served  as  its  governor  for  three 
years.  Mr.  Hatch  was  brought  up  in  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  but  for  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  been 
a  member  of  the  First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  of 
Providence.  He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  its 
affairs  and  was  for  several  years  its  treasurer.  Mr. 
Hatch  has  never  entered  politics.  He  has  usually  voted 
with  the  Republican  party  in  national  issues,  and  as  an 
Independent  in  local  affairs.  He  is  actively  interested 
in  civic  improvements  and  moral  reforms. 

W'illard  Treat  Hatch  married  Mary  Hamilton,  in 
Indianapolis,  Ind.,  April  i,  1879.  Their  children  are: 
Helen  Hamilton,  Margaret  Hamilton,  and  Dorothy 
Elizabeth.  They  also  had  a  son,  Hamilton  Ames,  who 
died  in  infancy. 


J.  TOWNSEND  WALKER,  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful of  the  younger  business  men  and  manufac- 
turers of  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  is  interested  in 
a  number  of  large  industrial  enterprises,  is  a  native 
of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  at  which  city  he  was  born  May  12, 
1885,  a  son  of  James  T.  and  Flora  (Wells)  Walker, 
who  now  resides  at  Hartford,  Conn.  His  maternal 
grandfather  was  General  Henry  H.  Wells,  of  De- 
troit, Mich.,  an  officer  of  the  Civil  War,  who  was 
placed  in  charge  of  Richmond,  Va.,  after  its  capture 
by  the  Union  forces,  and  later  became  United  States 
District  Attorney  for  the  District  of  Columbia. 

The  education  of  J.  Townsend  Walker  was  received 
in  the  public  schools  of  Palmyra,  N.  Y.,  and  it  was  in 
that  town  that  he  first  began  his  business  career  as  an 
employee  of  the  Garlock  Packing  Company.  After 
spending  four  years  in  the  factory  of  this  concern,  he 
was  offered  a  position  in  the  company's  office  at  Phil- 
adelphia, which  he  accepted.  Before  going  to  Phila- 
celphia,  however,  he  stopped  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  and 
while  in  that  city  met  Mr.  Street,  of  the  firm  of  Eddy 
&  Street,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  This  chance  meeting 
played  an  important  part  in  directing  the  career  of 
the  young  man,  for  Mr.  Street  persuaded  him  to  come 
to  Providence,  and  offered  him  a  position  in  the  office 
of  his  firm  here.  It  was  in  June,  1904,  that  Mr. 
Walker  came  to  this  city,  and  for  nearly  five  years 
was  employed  in  the  office  of  Eddy  &  Street,  dealers 
in  cotton  yarns.  During  that  period  he  rapidly  de- 
veloped into  an  experienced  and  capable  business  man, 
and  in  1908  engaged  in  the  business  of  cotton  yarns, 
under  his  own  name.     He  continued   in  this  business 


alone  for  some  three  months,  and  then  entered  into  a 
partnership  with  William  C.  Johnson,  of  Providence, 
and  the  firm  of  Johnson  &  Walker  was  formed,  occu- 
pying offices  in  the  Bannigan  building.  They  later 
removed  to  No.  17  Exchange  street,  and  the  business 
was  continued  until  1917,  when  Mr.  Walker  sold  his 
interest  to  his  partner.  In  the  meantime  the  two  gen- 
tlemen formed  an  association  with  Charles  N.  Dyer 
and  Andrew  Rodgers,  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  bought 
the  Narragansett  Narrow  Fabric  Company,  of  Paw- 
tucket,  R.  I.,  the  plant  of  which  they  removed  to 
Lowell,  Mass.,  and  reorganized  it  as  the  Union  Web- 
bing Company,  for  the  manufacture  of  narrow  web- 
bing. The  officers  of  this  concern  were:  Charles  N. 
Dyer,  president;  J.  Townsend  Walker,  vice-president; 
W.  C.  Johnson,  treasurer;  and  Andrew  Rodgers,  gen- 
eral manager.  At  first  the  business  did  not  go  as  well 
as  had  been  hoped  and  expected,  and  in  February, 
1913,  owing  to  financial  difficulties,  another  reorgani- 
zation became  necessary,  in  which  Mr.  Walker  was 
chosen  president  and  genera!  manager,  and  W.  C. 
Johnson,  vice-president  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Walker 
then  undertook  the  operation  of  the  plant,  continuing 
it  in  Lowell  until  1914,  when  he  removed  it  to  No.  19 
Grosvenor  avenue,  East  Providence.  During  his  oper- 
ation of  the  plant,  Mr.  Walker  turned  a  steadily 
mounting  deficit  into  a  handsome  yearly  profit,  and 
the  enterprise  became  a  most  successful  one.  His 
management  of  this  concern  showed  an  extraordinary 
executive  and  administrative  ability  on  the  part  of 
Mr.  Walker,  and  established  for  him  an  enviable  repu- 
tation in  the  industrial  world  as  a  man  of  capability 
and  resource.  On  June  15,  191 7,  however,  he  sold  his 
interest  in  the  firm  of  Johnson  &  Walker,  and  retired 
from  the  directorate  of  the  Union  Webbing  Company, 
it  being  his  intention  to  keep  out  of  business  for  a 
time.  On  August  31,  1917,  however,  he  purchased 
the  corporation  and  business  of  the  Star  Webbing 
Company,  of  Brockton,  Mass.,  and  reorganized  the 
concern  as  the  Walker  Webbing  Company,  with  J.  T. 
Walker,  president,  treasurer  and  general  manager.  He 
added  greatly  to  the  plant  and  facilities,  so  that  at 
present  (1918)  its  output  has  been  doubled,  and  the 
offices  are  now  situated  at  No.  332  Grosvenor  build- 
ing. Providence.  In  March,  1918,  Mr.  Walker  pur- 
chased the  Thompson  Finishing  Company,  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  and  organized  it  as  the  Townsend  Braid- 
ing Company,  with  a  factory  at  No.  85  Wickenden 
street,  for  the  manufacture  of  shoe  laces.  In  the 
following  June  he  consolidated  the  Lull  Braiding  Com- 
pany of  Aborn  street.  Providence,  with  the  Town- 
send  Braiding  Company,  and  this  concern  has  now  a 
large  plant,  equipped  with  splendid  modern  facilities 
and  of  large  capacity.  J.  T.  Walker  is  president  and 
treasurer  of  the  concern,  and  L.  C.  Osborne  is  the 
manager.  The  Walker  Webbing  Company  now  acts 
as  the  selling  agent  for  the  Townsend  Braiding  Com- 
pany. In  addition  to  his  activities  in  the  industrial 
world,  Mr.  Walker  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
general  life  of  the  community,  where  he  has  elected 
to  live,  and  is  now  a  prominent  citizen  here.  He  is 
a  member  of  Corinthian  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted   Masons;     Providence   Chapter,   Royal   Arch 


e<^' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


445 


Masons,  of  this  city,  and  is  interested  in  the  local 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  In  politics  lie  is 
a  Republican. 

J.  Townsend  Walker  was  united  in  marriage,  No- 
vember 24,  1909,  with  Anginette  Claire  MacDonald, 
daughter  of  Frederick  and  Jane  MacDonald,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  East  Providence.  They 
are  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Aline 
Claire,  Virginia  Wells,  J.  Townsend,  Jr.,  and  Kenneth 
Byron.  The  family  residence  is  at  No.  6  Channing 
avenue,   Providence,   R.   I. 

The  career  of  Mr.  Walker  reads  like  a  romance, 
and  his  accomplishment  is  truly  e.xtraordinary  for  so 
young  a  man,  yet  it  is  simply  the  result  of  clear 
headed,  logical  business  judgment,  and  while  it  is 
true  that  such  judgment  is  rare  indeed  at  his  years, 
yet  his  success  has  been  well  founded.  His  achieve- 
ment is  in  no  sense  the  result  of  fortuitous  circum- 
stances, but  of  hard  work,  perseverance  and  ability, 
and  it  is  safe  to  predict  that  his  career,  thus  brilliantly 
begtm,  holds  a  promise  of  even  more  notable  accom- 
plishment for  the  future  and  for  a  long  life  of  worthy 
service  to  the  community. 


WALTER  HERBERT  POTTER,  M.  D.— Since 
1912,  Dr.  Potter  has  practiced  medicine  in  Providence, 
having  graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical  College  two 
years  previously.  He  is  a  son  of  Walter  Crawford 
and  Elizabeth  (Jackson)  Potter,  both  residents  of  his 
home,  No.  628  Broad  street,  Providence,  K.  I. 

Walter  Herbert  Potter  was  born  in  Providence,  Sep- 
tember 5,  1884.  and  until  finishing  public  grammar 
school  courses  was  regularly  in  attendance  at  schools 
in  Attleboro  and  Providence.  His  health  then  became 
a  more  important  consideration,  and  four  years  were 
spent  out-of-doors,  and  this  in  itself  was  an  education, 
for  he  became  an  expert  with  gun  and  rod,  sports  he 
still  has  the  greatest  fondness  for.  A  year  was  then 
spent  under  a  private  tutor,  and  as  rapidly  as  health  per- 
mitted his  studies  were  prosecuted  in  Providence  and 
Boston  schools.  The  resolution  he  made  when  a 
youth  of  nineteen  then  resulted,  and  in  1910,  he  was 
graduated  from  JefTcrson  Medical  College  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  Two  years  were  then  spent  in  gain- 
ing experience  at  Bellevue  and  Gouvcrneur  hospitals 
as  interne,  after  which  he  returned  to  his  native  Provi- 
dence, where  he  is  well  established  in  general  practice. 
Dr.  Potter  was  class  historian,  and  during  the  years 
1909-10  he  was  president  of  his  college  fraternity,  Phi 
Alpha  Sigma.  For  two  years  he  was  associate  editor 
of  "The  JefTersonian,"  the  college  paper,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  college  societies,  the  W.  W.  King  Sur- 
gical, Forbes  .Anatomical  League,  and  the  Spitzka 
Anatomical  League.  He  does  all  the  charitable  work 
at  Blackstone  Hospital,  Providence,  and  no  demand 
upon  his  professional  skill  is  unheeded.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Providence  Revolver  and  Gun  Club,  and 
an  ardent  follower  of  those  kindred  out-of-door  sports, 
hunting  and  fishing.  He  is  a  member  of  lodge,  chap- 
ter, council  and  commandery  of  the  Masonic  order. 
York  Rite,  and  in  the  Scottish  Rite  has  attained  the 
thirty-second  degree. 

Dr.  Potter  married,  December  4,  1912,  Grace  Fran- 
ces Kniesly,  of  Pawtucket. 


ROBERT  MUIR— The  late  Robert  Muir,  a  familiar 
figure  in  mercantile  circles  in  Providence  from  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War  to  the  opening  of  the  present 
century,  and  one  of  the  leading  grocers  and  provi- 
sioners  of  the  city  during  that  period,  was  born  in 
Scotland,  where  the  Muir  and  Moore  families  have 
ligurcd  prominently  in  history  for  centuries.  He  was 
a  son  of  Andrew  and  Sarah  Muir,  of  Glasgow,  where 
he  was  educated  and  grew  to  young  manhood. 

Coming  to  America  in  early  manhood,  Robert  Muir 
located  in  Providence,  where  he  secured  his  first  em- 
ployment with  the  Gorham  Company.  Finding  the 
opportunity  in  this  field  too  limited,  and  ambitious  to 
engage  in  business  lor  himself,  he  left  the  Gorham 
Company  and  established  a  small  grocery  and  market 
on  the  corner  of  Elm  and  Richmond  streets.  This  ven- 
ture proved  a  success  from  the  very  outset,  expanded 
rapidly,  and  within  a  short  period  had  developed  into 
one  of  the  most  flourishing  concerns  of  its  kind  in  the 
city.  Mr.  Muir  conducted  this  business  successfully 
for  nearly  fifty  years,  during  which  time  he  was  a  well 
known  and  respected  factor  in  business  circles.  In 
addition  to  carrying  on  this  extensive  business,  he 
also  took  a  deep  interest  in  real  estate  and  property 
development  in  and  around  Providence,  and  was  the 
owner  of  large  holdings.  Mr.  Muir  retired  from  active 
aflfairs  about  1895. 

Robert  Muir  married,  in  Providence,  Agnes  Gray, 
who  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Gray.  William  Gray  was  also  a  well  known 
grocer  of  Providence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Muir  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Sarah  E.,  mar- 
ried Josiah  F.  Bates,  of  Providence:  their  children 
are:  Howard  C,  married  .Ann  M.  Smith,  of  Lexing- 
ton. Ky. ;  Marion.  2.  Albert  W.,  of  Providence; 
married  Cora  Mathews:  they  were  the  parents  of 
one  child,  Albert  D.,  Jr.,  who  married  Edna  Metz,  of 
Harrington,  R.  I.  3.  Agnes  E.,  married  Fred  W.  Dex- 
ter, of  Pawtucket;  their  children  are:  Agnes  Gray, 
wife  of  Erwin  C.  Thompkins,  of  Aron,  III.;  Wal- 
lace Gordon.  Mrs.  Muir  died  in  Providence,  May  2". 
1008.  Mr.  Muir  was  a  member  of  the  Union  Congre- 
gational Church  of  Providence  for  many  years,  and  at 
one  time  held  oflSce  as  a  deacon.  Robert  Muir  died 
at  his  home  in  Providence,  April  16,  19 


JAMES  LOREN  ANTHONY— The  J.  L.  An- 
thony Comp.Tny.  of  Providence,  incorporated  in  1914, 
is  a  consolidation  of  one  of  the  new  and  one  of  the 
old  industries  of  the  city.  In  1907  the  new  business, 
silver  chasing  and  designing,  was  founded  by  Mr. 
.Anthony,  who  in  1909  added  the  business  of  the  A.  C. 
Noycs  Company,  and  in  191 2  bought  out  J.  A.  Charn- 
ley,  one  of  the  oldest  manufacturers  of  fancy  wire  and 
flat  metals  in  Providence.  .As  secretary-treasurer  of 
the  J.  L.  Anthony  Company,  and  its  practical  mechan- 
ical head,  Mr.  .Anthony's  skill  as  a  designer,  expert- 
ness  as  a  mechanic,  and  ability  as  a  business  man 
contributes  largely  to  the  success  of  the  corporation 
he  founded. 

James  L.  .Anthony  was  a  son  of  James  T.  .Anthony, 
a  mariner  and  whaler,  who  at  the  time  of  his  retire- 
ment from  the  sea  was  a  first  mate.  When  wearied  of 
the   dangers   of   whaling,   he    retired   to    his    home    in 


446 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Providence,  and  for  twenty-three  years  was  foreman 
with  the  W.  J.  Braitch  Company,  of  Providence,  but 
now  is  associated  with  the  Gorham  Manufacturing 
Company.     He  married  Pearl  Perkins,  of  New  York. 

James  Loren  Anthony  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  February  2,  1888,  the  then  home  of  the  family 
beini;  the  present  site  of  the  Classical  High  School 
building.  After  passing  the  grades  of  Roger  Williams 
Avenue  Grammar  School,  he  entered  a  technical  high 
school,  remaining  three  years.  While  attending  high 
school  he  had  been  employed  as  an  evening  attendant 
at  the  public  library,  and  after  leaving  high  school  he 
was  appointed  a  full  time  attendant,  and  so  continued 
for  two  years,  being  assigned  to  the  art  department. 
This  work  was  very  congenial,  for  he  was  of  an  artis- 
tic nature,  his  gift  being  the  art  of  design,  one  most 
valuable  in  the  business  he  pursued. 

From  the  library  Mr.  Anthony  went  to  the  Gorham 
Manufacturing  Company,  and  there  spent  four  years, 
thoroughly  mastering  the  trade  of  chaser,  taking  a 
night  school  course  during  this  period  in  the  Rhode 
Island  School  of  Design.  His  talent  for  designing 
aided  him  greatly  in  perfecting  himself  in  his  trade, 
the  ability  to  design  and  then  to  execute  being  rarely 
found  in  the  same  person.  He  remained  with  the  Gor- 
ham Company  until  1907,  then  established  in  business 
for  himself  at  No.  112  Union  street,  doing  a  jobbing 
business  and  doing  chasing  for  the  trade.  At  No.  S3 
Eddy  street,  A.  C.  Noyes  conducted  a  similar  business, 
which  Mr.  Anthony  bought  out  in  1909,  and  consoli- 
dated with  his  own,  but  it  did  not  measure  up  to  his 
full  powers,  and  in  1912  he  went  outside  his  line  and 
bought  out  J.  A.  Charnley,  who  was  an  old  and  reput- 
able manufacturer  of  fancy  wire  and  flat  metal  used 
in  the  silver  manufacturing  and  jewelry  business.  With 
the  consolidation  of  the  two  concerns  a  new  location 
was  found.  No.  161  Dorrance  street,  where  a  very 
prosperous  business  in  both  lines  was  built  up.  In 
1914  more  capital  being  needed  to  carry  out  enlarge- 
ments of  factory  space,  he  incorporated  the  busi- 
ness as  the  J.  L.  Anthony  Company,  Thomas  F. 
O'Donnell,  president,  James  L.  Anthony,  secretary- 
treasurer.  The  factory  floor  space  was  doubled,  new 
machinery  was  installed,  and  a  greatly  improved  plant 
succeeded  the  old  one.  In  addition  to  an  increased 
private  trade,  the  fine  equipment  of  the  plant  was 
devoted  to  government  work.  Mr.  Anthony  was  a 
member  of  Nestelle  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons; Providence  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  

Council,  Royal  and  Select  Masters,  and  Calvary  Com- 
mandery.  Knights  Templar.  He  was  a  member  of 
Grace  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  politics  an  Inde- 
pendent. 

Mr.  .'\nthony  married,  January  30,  1913,  Millicent 
Reed,  of  Wrmont.  they  the  parents  of  two  cliildren; 
Virginia,  born  June  2,  1915.  and  Loren  Reed,  born 
April  25,  1919.     Mr.  Anthony  died  October  22,   1918. 


Thayer,  who  yet  survives  him,  a  resident  of  North 
.\ttleboro.  Atwood,  Hathaway  and  Thayer  are  among 
the  oldest  and  most  reputable  of  New  England  names, 
all  being  of  English  ancestors  and  early  Colonial 
ancestry. 

Ira  Osmond  Atwood  was  born  at  North  Attle- 
boro,  Mass.,  November  2,  1884,  and  there  attended 
grade  and  high  schools.  He  finished  his  courses  at 
Coles  Preparatory  College,  with  graduation  in  1890, 
then  entered  Tufts  Dental  College,  receiving  his  de- 
gree, D.  M.  D.,  at  graduation,  class  of  1904.  The 
following  year  he  located  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and 
there  yet  practices.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode 
Island  State  Dental  Association,  the  Elmwood  and 
University    clubs,    and    Delia    Sigma    Delia    fraternity. 

Dr.  Atwood  married,  in  igio,  Lillian  Frances  Hal- 
sey,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  They  are  the  parents  of: 
Cecil  Andrew,  born  in  1912;  Richard  Eddy,  born  in 
1915;    and  Jane,  born  in  1918. 


IRA  OSMOND  ATWOOD,  D.  M.  D.— Since  1905, 
Dr.  Atwood  has  practised  his  profession  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  with  much  success.  His  office  is  at  380 
Elmwood  avenue.  He  is  a  son  of  Osmond  Hathaway 
Atwood.  a  manufacturing  jeweler  of  North  Attleboro, 
Mass.,   until   his   death.      He  married   Harville   Joanna 


NORA  PERRY— Although  Nora  Perry  was  born 
in  Dudley,  Mass.,  in  1831,  and  died  there  in  1896,  she 
passed  most  of  her  life  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  was 
one  of  the  talented  women  of  her  day  and  genera- 
tion. She  was  a  graduate  of  the  Providence  High 
School,  and  lived  with  her  parents,  Harvey  and  Sarah 
(Benson)   Perry,  on  North  Main  street. 

Nora  Perry's  writings  have  a  light  and  graceful 
charm;  her  poems  and  short  stories  became  very  pop- 
ular among  those  who  could  appreciate  her  versatility. 
For  years  she  contributed  to  the  Providence  "Daily 
Journal"  a  weekly  letter  from  Boston,  where  she  met 
the  celebrated  and  intellectual  people  of  that  time. 
She  contributed  frequently  to  the  ".'\tlantic  Monthly," 
then  published  by  the  Ticknors,  of  Boston,  and  to  the 
"Harper's"  and  other  publications.  Her  poem  that 
had  widest  circulation  and  is  still  best  known,  per- 
haps, was  also  her  longest,  "After  the  Ball,"  a  poem 
that  fits  all  times  and  ages,  and  is  a  vivid  picture  in 
verse.  Her  first  poem  published,  probably  in  a  daily 
paper,  was  "A  Country  Walk;"  its  catchy  refrain: 
"Tying  her  bonnet  under  her  chin,  she  tied  the  young 
man's  heart  within."  These  verses,  which  were  put 
to  music,  were  widely  copied  and  at  once  established 
her  reputation  as  a  sweet  singer.  Her  poem  of  the 
Revolutionary  boys'  visit  to  the  English  officers  in 
command  in  Boston,  and  demanding  their  right  to 
possession  of  a  certain  part  of  Boston  Common, 
always  allowed  them  for  sliding  and  other  winter 
sports,  is  a  capital  historical  sketch,  and  well  ex- 
presses the  American  spirit  with  its  "For  we're  Yan- 
kees, Yankees,  Yankees,  and  the  Yankees  know  their 
rights."  The  same  fearless,  moral  courage  that  has 
taken  "the  Yankees"  successfully  through  the  great 
World  War  of  1914-1918.  Nora  Perry  also  wrote 
many  short  stories,  whicli  were  published  in  the  best 
magazines;  they  were  more  like  the  stories  of  the 
present  generation  than  her  own,  and  typify  her  abil- 
ity as  a  prose  writer;  "Our  Iceman"  and  "Drawn 
by  a  Thread"  are  like  a  glimpse  into  the  future  from 
the  date  of  their  inception.  Nora  Perry's  poems  were 
collected  and  published  in  four  volumes,  which  may 
still  be  found  in  some  of  the  libraries,  although  they 
are  now  out  of  print. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


447 


Personally.  Miss  Perry  was  an  attractive  woman, 
and  a  brilliant  conversationalist;  in  person  she  was 
not  very  tall,  and  perhaps  not  very  handsome,  a  strong, 
rather  than  a  pretty,  face,  she  had  an  abundance  of 
beautiful  blonde  hair,  always  artistically  arranged. 
She  was  endowed  with  a  quick,  sparkling  wit,  and  the 
impression  she  made  was  very  pleasing.  Many  years 
of  her  life  were  passed  in  caring  for  her  aged  mother 
in  a  cozy  little  apartment  in  Providence,  where  she  had 
collected  pictures  and  books  that  disclosed  her  indi- 
viduality. Like  the  literary  women  of  this  day,  she  was 
practical  as  well  as  gifted,  and  many  a  delicious  "tea" 
and  luncheon  were  served  in  that  cozy  little  home.  She 
was  generous  to  younger  writers,  with  words  of  en- 
couragement and  appreciation,  always  finding  some- 
thing to  praise,  and  her  criticisms  were  just. 

Nora  Perry's  collected  poems  are  published  in  four 
volumes:  ".Vfter  the  Ball"  and  other  poems,  published 
in  1875.  by  Osgood  &  Company,  Boston;  "Her  Lov- 
er's Friend,"  published  in  1880,  by  Houghton,  Osgood 
&  Company.  Boston;  "Xew  Songs  and  Ballads,"  pub- 
lished in  1887,  by  Ticknor  &  Company.  Boston; 
"Lyrics  and  Legends."  published  in  1891,  by  Little, 
Brown  &  Company,  Boston. 


WILLIAM  H.  BAILEY— Since  1902,  William  H. 
Bailey  has  been  associated  with  the  L.  B.  Darlington 
Fertilizer  Company,  first  as  manager  of  a  department, 
but  since  1903  as  superintendent  of  the  entire  plant.  He 
is  a  son  of  Henry  A.  and  Eliza  (Lanton)  Bailey,  both 
of  Rhode  Island  birth,  his  father  a  wheelwright  of 
Natick  for  over  forty  years,  and  there  both  he  and  his 
wife  are  buried. 

William  H.  Bailey  was  born  in  Natick.  R.  I.,  August 
29,  i860,  and  there  attended  school  until  in  his  eleventh 
year.  Work  days  then  began  for  the  lad.  and  for 
four  years  he  was  employed  in  a  cotton  mill.  In  his 
fifteenth  year  he  shook  the  dust  of  a  cotton  mill  from 
his  shoes,  and  for  six  years  breathed  the  pure  air  of 
a  farm  at  Hills  Grove,  owned  by  his  employer.  John 
H.  Collingwood.  After  six  years  as  a  farmer,  he 
returned  to  the  city  and  spent  three  years  in  Provi- 
dence, as  a  conductor  with  the  Union  Railway  Com- 
pany, followed  by  years  as  fireman  on  the  Providence 
&  Worcester  Railroad.  In  1880  he  was  in  Chicago, 
and  was  employed  by  Darling  &  Company,  at  the 
Union  Stock  yards,  that  company  a  branch  of  the  L.  B. 
Darling  Fertilizer  Company,  of  Pawtucket,  and  there 
he  continued  until  1887.  becoming  superintendent. 
The  following  years  until  1902  were  spent  in  the  employ 
of  Nelson  Morris  &  Company,  the  meat  packers  at  St. 
Louis,  111.,  his  position,  foreman  of  the  rendering  bone 
and  fertilizer  department.  He  then  came  to  Pawtucket 
and  entered  the  employ  of  the  L.  B.  Darling  Fertilizer 
Company  as  foreman  of  the  glue  factory,  being  pro- 
moted superintendent  of  the  entire  plant  the  follow- 
ing year. 

Mr.  Bailey  married  (first)  in  iSfjo.  Nellie  Sweeting, 
of  Crawford  county.  Mo.,  who  died  in  1891.  He  mar- 
ried (second)  in  1S92,  Nellie  Grote,  of  East  St.  Louis, 
111.,  who  died  two  and  a  half  years  later,  leaving  a 
daughter,  Mary  Jane,  now  residing  with  her  lather  in 
Pawtucket.  He  married  (third)  January  14.  1908.  Eliz- 
abeth Brady,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  The  family  home  is 
at  No.  59  Francis  avenue. 


DR.  JOHN  VINCENT  O'CONNOR,  one  of  the 
most  successful  physicians  and  a  specialist  on  internal 
medicine,  is  a  native  of  Blackstone,  Mass.,  where  his 
birth  occurred  October  5,  1886.  Dr.  O'Connor  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  .Anastasia  (Dwyer)  O'Connor, 
both  of  whom  are  now  deceased,  the  former  dying  in 
191 1  and  the  latter  in  July,  1918.  Thomas  O'Connor 
was  for  many  years  a  correspondent  for  the  old 
Woonsocket  "Reporter,"  and  in  later  years  was  engaged 
in  insurance  business.  His  health,  however,  was  very 
poor  and  he  was  an  invalid  for  some  years  prior  to 
his  death.  Dr.  O'Connor  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Blackstone,  Mass.,  and  of  Woonsocket,  and 
afterwards  attended  the  Boston  Preparatory  School 
for  two  and  a  half  years.  The  circumstances  of  his 
family  were  very  moderate,  but  Dr.  O'Connor  was  a 
youth  of  great  enterprise  and  ambition  and  was  de- 
termined upon  gaining  a  first  rate  education.  Accord- 
ingly, after  completing  his  preparatory  studies,  he 
secured  a  position  which  enabled  him  at  once  to  care 
for  his  family  and  continue  his  own  studies.  While 
still  very  young,  Dr.  O'Connor  had  decided  to  adopt 
the  medical  profession  as  a  career,  and,  accordingly, 
entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  at 
Baltimore.  Al  this  institution  he  made  a  reputation 
as  a  diligent  and  intelligent  student  and  was  gradu- 
ated therefrom  as  president  of  the  class  of  191 1,  with 
the  degree  of  Medical  Doctor.  During  this  entire 
period  he  had  paid  for  his  own  tuition  and  continued 
to  care  for  his  relatives.  After  his  course  at  this  insti- 
tution, he  served  for  one  year  as  interne  at  the  Mercy 
Hospital  of  Baltimore,  and  then  in  1912  came  to  Woon- 
socket. and  engaged  in  general  practice.  Dr.  O'Con- 
nor was  successful  from  the  first  and  has  developed  a 
large  and  high-class  clientele.  It  was  his  intention, 
however,  to  eventually  specialize,  and  with  this  end  in 
view  he  returned  to  Baltimore  early  in  1917,  and  en- 
tered the  Johns  Hopkins  University,  and  for  one  year 
was  under  the  tutorage  of  the  late  Dr.  Theodore  Jane- 
way.  The  following  year  was  spent  in  various  col- 
leges and  hospitals  in  Boston,  taking  a  post-graduate 
course  in  internal  medicine.  He  completed  this  course 
in  1918,  and  in  the  month  of  .\ugust  of  that  year,  re- 
turned to  Woonsocket  and  resumed  practice,  this  time 
as  a  specialist  in  internal  medicine.  In  this  he  has 
met  with  unqualified  success  and  has  already  made  a 
name  for  himself  as  an  authority  in  this  line.  Dr. 
O'Connor  has  always  been  keenly  interested  in  public 
aflfairs,  but  has  remained  independent  of  political 
parties.  He  is  one  of  that  ever  growing  group  of  intel- 
ligent men  who  prefer  to  exercise  their  independent 
judgment  on  all  issues  of  public  interest  and  constitute 
without  doubt  the  most  valuable  element  in  our  citizen- 
ship. Dr.  O'Connor  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his  reli- 
gious belief  and  attends  St.  Charles  Church  of  this 
denomination  at  Woonsocket.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
local  council.  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Phi  Chi  Col- 
lege fraternity,  the  Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  the  Woonsocket  Medical  Society,  and  a 
fellow  of  the  .American  Medical  .Association. 

Dr.  O'Connor  was  united  in  marriage.  June  25.  1917. 
with  Mary  Elizabeth  Greene,  of  Woonsocket,  and  a 
daughter  of  James  F.  and  Mary  (Ryan)  Greene.  The>' 
are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Edward  Greene,  born 
July  29,   1919. 


448 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


WILLIAM  G.  TROY— Troy  street,  OIneyville, 
Providence,  is  so  called  in  honor  of  James  Troy,  one 
of  the  earliest  Irish  settlers  in  OIneyville,  who  located 
there  in  1849,  when  OIneyville  was  but  a  village  and 
separated  from  Providence. 

James  Troy  was  the  father  of  Timothy  Troy,  born 
in  Providence,  in  1845,  and  died  here  in  1908.  During 
the  latter  years  of  his  life,  he  was  engaged  in  the  roof- 
ing business.  He  married  Isabel  McGuigan,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  four  children:  Helen  I.,  who  mar- 
ried Michael  Donlan,  of  Cranston,  R.  I.;  George  F., 
a  practicing  lawyer  of  Providence;  Joseph  H.,  in  the 
coastwise  steamship  service,  unmarried;  William  G., 
of   further   mention. 

William  G.  Troy,  youngest  son  of  Timothy  and 
Isabel  (McGuigan)  Troy,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  October  s,  1880.  He  completed  public  school 
courses  with  graduation  from  the  Providence  Classical 
High  School,  class  of  1S98,  then  entered  Holy  Cross 
College,  Worcester,  Mass.,  there  pursuing  the  classical 
course  until  graduated  A.  B.,  class  of  1901,  receiving 
from  his  alma  mater  the  degree  A.  M.  in  1909. 

After  graduation,  Mr.  Troy  became  a  reporter  on 
the  old  Providence  "Evening  Telegram"  (now  the 
"Tribune"),  but  in  1902  and  1903.  was  political  editor 
on  the  staff  of  the  Providence  "Telegram."  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  city  editor  of  "The  Day,"  New 
London,  Conn.,  that  engagement  completing  his  career 
as  a  journalist.  In  October,  1904,  he  entered  Har- 
vard Law  School,  whence  he  was  graduated  LL.  B., 
class  of  1907,  and  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar 
in  September  of  the  same  year.  He  began  practice 
in  Providence  at  once,  and  has  gained  honorable  stand- 
ing at  the  bar  of  his  native  State.  His  offices  are 
located  in  the  Industrial  Trust  building.  No.  .3,^2.  where 
he  transacts  a  general  law  business.  During  the  first 
two  years  of  struggle  to  establish  a  law  practice,  he 
engaged  as  instructor  in  Latin  and  Greek  at  LaSalle 
Academy,  Providence,  and  for  eleven  years  he  served 
as  principal  of  Federal  street  night  school,  in  the 
Italian  district. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Troy  has  gained  wide 
reputation  as  party  worker  and  orator.  He  has  been 
closely  identified  with  the  reform  movements,  and  is  a 
prominent  figure  politically,  although  a  member  of  the 
minority  party  in  Rhode  Island.  In  1913-IQ14,  he  repre- 
sented the  Twelfth  Assembly  District  in  the  Rhode  Island 
Legislature,  and  in  1917-1918,  was  a  member  of  the  State 
Senate  from  Providence.  In  1918  he  was  unsuccess- 
ful in  his  candidacy  for  the  United  States  Congress. 
He  is  a  member  of  Hope  Council,  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus; the  Friendly  Order,  Sons  of  St.  Patrick  (past 
president) ;  Pen  and  Pencil  Club  of  Providence,  and 
an  honorary  member  of  Phi  Kappa  fraternity,  Brown 
University  chapter. 

Mr.  Troy  married,  June  30,  1909,  Mary  C.  Ryan, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Ryan,  of  Pascoag,  R.  I.  They 
are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Mary  Elizabeth,  born 
May  23,  191 1.  Mrs.  Troy  is  well  known  in  musical 
circles  as  an  accomplished  organist. 


AMOS  M.  BOWEN— The  U.  S.  Ring  Traveller 
Company,  of  Providence,  of  which  Mr.  Brown  is 
treasurer,   is   tlie   outgrowth  of  his   early  training  and 


experience  in  industrial  lines,  the  development  of  ideas 
conceived  in  eighteen  years  of  activity  in  the  manu- 
facture and  marketing  of  ring  travellers.  The  pros- 
perity of  the  company  has  been  continuous  since  its 
founding  in  1909,  and  its  products  have  found  a  world 
market   wherever   textile    industries   flourish. 

The  family  of  which  Mr.  Bovven  is  a  member  was 
founded  in  America  by  Richard  Bowen,  who  came 
from  Wales  to  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  in  1640,  where  he  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers.  The  family  in  the  mother 
country  traced  its  ancestry  through  the  Welsh  kings 
and  princes,  and  in  America  intermarried  with  the 
"Mayflower"  families  and  other  early  ^ettleri  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. His  ancestors  served  nobly  in  the  Colonial 
and  Revolutionary  Wars,  and  in  1812.  and  his  father 
throughout  the  Civil  War. 

(I)  Richard  Bowen,  of  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  1643,  was 
a  large  landed  proprietor  along  the  river,  "running 
under  the  bridge,"  called  Bowen's  bridge  now,  the 
fresh  water  tributary  of  Barrington  river,  south  from 
Seekonk.  Mr.  Bowen  was  a  town  officer,  June  4.  1665. 
He  was  admitted  a  freeman,  June  5,  1651.  He  mar- 
ried, March  4,  1646,  Esther  Sutton,  and  was  buried 
February  4,  1675.  In  his  will,  probated  June  4,  1675, 
he  bequeathed  to  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  and  children, 
Obadiah,  Richard,  William,  Alice  Wheaton.  Sarah 
Fuller  and  Ruth  Leverich.    He  also  had  a  son  Thomas. 

(II)  Thomas  Bowen,  son  of  Richard  Bowen,  of 
Salem,  Mass.,  1648,  and  of  New  London,  Conn., 
1657-60,  removed  to  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  where  he  died 
in  1663.  His  will  of  April  nth,  of  that  year,  made  his 
wife  Elizabeth,  who  in  1669  was  the  widow  of  Samuel 
Fuller,  of  Plymouth.  Mass.,  executrix,  and  the  will 
names  his  child,  Richard,  and  his  brother,  Obadiah. 

(III)  Dr.  Richard  (2)  Bowen.  son  of  Thomas 
Bowen,  born  in  1658,  was  as  early  as  1680  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Seekonk,  Mass.,  within  two 
miles  of  Providence,  whose  sick  he  attended  more  than 
twenty  years  before  it  had  any  settled  physician  within 
its  own  limits.  He  educated  two  sons  to  be  physi- 
cians. Dr.  Thomas  and  Dr.  Jabez.  Dr.  Bowen  mar- 
ried, January  9,  16S3,  Mercye  Titus,  and  he  died  in 
17,^6.  having  had  these  children:  Elizabeth.  .Abijath, 
Thomas,  Damaris.  Joseph,  Jabez,  Ebenezer,  Urania. 

(IV)  Dr.  Jabez  Bowen.  son  of  Dr.  Richard  (2) 
Bowen,  married,  December  27,  1727,  Jomna  Salisbury, 
and  their  children  were:  Dr.  Benjamin,  Nathan,  Obe- 
diah,    Levi,   Miriam,   Jemima,   and   Johanna. 

(V)  Nathan  Bowen,  son  of  Dr.  Jaliez  and  Joanna 
(Salisbury)  Bowen,  was  born  September  12,  1729.  He 
married,  April  22,  1753.  Lettice  Millard  (Miller),  born 
in  1735  (or  1736),  and  their  children  were:  Nathan, 
Jonathan,  Jabez,  Aaron,  Samuel,  .\riel,  Nathan,  Aaron, 
and  Sarah  L. 

(VI)  Nathan  (2)  Bowen,  son  of  Nathan  (i)  and 
Lettice  (Millard)  Bowen,  married,  February  i,  17S4, 
Patience  Lindley,  and  had  children:  Nathan,  Isaiah, 
Darius,  Morrel,  Benjamin,  David  Betsy.  Patience, 
Lydia,  Avis,  William  Bradford.  Lyndal,  and  Lindlej'. 
Nathan  (2)  Bowen  died  March  21,  1848,  aged  sixty- 
four  years. 

(Vil)  William  Bradford  Bowen,  son  of  Nathan  (2) 
and  Patience  (Lindley)  Bowen,  born  June  20,  1S08, 
died  October  7,  1880.     He  married,  February  26,  1833, 


""Tt^^^l^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


449 


Hannah  Boyd  Miller,  daughter  of  Amos  Miller,  and 
they  had  these  children:  William  Erastiis,  Amos 
Miller,  an  infant  son,  Bradford  Leprelette,  Thomas 
LeBaron,  and  Olive  Wheaton. 

(VIII)  .Amos  Miller  Bowen,  .son  of  William  Brad- 
ford and  Hannah  Boyd  (Miller)  Bowen,  was  born 
January  22,  iS.^S,  at  Providence.  He  served  his  State 
lor  many  years  in  different  capacities.  For  si.x  years 
he  was  in  the  Rhode  Island  House  o(  Representatives 
from  Providence,  and  nineteen  years  as  a  member  of 
the  Providence  School  Committee,  two  years  of  that 
as  secretary.  His  military  service  was  as  follows: 
Enrolled  as  a  private  in  Company  A,  First  Regiment, 
Rhode  Island  Detached  Militia,  on  April  18.  1861, 
mustered  in  May  2,  1S61 :  taken  prisoner  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Bull  Run,  July  21.  1861 ;  paroled.  May  22,  1862, 
Salisbury,  \.  C;  discharged,  July  22,  1862.  He  was 
commissioned  as  first  lieutenant.  Company  C,  Second 
Rhode  Island  Volunteers,  February  16,  186.?;  acting 
aide-de-camp  to  General  Eustiss.  commanding  brijrade, 
September,  1863.  until  May,  1S64;  mustered  out,  June 
17,  1864.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Providence.  June 
T,,  1907,  and  is  buried  at  Lakeside  Cemetery,  Rumford. 
R.  I.  He  married  (first)  Xovember  4,  186,?,  Caroline 
Mary  Perez,  at  .•\ttleboro,  Mass.,  daughter  of  Manuel 
and  Mary  F.  (Wetherell)  Pere^.  She  died  Novem- 
ber 12.  1867.  He  married  (second)  April  14,  i;>(x), 
Eliza  Rhodes  Henry,  of  Providence,  born  January  i, 
1844.  Children  of  first  marriage:  Colonel  W'illiam 
Manuel  Perez,  lawyer,  of  Providence  (q.  v.).  and 
Mary  Caroline  W'heaton,  born  May  28.  1866.  at  Provi- 
dence, an  instructor  in  the  put)lic  schools  of  that  city. 
Children  of  second  marriage:  .-Xnnie  Olive,  born  Ai>ril 
23,  1870,  in  Providence,  resides  at  home:  Richard,  born 
April  8.  1872,  married,  Sept.  18,  1905.  .Annie  Holden 
Andrews,  is  in  the  insurance  business  in  Providence; 
Amos  Miller,  of  whom  furtlier:  .Mice  Lindley.  born 
Feb.  15,  1S76,  in  Providence,  married,  Dec.  25,  igoo, 
Charles  W.  Lowe,  of  Brockton.  Mass.:  l-"lorcnce 
Rhodes,  born  March  12,  1878,  in  Providence,  married, 
June  9,  1905,  Will  .\.  Clader.  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.: 
Lillian  Shearman,  born  May  12,  1880,  married  Ernest 
Ford  Salisbury,  of  Providence;  Harold  Gardiner,  born 
Nov.  6.  188.5,  is  now  a  commander  in  the  United  States 
Navy,  married  Margaret  Edith  Brownlic,  of  \"illa.io, 
Cal.;  Marion  Henry,  born  Dec.  t,o.  1S86,  in  Provi- 
dence, married  Frederick  Mason,  of  Providence. 

(IX)  .Amos  Miller  (2)  Bowen,  son  of  Amos  Miller 
(i)  and  Eliza  Rhodes  (Henry)  Bowen,  was  born  in 
Providence,  October  18,  187.V  He  attended  the  gram- 
mar and  high  schools  of  his  native  city,  and  when 
seven  years  of  age  became  an  earner  through  carry- 
ing newspapers.  In  1891.  when  eighteen  years  old. 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  .American  Ring  Traveller 
Company  of  Providence  in  a  minor  capacity.  He 
worked  in  the  various  departments  of  the  shop  and 
then,  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  product,  became  a 
salesman,  later  assuming  tlic  superintendency  of  the 
Pawtucket  plant  for  eighteen  months.  Throughout 
this  period  he  added  to  his  educational  equipment 
through  evening  study  at  the  Rhode  Island  School  of 
Design,  and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  .Association, 
and  also  a  one  year  course  at  Brown  University,  where 


he  attended  lectures  on  electrical  subjects.  In  l8<j8  he 
became  an  executive  of  the  Slater  Ring  Traveller  Com- 
pany of  Pawtucket,  and  was  identilied  with  this  com- 
pany until  March,  1901;.  He  established  the  U.  S,  Ring 
Traveller  Company  in  November,  iia>a  incorporation 
l)cing  made  with  Colonel  William  M.  P.  Bowen,  his 
brother,  as  president,  Mr.  Bowen  as  treasurer.  The 
plant  of  the  company  was  equipped  with  machinery  of 
special  design  and  the  most  approved  scientific  methods 
were  introduced  in  the  new  establishment.  Ring  trav- 
ellers are  used  in  all  textile  mills  twisting  or  spinning 
yarn,  and  the  product  of  the  company  thus  has  a 
potential  world  market.  Their  product  is  distributed 
domestically  through  mill  machinery  houses  and  for 
foreign  use  through  export  firms.  Mr.  Bowen  has 
devoted  himself  entirely  to  this  enterprise,  which  has 
gained  a  wide  reputation  and  has  become  a  firmly 
founded,  flourishing  concern.  The  Providence  plant  is 
not  only  a  model  industrial  establishment  in  its  physical 
aspects  and  ideally  equipped  for  its  purpose,  but  is 
regulated  by  one  of  the  most  complete  cost  systems  in 
existence.  The  decade  of  its  existence  has  been  a 
period  of  sturdy,  steady  growth,  and  in  this  development 
Mr.  Bowen  has  borne  a  full  share.  Improvements  and 
progress  in  the  industri.il  world  have  met  with  a  ready 
welcome  in  the  plant  of  the  U.  S.  Ring  Traveller  Com- 
pany, and  have  been  utilized  for  the  welfare  of  its 
employees,  the  high  quality  of  its  manufactures,  and 
the   prosperity  of  the  company. 

His  business  has  been  the  absorbing  interest  of  Mr. 
Bowen's  career.  He  has,  however,  foimd  time  for 
social,  fraternal  and  religious  associations,  and  for  three 
years,  from  liy)\  to  18^.^,  w'as  a  private  in  the  machine 
gun  battery  of  Rhode  Island  militia.  He  is  3  member 
of  the  Siip.s  of  .American  Revolution.  He  is  a  member 
of  What  Cheer  Lodge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons; 
Providence  Chapter,  Xo.  1.  Rny.Tl  .Arch  Masons;  Prov- 
idence Council,  No.  I,  Royal  and  Select  Masters.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  East  Side  Tennis  Club  and  the 
East  Side  Skating  Club.  His  church  is  St.  .Martin's 
Episcopal,  and  he  is  active  in  the  work  of  the  congre- 
gation as  a  vestryman.  His  political  preferences  are 
Republican. 

Mr.  Bowen  married  (first)  T'cbruary  3,  |8';8.  Mary  .A. 
.Aspinwall.  of  Providence,  who  died  in  1902.  He  mar- 
ried (second)  June  22,  1919,  Nellie  Graham  .Smith,  a 
veteran  of  the  Canadian  .Army  Military  Corps,  who 
served  over  seas  with  the  rani,  •  f  lieiitena:it. 

DR.  EDWARD  NEWELL  KINGSBURY,  a  well 
known  physician  nf  Woonsocket,  is  a  native  of  Frances- 
town,  N.  H.,  born  September  7,  185J.  on  his  father's 
farm.  Dr.  Kingsbury  is  a  son  of  John  Langdon  and 
.Abigail  (Hyde)  Kingsbury,  and  is  descended  on  his 
mother's  side  frcjin  two  of  the  oldest  New  I'"ngland 
families,  the  Hydes  and  Richards,  which  were  founded 
in  this  country  some  time  in  the  seventeenth  century. 

The  early  education  of  Dr.  Kingsbury  was  received 
in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  he  after- 
wards attended  the  FVanccstown  Academy  of  Frances- 
town  and  the  New  London  Academy  of  New  London, 
N.  H.     He  was  prepared  for  college  at  the  latter  insti- 


R  1-2—29 


450 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


tution.  and  at  once  entered  Amherst  College,  where  he 
took  the  usual  classical  course  and  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1878,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
He    then    entered    the    medical    department    of    Boston 
University,    remaining    one   year,    and   then    Hahneman 
University,  and  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D., 
in     1880.       He     went     to     Spencer,     Mass.,     and     en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession  there  for  some 
three    years,    and    afterwards    spent    a    period    of    two 
years     at     Newton     Center,     Mass.       He     came     to 
Woonsocket   in   the  year   1885  and   has   been   in   active 
practice    here    ever    since.      Dr.    Kingsbury    has    never 
specialized   in   any  particular  branch   of   his   work,   but 
has  continued  in  general  practice  here,  having  developed 
at  the  present  time  a  large  and  high  class  clientele.     He 
has  a   most   complete   equipment,   including  many   elec- 
trical  appliances,   etc.,   and   always   keeps    fully   abreast 
of  the  most  recent  developments  in  his  profession.     Dr. 
Kingsbury  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  social  and  fraternal 
circles  here,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Delta  Upsilon  Col- 
lege fraternity,  Massachusetts  State  Homoeopathic  So- 
ciety, the  Worcester  Medical   Society,  the   Woonsocket 
Medical   Society,   the  American   Institute   of   Homoeop- 
athy,   the    Massachusetts    Surgical    and    Gynecological 
Society,   and  the   Rhode   Island   Homoeopathic   Society. 
He  was,  in  1917,  president  of  the  Woonsocket  District 
-Medical  Society.     Dr.  Kingsbury  has  been  a  member  of 
the  staff  of  the  Woonsocket   Hospital   since   lOog.   and 
for   several   years   chief   of  staff.     Dr.   Kingsbury   is  a 
Republican    in    politics,    but    his    professional    activities 
have  been  so  large  as  to  render  it  impossible  for  him  to 
take  any  part  in  public  affairs. 

Dr.  Kingsbury  was  united  in  marriage,  May  5,  1881, 
at  Newton  Center.  Mass.,  with  Clara  Amelia  Cof- 
fin, a  daughter  of  David  N.  B.  and  Sarah  J.  (Hay- 
ward)  Coffin.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kingsbury  three  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  as  follows:  i.  Newell  Coffin, 
who  was  educated  in  the  Woonsocket  public  schools, 
and  the  Providence  Technical  High  School,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  igoi ;  he  married  Carolyn  Bowen,  a 
daughter  of  Colonel  Bowen,  who  served  during  the 
Civil  War  as  a  colonel  in  the  Confederate  army.  2. 
Mabel  Hyde,  who  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Woonsocket,  and  after  graduation  from  the  high  school 
there,  entered  \'assar  College,  where  she  received  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts;  she  became  the  wife  of 
Thom.is  G.  Wright,  an  instructor  of  English,  at  Yale 
College,  New  Haven,  Conn.  3.  Mary  Richards,  who 
was  educated  at  the  public  school  of  Woonsocket  and 
later  at  Vassar  College ;  she  resides  in  New  Haven  and 
is  doing  secretarial  work. 


FRANK  CHANDLER  DODGE,  D.  O.— Ambi- 
tious and  rLsourccful,  Dr.  Dodge  won  his  way  to  a  pro- 
fessional degree,  financing  his  own  education  and  choos- 
ing his  own  life  work.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Provi- 
dence, and  when  his  D.  O.  was  awarded  him  by  Massa- 
chusetts College  of  Osteopathy,  sought  his  native  city, 
and  since  1912  has  there  practiced  his  profession,  his 
oflice.  No.  146  \\'estminster  street.  His  parents,  Frank 
Warren  Chandler  and  Sarah  Jane  (Wakem)  Dodge, 
are  residents  of  Dorchester,  Mass.,  that  city  having 
been  their  home  since  1904.     They  are  the  parents  of 


three  clfildren :  Frank  Chandler,  mentioned  below; 
Charles  Wakem,  engaged  in  the  hanking  business  in 
Boston,  Mass. ;  and  Jessie  Almy,  a  college  student. 

Frank  Chandler  Dodge  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
January  b.  18S7,  and  there  passed  the  grades  of  the 
grammar  schools,  and  accomplished  two  years  of  high 
school  study.  He  was  then  compelled  to  leave  school 
and  take  a  position,  beginning  with  his  father,  and  for 
five  years  was  so  employed  in  Boston.  He  had  kept  up 
and  advanced  in  his  studies  during  that  period,  and 
when  the  way  had  been  provided,  through  his  own 
efforts,  he  entered  the  Massachusetts  College  of  Oste- 
opathy, thus  carrying  out  a  long  cherished  ambition. 
He  was  graduated  D.  O.,  class  of  1012,  and  from  that 
year  to  the  present  has  been  engaged  in  practice  in 
Providence,  R.  I.  He  has  won  an  honorable  name  and 
a  satisfactory  practice,  is  highly  esteemed,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Massachusetts  Society  of  Osteopathy, 
New  England  Osteopathic  .\ssociation,  Boston  Society 
of  Osteopathy,  Rhode  Island  State  Society  of  Osteop- 
athy, of  which  he  is  secretary,  and  the  .American  Oste- 
opathic Association.  He  has  taken  active  part  in  the 
committee  work  of  these  bodies,  thereby  keeping  in 
close  touch  with  all  modern  advance  in  his  chosen  field 
of  drugless  treatment.  Dr.  Dodge  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Alumni  Association  of  the  Massachusetts  College 
of  Osteopathy,  St.  .\ndrew  Chapter,  All  Saints  Epis- 
copal Church,  Corinthian  Lodge.  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  Providence  Central  Club  and  the  Kiwanis 
Club.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Dr.  Dodge  married,  January  27,  1917,  Ethel  (Jencks) 
Cranston,  a  descendant  of  the  prominent  Jencks  family 
of  Rhode  Island.  Thev  have  one  son,  Frank  Chandler, 
Ir. 


JOHN  JAMES  BALLAM— The  late  John  James 
Ballam,  for  many  years  a  well  known  figure  in  business 
circles  in  the  city  of  Providence,  and  a  prominent  leader 
in  Masonic  and  club  circles  in  Rhode  Island,  was  a 
native  of  Hertfordshire,  England.  He  was  born  May 
31.  i860,  the  son  of  parents  in  excellent  circumstances, 
and  was  given  the  best  educational  advantages.  In 
early  manhood  he  came  to  New  York  City,  wdiere  for  a 
few  years  prior  to  his  marriage  he  was  employed  by 
leading  mercantile  establishments.  Following  his  mar- 
riage. Mr.  Ballam  came  to  Providence,  and  for  a  short 
period  was  floor  manager  of  the  Callender,  MacAuslan 
&  Troup  Company.  This  position  he  resigned  to  accept 
the  office  of  treasurer  of  the  Eagle  Brewing  Company, 
ot  which  his  father-in-law,  Bartholomew  Keily,  was 
owner.  Thenceforward  until  his  death,  Mr.  Ballam  was 
active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Eagle  Brewing  Company, 
and  was  influential  in  dictating  the  policies  of  expan- 
sion and  development,  which  made  the  firm  one  of  the 
largest  of  its  kind  in  Providence.  Mr.  Ballam  was  an 
able  executive  and  was  recognized  as  such,  and  was 
eminently  respected  in  business  circles  in  Providence. 
He  was  also  a  well  known  figure  in  public  life  in  the 
city,  and  for  many  years  was  active  in  political  circles. 
He  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  City  Council  from 
Ward  Nine,  and  filled  that  office  ably.  He  was  in  no 
sense  of  the  word  a  politician  or  office  seeker,  how- 
ever, and  never  held  rigidly  to  party  lines  against  his 


^  C£cwiiJ^,.c^^^  .d) 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


451 


better  judgment.  The  welfare  and  advancement  of 
civic  interests  was  always  a  paramount  issue  with  him, 
and  he  was  constantly  identilicd  with  some  measure 
designed  to  promote  local  interests.  The  widening  of 
Empire  street  was  suggested  by  him  and  carried 
through  under  his  supervision. 

Mr.  Ballam  was  equally  prominent  in  fraternal  and 
club  circles.  He  was  a  member  of  .Ancient  I'ree  and^ 
Accepted  Masons,  Koyal  ,-\rch  Masons,  Ruval  and 
Select  Masters,  Knights  Templar,  of  which  he  had  been 
commander:  and  .Ancient  .Arabic  Order  .\oblcs  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine.  His  clubs  were  the  Rhode  Island 
Cricket  Club,  of  which  he  was  president;  the  British 
Empire  Club,  and  the  Rhode  Island  Vacht  Club.  A 
man's  man,  disdaining  ostentation,  upright  and  fair 
in  all  his  dealings,  sincere  and  iinaffected.  he  num- 
bered his  friends  among  the  ablest  and  linest  men  of 
Providence,  and  his  death  was  sincerely  mourned. 

Mr.  Ballam  married,  in  New  York,  Mary  \ictoria 
Keily,  daughter  of  Bartholomew  and  Julia  (Quinn) 
Keily,  the  former  a  prominent  business  man  of  Provi- 
dence, owner  of  the  Eagle  Brewing  Company.  Mrs. 
Ballam,  who  survives  her  husband,  resides  at  Xo.  113 
Courtland  street,  Providence.  John  James  Ballam  died 
at  his  home  in   Providence.  July  15.   1917. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  PLACE,  JR.— Trained  in 
music  under  able  instruction  and  having  made  a  special 
study  of  the  mandolin,  William  H.  Place,  Jr.,  has 
devoted  himself  to  music  both  as  performer  and  mer- 
chant. He  is  widely  known  in  this  country  and  in  Eng- 
land to  music  lovers,  and  particularly  to  the  devotees 
01  the  mandolin  through  his  identit'ication  with  leading 
musical  periodicals,  and  ranks  among  the  best  known 
mandolinists  of  the  day.  Much  of  his  time  has  been 
devoted  to  orchestra  work  and  he  has  also  made  records 
for  the  most  famous  phonograph  manufacturing  com- 
panies. 

Mr.  Place  was  born  in  Providence.  R.  I.,  .\pril  24. 
i8Sq.  son  of  William  Henry  Place.  Sr.,  and  Lillian  .X. 
(Fuller)  Place.  William  Henry  Place.  Sr..  for  many 
years  a  well  known  manufacturer  and  inventor  of 
Providence,  was  born  in  Pascoag,  June  i,  1835.  the  son 
of  Peter  and  Eliza  (Hathaway)  Place,  and  a  descend- 
ant of  the  noted  French  astronomer.  La  Place.  Peter 
Place  built  the  first  woolen  mill  and  operated  the  first 
power  loom  in  Pascoag.  To  him  the  village  of  Pas- 
coag owes  its  name.  He  was  the  first  man  in  America 
to  card  the  waste  fillings,  known  as  "hard  ends,"  and 
work  them  into  cloth.  He  was  the  founder  of  the 
Pascoag  Bank,  was  instrumental  in  procuring  its 
charter  from  the  Rhode  Island  (ieneral  .Assembly,  and 
for  years  was  its  president. 

William  Henry  Place,  son  of  Peter  Place,  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Pascoag.  and  completed  his 
studies  in  the  University  School  of  Providence.  He 
then  turned  his  attention  to  manufacturing,  and  evinced 
considerable  genius  as  an  inventor.  In  the  field  of 
textile  manufacturing  he  made  many  important  dis- 
coveries and  improvements,  and  was  the  owner  of  many 
patents  in  dye  stulT,  etc.  Mr.  Place  was  for  many 
years  proprietor  of  William  H.  Place  &  Company,  and 
later  became  president  of  the  William  H.  Place  Manu- 


facturing Company,  which  office  he  held  until  his  re- 
tirement from  active  business  afTairs.  Mr.  Place  was 
widely  known  and  eminently  respected  in  business 
circles  in  Providence.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Prov- 
idence Board  of  Trade.  For  many  years  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Pilgrim  Congregational  Church  on  Harrison 
street,  and  organized  the  choir  there.  In  later  life  he 
became  a  member  of  the  Christian  Science  Church.  In 
political  affiliation  he  was  a  Republican.  Despite  his 
activity  in  business  life,  and  the  demands  of  his  busi- 
ness interests,  Mr.  Place  found  time  to  develop  his 
gift  as  a  singer,  and  was  widely  known  in  artistic  and 
musical  circles;  he  sung  at  numerous  private  and  pub- 
lic occasions,  and  took  part  in  the  celebrated  Peace 
Jubilee  in  Boston.  William  H.  Place,  Sr.,  passed  away 
at  his  home  in  Long  Meadow,  R.  I.,  May  21,  lOiS. 

William  H.  Place,  Jr.,  .America's  greatest  mandolin 
virtuoso,  attended  the  public  schools  of  Providence, 
studying  in  high  school  for  three  years,  and  then  de- 
voted himself  to  musical  work,  receiving  instruction 
under  .Anne  Gillbreth  Cross.  Giuseppe  Pettine,  and 
Guslav  Strube.  In  1910  he  became  soloist  with  the 
Lansing  Mandolin  Orchestra,  of  Boston,  and  he  was 
afterward  a  soloist  of  the  Boston  Festival  Mandolin 
Orchestra,  and  the  New  York  Plectrum  Orchestra.  In 
igi2  he  participated  as  a  soloist  in  a  number  of  con- 
certs of  the  Chicago  Symphony  Mandolin  Orchestra, 
and  the  following  year  was  with  the  Cleveland  (Ohio) 
Mandolin  Orchestra.  In  IQ14  and  1915  he  was  actively 
interested  in  the  Providence  Mandolin  Orchestra,  and 
in  1916  was  director  of  the  Michigan  Festival  Orchestra. 
Mr.  Place  has  made  Victor  and  Columbia  phonograph 
records,  his  repertoire  including  the  following  con- 
certos: Mendelssohn  (E  minor.  Op.  64),  Bach  (G 
major).  La  Scola  (.A  minor).  Munier  (G  major), 
Stauflfer  (D  major).  .Among  his  compositions  are: 
"Slumber  Song,''  "Souvenir  of  Venice."  "Petit  Quator," 
and  numerous  less  well  known  pieces.  He  is  the  author 
of  a  work  entitled  "The  Organization.  Direction  and 
Maintenance  of  the  Mandolin  Orchestra,"  and  in  addi- 
tion to  a  wide  reputatitju  as  a  teacher  of  the  mandolin 
is  known  in  much  larger  musical  circles  through  a 
mandolin  and  mandolin-cello  department  he  conducted 
in  "Cadenza,"  of  Boston,  and  similar  work  with  the 
"Dallas  Musical  Monthly,"  of  London,  England.  Mr. 
Place  has  also  been  in  charge  of  the  mandolinists' 
roi:nd  table  department  of  the  ".American  Musician," 
New  York  City.  He  was  director  of  the  Jackson 
School  of  Music,  a  Michigan  institution,  and  is  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  .American  Guild  of  Mandol- 
inists. Has  received  letters  of  appreciation  of  his 
work  from  Queen  Marguerita  of  Italy,  also  the  Queen 
Mother  .Alexandra  of  England.  He  is  also  the  originator 
and  founder  of  the  National  .Association  of  Harpists, 
a  national  organization  of  all  the  leading  harpists  of 
.America.  His  musical  acquaintance  is  wide,  and  while 
his  particular  interest  is  in  the  mandolin  he  is  a  lover 
of  all  forms  of  musical  art  and  is  an  earnest  supporter 
of  all  of  the  city's  musical  enterprises  and  organizations. 
He  is  president  of  the  Place  Music  Company,  of  No. 
208  Union  street,  which  is  well  known  among  musicians 
of  the  locality  lor  the  excellence  of  its  stock,  both 
instruments    and    music,    and    the    exhaustive    musical 


452 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


service  rendered.  Mr.  Place  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  belonging  to  Harmony  Lodge,  No.  9,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  and  Providence  Chapter,  Roval  .\rch 
Masons. 

Mr.  Place  married,  October  11,  1915.  Helen  Vivian 
Hiise,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  son.  Sterling, 
born   September  30.  I9>6. 


LOUIS  J.  ANSHEN,  well  known  manufacturing 
jeweler  of  Providence,  was  born  in  Russia,  February  5, 
1875,  his  parents  being  Isaac  and  Annie  (C.antkin) 
Anshen.  his  father  deceased,  his  motlier  residing  in 
Providence.  Isaac  .Anshen  was  manager  of  a  flour  mill 
in  Russia,  belonging  to  his  father. 

Louis  J.  Anshen  there  obtained  his  education,  remain- 
ing until  1891.  He  then  came  to  the  United  States, 
locating  in  New  York  City,  where  he  remained  eight 
months.  In  1892  he  located  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  where 
he  entered  a  jewelry  factory,  thus  learning  the  jewelry 
business  and  its  various  details.  He  continued  as  em- 
ployee until  1899,  when  he  began  business  for  himself 
in  a  small  way.  From  that  small  beginning  a  pros- 
perous jewelry  manufacturing  business  has  grown, 
which  to-day  is  well  known  in  trade  circles.  Mr. 
Anshen  is  thoroughly  capable  and  energetic,  devoted  to 
the  business  which  he  has  built  up  little  by  little  through 
knov.'ledge  and  close  attention.  At  Haverhill.  Mass., 
October  30,  1898,  Mr.  Anshen  married  Sarah  Joffe. 
They  are  the  parents  of  five  children:  Ruth.  Esther, 
Lillian,  Florence  and  Robert. 


MICHAEL  J.  LYNCH,  junior  member  of  the  firm 
of  Tillinghast  &  Lynch,  has  been  for  many  years  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  the  legal  life  of  the  community. 
Mr.  Lynch  is  a  native  of  Holyoke,  Mass.,  born  June 
28.  iSSo,  and  a  son  of  Maurice  and  Mary  (Kennedy) 
Lynch,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  there. 

The  elementary  portion  of  Mr.  Lynch's  education  was 
received  at  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  and 
later  he  graduated  from  the  Holyoke  High  School, 
where  he  prepared  for  college.  He  then  matriculated 
at  P.rov.n  University,  taking  the  usual  course,  and  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1904,  receiving  his  degree 
as  Bachelor  of  Philosophy.  Having  determined  in  the 
meantime  to  follow  the  profession  of  law  as  a  career, 
Mr.  Lynch  then  entered  the  law  school  connected  with 
the  University  of  Boston,  and  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  in  1908  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.,  and  the 
distinguished  honor  of  magna  cum  lauda.  Upon  com- 
pleting his  studies  at  the  last-named  institution,  Mr. 
Lynch  came  at  once  to  Providence  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  here  in  the  same  year.  He  at  once  formed 
an  association  with  the  firm  of  Tillinghast  &  Murdock, 
which  shortly  afterwards,  upon  the  retirement  of  Mr. 
Murdock,  became  the  firm  of  Tillinghast  &  Lynch.  Mr. 
Lynch  practices  in  both  the  State  and  Federal  courts 
and  has  a  general  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Bar  Association.  Mr.  Lynch  is  also 
exceedingly  active  in  the  social  and  political  life  of  this 
State,  and  is  a  staunch  member  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of  Governor  Beek- 
man's  staff  since  1915.  He  is  also  affihated  with  the  Phi 
Beta  Phi  (Webster  Chapter)  of  Boston  University,  the 


Psi  Upsilon  fraternity,  and  Cammarian  Club  of  Brown 
University.  He  was  very  active  while  a  student  at  that 
college  in  athletics  and  gained  a  considerable  reputation 
as  a  member  of  the  baseball  team  there.  In  religious 
belief  Mr.  Lynch  is  a  Roman  CathoHc  and  attends  St. 
Sebastian's  Church  of  this  denomination.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  local  council  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus, 
the  local  lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  the  University,  the  Turk's  Head,  the  Noon- 
Day,  the  Rhode  Island  Country,  the  Metacomet  Golf 
cluijs,  and  the  Providence  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Michael  T.  Lynch  was  united  in  marriage,  June  3, 
1008,  with  Mary  T.  Slattery,  of  Providence,  a  daughter 
of  Michael  J.  and  Mary  Slattery.  residents  of  this  city. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lynch  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  as 
follows :    Maurice  S.  and  Joseph. 


DAVID  RUSSELL  HOWARD— The  younger 
generation  of  the  business  men  of  Woonsocket  has  no 
more  aggressive  representative  than  the  bearer  of  the 
name  we  have  just  written.  As  secretary,  treasurer,  and 
general  manager  of  the  Eastern  Construction  Company, 
Mr.  Howard  has  built  up  for  himself  an  enviable  repu- 
t.-ition.  is  extensively  identified  with  the  affairs  of 
Masonic  and  club  circles,  and  during  the  recent  World 
War  was  among  those  commissioned  for  active  service. 

William  Howard,  father  of  David  Russell  Howard, 
was  born  August  3.  i860,  at  Fall  River,  Mass.,  and  was 
by  trade  a  machinist.  He  married  Mary  E.  Shaw,  who 
was  born  December  12,  1861,  and  is,  like  himself,  a 
native  of  Fall  River.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  arc  now 
living  at  Warren,  R.  I.  Their  children  are :  William, 
Jr..  of  Newark.  N.  J.;  Frederick  B..  of  .Avon.  Mass.; 
David  Russell,  mentioned  below ;  George ;  INIabel ;  and 
Minnie.    The  three  last  are  all  of  Warren. 

David  Russell  Howard,  son  of  William  and  Mary  E. 
(Shaw)  Howard,  was  born  February  3,  1886.  at  Fall 
River,  Mass.,  and  received  his  education  in  the  public 
and  high  schools  of  Cranston,  R.  I.  He  then  spent 
seven  years  in  the  service  of  the  E.  K.  Watson  Con- 
struction Company  of  Warren,  R.  I.,  acquiring  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the  business  in  all  its  details  and  all 
its  branches.  In  January,  ion,  he  organized  the  East- 
ern Construction  Company  of  Woonsocket,  becoming  its 
secretary,  treasurer,  and  general  manager.  The  success 
of  the  enterprise  and  its  present  flourishing  condition 
are  sufficient  evidence  of  the  farsighted  sagacity  and 
astute  business  methods  of  the  man  who  was  its  founder 
and  has  been,  ever  since,  its  guiding  and  animating 
spirit.  Mr.  Howard  is  also  director  of  the  Hayes  Loom 
Reed  pnd  Harness  Company.  He  occupies  a  seat  in 
the  Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce.  In  public  af- 
fairs Mr.  Howard  has  never  taken  any  part  more  active 
than  the  faithful  performance  of  the  duties  involved  in 
good  citizenship.  He  belongs  to  the  Society  of  Civil 
Engineers  of  Boston,  the  Junior  Order  of  United 
.American  Mechanics,  the  .American  Legion  and  the 
Shrine  Band.  His  clubs  are  the  Kiwanis,  Winnesucket 
Country,  and  Country  Club  of  Johnston.  R.  I.  He 
afliliates  with  Washington  Blue  Lodge,  No.  3,  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  of  Warren,  R.  L;  with  the  chapter, 
council  and  commandery  of  Woonsocket,  passing 
through  chairs  of  chapter  and  council;  and  with  Pal- 


^^.^.^^  ^^..<^ 


^-V^-t>MxO-^       /^-      /Vc— ^-<-~ TT— ^^< 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


453 


estinc  Shrine.  Proviilence.  He  is  a  member  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Woonsocket,  member  of  the  execu- 
tive committee.  During  the  recent  World  War,  Mr. 
Howard  gave  practical  proof  of  his  patriotism  by  oflfer- 
ing  his  services  to  the  government.  He  was  commis- 
sioned first  lieutenant  in  the  Chemical  Warfare  Serv- 
ice, and  served  tl-.rec  months  preparing  for  overseas 
duty.    He  was  also  a  staft  ofiiccr. 

Mr.  Howard  married.  March  8.  i^xxS.  at  Warren.  R. 
I.,  -Mice,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Martha  .Xbby  (.\Iun- 
ro)  Barker,  both  members  of  old  families  of  that  town. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  are  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Charles  B..  born  March  lo,  1909;  David  R..  Jr.,  born 
Feb.  27,  1911;  and  .Mice  C,  born  Nov.  17,  1913. 

Strenuous  man  of  busine,ss  though  he  is.  Mr.  Howard 
is  far  too  wise  a  man  to  believe  in  "all  work  and  no 
play."  He  enjoys  all  outdoor  sports  and  is  particularly 
devoted  to  the  national  game  of  base  ball.  Personally 
he  is  ven-  popular,  especially  with  those  associated  with 
him  in  business,  his  talent  for  affairs  being  equalled 
by  his  capacity  for  making  friends.  Notably  he  is  a  man 
who  gets  results.  He  is  helping  thus  to  make  \\oon- 
socket  a  commercial  center  of  constantly  increasing 
magnitude  and  importance. 


LUCIUS  A.  WHIPPLE— Pedagogy  seemed  a  pre- 
destined profession  with  Mr.  Whipple,  so  easily  did  he 
assume  the  duty  of  an  educator  and  so  successful  has 
been  his  career  since  first  engaging  therein.  But  he  does 
not  meet  the  preconceived  idea  one  has  of  a  pedagogue, 
for  he  has  divested  teaching  of  the  idea  that  four  walls 
and  a  building  are  a  requisite,  and  finds  his  lessons  in 
the  fields  and  in  God's  creation  everywhere.  So  all 
through  his  career  the  practical  problems  were  given 
precedence,  and  the  two  years  he  spent  in  the  govern- 
ment service,  aiding  in  the  "home  canning"  movement, 
were  years  of  greatest,  practical  value.  When  called  to 
the  supcrintendency  of  the  State  Home  and  School  for 
Dependent  .ind  Xeglected  Children,  succeeding  Dr.  W. 
A.  Risk,  all  who  knew  him  predicted  a  successful  con- 
nection with  that  institution.  .Although  but  two  and 
one-half  years  have  since  passed,  all  these  prophecies 
have  been  justified,  and  greater  efficiency  and  useful- 
ness will  follow. 

Superintendent  Whipple  comes  from  an  ancient  and 
honorable  Rhode  Island  family.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles 
Whipple,  and  grandson  of  .Andrew  Whipple,  the  latter 
an  undertaker,  who  met  an  accidental  death  at  an  ad- 
vanced age.  Mr.  Whipple  is  a  descendant  of  John 
Whipple,  of  Providence.  R.  I.,  who  received  a  land  grant 
in  1637.  and  with  his  wife,  Sarah,  joined  the  church 
in  1641.  He  was  a  deputy  to  the  Rhode  Island  General 
Court  many  times,  and  until  his  death  in  1685  was  a 
leading  man  of  his  town.  .Andrew  Whipple  married 
Rachel  Sayles  Wilbur,  and  their  son,  Charles  Whipple, 
is  now  an  undertaker  in  Greenville,  having  taken  over 
his  father's  business.  Charles  Whipple  married  Cora 
Sayles  Mowry.  daughter  of  .Albert  J.  Mowry,  who  mar- 
ried Minerva  M.  Sayles.  The  Sayles  family  of  Rhode 
Island  dates  from  the  earliest  day,  the  American  an- 
cestor, John  Sayles,  being  of  record  in  Providence  in 
1651,  his  wife  a  daughter  of  Roger  Williams,  the  great 
apostle  of  Liberty.     Equally   ancient  and  honorable  is 


the  Mowry  family,  which  traces  to  Nathaniel  Mowry, 
who  was  made  a  freeman  of  Providence,  in  1672,  be- 
came a  large  landowner  of  Northern  Rhode  Island,  and 
was  a  man  of  influence.  .Albert  J.  Mowry,  grandfather 
of  Lucius  .A.  \\  hippie,  was  a  descendant  of  Nathaniel 
Mowry.  and  of  the  seventh  .American  generation.  .As 
a  young  man  he  was  a  carpenter,  later  becoming  tavern 
keeper  and  the  proprietor  of  well  known  establishments 
in  Ih'.rris,  and  finally  in  Greenville.  R    I. 

Lucius  .A.  Whipple,  son  of  Charles  and  Cora  Sayles 
(Mowry)  Whipple,  was  born  at  Harmony,  Providence 
county,  R.  I.,  January  29,  1S87.  He  completed  public 
school  study  with  two  years  in  the  English  High  School 
of  Providence,  after  which  he  pursued  a  course  in  the 
Rhode  Island  School  of  Design,  graduating  in  i<)04. 
Later  he  took  courses  in  civil  engineering  at  the  Rhode 
Island  State  College.  Kingston,  graduating  in  lOoS.  He 
began  teaching  as  an  instrvictor  in  graduate  courses  in 
education.  Brown  University,  the  .Abbott  School  for 
Boys  at  Farmington.  Mc..  and  after  three  years  in  this 
institution,  became  head  of  the  department  of  mathe- 
mnti;-s  in  the  Pawluckct  High  School,  hrm-i  Paw- 
tucket  he  came  10  Lincoln,  R.  I.,  as  superintendent  of 
schools,  and  there  achieved  remarkable  adva'iccinent  in 
the  out-of-door  courses  of  children's  study  through  the 
medium  of  general  club  work  for  boys  and  girls,  gar- 
dening, sewing,  etc.  The  Lincoln  Children's  Gardens 
became  famous  in  Rhode  Island,  the  object  of  much 
favorable  comment,  and  accomplished  great  benefits. 
Mr.  Whipple  ne.xt  spent  two  years  in  govenuneiit  em- 
ploy, his  work  to  advance  the  interest  in  "home  can- 
ning" and  his  success  instant  and  extraordinary.  He 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Rhode  Island  State 
Home  and  School,  .August  I,  1017.  this  institution  being 
iKttcr  known  as  the  "State  School,"  dating  from  about 
the  year  1885,  when  it  was  started  with  twenty  children 
taken  from  the  institution  at  Howard.  The  old  Chapin 
homestead  on  Smith  street  was  purchased,  .md  with  the 
land  since  purchased  aggregates  ninety-live  acres,  thirty- 
five  of  which  are  under  ctdtivation.  The  farm  main- 
tains a  herd  of  twenty-five  cows,  a  silo  filled  each 
season  with  choice  ensilage  for  their  use,  and  under 
Superintendent  Whipple's  management  all  potatoes  and 
root  crops  used  are  raised.  The  Placing-Out  Depart- 
ment formerly  located  at  the  State  House  lias  recently 
been  transferred  to  the  State  Home  School.  Since  the 
creation  of  this  department  five  hundred  children  have 
been  placed  in  good  homes  by  the  Stale  authorities,  and 
three  hundred  continue  at  the  institution.  .At  the  Home, 
numerous  impnivements,  both  in  the  physical  equip- 
ment and  in  methods,  have  Ijeen  instit'.ited.  .A  resident 
physician  and  a  nurse  arc  in  constant  attendance  at 
the  school,  and  one  of  the  new  features  is  an  observa- 
tion room  where  newly  admitted  pupils  are  given  a 
thorough  physical  examination.  A  new  water  system 
has  been  installed,  as  well  as  a  steam  heating  plant  and 
adequate  sewerage  facilities.  While  a  generous  share  of 
the  food  used  is  grown  from  student  labor,  this  work 
is  only  incidental  to  training  in  trades,  business,  or 
whatever  direction  talents  seem  to  take,  and  every  op- 
portunity for  placing  the  children  in  home  environ- 
ment is  improved.  Mr.  Whipple  is  a  member  of  lodge, 
chapter,  council  and  commander)'  of  the  Masonic  order. 


454 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


is  also  a  Noble  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  member  of  the 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  tlie  Harnard  Chib  of  Providence. 
and  the  Rhode  Island  Social  Workers'  GlUb. 

Mr.  Whippte  married,  in  Harmony,  in  IQ12.  Mabel 
Ranger,  of  Farmington,  Mc.,  and  they  are  the  pareiits 
of  a  daughter,  Dorothy  Sayles  Whipple.  -  . 


JOSEPH  MADDEN— After  a  life  of  industry  and 
usefulness,  Joseph  Madden,  of  Providence,  R:  I.,  retired 
in  1912,  and  until  his  death,  in  1918,  devoted  himself  to 
the  care  of  his  real  estate.  He  came  to  Providence  a 
young  man.  \vith  a  knowledge  of  the  decorating  busi- 
ness, which  he- learned  in  his  native  Ireland,  and  for 
forty-three  years  -followed  his  trade,  his  handiwork  be- 
ing preserved  in  many  of  the  finest  public  aiid  private 
buildings  of  the  city  of  Providence. 

Joseph  Madden  was  a  son  of  James  Madden,  who 
came  with  his  wife  from  Ireland  to  the  United  States 
in  1868,  and  located  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  his  home  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  In 
Ireland.  James  Madden  was  a  steamboat  man,  plying 
the  River  Shannon.  In  Providence .  he  was  employed 
by  A.  &  W.  Sprague,  Senator  Aldric'h,  and  others.  His 
children  were  i  i.  Joseph,  of  further  mention.  2.  James, 
who  was  a  stationary  engineer,  now  deceased,  j.  Mich- 
ael, deceased,  who  was  a  well  known  business  man.  4. 
Thomas,  who  was  a  marine  engineer,  now  deceased.  5. 
Peter,  a  stone  mason  and  contractor  of  important  con- 
structive work,  including  buildings  at  Yale  Univeisity, 
the  retaining  wall  opposite  the  Washington  Reservoir 
being  also  his-work.  6.  Margaret.  7.  Kate.  The  latter 
two  married  and  moved  to  a  Western  State.  8.  Ann, 
who  married  'John  Cronin. 

Joseph  Madden  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  there  served 
an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  at  painting.  He  did 
not  come  to  the, United  States  with, Tiis' parents,  but  re- 
mained with  ,his  employer  another  year,  joining  the 
family  in  Providence'  in  1869.  In  Providence  he  at  once 
began  working' at  his  trade,  doing  fine  decorative  work, 
graining,  and  all  branches  of  interior  work  of  the  best 
quality.  His  first  employers  were  Whitmarsh  &  Peck, 
and  Miles  P.  tiavvson,  with  whom  he  remained  one  year 
each,  and  theii  spent  a  year  in  New  York;  City.  He  re- 
turned to  Providence  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1871, 
and  resumed  work  at  his  trade..  He  was  employed  at 
the  Governor  Sprague  mansion  for  some  years,  the 
finishing  of  the  famous  stairway  being  the  skilled  work 
of  his  hands,  while  the  interior  decoration  was  entirely 
under  his  management.  Later,  he  was  employed  by 
Freeborn  Crowell,  and  in  1878,  formed  a  partnership 
with  Frank  Powell,  the  firm  of  Madden  &  Powell  con- 
tinuing for  three  years.  Mr.  Madden  then  withdrawing 
and  starting  in  business  for  himself  as  a  contractor.  He 
continued  in  successful  business  until  1912,  then  retired, 
having  during  that  period  completed  some  of. the  finest 
homes  in  the  State,  and  public  buildings.  He  invested 
his  profits  in  Providence  property,  his  holdings  includ- 
ing three  residences,  a  home  which  he  erected  for  his 
parents  at  Winscott,  a  six-family  apartment  house  and 
his  own  home.  He  was  a  member  of  St.  Joseph's 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  an  Independent  in  politics,  a 
man  of  strong  character  and  upright  life. 


COLONEL  CHARLES   ALEXANDER— A   New 

Englander  by  birth  and  the  associations  of  business 
and  private  life.  Colonel  Charles  Alexander,  who  was 
nominally  retired  from  active  affairs,  had  a  career  of 
.  activity  in  many  different  lines  of  business  in  various 
parts  of  the  country.  .Tn  young  manhood  he  spent  seven 
years  in  Colorado  in  business,  mining,  and  ranching,  at 
a  period  when  the  development  of  that  territory  had 
not  advanced  far  and  the  experiences  of  the  pioneer 
held  their  full  share  of  zest  and  danger.  For  more 
than  forty  years  he  was  active  in  business  and  indus- 
trial operations  in 'Rhode  Island,  his  interests  extend- 
ing to  the  field  of  Canadian  and  English  industry,  and 
he  was  highly  regarded  by  a  wide  business  and  per- 
sonal acquaintance. 

^  Son  of  Whitney  and  Hannah  (Sherman)  .Alexander, 
Charles    Alexander    was    born    in    Blackstone,    Mass.. 
December  30,    1S4-,  and   died   at  his   home,    129   Bene- 
fit street.  Providence,  on  December  28,  1919,     Whitney 
Alexander  became  a  resident  of  Providence  in  185,3,  the 
proprietor  of  a  grocery  store.     In  the  Providence  schools 
Charles  Alexander  obtained  his  early  education,  at  the 
same  time  working  in  his  father's  establishment.     As  a 
young  man  he  bought  this  business  from  his  father  and 
conducted  it  successfully  until  1869.  when  he  went  West 
and    founded    a    wholesale    grocery   house    in    Denver. 
Colo.       He    remained   in   this   line    for   two  years   and 
then    became    a    cattle    raiser,    with    a    ranch    at    Deer 
Creek,    Cqlo.       Living    alone    on    his    ranch,    he    en- 
dured   many    of    the    discomforts    and    privations    of 
the  pioneer  of  that  day,  and  combined  with  the  steady 
routine   of   strenuous   labor   were   the   adventures   that 
came   to   those   in  the  van   of  civilization's  march,   in- 
cluding visits   from   marauding   Indians.     He   sold   his 
property  in   1873  and  for  a  time  followed  the  fortunes 
of  mining  at  French  Gulch.  Mount  Lincoln,  and  Buck- 
skin,   Colo.,   then   returned   to    Denver,   where   he   had 
acquired  property  holdings  of  considerable  size,  which 
Ire  traded  for  cattle.     Five  acres  of  the  land  that  fig- 
ured   in   this   transaction    are   the   present   site   of   the 
Denver  L'nion   Depot,  a  highly  valuable  tract  of  land. 
In  the  fall  of  1876  Mr.  Alexander  accompanied  a  party 
of    hunters    to    California    Gulch,    Colo.,    which    later 
became  the  famous  Leadville.  although  at  that  time  no 
discovery  of   its   fabulously   rich   mineral   deposits   had 
been    made.     Soon   afterwards   he   returned   to   Provi- 
dence to  visit  his  parents  and.  finding  them  suflfering 
from  the  infirmities  of  age,  he  decided  to  remain  East. 
In   partnership   with   his   brother,   Fred,  he   founded   a 
retail  grocery  establishment  known  as  the  New  Eng- 
land   Grocery    Store,    where    they    introduced    popular 
innovations  in  retailing,  and  built  up  a  successful  busi- 
ness.     Mr.    Alexander    and    his    brother    then    entered 
wholesale  dealings  and  as  .■\lexander  Brothers  conducted 
operations  of  large  dimensions  which  absorbed  the  atten- 
tion of  both  for  a  number  of  years. 
:   Mr.  Ale?cander  owned  a  block  of  stock  in  the  .Ameri- 
can  Screw   Company   of  Rhode  Island   at   the   time   of 
its  decline,  and  when  the  depression  was  at  its  lowest 
point  Mr,  Alexander  with  several  of  his  friends  inter- 
vened   in    its    unsettled    affairs    and    they    were    largely 
instrumental   in  planning  it  again  well  on  the  road  to 
prosperity.     One  of  the  measures  taken  to  stabilize  the 
business  was  the  sale  of  the  plant  at   Leeds,   England, 


a^      O^^-^^/r^i'-T*'^:^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


455 


which  Rave  an  additiDiml  wnrkiiin  capital  «i  nearly  one 
million  dollars,  and  Mr.  Alexander  became  a  director  of 
the  Company  at  this  time,  the  American  Screw  Company 
of  Rhode  Island  now  ranking  among  the  leading  manu- 
facturing interests  of  the  State  and  one  of  the  largc!-t 
in  its  line  in  the  world.  Under  wi.sely  progressive  man- 
agement the  company  has  kept  pace  with  the  develop- 
ments of  industry  and  has  marketed  a  generally  used 
product  of  admitted  superiority.  At  his  death  Mr. 
.Alexander  was  the  oldest  director  of  that  well  known 
organization. 

In  1900,  with  Cyrus  A.  Birge,  of  Hamilton.  Ontario, 
Mr.  .Alexander  bought  the  Canadian  plant  and  inter- 
ests of  the  .American  Screw  Company,  which  they  later 
merged  with  other  screw  ;ind  steel  manuiactiiring 
interests  of  Canada,  forming  the  organization  known 
as  the  Steel  Company  of  Canada,  a  corporation  capi- 
talized at  $.30,000,000,  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the 
Dominion.  It  employs  approximately  eight  thousand 
men,  and  is  rated  as  one  of  Canada's  most  important 
corporations,  its  operations  on  a  vast  scale.  Mr. 
.Alexander  was  a  director  of  this  concern,  a  director  of 
the  Pressed  Prism  Glass  Company,  of  Morgantown, 
\V.  Va.,  and  a  director  of  the  Union  Trust  Company, 
of  Providence.  Although  retaining  these  connections, 
Mr.  Alexander  considered  himself  retired,  in  the  main, 
from  the  active  pursuit  of  business.  His  career,  carry- 
ing him  into  varied  lines  of  endeavor,  was  one  of 
usefulness  and  prosperous  result,  and  his  judgtiieut 
and  experience  received  the  regard  and  attention 
paid  those  whose  advices  and  courses  have  been 
proved  wise  and  profitable. 

Mr.  Alexander  for  a  time  served  as  colonel  of  the 
Rhode  Island  First  Light  Infantry,  and  in  iQirj  was 
elected  colonel  of  the  Veterans  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Light  Infantry.  He  was  vice-president  of  the  Ameri- 
can-Irish Historical  Society,  and  had  many  social  mem- 
berships, including  the  Hope.  Rhode  Island  Country, 
Siiuantum  Association,  and  Turk's  Head  clubs,  of 
Providence,  the  Bristol  Reading  Room,  of  nristol, 
R.  I.,  and  the  Barrington  Yacht  Club,  of  Harrington, 
R.  I.  He  was  a  Republican  in  political  action,  and  fra- 
ternized with  the  Masonic  order  in  the  .Adclphi  Lodge, 
Free  and  .Accepted  Masons,  of  Providence;  Temple 
Chapter,  No.  ,3,  Royal  .Arch  Masons,  of  Warren; 
Providence  Council,  No.  I,  Royal  and  Select  Masters; 
St.  John's  Commandery,  No.  i.  Knights  Templar; 
Rhode  Island  Consistory,  Ancient  and  .Accepted  Scot- 
tish Rife;  and  Palestine  Temple.  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of   Providence. 

Mr.  .Alexander's  residence  was  at  129  Benefit  street. 
Providence.  His  summer  home  was  a  beautiful  place 
named  "Macedonia,"  at  Rumst-ck  Point,  R.  I.,  splend- 
idly situated,  where  his  generous  hospitality  and 
the  clam-bakes  that  were  a  feature  of  the  season  arc 
pleasant  remembrances  with  all  his  friends  of  the 
locality.  He  also  owned  a  two  hundred  and  fifty  acre 
estate  in  the  Berkshire  Hills,  where  he  had  built  a 
perfectly  appointed  bungalow  and  had  stocked  and 
equipped  the  property  for  farming.  His  circle  of 
friendship  was  a  wide  one,  and  the  appreciation  he  had 
for  the  homely  virtues  as  well  as  for  the  high  attainments 
of  his  associates  was  the  mutual  bond  between  them. 


Charles  .Alexander  married,  in  1876,  Julia  A.  Peck, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of:  .Amy  Laurie,  married 
Walter  S.  Ingrahain,  of  Providence,  and  Frances  Gar- 
lietd,   married   A.   C.   Thomas,  of    New   York   City. 


HENRY  WARNER  KIMBALL  — For  twenty 
years  a  practitioner  at  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  Mr. 
Kimball  during  that  period  has  gained  a  strong  posi- 
tion at  that  bar,  ranking  high  as  a  lawyer  of  learn- 
ing and  skill.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  M.  and  Mary  .A. 
(W.irncr)  Kimball,  loth  deceased,  his  father  for  many 
years  a  wholesale  privision  dealer  of  Providence,  R,  1. 

Henry  Warner  Kimball  was  l>orn  in  Providence, 
October  1.),  lH<xj,  He  attended  the  graded  and  high 
schools  and  Mowry  &  GolT's  School  imtil  iSJtX.  He 
was  variously  engaged  until  1S04,  when  he  began  the 
study  of  law.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island 
bar  in  189S,  and  the  same  year  began  practice  in  the 
city  of  Providence,  and  so  continues  his  offices  at  No. 
S/    Weybosset   street. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Bar  Association, 
an<l  the  Rhode  Island  State  Bar  Association;  is  fond 
of  out-of-door  recreation;  is  a  member  and  secretary 
of  the  Pointnuk  Motor  Boat  Club;  belongs  to  the 
Order  of  Owls;  is  an  Episcopalian  in  religious  faith, 
and  an   Independent  in  politics. 


WALTER  FRANCIS  FONTAINE,  a  successful 
•irehitect  and  inllueutial  citizen  of  Woonsockct,  where 
be  has  been  actively  associated  with  the  business  life 
of  the  community  for  a  number  of  years,  is  a  native  of 
this  place,  his  birth  having  occurred  here  January  u, 
1S71.  Mr.  Fontaine  is  a  son  of  John  B.  and  Ella  M. 
(Praray)  l'"ontainc,  old  and  highly  respected  residents 
of  Woonsocket,  the  former  being  deceased,  and  the 
latter  still  making  her  home  here. 

As  a  lad  Mr.  Fontaine  attended  the  local  public 
schools,  and  upon  completing  his  studies  at  these  in- 
stitutions secured  a  position  in  the  office  of  Willard 
Kent,  a  well  known  civil  engineer  and  architect  of 
Woonsocket,  and  there  worked  in  the  capacity  of 
draftsman  and  surveyor  for  four  years.  By  the  end 
of  that  period  Mr.  Fontaine  had  determined  to  make 
architecture  his  career  in  life,  and  with  this  end  in 
view,  went  to  Europe,  where  he  spent  one  year  in 
study  and  travel.  Upon  returning  to  the  United  States 
he  entered  the  office  of  Stone-Carpenter  &  Willson,  a 
large  firm  of  architects  at  Providence,  as  draftsman, 
and  remained  associated  with  that  concern  for  eleven 
years.  Mr.  Fontaine  had  in  the  meantime  laid  up  a 
considerable  proportion  of  his  earnings  with  the  idea 
of  evL-ntually  becoming  independent,  and  the  year  190J 
found  himself  in  a  position  to  realize  his  ambition. 
.Accordingly,  he  returned  to  Woonsocket,  where  he 
opened  an  office  in  the  Commercial  building,  and  has 
continued  uninterruptedly  in  this  line  ever  since.  Mr. 
hontaine  has  developed  a  large  and  successful  business 
here  as  architect,  and  is  now  justly  regarded  as  one 
o'  the  leaders  of  his  profession  in  this  section  of 
Rhode  Island.  He  has  done  more  church,  school,  and 
residence  work  in   Rhode   Island  than  any  other  indi- 


456 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


vidiial,  nor  lias  he  confined  his  activities  to  Rhode 
Island,  hut  has  planned  and  constructed  many  im- 
portant buildings  elsewhere  in  New  England.  Among 
the  important  structures  that  have  been  built  accord- 
ing to  his  plans  should  be  mentioned  St.  Anne's  Church 
and  School,  the  Holy  Family  Church  and  School,  the 
St.  Clair  School,  the  Precious  Blood  Orphanage,  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  Young  Men's' Chris- 
tian Association  building,  the  Woonsocket  High 
School,  the  Pothier  School,  the  McFee  School,  the 
Fifth  .\venue  School,  the  Central  Police  Station,  and 
the  Fifth  Ward  Fire  Station,  all  in  Woonsocket. 
Among  the  industrial  plants  and  factories  are  the 
Lafayette  Mills,  the  Alsace  Mills,  the  Montrose  Mills, 
the  American  Paper  Tube  Company's  Mills,  the 
Woonsocket  Spinning  Company's  Mills  and  the  large 
French  Worsted  Mills  for  which  Mr.  Fontaine  went 
to  Europe  to  investigate  and  study  similar  mills  in 
that  country  before  drawing  the  plans  for  same.  Mr. 
Fontaine  was  also  the  architect  for  the  mausoleum 
for  ex-Governor  Pothier.  This  list  does  not  include 
any  of  the  numerous  residences  that  Mr.  Fontaine  has 
planned,  nor  any  of  a  great  number  of  large  churches, 
schools  and  industrial  plants  throughout  this  State  and 
elsewhere. 

Mr.  Fontaine  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has 
been  very  active  in  the  public  life  of  the  community, 
having  held  a  number  of  important  local  offices  here. 
He  was  for  three  years  a  member  of  the  Common 
Council  of  Woonsocket  and  for  two  years  an  alder- 
man. He  does  not  at  present  hold  any  office,  however, 
on  account  of  the  great  demands  upon  his  time  and 
energies  made  by  his  professional  activities.  In  his 
religious  belief,  Mr.  Fontaine  is  a  Roman  Catholic 
and  attends  St.  Anne's  Roman  Catholic  Church  at 
Woonsocket.  He  is  also  a  well  known  figure  in  the 
social  and  fraternal  life  of  the  community,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  local  council.  Knights  of  Columbus, 
the  local  lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  the  Rhode  Island  Chapter,  American 
Institute  of  Architects,  the  Kiwanis  Club  of  Woon- 
socket, the  Arts  and  Trade  Club  of  Providence,  and 
the  Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  has 
been  on  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Woonsocket 
Trust  Company,  of  this  city,  since  the  bank  was 
started. 

Walter  Francis  Fontaine  was  united  in  marriage, 
October  23,  1S94,  at  Nashua,  with  Obeline  Lucier.  of 
Nashua,  N.  H.,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Regina  Jar- 
ret  De  Beauregard  Lucier,  of  that  place.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fontaine  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  as' 
follows:  I.  Raymond  John,  born  Jan.  17,  1897;  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Woonsocket  and  at- 
tended the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  of  Provi- 
dence, and  was  taking  a  course  in  that  institution  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  war;  he  then  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  Navy  and  served  as  a  wireless  operator 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  is  now  learning  the 
worsted  yarn  business.  2.  Oliver  Walter,  born  Nov. 
27,  1900;  educated  at  St.  John's  College  at  Danvers, 
and  a  graduate  of  Woonsocket  High  School  and 
Lowell  Textile  School.  3.  Paul  Nelson,  born  March 
4,  1905;  is  now  a  pupil  in  the  public  schools  of  Woon- 
socket. 


W.  A.  H.  WELLS— The  early  life  of  Mr.  Wells 
was  such  as  to  develop  in  him  at  a  very  early  age  a 
spirit  of  self  reliance  and  independence  which  has 
been  a  valuable  asset.  His  father,  an  architect  and 
surveyor,  died  when  his  son  was  but  seven  years  of 
age,  leaving  a  widow,  nine  children  and  two  orphan 
nieces,  whom  he  had  adopted.  While  he  left  a  com- 
fortable fortune,  he  also  left  uncompleted  contracts 
which  his  widow  attempted  to  fulfill  with  disastrous 
effect  upon  her  fortune  which  was  largely  swept  away. 
This  brought  the  burden  of  support  upon  the  children, 
and  at  an  early  age,  in  his  far  away  home  on  the  Isle 
of  Barbadoes,  British  West  Indies,  the  lad  began  the 
battle  of  life.  He  is  a  son  of  James  E.  and  Mary  E. 
C Bourne)   Wells,  his  parents  of  English  ancestry. 

W.  A.  H.  Wells  was  born  on  the  Isle  of  Barbadoes, 
British  West  Indies,  September  30,  1881,  and  there 
spent  the  first  thirteen  years  of  his  life.  At  the  age 
of  twelve  he  became  a  wage  earner,  even  his  small 
earnin.gs  being  a  welcome  addition  to  the  family  purse 
after  the  mother's  loss  of  her  fortune.  In  June.  1894, 
the  family  came  to  the  United  States,  and  the  follow- 
ing month  the  lad  found  employment  with  the  New 
England  Butt  Company  of  Providence,  R.  I.  A  little 
later  he  began  his  work  in  the  line  of  jewelry  manu- 
facture, from  which  he  has  never  departed,  the  mak- 
iiis  of  swivels  and  spring  rings  for  watch  chains. 
For  ten  years  Mr.  W^ells  was  in  the  employ  of  the  C. 
Sydney  Smith  Company,  then  for  eight  years  was  with 
the  H.  A.  Kirby  Company  of  Providence,  a  short  time 
being  later  spent  with  the  W'aite  Thresher  Company 
and  with  C.  A.  Wilkinson  &  Company,  both  of  Provi- 
dence. One  additional  year  was  spent  in  the  employ 
of  The  General  Finding  &  Supply  Company  of  At- 
tleboro,  Mass.,  before  Mr.  W'ells  felt  justified  in  at- 
tempting a  business  of  his  own.  then  in  October.  1014, 
on  a  small  scale  he  began  the  manufacture  of  chain 
parts  or  findings.  He  succeeded  abundantly  and  in 
due  time  the  business  he  founded  and  developed  to  a 
condition  of  prosperity  was  incorporated  under  the 
Rhode  Island  laws  as  the  W.  A.  H.  Wells  Company 
in  June,  I9i'6,  the  founder,  one  of  the  largest  stock- 
holders, being  vice-president  and  general  manager  of 
the  company. 

The  W.  A.  H.  Wells  Company  manufactures  spring 
rings  and  swivels  for  watch  chains,  and  is  now  the  larg- 
est concern  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  Their  present  out- 
put is  four  thousand  gross  monthly,  and  even  this  im- 
mense business  is  on  the  increase.  The  factory  plant  is 
located  in  Providence,  and  the  entire  business  is  a 
monument  to  the  courage,  energy,  and  ability  of  its 
founder  and  principal  owner  whose  name  it  bears. 
Mr.  Wells  is  a  deeply  religious  man  and  devotes  all 
the  time  which  he  can  spare  from  business  and  family 
to  non-sectarian  religious  work,  teaching  and  preach- 
ing from  his  deep  study  of  the  Bible  the  lessons  therein 
found.  He  is  highly  esteemed  as  business  man  and 
citizen,  his  daily  walk  being  in  strict  accordance  with 
the  tenets  of  his  faith. 

Mr.  Wells  married,  in  igoo,  Estelle  M.  Ward,  of 
English  parentage,  also  born  in  the  Barbadoes.  They 
are  the  parents  of  five  children,  as  follows:  Roland 
Edward,  bom  1902:  Lawrence  Alfred,  born  1903; 
Marjorie  Louise,  Stella  Esther,  Morton  Rathbun. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


457 


"THE  WOONSOCKET  CALL,"  the  only  daily 
lu'wsiiapcr  prinlod  in  English  in  the  city  of  VVoon- 
socket,  R.  I.,  is  the  advertising  medium  for  Northern 
Khodc  Island,  and  the  central  portion  of  Soutlu-rn 
Massachusetts.  This  paper  was  founded  hy  local 
capital,  and  its  first  issue  was  published  on  May  31, 
1892.  the  name  of  the  paper  then  heing  "The  Evening 
Call."  The  first  president  of  the  corporation  was  the 
late  Edwin  O.  Ronian,  who  died  November  22,  1919, 
and  James  \V.  Burns  was  the  first  secretary-treasurer 
of  the  corporation. 

Late  in  iS<)5,  Andrew  J.  McConnell  and  Samuel  E. 
Hudson  purchased  a  majority  of  the  stock  of  "The 
Evening  Call"  Publishing  Company  and  assumed  the 
newspaper's  control  and  management.  Mr.  McCon- 
nell served  as  the  president  of  the  corporation  and  edi- 
tor of  the  paper,  and  Mr.  Hudson  officiated  as  treas- 
urer of  the  corporation  and  publisher  of  the  paper. 
Some  years  later  Mr.  Burns,  who  had  retained  the 
position  of  secretary,  retired,  and  Charles  \V.  Palmer 
was  elected  in  his  stead,  and  was  also  chosen  business 
manager.  In  November,  1908.  "The  Call"  purchased 
and  absorbed  "The  Evening  Reporter,"  of  VYoon- 
socket,  the  pioneer  penny  daily  of  New  England.  Sub- 
sequently, the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed,  and  its 
title  is  nov.'  "The  Woonsocket  Call  and  Evening  Re- 
porter." 

Mr.  McConnell,  after  nearly  twenty-five  years  of 
active  managerial  association  with  "The  Call."  died 
October  27.  1919.  Then  Mr.  Palmer,  Mr.  McConnell's 
stepson,  who  was  bequeathed  Mr.  McConnell's  hold- 
in,gs  in  the  paper,  was  also  elected  to  the  position  of 
president,  in  Mr.  McConnell's  stead,  and  Mr.  Hudson 
was  chosen  as  its  editor  in  addition  to  his  other  re- 
sponsibilities. These  two  men  are  now  in  managerial 
control  of  the  paper. 

This  newspaper,  with  a  net  paid  circulation  of  over 
1.2,000  copies  nightly,  is  a  publication  of  high  stand- 
ing among  the  afternoon  d-iilies  of  New  England. 
The  paper  is  a  member  of  The  Associated  Press,  the 
American  Newspaper  Publishers'  Association,  and  of 
the  Audit  P.ureau  of  Circuhtions.  "The  Call"  has 
always  been  a  family  paper,  making  a  specialty  of  the 
home  news  of  Woonsocket  and  vicinity  towns  and  vil- 
lages. The  paper  is  independent,  wholesome,  and 
readable,  and  occupies  a  strong  position  in  its  field. 

Mr.  McConnell's  newspaper  experience,  previous  to 
his  coming  to  Woonsocket,  had  been  obtained  in  New 
York,  Brooklyn,  and  Providence.  Mr.  Hudson's 
newspaper  training  was  obtained  entirely  in  Woon- 
socket. 


EDWARD  J.  McCAUGHEY— In  1850,  William 
McCaughcy.  born  in  County  Tyrone,  left  his  home  in 
Ireland  and  came  to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Paw- 
tucket,  R.  I.  He  there  obtained  a  position  in  the 
Dunnell  Printing  Works,  and  for  forty-two  years  he 
continued  in  their  employ  as  fireman  and  engineer. 
He  was  a  single  man  when  he  came  to  Pawtucket,  but 
there  he  married,  in  1858,  Teresa  Casey,  also  born  in 
Ireland,  who  died  in  Pawtucket  in  1902,  aged  seventy- 
six.  William  McCaughey  died  there  in  1898,  at  the 
same  age.  They  were  the  parents  of  Edward  J.  Mc- 
Caughey,   now    vice-president    and    secretary    of    the 


Home  Bleach  &  Dye  Works,  located  on  Branch  street. 
Pawtucket,  a  corporation  existing  under  the  laws  of 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  capitalized  at  $100,000. 

Edward  J.  McCaughey  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
I)cceml)cr  17,  1864,  and  there  completed  the  courses  of 
public  school  study.  He  then  entered  LaSalle  KcaA- 
emy,  of  Providence,  completing  his  education  with  a 
course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College.  He 
then  began  business  life  in  the  printing  department  of 
the  Dunnell  Printing  Works,  going  thence  to  a  clerical 
position  in  a  grocery  store.  In  18S5,  he  became  asso- 
ciated with  the  business  now  incorporated  as  the  Home 
Bleach  &  Dye  Works,  of  which  he  is  an  official  and  a 
director.  This  business  was  established  in  1885  by 
Peter  B.  MacManus.  who  leased  the  plant  of  the  Union 
Wadding  Company  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  of  which  he 
hid  been  manager  for  three  years,  and  reorganized  the 
business,  which  he  conducted  under  the  name  Home 
Bleach  &  Dye  Works.  Later  he  purchased  the  busi- 
ness, which  he  afterward  continued  with  marked  suc- 
cess. In  February,  189.^,  the  building  was  destroyed 
1  y  fire,  but  later  the  works  were  restored  and  the 
plant  made  one  of  the  largest  and  best  equipped  of 
its  kind  in  New  England.  In  1902,  the  business  was 
incorporated  as  the  Home  Bleach  &  Dye  Works, 
Peter  B.  MacManus  being  made  president  and  treas- 
urer. Through  all  these  years,  dating  from  March  26, 
1885,  Mr.  McCaughey  was  associated  with  Mr.  Mac- 
Manus, first  as  bookkeeper  and  assistant  manager. 
Since  1907  he  has  acted  as  general  manager,  his  offi- 
cial rank,  vice-president  and  secretary. 

Mr.  McCaughey  is  a  Democrat  in  preference,  but  is 
very  independent  in  his  political  action.  In  1906  and 
1907,  he  was  trustee  of  the  Pawtucket  Public  Library, 
but  his  business  has  always  claimed  his  time,  public 
office  not  attracting  him.  He  is  a  member  of  St. 
Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Church:  the  Catholic  Club, 
of  Providence;  the  To-Kalou  Club  of  Pawtucket: 
Rhode  Island  Country  Club:  and  Pawtucket  Golf 
Club. 

Mr.  McCaughey  married,  in  Holyoke,  Mass.,  June 
15,  1904,  Mary  Lillian  Cavanaugh,  daughter  of  John 
and  Margaret  Cavanaugh,  the  former  a  shoe  merchant 
of  Holyoke  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cav- 
anaugh were  the  parents  of  four  daughters,  of  whom 
three  graduated  at  the  Wcstfield,  Mass.,  State  Normal 
School.  One  of  the  sons.  William  P..  is  a  lawyer  of 
New  York  City,  who  during  the  World  War  served 
his  country  in  France,  a  first  lieutenant  of  the  One 
Hundred  Sixty-fifth  Regulars,  U.  S.  .'\.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McCaughey  are  the  parents  of  three  children:  Mar- 
garet Isabel,  Teresa  Christine,  and  Edward  J.  Mc- 
Caughey, Jr. 


EARL  SAUNDERS  CLARK— Among  the  suc- 
cessful and  progressive  business  men  of  Providence 
should  be  mentioned  Earl  Saunders  Clark,  active  head 
of  the  firm  of  Earl  S.  Clark  &  Company,  certified  pub- 
lic accountants,  auditors  and  production  engineers, 
with  offices  in  a  number  of  important  cities  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  and  one  of  the  largest  in- 
stitutions of  its  kind  in  the  country.  Mr.  Clark  is  a 
native  of  Providence,  born  March  2.1,  1884,  a  son  of 
Eugene  Louis  and  Mary  Sherman  (Almy)  Clark.    On 


458 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


his  maternal  side  he  is  descended  from  the  old  Almy 
family  of  Middletown,  where  it  has  held  a  conspicuous 
place  in  the  life  of  the  community  for  a  number  of 
generations.  The  elder  Mr.  Clark  is  connected  with 
the  Clark  Manufacturing  Company,  one  of  the  oldest 
makers  of  burial  caskets  in  the  country,  the  business 
being  over  one  hundred  years  old,  and  with  which  also 
are  associated  his  brothers,  John  E.,  William  H.,  and 
Albert  H.  Clark.  As  a  child  Earl  Saunders  Clark 
attended  the  Johnston  Grammar  School,  also  the 
Johnston  High  School,  until  Johnston  was  annexed  to 
the  city  of  Providence,  when  he  attended  the  Manual 
Training  High  School.  Mr.  Clark  is  a  graduate  of 
the  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College  and  also  took 
several  special  courses  and  studied  for  some  time 
under  private  tutors.  Completing  this  very  extensive 
preparation,  Mr.  Clark  "leaving  to  put  his  technical 
knowledge  to  practical  use,"  was  for  a  number  of 
years  connected  with  several  business  houses  in  Provi- 
dence, Boston  and  New  York.  He  then  entered  the 
employ  of  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Company, 
as  cost  accountant,  and  afterward  was  advanced  to  the 
position  of  chief  cost  accountant  in  entire  charge  of 
all  cost  accounting  of  the  company.  During  this  time, 
Mr.  Clark  had  been  rapidly  grasping  the  details  of 
expert  accountancy,  to  which  he  showed  a  special 
adaptability  from  the  outset.  After  obtaining  practical 
expert  training  with  the  most  successful  public  ac- 
counting firms  in  the  East,  he  felt  himself  capable  of 
taking  it  up  as  a  business.  Accordingly,  Mr,  Clark 
established  his  present  business  as  Earl  S.  Clark  & 
Company,  in  igio,  and  from  the  outset  met  with  phe- 
nomenal success.  As  the  business  grew  in  Providence, 
he  determined  to  establish  branch  offices  elsewhere, 
and  at  the  present  time  operates  offices  in  New  York 
City,  Wasliington,  D.  C,  Hartford.  Conn.,  Newark, 
X.  J.,  Bridgeport.  Conn.,  and  Sherbrooke,  Canada,  as 
well  as  tlie  main  office  in  Providence,  which  is  located 
on  the  twelfth  floor  of  the  Turk's  Head  Building.  Mr. 
Clark  has  organized  a  stafT  of  trained  specialists  at 
each  office:  the  organization  makes  a  specialty  of  de- 
signing and  installing  modern  accounting  systems  for 
manufacturing  plants.  He  takes  a  keen  interest  in 
the  subject  of  accountancy,  particularly  cost  account- 
ing, and  is  regarded  as  an  authority  on  the  subject 
upon  which  he  has  written  a  few  books  as  well  as 
numerous  special  articles  in  the  prominent  magazines. 
Mr.  Clark  is  a  certified  public  accountant  by  examina- 
tion in  several  States,  also  a  member  of  the  .American 
Institute  of  .\ccountants  by  examination. 

Mr.  Clark  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  social  and 
fraternal  circles  here,  and  is  especially  well  known  in 
the  Masonic  order.  He  is  a  member  of  Harmony 
Lodge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons;  Providence  Chap- 
ter, Royal  Arch  Masons;  Providence  Council,  Royal 
and  Select  Masters;  Calvary  Commandery.  Knights 
Templar;  Palestine  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  and  the  Rhode  Island 
Consistory.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Rotary  Club; 
Turk's  Head  Club;  Providence  Society  of  Mechanical 
Engineers,  and  other  similar  organizations,  being 
intensely  interested  in  all  forms  of  outdoor  sports  and 
pastimes.     He  is  also  an  active  member  of  the  Ameri- 


can Institute  of  Accountants  and  takes  a  keen  interest 
in  the  general  welfare  of  his  professional  colleagues. 

Earl  Saunders  Clark  was  united  in  marriage,  De- 
cember 7,  1907,  with  Luella  M.  Sevin,  a  daughter  of 
George  V.  and  Alice  (Tr^cy)  Sevin,  highly  respected 
residents  of  Auburn,  R.  1.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  are  the 
parents  of  two  children:  Dorothy  .\lmy.  and  Mar- 
jorie  Sevin. 


JOHN  WALTER  SWEENEY,  M.  D.,  of  Provi- 
dence, was  born  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  July  i,  1877, 
son  of  John  and  Mary  (Donovan")  Sweeney.  Dr. 
Sweeney  received  the  elementary  portion  of  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  New  Haven,  and  gradu- 
ated from  the  high  school  there  in  the  year  1894.  He 
then  entered  Yale  University,  class  of  1900,  academic, 
intending  to  graduate,  but  after  two  years  of  work 
withdrew  temporarily.  In  the  year  1903  he  returned  to 
Yale,  entering  the  medical  department.  In  1907  he 
was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine, 
and  continued  his  studies  in  the  New  Haven  City 
Hospital  in  the  capacity  of  interne,  remaining  with 
that  institution  some  eighteen  months.  Dr.  Sweeney 
then  came  to  Providence  and  became  connected  with 
the  Providence  Lying-in  Hospital,  and  also  did  special 
work  in  connection  with  the  Boston  City  Hospital. 
Dr.  Sweeney  began  the  general  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  this  city  in  the  year  1910,  and  continued  until 
1917,  when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States 
Government  as  captain  of  the  Medical  Corps,  and  was 
assigned  as  post  surgeon  at  Fort  Getty,  at  the  Coast 
Defense,  Narragansett  Bay.  Later  he  was  appointed 
surgeon  of  the  Two  Hundred  Eleventh  Engineers, 
with  the  Lafayette  Division  of  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary forces.  He  is  attending  the  Providence 
Lying-in  Hospital  as  assistant  surgeon  in  the  Gynx- 
cological  Department  of  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital. 

Dr.  Sweeney  is  a  member  of  the  L'niversity  Club:  the 
Alpha  Kappa  Kappa  fraternity;  Rhode  Island  Medical 
Society;  Providence  Medical  Society;  and  the  Society 
for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children,  of  which  he 
is  also  the  physician.  In  his  religious  belief.  Dr. 
Sweeney  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends  St.  Michael's 
Church  of  this  denomination  at  Providence. 

Dr.  Sweeney  was  united  in  marriage,  October  20. 
1915,  at  Providence,  with  Margaret  J.  Urquhart,  of 
this  city.  One  child  has  been  born  of  this  union,  Helen 
Louise,  June  2,  1917.  Dr.  Sweeney  has  three  brothers 
living,  all  of  whom  are  professional  men,  and  three 
sisters. 


JAMES  ROBERTON  MacCOLL.  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Lorraine  Manufacturing  Company  o.' 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  is  one  of  the  well  known  men  in 
the  industrial  life  of  the  city  of  Pawtucket.  He  is  a 
Scotchman  by  birth,  born  .^pril  2,  1856,  in  Glasgow, 
the  son  and  fourth  child  of  Hugh  and  Janet  (Rober- 
ton)  MacColl.  Mr.  MacCoH's  father  was  born  in 
Glasgow,  May  8,  i8i.^  and  died  December  12,  1882. 
His  ancestors  were  farmers  on  the  Island  of  Mull. 
He  was  in  business  a  clothier.  He  was  actively  inter- 
ested all  his  life  in  church  and  Sunday  school  work. 
His  two  brothers  were  Presbyterian  clergymen.     Mr. 


iivc  fvrc  h-2jj.-y?  1  ppr  ^'^' 


6^^, 


:i-^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


459 


MacColl's  motlicr  was  also  burn  in  Glasgow,  Scotland, 
October  9,  1826.  the  daughter  of  Baillie  James  Rober- 
ton,  owner  of  the  Gorbals  Iron  Foundry.  She  died 
December  27.  1871,  in  her  native  city. 

James  R.  MacCoIl  received  his  early  education  at 
Anderson's  Academy,  subsequently  graduating  from 
the  high  school.  He  then  took  a  special  course  at  the 
Glasgow  Technical  College,  and  being  well  equipped 
for  a  life  of  industrial  activity  entered  the  employ  of 
Henry  Fyfe  &  Son,  of  Glasgow,  manufacturers  of 
dress  goods.  He  showed  himself  a  capable  business 
man,  and  in  1878,  in  partnership  with  John  Thomson, 
he  purchased  the  business  and  they  continued  it  under 
the  firm  name  of  Thomson  &  MacCoIl.  In  1882,  Mr. 
MacColl  came  to  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  to  fake  the  posi- 
tion of  manager  of  the  Lorraine  Mills,  and  continued 
in  this  capacity  until  l8q6.  when  the  company  was  in- 
corporated as  the  Lorraine  Manufacturing  Company, 
at  which  time  he  became  a  stockholder  in  the  com- 
pany and  its  secretary  and  treasurer. 

A  few  words  about  the  development  of  the  Lorraine 
Manufacturing  Company  may  not  be  inappropriate  in 
this  place.  Its  business  is  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
and  worsted  goods,  the  firm  having  been  established  as 
a  branch  of  the  business  of  W.  F.  and  F.  C.  Saylcs  in 
1881.  .\n  extension  to  an  old  mill  was  erected  on  the 
south  side  of  Mineral  Spring  avenue,  and  cotton  spin- 
ning and  weaving  machinery  there  installed.  .X  wor- 
sted mill  was  erected  on  the  north  side  of  the  avenue. 
Since  that  date  the  plant  has  been  continually  enlarged 
by  additions  in  both  worsted  and  cotton  spinning  and 
weaving.  A  worsted  dyeing  plant  was  erected  in  1919. 
In  1891,  the  company  purchased  the  Crcfeld  Mills  at 
Westerly,  R.  I.,  and  after  making  many  improvements 
and  additions  thereto  these  mills  were  operated  as  the 
Westerly  branch  of  the  Lorraine  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. The  two  plants  employ  about  twenty-five  hun- 
dred operatives,  and  produce  a  large  variety  of  fine 
worsted  dress  goods,  colored  cotton  goods,  shirt- 
ings, etc. 

The  Lortex  Company,  a  Xew  York  corporation, 
converters  of  cotton  and  silk  fabrics,  is  an  affiliated 
company,  in  which  Mr.  MacColl  is  also  one  of  the 
owners  and  its  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Mac- 
Coll made  frequent  trips  abroad,  and  had  a  large  ac- 
quaintance among  textile  manufacturers  both  in  Great 
Britain  and  on  the  Continent.  In  1905.  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  New  F.ngland  Cotton  Manufacturers' 
Association,  and  under  his  administration  the  policy 
of  the  association  was  broadened  and  its  name  changed 
to  the  National  .Association  of  Cotton  Manufacturers. 
He  served  as  president  of  the  International  Confer- 
ences of  Cotton  Growers  and  Manufacturers  held  in 
Washington,  in  May.  igo6.  and  in  Atlanta.  Ga.,  in 
October.  1907.  and  as  chairman  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  World  Cotton  Conference  held  in  Xew 
Orleans  in  October,  igio.  From  1908  to  1910,  he  was 
president  of  the  Home  Market  Club.  He  was  a  direc- 
tor of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United  States 
from  1914  to  1920.  president  of  the  Morris  Plan  Com- 
pany of  Rhode  Island,  director  of  the  Industrial  Tru<t 
Company,  Providence  Gas  Company.  Poncmah  Mills. 
Manufacturers'  Mutual  Insurance  Companies.  Na- 
tional .Vssociation  of  Wool  Manufacturers,  and  chair- 


man of  the  National  Council  of  .American  Cotton  Man- 
ufacturers. 1919-20.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the 
I'nion  League  Club,  New  York  City:  Country  Club. 
Brookline.  Mass.:  Hope  Club,  Providence,  R.  I.; 
.\gawam  Hunt  Club,  Providence.  R.  I.:  and  the  Rhode 
Island  Country  Club.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politic*. 
Mr.  MacColl  married.  .April  15.  1884,  .Agnes  Bogle, 
daughter  of  William  and  Jessie  (Yuille)  Bogle,  of 
Glasgow,  and  they  had  five  sons  and  one  daughter 
born  to  them,  as  follows:  Hugh  Frederick,  born  in 
1885:  William  Bogle,  born  in  1886;  Margaret,  born  in 
1888,  died  in  189.^:  James  Roberton,  Jr.,  born  in 
1891:  Norman  Alexander,  born  in  1895:  Kenneth 
Donald,  born  in   1898. 


JOHN  F.  O'ROURKE— On  Eddy  street.  Provi- 
dence. Peter  O'Rourke  and  his  sons,  Peter,  Patrick 
and  Michael,  started  a  general  blacksmith  shop  and 
business.  Several  years  before  this  Peter  O'Rourke, 
wlio  came  from  Ireland  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1S75, 
retired,  but  the  business  is  yet  continued  by  the  sons, 
all  of  whom  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  under  their 
father.  In  Providence,  Peter  O'Rourke  resided  in  the 
Sixth  Ward,  and  took  a  deep  interest  in  political 
affairs.  He  was  a  good  smith  and  a  good  citizen, 
industrious  and  upright,  and  a  member  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  He  married,  in  Ireland.  .Annie 
O'Rourke,  they  the  parents  of  the  foUowings  sons 
and  daughters:  Peter,  now  retired  from  blacksmith- 
ing  and  devotes  his  attention  to  his  realty  holdings; 
Catherine,  married  Luke  P.  Walsh:  .Annie,  married 
Thomas  J.  Scanlon:  Patrick,  a  blacksmith;  Agne<, 
married  George  Hurley,  of  Point  Pleasant,  N.  J.; 
Michael,  a  blacksmith,  was  in  France  with  the  Ameri- 
can Army:  Joseph  L..  of  Providence:  John  F.,  of 
whom  further;  and  Rosetta,  deceased  wife  of  Thomas 
Snyder.  Peter  O'Rourke.  the  father,  died  in  1902. 
aged  sixty-eight  years,  his  widow  surviving  him  until 
1914. 

John  F.  O'Rourke  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  1875,  and 
in  1882  was  brought  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  by  his 
mother,  his  father  having  preceded  them  in  1875.  He 
there  attended  the  public  schools  until  twelve  years  of 
age.  He  then  was  employed  for  a  short  time  in  the 
.Atlantic  Mills,  leaving  to  go  with  a  jewelry  manufac- 
turing concern  with  whom  he  continued  a  few  years, 
and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  bought  and  successfully 
conducted  an  employment  agency.  But  he  craved 
a  mercantile  life,  and  leaving  the  factory  he  established 
a  tea  and  coffee  route  which  proved  profitable.  Later 
he  bought  a  small  place  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  and  started 
a  poultry  business,  but  as  a  result  of  an  injury,  in  1895, 
he  lost  all  he  had  invested.  For  the  succeeding  twelve 
years  he  was  in  the  ice  cream  business,  but  continued 
in  the  poultry  business  after  the  first  year.  He  also 
owned  a  large  herd  of  cows,  the  milk  and  cream  from 
which  was  used  in  the  ice  cream  manufacture.  From 
that  activity  he  gradually  became  interested  in  real 
estate,  w-hich  has  long  been  his  sole  activity.  He  has 
built  many  apartment  houses,  drawing  the  plans  and 
superintending  their  erection,  and  has  also  bought  sev- 
eral houses,  moved  them  to  more  desirable  locations 
and  practically  rebuilt  them.  He  has  added  to  his 
holdings  each  year  until  he  now  has  about  sixty  par- 


460 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


eels  of  rentable  property  in  Providence.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  his  real  estate  enterprises,  and  now 
devotes  himself  to  the  care  of  his  own  properties.  He 
never  married,  but  after  the  death  of  his  oldest  broth- 
er's wife  he  made  the  rearing  of  her  three  motherless 
sons  his  care.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  Church  and  Club,  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  the  Order  of  Foresters. 


JOHN    JOSEPH    CUMMINGS    was    one    of    the 

most  successful  self-made  men  of  Valley  Falls,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  business  as  an  undertaker.  He  was 
a  native  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  was  born  in  that  city 
.April  29,  1894.  He  was  a  son  of  James  and  Mary  E. 
(McGimm)  Cummings.  old  residents  of  that  city. 
James  Cummings  and  his  family  removed  from  that 
city  to  Valley  Falls  when  John  J.  Cummings  was  but 
four  years  of  age,  and  after  being  associated  with  vari- 
ous mills  in  this  region,  died  May  4,  1911.  His  wife, 
who   survived   him,   lives   in   Valley   Falls. 

John  Joseph  Cummings  formed  his  early  associa- 
tions in  Valley  Falls,  and  it  was  here  that  he  first 
attended  school,  becoming  a  pupil  at  St.  Patrick's  Pa- 
rochial School,  where  he  remained  until  he  had  com- 
pleted the  grammar  grades.  It  then  became  necessary 
for  him  to  earn  his  own  living,  and  accordingly  he 
secured  a  position  in  the  Bumham  store  at  Valley 
Falls,  where  he  worked  for  some  five  years.  He 
was  a  most  ambitious  lad  and  saved  most  of  his  wages 
with  the  intention  of  later  completing  his  education. 
This  he  was  enabled  to  do  and  attended  the  Massa- 
chusetts School  of  Embalming,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated with  the  class  of  1914.  He  then  returned  to  Val- 
ley Falls  and  opened  an  undertaking  establishment, 
where  he  had  been  engaged  most  successfully  in  busi- 
ness until  his  death,  October  9,  191S.  He  was  regarded 
as  one  of  the  successful  and  substantial  business  men 
of  this  community,  and  had  earned  a  well  deserved 
reputation  for  integrity  and  square  dealing.  Mr.  Cum- 
mings was  a  prominent  figure  in  fraternal  circles,  as 
well  as  social  circles  here,  and  was  a  member  of  Hi- 
bernian Division,  No.  17,  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians, 
and  of  the  local  lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Undertakers'  Associa- 
tion of  Rhode  Island.  In  religious  faith  Mr.  Cum- 
mings was  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attended  St.  Pat- 
rick's Church  of  this  denomination.  He  was  a  faith- 
ful member  of  the  church,  and  was  very  active  in  the 
life  of  the  parish.  His  untimely  death  removes  from 
Valley  Falls  one  of  the  successful  young  business  men 
whose  future  was  an  assured  success. 


HERBERT  OSCAR  ALDRICH— A  few  years 
ago  the  old  Aldrich  homestead  in  which  Herbert  Oscar 
-Aldrich.  of  Union  Village,  was  born,  was  remodeled; 
it  has  been  the  home  of  .Aldrichs  for  more  than  one 
hundred  years.  Herbert  O.  Aldrich  is  a  son  of  Davis 
and  Desire  (Ballou)  Aldrich,  of  Smithficld,  R.  I., 
grandson  of  Thomas  .Appleby  .Aldrich,  who  accumu- 
lated over  $200,000  from  farming  on  the  old  liomestead, 
both  his  paternal  and  maternal  ancestry  English,  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  of  Friends.  The  .Aldrich  and 
Ballon  ancestry  is  of  record  in  this  work.  Both  Davis 
and    Desire   Aldrich   are   deceased;    he   was   a    farmer 


and  also  dealt  in  real  estate;  built  many  houses  and 
sold  them,  and  so  continued  up  to  his  death.  He  was 
candidate  for  General  Assembly.  On  the  maternal  side 
Herbert  O.  Aldrich  is  a  descendant  of  Roger  Williams. 
Herbert  Oscar  Aldrich  was  born  at  the  Aldrich 
homestead,  Smithfield  (now  North  Smithfield),  in  the 
village  of  Union  Village,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  his  present  home,  July  6,  1862.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Woonsocket  and  Union 
Village,  finishing  with  two  years  in  Woonsocket  High 
School.  He  aided  in  the  work  of  the  farm  during  his 
vacation  periods,  and  for  a  time  after  leaving  high 
school  was  regularly  employed,  but  soon  he,  together 
with  his  brother,  began  a  portable  saw  mill  business, 
which  developed  into  a  large  lumber  business,  and 
when  Davis  Aldrich  died  Herbert  O.  succeeded  him 
on  the  farm.  He  is  a  lumber  dealer  and  builder, 
located  in  Union  Village  (North  Smithfield).  but  oper- 
ates largely  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  where  he  has  erected 
more  than  sixty  residences.  He  has  been  successful 
in  his  lumber  and  building  operations,  and  is  one  of 
the  highly  esteemed  men  of  his  community.  His 
building  operations  in  Union  Village  and  Woonsocket 
have  added  materially  to  the  prosperity  of  those  com- 
munities, not  alone  in  increased  property  values,  but 
the  Aldrich  pay  roll  meant  the  employment  of  many 
men,  heads  of  families.  Mr.  Aldrich  also  conducts  a 
large  lumber  business,  operating  five  saw  mills  in 
manufacturing  lumber  for  building  purposes,  his  trade 
a  very  extensive  one.  During  the  year  1919  he  com- 
pleted a  .«20,ooo  lumber  contract  with  the  Draper  Cor- 
poration of  Hopedale.  Mass.  He  also  furnishes  the 
various  railroads  with  ties  in  large  quantities,  in  1919 
furnishing  40,000  ties  to  the  New  Haven  Railroad. 
He  operates  several  trucks  delivering  lumber  and  ties. 
He  is  a  large  buyer  of  standing  timber,  and  has  bought 
and  wrecked  several  large  buildings,  including  the 
Tabernacle  erected  for  Billy  Sunday  meetings  in 
Providence,  a  building  which  seated  12,000  people. 
He  had  the  contract  for  cutting  down  and  grading,  also 
built  retaining  walls  for  trolley  railroad  from  Woon- 
socket to  Pascoag.  He  is  the  energetic,  able  head  of 
the  business  which  bears  his  name,  and  from  boyhood 
has  known  no  other.  In  1919,  due  to  the  death  of 
Albert  G.  Cook,  a  cousin,  Mr.  .Aldrich  has  become 
heir  to  considerable  real  estate  in  Woonsocket. 

A  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Aldrich  has  refused 
all  ofifers  of  political  preferment,  feeling  that  his  busi- 
ness engagements  were  such  that  he  could  not  devote 
the  necessary  time  to  any  office  of  importance.  He 
has,  however,  borne  his  share  of  village  responsibility, 
serving  as  assessor,  member  of  the  school  committee, 
inspector  of  lumber,  fences,  etc.  He  is  a  man  of  punc- 
tual business  habits,  holds  his  word  sacred,  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  village,  and  in  the 
beautifying  of  his   home   and   properties. 

Mr.  Aldrich  married  at  Blackstone,  Mass.,  Septem- 
ber 7,  188s,  Dora  Estelle  Thayer,  born  June  5,  1861. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aldrich  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren: Marion  Desire,  born  July  .^,  1886,  married  James 
Green,  was  a  first  lieutenant  with  the  American  E.x- 
peditionary  Forces  in  France:  Everett  Herbert,  born 
Oct.  IS,  1888,  was  also  in  his  country's  military  serv- 
ice, married,  Dec.  8,  1919,  Mrs.  Anne  (Patton)   Stone, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


461 


of  Topsham,  Me.:  Davis  Thayci;,  born  July  ^0,  i8gj, 
was  also  a  soldier  in  the  United  States  Army,  now  at 
home  with  his  father  in  business;  Carlton  James,  born 
Aug.  16,  i8gg,  a  student  in  Woonsucket  High  Scliool:  all 
these  children,  except  last  mentioned,  having  finished 
public  school  courses  with  graduation.  Mrs.  Herbert 
O.  .Mdrich  is  a  descendant  on  the  Thayer  side  from 
Ferdinand  Thayer,  who  in  i6ji  moved  to  Plymouth: 
also  through  her  grandmother,  Kaziah  Turner,  a 
^  direct  descendant  of  John  Turner,  also  a  descendant 
of  Hannah  Adams,  of  Medfield,  Mass.  • 


Jxhodc  Island  Society  of.  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution.  2.  Mary  S.,  married  Samuel  Fisk,  of 
North  Scituate.  3.  Phoebe  Mathewson,  resides  in 
Xorth  Scituate.  William  Garner  Smith  died  at  his 
home  in  Scituate,  August  31,  1892,  in  his  seventy-sixth 
year. 


WILLIAM  GARNER  SMITH— The  late  William 
Garner  Smith,  long  (lie  ot  the  foremost  residents  of 
Scituate,  R.  I.,  and  a  prominent  figure,  in  the  official 
life  of  the  town  for  decades,  was  born  at  Scituate,  son 
01  William  Smith,  and  a  descendant  both  paternally 
and  maternally  of  families  long  established  in  Rhode 
Island.  The  Smith  family  has  occupied  a  position  of 
prominence  in  the  life  of  the  Colony  and  State  for  a 
period  of  two  and  a  half  centuries.  They  descend 
from  several  unrelated  progenitors,  but  in  all  branches 
have  produced  a  worthy,  able,  upstanding  stock  of  the 
type  which  has  formed  the  backbone  of  our  nation. 

William  Smith,  Sr.,  was  a  resident  of  Scituate  for 
the  grctiter  part  of  his  life.  For  many  years  he  was 
sheriff,  and  at  different  periods  filled  important  public 
offices.  It  was  largely  through  his  eflprts  that  the 
Scituate   Cemetery   was   made   possible,   he   being   the 

donor   of   the    land.      He   married    Mary   ,    and 

among    their    children    was    William    G.,  .  mentionef: 
below. 

William  G.  Smith  received  his  elementary  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Scituate,  and  later  attended 
the  Laphara  Institute.  On  finishing  his  studies  here, 
ht  became  his  father's  assistant  in  the  management  of 
the  Smith  farm  at  Scituate,  and  remained  here  imtil 
lis  marriage.  He  then  built  a  house  at  what  is  now 
Smithville,  in  North  Scituate,  where  he  carried  on 
extensive  farming  operations  until  hi.s  death.  Mr. 
Smith  was  deeply  interested  in  agricultural  pursuits; 
and  was  widely  known  in  the  country  round  about 
Scituate  as  a  scientific  farmer  of  the  most  progressive  • 
type.  For  many  years  he  was  active  in  public  affSirs 
in  Scituate.  He  held  many  important  offices,  and  for 
decades  identified  himself  actively  with  all  move- 
ments designed  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  town. 
Mr.  Smith  was  widely  known  and  eminently  respected 
for  his  purely  unselfish  interest  in  local  issues,  and 
his  death  was  deeply  and  sincerely  mourned. 

Mr.  Smith  married  Eliza  .'Mdrich  Smith,  daughter  of 
Comar  Smith,  who  served  with  the  Rhode  Island 
forces  during  the  .'\merican  Revolution,  with  the  rank 
of  captain,  and  his  wife,  Phoebe  (Mathewson)  Smith, 
daughter  of  Hon.  Elisha  Mathewson,  and  member  of 
a  prominent  old  Rhode  Island  family.  '  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i. 
Evelyn  Eliza,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  Francis 
Paulding,  Sept.  3.  1892.  Mr.  Paulding  is  a  native  of 
the  town  of  Bryant,  Mass.:  lor  fifty-one  years  he  has 
been  superintendent  of  the  Pattern  Works  of  the  New 
York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad.  Mrs.  Pauld- 
ing is  a  member  of  St.  James  Church,  of  Providence, 
of   the    Elmwood    Club,   the    Sunshine    Club,    and    the 


WALTER  A.  WATTS— Beyond  doubt  one  of  the 
most  conspicuous  figures  in  the  medical  life  of  Paw- 
tixket,  R.  1.,  and  the  surrounding  region,  was  the  late 
Dr.  Walter  A.  Watts,  who  was  a  capable  and  eflicient 
city  physician,  whose  work  here  in  both  his  private  and 
public  capacities  raised  him  to  a  position  in  tlic  regard 
of  his  fellow  citizens.  Dr.  Watts  came  of  good  old 
Maine  stock,  and  was  a  member  of  a  family  that 
resided  in  the  "Pine  Tree  State"  for  many  years.  His 
parents,  John  F.  and  Mary  E.  (Gregg)  Watts,  arc  both 
natives  of  Maine,  where  the  former  was  employed  as 
a  rubber  worker  for  a  number  of  years.  They  later 
aune  to  Rhode  Island  and  resided  at  Providence  for 
a  time,  but  have  since  removed  to  the  town  of  New- 
bury, Mass.,  where  they  now  make  their  home. 

Born  February  2S,  1880,  at  South  Berwick,  Me., 
Dr.  Watts  came  with  his  parents  to  Providence,  R.  I. 
when  ciglit  years  of  age,  and  it  .was  in  that  city  that 
most  of  his  elementary  education  was  received.  He 
attended  the  Providence  High  Scl-.ool,  and  later  took 
a  lliree-year  preparatory  course  at  Brown  University 
to  fit  him  for  the  practice  of  medicine,  the  profession 
j;e  had  determined  to  adopt.  Pie  tlicn.  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the.  University  of  Vermont, 
and  was  graduated  from  that  institution  with  the  class 
of  1910,  winning  his  degree  as  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He 
was  extremely  prominent  in  his  class  during  his  col- 
lege course  and  was  president  of  it  during  his  senior 
year.  It  was  in  the  year  1912  that  he  began  to  prac- 
tice at  Pawtucket,  opening  an  office  in  the  .'\rnold 
building,  and  he  built  up  a  large  and  remunerative 
practice.  His  skill  a,nd  learning  ip  his  chosen  subject 
was  such  as  .to  attract  wide  attention,  and  in  the  year 
<9I5  he  was  made  city  physician,  a  post  of  tjie  greatest 
responsibility,  which  he  held  to>  the  satisfaction  of  the 
entii:9  community,  discharging  his  many  duties  in  con- 
nection with  it  with  the  greatest  efficiency  and  disin- 
terestedness. His  abilities  also  recommended  him  to 
several  insurance  companies,  which  employed  him  as 
their  medical  examiner.  Dr.  Watts  was  a  member  of  the 
Pawtucket  Medical  Society  and  of  the  Alumni  Society 
ol.  the  University  of  Vermont.  He  was  also  a  very 
prominent  Free  Mason  and  took  his  thirty-second  de- 
gree in  that  order.  He  was  a  member  of  the  .-Vncient 
i'ree  and  Accepted  Masons,  affiliating  with  the  lodge, 
chapter,  council,  commandery,  consistory  and  temple. 
Dr.  Watts  was  united  in  marriage  with  Emma  A. 
Luther,  a  daughter  oi  Edward  Luther,  of  Pawtucket. 
Mr.  Luther  is  now  deceased,  but  is  survi^'ed  by  Mrs. 
Luther,  who  continues  to  make  her  home  at  Paw- 
tucket. 


JOHN  H.  HIGGINS— As  the  head  of  the  success- 
ful business  enterprise  bearing  his  name,  Mr.  Higgins 
fills  responsible  position  in  the  Providence  world  of 
affairs,  but  worthy  as  his  standing  is  as  a  business 
man   his  influence  has  extended  through  much   wider 


462 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


channels  because  of  his  work  in  City  Council  and  on 
the  Board  of  Aldermen.  Particularly  has  his  city 
benefited  from  his  work  as  the  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Streets  while  a  member  of  the  city  govern- 
ment, when,  through  his  leading  efforts,  the  conversion 
of  Fountain  and  Empire  streets  from  unsightly  blots 
upon  the  map  of  the  city  into  broad,  attractive  avenues 
was  accomplished.  It  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of  many 
men  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  city,  but  seldom 
has  such  tangible,  highly  appreciated  result  been 
achieved.  No  improvement  in  Providence's  thorough- 
fares has  so  materially  aided  business  and  industrial 
progress  as  the  reclamation  of  this  district  for  modern 
building  operations.  This  is  but  one  of  the  many  pub- 
lic services  Mr.  Higgins  has  found  time  for  during  the 
development  of  the  scrap  metal  business  of  the  J.  H. 
Higgins  Company.  The  following  is  the  record  of  his 
life  and  activity. 

Mr.  Higgins  is  a  son  of  Ambrose  M.  Higgins,  born 
at  Lymansville,  R.  I.,  a  stationary  engineer  of  Provi- 
dence, and  a  grandson  of  Joseph  B.  Higgins,  who. 
with  his  brother,  John,  formed  the  old  time  firm  of 
Rhode  Island  cotton  mill  fame.  .Ambrose  M.  Hig- 
gins married  Betsey  E.  Rowley,  and  among  their  chil- 
dren was  John  H.   Higgins,  of  this  record. 

Mr.  Higgins  was  born  in  Providence,  May  2,^,  1863, 
and  there  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  Jencks 
and  Mowry  Preparatory  School,  and  Bryant  and  Strat- 
ton's  Business  College.  He  finished  his  schooling  wdien 
about  sixteen  years  of  age,  then  secured  his  first  busi- 
ness position  with.E.  M.  Hunt  in  the  coal  business.  A 
few  months  afterward  he  became  bookkeeper  for 
George  M.  Cruickshank,  engine  builder,  at  the  end  of 
two  years  engaging  in  the  same  capacity  with  Charles 
E.  Read,  scrap  iron  and  metal  dealers.  He  soon  be- 
came manager  for  Mr.  Read,  gained  an  excellent  repu- 
tation in  the  trade,  and  stood  high  in  the  estimation 
of  his  employer.  In  1884  he  started  in  independent 
business,  with  a  cash  capital  of  eighty-five  dollars  of 
his  own  savings  and  four  hundred  dollars  borrowed 
from  his  mother,  buying  a  horse,  renting  an  old  barn 
from  an  uncle,  and  beginning  the  buying  of  scrap 
metal.  The  thoroughness  and  efficiency  of  his  methods 
attracted  the  attention  of  friends  of  means,  and  finan- 
cial aid  was  offered  to  any  extent  needed.  This  per- 
mitted the  expansion  of  the  business;  a  partner,  Mr. 
Andrews,  was  admitted,  and  prosperity  attended  their 
efforts,  Mr.  Higgins  purchasing  his  partner's  interest 
after  thirteen  years.  Since  that  time,  as  the  J.  H. 
Higgins  Company,  the  business  has  enjoyed  success- 
ful continuance,  its  development  requiring  larger  and 
better  quarters,  which  were  secured  by  the  purchase 
of  the  property  at  No.  59  Broadway,  comprising 
twenty-six  thousand  square  feet  of  land  and  several 
buildings.  Mr.  Higgins  had  become  associated  with 
Oscar  R.  Boehne,  the  refiner,  in  January.  1915,  and 
is  largely  interested  in  the  firm  of  Oscar  R.  Boehne  & 
Company,  refiners,  which  concern,  with  the  J.  H.  Hig- 
gins Company,  occupies  a  specially  constructed  build- 
ing at  No.  198  Globe  street.  The  new  headquarters  of 
the  two  businesses  have  eighty  thousand  square  feet  of 
floor  space,  contained  in  buildings  erected  on  sixty- 
eight   thousand   square   feet   of  land. 

A    Republican    in    political    faith,    Mr.    Higgins    has 


represented  his  ward  for  six  years  in  the  City  Coun- 
cil, and  eight  years  on  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  serving 
as  president  of  that  body  and  as  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Streets.  In  the  last  office  he  accomplished 
the  beneficial  results  previously  related  in  the  im- 
provement of  the  streets  of  Providence  in  general. 
Mr.  Higgins  is  a  past  master  of  Doric  Lodge,  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  a  companion  of  Providence 
Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  and  a  sir  knight  of  St. 
John's  Commandery,  Knights  Templar.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Alerta  Club,  of  .Auburn.  His  church 
is  the  Episcopalian. 

Mr.  Higgins  married  Eliza  R.  Hazard,  daughter  of 
John  L.  Hazard,  of  Peace  Dale,  who  built  the  first 
hotel  at  that  now  famed  watering  place,  Narragansett 
Pier.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Higgins  are  the  parents  of  a  son, 
Herbert  G.  Higgins,  born  in  Providence,  May  21, 
1S92.  He  was  educated  in  the  city  schools,  Bryant 
and  Stratton's  Business  College,  took  special  courses 
in  chemistry  at  Brown  University  for  several  years, 
is  now  his  father's  assistant  in  the  J.  H.  Higgins  Com- 
pany, and  specially  interested  in  the  laboratory  and 
assay  work  of  Oscar  R.  Boehne  &  Company. 


WILLIAM  B.  APPLEBY— Certain  occupations 
seem  to  run  in  individual  families,  and  this  is  the  case 
with  the  .\ppleby's  who  have  given  a  number  of  mem- 
bers to  the  seafaring  life.  It  is  almost  as  if  they  heard 
the  "call  of  the  sea"  when  they  came  to  man's  estate 
and  had  to  choose  the  work  to  which  they  would 
devote  their  lives.  William  B.  .-Appleby,  a  captain  of 
the  line  of  steam  boats  running  between  New  York 
and  Fall  River,  is  the  son  of  another  William  Appleby, 
who  married  Eliza  A.  Goldsmith,  of  Old  Town,  Suf- 
folk county,  N.  Y.,  he  also  having  been  born  there  in 
the  earlier  half  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  elder 
Willam  Appleby  had  three  brothers  who  had  followed 
the  sea,  and  this  doubtless  had  its  influence  in  deter- 
mining his  son's  choice  of  a  career.  Their  names  were 
Joseph,  Jones,  and  Victor  Appleby,  and  there  was 
besides  one  sister,  Anna  Elizabeth.  In  the  forties 
William  .Appleby  came  to  Providence  as  the  captain  of 
the  Packet  line,  including  the  "Blackstone"  and  the 
"Rhode  Island,"  running  between  Providence  and  New 
York.  He  moved  back  to  Long  Island  in  1853,  again 
moving  in  i86g,  this  time  to  Jersey  City,  and  here  he 
died,  in  1SS7.  He  had  followed  the  sea  during  his 
whole  life,  keeping  up  the  family  tradition  in  this  way, 
which  told  that  both  his  father  and  grandfather  had 
been  sea  captains.  His  father,  Joseph  Appleby,  and 
the  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a 
native  of  England,  and  had  been  trained  in  the  exact- 
ing school  of  the  British  mercantile  marine. 

William  B.  .'\pplehy  was  born  in  (850,  in  Provi- 
dence, but  early  in  life  moved  to  Jersey  City,  where  he 
went  to  school.  With  a  career  almost  foreordained 
for  him  in  this  way  he  started,  in  1861,  to  work  for 
his  father  on  his  boat,  and  as  the  years  jiassed  went 
through  all  the  subordinate  positions  until  he  finally 
became  captain.  He  had  experience  on  all  kinds  of 
craft,  among  these,  fishing  smacks  and  coasters,  giv- 
ing him  a  wide  knowledge  of  all  the  coastwise  traffic. 
This  was  chiefly  gained  before  he  was  twenty  years 
of  age.  at   which   time  he  became  connected  with   the 


^Jl 


y  <;?  /y^^t-^j-v.^x-'X^   T*.  (yy^jL-^-Xe-cr^CZi- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


463 


Providence  line  of  boats.  Later  he  was  employed  by 
the  Stonington  line,  for  tlu-  last  ten  years  having  a 
run  to  New  York  on  the  Fall  River  Line.  As  has 
been  mentioned  before,  he  now  holds  a  command  on 
one  of  that  lines  magnificent  boats,  and  since  1890  has 
made  his  home  in  Providence,  R.  L,  and  has  identified 
himself  with  the  interests  of  that  city.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Pilots'  .\ssociation,  of  the  Masters',  Mates' 
and  Pilots'  Association,  and  of  the  Maine  Society,  as 
well  as  others.  Though  most  of  his  time  is  passed 
going  backward  and  forward  on  his  boat,  he  is  the 
owner  of  property  on  Eddy  street,  and  at  \o.  78 
Briggs  street,   in   Providence. 

Captain  .Xppleby  married  Elizabeth  Knight,  who  was 
born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  the  daughter  of  Ruius 
Knight,  a  farmer  of  Greenville,  a  member  of  one  of 
the  very  old  Rhode  Island  families.  They  have  two 
daughters:  one  being  Mrs.  Harnett  Snow,  of  Provi- 
dence, and  the  other  is  Mrs.  William  Floyd  Hall,  also 
of  Providence.  Captain  .\ppleby's  aunt.  Harriet  G. 
Appleby,  makes  her  home  with  him. 


England  iamilies.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haggs  were  born 
two  children,  a  son,  who  died  young,  and  a  daughter, 
who  is  still  livin,g. 


MILTON  PAINE  BAGGS,  for  many  years  promi- 
nent in  the  granite  business  in  Rhode  Island,  and  now- 
living  in  retirement  at  Providence  in  this  State,  is  a 
member  of  a  large  and  distinguished  family  which 
has  resided  in  these  parts  for  many  generations.  It 
was  probably  founded  here  by  one  Henry  Baggs,  as  his 
name  with  that  of  his  wife,  .\nne  Baggs,  is  the  first 
to  appear  in  the  Colonial  records  prior  to  the  year 
1695.  From  that  time  to  the  present  members  of  the 
family  have  taken  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  various 
communities  in  this  State  where  they  have  made  their 
homes.  Mr.  Baggs  is  the  son  of  Elisha  Larkin  and 
Ro.\ana  (Sunderland)  Baggs.  and  the  grandson  of 
Benjamin  Baggs,  both  well  known  figures  in  the  life 
of  the  community.  Elisha  Larkin  Baggs  was  for  many 
years  a  successful  educator  in  Rhode  Island,  and  fol- 
lowed his  profession  from  the  time  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age  until  a  few  years  before  his  death. 

Bom  at  Xorth  Kingston,  K.  L,  October  2,  1847, 
Milton  Paine  Baggs  passed  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  in  this  region.  Here  he  was  educated  and  here, 
after  completing  his  studies,  he  engaged  in  the  granite 
business.  He  was  extremely  successful  in  this  enter- 
prise and  continued  to  be  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
granite  interests  of  the  State.  His  operations  were 
carried  on  at  Westerly,  R.  I.,  where  he  resided  until 
his  retirement  in  1904,  then  moved  to  Providence.  Mr 
Baggs  is  well  known  in  the  various  parts  of  the  State 
in  which  he  lived  and  operated  his  business.  His  hon- 
orable and  upright  career  is  well  justifying,  and  while 
not  one  of  the  State's  most  prominent  men,  neverthe- 
less, he  is  one  of  those  types  of  citizens  that  any 
State  or  community  is  well  pleased  to  claim  as  a  stand- 
ard citizen. 

Milton  Paine  Baggs  was  united  in  marriage.  July 
,^.  1S74,  at  Shannock,  R.  I.,  with  Dorcas  C.  Church,  a 
daughter  of  .Albert  and  Elizabeth  Xixon  (Ward) 
Church,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Charles- 
town,  R.  I.  Through  her  mother,  who  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  Ward,  of  Charlestown,  Mrs.  Baggs  is 
(descended   from  one   of  the  old  and  prominent   New 


EDWIN  TURPI N  WESTCOTT— For  many  gen- 
erations there  has  been  a  Wcstcott  family  in  Rhode 
Island,  they  being  also  allied  with  the  ancient  Potter 
family,  the  Westcott  ancestor  being  Stukelcy  Wcst- 
cott. a  follower  of  Roger  Williams,  and  one  of  the 
twelve  original  members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church 
organized  in  Providence  in  16.39. 

Edwin  Turpin  Westcott,  now  retired,  living  in 
Thornton,  R.  I.,  is  of  the  eighth  .American  generation, 
a  grandson  of  Jonathan  Potter  Westcott,  born  Decem- 
ber 29,  1796,  in  Coventry,  R.  I.,  died  about  1869.  He 
was  a  textile  mill  worker  most  of  his  active  years,  and 
was  employc<l  as  overseer  in  several  of  the  mills  01  his 
section.  He  married  Salotee  Fiske,  who  was  born 
September  26,  1799.  They  were  the  parents  of  Elisha 
Potter  Westcott,  born  in  Coventry,  R.  I.,  January  6, 
i8,?3,  died  November  27,  1918.  He  lived  with  his  par- 
ents in  Newport  and  Scckonk,  learning  tlic  carpen- 
ter's trade,  which  he  followed  for  several  years.  When 
his  father,  Jonathan  P.  Westcott.  bought  his  farm  on 
Plainficid  street,  in  Thornton,  R.  1..  Elisha  Potter 
Westcott  came  home  and  aided  in  the  cultivation. 
Later  he  became  bookkeeper  for  mills  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, but  also  continued  to  cultivate  the  home  farm 
until  late  in  life. 

During  the  Civil  War,  Elisha  P.  Westcott  enlisted 
in  the  Home  Guards,  but  was  not  called  into  active 
service.  He  was  a  man  of  high  standing  in  his  com- 
munity, honorable  and  upright  in  his  private  life  and 
a  good  citizen.  He  married,  in  June.  1861,  Sarah  M. 
W'illiams,  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  who  yet  survives  her 
husband,  they  having  trod  life's  pathway  together  for 
fifty-seven  years  ere  the  strong  arm  of  the  husband 
was  removed.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Edwin  Turpin,  of  further  mention,  and  May,  who 
died  June  29,  1915. 

Edwin  Turpin  Westcott,  only  son  of  Elisha  Potter 
and  Sarah  M.  (Williams)  Westcott,  was  born  in  Au- 
gust, 186,3,  and  until  about  eighteen  years  of  age 
attended  the  public  schools  and  aided  his  father  in  the 
labor  of  the  home  farm.  He  began  business  life  as 
a  clerk  for  the  Pawtuckct  Manufacturing  Company, 
at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  later  employed  in  other  mills 
in  Pawtucket.  R.  I.,  and  in  New  Bedford,  Mass. 
He  became  thoroughly  skilled  in  the  operation 
of  textile  machinery  as  well  as  its  construction  and  in 
1891  became  master  mechanic  of  the  Thornton  Wor- 
sted Company,  serving  that  corporation  in  that  capac- 
ity until  1895,  when  the  company's  plant  was  destroyed 
by  fire.  The  years  1895  to  1902.  Mr.  Westcott  spent 
in  filling  up  new  mills  or  refilling  old  ones,  then  retired 
from  business  to  devote  himself  exclusively  to  the 
care  of  his  own  private  estate.  The  last  three  years 
of  the  life  of  his  honored  father.  1915-1918,  the  son 
devoted  himself  to  his  father,  giving  him  constant  care 
and  attention. 

Mr.  Westcott,  in  1910,  was  elected  a  member  of 
Cranston's  first  City  Council,  serving  one  term.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  never  taken  active 


464 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


part  in  public  affairs.  In  1892-93-94,  he  was  a  member  of 
Company  C,  of  the  First  Light  Infantry,  serving  as 
corporal,  and  ranking  high  as  a  sharp-shooter,  win- 
ning a  medal  each  year  for  excellence  in  marksman- 
ship. He  maintains  a  summer  home  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Winnepesaukee,  N.  H.,  and  thoroughly  enjoys 
the  out-of-door  life  of  forest  and  stream.  He  is  un- 
married. 


RICHARD  G.  HOVVLAND,  deceased,  was  a  de- 
scendant of  Humphrey  Howland,  citizen  and  draper  of 
London,  will  proved,  July  10,  1646.  The  coat-of-arms 
of  the  family  is  as  follows: 

Arm.s — Argent,  two  bars  sable,  in  chief  three  lions 
rani)>ant  of  the  second. 

Crest — A  lion  passant   sable. 

Humphrey  Howland  had  sons:     George,  of  St.  Dun- 
stane,  in  East  London;    also  Arthur,  John,  and  Henry. 
The  last  three  were  to  receive,  by  will,  dated  May  28, 
1646,    £8  4s.   4d.,   out   of   the   debt   "due   the   testator, 
(Humphrey)    by    Mr.    Buck    of    New    England,"    who 
lived     at     Salem.     Mass.       Annie     Howland,     widow 
of    Humphrey    Howland,    was    executri.K    of   her    hus- 
band's   estate.      She    was    buried   at    Barking,    County 
Essex,  England.  December  20.  1653.   The  sons,  Arthur, 
John,  and  Heni-y,  were  in  Scrooby,  England;    in  1608, 
they  went  to  Amsterdam,   Holland,  remaining  there  a 
year.    At  the  end  of  that  time  they  removed  to  Leyden, 
where   they   resided  until   migrating  to   New   England. 
These  three  brothers  were  the  founders  of  the  Ameri- 
can family  of  Howland.     John  Howland  was  a  passen- 
ger on  the   "Mayflower,"  and   the  thirteenth  signer  of 
the  Mayflower  Compact.     He  became  a  leading  l"igure 
in  the  civil  and  religious  life  of  the  colony.     His  broth- 
ers,  Arthur  and   Henry,  followed  at  a  later  date,  but 
appear  early  in  the  records  of  Plymouth.     The  family 
has  ranked  among  the  foremost  of  American  Colonial 
families   since  the  time  of  its   founding,   and   has   pro- 
duced many  men  who  have  attained  prominence  in  pro- 
fessional, business,  and  industrial  fields.     The  progeni- 
tor of  the  family  herein  under  consideration,  of  which 
the  late  Richard  Greene  Howland,  well  known  Rhode 
Island   manufacturer   and   financier,  was   a  descendant, 
was    Henry    Howland.   tlie  youngest   of   the    Howland 
brothers. 

(II;  Henry  Howland,  son  of  Humphrey  Howland, 
and  immigrant  ancestor  of  one  branch  of  the  American 
Howlands,  is  first  of  record  in  Plymouth,  in  1624, 
when  his  name  appears  in  the  allotment  of  cattle  to  the 
different  families.  He  became  a  freeman  prior  to 
1633,  when  his  name  is  recorded  in  a  list  of  freemen 
in  the  court  records  of  Plymouth.  He  later  became 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Duxbury,  Mass..  where 
he  located  on  "the  bay  side,  near  Love  Brewster's." 
The  records  of  Duxbury  say  that  he  was  "one  of  the 
substantial  landholders  and  freemen."  In  1635  he  was 
elected  constable  of  the  town,  and  for  several  years  was 
surveyor  of  highways.  In  1643  he  was  on' a  list  of 
freeman  and  of  men  able  to  bear  arms.  In  1636-37-39- 
40-51-52-53-56  he  served  on  the  Grand  Jury.  In  165; 
he  became  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  which 
was  then  gaining  a  foothold  in  the  American  colonies 
and  suffering  greatly  under  the  intolerance  of  the  Puri- 
tan authorities.     For  the  remainder  of  his  life  he  suf- 


fered the  persecutions  of  the  civil  authorities  of  Plym- 
outh, Mass.,  but  nevertheless  amassed  a  considerable 
property,  and  in  his  closing  years  became  the  owner  of 
much  real  estate.  In  1652  he  was  associated  with  sev- 
eral others  in  the  purchase  of  a  large  tract  of  land  in 
Dartmouth.  In  1659  he  was  associated  with  twenty- 
six  others  in  the  purchase  of  Assonet,  which  later 
became  Freetown.  He  is  thought  to  have  died  in  Dux- 
bury, where  he  owned  a  house.  He  married  Mary 
Newland,  who  died  June  6,  1674.  Henry  Howland 
died  January  17,  1671.  From  him  the  line  descends  as 
follows: 

(III)  Zoeth  Howland,  son  of  Henry  and  Mary 
(Xewland)  Howland,  was  born  in  Duxbury,  Mass.  He 
removed  to  Dartmouth,  and  thence  to  what  is  now  Tiv- 
erton,   R.    I.      He    married    Abigail    October 

1656. 

(IV)  Daniel  Howland,  son  of  Zoeth  and  Abigail 
Howland,  was  born  in  Duxbury,  Mass.,  in  July,  i66i, 
and  died  in  Tiverton,  R.  I.,  about  1714.  He  married 
Mary  Sampson,  daughter  of  Thomas  Sampson. 

(V)  Daniel  (2)  Howland,  son  of  Daniel  (i)  and 
Mary  (Sampson)  Howland,  was  born  in  Tiverton,  R.  I., 
July  29,  1691,  and  died  in  East  Greenwich,  September 

4.  I75-2-    He  married,  September  18,  1713,  Judith  •, 

and  among  their  children  was  Daniel,  mentioned  below.' 

(VI)  Daniel  (3)  Howland,  son  of  Daniel  (2)  and 
Judith  Howland.  was  born  February  7,  1724,  and  died 
in  East  Greenwich,  October  7,  1802.  He  is  regarded 
as  the  founder  of  the  East  Greenwich  branch  of  the 
Howland  family,  which  has  been  prominent  in  East 
Greenwich  life  and  affairs  since  the  time  of  its  found- 
ing in  1749.  He  married,  December  12.  1744,  Phila- 
delphia Brownell,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Ruth  Brow- 
nell,   of   Portsmouth. 

(VII)  Daniel  (4)  Howland,  son  of  Daniel  (3)  and 
Philadelphia  (Brownell)  Howland,  was  born  at  East 
Greenwich,  R.  I.,  in  1755.  He  died  October  23,  1S34. 
He  married  Sarah  Greene,  daughter  of  Richard 
Greene,  a  member  of  the  Warwick  Greene  family,  and 
a  descendant  of  Surgeon  John  Greene,  founder  of  the 
family  in  America. 

(\'III)  Daniel  (5)  Howland,  son  of  Daniel  (4)  and 
Sarah  (Greene)  Howland,  was  born  at  East  Green- 
wich, R.  I.,  in  1797,  and  died  in  August,  1871.  He  mar- 
ried, June  8,  1835,  Abigail  Susan  Greene,  daughter  of 
John  and  Abigail  Susan  (Greene)  Greene,  who  was 
also  a  descendant  of  Surgeon  John  Greene. 

(IX)  Richard  Greene  Howland,  son  of  Daniel  (5) 
and  Abigail  Susan  (Greene)  Howland,  was  born  in 
Centreville,  in  the  town  of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  September 
19,  1840.  He  was  educated  in  the  Methodist  Seminary 
of  East  Greenwich.  He  spent  the  early  years  of  his 
life  on  his  father's  farm  in  East  Greenwich,  and  m 
1867  entered  the  employ  of  Stephen  Harris  at  River 
Point.  Here  he  spent  one  year  in  learning  the  mill 
business.  In  1S68  he  became  assistant  to  Samuel  G. 
Allen,  superintendent  of  the  Hope  Mill,  at  Hope,  R.  I., 
continuing  in  this  capacity  for  four  years,  at  the  end 
of  which  period  he  succeeded  Mr.  Allen  as  superin- 
tendent. In  1873  he  was  made  superintendent  of  the 
Phenix  Mills  also,  and  he  held  both  these  important 
offices  until  the  time  of  his  death.  Lender  his  manage- 
ment both  mills  flourished,  and  Mr.  Howland  became 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


465 


widely  known  in  milling  and  mercantile  circles  through- 
out Rhode  Island,  as  an  executive  and  organizer  of 
consummate  ability.  He  developed  to  their  full  capacity 
the  mills  with  which  he  was  connected,  and  made  many 
excellent  innovations  ;  his  policies,  while  conservative  and 
careful,  were  far-sighted  and  progressive,  and  were  in  a 
large  measure  responsible  for  bringing  the  Hope  and 
Phenix  mills  into  the  position  of  importance  which  they 
now  occupy  in  the  milling  interests  of  Rhode  Island. 
Mr.  Howland  became  active  in  financial  circles  in  the 
Pawtuxct  V'alley,  and  became  president  of  the  Phenix 
Trust  Company.  He  was  a  director  01  the  Hope  Web- 
bing Company  of  Pawtucket;  president  of  the  Paw- 
tuxet  Valley  Railway  Company,  now  part  of  the  New 
Haven  system:  president  of  the  Pawtuxct  Valley 
Water  Company;  he  was  largely  responsible  for  bring- 
ing the  last  named  company  through  the  crisis  in  its 
financial  affairs.  Mr.  Howland  was  agent  of  the  Bar- 
den  Reservoir  Company  of  Scituate,  R.  I.  For  many 
years  he  was  active  in  public  affairs.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Town  Council,  and  rendered  valuable  service 
in  this  oflice.  In  1870  he  was  elected  to  represent  his 
town  in  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island,  and  in 
1884  again  filled  the  office.  He  was  a  Republican  in 
political  affiliation,  and  a  public  servant  of  the  most 
interested  and  able  type. 

Mr.  Howland  married  (first)  on  June  4,  1868,  Isa- 
bclle  J.  .Allen,  daughter  of  Samuel  Greene  and  Isabella 
Maria  Flagg  (Merrill)  Allen,  who  died  in  1884.  He 
married  (second)  March  9,  1886,  Alice  M.  Sisson,  of 
Warwick,  R.  I.,  who  was  born  May  11,  1854.  the 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  Weeden  (Hall)  Sisson, 
of  Warwick,  R.  I.  Mrs.  Howland,  who  survives  her 
husband,  and  resides  at  Hope,  R.  I.,  is  a  descendant  of 
several  noted  Rhode  Island  and  Massachusetts  families 
of  Colonial  origin.  The  children  of  the  first  marriage 
were:  i.  Richard  .Allen,  born  June  27,  1869,  died  .Xpril 
17,  1872.  2.  Annie,  born  Oct.  i,  1871,  died  Dec.  29, 
1878.  3.  Alice  Merrill,  born  May  I,  1874,  a  graduate 
of  Vassar  College  in  the  class  of  1896.  4.  Daniel,  men- 
tioned below.  5.  Abigail  Susan,  born  June  17.  1882, 
died  Aug.  25,  1882.  Richard  Greene  Howland  died  sud- 
denly at  Saranac  Lake,  K.  Y.,  .August  jo,  1907.  His 
death  was  deeply  felt  in  manufacturing  circles  through- 
out the  State,  and  in  a  large  circle  of  friends.  Tributes 
to  his  memory  were  numerous,  and  from  among  them 
the  following  has  been  chosen  as  expressing  best  the 
character  of  the  man: 

His  sudden  death  flil.'i  the  hearts  of  a  host  of  friends 
in  tlie  Pawtuxet  Valley  and  elsewhere  with  profound 
sorrow.  To  know  him  was  to  esteem  him  for  his  many 
sterling  qualities  of  character.  Anions  his  business 
associates,  his  strong,  active  mind  won  respect,  which 
was  fully  warranted  by  his  success.  His  sense  of  honor 
was  of  the  highest  order,  and  his  word  was  as  pood  as 
a  etold-bearins  bond.  The  strancer  micht  have  con- 
sidered his  reserve  of  manncT  as  extreme,  but  those 
who  enjoyed  his  intimate  friondsliip  knew  him  to  be 
of  warm  heart  and  his  charities  were  marked  bv  the 
Biblical  injunction,  •'I.,et  not  thy  left  hand  know  what 
thy  right  hand  doeth." 

(X)  Daniel  (6)  Howland,  son  of  Richard  Greene 
and  Isabellc  J.  (.Allen)  Howland.  was  born  June  9, 
1878,  at  Hope,  R.  I.  He  was  educated  in  private 
schools  in  Rhode  Island,  and  was  prepared  for  college 
at    Mowry   &   GofF's   English   and   Classical   School   in 

R  1-2-30 


1896.  He  entered  Brown  University,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1900  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  began  his  business  career  in  the 
Hope  Mill  on  completing  his  studies,  but  after  three 
years  was  obliged  to  retire  from  business  by  failing 
health.  Mr.  Howland  lived  for  four  years  at  the 
open  air  colony  at  Saranac  Lake,  N.  Y.,  and  on  return- 
ing to  Rhode  Island  lived  for  a  time  at  Hope,  later 
settling  on  the  Howland  farm  in  East  Greenwich, 
where  he  now  resides.  He  was  treasurer  of  the  town 
of  Scituate,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Town  Council 
in  1910-11.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Phenix  Trust  Com- 
pany, the  Hope  Webbing  Company,  the  National  Car- 
bonic Gas  Company  of  New  York;  he  was  first  lie\i- 
tenant  of  Field  .Ailillery,  Rhode  Island  National 
Guard. 

Daniel  Howland  married.  May  10,  191,^.  Katharine 
Stanley  Jewett,  who  was  born  at  Norwich,  Conn., 
September  4,  1884,  daughter  of  Edward  H.  and  Sophia  S. 
(Miller)  Jewett.  Children:  I.  Daniel  F.,  born  June 
II,  1915.  at  the  Howland  farm.  East  Greenwich,  R.  I. 
2.  Katharine  Stanley,  born  at  the  Howland  farm,  Dec. 
6.  1018. 

(The  Sisson  Line). 

Arms — Per  fe.-'se  embattled  or  and  azure,  three  grif- 
fins' heads  erased  counterchanged. 
Crest — A  griffin's  head  erased  or. 
.Motto— Hope  for  the  best. 

The  Sisson  family,  of  which  Mrs.  Richard  Greene 
Howland.  of  Hope.  R.  I.,  is  a  member,  was  founded 
in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  about  the  year  165.3.  by  Richard 
Sisson,  and  since  that  date,  throughout  a  period  of 
more  than  two  hundred  and  sixty  years,  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  history  of  the  colony 
and  commonwealth. 

(I)  Richard  Sisson.  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder, 
was  born  in  England  in  1608.  He  is  first  of  record  in 
Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  in  the  year  165.3.  when  he  was 
admitted  a,  freeman.  He  resided  in  Portsmouth  until 
1667,  serving  at  times  as  juryman.  He  also  purchased 
land  in  Rhode  Island  which  he  disposed  of  before 
removing  to  Dartmouth,  Mass.  In  1667  he  was  in 
Dartmouth,  serving  on  June  5,  of  that  year,  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Jury.  On  June  5,  1671,  he  was 
chosen  surveyor  of  highways.  He  died  in  1684,  and 
his  will,  dated  October  18,  168.3,  w'as  proved  February 
26,  j6&i.     His  widow,  Mary,  died  in  1692. 

(II)  James  Sisson,  son  of  Richard  and  Mary  Sis- 
son, was  a  resident  throughout  his  life  of  Dartmouth. 
Mass..  where  he  died  in  17.34.  In  1685  he  was  surveyor 
of  highways,  in  1686  constable,  and  in  1689  selectman. 
On  March  24,  1686,  he  took  the  oath  of  fidelity.  On 
November  1.3,  1694,  he  was  one  of  those  who  had  a 
confirmatory  deed  of  Dartmouth  from  William  Brad- 
ford. James  Sisson  married  Lydia  Hathaway,  who 
was  born  in  1662,  and  died  June  2,3,  1714,  daughter  of 
Arthur  and  Sarah  (Conk)  Hathaway:  granddaughter 
of  John  Cook  and  his  wife  Sarah  (Warren)  Cook; 
and  great-granddaughter  of  Francis  Cook,  seventeenth 
signer  of  the  Mayflower  Compact,  and  of  Richard 
Warren,  twelfth  signer  of  the  Mayflower  Compact. 
Their  descendants  are  eligible  to  membership  in  the 
Society  of  Mayflower  Descendants. 


466 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


(III)  Richard  (2)  Sisson,  son  of  James  and  Lydia 
(Hathaway)  Sisson,  was  born  February  19,  1682,  and 
was  a  resident  of  Dartmouth,  Mass.  He  married,  in 
i;o4,  Mehitable  . 

(IV)  Richard  (.,3)  Sisson,  son  of  Richard  (2)  and 
Mehitable  Sisson.  was  born  in  Dartmouth,  Mass.,  July 
1/.  1705.  ati'i  died.tTiereHn  1790,  hfs  entire  Hfe.  ha-ving 
been  spent  in  agricultural  pursuits.'  He-  married  Alice 
Soule,  of  Dartmouth.   -^  ''tT:'"-      :  •"■• 

(V)  Joseph  .Sisson,' son-  of,  Richard  (3)  'and.  Alice 
(Soule)  Sisson,''was.  born'in  Dartmouth, 'Mass.,  Sepfefn<- 
ber  II,  1728.  Early  in  lifer'hc  removed  tO-Newport.  R-. 'L, 
and  subsequen-t,Iy  .to  Seekonk,  '  Mass.'  >  He  married 
April  18,  1753,:  Ruth  Sherman,  hvho. -w-as  born'.'May  i', 
1734,  and  diedSeptember.  ii,-.i822,  daiighter*  of  Benja- 
min and  Ruth  (Fish)  Sherman,  of  Portsmouth,  R. -I. 

(VII  Asa  Sisson, -sdn  of  Joseph'  and  Riith  (Sher- 
man) Sisson,  was--born  January* -7,  177X),  .ptobably 'in 
Middlctown,  R..I.v.-Bnd"'died- April  7.,-i852„'"  He'-settled 
in  Warwick.  Rf'r.', -wliere  he-ertgagpd  Ss  a  farmer7ahd 
at  times  followed"*  m^chanicrfl  Tiiirsiiits.  '  He  married 
(first)  on  May/i„'i7q!t, '- .Alice '^^nt-hpny,  of  North  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.  tje  m.-irried' (second)  August ''15,  .1798, 
Mercy  Dennis,  Whb-  di?d  ©ecember  27.  1816,  daughter 
of  Robert  and  tjgnnah  Dennis, .of  Poftsraouth;  .he  ilj^r- 
ricd   (third)   Dinah  Collins.        •         ^    j_  •■-.  ^  i- 

(VII)  Josepli,  (2)""Si'sson,  ^sojit- of-vApa.'.  and „ Mercy 
(Dennis)  Sisso5,:was,bnrn.De.cember  3.1, '180,?.  at  New- 
port, R.  I.,  died  0'ctober ':;g?  18S4,"'.  At'anrear'iy  age  hp 
entered  the  mAni^factu'r.ing  world,'  arid,  subsequently 
established  himself 'in 'business^  as  a  m.anufacturer  of 
loom  machinery.  'M'e'Was  li,ighly  sycce^sful,' and  be- 
came widely  knbwi^'  m  niilhng  and  'mercaritile  cii"cles 
in  Rhode  Island.,,''  Jbsepfi  'Sisson  resided  m'  Co\'entry 
and  Warwick.  Ijl.  'hV  aiTa  was 'a,  member  of  l^he  Society 
of  Friends,  but  mai^ried  -  oiitside  of- the  so'ciety.  He 
married,  March '4,"'' 1838;  Sarah'We"e"den;Hal!,'who  was 
born  .August  27J"Y820,"  dfed'-May  ip.- i864,_-daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Sarah, '(W'ee'den")  'Hall.  *  Mr.  a;nd  Mrs.  'Sis- 
son were  the  parentsf-ofeight'childreh:  i.  Robert  E., 
born  Jan.  9,  iS4o,  died 'July,' 19:7.  .*!.  Mary  L.,  born 
Oct.  5,  1841;  marriedj  Mlifch  17,  1863,  Harv'ej^^S.  Almy. 
3  Sarah  A.,  bornOcL-is.  1843.  died  June  'ii,  1913; 
married,  Jan.  21^  fSSj,  Job'Kenyqn,  M.' D.  4.  Rebecca 
J.,  born  Oct.  17,  i8!(5,  died  July  27,  1SS9:  mari^ie'd'Feb. 
5.  1868,  Henry  J.  ■'L,e_  V.alleyv; '■  ehildren  :  Mary,  R.i  de- 
ceased; Alice  M.,' decea'se'd";'' Maber'S;  and -Sarah  H.  . 
5.  Harriet  M.,  born  Nov.  17; 'f84^.  6.  Lucy  A.,  born  " 
Jan.  T7.  1850;  married.  Feb'.  10,  i886r  Ben]>min"Bak^r: 
children:  Harvey  A;, '  born  A'pril  24,  '  r86i,' maiirie'd, 
Sept.  30,  1908,  Marion  M.  Brown,  iv/o  diildrcn:  Mar- 
ion M.,  born  Aug.' 27,  1909,  and  Richard '^1.,'bofn'Nov'. 
5,  1912;  Benjamin  Charles,  bo'rii  Feb'.'  28,-^'t884.  ifiarri'ed, 
June  6,  1918,  Louisa  Higginson.  7.  Edwin  M.,  bora  , 
Feb.  22.  1852,  died  Dec.  22,  1882.  8.  .Alice"  M..  men- 
tioned below. 

(VIII)  Alice  M.  Sisson,  daughter  of  Joseph  C2)  and 
Sarah  W'eeden  (Hall)  Sisson.  was  born  in  Warwick, 
R.  I.,  May  11,  1854.  She  married,  on  March  9,  1886. 
Richard  Greene  Hovvland,  of  Hope,  R.  I.,  who  died 
August  20,  1907.  Mrs.  Howland  resides  at  Hope.  R.  I. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Society  of  May- 
flower Descendants,  and  of  the  Society  oi  Colonial 
Dames. 


WILLIAM  HERVEY  KINYON,  general  manager 
of  Kinyon's  Commercial  Schools  of  Pavvtucket,  R.  I., 
and  New  Bedford.  Mass.,  was  born  at  Albany,  Kan., 
December  18,  1S68.  He  is  a  son  of  Myron  T.  and 
Mary  Anne  (.Adams)  Kinyon. 

-.  Myron  ..T.  JCinyon,  father  of  William  H.  Kinyon, 
'was  born  at  Srnyrna,  N.  Y.,  and  died  in  Pavvtucket, 
R.  I.,  September  4,  1916.-  He  was  a  son  of  Gardener 
•J.'  Kinyon,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island.  Myron  T.  Kin- 
yon grew  to'manhood  in  Smyrna,  N.  Y.,  and  graduated 
from  the  Franklin  Institute  of  Franklin,  N.  Y.  He 
vvas  a  student  for  the  ministry,  but  he  was  never  regu- 
'"faniy  ordaiVied;  In  his  early  days  he  became  interested 
in  real  e\state  'and  western  lands  located  in  Kansas, 
where  his"  sonj  William  Hervey,  was  born.  After  two 
years'  stay  in  Kans&s,  he  came  to  Williamsport,  Pa., 
and  successfully  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  In 
-1879  he  moved  to  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  engaged  in 
real  estate,  ihsufaaice  and  management  of  his  personal 
inxestments.  -  'He  'built   the   present    Kinyon    block   in 

■  •'1888.      He  Wa^.  very"  active  in  church  life,   and  was  a 

..charter  member  of  the  Park  Place  Congregational 
Church,  of  which  he  was  deacon  and  member  until 
■his  death.  He  married  Mary  Anne  Adams,  who  died 
•May  12,  1909.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Nettie  D.,'- at  home,  and  William  Hervey,  of  whom 
■further.    --A  '»",  '     '  ■ 

WilliamA  Hervey  Kinyon  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools'  "of  'Williamsport,'  Pa.,  and  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.  He  graduated  from  the  Bryant  and  Stratton 
Business'  College  of  Providence,  in  1888,  and  in  April, 
18S0,  he  became  an  instructor  of  that  institution,  con- 
tinuing imtil  June,  1903.  In  the  me-intime,  in  1901,  he  had 
established  in  Pawtucket  Kinyoii's  Commercial  School, 
this  school,  together  with  that  of  New,  Bedford,  stand 
a"s  moniiments  ■  to  their   founder.   William   H.    Kinyon. 

■  After  fourteen  years  spent  as  an  instructor  and  in  care- 
ful ^tudy  of  the  'office  needs  of  mercantile  houses,  Mr. 
iKiiiyon  determined  to  inaugurate  a  system  of  training 

,  office  Jielpers  which  should  excel  any  system  hitherto 
-used.   '  Witli'^.clear   vision    and   honest   enthusiasm,   he 

'■  tJegan^  his  school  in  Pawtucket.  His  principle  -was  to 
train  .students  thoroughly  for  a  position  even  better 
•than  the  one  for  -which  they  were  qualifying.  That  his 
methods  of  instruction  have  been  approved  by  em- 
plo'j'ers  and  students  must  rest  upon  the  fact  that  the 
small  quarters  in  Pawtucket  were  soon  too  confined, 
and  they  have' been  enlarged  again  and  again  until 
Kinyon's  (Tommercial  School,  Pawtucket,  is  one  of  the 
largest  of  its  kind  in  the  East.  Ten  years  after  the  par- 
ent school  was  opened  in  Pawtucket,  another  similar 
sch-ool.  vvas  started,  in-  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  under  the 
sanie  name.  "  This  school  soon  took  a  leading  place 
among  the  educational  institutions  of  that  city.  Kin- 
■yon's  Commercial  Schools  are  members  of  the  Na- 
tional Association  of  Accredited  Schools  and  the  New 
England  Business  College  .Association.  To  receive 
accredited  standing,  and  to  be  admitted  to  membership, 
the  schooPis  judged  by^  the  quality  and  extent  of  its 
cotrrses,  the  number  and  educational  standing  of  its 
faculty,  and  must  adhere  to  true  teaching  methods  and 
maintain  a  truly  educational  spirit.  Its  texts  must  be 
of  recognized  merit,  and  it  must  possess  fraternal 
connections  throughout  the  country,  and  afford  employ- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


467 


ment  for  its  graduates  in  any  part  of  the  United  States. 
It  must  also  be  favorably  introduced  to  the  business 
public,  and  guarantee  efficiency  to  its  students  tinish- 
ing  their  courses.  The  school  must  include  in  the  train- 
ing of  its  pupils,  persistency,  thoroughness,  clear  and 
logical  thinking,  right  conduct,  and  all  other  elements 
which  go  to  make  for  success  in  business.  Besides  his 
membership  in  the  New  England  Business  College  .As- 
sociation, Mr.  Kinvon  belongs  to  the  Pawtucket  Busi- 
ness Men's  Association  and  to  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  is  a  member  of  the  New  Bedford  Board  of 
Trade.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  a  trustee  of  the  Park 
Place  Congregational  Church. 

In  1893  William  H.  Kinyun  married  Ella  May  Gil- 
more,  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Sarah  Gilmorc,  and  a 
native  of  Providence,  R.  I.  They  have  three  children . 
Alice   Gilmore,    Marion   Sheldon,   and   Nettie  Wenslev. 


WILLIAM  H.  PARK— For  a  period  of  fifty-iour 
year.s  the  late  William  H.  Park  was  one  of  the  fore- 
most figures  in  the  financial  life  of  the  city  of  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.,  a  factor  of  prominence  in  the  banking 
interests  of  the  State.  In  addition  to  this  he  served 
in  executive  capacities  in  many  oi  the  large  industrial 
enterprises  for  which  Pawtucket  is  noted.  A  man  o[ 
fine  ability,  and  wide  versatility,  capable  and  forceful, 
he  was  a  valued  member  of  the  executive  boards  of 
many  corporations.  His  place  in  civil  life  was  that 
which  is  accorded  only  to  a  man  who  for  long  years 
has  proved  wortliy  of  implicit  trust  and  respect.  In 
reviewing  the  lives  oi  the  men  who  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  the  present  importance  ot  the  city  of  Paw- 
tucket in  the  financial,  industrial  and  civic  life  of  the 
State  oi  Rhode  Island,  the  late  William  H.  Park  is  a 
factor  oi  such  importance  that  a  history  attempted 
without  due  mention  of  his  life  antl  career  would  be 
incomplete. 

William  H.  Park  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  De- 
cember 12,  1843,  the  son  of  Adam  and  Nancy  (Carpen- 
ter) Park.  Adam  Park,  his  father,  was  a.  member  of 
a  family  long  established  in  Providence  county,,  and 
was  for  many  years  a  prominent  merchant  in  Paw- 
tucket, head  of  the  firm  of  .A.  &.  A.  I'ark,  wholesale 
and  retail  grocers.  Young  Park  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  the  city,  but  at  an  early 
age,  anxious  to  become  started  in  the  business  of  life, 
discontinued  his  studies,  and  entered  the  ba-nking  busi- 
ness. He  secured  his  first  emplo\-ment  in  the  old 
People's  Bank,  which  was  then  located  in  the  Dor- 
rance  building,  at  the  corner  of  Main  and. North  Main 
streets,  in  the  capacity  of  a  clerk.  This  institution 
later  became  the  First  National  Bank,  and  after  rising 
rapidly  through  lesser  offices,  Mr.  Park  became  the 
cashier  of  the  bank,  an  office  which  he  held  for 
twenty-five  years.  From  this  time  forward  he  was 
one  of  the  vital  forces  in  the  financial  life  of  the  city 
On  the  organization  oi  the  Pawtucket  branch  of  the 
Industrial  Trust  Company,  in  i goo,  and  its  amalgama- 
tion with  the  First  National  Bank,  Mr.  Park  was 
chosen  manager  of  the  bank.  He  served  in  this  ca- 
pacity until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  also  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  local  branch. 
Through  the  extensive  nature  of  his  financial  connec- 
tions,  he  was   brought  naturally  into   touch   with   the 


large  business  interests  of  the  city.  Mr.  Park  was  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Memorial  Hos- 
pital. He  was  prcsitlent  of  the  Dexter  Yarn  Com- 
pany, one  of  the  largest  enterprises  of  its  kind  in  the 
Ulackstone  Valley.  He  was  treasurer  of  the  Paw- 
tucket Haircloth  Company,  also  a  notable  institution, 
and  a  director  of  the  Providence  County  Savings  Bank, 
the  William  11.  Haskell  Manufacturing  Company,  the 
Royal  Weaving  Company,  the  .\merican  Haircloth 
Company,  and  other  concerns.  Ho  was  treasurer  of 
the  Standard  Seamless  Wire  Company,  and  one  of 
(he  owners  of  the  Walnut  Hill  Cemetery.  Said  the 
P;\\v*acket  "Times"  in  an  editorial  shortly  after  his 
death : 

\Vllli.am  H.  Park  wa.«  one  of  ihu  figures  who  aided  In 
bringrinp  Pawtucket  into  a  leading  position  in  tile  busi- 
ness and  indu.-'tiial  life  of  I^liode  I.-iland  and  lias  piven 
a  hand  to  civic  an<i  social  progres.s  in  Its  mulliple 
forni."*.  •  •  •  Without  ostentation,  wilhout  any 
taste  for  politics,  tint  armed  with  ability  an<i  probity, 
and  Koo<l  sound  .Americanism,  he  early  proved  him- 
self   a    citizen    of    the    most    desired    type. 

.'Mthough  prominently  identified  with  many  notable 
movements  for  the  advancement  of  Pawtucket.  Mr. 
Park  was  in  no  sense  of  the  word  a  politician  or  an 
office  seeker.  He  was,  however,  earnestly  importuned 
to  accept  public  olTice  for  many  years,  and  in  1S06  he 
was  persuaded  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  mayoralty, 
on  the  Good  Government  ticket.  In  that  year  there 
were. three  other  tickets  in  the  field  besides  his  own, 
the  nominees  being  the  late  John  W.  Davis,  who  was 
elected;  Henry  E.  Tiepke,  and  the  late  Henry  H. 
Sheldon.  Mr.-  Park  filled  the  position  of  treasurer  of 
the  town  of  North  Providence,  when  it  was  a  part  of 
Pawtucket,  and  was  at  one  time  a  member  .of  the 
school  committee  of  Pawtucket.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  one  of  the  city's  sinking  fund  commis- 
sioners, and  did  valuable  work  in  this  connection. 

Mr.  Park  was  well  know;n  in  club  and  social  life  in 
Pawtucket,  and  was  a  member  of  the  To-Kalon  Club, 
of- which  he  was  at  one  time  president.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Squantum;  Club.  He  was  one  of  the 
leading  spirits  of  thePawtucket  Business  Men's  Asso- 
ciation. His  religious  affiliation  was  with  the  Vaw 
tucket  Congregational  Church,  of  which  he  was  a  reg- 
ular attendant,  and  he  was  a  liberal  supporter  01  its 
undertakings.  His  gifts  to  charitable  and  philanthropic 
efforts  were  large,  and  since  they  were  made  in  an  un- 
ostentatious manner  their  ejJtent  never  became  know" 
He  was  the  friend  of  those  in  need  of  his  aid  and  sup- 
port, and  was  sought  continually  for  advice  and  help 
by  younger  men  in  business  and  financial  life,  wn« 
knew  the  value  of  his  seasoned  judament  and  keen 
business  foresight.  Strict,  unbending  honesty  and  jus- 
tice character)zcd  his  every  action,  and  made  him  one 
01  the  most-  highly  honored  men  of  his  time  in  Pay;- 
tucket.  He  was  essentially  of  a  home  lovini;  nature, 
although  loving  the  society  of  his  intimates,  and  his 
home  was  for  many  years  the  Icnaezvous  of  many  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  tlic  city.  Broad  and  liberal  in 
his  tastes,  he  drew  his  friends  from  every  walk  of  life. 

On  MarcM  17,  1869.  Mr.  Park  married  in  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  Anna  Hathaway,  daughter  of  William  II.  and 
Fannie  Esther  (.-Vrnold)  Hathaway,  a  descendant  on 
hoth  the  paternal  and  maternal  lines  of  long  estab- 
lished   and    prominent    Rhode    Island    families.      Mrs. 


468 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Park    survives   her   husband   and   resides   at   the    Park 

home  in  Pavvtucket.     She  is  well  known  in  social  life 

in  the  city,  and  is  a  past  regent  of  the   Daughters  of 

the  American  Revolution,  Pawtucket  Chapter. 

Mr.  Park  was  a  lover  of  nature,  and  was  very  fond 

of   travel.      He   was   a   patron  of   music   and   the   arts, 

widely  read,  and  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  great 

authors.    He  was  a  man  of  fine  intellect.    The  following 

tribute  to  him  as  a  man  and  as  a  citizen  appeared  in 

the  Pawtucket  "Times,"  after  his  death,  which  occurred 

on   April    19,    1917,   at   the   Waldorf   .Astoria    Hotel   in 

New   York   City: 

Retiring  in  his  manner,  and  avoiding  wliatever 
appeared  like  display,  lie  was  one  to  attend  closely  to 
duties  of  business,  and  whatever  part  he  played  in 
political  or  social  life  was  due  more  to  the  solicitation 
of  his  friend.5  than  his  own  efforts.  Of  a  disposition 
that  at  once  Impressed  one  with  its  straightforward- 
ness and  sweetness,  affable  and  kind  on  all  occasions, 
Mr.  Park  won  the  esteem  and  general  good  will  of 
tho-e  who  were  fortunate  to  have  relations  with  him. 
Possessing  a  keen  appr,_- elation  of  wit  that  fitted  his 
happiness  of  manner,  he  was  cheering  in  repartee,  but 
his  words  carried  no  sting.  His  friends  he  cherished, 
and  whether  in  or  out  of  the  circles  of  businer-s,  the 
name  of  William  H.  Park  carried  the  stamp  of  honesty 
and   all   that  attached   thereto. 


THOMAS  H.  ROBERTS— The  material  prosperity 
of  every  community  is  largely  in  the  hands  of  its  busi- 
ness men  of  the  younger  generation,  and  the  man 
whose  name  we  have  just  written  is  a  typical  represen- 
tative of  that  class  in  Providence.  As  president  of  the 
Industrial  Chemical  Company,  Mr.  Roberts  ha?  an 
assured  standing  as  an  executive,  having,  since  the 
inception  of  his  career,  loyally  identified  himself  with 
the  business  interests  of  his  native  city. 

Thomas  Roberts,  father  of  Thomas  H.  Roberts,  was 
born  in  England,  and  at  the  age  of  three  years  was 
brought  to  the  United  States  by  his  parents  who  set- 
tled in  Providence.  It  was  there  that  the  boy  received 
his  education,  and  in  early  manhood  he  married  Eirima 
Howarth. 

Tlioinas  H.  Roberts,  son  of  Thomas  and  Emma 
(Howarth)  Roberts,  was  born  October  7,  1891,  in 
Providence,  R.  I.,  and  received  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  city,  and  Technical 
High  School,  graduating  in  1909.  The  same  year  he 
entered  Brown  University,  graduating  in  1913  with 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Philosophy,  and  the  institu- 
tion conferred  upon  hiin  in  1914  that  of  M.  S.  C. 
Upon  completing  his  education,  Mr.  Roberts  asso- 
ciated hiiTiself  with  the  cheinical  business,  and  in  1915 
he  formed  a  partnership  under  the  name  of  the  Indus- 
trial Chemical  Company.  On  account  of  supplies  from 
Germany  being  cut  off,  he  began  to  manufacture  chem- 
icals and  dye  stuffs:  the  venture  was  very  successful 
and  the  development  of  the  business  has  been  largely 
alon.g  the  line  of  this  industry.  The  factory  was  started 
on  Pitman  street,  and  the  business  e.xpanding  rapidly, 
larger  r4uarters  were  necessary,  so  in  1916  the  present 
main  factory  on  Massasoit  avenue.  East  Providence, 
was  added.  The  business  in  which  Mr.  Roberts  is 
associated  is  a  new  venture  among  Rhode  Island  in- 
dustries. He  is  a  member  of  Sigma  Nu,  college  fra- 
ternity, also  a  member  of  Phi  Betta  Kappa  and  Sigma 
Xi  chapters.  Brown  University.  He  belongs  to  the 
Episcopal  Church  of  the  Transfiguration  of  Edgewood. 
It  is   but  a   few  years  since   Mr.   Roberts  stood   upon 


the  threshold  of  his  career,  and  during  that  brief  period 
he  has  accomplished  much.  Being  a  man  given  to 
doing  things,  it  is  reasonably  certain  that  the  long 
future  which  seems  open  before  him  will  bring  with 
it  great   results. 

Mr.  Roberts  married,  at  Edgewood,  R.  I..  Mary  C, 
daughter  of  John  H.  and  Mary  (Cranston)  Caton,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  son: 
Thomas  C,  born  June   19,   1917- 


GEORGE  RAYNESFORD  MacLEOD— Admitted 

tn  the  Rhode  Island  bar  in  1894,  and  to  the  Federal 
Courts  of  the  Rhode  Island  District  in  1S97,  Mr.  Mac- 
Leod has  successfully  and  continuously  practiced  his 
profession  in  Providence  with  the  e.xception  of  the 
years  1908-og,  when  he  was  engaged  in  law  business 
in  New  York  City.  He  is  a  son  of  John  T.  MacLeod, 
born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  June  17,  1827,  died  in  East 
Providence.  R.  I.,  a  mill  superintendent.  MacLeods, 
of  an  ancient  Scottish  clan,  are  descendants  of  early 
Norwegian  Kings  of  the  Isle  of  Man.  MacKenzie  in 
his  "History  of  the  MacLeods"  states  that  the  Mac- 
Leods were  the  first  of  the  Norse  race  to  iminigrate 
from  the  Isle  of  Man  to  the  Island  of  Lewis,  the 
northerniTiost  of  the  Hebrides  group,  lying  thirty  miles 
off  the  west  coast  of  Scotland,  separated  therefrom  by 
The  Minch.  John  T.  MacLeod  married  Rhoda  A. 
Cooper,  who  yet  survives  him  (1919),  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  George  R.  MacLeod. 

George  R.  MacLeod  was  born  in  East  Providence, 
R.  I.,  March  8,  1868.  He  began  his  education  tinder 
private  instruction,  continuing  in  East  Providence 
Grammar  School  and  in  Providence  High  School,  tak- 
ing special  courses  in  the  last  named  school  for  two  and 
one-half  years.  He  prepared  under  private  tutors,  and 
in  1885  entered  Brown  L^niversity,  there  continuing 
until  18S9,  in  which  year  he  left  Brown  and  went  to 
Cincinnati.  Ohio,  there  pursuing  the  study  of  law  in 
the  offices  of  Webb  &  Jenkins,  of  the  Cincinnati  bar, 
proiTiinent  corporation  attorneys.  He  continued  study 
under  Webb  &  Jenkins  until  the  fall  of  1891,  then 
entered  the  law  department  of  Boston  LTniversity, 
where  he  passed  creditable  examinations  and  received 
a  certificate  of  excellence.  He  then  pursued  a  course 
of  special  study  and  reading  on  corporation  law  under 
Josiah  Benton,  passing  thence  to  the  law  offices  of 
S.  S.  &  O.  Lapham,  and  in  1894.  while  still  a  student 
there,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar  on 
examination.  He  began  practice  in  Providence,  and 
in  the  fall  of  iSq6  became  associated  with  John  W- 
Holdcn  in  practice,  but  not  as  partners.  In  1897  Mr. 
MacLeod  was  admitted  to  the  Federal  courts  of  the 
district  and  shortly  afterward  formed  a  partnership 
with  R.  E.  Lamb,  the  firm  MacLeod  &  Lamb  continu- 
ing until  1902.  Mr.  MacLeod  then  practiced  alone 
until  1906,  with  offices  in  Providence.  He  the!i  prac- 
ticed with  E.  H.  Hopkins  until  1908,  but  not  as  a 
partner,  and  in  that  year  located  in  New  York  City  in 
association  with  Woodburn  &  Kissell,  corporation  pro- 
moters. Mr.  MacLeod  in  charge  of  the  business  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  Washington,  D.  C.  In  19C9  he 
returned  to  Providence,  resumed  law  practice  and  so 
continues,  making  corporation  law  his  specialty.  His 
offices  are   at   No.  29  Weybosset  street,  and  there  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


469 


transacts  tlic  business  of  a  large  and  influential  clien- 
tele. He  lias  won  the  high  position  he  holds  through 
a  deep  knciwledge  of  the  law,  l^y  devotion  to  his  client's 
interests,  and  by  a  willingness  to  perform  any  amount 
01  labor  necessary  to  protect  that  client's  cause.  He  is 
learned  in  the  law  and  skilled  in  its  application,  his 
special  preparation  and  wide  experience  thoroughly 
fitting  him  for  his  special  line  of  practice.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Bar  Association  and  of 
the  Providence  Bar  Club,  standing  high  in  the  esteem 
of  his  brethren  of  the  profession.  A  Republican  with 
very  independent  proclivities,  Mr.  MacLeod  is  very 
popular  with  the  voters  of  East  Providence,  his  home, 
and  is  a  party  leader.  He  has  taken  a  special  interest 
in  educational  matters,  and  for  several  years  was  bor- 
ct:gh  superintendent  of  schools.  He  was  chairman  01 
the  Citizens'  Committee,  and  gave  himself  freely  to 
the  cause  of  the  common  good.  He  is  a  member  and 
for  years  was  a  vestryman  of  St.  Mary's  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  MacLeod  married  (first)  .'\pril  13.  18&),  Fred- 
erika  Augusta  King,  daughter  of  Edwin  T.  and  Mary 
Montgomery  (Alwater)  King.  Children:  Kathleen, 
married  Eugene  Duquette,  and  resides  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal.:  Frederika.  married  Warren  Heath,  has  a 
daughter  Xancy,  and  resides  in  Xew  York  City:  Eliz- 
abeth, died  in  infancy.  Mr.  MacLeod  married  (sec- 
ond) December  5,  1911,  Mary  E.  Young. 


JAMES  H.  KELLY,  one  of  the  best  known  and 
most  prosperous  merchants  of  Pawtu.xet,  R.  L,  where 
he  has  been  engaged  in  business  for  many  years,  is  a 
native  of  New  York  City,  at  which  place  he  was 
born  March  18,  18+2.  Mr.  Kelly  is  a  son  of  David 
H.  and  Mary  A.  (Lampen)  Kelly,  the  former  a  native 
of  Galway,  Ireland,  and  the  latter  of  Devonshire,  Eng- 
land. His  parents  were  married  in  the  latter  country 
in  the  year  1858,  and  came  to  this  rour.try  shortly 
afterwards,  settling  in  Xew  York  City.  Later  they 
came  to  X'ew  Bedford,  and  finally  to  Providence,  where 
the  elder  Mr.  Kelly  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness on  South  Main  street  for  a  number  of  years. 
Later,  he  purchased  a  store  on  India  street,  where  he 
continued  in  business  until  his  death.  He  and  his  wife 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  four  of  whom 
reached  mature  years,  as  follows:  James  H.,  with 
whose  career  we  are  here  especially  concerned;  Mary, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Charles  Dexter,  of  Provi- 
dence;   John,  deceased;    and  William,  deceased. 

James  H.  Kelly  was  three  years  of  age  when  he 
removed  with  his  parents  from  Xew  York  City  to 
Providence,  and  it  was  in  the  latter  place  that  he 
received  his  education,  attending  for  this  purpose  the 
local  public  schools.  Upon  completing  his  education, 
he  secured  employment  in  a  jewelry  factory  and  worked 
there  as  a  boy,  Icnrning  the  trade,  until  the  year  1861. 
when  he  answered  the  call  of  President  Lincoln  and 
enlisted  in  Battery  C,  First  Rhode  Island  Light  .Artil- 
lery Regiment,  as  a  private.  He  saw  three  years  of 
active  service,  his  battery  being  attached  to  the  .\rmy 
of  the  Potomac,  though  a  good  deal  of  the  time  he 
was  himself  in  detached  service  and  served  in  the  War 
Department.  .After  his  honorable  discharge.  Mr. 
Kelly   returned   to   Providence,   where  he   engaged   in 


the  gentlemen's  furnishing  business,  opening  an  estab- 
lishment on  Xorth  Main  street.  He  continued  thus 
occupied  until  the  month  of  June,  1918,  when  he  retired 
from  active  business,  coming  to  Pawtu.xet  and  making 
his  home  at  Xo.  3  Atlantic  avenue.  Mr.  Kelly  has  been 
exceedingly  active  in  the  general  life  of  the  com- 
munity, where  for  so  many  years  he  was  engaged  in 
business,  and  took  a  broad  and  public-spirited  view  of 
all  questions  of  public  policy.  He  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  served  on  the  City  Council  of  Providence 
lor  six  years.  He  is  a  Roman  Catliolio  in  his  reli- 
gious faith  and  has  been  a  member  of  St.  Patrick's 
church  of  this  denomination  for  many  years.  He  is  at 
present  (1919)  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  at 
the  Church  of  St.  N'iiicent  de  Paul. 

James  H.  Kelly  was  united  in  marriage  in  1868,  at 
Providence,  with  Mary  J.  Monahan,  of  this  city,  a 
daughter  of  James  Monahan.  They  were  the  parents 
of  five  children,  as  follows:  Mary  E.,  who  became  tlie 
wife  of  A.  J.  Murphy;  David  J.,  who  married  Winni- 
fred  Ryan,  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children:  Mary, 
and  James  E.:  James  F.,  who  resides  at  Providence; 
Joseph  J.,  who  married  Harriett  Xicholson,  by  whom 
he  has  had  three  children:  Joseph  J.,  Jr.,  Hubert,  and 
Dorothea;  Genevieve,  who  became  the  wife  of  J.  E. 
Brophy,  to  whom  she  has  borne  two  children:  John 
E..  and  Edward  J. 

James  H.  Kelly  was  at  the  lime  of  his  retirement, 
the  oldest  merchant  on  Xorth  Main  street.  Providence, 
having  completed  fifty-four  years  of  business  life  there. 
He  has  much  that  is  interesting  to  say  which  throws 
light  upon  the  conditions  prevailing  in  business  during 
the  early  period  when  he  was  first  becoming  established 
in  Providence.  He  was  obliged  to  remove  from  his 
original  store  at  the  time  that  Xorth  Main  street  was 
widened  and  straightened,  in  1871,  but  in  his  own 
words,  "From  the  day  1  entered  that  shop  up  to  the 
present  time,  there  was  never  a  'to  let'  sign  hung  up 
in  its  window.  Others  came  and  went  on  the  street. 
Others  moved  from  one  location  to  another  before 
abandoning  the  attempt  to  make  their  business  go,  but 
I  remained  in  that  one  spot  and  had  trade  which  satis- 
fied me."  Referring  to  the  early  days  of  his  career  in 
Providence,  Mr.  Kelly  spoke  as  follows: 

Obaining  my  dischartre.  I  came  to  Providence,  and 
on  September  1,  1S64,  betaii  my  long  bu.siness  career 
on  \oith  Main  strict.  There  is  now  not  one  in  busi- 
ness- tliere  wlio  was  on  the  street  at  tliat  time,  and  It 
is  (luite  a  while  since  any  of  my  old  business  neigh- 
bors have  been  in  cvi  lence.  Mind  you.  I  used  the 
term  "neiphbor"  advi-edly,  for  in  tfiose  days  there 
v.as  nothing  but  real  cordiality  existing  on  the  street. 
I  think  we  came  about  as  near  being  one  great  hiippv 
family  as  is  possible  in  business.  We  rejoiced  at  each 
oilicr's  prosperity  and  we  wore  honestly  sympathetic 
if  reverses  were  met  with  b.v  any. 

When  I  started  in  business  on  North  Main  street. 
th.it  thoroughfare  was  not  only  very  crooked,  but  at 
pluces  was  so  narrowed  up  th.it  \'ehieular  trafllc  was 
greatly  impeded.  My  first  store  was  in  the  Amey  G. 
Dorrance  building,  but  a  short  distance  from  my  later 
location,  and  by  building  I  mean  tliat  It  was  the  old 
Dorrance  homestead.  As  the  first  settlers  built  along 
that  street,  it  was  customary  for  them  to  provide  for 
small  stores  on  the  ground  lloor,  and  in  time  such  of 
the  homes  that  were  not  so  planned  in  the  beginning 
were  remofleled  to  meet  the  demands  of  business. 
When  the  street  was  widened,  in  1871.  the  Valentine 
homestead  was  raised  and  moved  back  and  when  it 
was  once  more  settled  upon  its  foundation  I  moved 
into  It.     •     •     • 

The  Gorham  Manufacturing  Company  had  purchased 
the  old  hotel  property  at  the  corner  of  Steeple  street. 
and   but   a  little   way   to   the   north.    William   H.   Crins 


4/0 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


was  conducting  a  paint  shop  in  a  one  story  building. 
That  there  would  ever  be  any  business  relations  be- 
tween that  company  and  this  hard  working  master 
painter,  no  one  could  foresee.  But  the  company  had 
some  business  which  was  straightened  out  through  the 
hard-headed  common-sensed  advice  of  Mr.  Crins,  then 
on  intimate  terms  with  John  Gorham.  and  later  he 
became  an  important  officer  in  the  company,  and  its 
financial   adviser. 

These  glimpses  of  the  early  business  life  of 
Providence  are  exceedingly  interesting,  and  show 
up  in  a  pleasant  light  the  relations  existing  be- 
tween the  business  men  of  the  city,  who  in  this 
age  of  more  intensive  effort  would  probably  consider 
themselves  rivals.  Mr.  Kelly,  himself,  is  a  splendid 
example  of  the  fine  broad-minded  merchant  of  the  old 
school,  men  who  were  content  with  enough  and  would 
have  deemed  it  quite  beneath  their  dignity  to  attempt 
cut-throat  methods  in  order  to  secure  an  undue  advan- 
tage and  crowd  their  competitors  to  the  wall,  or  to  en- 
gage in  unscrupulous  dealings  to  accomplish  their  end. 
Continuing  in  his  interesting  interview,  which  was 
obtained  by  the  representative  of  one  of  the  local  papers, 
Mr.  Kelly  went  on  : 

Directly  opposite  my  store  was  one  in  which  dress 
furnishings,  needles,  pins,  thread,  and  light  dress 
materials  were  sold  by  a  Mrs.  Carroll,  mother  of 
Charles  Carroll,  now  clerk  of  the  Senate  Committee 
on  Corporations  and  for  many  years  a  Providence 
newspaper  man.  Close  by  was  a  Mrs.  Hawkes,  who 
sold  jewelry  and  repaired  watches,  whose  son  later 
carried  on  the  same  business  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  street.  Up  at  the  corner  of  Smith  street,  Byron 
Smith  conducted  a  drug  store,  and  a  little  farther  up 
the  street  old  Dr.  Gardner,  grandfather  of  Dr.  Clar- 
ence H.  Gardner,  had  his  office.  One  of  the  picturesque 
men  of  the  street  was  John  W.  Keefe.  a  wholesale 
liquor  dealer,  whose  place  of  business  was  near  Smitti 
street.  He  was  very  tall,  square  and  straight  shoul- 
dered, invariably  dressed  in  black,  wore  a  Prince 
All>ert  coat,  with  a  wide  expanse  of  immaculate  white 
shirt  front,  showing  throuch  a  low  cut  vest.  He  was 
also  co!ispicuous  for  hi.'^  flowing  Lord  Dundreary  side 
whiskers  and  for  his  general  affability.  Directly  oppo- 
site St.  John's  Episcopal  Church  was  a  little  dry  goods 
shop,  kept  by  a  ^Ir.  Diamond,  who  later  moved  "to  Ran- 
dall's square  and  there  established  a  business  which 
is  now  perpetuated  on  ^^'estminster  and  Weybosset 
streets.  He  occupied  the  lower  floor  of  a  gambrel- 
roofed  house  that  stood  endwise  on  North  Main  street, 
the  parlors  of  which  were  broken  into  to  make  one 
quite  long  store.      «      *      * 

There  are  others  whose  names  I  cannot  recall,  for 
memory  becomes  treacherous  when  one  is  hearing  the 
eight.v  mile  niark  as  I  am — T  am  now  seventy-seven 
years  old.  One  merchant,  who  was  in  business"  on  the 
street  for  a  number  of  years  but  is  now  located  in  St. 
Louis,  comes  North  once  in  every  four  years,  stopping 
off  at  a  New  Jersey  city  to  escort  his  sister  to  Provi- 
dence. They  make  this  pilgrimage  to  their  parents' 
graves  in  Providence  every  fourth  year,  and  they  have 
never  failed  to  look  me  up  and  talk  over  former  davs 
on  the  old  street.  Strange,  but  I  cannot  for  the  life  "of 
me  recall  his  name. 


COLONEL  JAMES  HENRY  SMITH— The  death 
of  Colonel  James  Henry  Smith  in  ion  took  from  the 
city  of  Providence.  R.  I.,  a  man  who  had  long  been 
prominent  in  its  business,  civic,  religious  and  educa- 
tional  life. 

(I)  Thomas  Barton  Smith,  the  first  of  the  direct  line 
of  whom  we  have  definite  information,  was  a  native  of 
Lancashire.  England.  He  was  a  prosperous  tanner,  and 
a  respected  member  of  the  community  in  which  he 
resided.  He  married  Barbara  Hatton.  daughter  of  Rich- 
ard and  Barbara  Hatton,  memljer  of  the  long  established 
and  historically  prominent  Hatton  family,  one  of  the 
most  famous  of  early  English  houses.  Richard  Hatton 
resided  at  Park  Lane,  England,  where  he  died  .April  i6, 
1784.      His   wife.   Barbara   Hatton,   was   a   daughter   of 


Richard  and  Ann  (Barlow)  Hatton,  the  latter  of  whom 
was  a  resident  of  Parbold,  England.  Barbara  (Hatton) 
Smith,  their  daughter,  was  born  in  1778,  and  died  Janu- 
ary 19,  1822,  at  the  age  of  forty- four  years. 

Hatton  Arms — Azure,  on  a  chevron  between  three 
garbs  or,  an  annulet  gules. 

Crest — A  hind  statant  or,  charged  with  an  annulet, 
as  in  the  arms. 

Motto — Virtus  tutissima  cassis.  (Virtue  is  the  safest 
helmet). 

(H)  Richard  Hatton  Smith,  son  of  Thomas  Barton 
and  Barbara  (Hatton)  Smith,  was  born  .■\ugust  9,  1809, 
at  Chorley,  Lancashire,  England.  His  early  life  was 
that  of  any  boy  of  the  upper  middle  class  of  the  period 
in  England.  On  attaining  the  necessary  years  he  was 
taught  a  trade,  which  he  practiced  fn  England  for  sev- 
eral years  before  his  coming  to  .\merica.  He  married 
(first)  in  England,  Lydia  Gandy,  who  died  while  on  a 
voyage  to  .America,  six  months  after  her  marriage.  In 
1843  he  married  (second)  Susanna  Hargraves,  in  Fall 
River,  Mass.  She  was  born  in  Church,  England,  in 
i8oy,  and  died  March  25,  1895.  Richard  Hatton  Smith 
died  December  6.  1880. 

(HI)  Colonel  James  Henry  Smith,  son  of  Richard 
Hatton  and  Susanna  (Hargraves)  Smith,  was  born  in 
Fall  River,  Mass.,  July  17,  1845.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  an  important  Rhode  Island  industry.  One 
of  the  first  experts  in  the  lithographic  trade  to  come  to 
the  State,  he  established,  in  1866,  the  Providence  Litho- 
graph Company,  one  of  the  foremost  houses  in  the  conn- 
try  publishing  literature  for  use  in  Sunday  school  edu- 
cation. The  company,  as  originally  constituted,  con- 
sisted of  Colonel  Smith  and  two  early  school  friends. 
These  latter,  however,  did  not  remain  long  with  the 
concern,  and  Colonel  Smith  carried  the  business  through 
its  years  of  development,  with  James  Henry  Smith  as 
managing  superintendent,  Jabez  G.  Harris  as  president 
and  Edward  S.  Jones  as  secretary. 

Colonel  Smith,  who  had  learned  the  lithographic 
trade  in  his  birthplace.  Fall  River,  Mass.,  after  attend- 
ance at  the  elementary  and  high  schools  of  that  city, 
was  always  the  technical  expert  of  the  Providence  Lith- 
ograph Company,  as  well  as  one  of  the  directing  heads. 
Thoroughly  founded  in  the  trade  he  had  chosen  as  his 
life's  work,  and  loving  it  deeply,  as  his  complete  under- 
standing of  it  enabled  him  to  do,  he  made  of  lithography 
not  a  mere  commercial  medium  but  an  art  as  well. 

Colonel  Smith  possessed  inventive  genius  and  a  mind 
naturally  keyed  for  individual  research.  It  was  largely 
through  his  constructive  talent  that  the  business  of  his 
concern  reached  its  present  proportions.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  his  work  along  advanced  lines  has  left  its  imprint 
on  the  whole  lithographic  trade,  for  one  of  his  inven- 
tions, the  Smith  graining  machine,  did  much  to  make 
possible  the  substitution  of  the  modern  lithographic 
plate  of  zinc  or  aluminum  for  the  old,  cumbersome  and 
expensive  stones.  As  a  business  man  he  hewed  to  the 
exact  line  of  honesty — not  merely  the  honesty  of  the 
letter  of  the  contract,  but  of  its  spirit.  In  a  sense  he 
looked  upon  business  life  as  a  game  played  by  sports- 
men, with  rigid  rules  which  must  be  followed,  and  with 
unwritten  laws  which  call  upon  the  player  always  to 
show  consideration  for  "the  other  fellow." 

For  his  excellent  work  as  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  he  was  known  throughout  the  city  of  Providence. 


/^i-T-»^z--ec:/ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


4/1 


Himself  a  man  of  sound  education  and  a  student  of 
wide  interests  in  his  leisure  hours,  he  felt  deeply  the 
value  of  education  to  the  youth  of  the  city.  In  particu- 
lar, as  was  only  natural  for  a  man  who  was  manufac- 
turintr  head  of  a  large  business,  he  was  interestid  in  the 
subject  of  vocational  training  as  a  complement  to  cul- 
tural courses.  As  a  result  he  became  an  influential 
member  of  the  special  committee  of  the  School  Roard 
which  established  the  Technical  High  School,  putting 
all  his  energy  and  enthusiasm  into  the  task  of  securing 
for  the  youth  of  Providence  this  splendid  "educational 
plant"  which  stands  to-day  unsurpassed  by  any  similar 
institution  in  the  country. 

Nfr.  Smith  was  a  member  of  St.  John's  Lodge.  Free 
and  .Accepted  Masons ;  St.  John's  Commandery,  Knights 
Templar;  and  of  the  Masonic  N'cterans.  Throughout 
his  life  he  was  deeply  interested  in  military  affairs,  and 
for  many  years  was  a  member  of  the  famous  Slocum 
Light  Guards,  from  which  organization  he  eventually 
retired,  holding  the  rank  of  colonel. 

It  was  in  his  connection  with  the  religious  life  of 
the  city,  however,  that  Mr.  Smith  will  be  best  remem- 
bered. On  May  6,  iSfvS,  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Union  Congregational  Church  of  Providence,  and  from 
the  beginning  of  his  connection  with  the  church  until 
the  time  of  his  death  was  one  of  its  most  able  and  earn- 
est workers.  He  was  elected  deacon  of  the  church, 
January  30,  1894,  and  held  this  office  until  failing  health 
compelled  him  to  resign,  shortly  before  his  death  in 
1911.  He  was  interested  in  the  Sunday  school  work  of 
the  church,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Sun- 
day School  .-Kssociation  for  many  years,  serving  first  as 
secretary  and  later  as  chairman  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee. In  a  tribute  paid  to  his  memory,  his  pastor  of 
long  association,  Rev.  James  E.  McConnell,  says: 

Mr.  Smitti's  services  in  behalf  of  this  church  cannot 
be  over-estimated.  He  has  Iteen  a  modentte.  deliber- 
ate spirit  anions:  us,  proniolinR  peace  and  prosperity 
therebv.  He  has  shown  itiarl<ed  decision  In  his  Ideas 
anil  ideals  as  to  what  the  church  should  be  and  do. 
He  has  helped  to  bring  the  church  to  a  business  point 
of  view  and  business  way  of  doinp  things.  •  •  • 
But  for  his  attitude  and  activity  the  church  would 
have  been  far  less  efTlcientlv  administered  on  its  busi- 
ness side  than  it  has  been.  •  •  •  Because  Mr. 
Smith  was  such  a  eood  Christian,  he  was  faithful  and 
helpful  in  all  the  intimate  and  sacred  relations  of  life. 
As  a  father  he  was  exceedin.ely  thouchtfwl  and 
tender.  As  a  friend  he  was  cordial  and  sympathetic. — 
lovinfT  and  evoking  love  from  the  number  who  shared 
with  him  the  delights  of  a  close  and  vital  fellowship. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  standing  committee  of  the 
L'nion  Congregational  Society  from  igoo  to  1910,  and 
one  of  the  trustees  of  the  endowment  fund  of  the  so- 
ciety from  its  inception  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

Colonel  James  Henry  Smith  married  (first)  in  Fall 
River,  Mass.,  April  3.  1871,  Mary  Sanford  Wilcox,  who 
was  born  in  Fall  River,  October  16,  1845,  and  died  De- 
cember 26,  1890.  Mary  S.  (W'ilcoxl  Smith  was  a 
daughter  of  Emanuel  Wilcox  and  his  wife,  Mary  P. 
(Liscomb)  Wilcox,  granddaughter  of  Humphrey  and 
Sarah  (Bowen)  Wilcox,  descending  from  one  of 
the  Colonial  families  of  Fall  River.  Mary  P.  (Lis- 
comb)  Wilcox,  mother  of  Mary  S.  (Wilcox)  Smith, 
was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  .Abigail  (Waldron)  Lis- 
comb,  of  Bristol,  R.  I.  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Smith  were 
the  parents  of  one  child.  Bertha  Hatton  Smith,  who 
was  born  in    Providence,   R.   I.,   May  29.   1873.     Miss 


Smith  resides  in  Providence.  Colonel  Smith  married 
(second)  December  10,  1903,  Lucy  Rice  Hayward,  who 
died  July  6,  1906;  she  was  the  widow  of  ex-Mayor 
William  S.  Hayward,  and  a  woman  of  excellent 
qualities. 

Colonel  James  Henry  Smith  died  at  sea,  near  Val- 
paraiso, Chili,  on  February  19,  191 1,  while  on  a  trip 
undertaken  in  the  interests  oi  his  health.  He  was  a 
man  whose  loss  was  seriously  felt  and  deeply  mourned. 
"A  man  of  absolute  integrity,  of  strong  Christian  faith, 
interested  and  helpful  in  every  good  cause,  sympathetic, 
thoughtful  and  generous,  he  won  the  respect  of  all  who 
knew  him." 


JOHN  EDWARD  TOBIN— Born  in  East  Provi- 
dence, son  of  an  ancient  Rhode  Island  family,  John  E. 
Tobin  of  the  Providence  bar,  has  spent  his  years, 
thirty-six,  amid  scenes  familiar  to  him  from  youth,  and 
is  one  of  the  well  established,  highly  respected  young 
men  of  the  Rhode  Island  bar.  His  practice  is  general, 
and  he  has  built  up  a  large  business.  John  E.  is  a  son 
of  Robert  H.  and  Mary  E.  (Farrell)  Tobin.  both  living, 
his  father  now  retired. 

John  E.  Tobin  was  born  in  East  Providence.  R.  1., 
August  31,  1882.  He  passed  all  grades  of  the  East 
Providence  public  schools,  finishing  with  high  school 
graduation,  class  of  1901.  This  was  supplemented  by  a 
course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College,  and  a 
two  years'  course  in  the  classics  at  Brown  University, 
his  decision  to  study  law  then  causing  a  change  in  insti- 
tution and  plan.  He  entered  Boston  University  Law 
School,  pursued  a  full  course,  and  in  1907  was  gradu- 
ated LL.  B.  The  following  year  was  spent  in  proba- 
tionary service  in  a  Providence  law  office,  his  admis- 
sion to  the  bar  following  on  May  25,  1908.  He  began 
practice  in  Providence,  at  \o.  4  Weyhosset  street,  and 
has  met  with  a  great  degree  of  success  in  his  profes- 
sional career.  Mr.  Tobin  is  a  member  of  the  Church 
of  the  Sacred  Heart.  Knights  of  Columbus. 


GEORGE  HAZARD  CROOKER,  M.  D.— De- 
scendant paternally  and  maternally  from  old  and  prom- 
inent New  England  families.  Dr.  Cronker.  in  a  fjuarter 
of  a  century  of  professional  activity  in  Providence,  has 
attained  position  among  the  medical  leaders  of  the 
State.  His  Crooker  descent  is  in  a  long  line  of  ances- 
tors who  made  their  homes  at  Richmond,  X.  H.,  for 
many  generations,  while  his  mother's  family  is  that 
of  Hazard,  which  has  been  equally  long  seated  at 
Wakefield,  R.  I.  Dr.  Crooker  is  a  son  of  Josiah  W. 
and  Eliza  (Hazard)  Crooker,  of  Providence,  his  fath- 
er's death  occurring  November  4,  1916,  his  mother's 
in   1910. 

George  Hazard  Crooker  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  in  1865.  He  obtained  his  preparatory  education 
in  Mowry  and  Goff's  Classical  School,  of  Providence, 
and  was  graduated  therefrom  in  1883,  then  entering 
Brown  I'niversity.  He  was  graduated  Bachelor  of 
Arts  from  Brown  in  the  class  of  1887,  after  which  he 
pursued  post-graduate  courses  for  three  years,  re- 
ceiving his  Master's  degree  in  Arts  in  1890.  .At  the 
completion  of  this  work  he  matriculated  at  Harvard 
Medical  School,  and  in  1893  was  graduated  M.  D. 
The  next  two  years  he  spent  abroad,  studying  in  clinics 


472 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


at  Berlin,  Heidelberg,  Vienna,  and  Dresden,  at  the 
end  of  that  time  returning  to  Providence,  where  he 
established  in  general  practice.  This  has  increased  in 
large  measure  until  its  demands  are  so  exacting  as  to 
leave  him  little  time  for  outside  interests.  From  1897 
to  1910  Dr.  Crooker  held  the  post  of  physician  of  the 
Out-Patient  Department  of  the  Rhode  Island  Hospital, 
but  of  recent  years  his  private  clientele  has  engaged  all 
of  his  time  and  attention.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Safe  Deposit  Company.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Academy  of  Medicine,  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  Association,  the  Rhode  Island  Medical 
Society,  the  Providence  Medical  Association,  the  Har- 
vard Medical  Alumni  Association,  the  American  .As- 
sociation for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  and  the  Mili- 
tary Service  Institute.  His  interest  in  military  affairs 
is  through  Spanish  War  service  and  his  activity  as  a 
member  of  the  local  draft  board  during  the  World 
War.  He  enlisted  and  was  commissioned  second  lieu- 
tenant in  the  Hospital  Corps  Brigade,  Rhode  Island 
Militia,  in  l8g6.  subsequently  becoming  first  lieutenant 
and  then  captain,  serving  through  the  Spanish  War. 
His  clubs  are  the  University,  Squantum  Association, 
Providence  Art,  Economic,  Hope,  Brown,  and  Harvard 
oi  Rhode  Island.  Dr.  Crooker  finds  his  most  enjoyable 
relaxation  in  his  garden  and  his  library,  and  there 
finds  the  recreation  that  his  strenuous  professional 
labors  make  necessary.  He  is  particularly  fond  of  hor- 
ticulture, and  his  studious  habits  and  cultivated  liter- 
ary tastes  follow  him  from  his  college  years.  Dr. 
Crooker  married.  May  4,  1918.  Harriet  E.  Phillips,  of 
Mendon,  Mass. 


staff  of  Governor  Charles  Dean  Kimball.  His  clubs 
are  the  University,  Pomham,  Turk's  Head,  and  Wan- 
namoisett,  of  Providence. 

Colonel  Tillinghast  married  Grace  G.  Peckham, 
daughter  of  Thomas  C.  Peckham,  of  Coventry,  R.  I., 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  LeRoy  Lincoln  Tilling- 
hast.   Two  children,  Carl  K.  and  Frances,  are  deceased. 


COLONEL  F.  W.  TILLINGHAST— In  the  law, 

in  business,  and  in  industry.  Colonel  F.  W.  Tilling- 
hast has  achieved  high  position  in  Providence.  His 
association  with  the  firms  of  Tillinghast  &  Lynch, 
attorneys  of  Providence,  and  Tillinghast,  Stiles  & 
Company  are  his  leading  interests,  and  he  is  widely 
known,   professionally,    industrially,   and   socially. 

Colonel  F.  W.  Tillinghast  was  born  in  Richmond, 
R.  I.,  May  19,  1859,  son  of  William  B.  and  Julia 
(Thompson)  Tillinghast.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  and  later  was  a  student  in  the  New  Hampton 
Institute,  at  New  Hampton,  N.  H.,  then  taking  up  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  the  Hon.  P.  E.  Tillinghast, 
who  was  afterward  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Rhode  Island.  Subsequently  attending  the  Boston 
University  Law  School,  he  was  graduated  LL.  B.  in 
the  class  of  1883,  in  July  of  that  year  being  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  at  once  starting  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Westerly,  R.  I.  In  1886  he  entered 
manufacturing  lines  in  Johnston,  R.  I.,  and  in  i8go 
organized  Tillinghast,  Stiles  &  Company,  Inc.,  of  which 
he  is  now  president.  He  is  a  director  and  interested  fi- 
nancially in  numerous  industrial  enterprises  of  Rhode 
Island,  New  York,  and  Philadelphia.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  well  known  firm  of  Tillinghast  &  Lynch. 
As  a  Republican  he  has  been  active  in  public  life,  and 
in  1887-88-89  filled  a  seat  in  the  General  Assembly  of 
Rhode  Island.  In  1895-96-97  he  was  colonel  of  the 
L^nited  Train  Artillery,  in  1900  was  senior  aide  on  the 
staff  of  Governor  William  Gregory,  with  the  rank  of 
colonel,  and   from   1901  to   1903  was  a  member  of  the 


NORBERT  CHAMPEAU,  who  was  many  years 
identified  socially  with  the  business  life  and  affairs  of 
Woonsocket.  and  now  living  retired  at  No.  95  Orchard 
street  in  this  city,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  there  in  the  little  town  oi  St.  Cesaire,  in 
the  Province  of  Quebec,  February  21,  1850.  Mr. 
Cliampeau  is  a  son  of  Baptiste  and  Cordelie  (Blanch- 
ard)  Champeau,  the  former  a  native  of  the  same  place, 
where  he  was  born  on  a  farm  and  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming  all  his  life. 

The  education  of  Norbert  Champeau,  of  this  sketch, 
was  a  somewhat  limited  one  during  his  childhood  and 
was  represented  by  a  few  months'  study  in  the  school 
of  Woodstock,  Conn.,  and  about  a  similar  period  in  the 
public  schools  of  New  York  City.  The  fact  that  as  a 
man  he  was  well  educated  was  due  entirely  to  his  own 
activities,  ambition  and  great  taste  for  knowledge, 
which  he  acquired  not  only  from  the  environment  in 
which  he  was  placed,  but  also  from  an  extended  course 
of  reading  and  studying  carried  on  independently  on 
his  own  account.  Mr.  Champeau  spent  the  first  nine 
years  of  his  life  at  his  native  place,  but  in  the  year 
1859  came  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States,  their 
first  home  in  this  country  being  located  at  Worcester, 
Mass.  They  remained  at  that  place  only  a  brief  time, 
however,  and  then  went  to  Slatersville,  where  they  re- 
mained until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  in  1861. 
They  also  resided  for  a  short  time  at  Woodstock, 
Conn.:  during  that  period  Mr.  Champeau  worked  at 
various  trades  in  the  neighborhood,  much  time  being 
spent  in  the  local  mills.  It  was  in  1S63  that  the  Champeau 
family  removed  to  New  York  City  and  there  Mr. 
Champeau  secured  a  position  as  cook  on  one  of  the 
Hudson  river  boats  plying  between  that  city  and 
Albany.  Flis  elder  brother  was  captain  of  this  boat 
at  the  same  time,  and  the  young  man  continued  to  hold 
that  position  for  a  period  of  some  seven  years,  finally 
abandoning  it  in  the  year  1870.  It  was  in  the  latter 
year  that  Mr.  Champeau  went  to  Whitingsville,  Mass., 
where  for  two  years  he  worked  as  a  stone  cutter  in 
the  quarries  about  that  town.  His  first  acquaintance 
with  Woonsocket,  where  he  now  resides,  was  made  in 
1873,  but  on  that  occasion  he  only  lived  here  about  one 
year  and  in  the  following  year  returned  to  New  York 
City,  where  he  spent  a  similar  period.  His  next  home 
was  at  East  Douglass,  Mass.,  where  he  lived  in  1S76 
and  1S77,  and  then,  on  March  24.  1877,  he  came  to 
Woonsocket  and  made  his  permanent  home  here.  In 
this  city  Mr.  Champeau  engaged  in  the  business  in 
which  he  met  a  great  and  well  deserved  success  and  in 
which  he  remained  active  until  the  year  1912.  when  he 
disposed  of  his  business  and  retired.  Mr.  Champean's 
success  was  entirely  due  to  his  own  capable  handling 
of  the  situation,  and  to  his  indefatigable  industry  and 
hard  work.  At  the  time  of  his  coming  to  Woonsocket 
he   was    the    possessor   of    only   eighty-five    dollars    in 


^^/^ 


,-  Iff  *i   r  0  W-JUains   '.  B.'c  yv 


"rnuu. 


ma6^a_ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


473 


capital,  yet,  from  the  outset,  his  success  was  assured, 
and  when  he  retired  in  igi2  he  was  the  owner  of  a 
large  fortune  and  regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial 
citizens  of  this  place.  Mr.  Champeau  was  also  keenly 
interested  in  public  questions  of  all  kinds,  and  he  has 
been  for  many  years  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  policies 
and  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  taken 
a  very  leading  part  in  the  activities  of  that  party  in  this 
section  of  the  State.  He  is  a  man  full  of  original 
ideas,  and  was  the  first  to  raise  a  political  flag  and  to 
organize  and  equip  a  marching  club  with  torch  lights 
and  uniforms  at  his  own  expense.  This  was  in  1880, 
during  the  Hancock  and  English  Democratic  cam- 
paign, and  a  club,  which  was  regarded  as  a  great  nov- 
elty at  that  time,  was  in  much  demand  in  all  parts  of 
tlie  State.  While  not  himself  active  or  ambitious  for 
public  oflicc,  Mr.  Champeau  has  been  unquestionably 
a  very  potent  influence  in  the  political  life  of  the  com- 
munity and  has  served  for  a  number  of  years  as  a 
mcmher  of  the  Woonsockct  Democratic  Committee,  his 
voice  being  very  influential  in  the  councils  of  his  party. 
In  his  reli.i5ious  belief  Mr.  Champeau  is  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic and  attends  the  Church  of  the  Holy  hamily  of  that 
denomination  at  Woonsocket.  He  is  al^o  a  member 
of  the  Order  of  Foresters  of  .\merica,  and  the  Holy 
Name  Society,  an  organization  in  connection  with  his 
church,  in  which  he  takes  a  great  interest  and  of  which 
be  is  a  liberal  supporter. 

Norbert  Champeau  was  united  in  marria;j;e.  May  ^5, 
1910,  with  Emma  Scoillier  Lariniere,  like  himself,  a 
native  of  Canada.  To  this  marriage  no  children  have 
been  born,  but  Mrs.  Champeau  is  the  mother  of  one 
daughter  by  her  former  marriaKC,  Eva  Pruc,  who  is 
now  making  her  home  with  her  mother  in  Woonsocket. 
Shortly  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Champeau  presented  to 
hi-;  wife  the  handsome  mansion  which  they  now  occupy 
as  a  wedding  present  and  which  is  situated  at  No.  05 
Orchard  street,  Woonsocket. 


FRANK  ORMOND  DRAPER,  superintendent  of 
public  schools  of  Pawtuckct,  R.  1.,  is  a  member  of  one 
of  the  old  families  of  the  State,  being  a  descendant  in 
the  seventh  generation  from  James  Draper,  who  was 
born  about  the  year  1618.  in  one  of  the  most  romantic 
regions  of  "Merrie  England,"  the  West  Riding  of 
Yorkshire,  and  who  came  to  America  prior  to  1650,  set- 
tling at  Roxtury,  Mass.,  wl;ere  his  death  occurred  in 
1694.  Mr.  Draper  also  traces  his  descent  from  Gov- 
ernor Bradford,  of  the  Pl.vmouth  Colony,  and  still 
other  distinguished  ancestors  of  his  fought  in  the  Revo- 
lution. 

Born  at  Pawtuckct,  R.  I.,  September  5.  1862.  Frank 
Ormond  Draper  is  a  son  of  Joseph  Ormond  and  Ellen 
A.  (Bartlett)  Draper,  residents  of  Pawtuckct  for  many 
years.  His  elementary  education  was  received  at  the 
local  public  schools,  which  he  attended  until  his  gradu- 
ation from  the  Pawtuckct  High  School,  where  he  was 
prepared  for  college.  He  then  matriculated  at  Brown 
University,  graduating  from  that  institution  with  the 
class  of  1886,  taking  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  .Arts. 
In  1886  he  was  appointed  principal  of  Garden  Street 
Grammar  School  of  Pawtuckct.  In  1880  he  wa> 
awarded  the  degree  of  Master  of  .Arts.  He  filled  the 
a'ove  named  position  of  principal  until  1892,  and  was 


then  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Lincoln,  R.  I., 
public  schools  upon  the  adoption  by  that  community 
of  the  town  system  of  school  government.  On  .\pril 
25,  1895,  the  town  of  Lincoln  was  divided  and  the 
city  of  Central  Falls  was  incorporated.  Mr.  Draper 
was  then  appointed  superintendent  of  both  the  city 
schools  and  those  of  Lincoln,  and  so  continued  until 
189S,  in  which  year  he  was  appointed  superintendent 
of  public  schools  of  Hyde  Park,  Mass.,  now  a  part  of 
P.oston,  Iiiass.,  serving  in  that  capacity  until  1906.  In 
that  year  iie  was  elected  by  the  school  committee  of 
Pawtuckct  superintendent  of  public  schools,  occupying 
that  responsible  position  to  date  (1910).  During  his 
tenure  <>f  this  ofTiec,  he  inaugurated  impi)rtant  changes, 
such  as:  Reorganizing  district  elementary  schools  with 
district  principal  in  charge,  there  being  eight  princi- 
pals: introduced  home  economics  for  girls:  introduced 
manual  arts  course  for  boys;  drawing  courses  for 
both  hoys  and  girls  strengthened  along  industrial  lines; 
special  attention  given  to  health  of  pupils  through 
introduction  of  supervised  physical  education,  and  the 
establishment  of  open  air  schools.  Mr.  Draper  was  at 
one  time  president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Institute  of 
Instruction:  was  president  of  the  New  England  Asso- 
ciation of  School  Superintendents;  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Masons  of  Rhode  Island,  No.  10,  and 
of  the  Grand  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Mr.  Draper  was  united  in  marriage,  June  28,  18S9, 
with  Ida  .'\.  Tiffany,  of  Central  Falls,  a  daughter  of 
Richard  and  Rebecca  (Pratt)  Tiffany,  of  New  London, 
Conn. 


MAURICE  ETIENNE  BARRIERED— The  late 
Maurice  E.  Barriere.  long  prMniinent  in  the  apartment 
house  business  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  for  many 
years  active  in  real  estate  circles  as  the  owner  and 
builder  of  apartment  houses  and  apartment  hotels  of 
the  most  modern  type,  was  a  native  of  Paris,  France, 

He  was  born  in  1S58,  the  descendant  of  a  noble  and 
very  wealthy  family,  and  was  educated  in  Paris  under 
private  tutors.  .After  finishing  his  studies  at  coUeg^c 
be  spent  a  short  time  in  travel.  The  year  1880  saw  him 
in  New  York  City,  determined  on  a  business  career. 
There  he  became  manager  for  a  jewelry  firm,  and  for 
fifteen  years  he  was  active  in  the  wholesale  and  retail 
jewelry  trade  in  that  city.  In  1895  Mr.  Barriere  came 
to  Providence.  In  1904  he  launched  the  first  of  his 
ventures  in  modern  apartment  house  construction,  and 
began  operations  on  a  four  apartment  building  at  Nos. 
547-49-51-5,5  Thayer  street,  w!-.ich  was  completed  in 
1005.  This  proved  highly  successful,  and  in  1906  Mr. 
Barriere  purchased  th.e  house  at  No.  201  Waterman 
street,  which  he  remodeled  into  apartments.  This  was 
followed  in  1907  by  three  apartments  on  Gano  street. 
In  the  same  year  he  erected  twelve  apartments  at 
Nos.  71-73-75-7"  Medway  street.  In  1909  he  rebuilt 
the  Brcnton,  on  Watermnn  street,  a  six  apartment 
house,  in  which  he  embodied  all  of  the  most  advanced 
features  of  apartment  dwellings.  In  1914  he  remodeled 
The  Brenton  into  a  first-class  apartment  hotel  of 
fifty-six  rooms.  He  also  remodeled  the  old  College 
of  Pharmacy  into  the  present  Frocbel  Hall,  Angell  and 
Brown   streets,  which   he  later   sold.     From   1904  until 


474 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


his  death  Mr.  Barriere  devoted  all  his  time  to  the 
management  of  these  enterprises.  He  was  an  able 
business  man,  thoroughly  acquainted  with  property 
values  and  living  conditions  in  the  city  of  Providence, 
and  for  years  had  made  a  study  of  the  work  in  which 
he  engaged.  All  the  actual  planning  of  his  apartments 
was  done  by  himself:  building  operations  were  con- 
ducted under  his  direction;  and  all  his  houses  were 
under  his  personal  supervision.  Mr.  Barriere  was  well 
known  in  building  and  hotel  circles  in  the  city,  and  his 
death  here  on  March  4,  1918,  was  the  cause  of  sincere 
sorrow  among  his  friends  and  acquaintances,  where  he 
was  known  as  a  man  of  high  principles,  always  ready 
to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  those  in  need,  and  a  supporter 
of  all  churches.  Enterprise  and  resourcefulness  in 
business  had  brought  him  to  a  creditable  position  in 
the  financial  circles  of  the  city,  while  genuine  personal 
worth  had  established  him  high  in  the  regard  of  friends 
and  acquaintances. 

Maurice  Etienne  Barriere  married,  in  New  York 
City,  in  1885,  Harriet  Fontaine.  Mrs.  Barriere  now 
makes  her  home  in  \ew  York  Citv. 


WILFRID  AUBIN— Were  any  resident  of  Woon- 
socket  asked  to  name  the  city's  leading  business  men 
of  the  younger  generation  the  name  which  forms  the 
title  of  this  article  would,  undoubtedly,  stand  very  near 
the  head  of  the  list.  In  addition  to  being  a  stirring 
executant,  Mr.  Aubin  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  ever 
ready  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  further  the  progress  and 
welfare  of  his  community. 

Gilbert  .'\ubin,  father  of  Wilfrid  .\ubin,  was  a  native 
of  Canada,  and  in  1866,  being  then  but  eight  years  of 
age,  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Woonsocket.  The 
Aubins  were  among  the  first  French  Canadian  families 
to  settle  in  this  city,  and  during  the  last  fifty  years 
have  taken  a  prominent  part  in  its  upbuilding.  The 
family,  in  the  successive  generations,  has  always  been 
numerous,  too  numerous,  according  to  a  facetious  re- 
mark of  Mr.  Aubins,  to  allow  more  than  one  Christian 
name  to  each  individual.  Gilbert  .^ubin  married  Eglie 
Bliesle,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  still  living. 

Wilfrid  Aubin,  son  of  Gilbert  and  Eglie  (Bliesle) 
.^ubin,  was  born  .A-Ugust  29,  1889,  in  Woonsocket.  R.  I., 
and  received  his  education  in  the  public  and  parochial 
schools  of  his  native  city.  He  early  became  a  wage 
earner,  first  finding  employment  with  the  American 
Paper  Tube  Company,  and  then  being  associated  with 
his  father  as  common  shoveller  in  various  kinds  of 
manual  labor.  .'Vfter  learning  the  mason's  brickwork- 
er's  and  plasterer's  trades  he  advanced  rapidly,  becom- 
ing foreman  for  a  large  contracting  firm  and  for  some 
time  working  in  the  West  and  South.  On  returning  to 
Woonsocket  he  obtained  the  position  of  foreman  with 
Alfred  Daignault,  a  well  known  contractor.  It  was 
always  his  ambition  to  go  into  the  contracting  business 
on  his  own  account,  but  lack  of  capital  invariably  acted 
as  a  deterrent.  In  1914,  however,  he  borrowed  his 
first  one  thousand  dollars  and  dared  the  issue.  Need- 
less to  say  he  succeeded,  for  with  a  man  of  his  type 
success  is  a  "foregone  conclusion."  In  1915  he  and 
his  brother  were  in  partnership,  and  in  April,  1916, 
he  again  began  to  carry  on  the  business  alone,  and 
has   continued   to   do   so  ever  since.     The  business   of 


which  Mr.  Aubin  is  the  head  has  grown  to  large  pro- 
portions, giving  employment  to  from  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and 
having  a  weekly  pay  roll  of  twenty-five  hundred  dol- 
lars. He  has  built,  perhaps,  more  residences  and  man- 
ufacturing plants  in  and  about  Woonsocket  than  have 
fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  other  contractor.  Some  of  the 
largest  and  most  important  of  the  many  structures 
which  he  has  built  are  the  following:  The  buildings 
of  the  Philmont  Worsted  Company  and  the  Montrose 
Worsted  Company,  and  a  mausoleum  for  ex-Governor 
Pothier.  In  politics  Mr.  Aubin  is  a  faithful  Republican, 
but  has  never  had  time  for  active  participation  in  the 
affairs  of  the  organization.  He  was  once  persuaded 
by  his  friends  to  become  a  candidate  for  alderman  of 
the  Fifth  Ward,  but  was  defeated  by  four  votes,  a 
fact  which  seems  to  indicate  that,  could  he  be  induced 
to  enter  the  political  arena,  he  would  find  awaiting  him 
a  career  of  more  than  ordinary  brilliancy.  The  same 
strenuous  devotion  to  business  which  has  prevented 
Mr.  Aubin  from  mingling  in  politics  has  also  rendered 
it  impossible  for  him  to  identify  himself,  to  any  extent, 
with  social  and  fraternal  organizations.  His  only  affili- 
ations of  this  kind  are  with  the  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles  and  the  Society  of  St.  John  the  Baptist.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  of  St.  Louis. 
Wilfrid  Aubin's  record  shows  him  to  be  a  self-made, 
aggressive  business  man,  and  most  certain  it  is  that 
he  looks  the  part.  He  would  be  at  once  recognized  as 
a  man  who  forges  in  defiance  of  obstacles  and  who, 
if  there  is  no  way  to  the  desired  goal,  w'ill  carve  one 
out  for  himself.  Mr.  .\ubin  married,  April  24,  1904, 
Parmeld  Lensque,  of  Woonsocket,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  Clovis,  Wilfrid,  Jr., 
Irene,  Sylvia,  Gilbert,  Walter,  Henry,  and  Jeannette. 


JOHN  FRANCIS  SEIFERT,  the  capable  general 
superintendent  of  the  Blackstone  Woolen  Mills,  at 
Chepachet,  R.  I.,  a  man  of  public  spirit  and  influence 
in  that  community,  is  a  native  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
where  his  birth  occurred  November  11,  1862.  Mr.  Sei- 
fert  is  a  son  of  John  and  Theresa  (Whitner)  Seifert, 
both  of  whom  are  now-  deceased.  Mr.  Seifert,  Sr., 
was  born  in  Germany,  in  1835,  and  came  to  this  country 
in  early  youth.  During  most  of  his  life  he  was  a 
farmer,  and  continued  actively  engaged  in  that  occu- 
pation in  New  Jersey  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1905.  He  married  Theresa  Whit- 
ner, a  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  born  in  1834.  Mrs. 
Whitner  died  in  1880.  To  them  were  born  the  follow- 
ing children:  John  Francis,  with  whom  we  are  here 
especially  concerned:  Annie,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Lawrence,  of  South  Carolina:  Lizzie,  who  mar- 
ried George  Winter,  of  Kannachin,  Wis.:  and  Charles, 
of  Bound  Brook,  N.  J.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the 
automobile  business. 

The  early  home  of  Mr.  Seifert  was  at  Bound  Brook, 
N.  J.,  where  as  a  child  he  attended  the  local  public 
schools.  He  was  afterwards  a  student  at  the  public 
schools  of  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  where  he  completed 
his  education.  He  then  returned  to  Bound  Brook, 
where  he  secured  a  position  in  the  carding  room  of  a 
woolen  mill,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  one  year. 
He    was   then   transferred  to   the  office   as   office   boy. 


'Z''7^6c/-i( 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


475 


and  after  a  short  time  to  the  weaving  room,  where  lie 
remained  for  seven  years.  He  then  witlidrew  from 
that  concern  and  worked  for  a  time  "n  the  railroad. 
He  had,  however,  grown  to  be  an  expert  mill  hand, 
and  later  came  to  Harrisville,  R.  I.,  where  he  was 
employed  as  a  weaver  in  the  mills  for  some  time.  He 
then  spent  four  years  at  .Ashaway,  R.  I.,  where  he 
worked  as  a  loom  fi.xer  in  the  mills,  and  then  went  to 
i'lainville,  in  the  same  State,  and  worked  in  a  similar 
position  {or  one  year.  His  next  move  was  to  Uxbridge, 
Mass.,  where  for  two  years  and  a  half  he  worked  as 
a  loom  fixer,  after  which  he  returned  to  New  Jersey 
and  took  a  position  as  pattern  weaver  and  loom  fixer 
in  the  mills  at  Camden,  in  that  State,  .\fter  working 
there  for  some  time,  he  came  once  more  to  Rhode 
Island,  where  he  worked  for  six  months  at  the  Perse- 
verance Mill,  at  Woonsocket,  and  then  for  four  years 
worked  at  Chace's  Mill  at  Webster,  Mass.  In  all  of 
these  concerns  he  worked  as  a  loom  fixer,  but  after  his 
four  years  at  Webster  he  decided  to  make  a  change. 
.\ccordingly,  Mr.  Seifert  went  to  Bridgeport,  Conn., 
where  he  engaged  successfully  in  the  restaurant  busi- 
ness for  a  period  of  ten  years,  and  became  very  well 
known  in  that  community.  Later,  however,  he  was 
offered  the  position  of  general  superintendent  of  the 
Blackstone  Woolen  Mills,  at  Chepachet,  R.  I.,  and 
accepting  this  excellent  post  came  to  this  town,  where 
he  has  ever  since  remained.  The  mill  at  the  time  of 
his  coming  here  was  known  as  the  Spring  Grove 
Woolen  Mill,  but  this  was  afterwards  changed  to  that  of 
Blackstone.  under  which  name  it  is  well  known  in  in- 
dustrial circles  throughout  the  country.  Mr.  Seifert 
has  now  been  general  superintendent  here  for  fifteen 
years,  and  his  capable  management  has  done  much  to 
increase  the  already  great  output  of  this  famous  con- 
cern. In  addition  to  business  activities,  Mr.  Seifert 
i<  also  a  very  pr<.minent  figure  in  the  general  life  of 
the  community  and  ha^  taken  a  most  active  part  in 
its  local  affairs.  He  is  at  the  present  time  president  of 
the  fire  department  and  trustee  of  the  Public  Library 
here.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  local  organization.  He 
was  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  the  State  Senate,  on 
one  occasion,  but  in  this  strongly  Republican  district 
was  defeated  for  that  office.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
local  lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  .Seifert  is  a  staunch  Roman  Catholic  and 
attends  the  church  of  this  denomination  here.  Mr. 
Seifert  is  a  man  of  energetic  and  wholesome  instincts, 
is  particularly  fond  of  out-door  sports  and  pastimes, 
and  is  a  great  patron  of  baseball.  He  is  recognized  as 
an  industrious  and  capable  man.  and  stands  high  in 
the  esteem  of  the  community.  He  is  the  owner  of  a 
handsome  residence  at  Chepachet. 

John  Francis  Siefert  was  united  in  marriage.  Sep- 
tember 24.  1889,  at  Harrisville,  R.  I.,  with  Katie  Pcn- 
dergast,  of  that  town,  a  daughter  of  Nick  and  Elizabeth 
(Hicks)  Pendergast,  highly  respected  residents  there. 
Mr.  Pendergast  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  came  here 
as  a  young  man.  He  worked  for  a  time  as  a  dyer  in 
the  mills  of  Rhode  Island,  and  afterwards  engaged  in 
the  milk  business  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
the  year  1887,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  His  wife  was 
also  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  died  in  the  United  States. 


To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seifert  the  following  children  have 
been  burn:  Helen,  born  1891;  Charlie,  born  189J,  and 
is  now  an  electrician  in  the  employ  of  the  Thompson 
Spot  Welding  Company  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  William, 
born  1900,  and  now  a  student  at  the  English  High 
School  of  Providence,  R.  1. 


AUGUSTUS  WOODBURY,  clergyman,  author, 
humanitarian,  was  born  m  Beverly,  Mass.,  in  1825.  He 
graduated  from  the  Phillips  Exeter  ,\cadcmy  in  1846, 
and  from  the  Harvard  Divinity  School  in  1849,  then 
becoming  pastor  of  the  I'nitarian  church  in  Lowell, 
.\Ia<s..  going  to  the  church  in  Concord,  N.  II.,  three 
years  later,  and  in  1S57  to  that  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
with  which  he  remained  until  |S()2.  He  was  chairman 
of  the  inspectors  of  the  Rhode  Island  State  Prison, 
lN<y>-77,  and  one  of  the  State  Prison  building  commis- 
sioners, 1875-79.  In  1S61  he  was  chaplain  of  the  First 
Rhode  Island  Regiment,  and  chaplain-in-chief  of  the 
Grand  .Army  of  the  Republic,  1874-75.  In  1883  he  was 
n-.ade  president  of  the  Providence  .-Vthenaeum.  Har- 
vard gave  him  the  degree  of  A.  M.  in  1866.  and  Brown 
that  of  D.  D.,  in  1888.  He  is  author  of  the  following 
works:  "Plain  Words  to  Young  Men"  (1858);  "The 
Preservation  of  the  Republic"  (oration,  i8(x));  "Nar- 
rative of  the  Campaign  of  the  First  Rhode  Island  Reg- 
iment in  1861"  (1862);  "General  .\mbrosc  E.  Burn- 
side  and  the  Ninth  .Vrmy  Corps"  (1875):  "The  Sec- 
ond Rhode  Island  Regiment"  (1S75);  "Prisons  and 
Jails  of  Rhode  Island"  (1S77);  "Memorial  of  General 
-Xmbrose  E.  Burnsidc"  (1882):  besides  numerous  ser- 
mons, addresses,  and  articles  in  reviews.  Dr.  Wood- 
bury died  in  1895. 


JOB  BELKNAP,  one  of  the  most  prominent  farm- 
ers of  Jiihnslcn.  Providence  county,  R.  I.,  and  a  pub- 
lic-spirited citizen  of  wide  influence  in  this  community, 
is  a  member  of  an  ancient  and  distinguished  New 
England  family,  which  was  founded  in  this  country  in 
the  early  Colonial  period  and  which  has  ever  since 
maintained  a  position  high  in  the  regard  and  esteem  of 
the  community. 

(I)  .\braham  Belknap,  who  is  the  first  of  the  name 
of  whom  we  have  a  definite  record  in  Ibis  country,  wa; 
a  resident  at  Lynn,  Mass.,  as  early  as  16.^7.  Accord- 
ing to  tradition,  he  was  a  native  of  Lancashire,  Eng- 
land, and  came  to  this  country  from  that  place.  He 
later  removed  to  Salem,  Mass.,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred in  1643.  .Abraham  Belknap  was  the  father  of 
the  following  children:  Jenny:  Joseph,  who  is  men- 
tioned below:  Samuel:  Hannah,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Christopher  Osgood. 

("11)  Joseph  Belknap,  son  of  .Abraham  Belknap,  was 
born  about  1630,  probably  in  England,  and  was  living 
at  Salem,  Mass.  in  1643,  when  his  father  died.  He 
later  came  from  that  place  to  Boston,  where  he  was 
made  a  freeman  in  1665.  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  third,  or  the  old  South  Church,  in  1668,  in  that 
city.  In  1682  he  removed  to  HatficM,  Mass.,  and 
remained  in  that  place  until  1696,  when  he  returned  to 
Boston.  He  died  at  Boston,  November  14,  1712,  and 
was  buried  in  the  old  South  Burying  Ground  adjoin- 
ing the  Kings'  Chapel.  He  married  (first)  Ruth 
,    (second)    Lydia   ,  and    (third)    Hannah 


4/6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Mackins.  The  children  born  to  the  first  union  were 
as  follows:  Joseph,  born  Jan.  26,  1658;  Mary,  born 
Sept.  25,  1660:  Nathaniel,  born  Aug.  13,  1663;  and 
Elizabeth  B.,  horn  July  i,  1665.  By  the  second  mar- 
riage there  was  one  child,  Ruth  B.,  who  died  in  early 
youth.  By  the  third  marriage  the  following  children 
were  born:  Thomas,  mentioned  below;  John,  born 
June  I,  1672:  Hannah,  born  Jan.  8,  1675:  Ruth,  born 
March  17,  1677:  Abigail,  born  June  27,  1679;  ^"d 
.Abraham,  born  April  26,  1682. 

(III)  Thomas  Belknap,  son  of  Joseph  and  Hannah 
(Mackins)  Belknap,  was  born  June  29,  1670,  at  Boston, 
Mass.  For  a  time  he  resided  at  Cambridge,  but  in 
1(598  purchased  land  at  Woburn,  where  he  afterwar.'.s 
made  his  home,  and  there  died  October  15,  1755.  He 
married,  March  6,  1694,  Jane  Cheney,  daughter  of 
Thomas  Cheney,  of  Cambridge,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  Thomas;  Jane; 
Benjamin,  mentioned  below;  Samuel,  born  May  24, 
1707;    and  Hannah,  born  March  18.  1709. 

(IV)  Benjamin  Belknap,  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane 
(Cheney)  Belknap,  was  born  May  3.  1702,  at  Woburn, 
Mass.  He  later  removed  to  Providence,  where  he  pur- 
chased land  at  the  head  of  Rosmary  Lane,  near  the 
Presbyterian  Meeting  House,  upon  which  stood  a 
dwelling  house.  In  1753  he  sold  this  to  his  son  Isaac, 
and  rebought  it  in  1757.  He  also  owned  land  in  that 
part  of  Providence  which  afterwards  became  the  town 
of  Johnston.  Benjamin  Belknap  married  Hannah 
Richardson,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  .\braham,  mentioned  below;  Ruth,  born 
Nov.  6,  1729,  died  Nov.  8,  1750;  Hannah,  born  about 
17.S3,  became  the  wife  of  Solomon  Owens;  Isaac,  who 
v,as  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  died  while  returning 
from  the  army  to  his  home;  Jeduthan,  who  located  in 
the  State  of  New  York;  Olive,  born  Feb.  17,  17,19. 
died  April  26,  1750;  Sarah,  born  in  1740,  married 
William  Hawkins;  Benjamin,  born  March  27,  1742; 
Jacob,  born  Dec.  20,  1744;  and  Jeremiah,  born  June 
26,  1746. 

(V)  Abraham  (2)  Belknap,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Han- 
nah (Richardson)  Belknap,  was  born  in  the  year  1728, 

and  died  in  1810.     He  married  Martha ,  and  they 

were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Patience, 
born  Dec.  27,  1758;  Sarah,  born  Oct.  12,  1760;  Olive, 
born  Nov.  19,  1762;  Abraham.  Jr.,  mentioned  below; 
and  Martha,  born  Aug.  12,  1766. 

(VI)  Abraham  (3)  Belknap,  son  of  Abraham  (2) 
and  Martha  Belknap,  was  born  July  21,  1764.  He  was 
twice  married,  his  first  wife  to  whom  he  was  united, 
October  10,  1784,  being  Frances  Westcott,  who  died 
July  17.  1791.  By  this  marriage  he  had  the  following 
children:  Benjamin,  born  Jan.  28,  1786,  died  Sept.  16, 
18.39;  Stephen,  born  March  5.  1787,  died  Aug.  20, 
1850;  Cyrus,  born  in  1789,  died  April  3,  iStg;  Sarah. 
born  .\pril  27.  1791,  became  the  wife  of  Stephen  Haw- 
kins, and  died  Feb.  8,  1841.  Abraham  Belknap  mar- 
ried (second)  Mercy  Brown,  daughter  of  Elisha  and 
Sarah  (Olney)  Brown.  They  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Emor.  mentioned  below;  Elisha, 
born  in  the  year  1795,  died  July  23,  1827;  Martha,  born 
April  14,  1797,  became  the  wife  of  a  Mr.  Thurber,  and 
died  March  3,  1879;  Abigail,  born  Oct.  5.  1799,  mar- 
ried  Edwin   Mussey,  and  died   Feb.    12,   1828;    Mercy, 


born  in  1802,  died  young;  Isaac,  born  May  11,  1814, 
was  killed  in  an  accident  in  the  mill  at  Enfield.  R.  I., 
Sept.  8,  1831;  Abraham,  born  June  30,  1806,  removed 
to  Vermont,  where  many  of  his  descendants  are  hon- 
ored citizens.  Abraham  (3)  Belknap  died  March  15, 
1S20. 

(VII)  Emor  Belknap,  son  of  Abraham  (3)  and  Mercy 
(Brown)  Belknap,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Johnston, 
R.  I.,  January  2,  1793.  He  was  a  man  of  great  physical 
strength,  tall  and  of  fine  proportions,  and  was  well 
known  throughout  the  community  both  on  this  account 
and  for  a  wonderfully  fine  voice  of  great  depth  of 
tone.  He  was,  unfortunately,  not  a  very  good  prac- 
tical manager,  and  inheriting  an  extensive  tract  of 
land  from  his  father,  which  was  difficult  to  cultivate, 
he  allowed  it  to  fall  more  or  less  inio  disrepair,  so 
that  at  the  time  of  his  death  his  family  were  left  in 
decidedly  straightened  circumstances.  At  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  January  26,  1845,  his  children 
were  young,  and  his  wife  was  obliged  to  struggle  pain- 
fully in  order  to  support  her  family,  until  such  time  as 
her  son.  Job  Belknap,  came  of  an  age  to  assist  her. 
She  was,  however,  more  successful  than  her  husband 
had  been,  and  achieved  not  only  security  from  want, 
but  finally  a  very  considerable  degree  of  prosperity,  so 
that  the  closing  years  of  her  life  were  rendered  com- 
fortable by  her  own  earlier  efforts.  She  was  a  woman 
of  extraordinary  resolution  and  most  capable  in  man- 
agement, and  her  family  recognized  the  great  debt  of 
gratitude  which  they  owed  to  her.  Emor  Belknap 
married,  .^pril  10,  1836,  Mary  Lyon,  who  was  born  in 
Connecticut  in  the  year  1S06,  a  daughter  of  .\ldania 
and  Esther  (Jackson)  Lyon,  of  that  State.  Her  father 
was  at  one  time  a  very  successful  cattle  dealer  and 
drover,  and  the  family  were  in  excellent  circumstances 
at  one  time,  but  the  failure  of  some  of  his  business 
associates  greatly  reduced  his  circumstances  and  they 
were  not  able  to  assist  Mr.  Belknap  to  any  degree. 
They  are  now  buried  in  the  old  family  burying  ground 
on  the  farm  of  their  grandson.  Job  Belknap.  Mrs. 
Lyon  was  a  woman  of  wonderful  energy,  who  lived 
to  be  more  than  eighty  years  of  age,  but  remained 
exceedingly  active  to  within  a  very  short  time  of  her 
death  and  was  able  to  do  her  full  share  of  the  work  on 
the  Belknap  farm,  where  she  made  her  home  with  her 
daughter  and  grandson.  To  Emor  Belknap  and  his 
wife  two  children  were  born,  as  follows:  Job,  with 
whose  career  we  are  here  especially  concerned;  and 
Esther,  who  later  became  the  wife  of  Edward  H. 
Waterman.  Mrs.  Belknap  also  reached  her  eightieth 
year,  her  death  occurring  in  1886,  and  she  was  buried 
in  the  burying  ground  on  "the  Plains,"  a  part  of  the 
old  Belknap  homestead. 

(VIII)  Job  Belknap,  son  of  Emor  and  Mary  (Lyon) 
Belknap,  was  born  January  20,  1837,  in  the  same  house 
in  which  he  now  resides,  and  has  passed  all  his  life  on 
his  present  farm.  Enough  has  been  told  of  the  condi- 
tions which  surrounded  his  early  childhood  to  indicate 
how  hard  they  must  have  been.  His  educational  oppor- 
tunities were  most  meager,  though  he  did  for  a  time 
attend  the  local  public  schools  during  the  winter 
months.  He  was  a  lad  of  strong  ambition,  and  early 
realized  his  responsibility,  so  that  he  availed  himself 
of  every  opportunity  which  he  possessed  to  secure  an 


BIOGRAnilCAL 


477 


education  for  liiiusell.  Tlic  hard  school  in  which  he 
was  reared  in  all  probability  crystalized  his  character 
early  in  hfc,  and  in  his  case,  as  in  so  many  others  of 
the  capable  men  of  this  country,  hardship  proved  a 
good  school  master,  and  he  benefited  by  the  very  con- 
dition which  on  the  surface  seemed  such  a  great  draw- 
back. When  he  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age.  he 
took  upon  his  own  youthful  shoulders  the  manage- 
ment of  tlie  farm,  and  already  having  secured  an  ex- 
cellent training  in  a.cricultural  work,  went  about  his 
duties  with  a  capability  remartrable  in  one  so  young. 
He  carried  on  firming  operations  on  as  large  a  scale 
as  his  youth  and  the  family  resources  would  permit,  but 
this  scale  was  a  progressive  one,  and  as  time  went  on, 
the  farm  responding  to  his  indefatigable  efiforts,  grad- 
ually became  a  highly  paying  one,  and  was  eventually 
cleared  of  all  encumberances.  both  of  a  material  order 
and  in  the  nature  of  debts.  Their  friends  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, watching  with  kindly  interest  and  admiration 
the  efforts  of  their  youthful  colleague,  were  only  too 
willing  to  extend  what  aid  they  could.  an<I  young  Bel- 
knap found  his  credit  sufficient  to  secure  the  necessary 
equipment  to  carry  out  his  intention.  Gradually  the 
buildings  were  repaired,  the  land  cleared  up.  and  suit- 
able machinery  having  been  acciuircd  the  property  was 
gradually  converted  into  one  of  the  best  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. While  the  credit  of  this  was  mostly  due  to 
Job  Belknap  himself,  as,  with  his  advancing  years  he  be- 
came more  thoroughly  capable  of  handling  the  situa- 
tion, much  of  it  must  also  be  given  to  his  mother  and 
grandmother  who,  despite  their  gradually  a<ivaMcing 
years,  were  indefatigable  in  the  assistance  they  ren- 
dered him,  and  this  debt  to  them  has  always  been  most 
fully  acknowledged  by  the  young  man.  He  is.  in  the 
best  sense  of  the  word,  a  self-made  man.  for  while  he 
inherited  a  large  property  from  his  father  which  pos- 
sessed a  great  potential  value,  he  had  absolutely  noth- 
ing else,  and  that  value  could  only  be  brought  out  and 
developed  by  his  hard  work  and  determination. 
Throughout  all  his  struggles,  the  young  man  continued 
to  observe  the  highest  code  of  business  ethics  and 
gained  for  himself  a  reputation  for  honor  and  square 
dealing,  not  surpassed  by  any  man  in  the  community. 
Mr.  Belknap's  personality  has  always  been  a  genial 
and  kindly  one,  and  he  won  for  himself  not  only  the 
admiration  of  his  fellow-citizens,  but  also  their  good 
will  and  affection,  and  to-day  he  is  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  best  beloved  fi.sures  in  the  entire  region, 
his  neighbors  all  rejoicing  in  the  substantial  success 
which  has  finally  come  to  him  as  the  result  of  his  own 
effort.  His  achievement  is  a  large  one,  and  his  solid 
prosperity  is  the  direct  result  of  his  industry  and 
sound  jurlgment.  For  one  who  had  to  labor  so  hard 
in  his  youth,  Mr.  Belknap  has  preserved,  in  a  remark- 
able degree,  his  fondness  for  the  lighter  side  of  life, 
and  his  fund  of  humor  and  general  good  cheer  have 
been  one  of  the  greatest  factors  in  securing  for  him  the 
affection  wliich  he  now  enjoys.  He  has  always  been 
an  extremely  public-spirited  man  and  has  taken  a  keen 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  community,  although  the 
great  demands  upon  his  time  and  energy  have  made  it 
impossible  for  him  to  take  an  active  hand  in  loc.al 
affairs,  or  become  so  prominent  in  politics  as  his  abili- 
ties have  warranted.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 


order,  being  affiliated  with  Temple  Lodge,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

Job  Belknap  married  (first)  .Anna  M.  Waterman, 
daughter  of  Calvin  J.  Waterman,  a  highly  respected 
member  of  this  community,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  Frederick  W..  men- 
tioned below;  .Abbie  E.,  born  Sept.  17,  1864,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Evert  Edily.  at  .Attleboro.  Mass., 
where  they  reside;  Josephine,  horn  Jan.  20,  1867,  died 
.*\pril  10  of  the  same  year;  Emor,  born  March  22.  1870, 
died  Jan.  7,  1872;  Emery  P..  born  March  S,  187.1,  who 
makes  his  home  at  Providence.  Mrs.  Belknap,  who 
was  a  most  devoted  and  cfticicnt  helpmate  to  her  hus- 
band, died  December  20.  1889.  Job  Belknap  married 
(second)  April  i.  1807,  Mrs.  .Mmeda  H.  (Green)  Sweet, 

widow  of  Sweet,  who  by  her  former  marriage 

had  two  children;  Lena  Frances,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Henry  Rhodes  Remington,  of  Manton,  to  whom  she 
has  bnrne  four  children,  and  Allen  Bowen,  who  mar- 
ried Helena  Maude  Saunders,  and  makes  his  home  in 
Providence. 

(IX)  Frederick  W.  Belknap,  eldest  son  of  Job  and 
.•\nna  M.  (Waterman)  Belknap,  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead,  January  .11,  1862.  His  early  training  was 
received  in  the  local  public  schools,  and  on  his  father's 
farm,  where  he  still  resides.  .As  a  young  man  he 
engaged  in  business  as  a  retail  milk  dealer,  has  been 
exceedingly  successful  in  this  line,  and  has  gained  the 
good  will  and  high  esteem  of  the  entire  community. 
He  married,  and  is  the  father  of  three  children;  Jes- 
sie L..  Anna  Josephine,  and  .Xmey  Brown.  Both  Job 
Belknap  and  his  son  are  staunch  Republicans,  and  have 
held  offices  of  trust  in  the  community,  the  former  hav- 
ing been  highway  commissioner  of  the  town  of  John- 
ston for  manv  vears. 


JOHN  AUGUSTUS  HUGHES— Among  the  suc- 
cessful and  pros]H"riius  farmers  "f  C  ranston,  R.  I.,  the 
name  of  John  Augustus  Hughes  deserves  especial 
prominence,  both  on  account  of  his  success  in  his 
chosen  line  of  work  and  because  of  his  i)ublic-spirited 
participation  in  the  general  life  of  the  community  here. 
John  .A.  Hughes  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Ellen  'Smith) 
Hughes,  both  deceased,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland, 
from  which  country  he  came  to  the  United  .States  about 
1850.  He  settled  at  Cranston,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  occupation  of  farming,  and  was  the  owner  of  three 
farms.  , 

Born  on  a  farm  at  Cranston.  R.  I..  March  25,  1870, 
John  .Augustus  Hughes  received  his  education  in  the 
local  public  schools.  His  early  training  was  in  the 
agricultural  pursuits,  which  he  has  followed  ever  since, 
and  for  a  time  he  was  employed  by  the  farmers  of  this 
region  upon  their  places.  He  was  of  an  exceedingly 
ener.getic  and  ambitious  character,  however,  and  from 
early  youth  desired  strongly  to  become  independent 
and  engage  in  business  on  his  own  account.  His  ambi- 
tion led  him  to  make  the  most  devoted  efforts,  and  his 
industry  and  skill  in  farming  became  proverbial.  Mr. 
Hughes  supplemented  his  hard  work  by  great  economy 
and  thriftiness.  continually  laying  aside  a  large  pro- 
portion of  his  somewhat  meager  earnings,  ever  with  the 
idea  of  becoming  independent  in  view.  In  the  year 
1904  his  hard  work  bore  fruit  and  he  found  himself  in 


4/8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


a  position  to  purchase  his  present  place,  consisting  of 
some  thirty  acres  of  excellent  farm  land  in  the  region 
of  Cranston.  He  did  not  relax  his  eiTorts  upon  becom- 
ing the  owner  of  his  own  place,  however,  but  if  any- 
thing, redoubled  them,  with  the  result  that  his  farm 
is  now  in  a  state  of  high  cultivation.  He  is  now  en- 
gaged in  successful  general  farming  and  dairying  and 
conducts  a  successful  business,  marketing  his  products 
in  the  surrounding  country.  Mr.  Hughes  has  never 
been  ambitious  to  hold  public  office,  but  is,  neverthe- 
less, keenly  interested  in  local  affairs  and  has  gained 
an  enviable  reputation  for  public  spirit.  In  politics  he 
is  an  Independent  Democrat  and  although  never  seek- 
ing office,  has  been  something  of  a  leader  in  the  local 
party  organization  here.  He  attends  the  Episcopal 
church  at  Cranston,  but  is  not  a  formal  member 
thereof.  Mr.  Hughes  has  one  sister,  Sarah  T.,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Malone,  of  Arctic,  R.  I.,  where 
they  now  reside. 

John  Augustus  Hughes  was  united  in  marriage.  May 
12,  1902,  at  Fall  River,  Mass.,  with  Lydia  Francis 
Brown,  of  Johnston,  R.  I.,  a  member  of  a  very  promi- 
nent family  in  that  community,  and  daughter  of  George 
Washington  and  Juliette  (Randall)  Brown.  Mr. 
Brown  had  been  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  Johnston 
until  his  death,  July  23,  1910.  Mrs.  Hughes  is  one  of  a 
family  of  seven  children,  three  now  living,  the  others 
being:  William  M.  S.  Brown,  a  citizen  of  Johnston,  and 
Evelyn  Etta  May,  who  became  the  wife  of  Harry 
Sanderson,  also  of  Johnston. 


JOSEPH  McCORMICK— The  McCormicks,  father 
and  son,  lioth  <<i  tliem  named  Joseph,  are  associated  in 
the  leading  contracting  business  of  New  England,  an 
enterprise  that  has  attained  far  more  than  a  local  im- 
portance. The  elder  Joseph  McCormick  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Mary  McCormick,  natives  of  Ireland,  who 
came  to  the  United  States  early  in  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury and  settled  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  where  John  Mc- 
Cormick followed  farming  until  his  death. 

Joseph  McCormick,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Mc- 
Cormick, was  born  May  15,  1856,  and  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  Rehoboth,  and  worked  on  the  farm  with 
his  father  until  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  He  then 
came  to  Providence  and  began  a  teaming  and  truck- 
ing business  in  a  modest  way,  which,  in  time,  developed 
into  a  contracting  business  of  vast  proportions.  The 
building  of  roads  is  an  important  feature  of  his  work, 
about  five  hundred  men  with  teams  and  road  building 
machines,  engines,  and  other  equipment,  now  being 
employed  in  road  building  all  over  the  eastern  States. 
The  business  is  located  in  East  Providence,  with 
offices  at  No.  317  Taunton  avenue,  Joseph  (2)  Mc- 
Cormick, son  of  the  founder,  being  there  in  charge  as 
manager.  In  politics  Mr.  McCormick  is  a  Democrat, 
and  is  active  in  all  affairs  tending  toward  the  welfare 
and  development  of  his  city.  He  is  a  staunch  member 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and  attends  Sacred 
Heart  Church  of  that  denomination  in  East  Provi- 
dence. 

Joseph  McCormick  married  (first')  in  Providence,  in 
May.  1877,  Etta  Regan,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary 
Regan,  her  parents  natives  of  Ireland,  who  came  to  the 
United    States   and   settled    in    Providence.     Mrs.    Mc- 


Cormick died  September  29,  1897,  and  Mr.  McCormick 
married  (second)  April  30,  1907,  Mrs.  Deborah  Alny 
(Brownell)  Wilbur,  of  North  Dartmouth,  Mass.  The 
McCormick  home  is  at  No.  240  Taunton  avenue,  East 
Providence. 

Joseph  (2)  McCormick,  son  of  Joseph  (i)  and  Etta 
(Regan)  McCormick,  was  born  in  East  Providence, 
November  25,  1880,  and  was  there  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools.  He  early  became  associated  with  his 
father  in  his  contracting  business,  and  is  now  a  part- 
ner and  general  manager.  He  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  is  now  a  Representative  in  the  Rhode  Island 
State  Legislature,  first  elected  in  November,  1916,  and 
reelected  in  November,  1918.  He  has  been  for  eight 
years  secretary  of  the  Watchamoket  Fire  District  of 
East  Providence,  is  affiliated  with  the  Knights  of  Co 
lumbus,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
the  Massasoit  Club,  the  West  Side  Club,  and  the 
Silver  Golf  Club. 

Mr.  McCormick  married,  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  Feb- 
ruary 21,  1906,  Alice  Carroll,  of  East  Providence, 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Monahan)  Carroll,  of 
East  Providence,  both  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Cormick are  the  parents  of  three  children:  Alice  B., 
born  Aug.  8.  1908;  Joseph  (3).  born  Sept.  5,  1911; 
and  Martha,  born  Nov.  16,  1915.  The  family  homf 
is  at  No.  324  Taunton  avenue,  East  Providence. 

John  McCormick,  second  son  of  Joseph  (l)  and  Etta 
(Regan)  McCormick,  was  born  March  i,  1885.  He 
attended  tlie  public  schools,  and  then  entered  the  busi- 
ness of  bis  fatlier,  with  whom  he  has  been  actively 
identified  up  to  date  (1919).  Mr.  McCormick  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
West  Side  Club,  and  the  Boston  Athletic  Association. 

Mr.  McCormick  married  Jane  Smith,  of  Providence, 
3nd  they  are  the  parents  of  four  children. 


JOHN  HINES,  the  successful  farmer  and  fruit 
grower  of  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  Ireland, 
where  he  was  born  in  1843.  He  is  a  son  of  Patrick 
Hines,  and  resided  with  his  parents  in  his  native  land 
during  his  early  childhood.  Later  his  father  came  to 
the  United  States  and  the  lad  accompanied  him,  their 
home  being  situated  for  a  time  at  Jolmston,  in  this 
State.  Here  the  father  worked  in  the  various  mills 
located  at  Johnston,  and  also  cared  for  the  estate  of 
Mr.  Simmons.  In  the  fall  of  1861  he  removed  to  Lons- 
dale, and  worked  in  the  mill  there  for  about  nine 
years.  In  1870  he  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
acres  at  Cumberland  and  mo\'ed  with  his  family  to 
that  place,  where  his  death  eventually  occurred. 

John  Hines  worked  in  the  local  mills  as  a  young 
man,  but  later  gave  up  this  business  and  assisted  his 
father  on  the  farm  in  Cumberland,  where  he  has  made 
his  home  ever  since,  the  property  coming  into  his  pos- 
session at  the  death  of  the  elder  man.  Since  that  time 
Mr.  Hines  has  greatly  improved  the  farm  and  has 
devoted  his  attention  to  general  farming  and  fruit 
raising,  especially  the  cultivation  of  apples,  in  which  he 
has  taken  a  very  keen  interest.  About  two  or  three 
years  ago  Mr.  Hines  retired  from  active  life  and  since 
then  has  leased  his  farm  to  his  son,  who  now  conducts 
the  same.  John  Hines  was  united  in  marriage,  at  Lons- 
dale, with  Ellen  Whalen,  like  himself  a  native  of  Ire- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


479 


land,  who  is  now  deceased.  They  are  the  parents  of 
six  children,  as  follows:  Patrick  F. ;  Margaret;  Mary, 
who  is  a  teacher  in  the  local  school;  Catherine,  who 
is  also  employed  as  a  teacher;    John  J.,  who  married 

Catherine    Clark,    of    Pawtucket,    and   .      Hines 

road,  where  Mr.  Hines'  farm  is  situated,  is  named 
for  him. 


THOMAS  PECK  BUCKLIN— For  a  period  ex- 
tending over  api)roximately  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years,  the  Bucklin  family  has  been  represented  in 
Massachusetts  and  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  In 
early  records  the  name  was  spelled  Buckline  and  Buck- 
land.  Since  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  they 
have  been  prominent  in  its  industrial  life.  Men  of  the 
family  in  every  generation  have  been  leaders  in  busi- 
ness life,  and  pioneers  in  the  industries.  The  name  is 
too  well  known  in  the  cities  of  Providence  and  Paw- 
tucket, and  in  the  town  of  Rehoboth.  where  the  .'\mer- 
ican  f:\mily  of  Bucklin  was  first  established,  to  require 
further  introduction.  .\t  the  time  when  occupations 
other  than  that  of  farming  began  to  gain  a  firm  foot- 
ing in  New  England,  some  of  the  early  Bucklins  oper- 
ated grist  mills  on  the  banks  of  the  Seckonk  river,  and 
were  owners  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pawtucket 
Falls.  The  short,  swift,  rivers  and  falls  of  towns  such 
as  Pawtucket,  otTercd  unusual  facilities  as  to  water 
power  for  the  mills,  which  later  sprang  up  on  their 
banks,  an<l  the  towns  which  possessed  them  were  those 
which  later  became  the  man\ifacturing  and  industrial 
centers  of  Xew  England.  From  the  earliest  times  the 
name  of  Bucklin  has  been  intimately  connected  with 
the  Ijusiness  life  of  this  section. 

The  family  has  been  honorably  and  well  represented 
in  the  se\eral  wars  of  the  country.  The  revolutionary 
records  of  the  States  of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode 
Island  contain  the  names  of  many  members  who  fought 
in  the  struggle  for  Independence,  and  later  in  the  Civil 
War.  Tlie  first  record  of  the  Bucklin  family  in  .Amer- 
ica is  found  in  the  vital  statistics  of  the  town  of  Reho- 
both, Mass.,  where  Joseph  Bucklin,  the  progenitor  of 
the  line  herein  considered,  settled. 

(I)  Joseph  Bucklin  was  married  in  Rehoboth,  Mass., 
on  November  5.  1659,  to  Deborah  .Mien.  Their  chil- 
dren were:  i.  Deborah,  born  Sept.  16,  1660.  2.  Joseph, 
mentioned  below.  3.  Barak,  born  .Aug.  i,  1666.  4. 
John,  born  May  10,  1668.  5.  James,  born  July  3,  1669. 
6  Isaac,  born  Jan.  31,  1672.  7.  Kehemiah,  born  Sept. 
lO,  1675.  8.  Nehemiah  (2),  born  March  31,  1678.  9. 
Lydia,  born  Sept.  5,  1680. 

(II)  Joseph  (2)  Bucklin.  son  of  Joseph  (l)  and  De- 
borah (Allen)  Bucklin.  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass., 
on  I'ebruary  16.  1663.  He  married,  June  30,  1691,  Me- 
hitabel  Sabin.  Their  children  were:  r.  Deborah,  born 
May  5,  1692.  2.  Joseph,  born  Sept.  20,  1694.  3.  Mar- 
tha, born  Sept.  6,  1696.  4.  Benjamin,  born  Jan.  30, 
1698.  5.  John,  mentioned  below.  6.  Rachel,  born 
Dec.  I,  1703.  7.  Nehemiah,  born  June  6,  1706.  8. 
David,  born  Oct.  31.  1708.  9.  Esther,  born  Oct.  3. 
1710.  10.  Jonathan,  born  Sept.  13,  I7I3-  ".  William, 
born  Feb.  23,  1716-17. 

(III)  John  Bucklin,  son  of  Joseph  (2)  and  Mchitabel 
(Sabin)  Bucklin,  was  born  in  Rclioboth,  Mass.,  March 
30,    1701.      He    married,    December   3,    1724,    Freelove 


Smith,  horn  .Vpril  4,  1698,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  .Abi- 
gail Smith,  of  Rehoboth.  Their  children  were:  I. 
Daniel,  born  Oct.  24,  1725.  2.  Abigail,  born  in  1728. 
3.  Abigail  (2),  born  Jan.  12,  1730-31.  4.  John,  men- 
tioned below.  5.  Freelove,  born  Jan.  7,  1734-35  6. 
Esther,  born  July  4,  1736.  7.  Sarah,  born  July  18, 
1740.    8.  Joseph,  born  I'eb.  21,  1742-43. 

(I\')  Captain  John  (2)  Bucklin,  son  of  John  (l) 
and  Freelove  (Smith)  Bucklin,  was  born  in  Rehoboth. 
Mass.,  im  February  12,  1732-33.  He  married,  January 
5  1764,  Jemima  Peck,  dajughter  of  Thomas  and  De- 
liverance Peck.  She  was  born  May  19,  1744.  Their 
children  were:  i.  Freelove,  born  Dec.  30,  1764.  2. 
George,  mentioned  below.  3.  Sarah,  born  Feb.  10, 
17W..  4.  John,  horn  Oct.  26,  1770.  5.  Thomas,  born 
Sept.  27,  1772.  6.  Deliverance,  born  Dec.  2,  1774.  7. 
Iluldah.  born  Oct.  6,  1778.  8.  Esther,  born  Sept. 
17.  1782.  0.  Sylvester  Fuller,  born  July  2,  17S4.  The 
following  excerpt  is  taken  from  "Massachusetts  in  the 
War  of  the  Revolution:"  "John  Bucklin,  private  in 
Captain  James  HilTs  company.  Col.  Carpenter's  regi- 
ment: enlisted  December  8,  1776.  discharged  Decem- 
ber 13.  I77();  service  six  days  on  alarm  at  Bristol; 
reported  as  belonging  to  the  alarm  list:  roll  sworn  to 
at  Rehoboth:  also  Captain  Nathaniel  Ide's  comjiany, 
Col.  Thomas  Carpenter's  regiment,  marched  from  Re- 
hoboth, .August  7.  1780,  service  nine  davs  under  Gen. 
llieth." 

(V)  George  Bucklin,  son  of  Captain  John  (2)  and 
Jemima  (Peck)  Bucklin,  was  born  at  Rehoboth,  Mass., 
on  December  6,  1766,  and  died  at  Scekonk.  Mass..  at  the 
age  of  eighty-three  years,  on  February  14,  1850.  He  mar- 
ried, January  20,  1799.  Hannah  Bennett,  of  Cumber- 
land, who  died  at  Seekonk,  November  16,  1851,  aged 
stventy-seven  years.  Their  chihlren  were:  I.  John, 
born  Nov.  4,  1799.  2.  George  .Augustus,  born  May  I, 
1801.  3.  Hiram,  born  Feb.  14,  1803,  4.  Thomas  Peck, 
mentioned  below.  5.  X'irgil  Bennett,  born  Nov.  23, 
1806.    6.  Jane  Elizabeth,  born  Nov.  13.  1813. 

(VI)  Thomas  Peck  Bucklin.  son  of  George  and 
Hannah  (Bennett)  Bucklin,  was  born  at  Seekonk. 
Mass.,  September  2^.  1804.  He  received  his  early  edu- 
cation there,  and  after  leaving  schcol  entered  the 
employ  of  Edward  Carrington.  He  later  went  to  New 
York  City,  where  he  engaged  in  a  tea  importing  ven- 
ture, which  proved  extremely  successful.  In  partner- 
ship with  Mr.  Crane,  he  formed  the  great  firm  of 
Bucklin  &  Crane,  importers  of  tea,  engaged  in  foreign 
trade  with  China,  and  other  tea  exporting  countries. 
The  firm  owned  the  clippers  "Comet."  "Celestial," 
"Black  Hawk."  "Intrepid,"  and  others,  all  famous  ves- 
sels of  their  time.  Mr.  Bucklin's  success  in  business 
was  entirely  self  made.  He  became  one  of  the  most 
prominent  business  men  and  merchants  of  his  genera- 
tion. He  retired  from  active  participation  in  the 
affairs  of  the  firm  of  Bucklin  &  Crane  in  the  early 
sixties,  but  remained  a  silent  partner  tor  a  long  period 
thereafter.  .After  his  retirement  from  business.  Mr. 
Bucklin  passed  the  last  years  of  his  life  on  the  site  of 
the  old  homestead,  where  he  had  erected  a  new  house. 
The  land  on  which  this  mansion  is  located  had  re- 
mained in  the  hands  of  lineal  descendants  of  the 
founder  of  the  family  since  the  days  of  Queen  ,Anne. 

Thomas   Peck   Bucklin  married,   November  29,   1836. 


4So 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Eliza  Comstock.  Their  children  were:  i.  Thomas 
P.  J.,  deceased;  married  Mary  Tanman.  2.  Eliza  Com- 
stoclc,  deceased.  3.  Hannah  Bennett,  deceased:  mar- 
ried Arthur  Sherman.  4.  George,  deceased.  5.  Mary 
Collins,  married  Charles  Dexter  Owen.  6.  William 
Comstock,  deceased.  7.  Katherine  A.  8.  Edward 
Carrington,  married.  Feb.  4,  1S74,  Jessie  Howard: 
children:  ?Ienry  Howard,  deceased;  Edward  Car- 
rington, Jr.,  deceased;  Harris  Howard,  born  May  21, 
i.S-q.  married,  June  ,7.  igi6,  Edith  Rowland  Edwards 
(Gordon)  and  they  have  two  children:  Jane  Bucklin, 
born  April  23,  1917,  and  Harris  Howard  Bucklin,  Jr.. 
born  Dec.  .^,  191S;  Thomas  Peck,  born  July  23,  1881, 
deceased:  Janet,  born  .Aug.  6.  1885;  Dorothy,  born 
May  18,  1888.  9.  Julia  Bullock,  deceased.  10.  Jane 
Wells.  Mr.  Bucklin,  father  of  these  children,  died  Jan- 
uary 18,  1870. 


EMIL  GEORGE  PIEPER— The  career  of  Emil  G. 
Pieper.  of  Providence,  is  one  in  which  the  insurance 
world  has  had  the  services  of  an  able  and  consistent 
worker.  When  only  a  young  man,  Mr.  Pieper  became 
identified  with  one  of  the  important  companies  of  the 
East  at  New  York,  the  insurance  center,  and  he  has 
given  to  this  field  of  endeavor  an  undivided  interest 
which  now  shows  the  results  of  his  long  years  of  labor. 
He  being  well  known  to  his  many  business  associates,  a 
leading  official  in  Rhode  Island's  most  prominent  insur- 
ance company,  it  is  only  natural  that  he  has  become 
one  of  the  State's  prominent  citizens  both  in  commer- 
cial and  social  life. 

Mr.  Pieper  is  a  native  of  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  born  Sep- 
tember 15,  1872.  He  passed  the  greater  part  of  his 
boyhood  days  in  Brooklyn  and  New  York,  where  he 
was  educated  in  private  schools,  .^fter  completing  his 
studies  at  these  institutions,  he  entered  the  office  of 
the  New  York  Bowery  Insurance  Company  of  New 
York  in  iS^.  Since  that  time  to  the  present  he  has 
been  constantly  engaged  in  the  insurance  business,  a 
period  of  some  thirty-two  years.  He  remained  with 
the  New  York  Bowery  Insurance  Company  until  1893, 
and  then  entered  the  firm  of  R.  C.  Rathbone  &  Son,  on 
Pine  street,  New  York  City,  where  he  occupied  various 
important  positions  and  was  rapidly  promoted.  At  the 
time  of  his  leaving  that  concern,  he  was  secretary  of 
both  the  National  Standard  Insurance  Company  and  of 
the  .Assurance  Company  of  .America.  Subsequently  he 
was  then  offered  and  accepted  the  position  of  special 
agent  of  the  .-Xmerican  Insurance  Company  of  Boston, 
his  office  covering  New  England  and  New  York  State, 
with  headquarters  at  Boston.  He  continued  to  repre- 
sent that  company  until  its  retirement  from  business, 
an  event  which  was  caused  by  the  great  conflagration  at 
San  Francisco  in  1906.  It  was  Mr.  Pieper  who  was 
intrusted  with  the  task  of  adjusting  the  losses  of  the 
-American  Insurance  Company  in  that  city. 

In  December,  1906,  after  he  had  completed  his  duties 
in  San  Francisco,  he  came  East  and  took  the  position  of 
secretary  of  the  Rhode  Island  Insurance  Company  of 
Providence.  In  1911  he  was  elected  vice-president  and 
secretary  of  the  same  concern,  a  post  he  still  continues 
to  occupy  in  addition  to  being  vice-president  and  man- 
ager   of    the    important    insurance    business    of    Stark- 


weather &  Shepley,  Incorporated,  of  Providence,  who 
are  agents  in  the  United  States  for  the  following  four 
important  French  com.panies,  the  Union  Fire  Insurance 
Company,  the  Nationale  Fire  Insurance  Company,  the 
Pheni.x  Fire  Insurance  Company,  and  the  Abeille 
Fire  Insurance  Company,  all  of  Paris.  During  the 
time  that  he  has  been  connected  with  these  various 
concerns  Mr.  Pieper  has  made  an  enviable  reputation 
for  himself  through  his  expert  knowledge  of  insurance, 
his  practical  grasp  of  affairs,  his  high  standard  of  in- 
tegritv  and  fair  dealing  which  he  has  consistently  main- 
tained. Mr.  Pieper  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  gen- 
era! life  of  the  community,  and  is  affiliated  with  the 
Masonic  order,  the  Rhode  Island  Country  Club,  the 
Wannamoisett  Country  Club,  the  Turk's  Head  Club, 
and  the  Hope  Club  of  Providence.  In  politics  Mr. 
Pieper  is  a  Republican. 


CHARLES  O.  READ— The  record  of  the  business 
life  of  Charles  O.  Read  is  the  narrative  of  a  lifetime 
passed  in  endeavor  in  one  industry  and  in  identification 
with  one  controlling  interest.  Since  November  I,  1863, 
he  has  been  connected  with  the  vast  Sayles  intercsis. 
his  present  office  that  of  vice-president  of  the  Sayles 
finishing  plants,  a  leading  organization  of  its  kind  in 
the  United  States.  Mr.  Read  has  acquired  other  and 
numerous  business  associations  in  the  textile  industrj-, 
and  is  rated  among  its  most  influential  executives.  His 
home  is  in  Pawtucket,  where  he  is  a  participant  in  all 
civic  enterprises,  well  known  socially,  and  an  officer  of 
Trinity  Episcopal  Church. 

(I)  Charles  O.  Read  is  a  descendant  in  the  eighth 
generation  of  John  Read,  of  Rehoboth,  Mass.  The 
name  of  Read  (also  used  as  Reed,  Reid,  and  Reade)  is 
found  not  only  in  England,  where  it  has  been  common 
from  the  time  surnames  came  into  use  and  as  a  clan 
name  before  that  time,  but  in  Scotland  and  various 
countries  on  the  Continent.  The  history  of  the  Read 
family  of  Kent,  England,  dates  back  to  1139.  to  Brianus 
de  Rede,  of  Morpeth,  on  the  Ensback  river  in  the  North 
of  England.  John  Read  came  to  America  with  the 
great  fleet  in  1630,  a  brother  of  William  of  Weymouth, 
and  supposed  to  be  the  son  of  William  Read  by  his  wife, 
Lucy  (Ilenage)  Read.  He  was  born  in  1598,  is  first 
mentioned  in  Weymouth,  in  1637,  was  of  Dorchester 
in  1636,  and  went  from  there  to  Braintree  (Quincy). 
In  1643  or  1644  he  went  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Newman 
and  his  church  to  Rehoboth,  and  his  name  is  third  on 
the  list  of  proprietors  of  the  town.  He  was  a  man  of 
large  property  for  the  time  and  held  the  ofiices  of  con- 
stable, the  chief  executive  position  of  the  town.  He 
was  an  inn-keeper,  living  at  what  was  called  Rim,  now 
Seekonk,  one  of  the  seven  divisions  of  old  Rehoboth ; 
the  others  being  Rehobolh.  .\ttlcboro,  Pawtucket,  Swan- 
sea, Barrington,  and  Cumberland,  and  many  of  his 
descendants  live  within  the  bounds  of  the  old  town.  He 
died  September  7,  1685,  aged  eighty-seven  years,  his 
gravestone  still  standing  in  the  old  Seekonk  Burying 
Ground,  bearing  the  inscription,  "J.  R.  aet  87,  D.  S. 
1685."  He  and  his  wife  Sarah  were  the  parents  of : 
Samuel,  William,  Abigail,  John,  born  Aug.  20,  1640; 
Thomas,  born  Nov.  9,  1641  ;  Ezekiel  and  Zachariah 
(twins),   died   in   infancy;    Moses,   born   in   Oct.,    1650; 


/au 


^£^6^4. 


/ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


481 


Mary,  born  in  Jan.,  1652;  Elizabeth,  bom  in  Jan.,  1654; 
Daniel,  of  whom  further;  Israel,  bom  in  1657;  Mehit- 
able,  bom  in  Aug.,  1660. 

(II)  Daniel  Read,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  Read,  was 
born  in  Rehobotli,  Mass.,  in  March,  1655.  and  died  Oc- 
tober 17,  1710.  He  married,  .\ugust  20.  1677,  Hannah 
Peck,  and  the  line  continues  through  their  son,  Daniel, 
of  whom  further. 

(III)  Captain  Daniel  (2)  Read,  second  child  of  Dan- 
iel (l)  and  Hannah  (Peck)  Road,  was  born  in  Reho- 
both,  January  20,  1680.  He  married  (first)  Elizabeth 
Bosworth.  His  second  wife  was  also  named  Elizabeth, 
and  the  first  child  of  his  second  marriage  was  Daniel, 
of  whom  further. 

(IV)  Captain  Daniel  (3)  Read,  son  of  Captain  Dan- 
iel (2)  and  Elizabeth  Read,  was  horn  in  Attleboro,  De- 
cember 3,  1716.  He  married  Mary  White,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  the  sixth 
was  Joel,  of  whom  further. 

(V)  Joel  Read,  son  of  Captain  Daniel  (3)  and  Mary 
(White)  Read,  was  born  at  Rehoboth,  .\ugust  16.  1753. 
He  lived  in  that  part  of  the  town  that  was  afterward 
incorporated  as  .Attleboro,  was  justice  of  the  peace, 
selectman,  and  representative  for  many  years.  He  was 
also  a  surveyor,  and  a  part  of  Mr.  Charles  O.  Read's 
estate  in  Pawtuckct  was  surveyed  by  him.  He  was  a 
musician  and  composer  of  unusual  talent,  and  in  180S 
published  in  Boston  a  te.xt  book  on  music,  entitled:  "The 
New^  England  Selection  or  Psalmodist,"  containing  a 
short  introduction  to  psalmody  for  the  use  of  schools 
and  a  variety  of  tunes  suited  to  public  worship,  original 
and  selected. 

(VI)  Otis  Read,  son  of  Joel  Read,  was  born  July 
29,  1786.  He  married  Charlotte  Everett.  The  second 
of  their  six  children  was  Charles  A.,  of  whom  further. 

(VII)  Charles  A.  Read,  son  of  Otis  and  Charlotte 
(Everett)  Read,  was  born  September  25,  1813,  and  died 
in  Norton,  Mass.,  in  1848.  He  married  Lucy  Newman, 
who  died  in  1883,  a  descendant  of  an  old  New  Eng- 
land family,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren: Henry  M..  born  Jan.  15,  1838,  died  in  1867,  a 
chemist  and  apothecary  of  Pawtucket ;  Charlotte  E., 
born  March  15,  1840,  married  Robert  C.  Wilcox,  of  Paw- 
tucket; Ellen  !•".,  born  Nov.  2,  1841,  deceased,  married 
George  W.  Newell,  deceased,  and  for  many  years 
cashier  and  treasurer  of  the  Slater  Bank,  then  the  Slater 
National  Bank,  now  the  Slater  Trust  Company ; 
Charles  O.,  of  whom  further. 

(VIII)  Charles  O.  Read,  son  of  Charles  A.  and  Lucy 
(Newman)  Read,  was  born  at  Norton,  Mass.,  Decem- 
ber 31,  1846.  Upon  the  death  of  his  father,  when  he 
was  less  than  two  years  old,  his  mother  moved  the 
family  home  to  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  where  her  children 
were  educated.  Charles  O.  Read  made  excellent  pro- 
gress in  school,  and  when  a  youth  of  fourteen  years  was 
in  his  second  year  of  high  school.  Circumstances 
ended  his  schooling  at  this  time,  and  he  became  a  clerk 
in  the  Pawtucket  post  otncc,  then  presided  over  by 
Postmaster  Charles  A.  Leonard,  and  for  two  years  re- 
mained in  the  postal  service.  There  followed  a  six 
months'  term  with  Gorham  &  Company,  then  located  on 
Steeple    street.    Providence    (now   the    Gorham    Manu- 


facuring  Company)  after  which  he  was  offered  a  posi- 
tion as  clerk  and  bookkeeper  in  the  office  of  William 
F.  Sayles,  of  Saylesville,  R.  I.  He  began  his  work  in 
this  employ,  November  I,  1863,  and  speedily  found  a 
place  of  usefulness  in  the  organization  of  the  noted 
firm  of  W.  F.  &  F.  C.  Sayles,  which  was  formed  by 
the  two  brothers  soon  afterward.  In  1873,  he  became 
superintendent  of  the  Sayles  plant  and  grew  into  greater 
responsibility  and  authority'  with  the  extensive  expansion 
of  the  business,  and  his  name  being  named  with  Frank 
A.  Sayles  as  a  trustee  of  the  William  F.  Sayles  Estate 
upon  Mr.  Sayles's  death  in  1894  is  the  best  indication 
of  the  position  he  had  come  to  occupy  in  the  organiza- 
tion and  in  the  esteem  of  its  founder.  On  the  death  of 
William  F.  Sayles,  his  son,  Frank  A.  Sayles,  l>ecame  the 
owner  of  the  Saylesville  property,  to  which  he  later 
made  extensive  additions  embracing  also  establishments 
at  Valley  Falls  and  Phillipsdale,  R.  I.,  and  engaged  in 
bleaching,  dyeing,  printing  and  finishing  of  textile  fab- 
rics and  yarns,  mostly  of  cotton,  but  including  some 
wools  and  silks.  In  1913  Mr.  Sayles  conveyed  the  title 
and  management  of  this  property  to  three  trustees  con- 
sisting of  himself,  Mr.  Read  and  Mr.  Kenneth  F.  Wood. 
Of  this  organization  Mr.  Read  is  vice-president.  Under 
the  presidency  of  Mr.  Sayles,  Mr.  Read  is  vice-president 
01  the  Slater  Yarn  Company  of  Pawtucket,  the  Hamlet 
Textile  Company  (silks)  of  Woonsocket  and  Paw- 
tucket, the  River  Spinning  Company  of  Woonsocket, 
the  French  River  Textile  Company  of  Mechanicsville, 
Conn.  Upon  the  incorporation  of  the  L<jrrainc  Manu- 
facturing Company  of  Pawtucket,  Mr.  Read  became  a 
director  of  the  organization,  an  office  he  holds  at  the 
present  time,  and  he  is  also  a  director  of  the  K'umford 
Textile  Company,  of  Phillipsdale,  R.  I.  .Another  of  his 
business  interests  is  the  Slater  Trust  Company  of  Paw- 
tucket, of  which  he  is  a  director.  He  is  an  outstand- 
ing figure  in  the  textile  world,  which  has  its  ablest 
representatives  in  New  England,  and  came  to  his  con- 
spicuous position  after  a  thorough  training  in  his  chosen 
business,  faithful  service  in  subordinate  capacity  win- 
ning him  appointment  to  places  where  his  administra- 
tive force  and  power  of  organization  were  a  potent  in- 
fluence in  the  direction  of  the  Sayles  interests.  The 
weight  of  the  passing  years  has  rested  lightly  upon  him. 
His  health  and  physical  vigor  are  those  of  the  fifties 
rather  than  of  the  seventies,  and  the  cares  and  prob- 
lems of  large  enterprises  have  but  served  to  accelerate 
the  activities  of  a  mind  keen  and  retentive. 

The  demands  of  business  have  been  heavy  through- 
out his  busy  life,  but  he  has  been  able  to  round  out  his 
activities  with  service  and  associations  in  many  fields. 
He  is  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Memo- 
rial Hospital  of  Faw-tucket,  and  since  the  organization 
of  tlie  chapter  has  been  chairman  of  the  Pawtucket  and 
Central  Falls  Chapter  of  the  American  Red  Cross. 
During  the  war  he  organized  and  directed  all  of  the 
campaigns  of  the  Red  Cross  in  his  district  and  con- 
ducted them  to  unvarying  success.  He  asked  no  con- 
tribution or  service  unequalled  by  his  own  efforts  and 
gifts,  and  his  leadership  was  a  dependable  factor  in 
every  drive,  whether  for  members,  finances,  or  supplies. 
Nor  did  his  uiterest  flag  with  the  gaining  of  victory, 


R  1-2-31 


482 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


for  in  the  roll  call  of  1919  his  untiring  work  and  the 
faithful  efforts  of  his  colleagues  made  a  cointnendable 
record  for  the  chapter. 

Mr.  Read  is  a  Republican  in  political  sympathy,  but 
with  the  exception  of  a  term  in  1884  as  a  member  of 
the  Pawtuckel  Town  Council  (prior  to  the  receipt  of 
the  city  charter)  he  has  never  left  private  life  for  pub- 
lic oflice.  He  was  one  of  the  ten  charter  members  of 
the  To-Kalon  Club  of  Pawtucket,  and  is  the  only  liv- 
ing member  of  the  original  ten  who  remains  a  member. 
He  was  president  of  the  club  for  a  number  of  years, 
continuing  his  active  interest  to  the  present,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Country  Club  and 
the  Siiuantum  Club.  He  has  traveled  widely  in  his  own 
r.nd  foreign  countries,  but  the  diversion  and  recreation 
that  has  meant  the  most  to  him  has  been  music.  He 
has  always  been  a  student,  lover,  and  patron  of  the 
best  in  musical  art,  vocal  or  instrumental,  has  been 
active  in  several  choirs,  and  for  many  years  was 
choirmaster  of  Trinity  Episcopal  Church  of  Pawtucket: 
This  church  he  now  serves  as  treasurer. 

Charles  O.  Read  married.  May  25.  1880,  Mary  E. 
Bliss,  daughter  of  Albert  and  Lydia  M.  Bliss,  of  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  five  children: 
I.  Albert  Manton,  born  Jan.  23,  1882;  a  graduate 
of  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology:  from 
1904  to  1918  associated  with  the  Crefeld  Waste  and 
Batting  Company,  its  treasurer  at  the  time  of  its  disso- 
lution: during  the  World  War  he  served  with  the 
United  States  Shipping  Board  in  '  Washington,  and - 
Philadelphia;  he  is  married  and  has  three  children.  _  2. 
Charles  Newman,  born  .  Dec-  10,  1886;  educated 
in  Princeton  University;  now  an  architect  of  Boston, 
Mass.;  when  the  United  States  entered  the  World- 
War  he  enlisted  as  a  seaman  in  the  United  States  navy, 
later  gaining  an  ensign's  commission  and  serving  on 
coast  patrol,  holding  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  junior 
grade  when  discharged.  3.  Frederic  Bliss,  born  Dec. 
14,  1888:  educated  in  Princeton  University;  he  en- 
listed as  a  seaman  in  the  United  States  navy  during 
the  War  with  Germany,  was  promoted  to  ensign,  and 
when  discharged  from  the  service  was  an  instructor  in 
the  United  States  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  after 
taking  the  war  courses;  he  is  now  manager  of  the 
Providence  branch  office  of  the  firm  of  Lee,  Higgin- 
son  &  Company,  bankers.  4.  Malcolm  Everett,  born 
April  23,  1891 ;  a  graduate  of  Princeton;  now  secre- 
tary of  the  Wolcott  Manufacturing  Company,  manu- 
facturing jewelers  of  Providence;  he  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  navy  as  a  seaman  during  the  World 
War,  and  was  discharged  from  the  service  a  chief 
quartermaster.  5.  Robert  Otis,  born  June  24,  1900:  a 
graduate  of  St.  Paul's  School,  now  (1920)  a  student 
in  Princeton  University. 


WILLIAM    FRANCIS   SAYLES— To  one   of   the 

outstanding  figures  in  the  textile  industry  of  a  genera- 
tion past,  to  a  man  who  placed  himself  among  the  small 
group  of  business  and  industrial  leaders  of  New  Eng- 
land, to  a  member  of  one  of  the  first  families  of  Rhode 
Island  will),  in  his  day,  was  one  of  the  first  citizens  of 
the  State,  William  Francis  Sayles,  this  record  of  the 
Sayles  family  and  this  appreciation  of  his  life  is  dedi- 


cated. To-day  his  name  and  the  record  of  his  achieve- 
ments are  almost  as  well  known  as  when  he  filled  hi.s 
accustomed  place,  and  the  goal  he  attained  is  one 
worthy  of  the  aim  of  ambitious  aspirants  even  in  an  age 
as  tense  and  progressive  as  the  present. 

Beginning  with  John  Sayles,  the  earliest  known  Amer- 
can  ancestor  of  this  Pawtucket  branch  of  the  Sayles  fam- 
ily, the  lineage  of  William  F.  Sayles  is  through  John  (2) 
Sayles,  fvichard  Sayles,  Israel  Sayles,  Ahab  Sayles 
and  Clark  Sayles,  the  earlier  generations  being  resi- 
dents of  Providence  and  of  later  towns  created  from 
Providence  territory,  and  later  generations  of  Paw- 
tucket. These  several  generations  of  the  Sayles  family 
became  allied  by  marriage,  or  were  otherwise  con- 
nected with  the  first  families  of  the  early  Colony  and 
later  Commonwealth,  with  the  founders  of  Rhode  Island, 
those  holding  most  sacred  and  dear  religious  liberty, 
among  others  Roger  Williams,  the  "apostle  of  liberty," 
directly  from  whom  the  posterity  of  William  F.  Sayles 
descends  in  six  lines;  then  later  with  the  Olneys,  the 
Jenckes,  the  Phillipses,  the  Mowrys,  the  Whipples,  the 
Stceres,  and  so  on.  This  lineage  somewhat  in  detail 
follows: 

(I)  John  Sayles,  who,  says  tradition,  came  from 
England  in  1645,  is  of  record  at  Providence  in  1651. 
He  became  a  freeman  in  1655,  and  subsequently  held 
various  public  offices.  He  was  town  treasurer  and 
was  a  number  of  times  deputy,  beginning  with  1669. 
He  was  a  mart  of  property  and,  as  judged,  one  of  dis- 
tinction, lie  ,  married,  in  1650,  Mary,  daughter  of 
Roger,  aiid  Mary  WiHiams.  They  both  died  in  1681, 
and  their  remains  were  buried  in  the  Easton  Burying 
Ground  in  Middletown,  R.  I.  Their  children  were: 
Mary,  bprn  Jan.  11,  1652;  John,  of  whom  further; 
Isabel;  Phebe;  Eleanor;  Catherine,  born  in  1671;  and 
possibly  Deborah, 

(II)  John  (2>  Sayles,  son  of  John  (i)  and  Mary 
(Williams)  Sayles,.  born  August  17,  1654,  became  a 
freeman  in  1681,  and  was  twice  deputy.  He  resided  in 
Providence.  He  married  Elizabeth,  born  January  3, 
1666.  daughter  of  Thomas  Olney.  She  died  in  1699, 
and  he  passed  away  in  1727;  both  were  buried  in 
Providence.  Their  children  were:  Mary,  born  May 
30,  1689;  John,  Jan.  13,  1692;  Richard,  of  whom  fur- 
ther;   Daniel,  Dec.  13,  1697;    and  Thomas,  Feb.  9,  1699. 

(III)  Richard  Sayles,  son  of  John  (2)  and  Elizabeth 
(Olney)  Sayles,  born  October  24,  1695,  resided  in 
Smithfield,  R.  I.,  of  which  town  he  w;is  town  clerk  in 
1 73 1.  He  was  also  a  surveyor  and  laid  out  much  land 
in  that  region  of  country.  He  married,  November  24, 
1720,  Mercy,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Sarah  (Mowry) 
Phillips,  and  they  were  of  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  of  which 
town  he  was  town  clerk  in  1731.  His  death  occurred 
after  1775. 

(IV)  Israel  Sayles,  son  of  Richard  and  Mercy 
(Phillips)  Sayles,  born  March  17,  1726,  was  not  only  a 
well-to-do  farmer,  but  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
mechanical  genius.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was 
president  of  the  Town  Council  of  Glocester,  R.  I.  He, 
too,  was  a  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  having  served  in 
Captain  Hopkins'  company.  Colonel  Lippitt's  regiment, 
in  1776,  and,  it  is  said,  under  General  Sullivan.  He  mar- 
ried Marsa  Whipple,  and  they  resided  in  Glocester,  R.  I. 
Their  children  were:     Richard,  Esek,  Elislia.  Christo- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


4.^3 


pher,  Royal.  Ahab.  of  whom  further:  Daniel,  Mary. 
Roba,  Rebecca  and  Mercy. 

(.V)  Ahab  Sayles,  son  of  Israel  and  Marsa  (Whip- 
ple) Sayles,  was  born  October  17.  iy(x>.  The  Sayles 
homestead  lands  were  situated  between  Pascuag  and 
Chepachet.  on  the  line  that  tinally.  in  iSoO.  divided 
BurrilKHlIc  from  Glocester.  leaving  the  family  man- 
sion in  Burrillville.  He  married,  in  January.  17S6. 
Lillis  Steere.  born  August  17,  1766.  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel Steere.  a  good  representative  of  a  worthy  old 
Rhode  Island  family.  Mr.  Sayles  died  .Vpril  17.  1849, 
and  Mrs.  Sayles  passed  away  March  9,  1854.  Their 
children  were:  .Azubah.  born  Dec.  11.  1786;  Lucina, 
Feb.  5,  17S9:  Mercy,  April  i.?.  1792:  Nicholas,  Sept. 
18,  1794;  Clark,  of  whom  further:  Welcome,  .\pril 
22.  iSoo:  Lillis,  Feb.  j.v.  1805:  and  Miranda.  May  22, 
181 2. 

(Vn  Clark  Sayles,  son  of  .-Miab  and  Lillis  (Steere) 
Sayles,  born  May  18.  1797,  in  what  was  then  Glocester, 
now  Burrillville,  R.  I.,  was  educated  at  home  on  the 
farm  and  in  the  common  schools.  Both  at  home  and 
in  the  Chepachet  Library  he  found  and  eagerly  read 
instructive  books,  not  missing  a  "Library  Day"  for 
many  years,  as  asserted  by  the  librarian.  .■Xt  the  age 
of  eighteen  he  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Elias  Carter, 
a  master  builder  in  Thompson,  Conn.,  for  whom  he 
worked  there,  and  later  in  the  State  of  Georgia,  where 
he  assisted  in  constructing  the  court  house  in  Burke 
county.  On  his  return  to  New  England  he  assisted 
in  building  the  Congregational  church  in  Milford, 
Mass.  Finally  he  entered  into  business  for  himself  as 
a  master  builder,  erected  a  dwelling  house  for  his 
brother,  Nicholas  Sayles,  and  again  went  to  Georgia, 
where  he  constructed  dwellings  for  planters  and  com- 
pleted a  large  hotel  building  at  Waynesboro.  Return- 
ing from  the  South  he  built  the  meeting  house  at 
Greenville,  in  the  town  of  Smithfield.  R.  I. 

Mr.  Sayles  removed  to  Pawtuckct  in  the  spring  of 
1822,  where  he  followed  his  occupation  as  a  master 
builder.  He  erected  numerous  dwellings  for  David 
Wilkinson;  inserted  a  middle  section  in  the  meeting 
house  of  the  First  Baptist  Society:  planned  and  built 
the  First  Congregational  Church  in  Pawtuckct  in  1S28: 
erected  a  church  edifice  in  North  Scituate,  and  also 
one  in  North  Attleboro,  Mass.  During  all  this  time, 
too,  Mr.  Sayles  was  engaged  in  the  coal  and  lumber 
trade,  being  the  first  man  to  introduce  coal  into  Paw- 
tucket  by  vessels.  He  associated  with  himself  in  busi- 
ness Daniel  Greene,  and  in  the  great  financial  panic  of 
1829.  the  firm  of  Clark  Sayles  &  Company  assumed 
to  a  great  disadvantage,  as  the  result  proved,  the  busi- 
ness interests  previously  carried  on  by  Mr.  Greene, 
who  had  failed.  In  18,37,  closing  most  of  his  large  busi- 
ness relations  in  Pawtuckct,  Mr.  Sayles  again  went 
South  and  engaged  in  the  wholesale  lumber  business 
for  the  firm  of  which  he  was  the  head,  and  also  as 
agent  of  another  company,  operating  steam  saw  mills, 
one  on  an  island  at  the  mouth  of  the  .Mtamaha  river, 
and  one  on  the  Savannah  river,  opposite  the  city  of 
Savannah.  .After  remaining  in  the  South  in  the  lum- 
ber business  for  about  twenty  years  he  returned  to 
Pawtuckct.  Not  entering  again  largely  into  business 
for  himself,  he  assisted  his  sons,  William  F.  and  Fred- 
eric   C,    in    purchasing   materia!    and    in    constructing 


aikiitional  buildings  to  their  extensive  Moshassuck 
Bleachery.  in  the  town  of  Lincoln.  R.  I.  He  was  also 
the  general  superintendent  in  the  erection  of  the  beau- 
tiful memorial  chapel  at  Saylesville,  near  the  bleach- 
ery. I'or  seventeen  years  Mr.  Sayles  was  president  of 
the  New  England  Pacific  Bank,  succeedmg  in  that 
oftice  the  Rev.  .Asa  Messer,  D.  D.,  president  of  Brown 
L"niversity.  In  a  trying  period  "by  most  remarkably 
skillful  financiering"  he  brought  the  bank  safely 
through  all  of  its  difiiculties.  "Mr.  Sayles  was  a 
strong,  energetic,  independent,  faithful,  incorrui)tible 
man."  He  united  with  the  Congregational  church  in 
i8.?2.  He  took  an  active  and  efiicient  part  in  temper- 
ance, anti-slavery,  educational  and  moral  reform.  Few 
men  have  been  more  esteemed,  trusted  and  honoreil 
than  he.  His  political  afliliations  were  with  the  old 
Whig  party,  then  with  the  Republican.  He  w;;s  a 
man  i>f  pleasing  personality.  His  pleasant,  dignified 
Countenance,  and  his  erect  form  indicated  the  inherent 
and  cultivated  nobility  of  his  nature.  He  was  affable 
and  kind,  sympathetic,  decided  and  persevering. 

Mr.  Sayles  married,  December  2.S,  1822,  .Mary  .\nn 
Olncy,  born  in  180.3,  daughter  of  Paris  and  Marcy 
(Winsor)  Olncy.  and  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Olncy, 
a  native  of  Hertford,  Hertfordshire,  England,  who 
came  to  .America  in  the  ship  "Planter."  stopping  first 
at  Salem,  Mass.,  but  who  later  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  Providence  with  Roger  Williams.  Mr.  Olney  was 
one  of  the  original  thirteen  proprietors  of  Provi- 
dence;  from  him  Mrs.  Saylfs's  descent  is  through  Ep- 

cnctus  and  (Whipple)  Olney;  Epeuetus  (2)  and 

Mary  (Williams)  Olney:  James  and  Hannah  (Winsor) 
Olney;  Enior  and  .Amey  (Hopkins)  Olney;  and  Paris 
and  Marcy  (Winsor)  Olney.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sayles 
were  born  five  children,  of  whom  only  two,  William 
Francis,  of  whom  further,  and  Frederic  Clark,  grew 
to  mature  years.  Mr.  Sayles  died  at  his  home  in  Paw- 
tuckct, R.  I.,  Fcbruarv'  8.  i88.i,  in  the  eighty-eighth 
year  of  his  age. 

(VII)  William  Francis  Sayles,  son  of  Clark  and 
Mary  .Ann  (Olney)  .Sayles.  was  born  in  Pawtuckct, 
R.  I.,  September  21,  1824.  and  died  May  7,  1894.  .As 
a  ynntli  he  enioycd  excellent  educational  advantages 
and  attended  the  Fruit  Hill  Classical  Institute.  Sce- 
konk  Classical  School,  and  Phillips  .\cadeniy  at 
.\ndover,  Mass.,  studying  in  the  last-named  institution 
for  two  years.  In  1842.  a  young  man  of  eighteen 
years,  he  became  a  bookkeeper  for  the  firm  of  Shaw 
&  Earle,  of  Providence,  being  promoted  to  salesman's 
rank  and  finally  being  entrusted  with  the  finances  of  the 
firm.  Five  years  after  his  entry  into  the  world  of 
affairs  he  became  an  independent  manufacturer,  pur- 
chasing at  auction  a  small  print  works  in  Lincoln.  He 
made  additions  to  the  plant  and  converted  it  into  a  cot- 
ton cloth  bleaching  establishment,  with  a  capacity  of 
two  and  one-half  tons  daily.  Mr.  Sayles  had  no  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  this  branch  of  the  textile  industry 
and  was,  in  addition,  hampered  by  limited  capital.  De- 
spite these  disadvantages  he  was  able  to  guide  his 
enterprise  to  ultimate  success,  and  in  1854  increased  the 
capacity  of  the  plant  to  four  tons  daily.  He  had  sur- 
rounded himself  with  men  skilled  in  the  industry  and 
capable  of  retaining  the  plant's  efficiency  at  the  highest 
possible    point,    and    under   his    strong   leadership   the 


484 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


concern  became  bleachers  of  two-thirds  of  all  the  fine 
grade  white  cotton  cloths  manufactured  in  the  United 
States.  In  June,  1854,  the  entire  plant  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  which,  in  a  few  hours,  wiped  out  the  results 
of  seven  years  of  diligent  labor.  Undeterred  by  this 
misfortune,  with  courage  high  and  supreme  confidence 
in  final  success,  he  undertook  the  task  of  rebuilding, 
planning  on  a  larger  scale  a  permanent  institution.  By 
fall  tlie  bleachery  was  again  in  operation,  with  its  ca- 
pacity increased  to  six  tons.  Enlargements  and  exten- 
sions followed  each  other  in  rapid  succession,  and  the 
Moshassuck  Bleachery  gained  a  world  wide  reputation 
as  the  most  completely  equipped  and  largest  establish- 
ment of  its  kind.  A  branch  of  the  bleachery  was  sub- 
sequently devoted  to  the  finishing  of  lawns  and  nain- 
sooks, this  work,  with  the  finer  class  of  cotton  goods, 
never  before  having  been  attempted  in  this  country. 
In  1863  Mr.  Sayles  was  joined  by  his  brother,  Frederic 
Clark  Sayles,  the  firm  becoming  W.  F.  &  F.  C.  Sayles, 
a  title  which  became  a  power  in  Rhode  Island  indus- 
try and  of  international  repute.  The  finances,  con- 
tracts and  the  outside  management  of  the  business  was 
the  department  of  the  senior  partner,  F.  C.  Sayles  giv- 
ing his  special  attention  to  the  conduct  of  the  local 
affairs  and  the  details  of  the  establishment.  This  strong 
working  combination  created  the  Lorraine  Worsted 
Mills  and  the  Glenlyon  Dye  Works,  and  in  1877  the 
brothers  built  the  Moshassuck  Valley  Railroad,  con- 
necting Saylesville  with  the  New  York,  New  Haven  & 
Hartford  Railroad  at  Woodlawn,  a  development  that 
gave  great  impetus  to  the  Saylesville  plants.  The 
value  of  the  enterprise  conducted  by  W.  F.  &  F.  C. 
Sayles  is  a  matter  of  history  in  New  England,  where 
thousands  of  people  have  been  employed  and  ines- 
timable economic  benefits  have  been  enjoyed  as  the 
result  of  their  industry,  far-sighted  policy  and  constant 
high  standard  of  management. 

Mr.  Sayles  was  called  to  executive  and  advisory 
position  in  many  manufacturing  and  business  institu- 
tions throughout  New  England,  and  at  his  death  was 
president  of  the  Slater  Cotton  Company  of  Pawtucket, 
of  which  he  was  the  founder;  a  director  of  the  Pone- 
mah  Mills,  the  largest  cotton  manufacturing  concern 
in  Connecticut;  president  of  the  Slater  National  Bank 
of  Pawtucket;  director  of  the  Third  National  Bank  of 
Providence,  and  a  director  of  many  manufacturing 
enterprises  of  Massachusetts. 

The  public  confidence  in  those  institutions  with  Mr. 
Saylcs's  name  as  guarantor  was  unbounded,  and  in  the 
course  of  the  career  spent  in  large  operations  and 
industrial  projects,  whose  magnitude  exceeded  all  pre- 
cedent, he  was  never  without  the  earnest  support  and 
trusted  adherence  of  the  most  sagacious  investors  and 
financiers  of  the  business  world.  The  reputation  that 
he  bore  at  his  death  had  never  suffered  from  misrepre- 
sentation or  unquestionable  methods,  and  New  Eng- 
land industry  regarded  him  proudly  as  a  representative 
son. 

Mr.  Sayles  was  a  Republican  in  political  belief,  and 
for  two  terms,  1875-76,  represented  Pawtucket  in  the 
State  Senate.  Business,  however,  and  the  world  of 
affairs  were  his  favorite  field  of  endeavor,  and  although 
at  no  time  did  he  shirk  the  public  duty,  he  was  not 
fond  of  official  life.     For  a  time  he  was  a  lieutenant- 


colonel  of  the  Pawtucket  Light  Guard.  No  department 
of  the  life  of  Pawtucket  or  of  Rhode  Island  escaped  his 
helpful,  uplifting  influence.  His  visions  were  all 
dreams  of  usefulness,  and  with  the  organizing  capacity 
and  the  executive  power  of  a  leader  of  industry  he 
made  these  dreams  real  results.  For  twelve  years  he 
was  president  of  the  Pawtucket  Free  Library,  and  in 
cooperation  with  his  brother  he  aided  and  encouraged 
the  organization  of  the  Memorial  Chapel  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church.  Public  enterprises  and  benevolent 
causes  unfailingly  met  with  hearty  encouragement  and 
generous  support.  In  1879  Mr.  Sayles  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Brown  University. 
He  was  a  donor  of  a  fund  of  fifty  thousand  dollars, 
which  was  later  increased  to  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  to  Brown  University,  for  the  erection  of  a 
building  to  be  known  as  the  Sayles  Memorial  Hall,  in 
memory  of  his  son,  William  Clark  Sayles,  who  died 
February  13,  1876,  while  in  his  sophomore  year  at  the 
university.  His  charities  and  beneficences  were  in  the 
same  large  proportion  as  he  had  prospered,  and  he 
was  the  instrument  of  saving  aid  to  many  who  had 
suffered  the  "slings  and  arrows  of  outrageous  fortune." 
William  Francis  Sayles  married,  October  30,  1849, 
Mary  Wilkinson  Fessenden,  daughter  of  Hon.  Benja- 
min Fessenden,  of  Valley  Falls,  R.  I.,  and  they  were 
the   parents   of   six   children. 


CHARLES  EDMUND  CARPENTER,  one  of  the 

influential  citizens  of  Pawtucket,  and  for  many  years 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Stone,  Carpenter  &  Sheldon, 
Providence,  R.  I.,  one  of  the  best  known  firms  of  arch- 
itects in  New  England,  belongs  to  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  distinguished  families  in  New  England,  a  family 
that  may  claim  an  antiquity  dating  far  back  of  the 
American  Colonial  period.  Both  in  England,  where  it 
originated,  and  in  this  country,  its  members  have  taken 
conspicuous  parts  in  the  affairs  of  the  communities  with 
which  they  have  been  identified,  and  the  name  is  par- 
ticularly associated  with  the  events  of  the  American 
Revolution. 

The  ancestry  is  traced  back  to  John  Carpenter,  the 
head  of  the  noted  Carpenter  family  of  Herefordshire, 
who  was  born  in  the  year  1303.  He  was  a  member  of 
Parliament  in  1325,  and  was  otherwise  prominent.  The 
ancient  arms  of  the  family  are: 

Arm.s — Argent,  a  greyhound  passant  and  chief  sable. 
Crest — A    greyhound's    head    erased    per    fesse    sable 
and  argent. 

The  immigrant  ancestor  of  the  present  Carpenters 
was  William  Carpenter,  of  the  eleventh  generation  from 
John  Carpenter,  who  was  born  in  England  in  1605,  and 
died  at  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  February  7,  1659.  He  came 
to  the  New  England  Colonies  on  the  good  ship 
"Bevis"  and  arrived  here  in  May,  1638.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  his  father,  also  William  Carpenter,  who 
did  not  remain  here,  however,  but  returned  to  England 
on  the  same  ship.  William  Carpenter,  the  pioneer, 
became  a  very  active  figure  in  the  lite  of  the  new  com- 
munity. He  lived  at  different  times  in  various  set- 
tlements and  owned  property  in  a  number  of  places, 
but  eventually  made  his  home  at  Rehoboth,  where  his 
death  occurred. 

Charles  E.  Carpenter  is  of  the  ninth  generation  from 


^. 


f^rf^'P-^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


485 


tliis  ancestor.  He  is  a  son  of  Asa  Emerson  and  Hetty 
Ann  (Arnold)  Carpenter,  tlie  former  a  native  of  Kelio- 
both,  Mass.,  and  the  latter  of  Fawtuxct,  R.  I.  The 
elder  Mr.  Carpenter  was  for  many  years  commissioner 
of  highways  at  Pawtucket,  to  which  place  he  removed 
about  lS4.v     His  death  occurred   October   12,   igoi. 

Born  May  I,  1845.  at  F'awtucket,  R.  1.,  Charles  E. 
Carpenter  attended  the  public  schools  01  the  city  until 
he  reached  the  ape  of  seventeen  years.  He  enlisted 
in  Company  H,  Ninth  Regiment,  Rhode  Island  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  May  26,  1862,  for  the  term  of  three 
months.  .\t  the  end  of  that  period  he  was  honorably 
discharged,  and  returned  to  school,  remaining  for  a 
short  time.  Ahcr  completing  his  studies  he  was  ap- 
])rentice(l  tn  William  -S.  Haines,  a  civil  engineer,  and 
under  him  studied  the  profession,  and  shortly  after- 
wards was  appointed  a  member  of  the  surveying  party 
who  was  engaged  in  running  the  much  disputed  bound- 
ary line  between  Rhode  Island  and  Massachusetts. 
His  interest  in  architecture  had  already  been  awakened, 
however,  and  he  gave  up  civil  engineering  and  devoted 
himself  to  the  study  of  this  subject.  In  the  year  1867 
he  entered  the  office  of  .Mfred  Stone,  then  one  of  the 
prominent  architects,  and  made  himself  so  valuable  that 
he  was  admitted  as  a  partner  by  Mr.  Stone,  and  the 
company  became  Stone  &  Carpenter.  A  little  later 
Edmund  R.  Willson  was  admitted  to  partnership  in 
the  firm  and  the  name  changed  to  Stone,  Carpenter  & 
Willson.  This  association  continued  for  a  numlier  of 
years,  and  a  very  large  business  was  developed  and 
many  important  buildings  erected  by  them.  .Among 
the  important  works  done  by  the  firm  while  Mr.  Car- 
penter was  connected  with  it  are:  In  Providence,  R.  I., 
the  County  Court  House.  Industrial  Trust  Company 
Iniilding.  Union  Trust  building.  Providence  Public  Li- 
brary, Providence  Railroad  Station.  Providence  Water 
Works  and  Pumping  Station,  Slater  Hall  Dormitory, 
Gymnasium.  Swimming  Pool,  and  Ladd  Observatory, 
Brown  University:  and  many  banking  institutions.  In 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  the  Rhode  Island  State 
Prison.  Pcttaconsett  Pumping  Station.  Music  Hall 
buildirg.  Pawtucket,  Barrington  Town  Hall.  Lippitt 
Hall  Dormitory,  Rhode  Island  State  College,  and 
many  banking  buihiings  and  tine  residences  throughout 
the  State. 

.After  the  death  of  Mr.  Willson.  the  firm  name  was 
changed  to  Stone.  Carpenter  &  SheUlon,  its  present 
style,  although  Mr.  Walter  G.  Sheldon  had  been  a 
member  of  the  firm  for  several  years,  and  is  now  the 
only  active  member.  Mr.  Carpenter  retired  from 
active  participation  in  its  affairs  in  1908.  Mr.  Car- 
penter is  a  member  of  the  .American  Institute  of  .Arch- 
itecture; the  .Architectural  Leagrue  of  New  York: 
and  the  Providence  .Art  Club,  of  which  he  was  one  of 
the  charter  members.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Charles  Edmund  Carpenter  was  united  in  marriage, 
February  6,  1894,  with  Eudora  Capel  Sheldon,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Gilbert  and  Caroline  (Woods)  Sheldon,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  of  Providence,  R.  I.  The 
Sheldon  family  is  also  a  very  old  and  distinguished 
one  in  these  parts,  where  it  was  founded  by  John  Shel- 
don, who  was  born  in  England  in  1630.  and  died  in 
this  country  in  1708.  He  settled  at  Providence.  R.  I., 
as  early  as   1675,  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  and  in   1702 


was  a  deputy  to  the  General  .Assembly.  In  1661) 
he  married  Joan  Vincent.  Gilbert  Sheldon,  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Carpenter,  was  for  many  years 
:i  merchant  tailor  at  Cheapside,  Providence,  now  known 
as  North  Main  street.  Mr.  Walter  G.  Sheldon  is  a 
son  of  Gilbert  and  Caroline  Sheldon,  and  was  born 
I'ebruary  11,  1S55. 


JOSEPH  BANIGAN— One  01  the  best  known 
nauK-^  in  the  lu>iory  01  the  phenomenal  development 
of  the  India  rubber  industry  in  .New  England,  and 
more  especially  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  is  that  of 
the  late  Joseph  Banigan.  The  history  of  the  rubber 
industry  is  the  history  of  the  men  who  have  directed 
the  course  of  its  growth.  New  England  stands  pre- 
eminent over  the  remainder  of  the  nation  in  the  number 
of  men  of  genius  she  has  given  to  the  industry,  and  who 
have  been  responsible  through  tireless  effort  for  the 
reduction  of  the  treacherous  and  intractable  natural 
iroduct  to  the  hundreds  of  highly  refined  forms  which 
it  presents  to  the  world  to-day.  fiubber  is  one  of  the 
most  vital  products  in  use  in  this  age.  and  it  has  been 
.1  factor  of  immeasurable  importance  in  the  forward 
march  of  civilization.  The  removal  from  the  civilized 
world  of  rubber  producers,  with  its  attendant  retro- 
gression in  all  branches  of  industry,  would  entail 
a  catastrophe  too  great  to  accurately  foresee.  To  New 
England  is  due  the  distinction  of  fostering  the  strug- 
gling industry  in  the  days  of  its  infancy.  The  develop- 
ment of  the  industry  was  the  result  of  the  experiments 
and  indefatigable  efforts  of  independent  individuals 
whose  sole  bond  was  the  faith  they  had  in  the  possibili- 
ties of  the  product.  The  handling  of  rubber  at  a  very 
early  date  was  resolved  into  a  business  made  up  of 
several  totally  different  and  unconnected  lines  of  man- 
ufacture, which  in  time  became  separate  industries, 
maintaining  plants  of  colossal  size,  capitalized  in  mil- 
lions, and  under  the  direction  of  genius,  business  men 
whose  names  are  powers  in  the  industrial,  commercial, 
and  financial  world. 

The  late  Joseph  Banig.in  entered  the  industry  as 
a  pioneer,  and  gradually  worked  himself  up  to  the 
position  of  one  of  the  controlling  spirits  of  the  branch 
in  which  he  engaged,  namely,  the  manufacture  of  rub- 
ber boots  and  shoes.  From  May.  1893,  to  March,  i8g6, 
when  he  resigned.  Mr.  Banigan  was  president  of  the 
United  States  Rubber  Company.  Mr.  Banigan  achieved 
his  phenomenal  success  solely  through  his  indomitable 
persistence,  business  genius,  and  the  constructive 
imaginati'in  which  made  it  possible  for  him  to  foresee 
the  place  which  rubber  was  destined  to  lake  among 
the  industries,  and  its  value  as  a  commodity  in  every- 
day life. 

Joseph  Banigan  was  in  every  sense  a  self-made  man. 
He  was  born  in  18.19.  '"  '^n^  '"""  oi  Carickadooey, 
County  Monaghan.  Ireland.  The  fearful  state  of  eco- 
nomic conditions  in  Ireland  in  the  late  forties,  and 
the  over-population  of  the  country,  was  the  cause  of  a 
wide  dissatisfaction  among  the  people  and  a  tide  of 
emigration  colossal  in  its  size.  The  parents  of  Mr. 
Banigan  emigrated  first  to  Scotland,  where  they  set- 
tled in  1847.  and  remained  for  a  period  of  two  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  they  departed  for  .America. 
The  familv  settled  in  Providence,  with  which  city  Mr. 


486 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Banigan  was  identified  for  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
His  editcation  was  cut  short  at  the  outset,  and  at 
the  age  of  nine  years  he  secured  his  first  emplnyment 
with  the  X'ew  England  Screw  Company,  where  l^e 
remained  for  several  years.  During  his  young  man- 
hood he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  to 
the  jewelry  trade,  completing  his  time  and  becoming 
a  full  fledged  journeyman  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years.  He  was  skilled  in  this  work,  and  made  a  con- 
siderable advance  in  the  trade  through  the  invention  of 
a  machine  for  the  production  of  the  gold  known  as 
"Cork-screw  Gold,"  which  was  used  so  extensively  in 
the  manufacture  of  the  coral  inlay  jewelry  which  was 
the  vogue  of  fifty  years  ago.  He  was  a  man  of  keen 
business  foresight,  constantly  on  the  alert  for  an  open- 
ing to  greater  success. 

The  rubber  industry  was  then  in  its  infancy  in  Prov- 
idence, and  its  possibilities  appealed  forcibly  to  Mr. 
Banigan.  During  the  sixties  and  seventies,  rubber  was 
used  for  little  else  than  the  manufacture  of  "rubbers." 
The  process  of  manufacture  known  as  vulcanizing  was 
then  in  the  experimental  stage  and  being  brought  to 
the  point  of  development  where  it  could  be  used  prac- 
tically. It  was  first  applied  to  rubber  stoppers,  and  it 
was  in  that  line  that  Mr.  Banigan  was  first  engaged. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years,  in  partnership  with 
Mr.  John  Haskins,  he  built  a  small  factory  at  Jamaica 
Plains,  Mass.,  and  there  began  the  manufacture  of  rub- 
ber stoppers  for  bottles.  .After  a  short  period  in  this 
line  nf  industry,  he  dissolved  partnership  with  Mr. 
Haskins,  and  in  partnership  with  Lyman  and  Simeon  S. 
Cook,  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  he  began  the  inanufacture 
of  rubber  wringer  rolls  and  rubber  blankets,  on  South 
Main  street,  in  that  city.  The  capital  on  which  the  en- 
terprise was  started,  $10,000,  was  borrowed.  Mr.  Bani- 
gan was  the  directing  force  of  this  venture,  and  was 
largely  responsible  for  its  success,  for  he  not  only 
purchased  the  raw  material  and  superintended  its  man- 
ufacture, but  later  went  out  and  sold  the  finished  pro- 
duct. His  remarkable  administrative  ability  and  his 
attention  to  details,  which  amazed  his  associates  in 
later  life,  here  found  their  first  opportunity,  and 
brought  an  immediate  reward.  In  June,  1867,  he 
launched  the  Woonsocket  Rubber  Company  with  a 
capital  of  $100,000.  The  new  company  widened  the 
scope  of  its  production  by  taking  up  the  manufacture  of 
rubber  boots  and  shoes.  The  badly  paved  streets  of 
even  metropolitan  cities  and  the  unspeakably  muddy 
country  roads  that  led  into  and  even  through  the 
cities  and  towns  of  the  Eastern  seaboard  at  that  time 
furnished  the  demand  for  an  article  of  wearing  apparel 
that  is  in  our  days  more  or  less  in  disfavor.  The 
business  grew  apace.  Mr.  Banigan  still  continued  to 
be  the  practical  man  in  the  factory,  and  the  best  sales- 
man in  the  field.  So  rapid  and  assured  was  the 
increase  of  business,  that  in  1882  the  company,  of 
which  he  was  president  and  the  chief  executive  otificer, 
erected  at  Millville,  Mass.,  the  largest  factory  in  the 
world  devoted  to  the  exclusive  manufacture  of  rubber 
boots.  Yet  it  was  not  very  long  until  even  this  fac- 
tory was  unequal  to  the  demands  of  the  trade,  and  it 

was   found   necessary   to   increase  the   facilities   of   the 
company.      He   then   bought   twenty   acres   of   land    in 

Woonsocket,    R.   I.,   and  erected  there  the   Alice   Mill 


at  that  time  and  to  this  day  the  largest  rubber  shoe 
factory  in  the  world.  It  was  characteristic  of  the  man 
that  he  named  the  mill  after  his  mother,  a  dear  old  lady 
to  whom  he  showed  a  devotion  that  savored  almost 
of  the  days  of  chivalry,  while  she,  up  to  the  date  of 
her  death  in  1889,  brooked  no  rival  in  his  affection. 

Joseph  Banigan's  remarkable  success  in  the  rubber 
industry  was  the  result  of  a  finely  wrought  out  business 
system  in  which  the  element  of  luck  was  entirely  for- 
eign. He  was  a  student  of  every  phase  of  the  business, 
keeping  himself  thoroughly  well  informed  on  every  de- 
velopment in  the  manufacture  of  rubber.  He  investi- 
gated carefully  every  invention  that  had  any  bearing 
upon  the  work  in  which  he  was  engaged,  and  spent 
several  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  trying  and  bring- 
ing to  perfection  inventions  which  seemed  practicable 
to  him,  the  most  notable  among  these  being  the  Mar- 
vel process  of  manufacturing  rubber  shoes,  the  first 
really  important  step  made  in  the  molding  out  of  rub- 
ber shoes  by  machinery.  To  develop  the  invention  he 
organized  the  Marvel  Rubber  Company,  in  iSg,'!,  put 
his  son,  William  B.  Banigan.  in  charge  of  it,  and  con- 
fidently expected  that  it  would  yield  large  returns. 
Yet  when  this  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Rubber  Trust  it  was  abandoned  without  word  or  com- 
ment. Mr.  Banigan  was  one  of  the  first  to  appreciate 
the  importance  of  getting  into  direct  touch  with  his 
supplies  of  raw  material.  He  went  to  Brazil  as  early 
as  1882.  and  established  agents  in  the  cities  of  Para 
and  Manaos,  on  the  Amazon.  To  these  agents  the 
native  gatherers  of  rubber  gum  in  the  forests  of  the 
interior  brought  their  season's  yield,  and  received  their 
pay  in  gold  or  its  equivalent.  He  could  thus  dispose 
with  the  costly  service  of  factors,  and  have  his  own 
rubber  shipped  to  him  directly  to  Providence  or  New 
York.  His  experience  in  the  rubber  centers  of  South 
America  made  one  of  the  most  interesting  chapters 
of  his  life,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  thrillin,g  and 
amusing,  and  he  related  many  anecdotes  of  his  travels. 
One  of  the  stories  he  told  with  gusto  dealt  with  his 
early  entrance  into  the  purchase  of  raw  rubber  at  the 
source  of  supplies,  and  incidentally  illustrates  well 
the  wisdom  of  his  policies.  Mistaking  him  for  a  com- 
mission merchant,  the  Brazilian  merchants  sold  him  as 
large  a  supply  of  rubber  as  he  wished,  the  pick  of  the 
season,  at  a  very  low  figure,  assuring  him  that  they 
would  make  good  the  loss  from  a  big  dealer  named 
Banigan  who  would  buy  of  them  later. 

The  now  credited  nineties,  which  saw  the  policies  of 
peace  extending  to  the  wavering  competitions  of  indus- 
try, brought  about  among  many  other  things  the  organ- 
ization of  the  United  States  Rubber  Company.  That 
consolidation  represented  nearly  all  the  rubber  manu- 
facturing interests  of  the  country.  To  secure  Mr. 
Banigan's  adherence,  which  was  considered  of  vital 
importance  to  the  enterprise,  the  company  made  him  a 
liberal  offer  for  the  properties  he  controlled.  The 
Woonsocket  Rubber  Company  had  been  so  successful 
in  the  course  of  a  few  years  that  it  was  now  capitalized 
at  $3,000,000,  the  Lawrence  Felting  Company,  at  $1,000,- 
000,  and  the  Marvel  Rubber  Company  at  $200,000. 
Valuable  as  were  these  properties  to  the  newly  organ- 
ized company  yet  were  the  services,  experiences,  and 
the   reputation   of   Mr.    Banigan   in   the   industrial   and 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


487 


financial  world  so  highly  esteemed  by  his  new  board 
of  directors,  that  in  March,  iS<),^,  he  was  elected  jiresi- 
dent  and  seneral  manager  oi  the  new  company.  He 
held  the  position  three  years.  His  investments  appre- 
ciated in  value,  but  he  Inst  heart  in  the  enterprise  when 
he  found  that  he  was  called  upon  to  associate  with 
men  who  were  more  interested  in  promoting  stocks 
than  in  the  development  of  the  rubber  industry.  He 
was  a  manufacturer  of  the  constructive  type,  essentially 
a  builder,  whose  energies  were  directed  always  to  the 
enlarging  of  his  facilities,  increasing  his  production, 
enlarging  his  mills.  It  was  a  different  thing  to  be  listed 
in  the  stock  market  and  to  conduct  business  in  view  oi 
the  capricious  fluctuations  of  the  market  quotations.  To 
buy  and  sell  stocks,  to  inflate  and  press  prices,  to 
jockey  the  market,  and  to  have  consideration  of  Wall 
street,  rather  than  of  the  interest  oi  the  consumer,  all 
this  was  new  to  Mr.  Banigan  and  intolerable  to  his 
sense  of  business  integrity.  In  1896,  disgusted  with 
his  office,  and  determined  to  disentangle  his  affairs  from 
those  of  his  associates,  he  quietly  disposed  oi  his  hold- 
ings in  the  company  and  took  the  initial  steps  toward 
a  complete  severance  of  his  interests  from  theirs.  That 
he  was  not  alone  in  his  severe  judgment  of  the  man- 
agement of  the  rubber  company  was  evidenced  by  the 
ofTer  that  was  made  him  by  large  financial  interests 
which  proposed  to  find  the  money  for  taking  over  the 
entire  $50,000,000  of  the  United  States  Rubber  Com- 
pany's stock,  if  he  would  consent  to  manage  it  along 
the  sound  industrial  lines  he  had  so  strenuously  advo- 
cated. The  illness,  however,  which  brought  about  his 
death  two  years  later,  prevented  him  from  doing  more 
than  favorably  considering  this  oflFer  with  a  view  to  its 
ultimate  acceptance.  .\t  this  time  he  purchased  mills 
and  property  on  \'alley  street  in  Olneyville,  and  started 
the  Joseph  Banigan  Rubber  Company,  which  was  in 
charge  of  John  J.  and  William  B.  Banigan.  This  busi- 
ness was  continued  until  a  year  or  two  after  his  death, 
when  the  interests  oi  the  family  were  sold.  .\  mel- 
ancholy but  striking  tribute  to  the  importance  of  the 
place  he  held  in  the  world  of  rubber  interests  was 
shown  in  the  advance  of  five  points  which  rubber  stock 
took  on  the  news  of  his  death. 

Mr.  Banigan  did  not  confine  his  genius  for  organi- 
zation and  management  solely  to  rubber  manufacture. 
In  1891  he  consolidated  all  the  wringer  manufacturing 
companies  of  the  country  in  the  American  Wringer 
Company,  of  which  he  became  the  first  president,  re- 
taining the  oflice  until  his  death.  In  1898  he  erected 
the  largest  office  building  in  Providence,  K.  I.,  until 
recently  known  as  the  Banigan  building.  He  was 
a  director  in  the  Industrial  Trust  Company,  and 
of  the  Commercial  National  Bank,  both  of  Provi- 
dence: and  of  the  Glenark  Knitting  Company  of 
Woonsocket,  the  Providence  "Evening  Telegram," 
the  Howard  Sterling  Company  of  Providence,  and  the 
Mosler  Safe  Company  oi  New  York.  His  financial 
transactions  with  the  Mormons  of  Utah  formed  one  oi 
the  most  interesting  chapters  of  Mr.  Banigan's  career. 
His  relations  with  the  Mormons  led  to  a  mutual  regard 
which  found  expression  in  a  tribute  which  the  late 
George  Q.  Cannon,  a  former  president  of  the  church, 
paid  to  Mr.  Banigan's  memory  when  he  said  that 
while    Mr.    Banigan    was    probably    the    most   capable 


business  man  he  had  ever  met,  he  was  also  the  fairest, 
instancing,  in  support  of  his  unusual  eulogy,  an  occa- 
sion when  Mr.  Banigan  waived  his  claim  to  the  sum 
of  $JOO.ooo,  to  which  he  had  a  legal  right,  but  to  which 
he  felt  he  was  n^it  honestly  entitled.  The  Mormon 
brethren,  pioneers  in  the  beet-sugar  industry  in  this 
country,  hail  established  a  factory  at  I-ehi,  I'tah,  but, 
insul'ticiently  capitalized,  they  saw  themselves  con- 
fronted with  failure.  Mr.  Banigan,  after  investigation, 
convinced  himself  of  the  merits  of  their  case,  and 
advanced  them  the  large  sum  of  $400,000,  which  put 
the  business  on  a  firm  financial  basis.  The  Mormon 
brethren  conceived  the  idea  of  damming  the  Ogden 
river  above  Salt  Lake  City,  thus  providing  not  only 
water  to  irrigate  several  hundred  thousand  acres  of 
waste  land,  but  also  power  to  furnish  electricity  for 
Salt  Lake  City  and  Ogden.  They  consulted  Mr.  Bani- 
gan again,  and,  after  visiting  the  ground  and  discover- 
ing the  feasibility  of  their  plans,  he  advance<l  them  the 
large  sum  of  $1,500,000.  It  was  a  venture  then,  as  it 
would  be  now,  but  it  was  one  of  the  early  proofs  of 
the  possibility  of  irrigation  to  reclaim  and  render  fertile 
what  bad  always  been  considered  a  desert. 

Mr.  Banigan  possessed  the  genius  of  money  mak- 
ing, and  he  took  a  keen  pleasure  in  making  money, 
not  because  of  the  benefits  it  brought  him,  for  he  was 
a  man  of  sini|ile  tastes,  but  for  the  great  constructive 
power  which  it  represented  and  the  good  he  was  able  to 
do  for  others  with  it.  Most  of  his  benefactions  to  char- 
itable and  benevolent  causes  were  made  secretly,  but 
his  public  contributi'ins  to  the  causes  of  charity  were 
so  conspicuous  that  Pope  Leo  XI I  L,  in  rec<ignition  of 
his  large  gifts,  created  him  a  knight  of  St.  Gregory  the 
Great.  .Vs  early  as  1884.  when  his  fortune  was  but 
modestly  growing,  he  erected  at  Pawtiicket  the  Home 
for  the  .\gcd  Poor,  in  charge  of  the  Little  Sisters  of 
the  Poor;  and  in  1805  he  erected  the  St.  Maria  Home 
fur  Working  Girls,  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  St. 
Francis.  These  buildings  cost  more  than  $JOO.ooo,  and 
in  his  will  he  left  both  $25,000  for  their  maintenance. 
He  had  Ijcen  deprived  of  schooling,  a  lack  which  he 
made  uji  early  through  comprehensive  reading.  His 
intellect  was  naturally  keen,  and  his  education  was 
drawn  from  observance  and  experience  in  the  school 
of  life.  Nevertheless  he  realized  the  importance  of  a 
college  education,  and  in  the  Catholic  University  of 
Washington,  D.  C,  he  established  the  chair  of  Politi- 
cal Economy,  by  a  donation  of  $50,000.  p'or  several 
years  before  his  death  he  contributed  $5,000  yearly  to 
the  library  fund  of  that  institution,  <if  which  he  was 
chosen  one  oi  the  board  of  directors.  To  Brown  Uni- 
versity in  Providence  he  gave  two  scholarships  for 
the  benefit  of  ambitious  young  men  without  means.  In 
1807,  he  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $20,001,  a  large  piece 
"f  property  adjoining  Davis  Park,  Providence,  K.  L, 
and  gave  it  to  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society  for 
the  Infant  .■\sylum,  an  institution  which  is  now  caring 
for  two  hundred  infants  under  five  years  of  age.  He 
was  always  a  liberal  benefactor  of  the  numerous  char- 
itable institutions  of  Providence,  and  in  his  will  be- 
queathed $150,000  to  be  divided  between  them.  He 
took  great  pride  in  the  beautiful  St.  Bernard  Mortu- 
ary Chapel,  which  he  erected  at  a  cost  of  $100,000,  in 
St.    Francis's   Cemetery,   and   which    he   designed   not 


488 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


only  to  be  the  final  resting  place  of  liimself  and  his 
family,  but  also  a  place  of  prayer  and  recollection  for 
those  who  visit  the  cemetery. 

A  man  whose  business  for  many  years  necessitated 
frequent  and  difficult  journeys,  he  was  only  once  in 
peril  of  his  life.  In  187.?  he  was  a  passenger  on  the 
sound  steamer  "Metis"  the  night  she  struck  on  a  rock 
ofT  Watch  Hill.  Richard  Davies,  a  warm  persona! 
friend  of  Mr.  Banigan,  and  subsequently  father-in- 
law  of  Mr.  Banigan's  daughter,  was,  by  a  strange  coin- 
cidence, a  passenger  on  the  "Metis"  at  the  time  of  the 
accident.  What  particularly  impressed  the  horror  of 
that  disaster  on  Mr.  Banigan's  mind  was  his  vain  effort 
to  save  the  life  of  a  young  mother,  who  in  her  fright 
let  go  the  infant  she  was  carrying  in  her  arms,  and 
whom  with  the  utmost  difficulty  he  succeeded  in  keep- 
ing afloat  on  the  raft  that  carried  them  until  they  were 
both  picked  up  in  the  morning  by  a  rexenue  cutter,  on 
which  she  died  shortly  afterwards  from  exposure. 

In  icS6o,  Mr.  Banigan  married  (first)  Margaret  Holt, 
daughter  of  John  F.  Holt,  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I.  Their 
children  were:  i.  Mary  A.,  who  became  the  wife  of 
the  late  William  B.  McElroy;  Mrs.  McElroy  makes 
her  home  in  Providence,  where  she  is  well  known  in 
social  circles.  2.  John  Joseph,  of  whom  further.  .5. 
William  B..  deceased,  who  with  his  brother,  John  J. 
Banigan,  was  active  in  the  Banigan  rubber  interests 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  4.  Alice  M.,  deceased, 
married  Dr.  James  E.  Sullivan.  The  mother  of  these 
children  died  on  April  4,  1S71,  and  Mr.  Banigan  mar- 
ried (second)  November  4,  187.3,  Maria  T.  Conway, 
deceased,  of  New  York.  Shortly  before  his  death  he 
erected  the  beautiful  home  at  No.  510  .•\ngell  street. 
Providence,  where  his  daughter.  Mrs.  William  B. 
McElroy,  resides.  It  is  still  known  as  the  Banigan 
Mansion.  He  was  a  great  lover  of  the  arts,  and  into 
his  home  he  gathered  a  wealth  of  art  treasure  from  all 
quarters  of  the  globe.  One  of  the  most  notable  pieces 
of  his  collection  of  famous  paintings  was  Bouguereau's 
"Bathing  Woman."  John  Banigan  died  at  his  home 
in  Providence,  July  28,  i8g8.  A  man  of  fine  presence 
and  ready  wit,  his  character  had  been  developed  in  a 
school  of  hard  e.xperiences,  yet  few  men  could  be 
more  polished  and  urbane  than  he.  His  views  on  all 
practical  matters  were  broad  and  far-seeing.  In  reli- 
gion he  was  a  devout  Catholic,  possessing  the  child- 
like faith  which  he  inherited,  above  all,  from  the  good 
old  Irish  mother  whom  he  all  but  worshipped.  No 
man  was  more  helpful  to  an  ambitious,  aspiring  youth 
than  he;  none  more  just  in  his  dealing  with  others,  or 
more  eager  to  assist  his  friends.  His  life  was  a  fine 
example  of  what  an  indomitable  will,  tireless  energy, 
and  inventive  genius  can  achieve  in  spite  of  handicaps 
that  dishearten  men  of  less  heroic  mould. 

John  Joseph  Banigan,  son  of  the  late  Joseph  Bani- 
gan, was  born  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  July  16,  1863.  He 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Woonsocket  and 
Providence.  R.  I.,  and  attended  Manhattan  College 
in  New  York.  On  completing  his  schooling  he  went  to 
.'\kron,  Ohio,  where  he  began  the  study  of  the  rubber 
industry,  specializing  in  the  manufacture  of  rubber 
boots  and  shoes.  Two  years  later  he  returned  to  the 
East,  and  entered  into  association  with  his  father  in 
the  management  of  the  last  Banigan  rubber  interests. 
This  connection  continued  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Bani- 


gan. Sr.  John  J.  Banigan  later  became  interested  in 
the  silver  industry  in  Providence,  and  became  the 
owner  of  the  Roger  Williams  Silver  Company.  He 
also  purchased  the  Daggett  &  Miller  Drug  Store  Com- 
pany in  Providence,  and  conducted  these  two  com- 
panies until  his  death.  He  was  widely  known  in  busi- 
ness circles  in  Providence,  and  was  prominent  in 
mercantile  and  financial  affairs  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Banigan  married,  July  20,  1887,  in  Providence, 
Mary  C.  Davis,  daughter  of  the  late  Richard  and 
Bedelia  (Carmody)  Davis.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Banigan 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  i.  Joseph, 
born  June  20,  1888,  is  now  engaged  in  the  government 
service  in  Toronto,  Canada:  married  Olive  Loudon, 
and  their  children  are  Joseph  and  Mary.  2.  Richard 
D.,  born  May  29,  1890,  is  engaged  in  government 
service  in  Providence,  R.  I.  3.  John  Joseph,  Jr.,  born 
July  10,  1894,  now  a  member  of  the  aviation  branch  of 
the  United  States  Military  Service.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  of  Providence. 
John  Joseph  Banigan  died  in  Providence,  December  29, 
1907.  Mrs.  Banigan  survives  her  husband.  She  resides 
at  No.  176  Medway  street.  Providence. 


OLIVER  H.  HATHAWAY,  son  of  one  of  the  old- 
est of  Southeastern  Massachusetts  families,  and  one  of 
great  prominence  in  Fall  River,  Dartmouth,  and  New 
Bedford,  Mass.,  in  his  owm  right  has  won  distinction 
as  a  manufacturer,  now  being  located  in  Central  Falls, 
R.  I.  He  is  a  son  of  Oliver  H.  (i)  Hathaway,  born 
in  Freetown.  Mass.,  in  1815,  and  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  a  mill  worker.  He  then  established  a  grocery 
business  under  the  firm  name,  O.  H.  Hathaway,  after- 
wards O.  H.  Hathaway  &  Sons.  He  was  an  alderman 
of  Fall  River,  Mass.,  for  one  term,  and  there  resided 
for  many  years  retired.  He  married  Belinda  R.  Hor- 
ton.  born  at  Fall  River,  Mass.,  in  1824,  died  in  1916. 
Oliver  H.  (l)  Hathaway  died  in  1892. 

Oliver  H.  (2)  Hathaway  was  born  in  Fall  River, 
Mass.,  February  24,  1854.  and  was  there  educated  in 
the  primary,  grammar  and  high  schools.  He  began 
business  life  as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  grocery  store, 
remaining  in  that  capacity  for  five  years.  He  then 
left  F'all  River,  locating  in  Pawtucket,  and  started 
business  there  as  a  top  roll  coverer.  That  business 
has  grown  to  one  of  large  proportions,  his  customers 
the  cotton  spinning  and  worsted  mills  of  Rhode  Island 
and  Southeastern  Massachusetts.  In  1915  the  business 
was  incorporated  as  the  O.  H.  Hathaway  Company, 
Incorporated,  Oliver  H.  Hathaway  president  and  treas- 
urer, Franklin  P.  Hathaway,  secretary.  Mr.  Hathaway 
is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  of  the  Pawtucket  Business  Men's  Associa- 
tion. He  was  one  of  the  early  members  of  the  Edge- 
wood  Yacht  Club,  and  formerly  was  greatly  interested 
in  both  yachting  and  fishing. 

Mr.  Hathaway  married,  in  Fall  River,  June  2,  1875, 
.Anna  M.  Bennett,  of  Fall  River,  daughter  of  William 
H.  Bennett,  a  dry  goods  merchant,  now  retired.  Her 
mother,  Mary  (Nichols)  Bennett,  of  East  Greenwich, 
R  I.,  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hathaway  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Franklin  P.,  his 
father's  business  associate. 

Franklin  P.  Hathaway  was  born  at  Fall  River, 
Mass.,  April  28,  1876,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


489 


schools.  He  began  his  business  career  with  his  father, 
mastered  the  business  of  top  roll  covering,  and  was 
admitted  a  partner.  When  the  business  was  incor- 
porated in  1905,  he  was  elected  secretary  of  the  com- 
pany, and  is  also  shop  manager.  He  married,  in  Paw- 
tucket,  Clara  Perry,  daughter  of  Clarence  and  Julia 
Inman,  of  Pawtuckct.  They  are  the  parents  of  two 
children:  Clarence  O.,  horn  June  3,  1908;  Olive, 
bont  Nov.   10.  1914:    both  born  at  Central  Falls,   R.   I. 


THE  JOHN  W.  LITTLE  COMPANY,  of  No.  190 
Exchange  street.  Pawtucket,  K.  1.,  is  a  large  and  pros- 
perons  industrial  concern,  doing  an  extensive  business 
in  mill  printing,  gummed  labels,  sample  cards  and  tag 
making.  It  was  founded  in  the  year  1888  by  John  W. 
Little,  in  a  small  way,  and  for  a  number  of  years  occu- 
pied various  quarters  in  this  neighborhood,  changing 
to  new  places  as  its  increasing  business  outgrew  the 
old.  In  the  year  1914  Mr.  Little  erected  the  present 
l\3nd<omc  brick  factory  at  \o.  190  Exchange  street, 
which  he  enlarged  in  1919,  and  is  now  occupied  by  the 
enterprise.  Forty  men  are  now  employed  here  and  the 
business  is  still  in  a  condition  of  rapid  growth  and 
development.  Of  recent  years  Mr.  Little  has  with- 
drawn somewhat  from  the  active  conduct  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  has  given  most  of  his  work  to  his  sons,  T. 
.'Stewart  Little,  and  John  W.  Little,  Jr.,  who  now 
hold  the  positions  of  general  managers  of  the  concern, 
ver>'  worthy  and  energetic  successors  to  their  father. 


COLONEL  JOSEPH  SAMUELS,  president  of 
The  0;;tlet  Company,  the  largest  department  store  in 
the  cit>'  of  Providence,  R.  L,  and  in  many  other  ways 
closely  identified  with  the  life  and  progress  of  this 
com.munity,  is  a  native  of  Washington,  D.  C.  bom 
June  7.  1868,  a  son  of  James  and  Caroline  (Katzen- 
berg)  Samuels,  the  former  a  successful  merchant  of 
that  city  and  later  of  Philadelphia. 

The  childhood  of  Colonel  Samuels  was  passed  in  his 
native  place,  and  he  there  attended  the  local  public 
schools,  proving  himself  an  alert  and  earnest  student. 
He  was  a  youth  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to 
the  new  home  at  Philadelphia,  and  it  was  there  that 
his  first  business  training  was  obtained.  He  remained 
in  Philadelphia  until  i8<ji,  when  he  came  to  Providence, 
R.  I.  In  coming  to  Providence  Mr.  Samuels  was  ac- 
companied by  his  brother,  Leon  Samuels.  Their  suc- 
cess in  Providence  was  instantaneous,  having  accom- 
plished many  achievements  in  the  way  of  overcoming 
ohstacles  and  the  development  of  every  opportunity 
which  have  marked  the  career  of  The  Outlet  Company 
Department  Store.  The  early  days  of  their  venture 
were  difficult  ones  for  the  two  young  men  whose  pro- 
gressive advent  was  resented  by  the  merchants  already 
established  in  the  city.  They  were  both  possessed  of 
considerable  experience  in  the  line  of  business  they  in- 
tended to  follow.  They  came  with  new  ideas  and  en- 
terprise that  was  remarkable,  and  readily  overcame  the 
obstacles  placed  in  their  way  by  their  adversaries. 
They  hired  a  vacant  store  at  the  corner  of  Westminster 
and  Snow  streets,  in  which  they  placed  a  number  of 
empty  packing  cases  to  act  as  counters,  arranging  there- 
on their  stock  and  advertising  a  "Bankrupt  Sale."   Their 


trade  name  was  The  Manufacturers  Outlet  Company, 
"The  Outlet"  becoming  a  slogan  in  the  merchandise 
field.  The  Westminster  street  dealers  sujjplied  the 
young  men  with  plenty  of  opportunities  for  advertising, 
though  quite  without  friendly  intentions,  iven  threat- 
ening dire  results  to  all  who  should  trade  with  them, 
whereupon  .Mr.  Samuels  and  his  brother  Leon  re- 
turned energetically  to  the  attack  by  issuing  their  own 
newspaper,  "The  Outlet  Bulletin."  in  which  they  ac- 
cused their  persecutors  of  an  attempt  to  keep  the  work- 
ing people  from  buying  at  low  and  living  prices.  Natu- 
rally the  public  were  interested  in  the  dispute  and  con- 
stitutionally inclined  to  favor  the  weaker  party,  for 
they  responded  with  one  accord  to  the  latter  appeal  and 
soon  patronized  the  new  establishment  to  a  degree  quite 
unexpected  by  the  owners  themselves.  It  was  thus,  in 
the  face  of  violent  opposition,  that  one  of  the  greatest 
retail  business  houses  of  the  city  laid  its  foundation, 
and  from  that  time  to  this  has  progressed  steadily 
towards  greater  prosperity  and  importance  in  the  com- 
munity. They  soon  had  to  look  for  larger  quarters  and 
were  wise  in  locating  on  the  ground  lloor  of  the 
Hodges  building  next  to  the  old  City  Hotel  on  Wey- 
bosset  street,  and  their  progressive  methods  soon  called 
for  more  store  space  and  the  old  City  Hotel  was  pur- 
chased and  razed  and  a  new  building  erected.  Business 
continued  to  prt>grcss  so  rapidly  that  finally  they  secured 
the  entire  block  covering  Weybosset,  Eddy,  Garnet  and 
Pine  streets,  one  of  the  largest  business  areas  in  the  city. 
By  their  enterprise  they  were  instrumental  in  l)Ooming 
Weybosset  street,  and  making  it  a  shopping  center.  The 
Outlet  Company  is  incorporated  under  the  laws  of 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  as  J.  Samuels  &  Bro.,  Inc.. 
with  Colonel  Samuels  as  president  and  Loon  Samuels 
as  vice-president  and  treasurer.  They  are  the  sole 
owners  and  active  managers  of  the  business,  controlling 
the  affairs  of  the  concern  with  a  capital  stock  of  three 
million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  doing  the  larg- 
est retail  business  in  Rhode  Island.  The  organization 
and  executive  genius  required  to  build  up  such  an  en- 
terprise from  a  small  t>eginning  in  so  brief  a  period 
is  most  noteworthy,  but  not  more  so  than  the  integrity 
and  square  dealing  which  has  given  them  a  reputation 
as  great  as  it  is  deserved  throughout  the  entire  com- 
munity. Colonel  Samuels,  in  addition  to  his  responsi- 
bilities as  president  of  The  Outlet  Company,  is  a  direc- 
tor of  The  Union  Trust  Company  of  Providence. 

Colonel  Samuels  takes  a  great  interest  in  all  public 
affairs,  and  is  now  serving  as  aide-de-camp  to  Governor 
R.  L.  Beeckman.  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel. 
He  is  a  meml>er  of  St.  John's  Lodge,  .Ancient  Free 
and  .Accepted  Masons,  of  Philadelphia;  of  the  Lyceum 
Club  of  Boston;  the  Kcrnwood  Country  Club  of  Kern- 
wood,  Mass.,  the  Commercial  Club.  Town  Criers,  Edge- 
wood  Yacht  Club  and  Edgcwood  Casino  Club  of  Prov- 
idence ;  and  the  Friars  Club  of  New  York  City.  In  his 
religious  belief,  Colcjnel  Samuels  adheres  to  the  ancient 
Hebrew  faith  of  his  fathers,  and  he  is  a  member  of 
Temple  Beth-el  at  Providence. 

Colonel  Samuels  married,  January  17,  1900,  at  Boston, 
.Mass.,  .Mice  March  Murr.  daughter  of  Lewis  and 
Bertha  (Silverbcrg)  Murr.  They  are  the  parents  of  a 
daughter.  Bertha  Carol  Samuels,  born  in  Providence, 
June  4,  1903. 


49° 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


LEON  SAMUELS — It  is  only  of  comparatively  re- 
cent years  that  the  inestimable  benefits  conferred  upon 
the  community  by  the  business  man  and  merchant  are 
coming  to  have  their  due  share  of  recognition  and  that 
the  records  of  these  men  are  being  set  down  by  the 
side  of  these  other  more  showy  ones  connected  with  the 
military  service  and  the  afiairs  of  state.  This  we  do 
because  we  are  coming  to  regard  the  former  as  more 
truly  representative  of  human  life.  Such  a  man  is  Leon 
Samuels,  vice-president  and  treasurer  of  The  Outlet 
Company,  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,  with  a  capital  ol  three  million  five  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars,  operating  en  Weybosset  street, 
under  the  trade  name.  The  Outlet  Company,  which  is 
one  of  the  largest  department  stores  in  the  State. 

Leon  Samuels  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  July  4, 
1869,  and  attended  the  public  schools  of  that  city.  At 
the  agt  of  twelve  years  he  was  selling  papers  in  the 
street,  but  before  reaching  the  age  of  twenty-one  he 
had  acquired  a  good  knowledge  of  mercantile  business. 
He.  with  his  brother  Joseph,  engaged  in  several  selling 
ventures  and  acquired  a  modest  capital  and  good  credit. 
Coming  to  Providence  with  the  intention  of  but  a  tem- 
porary stay,  their  course  was  so  shaped  that  a  permanent 
location  was  decided  upon,  namely  the  present  site  on 
Weybosset  street.  Like  the  majority  of  men  who  have 
risen  to  commercial  prominence  during  the  last  half 
century,  he  is  emphatically  self  made,  cutting  his  way 
from  the  most  humble  walks  of  mercantile  pursuits, 
defeating  inch  by  inch  and  step  by  step  the  many  ob- 
stacles piled  high  in  his  path,  but  relying  upon  his  own 
alert  and  farseeing  judgment  he  quickly  gained  the 
uppermost  rung  of  the  commercial  ladder.  To  do  this 
required  more  than  usual  prudence,  energy  and  perse- 
verance, to  say  nothing  of  natural  ability.  He  is  a 
good  judge  of  human  nature  and  he  has  introduced  into 
his  business  many  live  and  progressive  methods  which 
hold  the  estimation  of  his  fellow-men,  attesting  his 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart.  .-Mways  courageous,  cheer- 
ful, clear  of  judgment,  untiring  in  labor,  and  masterly 
in  the  management  of  men,  Leon  Samuels  has  won  a 
much  deserved  place  among  the  substantial  business 
men  of  the  commercial  field.  He  is  also  actively  inter- 
ested in  theatrical  enterprises  with  theatres  in  Provi- 
dence. Rochester  and  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Samuels  is  a 
member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  and  of  many  clubs  widely  separated  in  location 
and  pursuit.  His  home  clubs  are  the  Edgewood  Yacht 
Club,  the  Edgewood  Casino  Club,  of  which  he  is  pres- 
ident, Tr.rk's  Head  Club,  Town  Criers  of  Rhode  Island. 
His  out-of-town  clubs  are  the  Friars  of  New  York 
City  and  the  Cosmopolitan  of  .Atlantic  City,  N.  J.  In 
religious  association  he  is  a  member  of  Temple  Beth-el. 

Mr.  Samuels  married,  in  New  York  City,  February  19, 
181)9,  Mildred  Eidelberg,  daughter  of  Morris  and  Clara 
(VVhitehill)  Eidelberg.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Samuels  are  the 
parents   of   one  child,   Clare  J.    Samuels,  born  Jan.   29, 

ItXK). 


and  beginning  business  in  1913,  on  Meadow  street,  but 
the  same  year  removing  to  its  present  location.  No.  189 
Public  street.  The  company  manufactures  under  many 
patents  which  they  own,  Mr.  Allen  also  being  the  in- 
ventor of  an  automatic  envelope  sealing  and  stamping 
machine,  now  being  built  by  the  National  .\utomatic 
Machine  Company,  at  Brattleboro,  \'t. 

Frederick  R.  .Allen  is  a  son  of  Andrew  James  Allen, 
born  in  Ashley,  R.  L,  June  3,  1847,  and  is  a  summer 
resident  of  Rhode  Island,  having  a  home  in  Conimicut. 
his  winter  home  in  Florida.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War,  receiving  a  wound  at  Gettysburg  which 
forever  ended  his  usefulness  as  a  soldier.  He  retired  in 
1904  from  the  superintendency  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Malleable  Iron  Company  at  Hillsgrove.  R.  I.,  a  com- 
pany he  served  long  and  faithfully.  Mr.  .Allen  married 
.\bbie  E.  Holland,  of  Green  Hill,  R.  I.,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  a  son,  Frederick  R..  of  further  mention, 
and  a  daughter,  Edith  A.,  wife  of  Lewis  .A.  .Abbott,  of 
Pawtucket,  R.  I. 

Frederick  R.  Allen  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
1881.  He  was  educated  in  Hillsgrove  graded  schools. 
Auburn  grammar,  and  Cranston  High  School,  class  of 
iSgo,  and  after  graduation  took  a  special  course  in 
higher  mathematics  at  Rhode  Island  State  College,  fol- 
lowed by  a  year  at  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design, 
specializing  in  engine  draughting.  With  this  equip- 
ment he  entered  the  employ  of  Brown  &  Sharp,  as 
draughtsman,  going  from  that  company  to  The  Beaman 
&  Smith  Company,  remaining  there  three  years  in  the 
department  of  m.echanical  drawing.  With  this  varied 
experience  he  opened  an  office  in  Providence,  offering 
his  services  as  a  public  draughtsman.  He  continued  in 
this  office  for  three  years,  until  1912,  when  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  George  W.,  Charles  L.,  and  Wil- 
liam E.  Davis,  and  in  1913  incorporated  as  the  .Allen 
Wrench  &  Tool  Company,  F.  R.  Allen,  president ;  Wil- 
liam McCreery,  vice-president;  R.  S.  Deoling,  secretary. 
The  company  is  a  prosperous  one,  and  in  addition  to 
his  duties  as  president,  Mr.  Allen  is  a  director  of  the 
National  .Automatic  Machine  Company.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  in  politics 
a  Republican. 

Mr.  .Allen  married,  March  i,  1905,  Florence  Etta 
Ridgway,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Margaret  E.  (Lewis) 
Ridgway,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen 
are  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Charlotte  Etta  .Allen. 


FREDERICK  R.  ALLEN— As  president  of  the 
Allen  Wrench  &  Tool  Company  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
Mr.  .Allen  manages  a  business  he  was  mainly  instru- 
mental in  founding  in  1912,  the  company  incorporating 


AMASA  SPRAGUE— While  students  of  the  sub- 
ject assign  the  origin  of  the  surname  Sprague  to  the 
Dutch  "spraak,"  meaning  speech  or  language,  and 
mcline  to  the  theory  that  the  name  was  probably 
bestowed  when  surnames  first  came  into  use  on  one 
noted  for  his  ready  tongue,  or  sharpness  in  repartee, 
other  authorities  find  the  root  in  the  old  Norse 
"spraekr,"  signifying  lively,  nimble,  active  in  the  merely 
physical  sense.  In  several  centuries  there  have  been 
great  variations  in  the  spelling  of  the  patronymic,  some 
of  the  most  comiuon  forms  being,  Spreck,  Sprake, 
Spraick.  Sprackett,  Spragg  and  Spragge.  The  English 
Spragues  achieved  renown  on  the  sea,  and  we  find  the 
naval  crown,  usually  awarded  to  one  who  first  boarded 
an    enemy's   ship,   embodied   in  their  coat   armor.     Sir 


rague 


^v  ■,..:;;  v-e 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


491 


Edward  Si)ragpc  was  knighted  by  Charles  II.,  on 
board  the  ship  "Koval  Charles"  ior  gallant  conduct  in 
an  engagement  with  the  Dutch  Fleet.  Spragge  fought 
ship  to  ship  with  Van  Tromp,  and  for  bravery  in  the 
service  was  commis-;ioneii  vice-admiral  of  the  red,  and 
admiral  of  the  blue.  Mis  courage  was  suhsccjuently 
eulogized  by  Dryden  in  the  ".•Xnnis  Mirabilis."  The 
immortal  Pepys  describes  him  as  "brave  and  resolute," 
and  adds:  "He  was  a  merry  man  who  sang  a  pleasant 
song  pleasantly." 

Sprasue  .\rms — GulcS,  a  fc-sse  clicquy  or  and  azure 
between  three  llour.s-ile-lls  of  the  second. 

Crest — .\  tallx)t  passant  argent  resting  the  foot  on 
a  tleur-de-lls  gule.s. 

In  -America  the  family  dates  back  to  the  earliest 
days  of  Colonial  settlement.  Francis  Sprague,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Plymouth  Colony,  with  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter, came  over  in  the  ship  ".Ann"  in  1623.  Like  others 
of  that  heroic  band,  he  suffered  from  the  poverty  of  the 
times  to  which  Governor  Bradford  referred:  "The 
best  dish  we  can  offer  is  a  piece  of  fish,  without  bread, 
or  anything  else  but  a  cup  of  fair  spring  water.  This 
diet  hath  somewhat  abated  the  freshness  of  our  com- 
plexions, but  God  gives  us  health."  The  three  broth- 
ers, Ralph,  Richard  and  William  Sprague,  in  company 
with  John  Endioott,  arrived  at  .Xaumkeag,  later  Salem, 
in  1628.  The  name  has  been  associated  with  many 
persons  of  distinction  during  different  periods  of  our 
country's  history.  Captain  Richard  Sprague,  of 
Charlestown.  Mass..  was  one  of  the  band  which  im- 
prisoned Sir  Edmund  .Andros.  Al  his  death  in  1703, 
Captain  Richard  Sprague  left  money  to  various  public 
institutions,  among  them  Harvard  College.  Samuel 
Sprague,  of  Hingham,  Mass.,  was  one  of  the  band 
which  assisted  at  the  Boston  Tea  Party.  His  son, 
Charles  Spragtie,  was  the  poet  whose  finished  verse 
was  admired  during  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  Three  members  of  the  family  have  served  in 
the  United  States  Senate:  Peleg  Sprague,  of  Maine, 
j820-i<S,v>;  and  the  two  William  Spragues.  of  Rhode 
Island,  both  Governors;  these  latter  Spragues.  uncle 
and  nephew,  stand  out  preeminently  among  the  figures 
of  note  in  Rhode  Island  public  affairs;  they  were  both 
lineal  descendants  of  William  Sprague,  the  founder, 
through  a  distinguished  ancestry.  Other  notable  Rhode 
Island  names  are  those  of  Hon.  Jonathan  Sprague, 
Colonel  .Amasa  Sprague.  and  Dr.  .Mbert  Gallatin 
Sprague. 

(1)  Edward  Sprague,  the  English  progenitor,  was 
born  at  Upway.  Dorsetshire,  England,  where  he  died  in 
1614.  He  was  a  fuller  by  trade,  and  earlier  in  life  had 
been  a  resident  of  Fordington,  Dorsetshire.  His  will, 
dated  June  6,  1614,  was  proved  on  October  i.?  of  that 
year.  The  inventory  of  his  estate  showed  him  to  be 
possessed  of  goods  and  chattels  to  the  value  of  nearly 
£260,  including  thirteen  silver  spoon-,  one  and  twenty 
brass  vessels,  and  the  less  intelligible  item  of  "one  wil- 
low, four  old  tubs  with  a  hcdlop."  His  live  stock  con- 
sisted of  "one  pyge,  seven  kyne,  with  three  yearlings, 
one  horse,  four-score  sheep  and  forty-two  lambs." 
Copies  of  this  document,  made  at  the  time  the  will  was 
proved  in  the  prerogative  court  at  Canterbury,  are  still 
in  the  possession  of  the  family.  Edward  Sprague  mar- 
ried  Christiana  .  and  they  were  the  parents  of 


the  following  children:  1.  Ralph,  who  emigrated  to 
New  England  in  1628,  and  died  there  in  1050;  he  mar- 
ried Joan  Warren.  2.  .Mice.  ,?.  Edward.  4.  Richard, 
came  to  N'ew  ICngland.  where  he  died  without  issue.  5. 
Christopher.    6.  William,  mentioned  below. 

(II)  William  Sprague.  immigrant  ancestor,  was  the 
Son  of  Edward  and  Christiana  Sprague,  and  was  born 
at  Upway.  Dorsetshire,  England,  about  KKx).  With  his 
elder  briithers.  Ralph  and  Richard,  William  Sprague 
emigrated  to  .America  in  162S,  and  concerning  them  we 
find  in  Prince's  "Chronology;"  ".\mong  those  who  ar- 
rived at  -Xaumkeag  arc  Ralph  Sprague,  with  his  broth- 
ers Richard  and  William,  who  with  three  or  four  more 
were  by  Governor  En<licott  employed  to  explore  and 
take  possession  of  the  country  westward.  They  trav- 
eled through  the  woods  to  Charlestown,  on  a  neck  of 
land  called  Mishawum,  between  Mystic  and  Cbarlef 
rivers,  full  of  Indians  named  .Vborginians,  with  whom 
they  made  peace."  These  Sprague  brothers,  accord- 
ing to  Edward  Everett  in  his  address  at  the  hi-ccntcn- 
ni.il  of  Winthrop,  were  "the  fc^undcrs  of  the  settlement 
in  this  place,  and  were  persons  of  substance  and  enter- 
prise, excellent  citizens,  generous  public  benefactors, 
and  the  head  of  a  very  large  and  respectable  family  of 
descendants."  William  Sprague  remained  at  Charles- 
town until  1636,  when  he  removed  to  Hingham,  making 
the  journey  in  a  boat,  and  landing  on  the  side  of  the 
cove  on  a  tract  of  land  which  was  later  granted  to  him 
by  the  town.  He  became  one  of  the  first  planters  in 
Ilingham,  and  acipiircd  through  grant  and  purchase 
a  large  property,  holding  what  is  said  to  have  been  the 
pleasantcst  house  lot  in  the  town.  In  1645  he  was  one 
of  the  seven  members  of  the  prudential  committee;  in 
1662  he  was  disbursing  officer  of  the  town,  ami  held 
also  the  otfices  of  constable  and  fence-viewer.  On 
February  21,  1673,  he  deeded  to  his  son,  .\nthony,  cer- 
tain lands. 

William  Sprague  married,  in  Charlestown,  in  i0.i5. 
Milliccnt  Fames,  who  died  February  8,  1695-96,  daugh- 
ter of  Anthony  Fames.  Their  children  were:  1.  -An- 
thony, born  Sept.  2,  16.^5.  2.  John,  baptized  in  .April, 
l6,i8:  married  Elizabeth  Holbrook.  Dec.  i.i.  1666:  re- 
ceived Sprague  Island  from  his  father,  and  died  in 
Mcndon  in  1690.  .1.  Samuel,  baptized  May  24,  1640: 
removed  to  Marshfield.  and  became  secretary  of  the 
colony  and  registrar  of  deeds  before  if)02.  4.  Elizabeth, 
baptized  May  2,  1641.  5.  Jonathan,  baptized  March 
20,  1642,  died  July  4,  1647.  6.  Pcrsis,  baptized  Nov. 
12,  164,^:  married  John  Daggett.  7.  Joanna,  baptized 
Dec,  1644;  married.  Dec.  16,  1667,  Caleb  Church.  8. 
Jonathan,  born  May  28,  1648:  later  in  life  he  removed 
to  Priividence,  R.  I.,  where  he  became  prominent  in  the 
affairs  of  the  colony,  and  was  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Deputies  in  170.V  9.  William,  mentioned  below.  10. 
Mary,  baptized  May  25,  1652;  married  Tliomas  King. 
II.  Hannah,  born  Feb.  25,  1655,  died  March  ,?l,  1658. 
William  Sprague  died  on  October  6.  1675.  His  will, 
dated  October  i,  1675,  bequeathed  to  his  wife  Milliccnt; 
children:  Anthony,  Samuel,  William,  Jr>hn,  Jonathan, 
Persis  (wife  of  John  Daggett),  Joanna  (wife  of  Caleb 
Church),  and  Mary  (wife  of  Thomas  King).  He  gave 
to  his  son  -Anthony  the  sword  of  his  brother,  Captain 
Nichard  Sprague. 

(III)  William  {2)  Sprague,  son  of  William  (i)  and 


492 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Millicent  (Eames)  Spragiie,  was  born  in  Hingham. 
Mass.,  May  7,  1650.  and  baptized  there  July  2  of  that 
year.  He  subsequently  settled  in  Rhode  Island,  remov- 
ing to  Providence,  whither  his  brother  Jonathan  had 
preceded  him.  William  Sprague  purchased  land  in 
Providence.  November  19,  1709.  On  March  12,  1715-16, 
he  deeded  land  to  his  son  Benjamin.  His  will,  dated 
November  11,  17J.?.  mentions  his  sons  William,  Jona- 
than, John  and  Benjamin;  children  of  his  second 
wife:  Rowland,  Mary,  Peter  and  Judith;  grandson 
David,  son  of  David;  daughter  Deborah  Beals;  grand- 
children: Deborah,  William,  John  and  Abiah  West, 
children  of  William  and  .'\biah  (Sprague)  West;  and 
also  his  wife  Mary. 

He  married  (first)  December  jo,  1674,  Deborah  Lane, 
daughter  of  .'Vndrew  and  Triphaiiy  Lane;  she  died 
February  4,  1706-07.  He  married  second  (intention 
recorded  November  5,  1709)  Mary  Tower,  of  Hing- 
ham, Mass..  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Elizabeth 
(Rowland)  Tower.  Children  of  first  marriage:  i. 
William,  born  Dec.  24,  1675.  2.  Deborah,  born  March 
24,  1677-78.  3.  Joanna,  born  Feb.  15,  1679-80.  4.  David, 
born  Dec.  23,  1683.  5.  Jonathan,  born  July  24,  1686.  6. 
Abiah,  born  Jan.  24,  1688-89.  7.  John,  born  Sept.  13, 
1692.  8.  Benjamin,  born  Jan.  3,  1694-95.  All  the  above 
named  children  were  born  in  Hingham,  Mass.  Chil- 
dren of  the  second  marriage,  born  in  Providence:  9. 
Rowland,  born  Oct.  21,  1710.  10.  Mary,  born  Aug.  10, 
1712.  II.  Peter,  mentioned  below.  12.  Judith,  mar- 
ried, Jan.  3,  1741,  Nathaniel  Waterman. 

(IV)  Peter  Sprague,  son  of  William  (2)  and  Mary 
(Tower)  Sprague,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  L,  Octo- 
ber I,  1714.  and  died  in  Cranston,  R.  1.,  May  4,  1790. 
He  was  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Cranston,  and  the 
owner    of    considerable    property    there.      He    married 

Hannah    ,    and    they   were    the    parents    of    two 

children:  i.  Amey.  2.  William,  mentioned  below. 
Hannah  Sprague  survived  her  husband  and  was  men- 
tioned in  his  will,  with  their  daughter  Amey,  and 
grandson  Abner,  son  of  William. 

(V)  William  (3)  Sprague,  son  of  Peter  and  Hannah 
Sprague,  inherited  his  father's  property  in  Cranston, 
where  he  became  a  successful  farmer,  and  prominent 
citizen.  He  lived  about  three  and  a  half  miles  south- 
west of  Weighboset  bridge,  on  the  Pocasset  river,  a 
tributary  of  the  Pawtuxet.  This  river  furnished  the 
power  for  a  saw  and  grist  mill  which  he  conducted  near 
the  site  of  the  present  Cranston  or  Sprague  print 
works.  He  had  a  large  tract  of  woodland  in  the  west 
part  of  Cranston,  and  according  to  the  standards  of  his 
day  was  a  wealthy  man.  He  married  (first)  December 
22,  1765,  Isabel  Waterman;  (second)  March  3,  1782, 
Patience  Waterman,  both  daughters  of  John  and  Anna 
(Clarke)  Waterman,  and  descendants  of  Richard  Wa- 
terman, of  Salem,  Mass.,  and  Providence,  R.  I., 
through  Nathaniel,  Nathaniel  (2)  and  John  Water- 
man. Children:  i.  .'\bner,  married,  Jan.  5,  1795,  Mary 
Potter.  2.  William,  mentioned  below.  3.  Sarah,  mar- 
ried. Nicholas  Randall.  4.  Peter,  married,  Feb.  19, 
1789,  Mary  Carpenter.  William  Sprague  died  April  i, 
1795,  and  his  will,  dated  at  Cranston.  December  29, 
1794,  bequeathed  to  his  wife,  sons  Abner  and  William, 
daughter  Sarah,  wife  of  Nicholas  Randall,  and  son 
Peter. 


(VI)  William  (4)  Sprague,  son  of  William  (3)  and 
Isabel  (Waterman)  Sprague,  was  born  in  Cranston, 
R.  I.,  June  5,  1773.  He  was  a  miller  by  trade,  and 
early  in  life  had  a  grist  mill  and  saw  mill.  Consider- 
able shipbuilding  was  carried  on  in  Providence  at  this 
time  at  what  was  then  called  Eddy's  Point,  now  the 
junction  of  Eddy  and  Dyer  streets.  At  this  shipyard, 
William  Sprague  disposed  of  the  ship  timber  and  oak 
plank  from  his  saw  mill,  then  located  where  the 
Sprague  or  Cranston  print  works  later  had  their  site. 
As  early  as  1S08  his  grist  mill,  standing  near  the  saw 
mill,  was  converted  into  a  small  cotton  mill  for  card- 
ing and  spinning  cotton  yarn,  and  he  became  one  of 
the  first  manufacturers  of  cotton  cloth  in  Rhode  Island. 
In  addition  to  his  mills,  William  Sprague  conducted  a 
farm,  raising  stock,  especially  steers,  which  he  sold  to 
farmers  after  pasturing  them  in  the  summer  in  what 
was  called  Sprague's  woods.  In  connection  with  his 
saw  inill  he  did  much  lumbering  in  winter,  employing 
twenty-five  or  thirty  wood-choppers  who  boarded  at  the 
farm  house.  About  1813  his  cotton  mill  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  supposed  to  be  caused  by  an  incendiary.  The 
man  upon  whom  suspicion  fell  was  arrested,  but  the 
evidence  was  insufficient  to  convict.  Friends  offered 
Mr.  Sprague  assistance  in  rebuilding  his  mill,  but  he 
declined  help  and  immediately  began  to  build  a  stone 
mill  on  the  old  site.  He  installed  new  and  improved 
machinery,  and  with  his  sons,  Amasa  and  William,  and 
daughter  Susanna,  began  to  operate  the  mill.  In  1821 
he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  water  privilege  at 
Natick  Falls,  Kent  county.  R.  I.  On  the  other  or 
upper  half.  Christopher  and  William  Rhodes  operated  a 
cotton  mill  of  thirty  looms,  built  a  stone  mill  in  1826, 
and  owned  half  the  village  until  December  17,  1852, 
when  they  sold  to  A.  &  W.  Sprague.  In  1821,  William 
Sprague  built  a  cotton  mill  and  installed  forty-two 
looms  and  another  for  carding  and  spinning.  In  1822 
he  erected  another  stone  mill,  called  No.  2,  and  installed 
seventy  more  looms.  He  added  No.  3  with  ninety-six 
looms  in  1826,  and  in  1830,  No.  4,  a  brick  structure 
larger  than  any  of  the  others,  with  two  hundred  and 
twenty  looms.  As  the  business  developed  he  built 
tenement  houses  and  other  buildings  for  the  use  of  his 
operatives.  His  son  William  had  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness at  Natick,  and  his  son  Amasa  assisted  him  at 
Cranston  in  buying  raw  material  and  in  selling  the 
product  of  the  mills.  In  1824  he  began  to  bleach  cloth 
and  make  calico.  His  business  grew  rapidly  and  pros- 
pered wonderfully,  but  throughout  life  he  continued 
with  tireless  energy  to  work  harder  than  any  of  his 
men.  He  became  a  financial  power  and  with  his  sons 
controlled  three  banks  in  1833,  when  he  obtained  from 
the  Legislature  a  charter  for  the  Globe  Bank,  capital- 
ized at  $300,000. 

In  politics,  he  was  very  moderate  for  the  times,  until 
the  anti-Masonic  era.  when  he  became  a  rather  violent 
anti-Mason  and  did  all  in  his  power  to  overthrow  the 
Masonic  order  in  Rhode  Island.  In  1832  he  was  nom- 
inated for  Governor  of  Rhode  Island  on  the  anti- 
Masonic  ticket.  The  law  of  the  State  provided  at  that 
time  that  to  be  elected,  a  candidate  must  receive  a 
majority  of  the  votes  cast.  There  were  three  candi- 
dates and  none  had  a  majority.  Six  elections  were  held 
without  a  decision.     Mr.  Sprague  then  withdrew,  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


493 


the  Jackson  party  candidate  withdrew.  His  political 
influence  was  great,  and  he  did  not  hesitate  to  use  all 
his  power  for  the  candidates  he  supported  and  against 
those  he  opposed.  His  death,  March  2S,  1836,  was 
caused  by  inflamation  following  a  surgical  operation  to 
remove  a  bone  lodged  in  his  throat.  Mr.  Sprague  is 
described  as  "a  stout-built  man.  perhaps  t'lvc  feet  ten 
inches  high,  light  complexion,  dark  eyes,  dark  brown 
hair  and  weighed  nearly  two  hundred  pounds,  plain  and 
easy  in  his  manners,  but  firm  in  speech,  had  a  very 
pleasant  expression  of  countenance,  but  was  hardly 
ever  seen  to  smile;  his  mind  seemed  wholly  occupied 
in  his  business.  In  dress  he  was  very  plain.  A  per- 
son not  acquainted  with  him  would  suppose  him  to  be 
an  ordinary  farmer.  Ko  loud  or  boisterous  talk  by  him 
to  attract  attention,  but  in  quiet  pursuit  of  his  business 
he  passed  along."  When  a  young  man  he  was  con- 
sidered the  smartest  wrestler  in  his  town.  The  young 
men  of  that  time  would  frequently  meet  for  the  purpose 
of  wrestling,  and  William  Sprague  was  generally  the 
victor.  He  was  never  quarrelsome  on  such  occasions. 
His  character  has  been  described:  "William  was  con- 
sidered an  honest,  upright,  and  fairdealing  man.  There 
was  no  sly,  underhanded,  doubled-dealing,  or  mean  trait 
in  his  character.  Hv  was  very  prompt  in  all  his  en- 
gagements or  appointments  to  meet  a  person  at  any 
particular  time  or  place.  His  word  was  always  good, 
and  he  was  considered  by  all  with  whom  he  dealt  to  be 
the  last  man  to  utter  a  falsehood  in  business  matters. 
He  was  always  prompt  in  his  payments.  To  those  ho 
employed  as  laborers  or  otherwise  he  would  use  no 
such  words  as  'call  again.'  "  His  will,  dated  January 
20,  1S34,  mentions  his  brother  Peter;  daughter  .Mmira 
Rice;  grandchildren,  George,  .-\mey,  .Xnn,  Brockholt, 
and  Rollin  Mathewson;  children  of  his  daughter  Su- 
sannah; sons,  Benoni,  William  and  Amasa.  Children: 
I.  Almira,  married  Emanuel  Rice.  2.  Susannah,  mar- 
ried Obadiah  Mathewson,  of  Vermont,  who  was  en- 
gaged in  the  commission  business  in  Baltimore,  Md., 
where  he  died  April  7,  1822,  aged  twenty-nine.  3. 
Benoni,  married,  Jan.  7.  1829.  Lovisa  Childs.  4.  .Amasa, 
mentioned  below.    5.  William,  mcnticned  below. 

(VII)  Amasa  Sprague,  son  of  William  (4)  and  An- 
nie (Potter)  Sprague,  was  born  at  Cranston,  R.  I., 
April  ID,  179S.  He  had  a  limited  education  in  the 
public  schools,  and  early  in  life  began  to  work  for  his 
father  and  was  associated  in  business  with  him  as  long 
as  he  lived.  After  the  father's  estate  was  settled,  he 
and  his  brother  William  formed  the  firm  of  Amasa  & 
William  Sprague,  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton  goods 
and  calico  printing.  Amasa,  the  senior  partner,  con- 
tinued to  superintend  the  business  of  the  print  works, 
and  Emanuel  Rice,  his  brother-in-law,  superintended 
the  cotton  mills  at  Xatick.  The  business  prospered. 
In  politics,  Amasa  Sprague  was  a  great  influence  in 
town  and  State.  He  represented  his  town  in  the  Leg- 
islature in  l8,?2,  1840  and  1S41.  His  characteristics 
have  been  described  by  a  contemporary  as  follows: 
"In  personal  appearance,  he  was  a  robust  man,  five 
feet,  nine  or  ten  inches  high,  weighing  perhaps  one 
hundred  and  ninety  pounds:  light  complexion  with 
dark  brown  hair.  When  his  mind  was  relieved  from 
business  he  was  lively,  jovial,  fond  of  a  good  joke,  com- 
panionable, social  to  the  highest  degree;    not  fond  of 


fine  clothes,  or  making  a  dashing  display;  never 
seemed  to  care  to  mingle  with  those  of  a  haughty  de- 
meanor; he  always  seemed  to  enjoy  himself  best  in 
the  society  of  the  common  people  in  the  humble  walk's 
of  life." 

Amasa  Sprague  was  nuirderod  by  an  Irishman,  John 
Gordon,  December  31,  1843.  He  was  returning  from 
the  print  works  when  he  was  shot  by  Gordon  in  the 
arm.  and  then  clubbed  to  death  with  a  gim.  Gordon's 
brother  had  been  refused  a  license  to  sell  intoxicating 
liquor,  on  the  remonstrance  of  Mr.  Sprague.  The  mur- 
derer was  executed  at  Providence,  after  trial  and  con- 
viction. Amasa  Sprague  married  Fanny  Morgan,  of 
Groton,  Conn.,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
Inwing  children:  1.  Mary  .Ann,  who  married  (first) 
John  E.  Nichols;  (second)  Frank  W.  Latham.  2. 
.Mmira,  who  married  Hon.  Thomas  A.  Doyle,  mayor 
of  Providence.  3.  .Aniasa.  mentioned  below.  4.  \Vil- 
liam,  mentioned  below. 

(\'H)  Governor  William  (5)  Sprague.  sun  of  Wil- 
liam (4)  and  Annie  (Potter)  Sprague,  and  brother  of 
.Amasa  Sprague.  above-mentioned,  was  born  in  Cran- 
ston, R.  I.,  November  3,  179Q.  His  education  was  limited 
t(p  that  furnished  by  the  public  schools  of  the  day.  He 
was.  however,  gifted  with  great  mechanical  genius,  and 
when  but  a  boy  succeeded,  after  all  other  weavers  in 
his  father's  employ  had  failed,  in  making  cloth  in  the 
new  Gilmore  looms.  He  assisted  in  the  building  of 
the  mill  at  Natick  in  1821,  and  on  the  death  of  his 
father  united  with  his  brother  under  the  old  firm  name 
of  \.  &  W.  Sprague.  The  business  was  pushed  for- 
ward rapidly,  and  on  Julv  6,  1848,  the  water  privilege 
on  Flat  river  in  Coventry  was  purcha'-ed,  a  new  dam 
built,  and  a  stone  mill  erected  with  many  new  houses. 
In  1851  another  mill  was  erected  with  two  hundred  and 
fifty  looms,  and  more  houses  in  what  is  now  called 
Quidnick.  In  1S52  the  firm  added  another  small  cotton 
mill  to  its  holdings,  between  Cenlerville  and  River  Point 
village,  and  there  erected  a  new  dam  and  a  large  cotton 
mill  operating  six  hundred  and  twelve  looms.  On  the 
western  slope  at  the  rear  of  the  mills  a  large  village  of 
tenement  houses  was  built  for  operatives  and  named 
.Arctic.  Mr.  Sprague  realized  the  necessity  of  gon<I 
methods  of  transportation  and  assisted  in  procuring  the 
charter  of  the  Hartford.  Providence  &  Fishkill  Hail- 
road  Company,  and  his  influence  was  successfully  ex- 
erted to  win  the  fmancial  support  of  the  city  of  Prov- 
idence. He  was  able  to  have  the  line  of  the  road  pass 
near  all  the  mills  of  his  tlrm.  While  the  railroad  was 
building,  the  firm  bought  a  water  privilege  on  the 
Shetucket  river  between  Willimantic  and  Norwich, 
Conn.,  and  erected  the  largest  cotton  mill  then  existing 
in  New   England. 

Early  in  life  Mr.  Sprague  was  an  influence  in  pol- 
itics. He  was  elected  a  representative  to  the  General 
-Assembly  from  Warwick,  and  took  his  seat,  May  11, 
1820;  was  reelected  in  1830  and  in  1831.  He  had  be- 
come a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  shortly  after  com- 
ing of  age,  but  at  the  time  of  the  anti-Masonic  agitation 
withdrew  from  the  fraternity  and  was  one  of  its  bitter- 
est enemies.  In  the  Assembly  he  succeeded  after  a 
stormy  fight  in  having  most  of  the  Masonic  charters  of 
the  State  abrogated.  He  was  elected  speaker  of  the 
House  in   1832,   1833,  and   1834.  and  was  defeated   for 


494 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


that  office  in  1835.  I"  1^35  ''^^  ^'3S  elected  to  the  United 
States  Congress  by  the  Jackson  and  anti-Masonic 
parties.  He  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Rhode 
Island  in  1838,  and  was  elected  to  that  office.  In  1839 
he  failed  of  reelection,  but  in  the  following  year  was 
returned  to  the  General  Assembly  as  representative. 
On  February  5.  184J,  William  Sprague  was  elected  to 
the  United  States  Senate.  In  1S44.  after  the  murder 
of  Amasa  Sprague,  Senator  William  Sprague  retired 
from  office  to  devote  his  remaining  years  to  the  man- 
agement of  the  extensive  Sprague  manufacturing  inter- 
ests. He  still  continued  to  be  a  powerful  factor  in 
public  and  political  life  in   Rhode  Island. 

Governor  William  Sprague  married  Mary  Waterman, 
of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  one 
child,  Byron,  who  was  born  Sept.  5,  1824,  died  July  31, 
1S6O;  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  A.  &  W. 
Sprague,  devoting  his  attention  chiefly  to  the  depart- 
ment of  machinery ;  he  was  also  a  large  dealer  in  real 
estate,  and  made  extensive  improvements  in  the  noted 
property  at  Rocky  Point,  in  Warwick ;  on  November  7, 
i86j,  he  retired  from  the  firm  of  A.  &  W.  Sprague; 
was  colonel  on  the  stafif  of  his  cousin.  Governor  Wil- 
liam Sprague. 

(VIII)  Araasa  (2)  Sprague,  son  of  Amasa  (i)  and 
Fanny  (Morgan)  Sprague,  was  born  in  Cranston,  R.  I,, 
December  19,  1828.  On  completing  his  education,  he 
became  a  partner  of  his  uncle  in  the  old  firm  of  A.  & 
W.  Sprague ;  after  his  uncle  died,  his  brother  William 
and  cousin  Byron  were  admitted  to  partnership  under 
the  same  firm  name.  Amasa  Sprague  was  the  founder 
of  the  Narragansett  Trotting  Park,  and  a  member  of 
the  National  Association  for  the  Promotion  of  the  In- 
terest of  the  American  Trotting  Turf,  of  which  he  was 
at  one  time  president.  For  many  years  he  was  a  prom- 
inent figure  in  pubhc  and  political  life  in  Rhode  Island, 
representing  his  town  in  the  General  Assembly.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  staff  of  his  brother.  Governor 
William  Sprague.  with  the  title  of  colonel,  and  assisted 
during  the  Civil  War  in  raising  troops  for  the  Union. 
He  died  on  August  2,  1902. 

Amasa  (2)  Sprague  married  Harriet  Byron  Sprague, 
daughter  of  Byron  Sprague,  a  well  known  Rhode  Island 
manufacturer.  They  were  the  parents  of  one  son, 
Amasa  (3)  Sprague,  who  was  born  April  24.  1875;  he 
married  Ethel  Tyler.  Mr.  Sprague  is  now  road  com- 
missioner of  Warwick,  R.  I.  Mrs.  Harriet  Byron 
Sprague  survives  her  husband,  and  resides  on  the 
Sprague  estate  at   East   Greenwich. 

(VIII)  Governor  William  (6)  Sprague,  son  of 
Amasa  (i)  and  Fanny  (Morgan)  Sprague,  and  nephew 
of  Governor  William  Sprague  (VII),  was  born  in  Cran- 
ston, R.  I..  September  12,  1830.  He  received  his  ele- 
mentary education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town, 
East  Greenwich  and  Scituate,  and  later  attended  the 
Irving  Institute  at  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.  His  connection 
with  the  firm  of  A.  &  W.  Sprague  began  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  years,  when  he  was  employed  in  the  factory 
store  at  Cranston,  which  was  conducted  in  connection 
with  the  extensive  cotton  manufacturing  and  calico 
printing  business  of  his  father  and  his  uncle.  Governor 
William  Sprague,  who  constituted  the  firm  of  A.  &  W. 
Sprague.  At  sixteen  he  entered  the  counting-house  of 
the  firm  in  Providence  as  an  assistant,  and  two  years 


later  w-as  promoted  to  the  office  of  bookkeeper.  In  1856, 
on  the  death  of  his  uncle,  Governor  William  Sprague, 
he  rose  to  a  leading  place  in  the  business  transactions  of 
the  company,  and  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  A. 
&  W.  Sprague  &  Company,  which  was  formed  in  that 
year  and  consisted  of  Amasa  Sprague,  William  Sprague, 
Byron  Sprague.  Fanny  Sprague.  widow  of  .\masa,  and 
her  daughters,  Almira  and  Mary  Anna.  Mary  Sprague, 
widow  of  William  Sprague.  The  business  plans  of  the 
firm  were  now  much  enlarged  and  extended  in  Rhode 
Island  and  Connecticut,  and  soon  afterward  A.  &  W. 
Sprague  &  Company  became  the  largest  calico  printing 
establishment  in  the  world,  running  nine  mammoth  mills 
capable  of  weaving  eight  hundred  thousand  yards  of 
cloth,  and  printing  one  million,  four  hundred  thousand 
yards  of  calico  per  week.  William  Sprague  was  active 
in  the  firm  for  many  years,  but  gave  much  of  his  time 
to  public  and  military  afiairs.  in  wliich  he  became  inter- 
ested at  an  early  date. 

In  1848  William  Sprague  joined  the  Marine  Artil- 
lery of  Providence  as  a  private,  and  by  gradual  promo- 
tion attained  the  rank  of  colonel,  in  which  post  he 
brought  his  command  to  a  standard  of  efficiency  equal 
to  any  similar  organization  in  the  country.  In  1859  he 
made  a  tour  of  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  studying  the 
military  systems  of  the  continent.  On  his  return  in 
i860  he  was  nominated  for  governor  of  Rhode  Island 
by  the  Republican  party.  In  the  following  year  he  was 
reelected  to  office,  and,  anticipating  the  outbreak  of  the 
rebellion,_  he  had  the  military  forces  of  the  Slate,  in- 
fantry and  artillery,  in  readiness  for  the  defence  of  the 
Union.  When  the  hour  of  action  came,  Rhode  Island 
was  one  of  the  first  States  to  respond  to  the  call  of 
President  Lincoln,  and  Governor  Sprague  stood  in  the 
van  and  led  his  troops  to  the  front,  gaining  deservedly 
the  title  of  "War  Governor."  He  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  July  21,  1861,  and  had  his  horse 
shot  under  him.  For  gallantry  on  the  field  of  battle 
and  tireless  and  invaluable  service  in  raising  troops  and 
preparing  them  for  the  front.  Governor  Sprague  was 
commissioned  brigadier-general,  but  that  he  might  re- 
tain his  civil  office  was  not  mustered  into  the  service. 
On  April  2,  1862,  he  was  chosen  United  States  Senator 
by  an  almost  unanimous  vote,  and  he  served  through 
the  trying  period  of  reconstruction  from  1865  to  1875, 
during  a  portion  of  which  time  he  was  a  member  of 
the  military  committee,  and  chairman  of  the  committee 
on  manufactures.  His  first  term  in  the  Senate  was  most 
trying,  because  of  the  great  demand  made  on  his  time 
by  the  Sprague  manufacturing  interests,  which  at  that 
time  purchased  extensive  properties  in  Maine,  Georgia 
and  South  Carolina,  and  built  a  cotton  mill  in  Central 
Falls,  R.  I.,  the  Morgan  mill  in  Johnston,  and  greatly 
extended  its  operations.  At  the  expiration  of  his  sec- 
ond term  in  1875,  Senator  Sprague  retired  to  private 
life.  In  1861  Governor  Sprague  received  from  Brown 
University  the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts,  and 
in  1866  became  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  University. 
His  great  estate,  Canonchct,  at  Narragansett  Pier,  R. 
I.,  was  his  home  during  his  latter  years. 

Governor  Sprague  stands  out  a  revered  and  loved 
figure  in  the  history  of  Rhode  Island,  of  whom  the  his- 
torian Abbott  says :  "The  gallant  young  governor  and 
chieftain,    Sprague    of   Rhode    Island,    carved   a   device 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


405 


upon  his  escutcheon  which  wil]  prove  him  to  be  one  of 
nature's   noblemen   through  all  coming  time." 

Governor  Sprague  married  Catherine  Chase,  daughter 
of  Hon.  Salmon  P.  Chase,  November  12,  1863.  Hon. 
Salmon  P.  Chase  was  one  of  the  ablest  political  leaders 
of  the  Civil  War  period,  and  ranks  among  the  fore- 
most of  American  statesmen.  .As  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  in  President  Lincoln's  cabinet  during  the  first 
three  years  of  the  Civil  War,  he  rendered  services  of 
the  s;reatest  value.  In  1864  he  was  appointed  Chief 
Justice  of  tlie  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  to 
succeed  Judge  Roger  B.  Taney,  a  position  which  he  held 
until  his  death  in  1873.  The  children  of  William  and 
Catherine  (Chase)  Sprague  were:  l.  William,  men- 
tioned below.  J.  Ethel,  born  in  1S70.  3.  Catherine.  b"rn 
in  1872.    4.  Portia,  born  in  1874. 

(IX)  William  Sprague.  son  of  Governor  William  (6) 
and  Catherine  (Chase)  Sprague,  was  born  in  1865.  He 
married  .\vice  Weed,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  one 
child,  Inez,  born  Xov.  3,  1886,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Henry  Williams  Stiness,  and  they  had  one  daughter, 
.\vico.  born  Nov.  30,  1908. 


ALBERT  HARRIS  TILLINGHAST— In  associa- 
tion with  the  Grosvenordale  Company,  a  connection  in 
which  he  succeeded  his  honored  father,  Mr.  Tillinghast 
has  long  been  a  prominent  figure  in  the  industrial  world 
of  Rhode  Island.  In  many  oflicial  positions,  including 
that  of  presidency,  he  shared  in  the  responsibility  for 
the  development  and  prosperity  of  this  large  enterprise. 
In  his  association  with  William  Grosvenor  and  as  his 
successor,  is  attributed  much  of  the  credit  for  the  suc- 
cessful growth  and  expansion  01  the  company  to  such 
a  conspicuous  position  in  its  line. 

Mr.  Tillinghast  is  a  son  of  John  J.  and  Mary  Shel- 
don (.Vrnold)  Tillinghast.  The  Tillinghasts  are  de- 
scendants from  some  of  Rhode  Island's  original  pioneer 
families.  John  J.  Tillinghast  was  connected  with  the 
Grosvenordale  Company  from  1859  until  his  death.  He 
and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  five  children;  .Mbert 
H.,  of  further  mention ;  Henry.  Frederick,  Allen,  and 
Louisa. 

.MlH;rt  Harris  Tillinghast  was  born  in  Cranston,  R.  I., 
April  5,  1843.  When  he  was  two  years  of  age  Provi- 
dence became  the  family  home.  He  attended  school  in 
Attleboro  Falls,  resuming  his  studies  in  Providence,  in 
1859.  His  business  experience  began  in  the  Mohawk 
National  Dank,  of  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  an  institution  of 
which  his  brother-in-law  was  cashier.  His  lather's 
lailmg  health  caused  him  to  return  to  Providence  in 
1876,  and  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Grosvenordale 
Company,  in  the  Providence  office.  In  1876  he  became 
his  father's  temporary  successor,  and  in  January  of  the 
following  year  he  was  permanently  attached  to  the  com- 
pany personnel.  .As  he  became  increasingly  familiar 
with  all  departments  of  the  company,  and  planned  with 
its  officials  the  steady,  vigorous  growth  that  has  char- 
acterized its  existence,  he  was  entrusted  with  more 
and  more  important  duties.  In  1905  he  was  elected 
assistant  treasurer  and  in  1906,  upon  the  death  of  Mr. 
William  Grosvenor,  he  became  president  and  treasurer 
of  the  company.  He  filled  these  positions  until  1908. 
when  he  resigned  the  presidency  in  favor  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Grosvenor,  and  later  the  position  of  treasurer.     In 


1913  he  was  elected  an  honorary  vice-president.  His 
identification  with  the  Grosvenordale  Company  has  been 
a  long  record  of  usefulness,  and  in  addition  to  his 
part  in  the  direction  of  the  general  policy  of  the  concern, 
he  was  the  main  influence  in  the  installation  of  the  most 
modern  methods  of  accounting,  cost-keeping,  and  the 
many  aids  by  means  of  which  otVice  efficiency  keeps 
pace  with  the  production  department. 

He  married,  in  18(19,  .\nne  Isabel,  daughter  of  Ur. 
Mark  .\nthony  Cushing.  Of  this  marriage  tlure  is  one 
daughter.  Louisa. 

Mr.  Tillinghast  is  one  who  might  be  termed  a  typical 
Xcw  England  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  and  it  would 
l>e  with  much  pleasure  that  one  would  recall  such  a 
personage. 


WILLIAM  H.  McSOLEY,  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Klii'de  Island  tar.  li.i^  been  actively  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  this  city  for  more  than  sixteen  years, 
and  in  that  time  has  earned  the  respect  of  his  fellow  cit- 
izens and  professional  colleagues  for  his  abilities  as  an 
attorney  and  his  sterling  qualilies  as  a  man.  .Mr.  Mc- 
Soley  is  a  native  of  Providence,  bom  Ucceniber  II, 
1875,  a  son  of  William  and  Catherine  I  Friery)  Mc- 
Soley,  natives  and  old  residents  of  Providence. 

.■\s  a  lad  William  H.  McSoley  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Providence,  and  later  graduated  from  the 
high  school.  M  that  time  he  had  not  decided  to  fol- 
low the  law  as  a  profession,  as  was  later  his  career. 
He  entered  the  Civil  Engineer's  Department  of  the  city 
of  Providence,  May  29,  1893,  and  remained  until  .Xpril 
I,  1899,  becoming  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  applica- 
tion of  engineering  principles  to  practical  problems. 
While  securing  this  practical  experience,  he  likewise 
studied  in  this  profession,  and  in  1899  he  opened  an 
office  in  Providence  for  the  private  practice  of  civil 
engineering,  and  often  was  called  on  as  a  civil  engineer 
to  testify  in  cases  tried  in  the  courts  of  Rho<le  Island, 
and  as  a  result  thereof,  he  studied  and  read  law,  and 
on  May  22,  1903,  he  passed  the  examinations  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Rhode  Island  bar. 

From  the  time  of  his  first  admission  to  the  present,  Mr. 
McSoley  has  been  engaged  in  a  general  law  active  prac- 
tice, and  has  now  built  up  a  large  law  practice  and  gained 
an  enviable  reputation  which  extends  throughout  the 
entire  community.  In  politics  Mr.  McSoley  is  a  Demo- 
crat. He  is  not  a  politician  in  any  sense  of  the  word, 
however,  and  is  far  too  much  absorbed  in  his  pro- 
fessional activities  to  concern  himself  for  political 
preferment  or  to  be  ambitious  for  public  office,  although 
his  natural  talents  and  training  have  well  fitted  him  for 
such  responsibility.  He  was  at  one  time  solicitor  of 
Warren,  R.  I.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Columbus  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  the  Rhode  Island  Bar 
.\ssociation  and  the  .American  Bar  .Association.  In 
religious  belief  he  is  a  Roman  (Catholic  and  attends  St. 
Mary's  Church  of  that  denomination  at  Warren,   R.  I. 

Mr.  McSoley  married  (first)  October  10,  1906,  Mary 
I!.  Quinn,  of  Cranston,  R.  I.  Children:  Catherine  £., 
and  William  H.,  Jr.  Mrs.  McSoley  died  August  15, 
1912.  Mr.  McSoley  married  again,  September  30,  1914. 
and  has  two  children  by  the  second  marriage:  .Alice 
E.,  and  James  M. 


496 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


ORIS  CHILDS  HILL,  treasurer,  secretary  and 
general  manager  of  the  Pawtucket  Screw  Company,  of 
No.  143  Hughes  avenue,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  intimately  identified  with  the  general 
life  of  this  place,  is  a  native  of  Oswegatchie,  St.  Law- 
rence county.  New  York  State,  where  he  was  born  on 
Christmas  Day,  1872.  Mr.  Hill  is  a  son  of  Charles 
W.  and  Mary  Jane  (Hesselgrave)  Hill,  and  a  grand- 
son of  Oris  Childs  and  Laura  Hill,  of  Oswegatchie. 
The  elder  Oris  Childs  Hill  was  also  born  at  Osweg- 
atchie. He  was  an  iron  founder,  and  the  proprietor  of 
the  only  iron  foundry  in  that  section  of  the  State  at 
that  time.  He  was  also  active  in  town  affairs,  leader 
of  the  band,  moderator  of  town  meetings,  etc. 

Charles  W.  Hill  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  county, 
N.  Y.,  in  1845,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  vol- 
unteered for  the  service  of  his  country  in  the  Civil  War. 
He  enlisted.  May  15,  1861,  in  Company  A,  Sixteenth 
Regiment,  New  York  \'nlunteers,  and  served  through- 
out his  term  of  enlistment — three  years.  He  reenlisted 
in  Company  E,  Fourteenth  Regiment,  Heavy  Artillery, 
and  served  throughout  the  remainder  of  that  heroic 
struggle,  serving  in  all  four  years  and  one  and  one-half 
months.  As  soon  as  he  completed  his  services  to  his 
country,  and  hostilities  had  ceased,  he  returned  to  the 
North  and  entered  his  father's  foundry,  where  he 
learned  the  business  of  iron  founding.  Later,  however, 
he  withdrew  from  this  line  and  took  up  farming,  in 
which  occupation  he  persevered  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1901.  Charles  W.  Hill  mar- 
ried Mary  Jane  Hesselgrave,  like  himself  a  native  of 
St.  Lawrence  county.  New  York,  where  her  birth  oc- 
curred in  1844.  Mrs.  Hill  died  in  1S84,  when  only  forty 
years  of  age.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Oris  Childs,  of  whom  further;  George  W., 
born  Aug.  13,  1870,  now  the  proprietor  of  a  sanitarium 
in  New  York  City;  Harley  S.,  born  May  2,  1875,  now 
a  contractor  and  builder  of  Waterbury,  Conn. 

Oris  Childs  Hill  passed  his  early  life  at  his  native 
town  of  Oswegatchie,  and  it  was  there  that  he  first 
attended  school.  Later  he  went  to  the  public  schools  of 
Lisbon,  but  at  an  early  age  was  obliged  to  give  up  his 
studies  and  seek  some  remunerative  employment.  For 
a  time  he  worked  with  a  section  crew,  of  which  his 
uncle  was  tlie  boss,  and  then  secured  a  position  as 
orderly  in  the  State  Sanitarium.  After  one  year  of 
work  there,  he  went  to  Waterbury,  Conn.,  and  there 
for  the  two  following  years  drove  a  milk  wagon.  In 
Waterbury  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Scovill  Manu- 
facturing Company,  where  he  learned  the  business  of 
screw  and  rivet  manufacture,  but  after  a  year  spent 
there,  he  became  connected  with  the  Waterbury  Manu- 
facturing Company,  a  concern  engaged  in  the  same  line 
of  business.  Two  years  later  he  was  promoted  to  the 
position  of  foreman  in  this  concern,  but  did  not  enjoy 
the  promotion  very  long,  as  he  withdrew  from  the  con- 
cern and  went  to  Boston,  Mass.,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  New  England  Screw  Company  as  fore- 
man. After  one  year  with  this  concern,  he  returned  to 
Waterbury,  and  once  more  became  connected  with  the 
Waterbury  Machine  Company,  but  after  a  short  time 
left  that  concern  to  take  an  excellent  position  with  the 
Waterbury    Manufacturing    Company,    where    he    was 


placed  in  charge  of  the  heading  department.  He  again 
removed  to  Boston  to  take  the  same  position  with  the 
New  England  Screw  Company,  this  time  remaining  with 
that  concern  for  six  years.  Subsequently  he  went  to 
New  Bedford,  and  there  worked  for  two  years  with  the 
Continental  Wood  Screw  Company.  At  the  end  of  this 
period,  he  came  to  Pawtucket,  and  here  organized  the 
Pawtucket  Screw  Company,  of  which  he  is  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  secretary,  treasurer  and  general  manager.  This 
concern  was  incorporated  May  2,  igio.  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers:  Joseph  Gilpin,  president;  Mr.  Hill, 
treasurer ;  Arthur  W.  Thomas,  secretary.  Mr.  Gilpin, 
however,  sold  out  his  interest  in  May,  191 1,  while  in 
November,  191 1,  Mr.  Thomas  sold  his  interest.  Mr. 
Taudoin  became  president  of  the  concern,  and  Mr.  Hill 
assumed  his  present  offices.  It  was  an  act  of  courage 
and  great  self  confidence  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Hill  in . 
founding  the  Pawtucket  Screw  Company.  His  partners, 
indeed,  became  fearful  of  the  result  of  the  venture  ere 
it  had  been  in  existence  for  above  a  year,  and  sold 
out  their  interests,  but  the  final  result  has  amply  jus- 
tified the  optimism  of  Mr.  Hill,  and  the  concern  is  now 
one  of  the  best  and  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island.  It  was  largely  the  hard  work  and  in- 
defatigable patience  of  Mr.  Hill  which  brought  about 
this  result,  and  developed  from  a  small  beginning  a 
prosperous  concern.  Since  that  time,  Mr.  Hill  has 
erected  a  large  modern  plant  of  brick,  equipped  with 
twenty-five  machines,  and  fifteen  hands  are  employed 
continually  in  the  work.  The  concern  manufactures 
screws,  stove  bolts,  rivets  and  dobby  pegs. 

Oris  Childs  Hill  was  united  in  marriage,  April  5, 
1902,  at  Shrewsbury,  Mass.,  with  Ella  Beach,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  and  Johanna  E.  Beach,  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  Cheshire,  Conn.,  where  tlie 
former  was  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farming  for 
many  years.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  the  following  chil- 
dren have  been  born:  Viola  Margaret,  born  July  18, 
1904;  Ethel  Erma,  born  Oct.  15,  1906,  died  June  13, 
1913;  Ora  Mariam,  born  Feb.  10,  1917,  died  April  17, 
1917. 


HERBERT  SWALLOW,  now  one  of  Rhode 
Island's  substantial  agriculturists,  his  farm  the  old  John 
D.  Weld,  and  Hall  and  Gleason  farms  on  Douglas  ave- 
nue, about  one  mile  north  of  Woodville,  reviews  a  life 
of  business  activity  from  the  time  he  invested  in  a  milk 
route  and  to  which  later  an  ice  business  was  added 
which  brought  him  a  competence.  He  won  his  present 
position  as  a  farm  owner  through  close  attention  to 
his  business  and  by  earnest  striving  to  improve  every 
hour  and  every  opportunity.  He  is  a  self-made  man 
in  the  truest  sense,  his  success  the  result  of  industry, 
economy,  integrity  and  sound  business  judgment.  To 
these  strong  traits  of  character,  Mr.  Swallow  adds  a 
pleasing  personality  and  an  unfailing  courtesy  which 
has  brouglit  him  a  host  of  friends.  He  is  a  son  of 
Edward  Makin  and  Mary  Ann  (Dobson)  Swallow, 
and  a  grandson  of  William  and  Mary  A.  Swallow,  all 
of  Manchester,  England. 

Edward  Makin  Swallow  was  born  in  Manchester, 
England,  and  there  learned  the  trade  of  paper  hanger 
and   painter.      He   married   in    Manchester,   and   about 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


4y7 


1859  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  wile  and  eld- 
est child.  He  located  in  Providonce.  R.  I.,  and  there 
was  employed  at  his  trade  until  his  death,  March  i, 
1893.  He  was  an  excelleiit  workman,  very  industrious 
and  thrifty  but,  liaving  a  large  family  depending  upon 
his  efforts,  did  not  succeed  in  earning  more  than 
enough  for  their  support.  He  contracted  poisoning 
from  his  contact  with  paints  and  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two  years.  He  married  (first)  in  England,  Mary 
Ann  Dobson,  born  in  Manchester,  died  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  July  24,  1876,  aged  forty-two  years.  Children, 
all  born  in  Providence,  except  the  eldest,  who  was 
born  in  Manchester,  England:  i.  Eliza  Jane,  married 
Charles  M.  Martin,  and  resides  in  Boston,  Mass.  2. 
Charles  Albert,  married  Francena  I.  Campbell,  and 
resides  in  North  Providence.  3.  Harriet  S.,  married 
Charles  Snell,  of  Providence,  and  has  a  daughter,  Mil- 
dred I.,  who  married  Charles  E.  Hopkins,  and  they 
have  a  son,  Herbert  Hopkins.  4.  Herbert,  of  whom 
further  mention  is  made.  ?.  James  E.,  married  Mary 
Rigney,  and  has  a  son,  James  E.  (2)  Swallow.  6. 
Frederick,  who  married  Minnie  Roberts,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  six  children:  Mary  E.,  deceased; 
George  Frederick;  Etta  May  and  Everettc  Roberts 
(twins,  the  latter  deceased);  Albert  Chester;  Walter,  y. 
Edward  Makin  (2>,  married  Lillian  A.  Hutchinson, 
who  died  July  18,  1904.  Edward  Makin  Swallow  mar- 
ried (second)  Margaret  Vanini,  who  survived  him, 
without  children. 

Herbert  Swallow,  fourth  child  and  second  son  of 
Edward  Makin  and  his  first  wife,  Mary  .^nn  (Dobson) 
Swallow,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  October  2. 
1865,  and  there  attended  public  school  until  eleven 
years  of  age.  He  then  became  a  wage  earner,  begin- 
ning as  an  errand  boy  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Burton, 
a  coal  and  wood  dealer  of  Providence.  His  next  em- 
ployment was  at  the  .Mien  Print  Works,  going  thence  to 
the  .American  Screw  Company,  remaining  with  the  last 
company  three  years.  During  all  these  years  in  which 
he  had  passed  from  boy  to  manhood  he  had  carefully 
conserved  his  earnings,  and  little  by  little  they  had 
grown  to  quite  a  respectable  sum,  not  large,  but  sutTi- 
cicnt  to  engage  in  a  small  business  oi  his  own.  This 
capital  he  invested  in  a  milk  route  and  in  the  lease  of 
the  Daniel  Hyman  farm  on  Metcalf  avenue.  North 
Providence,  and  by  carefully  attending  to  his  business 
at  the  farm  and  on  the  milk  route  he  built  up  a  profit- 
able dairying  enterprise.  Soon  a  large  farm,  a  bigger 
herd  and  greater  delivery  facilities  were  a  necessity, 
the  Mr.  Millar  farm  on  Fruit  Hill  being  leased  to 
meet  these  dcmand-s.  There  he  conducted  his  dairy 
and  business  until  June,  1888,  when  he  ceased  to  rent 
and  became  a  land  owner,  purchasing  the  John  D. 
Weld  farm  on  Douglas  avenue.  Thirty  years  have  since 
elapsed,  vears  which  have  been  periods  of  prosperity 
for  Mr.  Swallow.  To  the  original  purchase  of  thirty 
acres  he  has  added  the  Hall  and  Gleason  tracts  con- 
taining forty-two  acres,  the  whole  now  being  under 
cultivation,  well  improved  and  profitable.  The  milk 
route,  which  was  the  source  of  his  prosperity,  was 
continued  until  March,  100,^,  then  was  sold  and  Mr. 
Swallow's  entire  attention  was  given  to  the  ice  busi- 
ness which  he  had  established  in  1889.  That  depart- 
ment of  his  business  became  so  profitable  that  he  made 


it  his  main  line,  and  after  selling  his  dairy  business 
dealt  extensively  both  at  wholesale  and  retail.  The  ice 
was  cut  from  the  Wensoott  Reservoir,  adjoining  his 
farm,  and  e.nch  year  a  larger  crop  was  harvested  and 
the   business   grew   to  one   of   very   large   proportions. 

Business  was  conducted  along  those  lines  until  1908. 
then  he  discontinued  all  dealing,  confined  his  business 
solely  to  harvesting  ice  for  other  dealers  or  companies 
under  contract.  Finally,  in  the  spring  of  1918,  he 
withdrew  from  business  entirely  to  the  management  and 
cultivation  of  his  farm,  which  he  has  made  one  of  the 
attraction  places  of  his  section.  His  various  enter- 
prises have  brout'ht  him  wide  acquaintance,  while  his 
manly,  upright  life  has  won  him  unusual  esteem.  How 
his  business  grew  under  his  straightforward,  honorable 
methods  of  dealing  may  be  seen  from  these  figures. 
When  he  began  putting  up  ice  for  the  market,  his  first 
crop  harvested  and  totaled  three  thousand  t<ins,  his  last 
crop  was  twenty-five  thousand  tons. 

Mr.  .Swallow  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  from 
1003  until  1909  served  North  Providence  as  a  member 
of  the  Town  Council.  From  1909  to  1910  he  repre- 
sented North  Providence  in  the  Lower  House  of  the 
General  .Assembly;  in  19TI-12  he  served  his  district 
:■;  Sfn:;tor.  In  that  body  he  served  his  town  with  zeal, 
adding  to  his  reputation  as  a  man  of  sound  judgment 
;!nd  intelligence.  He  is  a  member  of  Loyal  Victoria 
Lodge.  Manchester  I'nity,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  is  interested  in  all  that  concerns  the  wel- 
fare of  the  town. 


EDWARD  M.  DART — More  than  half  a  century 
ago  the  E,  ^L  Dart  Manufacturing  Company  was 
established  in  Providence,  .and  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago  the  company  became  an  incorporated  business  en- 
terprise. Edward  M.  liart.  president  and  manager  of 
the  company  since  incorporation,  was  a  young  man  oi 
thirty  when  he  established  the  business  which  bears 
his  name.  He  is  a  Connecticut  boy,  educated  in  me- 
chanical lines  at  Providence.  He  began  in  a  very  small 
way  to  manufacture  gas  fittings  in  1865,  but  even  then 
quality  was  the  first  consideration,  and  from  that 
sterling  business  principle  there  has  been  no  devia- 
tion. The  founding,  development  and  management  oi 
the  company  which  bears  his  name  has  been  Mr.  Dart's 
lifcw'irk  and  now  well  advanced  in  years  he  can  review 
his  career  with  the  satisfaction  of  duty  well  pcrfurmed 
and  lite  well  si)ent.  He  has  not  lived  selfishly,  but 
broad  minded  and  generous  he  has  freely  extended  the 
helping  hand  and  has  never  torn  down  another  that  he 
might  rise.  He  is  fond  of  the  beautiful  in  life.  Suc- 
cess came  to  him  late  in  life,  in  fact  he  was  a  man 
of  sixty  before  the  success  of  one  of  his  own  inven- 
tions, the  Dart  Self  Lubricating  Stop  Cock,  for  steam, 
gas,  water,  or  oil,  became  the  basis  of  an  enlarged 
business  which  was  incorporated  as  the  E.  M.  Dart 
Manufacturing  Company.  Since  then  patented  special- 
ties, some  of  them  his  own  invention,  have  been  the 
company's  sole  line  of  manufacture,  the  list  including 
malleable  iron,  bronze  joint  union  couplings,  flanged 
unions,  plain  and  galvanised  elbow  and  tie  unions,  self 
lubricating  stop  cocks,  gas  fixture  appliances,  an  ini- 
proved  steam  glue  heater.     The  company  employ  in  their 


R  I-2-S2 


498 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


20.000  feet  of  factory  space  at  No.  134  Thurbers  avenue, 
from  sixty  to  seventy  men. 

Edward  M.  Dart  was  born  at  New  London,  Conn., 
in  i8,?5,  and  there  attended  the  public  schools.  After 
completing  his  school  years  he  followed  his  own 
inclinations  and  became  a  machinist,  learning  his  trade 
with  Law  &  Kenyon,  No.  212  Westminster  street, 
Providence,  R.  I.  He  continued  in  that  employ  until 
1858,  then  spent  four  years  in  the  service  of  the  Provi- 
dence Steam  and  Gas  Pipe  Company.  In  1862  he  left 
Providence  for  a  time,  going  to -Taunton,  Mass.,  with 
the  Mason  Machine  Company,  but  soon  afterward  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Hudson  and  Wood  Steam  and 
Gas  Company,  continuing  until  1866.  He  was  then 
thirty  years  of  age,  a  good  machinist,  well  schooled  in 
steam  and  gas  fitting  lines.  He  decided  to  use  his  skill 
and  talents  for  his  own  benefit,  and  in  1865,  in  the 
Barstow  Stove  Works  building  on  Point  street,  Provi- 
dence, he  began  the  manufacture  of  gas  fittings.  Thus 
in  a  very  small  and  quiet  way  the  E.  M.  Dart  Manu- 
facturing Company  sprang  into  being,  and  for  nearly 
thirty  years  its  course  was  unmarked  by  success.  With 
the  year  1894  came  the  granting  of  patents  for  the  Dart 
Self  Lubricating  Stop  Cocks  and  with  that  invention 
came  a  demand  for  goods  which  only  could  be  supplied 
by  an  enlarged  plant.  Incorporation  of  the  business. 
1894,  brought  the  needed  capital,  and  in  the  larger 
plant  patented  specialties  have  since  been  manufac- 
tured. Dart  unions  and  flanges  had  become  known  lor 
their  e.xcellent  quality,  and  the  little  plant  was  never 
idle,  progress  marking  every  year  and  its  reputation 
high.  Dart  on  unions,  flanges  or  elbows  means  quality, 
•ind  so  well  known  is  this  fact  that  they  are  often 
specified  in  construction  of  plants  and  systems  requir- 
ing both  high  and  low  pressure.  In  the  L'nited  States 
the  business  is  conducted  by  the  E.  M.  Dart  Manu- 
facturing Company  of  F'rovidence,  R.  I.,  the  parent 
company,  the  Canadian  business,  being  conducted  by 
the  Dart  Union  Company,  Limited,  of  Toronto.  Mr. 
Dart  in  his  personality  again  proves  that  years  are 
a  matter  for  the  calendar,  but  age  is  entirely  of  the 
mind.  An  octogenarian  certainly  must  be  old  if  the 
calendar  is  true,  but  Mr.  Dart  is  young  and  enjoys 
life  to  the  full,  his  business  associates,  his  home  sur- 
roundings and  favored  recreations.  Quiet  and  retiring, 
he  is  yet  public-spirited  and  helpful,  no  appeal  in  char- 
ity's name  being  made  in  vain.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society.  He  maintains  a 
summer  hcjnie  at  Shawomet  Beach,  Kent  county,  R.  I., 
Providence  being  his  home  city. 


ISAAC  FREEMAN  CHACE— Mr.  Chace's  activity 
in  business  life  dates  to  1884.  with  Burt  and  Snow, 
wholesale  woolen  merchants,  in  the  Butler  Exchange 
building  at  Providence.  He  remained  in  this  firm  sev- 
eral years,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  their  business  he 
became  connected  with  the  firm  of  Snow  and  Farn- 
ham.  printers  and  publishers,  on  Custom  House  street. 
Since  that  time  he  has  risen  to  position  of  responsi- 
bility and  influence  and  is  in  the  ranks  of  the  promi- 
nent business  men  of  Providence. 

Isaac  F.  Chace,  son  of  Charles  and  Isis  L.  {Helton) 
Chace,  his  father  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  was  born 
in    Dighton,    Mass.,    November   5,   1867.      He   attended 


the  public  schools  of  Providence,  and  as  a  youth  of 
seventeen  years  became  employed  with  the  firm  of 
Burt  and  Snow.  On  March  18,  1891,  he  entered  the 
employ  of  Snow  and  Farnham,  as  bookkeeper,  and  on 
April  3,  191 1,  he  was  admitted  to  the  corporation, 
Snow  &  Farnham  Company.  He  is  now  vice-president, 
secretary,  and  assistant  treasurer,  and  well  known  in 
the  printing  trade.  Mr.  Chace  holds  the  thirty-second 
degree  in  the  Masonic  order,  affiliating  with  Orpheus 
Lodge,  No.  36,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Provi- 
dence Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Providence 
Council,  No.  i,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  St.  John's 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  and  Rhode  Island 
Consistory,  Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish  Rite.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  Palestine  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  Mr.  Chace  is  ac- 
complished in  a  vocal  way  and  enjoys  singing.  While 
not  a  soloist,  he  has  taken  part  in  choir  and  chorus 
work.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Choral 
.Association,  the  Arion  Chorus,  St.  John's  Episcopal 
Church  choir  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Orpheus 
Lodge  Chorus  and  the  Shrine  Chanters.  His  church  is 
the  Westminster  Unitarian.  Mr.  Chace  is  a  member, 
also  treasurer  of  the  Typotheta;  of  Rhode  Island,  also 
member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Horticultural  Society, 
Providence  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Providence  Credit 
Men's  Association,  and  Town  Criers  of  Rhode  Island. 
Mr.  Chace  married,  in  Providence,  October  7,  igi6, 
Laura  May,  daugliter  of  Reuben  A.  and  Francelia 
Allen  Stewart.  They  are  the  parents  of  Stewart  Free- 
man, born  September  5,   1917. 


REV.  BASIL  TURULA— The  zealous  pastor  of  the 
Ruthenian  Greek  Catholic  Church  of  Woonsocket,  re- 
quires no  introduction  to  his  fellow-citizens.  By  rea- 
son of  the  influence  he  has  exerted  in  behalf  of  good 
citizenship  no  less  than  by  the  value  of  his  religious 
labors.  Mr.  Turula  is  most  richly  deserving  of  the 
high  esteem  with  which  he  is  regarded  in  the  city 
which,  for  the  last  eight  years,  has  been  his  home 
and  the  scene  and  centre  of  his  evangelistic  work. 

Alexander  Turula,  father  of  Basil  Turula,  was  born 
in  1856,  in  Galicia,  and  followed  the  calling  of  a  farmer. 
He  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  settling  at  Mc- 
Keesport,  Pa.,  where  he  remained  five  years,  at  the  end 
of  that  time  returning  to  his  native  land,  where  he 
passed  the  latter  years  of  his  life.  He  married,  in  his 
own  country,  Anna  Ryby,  also  a  native  of  Galicia, 
where  she  was  born  in  1861,  and  their  children  were: 
Basil,  mentioned  below,  John,  of  Newark,  N.  J.; 
Marie,  wife  of  Theodore  Kaskiw,  also  of  Newark; 
Michael;  and  .\nna.  The  two  last  named  are  living  in 
Galicia.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turula  were  not  long  separated 
by  death,  inasmuch  as  both  passed  away  in  the  year  1913. 

Basil  Turula,  son  of  Alexander  and  Anna  (Ryby) 
Turula,  was  born  September  24,  1881,  in  Galicia,  and 
received  his  education  in  the  college  at  Lemberg,  grad- 
uating in  1904.  In  1910,  in  Philadelphia,  he  was  or- 
dained to  the  priesthood  by  Archbishop  Andrew  Shep- 
tysky,  and  for  one  year  thereafter  served  as  curate  at 
Berwick,  Pa.  On  September  i,  191 1,  he  came  to  his 
present  parish,  of  which  the  Church  of  St.  Michael  is 
the  centre,  and  the  years  which  have  since  elapsed  have 
been   filled   with   fruitful   endeavor.     The   church    now 


^ .__  i^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


499 


minibers  two  hundred  and  fifty  families,  and  seven  hun- 
dred soids.  Plans  ore  completed  for  a  l)rick  edifice  to 
lie  erected  on  Blackstonc  street.  l''athcr  Turula  is  a 
member  of  the  Ukrainian  Union. 

While  the  rector  of  St.  Michael's  Church  has  won 
the  love  and  loj'alty  of  the  people  of  his  parish,  he  lias 
also  commanded,  by  the  e.xample  and  influence  of  his 
work,  the  profound  respect  and  cordial  regard  of  his 
fellow-citizens  of  Woonsockct,  and  it  is  greatly  to  he 
hoped  that  he  will  long  remain  in  his  present  field  of 
labor. 


FELIX  HEBERT  and  FRANK  VICTOR  HE- 
BERT — .Vniimg  tlic  most  successful  business  men  of 
VVoonsocket  should  be  mentioned  Felix  Hebert,  late  of 
this  city,  and  his  son,  Frank  Victor  Hebert,  administra- 
tor of  the  former's  estate,  and  who  now  conducts  a 
large  trucking  business  founded  ly  his  father  here. 
Felix  Hebert  was  born  September  4.  1867,  at  St.  Hugh, 
Province  of  Quebec,  Canada. 

As  a  lad  he  passed  his  time  in  his  native  place  and 
there  worked  while  still  very  young  on  the  local  farm, 
his  educational   advantages  being  exceedingly  meager. 
In  the  year  1892  he  came  to  his  country  and  settled  at 
VVoonsocket.  which  thereafter  remained  his  home  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  December  13,  igi8.     Upon  com- 
ing to  Wo<insocket  to  live  Felix  Hebert  at  once  estab- 
lished himself  in  a  trucking  business,  and  then  returned 
temporarily  to  Canada,  where  he  married  (1892)  Marie 
Louise  Lamothe.     He  returned  to  VVoonsocket  with  hi-. 
wife  immediately  and  resumed  his  active  conduct  of  the 
In:siness  which  was  at  that  time  very  small.      Mr.  Hebert 
started  with  but  one  team,  but  gradually  added  to  his 
equipment  until  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  had  a  com- 
plete equipment  of  motor  trucks  and  horse  drawn  ve- 
hicles of  many  types  and  kinds.     He  also  employed  a 
large  number  of  hands  and  gave  particular  attention  to 
long    distance    hauling,    maintaining    routes    between 
VVoonsocket  and  a  number  of  far  distant  points.     Mr. 
Hebert  was  a   Roman   Catholic  in  belief,  attended  the 
Precious   Blood   Church   in   this   City   for  many  years, 
and  was  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  works  of  the  jjarish. 
He  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  for  a  time  was 
active  in  public   affairs   here,   although   he   never  held 
any   public   office  himself.      He  and  his  wife  were  the 
parents  of  ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  as 
follows:       Frank    Victor,    mentioned    below;     Joseph, 
Felix,  .■Vugustine,  .Andrew.  Rose  .'Vlma,  Marie  Louise. 
Blanche,  Philomene,  and  Margaret.   All  of  these  children 
were  educated  at  the  parochial  schools  of  VVoonsocket. 
Frank  Victor  Hebert,  eldest  son  of  Felix  and  Marie 
Louise  (Lamothe)   Hebert,  was  born  August  30,  1894, 
at    VVoonsocket,    and    was    educated    at    the    parochial 
schools  of  this  city  and   St.  Joseph   College,  Berthier- 
ville.   Province  of  Quebec,  Canada.     L'pon  completing 
his   studies   at   the  last   named   institution.   Mr.    Hebert 
returned  to  the   United   States  and  began  to  work   in 
his  father's  establishment,  where  he  had  already  become 
familiar   with    the    work,    having   assisted    there    since 
fifteen  years  of  age.     The  elder  man,  soon  realizing  his 
ability  as  a  manager  and  executive,  placed  him  more  and 
more   in   the   responsible   management   of  the  business 
and  now,  since  the  death  of  the  elder  man,  Mr.  Hebert 
has  taken  over  the  entire  management  of  the  large  con- 


cern. He  has  continued  to  develop  the  business,  it 
being  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  this  region.  Mr. 
Hebert  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  attends  the 
t  hurch  of  the  Precious  Blood,  of  VVoonsocket,  and  is 
liberal  in  the  support  which  he  gives  to  the  parish 
work.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lodge  of  National  Arti- 
sans, of  VVoonsocket,  and  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in 
the  social  and  fraternal  life  of  this  coinmunitv. 


GRANVILLE  S.  STANDISH,  a  direct  descendent 
of  Captain  Miles  Standish,  was  born  in  Memphis,  Tenn., 
ill  1872.     At  sixteen  he  left  school  to  start  in  the  print- 
ing and  advertising  business.     In  1894  he  went  to  New 
Vork   and   became  advertising   manager  of   Spcrry    & 
Hutchinson    Company.      Later   he   became   advertising 
niaiiager  of  a  newspaper,  "The  Observer,"  Jersey  City, 
leaving  there  in  1897  to  accept  the  advertising  manager- 
ship of  the  Providence  "Telegram."     Four  years  later 
.VIr.  Standish  organized  the  Granville  S.  Standish  Ad- 
vertising Agency  of  Providence,  a  business  which  has 
ever  since  grown  steadily  and  rapidly.     He  was  one  of 
the  earliest  advertising  men  to  see  the  relation  between 
outdoor  display  and  other  mediums  of  publicity.     He 
organized   the   Standish-Barncs   Company,   started   the 
independent    outdoor    advertising    in    Providence,    and 
has  built  a  large  plant.     .-Vbont  five  years  ago  he  added 
the  Standish  Selling  Agency  to  his  organization,  which 
has    carried    on    a    successful    merchandise    brokerage 
business.    The  deep  study  of  economic  questi'>ns  neces- 
sary  to    make   a    success   of   the   advertising   business 
early   convinced    Mr.   Standish   of   the   need   of  having 
some  scientific  system  of  taxation.     He  was  converted 
to   the  justice   and   simplicity  of  the   taxation  of   land 
values  exclusively  and  associated  himself  with  the  Sin- 
gle Tax  movement  in  Rhode  Island.     He  also  became  a 
member   of  the    Radical    Club,   which   later   developed 
into  the  Peoples'  Forum.     During  the  trying  days  of 
the    war    he    persistently    advocated    the   constitutional 
rights  of  freedom  of  speech  and  assembly.   Through  the 
agency  of  the  Forum  many  of  he  most  ardent  advocates 
of  reform  were  brought  to  Rhode  Island  and  helped  to 
develop  the  intelligent  jiublic  opinion  and  tolerance  of 
which  N'ew  England  is  justly  proud.     Mr.  Standish  has 
always  advocated  womanhood   suffrage,  manhood   suf- 
frage, and  a  strict  interpretation  of  the  power  delegated 
to  the   Federal   Union,  standing  always  for  the  main- 
tenance   of    State    rights.      He    opposed    conscription, 
a   large   standing   army,    and    the   persecution   01    con- 
scientious  objectors:     every   attempt,   in    fact,   that   he 
considered  an  effort  to  introduce  into  this  country  the 
oppression  which  drove  its  founders  away  from  Europe. 
Mr.  Standish   is  a  member  of  the   Chamber  of  Com- 
merce.    He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Town  Criers, 
and  is  a  member  of  the   Economic  and   Turk's   Head 
clubs. 

Mr.  Standish  married,  at  Yankton.  S.  D.,  in  1895, 
Irene  M.  Swift,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  Ruth  S., 
Mylcs  E.,  Eleanor  S..  Granville  S.,  and   Eunice  S. 


BERTRAND   J.    HORTON— Associated    with   his 

father  in  the  founding  of  The  Queen  Dyeing  Company, 
Mr.  Horton  since  1909  has  been  retired  from  active 
business  and  has  found  time  for  the  indulgence  of  his 
love  of  travel  and  scholarly  pursuits.     The  organiza- 


500 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


tion  of  which  he  was  a  founder  developed,  during  the 
sixteen  years  he  passed  as  its  executive  head,  until  it 
was  the  greatest  concern  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  o' 
wide  reputation  and  eminent  standing.  Mr.  Horton  is 
a  son  of  Albert  Horton,  and  grandson  of  Robert  Bar- 
tow liorton. 

Robert  B.  Horton  was  born  in  Manchester,  England, 
in  1807,  and  died  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  in  1876.  He 
was  connected  throughout  his  entire  life  with  textile 
manufacturing,  beginning  in  this  line  when  young  and 
becoming  an  expert  in  both  designing  and  manufactur- 
ing. He  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  wife, 
Martha,  and  a  son,  and  settled  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  where 
he  was  a  designer  of  textile  patterns.  A  few  years 
later  he  made  his  home  in  Pawtucket,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  designing  until  his  death.  He  affiliated  with 
the  Republican  party  in  this  country,  and  was  a  man 
deeply  respected  as  a  citizen.  He  married,  in  England, 
Martha  Merryw'eather,  born  in  Manchester,  England, 
in  1810,  died  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
one  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children  who 
grew  to  adult  years:  Robert  and  Victoria,  of  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.;  Mrs.  William  Hodges,  of  Lynn,  Mass.; 
Mrs.  Davis  A.  Blake,  of  Fall  River,  Mass.;  and  Albert, 
deceased,  of  whom,  further. 

Albert  Horton,  son  of  Robert  Barrow  and  Martha 
(Merryweather)  Horton,  was  born  in  Lowell,  Mass., 
May  24,  1S34,  and  died  while  on  a  trip  to  New  York 
City,  Febnaary  15,  1907.  The  public  schools  of  Lowell 
and  Pawtucket  afforded  him  his  education,  his  studies 
continuing  in  the  schools  of  Pawtucket  in  the  evening 
after  his  employment,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  in 
the  Dunnell  Print  Works,  of  that  place.  As  a  young 
man  he  v,*as  entrusted  with  important  responsibilities  in 
the  mills  of  this  company,  and  for  forty-four  years  was 
connected  therewith,  becoming  one  of  the  largest  own- 
ers and  serving  for  many  years  in  managerial  capacity. 
In  1893  he  made  his  home  in  Providence  and  was  iden- 
tified with  his  son,  Bertrand  J.  Horton,  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  The  Queen  Dyeing  Company,  holding  at 
his  death  one-third  .ownership  and  the  office  of  treas- 
urer in  the  company,  which  became  the  leading  concern 
of  the  world  in  the  dyeing  and  printing  of  cotton  piece 
goods  in  aniline  fast  blacks.  He  was  widely  known  in  the 
textile  industry  at  home  and  abroad,  everywhere  re- 
marked for  tlie  unvarying  integrity  that  characterized 
his  business  relations,  and  for  his  helpful,  cheering 
friendliness.  As  manager  of  the  Dunnell  Works,  and 
as  an  official  of  The  Queen  Dyeing  Company,  his  pre- 
dominating quality  was  his  faculty  of  organization  and 
the  confidence  and  loyalty  he  inspired  among  those  in 
his  employ.  To  so  great  an  extent  was  this  true  that 
when  The  Queen  Dyeing  Company  iiegan  operation 
there  came  with  this,  to  him,  new  work  as  foreman  of 
various  departments  men  who  had  known  him  inti- 
mately at  Pawtucket.  His  other  business  interests 
were  the  Hartford  Foundry  Company,  of  Hartford, 
Conn.,  and  the  United  National  Bank,  of  Providence, 
which  he  served  as  director  at  the  time  of  his  death  in 
1907.  The  editorial  comment  of  the  "Providence  Jour- 
nal" at  his  death  was  as  follows:  "The  death  in  New 
York  of  Mr.  Albert  Horton  was  a  painful  surprise  and 
shock  to  his  many  friends.  To  those  who  had  seen  him 
since  his  recent  illness  he  appeared  to  have  regained 


his  usual  robust  health.  His  long,  useful  life  was  one 
of  devotion  to  his  family,  his  friends  and  his  large 
business  interests,  and  forgetful  of  self,  his  life  has 
been  gi\en  in  promoting  all  of  those  duties  which  come 
first  in  their  faithful  discharge  as  husband,  father  and 
friend.  He  was  a  man  beloved  by  all,  of  sensitive 
honor,  and  whose  heart  v>'as  full  of  kindness  and  char- 
ity toward  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  His 
successful  and  honorable  business  career  is  an  example 
which  we  all  would  do  well  to  emulate.  His  word  was 
always  good  and  his  upright  character  was  evident  in 
all  of  his  transactions.  Would  that  all  men  could  leave 
behind  them  such  enviable  record  as  has  Albert  Hor- 
ton. His  was  an  honorable  acquirement  of  wealth  and 
he  possessed  the  confidence  of  all  who  had  dealings  with 
him.  He  will  be  sincerely  mourned  and  missed,  and 
his  place  in  this  community  cannot  be  filled.  His  be- 
reaved family  have  the  sincere  sympathy  of  all  who 
knew  and  loved  him." 

Albert  Horton  married  Minerva  L.  Johnson,  of  Paw- 
tucket, who  died  January  i,  1915,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  a  daughter  and  four  sons:  Alice,  married 
Theodore  M.  Lincoln,  manager  of  the  Hartford  Foun- 
dry Company;  Bertrand  J.,  of  further  mention;  Wil- 
liam S.,  associated  with  The  Queen  Dyeing  Company; 
■Harry  M.,,  vice-president  of  the  United  States  Finish- 
ing Company;  and  Albert  (2),  who  died  May  6,  1917. 

BertrarKi  J.  Horton,  eldest  son  of  Albert  and  Minerva 
I-.  (Johnson)  Horton,  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
August  23,  1-863.  After  attendance  at  the  public  schools, 
including  a  course  in  high  school,  he  was  for  a  time 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  Dunnell  Works.  In 
1893  he  founded  The  Queen  Dyeing  Company  in 
Providence,  the  elder  Horton  associated  with  him  in 
this  enterprise  until  his  death,  as  were  his  three  broth- 
ers, an  uncle,  and  a  cousin.  Mr.  Horton  remained  the 
head  of  this  organization,  which  was  unrivaled  in  its 
line,  until  1909,  devoting  himself  to  the  direction  of  its 
rapidly  expanding  business  and  giving  the  best  of  his 
time  and  attention  to  its  affairs.  In  addition  to  this 
important  interest,  in  whose  leading  success  he  was  the 
controllirig  factor,  he  served  as  a  director  of  the  United 
.Stales  Finishing'  Company  and  of  the  National  Ex- 
change Bank,  of  Providence.  Since  his  retirement  from 
the  control  01  The  Queen  Dyeing  Company,  Mr.  Hor- 
ton has. had  leisure  for  the  enjoyment  of  his  favorite 
forms  of  study  and  recreation  and  for  travel.  Prior 
to  the  great  war  he  toured  Europe  extensively,  and  dur- 
ing its  continuance  traveled  widely  throughout  the 
Orient  and  America,  localities  with  which  he  was 
already  familiar.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Travelers' 
Club  of  Paris,  the  Union  League  and  the  Lotos  Club, 
of  New  York  City,  and  the  Hope,  Agawam,  Squantum 
and  Turk's  Head  clubs,  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Horton  married,  June  29,  1891,  Ella  Bunker,  of 
.San  Francisco,  Cal.  The  family  home  is  at  No.  217 
Hope  street.  Providence. 


OTIS  MASON  FREEMAN— Descendant  of  an  old 

and  patriotic  ancestry,  the  service  of  whose  members 
gives  him  affiliation  with  those  societies  based  upon 
military  service,  Otis  Mason  Freeman,  a  native  of 
Rhode  Island,  is  now  a  resident  of  Providence.     He  is 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


501 


a  son  of  Mason  and  Martha  Amaiula  (Shearman) 
I'reenian.  his  father  a  country  merchant. 

Otis  Mason  Freeman  was  born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I., 
March  2,^,  1868,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  Mowry  and  Goff's  private  school,  of  Providence. 
Hi?  calling  was  that  of  National  bank  examiner,  em- 
ployed by  the  United  States  Government  in  the  iMrst 
Federal  Reserve  District,  and  in  the  dischar.ac  of  the 
important  duties  of  this  office  he  traversed  a  territory 
including  Southern  New  England  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  October,  1919,  Mr.  Freeman  became  presi- 
dent of  the  J.  Briggs  &  Son's  Company,  manufacturers 
of  Providence. 

Mr.  Freeman  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution,  the  Society  of  Colonial  Wars,  and  is 
associated  with  lodge,  chapter,  and  commandery  of 
the  Masonic  order.  His  club  is  the  Hope,  and  he  is  a 
member  of  St.  Stephen's  Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Freeman  married,  in  Providence,  October  12, 
1915,  Marion  Gardiner,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Emily 
(Robertson)  Briggs.  His  home  is  at  \o.  iSg  Angell 
street,  Providence. 


JAMES  G.  BLAINE,  JR.— A  native  of  New  York 
City,  formerly  a  resident  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  now 
living  in  New  York  City,  Mr.  Blaine,  as  vice-president 
of  the  Liberty  National  Bank,  is  active  and  well  known 
in  financial  circles  in  the  Metropolis.  He  is  a  son  of 
James  G.  and  Mary  Nevins  (Bull)  Blaine,  his  mother 
deceased,  his  father  a  retired  man  of  affairs  who 
served  in  France  with  the  American  Red  Cross. 

James  G.  Blaine,  Jr.,  is  a  graduate  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, class  of  191 1,  and  his  business  activities  have 
1  een  in  the  fields  of  insurance,  investments,  and  bank- 
ing. He  is  now  vice-president  of  the  Liberty  National 
Bank,  of  New  York  City,  an  office  he  has  held  since 
June,  1918.  During  the  World  War  Mr.  Blaine  was 
director  of  the  department  of  development  of  the 
American  Red  Cross,  located  in  the  Washington  head- 
quarters. During  his  Providence  residence  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  City  Council,  in  1915.  1916,  and 
1017.  He  is  a  member  of  What  Cheer  Lodge,  No.  21, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  is  a  communicant  of 
tlie  Episcopal  church.  His  clubs  are  the  Hope,  of 
Providence,  and  the  Harvard,  University,  Metropolitan, 
and  Union  League,  of  New  York  City. 

Mr.  Blaine  married,  in  Boston,  Mass.,  March  9,  191 1, 
Marion,  daughter  of  Richard  S.  and  Abbie  (Rawson) 
Dow.  Two  children,  Elizabeth,  aged  five,  and  James 
G.  Blaine  (3),  aged  three,  died  in  1917. 


PHILIPPE  BOUCHER— Among  the  active  and 
prominent  men  identified  with  the  commercial  and 
industrial  development  of  Woonsocket  is  Philippe 
Boucher,  whose  activities  have  been  a  factor  to  the 
growth  of  the  city.  .'\s  president  of  the  La  Tribune 
Publishing  Company,  Mr.  Boucher  is  widely  known, 
but  he  is  officially  associated  with  a  number  of  other 
organizations,  both  commercial  and  financial. 

Philippe  Boucher  was  born  May  29,  1859,  in  St. 
Barthelemy.  Early  in  life  he  entered  upon  a  business 
career  in  the  various  fields  in  which  he  has  been  active, 
and  has  reaped  results  of  more  than  the  average  value 
and  importance,     .^t  the  present  time,  in  addition  to  the 


presidency  of  the  La  Tribune  Publishing  Company, 
Mr.  Boucher  is  president  of  the  board  of  investors  of 
tl'.e  Producers'  Savings  Bank,  treasurer  of  the  Union 
Handkerchief  Company  and  the  Globe  Coal  Company. 
He  is  a  director  of  the  Producers'  National  Bank,  and 
a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Always 
active  in  public  affairs,  Mr.  Boucher  has  been  among 
the  foremost  in  plans  for  the  promotion  of  the  public 
welfare,  and  his  fellow-citizens  have  recently  testified 
to  their  confidence  in  him  by  electing  him  a  member  of 
the  P>oard  of  Assessors  for  a  term  of  six  years.  He 
was  elected  councilman  and  served  as  such  for  a  term 
of  three  years,  and  was  then  elected  alderman  for  three 
years,  and  member  of  the  Legislature  for  three  years, 
1.S95-1897.  In  1898  he  was  appointed  member  of  the 
Hoard  of  Charities  by  Governor  Dyer. 

.Numerous  other  organizations  claiin  a  share  of  Mr. 
Boucher's  time  and  attention,  and  to  each  one  of  them 
he  gives  its  due  portion.  He  is  president  of  the  St. 
Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  ex-president  of  the  Ligue 
du  Sacre  Cocur,  also  ex-treasurer  of  the  St.  Jean 
Baptiste  Society.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Columbus,  and  for  twenty  years  has  been  a  trustee  of 
St.  .Ann's  parish.  Mr.  Boucher  now  devotes  his  time 
to  real  estate,  having  retired  from  the  grocery  business 
in  which  he  was  formerly  engaged.  He  has  been  suc- 
cessful not  only  as  regards  his  own  interests,  but  also 
in  the  promotion  of  a  number  of  those  of  his  home  city. 
The  important  part  he  has  played  in  the  development  of 
the  general  prosperity  has  fully  entitled  him  to  the 
respect  and  gratitude  with  which  he  is  universally 
regarded. 


CLINTON  HERBERT  JOHNSON— Clinton  Her- 
bert Johnson.  proi)rietor  01  the  What  Cheer  Printing 
Company,  and  a  well  known  business  man  of  Provi- 
dence, is  a  son  of  Rowland  C.  and  Mary  (Greene) 
Johnson.  Rowland  C.  Johnson  was  born  July  8,  1826, 
in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  and  was  with  the  .'\nthony  Manufac- 
turin.g  Company,  Anthony,  R.  I.,  and  later  was  for  a 
num!;er  of  years  superintendent  of  the  Braid  Mill  at 
.Norwich,  Conn.,  subsequently  having  charge  of  the 
dress  braid  department  of  the  Atlantic  Mills  at  Olney- 
ville.  a  position  which  he  resigned  at  the  time  of  his 
retirement  from  business.  He  married  Mary  Greene, 
who  was  born  in  Warwick,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
distinguished  Greene  family  of  Rhode  Island.  She 
passed  away  in  May,  1867,  and  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band occurred  in   December,   1900. 

Clinton  Herbert  Johnson,  only  child  of  Rowland  C. 
and  Mary  (Greene)  Johnson,  was  born  October  16, 
1858,  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  and  attended  the  grammar 
schools  of  Norwich.  Conn.,  and  Lawrence,  Mass.  He 
then  studied  at  Bryant  and  Stratton's  Business  Col- 
lege, Providence,  graduating  in  due  course  from  that 
institution.  Immediately,  thereafter,  Mr.  Johnson  se- 
cured the  position  of  bookkeeper  for  Abram  Crowell, 
a  well  known  blacksmith,  with  whom  he  remained  one 
year.  .At  the  end  of  that  time  he  obtained  another  posi- 
tion as  bookkeeper,  in  this  instance  associating  him- 
self with  the  What  Cheer  Printing  Company.  He  was 
employed  in  this  capacity  until  1901,  when  he  became 
owner  of  the  business. 

The   What   Cheer  Printing  Company   was   formerly 


;o2 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  Franklin  Printing  Company,  having  its  establish- 
ment on  Dorrance  street,  and  owned  by  the  firm  of 
Koss  &  Endlong,  who  disposed  of  the  business  to  Port- 
house  &  Carlton.  The  name  was  then  changed  to  the 
What  Cheer  Printing  Company,  the  business  being 
removed  to  Broad  (now  Weybosset)  street,  opposite 
the  Narragansett  Hotel.  Later  it  made  another  mi- 
gration, this  time  to  the  Amasa  Mason  building  on 
Eddy  street.  The  firm  being  taken  over  by  Carlton  & 
Knapp,  in  1893.  the  business  moved  to  Pine  street, 
where  it  was  taken  over  by  Mr.  Carlton,  who,  having 
failed,  was  bought  out  by  Mr.  Johnson.  In  1914  the 
present  proprietor  moved  the  business  to  the  Waite- 
Thresher  building,  on  Chestnut  street,  where  he  util- 
ized one-half  of  the  lower  floor.  This  is  the  only  busi- 
ness of  its  kind  in  Providence  and  makes  a  specialty 
of  show  and  poster  printing.  The  scope  of  its  trans- 
actions has  greatly  enlarged  under  the  wisely  aggres- 
sive management  of  Mr.  Johnson,  who  has  placed  the 
business  on  a  firmer  foundation  than  it  has  ever  before 
possessed.  .\s  an  upholder  of  Republican  principles, 
Mr.  Johnson  has  long  been  actively  associated  w-ith 
municipal  politics  and  for  two  terms  represented  the 
Eighth  Ward  in  the  Common  Council.  He  occupies  a 
seat  in  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Kiwanis  and  Sunset  clubs. 

Mr.  Johnson  married,  June  8,  1S82,  in  Providence, 
Claribel,  daughter  of  John  and  Miranda  (Chaplin) 
Bentley,  of  Newburyport,  Mass.  Mr.  Bentley  was  born 
in  England,  and  Mrs.  Bentley  is  a  native  of  Shirley, 
Mass.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  are  the  parents  of  a 
son  and  a  daughter,  Hope  Greene,  born  March  16, 
1894,  and  now  the  wife  of  Charles  L.  Spinney,  of  Prov- 
idence, and  Clinton  Herbert.  Jr.,  born  March  30,  1900, 
now  associated  in  business  with  his  father.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Johnson  spend  their  winters  in  Providence,  their 
summer  home  being  at  Nausauket,  R.  I.  Mr.  John- 
son is  e.xtremely  fond  of  outdoor  sports. 

As  the  upbuilder  and  maintainer  of  an  extensive  and 
flourishing  business,-  Mr.  Johnson  has  proved  himself 
possessed  of  administrative  and  executive  ability,  and 
as  a  citizen  he  has  furnished  conclusive  evidence  of  dis- 
interested public  spirit. 


EUGENE  NORTON  GRANGER,  M.  D.,  one  of 

the  most  pruminent  physicians  of  Pascoag,  R.  I.,  is  a 
native  of  Franklin,  Mass.,  at  which  place  he  was  born 
July  4,  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Catherine 
(Swain)  Granger,  the  former  being  deceased.  Fred- 
erick Granger,  father  of  Dr.  Granger,  came  to  this  place 
when  Eugene  N.  was  but  five  years  of  age. 

Dr.  Granger  attended  the  public  schools  of  Burrill- 
ville  township,  as  a  child,  and  afterwards  became  a 
pupil  at  the  Woonsocket  High  School,  and  University 
Grammar  School  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  Dartmouth 
Medical  School.  He  showed  himself  an  alert  and  indus- 
trious student  during  his  course  at  that  institution,  and 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1900.  taking  his  medi- 
cal degree.  He  then  followed  a  six  months'  post- 
graduate course  in  medicine  and  hospital  work  in  New 
York  City,  at  New  York  Post-Graduate  School,  and 
upon  completing  this  came  to  Pascoag  and  here  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  This  was  in  the  year 
1902,   and   since   that   time   Dr.    Granger   has   made   a 


prominent  position  for  himself  in  the  medical  world  in 
this  region  and  gained  an  enviable  reputation  for  skill 
and  close  adherence  to  the  best  professional  standards. 
He  is  also  active  in  many  other  aspects  of  the  commun- 
ity's life,  and  is  a  member  of  many  fraternal  and  social 
organizations  here.  He  is  affiliated  with  Granite  Lodge, 
No.  26,  .Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  which 
he  is  past  master,  and  he  is  also  past  patron  of  Laurel 
Chapter,  Eastern  Star.  Dr.  Granger  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Woonsocket  Lodge,  No.  850,  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  is  past  e.xalted  ruler 
of  the  same.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
.-\merica,  and  has  been  medical  examiner  of  the  latter 
organization  for  eighteen  years.  In  politics  Dr. 
Granger  is  an  independent  Democrat,  and  for  seven 
years  held  the  ofiice  of  health  officer  of  Burrillville 
township. 

Dr.  Granger  was  united  in  marriage,  November  5, 
1904,  with  Ethel  Olney,  of  Harrisville,  R.  I.,  at  Daniel- 
son,  Conn.,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Lucretia 
(Lozee)  Olney,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
that  place. 


REV.   RENfi   LUDWIK  ZAWISTOWSKI— Few 

citizens  of  Pawtucket  will  fail  to  recognize  this  name 
as  that  of  the  pastor  of  the  Polish  Old  Roinan  Catholic 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  the  center  of 
one  of  the  city's  most  active  and  best  regulated  par- 
ishes. Mr.  Zawistowski  is  sincerely  respected  and 
highly  esteemed  no  less  as  a  citizen  than  as  an  eccle- 
siastic. 

Albert  Zawistowski,  father  of  Rene  Ludwik  Zawis- 
towski, was  born  June  28,  1858,  in  Warsaw,  Poland, 
and  was  a  traveling  auditor.  He  married  Mary  Mar- 
cinkowska,  who  was  born  in  1859.  in  Ploski,  and  their 
children  are:  W'alter,  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  a  manu- 
facturer of  machinery;  John,  a  retail  clothier  of  Chi- 
cago, married  Annie  Malkiewicz,  January  22,  1918: 
Blanche,  wife  of  Louis  Konoski,  of  Dovisa,  Poland: 
and  Rene  Ludwik.  of  further  mention.  Mr.  Zawis- 
towski died  a  young  man,  passing  away  November  6, 
1891,  and  his  widow  is  now  living  in  Chicago  with 
her  son  John. 

Rene  Ludwik  Zawistowski,  son  of  Albert  and  Mary 
(Marcinkowska)  Zawistowski.  was  born  August  6,  i88g, 
in  Warsaw.  Poland,  and  received  his  preparatory  edu- 
cation in  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  his  native 
city,  passing  thence  to  the  Warsaw  Gymnasium.  He 
next  studied  at  Ploski.  In  1906  Mr.  Zawistowski  came 
to  Chicago,  and  on  January  7,  1910,  he  was  made  sub- 
deacon  of  St.  Mary's  Home,  and  while  holding  that 
office  spent  three  years  in  traveling  through  European 
countries.  On  May  4,  1914,  he  was  ordained  in  Chi- 
cago by  Bishop  Paul  Miraglia  Gullott,  of  Palamor, 
Italy,  and  was  then  sent  to  South  Bend,  Ind.,  as  assist- 
ant pastor  of  the  Hungarian  church  at  that  place.  At 
the  end  of  nine  months  Father  Zawistowski  was  trans- 
ferred to  Westville,  111.,  where  in  the  short  space  of  si.x 
months  he  organized  the  Polish  Lithuanian  Church. 
He  then  spent  another  six  months  as  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul,  in  Chicago,  going  then 
to  Pullman,  111.,  where  within  nine  months  he  organ- 
ized the  Holy  Name   Church  and  saw  the  foundation 


^t\},  l^cnc  H.  ^::^atui6toiaolu 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


503 


laid.  He  was  next  transferred  to  Fall  River,  Mass., 
where  he  officiated  as  pastor  of  the  Holy  Trinity 
Church  froin  July  2S,  1917,  to  June  3,  1918,  when  he 
came  to  his  present  parish.  In  this  field  Father  Zawis- 
towski's  labors  have  been  very  fruitful.  Under  his  direc- 
tion the  church  was  organized  January  22,  has  been  built. 
May  19,  1918,  and  dedicated,  the  parsonage  renovated, 
and  a  school  established.  The  church  membership  has 
increased  to  twelve  hundred  while  the  school  numbers 
one  hundred  and  forty-five  pupils.  His  parishioners 
have  reason  to  rejoice  that  his  office  is  that  of  perma- 
nent rector.  The  parish  is  not  under  the  Catholic  dio- 
cese, but  an  independent  institution  under  Polish  Old 
Roman  Catholic  faith. 

In  addition  to  being  a  man  of  literary  tastes  and  abil- 
ities. Father  Zawistowski  is  a  devoted  pastor  and  a 
conscientious  citizen,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  he  will  long 
remain  a  resident  of  Pawtucket.  He  lectures  a  great 
deal  to  Polish  people  on  the  history  of  their  own  coun- 
try, also  on  America  and  .'\mericanization.  In  all  his 
several  pastorates  he  has  constantly  built  up  the  par- 
ishes. He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Prix  Humanitaire 
L'Ordre  Chevaleresque  et  Religieux  de  la  Couronne 
Epines,  to  which  order  he  was  confirmed  in  July,  191.3, 
in  Paris,  France.  The  above  order  is  devoted  to  higher 
religious  work.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Polish 
.■\lliance  Society,  Polish  Educational  Society,  Philo- 
sophic and   Lecture  Society,  State  societies. 


JOSEPH  PELLETIER,  owner  of  a  large  and  suc- 
cessful planing  mill  on  River  street,  Woonsocket,  and 
one  of  the  successful  business  men  of  the  city,  is  a 
native  of  Sorrell,  Canada,  born  November  10,  1S64.  a 
son  of  Come  and  Philomene  (Bouley)  Pelletier,  both 
of  whom  are  now  deceased.  The  elder  Mr.  Pelletier 
was  for  many  years  engaged  in  the  saw  and  planing 
mill  business  and  as  a  carpenter  in  the  Province  of 
Quebec,  and  it  was  there  that  his  son  Joseph,  of  whom 
we  write,  passed  his  childhood  and  early  youth. 

Joseph  Pelletier  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  an  excel- 
lent education  as  a  lad,  and  attended  a  number  of  pri- 
vate and  public  schools  in  his  native  region  as  well  as 
the  Jesuit  College  of  Quebec.  His  training  for  his 
business  career  was  obtained  in  his  father's  establish- 
ment and  in  others  of  a  similar  nature  in  that  part  of 
Canada,  and  he  also  worked  as  a  carpenter  there,  con- 
tinuing to  be  thus  occupied  until  the  year  :888,  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  at  Woon- 
socket. Mr.  Pelletier  secured  a  position  as  foreman 
in  the  same  establishment  which  he  now  owns  and 
worked  in  that  capacity  for  a  short  time.  Not  long 
afterwards,  however,  he  purchased  this  with  money 
made  up  from  his  savings,  and  since  that  time  has  con- 
ducted the  business  with  a  high  degree  of  success  on 
his  own  account.  Mr.  Pelletier  has  developed  a  fairly 
successful  business  and  buys  large  quantities  of  shaped 
lumber  of  various  kinds.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
substantial  business  men,  and  is  known  for  his  public 
spirit  and  liberality  in  the  support  of  everything  that 
pertains  to  city  betterment.  Mr.  Pelletier  is  an  excel- 
lent example  of  that  fine  type  of  citizenship,  unques- 
tionably the  most  valuable  in  the  community,  which 
refuses   to   ally  itself   with   any   definite  political   party 


but  remains  quite  free  in  the  exercise  of  his  judgment 
and  all  political  questions  as  to  his  choice  of  candidates 
for  public  office  in  the  community.  In  his  religious 
belief  Mr.  Pelletier  is  a  Roman  Catholic  and  attends 
the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood  at  Woonsocket.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Local  Council  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus  of  the  World,  and  holds  the  post  of  chap- 
lin  in  this  body  and  has  done  so  for  years. 

Joseph  Pelletier  was  united  in  marriage,  February  8, 
1S88,  at  Woonsocket,  with  Rose  Lctrendre,  a  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Mary  (Plasse)  Letrendre.  old  and  highly 
respected  residents  of  this  place.  One  child  has  been 
born  of  this  union,  as  follows.  Eugene,  October  i, 
iqoi,  and  now  a  student  at  the  High  School  in  Woon- 
socket. 


AUGUSTIN  JOSEPH  COTfi.  the  popular  and  eftj- 
cient  chief  of  the  Fire  Department  of  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  and  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  this 
place,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  having  been  born  on  his 
father's  farm  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  August  7, 
1875.  Mr.  Cote  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  .-Xglaee  (Beau- 
det)  Cote,  the  former  deceased  and  the  latter  living. 
The  cider  Mr.  Cote  came  to  the  United  States  in  the 
year  1880,  when  his  son  was  five  years  of  age,  and  here 
engaged  in  business,  opening  a  successful  department 
store  at  Woonsocket.  lie  later  admitted  his  sons  to 
partnership  with  him,  and  the  firm  became  known  as 
Joseph  Cote  &  Sons. 

Augustin  Joseph  Cote  received  the  elementary  por- 
tion of  his  education  at  the  public  schools  of  Woon- 
socket, and  was  prepared  for  college  at  the  high  school 
here.  He  then  entered  Farnum  College  at  Quebec,  and 
later  St.  .Agnes  College  at  the  same  place.  He  gradu- 
ated from  tlie  latter  institution,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Woonsocket  and  entered  his  father's  store  as  a 
clerk.  He  served  in  this  capacity  until  January  5,  1901, 
wlien  he  was  appointed  assistant  chief  of  the  Woon- 
socket Fire  Department.  He  gave  great  satisfaction  in 
this  work,  discharging  the  diflicult  duties  of  his  post  in 
a  most  efficient  manner,  and  on  January  6,  190S,  was 
appointed  to  his  present  office  of  chief  of  the  City 
Fire  Department.  Under  his  capable  management  the 
department  has  grown  and  developed  in  a  remarkable 
degree,  and  at  the  present  time  Mr.  Cote  has  under  him 
eight  captains,  ei.ght  lieutenants  and  sixty-two  firemen. 
The  department  has  five  handsome  fire  stations,  situ- 
ated in  various  parts  of  the  city,  the  central  station 
being  a  particularly  fine  edifice  and  e(|uipped  with  all 
the  most  modern  devices  for  extinguishing  fires.  Mr. 
Cote  has  also  been  active  in  the  business  life  of  the 
community,  and  is  at  the  present  time  a  director  of 
the  Woonsocket  Trust  Company.  He  is  a  prominent 
figure  in  social  and  fraternal  circles  here,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Woonsocket  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Foresters,  of  which  he  is  a  charter 
member  and  past  chief  ranger,  the  Order  of  Foresters 
of  America,  the  Federated  Order  of  Eagles,  the  Loyal 
Order  of  Moose,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  Mr.  Cote  in  his  religious  belief  is  a 
Roman  Catholic  and  attends  St.  .Xnn's  Church  at 
Woonsocket.  He  is  also  a  member  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist  Society.     Mr.   Cote  has  two  brothers  residing 


S04 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


in  the  city,  Wilfred  L.  and  Samuel  A.  Cote,  who  are 
associated  in  carrying  on  the  firm  of  Joseph  Cote  & 
Sons.  He  has  also  two  sisters  here,  one  of  whom  is  the 
wife  of  D.  H.  Bernard,  and  the  other  of  Alexandre 
Fontaine.  A  third  brother,  O.  H.  Cote,  resides  in 
Montreal,  Canada,  mid  holds  the  responsible  post  of 
citv  engineer  there. 


JOHN  CALVIN  LUTHER,  a  successful  and  pros- 
perous farmer  of  Gloccster,  this  State,  and  a  prominent 
citizen  of  the  community,  was  born  on  the  old  Luther 
homestead  in  this  region,  Xovember  29,  1S54.  This 
place  is  situated  about  three-eights  of  a  mile  from  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Luther,  and  was  sold  by  him 
some  years  ago.  There  also  his  father  lived  for  many 
years  and  carried  on  agricultural  operations.  The 
elder  Mr.  Luther  (Calvin  Luther  by  name)  married 
Emily  Sanders,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  John  Calvin,  with  whom  we  are  here 
especially  concerned;  Emily  Alice,  who  became  the 
wife  of  George  A.  Keach,  of  North  Ashford,  Conn., 
to  whom  she  bore  three  children:  Emily  Alice; 
Evelyn  Almira,  deceased;  and  George  Luther  Keach; 
Lydia  E.,  deceased,  who  became  the  wife  of  Thomas 
W.  D.  Brown,  to  whom  she  bore  one  child,  Walter  G. 
Brown;  Ellen  Frances,  Silas,  Annie,  and  Thankful  E. 
Luther,  all  deceased. 

The  early  life  of  John  Calvin  Luther  was  spent  on 
the  old  homestead  farm,  where  he  assisted  his  father 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  In  the  meantime  he 
attended  the  local  public  schools  and  there  gained  his 
education.  L'pon  completing  his  twenty-first  year,  he 
went  to  Providence,  where  he  secured  employment  with 
the  commission  house  of  Brown  &  Monroe,  dealers  in 
fruit  and  various  kinds  of  produce.  This  concern  later 
cl;anged  its  name  to  Preston  &  Brown,  and  for  them 
Mr.  Luther  worked  for  some  twenty-seven  years.  He 
then  was  employed  by  the  firm  of  Eddy  Brothers,  of 
Providence,  who  were  engaged  in  the  same  line  of  busi- 
ness, and  remained  with  the  latter  concern  for  about 
three  years.  During  this  entire  time  Mr.  Luther 
worked  in  various  capacities,  beginning  as  a  driver, 
afterwards  being  promoted  to  the  position  of  salesman, 
and  finally  to  that  of  buyer.  While  buying  for  these 
concerns,  Mr.  Luther  made  his  headquarters  in  New 
York  Chy,  and  also  operated  largely  in  the  States  of 
Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire  and  Rhode  Island  and 
in  various  other  parts  of  New  England.  Since  1906, 
however,  in  which  year  his  wife  died,  Mr.  Luther  has 
made  his  home  in  this  region.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  was  active  in  farming  hereabouts,  but  later  retired 
from  active  life  and  is  now  enjoying  a  well  earned 
leisure.  Some  years  ago  he  disposed  of  the  family 
homestead  and  bought  his  present  farm,  where  he  now 
makes  his  home  and  devotes  his  time  principally  to 
reading  and  various  out-door  interests,  especially  fish- 
ing and  hunting,  of  which  he  is  very  fond.  Mr.  Luther 
is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  never  taken  an 
active  part  in  public  life,  contenting  himself  with  the 
active  pursuit  of  his  own  business. 

John  Calvin  Luther  was  united  in  marriage,  October 
4,  1888,  with  Minnie  B.  Williams,  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, whose  death  occurred  April  11,  1906. 


EMOR  H.  MOWRY  is  a  resident  on  the  old  home- 
stead farm  near  the  Smithfield  station  in  the  town  of 
Smithfield,  R.  I.,  where  he  is  one  of  the  esteemed  and 
substantial  men  of  the  town.  He  is  of  the  ninth  gen- 
eration of  the  family  founded  in  Providence,  R.  L,  by 
Roger  and  Mary  (Johnson)  Mowry,  in  1649.  The  line 
of  descent  is  through  their  son,  Roger  Mowry,  born  in 
1644,  died  March  24,  1717,  and  his  wife,  Johannah  (In- 
man)  Mowry;  their  son.  Captain  Joseph  Mowry,  and 
his  wife,  Alice  (Whipple)  Mowry;  their  son.  Captain 
Daniel  Mowry,  born  September  6,  1697,  died  May  27, 
17S7.  and  his  wife,  Mary  (Steere)  Mowry;  their  son. 
Joseph  Mowry,  born  November  10,  1723,  died  in  1764, 
b.wycr,  captain  of  train  band  of  the  town  of  Smith- 
field,  R.  I.,  and  his  wife,  Ann  (Whipple)  Mowry;  their 
son.  Job  Mowry,  born  in  Smitlifield.  January  24,  1744, 
died  January  11,  1S0.3,  farmer,  saw  mill  operator,  con- 
stable, tax  collector,  town  sergeant,  and  his  wife,  Han- 
nah .\ppleby  (Smith)  Mowry,  a  widow;  their  son,  Na- 
thaniel Mowry,  and  his  wife,  Asha  (Aldrich)  Mowry; 
their  son,  Daniel  A.  Mowry,  and  his  second  wife,  Aba- 
gail  (Harris)  Mowry,  they  the  parents  of  Emor  H. 
Mowry,  whose  long  and  useful  life  is  the  inspiration  of 
the  review  of  an  old  and  honored  family. 

Nathaniel  Mowry,  of  the  seventh  generation,  was 
born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  June  2^.  1772,  died  July  17, 
1841,  and  was  buried  in  the  family  plot  on  his  farm, 
now  owned  by  a  grandson,  Lilley  B.  Mowry.  He  was 
a  sulistantial  farmer  and  saw  mill  operator,  held  many 
local  offices,  and  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  his 
town.  He  married  Asha  .Aldrich,  born  September  30, 
1770,  died  May  8,  1848,  daughter  of  Daniel  Aldrich,  of 
Smithfield.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children:  i. 
Waity  Ann,  a  school  teacher.  2.  Daniel  A.,  of  further 
mention.  3.  Samuel,  a  physician  for  thirty  years  at 
Chepachet,  R.  I.,  then  was  in  practice  in  Providence 
until  his  death,  Aug.  5,  1879.  4.  Burrill  R.,  a  mill- 
wright and  farmer.  5.  John  B.,  a  sea  captain,  who  died 
in  New  Orleans.  6.  Mantun  W.,  a  machinist.  7.  Nel- 
son H.,  a  farmer,  mason,  California  miner,  but  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  a  merchant  in  Providence,  where 
he  died  April  8,  1868;  he  married  Lydia  Ann  Dyer, 
and  their  son.  Nelson  H.  Mowry,  was  a  noted  horse- 
back rider  who  toured  the  country  giving  exhibitions 
of  his  skill  until  his  death  at  New  Orleans  in  1878.  8. 
Jonathan,  died  Oct.  27,  1856,  unmarried. 

Daniel  A.  Mowry,  eldest  son  of  Nathaniel  Mowry, 
was  born  .August  .ii,  1797,  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  died  in 
Providence,  July  20,  1877.  When  about  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  he  was  so  injured  by  an  accident  on  a 
general  muster  day  that  he  was  unfitted  for  manual 
labor.  For  several  years  he  was  a  gatekeeper  and 
toll  gatherer  upon  the  Douglas  turnpike,  and  the  Woon- 
socket  and  Slatersville  road,  and  kept  a  country  store. 
He  removed  to  Providence,  where  on  April  i,  1832, 
he  bought  out  the  Lyman  Arnold  store  on  Canal  street, 
and  there  dealt  in  groceries,  grain  and  flour.  About 
1845  he  moved  his  store  further  up  the  street  and  there 
continued  a  grocery  business  either  alone  or  in  part- 
nership with  his  sons  until  a  few  years  prior  to  his 
death  in  1877.  He  was  engaged  in  business  in  Provi- 
dence for  more  than  thirty  years,  and  was  a  good  mer- 
chant, progressive  and  upright,  a  man  of  kindly,  benev- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


505 


olent    heart,    broad    minded    and    syniiiatlictic,   a   good 
father  and  loyal  citizen. 

Daniel  A.  Mowry  married  (first)  October  15,  1818, 
Mary  J.  Harris,  born  December  8,  1796,  died  Septem- 
ber 8,  1830,  leaving  two  children:  Darwin  R.,  born 
Jan.  1,3,  1820,  a  merchant:  and  Daniel  A.,  Jr.,  born 
.\'ov.  IS,  182S,  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business  in  Provi- 
dence. He  married  (second)  February  24,  1833,  Abi- 
gail Harris,  who  died  in  Providence,  November  7, 
1S78.  His  wives  were  sisters,  and  daughters  of  Jona- 
than Harris,  of  .Smithficld.  Daniel  A.  and  Abigail 
(Harris)  Mowry  were  the  parents  of  two  sons:  Emor 
H.,  of  further  mention:  Nathaniel  S.,  born  April  18, 
18,39,  died  in  Providence,  Oct.  7.  1885;  a  bookkeeper; 
he  married  (first)  Elizabeth  A.  Irons,  (second)  Isa- 
bcile  Standish. 

Emor  H.  Mowry,  eldest  son  of  Daniel  A.  Mowry 
and  his  second  wife,  Abigail  (Harris)  Mowry,  was 
born  October  20,  1833,  at  the  homestead  in  Smithfield, 
which  he  now  owns.  He  was  educated  in  Providence 
publi-.:  schools,  and  in  early  life  was  engaged  with  his 
father  and  brother,  Darwin  R.,  in  the  grocery  business. 
For  twelve  years,  until  1862.  he  was  so  engaged  and 
then  bought  the  homestead  of  thirty-seven  acres  which 
he  has  greatly  improved  with  orchards  and  buildings, 
and  has  ever  since  made  the  old  farm  his  home.  For 
fifty-six  years  he  has  there  resided  continuously,  and 
is  perhaps  the  best  known  man  in  Smithfield.  He  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  town,  and  until 
the  establishment  of  the  present  system  of  district 
courts  was  a  trial  justice  for  Smithfield.  For  more 
than  twenty  years  he  has  been  town  assessor,  and  for 
many  years  overseer  of  the  poor.  He  is  still  holding  both 
offices.  He  has  passed  his  eighty-sixth  birthday,  but 
is  strong  and  vigorous  in  mind,  fulfilling  all  the  duties 
of  the  offices  he  holds,  and  managing  his  farm  of 
thirty-five  acres  of  well  improved  orchard  and  field, 
the  railroad  having  taken  two  of  the  thirty-seven  acres 
of  the  original  farm.  He  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
by  his  townsmen,  and  can  review  his  long  life  with  a 
feeling  of  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Mowry  married,  January  23,  1862,  Amanda  M. 
Slocum,  of  Smithfield,  born  June  14,  1841,  .daughter  ot 
Ellery  Slocum,  of  Georgeville,  R.  I.,  a  descendant  of 
Gile  Slocum,  who  was  01  record  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I., 
as  early  as  1648.  The  family  early  became  members  of 
the  Society  cf  Friends,  and  in  each  generation  men  of 
prominence  have  borne  the  Slocum  name.  Einor  H. 
and  Amanda  M.  (Slocum)  Mowry  are  the  parents  of 
seven  children:  i.  Daniel  A.,  born  Feb.  19.  1863,  died 
March  4,  1865.  2.  Emily  Isabel,  born  July  27,  1865. 
died  July  19,  1877.  3.  Abby  H.,  born  March  9,  1867, 
residing  at  home.  4.  Emor  H.,  Jr.,  born  Sept.  18,  1870, 
died  July  5.  1877.  5.  Amanda  S.,  born  March  15,  1872, 
married  William  Timson,  a  soldier  with  the  American 
Expeditionary  Forces  in  France.  6.  Annie  Louise, 
born  May  10,  1875,  died  July  11,  1877.  7-  Percy  M., 
born  Jan.  20,  1879,  married  Nettie  Card,  two  children, 
Ethel  and  Chester  C. 


ARTHUR  ISAAC  DARMAN,  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful of  the  younger  business  men  of  Woonsocket, 
as  well  as  one  of  the  most  active  leaders  of  the  Jewish 


community  of  that  city,  is  a  native  of  Russia,  which 
country  has  provided  .■\merica  with  the  greatest  por- 
tion of  its  Jewish  inhabitants,  as  well  as  some  of  its 
brightest  intellects  and  noblest  hearts.  Mr.  Darnian 
was  born  September  28,  1890,  in  Kurilevitz,  Province 
of  Podolsk.  He  is  the  .son  of  Louis  and  Tysvia 
(Sclratzman)  Darman.  She  died  when  Arthur  I.  was 
five  years  old.  his  brother  throe  years  old,  and  sister 
two  years  old,  dying  September  7,  1895.  The  next 
year,  Louis  Darman  married  Sarah  Rosenblatt,  and 
they  had  the  following  children:  Ida,  Esther,  Susie, 
Bessie,  Israel,  Frank  and  Bennett.  Esther  met  her 
death  through  a  tragic  accident,  being  struck  by  an 
automobile  and  killed  instantly.  May  4,  1919. 

The  childhood  of  .Arthur  Isaac  Darman  was  passed 
in  his  native  country  up  to  the  age  of  eleven  years. 
There  he  attended  the  Jewish  Religious  School  known 
as  "Chedor"  and  also  ac(|uired  some  knowledge  of  the 
vernacular  from  a  teacher  in  Russian.  In  1901,  he  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  the  United  States,  continuing 
his  general  education  in  a  Woonsocket  public  school. 
Upon  gt'aduating  from  this  school,  Mr.  Darman  began 
his  business  career,  being  employed  by  his  father  for  a 
■ihort  time  in  the  wool  and  waste  business.  He  left 
the  city  while  still  very  young,  joining  a  theatrical  com- 
pany. He.  became  in  time  a  more  or  less  proficient 
actor,  but  after  a' couple  of  years  he  left  the  company 
and  entered  the  hotel  and  restaurant  business  and  met 
with  a  very  noteworthy  success.  During  this  time, 
Mr.  Darman  was  located  in  a  number  of  different 
places,  including  Chicago,  Quincy,  and  Springfield,  111., 
and  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Finally,  however,  Mr.  Darman 
concluded  that  the  greatest  opportunities  in  the  Imsi- 
ness  world  awaited  him  in  the  line  with  which  he  was 
originally  concerned,  namely,  that  of  the  woolen  busi- 
ness, in  New  England,  and  lie  accordingly  returned  to 
Woonsocket.  R.  I.,  in  February,  1914,  and  entered  into 
the  wool  to])  and  waste  business  in  .partnership  with 
his  father.. 

.  On  June  20,  1916,  Arthur  I.  Darman  dissolved  part- 
nership with  his  father,  and  went  into  business  for 
himself.  During  the  time  that  has  elapsed,  Mr.  Dar- 
man has  been  phenomenally  successful,  and  now  deals 
on  a  large  scale  in  the  wool  waste,  wool  tops,  and  simi- 
lar products.  Hia  business  grew  so  rapidly  that  it  be- 
came necessary  for  him  to  provide  much  more  spacious 
quarter.s  for  <:arrying  it  on.  and  in  191 7  he  purchased 
a  valuable  piece  of  land  in  this  city  and  erected  a  hand- 
some business  building  thereon,  which  is  known  as  the 
Darman  building,  at  Railroad  and  Arnold  streets.  This 
property,  is  one  hundred  feet  by  one  hundred  twenty- 
live  in  the  rear,  and  one  hundred  by  one  hundred  feet 
in  front  The  Darnian  building  is  constructed  of  stone 
and  brick,  is  four. stories  in  height,  and  has  a  total 
floor  space  of  forty  thousand  square  feet.  It  is  re- 
garded justly  as  one  of  the  handsomest  business  houses 
in  the  city  of  Woonsocket,  and  is  equipped  in  a  mod- 
ern and  up-to-date  manner,  being  one  of  the  finest 
warehouses  in  this  part  of  the  country.  It  is  an  asset 
to  the  city,  both  on  account  of  its  beauty  as  well  as 
because  it  is  the  home  of  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
prosperous  businesses  here.  Since  making  his  new 
building  his  headquarters,  Mr.  Darman  has  prospered 
even  more  than  previously,  and  the  great  business  in 


5o6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


woolen  and  waste  goods  that  he  has  built  up  continues 
to  grow  and  develop  in  a  remarkable  way. 

But  remarkable  as  has  been  his  business  career, 
Mr.  Darman's  activities  along  philanthropic  and  com- 
munal lines  have  been  no  less  striking.  Although  he 
has  now  success  in  his  commercial  undertakings,  only 
recently  he  has,  by  his  extremely  liberal  donations  to 
every  charitable  religious  educational  activity  of  his 
community,  as  well  as  of  American  Jewry  at  large,  be- 
come the  leading  Jewish  citizen  of  Woonsocket.  But 
though  he  is  particularly  interested  in  Jewish  religious 
education,  he  has  spared  no  expense,  time,  nor  energy, 
in  helping  to  build  up  an  efficient  system  of  religious 
instructions  for  the  Jewish  children  until,  with  the 
help  of  the  spiritual  leader  and  the  prominent  members 
of  his  community,  he  has  built  up  a  religious  school 
in  which  are  enrolled  one  hundred  per  cent,  of  Jewish 
children  of  school  age  of  this  city.  As  recognition  ot 
his  services  the  congregation,  B"Nai  Israel,  elected  him 
as  its  president  at  its  annual  meeting  in  August,  1919. 
His  ambition  is  to  add  another  structural  ornament  to 
the  city  of  Woonsocket,  and  that  is  an  up-to-date  Jew- 
ish Commercial  building,  which  shall  house  the  reli- 
gious school,  have  a  beautiful  playground,  and  provide 
the  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association  and  the  Young 
Women's  Hebrew  -Association  rooms  with  gymnasium 
and  department  for  charitable  and  other  commercial 
activities.  He  hopes  to  realize  his  ambition  within 
the  next  few  years. 

On  June  22,  1915,  Mr.  Darman  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Frances  F.  Cohan,  daughter  of  Abraham  and 
Mary  F.  (Rubenstein)  Cohan,  at  Worcester,  Mass. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Darman  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren: Morton  Hirsch,  born  Sept.  2"],  1916,  and  Syvia, 
born  Feb.  11,  IQ19. 


ELIZABETH     UPHAM     YATES— Through     the 

families  of  .Aldcn  and  Standish,  Miss  Yates  traces  to 
Mayflower  ancestry,  while  members  of  the  Yates  fam- 
ily have  long  been  resident  in  Maine,  leaders  in  the 
civic  and  religious  life  of  the  State.  A  Revolutionary 
ancestor  in  her  direct  line  was  James  Yates,  an  officer 
of  the  colonial  forces;  and  Thomas  Coggswell  Upham, 
professor  of  moral  and  mental  philosophy  at  Bow- 
doin  College,  is  a  connection  through  her  maternal 
grandmother.  Through  this  line  she  inherited  her 
aptitude  for  philosophical  studies.  Miss  Yates  is  a 
daughter  of  Alexander  and  Lois  (Thompson)  Yates, 
and  was  born  in  Bristol,  Me.,  July  .3,  1857. 

She  attended  Rents  Hill  Seminary,  a  Maine  institu- 
tion, and  was  afterward  graduated  from  the  Boston 
School  of  Expression,  where  she  specialized  in  oratory 
and  literature.  At  Radcliffe  and  Brown  universities 
she  took  special  courses  in  economics,  philosophy,  and 
Biblical  literature:  and  in  18S0  entered  missionary 
work  in  the  foreign  field,  serving  until  1885  in  Pekin, 
China.  Miss  Yates  has  lectured  extensively  upon  liter- 
ary subjects,  and  has  been  intimately  connected  with 
many  movements  directed  toward  a  wider  field  of  use- 
fulness and  sen'ice  for  women.  She  is  noted  for  her 
brilliant  oratorical  gifts  and  keen  wit.  In  1913  she  was 
invited  by  the  city  officials  of  Providence  to  deliver 
the  Fourth  of  July  :iddress  at  the  City  Hall,  the  only 


woman  who  was  ever  so  honored.  She  was  for  years 
a  national  lecturer  for  the  National-American  Woman 
Suffrage  .Association,  traveling  extensively  over  the 
United  States  in  the  interests  of  that  cause.  In  1909 
she  was  elected  to  the  presidency  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Equal  Suffrage  .Association,  serving  si-x  successive 
years,  declining  another  term  in  1915.  She  is  now  hon- 
orary president  of  the  Rhode  Island  .Association,  ap- 
pointed in  recognition  of  her  services  when  she  with- 
drew from  active  leadership.  She  is  widely  known  as 
a  speaker  and  worker  for  social  and  moral  improve- 
ment and  reform,  and  bore  a  full  share  of  the  burden 
and  labor  that  resulted,  after  years  of  patient,  unre- 
mitting toil,  in  tlie  passage  of  the  Constitutional 
Amendment  granting  equal  suffrage.  Education  and 
the  influencing  of  popular  opinion  are  the  means  by 
which  great  reforms  are  effected,  and  these  are  the 
channels  through  which  success  came  to  the  women's 
suft'rage  cause.  Miss  Yates  is  a  member  of  numerous 
clubs  and  associations,  and  holds  an  honored  position 
in   New  England,  the  scene  of  much  of  her  work. 


RAY  HOWARD,  the  popular  and  efficient  treas- 
urer of  the  town  of  Foster,  R.  I.,  and  one  of  the  most 
pr.iniinent  citizens  of  this  region,  is  a  native  of  Foster, 
born  January  8,  1848.  Mr.  Howard  is  a  son  of  Daniel 
C.  and  Hannah  (Randall)  Howard.  His  father  was  a 
farmer,  and  was  a  native  of  the  same  town,  having  been 
born  near  the  present  home  of  his  son,  which  is  known 
as  Howard's  Hill. 

The  education  of  Ray  Howard  was  received  at  the 
local  district  school,  but  he  has  added  greatly  to  the 
somewhat  slender  advantages  obtained  there  by  wide 
reading  on  his  own  account,  being  naturally  of  a 
studious  turn  of  mind.  Mr.  Howard  farmed  in  various 
parts  of  this  region  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
about  thirty  years,  when  he  bought  his  present  place 
at  Foster  Center  and  here  opened  a  carpenter  shop. 
He  has,  however,  followed  many  vocations  and  has 
been  a  painter,  school  teacher  and  carpenter.  He  is 
now  engaged  in  business  as  a  wheelwriglit,  and  has  met 
with  marked  success  in  this  line  of  business.  Mr. 
How'ard  has  been  exceedingly  active  in  the  affairs  of 
this  place,  but  has  not  allied  himself  with  any  political 
party.  He  is  an  independent  voter,  and  exercises  his 
own  judgment  in  supporting  issues  and  candidates 
here.  In  spite  of  this  handicap  to  political  life,  Mr. 
Howard  is  the  possessor  of  so  large  a  personal  fol- 
lowing and  of  such  a  large  measure  of  public  confi- 
dence and  esteem  that  he  has  been  elected  to  a  num- 
ber of  different  offices  in  the  community.  For  many 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  school  committee  here, 
and  interested  himself  keenly  in  developing  the  educa- 
tional advantages  of  Foster.  He  continued  to  hold 
this  position  until  1915  and  conferred  a  great  service  on 
the  community  by  his  work  done  in  that  connection. 
Mr.  Howard  was  elected  treasurer  of  the  town  of  Fos- 
ter, in  1890,  and  has  been  reelected  each  year  to  the 
same  position  ever  since.  He  now  serves  in  that  ca- 
pacity, and  has  earned  for  himself  a  well  deserved 
reputation  as  a  most  efficient  and  disinterested  public 
servant.  Mr.  Howard  is  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term 
a  "self-made   man,"  having  taken  advantage  of  every 


BTOGRAPHICAI, 


507 


opportunity  which  is  oft'ered.  and  raised  himself  to  a 
position  in  the  esteem  of  liis  fellow-citizens  second  to 
no  one  in  the  community. 

Ray  Howard  was  united  in  marriage  April  15,  1S77, 
with  Clarinda  J.  Sweet,  a  resident  of  this  place  and  a 
daughter  of  Abijah  R.  and  Sylvia  Stone  (Phillips) 
Sweet,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  here. 


JOB  RANDALL,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Foster 
Center,  where  he  is  engaged  successfully  in  business  as 
a  farmer  and  lumberman,  is  a  native  of  this  place,  hav- 
ing been  born  on  the  farm  which  he  now  owns  and 
operates,  July  31.  iS^x).  Mr.  Ran<Iall  is  a  son  of  Job 
and  Alizada  E.  (Howard)  Randall,  both  of  whom  are 
now  deceased,  the  former  having  been  engaged  in 
farming  on  the  place  now  owned  by  his  son. 

Job  Randall  attended  as  a  lad  the  local  schools  of 
Foster  Center,  where  he  showed  himself  an  apt  and 
intelligent  scholar  and,  like  most  lads  of  that  time  and 
place,  spent  his  spare  time  and  vacation  in  work  on 
his  father's  farm.  Indeed,  he  has  always  continued  to 
work  on  this  place  which,  under  his  skillful  manage- 
ment, has  been  brou.ght  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
Upon  the  death  of  his  father  Mr.  Randall  inherited  his 
farm  and  has  continued  the  work  of  improving  and 
developing  it.  The  place  consists  of  two  hundred  and 
four  acres  of  excellent  land,  and  Mr.  Randall  has  added 
many  improvements,  enlarging  and  modernizing  the 
house  and  barn,  and  erecting  a  number  of  out-build- 
ings. Of  recent  years  he  has  also  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber business  with  great  success,  and  has  developed  this 
enterprise  to  large  proportions.  Mr.  Randall  is  a  Bap- 
tist in  his  religious  belief  and  attends  the  church  of 
this  denomination  at  Foster  Center.  He  is  a  Republi- 
can in  politics,  and  on  November  5,  IQ18,  was  elected 
to  the  General  Assembly. 

Job  Randall  was  united  in  marriage.  March  i,  1891, 
at  Foster,  R.  I.,  with  Eva  Bennett,  of  that  place, 
a  daughter  of  Henry  W.  and  Ida  M.  Bennett,  old  and 
highly  respected  residents  there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ran- 
dall are  the  parents  of  ten  children,  as  follows:  i. 
Lester,  who  studied  at  the  local  public  schools  and  at 
Trinity  College,  Hartford,  Conn.:  after  graduation  he 
became  an  expert  electrician,  and  was  on  duty  with 
the  E.xpeditionary  Forces  of  the  United  States  in 
France,  returned  home  safely.  2.  Hazel,  who  was  a 
student  at  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  Foster, 
and  afterwards  took  a  course  at  the  Fast  Killingly 
High  School.  Connecticut;  she  is  now  employed  in  an 
insurance  office  at  Providence,  .v  Flora,  who  studied 
at  the  public  and  high  schools  of  Foster,  and  later 
became  the  wife  of  Robert  Baney,  of  Providence.  4- 
Mary,  who  studied  at  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of 
Foster.  5.  Elsie,  who  was  a  student  at  the  grammar 
and  high  schools  of  Foster,  and  now  is  employed  in  an 
office  in  Providence.  6.  Henry,  who  resides  at  home, 
and  is  attending  the  local  public  schools  and  high 
school.  7.  Charles,  who  is  residing  at  home,  and  is 
a  student  at  the  public  schools  here.  8.  Raymond,  who 
also  lives  at  home,  and  attends  the  local  school.  9. 
Marian,  who  also  makes  her  home  with  her  parents, 
and  is  attending  public  school  at  Foster.  10.  Gussie. 
an  infant. 


LOUIS  G.  HOHLER,  a  successful  merchant  of 
North  .Soituate,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  ice  business, 
is  a  native  of  Providence,  where  his  birth  occurred  on 
Xovember  25,  1862.  He  is  a  son  of  Theodore  Hohler, 
who  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  but  who  came  to 
this  country  when  fourteen  years  of  age  and  settled  in 
Providence.  The  elder  Mr.  Hohler,  after  remaining 
in  that  city  for  a  lew  years,  engaged  in  the  bu.siness  of 
manufacturing  cigars,  and  in  1862  removed  to  what  was 
then  Simmonsville,  now  Thornton.  In  1865  he  built 
the  first  house  on  Plainfield  street,  on  the  corner  of 
Plainfield  street  and  Lowell  avenue,  and  here  he  con- 
tinued to  manufacture  cigars.  In  187,3  he  engaged  in 
the  milk  business,  purchasing  a  farm  on  Plainfield 
street,  and  for  twelve  years  conducted  a  successful 
milk  route  in  Providence,  never  missing  a  day  during 
tliat  entire  period.  His  next  and  last  venture  was  in 
the  grocery  business,  his  establishment  being  situated 
on  Plainfield  street,  and  he  continued  successfully  in 
this  line  until  within  a  few  years  of  his  death,  in  1907. 
He  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  very  active  in 
local  affairs.  Theodore  Hohler  married  Catherine 
Schier.  a  native  of  France,  whose  death  occurred  in 
the  year  1904  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  .■Xmong 
the  children  of  Theodore  and  Catherine  (Schier) 
Hohler  was  Louis  G.,  with  whose  career  we  are  here 
especially  concerned. 

Born  on  November  25.  1862.  in  Providence,  Louis 
G.  Hohler  received  his  education  at  the  public  schools 
of  that  city,  and  at  the  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business 
College  there,  where  he  took  a  connncrcial  course. 
Upon  completing  his  studies  he  entered  his  father's 
grocery  business  on  Plainfield  street,  and  later  en- 
gaged independently  in  that  line  of  business  there. 
For  the  past  thirty  years  Mr.  Hohler  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  ice  business  in  Providence,  and  has  built 
up  a  large  and  very  successful  trade  in  that  city.  He 
was  the  owner  at  one  time  of  the  Hughesdale  Ice  Com- 
pany, and  has  built  a  number  of  ice  houses  in  this 
vicinity,  with  a  total  capacity  of  thirty  thousand  tons 
of  ice.  Later  he  sold  his  retail  business  to  his  team- 
sters, but  continued  to  cut  and  put  up  ice,  and  he  sold 
it  to  his  former  employees  up  to  a  few  years  ago,  when 
he  leased  his  ice  houses  to  the  Providence  Ire  Com- 
pany. In  the  year  1903  he  came  to  North  Scituatc  to 
live  and  has  purchased  some  fine  property  on  Lake 
Swancacut,  which  he  has  greatly  improved,  building 
three  bungalows  on  difTerent  parts  of  it  and  develop- 
ip.g  one  section  as  a  fine  camping  ground  for  summer 
tourists.  Mr.  Hohler  has  also  built  an  ice  house  here, 
with  a  capacity  of  two  thousand  tons  and  supplies  the 
village  of  North  Scituate.  Since  igio  he  has  lived 
permanently  in  this  place,  and  has  identified  himself 
most  closely  with  its  interests  and  contributed  ma- 
terially to  its  growth.  He  has  also  been  active  in 
public  affairs  and  held  a  number  of  public  offices  here. 
For  six  vears  he  served  on  the  Town  Council  in  Scitu- 
ate, and  has  for  the  past  two  years  been  president  of 
that  body.  He  has  also  held  the  office  of  tax  assessor 
and  is  now  road  surveyor  here.  He  was  elected  State 
Senator  from  the  town  of  Scituate  in  November,  1919. 
Mr.  Hohler  is  a  staunch  Republican  in  politics,  and 
has  identified  himself  closely  with  the  life  of  his  party 
in  this  region.      He  is  one  of  those  men  who  may  truly  be 


t;o8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


said  to  have  helped  in  the  building  of  the  town  of 
Scituate,  and  has  given  his  vahiable  services  in  many 
different  departments  of  its  affairs. 

Louis  G.  Hohler  was  united  in  marriage,  June  7, 
18S9.  at  Providence,  with  Edna  M.  Carter,  a  daughter 
of  E.  C.  Carter,  a  prominent  newspaper  man  for  many 
years  in  that  city,  and  later  a  successful  dealer  in  ice. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hohler  six  children  have  been  born, 
as  follows:  Marion;  Edward  C,  of  Providence,  who 
married  Lena  Edwards,  by  whom  lie  has  had  one  child; 
Louis  T.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  ice  business  with  his 
father,  and  who  married  Lottie  Kettell,  of  Scituate, 
by  whom  he  has  had  one  child;  Edna,  Theodore,  and 
Ruth. 


HARRY  HOPKINS  LUTHER,  the  popular  and 
efficient  postmaster  of  Clayville,  in  the  township  of 
Scituate,  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  this  place,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  here  Novemlier  20,  1876.  Mr.  Luther  is  a 
son  of  John  Henry  and  Nettie  L.  (Hopkins)  Luther, 
both  of  whom  are  living  at  the  present  time  in  Clay- 
ville, as  is  also  his  paternal  grandfather,  Alfred  Luther, 
now  ninety-one  years  old. 

Harry  Hopkins  Luther  passed  his  childhood  in  his 
native  place,  and  received  his  education  at  the  local 
public  schools,  which  he  attended  until  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  seventeen  years.  He  then  began  his  career 
in  a  clerical  position  in  the  store  in  which  the  post 
ofSce  is  situated,  over  which  he  now  presides.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  position  until  his  appointment  as  post- 
master of  Clayville,  on  May  23,  1910,  and  has  held  this 
post  ever  since.  Mr.  Luther's  present  term  e.xpires 
May  23,  1922.  He  has  for  a  number  of  years  been 
very  active  in  local  affairs,  and  is  a  staunch  Republican 
in  politics.  He  has  held  a  number  of  local  ofifices, 
and  served  on  the  Town  Council  of  Scituate  for  one 
term,  during  which  time  he  proved  himself  a  most 
capable  and  disinterested  public  servant.  The  excel- 
lent reputation  established  by  Mr.  Luther  in  that  re- 
sponsible post  he  has  continued  to  maintain  ever  since, 
and  his  services  as  postmaster  have  been  invaluable 
here.  He  w-as  also  superintendent  of  the  town  asylum 
for  one  year,  and  did  much  to  improve  conditions  in 
that   institution. 

Harry  Hopkins  Luther  married  (first)  Lucy  A. 
Pierce,  of  Buker,  Conn.,  whose  death  occurred  in  the 
year  1908.  There  were  no  children  born  of  this  union. 
He  married  (second)  April  10,  1911,  Lottie  E.  Adams, 
of  Washington,  R.  I.,  a  daughter  of  Gilbert  W.  and 
Mary  E.  (Adams)  Adams,  old  and  highly  respected 
residents  of  that  place.  One  child  was  born  of  this 
union,  as  follows:  Caroline  Adams,  born  March  15, 
1912. 


REV.  OWEN  F.  CLARKE,  late  of  the  City  of 
Providence,  wis  one  of  the  best  known  clergymen  of 
Rhode  Island.  He  was  a  man  blessed  with  high  spirit- 
ual, moral  and  mental  endowments,  beloved  by  his  fel- 
lowmen  and  truly  an  uplifting  force  in  the  community. 
His  parents,  John  and  Catherine  (Callahan)  Clarke, 
were  both  born  in  Ireland,  and  came  to  the  LTnited 
States  in  1857.  The  family  settled  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
where  John  Clarke  died,  a  man  highly  respected  by 
his  many  friends.    Jolm  and  Catherine  Clarke  were  the 


par«nts  of  nine  children:  Mary  A.,  James,  Phillip, 
Catherine,  Thomas,  John,  Owen  P.,  Edward,  and  Pat- 
rick J. 

Owen  F.  Clarke  was  born  in  Ireland,  February  3, 
1853,  and  in  1857  was  taken  to  America,  thence  to  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.,  by  his  parents,  and  there  attended  the 
local  schools.  Father  Clarke  was  always  a  studious 
boy.  and  from  his  youth  predestined  for  the  priesthood. 
His  theological  studies  were  pursued  at  Saint  Hya- 
rintlie  and  Montreal  colleges,  and  later  at  the  Grand 
Seminary,  Montreal,  Canada,  being  ordained  a  priest 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  December  20,  1879, 
by  Bishop  Farbe.  His  first  appointment  came  as  chap- 
lin  to  Bayview  Seminary  at  East  Providence,  then  went 
to  Saint  Ann's  and  subsequently  Saint  Mary's,  both 
at  Fall  River,  Mass.,  serving  until  January  i,  1888, 
when  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  the  Church  of  Our 
Lady  of  Lourdes  at  East  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  there  re- 
maining ten  years.  He  was  also  in  charge  of  several 
outlying  missions  connected  with  that  parish.  In 
June,  1899,  Father  Clarke  returned  to  Providence  as 
pastor  of  Saint  Theresa's  Church  on  Manton  avenue, 
succeeding  Father  O'Reilly,  deceased.  He  remained 
pastor  of  this  church  for  seven  years,  where  he  cele- 
brated his  silver  jubilee.  Father  Clarke  was  instru- 
mental in  removing  an  indebtedness  of  fifty-four  thou- 
sand dollars  that  came  to  him  with  the  pastorate  of  St. 
Theresa's  Church,  and  he  also  greatly  improved  the 
property  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Name.  On  March 
24,  1906,  he  succeeded  Father  Walsh  as  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Name,  in  Providence.  The  parish 
numbered  three  thousand  parishioners,  well  organized, 
with  educational  institutions,  religious  societies  and 
fraternal  features,  which  are  an  indispensable  adjunct 
to  the  church.  Father  Clarke  introduced  the  Sisters  of 
Notre  Dame  to  the  parish,  and  through  his  endeavors 
land  was  bought,  a  building  was  purchased,  which  was 
remodeled  for  a  convent,  and  a  school  established. 
There  he  labored  with  excellent  reward  until  his  death, 
June  21,  191S,  following  two  years  of  illness. 

During  the  period  of  his  priesthood,  Father  Clarke 
had  traveled  extensively  in  this  country  and  had  made 
several  trips  to  Europe,  visiting  many  places  of  inter- 
est. He  was  a  student  and  a  keen  observer,  and  his 
talks  on  travel  meant  much  to  those  who  were  not  so 
fortunate  as  to  the  opportunity  of  travel.  Father 
Clarke  was  broad  minded,  congenial  and  sympathetic, 
and  had  many  friends  in  and  outside  of  his  church 
work.  He  was  a  strong  advocate  of  religion,  educa- 
tion and  public  betterment,  and  stood  in  the  front  ranks 
for  well  defined  citizenship.  His  death  came  as  a 
severe  shock  and  was  a  great  loss  to  the  many  who 
knew  him. 


JOSEPH   WOOD    FREEMAN,   of   Central    Falls, 

traces  his  ancestry  back  to  the  earliest  Colonial  days, 
l>eing  a  descendant  of  Governor  William  Bradford,  of 
Plymouth,  and  of  Thomas  Rogers,  William  Molines 
(Mullins)  and  John  Alden,  passengers  in  the  "May- 
flower." His  earliest  ancestor  in  the  direct  Freeman 
line  was  Ralph  Freeman,  who  signed  the  famous  Ded- 
ham  covenant,  and  was  admitted  a  townsman  in  Ded- 
ham,  Mass.,  January  i,  1651.  He  is  also  connected 
with  many  other  early  New   England  families,  among 


/^ 


iSL^C.<'-^-^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


509 


tluTii    I'airl'anl<s.    Bakor.    Starr,    Adams,    Belcher    and 
Tluiyer. 

Joseph  Wood  I'Veenian's  grandfather.  Rev.  Edward 
Freeman,  was  liorn  in  Mondon,  Mass.,  in  April,  i8o6. 
and  was  graduated  from  Brown  I'niversity  in  183.^ 
He  became  a  Baptist  clergyman,  and  after  a  short 
ministry  at  Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  Waterville,  Me.,  re- 
moved to  Camden,  Me.,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  Besides  performing  his  duties  as  a  clergy- 
man he  was  a  very  successful  school  teacher  and  pre- 
pared many  young  men  for  colk'.cje.  His  wife,  Har- 
riet E.  (Colburn)  Freeman,  was  a  native  of  Dedham, 
Mass.,  and  was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  that  town. 
The  eldest  of  the  children  of  Rev.  Edward  Freeman 
was  Edward  Livingston  Freeman,  who  was  born  in 
Waterville,  Me.,  September  10,  i8,?5.  He  was  taught 
by  his  father  and  was  about  ready  to  enter  college 
when,  in  his  fifteenth  year,  on  a  visit  to  his  aunt  in 
Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  he  became  apprentice  to  a  printer 
in  Pawtucket,  and  entered  the  trade  in  which  his  life 
was  spent.  He  became  one  of  the  owners  of  the  job 
printing  office  connected  with  the  Providence  "Jour- 
nal," and,  in  186,3  sold  out  his  interest  and  started  in 
a  small  way  for  himself  in  Central  Falls,  thus  found- 
ing the  printing  business  which  is  now  known  as  E.  L. 
Freeman  Com! 'any,  and  in  which  some  of  his  grand- 
sons now  take  an  active  part.  In  addition  to  the 
printing  concern,  he  now  operates  a  stationery  store  in 
Providence  and  another  in  Pawtucket. 

Edward  I-.  Freeman  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and 
activity,  and  entered  heartily  into  community  affairs. 
He  was  connected  with  the  old  Union  Guard  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Militia,  rising  from  private  to  colonel: 
and  was  a  school  trustee  for  many  years,  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Firewards  of  Central  Falls  (the  govern- 
ing body  of  Central  Falls)  for  nineteen  years,  super- 
intendent of  the  Congregational  Sunday  school  for 
many  years,  and  later  teacher  of  a  large  class  of  adults. 
He  was  deeply  interested  in  politics,  and  served  the 
town  of  Smithficld,  tlie  town  of  IJncoln,  and  the  city 
of  Centra!  Falls  as  Senator  and  Representative  in  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  State  for  nearly  thirty  years. 
He  was  Speaker  of  the  House  in  1874  and  1876,  and 
President  of  the  Senate  in  1902.  During  his  later  years 
as  Senator  he  was  chairman  of  the  judiciary  commit- 
tee. Republican  leader  of  the  Senate,  and  prominent  in 
party  councils.  Pfe  was  twice  a  delegate  to  the  Na- 
tional Republican  Convention,  and  once  chairman  of  the 
delegation.  He  was  a  member  of  several  fraternal 
societies,  but  his  chief  interest  in  this  line  was  in 
Freemasonry,  to  which  he  was  a  lifelong  and  devoted 
adherent.  Besides  holding  office  in  the  subordinate 
bodies,  he  was  grand  master  of  Masons  of  the  State 
of  Rhode  Island,  grand  high  priest  of  the  Grand  Chaj)- 
ter  a!;d  grand  commander  of  Knights  Templar  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  Rhode  Island.  Mr.  Freeman  was  a 
director  in  several  local  business  corporations,  where 
his  good  sense  and  business  sagacity  made  his  services 
of  great  value.  He  was  president  of  the  Pawtucket 
Business  Men's  .Association  for  two  years.  He  was 
railroad  commissioner  for  the  State  of  Rhode  Island 
from  1888  until  his  death.  I'pon  his  retirement  from 
the  Senate,  that  body  paid  him  a  unique  resolution  by 
passing  the  following  resolution: 


Wherea.s.  The  Hon.  Edward  U  Freeman,  of  Central 
Fall.s.  is  about  to  retire  from  this  senate  atler  a  nearly 
continuou.s  service  in  this  senate  or  the  hou.>ie  of  rep- 
re  entatives  for  thirty-one  years;   therefore  be   it 

ftesolved,  That  the  members  of  this  senate  deem  it 
proiier  to  record  their  his:h  appreciation  of  him  as  a 
pure  man  and  a  faithful  legislator:  that  we  recoRnlze 
in  him  a  statesman  of  unusual  abilitv  and  energy, 
wiiose  intelligent,  faithful,  and  untiring  services  In 
this  bod.v  have  been  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  the 
state,  and  whose  absence  from  its  deliberations  and 
actions  in  the  future  will  be  greatlv  mL-^sed;  that  we 
extend  to  him  our  best  wishes  for  his  future  welfare, 
and  hope  that  peace  and  prosperity   will   be  his. 

Mr.  Freeman  died  February  >4,  1907,  after  less  than 
a  week's  illness  of  pneumonia,  and  was  followed  in  a 
few  weeks  by  his  wife,  who  died  of  the  same  disease. 
No  man,  perhaps,  in  the  State  e.xerted  a  stronger  in- 
fluence in  politics  and  community  life  during  the  period 
of  his  activities  than  Mr.  Freeman.  Quick,  generous, 
affable,  he  was  interested  in  all  the  phases  of  our  re- 
lated life,  and  he  left  behind  him  the  memory  of  a  use- 
ful and  honorable  career. 

Mr.  I'reeman  was  married  in  1857  to  Emma  E. 
Brown,  of  Central  Falls.  They  had  seven  children,  five 
of  whom  grew  to  adult  age. 

The  death  of  Edward  L.  Freeman  was  met  with 
gciniinc  regret  throughout  the  State.  The  following 
resolution  was  passed  on  February  26,  1907,  by  the 
General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island: 

Resolved,  That  this  general  assembly  learns  with 
deep  regret  of  the  death,  on  February  24,  1907,  of 
Honorable  Kdward  I...  Freeman,  of  Central  Falls,  who 
wax  at  the  time  of  his  death  railroad  commissioner 
and  was  for  fifteen  years  a  member  of  the  house  of 
representatives,  serving  as  speaker  from  1874  to  187$, 
anti  a  member  of  the  senate  for  twelve  years,  being 
elected  president  pro  tempore  of  that  body  In  1902. 
His  attainments  as  a  legislator  and  his  devotion  to 
public  interests  evidenced  his  deep  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  State.  His  kindliness  and  Christian 
spirit  endeared  him  to  all,  and  his  advancement,  as  a 
citizen,  of  many  public  affairs  contributed  greatly  to 
the  common  good,  and  his  aliility  and  fidelity  have 
deserved    well  of   the   State:   and 

Resolved.  That  a  committee  consisting  of  two  mem- 
bers of  the  senate  and  three  members  of  the  house  of 
representalive.-i.  be  appointed  to  attend  the  funeral,  to 
be  held  Wednesday,  February  27,  at  two  o'clock  P.  M. ; 
and 

Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  of  .State  be  hereby 
directed  to  cause  a  copy  of  this  resolution  to  be  suit- 
abl.v  engrossed  and  forwarded  to  the  family  of  the 
deceased. 

Joseph  Wood  Freeman,  second  son  of  Edward  L. 
and  Emma  E.  (Brown)  Freeman,  was  born  in  Central 
Falls,  R.  I.,  May  9,  186.3.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Central  Falls  until  he  was  fourteen,  when 
he  entered  the  celebrated  Mowry  &  Gofl's  English  and 
Classical  School  at  Providence,  and  was  there  pre- 
pared for  college.  Entering  Brown  University,  he  took 
the  usual  classical  course  and  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1885,  receiving  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
Four  years  later  the  same  institution  conferred  upon 
him  the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  Imme- 
diately after  his  graduation  he  became  editor  of  the 
Central  Falls  "Weekly  Visitor,"  a  periodical  estab- 
lished by  his  father,  and  continued  thus  occupied  until 
the  sale  of  the  paper  in  1890.  After  the  sale  of  the 
'"Weekly  Visitor,"  he  became  a  partner  in  what  had 
grown  to  be  an  important  industry  and  the  firm  became 
known  as  E.  L.  Freeman  &  Sons.  The  business  was 
incorporated  in  the  year  1906,  and  since  1907  Mr.  Free- 
man has  been  president  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Freeman 
has  not  confined  his  attention  to  his  private  interests. 


;io 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


even  such  important  ones  as  those  represented  by  the 
large  business  that  he  conducts.  On  the  contrary,  he 
lias  exhibited  the  greatest  public  spirit  in  all  his  activi- 
ties, and  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  general  life 
of  the  community.  He  held  a  number  of  offices  in  the 
town  of  Lincoln,  before  Central  Falls  was  made  a 
separate  city,  was  clerk  and  moderator  of  the  voting 
district  of  Central  Falls,  a  member  of  the  Lincoln 
School  Committee,  and  secretary  and  chairman  of  the 
Board  of  Sewer  Commissioners.  The  notorious  "Tis- 
sue ballot"  frauds  in  the  town  of  Lincoln  at  the  election 
of  1890  found  him  one  of  the  special  supervisors  in 
charge,  and  it  was  largely  due  to  his  determined  stand 
against  the  first  count  of  votes  on  election  night  and 
the  record  then  made,  which  he  later  supported  by 
testimony  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  that 
justice  was  finally  done  and  the  successful  candidates 
restored  to  oftice.  Mr.  Freeman  was  elected  mayor 
of  Central  Falls  in  the  year  1900,  but  after  serving  one 
term  in  that  capacity  declined  renomination.  In  1906, 
however,  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon  him  by  his 
friends  and  political  associates,  and  he  again  became 
a  candidate  for  the  office.  He  was  elected  and  served 
during  the  year  that  followed,  giving  the  city  a  most 
efficient  administration.  In  ipcx)  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  School  Committee,  and  in  1901  its  chairman, 
an  office  that  he  continued  to  hold  until  1907.  Other 
posts  held  by  Mr.  Freeman  were  those  of  deputy  rail- 
road commissioner  of  Rhode  Island  from  May,  1899, 
to  February,  1907:  librarian  of  the  Free  Public  Li- 
brary of  Central  Falls  from  its  establishment  in  1882 
until  1899,  and  since  that  time  as  a  trustee.  He  has 
devoted  much  time  to  the  development  of  this  institu- 
tion, and  it  is  largely  due  to  his  efforts  that  it  is  now 
one  of  the  largest  and  best  equipped  libraries  in  Rhode 
Island.  In  1912.  Mr.  Freeman  was  elected  Senator 
from  Central  Falls,  and  again  in  1914.  His  four  years 
in  the  Senate  were  marked  by  faithfulness  to  duty.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  finance  committee,  and  prominent 
in  legislative  proceedings  during  his  term. 

Mr.  Freeman  is  a  very  prominent  Free  Mason,  and 
is  affiliated  with  Union  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons, of  which  he  is  past  master;  Pawtucket  Chapter, 
Royal  .-^rch  Masons;  Pawtucket  Council,  Royal  and 
Select  Masters:  Holy  Sepulchre  Commandery,  Knights 
Templar;  Rhode  Island  Chapter  of  Rose  Croix,  of 
which  he  was  master,  and  the  other  Scottish  Rite 
bodies.  In  1905  he  was  chosen  grand  master  of  Ma- 
sons for  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  In  September, 
1907,  he  was  made  a  thirty-third  degree  Mason  at 
the  ninety-sixth  annual  meeting  of  the  Supreme  Coun- 
cil of  the  Northern  Masonic  Jurisdiction  held  at  Bos- 
ton. Mr.  Freeman  is  also  a  member  of  the  Lincoln 
Republican  .•\ssociation,  the  Rhode  Island  Master 
Printers'  Association,  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  So- 
city,  the  To-Kalon  Club  of  Pawtucket.  Masonic  Vet- 
eran Association,  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution, 
Society  of  Colonial  Wars,  and  the  Society  of  May- 
flower Descendants.  He  is  chairman  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  Central  Falls  Free  Public  Library. 
During  the  war  he  was  chairman  of  the  Department  of 
Military  Relief  of  the  Pawtucket  and  Central  Falls 
Chapter.  American  Red  Cross,  and  a  member  of  the 
executive  committee  in  many  of  the  relief  and  liberty 


loan  drives.  His  ability  and  counsel  have  also  been 
recognized  in  business  circles.  He  is  chairman  of  the 
board  of  managers  of  the  Industrial  Trust  Company 
of  Pawtucket;  vice-president  and  director  of  the  Dex- 
ter Yarn  Company;  president  of  the  Eastern  Adver- 
tising Company;  director  in  the  Burgess  Mills,  Ma- 
sonic Temple  Company,  Pawtucket  Mutual  Fire  In- 
surance Company,  the  Morris  Plan  Company,  and  the 
reorganized  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  has  also  been 
a  member  of  the  vestry  of  St.  George's  Church,  and 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  Memorial  Hospital. 

Mr.  Freeman  was  united  in  marriage  on  June  23, 
1886.  to  Elizabeth  King  Fales,  daughter  of  the  late 
George  S.  and  Frances  (Baker)  Fales,  of  Pawtucket. 
The  following  children  have  been  born  to  them:  David 
Lincoln,  born  June  8.  1887,  died  Jan.  30,  1905;  Edward 
Livingston,  born  July  10,  1891,  enlisted  in  the  United 
States  navy.  May,  1917,  was  commissioned  ensign, 
Dec.  1917,  and  after  serving  at  Annapolis  and  on  the 
U.  S.  S.  "Nevada"  off  the  Irish  coast  during  the  sum- 
mer and  autumn  of  1918,  was  discharged  from  the  serv- 
ice in  May,  1919;  Elizabeth  King,  born  Oct.  23,  1893, 
now  Mrs.  Lester  K.  Little,  of  Shanghai,  China;  Fran- 
ces Louise,  born  July  2,  1895;  Joseph  Wood,  born 
March  24,  1899,  died  in  his  second  year;  Richard  Fales, 
born  June  14,  1901 ;  Joseph  Wood,  Jr.,  born  Dec.  28, 
1906. 


RALPH  SMITH  POTTER— From  1891  until  his 
withdrawal  in  1917.  Ralph  S.  Potter,  of  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  was  connected  in  business  with  Benjamin  F. 
Smith,  a  builder  of  Pawtucket,  and  after  the  incor- 
poration of  the  business  as  the  B.  F.  Smith  Company, 
of  Pawtucket.  he  served  in  official  capacity.  He  was 
also  a  founder  of  the  Pawtucket  Sash  and  Blind  Com- 
pany, in  1895,  of  which  he  has  been  president  and  treas- 
urer since  its  incorporation  in  1897.  He  is  a  son  of 
Henry  Angell  and  Anna  Louise  (Smith)  Potter,  grand- 
son of  Deacon  Jeremey  and  Amey  W.  (Harris)  Potter, 
of  Scituate  and  Pascoag,  R.  I.,  great-grandson  of  John 
(3)  and  Waite  (Waterman)  Potter,  a  Revolutionary 
soldier,  son  of  Fisher  Potter,  who  married  Mary  Win- 
sor,  a  great-granddaughter  of  Roger  Williams,  son  of 
John  (2)  Potter,  son  of  John  (i)  Potter,  son  of  Robert 
Potter,  founder  of  this  branch  of  the  Potter  family  in 
Rhode  Island,  who  arrived  in  Lynn,  Mass.,  in  1630, 
but  in  1638  was  recorded  an  inhabitant  of  Newport,  R.  L 

John  (3)  Potter,  of  the  fifth  generation,  was  a 
"rider"  or  messenger,  enlisted  in  a  troop  of  horse,  and 
served  as  a  "picket  guard"  along  the  shores  near  Point 
Judith.  Near  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  commis- 
sioned ensign  in  a  company  of  minute-iuen  from  Scitu- 
ate. After  the  war  John  Potter  and  his  wife,  Waite 
(Waterman)  Potter,  joined  the  Society  of  Friends. 
They  had  long  been  of  that  belief,  but  would  not  join 
until  tlie  fighting  was  over. 

"Deacon"  Jeremey  Potter,  sixth  child  of  John  (3) 
and  Waite  (Waterman)  Potter,  was  a  farmer  of  Scitu- 
ate, R.  I.,  until  within  a  few  years  of  his  death,  when 
he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Pascoag,  where  he  died 
March  3,  1879.  For  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  was 
a  deacon  of  the  Congregational  church  at  Scituate,  re- 
signing upon  leaving  the  town.  He  married  Amey  W. 
Harris. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


5" 


l^enry  Angell  Potter,  son  of  Deacon  Jeremey  and 
Amey  W.  (Harris)  Potter,  was  born  April  lo,  1835,  in 
Scituatc,  died  in  St.  Cloud.  I"la.,  February  3,  1915.  For 
ten  years  lie  was  a  partner  in  tlie  firm,  Potter  &  Salis- 
bury, grocers  of  Pascoag,  tlien  until  his  retirement  sole 
owner  of  the  business,  being  the  oldest  merchant  in  the 
town  and  a  man  most  highly  esteemed.  He  married, 
June  28,  1866,  .Anna  Louise  Smith,  born  Xovember  21, 
1841.  in  Savannah,  Ga.,  daughter  of  Daniel  G.  and  Car- 
oline (Cromwell)  Smith.  They  were  the  parents  of 
two  sons,  Ralph  Smith,  of  further  mention,  and  Byron 
II.,  who  died  in  his  second  year. 

Ralph  Smitli  Potter  was  born  at  Pascoag,  R.  1.,  De- 
cember 10,  1871.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
01'  Pascoag;  l-'rienils  School,  Providence:  and  High- 
land Military  Academy,  of  Worcester,  Mass.:  finish- 
ing his  studies  at  the  last  named  institution  with  grad- 
uation, class  of  1891.  Soon  after  graduation  he  became 
interested  in  business  with  Benjamin  F.  Smith,  a 
builder  of  Pawtucket,  they  operating  as  a  firm  from 
.-\ugust,  iSgi,  until  1898,  when  the  business  was  incor- 
porated as  the  B.  F.  Smith  Company.  Mr.  Potter  be- 
came secretary  and  assistant  treasurer  of  the  com- 
pany upon  incorporation,  an  office  he  held  until  igi", 
when  he  resigned  and  withdrew  from  the  company. 
Since  1897  he  has  been  president  and  treasurer  of  the 
Pawtucket  Sash  and  Blind  Company,  a  company  he 
aided  in  forming  in  1895.  He  is  a  capable  man  of 
affairs,  and  has  been  successful  in  his  business  under- 
takings. In  politics,  Mr.  Potter  is  a  Republican,  and 
in  1897  and  1898  served  the  city  of  Pawtucket  as  coun- 
cilman. He  and  his  family  are  attendants  of  the  Uni- 
\ersalist  church.  He  is  affiliated  with  Barney  Merry 
Lodge,  No.  29,  h'ree  and  .Accepted  Masons;  Pawtucket 
Chapter,  No.  4,  Royal  .'\rch  Masons;  Pawtucket  Coun- 
cil, No.  2,  Royal  and  Select  Masters,  of  which  he  is 
past  thrice  illustrious  master:  Holy  Sepulchre  Com- 
mandery.  No.  8,  Knights  Templar:  Palestine  Temple. 
.Ancient  Arabic  Order  Xobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine: 
Queen  Esther  Lodge,  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  of 
which  he  is  a  past  patron:  and  in  the  Ancient  Accepted 
Scottish  Rite  has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree.  He 
is  a  member  and  past  grand  of  Enterprise  Lodge,  N'o. 
22.  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  a  member  of 
Pawtucket  Lodge,  No.  920,  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks;  also  a  member  of  the  Providence  and 
Pawtucket  Chambers  of  Commerce;  Providence  Credit 
.Men's  Association:  and  Pawtucket  Business  Men's 
.Association.     His  club   is  the   Rotary. 

Mr.  Potter  married  (first)  at  Pawtucket,  December 
II.  1901,  Ida  Maude  Foster,  born  in  Pawtucket,  Janu- 
ary 17,  1879,  and  died  there  January  24,  igio.  daughter 
of  Joseph  H.  and  Ellen  (Parker)  Foster.  She  was  the 
mother  of  five  children,  all  born  in  Pawtucket  except 
Robert  A.,  whose  birthplace  was  at  West  Barrington, 
R.I.  Children:  Margery  F.,  who  died  aged  two  days; 
Anna,  born  Jan.  6.  1905:  Eleanor,  .April  9,  1906;  Rob- 
ert-Arnold. Sept.  5,  1907:  Louise,  Jan,  23.  1910.  Mr. 
Potter  married  (second)  March  22,  191 1,  at  Providence, 
Louiae  J.  MacLeod,  born  at  Cape  Breton,  Nova  Scotia, 
July  I,  1878,  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Christine  (Mac- 
Kay)  MacLeod. 

This  record  covers  nearly  three  centuries  of  the  Pot- 
ter   familv    in    New    England,    1630-1920,    and    in    this 


branch  nearly  that  entire  period  has  been  spent  in  con- 
tinuous Rhode  Island  residence,  1638-1920.  The  record 
is  one  of  honorable  fulfillment  of  public  and  private 
obligation,  and  the  name  has  been  borne  by  men  of 
jirominence  in  public  life,  in  business,  and  in  the  pro- 
fessions. 


GIDEON  CONGDON  PHILLIPS— The  Phillips 
family  in  Rhode  Island  is  descended  from  Michael 
Phillips,  who  is  on  record  as  early  as  166S  at  New- 
port. I\.  I.,  where  lie  w'as  admitted  a  freeman  in  that 
year. 

Gideon  Congdon  Phillips,  the  son  of  Thomas  and 
brauces  (Congdon)  Phillips,  was  born  at  North 
Kingstown,  R.  I.,  February  ig,  1852.  His  namesake, 
liis  mother's  father,  Gideon  Congdon,  was  a  native  of 
K.xeter,  R.  I.,  who  removed  to  North  Kingstown,  R.  I., 
and  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  for 
many  years  superintendent  of  a  large  farm  owned  by 
the  Ives  family.  Gideon  Congdon  was  the  son  of  John 
Congdon,  whose  father,  James  Congdon,  was  the  son 
of  Benjamin  Congdon,  the  original  American  settler. 
Benjamin  Congdon  was  born  about  1650,  and  is  on 
record  at  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  in  1671,  as  a  purchaser  of  a 
farm  in  Xarragansett,  Kings  Town.  Tradition  states 
th.at  he  was  a  native  of  Pembrokeshire,  Wales. 

The  parents  of  Gideon  Congdon  Phillips  removed  to 
Exeter,  R.  I.,  when  he  was  a  year  old.  Here  he  at- 
tended the  public  schools,  later  the  East  Greenwich 
.Academy.  He  was  for  six  years  connected  with  the 
Providence  .Architectural  Iron  Works,  and  the  next 
five  years  were  spent  in  the  employ  of  E.  T.  Bur- 
roughs, of  Providence,  R.  I.  During  this  time  he  be- 
came interested  in  the  poultry  business,  and  in  igog 
managed  the  Hillside  Farm,  in  the  town  of  Glocester, 
R.  I.  This  was  a  finely  improved  farm  of  one  hundred 
eighty-seven  acres,  devoted  to  general  farming.  Mr. 
Phillips  is  in  his  political  affiliation  a  member  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Central  Bap- 
tist Church,  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Phillips  married  for  his  first  wife  Eliza  Gorton. 
She  died  in  1905.  There  were  two  children  by  this 
m.irriage.  the  eldest,  Dexter  Gorton,  having  passed 
away,  and  Oriena,  who  married  .Albert  Glover,  of 
Providence,  R.  I.  Mr.  Phillips  married  for  his  second 
wife  Charlotte  Burlingame.  They  have  one  child, 
.Alice  Congdon  Phillips. 


JAMES  HENRY  KIERNAN,  a  successful  real 
estate  broker,  and  prominent  politically  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  is  a  native  of  Providence,  born  September  i, 
1884.  son  of  James  Henry  and  Ann  (Gardiner) Kiernan, 
old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Providence.  The 
elder  Mr.  Kiernan  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
was  engaged  for  many  years  in  the  business  of  making 
harness  in  Providence,  in  which  city  his  death  occurred 
in  the  year  1890,  when  but  thirty-six  years  of  age.  His 
wife,  .Ann  (Gardiner)  Kiernan,  of  Pennsylvania,  sur- 
vives him.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Margaret,  who  became  the  wife  of  John 
Conway,  of  Providence:  James  Henry,  of  whom  fur- 
ther: Catherine,  who  is  now  the  chief  operator  of  the 
Providence  Telephone  Company:  and  Edward,  who 
married   Eliabeth  McDonald,  of  Providence. 


512 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


The  education  of  James  Henry  Kiernan  was  received 
in  the  public  and  high  schools  of  Providence,  and  for 
several  years  thereafter  he  was  employed  in  minor 
positions.  Being  decidedly  amLitions,  however,  he 
decideil  on  more  congenial  employment  in  order  to 
gain  additional  knowledge  and  experience.  Accord- 
ingly, he  entered  the  law  office  of  Thomas  L.  West,  a 
well  hnown  attorney  of  Providence,  and  remained  in 
his  employ  for  a  period  of  five  years.  He  then  became 
connected  with  the  law  firm  of  Gushing,  Carroll  & 
McCartin,  at  No.  19  College  street,  where  he  remained 
until  1914.  In  the  meantime,  by  hard  work  and  strict 
economy,  he  had  saved  a  sufficient  amount  of  his  earn- 
ings to  enable  him  to  engage  in  business  on  his  own 
account,  and  he  opened  a  real  estate  office  in  Room 
215,  No.  334  Westminster  street,  Providence.  He  has 
been  exceedingly  successful  in  his  business  enterprise, 
and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  patronized  real 
estate  men  in  Providence,  with  offices  in  the  Gros- 
venor  building.  It  is  perhaps  even  more  in  his  con- 
nection with  politics  than  as  a  business  man  that  Mr. 
Kiernan  is  known  in  the  community.  From  the  outset 
of  his  career  he  has  actively  interested  himself  in  local 
affairs,  and  has  been  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  fig- 
ures in  the  Democratic  party  of  Providence  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  1914  he  was  elected  to  represent  Prov- 
idence in  the  State  House  of  Representatives,  and  has 
served  on  that  body  continuously  up  to  the  present  time 
(1920).  He  is  a  member  of  the  house  committees  on 
labor  legislation  and  militia,  and  has  established  an 
excellent  record  for  himself  as  a  most  capable  and  dis- 
interested public  servant.  He  has  taken  a  keen  inter- 
est in  reform  legislation,  and  by  his  great  service  to 
the  community  has  won  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
his  fellow-citizeus.  Mr.  Kiernan  is  a  Roman  Catholic 
ir.  his  religious  faith.  He  holds  membership  in  the 
Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Rhode  Island  Business 
Men's  Association,  the  Tenth  Ward  Taxpayer's  Club, 
and  the  Tentli  Ward  Independent  Club,  of  which  he  is 
president. 


ARTHUR  STEVENS  VAUGHN,  prominent  busi- 
ness man  and  citizen,  is  well  known  in  the  building 
trade  in  Rhode  Island.  Since  leaving  school  and  enter- 
ing the  L.  Vaughn  Company,  of  Providence,  he  has 
advanced  steadily  to  an  official  position  in  that  com- 
pany. Mr.  Vaughn,  while  confining  his  attention 
largely  to  his  business,  has  Ijeen  active  and  prominent 
in  other  fields,  and  is  in  the  group  of  Rhode  Island's 
prominent  citizens. 

Arthur  S.  Vaughn,  son  of  Herbert  and  Annie  W. 
(Trask)  Vaughn,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  June 
28,  1878,  and  was  educated  in  the  grade  and  high 
schools  of  Providence.  Upon  completing  his  educa- 
tion he  became  connected  with  the  L.  Vaughn  Com- 
pany, a  corporation  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
builder's  finish,  sash,  doors  and  blinds.  His  position 
was  of  a  minor  sort,  and  by  consistent  effort  and  close 
application  to  the  affairs  of  this  business  he  eventually 
became  treasurer  of  the  company,  the  office  he  still 
holds.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Citizens'  Savings  Bank 
of  Providence,  and  has  other  business  interests.  Dur- 
ing 1918-19  he  was  president  of  the  Builders'  E.xchange 
of   Providence,   and  also  a  director  in   the   Providence 


Chamber  of  Commerce  in  1919.  A  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Vaughn  represented  the  Nineteenth  Provi- 
dence District  in  the  Slate  Legislature  during  the  ses- 
sions of  igio  and  191 1.  He  volunteered  for  special 
service  during  the  World  War,  and  was  overseas  with 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  from  May  8. 
1918,  to  November  I,  1918.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Order,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  the  Royal  Arcanum,  the  West  Side  Club,  the 
Central  Club,  the  Pomham  Club,  of  which  he  is  vice- 
president,  the  Metacomet  Club,  and  the  Elmwood  Free 
Baptist  Church. 

Mr.  Vaughn  married,  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  March  7, 
1900,  Lizzie  R.  Rollinson,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Mercy  (Twiner)  Rollinson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vaughn  are 
the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Louise,  born  in  Providence, 
February  15,  1903. 


SAMUEL  MOWRY  NICHOLSON— The  early 
annals  of  the  town  of  Marblehead,  Mass.,  show  that 
some  of  the  prominent  citizens  bore  the  name  of 
Nicholson.  Marblehead  became  a  town  in  16.19,  hav- 
ing formerly  been  a  part  of  Salem,  Mass.,  and  in  the 
first  proceedings  Edmund  Nicholson  took  a  prominent 
part,  and  later  Colonel  Francis  Nicholson  was  active 
and  prominent  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  town.  Dur- 
ing the  War  of  the  Revolution,  Captain  Nicholson,  of 
Marblehead,    rendered   valuable    service   on   the    sea. 

(I)  William  Nicholson  was  an  inhabitant  of  Mar- 
blehead, Mass.,  as  early  as  1713.  It  has  not  yet  been 
determined  whether  he  immigrated  to  this  country  or 
vfas  a  descendant  of  the  Nicholson  families  living 
before  that  time  at  Marblehead  and  Chatham,  Mass. 
He  married,  November  21,  1713,  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Michael  and  Grace  Coes,  of  Marblehead. 

(II)  Thomas  Nicholson,  son  of  William  and  Eliza- 
beth (Coes)  Nicholson,  was  baptized  at  Marblehead. 
October  1.=;,  1732.  He  married,  February  20,  1755. 
Susannah  Gale,  of  Marblehead,  and  had  two  sons: 
Thomas,  of  further  mention:    and  William. 

(HI)  Thomas  (2)  Nicholson,  son  of  Thomas  (i) 
and  Susannah  (Gale)  Nicholson,  was  baptized  at  Mar- 
blehead, April  3.  1757,  and  is  spoken  of  in  the  Town 
Record  as  "cordwainer."  He  married.  May  5,  1776, 
Sarah  Spinney,  of  Marblehead. 

(IV)  William  (2)  Nicholson,  son  of  Thomas  (2)  and 
Sarah  (Spinney)  Nicholson,  was  baptized  July  4,  1781, 
at  the  age  of  five  months.  He  was  lost  at  sea  in  the 
year  1813,  out  of  the  ship  "Captain  Robert  Deveraux." 
He  married,  June  10,  1802,  Mary,  daughter  of  Na- 
thaniel and  Abigail  (Sweetland)  Prebble,  and  a  de- 
scendant of  Abraham  Prebble,  who  immigrated  to 
Scituate,  Mass.,  from  Kent,  England,  in  1636,  and  who 
married  Judith,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Tilden,  of  Kent. 

(V)  William  (3)  Nicholson,  son  of  William  (2) 
and  Mary  (Prebble)  Nicholson,  was  baptized  at  Mar- 
blehead, October  11,  1807,  died  at  Whitinsville,  Mass., 
April  5,  i860,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  At  an 
early  age  he  located  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  where  he 
learned  the  machinist's  trade,  which  he  followed  for 
many  years,  later  becoming  a  manufacturer.  From 
Pawtucket,  he  went  to  Whitinsville.  He  married,  at 
Pawtucket,  December  31.  1832,  Eliza,  daughter  of 
James    Forestelle,    a    young    Frenchman,    who    t.iught 


2^xnnix  ^.  PaugUn 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


513 


school  at  Chatham,  Cape  Cod,  and  his  wife  Esther 
(Eldridge')    Forestelle.  of  Chatham. 

(VI)  Wilham  Thomas  Nicholson,  son  of  William 
(3)  and  Eliza  (Forestelle)  Nicholson,  was  born  March 
22,  1834,  and  died  October  17,  1893.  He  passed  his 
boyhood  and  school  days  at  Whitinsville,  Mass.,  ob- 
taining his  education  at  the  schools  of  the  town,  and 
Uxbridge  Academy,  locating  in  the  neighboring  town 
of  that  name,  which  academy  he  attended  for  a  short 
period  of  time.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he 
entered  the  machine  shop  of  Paul  Whitin  &  Sons, 
remaining  three  years,  and  learned  the  machinist's 
trade.  Soon  after  this  he  went  to  Providence,  R.  I., 
as  furnishing  a  better  field  for  a  wider  and  more 
varied  experience,  and  in  1852  became  employed  in  the 
machine  shop  of  Joseph  R.  Brown,  with  whom,  and 
the  succeeding  firm  of  Brown  &  Sharpe,  he  remained 
lor  six  years,  having  the  entire  management  of  their 
shops  for  the  last  two  years  of  his  service.  When 
we  consider  the  character  of  the  products  which  this 
house  manufactured,  representing  then,  as  now,  the 
finest  results  of  mechanical  labor  and  skill,  we  wonder 
that  one  so  young  should  have  developed  the  me- 
chanical ability  and  administrative  capacity  which  the 
position  called  for.  However,  there  is  some  clue  to 
this  early  success  in  the  story  of  the  diligent  use  he 
made  of  his  evenings  in  the  study  of  mechanics  and 
mechanical  drawing,  thus  acquiring  such  proficiency 
that  he  was  competent  to  make  all  the  drawings  used 
in  the  works  where  he  was  employed.  In  1858  Mr. 
Nicholson  entered  into  partnership  with  Isaac  Brow- 
nell  in  the  machine  business,  and  in  1859  he  was  in 
business  alone.  The  year  i860  found  him  in  larger 
quarters,  and  with  the  productive  capacity  materially 
increased.  The  next  year  witnessed  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  War,  and  though  the  first  effects  of  this  was 
to  paralyze  the  mechanical  industries  of  the  country 
for  a  time,  the  varied  needs  of  the  government  soon 
gave  an  unusual  impetus  to  business,  and  especially 
to  those  branches  connected  directly  and  indirectly 
with  the  equipment  of  the  soldier.  Mr.  Nicholson, 
from  this  cause,  was  soon  actively  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  machinery  needed  to  produce  the  small  arms 
required  by  government,  and  in  addition  to  the  work  of 
his  machine  shop  he  entered  into  a  partnership  with 
Henry  A.  Monroe,  for  the  manufacture  of  the  small 
parts  for  rifles,  having  devised  special  machinery  for 
this  purpose.  In  the  spring  of  1864  he  sold  this  branch 
of  his  business  to  his  partner,   Mr.   Monroe. 

For  some  time  prior  to  this  he  had  devoted  consid- 
erable thought  and  attention  to  the  construction  of  a 
machine  for  cutting  files,  and  he  now  took  up  the 
matter  in  earnest.  This  was  soon  followed  by  such  a 
degree  of  success  in  the  development  of  his  machine, 
that  in  the  same  year,  1864,  the  Nicholson  File  Com- 
pany was  chartered  by  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  to 
manufacture  files  under  the  patents  granted  to  Mr. 
Nicholson,  for  his  File  Cutting  Machine,  This  meas- 
ure of  success  was  certainly  encouraging,  but  it  proved 
to  be  but  the  beginning  of  years  of  anxious  labor, 
physical  and  mental,  perplexities  «vhich  seemed  almost 
insurmountable,  alternating  periods  of  hope  and  almost 
despair,  that  would  have  caused  a  less  persistent  man 


to  abandon  the  struggle.  The  record  of  all  previous 
attempts  in  this  line  showed  nothing  but  failures — 
blasted  hopes  and  ruined  fortunes — but  with  su|)reme 
courage  Mr.  Nicholson  essayed  the  task  and  finally 
won  the  goal.  The  making  of  a  file  cutting  machine 
that  would  do  the  work  and  do  it  well  had  been  ac- 
complished. To  set  in  successful  operation  a  factory 
for  the  manufacture  of  files  was  the  task  which  now 
taxed  the  energy  and  talent  of  the  inventor  of  the 
machine.  Accustomed  as  Mr.  Nicholson  had  been  to 
the  finer  and  nicer  work  of  the  machine  shop,  it  was 
but  natural  that  the  effect  of  this  training  should  make 
itself  felt  in  his  new  venture.  And  so  we  find  that 
attention  was  early  given  to  shape  and  contour,  that 
the  file  should  not  be  a  clumsy,  ill-shapen  tool,  but 
that,  in  tang  and  shoulder  and  point,  it  should  show 
that  its  outline  had  received  due  attention.  In  consid- 
ering the  difficulties  which  confronted  him  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  problem  was  not  one  of 
providing  for  the  small  daily  product  of  a  hand-cutting 
factory,  but  in  the  various  operations  through  which 
the  file  has  to  pass  to  completion,  provision  must  be 
made  and  each  department  equipped  to  furnish  its  suc- 
cessor with  the  needed  quota  for  its  daily  work.  This 
necessarily  meant  the  use  of  machinery  not  alone 
in  the  cutting  of  the  file,  but  in  the  other  processes  of 
manufacture,  and  much  of  this  machinery  had  to  be 
invented,  if  the  cutting  machine  was  to  be  put  into  use. 
But  if  the  making  of  machine-cut  files  presented  dif- 
ficulties, the  marketing  of  them  was  such  a  task  as  to 
make  one  almost  wish  that  a  file  had  never  been 
known.  The  great  source  of  supply  for  this  country 
had  been  hand-made  files  of  England.  Trade  unionism 
in  that  country  was  potent,  and  the  use  of  machinery 
in  all  lines  of  manufacture  was  nearly  impossible.  This 
meant  that  the  entire  influence  of  the  English  maker 
and  exporter  of  files,  and  the  American  merchant 
who  handled  them,  was  exerted  in  favor  of  the  hand- 
made file,  and  a  struggle  ensued  which  was  to  result 
in  the  downfall,  so  far  as  American  trade  was  con- 
cerned, of  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  systems  of  man- 
ufacture. Luckily  for  Mr.  Nicholson,  he  came  out 
conqueror.  But  had  he  failed  it  could  have  been  only 
for  a  time,  for  from  the  wonderful  growth  of  machine 
processes,  the  demand  for  files  could  only  have  been 
met  by  the  use  of  machinery.  To  add  to  the  other 
adverse  influences  which  he  encountered  was  the  fact 
that  the  American  mechanic  had  formed  an  ill  opinion 
of  machine-cut  files,  from  those  which  had  previously 
been  made  in  this  country.  Had  everyone  of  them 
been  well  cut,  and  of  good  temper,  the  burden  of  their 
complaint  would  not  have  been  done  away  with,  for  it 
arose  from  the  very  difficulty  which  Mr.  Nicholson's 
machine  was  designed  to  overcome,  and  that  was  the 
usual  spacing  of  the  teeth,  resulting  in  a  uniform 
height  which  enabled  all  of  them  to  be  brought  to 
bear  on  the  work,  and  increased  the  labor  in  using 
the  file.  This  mechanics  had  not  been  used  to,  for 
the  hand  file  had  teeth  of  varying  heights,  owing  to 
the  natural  varying  force  of  the  blow  in  making  the 
teeth,  and  when  put  in  use  the  impact  with  the  work 
brought  only  the  higher  teeth  into  action,  so  that  the 
power   needed   to   be   at   once   exerted   by   the  opera- 


R  1-2-33 


514 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


tor  was,  of  course,  less,  and  its  increase  gradual.  This 
and  other  complaints  were  constantly  made,  and  had 
to  be  met  by  Mr.  Nicholson  in  endeavoring  to  place 
his  goods  upon  the  market.  His  success  in  thus  plac- 
ing them,  and  his  management  in  the  years  following, 
showed  him  to  be  as  well  equipped  as  a  business  man 
as  he  had  already  proved  himself  to  be  in  the  field  of 
invention.  To  be  a  success  at  both  is  a  rare  combina- 
tion. 

At  this  time,  when  the  factory  which  Mr.  Nicholson 
had  founded  has  become  the  greatest  plant  of  its  kind 
in  the  world,  it  seems  hardly  possible  to  realize  that, 
at  the  inception  of  the  industry,  a  modest  three  hun- 
dred dozen  was  the  goal  first  aimed  at.  Many  a  rich 
man  is  quoted  as  saying  that  to  get  the  first  thousand 
dollars  was  the  hardest  task  on  his  road  to  wealth, 
and  so  it  was  to  Mr.  Nicholson  the  hardest  of  his 
work  to  make  and  market  that  product  of  tlirce  hun- 
dred dozen,  which  to-day  seems  so  small.  But  success 
came  at  last.  This,  however,  though  making  his 
labors  more  pleasant,  still  found  him  working  and 
planning  for  the  good  of  the  company,  and  it  may 
truly  be  said  of  him  that  he  spared  not  himself  at 
any  time,  for  the  very  last  week  of  his  life  found  him 
giving  close  application  to  the  duties  of  his  position. 
He  left  the  office  at  the  close  of  that  week,  October 
14,  1893,  with  good  promise  of  years  of  future  useful- 
ness, and  on  the  following  Tuesday  death  closed  his 
career  at  his  home  in  Providence,  R.  I.  Mr.  Nichol- 
son served  the  city  of  Providence  as  alderman  from 
his  ward;  was  a  trustee  of  the  Providence  Public 
Library  from  its  organization;  was  the  treasurer  for 
several  years  of  this  institution;  was  a  director  in 
the  Rhode  Island  National  Bank,  and  the  Narragan- 
sett  Electric  Light  Company:  member  of  the  Provi- 
dence Board  of  Trade;  member  of  the  American  So- 
ciety of  Mechanical  Engineers;  member  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society;  member  of  the  Franklin 
Society;  member  of  the  Association  of  Machinists  and 
Manufacturers,  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. 

Mr.  Nicholson  married,  October  14,  1857,  Elizabeth 
De.xter  Gardiner,  of  Limerock,  R.  I.,  daughter  of 
Samuel  E.  and  Alice  (Mowry)  Gardiner,  and  a  de- 
scendant of  George  Gardiner,  who  settled  in  Rhode 
Island  in  1638.  She  was  also  descended  from  John 
Carpenter,  who  was  born  in  England  about  1300:  from 
Thomas  Willett,  who  came  to  America  in  1632,  and 
who  was  later  the  first  English  mayor  of  New  York; 
William  Coddington,  the  first  governor  of  Newport; 
James  Helme,  the  first  chief  justice  of  Rhode  Island; 
Gabriel  Bernon,  the  Huguenot  immigrant,  who  came 
to  America  from  France  in  1688;  Samuel  Gorton,  who 
came  to  America  in  1637,  and  who  was  later  the  pres- 
ident of  Providence  and  Warwick;  the  Rev.  Gregory 
Dexter.  Roger  Mowry,  Thomas  Angell,  Thomas  Arn- 
old, William  Wickenden,  all  founders  of  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,  and  from  many  other  old  Rhode  Island 
families.  William  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Dexter 
(Gardiner)  Nicholson  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Samuel  Mowry,  of  further  mention; 
Colonel  William  Thomas,  who  died,  Feb.  11,  1890, 
after  a  short  and  successful  career  as  a  banker;  Eva, 
who  married  Stanley  Henshaw,  and  is  now  deceased; 


Elizabeth,  who  married  Merwin  White.     Mrs.  Nichol- 
son died  July  22,  1899. 

(VII)  Samuel  Mowry  Nicholson,  son  of  William 
Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Dexter  (Gardiner)  Nicholson, 
was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  February  25,  1861.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  of  the  city  of  his  birth, 
and  afterward  the  private  classical  school  of  Mowry 
&  Gofif.  In  1879  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Nichol- 
son File  Company,  of  which  his  father  was  president 
and  general  manager,  and  spent  almost  two  years  in 
studying  the  mechanical  part  of  the  business,  and  ob- 
taining a  practical  knowledge  of  files  and  their  manu- 
facture. This  was  followed  by  a  period  of  service  in 
the  office  to  become  familiar  with  the  bookkeeping 
and  accounts,  and  the  general  range  of  office  duties. 
In  the  meantime,  or  in  1881,  he  became  secretary  of 
the  company,  was  elected  a  director  in  1890,  made 
vice-president  in  1891,  and  upon  his  father's  death,  in 
1893,  was  elected  to  succeed  him  as  president  and  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  company,  positions  which  he  still 
holds. 

For  a  number  of  years  prior  to  the  death  of  his 
father  he  traveled  in  the  interests  of  the  company,  cov- 
ering all  the  States  in  the  Union,  as  well  as  the  Brit- 
ish provinces,  and  important  commercial  centers  on 
the  continent  of  Europe,  largely  increasing  the  busi- 
ness of  the  company,  establishing  a  wide  acquaintance 
with  the  hardware  trade,  and  winning  the  good  will  of 
his  customers  in  a  marked  degree.  In  assuming  the 
management  of  the  Nicholson  File  Company,  he  took 
charge  of  what  has  been  for  years  a  most  successful 
business  enterprise,  but  one  which  in  its  early  history 
had  taxed  the  ability,  energy  and  persistence  of  his 
father  to  a  degree  which  would  have  meant  failure  to 
one  of  less  indomitable  will.  The  son  took  charge  of 
its  fortunes  at  a  time  when  competition  portended 
early  and  serious  inroads  into  its  earning  capacity,  and 
when  the  growth  of  the  industry,  like  that  of  many 
others,  was  outstripping  the  ability  of  the  home  trade 
to  absorb  its  production.  These  conditions  early  con- 
fronted the  new  management,  and  the  almost  phenom- 
enal growth  of  the  company  is  a  tribute  to  the  fore- 
sight and  wisdom  exercised  in  meeting  these  condi- 
tions, and  in  the  general  control  of  its  aflfairs. 

Lender  the  present  management  of  the  company, 
there  has  been  an  immense  increase  in  its  output.  Its 
domestic  trade  has  been  greatly  increased,  and  it  has 
built  up  a  very  large  export  trade,  till  there  is  hardly 
a  country  on  the  habitable  globe  that  has  not  been  vis- 
ited by  its  travelers,  and  where  the  products  of  the 
company  are  not  in  use.  It  is  true  that  a  most  excel- 
lent foundation  had  been  laid  by  the  father,  and  that  he 
should  share  with  the  present  management  in  what- 
ever of  credit  attaches  to  the  splendid  results  achieved, 
for  a  grand  and  noble  superstructure  requires  an  ade- 
quate foundation  to  support  it. 

On  June  10,  1902,  Mr.  Nicholson  accepted  the  presi- 
dency of  the  American  Screw  Company  of  Providence. 
This  company  is  the  largest  producer  of  screws  in  the 
country,  with  a  history  antedating  that  of  any  other 
screw  company,  being  the  first  to  place  the  gimlet- 
pointed  screw  upon  the  market.  For  a  long  time  it 
had  been  a  money-maker,  and  its  stockholders  had 
received  large  dividends.     But  the  growth  of  compe- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


S15 


tition  and  other  causes  had  led  to  intermittent  returns 
on  the  investment,  and  the  changes  of  time  had 
brought  younger  blood  into  the  control  of  its  fortunes. 
It  is  admitted  by  all  familiar  with  the  facts  that  Mr. 
Nicholson  brought  to  the  solution  of  the  various 
problems  that  the  untoward  condition  of  the  screw 
business  presented,  when  he  assumed  the  management 
of  the  American  Screw  Company,  tireless  energy,  an 
indomitable  will,  a  broad  outlook,  and  a  wise  diplo- 
macy, that  have  resulted  in  vastly  improved  conditions 
not  alone  for  his  company  but  for  all  others  who 
make  or  handle  these  products,  and  the  time  has  not 
yet  arrived  when  the  exercise  of  these  qualities  can 
be  dispensed  with. 

In  writing  Mr.  Nicholson's  life  story  it  would  not 
have  been  possible  to  properly  present  it  without  incor- 
porating some  part  of  the  story  of  the  two  corporations 
he  so  ably  serves,  for  since  he  became  a  part  of  their 
management  their  life  has  been  a  large  part  of  his. 
Aside  from  serving  the  city  for  two  years  in  the  City 
Council,  and  three  years'  service  as  colonel  and  aide- 
de-camp  on  the  staff  of  Governor  Dyer,  and  his  serv- 
ices as  presidential  elector,  Mr.  Nicholson  has  de- 
clined all  public  positions. 

In  addition  to  the  presidency  of  the  Nicholson  File 
Company  and  American  Screw  Company,  Mr.  Nichol- 
son is  vice-president  of  the  Industrial  Trust  Company; 
a  director  of  the  United  States  Rubber  Company; 
Union  Trust  Company;  Rhode  Island  Safe  Deposit 
Company;  Rhode  Island  Insurance  Company;  Nar- 
ragansett  Electric  Lighting  Company;  Providence 
Tribune  Company;  Norfolk  Southern  Railroad  Com- 
pany; John  L.  Roper  Lumber  Company;  and  the  fol- 
lowing mutual  life  insurance  companies:  Manufac- 
turers', Rhode  Island,  State,  Mechanics',  Enterprise, 
and  .\merican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Providence 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  of  the  Rhode  Island  His- 
torical Society,  and  is  identified  with  the  following 
clubs:  Rhode  Island  Yacht,  Bristol  Yacht,  East 
Greenwich  Yacht,  Hope,  .\gawam  Hunt,  Squamtum, 
Rhode  Island  Country,  Turk's  Head,  Providence  .Art, 
and  Commercial,  all  of  Rhode  Island;  and  the  Union 
League,  Hardware,  Machinery.  New  York  Yacht, 
India  House,  Bankers'  and  Metropolitan  of  New 
York. 

Mr.  Nicholson  married,  November  17,  1886.  Mary 
Jewett  Coe,  daughter  of  Henry  Lewis  and  Martha 
H.  (Jewett)  Coe,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  a  descend- 
ant of  John  Coe,  born  in  1340,  who  fought  in  the 
"White  Company"  with  Sir  John  Hawkwood,  and  of 
Robert  Coe,  Puritan,  who  immigrated  to  this  country 
from  Suffolk,  England,  in  1634,  and  who  founded  the 
towns  of  Wethersfield  and  Stamford,  Conn.,  and  Ja- 
maica, Long  Island.  She  is  also  descended  from  the 
immigrants:  William  Ward,  one  of  the  founders  of 
Middletown,  Conn.,  in  1655;  Thomas  Miller,  who 
came  to  .'\merica  prior  to  1639;  Nicholas  Camp,  who 
was  born  in  Esse.x,  England,  in  1606:  Joseph  Parsons, 
who  came  to  Massachusetts  in  1630;  Paul  Peck;  Sam- 
uel Nettleton;  John  Kirby:  and  many  other  settlers 
in  Connecticut.  Samuel  Mowry  and  Mary  Jewett 
(Coe)  Nicholson  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  i.  Paul  Coe,  born  Nov.  19,  1888,  a  gradu- 
ate  of    Yale,   A.    B.,    1911,    now    vice-president   and   a 


director  of  the  Nicholson  File  Company;  he  married, 
on  June  2.1,  1917,  Martha  F.  Sayles,  of  Pawtucket, 
daughter  of  Frank  .\.  and  Mary  (Dorr  Ames)  Sayles; 
they  have  one  son,  Paul  Coe  Nicholson,  Jr.,  born  Oct. 
IJ,  1918.  2.  Martha  Jewett,  who  married,  June  10, 
1916,  Nelson  Doubleday,  of  Oyster  Bay,  Long  Island, 
son  of  Frank  N.  and  Neltje  (De  Graff)  Doubleday. 


ELPHEGE  JOSEPH  DAIGNAULT— Since  (903, 
Mr.  Daignault  has  been  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island 
bar,  practicing  in  Woonsocket,  his  native  city,  and  for 
three  years  was  judge  of  the  city  Probate  Court.  He 
has  won  the  confidence  of  a  large  clientele  and  the 
good  will  of  his  voters  of  the  city  who  have  elected 
him  to  important  State  and  law  offices.  He  is  of  Cana- 
dian parentage,  his  father,  Godfroy  Daignault,  now 
deceased,  born  in  Canada,  but  during  his  lifetime  a  real 
estate  agent,  dealer  in  lumber,  coal,  and  wood,  and 
the  owner  of  a  box  manufactory  and  a  planing  mill  in 
Woonsocket,  R.  I.  He  married  Elmire  .'\rchambault, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  Elphege  J.  Daignault, 
whose  career  is  herein  traced. 

Elphege  J.  Daignault  was  born  in  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  June  8,  1879,  and  there  now  resides,  well  estab- 
lished in  law  practice,  and  prosperous.  After  prepara- 
tion in  the  Woonsocket  schools  he  entered  the  Col- 
lege of  St.  Charles  Borromeo,  at  Sherbrooke,  Prov- 
ince of  Quebec,  Canada,  going  thence  to  St.  Mary's 
College  at  Montreal,  finishing  classical  study  at  Bos- 
ton College,  Boston,  Mass.,  graduating  therefrom  in 
1900,  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  Having  decided  upon 
the  profession  of  law,  he  prepared  at  Columbia  Law 
School,  New  York  City,  whence  he  was  graduated 
LL.  B.,  class  of  1903.  The  same  year  he  was  admit- 
ted to  the  Rhode  Island  bar  and  began  professional 
practice  in  Woonsocket.  His  success  at  the  bar  has 
been  marked,  and  he  is  highly  regarded  as  a  lawyer 
of  learning  and  ability.  During  the  years  1911-1914, 
he  was  judge  of  Probate  Court,  and  is  now  (1920) 
solicitor  for  the  city  of  Woonsocket  and  has  been  since 
1914.  He  is  a  member  of  the  local  and  State  bar  asso- 
ciations, and  holds  the  respect  of  his  brethren  of  the 
profession. 

Mr.  Daignault  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  in  1904 
and  1905,  represented  Woonsocket  in  the  General 
Assembly  of  Rhode  Island.  He  is  a  member  of 
L'Union  Saint  Jean  Baptiste  L'Ameriijue,  and  of  St. 
Ann's   Church,  of   Woonsocket. 

Mr.  Daignault  married,  in  Woonsocket,  November 
10,  1903,  Fiorina  Gaulin,  daughter  of  Alphonse  and 
Elmire  (Marcoux)  Gaulin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daignault 
are  the  parents  of  eight  children,  aged  (in  1920),  re- 
spectively, as  follows;  Fiorina,  fifteen  years;  Mar- 
guerite, fourteen  years;  Claire,  eleven  years;  Paul 
Elphege,  nine  years;  Alphonse,  seven  years;  Charles 
Henri,  five  years;  Marie  Therese,  three  years;  and 
Lucille,  two  years. 


HARRY  WINFIELD  SMITH,  M.  D.— One  of  the 
most  successful  and  progressive  physicians  of  North 
Scituate,  R.  I.,  where  he  has  a  large  medical  practice, 
is  Dr.  Harry  Winfield  Smith,  a  native  of  .'Vuhurn,  Me., 
where  he  was  born  August  31,  1867,  and  a  son  of  Win- 
field  and  Sarah  (Cole)  Smith,  both  living.     His  father 


5i6 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


was    a    photographer    but    later    a    shoe    worker    at 
Auburn. 

Harry  Winfield  Smith  received  the  preliminary  por- 
tion of  his  education  at  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town,  where  he  graduated  from  the  high  school.  After 
being  prepared  for  college,  he  entered  Tufts  College, 
at  College  Hill,  Mass.,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
same  with  the  class  of  1890,  taking  his  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  The  material  circumstances  of  his 
family  were  rather  poor  at  the  time,  and  the  young 
man  assisted  himself  through  college  by  seeking  em- 
ployment in  many  different  kinds  of  work  and  thus 
earned  the  necessary  funds  for  his  expenses.  While  in 
college,  he  determined  upon  the  career  of  medicine, 
and  with  this  end  in  view  entered  the  medical  school 
of  Harvard  University,  where  he  distinguished  himself 
as  an  intelligent  and  alert  student,  and  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1893,  with  his  medical  degree.  Upon 
completing  his  studies,  Dr.  Winfield  Smith  went  to 
Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  established  himself  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  but  in  1895  came  to 
North  Scituate  and  has  been  steadily  in  practice  here 
for  the  last  twenty-three  years.  He  has  in  that  period 
established  himself  in  a  large  practice  and  is  now 
regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  the  place. 
Dr.  Smith  is  also  very  active  in  the  general  life  of  the 
community  and  is  a  prominent  figure  in  social  and  fra- 
ternal circles  here.  He  is  a  member  of  Hamilton 
Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Scituate  Chapter, 
Royal  Arch  Masons;  and  Providence  Council,  Royal  and 
Select  Masters;  and  besides  these  Masonic  bodies  is 
associated  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  the  Order  of  the  Maccabees,  being  medical 
examiner  for  the  last  named  lodge.  He  is  a  Universal- 
ist  in  his  religious  belief.  In  politics  Dr.  Smith  is  a 
Republican,  and  is  at  the  present  time  health  oflicer 
for  the  town  of  North  Scituate,  and  medical  examiner 
for   Scituate   and   Foster. 

Harry  Winfield  Smith  was  united  in  marriage,  June 
25,  1895,  at  Auburn,  Me.,  with  Flora  Haskett,  of  that 
place,  a  daughter  of  Lucius  and  Elvira  (Chase) 
Haskett.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  son,  Merritt 
Smith,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Massachusetts  Insti- 
tute of  Technology,  with  the  class  of  1919,  and  at  pres- 
ent junior  highway  engineer  of  the  State  of  Illinois, 
located  at  Elgin,  111. 


WILLIAM  H.  COVELL— The  surname  Covell, 
wide-spread  as  it  is  to-day,  is  one  of  purely  Norman 
extraction,  and  is  derived  from  one  of  three  small  vil- 
lages in  Normandy  called  Colleville.  The  families 
bearing  this  surname  first  found  a  home  in  England 
during  and  immediately  following  the  Conquest  which 
brought  so  many  representatives  of  the  old  Norman 
stock  to  English  shores.  These  families  flourished 
and  increased,  and  during  the  colonization  of  America 
the  name  was  again  transplanted  in  this  country. 

Arms — Argent  on  a  saltire  engrained  sable  five 
escallops  of  the  field. 

According  to  the  eminent  authority.  Lower:  "There 
are  three  places  in  Normandy  called  Colleville.  *  *  * 
From  which  of  these  came  William  de  Colvile  of 
Yorkshire,  and  Gilbert  de  Collacilla  of  Suffolk,  men- 


tioned in  Domesday,  is  not  yet  ascertained."  The  name, 
of  course,  is  assigned  to  that  class  which  is  local  in 
derivation,  and  it  meant,  originally,  "of  Colville,"  being 
applied  to  such  persons  who  moved  from  a  town  of 
that  name  to  another  as  a  distinguishing  mark  to 
indicate  their  former  residence.  The  different  styles 
of  the  name  as  they  are  found  to-day,  Covel,  Covell, 
etc.,  are  corruptions  and  contractions  of  the  original 
form.  The  name  is  found  among  most  of  the  early 
registers  of  England,  and  seems  to  have  been  even 
more  popular  in  the  medieval  days  than  it  is  now. 

Roger  de  Colevil,  of  the  County  Norfolk,  gained 
prominence  in  the  thirteenth  century.  Walter  de  Cole- 
vile,  of  the  County  Lincoln,  and  Philip  de  Colevill,  of 
the  same  county,  were  distinguished  men  in  the  latter 
period.  The  names  of  John  de  Colvele.  of  the  County 
Cambridge,  Roger  de  Colewcll,  of  the  County  Glou- 
cester, and  of  Philip  de  Colwil,  of  County  Cambridge, 
are  among  those  found  in  the  Hundred  Rolls,  of  the 
year  1273.  John  Covell  (1638-1722),  was  master  of 
Christ's  College,  Cambridge,  a  native  of  Hornings- 
heath,  Suffolk  county,  and  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent educators  of  his  period. 

The  name  itself  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  existence  and 
is  nearly  as  ancient  as  the  village  from  which  it  was 
derived. 

Among  the  foremost  of  the  old  New  England  fami- 
lies, unusually  distinguished  for  their  ancient  lineage 
and  proud  records  on  American  soil,  stands  that  of 
Covell,  which  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  New  England  States  for  a  period  of  more 
than  two  hundred  and  fifty  years.  The  first  represen- 
tative of  the  English  stock  to  reach  America,  and  the 
progenitor  of  the  long  American  lines  of  that  family, 
according  to  the  authority.  Pope,  was  Cesora,  or,  as 
he  is  otherwise  known,  Ezra  Covell,  a  mere  youth  of 
fifteen  years,  who,  possessed  of  a  great  desire  for 
travel  and  adventure,  embarked  from  England  for  the 
colony  of  Massachusetts  and  settled  at  Plymouth  about 
the  year  1643.  The  family  prospered  during  the  ensu- 
ing half  century  and  we  find  various  branches  in  the 
process  of  being  established  in  the  several  New  Eng- 
land colonies.  Nathaniel  Covel,  who  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Nickerson,  settled  at  Chatham,  Barn- 
stable county,  Mass.,  in  the  year  1667,  and  the  records 
of  the  same  town  contain  the  name*  of  John  Covel, 
who  was  chosen  schoolmaster,  in  June,  1723.  His  wife 
was  Thankful.  Joseph  and  Lydia  Covel  were  resi- 
dents of  Chatham,  Mass.,  in  1701.  Nathaniel  Covil, 
son  of  John  and  Thankful  (Bangs)  Covil  (doubtless 
the  Covel  above  mentioned  who  acted  as  schoolmaster 
of  the  town),  married  Rebecca  Rider,  daughter  of 
Zachariah  and  Experience  (Smith)  Rider,  and  resided 
in  that  locality.  Their  son,  Samuel  Covil,  born  De- 
cember 22,  1763,  in  Yarmouth,  Mass..  married  Mary 
Holloway,  and  removed  to  Fairfield,  Somerset  county. 
Me.,  which  he  made  his  future  home. 

About  the  year  1717  Joseph  Covill,  Philip  Priest, 
Andrew  Phillips,  and  John  Collins,  of  Charlestown, 
were  admitted  among  the  Chestnut  Hill  Company  in 
the  early  settling  of  that  part  of  Killingly,  Conn.,  along 
the  Whitstone  brook  and  Lake  Mashapaug.  Since 
that  time  the  Covells  have  been  continual  residents  of 
the  town,   and   for  two  centuries  have  remained  one 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


517 


of  the  most  substantial  and  respected  families.  They 
have  played  a  great  part,  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, in  the  dcvelojjment  of  the  region,  and  have  con- 
sistently produced  a  type  of  men  of  wliom  the  town  and 
State  have  been  justly  proud.  In  the  town  of  Chark-s- 
town  are  to  be  found  many  records  of  that  family  in 
early  as  well  as  more  recent  years.  Joseph  Covcl,  in 
1714.  sold  to  one  John  Gould,  a  house  and  thirteen 
acres  of  land,  the  deed  to  which  was  recorded  in  1724: 
Mary  Covel  married  there,  in  1706.  Andrew  Phillips, 
and  Alice  Covel.  who  in  generally  supposed  to  have 
been  her  sister,   married,  in   1707-08,  John   Grovcr. 

(I)  Joseph  Covell.  a  member  of  one  of  the  first  New 
England  families,  made  his  home  at  Chatham  and 
Charlestown,  Mass..  and  later  became  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  Killingly.  Conn.,  founding,  in  the  latter 
town,  a  family  which  has  made  it  their  home  for  two 
hundred  years.  He  was  well  educated  and  respected 
among  his  townsmen,  and,  in  the  course  of  time, 
amassed  a  considerable  estate.  He  married,  and  had 
a  son,   Ebenezer,  of  further  mention. 

(II)  Ebenezer  Covell,  son  of  Joseph  Covell,  was 
bom  November  7,  1727,  and  became  a  resident  of  the 
eastern  part  of  Killingly,  Conn.     He  married  Martha 

,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  nine  children. 

as  follows:  i.  Samuel,  born  Jan.  1,3,  1752.  2.  Samp- 
son, of  further  mention.  3.  Mary,  born  Sept.  15,  1756. 
4.  Ebenezer.  of  further  mention.  5.  Tamer,  born 
March  8.  1761.  6.  Keziah,  born  Nov.  8.  1764.  7.  Mar- 
tha, born  Jan.  26,  1766.  8.  James,  born  ."Xpril  10.  1768. 
g.  Hannah,  born  Aug.  27,  1770.  Mr.  Covell  died  in 
Killingly,  August  23,  1805.  and  his  wife  died  June  20. 
1803. 

(III)  Sampson  Covell.  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Martha 
Covell,  was  born  at  Killingly,  Conn.,  .April  4.  1754, 
and  married  there,  in  January,  1779.  Waity  Smith,  who 
was  born  Feljruary  15.  1753.  Sampson  Covell  owned 
and  cultivated  large  tracts  of  land  in  the  vicinity 
of  Killingly  and  followed  agricultural  occupations 
throughout  his  life.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children:  I.  .■\rba.  born  Nov.  24.  1779.  married  (first) 
Dec.  2.  1807.  Mary  Rurgess.  and  (second)  April  i, 
1838.  Betsey  Elliott,  both  of  whom  were  descendants 
of  old  and  respected  families.  2.  Sally,  born  May  19, 
1782.  3.  Oliver,  born  Feb.  $.  1785.  4-  7.iha,  of  fur- 
ther mention.  5.  .Abigail  (Nabby),  born  July  14,  1790, 
married  Silas  Tucker.  6.  Joseph,  born  June  4.  1795, 
entered  the  Episcopalian  ministry.  7.  Benjamin,  born 
Aug.   18.  1798. 

(III)  Ebenezer  (2)  Covell.  son  of  Ebenezer  (i) 
and    Martha    Covell,    was   born    January    11,    1759.    at 

Killingly,   Conn.     He  married   Sabra  ,   and   his 

children,  all  of  whom  were  born  at  Thompson.  Conn., 
■where  he  had  previously  removed,  were:  Willis,  of 
further  mention;  Joseph  and  Amasa.  both  went  to 
Plattsburgh.  Steuben  county,  N.  Y.,  where  they  set- 
tled; William,  who  made  Rehoboth  his  home,  and 
died  there  .April  18.  1859;  Liza,  Cynthia.  Theodosia, 
Sabra.  Ebenezer  (2)  Covell  cast  his  lot  with  the  col- 
onists in  the  Revolution,  and.  so  family  tradition  has 
it.  acted  as  one  of  the  personal  bodyguards  of  Gen- 
eral Washington. 

(IV)  Willis  Covell,  son  of  Ebenezer  (2)  and  Sabra 
Covell,   was   born   in   Thompson,   Conn.     He   received 


military  training  and  fought  in  the  War  of  1812-15.  in 
which  he  gained  honors  for  gallantry.  He  married 
Lydia  Perrin,  of  Woodstock,  Conn.,  a  member,  on 
the  maternal  side,  of  the  Raymond  family,  and  they 
became  residents  of  Killingly.  Conn.  The  following 
children  were  born:  Susan.  Mary  .Ann,  George  W., 
Lydia  P..  Lucy,  married  Reuben  S.  Rouse  (deceased); 
Harriett  Maria,  now  deceased,  married  Orrin  Parsons, 
of  Thompson.  Conn:  Charlntte.  who  died  in  infancy; 
William  Henry,  of  further  mention. 

(IV)  Ziba  Covell,  son  of  Sampson  and  Waity 
(Smith)  Covell.  was  born  in  Killingly,  Conn.,  June  14, 
1787,  and  married,  at  that  place,  January  I.  1815,  .Ann 
W.  Crandall.  Mr.  Covell  removed  to  Providence, 
R.  I.,  in  early  life,  and  thereafter  made  the  latter  city 
his  home,  carrying  on  an  extensive  trucking  business, 
and  becoming  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  the 
community.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years, 
October  4.   1876. 

(V)  William  H.  Covell,  the  son  of  Willis  and  Lydia 
(Perrin)  Covell,  was  born  January  27,  1836,  in  the 
town  of  Killingly,  Conn.  He  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  place,  attending 
school  during  the  winter  months  and  working  on  his 
father's  farm  during  the  summer.  Later  he  entered 
the  Thompson  (Conn.)  .Academy,  and.  after  graduat- 
ing, attended  the  East  Greenwich  (R.  I.)  Seminary, 
which  he  left  admirably  equipped  to  enter  the  business 
world.  The  following  three  years  (1858-1861)  found 
young  Covell  fully  occupied  in  farming  in  the  town 
of  Thompson,  continuing  this  occupation  until,  by 
dint  of  the  greatest  economy  on  his  part,  in  the  latter 
year  he  found  himself  in  a  position  to  establish  him- 
self in  a  general  produce,  meat  and  poultry  business, 
which  he  conducted  in  a  highly  successful  manner  until 
1866,  when  he  removed  to  the  village  of  OIneyville, 
R.  I.,  and  there,  associating  himself  with  his  brother- 
in-law.  R.  S.  Rouse,  he  began  a  business  career  of 
marked  success.  A  partnership  was  formed  between 
these  two  gentlemen  for  the  purpose  of  conducting  a 
grocery  business,  which  was  established  under  the 
firm  name  of  R.  S.  Rouse  &  Company,  continuing  as 
such  until  May,  1871.  Mr.  Covell,  in  October  fol- 
lowing, entered  the  same  line  of  business  under  the 
name  of  William  H.  Covell  &  Company,  opening  a 
new  store,  which  he  conducted  until  late  in  the  seven- 
ties, when  failing  health  made  it  imperative  that  he 
give  up  all  business  for  a  time.  In  1878.  however,  as- 
sociated with  S.  N.  Davis,  Mr.  Covell  resumed  busi- 
ness under  the  old  name  of  William  H.  Covell  & 
Company,  locating  at  No.  589  .Atwells  avenue,  in  a 
building  formerly  occupied  by  the  Richmond  Manufac- 
turing Company  and  long  known  in  the  locality  as  the 
Cove  store.  He  had  already  gained  a  great  degree 
of  popularity  through  his  fair  dealing  and  honesty  at 
his  former  locations,  and  in  the  new  venture  he  pros- 
pered. 

Mr.  Covell  did  a  great  deal  toward  the  betterment 
and  development  of  the  business  life  of  the  town  and 
it  was  only  n.itural  that  he  should  take  an  active  inter- 
est in  the  civic  affairs  and  management  of  his  com- 
munity. His  own  business  and  his  own  affairs  he  had 
managed  in  such  a  skillful  and  thorough  manner  that 
his  fellow  citizens  often  called  upon  him  to  look  after 


5i8 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  public  affairs  of  the  community  and  to  represent 
their  interests  in  State  business.  His  political  affilia- 
tions were  with  the  Republican  party,  but  he  never 
allowed  party  considerations  to  stand  in  the  way  of  his 
faithful  execution  of  the  duties  of  the  various  public 
offices  which  he  filled  in  such  a  satisfactory  manner. 
In  1873  and  1874  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Town  Council  of  North  Providence,  and  for  several 
years  he  acted  as  trustee  of  the  North  Providence 
School  district.  No.  8,  which  is  now  the  Tenth  Ward 
of  the  city  of  Providence.  In  1883  he  was  elected  to 
the  Common  Council  of  Providence,  and  again  in  1888, 
holding  that  office  through  the  succeeding  six  years, 
until  1893,  and  acting  on  various  important  commit- 
tees during  that  time.  He  was  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittee on  highways  for  six  years  and  chairman  of  that 
body  for  four  years;  served  on  the  committee  of  rail- 
roads for  three  years  and  acted  in  a  like  capacity  for 
the  same  length  of  time  on  the  important  finance  com- 
mittee of  the  city:  he  served  on  the  committee  for 
lights  for  one  year  and  also  on  the  committee  of  the 
city  engineer's  department  for  three  years.  In  all  of 
these  he  rendered  valuable  service  and  gained  experi- 
ence which  he  put  to  full  use  in  the  advantage  of  his 
community.  In  the  year  1888,  on  the  formation  of  a 
committee  to  purchase  land  for  sewerage  purposes, 
he  was  chosen  a  member  and  served  with  this  body 
throughout  the  five  years,  1900-1905,  inclusive,  and  was 
later  appointed  a  member  of  the  committee  to  confer 
with  owners  of  the  shore  between  Hills  Wharf  and 
Sassafras  Point  relative  to  improved  navigation;  to 
examine  and  report  relative  to  taxation  upon  special 
franchises;  to  confer  with  owners  of  real  estate  rela- 
tive to  the  widening  of  Elmwood  avenue,  and  other 
committees  of  importance.  Mr.  Covell  was  elected 
from  the  Tenth  Ward,  in  1899,  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Aldermen,  and  was  annually  reelected  to  this 
office  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  On  the  latter  board 
he  served  on  the  committee  on  streets,  1901-1902-1904, 
and  also  on  the  committee  on  police  in  the  years  1901 
and  1903,  acting  as  chairman  of  the  latter  committee. 
He  was  frequently  urged  by  his  friends  to  become  a 
candidate  for  the  presidency  of  the  Board  of  Alder- 
men, and  his  popularity  and  known  fitness  for  that 
position  practically  assured  him  election,  but  he  stead- 
fastly refused  to  take  advantage  of  this  fact.  In 
1886-87.  1891-92,  and  again  in  1894-95,  he  was  Represen- 
tative from  his  community  to  the  General  Assembly  of 
Rhode  Island,  serving  on  the  judiciary  committee 
and  on  that  of  finance,  and  in  1892  he  was  appointed 
by  that  body  a  member  of  the  committee  formed  to 
enquire  into  the  conditions  of  the  roads  and  public 
highways  of  the  State.  In  1S96  Mr.  Covell  was 
nominated  his  party's  candidate  for  mayor  of  the 
city,  but  because  of  a  reactionary  movement  in  poli- 
tics, failed  of  election. 

He  was  extremely  popular  among  two  generations  of 
fellow  citizens,  and  became  a  member  of  many  of 
the  social  organizations  of  the  city  and  town.  He  was 
a  prominent  and  respected  member  of  the  Young 
Men's  Republican  Club  of  Providence,  and  of  the  Mount 
Pleasant  Republican  Club  of  the  Tenth  Ward.  His 
long  business  career  in  OIneyville  made  him  one  of 
the  most  influential  members  of  the  OIneyville  Busi- 


ness Men's  Association,  of  which  he  was  for  many 
years  the  president.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Butchers'  and  Marketmen's  Association  of  Providence. 
Although  his  business  record  would  completely  fill 
the  biography  of  any  ordinary  man,  it  was  in  affairs  of 
civic  importance  that  he  played  the  greater  part  and 
left  the  greatest  mark.  His  conduct  while  in  office 
and  the  fulfillment  of  the  various  duties  connected 
with  the  positions  which  he  held  are  beyond  criticism, 
and  his  death,  June  2,  1906,  was  a  great  loss  to  his 
city  and  State.  The  "Providence  Journal"  at  that 
time  remarked: 

Mr.  Covell  was  born  to  the  career  "which  opened  up 
before  him  as  naturally  as  the  water  attracts  a  duck. 
His  personality,  openheartedness,  and  the  stamp  of 
genuineness  that  marked  his  every  action  and 
prompted  him  to  do  everything  that  he  attempted 
thoroughly,  were  his  stock  in  trade.  He  believed  that 
what  was  worth  doing  at  all  was  worth  doing  welL 
It  was  not  the  fear  of  criticism  that  kept  him  ever- 
lastingly at  things:  he  simply  could  not  help  it.  It 
was  not  the  ambition  to  attain  popularity  that 
prompted  him  to  manifest  a  personal  intorest  in  the 
affairs  of  his  fellow  men,  or  to  aid  them  with  advice 
and  material  assistance  when  he  believed  they  needed 
it:  it  was  his  way.  He  never  proffered  his  valued 
counsels  or  assistance  in  the  hope  of  receiving  benefit 
himself  from  the  bread  thus  cast  upon  the  waters.  He 
would  have  felt  that  he  had  been  remiss  if  he  had 
allowed  an  opportunity  to  go  by. 

With  these  attributes  so  prominent  in  his  makeup, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  the  people  of  the  Tenth  Ward  came 
to  depend  on  Alderman  Covell  for  almost  everything. 
In  every  vicissitude  of  life,  when  they  suffered  re- 
verses or  needed  advice,  they  came  to  him.  He  was 
considered  by  everyone  in  the  ward  as  the  best  man  to 
go  to  in  trouble,  and  he  always  had  a  word  of  good 
cheer  to  offer  and  was  ready  with  assistance.  If  neces- 
sary. In  politics  and  in  business  his  word  was  held  to 
be  as  good  as  his  bond,  and  whatever  he  promised  was 
invariably  fulfilled  to  the  best  of  his  ability. 

On  June  2,  1858,  Mr.  Covell  married  Mary  Jane 
Davis,  daughter  of  Marvin  Davis,  of  Thompson,  Conn., 
and  a  member  of  one  of  New  England's  oldest  fami- 
lies. They  became  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: Agnes  M.,  Alice  L.,-Lucy  F.,  now  Mrs.  Frank 
M.  Knight,  of  Thompson,  Conn.,  and  William  H. 
Covell,  Jr.,  deceased. 


THOMAS  FRANCIS  WINN— The  Rev.  Thomas 
Francis  Winn,  late  pastor  of  St.  Margaret's  Roman 
Catholic  Church  at  Rumford.  R.  I.,  where  for  the  past 
four  years  he  had  proven  himself  a  most  efficient  head 
of  the  parish,  was  a  native  of  the  city  of  Providence, 
in  this  State.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Ellen 
(Gorman)  Winn,  both  of  Irish  birth,  the  former  having 
been  born  at  Riverstown,  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  and 
the  latter  in  County  Roscommon  there.  Thomas  Winn 
came  to  the  United  States  from  his  native  land  when 
about  the  age  of  thirty,  and  located  at  Providence, 
R.  I.,  where  he  secured  a  position  in  the  employ  of  the 
city  government.  He  worked  in  this  capacity  for  more 
than  thirty  years,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1911,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Gorman,  at  Providence,  in  January,  1867, 
and  she  still  continues  to  reside  there,  at  the  age  of 
seventy  years.  They  became  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  following  survive:  Thomas  Fran- 
cis, with  whom  we  are  here  especially  concerned; 
Henry,  James,  and  Mary. 

Born  October  25.  1867,  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  Thomas 
Francis  Winn,  the  eldest  child  of  his  parents,  passed 
his  childhood  there.    He  attended  the  parochial  schools 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


519 


of  the  city,  and  very  early  developed  a  marked  inter- 
est in  religion  and  a  love  for  the  things  of  the  church. 
After  a  few  years  at  the  parochial  schools  he  was  sent 
to  La  Salle  Academy,  also  in  Providence,  where  he 
was  prepared  for  college.  He  then  matriculated  at 
Holy  Cross  College,  the  famous  Catholic  institution  at 
Worcester,  Mass.,  where  he  took  the  usual  classical 
course  and  graduated  with  the  class  of  1891,  winning 
his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  It  was  while  at  this 
institution  that  the  young  man  determined  linally  to 
■enter  the  priesthood,  to  which  he  had  begun  to  hear  a 
call  at  an  early  age,  and  wliich  he  now  fully  recog- 
nized as  final.  Accordingly,  he  entered  St.  John's  Sem- 
inary at  Brighton,  and  studied  for  the  priesthood  for 
si.x  years,  finally  being  ordained  in  1807,  at  Baltimore, 
by  Cardinal  Gibbons.  He  was  sent  as  a  young  priest 
to  -Arctic,  R.  I.,  where  he  was  curate  in  St.  James 
Church  there  for  four  years,  and  then  held  the  same 
post  at  St.  Charles  Church  at  W'oonsocket.  for  four- 
teen years.  In  1915  he  was  made  pastor  of  St.  Mar- 
garet's Church  at  Rumford,  his  present  charge.  St. 
Margaret's  parish  numbers  about  seven  hundred  souls, 
and  was  dedicated  in  1887.  Father  Winn  was  an  earn- 
est and  indefatigable  worker,  and  was  deeply  interested 
in  the  welfare  of  his  flock.  He  was  a  staunch  advocate 
of  the  work  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  of  which  he 
was  a  member.     He  died  May  i,  1919. 


JOSEPH  BELFIELD  McINTYRE— Two  genera- 
tions of  this  family  of  Mclntyre  have  been  prominently 
occupied  in  textile  manufacturing  in  Xew  England 
and  more  particularly  in  Rhode  Island,  Joseph  B.  Mc- 
lntyre, well  known  in  social  and  business  circles  in 
Providence  and  the  State,  a  representative  of  the  pres- 
ent time.  Mr.  Mclntyre  is  a  son  of  William  and  Sarah 
(Belfield)   Mclntyre. 

William  Mclntyre  was  born  in  Manchester,  Eng- 
land, December  5,  1840,  and  died  in  July,  1904,  at  Cen- 
tral Falls,  R.  I.  He  attended  school  until  he  was 
eight  years  of  age,  when,  his  father's  illness  necessi- 
tating his  contributing  to  the  family  support,  he  began 
work  in  the  mills  of  his  native  city.  In  November, 
1852,  the  family  left  England  for  the  United  States. 
After  a  voyage  of  eleven  weeks  they  landed  at  Bos- 
ton, Fishersville  becoming  the  first  family  home.  De- 
voting half  of  his  time  to  school,  and  working  in  the 
m.ills  the  other  half,  he  took  up  the  weaver's  trade, 
remaining  in  Fishersville  for  a  year  and  a  half.  After- 
ward, in  White  Rock,  R.  I.,  he  was  employed  as  a 
weaver  for  three  and  one-half  years,  and  subsequently 
he  was  for  a  short  time  a  weaver  in  Haydcn's  Mill, 
Willimantic,  Conn.,  to  which  place  his  parents  had 
moved.  Then,  in  the  employ  of  the  Willimantic  Thread 
Company,  he  was  a  helper  on  the  ticketing  machines 
in  the  winding  department,  and  here  he  rose  to  the 
position  of  assistant  overseer  in  the  winding  depart- 
ment. When,  about  1869,  Hezekiah  Conant  founded 
the  Conant  Thread  Company,  Mr.  Mclntyre  came 
with  him  to  Pawtucket  as  an  expert  on  the  thread 
winding  machine  of  Mr.  Conant's  invention,  and  while 
the  founder  of  the  business  was  in  conference  with  the 
firm  of  J.  and  P.  Coats.  Ltd.,  the  leadmg  manufactur- 
ers of  thread  in  the  world,  at  Paisley,  Scotland,  to  in- 
terest  them   in  the   American  venture,   Mr.   Mclntyre 


was  in  charge  of  the  physical  organization  of  the  new 
plant,  the  installation  of  the  machinery  and  the  devel- 
opment of  an  efficient  system  to  govern  the  whole. 
With  the  rapid  growth  and  development  of  the  Conant 
Thread  Company,  the  addition  of  new  buildings  and 
manufacturing  processes,  Mr.  Mclntyre,  whose  spe- 
cialty was  the  finishing  and  winding  of  thread,  con- 
tinued in  charge  of  these  departments  until  1893,  when, 
upon  the  reorganization  of  the  business  as  a  branch  of 
J.  and  P.  Coats,  Ltd.,  he  became  assistant  general 
manager  of  the  plant.  In  1902  he  retired  from  this 
ofhce,  carrying  with  him  the  affectionate  esteem  of  the 
large  body  of  men  he  had  held  together  in  productive 
cooperation,  and  leaving  behind  him  a  vast  industrial 
unit  that,  under  his  immediate  supervision,  had  func- 
tioned in  almost  perfect  manner.  His  mechanical  skill 
and  ability  were  of  high  order,  but  the  factor  that 
entered  most  largely  into  his  success  was  his  ability 
to  gain  and  hold  the  confidence  of  the  hundreds  of 
employees  under  him.  Because  his  rule  was  a  fair  one, 
and  sympathetic,  because  he  knew  from  experience  the 
attitude  and  feeling  among  the  employees  of  the  many 
departments,  he  was  able  to  come  close  to  them  as  a 
friend  and  adviser,  and  their  appreciation  of  his  im- 
partial administration  of  his  position  was  shown  in 
thoroughly  performed  labor  and  a  spirit  of  good  will 
that  permeated  the  entire  plant.  ,\nd  in  his  rewarded 
efforts  to  weld  together  an  ideal  industrial  organization, 
his  incentive  and  aim  was  simply  the  advancement  and 
prosperity  of  the  company  in  which  he  had  such  pride, 
without  selfish  motives  or  desires. 

He  was  a  lover  of  the  best  in  English  literature,  and 
read  extensively,  Macaulay's  writings  being  his  favor- 
ite field  of  reading.  Through  this  wide  study  he  ac- 
quired an  unusual  brea<Ith  of  culture  and  education, 
and  his  command  of  English  was  splendid.  ?Ie  was  a 
most  interesting  conversationalist  and  speaker,  his 
ideas  logically  and  effectively  arranged,  clothed  with 
language  fitting  and  appropriate.  Mr.  Mclntyre  was  a 
member  of  the  Eastern  Star  Lodge.  Free  and  .•\cccpted 
Masons,  of  Willimantic.  Conn.;  Pawtucket  Chapter, 
No.  4,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Pawtucket  Council,  No. 
2,  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  and  Holy  Sepulchre 
Commandery,  No.  8,  Knights  Templar,  of  Pawtucket. 
William  Mclntyre  married,  in  June,  1868,  Sarah  Bel- 
field,  daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Roper)  Bel- 
field,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  two  children:  Bes- 
sie Belfield  Mclntyre,  horn  June  16,  1870;  Joseph  Bel- 
field  Mclntyre,  of  further  mention. 

Joseph  Belfield  Mclntyre  WMS  born  at  Central  Falls. 
R.  I.,  in  1873,  and  there  completed  grammar  school 
courses  of  study.  He  was  a  student  at  the  English  and 
Classical  School  at  Providence,  whence  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1890.  He  then  spent  a  year  at 
the  Rhode  Island  Technical  Drawing  School  under 
Gardiner  C.  Anthony,  now  at  the  head  of  Bromfield- 
Pierson  Scientific  School  at  Tufts  College.  He  pur- 
sued courses  of  study  at  Brown  University,  receiving 
the  degree  of  Ph.  B.,  class  of  1894.  He  then  entered 
business  life. 

Joseph  B.  Mclntyre  spent  four  years  in  the  ma- 
chine repair  department  of  the  plant  of  J.  and  P. 
Coats,  Ltd.,  gaining  a  valuable  practical  experience. 
He  became  familiar  with  the  construction  and  repair 


520 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  most  of  the  macliinery  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
thread,  and  in  1898  became  assistant  overseer  in  the 
spooling  department.  In  1899  the  Conant  winder  used 
in  the  plant  was  replaced  by  a  new  automatic  multiple 
spindle  machine,  a  piece  of  highly  specialized  machin- 
ery evolved  from  foreign  and  American  machines  and 
from  original  ideas.  Mr.  Mclntyre  had  a  part  in  the 
development  and  was  later  placed  in  charge  of  that 
department,  continuing  until  1902,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  position  of  assistant  superintendent  in 
charge  of  the  spooling,  winding,  bleaching,  and  finish- 
ing departments.  He  filled  that  position  efficiently 
until  1910,  when  he  severed  his  connection  with  J.  and 
P.  Coats.  Ltd.,  and  became  treasurer  of  the  Ameri- 
can Textile  Company,  continuing  in  that  capacity  for 
two  years.  Since  igi6  he  has  been  president  of  the 
Hope  Webbing  Company,  and  is  a  director  of  the 
William  H.  Haskell  Manufacturing  Company,  Narra- 
gansett  Machine  Company,  and  a  trustee  of  the  Paw- 
tucket  Institution  for  Savings. 

With  his  business  duties  well  in  hand,  Mr.  Mc- 
lntyre, in  1915-16,  took  post-graduate  work  at  Brown 
University  and  received  the  degree  of  Master  of  Sci- 
ence, in  June,  1916.  He  is  a  member  of  the  visiting 
committee,  botanical  department.  Brown  University. 
At  No.  166  President  avenue  he  has  a  beautiful  home, 
erected  in  1912,  which  is  his  great  delight,  and  with 
its  lawn  and  gardens  vies  with  his  studies  in  claiming 
the  attention  of  Mr.  Mclntyre  in  his  hours  of  leisure. 
In  the  summer  of  1917  Mr.  Mclntyre,  with  his  family, 
visited  the  Canadian  Northwest  and  parts  of  Alaska, 
and  so  attractive  did  they  find  the  natural  beauties  of 
the  Selkirk  region  of  British  Columbia  that  the  family 
again  spent  the  summers  of  1918-19  in  these  parts.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  University  Club,  the  Turk's  Head 
Club,  the  Rhode  Island  Country  Club,  and  the  To- 
Kalon  Club,  of  Pawtucket.  In  politics  Mr.  Mclntyre 
is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious  faith  is  an  Episco- 
palian. From  1902  to  191 1  he  was  a  member  of  the 
school  committee  of  Central  Falls. 

Joseph  Belfield  Mclntyre  married,  June  4,  1902, 
Bertha  Chaplin,  born  in  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  and  Jane  (Farnell)  Chaplin.  Mr.  and 
Mclntyre  are  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Joseph  Belfield,  Jr.,  born  April  2,^,  1903,  died  July 
25,  1905;  and  Paul  R.,  born  June  25,  1906,  who  now 
attends  the  Moses  Brown  School. 


JOHN  BELFIELD — For  twenty-two  years  John 
Belfield  was  connected  with  the  Conant  Thread  Com- 
pany, of  Pawtucket,  his  retirement  occurring  the  year 
prior  to  the  reorganization  of  the  business  as  a  branch 
of  J.  and  P.  Coats,  Ltd.  His  sphere  of  activity  was  as 
master  mechanic  in  charge  of  the  installation  and  opera- 
tions of  the  vast  amount  of  machinery  that  came  into 
use  in  the  Conant  plant  as  the  company  took  its  place 
as  the  principal  thread  manufacturing  plant  of  the 
United  States. 

John  Belfield  was  born  in  Pennybridge,  North  Lan- 
cashire, England,  November  28,  1837,  son  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Roper)  Belfield.  He  obtained  his  early 
education  in  the  place  of  his  birth,  and  in  1851  came  to 
the  United  States  with  his  parents.  At  this  time  he 
made  his  home  with  an  uncle,  John  Roper,  in  East  Prov- 


idence, and  became  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of  cooper, 
at  which  he  spent  three  years.  He  was  an  excellent 
workman  but  was  dissatisfied  with  his  choice  of  work, 
and  at  once  entered  upon  another  apprenticeship,  this 
time  in  the  machinist's  trade,  at  Mansfield  Hollow, 
Conn.  His  duties  included  the  fine  work  on  sewing 
machines,  and  after  six  years  he  entered  Pond's  machine 
shop,  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  where  he  worked  at  pistol 
manufacture  during  the  Civil  War.  In  1865  he  was 
induced  by  friends  to  go  to  California,  and  he  made 
the  journey  by  boat  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  which 
he  crossed  overland,  then  continued  the  journey  by 
boat.  During  his  stay  in  California  he  had  an  inter- 
esting experience,  an  earthquake  destroying  many  build- 
ings in  the  vicinity  of  his  house.  In  1868  he  returned 
to  his  parents  in  Willimantic,  and  became  associated 
with  the  V\'illimantic  Thread  Company.  In  February, 
1870,  he  joined  the  Conant  Thread  Company,  at  Paw- 
tucket, as  master  mechanic,  and  until  1892  he  served  in 
this  capacity,  the  responsible  head  of  all  mechanical 
operations  in  the  plant.  He  was  a  genius  in  his  depart- 
ment, and  workmen  and  foremen  alike  turned  to  him 
for  the  solution  of  difficult  mechanical  problems.  A 
thorough  and  able  master  of  his  trade,  he  possessed  not 
alone  practical  ability,  but  could  impart  his  skill  and 
knowledge  to  his  subordinates,  and  in  his  particular 
sphere  contributed  largely  to  the  prosperity  and  wel- 
fare of  the  company.  All  things  in  industr>-  wait  upon 
production,  and  in  this  vital  spot  he  served. 

Mr.  Belfield  was  a  member  of  Eastern  Star  Lodge, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Willimantic,  Conn.,  and 
he  was  also  identified  with  chapter,  council,  and  com- 
mandery,  of  Pawtucket,  and  .Meppo  Temple,  Ancient 
Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of  Boston. 
He  died  unmarried,  December  27,  1896. 


JOSEPH  BELFIELD— Six  years  prior  to  his 
death  in  1908,  Joseph  Belfield  retired  from  active  par- 
ticipation in  the  affairs  of  the  business  he  had  helped 
to  found  and  with  which  he  had  been  associated  as  the 
Conant  Thread  Company  and  J.  and  P.  Coats,  Ltd.  For 
more  than  thirty  years  he  was  identified  in  important 
executive  capacity  with  this  great  enterprise.  So,  when 
he  felt  that  the  time  had  come  for  him  to  lay  aside 
some  of  his  business  burdens,  he  was  not  permitted 
entirely  to  sever  his  connection  with  the  company  to 
which  he  had  given  such  devoted  service,  but  was  re- 
tained in  an  advisory  capacity.  He  was  a  prominent 
figure  in  Rhode  Island's  industrial  circles,  and  had  a 
wide  social  acquaintance.  The  past  generation  of  busi- 
ness men  and  industrial  leaders  numbered  him  among 
its  most  representative  members,  and  throughout  a 
long  and  active  life  he  bore  unblemished  reputation. 

Son  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Roper)  Belfield,  Jo- 
seph Belfield  was  born  in  Pennybridge,  North  Lanca- 
shire, England,  March  28,  1840,  and  died  at  Central 
Falls,  R.  I.,  November  3,  1908.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  as  a  lad  of  eleven  years,  making  the  voyage  in 
a  sailing  vessel  that  landed  in  Boston,  Mass.,  March 
I,  1851.  He  had  attended  the  public  schools  in  Eng- 
land and  continued  his  studies  in  the  night  schools  of 
Willimantic,  Conn.,  in  which  town  the  family  had  set- 
tled, becoming  employed  as  a  helper  in  a  small  mill  of 
the  locality  at  the  same  time.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
years  he  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  machinist  in  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


521 


shop  of  the  W'illimantic  Linen  Company,  serving  a 
three  years'  apprenticeship.  About  the  time  of  the  com- 
pletion of  this  term.  Hezekiah  Conant  became  asso- 
ciated with  the  VVillimantic  Thread  Company  as  me- 
chanical expert.  Here  Mr.  Conant  continued  work  on 
his  winding  machine  and,  a  friendship  springing  up 
between  them.  Mr.  P.elfield  was  able  to  assist  Mr.  Conant 
in  its  perfection.  He  was  assistant  to  the  inventor  in 
the  Willimantic  plant  until  July,  1867.  and  from  that 
date  until  July,  1870,  was  overseer  of  the  winding  de- 
partment. When  Mr.  Conant  and  Mr.  Mclntyre,  Mr. 
Belfield's  Iirnther-in-Iaw,  came  to  Pawtucket,  it  was 
desired  that  Mr.  Belficld  accompany  them,  but  an  ex- 
isting contract  with  the  Willimantic  Thread  Company 
prevented  his  joining  them  until  July,  1870.  .A.t  that 
time  he  came  to  Pawtucket  and  until  April,  1902,  he 
filled  the  office  of  general  manager,  first  of  the  Conant 
Thread  Company,  and  then,  after  1893,  of  J.  and  P. 
Cfiats.  Ltd.  Mill  No.  2  was  completed  in  the  year  of  his 
arrival;  the  bleachery  was  completed  in  1871  ;  a  large 
spinning  mill,  three  stories  high,  was  started  in  T873, 
and  was  known  as  No.  3 ;  mill  No.  4,  equipped  with 
spinning  and  twisting  machinery,  was  built  in  1876;  a 
dye-house  was  built  in  1877.  and  in  1881  mill  No.  5,  as 
large  as  Nos.  3  and  4  together,  was  erected.  Mr.  Bel- 
field,  in  his  capacity  of  general  manager,  was  in  inti- 
mate touch  with  the  details  of  this  expansion  and  had 
a  full  share  in  shaping  the  policy  of  the  company, 
which  grew  to  a  position  of  leading  importance  in  its 
field.  He  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Hope 
Webbing  Company,  and  was  associated  in  official  capac- 
ity with  the  William  H.  Haskell  Company,  the  Narra- 
gansett  Machine  Company,  and  the  .^dam  Sutliflf  Com- 
pany. He  was  a  trustee  of  the  Pawtucket  Institution 
for  Savings.  Mr.  Beltield's  associates  valued  him,  not 
only  for  a  thorough  and  certain  technical  knowledge,  but 
for  a  keenness  of  judgment,  a  power  of  organization, 
and  a  grasp  on  industrial  conditions  that  brought  heavy 
returns  to  the  enterprises  with  which  he  was  connected. 
After  his  retirement  in  1902  he  was  sought  for  aid  and 
guidance  in  the  solution  of  problems  that  would  have 
fallen  within  his  province,  and  his  opinion  was  re- 
garded in  matters  of  company  policy. 

Closely  as  he  applied  himself  to  business  affairs,  Mr. 
Beltield  knew  how  to  relax,  and  found  his  most  enjoy- 
able recreation  in  the  possession  and  use  of  several 
well-bred  driving  horses.  In  the  year  following  his 
retirement  he  visited  his  boyhood  home  in  England. 
He  was  a  member  of  lodge,  chapter,  council,  and  com- 
mandery  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  was  a  generous 
supporter  of  church  work.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Pawtucket  Business  Men's  .'\ssociation. 

Mr.  Belfield  married.  May  16,  1866,  Elizabeth  A. 
\\'ales,  of  Windham,  Conn. 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN    ALMY— There    is    a 

wealth  of  family  history  and  tradition  gathered  aroiind 
the  name  of  .Almy  in  Rhode  Island,  the  race  springing 
from  the  Englishman,  William  Almy,  who  came  first 
to  New  England  about  1630.  He  returned  to  England, 
however,  but  came  again  in  the  ship  ".Abigail,"  in  1635, 
settled  on  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  but  later  came  to  Rhode 
Island,    where    he    was    a    freeman   at    Portsmouth,    in 


I^'.=i5.  journeyman  in  1656,  and  a  commissioner  in  1656- 
1657-63.  He  died  in  1676,  leaving  sons,  Christopher, 
John,  and  Job,  from  whom  sprang  all  the  Almys  of 
early  Colonial  ancestry. 

Benjamin  Franklin  .Mmy  was  a  son  of  Benjamin 
Rathbim  .Almy,  and  a  grandson  of  Benjamin  .Mmy,  who 
married  (second)  Mary,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary 
(Rathbun)  Gould,  a  great-granddaughter  of  Governor 
Walter  Clarke,  of  Rhode  Island.  Benjamin  Rathbun 
.Almy  was  a  manufacturer  of  cotton  and  woolen  .goods, 
a  man  of  energy  and  enterprise.  He  married  (first) 
Hannah  Evans,  of  Tiverton,  R.  I.,  and  (second)  Emily 
Cummings,  who  is  still  living,  an  octogenarian  of  New 
Bedford,  Mass.  Benjamin  R.  .Almy  had  three  sons  by 
his  first  wife:  Benjamin  F.,  of  further  mention;  Wil- 
liam, and  Thomas.  By  his  second  wife  he  had  several 
children. 

Benjamin  Franklin  .\lmy  was  bom  June  10,  1834, 
and  died  at  Johnston,  R.  I.,  July  n,  191 '•  After  com- 
pleting his  school  years,  he  became  interested  in  the 
mill  business,  and  was  engaged  as  a  dealer  in  wool 
waste,  in  Providence,  until  the  death  of  his  brother 
William,  a  mill  owner  of  Johnston,  R.  I.,  and  manu- 
facturer of  cotton  goods.  Here  he  continued  through 
the  Civil  War  period.  William  .Mmy  also  owned  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  Johnston,  which  he  had  purchased  from 
General  Bliss.  William  .Mmy,  having  no  children,  the 
mills  and  lands  became  the  property  of  his  brother, 
Benjamin  F.,  who  continued  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
waste  at  the  Johnston  Mills,  and  resided  there  until  his 
own  death,  in  1911.  He  was  an  able  business  man,  and 
highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  loved  the 
out-of-door  life,  and  at  one  time  owned  a  number  of 
greenhouses. 

Mr.  .Mmy  married  Ellen  Bayliss,  of  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  who  died  September  23,  1014,  the  mother  of  two 
sons:  I.  Howard,  born  Oct.  5,  1864,  at  the  family  home 
on  .'Kngell  street,  Providence.  He  was  educated  at  the 
Mowry  &  GofT  .\cademy  in  Providence,  and  at  Brown 
University,  receiving  his  degree,  class  of  1886.  He  en- 
gaged as  a  florist  at  the  Almy  farm,  and  has  since 
continued  in  that  business.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Johnston  Town  Council,  and  a  man  of  influence  in  his 
town.  He  married,  in  1900,  in  Boston,  Dorothy  Cutts, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  children :  Eleanor 
Bayliss,  Dorothy  Leavitt,  John  Cutts,  and  Ruth  Farley. 
2.  Benjamin  F.,  of  further  mention. 

Benjamin  Franklin  (2)  Almy  was  born  at  the  .\ngcll 
street  home,  in  Providence,  August  18,  1873.  He  at- 
tended the  Mowry  &  Goff  .-Vcademy  until  going  to  reside 
with  an  aunt  in  Constantinople,  Turkey,  remaining 
there  two  years,  and  then  returned  to  his  home  in  John- 
ston. For  a  time  he  was  associated  with  his  brother  as 
a  florist,  but  later  he  restored  the  old  mill  owned  by 
his  father  and  uncle,  equipping  it  for  the  manufacture 
of  cider  and  vinegar.  He  resides  at  the  old  home  in 
Johnston,  and  here  looks  after  his  property,  and  oper- 
ates the  mill  in  connection.  He  has  established  a  pros- 
perous business,  and  one  which  he  has  developed  from 
a  small  beginning. 

Mr.  Almy  married,  in  Boston,  Mass.,  May  15,  1901. 
Emily  Cutts,  a  sister  of  his  sister-in-law,  Dorothy  Cutts 
.\Imy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Almy  are  the  parents  of:  Rich- 
ard Rathbun,  Esther,  and  Benjamin  Franklin  (3)  .\lmy. 


522 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


LOUIS  JOSEPH  ARCHAMBAULT— Mr.  Arch- 
ambault.  representative  from  Woonsocket  in  the  State 
Legislature  and  a  contractor  of  Woonsocket,  is  a  son  of 
Levi  and  Prudence  (San  Souci)  Archambault.  Levi 
Archambault,  who  died  in  1903,  was  a  successful  con- 
tractor and  builder,  and  is  survived  by  his  widow,  a 
resident  of  Woonsocket. 

Louis  Joseph  Archambault,  son  of  Levi  and  Prudence 
(San  Souci)  Archambault,  was  born  in  Providence,  R. 
I.,  and  when  he  was  a  boy  of  seven  years,  Woonsocket 
became  the  family  home.  He  attended  the  public  and 
parochial  schools  of  this  town,  completing  his  educa- 
tion in  St.  Charles  College,  at  Sherbrooke,  Canada, 
whence  he  was  graduated,  in  1894.  Learning  the  car- 
penter's trade,  he  was  employed  therein,  a  part  of  the 
time  by  his  father,  until  1907,  when  he  engaged  in  in- 
dependent contracting  operations,  a  line  he  has  fol- 
lowed with  excellent  result  to  the  present  time. 

As  a  Republican.  Mr.  Archambault  has  participated 
actively  in  public  life.  Among  the  local  positions  he  has 
held  have  been  those  of  moderator  and  councilman,  and 
he  has  represented  his  district  in  the  Rhode  Isl.Tnd  Leg- 
islature, serving  on  numerous  committees  of  impor- 
tance. 

His  religious  belief  is  the  Roman  Catholic,  and  he  is 
a  member  of  St.  Ann's  Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles. 

Mr.  .Archambault  married,  June  23,  1805.  Cordelia 
Heanualt,  who  died  October  23,  191S.  Their  children 
are:  Gaston,  Gideon,  Lillian,  Cecile,  Gerald,  Julia,  and 
Robert.  Two  children.  .-Mbert  and  Palmer,  died  in  in- 
fancv. 


JOHN  FELIX  LETENDRE,  successful  business 
man  and  man-of-affairs  of  Woonsocket,  and  an  influ- 
ential and  public-spirited  member  of  the  community,  is 
a  native  of  this  city,  where  his  birth  occurred  January 
5,  1S78.  He  is  a  son  of  Feli.x  and  Mary  (Boiteau)  Le- 
tendre,  both  of  whom  are  living  and  also  natives  of 
Woonsocket.  On  both  sides  of  the  family,  however, 
Mr.  Letendre  comes  of  French-Canadian  stock,  and  his 
parents  and  himself  have  retained  many  of  the  tradi- 
tions of  their  ancestors.  The  elder  Mr.  Letendre  is  now 
retired  from  active  business  life  and  resides  in  Woon- 
socket. 

John  Feli.x  Letendre  secured  his  education,  or  the 
elementary  portion  thereof,  in  the  parochial  schools  of 
Woonsocket  and  he  later  entered  the  Sherbrooke  Acad- 
emy, at  Quebec,  Canada.  He  then  took  a  commercial 
course  at  the  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College  at 
Providence,  and  thus  fitted  himself  for  his  business 
career.  Upon  completing  his  studies  at  the  last  named 
mstitution.  Mr.  Letendre  secured  a  position  in  a  meat 
and  grocery  store,  where  he  remained  for  two  years. 
He  had,  however,  a  strong  ambition  to  become  independ- 
ent, and,  accordingly,  opened  a  garage  at  Woonsocket, 
in  190S.  For  a  time  he  conducted  a  regular  garage 
business,  namely,  he  sold  automobiles,  stored  cars,  and 
dealt  in  accessories,  but  later  he  engaged  in  the  truck- 
ing business,  which  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
has  practically  superseded  all  the  other  branches  of  his 
enterprise  and  he  now  has  no  storage  save  for  his  own 
cars.     At   the  beginning  of  America's  entrance  in  the 


great  World  War,  Mr.  Letendre,  perceiving  his  oppor- 
tunity, was  one  of  the  first  to  engage  in  long  distance 
trucking  and  did  a  large  business  of  this  kind  between 
Boston  and  Philadelphia  and  sent  his  cars  on  other  long 
routes.  In  addition  to  his  private  business,  he  has  be- 
come interested  in  the  Hammond  Trucking  Company, 
another  large  concern  of  the  same  kind,  and  he  is  also 
interested  in  a  successful  clothing  store  at  W'oonsocket. 
Mr.  Letendre  is  as  well  known  in  connection  with  his 
political  activities  as  he  is  as  a  business  man,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  has  taken  an  exceedingly  active  part 
in  public  affairs.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  is 
now  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  party 
in  this  part  of  the  State.  In  1914  he  was  elected  to  the 
General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island,  and  has  been  re- 
turned to  the  Legislature  ever  since  -Kt  the  present 
time  he  is  serving  on  the  important  judiciary  committee 
of  the  Legislature.  He  is  a  prominent  figure  in  social 
and  club  circles  at  Woonsocket,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  of  this  city,  and  the  local  lodge 
of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  In 
his  religious  belief  Mr.  Letendre  is  a  Roman  Catholic 
and  attends  the  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood  of  this 
denomination  here. 

John  Felix  Letendre  was  united  in  marriage,  Novem- 
ber 15,  1903,  at  Woonsocket,  with  Eleanora  I.  Baldwin, 
of  Boston,  Mass.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Letendre  three 
children  have  been  born,  as  follows:  Delarais,  Sybil, 
and  Muriel,  all  of  whom  are  at  the  present  time  attend- 
ing St.  Ann's  -Academy  at  Marlboro,  Mass. 


TOWER  FAMILY— John  Tower,  founder  of  the 
Tower  family,  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  and 
notable  figures  in  the  early  history  of  the  New  England 
colonies.  A  veteran  of  Indian  warfare  and  civil  litiga- 
tion, he  was  the  progenitor  of  a  family,  which,  while  not 
large,  has  figured  prominently  in  the  history  of  the  New 
England  colonies  and  states  for  more  than  two  and  a 
half  centuries. 

The  -American  Towers  are  a  branch   of  the  ancient 
English   family  of   the  name,  who  were   Lords  of   So- 
werby  in  Lincolnshire  as  early  as   1400.     The  surname  • 
is  of  local  origin,  and  signifies  literally  "of  the  tower." 

(I)  Robert  Tower,  father  of  the  -American  immi- 
grant, resided  in  Hingham,  County  Norfolk,  England, 
where  he  married.  -August  31,  1607,  Dorothy  Damon, 
who  was  buried  at  Hingham,  November  lo.  1629.  He 
was  buried  May  I,  1634. 

(II)  John  Tower,  the  American  founder,  son  of 
Robert  and  Dorothy  (Damon)  Tower,  was  baptized 
May  14,  1609.  in  the  parish  of  Hingham,  in  the  county 
of  Norfolk.  England,  and  came  to  this  country  in  1637. 
settling  at  New  Hingham,  Mass.  From  the  record  of 
Rev.  Peter  Hobart,  pastor  of  the  church  at  Hingham 
and  a  graduate  of  Magdalen  College,  England,  under 
date  of  February  13.  1638,  we  find  :  "John  Tower  and 
Margaret  Ibrook,  sister  of  Rebecca,  wife  of  Rev.  Peter 
Hobart,  were  married  at  Charlestown,  Mass."  John 
Tower  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  township  of 
Hingham,  Mass..  and  owned  several  tracts  of  land 
there.  In  1662  he  came  to  Rhode  Island  and  purchased 
a  tract  of  land,  which  embraced  twenty-four  square 
miles,  which  would  now  appear  to  have  lain  within  the 
limits  of  the  towns  of  Cranston,  Scituate  and  Johnston. 


c^c^t^^  .^i^^y^x^.^-^-— ^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


525 


It  now  appears  that  these  lands,  conveyed  to  Tower  by 
the  Indians,  had  other  claimants  who  rested  their  title 
upon  other  earlier  Indian  deeds,  the  earliest  of  which 
was  that  of  Canonicus  and  Miantonomi  to  Roger  Wil- 
liams.  His  associates,  William  Harris  and  others, 
claimed  that  Mr.  Williams  had  obtained  this  deed  for 
them  as  well  as  for  himself.  One  of  John  Tower's 
deeds  was  signed  by  the  famous  Indian  chief,  Pomham. 
As  a  result  of  these  conflicting  claims,  a  controversy 
took  place,  \\'illiam  Harris  representing  the  original 
proprietors.  The  following  account  is  found  in  Staples 
Annals,  of   Providence: 

In  June.  1677,  the  representative  took  a  voyage  to 
England  to  petition  the  Kins  for  the  appointment  of 
a  special  commission  to  hear  and  determine  these 
claims.  In  this  petition  he  Rives  a  summary  of  the 
difficulties  and  dangers  that  surrounded  the  Pnwtuxet 
purchase.  He  states  that  he  and  his  twelve  partners 
had  purchased  the  land  about  forty  years  before:  that 
their  purchase  or  parts  of  it  was  claimed  bv  the  town 
of  Providence,  the  town  of  Warwick,  the  Colony  of 
New  Plymouth  and  the  two  parties  of  the  Provinc'e  of 
Massachusetts  Bay.  All  of  these  various  claims  de- 
pended upon  the  extent  of  the  original  purchase  of 
Providence.  •  •  •  The  Prayer  of  this  petition  was 
granted  and  the  governors  of  the  four  New  i;nerland 
Colonies  were  directed  to  appoint  commissioner.s  to 
hear  the  matter  in  dispute.  The  gentlemen  appointed 
on  this  commission  were:  Thomas  Hinklev  and  .lames 
Cudworth,  of  Plymouth:  Simon  Lynde  and  Daniel 
Henchman,  of  Massachusetts;  George  Denison  and 
Daniel  Wetherel.  of  Connecticut :  and  John  Cogsjeshall 
and  Peleg  Sanford.  of  Rhode  Island. 

This  notable  gathering  of  representative  men  met 
at  Boston,  October  3,  1677.  and  impanelled  a  jury,  four 
of  whom  belonged  to  Massachusetts,  two  to  Plvmouth, 
three  to  Connecticut  and  three  to  Rhode  Island.  Thev 
adjourned  to  Providence,  where  they  met  on  the  17th 
of  November.  Five  cases  were  there  entered  and  tried 
before  this  jury.  William  Harris.  Thomas  Field  and 
Nathaniel  Waterman  were  plaintiffs,  and  the  defend- 
ants were:  John  Tower,  of  the  towns  of  Warwirk  and 
Hingham:  John  Harrod  and  partners:  Edward  Cal- 
varly,  Gregory  Dexter,  and  Arthur  Fenner.  of  the  town 
of  Providence. 

Judgment  was  given  for  the  plaintiff  in  all  these 
cases,  and  executions  issued  for  possessions  and  costs. 
An  appeal  was  taken  by  the  defendants  in  the  second 
case,  and  another  commission  appointed  to  hear  it,  by 
which  the  former  jud.gment  was  aflfirmed.  As  William 
Harris  had  difficulty  in  obtaining  possession  of  the 
lands  according  to  the  verdict,  he  again  went  to  Eng- 
land, but  on  this  trip  was  captured  by  pirates  and  car- 
ried to  Algiers,  where  he  remained  for  some  time,  but 
was  finally  redeemed.  He  then  went  to  London,  Eng- 
land, but  died  a  few  days  after  reaching  there.  This 
is  a  brief  history  of  a  very  important  case  of  litigation 
which  in  the  time  it  took  place  absorbed  the  attention 
of  the  civilized  section  of  America, 

In  l''"'7.S.  during  King  Philip's  War,  John  Tower  was 
allowed  to  fortify  his  own  house  with  a  .garrison  of  his 
four  sons  and  as  many  men  as  he  would  hire  at  his  own 
expense.  Tradition  in  the  family  has  preserved  an 
anecdote  of  this  time  of  peril,  showing  that  John 
Tower  held  a  position  of  influence  among  both  the 
settlers  and  the  Indians.  When  occasion  required  inter- 
course with  the  Indians  outside  the  fortifications,  it 
was  "old  John  Tower"  who  was  chosen  for  the  mis- 
sion, his  associates  saying,  "You  go,  old  John  Tower, 
the  Indians  all  know  you  and  they  will  not  harm  you," 
This  immunity  could  only  have  been  secured  through 
some  great  kindness  that  he  had  rendered  the  red 
brothers,  for  every  tribe  possessed  that  spark  of  grati- 
tude which  the  white  race  has  not  always  been  noted 
for  embracing  as   a   cardinal   virtue.     In    1657   he   was 


way-warden  at  Hingham;  in  1659  constable;  1665  on 
an  important  committee  to  lay  out  highways  with  very 
full  powers.  On  May  16,  1664,  he  bought  land  of  Ed- 
ward Wilder  in  Hingham,  extending  from  what  is  now 
Main  street,  at  Cole's  corner,  to  the  brook  at  Tower's 
bridge,  and  soon  afterwards  built  a  house  there.  Three 
of  his  sons  built  houses  on  this  lot  also,  and  some  of 
the  land  remains  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants 
to  the  present  time.  The  old  house  was  torn  down 
after  1800.  John  Tower  died  intestate,  February  13, 
i;oi-02,  having  previously  deeded  land  to  his  children 
and  thus  in  part  settled  his  estate. 

(HI)  Benjamin  Tower,  son  of  John  and  Margaret 
(Ibrook)  Tower,  was  born  in  Hingham,  Mass.,  and 
baptized  there,  November  5,  165,4.  He  was  a  weaver 
by  trade,  and  a  prosperous  farmer  and  land  owner  in 
Hingham  until  his  death  in  1721-22.  Benjamin  Tower 
occupied  the  house  which  his  father  built  about  1664, 
and  which  he  fortified  in  King  Philip's  War.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1(180,  he  married,  in  Hingham,  Deborah  Garnet 
(Gardner),  who  was  bom  July  5,  1657,  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  Garnet;  she  died  in  Hingham  in  1728-29. 
Benjamin  Tower  died  in  Hingham,  March  24,  1721-22, 
aged  sixty-eight  years, 

(l\')  .Ambrose  Tower,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Deb- 
orah (Garnet)  Tower,  was  born  in  Hingham.  Mass., 
in  January,  1699-1700,  and  removed  from  there  at  an 
early  date.  He  was  a  resident  of  Hull  for  a  time,  and 
later  removed  to  Concord,  where  he  resided  in  that  part 
of  the  town  which  was  later  set  off  and  made  the  town 
of  Lincoln.     No  record  of  either  of  his  marriages  can 

be  found.     He  married   (first)    Mary  ;   (second) 

Elizabeth  . 

(V)  Jonathan  Tower,  son  of  Ambrose  and  Mary 
Tower,  w-as  born  in  Hull.  Mass.,  in  1729,  and  died  in 
Lincoln,  in  1778,  aged  forty-eight  years.  He  served  in 
the  old  French  War,  as  a  member  of  Captain  Ebenezer 
Curtis'  company,  in  1757.  He  was  a  shoemaker  by 
trade,  and  the  tradition  in  the  family  is  that  he  died 
of  the  small-pox,  being  infected  through  the  repairing 
of  a  shoe.  Jonathan  Tower  married,  in  Lincoln,  Mass., 
on  March  8,  1759,  Eunice  Allen,  who  was  born  Janu- 
ary 28,  1732-33,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Eunice 
.•\llen;  she  died  in  Lincoln  in  1779. 

(VI)  Nathan  Tower,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Eunice 
(Allen)  Tower,  was  born  in  Lincoln,  Mass.,  April  26, 
1775,  and  was  a  lifelong  resident  there.  He  married,  in 
Lincoln,  March  27,  1805,  Sevia  Warren,  who  married 
(second)  William  Greenwood,  of  Lincoln.  Nathan 
Tower  died  in  Lincoln,  March  19,  1817,  aged  forty-one 
years. 

(VH)  Lewis  Tower,  son  of  Nathan  and  Sevia  (War- 
ren) Tower,  was  born  in  Lincoln,  Mass.,  May  6,  1806. 
He  came  to  Cumberland.  R.  I.,  and  purchased  a  farm 
near  Ashton,  which  he  developed  into  an  apple  farm 
by  his  own  labors  from  his  model  and  well  patronized 
nursery.  Lewis  Tower  married,  September  23.  1832. 
.Martha  Thomas,  daughter  of  George  Christian  and 
Lydia  (Mason)  Thomas,  of  Cumberland.  She  died  in 
Cumberland,  May  22,  1888.  Lewis  Tower  died  in  Cum- 
berland. -Xugust  17,  1872,  aged  sixty-six  years. 

(VIII)  Sarah  Thomas  Tower,  daughter  of  Lewis  and 
Martha  (Thomas)  Tower,  was  bom  July  15,  1841,  in 
Cumberland.  On  May  30,  1867,  she  became  the  wife 
of  the  late  John  Oliver  Bellows  (q.  v.). 


524 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


JOHN  OLIVER  BELLOWS,  prominent  mechanic 
and  farmer  of  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  was  a  descendant  of 
an  early  Colonial  family  well  known  and  influential  in 
Massachusetts,  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire  for  over 
two  hundred  years.  He  was  bom  November  14,  1836, 
and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Providence  and  Ash- 
ton,  in  the  town  of  Cumberland,  R.  I.  He  completed 
his  studies  at  the  East  Greenwich  Academy,  and  shortly 
afterward  apprenticed  himself  to  learn  the  trade  of 
carpenter.  This  he  followed  successfully  until  1887, 
when  he  retired  from  active  business  pursuits  to  give 
his  entire  time  and  attention  to  the  management  of  the 
farm  near  the  village  of  Ashton.  This  property  he  de- 
veloped into  one  of  the  model  farms  of  the  country 
round  about  Ashton.  Mr.  Bellows  was  well  known  and 
eminently  respected  in  Cumberland  and  the  vicinity. 
."Mthough  he  remained  aloof  from  politics,  he  was  deeply 
interested  in  local  issues,  and  identified  himself  unre- 
servedly with  all  movements  to  advance  the  welfare  of 
the  community.  He  was  a  Republican  in  political  affi- 
liation, but  in  no  sense  of  the  word  an  office  seeker. 

On  May  30,  1867,  Mr.  Bellows  married  Sarah  Thomas 
Tower.  (See  Tower  VHI).  They  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  i.  Annie  Tower,  born  Dec.  2, 
1868.  2.  Carrie  Maria,  born  May  15,  1871.  3.  Walter 
Everett  (q.  v.).  Mrs.  Bellows,  who  survives  her  hus- 
band, resides  with  her  daughters  on  the  farm  at  Ash- 
ton. All  are  members  of  the  Berkley  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  John  Oliver  Bellows  died  at  his  home 
in  Cumberland,  R.  I.,  September  11,  1918. 


WALTER  EVERETT  BELLOWS,  well  known  in 
engineering  circles  in  New  York  City,  where  for  eight 
years  he  was  identified  with  the  New  York  Edison 
Company  in  the  capacity  of  electrical  engineer,  was  born 
in  .Ashton,  R.  I.,  May  2,  1873,  son  of  John  Oliver  and 
Sarah  Thomas  (Tower)  Bellows.  He  received  his  ele- 
mentary education  in  the  schools  of  Ashton,  prepared 
for  college  at  Mowry  &  Goff's  English  and  Classical 
School  in  Providence,  graduating  from  this  school  at 
the  head  of  the  class  of  1892,  of  which  he  was  presi- 
dent. In  the  same  year  he  matriculated  at  Cornell  Uni- 
versity, entering  the  Sibley  College  of  Engineering.  He 
was  graduated  in  1806  with  the  degree  of  electrical  and 
mechanical  engineer.  The  following  year  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  General  Electric  Company,  of  Schenec- 
tady, N.  Y.  Mr.  Bellows  rose  rapidly  through  posi- 
tions of  responsibility,  and  in  1899  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Government  Test  Department,  directing  the  test- 
ing of  electrical  apparatus  for  the  battleships  "Kear- 
sarge"  and  "Kentucky."  Later  he  was  transferred  to 
the  Power  and  Mining  Department,  where  he  served 
for  three  years.  Upon  leaving  the  General  Electric 
Company,  he  became  factory  inspector  and  foreman  of 
the  machine  shops  and  foundry  of  the  C.  W.  Hunt 
Company,  of  West  New  Brighton,  N.  Y.  In  1902,  Mr. 
Bellows  accepted  an  advantageous  offer  from  the  New 
York  Edison  Company,  with  which  he  was  connected 
until  his  death.  He  evinced  ability  of  the  highest  order 
as  an  organizer  and  manager,  and  rose  rapidly  from  one 
department  to  another  of  larger  responsibility.  He  was 
finally  placed  at  the  head  of  a  new  branch  of  the  con- 
struction department,  becoming  superintendent  of  auto- 
matic devices  and  inspector  of  stations.     This  position 


was  but  a  stepping  stone  to  others  of  greater  import- 
ance, which  his  mechanical  genius,  combined  with  exec- 
utive ability,  would  eventually  have  opened  to  him.  His 
untimely  death,  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven  years,  cut 
short  a  career  of  promise.  Mr.  Bellows  was  sincerely 
and  deeply  mourned  in  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
business  associates.  Walter  Everett  Bellows  died  at 
Rutherford,  N.  J.,  .-\pril  4,  1910. 


JULIUS  OUSLEY,  a  well  known  attorney  and 
man-of-affairs,  and  one  of  the  public-spirited  citizens 
of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  has  been  identified  with  the  life 
of  this  community  from  practically  the  outset  of  his 
professional  career.  He  is  a  son  of  Mathias  and  Jo- 
sephine (Nerbonne)  Ousley,  natives,  respectively,  of 
England  and  the  State  of  Vermont.  The  elder  Mr.  Ous- 
ley is  an  expert  textile  spinner,  having  learned  the  craft 
thoroughly  in  his  native  land  before  coming  to  the 
United  States,  and  afterwards  held  a  number  of  re- 
sponsible positions  in  some  of  the  great  New  England 
textile  establishments.  Eventually,  he  came  to  Paw- 
tucket as  supervisor  of  spinning  in  one  of  the  large 
mills,  and  now  lives  in  retirement  here. 

Born  March  12,  1884,  at  Putnam,  Conn.,  Julius  Ous- 
ley lived  in  his  native  town  until  eleven  years  of  age, 
when  his  father  was  appointed  to  the  position  of 
supervisor  of  spinning  at  the  mill  in  Pawtucket,  and 
the  family  removed  to  this  place.  In  Pawtucket  the 
lad  attended  the  local  public  schools  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  then  studied  under  a  private  tutor  to  pre- 
pare himself  for  the  profession  of  the  law.  These 
studies  were  carried  on  in  the  city  of  Fall  River,  and 
after  their  completion,  he  matriculated  at  the  law  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Chattanooga,  in  the  city 
of  that  name  in  Tennessee,  where  he  continued  and 
completed  his  legal  studies.  He  entered  the  university 
in  1908,  and  graduated  therefrom,  with  the  class  of  1911, 
winning  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  He  took  his 
bar  examination  at  Chattanooga  and  was  admitted  to 
the  Tennessee  bar,  and  for  a  short  time  actually  prac- 
ticed in  that  city.  It  was  only  a  few  months,  however, 
before  he  returned  to  the  North,  and  once  more  com- 
ing to  Pawtucket,  established  himself  in  practice  here. 
His  first  office  was  situated  in  the  Pacific  Bank  build- 
ing, and  during  the  time  that  he  was  located  there  he 
also  maintained  an  office  at  Providence,  in  the  Gros- 
venor  building.  This,  however,  he  gave  up  later,  re- 
moving about  the  same  time  to  the  Oak  Hall  building, 
Pawtucket,  where  he  remained  until  1914.  In  that 
year  he  removed  to  his  present  location  at  Nos.  405  and 
407  .•\rnold  building,  Pawtucket.  where  he  now  carries 
on  his  large  practice.  He  enjoys  a  wide  reputation  for 
ability  and  integrity  among  his  professional  colleagues 
and  his  fellow  citizens  generally. 

Mr.  Ousley  is  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  and  Rhode 
Island  Bar  associations,  of  the  Pawtucket  Business 
Men's  Club,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  In  his  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Catholic. 


JOSEPH  V.  BRODERICK.  the  capable  and  effi- 
cient town  clerk  of  Cumberland.  R.  I.,  is  a  native  of 
Dundalk,  County  Louth,  Ireland,  born  October  13,  1877, 
a   son   of    Patrick   and    .Anne    (Kelly)    Broderick,   also 


^"""^^ff^ 


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W^- 


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(7.    17^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


525 


natives  of  that  country.  The  elder  Mr.  Broderick  died 
in  Ireland  when  his  son  Joseph  V.  was  but  six  years  of 
age,  and  shortly  after,  the  widowed  mother,  with  her 
eight  children,  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled 
in  Lonsdale,  R.  I. 

Joseph  V.  Broderick  attended  St.  Patrick's  School  at 
Valley  Falls,  R.  I.,  and  later  La  Salle  Academy  at 
Providence,  and  graduated  from  the  latter  institution 
in  1900.  Upon  completing  his  studies,  the  youth  secured 
a  position  with  the  Providence  "Evening  .ind  Sunday 
Telegram,"  of  which  Judge  Frank  E.  Fitzsimmons  was 
the  editor.  He  was  advanced  rapidly  and  was  offered 
the  post  of  manager  of  the  Pawtucket  branch  office  of 
the  Providence  "Journal,"  which  he  accepted  and  held 
for  one  year.  At  the  end  of  that  period.  Governor  J. 
H.  Higgins,  of  Rhode  Island,  appointed  him  his  execu- 
tive secretary,  and  Mr.  Broderick  served  in  that  capac- 
ity during  the  administration  and  made  a  splendid  repu- 
tation for  ability  and  faithfulness  to  duty.  In  the  year 
1909  he  was  elected  town  clerk  of  Cumberland,  and  con- 
tinues to  occupy  that  responsible  office  at  the  present 
time.  Mr.  Broderick  has  also  been  active  in  business 
during  recent  years,  and  is  a  member  of  the  real  estate 
and  insurance  firm  of  Fitzsimmons,  Johnson  &  Broder- 
ick, of  Pawtucket.  In  politics,  Mr.  Broderick  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  has  always  been  keenly  interested  in  the  pub- 
lic welfare  of  his  town.  He  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  his 
religious  belief,  and  a  member  of  St.  Patrick's  Church 
at  \'alley  Falls,  he  being  very  active  in  the  affairs  of 
that  church,  having  been  president  of  the  Holy  Name 
Society  since   1908. 

During  the  World  War  Mr.  Broderick  was  chair- 
man of  the  Draft  Board  for  Local  Division  No.  4, 
State  of  Rhode  Island,  was  secretary  of  all  the  Lib- 
erty Loan  drives  in  the  town  of  Cumberland,  and  was 
engaged  officially  in  every  drive  held  by  all  other  or- 
ganizations, making  an  enviable  reputation  by  his  war 
services.  He  is  prominent  in  the  Knights  of  Columbus, 
and  at  present  is  a  district  deputy  of  that  order.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  Paw- 
tucket and  Central  Falls  Chapter  of  the  American  Red 
Cross,  and  was  chairman  of  the  Third  Roll  Call  Cam- 
paign for  that  organization  in  Pawtucket  and  the 
Blackstone  Valley,  in  November,  1919. 

Joseph  V.  Broderick  was  united  in  marriage,  June 
22,  1904,  with  Anna  E.  Lavallee,  a  daughter  of  Edward 
and  Amelia  (Roy)  Lavallee,  natives  of  Canada.  Five 
children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  four  of  whom 
are  deceased.  The  one  surviving  is  Anna  C.  Brod- 
erick, 


ARTHUR  BENTHAN  ROBERTSHAW,  man- 
ager of  the  Woonsocket  Falls  Mills  C'>mpany,  Inc.,  at 
Woonsocket,  is  a  native  of  England,  bom  at  Bradford, 
November  11,  1874  He  is  a  son  of  Benthan  and 
Afary  (Turner)  Robertshaw,  who  came  to  America  in 
the  year   1882,  and  settled  at  .Swarthmore,  Pa. 

Arthur  Benthan  Robertshaw  was  eight  years  of  age 
when  he  came  to  .America,  and  it  was  at  the  public 
schools  at  Swarthmore,  Pa.,  that  he  received  his  edu- 
cation, attending  these  institutions  until  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  He  then  became 
employed  in  the  woolen  mills,  and  from  1906  to  1913 
was    associated    with    the    Victoria    Plush    Mills,    of 


Pennsylvania.  He  was  the  owner  of  the  Woonsocket 
Falls  Mills  both  in  Rhode  Island  and  Pennsylvania. 
In  1913,  Mr.  Roberts  came  to  Woonsocket  and  became 
manager  of  the  mills,  in  which  capacity  he  still  con- 
tinues. 

Mr.  Robertshaw  married,  in  1905,  Lctticia  Kitts,  of 
Swarthmore,  Pa.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robertshaw  are  the  par- 
ents of  eight  children,  as  follows:  Minnie,  Katherine, 
Letticia,   Arthur,   Matilda,    Bertha,   Gilbert,   and   Jacob. 

The  Woonsocket  Falls  Mills  Company,  Inc.,  was 
originally  a  co-partnership,  and  owned  then,  as  it  does 
now,  mills  both  in  Pennsylvania  and  Rhode  Island.  It 
was  incorporated  in  191.1  under  its  i)rescnt  name,  with 
a  capital  of  $100,000,  with  Mr.  E.  F.  Timme  as  presi- 
dent. John  Turner  as  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  Otto 
Timme  as  treasurer.  All  these  men  were  of  New 
York  City.  The  land  at  Woonsocket  where  the  plants 
stand  include  all  water  rights,  consists  of  about  80,000 
square  feet,  and  the  plant  utilizes  both  steam  and 
water  power.  The  water  power  alone  supplies  the 
new  mill  and  develops  about  four  hundred  sixty  horse- 
power. Very  large  operations  are  carried  on  therein, 
and  one  hundred  fifty  people  are  employed  there.  Re- 
cently Mr.  Robertshaw  purchased  for  the  company  a 
plot  of  ground  adjoining  the  present  land,  upon  which 
has  stood  what  is  known  as  the  old  "Mowry  Grist 
Mill,"  one  of  the  oldest  of  its  kind  in  the  State.  This 
new  property  includes  about  80,000  square  feet,  and 
the  old  building  is  at  present  being  dismantled  to  make 
room  for  new  buildings  which  will  be  erected  thereon. 
With  this  addition,  the  plant  will  be  one  of  the  largest 
of  its  kind  in  Rhode  Island,  and  will  include  and  neces- 
sitate a  great  increase  in  the  number  of  men  employed 
there. 


JOHN  PRESCOTT  FARNSWORTH— For  more 
than  thirty  years  John  Prescott  Farnsworth  was  asso- 
ciated with  the  industrial  world  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
his  death,  December  3,  1919,  took  from  the  business 
circles  of  Providence  an  able  and  honored  gentleman 
who  had  made  his  way  to  a  position  of  influence  and 
responsibility.  In  addition  to  his  presidency  of  the 
Providence  Dyeing,  Bleaching  and  Calendering  Com- 
pany, Mr.  Farnsworth  was  officially  and  in  advisory 
capacity  connected  with  numerous  leading  industrial 
institutions  of  the  locality,  and  was  prominent  in  or- 
ganized movements  among  business  men  for  the  im- 
provement of  commercial  conditions  and  the  advance- 
ment of  their  city.  In  personal  relations  he  was  held 
in  the  highest  regard  by  a  host  of  friends  with  whom 
he  came  into  contact  in  club,  fraternity,  public  life  and 
his  home,  and  to  social  gatherings  he  brought  a  ster- 
ling worth  and  strong  personal  attraction  that  was  a 
welcome  addition  to  any  assemblage. 

Mr.  Farnsworth  was  the  son  of  Claudius  Buchanan 
Farnsworth,  grandson  of  Luke  Farnsworth,  of  Groton, 
Mass.,  and  great-grandson  of  Major  Amos  Farns- 
worth. a  brave  officer  of  the  Revolution.  Major  Amos 
Farnsworth  was  a  son  of  Amos  Farnsworth,  a  man  of 
striking  appearance,  six  feet  and  four  inches  in  height, 
who,  when  lands  in  Canada  were  opened  for  settle- 
ment, obtained  grants  for  settlement  of  land  which  he 
secured  and  improved,  but  he  was  unable  to  hold  title, 
and  in  1774  returned  to  Groton,  Mass.     On  December 


526 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


5.  1775.  he  was  drowned  with  his  youngest  son,  Ben- 
jamin, while  attempting  to  cross  the  Nashua  river  in  a 
small  boat. 

This  Amos  Farnsworth  was  a  son  of  Benjamin 
Farnsworth,  a  landowner  of  Groton,  and  a  grandson 
of  Matthias  Farnsworth,  the  founder  of  the  family 
in  New  England.  Matthias  Farnsworth  is  first  of 
record  at  Lynn,  Mass.,  in  1657,  but  later  moved  to 
Groton,  Mass.,  where  he  died  January  21,  1689,  aged 
about  seventy-seven  years.  Groton  was  long  the 
family  seat,  but  Claudius  Buchanan  Farnsworth,  of 
the  sixth  generation,  abandoned  the  family  acres,  and 
after  embracing  the  law  located  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
and  there  his  son,  John  Prescott  Farnsworth,  of 
Providence,  was  born. 

Claudius  Buchanan  Farnsworth  was  born  January 
8,  1815,  and  died  May  19,  1897.  He  was  a  graduate  of 
Harvard  University,  A.  B.,  1841,  and  prepared  for  the 
practice  of  law  at  Harvard  Law  School  and  under  the 
preceptorship  of  Timothy  G.  Cofifin,  a  member  of  the 
Bristol  county  bar,  located  at  New  Bedford.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  same  bar  in  1844,  at  Taunton,  but  at 
once  located  at  Pawtucket,  then  in  Massachusetts, 
but  since  1862  a  city  of  Rhode  Island.  He  practiced 
his  profession  there  until  1859,  then  was  chosen  treas- 
urer of  the  Dunnell  Manufacturing  Company,  a  post 
he  filled  until  1881,  then  resigned  and  resumed  the 
practice  of  law.  His  second  son,  Claude  J.,  later  be- 
came his  father's  law  partner,  and  as  Farnsworth  & 
Farnsworth  they  conducted  a  large  and  lucrative  law 
practice  in  Pawtucket  until  the  death  of  the  senior 
partner  in  1897.  In  addition  to  his  law  work,  Claudius 
B.  Farnsworth  prepared  and  published  in  1891  a 
"Monograph  of  Matthias  Farnsworth  and  His  De- 
scendants," which  later  formed  a  basis  for  a  more  pre- 
tentious work  by  another. 

Claudius  B.  Farnsworth  married,  February  27,  1851, 
Marianna  Mclntire,  who  died  in  Pawtucket,  August 
10,  1904,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Ann  (Mayberry) 
Mclntire.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  sons  and  a 
daughter:  John  Prescott,  of  further  mention;  Claude 
J.,  born  Dec.  15,  1862,  his  father's  law  partner  and  suc- 
cessor;   and  Abby  Mclntire,  born  Nov.  11,  1864. 

John  Prescott  Farnsworth,  of  the  seventh  American 
generation  of  his  family,  was  born  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
February  19,  i860.  He  attended  public  schools  of 
Providence,  Mass.,  now  Rhode  Island,  also  a  private 
school  taught  by  Rev.  Charles  H.  Wheeler,  under  whom 
he  completed  college  preparation.  In  1877  he  entered 
Harvard  University,  whence  he  was  graduated  A.  B., 
class  of  1881.  With  this  fine  mental  equipment  he 
entered  business  life  as  a  clerk,  and  from  that  entrance 
advanced  steadily  to  the  position  he  held  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  began  with  the  Lonsdale  Company, 
manufacturers  of  cotton  goods  at  Lonsdale,  R.  I., 
where  he  remained  until  January,  1885,  when  he  was 
sent  to  Great  Falls,  N.  H.,  to  superintend  the  con- 
struction of  the  bleacheries  being  erected  by  the  Great 
Falls  Manufacturing  Company,  continuing  there  until 
their  completion  the  following  July.  He  then  returned 
to  Rhode  Island,  locating  at  Providence  in  July,  1885, 
then  and  there  beginning  his  long  and  important  con- 
nection with  the  Providence  Dyeing,  Bleaching  and 
Calendering  Company.  His  first  position  was  as  agent 
.of  the   company,  an   office   to   which  that  of  treasurer 


was  added  in  1889.  He  continued  as  agent  and  treas- 
urer until  1903,  when  he  was  elected  president  of  the 
old  and  substantial  corporation,  one  which  his  genius 
for  financial  and  executive  management  so  wonderfully 
developed  and  enlarged.  In  addition  to  this  interest 
Mr.  Farnsworth  was  president  of  the  Apponaug  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  president  of  the  Franklin  Process 
Company,  and  had  been  vice-president  of  the  United 
States  Ring  Traveller  Company.  When  the  United 
States  Government  required  the  New  Haven  Railroad 
to  abandon  the  control  of  its  trolley  holdings,  Mr. 
Farnsworth  was  one  of  the  trustees  appointed  to  oper- 
ate the  Rhode  Island  Company.  Upon  the  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  Providence  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  1914, 
Mr.  Farnsworth  was  elected  president,  and  took  a 
leading  part  in  reestablishing  that  organization  in  use- 
ful and  progressive  activities.  He  was  known  as  a 
business  man,  reliable  in  every  relation,  a  man  of  fore- 
sight and  e.xecutive  power,  and  throughout  a  long  and 
active  career  he  held  the  friendly  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact. 

In  politics  a  Republican,  he  served  his  city  as  coun- 
cilman from  the  Ninth  Ward;  and  in  religious  faith 
an  Episcopalian,  having  served  St.  James  parish.  Prov- 
idence, as  vestryman,  clerk,  senior  warden,  member  of 
standing  committee,  generously  supporting  all  de- 
partments of  its  work.  He  was  a  master  Mason,  and 
past  master  of  Orpheus  Lodge,  No.  36,  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons;  a  companion  of  Providence  Chapter, 
No.  I,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  and  a  sir  knight  of  Cal- 
vary Commandery,  No.  13,  Knights  Templar,  all  Prov- 
idence Masonic  bodies.  His  clubs  were  the  Hope, 
Squantum,  Turk's  Head,  and  University  of  Provi- 
dence, and  the  Merchants'  and  Harvard  of  New  York 
City. 

Mr.  Farnsworth  married,  November  25,  1885,  Mar- 
garet Cochrane  Barbour,  who  died  July  17,  1917. 
Children:  I.  John  P.,  born  Feb.  8,  1888;  was  educated 
in  Moses  Brown  School,  then  entered  Brown  Uni- 
versity, graduating  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Philosophy,  1910;  entered  the  employ  of  the  Provi- 
dence Dyeing,  Bleaching  and  Calendering  Company, 
became  assistant  treasurer,  1913,  elected  vice-president, 
in  Oct.,  1919,  and  became  president,  Jan.  19,  1920; 
member  of  University  Club  of  Providence,  Harvard 
Club  of  New  York,  Delta  Phi  fraternity,  Brown  Uni- 
versity Chapter,  treasurer  and  vestryman  of  St.  James 
Episcopal  Church;  married,  Dec.  24,  1919,  Audrey 
Mallett,  of  Brookline,  Mass.  2.  William  B.,  born 
Sept.  7,  1891 ;  graduated  from  Brown  University  with 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Philosophy,  1917;  member 
of  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces,  attaining  rank 
of  second  lieutenant.  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
seventh  Artillery;  now  an  employee  of  the  Providence 
Dyeing,  Bleaching  and  Calendering  Company.  3. 
Claudius  R.,  born  March  25,  1895;  attended  Phillips 
E.xeter  Academy,  Moses  Brown  School,  Providence, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1913;  Harvard  College, 
from  which  he  graduated  with  honors  and  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  1917;  he  enlisted  in  the  famous 
Boston  Battery  A,  First  Massachusetts  Field  Artil- 
lery, which  became  the  One  Hundred  and  First  Field 
Artillery,  American  Expeditionary  Forces,  and  at- 
tained the  rank  of  sergeant;  was  killed  in  action  near 
Belleau  Woods,  July  11,  1918. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


527 


MORTON  B.  PHETTEPLACE,  formerly  one  of 
the  prosperous  farmers  of  Lincoln,  R.  I.,  is  a  member 
of  an  ancient  and  distinguished  Rhode  Island  family, 
the  members  of  which  for  many  generations  have  been 
prominently  associated  with  the  affairs  of  Providence 
and  the  State.  The  family  is  said  to  descend  through 
Sir  John  Fetteplace,  of  Oxfordshire,  England,  from 
Fetteplace,  the  Norman  usher,  to  William  the  Con- 
queror, who  came  to  England  with  that  monarch, 
according  to  an  early  writer  who  gives  a  list  of  some 
of  the  prominent  settlers  of  Gloucester  and  refers 
to  the  old  Oxfordshire  annals. 

The  family  of  the  name  in  Rhode  Island  has  gener- 
ally made  its  residence  in  that  part  of  the  ancient 
town  of  Providence  which  later  became  Gloucester, 
and  for  years  its  representatives  have  figured  hardly 
less  prominently  in  the  city  of  Providence  than  did 
the  early  generations  in  the  old  town.  The  family  was 
founded  in  this  country  by  one  Pliilip  Phcttcplace,  who 
was  an  inhabitant  of  the  town  of  Portsmouth,  R.  I., 
as  early  as  1681,  on  July  30,  of  which  year  he  was  a 
witness  to  a  will.  He  is  believed  to  be  the  common 
ancestor  of  those  who  bear  the  name  in  this  State. 
His  children  were:  Sarah,  Walter,  Philip,  and 
Samuel. 

One  of  his  descendants,  the  late  James  Phetteplace, 
grandfather  of  Morton  B.  Phetteplace,  purchased,  as 
a  young  man,  a  tract  of  seventy-five  acres  of  land  in 
the  township  of  Lincoln,  from  his  father-in-law,  tlie 
late  Daniel  Smith.  He  gradually  added  to  the  same 
until  he  was  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  consisting  of  two 
hundred  acres,  where  he  conducted  successful  agricul- 
tural operations.  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  com- 
munity in  his  day,  and  was  a  staunch  member  of  the 
Republican  party,  being  elected  on  that  ticket  to  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  State. 

James  Newell  Phetteplace,  son  of  James  Phetteplace, 
and  father  of  Morton  B.  Phetteplace,  was  born  in 
1837,  on  the  farm  above  mentioned,  and  there  grew 
to  manhood.  His  education  was  received  in  the  local 
public  school,  and  at  a  suitable  age  he  settled  down  to 
work  his  father's  property.  After  the  death  of  his 
father,  he  inherited  the  farm  and  continued  to  work  it 
successfully  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  he 
also  engaged  in  an  extensive  wood  business  in  this 
region,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  successful 
and  substantial  citizens  of  Lincoln  township.  His 
death  was  the  result  of  an  accident,  he  being  struck 
by  an  electric  car  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home  in 
1908.  He  was  an  active,  public-spirited  man,  one  who 
always  kept  the  best  interests  of  the  community  at 
heart.      Mr.    Phetteplace    married    Phoebe    (Whipple; 

De.xter,   widow  of  Dexter,   and   a  daughter  of 

Arthur  Whipple.  Mrs.  Phetteplace  had  two  children 
by  her  first  marriage:  John,  and  Fred  E.  Dexter. 
To  Mr.  Phetteplace  she  also  bore  two  children,  as 
follows:  Morton  B.,  of  further  mention;  and  Sarah 
Evelyn,  who  became  the  wife  of  Stuart  D.  Fisher,  of 
Rhode  Island,  but  who  resides  in  Putnam,  Conn.  Mrs. 
Phetteplace  is  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  and  is  living 
at  the  present  time  (1920). 

Morton  B.  Phetteplace,  only  son  of  James  Newell 
and  Phoebe  ( Whipple-Dexter)  Phetteplace,  was  born 
on  the  ancestral  farm  in  1879.     He  received  his  educa- 


tion in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  upon 
attaining  man's  estate,  chose  the  calling  of  his  grand- 
father and  father,  farming,  and  conducted  operations  on 
the  old  home  place.  He  was  the  possessor  of  twenty- 
seven  head  of  cattle,  and  engaged  in  the  dairy  business, 
finding  a  ready  market  for  his  produce  in  the  flourishing 
communities  of  tliis  neighborhood.  Upon  the  death  of 
his  father,  he  inherited  this  property,  and  he  has  done 
much  to  increase  its  productiveness  and  value,  erecting 
an  extensive  barn,  which  he  equipped  in  the  most 
modern  manner.  He  was  also  successfully  engaged 
in  the  fruit  business,  this  being  one  of  the  valuable 
assets  of  his  farm,  the  trees  having  been  set  out  by  his 
grandfather,  James  Phetteplace,  above  mentioned,  and 
also  devoted  considerable  attention  to  the  wood  busi- 
ness, thus  also  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father. 
Mr.  Phetteplace  is  an  Independent  in  politics,  but  has 
not  identified  himself  with  any  party,  preferring  to 
exercise  his  own  judgment  in  the  support  of  whatever 
candidate  he  considers  it  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
community  to  elect.  He  is  a  member  of  Limerock 
Grange.  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 

Mr.  Phetteplace  married  Mary  Evelyn  Harris, 
daughter  of  (Jeorge  W.  Harris,  and  sister  of  Herbert 
Harris,  who  is  the  subject  of  extended  mention  else- 
where in  this  work.  Three  children  have  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phetteplace,  as  follows:  Helen  A.,  J. 
Burton,  and  Olive  E. 


STEPHEN  BOWEN  COMAN,  who  for  many 
years  has  been  a  prominent  farmer  of  Gloucester,  in 
this  State,  and  is  now  living  in  retirement  here,  is  a 
native  of  this  town,  where  his  birth  occurred  February 
5,  1843.  Mr.  Coman  is  the  son  of  David  and  Maria 
(Bowen)  Coman,  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
Gloucester,  where  his  father  owned  the  farm  which  is 
now  the  possession  of  his  son.  The  elder  Mr.  Coman 
was  a  mason  by  trade,  however,  and  did  a  large  and 
thriving  business  here.  He  was  the  builder  of  the 
great  Sayles  Mills  at  Pascoag,  and  also  carried  out 
many  smaller  jobs. 

Stephen  Bowen  Coman  was  educated  in  the  local 
district  schools.  .Xs  a  child  of  two  years  he  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  live  on  the  farm,  and  as 
soon  as  he  became  old  enough,  was  given  work  to 
do  here.  At  the  age  of  four,  he  met  with  an  accident 
which  partially  lamed  him  for  life,  but  it  is  only  of 
recent  years  that  he  has  suffered  greatly  from  this 
affliction,  since  rheumatism  has  also  set  in.  As  a  young 
man  he  followed  in  his  father's  footsteps  and  took 
up  the  trade  of  masonry,  and  was  engaged  in  this  line 
o:  business  for  some  twenty  years,  as  well  as  conduct- 
ing his  farm,  which  he  inherited  from  his  father.  This 
place,  which  consists  of  twenty-five  acres,  has  been, 
and  is  still,  his  home,  practically  his  entire  life  having 
been  spent  here.  Mr.  Coman  now  devotes  the  major 
portion  of  his  time  to  reading  and  the  cultivation  of  his 
mind,  things  which  he  had  but  little  time  to  do  in 
his  youth.  He  is  naturally  a  student  and  enjoys  greatly 
this  self-imposed  task.  In  politics  Mr.  Coman  is  a 
Democrat,  but  while  performing  consistently  his  duties 
as  a  citizen,  has  never  cared  to  enter  public  life.  .*\l- 
though  not  a  formal  member  of  any  church,  Mr. 
Coman  attends  the  Baptist  church  here.     He  is  a  man 


528 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


of  strong  religious  feelings  and  instincts,  but  is  broad 
and  tolerant  in  his  views.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Grange  for  ten  years,  and  at  one  time  held  the 
ofKce  of  gatekeeper  of  his  lodge.  Mr.  Coman  is  un- 
married. 


JOHN  NELSON  ALEXANDER— At  the  Golden 

Gate  (San  Francisco)  life  began  for  John  N.  Alexan- 
der, and  after  the  completion  of  a  course  in  a  famous 
university  of  his  native  State,  the  continent  was  crossed 
to  the  Atlantic  coast  where,  since  1909,  he  has  been 
treasurer  of  the  Glencairn  Manufacturing  Company, 
of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  He  is  a  young  man  just  fairly 
embarked  on  his  career,  but  his  years,  thirty-three, 
have  been  well  improved,  and  the  future  holds  for  him 
brilliant  promise.  He  is  a  son  of  John  Edward  and 
Rose  (Hewitt)  Alexander;  his  father  was  general 
manager  of  the  Rhode  Island  Perkins  Horse  Shoe 
Company. 

John  Nelson  Alexander  was  born  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal.,  February  9,  1887,  and  there  spent  his 
youth  and  earliest  manhood.  After  preparation  in 
public  grammar  and  military  school,  he  entered  Leland 
Stanford  University,  and  there  continued  his  studies 
until  the  age  of  twenty.  His  first  business  experience 
was  in  1907,  as  manager  of  a  newspaper  business,  and 
in  1908  he  was  connected  with  the  Rhode  Island  Per- 
kins Horse  Shoe  Company,  continuing  until  1909,  when 
he  was  elected  treasurer  of  the  Glencairn  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  of  Pawtucket,  his  present  position.  Dur- 
ing the  great  World  War  Mr.  Alexander  represented 
the  manufacturers  of  the  Pawtucket  District  on  the 
Community  Labor  Board.  Mr.  Alexander  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Central  Congre- 
gational Church,  of  Providence.  He  is  affiliated  with 
Stanford  University  chapter,  Phi  Kappa  Psi;  his 
clubs  the  University  Glee,  To-Kolan  of  Pawtucket, 
and  East  Side  Tennis  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Alexander  married,  November  14,  1912,  at  East 
Orange,  N.  J.,  Catherine  H.  Vissman.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Alexander  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  all  bom 
in  Providence:  Jean,  born  Nov.  9,  1914;  John  Nelson, 
born  Nov.  28,  1916;  and  William  Marsh,  born  April 
27,  1918. 


HON.  ADIN  BALLOU  CAPRON.  for  fourteen 
years  a  member  of  Congress  from  the  Second  Rhode 
Island  District,  and  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  pub- 
lic life  in  New  England  in  the  closing  decades  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  died  at  his  home  in  Smithfield, 
March  17,  191 1.  He  was  born  on  January  9,  1841,  in 
Mendon,  Mass.,  the  son  of  Carlile  W.  and  .\bby 
(Bates)  Capron,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Bantield 
Capron,  the  progenitor  of  the  family  in  New  England, 
and  of  several  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island  fami- 
lies of  note.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Woon- 
socket,  and  on  graduating  at  the  Woonsocket  High 
School,  entered  the  Westbrook  Seminary,  at  Port- 
land, Me.  On  his  return  to  Woonsocket  he  was  em- 
ployed for  a  short  time  in  the  Lippitt  Woolen  Mill. 
With  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  and  the  first  call 
for  volunteers,  he  enlisted  as  sergeant  in  the  Second 
Regiment,  Rhode  Island  Volunteers,  under  Colonel 
John  S.  Slocum,  in   May,  1861.     He  went  immediately 


to  the  fighting  front  with  his  regiment,  and  in  July, 
1861,  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  sergeant  major.  In 
September  following  he  was  commissioned  lieutenant, 
and  ordered  on  detached  service  to  the  Signal  Corps 
three  months  later.  He  remained  a  member  of  the 
Signal  Corps  until  the  close  of  the  conflict.  In  March, 
1S63,  he  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant:  he  later 
became  captain,  and  was  brevetted  major,  with  which 
rank  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  service. 

Returning  North  at  the  end  of  the  war,  Mr.  Capron 
returned  to  the  Lippitt  Woolen  Mill,  in  Woonsocket, 
and  ultimately  became  superintendent  of  the  woolen 
room.  In  1869  he  was  offered  and  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  manager  of  the  Stillwater  Woolen  Company's 
mills  at  Stillwater,  R.  I.  After  the  burning  of  the  mills, 
Mr.  Capron  remained  at  Stillwater,  and  purchased 
the  grist  mill  there,  which  he  conducted  until  his  death 
with  a  high  degree  of  success. 

While  manager  at  Stillwater,  Adin  B.  Capron  be- 
came actively  interested  in  politics  and  public  affairs. 
He  was  elected  to  several  minor  town  offices,  and  in 
the  administration  of  his  official  duties  proved  him- 
self a  man  well  fitted  for  public  service.  He  was  a 
staunch  Republican,  strong  in  his  allegiance  to  party 
principles.  In  1886  he  was  elected  to  represent  the 
town  of  Smithfield  in  the  Rhode  Island  Legislature, 
and  was  returned  to  ofiice  in  1888,  serving  continu- 
ously until  1892.  In  1892  he  was  nominated  for  Con- 
gress, but  defeated  in  election  by  the  majority  law, 
then  in  existence.  In  1896,  again  nominated  for  Con- 
gress, he  was  elected  by  a  plurality  of  16,612.  During 
his  first  term  in  the  House  of  Representatives  he  was 
appointed  a  member  of  the  committee  on  foreign  af- 
fairs, military,  and  territories.  In  1898,  1900-02-04-06- 
1908,  Mr.  Capron  was  reelected.  Failing  health  made 
necessary  his  complete  retirement  from  public  life  in 
1910,  and  he  was  forced  to  decline  renomination  for 
oflice.  For  fourteen  years  he  was  a  familiar  and  re- 
spected figure  in  the  House.  He  was  sponsor  of  the 
Capron-Dick  Bill,  for  the  reorganization  of  the  mil- 
itia of  all  the  States  following  the  Spanish-American 
War,  and  he  was  also  responsible  for  appropriations 
made  for  the  erection  of  several  public  buildings,  par- 
ticularly the  splendid  United  States  post  oftice  build- 
ing at  Narragansctt  Pier. 

Adin  B.  Capron  was  the  colleague,  friend,  and  con- 
frci-e  of  many  of  the  foremost  men  in  public  life  in 
the  last  quarter  of  the  past  century  in  Rhode  Island. 
He  was  the  counsellor  and  advisor  of  leaders  of  public 
thought,  who  sought  him  for  the  refreshing  strength 
arid  the  invigorating  quality  of  his  political  belief  and 
his  unswerving  adherence  to  the  principles  of  hon- 
esty and  justice.  His  death  was  most  sincerely 
mourned.  Men  who  knew  him  only  slightly  felt  that 
Rhode  Island  had  lost  a  valued  citizen  and  a  loyal 
friend.  Tributes  to  his  memory  came  from  all  parts 
of  the  East. 

Governor  Aram  J.  Pothier  said  of  him: 

In  the  death  of  Congressman  Capron.  I  feel  not  only 
that  the  State  has  lo.st  a  faithful  and  capable  public 
servant,  but  that  I  have  lost  a  personal  friend  •  •  • 
His  liberality,  fair  mindedness,  and  close  attention  to 
the  interests  of  his  State  and  constituents  have  made 
him  one  of  the  most  popular  public  men  which  the 
State  has  had  in  the  last  quarter  of  a  centurv.  His 
death  i.^  a  sad  loss  which  the  entire  Commoriwealtli 
keenly  feels. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


529 


Congressman  George  H.  Utter  said  of  him: 

My  personal  acquaintance  with  Congressman  Capron 
has  been  of  a  kind  that  makes  It  Impossible  for  me  to 
express  my  sentiments.  But  after  an  acquaintance  of 
nearly  twenty-flve  years.  I  can  say  he  was  what 
Shakespeare  said  of  the  great  Roman:  "The  elements 
were  so  mixed  In  him  that  Nature  might  stand  up  to 
all  the  world  and  say.  'This  was  a  man.'  " 

Congressman  George  F.  O'Shaiinessy  had  this  to 
say: 

His  long  service  to  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  is 
without  question  a  splendid  monument  to  his  integrity 
and  endeavor,  and  furnishes  an  example  well  worthy 
to  those  who  aspire  to  public  offlce.  He  was  a  friend 
to  those  who  needed  his  service  and  was  kindlv  In  his 
administration  In  his  years  of  continuou.-!  service  to 
the  public. 

Lieutenant-Governor  Zenas  \V.  Bliss  spoke  of  him 
as  follows: 

Adin  B.  Capron — citizen,  soldier  and  statesman.  In 
all  of  these  activities  he  showed  himself  to  be  high- 
minded  and  patriotic.  He  performed  splendid  service 
and  earned  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  the  people 
of    his    State.      He    will    be    remembered    with    affection 

J    and    sincerely   mourned    by   those    whom   he   served    so 

;    long  and    faithfully. 

Mr.  Capron  was  very  popular  in  Grand  Army  cir- 
cles in  Rhode  Island.  He  was  also  well  known  in 
club  life. 

iMr.  Capron  married,  at  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  Phebe  A. 
Mowry,  daughter  of  John  and  Almira  (Smith)  Mowry, 
and  a  descendant  in  the  eighth  generation  of  Roger 
Mowry,  founder  of  the  family  in  America.  Mrs.  Cap- 
ron, who  survives  her  husband,  resides  at  Stillwater, 
R    I.     (See  Mowry  VII). 

(The  Mowry  Line). 

The  Mowry  family  has  ranked  prominently  among 
Rhode  Island  f.imilies  of  pre-RevoIutionary  date  since 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  has  figured 
largely  in  official,  industrial  and  business  life  in  the 
State  for  two  hundred  years.  The  line  herein  under 
consideration  descends  through  a  line  of  distinguished 
forebears  to  John  Mowry,  of  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  father 
of  Phebe  A.  (Mowry)  Capron,  wife  of  the  late  Con- 
gressman from  Rhode  Island,  the  Hon.  Adin  B. 
Capron. 

(I)  Roger  Mowry,  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder 
of  the  family  in  .\merica,  settled  in  Plymouth,  Mass., 
about  16.30-31,  and  on  May  8,  163 1,  became  a  freeman 
of  the  colony.  Soon  afterivard  he  removed  to  Salem, 
where  he  was  admitted  to  the  church  in  16.36.  In  the 
following  year  he  received  a  grant  of  land  in  Salem, 
his  family  at  the  time  comprising  five  persons.  About 
1643  he  removed  to  Providence,  and  was  made  a  free- 
Jian  of  the  Providence  Plantations  in  1655.  Roger 
Mowry  served  as  commissioner  of  the  colony  in  the 
/ear  1658.  One  tradition  of  the  family  states  that 
Roger  VV'illiams  and  Roger  Mowry  were  cousins  or 
cinsmen  in  some  degree.  The  fact  that  they  lived 
uccessively  in  the  same  towns  (Plymouth,  Salem,  and 
providence)  is  cited,  with  the  coincidence  of  chris- 
ian  names,  as  corroborative  of  this  tradition.  He  died 
anuary  5,  1666.  His  widow,  Mary  (Johnson)  Mowry, 
I'ho  was  the  daughter  of  John  and  Margery  Johnson, 
larried  (second)  John  Kingsley,  and  died  in  January' 
679. 

R  1-2—34 


(II)  Nathaniel    Mowry,    son    of    Roger    and    Mary 
(Johnson)   Mowry,  was  born  about  1644,  according  to 
a  deposition  made  January  6,  1710-11,  when  he  said  he 
was  sixty-six  years  old.      He  was  one   of  the  earliest 
settlers   in   that  part  of   Providence  which   is   now  the 
town   of   Smithfield.      His   brother,   John    Mowry,   and 
Edward  Innian,  settled  there  among  the  first,  and  Na- 
thaniel   came    shortly    afterward.      On    May    14,    1666, 
William    Minnion,    an    Indian,    deeded    some    land    to 
John    Mowry    and    Edward    Inman,    which    later    was 
shared   by   Nathaniel   and  three  others.     This  land,  or 
perhaps   some   deeded   to   them   earlier,   is   very   likely 
what   was   mentioned  in   the  deed  to   Roger   Williams, 
when   the    Providence   land   was  deeded,   "excepting   a 
tract  of  land  about  four  or  five  miles"  which  had  been 
given  to  William   Minnion,  the  one  who  deeded  it  to 
John    Mowry.      On     February    ,3,     1710-11,    Nathaniel 
wrote    a    witnessed    quit-claim    deed    in    which    James 
Bick,   who  had   bought   John's   farm,   deeded   back   the 
family    burial   ground    situated    on   the    farm,   to   John 
Mowry,  Jr.     Nathaniel  and  John  the  elder  were  made 
freemen   in    Providence,   May    I,    1672.     Nathaniel   and 
John    Mowry,    Edward    Inman,    and    Stephen    .Arnold, 
who    were    the    early    settlers    and    proprietors    of    the 
land   deeded  them   in   Providence,   lived   first  near  the 
summit  of  Sayles'   Hill,  on  "Mowry's   Hill."     In   1682, 
as  the  boundaries  of  the  land  of  the  four  proprietors 
were    disputed,    the    commissioners    appointed    by    the 
town  decided  the  bounds  for  the  three  thousand   five 
hundred  acres   owned  by  them.     This  land  extended 
from    the    west    side   of    Woonsocket    Hill    nearly    to 
Pawtucket,  and  from  Woonsocket  and  the  Blackstone 
river  on  the  north  to  Stillwater  and   Georgiaville  on 
the    south.      Soon    the    men    divided    it    among    them- 
selves and  separated  from  the  hill,  building  new  homes 
on   the   land.     On   November  7,   1637,  an  entry  in  the 
records   says:    "Nathaniel   Mowry  brought   in  a  wolf's 
head,  killed   by  his  son  Joseph;"  at  this  time  Joseph 
was  about  twelve  years  old.     On  June  16,  1713,  he  was 
next  to  the  largest  tax   payer   in  the   town.     He   died 
March  24,  1717-18.    His  will  was  dated  March  18,  1717, 
1718,  and  names  his  son,  Joseph,  as  executor.     Nathan- 
iel   Mowry   married   Joanna   Inman,   daughter   of    Ed- 
ward   Inman,    and    the    intentions    of    marriage    were 
dated  August  28,   1666. 

(Ill)  Captain  Joseph  Mowry,  son  of  Nathaniel  and 
Joanna  (Inman)  Mowry,  was  born  about  1675  or  1676, 
and  died  in  June,  1755.  In  1708  he  built  a  house  sev- 
eral miles  south  of  his  father's  home,  and  at  the  time 
it  was  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  in  the  colony  of 
Rhode  Island.  It  is  still  standing,  or  was  recently, 
one  of  the  oldest  and  best  preserved  houses  in  the 
State.  It  was  situated  south  of  the  Douglas  turnpike, 
about  a  mile  northwest  of  the  village  of  Stillwater.' 
There  is  a  tradition  in  the  family  to  the  effect  that 
when  the  house  was  built,  a  glazier  came  out  from 
Providence  to  set  the  glass,  and  that  the  owner  took 
the  glazier's  diamond  and  wrote  his  name  and  the 
date  on  a  small  black  glass  bottle  which  is  still  in 
possession  of  the  family.  He  deeded  his  house  and 
a  third  of  the  farm  to  Captain  Daniel  Mowry,  his  son. 
He  was  captain  of  the  military  company  of  the  town, 
served  as  a  member  of  the  Town  Council,  an  office 
of   importance,   and   was   also   deputy   to   the    General 


530 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAN' 


Assembly  in  1714-25-29.  Captain  Joseph  Mowry  mar- 
ried, on  June  3,  1695.  Alice  Whipple,  daughter  of 
Eleazer  and  Alice  (Angell)  Whipple.  His  will  was 
dated  May  19,  1746,  and  the  inventory  was  dated 
November  8-10,  1746. 

(IV)  Captain  Daniel  Mowry,  son  of  Captain  Joseph 
and  Alice  (Whipple)  Mowry,  was  born  September  6, 
1697,  in  Smithfield,  R,  I.,  and  died  May  27-28,  1787, 
aged  nearly  ninety  years.  He  was  also  captain  of  the 
tow-n  company.  He  inherited  his  father's  house,  in 
which  he  lived  all  his  life.  He  was  prominent  in 
town  affairs,  and  was  eminently  respected.  His  will, 
dated  July  i,  1780,  was  proved  July  2,  1787.  His  sons, 
Daniel,  Elisha,  and  Joseph,  were  all  prominent  men. 
He  married  Mary  Steere.  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Catherine  Steere:  she  died  January  2,  1776,  aged 
seventy-four  years. 

(V)  Colonel  Elisha  Mowry,  son  of  Captain  Daniel 
and  Mary  (Steere)  Mowry,  was  born  in  Smithfield, 
R.  I.,  March  25,  1735,  and  died  June  28,  1792.  He  was 
known  as  Elisha,  Jr.,  to  distinguish  him  from  Elisha, 
his  cousin,  son  of  Henry  Mowry.  Colonel  Elisha 
Mowry  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  the  period  in 
the  town  of  Smithfield  and  the  surrounding  country. 
He  was  a  farmer  and  a  merchant  in  the  West  Indies' 
trade  for  many  years,  and  had  a  store  at  Smithfield, 
and  one  at  Warehouse  Point,  Conn.,  which  received 
its  name  from  the  fact  that  his  warehouse  was  located 
upon  it.  In  1775  he  was  appointed  lieutenant-colonel 
in  the  army  of  observation  and  was  in  active  service 
during  the  Rhode  Island  campaigns.  In  1759  he  built 
the  house  lately  occupied  by  John  A.  Mowry,  in  Smith- 
field.  This  house  was  taken  by  his  sons,  Sylvester  and 
Jesse,  when  their  father  removed  to  Limerock  and 
took  up  his  residence  on  the  estate  bequeathed  him 
by  his  cousin,  Nathaniel. 

Colonel  Elisha  Mowry  married.  January  28,  1757-58, 
Phebe  Gulley,  who  was  born  January  25,  I7,?8,  and  died 
February  21,  1823.  In  an  obituary  notice  of  her  death, 
the  Providence  "Journal"  said;  "She  was  a  tender 
and  exemplary  wife  and  mother,  a  sincere  and  disin- 
terested friend,  a  worthy  and  obliging  neighbor.  She 
enjoyed  the  affection,  friendship  and  respect  of  all 
with  whom  she  was  connected  in  the  various  relations 
of  life;  and  possessing  a  strong  and  vigorous  mind, 
she  displayed  on  the  bed  of  death  a  resignation  to  the 
divine  will  that  evinced  her  hope  of  a  blessed  immor- 
tality beyond  the  grave." 

(VI)  Sylvester  Mowry,  son  of  Colonel  Elisha  and 
Phebe  (Gulley)  Mowry,  was  born  in  Smithfield.  R.  I., 
August  7,  1768.  He  inherited  his  father's  house  and 
part  of  the  farm,  and  was  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
lifelong  resident  of  Smithfield.  He  was  active  in 
official  life  in  the  town. 

(VII)  John  Mowry,  son  of  Sylvester  Mowry,  was 
born  in  Smithfield,  and  died  there.  He  was  a  farmer 
on  a  large  scale,  and  was  also  a  prominent  figure  in 
public  affairs  in  the  town  until  his  death.  He  married 
Almira  Smith,  daughter  of  Alfred  Smith,  descendant 
of  one  of  the  foremost  families  of  Smithfield.  They 
were  the  parents  of  si.x  children,  three  of  whom  at- 
tained maturity:  I.  Adelaide  R.,  became  Mrs.  Bar- 
nard, of  Graniteville.  2.  Helen,  now  deceased.  3. 
Phebe  A.,  who  became  the  wife  of  the  late  Hon.  Adin 
B.  Capron.     (See  Capron). 


JENKS  FAMILY— The  surname  Jenks  or  Jenckes 
is  of  baptismal  origin,  and  was  originally  derived  from 
Jenkin,  a  very  early  diminutive  of  the  personal  name 
John.  Jenkin,  passing  through  the  usual  stages  of 
modification,  became  Jenks  or  Jenckes.  The  name  is 
found  frequently  in  early  Welsh  records,  and  it  is 
from  this  country,  tradition  states,  that  the  English 
family  of  which  the  American  progenitor  was  a  mem- 
ber, sprang.  The  name  has  been  one  of  great  prom- 
inence in  England,  and  is  of  frequent  historical  men- 
tion. 

Since  its  founding  in  America  by  a  progenitor  to 
whom  is  given  the  distinction  of  having  been  the 
"first  founder  to  work  in  brass  and  iron  on  the 
American  continent,"  the  family  has  occupied  a  prom- 
inent place  in  the  life  and  affairs  of  New  England  and 
in  the  development  of  her  industries.  Curiously,  too, 
the  inventor  of  steel  was  a  Jencks,  an  ancestor  of 
Joseph  Jenks.  Concerning  his  invention  the  follow- 
ing article  is  quoted  from  the  English  press: 

Steel  is  aptly  named.  The  first  man  who  made  a 
piece  of  iron  so  that  it  would  stand  high  test  in  carbon 
and  fibre  was  a  Mr.  Jencks,  of  Wolverhampton.  Staf- 
fordshire, England.  He  was  an  Ironmaster  by  trade, 
and  though  little  versed  in  learning  and  books,  was  a 
skillful  mechanic.  He  applied  certain  chemicals  to  the 
Iron  in  its  melted  state,  but  no  one  except  himself 
knew  the  ingredients  for  a  long  time.  He  allowed  no 
one  to  inspect  his  furnaces  except  those  men  whom  he 
could  trust,  and  even  his  men  knew  nothing  about  the 
inner  workings  of  his  business.  He  had  a  small  shop 
in  the  rear  of  his  foundry,  and  here,  behind  locked 
doors,  he  used  to  arrange  the  chemicals  for  every  bit 
of  metal  turned  out.  Finally  two  men.  Henry  Bessemer 
and  William  Cook,  after  planning  for  some  time,  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  the  watchman  drunk  after  the  foun- 
dry was  shut  down,  and  climbed  into  Jenck's  little 
shop.  There  they  obtained  a  bottle  of  chemicals  and 
took  it  to  New  York  for  analysis.  A  short  time  later 
they  started  the  firm  and  succeeded  in  driving  the  real 
inventor  to  the  wall. 

Authentic  records  state  that  Bessemer,  who  chris- 
tened toughened  iron,  steel,  was  still  alive  when  the 
above  fact  was  given  out.  These  facts  are  well  known 
to  many  steel  workers  in  Sheffield  to-day. 

The  New  England  Jenks'  family  in  its  several 
branches  has  for  generations  held  extensive  landed 
properties.  For  two  and  a  half  centuries  the  Jenks' 
family  has  ranked  among  the  foremost  in  Rhode 
Island,  and  its  history  is  inseparably  bound  up  with 
that  of  the  early  colony  and  commonwealth.  The  late 
Alvin  Jenks,  noted  figure  in  the  manufacturing  inter- 
ests of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  in  the  middle  of 
the  past  century,  was  a  member  of  the  distinguished 
Pawtucket  family  of  the  name,  and  a  descendant  in  the 
seventh  American  generation  of  Joseph  Jenks,  the 
founder. 

(I)  Joseph  Jenks,  immigrant  ancestor  and  founder 
of  the  family  in  America,  was  born  in  England,  in 
1602,  either  at  Hammersmith,  Hounslow,  or  Cole- 
'brook.  towns  in  the  vicinity  of  London.  He  was  a 
very  ingenious  man.  and  having  heard  of  the  iron  ore 
near  Lynn,  was  induced  by  Governor  Winthrop  (the 
younger)  to  come  to  Lynn,  Mass.,  about  1642,  to 
establish  "the  Iron  and  Steel  Works"  there.  He  is 
first  of  record  in  the  town  of  Lynn,  in  1642,  where  he 
established  the  first  Colonial  iron  works  of  any  im- 
portance on  the  Saugus  river.  Joseph  Jenks  is  the 
acknowledged  head  of  the  iron-smithing  and  foundry 
business  and  the  first  builder  of  machinery  in  this 
country.     He  was  "the  first  founder  to  work  in  brasf 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


531 


and  iron  on  the  American  continent,"  and  also  the 
first  highly  skilled  metal  worker  and  inventor  to  enter 
this  field  of  work  in  the  English  colonies  in  North 
America.  He  was  the  first  patentee  in  inventions  in 
this  country,  having  introduced  the  idea  (first  granted 
by  act  of  Parliament  in  1625)  of  protection  for  the 
manufacture  of  improvements  by  petition  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  Massachusetts  Bay.  The  patent  office  has 
in  its  museum  a  fac-simile  of  this  patent  granted  by 
the  General  Court,  in  Boston,  on  March  6,  1646,  for 
fourteen  years  to  Joseph  Jenckes — the  invention  was 
a  water-wheel,  which  meant  a  new  kind  of  saw  mill. 
This  saw  mill  was  the  first  one  put  up  in  this  country. 
In  addition,  Joseph  Jcnks  made  the  first  fire  engine 
used  in  .'\merica,  in  1654,  to  the  order  of  the  select- 
men of  Boston;  the  first  wire;  the  dies,  in  1652.  for  the 
famous  "Pine  Tree  Shilling,"  for  Hull's  Mint,  in 
Boston,  the  earliest  coinage  minted  in  the  colonies. 
He  invented  the  scythe  in  1655,  and  obtained  a  patent 
for  it  the  same  year.  Practically  the  same  scythe  is 
in  use  to-day.  Before  the  invention  of  this  imple- 
ment all  the  grain  in  the  world  had  been  cut  with  the 
little  hand  sickle.  Jenks,  studying  its  inconveniences 
at  first  hand,  said:  "Why  not  make  the  blade  straight 
and  twice  as  long,  and  swing  it  with  a  handle  worked 
by  both  hands?"  His  answer  to  the  question  was  the 
invention  of  the  "sithe"  itself.  For  this  invention 
alone,  says  his  biographer,  "he  should  be  held  in  grate- 
ful remembrance."  In  1647  he  built  a  forge  and  en- 
tered upon  the  manufacture  of  his  improved  sc>'the, 
nine  years  before  his  patent  was  granted.  A  boon  to 
the  house  wives  of  Lynn  were  the  pots  and  kettles 
made  by  Joseph  Jenks,  and  one  of  the  first  iron  pots 
cast  by  him  is  preserved  there  to-day.  By  his  hands 
the  first  models  were  made,  and  the  first  castings  taken 
of  many  domestic  implements  and  iron  tools. 

Prior  to  his  coming  to  America,  Joseph  Jenks  mar- 
ried; the  death  of  his  wife  occurred  before  his  re- 
moval to  the  colonies,  and  his  two  sons  were  left  to 
the  care  of  their  mother's  family.  The  elder  son  is 
supposed  to  have  settled  in  Virginia,  and  the  younger, 
according  to  the  instructions  of  his  father,  was  to  join 
him  in  America  on  reaching  his  majority.  Joseph 
Jenks  married  a  second  time,  in  Lynn,  some  time  prior 
to  1650,  and  by  his  second  marriage  was  the  father  of 
three  sons  and  two  daughters. 

(II)  Joseph  (2)  Jenks.  son  of  Joseph  (l)  Jenks,  was 
born  at  Colcbrook.  Buckinghamshire,  England,  about 
1632,  and  is  first  of  record  in  New  England  in  the 
town  of  Lynn,  Mass.,  in  1647,  which  would  seem  to 
indicate  that  he  came  to  Lynn  long  before  reaching  his 
majority.  He  probably  remained  at  Lynn  until  his 
removal  to  Providence  Plantations.  In  1669,  with  a 
young  family,  he  went  into  the  Colony  of  Rhode  Is- 
land, settling  first  in  the  town  of  Warwick.  On 
March  25,  1669,  he  was  granted  lands  on  either  side 
o!  the  Pawtuxet  on  which  to  set  up  a  saw  mill,  the 
machinery  for  which  he  had  brought  from  Lynn  with 
him.  For  this  favor  he  agreed  to  supply  the  pur- 
chasers of  Warwick  with  boards  at  4s.  6d.  the  hundred, 
and  all  other  saw  work  on  the  same  basis.  The  grant 
included  trees  of  pine,  chestnut  or  oak,  within  half  a 
mile  on  each  side  of  the  river,  that  was  floatable,  the 
proprietors  reserving  the  right  to  cut  what  they  needed. 


Joseph  Jcnks  followed  his  father's  trade  and  became 
a  skilled  iron  worker  and  forger.  He  was  the  first 
white  man  to  build  a  house  in  Pawtucket,  to  which 
he  was  probably  attracted  by  the  water  power  to  drive 
his  forge  and  saw  mill.  On  October  10,  1671,  at 
which  time  he  was  a  resident  of  North  Providence, 
he  purchased  about  sixty  acres  of  land  with  right  of 
commonage,  from  Abel  Potter  and  wife  Rachel,  situ- 
ated near  Pawtucket  Falls.  Here,  below  the  falls  on 
the  south  side  of  the  present  Main  street,  of  Paw- 
tucket, he  established  his  forge  and  saw  mill.  By  his 
enterprise  the  foundations  were  laid  which  made  the 
town  the  greatest  iron  workshop  of  the  colonies,  and 
the  place  where  skilled  mechanics  gathered,  who  have 
made  Rhode  Island  noted  for  her  iron  and  steel  prod- 
ucts, machinery  and  other  manufactures.  He  made 
domestic  utensils  and  iron  tools,  and  found  a  ready 
market  for  his  products  in  Providence  and  nearby 
towns  of  Rhode  Island  and  Massachusetts.  The  forge 
was  destroyed  by  Indians  in  1675,  during  King  Philip's 
War,  and  was  rebuilt  after  peace  was  restored.  Be- 
side this  forge  he  also  carried  on  a  saw  mill  and  a 
carpenter's  shop.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  some  of 
his  descendants  have  been  engaged  in  the  same  branch 
of  the  iron  industry  up  to  the  present  day. 

The  fields  of  Pawtucket  were  mowed  by  the  new 
kinds  of  scythes  which  his  father  had  patented,  and 
hatchets  and  every  domestic  iron  implement  needed 
for  the  comfort  of  the  households  in  Providence  Plan- 
tations were  made  at  Mr.  Jenks'  workshop.  Black- 
smiths and  other  workers  in  iron  were  trained  and 
employed  by  him;  wood-cutters  settled  around  to  chop 
down  some  of  the  majestic  oaks  and  maples  that  over- 
hung the  Pawtuxet:  charcoal  burners  were  busy  under 
the  lee  of  many  a  hill — a  few  farmers  built  their  log 
cabins  near  the  river;  the  Indians  still  frequented  the 
falls  for  the  purpose  of  fishing;  and  a  little  hamlet  was 
thus  formed  on  what  has  since  become  the  site  of  a 
flourishing  city.  Joseph  Jenks  became  a  promment 
figure  in  public  affairs  in  Rhode  Island,  and  held  many 
important  offices.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Town 
Council  in  1680;  moderator  of  the  Town  Meeting  in 
167S-80,  and  one  of  the  tax  assessors.  On  April  28, 
1679,  he  was  chosen  to  represent  Providence  in  the 
General  Assembly  at  Newport,  and  was  speaker  in 
that  body  from  October,  1698,  to  February,  1699. 
From  1680  to  1686,  and  from  1689  to  1698,  he  served 
the  colony  as  "assistant,"  in  which  capacity  he  acted 
as  a  justice  and  performed  marriages. 

Joseph  Jenks  married,  in  Lynn,  Mass.,  Esther  Bal- 
lard. 

(Ill)  Joseph  (3)  Jenks,  son  of  Joseph  (2)  and  Es- 
ther (Ballard)  Jenks,  was  born  in  1656,  and  died  June 
15,  1740.  He  was  made  a  freeman  in  1681,  and  for 
several  years  was  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  the 
period  in  Rhode  Island.  He  served  as  deputy  and 
speaker  of  the  House  of  Deputies,  and  major  for  the 
main  (the  highest  militar>'  office  of  the  time),  from 
1707  to  171 1.  He  was  elected  to  the  office  of  assist- 
ant from  1708  to  1712,  and  filled  the  office  of  deputy 
governor  of  Rhode  Island  from  May,  1722,  to  May, 
1727.  Joseph  Jenks  became  governor  of  Rhode  Island 
in  May.  1727,  and  served  from  that  time  continuously 
until  May,  1732.     He  was  a  man  of  literary  tastes  and 


532 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


unusual  culture  for  the  time,  and  was  chosen  in  con- 
sideration of  his  attainments  to  represent  the  Colony 
in  England  in  the  dispute  regarding  the  boundaries  of 
Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  and  Massachusetts.  His 
mission  was  so  ably  performed  that  on  his  return  he 
received  a  large  donation  in  addition  to  the  stipulated 
compensation  for  his  services.  His  body  lay  in  state 
in  Providence,  and  was  later  interred  in  the  Jenks' 
Burying  Ground  on  Read  street,  but  was  moved  on 
June  2,  1831,  to  Mineral  Spring  Cemetery.  He  mar- 
ried (first)  Martha  Brown,  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  (Holmes)  Brown,  and  granddaughter  of  Chad 
Brown,  the  progenitor  of  the  family  in  America.  He 
married  (second)  February  3.  1727,  Alice,  widow  of 
John  Dexter,  and  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Whip- 
ple) Smith,  born  in  1665,  died  Februarj'  19,  I7,?6. 

(III)  Major  Nathaniel  Jenks,  son  of  Joseph  (2) 
Jenks,  and  brother  of  Governor  Joseph  Jenks,  was 
born  January  29,  1662.  He  became  a  freeman  in  1690, 
and  in  1709  he  was  commissioned  captain  in  the  mil- 
itia, later  holding  the  ofhce  of  major.  He  took  an 
active  part  in  public  affairs,  serving  as  deputy  in  1709, 
1710,  and  1713.  On  May  2,  1711,  he  was  appointed  by 
the  Assembly,  with  his  brother  Joseph,  to  build  a 
bridge  at  Pavvtucket.  In  1719-20-21-22-23,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Town  Council.  On  November  4, 
1686,  he  married  Hannah  Bos  worth,  and  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Providence.  Major  Nathaniel  Jenks  died  Au- 
gust II,  1723,  and  his  wife  Hannah  died  in  the  same 
year. 

(IV)  Nathaniel  (2)  Jenks,  son  of  Major  Nathaniel 
(i)  and  Hannah  (Bosworth)  Jenks,  was  born  January 
4,  1702,  and  died  December  13,  1741.  He  married, 
February  28,  1722-23,  Lydia  Arnold,  daughter  of 
Israel  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)   Arnold. 

(V)  Captain  Stephen  Jenks,  son  of  Nathaniel  (2) 
and  Lydia  (Arnold)  Jenks.  was  born  May  8,  1726,  and 
died  November  16,  1800.  He  married  Sarah  Hawkins, 
daughter  of  Elijah  Hawkins,  and  resided  in  Smithfield 
and  Providence.  In  1774  he  began  the  manufacture  of 
firearms  extensively,  and  several  independent  com- 
panies were  furnished  with  arms  of  home  manufacture. 
Sixty  heavy  cannon,  besides  field  pieces,  were  made  at 
the  iron  works.  He  also  manufactured  ship  anchors. 
Under  the  Jenks  patent  other  muskets  were  made  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War. 

(VI)  Stephen  (2)  Jenks,  son  of  Captain  Stephen  (l) 
and  Sarah  (Hawkins)  Jenks,  was  born  March  31, 
1756,  and  died  November  21,  1837.  He  followed  his 
father's  business,  and  was  well  known  throughout 
Rhode  Island  toward  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  and 
opening  of  the  nineteenth  centuries.  Stephen  Jenks 
was  the  first  manufacturer  of  bolts,  nuts  and  screws  in 
America,  engaging  in  this  line  first  in  1820.  The  busi- 
ness which  he  founded  became  the  firm  of  Pinkham, 
Haskell  &  Company,  in  1855:  in  1857,  the  William  H. 
Haskell  Company,  and  is  now  tlie  William  H.  Has- 
kell Company  of  Pawtucket.  In  1811  Stephen  Jenks 
made  a  contract  with  the  United  States  Government 
to  manufacture  ten  thousand  muskets  at  $11.50  each. 
On  November  19,  1775,  he  married  (first)  Marcy  Ar- 
nold, who  was  born  June  23,  1757,  daughter  of  Joshua 
and  Amy  Arnold,  of  Smithfield,  R.  I.  He  married 
(second)   Ruth  Arnold,  sister  of  his  first  wife. 


Stephen  Jenks,  Jr.,  was  a  Universalist  and  a  gen- 
erous supporter  of  the  society.  He  gave  one  hundred 
and  one  feet  frontage  on  High  street  near  Exchange, 
in  Pawtucket  (where  the  brick  school  house  now 
stands),  on  August  25,  1827,  to  the  Universalist  Society. 
The  deed  was  signed  by  himself  and  his  wife  Ruth. 
The  First  Universalist  Society  in  North  Providence, 
R.  I.,  was  incorporated  in  June,  1827.  Stephen  Jenks, 
Jr.,  invented  the  first  machine  for  opening  cotton  in 
Pawtucket. 

(VII)  Alvin  Jenks,  son  of  Stephen  (2)  Jenks,  was 
born  in  the  village  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  July  24,  1798. 
He  was  educated  in  Pawtucket,  and  at  an  early  age 
entered  mercantile  life,  as  a  member  of  the  original 
firm  of  Stephen  Jenks  &  Sons,  which  was  broken  up 
by  the  industrial  panic  of  1829.  In  1830  he  went  to 
Central  Falls,  and  in  partnership  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  David  G.  Fales,  began  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
machinery  there,  under  the  firm  name  of  Fales  & 
Jenks.  They  began  business  in  a  rented  shop,  and 
the  first  piece  of  work  they  produced  was  a  spooler 
for  a  firm  in  Richmond,  Va.  In  1833  they  began  the 
manufacture  of  Hubbard's  patent  rotary  pump,  which 
was  considered  the  best  pump  in  use  for  many  years. 
The  patent  had  long  since  expired,  but  they  added 
many  improvements  to  the  old  original  design,  and  so 
perfected  the  machine  as  to  gain  almost  a  monopoly 
of  the  manufacture  of  such  pumps.  A  few  of  these 
pumps  are  still  made  in  the  factory  to-day.  Alvin 
Jenks  about  this  period  invented  ring  spinning,  which 
revolutionized  spinning  methods  through  the  world. 
In  1845  the  firm  began  the  manufacture  of  ring  spin- 
ning frames,  and  in  the  following  year  made  ring 
twisters,  which  were  the  first  machines  of  the  kind 
ever  made.  Mr.  Jenks  was  active  in  the  management 
of  the  affairs  of  the  firm  of  Fales  &  Jenks  until  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  was  an  able  business  man,  and 
a  talented  organizer  and  executive,  thoroughly  alive 
to  the  changing  conditions  of  manufacture  and  abreast 
of  his  time.  The  business  was  conducted  on  the  most 
advanced  and  efficient  lines,  and  a  large  measure  of 
its  success  was  due  to  the  untiring  efforts  of  Mr. 
Jenks.  At  a  subsequent  date,  John  R.  Fales,  son  of 
the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  and  Alvin  F.  and 
Stephen  A.  Jenks,  sons  of  the  late  Alvin  Jenks,  were 
admitted  to  partnership  in  the  business;  on  the  death 
of  Mr.  Jenks  and  the  retirement  of  David  G.  Fales 
from  active  business  life,  they  constituted  the  com- 
pany, which  retained  the  old  name  of  Fales  &  Jenks 
&  Son.  In  1859  the  company  built  a  furnace  for 
castings,  and  two  years  later  enlarged  their  operations 
to  a  great  extent.  In  1865  they  purchased  several 
acres  of  land  in  Pawtucket,  and  erected  the  extensive 
Fales  &  Jenks  machine  shops  and  foundry  on  Dexter 
street,  in  that  city.  In  1876  the  business  was  incor- 
porated under  the  name  of  the  Fales  &  Jenks  Machine 
Company.  Several  years  ago  the  company  made  for 
and  sent  to  J.  &  P.  Coats,  the  celebrated  makers  of 
Coats'  thread,  of  Paisley,  Scotland,  some  twisters, 
dressers  and  winders,  which  were  superior  to  any- 
thing made  in  Europe,  and  they  were  made  the  models 
for  machines  made  for  other  establishments  of  the 
great  thread  manufacturers. 
Alvin   Jenks,    or    Captain    Alvin   Jenks    as   he    was 


fy-t^-^'T^  ,/f-  >^i^  '''--i/ 


f.C  Uilliams   I  Br: 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


533 


Coiled,  headed  the  vohinfeer  company,  when  martial 
law  was  proclaimed  in  Pawtucket,  during  the  Dorr 
War.  He  was  one  of  the  first  deacons  of  the  Univer- 
salist  church  and  continued  to  be  a  deacon  there  for 
forty  years.  Jenks  Lodge,  No.  24,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  of  Pawtucket,  was  named  for  Captain  Jenks. 

Mr.  Jenks  married  (first)  Abigail  Comstock;  (sec- 
ond) Elsie  Briggs;  and  (third)  Sally  Fales.  The 
children  of  the  third  marriage  were:  i.  .\lvin  F.,  born 
Aug.  23,  1828.  2.  Stephen  A.,  of  whom  further.  3. 
Sarah  A.,  born  Nov.  18,  18.36;  married  John  R.  Jer- 
auld. 4.  Ida  E.,  born  Feb.  8,  1845;  became  the  wife 
of  Charles  Gould  Beede,  of  Pawtucket;  she  died  in 
1912;  their  son,  Herbert  Gould  Beede,  is  mentioned 
in  a  separate  sketch.  .-Mvin  Jenks  died  at  his  home  in 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  January  15,  1856. 

(VIII)  Stephen  Arnold  Jenks,  son  of  Alvin  and 
Sally  (Fales)  Jenks,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Cen- 
tral Falls,  R.  I.,  December  24,  1833.  He  received  his 
early  education  in  private  schools  and  by  special  tu- 
tors, and  entered  Brown  University  in  the  class  of 
1854.  In  1853  he  went  to  Yale  University  to  complete 
his  course  in  engineering  under  Professor  Morton,  at 
that  period  the  leader  of  the  profession.  Graduating 
from  Yale  he  began  his  business  career  as  a  civil 
engineer  in  the  employ  of  Gushing  &  Farnham,  of 
Providence,  with  which  concern  he  remained  some 
time.  He  then  went  to  Valley  Falls,  as  an  employee 
of  Samuel  and  Harvey  Chace,  where  he  remained 
until  the  death  of  his  father,  January  15,  1856.  .Xfter 
the  death  of  his  father  he  entered  the  firm  of  Fales, 
Jenks  &  Sons,  as  previously  mentioned  in  his  father's 
sketch;  in  1876,  at  the  incorporation  of  the  Fales  & 
Jenks  Machine  Company,  he  was  made  treasurer,  a 
position  which  he  continued  to  hold  to  the  time  of 
his  death. 

Although  Mr.  Jenks  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his 
time  to  the  affairs  of  the  Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Com- 
pany, yet  he  was  interested  in  a  great  many  other  im- 
portant manufacturing  concerns  and  financial  enter- 
prises. He  was  president  of  the  Berkshire  Cotton 
Mills,  of  Adams,  Mass.;  Kilburn  Mills,  of  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass.;  Cornell  Mills,  of  Fall  River,  Mass.; 
Jenckes  Spinning  Company,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.;  Paw- 
tucket Manufacturing  Company,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I. 
He  was  treasurer  of  the  United  States  Cotton  Com- 
pany, of  Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  and  the  Fales  &  Jenks 
Machine  Company,  of  Pawtucket.  Mr.  Jenks  was  a 
director  in  all  the  above  corporations,  and  in  the 
Bourne  Mills,  of  Fall  River;  Seaconnet  Mills,  of  Fall 
River,  Hargrave  Mills,  of  Fall  River;  Parker  Mills, 
of  Fall  River;  Dartmouth  Manufacturing  Company, 
of  New  Bedford;  Bristol  Manufacturing  Company,  of 
New  Bedford;  Grinnell  Mills,  of  New  Bedford;  Paw- 
tucket Gas  Company,  of  Pawtucket;  Slater  Trust  Com- 
pany, of  Pawtucket,  and  many  others  throughout  the 
country.  For  nearly  fifty  years  he  had  served  as  a 
director  in  the  old  Slater  National  Bank  and  its  suc- 
cessor, the  Slater  Trust  Company,  and  from  1894  to 
1900  he  was  president  of  that  institution. 

Mr.  Jenks  was  a  member  of  the  Quequechan  Club, 
of  Fall  River;  the  Rhode  Island  Country  Club;  the 
Pomham  Club,  of  Rhode  Island;  the  Home  Market 
Club,  of  Boston.     He  was  affiliated  with  Jenks  Lodge, 


No.  24.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  Holy  Sepul- 
chre Commandcry,  No.  8,  Knights  Templar,  of  Paw- 
tucket. He  was  a  Universalist  and  most  liberal  donor 
to  the  church. 

On  November  5,  1853,  Mr.  Jenks  married  (first) 
Mary  Conroy.  They  were  the  iiarents  of  three  chil- 
dren: 1.  Mary  Ella,  who  married  N.  Howard  Easton, 
of  Central  Falls,  R.  I.  2.  Sally  Lillian,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  seven  years.  3.  S.  Herbert  Jenks,  born 
May  14,  1862.  Mr.  Jenks  married  (second)  January 
23,  1867,  Elizabeth  A.  Staples,  daughter  of  Sylvanus 
Staples,  of  Taunton,  Mass.  The  three  children  of  this 
marriage  arc  deceased.  In  June,  1875,  Mr.  Jenks  mar- 
ried (third)  Emily  Frances  Burt,  daughter  of  Captain 
Hiram  Burt,  of  Taunton.  Their  daughter,  Emily 
Frances  Jenks,  born  October  15,  1879,  married  Elton 
G.  Cushman,  of  Taunton. 

Mr.  Jenks  made  his  home  in  Central  Falls  until 
1000,  some  years  after  the  death  of  his  last  wife, 
when  he  removed  to  his  country  residence  at  Barring- 
ton,  R.  I.,  which  he  made  his  permanent  home  until 
his  death,  .April  17,  1913.  Mr.  Jenks  was  truly  a  re- 
markable man,  a  successful  man  for  whom  no  one  has 
aught  but  praise,  a  man  whose  advice  settled  questions, 
whose  council  was  final  and  whose  judgment  never 
erred.  It  is  safe  to  assert  that  he  has  had  more  to  do 
with  the  successful  building  up  of  the  cotton  manu- 
facturing industry  of  the  United  States  than  any 
other  one  man.  The  respect  and  esteem  in  which  he 
was  held  may  perhaps  be  best  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing eulogj',  written  by  Mr.  Jonathan  T.  Lincoln,  of 
Fall  River,  Mass.,  who  with  his  father,  Mr.  Leontine 
Lincoln,  had  been  closely  associated  with  Mr.  Jenks 
for  many  years: 

Mr.  Stephen  A.  Jenks  was  a  man  of  force,  without 
arrogance;  a  man  of  ability,  with  moderation:  a  man 
of  Industry,  without  haste.  He  wa.s  a  man  of  con- 
structive ability  who  de.slred  to  build  up  industry  and 
never  tool<  the  opportunist's  advantage  to  tear  down. 
The  meaning  of  his  life  to  the  buslne.MS  world  is  this — 
a  thorough  understanding  of  the  words  truth,  honor, 
duty,  and  falthfulnes.s;  and  in  his  association  with  the 
great  cotton  Industry  he  always  umlerstood  that  the 
object  of  business  is  something  more  than  getting  and 
spending,  that  business  is  Indeed  a  profession,  a  minis- 
try of  service  to  the  world  of  men. 

The  following  resolutions,  passed  at  a  meeting  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  Pawtucket  Manufacturing 
Company,  May  12,  1913,  expresses  the  universal  senti- 
ment of  the  business  world: 

Whereas.  On  the  seventeenth  of  April,  death  claimed 
from  among  us  Stephen  Arnold  Jenks,  who  wa.s  one  of 
the  founders  of  this  Corporation,  and  who  since  Its 
Inception  in  1882  has  served  uninterruptedly  as  Chair- 
man of  its  Board  of  Directors  and  Its  honored  Presi- 
dent; be  it 

Re.«oIved.  That  we  record  our  profound  sorrow,  not 
forgetting  the  privilege  which  for  so  long  has  been 
ours  In  being  permitted  to  have  him  as  our  close  asso- 
ciate. His  uprightness  of  character  and  kindliness  of 
spirit  endeared  him  to  us  ail.  To  his  word  of  encour- 
agement and  efBclent  council  the  active  management 
of  this  company  would  give  unstinted  praise.  Firm 
always  In  his  own  conviction.s.  yet  was  he  always 
ready  to  give  considerate  attention  to  the  opinions  "of 
other.s.  The  remembrance  of  his  example  will  ever  be 
an  incentive  to  those  who  follow  him  to  emulate  his 
sterling  qualities  of  mind  and  heart. 

Resolved,  further — That  the  Secretary  of  this  Com- 
pany spread  upon  the  records  of  this  Board  a  copy  of 
these  resolutions,  and  that  a  copy  of  the  same  be  "sent 
to  the  members  of  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

GEORGE   H.   WEBB. 
For  the  Committee. 


534 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


HERBERT  GOULD  BEEDE,  president  of  the 
Woonsocket  Machine  &  Press  Company,  Inc.,  Woon- 
socket,  R.  I.,  secretary  and  general  manager  of  the 
Fales  &  Jenks  Machine  Company,  Pawtiicket,  R.  I., 
president  of  the  Standard  Engineering  Works,  Paw- 
tucket,  R.  I.,  president  of  the  Fort  Dummer  Mills, 
Brattleboro,  Vt,  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Chace, 
Thornley  &  Company,  of  New  York  City,  N.  Y.,  and 
Manchester,  England,  importers  and  brokers,  trustee 
of  the  Pawtucket  Institution  for  Savings,  director  of 
the  Safe  Deposit  &  Trust  Company,  and  a  well  known 
authority  on  cotton  manufacturing  machinery,  was  born 
in  Providence,  R.  I.,  November  26,  1870,  son  of  Charles 
Gould  and  Ida  E.  (Jenks)  Beede,  and  grandson  of  Al- 
vin  Jenks.     (See  Jenks  VII). 

Mr.    Beede   was    educated    in   the    grammar    schools 
of    Central    Falls,    and    was    prepared    for    college    at 
Mowry  &  Goff's  English  and  Classical  School  in  Prov- 
idence.    He  was  graduated  at   Brown  University  with 
the  class  of   1893,  receiving  the   Howell   Premium   for 
excellence  in  physics  and  mathematics,  and  taking  high 
honors.      He   was   made   a    member   of   the    Phi    Beta 
Kappa    society    and    the    Phi    Delta    Theta    fraternity. 
Immediately  after   completing  his   studies,   he   entered 
the  field  of  cotton  mill  machinery  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I. 
Inheriting  the  mechanical   and   inventive  talent   of  his 
grandfather,  Alvin  Jenks,   Mr.   Beede  came   rapidly  to 
the  fore  in  manufacturing  circles.     In  1913  he  became 
secretary  and  general  manager  of  the  Fales   &  Jenks 
Machine  Company,  and  in  1914  was  chosen  president  of 
the    Standard    Engineering   Works   of   Pawtucket.      In 
1913  he  was  made  president  of  the  Fort  Dummer  Mills, 
and   in   November,   1918,   was  chosen  president  of  the 
Woonsocket  Machine  &  Press  Company,  Inc.     He  has 
specialized   in   the  study  of  cotton   manufacturing  ma- 
chinery,   and    has    taken    out    more    than    twenty-five 
patents  on  inventions  for  use  in  this  line  of  industry. 
Mr.  Beede  is  the  inventor  of  the  present  form  of  tape 
driven  spindles  for  textile  machinery,  which,  together 
with   his    improvements    in   heavy   twisting   machinery, 
has    made    the    present    rapid    and    extensive    develop- 
ment   of   the    modern    automobile    tire    possible.      The 
system  of  textile  calculation  originated  by  Mr.   Beede 
has   been   adopted   by   the    Massachusetts    Institute   of 
Technology  and  many  of  the  textile  schools  through- 
out the  country.     In  the   summer  of   1896,   Mr.   Beede 
spent  some  time  in  Europe  visiting  many  of  the  prin- 
cipal works  and  studying  the  methods  of  many  of  the 
chief  textile  industries.     At  the  World's  Fair,  held  in 
Chicago,    in    1893,    Mr.    Bcede's    mechanical   drawings, 
sent   from   Brown   University,   received  a   diploma  and 
medal.     Machinery  could  be  made  from  his   drawings 
without    the    usual    experimental    models    being    first 
made. 

Mr.  Beede  is  well  known  in  business  and  public 
life  in  the  city  of  Pawtucket.  He  is  a  member  of 
Jenks  Lodge,  No.  24,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
which  was  named  in  honor  of  his  grandfather,  Alvin 
Jenks;  of  the  Wannamoisett  Country  Club;  the  To- 
Kalon  Club;  the  Society  of  Colonial  Wars;  the  Play- 
ers', of  Providence;  the  Pawtucket  Business  Men's 
Association;  the  Southern  New  England  Textile  Club; 
and  the  New  York  City  Club.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
High    Street   Universalist   Church   of    Pawtucket,   and 


for  fifteen  years  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day school,  and  a  liberal  donor  to  its  charities  and 
benevolences. 

On  May  26,  1897,  Mr.  Beede  married,  at  East  Wilton, 
Me.,  Agnes  Newman,  daughter  of  Leavitt  and  Mao 
(Copeland)  Newman,  a  descendant  of  several  noted 
New  England  families.  Mrs.  Beede  received  her  early 
education  in  Miss  Lois  Anna  Greene's  School,  in  Paw- 
tucket, and  then  attended  Bradford  Academy,  at  Brad- 
ford, Mass.,  for  four  years,  graduating  in  1895.  She 
was  very  active  in  Red  Cross  work  throughout  the  war, 
and  was  prominently  identified  with  the  campaign  for 
membership  in  1917,  as  chairman  of  the  Woman's 
Committee  for  Pawtucket  and  Blackstone  Valley.  In 
one  week  this  organization  was  perfected  and  its  fuU 
quota  obtained,  and  Mrs.  Beede  later  received  a  cita- 
tion for  her  service  in  this  work.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  Pawtucket  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution,  of  which  she  served  as  vice-regent; 
the  Pawtucket  Woman's  Club;  the  District  Nurses' 
Association;  Pawtucket  Day  Nursery;  the  Memorial 
Hospital  Club,  of  Pawtucket;  and  the  Players'  Society, 
of  Providence.  For  twenty  years  Mrs.  Beede  has  been 
a  teacher  in  the  Universalist  Sunday  school.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Beede  are  the  parents  of  two  children;  Fred- 
eric Newman,  and  Robert  Jenks.  Mr.  Beede  is  a 
direct  descendant  of  John  Howland  and  Elizabeth 
Tillcy,  of  the  "Mayflower."  Mrs.  Beede  descends 
lineally  from  John  and  Priscilla  (MuUins)  Alden. 


GEORGE  BAILEY  OLNEY— From  youth  until 
his  death,  George  Bailey  Olney,  of  Pawtucket  and 
Providence,  R.  I.,  was  engaged  in  the  coal  business, 
joining  his  father  upon  leaving  school,  and  in  turn 
being  joined  by  his  son  upon  his  arrival  at  a  suitable 
age.  The  Olney  connection  with  the  coal  business  in 
Providence  began  with  Joseph  Olney,  and  was  con- 
tinued by  his  son,  George  Bailey  Olney. 

When  Thomas  Olney,  born  in  Hertfordshire,  Eng- 
land, came  to  New  England  in  1635,  he  landed  at 
Salem,  Mass.,  but  becoming  a  believer  in  the  doctrines 
enunciated  by  Roger  Williams,  he  was  voted  an  "un- 
desirable citizen"  and  banished  from  the  colony,  March 
12,  1638.  He  was  one  of  the  "Original  Proprietors  of 
Providence,"  who  bought  from  the  Indians,  and  be- 
came one  of  the  prominent  men  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Colony;  was  its  first  treasurer,  commissioner,  assistant, 
judge  of  the  District  Court,  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church,  of  Providence,  and  was  at 
one  time  acting  pastor.  He  was  a  man  of  stern,  de- 
cided opinions,  rich  in  land,  according  to  the  standards 
of  that  day,  and  of  upright  life,  "obstinately  just." 
This  Thomas  Olney  founded  a  family  which  was  long 
identified  with  the  town  of  Smithfield,  George  Bailey 
Ohiey,  for  a  long  time  president  of  G.  B.  Olney  & 
Company,  of  the  eighth  American  generation,  son  of 
Joseph  Olney,  son  of  Obadiah  (2)  Olney,  son  of 
Elisha  Olney,  son  of  Obadiah  (i)  Olney,  son  of 
Thomas  (3)  Olney,  son  of  Thomas  (2)  Olney,  son  of 
Thomas  (i)   Olney,  the  American  ancestor. 

Obadiah  (2)  Olney,  of  the  sixth  generation,  was 
born  in  Smithfield,  in  1783.  son  of  a  wealthy  farmer  of 
the  town.  He  also  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer,  and  died  there,  September  2,   1833.     In   1807, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


535 


he  married  Anne  Jenckes,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of  Joseph  Olney,  and  grandparents  of  George  Bailey 
Olney. 

Joseph  Olney,  born  August  5,  1814,  in  that  part  of 
Smithfield  now  the  town  of  Lincoln,  R.  I.,  died  sud- 
denly at  his  home  farm  in  Lincoln,  July  i,  1887,  and 
was  buried  in  the  North  Burying  Ground,  Providence. 
This  farm,  which  descended  to  the  two  sons  of  Joseph 
Olney,  has  been  in  the  Olney  family  since  it  was 
deeded  by  the  Indians  to  Thomas  (i)  Olney,  their 
deed  to  him  being  still  preserved.  Joseph  Olney  be- 
came a  coal  dealer  of  Providence,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  was  the  oldest  merchant  in  the  city  in  his 
line  of  trade.  He  represented  the  town  of  Lincoln  in 
the  State  I^egislature  for  several  terms,  was  a  Whig, 
and  later  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the 
Unitarian  church.  He  is  remembered  as  a  man  of 
sterling,  upright  character,  of  splendid  physique  and 
commanding  appearance,  successful  in  business  under- 
takings, and  just  to  all  men.  Joseph  Olney  married 
Mary  A  Bailey,  of  North  .\dams,  Mass.,  who  died 
July  7,  1897,  in  her  seventy-fifth  year.  They  were  the 
parents  of  two  daughters  and  two  sons:  Clara  J., 
married  .Mbert  Holbrook,  whom  she  survives;  Anna 
A.,  deceased,  married  Dr.  L'riah  Holbrook,  of  Provi- 
dence; George  Bailey,  of  further  mention;  Charles 
Pinkney.  his  father's  partner  and  business  successor 
in  the  coal  business  still  conducted  under  the  firm 
name,  Joseph  Olney  &  Son;  he  married  (first)  Joseph- 
ine .-Vugusta  Shaw,  who  died  August  31,  1892.  He  mar- 
ried (second)  Edith  Fisher,  of  Centerdale. 

George  Bailey  Olney  was  born  in  Lime  Rock,  town 
of  Smithfield,  R.  L,  March  20,  1854.  and  died  Septem- 
ber 9,  1908.  He  obtained  a  good  public  school  educa- 
tion in  the  Smithfield  and  Providence  schools,  and 
began  business  life  as  bookkeeper  for  the  Dexter  Lime 
Rock  Company,  going  from  that  firm  to  the  .K.  &  C. 
W.  Holbrook  Belting  Company,  of  Providence,  and 
continuing  there  in  a  similar  capacity  until  1874.  In 
that  year  he  joined  forces  with  his  honored  father  and 
inaugurated  the  coal  business  under  the  firm  name. 
Joseph  Olney  &  Son,  and  together  they  conducted 
the  business  until  1887,  admitting  Charles  P.  Olney, 
the  younger  son  of  Joseph  Olney,  as  a  partner  in  1885. 
When  in  1887  Joseph  Olney  died,  his  sons  continued 
the  business,  later  organizing  as  Josei)h  Olney  &  Son, 
Incorporated,  George  B.  Olney,  president,  which  of- 
fice he  held  until  his  death. 

In  1886,  George  B.  Olney  established  a  coal  yard 
and  business  in  Pawtucket,  under  the  firm  name,  G.  B. 
Olney  &  Company,  but  soon  afterward  admitted  J. 
Milton  and  Byron  C.  Payne,  his  brothers-in-law,  and 
reorganized  as  Olney  &  Payne  Brothers,  Incorporated. 
The  company  dealt  in  coal,  lime,  brick  and  cement, 
and  was  well  established  and  conducted  an  extensive 
business.  Mr.  Olney  had  other  important  business 
connections  both  at  home  and  abroad,  being  presi- 
dent of  the  Coleman  Xail  Company;  vice-president  of 
the  Livingston  Nail  Company;  and  president  of  the 
Carbon,  Coal  &  Coke  Company  of  New  York  and 
Boston,  with  mines  in  Pennsylvania.  He  resided  in 
Providence,  and  there  as  well  as  in  Pawtucket  was 
interested  in  different  organizations,  religious,  frater- 
nal  and   social.     He   wps   a   Republican   in   politics,  a 


Unitarian  in  religion,  a  member  of  Lodge,  Chapter  and 
Commandery  of  the  Masonic  order;  of  the  Independ- 
ent (Jrder  of  Odd  Fellows;  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian .Association;  and  of  the  Unitarian  and  Central 
clubs  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Olney  married,  April  10,  1879,  Ella  M.  Payne, 
born  in  1857,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Keziah  (Bind- 
ley) Payne.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olney  were  the  parents  of 
two  children:  Florence  P.,  the  wife  of  Henry  F.  Hor- 
ton,  Jr.,  of  Pawtucket;  and  Joseph  (2).  Mrs.  Olney 
died  June  13,  1914. 

Joseph  (2)  Olney,  of  the  ninth  generation  of  his  fam- 
ily, was  born  in  Pawtucket,  September  19,  1888,  and 
was  educated  in  the  graded  and  high  schools  of  Prov- 
idence. He  then  was  admitted  to  business  association 
with  his  father,  and  is  now  vice-president  of  Olney 
&  Payne  Brothers,  Incorporated.  He  is  president  of 
the  Broad  Top  Supply  Company,  of  Boston  and  Penn- 
sylvania; a  director  of  the  Carbon  Coal  and  Coke 
Company,  of  Boston  and  Pennsylvania;  and  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Broad  Street  Power  Company,  of  Paw- 
tucket. He  is  a  member  of  the  Business  Men's  Asso- 
ciation of  Pawtucket.  and  of  the  To-Kalon  Club.  He 
is  a  member  of  Barney  Merry  Lodge,  No.  29,  .\ncient 
Free  and  .\ccepted  Masons;  of  Pawtucket  Chapter, 
Royal  .Arch  Masons;  of  Pawtucket  Council,  Royal 
and  Select  Masters;  of  Holy  Sepulchre  Commandery, 
No.  8,  Knights  Templar;  Palestine  Temple,  Nobles 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  and  has  attained  his  thirty-second 
degree  in  the  Rhode  Island  Consistory. 

Mr.  Olney  married,  September  28,  1912,  Christine  M. 
Gibson,  of  Providence,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  a 
son,  Joseph  (3)  Olney. 


ISAAC  B.  MERRIMAN— Mr.  Merriman's  identi- 
fication with  the  industrial  life  of  Rhode  Island  is  as 
general  manager  of  the  Jenckes  Spinning  Company,  of 
Pawtucket,  and  as  a  director  of  numerous  other  manu- 
facturing enterprises  of  the  State.  He  is  a  native  of 
Rhode  Island,  born  in  Barrington,  October  8,  1874, 
son  of  Charles  Henry  and  Esther  H.  (Thurston)  Mer- 
riman.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Providence, 
Mowry  and  Goff's  English  and  Classical  School,  and 
in  1897  was  graduated  A.  B.  from  Brown  University. 
The  year  following  his  graduation  he  spent  in  Reut- 
lingen,  Germany,  in  study,  and  upon  his  return  to  the 
L^nited  States  he  became  associated  with  the  Manville 
Company,  of  Providence,  in  the  Woonsocket  Mills 
of  the  company.  Until  June  i.  1917,  he  was  associated 
with  this  concern  as  general  manager,  then  entering 
upon  the  duties  of  his  present  position,  general  man- 
ager of  the  Jenckes  Spinning  Company,  of  Pawtucket. 
He  serves  the  Manville  Company  and  the  Rhode  Is- 
land Hospital  Trust  Company  as  director,  and  is  as- 
sociated in  the  same  capacity  with  several  textile  com- 
panies. His  social  connections  are  many,  and  he  is  a 
supporter  of  all  progress  in  his  city. 

Mr.  Merriman  married  Mary  C,  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph E.  Jenckes,  of  Pawtucket,  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of:    Frederica,  and  Isaac  B.,  Jr. 


JOHN  H.  GUMMING— Born  in  Paisley,  Scotland, 
September  24.  1844,  John  H.  Gumming  came  to  the 
United  States  when  a  very  young  man  and  located  in 


536 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Hamilton,  North  Kingston,  R.  I.  He  obtained  a 
rosition  there  as  dyer  in  the  dye  works  now  owned 
by  the  Greene  family,  of  Wickford.  Practically  all  of 
his  education  was  obtained  in  the  school  of  experience. 
After  working  a  few  years  in  Hamilton,  he  came  to 
Pawtucket  and  founded  Cumming's  Dye  House,  on 
North  Main  street,  near  the  old  Slater  Mill.  For 
fifteen  years  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  this  line 
and  at  the  end  of  that  time  opened  the  first  steam 
laundry  in  Rhode  Island.  The  first  location  of  this 
business  was  in  the  building  at  the  rear  of  No.  321 
North  Main  street.  The  business  developed  at  such  a 
rapid  rate  that  several  additions  became  necessary 
later.  The  dyeing  department  was  discontinued  so 
that  the  entire  resources  of  the  company  might  be 
devoted  to  steam  laundry  work  and  a  prosperous  en- 
terprise in  this  line  was  the  result.  In  1907  the  plant 
was  moved  to  its  present  location  on  Pawtucket  ave- 
nue, which  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  up-to-date 
in  Rhode  Island.  About  1898  Mr.  Gumming,  who  had 
been  interested  in  the  David  Harley  Gompany.  of 
Pawtucket,  was  appointed  manager  of  that  company. 
In  his  efforts  to  rehabilitate  this  concern  he  invested 
largely  in  the  business,  and  through  careful  and  de- 
voted management  placed  its  affairs  upon  a  firm  and 
paying  basis.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  abilities,  highly 
regarded  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Park  Place  Congregational 
Church,  and  chairman  of  its  board  of  trustees.  He 
fraternized  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  was  a 
charter  member  of  Clan  Eraser,  No.  11,  Order  of 
Scottish  Clans. 

John  H.  Gumming  was  married  to  Margaret  Pater- 
son,  April  3,  1877.  To  them  were  born  five  children: 
George  A.  (q.  v.) ;  J.  Stewart,  in  charge  of  the  laundry 
business  established  by  his  father;  William  R.,  man- 
ager of  the  David  Harley  Gompany;  Margaret  E., 
the  wife  of  T.  Stewart  Little,  of  the  John  W.  Little 
Company,  of  Pawtucket;  and  Isabella  Paterson,  who 
died  in  childhood.  Mr.  Gumming  died  December  25, 
1912. 


GEORGE  ARCHIBALD  GUMMING— Among  the 

successful  business  men  of  Pawtucket,  where  he  has 
been  actively  engaged  for  a  number  of  years,  is  George 
Archibald  Gumming,  the  son  of  John  H.  and  Margaret 
(Paterson)  Gumming  (q  v.).  Mr.  Gumming  was  born 
at  Pawtucket,  July  2,  1887.  He  passed  his  boyhood 
in  the  place  of  his  birth,  and  as  a  lad  he  attended  the 
public  schools.  After  graduation  from  the  Pawtucket 
High  School  he  entered  the  Wharton  School  of  Fi- 
nance and  Commerce  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, completing  the  four  years'  course  in  three  years 
and  graduating  in  the  class  of  1911.  Having  deter- 
mined upon  the  profession  of  law,  he  entered  Harvard 
Law  School  in  1912.  The  death  of  his  father  changed 
his  plans  and  he  returned  home,  in  February,  1913, 
then  establishing  a  cleaning  business  at  No.  486  Paw- 
tucket avenue,  Pawtucket.  He  had  one  assistant  at 
this  time,  their  place  of  business  occupying  about  nine 
hundred  square  feet.  In  the  following  year  the  dye- 
ing business  was  added,  and  the  plant  equipped  with 
the  most  modern  machinery  for  both  departments. 
Its  expansion  has  been  strong  and  continuous,  and  at 


the  present  time  approximately  seventy-five  people  are 
employed,  the  plant  covering  22,500  square  feet  of 
floor  space.  Branch  offices  of  the  concern  are  located 
in  Providence,  Woonsocket,  Worcester,  and  Fitch- 
burg,  Mass.,  and  Manchester,  N.  H.  The  company  is 
one  of  eleven  cleaning  establishments  rated  "excel- 
lent" by  the  United  States  Government,  and  during  the 
war  did  all  the  cleaning  of  army  clothing  from  the 
New  England  camps.  This  connection  continues  at 
the  present  time.  Mr.  Gumming  is  the  sole  proprietor 
of  the  business  operated  as  Gumming  Gleaners — Dy- 
ers, one  of  the  most  important  establishments  of  its 
kind  in  New  England.  Mr.  Gumming  is  also  a  stock 
holder  in  tlie   David   Harley   Company,  of  Pawtucket. 

Mr.  Gumming  is  active  in  social  and  fraternal  circles 
in  Pawtucket,  is  a  member  of  Jenks  Lodge,  No.  24, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Lodge  No.  920,  Benev- 
olent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks;  and  Clan  Fraser, 
No.  II,  Order  of  Scottish  Clans.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Pawtucket  Business  Men's  Association, 
To-Kalon  Club,  and  Rotary  Club,  of  Pawtucket,  also 
Town  Criers,  of  Providence.  In  religious  belief  he 
is  a  Congregationalist,  a  trustee  and  interested  worker 
in  the  Park  Place  Church  of  Providence. 

Mr.  Gumming  married,  April  7,  1915,  at  Charlotte, 
N.  C.  Myra  Inman  Washburn,  born  in  Central  Falls, 
and  who  removed  to  North  Carolina  with  her  parents 
as  a  child.  Mrs.  Gumming  is  a  daughter  of  Francis 
H.  and  Annie  (Williams)  Washburn,  direct  descend- 
ant of  Nathanael  Greene.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gumming 
are  the  parents  of:  Elizabeth  Greene,  born  Dec.  11, 
1916,  and  Jean  Paterson,  born  Oct.  14,  1918. 


ALPHONZO  WATSON  BUCKLAND— The  sur- 
name Buckland,  of  local  origin,  is  one  of  the  most 
ancient  of  English  family  names.  Parishes  of  Buck- 
land,  from  which  the  early  ancestors  of  the  family 
derived  their  name,  are  to  be  found  in  counties  Bucks, 
Gloucester,  Hertford,  Kent,  Somerset,  Surrey,  etc. 
The  name  is  a  compound  of  the  word  buck,  and  land, 
originally  spelled  laund,  and  means  literally  an  open 
space  in  the  wood  where  bucks  grazed.  The  first 
entry  appears  in  "Kirby's  Quest,"  page  95,  in  the  first 
year  of  the  reign  of  Edward  III.,  when  we  find  men- 
tion of  Robert  de  Bokeland.  Several  families  of  the 
name  have  gained  distinction  in  English  affairs  and 
have  borne  arms  for  several  centuries. 

Arms — Argent  three  lions  rampant,  a  canton  gules 
fretty  or. 

Crest — On  a  mount  vert,  a  stag  lodged. 

The  American  Bucklands  are  a  branch  of  the  an- 
cient English  family.  The  Bucklands  of  the  present 
day  who  claim  a  Colonial  lineage  are  the  descendants 
of  William  Buckland.  of  Hingham,  in  the  Massachu- 
setts Bay  Colony.  According  to  Mr.  W.  Tracy  Eustis 
and  Mr.  Edward  G.  Buckland,  who  have  made  ex- 
tensive research  on  the  Buckland  family,  the  male  line 
of  Thomas  Buckland,  the  other  founder  of  the  name 
in  New  England,  became  extinct  in  the  eighteenth 
century.  Windsor,  Conn.,  has  been  the  home  of  one 
of  the  most  prominent  branches  of  the  family  in  Amer- 
ica since  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

(I)  William  Buckland,  immigrant  ancestor  and 
founder,   was   of   Hingham,    Mass.,   in    1635,   in   which 


C^^^oJ2 


--VV-'X^^'?^ 


^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


337 


year  he  received  a  grant  of  land.  He  remained  in 
Hingham  until  about  1650,  during  which  period  he 
purchased  other  property.  In  1658  he  appears  on  the 
records  of  the  town  of  Rehoboth,  where  he  remained 
for  about  twenty  years.  In  1679  William  Buckland 
removed  to  East  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  he  died. 

(II)  William  (2)  Buckland,  son  of  William  (i) 
Buckland,  was  a  resident  of  East  Hartford,  and  of 
Windsor,  Conn.,  where  he  died  May  13.  1691.  He  was 
a  farmer  and  large  landowner. 

(III)  William  {3)  Buckland,  son  of  William  (2) 
Buckland,  was  of  East  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  1687.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Hills,  and  among  their  children  was 
Jonathan,  mentioned  below. 

(IV)  Jonathan  Buckland,  son  of  William  (3)  and 
Elizabeth  (Hills)  Buckland,  was  born  about  1716.  He 
was  a  resident  of  East  Hartford  and  Windsor,  Conn. 
Jonathan  Buckland  married  (first)  Sybil  Burnham, 
and  possibly  (second)  Sarah  Anderson.  His  widow 
married  (second)  James  Forbes. 

(\')  .Me.\ander  Buckland,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Sybil 
(Burnham)  Buckland,  was  born  about  I7,?9.  He  set- 
tled on  the  west  side  of  the  Great  Marsh  in  Elling- 
ton, where  he  died  in  1815.  He  was  a  prosperous 
farmer,  and  a  large  landowner.  He  married  Sarah 
Smith,  of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  who  was  born  alxiut 
1738,  and  died  July  19,  1823,  aged  eighty-five  years. 

(VI)  Captain  Erastus  Buckland,  son  of  .-Me.xander 
and  Sarah  (Smith)  Buckland,  was  born  April  2,  1774, 
in  East  Windsor,  Conn.  He  married  Sarah  Heath, 
born  April  19,  1775,  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Polly 
(Osborn)  Heath,  of  East  Windsor,  Conn.  Captain 
Buckland  died  in  November.  1820,  aged  forty-six 
years.  His  widow  died  October  21,  1850,  aged  seventy- 
five  years. 

(VII)  Lorenzo  Montgomery  Buckland,  son  of  Cap- 
tain Erastus  and  Sarah  (Heath)  Buckland,  was  born 
February  7,  1810.  He  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  East 
Windsor,  and  one  of  its  prominent  citizens.  He  mar- 
ried, January  i,  1835.  Julia  Hull,  born  August  3,  181 1, 
in  East  Windsor,  Conn.  Mr.  Buckland  died  July  3, 
1875,  aged  sixty-five  years.  Lorenzo  Montgomery  and 
Julia  (Hull)  Buckland  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  i.  Lathan  Lorenzo,  married  Har- 
riet .^mes.  and  died  in  Providence,  R.  I.  2.  Sarah 
Marilla,  married  Charles  Reynolds,  of  Norwalk,  Conn. 
3.  Julia  Isadora,  married  Almanzo  Buckland,  of  Spring- 
field, Mass.  4.  Alphonzo  Watson,  mentioned  below. 
5.  Louisa,  married  (first)  Edward  Sexton,  of  Wind- 
sor; (second)  George  Addison  Bingham,  of  Hartford, 
Conn.    6.  Wilbur  F. 

(VIII)  Dr.  Alphonzo  Watson  Buckland,  son  of 
Lorenzo  Montgomery  and  Julia  (Hull)  Buckland,  for 
many  years  a  prominent  figure  in  the  ranks  of  the  den- 
tal profession  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  was  born  June  19, 
1843,  in  Van  Buren  county,  la.  He  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Broad  Brook,  Conn.,  where  he  received 
his  early  education  in  the  public  schools.  He  later  at- 
tended the  \\'esleyan  Academy  at  Wilbraham,  Mass., 
and  the  Providence  Conference  at  East  Greenwich, 
R.  I.  In  the  summer  vacations  he  had  added  to  his 
slender  means  by  teaching  school.  On  finishing  his 
studies  at  the  Providence  Conference  Seminary,  he 
spent  three  years  in  the  oil  regions  of  Pennsylvania,  at 


the  end  of  which  time  he  returned  to  New  England 
and  married.  Later  he  determined  on  the  dental  pro- 
fession as  his  life  work,  and  toward  this  end  removed 
to  Philadelphia,  where  he  began  the  study  of  dentistry 
under  his  cousin.  Dr.  Charles  A.  Kingsbury.  Con- 
tinuing his  work  at  the  Philadelphia  Dental  College, 
he  was  graduated  from  that  institution  with  the  class 
of  1871.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  Dr.  Buckland 
established  himself  in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  where  he 
at  once  entered  upon  a  large  practice.  He  rose  rap- 
idly to  prominence  in  professional  circles  in  Woon- 
socket, and  acquired  an  enviable  reputation  among 
his  confreres  in  Rhode  Island.  Dr.  Buckland  for  sev- 
eral years  held  clinics  in  the  larger  New  England  col- 
leges, and  in  this  field  conducted  a  highly  valuable 
work. 

He  was  widely  known  in  the  organizations  of  his 
profession,  and  was  a  member  of  the  .American  Acad- 
emy of  Dental  Science,  of  the  New  England  Dental 
Society,  of  the  Rhode  Island  Dental  Society,  and  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Board  of  Registration  of  Dentistry. 
From  the  time  of  his  coming  to  W'oonsocket  he  took 
a  deep  interest  in  its  life  and  affairs,  and  until  his 
death  was  actively  identified  with  movements  for  the 
advancement  and  development  of  the  city.  At  one 
time  he  was  president  of  the  Woonsocket  Electric 
Machine  and  Power  Company,  and  of  the  Woonsocket 
Spool  and  Bobbin  Company.  He  was  well  known  in 
business  and  financial  circles,  and  was  for  many  years 
a  director  of  the  Producers'  and  the  People's  Savings 
banks,  filling  the  office  of  president  of  the  latter  in- 
stitution. He  was  an  able  business  man  and  financier, 
a  sound  judge  of  values,  and  a  man  of  keen  foresight, 
whose  opinion  was  widely  sought.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Woon- 
socket, one  of  its  trustees  and  a  member  of  the  board 
of  stewards.  Fraternally  he  was  a  member  of  Wash- 
ington Lodge,  No.  70,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  of  Windsor,  Conn.;  of  Union  Chapter,  No.  s, 
Royal  Arch  Masons;  and  of  Woonsocket  Command- 
ery.  No.  23,  of  which  he  has  been  past  commander. 
He  had  attained  the  tliirty-second  degree  in  Masonry. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  Washington  Lodge,  No. 
1269,  Knights  of  Honor,  and  of  several  other  frater- 
nal  organizations. 

On  October  10,  1866,  Dr.  Buckland  married  Helen 
.Augusta  Marble,  daughter  of  Joel  Waters  and  Mary 
.'\nn  (Harding)  Marble,  of  Southbridge,  Mass.  They 
were  the  parents  of  three  children:  I.  Florence  Myrtle, 
who  married  George  F.  S.  Singleton,  of  Providence. 
2.  Alice  Maud,  now  Mrs.  Edgar  Lakey,  of  Franklin, 
Mass.  3.  Bessie  May,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Robert  L. 
Davis,  of  Woonsocket.  Mrs.  Buckland  died  December 
12,  1919.  She  was  well  known  in  social  circles  in  the 
city,  and  was  prominent  in  charitable  efforts. 

Dr.  Alphonzo  Watson  Buckland  died  at  his  home 
in  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  .'Vugust  24,  1900,  and  was  buried 
in  Union  Cemetery,  Woonsocket. 


L'yMAN  B.  GOFF— Throughout  almost  three  cen- 
turies the  family  of  GofT  has  been  resident  in  New 
England,  its  members  always  of  responsible,  respected 
position  in  their  communities,  bearing  their  shares  of 
civic  burdens  and  meeting  the  demands  of  patriotism 


538 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


and  citizenship.  Since  before  the  Revohitionary  War 
members  of  the  line  of  Lyman  Bullock  Goff  have  been 
mill  owners  in  New  England,  and  the  record  of  Mr. 
Gofif  and  his  father,  the  Hon.  Darius  GofF,  in  textile 
manufacture,  covers  almost  a  century.  Throughout  a 
long  life  and  in  many  fields  of  activity  Lyman  B.  Gofif, 
prominent  in  industry  in  New  England,  the  South, 
Canada,  and  England,  has  given  without  reserve  to  the 
service  of  his  fellows,  in  public  life  and  in  private,  in 
organized  works  of  beneficence  and  charity  and  in 
personal  effort,  and  wherever  a  need  existed  that  he 
has  been  qualified  to  meet.  The  brief  account  of  his 
distinguished  family  follows: 

The  first  record  we  have  of  the  name  is  one  Thomas 
Goff,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  London,  England,  who, 
in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  together 
with  a  number  of  prominent  men,  his  associates,  may 
be  said  to  be  a  founder  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Col- 
ony. In  association  with  Matthew  Craddock,  John 
Endicott,  Sir  Richard  Saltonstall  and  others,  "by 
mutual  agreement  among  themselves  they  were  formed 
into  a  body  politic  and  confirmed  or  rather  so  con- 
stituted by  royal  charter."  Thomas  Gofif  came  to  this 
country  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  permanent  colony 
here.  Matthew  Craddock  was  chosen  first  governor 
of  this  colony,  and  Thomas  Gofif  first  deputy-governor, 
these  two  dignitaries  being  sworn,  March  23,  1628. 
The  first  ancestor  to  whom  the  present  family  of 
Goff  trace  their  line  was  Richard  Goff,  who  was  the 
head  of  one  of  the  three  Goff  families  recorded  in  the 
vital  records  of  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  in  the  early  part  of 
the  eighteenth  century. 

(I)  We  do  not  know  either  the  date  or  location  of 
the  birth  of  Richard  Goff,  but  we  know  that  he  was 
living  in  Rehoboth  at  this  early  date,  and  that  he  mar- 
ried Martha  Toogood,  July  19,  1722.  He  later  re- 
moved to  Barrington,  where  he  spent  the  latter  part  of 
his  life.  He  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Sarah,  born  Oct.  19,  1723;  Joseph, 
mentioned  below:  Squire,  June  18,  1727;  Bethia,  Jan. 
31,  1720-30;  Rachel,  July  28,  1731:  Rebecca.  May  11, 
1733:  Dorothy,  .'\ug.  4,  1735.  and  Richard.  July  31,  1741. 

(II)  Joseph  Goff,  son  of  Richard  and  Martha  (Too- 
good)  Goff,  was  born  December  12,  1725.  He  mar- 
ried, August  I,  1748,  Patience  Thurber,  a  daughter  of 
Jonathan  and  Mehitable  (Bullock)  Thurber,  and  a 
granddaughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Bliss)  Thur- 
ber, and  thus  a  member  of  two  very  distinguished 
New  England  families.  They  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  Richard,  mentioned  below; 
Sarah,  born  June  19,  1751;  Patience,  born  June  20, 
1753;  Hulda,  Feb.  19,  1755:  Experience,  April  17,  1759; 
Dorcas,  March  17,  1763;  Hannah,  Jan.  20,  1765;  Joseph, 
Nov.  8,  1771  ;  Mehetabel,  Oct.  20,  1773;  Rebecca,  Jan. 
29,  1776.  It  was  Joseph  Goff  who  was  the  first  of  the 
family  to  really  identify  himself  with  industrial  enter- 
prises on  any  scale  of  importance,  and  he  it  was  who 
used  the  water  power  of  the  small  stream  which  ran 
through  Rehoboth  and  was  a  tributary  to  Palmer's 
river  for  the  sawing  of  lumber  and  other  mill  purposes. 
This  was  prior  to  the  year  1764,  so  that  Joseph  Goff 
may  well  be  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  industrial  pio- 
neers of  the  region. 

(III)  Richard  (2)  Goff,  better  known  as  Lieutenant 


Richard  Goff,  son  of  Joseph  and  Patience  (Thurber) 
Goff,  was  born  February  21,  1749-50,  at  Rehoboth.  Lieu- 
tenant Richard  Goff,  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
father,  utilized  the  water  of  the  stream  running 
through  Rehoboth  for  mill  purposes.  He  established 
there,  prior  to  1776,  a  fulling  mill,  and  in  1790  erected 
a  larger  establishment,  which  he  used  as  a  lulling  and 
cloth-dressing  mill.  This  he  continued  until  1821, 
when  the  coming  into  use  of  larger  mills  equipped 
with  newer  types  of  machinery  forced  him  to  abandon 
it.  He  was  not  one,  however,  to  allow  I  he  development 
of  the  times  to  outstrip  him,  and  in  association  with 
other  gentlemen  erected  the  third  cotton  mill  ever  put 
up  in  the  United  States.  Lieutenant  Goff  was  a  patriot 
and  allowed  his  country's  needs  to  interrupt  his  suc- 
cessful business  operations  to  the  extent  of  enlisting 
in  the  Continental  army.  He  was  commissioned  a 
lieutenant  in  the  militia,  his  commission  bearing  the 
signature  of  John  Hancock.  Lieutenant  Goff  married, 
June  II,  1795,  Mehetabel  Bullock,  a  daughter  of  the 
Hon.  Stephen  and  Mary  (Horton)  Bullock,  and  a 
granddaughter  of  Samuel  Bullock,  who  married  Anna 
Bosworth,  a  descendant  of  John  Howland,  who  was 
one  of  the  famous  party  of  Pilgrim  fathers  who  came 
to  this  country  in  the  "Mayflower."  To  Lieutenant 
Richard  Goff  and  his  wife  the  following  children  were 
born:  Richard,  March  21,  1796;  Otis,  Nov.  2,  1797; 
Horatio,  Sept.  2,  1799;  Patience,  Sept.  28,  1801;  Nel- 
son, May  5,  1804;  Darius,  mentioned  below;  Mary, 
June  23,  1812. 

(IV)  Darius  Goff,  son  of  Lieutenant  Richard  (3) 
and  Mehetabel  (Bullock)  Goff,  was  bom  May  10, 
1809,  at  Rehoboth,  Mass.  No  figure  in  the  history  of 
the  industry  of  Rhode  Island  occupies  a  more  con- 
spicuous place  than  he,  and  he  devoted  the  whole  of 
his  great  powers  and  talents  to  the  building  up  of  the 
manufactures  which  have  given  Pawtucket  its  present 
important  place.  His  early  training  was  received  in 
his  father's  mill,  which  has  already  been  mentioned, 
and  the  youth  could  scarcely  have  served  an  appren- 
ticeship under  more  favorable  auspices.  The  elder 
Mr.  Goff  marked  the  transition  from  the  earlier  mode 
of  hand  spinning  to  that  by  mechanical  devices,  and 
the  consequent  coming  into  use  of  fabrics  heavy  enough 
for  use  in  all  weathers  and  temperatures.  The  elder 
Mr.  Goff  had  under  his  charge  the  coloring  of  cotton 
yarn,  turned  out  by  the  Union  Cotton  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  and  taught  his 
son  this  important  art.  The  young  man  spent  a  num- 
ber of  years  under  his  father's  guidance,  and  then,  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years,  made  arrangements  to 
work  with  the  Messrs.  John  and  Jesse  Eddy,  of  Fall 
River,  Mass.,  and  learn  the  woolen  business.  Unfor- 
tunately, however,  he  met  with  an  accident  which  made 
it  impossible  for  him  to  take  an  active  part  in  busi- 
ness for  a  period  of  about  two  years,  and  which  turned 
his  attention  aside  for  the  time  being  from  manufac- 
turing. When  once  more  able  to  resume  active  work, 
the  young  man  secured  a  position  as  a  clerk  in  a 
grocery  store  in  Providence,  and  for  about  six  years 
continued  in  this  employment,  at  first  in  the  establish- 
ment of  Mr.  Woodward  and  later  in  that  of  Mr.  Til- 
linghast  Almy.  He  then  returned  to  Rehoboth  and 
associating  himself  with   is   brother.   Nelson   Goff,   en- 


C6i<<.i.-d  /ycr"/'. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


539 


gaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  batting.  Tlie  two 
young  men  purchased  the  Union  Cotton  Mill  in  the 
year  18,55  ^"d  there  carried  on  this  business  with  a 
high  degree  of  success.  In  course  of  time  to  the 
ordinary  type  of  cotton  batting  they  added  glazed  wad- 
ding, sizing  it  by  hand,  one  sheet  at  a  time,  on  a  table 
covered  with  sheet  lead  and  then  hanging  it  on  racks 
with  a  common  lath  to  dry.  This  primitive  method 
was  afterward  superseded  by  a  method  of  their  own 
device,  which  is  now  in  universal  use  throughout  the 
world,  and  which  is  rendered  possible  by  the  manu- 
facture of  the  material  in  a  continuous  sheet.  The 
increased  output  resulted  in  an  increased  market,  and 
the  two  Goff  brothers  found  it  necessary  to  erect  and 
equip  a  larger  mill.  This  was  constructed  about  1S42, 
its  dimensions  being  about  two  hundred  feet  in  length, 
but  unfortunately  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  shortly 
afterward,  at  a  loss  of  more  than  six  thousand  dol- 
lars. About  this  time  Nelson  Goff's  interest  in  the 
business  was  purchased  by  a  Mr.  E.  A.  Brown,  of 
Rehoboth,  and  the  new  firm,  formed  under  the  name 
of  Goff  &  Brown,  changed  their  business  to  the  man- 
ufacture of  carpet  warps  and  twine,  an  industry  in 
which  Mr.  Brown  was  an  expert  and  which  was  con- 
ducted principally  under  his  direction.  The  business 
was  continued  until  1868  and  then  dissolved. 

As  early  as  the  year  18,36  the  attention  of  Mr.  Goff 
had  been  called  to  the  opportunities  lying  in  the  util- 
ization of  cotton  waste.  This  material  had  previously 
been  thrown  away  as  a  dead  loss,  but  Mr.  Goff  began 
its  purchase,  and  in  1846  associated  himself  with  Mr. 
George  Lawton,  of  Waltham,  Mass.,  and  the  two 
gentlemen  dealt  in  this  commodity  in  Boston,  where 
their  establishment  was  situated  at  Gray's  wharf  The 
following  year  Mr.  Goff  came  to  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
thereafter  to  be  his  headquarters,  and  erected  a  wad- 
ding mill  near  the  railroad  station,  and  thus  returned 
to  his  original  line  of  enterprise.  The  power  for  this 
mill  was  derived  from  a  steam  engine  and  the  whole 
process  of  manufacture,  from  the  carding  of  the  cotton 
in  the  white  state  through  its  coloring  and  sizing,  up  to 
its  final  preparation  for  the  market,  was  carried  on 
here.  Once  more  Mr.  Goff  met  with  misfortune  in 
the  destruction  of  this  mill  in  1851  by  fire,  but  the 
loss  was  speedily  repaired  and  a  still  larger  and  more 
modern  mill  erected.  The  firm  of  Goff  &  Lawton, 
which  had  continued  active  during  the  interim,  was 
finally  dissolved  in  1S59,  Mr.  Lawton  taking  the  Bos- 
ton business,  and  Mr.  Golf  the  wadding  mill  in  Paw- 
tucket.  A  new  firm  was  formed  about  this  time  in 
which  Mr.  Goff's  partners  were  John  D.  Cranston  and 
Stephen  Brownell,  of  Providence,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Goff,  Cranston  &  Brownell,  and  a  general  waste 
and  wadding  business  was  carried  on  by  the  new  con- 
cern. Once  more,  in  1871,  the  mill  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  but  each  such  accident  seemed  merely  a  prelude 
to  larger  and  more  extensive  operations,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  saw  the  erection  of  a  much  larger  mill, 
equipped  with  more  modern  and  perfect  machinery.  A 
steam  engine  of  three  hundred  horse-power  supplied  the 
motive  force  in  the  new  mill,  which,  at  the  time  of  Mr. 
Goff's  death,  together  with  its  adjoining  outbuildings, 
covered  an  area  of  about  four  acres.  The  wadding  busi- 
ness was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the   Union 


Wadding  Company  in  the  year  1870  with  a  capital  of 
three  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  in  1878  this  and 
the  Goff,  Cranston  &  Brownell  Company  joined  forces 
under  the  name  of  the  former.  The  new  Union  Wad- 
ding Company  was  a  close  corporation,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  seven  hunilred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  of 
which  Mr.  Goff  was  president;  Lyman  B.  Goff,  treas- 
urer; and  Henry  .X.  Stearns,  superintendent.  New 
machinery  was  installed  in  the  mills  of  this  company, 
designed  by  the  members  of  the  company  itself,  and 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  great  success  of  the 
business  was  due  largely  to  the  use  of  this  machinery, 
which  enabled  it  to  turn  out  better  goods  more  rapidly 
and  at  less  expense  than  their  rivals. 

Another  of  the  enterprises  of  Mr.  Goff  which  was 
organized  by  him  in  association  with  his  son,  Darius 
L.  Goft,  and  W.  F.  and  F.  C.  Sayles  in  the  year  1861, 
was  the  .Vmcrican  Worsted  Company,  and  a  plant 
was  erected  for  the  manufacture  of  worsted  braids,  at 
that  time  an  entirely  new  industry  in  the  United 
States.  Three  years  later,  however,  in  1864,  this  asso- 
ciation was  discontinued,  and  a  new  firm,  consisting  of 
Mr.  Goff  and  his  son,  Darius  L.  Goff,  was  formed  to 
continue  the  business.  The  firm  was  then  known  as  D. 
Goff  &  Son,  but  in  1872,  Lyman  B.  Goff  was  also  ad- 
mitted to  partnership,  and  eight  years  later  the  con- 
cern was  incorporated  with  a  capital  stock  of  six 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  Mr.  Goff  as  its  presi- 
dent. One  of  the  most  characteristic  achievements  of 
Mr.  Goff  and  his  sons  was  the  manufacture  of  mohair 
plush,  a  material  which  up  to  that  time  had  not  been 
made  either  in  America  or  England,  the  secret  of  its 
production  being  carefully  kept  by  manufacturers  in 
France  and  Germany.  It  was  in  1881  that  Mr.  Goff 
first  turned  his  attention  to  this  matter,  and  he  at  once 
sent  a  representative  to  those  two  countries  to  learn 
if  possible  the  secret  and  to  purchase  the  machinery 
necessary.  In  this,  however,  he  met  with  complete 
failure,  the  knowledge  that  others  were  seeking  to 
learn  their  method  making  its  proprietors  more  jeal- 
ous than  ever  in  guarding  it.  Not  daunted  by  this 
difficulty,  however,  Mr.  Goff  decided  to  devise  a  way 
of  his  own,  feeling  sure  that  with  his  great  knowledge 
of  manufacturing  methods  he  could  discover  from  the 
material  itself  the  secret  of  its  weave.  It  was  here 
that  his  remarkable  inventive  genius  served  him  well, 
and  after  a  period  of  five  years,  during  which  he  gave 
the  most  intense  and  closest  thought  to  the  matter, 
and  tried  innumerable  experiments,  he  was  finally  able 
to  offer  to  the  market  a  domestic  product  quite  equal 
to  that  imported  from  abroad.  To  manufacture  this 
new  type  of  goods,  Messrs.  Goff  &  Sons  enlarged  their 
braid  mills  greatly,  and  these  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Goff's 
death  were  fully  five  hundred  feet  in  length. 

While  all  of  the  achievements  already  mentioned  had 
been  of  the  utmost  benefit  to  the  community  where 
they  had  been  carried  out,  they  owed,  of  course,  their 
inception  in  the  first  instance  to  the  personal  ambi- 
tions and  interests  of  Mr.  Goff  and  his  associates. 
There  were  many,  however,  more  completely  altru- 
istic in  character,  the  motive  for  which  was  the  pure 
desire  to  benefit  his  fellowmen.  Such  was  the  pre- 
sentation of  a  large  tract  of  land  to  the  New  York, 
Providence    &    Boston    Railroad,    on   which    to    erect 


540 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


new  and  adequate  passenger  and  freight  stations, 
which  greatly  enhanced  property  values  in  that  part 
of  the  city.  In  1884  he  purchased  tha  old  homestead 
estate  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  and  there  erected.  May  10, 
1886,  which  was  at  once  his  seventy-seventh  birthday 
and  the  two  hundred  and  fortieth  anniversary  of  the 
handing  over  the  deeds  of  the  old  town  to  the  Eng- 
lish by  Massasoit,  a  handsome  structure,  which  is  now 
known  as  the  "GofT  Memorial."  In  public  affairs  Mr. 
GofT  was  very  active  and  served  in  the  Town  Council 
of  Pawtucket,  and  in  the  State  Senate,  to  which  he 
was  elected  in  1871.  He  was  associated  with  a  great 
number  of  industrial  and  financial  concerns  in  and 
about  Pawtucket,  and  was  a  director  of  the  Pawtucket 
Gas  Company  and  the  Pawtucket  Hair  Cloth  Com- 
pany, and  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Pawtucket. 
A  Congregationalist  in  religion,  Mr.  GofF  attended  the 
church  of  that  denomination  at  Pawtucket,  and  was 
very  influential  in  advancing  its  interests  there.  He 
was  one  of  the  four  gentlemen  who  enlarged  the  old 
church,  was  a  member  of  the  building  committee  at 
the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  new  edifice,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  left  the  church  the  sum  of  ten 
thousand  dollars.  During  his  youth  Mr,  Gnff  had  been 
a  staunch  member  of  the  Whig  party,  but  at  the  time 
of  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  he  allied 
himself  with  the  new  movement,  being  particularly  in 
sympathy  with  its  stand  on  the  subject  of  human  slav- 
ery, and  he  was  very  active  in  support  of  that  cause 
during  the  Civil  War.  He  had  a  very  strong  taste 
for  travel,  and  in  spite  of  the  immense  demands  made 
upon  his  time  and  energies  by  the  great  enterprises 
with  which  he  was  identified,  he  gratified  this  taste 
by  trips  to  well  nigh  every  section  of  his  own  country. 

On  June  2,  1836,  Mr.  Gofif  married  (first)  Sarah  Lee, 
a  daughter  of  Israel  and  Elizabeth  (Bullock)  Lee,  old 
and  highly  honored  residents  of  Dighton,  Mass.  Mrs. 
GofT,  however,  died  after  bearing  him  one  child,  who 
is  also  deceased,  and  on  May  30,  1839,  Mr.  Gofif  mar- 
ried (second)  Harriett  Lee.  a  sister  of  his  first  wife. 
Three  children  were  born  of  this  marriage,  as  fol- 
lows: Darius  Lee,  who  has  already  been  mentioned  as 
his  father's  associate  and  partner;  Lyman  Bullock, 
who  is  mentioned  at  length  below:  and  Sarah  C,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Sedgwick  Steele,  of  Hart- 
ford, Conn.  Mrs.  GofF  was  a  member  of  a  very  dis- 
tinguished New  England  family  and  was  related  to 
some  of  the  most  prominent  houses  in  that  region, 
tracing  her  descent  from  the  Anthony,  Baulstone, 
Timberlake  and  Coggeshall  families,  of  Portsmouth 
and  Newport,  R.  I. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Gofif  was  the  occasion  of  many 
sincere  tributes  paid  to  his  character  and  abilities  by 
those  who  had  been  associated  with  him.  The  Prov- 
idence "Journal,"  in  the  course  of  its  obituary  article, 
remarked:  "The  death  of  the  venerable  Darius  Goflf, 
of  Pawtucket,  removed  one  of  our  most  prominent 
business  men,  whose  inventive  genius  no  less  than  his 
business  capacity  had  achieved  a  distinguished  success 
in  his  line  of  manufacture  and  been  of  great  value 
to  the  community  as  well  as  to  himself."  And  it  has 
been  further  written  of  him  that  he  "was  without  doubt 
the  foremost  representative  of  the  distinguished  manu- 
facturers of  New  England  in  the  fifty  years  just  prior 


to  his  death,  gifted  with  mechanical  insight  and  inven- 
tive talent,  and  from  the  beginning  to  the  close  of 
his  business  career  he  labored  to  open  untouched  fields 
of  industrial  enterprise,  and  by  reason  of  his  capacity 
and  energy,  and  his  success  in  his  numerous  under- 
takings, created  permanently  industries  of  great  na- 
tional importance  and  left  a  legacy  to  .\merican  manu- 
facturers of  immeasurable  value." 

The  Rev.  Mr.  McGregor,  on  the  account  of  Mr. 
GofF's  funeral,  made  the  following  remarks  in  these 
eloquent  words: 

If  I  am  asked  what  has  Darius  GofC  done?  What 
monument  he  has  erected  for  himself?  I  promptly 
answer:  Go  to  the  centers  of  industry  and  enterprise 
which  he  either  originated  or  developed  and  look 
around  and  behold  a  worthy  monument!  Follow  the 
intelligent  lead  of  the  press  this  week  in  its  apprecia- 
tive enumeration  of  his  public  works,  and  you  will 
readily  discover  how  far-reaching-,  how  diffusive,  his 
business  sagacity,  his  enterprise  and  philanthropy 
were.  When  you  have  looked  at  the  braid  and  plush 
manufactories  on  the  banks  of  our  river,  and  noted 
their  best  success  and  future  promise,  you  may  con- 
tinue your  researches  to  where  the  hair  cloth  industry 
and  Its  latest  annex  amply  testify  to  the  present  of 
the  same  foresight  and  push.  If  minded  to  turn  in  at 
the  headquarters  of  our  most  thriving  banking  insti- 
tutions, of  our  street  railway,  of  our  gas  and  electric 
centers,  and  kindred  industries  too  numerous  to  detail, 
and  If  you  choose  to  enter  this  house  of  worship  and 
recall  the  generous  liberality  in  its  erection  and  sup- 
port extended  by  the  deceased,  and  should  you,  fur- 
thermore, be  disposed  to  round  your  observation  and 
walk  about  "The  Goft  Memorial  Hall,"  at  Rehoboth, 
erected  in  great  part  by  his  noble  generosity,  in  the 
interests,  social  and  educational,  of  the  present  and 
future  generations,  of  that  community,  then  you  will 
have  seen,  in  part,  what  Darius  Goff  has  done,  and, 
with  wonderful  pertinacity,  we  may  reply  to  your 
search,  after  his  monuments,  saying  "look  around." 
All  this  and  much  more  has  been  the  fruit  of  his  labor, 
of  his  practical  genius  and  indefatigable  energy. 

The  comment  of  the  "Evening  Times"  publication  of 
April  14,  iSgi,  in  an  obituary  article,  speaks  of  Mr. 
Goff  as  follows: 

Pawtucket  has  lost  one  of  its  most  progressive  and 
enterprising  business  men  by  the  death  of  Darius  Goff, 
which  occurred  this  morning.  He  was  what  might  bo 
called  a  self-made  man.  His  worldly  possessions  when 
he  came  to  Pawtucket  were  very  limited:  but  that 
push,  energy  and  enterprise  which  characterized  his 
career  throughout  soon  made  him  a  leader  in  industrial 
and  business  concerns.  His  foresight  was  remarkable. 
He  seemed  to  see  In  advance  the  needs  of  the  people, 
and  was  never  slow  in  providing  for  them  While 
conservative  in  action  he  was  always  progressive.  He 
did  not  run  in  a  rut.  Where  he  saw  an  opportunity 
for  advancement  he  grasped  It,  even  though  to  others 
less  skilled  than  he  the  venture  seemed  doubtful.  But 
for  his  indomitable  will,  his  perseverance,  his  energy 
and  business  foresight,  it  is  more  than  probable  this 
city  would  not  have  the  vast  manufactories  which  he 
has  built  up  and  which  give  employment  to  hundreds 
of  people. 

Mr.  Goff  always  took  a  lively  interest  in  Pawtucket 
affairs.  He  was  ever  an  advocate  of  advancement  and 
improvement.  When  questions  such  as  the  widening 
of  Main  street,  the  building  of  a  new  city  hall,  the 
broadening  of  East  avenue  and  others  equally  as  im- 
portant were  under  consideration  or  being  agitated, 
he  did  not  hesitate  to  express  his  opinion,  and  a  care- 
ful review  will  show  that  he  was  always  in  favor  of 
doing  that  which  was  best  for  the  city  and  for  the 
people.  Pawtucket  can  ill  afford  to  lose  such  a  man. 
and  its  hope  will  be  that  another  equally  progressive 
and  conservative  will  be  found  to  take  his  place. 

(V)  Lyman  Bullock  Gofif,  younger  son  of  Hon. 
Darius  and  Harriett  (Lee)  Goflf,  was  born  October  19, 
1S41,  at  Rehoboth.  Mass.  His  home  early  in  life 
became  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  the  city  of  his  father's  prin- 
cipal industrial  enterprises.  His  preparatory  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of 
Pawtucket,    and    he    then    entered    Brown    University, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


541 


from  whence  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1862.  At 
the  conclusion  of  his  college  course  he  made  a  trip 
through  the  West  that  combined  pleasure  and  educa- 
tion. As  he  was  about  to  return  to  the  East,  war  with 
the  Sioux  Indians  broke  out  after  the  Minnesota 
Massacre.  Mr.  GofT  offered  his  services  to  the  army 
and  was  assigned  to  the  garrison  of  Fort  Abcrcrombie, 
Dakota.  He  served  throughout  the  trouble,  being 
then  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years,  and  was  a  par- 
ticipant in  the  stirring  events  that  have  come  down 
through  history  in  the  subduing  of  the  Sioux,  and 
were  only  ended  with  Sitting  Bull's  death  late  in  the 
century.  His  army  career  forms  one  of  his  most  valu- 
able and  highly  treasured  remembrances,  for  it  was 
an  experience  unobtainalile  at  any  other  time  or  in  any 
other  manner.  When  the  uprising  had  been  success- 
fully subdued,  he  returned  to  his  home  and  entered  his 
father's  employ  as  clerk.  For  about  nine  years  he  con- 
tinued in  this  capacity,  enjoying  his  father's  full  con- 
fidence, and  receiving  a  thorough  training  under  the 
elder  GofF.  In  1872,  when  the  firm  became  D.  Goff  & 
Sons,  he  and  his  elder  brother,  Darius  Lee  Goff,  with 
his  father,  comprised  the  firm.  Incorporation  under 
this  title  took  place  in  1884. 

In  1880  Mr.  Goff  was  elected  to  the  trcasurership  of 
the  Union  Wadding  Company,  and  although  he  con- 
tinued his  older  relation,  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
and  care  was  given  to  his  new  duties.  The  Union 
Wadding  Company  sometime  afterwards  was  merged 
with  the  firm  of  Goff,  Cranston  &  Browncll,  which 
had  been  founded  by  his  father  and  operated  in  the 
same  line,  the  name  of  the  former  company  being  re- 
tained. The  introduction  of  various  substitutes  for 
cotton  wadding  had  decreased  the  demand  for  the 
company's  product,  and  its  entire  facilities  were  di- 
rected to  what  had  previously  been  an  incidental  line 
of  manufacture,  general  waste,  and  this  department 
was  increased  to  an  enormous  extent.  In  1887  the 
Union  Wadding  Company  purchased  the  Riverside 
Mills  at  Augusta,  Ga.,  which  were  engaged  in  the 
same  line  of  business,  and  the  capitalization  of  the 
company  was  increased  to  $1,750,000.  These  com- 
bined interests  make  the  company  one  of  the  largest 
operators  in  its  line  in  the  country,  and  place  it  among 
the  leaders  of  the  world.  Mr.  Goff  added  largely  to 
his  business  interests,  and  since  the  death  of  his  father 
has  been  intimately  associated  with  his  brother  in  the 
organization  and  administration  of  the  vast  industrial 
enterprises  that  have  made  Pawtuckct  preeminent 
among  manufacturing  cities.  His  present  official  con- 
nections are  as  follows:  President  of  the  Union  Wad- 
ding Company;  director  of  the  .American  Hair  Cloth 
Company:  president  and  director  of  the  .\mcrican 
Textile  Company;  vice-president  of  the  Bridge  Mill 
Power  Company;  president  of  the  British  Quilting 
Company  of  Waterfoot,  England;  director  of  the 
Burgess  Mills;  president  of  the  Crown  Manufacturing 
Company;  vice-president  of  D.  Goff  &  Sons:  presi- 
dent of  the  Dominion  Wadding  Company;  president 
of  the  Excelsior  Quilting  Company  of  Xew  York; 
director  of  the  Industrial  Trust  Company:  director 
of  the  Montreal  Quilting  Company;  president  of  the 
Pawtucket  Hair  Cloth  Company:  director  of  the  Pur- 
itan Life  Insurance  Company:  director  of  the  Rhode 
Island     Hospital    Trust    Company;    director    of    the 


Rhode  Island  Insurance  Company;  director  of  the 
Riverside  Mills  of  Augusta,  Ga.,  and  director  of  the 
Royal  Weaving  Company.  His  establishment  of  the 
American  Textile  Company  was  preceded  by  long  and 
tireless  efforts  to  secure  tariff  regulations  necessary  for 
the  encouragement  of  lace  making  in  the  LJnitcd  States. 
His  energetic  efforts  were  crowned  with  success,  and 
at  the  present  time  Rhode  Island  successfully  com- 
petes in  the  world's  markets  with  the  old  established 
lace  making  centers  of  the  older  countries.  Mr.  Goff 
was  one  of  the  first  manufacturers  of  lace  in  the 
United  States. 

In  many  capacities  it  has  fallen  to  Mr.  Goff  to  ren- 
der public  service  of  timely  and  extreme  value.  Pub- 
lic affairs,  local  and  national,  have  always  had  an  at- 
traction for  him,  and  although  he  enjoys  this  best  as 
a  private  citizen,  popular  pressure  has  several  times 
brought  him  into  office.  In  1888  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island 
from  Pawtucket,  serving  on  several  special  commit- 
tees. In  the  same  year  he  was  a  presidential  elector. 
The  Republican  party  has  always  received  his  whole 
hearted  support,  and  in  1892  he  became  a  member  of 
the  advisory  committee  of  the  National  Republican 
Committee,  serving  through  three  administrations.  He 
was  tendered  the  nomination  for  Lieutenant-Governor 
of  his  State  in  i8gi,  but  declined  to  become  a  candi- 
date. From  the  time  of  his  army  experience  in  the 
West  he  has  been  conspicuously  identified  with  mili- 
tary affairs.  From  1872  to  1875  he  was  commander  of 
the  military  organization  known  as  the  Tower  Light 
Battery,  held  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel  in  the 
Rhode  Island  militia,  and  commanded  the  battalion  of 
light  artillery  until  it  was  disbanded  in  accordance  with 
the  Revised  State  militia  law.  In  189,^  he  represented 
Rhode  Island  at  the  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago, 
in  the  capacity  of  national  commissioner. 

There  is  no  branch  of  social  service  or  philanthropy 
in  Rhode  Island  that  has  not  known  Mr.  Goff's  gener- 
ous spirit  and  concern.  His  views  on  work  among 
juvenile  citizens  are  particularly  advanced  and  strongly 
formed.  In  1890  he  organized  a  boys'  club  for  the 
working  boys  and  newsboys  of  Pawtucket,  its  purpose 
the  provision  of  a  healthful,  inspiring  environment  and 
the  supplying  of  opportunities  for  their  mental,  physi- 
cal and  moral  development.  From  the  start  the  club 
met  with  favor  among  the  boys  for  whom  it  was 
founded,  and  in  1901  Mr.  Goff  purchased  the  Morton 
estate  on  East  avenue,  where  a  handsome  four-story 
building  was  erected  for  the  use  of  the  club.  This 
building,  186  x  58  feet,  has  excellent  physical  equip- 
ment and  many  entertainment  features,  including  a 
large  swimming  pool,  shower  baths,  gymnasium,  two 
bowling  alleys,  a  large  auditorium,  a  library  and  class 
rooms.  It  was  erected  by  Mr.  Goff  as  a  memorial  to 
his  son,  and  when  completed  was  deeded  to  the  Paw- 
tucket Boys'  Club,  a  corporation  under  the  laws  of 
Rhode  Island.  He  advocates  natural  methods,  high 
minded  companionships  and  absolute  tolerance  to 
bring  out  qualities  of  appreciation,  self  reliance  and 
manhood,  and  is  an  ardent  believer  in  vocational  train- 
ing. On  his  seventieth  birthday  he  increased  his 
munificent  gifts  to  the  club  by  an  endowment  of 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars. 

He  has  always  taken  a  prominent  part  in  Pawtucket 


542 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


affairs,  with  public-spirited  and  unselfish  motive. 
One  of  his  gifts  to  the  city  was  a  large  tract  of  land 
valued  at  thirty  thousand  dollars,  to  be  used  as  a  play- 
ground. Movements  of  progress  and  development  have 
had  him  constantly  in  the  foreground  He  opposed, 
single  handed,  the  projected  changes  of  the  New 
York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad  through  Paw- 
tucket,  and  after  long  discussion  and  conflict  prac- 
tically demonstrated  to  the  engineers  in  charge  and  to 
the  public  that  the  proposed  changes  would  be  a  seri- 
ous detriment  to  the  future  development  of  the  city. 
While  president  of  the  Business  Men"?  Association  of 
Pawtucket  he  advocated  many  changes  in  the  planning 
of  the  city  that  in  years  to  come  would  be  of  large 
benefit  to  its  citizens.  He  has  experienced,  as  have 
many  men  of  vision,  convictions  and  courage,  the  criti- 
cism and  belittlement  of  those  who  lack  foresight  and 
enterprise.  Vindication,  often  slow,  is  in  many  cases, 
already  complete,  and  those  who  are  privileged  to 
know  intimately  Mr,  Goff's  hopes  and  plans  for  the 
various  enterprises  he  has  fostered  know  that  behind 
them  there  is  a  broad,  generous  purpose.  Throughout 
the  period  of  the  war  Mr.  Goff,  with  the  other  leading 
citizens  of  Rhode  Island,  gave  every  possible  service 
to  the  success  of  the  Liberty  and  Victory  loans  and  the 
complete  realization  of  the  aims  of  the  different  relief 
and  social  service  organizations. 

Mr.  Goff  married,  December  14,  1864,  Almira 
Wheaton,  a  daughter  of  Jesse  Smith  and  Elizabeth 
Viall  (Merry)  Thornton,  old  and  highly  respected  res- 
idents of  Pawtucket.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goff  two  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  as  follows:  I.  Lyman  Thorn- 
ton, born  March  26,  1868,  died  June  6,  1900;  married 
Daisey  B.  Graves,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Graves,  of 
Orange,  N.  J.;  Lyman  Thornton  Goff  had  already 
displayed  the  unusual  business  talents  which  are  so 
marked  a  characteristic  of  his  family,  and  occupied  the 
position  of  treasurer  in  the  corporation  of  D.  Goff  & 
Sons.  2.  Elizabeth  Lee,  who  married,  Oct.  17,  1905, 
Kenneth  Foster  Wood,  an  officer  of  the  Sayles  Bleach- 
eries  of  Pawtucket;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  are  the  par- 
ents of  two  children:  Eleanor  Thornton,  born  Sept. 
4,  1906,  and  Ruth  Goff,  born  April  12,  191 1. 


THOMAS  LITTLE— In  i8.?7  Thomas  Little  first 
saw  the  liuht  of  day,  his  birthplace  Cumberland,  Eng- 
land, but  in  1841  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  the 
United  States,  they  locating  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  the 
after  life  of  Thomas  Little  having  since  been  spent  in 
Rhode  Island.  He  belongs  to  that  army  of  shipbuilders 
who  saw  the  glory  of  their  craft  depart  when  steel  su- 
perseded wood  as  shipbuilding  material.  He  was  one  of 
the  ship  carpenters  employed  in  the  construction  of  the 
"Ida  McCIoud,"  the  last  large  vessel  built  at  the  Cran- 
dall  shipyard  at  Fox  Point.  That  launching  closed 
the  career  of  the  yard  as  a  factor  in  shipbuilding  and 
the  career  of  Mr.  Little  as  a  ship  carpenter.  That  the 
business  has  now  had  a  glorious  resurrection  and  the 
wooden  vessel  again  sought  for  as  a  cargo  carrier  is  a 
matter  of  rejoicing,  and  the  olden  tiine  shipbuilding, 
with  the  allied  trades,  will  again  bring  prosperity  to 
localities  long  a  stranger  to  business  activity. 

Thomas  Little  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth 
(Banford)   Little,  of  Cumberland,  England,  who  there 


lived  until  1841,  then  came  to  the  United  States,  lo- 
cating in  Providence.  He  obtained  work  in  a  Provi- 
dence  shipyard,  but  later  moved  to  Warren,  R.  L, 
working  in  the  shipyard  there,  going  thence  to  New- 
port, and  there  working  at  the  same  trade  until  his 
death  about  1850.  About  1858  his  widow  returned  with 
her  children  to  Providence,  there  residing  until  her 
death,  in  1864.  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Banford)  Lit- 
tle were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  seven  of 
whom  accompanied  their  parents  from  England:  Rob- 
ert, born  1825,  died  young;  Ann,  born  1827;  Wil- 
liam, born  1832,  died  in  1859;  Robert  B.,  born  1833, 
died  1906,  owner  of  the  R.  B.  Little  Coal  Company; 
Christopher,  died  young;  Margaret  Ann,  born  1835, 
married  James  Patterson,  and  left  a  son,  Henry  Pat- 
terson; Thomas  (2),  of  further  mention;  Christopher, 
born  1839,  died  in  1906;  John  S.,  born  in  1842;  Jo- 
seph, iborn  1845.  Others  died  in  youth,  and  now  all 
are  deceased,  save  one  son,  Thomas  (2)  Little,  whose 
long  and  useful  life  is  herein  traced.  He  is  now  an 
octogenarian  and  reviews  an  active,  busy  life  from 
boyhood,  and  in  his  progress  through  life  has  met 
every  responsibility  nobly,  his  name  being  one  enrolled 
among  the  brave  defenders  of  the  flag,  1862-1863,  and 
on  the  rolls  of  the  fire  department  there  is  a  record 
of  twenty-seven  years'  service  as  volunteer  and  em- 
ployed fireman. 

Thomas  (2)  Little  attended  Providence  public 
schools  and  began  life  a  factory  worker,  later,  and 
for  three  years,  working  on  a  farm.  He  then  joined 
his  family  in  Newport,  and  there  learned  the  ship  car- 
penter's trade  with  the  Cyrus  Cottrell  Company,  serv- 
ing three  years.  In  1858  he  returned  to  Providence 
with  his  widowed  mother  and  family,  and  there  se- 
cured employment  at  the  Crandall  shipyard  at  Fox 
Point.  With  the  completion  of  the  vessel  "Ida  Mc- 
CIoud," he  retired  from  shipbuilding  and  began  work- 
ing as  a  house  carpenter.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the 
Eleventh  Regiment,  Rhode  Island  Infantry,  and  during 
the  one  vear  and  ten  days  of  service  saw  active  service 
at  Mine'r's  Hill,  Camp  Metcalf,  Suffolk,  Va.,  Black- 
v.ater,  and  Yorktown.  He  was  honorably  discharged 
July  6,  1863. 

Upon  his  return  from  the  army  Mr.  Little  secured 
employment  with  the  Henry  C.  Clarke  Coal  Company 
of  Providence,  beginning  as  an  ordinary  workman,  and 
rising  through  various  promotions  until  he  became 
manager  of  the  yards,  continuing  with  that  company 
for  twenty-seven  years.  Mr.  Little's  service  as  a  fire- 
man began  under  the  volunteer  system,  and  continued 
as  a  paid  fireinan  under  the  call  system,  until  he  had 
completed  a  term  covering  a  period  of  twenty-seven 
years  in  all.  He  also  served  the  city  as  harbor  inspec- 
tor for  a  time,  and  only  when  the  years  grew  heavy 
did  he  retire  from  active  participation  in  business  and 
public  affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  Eagle  Lodge,  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows:  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic;  and  a  communicant  of 
the   Protestant   Episcopal   church. 

Mr.  Little  married  (first)  in  i860,  in  Providence, 
Abbie  A.  Clark,  of  Providence.  He  married  (second)  in 
1874,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ann  Roxborough  Howe,  of  Provi- 
dence, a  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Ann  (Hayes) 
Roxborough,  born  in  England,  her  father  an  engraver 


1/yW«^<^    /%    /^^Z^^^^Ori.^^^-^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


543 


and  jeweler,  connected  with  the  engraving  department  of 
the  Peirce  Company,  of  Providence,  and  later  a  resident 
of  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Mr.  Little  has  no  children  by  cither 
marriage,  but  Mrs.  Little,  who  was  a  widow  at  the 
time  of  her  marriage,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ann  (Roxbor- 
ough)  Howe,  had  a  son,  Frank  Warren  Howe,  audi- 
tor of  the  Eastern  Coal  Company.  He  married  Minnie 
Vaslet,  of  Central  Falls.  R.  L,  they  the  parents  of: 
r-'rank  Warren  (2)  Howe,  who  served  with  the  Ameri- 
can Expeditionary  Forces  in  France,  and  Vaslet  L. 
Howe,  a  high  school  student. 


NATHAN  WILLIAM  WHIPPLE,  JR.,  a  suc- 
cessful grain  dealer  of  .'\rnold  Mills,  R.  L,  and  a  well 
known  and  influential  citizen  of  this  place,  is  a  native 
of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  where  his  birth  occurred  October 
2,  1880.  Mr.  Whipple  is  a  son  of  Nathan  William  and 
Lavina  Cartee  (Mason)  Whipple,  the  former  for 
many  years  a  large  wholesale  commission  merchant  of 
Pawtucket,  who  is  now  retired  from  business,  and  the 
latter  deceased. 

The  education  of  Nathan  W.  Whipple,  Jr.,  was 
secured  at  the  local  public  schools  of  his  native  city, 
his  graduation  from  the  Pawtucket  High  School  taking 
place  in  1898.  and  the  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business 
College  of  Providence,  where  he  graduated  in  the 
commercial  course.  Upon  completing  these  studies 
he  began  work  for  his  father  in  the  latter's  wholesale 
house,  but  after  remaining  there  for  a  short  time, 
went  to  New  York  City,  where  he  worked  for  three 
years  in  a  similar  establishment.  At  the  end  of  that 
period,  however,  Mr.  Whipple's  health  gave  out  and 
he  came  to  this  State  and  settled  at  Arnold  Mills,  in 
1908.  For  three  or  four  years  he  did  not  engage  in 
any  active  work,  but  devoted  himself  entirely  to  re- 
gaining his  health,  an  accomplishment  in  which  he 
was  entirely  successful.  In  1912,  he  purchased  the 
grain  business  of  N.  D.  McKenzie,  at  .Arnold  Mills, 
which  is  located  in  a  building  of  probably  one  of  the 
oldest  machine  shops  in  Rhode  Island.  He  has  con- 
tinued in  this  line  up  to  the  present  time,  selling  the 
product  of  his  establishment  throughout  a  wide  region 
of  country.  He  has  in  the  meantime  largely  increased 
the  original  mill,  and  owns  all  the  water-rights,  etc., 
necessary  for  the  carrying  on  of  his  extensive  opera- 
tions. He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  has  never 
been  ambitious  for  public  office,  and  contents  him- 
self with  the  conscientious  discharge  of  all  his  duties 
as  a  citizen. 

Nathan  William  Whipple,  Jr.,  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, June  .^o,  1917.  at  Valley  Falls,  with  Louise  A. 
Clark,  of  Valley  Falls,  a  daughter  of  John  F.  and 
Carrie  (Jenckes)   Clark,  of  that  place. 


JAMES  H.  HURLEY— Honored  and  respected  by 
all.  there  are  few  men  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  who  occupy 
a  more  enviable  position  than  James  H.  Hurley  in  real 
estate  and  business  circles  throughout  New  England, 
not  alone  on  account  of  the  success  he  has  achieved, 
but  also  on  account  of  the  honorable,  straightforward 
business  policy  he  has  ever  followed.  He  possesses 
untiring  energy,  is  quick  of  perception,  forms  his  plans 
readily  and  is  determined  in  their  execution,  and  his 
c!ose   application   to   business   and   his   excellent   man- 


agement have  brought  to  him  the  high  degree  of  pros- 
perity which  he  enjoys  at  the  present  time. 

James  H.  Hurley  is  a  native  of  Providence,  R.  I., 
born  December  24,  1858,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Dona- 
hue) Hurley.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Prov- 
idence, and  at  the  early  age  of  thirteen  secured  his 
first  "job"  as  cash  boy,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
for  only  one  week,  having  secured  a  better  position 
with  David  A.  Waldon,  who  was  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  business.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Waldon  for 
one  year,  and  during  this  period,  being  anxious  to 
improve  along  educational  lines,  he  attended  night 
school.  His  next  employment  was  in  the  stationery 
store  of  .Arthur  C.  Townsend.  but  at  the  expiration  of 
nine  months  the  business  failed,  and  James  H.  Hurley 
then  took  charge  of  the  various  newspaper  routes  as- 
sociated with  the  same,  making  the  deliveries.  This 
position  demanded  his  time  from  4  A.  M.  to  7  A.  M.. 
and  from  that  time  until  evening  he  continued  his  serv- 
ices with  Mr.  Townseiid's  successor,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  three  years.  He  then  became  associated 
with  John  W.  Butts,  in  tile  gentleinen's  furnishing 
business,  serving  ten  years  as  salesman  and  later  be- 
coming buyer.  Subsequently  he  became  a  partner  in 
the  concern,  the  name  of  which  was  then  changed  to 
J.  H.  Hurley  &  Company,  and  this  partnership  con- 
tinued for  three  years.  The  following  five  years  he 
spent  as  buyer  for  the  gentlemen's  furnishing  depart- 
ment of  Jerome  B.  Kennedy's  stores  in  Providence, 
Pawtucket  and  Woonsockct.  Later  Mr.  Hurley  be- 
came associated  with  G.  T.  and  H.  J.  Gross  in  the 
insurance  and  real  estate  business,  and  at  the  present 
time  the  firm  is  the  largest  real  estate  and  insurance 
operators  in  Rhode  Island,  and  one  of  the  largest  in 
New  England.  Mr.  Hurley  has  for  many  years  been 
manager  of  the  real  estate  department,  his  judgment 
and  instinct  being  active  factors  in  its  wonderful 
growth  and  tlevelopment.  Mr.  Hurley  does  not  con- 
tine  his  activities  to  one  particular  line,  but  handles 
large  manufacturing  plants,  estates,  surburban  plots, 
etc.,  the  wide  scope  of  his  business  being  clearly 
shown  in  the  fact  that  his  transactions  cover  the  entire 
New  England  states  and  extends  as  far  West  as 
Chicago.  Mr.  Hurley's  opinions  are  accepted  as  au- 
thority in  real  estate  values,  and  his  services  are  in 
continual  demand  throughout  various  sections  of  the 
country.  He  is  a  member  and  expresident  of  the 
Providence  Real  Estate  Exchange;  member  and  di- 
rector of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce;  member  of  the 
Rhode  Island  School  of  Design,  Providence  .Athen- 
aeum, and  of  the  following  clubs:  Turk's  Head,  Eco- 
nomic, Catholic,  of  Providence:  and  of  the  Metacomet 
Golf  Club,  of  Barrington.  He  is  a  member  of  St. 
Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  active  and  interested  in  all  things  pertaining  to 
the  welfare  of  his  city  and  State. 

Mr.  Hurley  married,  January  8.  1901,  Margaret  L. 
Bannigan,  of  Providence,  and  they  have  one  child, 
James  Bannigan,  born  June  25,  1907. 


PETER  BANNON— Long  life  was  granted  Peter 
Bannon,  and  at  his  passing  away,  in  1918,  he  was  one 
of  the  oldest  citizens  of  Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  was 
prominent  in  business  life  and  highly  esteemed  among 


544 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


business  men.  The  same  sterling  characteristics  which 
he  displayed  in  business  and  which  won  for  him  many 
lasting  friendships  were  displayed  in  his  social  life; 
all  who  came  to  know  him  felt  for  him  a  warm  regard. 
He  was  a  son  of  John  and  Catherine  Bannon,  of  Paw- 
tucket,  R.  I. 

Peter  Bannon  was  born  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  May  4, 
1852,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  He 
began  his  business  career  as  an  employee  of  the  Sayles 
Bleacheries,  and  for  half  a  century  was  with  that  cor- 
poration, never  knowing  any  other  employer.  For 
the  thirty  years  preceding  his  death,  August  I,  1918, 
he  was  foreman  of  the  finishing  department.  He  was 
held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  the  officials  of  the  cor- 
poration, while  those  over  whom  he  had  control  as 
foreman  held  him  in  high  esteem  and  regarded  him 
always  as  their  friend.  He  was  also  a  director  of  the 
Standard  Nut  &  Bolt  Company,  of  Valley  Falls,  and 
was  associated  with  his  nephews  in  the  ownership  and 
management  of  the  Mansfield  Bleacheries,  and  a 
director. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bannon  was  a  Democrat,  but  took 
no  active  interest  in  local  politics.  He  served  on  the 
Democratic  Committee  of  Central  Falls  during  the 
term  that  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  .-Mdermen, 
but  he  was  a  man  of  quiet,  home-loving  tastes  and 
cared  little  for  public  life.  He  was  a  life-long  com- 
municant and  trustee  of  Holy  Trinity  Roman  Catholic 
Church;  member  of  the  Holy  Name  Society;  director 
of  Holy  Trinity  Catholic  Club,  and  Delaney  Council, 
Knights  of  Columbus.  He  was  laid  at  rest  in  St. 
Francis  Cemetery,   Pawtucket,   R.   I. 

Mr.  Bannon  married,  June  24,  1896,  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  .'\nnie  M.  Burns,  daughter  of  John  and  Annie 
(McEntee)   Burns,  of  Providence. 


JOHN  BURNS,  father  of  Mrs.  Annie  M.  (Bums) 
Bannon,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  March  28,  1904,  was 
the  oldest  and  one  of  the  best  known  monumental 
stone  dealers  in  the  State.  He  was  born  in  County 
Armagh.  Ireland,  in  1834,  and  in  1842  was  brought 
to  the  United  States  by  his  parents.  The  family  set- 
tled in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  there  the  lad,  John, 
attended  school  until  fifteen  years  of  age.  In  1849 
his  parents  moved  to  Boston,  Mass.,  and  there  he  fin- 
ished his  school  years  and  learned  the  monumental 
stone  cutter's  trade.  In  1858  he  returned  to  Provi- 
dence and  started  in  business  for  himself  at  North 
Main  street,  the  Furlong  building  now  covering  the 
site  of  his  first  stoneyard.  He  was  very  successful  in 
his  business  and  about  1889  moved  his  yard  and  shops 
to  a  site  opposite  the  North  Burial  Ground,  where 
he  continued  until  his  death,  most  successfully. 

John  Burns,  in  his  younger  days,  had  quite  a  local 
reputation  as  a  poet  and  many  of  his  poems  were  pub- 
lished in  the  newspapers,  one  of  his  best  and  most 
widely  known  poems  was  written  upon  the  death  of  his 
friend.  Major  Thomas  A.  Doyle.  .Mthough  some  years 
prior  to  his  death  he  was  prominent  in  the  Equal 
Rights  party,  he  cared  little  for  public  life,  much  pre- 
ferring the  quiet  of  his  home.  He  was  widely  known 
and  had  a  very  large  circle  of  friends.  Mr.  Burns  was 
a  nephew  of  old  John   Burns,  hero  of  Gettysburg,  to 


whose  memory  Pennsylvania  has  erected  a  handsome 
statue,  located  where  the  One  Hundred  Fiftieth  fought. 
Mr.  Burns  married,  in  Providence,  in  1858,  .'\nnie 
McEntee,  born  in  County  Cavan,  Ireland.  She  died 
in  Providence,  R.  I.,  May  15,  1907.  They  were  the 
parents  of  three  children,  all  born  in  Providence: 
John  Burns,  Jr.,  and  Robert  Emmett  Burns,  their 
father's  successors  in  business;  and  .Annie  M.,  who 
married  Peter  Bannon,  whom  she  survives,  her  home 
at  the  Bannon  homestead.  No.  998  Lonsdale  avenue. 
Central  Falls,  R.  I. 


LEANDER     FERDINAND     PEASE— Prominent 

among  sailmakers  and  ship  owners  of  a  generation 
past  was  Leander  Ferdinand  Pease,  at  one  time  con- 
sidered the  holder  of  interests  in  more  different  ves- 
sels than  any  other  Rhode  Island  man,  and  the  founder 
of  the  L.  F.  Pease  Company,  Inc.  Mr.  Pease  was  a 
son  of  Abisha  and  Phebe  Crowell  (Swift)  Pease,  his 
father  born  at  Martha's  Vineyard,  Mass.,  in  January, 
iSio,  his  mother  born  in  Falmouth,  Mass.,  in  1812. 
Abisha  Pease  was  a  ship's  cooper,  following  his  call- 
ing in  Fairhaven,   Mass. 

Leander  Ferdinand  Pease  was  born  in  Fairhaven, 
Mass..  .August  15,  1835,  and  died  in  Providence,  R.  I., 
June  8,  1915.  He  attended  the  schools  of  his  birth- 
place, and  at  an  early  age  became  apprenticed  to 
the  sailmaker's  trade  at  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  just 
across  the  river  from  his  home.  He  made  the  journey 
twice  daily.  His  trade  was  then  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant in  New  England,  and  at  that  time  New  Bed- 
ford was  the  home  port  of  the  largest  whaling  fleet  in 
the  world,  so  that  ship  outfitting,  in  all  departments, 
was  a  thriving  business.  Upon  the  completion  of  a 
seven  years'  apprenticeship  he  followed  his  trade  in 
some  of  the  larger  seaport  cities  of  the  East,  and  upon 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  went  to  Washington. 
D.  C,  where  he  occupied  an  important  position  in 
naval  circles  in  the  outfitting  of  war  vessels,  later 
serving  in  the  quartermaster  department  of  the  army. 
In  1866,  when  relieved  from  his  duties  in  the  gov- 
ernment service,  he  became  a  partner  in  a  sailmaking 
house  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  in  1901  he  founded  the 
L.  F.  Pease  Company,  Inc.,  of  which  he  was  president 
until  his  death.  Throughout  his  long  period  he  was 
very  influential  in  Providence  shipping  circles,  and  was 
one  of  the  principal  organizers  and  owners  of  the 
company  to  build  the  first  floating  dry  dock  in  Provi- 
dence. He  was  widely  known  throughout  New  Eng- 
land shipping  circles,  and  was  held  in  universal  high 
regard. 

Mr.  Pease  was  an  honorary  member  of  the  Provi- 
dence Marine  Society,  the  Providence  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  and  his  clubs  were:  The  Gaspee,  Union, 
and  Squantum,  of  which  he  was  a  charter  member. 
His  fraternal  order  was  the  Masonic,  and  he  was  a 
member  of  Mount  \'ernon  Lodge.  No.  4,  Free  and 
-Accepted  Masons;  Providence  Chapter,  No.  i.  Royal 
Arch  Masons;  Providence  Council,  Royal  and  Select 
Masters;  and  St.  John's  Commandery,  No.  i.  Knights 
Templar,  of  Providence.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Masonic  Veteran  Association,  and  a 
communicant  of  the   Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


545 


Mr.  Pease  married,  at  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  in  1856, 
Lydia  Amanda  Lake,  born  in  Little  Compton,  R.  L, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of:  Emerson  Earl,  born 
Feb;  7,  1861:  Lillie  Maria  (Pease)  Bowe,  born  Oct. 
25.  1843;  anti  Christopher  Dyer,  born  May  18,  1867,  all 
bom  in   Fall   River,   Mass. 


ALBERT  EDWARD  THORNLEY— Althout;h  a 
young  man,  Mr.  Thornley  has  risen  rapidly  in  rank  in 
the  business  world,  having  been  made  superintendent 
of  the  Narragansett  Machine  Company  shortly  after 
reaching  his  thirtieth  birthday.  He  is  a  graduate  of 
the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology.  He  is  a 
son  of  Albert  J.  and  Alice  J.  Thornley,  his  father  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  Narragansett  Machine  Company. 

Albert  E.  Thornley  was  bom  in  Providence,  R.  L, 
November  25,  1886.  The  family  moved  to  Pawtuckct 
in  1890,  and  he  there  completed  grammar  and  high 
school  study.  He  then  entered  the  Massachu- 
setts Institute  of  Technology,  whence  he  was  gradu- 
ated Bachelor  of  Science,  class  of  1909.  He  at  once 
began  his  business  career  as  a  manufacturer,  receiv- 
ing as  his  first  appointment  the  position  of  assistant 
superintendent  of  the  Narragansett  Machine  Com- 
pany of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.  He  officially  filled  that  posi- 
tion for  eight  years,  and  in  191 7  was  advanced  to  the 
superintendency,  his  present  position.  Mr.  Thornley 
is  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  Business  Men's  Asso- 
ciation, Pawtucket  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Providence 
Engineering  Societj',  the  Churchmen's  Club,  of  Provi- 
dence, and  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church  of  Pawtucket. 
In  politics   he  is  an   Independent. 

On  June  26,  1912,  at  Pawtucket,  Mr.  Thornley  mar- 
ried .f^nnie  Esther  Burnside,  daughter  of  Robert  O. 
and  .'\nnie  Burnside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thornley  are  the 
parents  of  two  children:  .'Mbert  Edward,  Jr.,  born 
April  14,  1913;  and  Ann  Elizabeth,  born  July  25, 
1918. 


PHILEAS  DESMARAIS.  M.  D.— Among  the 
prominent  physicians  01  Harrisville,  R.  I.,  a  conspicuous 
figure  is  Phileas  Desmarais,  who  has  been  most  success- 
fully engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  at  this  place 
for  the  past  nineteen  years.  Dr.  Desmarais  is  a  native 
of  Marlboro,  Mass.,  where  his  death  occurred,  Octo- 
ber 12,  1873.  The  early  life  of  Dr.  Desmarais  was 
passed  at  his  native  place  and  he  there  attended  the 
public  schools.  Later,  having  determined  upon  the 
medical  profession  as  a  career,  and  with  this  end  in 
view,  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  Laval 
University,  at  Quebec.  Here  he  studied  to  such  good 
purpose  that  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1899, 
receiving  at  the  same  time  his  degree  in  medicine. 
During  the  time  that  he  was  studying  at  Laval  Univer- 
sity, Mr.  Desmarais  also  worked  as  an  interne  in  the 
hospitals  of  Quebec,  and  there  gained  the  necessary 
practical  experience,  in  addition  to  his  theoretical 
acquirements.  After  graduation,  Dr.  Desmarais  re- 
turned to  his  home  at  Marlboro,  Mass.,  and  there  prac- 
ticed his  profession  for  about  one  year.  In  igoo,  how- 
ever, he  came  to  Harrisville,  and  since  that  time  has 
been  engaged  successfully  in  practice  here.  He  has 
developed  a   large  and   high  class  clientele,  and   is  at 

R  I-2-J5 


the  present  time  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  leaders 
of  his  profession  here. 

Dr.  Desmarais,  in  addition  to  his  professional  activ- 
ities, has  been  a  prominent  participant  in  the  general 
life  of  this  community,  and  is  afliliated  with  a  large 
number  of  important  organizations  here.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  French  Medical  Society,  and  has  done 
much  in  this  capacity  to  advance  the  interests  of  his 
profession  in  this  region  of  the  State.  In  politics 
Dr.  Desmarais  is  an  independent  voter,  refusing  to 
affiliate  himself  with  any  of  the  formal  parties,  but 
exercising  his  own  judgment  in  the  matter  of  all  pub- 
lic issues  and  the  choice  of  candidates.  In  his  reli- 
gious belief  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  attends  the 
church  of  this  denomination  at  Harrisville.  Dr.  Des- 
marais is  unmarried,  but  his  sister,  Emma,  resides 
with  him  and  keeps  house  for  him. 


JAMES  HANLEY.  late  of  the  city  of  Providence, 
was  one  of  Rhode  Island's  highly  esteemed  and  well 
known  citizens.  He  was  a  distinctive  figure  in  busi- 
ness and  financial  circles  and  known  for  his  public 
spirit  and  his  interest  in  all  civic  questions.  His  tire- 
less efforts  as  a  business  man  and  close  application  to 
affairs  was  rewarded  with  material  independence,  but 
above  that  he  attained  a  standing  of  high  repute  and 
was  esteemed  by  all  those  who  knew  him. 

The  brief  review  contained  herein  is  the  story  of  a 
success  won  from  unpromising  beginnings  to  a  position 
of  responsibility  and  leading  station,  attained  through 
undeniable  personal  attributes  of  courage  and  upright- 
ness. 

James  Hanley  was  born  in  the  town  of  Roscommon, 
County  Roscommon,  Ireland,  September  7,  1841,  and 
died  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  August  31,  1912.  His 
parents  came  to  this  country  when  he  was  a  small 
boy,  and  located  in  Providence,  where  he  obtained 
his  education.  He  worked  at  whatever  occupation 
offered  until  he  waii  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he 
became  an  inn-keeper  on  one  of  the  main  streets  of 
Providence,  continuing  for  fourteen  years.  In  1876, 
in  partnership  with  John  P.  Cooney,  he  established  a 
brewing  business  in  the  old  Holmes  brewery  on  Jack- 
son street,  the  present  site  of  the  plant  of  the  James 
Hanley  Brewing  Company.  He  operated  this  plant 
as  the  Rhode  Island  Brewery  until  i8gi,  Mr.  Cooney 
withdrawing  from  the  partnership  after  the  first  two 
years.  At  the  end  of  this  time  the  James  Hanley 
Brewing  Company  was  organized.  Mr.  Hanley  was 
elected  president  and  treasurer,  and  in  the  same  year 
he  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  organization  of  the 
Providence  Brewing  Company,  of  which  he  was  also 
president  and  treasurer  until  his  death.  The  James 
Hanley  Brewing  Company  is  a  firmly  founded  organi- 
zation, showing  in  every  department  the  initiative  and 
foresight  of  its  organizer,  who  directed  its  large  affairs 
until  death  claimed  him.  Mr.  Hanley  was  identified 
with  numerous  other  business,  commercial,  and  finan- 
cial institutions,  among  them  the  National  Exchange 
Bank,  of  which  he  was  a  director. 

Mr.  Hanley  was  unusually  fond  of  thoroughbred 
horses  and  owned  some  of  the  finest  stock  in  the 
country.  He  was  a  director  of  Narragansett  Park, 
which  was  one  of  the  famous  tracks  of- the  country  at 


546 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


the  time,  and  a  number  of  Mr.  Hanley's  horses  were 
often  entered.  Prince  Alert,  one  of  the  best  known 
pacers  of  the  day,  belonged  to  him,  and  he  found  no 
greater  enjoyment  than  in  watching  the  development 
of  some  high-blooded  horse  which  he  had  raised  from 
a  colt.  In  his  business  he  used  the  best  draught 
animals  obtainable,  and  the  teams  of  six  and  twelve 
horses  which  were  championed  by  his  eldest  son  at 
various  exhibitions  took  many  blue  ribbons.  At  the 
International  Stock  Show  at  Chicago,  where  they  were 
in  competition  with  the  owners  of  draught  horses  such 
as  Armour,  Swift,  Nelson  Morris,  and  others,  as  well 
as  many  foreign  owners  from  Belgium,  England, 
France,  and  elsewhere,  they  were  successful  contend- 
ers. These  teams  were  known  as  the  "World's  Best." 
and  Providence  and  surrounding  towns  will  long  re- 
member these  handsome,  deep-chested,  powerful  ani- 
mals, which,  with  their  glistening  harness  and  con- 
veyances, represented  in  themselves  a  fair-sized  for- 
tune. 

Mr.  Hanley  took  a  deep  interest  in  everything  affect- 
ing the  welfare  of  his  community,  and  was  found  on 
the  side  of  progress  and  improvement  in  all  civic 
matters.  He  was  the  possessor  of  a  host  of  friends, 
to  whom  was  revealed  the  generosity  of  his  nature 
and  his  unchanging  loyalty.  His  death  certainly  was  a 
shock  to  all  those  who  knew  him.  At  a  directors' 
meeting  of  the  National  Exchange  Bank  the  follow- 
ing resolutions   were  passed: 

IN  MEMORIAM. 
JAMES  HANLEY. 

James  Hanley,  a  Director  of  the  National  Exchange 
Bank,  beloved  by  his  friends  and  respected  by  all  who 
knew  his  sterling  qualities,  died  August  31.   1912. 

He  came  to  Providence  sixty-six  years  ago,  the  son 
of  an  emigrant,  and  lived  his  life  here.  His  early  boy- 
hood knew  the  hardships  of  toil,  and  little  of  the 
school,  but  he  had  the  gift  of  clear  thinking  and  an 
ambition  to  know,  and  as  he  grew  in  years,  knowledge 
of  men  and  books  and  things  came,  and  with  it  a 
broadness  of  character  and  a  business  ability  of  wide 
and   successful   range. 

His  experience  as  an  investor  and  his  familiarity 
with  values  were  acquirements  quickly  recognized  by 
his  associates  and  made  his  judgment  of  supreme  value 
to  the   bank. 

In  manner  Mr.  Hanley  was  reserved  but  cordial,  and 
his  relation  with  the  members  of  the  Board  were 
always  marked  by  a  quiet  dignity  and  a  rare,  old- 
fashioned  courtesy. 

His  purse  was  ever  open  for  charity,  and  his  heart 
true  to  his  friends,  who  will  long  remember  him.  as 
will  his  fellow  directors,  who  knew  his  worth  and 
appreciated  it. 

The  Board  directs  that  the  foregoing  tribute  to  Mr. 
Hanley's    memory    be    spread   upon    the    records    of    the  ■ 
bank  and  a  copy  thereof  be  sent  to  his  familv. 

MICHAEL  P.  DOOLBY,  President. 

September  third.  Nineteen  hundred  and  twelve. 

Mr.  Hanley  married  Martha  Josephine  Cummings, 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Ann  (Cavanagh")  Cum- 
mings. She  died  in  Providence,  in  igio.  Children: 
Mary  G.,  who  married  T.  L.  O'Connor,  oi  Providence; 
Martha  J.,  who  married  J.  W.  Mc.Auliffe,  of  New 
York  City;  Abigail,  who  married  George  C.  Demp- 
sey,  of  Boston,  Mass.;  Clara  T.,  who  resides  at  the 
home  of  her  late  father;  Walter  H.,  who  is  president 
of  the  James  Hanley  Company,  of  Providence;  Ethel 
G.,  who  died  young;  Gerald  T.,  who  was  a  major 
during  the  World  War,  now  vice-president  of  the  James 
Hanley  Brewing  Company,  and  the  Providence  Brewing 
Company. 


J.  H.  DUBUQUE — .\mong  the  large  agricultural 
population  of  Rhode  Island,  none  are  more  thrifty  and 
successful  in  their  farming  operations  than  is  that 
large  group  of  French-Canadians  who  have  come  to 
this  State  at  various  periods  and  now  form  so  highly 
valued  an  element  in  the  community.  An  e.xceileiit 
type  of  this  capable  people  is  Joseph  Hermisdas 
Dubuque,  whose  farm  at  Valley  Falls  is  regarded  as 
being  one  of  the  models  of  its  kind  in  this  section  of 
the  country. 

Mr.  Dubuque  was  born  on  a  farm  in  the  Province 
of  Quebec,  Canada,  June  12,  1861,  a  son  of  Charle.' 
and  Mary  (Fontain)  Dubuque,  old  and  highly  re 
spected  residents  of  that  region,  where  his  father 
was  also  a  farmer.  Joseph  H.  Dubuque  had  but  littk 
opportunity  to  attend  school  in  his  childhood,  but  did  i 
study  for  a  few  years  at  the  local  public  institution. 
At  the  same  time  he  was  learning  farming  by  assist- 
ing his  father  with  the  work  on  the  old  homestead 
place.  This  he  began  at  a  very  early  age,  but  when 
ten  years  old  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Central 
Falls,  in  this  State,  and  here  secured  employment  in 
several  mills,  working  therein  for  twenty-eight  years. 
He  was  a  man  of  aml)itious  and  industrious  habits 
and  saved  up  a  sufficient  sum  to  open  a  barber  shop  in 
that  city.  In  this  venture  he  was  exceedingly  suc- 
cessful and  continued  so  occupied  until  the  year  1909, 
when  he  came  to  Valley  Falls  and  purchased  his  pres- 
ent farm.  This  property  is  an  excellent  one  and  Mr. 
Dubuque  has  greatly  improved  it,  conducting  it  now 
as  a  successful  general  farm  and  dair>-.  Mr.  Dubuque, 
in  addition  to  his  business,  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
general  life  of  this  community,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Red  Men,  of  Central  Falls. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  the  conduct  of  his 
farm  does  not  permit  him  to  take  a  very  active  part  in 
public  affairs.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  and  attends  St.  Patrick's  Church  of  this  de- 
nomination at  Valley  Falls. 

Joseph  Hermisdas  Dubuque  was  united  in  marriage, 
February  13,  1888,  at  Central  Falls,  with  Clara  Monast, 
a  daughter  of  Philbert  and  Flora  (Charpentier)  Mon- 
ast, the  latter  of  whom  is  now  deceased  and  the  former 
retired  from  active  life.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dubuque 
two  children  have  been  born,  as  follows;  Laura,  born 
May  I,  1890,  and  Yvonne,  born  Feb.  3,  1892. 


JOHN  T.  COTTRELL— The  Cottrell  family  of 
Jamestown,  R.  I.,  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  State,  the 
founder,  Nicholas  Cottrell,  being  of  record  in  the  list 
of  inhabitants  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  May  20,  1638.  He 
represented  his  town  in  the  Colonial  Assembly  in  1670, 
and  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Misquamicut  (West- 
erly) Contract.  From  this  ancestor  sprang  an  influen- 
tial family,  including  John  T.  Cottrell  who.  for  many 
years,  was  an  active  business  man  of  Pawtucket,  son  of 
John  Stanton  and  Desire  Pearce   (Northrup)   Cottrell. 

The  line  of  descent  from  Nicholas,  the  founder,  is 
through  his  son,  John  Cottrell,  of  Westerly  and  Kings- 
ton, R.  I.;  his  son,  Nathaniel  Cottrell,  a  farmer  of 
Kingston;  his  son,  Nathaniel  (2)  Cottrell,  |lso  of 
Kingston;  his  son,  Smitli  Cottrell,  born  in  1763,  who 
bought  land  in  Jamestown  and  there  died,  June  17. 
1843.     He  married,   in   1785,   Susannah   Stanton,   born 


3Jol)n  Z.  Cottrrll 


-y   '  ^''^'^Z 


'^.       /^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


547 


October  26,  1765,  died  in  Jamestown,  December  10, 
1846.  They  were  the  parents  of  a  large  family,  includ- 
ing John  Stanton  Cottrell,  born  April  8,  1801,  in  South 
Kingston.  He  moved  to  Jamestown  and  there 
bought  the  Cottrell  farm,  on  it  spending  the  years 
until  his  death,  April  13,  1857.  John  Stanton  Cottrell 
married  Desire  P.  Northrup,  daughter  of  Thurston 
and  Susannah  (Pearce)  Northrup.  They  were  the 
parents  of  three  daughters  and  three  sons:  John  T., 
of  further  mention:  Susan,  married  James  Hamilton 
Clarke:  Frederick  Northrup,  a  farmer  of  Jamestown, 
State  Senator,  and  prominent  in  public  affairs,  died  in 
August.  18S4:  married  Ellen  Tucker;  Mary  Ellen, 
married  Albert  W.  Luther,  whom  .she  survives,  a 
resident  of  Newport.  Two  children,  William  and 
Elizabeth,  died  in  infancy. 

John  T.  Cottrell  was  born  at  South  Kingston,  R.  1., 
August  2,  1S3.?,  died  in  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  December  2, 
1889.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  South 
Kingston,  and  at  Adelphian  Academy  (now  Bridge- 
water,  Mass.),  there  developing  eye  trouble,  which 
compelled  the  abandonment  of  his  plans  for  a  college 
education  and  a  professional  career.  By  professional 
advice  he  withdrew  from  all  study  and  reading,  and 
spent  the  next  few  years  superintending  the  large 
Cottrell  farm  at  Jamestown.  This  life  in  the  open  air 
restored  his  health  and  eyesight,  and  in  1866  he  left 
the  farm  and  opened  a  coal  and  lumber  yard  at  Narra- 
gansett  Pier,  there  remaining  seven  years.  In  1873 
he  sold  his  business  at  the  Pier  and  located  in  Paw- 
tucket, there  continuing  in  the  same  business,  as  a  part- 
ner in  the  firm  of  Joseph  Smith  &  Company,  through 
purchase  of  the  interest  of  Albert  Bliss  from  his 
heirs.  For  about  eight  years,  1873-1881,  Mr.  Cottrell 
continued  a  partner  in  the  coal  and  lumber  firm, 
Joseph  Smith  &  Company,  then  purchased  the  inter- 
ests of  his  partner,  and  as  sole  owner  conducted  the 
business  alone  until  his  death,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  his  sons,  John  S.  Cottrell,  president  and  treasurer 
of  the  John  T.  Cottrell  Company,  incorporated  July  r^, 
1898,  and  Esbon  T.  Cottrell,  secretary. 

Prior  to  his  entrance  into  commercial  life,  Mr.  Cot- 
trell was  deeply  interested  in  public  affairs,  and  repre- 
sented Jamestown  in  the  State  Senate  for  several 
years.  Aher  his  removal  to  Pawtucket  he  gave  him- 
self almost  entirely  to  his  private  business,  serving 
only  on  the  school  committee,  and  resigning  that  office 
after  a  short  term.  He  was  a  member  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church,  and  of  the  Masonic  order,  belonging 
to  Union  Lod,ge,  Free  and  .Accepted  Masons;  Paw- 
tucket Chapter.  Royal  Arch  Masons;  and  Holy  Sepul- 
chre Commandery,  Knights  Templar.  He  was  an  able 
business  man,  upright  and  honorable,  very  quiet  and 
unassuming,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him.  He  died  very  suddenly,  after  an  illness  of  but 
three  days. 

Mr.  Cottrell  married,  February  7,  1864,  Emmeline 
Taylor,  of  South  Kingston.  R.  I.,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  I.  Mary  T.,  mar- 
ried Ferdinand  Bray,  of  Pawtucket.  2.  John  S.,  born 
at  Narragansett  Pier,  Sept.  6,  1868;  educated  in  pri- 
vate, grade  and  high  schools,  and  in  1888  became  his 
father's  associate  in  business.  Upon  the  death  of 
John  T.  Cottrell,  in  1889,  John  S.  was  appointed  trus- 


tee of  the  estate,  continued  the  business,  and  on  July 
14,  1898,  incorporated  as  the  John  T.  Cottrell  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  has  been  president-treasurer  until 
the  present  (1918).  3.  Anna  T.  4.  Emma  D.,  married 
Dr.  F.  A.  Binford,  of  Hyannis,  Mass.  5.  Samuel  C, 
married  Emma  Louise  Hoadley.  6.  Esbon  T.  Cottrell, 
secretary  of  the  John  T.  Cottrell  Company,  of  Paw- 
tucket;   married  Augusta  Brenner  Cohen. 


JOHN  WILLARD  WILLMARTH— The  original 
founder  of  the  well  established  and  highly  reputed  con- 
tracting and  lumber  dealing  company,  Willmarth- 
Mackillop,  Inc.,  was  John  W.  Willmarth,  the  present 
executive  head  of  the  corporation.  He  is  the  fifth  son 
of  Pascal  Ellery  Willmarth,  and  his  wife,  Mary  E. 
Webster,  of  Freetown,  Mass.  Pascal  Ellery  Will- 
marth was  a  son  of  John  Willmarth,  son  of  Nathaniel 
Willmarth,  son  of  John  Wilmot  or  Willmarth,  who 
was  of  Reholjoth,  Mass.,  February  6,  1671.  Pascal 
Ellery  Willmarth  of  the  sixth  generation  died  in  See- 
konk,  March  26,  1864,  his  widow,  Mary  E.  (Webster) 
Willmarth,  surviving  him  thirty  years,  until  .August  7, 
1894,  aged  sixty-seven  years. 

John  W.  Willmarth  was  Iiorn  in  Seekonk,  R.  I.,  De- 
cember 8,  1851,  and  there  attended  the  district  schools 
until  about  twelve  years  of  age.  He  assiste<l  in  the 
farm  work  until  his  seventeenth  year,  and  then  for  one 
year  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  in  the  em|)loy  of 
the  Rumford  Chemical  Works.  Returning  Iiome,  he 
was  for  one  and  a  half  years  engaged  in  farming  and 
carpentering,  and  then  went  to  Pawtucket  with  Bliss 
&  Carpenter,  working  for  two  years,  at  a  wage  of 
one  dollar  a  day.  With  this  firm,  even  while  serving 
his  apprenticeship,  he  was  given  opportunity  for  re- 
sponsibility, entering,  in  1876,  into  partnership  with 
Mr.  Nelson  Carpenter,  his  old  employer.  As  Carpen- 
ter &  Willmarth,  they  conducted  a  building  business 
for  two  years,  their  shop  located  in  the  Joshua  White 
building  on  Dexter  street.  In  1879,  Robert  K.  Mac- 
killop  was  admitted  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Will- 
marth. who  had  purchased  Mr.  Carpenter's  interest 
in  the  business.  Later  a  new  headquarters  for  the 
company,  which  operated  as  Willmarth  &  Mackillop, 
was  built  on  Dexter  street,  near  the  Union  Wadding 
Co.  When  this  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  the 
Union  Wadding  Co.  purchased  the  property,  and 
Willmarth  &  Mackillop  Co.  located  at  Darlington  and 
Freeman  streets,  the  present  site  of  the  office  mills 
and  lumber  yard.  For  forty-three  years  Mr.  Will- 
marth has  devoted  himself  to  the  outside  interests  of 
the  company,  supervising  the  construction  of  build- 
ings and  directin.g  the  installation  and  moving  of  ma- 
chinery, which  has  become  a  large  item  of  the  com- 
pany's business.  Among  the  buildings  of  importance 
constructed  under  the  direction  of  the  company  are: 
The  City  Hospital  of  Providence;  Soldiers'  Home  at 
Bristol;  the  Brockton,  Mass.,  Library;  and  many 
industrial  plants,  including  many  of  the  mills  of  the 
]\oyal  Weaving  Company,  and  the  major  part  of  the 
Jenckes  Spinning  Plant.  The  Catharine  Street  and 
Allen  Street  schools  are  of  their  construction  in  New 
Bedford,  Mass.,  and  the  house  is  of  wide  reputation 
as  a  concern  reliable  in  all  its  transactions.  Incor- 
poration   under    the    present    title    was   made    in    1910, 


548 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


and  since  that  date  Mr.  Willmarth  has  been  president 
of  the  company.  His  business  career  has  been  one  of 
steady  development  and  progress,  and  while  in  the 
final  analysis  his  success  is  attributed  to  the  qualities 
of  industry  and  executive  ability  within  himself,  he 
remembers  gratefully  the  advice  and  support  of  two 
loyal  friends,  Mr.  R.  I.  Darling  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Has- 
kell, both  of  whom  offered  encouragement  and  aid 
when   such  assistance  was  very  desirable. 

For  many  years- Mr.  Willmarth  was  connected  with 
the  Pawtucket  Volunteer  Fire  Department,  and  on 
March  I,  i8g6,  succeeded  John  Brierly  as  chief,  being 
the  second  man  to  hold  the  office  since  Pawtucket 
became  a  chartered  city.  He  filled  this  office  for  three 
years.  Mr.  Willmarth  is  a  thirty-third  degree  mem- 
ber   of    the     Masonic    order,    affiliating    with     Union 

Lodge,    No.   8,    Free   and    Accepted    Masons;    ■ 

Chapter.  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Holy  Sepulchre  Com- 
niandery,  Knights  Templar;  and  Palestine  Temple, 
Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  Enterprise  Lodge,  No.  22, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Pawtucket,  and 
a  member  of  the  To-Kalon  Club,  the  Business  Men's 
Club  of  Pawtucket,  and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
He  is  identified  with  no  congregation,  but  supports  all 
church  work  in  his  city. 

He  married.  August  5,  1907,  Ida  Cross,  of  South- 
bridge.  Mass.,  and  resides  at  the  corner  of  Orchard 
and  Central  avenues,   Pawtucket. 


is  a  member  of  the  To-Kalon  Club  and  the  Pawtucket 
Business  Men's  Association. 

Mr.  Mackillop  married,  in  1880,  Adela  Josephine 
Phillips,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of:  Ethel,  born  in  1884,  died  in  1891 ;  Margery, 
born  in  1880,  married  Hugh  F.  MacColl.  of  Provi- 
dence;   and   Mildred  Adela,  born  in   1892. 


ROBERT  KELSO  MACKILLOP,  treasurer  of 
Willmarth-Mackillop,  Inc.,  was  born  in  Inverness, 
Megantic  county.  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  No- 
vember 25,  1847,  the  third  son  of  James  and  Katherine 
Kelso  Mackillop,  who  came  from  Arran,  Scotland,  and 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Inverness,  in  1829.  During  his 
youth  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm  while  attending 
the  country  schools  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  home, 
continuing  his  studies  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of 
age.  In  1867,  a  young  man  of  twenty,  he  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade, 
became  a  skilled  workman  and  in  187 1  settled  in  Paw- 
tucket, R.  I.  In  1879  a  co-partnership  was  formed 
between  Mr.  Mackillop  and  John  W.  Willmarth, 
known  as  Willmarth  &  Mackillop.  contractors  and 
builders.  The  business  was  conducted  as  a  co-part- 
nership until  1910,  when  it  was  incorporated  under 
the  laws  of  Rhode  Island  as  Willmarth-Mackillop,  Inc., 
with  John  W.  Willmarth.  president,  and  Robert  K. 
Mackillop,  treasurer.  The  house  is  of  wide  reputa- 
tion as  a  concern  and  reliable  in  all  its  transactions. 
Among  the  buildings  of  importance  constructed  under 
the  direction  of  the  company  are:  The  Royal  Weav- 
ing Co.;  Phillips  Wire  Co.;  Lebanon  Mill  Co.;.  Sol- 
diers' Home,  Bristol;  City  Hospital,  Providence; 
Brockton  Public  Library;  Catharine  Street  School, 
New  Bedford;  Allen  Street  School,  New  Bedford; 
as  well  as  a  major  portion  of  the  buildings  of  the 
Dexter  Yarn  Co.;  Jenckes  Spinning  Co.;  Hope  Web- 
bing Co.;    and   Fales   &  Jenks   Machine   Co. 

In  1912  Mr.  Mackillop  was  appointed  by  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Rhode  Island  as  commissioner  to  represent 
the  city  of  Pawtucket  in  the  elimination  of  .grade 
crossing,  serving  as  chairman  of  that  commission.     He 


WILLARD  ARMINGTON  LENZ— With  the  ex- 
ception of  four  years  passed  in  the  employ  of  the 
Gorham  Manufacturing  Company.  Mr.  Lenz's  active 
life  has  been  spent  in  engineering,  construction  and 
architectural  work.  As  vice-president  of  the  well 
known  firm,  Willmarth-Mackillop,  Inc.,  he  is  widely 
acquainted  in  the  Providence  district,  and  since  the 
incorporation  of  the  business  in  1910,  has  borne  his 
full  share  of  responsibility  and  leadership  in  the 
company.  His  particular  charge  has  been  the  de- 
signing and  architectural  department,  and  in  this 
branch  he  has  accomplished  excellent  results. 

Mr.  Lenz  is  a  son  of  Otto  and  Anna  (Armington) 
Lenz,  his  father  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  in  young  manhood  and  became  as- 
sociated with  the  Smith  Company,  jewelry  manufac- 
turers, as  a  designer.  He  subsequently  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  and  upon  its  dissolution,  in  1885, 
retired  from  active  affairs  and  resided  in  Providence 
until  his  death  in  1910.  He  was  a  member  of  several 
Providence  clubs,  including  the  Art  Club,  and  was  a 
public-spirited  participant  in  civic  affairs,  although  not 
as  an  officeholder.  He  was  identified  with  numerous 
industrial  and  financial  institutions  in  unofficial  capac- 
ity, and  his  advices  were  valued  and  appreciated  by  his 
associates.  H.e  was  a  communicant  of  the  Episcopal 
church.  There  were  six  children  of  his  first  marriage, 
and  he  married  (second)  in  April,  1879,  Anna  Arm- 
ington. daughter  of  Charles  and  Mehitable  Armington. 

Willard  Armington  Lenz  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I..  May  21,  1881.  and  after  completing  a  course  in 
the  Manual  Training  High  School  of  Providence,  in 
ipoo,  took  a  special  course  in  mechanical  engineering 
in  the  Boston  Institute  of  Technology.  His  first 
business  association  was  with  the  firm  of  Saunders  & 
Thornton,  architects,  of  Providence,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  two  years  as  architectural  designer,  after 
which  he  spent  one  year  with  Brown  &  Sharp  in  their 
mechanical  department.  The  following  eight  months 
were  passed  in  the  employ  of  Emil  Martens  as  a  me- 
chanical en.gineer,  then  four  years  with  the  Gorham 
Manufacturing  Company,  in  the  designing  department, 
which  preceded  his  present  identification  with  Will- 
marth-Mackillop, Inc.,  of  which  he  is  vice-president. 
He  entered  the  employ  of  this  concern  when  the  busi- 
ness was  conducted  as  Willmarth  &  Mackillop,  and  was 
placed  in  the  designing  and  architectural  department. 
His  rise  and  progress  in  the  firm  resulted  in  his  choice 
as  vice-president  when  incorporation  was  made  in 
1910,  and  in  this  office  he  has  since  been  active  in  the 
shaping  of  the  company's  policy  in  its  steadily  growing 
business. 

Mr.  Lenz  is  a  member  of  Barney  Merry  Lodge,  No. 

29,  Free  and  Accepted   Masons;    and  Chapter, 

No.  4,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  Pawtucket.  His  clubs 
are   the   To-Kalon,   of   Pawtucket,   and   the   East   Side 


X.  I-L.  (fJ^^ruJc^^^ 


i 


-^^^^^^Xl^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


549 


Tennis,  and  the  East  Side  Skating,  of  Providence, 
and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Pawtucket  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  His  church  is  St.  John's  Episcopal,  of 
Providence.  Mr.  Lenz  is  a  progressive,  active  mem- 
ber of  his  community,  was  a  loyal  supporter  of  all 
war  movements,  and  is  ready  in  his  service  for  the 
general  good. 

Mr.  Lenz  married,  in  1905,  Bessie  Spaulding,  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  and  Louise  Spaulding,  of  Providence. 
They  are  the  parents  of  three  sons:  VVillard  A.,  Jr., 
Philip  S.,  and  Frederick  C,  and  of  a  daughter,  Bar- 
bara. The  family  home  is  an  attractive  residence, 
erected  by  Mr.  Lenz,  at  Xo.  17  Arlington  street,  Paw- 
tucket. 


WILLIAM  NICHOLAS  BROWNE— From  his 
first  connection  with  the  firm,  Willmartli  &  Mackillop, 
now  the  corporation  of  Willmarth-Mackillop,  Inc.,  oi 
which  Mr.  Browne  is  the  secretary  and  assistant  treas- 
urer, he  has  been  associated  with  the  office  for  twenty- 
nine  years.  He  was  born  in  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  and 
there  spent  his  youth,  coming  to  Pawtucket  in  1890, 
and  forming  an  association  which  continued  for  over 
a  quarter  of  a  century. 

William  Nicholas  Browne  was  born  July  22,  1863, 
son  of  John  Bicknell  and  Maria  A.  (Ballou)  Browne. 
He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Gloucester,  and 
Bryant  &  Stratton  School,  of  Providence,  preparing 
for  the  serious  business  of  life  in  the  latter-named 
institution.  He  was  twenty-seven  years  of  age  when 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Pawtucket.  When  Will- 
marth-Mackillop. Inc.,  succeeded  the  firm,  Mr.  Browne 
was  chosen  secretary  and  assistant  treasurer,  his  pres- 
ent position. 

Mr.  Browne  married  Mary  Jackson,  of  Elmwood, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  children:  Anna,  re- 
siding at  home;  Gertrude;  Elizabeth  Hope,  residing 
at  home;  Nicholas,  enlisted  in  Battery  C,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Third  Field  Artillery,  and  was  with  the 
American  E.xpeditionary  Forces  in  France  during 
the  recent  World  War. 


ARTHUR  J.  FELTHAM,  son  of  the  late  John  H. 
and  Deborah  Feltham,  one  of  si.x  children,  was  born 
in  Townbridge,  Weltshire,  England,  June  4,  1867.  At 
the  age  of  fourteen  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  copper- 
smithing  and  plumbing  trade  and  remained  at  same 
for  seven  years.  In  the  year  1889  he  came  to  this 
country  and  worked  at  the  same  trade  for  several 
months.  He  then  entered  the  bicycle  business  for 
Rankin  &  Bruce,  Custom  House  street.  Providence, 
R.  I.,  as  foreman  of  their  repair  shop.  When  they 
discontinued  business,  Mr.  Rankin  took  charge  of  the 
Pope  Manufacturing  Company's  interest  in  Provi- 
dence. He  continued  as  foreman  of  the  repair  depart- 
ment. When  the  Pope  Manufacturing  Company  de- 
cided to  enter  the  automobile  industry,  he  was  sent 
to  the  different  automobile  factories  to  make  a  study 
of  the  manufacture  of  automobiles.  On  his  return 
he  became  foreman  of  the  Pope  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany shop  and  remained  with  the  company  for  eleven 
years.  He  then  became  salesman  for  the  Davis  Auto- 
mobile Company  of  Providence,  and  devoted  his  time 
exclusively  to  the  sale  and  care  of  the  Cadillac  motor 


cars.  He  then  formed  the  Cadillac  Automobile  Com- 
pany of  Rhode  Island,  and  became  assistant  treas- 
urer and  general  manager,  with  Mr.  James  A.  Foster 
as  its  president.  Upon  Mr.  Foster's  death,  he  ac- 
(|uired  control  of  the  company,  reorganized  same,  and  ' 
became  its  treasurer  and  general  manager. 


JOSEPH  C.  O'CONNELL,  M.  D.— Dr.  O'Connell 
is  widely  known  in  professional  circles  in  Rhode 
Island,  where  he  is  numbered  among  those  exponents 
of  the  medical  profession  who  specialize  in  surgical 
work.  He  is  identified  with  the  various  medical  socie- 
ties, has  acquired  high  standing  as  a  surgeon,  and  has 
a  large  professional  and  social  acquaintance.  Dr. 
O'Connell  resides  at  No.  215  Thayer  street.  Provi- 
dence. 


JOHN  HILLMAN  BENNETT,  M.  D.— The  short 
period  of  time  which  has  elapsed  since  the  death  in 
1918  of  Dr.  John  H.  Bennett  has  but  served  to  empha- 
size to  his  associates  and  to  the  Pawtucket  community 
the  value  of  his  devoted  professional  service,  and  the 
place  he  had  come  to  fill,  during  a  life  ended  in  its 
prime,  in  many  phases  of  the  life  of  his  city.  His 
conception  of  his  professional  duty  was  high.  He  was 
a  coastant  worker  in  the  cause  of  public  health,  was 
regarded  as  an  authority  in  this  field  of  medical  sci 
ence,  and  was  strongly  influential  in  securing  the 
passage  of  an  effective  drug  law  in  the  Rhode  Island 
Legislature.  He  was  identified  with  the  leading  medi- 
cal societies,  and  not  only  in  civic  affairs,  but  in  fra- 
ternal and  social  organizations,  mingled  with  his  fel- 
lows, a  popular  and  welcome  member  of  any  gather- 
ing, respected  for  high  standards  in  profession,  pri- 
vate affairs,  and  citizenship. 

Dr.  Bennett  was  born  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  De- 
cember 12,  1869.  son  of  Samuel  R.  and  Hannah  A. 
(Ryder)  Bennett,  descendant  of  a  long  established  and 
prominent  family  of  Massachusetts.  Preparing  for 
college  in  public  and  private  schools  of  his  native 
State,  he  enrolled  in  the  medical  department  of  Boston 
University,  whence  he  was  graduated  M.  D.  in  the 
class  of  1891,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  During 
his  senior  year  in  college  he  was  appointed  resident 
physician  of  the  Consumptive  Home  at  Roxbury, 
Mass.,  and  during  1892  and  189.?  he  attended  the  pa- 
tients of  two  prominent  practitioners  of  Newburyport 
and  Dorchester,  Mass.,  during  their  temporary  ab- 
sences. He  was  appointed  house  surgeon  of  the 
Boothby  Surgical  Hospital,  of  Boston,  in  1892,  and 
in  the  follovi-ing  year  came  to  Pawtucket,  where  his 
after  life  was  passed.  To  an  able  mastery  of  medicine 
he  added  unusual  skill  in  diagnosis  and  surgery,  and 
although  always  a  keen  observer  of  public  affairs  and 
at  times  a  participant,  applied  himself  almost  entirely 
to  his  private  practice  until  1908.  In  that  year  he 
became  a  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  State  Board 
of  Health,  and  from  that  time  until  his  death  he  was 
an  untiring  worker  in  safeguarding  the  public  health. 
In  1915  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Board  and 
was  acting  in  this  capacity  when  called  from  his  work. 
On  June  8,  igi8,  he  was  elected  superintendent  of 
health  for  Pawtucket.  Dr.  Bennett  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the   Pawtucket  School   Board  for  a  number  of 


550 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


years,  and  gave  to  the  limit  of  his  capacity  in  whatever 
cause  he  was  needed.  He  strenuously  advocated  the 
passage  of  the  drug  law  of  1917  and  did  much  to  insure 
its  success  in  the  Legislature.  When  Rhode  Island 
was  threatened  with  an  epidemic  of  meningitis,  sev- 
eral years  ago,  he  threw  himself  into  the  campaign 
for  its  prevention  with  splendid  zeal  and  was  credited 
by  his  associates  with  a  large  share  of  the  responsibility 
for  the  low  rate  of  mortality  which  prevailed  in  Paw- 
tucket  in  that  crisis.  His  clientele  extended  to  Provi- 
dence, where  he  served  for  more  than  ten  years  on  the 
stafif  of  the  Homoeopathic  Hospital  on  Jackson  street. 
His  devotion  to  his  profession,  his  unfailing  response 
to  every  call  made  upon  him,  and  his  conscientious  dis- 
charge of  the  slightest  duty  of  any  office,  imposed  a 
nervous  and  physical  strain  he  was  unable  to  bear,  and 
his  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years,  June 
5,  1918,  after  a  nervous  breakdown.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  various  medical  societies,  the  Pawtucket  Country 
Club,  and  the  Pawtucket  Golf  Club.  He  was  a  great 
student  and  lover  of  music  and  the  arts  and  was  a 
talented  violinist.  His  agreeable  personality  attracted 
friends  who  were  held  by  the  worth  of  his  character, 
and  his  life  was  passed  in  general  regard  and  approval. 
Dr.  Bennett  married.  May  11,  1898,  in  Pawtucket, 
Mary,  daughter  of  .^le.xander  and  Mary  McGregor. 
They  were  the  parents  of  one  daughter,  Nancy,  who 
lives  with  her  mother  at  No.  306  High  street,  Pawtucket. 
Mrs.  Bennett  is  well  known  in  social  circles  in  the  city, 
and  has  long  been  active  in  civic  and  charitable  work. 


WILLIAM  H.  COVELL,  JR.,  was  born  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  L,  June  i,  1874,  the  son  of  William  H.  and 
Mary  J.  (Davis)  Covell,  mentioned  elsewhere.  He  re- 
ceived liis  education  in  the  public  schools  of  the  city 
and  later  completed  a  course  of  study  at  the  well 
known  Bryant  and  Stratton  Business  College.  He 
then  entered  the  store  at  No.  589  Atwells  avenue, 
where  his  father  and  uncle,  S.  N.  Davis,  had  long 
conducted  a  successful  business  in  groceries,  hay,  grain 
and  general  merchandise.  ."Mter  the  death  of  his 
father,  in  1906,  Mr.  Covell  became  a  member  of  the 
firm  and  continued  business  at  the  old  stand  during 
his  life,  under  the  firm  name  of  William  H.  Covell, 
Jr.,  and  Company.  In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Covell  took 
an  active  interest  in  the  political  affairs  of  the  city. 
His  enthusiasm  and  aptitude  for  this  work  was  an  in- 
heritance from  his  father,  who  for  years  had  been  a 
prominent  political  leader,  repeatedly  chosen  to  repre- 
sent his  ward  in  State  and  city  affairs. 

In  1902  Mr.  Covell  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Republican  City  Committee,  but  his  activities  were 
not  long  confined  to  this  organization  alone  for, 
although  recognized  always  as  a  staunch  Republican, 
he  soon  became  a  power  in  the  Democratic  party 
as  well,  and  on  several  occasions  was  the  nominee  of 
both  parties  for  city  office.  He  was  elected  to  the 
Common  Council  in  1907,  and  again  in  1908,  and  to 
the  Board  of  Aldermen  in  1910,  and  served  on  several 
of  the  most  important  committees.  In  1912  the  City 
Council  showed  its  appreciation  of  Mr.  Covell's  abil- 
ity by  electing  him  one  of  the  three  park  commission- 
ers of  the  city  of  Providence,  where  he  served  for 
four    years,    resigning    to    become    a    member    of    the 


Board  of  Fire  Commissioners,  to  which  office  he  had 
been  elected  for  a  term  of  three  years,  and  he  gave  to 
this  work  untiring  service  until  February  ,^,  1917, 
when  he  was  called  to  the  Higher  Life.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Republican  City  Committee:  the  Re- 
publican Club  of  Rhode  Island;  and  the  West  Side 
Club;  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty 
to  Animals  since  1909;  and  one  of  the  founders  and 
directors  of  the  Roger  Williams  Driving  Club. 

On  June  22,  1911,  Mr.  Covell  married  Helen  E. 
MacDonald,  of  Nova  Scotia,  who  survives  him.  Car- 
ing little  for  society,  he  gave  to  his  family  atid  home 
the  most  coiuplete  devotion  and  his  home  life  was 
ideal.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  qualities  of  mind  and 
heart,  sympathetic,  generous  and  true,  holding  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  his  associates  and  fellow 
men.  The  desire  to  help  others,  or  as  he  sometimes 
expressed  it,  "To  make  people  happy,"  was  one  of 
his  strongest  characteristics  and  the  cheery  smile  and 
kindly  greeting  he  gave  to  everyone  alike,  won  for 
him  a  host  of  friends. 


BENNO  WOLF— The  name  of  Wolf  is  among  the 
most  ancient  of  personal  surnames,  dating  from  a 
period  prior  to  the  earliest  epoch  of  authentic  history, 
among  tribes  of  Teutonic  origin.  It  is  found  in  the 
old  legendary  and  traditional  history  of  the  nations 
of  Teutonic  descent  on  the  Continent  of  Europe.  In 
the  early  centuries,  from  the  eleventh  to  the  four- 
teenth, however,  the  name  Ulf,  from  which  the  sur- 
name Wolf  was  derived,  is  to  be  found  as  commonly  in 
England  as  in  the  Germanic  kingdoms,  and  in  Den- 
mark and  Iceland.  Families  of  the  name  are  to  be 
found  high  among  the  nobility  of  these  nations,  wield- 
ing vast  powers  and  holding  extensive  estates.  In  the 
history  of  these  nations  scions  of  the  Wolf  families 
have  played  a  prominent  part.  The  name  is  one  of 
most  ancient  and  honorable  antiquity.  Nutuerous 
scientists,  professional  men,  diplomats,  and  leaders  of 
industry,  business,  commerce  and  finance,  have  borne 
the  name  and  added  to  its  distinction.  To-day  it  is  to 
be  found  in  all  parts  of  Europe  and  America,  borne  by 
men  of  all  classes  of  society.  It  has  never  relinquished, 
however,  the  honor  and  distinction  of  early  centuries. 

Arms — D'or  au  chev.  de  gules  ace.  de  trois  rosea  du 
meme.   bout,   d'or. 

Cq.  cour.  C. — Trois  roses  de  gules  bout,  d'or.  tig^es 
et  feuill^es  de  sin. 

Coming  of  a  line  of  honorable  and  able  men,  many 
of  whom  had  been  scholars,  successful  business  men, 
and  financiers,  the  late  Benno  Wolf,  of  Providence, 
R.  I.,  was  born  in  the  great  historic  city  of  Hamburg, 
Germany,  April  7,  1838.  He  was  the  son  of  Simon 
and  Fannie  Wolf.  Simon  Wolf  was  a  man  of  the 
highly  intellectual  type,  and  was  held  in  high  repute 
in  the  city  in  which  he  resided.  His  circumst.inces, 
though  not  those  of  affluence,  permitted  him  to  give  his 
children  a  very  thorough  and  liberal  education  as  a 
foundation  for  their  careers  in  life,  and  his  son,  Benno 
Wolf,  was  prepared  for  his  college  course  in  the  ex- 
cellent public  schools  of  Hamburg.  He  completed  a 
course  in  the  University  of  Hamburg,  making  an 
extensive  study  of  languages,  and  forming  a  Iiabit  of 


^a-^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


551 


concentration  and  analytic  tliouglit  which  cliaractcrized 
him  through  his  life,  and  was  perhaps  the  keynote 
to  his  later  success  in  business  life. 

With  an  education  which  was  more  than  a  start 
toward  one  of  the  learned  professions,  young  Wolf 
turned  to  the  field  of  business,  however,  and  with  the 
hope  and  trust  in  the  land  of  opportunity  in  his  heart, 
turned  toward  America  for  the  start  in  life  which 
Germany,  with  its  class  restrictions,  custom  and  tradi- 
tion, denied  to  him,  lacking  capital,  but  possessing  a 
combination  of  qualities  which  outweighed  the  great- 
est of  riches.  He  was  young,  hopeful,  talented,  in- 
domitable in  will,  and  invincible  in  courage.  He  en- 
tered the  United  States  without  the  handicap  which 
proves  so  strong  a  dcterent  to  aliens,  namely,  a  knowl- 
edge of  English.  His  acquaintance  with  English 
proved  valuable  to  him  in  getting  a  start.  Landing  at 
the  port  of  New  York,  he  made  his  way  immediately 
to  Milwaukee,  Wis.  He  was  then  under  twenty 
years  of  age,  and  brought  with  him  several  letters  of 
introduction  from  Germany  to  friends  of  his  parents 
who  had  preceded  him  to  .America.  Mr.  W'olf  imme- 
diately secured  profitable  employment  in  Milwaukee, 
but  remained  there  only  a  short  time,  w'hen  he  formed 
the  ambition  to  locate  in  one  of  the  larger  cities  and 
there  to  start  an  independent  enterprise.  .Accordingly, 
in  1855,  he  came  to  the  East,  and  finally  located  in 
the  city  of  Providence,  with  which  he  remained  iden- 
tified until  the  time  of  his  death,  and  where  he  gained 
so  honorable  a  place  in  business  life. 

Mr.  Wolf  entered  business  in  Providence,  embarking 
on  a  mercantile  enterprise  in  women's  apparel  and  fur- 
nishings. His  first  store  was  located  on  the  corner 
of  Westminster  and  Dorrance  streets,  where  at  th.it 
time  there  were  but  few  business  places.  He  met  with 
a  large  degree  of  success,  and  his  establishment  rapidly 
gained  a  reputation  of  absolute  reliability  and  fair 
dealing.  He  specialized  in  women's  apparel,  conduct- 
ing his  store  along  the  lines  of  the  modern  depart- 
ment stores  of  the  day,  and  his  glove  department  be- 
came known  as  the  best  in  the  city.  The  increase  in 
his  clientele  made  enlarged  quarters  necessary  and  he 
subsequently  removed  to  a  store  on  the  ground  floor 
of  the  Hotel  Dorrance,  in  Providence,  where  he  re- 
mained for  several  years,  until  his  retirement  from 
mercantile  endeavor.  Mr.  Wolf  had  assumed  a  place 
of  importance  in  business  in  Providence,  and  was 
known  as  a  man  of  conservative,  clear  judgment, 
whose  advice  might  be  literally  followed  in  business 
ventures.  He  became  connected  in  official  and  execu- 
tive capacities  with  many  of  the  city's  mercantile 
enterprises. 

His  entrance  into  the  field  of  real  estate  in  Provi- 
dence dated  from  shortly  after  his  coming  to  the  city, 
through  he  did  not  devote  much  time  to  his  real  estate 
interests  until  after  his  retirement  from  mercantile 
life.  His  judgment  of  real  estate  values  and  condi- 
tions in  many  cases  proved  almost  prophetic,  and  was 
in  a  large  measure  due  to  his  habit  of  studying  closely 
the  trend  of  development  of  the  city.  His  investments 
indicated  a  keen  and  well  equipped  mentality,  and 
proved  so  successful  that  he  was  much  sought  as  an 
adviser  on  realty  values.  The  returns  on  his  invest- 
ments  made  him  a   wealthy  man.   and   at  the   time  of 


his  death  he  left  a  consideralile  fortune.  .-X  friend 
said  of  him:  "Mis  judgment  of  real  estate  was  noth- 
ing less  than  marvelous."  Many  of  his  ventures  were 
indulged  in  contrary  to  the  advice  of  his  friends  and 
associates,  but  merely  proved  his  extraordinary  powers 
of  judgment  and  perception.  Strict  honesty,  the  high- 
est ethical  principles,  and  unimpeachable  integrity 
characterized  all  the  dealings  of  his  life,  and  made 
him  honored  and  respected  not  only  for  his  ability, 
but  for  his  worth  throughout  the  city  of  Providence. 

A  man  of  wide  intellectual  attainments,  broad  sym- 
pathies, and  magnetic  personality,  his  interest  in  life 
extended  beyond  the  bounds  of  his  business  interests. 
He  was  an  accomplished  linguist,  speaking  fluently 
German,  French  and  English,  and  was  a  conversation- 
alist of  more  than  ordinary  ability.  His  nature  was 
naive  in  its  simplicity,  and  this  was  perhaps  the  rea- 
son of  his  great  popularity  in  business  as  well  as  in 
the  more  intimate  relations  of  life.  Mr.  Wolf  was  in 
every  sense  of  the  word  a  self-made  man,  and  owed 
every  portion  of  his  great  success  in  life  solely  to  his 
own  etTorts,  and  the  continued  and  steady  application 
of  his  talents  to  a  definite  end.  Starting  as  an  un- 
known, he  made  his  name  honored  and  respected  in 
one  of  the  largest  business  centers  in  the  East.  He 
possessed  in  abundance  the  ability  to  make  money, 
yet  he  dispensed  in  charity  a  great  portion  of  his 
fortune.  His  gifts  to  charity  were  many  of  them 
unostentatious,  but  he  also  contributed  lavishly  to 
every  worthy  cause  and  movement  for  the  betterment 
of  conditions  in  the  city.  Then,  as  one  of  his  friends 
remarked,  "he  contributed  to  every  other  cause."  He 
drew  his  friends  from  every  walk  of  life,  and  many  of 
the  men  whom  he  helped  toward  success  in  business 
accorded  him  a  high  degree  of  honor  and  respect.  Mr. 
Wolf  was  a  popular  and  well  known  figure  in  the  fra- 
ternal and  social  circles  of  the  city,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  order.  He  was  a  lover  of  fine 
horses,  and  a  judge  of  horseflesh,  fond  of  driving,  and 
he  had  in  his  stable  one  of  the  finest  horses  for  this 
purpose  which  he  could  procure.  His  summers  were 
spent  at  Saratoga  Springs. 

Benno  Wolf  married,  February  2,  1862,  Emma  B. 
Hahn,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Rosalie  (Heyneman) 
Hahn.  Joseph  Hahn  was  a  native  of  Austria,  and  re- 
ceived a  liberal  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
land,  coming  to  the  United  States  as  a  young  man.  He 
located  in  the  city  of  Cohoes,  N.  Y.,  where  he  estab- 
lished a  department  store.  In  later  life  he  retired 
from  active  business  and  removed  to  New  York  City, 
where  he  died.  Joseph  Hahn  married,  after  his  com- 
ing to  the  United  States,  Rosalie  Heyneman,  who  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Munich,  Bavaria,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Heyneman,  an  eminent  medical  doctor,  physician  to 
the  king  and  court  of  Bavaria.  The  Heyneman  fam- 
ily is  a  very  ancient  one  in  the  Kingdom  of  Bavaria, 
ranking  in  many  of  its  branches  among  the  nobility, 
and  entitled  to  bear  arms.  Joseph  and  Rosalie  (Heyne- 
man) Hahn  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  of  whom 
Mrs.  Wolf  is  the  sole  survivor.  The  following  are  the 
coats-of-arms  of  the   Hahn  and   Heyneman  families: 

Hahn  Arms — Tranohf  ilo  sable  sur  argent;  a  un  coq 
de  KUles.   br.  sur  le  tout. 

Cci.  tour.  C. — Vn  vol  a  I'antlquc  bande  de  sable  et  dc 
gules,  de  qualre   pieces. 


552 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Heyneman  Arms — Argent,  a  man  at  arms,  armed 
proper  holding  in  his  dexter  hand  a  grenade  flaming 
gules. 

Crest — Out  of  a  ducal  coronet  a  tree  between  two 
wings  displayed   sable. 

Mantling — Dexter,  argent  and  azure.  Sinister  argent 
and  gules. 

Emma  B.  Hahn,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Rosalie 
(Heyneman)  Hahn,  who  became  the  wife  of  Benno 
Wolf,  spent  the  early  years  of  her  life  in  Cohoes, 
N.  Y.,  but  since  her  marriage  has  resided  in  Provi- 
dence. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wolf  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children:  Alice  R.,  of  Providence;  Henri- 
etta C,  Joseph  A.,  Julian  B.  Mrs.  Wolf  survives  her 
husband,  and  resides  at  the  Wolf  residence  at  No.  1251 
Westminster  street.  Providence,  designed  by  the 
famous  architect,  Stanford  White,  and  said  to  be  one 
of  his  masterpieces.  She  is  active  in  social  and  phil- 
anthropic work  in  the  city,  and  manages  the  estate 
left  by  her  husband,  with  the  aid  of  her  daughter,  Miss 
Alice  R.  Wolf.  Benno  Wolf  died  at  his  home  in 
Providence.  R.  I.,  January  15,  1905. 


HON.  EDWIN  CHASE  PIERCE,  whose  death 
in  Providence  on  February  8,  1919,  has  removed  from 
the  Rhode  Island  bar  one  of  its  most  brilliant  and 
notable  members,  and  from  the  public  life  of  the  State 
one  of  its  most  able  and  conscientious  legislators,  was 
descended  both  paternally  and  maternally  from  several 
of  the  oldest  and  most  influential  of  New  England  fam- 
ilies. He  was  a  direct  descendant  in  the  seventh  gener- 
ation of  Captain  Michael  Pierce,  founder  of  this  fa- 
mous old  Rhode  Island  family.  Captain  Michael  Pierce 
was  an  Englishman  of  substance  and  standing,  repre- 
sentative of  the  highest  type  of  emigrant  which  old 
England  sent  to  the  bleak  shores  of  her  American  Col- 
onies. He  was  a  brother  of  John  Pierce,  of  London, 
who  secured  a  patent  or  royal  grant  for  New  England, 
which  he  assigned  to  the  Plymouth  Colony ;  and  also 
of  Captain  William  Pierce,  the  most  famous  master  of 
ships  that  came  to  the  New  England  coast,  and  the 
warm  friend  of  Winslow  and  Bradford.  Michael  Pierce 
settled  in  Rhode  Island,  and  became  the  founder  there 
of  a  family  which  has  figured  notably  in  the  affairs  of 
State  and  Colony  for  over  two  and  a  half  centuries. 

(I)  Captain  Michael  Pierce,  the  immigrant,  was  born 
in  England  in  161 5,  the  son  of  Richard  and  Martha 
Pierce,  of  Bristol,  and  of  the  twentieth  generation  in 
direct  descent  from  Galfred,  who  according  to  English 
genealogists  is  regarded  as  the  progenitor.  He  came  to 
Plymouth  about  the  year  1645,  succeeding  Captain 
Myles  Standish  as  commander  of  the  Colonial  troops. 
He  settled  later  at  Hingham,  and  still  later  at  Scituate, 
where  his  house  was  located  on  the  Cohasset  road,  3 
mile  from  the  present  North  Meeting  House.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  Narragansett  Fight,  in  December.  1675. 
In  i66g  he  had  been  commissioned  captain  by  the  Gen- 
eral Court,  having  held  the  rank  of  ensign  and  lieu- 
tenant before  that  date.  In  the  spring  of  1676  he  com- 
manded an  expedition  against  the  Indians  under  Canon- 
chet.  and  on  March  26,  1676,  was  attacked  near  Paw- 
tucket  by  a  superior  force  and  his  command  nearly 
annihilated.  The  story  of  the  fight,  related  by  Mather 
and  others,  is  well  known  in  history.  Captain  Pierce 
fell  early  in  the  fight;  fifty-five  of  the  sixty-three  Eng- 
lishmen were  slain,  and  ten  of  the  twenty  Indian  allies. 


The  Indians  were  commanded  by  Canonchet,  and 
the  action  took  place  at  Quinsniket,  near  Central  Falls, 
R.  I.  Captain  Pierce's  will  was  dated  January  15.  1675, 
"being  now  by  appointment  of  God  going  out  to  war 
against  the  Indians." 

(II)  Ephraim  Pierce,  son  of  Captain  Michael  Pierce, 
was  born  about  1650.  He  married  Hannah  Holbrook, 
daughter  of  John  Holbrook,  of  Weymouth,  and  re- 
moved from  Weymouth  to  Warwick,  R.  I.  He  was 
admitted  a  freeman  there.  May  3,  1681.  Ephraim 
Pierce  died  September  14,  171Q,  and  his  will  was  dated 
July  18.  1718;  proved  at  Warwick,  September  23,  1719. 

(III)  Ephraim  (2)  Pierce,  son  of  Ephraim  (l)  and 
Hannah  (Holbrook)  Pierce,  was  born  in  1674,  and 
lived  in  Rehoboth  and  Swansea,  Mass.  He  married 
Mary  Low. 

(I\')  Mial  Pierce,  son  of  Ephraim  (2)  and  Mary 
(Low)  Pierce,  was  born  April  23,  1693.  He  resided  at 
Warwick,  R.  I.,  and  at  Swansea  and  Rehoboth,  Mass. 
He  married  Judith  Ellis,  born  in  1686,  died  October  6, 
1744,  daughter  of  fudge  Ellis.  He  died  October  18, 
1786. 

(\')  Rev.  Nathan  Pierce,  son  of  Mial  and  Judith 
(Ellis)  Pierce,  was  born  February  21,  1716,  and  died 
April  14,  1793.  He  married,  October  16,  1736,  Lydia 
Martin,  born  July  17,  1718,  died  December  21,  1798, 
daughter  of  Ephraim  Martin,  who,  we  are  told,  was  "a 
remarkably  smart  woman."  She  was  a  native  of  Har- 
rington, R.  I.,  and  is  described  as  a  short,  black  eyed, 
round  faced,  handsome  woman,  who  was  noted  for  her 
learning  and  for  the  assistance  she  gave  her  husband. 
They  resided  at  Rehoboth  and  at  Swansea,  Mass.  Rev. 
Nathan  Pierce  was  a  Baptist  minister,  and  for  forty 
years  minister  of  the  same  church.  He  was  succeeded 
in  the  pastorate  by  his  son.  Rev.  Preserved  Pierce,  who 
preached  for  forty  years,  making  eighty  years  that 
the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people  of  Swansea  rested 
in  the  hands  of  the  Pierce  family.  The  meeting  house 
is  still  standing  and  is  known  as  the  Pierce  Meeting 
House. 

(\'l)  Peleg  Pierce,  son  of  Rev.  Nathan  and  Lydia 
(^Ia^tin)  Pierce,  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  Novem- 
ber 15,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer  and  prominent  citizen 
of  Rehoboth  all  his  life. 

(\'I)  Rev.  Preserved  Pierce,  son  of  Rev.  Nathan  and 
Lydia  (Martin)  Pierce,  was  bom  at  Rehoboth,  Mass., 
July  28,  1758.  He  succeeded  his  father  as  pastor  of 
the  church  at  Swansea,  and  for  forty  years  filled  the 
pastorate  there. 

(VH)  Gardner  Pierce,  son  of  Peleg  Pierce,  was  born 
in  Rehoboth,  where  he  spent  the  early  part  of  his  life 
as  a  farmer.  He  subsequently  learned  the  trade  of 
stone  mason,  which  he  followed  for  a  short  period,  but 
abandoned  on  his  removal  to  Providence.  Soon  after 
settling  in  Providence  he  established  a  general  mer- 
chandise and  grocery  business  at  the  corner  of  Carpen- 
ter and  Battey  streets.  This  venture  proved  highly 
successful,  and  he  rose  to  an  enviable  place  among  the 
leading  business  men  of  his  day.  Although  originally 
a  Democrat,  he  joined  the  Republican  party  at  the  time 
of  its  formation,  and  was  one  of  its  staunchest  adher- 
ents until  his  death.  He  remained  aloof  from  public 
and  political  affairs,  however,  although  repeatedly  urged 
to  accept  office.  Gardner  Pierce  married  Elvira  Au- 
gusta   Newman,    who    was    born    in    Rehoboth,    Mass., 


^  f/..r  .     '^.  Oxu^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


553 


member  of  a  prominent  old  New  England  family.  Mrs. 
Pierce  was  a  lineal  descendant  in  the  eighth  genera- 
tion of  Rev.  Samuel  Newman,  the  noted  Puritan  divine, 
and  author  of  the  "Cambridge  Concordance,"  the  first 
concordance  of  the  Bible  ever  published  in  the  English 
language.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Oxford,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  scholarly  clergymen  of  the  Plymouth  Col- 
ony pioneers ;  he  came  from  England  to  Weymouth  in 
1628.  and  in  1636  led  his  flock  to  the  Avestern  confines 
of  Plymouth  Colony,  and  founded  the  town  of  Reho- 
both,  which  is  the  home  of  his  descendants  to  the  pres- 
ent day.  Gardner  Pierce  died  in  Providence,  in  i86g; 
his  widow  survived  him  until  1890. 

(VIII)  Hon.  Edwin  C.  Pierce,  son  of  Gardner  and 
Elvira  Augusta  (Newman)  Pierce,  was  born  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  January  11,  1853.  He  received  his  ele- 
mentary education  in  the  public  schools  of  the  city, 
and  prepared  for  college  at  the  Providence  High  School, 
pursuing  the  classical  course.  With  the  death  of  his 
father  in  1869,  he  was  obliged  to  materially  alter  his 
plans,  and  deciding  on  the  law  as  a  profession,  he  im- 
mediately entered  the  office  of  Colonel  Elias  M.  Jencks. 
For  a  year  he  read  law  under  Colonel  Jencks,  one  of 
the  leading  attorneys  of  the  day.  He  then  entered  the 
office  of  Thurston,  Ripley  &  Company,  where  he  fin- 
ished his  studies.  In  1874  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Rhode  Island,  and  established 
offices  in  the  Woods  building  on  College  street.  He 
rose  rapidly  to  a  position  of  prominence  in  the  legal 
fraternity  of  Providence.  Mr.  Pierce  specialized  to  a 
large  extent  in  real  estate  law,  but  also  enjoyed  an 
enviable  reputation  as  a  criminal  lawyer,  established 
primarily  through  his  handling  of  the  Lawrence  C. 
Keegan  case  of  1895,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  cases 
of  conviction  on  circumstantial  evidence  known  in  the 
history  of  New  England.  In  1881  Mr.  Pierce  was  ap- 
pointed title  attorney  and  general  counsellor  for  the 
Roger  Williams  Savings  Fund  and  Loan  Association, 
then  in  its  infancy  and  giving  small  indication  of  the 
strength  and  importance  which  it  was  later  to  attain. 
In  1896  he  was  appointed  title  attorney  for  the  Old 
Colony  Cooperative  Bank,  of  Providence.  He  was 
also  interested  in  a  number  of  important  business  and 
financial  enteri)rises,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  and 
a  member  of  the  first  board  of  directors  of  the  Italo- 
American  Mutual  Trust  Company  of  Providence. 

His  public  career  was  long  and  brilliant.  In  i85!8, 
Mr.  Pierce  was  elected  representative  to  the  General 
Assembly,  and  at  once  sprang  into  notice  in  legislative 
circles  as  the  author  of  the  bill  for  the  adoption  of  the 
Australian  ballot  which  was  passed  in  that  year.  At 
the  beginning  of  his  political  career,  he  was  a  staunch 
supporter  of  the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  yet  was  never  influenced  by  party  lines 
against  his  better  judgment.  He  was  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Corporations  in  1888-89.  and  worked 
earnestly  for  his  party's  success  in  every  presidential 
campaign  from  1876  to  1896,  inclusive.  In  1898,  dis- 
approving strongly  of  the  Philippine  policy  of  the 
McKinlcy  administration,  he  identified  himself  with  the 
Democrats  in  both  National  and  State  affairs,  having 
always  openly  advocated  the  policy  of  the  Rhode  Island 
Democrats  in  State  affairs.  He  was  elected  on  the 
Democratic  ticket  as  the  first  State  Senator  from  Cran- 


ston, after  its  incorporation  as  a  city.  He  was  defeated 
for  reelection  in  lOii,  but  was  returned  on  the  Demo- 
cratic and  Progressive  ticket  in  IQ12,  for  the  first  of 
the  two  year  terms  which  had  then  been  instituted.  Mr. 
Pierce  was  elected  Senator  from  Cranston  in  1914,  and 
on  the  expiration  of  this  term  refused  renomination. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Cranston  School  Committee 
for  seven  years,  and  town  moderator  for  the  same 
period  of  time.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  deeply 
interested  in  the  work  of  securing  for  Rhode  Island  a 
new  and  adequate  constitution,  and  was  one  of  the 
most  able  and  ardent  workers  for  this  much  needed  re- 
form. He  was  concise  and  convincing  in  argument,  and 
a  prolific  writer  on  the  subject,  his  work  appearing  con- 
stantly in  the  public  press.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest 
advocates  of  woman  suffrage  in  Rhode  Island.  In  1916 
he  was  a  candidate  for  presidential  elector  on  the  Wil- 
son-Marshall ticket.  His  last  work  was  a  monograph 
on  "How  to  Make  Rhode  Island  Safe  for  Democracy." 

Mr.  Pierce  was  a  well  known  figure  in  club  and  fra- 
ternal circles  in  Rhode  Island.  He  was  past  grand  of 
Crescent  Lodge,  No.  24,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
I'ellows;  a  member  of  the  ."Xmerican  Order  of  Forest- 
ers, the  New  England  Order  of  Protection,  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees,  and  the  "Provident  Fraternity,"  a 
fraternal  assessment  life  insurance  society  of  a  unique 
type,  of  which  he  was  the  founder,  in  1005.  He  was  also 
a  member  of  the  Radical  Club,  the  Economic  Club,  the 
Edgewood  Yacht  Club,  the  Providence  Rotary  Club, 
the  Rhode  Island  Rar  .Association,  the  Young  Men's 
Democratic  Club,  and  the  Men's  Club  of  the  Church  of 
the  Transfiguration.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Uni- 
tarian, and  a  member  of  the  Westminster  Unitarian 
Church,  and  also  of  the  religious  society  of  the  Hell 
Street  Chapel. 

On  May  19,  1881,  Mr.  Pierce  married,  at  Providence, 
Martha  A.  Collingham,  daughter  of  Barnard  and  Mary 
.\.  (Barrett)  Collingham.  They  were  the  parents  of 
one  daughter,  Edith  B.  S.  Pierce,  who  l)fcame  the  wife 
of  the  Rev.  .Arthur  G.  Singsen,  of  Summit,  N.  J. ;  their 
children  are :  .Antone  Gerhardt,  Edwin  Pierce,  Phyllis. 
Mrs.  Pierce  survives  her  husband  and  resides  in  Cran- 
ston. 

Edwin  C.  Pierce  died  at  his  home  in  Cranston,  R.  I., 
February  8.  1919,  and  in  his  death  the  legal  profession 
of  Rhode  Island  as  well  as  the  public  and  political  in- 
terests of  the  State  suffered  an  irreparable  loss.  The 
following  is  a  tribute  paid  him  by  an  eminent  member 
of  the  profession,  who  knew  him  well : 

Edwin  C.  Picric  is  an  altrui.st:  the  predominant 
trait  of  his  character  isi  his  persistent  seeking  for  the 
truth  and  his  unfaltering  support  of  principle  without 
fear  and  without  favor.  Tlie  truth  has  made  him  free; 
without  passion  and  without  prejudice  he  views  the 
world  and  its  concerns  In  a  truly  catholic  spirit.  He 
has  no  appreciation  of  the  petty  meannesses  of  human 
nature;  he  has  Ipnorerl  them,  to  rise  above  them,  Ks- 
scntialiy  philosophic  of  mind,  no  motive  ulterior  in  its 
nature  enters  Into  his  course  of  action:  a  more  per- 
fect e.\ampie  of  thought  acting  as  a  free  agent  It 
would  be   impossible   to  find. 

Of  the  science  of  government,  If  government  be  a 
science,  and  the  theories  of  legal  lore  and  political 
economy  pertaining  thereto,  he  has  with  a  powerful 
mentality  made  a  profound  study,  and  stan  Is  a  master 
in  that  field.  Had  he  devoted  himself  to  effort  in  the 
field  of  literature  touching  that  department  of  human 
knowledge,  he  would  have  given  opportunity  for  a 
recognition  of  his  talent,  but  he  has  contented  himself 
with  acting  as  a   teacher  of  those    immediately  about 


554 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


him.  Those  who  have  thus  come  in  contact  with  him 
owe  him  a  great  debt. 

Were  the  civil  condition  of  Rhode  Island  such  as  to 
call  for  such  services  as  his,  he  would  make  a  lasting- 
impression  upon  the  s.vstem  of  government  in  this 
State,  but  the  petrified  system  in  existence  acts  as  a 
Chinese  wall  to  repel  such  men  from  participation  in 
public  affairs.  Actuated  b.v  the  highest  public  spirit, 
even  patriotism,  lie  would  do  more  for  the  benefit  of 
the  people  than  the  people  themselves  would  do  for 
their  own.  His  confidence  is  reposed  in  a  government 
based  on  the  Lincoln  principle  of,  by  and  for  the  peo- 
ple, interpreted  by  the  .Jefferson  principle  that  govern- 
ment rests  upon  the  consent  of  the  governed,  and  he 
would  establish  such  a  system,  satisfied  that  the  people 
would  eventually  enter  just  judgments. 

Absolutely  without  selfish  ambition  or  mercenary 
motive,  he  is  something  more  than  a  politician;  he  is 
a  teacher  of  politicians  of  tlie  same  character;  in  this 
capacity  he  has  already  contributed  much  of  impor- 
tance to  the  development  of  democratical  government 
in  Rhode  Island  by  influencing  thought  leading  to  the 
adoption  of  modern  laws  on  many  subjects,  principal 
of  which  is  the  Australian  ballot  system,  of  which  he 
was  the  author  in  Rhode  Island. 

He  is  equipped  with  a  well  grounded  education  in 
the  law.  and  is.  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word,  a  good 
lawyer.  But  comparing  the  practice  of  the  law  with 
the  practice  of  citizenship,  the  former  is  an  avoca- 
tion while  the  latter  is  a  vocation  with  Mr.  Pierce. 
Within  the  field  in  which  he  chooses  to  exercise  his 
talents  he  is  in  advance  of  his  age  perhaps  a  genera- 
tion, if  not  more.  Were  Rhode  Island  to  constitute 
Mr.  Pierce  a  Constitutional  Convention,  this  State 
would  receive  from  his  hands  the  best  Constitution 
ever  framed,  for  while  he  is  radical  in  the  sense  of  one 
who  goes  to  the  roots  of  things,  he  is  as  a  lawyer 
bound  by  the  precedents,  and  as  a  sympathizer  with 
the  people  moved  by  consideration  of  practical  needs, 
so  that  he  would  evolve  a  Constitution  which  would 
be  at  once  modern,  well  balanced,  practical  and  con- 
servative. It  is  in  this  capacity  that  his  worth  would 
be  appreciated. 

While  this  is  his  characteristic,  he  remains  a  man 
of  many  sides,  a  man  among  men,  whose  love  of  man- 
kind renders  him  agreeable  to  everyone  with  whom 
he  is  thrown  into  association — a  gentleman. 


HENRY  AARON  JONES,  M.  D.— From  his  medi- 
cal student  days  Dr.  Jones  has  made  special  study  of 
nervous  diseases,  especially  insanity,  and  through  long 
continued  research  and  wide  instittitional  experience, 
has  won  recognition  as  an  authority  on  the  treatment 
and  care  of  the  insane.  His  professional  career  is 
unique  in  that  he  has  disregarded  entirely  the  oppor- 
tunities for  material  success  in  specialization,  and  in 
the  State  institutions  has  organized  and  is  conducting 
a  work  that,  important  in  its  medical  relation,  has,  under 
his  inspired  and  devoted  leadership,  taken  on  many  of 
the  aspects  of  the  most  valuable  social  service.  To  the 
betterment  of  the  condition  of  the  State's  dependents, 
physical,  mental,  moral,  and  spiritual,  he  has  dedicated 
the  best  of  his  talents,  and  the  visible  results  of  the 
system  he  has  inaugurated  are  worthy  of  the  sacrifice 
of  personal  ambition. 

Dr.  Jones  was  bom  in  Liverpool,  England,  January  31, 
1870,  and  when  a  lad,  came  to  Quebec,  Canada,  where 
he  acquired  a  high  school  and  professional  education, 
then  entering  Bowdoin  Medical  College,  of  Maine, 
whence  he  was  graduated  M.  D.,  in  the  class  of  i8g6. 
In  this  year  he  came  to  Rhode  Island  and  secured  an 
appointment  as  interne  at  the  State  Hospital  for  Mental 
Diseases,  at  Cranston,  of  which  institution  Dr.  George 
F.  Keene  was  then  deputy  superintendent.  He  made 
a  special  study  of  mental  diseases  under  Dr.  Keene, 
continuing  as  interne,  student,  and  investigator  until 
1808,  when  he  was  appointed  assistant  physician,  a  post 
he  held  for  seven  years.  In  1903  Dr.  Jones  spent  several 
months  in  England,  where  he  made  a  careful  study  of 
English   methods  and   systems   in  the   treatment   of  the 


insane.  In  1905  he  became  resident  physician  to  the 
State  institutions  at  Cranston,  his  present  office,  these 
institutions  including  the  State  Infirmary,  the  State 
Workhouse  and  House  of  Correction,  the  State  Prison, 
Providence  County  Jail,  and  the  Sockanossett  School 
for  Boys  and  the  Oaklavvn  School  for  Girls,  the  two 
last  named  being  departments  of  the  State  Reform 
School.  The  total  number  of  inmates  of  these  institu- 
tions in  1916  was  about  twenty-seven  hundred,  a  pop- 
ulation over  which  Dr,  Jones  has  complete  medical 
supervision  and  for  whose  health  and  well  being  he  is 
responsible.  In  1916  he  was  appointed  the  first  medical 
superintendent  of  the  State  Alms-house,  his  personal 
effort  and  influence  aiding  in  having  the  name  of  the 
institution  changed  by  the  Legislature  in  1917  from 
Alms-house  to  infirmary.  Early  in  his  administration 
Dr.  Jones  established  the  first  kindergarten  in  the  in- 
firmary and  has  remained  in  close  and  constant  touch 
with  its  work.  The  primary  object  of  the  kindergarten 
is  to  supply  in  as  large  a  measure  as  possible  the  home 
trainitig  and  influence  of  which  the  pupils  have  been 
deprived,  and  Dr.  Jones  is  fortunate  in  the  associa- 
tion with  him  in  this  plan  of  teachers  whose  work  is 
inspired  by  a  real  vision  of  service  and  whose  presence 
in  the  institution  is  a  response  to  a  call  to  a  high  and 
worthy  service.  Results  of  plans  and  work  of  this 
kind  are  not  immediate  nor  tangible,  but  the  reward  of 
devotion  and  consecration  is  daily  more  apparent  in 
the  spirit  of  the  place,  where  the  birth  and  development 
of  Christian  qualities  and  virtues  is  steadily  realized. 
Victor  Hugo  wrote,  "Whoever  opens  a  school  closes  a 
prison,"  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  believe  that  in  this 
department  of  the  work  may  be  generated  the  force 
that  will  diminish  the  need  for  the  institutions  that  are 
its  neighbors. 

Dr.  Jones  is  a  member  of  the  Providence  Medical 
Society,  the  Rhode  Island  Medical  Society,  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  Association,  the  New  England  Society  of 
Psychiatry,  and  is  president  of  the  Rhode  Island  Med- 
ico Legal  Society.  He  has  presented  papers  to  differ- 
ent medical  societies  and  journals,  usually  on  the  sub- 
ject of  mental  diseases.  In  June,  1910,  Dr.  Jones  dis- 
covered in  the  State  Infirmary  the  first  case  of  pellagra 
observed  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  and  Eastern 
States,  his  diagnosis  confirmed  by  Dr.  Swarts,  secre- 
tary of  the  State  Board  of  Health,  who  had  seen  the 
disease  in  the  South,  where  it  had  been  dangerously 
prevalent. 

In  1910  Dr.  Jones  was  a  Republican  nominee  for  city 
council,  the  entire  Republican  ticket  meeting  with  de- 
feat on  a  contemplated  change  in  local  government. 
Neither  before  nor  since  has  he  been  active  in  politics. 
He  was,  from  1900  to  1915,  identified  with  the  citizen 
soldiery  in  its  various  forms.  He  was  commissioned 
first  lieutenant  and  assistant  surgeon  of  the  First 
Regiment  of  Infantry,  Brigade  Rhode  Island  Militia, 
April  18,  1900;  major  and  surgeon.  Brigade  Rhode 
Island  Militia,  May  23,  1902,  and  honorably  discharged 
May  I,  1909.  On  the  same  day  he  was  appointed  major 
and  surgeon.  Medical  Corps,  Rhode  Island  National 
Guard,  and  was  detailed  for  duty  in  the  First  Artillery 
District  (First  Artillery  District  changed  to  First  Coast 
Defense  Command,  September  3,  1914)-  He  was  re- 
lieved  from  duty   with   the   First   Coast   Defense   Com- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


555 


niand  and  assigned  to  the  Hospital  Corps  to  command 
the  same,  November  7,  1914.  On  June  25,  1915.  he  was 
relieved  from  further  duty  with  the  Hospital  Corps  and 
placed  on  waiting  orders,  and  on  December  31,  IQ15, 
M-as  placed  on  the  retired  list  with  the  rank  of  lieuten- 
ant-colonel In  1908  he  was  with  the  forces  at  the 
maneuvers  in  Texas,  and  throughout  his  lifteen  years 
of  service  was  an  interested  participant  in  all  military 
activity.  On  August  21,  1018,  he  was  appointed  a  cap- 
tain in  the  Sanitary  Detachment  of  the  Rhode  Island 
State  Guard  (with  the  Cranston  Blues),  serving  until 
October  30,  igi8,  when  he  resigned. 

Dr.  Jones  married,  in  Utica.  N.  Y.,  in  looi,  Jane  E. 
Clark,  of  that  city.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren:  Grace  T..  Elizabeth  W.,  Pauline,  and  Frances. 


ASA  WATSON  ARMINGTON  TRAVER,  one  of 

the  most  distinguished  physicians  of  Rhode  Island  and 
at  one  time  surgeon  general  of  the  United  States  army, 
is  a  son  of  William  Henry  and  Bedelia  (Armington) 
Traver,  prominent  and  highly  honored  residents  of 
Providence,  R.  I.,  in  the  generation  just  passed.  The 
father  was  also  a  physician,  and  served  as  a  colonel 
in  the  United  States  army  during  the  Civil  War,  while 
the  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Armington  family, 
one  of  the  oldest  in  New  England.  They  are  now  both 
deceased. 

Born  May  12,  1869,  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  Asa  Watson 
Armington  Traver  attended  as  a  lad  the  grammar  and 
high  school  grades  in  his  native  city.     He  was  prepared 


for  college  at  the  Providence  High  School  and  then 
matriculated  at  Brown  University.  He  took  the  usual 
classical  course  at  this  institution  and  then,  having  de- 
termined upon  a  medical  career,  entered  Dartmouth 
Medical  College.  He  graduated  in  the  year  1889  from 
Brown  University,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
.A.rts.  and  in  1892  from  Dartmouth,  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  Immediately  after  the  latter  event, 
he  became  an  interne  in  the  Mary  Hitchcock  Hos- 
pital, Andover,  Mass.,  and  remained  there  two  years, 
adding  actual  practical  experience  to  the  theoretical 
knowledge  already  gained  by  him.  .'\fter  his  experience 
at  this  institution.  Dr.  Traver  came  to  Providence,  R.  I., 
and  has  continued  in  active  practice  here  ever  since.  He 
has  here  a  large  and  splendidly  equipped  ofTice,  at  No. 
625  Westminster  street,  and  is  an  acknowledged  leader 
of  his  profession  in  this  region.  Dr.  Traver  is  a  natural 
leader  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  public  affairs  and 
held  a  number  of  important  offices.  He  was  at  one 
time  State  surgeon  of  Rhode  Island.  The  difficult  duties 
of  the  high  offices  he  held  he  discharged  with  the  great- 
est efficiency,  and  won  for  himself  an  enviable  repu- 
tation as  a  capable  and  disinterested  public  servant. 
Dr.  Traver  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  in  his 
religious  belief  a  Unitarian.  He  is  a  member  of  St 
John's  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  the 
Society  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans. 

Dr.  Traver  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Anne 
Elizabeth  Harris.  No  children  have  been  born  to  thera, 
but  Mrs.  Traver  has  one  son  by  her  former  marriage, 
Francis  John  Harris,  now  in  the   United   States  army. 


ADDENDA- ERRATA- INDEX 


ADDENDA  AND  ERRATA. 


Cameron,  p.  192,  ist  col.,  Mrs.  D.  .A.  Cameron  died  August  4,  1919. 

Chase,  p.  164,  ist  col.,  Mrs.  Leonard  A.  Chase  is  at  the  present   time    (1919)    recording  secretary   of   Gaspee 

Chapter. 
Cooke,  p.  i6g,  ist  col..  Ebenezer  Cooke  died  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  not  Massachusetts,  as  stated. 
Dutkierwicz,  p.  x'i7<  1st  col.,  should  be  Dutkiewicz. 

Ilasbrouck,  p.  62,  2nd  col..  Dr.  Hasbrouck  erected  the  first  brick  business  block  in  the  village  of  Bristol  in  1896. 
Houlihan,  p.  274,  2nd  col.,  Michael  J.  Houlihan  died  January  22,  1920. 

Kingsley,  p.  93,  1st  col.,  Mrs.  Kingsley  was  a  daughter  of  Alvertus  A.  Wilbur,  not  Albertus  A.,  as  recorded. 
LeFrancois,  p.  357,  2nd  col.,  should  be   Lefrancois. 

Sherman,  p.  213,  2nd  col.,  24th  line,  Abram  David  should  be  Abram  Davis. 
Wirschang,  p.  338,  ist  col.,  should  be  Wirsching. 


INDEX. 
Note— .^n  asterisk  (*)  set  against  a  name  refers  to  additional  or  correctional  matter  in  .Xddenda  and  Errata. 


Ackrill.  Frank  H..  Dr.,  95 

Ixachel,  95 

Thomas  R.,  95 
Adams.  Arlo  G.,  31 

Effie  C,  31 

Emerson  L.,  30 

Jonas  G.,  30 
Aldrich,  Amos,  277 

Carlton  J.,  461 

Davis,  460 

Davis  T.,  461 

Dora  E.,  460 

Everett  H..  460 

George,  276 

Gilbert  A.,  276,  277 

Herbert  O.,  460 

Jacob.  277 

James  G.  A.,  278 

Minerva  A.,  278 

Moses,  277 

Robert.  277 

Thomas  A.,  460 
Alexander,  Catherine  H.,  528 

Charles,  454 

John  E.,  528 

John  N.,  528 

Julia  A.,  455 

Whitney,  454 
.\lker,  Alice  A.,  361 

Edward.  360 

William  E.,  361 
Allen.  Andrew  J.,  490 

Catherine.  07 

Florence  E..  490 

Frederick  R.,  490 

Henry  C,  96 

Henry  De  W..  96,  97 
Almy,  Albert  S.,  68 

Benjamin.  521 

Benjamin  F.,  521 

Benjamin  F.,  Jr.,  521 

Benjamin  R.,  521 

Cook,  67 

Ellen,  521 

Emily,  521 

Frank  D.,  67 


Howard,  521 

Job,  6- 

Tohn,  67 

Julia  M..  68 

Samuel  E.,  67,  68 

William,  521 
.Anclelberg.  Abertine,  440 

Axel  F.,  Dr.,  440 

Lars,  440 
Anderson,  .August,  373 

Hilda.  374 

John  M..  373 
.Andrews,  Clara  J.,  152 

F.hiathan,  151 

Frederick  T..  150,  151 

John,  150,  151 

Timothy,  151 

William,  150 
.An.gell,  Amey,  236 

Andrew,  235 

Andrew  A.,  236 

Charles.  235 

James  A.,  236 

Jeremiah,  235 

John,  235 

Thomas,.  2,^4,  235 
.'\nshcn,  Isaac,  452 

Louis  J..  452 

Sarah,  452 
Anthony,  Abraham,  236 

I'enjamin,  237 

David.  237 

Ellen  D.  F.,  238 

Francis,  Dr.,  236 

James  L.,  44.1,  446 

James  T.,  445 

John,  236 

John  B.,  236.  237 

Mary  B.,  238 

Millicent,  446 

William,  236 
Appleby,  Elizabeth.  463 

Harriet  G.,  463 

Joseph,  462 

William,  462 

William  B.,  462 


Appleton.  J.  Howard,  308 

Louise.  308 

Louise  M.,  308 

Paul,  Dr.,  308 
.Vrchambault,  Adelard,  357 

Cordelia,  522 

Delphin,  357 

Francis,  143 

Francois,  357 

Henri.  Rev.,  143 

Henrietta,  143 

Levi,  J22 

Louis  J.,  $22 
.Armstrong.  James  M.,  Dr.,  398 

John.  3f>S 

Marv.  .398 
Arnold,  .Miby  F.,  65 

Alberta  H.,  102 

Aza,  53 

Benedict,  368 

Benjamin,  53 

Benjamin  H.,  54 

Byron  L.,  336 

Carro  L..  54 

Charlie  H.,  102 

Daniel  R.,  54 

Eleazer,  $3 

Etta.  337' 

Frank  H.,  53.  54 

George  B.,  368 

Gilbert  D.,  368 

Hetty  F.,  65 

Israel.  130 

James,  336 

James  U.,  65 

Joseph,  S3 

Joseph  A.,  336,  337 

Joseph  S.,  368 

Nellie  M.,  337 

Richard,  129 

Roger,  120 

Samuel,  53 

Sarah  A.,  369 

Thomas,  ^3.  129 

Willi.am.  368 

William  H..  102 


56o 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


William  J.,  64,  65 

William  U.,  64,  336 
Astle,  Albertina,  56 

Christopher  J.,  Dr.,  56 

Solon  R.,  56 
Atwood,  Helen  L.,  181 

Ira  O.,  Dr.,  446 

James  A.,  180 

James  S.,  180 

Lillian  F.,  446 

Osmond  H.,  446 
Atwood,  Crawford  Co.,  433 
Aubin,  Gilbert,  474 

Parmeld,  474 

Wilfrid,  474 
Avallone,  Frank.  411,  412 

John,  411 

Marv,  411 
Averv,'  George  W.,  88 

George  W.,  Jr.,  88 

Marcia  E.,  88 

Samuel  R.,  88 

William  H.,  88 

Babcock,  Caleb,  113 

George,  1 13 

Hezekiah.  113 

James,  113 

John,  113,  114 

John  E.,  113,  114 

Margie  H.,   114 
Baggs,  Benjamin,  463 

Dorcas  C,  463 

Elisha  L.,  463 

Milton  P.,  463 
Bailey,  Caleb,  164 

Elizabeth,  447 

Henry  A.,  447 

Hugh,  164 

Jeremiah,  164 

Joseph,  164 

Mary  J.,  447 

Maud.  146 

Nellie,  447 

Robert  J,,  146 

Robert  P.,  146 

William,  164 

William  H.,  447 
Baker,  Anson,  48 

James  M..  48 

Julia,  49 
Balch,  Joseph,  268,  269 

Joseph,  Jr.,  269 

Joseph  P.,  269 

Laura  T.,  269 
Baldwin,  Henry  F.,  123 

Lilla  M.,  123 

Theodore  A.,  123 
Ball,  Charles,  18 

Charles  1.,  18 

Claude  C,  18 

Elsbeth  B.,  18 
Ballam,  John  J.,  450 

Mary  V.,  451 
Bamforth,  Bentley,  143 

Charles  B.,  143 

Ida  C,  144 

Stanley  R.,  144 
Bancroft,  Frederick  J.,  422 

John.  422 

Julia.  422 

Margaret.  422 

William,  422 


Banigan,  John  J.,  488 

John  J.,  Jr.,  488 

Joseph,  4S5,  488 

Margaret,  488 

Maria  T.,  488 

Mary  C,  488 

Richard  D.,  488 
Bannon,  Annie  M.,  544 

Margaret  M.,  97 

Matthew  J.,  97 

Peter,  543.  544 

Robert  M.,  Dr.,  97 
Barber,  Charles  E.,  321 

Marion  E.,  321 

Mary  L.,  321 
Harden,  Bridget,  142 

Mary  A.,  142 

Peter,  141 
Barker,  Edward,  291 

Francis  S.,  291,  292 

Isaac,  292 

James,  291,  292 

John,  291 

Rowland,  291 

Ruth  M.,  293 

Stephen,  292 

Stephen  P.,  292 
Barnes,  Alice  E.,  106 

Alvah  H..  Dr.,  106 

Frederick  J.,  106 
Baron,  James  J.,  Dr.,  183 

Mary,  183 
Barone,  Antonio,  330 

John,  33a 

Victoria,  330 
Barriere,  Harriet,  474 

Maurice  E.,  473 
Barry.  Patrick  F.,  119 

Rose  M.,  119 

William  H.,  119 
Bartlett,  Augustus  S.,  376 

Nettie  M.,  377 

Stephen  D.,  376 
Batchelder  (Bachiler),  Earl  H.,  21 

George  T.,  19,  20,  21 

George  T.,  Jr.,  21 

John  P.,  21 

Toseph,  20 

Julia  T.,  21 

Lydia  A.,  21 

Nathaniel,  19,  20 

Parley,   19,  20 

Stephen,  Rev.  19 

Thomas,  20 
Batchelor,  Emily,  72 

George,  71 

Joseph,  71 

William  A.,  71,  72 
Bateman,   Gideon,  318 

Gideon  L.,  318 

Nellie  D.,  319 
Bates.  Alexander  P.,  26 

Emily  M..  27 

Emma  E.,  26 

John  A.,  26 

John  G.,  26 

Pardon  T.,  26 
Battey,  Allen,  60 

Georgia  M.,  60 

John  A.,  60 

John  A..  Jr.,  60 

Samson.  60 

William  B.,  60 


Beckwith,  Adam,  467 

Alonzo  S.,  239 

Emily  M.,  239 

Hamon,  467 

John,  467 

Lorania  C,  239 

Marmaduke,  467 

Matthew,  238 

Robert,  467 

Thomas,  467 

William,  467 

William  C,  Dr.,  239 

William  L.,  238,  239,  466,  468 
Bedford,  Ephraim,  389 

Harry  O.,  389 

Ivy,  389 
Beede,  Agnes,  534 

Charles  G..  534 

Herbert  G.,  534 
Belaud,   Elizabeth   C.  82 

Joseph  H.,  Rev.,  82 

Toussaint,  82 
Belfield,  Elizabeth,  520 

Elizabeth  A.,  521 

James,  520 

John,  520 

Joseph,  520 
Belknap,  Abraham,  475,  476 

Almeda  H.,  477 

Anna  M.,  477 

Benjamin,  476 

Emery  P.,  477 

Emor.  476 

Frederick  W.,  477 

Job.  475.  476 

Joseph,  475 

Thomas,  476 
Belliveau,  Alphee  P.,  409 

Malvina  E.,  410 

Pierre,  409 
Bellows.  Carrie  M.,  524 

John  O.,  524 

Sarah  T.,  524 

Walter  E.,  524 
Bennett,  John  H.,  Dr.,  549 

Mary,  550 

Nancy.  550 

Samuel  R.,  549 
Bernard,  Alphonse,  172 

Josephine,   173 

William  .\.,  Dr.,  172 
Bernon,  Andre,  167 

Gabriel,  167 
Berth.   Frederick  J.,  21 

Theresa,  21 

Thomas,  21 
Bibeault,  Clorinda,  375 

George  J.,  374 

Zachariah,  374 
Blaine.  James  G..  501 

James  G.,  Jr..  501 

Marion,  501 
Blair.  Emma  F.,  419 

Frederick  L.,  Dr.,  418 

George  W.,  418 

James,  418 
Blake,  Elias,  loi 

Ellen,  102 

Le  Grand.  Dr..  lOi 

Nancy  E..   102 
Blanchard.  Ella  F.,  439 

Howard   E..  Dr.,  439 

William  B.,  439 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


561 


Bliss,  James  H.,  96 

Nellie,  96 

Theodore  H.,  95,  96 
Blount,  Hazel  H.,  60 

Samuel,  59 

Samuel  G.,  Dr.,  59 
Bodwell,  Harry  T.,  116 
Bonvouloir,  Arzclia,  340 

Joseph  A.,  339 

Pierre,  339 
Boss.  Henry  M.,  124 

Henry  M.,  Jr.,  124 

Louise  J.,  124 
Bosworth,  Annie,  301 

Edward,  300 

Edward  T.,  301 

Elizabeth.  301 

Ichabod,  300 

Jonathan,  300 

Peleg,  300 

Peleg  S.,  300,  301 

Smith,  301 
Boucher,   Benoni,  329 

Camille,  329 

Emma,  367 

Joseph  G.,  Dr.,  367 

Mary  L.,  330 

Paul.  367 

Philippe,  501 
Boudrcau.  Alfred  H.  O.,  no 

Maude  B..  in 

Oliver,  no 
Bourcier,  Mary,  366 

Rosanna,  366 

Sebastian,  366 
Bouvier,  Carolina,  348 

Charles.  348 

Joseph  C.  N.,  348 
Bowe.  Lillie  M.,  545 
Bowen.  Amos  M.,  449 

Amos  M.,  Jr.,  44J8,  449 

Asahel,  264 

David,  265 

EHsha.  264 

Hezekiah,  264 

Israel  I\I.,  Dr..  400 

Jabez,  Dr.,  448 

John  E.,  400,  401 

Joseph,  264 

Lyman,  265 

Martha  E.,  401 

Mary  A.,  449 

Nathan,  448 

Nellie  G.,  449 

Obediah,  264 

Phebe  S.,  265 

Richard,  264,  448 

Richard,  Dr.,  448 

Robert  L.,  400,  401 

Thomas,  448 

William  B.,  448 

William  H.,  Dr..  264,  265 
Bowie,  Ellen,  ,s88 

Frank  H..  388 

Tames,  388 

James   R.,  388 
Bragg.  Elizabeth  .\.,  62 

John  L,  62 

Robert,  62 
Brav,  Ferdinand,  22 

Mary  T.,  23 

Reuben,  22 

R  1-2-36 


Brayton.  .Vnliur  P.,  210 

Caroline  E.,  209 

Caroline  S.,  209 

Francis,  207 

Hezekiah  .\.,  208,  209 

Lsrael,  208,  209 

John,  208 

Margaret  L.,  209 

Preserved,  208 

Stephen,  208 

William   L.    S.,  209 
Brazil,  Jacquin  T.,  388 

John,  388 

Margaret,  388 
Brcslin.  Catherine,  323 

James,  323 

James  E.,  323 

Robert  H.,  Dr.,  323,  324 
Brien,  Albert.  369 

.\lnianzor.  370 

Eulalie,  369 

Francois,  369 

Leo  M.,  370 

Louis,  370 

Stanisclas,  369 
Briggs.  Daniel.  188 

Esther  A.,  188 

Job,   188 
Brigham,  Alice,  394 

Charles  C  394 

Herbert  O.,  394 

John  O.,  394 
Broderick.  .Anna  E.,  525 

Joseph   v.,  524,   525 

Patrick.  524 
Brooks,  Charles  F.,  296,  297 

Earl,  296 

Emma,  207 

Silas  P.,  21)6 

Truelove,  296 
Crown,  Abraham,  147 

.Alexander,   163 

Beriah,  163 

Charles,  163 

Emma.   147 

Jesse,   163 

Niles,  Dr.,  147 

Peleg  D.,  163 

Phebe  .A.,  163,  164 

Sarah,  163 
Browne,  John  B.,  549 

Mary,  549 

Nicholas,  549 

William  N..  549 
Buckland.  Alexander,  537 

.Mphonzo  W.,  Dr.,  536,  537 

Erastus,  537 

Helen   A.,  537 

Jonathan.  537 

Lorenzo  M.,  537 

William,  536.  537 
Bucklin,  Edward  C,  31,  32 

Eliza,  480 

George,  31,  479 

Henry  H.,  32 

Jessie  H.,  32 

John.  31.  479 

Joseph,  31.  479 

Thomas  P..  31.  479 
Biigbee,  Bathsheba,  224 

Edward.  224 

Edwin  H.,  224 


Elizabeth,  224 

Elizabeth  D.,  224 

Emma,  225 

Hezekiah,  224 

James,  224 

James  H.,  223,  224 

James  H.,  Jr.,  225 

John  E.,  225 

Joseph.  224 

Samuel,  224 
Bull,  Clarissa  A.,  206 

Henry,  204,  205 

Jireh,  205 

lohn,  204,  205,  206 

Phebe  C,  206 
Burke,  .\gnes  C,  154 

Charles  J.,  131 

Edward,  154 

Margaret  B.,  314 

Maria.  131 

P.  Francis,  313 

Thomas  F.,  131 

Thomas  P.,  313.  3H 

Tobias,  130 

William  R.,  Dr.,  154 
Burnett,  .Austin  C,  18 

Frank  G.,  Dr.,  17,  18 

Isabella  B.,  18 
Burnhani,  .Abram  \V.  D  ,  392 

.Arba.  392 

Clara  D.,  392 

Edward  E.,  392 

Emily  W..  392 

Everett   D.,  392 

Mal)el,  392 
Burns,  .Annie,  544 

John,  544 

John,  Jr.,  544 

Robert   E.,  544 
Butler,  Benjamin  J.,  Dr.,  435,  436 

Hettie  F.,  436 

James,  435 

Robert  L.,  436 
Byrne.  Daniel  J.,  346 

Elizabeth.  346 

Martin.  346 

Calder.  Albert  L.,   190 

.Alexander,   160 

.Augustus  W.,  Dr.,  190 

Harold  G.,  Dr.,  160,  161 

James,  160,  190 

John,  160 

Mildred,  161 

Sarah  S.,  190 

William,  160.   190 
Cameron,  Daniel,  191 

Daniel  A.,  191 

*Mary  J.,  192 
Capotoslo,  Antonio  .A.,  341 

Clementine  E.,  341 

Luigi,  341 
Capron,  Adin  B.,  528 

Banfield,  528 

Carlile  W.,  528 

Phebe  .A..  529 
Cardarelli,  Bessie  ^L,  334 

Francesco.  334 

Michael  N.,  334 
Carey   (Cary),  .Allen,  281 

Benjamin,  281 

Hannah,  281 


562 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


John,  280,  281 

Susanna,  281 

A\'illiam.  280 
Carmichael,  Abby  S.,  223 

George,  222 

George  A.,  223 

Nellie  A.,  223 

Welcome  S.,  22^ 
Caron,  Clemence,  169 

Elphege.  Rev-.,  169 

Joseph,  169 
Carpenter,  Anna  B.,  376 

Asa,  376 

Asa  E.,  485 

Benjamin,  64 

Benjamin  S.,  64 

Charles  E.,  484,  4S5 

Eudora  C,  485 

Eugene,  342 

George  M.,  376 

Gertrude,  158 

Herbert  L.,  158 

Horace,  382 

Horace  A.,  382 

Horace  F.,  2^2 

Irving,  375,  376 

James  M.,  376 

Jennie,  382 

Jennie  L.,  383 

Josephine.  342 

Leslie,  158 

Levi,  376 

Lottie  P.,  383 

Maria  W.,  382 

Mary  A.,  64 

Noah,  376 

Stephen,  376 

Wilfred,  342 

William,  375,  382,  484 
Carroll,  Charles,  y2 

Edward  F.,  Dr.,  72 

Mary  T..  73 
Cartier,  Michel,  100,  loi 

Micliel  N.,  100,  loi 

Ozilda,  loi 
Carty,  Catherine,  71 

Edwin,  71 

Thomas  L.,  71 
Casey,  .Austin  P.,  Dr.,  153 

Calvert  E.,   153 

Charles  H.,  Dr.,  153 

Patrick  F.,  153 
Caton,  Earle  F.,  412 

John  H.,  412 

Louise,  412 
Cella,  .\nlonio,  141 

Laura,   141 

Louis  J.  G..  Dr.,  140,  141 
Chace,  Charles,  498 

Isaac  F.,  498 

Laura  M.,  498 
Champcau,  Baptiste,  472 

Emma  S.,  473 

Xorbert,  472 
Chapdelaine,  Amelia  L.,  358 

Caroline,  358 

Cordelia,  358 

Joseph,  358 

Louis  L.,  358 

Octavie,  358 

Pierre,  358 
Charnley,  .\nn.  240 

Annie  L.,  240 


Isabella,  240 

Isabella  J.,  240 

Joseph  G.,  239,  240 

Mary  C,  240 

William,  240 

William  H.,  240 
Charon,  Amable,  150 

Augustine,   150 

Ernest  A.,  Dr..  150 
Charpentier,  Anna,   191 

Joseph,  191 

Joseph  H.,  191 
Chase,  .\.  A.,  174 

Leonard  A.,  164 

Lucy  W.,  175 

*Mabel,  164 

Stanley  N.,  174,   175 
Cheesman,   Helen   M.,  336 

James  E.,  335,  336 

James  H.,  335 

John  K.,  336 
Choquet,  .Alexandria,  37 

Alphonse  R.,  yj 

Ambrose,  36 

J.  B.  Arthur,  37 

Jean  B..  36 

Joseph  P.,  37 

Mary  L..  37 
Church,   Benjamin.  280 

Edith,  280 

Hannah.  280 

Richard.  279 

Thomas.  280 
Clark,  .Anne  M..  67 

Earl  S.,  457 

Eugene  L.,  457 

George  H.,  66 

George  P.,  65,  66 

James  F,,  Dr.,  59 

John,  65 

Joseph,  65 

Toshua.  66 

Luella   M.,  458 

Mary  E.,  59 

Patrick,  59 

Perry,  66 

Simeon  P.,  66 

Thomas.  65 

William.  65 
Clarke.  .Adelaide,  196 

Caleb.  195 

Catherine,  508 

Edith  E..  178 

George  H.,  177 

Helen  E.,  196 

John.  508 

Maria  F.,  196 

Mary  F..  196 

Owen  F..  Rev.,  508 

Patrick  J.,  508 

Richard  H.,   196 

Ruth  M..  196 

Susan   E.,   196 

Thomas,  177 

Thomas  H.,   196 

Thomas   W.   D.,   195 
Clegg.  John,  326 

Mary  H..  326 

William  J.,  Dr.,  326 
Clemence.  Richard,  311,  312 

Richard  W.,  312 

Stephen  H.,  312 

Stephen  H.,  Jr.,  311,  312 


Susan  A.  C,  312 

Thomas.  311 

Wright.  312 
Coggeshall,  Frances  B.,  234 

Hannah,  234 

Haydon,  234 

James  H.,  233,  234 

Jessie  L.,  234 

John.  2i2 

Joshua,  233 

Josiah,  233 
Cole,  Charles  I.,  440 

Cora  E.,  440 

Harold  B.,  440 

Joseph,  440 
Coleman.  Joseph  P.,  Rev.,  7,t,2 

Margaret,  332 

Patrick  H.,  332 
Collins,  .Alen,   183 

Jacob,   183 

Octave,  183 

Richard,  183 

William,  183 
Colvin,  .Albertus  M.,  375 

Clarence  E.,  375 

Holden,  375 

Miriam  E.,  375 

Samuel  .\.,  375 
Colwell.  Betsy  A..  45 

ClitTord  B.,  Dr.,  122 

Elmer  W.,  45 

Elsie,   122 

Harley,  44 

James   B.,   122 

Raymond  C,  45 

Uriah.  44 

William  B..  44.  45 
Coman.   David,  527 

Maria,  527 

Stephen  B.,  527 
Comstock,  Andrew,  242 

Anna  B.,  48 

Benjamin,  47 

Clara  E..  243 

Frank  P.,  240.  243 

George  H.,  46,  48 

George  W.,  47 

Ichabod,  47 

James,  242 

John,  46,  242 

Laura  W.,  243 

Samuel,  46.  241 

William.  46,  241 

William  H..  47 

Woodbury.  242 
Conrad,  Charles  H.,  74 

J.  H..  74 

Phoebe,  74 
Cook,  Alice  F.,  116 

Freeman  W.,  116 

Georgia  E.,  116 

Irving  S.,  Dr.,  116 

Paul  W..  116 

William  W..  116 
*Cooke,   Ebenezer,  169 

Francis.   168 

John,   169 

Samuel,   i6g 

Sarah,   169 

Silas.   169 

Walter.   169 
Cooney,  Elizabeth  A.,  96 

Elizabeth  W.,  96 


BIOGRATHICAL 


563 


James,  96 
Thomas  F.,  q6 
Corrcnte,  Antonio,  358 
Dusolina,  359 
Francisco,  358,  359 
Mariano  C,  359 
Petrina.  358 
Costello,  Kathryn  H.,  91 
Micliael.  91 
Micliael  F.,  91 
Cote.  Achille  P.,  Dr.,  361 
Aglaee,  503 
Antonia,  361 
Augustin  J.,  503 
Joseph,  503 
Pierre  C.  361 
Cotton.   Charles,   Dr..   162 
Elizabeth,  163 
John.  161.  162 
Josiah,   162 
Mary  E.,  163 
Rossiter,  162 
William   H.,   161,   162 
William  H.,  Jr.,  163 
Cottrell,  .\nna  T.,  547 
I'.mmelinc,  547 
Esbon  T.,  547 
John  S.,  546,  547 
John  T.,  546,  547 
Nicholas,  546 
Samuel  C,  547 
Coutu,  Cali.xtc  J.,  152 
Malvina,  152 
Mary  J.,   152 
Pierre,  152 
Covell,  Agnes  M..  518 
Ebenezer,  517 
Helen  E.,  550 
Joseph,  517 
Mary  J.,  518 
Sampson,  517 
William  H.,  516,  517,  550 
William  H.,  Jr..  518,  550 
Willis,  517 
Ziba,  517 
Craig.  Bernard,  410 
James  A.,  Rev.,  410 

Mary.  410 
Crawford.  C.  Fred,  434 

C.  Lotiie,  434 

Fred  S.,  434 

George,  434 

Mattie  M.,  434 
Cray,  John,  374 

John  K.,  374 

Sarah  F.,  374 
Crocker.  Cicorge  H.,  Dr.,  471 

Harriet  E.,  472 

Josiah  W.,  471 
Crosby.  Cora  E.,  27 

David,  27 

Justin  D.,  27 

Warren  R.,  27 
Cross,  Bessie  M.,  78 

Charles,  78 

George  C,  77,  78 

Gideon,  77 

Joseph,  77 

Mary  E..  78 
Crowther.  Benjamm.  424 

John,  424 

Minnie,  425 


Cruise,  Catherine,  79 

lohn,  78 

Peter  A..  78 

William  F.,  79 
Cuff,  James  Iv,  154 

.Mary  .X..  154 

Patrick  F.,  154 
Culien,  James  .-X.,  Dr.,  315 

.Margaret,  315 

William,  315 
Cummiiig,  George  .\.,  536 

J.  Stewart,  536 

John  H.,  535 

Margaret,  536 

Mvra  ].,  536 

William  K.,  $3^ 
Cummings,   Bridget,   132 

Frank  A.,  Dr..  132 

James.  460 

John,   132 

John  J.,  460 

Mary  E.,  460 
Curran,  John  L.,  55 

John  T.,  55 

Margaret,  55 
Cusliman,  Elizabeth,  433 

Robert.  433 

Robert,  Jr.,  433 
Cutts.  Florence  M.,  207 

William   B.,  Dr.,  207 

Daignault.  Alfred,  39" 
Arthemise,  345 
Catherine,  397 
Ellen,  350 
Elmire,  345 
Elphege  J.,  515 
Elsie,  350 
Eugene  J.,   345 
Fiorina.  515 
.Georgianna.  345 
Godfrey,  397 

Godfrey,  344.  345,  35°.  515 
Raphael  L.,  3.S0 
Raphael  P..  350 
Daneker,  Helen  S.,  439 

James  S.,  439 
Danforth.  Daniel  O.,  354 
John  M.,  354 
Leon  E.,  354 
Sarah  V'.,  355 
Darman,  .-Vrthur  I.,  505 
Frances  F..  506 
Louis,  505 
Dart.  Edward  M.,  49".  498 
Daurav,  Charles,  Mons.,  391 
Davis.' Frank  F.,  341,  342 
Gilbert  H.,  341 
Man-,  342 
Dawley,  Eliza  W..  160 
Jesse  B.,  160 
Jesse  P.,  160 
John,  160 
Shebna,  160 
Thomas  W.,  160 
Deady,  John,  33 
Katherine,  33 
Louis  J.,  Rev.,  33 
Delaney.  .Archibald  G.,  43.  44 
Mary  J.,  44 


Peter,  44 
Dempsey,  Abigail,  546 

George  C,  546 
De  Pasquale,  .Antonio,  343 
Luigi.  343 
Maria.  343 
Desmarais.  Emma,  545 

Phileas,  Dr.,  545 
Desrosiers,  Albina,  356 
Eugene  W.,  356 
Gilbert,  356 
lelesphore,  356 
Dc  Wolf,  Ballhasar.  270 
Charles,  270 
l%dith,  272 
Edward.  270 
Halsey.   Dr..  269,  271 
John,   271 
John  J..  Dr.,  271 
Mark  A.,  271 
Winthrop,  271 
Dexter.  Abby  S.,  62 
.\gnes  I-:.,  445 
lulward,  61 
Eunice,  62 
Everett   B.,  117 
Fred  W.,  445 
Gregory,  Rev..  60,  61 
Henrv,  118 
Henry  H.,  60.  62 
Horace,  118 
Irving.  118 
John,  61 
Stephen,  61 
Theodora  A.,  118 
Theodore,  118 
William,  117 
Dillon,  Cathryne  C,   113 
John,  113 
Patrick  E.,  113 
Docherty.  Ed.gar  M.,  179 
Dodge,  .\bner  E.,  268 
Edward  E.,  268 
Emma  A.  B.,  268 
Ethel.  450 
Frank  C,  Dr.,  450 
Frank  W.  C,  450 
Nellie  E.,  2fj8 
Dolbey.  Florence,  318 
Nettie,  318 
Sam,  317 
William,  317 
Donley,  Esther  M.,  46 
John  E.,  45 

John  E.,  Jr.,  Dr.,  45.  40 
Dorrai^ce,  Elizabeth,  226 
Samuel,  22C 
Samuel,   Rev.,  226 
Dow,  James,  409 
Marian,  400 
Robert.  409 
Draper.  Frank  O.,  473 
Ida  A.,  473 
James,  473 
Joseph  O.,  473 
Drew,  Caroline  F.,  134 
Emma,  134 
Harris,  134 
Helen  F.,  134 
Oliver  D.,  133 
Willis.  134 


564 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Dubeau,  Frank,  386 

George,  386 
N'alerie,  3S7 
Dubuque,  Charles,  546 

Clara,  ^46 

J.  H..  546 
Duffy,  Alice  A.,  99 

Ardelia  B.,  351 

Francis  J.,  316 

Frank  J.,  159 

Frank  P.,  Dr.,  99 

James  B.,  98 

James  J.,  351 

John  T.,   160 

Margaret,   160 

Martin,  351 

Mary  A.,  316 

Michael,  159 

Patrick  J.,  160 

Philip.  99 

Rose,  98 

Sarah,   159 

Thomas.  q8 

William  F.,  Dr.,  q;.  98 
Dunn,  John  F.,  41 

Louis  W.,  41 

Mary,  41 
Dunphy,  George  A.,  Dr.,  130 
Jennie  E.,  130 

Patrick,   130 
♦Dutkicwicz,  Josephine,  337 
Leopold,  337 
Michael,  Rev..  337 
Dwyer.  Honore,  133 

John.   133 
Dye.  Deborah,  252 
Enoch.  252 
Thomas,  252 
Dyer,  Barbara  A.,  198 
Charles,  197 
John,   198 
Reuben,   198 
Rodney  F.,  197,  198 
Sarah  E.,  198 
William,  197 

Easton,  Charles  F.,  ^8^ 
Charles  R.,  384 
Laura  A.,  384 
Mable  R.,  384 
Nicholas,  383 
Eddy,  Darius.  115 
Isaac  \.,  115,  116 
Martha  P.,  116 
William  D.,  116 
Edson.   Emily,  427 
V\'illiam  E.,  427 
\ViIlie  C,  427 
Edwards,  Ariel  B.,  394 
Azariah,  393 
Daniel  -\1.,  Dr.,  393 
Daniel   M.,  Jr.,  394 
Edith,  394 
Laura,  393 
Emidy,  .-^nne,  403 
Joseph.  403 
Joseph  C.  403 
Erskine,  Ellen,  389 
Margaret,  389 
Peter,  3S8 
William  H.,  38-S 
William  H.,  Jr.,  389 


Evans,  Edwin  B.,  390 
Helen  A.,  390 
Henry  R.,  390 
Richard,  390 

Famiglietti.  Angelo  M.,  349 
Carolina,  349 
Filomena,  357 
I\Lirgarita,  357 
Remigio,  356 
Rocco  M.,  356 
Trilomena,  357 
Vito  N.,  349 
Fanning.  .Arthur  L.,  Dr.,  84 
Bernard,  8d 
Michael.  84 
Teresa  I\L,  85 
Farnsworth,   Amos,  525 
Benjamin,  526 
Claudius  B.,  525,  526 
Claudius  R.,  526 
John  P.,  ,2:;,  526 
John  P.,  Jr.'  526 
Luke.  525 
Margaref  C.  526 
Matthias.  526 
William  B.,  526 
Farnum,   .Adeline  F.,  416 
Darius   D.,  415 
Frank  E.,  416 
Jonathan,  415 
Farrar,  Bessie,  331 
D.  H..  330,  331 
Thomas  H.,  331 
Faucher,  Henri  J.,  327 
Marie.  328 
Telesphore.  327 
Feltham,  Arthur  J.,  549 

John  H.,  549 
Fidanza,  Annie  E.,  335 
Antonio  G..   Dr.,  334 
Nicholas.  33^ 

Fitz.  Edward  E.,  134,  135 
Erie.  136 
Jeremiah,  134 
Lillian,  136 
Minnie  L.,   135 
W'illiam,  Rev.,  134 
Fitzpatrick.  James,  137 
Matilda,  137 
Thomas  J.,   Rev.,  136 
Fitzsimmons,   Frank  E.,  355 
John,  355 
Mary.  356 
Flanagan,  John,   181 
Sarah,  181 
William  F.,  Dr.,  181 
Flint,  Frances  J.,  312 
Noadiah,  312 
William  H..  312 
Flynn.  Catherine  A.,  363 
Michael  M.,  363 
Thomas  S.,  Dr.,  363 
Foley,  Ellen,  178 
John,    178 
John,  Jr..  178 
Fontaine.  John  B.,  455 
Obeline,  456 
Oliver  W.^  456 
Raymond  J.,  456 
Walter  F.,  455 


Ford.  Ceria  M.,  423 
Coomer  S.,  423 
Hanna.  423 
James  M.,  423 
Pardon  B.  S.,  423 
Forrest,  Erie  D.,  Dr.,   118 
John,  118 
Miriam  R.,   118 
Fortin,  Delia,  107 
Elizabeth,  322 
Hermengilde,  322 
Joseph  S.,  Rev.,  322 
Rana,  106 
William  R.,  106 
Forrow,  Charles  E.,  109 
Emory  D.,  109 
George.  100 
Jennie  E.,  109 
Mary  A.,  109 
Oscar  A..  109 
Foster,  Charles  S.,  75 
Chester  C,  76 
Joseph  H.,  7t 
Mary  A.,  yb 
Samuel,  75 
Fournier,  Arthur  V.,  373 
Hector  L.,  373 
Ovilard  S.,  373 
Stanislas.  372 
Zepherine,   373 
Franklin,  Ellen  E.,  420 
Henry  H.,  420 
Waldo  E.,  420 
Freeman,  Edward,  Rev.,  509 
Edward  L.,  509,  510 
Elizabeth  K..  510 
Joseph  W.,  508,  509 
Marion  G.,  501 
Mason,  501 
Otis  M.,  500,  SOI 
Frost,  Fannie.  108 
George  F..  108 
George  W.,  108 
Ruth  D.,  43 
Walter  B..  43 
M'alter  L.,  43 

Gagnon,   Flora  L.,   109 

Henry  C.   108,   109 

Pierre,   108 
Galassi.  Emily,  411 

Frank,  410 

Lucy,  411 

Theodore  V.,  410 
Gallup.  Algernon  S.,  58 

Benadan,  38 

Benjamin  S.,  58 

Edward   C.   19 

Elihu,  38 

Isaac,  38 

Jennie  H..  Dr.,  39 
John,  37 

Julius  C.,  Dr.,  37,  39 
Julius  C,  Jr.,  39 
Lorena  B.,  59 
Man,-  E..  39 
Gamwell.  Charles  A.,  401 
Elizabeth  M.,  402 
William,  401 
Gancm,  Assef,  364 
Joseph.  Rev.,  364 
Mariam,  364 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


565 


Gardella.  Antonio  B.,  381 

Francisco  J.,  381 

Teresa,  381 
Gardiner,  Abbie,  245 

Agnes  D.,  222 

Aldridgc  B.,  221 

Benjamin,  244 

Benoni,  244 

Beriah,  221 

Edna  R.,  245 

Edwin  R.,  243,  245 

George.  220,  243 

John,  244 

Malachi  R.,  244 

Nicholas,  221 

W'ickes,  244 

William,  244 
Gardner,  Clarence  H.,  Dr.,  261 

Clarence  T.,  Dr.,  258,  260 
•  James,  259 

John  A.,  260 

Johnson,  259 

Mary  F.,  261 

Richard,  259 

Thomas,  259 
Garland,  Frederick  D.,  431 

James.  431 

-Mary  M.,  432 
Gay,  Abigail,  248 

Joanna,  248 

John,  247 
Gelinas,  Aime,  427 

.•\lma,  428 

Joseph.  427 
Ghazarian.  Garabed  S.,  Dr.,  345 

Haigoohi,  346 

Sarkis,  345 
Gill.  Edith.  176 

William  C.  175 
Gillespie,  Alfred  C,  82 

Andrew  M.,  82 

Barbara,  82 

Elizabeth,  82 

John.  82 

Mae  E.,  82 

William  R.,  81,  82 
Giroux,   Cecil,  408 

Joseph,  408 

Joseph  M.  L.  (Leon),  Rev.,  408 
Gladding.   Benjamin  C,  278,  279 

Hannah  T.,  279 

John,  278,  279 

Jonathan,  278 

Mary  T.,  279 

Susanna.  278 
Godfrey,  Bertha  M.,  12 

Carrie  E.,  11 

Charles  S.,  10,  ii 

Izora  N.,  11 

John  R.,  II 

Joshua,  ID 

Joshua  S.,  II 

Sarah  R.,  11 

Slocum,  ID 

William  H.,  II 

William  H.,  Jr.,  12 
Goff.  Almira  W.,  542 

Darius.  538 

Edward   E..  435 

Joseph,  538 

Lyman  B.,  537,  540 

Lyman   T.,   542 


M.  Helen.  435 

Richard,  53S 

Richard  E.,  435 
Goodchild,  Charles  L,  401 

Helen  L.,  401 

Isaac,  401 
Gorman,  Charles,  201 

Charles  E.,  201 

Clement   D.,  203 

Josephine  C,  203 
Graf,  Joseph,   178 

Mary  A..  178 
Granger,  Ethel,  502 

Eugene  N.,  Dr.,  502 

Frederick,  502 
Graton,  .Alphonse,  Rev.,  322 

Joseph,  322 

Marie  L.,  322 
Graves,  Delia  L.,  368 

Eugene,  368 

Eugene  S.,  368 
Greaves,  Abraham,  136 

Julia  S.,  136 

William,  136 
Green.  Frederick  C,  344 

James.  460 

Joseph.  344 

Margaret.  344 

Marion  D.,  460 
Greene.  Abby,  218 

Anna  L.,  295 

.\nna  P.,  lOO 

Clara  M.,  387 

Edward  F.,  377 

Elisha,  217 

Eva  M.,  382 

Frederick  D.,  184 

George  N.,  184,  381,  387 

George  W.,  397 

Henry  S.,  395 

James  E..  387 

James  H.,  99,  100 

James  T..  396,  397 

John,  377 

John,  Dr.,  217 

John.  Maj.,  217 

Lauriston  H.,  215,  218 

Leonora  A.,  100 

Lillian  M.,   184 

Lizzie  S.,  100 

Louise  W.,  295 

Lvdia  A.,  218 

Lydia  P..  218 

Margaret.  377 

Marion  D.,  397 

Peter.  217 

Reuben,  100 

Stephen,  217 

Stephen  D.,  295 

Susan,  395 

Thomas  H.,  395 

Warren  M.,  99,  100 

William,  218 

William  C,   179 

William  H.,  381 

William  L.,  395 
Grenon,  .Aurora,  339 

Joseph,  339 

Joseph  E.,  339 

H.  and  B.  Amer.  Mch.  Co.,  436 
Haig.  Adam  A.,  389 


David  A.,  389 

Sarah  L.,  390 
Hamilton,  Faith.  57 

Harold,  57 

James,  56 

John  A.,  56 
Hamlett,  Elizabeth  L.,  366 

Eugene  C,  366 

Luther,  3f)0 
Hammett,  Benjamin,  298 

Cliarles  E.,  298 

Edward.  298 

Elizabeth  R.,  298 

Fred  M..  298 

James  H.,  297,  298 

Lincoln,  298 

Louisa  D.,  298 

Sarah  T.,  298 
Hanley,  Clara  T.,  546 

Delia,  405 

Francis,  405 

Gerald  T.,  546 

James,  545 

Martha  J.,  546 

Peter  A.,  Rev.,  405 

Walter  H.,  546 
Hansahoe  Mfg.   Co.,  372 
Harrington,  .Arthur  B.,  398 

Benjamin   F.,  398 

Ethel  H.,  399 
Harris,  Abby  P.,  257 

.Andrew,  227 

Charles,   286 

David,  25s 

Edward,  255 

Emma  M.,  287 

iTancis  J.,  555 

Herbert  E.,  Dr.,  136 

Hope,  227 

Isabel,  257 

John.  227 

Joseph,  255 

Lillian  A..   136 

Rachel,  257 

Richard.  255 

Russell  S.,  286 

Stephen,  286 

Thomas,  255,  286 

Toleration,  227 

Walter  D.,   136 

William,  226,  227 

William  M.,  286 

William  M.,  Jr.,  286 
Hart,  Nelhe  E.,  126 

Xoah  W.,   126 

Thomas  C,  126 
♦Hasbrouck,  Cornelius  J.,  Dr.,  62 

Gertrude  M.,  63 

Lewis  B.,  62 

Sarah,  63 
Hascall,  Emma  F.,  365 

Theodore  C,  Dr.,  365 

William  H.  S..  365 
Haskell.  William  H.,  40 
Hatch.  Israel,  443 

Marv,  444 

Will'ard  T.,  443 
Hathaway,  Anna  M.,  488 

Clara  P.,  489 

Franklin  P.,  488 

Oliver  H.,  488 

Oliver  H.,  Jr.,  488 


566 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Hawes,  Amos  B.,  Dr.,  245,  247 

Beriah,  246 

Daniel,  246 

Earl  P.,  Dr.,  247 

Edward,  245. 

Lewis  C,  247 

Lyslie  M.,  247 

Mary  H.,  247 

Mary  L.,  247 

Samuel,  246,  247 
Hay.  John.  6 

Minnie  M.,  6 

Robert  W.,  6 
Hayden,  Eunice  P.,  395 

Frank  W.,  Dr.,  395 

John  W.,  395 
Hayes.  Albert  E.,  Dr.,  159 

Edwin,  159 

Fannie  A.,  159 
Hayman,  Fred  W.,  71 

Hope,  71 

Ralph  ^\^,  Dr.,  71 
Hebert.  Felix,  499 

Frank  V.,  499 

Marie  L.,  499 
Helander.  Axel  H.,  351 

Fritz,  351 

Wendla,  351 
Hemond,  Honore,  362 

Marie  S.,  362 

Phydime  J.,  362 
Henius,  Arthur,  295 

Cyril,  296 

Henrietta,  296 
Heroux,  Dolphis,  352 

Joseph  E.,  352 

Virginia,  352 
Hev.-itson.  Edward  A.,  57,  58 

Sylvia  R.,  58 
Hey  worth,  Ann,  137 

Annie  E.,  137 

James,  137 
Higgins,  Ambrose  M.,  462 

Edson,  435 

Eliza  R.,  462 

Herbert  G.,  462 

Ira  E.,  435 

John  H..  461,  462 

Joseph  B.,  462 

Mary  C,  435 

Samuel  B.,  435 
Hill,  Charles  W'.,  496 

Ella,  496 

Oris  C,  496 
Hincks,  Elizabeth  N.,  51 

Ezekiel  p..  Dr.,  51 

William  S.,  Dr.,  51 
Hines,  Ellen,  478 

Ellen  M.,  155 

James,  154 

James  G.,  154 

John,  478 

Patrick,  478 
Hodgman,  Adelaide  M.,  403 

Lansing  D.,  402 

William  L.,  402 
Hoey,  Arthur,  140 

John  J.,  21,  139 

John  J.,  Dr.,  21,  140 

John  J..  Jr.,  139 

Margaret,  140 

Sarah,  2J 


Walter,   140 

William,  140 
Hohler,  Edna  JL,  508 

Louis  G.,  507 

Theodore,  507 
Holbrook,  Edward,  281,  28 

Eliab.  282 

Eliphalet,  281 

Grace  M.,  283 

Henrv.  281 

John  S.,  281,  282 

Peter,  281 

Thomas,  281 
Holden,  Amanda,  166,  167 

Charles,  165 

Cyrus,  166 

John,  165 

Randall,  164 
Holmes,  Bathsheba,  226 

David,  225 

David,  Jr.,  226 

John.  225 
Hope,  Emma,  63 

John,  63 

William  H.,  63 
Hopkins,  Ardell  D.,  379 

Watie  E.,  379 

William  H.,  379 
Horton,  Albert,  500 

Bertrand  J.,  499,  500 

Ella,  500 

Gertrude,  427 

Leonard  W.,  426 

Robert  B.,  500 

W'illiam  H.,  426 
Houlihan,   Mary,  275 

*Michael  J.,  274 

Thomas.  274 
Howard,  Alice.  453 

Clarinda  J.,  507 

Daniel  C,  ^06 

David,  378' 

David  R.,  452 

Gardner,  378 

Ray.   S06 

Selinda  W.,  378 

William,  452 
Howe,  Frank  W..  543 

Frank  W..  Jr.,  543 

Minnie.  543 
Howick,  Jennie,  174 

Stephen,  174 

Tom,  174 
Howland,  Alice  M.,  465 

Daniel,  464,  465 

Henry,  464 

Humphrey,  464 

Isabelle  J.,  465 

Katharine  S.,  465 

Ricliard  G.,  464 

Zoeth,  464 
Hoxsie,  Barnabas,  34 

Charles  A.,  34 

Florence  G.,  35 

Fred  D.,  33,  35 

John,  33 

Lodowick,  33 

Stephen,  34 

Thomas  W.,  34 
Hudson,  Albert  S.,  404 

Archer  E..  404 

Charles  J.,  404 


Eliza  J.,  404 

Ella,  13 

Ellery  E.,  404 

Harry  R.,  13 

Irving  P.,  69,  404 

J.  Ellery,  69,  403 

James  M.,  403 

John   B.,  404 

Royal  C,  404 

Samuel  E.,  457 

Thirza,  70 

Thomas  E.,  13 

Thomas  I.,  13 

William,  403 

Wilton   P.,  404 
Hughes,  Archibald  W.,  Dr.,  67 

Edith  A.,  25 

Elizabeth,  25 

James,  25 

James  E.,  67 

John  A.,  477 

Lydia  F.,  478 

Mary  M.,  67 

Michael,  477 

William.  25 
Huntley,  Frank  R.,  159 

Mary  W'.,  159 

Orris  P.,  159 

Seth  P.,  159 
Huot,  Bertrand  A.,  430 

George  H.,  430 

Prudent  M.,  430 

Rose,  430 
Hurley,  James  H.,  543 

John,  543 

Margaret  L.,  543 

Jackson,   Benjamin   H.,  22 

Daniel,  204 

Donald  E.,  301 

Ephraim  S.,  204 

Rachel.  204,  301 

Richard  H.,  301 

Ruth  L.,  22 

William  A.,  22 
Jacques,  Onesime,  362 

Rosanna  M.,  362 

Wilfred,  362 
Jalbert,  Eugene  L.,  117 

Joseph,   117 

Nathalie  H.,  117 
Janson,  Anders,   173 
Jenckes,  Clara  H.,  443 

Clara  J..  258 

Daniel  S.,  257,  258 

Earl  S.,  443 

Frank  H.,  Dr.,  443 

George,  274,  443 

George  A.,  258 

George  N.,  258 

George  W.,  Dr.,  442,  443 

Job,  443 

John,  Dr.,  273 

Joseph,  257,  258,  273,  442 

Martha  A.,  443 

Martha  E.,  274 

Mary   E.,   274 

Oliver  A.,  274 

Rufus,  273,  274 

Smith  A.,  274 

Thomas.  273 

Waldo  W.,  443 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


567 


William,  273,  442,  443 

William  S.,  258 
Jenks,  Alvin,  532 

Elizabeth  A.'i  533 

Emily  F.,  533 

Joseph,  530,  531 

Mary,  533 

Nathaniel,   532 

Stephen,  532 

Stephen  A.,  533 
Jerauld,  John  R.,  533 

Sarah  A.,  533 
Johnson,   Claribel,  502 

Clinton  H.,  501 

Edward  A.,  98 

Elisha,  98 

Elkanah,  98 

Jenkins  J.,  98 

John,  98 

Jonathan,  gS 

Rowland  C,  501 

Sarah  A.,  99 
Johnston.  David  D.,  186,  187 

John,   186 

Nellie  G..  187 
Jones.   Edward  J.,  314 

Frances  L.,  314 

Henry  A.,  Dr.,  554 

Jane  E.,  555 

William  F.,  314 
Jordan,  Elisha  P.,  384 

Farnuni   B.,  384 

H.  P.  B.,  384 

Henrv  R.,  384 

John'H.,  384 
Joslin,  Dorothy,  53 

Joseph.  52 

Philip  C,  52 

Kane.  Des  Ange,  338 

Peter,  337^ 

Thomas  F^.  337 
Karpcles.  Leopold,  305 

Maurice  J.,  305 
Keefc.  Catherine,  108 

William,   108 

William  J.,  Rev.,  108 
Keeney.  .Alanson,  69 

Bemice  P.,  69 

Francis  B.,  69 
Kelly.  Bernard  F.,  316 

David  H.,  469 

David  J.,  469 

James,  316 

James  F.,  469 

James  H.,  469 

Mary  J..  469 

Sadie,  316 
Kendall,  Benjamin  F.,  199 

Francis,  198 

Hiram,  Gen.,  198,  199 

Hiram  K.,  200 

Jacob.  198 

Joseph,  198 

Joshua,  198 

Lydia  K.,  200 

Paul,  199 
Kennedy,  Gavin,  335 

John,  335 

Lena,  335 
Kenney.  Catherine  Z.,  171 

Edward,  170 


John  J.,  Dr.,  69 

Margaret  E.,  69 

Stephen  A.,  Dr.,  170 

Thomas.  69 
Kennon,  Frederick  V.,   184 

Jennie,  184 

Linnaeus  V.,  184 

Mae,   184 
Kcnyon,  .Innic  M.,  381 

Benedict.  253 

Corey,  253 

Deborah,  253 

Harry  P..  8^;,  86 

Henry  G.,  380,  381 

Isaac,  85 

John,  253 

John,  Capt.,  85 

John  T.,  85 

Nancy  L.,  86 

Peleg  G.,  380 

Sarah,  166 

William,  166 
Kernan.  Charles  H.,  64 

Feli.x  H..  64 

^L^ry  F..  64 

Winifred  M..  64 
Kieman,  Ann.  511 

James  H.,  511 

James  H..  Jr.,  511,  512 
Kilburn,  Elijah,  201 

George.  201 

John,  200,  201 

Mary  E.,  201 

Thomas,  200 
Kilvert.  .'\nne  V.,  311 

Charles  A.,  311 

Samuel  W'.,  311 
Kimball,  Henry  JL,  455 

Henry  W.,  455 

Mary  A.,  455 
King,  Falada.  387 

James,  387 

Joseph.  387 

Josephine.  387 
Kingsbury,  Clara  A.,  450 

Edward  N.,  Dr.,  449 

John  L..  449 

Mary  R.,  450 

Newell  C.,  450 
Kingsley,  Emanuel  D.,  93 

*Lorena  R.,  93 

Thomas  C.  93 

Walter  B.,  92,  93 
Kinyon.  Ella  M..  467 

Gardener  J.,  466 

Mvron  T..  466 

William   H.,  466 
Kirby,   Bridget.  411 

Charles  L.,  411 

John  H..  411 
Kittredge,  George  M.,  129 

Goldina  C,   129 

John,  Dr.,  129 

Maude  H.,  129 

William  B.,  129 
Knight.  Addie  A.,  383 

Frank  M.,  383 

Herman  H.,  383 

Lafayette.  John  B.,  405 
Louis  C,  405 
Malvina,  406 


Laferriere,  Charles  E.  A.,  Dr.,  314 

Josephine.   314 

Michel,  314 
Lagace,  Ernest  B.,  396 

Herve  A.,  396 

Herve  J.,  396 

Jean  B.,  396 

Joseph,  396 

Olida,  396 
Lalime,  Ellen,  353 

Emil  J.,  353 

Joseph,  353 

Napoleon,  353 

Napoleon,  Jr.,  353 
Lamoureu.x.   Alfred  E.,  5 

Lillias  M..  5 
Landers,  Albert  C,  298,  299 

Albert  C,  Jr.,  299 

Charles  S.,  299 

Earle  E.,  299 

Edward,  298 

Edward  P.,  299 

Harry  R.,  299 

Martha   S.,  299 

Sarah   P..  299 

William  G.,  299 
Lane,  John,  28 

Lucy,  28 

Lucy   R.,  28 

William   S.,  27,  28 
Lange,  Alfred,  I  ID 

Bernadctte.    no 

Henrys  A.,  Dr.,   1 10 
Lapham.  Cyrus  E.,  309 

h'dward  L.,  309 

Ella  M.,  309 

Mary  H.,  309 
Lauzon.  Bazile,  370 

Exaure,  371 

Joseph,  370 
Lawry,  James   R.,   153 

John  T..   153 

Sarah  M.,  153 
Lawton,  Evelyn,  385 

Gertrude.  386 

Henry   A.,  386 

Theodore  F.,  38=; 

Theodore  H.,  385 
Lee,  Christopher  M.,  218,  219 

James.  219 

Laura  C,  220 

Samuel,  219 

Thomas  J.,  2ig 

William.  219 
*Letrancois,   Fabien,  357 

Joseph  O..  357 

Rosanna  L..  358 
Lcgris,  Antoine,  128 

Joseph,  128 

Leopoldine  H.,  128 

Louis  J.  A.,  Dr.,  128 

Marie  J.  E.,  Dr.,  128 
Lemay,  David,  170 

John  D..  17a 

Orville,   170 
Lenz.  Bessie,  549 

Otto,   ^48 

Willard  A.,  548 
Lenzner.  Isaac,  331 

Jeannette.  332 

Simon  G.,  Dr.,  331 


568 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Leonard,  Frank  H.,  360 

James   W.,  360 

Jennie,  360 

John,  360 

"Mary  J.,  360 
Lessard,  Edward,  up 

Eugene,  Rev.,  119 

Margaret,   119 
Letendre,  Eleanora  I.,  522 

Felix,  522 

John  F.,  522 
Letts.  George  J.,  105 

Ira  L.,   IDS 

Madeleine  H.,  106 
Levy,  Austin  T.,  423 
Lewis,  Aubrey  C.,  24 

Benjamin,  303 

Chace,  303 

James,  23 

Joseph  W.,  303 

Josephine,  304 

Nathan  B.,  23 

Nettie.  24 

Rowena  K.,  24 

Samuel,  303 

Thomas,  303 
Libby,  Harold,  Dr.,  328 

Rachel,  328 

Selig,  328 
Lillibridge,  Benjamin,  148 

Clark,   148 

Jesse  R.,  148 

Jesse  W.  S.,  147,  149 

Tonathan,  148 

Seth  E.,  148 

Thomas,   147 

Zilpha  K.,  148 
Lind,  Annie  M.,  14 

Margaret  W.,  15 

Peter,  14 

Thomas  W.,   14 

Thomas  W.,  Jr.,  13,  14 

Velna,  15 

William  G.,   15 
Linscott,  Charles  E.,  431 

Elwell  S.,  431 

Emma  J.,  431 

Kathryn,  431 
Linton.  Carro  M.,  267 

Elizabeth,  266 

Hugh,  265,  266 

Hugh  E.  A.,  267 

Jesse,  267 
Lister,   Edna,  5 

Elizabeth  H.,  3 

Emma  A.,  4 

James,  3 

James  J.,  4 

Joseph  B.,  3,  4 

Robert   W.,   5 

Samuel.  5 

Sarah.  4 

Violet  E.,  S 

William,  3,  4 

William  H.,  4 
Little,  Abbie  A.,  452 

Elizabeth  A.,  542 

John  W.,  489 

John  W.,  Jr.,  489 

'i\   Stewart,  489 

Thomas,  542 

Thomas,  Jr.,  542 


Littlefield,  Caroline  E.,  128 

Emery  P.,  127 

Frederick,   128 

Mary  B.,  128 
Lockwood,  Benajah  T.,  349 

Clinton,  349 

Elizabeth  H.,  349 
Love,  Alfred  W.,  Dr.,  441,  442 

Edward.  Rev.,  441 

Leonora.  442 
Lumb,  Bessie,  435 

George  H.,  434 

Ralph  G.,  435 
Luongo.  Dora,  186 

Esther,   186 

Fedele  U.,  Dr.,  186 

Vincent.   186 
Luther,  Calvin,   ^04 

Harry  H.,  508' 

John  C,  504 

John  H.,  508 

Lottie  E.,  508 

Lucy  A.,  508 

Minnie  B.,  504 
Lynch,  James  A.,  Dr.,  194,  195 

Margaret,  195 

Mary  T.,  452 

Maurice,  452 

Michael  J..  452 

Thomas.  194,  195 

MacColl,  Agnes.  459 

Hugh,  458 

James  R.,  458,  459 
MacLean,  Florence  M.,  311 

Harry  D.,  310 

James  M.,  310 
MacLeod.  Frederika  A.,  469 

George  R.,  468 

John  T.,  468 

"Mary  E.,  469 
MacManus,  Carrie,  146 

Daniel,   145 

Mary,  145 

Peter  B..  144,   145 

Peter  B.,  Jr.,   145 
McCabe,  Ann,  313 

Bernard,  85 

Edward,   149 

Ellen  M.,  85 

Francis  J.,  149 

Hugh,  85,  313 

Michael  J.,  Rev.,  313 
McCaffrey.  Edward  J.,  329 

James,  329 

Mary  E..  329 
McCaughey,  Edward  J.,  457 

Mary  L.,  457 

William.  457 
McCoid.  Charles,  315 

David  W.,  315 

Jemima  A.,  315 
McConnell,  Andrew  J.,  457 
McCormick,  Alice,  478 

Deborah  A.,  478 

Etta,  478 

Jane,  478 

John.  478 

Joseph,  478  ' 

Joseph,  Jr.,  478 


McCoy,  Abbie,   187 

George  F.,   187   . 

Thomas,   187 
McGroarty,  Anna  L.,  95 

Joseph,  94 

William  A.,  94,  95 
McGuines,   Edward,  346 

Isabel  C,  347 

John   E.,  346 
Mcintosh.  Alexander  A.,  360 

Marjorie  J.,  360 

Samuel  F.,  360 
Mclntyre.  Bertha,  520 

Joseph  B.,  519 

William,  519 
McKanna,  Harry  F.,  Dr.,  175 

Joseph,  175 

Julia  A.,   175 
McKenna,  Ambrose  B.,  138 

Anna,  173 

Arthur  L.,  173 

Catherine,  173 

Catherine   E.,  400 

Charles  A.,  173 

Fannie,  89 

Frances,   138 

Frank,  89 

Frank  A.,  Dr.,  89 

John,  137 

John  B.,  Dr.,  137 

John  F.,   173 

John  H.,  Rev.,  399,  400 

Mary,  173 

Mary  E..  138 

Michael,  399 

Thomas,  173 
McLaughlin,   Bessie  J.,  328 

Thomas  B.,  328 

Thomas  J.,  Dr.,  328 
McLoughlin,    Martin    M.,   325 

Michael,  325 

Rose  E.,  325 
McMeehan,   Alice  M.,  55 

Robert,  55 

Robert  G.,  55 

Robert  M.,  55 
McNeil,  .Xmbrose  J.,  318 

Edward,  318 

Edwin  F.,  318 

George  P.,  318 

Hugh,  318 

Katherine,  318 

Leo  v.,  318 

Mary  A.,  318 

Patrick,  318 
McQuade,  Anna,  348 

Catherine,  348 

Edward.  348 

Terrence,  348 

Thomas,  Dr.,  348 
McSoley,  Mary  B.,  495 

William,  495 

William  H.,  495 
Mackillop,  Adela  J.,  348 

James,  548 

"Robert  K.,  548 
Madden,   Elizabeth   V.,  390 

James,   454 

John  J.,  390 

John  J.,  Dr.,  390 

Joseph,  454 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


569 


Madison,  Florence  A.,  103 

George  W.,  103 

Harold  L.,  103 

Joseph  W.,  103 
Mag^uire,  John  J.,  388 

Katherine,   388 

Philip  J.,  388 
Maher,  Alice  M.,  139 

James,  139 

James  J.,  139 
Mahoney,   Cornelius,  94 

Cornelius  J.,   Dr.,  94 

Mary,  94 
Maines,  Mary  A.,  133 
Maloney,  Daniel  J.,  407 

John,  407 

Mary,  407 
Man,  Beriah,  249 

Esther,  249 

Samuel,   Rev.,  248 

William,  248 
Manchester,   Harry  A.,  Dr.,   104 

Idella,   104 

Oscar  C,  104 
Manning,  Bartholomew,  142 

Bridget,  143 

Daniel  E.,  143 

Patrick  J.,  142 
Manton,  Bertha  M.,  81 

Crawford  J.,  80.  81 

Daniel,  80 

Daniel  J.,  79,  81 

Edward,  79,  80 

Emma  E..  81 

Harry  A.,  81 

Patience  E.,  81 

Shadrach,  80 

Thomas  H.,  81 

William  J..  80 
Martin,  Andrew  J.,  179 

Charlotte.  441 

Charles  K.,  441 

Darius,  441 

Edward  L.,  437 

Erford  L.,  441 

Helen,  441 

Hezekiah,  441 

John  F.,  179 

Lillian    B.,  437 

Marshall  B.,  441 

Mary  A.,   178,  179 

Michael  F.,  178 

Nellie  E.,  441 

Thomas  F.,   179 

William,  179 
Mathewson,  Ashia  A.,  29 

Byron,  28,  29 

Byron,  Jr.,  29 

Charles  H.,  319 

Herbert  I.,  319 

James,  28 

James  O.,  29 

Mar>'  E.,  319 

Mary  S.,  30 

Paris.  28 

Philip,  28 

Sylvester.  319 
Mathieu,  Bertha,  140 

Irene  M.,   140 

Joseph   B.,   140 

Wilfred  J.,  140 


Matthews.  Allen  G.,  372 

Clifford  C,  372 

Frank  A.,  372 

Frank  E.,  372 

Ralph  H.,  372 

Susan  E.,  372 

Wilfred,  ^72 
Menzics,   James,  299 

John   E..   Dr.,  299 

Rachel  W.,  300 
Mercurio.  Angelina,  353 

Guiseppe  A.,  352,  353 
Merriman,  .-\lfred  M.,  Dr.,  203 

Charles  H.,  535 

Cordelia,  204 

Fannie,  204 

Isaac  B.,  535 

Mary  C.  535 

Walter,  203 
Metcalf,  Brian,  253 

Charles,  419 

Davis,  419 

Ebcnczer,  254,  419 

Emily  A.,  420 

Frank  C,  420 

Henry,  419,  420 

Henry  B.,  255 

Humphrey,  253 

Isabel,  255 

Jonathan,  254,  419 

Leonard,  253 

Leonard,  Rev.,  254 

Liberty,  255 

Michael,  254,  419 

Nathaniel,  254,  419 

Roger,  253 

William  P.,  253,  255 
Millen.   .\h\ne.  NI.,  252 

William,  251 
Miller,  .\nnie.  12 

EHzabeth  B.,  12 

Elizabeth  C,  17 

Ephraim  M.  N.,  12 

George  E.,  17 

Helen,   13 

Horace.  12 

Horace  G.,  Dr.,  12 

John  H.,  Dr.,  437 

Josiah  W.,  12 

Mary,   12 

Matilda,  437 

Matthew,  437 
Mills.  .Abraham,  315 

Isabel,  315 

Joseph  W..  315 
Miner,  Isaac,  9 

Julia  A.,  9 

Lucius.  9 

Simeon,  9 
Mitchell,  Annie  S.,   180 

George  .\.,  179,  180 

Henry,  215 

James,  214 

Joanna,  214 

John.  179 

Maria.  215 

Richard,  213,  214 

William.  21  t 
Moffitt.  Caleb' E„  340 

Caleb  G.,  340 

Eugene  C.,  340 

Mary  E.,  340 


Monaghan,  John  T.,  384,  385 

Peter,  385 
Monast,  Annie,  326 

Louis,  325 

Marie,  326 

Odile,  326 
Monkhouse,  James,  420,  421 

Marv,  420 
Moore.  Alice  G.,  87 

David  C,  86 

James  S..  Dr.,  86,  87 
Morse.  .Adeline  M.,  404 

Charles   H..  406 

Francis  D.,   15,   l6 

I'Ved  W.,  404 

Fred  W.,  Jr.,  404 

Frederic  A.,  17 

Harriot   B..   406 

Ida  M.,  406 

James,   16 

Jason,  16 

Joseph.  16 

Lillian  .\..  404 

Mark  F.,  404 

Richard,   16 

Samuel,   16 

Sarah  F.,  17 

William  M.,  406 
Mossberg  Wrench  Co.,  176 
Moulton,   Chase,  438 

Edward   S.,  439 

Henry  H.,  438 

James  B.,  438 

Sarah  O.,  438 

Stephen.  438 

Stephen  C,  438 

William,  438 
Mournighan,   I'annie.  74 

Thomas,  74 

Thomas  F.,  Dr.,  74 
Mowry,   .Mmira,   530 

Alonzo  P.,  192,  193 

Amanda  M.,  505 

Bessie  M.,  194 

Daniel,   530 

Daniel  .\.,  504,  505 

Elisha,  530 

Emor  H..  504,  505 

George  W.,   193 

John.  530 

Joseph,  529 

Marianna,  193 

Nathaniel,  504,  529 

Roger,  192,  504,  529 

Sylvester,  530 
Muir.  .Agnes,  445 

.Mbert  W.,  445 

Andrew,  445 

Robert,  445 
Mullen,  Catherine,  "Ji 

James.  73 

Michael,   73 
Murjihy.    Henry,  386 

James  F.,  354 

John,  385 

J(-hn  A.,  386 

Margaret,  386 

Mary  P..  354 

Owen,  385 

Robert  J.,  354 

Thomas  J.,  386 


57° 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Murray,  Catherine,  361 

Daniel,  361 

John   F.,   Rev.,  361 

Michael  J.,  361 
Myers,  Charles,  132 

John,  132 

John  A.,  132 

Julia,  132 

Timothy  J.,   132 

William,  132 
Myette,  Flora  E.,  308 

Guillaume,  307 

William,  307 

Nestor,  Marie  A..  307 

Michael  J.,  Dr.,  307 

Patrick,  307 
Nichols,  Alexander  H.,  76 

Frank  E.,  76,  ■]■; 

George  H.,  76 

Sarah  L.,  IJ^ 
Nicholson,  Elizabeth  D.,  514 

Mary  J.,  513 

Paul  C,  315 

Samuel  M.,  512,  514 

Thomas,  512 

William,  512 

William  T.,  513 
Nickerson,  Edward  I.,  250 

Lyra  B.,  250 

Lyra  F.,  250 
Nock,  Florence  E.,  156 

Frederic  S.,  155 

Stephen  L-  155 
North,  Alena,  430 

Donald  C,  43° 

O'Brien,  Jennie  G.,  ZiZ 

Johanna,  367 

John,  367 

Kathleen  C,  123 

Marian  F.,  123 

Mary  A.,  123 

Michael  F.,  Rev.,  367 

Rosaleen,  123 

Thomas,   122 

Thomas  A.,  123 

Thomas  H.,  332 

Thomas  H..  Jr.,  332 

Timothy,   122 
O'Connell,  Esther,  94 

Jeremiah,  94 

Jeremiah   £.,  94 

Joseph  C,  Dr..  549 
O'Connor,  Jane  M.,  340 

John,  346 

John  v..  Dr.,  447 

Mary,   340 

Mary  E.,  447 

Rosanna  L.,  340 

Thomas,  447 
O'Meara,   Daniel,  17 

Jeremiah  F.,  Rev.,  17 

Marv,  17 
O'Neill,  Daniel,   156 

Joseph  B..  Dr.,  156 

Margaret  F.,   156 
O'Reilly,  Catherine  T.,  115 

Maria  C,  115 

Patrick,    115 

Terence  M.,   115 


O'Rourke,   Annie,  459 

Charles  B.,  Dr.,  405 

John  F.,  459 

Michael,  459 

Nora,  405 

Patrick  J.,  405 

Peter,  459 
Odell,  Edwina  V.  B.,  288 

Eliphalet   P..   287 

Frank  L.,  287 
Olney,   Christine  M.,  535 

Elam   W.,  228,  230 

Ella  M.,  535 

Frank   F..  227,  228 

George   B.,  534,   535 

Joseph,  534,  535 

Lizzie   F.,   230 

Obadiah,  534 

Stephen,  228 

Thomas,  227,  228,  534 
Olson,  Anna  S.,  313 

John,  312,  313 

John  M.,  313 

"Olaf   P.,  312 
Orr,  Emma,  272 

James,  272 

William  B.,  272 
Ott,  Joseph,  432 
Oulton,  George,  157 

Helen  E.,   157 

Lamert.  Dr.,  157 
Ousley.   Josephine,   524 

Julius,   524 

"Mathias.  524 
Owen,   Charles   D.,  480 

Fred  L.,  46 

Lillie  A.,  46 

Mary  C,  480 

Samuel.   46 

William   K.,  46 

Page,  Charles  H.,  320 

Ellen  M..  320 

Etta  L.,  320 

George  H.,  320 

Ralph  H..  321 

William,  320 
Paquin,  George  J.,  370 

loseph  H.,  370 

Violet  T.,  370 
Paradis,   Eugenie,   194 

Odilon  T.,   194 

Ozena  R.,  194 

Theophile,    194 
Park,  Adam.  467 

Anna,  467 

Robertson.  181 

William  H.,  467 

William  J.,  181,  182 
Paulding.  Evelyn  E.,  461 

John   F.,  461 
Peace,  Henry,  297 

Henry  A.,  297 

Henry  T.,  297 

Newman  C,  297 

Samuel  P.,  297 

Willieana  T.,  297 
Pearce,  Edward  D.,  304,  305 

Elsie,  305 

Isabelle  V.,  305 
Pearson,  John  A.,  147 


Pease,  Abisha,  544 

Leander  F.,  544 

Lydia,  545 
Peck,   Allen,  232 

Allen  O.,  230,  232 

Benjamin,  232 

Elizabeth  A.,  232 

Joseph,  231 

Mary  E.,  232 

Samuel,   231 

Samuel,  Rev.,  232 
Pelletier,  Come,  503 

Joseph,  503 

Rose,  503 
Pennine,  Antonio,  363 

Ella,   363 

Saverio  N.,  Dr.,  362,  363 
Perkins,  Bertha  S.,  192 

Celina,   144 

Ezra  K.,  192 

Forrest  J.,   192 

Fred  X.,  144 

James  L.,   144 

Joseph,  144 

Joseph,  Jr.,  144 
Perrj',  Benjamin,  7,  283 

Christopher  R.,  283 

Edith  D.,  285 

Edmund,  283 

Edward,  7 

Emeline  E.,  8 

Freeman,  283 

Harold  T.,  9 

Harvey.  446 

Ida  O.,  9 

James  De  W.,  284 

James  De  W.,  Rt.  Rev.,  283,  284 

Nora,  446 

Oliver    H.    J.,   8 

Oliver  H.  J.,  Jr.,  7,  9 

Raymond  H.  J.,  284 

Robert,  7 

Samuel,   7 

Sarah,  446 
Peterson,  John  L.,  421 

Sarah  J.   (Jennie),  420 
Pettee,  Annie  B.,  207 

David,  206 

George  H.,  206 

Herbert  B.,  207 
Phetteplace,  James,  527 

James  N.,  527 

Mary  E.,  527 

Morton  B.,  527 
Phillips,  Charlotte,  511 

Eliza,  511 

Emma,  19 

Ethelyn  M.,  407 

Frederick  E.,  19 

Gideon  C,  511 

Harriet,  84 

Henry,  84 

Jerome,  19 

Percy  T.,  407 

Robert  S.,  Dr.,  84 

Thomas,  511 

William  A.,  19 

William  H.  H.,  18,  19 
Pieper,  Emil  G.,  480 
Pierce.  Edwin  C,  552,  553 

Ephraim,  552 

Gardner,  552 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Martha  A.,  553 
Mial.  552 
Michael,  552 
Nathan,   Rev.,  552 

Pdeg,  552 

Preserved,  552 
Place,  Helen  V.,  452 

Peter,  451 

William  H.,  451 

William  H.,  Jr.,  451 
Plasse.  Albert,  371 

Arthur   H.,  371 
Eli  R.,  371 

Frank  J.,  371 

Louis,  371 

Pierre,  371 

Pierre  W.,  371 

Rose,  371 

William,  371 

William  V.,  371 

Zephie  G.,  371 
Piatt.  Dorothea  V.  F.,  55 

Eugene  P.,  39 

James  C.,  54 

John   A.,  39 

Marden   H.,  Dr.,  54 

Maud  H.,  39 
Poirier.  Alfred,  Dr.,  432 

Elizabeth,  432 

Joseph  A.,  367 

Mary  ].,  368 

Moise,  367 

Onezime,  432 
Pond,  Daniel,  416 

Daniel   B.,  417 

Eli,  416,  417 

Ichabod,  416 

Isadore,  418 

Robert,  416 
Potter,  Albert,  Dr.,  290 

Amelia,   125 

Ann  J.,  291 

r.ertha  J.,  2gi 

Charles,  289,  290,  291 

Daisy.  68 

Daniel  D.,  68 

Dora  E.,  68 

Ed.siar  S.,  Dr.,  291 

Edwin  C,  125 

Everett  J.,  68 

Fisher,  289 

Florence  E.,  84 

Fred  J.,  267 

Frederick  A.,  83 

Grace  F..  445 

George   H.,  267 

Henry  A.,  510,  511 

Henry  K.,  125 

Henry  W.,  125 

Ida  M.,  511 

James  J.,  68 

Jeremy,  510 

John,  289,  510 

Louise  J.,  SII 

Mary  E.,  84 

Moses,  267 

Ralph  S..  510,  511 

Robert.  289 

Roger  W.,  125 

Samuel  E.,  267 

Samuel   P.,  267 

Walter  C.,  445 


Walter  H.,   Dr.,  445 

Waterman,  290 

William  R.,  68 
Pouliot,   Edna  V.,  125 

Leonidas,   124 

Leonidas,  Jr.,  124 
Presbrev,   .Allen  A.,  37 

Ellen  H.,  37 

Howard  A.,  37 

Walter  A.,  37 
Prince,  .Adeline,  308 

Cecil,  308 

Merie  W.  A.,  Rev.,  308 
Providence   Public   Library,  425 

Raftery,   Edward  M.,  Rev.,  319 

Mary,  319 

William,  319 
Randall,  Eva,  507 

Job,  507 

Job.  Jr.,  507 

Jonathan,   10 

Joseph,  10 

Lester,  507 

Nancy  B.,  10 

Peter,  10 

Williain,  10 
Rawlings,  J.  H.,  187 

Lucy  I.,  i88 

Roy,  187 
Read,  Albert  M.,  482 

Byron,   189 

Charles  A.,  481 

Charles  N.,  482 

Charles  O.,  480,  481 

Charles  S.,  190 

Daniel,  481 

Frederic  B.,  482 

Henry,  i8g 

Herman  B.,  190 

Joel,  481 

John,  480 

Julia  A.,   189 

Malcolm  E.,  482 

Mary  E.,  482 

Mercy  M.,  190 

Otis,  481 

Robert  O.,  482 
Ready.  Ellen,  334 

Michael,  333 

Thomas,  333 

Walter.  334 
Rector,  Enoch,  432 

Frank,  Rev.,  432 

Martha.  433 

Mary  L.,  433 
Reynolds,  .Arthur  L.,  206 

Bowen,  206 

Frank  A..  206 

James,  206 

Lillian  M.,  206 
Rice,  Herbert  W.,  305,  306 

Jeflfrey  A.,  305 

Jennie,  307 

John,  305 

Joseph  B..  306 

Joseph  W.,  .306 

Thomas,  305 

Wayland  \V.,  307 

Wilbur  L.,  307 

William,  305 


Richardson,  Edmund  R.,  437 
Richmond,  Dorothy,  92 
Fred  A.,  92 
Grace,  23 
John,  gi 
Marietta  A.,  92 
Oliver,  91 
Russell  W.,  23 
Samuel,  91 
Samuel  N.,  91 
Silas,  91 
Silas  R.,  91,  92 
William   H.,  23 
Rickard,  James  H.,  275 
James  H.,  Jr.,  275,  276 
Leah  M.,  276 
Rivelli,   Anna,   351 
Donato,  351 
Frank  J.,  351 
Roberts,  Mary,  145 
Mary  C,  468 
Thomas,  468 
Thomas  H.,  468 
William  F.,  Dr.,  145 
Robertshaw,  Arthur  B.,  525 
Benthan,  525 
Letticia,  525 
Rocheloau.  Apolline,  267 
Joseph   C,  267 
Walter  C,  Dr.,  267 
Rossitcr,  Albion  T.,  319 
Henrietta,  319 
Joseph,  319 
Rosvvell,  Harriet  E.,  400 
Joseph  T.,  Dr.,  400 
Steven,  400 
Round,  Brayton  A.,  iii 
Eda  M.,  112 
John  A.,  112 
Lester  A.,  Dr.,  112 
Mildred  M.,  113 
William,   11 1 
William  N.,  Ill 
Rotnuls,  Ada  A.,  185 
Albert  W.,  Dr.,  184,  185 
Benoni.  326 
Clovis  E.,  327 
D'Everett,   185 
Gilbert,  326,  327 
Lawton  C,  327 
Mary  E.,  327 
Rouse,  Clifford,  90 
George  W.,  90 
Herbert   E.,  Dr.,  90 
Hortense,  go 
Marion,  90 
Rousseau,  Esdras,  309 
Esther  G.,  310 
George  F.,  309 
Roy,  Ambrose,  310 
Joseph,  310 
Marie  L.,  310 
Ryan,  Delia,  in 
James  F..  Dr.,  178 
John  T.,  Ill 
Michael  E.,  178 
Thomas  F.,  in 
Thomas  N.,  in 
Rylander,  Andrew  E.,  173 
Nels  M.,  173 
Signe  M.,  173 


572 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Salisbury,  Charles  E,  15 

Clara  A.,  379 

Garner  A.,  15 

George  B.,  379 

LeRoy  H.,  379 

Marion,  15 

Mary  C,  15 

William,  379 
Samuels,  Alice  M.,  489 

James,  489 

Joseph,  489 

Leon,  490 

Mildred,  490 
Sayles,  Ahab,  483 

Clark,  483 

Israel,  482 

John,  482 

Mary  W.,  484 

Richard,  482 

William  F.,  482,  483 
Scott,  Alexis,  41 

Charles  E.,  Dr.,  41 

Eugenie,  41 
Searll,  Benjamin  P.,  352 

Earl  B.,  352 

Emmie  J.,  352 
Sears,  Bernice  E.,  90 

Joseph  E.,  89 

Maude  E.,  90 

Minnie  R.,  90 

William  F.,  89 
Seifert,  John,  474 

John  F.,  474 

Katie,  475 
Sellew,  Albertus  H.,  408 

Ernest  B.,  408 

Gertrude  L.,  408 
Sharpe,  Henry  D.,  285,  286 

Louisa,  286 

Lucian,  285 

Wilkes,  28s 
Shaw,  Alexander  P.,  378 

John  W.,  378 

Mary,  379 

Thomas,  343 
Shepard,  Leta  C,  107 

William  B.,   Dr.,  107 

William  P.,   107 
Shepley,  Carrie  L.,  264 

George  L.,  262,  263 

Hope,  264 

John,  263 
*Sherman,  Asa,  213 

Elizabeth,  213 

Henry,  212 

Isaac,  127 

Job,  213 

John,  212 

Mary  W.,  127 

Philip,  127,  212 

Samson,  213 

Samuel,  212 

Thomas,  212 

William  R.,  127 
Sluilze,  Charles  C.  J.,  421 

Emil  J.  C,  421 

Luella  M.,  421 
Simpson,  George  E.,  Dr.,  429 

John,  429 

Minerva,  430 

Myrick,  429 


Sinnott,  James  W.,  97 

John  F.,  97 

Martin,  97 

Martin  J.,  97 

Richard  A.,  97 

Sarah  E.,  97 
Sisson,  Alice  M.,  466 

Asa,  466 

James,  465 

Joseph,  466 

Richard,  465,  466 

Sarah  W.,  466 
Slack,  Annie,  30 

Irving  W.,  I)r.,  30 

Origen  P.,  .'io 
Slade,  Edward,  211 

Jonathan,  211 

Mary,  212 

Phebe,  211 

Samuel,  211 

William,  210,  211 

William  L.,  211 
Smiley,   Albert   P.,  70 

Clifford  E.,  71 

Rose,  71 

Samuel,  70 
Smith.  Benjamin,  6 

Benjamin  P.,  7 

Bertha  H.,  471 

Brown  E..  Rev.,  102 

Caroline  D.,  138 

Catherine  T,   157 

Celia  S.,  127 

Charles  M.,  138 

Christopher,  301,  302 

Coomer,  302 

Edward,  302 

Edwin   A.,  301,  302 

Eliza  A.,  461 

Ellen  H..  289 

Flora,  516 

Fred  L.,  Dr.,  49 

Fred  L.,  Jr.,  49 

George  W.,  156 

Grace,  138 

Graydon  B.,  Dr.,  102 

Harriet  J.,  303 

Harris,  6 

Harr>-  W.,  Dr.,  515,  516 

Henry,  302 

Howard  C,  49 

James,  288 

James  E.  L..  106 

James  H.,  470 

John  H.,  7 

Joseph  E.,  6 

Joseph  E.,  Jr.,  7 

Lucy  R.,  471 

Mary,  7 

Mary  S.,  471 

Merritt,  516 

Myrtle  L.,  103 

Nathaniel,  288 

Nathaniel   C,  288 

Nathaniel  W.,  288 

Nellie  D.,  138 

Norman,  Dr.,  49 

Pearl  G.,  102 

Ralph  H..  138 

Richard  H.,  470 

Richard  P.,  156 

Sadie,  49 


Samuel  N.,  126 

Samuel  N.,  Dr.,  126 

Stephen,  302 

Terence  J.,  106 

Thomas  B.,  470 

Walter  J.,  7 

Walter  M.,  138 

William,  302,  461 

William  G.,  461 

Winfield,  515 
Soderstrom.  Annie  F.,  411 

Erik  M.,   Dr.,  411 

Wilheim,   411 
Soucy,  .\delard  L.,  399 

Bruno.  399 

Eva,  399 
Spaulding,  Marion  E.,  51 

William   H.,  50 

William  W.,  50 
Spelman,  Daniel,  142 

Isabel,  142 

James  E.,  Capt.,  142 

Joseph,  142 

Joseph,  Capt.,  142 

Joseph  G.,  142 

Mary  W.,  142 

Richard,  142 

Thomas,  142 
Spencer,  Eben,  35 

Ernest  M.,  35,  36 

Ernest  M.,  Jr.,  36 

Frank,  36 

Jennie  I.,  36 

John,  35,  188 

Lester  N.,  36 

Milton  K.,   ^6 

Richard,  188 

Robert  P.,   -,6 

Robv  M.,  188 

William,  35.  1S8 
Sprague,  Amasa,  490,  493,  494 

Avice,  495 

Catherine,  495 

Edward,  491 

Harriet  B.,  494 

Peter,  492 

William.   49!.  492,  493,  494 
Standish,   Granville  S..  499 

Irene  M.,  499 
Steere,  Arthur  W.,  121,  122 

Asa.  121 

John,  121 

Jonah,  121 

Mamie  E.,  122 

Riley,  121 

Samuel,  121 

Sarah  J.,  122 

Seth  H.,  121 
Stephans,  .Adeline  M.  B.,  304 

Henry,  304 

Jacob,  304 

Jennie,  304 
Stevens,  Dexter,  146 

Margaret,  147 
Stone,  Charles  A.,  377 

Charles  H.,  377 

Evalina  V.,  37S 

Selinda  W.,  378 
Sullivan,  Alice,  63 

Catherine,    174 

Dennis,    131 

John  D.,  131 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


573 


John  F.,  Rev.,  131,  174 

Norah,    131 

Thomas,  63,  174 

Timothy  J.,  176 

Waher  G.,  Dr.,  176 

WilHam  F.,  Dr.,  63 
Surprciiant,  Arthur  M.,  429 

Cecile,  429 

Michel,  4J9 
Sutton,  E.  v.,  372 
Swallow,   Edward  M.,  496 

Herbert,  496.  497 

Margaret,  497 

Mary  A.,  497 

William,  496 
Swanson,  John  A.,  87 

Jonas,  87 

Selma  P.,  88 
Sweatt,   Alice  E.,  341 

Eleanor  M.,  341 

Enoch  G.,  340 

Myron  L.  B.,  340 
Sweeney,  John,  458 

John  'W.,  Dr.,  458 

Margaret  J.,  458 
Sweet,  Charles  F.,  Dr.,  93 

George  A.,  93 

Janet  M.,  94 

Mabel   H.,  94 
Switala,   John,   347 

Josephine,  347 

Pierre,  Rev.,  347 
Sword,  Emma  G.,  154 

Walter  S.,  153 

William  J.,  153 
Sylvia,  Charles  A.,  Dr.,  138,  139 

Michael  L.,  138 

Palmyra  S.,  139 

Taft,  Adin  W.,  Dr.,  42 

Bazaleel  P.,  42 

Earl,  42 

Emma  F.,  42 

Robert.  42 
Talbot,  Harriette  E.,  424 

Louis  J.,  423 

Marie  C,  423 

Romauld  J.,  423 
Taudvin,  Grace  N.,  176 

Harriette  M.,  176 

John  A.,   176 

Joseph,  176 
Tavnon,   Bridget,  324 

Michael,  324 

Patrick  F.,  .^24 
Thayer,  Ebenezer,  171 

Georgianna  F.,  172 

Philo  E.,  171 

Samuel,  171 
Thienert,  .August,  316 

Edward.  317 

Edward  W..  316 

Louise,  317 
Thomas,  .Arthur  A.,  103 

Charles  L.,  103 

Pauline  de  W.,  104 
Thompson,   Edwin  G.,  Dr.,   120 

Harriett  A.,  121 

Joseph,  120 
Thomlev.   .-Mbert  E.,   545 

Albert   T..   545 

Albert   L.,  4.38 


.Annie  E.,  545 

Edith   M.,  438 

John  Y..  437 

Margaret,  438 

Wallace  Y.,  437 
Tiemey,  John,  349,  350 

Mary  C,  350 

Patrick,  349 

Sarah  F.,  350 

Thomas  J.,  350 
Tillinghast,  .Albert  H.,  495 

.•\nne  L,  495 

F.  W.,  Col.,  472 

Grace   G.,  472 

John  J.,  495 

\\illiam  B.,  472 
Tobin,  James,  124 

John  E.,  471 

Man,',  124 

Mary  E.,  471 

Robert  H.,  471 

William  J.,  Dr..  124 
Tower,  Ambrose,  523 

Benjamin,  523 

John,  522 

Jonathan,  523 

Lewis.  523 

Martha,  523 

Nathan,  523 

Robert,  522 
Traver.  Anne  E.,  555 

As,T  W.  A.,  Dr.,  s^s 

William  H.,  555 
Trottier,   [da,  428 

Joseph,  428 

Joseph  A.,  428 

Margaret.  428 
Troy,  James,  448 

Mary  C,  448 

Timothv,  448 

William  G.,  448 
Tucker.  Carrie  V.,  393 

Frank  L.,  392,  393 

George  L.,  393 
Tully,  Anna,  347 

James,  347 

Thomas,  347 
Turgeon,  Delphine,  185 

Evangelist,  185 

John,  i8s 
Turner,  Elliott  S.,  365 

Francis   S.,  .■?64,  365 

Joshua,  364 

Reuben.  364 

Sarah  J..   365 

Stephen,  364 

William,  364 
Turula,  Alexander,  498 

.Anna,  498 

Basil,  Rev.,  498 

Vaughn,  .Arthur  S..  512 

Herbert,  512 

Lizzie  R.,  512 
Villiard.  Camille,  Rev.,  320 

Delphine.  .^20 

Joseph,  320 

Walcott,  Ah'ce  L.,  3:i 
Chester  L.,  32 
Harold  C,  32 
Horatio  N.,  32 


Howard  N.,  32 

Nellie  L.,  32 

Nelson  H.,  32 

Ralph  A.,  33 
Walker,  Abbie,  427 

Anginette  C,  445 

Clifford  A.,  427 

J.  Townsend,  444 

James  T.,  444 

Pardon,  427 

Philip,  427 

William  H.,  427 
Wall,  Clarence  H.,  Dr.,  272 

Edith  M.,  273 

Franklin  .A.,  272 
Walling,  .Annie  W,,  50 

Everett  L.,  50 

Martin  V.,  50 
Walls,  Andrew  B.,  118 

Andrew  B.,  Jr.,  118 

Ethel  C,  119 
Ward,   Harriet  V.,   174 

John  P.,   174 

John  T.,  Dr.,  174 
Wardlow,  Eliza,  249 

James,  249 

Mary  H.,  249 
Waterman,  Amaziah,  425 

Byron  L.,  426 

Elisha,  425 

Elisha  A.,  425 

James,  425 

Rebecca  S.,  425 

Richard,  425 
Watrous,   Leonard,   155 

Ralph  C,  155 

Susan  A.,  155 
Watson,  Edward  J.,  380 

Florence  G.,  333 

Grace,  380 

Moses  L.,  333 

Stephen  D.,  333 

William  H.,  380 
Watts,  Emma  A.,  461 

John  F.,  461 

Walter  A.,  Dr..  461 
Welles,  Aaron  D.,  414 

Allyn,  414 

Charles  L,  415 

George  M.,  415 

Harriet,  415 

Inez  A.,  415 

James.  414 

John,  414 

Robert,  414 

Thomas,  413 
Wells,  Estclle  M..  4S6 

James  E.,  456 

W.  A.  H.,  456 
Westcott,  Edwin  T.,  463 

Elisha  P.,  463 

Jeremiah,  166 

John.   167 

Jonathan  P.,  463 

Josiah,   166 

Nathan,  166 

Sarah,  167 

Sarah  M.,  463 

Stukely,    166 

Thomas,  167 
Whipple,  Alice  E.,  426 

Amanda,  183 


574 


HISTORY  OF  RHODE  ISLAND 


Andrew,  453 

Qiarles,  453 

Ephraim,   182 

Eugene  J.,  426 

Irving  E.,  183 

Job  R,  89 

John,   Capt.,   182 

John  E.,  182 

John  H.,  182 

Lena  R.,  441 

Leon  E.,  89 

Lillie  M.,  183 

Louise  A.,  543 

Lucius  A.,  453 

Lucy  E.  L.,  89 

Mabel,  454 

Nathan  W.,  543 

Nathan  W.,  Jr.,  543 

Raymon  R.  R.  R.,  89 

Welcome,  426,  440 

William   L.,  440 
Whitaker,  Alexander  M.,  40 

Josiah,  233 

Lua.  41 

Mary   E.,  233 

Parmelia,  233 

Wharton,  40 
Whitman,  Albert  H.,  42 

Garner,  42 

Harris  O.,  42 

Ida  E.,  43 
Whittaker,  John  G.,  186 
Whitworth,  Charles  H.,  186 

Elizabeth  N.,  186 

James  H.,  185 

John,  185 


Wightman,   Emerette   E.,  321 

Eugene    C,   321 

William   C,  321 
*Wilbur,  Alvertus  A.,  93 

Harriett   M.,   93 

Thomas  E.,  93 
Wilcox,  Edith,   115 

Howard  D.,  114 

Jonathan  B.  S.,  114 
Wilder,  Asaph,  412 

Elizabeth  W.,  413 

Frank  K.,  413 

Jacob  B.  W.,  413 

John.  413 

Raymond  M.,  413 

William   R.,  412,  4n 

William  T.,  413 
Wildes.  Adele  M., 

Frank  H.,  25 

George  W.,  25 

Marie,  25 
Williams.  Andrew, 

Anna  L.,  295 

Jeremiah,  295 

Joseph,  295 

Mathewson, 

Roger,  294 

Sarah,  295 

William  G., 
Willmarth,    Ida,   548 

John,  547 

John  W..  547 

Nathaniel,  547 

Pascal  E.,  547 
Winn.   Ellen,  518 

Thomas,  518 

Thomas  F.,  518 


25 


295 


29s 


295 


Winsor,  Charles  D.,  Dr.,  293 

J.  B.,  293 

Louise  W.,  294 
*Wirsching,  Anna  B.,  338 

Edward.  338 

Henry  S..  338 
Wolf,  Benno,  550,  551 

Emma  B.,  551,  552 

Simon,  550 
Woodbury,  Augustus,  Dr.,  475 
Woodhead,  Catherine,  126 

John.  125 

Raynor,   Dr.,   125 
Woodmansee,  Abner  M.,  104 

Bernis   L.,   105 

Clara  J..   105 

Henry   F.,   104 

Loviua  J.,  105 
Woonsocket  Call.  457 

Yale,  Armand  E.,  52 

David,  51.  52 

Edward  J.,  51,  52 

Loretta.  52 

Octavia.  52 

Sylvester,  52 

Theophilus,  52 

Thomas,  51,  52 
Yates.  Alexander,  506 

Elizabeth  U..  506 
Young.  Bryan  O.,  380 

Minnie,  380 

William  H.,  379,  380 

Zawistowski,  Albert,  502 
Mary,  502 
Rene  L..  Rev.,  502 


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