Barnstable County, Massachusetts - Biographical sketches (12 of 12 so headed), 1890

Biographical sketches

Sylvester B. Atwood, son of Peter L. and Mary C. (Collins) Atwood, and grandson of Joel Atwood, was born in Wellfleetin 1847. He followed the sea from 1869 until 1885, when he took charge of weir fishing. He was for eight years master of coasting and fishing vessels. He married Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Mercy D. (Snow) Paine. They have two sons: Frederick A. and George F.

Benjamin Coan, born in 1824, is a son of Samuel and Hannah (Avery) Coan, grandson of Samuel, and great-grandson of Abraham Coan, who came from Long Island, N. Y., to Truro. He followed the sea from 1833 until 1874, twenty years of the time as master of vessels. He has been clerk and treasurer of the Christian Union church of North Truro several years. He married Sally K., daughter of Francis and Annie Small. Their two children, Benjamin and Annie, are both dead.

Elisha Cobb, born in 1817, is the eldest of six children of Freeman and Nancy (Rich) Cobb, grandson of Richard, and great-grandson of Joseph Cobb. He followed the sea for fifty years prior to 1876, as master of fishing vessels twenty-eight years. He married Thankful W., daughter of Joseph and Ruth (Atwood) Cobb, granddaughter of Mulford, and great-granddaughter of Joseph Cobb. Their children are: Joseph A., Mary E. and Julia F.

Joseph S. Cole, born in 1812 in Wellfleet, is the only surviving child of Daniel and Polly (Snow) Cole, and grandson of Daniel Cole. He was several seasons in the fishing business. In 1845 he came to South Truro. He was first married to Rachel Y. Pierce. After her

Town Of Truro

-death he married for his second wife Eliza Rich. She died and of their three children only one is living - Mary, Mrs. B. F. Rich. His third marriage was with Ruth A., daughter of Joseph and Ruth .(Atwood) Cobb.

Amasa S. Dyer, son of William and Phebe (Small) Dyer, was born in Provincetown in 1837. He followed the sea as a whale fisherman from 1855 until 1882. He has been keeper of the Highland light since February, 1888, having been transferred from Duxbury Pier light, where he had been keeper thirteen months. He married Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Eli Seavey of Maine.

John Elliott, son of Phillip and Betsey (Newton) Elliott, was born in 1826. He followed the sea from the age of fourteen until 1876, since which time he has kept a store at South Truro. He married Eliza A., daughter of Samuel Rich, who was a son of. Samuel, grandson of James, and great-grandson of Joseph Rich. Their four children are: Charles C, John W., Mary E. (Mrs. J. F. Rich), and Walter N.

Caleb U. Grosier, born in 1822, is a son of JohnGrosier, born May, 1791. His mother was Mercy, daughter of Constant Hopkins. He began following the sea, fishing, at the age of fourteen. He wasmaster of vessels from 1857 until 1878 in the merchant service. His first wife was Hannah Slew, daughter of Thomas Slew, and his second wife was Azubah, daughter of Ebenezer Paine.

William Hamson, son of William and Hannah Hamson, was born in 1819 in Charlestown. He came to Truro at the age of nine, and two years later he began going to sea, continuing until 1879. He was engaged in weir fishing for a few years, and is now retired. He married Nancy C, daughter of Leonard and Mary W. (Collins) Snow, and granddaughter of Stephen Snow. Their children are: Leonard S. of Syracuse, N. Y., and Mary E. (Mrs. N. D. Freeman) of Dorchester, Mass.

William Holden, born in 1834, is a son of William and Sarah (Myrick) Holden. He followed the sea for about thirteen years, since which time he has been a farmer, owning his father's homestead at High Head. He married Mary R., daughter of Henry Johnson. Their two children are: Seymour E. and Julia J.

Atkins Hughes, born August 14, 1828, is a son of James and Jane (Avery) Hughes, and grandson of John and Rachel (Dyer) Hughes. Mr. Hughes married Betsey Lewis Paine, March 26, 1850. Their living children are: Amelia E., Phebe N., Idella L., Georgia W. and Bessie J. Mr. Hughes began his seafaring life in 1840, and thirtytwo of the thirty-nine years that he spent at sea he was master of vessels, mostly in foreign trade. Since 1879 he has been manager and agent for fish weirs. He was representative in 1881 and 1882.

David Lombard. - The Lombard family, which has long figured conspicuously in the affairs of Truro, is to-day represented in the town by David Lombard, who was born October 9, 1825, in the homestead he now owns. His father, a son of James, was Captain David Lombard, who was born November 9, 1796, and on December 10, 1820, married Anna, daughter of Jaazaniah Gross, the widow of his older brother, James Lombard.

Their other children were: James, born February 4, 1823, died December, 1878, leaving two children, Florence and Arthur; Lewis, born November 18, 1827, married Mehitable A. Stevens; Melvina A., born November 2, 1829, is now the widow of Nathaniel L. Harding; Angelia M., deceased, was born October 26, 1831, and married Horace A. Hughes, also deceased.

Captain David Lombard, shortly before 1841, became the first packer of mackerel at Truro, and continued the business with profit for many years. He was a liberal supporter of churches, and although his sons are all republicans, he was himself a life-long democrat. He was interested in navigation, and at one time had a hill full of salt works. Prior to his death, February 3, 1888, he was the oldest living representative of the name here.

The present David Lombard, when eighteen years of age, obtained in Boston a clerkship, and was subsequently interested for three or four years with his father in the mackerel business. He then was with Uriah Mayo twenty-one years in the fish packing business in East Boston. He returned to Truro in 1877, and after the death of his mother in October, 1879, with his sister, Mrs. Harding, maintained a home for their father until his death. The homestead where the parents died was erected by Captain Lombard the year of their marriage and for sixty-eight years the original shingles remained.

Daniel W. Oliver, born in 1840, is a son of Benjamin and Abigail C. (Young) Oliver. He followed the sea from 1849 until 1887, being in command of vessels in the West India trade twenty-three years. He married Deborah, daughter of Richard A. Atwood. They have one son, Richard S.

Daniel E. Paine, born in 1848, is the only surviving child of Daniel" and Jane A. (Snow) Paine (Barnabas', Daniel*, Jonathan', Thomas', Thomas Paine"). He is a meat and provision merchant, having succeeded his father in 1871, in the business which was established in 1846 by Daniel and Richard Paine. He married Elizabeth D., daughter of Thomas Ryder. Their only son is Daniel, one son, John R., having died. He is a deacon of the Congregational church, having succeeded his father at his death in 1871.

Samuel C. Paine', born in 1824, is a son of Barnabas' and Hannah (Coan) Paine (Barnabas', Daniel', Jonathan', Thomas', Thomas Paine'). He was nine years a member of the school board and school superintendent one year. He married Henrietta, daughter of Daniel Paine.

Nathan K. Parsons, born in ISS.') in Orleans, is a son of James and Urecta (Kenney) Parsons. He came to Truro at the age of seventeen and has since been engaged in the fishing business. He was master of fishing vessels thirteen years prior to 1880, and since that time has been weir fishing. He married Lucy, daughter of James and Jerusha (Rich) Grove. They have two children: Jesse K. and Urecta K., one son having died.

John H. Rich, son of Isaac, grandson of Isaac, and great-grandson of Isaac Rich, was born in 1850. He followed the sea in the fishing business from 1862 until he retired to go into the life saving service. He was surfman at the Pamet River life saving station from January, 1873, until 1888, since which time he has been keeper. He married Edith E., daughter of SewellS.Mayo. Their children are Arthur . B. and Marilla F.

John L. Rich, son of Michael, grandson of Obadiah, and greatgrandson of Richard Rich, was. born in 1839. He followed the sea for twenty-five years. He was on the Highland life saving station eight years, since which time he has been engaged in weir fishing. He married Mary E., daughter of Jesse Paine. Their children are: Millard F. and Frederick C, and two sons that died in infancy.

Josiah F. Rich, born in 1829, is the eldest son of Henry, and grandson of Henry and Rebecca (Thomas) Rich. His mother was Winifred, daughter of Paul and Mary (Higgins) Atkins. He followed the sea from 1840 to 1859, and since that time has kept a general store in Truro. He was assessor in 1877, and is now chairman of the board of selectmen, having been a member of that body for ten j'ears. He married January 1, 1852, Rebecca, daughter of Benjamin and Rebecca Paine, and granddaughter of Samuel Paine. Their children are: Henry F., born November 5, 1852; Samuel B., born July 1, 1854; Anna C, born February 18, 1857, died May 16, 1885; Rebecca P., born August 15, 1860, died December 11, 1864; Rebecca P., born April 11, 1866; and Sherman G., born October 15, 1868.

Michael A. Rich, born in 1849, is a son of Michael A. and Betsey L. (Snow) Rich. He is a farmer at North Truro. He married Amelia E., daughter of Atkins Hughes. They have two children^Nellie A. and Alton E. They lost one daughter in infancy.

Richard A. Rich, son of Richard and Sally R. (Atwood) Rich, grandson of Ephraim D., and great-grandson of Richard Rich, was born October 19, 1844. He followed the sea in the fishing business through the .summer months from 1859 until 1878, as master after

1860. Since 1878 he has been engaged in weir fishing. He has been for several vears a member of the school committee, and has taught school during the winter season for several years. He was elected in 1889 to represent his district in the legislature.

I. Morton Small, born in 1846, is a son of James and Jerusha (Hughes) Small, grandson of Isaac, great-grandson of Francis, and great-great-grandson of Samuel Small. He has been marine telegraph operator at the Highland station since 1860. He has owned the Highland House since 1873, having succeeded his father, who had kept a summer boarding house for eleven years. He married Sarah E., daughter of John Small. She died leaving three children: Willard M., James S. and Lillian M.

Thomas F. Small, born in 1813, was the eldest son of James and Polly (Dyer) Small, grandson of Isaac, and great-grandson of Francis,, whose father was Samuel Small. Mr. Small was a farmer at Truro until his death, April 8, 1890. He married Elizabeth P., daughter of John and Hannah (Paine) Hughes, granddaughter of John and greatgranddaughter of John Hughes. Their two children: Eliza F., who* married John Horton, and Warren W., who married Sally A. Dyer.

Isaiah Snow, born in 1842, is one of ten children of Ephraim and Jemima (Knowles) Snow, grandson of Shubael and great-grandson of Anthony Snow. He was seven years in business in Philadelphia^ Since February, 1881, he has been traveling salesman for a wholesale house. He served in the civil war in Company E, Forty-third Massachusetts Volunteers. He is trustee, treasurer and recording steward of the Methodist Episcopal church, also superintendent of the Sunday school. He married Hattie R., daughter of Edward Hopkins and granddaughter of Edward Hopkins. They have lost two children: Frank I. and Dean H.

John G. Thompson, born in 1837, is the only surviving child of Alexander and Bethiah (Grozier) Thompson. He followed the sea from 1855 until 1866, and has since been a merchant at North Truro. He married Sally C, daughter of James Hughes. They have two children living - Albert H. and Mary A. - and lost one - Emma H.

Edwin P. Worthen, son of Jacob Worthen, was born in 1837 in Charlestown, Mass. He came to Truro at the age of seven and followed the sea from that time until 1872, seven years as master. He has been keeper of the Highland life saving station since December,. 1872. He married Julia E., daughter of John Francis.