Bristol County, Massachusetts - Biographical sketches (1 of 5 so headed), 1883 (part 1 of 3)

Biographical sketches

John Avery Parker was born in the town of Plympton, Plymouth Co., Mass., Sept. 25, 1769, and died at his residence in New Bedford, Mass., Dec. 30, 1853. He was a lineal descendant in the sixth generation from William Parker, who came from England and was one of the first settlers of Scitnate, Mass. In September, 1640, a grant was obtained for the settlement of 3Iattakeese, Mass., and in October of that year William Parker, in company with many others from Scituate, settled there. He finally located at Falmouth, Mass., where he continued to reside until his death. He married Mary, daughter of Humphrey Turner, Nov. 13, 1651, and left several sons, of whom Robert Parker was one, and one or more daughters.

Daniel Parker, of Barnstable, married Mary Loinbard, Dec. 11, 1689. Their children were Daniel, Nehemiah, Samuel, Jonathan, David, Temperance, Rebecca, and Mary. Daniel Parker was a prominent man in Barnstable, and was known as Judge Parker. He died Dec. 23, 1728.

Rev. Jonathan Parker, fourth son of Judge Daniel Parker, was born in Barnstable in 1706, and died at Plympton, April 24, 1776. He was graduated from Cambridge College, aud was ordained in the ministry Dec. 22, 1731. He continued to preach with great acceptance until his death.

He was the second minister at Plympton, Mass., a man of more than ordinary ability, and was particularly gifted in prayer. He married Ruth, daughter of the Rev. John Avery, of Truro, Mass., in 1732-33.

Mrs. Ruth Parker died in Plympton, May 17, 1745, aged thirty years. Of this anion were born Ruth, Jonathan, John Avery, Elizabeth, and Avery.

Rev. Jonathan Parker married for his second wife Lydia, daughter of Joseph Bartlett, of Plymouth. She was born Dec. 30, 1722. Their children were Daniel, Lydia, Joseph, Betty, Molly, Thaddeus, Jerusha, and Harmony. Mrs. Lydia Parker died Aug. 31, 1796.

Jonathan Parker, Jr., son of Rev. Jonathan and Ruth Parker, was born in Plympton, Mass., Aug. 16. 1736. Married, Dec. 5, 1765, Abigail, daughter of Dr. Pollycarpus and Mary Loring. She was born Feb. 16, 1742-43. Their children were Oliver, Pollycarpus, John Avery (the immediate subject of this sketch), Ruth, Jonathan, Jacob, and Abigail. Mr. Parker, while playing with his brother Avery, had a knife accidentally thrust into one of his eyes when twelve years of age, and in due time lost the use of his other eye and was totally blind for many years before his death.

He continued a resident of Plympton, Mass., where he died Sept. 1, 1822. He was a member of the church at Plympton, and was universally respected. His wife, Abigail, died at Plympton, March 23, 1840, in the ninety-eighth year of her age. At the time of her death she was the oldest person in Plympton, and next to the oldest that ever lived there, Mrs. Abigail Bryant being older.

John Avery Parker6 (Jonathan, Jr.5, Jonathan4, Daniel3, Robert2, William1) had very limited advantages for an education, but what he had he improved, and by reading and. reflection was well informed in the current events of his day. At an early age he showed signs of financial ability, and manifested a strong desire to engage in some active business, hence began merchandising. In 1795 he formed a copartnership with Lemuel Milke, of Westport, Mass., who was engaged in building vessels for the merchant service. The firm was known as Milke & Parker. About 1803 they dissolved partnership, when Mr. Parker moved to New Bedford, and located on Middle or Bridge Streets, at the head of North Water, where he continued to reside until he built his own residence, which was in 1841 refitted and enlarged for a hotel, and has since been known as the Parker House. In 1834 he built his palatial residence on County Street, where he passed the remainder of his life. While living in New Bedford Mr. Parker continued to build merchant vessels, at Hick's Bridge, some three or four miles from Westport, under the supervision of his brother-in-law, Levi Standish. Among the vessels built there were the " Phoanix " " W. L. Packet," and " Victory." At and near New Bedford he built the "Young Phcenix," for his sonin-law, Joseph Dunbar; the " Averick," "Parker," "Lalla Rookh," "Alexander Barclay," "Averick Heineken," and many others. These ships were used in the merchant service until they were fitted for the whaling business. About 1823 he purchased a half interest, with Messrs. Seth and Charles Russell, in the property now known as Parker's wharf, and subsequently bought their interest. In 1833 he built his brick block, now known as Parker's block. Durinothe war of 1812-15 he organized a company for the defense of New Bedford, and was its captain.

The Merchants' Bank, now the Merchants' National Bank, was established in 1825, and he was its first president, which position he held until his death. He owned and personally superintended a cottonmill in his native town (Plympton), beside having an interest in other cotton-mills at home and abroad.

In politics he was a Whig, and as such represented his senatorial district in the Legislature in 1826-27, and was instrumental in getting the county divided, and having a court-house and jail located here. He was a liberal supporter of the North Congregational Church of New Bedford.

From the pen of another we quote the following, with a few changes : Mr. Parker accumulated a large fortune, which was variously invested, as there was hardly any branch of commerce or of manufacture in which he was not interested. As a shrewd and energetic business man, Mr. Parker had few equals, and was among the first merchants in New Bedford to set the wise example of engaging in other enterprises than the principal one of this city at that time. The large operations in which he engaged required excellent judgment and foresight, and that he possessed those qualities in no slight degree is proved by the almost uniform success which attended his transactions.

At the time of his death he was president of the Merchants' Bank in this city, having served gratuitously from the commencement of the corporation, a period of twenty-eight years.

Possessed of such ample means, it was in the power of Mr. Parker very often to assist those who were just starting in business, or who had met with disappointment in their affairs. We believe it is within the personal knowledge of many that this assistance was often and cheerfully rendered, and that too, sometimes, when the relief thus extended was not, perhaps, strictly within the limits of an over-cautious prudence.

Mr. Parker was one of the earliest supporters of common schools, and, though under the district system he was heavily taxed for their support, he always met the obligation thus imposed upon him with cheerfulness. Mr. Parker was one of the most prominent representatives of our wealth, and most intimately connected with the prosperity of the city.

Samuel Rodman, Isaac and Gideon Howland, William Rotch, Jr., George Howland, and John Avery Parker will long be remembered as men whose energy, enterprise, and success rendered them conspicuous in the commercial affairs of New Bedford, and whose industry and skill accumulated fortunes of no ordinary magnitude.

John Avery Parker married Averick, daughter of Shadrach and Mary Standish, of Plympton, Feb. 28, 1788. She was born May 2, 1772, and died May 11,

1847. Their children were (1) Ruth, who married William H. Allen, of New Bedford. She died February, 1837, and left children. (2) Avery, lost at sea January, 1815, left no children. (3) Mary, who married Francis Howland, of New Bedford. She died Aug. 18, 1856, and left children. (4) Sarah, who married Capt. Joseph Dunbar. She died Jan. 12, 1847, and left children. (5) Jonathan, died July 18, 1806, in his fourth year. (6) Betsey, married Timothy G. Coffin, died Nov. 24, 1858, and left children. (7) Frederick, married Abbie Coggeshall. He was accidentally poisoned, and died from its effects Oct. 21, 1861, aged fifty-five years. (8) Averick Standish, married Christian A. Heineken, and now resides in Bremen, Germany, and has children. (9) Jane Standish, married, first, Harrison G. O. Colby (deceased), by whom she had children. She married, second, Rev. Thomas R. Lambert, and had one son. (10) Ann Avery, married, first, Thomas C. Lothrop (deceased), by whom she had three children, two of whom are living. She married, second, William F. Dow, by whom she had one daughter (deceased). (11) John, who died Jan. 18, 1836. There were two other children who died young.

Mrs. John Avery Parker was a direct descendant from the historic and ever to be remembered Miles Standish, who was born in Lancashire, England, in 1584. He was of a family of note, among which were a number of knights and bishops, and, it is said, was an heir to a large estate, which he himself says "was surreptitiously detained from him." He served in the Low Countries as an officer in the armies of Queen Elizabeth when commanded by her favorite, the Earl of Leicester. What induced him to connect himself with the Pilgrims does not appear. He took up his residence among them at Leyden, but never joined their church.

He arrived in the "Mayflower," and lost his wife soon after ; he, however, married again in 1621. He was elected the first military commander of the colony. He went out as agent of the colony (1625) to England, and resided in London at the very period when -the pride of the Queen of Cities was laid in the dust and naught was heard in the streets but wailing and lamentation, - it was at the time of the last and most deadly plague. Being an accurate surveyor, he was generally on the committees for laying out new towns. He was always the military commander, and always of the council of war, generally an assistant, sometimes first assistant or Deputy Governor and treasurer.

Standish was a man of small stature, of a fiery and quick temper, and never did a human form inclose a more intrepid spirit. Dangers from which all other men would have shrunk were with him only an incentive to enterprise. He asked only eight men to subdue all the Indians of Massachusetts. Alone he took from the trembling hand of the profligate and turbulent Morton his loaded musket, and compelled him to yield when he was surrounded by his whole company, and had boasted that he never would be taken alive. He did not stand aside to command others to do the work of death, but engaged in deadly conflicts, the fate of which rested upon the powers of the contending individuals.

Standi sh was the father and founder of Duxbury, which he named from the seat of his family in Lancashire, which, as late as 1707, was the residence of Sir Thomas Standish.

Hon. Henry Howland Crapo

Prominent among the sons of this old commonwealth who without inherited aid have risen from the humble ranks of life to distinguished positions stands Henry Howland Crapo, Governor of Michigan from 1865 to 1869. He was born in Dartmouth, Mass.. May 24, 1804, and was the eldest son of Jesse and Phrebe (Howland) Crapo. His father was of French descent, and was very poor, sustaining his family by the cultivation of a farm which yielded nothing beyond a mere livelihood. His early life was consequently one of toil, and devoid of advantages for intellectual culture, but his desire for an education seemed to know no bounds. The incessant toil for a mere subsistence upon a comparatively sterile farm had no charms for him, and longing for greater usefulness and better things, he looked for them in an education. His struggles to secure this end necessitated sacrifices and hardships that would have discouraged any but the most courageous and persevering. He became an ardent student and worker from boyhood, though the means of carrying on his studies was exceedingly limited.

He sorely felt the need of a dictionary, and neither having money wherewith to purchase it nor being able to procure one in his neighborhood, he set to work to compile one for himself. In order to acquire a knowledge of the English language he copied into a book every word whose meaning he did not comprehend, and upon meeting the same word again in the newspapers and books which came into his hands would study out its meaning from the context, and then record the definition. When unable otherwise to obtain the signification for a word in which he had become interested, he would walk from Dartmouth to New Bedford for that purpose alone, and after referring to the books at the library and satisfying thoroughly as to its definition, would walk back, a distance of about seven miles, the same night. This was no unusual occurrence.

Under such difficulties, and in this manner, he compiled quite an extensive dictionary in manuscript. Ever in the pursuit of knowledge, he obtained a book upon surveying, and applying himself diligently to its study, became familiar with the theory of this art, which he soon had an opportunity to practice. The services of a land surveyor were wanted, and he was called upon, but had no compass and no money to purchase one. A compass, however, he must and would have, and going to a blacksmith's shop near at hand, upon the forge, with such tools as he could find there, while the smith was at dinner, he constructed the compass and commenced as a surveyor. Still continuing his studies, he fitted himself for teaching, and took charge of the village school at Dartmouth. When, in the course of time, and under the pressure of law, a High School was to be opened, he passed a successful examination for its principalship and received the appointment. To do this was no small task ; the law required a rigid examination in various subjects, which necessitated days and nights of study.

One evening, after concluding his day's labor of teaching, he traveled on foot to New Bedford, some seven or eight miles, called upon the preceptor of the Friends' Academy, and passed a severe examination. Receiving a certificate that he was well qualified, he walked back to his home the same night, highly elated at being possessed of the acquirements and requirements of a master of the High School. In 1832, at the age of twenty-eight, he left his native town to reside in New Bedford, where he was a land surveyor, and sometimes acted as an auctioneer. Soon after his removal he was elected town clerk, treasurer, and collector of taxes of New Bedford, which positions he held about fifteen years, and until the form of the municipal government was changed, when under the new form he was elected treasurer and collector of taxes, which he held for two years. He was also police justice many years. He was elected alderman, was chairman of the Council Committee on Education, and as such prepared the report on which was based the order for the establishment of the Free Public Library of New Bedford. On its organization he was chosen a member of its first board of trustees. This was the first free public library in Massachusetts, if not in the world; the Boston Public Library being, however, soon after established. While a resident of this city he was much interested in horticulture, and to obtain the land necessary for carrying out his ideas he drained and reclaimed several acres of rocky and swampy land adjoining his garden. Having properly prepared the soil, he started a nursery, which he filled with almost every description of fruit and ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. He was very successful in their propagation and growth, and took much pride in the result of his experiment. At horticultural fairs in Boston and elsewhere he exhibited from his grounds one hundred and fifty varieties of pears of his own propagation, and one hundred and twenty varieties of roses.

In this, as in everything he undertook, he always worked intelligently and for the best results, seeking the best methods and looking for information to the highest authorities. The interest he took in the subject brought him into communication with the most eminent horticulturists in the country, and the desire to impart as well as to acquire knowledge soon led him to become a regular contributor to the New England Horticultural Journal, a position he filled as long as he lived in Massachusetts. After his removal to Michigan his love for horticulture and agriculture was still further stimulated. He had an especial fondness for landscape and ornamental gardening, and possessed a farm of eleven hundred acres, most of which he redeemed from swamps by a system of drainage which he planned, and which developed into one of the finest farms in the State. He became here a breeder and importer of fine breeds of cattle and sheep, and was elected in 1863 president of the Genesee County Agricultural Society. During his last years he was a regular contributor on agricultural topics to the Country Gentleman. As an indication of the wide reputation he enjoyed in horticulture, it may be said that after his death an affecting eulogy of him was pronounced by the president of the National Horticultural Society at its meeting in Philadelphia in 1869.

During his residence in New Bedford, Mr. Crapo was also engaged in the whaling business, then the great specialty of local enterprise. A fine bark, built at Dartmouth, of which he was part owner, was named the " H. H. Crapo," in compliment to him. He also took an active interest in the State militia, and for several years held a commission as colonel of one of the regiments. In speaking of the intimate relations of Mr. Crapo with the interests of New Bedford, the Standard says, -

"No man connected with our municipal concerns ever had to a greater extent than Mr. Crapo the confidence of the people. He was exact and methodical in all matters of record ; conscientious and laboriously persistent in the discharge of every duty ; clear in his methods and statements in all that appertained to his official transactions. He left, at the end of his long period of service, all that belonged to his department as a financial or recording officer so lucid and complete that no error has ever been detected or any improvement made upon his plans."

He was president of the Bristol County Mutual Insurance and secretary of the Bedford Commercial Insurance Companies of New Bedford, and while an officer of the municipal government he compiled and published, between the years of 1836 and 1845, five numbers of the New Bedford Directory, the first work of the kind ever issued there. Mr. Crapo removed to Michigan in 1856, having been induced to do so by investments, made principally in pine lands, and took up his residence in the city of Flint. He engaged largely in the manufacture of lumber, and became one of the largest and most successful business men of the State. He was mainly instrumental in constructing the Flint and Holly Railroad, and was president of its corporation until its consolidation with the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad Company. He showed a lively interest in the municipal affairs of Flint, gave his hearty support to the cause of popular education, and was elected mayor after residing in Flint only five or six years.

In the early part of his life Mr. Crapo affiliated with the Whig party in politics, but became an active member of the Republican party on its organization.

In 1862 he was elected State senator to represent Genesee County, and took rank with the leading men of the Michigan Senate. He was chairman of the Committee on Banks and Incorporations, and a member of the Committee on Bounties to Soldiers. He at once became conspicuous as a legislator, his previously acquired experience and knowledge of State and municipal affairs admirably fitting him for legislative duties. In 1864 he received the Republican nomination for Governor of the State, and was elected by a large majority. He was re-elected in 1866, holding the office two terms, retiring in January, 1869. During the four years of this office he served the State with unflagging zeal, energy, and industry. The features which especially characterized his administration were his vetoing of railway aid legislation and his firm refusal to pardon convicts imprisoned in the penitentiary unless given the clearest proof of their innocence or of extreme sentence. Subsequent events and experience have proven conclusively that his action in vetoing railway aid bills was of great benefit to the State financially, and his judgment in the matter has been generally approved. While serving his last term as Governor he was attacked by the disease which terminated his life within one year. During much of this time he was an intense sufferer, yet often while in great pain gave his attention to public matters. He died July 23, 1869. The Detroit Tribune closes an obituary notice with this tribute to his worth, -

" In all the public positions he held Governor Crapo showed himself a capable, discreet, vigilant, and industrious officer. He evinced wonderful vigor in mastering details, and always wrote and spoke intelligently on any subject to which he gave his attention. Michigan never before had a Governor who devoted so much personal attention and painstaking labor to her public duties as he did. His industry was literally amazing. He was not a man of brilliant or showy qualities, but he possessed sharp and remarkably well developed business talents, a clear and practical understanding, sound judgment, and unfailing integrity. In all the walks of life there was not a purer man in the State. So faithful, so laborious, so unselfish, so conscientious a man in official life is a blessing beyond computation in the healthful influence which he exerts in the midst of the too prevalent corruptions that so lamentably abound in the public service. We have often thought that, in his plainness, his honesty, his fidelity to duty, and in his broad and sterling good sense, Governor Crapo closely resembled the lamented Lincoln. He was a man of the people, and most worthily represented them. His decease is an occasion for public mourning. The State has very few men like him, and can ill afford to spare such an eminently useful citizen. His death Avill be profoundly deplored throughout our commonwealth, and a general sympathy will be sincerely extended to the bereaved family."

Mr. Crapo was a member of the Christian (sometimes called the Disciples') Church, and took great interest in its welfare and prosperity. He married June 9, 1825, Mary Ann Slocum, of Dartmouth. This was soon after he had attained his majority, and before his struggles for fortune had been rewarded by any great measure of success. His wife was a woman of great strength of character, and possessed courage, hopefulness, and devotion, qualities which sustained and encouraged her husband in the various pursuits of his early manhood. For several years after his marriage he was engaged in teaching, his wife living with her parents at the time, at whose house their two older children were born. While thus situated he was accustomed to walk home on Saturdays to see his family, returning on Sunday in order to be ready for school Monday morning. As the walk for a great part of the time was twenty miles each way, it is evident that at this period of his life no common obstacles deterred him from the performance of what he regarded as a duty. His wife was none the less conscientious in her sphere, and with added responsibilities and increasing requirements, she labored faithfully in the performance of all her duties. They had ten children, one son and nine daughters.

Capt. Charles L. Wood

Capt. Charles L. Wood, of New Bedford, was born in Dartmouth, March 17, 1813. He was educated in the public schools of that town and at the academy in Sandwich. At an early age he went to sea, making his first voyage to New Orleans in a merchant-ship commanded by Capt. James Byder. He then went as boat-steerer in the whale-ship " Braganza," of which his father, Capt. Daniel Wood, was master. His next voyage he took as mate with his brother, Capt. James B. Wood, master, in a whale-ship sailing from St- John, New Brunswick. At the age of twenty-four he took command of ship " Elizabeth," of Dartmouth, a whaler, the youngest member of the crew, and upon his return in 1842 abandoned the sea, formed a partnership with his brother, under the style of J. B. Wood & Co., and became largely interested as an owner and agent of whale-ships. For more than thirty years they continued in active business, and no firm ever stood higher in the confidence of the business community, or gave more unvarying and entire satisfaction to their co-owners, and few were more uniformly successful. He died in New Bedford, July 13, 1881.

For many years Capt. Wood was a director in the insurance offices of the city, in the Bank of Commerce, and in the Wamsutta Mills, one of the Board of Investment of the New Bedford Institution for Savings, and for three terms was a director on the part of the State of the Boston and Albany Railroad. In all these positions he rendered efficient and valuable service.

He was possessed of practical good sense, of cool, deliberate, and rarely erring judgment, and while cautions and prudent, was tenacious of a purpose thoughtfully formed. He was a wise and safe counselor, and many men greatly his seniors were glad to avail themselves of his judicious advice. That he filled no political positions was not due to any lack of the public's appreciation of his worth or of desire to honor him, but to his own modest estimate of his abilities and his utter aversion to anything like display. No man was more respected- and beloved, for he was one of nature's noblemen, - a man of large and tender heart, quick to sympathize, and as quick to aid. Frank, sincere, and true, he had troops of attached friends, and not a single enemy.

Mr. Thomas Mandell died at his residence in this city, at three o'clock yesterday morning, after a comparatively brief illness. He was born in Fairhaven, then a part of the town of New Bedford, Aug. 9, 1792 ; was for a time a clerk in a store at the Head of the River, and before reaching his majority commenced business here as partner with the late Caleb Congdon. Soon after he took the entire management of a mechanics' store, developing there the business traits which attracted the notice of the firm of Isaac Howland, Jr., & Co., and induced them to offer him an interest in their house. He became a member of that firm in 1819, and it is exact justice to say that to him more than to any other partner is due the high credit which the house for half a century maintained, and the colossal fortunes it built up. The late Edward Mott Robinson entered the firm about 1833, which soon after consisted of that gentleman, Mr. Mandell, and the late Sylvia Ann Howland. The new partner brought to the firm an eagerness and boldness in enterprise which greatly extended its operations, but which never disregarded the sound judgment of Mr. Mandell ; and the two, although widely differing in almost everything else, perfectly agreed in their notions of mercantile integrity, and each entertained the highest regard for the honor of the other. Besides his responsibility as a partner, Mr. Mandell, for more than a quarter of a century, had the entire care and management of the estate of the late Sylvia Ann Howland, and her appointment of him as sole executor of her will was a just recognition of his integrity, while her bequest to him of two hundred thousand

Mr. Mandell was many years ago one of the selectmen of New Bedford, and was the first to commence the keeping of the records by the board, but with this exception he held no public office.1 He sought no such honors ; but he was never without proofs of the confidence reposed in his probity and discretion, as the responsible positions he held in various corporations showed. He was not a great man ; but he was better than that, - a good man. A merchant of the old school, he knew no road to success but that of upright and honorable dealing. Modest and unobtrusive, no man was ever more tenacious of an opinion when satisfied of its correctness. His name here was the synonym of rectitude.

He was a benevolent man. He was the almoner of his own bounty, a bounty which did not break out at long intervals in noisy and startling displays of beneficence, but flowed quietly, steadily, refreshingly. We need not speak of the objects of his charity, or the extent of his benefactions. He never spoke of them, and shrunk from any mention of them by others. He may be forgotten as the honorable and successful merchant, but his memory will live in the hearts of those who have been sustained and cheered by his unostentatious and gentle charities.

" Few are the words which in the morn's gazette Tell us of thee, thou noble-hearted man, - The birth, the death, of life the general plan, Allegiance lifelong to the right ; and yet There is close mingled with the deep regret That from our darkened, erring world has fled The light that never dazzled or misled, In which with winning potency there met A soul's stern feality to truth and God

And manners gentle as the evening's close, Another phase of feeling, - death's repose Has hushed to them who nearest thee have trod Life's pathway many a gentle utterance sweet, Fresh from the fount where song and music meet."

At a meeting of the trustees of New Bedford Institution for Savings, April 8, 1870, William H. Taylor, on behalf of a committee appointed at our last meeting to present resolutions expressive of the sense of the loss sustained by this institution in the removal of its late president, Thomas Mandell, now presented the following, which were read, and, on motion of Charles R. Tucker, were adopted, and the secretary was directed to place the same on our records and also to present a copy thereof to the family of the deceased :

1 Mr. Mandell was a few years in public life as a representative to the General Court from the town of New Bedford. He was elected for seven consecutive years, from 1830 to 1836, inclusive.

"Whereas, In the providence of God, death has again visited us, removing our esteemed associate Thomas Mandell from our midst, who for forty years was actively engaged in the management of the affairs of this institution, and acceptably tilled the office of president for the last fourteen years, we deem it proper to place upon our records a memorial of bis active virtues and of the loss we have sustained by bis removal.

"Resolved, That in his decease we recognize the loss of a valued friend, a faithful officer, a useful citizen, a Christian merchant and gentleman, whose deeds of charity and benevolence will embalm his memory and lead many to ' rise up and call him blessed.' Identified with our institution almost from its origin, he has manifested an untiring devotion to its interests, and in the management of its affairs bis financial skill, combined with bis uucompromising integrity, have largely contributed to its success.

" Resolved, That the secretary be requested to spread these proceedings upon the record, and to transmit to the bereaved family of our departed friend a copy thereof, duly attested by his signature."

The Memory of Thomas Mandell. - At the regular meeting of the directors of the Mechanics' National Bank, held at its banking-rooms, on Wednesday morning, February 16th, the death of their president, Thomas Mandell, was appropriately referred to by Jireh Swift, Jr., who presented the following resolutions :

"Resolved, That in the death of our beloved and honored president we mourn the loss of a faithful officer, whose connection with this institution from its inception to its maturity has been eminently characterized by discriminating judgment and ability, and the mast scrupulous fidelity to the welfare and prosperity of this corporation.

"Resolved, That we cherish his memory as a friend endeared to us by many fond recollections and pleasant associations, ever evincing as he did kindness and nobleness of heart and purity of purpose. The stream of benevolence that flowed so silently from bis good heart has warmed many hearthstones, and the recipients of his bounty will now rise up to call him blessed.

" Resolvd, That we tender to the family of our deceased friend our heartfelt sympathies in their affliction, and the assurance of our earnest hope that the Giver of all good may vouchsafe to them that consolation which alone reconciles humanity to such bereavements."

William W. Crapo, in seconding the resolutions, said, "It is not necessary on this occasion, with us who have known Mr. Mandell intimately for years, and whose daily duties have brought us in close personal contact with him, to give a sketch of his life. The simple reading of the resolutions expresses the tribute of admiration and love which we pay to our departed associate and friend.

" But he was possessed of personal traits of character which it may be proper for us, who have been on terms of such familiar intercourse with him, to allude to and remember. It is to his sound, discriminating judgment, his fearless and impartial discharge of official duty, acting as president or director during its history of nearly forty years, that this institution owes much of its prosperity and success.

" He was a man of spotless integrity, of quick apprehension, of accuracy, method, and faithfulness in business, and these qualities made him an acknowledged leader in the mercantile community.

"He was gentle in manners, true in principle, earnest in his convictions, steadfast in his opinions, charitable, benevolent, and kindly without ostentation. He was beloved by his fellow-citizens, for he took an active interest in whatever concerned the welfare of the community, always doing his part cheerfully and generously. His sympathies were genuine. His love for his neighbor joined so closely with sincerity and ment of the West, and early turned his attention to Chicago, and continued his business interests there as long as he lived. Mr. Greene was a man of strong earnestness in the performance of duty that during convictions, of great energy and unyielding will, and his long life he was constantly doing good and making was, as such men often are, somewhat rugged in speech

The resolutions were adopted, and votes passed instructing the secretary of the board to forward a copy to the family of the deceased, and directing the whole proceedings to be placed upon the records of the board.

David R. Greene

David R. Greene was born in New Bedford in March, 1794, and lived there continuously to the time of his death in 1879. His father was Robert Greene, a native of Liverpool, England, and his mother was Deborah Russell, a native of New Bedford. His father, who was a master-mariner, died while on a foreign voyage, when his son was about three years old, leaving his widow in straitened circumstances. After receiving a limited common school education young Greene began to go to sea, and after a number of coasting voyages became supercargo, an officer indispensable to the trading voyages of the period. Having formed a distaste for the sea, he left it and went into the grocery business, at first as clerk, but was admitted a partner before he reached his majority. In 1820 he began to fit vessels for whaling voyages, and he gradually increased his interest in the whale fishery until he became one of the largest ship-owners of New Bedford. For many years he was in partnership with the late Willard Nye and the late Dennis Wood, under the firm of D. R. Greene & Co., and was engaged in fitting ships and dealing in the products of the whale fishery. In 1825 he was one of the projectors of the Merchants' Bank, now one of the principal banking corporations of New Bedford, and he continued a member of its board of directors for more than fifty years. He was an ardent Whig, and a firm believer in the protection of American industries, and was very active in founding the manufacturing enterprises which the protective system has fostered. In 1847, he with others started the Wamsutta Mills, now one of the largest cotton-maimfacturing corporations of New England, and was for thirty years one of the directors.

He took an active interest in the early development of railroads, and was one of the builders of the railroad between New Bedford and Taunton, and one of its directors from the time of its incorporation until it was sold for the purposes of consolidation. He was at the time of his death one of the oldest stockholders in the Illinois Central Railroad, which now owns a continuous line from Chicago to New Orleans. He took a great interest in the developand brusque in action, but he had a kind heart and quick sympathies. He not only gave liberally to charitable objects when solicited, but sought opportunities of giving, and of such acts he never spoke. His long life was one of commendable industry, honorable labor, of enterprise, and of sturdy devotion to what he conceived to be right. If, as has been sometimes said, there is an immortality of good work, his influence will survive him.

The Parker Family

Ward M. Parker, of New Bedford, Mass., was a lineal descendant on his paternal side from William Parker, who came from England and settled with many others, among whom were the ancestors of Samuel J. Tilden, in the town of Scituate, Mass., at what date is not known, but probably at its earliest settlement. In September, 1640, a grant was obtained for a settlement at " Mattakese," situated between Sandwich and Yarmouth, and in October of the same year a settlement was commenced from the town of Scituate, Mass., and among the many who settled at " Mattakese" was William Parker. From this grant Sandwich, Barnstable, and probably Yarmouth- became invested with the right of township, and these people commenced the settlement of Falmouth.

William Parker finally settled in Falmouth, where he remained during life. He left several sons, of whom Robert Parker was one, and one or more daughters. We know but little about Robert Parker. He had several sons, among whom were Thomas, born Aug. 24, 1669; Daniel, April 18, 1670, ancestor of John A. Parker; and Joseph, born 1671.

Joseph Parker, son of Robert, was one of the original church members in Falmouth, Mass. He married Mercy Whiston, June 30, 1698, and died in 1732. Their children were Joseph, born April 23, 1699; John, born Sept. 11, 1700; Benjamin, born Feb. 16, 1702 ; Timothy, born Nov. 27, 1703 ; Seth, born Sept. 20, 1705; Sylvanus, born Sept. 11, 1707; and Mercy, born May 21, 1709. She married Rev. Samuel Palmer. Joseph Parker was buried in the old burying-ground at Falmouth, and a stone resembling Connecticut red granite lies horizontally over his grave and marks his final resting-place.

Sylvanus Parker, son of Joseph, married Martha Mayhew, of Chihnark, in 1748. They had two chilr dren, - Seth, born Oct. 12, 1750, and Lydia, who was twice married, first to Josiah Cotton, of Plymouth, and second to Dr. Thomas Smith.

children were Sylvanus, born 1777, who died single in 1811 ; Rossiter C, born 1779, and died 1804; Seth, born 1781, and died 1811; Ward M., the immediate subject of our sketch ; Lydia, born 1787, died 1848 ; John C, born 1793, died July 2, 1881. Mr. Parker died in 1813, leaving a widow and two sons, Ward M. and John, and one daughter, Lydia. Mrs. Sophia (Cotton) Parker was a lineal descendant from Rev. John Cotton, who was an Episcopalian minister in Lincolnshire and London, England.

There was but one family of Cottons originally in England, and they came from Normandy, in France, with William the Conqueror, in the year 1060, and from this family descended the Rev. John Cotton, who was a popular preacher in and about London until he was suspected of favoring the Dissenters, who had the audacity to doubt the infallibility of the Episcopal Church. Being advised by friends that he was in danger of being arrested, he very quietly arranged to come to America with his family, in company with the Rev. Mr. Hooker, afterwards of Connecticut. They arrived in Boston in 1633, when Mr. Hooker went to Connecticut, and Mr. Cotton was settled as a minister in the King's Chapel, Boston, now called Stone Chapel, and there continued to preach with great acceptance till the close of his life, Dec. 23, 1652, aged sixty-seven. His name may be seen inscribed with others on a monument adjoining the chapel in Boston. Mr. Cotton left several children, and from them descended the Cottons of New England. One of his sons, John, educated at Cambridge, studied for the ministry, and settled at Charleston, S. C, where he died. One of his (Rev. John Cotton's) daughters married the Rev. Dr. Mather, president of Harvard College, and they had a son, the well-known Cotton Mather. There were other children of the Rev. John Cotton, but their names are not known to the writer. Some of them settled at Plymouth, and were influential citizens in their day. From Thacher's " History of Plymouth" we find that the first Cotton he mentions is Josiah, a son of the Rev. John Cotton, and grandson of the original Rev. John Cotton, who was the first settled minister in Boston. Josiah Cotton was born 1679, graduated from Harvard College in 1698, taught school in several places, and finally settled in Plymouth, Mass. He was elected clerk of the court, register of deeds, etc. He wrote a supplement to the New England Memorial, now in the hands of the Massachusetts Historical Society. He died in 1756, aged seventysix. He left a family of children, among whom was John Cotton, born in Plymouth in 1712, graduated from Cambridge College in 1730, and ordained in Halifax in 1736, but losing his voice by a severe fit of sickness, he was obliged to give up his chosen profession, consequently he returned to his native town (Plymouth) and took his father's place as register of deeds, etc., which position he retained till his I death, Nov. 4, 1789. John Cotton, the maternal i grandfather of Ward M. Parker, married Hannah Sturtevant, and left eleven children, four sons and seven daughters, of whom Sophia, who married Seth Parker, was one, hence the line of descent has been Sophia5, John4, Josiah', John2, and John1. The line of descent in the Parker family has been Ward M.6, Seth*, Sylvanus*, Joseph3, Robert2, William1.

Ward M. Parker was born in Falmouth, Mass., June 18, 1784, and died in New Bedford, Aug. 6, 1881. In early life he was engaged in the coasting trade, commanding a vessel running to Charleston, S. C. He secured the confidence of the leading merchants and business men at that port, and his operations were uniformly successful. The war of 1812, with the embargo, broke up his coasting business at the South, but this did not dishearten him. For several years he was engaged in procuring live-oak timber in Florida under contracts with the government, and soon after embarked in the whaling business at Wood's Holl, where he built the ship " Bartholomew Gosnold." On the 12th of June, 1838, Mr. Parker removed to this city, though for a few years he continued his agency of the " Gosnold," which was fitted at Wood's Holl. He then retired from active business, devoting himself to the care of the handsome property which he had acquired, and which under his shrewd and judicious management grew to a large estate. For nearly forty years he was a director in the Marine (now the First National) Bank, and for many years was in the direction of the New Bedford and Taunton Railroad, the Gas-Light Company (also its vicepresident), the Commercial Insurance Company, the Taunton Copper Company, and its president for many years, and the Taunton Locomotive- Works.

The architect of his own fortune, with full faith in " Poor Richard's" maxims, and with habits of rigid economy, he was not a close nor a hard man. No director of a bank was ever more liberal in affording accommodation to men of small means needing assistance, and many who failed of relief in tight times from the banks have been supplied from his private means. Cautious in his investments, he was not lacking in enterprise, and rarely hesitated to aid in starting manufacturing projects here which promised advantage to the city. Exact in all his transactions, he was always fair, honorable, and scrupulously just. He was genial, kind-hearted, and unostentatiously benevolent, - a man thoroughly respected and highly esteemed in all the relations of life. Up to the close of that life so long protracted, he exhibited remarkable physical vigor, remarkable brightness and clearness of intellect, and a lively interest in affairs. In politics he was a Whig and Republican, and was a representative to the General Assembly from 1834 to 1838. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was twice married, first to Hepzibah, daughter of Deacon John Davis, July 27, 1815. She was born Oct. 4, 1793, and died Feb. 26, 1833. Their children are Abby S. (deceased), Hannah C. (de- ceased), wife of J. A. Beauvais ; Abby S. (2d), wife of J. L. Ferguson, of New York City; and Ward R., of New York City. Mr. Parker married for his second wife Marcia F., daughter of David W. and Cynthia Lewis, May 25, 1836. She was born in Falmouth, May 11, 1813, and belongs to an old and honorable family of that town. They have had ten children, five of whom are living, - Arabella, Lawrence H., Henry W., David L., and Lydia P., wife of C. W. Mitchell, of Baltimore, Md.

James Bunker Congdon

The death of James Bunker Congdon, which occurred on the 10th of June, 1880, demands more than a passing notice. Well may his name and worth have honorable mention in the archives of the Free Public Library, for to him perhaps more than to all others is it indebted not only for its existence, but for its continued prosperity, and for the measure of usefulness to which it has attained.

Mr. Congdon prepared and headed the petition to the City Council which resulted in 1852 in the permanent establishment of the library, and to his energy and untiring devotion it is due that the few thousand volumes of the old Social Library became the foundation of an institution of great public benefit, and of which the city has so much reason to be proud.

Elected a member of the first board of trustees, a position which he held, except during a brief interval, for more than twenty years, he watched with untiring zeal over its struggling infancy. As its hold on the community grew firmer and its usefulness broader, his watchful interest kept even pace with its beneficent development; he was constantly suggesting, and, when authority had been secured, instituting measures for its progressive advantage.

Secretary of the board of trustees from its organization in 1852 until near the close of his life, the annual reports of the board to the city government, always scholarly and often ardent and glowing in their style, and which tended largely to invite and to hold the good will of the city government, and the public itself, were invariably from his pen. When the corner-stone of the beautiful library building was laid i which fully symbolized the permanence of the institution, while it opened the way to increased usefulness) Mr. Congdon led in the ceremonies of the occasion, and delivered an address, in which he gave in detail the history of the enterprise, and foretold its Buccess. He lived long enough to see its prosperity well assured, and to enjoy not only by himself, but through the public generally, its great and continually increasing benefits. He gave not only his services to the cause, but in 1876, having received from the city five hundred dollars for revising the charter and ordinances, he gave it as a donation to the trust funds of the library.

Thus did he prove his interest by deeds of unselfish devotion. Yet, though his life was one of varied usefulness, while, as has been truly said of him, "No one ever wrought more continuously, ungrudgingly, and unselfishly for the public weal," it is certain that no fruits of his labor were so grateful to himself as those richly garnered in connection with the Free Public Library.

The history of his private life was not eventful, and is briefly told. He was born Dec. 19, 1802, and was the son of Caleb Congdon, a native of Rhode Island, who came here and was married to the daughter of Benjamin Taber. Mr. Taber was an early settler, whose house was burned by the British in the Revolutionary war. Mr. Congdon received his early education in our public schools. At the age of eighteen he became book-keeper for Messrs. William H. and Gideon Allen, in whose employ he remained five years. When the Merchants' Bank was chartered and went into operation he became its cashier, which position he filled with superior ability, securing prosperity and credit for that institution, honor and confidence for himself, until 1858, a period of nearly thirty years, when severe illness caused by overwork compelled him to resign.

On his recovery, in the spring of the same year, he was elected city treasurer and collector of taxes. He was annually re-elected until, in 1879, advancing years warned him to relieve himself of the burden of his public responsibilities, when he resigned his post. He had been a signally faithful and competent officer. Throughout the civil war, when the labors of the city treasurer were greatly complicated and augmented, he proved himself equal to every emergency. To his other duties - from the time of the establishment of the Acushnet Water Board to his resignation of his office a few months before his death - he added those of registrar of the board.

The public is always ready to place responsibility on competent, trusted, and willing shoulders. Mr. Congdon did not know himself when he thought to favor his increasing infirmities, and pass the remaining years in repose. The post of member of the Board of Health, then newly created, was offered to him, and he accepted it. He was elected chairman of the board. He entered upon his duties with enthusiastic appreciation of responsibility and opportunity, and that spirit of conscientious fidelity which characterized all his exertions through life, and labored in his new field with intense earnestness and corresponding efficiency. The elaborate report of the board at the close of its first year was from his pen. It was the last monument of his public service.

These efforts were too much for his enfeebled frame. He made them only by force of a will that triumphed over physical suffering. On March 24, 1880, he was compelled to resign, and on the 10th of June he died. He wrought diligently in his unselfish and benevolent work until the evening shadows fell and the night came, when no man can work. It was fitting that at the funeral of such an officer the public offices should be closed, and the city government should attend the services in a body, and that highly complimentary resolutions, unanimously adopted, should have a permanent place in the records of the City Council.

Mr. Congdon's philanthropy was as conspicuous as his fidelity. The kindness of his heart was never appealed to in vain. The leisure which most other men would have devoted to relaxation he crowded with beneficent labor. He was a warm friend to the New Bedford Lyceum, giving it at all times the support of his voice and pen. He was one of the most active and efficient members of the Port Society, which has accomplished admirable results in behalf of the seamen sailing from this port. He was a trustee of the institution for deaf mutes in Northampton. For eleven years he was a member of the school committee, and then and ever after a champion of the public schools, a zealous friend of all measures tending to their improvement, and to the cause of education. From 1834 to 1841, and from 1842 until the acceptance of the city charter in 1847, Mr. Congdon was one of the selectmen of the town, and for many years chairman of the board. Indeed, there was no philanthropic movement in the community during his life that he was not its pronounced and active supporter, and for him to support a cause was to mortgage to its furtherance his time and his powers. He readily responded to every demand made upon his facile pen. He wrote most of the annual reports, historical sketches, and other publications of the institutions with which he was permanently identified. His addresses, essays, and reports would of themselves fill a volume.

His ready pen was busy at times in other important work. He drew up the charter for the city government which was enacted by the Legislature in 1847. He wrote most of the ordinances which from time to time have been adopted by the City Council. The historical details in the appendix to the " Centennial History of New Bedford," which was published in 1876, were edited by him. He was a frequent contributor to the press in both prose and poetry, and his productions were often admirable, always creditable.

He was a dear lover of books, which he read with avidity, appropriating what was best in them with acute discrimination. It was the valuable service which books had rendered to him in the moulding of his thought and the enlargement of his culture which intensified his interest in the Free Public Library. It was the wish of his loving heart that every soul in the community should have, "without money and without price," the same intellectual advantages which he himself had received and so much enjoyed.

His portrait, the gift of grateful friends, hangs in the main hall of the library. It is in the most fitting place. He seems to be looking approvingly down (as if in realization of his fondest hopes) upon the library itself, so much the work of his hands, and the volumes so much the delight of his heart. As those who avail themselves of the advantages of an institution which he did so much to establish and foster pass and repass that silent image may they sometimes remember his example, and be inspired to lead lives of faithful citizenship and disinterested philanthropy. G. H. D.

Joseph Knowles

Joseph Knowles, son of James H. and Ruth (Doane) Knowles, was born in Eastham, Mass., Sept. 23, 1819. He was a lineal descendant of Richard Knowles, the emigrant, who came from England prior to 1638, and who was stanch in defense of his convictions. Mr. Knowles received a liberal education and completed his studies at Phillips' Andover Academy, but choosing a mercantile life, he came to New Bedford, and engaged as clerk for his cousin, Thomas Knowles, when about seventeen years old. After five years' service he was admitted partner. The new firm was Thomas Knowles & Co., and its members were Thomas, John P., and Joseph Knowles. For thirtyfour years, until his death, May 27, 1876, he was actively engaged in trade, and was for a long time one of New Bedford's prominent merchants. He married, Nov. 14, 1844, Jedidah, daughter of Beriah and Elizabeth (Cole) Doane, of Orleans, Mass. Their children are Helen D. (Mrs. Charles D. Milliken), Elizabeth, Joseph F., and Arthur.

He was fully in accord with the principles of the Republican party, worked for its interests, and supported its candidates. He was largely interested in all things tending towards the enlightenment and upward progress of society, and was active and prominent in connection with the New Bedford Public Library, of which he was a trustee.

" Mr. Knowles was a member of the board of aldermen for two years under the mayoralty of Hon. John N. Perry, and for the same period while Mr. Richmond was mayor, discharging the duties with rare good judgment and singular fidelity. He was repeatedly urged to accept a nomination for mayor, but he had no taste for municipal honors, though willing to give his full share of time and effort in the service of the city. He was devoted to his business, and had earned the reputation of sterling integrity and probity in his transactions. Quiet and unassuming in his manners, he was firm of principle and courageous in his convictions, and no man was held in higher respect or more fully enjoyed the confidence of his fellow-citizens." l

New Bedford

Library, gives this testimonial to his virtues : " Joseph Knowles claims a prominent place in our necrology of the year. As a merchant, he was enlightened, enterprising, and the soul of fidelity ; as an alderman of the city, he was sagacious in council, faithful to every conviction of duty, firm and un movable when not to be firm was to be false to the convictions of his understanding, kind and courteous to all who had claims upon his attention ; as a trustee of the library, he had clear apprehensions as to the methods to be pursued, and an abiding conscientiousness in the discharge of every trust. Those who have known him as a leading merchant of our city, and those who were his associates in the City Council and upon the board of trustees of the library, all bear testimony to his j gentlemanly bearing in his business and official intercourse, and all unite in assigning to him an elevated position among the active and public men of our city. In his daily walk and conversation he was an example of those virtues which are lovely and of good report. ' There was a daily beauty in his life' which won and retained the affection and respect of all with whom he came in contact. There was in his character and conduct those evidences of fidelity to the right and an affectionate interest in the welfare of others which inspired confidence and esteem."

Oliver Crocker

Mr. Oliver Crocker, whose death occurred May 23, 1878, at his residence on William Street, in New Bedford, was born on the 3d day of August, 1788, in the pleasant little village of Cotuit, in the town of Barnstable. He was educated at the then celebrated Sandwich Academy, under the tuition of Rev. Jonathan Burr. At the age of sixteen he was put to apprentice in Boston, and served his term in a dry -goods store in that city. After reaching his majority he engaged in business in Boston, and in 1812 removed to this place, where he continuously resided till his death. Until 1832 he was in the dry -goods and grocery trade, and in this year commenced the manufacture of oil and became interested in shipping. In 1837 he was associated in the oil manufacture tfith his son, George 0. Crocker, and the late George T. Baker, and this firm continued till 1843, when it failed. Mr. Crocker and his son at once formed a new partnership, took the assets and assumed the liabilities of the old firm, and in a few years paid all its debts, principal and interest. In 1852 he retired from active business, having secured an ample fortune. In 1835, Mr. Crocker was one of the nine members who represented New Bedford in the popular branch of the Legislature, an honor to which he did not aspire a second time.

No New Bedford merchant ever enjoyed a higher reputation for strict integity in all his dealings than Oliver Crocker, and none better deserved it. He was largely and systematically benevolent. He was keenly alive to the wants and necessities of the people, watchful of their interest, and ever ready to aid and assist them by any method or manner tending to promote their comfort and happiness, and highly appreciating the influence for good which intellectual culture exerts upon the habits and character of the people, with wise generosity gave liberally to the Free Public Library. Of every public charity he was a generous patron ; many were the regular pensioners upon his bounty ; no poor person was ever turned away empty from his door, and we know that in his old age he asked of not a few, in whose judgment he could confide, that they would bring to his notice any cases requiring aid. To the last he keenly enjoyed life, always looking upon its bright side, and retaining his interest in the current of events.

George 0. Crocker

George O. Crocker, son of Oliver Crocker, born in New Bedford, Mass., Jan. 17, 1814. He received his education at the public schools of his native place. In his sixteenth year he was clerk for his father in the grocery and provision business, where he remained three years, and then was clerk two years in the counting-room ; after that went into partnership with his father, and for many years the firm-name was Oliver & George O. Crocker, manufacturers of sperm oil, and were large owners in the whaling business. Mr. Crocker has been a director in various corporations in his native city.

Ivory Hovey Bartlett

Ivory Hovey Bartlett, son of Abner Bartlett, was born at South Plymouth (formerly called Manomet Ponds), Mass., Sept. 21, 1794. He was a descendant in the seventh generation from Robert Bartlett, who was born in England in 1606, and in 1637 came from London to America in the ship "Ann," the third ship which landed Pilgrims at Plymouth. After his arrival in America he was united in marriage with Mary Warren. The line of descent from Robert to Ivory H. has been as follows : Robert1, died 1676 ; Joseph2, died in 1711 ; Joseph3, died in 1750 ; Joseph4, died in 1756 ; Sylvanus5, died in 1811 ; Abner1', died Oct. 28, 1813 ; and Ivory H.7 Abner6 Bartlett was a deacon of the Congregational Church at South Plymouth, and held office in the town as one of the selectmen, justice of the peace, and as representative to the General Court.

The maternal grandfather of Ivory H. Bartlett was Rev. Ivory Hovey. He was graduated from Harvard College in 1735, and became a settled minister at Rochester, Mass., where he preached for a period of more than thirty years, and afterwards at South Plymouth until his death in 1803, in his ninetieth year. He was ;i man of culture and wide influence in his denomination, a fine example of the honored and

Mr. Bartlett married, in 1814, Betsey, daughter of John Clark, of South Plymouth, and with his family removed to New Bedford in 1819. During the first years of his life in New Bedford he was engaged in teaming, stabling, and staging, and for a time had charge of most of the principal stage routes leading from New Bedford, including contracts for carrying mails, which business often called him to Washington. Later, he engaged in the grain and provision trade, and finally whaling and the commission business. He received his sons, Ivory Hovey Bartlett, Jr., and George Fearing Bartlett, into partnership in 1847 and 1854, respectively, thus establishing the firm of I. H. Bartlett & Sons, which still continues. I. H. Bartlett, Jr., died Oct. 25, 1880, in his fifty-eighth year. His oldest son, Abner Bartlett, went to Boston in the employ of Chandler, Howard & Co., and then to New York in 1836, where he was several years with Grinnell, Minturn & Co. He still resides there, being connected with the " Astor estate ;" and his younger sons, William Henry and Robert Warren Bartlett,1 have always been connected with his firm.

In 1861, Mr. Bartlett's firm, with the late Richard H. Chapell, of New London, Conn., entered into a contract with the United States government to fit the stone fleet of forty-five vessels with which the harbors of Charleston and Savannah were blockaded, and twenty-four out of the forty-five vessels were fitted by his firm.

Mr. Bartlett's life was thoroughly active and earnest, both in his business and in the line of benevolence. The only public office he ever held was that of alderman, under Abraham H. Howland's administration. He came to this city with a heart of sympathy and kindness, nourished by the example of Christian and benevolent parents. During the first winter of his residence here he collected upwards of six hundred dollars for distribution among the poor, and from season to season, for more than forty years, or as long as his health permitted, he continued this work. From a careful record kept by him we find that in 1858 sixty-four persons contributed six hundred and fifty-three dollars, which he distributed among three hundred and sixty families in provisions, and in 1859 seventy-four persons contributed seven hundred and thirty-five dollars, which he also distributed among five hundred and eighteen families in like manner.

It is just to the business men of New Bedford to say that these subscription-lists are highly creditable to their liberality. While Mr. Bartlett gave liberally himself, it was the personal attention and time employed in this business which cost him most, for it was his invariable rule, regardless of personal com- fort, to investigate every case where charity was administered by him. In the winter of 1856 he established a soup-house for the poor, which had his personal supervision in all its details.

Nor did he simply feed the hungry, but he visited the sick and afflicted, and administered to their needs by many acts of kindness and sympathy. His interest in and sympathy for the homeless and friendless were unbounded. He was identified from the first with the religious progress of the growing town of his adoption, having been active in the building of the Stone Church, and with no narrow sectarian spirit giving of his means and influence to promote the moral and spiritual good of the people.

June 9, 1864, Mr. Bartlett celebrated his golden wedding, which was a very happy and memorable occasion. In the summer of 1861, with his characteristic kindness, he was on his way to the residence of his sick friend, James B. Congdon, to try to induce him to drive out with him to take the air, when by collision with a runaway team he was thrown to the pavement, an accident which at the time nearly cost him his life, and from which he never wholly recovered.

After ten years of weakness and yet continued usefulness in his work of benevolence, he died peacefully Feb. 6, 1871, lamented not alone by his kindred and friends, but by none more deeply than the poor of the city.

Charles H. Leonard

Charles H. Leonard, son of George and Cynthia Leonard, was born in Middleborough, Plymouth Co., Mass., Sept. 23, 1814. When he was seven years of age his parents removed to the neighboring town of Rochester. After attending the public schools during the winters, he entered the academy at Middleborough, a school of excellent repute, the advantages of which he enjoyed and improved for three years. Like most New England boys, ambitious and self-reliant, he was eager to make his way in life, and took the usual step of engaging as a clerk in a country store. After a year's experience there he spent the three or four years following in the counting-room of Mr. Alfred Gibbs, a commission merchant in New Bedford, where his abilities had a better test and freer scope.

At that time was developed what was not inaptly termed the " Western fever," an eager and impetuous rush of emigration to the great West as a new El Dorado. Young Leonard took the disease, but in so mild a form that a year's experience cured him, and left him all the better fitted for his life-work. Returning to New Bedford, his career as a merchant at once began. Intrusted by an uncle with a shipment of oil for sale in New York, he visited that city and addressed himself to the discharge of his commission. After a succession of disappointments and discouragements, and when he had concluded to give up his en- terprise as a failure, a fortunate turn of events enabled him to compass success. A change of wind, which for two days prevented the sailing of the vessel in which the oil was to be taken back to New Bedlord, not only secured a prosperous issue of the venture, but, as he was fond of saving in after-life, decided his fortune as a business man.

What he had learned in that brief sojourn of New York and its business methods fixed his resolve to try his fortune in that city, and in 1838 he took a store on Front Street, near Roosevelt Street, and started in the oil trade. Two years later he took as partner Mr. Horatio Leonard, a cousin, removing to 140 Front Street, and also establishing an oil manufactory in Brooklyn. The manufactory was unsuccessful, and in three years the firm failed and was dissolved. Having effected a settlement with the creditors of the firm, Mr. Leonard soon embarked anew and alone at the old stand in the manufacture and sale of sperm and whale oil and candles, building up an extensive and prosperous business, and building, too, what is rarer and better, a character of spotless integrity.

At this time he commenced the manufacture of oil and candles in New Bedford, where his purchases of crude oil were mostly made, having leased what were known as the old Marsh Works in that city. There he continued the manufacture until 1853, when he removed to the works purchased by him of O. & G. 0. Crocker, on the corner of South Second and South Streets. These he at once enlarged to double their former capacity, fitted them with new and improved machinery, made them superior in every respect to any other establishment of the kind, managed them to the close of his life, and made such wise provision in regard to them in his will that their reputation has since been fully maintained.

Though Mr. Leonard never entirely withdrew from active business, the excellent assistants whom he had trained, and whose affectionate regard and devotion to his interests he had won by years of considerate kindness, relieved him of attention to details, and enabled him to spend most of his summers at the old homestead in Rochester. This he transformed into a most attractive country residence, making improvement- in every direction, and by his lavish outlay of money giving needed employment to hundreds of his townsmen. It was there, in his pleasant home, surrounded by those who best knew and most loved him, in the midst of a people who idolized him as a benefactor and a cherished friend, that on the 24th of October, 1868, he died.

As a merchant, Mr. Leonard exhibited sagacity, breadth of view, a watchful regard to details, a delicate sense of honor in all his transactions, and unswerving fidelity to every engagement. His word was as good as his bond, and that was equal to gold. Bold in his operations, he was at the same time cautious and conservative; and these operations were always within the limits of his legitimate business. He yielded to no temptations of profits from outside ventures and speculations, but confined himself to the path in which he was winning fortune and reputation. He was exact, but not exacting, claiming his just dues to a penny, but always liberal and indulgent to an unfortunate debtor. He never ignored the sacredness of pecuniary obligations, or rested in the easy faith that a compromise with a creditor or a discharge by a court of insolvency is tantamount to payment. When years of patient and prosperous endeavor brought him the means, he paid to his early creditors every mill that was due to them, principal and interest.

In social life Mr. Leonard was a great favorite. Of fine person, winning manners, and pleasing address, equable in temperament and kindly in disposition, unselfish and generous, he could not but make friends. He did good as he had opportunity, and he made the opportunity. It was not alone in the exercise of an enlightened public spirit, in aiding religious, educational, and charitable institutions, or in the bestowment of alms that his benevolence showed itself. "The cause which he knew not he searched out;" he anticipated needs almost before their pressure was felt by the sufferer, and sweetened his gifts by a priceless sympathy. He was fortunate in his domestic relations. Of his marriage one competent to judge says it was " a union which proved uncommonly felicitous, and to which, by reason of its sympathies, its happy influence, and encouragement, must be attributed no small part of the noble results of his life."

Religion added to the native graces of the man. " His religious character," says Rev. George L. Prentiss, with whose church in New York he united, and who, both in New Bedford and New York, knew him intimately, " as it unfolded, was marked by the same attractive and solid traits which distinguished the man. His piety was not demonstrative, it was rather of a shrinking and reticent temper; but it gave ample proof of its sincerity and power by the benign and excellent fruits that adorned its path."

Hon. Joseph Grinnell

Hon. Joseph Grinnell, our venerable citizen, profoundly respected in the community, brings to the discharge of his daily duties that clearness of mind and great practical judgment for which he has been so distinguished. He was born in New Bedford on , the 17th of November, 1788. His father was Capt. Cornelius Grinnell, who had in the Revolution served his country on land and on the sea. After several years spent as commander in the merchant service he established himself in business in New Bedford, where he died in 1850, in the ninety-third year of his age, honored and respected. His mother was Silvia Howland, to whose lovely character and steady discharge of duty her children were largely indebted for the

Mr. Grinnell commenced his mercantile life as clerk to his father and uncle on Central wharf in this city. At twenty years of age he was appointed deputy collector and surveyor of this port. In 1810 he commenced business in New York, in company with his uncle John H. Howland, under the firm of Howland & Grinnell. Their business was very successful until the war of 1812, when nearly all of their vessels were captured and condemned. In 1814 this firm was dissolved.

In 1815 he formed a copartnership with his cousin, Capt. Preserved Fish. The firm-name was Fish & Grinnell. Capt. Fish continued as partner until 1825. Upon his retiring Mr. Grinnell admitted his brothers, Henry and Moses H., as copartners under the style of Fish, Grinnell & Co.

Mr. Robert B. Minturn, a brother-in-law of Mr. Henry Grinnell, was admitted as a partner, under the style of Grinnell, Minturn & Co., now world-wide in reputation.

Early in 1829, with his wife and adopted daughter, he sailed for Europe, and returned in the latter part of 1830, when he concluded to settle in his native town. He built the elegant mansion in which he resides in 1831-32. At the same time he contracted with Messrs. Benjamin Barstow & Sons, of Mattapoisett, to build the ship " Oneida," and with Messrs. Jethro & Zachariah Hillman to build the ship " George Washington." The former was employed in the China trade, and the latter in the New York and Liverpool line of packets, both vessels by their good qualities adding to the high reputation of the builders.

In 1832 the Marine Bank, now the First National, was chartered, and unexpectedly to Mr. Grinnell he was elected president. Under his administration it proved very successful. He continued in office until 1878, when he insisted upon being relieved. He still continues as a director, and is regular at the meetings of the board.

In 1838 a movement was made towards building a railroad from this city to Taunton, to form a through connection to Boston and Providence, and a charter obtained. At the organization of the company, Mr. Grinnell was urged to accept the presidency, and finally accepted and continued at its head as long as it remained a separate corporation. The same year he was chosen a councilor of Massachusetts, and re-elected in 1839 and 1840, when he declined serving longer.

In 1840 he was chosen one of the directors of the Boston and Providence Railroad, and in 1841 its president, in which office he continued until 1846, when he declined serving longer, but continued as director until 1863, when he retired from the board.

In 1843, Mr. Grinnell was elected to Congress from this district to serve the unexpired term of Hon. Barker Burnell, who had deceased, and was re-elected for the three succeeding terms, making a service of eight years in the House of Representatives. He declined serving longer.

It would fill too large a space to follow him in his Congressional career. His eminent practical ability and large knowledge of mercantile affairs made his services very valuable. He was on the Committees of Post-Offices and Post Roads, Manufactures and Commerce. He had the respect of the whole House, and every bill introduced by him was passed, notwithstanding a strong opposition to some of the measures he advocated.

To him we are indebted for the first reduction on postage to five cents upon a single letter to any place in the United States ; for the ventilation of ships, and hence the disappearance of ship fever; for the establishment of life-boats at various stations upon the coast, and for various other matters of national benefit. During his service upon the Committee of Manufactures his mind was strongly impressed of the necessity of some other business than that of the whale fisheries being introduced into his native town. He saw clearly that the time was fast approaching when that pursuit would become precarious and unprofitable, and if there were no other calling offered, that the town would gradually decay and be deserted by the rising generation.

He took occasion to refer to it in conversation with the leading merchants here, and in the course of a year or two a strong feeling grew up in favor of investing some of the surplus wealth in manufactures.

A charter was obtained in 1856 for a cotton-factory, but Mr. Grinnell at that time declined embarking in the enterprise on account of the high price of everything connected with the business. In 1848 a reaction took place, material and machinery became cheap, and he then came forward and urged the erection of a factory. A charter was obtained, and a capital of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars subscribed, with the understanding that he should be the president, although reluctant to accept the position, as he had no practical knowledge of the business. Having accepted, however, he gave his whole mind to the work. The kind and quality of goods to be manufactured was mainly the decision of its president, and to that decision probably is owing the great success that has attended the enterprise. A more detailed description is given in the history of the Wamsutta Mills. He still remains president, and daily gives his attention to the general supervision of its affairs.

Mr. Grinnell has been twice married. His first wife was Sarah, the daughter of Mr. Abraham Russell of this town, to whom he was married May 14, 1812. For fifty years she was his' helpmate, filling her place with a dignity and kindness that endeared

His second wife was Mrs. Rebecca Kinsman, daughter of Mr. Abijah Chace, of Salem, a lady of superior mental ability, greatly beloved by all her friends, and admired by a large circle of acquaintances. With her he again visited Europe in 1869, partly in the interests of the Wamsutta Mills, and partly to gratify the strong desire of his wife and himself to attend the yearly meeting of Friends in Dublin and London. They returned in the fall after a six months' absence.

Mrs. Rebecca Grinnell deceased July 6, 1882. His great age sits lightly upon him. His long life is almost coeval with his native town, and he has seen it grow from a small village to its present proportions. Its industries, business and wealth have all been created within his knowledge, and many of its enterprises have received his fostering care and assistance. He has mingled freely with the leading men of the nation, and is widely known and honored.

Strict integrity, a prompt discharge of duty, a clear head, and strong common sense have made him our foremost citizen clarum et venerabile nomen.

The Rotch Family Of Nantucket And New Bedford

The ancestors of this family, which has been so prominently connected with the early history of Nantucket and New Bedford, came from Salisbury, England, and settled first in Provincetown, Scituate, and other places in Eastern Massachusetts. The first of the name who is mentioned among the genealogical records of New England was William Rotch, who was bo'rn in Salisbury in 1670, and came to America about the year 1700 or soon after, settling in Provincetown. The records show that early in the eighteenth century he was a prominent citizen and took an active part in town matters. His name often appears in subscriptions for valuable publications, and among the archives of Massachusetts is a petition presented in 1741 to the Legislature by citizens of Provincetown, in which William Rotch signs first.

William Rotch, of Provincetown, had two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. The former lived in Braintree and Falmouth, and afterwards went to Nantucket, where he married Love Macy, a descendant of Thomas Macy, the first immigrant to Nantucket, in 1659. From Joseph Rotch and Love Macy are descended the Rotches of Nantucket and New Bedford, while Benjamin, the second son of William, was the ancestor of the Provincetown branch, whose descendants now live at Easton, Mass., Mount Vernon, N. H., Martha's Vineyard, and other places.

Joseph Rotch (1704-84) was an enterprising merchant of Nantucket, and was held in high estimation by his fellow-citizens. In 1765 he removed to New Bedford, whose beautiful harbor he selected as being especially eligible and advantageous for the prosecution of the whale-fishery. " This event," as stated by one of the historians of New Bedford, " was of the utmost importance, and this acquisition of capital, accompanied with the ripe experience, clearheaded sagacity, and skilled methods of this accomplished merchant, gave an impetus to the infant industry of New Bedford, which insured its permanence and success." New Bedford was originally a part of Dartmouth, but as a little village had already begun to appear, it was thought necessary to give it a particular designation from the rest of the old township; and upon a public occasion Joseph Rotch suggested that the name should be " Bedford," in honor of Joseph Russell, who bore the family name of the Duke of Bedford, which was readily adopted by the rest of the inhabitants.

Mr. Rotch purchased from Joseph Russell, besides several smaller lots, ten acres of land in one tract in the centre of what is now the business portion of the city of New Bedford, and was identified in many ways with the early history of the town. His house, situated on what was formerly known as Rotch's Hill, Water Street, was burned by the British troops during the Revolutionary war.

William Rotch (1734-1828) was born in Nantucket, where he lived until the close of the war. His comparative wealth, integrity, and heroic devotion to what he believed was right, rendered him a conspicuous man in the community, and enabled him to render important services to his fellow-citizens, whether he pleaded the cause of the helpless and destitute upon the quarter-deck of a British man-ofwar, or before the Provincial Council at Boston.

In a sketch of his personal recollections during the war he said, " From the year 1775 to the end of the war we were in continual embarrassments. Our vessels were captured by the English, and we were sometimes in danger of being starved. The exposed situation of the island made it extremely difficult to elude the numerous cruisers that were always in the vicinity, and months would frequently elapse before any supplies could be obtained from the main land."

The troubles of Nantucket did not end with the war, the whale fishery being ruined by the heavy " alien duty" of eighteen pounds sterling per ton imposed upon American oil for the protection of British subjects, Great Britain being then the " only market of any consequence for sperm oil." Sperm oil was sold at Nantucket after the peace at seventeen pounds per ton, which before the war was worth thirty pounds. Mr. Rotch estimates the losses he had sustained by captures during the Revolutionary war at sixty thousand dollars, and for two years after the war the business was continued at a certain loss. In this desperate state of things Mr. Rotch saw no alternative for the prosecution of his business but to proceed to England and endeavor to establish the whale fishery there. He had several interviews with William Pitt, the chancellor of the Exchequer, and with Lord Hawkshury, but they would not consent to the introduction into England of any American-built ships. Mr. Rotch proceeded to France and laid his propositions before the comptroller of finance, the minister of foreign affairs, and other officials, who extended a cordial welcome, and the business was finally established at Dunkirk.

" Full of most interesting incident is the story of William Rotch's residence in France. The striking and instructive aspect of his life while there is that perfect harmony and consistency of character maintained by him in all the circumstances in which he was placed. The French revolution brought suffering and danger to him and his family, but there was no wavering in the firmness with which he maintained the principles of his faith, - as true to him when the mob howled about his dwelling at Dunkirk as when he plead the cause of Christian liberty before the National Assembly at Paris, with Mirabeau as its president."

True to his Quaker principles, when he appeared before the National Assembly he refused to take off his hat or to wear one. of the cockades which were considered necessary for every one in order to avert suspicion on the part of the lower classes.

" In the course of the year 1792," he writes, "fresh trials awaited us. A great insurrection took place in Dunkirk, founded upon a rumor of the exportation of corn. Several houses were attacked, their furniture totally destroyed, and many of our friends but just escaped with their lives. Martial law was proclaimed, and whenever five men were seen together in the evening or night orders were given to fire upon them. Upon the announcement of a victory of the French over the Austrians a general illumination was ordered, but as we could take no part in war, we refused to join in rejoicings for victory. 'Well,' said the mayor, ' keep to your principles. Your houses are your own, but the streets are ours, and we shall pursue such measures as we think proper for the tpeace of this town.' We retired, though not without some fear that they would send an armed force. However, they took another method, and sent men to erect a frame before our house and hang a dozen lamps upon it. The mayor had also the great kindness to have a similar frame with lamps placed before his own house, in addition to the usual full illumination, and he placed a man in front of our house to assure the people that we were not opposed to the government."

In 1793, when war was imminent between England and France, it became necessary to leave Dunkirk to prevent the capture of the ships by the English. Mr. Rotch writes as follows: "Two of our ships were captured full of oil and condemned, but we recovered both by my being in England, where I arrived two weeks before the war took place.

"Louis XVI. was guillotined two days after I left France, an event solemnly anticipated and deeply deplored by many who dared not manifest what they felt."

He finally left Europe, July 24, 1794, with his family in the ship " Barclay," and after a long passage of sixty-one days once more reached America. After a year's residence in Nantucket, he removed to New Bedford in 1795, where he remained till his death, in 1828, in his ninety-fifth year. His residence was the "Mansion House," at the corner of Union and North Second Streets.

The author of "The History of New Bedford" speaks of him as follows: "His venerable and patriarchal appearance during the latter part of his life is well remembered by the writer. Tall and dignified in his person, his face expressive of benevolence, with his long silvery locks and the drab-colored suit of the style of the Society of Friends, combined with his noble and philanthropic character, rendered him an object of profound respect to his fellow-citizens, as well as to his numerous friends among the distinguished merchants and men in public life at home and abroad. He was a fine specimen of a merchant, a man of the strictest integrity, frank, generous, highminded in its truest sense, of broad and liberal views, a friend of the oppressed and down-trodden, in fine, a more perfect character it has never fallen to our lot to know, and is probably rarely to be met with in any community."

William Rotch was the owner of the famous ship " Bedford," which first displayed the American flag in British waters, an event which is thus described in Barnard's "History of England:"

"The ship 'Bedford,' Capt. Moores, belonging to the Massachusetts, arrived in the Downs on the 3d of February, 1783, and was reported at the custom-house on the 6th instant. She was not allowed regular entry until some consultation had taken place between the commissioners of the customs and the Lords of Council, on account of the many acts of Parliament in force against the rebels of America. She was loaded with four hundred and eighty-seven butts of whale-oil, is American built, manned wholly by American seamen, and belongs to the island of Nantucket, in Massachusetts. This is the first vessel which has displayed the thirteen rebellious stripes of America in any British port."

Francis Rotch (1750-1822), the younger brother of William, was also a successful merchant and the owner of several ships, among which was the " Dartmouth," from which the tea was thrown overboard in Boston harbor Dec. 16, 1773.

It is a remarkable coincidence that, by two occurrences associated with the beginning and close of the war, the two ships, " Dartmouth" and " Bedford," owned by the two brothers, Francis and William Rotch, should have thus made memorable the names of the mother town and the infant village.

William Rotch, Jr. (1759-1850), was born at Nantucket, and moved to New Bedford soon after the Revolutionary war, where he spent the remainder of his life. He is well remembered by many persons now living as one of the prominent merchants of New Bedford during the first half of the present century. He was one of the incorporators and the first president of the New Bedford Institution for Savings in 1825. He subscribed nearly half of the money raised for the erection of the Friends' Academy, which was built in 1811, upon land given for the purpose by his father, and was the first treasurer of the board of trustees, his father being the first president.

His residence for many years was the building now occupied by the Bethel Boarding-House, then situated at the corner of William and Water Streets, nearly opposite the Merchants' National Bank. He lived afterwards on County Street, his house and grounds being purchased after his death by the late Edward C. Jones.

One of his especial characteristics was his hospitality towards strangers coming to New Bedford, whether rich or poor, whom he entertained with simplicity and courtliness.

Benjamin Rotch, the second son of William Rotch, Sr., was born at Nantucket, and accompanied his father to England and France in 1785. After the outbreak of the French revolution, when his father returned to America, Benjamin went to England, and soon after to Milford Haven, where he established the whale-fishery under the auspices of the British government. He afterwards went to London, where he and his wife lived during the remainder of their lives.

Two of the children of Benjamin - Francis and Eliza - came to America, where they married and remained until their death. Francis married Ann Morgan, sister of Charles W. Morgan, of New Bediord, and Eliza married Professor John Farrar, a celebrated mathematician of Cambridge.

Mrs. Farrar (1792-1870) was an authoress of some note. Among her earliest publications are " The Children's Robinson Crusoe," " Life of Lafayette," " Howard," and " Youth's Letter Writer." Her most popular work, " Young Lady's Friend" (1837), passed through many editions in the United States and England. Her " Recollections of Seventy Years," published in 1865, contains many interesting anecdotes of the distinguished persons whom she met during her eventful life, and she was considered one of the most accomplished and refined women of her time.

The youngest son, Thomas Dickason, was brought up as a civil engineer, and was noted for his inventive ability. His son, William D., is a distinguished barrister, formerly of London, now of Liverpool, and is a great admirer of American institutions and republican principles.

William Rotch, Jr. (1759-1850), married Elizabeth Rodman, of Newport, R. L, and had five children, - Sarah, who married James Arnold, of New Bedford; William R., who married Caroline Stockton, of Princeton, N. J. ; Joseph, who married Ann Smith, of Philadelphia ; Thomas, who married Susan Ridgeway, of Philadelphia ; and Mary, who married Charles Fleming and afterwards George B. Emerson. William R. Rotch had two children, Horatio and Mary (who married Capt. Charles Hunter, of Newport).