Brookfield Town (part 18 of 18)

It is said that John Howe was the first white man to take up his residence on the grant. He built a house and there lived until his death in 1687. By a wife, Mary, whose death occurred not far from the time of his own, he had eleven children - John, 1640; Samuel, 1642; Sarah, 1644; Mary, 1646; Isaac, 1648; Josiah, Mary again, 1654; Thomas, 1656; Daniel, 1658; Alexander, 1661; and Eleazur, 1662. Josiah, (me of the above sons, married March 18, 1671, Mary Haynes and had five children - Mary, 1672; Mary again, 1674; Josiah, 1678 ; Daniel, 1681 ; and Ruth, 1684. Josiah, one of thtse children, married June 14, 1706, Sarah Bigelow, and Novtmber 22, 1713, Mary Marble, and died September 20, 1766. His children were - Phinehas, 1707 ; Abraham, 1709 ; Rachel, 1710; Sarah, 1714; Mary, 1716; Josiah, 1720; Jacob, 1724. Abraham Howe, one of the above, settled in Brookfield, and married Martha Potter. His children were - Ephraim, born September 23,' 1733; Abraham, 1735; Abuer, 1736; Sarah, 1738; Rachel, 1741 ; Martha, 1744; Persis, 1749; Eli, 1752; and Abraham again, 1758. Ephraim, one of the children of Abraham, married in September, 1757, Sarah Gilbert of Brookfield, and had William born in 1759; Molly, 1761; Rachel, 1763; Sarah, 1706 ; Martha, 1768; Lucy, 1769; and Josiah, 1774. William Howe, one of the above children, born November 15, 1759, was a trader in Brookfield, and married November 2, 1780, Abigail, daughter of Jabcz Crosby of Brookfield, and had Sally, 1782 ; Nancy, 1784; JabezC, 1787; Otis, 1788; Otis again, 1790; William, 1792; George, 1795 ; Amos, 1797; Francis. 1799; Oliver, 1801; Charlotte Abigail, 1804; and Charlotte again, 1807. Jabez C. and George Howe were the late distinguished merchants of Boston, known as partners in the well-known house, of J. C. Howe and Co. Otis Howe was also a merchant in Boston, and the three daughters,! Sally, Nancy, and Charlotte Abigail, married Darius Hovey and Cyrus Dean, of Brookfield, and Samuel Johnson of Boston.

Francis Howe, the subject of this sketch, married in September, 1824, Maria A., daughter of Ephraira Richards, of Enfield, and had eight children, three of whom died young and five of whom survived him. A daughter, Abbie J., married S. R. Pattison, an attorney of London, England, who has acquired some distinction as an author and scientist, and also as a philanthropist. Lucretia P., another daughter, married Wm. J. Pingree, ofBoston, of the firm of Wm. J. Pingree & Brother, one of the leading dry goods commi^sion houses in that city. Among the living children there are two other brothers - William, for many yearsa planter in Mississippi, and Frederick A. Howe, an esteemed and prosperous commission merchant in Boston. Albert R. Howe, another son, born January 3, 1840, died in Chicago, June 1, 1884. He was major of the 5th Massachusetts cavalry in the War of the Rebellion, and after the war settled with his brother, William, in the South and engaged in the business of cotton planting. He was a member of the 43d Congress from Mississippi, and afterwards until his death was a merchant in Chicago.

Francis Howe was educated in the schools of his native town, and began business in Enfield. As his business grew and his capacity for its management developed he found the field in which he operated too narrow for the full satisfaction of his active spirit, and he removed to Boston, where, for some years, he was engaged in the West India business as a member of the well-known firm of Pope & Howe. With the competence which he had acquired as the result of his successful business career in Boston, he returned to his native town, whose inland air was more congenial to him than he had found the harsher airs from the sea. In Brookfield, after his return, he was associated for some time with Chester W. Chapin, of Springfield, and Frank Morgan, of Palmer, in the ownership of a stage-line between Worcester and Hartford, and at the same time carried on a large and successful country store. He always felt a deep interest in State and national politics, and was an active and influential leader of the democratic party of the town. As the candidate of that party he represented the town in the house of representatives in 1841-43, and represented Worcester County in the Senate in 1846. Subsequent to the Kansas outrages and in consequence of the attitude concerning them assumed by the party to which he had always been warmly attached he became a member and one of the founders of the Republican party, and to that organization and its success he lent his aid and energies.

As a member of the Orthodox Congregational Church, with which he became connected in 1867, he was always generous in his benefactions, and in private charities his hand was always found open and his heart warm. In all the varied fields of labor into which he had entered he carried with him a sound judgment, good common sense, a firm will, unswerving integrity, a generous spirit and a determination to win success. It was said, by one who knew him, "he will be long remembered as a gentleman of kind and generous feelings, courteous manners and uncompromising integrity. The church, society and the community have suffered a serious loss and his death will be severely felt by a large circle of friends and relatives." Mr. Howe died in Brookfield January 4, 1879, leaving, besides the children above mentioned, a widow, who is still a resident of that town.

Luther Stowell

Luther Stowell was the son of Luther and Lucy (Richardson) Stowell and was born at Sturbridge December 22, 1799. He came to Brookfield with his parents when young and spent his life here. Jlany of his winters when a young man were devoted to school teaching. May 11, 1827, he married Sophia Barret, of Brookfield. Mr. Stowell was a man who gave close attention to his own pursuits, which were principally .agricultural. He was esteemed a good citizen, represented his town as selectman and in 1840 and 1860 represented his district in the Legislature of the State. Mr. Stowell was a man of good judgment and in his business afiairs was successful. He died at Brookfield August 5, 1865.

William A. Banistee

William A. Banister was born at Brookfield, Mass., June 4th, 1807. He was the son of Seth and Dolly (Cutter) Banister, and belongs to the sixth generation bearing the name at Brookfield. His paternal grandfather, Seth, was a leading man in military afiairs. In 1777 had served in the Revolutionary army nineteen months, the highest average in the third precinct; commanded a company in the service and rose to the rank of colonel. He married Marcy Warriner, of Brimfield. Their children were William Bostwick, born November 8, 1773, a benefactor of Newburyport ; Liberty, born October 16, 1775 ; Seth, born January 4, 1778, was a captain in the War of 1812 and died at Brookfield September 7, 1857.

The issue of Seth and Dolly Banister was : Caroline C, died July 11, 1879 ; William A. the subject of this sketch ; Eliza Ann, died 1828 ; Sarah, died young; and Seth W., born January 15, 1811, and died October 5, 1861.

William A. Banister spent his boyhood at Brook- J field, and from there went to Boston. In 1831 he engaged himself at Charleston, S. C, as a salesman.

His close attention to his duties through three successive yellow fever seasons showed his devotion to business entrusted to him. Shortly afterwards the mercantile house of Banister & Ravenel was established for direct trade between Charleston and Europe, with Mr. Banister at its head. Mr. Meminger, after-

After this time Mr. Banister made annual business visits to Europe, and in 1838 was a passenger on the Great Western, the finest Atlantic vovage made by pairsenger steamer from America to England. He witnessed the demonstrations at the coronation of Queen Victoria in that year. In 1845 he moved to New- York city, and was associated with several large imjjorting and jobbing houses, taking rank with the first merchants of his day, and doing a business of several millions annually. He always showtd the courage, capacity and high honor which most become a merchant. He retired from active business in 1859.

In 1861 he was South on business, and witnessed the bombardment of Fort Sumter and the surrender of the same on the afternoon of April 13tli.

Mr. Banister has shown his interest in humanity by his works. He has assisted in educating his three nephews, sons of his brother, Seth W. ; has given several thousand dollars to the home for aged men at Newburyport, a beautiful gate-way to the cemetery at Brookfield, in conjunction with Otis Hayden, Esq., and donated ten thousand dollars for founding a public library at Brookfield.

Edwin Rice

Edmund Rice, the American ancestor of the subject of this sketch, came from Barkhamstead,in the County of Hertfordshire, in England, and settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts, in 1638 or 1639. He was a Selectman in 1G44 and for some years afterwards, and deacon of the church in 1648. His son Thomas Rice also lived in Sudbury and by a wife Mary had thirteen children, one of whom was Peter, born October 24, 1658. Peter Rice, of Marlboro', married Rebecca, daughter of Abraham and Hannah (Ward) Howe, of Marlboro', and had eleven children, one of whom was Elisha, born December 2, 1690. Elisha Rice, of Brookfield, married Martha Rice October 6, 1720, and had seven children, one of whom was Elnathan. Elnathan Rice, of Brookfield, married Lucy Walker in October, 1754, and had six children, one of whom was Rufus, born February 7, 1764. Rufus Rice, of Brookfield, married Betsey Moore October 2, 1786, and had nine children, one of whom was Shepard, born September 20, 1790. Shepard Rice, of Brookfield, married Mahala Carf)enter April 22, 1810, and had Elsie (1812), who married John E. Ainsworth, of Brimfield ; Elliot (1814), who married Harriet Nickols; Edwin, April 11, 1817; Miriam, who married Sylvanus King, of Monson and Leprelet.

Edwin Rice, the son of Shepard, is the subject of this sketch. He received such an education as the schools of his native town were able to furnish supplemented by that which his native gifts fortunately enabled him to acquire. After leaving school, with the other boys in his neighborhood he naturally drifted into the shoe establishments of Brookfield, then extensive and flourishing, to learn the business of ma