Essex Town (part 13 of 26)

Charles Edwin Symonds, having passed through the graded schools of Salem, entered the high school at the age of twelve years. After he had studied here for a year and a half, he began to assist his father in his factory. Later he started in business for himself as a manufacturer of rubber boots and gloves, and subsequently followed it until he was about thirty-five years old, selling for a time most of the boots to the California trade. Then he accejited a position as clerk in the probate office, where he remained for a brief period. During the following five years he was on the Board of Principal Assessors. He then was elected to the offices of City Treasurer and Collector, which he filled for six or seven years. For fifteen years he was treasurer and manager of the Salem Savings Bank. At the age of si.xty years he retired from active business, and has since devoted his time to liis private affairs and to his official duties.

In 1843 Mr. Symonds married Miss Mary Jane Young, of VVenham. Six children have been born to them - Mary J., Sarah A., Charles N., John H., Lizzie Maria, and Arthur. Arthur died at the age of twentyfour years. Both parents are Unitarians, and have been for ft)rty-seven years constant attendants at the services of that tluuch. Mr. Symonds has always taken an earnest interest in public affairs, and has occupied many prominent positions in the public service of the city. He served as a member of the Common Council in 1859, 1893, and 1896, being probably the oldest member of a City Council in the State; and he has been an Overseer of the Poor and for one term a member of the School Committee.

Scothuul, in 1842. lie was but five months old when his jiarents came with him to America, settling in Andover, Mass., where his father was in business for many years. At the age of nineteen he came to Merrimac. Soon after he assisted in the organization of the only company of volunteers sent out from Merrimac during the Civil War. This was Comjiany ¥., Fourteenth Massachusetts Regiment, which he joined with a Lieutenant's commission. Attached to Colonel Satchwell's staff, he remained with his company until 1864, when he was wounded by a minie ball, which shattered his hand while he was attemiJting to carry a message to the field officer during an engagement. His was the third attempt to deliver the message, the other messengers having lost their lives in the effort. Lieutenant Smart's time of service expired while he was in the hospital, and he was refused reenlistment on account of his physical condition. He then returned to Merrimac, and was there successfully engaged in the carriage business, in partnership with Mr. R. P. Clement, at the Lower Corner, until 1890, when he retired. Always active in public affairs, he was a member of the Republican Town Committee, a delegate to various State and Senatorial conventions, the chairman of the Board of Selectmen during the year in which the town was set off from Amesbury, and in 1SS9 the district's Representative in the General Court of Massachusetts. Such was his influence in the locality that General Coggswell said of him, "I give him the credit of sending me to Washington. "

In October, 1S64, Mr. Smart married Elizabeth VV. Miller, of Andover, a refined and educated lady of Scottish descent. His children are: William L. and Abbie W. William L. , who is a member of the hardware firm of I. ]1 Little & Co., married Abbie L., daughter of Isaac 1?. Little, and has one daughter, Elizabeth W. Abbie W., a graduate of the Merrimac High School, class of 1897, is an accomplished musician, and much interested in painting. She resides at home, and assists her mother in the post-office. Mr. Smart was appointed Postmaster of Merrimac by President Harrison in i8go. He held this position until his death, which occurred November 14, 1892. Having succeeded her husband in the office, Mrs. Smart is Postmistress of Merrimac at the present time.

/^TeORGE HARVEY SAMPSON, the \ |ST manager of the Lynn and Salem branches of the Standard Oil Company, was born in East Boston, Mass., March 20, 1857. He is of distinguished ancestry, the first of his progenitors in New England having come over in the "Mayflower," settling in Plymouth. His father, Charles Sampson, born and bred in Duxbury, Mass., was for many years a member of the firm Sampson, Brooks & Campbell, well-known ship-builders of East Boston. He died in 189S, at the age

George Harvey Sampson obtained his preliminary education in the public schools of East Boston, after which he took a three years' course at the English High School of Boston, being graduated from there with the class of 1875. When eighteen years of age he secured a position in a gentlemen's furnishing goods store, and two years later he became a clerk for the Maverick Oil Company in East Boston. He was subsequently promoted to the office of foreman, and then to that of assistant superintendent. He continued with the company from 1885 until 1889, supervising the erection of plants in Lynn, Stoneham, Brockton, Natick, and North Andover, work for which his mechanical and executive ability especially adapted him. Since 1889 he has been the manager of the Lynn and Salem branches of the Standard Oil Company.

Mr. Sampson was a member of the Common Council in 1894 and 1895, and of the Board of Aldermen in 1896 and 1897. In 1894 he was on the Finance and Water Supply Committees, and in the following year on those of Finance, Street Lights, and Electricity. He served in 1896 on the Finance, Streets, Laying Out, Altering Streets, Street Assessments, and License Comrnitteeb, and was chairman of those on Street Lights and Electricity. A "true-blue Republican," he is an active worker in the party. In 1894 and 1895 he was a member of the Lynn City Republican Club, being its treasurer in the latter year. Now he is a member of the Lynn Republican Club. In May, 1898, he was elected chairman of the Republican City Committee. He was the regular nominee of his party for Mayor in 1897. He is an Odd Fellow of East Lynn Lodge, No. 207; a member of Central Lodge, No. 25, A. O. U. W., of luist l^oston ; a member of the Lynn Lodge of Klks, No. 117; and he belongs to the Alter Ego Club, to the Lynn Veteran Firemen's Association, and to the Lynn Press Club. On December 23, 1880, in East Boston, he married Miss Mary L. McAuley, who was born in Everett, Mass. They have three children - George \V. , Lawrence F., and Edith May.

/^IIARLES W. MEARS, a prosperous I V''^ farmer and well-known ice dealer of ^^ ^^ Esse.x, was born in this town, February 28, 1859, son of Solomon P. and Martha J. (Rollins) Mears. His great-grandfather, Samuel Mears, was an Englishman, who settled upon a farm in Essex. The grandfather, also named Samuel, who was a lifelong resident of this town, tilled the soil, and followed the trade of a shoemaker during his active period. lie married Sally Burnham ; and his children were: Samuel, John, Solomon P., Asa, Rufus, Lydia, Mary Ann, and Martha. Rufus Mears served in the Civil War, and died in Libby Prison.

Solomon P. Mears, father of Charles W. , was born in Essex; and when a young man he learned the shoemaker's trade. He followed it in connection with farming, and died in November, 1894. His wife, Martha, was born in Farmington, Me., daughter of Stanley and Martha Rollins, who were prosperous farming ])eoi:)le. She has had six children ; namely, William F"rank, Warren P., Charles W. , Emma, Clara Belle, and Jennie M. Jennie died in 1875. William F., a shoemaker, residing in Essex, married Emily P. Doty, of Hamilton, Mass., and has two children - Chester and Clifford. Warren P., a shoemaker in Newton, N.H., married

Nellie Knowlton, of Hamilton, and has three children - I'iuby, P'red, and Leonard. P^nima is the wife of P'red Berry, a farmer in Hamilton. Her children are: Ernest, Ralph, and Martha Jane. Clara Belle is residing at the homestead with her mother.

Charles W. Mears acquired a common-school education, and resided at home until he was eighteen years old. He then engaged as a farm assistant in Hamilton at twelve dollars [ler month. After remaining there eight months he entered the employ of the Winkley & Maddocks Ice Company, of Charlestown, Mass. With this firm he remained five years, having charge of its business in Essex, Newton, and Wolfboro, N.H., for the greater part of the time. Then he spent six years engaged in the retail ice business in Essex. In that time he purchased the Brighton farm, which he has since carried on. In 1889 he sold his ice business in this town to Story & Story; and in the following winter he stored ice in Wolfboro, N. H., for speculation, selling later to Winkley & Maddocks at a good profit. At the present time he is engaged in cultivating his farm of fifty-six acres, and also does considerable teaming and jobbing. Although he favors the Republican party in politics, he is not a partisan, and votes for the candidates whom he considers best qualified for the jjublic service. He holds the office of Street Commissioner, and the able manner in which he conducts the affairs of that department is giving general satisfaction.

On October 17, 1881, Mr. Mears was joined in marriage with Nellie M. Thurston. She was born in Wolfboro, N. H., June 9, 1862, daughter of Francis and Melissa Jane (Frost) Thurston, of that town. Her father died in 1889, and his widow is now residing with her daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Mears have three children, namely: Ada Thurston, born August

2, 1884; Ikrtram Wallace, born October 7, 1885; and Dclmer Roland, born June 26, 1889. Mr. Mears was the thirty-seventh man to sign the application for the charter of P^ernvvood Lodge, No. 81, Ancient Order of United Workmen, of Gloucester, which now has a membership of over five hundred. He is also connected with Starr King Lodge, No. Si, Knights of Pythias, of Essex. As one of the leading young men of this town he takes an active interest in its general welfare, and his progressive tendencies make him quite popular. ]5oth he and Mrs. Mears are members of the Congregational church.

Tt^ICHARD DODGE, formerly a promi- I ^^ nent resident and a native of Wen- -1^ V^ ^ ham, was born in 1804, son of John T. and Polly Dodge. His grandfather, Captain Richard Dodge, commanded a company in the Revolutionary army. The Dodges were among the early settlers of Wenham. Having taken an active part in the political affairs of Wenham, Richard Dodge served as a Selectman for a number of years, also as Town Assessor and Overseer of the Poor. In politics he was a Whig. He died in 1850. He married Mary A. B. Gammon, of Bath, Me. Four of their children are living; namely, Robert Frank, Mary A., Harriet E. , and John T. , all residents of Wenham. Mary is the widow of William G. Pingree, late of Wenham, Mass. ; and Harriet is the widow of the late Thomas P. Pingree, who also resided in Wenham. The father served as a Major in the militia, and was known familiarly as Major Richard Dodge.

Thomas P. Pingree was born in Salem, Mass., in 1830, son of David Pingree, who was also a native of Esse.x County. He was educated in the public and private schools of

Salem. Early in life he embarked in a mercantile business in his native town, and followed it with success until his death, which occurred May 18, 1876. During his last years he lived in Wenham. In politics he was a Democrat. His widow, Harriet E. Dodge Pingree, resides at the beautiful Pingree homestead in Wenham, where she holds a high social position, and is much esteemed.

manager of the Marine Railway and a highly respected citizen of Gloucester, is a native of Topsfield, Mass. He was born January 3, 1S41, son of Charles and Elizabeth (Andrews) Parkhurst. The first of this family to come to America was Hugh Parkhurst, great-grandfather of Charles E. , who left his home in London in consequence of a dispute with his father upon American politics. He arrived in New England about the year 1770, and settled in Gloucester, where, being a well-educated man, he soon found employment as a teacher in the public schools. At the battle of Bunker Hill he was in Captain Rowe's company. On the expiration of the time for which he had enlisted he returned to Gloucester, and shipped on the privateer "Yankee Hero." Subsequently he was killed in an engagement with the British frigate "Milford, " vvliich carried thirty-six guns. He left an only son, William, the grandfather of Charles E. Parkhurst, who died here in Gloucester in 1853. William had five sons, who were engaged in the fishery business, and owned fishing-fleets.

Charles E. Parkhurst was educated in the public schools of Gloucester. Upon leaving school he entered the employ of his father, who owned a store, and engaged in selling supplies to fishing-vessels. The young man was kept busy for the fleet tliat his father then owned, numbering twenty-five vessels. In 1 866 he and his father purchased the Marine Railway, of which he is now the manager. Mr. Parkhurst is a member of Ocean Lodge, No. 91, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In 1863 he married Mary J. Low, of Rockport, and has one daughter, Mamie B. Parkhurst, living at home.

LFRED S. JEWETT, Town Clerk of Manchester and the present chairman of the Board of Selectmen, is a native of Salisbury, Mass. Born on August 8, 1840, he is a son of Alfred W. and Abigail (Sargent) Jewett, the former a native of Newburyport and the latter of Pittsfield, N. H. The Jewett family originated with two brothers, Joseph and Maximilian, who came from England about the year 1636, and settled in Rowley, Mass., Joseph Jewett having been the direct ancestor of the subject of this sketch. Thomas Jewett, grandfather of Alfred S. , was a soldier in the War of 181 2.

Alfred VV. Jewett was one of the prominent citizens of Manchester and a thorough type of the old Puritan. When a boy he removed from Newburyport to Salisbury, where he eventually went into the furniture business. In 1844 he came to Manchester, and from 1846 to 1 868 he was engaged in the manufacture of furniture in this place. He retired from business in 1868, and died twenty years later. Of his children, the survivors are: Edgar M., Alfred S., George W., and Orrin W. All reside in Manchester except Edgar, who is a resident of Portsmouth, N. H. The father had served on the School Board of Manchester and on the Board of Selectmen.

of the town. Never losing the scholar's instinct, he has always been a reader and thinker, and is well informed on the general topics of the day. At seventeen he entered his father's shop and began to learn the trade of cabinet-maker. After working there for five years he enlisted for service in the Civil War in July, 1862, joining Company K of the Thirty-eighth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as a private. He served under General Banks in the Red River campaign and under Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, and fought in the siege and battle of Port Hudson, at the battle of Cane River in General Banks's retreat, in the battle of Opequan Creek, where Sheridan was victorious, and at Winchester, l-^isher's Hill, and in minor engagements. Excepting about six weeks during which he was ill of malarial fever in Louisiana, he was with his regiment throughout the entire term of service, and was practically one of the twenty-five men in the regiment who were always on duty. He was frequently assigned to special duty and clerical work. After his discharge in July, 1S65, he returned to Manchester, and was for a time an employee of his father. In 1868, upon the retirement of his father, he and his brother, George W. Jewett, joined in the firm A. S. & G. W. Jewett, and continued the furniture manufacturing business which had been founded by the elder Mr. Jewett. The firm has been in active business down to the present time.

Mr. Jewett married Jane F. Leach, of Manchester. In politics he is a Republican. He takes an active part in the affairs of the town, and is in favor of any movement tending to the public welfare. Inheriting from a line of Puritan ancestry a strict regard for honesty and upright character, he is yet liberal in his views, and is inclined to look with charity on the shortcomings of others. He is a member of the Congregational church. Mr. Jewett has served his fellow-townsmen in nearly all the important administration offices. He has been auditor and treasurer //v tcin., member of the Public Library Board and of the School Committee. Since 1888 he has served continuously as Town Clerk, and since 1890 he has been chairman of the Selectmen and Overseer of the Poor. He has been Commander of Allen Post, No. 6-], G. A. R., of which he is a member; and he is at present serving as Quartermaster in that body. For years he has been a member of the Republican Town Committee, and he also has been a Justice of the Peace.

[HENEZER PARSONS, of Lynnfield, farmer, held in much esteem as a citizen and neighbor, and well known in liberal religious circles of Essex County, may be briefly characterized as one of that type of men who, by consistent devotion to plain, earnest living and high thinking, unconsciously elevate the tone of the community in which they dwell. He was born in Lynnfield July 28, 1832, son of Ebenexer and Mary (Hart) Parsons, and is the third in direct line to bear his name. On the paternal side Mr. Parsons is a descendant in the seventh generation of Joseph Parsons, who emigrated from England about the year 1635, settled at Springfield, Mass., in 1636, was Cornet of a troop of Hampshire cavalry, and in 1655 '^'^^ one of the founders of Northampton. Cornet Joseph Parsons married Mary Bliss; and the next in this line, their son Esquire Joseph Parsons, who was the third Justice of the Court of Conmion Pleas, married Elizabeth, daughter of Elder John Strong, first Ruling Elder of the church at Northampton, Mass. The Rev. David Parsons, son of Esquire

Joseph and Elizabeth, was born in 16S0, graduated at Harvard College in 1705, was settled over a church in Maiden, Mass., for several years, and later was settled in Leicester, Mass., where he died in 1743. The maiden name of his wife was Sarah Stebbins.

Israel Parsons, son of the Rev. David and great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born at Leicester in 1722, and resided there until his death, which occurred in 1767. He married a widow, Mrs. Lois Bancroft Wiley. She was a daughter of Captain Ebenezer and Ruth (Boutwell) Bancroft, and granddaughter of Captain Ebenezer Bancroft, Sr. , whose father, Thomas Bancroft, came to Lynnfield in 1640, being one of the earliest settlers in what was then the North Precinct of Lynn. A deed to Thomas Bancroft, dated 1657, is now in the possession of the subject of this sketch.

Ebenezer Parsons, first, Mr. Parsons's grandfather, son of Israel, was born at Leicester, March 13, 1762. Left fatherless when he was five years old, he came to Lynnfield with his mother, and spent his boyhood upon the farm of his maternal grandfather, Captain Ebenezer Bancroft. At the death of the latter he became the owner of the Bancroft homestead, and was a prosperous farmer of Lynnfield. He also kept the Sun Tavern for many years. He was a soldier of the Revolution. In his religious views he was a Methodist, and he gave some land conditionally to the church. He died April 17, 1843. His wife, Nabby Smith, whom he married on November 18, 1787, was born in Lynnfield April g, 1765, daughter of Amos and Abigail (Hart) Smith, and died May 16, 1849. Their children were: Nabby, Ebenezer, and Israel Augustus.

Never seeking publicity, ho yet took a lively interest in town affairs, and served frequently on committees and in minor offices. He was married October 17, 1824, to Mary Hart, who was born December 17, 1792. She was a descendant of Isaac Hart, who was a resident of Lynn in 1640, and who served in King Philip's War. A deed to him of five hundred acres of land is in the possession of Mr. Parsons. Isaac Hart's son, Captain Samuel Hart, by tradition a ship-master, and John, son of the Captain, were men of substance in what is now Lynnfield. John Hart married Mehitable Endicott, great-grand-daughter of Governor John Endicott. Mr. Parsons 'is descended from this couple through their son John and their grandson. Captain Ebenezer Hart, who was a Revolutionary soldier, and afterward a member of the General Court from Lynn, of which Lynnfield was then a part. Ebenezer Parsons, second, died April 17, 1853; and Mrs. Mary Hart Parsons died March i8, 1864.

Their son, Ebenezer Parsons, third, obtained his elementary education in the common schools, and afterward acquired a knowledge of Latin, French, and German. He has taught private pupils in these studies, as well as in vocal and instrumental music. He inherited, especially from his mother, a love of reading; and, though he has not had a college training, he is well versed in many subjects. Fond of flowers, he is an authority on the plant life of the fields and woods of his neighborhood. Seeking the best culture books can give, he is abreast of the age in thought, and has written poems worthy to rank with many of those of acknowledged masters. Having naturally a remarkably fine voice and excellent taste in reading, and being an earnest liberal in religious belief, it was natural he should be urged to conduct services as a lay preacher for the remnant of the First Congregational Society (Unitarian) of his native town. This he did, with the exception of one year which he spent in Troy, N.Y. , for more than twenty years, occasionally giving a sermon of his own. For years he also led the musical part of the exercises. A Republican in politics, he has been a member of the School Committee, one of the Selectmen, Town Clerk, vicepresident of the Improvement Society, and is still frequently called upon to assist by reading or writing in other activities of the town. Still, his regard for what he holds to be dearer than office, dearer than the praise of his fellow-townspeople - his ideal of truth and honor - is so high that he is not always with his party in town or State affairs. In other words, he is a genuine, conscientious Independent in thought and action.

On March 24, 1863, Mr. Parsons was joined in marriage with Mary Alvina Dodge. She was born in Ipswich, Mass., March 21, 1839, daughter of Nathan Dane and Sarah (Shepherd) Dodge, and is a descendant of John Dodge, of Somerset, England, through his sons Richard and William. Nathan Dane Dodge, a good citizen and a loyal Christian, was named for his great-uncle, the Hon. Nathan Dane, renowned jurist and statesman, brother of his grandfather, Samuel Dane, who was one of the militia company from ]5everly that responded to the Lexington alarm in April, 1775. William Dodge came to New England in 1629, and his brother Richard came in 1638. Both settled at Salem, afterward Beverly. Mrs. Parsons' s father descended through the male line from Richard Dodge, and, by intermarriage of ancestral kin (not, however, of first cousins), from William also. Among his other remote ancestors may be named "that honored old planter," John Woodbury, who came to Cape Ann four years nfter the landing of the Pilgrims, and John's brother William, who was one of the pilots of the expedition for the capture of St. John's and Port Royal. Mr. Dodge's great-grandfather, Livermore Whittredge, was a member of the Committee of Correspondence and Safety formed in Beverly in 1773.

Mrs. Sarah Shepherd Dodge, mother of Mrs. Parsons, was a descendant of the Shepherds long ago living in Salisbury, Mass., whence her great-grandfather, Isaac Shepherd, removed to New Hampshire. His son Isaac served in the army of the Revolution, attaining the rank of Sergeant; and after the war he became Major. He served as Representative to the General Court several years. Mrs. Dodge's maternal grandfather, Mark Howe, was a surgeon in the Revolution. He was a son of Lieutenant Howe, Deacon of a Congregational church in Ipswich, and his wife, who was grand-daughter of the Rev. William Perkins, of Topsfield. Dr. Howe married Mary, grand-daughter of the Rev. Edward and Elizabeth (Phillips) Payson, of Rowley. Mr. Payson's mother was Mary, sister of the Rev. John Eliot, the apostle to the Indians; while his wife's parents were the Rev. Samuel and Sarah (Appleton) Phillips, founders of perhaps the most illustrious line in New I^ngland, when one recalls the Phillips Academies of Andover, Mass., and Exeter, N.H., Wendell Phillips, and the Rev. Phillips Brooks, the good bishojD. It may here be remarked that the last named was related to Mr. Dodge through the Woodbury and to Mrs. Dodge through the Phillips line.

Among her ancestors were also Lieutenant P'rancis Peabody, of Ipswich and Topsfield, Francis Lambert, Ezekiel Northend, and Mark Prime, all of Rowley.

for a term, of the excellent Ladies' Seminary, when the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Covvles had charge of it. Afterward she was graduated from the Salem Normal School. She has taught in the public schools, and has had private pupils. Also she has written for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of "The Ancestry of Nathan Dane Dodge and of his Wife, Sarah Shepherd Dodge." She was an active member of the First Congregational Society, working earnestly for its interests during the fifteen years of her connection with it. She is greatly interested in temperance and education, and gladly forwards any intellectual movement among her neighbors. She is a member of the Lynn Historical Society, and has done a good deal of genealogical work. Mr. and Mrs. Parsons occupy a pleasant residence at Lynnfield Centre. They are the parents of one son, Starr Parsons, born September 4, 1869, now City Solicitor of Lynn. (P'or his personal history see next sketch.)

TARR PARSONS, attorney-at-law, son of Ebenezer and Mary A. (Dodge) Parsons, was fitted for college at the Boston Latin School, where he took high rank, having entered at the age of thirteen. He won the Franklin medal, besides several other prizes, ai;d wrote the class song vvhich was sung at his graduation in 1887. At Harvard University he was chosen a member of the Classical Club, also of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and was graduated magna cum landc in 1891. He taught a year in St. Paul's School, Concord, N. H., was admitted to the Essex County bar by examination at Salem in October, 1892, and formed that year a partnership in the law business with Mr. Walter H. Southwick, of Lynn. Mr. Parsons's ability soon placed him in the front rank of his profession in this city. On May 22, 1897, he was elected by the City Council to complete the unexpired term of J. R. Baldwin, late City Solicitor; and on the second Tuesday in July following he was re-elected to that position for the ensuing year.

He married June 26, 1894, Miss Minnie Cora ]3ickford, daughter of Charles M. and Laura A. (Ellis) Bickford. She was born July 2, 1869, in Belgrade, Me. Among her ancestors were Mark Frost, a soldier of the Revolution, and Benjamin Frost, a soldier in the second war with Great Britain ; while botii her father and his father were in the Civil War. Her great-grandfather, William Morrill, was the father of three State Governors, one of whom, the Hon. Lot M. Morrill, was Secretary of the United States Treasury under General Grant. Mr. and Mrs. Starr Parsons have one son, Eben, born March 10, 1896.

Mr. Parsons is a member and a Past Chancellor of Peter Woodland Lodge, No. 72, Knights of Pythias, a member of Euphrates Senate, No. 362, K. A. E. O., and also a member of the Park Club.

('ff^YOHN LLOYD, a well-known business man of Gloucester and a native of the town, was born on January 14, 1825, son of John and Martha (Hoffain) Lloyd. His paternal grandfather, who was a Welshman, emigrated from his native land to America, and settled in Virginia, whence he came with his family to Gloucester. Here his son John Lloyd, Sr., learned the rope-maker's trade, and worked at it during the rest of his life. Martha Lloyd, the lattcr's wife, was a daughter of Adam Hoffain.

father's guidance. Later, however, he learned the business of a barber, in which he was engaged until 1869. In that year, in accordance with the advice of his physician, he gave up all business for a time, and devoted himself to building up his health, which had become much impaired. In 1872, after receiving a diploma from the Oriental School of Embalming in Boston, he started in his present line of business, that of undertaker and funeral director. Since then he has acquired an excellent reputation in this and the surrounding towns for skilful and painstaking work. It is stated that he has now the largest business of the kind in Gloucester.

Mr. Lloyd was married to Mary McKenna, a daughter of Bernard and Abigail (Perkins) McKenna. Her grandfather, Nathaniel Perkins, Jr., was a soldier of the Revolution, having enlisted in the Continental army in July, 1775, and upon the expiration of his term of service re-enlisted in January, 1776. He was in the service until November 24, 1776, when he was honorably discharged. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd have one son, John Lloyd, Jr., born in 1847, ^^o married Emma F. Rowe, and has three children. The latter are: Aaron, who was born in 1869; Mary P., who was born in 1S74; and Edward, who was born in 1876. Aaron is a graduate of the Oriental School of Embalming in Boston, and is now engaged in business with his grandfather. He is a Mason of Tyrian Lodge, William Ferson, R. A. M., and the Bethlehem Commandery, and an Odd Fellow of Ocean Lodge and Cape Ann Encampment. Mary resides with her parents. lulward is a bookkeeper in Gloucester. Mr. Lloyd, Sr. , is a member of Ocean Lodge, No. 91, I. O. O. ¥., to which he has belonged for fifty years, and of which he is Past Noble Grand; of Cape Ann Encampment; Sea Shore Lodge; Tyrian

David S. J'Resson

Lodge, F. &. A. M., of which he is Past Master; of William Ferson Chapter, R. A. M. ; of Bethlehem Commandery, K. T. ; of Boston Consistory; of Salem Council, Royal and Select Masters; of Salem Lodge of Protection; Mount Olivet Chapter, Rose Croix; of Constantine Lodge, K. of P. ; and of the Improved Order of Red Men. He enjoys the full confidence of his fellow-townsmen and the good will of all who know him.

AVID S. PRESSON, the president of the Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance Company, was born in this city, August 5, 1838, son of Leonard J. and Caroline M. (Winchester) Presson. He is a descendant of William and Priscilla Preston, of Beverly, Mass. Their form of the surname was retained by their son, Randall Preston, who was born in ]3everly, April 3, 1702. William Presson, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, born in Beverly, April 20, 1737, moved to Gloucester, where he followed the tailor's trade. On August 6, 1761, he was joined in marriage with Abigail Sargent, of Essex, Mass., and he died December 20, 1 8 14.

William Presson (second), the grandfather of David S., was born in Gloucester, January -3. '775- "^^ '^" LMrly age he became a sailor. When a young man he was the master of a vessel engaged in the foreign trade; and he continued to follow the sea until his death, which occurred December 8, 1830. He married Sarah Parran, daughter of Alexander Parran, of Gloucester. Alexander Parran was one of the first men to join Captain Warner's company, which marched from Gloucester to participate in the battle of Bunker Hill. In the memorable engagement he was struck by a musket ball, which lodged against his right shoulder-blade, having broken his collar-bone in its passage, and which was extracted three months afterward. He rejoined the army at Cambridge; but on August 11, 1777, as he had lost the use of his right arm, he was appointed Third Lieutenant by the General Court, and stationed in Gloucester. He later sailed as superintendent of cargo on board a vessel having letters of marque, and bound for Guadeloupe. In attempting to pass a fort in the night, the vessel was fired upon and sunk, and he was drowned. Leonard J. Presson, the father of David S. , was born in Gloucester, October 25, 1812. He began life as a clerk in a store, was for some time a civil engineer, from 1834 to 1839 the Postmaster in Gloucester, and a clerk and Deputy Collector of Customs from 1849 to 1863. He died on January 5, 1864. His wife, Caroline, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Winchester, of this city, became the mother of seven children - Harriet, Caroline M., David S. , Leonard J., Charles B. , George R., and Mary E. Harriet, now deceased, married William A. Pew, of Gloucester. Leonard J. and Charles B. reside in Gloucester. Mary E. is the wife of John E. Somes and a resident of Gloucester. George R. lives in San Francisco, Cal. The mother was a member of the Baptist church.

David S. Presson was educated in the Gloucester public schools. While still young he was appointed to a clerkship in the customhouse, where he remained three years. He was subsequently employed as book-keeper by John Pew & Son for about four years, was in the fish business in St. Louis, Mo., a year, was book-keeper for Sinclair & Lowe, of Gloucester, for two years, and in Richmond, Me., he was engaged in ship-building for five years. Returning to Gloucester in 1867, he was employed in book-keeping by Brown Brothers for two years and by Clarke & Somes for twelve years. He was appointed Collector of Customs in 1885, holding office until 1890; and then he became the president of the Mutual Fishing Insurance Company. He is a director, the treasurer, and the clerk of the Gloucester Street Railway Company, of which he was one of the promoters and incorporators. Politically, Mr. Presson is a Democrat. He served as a member of the Common Council for the first two years under the city charter, and was a member of the School Committee from 1882 to 18S5. A member of Tyrian Lodge, F. & A. M., he belongs to William Person Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and he is a Past Eminent Commander of l^ethlehem Commandery, Knights Templar. His religious belief is the Universalist. On August 8, 1866, he first married Augusta, daughter of Captain William E. Herrick. She died October 16, 1869, leaving one son - John S. A second marriage, on July 25, 1877, united him with Ruthelia Allen, daughter of John P. Allen, of Manchester, Mass.

OHN BAKER, of Manchester-by-the- Sea, the popular and energetic superintendent of the Essex County Club, was born in this town on February 22, 1S58. A son of John and Nancy A. (Merrill) Baker, respectively natives of Ipswich, Mass., and Groton, N.H., he comes of an old family that has long given leading men to the district.

The Bakers came from England to Ipswich, Mass., then called Agawam, about the year 1638. Owing to faulty records, this branch can be traced only to John's great-grandfather, Ebenezer, who was born in 1741, and died April 22, 1794. Ebenezer in 1765 married Jemima Annable, who was born in 1740, and died December 17, 1823. Soon after his marriage he moved to Manchester, where his children were born. The latter were: Joseph, Robert, Betsy, Bethiah, Polly, and Eben. Robert, the grandfather of John, born November 19, 1767, married on October 12, 1795, Lucretia Burnham in Ipswich, where he rented a farm, and where his children - Lucretia, Lucy, and John - were afterward born.

John Baker, Sr. , whose birth occurred on September 26, 1S03, died January 7, 1877. When a lad of fourteen his father moved to Manchester, and purchased the John Osmon farm, which is still in the family. He helped to found the Baptist Church of Manchester, was one of its supporters, both financially and morally, and a Deacon of it from its organization until his death. Prominent in the militia, he devoted considerable time to military practice. In politics he was a Republican. In 1857 he married Nancy A. Merrill, of Hopkinton, who survives him, and is now past sixty years of age. Their children are : John, Robert, Lucy, Eben, and Lorenzo.

John Baker grew to manhood in this town, receiving his education in the graded schools and high school. When fourteen years of age he was obliged to assume practically the charge of his father's business affairs, on account of the poor health of the latter, having to look after the farm and saw-mill, and later to carrying on a milk business. In this last he was associated with his brother Robert for a number of years, after which he sold out, and thereafter for a time confined himself to teaming and gardening. Feeling convinced that larger opportunities awaited him in the West, he finally sold out his other interests to Robert and Lorenzo Baker, and went to Sanborn, Col. Here he was for three years the superintendent for the Thurlow Land and Live Stock Company. Returning to Man-

Biographical View

Chester at the end of that time, he took his present position as superintendent of the Essex County Club, the grounds of which are devoted to golf, tennis, and other open air sports.

Mr. 15aker was married first to Mary B. Dade, of Manchester, and by her has one daughter, Hattie Florence Baker. A second marriage united him with Hattie Francella Damon, of Reading, Mass., whose children are : John Irving and Harry Damon Baker. Mr. Baker is a Republican in politics, and has served one year as Constable of Manchester. He is an esteemed member of the I. O. O. F. Alive to every movement for progress, he is loyally devoted to the interests of the town.

AVID LOW, the well-known farmer and gardener of Esse.x, was born in this town, April 25, 1822, son of David and Betsey (Story) Low. The paternal grandfather, Thomas Low, owned and cultivated a farm situated in the northern part of Esse.x. He married Dolly Choate, and had a family of eight children - Thomas, David, Jeremiah, Joshua, Caleb, Josiah, Polly, and Sidney.

David Low, Sr., the father of the subject of this sketch and a lifelong resident of Esse.x, followed the butchering business in connection with farming. He was a man of considerable prominence, took an active part in military affairs, serving as a Captain in the State militia, and was highly respected for his many commendable qualities. He died June 16, 1870. His wife, Betsey, was a daughter of Michael and Betsey (Goodhue) Story. Her father, a farmer and a carpenter of this town, was accidentally killed in 1797 while assisting in raising a barn. Her mother was again married to Thomas Giddings, by whom she had two sons - Job and Paul; and she died in Maine. David and Betsey Low were the parents of nine children; namely, Elizabeth, Clarissa, Mary Ann, David, Michael S., Asenath, James O. , Sidney, and Lydia M. Elizabeth married Daniel Hartwell, a teamster of Danvers, Mass., both now deceased. Their children - Elizabeth, Selinda, and Martha - are also deceased. Clarissa, now deceased, married successively Jonathan Story and Jonathan Lufkin. By the latter she had four children - Orvilla, Jonathan L., Jonathan L. (second), and Clarissa. Mary Ann is the wife of Ezra Burnham, of Essex, and has five children - Mary E., Ezra F., Lewis O., Sidney A., and Gardner. Asenath married J. W. Johnson, of New Gloucester, Me., a pedler residing in Essex, and had three children - Albert C, Walter, and Mildred. Both the parents are deceased. James O. , who was born May i, 1830, followed shoemaking early in life, and in his later years has been engaged in farming. On November 6, 1856, he married Abigail, a daughter of John and Lydia (Holmes) Burnham, of Essex, and who died in June, 1S89. Her children were: Edna B., who married Frank Hardy, and died in 1881, leaving one son, Frank; Abbie F., who is the wife of Enoch Story, an ice dealer of P^ssex, and has one son, Enoch F. ; Lydia H. and Betsey S., who are residing at home; Jennie E., who is the wife of Caleb M. Cogswell, a farmer of Essex, and has two sons - Marshall and Wilbur L. ; and James O., Jr., Susan, and Jessie, who are residing at home. Sidney Low, who followed the trade of a shoemaker besides tilling the soil in his native town, married Abbie H. Burnham, of Essex, and died at the age of forty-eight years, leaving two children - Elizabeth and Frances. Lydia M. Low married Daniel W. Burnham, a ship-carpenter

After receiving his education in the common schools David Low, the subject of this sketch, learned the shoemaker's trade. This he followed as a journeyman for about nineteen years, and then engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes upon his own account, which he carried on profitably for twenty-five years. At the expiration of that time he retired, and is now residing at the old homestead. Here, keeping a hot-house, he gives his attention to market gardening, besides making a specialty of the raising of plants and flowers, including tomato slips and large quantities of pansies and violets. Another source of income to him is his interest as a part owner of the well-known Centennial Grove in Essex, which is used extensively during the summer season for excursions and picnic parties.

On April 9, 1846, Mr. Low was united in marriage with Mrs. Hannah Maria (I^ow) Low, daughter of Warren and Mary (Babcock) Low, the former of whom was a farmer and a fisherman of Essex. Mrs. David Low became the mother of seven children - Asenath M., George W., Herbert, David E., Anna B., Gertrude, and Mamie IL Asenath M. married Washington Tarr, a ship -builder of Essex, and died April 10, 1S87, leaving one daughter, Asenath T. George W., who is a farmer and gardener of this town, married Abbie Knowlton, of Essex, whose children and herself are now deceased. Herbert is assii5ting his father in carrying on the farm. David E., who is engaged in farming in I"3ssex, married Annie Story, who died in 1896, leaving one daughter, 151anche. Gertrude married lulwin H. York, of Rockport, Mass., who is a baggage-master on the Boston & Maine Railroad. Anna B. and Mamie 11.

are residing at home. Mrs. David Low died in April, 1886. Politically, Mr. Low is an active supporter of the Democratic party, and has served with ability as a Selectman, besides holding other town offices. His genial and courteous manner makes him popular with his fellow-townsmen, who sincerely esteem him.

7TAHARLES F. ELLIOTT, one of the I jp leading contractors and builders of ^O? ^ Wcnham, Mass., was born in Beverly, in the south-eastern part of Essex County, on July 8, 1849, son of Charles and Abbie (Osborne) Elliott. He belongs to one of the old and respected families of this region, whose founder came over from England. His grandfather, John Elliott, was a soldier in the War of 181 2. His father, Charles Elliott, who resides in J5everly, is now engaged in agriculture. He was formerly a shoemaker. Mrs. Abbie O. Elliott's mother, Mrs. Hannah Osborne, who is still living, is among the oldest residents of Beverly, being in her ninety-fourth year.

Charles F. Elliott grew to manhood in Beverly, and was educated in the public schools of that town. When eighteen years of age he began learning the carpenter's trade, at which he served an aj^prenticeship of three years. Having mastered the craft, he worked at journeyman's wages for a time, but in 1873 came to Wenham, and the following year started in business for himself as a contractor and builder. Diligent and progressive, Mr. Elliott has constantly increased the scope of his operations. He employs on an average six men the year round, but during busy seasons a larger number.

Mr. Elliott is a member of the Congregational church at Wenham. In politics a Republican, he is public-spirited and alive at all times to the best interests of the town and the community. Fraternally, he is a member of the Order of United American Mechanics at Beverly; also of the Wenham Mutual Benefit Association, of which last organization he has been one of the directors. Mr. Elliott stands to-day as an example of the self-made man, the man whose place in society and in the business world has been won by hard work, conscientious business methods, and close attention to detail. He commands the respect of all who know him.

(s>rLFRED PORTER PUTNAM, D.D., ^JA a Unitarian divine, now residing in ' ®V_^ Salem, Mass., was born in North Danvers, Mass., January 10, 1827, the son of Elias and Eunice (Ross) Putnam. He stands in the eighth generation from John Putnam, who emigrated from Buckinghamshire, England, and settled in Salem Village in 1634. His great-grandfather, Edmund Putnam, who commanded one of the eight Danvers companies that marched to the battle of Lexington, April ig, 1775, was Deacon of the old Salem Village church twenty-three years, and then became a pioneer Universalist in that region. His grandfather, Israel Putnam, married Anna Endicott, through whom he is descended from the old Puritan Governor, John Endicott, also from John Porter, Major William Hathorne, the Rev. Samuel Skelton, and other leading settlers of Essex County. His father was a shoe manufacturer, County Commissioner, State Senator, and Representative; his mother, a native of Ipswich, Mass., and daughter of Adam Ross, a soldier at Bunker Hill and during the Revolution.

In the following sketch of the life of Dr. Putnam we quote largely from a biography written by a Dartmouth College classmate, and published in the Danvers Mirror in 1S97.

For about a year, beginning at the age of fifteen, he was a clerk in the village bank, of which his father was president. He attended the Literary Institute and Gymnasium at Pembroke, N. H., 1844-45, was employed as book-keeper of Allen & Minot in ]?oston, 1846-47, but, finally deciding upon a liberal education, was fitted for college in the academies of Andover, Mass., and Springfield and Thetford, Vt., 1847-49. His first college year was passed at Dartmouth, N.II., where he was highly respected by the faculty for his manliness and maturity of intellect. He was greatly endeared to his classmates by his social qualities, and with his peculiarly rich and musical voice easily ranked all as a public speaker. He was, however, induced to complete his course at Brown University, Rhode Island, which he did in two years, receiving from that institution the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1852. Having taught a winter district school in Danvers before his college course and another in Wenham, Mass., during its progress, he resumed his labors in the latter town for six months as a teacher in a select school, and then entered the Divinity School at Cambridge, Mass., graduating in 1855. The winter previously he had received a license to preach from the Boston Association of Unitarian Ministers, and on December 19 following he was ordained as pastor of the Mount Pleasant Congregational Society (Unitarian) at Roxbury, Mass.

Danvers family, daughter of Samuel aud Lydia W. (Proctor) Preston. Her death, which occurred June 12, 1S60, was deeply lamented by a wide circle of relatives and friends.

The sicknesses and sorrows of his first years in the ministry made it desirable that he should seek a change; and May 28, icS62, he embarked with a Cambridge classmate, the Rev. Frederic P'rothingham, upon an extended tour abroad. His travels resulted in a course of lectures to his people on the historic and religious aspects of the Old World, and had much to do with his subsequent studies and experiences.

He closed his labors in Roxbury in 1864, having received a unanimous call to settle over the P"irst Unitarian Society in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he was installed in September of the same year, and where he continued to labor for more than twenty-two years. December 27, 1865, he was married to Eliza King Puttrick, daughter of Ephraim and Mary (King) Buttrick, of Cambridge, Mass., and born January 14, 1S33. Mr. Buttrick was descended from William Buttrick and other early settlers of Concord, Mass., and was long a prominent lawyer at the Middlesex bar.

During Dr. Putnam's pastorate in Brooklyn he was assisted by his people to establish a third Unitarian church in the city and to build chapels for his own Sunday-school and a mission school, which he founded for the poor, engaging at the same time in other beneficent labors. He was one of the founders and one of the Board of the Brooklyn Union for Christian Work, 1S66 and onward; and in 1878, as secretary of the Brooklyn Theatre Fire Relief Association, he distributed a large proportion of the fifty thousand dollars raised for the numerous families that suffered from that terrible disaster, and wrote the final report of the two years' work. He had been elected president of the Unitarian Sundayschool Society in 1863, and honored with the degree of Doctor of Divinity from his Alma Mater in 1871. But under his accumulating duties his health became enfeebled, and he visited Europe a second time in the winter of 18S3, returning in July; but, on returning home and resuming his parochial duties too soon, his health gradually gave way, and he was obliged to seek recovery by surrendering his post and retiring to his wife's ancestral acres at Concord, Mass. During his life in Brooklyn, Dr. Putnam was a member of many well-known clubs and societies, notably the New York Century Club, the Long Island Historical Society, and the Brooklyn Art Association. In 1895 he removed to Danvers, his native town, and two years later to the adjoining city of Salem. During this period of his recovered health he has preached in thirty or forty towns and cities, and during his ministry has delivered lectures before various historical societies and other institutions, including courses at Tufts College and at the Meadville (Pa.) Theological School; while as president of the Danvers Historical Society his labors have proved more abundant down to the present time. Various biographical sketches of Dr. Putnam have appeared in different publications issued in the last twenty- five years, and the Memorial History of his Dartmouth College class gives a list of about thirty different book and pamphlet publications of which he was the author between 1859 and 1894.

The family relations of Dr. Putnam have proved most congenial and delightful. The second Mrs. Putnam, greatly beloved by her many friends, still shares with him the joys and vicissitudes of life as a helpmeet indeetl.

They have five children, namely: Endicott Greenwood, born March 8, 1867, in Cambridge, now in business in New York City; Alfred VVhitwell, born January 23, 1870, in Brooklyn, a graduate of the Boston Law School in 1S96 and now a lawyer in that city, but living with his parents in Salem; Helen Langley, born January 18, 1872, in Brooklyn, a graduate of Smith College, who for a time was a teacher of English literature in the State Normal School, New Haven, Conn., but is now married to James Kingsley Blake, a lawyer of that city; Ralph Buttrick, born May 13, 1873, in Brooklyn, a graduate of Amherst College and now a teacher in the Cutler School, New York; Margaret Ross, born July 2, 1876, in Quincy, Mass., now a student in Smith College.

On. J. Loring Woodfall

ON. J. LORING WOODFALL, State Senator for the Third Essex District for 1896-97, is a native of Rockport, Mass., where he now resides. He was born fifty years ago, September 15, 1S47, being the second child of John and Elizabeth B. (Saunders) Woodfall. His parents have five sons and one daughter now living. His father was born in Bolton, England, and came to this country a youth under twenty years of age. His mother is a native of Sandy Bay, now Rockport, Mass, Her parents were Samuel and Lydia P. (Thurston) Sannders. Her mother was of the sixth generation in descent from Daniel Thurston, of Newbury, Mass., the immigrant founder of this branch of the Thurston family in New England, who was a trooper in King Philip's War. Samuel Saunders, Mrs. WoodfalTs father, died at the ripe old age of eighty-seven years.

high school, leaving before completion of course to accept a position (at the age of sixteen years) in the United States Engineer office at Boston, with Colonel J. D. Graham, having charge of harbors in Massachusetts. There he was employed eighteen months as a clerk, until the death of Colonel Graham, when he returned to Rockport, and subsequently became paymaster in the Annisquam Mills of that town, a position which he held for seventeen years. For the past thirty years, it may be said, he has been identified with the property interests of the concern. For a year and a half he held a clerkship in the office of John Pew & Son, well-known wholesale fish dealers of Gloucester, Mass., and after that he efificiently discharged the duties of book-keeper and paymaster for the Rockport Granite Company for about six years.

Mr. Woodfall is one of the eight men who were instrumental in bringing to the attention of the United States government the necessity for a harbor of refuge at Sandy Bay; and, as secretary of the committee chosen by the town to further the enterprise, much of the work connected with the measure was done by him, and to no one else is due more credit for its success. The harbor when completed will have cost five million dollars, nine hundred thousand dollars of which has been already appropriated by Congress. It will be the largest and most commodious harbor in the United States, if not in the world.

Mr. Woodfall was one of the founders of the Granite Savings Bank of Rockport, of which he has been a trustee from the first, and was for many years clerk of the corporation and trustees until he declined further service. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rockport Public Library five years as chairman and treasurer.

During the legislative sessions of 1894 and 1895 he was a member of the lower house, and established a precedent of giving a Representative of his district two years' service. In 1896 and 1897 he represented the Third Essex Senatorial District in the State Senate. In 1894, while in the House, he introduced and secured the passage of the bill granting the franchise for the excellent water system that Rockport now enjoys; and at the time the water- works were constructed he served as Water Commissioner. He also served as superintendent of construction during the second year when the pipes were put through the village of Pigeon Cove. One of his first moves in the House of 1895 was the introduction of the following order for the removal of the codfish from the old House '"neath the gilded dome" to the new House in the annex : -

"Ordered that the Sergeant-at-arms be and is hereby directed to cause the immediate removal of the ancient 'representation of a codfish' from its present position in the chamber recently vacated by the House, and to cause it to be suspended in a suitable place over the speaker's chair in this chamber in order that the House of 1895 may further the intent and purpose of the House of 1784, wherein it voted to 'hang the representation of a codfish in the room where the House sit, as a memorial of the importance of the codfishery to the welfare of this Commonwealth, as had been usual formerly,' and that a committee of fifteen members accompany the Sergeant-atarms when said memorial is transferred to this chamber."

In 1896 Mr. Woodfall was chairman of the Committee on Fisheries and Game, also a member of the Labor and Water Committees. In 1897 he was chairman of the Committee on Harbors and Public Lands, also a member of the Committees on Fisheries and Game and on Water Supply. He was chairman of the subcommittee (of Water and Metropolitan Committees sitting jointly) to draft a water bill for the town of Stoneham, enabling it to leave the Wakefield Company and to become a part of the Metropolitan system. In 1897 he secured the passage of the bill making a reservation of Cape Ann for the preservation of small game and birds.

He is a Republican in politics, and has served as chairman of the Republican Town Committee of Rockport for ten years. A public-spirited, progressive citizen, as a legislator imtiring in his labors to promote the interests uf the district, he enjoys to an unusual degree the confidence of his constituents. Fraternally, he is Past Grand in Granite Lodge, I. O. O. v., of Rockport, of which he has been a member for over twenty-six years; and he is also connected by membership with the Daughters of Rebecca. He has been identified with Ashler Lodge, A. F. & A. M., for over a quarter of a century.

Mr. Woodfall was married F^ebruary 29, 1872, to Miss Lizzie P. Tufts, a native of Rockport and daughter of the late George W. Tufts and Lucretia Eads Rowe Tufts. Mr. and Mrs. Woodfall have one daughter, Mabel L.

ESSE W. PEABODY, the present chairman of the Board of Selectmen in the town of Middleton, was born here, February 28, 1831, son of Andrew and Mary (Pettingil) Peabody. His first ancestor in this country was Lieutenant Francis Peabody, whose son, Joseph, settled in Middleton, where the family has since remained. The house erected by Captain Nathaniel Peabody, the grandfather of Jesse W., is still standing, and is now owned by Samuel M. Peabody.

Thomas Aykey

Captain Peabody married Ruth Elliott. Brought up on the farm, Andrew acquired a taste for agriculture. He bought a farm on the south side of the Ipswich River, and on it spent the remainder of his life, dying at the age of sixty-two. His wife, Mary, who came from Salem, had three children - Jesse W., Andrew Wallace, and Eunice G. Eunice G. married Joseph Fletcher, and resides on her father's farm.

Jesse VV. Peabody was employed in a shoe factory early in life, and became well acquainted with the details of the business. He was afterward connected with the manufacture of shoes in Middleton and Danvers until the year iS6i. Then he erected a commodious dwelling on Pleasant Street in Middleton, and there resided until 1S77. In that year he exchanged his house for a farm located on South Main Street. Since then he has successfully devoted himself to farming, using modern methods. He married Sarah M. Peabody, a daughter of Joseph Peabody and a grand-daughter of Captain Nathaniel Peabody. Mr. Peabody is Republican in his political opinions, and has ably filled various offices of trust in the gift of the town. He has been a member of the Board of Selectmen and Assessor for twenty-four years, the chairman of the Board of Selectmen for three years, and Tax Collector for the past fifteen years.

Captain Nathaniel Peabody had ten children, namely: Joseph, who lived and died in Middleton; Andrew, the father of Jesse VV. ; Jesse, who lived in Manchester; Ancel, a resident of Andover; Lydia, who married Francis Peabody, of Topsfield; Irene, who married Samuel Symonds, of Peabody; Hannah, who married James Russell, of Boxford ; Eliza, who married Cummings Barr, of Lowell; Mary, who died in childhood; and Clara, who married Mr. Averill, of Lowell.

^\ HOMAS AYREY, who was the overseer ^1 of the Pacific Mills in Lawrence for more than forty years, is now living in retirement at his pleasant home, 2S9 Broadway. He was born January 21, 1829, in Lancashire, England, the birthplace and lifelong residence of his father and grandfather, both of whom were named Oswald Ayrey. Oswald Ayrey, Sr., after his marriage reared six children, three sons and three daughters.

Oswald Ayrey, Jr., learned the trade of blacksmith from his father, and afterward followed that occupation until his (.ieath, at the advanced age of eighty-three years. In 1821 he married Ann Edmonson, who survived him three years. After she had attained the same age, she was laid beside him in the village churchyard. They had thirteen children, of whom eight sons and two daughters reached maturity, married, and reared families of moderate size. Six of the thirteen are still living, namely: Thomas, the subject of this sketch; Margaret, the wife of John Sager, of England; Mary Ann, now Mrs. Brogden ; James; William; and Henry.

When eight years old, Thomas Ayrey left school to enter the print works of his native village. Here he afterward spent si.x years learning to mix colors, at first receiving a very small annual stipend for his labor. At the age of fourteen he was promoted to another department, and in the following nine years ho acquired a practical knowledge of the manufacture of cotton goods. In 1854, embarking in a sailing-vessel at Liverpool for this country, he reached New York City on October 2, after a voyage lasting thirty-two days. He first found employment at a mill in Johnson, R.I. The times becoming dull soon after, he worked as a day laborer in Cranston, R.I., and Fall River, Mass., being about six weeks in each place. He subsequently found employment in a mill at Lodi, N.J., whence in 1855 he came to Lawrence. Accepting the position of overseer of the print works in the Pacific Mills, which was then a comparatively small department, Mr. Ayrey held that office for forty-one consecutive years. Under his supervision the work was greatly increased and the number of employees in his department was doubled, he having had charge of sixty men when he gave up his position in May, 1896. Reared to habits of industry and thrift, he acquired a good property, and in 1866 built his present substantial residence, which he has since occupied. He is a Republican in politics, and for two years was a member of the Common Council. An active member of the Methodist Episcopal church since 1848, he has served it in every lay office connected with it. He is a well-known Odd Fellow, and has passed all the chairs of the local lodge.

In 1858 Mr. Ayrey married Miss Susan Crandall, of Lawrence, who bore him two children, both of whom died in infancy. She passed away in February, 1862, aged thirtythree years. In May, 1863, he married Miss Augusta L. , daughter of James and Hannah (Stanley) Home, of Great Falls, N.H. After a happy wedded life of thirty years she died April 23, 1893, leaving one child. The latter, Minnie E., since the death of her mother has been the comfort and joy of her father's life, and has had charge of the household. She was graduated from the Lawrence High School, and is an intelligent, practical young woman, with decided musical tastes and ability.

UWARD STORY, an enterprising lumber manufacturer and grain merchant of Essex, was born in this town, July 9, 1836, son of Perkins and Lucy (Goodhue)

Perkins Story, father of Fldward, was in early life a millman. Later he cultivated a farm successfully until his death, which occurred in September, 1S71. He married for his first wife Rachel Burnham, a native of Essex. Born of the union were five children, namely: Susan, the widow of Edward Choate; Albert, who died in 1895; Lucy A., who married Andrew Story, and died in Minnesota; Ira, a ship-carpenter, who first married Sophronia Foster, and whose second wife was named Rachel; and Mary, who is the widow of Samuel Lufkin, and resides in Essex. Perkins Story's second wife, Lucy Goodhue Story, was a daughter of John Goodhue, a cloth manufacturer of this town. She became the mother of five children, namely: Emily, who married Simeon Marshall, and died in 1871; Edward, the subject of this sketch; tllizabeth, who died in infancy; Newton, who died in 1870; and Elizabeth (second), the wife of Nathan Story, a merchant of Essex Falls. Perkins Story's second wife died in 1874.

Edward Story attended the school in his native town, and at an early age began to assist his father in the mill. He eventually succeeded to the business, and bought a part of the homestead property. In 1874 he erected his present steam mills, which contain machinery for sawing lumber and grinding grain. He is an extensive manufacturer of planed and matched boards and other building materials, and he deals largely in grain and flour.

of Peabody, Mass. Mrs. Story died in February, 1890, leaving one daughter, Emily, who is now keeping house for her father. In politics Mr. Story is a Republican, but has never been induced to accept public ofifice. He is one of the progressive and successful business men of Essex, and is highly respected as a worthy and useful citizen. In religious belief a Universalist, he is an active member of the church in this town.

I^AMUEL HYDE BOUTWELL, of Andover, who formerly represented this district in the State legislature, was born here, March 25, 1838, son of George and Fanny (Hyde) Boutwell. The grandfather, Jonathan Boutwell, a prosperous farmer of Wilmington, Mass., who passed his last days in Andover, was the father of seven children, of whom one died young. George Boutwell, father of Samuel H., was engaged in farming in Andover during his active years, and resided here until his death. His wife, Fanny, who was a daughter of Samuel Hyde, of Newton, Mass., became the mother of seven children, namely: Lucy, now the wife of Artemus Wiswell; George and Edward H. ; Parthenia, the wife of Francis Holt; Samuel H., the subject of this sketch; Louisa, the wife of the Rev. James G. Merrill, of Portland, Me. ; and Mary K. Boutwell.

Samuel Hyde Boutwell was educated in the public schools and at Phillips Academy. He taught school in Andover and Tewksbury for four years during the winter months. Having succeeded to the possession of the homestead after his father's death, he has since been engaged in farming. Taking an earnest interest in public education, he has served as a member of the School Committee for fifteen years, and he is a trustee of the Punchard

Free School. He was a Selectman for sixteen years in succession. In 1S74 he was elected to represent Andover and North Andover in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and was later nominated for the State Senate. On January 12, 1865, Mr. Boutwell married Alice J. Trull, of Tewksbury, daughter of Nathaniel and Amada Trull. His children are: Frederic S. , Arthur T., Chester N., Winthrop S., and Alice J. Boutwell. The two last named are at home. Chester married Miss Abbie Fessenden, of Tewksbury, and resides on the homestead. Frederic is a clerk in the Andover Savings Bank. Arthur T. is the chemist in the flax mills of Smith & Dove at Andover.

^i^ ^ Gloucester, was born in this city, December i, 1841, son of Charles and Mina (Hodgkins) Boynton. The father, a son of John Boynton, was a native of Gloucester. He learned the carpenter's trade, and was a building contractor until i860. Then he established the coal and wood business now carried on by his son. He died in 1882, aged sixty-two years. By his wife, Mina, a daughter of James Hodgkins, of this city, he was the father of six children. Of these, three grew to maturity, namely: Sarah E., who married Edward A. Story, both now deceased; Charles II., the subject of this sketch; and Caroline I"., who married F. W. Bergengren, M.D., of Lynn, Mass. The father attended the Baptist church.

Charles H. Boynton was educated in the public schools of Gloucester. After completing his studies he worked at the carpenter's trade with his father. He was later employed in his father's coal and wood business. Subi68 sequently succeeding to its ownership, he has since carried it on. He is one of the leading merchants in his line in Gloucester, handling an average of twelve thousand tons of coal and eight hundred cords of wood annually, and maintaining a steady patronage. In politics he is a Republican, and he has served for two years in the Common Council. A Past Master of Tyrian Lodge, F. & A. M., he belongs to William Person Chapter of Royal Arch Masons and Bethlehem Commandery of Knights Templar. He is also connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife was formerly Mrs. Hannah J. Robinson Hazel. Both he and Mrs. Boynton are members of the Christian Scientist church.

kOSES H. CLOUGH, a retired building contractor residing in Annisquam, city of Gloucester, was born in Annisquam, October 7, 1817, son of Moses and Rhoda (Jones) Clough. Upon completing his education, which was acquired in the public schools of Gloucester, he became an apprentice to his father, who was a carpenter by trade. Before beginning work as a journeyman, he went for three seasons on a schooner engaged in the transport of sand to Boston and other places. At the age of eighteen he went to Boston, and secured work in Chelsea. Soon after he returned to Boston, and spent a year in the McLean Hospital. Thence he went to Fall River, Mass., and later to Mobile, where he worked for about six months.

After returning to Annisquam from the South, Mr. Clough began business for himself, first erecting the house which is his present residence. Upon its completion he secured contracts for other work in this vicinity, and soon had a very prosperous business.

Among the buiUlings erected by him are seven school-houses for the city of Gloucester, including the Collins School. In 1868 he built the Orthodo.x church in Lanesville and in 1S69 the General B. F. Butler residence in Annisquam. His next large contract was the building at Bay View of the stores, dwelling-houses, sheds, and barns of the Cape Ann Granite Company, of which Colonel Jonas French was manager. From there he went to Hampton, Va., and built the Soldiers' Home for the government, a work requiring several years. So highly was Mr. Clough's judgment valued by the government ofificials with whom he was then brought in contact that he was sent as adviser to the board of management when the Soldiers' Home at Milwaukee was in course of erection. General Butler sent for him to build several houses in Washington. He was next appointed to superintend the excavation of stone at Bay View, to be used for the Boston I'ostofifice and Subtreasury building, the last important work undertaken by him. Intending to reside permanently there, he purchased a place in Newtonville, Mass. ; but, finding his health was not so good as at Annisquam, he finally returned to this place, where he now lives retired.

Mr. Clough takes pride in saying that he has been a strong and radical temperance man all his life. He is held in the highest esteem by his neighbors and acquaintances, who have found him upright and honest in all his dealings. On January 3, 1841, he was united in marriage with Martha L. Jacobs, daughter of Obed and Lucretia (Littlefield) Jacobs, of Wells, Me. A son and six daughters have blessed the union; namely, Ellen Frances, Ann Eliza, Georgietta, Ada Augusta, Mary Alice, Emma, and George. Ellen, the wife of James E. Jewett, has two children - Anna

B. and Fred. Emma is the wife of Luke F. Ashley. George, a painter by trade, resides in Annisquam. Ann Eliza, who was the wife of Rhuel Griffin, of Annisquam, died aged thirty-five years; Georgietta died aged six years; Ada A. died aged eight years; and Mary Alice died at the age of two years and two months.

fRUE riKE, a well-known farmer and influential resident of Salisbury, was born in this town, September 20, 1845, son of True and Mary (Eaton) Pike. Of English origin, the family is one of the oldest not only in America but in England. Its genealogy, traced back to the days of William the Conqueror, will be found elsewhere in this work. True Pike's grandfather enlisted on the 19th of April, 1775, in the Provincial army, before any company had been raised in Salisbury. He was not only a patriot but a brave man, serving gallantly in the Colonial cause. The father, born in Salisbury, September II, 181 1, was on the Prudential Board; and his fellow-townsmen would gladly have had him serve as Selectman, but he declined. He served twice on the jury at the Salem courts. A member of the Salisbury Methodist Episcopal Church, he was a consistent Christian. He married for his first wife Mary Eaton, of Salisbury, and for his second wife May A. B. Smith, of Livermore Falls, Me. By the second marriage there were the following named children: Charles, who married Helen Eaton, of Seabrook, and is living on the old farm; Robert, deceased; George, who married Mary L. D. Pike, of Amesbury, daughter of William H. H. Pike; two children who died in infancy; Mary A., now widowed and residing with Charles Pike; and True Pike, Jr.

True Pike, the subject of this biography, after leaving school, was engaged in seafaring for the three years between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. In one of his trips, which lasted twenty-two months, he rounded the Horn on the thirteenth day of August, with the thermometer standing at twenty degrees below zero. He went to Callao, the Isle of Wight, Hamburg, Liverpool, Londonderry, and came home by way of Portland, Me. Landing in his native country when the sound of war was heard, on every side, his youthful enthusiasm was aroused, and he determined to go into the service. After drilling with a company he enlisted; but he did not go to the front, as his father did not think him old enough. He then went to Lawrence, and worked in the cotton-mills, taking charge of the weaving-room. Later he worked in Sutton and then in Salem, where he had charge of rooms for two years. From there going to Beverly, he had the oversight of the packing and shipping department in the firm of Wallis, Kellem & Bray. This place he was obliged to leave on account of a severe attack of rheumatism. Subsequently restored to health, he went to Lynn, and had the management of packing and shipping with the A. F. Smith Company. His old enemy, rheumatism, caused him to leave this employment also and come home. After getting; well again he worked successively in Lynn with Charles F. Tebbetts and in Salem with Winslow & Rogers, in both cases superintending the shipping and packing departments. For five years after this, the duration of his lease of the place, he had charge of the Salem Roller Skating Rink. Then he was engaged to take charge of the extensive shipping department in the firm of S. B. Fuller & Sons at Lynn. In 1887, at the urgent request of his sister, he came to Salisbury to make his

Wherever Mr. Pike ha.s been he has made the force of his character and his unquestioned integrity felt for the public good. At Salem he was on the Reception Committee of the Republican party during the campaign for IMaine and Logan. During three years prior to 1S9S he was on the School Board of Salisbury, and in 1896 and 1897 he was a member and the secretary of the Board of Selectmen. He has also been one of the Overseers of the Poor and a member of the Board of Health. Fraternally, he belongs to O. U. A. M., having affiliation with Niagara Council, No. 11, of Salem. He has held all the offices in the council, and is now the State Council Protector for the second time, having been in the position before in 1884; and he has also been the State Council Doorkeeper. He is likewise a member of Washington Encampment, P. O. S. of A., No. 3, of Salem; and of the Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, which he has served on various committees, marking graves and rendering other services. On April 8, 1868, he married Eliza A. Bartlett, of Newburyport, and has had one son, Charles, who died in his eighth year in Salem. Mr. Pike has in course of construction a handsome residence on Cashing Avenue, which will be completed about the first of August.

ILLIAM J. JOHNSON, a real estate and insurance broker of Manchester and a former Postmaster of the town, was born here on January 23, 1847. A son of William and Emmeline (Hill) Johnson, he comes of English origin. The father, a native of Concord, N.H., learned the cabinet-maker's trade in his native town. When nineteen years of age he came to Manchester, and secured employment at his trade as a journeyman. He subsequently engaged in business for himself, and the firm of which he was the senior partner was known as that of William Johnson & Son. This firm lasted until William J. Johnson was appointed Postmaster. The elder Mr. Johnson shortly after withdrew from active business life, and is now practically retired, being in his eighty-second year. He is one of the highly honored citizens of this town. His wife, Emmeline, a native of Manchester, was a daughter of Captain Benjamin Hill, a sea captain, who made long voyages to foreign ports, and was widely known among seafaring men. She died while her son, William J., was an infant.

Having received his education in the public schools, William J. Johnson, when about eighteen years old, began learning the cabinet-maker's trade with his father, and subsequently worked for him until he became a member of the firm of William Johnson & Son. He has always been a careful observer of current events, and has kept himself well informed on all topics of general interest. In 1885, under Mr. Cleveland's first administration, after a close contest, he was appointed Postmaster of Manchester. He took charge of the office on October i, 1885, and continued to hold the position until March i, 1890. In March, 1890, he was elected Selectman of Manchester, and held that position for one year, serving also as Overseer of the Poor for the same length of time. For a number of years he has been serving as a member of the Board of Registrars of Manchester, and is now the chairman of the board. An aggressive Democrat, he was chairman of the town Democratic Committee for some years previous to his appointment as Postmaster and for some time after his retirement therefrom, until after Cleveland's second election. He is a member and the secretary of Magnolia Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Manchester. For a number of years he has been the treasurer and collector of the First Congregational Parish of Manchester.

Mr. Johnson was married on January i, 1873, to Ella L. Taylor, of Montpelier, Vt. She has borne him three children - Fred M., Carrie T. , and Emma H. Carrie is a music teacher. Emma H. is a stenographer for the Goodyear Shoe Machinery Company at their branch ofifice in Lynn; and Fred M. Johnson is employed in the insurance business of Scull & Field, Boston. After leaving the postoffice Mr. Johnson purchased the insurance business of John H. Cheevcr, and has since given his attention to that, dealing also to some extent in real estate. He now represents ten different standard fire insurance companies, and is well known among insurance men. He is one of our Justices of the Peace and a Notary Public, in which capacities he does a large amount of business in deeds, mortgages, etc.

RNEST AUGUST DICK, a contractor and builder, residing at 209 F"erry Street, Lawrence, was born July 21, 1849, i" Saxony, Germany, son of Frederich August Dick. The father, also a native of Saxony, born January 9, 1826, was a son of a carpenter of repute. He learned the weaver's trade in his youth, and subsequently worked at it, and manufactured fabrics on his own account for some time. In 1871 he came to America, and, locating in Lawrence, spent the next ten years employed in the Washington Mills. Afterward he kept a restaurant and lunch-room on Essex Street, where he had a substantial business until his retirement from active pursuits some eight years ago. He and his wife are now spending their declining years in comfort at their cosey home, 217 Ferry Street. His wife, Ernestina Myer Dick, whom he married in 1848, was born in Saxony, May 26, 1826. They had six children, all born in Germany; namely, Ernest August, Richard, Hugo, August, Emil, and Bertha. Bertha is now the wife of Gustav Loeckler, a designer for a textile manufactory in Pawtucket, R.I. Richard Dick, the second son, went in 1874 from Lawrence to Milwaukee, Wis., where he studied gymnastics and physical culture for a year, and then went to San Francisco as a teacher. Afterward, in the same city, he followed the business of contractor and builder until his death, which occurred in 18S1, at the age of twenty -seven years. Active and enterprising, he was fairly prosperous, and at his demise left a good property. He was a Mason, and his body was laid to rest in the beautiful Masonic cemetery of San Francisco. Hugo Dick is the editor and proprietor of the Advertiser and Post, the leading German organ of New England and the only German newspaper published in Essex County. August, who learned the carpenter's trade of his older brother, is now doing a large manufacturing business in Worcester, Mass. Both he and his brother Hugo are married, and have families. Emil, who was born in 1S58, having received his early education in Lawrence, later graduated from a school of design in Germany. He was subsequently employed as a designer in a factory of Canada, and is now superintendent of the Lewiston mills in Maine.

Ernest A. Dick received his education in an academy, and early in life became conversant with the German, French, and English languages. He served three years in the

German army as a non-commissioned officer. Though he was wounded at the battle of Gravelotte, he afterward participated in the siege of Paris. In 1872 he followed his parents to New England, and, coming directly to Lawrence, soon afterward found employment with the firm of Briggs & Allyn, contractors. At the end of seven years, having mastered the details of the carpenter's trade, he established himself as a contractor and builder, and in 1 88 1 built his present dwelling. Among the important buildings erected by him are the shops of John W. Horn & Co., the Emerson Manufacturing Company's works, Hibernian Hall, Buxton Block, Turne Hall, the Gushing Hotel at Salisbury Beach, and the residences of Frank Page, Richard Sugget, Herbert Whittier, and Walter Coulson. The first to perceive the possibilities of the district around his residence, to which the only approach then was a cow-path, he purchased three acres of the land, divided it into lots, built upon it, and otherwise improved it, and then sold at a decided advantage. He has also erected a factory and sheds in the locality, and he owns cottages on Willoughby Street. In executing his contracts he employs as many as sixty men.

Mr. Dick was married October 7, 1875, to Miss Joanna Matthews, a daughter of Ernest and Joanna (Wolf) Matthews, who emigrated from Germany in 1857, and was one of the first German families to locate in Methuen, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Dick lost one child, Hugo, who died at the age of three years. They have six sons and four daughters living; namely, Ernest, Otho, Ida, Richard, Oscar, Emma, Walter, Albert, Elsie, and Eleanor. Eleanor is two years old, while Ernest is a young man of twenty. Mr. Dick is one of the original stockholders of the South Side Brewery, vvhich he built. He is a Master

Mason and a strong Republican in politics. In 1882 he served in the Common Council, although he prefers devoting his time to his business affairs rather than to public office.

SA HOWE, a lumber surveyor and inspector for a Danversport firm, was born June 18, 1830, son of Benjamin and Hannah H. (Berry) Howe. John Howe settled on the farm in Middleton about two hundred years ago, and built a part of the present dwelling-house. His son, Mark, had a son Asa, who was the grandfather of the present Asa Howe. Grandfather Asa, besides several sons, had three daughters, to each of whom by his will he left property. The homestead became the property of Benjamin and Mark. ]3enjamin married Hannah H. Berry, and died at thirty-six, leaving three children. These were: George; Benjamin; and Asa. Another child, Caroline, had died at the age of two years. Mark sold his interest in the homestead to his brother Benjamin for the sum of three thousand dollars.

At the early age of eleven the present Asa Howe began to learn the shoemaker's trade. After a time he bought his brother's interest in the farm, and has since devoted himself to its cultivation. Since it came into his possession he has added seventy-five acres to the original one hundred and fifty, which extended two miles to the south. For eleven years past he has been employed by Woodman Brothers & Ross, of Danversport, as surveyor and inspector of all lumber cut in the vicinity, the duties of which position occupy his entire time during six months of the year.

On May 27, 1857, Mr. Howe married Olive M. Richardson, daughter of Daniel and Olive Berry (Perkins) Richardson, of Middleton. They have two children: Carrie Maria, now the wife of George M. Derry, who is in the box business in Boston ; and Henry Erskine, who is with his father. Mr. Howe is a Republican, and has been a Selectman for ten years. He is a member of the Congregational church, where he was a Deacon for eight years. His son has long been the superintendent of the Sabbath-school.

ITZ E. RIGGS, formerly an extensive salt-fish dealer of Gloucester, was born May 3, 1811, son of Andrew and Nancy (Merchant) Riggs. The first ancestor of the Riggs family of whom there is any authentic knowledge was Thomas Riggs, born about the year 1632. According to the records he first appeared as a resident of Gloucester in 1650; and in 1658 he received a grant of six acres of land, located at Little River. A part of the log house that he built in 1660 is still standing and used for a habitation. In 1 661 he bought houses of Matthew Coe and Thomas and John VVakeley. He is said to have been educated in Elngland for the profession of a scrivener, and must have been a welcome acquisition to the community, half of the male members of which were unable to write. He served as Town Clerk from 1665 to 1 7 16 inclusive, was a Selectman from 1669 to 1705 inclusive, was Representative to the General Court in the year 1700, and as one of the town officials was fined by the Superior Court in Salem for non-compliance with an order of Governor Andros, calling for an assessment from the inhabitants of Gloucester. In 1698 he was chosen the first schoolmaster at a salary of one shilling sixpence per day during the town's pleasure, and at one time he was the largest land-owner in the common territory. There is in existence a small book with a parchment cover, upon the first page

Thomas Riggs died February 26, 1722. On June 7, 1658, he married Mary, daughter of Thomas Millett; and his son, Thomas (second), was born December 7, 1666. Thomas Riggs (second) drew one of the Cape lots, and was assessed in the first tax list in 1693. He settled on the westerly side of Annisquam River. In 1723 he was a commoner, and he received woodland with others in the general distribution. He died in August, 1756, and his will was proved in October of that year. On November 22, 1687, he married Ann Wheeler, of Salisbury, Mass. ; and his son, Aaron, the next in line, was born January 18, 1700. Aaron Riggs followed the trade of a housewright during his active years, and died about the year 1790. He first married Thomazine Wentworth, of Dover, N. H. His second marriage was contracted with his cousin, Annie Riggs. Aaron Riggs (second), the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, born in Gloucester, March 18, 1749, was a farmer and a fisherman. A family tradition affirms that he was a minute-man during the Revolutionary War, though his name does not appear upon any list. His death occurred September 15, 1828. He successively married Martha Adams and Mrs. Polly Oakes. Andrew Riggs, the father of Fitz E. Riggs, was born in Gloucester, April 6, 1783. He was engaged in the fishing industry. In i8i2, while on board the private armed scliooner "Orlando" of Gloucester, commanded by Captain Robert Evans, he was wounded. He died December 27, 1 8 14, from the effects of wounds received on board the United States ship "Madison" on Lake Ontario. On November 28, 1805, he married Nancy Merchant.

Fitz E. Riggs was educated in Gloucester. For some years he followed the sea, first in the merchant service and later as a fisherman, becoming the master of a vessel while still a young man. Associating himself with his brothers, Gorham and Nathaniel, he established the firm of Riggs Brothers, which was later known as Fitz E. Riggs & Brother. At one time the latter was probably the largest salt-fish concern in the city. Mr. Riggs personally superintended every detail of the business, believing that success depended as much upon the minor points as upon the more important requirements. In the course of time he acquired a fortune. He was a director of both the Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance Company and the Cape Ann National Bank. Public office he invariably declined. He was a member of the Baptist church.

Mr. Riggs married Elizabeth L. Robinson, daughter of Samuel Robinson, of this city. Of his nine children, two grew to maturity, namely: Elizabeth, now the wife of Edward S. Eveleth, M. D., of Gloucester; and Fitz E., born July 12, 1850. He died March 8, 1886.

^^ ^ tate dealer of Lynn, was born in this city, September 26, 1840. A grandson of Bijah Ranisdell, he is descended from one of the early settlers of this part of Essex County. Bijah spent a long and useful life here, dying at a very advanced age. Robert Ramsdell, son of Bijah and the father of Charles H., was born in Lynn in 1805, and died in this city in 1884. He was a shoemaker by trade, an occupation which he followed throughout the larger part of his life. He married Mary Ann Vickery, who was also a native of Lynn, and with her reared eight children.

After leaving the Lynn public schools Charles Henry Ramsdell entered the grocery store of his uncle, Oliver Ramsdell, in whose employment he spent twelve years. In August, 1864, lie enlisted for service in the Civil War, joining Company D, Elighth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, under command of Colonel Benjamin F. Peach. After serving for one hundred days, located for the most of the time in Baltimore, Md., he was mustered out, November i, 1864, at Rcadville, Mass. At once he returned to his position with his uncle, continuing with him about five years. In 1869 he purchased the grocery business of W. R. Hawkes on Maple Street, this city, an excellent location. Since then he has here built up a flourishing and lucrative trade in groceries. A man of superior business ability and tact, he has made wise investments, and has acquired a good property, much of it being in realty.

In politics Mr. Ramsdell is a Republican. During the years 1892, 1893, and 1894 he was a member of the Common Council. In the first year he served on the Committee for Altering and Laying out Streets and on that on State Aid, and in the next two terms he was on the Committees on State Aid and Fire Department. An Alderman in 1895 and 1896, he served during the first term as chairman of both the State Aid and the Fire Department Committees; and in 1896 he was in addition a member of the Committee on License and of the Special Committee on Butman's Mills. In the fall of 1897 he was elected to represent the Thirteenth Essex District in the State legislature, and is serving on the Committee of Public Services and Parishes and Religious Societies. He is a member of General Lander Post, No. 5, G. A. R. ; a member of Glenmere Lodge; and a charter member of Palestine Encampment, No. 37, L O. O. F. ; a charter member of Winniperket Tribe, I. O. R. M.; a member of Mount Zion Senate, No. 363; and of the Lynn Veteran Fireman's Association, having been an engineer in the fire department for twelve years. In communion with the Maple Street Methodist Episcopal Church, he is a trustee and the treasurer of the society.

In November, 1862, he married Miss Louise L. McGown, of Ellsworth, Me. Two children were born into their household, namely: Ruby Z., now the wife of H. E. Miiiot, of this city; and Hattic L. , the wife of William J. Morgan, also of Lynn.