USA > Massachusetts > Biographical history of Massachussetts; biographies and autobiographies of the leading men in the state, 1911, vol 9 > Part 15
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At the time of his death the number of distinguished persons holding official positions in church and state and who had par- ticipated with him in important enterprises and the resolutions passed by Courts and various Associations of which he was a mem- ber attested how high was the estimation in which he was held.
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Salmond H. Masm
EDWARD HAVEN MASON
E DWARD HAVEN MASON was born in Newton, Massa- chusetts, June 8th, 1849, and died in Boston, March 21st, 1917. His father, David Haven Mason, who was born March 17, 1818, was of high rank as a jury lawyer, a prolific writer, and an excellent speaker. He held the position of United States District Attorney from 1870 until his death in 1873. Edward Mason's mother, Sarah Wilson White, was the daughter of John Hazen White (1792-1865) and Roxanna Robinson. His paternal grandmother was Mary Haven.
The family traces its descent from Hugh Mason, who was born in England in 1606 and died in Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1678. He was a tanner, and one of the first settlers of Watertown. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bay Colony a freeman in 1634, was a representative for ten years between 1644 and 1677, and selectman for twenty-nine years, between 1639 and 1678. He was a lieutenant in 1649, and a captain in 1652. His wife, Esther, was born in England in 1610. William White, one of the maternal ancestors was born in England in 1610, and settled in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Many of the progenitors on both sides were officers in the War of the Revolution and in the Colonial Wars.
With such heritage and native environment, the social and in- dustrial conditions of Mr. Mason's childhood and youth, augmented by wise maternal influence, could not fail to result in well-developed character and tastes. The education supplied by the public schools of Newton, laid the foundation for the course at Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1869 with the degree of A.B., receiving the degree of A.M. from the same institution in 1872. He was a law student in Boston from 1868 until 1872 and from that time practiced law in that city, devoting himself chiefly to office consulta- tions, trust responsibilities and corporation law.
From 1876 to 1902 he was Associate Justice of the Newton Police Court. During the years 1882, 1883, and 1884, he was a member of the Common Council of Newton; Alderman in 1885 and 1886, and a member of the Newton School Committee in 1894, and 1895 and 1896. He was Clerk for the Newton Home for Aged People; Trustee of the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital 1899-1917; vice-president from 1908 to 1912; member of the Hospital Com- mittee 1909-1917, and President of the Hospital from 1912 until
EDWARD HAVEN MASON
his death. Upon Mr. Mason's death the trustees of the hospital adopted the following resolutions: " In every position he served the hospital with conspicuous zeal and never failing fidelity. He looked upon service to the public as a duty and for over twenty-six years served his native city of Newton with the same faithfulness which characterized his work with the hospital. A trained lawyer, he freely gave the trustees the benefit of his advice and experience. In the details of the administration his counsel was wise and far- seeing; in the problems which arose his judgment was clear, his opinion judicial and his action straightforward. Always considerate of others his courtesy was unfailing, his kindness unceasing. In his death the hospital lost a stanch supporter and devoted officer, the trustees a true friend and loyal companion, and the community a modest high-minded citizen whose whole career has been one of ever increasing usefulness and value." He was Director and counsel for many corporations and was Vice-President and Director of the Newton Trust Company.
Mr. Mason was a member of the University Club, the Brae-Burn Country Club, the Boston Athletic Club, the Boston Art Club, the Boston Chamber of Commerce, and the Harvard Clubs of Boston and New York. From his allegiance to the Republican party he never wavered.
February 1, 1877, Mr. Mason married Lelia Sylvina, the daughter of Thomas Nickerson and Sylvina (Nickerson) Nickerson. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mason: Edna Sarah (Mason) Hyde, the wife of Henry Stanley Hyde; Ella Sylvina Mason; and June (Mason) Mills, the wife of Harold P. Mills.
From his experience and observation Mr. Mason left these sug- gestions to young Americans as to the principles, methods, and habits which he believed would contribute most to the strengthening of sound ideals in American life, and would most help young people to attain true success in life. " Do some public service in politics and with charitable organizations. Keep up athletics and meet men who are worth while."
Aided by a steadiness of application, and by a readiness and power of argument, Mr. Mason made a place for himself at the bar, not merely successful, but always so honorably filled that his ability was early recognized. His life was full of service; of that kind of service that exalts a man; and the impulse of that service was an educated conscience. Thoroughly imbued with ennobling princi- ples of conduct and life Mr. Mason was always a sincere defender of right and justice.
Son Majon
JONATHAN MASON, JR.
J 1 ONATHAN MASON, JUNIOR, was born in Boston, August 20, 1756, and died in his native city on November 1, 1831. He was the son of Deacon Jonathan Mason of the Old South Church and Susannah (Powell), Mason. His father was a leading merchant of Boston during the Revolutionary period and an active patriot.
Mr. Mason's mother, a woman of noble character, exerted a strong influence upon his intellectual, moral and spiritual life. The influences of home, of school, of early companionships, of private study and of contact with men in active life, in the order named, affected his character for good and guided him in the development of his career.
Mr. Mason received his degree from Princeton in 1774, studied law with John Adams and was admitted to the bar in 1777. He happened to be an eye-witness of the Boston Massacre; and on March 5, 1780, before the authorities of Boston, he delivered the official oration on the tenth anniversary of that occurrence. He was actively engaged in politics and was elected representative to the General Court for several terms. He was also a member of the executive Council, and in 1800 was elected United States senator as the successor to Benjamin Goodhue of Salem, who had resigned. He served as senator till the end of the term in 1803. In the Senate he was particularly active in the debates on the repeal of the judici- ary act of 1801. He was also a member of Congress from 1817 to 1820, where he acted with the Federalist party. He resigned his seat May 15, 1820, after voting for the Missouri Compromise, March 3, 1820.
He was interested with Harrison Gray Otis in the association called the " Mount Vernon Proprietors " which developed property on Beacon Hill, the western of the three summits on which Boston was originally founded. The celebrated artist, John Singleton Copley, during the Revolutionary period owned an estate of about eight acres, situated on what is now Beacon Hill, and in 1795 this estate was sold to Mr. Mason and his associates. Beacon, Walnut,
JONATHAN MASON, JR.
Mount Vernon, Ivy and Pinckney Streets were laid out and other extensive improvements were undertaken. The enterprise proved highly profitable. Mr. Mason also was active in the development of Dorchester Neck, now South Boston, and was one of the incorpo- rators of the Bridge Company. He was among those who organized the Massachusetts Bank in 1784, and was chosen one of the direc- tors.
He was married in 1779 to Susannah, daughter of John Powell. They had five daughters: Susannah, wife of John C. Warren; Elizabeth, wife of Samuel D. Parker; Anna Powell, wife of Patrick Grant; Miriam, wife of David Sears; and Mary Bromfield, wife of Samuel Parkman; and two sons: William Powell Mason and Jonathan Mason. His wife was a social leader in Boston, and it was under her auspices and at her home that the first meeting of the organizers of the Boston Female Asylum was held in 1800. This was the first charitable society to be founded by the women of Boston.
Senator, business man, lawyer, statesman, banker, Jonathan Mason, Junior, was a leader of his generation. His was a brilliant mind, keen in business operations and pioneer in the organization of new forms of public service. He knew by a sort of instinct where population would be likely to increase and which portions of the city would be in demand by those who contemplated the purchase of homes. He was a lawyer of ability and was held in high repute. He was possessed of great dignity of character. His service in the Senate of the United States was substantial. He filled a large position in his day, in his city and in the nation.
Surrounded from his infancy by the noble standards of the most cultivated society, he improved the advantages that were his and added greatly to the family prestige. He paved the way for the honorable careers of his son, William Powell Mason, and his grand- son, William Powell Mason, Junior.
William Powell . Mason
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WILLIAM POWELL MASON
W "ILLIAM POWELL MASON was born in Boston, Decem- ber 9, 1791, and died in his native city December 4, 1867. His father, Jonathan Mason, was a distinguished jurist and United States senator; the son of Jonathan and Susannah (Powell) Mason. His mother was a daughter of John Powell.
William Powell Mason prepared for college in the Boston public schools. He graduated at Harvard College in the class of 1811, and at once took up the study of law in the office of Honorable Charles Jackson. He was admitted to practice in the Court of Common Pleas in Boston in September, 1814, and in the Supreme Judicial Court in December, 1816. In that year he succeeded John Gallison as reporter of the first circuit of the United States. From 1819 to 1831 he published the " Reports of Cases in the United States Circuit Court for the First Circuit, from 1816 to 1830," in five volumes. He published a second series of five volumes in 1836.
These reports comprise the decisions of Mr. Justice Story and relate to a great variety of legal subjects, constitutional, admiralty, personal and real law and chancery. " The profound learning, acuteness and thoroughness of research " that distinguished their illustrious editor adorn the pages of this record and make it a veritable store house of legal information. The careful preparation of these reports was Mr. Mason's life work, the great legacy which he left to posterity. His exactness and discretion in the performance of his task left nothing to be desired.
Mr. Mason was a member of the Massachusetts legislature during several terms, and for seven years was treasurer and secretary of the Boston Social Law Library. He was married to Hannah, daughter of Daniel Dennison Rogers, and three children were born to them: William Powell Mason, Junior, Edward Bromfield Mason, and Elizabeth Rogers Mason, who married Walter C. Cabot. He was characterized not only by learning but by rectitude, not only by legal lore but by a thirst for righteousness. An upright man of conservative disposition, he held a commanding position in the community and his memory is blessed.
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WILLIAM POWELL MASON, JR.
W ILLIAM POWELL MASON, JUNIOR, was born in Boston, on September 7, 1835, and died in Vienna, Austria, on June 4, 1901. His father, William Powell Mason (December 9, 1790-December 4, 1876), was a lawyer noted for his uprightness and conservatism; the son of Jonathan and Susannah (Powell) Mason. His mother, Hannah (Rogers) Mason, was the daughter of Daniel Dennison Rogers.
William Powell Mason, Junior, went from the Boston Latin School to Harvard University, where he graduated in 1856. He traveled in Europe for three years, and then entered the Harvard Law School, and received the degree of LL.B. in 1861.
In November, 1861, he accepted an appointment as aide-de- camp on General McClellan's staff, with the rank of Captain in the regular army, and participated in the first campaign on the Poto- mac. Being invalided shortly afterward he was obliged to return home. On March 31, 1863, he resigned and received his discharge. He became officially connected with many financial corporations including the Suffolk Savings Bank, the Merchants' National Bank, and the Edison Illuminating Company. He was director of the Old Colony Trust Company, the Edison Electric Company, the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, the Boston Pier Corpora- tion, and the Massachusetts Humane Society.
He was a member of the Somerset, Eastern Yacht, and Essex County Clubs, and the Country Club of Brookline.
In his earlier years he was what was known as an independent Whig. In religion he was a Unitarian.
He was married on November 25, 1863, to Fanny, daughter of George Peabody of Salem, and they had two children: William Powell Mason and Fanny Peabody Mason, the former of whom died October 22, 1881. Mrs. Mason died May 10, 1898.
He was not afraid of steady work: and his rise in his profession
3 and his prosperity as a business administrator bear witness to his upright character and his rectitude of mind and morals. He had the confidence of the community. Like his father he was of the old New England type and he did a man's work in the world.
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John Maxwell
JOHN MAXWELL
J OHN MAXWELL was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia, June 26, 1829, and died August 14, 1908. He was the son of Samuel Galbraith Maxwell, (1786-1839) and Anna Livingston (Blair) Maxwell.
Samuel Galbraith Maxwell was a financier. He was the son of Sir John Maxwell (1758-1842), one of the distinguished orators of his day, and of Katheryn Sterling (Tillinghast) Maxwell. His wife was the daughter of Bradford Jefferson Blair (1762-1817) and Rebecca Dorcas (Craig) Blair, who emigrated from their native Scotland in 1787 and settled in Philadelphia.
John Maxwell studied at Glasgow University. He sought practical experience in Philadelphia at the age of twenty-one, apprenticing himself to a leather manufacturer. He subsequently removed to Massachusetts and developed large leather manu- facturing interests in both Winchester and Woburn.
He married, January 6, 1852, Mary Jane Nicholls, daughter of George Henry and Beulah (Middleton) Nicholls. She was the granddaughter of Clinton Alexander and Virginia Frances Ham- mond Nicholls and Newell Blandin Hemingway and Cynthia Ellinwood (Ware) Hemingway. Newell Blandin Hemingway was a descendant of Robert James Hemingway, who came from Eng- land to New Jersey in 1793.
Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell had twelve children.
Mr. Maxwell attributed much of his success in life to the influ- ences of his early home training, where his mother's help and inspiration, both moral and spiritual, were strong.
Mr. Maxwell was a Presbyterian. He was affiliated with the Masonic order, and in politics he was a Republican. He was a great horseman and exceedingly interested in aquatic sports. He retired from active business life several years before his death, retaining, however, large land interests in the South.
The life of Mr. Maxwell was one of purity of motive and nobility of purpose, of unusual benevolence; of unostentatious striving to make good every law of brotherly love; an example of rectitude and unselfishness. As the years rolled on, his character ripened more and more richly. Unspoiled by material possessions and successes, he turned them, not only to the temporal, but to the spiritual welfare and happiness of his home life, and to that of the community which speaks his name with reverence and gratitude. His career furnishes a beautiful example of useful service to man- kind.
WILLIAM GIBBONS MEDLICOTT
W ILLIAM GIBBONS MEDLICOTT was born in Bristol, England, on November 7, 1816, and on February 17, 1883, died at Longmeadow, Massachusetts. His father, William Medlicott, son of James Medlicott, was a shipping mer- chant; he married Mary Ann Josephs, daughter of Joseph Josephs.
In the late 30's, Mr. Medlicott left England for America. He landed from a shipwreck on Long Island and found himself without a friend in this country. From his earliest boyhood he had been devoted to books but when he left school his scholarly attainments consisted of a capacity to read Latin and French with moderate difficulty, and it was only by his own determination and persever- ance that he finally acquired these languages so that he could read them fluently. He received his education in private schools of Eng- land, and later in life the degree of A.M. was conferred upon him by both Amherst and Williams Colleges.
When a very young man he became interested in the study of Anglo-Saxon, and acquired a thorough knowledge of the available literature long before this study became a course in Seminary or College. These tastes and interests enabled him later to collect valuable works which are now in the libraries of our leading Uni- versities. Some of these editions were Caedmon's Paraphrase and the Codex Exoniensis collated and annotated from early manu- scripts by some of the leading scholars on that subject, such as Conybeare and Thorpe now in Harvard College Library.
Mr. Medlicott's business career began in New York. He became a clerk in a large warehouse, and from 1846-1864 he was manager of a large manufacturing company at Enfield, Connecticut; in 1863 he founded the woolen mills since known as the Medlicott Co. of Windsor Lock, Conn. Previously in 1851 he had removed to Longmeadow, Massachusetts, remaining in that place as a resident until his death. During the years he was engaged in busi- ness he gradually built up an extensive library, valuable not only for its unusual size as a private library comprising about twenty thousand volumes, but for its choice collection of Anglican ecclesi- astical law, ritual and history; heraldry; lives and works of the Reformers; archaeology; and early versions of the Bible. The Anglo-Saxon portion of his library was such as many a college would be proud to possess. The ecclesiastical books of the early English church were numerous and fine. The Bibles were of all kinds, dating back as far in English as 1611 with reprints of earlier editions from 1535. Many of these ecclesiastical varieties are now in the Boston Public Library.
Among some of its specialties were Shakesperiana, including
And Medlicott
WILLIAM GIBBONS MEDLICOTT
most of the Halliwell-Phillips publication and reprints; Ballads and Ballad literature; Liturgiology, with a good collection of Books of Common Prayer for the Anglican Church, and a few Oriental liturgies, and many fine illuminated manuscripts. Some went to the British Museum. The Boston Public Library was enriched with many early versions of the Bible in English, including a copy of the 1611 edition of the authorized or King James translation.
One of the chief features of this remarkable library was the fact that it was formed by one who was not a college graduate but one who was appreciative of the finest and best in the world of letters. Seldom does one find a business man treasuring and knowing the value and usefulness of books as he did.
Books were his chief diversion, New York and London firms acting as his agents in searching the British markets for literary " finds." He even made trips to Europe himself, partly in the inter- ests of his business but also in pursuit of his hobby.
His sympathies were largely Republican in politics. In religious faith he was a member of the Church of England, although he was a stanch supporter of the Congregational church at Longmeadow, it being the only religious body of the town. He was regarded as one of the leading and most influential citizens of that community.
Mr. Medlicott married Marianne, daughter of Israel and Agnes (Abbatt) Dean on September 17, 1843. Of this marriage there were three children. His second marriage was on May 2, 1854, to Eliza Bliss, daughter of Ambrose and Sylvia Collins, and a descen- dant from Thomas Bliss and Benjamin Collins who came to America from England, in the early part of the seventeenth century. There were two children of this marriage. The names of those who sur- vive him are: Mary, for 30 years reference librarian of the City Library of Springfield. Mrs. Agnes M. Cooley, mother of the late Judge Alford W. Cooley formerly asst. atty. general of the U. S. Bertha, a house mother at Smith College, William Bliss, general agent of the Atlas Assurance Company, Limited, of England and Boston, also a lecturer on Insurance at the School of Business Administration Harvard University. Another son, Arthur Dean Medlicott, the eldest of his family, whose business career was devoted to railroading, died in 1908.
Mr. Medlicott was a true " gentleman of the old school." His kindliness and generosity were known afar, as well as his scholarly attainments and acquirements.
Sincerity, earnestness, absolute uprightness, joined to hard common sense and rare reach of intellect, with inextinguishable energy and kindliness of heart dominating all - therein lies the secret of his marvelous success both as a business man and as a collector of choice works in literature.
GEORGE VON LENGERKE MEYER
G r EORGE VON LENGERKE MEYER, former Secretary of the Navy, United States ambassador to Italy and Russia, postmaster-general, and one of the foremost citizens of Massachusetts, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, June 24, 1858, and died there on March 9, 1918. His father, George Augustus Meyer, 1825-1889, was widely known as a merchant, engaged in the East India trade. He married Grace Helen, daughter of William and Sarah (Stevens) Parker, and a descendant from William and Zerviah (Stanley) Parker, who came from England to America in 1703, and settled in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Among the distinguished maternal kinsmen of Mr. Meyer was Samuel Parker (1744-1804) second Protestant Episcopal bishop of Massachusetts and the tenth in succession in the American Episco- pate, who was the son of Judge William and Elizabeth (Grafton) Parker of Portsmouth, and grandson of William and Zerviah (Stanley) Parker. Mr. Meyer's mother was a woman of culture, and one whose example and teachings were a great help to him.
Mr. Meyer received his education in the schools of Boston, and was prepared for college at Mr. Noble's Private School. He entered Harvard College and graduated 1879 with the degree of A.B. In 1912 his Alma Mater conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D.
He began his business career in the counting room of Alpheus H. Hardy and Company, commission merchants, of Boston. He remained with this house until 1881, when he became a member of the firm of Linder and Meyer, commission merchants - a firm which his father had established on India Wharf in 1841. In the course of a comparatively short business career he filled many positions of responsibility.
Mr. Meyer early took an active interest in politics and city administration, and in 1889 was elected to the Common Council on the Republican ticket.
He was re-elected for 1890. During this term he served on the Finance Committee; the Committees on water; on laying out and widening streets and on the Charles River bridges. In the fall of 1890 he was elected to the Boston Board of Aldermen from the fourth district, receiving the nomination of both Republicans and Democrats, and in 1891 he was elected to represent Ward 9 in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In the Legislature of 1892 he served on the Committee on Cities and Taxation, and in 1893 was House Chairman of the Committee on Railroads. In this same year his "stock at auction " bill was successfully intro- duced and passed. He was elected and served as Speaker of the House in 1894 and was re-elected in 1895 and 1896.
In March, 1899, Mr. Meyer was appointed by Governor Wolcott chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Managers at the Paris
الخطعار الص وديوم ٥
GEORGE VON LENGERKE MEYER
Exposition. In the same year he entered National politics and was elected Republican National Committeeman from Massachusetts. In that capacity he attended the National Convention in 1900. In December of the same year President Mckinley appointed him United States Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy as successor to General William F. Draper of Massachusetts, and in January, 1901, he established the American Embassy in Palazzo Brancaccio, Rome, Italy. When leaving his post there as ambassador Mr. Meyer received from His Majesty the King of Italy, the order of St. Maurice and of St. Lazarus.
In March, 1905, Mr. Meyer was transferred by President Roose- velt to St. Petersburg, Russia, where he succeeded Ambassador Robert S. McCormack, appointed to the post in 1902, and he ably represented the Government of the United States during the trying times of the Russo-Japanese War; and the internal dissensions in Russia that followed the peace between the two Nations.
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