USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Biographical review, containing life sketches of leading citizens of Essex County, Massachusetts > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
In politics Mr. Goodhue is a firm advocate of Republican principles. On November 30, 1882, he married Miss Addie Farnum, of Gloucester, a daughter of Samuel and Abigail (Andrews) Farnum. Mr. and Mrs. Goodhue have two children, namely: Fannie Belle, born July 29, 1883; and William W., born August 6, 1889. The family are members of the First Church of Ipswich.
7 ELLINGTON POOL, Town Clerk of Wenham, also the sexton and clerk of the Congregational parish, is a native of Rockport, Mass., born on July 5, 1831. His parents, Colonel William and Sophia (Tarr) Pool, were both born in Rock- port. The Pools are an old family of Rock- port. John Pool, the great-great-grandfather of Wellington, was the second permanent set- tler in the town. The first settler, Richard Tarr, was an ancestor of Mrs. Sophia Pool. Caleb Lufkin, a great-grandfather of Welling- ton, was a soldier of the Revolution. Deacon Abraham Pool, the paternal grandfather, was one of the leading citizens of Rockport.
Colonel William Pool, born March 16, 1796, was a school teacher in the carly and middle part of his life. Later he carried on a farm, and did considerable surveying. He was the first Town Clerk of Rockport after it was set off from Gloucester in 1840, and con- tinued to hold the office for twenty-nine years, being succeeded by his son Calvin, the present incumbent. From 1850 to 1856 he was a Special Commissioner of Essex County. He was a member of the School Committee
183
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
for many years and the secretary of the Con- gregational Sabbath-school for a quarter of a century. His title was received in the Mas- sachusetts militia, he being an officer in the Second Regiment, First Brigade of the Second Division of that organization. During the War of 1812 he was engaged in military duty as a private, and subsequently he received a land warrant for his services. His wife, Sophia, born September 15, 1796, was a daughter of Jabez Tarr, a soldier of the Revo- lution, who was in Captain John Row's com- pany, fought at Bunker Hill, and took part in the siege of Boston. At his second enlist- ment Jabez joined Captain Swazey's company from Marblehead, regiment of Colonel Glover, who afterward was made a General, and subse- quently fought at White Plains and in other engagements. He also served as prize-mas- ter's mate on the Gloucester packet, a gun- ship that was in service near the close of the war. Benjamin Tarr, father of Jabez, and great-grandfather on the maternal side of the subject of this sketch, served in the war of the Revolution for about six months, in 1776, as Second Lieutenant in Captain Joseph Whipple's company, in the sea-coast defense at Gloucester, Mass. The living children of Colonel William and Sophia Pool are: Well- ington; Calvin W., of Rockport; and Sophia, the wife of Alonzo Wheeler, and now a resi- dent of Rockport. Colonel Pool died Novem- ber 3, 1871, aged seventy-five years, and his wife on February 14, 1867, aged nearly seventy-one years.
Wellington Pool remained in his native town until twelve years of age. Then he came to Wenham, where he began to learn the shoemaker's trade, which he followed until 1876. He worked in Wenham until 1871 and after that in factories at Beverly. Since 1875 he has been Justice of the Peace. In
1870 he was elected Clerk of Wenham, in which capacity he has served up to the present time. At first a Whig, he joined the Repub- lican party at its organization. He is now a member of the Republican Town Committee, and was formerly its secretary. His first Presidential vote was cast for General Scott, but in 1856 he voted for General Fremont. Mr. Pool is also the clerk of the Congrega- tional parish and the church sexton. He is a member of the Masonic order; of Alexander Hamilton Council, No. 10, Order of United American Mechanics; of Aggressive Lodge of Good Templars at Beverly, Mass .; of the Essex Institute of Salem; of the Society of Colonial Wars in the Commonwealth of Mas- sachusetts; of the Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution; and of the Massachusetts Society of the War of 1812. For years he has been an earnest advocate of temperance.
ILLARD ALVIN BURNHAM, who for many years has been identi- fied with the building of fishing- vessels in Essex, was born in this town, Octo- ber 1, 1841, son of Willard R. and Lucy (Andrews) Burnham. He is a descendant of Lieut. Thomas Burnham, who was born in England in 1623, and came to America with his uncle, Captain Robert Andrews, on board the ship "Angel Gabriel" in 1635. The line of descent continues through John Burn- ham, born in Essex in 1648; Thomas Burn- ham, born in 1673; Jeremiah Burnham, born in 1702; and Willard Alvin's great-grand- father, Aaron Burnham, who was born in Essex, May 15, 1743. Of this family, one of the oldest and best known in this part of the county, a more extended account will be found in the biography of Washington Burnham.
184
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
Moses Burnham, the grandfather, born in Essex, December 24, 1771, was a fisherman and a farmer, and died in 1859. He married Eunice Andrews, and had a family of seven children, of whom none survive. They were : Aaron, Moses, Eli F., Eunice, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Willard R. Willard R. Burn- ham, Willard A. Burnham's father, was born in Essex, July 6, 1807, and died November 6, 1897. In his earlier years he was engaged in the fishing industry. Later he became a boat-builder, and constructed many vessels for the Gloucester fleet. For the last eighteen years of his life he lived in retirement in Essex. His wife, Lucy Andrews, who was born in this town, May 9, 1813, became the mother of two children, namely: Lucy, Amelia, born April 18, 1837, who died July 19, 1851 ; and Willard A., the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Willard R. Burnham died Feb- ruary 1, 1872.
Willard Alvin Burnham acquired a com- mon - school education, and, when a young man, learned the boat-building trade with his father. He has since followed that occupa- tion in Essex, with the exception of a short time spent in Gloucester, and is now carrying on business to some extent. Besides this he has an interest in the Safe Deposit and Trust Company of Gloucester, of which he is a director. On July 30, 1861, he was united in marriage with Clarissa L. Story, daughter of Jonathan Story, a carpenter by trade, and Clarissa (Low) Story, both of whom were natives of Essex and are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Burnham have two daughters : Laura A., the wife of Frederick Haskell, a black- smith of Essex; and Hettie Chester, the wife of Francis Cogswell, a carpenter of this town. Politically, Mr. Burnham is a Republican and a member of the Republican Town Com- mittee. He served with ability as a Select-
man and Assessor for seven years, as a mem- ber of the School Board for three years, as chief of the fire department for eight years ; and he is at present a trustee of the Essex Library. His public services in these capaci- ties are highly commended by his fellow- townsmen. He is connected with John D. Hurd Lodge, F. & A. M., of Ipswich, and with Starr King Lodge, No. 81, Knights of Pythias.
EORGE A. SMITH, of Lawrence, Mass., superintendent of the Law- rence Public Library, was born No- vember 21, 1835, in Worcester County, this State. After completing his education in the public schools of Barre, Worcester County, he came to Lawrence a lad of fifteen years, but a few months later returned home to Barre, and went to work in the mills in the village of Smithville.
In 1856 he accepted a position in the spin- ning department of the Atlantic Mills in Lawrence; and, wlien those mills were closed in 1862, he went to the Pemberton Mills, then just rebuilt after the falling of the walls on the 10th of January, 1860, in which one hundred or more persons lost their lives. Two years later he left the Pemberton, and returned to the Atlantic, where he was soon given charge of the spinning department of the largest mill. Mr. Smith continued his connection with this company for thirty con- secutive years, during the last twenty of which he had control of all the ring spinners and spoolers of the different mills of this large plant, having as many as three hundred and fifty hands under his immediate supervision. During his many years of experience he be- came thoroughly acquainted with the details of the business; and during several legal con-
185
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
tests over patents in which he was interested he was before the courts as a witness and an expert, in one important case being on the stand seventeen days. As he had visited all the large mills of New England and investi- gated the machinery of the various plants, his testimony was clear and of great assistance in deciding the merits of the questions pending.
Although not a college graduate, Mr. Smith has always taken a deep interest in literary pursuits, and has written on many topics, con- tributing articles in prose and sometimes in verse to different periodicals. His especial hobby of recent times has been the cultivation of seeds, flowers, and fruit, in which he has been unusually successful. In 1890 he came into possession of the Whiting property, a large brick block fitted up for four tenements, one of which he and his family occupy. The past five years since leaving the mill Mr. Smith, as superintendent of the public library, has had charge of the building and the surround- ing grounds. He is prompt in forwarding whatever in his opinion will advance the moral interests of the community, and for thirty-eight years he has been an active mem- ber and for many years a Deacon of the Sec- ond Baptist Church.
Mr. Smith and Nancy B. Smith, of Wind- sor, Vt., were married in November, 1858. Their only daughter, Blanche, died at the tender age of three and one-half years. They have three sons, all of whom are married and have families; namely : Howard I., who is an employee of the Greenwood Company, of New Hartford, Conn .; George H., who is con- nected with the Pemberton Mills in Law- rence; and Fred W., an engineer in the electric plant in Springfield, Mass. The grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Smith are five in number.
Mr. Smith has never sought political
honors; and he has held but one office, that of Councilman from Ward Three in 1865, he being one of the last Republicans elected from that stronghold of Democracy. The old high school was built that year, and Mr. Smith was on the committee that built the police station also. The only thing he takes real pride in is the fact that for thirty-seven years he has had charge of one class in the Sunday-school.
DWARD P. WILDES, late a well- known and influential resident of Georgetown, Mass., at the time of his death, on May 4, 1898, chairman of the Board of Overseers of the Poor, was born in this town, August 27, 1832. He was a son of Green and Mary D. (Jewett) Wildes. His paternal grandfather, Ezra Wildes, who was born in Boxford, Mass., in 1749, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Green Wildes was born in 1812, and died in 1874. He was a farmer and a shoe manufacturer during the active period of his life. His wife, Mary D. Jewett, who was born in Georgetown in 1812, a daughter of Jeremiah Jewett, died in 1884.
Edward P. Wildes was educated in the com- mon schools of Georgetown and at the Dun- mer Academy in Newbury. After completing his course of study he remained at home, as- sisting his father in carrying on the farm until reaching his majority; and then he be- came a cutter in a shoe factory at Georgetown village. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in Company K, Fiftieth Regiment, Mas- sachusetts Volunteer Infantry, under Captain John G. Barnes and Colonel C. P. Messer. He served under General Banks at New Or- leans, was at the siege and capture of Port Hudson, and was discharged in 1863. In the following year he re-enlisted in the Seven-
186
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
teenth Unattached Company, under Captain Barnes, and was commissioned by Governor Andrew Second Lieutenant. He was sta- tioned at Fort Pickering in Salem Harbor for one hundred days, which was the term of his enlistment ; and, again enlisting, he was com- missioned First Lieutenant, and mustered out as such in 1865.
Mr. Wildes was a comrade of Everett Pea- body Post, No. 108, G. A. R., in which' he filled various official positions, finally serving as Adjutant. He was a firm supporter of the Democratic party, being chairman of the Essex County Democratic Committee. He served as Overseer of the Poor for eight years or more, and was for a number of years a trustee of the Peabody Library of Georgetown. He was a charter member of Starr King Lodge, F. & A. M., of Salem, and acted as organ- ist until joining Charles C. Dame Lodge, of Georgetown, in which he officiated in the same capacity from the date of its organiza- tion. He was a teacher of music, and from 1853 he sang in church choirs in this town.
In 1857 Mr. Wildes was united in marriage with Martha J. Dorman, daughter of Cyrus Dorman, of Georgetown. One son, Charles E., was born to Mr. and Mrs. Wildes in 1859. He married Emma Rollins.
OSIAH ARTHUR LAMSON, an ex- tensive and thriving agriculturist of Topsfield, Essex County, Mass., son of Josiah Bridge Lamson, was born May 3, 1843, at the ancestral homestead, in the house in which he now lives. He is a lineal descend- ant of William Lamson, who came from County Durham, England, and settling at Ipswich, Mass., was made a freeman there in 1637. Barnabas Lamson was a Selectman in Cambridge in 1636.
The family name has been variously spelled, Lampsom, Lampton, Lamson, and Lambton, the present Earl of Durham adhering to the latter form. The original deed of the present homestead property in Topsfield shows that "William Howlett " sold "for one hundred and fifty pounds, to John Lamson, fifty acres of upland and meadow on south side of Ipswich River, November 19, 1680."
The following is the copy of another paper preserved in the Lamson family : -
AT A COURT HOLDEN AT BOSTON, MARCH 4, 1632.
It is ordered that no person soever shall go to plant or inhabit at Agawam without leave from the Court ex- cept those that are already gone with Mr. John Win- throp pere primis; Mr. Clark, Robert Coldy, Thomas Howlet, John Biggs, John Gage, Thomas Hardy, Will- iam Perkins, Mr. Thorndyke, William Sargent.
A true coppy of Record.
Examined, J. J. WILLARD, Secry.
Captain John Lamson, the grandfather of Josiah Arthur Lamson, inherited the original Topsfield homestead, on which he was born June 3, 1787; and he lived here until his death, nearly seventy years later, October 3, 1856. He had but one brother, Dr. Josiah Lamson, of Essex, Mass. On September 2, 1812, Captain John Lamson married Priscilla Averill, who was born May 17, 1792, and died August 12, 1872. She was a direct descend- ant in the eighth generation of Governor Thomas Dudley and his wife, Dorothy.
A brief record of the children of Captain John and Priscilla Averill Lamson is as fol- lows: Josiah Bridge, born March 5, 1815, died May 11, 1868; Althea Huntington, born March 19, 1817, died November 22, 1842, unmarried; Mercy Perkins, born May 15, 1819, married Joseph Beckett, of Peabody, and died in March, 1895; Mary Ann, born
187
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
February 28, 1821, married Alfred Mckenzie, of Peabody, and died September 15, 1873; John, born October 28, 1823, died when young ; Priscilla Augusta, born November 28, 1828, married Frederic Porter, of Salem, and died in that city, April 25, 1862; and John Augustus, born March 3, 1831, is a promi- nent physician of Boston, Mass., located at 35 Fairfield Street, at the Back Bay.
Josiah Bridge Lamson, the eldest son, occu- pied the homestead farm of three hundred acres, lying near the old Appleton property. In November, 1838, he married Angelina Mason, who was born in Sullivan, N. H., Feb- ruary 2, 1819. They had five children, namely : Anna Sprague Lamson, a teacher in Cambridgeport, Mass. ; Josiah Arthur, farmer of Topsfield; Alathea Orietta, wife of Eugene L. Wildes; Ada Maria, wife of Clarence H. Smith, of Brockton, Mass. ; and Angie, wife of George M. Adams, of Hamilton. Mrs. Angelina M. Lamson died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Wildes, March 10, 1889.
Josiah Arthur Lamson has succeeded to the occupation and home of his forefathers, and is well sustaining the reputation of "a skilful and thrifty farmer" in former times bestowed upon each preceding ancestor. Fifty acres have been added to the original estate, giving him an aggregate of three. hundred acres of land to manage. This he does in a most in- telligent and capable manner, taking advan- tage of the most approved modern methods, carrying on general farming and dairying with eminent success. He raises some stock, and from his dairy of twenty choice cows sells the milk, finding that a more profitable way to dispose of it than by manufacturing butter or cheese. A part of his pleasant dwelling- house, which is an old landmark of Topsfield, was built more than two hundred years ago, additions to it having been made from time to
time, as more room and more conveniences were deemed necessary. He has replaced the old barn by a commodious and well-arranged structure.
Mr. Lamson is a Republican in politics, but not an office-seeker. He takes an active interest in town affairs, and has been on the School Committee for nine consecutive years, a fact that speaks well for the efficiency of his service. He belongs to the Essex County Agricultural Society ; is a member of Fountain Lodge, No. 170, I. O. O. F., of Topsfield, in which. he has passed all the chairs; of the A. O. U. W., in which he has filled all the offices; of the Topsfield Historical Society ; and of the Topsfield Grange, of which he has been Master.
Mr. Lamson was married December 21, 1868, to Miss Harriett A. Wells, who was born in Topsfield, January 13, 1841, a daugh- ter of Hiram and Almira (Small) Wells, of this town. Mr. and Mrs. Lamson have two children, namely: Gertrude Idalia, born No- vember 17, 1869, who is married to Arthur C. Glover, and has one child, John Lamson Glover, born December 14, 1896; and Fred Josiah, born July 1, 1871, who married Agatine Gowen.
Mr. Lamson's grandson, John Lamson Glover, now in his second year, is of the twelfth generation of the posterity of Governor Thomas Dudley and his wife, Dorothy. The following table shows his descent through various male and female ancestors : -
I. Governor Thomas Dudley.
2. Anne Dudley, who married Governor Simon Bradstreet.
3. John Bradstreet, who married Sarah Perkins.
4. Simon Bradstreet, second, who married Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Joseph Capen, of Topsfield.
188
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
5. Elizabeth Bradstreet, who married Jo- seph Peabody.
6. Priscilla Peabody, who married Isaac Averill.
7. Elijah Averill, who married Mary Gould.
8. Priscilla Averill, who married Captain John Lamson.
9. Josiah Bridge Lamson, who married Angelina Mason.
IO. Josiah Arthur Lamson, who married Ilarriett A. Wells.
II. Gertrude Idalia Lamson, who married Arthur C. Glover.
12. John Lamson Glover, born December 14, 1896.
AMES ABBOTT, the well-known paint- ing contractor of Gloucester, Mass., is a resident of Rockport, where he was born February 26, 1864, being the only son of Eben G. and Elizabeth (Rowe) Abbott. His father was a native of Rockport, as was also his paternal grandfather, both bearing the name of Eben G. Abbott. His great-grand- father, William Abbott, a citizen of this town, was a Revolutionary soldier. The Abbott and Rowe families are of English origin.
Eben G. Abbott, second, James Abbott's father, was prominent in the business circles of Rockport and Gloucester. For several years he served as president of the Granite Savings Bank of Rockport and as a director of the Rockport National Bank. In 1870 he engaged in the painting business in Glouces- ter, carrying it on alone until 1884, when he admitted his son to partnership, continuing actively connected with the firm until 1894. He died October 3, 1896. He was a gener- ous, public-spirited citizen, ever ready with his aid and influence to forward any movement calculated to be of benefit to the town. In
politics he was a Republican. He was an active Mason and Odd Fellow and an hono- rary member of the Grand Army of the Re- public. For years he was one of the leading members of the Methodist Episcopal church, contributing liberally toward its support, and serving as its treasurer and superintendent of the Sunday school. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth R. Abbott, who is a native of this town, and resides here. Her children are both living, namely: James, the subject of this sketch; and Lucy A., wife of Loring Cook, of Gloucester.
James Abbott in his youth, after attending the public schools, completed his studies with a commercial course at Bryant & Stratton's Business College, Boston. He learned the painting business with his father, who ad- mitted him to partnership, as above stated; and since 1894 he has been sole proprietor. He is engaged principally in contracting for the painting of vessels, and during the busy season he employs a large force of workmen. In 1895 he also engaged with his cousin, Freeman H. Abbott, in the ice business in Gloucester, under the firm name of F. H. Abbott & Co., their plant being situated at Cape Pond. For a number of years Mr. James Abbott has been a trustee of the Granite Savings Bank; and in January, 1897, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Rock- port National Bank. At the present time he is serving as Senior Warden of Ashler Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and is Past Grand of Granite Lodge, I. O. O. F. He is also a member of Bethlehem Commandery, Knights Templars, and an associate member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Mr. Abbott married Susan G. Dennis, daughter of John G. Dennis, late of Rock- port. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Abbott, and three of them are now
GEORGE R. BRADFORD.
191
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
living ; namely, James Norman, Eben Ray- mond, and Susie Elizabeth Abbott. One daughter, Lucy Dennis Abbott, died Decem- ber 13, 1892, at the age of four years.
G EORGE RICHARD BRADFORD, president of the First National Bank, Gloucester, Mass., and one of the most prominent business men on Cape Ann, is a native of North Springfield, Vt., and was born November 7, 1828. His parents were Richard and Mary (Stimson) Bradford. His father was born April 4, 1797, in Chester; and his mother was a native of Ludlow, Vt.
Andrew Bradford, grandfather of George R., was a native of Massachusetts. He be- came one of the early settlers in the vicinity of Springfield, Vt., where he was engaged in farming for the greater part of his life. He served in the Revolutionary War as a member of Captain Moody Dustin's company, which was attached to the Second Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, fought under General Stark in the battle of Bennington, and also took part in the battles of Stillwater and Sara- toga. He again entered the army in the War of 1812, and was present at the battle of Plattsburg. He lived to be seventy-eight years old, and died in 1838. The maiden name of his wife was Lucy Parker. They were married in Milford, N.H.
Richard Bradford, George R. Bradford's father, learned the cabinet-maker's trade, which was his principal occupation during his active years; and he also carried on a small farm. For several years he was asso- ciated with his brother Andrew in the cabinet- making business, and employed several men. He was an ardent abolitionist, and followed the majority of the Whig element into the ranks of the Republican party. In his relig-
ious views he was a Baptist. Richard Brad- ford died April 30, 1890, at the advanced age of ninety-three years. His wife, Mary Stim- son, was a daughter of Charles Stimson, of Ludlow, Vt. They were the parents of two children, namely: George R., the subject of this sketch; and Mary, who resides in Gloucester, and is the widow of Lewis Davis.
George Richard Bradford acquired his edu- cation in the district schools of his native town; and in the summer of 1844 he worked in the granite quarries at Rockport, Mass. He returned to Vermont the following winter ; and in the spring he accompanied his parents to Whitinsville, Mass., where he learned the painter's trade. Three years later he went to Janesville, Wis., where he was employed the succeeding year in a large store kept by the county treasurer, and then rejoined his par- ents, who had returned to Springfield, Vt. His next engagement was as manager of a large store in Moulton, Ala., where he remained nearly two years. Returning to Rockport, Mass., he purchased a grocery store, which he sold two years later. He then became associated with Eames, Stimson & Co. as a partner, assisting in organizing that concern, and contributing largely to its capital stock. He was actively engaged in directing its affairs for ten years, or until the enterprise was sold to the corporation known as the Rockport Granite Company, with which he is still officially connected. Mr. Bradford had already become a director in the Rockport Bank, and he now decided to give his princi- pal attention to the national banking busi- ness. Refusing a good offer from a West- ern national bank, just organized under the new system, he became one of the incorpora- tors of the First National Bank of Glouces- ter, an enterprise that has been successful from the start. Mr. Bradford was its cashier
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.