USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III > Part 134
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(VII) Alanson Knox, son of Isaac J. Hawks, was born in Charlemont, September 9, 1828, died October 20, 1902. He was edu- cated in the public schools of his native town. Just after his marriage he and his wife went to Edgefield district, South Carolina, where he kept the toll gate on the plank road and his wife taught school. He was much op- posed to slavery, and when the Kansas con- troversy arose he went thither in 1858 to be- come one of the anti-slavery settlers. While living in that state he laid out the town of Hartford, which was a part of his farm, and the people there to this day call him the "Father of Hartford". He was a member of the first Free Soil legislature of Kansas. At
(IV) Sergeant Gershom, son of Eliezer (2) Hawks, was born February 23, 1715-16, died December 28, 1799. He served through the French wars. He settled at Charlemont, where his house and that of his brother Seth, were set near together and picketed, forming a fort that was garrisoned by the colony, and Ser- geant Hawks put in command in 1755. He, with his brothers, Seth and Joshua, were among the earliest settlers of the plantation. He married, May 9, 1744, Thankful, daughter . the close of the civil war he came east and of James Corse; she died December 6, 1800, located at Shelburne Falls. He took an ac- tive part in public affairs, and was a repre- sentative to the general court of Massachu- setts, 1876-78. In politics he was a Republi- can. He was treasurer of the Shelburne Falls Savings Bank for more than thirty-two years. To a remarkable degree he deserved aged seventy-eight. Children: I. Azubah, baptized February 10, 1745, died young. 2. Thankful, baptized September 1, 1746; mar- ried Samuel Hitchcock, of Hawley. 3. Mi- riam, baptized January 18, 1749. 4. Gershom, baptized September 30, 1750; married, Janu-
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and enjoyed the esteem and confidence of all classes of people. He was generous, kindly and conscientious in his dealings; of abso- lute integrity and public spirit. In religion he was a Baptist. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Shelburne Falls. He married, January, 1853, Azubah Zerviah Rice, of Rowe, born July 27, 1831, died Au- gust 25, 1895. Children : I. Charles William, born March 21, 1856, see forward. 2. Son, born and died in 1867.
(VIII) Charles William, son of Alanson Knox Hawks, was born in Shelburne Falls. Massachusetts. March 21, 1856. He was elucated in the public schools and at Worcester Academy. At the age of nineteen he became bookkeeper in the Shelburne Falls National Bank, and since 1887 has been its cashier. He is well and favorably known in financial and business circles in western and central Massachusetts. In politics. he is a Re- publican, and in religion a Baptist, being a member of the First Baptist Church of Shel- burne Falls. He married, October 15, 1879. Sarah E. Bardwell, of Shelburne, daughter of Orsimus O. Bardwell (see Bardwell, VI). Children, born at Shelburne Falls: I. Helen V., born August 28, 1880, died August 29, 1906, married, at Boulder, Colorado, Ralph English. 2. John Alanson, born November 26, 1887. 3. Charles Bardwell, born August 31, 1892.
HOOKER Commander Edward Hooker, United States navy, in a pa- per read before the Hooker gathering in August, 1892, gives the following as the English ancestry of Rev. Thomas Hooker, American immigrant :
(I) John Hooker was of Devonshire, Eng- land. He had a brother Roger, and a sister Mary, who married John Russell, of Leices- tershire. Children : I. John, lived in Som- ersetshire. 2. Thomas, mentioned below. 3. Rev. Zachary, rector of St. Michaels, Cathays, Cornwall.
(II) Thomas, son of John Hooker, was of Devonshire. Children : I. Daughter, mar- ried Dr. George Alcock, of London. 2. Rev. Thomas, mentioned below. 3. Dorothy, mar- ried John Chester, of Leicestershire.
(II1) Rev. Thomas (2), immigrant ances- tor, was born at Marfield, Leicestershire, Eng- land, July 7, 1586. Cotton Mather, in his "Magnalia" says of him: "He was born of parents that were neither unable nor unwilling to bestow upon him a liberal education ;
whereunto the early, lively sparkles of wit ob- served in him did very much encourage them. His natural temper was cheerful and cour- teous; but it was accomplished with such a sensible grandeur of mind, as caused his friends, without the help of astrology, to prog- nosticate that he was born to be considerable." Regarding his education and conversion Sprague says : "He was educated at Emanuel College, Cambridge, of which, in due time, he became a Fellow. He acquitted himself in this office with such ability and fidelity as to It secure universal respect and admiration. was while he was thus employed that he be- came deeply impressed with the importance of eternal realities, and after a protracted season of bitter anguish of spirit, he was enabled to submit without reserve to the terms of the Gospel, and thus to find peace and joy in be- lieving. His religious experience, in its very commencement, seems to have been uncom- monly deep and thorough; and no doubt it was partly owing to this that he became so much distinguished, in after life, as a coun- sellor, comforter and guide, to the awakened and desponding." He frequently preached at Cambridge, and for some time in London and vicinity. In 1626 he became a lecturer and assistant to the Rev. Mr. Mitchell at Chelms- ford, and among his hearers were noblemen and others of high standing in English so- ciety. He was accustomed, once a year, to visit his native county, and was once asked to preach in the great church at Leicester. One of the chief burgesses of the town was great- ly opposed to his preaching there, and not being able to hinder him, he set persons to fiddling in the churchyard with a view to dis- turb him. But Mr. Hooker was able to retain command of his audience, and at last even the fiddler went to the door to listen, and the story goes that his conversion followed.
In 1630 a spiritual court which held its ses- sions at Chelmsford silenced Mr. Hooker for non-conformity. Although he was in accord with the doctrines of the English church, there were certain forms of worship which he could not practice, and on this ground he was for- bidden to minister to the people. He contin- ued, however, to live near Chehnsford, and was employed in teaching a school at Little Braddow, having John Eliot, afterwards the famous Indian Apostle, in his family as an usher. A petition signed by forty-seven min- isters of the established church was sent to the spiritual court, asking to have Mr. Hooker re- established, but it did no good. After a short
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residence in retirement, under the patronage of his friend. the Earl of Warwick, he determ- ined to seek a home in Holland, and his steps were watched by his persecutors, and he was followed even to the shore, but the ship, for- tunately, had got off shore before his pursuers arrived. Mr. Hooker remained in Holland three years, and was at first employed as an as- sistant of Mr. Paget at Amsterdam. On ac- count of a misunderstanding with him, Mr. Hooker removed to Delft, and was associated with Rev. Mr. Forbes, a Scotch minister. Two years later he accepted a call to Rotterdam to assist Rev. Dr. William Ames. Dr. Ames is said to have remarked that he had never met a man equal to Mr. Hooker as a preacher or a learned disputant.
Mr. Hooker decided to go to New England, but wished to return to England first, as the times were supposed to be somewhat more tol- erant. On his arrival there, however, he found that his enemies were still active, and he was obliged to live in concealment until his depart- ure for New England. He left England about the middle of July, 1633, from the Downs, on the ship "Griffin." Such was his peril that he and his friend, Mr. Cotton, were obliged to remain concealed until the ship was well out at sea. He arrived at Boston, Massachusetts; September 4. 1633, and on October II, was chosen pastor of the church at Newtown (Cam- bridge). He remained here to the great satis- faction of the people for two and one half years. In June, 1636, he joined the company of those who went to make a settlement at Hartford, Connecticut, and from this time was identified with almost all the important public movements in the colony. He was one of the moderators of the first New England synod held at Cambridge, in the case of the celebrated Ann Hutchinson. He published many books and sermons between 1637 and his death. He fell a victim of a violent epidemic disease, and died July 7, 1647, a great loss to the commun- ity
Rev. Thomas Hooker, according to family tradition, married a sister of John Pym, who was an intimate friend. Children: I. Rev. John, born about 1636, returned and married in England and settled in the established church at Maseworth, Bucks. 2. Joanna, born about 1615, died April, 1646; married October 1637, Rev. Thomas Shepard, of Cambridge. 3. Mary, born about 1618, married Rev. Roger Newton, first pastor of Farmington, later of Milford, Connecticut. 4. Sarah, born about 1630, married Rev. John Wilson, of Medfield,
son of Rev. John Wilson, pastor of Boston. 5. Daughter, married and became a widow. 6. Samuel, mentioned below.
(IV) Rev. Samuel, son of Rev. Thomas (2) Hooker, was born in 1633. He was educated at Harvard College, where he was graduated in 1653. He succeeded Rev. Roger Newton, his brother-in-law, and was second pastor of the church at Farmington, where he was or- dained July, 1661. He was on a committee of four in 1662 to treat with the New Haven colony in reference to the proposed union with Connecticut under one colonial govern- ment. All of the descendants of Rev. Thomas Hooker, bearing the surname Hooker, are also his descendants. He was a fellow of Harvard and on account of his earnestness and piety was called "the fervent Hooker." He had the habit of committing his sermons to memory and was a powerful and effective preacher. He died at Farmington, Novem- ber 6, 1697. He married, September 22, 1658, Mary Willett, born at Plymouth, May 4, 1643, daughter of Captain Thomas Willett, of Swansea, Massachusetts, afterward of See- konk, Rhode Island. His mother was Mary (Brown) Willett. Mary (Willett) Hooker married (second) August 10, 1703, Rev. Thomas Buckingham, of Saybrook, Con- necticut. Children: I. Dr. Thomas, born June 10, 1659; married, in 1686, Mary (Smith) Lord, widow of Richard Lord. 2. Samuel, May 29, 1661 ; married, June 28, 1687, Mehitable Hamlin, of Middletown, Connecticut, born November 17, 1666; re- sided at Hartford. 3. William, May 11, 1663 ; merchant at Farmington ; married, 1689, Su- sannah Blackleach, widow of John. 4. Hon. John, February 20, 1664-65, died February I, 1746. 5. Hon. James, October 27, 1666; re- sided at Guilford, Connecticut ; deputy to the general assembly, 1702-23. 6. Roger, of Hartford, September 14, 1668, died unmar- ried 1697-98. 7. Nathaniel, September 28, 1671, died in 1711. 8. Mary, July 3, 1673 ; was third wife of Rev. James Pierpont, of New Haven, and mother of Sarah who mar- ried the celebrated Rev. Jonathan Edwards. 9. Hezekiah, November 7. 1675, died 1686. IO. Daniel, March 25, 1679, mentioned be- low. II. Sarah, May 8, 1681 ; married Rev. Stephen Buckingham, of Norwalk, Connecti- cut.
(V) Dr. Daniel, son of Rev. Samuel Hook- er, was born in Farmington, March 25, 1679. died in 1742. He graduated at Harvard Col- lege in 1700, and was the first college gradu-
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ate from his native town; first tutor in Yale College, 1702-03. He studied medicine at Wethersfield, Connecticut, and declined a call to succeed his father as minister at Farm- ington. He was living in Wethersfield in 17II and continued there until his death. He also studied law and was admitted to practice in 1714-15, but there is no evidence that he followed the law as a profession, though he doubtless found his knowledge of law useful in drawing wills, deeds and other documents in connection with his practice of medicine. He was surgeon in the expedition to Canada in 17II. He married, June 24, 1707, Sarah Standley, daughter of Dr. John and Esther (Newell) Standley, of Waterbury, Connecti- cut, baptized at Waterbury, Connecticut, baptized at Waterbury, July 4, I686, died June 15, 1726, aged thirty-six. Children : I. Susanna, born April 14, 1708; married, October 25, 1726, Ephraim Goodrich, born September 12, 1699, son of William Good- rich, of Wethersfield. 2. Daniel, February 22, 1710, mentioned below. 3. Sarah, Sep- tember 10, 1713; married Benjamin Cham- berlain, of Middletown. 4. Hannah, married, September 7, 1738, Reuben Norton, of Guil- ford ; she died May 9, 1797. 5. Mary, mar- ried Elijah Peck. 6. Margaret.
(VI) Daniel (2), son of Dr. Daniel (I) Hooker, was born in Wethersfield, February 22, 1710. He studied medicine under his father and settled at West Hartford, Connecticut, where he practiced his profession during his active life. He married, April 2, 1729, Sarah Webster, of the Connecticut Webster family, to which the famous Noah Webster belonged. She died September 14, 1761, aged fifty-two years, at Hartford. Three of their sons died unmarried. Children, born at Hartford: I. Daniel, 1730. 2. William, 1733. 3. Sarah, 1736, died young. 4. Susanna, 1738. 5. Sarah. 6. Thomas, 1740. 7. Chloe, 1742. 8. John, 1744. 9. Abigail, 1746. 10. Riverius, mentioned below.
(VII) Riverius, son of Daniel (2) Hooker, was born in Hartford, July, 1749. He settled in Maine in 1774. He enlisted in October, 1776, in Colonel Benjamin Bellow's regiment in New Hampshire and marched to reinforce the northern army at Ticonderoga in the revo- lution. He enlisted in the continental army from Colonel North's regiment at Gardiners- town, Maine, February 2, 1778, his residence then being Pownalborough, Maine, for three years. (See Vol. IV., p. 105; Vol. 43, p. 154, New Hampshire pay rolls at state house, Au- gusta, Maine). He married, in 1775, Me-
hitable Baker, daughter of Barnabas and Me- hitable (Smith) Baker, now Cedar Grove, Pownalborough, Maine. They had an only son, Riverius, mentioned below.
(VIII) Riverius (2), son of Riverius (I) Hooker, was born at Pownalborough, Maine, March 18, 1776, died December 30, 1856. He was a soldier in the war of 1812 at Wiscasset, Maine, September II to 26, 1814, in Colonel John Stone's regiment. He married, Novem- ber 28, 1799, Beulah Cannon. Children, born at Gardiner, Maine: I. Samuel, October 30, 1800, mentioned below. 2. Riverius, Septem- ber 25, 1803, died August 31, 1863 ; married Hannah Chaddock; children: i. Frederick B., born February II, 1828, died February 13, 1874; ii. Emeline, married Houghton and had three children; iii. Ellen Maria, mar- ried Brookins and had two children; iv. Andrew B., born October 23, 1836, served in Union army in the civil war; v. Caroline, married - Wood and had two children ; vi. George, born March 2, 1840; vii. Joseph Edgecomb, lives in Worcester and has three sons; viii. Warren B., born November 7, 1846, served in Union army; ix. Riverius, died in infancy; x. Ida. 3. Mehitable, Au- gust 5, 1806, died September 8, 1865 ; married Edgecomb. 4. Huldah Ann, April 29, 1809, died November 1I, 1887; married Walton. 5. Drusilla, May 3, 181I, died January 1, 1880. 6. Elbridge Gerry, Oc- tober 9, 1813, died November 24, 1888; had three sons. 7. Charles Clapp, April 24, 1815, died September 27, 1896; married Fannie Rhodes; their son Charles Albert served in the navy in the civil war (son Lloyd Lee Hooker, born April 15, 1878, married, June 8, 1904, Della A. Blaisdell and had Charles Lloyd Riverius Hooker, born September 7, 1906, the youngest of the Gardiner Hookers). 8. Wal- ton Olney, February 17, 1818, died Febru- ary 7, 1887 ; children: i. Otis A., has no chil- dren ; ii. Ella Hooker Lawrence, has one- daughter, Bertha (Lawrence), wife of Dr. Black. 9. Delia Ann, born April 1, 1821, died February II, 1885. 10. Emma J., July 16, 1826, died September 25, 1908, married Jo- seph Edgecomb ; has no children.
(IX) Samuel, son of Riverius (2) Hooker, was born October 30, 1800, at Gardiner,. Maine, died there July 15, 1873. He was edu- cated in the district schools, and followed farming and lumbering all his active life, re- tiring a few years before his death. He mar- ried, June 8, 1828, Rhoda Edgecomb, born February 22, 1802, died September 14, 1850. Children: I. George Washington, born Au-
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gust 30, 1827, mentioned below. 2. Eveline, married, November 10, 1861, Samuel S. Da- vis; child: Evelyn Hooker Davis, born No- vember 15, 1872. Two others died in in- fancy.
(X) George Washington, son of Samuel Hooker, was born at Gardiner, August 30, 1827, died February 18, 1853. He was edu- cated there in the public schools, and was a farmer and bookkeeper. He married, March 22, 1851, Eliza Annis Ballentine, a school teacher at Gardiner, who died in 1858 at Gard- iner. They had only one child, Henrietta Edge- comb, mentioned below.
(XI) Henrietta Edgecomb, daughter of George Washington Hooker, was born at Gardiner, Maine, December 12, 1851. Her father died when she was one year old and her mother when she was seven. She went to live with her grandfather, Samuel Hooker, after her mother died, and attended the public schools of her native town. At the age of six- teen she entered Mount Holyoke Seminary, now Mount Holyoke College, completing the full four years course in two and a half. She taught school in various places and was princi- pal of the schools at West Charleston, Ver- mont. After she graduated in 1873, she was offered the chair of botany at Mount Holyoke. She received the degrees of Ph.B., Ph. M. and Ph.D. from Syracuse University. She contin- ued as professor of botany at Mount Holyoke College until Commencement, 1908, when she retired, receiving the retiring allowance under the Carnegie Foundation for the Advance- ment of Teaching. She has recently built a residence at South Hadley, according to her own designs. She is devoting her attention to raising Buff Orpington chickens and has won many prizes at New York City and other poul- try exhibitions.
Miss Hooker has written magazine articles from time to time, particularly on travel and on the history of Mount Holyoke College. She has traveled extensively in Europe and Amer- ica having been eight times abroad, and last summer she spent in Alaska ; she is still a very busy woman, writing, speaking and reading, but finds time to devote to her favorite pastime -her chickens.
CUMMINS The Cummins family seems to have had its origin in Comines, near Lille, be- tween France and Belgium. The name is variously spelled Comins, Cumings, Cum- mings and Cummins, and there have been iv-21
many other variations in the spelling. Some of the family believe that the famous Red Comin of Badenoch in the southeastern part of Invernesshire, Scotland, was a progenitor. The family is numerous in Scotland, Ireland, England and America.
(1) Patrick Henry Cummins, of the Irish family, was born in county Tipperary, Ire- land, March 11, 1807, and was nephew of the great churchman, Dean Ryan, of Cashel, whose name is inseparably connected with the events of the memorable year of ninety- eight. He attended the schools of his native parish, but when a young lad his father, who held a high position as surveyor under the British government, decided to give him the advantages of life in a free country, and he was sent to Charleston, South Carolina, to the Right Rev. John England, the celebrated Catholic bishop of South Carolina, between whose family and that of the youth a warm friendship had existed for many years, and he became one of the first students of the Catholic College established at Charleston by Bishop England. In this institution he completed a general academic course, win- ning much distinction for proficiency in mathematics. He came to Boston in 1830 and in August, 1834, saw the burning of the Catholic convent at Mount Benedict, Charles- town, and never ceased to resent the out- rage of the fanatical mob that committed this crime and sacrilege. Fortunately the indig- nation of the Catholic people was wisely re- strained by Bishop Fenwick and no retalia- tory action was taken, though the younger Catholics were ready and willing to give ex- pression to their resentment. He was em- ployed for many years at the United States navy yard in Charlestown as a pattern mak- er, having at the same time charge of the ap- prentices at the naval school. He engaged in business as a carpenter and builder and was very successful. He designed and built the staging used in the erection of the Bunk- er Hill monument, then deemed a work of extraordinary difficulty. Of an ingenious and constantly active mind, he invented sev- eral devices for the furnishing and equipment of ships, such as folding chairs, cabinets and improved berths. The cabinet work on Ad- miral Farragut's flag-ship, "The Hartford." was made under his direction. He superin- tended in part the wood work for the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament on Union Park street, Boston, connected with the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. From 1845 to 1860.
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prompted chiefly by the consideration of his health, he spent fifteen winters at Valparaiso and Buenos Ayres, South America, in charge of important contracts. He became an ex- cellent Spanish scholar, and enjoyed his busi- ness relations with the South Americans. In 1875 he retired with an ample fortune and established his home in Charlestown, now part of Boston, where he spent the last years of his busy and fruitful life, enjoying a well- earned rest and attending to the education of his children. He prided himself on the career of his children, to everyone of whom he gave a collegiate or a convent education.
He was a Jacksonian Democrat, active and influential in politics. He was a good speaker and was often called to the support of his party on the public platform. His agressive- ness perhaps was detrimental to his own busi- ness interests, but his earnestness and ability were unquestioned. He never sought politi- cal honor for himself, but gave zealous sup- port to the principles and candidates of his party in city, state and nation. Few men had a larger or stronger influence in public affairs in that section. He was loyal to the Catholic church, especially in the trying days of his young manhood when prejudice and bigotry had been inflamed by the falsehoods and at- tacks of Maria Monk, Theresa Reed and oth- ers. After the burning of the convent all Catholic property had to be guarded day and night against the attacks of mobs and he served the church loyally at every opportunity. Throughout his life he was a regular attend- ant and generous contributor to the church, a friend of the priesthood and an example to the younger generations.
He was married in Charlestown, at the old Church of St. Mary's, to Hannah Kiely, who was born in the city of Cork, county Cork, Treland, and was educated at the Presentation Convent, Cork, under the direction of Madame England, sister of Bishop England. of Charleston. She lived with an uncle who was pastor of Ballymartle, county Cork, until his death in 1840, when she came to this coun- try with another uncle, the Rev. Thomas O'Sullivan, then pastor at Bangor, Maine. Af- ter living some time in Bangor, she came to Charlestown, Massachusetts. Children : 1. Mary, born November, 1850; graduated from the celebrated Lancaster School at North End. Boston, conducted by Sisters of Notre Dame. 2. John F., September 17, 1852, mentioned be- low. 3. Thomas, 1854. mentioned below. 4. Henry, educated in the public and high
schools, graduate of high school; studied pharmacy under B. O. & G. C. Wilson, botanic druggists, and succeeded in business ; admitted his brother Edmund to partnership; died in 1905. 5. Edmund, attended the public schools and graduated from the full seven-year course at Boston College; a class-mate in college of Archbishop O'Connell, of Boston; was as- sociated in the business of druggist with his brother Henry and since the death of his brother has carried on the drug store alone with much success. 6. Ellen, graduate of the Academy of Notre Dame, Lowell, Massachu- setts. 7. Anna, graduate of the Academy of Notre Dame, and afterwards entered the No- vitiate of the Sisters of Notre Dame at Cin- cinnati, Ohio. Within a year she died with her early ambition unfulfilled. Her death was caused by a hemorrhage of the lungs. 8. William, died young.
(II) Rev. John F., son of Patrick Henry Cummins, was born at Charlestown, Massa- chusetts, September 17, 1852. He was one of the early students in Boston College and his term there ended in 1872 before formal gradu- ations were held. He won nine medals and three premiums for scholarship at Boston Col- lege in four years. He was the first student from Boston College to enter Holy Cross Col- lege at Worcester, Massachusetts, where he pursued the study of philosophy, winning one medal of honor. He was one of the two stu- lents in the graduating class. The oral exam- ination for the medal that year showed the two men equally proficient and a written exam- ination was held to decide between them. But again they were equally good, and dividing the honor they left the medal to be awarded the next year. His classmate was Rev. John T. Maddon, the present vicar general of Spring- field, Massachusetts. Father Cummins took theology in the Seminary at Troy, New York, where he matriculated December 18tl1, 1875. His course here was completed in less than the allotted time and he was ordained a priest, and assigned to St. Mary's Church of the Annun- ciation, Cambridgeport. Massachusetts, De- cember 23, 1875. Rev. Thomas Scully, pastor. In addition to the usual work of a curate, he or- ganized in the three years he was in Cambridge a battalion of school cadets and a sanctuary choir in the church, besides assisting the pastor in establishing a parochial school, one of the first in the state, in which he was a teacher of Latin. From Cambridge he was sent to the parish of Saints Peter and Paul, where he ac- complished much useful work among the boys
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