Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I, Part 79

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 824

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I > Part 79

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At the time of his death The Spy said of his knowledge of the theatre: "If Andrew Athy had one leaning stronger than another in his nature it was towards the theatre and the stage. He loved the play, but only in its higher forms, for there was no more fastidious theatre-goer in Worcester than he. He not only loved the play, but he loved to talk with his friends about his observations of great players he had seen. His analysis of the respective abilities of hoth the Booths, of Lawrence Barrett, of Barry Sullivan, of Henry Irving. Jefferson, Florence and other great actors was at all times in- teresting and intelligent, as it was indeed remark- able. As has well been said of him: 'He was a dictionary of theatrical reminiscences.'"

Mr. Athy died May 15, 1898. All the newspaper comment in obituary and editorial notices was in line with the following from the records of the city government: "There was not a flaw in his armor of principle, integrity and zeal for his fellowmen. There was no blemish to mar, no stain to dim the lustre of his character. The life of such a man is an inspiration, his death a bereavement to the com- munity." One who knew him well said: "For the meagre opportunities that he had, he was a won- derful man. He was one of the best-read men in Worcester; his library was very extensive. He possessed a wonderful memory. Whatever he read he never forgot. A mass of dates and statistics which would throw the ordinary mind into a chaotic state was with him always arranged for practical and immediate use."

He married Jane Duffy, who died July 8, 1894. His children were: I. Mary, married John J. Hor- gan. 2. Frances, a graduate of the high and normal schools in Worcester, and a teacher in the public schools. 3. James A., see forward. 4. Nettie, a well known singer. married Dr. J. J. Rafferty. 5. Annie, an actress who has been successful in her profession ; married Dr. P. W. Heffern, of Boston.

Mr. Athy's brother, Philip R. Athy, who went west with his father was chief of police of Mem- phis, Tennessee, during the yellow fever epidemic of 1878; he was afterwards sheriff of the county. He died there in 1882 at the age of forty-four years. (III) James Andrew Athy. son of Andrew Athy (2), was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, January 15, 1860. . He received his early education in the Worcester public schools. After two years in the high school he was appointed a page in the house of representatives of Massachusetts, and he held this position in the years 1876-77-78-79, gaining by this experience in the state house a knowledge of men and affairs and a very practical education that has served him in good stead all his life. He came back to Worcester to give all his time to his father's business, and soon relieved his father of many of the cares and burdens of the same. He was associ- ated with him in partnership during most of his business career. Andrew Athy established the busi- ness in 1875, and from the first James A. Athy was familiar with the details. After his father's death James A. Athy bought out the other heirs and since May 26, 1900, has been the sole owner. The office and ware-rooms were removed from Green street to the present location on Trumbull street. July 25, 1900, when the business had been established twenty- five years. Mr. Athy has been successful in busi- ness and stands high in the esteem of all his associ- ates both in the business and social world. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, Washing- ton Club; Division 3. A. O. H .; Worcester Lodge of Elks : O'Connel Associates : Court Quinsigamond, Order of Forresters; the Frohsinns; Wachusett Boat Club ; honorary member of the Emmet Guards and George H. Ward Post, No, 10, G. A. R .: veteran member of the Worcester Light Infantry, in which he served in the years 1882-83-84.

Mr. Athy married (first) in Worcester, July 8, 1885, Mary Cannon, daughter of Anthony and Mary (Grady) Cannon. She was born in Elgin, Illinois, and died in Worcester. November 8, 1889. She was a sister of Tony Hart, the famous comedian and minstrel. They had one child. Anthony Andrew Athy, born July 25, 1888, called Tony Hart for his great-uncle ; he is a student at Holy Cross College. class of 1009. Mr. Athy married (second), April 9, 1896, Mary Rosa Lee, daughter of Peter and Mary (Carrington) Lee, of Worcester.

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THE McGAULEY FAMILY of Worcester is descended from the McAuley or Macauley family of Scotland and Ireland, having been prominent in Scotland before history began and for many genera- tions in Ireland. The clan Macauley, according to Anderson, belongs to the race MacAlpin of Ros- shire and Argyleshire, a surname held by a branch of the Rosshire of native Gael. and supposed to have been adopted from the Albanich, the first known in- habitants of Scotland. The general denomination, Siel or Cinel (race of), Alpin, includes several clans, descendants of the race to which Kenneth McAlpin, under whom the Scots and Picts were united, be- longed, namely, the clan Gregor, the clan Grant, the Mackinnons, the MacNabs, the MacDuffies or MacFies, the MacQuarries, and the MacAulays. The latter family belongs in Dumbartonshire. There was a laird there of this name in 1608. About that time the family emigrated with thousands of Scotch and English to the northern counties of Ireland. There were in 1800 some four thousand of the family Mac- auley in the two counties of Antrim and Donegal.

(I) Thomas Macauley, the first ancestor of whom there is any record in the family from which Thomas F. and Walter McGauley, of Worcester, descended, lived in the parish and town of Dunleer, county Louth, Ireland, and his descendants still live in that and adjoining towns. He was a cattle dealer and it is believed that the family for some generations before had been engaged in raising and dealing in cattle.

(II) Thomas Macauley, son of Thomas Macauley (I), the preceding, was born and lived in Dunleer. and followed his father's vocation. He was ap- pointed the agent of the cattle raisers and all ship- ments to the markets were made through him. This office has been held in the family for three genera- tions.

(III) Thomas Macauley, the third of the name, son of Thomas Macauley (2), was the grandfather of the subjects of this sketch. He was born in Drog- heda, adjoining Dunleer, county Louth, Ireland, in 1809 or 1810. He was a cattle dealer and agent for the shipping of all the cattle of the section. He lived in Dunleer, where his children were born. He married, 1828-9, Elizabeth Morgan, born in 1806. daughter of C. G. P. Morgan and his wife, Fanny Bellow. The children of Thomas and Elizabeth (Morgan) Macauley were: Thomas, of whom later : succeeded his father in office and was succeeded by his son John : Peter, born 1833: Patrick, 1834; Mary. 1836. married Quinn, and died in New Hamp- shire; Matthew, 1838, lived in France: Margaret, 1840, died young ; Elizabeth, 1842, married Thomas Maney, formerly a grocer of Worcester; he acquired a competence : his family resides on Cambridge street : Michael, 1854. resided on Cambridge street. where his family now lives: Anne, 1848, married Thomas Nolan: their children reside in Worcester.

(IV) Thomas McGauley. son of Thomas Mac- anley or McAulay, was the first to adopt the present spelling of the surname in this country. He was born in Dunleer in 1829-30. He came to America when a young man and settled in Uxbridge, Massa- chusetts. There he married, May 19, 1853, Sarah Gardner, daughter of Walter Gardner, chief of con- stahulary of county Limerick. The Gardner family came originally from England and were staunch Episcopalians or Church of England in religious faith, but Mrs. Gardner was a Roman Catholic and her daughters followed her while the sons followed the father in church affiliations. The McGauley family came from stern old Scotch covenanters and were largely Presbyterian. Of Walter Gardner's sons, James Gardner became a bandmaster in the

Union army during the civil war; Patrick was cap- tain of a company in the First Minnesota Regiment in the civil war, representative and senator in the Minnesota legislature and sheriff of the county; Michael was chief on the Queen's staff with the rank of colonel when General Grant visited Ireland dur- ing his tour of the world; John was a policeman in Uxbridge and died there.

Thomas McGauley followed his trade of shoe- maker in Uxbridge in the early fifties. He removed in 1858 to the adjoining town of Hopkinton, Massa- chusetts, where he worked in shoe factories, making boots and shoes by hand. At that time nearly every man in Hopkinton, Uxbridge and other Massachu- setts towns known as shoe towns was a skillful shoe- maker. In 1863 Mr. McGauley removed to Wor- cester. He worked in the boot factory of Walker & Brown, and was foreman for Timothy Stone & Sons, boot manufacturers. He died in Worcester, January 31, 1904. His wife died July 14, 1882.

The children of Thomas and Sarah (Gardner) McGauley were: Elizabeth, born February 19, 1855, died young; Thomas Francis, of whom later; Cath- erine, May 26, 1859, died young ; Walter John, June 6, 1861, of whom later; Mary, June 16, 1865, mar- ried William B. Gallagher, of Worcester; Sarah, December 21, 1874, unmarried, lives with her brother Walter ; Michael, August 28, 1878, died young.

(V) Thomas Francis McGauley, son of Thomas McGauley (4), was born in Uxbridge, Massachu- setts, November 4. 1856. His early education was obtained in the public schools of Worcester, whither his parents moved when he was quite young. But his school days were brief; he went to work in the shoe factory under his father when he was twelve years old and continued until twenty-one. Those were the palmy days of the shoe business, and when a boy of fourteen he earned fifteen dollars a week. Compared with the wages in some other trades this was large, and it is evidence of the capacity for hard work that has always characterized Mr. Mc- Gauley. He was employed by the firm for which his father had worked, and later was foreman for Walker & Brown and H. B. Fay, who were promi- nent boot and shoe manufacturers of Worcester. When Mr. Fay went out of business in 1886, Mr. McGauley determined to make a venture in business on his own account. In December of that year he opened a grocery store at the corner of Cambridge and Douglas streets. Later he removed to his pres- ent location at the corner of Cambridge and Camp streets, near the former store. He does business under the name of the Cambridge Market Co. Mr. McGauley has been successful in his business, which has grown constantly from a modest beginning.

He was formerly a director in the Equity Co- operative Bank of Worcester. He is a member of the Worcester Agricultural Society. He was first lieutenant in the Emmet Guards just before that militia company became a part of the regular state militia. Mr. McGauley is best known for his services to the Republican party, of which he has been a staunch supporter and leader for many years. Since 1900 he has represented one of the two Worcester senatorial districts on the Republican state commit- tee and has proved one of the most active, alert and faithful representatives that the committee has had from Worcester. For some twenty years he has served the party as delegate to various conventions. He has been on the Republican county and on the congressional committees. He is a member of the Republican Club. In all these years he has declined to run for office himself. He has given freely of his time and money to strengthen the party in which he believed and to which he belonged. He has the

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tact and good judgment necessary to make a suc- cessful political leader, and few men in the city have a wider influence. Mr. McGauley is free from any obligations that money can create in the political world. He believed in helping friends who have been faithful, but in the main his political interests have been centered where he thought the Republican party would be most strengthened. He is absolutely trusted by his associates.

Mr. McGauley and his wife and family attend St. Peter's Roman Catholic Parish since his removal to his present residence on Tirrell street. With ancestors of Catholic, Presbyterian, Puritan and Church of England beliefs, it is not remarkable that Mr. McGauley is a man of toleration in religion as well as in politics. He abhors bigotry of all kinds. He married, September 23, 1886, Elizabeth T. Maloney, daughter of James and Margaret (De- veney) Maloney, of Worcester. Their children are : Thomas Francis, Jr., born October 17, 1887; James M., July 31, ISS9: Sarah L., April 10, 1891 ; Frank, April 26, 1893; Margaret, October 17, 1895; Leo, March 6. 1897; Robert, August 14, 1899, died young ; Arthur. December 1, 1901; Edward, November 24, 1905.

(V) Walter John McGauley, son of Thomas McGauley (4), was born in Hopkinton, Massachu- setts, June 6, 1861. He followed the boot and shoe business like his father and brother. He worked at the boot business in shop of Samuel Brown, corner of Front street and Bartlett place, Worcester, for six years, and then he went to West Medway, Massa- chusetts, and worked for Fogg, Houghton & Cool- idge for six months. and then was engaged by H. B. Fay, of Worcester, where he changed the system of handling the goods. Instead of handling the boots, in course of manufacturing, five times, Mr. McGauley did the same work by handling the goods only three times, thereby saving time and expense, and the boots had a better sale besides. Mr. McGauley remained with H. B. Fay for eleven years or until he went out of the business. After leaving H. B. Fay, he engaged in the grocery business at the corner of Cambridge and Douglas streets, Worcester, which was the beginning of the present business now owned by his brother, Thomas F., and known as the Cam- bridge Market. After conducting the business for a year he sold out to his brother. Owing to ill health he was advised by his physician to do out- door work, and in April, ISSS, he was appointed a letter carrier in the Worcester postoffice, in which capacity he is now serving.

He married Susan A. Littleton, daughter of Stephen and Catherine (Hastings) Littleton, who were born in county Clare, Ireland, and who were married in Worcester, Thanksgiving Day, 1853, at St. John's Church by Rev. Father Gibson. W. J. McGauley and Susan A. Littleton were married in Worcester, November 28. ISS3. by Rev Thomas J. Conaty, at the Church of the Sacred Heart. Their children are: Susan A., born September 17, 1884; Sadie H., October 3, 1886; Thomas J., September 28, 1887; Anne C., September 18, 1890: Walter Gard- ner, November 13, 1891 : Robert Morgan, July 3, 1893; Francis Hastings, June 22, 1897.

ALONZO RAY WELLS. Thomas Wells (1), who settled in Ipswich among the pioneers, was the emigrant ancestor of Alonzo Ray Wells, of Worcester. He was born in England in 1605 and came in the spring of 1635 on the ship "Susan and Ellen" from London with young Richard Saltonstall. He settled in Ipswich while his brother, Deacon Richard Wells, settled at Salis- bury, Massachusetts, not far away. Some writers

think that Nathaniel Wells, of Rhode Island, was another brother. Thomas was the founder of the Wells family in this country. Ile married Abigail Warner. His house lot was No. 35. He drew other land afterward. He was admitted a freeman May 17, 1637. He was a husbandman.

He died October 26, 1666. His will was dated July 31, and proved November 15, 1666. His widow Abigail died July 22, 1671. Her will was made July 22 and proved September 26, 1671. Their chil- dren were all born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, viz .: Nathaniel, married, October 29, 1661, Lydia Thur- ley ; John, married, 1665, Sarah Littlefield; Saralı, married John Massie; Abigail, born June 19, 1661, married Nathaniel Treadwell; Thomas, see forward; Elizabeth, married Jobn Burnham, June 9, 1669; Hannah; Lydia, married, March 25, 1669, John Ropes.

(II) Rev. Thomas Wells, fifth child of Deacon Thomas Wells (I), was born in Ipswich, Massa- chusetts, 1647. He married, January 10, 1669-70, Mary Perkins. When the settlement was made at Wells, Maine, by his brother Nathaniel, he bought land there and he was living in Wells, in December, 1669, as a deed states. He was preaching in Kit- tery and the Isle of Shoals, however, in 1670. He appears to have been a member of the class of 1669, and his father left a provision in his will for his education at Harvard College, but he did not grad- uate. He probably went into the ministry early, as he was the first man honored by Harvard College with the degree of Master of Arts, honorary. He. appears as of the class of 1703, when the degree was given. In 1672 or 1673 he became the first set- tled minister of Amesbury, Massachusetts. He be- came a leading spirit of the town for some fifty years. The history of Amesbury reveals much that is interesting of this good old Puritan minister. He died July 10, 1734. His will was dated August 7, 1728, and proved July 29, 1734. His wife Mary died January 26, 1726-7.

Their children were: Thomas, born October 30, 1670; John, February 2, 1672-3; Luke, March 19, 1673-4; Titus, see forward; a son, who left descend- ants : Abigail, married, February 6, 1704, Samuel Bartlet, Jr .; Mary, marrried, July 15, 1702, John Martin ; Eliezer, June 10, 1686; Elizabeth. December 17, 1688; John, October 9, 1692, whose son Thomas removed to Chester, New Hampshire, before 1768. (ÍÍÍ) Titus Wells, fourth child of Rev. Thomas Wells (2), was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts, March 14, 1675-6. He settled in the West Parish in 1726, but always lived in Amesbury. He died after 1736. He married Joanna Rowell. The chil- dren of Titus and Joanna (Rowell) Wells were: Sarah, born July 30, 1698; Thomas, see forward; Mary, March II. 1702; Timothy, April 16, 1704; Titus and Hannah (twins), February 5. 1705-6; he was for a time in Chester, New Hampshire, with his brothers; Philemon, September 3, 1708; Jacob, August 28, 1710, went to Chester, New Hampshire; Philip, April 7, 1713, died February 2, 1714-5: Eliza- beth. March II, 1716; Abigail, December 18, 1718.

(IV) Lieutenant Thomas Wells, second child of Titus Wells (3), was born in Amesbury, Massa- chusetts, March 4, 1699-1700. He married (first), December 15, 1720, Sarah Hadley, daughter of Sam- uel and Jane (Martin) Hadley, and granddaughter of the emigrant, George Hadley. He married (sec- ond), about 1738, Elizabeth Ingalls, daughter of Captain Samuel and Mary (Watts) Ingalls. She was his eldest daughter and heir; he died in 1760. Captain Ingalls was from Andover, Massachusetts, and was born there May 7, 1683. Elizabeth was born September 18, 1709.

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Lieutenant Wells was in the service in the Indian wars. He became a man of note in Chester, New Hampshire, where he moved in 1729, buying his farm of Eldad Ingalls, some relative of his second wife. The lot was No. 61. Lieutenant Wells died March, 1769. His will was allowed May 7, 1683. In it he names nine children, all by his second wife except Winthrop.

The children were born at Chester, but are re- corded at New Chester, (Bristol) New Hampshire. except Winthrop. They were: Winthrop, born prob- ably in Chester about 1730, married Dolly, daughter of William Healy, settled in Candia and Plymouth, New Hampshire; Sarah, December 2, 1739, married Carr; Thomas, January 19, 1741, said to have been killed by John Tolford, December 27, 1773; Henry, March 24, 1743, settled at Sandown; Reuben, see forward; Samuel, August 24, 1749, revolutionary soldier ; had homestead at Chester, removed to New Chester ; Peter, July 26, 1752, soldier in the revo- lution ; Ebenezer, May 3, 1754, married Sarah Favor ; settled in Hill, New Hampshire; Phebe, October 1.4, 1757; Peter, January 20, 1762, revolutionary soldier ; Timothy, May 10, 1765.

(V) Reuben Wells, fifth child of Lieutenant Wells (4), was born in Chester, New Hampshire, August 28, 1746. He married Molly He went with his father to New Chester, New Hamp- shire, now Bristol and Hill. His father owned one hundred acres at Chester, one hundred and seventy acres at Goffstown and four hundred acres at New . Chester, when he died. He removed to New Ches- ter with his six sons, among whom was Reuben, shortly before his death in 1769. Reuben's farm was lot No. 64. fourth division in what is now Hill, New Hampshire. He was living there in 1774. He died April 3, 1804, at Hill, aged fifty-seven years, seven months, five days, according to the records. He was a soldier in 1777 in Captain Samuel Mc- Connel's company, Colonel Thomas Stickney, Gen- eral John Stark's regiment at Bennington.

The children of Reuben and Molly Wells, all born in New Chester or Hill, New Hampshire, were: Reuben, born April 3, 1770, see forward ; Thomas, August 14, 1771, married Betty Bean; Han- nah, January 16, 1777, married Ephraim Quimby ; John, December 19, 1778, married Judith Favor; Samuel, September 29, 1780, married Rebecca Carle- ton; Henry, April 22, 1783, died June 26, 1800; Molly, November 5, 1784; Ebenezer, February 17, 1787; Peter, May 17, 1789; Joanna, January 24, 1792, married Samuel Hoyt; Sarah, October 27, 1793, died August 18, 1795. (There is an interesting letter from Reuben Wells relating to the enlistment of his brother Peter in the revolution on file at the state archives, Concord, New Hampshire, and printed in the state papers. It refers to Lieutenant Thomas, his father and other members of the family. It seems that Peter did service for other members of the family in the revolution when it was inconvenient for them to go. Brother Peter was in charge of Reuben after his father's death.)

(VI) Reuben Wells, eldest son of Reuben Wells (5), was born in New Chester, now Hill, New Hampshire, April 3, 1770. He married Priscilla Sanborn. He was a farmer at Hill, where his chil- dren were born. He died August 4, 1808. His wife died March 10, 1807. Their children were: Moses, see forward; Reuben, born April 22, 1795, married Mahala died March 22, 1819, in twenty- fifth year, leaving one child. Lucy, November S. 1797, married Moses Sanborn. Sanborn, October 12, 1801, lived and died in Londonderry; had no children. Sherburn, born July 31, 1805, married, September 28, 1828, Martha Washington Chase, who

was born in Hill, November 15, 1802; located at Bristol in 1838, was custom carder and cloth dresser, played bass viol in the church, died at Bristol, No- vember 16, 1874; wife died July 24, 1889. Their daughter, Martha A., born August 10, 1829, married William G. Gould, and died September 4, 1857, leaving Francis Leroy Gould, now of Chicago; their son, Fletcher Chase, born July 15, 1831, married, September 3, 1857, Sarah S. Drake; he died June 20, 1872, leaving Frank Fletcher Wells, born at New Hampton, May 22, 1858, now of Chicago; and Martha Ann, born at Bristol, July 20, 1860, married George P. Everleth, a printer of 18 Goulding street, Worces- ter. They have a daughter, Minnie Sadie, born in Bristol, September 19, 1881, married, September 24, 1902, Albert H. Austin, and they have: Chester Eveleth, born in Worcester, March 25, 1884. (The Austins reside at 18 Goulding street with the Ever- leths.)

(VII) Moses Wells, eldest child of Reuben Wells (6), was born at Bristol, or Hill, New Hamp- shire, September 19, 1792. He married Elizabeth Ray, daughter of John Ray, of Manchester, New Hampshire. She was born in Derryfield, New Hampshire, in 1795. Moses lived in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and Charlestown, Massachusetts. John Ray was a revolutionary soldier and served under General Stark at Bunker Hill and Benning- ton. He owned a large farm in the northern part of Derryfield and was active in the movement to change the name to Manchester. He was a , prom- inent citizen. He was a friend and neighbor of General Stark.

The children of Moses and Elizabeth (Ray) Wells were : Amos, resided in Malden, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire, where he kept a store; died there; left sons: Horace and Sherburn: Pris- cilla, married Josiah Sawyer; Elizabeth, married Josiah Sawyer (husband of sister Priscilla also) ; Mary, married John Fosdick; they resided in Lowell, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire ; their son, Sylvester Fosdick, resides in South Boston, Massachusetts; Alonzo Ray, see forward.

(VIII) Alonzo Ray Wells, youngest son of Moses Wells (7), was born in Charleston, New Hamp- shire, May 1, 1842. He received a common school education. Mr. Wells enlisted in August, 1862, as a wagoner in Company A, Tenth New Hampshire Volunteers. He was promoted first as forage mas- ter, then assistant wagon master and later wagon master, and had charge of the ammunition train in Butler's advance up the James in 1864. In 1865, after the close of the war, he was stationed in Richmond and used his teams in returning the refugees to their homes, leaving Richmond every Monday morning with sixty wagons and twenty ambulances loaded with refugees and their goods. It usually took a week to make a trip and Mr. Wells had many sad as well as laughable experiences. He was discharged in 1865 with his regiment. Soon after his discharge he entered the railroad service, became a locomotive engineer, and continued till 1887. He is now living retired at 9 Arbor Vitae street, Worcester.

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Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. I, Part 79

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 824

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 824