Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV, Part 116

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 912

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to San Francisco. The vessel was much too deeply loaded, in the desire of the owners to get profitable returns from a good-sized cargo on arrival at the land of gold, and it was al- most miraculous that the voyage was made in safety, so many narrow escapes from founder- ing were experienced. The voyage was 204 days in length, to San Diego, California, and the boisterous weather drove the small craft many hundreds of miles out of her course. Upon his arrival at San Francisco in the sum- mer of 1849, the gold fever and the love of adventure caused him to take a vacation from sea life, and he spent the next six years in California, largely in Sutter county, taking a voyage, however, to the Sandwich Islands, De- cember, 1852, in the brig "Zoe," returning in March, 1853. He was visited in California, among others, by his brother Nelson, by Cyrus Wood, who afterward married his sister Har- riet, and by Frank Seth Frost of West Cam- bridge. He became well acquainted with Gen- eral John Bidwell of Chico, and named his second son after him. Among other exciting occupations, that of capturing live grizzly bears for menagerie purposes was one of the most interesting, and he secured some uncom- monly fine specimens which were sold at good figures. The sea was his chosen life, how- ever, and he returned to New York in 1855 in the clipper ship "Witchcraft," Captain Freeman. He soon advanced to be master of vessels, making his first voyage as captain in the bark "Vernon" from Boston to Trieste, thirty-two days, which was owned by Horatio Harris & Co., of Boston. Among other ship- owners for whom he sailed were Thomas Curtis, Isaiah Goddard, Daniel Draper, and Alpheus Hardy. The latter controlled the bark "Volunteer" by charter, and Captain Blake made eighteen trips across the Atlantic in her, in the fruit traffic and one voyage to New Orleans. His wife with his sons Ellis and Bidwell accompanied him on four of these Mediterranean voyages, and the New Orleans one.

Captain Blake was a stern disciplinarian at sea, and required the same prompt obedience from his men that he had practiced himself. His voyages caused him to double Cape Horn twice, Cape Good Hope twice, and to sail hun- dreds of thousands of miles in vessels of all sizes up to a steamer of 3,000 tons. He was master of one steamer "Andalusia," owned by Leary Brothers, New York, of 2,200 tons. His narrowest escape from being wrecked was when coming into Boston Harbor in the brig "Montezuma," Captain Ben True, of New-

Stephen P. Blake,

tresand Blake

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buryport, from Matanzas, Cuba, February 5, 1843: "Northeast snow storm. We passed in- side of the rock (Egg Rock) on which Minot's light house now stands. Cohasset light was in sight, and depth seventeen fathoms, perhaps one and one-half miles off shore, when the vessel passed inside of Minot's Ledge, between the large rock on which the light-house now stands, and the line of rocks off the Cohasset shore." A full account of all his sea experi- ences would make an interesting book.

During the Civil War he was in the gov- ernment transport service for nearly the full period of the great struggle. After the Chi- cago fire of 1871 he permanently gave up the sea, and for seventeen years was occupied in the business of the Dake bakery, of which his brother Nelson was one of the owners. Dur- ing this period his home was in Lombard, Illi- nois, where he was prominent in the manage- ment of the affairs of the town, being for some years one of the town council. In 1888 he re- moved to Lake Helen, Florida, with his wife, his son Ellis, wife and child, and his daughter Elizabeth, leaving his son Bidwell in Chicago, who was employed in electrical work. There he engaged with his son in orange-growing, in which his brother Nelson, then of Chicago, and later of Arlington, was also interested for a number of years. Since the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth to Mr. Albert B. Hurst, he has made his hime with them, and at the present time (1908) is living at Biscayne, Florida, where Mr. Hurst has recently gone into business. Captain Blake joined the Bap- tist church in 1859. He was baptized by Rev. Samuel B. Swain, D.D., in Spy Pond at the foot of what is now Linwood street. He has been deacon in the Baptist church at Lake Helen, Florida, for many years. Captain Blake has always been a great reader of good books, is an excellent Bible student, and is a man of positive convictions.

In personal appearance he is of medium stature, sinewy in build, long of stride, and his features, like those of his sister Sophia (Blake) Wood, who died February I, 1905, resembled those of his father, while the other members of the family partook more of the Wyman features of their mother.

He married, October 29, 1856, Abby Thorn- ing Wood, at West Cambridge, Rev. Dr. Swain officiating. She was born at Lexington, December 22, 1834, and died at Lake Helen September 6, 1896. Children : 1. Ellis Gray Blake, born at West Cambridge, August 16, 1857, married, September 25, 1883, Mary Ann Pierce, born at Truxton, New York, Oc-

tober 21, 1857, of Harvard, Illinois, daughter of Alpha Stone Pierce, who was born in Truxton, New York, June 4, 1818, and who died in Harvard, Illinois, December 23, 1882, and Diantha Elizabeth (Bliss) Pierce, born at Truxton, New York, June 27, 1822, and died at Harvard, Illinois, October 9, 1899, and who were married at Truxton, New York, January 6, 1846. Child: i. Stephen Pierce Blake, born at Lombard, Illinois, June 14, 1885. Ellis G. Blake is now growing oranges, grape-fruit and peaches at Lake Helen, Flori- da, having seventy-five acres under cultivation. His son Stephen is a student in Stetson Uni- versity at DeLand, Florida, and is also a teach- er at this time (1908) in the junior depart- ment. 2. Stephen P. Blake, Jr., born at West Cambridge, January 15, 1862; died December 10, 1862. 3. John Bidwell Blake, born May 7, 1864; married, May 28, 1891, Martha Wads- worth Claflin of Lombard, Illinois. No chil- dren. John Bidwell Blake is now in the em- ploy of Holabird & Roche, architects, Chi- cago, as electrical engineer. 4. Helen Blake, born at West Cambridge, August 7, 1866, died January 16, 1868. 5. H. Sophia Blake, born at West Cambridge, August 18, 1869; died October 25, 1869. 6. Elizabeth Adams Blake, born November 12, 1871 ; married July II, 1896, at Lake Helen, Florida, Albert Bax- ter Hurst, who was born at Brownhelm, Ohio, March 4, 1871. Children, all born at Lake Helen, Florida : i. Helen Hurst, born January 13, 1897; ii. John Blake Hurst, born July 6, 1899; iii. May Elizabeth Hurst, born July II, 1903.

(VIII) Ebenezer Nelson Blake, son of Ellis Gray Blake (7), was born at West Cam- bridge, now Arlington, February 9, 1831. His father having died in 1841, he went to work in 1843 on the farm of Albert Winn in West Cambridge. He attended school in winter only until 1848, when his teacher, Daniel C. Brown, procured for him the appointment of teacher of the school in the Wyman district of the town, where he taught for that winter term. In September, 1850, he started for California, via Isthmus of Panama, never hav- ing been twenty miles from home before. He went out on the steamer that carried the news of the admission of the state and the national union. His brother, Stephen P. Blake, and Cyrus Wood had preceded him to California. While in California he made the acquaintance and intimate friendship of General John Bid- well, which relation continued until the death of General Bidwell. In the spring of 1853 he returned to West Cambridge, in the keep-

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ing of a promise he had made to his mother and sisters when he left home, although Gen- eral Bidwell had then offered to give him one thousand acres of land on Chico creek in Sac- ramento valley if he would remain with him. On his return home he took up his old place of marketman for his uncles Wyman, remain- ing with them until the summer of 1856, when he went into the flour commission store of Harvey Scudder & Company, Boston, as por- ter. Within one year of service with them he went into the flour business for himself with Harvey Scudder & Company as silent partners, under the firm name of E. N. Blake & Company. In January, 1858, this relation was dissolved by him; and with Kilby Page, Jr., of Boston, a new firm was formed under the same title, but later changed to Blake & Page, which continued for twenty years. In 1869 he went to Chicago and bought out a biscuit and cracker business, and he and Mr. Page were partners in business in both places.

The firm in Chicago, of which Mr. Blake was the head, conducted business for twenty- one years, when in 1890 he sold out and re- moved to Arlington, Massachusetts, to reside. The business was interrupted by the Chicago fire of October, 1871, the firm losing nearly one hundred thousand dollars, but within ten days were rebuilding, commencing anew in January, 1872. Messrs. Blake and Page asso- ciated with them in the cracker and baking business in Chicago, S. B. Walker and F. M. Herdman, under the firm name of Blake, Herdman & Company. Subsequently Mr. Herdman sold his interest to his partners, who took into the firm W. W. Shaw, and the firm name was changed to Blake, Walker & Com- pany, and later was changed to that of Blake, Shaw & Company.

While in Chicago Mr. Blake became identi- fied with the educational work of the Baptist Theological Seminary and the Chicago University, serving on both trustee boards. When the university was reorganized he was elected president of the board, in which capacity he remained until after his removal to Arlington. In 1872 he became a member of the Board of Trade of Chicago, served three years on its board of directors, and then was elected president, serv- ing for two terms, including the time of com- pleting and dedicating their magnificent build- ing. Upon the dedication of the aforemen- tioned building, April 29, 1885, Mr. Blake made the following address upon the presenta- tion of the keys delivered to him by John R. Bensely :

"Chairman Bensely: It gives me

great pleasure as the representative of this Board of Trade, and personally to meet you here today for this purpose in this beautiful hall, and as the Board of Managers, for whom you speak and act, thus hand over today the result of your labors for the past five years, you may well feel proud of the efforts you have made, and we believe that every stick and stone, every brick and beam, is a true representative of an honest indebtedness. With foundations rooted deep in the solid earth, quarried and chiseled from the ever- lasting rocks, bound and girded with bands of iron and steel shaped, beautified, and adorned by man's most skillful fingers, it stands today a noble, elegant monument of business enterprise, and proudly we ask, what other associated body could have gathered, closely nestling to its side, such towering piles of magnificent blocks as here surround us? Not broader and more massive are its walls, not more elevated its tower, not firmer and deeper its foundation, than should be the height and length and breadth and depth and stability of the business principles that actuate this membership; and I do not hesitate to say that less litigation in proportion to the magni- tude and the immensity of the transactions, take place among our members than among other people in any department of business in any place on earth, for no man of question- able business or immoral character can be- come a member of this body. It would be surprising when one thousand nine hundred and thirty-five selfish human beings meet in the hot strife for gain if there were not a few attempts at fraud, or extortion, or 'that maketh a lie,' but I can assure you, sir, that with this noble company of honorable men to sustain your affairs, the attempts will be futile. The mass of the people give right decision and come to right conclusions, and the growth of this board from infancy to now shows its hold on the business convictions of the world. It is not responsible for the abuses of its sys- tem that have grown up all over the land any more than pure and undefiled religion is re- sponsible for hypocrisy. Its prosperity is based upon a sure foundation of right and justice, its present position has grown out of its past life, its future is being made today, and its today is the foundation of its per- petuity. Permit me, sir, and you, gentlemen of the board, all, to congratulate you that for the first time in our history we are at home, under our own roof tree, a wanderer and tenant no more; and we welcome to this, our house warming, our brethren from all over

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the land, members of kindred organizations, our elder and our younger brothers; and gen- tlemen from the Gulf, and from the Great Lakes, from the Atlantic and from the Pacific, we pledge you our best endeavors, and we crave yours, in a united effort to suppress all unlawful use of the quotations sent abroad from that telegraph booth. Soon this hall will resound with the strife of buyer and seller, for ever since Joseph stored the abund- ance of Egypt's years of plenty, to enrich Pharaoh's treasury from the people's wants during years of famine, men have endeavored to forecast the future, and buy or sell as they were moved by their hopes or fears. And now, sir, in behalf of these, my fellow mem- bers, I accept this trust, with all its privileges, its duties and responsibilities. Magnificent hall! Splendid temple ! Beautiful home! May peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy gates."

Mr. Blake was prominently named by the Chicago Tribune and some of the best cit- izens as the one man for mayor of the city, also as the congressman from Illinois Fifth District, which office he peremptorily declined to consider. He was elected for the fourth time president of the Western Cracker Ba- kers' Association at its annual meeting, held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Chicago, Feb- ruary 4, 1885. This is an association num- bering one hundred and ten members, and comprises the principal manufacturers in twen- ty-three states and territories from Colorado to Pennsylvania. Mr. Blake has served them in the present capacity from its organization, and at the last election only reluctantly ac- cepted the position, after having been three times unanimously chosen to fill the office and peremptorily declining twice. At the con- vention in 1882, which was held in Cincinnati, Ohio, his fellow members signified their ap- preciation of his character and abilities by pre- senting him with a Jules Jurgenson gold watch, with chain and seal. Mr. Blake was also a member of the Citizen's Association, and chairman of the executive committee of the American Baptist Education Society which was incorporated in New York to aid denom- inational schools, and which has distributed more than a million dollars in the entire na- tion.

While in Chicago Mr. Blake was actively engaged in all the work of the Second Bap- tist Church, filling many important positions. His contributions to different objects pertain- ing to university, seminary and church mat- ters, were over one hundred thousand dollars

while in Chicago. He served as vice-presi- dent and then as president of the American Baptist Home Missionary Society for four years. He was the first president of the Chi- cago Baptist Social Union, continuing for a number of terms. He also served on the ex- ecutive committee of the Baptist Missionary Union. He was one of the five incorporators named in the charter of the Columbus Expo- sition in Chicago in 1892-93. After his return to Arlington, Massachusetts, he served for a number of years as president of the Massa- chusetts Baptist Convention. He made a pub- lic profession of religion when nineteen years of age, and united with a Baptist church. In his christian life he has been prompt and ener- getic, ready for any service of sacrifice to promote the cause he loves so well, in main- taining the social meetings of a church in Sunday school and mission school service, and as a Bible class teacher has few equals or superiors. He has been especially useful in helping to form the christian character of young men who have come under his influence. While yet a young man he formed distinct opinions of his own obligations for the use of his wordly substance as the Lord prospered him, but unlike many he did not forget them as business increased, but contributed liber- ally to all good causes. He was also for a number of years a member of the board of trustees of the Robbins Library, Arlington. He was instrumental in organizing the First National Bank of Arlington, and was elected. its first president, which position he still holds. He has been active in work of the Grand Army of the Republic in Arlington, and was largely instrumental in the building of their hall and home. He has also been treated with honor- able consideration by his fellow citizens in many minor positions in every place where he has resided, including East Boston from 1863 to 1869. With only school privileges of very limited scope he has attained his var- ious positions in church, business and politi- cal relations by rigid and faithful application, and by careful study and reading, principally the Bible which has been a life work with him, as all of his addresses or papers show many quotations from the Sacred Word.

Mr. Blake married (first), at West Cam- bridge, September 15, 1858, Annie Elizabeth Whitten, born December 29, 1839, died July 17, 1902, daughter of Joseph W. and Mary E. Whitten. Children : 1. Mabel Ellsworth, born at West Cambridge. November 12, 1860, married at Chicago, Illinois, March 4, 1880, Herman H. Kohlsaat, of Chicago; children :

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i. Pauline Blake, born at Chicago, June 10, 1882; ii. Katherine, born at Chicago, Septem- ber 29, 1889. 2. Laura Elizabeth, born at Chicago, October 24, 1871, died there, No- vember 4, 1871. 3. Ebenezer Nelson, born at Chicago, August 30, 1875, died at Arling- ton, August 16, 1893. He married (second), February 9, 1905, Lucie A. Tucker, of Chelsea, Massachusetts, born November 5, 1866, daughter of Bevis and Sarah Ellen (Wharrie) Tucker. Bevis Tucker, son of John and Mary Tucker, was born at Biddeford, Wales, Feb- ruary 19, 1832. He came to America at an early age, became an American citizen and served as a private in Company C, Thirty-fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers in the Civil war. After his honorable discharge he spent the remaining years of his life in the state of Massachusetts, where he died De- cember 19, 1898. Sarah E. (Wharrie) Tucker was born in Otley, Yorkshire, Eng- land, December 17, 1835, daughter of William and Mary Wharrie. Their children were: I. George Bevis, born August 12, 1856, died De- cember 17, 1899. 2. Mary Ellen, born De- cember 19, 1860, died April 29, 1904. 3. Lucie A., born November 5, 1866, mentioned above as wife of Mr. Blake. 4. L. Frances, born November 23, 1871. The faithful wife and mother of the aforementioned children sur- vives her worthy husband and resides with her daughter.

Mr. Blake on the Wyman side (the ma- ternal) is descended from Lieutenant John Wyman, who came to Woburn, Massachusetts, from Westhill, Herts, England, and is best known as a cavalry officer of considerable note in King Philip's war, 1675-76; from Lieutenant Seth Wyman, of Woburn, who was in active service as an officer in the Indian wars before 1715; and his still more famous son, Captain Seth Wyman, the hero of Lovewell's fight with the Indians at pres- ent Fryeburg, Maine, in 1725; and of Heze- kiah Wyman, the son of the second Captain Seth Wyman, who was called the "White Horseman" for his remarkable prowess in the Concord and Lexington fight in 1775; and of Hezekiah Wyman, Jr., a Revolutionary soldier, and his wife Abigail Frost. Among Mr. Blake's maternal ancestors there are be- sides the line of descent from the famous Cap- tain Edward Johnson, of Woburn, the early New England historian; from the Nutts and Ross and the Reeds and the Frosts families very intimately connected with the prominent affairs of this section of early New Eng- land.

There is a tradition that the THORNING ancestors of the Thorning family were Spanish. Some descendants of the family have the tradition that it originated in Portugal, and that the original name was Korning. In either case the spelling must have been anglicized. The surname, if it exists at all in early English records, is very uncommon. It is also known that some descendants by the name of Thorn- ton can be directly traced to the Thorning ancestors.

(I) Anthony Thorning, immigrant ances- tor, was probably from the Barbadoes, He makes deposition in Boston, May 23, 1674, that he was in the Barbadoes and witnessed the signature to a power of attorney given by Richard Fowell, March II, 1673, and another by Thomas Morrice to James Day, March 15, 1673-4. The other witness was William Beall. The evidence indicates that he was a mariner, perhaps a merchant. Later he settled in Bos- ton, where two children were born to An- thony and Sarah. Sarah Thorning, perhaps widow of Anthony, married in Boston, No- vember 30, 1710, Alexander Trotter. The rec- ords furnish very little of this family. Chil- dren, born at Boston: I. John, mentioned below. 2. Sarah, born June 14, 1700.

(II) John Thorning, son of Anthony Thorning (I), born in Boston, May 26, 1695, died about 1747. Among his children was John, mentioned below.

(III) John Thorning, son of John Thorn- ing (2), was born between the years 1726 and 1736. Jonathan Williams was appointed guar- dian for him in 1747, he being a minor over fourteen years of age. He settled about the time of his marriage in Lincoln, Massachu- setts. He married at Boston, November 19, 1755, Sarah Clarke. Children, born at Lin- coln: I. John, born June 7, 1756; died May 29, 1802, at Concord, Massachusetts; was a soldier in the Revolution, a private in Cap- tain William Smith's company, Colonel Abijah Pierce's regiment, April 19, 1775; also in Captain John Hartwell's company, Colonel Dike's regiment, 1776-7; enlisted in Conti- nental army, but on account of sickness never joined his company; married December IO, 1789, Betsey Russell, of Concord; she died at Concord, November 9, 1837, aged eighty- six; children, i. Frederick (according to Lex- ington vital statistics, adopted son), born De- cember 27, 1790. Family tradition states that his parents were John and Sarah Korning, and that he was born at sea, on the voyage from Portugal. (A complete list of the de-

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scendants of Frederick, which would include Dr. W. Burton Thorning, of Winchendon, Massachusetts, and Miss Inez Thorning, of Andover, Massachusetts, cannot be furnished in the time allotted for this work). Frederick Thorning died suddenly while on a railroad train between Peterborough and Goffstown, New Hampshire, February, 1866. ii. Thomas, born August 14, 1792. iii. Betsey, born June 28, 1795. iv. Martin, born April 10, 1798. v. Sarah. 2. William, mentioned below. 3. Mary, born May 18, 1760. 4. Abigail, born March 7, 1764. 5. Sally, born February 21, 1769; married at Boston, September 11, 1788, Thomas Read.

(IV) William Thorning, son of John Thorn- ing (3), was born in Lincoln, January 20, 1758, and died at his home in Lexington, March 24, 1829, in his seventy-second year. He was brought up on his father's farm in Lincoln. It is related that on the morning of April 19, 1775, he carried an invalid sister in his arms to a hut in the woods, for safety. In the afternoon of the same day, while the British were on the road between Concord and Lexington, retreating, he came down from his home and fired into their ranks. In the "Town of Lincoln" it says : "A man named William Thorning was hiding in a hole in the field a short distance west of the Nelson house on the afternoon of April 19, 1775; when the Brit- ish in retreat passed along the road opposite where he lay, he fired into their ranks. A vol- ley was fired in reply, the bullets cutting up the ground about him. He ran for the woods but was met by the flank guard who fired at him, but he was not hit. After the British. had gone along he came out of the woods and ran up behind a large boulder, which stands just west of the Nelson house, and fired into the ranks again."

From the time of the battle of Lexington until the winter of 1781 the records show him in active service in the Revolution. He fought on April 19, 1775, in Captain William Smith's company of minute-men of Lincoln, Colonel Abijah Pierce's regiment, by the side of his brother John. Immediately afterward he en- listed in the service and served on picket duty under Major Loammi Baldwin, detailed under Captain Reuben Dickerman. He was at the battle of Bunker Hill, judging from the rec- ords, in Captain William Smith's company, Colonel Nixon's regiment (fifth), in which he served in June, 1775. This fact is corroborat- ed by tradition, as his descendants know of his being at the famous battle from statements made by his widow and daughter Mary. He

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Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV, Part 116

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 912

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 912