USA > Massachusetts > One of a thousand, a series of biographical sketches of one thousand representative men resident in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, A.D. 1888-'89; > Part 20
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Since ISSo Dr. Clement has been in active practice in Haverhill, devoting himself especially to surgery. At present he is serving his second term of three years each as city physician of Haverhill, having been appointed in 1886.
He is one of the visiting surgeons to the Haverhill City Hospital; medical examiner
G. COLBURN CLEMENT.
for the New York Life Insurance Company, Penn Mutual, Equitable Life and several other insurance companies. He is a mem-
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CLEVELAND.
CLIFFORD.
ber of the Massachusetts Medical Society, also of Palestine Lodge No. 26, K. of P., and the Haverhill Monday Evening Club.
Dr. Clement was married in Haverhill, November 19, 1885, to Matilda Haseltine, daughter of George A. and Susan W. (Emerson) Kimball. He has one child : George Kimball Clement.
Dr. Clement's father was a lineal descend- ant of Job Clement, who in 1642 was one of the twelve original settlers of Haverhill. He was born on a farm in Haverhill, which is still in the family possession, the same having passed from father to son. Dr. Clement's mother is well known as an authority and writer on art, by the name of "Clara Erskine Clement." She is the present wife of Edwin F. Waters, formerly treasurer and controlling owner of the "Boston Daily Advertiser."
CLEVELAND, IRA, son of Ira and Mehitable B. Cleveland, of Hopkinton, Middlesex county, was born in that town, February 1, 1802, but removed with his father when but four years old to a farm in Milford, an adjacent town.
He pursued his preparatory studies at an academy in Mendon, and entered Brown University in 1821, where he was graduated in the class of 1825. He first began the study of law in Marlborough, but in 1828 he came to Dedham, and entered the office of Horace Mann, then a leading practitioner of Norfolk county. He was admitted as an attorney of the court of common pleas, at the Decem- ber term, 1829, and as a counselor of the supreme judicial court, in November, 1834. In 1833 Mr. Mann removed to Boston, and Mr. Cleveland succeeded him in practice and in the occupancy of his office in Dedham. In 1840 he was ap- pointed secretary of the Norfolk Mutual and the Dedham Mutual Fire Insurance companies, and from this time he gradu- ally withdrew from legal practice. He has ever since remained connected with these insurance companies, having been the president and treasurer of both until recently. He now holds the office of president of the Norfolk company.
Mr. Cleveland has never held a political office, but he has been called to many offices of trust. He was the public admin- istrator of the county for forty-two years. He was always an active and public- spirited citizen. He was in former years much interested in the improvement of the village, and in the planting of trees in its streets, and it was mainly through his efforts, some fifty years ago, that the okdl
burial ground in Dedham village was first enclosed and planted with trees.
Mr. Cleveland married, April 23, 1837, Frances Maria, the daughter of Major
IRA CLEVELAND.
Timothy P. Whitney of Wrentham, but she and her infant died in the autumn of 1838, and he has since remained unmarried.
For nearly fifty years Mr. Cleveland has taken a deep interest in the affairs of St. Paul's (Episcopal) parish. During that time he has held the office of warden, and has been one of its delegates to the con- ventions of the diocese His devotion to the interests of his church is noteworthy. To his efforts were largely due both the building of the old church edifice, which stood until December 13, 1856, and the erection of the present stone church, which was finished in 1869. In 1881 Mr. Cleve- land placed in the tower of the church a chime of ten bells, and has since spared no efforts to render this house of worship beautiful and attractive.
CLIFFORD, WALTER, son of John H. and Sarah P. (Allen) Clifford, was born in New Bedford, Bristol county, August II, 1849.
He obtained his preparatory education in private schools, Friends' Academy, New Bedford, and 1865 to '67 at Phillips Academy, Exeter, N. H. He entered
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COES.
CODMAN.
Harvard College in 1867, and was grad- uated in the class of 1871. In 1872 he entered Harvard law school, and was graduated LL. B., in the class of 1875. While keeping his connection with Har- vard law school, he was one year a stu- dent with the law firm of Staples & Gould- ing, Worcester, and while there was admit- ted to the bar, June, 1874. From 1875 to '78 he was clerk for Marston & Crapo. From April, 1878, he has been connected, as partner, with the law firm of Crapo, Clifford & Clifford.
Mr. Clifford was married in New Bedford, June 5, 1878, to Harriet Perry, daughter of Charles S. and Sarah (Perry) Randall. Of this union are four children : John H., Rosamond, Hilda, and Randall Clifford.
Mr. Clifford has been mayor of New Bedford (1889), vice-president of New Bedford Five Cents Savings Bank, director of various business institutions, a member of the Somerset and Union clubs, Boston, with residence at New Bedford.
CODMAN, CHARLES RUSSELL, eldest son of Charles Russell and Anne (Mac- master) Codman, was born in Paris, France, on the 28th of October, 1829, while his parents were traveling abroad. The Codman family have been identified with Boston since 1640. His father was a well- known merchant, whose mother was Mar- garet, daughter of Hon. James Russell of Charlestown, and his grandfather, Hon. John Codman, laid the foundation of the family fortune. His mother was of Scotch origin on her father's side, and on her mother's was of New York Dutch descent from the Dey and Van Buskirk families.
He was educated in the private schools of Boston, under the late Henry R. Cleve- land, Edmund L. Cushing (afterward Chief Justice of New Hampshire), and the late Franklin Forbes. He was also for three years at school near Flushing, L. I., under the late Rev. William A. Muhlen- berg, a distinguished divine of the Protest- ant Episcopal church. In due time he entered Harvard College, and graduated in the class of 1849. He then studied law in the office of the late Charles G. Loring, and at the Harvard law school. He was admitted to the bar in 1852, and practiced law for a short time. Subsequently en- gaging in general business, he resided in Boston until 1855, and then moved to Barnstable.
At Walton-on-Thames, England, on February 28, 1856, Mr. Codman was mar- ried to Lucy Lyman Paine, daughter of the late Russell Sturgis of Boston, and
afterwards of the firm of Baring Brothers & Co., of London. They have three sons and two daughters living : Russell Sturgis, Anne Macmaster, Susan Welles, John Stur- gis and Julian Codman.
In 1861 and '62 he was a member of the school committee of Boston. In 1864 and '65 he represented a district of the city of Boston in the state Senate ; for four years, from 1873 to '75 inclusive, he was a mem- ber of the House of Representatives, serv- ing each year on important committees - in the last two being chairman of the judi- ciary committee.
He began life as a Whig. In 1856 he joined the Republican party, and was an active member of the same until 1884, since which time he has acted with the Demo- crats.
During the war of the rebellion Mr. Codman served as colonel of the 45th Massachusetts regiment, having previously been lieutenant and captain in the Boston Cadets. He has been president of the Boston Provident Association, succeeding the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop ; president of the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hos- pital ; a trustee of the state Insane Asylum at Westborough. He was elected a member of the board of overseers of Harvard Col- lege in 1878, and again in 1884. He was president of the board in 1880 and '81 ; again in 1887, and now occupies the posi- tion. He was Republican candidate for mayor of Boston in 1878.
Mr. Codman has always been independ- ent in political connections. He supported the Republican party in its early days, when resistance to the slave power seemed to him a duty. He gave the Democratic; party an equally cordial and enthusiastic support, when to his mind that party stood for just and liberal tariff legislation. He has always been identified with, and heart- ily in favor of, the cause of civil service re- form, and, in fact, to all the great moving reforms that tend to the purification of politics and the advancement of the best interests of the country, his powerful influ- ence is uniformly given, and in this advo- cacy his clarion voice utters no uncertain sound.
COES, LORING, son of Daniel and Roxana (Gates) Coes, was born in New Worcester, April 12, 1812. His early edu- cation was received in the common schools. He and his brother, A. G. Coes, learned the machinist's trade with Kimball & Fuller.
In 1836 the two brothers formed a co- partnership and purchased the business,
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COFFIN.
which in the meantime had been moved, in 1835, to Court Mills. In 1839 Court Mills were destroyed by fire. The brothers then went to Springfield and engaged as pattern makers in the foundry of Laurin Trask. While there they made an improvement in the wrench in use, and having returned to Worcester in 1840, an application was made for a patent, which was granted Loring Coes, April 16, 1841.
The firm name of this concern was L. & A. G. Coes, and they had little beside the name, save a good amount of pluck and energy coupled with great inventive genius. Henry W. Miller sold their manufactured
LORING COES.
wrenches, and loaned them capital upon which they worked. This continued till 1843, when they bought machinery, tools, etc., that were held by their patron, and carried on both manufacturing and selling. In 1853 they took Levi Hardy as partner ; they enlarged their manufacturing capaci- ties and added the manufacture of shear- blades and knives for hay-cutting machines. This partnership was dissolved in 1864. In 1869 a division of the business was made, Loring Coes taking the factory for the manufacture of shear-blades and knives, and A. G. Coes the wrench business.
April 1, 1888, the Coes Wrench Com- pany was formed, with Loring Coes, presi-
dent, J. H. Coes, treasurer, and Frederick Coes, secretary, the two younger members of the firm being sons of A. G. Coes. They now produce fifteen hundred wrenches per day, and a large quantity of shear- blades and knives, employing one hundred hands.
Loring Coes was married in 1835 to Harriet, daughter of Dana Reed. Of this union were two children : one son and one daughter.
COFFIN, CHARLES CARLETON, son of Thomas and Hannah ( Kilburn) Coffin, was born in Boscawen, Merrimack county, N. H., July 26, 1823.
He was educated in the district school of his native town, and in the Boscawen and Pembroke academies, N. H. ; but his extensive reading gave him the preparation best fitting him for his life work. He was an omnivorous reader, and his love for historical literature was early developed, and fostered by the companionship of re- lations and friends, who either served in the war of the revolution and that of 1812, or were intimate with those who figured conspicuously in making the early history of this country.
Ill health prevented his taking a colle- giate course. While incapacitated from severe mental or physical labor, he ob- tained a surveyor's compass, and more for pastime than any thought of becoming a surveyor, he studied the elements of sur- veying ; but becoming quite an adept in the use of the instruments, Mr. Coffin ac- cepted a position in the engineers' corps of the Northern Railroad, and was subse- quently employed on the Concord & Clare- mont Railroad.
Mr. Coffin was married in Boscawen, N. H, in 1846, to Sallie R., daughter of John and Sallie (Gerrish) Farmer.
Mr. Coffin early began to write articles for the Concord newspapers, and some of the fugitive political contributions were re-published in " Littell's Living Age." His studies led him toward scientific cul- ture, and he, as early as 1849, constructed a telegraph line between Harvard Observ- atory and Boston, by which exact and uniform time was given to the railroads running out of that city. He had charge of the construction of the telegraph fire alarm in Boston, and gave the first alarm ever given, April 29, 1852. His tastes led him into journalism, and from 1850 to 1854 he was a constant contributor to the press, sending articles to the " Boston 'Transcript," " Boston Journal," "Congre- gationalist," and "New York Tribune."
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COGGAN.
COFFIN.
He was also a contributor to the " Student and Schoolmate."
After a short time spent as assistant editor of the " Practical Farmer," he in 1854 was employed on the " Boston Jour- nal." Many of the editorials upon the Kansas and Nebraska struggle were from his pen. He was afterward on the " Atlas," but returned to the " Journal " in 1858. Upon the breaking out of the war, 1861, Mr. Coffin left the editorial chair of the " Journal " and became a correspondent in the field, writing his first letter from Balti- more, June 15, over the signature " Carle- ton."
This pen name is too well known to re- quire detailed notice. He is, and ever has ยท been, noted for his rapidity of movement, quickness of perception, and almost uner- ring judgment. In 1866 he was writing from the seat of war between Austria and Italy. He is next found in London as correspondent during Disraeli's contest on the franchise. At the social science con- gress held in Belfast, Ireland, presided over by Lord Dufferin, he gave an address upon American common schools which was warmly commended by the London "Times." He traveled extensively while abroad, and met many notables to become possessed of intimate knowledge of their character and aims. He finally made the tour of the world, and returned through the West in 1869.
Mr. Coffin was vice-chairman of the state board of lunacy and charity, 1888- '89 ; is a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and Ameri- can Association for the Advancement of Science ; was in the Legislature of 1885-'86, serving on various committees, and chair- man of the committees on education and woman suffrage. It was through his active work while in the House of Representatives that two important measures were success- fully passed - the bill making all text-books free to the pupils of the public schools, and the bill providing for the appointment of the Boston police commissioners by the governor of the state, instead of by the mayor of the city.
He has published "Our New Way Round the World," "Seat of Empire," "Caleb Crinkle," "Boys of '76," "Story of Liberty," "Old Times in the Colo- nies," "Building the Nation," "Life of Garfield," "Drum-beat of the Nation," " Marching to Victory," and " Redeeming the Republic."
The degree of A. M. was conferred on him by Amherst College in 1870.
COGGAN, MARCELLUS, son of Leon- ard C. and Betsy M. Coggan, was born in Bristol, Lincoln county, Maine, in 1847.
Mr. Coggan followed the sea at an early age, attending a district school during the
MARCELLUS COGGAN.
winter terms. When sufficiently advanced, he became a student in Lincoln Academy, New Castle, Maine, where, by teaching in winter and going to sea in the summer, he was enabled to prepare himself for entering Bowdoin College, where he was graduated with honor in 1872.
He filled the position of principal of Nichols Academy, Dudley, Mass., and at the same time served as a member of the school board for three years in that town. He studied law in the office of Child & Powers, Boston, being admitted to the Suffolk bar in 1881, and entered upon the practice of law in the office of the firm with whom he had studied, remaining with them till 1886, when he formed a partnership with William Schofield, under the name of Coggan & Schofield. Entering immedi- ately upon his profession, Mr. Coggan built up a lucrative practice, which has steadily increased with the firm from year to year.
Mr. Coggan became a resident of Mal- den in 1879, and at once took an active part in the local benevolent and social
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COGSWELL.
organizations of the city. For four years he was a member of the school committee, one year acting as chairman. In 1884 he was an independent candidate for mayor, but was defeated by a small majority. The following year, however, he was elected mayor of that city on an inde- pendent ticket, and his official career was endorsed by a unanimous re-election the next year. Since his retirement from the office of mayor, Mr. Coggan has devoted himself exclusively to his law practice.
In 1872 he was married to Luella B., daughter of C. C. Robbins, of Bristol, Maine. They have three children : Sum- ner, Linus Child, and Florence Lambert Coggan.
COGSWELL, JOHN DRAPER, son of Ebenezer and Rhoda (Draper) Cogswell,
JOHN D. COGSWELL
was born in Leicester, Worcester county, May 21, 1820.
His early education was obtained in the public schools and at Leicester Academy. He worked on a farm for five years after leaving his school life, and then learned the trade of painter. In 1850, and four years following, he conducted a general country store, after which he returned to his former occupation of house, carriage and sign painting.
COGSWELL.
Mr. Cogswell was married in Winhall, Vt., September 22, 1845, to Fanny H., daughter of Job Leonard, M. D., of that town. Of this union were three children : two died in childhood ; the surviving child, Louisa Maria, married Edwin L. Watson, June 10, 1869.
Mr. Cogswell was a member of the state Senate 1864, and of the House of Represen- tatives in 1855, '60, '62 and '77.
He was captain of company F, 42d regiment, Massachusetts volunteers, in the nine months' service, under General N. P. Banks, department of the Gulf, and was stationed at New Orleans.
He has been justice of the peace since 1860, and served on the board of select- men ten years. He has officiated as moder- . ator at fifty-six town meetings. He has been trustee of Leicester Savings Bank since its organization.
He is a member of Morning Star Lodge of Worcester, A. F. & A. M., also of Quin- sigamond Lodge No. 43, I. O. O. F., and of the G. A. R.
COGSWELL, WILLIAM, son of Joseph Badger and Judith (Peaslee) Cogswell, was born April 1, 1821, in Atkinson, Rock- ingham county, N. H.
WILLIAM COGSWELL,
He studied medicine and commenced the practice of his profession March, 1845,
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COLBURN.
COGSWELL.
in Georgetown. While young in medical practice he became favorably known as a physician in that region.
In April, 1851, Dr. Cogswell removed to Bradford, where he succeeded to a wide field of practice, from which his uncle, Hon. George Cogswell, M. D., who for years had been eminent in the profession, wished to retire.
During the war of the Union, Dr. Cogs- well served as surgeon in the army, winning great credit for his medical and surgical knowledge and skill.
He married November 29, 1855, Fanny, daughter of Edmund and Julia (Eaton) Kimball, who was born May 19, 1837, in Bradford. They have no children.
In 1876 and '77 Dr. Cogswell was the president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, and in 1877 he was a member of the executive council of Governor Alex- ander H. Rice.
His qualities are those of a free and generous nature. He is large-hearted, frank, social and popular. He has com- manded for many years a lucrative practice in Bradford, Haverhill and vicinity, and is highly esteemed for his ability and pro- fessional services.
COGSWELL, WILLIAM, son of George and Abigail (Parker) Cogswell, was born in Bradford, Essex county, August 23, 1838.
He was educated in the schools of Brad- ford, Atkinson Academy, N. H., Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, N. H., Phillips Academy, Andover, and Dartmouth Col- lege, which latter institution he entered in 1855. He did not finish his course at Dart- mouth, but went to sea before the mast, sailing round the world. On his return he entered the Dane law school, Harvard University, from which he was graduated in 1860. He at once opened a law office in Salem, and in 1866 he opened another office in Boston, and has remained in active practice up to the present time.
Mr. Cogswell was first married in Haver- hill, June 20, 1855, to Emma Thorndike, daughter of Thorndike and Emma (Silsby) Proctor. Of this union were three chil- dren : William, Emma Silsby and Sarah Parker Cogswell (deceased). Mrs. Cogs- well died April 1, 1877. Mr. Cogswell was married again in Salem, December 12, 1881, to Eva Maria, daughter of Horatio Gates and Lydia (Carter) Davis.
His military record from April, 1861, to July 25, 1865, is one unbroken series of earned promotion. He was first captain, then lieutenant - colonel, and colonel, 2d
regiment Massachusetts volunteers, and finally brevet brigadier - general United States volunteers, and by special order of the war department he was assigned to the command of the 3d brigade, 3d divis- ion, 20th army corps. He had two years of service in the army of the Potomac, and two more in the western army under Generals Thomas and Sherman. He was commandant of Atlanta, Ga., while it was held by the Union troops in the fall of 1864, and he participated in the famous march " from Atlanta to the sea."
He was mayor of Salem, 1867, '68 and '69, and 1873 and '74; member of the House of Representatives 1870, '71, '81, '82, and '83 ; and of the state Senate 1885 and '86 ; was department commander of Massachusetts G. A. R., 1870, and also on national staff of G. A. R .; charter mem- ber and vice-commander Military Order of the Loyal Legion, commandery of Massa- chusetts ; member of board of advisers of the Children's Friend and Seamen's Orphan Society, Salem.
General Cogswell was elected in 1886 to the 50th United States Congress, and served on the committee on rivers and har- bors, and re-elected to the 5Ist Congress in 1888, where he performed conspicuous service, alike creditable to himself and highly satisfactory to his native State.
COLBURN, HOWARD, son of Thatcher and Hittie (Cleveland) Colburn, was born in the West Parish in Dedham, Norfolk county, December 4, 1838. He was the youngest of five sons, the oldest being the late Hon. Waldo Colburn, one of the justices of the supreme court of the Com- monwealth. He traces his ancestry in this country to Nathaniel Colburn, who emi- grated from England, August 11, 1637, and received a grant of land in the town of Dedham. The record of his admission into the Dedham church reads as follows : "Nathaniel Colburn was received into ye church after long & much inquisition into his case, 29th of ye IIm., 1640." Here he lived until his death, May 14, 1691. The line of descent is as follows : Samuel, son of Nathaniel, born January 25, 1654 ; Ephraim, born November 5, 1687 ; Ephraim, born December 31, 1716; Icha- bod, born February 26, 1754 ; and Thatch- er, born February 20, 1787, who married Hittie Cleveland, June, 1823.
Mr. Colburn was educated in the public schools of his native town and at Williston Seminary, Easthampton. In his early days he might have been styled a farmer, like his ancestors, but his public duties have of
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COLBURN.
late years taken him away from the plow and the scythe. Since 1872 he has held the office of selectman of the town, and for a number of years he has been chairman of the board, and during most of the same period he has also been a member of the boards of assessors and overseers of the poor.
He has also for a number of years been a deputy sheriff of Norfolk county. The confidence of his friends and neighbors in his integrity and ability is further attested by the fact that he is frequently called upon to act as trustee and executor of estates. He is one of the directors of the National Bank, and trustee of the Savings Bank, and a director in both the Norfolk and Dedham Mutual Fire Insurance companies, all in Dedham, and also the treasurer of the latter company.
Mr. Colburn was never married, and has always resided at the old homestead in his native town.
COLBURN, JEREMIAH, son of Calvin and Catharine Sibyl (Lakin) Colburn, was born in Boston, January 12, 1815.
He received his education at the May- hew and Derne Street schools, from which he was graduated in 1830, to enter mercan- tile life.
In 1840 he began business for himself as a dealer in hats, furs, etc., at Boston, where he continued till 1852, when President Pierce appointed him an appraiser in the Boston custom house. Here he remained through two administrations.
He has since been engaged in literary pursuits. At the age of fifteen he began the collection of rare coins - afterwards extending his field to that of medals, min- erals and shells, and subsequently to auto- graphs, manuscripts, portraits and engrav- ings, colonial and continental money, paper tokens, bank notes, and even coun- terfeits and bills of broken banks -this last at the suggestion of Jacob G. Morris of Phil- adelphia (1839), who was of the belief that the end of paper money was near, and as the representative of bills they would be a curiosity. In this department of arts Mr. Colburn has achieved a notable success, especially in Americana, wherein his coins and medals have been of the rarest, finest and earliest, and his pamphlets and books relating to American history, as well as his autographs and manuscripts, have been especially valuable. Important data relat- ing to historical events have been settled on the authority of this wreckage, saved from the ruin and remorseless decay of time.
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