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 71
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Mr. Pease was married in Pawtucket, R. I., July 6, 1882, to Mary Belle Clark. The children of this union are : Harold Alvin (deceased), Irving Clifton, and Edith Belle Pease.
Mr. Pease was president of the Rhode Island Institute of Instruction two years, 1885-'86, and secretary of the Rhode Island Baptist Social Union from 1881 to 88. He is president of the Baptist Young People's Association, Northampton.
PEASE, RICHARD LUCE, was born in Edgartown, Dukes county, August 31, 1814. He received his early education in the public and private schools of his native town. He began to teach school in his twenty-first year, and continued that occupation successfully for about twenty years.
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Mr. Pease early disclosed a strong bent toward historical studies, and for many years his leisure time was devoted to his- torical and antiquarian research. Few men who have written so much, have published so little. By request of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, he prepared some ten years ago a biographical memoir of James Athearn Jones, scholar and nov- elist, a cotemporary and friend of William Cullen Bryant.
He was a member of the House of Rep- resentatives in 1842 ; presidential elector from the Ist congressional district of Massachusetts in 1868 ; register of pro- bate for Dukes county from April, 1853, to March, 1855 ; clerk of the courts for Dukes county from May, 1856, to Jan- uary, 1872. He was postmaster of Edgar- town from December, 1877, to September, 1885 ; in 1854 he was appointed a justice of the peace ; and in May, 1865, notary
RICHARD L. PEASE.
public. He was also a member of the Webster Historical Society of Boston, and on September 18, 1851, was appointed a corresponding member of the Albany In- stitute.
Mr. Pease was married at Edgartown, January 17, 1836, to Mary West Pease, by whom he had two children : Maria Thurs- ton and Harriet Marshall Pease.
PECK.
Mr. Pease died September 2, 1888, at Edgartown. By his death his literary co- temporaries lost a most highly respected brother in the fraternity, societies for his- toric research a most industrious chroni- cler, his town a valued citizen, his church an earnest Christian, and his family circle a member loving and beloved.
PEASE, THEODORE CLAUDIUS, son of Claudius B. and Elvira Ann (Smith) Pease, was born at Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, N. Y., on the 14th day of October, 1853.
He received his early education in the public and private schools in Somers, Conn., where he lived after he was four years of age. He prepared himself for college at the high school of Springfield, Mass., entering Harvard College in 1871, and was graduated in 1875. For a time he was a teacher in a private school in Springfield, and also in the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
After a three years' course at the An- dover Theological Seminary, he graduated in 1880, and was ordained pastor of the Congregational church of West Lebanon, N. H., in the same year, remaining as pastor four years. He was installed De- cember, 1884, over the First church (Trin- itarian Congregational), Malden, Mass., and continues in the same pastorate.
Mr. Pease was an editor of the " Har- vard Advocate " while in college, and for a number of years a regular reviewer of books for the "Literary World." He is a member of the Dante Society and the American Philological Association.
In 1880 he was married to Abbie F., daughter of Elijah and Mary D. Cutter, of Somers, Conn .; and of a family of four children, only one is living : Arthur Stan- ley, born September 22, 1881.
PECK, WILLIAM GAYLORD, son of Abel G. and Eliza A. Peck, was born in Boston, March 12, 1841. Since 1852 his residence has been Arlington.
His early education was acquired at Chauncy Hall school and in the public schools of Arlington. He fitted for col- lege at Phillips Academy, Andover, under Rev. Samuel H. Taylor, entered Vale Col- lege in 1860, and was graduated therefrom in 1864. During his junior year he was chosen one of the editors of the " Vale Literary Magazine."
August, 1864, he became associated with his father, as clerk in the banking and brokerage business, in Boston. January 1, 1866, he was admitted as partner, under
PEIRCE.
the firm name of A. G. Peck & Son. This firm was dissolved November 12, 1870, by death of the senior partner. Since 1870 he has been engaged in the care of trust estates and general real estate business.
Mr. Peck was married at Arlington, October 22, 1878, to Anna Maria, eldest daughter of Charles H. and Maria D. Newell, and grand-daughter of the late Addison Gage. Two children bless the union : Chester G., born November 24, 1879, and Lilian N. Peck, born August 24, 1882. Mrs. Peck died at Wilton, N. H., September 20, 1884.
March, 1874. Mr. Peck was elected a member of the board of selectmen for the town of Arlington, and re-elected to the same office for four successive years. He represented the 14th Middlesex represen- tative district (towns of Arlington and Winchester), in the House of Representa- tives in 1878, and served as clerk on the joint standing committee on education. He was re-elected in 1880 as representa- tive from the same district, and served as House chairman on the joint standing com- mittee on education. He was elected for the years 1886 and '87 a member of the Re- publican state central committee. In 1874 he was elected by the town of Arlington a member of the board of trustees of the Pratt fund for the term of four years, and has been re-elected at the expiration of every term up to the present time. In 1878 he was chosen chairman of the board of sinking fund commissioners for the liquidation of the town debt, which office he now holds. In 1880 he was elected a member of the board of water commis- sioners, and served three years, declining re-election. In 1866 he was elected a trustee of the Robbins Fund for a term of three years, and in 1888 was elected a trustee of the soldiers' monument. He was elected a trustee of the Arlington Five Cents Savings Bank in 1873, and in 1883 was elected president, which office he still holds. He is also president of the Chelsea Gas Light Company, and a director of the North American Insurance Company, of Boston.
PEIRCE, BRADFORD KINNEY, son of Thomas C. and Sarah Kinney Peirce, was born in Royalton, Windsor county, Ver- mont, February 3, 1819. His father was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Peirce fitted for college at the Wesleyan Academy, Wilbraham, and was graduated from the Wesleyan Univer- sity, Middletown, Conn., in the class of 1841.
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He entered the New England confer- ence of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1843, and supplied pulpits in Waltham, Newburyport, Charlestown, Boston, Water- town, and Newton Centre.
He edited the " Sunday-school Messen- ger " and "Sunday-school Teacher," 1844 and '45, and was agent of the American Sunday-school Union from 1854 to '56. He was elected senator from Norfolk county in the Legislature of 1855 and '56; was superintendent and chaplain of the state industrial school at Lancaster from 1856 to '62 ; chaplain of the House of Refuge, New York City, from 1863 to '72, and assistant editor of the "Christian Advocate," New York City, 1868 to '72. He was editor of "Zion's Herald," Bos- ton, from 1872 to '88.
He received the degree of A. M. and of D. D. from Wesleyan University, and was a trustee of this institution from 1870 to '81. He was trustee of Boston Univer- sity from 1874, and of Wellesley College from 1876 ; was a member of the Roxbury school board seven years, and was six years on the school board of Newton, and nine years superintendent of the Newton free library.
Dr. Peirce was the author of the follow- ing publications : "The Temptation," "One Talent Improved," "The Eminent Dead," " Bible Scholars' Manual," " Notes on Acts," "The Token of Friendship," " Life of Audubon." " Trials of an Inven- tor," "Stories from Life," "Sequel to Sto- ries from Life," " Half Century with Juve- nile Offenders," " The Word of God Open- ed," " Under the Cross," "Hymns of the Higher Life," "The Young Shetlander and his Home," "The Chaplain and his Children," and he also prepared, by order of the Massachusetts Legislature, a new annotated edition of the proceedings of the state convention of 1788, which rati- fied the national constitution.
Dr. Peirce was married in Middletown, Conn., August 5, 1841, to Harriet M., daughter of Gideon and Maria (Pluymert) Thompson. Of this union were three children : Charles P., Henry T., and Har- riet M. Peirce.
During his life Dr. Peirce was much interested in public charities and reforms, and through his efforts the state industrial school at Lancaster was established. His services as editor of the " Zion's Herald " were of a character deserving grateful recognition. He always labored to pro- mote the interests of the denomination with which he was identified, and his influ-
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ence helped the wider interests which cen- tre in good citizenship.
Dr. Peirce died quite suddenly, April 19, 1889, at his residence in Newton Cen- tre. He was personally a man of lovely character, full of tender regard for others, and ever ready to extend a helping hand to the needy and suffering. In New- ton, where he resided for many years, he was sincerely beloved and respected. He took an active interest in the affairs of the city, and was prominent in every effort calculated to advance the intelligence and morals of the community.
PEIRCE, HENRY BAILEY, son of Mar- tin B. and Mary E. (Wellman) Peirce, was born in Duxbury, Plymouth county, August 6, 1841.
His early education was obtained in the public schools of Abington, and in a mer- cantile academy in Boston.
He enlisted October 14, 1861, as a private in the 23d Massachusetts volun- teers ; received a warrant as, commissary- sergeant in 1862 ; was commissioned Ist lieutenant in 1863 ; appointed regimental quartermaster, January 3, 1864 ; commis- sioned captain, September 20, 1864 ; served on the staff of General Edward Harland, as A. C. S. during the last campaign of the war, and was mustered out of the service July 10, 1865.
He soon after became engaged in the insurance business in Boston and vicinity, representing the Manhattan Life Insur- ance of New York, the Travelers Insur- ance Company of Hartford, Conn., also doing a brokerage business for several fire insurance companies.
In 1870 he was appointed assistant adjutant-general of the department of Massachusetts, G. A. R., and was re-ap- pointed each year until 1876. In 1875 he was elected secretary of the Common- wealth, and is now serving his fourteenth year in that office, having been renomi- nated each year by acclamation.
Mr. Peirce is president of the Abing- ton Mutual Fire Insurance Company; a trustee of the savings bank and of the public library in the town of Abington ; he is one of the directors in the Massachu- setts Benefit Association in the city of Boston, and has held, to great acceptance, many other positions of trust and respon- sibility.
In his official capacity as secretary of the Commonwealth he is a conspicuous figure upon state occasions, and has con- ducted the affairs of his department with efficiency and success.
PEIRCE, SILAS, son of Elijah and Lucy P. (Nash) Peirce, was born in Scituate, Plymouth county, July 27, 1826. His edu- cational training was received in the public schools.
In 1845 he went to Boston and engaged with Silas Peirce & Co., wholesale grocers, remaining with them until 1856, when he was received into the firm, and has re- mained until the present time.
His time is now divided for the greater part between the Boston National Bank and the North American Insurance Com- pany, he being president of both corpora- tions.
SILAS PEIRCE.
Mr. Peirce was married in Boston, De- cember 24, 1852, to Almira, daughter of Matthew and Almira (Vinal) Hall. Of this union were three children : Lucy, Silas, and Susan Hall Peirce Mr. Peirce is also president of the Hingham Cordage Com- pany, Boston Cooperage Company ; direct- or in the Old Colony Steamboat Company, Kennebec Steamboat Company, Hingham, Hull & Downer Landing Steamboat Com- pany, Northern Railroad Company of New Hampshire, and East Boston Land Com- pany. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Wesleyan Association ; treasurer of the board of trustees and superintendent of the Sunday-school of
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the Bromfield Street M. E. church ; director of the Boston North End Mission, and member of the board of trustees of the New England Conservatory of Music - covering, it will be seen, a wide range of financial, religious, philanthropic and artis- tic organizations.
The rise of this well-known citizen of Boston, from comparative obscurity, fur- nishes an incentive and guide to any am- bitious young man who is just entering business life for himself. He began at the lowest round of the ladder ; he was in- dustrious, economical, honest and persever- ing. These were the elements of his char- acter ; these the factors that combined to make his success. As a business man, he possesses qualities that at once individualize him. He is aggressive and yet conserva- tive, courageous but safe in counsel.
For five months of the year Mr. Peirce lives on a farm in Scituate. This farm was owned by his paternal ancestor in 1647, and has been owned and occupied by the direct descendants ever since, Mr. Peirce being the owner in the seventh generation.
PEIRCE, WARREN APPLETON, was born in
West t Cambridge, Middlesex county, June 5, 1849. He is a descend- ant of Solomon Peirce, of Lexington, who was wounded in that battle, April 19, 1775 ; also of Benjamin Locke, captain of a company of minute men at the battle of Bunker Hill.
Mr. Peirce attended the Cotting Acad- emy in West Cambridge (now Arlington) three years, then the public schools until fifteen years old, when he engaged in regular work on his father's farm. He entered the Arlington high school at its opening in 1863.
He remained at home until twenty-two years of age, afterward worked for his brother in the coal and wood business, and as station agent for six years, at Arlington, on the Boston & Lowell R. R .; then purchased the Lexington interest in his brother's business -coal, wood, hay, straw, and grain, lime, cement, fertilizers, etc. Five years later he purchased the business previously owned by his brother in Arlington, and now carries on the same at that town, where he resides, Arling- ton Heights and Lexington.
Mr. Peirce was married by Rev. W. F. Potter, December 5, 1882, at East Boston, to Jessie C., daughter of Jesse Bacon of Arlington. He has one son : Warren A., Jr., born October 23, 1887.
He was president of the water board three years, 1884, '85, '86 ; selectman 1886-'89 ;
was a member of the lower branch of the General Court 1886-'87, serving as clerk of the committee on water supply, and as a member of the committee on state-house.
He is a prominent Odd Fellow and Free Mason ; is treasurer of the Adelphi Club, having held the office since its organiza-
WARREN A. PEIRCE.
tion in 1878 ; is a director in the Arling- ton Boat Club, and has been a member of the William Penn Hose Company since its organization in 1872.
He has been chairman of the Republi- can town committee since 1876, and is now serving a second term as a member of the Republican state central committee.
PERABO, JOHANN ERNST, son of Michael and Christiane (Hübner) Perabo, was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, Novem- ber 14, 1845.
He was educationally directed, first at home, later at Eimsbüttel, near Hamburg, in Johannes Andresen's boarding-school (1858-'62), lastly at the conservatory of music, Leipzig, Germany, from 1862-'65, and again from 1878 to '79.
With his father and mother he came to this country in 1852. They settled for two years in New York City, where he formed the acquaintance of William Scharfenberg, who later on did much to develop the tal- ents of his young pupil.
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In 1854 Mr. Perabo made his first appearance before the public in a con- cert given by Professor Heinrich, and gave uncommon promise. From New York the family went to Dover, N. H., remaining two years ; thence they removed to Boston for one year, during which time Mr. Perabo received instruction of Frank Hill, and also on the violin from William Schultze of the Mendelssohn Quintette Club, and played at a concert under Carl Zerrahn's direction, at Music Hall.
Then the family removed to Chicago. The father was poor, but the purpose of edu- cating his son was big within him, and he determined in the simplicity of his heart to make an appeal to the government, and persuaded the mother and son to go to Washington. At the White House they saw President Buchanan, who, amused at the advent of his extraordinary callers and their errand, informed them kindly that neither the executive department nor Con- gress was particularly interested in the promotion of the fine arts.
They then went to New York and again found Mr. Scharfenberg, with the purpose of interesting him in the boy's education abroad. He at first objected, declaring that pupils sent abroad wasted their time in frivolous amusements instead of attend - ing to their studies. His objections were finally overcome, and through his exertions young Perabo was sent abroad and put into the schools noted above.
At Eimsbüttel, under the tender care of Mrs. Andresen, August Schüler, Mey- erhof, and Heinrich Joachim - teach- ers remarkable for their good judgment - he spent the four happiest years of his life. His teachers at Leipzig were Profes- sors Moscheles and E. F. Wenzel, piano ; Papperitz, Hauptmann and Richter in har- mony ; and at a later period Carl Reinecke in composition. At the public examination of the conservatory, May 4, 1865, he played the second and third movements of Norbert Burgmüller's concerto in F sharp minor, then just published, and performed for the first time in public.
Shortly after his graduation, he returned to this country, where he was met by Mr. Scharfenberg and other friends, who as- sured him that they expected no recompense for what they had done in his behalf. Mr. Perabo then proceeded to Sandusky, Ohio, where his parents at that time resided, giving several successful and gratifying concerts in that city, and also at Lafay- ette, Chicago and Cleveland.
PERKINS.
In 1866 he returned d to New York. While there he was invited to play at the last concert of the season given by the Harvard Musical Association of Boston. He played Hummel's "Septette," which met with such a marked degree of critical favor that his reputation was at once established in that city. Here he re- mained, and during his residence in Bos- ton he has devoted his attention faithfully to piano instruction. His claims to excel- lence are universally acknowledged. He is well known as a musical composer and a thoroughly accomplished artist.
Mr. Perabo was married in Boston, June 3, 1889, to Louisa E. Smidt.
PERKINS, HAMILTON LUCERNE, son of Isaiah and Priscilla Morse ( Kimball ) Perkins, was born in Georgetown, Essex county, March 26, 1845.
His early education was limited to the common and high schools of Georgetown.
He worked on the farm until sixteen years of age, when he joined the 50th Massachusetts regiment, and went to the front, being one of the youngest recruits who enlisted from his section. He later became connected with the 17th unat- tached company and served until the close of the war.
On his return home he engaged in the tailoring business in Georgetown. In 1885 he went to Haverhill, where he is still en- gaged in the same business.
Mr. Perkins was married in Georgetown, December 1, 1869, to Ellen Augusta, daugh- ter of 'Daniel E. and Rebecca (Sawyer) Moulton. Of this union are two children : Florence and Luella Leighton Perkins.
Mr. Perkins is prominent in the following societies, having held nearly all the offices in their gift : Protection Lodge, I. O. O. F., Georgetown ; Eagle Encampment, I. O. O. F., Haverhill, and district deputy-grand master of Massachusetts ; Canton Eagle, Patriarchs Militant, A. O. U. W., and Passa- quoi Tribe, I. O. R. M. He has been gov- ernor of the Winnekenie Colony No. 122, U. O. P. F., and is at present a member of Colonel Dalton's staff, with rank of major.
Mr. Perkins, while frequently called upon to serve his fellow-townsmen in political affairs, has hitherto steadfastly refused to accept office, until this year he consented to allow the use of his name for nomination as alderman-at-large. He was easily elected, and his fellow-members honored him with a choice as their presid- ing officer, and he is now serving them and the city of Haverhill most creditably as the president of the board of aldermen.
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PERRY, ARTHUR LATHAM, youngest son of Rev. Baxter and Lydia (Gray) Perry, was born in Lyme, Grafton county, N. H., February 27, 1830. His father was gradu- ated from Harvard University in 1817, and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1820. He was settled as pastor of the church at Lyme, in January, 1821, and con- tinued his work there faithfully and suc- cessfully for nine years, when, six weeks previous to this son's birth, he died, leaving all the care and training of four children to the mother. Matthew Gray, her great grandfather, and Matthew Gray, her grand- father, were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians of the great immigration of these people into Massachusetts in August, 1718. The Grays and many others of these immigrants went almost immediately from Boston, where they landed, to Worcester, then a new town. The Perrys migrated from Watertown to Worcester in 1751, and bought a farm there - still owned by their descendants of the same name. Worcester thus became the ancestral home of both parents of Mr. Perry. Previous to her marriage, his mother became a notable school teacher in Wor- cester and vicinity, and for a time taught a select school in Cambridge under the shadow of Harvard College. During her widowhood she displayed a capacity for practical affairs which gained her the ad- miration of her neighbors, and the lasting gratitude of her children.
This posthumous son was well trained at home, was taught implicit obedience, and was drilled in the common schools of his native village until eleven years of age, when, beginning to "work out," he was able to attend the public schools in winter, only. But he took every advantage of what schooling he could get, until, by diligent reading and hard study at home also, he fitted himself to teach in a country school, which he did at sixteen years of age. He was fitted for college at Thetford Academy, Tt., entered Williams College in the fall of 1848, and was graduated in course in 1852, taking the metaphysical oration at commencement. He taught school in Washington, D C., for one year, and re- turned to Williams College in 1853 as pro- fessor of history and political economy, and has held this chair to the present time without interruption.
His main life has been in his work of teaching, and he is always happiest when with his classes in his own lecture room. He has repeatedly refused flatter- ing calls from other colleges, and equally tempting offers to other positions.
PERRY.
He has a taste for editorial writing, and for many years contributed articles to the "Springfield Republican " and the " New York Evening Post," declining, however, an offer to go upon the editorial staff of the latter paper, then under the manage- ment of William Cullen Bryant.
His private study and public teaching of political economy made him a thorough free-trader, and he has been a willing lec- turer and speaker for free trade in his col- lege vacations for twenty years past, and in that time has delivered about two hun- dred public addresses in half of the states of the Union. He participated in a public debate with Horace Greeley in Boston in 1868, and again in New York in 1869. He published his " Political Economy " in the autumn of 1865, which is now in its twen- tieth edition, and his "Introduction to Political Economy " in 1877, now in its fifth edition. He has seldom been absent from college, even for a day, during his long term of service.
He is a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and president of the Berkshire Historical and Scientific Society. He received the degree of LL. D. from Union College in 1874, and the degree of D. D. from Doane College in 1882.
Prof. Perry was married in Williamstown, August 7, 1856, to Mary Brown Smedley, whose two great grandfathers, Col. Benja- min Simonds and Capt. Nehemiah Smedley, were among the earliest settlers of Wil- liamstown, and were patriot officers in the battle of Bennington. Of this union are six children : Bliss, professor of elocution and English in Williams College ; Grace, teacher in the Albany Female Academy ; Arthur, in business in New York ; Walter, in business in Ansonia, Conn .; Carroll, in the junior class in Williams College, and Lewis Perry, still a school-boy at home.
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