USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > Ould Newbury: historical and biographical sketches > Part 46
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In the year 1852, he was appointed an associate-justice of the supreme judicial court of Massachusetts, and served in that capacity until March, 1853, when he accepted the position of attorney-general of the United States in the cabi- net of President Pierce.
After a residence of four years at Washington, he returned to Newburyport in April, 1857, and soon after opened a law office in Boston. In 1860, he was president of the Demo- cratic convention that met in Charleston, S. C., and after- ward in Baltimore. In the fierce political contest that followed, Mr. Cushing took an active part, earnestly advocat- ing the election of John C. Breckenridge to the office of president of the United States. The abolition of slavery and the dangers that threatened the life of the nation were forci- bly and eloquently discussed. The result of the election, though disappointing to him, was not unexpected.
At the beginning of the Civil War, Mr. Cushing tendered his services "in any capacity, however humble, in which it might be possible for him to contribute to the public weal," but Governor Andrew declined to appoint him to any posi- tion of influence in the State. The national administration, however, found him an able and efficient adviser in almost every department of the government, and his large acquaint- ance with international law rendered his services especially valuable in the settlement of questions relating to the rights of neutral nations or sovereign states.
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CALEB CUSHING
The half-tone print on the next page, taken from a negative made in 1862, is an accurate picture of his residence in Newburyport as it was at that date. Mr. Cushing himself, with two personal friends, is standing at the entrance to the driveway leading to the house, and above the roof floats the flag that was daily displayed during the continuance of the war as a symbol of his loyalty and fidelity to the princi- ples of constitutional government.
In 1866, Mr. Cushing purchased a fine estate in Virginia, where he resided for many years, in order that he might be near the departments at Washington. Nov. 30, 1868, he sold his house in Newburyport to his brother, William Cushing.
In 1872, he was appointed one of the counsel to present the claims of the American government before the tribunal that assembled at Geneva early in the spring following. In the preparation of this case " he evinced a depth of knowl- edge, an accurate power of detail, a patience of research, a readiness to labor, a zeal for justice and right, which aston- ished and delighted all who were associated with him." :
In 1874, the chief-justice of the supreme court of the United States died, and President Grant nominated Mr. Cushing to fill this vacancy on the supreme bench. Objec- tions were urged against his confirmation on political grounds, but no one denied his judicial learning and legal fitness for the place or questioned his ability to honorably discharge the duties of that high office. At the request of Mr. Cushing the nomination was withdrawn, and he was then appointed and confirmed as minister to Spain. He immediately started on his diplomatic mission, and remained abroad .for three . years, with the exception of a brief visit to the United States in the summer of 1876. He resigned his position as minis- ter at the Court of Madrid in February, 1877, and returned home a few months later.
His brother William having died meanwhile, deeds were drawn up and signed Dec. 5, 1877, and Jan. 10, 1878, and recorded in the registry of deeds, book 990, pages 6 and 297, conveying the house and land on High Street, New-
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RESIDENCE OF CALEB CUSHING.
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CALEB CUSHING
buryport, from the estate of William Cushing to Caleb Cushing. Once more in the possession of this stately house, the distinguished jurist and statesman lived quietly and peacefully, busy with professional duties until his death, which occurred on the evening of Jan. 2, 1879.
He was buried in the New Hill burying ground, by the side of his wife. Oct. 8, 1879, a memorial address was delivered in City Hall, Newburyport, by Hon. George B. Loring, of Salem. In the printed volume containing a full report of the exercises on that occasion the reader will find a more extended account of the public life and services of Mr. Cushing.
His great attainments, his knowledge of international law, and his recognized ability and influence in public affairs, at home and abroad, have given him a prominent place among: the distinguished men who have been identified with "ould Newbury " from its first settlement, in 1635, to the present day.
The house where he lived and died was sold Dec. 26, 1881, to Mr. Solomon Bachman of New York City. The grounds surrounding the house have been enlarged and improved since that date, and the house itself is somewhat changed externally, but still retains its general shape and appearance.
CORNELIUS CONWAY FELTON.
On the Bradford road, just beyond the Artichoke River, and near Brown Springs, so called, there stood, until quite recently, an old house in which Cornelius Conway Felton, president of Harvard College, was born. It probably was not built until after the West Parish was divided ; for, the map drawn by John Brown, surveyor, in September, 1729, and reproduced on page 392 of this book, gives the location of the house owned by Joseph Lowell (No. 39), and also the houses belonging to the estate of Joseph Brown (Nos. 40 and 41) ; but the land extending from the easterly side of the brook to the residence of Joseph Lowell is vacant. This unoccupied land subsequently came into the possession of Samuel Bartlett, and he probably erected the house described in the following conveyances.
Oct. 16, 1741, Samuel Bartlett, 3d, of Newbury, black- smith, for £200, sold to Abel Morse, of Newbury, yeoman, land with dwelling-house thereon, bounded on the north and east by land of Stephen Emery, on the south by the Brad- ford road and a grant of land made to Ebenezer Nolton by the town of Newbury for a tan-yard, and on the west "by the first freehold lot now in the possession of widow Abigail Brown " (Essex Deeds, book 82, page 143).
Oct. 30, 1745, Abel Morse of Chester, N. H., sold this property to Stephen Emery, of Newbury (book 88, page 219). It remained in the possession of the Emery family until Feb. 25, 1885, when it was sold to Jarvis H. Gambrell ; and the house, being in a ruinous condition, was then taken down (Essex Deeds, book 1146, page 13).
Subsequently, William E. Merrill and his wife, Eliza- beth K., in her own right, sold this land, with other land
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CORNELIUS CONWAY FELTON
adjoining the same, to Thomas C. Thurlow (book 1390, page 509) ; and, Nov. 13, 1893, Thomas C. Thurlow conveyed the property to J. Appleton Brown, the present owner.
An oil painting by Mr. William S. Drown, now in the possession of Mrs. Samuel J. Spalding, of Newburyport, gives a view of the house as it was in 1882. A photographic copy of that painting, reproduced by the half-tone process, will be found on the next page. At the present time the cellar wall, almost concealed from view by a thick clump of trees and shrubbery, and a deep, unused well, are the only memorials of the old homestead.
Nathaniel Felton was born in England about the year 1615. He came to Salem, Mass., in 1633, and lived there for seventy-two years. He married Mary Skelton, daughter of Rev. Samuel Skelton, the first minister of Salem.
Thomas Felton, of the fifth generation in descent from Nathaniel Felton, was born April 13, 1759, and married, July 20, 1780, Martha Conway, daughter of Cornelius Con- way, of Marblehead. He died Aug. 12, 1795, aged 36. His widow was living in Marblehead in 1804, and signed a deed conveying part of a dwelling-house in that town to Mary Beal, widow of Samuel Beal. In March, 1806, she was living in Newbury and gave a deed of the other part of the dwelling-house to the same person. She evidently removed with her children to Newbury in 1804 or 1805, and died in Newburyport previous to July 7, 1807.
Her son, Cornelius Conway Felton, was born in Marble- head June 28, 1784. He was nearly twenty-one years of age when he came to Newbury with his mother. He found employment as a wood worker in the manufacture of heavy wagons, carts, and carriages, and soon became the accepted suitor of Miss Anna Morse, daughter of David Morse, who then lived in a house on Huse's lane, so called, nearly oppo- site the residence of William Huse, numbered 172 on the map of the West Parish. His intention of marriage was recorded by the town clerk of Newbury Oct. 25, 1805.
Mr. David Morse was a blacksmith by trade, and, in a shop near his residence, devoted his time and attention to the making and repairing of iron-work for carriages.
BIRTHPLACE OF CORNELIUS CONWAY FELTON.
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CORNELIUS CONWAY FELTON
At this time Stephen Emery, who was born July 8, 1761, and married Hannah Little May 4, 1783, was a licensed victualler and furnished entertainment for travellers. He occupied the house bought of Abel Morse by his grand- father Colonel Stephen Emery Oct. 30, 1745. He provided meals and lodgings for Mr. Felton and his wife; and at his house, Nov. 6, 1807, Cornelius Conway Felton, Jr., was born. Some months later David Morse removed to a house that is still standing on the Bradford road, near the entrance to Coffin's lane, on the westerly side of Pipe Stave Hill. The Felton family, father, mother, and child, soon after removed their household goods to this new home; and for several years the two families were united in one household under the same roof. And there a second son, Samuel Morse Felton, was born July 17, 1809.
The town records furnish but little information in regard to the subsequent movements of the Felton family. A few facts gathered from other reliable sources indicate that the father, although a hard-working and industrious man, was barely able, with the most rigid economy, to provide the necessaries of life for his wife and children. Soon after his marriage, he started in business as a coach and wagon builder, but the sudden disappearance of a trusted partner involved him in financial difficulties, from which he did not extricate himself for many years. Sept. 16, 1814, he enlisted in a company of militia that was stationed at Plum Island for several months during the war with Great Britain to pre- vent the landing of troops from British vessels off the coast. Mrs. Mary (Hale) Emery, widow of Rev. Samuel M. Emery, D. D., has in her possession a receipt, dated Newbury, Jan. 14, 1815, signed by Cornelius C. Felton and twenty-five or thirty other able-bodied citizens, for wages paid them for this service by Eliphalet Emery.
In the month of February following, Mr. Felton removed, with his wife and children, to Saugus, Mass., and there occu- pied a house near the residence of Dr. Abijah Cheever, an eminent physician of that town.
At that date, young Cornelius Felton was only seven
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years of age. He was quick to learn, and soon developed studious habits. He attracted the attention of Dr. Cheever, who became interested in his education and gave him his first lessons in Latin. He advised him to pursue a thorough and systematic course of study. This advice was eagerly accepted, and young Felton, with the consent of his parents, was placed under the tuition of Simeon Putnam, of North Andover, where he was fitted for college.
Cornelius Conway Felton entered Harvard in 1823, and graduated four years later. Dependent upon his own indus- try for support, he went to Geneseo, in the western part of New York State, and took charge of an academy, where he remained for two or three years. Returning to Massachu- setts, he accepted the position of Latin tutor in Harvard College.
In 1832, he was appointed Professor of Greek, and in 1834 Eliot Professor of Greek literature in that institution. He made several visits to Greece for the purpose of study and recreation, and published, in a volume of four hundred pages, an interesting description of that classic land. Feb. 13, 1856, he was appointed one of the regents of the Smith- sonian Institution at Washington, D. C. After the resigna- tion of Dr. Walker, Jan. 26, 1860, he was elected president of Harvard College, and entered upon the duties of his office Feb. 16, 1860. He died Feb. 26, 1862, of enlargement of the heart, at the residence of his brother in Chester, Pa.
He married, April 12, 1838, for his first wife, Mary, daugh- ter of Asa and Mary (Hammond) Whitney. She died April 12, 1845, aged thirty. For his second wife, he married, Sept. 28, 1846, Mary Louisa, daughter of Hon. Thomas G. and Mary (Perkins) Cary, of Boston. He had two daughters by his first wife,
Mary S., born April 20, 1839. Julia W., born Aug. 24, 1842 ;
and two sons and one daughter by his second wife,
Louise C., born March 16, 1849. Cornelius C., born in December. 1851. Thomas C., born Sept. 15. 1855.
Mrs. Mary (Cary) Felton died May 31, 1864.
SAMUEL MORSE FELTON.
In a house that is still standing near the corner of Coffin's lane and the Bradford road, on the westerly side of Pipe Stave Hill, as stated in the preceding sketch, Samuel Morse Felton, son of Cornelius Conway and Anna (Morse) Felton, was born July 17, 1809.
When the Felton family removed from West Newbury the journey was made, in a large, open sleigh, in midwinter, through Georgetown, Boxford, and Danvers to the town of Saugus, Mass. ; and Samuel Morse Felton, though only five and a half years of age at that date, was deeply impressed by the incidents of the journey and often described, in after life, the post-rider, who passed them on the way, waving his hat above his head and shouting with a loud voice, " Peace ! Peace !" *
When he was fourteen years old, he found employment as errand boy and clerk in a wholesale and retail grocery store in Boston. In 1827, he decided to prepare for college, under the tuition of his brother Cornelius ; and in 1830 he entered Harvard, graduating with high honors in 1834. Dependent upon his own exertions for support, he took charge of a private school that had been established by Joseph Lovering, in Charlestown, Mass., and at the same time commenced the study of law. For two years he applied himself steadily to this work ; but, finding the confinement irksome and unfavor- able to his health, he concluded, after careful consideration, to turn his attention to the more congenial study of civil engineering. He entered the office of Colonel Loammi Baldwin in 1836, and there acquired a scientific as well as a
* Feb. 13, 1815, news of the treaty made at Ghent reached Newbury, and on the seventeenth day of the same month the treaty was ratified by President Monroe.
BIRTHPLACE OF SAMUEL MORSE FELTON.
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SAMUEL MORSE FELTON
practical knowledge of the art of constructing railroads and other important public works.
In 1837, he was employed in taking observations and making mathematical calculations at the Boston and Roxbury mill dam, to be submitted as evidence in a strongly con- tested suit brought against the Boston Water Power Com- pany. In 1838, after the death of Colonel Baldwin, he opened an office on his own account and soon obtained an extensive and lucrative practice. In 1842, he made the pre- liminary survey for the Fitchburg railroad, and, during the next two or three years, had charge of the work of construc- tion. In 1845, he was elected general superintendent of the Fitchburg railway system, which position he continued to hold until he was chosen president of the Philadelphia, Wil- mington & Baltimore Railroad in 1851. At the beginning of the civil war this road was the only direct means of com- munication between the Northeastern States and Washing- ton. A plan was devised by some of the sympathizers with the Southern Confederacy for the assassination of President Lincoln on his way through Baltimore previous to his inaugu- ration. This plot was discovered, and by the skill and sagac- ity of Mr. Felton was completely frustrated. Arrangements were speedily and carefully made to take the president-elect to Washington in safety. A brief statement of the facts connected with this memorable night-journey, written by Mr. Felton himself, will be found on pages 59 to 65, inclusive, of Schouler's History of Massachusetts in the Civil War.
Subsequently, the burning of the bridges on the Phila- delphia, Wilmington & Baltimore railroad rendered travel between Philadelphia and Washington difficult, if not impos- sible, and threatened for a time to prevent the transportation of troops and military stores for the defence of the Capitol ; but this danger was averted by the energetic and successful efforts of Mr. Felton to open a more easily defended route through Annapolis.
The necessities of the war, the demands of the govern- ment, and the scarcity of engineers and machinists rendered it impossible to conduct the rapidly increasing business
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with promptness and despatch, and gave rise to some unjust criticisms, which occasioned Mr. Felton great distress and anxiety.
In 1865, a stroke of paralysis, occasioned by overwork, compelled him to abandon business cares and responsibilities and seek rest and recreation. He resigned his office; and, after some months of quiet relaxation, with restored health, was induced to accept the presidency of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, the first organization formed for the purpose of manufacturing steel rails in this country. Under his care and management this company was remarkably prosperous and successful.
He married, May 19, 1836, for his first wife, Eleanor Stetson, daughter of David and Sarah (Lapham) Stetson, of Charlestown, Mass. She died Aug. 24, 1847, aged thirty- four. He married, Oct. 21, 1850, for his second wife, Maria Low Lippitt, daughter of Warren and Eliza (Seamens) Lip- pitt, of Providence, R. I. He had three daughters by his first wife,
Eleanor S., born June 21, 1837, Anna M., born Jan. 1, 1839, Mary S., born Jan. 11, 1842 :
and one daughter and three sons by his second wife,
Harriet P., born Aug. 16, 1851, Samuel M., born Feb. 3, 1853, Edgar C., born April 13, 1858, Cornelius C., born Dec. 29, 1863.
Samuel Morse Felton died at his residence in Philadelphia Jan. 24, 1889, in the seventy-ninth year of his age.
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON.
In a house still standing on the easterly side of School Street, next to the meeting-house and vestry of the First Presbyterian Society of Newburyport, William Lloyd Garri- son was born Dec. 10, 1805. He was the son of Abijah and Fanny (Lloyd) Garrison of the Jemseg, on the river St. John, Queen's County, Province of Nova Scotia. In the spring of 1805, his parents came to Newburyport, bringing one son and one daughter with them. They hired a few rooms in a house on School Street, owned and occupied by David Farnham, who was the captain of a vessel then employed in the coasting trade. Martha Farnham, his wife, was, in later years, a firm and steadfast friend of the Garrison family.
The half-tone print that accompanies this sketch represents the house as it was before any alterations were made in its exterior. There, in December, 1805, William Lloyd Garri- son was born; there, June 18, 1808, his sister, Caroline Eliza, died ; and there, in July of the same year, the family circle was enlarged by the birth of another sister, Maria Elizabeth.
A few months later Abijah Garrison left Newburyport and went back to New Brunswick. From that date until his death, several years later, he contributed nothing to the support of his wife and family. With three small chil- dren dependent upon her, Mrs. Garrison found the struggle for existence exceedingly bitter and severe. In 1812, she removed to Lynn, taking her oldest son with her to learn the shoemaker's trade; and William Lloyd Garrison went to live with Deacon Ezekiel Bartlett and wife, who resided at the corner of Merrimack and Summer streets, Newburyport.
BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON.
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WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON
He was for a short time a member of the grammar school at the west end of the mall, but was soon compelled to leave his studies in order that he might be of assistance to the family and contribute to its support.
Those who knew him in childhood speak of him as a bright, active boy, fond of all boyish sports. He played at bat and ball, and is said to have led the South End boys against the "North Enders " in the snowball contests of that day. Barefooted, he trundled his hoop all over the town, and at the same time found frequent opportunity to exercise his skill in a game with marbles. Once, with a playmate, he swam across the river to the Great Rock on the Salisbury shore, and returned safely, although the wind was blowing strongly from the westward and the tide was flowing fast toward the sea; and once he nearly lost his life by breaking through the ice on the same swift-running river, and only reached the shore after a long and desperate struggle.
In October, 1815, Mrs. Garrison removed to Baltimore ; and her sons, William Lloyd and James Holley went with her. After a few months' residence in that city, the latter, tired of the awl and the last, ran away from his master and shipped on board a vessel bound to a distant port. William Lloyd, homesick and anxious to return to his old school- mates and friends, was early in 1817 again placed in the care and custody of his uncle Ezekiel Bartlett and again became a pupil of the grammar school, Newburyport.
On the thirteenth day of October, 1818, he was entered as an apprentice for seven years to Mr. Ephraim W. Allen, editor and proprietor of the Newburyport Herald. He devoted himself with diligence and enthusiasm to his trade, and became so expert and thorough in all departments that he was made foreman of the office. During his apprentice- ship he wrote many articles in prose and verse for the columns of the Herald.
When General Lafayette visited Newburyport in August, 1824, Garrison was among the thousands who waited in a drenching rain, late at night, to see the old soldier and shake him by the hand. Eighteen months later, having completed
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his term of service at the Herald office, he purchased, with the assistance of his old employer, Mr. Ephraim W. Allen, a newspaper, established in Newburyport by Isaac Knapp in 1825, called the Essex Courant, and, changing its name to the Free Press, issued the first number March 22, 1826, with the name of William Lloyd Garrison as editor and publisher.
The Free Press was a paper of four pages, with five columns of printed matter to each page, measuring nearly twelve by eighteen inches ; and, under the title of the paper, was the motto, "Our Country, our Whole Country, and Nothing but Our Country." In its columns the verses entitled, "The Exile's Departure," written by Whittier at the beginning of his literary career, were printed June 8, 1826; and other poetical contributions from the same pen were published, from time to time, with words of encourage- ment and commendation from the young editor.
In the month of September, 1826, Mr. Garrison sold his interest in this weekly paper to Mr. John H. Harris, who immediately changed its policy and politics, and editorially advocated the election of Caleb Cushing to Congress in place of Hon. John Varnum, whom Mr. Garrison had urged in the last number. During the political campaign that followed, there was great activity and excitement in Newburyport. Mr. Garrison vigorously opposed the claims of Mr. Cushing, and undoubtedly was influential in accomplishing his defeat.
When the contest was over Mr. Garrison determined to leave Newburyport and seek employment in Boston. He remained, however, long enough to become a member of the Newburyport Artillery Company ; and, then, in December, 1826, made his way to the great city that was for more than fifty years his adopted home.
July 4, 1828, he returned for a brief visit and read the Declaration of Independence at a celebration of the national anniversary, held under the auspices of the Artillery Com- pany, and also contributed a spirited ode for the occasion.
Sept. 28, 1830, he addressed a large audience in the meet- ing-house on Titcomb Street, then under the pastoral care of Rev. Dr. Luther F. Dimmick, on the subject of slavery, and
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WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON
was announced to speak again the next evening in the same place ; but, on account of the excitement created by his first address, the doors of the meeting-house were closed against him. He wrote a brief communication to the Newburyport Herald, published Friday morning, Oct. 1, 1830, in which he complained of the unkind and uncivil treatment he had received from his former friends and townsmen, and then he hastened back to Boston to make preparations for the pub- lication of the first number of The Liberator.
Jan. 1, 1831, the paper appeared, with the names of William Lloyd Garrison and Isaac Knapp, publishers, and the motto : "Our Country is the World - Our Countrymen are all Mankind." Its mission was set forth in a brief address by the editor, William Lloyd Garrison, on the first page, con- taining the following statement : "I am in earnest - I will not equivocate - I will not excuse- I will not retreat a single inch - AND I WILL BE HEARD."
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