Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts, Part 117

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1399

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts > Part 117

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

242

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

of Brookline, Algonquin Club, the Knickerbocker, the University Club of New York, and also the Harvard Club. He is one of Easton's most progressive young men and takes an intelligent interest in school and religious matters and has ever advanced the interests of his town and townspeople.

Angeny, Dr. Granville L., son of Joseph S. and Sarah D., was born in Doyleston, Pa., October 1, 1868, and was educated at the University of Pennsylvania and is a graduate in pharmacy, having been engaged in that business six years prior to the study of medicine, and afterwards graduated from Philadelphia College of Pharma- cy, subsequently moving to North Easton, Mass., where he began his practice, and his success in his profession is assured. He takes an intelligent interest in school, church, and all other matters and has ever advanced the best interests of his town and townspeople. He is a member of the old school of physicians and looks to be a rising man. He is unmarried.

Anthony, John, was born in Jersey City, April 26, 1864. His father, John An- thony, was a native of Hanover, Germany, and came to the United States in 1842. He was a silversmith by trade and took part in the late war; he died in 1879. John Anthony came to North Attleborough in 1872 and took up the jewelry trade, estab- lishing, in 1887, his present business in Attleborough, making a specialty of eye glasses and woven wire chains. In 1887 Mr. Anthony married Josephine Duckroy, and they have two children: Edward and Laura.

Ashley, A. Davis, is one of the best known business men in New Bedford. He was born in Lakeville, Plymouth county, Mass., September 26, 1851, a son of Silas P. and Phebe (Davis) Ashley. His father was for many years a prominent and re- spected citizen of Lakeville. Mr. Ashley was educated in the common schools in the vicinity of his home and in the Pierce Academy at Middleborough. When six- teen years old he began the mason's trade, under William Hale, of Taunton, with whom he remained about two years, and then worked at his trade in Providence, R. I., and Worcester, Mass., until 1871, when he came to New Bedford, and shortly after he formed a copartnership with George Pickens for the conduct of a retail grocery, provision, and dry goods store under the firm name of Pickens & Ashley. They located on the west side of Purchase street, south of Linden, and continued for four years, when the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Ashley associated him- self with L. T. Smith under the style of Ashley & Smith, and they moved into a building which he had erected with a view of giving the business better quarters. The business was very successful, the firm conducting a perfectly appointed general store and dealing in clothing, boots and shoes, dry goods, wood, coal, groceries and provisions. The partnership being dissolved in 1877, Mr. Ashley continued the business alone for one year. Then he formed a copartnership with C. S. Wilcox for the conduct of his boot and shoe business, and two years later built a block on the east side of Purchase street, near Hazard, and put in two stores, the boot and shoe business being moved into the north side of this block and the grocery business in the south side. He took into partnership, in the dry goods branch of the business, Will- ard H. Morse, and fitted up the north half of the original store for its accommodation, and about three years later he sold his interest to Mr. Morse, who moved the busi- ness to a new building on Purchase street, and in the store thus vacated he estab- lished a strictly cash grocery store, while also continuing his credit store in the other

243

PERSONAL REFERENCES.

building. He continued these various enterprises for a number of years, but gradu- ally withdrew and established a carriage business, which he still continues, being one of the leading carriage dealers in Bristol county, and handling an immense stock. In his association with L. T. Smith, Mr. Ashley began the manufacture of Honey Balsam, which gradually attained a wide sale, and later he began the manu- facture of a new product, Red Sea Balsam, and both of these are now extensively sold throughout New England States. Mr. Ashley is an active and energetic man, possessed of much business ability.

Ashley, Charles S., mayor of New Bedford, is a son of Joshua B. Ashley, a suc- cessful carriage manufacturer, and was born in New Bedford, September 5, 1858. He was graduated from the Parker Street Grammar School and at the remarkably early age of seventeen engaged in the market business with Fred Covell, the firm name being Covell & Ashley. Mr. Covell soon retired on account of ill health and Mr. Ashley continued the business with increasing success, extending it in 1889 into wholesale lines in smoked meats, etc. Later he sold out and with Stephen D. Pierce engaged in the clothing and furnishing goods trade, in which he continued under the firm name of Pierce & Ashley until 1897. Mr. Ashley has long been a prominent Democrat; he was elected to the Common Council in 1884 and a member of the Board of Aldermen in 1886 and 1887. He was a candidate for mayor in 1888 and 1889 and was elected to that office in 1890, 1891, 1896, 1897 and 1898. He was also postmaster of New Bedford during the last Cleveland administration. Mr. Ashley is a man who is eminently well fitted by nature for public position, being possessed of a strong character and firm in judgment, but withal of courteous and pleasing personality. He is a member of the order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Eureka Lodge, F. & A. M., Wamsutta, Dartmouth and Merchants Clubs of New Bedford and the Mayor's Club of Massachusetts,

Ashley, Frank H., son of Charles P. and Betsey (Russell) Ashley, was born in the town of Freetown, Bristol county, Mass., May 5, 1853, and obtained his early educa- tion in the public sohools of his native town, at Newtonville, and at a private school in New Bedford. After completing his schooling he went to Taunton, where he learned the machinist's trade and where he was employed for a period of two years. At the end of that time he removed to Fall River and accepted a position with Dr. J. M. Aldridge, in whose employ he remained for two years; he then entered a ma- chine shop that was just established, where he was engaged at his trade for a time, when his health failed and he severed his connection with the concern and removed to Freetown, engaging there in the poultry business, which he conducted for about two years. Not being satisfied with this vocation, he began farming, which he has continued successfully. Mr. Ashley has always taken an active interest in town affairs, having served as selectman, surveyor, and numerous minor offices. He is also a member of Shawmut Grange and is well respected by all who know him.

Ashley, Henry Thayer, son of Thomas and Lucretia (Thayer) Ashley, was born in New Bedford, August 5, 1849. His father, who had been a farmer and later a hotel proprietor in the city of New Bedford, died when Henry was an infant, and there- fore his education was limited to the common schools. At an early age he began work, principally at farming. In June, 1868, he shipped on the bark " Oak " of Nan- tucket, and made a whaling voyage of twenty-seven months. On his return he en-

244

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

gaged in teaming and later in the milk business; at different periods since he has engaged in this latter business, farming, and in the meat business, and by earnest industry has gained a considerable property. Mr. Ashley has served four years in the City Council from Ward 1. He is a member of Star in the East Lodge of Ma- sons. In December, 1877, he married Bettie H., daughter of Samuel Weston of New Bedford, and two children have been born to them: Henry Thomas and Emma May.

Ashley, Isaac L., son of Rudolphus and Ruth (Parker) Ashley, was born in New Bedford, May 2, 1858. His father was a lifelong resident of New Bedford and a prominent farmer and merchant. He served for some years as superintendent of streets. Isaac L. Ashley attended the common schools and then went into the em- ploy of the Weston Lumber Co. as a salesman; later he was employed as a clerk for eight years by the New Bedford Ice Company. In 1884 he started a livery and boarding stable on Fourth street, where he has ever since continued with success, having now one of the largest and best equipped stables in this vicinity. He has served for three years as councilman and one as alderman from the Fifth ward, and has been active in political circles. He is a member of Vesta Lodge of Odd Fel- lows. In 1883 he married Fannie C., daughter of William Neal of New Bedford, and they have three sons: Isaac L., jr., Clifton F. and Courtney P.

Ashley, Mary P., is a daughter of Pardon Nye and Sally Ashley, and granddaugh- ter of Nathan Nye and his wife, Lucy Bennett. Her grandfather was born in 1750, her grandmother in 1752. Mrs. Ashley was born December 26, 1825, in Fairhaven, Mass., and lived with her parents until April 18, 1842, when she married John S. Ashley, who was born in Rochester, Mass., March 3, 1817, and died October 18, 1871. They had ten children: John N., born August 14, 1843, died October 1, 1863; Otis Sherman, born January 29, 1846, died July 26, 1863; George, born February 2, 1848, died October 6, 1852; Helen Nye, born August 1, 1853, died October 25, 1863; Aman- tha Borden, born July 24, 1855; Fannie Fern, born July 30, 1857, died September 9, 1863; Mary Isabel, born June 22, 1859; Alice, born August 19, 1861; Fannie Eveline, born August 26, 1862; and Ira Earl, born January 16, 1865, died March 2, 1865. Mr. Ashley was a son of John S. Ashley and Mary Brown, and a grandson of John Ash- ley and Charity Sherman. He spent the greater part of his life in the contracting and building business.

Austin, Sarah A., daughter of Alonzo Stone and his wife, Mary A. Sturtevant, was born in the town of Fairhaven, Mass., February 4, 1843. Her father was born July 31, 1808, and died November 29, 1888. Her mother was born in Mattapoisett, Plymouth county, Mass., September 4, 1807, and is now living and is in possession of all her faculties. Sarah Stone remained at home with her parents until October 16, 1873, when she was married to Hiram Austin; they had six children: Reuben A., · born September 14, 1874; Lester M., born June 23, 1877; Harry S., born May 4, 1880; Winefred (deceased); Ira B., born August 8, 1884; and Maud S., born April 14, 1886.

Babcock, Abbott H., was born in Attleborough, April 15, 1849, a son of Harford and Lydia (Barrows) Babcock. His father was a manufacturer of thread, and in 1851 established the paper box manufactory, which has been continued for half a century. Abbott H. Babcock married in 1876, Eva L., daughter of Marcus Fisher.

245

PERSONAL REFERENCES.

He is one of the conservative men of his town, taklng an interest in school and church matters, and has ever advanced the best interests of his town and towns- - people.

Ballou, Walter, was born in Cumberland, R. I , February 20, 1835. His father, Preston Ballou, was a native of the same town, where the family were among the pioneer settlers. Preston Ballou married Harriet Brown and through life was a. stone cutter by trade; he died in 1839. Walter Ballou was educated in the common schools and in 1851 learned the jeweler's trade with W. H. Robinson, was em- ployed by several firms, and in 1863 engaged in business for himself, continuing up to the present time. In 1856 he married Ann E., daughter of Rufus Briggs, and they have one son and two daughters: Walter B., Mrs. Myra A. Freeman and Helen G. Cutter. Mr. Ballou is one of the conservative men of his town, taking an intelligent interest in school and church matters and is a member of Bristol Lodge.

Barden, Hon. Frank I., was born in Franklin, Mass., December 4, 1857, a son of Thomas A. Barden. He was educated in the common schools and at the age of seventeen entered the store of his father, afterwards becoming a partner in the business, which through his influence was extended and moved to its present loca- tion. Thomas A. Barden retired and his sons, Frank I. and Walter, are at the pres- ent time the leading clothiers and dealers in gent's furnishing goods in North Attle- borough. In 1867 Frank I. married Harriet A. Warren, and they have one daughter, Mrs. W. F. Swift. Mr. Barden takes an active interest in all public affairs and in 1886 was elected to the Legislature.

Barnard, Frank Warren, was born in Wrentham, Mass., January 3, 1853, a son of Alfred and Sarah Barnard. He was educated in the common schools of Wrentham and Day Academy. When eighteen years of age he started to learn straw hat man- ufacturing, which he followed one year, and then entered the jewelry manufacturing business at Mansfield, continuing in that for three years. On account of poor health he returned to Wrentham and farmed for two years, when he returned to Mansfield and entered the firm of H. A. Williams & Co., jewelry manufacturers. In three months they were burned out, and in 1880 he started alone and continued for five years, selling his interest in 1886 to A. A. Harrington, and accepting a position as foreman. He resigned in 1888 and accepted a position with D. E. Spaulding & Co., which position he held until he was elected representative in 1896, and is now serv- ing his second term, and was the first man to receive the election for the second time in this district. He is also engaged in real estate and insurance. He has taken an active interest in town and county affairs, having held many offices. He is a member of St. James, F. & A. M., and was active in the building of the Masonic building. He married Esther F., daughter of Avery O. and Harriet (White) Dunham, and they have three children: Mary Grace, Alfred Avery and Hazel Dunham.

Bartlett, Henry, son of Abner and Susan E. (Case) Bartlett, was born in Plymouth, Mass., December 25, 1858. His parents removed to New Bedford when he was an infant, and where he received his education from the public schools and the New Bedford Academy. His first business experience on his own account was in the re- tail fish business, which was established by his father. After twelve years of suc- cessful business pursuits he removed to his present farm, where he has since been

246

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

engaged in market gardening. On October 17, 1883, he married Jennie B., daugh- ter of Jonathan and Julia (Gifford) Parker, and they have two children: Alice C. and Clair.

Bassett, Elton J., M. D., was born in Taunton, Mass., February 5, 1845, a son of James T. and Caroline E. (Jones) Bassett. He received his early education in the public schools of Taunton, and after graduating from the High School went to the Lawrence Scientific School at Cambridge to study civil engineering, and afterwards went into the office of Dr. S. D. Presbrey and studied medicine with him for three years. He then entered Harvard Medical School and was graduated from there in the class of 1869. Dr. Bassett came to Taunton at once and in May of that year opened an office of his own for the general practice of medicine and surgery. He was married in May, 1869, to Caroline A., daughter of Timothy and Ruth (Chace) Codding of Taunton, and they have no children.

Bates, J. M., was born in Wickford, R. I., August 2, 1837. His father, Benoni P. Bates, was a native of Wisconsin, and was identified as a contractor and builder. He married Abbie Congdon. J. M. Bates was educated in the public schools in Rhode Island and learned the jewelry business in Providence. On September 10, 1857, he came to Attleborough and established a business for himself, in which he continued for forty years. In 1855 Mr. Bates married Sarah L., daughter of Nicholas Gardner, and they have three children: Charles R., Frank M. and Mary L. Mr. Bates is one of the conservative men of Bristol county, is president of the First Na- tional Bank; erected the opera house block in 1886, and has ever been one of the citizens to expend his means in building up his town.

Bates, William Clinton, superintendent of schools in Fall River, is a son of Dewitt C. and Sarah A. (Burbank) Bates. His father was, in early life, a teacher, and has been for more than twenty years chairman of the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Assessors of Hingham, Mass. The family is of old Puritan stock, Mr. Bates be- ing ninth of the line of Clement Bates, who came from England in 1635, and settled in Hingham. William Clinton Bates was born in Hingham, July 29, 1854. He was educated in the common schools of his native town and the Derby Academy ; fitted for college at the Phillips Exeter Academy, and was graduated from Harvard, with the degree of A. B. in 1877. After graduation he accepted a postion as superintend- ent of schools at Hingham, later going to Canton and Easton in the same capacity. Mr. Bates was one of the first superintendents in New England to combine two dis- tricts, there being at that time only one or two like cases, while now there are over seventy-five. He resigned from this position to accept that of superintendent of schools in the city of Lawrence, Mass., where he remained three years, and then accepted the supervision of the Fall River schools. Mr. Bates is an educator of wide experience and holds an enviable position among the schoolmen of Massachusetts. He has been a frequent lecturer at teachers' conventions. He has been engaged in educational work in all its departments as a teacher, school officer, lecturer and writer, and is fully in touch with the advanced educational movements of the day. Mr. Bates is a man of pleasing personality and culture; he is a member of the Ma- sonic order and a member and president of the Bristol County Teachers' Associa- tion. He has also been secretary and later president of the New England Associa- tion of School Superintendents, and has been frequently honored by office in differ-

247

PERSONAL REFERENCES.

ent counties and school districts in which he has served. His administration of the Fall River school system, which consists of fifty school buildings and 350 teachers, has been marked by many improvements. In August, 1885, he married Edith E. Taggart, a daughter of Robert A. and Elizabeth T. (Beck) Taggart of Ashland, Mass., and they have two children: Effie Dorothea and Clement Taggart.

Battershall, J. W., M. D., was born in Troy, N. Y., May 1, 1843. His father, Lud- low A. Battershall, was a native of Canaan, N. Y .; he married Eustatia, daughter of Joseph Ward, and through life was a citizen of Troy, where he was identified as a wholesale grocer and president of the Union Bank for thirty years. J. W. Batter- shall was educated in Troy and graduated from the College of Physicians and Sur- geons of New York city in 1874. He then entered the Pacific Mail service; spent 1876 as sanitarian inspector in New York city; 1877 was appointed surgeon to the schoolship St. Mary; from 1878 to 1881 was in the British Emigration service, be- tween London and Sydney, Australia; then took a voyage from London to China, as surgeon ; and in 1883 came to Attleborough, where he has been in active practice up to the present time. In 1887 he married Mary H., daughter of Robert Wolfenden, who was a graduate from the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, in 1879, spending a year in the New England Hospital, in Boston, also a year in the Nursery and Child's Hospital at West New Brighton, on Staten Island, N. Y., and has been in active practice in Attleborough for the past sixteen years. Dr. Battershall is one of the progressive men of his town; is a member of the Board of Health; and has ever advanced the best interests of his town and townspeople.

Bennett, Gustavus L., is of Scotch-English descent, the first representative of the family being among the Pilgrims. He is a son of Leonard and Rebecca (Potter) Bennett, and was born in the town of Fairhaven (now Acushnet), Mass., November 26, 1836. He is a grandson of Joseph Bennett who was a soldier in the Revolution- ary war. Mr. Bennett was educated in the public schools of his native town, and when yet a boy shipped aboard a whaling ship for one voyage as an ordinary seaman ; he was promoted to second mate for one voyage; and during the Rebellion sailed aboard a steamer from New York to Aspinwall as quartermaster. After the close of the war he went to Chicago, but being dissatisfied, returned to Acushnet, where he has since resided on his farm. He married Sarah J., daughter of Thomas and Phoebe (Pierce) Davis, and they have three children: Charles D., Phoebe E. and Clara L.

Bentley, Louis E., son of Loring T. and Elizabeth (Colburn) Bentley, was born in Cambridge, Vt., October 11, 1861, and attended school until he was thirteen years old, when he went to work in a cotton mill, but for several years continued his edu- cation in the night schools. Mr. Bentley's entire life has been spent in cotton manu- facturing, and his first experience as overseer was in the Grinnell Mills, in New Bed- ford, where he remained about seven years. Previously he had been a second hand for some time in the Grinnell Mills and in the mills of the Slater Manufacturing Company of Pawtucket, R. I., and in March, 1889 he severed his connection with the Grinnell Mills to accept his present position as superintendent of the Bennett Mill No. 1; he has served on the School Committee two years. Mr. Bentley, in 1885, married Esther J., daughter of John Smith of New Bedford, and they have two children : Milton J. and Bessie M.

248

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Bessette, Claver, is one of the representative French Canadian citizens of New Bedford, where he has resided for the past fifteen years. He was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada, in the little village of Grezne, a son of Narcisse and Clavie (Nolin) Bessette. His father was a farmer and he was reared on the farm, attending the parish schools part of the year and assisting in the farm work during the balance of the time. However, as the family was a large one, his schooling was limited, and when eighteen years old he left home and came to the United States, settling first in Connecticut. He afterwards returned to his native village and thor- oughly learned the carpenter's trade, and in 1883 he settled in New Bedford and has since been engaged in carpentering and contracting. In this latter line of work he has been very successful and affords an excellent example of what may be accomplished by industry. In 1875 he married Adeline Dirn, also a native of Canada, and they have nine children: Joseph, Clarinda, Phillias, Claudea, Claver, jr., Antoinette, Eddy and Romeo.

Bicknell, Capt. George F., was born in Seekonk, Mass., May 4, 1830, a son of Joseph P. and Louisa (Allen) Bicknell, and was educated in the district school in Barrington, R. I., where his parents removed at the time he was seven years old. In 1851 he went to North Attleborough, Mass., and learned the jeweler's trade with the firm of E. I. Richards & Co. In 1854 he came to Attleborough, Mass., and en- tered the employ of Thompson, Hayward & Co., and in the same year went to Prov- idence, entering the employ of S. M. Lewis, where he remained until 1857. He went to Pawtucket, where he remained until the fall of 1857, when he established his business in Central Falls, R. I., and in 1859 returned to Attleborough. In 1862 he went to his old home in Barrington, R. I., and in connection with Col. Henry Staples was active in drilling the militia for active service in the field, he enlisting the quota for that town to fill up the 7th R. I. Infantry. He also was active in filling the sec- ond quota for Barrington, which was assigned to the 12th R. I. Infantry; enlisting in that regiment himself, he was promoted to first lieutenant and assigned to Co. E, went with the regiment to the front, was transferred to Co. C, went with the regiment to Fredericksburg, when he was discharged December 30, for reason of disability. On his way home from Washington, hearing that an engagement was imminent be- tween the contending forces, he stopped off at Baltimore, Md., and tendered his services as volunteer to General Tyler, which were accepted, and he was placed in command of the barricades in the defenses of Baltimore during the battle of Gettys- burg, the 8th Mass., 7th New York, and Home Guards of Baltimore reporting to him for duty. Returning in 1863 to Providence, he was authorized by Gov. James Y. Smith to open a recruiting office in Providence for the 3d R. I. Cavalry, was appointed and commissioned as first lieutenant of Co. B of that regiment, and on December 21, 1863, was promoted to captain, assigned to Co. C, and on December 31, 1863, em- barked for New Orleans, La., the regiment reporting to Gen. N. P. Banks, com- manding the Department of the Gulf. The regiment, which was attached to the 5th Cavalry Brigade, Colonel Gooding commanding, was assigned to General Franklin's Corps on the Red River Campaign, and was engaged April 9th in the battle of Pleasant Hill. On the morning of the 9th Captain Bicknell was ordered with a de- tachment to make an advance on the Texas Road, which was duly executed, he advancing General Banks's lines over three miles, which was farther than they were

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts, Part 117

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub Publication date: 1899 Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company Number of Pages: 1399

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1399