USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Book of biographies. This volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Grafton County, New Hampshire > Part 52
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Lower House in the State Legislature. In 1894- 95 he was State Senator for the Third District of Grafton Co. Mr. Palmer was instrumental in forming the Town Insurance Co., which in twenty years has sustained but $500.00 loss by fire. He is one of the only three charter mem- bers of the company living, and has been a di- rector for twenty-seven years.
Mr. Palmer's first wife died Aug. 22, 1888, and he then married, Nov. 26, 1892, Mrs. Sabrin Bowler of Hillsboro, N. H., for his second wife.
WESLEY H. IRWIN. Among the most proficient and capable engineers on the pas- senger runs of the B. & M. R. R., is the one whose name heads this sketch. He was born in North Haverhill, N. H., Sept. 21, 1865, and is a son of Archibald and Mary (Hall) Irwin, to whom were born eight children: Flora is mar- ried and is living at Laconia; the second child died in infancy; Thomas is a stone-mason at North Haverhill; Annie is deceased; Wesley H., the subject of this sketch; Abraham, deceased; Arthur, a stone-mason; and one, who died in in- fancy. Archibald Irwin was born in Ireland. He was a shoe-maker by trade. From Ireland he came to Canada, where he met and married his wife, and then came to North Haverhill about the year 1864. Mary Hall was born in Mel- bourne, Canada.
Our subject attended school and passed his boyhood years to the age of eleven in Haverhill and then began life for himself, taking up farm work at first. He then tried clerking, but did not like the confined in-door work, so went back to an agricultural life till he was twenty years old, when he was employed as watchman at the round-house at Woodsville for one year, and then fired for five years. On May 4, 1890, he be- came an engineer, being passed over eight or ten men, who were his seniors, and has now one of the very best passenger runs on the road.
Mr. Irwin was married July 29, 1891, at North Haverhill to Mattie A. Wetherbee, who was born in the town of Haverhill of William and Martha J. (George) Wetherbee. Mrs. Martha J. Weth- erbee married as her second husband Elijah Clif- ford; she was a daughter of Hiram and Martha
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(Whitman) George. William Wetherbee was a son of Charles Hiram and Martha Abigail (Woodward) Wetherbee. William Wetherbee was a soldier in the War of the Rebellion, and his children drew his pension after his death. To Mrs. Irwin's parents were born the following children: Charles H. lives at North Haverhill, where he is postmaster; William G. is a quarry- man at North Haverhill; Mattie A. is the wife of our subject; and Mina, who is deceased. Roscoe Wesley is the only child that has blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Irwin; he was born June 26, 1892. Our subject and his wife are regular attendants of the M. E. Church. Mr. Irwin is a member of Moosehillock Lodge, No. 25, I. O. O. F. In politics he is a firm Democrat.
LYMAN M. SOUTHARD, deceased, for- merly engaged in farming in the town of Haver- hill, N. H., was born in Walpole, N. H., Nov. I, 1817, and departed this life July 30, 1895. His parents moved to Horse Meadow when he was four years of age, and there he received a dis- trict school education, finishing with a course in the academy at Peacham, Vt. He lived at home as long as his father lived, and then purchased the farm, on which he lived the rest of his life, which farm consisted of sixty acres of farming land, situated near the old home place, and 100 acres of back pasture some six miles away. He was a Republican, and gave his services to the town in the capacity of a member of the school committee for many years, as road surveyor and in divers other offices.
Our subject was a son of Moses and Nancy (King) Southard, and grandson of Thomas and Rachel Southard. Thomas Southard was born April 11, 1750, and his wife May 17, 1750. To them were born six children, as follows: Welthy. born March 11, 1779, died in 1783; James, born Aug. 20, 1780, married Hannah Wilcox, and (lied Feb. 25, 1864, his wife following him Oct. 24th of the same year; Aaron, born Oct. 23, 1784, married Jane Finley, died Sept. 20, 1857, his wife passed away in 1876; Moses, born Oct. 23, 1784, married Nancy King, and died April 16, 1852, his wife died in 1845; Eliza, born June IO, 1787, married Samuel Putnam; Lucinda,
born July 16, 1789, married Mr. Nesmith, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Kenedy.
Moses Southard was born in Ackworth, N. H., and died at the age of sixty-three years; he was about thirty-two years of age when he sold out his mercantile business in Walpole and came to the town of Haverhill, where he spent his re- maining days on a farm. His wife was also born in Ackworth, N. H., and died in 1845; she was a daughter of Samuel King, who was also a native of that place, where as a prominent agri- culturist he lived to a good old age. There were born to our subject's parents five children, four boys and one girl, as follows: Solon, born May 28, 1813, married Berintha Merrill, Dec. 22, 1841, married Melissa Eastman Sept. 14, 1854, and died Oct. 21, 1870, his first wife died Jan. 17, 1854; Caroline, born in 1815, died in 1816; Ly- man, the subject of this sketch, whose birth and death has already been stated; Franklin, born in 1819, and died in 1833; and George, born in 1821, and died in 1833.
Lyman M. Southard was first joined in mar- riage to Jane Bachop, in 1846, and was pre- sented with one child, Mary Ellen (Merrill), who lives in the State of Tennessee. His second mat- rimonial alliance was contracted Dec. 16, 1857, at Horse Meadow, the bride being Hetta Kimball, daughter of Dudley C. and Sallie (Putnam) Kim- ball, to whom four children were born: Daniel Putnam, deceased; Joseph Porter; Charles Fox, deceased; and Hetta Carleton, the widow of our subject. The last named is descended from Rich- ard Kimball, one of two brothers who came from England in 1634; he was born in 1595, and set- tled in Ipswich in 1637. He married Ursula Scott, and died in 1675. Benjamin Kimball, the son of the foregoing, was born in 1637, and mar- ried Mercy Hazeltine. Their son, Ebenezer Kimball, was born June 20, 1684, and married Ruth Eaton. Abraham Kimball, son of Eben- ezer, was born Jan. 3, 1714, and married Han- nah Hazeltine. Amos Kimball, the son of Abra- ham, was born Aug. 31, 1750, in Bradford, Mass., married Abigail Corliss, Feb. 20, 1774. John Kimball, the son of the foregoing, was born Jan. 4, 1775, married Mehitabel Carleton, daughter of Dudley Carleton, and died in May, 1868. Dudley Carleton Kimball, Mrs. Southard's father, and son of John and Mehitabel (Carleton) Kimball, was born Nov. 21, 1800, married Sally
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Putnam in 1823, and died Sept. 12, 1887. Sally Putnam, Mrs. Southard's mother, was a daugh- ter of Daniel and Sally (Porter) Putnam. The Putnam family is descended from two brothers, who came from England and settled near Dan- vers, Mass. Mrs. Southard bore our subject the following children: Martha Putnam, Charles Fox, and Anabel Margaret. Martha P. married Frank E. Wells, the city marshal of Lynn, Mass., and has presented him with three children : Mabel Hetta, Earl Eugene, and Hazel Fern. Charles F. married Mary J. Lang of Orford, N. H., and lives in North Haverhill, where he has extensive mercantile interests in a store. Mrs. Hetta Southard is a member of the Congrega- tional Church at Wells River, Vt.
JOHN FRANK ELLIOT, a farmer of Lyme, whose farm is located in the southern part of that town in the valley of Fairfield Brook, was born in the town of Campton, N. H., Aug. 22, 1850. He is a son of John and Julia A. (South- mayd) Elliot, and a grandson of Thomas and Ruth A. (Burbank) Elliot.
Thomas Elliot was a native of the United States, but was living in Canada when his chil- dren were born, seven in number. He after- wards returned to the United States and settled in Campton, N. H., where he operated a saw and grist-mill with his son John, our subject's father. John Elliot was born in Shipton township, near Danville, Province of Quebec, Oct. 23, 1809, and lived in Canada until he was twenty-eight, when he came to Lowell, Mass., where he worked in a factory six years. He then came to Campton, and, having bought a saw-mill, engeged in lum- bering with his father a number of years. About the year 1850 he bought land, built a house, and cleared a farm, and followed farming the rest of his life, dying Jan. 16, 1885. He was a member of the Baptist Society, and was always a church- going man, upright and conscientious in his re- lations with his fellow-men, and very much es- teemed by them. He served his town a term in the capacity of representative. His wife bore him five children: one, that died unnamed; John F., the subject of this sketch; Flora A .; Martha G .; and Henry C .; all living in Campton on the homestead.
Our subject's mother, born in the town of Campton, was the daughter of William and Susan (Knight) Southmayd, and granddaughter of "Squire" John Southmayd. William South- mayd and his father were very prominent in the early settlement of the town of Campton. Squire John Southmayd came from Hadlyme, Conn., to the town of Campton as early as 1773, with $500 in his possession, which was more than any previous settler had brought. By reason of his superior education he took a leading part in the town affairs of his time, and was justice of the peace and town clerk for many years; he was the only surveyor the town could boast of, and, in addition to his other superior qualifications, he was a good carpenter. He was a leading poli- tician, and was at one time the only Democrat in the town. He was married in Campton to Providence Willey, daughter of Abel Willey, in 1774; this was about the first wedding to be sol- emnized in the town. She died in less than two years after the marriage, and left one child to her husband as the result of the union. Squire Southmayd formed a second matrimonial alli- ance with a daughter of Deacon Baker.
John Frank Elliot lived in the town of Camp- ton through the years of his minority, and se- cured an education in the district schools and in New Hampton Institute. When twenty-one years of age he went west, remaining there two years. One winter was spent in Chicago, and a summer in Nora, Ill .; he then went to Nebraska, near the town of Tecumseh, and in March trav- eled through Central Kansas with a team, re- turning in the fall to Tecumseh, where he weathered a spell 'of typhoid fever. As soon as he was able to travel he returned to New Hamp- shire and worked two years for A. L. and W. G. Brown of Wentworth, in the lumber business. In 1876 he was married and came to his present farm of 120 acres, and has made it his home ever since.
His marriage with Kate Hewes was celebrated Jan. II, 1876, at Wentworth; she is a daughter of John R. and Dolly (Stark) Hewes, the former a son of John F. and Elizabeth (Richardson) Hewes, and the latter a daughter of Capt. Albert and Elsa (Dodge) Stark. The union of our sub- ject and his wife has resulted in the birth of nine children, namely: Fred H., who married, Nov. 25, 1896, Lena Kempton of Cornish, N. H.,
SAVORY GORDON, JR.
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where he manages a creamery; Addie M .; Cora F .; Harry A .; Freeman H .; Julia R .; an infant, who died before it was christened; John F., Jr .; and Leslie C. Mr. and Mrs. Elliot are members of Morning Star Grange, No. 62, of Lyme. Mr. Elliot is a Mason, and belongs to Mt. Cube Lodge, F. & A. M., No. 10, of Orford, N. H. He is a Republican, and has served as road sur- veyor, and was three years a member of the school board. Our subject is a man of wide ex- perience in the practical details of farming, and despite the general depression, which has se- verely injured the agricultural interests of the land, he is making a success of his farming, and leading a contented life.
SAVORY GORDON, JR., deceased, a lately lamented citizen and farmer of the town of Lan- daff, Grafton Co., N. H., was born in the same town Sept. 7, 1815; he is a son of Savory and Sarah (Powers) Gordon, Sr., and a grandson of Phineas Gordon.
Phineas Gordon was a native of the Granite State, making his home in Bath, where he worked at his trade of blacksmithing all his life. He reared eleven children, who were as follows: Phineas, Jr., John, Savory, Nancy, George, Sylvester, Hannah, Mary, Abigail, Rose A., and Sybil. Religiously, he united with the Method- ist Episcopal Church.
Savory Gordon, Sr., was born July 22, 1795, in the town of Bath, N. H., and was educated in the schools of that town. At an early age he went to Landaff with his parents, and there learned the trade of a stone-mason; during the remainder of his life he was engaged at his trade. His wife, Sarah Powers, bore him ten children: Savory, Jr., Joan, Sullivan H., Frank, Francis, Russell T., Dan P., Patience P., Sarah E., and Jane H. He was a Democrat in his political affiliations, and a communicant of the M. E. Church.
Subsequent to an elementary education obtained in the schools of Bath and Landaff, Savory Gordon, Jr., worked with his father at the stone-mason's trade, but did not continue long in that line of work, for he preferred farm- ing as an occupation. So, turning his attention
to agricultural pursuits, he purchased a farm in the town of Landaff, where he tilled the soil with good success all of the years spent in active work. He died in July, 1893. In politics, he was a Democrat, and held the various offices of tax collector, selectman, overseer of the poor, and justice of the peace for several years; in short, he was a prominent man and much esteemed for his splendid judgment.
He was married April 14, 1846, to Margaret A. Cobleigh of Lisbon; upon her death Oct. 14, 1867, Mr. Savory was left a father of three chil- dren, viz .: Ann L., Carrie B .; Ina, the third child, preceded the mother in death; and Fannie S. In August, 1870, he married his second wife, Mary Eastman, who was born in Landaff, N. H., June 7, 1838, and was a daughter of Jesse and Priscilla (Page) Eastman. . This union was blessed with three children, who were named: Henry E., Jesse H., and Dan W. Mrs. Gordon has been assistant postmaster of the village since 1878, and is a woman of noble parts, and com- mands the respect of all who know her. She owns a farm of 120 acres, which is devoted to general agriculture, and since her husband's death is managed by her eldest son, Henry E. Savory.
We present Mr. Gordon's portrait on another page of this book.
EDWIN J. NORWAY, now employed as the superintendent of I. A. Willoughby's farm in Bath, N. H., was born in Newport, Vt., March 16, 1869. He is a son of William and Betsy (Skinner) Norway, the former a native of Ver- gennes, and the latter from Newport, Vt.
John Norway, the grandfather of our subject, was of English birth and parentage, settling upon his arrival in this country, in Vergennes, Vt., where he owned and successfully conducted a farm, until about 1866, when he sold his prop- erty in the States and removed across the border to Canada, living the rest of his life on British soil. He married a Miss Brown, who was of Irish and Scotch parentage. They reared a family of seven children, who were named: Will- iam, Martha, Maggie, Mary, Lizzie, John, and
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James. In their religious attachments they were Methodists.
William W. Norway, the eldest son of the fore- going and the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Ferrisburg, Vt., in 1842; the district schools of his neighborhood furnished him a good, practical education. As a man he com- menced work on the C. P. R. R. and B. & M. R. R. as a foreman of a steel laying gang, at which he worked about one year. He then pur- chased a farm in Patton, Province of Quebec, and remained there about four years, engaged in general agricultural pursuits. About the year 1868 he moved to Newport, Vt., purchased an- other farm, and has followed his chosen vocation ever since. As a voter he gives his support to the Republican party, but has never had any desire to take more than a passive interest in politics. He married Betsy A., daughter of Samuel and Sarah Skinner, who were from the Province of Quebec. Three boys and two girls compose the family. They are as follows: Min- nie, who is the wife of E. W. Durkee of Rich- ford, Vt .; Edwin J., the subject of this sketch; Blanche, who married Evaid Powers of Troy, Vt., and has presented him with one child, Vera; Willie O. and Earl V. are attending school. In their religious views the family favor the M. E. Church of Newport, Vt.
Edwin J. Norway hired out as a farm hand, upon the completion of a common school edu- cation in the schools of his native town. He was first engaged in his chosen vocation in Monroe, where he remained two years; he then secured a situation as clerk in a wholesale and retail com- mission house of Manchester, N. H., which did business under the style of Walker Gardyne, No. 267 Pine Street. About five years was spent in the commission house, after which he returned to Newport, Vt., where he followed agricultural pursuits until September of 1896, when he came to Bath to take charge of the farm owned by A. I. Willoughby of Bath, N. H. Mr. Norway is a very capable and intelligent young man, and has a thorough and enlightened knowledge of the best methods of agriculture. He is a Republican in his political attachments. On Sept. 21, 1891, he was joined in marriage to Cora E., daughter of George G. and Lydia E. (Brailey) May of Newport, Vt. They are Baptists in respect of their religious faith.
FRED O. STEARNS, a descendant of one of the early families of the town of Lebanon and one of the largest and most prominent agri- culturists in the town, was born in the house where he resides, Jan. II, 1859. He is a man of much public spirit, identifying himself with what- ever furthers the interest of his town. He has for eight years been connected with its educa- tional interests, being a member of the school board. He is a son of Deacon Nathan B. and Justina (Chapin) Stearns, grandson of Oliver and Melinda (Barrows) Stearns, and great-grandson of Shepard and Olive (Hall) Stearns.
Shepard Stearns was born in Mansfield, Conn., and was a son of Boaz Stearns, grand- son of Samuel Stearns, and great-grand- son of Nathaniel Stearns, who was born in England and in 1649 came to Ded- ham, Mass., being admitted as freeman. Nathaniel was a prominent man of his day, and was a representative to the General Court. He married Mary Raine, and the Stearns family since have made themselves valued and prominent members of society, no matter where they were located.
Our subject's great-grandfather made his home in Mansfield, where he owned a fine farm, but died at an early age, leaving a young wife and one son, Oliver. His widow married Nathan- iel Porter, who came to the town of Lebanon in 1782, among the early settlers, and bought a large tract of land, where our subject now re- sides. He built a small house, near the founda- tion of the present one, and there accumulated a fine fortune and home. Later on, in 1792, with the aid of his step-son, Oliver, he built a very large two-story house with commodious rooms and open fire-places. There both he and his wife died.
Oliver Stearns was only six years old when his mother and step-father came to Lebanon; at the age of twenty-one he returned to his native town, Mansfield, Conn., to his father's estate, which he had inherited. He married and reared a family, and when he fell heir to the farm in Leb- anon he left the Mansfield farm to his oldest sons and with the remainder of the family came to Lebanon and passed the remainder of his days on the Porter homestead. He was gladly re- ceived among the citizens of Lebanon as one of their own number. He was born Feb. 5, 1776,
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and returned to Lebanon in 1835, dying there in 1862. His wife, Melinda Barrows, died July 14. 1824. His children by his first wife, Lois Lath- rop, who died in 1814, were: Sarah, born in 1801; Elias L., 1803; Nathaniel, 1805; Mary E., 1806; Sophia, 1808; Experience, 1811; and Sam- uel, 1814. He then married Melinda Barrows, who bore him the following children: Oliver L., born in 1816; Nathan B., 1819; and Melinda, 1824. He then married Lydia Hyde in 1825. She died in 1841.
Deacon Nathan B. Stearns was born in Mans- field, Conn., Oct. 22, 1819, and attended the dis- trict schools of his native town, and Meriden Academy. He stayed with his parents and cared for them in their last days; he so conscientiously adopted and followed the principles that con- tributed to his father's success, that he became a leader and a man of great influence in the town. He altered the interior arrangement of the old home, modernizing it in nearly every particular; he has added barns and made not a few other important improvements. He keeps thirty head of choice grade Jerseys, and has always had a flock of fine sheep. His stables contain some very valuable horses. He may well be proud of his fine farm of 250 acres; it is mostly upland, and overlooks the beautiful Connecticut Valley, the situation rendering most applicable the name of the home-"Hill Crest." Deacon Nathan B. Stearns married Louisa Gerrish, daughter of Capt. Joseph Gerrish, March 19, 1845. She died Dec. 30, 1848. May 20, 1850, he married Justina, daughter of Moses and Lydia (Hurd) Chapin, of Newport, N. H., and through her, children were born to him. She died March 10, 1869. He married Sophronia Chapin, sister of Justina, Feb. 2, 1870. She died April 8, 1871. Ile then married Jane, daughter of Orrin and Catherine (Weld) Hubbard, April 17, 1872. Mr. Stearns has been deacon of the Congregational Church of West Lebanon since its organization, which covers a period of over forty years. He has also been a member of the Legislature, and of the board of selectmen.
Four children have been born to our subject's parents, namely: Sophia, who married Dr. C. A. Allen, and died Dec. 19, 1888, at the age of thirty-five, leaving four children: Walter, Fred, Raymond, and Sophia; Hattie A., the second daughter, married Dr. Henry Powers of Hop-
kinton, N. H .; Fred O., our subject, who is associated with his father in managing the farm; and Arlington C., a druggist in Melrose, Mass., who married Julia McIntyre, and has two chil- dren, twins, Fred and Carleton.
Fred O. Stearns, our subject, married, June 30, 1886, Clara Smith, daughter of David and Susan (Goodwin) Smith of Stetson, Maine. She was a teacher of much success and experience. Two children have been born to them to gladden the ancestral home: Susan Gladys, born May 22, 1887; and Nathan Frederic, who perpetuates the names of grandfather and father, born Dec. 1, 1890.
ALMUS B. SAWYER, a leading farmer and prominent citizen of Woodstock, N. H., is the son of Symmes Sawyer, and grandson of Dr. Symmes Sawyer. Dr. Symmes Sawyer lived the earlier part of his life in the town of Dunbarton, N. H .; trom there he went to Carroll, remaining there a few years, after which he came to Wood- stock, where he spent the remainder of his days in peace and comfort. He received his educa- tion and professional training at Dartmouth Col- lege, Hanover, N. H. He was engaged in the active practice of his chosen profession through- out his life. He departed this life at the age of sixty-eight. His wife was Elizabeth Hoyt; she was called to her rest when seventy years old. They gathered about them in their declining years a large family.
Their son Symmes was born in Dunbarton, and received his education in the schools of that town. He remained under the parental roof until his parents died. He was reared for agri- cultural pursuits, and practiced it for his life- work. He was joined in marriage to Martha P., daughter of Jonathan Fifield of Thornton. She died at the age of seventy-two. Mr. Sawyer passed away when sixty-nine years old. Their children were: William H .; Sylvester G .; Mary A. (Cross); Charles A .; Daniel H .; Almus B .; Martha E. (Gray). They were consistent mem- bers of the Baptist Church. He was a Demo- crat, and never lost interest in municipal affairs.
Almus B. Sawyer was born in Woodstock, Sept. 13, 1850. He obtained a practical common
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school education in his native town. He has been engaged in farming on the homestead, and has been very successful. He is ranked among the most progressive and intelligent farmers of the county. He is strictly honest in all his deal- ings and is respected for his native worth.
In 1882 he was joined in the matrimonial bond with Sarah J., daughter of Hugh Lunnin of Bos- ton, Mass. They have a family of four children: Isabella M., Annie L., Frank A., and Edward D. Mr. Sawyer supports the Democratic party zeal- ously with his influence and able service. He has been town collector, and has held office as selectman for several years.
MIRON JAMES HAZELTINE of Thorn- ton, the chess editor of the New York Clipper, is the son of James Hazeltine, and grandson of Deacon John Hazeltine.
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