USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886 > Part 16
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* From Hon. J. E. Sargent, in Granite Monthly, November, 1885, and from Boston Journal.
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the most active of that persevering band of men who originated and carried forward the building of the Boston, Concord & Montreal railroad, and was fourteen years the president of its board of directors. He was very active in educational and religious matters, and had been president of the New Hamp- ton academy, and a trustee of the Newton (Mass.) Theological seminary. The deceased had many law-students, and among them was Mr. Clifford, now the distinguished judge of the United States Court.
Mr. Quincy was many years president of the Grafton county bar. He was an eminent lawyer, a faithful public officer, an upright business man, and a generous and valuable citizen. In private life he was a most courteous gentleman and made friends in whatever circle he moved. In business affairs he was highly prospered and gained a large property. He married, first, Mary Grace Weld, daughter of Jabez H. Weld, of Plymouth, in 1819. For his second wife he married Miss Harriet Tufts, of Rumney, October 20, 1845, and for his third wife, Mrs. Mary H. Dix, a native of Boston, but then of Woburn, Mass., June, 1868. After he was first married he built and occupied the office near the house where he lived ever after. His widow and five children survive him,-four by his first wife, and the fifth by his second wife, two sons and three daughters, as follows : Mrs. Martha Grace Sleeper, Samuel Hatch Quincy, Mrs. Elizabeth Frances Dix, Josiah Quincy, and Mrs. Mary Ann Kinsman. At the time of Mr. Quincy's death, his two sons re- sided at Rumney, but have since removed to Lancaster, Mass., where they now reside ; and their sisters all reside in that vicinity. Mrs. Quincy with her daughter, Miss Mary H. Dix, occupies the old homestead at Rumney. The death of Mr. Quincy, January 19, 1875, removed one of the most eminent, best known and most highly esteemed of the public men of New Hampshire.
Hon. Nathan Clifford, was born in Rumney N. H., August 18, 1803. Born to honorable poverty he succeeded in securing an education mainly by his own efforts, teaching school when he was not a pupil. Then came the hard, dry study of the law, which he read with Hon. Josiah Quincy, of his native town, being obliged to teach school winters while studying his profession, until at last he stands upon the threshold of a new life, well qualified for its stuggles and resolute to win its prizes.
In May, 1827, he was admitted to practice law, by the Supreme Court of New Hampshire, and the same year he removed to Maine which was ever after his home. Here for more than thirty years his life was filled up with as varied, as useful, and as honorable experiences as heart could desire. He was for several years a member, and twice speaker of the House of Representatives of his adopted state, then he was a member of Congress for four years, then he was attorney-general for Maine, and afterwards attorney-general of the United States. He was commissioned to negotiate a treaty of peace with Mexico, and was afterwards sent as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. He had subseqently been engaged for several years in the active practice of his profession. When he was called in the year 1858 to a
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place on the Bench of the Supreme Court of the United States, which he adorned with his industry. his learning and his integrity for more then twenty years. His opinions are to be found in forty-two volumes of the reports of United States Supreme Court. He was an upright, a painstaking, and an im- partial judge, no labor was too great for him if his duty required it, and it was his delight to search diligently for the right, and when found to declare it. In 1877 he, as senior justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, presided over the commission which assigned to Mr. Hayes the disputed election to the Presidential chair, Mr. Clifford having uniformly voted for Mr. Tilden. He died at Portland Maine, July 25, 1881.
Samuel Herbert* was admitted to the bar and located as an attorney at Rumney in 1846-there he was born, December 17, 1813. there he was edu- cated, and there studied law with Josiah Quincy. In 1847 he moved to Wentworth, having bought out Col. Whipple, and practiced law there five years, when he returned to Rumney. He has been successful in business,. has a family of children well established in life, and abundant leisure with which to enjoy his tastes and inclinations. He has performed a large amount of literary work, lecturing and writing on education, theology, agriculture, politics and government. His townsmen honored him with many of the civil and military offices in their gift. Several times he was representative in the legislature, and twice was Democratic candidate for speaker. Form- erly he was a Calvinist Baptist, but he has now abandoned that faith, "which," he says, "I once believed with all sincerity, but now disbelieve with the same sincerity and far more knowledge." His wife's maiden name was. Maria Darling.
WARREN.t-Benjamin F. Weeks is reported as an attorney of Warren previous to 1831. It is said that he went west about 1832 or '33.
Joseph B. Hill is named as a practitioner here from 1855 to '57. No fur- ther report of him has come to hand.
Joseph W. Armington, 1861-62, is now understood to be engaged in teach- ing and literary pursuits.
Samuel B. Page was at Warren from 1861 to 1869. (See Haverhill.)
George F. Putnam followed Mr. Page in practice at Warren from 1869 to 1876. (See Haverhill.)
Peter Chandler, 1878-79, was also engaged in the business of teaching, and has died since his residence at Warren.
WENTWORTH .¿- Loammi Davidson, Esq., was the first lawyer that resided in Wentworth, so far as we can learn. He came here about 1813, and was admitted to the bar in Grafton county, at the court of Common Pleas, Feb- ruary term, 1817, though the New Hampshire Register has his name as an
* By A. S. Batchellor.
+ By Samuel B. Page, Esq.
#By Hon J. E. Sargent, L.L. D.
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attorney of that court, in 1814. He never did much at law, but was more of a man of business. He was about five feet, ten inches in height, with side whiskers ; of a sprightly and animated appearance. The New Hampshire Reg- ister has his name as a lawyer in Wentworth for the last time in 1819, and he probably left town about that time, and it is said, went to New York state, somewhere in the vicinity of Rochester, and died there soon after. We have been unable to ascertain from whence he came to Wentworth, but his wife was a daughter of Colonel Amos Tarleton, of Piermont, N. H.
Hon. Warren Lovell was born in Rockingham, Vt., December 3, 1802. He was educated in the common school, and at the academy at Chester, Vt., where he continued three years. He read law with Judge Daniel Kellogg, of Brattleboro, Vt. He was admitted to the bar in Windham county, Vt., in 1825, and in the same year was admitted to the bar in this county, and remained in Wentworth, where he opened an office, till 1826, when he re- moved to Meredith Village, where he did an extensive law business, and was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1828-'29-'30-'37 -'38 and '39, and to the state Senate in 1833 and 1834. He was appointed aide-de-camp by Governor Matthew Harvey, in 1830, with the title of colonel, and judge advocate of the second brigade, New Hampshire militia, by Gov- ernor Dinsmore, Sr., in 1832. In 1835 he was solicitor of Strafford county, and judge of probate for the same county in 1839, and when, in 1841, Bel- knap and Carroll were set off from Strafford, he was made judge of probate for the new county of Belknap, which place he held till December 2, 1872. He was a very popular judge of probate, always ready and willing to give the widow and the fatherless counsel and advice that it was always safe to fol- low. He was one of the trustees of the New Hampshire asylum for the insane, in 1847, in 1851, and in 1855. He was a commissioner of the United States Circuit Court for the District of New Hampshire, from 1842. He was a director and president of the Belknap County bank, at Laconia, for twenty years, from 1846. He was also a trustee of the Belknap Savings bank from its organization, and for a time its president. Judge Lovell married, in 1831, Miss Susan Badger, of Meredith, who, with two daughters, survives him. He died at Gilford, August 18, 1875, leaving a large estate.
Hon. Josiah Quincy, of Rumney, soon after 1825, began to visit Went- worth regularly on certain days, for the purpose of attending to such law busi- ness as came in his way, and he soon settled down into the habit of going there every Saturday, riding up in the morning and returning at night, and attending Justice Courts, collecting for the merchants, and other law business. This was his constant practice up to 1840, and though he never lived in Went- worth, yet for more than ten years in that way, he did all the law business of that town. as much as though he had been a resident there. (See Rumney.)
Col. Thomas J. Whipple was a native of Wentworth, a son of Dr. Thomas Whipple, a very successful and distinguished medical practitioner there. He had also distinguished himself in the legislature as this state, particularly in
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1.E Parquet
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1819 by introducing the bill long known as the " toleration act," and advo- cating its passage in an able and eloquent speech, and finally carrying his . measure so that it became a law. Afterwards he represented his district for eight years in the United States House of Representatives. Col. Whipple was born January 30, 1816, educated at New Hampton, Bradford, Vt., and at Nor- wich university, read law with Josiah Quincy, of Rumney, and Salmon Wires, of Johnson, Vt., and was admitted to the bar in 1840, and settled at once in Wentworth, and soon had a very extensive law business. He was aid-de camp of Gen. Cook when only seventeen years old, and raised an independ- ent company, the Wentworth Phalanx, before 1840. He volunteered in the Mexican war, was commissioned first lieutenant in the Ninth U. S. Infantry, April 9, 1847, was adjutant of Col. Pierce's (afterwards Col. Ranson's) regi- ment in May following, went to Vera Cruz, was there taken prisoner, and was exchanged at Jalapa, and was on Adjutant-General Lewis's staff. He returned when the war was over, resigning February 23, 1848, and the people of Wen- worth had a public reception in his honor on his return. Soon after he set- tled in Laconia. In the war of the Rebellion he was lieutenant-colonel in the First New Hampshire regiment, colonel of the Fourth, and was chosen colonel of the Twelfth regiment. He has been assistant clerk and clerk of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, solicitor of Belknap county, secretary of the constitutional convention of 1850, was a member of the con- stitutional convention of 1876, and has been attorney for the Boston, Con- cord & Montreal railroad since 1870, and also for the Lake company since the death of Senator James Bell. Colonel Whipple is an able though eccentric lawyer, an advocate of great power, with original thoughts and the power of forcible expression. He is one of the best of story tellers, and a most genial friend and companion. In 1842 he married Miss Belinda Hadley, of Rum- ney, who died many years ago, leaving one daughter, who still survives.
Benjamin Poole, Esq .- In 1844 Col. Whipple sold out his place and office and business to Mr. Poole, who remained only about a year and a half, his wife was so discontented that they finally gave up the idea of remaining, and Col. Whipple took back all the property he had sold to Poole, with business, etc., in August, 1845, and Mr. Poole left town about April, 1846, and met with very successful business in Boston soon after, though not in the legal profession.
Samuel Herbert, Esq. (See Rumney.)
Hon. J. Everett Sargent, LL. D.,* was born in New London, N. H., Oc- tober 23, 1816, the son of Ebenezer and Prudence (Chase) Sargent, the eighth in the order of descent from one Richard Sargent, of England, who was a member of the royal navy, as follows :-
I. Richard Sargent, of England.
2. William, son of Richard, born in England in 1602.
*By John N. McClintock, A. M. 7*B
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3. Thomas, son of William, born in Amesbury, Mass., April, 1643.
4. Thomas, Jr., son of Thomas, born in Amesbury, November, 1676.
5. Stephen, son of Thomas, Jr., born in Amesbury, September, 1710.
6. Peter, son of Stephen, born in Amesbury, November 2, 1736.
7. Ebenezer, son of Peter, born at Hopkinton, N. H., April 3, 1768.
8. Jonathan Everett Sargent, born at New London, N. H., October 23, 1816.
Judge Sargent has been in every sense of the word the architect of his own fortune. He started at seventeen years of age for himself, under an agree- ment with his father that he should have the rest of his time to twenty-one, and was to call on his father for nothing more. He was to clothe himself and pay his own bills. By teaching school every winter, after he was sixteen, and laboring in vacation, he fitted himself for college at Hopkinton and Kimball Union academies and entered Dartmouth college in 1836. He graduated in 1840 among the first in the class, though having been out of college three terms besides winters, one term caused by sickness, and two terms he taught the academy in Canaan. He was selected from his class as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society.
After graduating he studied law with Hon. William P. Weeks, of Canaan. But in February, 1841, by the advice of his physician, he went south, stop- ping in Washington city awhile, then teaching a high school in Alexandria some six months and a family school in Maryland for a year, and in the meantime studying law under the direction of Hon. David A. Hall, of Wash- ingtor, so that he was admitted to the bar in that city in April, 1842. Re- turning to New Hampshire in the fall of that year he entered the office of Mr. Weeks, at Canaan. In 1843 he was admitted to the bar in the Supe- rior Court of New Hampshire, and entered into partnership with Mr. Weeks, where he remained until the summer of 1847. He did quite an extensive business at Canaan. He was aid-de-camp to Governor Steele, with the title of colonel ; he also raised an independent company in Canaan known as the " Union Phalanx," of which he was commissioned as captain. After com- manding this company two years he ranked up and was commissioned first as major and then as lieutenant colonel of that regiment, which place he re- signed when he moved from town. He built him a set of new buildings in 1843, and that fall was married to Miss Maria C. Jones, of Enfield ; was also chairman of the building committee that built the new meeting-house on Ca- naan Street that year. He was appointed solicitor of Grafton county in the fall of 1844. In June, 1847, he removed to Wentworth, where he soon se- cured an extensive and lucrative law practice, was an able advocate and tried and argued all the state's cases and all his own suits ; was re-appointed so- licitor in 1849, which place he held until 1854, was elected a member of the legislature in 1851, 1852 and 1853, the first year being chairman of the com- mittee on incorporations, the second year chairman of the judiciary commit- tee, and the third year he was elected speaker of the House of Representa-
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tives. While a member of the House he was appointed chairman of a com- mission to investigate the affairs of the New Hampshire Central railroad, and a member of a commission to erect a monument to the memory of President Mesheck Ware, which was done. In 1844 Mr. Sargent was elected a sena- tor from district No. UJ, and on the meeting of the legislature he was chosen president of the Senate. In April, 1855, he was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and in June of the same year, when the courts were remodeled, he was selected as the judge of the new Court of Common Pleas, which place he held till 1859, when that court was abolished and he was immediately appointed to a seat on the bench of the Supreme Judicial Court, which place he held fifteen years.
While at Wentworth, in 1853, September 5, he married for his second wife Miss Louisa Jennie Page, daughter of deacon James K. Page, of Went- worth. He built several houses in Wentworth and had a large farm there. In 1864 and 1865 he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in 'New Hampshire, and moved to Concord in 1869, having been at Wentworth twenty-two years. From Dartmouth college he received the degree of A. M. in 1843, and in 1869 her highest honors, the degree of LL. D.
On coming to Concord he was soon chosen a director of the National State Capital bank there, which place he still holds. In 1872 the Loan and Trust Savings bank was chartered at Concord, and Judge Sargent was chosen as its president, which place he still holds. He has long been a member of the New Hampshire Historical society, and for the last ten years or more has been one of its vice-presidents. In 1873, on the death of Chief Justice Bel- lows, Judge Sargent was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of New Hampshire, the highest and most honorable legal and judicial position in the state. In 1874 the court was abolished to make room for the friends of the Democratic party, which then became dominant in the state, and after this Judge Sargent again resumed the practice of the law with Will- ianı M. Chase, Esq., of Concord, where he remained five years, doing an ex- tensive business, and in 1879 he retired from law business altogether. Since 1878 he has been president of the New Hampshire Centennial Home for the Aged, at Concord ; for many years was vice-president of the New Hampshire Home Missionary society, and was a delegate to and attended the national . council of Congregational churches of the United States, at St. Louis, Mo., in November, 1880, and also at the council of 1883, at Concord. In 1876 he was a member of the constitutional convention of this state, and was made chairman of the committee on the judiciary in the convention, and was also a member of the House of Representatives from ward five, in Concord in 1877 and 1878, and both years was chairman of the committee on the re- vision of statutes. A commission was appointed in 1877, of which Judge Sargent was chairman, to revise and codify the laws of the state, which work was accomplished and the laws enacted in 1878, and the new volume was printed and the laws took effect the first of January, 1879.
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In June, 1879, he delivered the address at the centennial celebration in New London, his native town, which has been printed, and for which he has been highly complimented ; and in 1880 he delivered a eulogy upon the life of Joel Parker, LL. D., late chief justice of the state, at the commencement at Dartmouth college, at the request of the trustees of the college, which was also printed. He has also prepared and delivered many addresses before lyceums and on other public occasions, which have been favorably noticed by the press. While on the bench of the Supreme Judicial Court, Judge Sar- gent delivered some three hundred opinions, many on important questions. These opinions are found in Vols. 39 to 54, inclusive, of the New Hamp- shire reports, and exhibit great ability, learning and research. He was an earnest, eloquent and convincing speaker, and as a judge he was laborious, persevering, patient, impartial and fearless.
His has been a busy life. Few men in the state have worked harder, or studied more perseveringly than he, and few men have turned their work and study to better account. While his great effort has always been to deserve success and to be worthy of distinction and honor, the public has not been slow in recognizing his claims, or in rewarding his highest ambitions; and while the highest legislative and judicial honors have been freely showered upon him, all have admitted that they were richly merited and worthily be- stowed. Judge Sargent is now a member of St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal church of Concord. He is enjoying life with his books and his friends, a hale and genial gentleman, the most distinguished and honored among the long list of distinguished names which Wentworth has furnished to adorn the his- tory of the bar and of the jurisprudence of the state .*
Hon. Lewis W. Fling. (See Bristol.)
Hon. Thomas J. Smith was born in Dorchester, N. H., April 18, 1830. He was fitted for college at New Hampton academy, and graduated from Dart- mouth in 1848. He entered the office of Judge J. E. Sargent, at Wentworth, in 1852, and was admitted to the bar in January, 1855. After admission he was partner with Mr. Sargent, remaining until the latter's appointment to the bench, and afterwards practiced alone. Probably no man in the state has taken a deeper interest in politics than Mr. Smith. A Democrat of the "straightest sect," he has never deviated a hair from the support of the Demo. cratic party. He represented Wentworth in the legislature from 1861 to 1865, inclusive, In 1866 he was elected to the Senate from district No. 12, and was re-elected in 1867. He was quite distinguished as a political speaker, both in the legislature and out of it, for many years.
In 1868 he moved to Dover, desiring a more extensive field for legal prac- tice. The same year the paper known as the People was established at Con- cord, and Mr. Smith was applied to, to take charge of the political department of this paper, and he did devote a portion of his time and efforts to the edi-
* See sketch of Judge Sargent's life in " Successful New Hampshire Men," also in the history of the "Bench and Bar of Merrimac County."
BENCH AND BAR.
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torial charge of that paper, without giving up his practice at Dover. Mr. Smith served several years on the superintending school committee at Went- worth, and has been a member of the board of education several years at Dover, where, since the fall of 1869, he has devoted himself entirely to his profession. He was clerk of the constitutional convention of 1876. He is a sound lawyer, and has argued many cases with ability in the courts. In Sep- tember, 1854, he married Miss Sarah S. Kelley, of Wentworth, by whom he has three children, two daughters and one son.
Charles Augustus Dole* was born at Lunenburg, Mass., June 20, 1834, the only son of Stephen and Martha Dole. He attended the high school at Lawrence, Mass., while they resided in that state, but after they removed to Wentworth he attended Orford academy. He studied law with Hon. J. Ev- erett Sargent, and was admitted to the bar at Newport, in 1857. He opened an office at Wentworth and practiced there ' until July, 1858, when he was appointed clerk of the court for Grafton county and removed to Haverhill, where he remained as clerk until August, 1874. After this he removed to Lebanon where he has been in practice ever since, and is a good lawyer. He was chairman of the board of supervisors in that town in 1879 and 1880, went as representative to the legislature from Lebanon in 1881 for two years, and was appointed on the state board of equalization in 1883, where he still remains. He married, first, Miss Caroline L. McQuesten, of Plymouth, in De- cember, 1863, and second, Miss Helen M. Stevens, of Haverhill, in January, 1866, by whom he has had two daughters.
Hon. Charles Henry Bartlett was born in Sunapee, N. H., October 15, 1833. He is the fourth son of John and Sarah J. (Sanborn) Bartlett. He read law with Metcalf & Barton, at Newport, George & Foster, of Concord, and with Morrison & Stanley, at Manchester, from whose office he was ad- mitted to the bar in Hillsborough county in 1858. That same year he com- menced practice at Wentworth, and soon secured a good business. After five years, he removed to Manchester where he has since resided. He was in company with Hon. James U. Parker for some two years, after which, in 1867, he was clerk of the District Court for New Hampshire district, since which time he has not actively practiced his profession, but has devoted himself to the duties of his office. He was clerk of the New Hampshire Senate from 1861 to 1865, was private secretary to Governor Smythe, in 1865 and 1866. He was elected city solicitor and served for one year but declined re-election on account of his appointment as clerk of the District Court. He was also elected mayor of the city of Manchester, in 1873, and served for a short time, but resigned on learning that it was the policy of the general govern- ment that clerks of United States Courts should not hold state or municipal offices. He has been trustee of the Merrimack River Savings bank and the Peoples Saving bank, and also a director of the Merchants National bank,
*Contributed by Hon. J. E. Sargent.
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