USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and representative citizens > Part 62
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In July, 1872, Mr. Lucas was united in marriage to Miss Ellen A. Jenkins, who was born at Madbury, N. H., a daughter of Stephen Jenkins. There are many who still recall Mr. Jenkins as the instructor of their parents, for he was a well known educator in his day in Strafford county, and at one time the late Hon. Henry Wilson, once vice president of the United States, was one of his pupils. Dr. Jenkins was a member of the Society of Friends. Prior to her marriage Mrs. Lucas, who attended the Friends' Seminary, at Providence, R. I., was a teacher in New Hampshire. Mr. and Mrs. Lucas
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have four children : Ernest L., Minnie E., Walter H. and Edith W. Mr. Lucas and family are members of St. John's Methodist Episcopal church.
JAMES G. HOUSTON, manager of the Dover branch of the Beach Soap Company, manufacturers of soaps and washing powders, with main offices and works at Lawrence, Mass., is a well known business man and respected citizen. He was born in Essex county, N. Y., in 1856, and is a son of James and Margaret (Gibson) Houston, natives of New York. The father was a fariner and died at the age of seventy years.
James G. Houston was one in a family of eight children. He attended the public schools and started to work for the same company with which he is now identified, remaining for four years, during the next five years being in the employ of the street railway company, and for two years being superin- tendent of the old horse railroad at Dover. When the electric line superseded the old system he was made superintendent and served as such for three years. He was then elected city marshal of Somersworth, in which capacity he served eight months and then accepted his present position, in 1894, one for which he is well qualified.
Mr. Houston was married first to Miss Lydia Hamilton, and they had one daughter, Margaret. His second marriage was to Miss Olive S. Hill. They attend the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a Republican and has served two years as a member of the city council. He is identified fraternally with Moses Paul Lodge, A. F. & A. M. and the Odd Fellows.
ANDREW J. SEAVEY, V. S., formerly one of Dover's well known and respected citizens, who for a number of years up to the time of his death followed the vocation of veterinary surgeon here, was one of a family of two children born to his parents, who were respectively, Samuel and Ann May (Rinaldi) Seavey. Born at Portsmouth, N. H., September 8, 1828, he was educated in the public schools and at the age of nineteen years located in Mass- achusetts. Mr. Seavey is seventh in descent from William Seavey who was the immigrant ancestor who came to the Isles of Shoals and the Pascataqua River at an early date in the 17th century. He was extensively engaged in the fishery business and has a good record among the first settlers, and many distinguished persons among his descendants.
Dr. Seavey has a good record in the service of the Union Army during the Civil War. At first he was engaged in the commissary department; later he was in the engineer department for the special construction of railroads to facilitate the transportation of supplies in the Virginia campaigns under Gen- eral Grant. He received high commendation for his good work in this line
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of war maneuvers, the matter of getting the supplies for the army promptly to the front being of the utmost importance. During the Civil War he served in the commissary department of the Union army, and also did good work for the Government in helping to open up railroads. Returning from the South in 1866 he took up his residence in Dover and subsequently devoted himself to his profession as veterinary surgeon, in which he was very suc- cessful. His death, which took place December 12, 1893, deprived Dover of one of its most reliable and esteemed citizens, a man who always took a deep and intelligent interest in anything pertaining to the good of his adopted city. In politics Dr. Seavey was a Republican. He was identified with the Masonic order, and was a charter member of the Commandery, K. G. E.
On September 5, 1853, Andrew J. Seavey was married to Miss Cynthia A. Canney, a daughter of Thomas J. Canney. Of the seven children born to Dr. and Mrs. Seavey but two survive, namely: George W. and Annie K., the former of whom resides in Manchester, N. H., and the latter in Dover.
Miss Seavey is a graduate of the Dover High School and one of the prominent woman of Dover who are conspicuous in good works. She is member of the Dover Woman's Club, and was its president two years, during which some important changes were made in its methods of work and its field of influence was much enlarged. She is member of the Northern Colonist Historical Society, which makes a specialty of local history; she has been president of the society and has contributed papers showing she is an expert in historical research. Miss Seavey is member of the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in this city and is one of its very efficient workers. She is also a member of Margery Sullivan Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolu- tion, and of the Pascataqua Pioneers' Association, a historical society whose immigrant ancestors settled on the banks of the Pascataqua River before the year 1700.
Miss Seavey's maternal grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Canney was born April 12, 1807, and died in Dover, February 12, 1885. He was son of Ichabod and Mary (Waldron) Canney; he was seventh in descent from Thomas Canney who came from England to Dover in March, 1631, being one of the settlers here and for many years a prominent citizen of Dover. Mary Waldron was daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Kimball) Waldron, a descendant of the distinguished Waldron family of Dover.
Thomas Jefferson Canney, for more than forty years, was one of the prom- inent and most active business men of Dover; he was an expert forester, housebuilder and bridge builder, and many structures of this character are now standing in Dover and vicinity as monuments of his energy, ability and honesty of thorough construction. His father was an earnest supporter and
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strong admirer of President Jefferson, and when his son was born in 1807 he gave the infant the name of the great leader of Democracy ; so in manhood Thomas Jefferson Canney very naturally became a Jefferson Democrat, and remained true to the party to the end of his life. For many years Mr. Canney was one of the efficient leaders of the Democratic party in Dover; but Mr. Canney always put business before politics, and was one of the town's hon- ored and highly esteemed citizens.
WILLIAM W. FINLEY, a wide awake, progressive business man of Dover, who operates the only ice cream manufacturing plant here, has been engaged in this business since 1907. He has occupied his present quarters at No. 54 Central avenue since 1900 as a residence and has engaged in manu- facturing at the same place since February, 1911. Mr. Finley was born in Cumberland county, Nova Scotia, September 26, 1858, and is a son of James and Sarah A. (McCloskey) Finley, both of whom were natives of Nova Scotia.
William W. Finley was nine years old when his parents came to the United States, locating in the city of Boston, Mass., and there he had educational ad- vantages for a time, later graduated from the grammar school at Natick, Mass., and subsequently from Amherst Academy, Amherst, Nova Scotia. He learned the machinist's trade and for nine years worked as a machinist, during the larger part of this time in Boston. He then turned his attention to the life insurance business and for eighteen years was employed by the Metropoli- tan Life Insurance Company, was for eleven years superintendent and was then made a general agent at South Framingham, Mass., being subsequently transferred to New Haven and, nine months later, to Dover, N. H., where he represented this company for nine years, retiring in 1904. Afterward, for a short time, he was a piano salesman for the well known piano firm of M. Steinhart & Sons Company of New York and Boston. For five years after embarking in his present business he carried on a bakery in connection, with his office at No. 396 Central avenue, removing then to No. 54 Central avenue, where he has a well equipped, sanitary plant. As a business man and as a private citizen Mr. Finley commands respect and confidence. In his views on public questions he is a progressive Republican. He served one term as mod- erator for the Fourth Ward and is now moderator.
Mr. Finley married Miss Edith A. Bailey, who was born at Boston, Mass., and they have had five children; Nettie E. A. and Stella M. being the only survivors, while W. Stuart, Harry B. and Harold are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Finley are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he belongs to the official board. He is a Knight Templar Mason, belonging to Strafford
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Lodge, A. F. & A. M., Balknap Chapter, No. 8, Orphan Council and St. Paul Commandery. Mr. Finley and family take part in the pleasant social life of this old and more or less aristocratic city and are people who enjoy many evidences of the esteem in which they are held by a wide circle of friends.
HON. JOHN N. HAINES, a member of the New Hampshire State Senate and formerly, for two terms, mayor of Somersworth, since 1885 has been the owner and operator of a cotton waste mill, his plant being located at Berwick, Me. John N. Haines was born at Somersworth, N. H., June 15, 1848, and is a son of John S. and Theodate (Nowell ) Haines.
John S. Haines was born at Greenland, N. H., and was fifteen years old when he came to Somersworth. Here he was employed at first by the Great Falls Manufacturing Company and continued until 1861, when he started a cotton waste mill at Berwick, Me., and continued to operate it until his death in 1885, when aged sixty-five years. He was appointed postinaster of Somers- worth, then Great Falls, by President Lincoln and served continuously for eleven years. He served in numerous local offices and was also county treas- urer and a member of the General Court. He married Theodate Nowell, who was born at Sanford, Me., in 1822, and still survives, in reasonably good health in spite of her advanced age. She is a member of the Congregational church. To John S. Haines and wife six children were born: John N .; Leonora, who is the widow of J. W. Bates, formerly of Somersworth; Theo- date, who is the wife of Charles H. Gridley, of Elmira, N. Y .; Charles S., who died at the age of two years; Fred Sumner, who lives at Rochester, Minn., married Carrie Faitoute and has four sons; and Mary C., who is the wife of Rev. Sherrod Soule, they residing at Hartford, Conn.
John N. Haines attended the public schools, was graduated from the high school in 1866 and then spent two years as a student in Dummner Academy, at Byfield, Mass. He then entered the United States Navy and served four years on the "Plymouth," during this time visiting the North and the Baltic seas, South America, the African coast and the West Indies, returning then to his native land. For a time he was a clerk in a fancy goods store in the city of Boston. Several years later he came to Somersworth and was engaged in a coal and wood business until 1885, when, on the death of his father, he took charge of the waste mill plant at Berwick. Like his father Mr. Haines has been progressive and public spirited and has taken a leading position in public matters. A Republican in politics, he has very often been honored by his party and aside from the responsible positions mentioned in the opening paragraph, he has served a number of times as county commissioner and in
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1885-6 as selectman. He is a man of force of character and enlightened views.
On January 15, 1881, Mr. Haines was married to Miss Matilda P. Page, of Somersworth. He is identified quite prominently with leading fraternities being a 32d degree Mason, and belonging to Lebanus Lodge No. 49, F. & A. M .; to the Elks, at Dover; and to Prospect Lodge No. 13, Knights of Pythias, Somersworth, and in 1894 was state grand chancellor of this order. He is a charter member of Dover Lodge of B. P. O. E.
HON. ROBERT GORDON PIKE, of Dover, lawyer, jurist, and chief justice of the Superior Court of New Hampshire, was born in Rollinsford, N. H., July 28, 1851, son of Amos W. and Elizabeth M. (Chadbourne) Pike. On the paternal side he is descended from John Pike, an emigrant from Eng- land, who settled in Newbury, Mass., in 1635. John Pike's great great grand- son, the Rev. James Pike, preached his first sermon October 23, 1726, and in the following year began to preach to the people in that part of Dover, which in 1729, was set off to form the town of Somersworth. From the latter town in 1849 was set off the town of Rollinsford, wherein the meeting-house in which he preached was situated. He was ordained as the first pastor of Somersworth, October 26, 1730. and he preached his last sermon October 31, 1790. Of his sons, Nicholas, a celebrated teacher, was graduated from Har- vard in 1766, and was the author of a famous arithmetic. Another son was John Pike, who was the great grandfather of the subject of this sketch. On his mother's side Judge Pike traces his descent from Humphrey Chadbourne, who came to this country about 1631 and who died in 1666.
In his youth Robert G. Pike attended the common schools of Rollinsford, and Berwick Academy at South Berwick, Me. He then entered Dartmouth College in the scientific department, being graduated in 1872. Upon leaving college he engaged in civil engineering in Dover, Waltham and Boston until 1875. He then taught school until 1878 and was superintendent of the schools in Rollinsford from 1877 to 1882. In 1878 he began the study of law with Chief Justice Doe who died in 1896. He was admitted to the New Hampshire bar in March, 1881, and to the bar of the Circuit Court of the United States in November, 1894. Immediately upon his admission to the bar in 1881 he began practice at Dover. He was city solicitor of Dover from 1887 to 1889 and for two months in 1893. He was appointed judge of the Probate Court of Strafford County December 28, 1893. On April 14, 1896, he was appointed associate justice of the Supreme Court of the State and so served until this court was abolished by Legislature in 1901. At that date two new courts were established in its place ; one the present Supreme Court-a court
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of last resort on questions of law-and the other the Superior Court-a court of last resort on the trial of facts. Judge Pike was appointed an associate justice on the Superior Court at its establishment and served as such until November 1, 1913, at which time he was appointed chief justice of this court.
Judge Pike is interested in the cause of education and in whatever may serve to advance the best interests of his adopted city. He is and for many years has been a trustee of the Strafford Savings Bank, of Dover. He was a trustee of Franklin Academy from September 1, 1883, to August 5, 1896, when he resigned; and was treasurer of the board from August 5, 1884, to the time of his resignation. For over two years he was a member of the school board of the city of Dover, declining a re-election. He has been trustee of Berwick Academy since 1900, and a Visitor of the Chandler Foundation, Dartmouth College, since 1902. In politics he is a Republican. Judge Pike resides at No. 56 Summer street, and has an office at No. 123 Washington street, Dover.
E. M. HAWKES, who is the owner of the granite, marble and monument plant located on North Winter street, Rochester, has conducted this business at the present location for the past fourteen years. Mr. Hawkes was born in 1869, at Concord, N. H., and is a son of John G. and Lydia ( Monroe) Hawkes, who reared a family of six children. The father, a native of Brooks, Me., was a granite worker all his life, and died in 1909 at the age of seventy years.
E. M. Hawkes attended school at Concord and also Oak Grove Seminary. From boyhood he was interested in his father's work. Later he learned the trade and has since continued to follow it. He has a large plant at Rochester with modern equipments for monument making and constructs vaults and all other cemetery adornments both in marble and in the beautiful native granite. Employment is given to from two to six men as occasion warrants, the finished products being very generally admired both for their design and finish.
Mr. Hawkes was married to Miss Hattie Haskell, a native of Standish, Me., and they have one daughter, Doris L., who is attending school. Mr. Hawkes and family attend the Congregational church. He is a man of earnest citizenship and has identified himself with the Progressive party. Fraternally he is a Mason and also an Odd Fellow.
EDWARD B. TIBBETTS, a highly respected retired resident of Somers- worth, who occupies his comfortable home at No. 317 High street, during the larger part of his many years of active business life was identified with the
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cotton mill industry. He was born at Sanford, Me., December 15, 1835, and is a son of James and Susan (Bean) Tibbetts.
James Tibbetts, the father, was born also at Sanford, Me. The family was established there many years ago by one of four brothers who left Eng- land to settle in the American colonies. One of the brothers settled at Rochester, N. H., another at Salem, Mass., a third in the state of New York, while the fourth located at Sanford, Me., and the name is yet well known and respected in York county. James Tibbetts and wife died some forty years ago and but two of their family of children survive: Edward B., of Somersworth; and Hannah, who is the widow of Charles Hanson, a resident of Biddeford, Me.
Edward B. Tibbetts had the usual school privileges offered youth in his day and section. When 17 years of age he left home to become self support- ing, entering the carding department of the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company, Salmon Falls, N. H., where he worked for about ten years, going then to Salem, Mass., where he spent several years in the carding department of the Naumkeag Mills. From there Mr. Tibbetts proceeded to North Ox- bridge, Mass., where he was employed for several years in a cotton mill and then went to Holyoke, Mass., where he remained for ten years and was over- seer of the Lymon Mills. By this time he had become so much of an expert in the textile industry that he was invited to become the overseer of the card- ing department of the great Monahansett Mills, at Putnam, Conn., where he remained for 27 years. After this long and continuous application Mr. Tibbetts felt that he had earned rest and in 1909 came to Somersworth and since June of that year has lived retired from business, although he still takes an active interest in local matters of public concern and in social associa- tions of many years' standing. Mr. Tibbetts has a wide circle of personal friends and well-wishers.
On June 25, 1859, Mr. Tibbetts was married to Miss Sarah .\. Hersom, who was born in Maine, a daughter of Daniel Hersom, of Lebanon. Mrs. Tibbetts died at Somersworth, August 28, 1910. In every relation of life she was an admirable woman and her beloved memory is preserved not only in her family but in the community. She was the mother of two sons : George R., who is a resident of Buffalo, N. Y. ; and Charles H., who is deceased. Mr. Tibbetts is a member of Mount Tom Lodge, A. F. & A. M., at Holyoke, Mass .; Holyoke Lodge No. 134, I. O. O. F .; and of Cocheco Encampment, No. 4, at Dover, N. H.
E. L. TEBBETTS, who is a member of one of the oldest families of Strafford county, his ancestors having built the garrison house at the foot of
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Gonic Hill, was born in 1847 at Rochester and is a son of Edward and Harriet (Newell) Tebbetts, who had four children, three of whom are living. The father died on his farm at the age of seventy-six years.
E. L. Tebbetts attended school at Rochester and helped his father on the home farm until he was twenty years of age, when he learned the shoemaking trade and two years later went to Chicago, Ill .. where he remained in the shoe business for four years. After returning to Rochester he resumed his farm activities which he continued until 1893. On May 18, 1898, he was made superintendent of the Rochester Cemetery Association and the duties of this office have largely claimed his attention ever since and they are well and capably performed.
Mr. Tebbetts married Miss Mary Warren and they have one son. With his family Mr. Tebbetts attends the Methodist Episcopal church. He casts his vote with the Democratic party.
WILLIAM H. ALLEN, who resides on his well cultivated farm of 50 acres near Dover, is one of the town's well known and highly respected citi- zens. He was born in Barrington, N. H., November 21, 1838, and is a son of Edward and Matilda ( Perkins) Allen and a, grandson of John Allen, who was the founder of the Allen family at Barrington. Both parents of William H. Allen were born, passed useful and worthy lives and died at Barrington.
In the district schools of his neighborhood William H. Allen received instruction in boyhood and grew to manhood on his father's farm, securing the training in agriculture that has been useful to him in carrying on his own farming activities. Mr. Allen is a veteran of the great Civil war, in which he served as a brave and loyal soldier for two years and nine months. He enlisted in the fall of 1862 in Co. D, IIth N. H. Vol. Inf., which became a part of the 9th Army Corps, in the Army of the Potomac. He has since seen many years of peace and quiet but there was a time when he bravely faced the enemy at Fredericksburg and the Wilderness and when he had secured his honorable discharge there were 18 battles in his record. In this hurrying twentieth century it were well to pause, perhaps, at times, and picture what that experience must have been to Mr. Allen and his comrades, none of whom had been trained in the rough ways of the world and many of whom, like himself, had been mustered from the quiet. peaceful farms of New Hamp- shire. Fortunately he escaped imprisonment and wounds but not all the hard- ships, and he well remembers one hungry winter passed in Tennessee when his regiment had only quarter rations issued to them. He is a member of the G. A. R. post at Dover.
On April 16, 1878, Mr. Allen was married to Miss Sarah Ransom, who
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was born in Durham, N. H., April 4, 1845, a daughter of George W. and Sophia (Bunker) Ransom. Her father was born in Vermont and her mother in Durham, where the Bunker family settled very early. Mr .and Mrs. Allen have one son, Herbert R. In politics Mr. Allen is identified with the Republi- can party. He belongs to the Odd Fellows and attends the lodge at Dover.
JOHN LUCAS, a well known general farmer of Dover, who since he came to Strafford county in 1870, has resided on the Littleworth road, where he owns about 45 acres of valuable land, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, May 3, 1845, and is a son of James and Nancy (Lee) Lucas. The father was born also in the north of Ireland where the Lucas family is well known and represented to this day, and the mother was born in Scotland.
John Lucas grew to manhood in his native country. For some time before he was able to put his plan into operation he made arrangements to come to America, having learned that he could more easily follow farming in the United States than in his own land. In 1870 he made his way to Dublin and there shipped for Montreal, Canada, on the "Moravian," which made a quick and safe trip. He reached Dover the same year and five years later secured his present farm on which he has lived ever since, successfully carrying on farming and raising his own stock. The family residence, known in early days as the Durrell Mansion , was one of the first houses built on Littleworth road and is still in a fine state of preservation. It was built by the Durrells, a family very prominent in Strafford county at that time.
On October 28, 1878, Mr. Lucas was married to Miss Louise E. Misnar, who was born at Halifax, Nova Scotia, a daughter of George and Susan (Conrad) Misnar, the father and mother both being natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Lucas have two daughters: Marie, a graduate nurse, and Cathi- erine, wife of William Murchie, of Mattoon. Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Lucas are members of St. Thomas' Episcopal church of Dover, N. H.
JAMES SHAW, who devotes his forty-eight acres of excellent land to general agriculture, is one of the well known men and representative citizens of Strafford county. He was born at Hayfield, Derbyshire, England, Feb- ruary 12, 1868, and is a son of Joseph and Susan (Knott) Shaw, natives of Lancashire, England. Of their six children James Shaw is the only one that has come to America.
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