USA > New York > Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume IV > Part 26
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2. Hiram, born in Northampton, Fulton county, New York, September 5. 1833, died February 22, 1903. He was a most ener- getic and influential man. Though deeply interested in business he was ever mindful of his duty as a citizen. He served as presi- dent and again as treasurer of the village : was treasurer of the school board, and helpful in every way. He was a trustee of the Metho- dist church and a most useful member. He married, August 4, 1861, Charlotte M. Stod- dard, born April 11, 1836; children: i. Alma C., born April 21, 1864, married Thomas N. Parker; ii. Charles H., born March 9. 1866, married Louise Balcomb, and has Ruth B., born March 24, 1890, and Raymon, Decem- ber 1, 1893; iii. Harriet R., born April 28,
1868, married A. J. Cooper, and has Mabel R., born March 21, 1900.
3. Alexander P., born in Northville, Ful- ton county, New York, April 25, 1835. He was engaged in the lumber business in Brooklyn, New York. for several years, then returned home and was superintendent for his father in grading and building the North- ville railroad. He then began the manufac- ture of shoe lasts, in which he continued twenty-five years, building up a very large business. He is now living retired, after a life of activity and success. He is a Re- publican in politics, and a trustee of the Methodist church, He has been a Mason for many years, and has always taken an active interest in that order. He married, Janu- ary 8, 1857, Mary A. Lawton, born May 15, 1835, daughter of Squire and Zarnis (Finch) Lawton. Her father served in the war of 1812, and her maternal great-grandfather Pixley served in the revolution. Children : i. Estella A., born November 16, 1857; ii. Fred; iii. Louise D., born February 17, 1863, mar- ried, October 6, 1892, J. B. Anible, born Oc- tober 29, 1859.
4. John M., born September 11, 1838. He was engaged in tanning with his father un- til the outbreak of the civil war, when he en- listed in the Thirty-second Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, and served four years. He returned home and soon after died from the effects of exposure. Ile married Augusta Partridge.
5. Minerva F., born May 4, 1842; married, March 5. 1860, Dr. John F. Blake (second wife), born in Greenwich, Washington county, New York, June 8, 1821, died May 2, 1896. He practiced in Saratoga county, then took special courses in New York City, and located in Sacramento, California. In 1852 he returned to Northville, where he practiced until his death. Ilis grandparents Blake were born in Scotland. Ile was a son of Andrew and Electa ( Wood) Blake. Chil- dren of Dr. and Minerva F. Blake ; i. Clarence R., graduated from Burlington University, of Vermont, M.D .; in practice with father until the death of the latter ; married, May 27. 1886, Hattie A. Brownell, born November 25, 1807. and has son. John Harry, born March 4. 1887; ii. Louise, born March 25. 1864, married, November 4, 1896, James R. Willard, born July 23, 1855, and has James R. (2). born January 6. 1900, and Gladys, born July 13, 1901: iii. Margaret, born March 6, 1874.
6. Charles B., of whom further.
(VI) Charles B., youngest son of John and Velitta (Palmer) Resseguie, was born in Northville, New York, November 9. 1847.
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He was educated in the public schools and grew up in the tannery business. He became interested with his father in his various enter- prises while a young man ; then became a clerk for George A. Streeter & Brother, later Streeter & Son, finally purchasing their grain business. He next bought an interest in the hardware business of James B. Wilson, later becoming sole owner. He admitted Scott Partridge, and as Resseguie & Partridge they continued the hardware business and added glove manufacture. Mr. Resseguie has been a successful business man, and worthily carries his family name. He has been presi- dent of the village of Northville, and treas- urer of the village school board. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, the Improved Order of Red Men, and is a Republican in politics. He married, Septem- ber 14. 1870, Robertina Hubbell, born Au- gust 23, 1847. Children : I. Ray, born No- vember 9. 1871, died May 5, 1902; married, June 17, 1893, Elizabeth Scribner, and had son, Clarence L., born April 9. 1894. 2. Fred. born August 12, 1874; a physician of Saratoga Springs ; married, October 27, 1905, Helen Hanson. 3. Edwin W., born July 3, 1880; married, June 27, 1906, Mae Carpenter, and has Helen, born February 16, 1908, and Margaret, January 5, 1910.
WEST The present is the third genera- tion of this branch of the West family in the United States. None of the name, honorably as it has been borne, will be more gratefully remembered or ten- derly cherished than Hon. George West, of Ballston Spa, New York.
George West was born in Brandon, Eng- land, February 17, 1823. He received a good common school education, and early in life began work in a paper mill, where he thor- oughly mastered the various processes of mak- ing paper. He married, in England, in Febru- ary, 1840, and having then reached his twenty- sixth year he came to the United States. For one year he was employed in New Jersey, then removed to Massachusetts, where he obtained a position in a large paper mill. He soon became manager of the mill, and in a very few years was admitted a partner. In 1861 he removed to Ballston Spa, New York, where he was superintendent of one of the large mills at Rock City Falls. It was now the period of the civil war, and the scarcity of cotton was being severely felt, particularly by the mills producing cotton bags; many mills closed, and the demand for flour sacks be- came very great. At this juncture Mr. West saw his great opportunity. Leasing an idle
mill he announced that he would make bags of paper. All doubted that he could make them strong enough to carry in safety fifty pounds of flour. He very soon demonstrated that he could, and began the manufacture of manila paper bags, and employed Martin V. B. White, an ingenious mechanic, to make the first lot by hand. The bags were all that Mr. West claimed for them, and orders began to pour in. He erected a bag mill adjoining his paper mill at Rock City Falls, and with a slow hand process laid the foundation of his large business and fortune. After he had been operating by the hand process for several months, a man of ordinary appearance called at his office one day and told him he could construct a machine that would do the same work far more rapidly. Mr. West at once entered into a contract with his visitor to build such a machine in his mill. The man made his promises good, and within a few weeks the machine was in successful oper- ation. The mechanical principle of his first bag-making machine is the same upon which the wonderful machines of to-day are built. Mr. West was the pioneer paper-bag manu- facturer, a business which has grown to be one of the world's greatest industries. In 1862 he purchased the Empire Mill at Rock City Falls, and in 1866 built the Excelsior Mill, at the same point, and from time to time, as business increased, built or purchased additional mills along the stream. The death of John Howey, in 1875, compelled the sale of his four cotton factories, his mansion in Ballston Spa, and a large number of tene- ment houses. Mr. West became the purchaser of the entire estate. He converted one of the factories into a paper mill and one into a bag mill. When the Milton avenue fac- tory was burned he replaced it with the large Union Mill. In 1880 he purchased the paper mill at Hadley on the Hudson, and erected another large mill. He was now the largest manufacturer of his specialties in the entire world. He owned and operated nine paper mills, a pulp mill and two mills making noth- ing but manila paper and paper bags. He admitted his son, George, and his son-in-law, Douglass W. Mabce, to the business, which in 1899 was sold in its entirety to the Union Bag and Paper Company, and Mr. West re- tired from active business after a career of unprecedented success. He died at his home on Milton avenue, September 20, 1901, in his seventy-ninth year.
He gave a great deal of time to the pub- lic service. In 1871 he was elected to the state assembly, and re-elected 1872-73-74-75; in 1881 was elected to congress and 'served
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two terms; was again elected in 1887. He spent eleven years in office and declined all further honors. He was an ardent Republi- can, and always retained an active interest in political affairs. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, his liberality enabling that society to erect, in 1892, their present fine church in Ballston Spa. He con- tributed one-half the cost. besides giving the pipe organ and other fixtures. He contrib- uted a princely sum toward the erection of a fine museum building at Round Lake, New York, and provided an endowment fund for its permanent support. His liberality toward every worthy cause was very great, and he left behind a most gracious memory. He was large in physique as well as mentally. Ile accomplished much and left the world better for his having lived in it.
He married Louisa Rose, born in England ; six children, three of whom lived to adult life, George. Walter S., and Florence L., who married D. W. Mabee, and has seven chil- dren : Louise, George, Walter, Florence, Al- fred, David, Margaret.
(II) George (2), son of George (1) and Louisa (Rose) West, was born February 17, 1845. in Devonshire, England, died January 25, 1906. He was engaged with his father in the manufacture of paper all his life, and in later years was his partner. He was an eminently capable business man, and of fine mind and character. He married, June 13, 1870, Emily Hewitt, born May 3, 1848, daugh- ter of Orrin and Cynthia (Hewitt) Hathorn, of Greenfield, Saratoga county, New York (see Hathorn VIII). Children: Fred Hath- orn, Walter Scott, and George (3) West.
(The Hathorn Line).
This name is spelled either Hathorne, Hathorn or Hawthorne, by members of the same family, descendants of William and John Hathorn, of early colonial record. There have been many distinguished men who have borne the name, and the curse pronounced by the husband of a woman who was being tried for witchcraft before Judge John Hathorn in Salem, seems to have spent its force long ago. There are ugly records of these trials, but it is probably to this one that the traditional curse is traceable, the husband having exclaimed that God would avenge his wife's sufferings. William, the father of John Hathorn (also a magistrate), spent the force of his wrath against the Quakers, and was notorious for his remorselessness towards some of their women, "Annie Coleman and her four friends." Albeit, before being appointed a magistrate he had opposed the persecution
of Quakers. Yet he is to be credited with the execution of John Flint for killing an Indian, and to the protest against English interference with the internal affairs of New England, which sounded a note of independ- ence even at that early day.
(I) William and Sara Hathorn, of Bimfield, Berkshire, England. had eight children, three of whom, William, Eliza and John, emigrated to America. William. the eldest son. came over with Governor Winthrop's company in the "Arbella," and settled in Salem, Massa- chusetts, June 12, 1630. Eliza married
Davenport. John came over in 1635 and set- tled in Salem. William became a man of great importance in the colony. He was deputy to general court; major of the first regularly organized company, or train band, in Salem, and fought in the Indian campaigns ; was also a magistrate and sullied his fair fame by cruelly persecuting the Quakers, although, from the Puritan standpoint, they were doing God and the church a service. He died in 1681, in his seventy-fourth year ; will proved June 28, 1681. Children : A daughter, who married Helwise; Sarah, married, April 13, 1663, Joseph Coker ; Eleazer, married Abigail, daughter of Captain George Curwen ; Nathaniel, born August 11, 1639; Jolin, see forward; Anna, married Joseph Porter; Cap- tain William, married Sarah -; Eliza- beth, married Israel Porter.
(II) John, son of William and Anne (Dav- enport ) Hathorn, was born August 4. 1641, died May 10, 1717. He was deputy, colonel, magistrate, judge, and a cruel and remorseless leader in the witchcraft persecution. Much as we may feel like condemning these men for their cruel and often inhuman treatment of those brought under their authority, all admit that they founded a state and reared a posterity that make glorious the pages of American history. John Hathorn was the ancestor of the gentle and gifted Nathaniel Hawthorne, of the sixth generation, who in later years wrote of his two earlier ances- tors: "The present writer, as their representa- tive, hereby takes shame upon myself for their sakes, and pray that any curse incurred by them, as I have heard, and as the dreary and unprosperous condition of the race for many a long year back would argue to exist, may be now and henceforth removed." Cap- tain Daniel Hathorne, of the revolutionary army, and many, many others of note, also descend from John. He married, January 22, 1674, Ruth, daughter of Lieutenant George Gardner. Children: John (2), born Janu- ary 10, 1675; Nathaniel, November 25, 1678; removed to Gosport, England; Ebenezer, see
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forward; Joseph, married Sarah, daughter of Captain Bowditch ; Ruth, married James Put- man ; Benjamin.
(III) Ebenezer, son of John and Ruth (Gardner) Hathorn, was baptized March, 1685, and was of London, England, in 1726. He married Esther Witt and children were born to them.
(IV) Ebenezer (2), son of Ebenezer (I) and Esther (Witt) Hathorn, was baptized July 7, 1715. He was a soldier of the French and Indian war of 1755, and after the sur- render of Fort William Henry by the English, was taken prisoner by the Indians and after- wards made his escape by strategy and fleet- ness of foot. He was a blacksmith by trade, and carried on business with his brother. They also manufactured steelyards. In 1755 he was constable, and from 1777 to 1796 highway surveyor and auditor. He married Keziah Collins, born October II, 1730. They had three sons, all of whom were of Jaffrey, New Hampshire.
(V) Collins, son of Ebenezer (2) and Keziah (Collins) Hathorn, was of Jaffrey, New Hampshire. He was an enrolled soldier in 1784. He married Sarah Dean. Children : Benjamin, born 1761; Keziah, 1763; Collins (2), 1765; Sally, 1767; Hepzibah, 1768; Wil- liam, 1772; Rebecca, 1774; Olive, 1776; Sam- uel, 1778; Polly, 1781 ; Seth, 1785.
(VI) Collins (2), son of Collins (1) and Sarah (Dean) Hathorn, was born in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. He was the first of his family to settle in New York state. (New Hampshire state papers, vol. 15, pages 216- 217.) Payroll of Captain Salmon Stone's com- pany, in Colonel Nichols' regiment, General Stark's brigade which company marched from Rindge, in state, July 17, 1777, and joined the northern Continental army at Bennington and Stillwater; Collins Hathorn, private; ditto; an enrolled soldier in 1784. He married Annie Smith, and settled in Greenfield, Saratoga county, New York. Chil- dren : Seth, born May 2, 1797, died March 13, 1880; Lyman, March 2, 1801; Smith, July 8, 1804, died about 1890; Orrin, September 7, 1806, see forward; William, December 31, 1809; Phoebe, August 3, 1811; Henry Har- rison, November 28, 1813, died February 20, 1887: James D., July 14, 1817.
(VII) Orrin, son of Collins (2) and Annie (Smith) Hathorn, was born in Greenfield, Saratoga county, New York, September 7, 1806. He was a farmer all of his life; he was a Baptist and a Republican. He married Cynthia Hewitt. Children : Charlotte, Henry, Fannie, Cordelia, Emily II. and Isaac.
(VIII) Emily Hewitt, daughter of Orrin
and Cynthia (Hewitt) Hathorn, married George (2) West (see West II).
John Hathorn, "distinguished in civil and military affairs." (See Farmers' General Register of First Settlers of New England.) William Hathorn (and brother), in 1645, agent to treat with D'Aulnay, French agent at St. Croix; deputy general court Massa- chusetts ; first speaker ; served in King Philip's war; ordered sent to England by Charles II. in 1660. (See Appleton's American Biogra- phy.)
John Hathorn, great-grandson of John (II) Hathorn, although not in the line direct of Emily H. Hathorn West, was colonel of Orange County Militia, Fifth Regiment, New York; was successively captain, colonel, briga- dier and major-general; his military service covered a period of many years, 1775-1812; commanded at Minisink; member New York assembly, 1777-87; speaker of the assembly that met in New York in 1784; state senator, 1787. and in 1804 presidential elector ; mem- ber of congress, 1789-91, and from 1795 to. 1797.
The West family were of Eng-
WEST lish origin and were early settlers in New England. They have been prominent and influential wherever found.
(I) Matthew West was of Lynn, Massa- chusetts, in 1636; freeman, 1637. In 1646 he was of Newport, Rhode Island, where he was made a freeman in 1655. He was a tailor by trade. There
is no record of his marriage, and it is assumed by the Genealogist Austin in his "Genealogical Dic- tionary of Rhode Island" that his sons were Nathaniel, John, Robert, Bartholomew and Francis, who cannot be confounded with Francis of Duxbury, although the latter may have been related to the Rhode Island Wests. I. Nathaniel, died at Newport in 1659: he and wife were among the first twelve members of the First Baptist Church ; accidentally drowned. 2. John, of Newport ; made a free- man in 1655. 3. Robert, of Providence, Rhode Island, and Monmouth county, New Jersey ; in 1667 was one of the original pur- chasers in Monmouth, New Jersey; died 1697; married Elizabeth : children : Joseph, John and Robert. 4. Bartholomew, see forward. 5. Francis, of Kingstown, Rhode Island; married; children: Francis and Richard.
(II) Bartholomew, son of Matthew West, was of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and Monmouth, New Jersey. In 1667 he was an early and original purchaser of lands in Mon-
esso X.Wast.
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mouth with his brother Robert, and in the same year was elected deputy. He died prior to October 30, 1703, as is seen by a deed of that date from his son, John West, of Shrews- bury, New Jersey, wherein he reserves one- half acres of ground where his father is buried. He married Elizabeth, daughter of William and Audry Almy. Children: Bar- tholomew, William, John and Stephen.
(III) Stephen, son of Bartholomew and Elizabeth (Almy) West, was born in 1654. There is no record that shows whether he went to New Jersey with the family or not, but if he did he returned to Massachusetts and settled at Dartmouth, where his children were born. His wife's name is not recorded, but the births of nine children are as follows: Katherine, born September 9, 1684; Sarah, August 1, 1686; Ann, July 9, 1688; Bartholo- mew, July 31, 1690; Amy, May 22, 1693; Stephen, May 19, 1695; John, April 27, 1697 ; Eunice, June 21, 1699; Lois, April 12, 1701. (IV) Stephen (2), son of Stephen (I) West, was born May 19, 1695, in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, died in that town between 1768 and 1770. He was a man of consider- able means, as shown by proceedings attend- ing the settlement of his estate. His first wife was Susannah -- , as in 1729 and 1730 Stephen and Susannah West conveyed lands. He married (second) Hopestill -, who survived him, and made a quit claim of dower right October 15, 1778. Stephen had three sons and three daughters, mentioned in his will, which was made Janu- ary 3, 1768. Samuel, Stephen, Bartholomew, Anna, Susannah, Hannah.
(V) Stephen (3), son of Stephen (2) and Susannah West, was born about 1730 in Dart- mouth, where he lived and probably died. He inherited property under his father's will, and in 1770 an indenture shows a division of Cedar Swamp property between him and his brothers, Bartholomew and Samuel. He was a private of Captain Robert Earl's company (Dartmouth), Colonel Josiah Whitney's regi- ment, in service from August 4, 1777, to Sep- tember 10, 1778; one month, seven days, at Rhode Island; also Captain Avery Parker's (first) company, Colonel John Hathaway's, (second) Bristol company ; entered service Au- gust 3, 1780, discharged August 8, 1780; ser- vice six days on an alarm at Rhode Island. (Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution, vol. xvi, p. 901.) Stephen West married, and had issue, including a son, Jona- than, founder of the Saratoga county, New York, family.
(VI) Jonathan, son of Stephen (3) West, was born about 1765 or 1770. He was the
first of his family to settle in northern New York. He was living in New Bedford, Mas- sachusetts, and from there, in 1791, jour- neyed to Saratoga county with an ox-team, two cows, two sheep and such household goods as could be packed and transported in one wagon through an unbroken wilderness a good part of the way. He located in the town of Galway, purchased a tract of land, then in a wild state, that he converted into a fer- tile farm, and lived upon its proceeds until his death in 1857. lle was twice married, his first wife, whom he married in Massachu- setts, succumbed to the pioneer privations after reaching New York. She bore him seven children. He married (second) Betsey Warren, in Galway, where she was born, lived and died.
(VII) Matthew, son of Jonathan West, was born in Galway, Saratoga county, New York, in 1816, died in 1881. He was a farmer and lived his entire life on the old West farm in Galway. Ile became an impor- tant man in the town; was captain of militia and held many local political offices; was a Democrat, and during the civil war was an intense Union man. He married, in Charles- town, Montgomery county, New York, Febru- ary 14, 1839, Elizabeth Doty, of Duanesburg, Schenectady county, New York, a descend- ant of Edward Doty, a "Mayflower" passen- ger (see Doty VI1). Children : James Mar- vin, born March 12, 1840; William Henry, October 8. 1842, died July 5. 1861 ; George Nelson, October 17, 1849. died February 14, 1854; George Herrick, see forward.
(VIII) George Herrick, youngest son of Matthew and Elizabeth (Doty ) West, was born in Galway, Saratoga county, New York, December 23, 1854. lle was educated in the public schools of Galway, Troy Business Col- lege and the Union Classical Institute of Schenectady. He taught school for four years, then engaged in mercantile life in Galway until 1891. In 1897 he removed to Ballston Spa and engaged in a general insurance and real estate business, continuing until 1905, when he retired. Mr. West has had an impor- tant and interesting public career, beginning when a boy of nineteen years of age. In that year he began his fight agaist licensing the liquor traffic under the law of 1874, elect- ing commissioners of excise, and was one of the five organizers of the first temperance society of the town of Galway. In 1889 he was elected school commissioner of the first school district of Saratoga county, New York, which office he held for six years. In 1897 he was special agent for the forest, fish and game commission. In 1898-99 he was elected to
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the New York assembly, serving with credit and force. In 1901 he was appointed clerk of Saratoga county by Governor Benjamin B. Odell, and by successive re-election still retains that office. He has made a faithful and efficient county clerk, and has the confi- dence of the people, and the commendation of those having business to transact with that office. Was chairman of Republican county committee from 1895 to 1909. The Secret Law and Order League of the State of New York was founded and organized in 1905 through his efforts, and he is now its president and superintendent, working with- out compensation. This organization was in- corporated in January, 1909, for the purpose of discouraging and suppressing Sunday desecration, distribution of obscene literature, the social evil, the white slave traffic, and to secure the enforcement of the laws against illegal liquor selling in license and no-license towns, gambling places and all dens of vice. The League has secured good results from its efforts, and is continuing its work with vigor. In all reform movements, whether political or social, Mr. West has always taken an active part. He is a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, which he joined in 1870. His fraternal orders are the Free and Accepted Masons, International Order of Good Templars and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He married, May 18, 1881, Carrie L., of Galway, New York, daughter of Peleg Burdick, of that town.
(The Doty Line).
Elizabeth Doty, mother of George H. West, was of the eighth generation of Dotys in America, she being the daughter of the sev- enth Doty in direct succession, beginning with Edward Doty, a passenger on the "May- flower," 1620, and signer of the compact. Governor William Bradford, in his "History of Plymouth Plantation," gives, in his list of "Passengers of the Mayflower," this item : "Mr. Stephen Hopkins and Elizabeth, his wife, and two children, called Giles and Constanta, a daughter both by a former wife, and two more by this wife, called Damaris and Oceanus, the last born at sea, and two serv- ants called Edward Doty and Edward Lits- ter." Further on he states: "Edward Doty and Edward Litster, the servants of Mr. Hop- kins, Litster, after he was at liberty, went to Virginia and ther dyed, but Edward Doty, by a second wife, hath seven children, and both he and they are living" (1650). Stephen Hopkins was a tanner, and the term "servant" probably means a workman, or in this case an apprentice. Edward Doty was invited to
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