Genealogical and family history of the state of Vermont; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol II, Part 10

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1044

USA > Vermont > Genealogical and family history of the state of Vermont; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol II > Part 10

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RESIDENCE OF DONLY C. HAWLEY.

Donly C. Brawley M. D.

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

DONLY CURTIS HAWLEY, M. D.

The ancient and honorable New England fam- ily of Hawley, of which Dr, Donly Curtis Haw- ley, of Burlington, Vermont, is a worthy repre- sentative, was founded by Samuel Hawley, who came from England in 1666 and settled in Strat- ford, Connecticut. Samuel Hawley had two sons, Samuel, Jr., and Ephraim, and the names of his daughters are unknown. Samuel, Jr., settled in Derby, Connecticut, on the Housatonic river, and Ephraim settled in Newtown, Connecticut, mar- ried and was the father of ten sons and two daugh- ters. The line of descent from Ephraim Hawley is as follows: Jehiel, son of Ephraim; Andrew,

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Passa

Arms de Boynton

COAT OF ARMS OF BOYNTON FAMILY.

son of Jehiel; Eli, son of Andrew ; Andrew, son of Eli; Jacob, son of Andrew Abijah, son of Jacob ; Lyman, son of Abijah ; Curtis F., son of Lyman ; and Donly C., son of Curtis F. Hawley.

Abijah Hawley, great-grandfather of Dr. Donly C. Hawley, removed from Arlington, Ver- mont, to Fairfax, Vermont, in 1789. He was a devout Christian, and as there was no church or- ganization in Fairfax until 1832, he had divine services read in his own house.

Lyman Hawley, grandfather of Dr. Donly C. Hawley, was a farmer by occupation. He was a man of more that ordinary ability and was hon- ored for his nobility of character and public use-

fulness. He served in the capacity of selectman for several years, was justice of the peace, and represented his town in the state legislature dur- ing the years of 1839 and 1840. He was famil- iarly known amongst his townsmen as "Squire Hawley." He was instrumental in the establish- ment of the Episcopal church in Vermont and as- sisted in the erection of a house of worship dur- ing the time of Bishop Hopkins. Before the days of railways he went from Buck Hollow in Fair- fax, Vermont, to Lowell, Massachusetts, with a two horse team, with which he conveyed his own produce of butter, eggs and other articles, as well as that of his neighbors. He started to drive to Boston with his produce, but disposed of his entire stock at Lowell. He still continued on his journey to Boston, visited the places of interest and returned home. Lyman Hawley was twice- married, his first wife having been Betsy Farns- worth, who bore him twelve children ; his second wife was Melissa Wells, who bore him two chil- dren. His death occurred at the age of eighty- four years.

Curtis F. Hawley, son of Lyman and Betsy (Farnsworth) Hawley and father of Dr. Donly C. Hawley, was born in Fairfax, Vermont, Au- gust 2, 1826. He was educated in the Bakers- field Academy, the late Jacob Spaulding being his instructor. He began the study of medicine in the office of Dr. John Branch, of St. Albans, and then entered the Castleton Medical College, at Castleton, Vermont, from which he was grad- uated in 1848. He began the practice of his pro- fession in Fletcher, Vermont, and there remained until 1858, when he removed to Fairfax, where he resided and continued his practice until his death. During the Civil war he was surgeon in the United States Hospital at Brattleboro, Ver- mont. He was a member of the Vermont Medi- cal Society, and the Franklin County Medical Society. He was elected to serve in all the town offices, including that of town clerk, treasurer, superintendent of schools, and justice of the peace, which positions he filled for many years. He was the member of the state legislature from Fair- fax in 1872 and in 1874. He was a communi- cant of the Protestant Episcopal church, and in politics was an adherent of the Republican party. Dr. Curtis F. Hawley married Louise A. Boynton, who was born in Fletcher, Vermont, September

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THE STATE OF VERMONT.

13. 1822. Their children were: Mary, who died at the age of three years; Cordelia E., who died in Lansing, Minnesota, at the age of six years ; and Donly C. Hawley. Dr. Hawley, father of these children, died September 26, 1900, and his widow passed away at the home of her son in Burlington, on April 13, 1903, after a five days' illness, in the eighty-first year of her age.

Mrs. Hawley, mother of Dr. Donly C. Haw- ley, was a daughter of William R. Boynton and traced her ancestry to the eleventh century, the first member of the family coming from England to Rowley, Massachusetts, in 1638. They were one of the first families of their day and belonged to an old and honored race, whose gallant deeds won for them high praise and distinction.

The first ancestor of the name of Boynton of whom there is any record was Bartholomew de Boynton, who resided in the ancient village of Boynton in the eastern part of Yorkshire, near the North Sea, and who was seized of the manor of Boynton in 1067, and was succeeded by his son Walter, who was a prominent resident there in the year 1091. He was succeeded by his son, Sir Ingram de Boynton, in 1159, and his son Thomas was the father of Robert de Boynton, who flour- ished in 1205 ; his son Ingraham married, in 1235, Margaret Gindall, daughter of Sir Walter Gin- dall; their son was Walter, father of Ingraham, who was living in the year 1272. Sir Walter, son of Ingraham, was knighted in 1356, and was in the service of the Prince of Wales in Brittany ; his son and heir, Sir Thomas of Acclam, was lord of the ancient demesne in Boynton, and he was suc- ceeded by his son, Sir Thomas, knighted, who left one son, Sir Henry, knighted, who joined Henry Percy (Earl of Northumberland), who had tak- en up arms against Henry the Fourth, in 1405; they were defeated, and Sir Henry Boynton, with seven others, was executed at Sadbury, in York- shire, July 2, 1405. He was succeeded by his son William, who distinguished himself by his deeds of valor, and his son, Sir Thomas, knighted, did honor to his memory. He was succeeded by his son, Sir Christopher, first, who was seated at Sadbury, in Yorkshire, England; his son, Sir Christopher, second, of Sadbury, owned large es- tates in Newton and Wintringham, and two daughters and one son survive him. His son Robert Boynton, of East Heslerton, died in 1526,

and was survived by three sons, one of whom, William, was a priest ; another son was James of Wintringham, who died in 1534, and left three sons. Roger, the eldest son of James Boynton, also resided in Wintringham, and upon his death, which occurred in 1558, was survived by four sons and one daughter. William, the third son of Roger Boynton, was also a resident of Win- tringham ; he died in 1615, having made his will the same year ; he was survived by a widow, four sons and two daughters. One of his sons, Will- iam, born at Knapton, England, was the father of two sons, William and John. William, the first member of the family to come to America, was born in Knapton, England, in 1605, and, ac- companied by his brother John, who was born in 1614, joined the expedition under the auspices of Sir Matthew Boynton, who married a daughter of Sir Henry Griffith, who resided where the pres- ent representative of the family, Sir Francis Boyn- ton, Baronet, continues to reside. Sir Henry Somerville Boynton, brother of Sir Francis, the present Baronet (1898), resides in the same castle.

John Boynton, the younger brother of William Boynton, was born in Knapton, Wintrigham, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in 1614. After his arrival in this country with his brother William, he settled at Rowley, Massachusetts, in 1638, and two years later had one acre and a half of land assigned to him next to his brother Will- iam, which he cultivated to a high state of per- fection. He was a tailor by trade. John Boyn- ton married Ellen "Eleanor" Pell, of Boston, Mas- sachusetts, and his death occurred February 18, 1670. Their son was Captain Joseph Boynton, born March 23, 1669-70, married January 30, 1692-3, Bridget Harris, who was born in Rowley, Massachusetts, November 26, 1672, daughter of Nathaniel Harris; she died October 14, 1757. Joseph Boynton was deacon of the first church in Rowley, Massachusetts, from 1723 up to the time of his death, which occurred November 25, 1755. His friends tell of him (with great pleasure) how after his seventieth year he hewed a beam for a meeting house, without chalk or line, so perfectly that they had his name carved on it as a memento. He was the father of eleven children, one of whom, Shubael, born June 6, 1740, was a Revo- lutionary soldier and resided at Sterling, Massa-

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

chusetts. He was six feet seven inches tall, weighed three hundred and ten pounds, and pos- sessed remarkable strength. Another son of Jos- eph Boynton was Ephraim, born in Rowley, Mas- sachusetts, July 16, 1707. He married Sarah Stuart, who was born in Rowley, Massachusetts, August 25, 1712, daughter of John Stuart. In 1752 Ephraim inherited a tract of land in Cox- hall, York county, Maine, from his father, and in 1757 he sold his farm in Rowley and went to Chochset, that being the name given by the In- dians to what was for many years the second par- ish of Lancaster. It was incorporated as a town in 1781 and called Sterling. They had a family of twelve children, the youngest of whom was Abiel, born in Sterling, Massachusetts, December 23, 1753. He married Louisa (Lois), born Jan- uary 2, 1762, daughter of William and Betsy Raymond, of Holden, Massachusetts. Mr. Boyn- ton was a Revolutionary soldier, as were eight of his brothers, and altogether over ninety Boynton descendants of William and John took part in the Revolutionary war. Abiel Boynton died De- cember 17, 1810. He had eleven children, the ninth child being William R. Boynton, born in Rowley, Massachusetts, August 30, 1799. He married Annie Elliott, and the following named children were born to them: Thankful E., who married Willard White; Louise A., born in Fletcher, Vermont, September 13, 1822; and Lovisa A., who married Horace Chapman. Lou- ise A. married Dr. Curtis F. Hawley, of Fletcher, Vermont.

Dr. Donly C. Hawley, son of Dr. Curtis F. and Louise Ann (Boynton) Hawley, was born October 31, 1855, in Fletcher, Vermont. He ac- quired a liberal education, and was graduated from the New Hampton Institute at Fairfax, in 1873, from Barre Academy in 1874, having been a pupil of the venerable Jacob Spaulding, who was his father's preceptor at the Bakers- field Academy, and from the University of Ver- mont, at Burlington, in 1878, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. From the latter year until 1882 he was engaged in mercantile business at Fairfax with his father, under the firm name of C. F. & D. C. Hawley. In the meantime he read medicine under the preceptorship of his father, and he further prosecuted his medical studies in 1883-84 in the office of Dr. L. M. Bingham, at

Burlington, Vermont. He completed his profes- sional education in the medical department of the University of Vermont, from which he was grad- uated in 1884 with high distinction, being vale- dictorian of his class, which consisted of one hun- dren and one members.

Dr. Hawley entered upon his professional ca- reer in Brattleboro, Vermont, taking the practice of Drs. Holton and Conland for a few months. In January, 1885, he located in Burlington, where he is well established in a constantly growing practice, devoting a large share of his attention to surgery, for which he possesses special apti- tude and proficiency. In addition to the exac- tions of his personal practice, he has given much time to hospital and institutional work. He has been attending surgeon in the Mary Fletcher Hospital since 1887, and is lecturer on surgical nursing in the training school for nurses con- nected with that institution, and is also attend- ing surgeon in the Fanny Allen Hospital and was formerly attending physician to the Home for Destitute Children. He is a member of various leading medical societies, among which are the American Medical Association; the American Academy of Medicine, of which he is vice presi- dent ; the Vermont State Medical Society, of which he was secretary from 1887 until 1902 ; the Burlington and Chittenden County Clinical So- ciety, of which he is ex-president; and the Ver- mont Society for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, of which he is president. He has read before these bodies many papers upon pro- fessional topics, which have found wide pub- licity through the medium of the medical jour- nals and published proceedings. Also in the line of his profession, he has performed service for the government as a member of the board of United States examining surgeons for pensions under the administrations of Presidents Harri- son, Mckinley and Roosevelt. He was the dele- gate from the Vermont State Medical Society to the meeting of the British Medical Association in 1897, and was the first delegate from the same society to the American Medical Association after its reorganization, being the member from Vermont in the house of delegates at the meeting at Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1902 and at New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1903. Dr. Hawley has at various times served in

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

important public positions, being affiliated with the Republican party. In 1881 and 1882 he was superintendent of schools at Fairfax : from 1893 to toot was school commissioner of Burlington, and in 1901 was elected mayor of the city of Bur- lington, and re-elected the following year by the largest majority ever accorded a candidate for any contested office in that corporation. In 1903 he was accorded a unanimous nomination by the Republican party as its candidate for mayor for a third term and after a close contest was de- clared elected by three majority. His election was contested in the supreme court and as a result of a recount of the votes, he was unseated on May 30, after having served about two months. With his wife, he is a member of the College Street Congregational church, and for four years was a member of its executive committee. He is a mem- ber of the Ethan Allen Club, of which he is presi- dent, the Algonquin Club; Mansfield Council, Royal Arcanum, of which he was regent in 1896 and 1897 and for which he is medical examiner ; Champlain Lodge No. 7, Knights of Pythias ; and of Alpha Camp, No. 7227, Modern Woodmen of America.

On November 28, 1878, Dr. Hawley married Jessie Roberts Hill, who was born in Burlington, Vermont, January 7, 1856, daughter of William and Jeanette Henderson (Roberts) Hill, natives of Scotland, who came to the United States in 1849, settling in Chelsea, Massachusetts, whence they removed to Burlington, Vermont. Dr. and Mrs. Hawley are the parents of two daughters, Bessie Cordelia, born in Fairfax, March 23, 1882; and May Hill, born in Burlington, Vermont, Oc- tober II, 1887.

THE SMITH FAMILY OF ST. ALBANS, VERMONT.

The history of the Smith family of St. Al- bans, by its conspicuous identification with town, county and state affairs, is so well known that it forms an important part in the actual history of Vermont itself. For four generations it has been the recognized leading family of Franklin county. The great-grandfather of Gov- ernor Smith, the immediate subject of this sketch, was Deacon Samuel Smith, (5) who em- igrated to St. Albans from Barre, Massachu-

setts, over one hundred years ago, settling in the south part of the town on a farm, for many year his home, and where he reared to a useful maturity a large family of children, whose de- scendants have furnished to the history of the state two governors, two congressmen, one ma- jor general, U'nited States volunteers, and many other men of state and local prominence.

DEACON SAMUEL SMITH (5) was born in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, June 6, 1748, and was the fourth son of Bezaleel (4) and Sarah ( Miles ) Smith and grandson of Thomas Smith, Jr., (3) of Sudbury, Massachusetts. (Thomas (2), John (I).) Samuel Smith was married in Weston, Mas- sachusetts, March 19, 1772, to Patience Gregory, born April 4, 1747, in Weston, Massa- chusetts, died December 10, 1809, in St. Albans, Vermont, described as a woman of physical beauty and superior education. She was the daughter of Abraham Gregory, Esq., of Weston, Massachusetts, and Susanna (Whitney) Greg- ory and granddaughter of Daniel McGregor, of the honorable Scottish clan of that name. Deacon Smith, after his marriage, settled in Barre, Mas- sachusetts, where all his children were born, and from that town became a volunteer in the great struggle for American independence, serv- ing as a private in the Massachusetts continental troops.

Deacon Smith came to St. Albans in 1800 and became a leading pioneer citizen, serving constantly in various town affairs till his death, which occurred December 29, 1829. Deacon Smith and his wife were among the original members of the First Congregational church, St. Albans, at its formation in 1803.

The children of Deacon Samuel and Patience (Gregory) Smith were: Amasa Smith, born November 27, 1772, married, July July 10, 1794, Tabitha Jenkins and remained in Massachusetts. Patience Smith, born February 20, 1774, married Roswell Hutchins, Esq., a leading attorney of St. Albans. Mary Smith, born October 18, 1775, married James Williams, of St. Albans, and died September 26, 1847. Lucy Smith, born Oc- tober 30, 1777, married June 15, 1797, Hon. Samuel Farrar, of Northboro, Massachusetts, whose son, William Farrar, was long a prom- inent merchant of St. Albans. Salome Smith,

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

born. February 27, 1784, married Judge Seth Wetmore, of St. Albans, and died December II, 1815. Abel Smith and Ashbel Smith, twins, born November 19, 1785; Abel died young, and Ashbel married Sarah, daughter of Eldad But- ler, and was the father of Major General Will- iam Farrar, ("Baldy Smith,") United States Volunteers. Gardner Smith, born December 9, 1787, died April 20, 1810. John Smith, born August 12, 1789, noticed hereinafter.

HON. JOHN SMITH, (6) youngest son of Deacon Samuel (5) and Patience (Gregory) Smith, was born in Barre, Masachusetts, August 12, 1789, and came to St. Albans, his life-long home, at the age of eleven. His education was received at the rural schools of St. Albans, and his legal studies were pursued under the super- vision of his brother-in-law, Roswell Hutchins, and with Hon. Benjamin Swift. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1810 and soon afterwards formed a co-partnership with Judge Swift. This firm, which did a large and lucrative business and ranked second to none in integrity and abil- ity, lasted till 1827, when Judge Swift was elected to Congress.

From that time till 1845, Mr. Smith contin- ued in active practice, having associated with him different partners, several of whom became leaders of the Franklin county bar in later years. In politics, Mr. Smith was a Democrat and was honored by election to many exalted positions of public trust, the duties of which he executed with dignity and universal acceptance. For seven years Mr. Smith served as state's attorney of Franklin county, and in 1827 was elected a member of the general assembly of the state, serving continuously in this capacity, with the exception of one year, until 1838, being honored by the election to the speakership in the sessions of 1832 and 1833. He received the nomination from the Democratic party in 1838 for member of Congress and was elected, though his district was strongly Whig, but the personal popularity of the candidate influenced party feeling to sub- side. While a member of the national house of representatives, Mr. Smith's speech, "The Defense of the Independent Treasury Idea," at- tracted national attention and was counted as one of the ablest and most thorough ever made on this subject.

Mr. Smith withdrew from public life at the expiration of his term, March 4, 1841. At the close of his congressional career, Mr. Smith con- tinued his legal profession until 1845, after which he gave his time and energies chiefly to rail- road enterprises, and it is to him in conjunction with Hon. Lawrence Brainerd, of St. Albans, and Hon. Joseph Clark, of Milton, and to their boldness of action through the most critical emergencies, risking their entire fortunes in the project by borrowing three hundred and fifty thousand dollars on their personal credit, that the Vermont and Canadian road was made a reality and the last link forged that was to con- nect New England and the Great Lakes, of which road Mr. Smith became president, and the out- growth of which is the present Central Vermont system. Mr. Smith stands paramount in history as the benefactor of Franklin county, and of St. Albans in particular, and his memory should receive, as it does, the reverence and gratitude of the present as well as all succeeding genera- tions. Mr. Smith was an indomitable worker, and his whole life was characterized by public spirit, untiring energy and broad philanthropy. Mr. Smith was the recipient of the honorary degree of Master of Arts from the University of Vermont. His death occurred November 20, 1858.

Mr. Smith married, September 18, 1814, Ma- ria Waitstill Curtis, the daughter of Zachariah Curtis, Esq., of Troy, New York, and the fruit of this union was seven children : Harriet Maria Smith, born in 1815, died in Plattsburg, New York, in 1838, married the Rev. Benjamin Ball Newton. John Gregory Smith, born in 1818, noticed hereinafter. Edward Curtis Smith, born in 1821, died in 1823. Worthington Curtis Smith, born in 1823, died in 1894, who became a distinguished citizen of St. Albans and a mem- ber of Congress from 1867 to 1873: Mr. Smith married Katherine Maria Walworth, daughter of Major John Walworth, of Plattsburg, New York. Julia Pierpont Smith, born in 1826, died in 1854, married George Gove Hunt, Esq., an attorney of St. Albans, issue one son, the late Hon. William H. Hunt. Francis Curtis Smith and Louisa Ten Broeck Smith, twins, born November 15, 1828, of whom the son died Au- gust 15, 1830, and the daughter married Law-

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

rence Brainerd, Jr., and died October 24, 1866.

HON, JOIEN GREGORY SMITH, (7) eldest son of Hon. John and Maria Waitstill ( Curtis) Smith, was born in St. Albans, July 22, 1818. The life, distinguished services and public in- fluence of Governor Smith, are too well known to demand minute numeration of incident. The third of the war governors of the state, the or- ganizer and head for years of the great Central Vermont Railroad system, and one of the pro- moters of the Northern Pacific, Governor Smith was for a generation the most potent personality in Vermont life.

Governor Smith was graduated from the University of Vermont in the class of 1841, and from the Yale Law School in 1843. Admitted to the Vermont bar in that year, he at once be- came associated with his father in the practice of law and incidentally in railroad management. At the death of his father, he assumed the lat- ter's position and continued at the head of the Central Vermont system until his death in 1891. Governor Smith became one of the fore- most railroad men of the country. He was one or the originators of the great Northern Pacific Railroad enterprise, and was president of the. corporation from 1866 to 1872.

Contemporaneous with his entering railroad- ing was the beginning of his political career. He was elected, in 1860, St. Albans' representative in the state legislature, to which body he was twice re-elected, in 1861 and 1862, serving as speaker both years. Such was his popularity that in 1863 he was elected governor of the state and re-elected in 1864.

His services to the state and nation during those dark days of the rebellion eannot be over- estimated. He was the friend and confidant of President Lincoln and Secretary Stanton. He was particularly solicitous in caring for the Ver- mont boys at the front, and his many deeds of kindness won for him undying esteem and grat- itude and the sobriquet "The Soldiers' Friend." Governor Smith was chairman of the state delega- tion to the national Republican convention of 1872, 1880 and 1884. After his retirement from the office of chief executive of the state, he was not again in public office, but occupied the enviable po- sition as the leader in state politics for a score of

years. Governor Smith was twice urged to allow his name to be used as a candidate for the United States senate, but refused, owing to his strenuous and exacting duties in the busines world.

John Gregory Smith was a remarkable man -- shrewd, far-seeing, of indefatigable zeal ; possess- ing unusual executive power and magnetism, he was a natural leader among men. Above all, Governor Smith was a Christian gentleman, of broad culture of mind and soul, and his universal affability of temperament made him a "modern hero" in the eyes of the people of the state in whose life he had exercised so palpable an in- fluence. He was prominetnly identified with the founding and growth of many local institutions, at the time of his death occupying the presidency of the following institutions: The Welden Na- tional Bank, the People's Trust Company, of St. Albans, and the Franklin County Creamery Association. Governor Smith will long be re- membered as a public benefactor of literary, ed- ucational and ecclesiastical organizations. Among his many gifts may be mentioned one of seven thousand dollars for the interior improvement of the Congregational church, of which he was a life-long member, and a gift to his native vil- lage of a magnificent bronze fountain, for the adornment of Taylor Park, at a cost of over five thousand dollars. The beautiful library and Grand Army Hall, recently erected on Maiden Lane, St. Albans, by his heirs, carrying out the expressions of his will, is a most fitting memo- rial of this distinguished citizen of St. Albans.

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Genealogical and family history of the state of Vermont; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol II, Part 10

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed Publication date: 1903 Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1044

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1044