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 33

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 33

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Joel Sherburn (7), son of David and Wealthy (Kinney) Sherburn, was born November 3, 1806, in Orange, Vermont, where he received the very limited education which the common schools of the town afforded, and through life followed the occupation of a farmer in Plainfield, Ver- mont. In politics Mr. Sherburn was an inde- pendent, being bound to no particular organiza- tion. For many years he acted with the old Democratic party, and after 1856 with the Re- publicans. Mr. Sherburn sometiines served on the county grand jury, and his neighbors testi- fied to the esteem in which they held him by frequently calling upon him to fill the office of selectman. From his early years Mr. Sherburn

was a Methodist. He married, in 1836, Polly Perkins, born November 27, 1808, in Plainfield, Vermont. The Perkins family claimed to be of Portuguese origin. The first ancestor of whom we have any account was Philemon Perkins, a tailor in Salem, Massachusetts, whose son Jona- than was a farmer; first in New Boston, New Hampshire, and later in Plainfield, Vermont. He married, in 1802, Lydia Carnes, who belonged to an Irish family from county Cork, Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Perkins had a daughter Polly, mentioned above as the wife of Joel Sherburn. Mr. Sher- burn died in 1892.

Joel Osman Sherburn was born at Plainfield, Vermont, November 21, 1845, and was trained to farm work between periods of attendance at the common schools and Newbury Academy. With such equipment as the latter could give, he entered the seminary at Montpelier and was graduated at that institution in the class of 1869. Later he matriculated at the Wesleyan Univer- sity in Middletown, Connecticut, and finished the course there in 1873. Immediately after leav- ing this college he entered the ministry of the Vermont conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has ever since been closely connected therewith. He has twice held the position of presiding elder, once in the Montpelier district, and afterward in the St. Johnsbury district, of which he is still the incumbent. He has twice represented the Vermont conference in the gen- eral conference of the church, at Omaha in 1892, and at Cleveland in 1896. During a ministry of thirty years Mr. Sherburn has filled a pulpit every Sunday but five, which makes a record of punctuality and reliability that is seldom equalled inside or outside of the church. Until 1882 he had been closely affiliated with the Re- publicans, but in that year joined the Prohibi- tion party, with which he has since loyally co- operated and which he has, zealously sustained. In 1882 he represented the town of Rochester in the Vermont assembly, at another time was a candidate for the state senate and in 1902 made the race for governor. He has held various town and village offices, and served on the boards of trustees of the Vermont Bible Society, the Mont- pelier Seminary and Wesleyan University.

Mr. Sherburn.was united in marriage at Can- ton, Connecticut, with Miss Ella Ruth, daugh-

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les, members of a Bank of some note in their Vi. Sheburn died of consumption at Plamheld, Jub 30. 1875, leaving a son, Har les J., who ched at Randolph, Vermont, May 20. 1877. September 20, 1876, Mr. Sherburn con tracted a second marriage, with Miss Mary I ... daughter of Deacon Sullivan B. and Laura ( Bailey ) Gale, of Plainfield. Deacon Gale, who was a tanner by trade, was prominent in relig- nous circles as a leading Congregationalist, and also occupied an influential position as a citizen. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Sherburn may be briefly mentioned in chronological order: Ar- thur Neale, who was born at Randolph, Vermont, July 20, 1878, died in the same town, January 30, 1880; Earle Howard, born at Randolph, February 25, 1880, graduated at Montpelier Seminary, and , is now manager of telephone lines, with office at Mont- pelier : Ernest Fisk, born at Rochester, Vermont, August 3, 1882, graduated in 1900 in the busi- ness department of St. Johnsbury Academy, and is now a rural mail carrier on one of the local routes; George Wiley, born at Northfield, Ver- mont, November 4, 1884, is at present attend- ing Wesleyan University at Middletown, Con- necticut : Charles Morton, who was born at Mont- pelier, Vermont, July 2, 1888, is now a student at St. Johnsbury Academy, in the class of 1906. Mr. Sherburn has never been connected with any secret societies excepting a Greek letter frater- nity at college. in which he held all the prin- cipal offices. It may be remarked in conclusion that he is a fine type of the best element of the Methodist ministry, whose energy, zeal and self- sacrifice have done so much for the settlement and civilization of every state in the American Union.

RUSSELL THAYER JOHNSON, M. D.

Dr. Russell Thayer Johnson, of West Con- cord, Vermont, son of Ransel and Sally (Farmer) Johnson, was born in Newark, Vermont, April 4, 1841. His preliminary education was acquired in the public schools of his native town, while his professional preparatory course was pursued at the Charlestown (province of Quebec) Academy. His medical researches were carried on under the

directing influence of Dr. Charles S. Cahoon, of London, Vermont, and his studies completed at Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York city, from which institution he graduated in 1867. His first professional practice was conducted in Stanstead, Canada, from which place he removed in 1869 to Concord, Vermont, where he has since remained. His practice has grown to wide pro- portions, extending beyond his own into adjoin- ing towns. His reputation is largely due to pro- fessional earnestness, backed by medical skill and surgical deftness, the latter having been ac- quired by his three years' service in the war of the rebellion, he having enlisted in the Eleventh Reg- iment, Vermont Volunteers, in 1862, spending most of the time in the medical department of the Sixth Army Corps, and since the year 1872 hav- ing acted as examining surgeon for the pension bureau.

In 1866 Dr. Johnson was vice president of the Vermont State Medical College, and for four- teen years acted as supervisor of the insane. Dr. Johnson is a Republican in politics, and repre- sented the town of Concord in the legislature of 1884. He has held several town offices, among them being that of town treasurer, besides having been honored by appointment to many impor- tant positions in the state department of Ver- mont. Dr. Johnson is also prominently identi- fied with the Masonic order as well as with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Dr. Johnson's marriage to Asenath A., daugh- ter of Samuel and Almira (Currier) Weeks, of Wheelock, occurred on March 29, 1869.

GEORGE THEODORE CHILDS.

George Theodore Childs, a veteran of the Cival war and for many years the successful edi- tor of the St. Albans Daily Messenger, was born in Charlestown, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, September 7, 1842, being a direct descendant of Benjamin Childs, who came to this country from England in 1630, and settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and he is also descended from George Bunker, from whom the noted battle site of the Revolutionary war derived its name. Na- thaniel Childs, the paternal grandfather of George T. Childs, was born in Charlestown,

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Massachusetts, where he was prominently identi- fied during his entire business career with its commercial and political interests. He was uni- ted in marriage to Miss Catherine Stimson, and their son Francis, the father of our subject, was born in Charlestown, where he obtained an excel- lent education in the common schools. He was actively associated with all public enterprises, was a man of strong patriotic instincts, and was familiarly known as the "Soldier's Friend." Po- litically he was a Republican and a Free-soiler, a contemporary with Phillips and Douglas, and served as a member of the governor's council for eight years under Governor Rice, also rep- resented his town in the state legislature, and for many years served as a trustee of the state prison. In his fraternal relations he was a prominent member of the Masonic order. Mr. Childs mar- ried Juliet W. Deering, and the following named children were born to them: Julia Frances, George T., Ruby M., Catherine S., Nathaniel, Mary L. and Carrie M. Francis Childs, the father of these children, died in Charlestown, Massachusetts, at the age of sixty-six years, his wife having passed away previous to that time.

George Theodore Childs, the eldest son of Francis and Juliet W. Childs, acquired a prac- tical education in the common schools of Charles- town, and in 1858 began his business career as an office boy, but in the following year was pro- moted to the position of bookkeeper, thus remain- ing until April 16, 1861, when he enlisted as a private in Company K, Fifth Regiment of Massa- chusetts Infantry, under Colonel Samuel C. Law- rence. The regiment was ordered to Washing- ton, D. C., to guard the treasury, and for two months they performed patrol duty, but later crossed over to Alexandria and praticipated in the first action of Bull Run, in which engagement he was captured while in the act of taking care of a fallen comrade who was stricken with wounds, and was confined successively in Libby, Parish, New Orleans and Salisbury prisons. Colonel Childs was discharged from the United States service on the grounds of disability resulting from exposure of prison life, and for many years afterward was in precarious health. After his discharge he was for a short period of time at New Orleans, being appointed private secretary to the mayor of that city by General Sheridan.

Returning to his home, Colonel Childs again re- sumed his position as bookkeeper, acting in that capacity until 1873, when he was appointed pri- vate secretary to President J. G. Smith of the Central Vermont Railroad Company, which po- sition he filled creditably until 1892. He then became editor of the St. Albans Daily Messenger, and for seven years successfully edited that en- terprising journal, after which, in May, 1898, he received the appointment of postmaster of St. Albans, and so faithful was he in the discharge of his duties that he was reappointed in 1902 by President Roosevelt.

In his political affiliations the Colonel is an ardent Republican; and has been a prominent member of the national Republican committee since 1896, also represented St. Albans in the legislature during Governor Josiah Grout's ad- ministration in 1896-1898, and was a member of the assembly that voted an appropriation for carrying on the Spanish-American war. On the occasion of the Vermont Republicans' pilgrim- age to the late President McKinley's home prior to his election to the presidency of the United States, Colonel Childs, as president of the State Republican League, delivered an effective spech, outlining the position taken by the state of Ver- mont during that memorable campaign and pledging its political allegiance. He has been á prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, having served in all the capacities to department commander, and from 1880 until 1882 was Governor Farnham's chief of staff. also judge advocate general of Vermont from 1882 until 1884, and in the latter year was chosen president.

On the 19th of. September, 1866, Colonel Childs married Lucy Ella Byrnes, a daughter of William M. Byrnes, president of the Franklin Insurance Company, of Boston, Massachusetts. Their children are: Arthur Francis, who married Laura M. Clark, and is employed in the custom house at St. Albans; Juliette Neilson, who is a graduate of the high school, and in 1902 accepted a position as teacher in the Philippine Islands, making the journey of cigthy-five hundred miles unaccompanied by a relative, and in 1903. after teaching one year with great credit to herself and the government, made a trip to China, after which she returned to the Philippines to continue

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her prote sen. Sie Smith, who married John Burhan Ller, assistant night alot of the Burlington Free Press, and Harold David, who obtinned an appointment at the Naval Academy in which he was graduated with honor in 1902, and was then assigned to a torpedo boat, in which he completed a voyage of eighty-four hundred mies, and upon his return to the United States Was assigned to the Raleigh, United States Navy.

THE FORBES FAMILY.

The Forbes family, of Windsor, Vermont, is one of the oldest in New England, and for nearly three centuries has taken a prominent part in public affairs, a number of its members, in the different generations, having held various offices of honor and trust under both the colonial and national governments. The family is of Scot- tish. and also of Presbyterian origin, tracing its descent from the times of that hero of the reforma" tion, John Knox.

John Fobes (or Forbes) (1), the founder of the American branch of the family, was born in Scotland, and was the son, according to a gen- erally accepted tradition, of the Rev. John Forbes, who was moderator of the general assembly of the church of Scotland, holden in Aberdeen in 1605. John Fobes came to America with the remnant of Parson Robinson's church, in 1636, settled in Duxbury, Massachusetts, removed to Bridgewa- ter as an original proprietor in 1645, and served in the early Indian wars. He married Constant Mitchell, who came to America with her brother, Experience Mitchell, in the ship Ann in 1623. John Fobes died in 1661.

Edward Fobes (or Forbes) (2), son of John and Constant (Mitchell) Fobes (or Forbes), was born in 1651, in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He was a man of much importance in the early life of the place, and constantly in local office, a dea- con of the church and a man of large landed inter- ests. He served in the colonial assembly in 1702, 1703, 1708, 1709, 1711, 1712, 1715 and 1722. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Lieutenant John Howard, and niece of Judge Thomas Hay- ward. The Hon. Edward Fobes died in 1732, in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

William Fobes (or Forbes) (3), son of Ed- ward and Elizabeth (Howard) Fobes (or

Forbes ), was born in 1098, in Bridgewater, Mass- achusetts, and married, February 3, 1725, Thank- ful Dwelly, born December 12, 1706, daughter of John Dwelly, of Scituate, Massachusetts. William Fobes died at his birthplace, June 20, 1764, and his wife passed away in 1776.

Abner Fobes (or Forbes) (4), son of Will- iam and Thankful (Dwelly) Fobes (or Forbes), was born November II, 1727, in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and was a man of some local prominence. He married, 1750, Phœbe, daugh- ter of Benjamin Leach, Esq., of Bridgewater, whose wife, Hepzibah Washburn, daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Latham) Washburn; was a lineal descendant of the Hon. John and Mary (Chilton) Winslow, of Boston. The former, a brother of Governor Edward Winslow, was an extensive shipping merchant of Boston, a member of the colonial assembly, and a member of the council of war. The name of his wife is em- balmed in tradition as that of the one who, among all of the passengers of the Mayflower, was the first to set foot on Plymouth Rock. Both she and her husband are buried in King's Chapel yard, Tremont street, Boston. The date of the death of Abner Fobes is not on record.

Absalom Forbes (5), son of Abner and Phœbe (Leach) Fobes (or Forbes), was born May 22, 1751, in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. In his time the orthography of the family name seems to have assumed its present form. He was a resi- dent of both Uxbridge and Sutton, Massachu- setts, and entered the service of his country from Upton, his last place of abode. He married in 1771 Martha Hall, born September 15, 1751, daughter of the Hon. Willis Hall, of Sutton, Massachusetts, a colonial Indian agent under the crown, a member in 1777 of the Massachusetts assembly, a recognized patriot, a member of the committee of correspondence, inspection and safety for Sutton, and of the Massachusetts con- vention of 1779. He was president of the Wor- cester county convention of 1784, and filled, among various other offices, that of justice. Ab- salom Forbes enlisted, April 19, 1775, in the early days of the struggle for independence, in which, eventually, he lost his life, dying in White Plains, New York, September, 1778, while a member of the regular continental army. He laid down his life for his country at the early age of twenty-

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seven. His widow, Martha (Hall) Forbes, died March 26, 1828, in Northbridge, Massachusetts, having married, after the death of her first hus- band, Joel White, of that place. She was the sister of Captain Jonathan Hall, with whom Gen- eral Abner Forbes came to Windsor, Vermont, in 1788, and of the Rev. Nathaniel Hall, of Gran- ville, New York, who was the father of the late Attorney General Willis Hall, of New York, and of Dr. Edwards Hall, of 17 East Sixty-sixth street, New York city.

Abner Forbes (6), son of Absalom and Mar- tha (Hall) Forbes, was born February 29, 1772, in Sutton, Massachusetts, and in early life re- moved to Windsor, Vermont, where for a number of years he was extensively engaged in mercantile business. He was, in his generation, a conspicu- ous and distinguished figure in state affairs, serv- ing for nine years as judge of Windsor county court, of which he was in 1823 and 1825 chief judge. In 1826 and 1827 he was elected to the state legislature, and in 1828 was a member of the governor's council. He also served as state's prison commissioner. In his youth he belonged to the militia, holding, from 1800' to 1805, the rank of colonel, and, from 1805 to 1810, that of general. In town affairs he was also very promi- nent, being president of the Bank of Windsor. He was the patron of education, and a most lib- eral supporter of the missionary cause, serving as a trustee of Middlebury College, of the New- ton Theological Institution, and of the Columbian University, Washington, D. C. He was treasurer of the Vermont Bible Society, and vice president of the Vermont Temperance Society and the Ver- mont Colonization Society, his colleague in the two latter societies, as the other vice presidents, being Governor Van Ness, 'and his superior officer being Judge Elijah Paine, LL. D. Gen- eral Forbes was a deacon of the Baptist church, and one of the foremost laymen in that denomina- tion in the country. In 1796 he erected on Main street, Windsor, the family residence, now owned by the estate of ex-Senator Evarts, and known as the "Forbes House." He married, September 4, 1805, Sally Spooner, born February 26, 1785, eldest daughter of the Hon. Alden Spooner, for forty years editor of The Vermont Journal, state printer, and for many years a member of the state legislature. Mr. Spooner was a lineal de-

scendant of deputy-Governor John Allen, Rich- ard Warren, Francis Cooke, and Elder John Cooke, all of whom landed on these shores in 1620 as passengers of the Mayflower. Mrs. Spooner was Sarah Burton, daughter of Judge Jacob Bur- ton, of Norwich, Vermont, one of the "State Fathers," who, with Governor Chittenden and three others, drew up Vermont's declaration of independence, was a member of the conventions which adopted the name "Vermont" and the state constitution, of which he was himself a signer, and who also filled the office of legislator and county judge. General and Mrs. Forbes were the parents of the following children who grew to maturity : The Hon. Spooner Forbes, of Port Gibson, Mississippi; Edward Forbes, some time a merchant of Windsor ; Sarah, who became the wife of General Francis E. Phelps, of Windsor ; Maria, who married Colonel Alexander W. Hodge, of Port Gibson, Mississippi; Arabella, who became the wife of Dr. Aurelius Bowen, of Nebraska City, Nebraska ; Frances Spooner, who became the wife of Hon. Joseph Denison Hatch, mayor of Burlington, Vermont ; Abner, mentioned at length hereinafter; and Gustavus, a resident of Newton Center, Massachusetts, and the only survivor of this family. In all the relations of life-social, military, legislative, executive and judicial-General Forbes executed the duties of his high position in a manner worthy of his an- cestry and of his own standing. He was a man of varied attainments and marked ability, a close and diligent student, his writings on temperance and his various speeches showing excellent liter- ary finish. Polished and courtly in bearing, a local historian, in an article of reminiscences. mentions "General Forbes, whose natural, quiet dignity led every one who met him to give him the walk." His death occurred December 28. 1828. shortly after his return from Montpelier, where his duties as a member of Governor Craft's coun- cil had taken him. In years he was but in his prime, and yet his many distinguished services to his town, county and state would indicate, as they do, a life full of honor. At the time of his death he was mentioned as a probable condidate for Congress. In the old cemetery of Windsor an impressive marble shaft marks his last resting place, on one side of which the beholder reads. "HON. ABNER FORBES AND FAMILY." and on the

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

K LOREL , BOR ITE QUERY CONTRE DAD DECEMBER 28, 1828." 'The widow of tienetal Forbes smoked him many Years, drie May to, 1833, at the age of sixty - eight. Dr. Jotham Forbes, a surgeon in the United States army, a brother of General Forbes. His for some years a resident of Weathersfield. Vermont.

Almer Forbes (7), son of Abner and Sally (Spooner) Forbes, was born December 10, 1822, in Windsor, Vermont, of which city he was, dur- ing his early life, a leading citizen, being secre- tary of the Lawrence & Robbins Manufacturing Company, and filling the offices of town treasurer and town clerk. In 1864 he removed to St. Al- bans, where he became successively paymaster, cashier and auditor of the Central Vermont Rail- road. He was grand master of the Grand Lodge of Vermont, I. O. O. F. He married, December I, 1844, Katharine Tucker, born April 29, 1827, in Windsor, youngest daughter of the Hon. Ed- ward Raymond Campbell, cashier and vice presi- dent of the Bank of Windsor, magistrate, county treasurer and the incumbent of various other offices. He was a gentleman of marked literary ability, being the author of "The Heroine of Scutari and Other Poems," a work published in 1856, by Dana & Company. He was senior war- den of St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal church, Windsor, and a member of the standing commit- tee of the diocese of Vermont. Mr. Campbell was the son of Dr. Alexander Campbell, of Rock- ingham, Vermont, and a grandson of Dr. Alex- ander Campbell, of Oxford, Massachusetts, who was a member of the Massachusetts provincial congress of 1774. The wife of Mr. Campbell, whom he married January 1, 1812, was Anna Maria Cutler, daughter of Dr. Samuel Cutler, of Bellows Falls, Vermont, the founder of Im- manuel Parish, in that place, and sister-in-law of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Carlton Chase, bishop of New Hampshire. Mrs. Campbell was descended from the Caldwell, Edwards, Olcott and Bigelow fam- ilies of Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Forbes were the parents of the following named children : William Henry, who died in Chicago, Illinois, August 6, 1901 ; Anna M., widow of the Hon. Herbert Brainerd; and Charles Spooner, mentioned at length hereinafter. Mr. Forbes died September 8, 1873, at St. Albans, and the death

of his wife occurred in the same place, August 7, 1888.

Charles Spooner Forbes (8), son of Abner and Katharine Tucker (Campbell) Forbes, was born August 6, 1851, in Windsor, Vermont, and in 1864 was taken by his parents to St. Albans. He had early determined to follow the profession of journalism, and at the age of seventeen began his career as a newspaper man in the office of the St. Albans Transcript. Later he became Vermont manager of the correspondence of the Boston Journal, which position he held for twenty years. He is the editor and publisher of The Vermonter, an illustrated monthly magazine, and is known as the author of "The Second Battle of Benning- ton." He holds the office of United States im- migrant inspector for the district of Vermont. In 1888 and 1889 he served as colonel and aide- de-camp on the staff of Governor William P. Dillingham.

Colonel Forbes is a member of the Republican party, and has been, since attaining his majority, actively engaged in politics. His first vote was cast in 1872 for President Grant, and he was prominent in that year in the campaign club of St. Albans. He has served as secretary and treas- urer of various local Republican clubs, has been secretary to the Republican state convention, and was delegate and one of the secretaries of the national convention of Republican clubs held in New York in 1887. He has assisted in organizing one hundred and fifty campaign clubs, and has been a delegate to various state conventions. He has been secretary of the Vermont Republican League, state commissioner to the World's Co- lumbian Exposition, state commissioner to the California Midwinter Exposition, secretary of the- Vermont commission to the centennial anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington, cele- brated in New York in 1889, secretary to the ex- ecutive committee on the Vermont Dewey Day celebration, and has held various other similar positions. In December, 1889, he became deputy collector of internal revenue for the Vermont di- vision, which office he held for four years.

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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 33

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