Andover Massachusetts Genealogy

Biography of Melvin Harvey Walker, Jr., M.D.

MELVIN HARVEY WALKER, JR., M. D, has been a medical practitioner in Pittsfield for nearly a decade. He is a native of Westboro, born October 21, 1886, son of Melvin H. and Ann (Moses) Walker; his father being a manufacturer in Westboro; and the mother now deceased. The son Melvin took the usual courses in the grammar grades and was prepared for college in the Westboro High School and Phillips Academy, Andover. He was graduated from Yale University in the class of 1909 with the degree of B. A.; graduated from Harvard Medical School in the class of 1915 with … Read more

Cheever Genealogy of Blue Hill, Maine

Farther down the road towards the tide mills stands the house built by John Cheever about 1835. Mr. Cheever came from Beverly to Blue Hill village and settled, where he kept a store and began to build a fishing fleet, the first being the schooner “Marion”, built at the village. The father of the writer sold him the land for his house, store, wharf, fish flakes and garden, where he carried on business and continued to reside until his death in 1851, aged fifty-one years. His wife was Betsey Gardner, of Beverly, by whom he had seven children, as follows: … Read more

Biography of Francis Huntington Snow

Francis Huntington Snow. High in the list of names that Kansas honors, statesmen, soldiers, business and industrial executives, farmers and homesteaders, must be placed the name of a scientist and educator, Francis Huntington Snow, one of the greatest of them all. He came out of New England to Kansas. He was born at Fitchburg, Massachusetts, June 29, 1840, a son of Benjamin and Mary (Boutelle) Snow. He attended the public schools of his native city, and then entered Williams College, from which as valedictorian of his class he was graduated in 1862. He received the degrees B. A. and M. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ames, Frank M.

Ames, Frank M., son of Oakes and Eveline (Gilmore) Ames, was born in North Easton, Bristol County, August 14, 1833. He was educated at Leicester and Andover academies. Upon leaving school he entered into the employ of the well-known firm of Oliver Ames & Sons, where he remained several years, and became practically acquainted not only with the mechanical part of manufacturing shovels, but also with the details of an extensive business. In 1858 he removed to Canton to take control of the business of the Kinsley Iron & Machine Company. At the present time he is one of the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Andrew Leonard, Rt. Rev. D. D.

Leonard, William Andrew, Rt. Rev. D. D.; Bishop of Ohio; born, Southport, Connecticut, July 15, 1848; educated, Philips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, St. Stephen’s College, Annadale, N. Y., and Berkley Divinity School, Middletown, Conn.; ordained May 31, 1871, degrees of D. D. from St. Stephen’s College, and Washington and Lee University, Virginia; Rector the Church of the Redeemer, Brooklyn, N. Y., 1872-1880; St. John’s Parish, Washington, D. C., 1880-1889; consecrated Bishop of Ohio, Oct. 12, 1889; in charge of the American Episcopal churches on the continent of Europe, 1897-1906; one of the founders of the University Club; Chaplain Ohio Society of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Gardner Abbott

Abbott, Gardner; attorney; born, Cincinnati, O., Dec. 11, 1878; son of Willard and Caroline Powers Younglove Abbott; educated Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass.; Yale University, A. B.; Columbia Law School, LL. B.; married, Cleveland, Oct. 16, 1912, Lois A. Allen; member Cleveland Board of Health, 1912; Troop A, 1st Sergt.; entered the office of Blandin, Rice and Ginn, 1905; started business for himself in 1909; vice pres. Bates Valve Bag Co.; pres. Abbott Realty Co.; sec’y Babies’ Dispensary and Hospital and Cleveland Music School Settlement; member Andover P. A. E.; Alpha Delta Phi; Wolf’s Head; Columbia Phi Delta Phi; director Union … Read more

Holt Genealogy of Blue Hill, Maine

Jedediah Holt was the son of Nicholas Holt, who came from Andover, Mass., to Blue Hill in 1765. Jedediah was born at Andover, March 12, 1754. He married Sarah Thorndike, Feb. 24, 1778. She died Jan. 15, 1836. They had six children as follows: Jedediah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Samuel, Stephen and Sally.

Biography of Hon. Isaac Ingalls Stevens

HON. ISAAC INGALLS STEVENS. – Governor Stevens was born at Andover, Massachusetts, March 18, 1818. He graduated from West Point in the class of 1839, of which he stood at the head, and immediately thereafter was commissioned second lieutenant of engineers. In 1840 he was promoted to a first lieutenancy. In the war with Mexico (1846-1848) he served on the staff of General Scott and for gallant and meritorious services at Contreras, Churubusco and Chapultepec earned the brevet rank of major. He was severely wounded in the capture of the City of Mexico from the effect of which he suffered … Read more

Archer Family of Fall River, MA

ARCHER (Fall River family). Through much of the nineteenth century the name opening this article was a most highly esteemed and respected one at Fall River, made so by the lives of the late Jason H. Archer, M. D., of the medical profession, and his son, the late John Jason Archer, Esq., for years one of the learned members of the Fall River bar. The home at least for a time of this Fall River Archer family was in the nearby town of Wrentham, in Norfolk county, where lived Amos Archer, father of Dr. Jason H. Archer and grandfather of … Read more

Early Records and Notes of the Brown Family

This is not a compiled genealogy, but rather, a compilation of notes, facts, and genealogies concerning the various early Brown families of the towns of Andover, Ipswich, Hamilton, Reading, Boston-Tewksbury, Cambridge, Charlestown, Chelmsford, Gloucester, Hampton NH, Haverhill, Salem, Watertown, Rowley, Sudbury, and Salisbury. Charlotte Helen Abbott compiled a series of volumes on early families of New England called the “Abbott Genealogies.” This is volume 7 of the series.

Ancestors of John Richardson Bronson of Attleboro, MA

JOHN RICHARDSON BRONSON, M. D., who for over half a century was one of the best known practitioners of medicine in southern Massachusetts and part of Rhode Island, and who for upward of fifty years was a resident of Attleboro, was a native of Connecticut, born in the town of Middlebury, New Haven county, June 5, 1829, son of Garry and Maria (Richardson) Bronson.

The Bronson family was early planted in the New World. John Bronson (early of record as Brownson and Brunson) was early at Hartford. He is believed, though not certainly known, to have been one of the company who came in 1636 with Mr. Hooker, of whose church he was a member. He was a soldier in the Pequot battle of 1637. He is not named among the proprietors of Hartford in the land division of 1639; but is mentioned in the same year in the list of settlers, who by the “towne’s courtesie” had liberty “to fetch woods and keepe swine or cowes on the common.” His house lot was in the “soldiers’ field,” so called, in the north part of the old village of Hartford, on the “Neck Road” (supposed to have been given for service in the Pequot war), where he lived in 1640. He moved, about 1641 to Tunxis (Farmington) He was deputy from Farmington in May, 1651, and at several subsequent sessions, and the “constable of Farmington” in 1652. He was one of the seven pillars at the organization of the Farmington Church in 1652. His name is on the list of freemen of Farmington in 1669. He died Nov. 28, 1680.

Biographical Sketch of Julius French Janes

Janes, Julius French; pres. and gen’l mgr. Standard Steel Castings Co.; born, Erie, Pa., Sept. 24, 1877; son of Herman and Julia (Williams) Janes; educated, Brooks Military Academy, University School, Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, Mass.; graduated from Yale in 1902; married, Nov. 11, 1904, Ruth Hawkins; issue, one son, Julius French; in sales dept. the Bourne-Fuller Co., three years; salesman with Morgan Lithograph Co.; appointed to joint management of sales dept. and treasurer in 1908; established Standard Steel Castings Co., 1912; member Calvary Presbyterian Church, Hermit and Euclid Clubs. Recreations: Golf, Tennis, Fishing and Motoring.

Donald, James Cleveland – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon James Cleveland Donald, 75, of Acton, Mass., a former Baker City resident, died April 11, 2004. He was a third-generation citizen of Baker County. His father, James Donald, was a member of the Baker City law firm, Nichols, Hallock, Donald, Banta, which is now Silven, Schmeits and Vaughan. James attended Baker schools until he was 16 when he transferred to Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass. He kept close to his classmates at Baker High School and attended every reunion of the Class of 1946. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service during his college vacations. He was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles L. Murfey

Murfey, Charles L.; banker; born, Cleveland, Aug. 18, 1850; son of Gardner B. and Julia Latham Murfey; educated, Cleveland and Andover, Mass.; married, Cleveland, Oct. 13, 1886, Florence Spencer; two unmarried sons, Spencer L. and Clarence A.; member Cleveland Grays, 1869, three years; in 1868, began business with the old Merchant’s National Bank; then with the Mercantile National Bank, its successor; afterwards with the present National Commercial Bank; at this time, vice pres., mgr.; trustee, estate of John Huntington; director Cleveland & Mahoning Valley R. R.; trustee the John Huntington Benevolent Trust; member Masonic Order, Al Koran Temple, Nobles of … Read more

Biography of George Warren Barnes

George Warren Barnes, who is at the head of the Barnes Oil Company, oil producers of Muskogee, has been continuously engaged in that line of business since 1901, with the exception of the period of the World war, which he devoted to work as state director of National War Savings on a government salary of one dollar a year. His birth occurred at Honesdale, Pennsylvania, on the 29th of October, 1880, his parents being George W. and Alice (Young) Barnes. John D. Benedict of Muskogee has written the following most interesting history of the life of George W. Barnes, the … Read more

Ancestry of Alfred Pierce of Attleboro Massachusetts

Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts

Alfred Pierce is a native of Bristol county, Mass., born in the old historic town of Rehoboth Jan. 1, 1822, son of Jeremiah and Candice (Wheeler) Pierce. This branch of the Pierce family in America is one of long standing and among the first settlers of New England. The name has been variously spelled, but the change to Pierce has been made in the last three-quarters of a century. In the Old World the members of this family have been quite prominent, and the name can be traced through a loner and distinguished line back to the days of the Norman Conquest.

Abbot Family of New England

A genealogical dictionary of the first settlers of New England vol 1

Arthur Abbot, Marblehead Perhaps removed to Ipswich, joined Winthrop 1634, in the settlement of that town, was living in 1671, and probably died before 1679. We know of issue, only Philip, whose descendants have tradition that he came from Totness in County Devon, where he left good estate of which for several years after migration the income was enjoyed by him. Arthur Abbot, Ipswich Perhaps son of the preceding in 1671 made freeman then called Jr. and, in 1674, 35 years old; by wife Elizabeth who died 17 Feb. 1738, aged 90, had Elizabeth born 6 June 1686, and probably … Read more

Biography of Marvin Whitman Ray

MARVIN WHITMAN RAY, a member of the Durkee & Ray Corporation, of which he was one of the founders and is also the treasurer, holds a prominent position in the mercantile life of his community. He is also actively interested in all movements for the progress and general welfare of the section, and his service in civic, fraternal and other organizations has earned for him the esteem of all who come in touch with him. He is a member of an old American family, being the representative in the sixth generation in direct lineal descent of the original pioneer who … Read more

Free Massachusetts Vital Records

Vital Records of Bellingham Massachusetts to 1850

This is a collection of free vital records books, otherwise known as “Tan Books” for Massachusetts towns. Generally, these records go up to 1849/1850 at which, the genealogist can use the census records to assist in identifying the family connections further. Included with this article is an account of why and how these manuscripts were published along with links to all 198 books which can be freely read or downloaded.

Parker Genealogy of Bluehill, Maine

Peter Parker, Sr., came from Andover, Mass., to Blue Hill Maine in 1765. He was a brother of Col. Nathan and Robert Parker, and was born at Andover Jan. 8, 1741; married Phebe Marble June 5, 1766. She was born July 29, 1744; died Oct. 1, 1805. He died October 24, 1822, aged eighty-one years, ten months and twenty-three days. Their children were as follows: Phebe, Serena, Peter, Hannah, Susannah, Marble, Mary, Isaac and Joanna.