Hampshire County MA

Biography of Arthur Berkmere Richards

ARTHUR BERKMERE RICHARDS, inheritor of a vast meat trade, and in later years a dairy farmer at Amherst, Massachusetts, was born in Cummington, Connecticut, May 23, 1864. The name he bears is one of the names of Welsh origin widely known and prominent in the United States, which originated in making a surname from the possessive form of the father’s name. It signifies Richard’s son. At least seventeen different coats-of-arms belong to the different branches of the family. A manor at Caernwyck, Marioneth County, Wales, was inherited by Sir Richard Richards, president of the House of Lords, and Lord Chief … Read more

Biography of Charles L. Gardner

The family from which Charles L. Gardner came is one of very old New England ancestry, as his first forebear in this country was an early settler in Massachusetts, known as John Gardner, of Hingham, who settled and died in that town November 24, 1668. More than ten generations of Gardners have made New England their home, the family, of course, originating in England. Charles L. Gardner, noted as lawyer and legislator, aided in making the name illustrious. John Gardner, of Hingham, and his wife, Mary, were the parents of the second John Gardner (a), who was baptized July 18, … Read more

Biography of Harry Joseph Jeffway

Few men engaged in the electrical construction and contracting business in this part of the State have been trained in so practical and, indeed, in so high grade a school of experience in electrical work as Harry Joseph Jeffway, who not only has an established repute for unrivalled excellence in his Easthampton business, but who throughout the World War was on duty at submarine bases of the greatest responsibility as an electrician, afterwards also continuing in related lines for the United States Government in the shipyards. Mr. Jeffway is an expert in all matters electrical; he has built up an … Read more

Iru Studley Todd of Northampton MA

Iru Studley Todd7, (Justus6, Asa5, Gershom4, Gershom3, Michael2, Christopher1) born Oct. 23, 1809, died Feb. 4, 1882, at his home in Roberts Meadow, Northampton, Mass., of pneumonia, married March 24, 1836, Julianna, daughter of John and Rosina (Knapp) Root, who was born Sept. 20, 1814, died April 6, 1893. She was a descendant of Thomas Root, who was one of the first settlers of Northampton, Mass., and was one of the “pillars” of the church when it was first organized in that town. He passed his childhood days in West Chesterfield, Mass., where he was born. When he was about … Read more

Juliette Todd Rhood of Northampton MA

RHOOD, Juliette Todd8, (Iru S.7, Justus6, Asa5, Gershom4, Gershom3, Michael2, Christopher1) born June 20, 1836, in Northampton, Mass., married April 7, 1857, Henry G., son of Frederick and Ann (Pease) Rhood, who was born May 2, 1839. He has been a farmer all his life and only gave up the management of the farm in the Autumn of 1918, when he sold his place in Roberts Meadow, Northampton, Mass., and both went to live in a part of the house owned by their daughter, Mrs. Loomis. Children: I. William Dwight, b. March 3, 1858, m. first, Carrie Demick, who died, … Read more

Biography of Henry Hill Couillard

HENRY HILL COUILLARD – A life of most stirring adventure was that of Mr. Couillard, remarkable, too, in that his experiences shared in succession with events of the Mexican War, the African slave trade, and with gold mining in California, eventually led to his later activities in the ownership of many hotels, and to his cattle raising and general farming business. In wanderings that were almost limitless at a time when sea rovers went upon desperate voyages, and when impressment in sordid and piratical servitude were not uncommon, Mr. Couillard throughout the early part of his career participated in a … Read more

Biography of Alexander Montgomery

ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY – Unique among the business institutions of Hadley, Massachusetts, is the Montgomery Company Incorporated, rose growers, the firm consisting of Alexander Montgomery, president, and his two sons, Alexander William Montgomery, general manager, and Robert James Montgomery, treasurer. Each of these three men has a long record of experience behind him, and the concern, which has been deservedly successful, holds a place of high honor in the trade and has frequently been represented on the officers’ lists of florists’ organizations. The Montgomerys are descendants of an old Scotch family with a tradition of farming and gardening that goes back … Read more

Biography of Edward Franklin Warner

Edward Franklin Warner (1844-1911), a prominent dealer in farm implements and caretaker of a 300-acre ancestral farm in Cummington, Massachusetts, was born and died on the family homestead. He was the son of Franklin John Marvin and Vesta Wales (Reed) Warner. The Warner family, with roots in England, has had numerous distinguished members in both England and America. Edward, who was active in town affairs, married Ellen Lovell in 1869, and they had one daughter, Ethel Susie Warner, who was also deeply involved in community and church activities.

John Wright Genealogy

John Wright m. Mary and res. Dunstable. Benjamin2 Wright, son of John1, b. at Dunstable, d. Milford, N. H., res. at Mile Slip (afterwards Milford); m. Betsey Adams of Dunstable (now Nashua). Of their eleven children eight were b. in Mile Slip, and the last three in Milford: Benjamin, b. May 20, 1775; d. Sept. 19, 1777. Benjamin; Betsey; Ira; Joel, 1, b. Jan. 26, 1784; Oliver; Sally; Mary; Lydia; Nehemiah and Gratia. Joel3 Wright, son of Benjamin2, was the fifth minister and third settled pastor of the First Cong. Church of S. See page 409. According to the Milford, … Read more

John Root Todd of Northampton MA

John Root Todd8, (Iru S.7, Justus6, Asa5, Gershom4, Gershom3, Michael2, Christopher1) born Oct. 3, 1847, in Northampton, Mass., at the old homestead where he also died Aug. 30, 1891, married Oct. 17, 1871, Agnes Mary, daughter of George and Jane Eliza (Norton) Hammond, who was born Feb. 19, 1848, and in 1919, is living with her youngest daughter. He was born, lived all his life and died at the old homestead in Roberts Meadow, Northampton, Mass. The farm was bequeathed him by his father in 1882, on which he lived an honest and quiet farmers life. He was elected to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. G. Judson

E. G. Judson. About 1881-’82 Judson & Brown secured 1,500 acres of land on the sloping hillsides south of the Mill Creek zanja, surveyed and platted the same into five, ten and twenty-acre lots, with wide avenues traversing the whole plat. This enterprise was regarded as an experiment from the fact that the red soil of the slope had never been tested as to its adaptability to horticultural pursuits. With plenty of water and good cultivation the doubt as to the value of the land was soon removed and the success of the colony enterprise was assured. Thus encouraged the … Read more

Biography of Frank Andrew Brandle

FRANK ANDREW BRANDLE – Northampton is favored in its pharmaceutical interests with Mr. Brandle’s long association in the drug store business here, both during the period while he was in others’ employ, and particularly since he established his own pharmacy in 1901, the thorough reliability and excellence of his methods receiving general acknowledgement. Mr. Brandle’s training and study have been continuous since he entered upon his chosen business career; and as a result his pharmacy is second to no other in this part of the State. He is the son of Jacob Brandle who was born in 1836, in Germany, … Read more

Aurelia Frances Todd Cudworth of Worthington MA

CUDWORTH, Aurelia Frances Todd7, (Lyman6, Asa5, Gershom4, Gershom3, Michael2, Christopher1) born June 6, 1825, died Aug. 27, 1918, married, Feb. 3, 1847, Joseph, son of Charles and Susannah (Keith) Cudworth, who was born July 14, 1833, in Chesterfield, Mass., died Aug. 16, 1901, at his home in Worthington, Mass. In early life he was a mechanic but later when his health began to fail him he bought a farm in Worthington, Mass., and spent his remaining years there. Children: I. Mary, b. April 16, 1848, m. April 24, 1870, Alvin M., son of Ezekiel and Mary (Moore) Locke, who was … Read more

Biography of Frederick Bridgman Shaw

FREDERICK BRIDGMAN SHAW, farmer, of South Amherst, Massachusetts, was born April 16, 1876. The family to which he belongs is one of the oldest and most noted in New England. (I) The immigrant ancestor was Abraham Shaw, who came from Yorkshire, England, in 1636. He was admitted as a freeman, March 9, 1636-37, and at the time was a proprietor of Watertown. When his house there was burned down in October, 1636, he moved to Dedham. He signed the famous compact, and was elected, September 6, 1638, a constable of Dedham. Abraham Shaw moved to Cambridge, where he became a … Read more

Biography of Charles Jerome King

CHARLES JEROME KING, postmaster at South Amherst, Massachusetts, and leading merchant in the town, was born at Wynantskill, a village near Troy, New York, February 14, 1875. The family has made its home in the vicinity of Suffield, Connecticut, for successive generations since the first immigrant ancestor set foot in America, and the fact that the father of Charles Jerome King was born in Suffield seems to establish his descent from the first Kings to live in the United States. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, students incline to think it was derived from the practice of holding … Read more

Biography of Edward Thomas O’Neil

EDWARD THOMAS O’NEIL-Following in the steps of his father and grandfather, Edward Thomas O’Neil, of Williamsburg, Massachusetts, is well known throughout the vicinity as a skillful and prosperous farmer. He has always lived and worked on the old O’Neil homestead, which he manages in an up-to-date manner, specializing in dairying and orcharding. The O’Neil family is of Irish extraction. (I) Michael O’Neil, the grandfather of Edward Thomas O’Neil, was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 18×5, and died in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, June 16, 1872 He came to America about 1840, and for a number of years lived in New York State; … Read more

Biography of Charles William Greene

The trust imposed upon him from several generations of his forefathers finds Charles William Greene the faithful custodian of old Hadley properties, the farmstead long ago established by agriculturists of a staunch old school and maintained by their sons’ sons with an undiminished ardor for their calling. A practical farmer, Mr. Greene continues in its upkeep and further development within the old bounds and with the means and methods of the present day. Of striking interest in itself is the recounting of the generations of the men and women who have borne his name, who have cast their lot in … Read more

Biography of George Herbert Burnham

GEORGE HERBERT BURNHAM – Walter Le Veutre came to England at the time of the Conquest, in 1066, in the train of his cousin-german, Earl Warren, sonin-law of William the Conqueror. He was lord of the Saxon village of Burnham and others, and from Burnham, where he lived, he was known as De Bumham. He took his surname from this town. The name is often spelled Burnam, Bernam, and Barnham, as well as Burnham, and in the old Anglo-Saxon, Beornham, Byrnhom, and in other forms. In the old Norse the name is Bjorn, which in Anglo-Saxon is Beorn, and Burn … Read more

Biography of Prof. Horace Lyman

PROF. HORACE LYMAN, – Few among those who came as missionaries to our state have held a more honored position, or have accomplished more genuine good, than professor Lyman. He was a new Englander of an old family, whose first American members crossed the ocean from England to Connecticut as early as 1639.His parents were plain farmer folks living at East Hampton, Massachusetts and in that town he was born in 1815. Of his five brothers, two went to college and prepared for the ministry. As a boy and young man, he was ever thoughtful and extra-ordinarily energetic, with a … Read more

Biography of Frank Lyman Gold

FRANK LYMAN GOLD-A man of wide and varied activities, each of which he has carried on successfully after he had gained full knowledge of the field of business into which he was entering, the story of Frank Lyman Gold is full of interest. (I) He belongs to a notable old New England family, whose founder was Joseph Gold, born in London, England, who came to America when he was nineteen years old. According to family records, he served for seven years in the Revolutionary War, lived for a time in Northbury, Connecticut, and died in Roxbury, Vermont, in 1829. He … Read more