Biography of Hon. Isaac Darwin Merrill

Hon. Isaac Darwin Merrill, a well-known public man of Contoocook, is a son of Isaac and Mary (Wyman) Merrill, born October 1, 1814, in Hopkinton village, N.H. The father, a native of Hollis, Hillsborough County, born June 15, 1784, was a cooper by trade, and worked in Boston, Portland, and Troy, N.Y. When Isaac D. was about a year old, the family moved from Hopkinton to Hillsborough Bridge, where his father was employed at his trade. Later, more than sixty years ago, he settled in Contoocook, built the house where the subject of this sketch now resides, worked at his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Christopher Avery

Christopher Avery, the founder of this family, was born in England, about 1590, and died in New London, Connecticut, March 12, 1679. There are several traditions as to his place of origin, one that he came from an old Cornish family, another that he was a native of Salisbury, county Wilts. According to one statement, he accompanied Governor Winthrop to Boston, on the “Arbella” in 1630, and a second account says he emigrated with the younger Winthrop, in 1631 and on the voyage formed a close friendship with the latter, which eventually led to his settling in Connecticut. Whether, as … Read more

John Balt’s Marriage Book, 1668-1697

John Balt’s Book Dublin, Dec. 29, 1668 on the opposite page The Church Book Containing Various Matters, Etc.; An account of all ye Marriages solemnized in New. E the first of which was on the 10th of August 1686. John Bailey minister of the First church Boston 1683/97. Page 1. Upon ye 24th of May 1687 I maryed near ye Mill bridge in Bofton Edward Taylor Juniour (his ffather lodged at Mr W. Gibbins) & Rebekah Humphreys (who came lately from Antigo, but her Mother fully confenting her father witnefsing it), be’g Licensed. Page 2. Upon ye 25th of May … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Crispus Attucks

Attucks, Crispus, An Indian-negro half-blood of Framingham, Mass., near Boston, noted as the leader and first person slain in the Boston massacre of Mar. 5, 1770, the first hostile encounter between the Americans and the British troops, and therefore regarded by historians as the opening fight of the great Revolutionary struggle. In consequence of the resistance of the people of Boston to the enforcement of the recent tax laws a detachment of British troops had been stationed in the town, to the great irritation of the citizens. On Mar. 5 this feeling culminated in an attack on the troops in … Read more

Boston MA Intentions of Marriage 1794

Marriage Intention

Elisha P. Varfield & Susannah Ash Jan. 9, 1794 Isaac Pillsberry & Betsy Lee Jan. 21, 1794 Abel Minot & Lydia Shed Feb. 4, 1794 William Whitney & Abigail Rogers Feb. 9, 1794 Jenkinson James & Elizabeth Brown Feb. 11, 1794 Elisha Austin & Rebecah Uncles Feb. 15, 1794 Jonathan Moor & Nancy Nichols, blacks Feb. 28, 1794 Moses Tyler Lewis & Rebecca Lovering (forbid) Feb. 28, 1794 John McFaddin & Jerusha Colter Seward Mar. 2, 1794 Samuel Morse & Sally Dix of Newtown Mar. 8, 1794 Charles Wicket & Nancy Ettrage Mar. 12, 1794 Anthony Smith & Mary Anderson … Read more

Descendants of Charles Keith of Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Rev. James Keith

For the ancestry of Charles Keith, please see Descendants of Rev. James Keith of Bridgewater, Massachusetts (VI) Charles Keith, son of Benjamin, was born Aug. 8, 1794, and married Dec. 8, 1817, Mehitable Perkins, born March 23, 1795, daughter of Josiah and Anna (Reynolds) Perkins, of North Bridgewater, both of whom were descendants of historic old New England families. To this union were born children as follows: Damaris Williams Keith, born Oct. 8, 1818, married Vinal Lyon, of North Bridgewater, where she died Charles Perkins Keith, born June 20, 1820, is mentioned below Anna Reynolds Keith, born Nov. 11, 1822, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Wilson Hollyday

Hollyday, John Wilson; supt. Railway Mail Service; born, Findlay, O.; son of Robert H. Hollyday, D. D.; his mother’s name was Lydia A. Patterson; educated, High School, Findlay, O., and Business College, Cleveland; married, Washington, D. C., Sept. 29, 1886, Mary Elizabeth Larner; issue, one daughter, Eleanor; early life spent in mercantile pursuits; appointed to railway mail service, March 4, 1878; transferred to office Gen. Supt. Washington, D. C., 1885; made chief clerk to Gen. Supt., Aug. 1897; made chief clerk to Second Asst. Post Master General, February, 1907; made supt. Railway Mail Service, Cleveland, Oct. 13, 1911; assumed duties … Read more

Descendants of Joseph Borden of Fall River MA

Richard Borden

BORDEN (Fall River family – line of Joseph, fourth generation). The Borden family is an ancient one both here in New England and over the water in old England, as well as one of historic interest and distinction. The New England branch has directly or indirectly traced the lineage of the American ancestor, Richard Borden, many generations back in English history. His first English forbear went over to England from Bourdonnay, Normandy, as a soldier under William the Conquerer, and after the battle of Hastings  – in A. D. 1066 – was assigned lands in the County of Kent, where … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Eugene Fuller

Of EUGENE FULLER, the second child of Timothy Fuller and Margaret Crane, the following notice taken from the annual obituary college record, by Joseph Palmer, M.D., published by the “Boston Daily Advertiser,” gives some account: – “Eugene Fuller, the eldest son of Hon. Timothy and Margaret (Crane) Fuller, was born in Cambridge, Mass., May 14, 1815. After leaving college in 1834, he studied law, partly at the Dane Law School in Cambridge, and partly in the office of George Frederick Farley, Esq., of Groton, Mass. After his admission to the bar, he practiced his profession two years in Charlestown, Mass. … Read more

Allen Genealogy – Leicester MA

ALLEN, AARON, m. Catherine Cummings, July 10, 1739; and had Elizabeth, b. Oct. 4, 1739. ALLEN, JOSEPH, Hon., removed here from Boston, Nov. 17, 1771; m. Anne, dau. of Judge Steele, and had Thomas, b. Nov. 16, 1774; d. March 30, 1775. Mrs. Allen d. May 10, 1775, aged twenty-four. In 1776, Mr. Allen was appointed Clerk of the Courts of the County, and removed to Worcester. He is noticed in this work. He held many offices of honor and trust, — Councillor, Member of Congress, Presidential Elector, &c.; and d. Sept. 2, 1827, aged seventy-eight. ALLEN, LEWIS, m. Mary … Read more

Boston MA Intentions of Marriage 1784

Marriage Intention

James Glover & Sarah Louis Jan. 4, 1784 Jonathan Adams & Sally Cooper (forbid) Jan. 5, 1784 William Pain & Mary Low Jan. 14, 1784 Armitage Gerrish & Nancy Milward Jan. 15, 1784 Israel Reed & Mercy Davis Feb. 3, 1784 Cesar Johonnot & Ruth Grandison, free Negroes Feb. 10, 1784 Solomon Dose & Elizabeth Litchfield (forbid) Feb. 25, 1784 William Bradford & Elizabeth Litchfield Feb. 28, 1784 Charles Baujean & Lucy Snow Mar. 4, 1784 Joseph Lyon & Nancy Rand Mar. 8, 1784 John Miller & Esther Baker Mar. 10, 1784 Benjamin Reynolds of Providence & Betsy Bradford Mar. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Rev. Bradford Leavitt

Rev. Leavitt is a minister of the Gospel; he is indeed more than this, for he is the pioneer in a new vocation in which his qualifications as a minister fit him for the perfect administration of his self imposed combined duties of clergyman and funeral director. When Rev. Leavitt entered this new field comparatively recently, opinion was divided as to the wisdom of his decision. Today the many hundreds whom he has served in this double and truly Christian role will testify that he was most certainly right in his decision; as he has proved that he could with … Read more

Biography of Benjamin Lyman Culver

Benjamin Lyman Culver, late a retired resident of Pembroke, Merrimack County, N.H., who died December 6, 1896, was born in Norwich, Vt., August 10, 1830, son of the Rev. Lyman and Fanny (Hovey) Culver. The Culver family is of French origin, and is said to have been founded in America by Benjamin L. Culver’s great-grandfather, John Culver, who, it is thought, emigrated from Paris, France. He settled in Connecticut, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits for the rest of his life. His son, James Culver, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Connecticut; and in early life … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David Chaffee

David Chaffee, from Athens, Vt., came to Belvidere among the early settlers, but, after a few years residence here, he removed to Boston, Mass. Alva, the second of his nine children, born in 1796, remained in the town, continuing a resident until his death, in 1868. He reared a family of nine children, and took an active part in town affairs. One of his sons, Alva J., who now resides on road to, represented the town in 1864, and has filled other offices of trust. Nason, another son, represented the town of Waterville in 1870, and held the office of … Read more

Boston MA Intentions of Marriage 1776

Marriage Intention

Joseph How Jr. & Sarah Davis Jan. 16, 1776 Charles Grant & Francies Dumpey Feb. 23, 1776 Mr. Nathaniel Pierce & Mrs. Polly Fisk of Watertown Apr. 24, 1776 Mr. Joshua Witherly & Mrs. Rebecca How May 10, 1776 Mr. Richard Langley & Mrs. Lucy Williston May 10, 1776 Mr. Thomas Taft & Mrs. Rebecca Walton May 16, 1776 John Crosby & Elizabeth Stevens May 19, 1776 Theopholiss Cornish & Sarah Williams May 19, 1776 Jonathan Simonds & Polly Edwards of Sandwich May 22, 1776 Rev. John Sargent of Stockbridge & Miss Alary Codner May 25, 1776 Thomas Polley & … Read more

Charles Irving Todd of Boston MA

Charles Irving Todd9, (Charles S.8, Eliel S.7, Samuel6, Eliel5, Samuel4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born April 9, 1880, in Boston, Mass., married April 11, 1906, Louise Elizabeth Rooney. He was a traveling salesman for wholesale leather concern in Boston, Mass. Children: 2672. Charles Frederick, b. July 30, 1907. 2673. Muriel Louise, b. March 4, 1909. 2674. Everett Sanford, b. Sept. 18, 1911. 2675. Marion Barbara, b. Jan. 30, 1913. 2676. Ruth Mary, b. April 18, 1917.

Biography of John Shackford Kimball

John Shackford Kimball was an enterprising lawyer of Boston and a business man of Burlington, Ia. A son of David and Abigail (Perkins) Kimball, Pembroke, N.H., April 28, 1812. His descent from Michael Kimball, who married Bettie Runnells, came through David Kimball of the second generation and David Kimball of the third, who married Abigail Perkins. The fifth generation is now represented by John Stevens Kimball. Mr. Kimball’s parents died at Pembroke when he was thirteen years old, leaving nine children-Betsey, Asa, Perkins, John Shackford, Abigail, Sarah Towle (widow of Timothy Colby, of Concord ), Joseph, Mary Lewis (widow of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Bernard McGee

McGee, John Bernard; physician; born, Boston, July 3, 1853; son of Peter and Mary A. (Donnelly) McGee; graduate public schools, Boston; M. D., Western Reserve University, 1878; married Mary Lavina Rogers, of Cleveland, October 1884 (died May, 1885); 2nd, Elizabeth Dieter, of Cleveland, Sept. 17, 1892; formerly prof. therapeutics, and sec’y Cleveland College of Physicians and Surgeons; now associate prof. therapeutics, Western Reserve University; member A. A. A. S., American Anthrop. Ass’n, A. M. A., Ohio State Medical Society, Cleveland Academy of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch of Aldrich, Samuel Nelson

Aldrich, Samuel Nelson, son of Sylvanus Bucklin and Lucy Jane (Stoddard) Aldrich, was born in Upton, Worcester County, February 3, 1838. His education was conducted at the Worcester and Southington, Conn., academies, and at Brown University, Providence, R. I. Subsequently he taught schools at Upton, Holliston and Worcester, Mass. He entered upon the study of law with Hon. Isaac Davis and E. B. Stoddard, at Worcester, and completed the same at the Harvard law school. In 1863 Mr. Aldrich was admitted to the bar, and then commenced practice at Marlborough. Since 1874 he has kept an office in Boston, though … Read more

Missionaries among the Native Americans

According to traditional authority, the morning star of the Choctaws religious era, (if such it may be termed) first lit up their eastern horizon, upon the advent of the two great Wesley’s into the now State of Georgia in the year 1733, as the worthy and congenial companions of the noble Oglethorpe; but also, it flashed but a moment before their eyes as a beautiful meteor, then as quickly went out upon the return to England of those champions of the Cross, leaving them only to fruitless conjecture as to its import; nor was seen again during the revolutions of … Read more