History of Boxford, (Essex County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

Ira Perley, jurist, was born in Boxford, Mass., Nov. 9, 1799; son of Samuel and Phebe (Dresser) Perley; grandson of Maj. Asa and Susanna (Low) Perley, and a descendant of Allen Perley, a native of Wales, who immigrated to New England, settled first at Charlestown in 1630, and in Ipswich in 1635 and was married in 1635 to Mrs. Susanna Bokeson. Ira Perley was prepared for college in Bradford academy, graduated at Dartmouth college A.B., 1822, A.M., 1825, and was a tutor there, 1823-25. He studied law under Benjamin J. Gilbert of Hanover, N.H., and Daniel M. Christie of Dover, was admitted to the bar in 1827, and settled in practice in Hanover, N.H. He was treasurer of Dartmouth college, 1830-35; represented Hanover in the state legislature in 1834, removed to Concord in 1836, and served as a representative in the state legislature in 1839 and in 1870. He was an associate judge of the superior court of New Hampshire, 1850-52; chief justice of the superior court, 1855-59 and 1864-69, and in 1869 resumed practice as a consulting lawyer. He received the honorary degree LL.D. from Dartmouth in 1852. He was married in June, 1840, to Mary S., daughter of John Nelson of Haverhill, Mass. He is the author of: A Charge to the Grand Jury; A Eulogy on Daniel Webster, and An Address at the Dartmouth Centennial. He died at Concord, N.H., Feb. 26, 1874.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

George W. Atherton, educator, was born in Boxford, Essex county, Mass., June 20, 1837, and descended from Humphrey Atherton of the Massachusetts colony. He was educated at Phillips Exeter academy, and in 1860 entered Yale college, from which he was graduated in 1863. He served in the civil war, being a 1st lieutenant in the 10th Connecticut volunteers, which formed a part of the Burnside expedition against North Carolina. After the battle of Newbern he was promoted to a captaincy, and took part in the movement from Hilton Head, S.C., against Charleston. He was repeatedly detailed as judge-advocate of regimental and brigade court-martial. In 1863 the impairment of his health led him to resign. He was professor in the Boys' Academy, Albany, 1864-'67; at St. John's College, Annapolis, Md., 1867-'68; at the Illinois state university in 1868, and at Rutgers college, where he held the chair of history, political economy and constitutional law, 1868-'82. He was a member of the board of visitors to the U.S. naval academy in 1873 and 1891; of the commission to investigate charges of fraud at the Red Cloud Indian agency in 1875, and chairman of a commission to prepare a revision of the system of taxation in New Jersey in 1878. He was admitted to the bar in 1878, and practised as a consulting attorney; became president of the Pennsylvania state college in 1882 and received the degree LL.D. from Franklin and Marshall college in 1883. He was the first president of the American Association of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, and was chairman of a commission in 1887 to report the practicability of introducing manual training into the public schools of Pennsylvania.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Samuel Hopkins Emery, historian, was born in Boxford, Mass., Aug. 22, 1815; son of Joshua and Elizabeth (Welch) Emery; grandson of Col. Joseph Welch of Plaistow, N.H., a commander of New Hampshire troops during the Revolution; and a descendant of John Emery of Newbury, Mass., who came with his brother Anthony from Romsey, England, in 1635. Samuel's father, Joshua, was steward of Andover theological seminary, 1824-49. Samuel was prepared for college at Phillips Andover academy and was graduated from Amherst with honors in 1834. He declined a professorship in the State institution for deaf mutes, New York city, and entered Andover theological seminary where he was graduated in 1837. He was pastor of the newly formed Congregational church at Taunton, Mass., 1837-40; pastor at Bedford, Mass., 1840-46; again pastor at Taunton, 1846-55; at Quincy, Ill., 1855-69, meanwhile acting as registrar of the State association of churches for ten years and during the civil war serving as hospital chaplain in six hospitals in Quincy; pastor at Providence, R.I., 1869-71; North Bridgeport, Conn., 1871-74; and North Middleborough, Mass., 1874-76. In October. 1876, he became superintendent of the Union city mission of Taunton, afterward known as the Associated Charities of Taunton. He was a representative in the state legislature, 189091; chaplain of the G.A.R.; a member of the Old Colony commission to select and mark historic places, and pastor emeritus of the Winslow church, Taunton, of which he had been twice pastor. He was married, March 7, 1838, to Julia, daughter of Deacon William Reed of Taunton, and had four sons, of whom Samuel Hopkins, Jr., became a lawyer in Boston and a lecturer in the Concord school of philosophy, and subsequently a business man in Quincy, Ill. Francis Wolcott Reed served in the Union army during the civil war, afterward engaged in agriculture in Dakota, later became a resident of Taunton, Mass., and was the inventor of the Emery process for preserving old records; and Joseph Welch became a member of the firm of Channon & Emery, stove manufacturers, Quincy, Ill. Mr. Emery was a charter member, first vice-president and for many years president of the Old Colony historical society, a corresponding member of the Chicago, and other historical societies, and a resident member of the New England historic, genealogical society. Amherst college gave him the degree of D.D. in l891. He is the author of: History of the Ministry of Taun-ton (2 vols., 1853); History of the Congregational Church of North Middleborough (1875); and History of Taunton (1893). He died in Taunton, Mass., April 3, 1901.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor