History of Palmer, (Hampden County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

Thomas Butler King, representative, was born at Palmer, Mass., Aug. 27, 1800; son of Daniel and Hannah (Lord) King; and a descendant of John King, who came from Edwardstone, Suffolk county, England, in 1715, and was the first settler of Kingston, afterward known as Palmer, Mass.; and of Richard Lord of New London, Conn. His father was a captain in the Revolutionary war and removed to Pennsylvania with his family after the war, and died in 1816. Thomas then returned to Massachusetts and lived with his uncle, Gen. Zebulon Butler. He was educated at Westfield academy, studied law with Judge Garrick Mallery of Philadelphia, Pa., and in 1823 settled in Waynesville, Glynn county, Ga., where he became an extensive cotton planter. He was a member of the Georgia state senate, 1832-36, and a Whig representative from Georgia in the 26th, 27th, 29th and 30th congresses, 1839-43 and 1845-49. As a member of the committee on naval affairs he secured the establishment of the naval observatory at Washington, D.C. He was appointed collector of the port of San Francisco, Cal., by President Taylor in 1849, which position he held until 1851, when he returned to Georgia. He was elected a state senator in 1859, and was a delegate at large to the Democratic national convention of 1860. He was a member of the Milledgeville anti-tariff convention in 1832; of the Macon Railroad convention in 1836, of the Young Men's convention at Baltimore, Md., in 1840, and of the Democratic state convention of June 4, 1860. He was appointed a commissioner from Georgia in 1861, to visit Europe to arrange a line of steamers for direct trade with Georgia, and he served as a Confederate States commissioner in Europe, 1861-63. He was married in 1824, to Anna Matilda, only daughter of Major William Page of St. Simon Island, Ga., and their son, Henry Lord Page King, was an aide-de-camp on the staff of Gen. Lafayette McLaws and was killed at Fredericksburg, Va. Thomas Butler King died at Waynesville, Ga., May 10, 1864.

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

Zephaniah Swift Moore, educator, was born at Palmer, Mass., Nov. 20, 1770; son of Judah and Mary Moore. His father removed to Wilmington, Vt., in 1778, and he worked on the farm until 1788. He attended a preparatory school at Bennington, Vt., 1788-89, and was graduated from Dartmouth college, A.B., 1793, A.M., 1796. He was in charge of an academy at Londonderry, N.H., 1793-94, removed to Somers, Conn., and studied theology under the Rev. Dr. Backus. He was licensed to preach by the association of Tolland county, on Feb. 3, 1796. He was pastor at Leicester, Mass., 1796-1807. Shortly after his removal to Leicester, he was married to a daughter of Thomas Drury of Ward, Mass. He was a trustee and principal of Leicester academy, 1807-11; professor of Latin and Greek at Dartmouth college, 1811-15; president and professor of theology at Williams college, 1815-21, and on May 8, 1821, he was made a trustee and elected the first president of Amherst college, then in process of organization, and on Sept. 18, 1821, he was made pastor of the parish church. The college was opened on Sept. 19, 1821, and Dr. Moore began the matriculation of students. In addition to his duties as president, he was professor of divinity, taught Oriental languages, and was the sole teacher of the senior class. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by Dartmouth college in 1816. He bequeathed several scholarships to Amherst, three of which were worth about $140 a year. He died at Amherst, Mass., June 29, 1823.

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

Henry King, representative, was born in Palmer, Mass., July 6, 1790; son of Thomas and Hannah (Lord) King and a descendant of John King, of Edwardstone, Suffolk county, England, who settled in Kingstown, afterward Palmer, Mass., about 1715. He was educated in the public schools of Palmer; studied law in the offices of Willlain H. Brainerd, of New London, Conn., and Garrick Mallcry, of Wilkesbarre, Pa., 1810-15, and was admitted to the Luzerne county bar, April 3, 1815. He settled in practice at Allentown, Pa., where for several years he was the only lawyer. He was a state senator, 1825-31, and a Democratic representative in the 22d and 23d congresses, 1831-35. In the state senate he was chairman of the judiciary committee, of the committee on corporations, and of the committee to remodel the penitentiary system. While in congress he called attention to the excess of southern military cadets at West Point, and succeeded in establishing the rule under which cadets were selected from each congressional district. He took a decided stand in favor of protective tariffs, and left the Democratic party on the issue of the Bank of the United States, as he opposed the removal of the government deposits. He died in Allentown, Pa., July 13, 1861.

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