History of Brighton, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

William H. Baldwin, philanthropist, was born at Brighton, Mass., Oct. 20, 1826. After acquiring a business education he obtained employment first in a store in Brighton, and later with a wholesale dry goods house in Boston. In 1850 the firm of Baldwin, Baxter & Curry was organized, with Mr. Baldwin as senior partner. He severed his connection with the firm in 1865, to engage in the dry goods commission business. He was interested in various philanthropic movements, and especially in the welfare of young men. At the organization of the Young Men's Christian Union in Boston in 1868 he was elected its first president, and under his enthusiastic and efficient management the membership of the Union increased to more than five thousand members. Mr. Baldwin became also very active in other philanthropic work, being president of the Children's mission to the destitute; vice-president of the National Unitarian church temperance society, and a director of the Massachusetts society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. In addition to these offices he served as a trustee of the Franklin savings bank, a member of the Boston memorial association, and director of the Unitarian Sunday-school society.

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

John Cummings Haynes, publisher, was born in Brighton, Mass., Sept. 9, 1829; son of John Dearborn and Eliza Walker (Stevens) Haynes, and a descendant of Samuel Haynes, who came from Shropshire, England, to America in 1635, and settled at Portsmouth, N.H., then known as Strawberry Bank, where he was deacon of the first Congregational church which he helped to found. John C. Haynes was graduated at the Boston English high school in 1845, and was received as a store-boy in the employ of Oliver Ditson. He was rapidly advanced and in 1850 became a participant in the profits of the business, and on Jan. 1, 1857, a partner, the name being Oliver Ditson & Co. The death of Mr. Ditson the senior, in December, 1888, dissolved the firm, and the corporation of Oliver Ditson & Co. was created by Charles H. Ditson. John C. Haynes and the executors of the estate of Oliver Ditson. Mr. Haynes was elected president of the corporation. He was one of the organizers of the Franklin library association of Boston; a life member of the Mercantile library association, and of various religious and charitable organizations, and a director in several financial institutions of Boston. As a member of the common council he was instrumental in securing the opening of the public library on Sunday. He was married, May 1, 1855, to Fanny, daughter of the Rev. Charles and Francis (Seabury) Spear.

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

Henry Martyn Field, educator, was born in Brighton, Mass., Oct. 3, 1837. He was graduated at Harvard in 1859 and at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York city, in 1862. He was acting assistant surgeon in the volunteer army, 1862-63, and practised medicine in New York city, 1864-67, and at Newton, Mass. 1867-72. He was assistant professor of materia medica in Dartmouth college, 1870-71; professor, 1871-87; and was elected professor of therapeutics in 1887. He received an honorary M.D. degree from Dartmouth in 1881. He published A Memorial of Dr. Peaslee (1879), and Evacuant Medication (1888).

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

Chester Ward Kingsley, philanthropist, was born in Brighton, Mass., June 9, 1824; son of Moses and Mary (Montague) Kingsley; grandson of Natbaniel and Sarah M. (Hadley) Montague of Hadley, Mass., and a descendant of the Kingsleys of England and the Montagues of France. His early education was obtained in the schools of Brighton. He resided in Michigan, 1835-40, and then returned to Brighton, where he was graduated at the high school in 1843. He was married in May, 1846, to Mary Jane, daughter of Daniel Todd of Brighton. He obtained employment in the Brighton bank, became teller in 1848, and was cashier of the Cambridge Market bank, 1851-56. He then engaged in the wholesale provision business, from which he retired in 1865, to became treasurer of the Anthracite Coal Mining company. He served on the Cambridge board of aldermen and as a member of the school board; was a representative in the Massachusetts legislature, 1882-84; a state senator, 1888-89, a member of the Cambridge water board, 1865, and its president, 1873-76, 1883-94, enlarging and greatly improving the water system of that city during his service. He was elected a trustee of tim Newton Theological institution in 1880, of Colby university, 1893, of Worcester academy, 1890, and a member of the Cambridge, Colonial and Massachusetts clubs. He equipped the building for the Kingsley Scientific academy, Worcester, in 1897, and gave to the academy, to Colby college, Waterville, Maine, to the Newton Theological institution, to the American Baptist Missionary union, to the American Baptist Home Mission society, to the American Baptist Publication society, to the Massachusetts Baptist convention, and to Brown university, in 1899, $25,000 each, his gifts aggregating $200,000.

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