History of Bolton, (Worcester County) Massachusetts United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Bolton, (Worcester County) Massachusetts, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

John White Chickering, educator, was born at Bolton, Mass., Sept. 11, 1831; son of John White and Frances E. (Knowlton) Chickering. The family came to New England about 1670, and is descended from Jeffrey de Chickering, of Chickering Hall, Hoxne, Suffolk, England, 1311. His paternal ancestors for five generations were clergymen. He attended the public schools of Portland, Me., was graduated at Bowdoin college in 1852; was occupied in teaching school and in editing until 1858, and was graduated at the Bangor theological seminary in 1860. He was pastor of the Congregational church, Springfield, Vt., 1860-63; secretary of the Vermont Bible society, 1863-65, and pastor at Exeter, N.H., 1865-70, resigning this charge to accept the chair of natural science at Gallaudet college, Washington, D. C. He was elected a member of the American association for the advancement of science, and of the anthropological, biological, philosophical and geographical societies of Washington, and of the Appalachian mountain club.

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

Richard Sullivan Edes, clergyman, was born in Providence, R.I., April 24, 1810; son of Henry and Catharine C. (May) Edes; grandson of Edward and Elizabeth Edes, and of John and Abigail May, and a direct descendant of John Edes, who settled in Charlestown, Mass., in 1655, and married Mary Tufts. He was graduated from Brown university in 1830 and entered Harvard law school. In 1831 he changed to the divinity school where he was graduated in 1834. He was ordained a Unitarian minister in 1836 and was pastor at Eastport, Maine, 1836-43, and at Bolton, Mass., 1843-48. In 1848 he resigned his pastorate, but continued to reside in Bolton, occasionally preaching, but devoting most of his time to farming, literary work and to historical and genealogical research. He was a member of the school committee and town clerk during many years. He was married in 1837 to Mary, daughter of Jerome and Mary (Thaxter) Cushing. He was joint author of: Genealogy of the Descendants of John May (1878); and editor of Journal and' Letters Relative to Two Journeys to the Ohio Country in 1788 and 1789, made by Colonel John May, with a Biographical Sketch (1873). He died at Bolton, Mass., Aug. 26, 1877.

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

Amos Nurse, senator, was born in Bolton, Mass, Dec. 17, 1794; son of Jonathan and Ruth (Barrett) Nourse; grandson of David and Rebecca (Barrett) Nourse, and a descendant of Francis and Rebecca (Towne) Nourse, Salem, Mass., immigrants. He was graduated at Harvard A.B., 1812, A.M., 1815, and M.D., 1817. He practised in Wincasset, Me., in that year, and removed to Hallowell, where he was postmaster, and to Bath in 1845. He was a lecturer on obstetrics in Bowdoin college, 1846-54, and professor of obstetrics there, 1854-66. He was collector of customs at Bath, by appointment of President Polk, 1845-46, and was elected U.S. senator to fill the unexpired term of Hannibal Hamlin, who resigned, Feb. 6, 1857, to accept the governorship of Maine, and served to the close of the term, March 3, 1857. He was elected judge of probate of Sagadahoc county in 1860. He died in Bath, Maine, April 17, 1877.

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