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

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Biographies:

George Thorndike Angell, philanthropist, was born in Southbridge, Mass., June 5, 1823; son of the Rev. George and Rebecca (Thorndike) Angell. He was graduated from Dartmouth college in 1846; attended Harvard law school, 1850-'51, and practised in Boston, Mass., from 1851. He was a founder of the Massachusetts society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, 1864; of the American humane education society, 1889, and of the Parent American band of mercy and was made president of all three. He promoted the organization of the Ladies' humane educational society, London, England, and established the Illinois humane society. He was made a director of the American social science association. He founded and edited Our Dumb Animals from 1868, distributing 250,000 copies of its first issue and over 2,000,000 copies of "Black Beauty."

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

Sidney Clarke, representative, was born in Southbridge, Mass., Oct. 16, 1831; son of Joseph and Sally (Heath) Clarke, and grandson of Jeptha Clarke, a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His father served in the war of 1812. Sidney was educated in the public schools, and in 1854 became the editor of the Southbridge Press which he published for five years. He settled in Lawrence, Kan., in 1859, and was a member of the Kansas legislature in 1862. He was appointed assistant adjutant-general with the rank of captain of volunteers, Feb. 9, 1863, and resigned Feb. 20, 1865. He served as assistant provost-marshal-general and superintendent of volunteer recruiting service for Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Dakota and on the staff of Major-General S. R. Curtis. He was a representative from Kansas in the 39th congress, 1865-67, and served on the committees on the Pacific railroad and on Indian affairs. On the death of President Lincoln he accompanied the remains to Illinois. He was a delegate to the Loyalist convention, Philadelphia, 1866, and was re-elected to the 40th and 41st congresses. In 1879 he was a member of the Kansas legislature and speaker of the house of representatives. He was prominently connected with the movement for the organization of Oklahoma Territory, and settled at Oklahoma city in 1889.

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

William Learned Marcy, statesman, was born in Southbridge, Mass., Dec. 12, 1786; son of Jedediah and Ruth (Learned) Marcy and a descendant of Moses and Prudence (Morris) Marcy. Moses Marcy, born in Woodstock, Conn., and one of the first settlers of New Medfield (Sturbridge), Mass., built the first grist-mill in the town, was the first justice of the peace, the first representative from New Medford to the state legislature, and died Oct. 9, 1779. William L. Marcy worked on his father's farm, attended the public schools and Leicester academy, was graduated from Brown in 1808, taught school at Newport, R.I., studied law, and removed to Troy, N.Y., where he was admitted to the bar. He served as a lieutenant in a company of infantry recruited in Troy, and marched to the northern frontier and took part in the action at St. Regis, Oct. 23, 1812, securing the first prisoners taken on land, and the first flag captured in the war. He joined General Dearborn, and in 1814 was ordered to New York, having attained the rank of captain. He resumed his law practice in Troy, and was recorder of the city, 1816-18, when he was removed by Governor Clinton, on account of his friendship for Daniel D. Tompkins. He was editor of the Troy Budget, an anti-Clinton journal of influence, 1818-21. Through the Van Buren influence he was appointed in January, 1821, adjutant-general of the state militia. He was elected state comptroller on the ticket with Joseph C. Yates for governor in 1823; was appointed associate justice of the supreme court of New York in 1829 by Governor Throop, and presided at the special circuit held in Lockport in 1830, for the trial of the abductors of William Morgan, charged with exposing Masonic secrets; was U.S. senator, 1831-33; served as chairman of the judiciary committee, and answered in debate both Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. He resigned his seat in 1833 to accept the position of governor of the state of New York, to which he had been elected in 1832, and he served through three terms, 1833-39. In 1838 he was defeated by William H. Seward. During his term as governor the Whig party was formed, the rise of the anti-slavery party took place, and in 1837 occurred the great financial panic. He was appointed by President Van Buren in 1839 one of the board of commissioners to examine and decide upon certain Mexican claims then pending against the government, and served 1839-42. He was chairman of the Democratic state convention at Syracuse, 1843. He removed to Albany, N.Y., and lived in retirement until the accession of James K. Polk to the presidency, March 4, 1845, when he became secretary of war in his cabinet. His term of office embraced the entire period of the war with Mexico, and his duties were uncommonly arduous. In 1848 he supported Gen. Lewis Cass for the presidency, and at the close of Polk's administration he retired from public life. He was a candidate for nomination for President at the Democratic national convention at Baltimore, June 1, 1882, and upon the nomination of Franklin Pierce he gave him his hearty support in the campaign and President Pierce made him secretary of state in his cabinet. Important questions came before him while secretary, such as the Danish sound dues, the enlistment question, Central American affairs, and the complex questions surrounding the release of Martin Koszta by Capt. Duncan N. Ingraham . He went to Ballston Spa, N.Y., in 1857, and prepared for an extended tour in Europe. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Brown university in 1833 and from Union college in 1839. He died suddenly in Ballston Spa, N.Y., July 4, 1857.

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