bast known families of that section of the State
of Massachusetts. Three children were born
to them : Mary C. ; Helen L., who died in her
twenty-second year; and Marion K., the sur-
viving daughters residing with their parents



in the comfortable family home at Newton
Highlands. Mr. and Mrs. Copeland are mem-
bers of the Church of the New Jerusalem at
Abington, Massachusetts.

(VII) Davis Copelanb, one of the success-
ful agriculturists of the community in which
his long and industrious life has been spent,
was born March 16, 1835, in West Bridge-
water, in that part of the town which has since
been annexed to the city of Brockton, and in
the same house on Copeland street, which was
named for his family, in which he has
resided the greater part of his life. He is the
second son of Francis and Judith Washburn
(Kingman) Copeland. Until eighteen years of
age his winters were spent in acquiring his
education in the district school, while his sum-
mers were devoted to work on the homestead
farm. After leaving school he continued farm-
ing, and since his father's death has success-
fully conducted the homestead of 100 acres.
Being of an industrious and .painstaking nature
he keeps his place in a high state of cultivation.
For the past twenty-five or more years he has
been extensively engaged in market gardening,
supplying his patrons in Brockton with pro-
duce.

Mr. Copeland and his family are active and
consistent members of the Church of the New
Jerusalem, at Brockton, Mr. Copeland having
served as a member of the standing committee
and on the church council. Fraternally he
was a charter member of Howard Lodge, No.
116, Knights of Pythias, of West Bridgewater,
and also a charter member of the West Bridge-
water Grange, No. 156, Patrons of Husbandry.
He was one of the original members of the
Brockton Agricultural Society, and is also a
member of the Bridgewater Historical Society.
In his political faith he is a Democrat, and for
a number of years before becoming a resident
of Brockton took an active interest in the af-
fairs of his native town, having served for five
years as a member of the board of road com-
missioners, for nine years as a member of
the school committee and for a term of four
years as a member of the board of selectmen
of West Bridgewater.

On Dec. 8, 1863, Mr. Copeland married
Sarah Samantha Wade, daughter of Charles
Thomas and Samantha (White) Wade, of
Easton, Mass. Mrs. Copeland is also a de-
scendant of historic New England ancestry, as
well as of Revolutionary stock. Her grand-
father, Thomas Wade, married Silence Phil-
lips, daughter of Oliver Phillips, the latter a
soldier of the Revolution. To Mr. and Mrs.
Copeland were born children as follows: (1)



634



SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS



Lida Wade, born May 7, 18G6, is unmarried
and living at home. (2) Arthur Davis, born
April 4, 1869, was educated in the public and
high schools of West Bridgewater, after which
he entered the Massachusetts Agricultural Col-
lege at Amherst, from which he was graduated
in 1889. He was for several years engaged in
the florist business, and later in the hay, grain
and feed business in Brockton, and died in
Forest Hills, Mass., at Dr. Emerson's private
hospital, Sept. 3, 1907. For several years prior
to his death he was a trustee and treasurer of
Howard Seminary, of West Bridgewater. He
was a member of the various Masonic bodies,
holding membership in Paul Revere Lodge, A.
F. & A. M.; Satucket Chapter, R. A. M.; and
Bay State Commandery, Knights Templar, of
Brockton. He was also a member of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and held mem-
bership in the Commercial Club, of Brockton,
and in the West Bridgewater Grange, No. 156,
Patrons of Husbandry. He married July 6,
1898, Jessie Janet Lothrop, daughter of Edwin
H. Lothrop, of West Bridgewater, and they
had a son, Dwight Lothrop Copeland, born
Aug. 16, 1899.

(VII) Heman Copeland, the youngest son
of the late Francis and Judith Washburn
(Kingman) Copeland, was bom Dec. 30, 1843,
in that part of West Bridgewater which has
since become a part of the city of Brockton,
Mass., in the house which adjoins the old
Copeland homestead, the latter now occupied
by his brother, Davis Copeland. He acquired
his educational training in the district schools,
later attending Hunt's Academy at North
Bridgewater and also the State normal school
at Bridgewater. After completing the course
at the State normal he engaged in teaching
school for several terms, both in Duxbury and
in his native town. Having been reared on
the farm he naturally drifted toward agricul-
tural pursuits, and after teaching school for
several terms he in 1868 purchased the Nahum
Snell farm, of about fifty-five acres, better
known as the Brooks farm, near his old home-
stead, later purchasing the Molbry Ripley
farm, of about twenty-six acres, near by. Upon
this land Mr. Copeland engaged extensively in
market gardening, greatly improving the same,
which became recognized as one of the most
iip-to-date market gardens in this section of
the State. His health failing, Mr. Copeland
eventually sold this property, and shortly
thereafter, in July, 1886, removed to Cali-
fornia, remaining in Riverside a few months
and going to San Diego in November, 1886.
Soon after settling in California his health



showed improvement. Mr. Copeland then en-
gaged in fruit growing, at his death having
about seventy acres of land, devoted to the
growing of lemons, at Chula Vista. Being
naturally adapted to this industry through his
many years' experience in market gardening
in the East, he had fruit growing developed to
a science. He raised oranges, citrons, grape
fruit and lemons, but devoted the greater part
of his endeavors to the lemon industry, his
lemon orchards being recognized as the finest
and most productive in that section of Cali-
fornia. Mr. Copeland continued thus engaged
until July, 1894, when he became horticul-
tural superintendent for the San Diego Land
and Town Company, a corporation which
owns and operates thousands of acres of land.
In this capacity he had charge of the orchards
of this concern, covering an area of over
twelve hundred acres and having under his
supervision about one hundred men. After
filling this position with pronounced efficiency
for a period covering nearly thirteen years his
health again became impaired, and he was
compelled to relinquish the active management
of this corporation's affairs, at which time he
was made advisory superintendent of this same
corporation, a position he occupied until about
a year prior to his death, when he retired from
active business cares.

Mr. Copeland's thorough knowledge of fruit
culture caused him to be recognized as a lead-
ing authority on that subject and he was con-
sulted on all matters of citrus fruit culture
by growers in all parts of southern California,
and as advisory member of the State Board
of Horticultural Commissioners did valuable
work for the citrus fruit industry. Among
his friends and admirers were practically all
the prominent San Diegans of long residence,
and one of the directors of the Chamber of
Commerce of San Diego county said of him
at the time of his death, "In the death of
Heman Copeland San Diego has sustained a
great loss. Besides being recognized as one
of the greatest authorities on lemon culture,
Mr. Copeland was also a great optimist, and
preached San Diego county and its future
wherever he went. He had especial faith in
the lemon industry and inspired many others
with it. Mr. Copeland was in every respect
a model citizen and was abreast of the times
in everything pertaining to the public wel-
fare, being a leader in business, political apd
public afilairs of the county. He was one of
thife most genuinely kind-hearted and charitable
men I ever met."

Fraternally Mr. Copeland was a prominent




90 b:




c^L^-C-Oi^-XA - -^^^



SOUTHEASTEKN MASSACHUSETTS



635



Mason, of high rank. He first became a mem-
ber of the organization in Brockton, where he
joined Paul Revere Lodge in 1868, and after
removing to California transferred his mem-
bership to South West Lodge, No. 383, A. F.
& A. M., of National City. He was also a
member of San Diego Commandery, No. 25,
Knights Templar, of San Diego, and of Con-
stans Lodge of Perfection, No. 8, and the
other bodies of the order in San Diego, attain-
ing the thirty-second degree. He was also a
member of Al Malaikah Temple, A. A. 0. N.
M. S., of Los Angeles, being an active and
prominent member of all these organizations.

Mr. Copeland was a consistent member of
the Christian Science Church, of San Diego,
of which his wife is also a member, and to
which they have given a liberal support. In
politics he was an advocate of Democratic
principles, but during the silver agitation, in
1896, he did not favor the free coinage of sil-
ver, and thereafter became independent in his
political views, and although he was always
deeply interested in public affairs he never
aspired to public office, preferring to give his
undivided attention to his business affairs.

On April 12, 1866, Mr. Copeland was
united in marriage to Caroline A. Parker,
daughter of Nathaniel D. and Mary Ann (Dex-
ter) Parker, of Mattapoisett, Mass., and a de-
scendant of historic old New England ances-
try. Mrs. Copeland survives her husband,'
making her home in Chula Vista, Cal. They
had no cliildren.

Mr. Copeland passed away at his home in
Chula Vista, Cal., July 26, 1909, in the sixty-
sixth year of his age, and at the time of his
death various organizations with which he had
been prominently identified adopted resolutions
of respect on his demise, among which were
the following:

Whereas, it has pleased our Heavenly Father to
take to Himself the soul of our respected friend,
Heman Copeland, chairman of the board of horticul-
tural commissioners, who for so many years success-
fully devoted his energies and ability to horticulture
in this county, and during our darkest days never
lost faith in the great future awaiting persistent
ranchers here, and who, as advisory horticultural
commissioner so faithfully performed his duties, and

WiTEREAS, we look upon his loss as one of the
greatest that ever befell our county, therefore be it*

Resolved, that we, the supervisors of San Diego
county, extend to the widow and relatives of the
deceased our heartfelt sympathy with them, in this,
their bereavement, and furthermore be it

Resolved, that a copy of this preamble and resolu-
tion be sent to the widow and spread upon the minutes
of this meeting.



The Chamber of Commerce of San Diego County.
San Diego, Cal., August 12, 1909.
Mrs. Caroline Copeland,
Chula Vista, California.

Dear Madam: I am instructed by the Board of
Directors of the Chamber of Commerce of San Diego
County to convey to you their sincere regret over the
loss of your husband.

Mr. Copeland was recognized by the Chamber of
Commerce as one of the representative men of South-
ern California. His faith in the ultimate greatness
of this section never wavered, and while he did not
survive to see the fruition of his hopes yet his life
was spared to witness the beginning of the great
things he saw and prophesied for the future.

Southern California and San Diego County in
particular has sustained a great loss in the death
of your husband. He is missed from our councils and
is mourned by us, for we have lost not only a trust-
worthy adviser, but a firm and steadfast friend.

With renewed assurance of our sympathy, I beg
to remain,

Sincerely yours,
[Signed] John S. Mms,

Secretary.

Asylum of
, San Diego Commandery, No. 25,

Knights Templar.

San Diego, Cal., August 6th, 1909.

At stated Assembly of San Diego Commandery,
No. 25, Knights Templar, held at its Asylum on Au-
gust 3d, 1909, the death of Sir Heman Copeland, on
July 26th, 1909, was announced;

Whereupon a committee of three was appointed
to voice the sentiments of the Commandery on this
sad event, who reported the follo^ving resolutions: —

Resolved, That in the death of Sir Heman Cope-
land this Commandery has lost a faithful, worthy and
respected member, whose absence will be regretted
as the years go by;

That to his widow, C. A. Copeland, and family is
extended our sincere sympathy and regret and wth
her and them we will join in proper service which
may be rendered to better bear this bereavement, ever
trusting in the great love of the Nazarene, our Guide
and Leader in the true path to go and do ;

Further, that a copy hereof be spread upon the
records and an attested copy be forwarded to his
widow.

George Bubnham,
William Kettneb,
George Mifflin Dannals,

Committee.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto attached the
seal and my signature, the day and date above writ-
ten.

[Signed] Jno. P. Bubt,
[SE-^] Recorder.

BENT (Taunton family). For some fifty
years there has resided at Taunton a branch of
the ancient Sudbury-Milton (Massachusetts)
Bent family, one established there approxi-
mately two hundred and seventy-one years ago.
Reference is made to the family of the present
William H. Bent, Esq., of that city, who for
quite half a century has been continuously iden-
tified with what is now the Mason Machine



636



SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS



Works and much of the time officially, and as
well is, as he has long been, one of the substan-
tial men and useful citizens of Taunton, serving
his community in a number of public official
capacities. His son, Arthur Cleveland Bent, a
graduate of Harvard and now general manager
of the Mason Machine Works, has served his
city as alderman; another son, Frederick Hen-
dee Bent, after his graduation from Harvard,
in 1889, entered the Mason Macliine Works,
and died in 1897.

(I) John Bent, a native of England, born
in the parish of Penton-Grafton, in the County
of Hants, some seventy miles southwest of Lon-
don, sailed from Southampton, England, in
1638, and became one of the first settlers of
Sudbury, Mass. Mr. Bent was baptized Nov.
20, 1596, in the parish of Waybill. He was
the son of Eobert Bent and grandson of John
Bent. The Christian name of the wife of Mr.
Bent was Martha, and five of their seven chil-
dren were bom in England, the other two
in Sudbury. Their children were: Eobert,
baptized Jan. 10, 1624-25; William, baptized
Oct. 24, 1626; Peter, baptized April 14, 1629;
Agnes, born about' 1630; John, born about
1635; Joseph, born May 16, 1641; and Martha,
born about 1643.

The house lot of Mr. Bent, which comprised
some six acres, was about a quarter of a mile
from Wayland Center, and upon it he lived,
a farmer, until his death, Sept. 27, 1672, when
aged nearly seventy-six years.

(II) Joseph Bent, born May 16, 1641, in
Sudbury, Mass., married June 30, 1666, Eliza-
beth, daughter of John Bourne, of Marshfield,
and moved thither, but returned to Sudbury be-
fore 1671, and was killed accidentally in the
summer of 1675 by a pistol shot fired by his
brother Peter. While at Marshfield he was con-
stable in 1669. Five of his six children were liv-
ing in 1686, though the names of his two
daughters are unknown. The children of Jos-
eph and Elizabeth whose names are known, the
youngest two being born in Sudbury, were :
Joseph, born Oct. 11, 1667; Experience; Eliza-
beth, born in 1673 ; and Joseph (2), bom March
5, 1675.

(III) Joseph Bent (2), bom March 5, 1675,
married Oct. 27, 1698, Eachel, daughter of
Jonathan Fuller, of Dedham: Mr. Bent was
brought up in Marshfield by his grandfather,
John Bourne. He was a blacksmith, and after
his marriage lived in Milton, Mass., where he
died March 31, 1728, aged fifty-three years.
His wife died July 5, 1725, aged fifty-one.
Their children were: Mary, bom Jan. 21,
1700; Joseph, born Sept. 26, 1701; John, born



Oct. 15, 1703; Eachel, born Aug. 21, 1705;
Elizabeth, born Jan. 13, 1708; Sarah, born
April 13, 1710; Ebenezer, born April 23, 1712;
Experience, born Oct. 12, 1714; and Thankful,
born July 5, 1716.

(IV) Ebenezer Bent, born April 23, 1712,
married Jan. 9, 1735, Deborah, daughter of
Jonathan Fairbanks, of Dedham, Mass. Mr.
Bent was a yeoman of Milton, Mass., where he
died Feb. 15, 1786, aged seventy-three. His
widow died Aug. 17, 1798, at Quincy, Mass.,
aged eighty-four. Their children, all born in
Milton, Mass., were: Eleanor, born Sept. 28,
1735; Ebenezer, Aug. 22, 1737; Samuel, March
1, 1739; Nedabiah, Jan. 21, 1742; Mary, Feb.
1, 1744; Jolin, July 10, 1746; Deborah, July
8, 1748; Sarah, March 24, 1751; Elizabeth,
April 13, 1754.

(V) Jolin Bent, born July 10, 1746, married
Dec. 11, 1769, Hannah Collar of Dedham,
Mass., and lived in Milton. Among their chil-
dren was a son Josiah.

(VI) Josiah Bent, son of John, married
Susannah Tucker. They lived in Milton, where
Mr. Bent probably built what is characterized
as the old Bent house. It was in this house
that he began on a small scale, with one oven
only at first, the baking business which through
the century has been popularly known as Bent's
cracker bakery. It is said that he made the
first water crackers in this country, and these
long after his day were continued to be made
by hand and the excellent reputation he made
from them maintained. He continued the busi-
ness until 1830. Among his children were
Josiah and Nathaniel Tucker, both of whom
became liberally educated and were successful
in the learned professions.

(VII) Eev. Josiah Bent (2) was born at
Milton, Mass., and in due time prepared for
college. He was graduated from Harvard with
the class of 1822. He then studied theology
at Princeton and devoted his life to the Chris-
tian ministry. He settled at Weymouth, Mass.,
where he was ordained pastor of the First
Church. In 1834 he became pastor of the
church at Falmouth, Mass. From the Fal-
mouth charge he was dismissed in 1837 to be-
come pastor of the church at Amherst, where
his death occurred Nov. 19, 1839. Eev. Mr.
Bent married Pauline Eich.

. (VII) Eev. Nathaniel Tucker Bent, son of
Josiah and Susannah (Tucker) Bent, and
brother of Eev. Josiah, was bom July 31, 1810,
in Milton, Mass. He began his preparatory
studies for admission to college under the in-
struction of his brother Rev. Josiah Bent, of
Weymouth, Mass., who had graduated at Har-



SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS



637



vard College in 1832, and completed them at
Phillips Academy in Andover. He entered
Harvard and held a distinguished rank in col-
lege, and was graduated with high honors with
the class of 1831. After leaving college young
Bent began the study of divinity at the Episco-
pal Theological Seminary in New York and
finished his studies under the instruction of
Bishop Alexander Viets Griswold, at Salem.
He was ordained at Salem, and was afterward
instituted as rector over the following churches :
Grace Church, in New Bedford, where he re-
mained five years: St. John's, in Charlestown,
two years ; St. Thomas's, in Taunton, five j'ears ;
St. John's, in Bangor, Maine, two and a half
years ; All Saints', in Worcester, two and a half
years; and Grace Church, again, in New Bed-
ford, a few months. He retired from the min-
istry in 1853, and removed to Worcester, Mass.,
where he taught a private school for yoimg
ladies, which he continued until his death.

On June 18, 1834, Rev. Mr. Bent was mar-
ried to Catherine E. D. Metcalf, eldest daugh-
ter of Col. Eliab W. Metcalf, of Cambridge,
and had four children by birth and one by
adoption ; three of whom, including the adopted
one, survived the father.

"Mr. Bent was a man of rare abilities, and,
when engaged in the active duties of the min-
istry, was very popular and efficient as rector.
Much might be said truly in praise of his
fidelity to all the details of parochial duty, the
interest he took in promoting musical taste
in its sacred department, his zeal in missionary
enterprises, and the genial flow which he mani-
fested in social life. Not a few of his former
parishioners and friends will long cherish a
most kindly remembrance of him as a beloved
and respected pastor." He died Nov. 4, 1856,
at his home in Worcester, Mass., aged forty-
six years.

(VIII) William H. Bent, son of Rev. Na-
thaniel T. and Catherine E. D. (Metcalf) Bent,
was born Jan. 2, 1839, in Cambridge, Mass.
He was educated in private and public schools
and fitted for civil engineering. When he was
seventeen years old (in 1856) he entered the
extensive machinery works of William Mason,
Taunton, and he has been connected with them
ever since except for a short time after the
panic of 1857, when that business was tempo-
rarily suspended. Returning in 1859, he grad-
ually worked up to the position of chief ex-
ecutive officer of the works, assuming such po-
sition at the death of Mr. Mason, in May, 1883.
In 1873, when the business was incorporated
under the name of the Mason Machine Works,
he became treasurer of the corporation, which



office he has held uninterruptedly until the
present time. The corporation employs in good
times about one thousand men, chiefly in build-
ing cotton machinery. Mr. Bent has been and
still is connected with numerous other large
interests. He was a director of the Corliss
Steam Engine Company, of Providence, R. I.;
director of the Nemasket Mills, Taunton; has
been for many years and now is director of the
Boston Manufacturers' Mutual Fire Insurance
Company; director of the Corr Manufacturing
Company, of Taunton; director of the Ma-
chinists' iSTational Bank of Taunton; president
of the Liberty Square Warehouse Company of
Boston. He has served as an alderman of
Taunton for two terms (1877 and 1878) and
was chairman of the board of commissioners of
the Sinking Fund of the city for twenty years.
Although repeatedly sought he has declined
political offices and appointments other than
municipal, among them that of member of
the special commission on the unemployed, cre-
ated by the Legislature of 1894, to which he
was appointed by Governor Greenhalge. In
politics he is a Republican. He was a delegate
to the Republican National Convention of 1888,
and is a defender of protection, a frequent
contributor to the press in its interests, was
president of the Home Market Club of Boston
for three years, and president of the Arkwright
Club, of Boston, for three years. In religious
faith he is an Episcopalian, and is a prominent
lay member of the church organization. He is-
a delegate to the diocesan convention of the
Episcopal Church of Massachusetts, was,a mem-
ber of the committee of fifteen appointed by
Bishop Laurence in 1894 to report a plan for
the division of the diocese, a member of the
Episcopalian Club of Massachusetts, and senior
warden of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church,
Taunton, for many years. He belongs to the
Union Club of Boston.

On June 14, 1865, Mr. Bent was married
to Harriet F. Hendee, daughter of Charles
J. Hendee, of Boston. They had three sons,
Arthur Cleveland, Frederick Hendee and
Charles (died in infancy). The two sons who
lived to maturity were both graduated from
Harvard University in 1889. Mrs. Bent died
in 1873, and Mr. Bent married (second) Jan.
29, 1885, Sarah E. Chesbrough, daughter of
Lewis R. Chesbrough, of New York.



Metcalf. The Metcalf family to which Mr.
Bent belongs through the maternal line is
descended from Michael Metcalf, who was born
in Tatterford, County of Norfolk, England, in
1586. He followed the occupation of weaver



638



SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS



in the city of Norwich, that county. His wife
Sarah was born June 17, 1593, in the adjoin-
ing town of Waynham, where they were mar-
ried Oct. 13, 1616. To escape religious perse-
cution he took passage from Yarmouth to New
England April 15, 1637. He arrived "three
days before midsummer," and was admitted
a townsman at Dedham July 14, 1637.

Michael Metcalf, third child of Michael and
Sarah, was born Aug. 29, 1620. He married
April 2, 1644, Mary Fairbanks, and died Dec.
24, 1654.

Eleazer Metcalf, fifth child of Michael and
Mary, was born March 20, 1653. He married
April 9, 1684, Melatia Fisher.

Michael Metcalf, second child of Eleazer and
Melatia, was born May 21, 1687, and married
Abiel Colburn.

Pelatiah Metcalf, first child of Michael and
Abiel, married Hepzibah Mann. He died April
1, 1770, and she died Oct. 11, 1773.

Thomas Metcalf, eighth child of Pelatiah
and Hepzibah, born Aug. 13, 1749, married
Jan. 25, 1776, Jemima Ray, who was born Jan.
8, 1756. Thomas Metcalf, with his older
brother, Silas, built the hip-roofed house which
formerly stood on the farm in West Wrentham