seven years chief electrician at the Massachu-
setts statehouse, and he is now doing business
in Attleboro as an electrical contractor and
dealer in electrical goods.
(VIII) WixTHROP Francis Baeden, third
son and fourth child of Joseph Grant and Ann
Frances (Clark) Barden, was born in North
Attleboro, Mass., Dec. 3, 1868. His education
was acquired at the public and high schools,
supplemented by a course in the Bryant &
Stratton commercial college in Providence, R.
I., from which he was graduated in 1888. He
then became bookkeeper for Wade, Davis &
Company, of Wrentham (now Plainville),
Mass., remaining with them till 1893, when he
was made manager of the jewelry manufac-
turing concern of Barden, Blake & Company.
In 1897 he formed a partnership with Martin
I. Chapman, the firm name being Chapman &
Barden, manufacturers of jewelry. In 1904
they removed their business to more commo-
dious quarters at No. 37 County street, Attle-
boro. Two years later Mr. Chapman disposed
of his interest to Harry E. Hull, the new firm
being Barden & Hull, manufacturers of solid
gold jewelry. Mr. Barden was for a number of
years a director of the Plainville Savings and
Loan Association. He was the leading spirit
in the organization, under the Massachusetts
laws, of the Bronson Building Company, an
a.ssociation which bought the late Dr. John R.
Bronson homestead property and built a mod-
em block called the Bronson building, which
in addition to stores and offices contains the
very attractive and convenient Masonic halls
and parlors. Later the Bronson apartments
and court building were erected, these being
among the substantial structures of Attleboro.
Dr. Charles S. Holden is president of this com-
pany, Maj. E. S. Horton was vice president,
and Mr. Barden is director and general manager
of the properties. Mr. Barden has also erected
a residence on Soiith Main street, where he now
resides. He is a member of the Pilgrim (Uni-
tarian) Church of Attleboro, one of the stand-
ing committee and served on the committee in
charge of the erection of the church recently
built. He is a member of the following organ-
izations: Bristol Lodge, Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons; King Hiram Chapter, Royal
Arch Masons; Attleboro Council, Royal and
Select Masters; Bristol Commandery, Knights
Templar (now holding the office of com-
mander) .
Mr. Barden married, at Attleboro, April 12,
1899, Louise, daughter of Dr. John R. and
Catherine F. (Wheelock) Bronson. Dr. Bronson
was distinguished as a physician and surgeon,
in general practice in Attleboro. During the
Civil war he served as surgeon and at one time
was in charge of the military hospital at
Fortress Monroe. [See Bronson and Pierce
genealogies.]
DeWITT CLINTON PACKARD, of Brock-
ton, is perhaps best known as the oldest town
clerk of Plymouth county in regard to length
of service. He has been city clerk of Brockton
throughout the period of its existence as a city,
and was serving as town clerk when the change
from town to city government took place. He
has held the office continuously since first
elected to it, at present (1911) rounding out
his thirtieth year in that incumbency.
Mr. Packard was born Sept. 22, 1834, in
the town of North Bridgewater (now Brock-
ton), Plymouth Co., Mass., and is a descend-
ant in the eighth generation from Samuel
Packard, the emigrant ancestor of a numerous
and respected family of this section. We give
an outline of the earlier generations herewith.
(I) Samuel Packard (name in early records,
both at Hingham and Bridgewater, Packer)
came from Windham, near Hingham, in Eng-
land, with wife and child in the ship "Dili-
gence," of Ipswich, in 1638, and settled at
Hingham. He was a proprietor in 1638. He
removed to West Bridgewater, where the first
settlements in the town were made. He was
constable in 1664, and licensed to keep an
ordinary, or tavern, 1670. From his will, pro-
bated March 3, 1684-85, it appears that the
Christian name of his wife was Elizabeth. His
children were: Elizabeth, Samuel, Zaccheus,
Thomas, John, Nathaniel, Mary, Hannah, Is-
rael, Jael, Deborah and Deliverance. Of the
daughters, Elizabeth married Thomas Alger,
of Easton; Mary married Richard Phillips, of
682
SOUTHEASTEEN" MASSACHUSETTS
Weymouth ; Hannah married Thomas Randall ;
Jael married John Smith; Deborah married
Samuel Washburn; Deliverance married
Thomas Washburn.
(II) Zaccheus Packard married Sarah,
daughter of John Howard, and their children
were: Israel, born in 1680; Sarah, born in
1682; Jonathan, born in 1684; David, born
in 1687; Solomon, born in 1689; James, born
in 1691; Zaccheus, born in 1693; John, born
in 1695; and Abiel, born in 1699. The father
died in 1723. The daughter Sarah married
in 1704 Capt. Josiah Edson.
(III) David Packard, son of Zaccheus, bprn
in 1687, married Hannah, daughter of John
Ames. He was among the first settlers in the
North parish, which later became North
Bridgewater, and subsequently changed to
Brockton. He lived on what in the early years
of the nineteenth century was the Capt. Robert
Packard place. His children were : David',
born in 1713; William, born in 1715; Han-
nah, born in 1718; Isaac, born in 1720; Mary,
born in 1722; Ebenezer, born in 1724; Abiah,
born in 1727; Mehetabel, born in 1730; and
Jane, born in 1734. The father died in 1755,
and the mother passed away in 1767. Of the
daughters, Hannah married in 1737 Samuel
Brett; Mary married in 1740 Daniel Richards;
Mehetabel married in 1748 Simeon Brett; and
Jane married in 1755 Matthew Kingman.
(IV) William Packard, son of David, born
in 1715, married in 1740 Sarah, daughter of
Benjamin Richards. Mr. Packard lived to be
ninety years of age, dying in 1805. His chil-
dren were: Amy, born in 1741; Hannah, born
in 1743; William, born in 1745; Lemuel, born
in 1747; Sarah, born in 1750; Silvanus, born
in 1752; Keziah, born in 1754; and Matilda.
Of the daughters, Amy married in 1764 Levi
French; Hannah married in 1765 Philip Rey-
nolds, and afterward in 1782 Enos Thayer;
Sarah married in 1769 Samuel Sturtevant ;
Keziah married a Pierce ; and Matilda married
in 1783 Capt. Zachariah Gurney.
(V) William Packard (2), son of William,
born in 1745, man-ied in 1769 Hannah, daugh-
ter of Nathaniel Reynolds, and their children
were: Sihon, born in 1770; Nancy, born in
1772; Eliphaz, and William. The mother of
these died, and the father married (second)
in 1784 Mary Wales, by whom he had chil-
dren : Ambrose, Cyrus, Charles, Hannah, Polly,
Matilda and Sarah. Of these Eliphaz removed
to Milton, and William went to Stoughton.
(VI) Sihon Packard, son of William (2),
born in 1770, married in 1794 Abigail Scott,
of Dedham. Their children were : Betsey, who
died unmarried; Joseph S. ; Oren; Sihon;
Isaac ; Washburn ; John ; Nathaniel R. ; David ;
and Mary, who died young. Of these Oren
married in 1821 Sally Skinner, of Mansfield;
Isaac married Laura, daughter of Daniel
Bryant, of East Bridgewater; and David lived
in Boston.
(VII) Washburn Packard, son of Sihon,
was born Dec. 26, 1805, and married Jan. 15,
1832, Hannah Packard, daughter of Samuel
Packard. They had two children, namely :
DeWitt Clinton, born Sept. 22, 1834; and
Julia Frances, who died Oct. 8, 1844. The
mother died Oct. 9, 1850, and on Jan. 3, 1852,
Mr. Packard married (second) Phebe Thomas
Sherman, daughter of Otis Sherman, of Roch-
ester, Mass. Mr. Packard was a shoe manu-
facturer and his factory was situated on Pond
street. He was well known and highly re-
spected in Brockton, where he died Feb. 14,
1881. His widow died Dec. 21, 1892.
(VIII) DeWitt Clinton Packard received
his early education in the common schools and
local academies, and studied out of school,
reading somewhat of the classics, Greek and
Roman, and taking French and German under
native teachers. For some time after leaving
school he worked with and assisted his father
in the latter's business of shoe manufacturing,
and then became a school teacher. About the
year 1859 he was chosen principal of the acad-
emy at Plympton, Mass., and served there two
years, resigning in 1861. He also taught in
common schools. In 1862 he reentered the
shoe business, in which he continued success-
fully for a number of years. In 1865, form-
ing a copartnership with Oliver F. Leach,
under the firm name of Leach & Packard, he
engaged in the manufacture of shoes for the
Southern and Western trade. This partner-
ship held until 1871, when it was dissolved,
and Mr. Packard continued alone, manufactur-
ing niainly for. the New England trade, until
1879. Then this business was gradually aban-
doned for the mortgage, brokerage and real
estate line, in which he was engaged until his
election as city clerk.
Mr. Packard has been 'prominent in town
and city afPairs for many years, and has held
numerous local positions. From 1877 to 1888
he was a trustee and a member of the board
for the management of the public library.
From 1879 to 1883 he was a member of the
school committee. In 1880 he was a member
of the committee of citizens chosen to prepare
and obtain a city charter, in 1881 was chosen
town clerk, and in 1882 elected city clerk,
which position he has held continuously to
%^01l
ejuv.(A^_^J
SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
683
the present time; since 1875 he has held a
commission as justice of the peace ; in 1880
he was a United States census enumerator; in
1884 he was appointed by the governor a com-
missioner to qualify civil officers, and he has
been an examiner under the Massachusetts
civil service rules since their adoption.
Mr. Packard has for many years given prac-
tically all his time to lus duties as city clerk
of Brockton, where he has the confidence of all
classes, regardless of political color. With all
the work involved in the faithful discharge of
his responsibilities, he nevertheless finds time
to be genial, kindly and obliging, and he never
fails to give his services willingly wherever he
can be of any assistance, particularly in any
work connected with his branch of the muni-
cipal administration. All the records and
statistics of the city, the minutes of the board
of aldermen, and numerous other important
matters, are recorded and taken care of in his
office, and the fact that the records are in
most excellent shape shows that Mr. Packard
has kept pace with the increasing demands of
his work, which has not only grown in a ma-
terial way since he first took office, but which
has also widened in scope and importance to
an extent unlooked-for at that day. The sup-
port his fellow citizens gave him when they
held him over from the town to the city govern-
ment has been Justified by the high value of
his services. He has never allowed his work
to become a mere mechanical performance of
duty, but has shown himself progressive and
enterprising in his conception of its possibili-
ties and responsibilities, and his work has been
highly appreciated. To his "tireless energies
and safe and wise counsel," according to one
executive, the city owes much of her prog-
ress and integrity, a criticism which indicates
the personal interest Mr. Packard has taken
in the intelligent administration of his office,
which has been marked by courtesy, faithful-
ness and efficiency in every detail.
Mr. Packard has not been able to limit his
usefulness and knowledge of municipal affairs
strictly to his. own work, as during his many
years of service as city clerk he lias acquired
a fund of information regarding allied mat-
ters which makes him an authority consulted
by many who have become familiar with the
extent and variety of his knowledge. More-
over, his reputation has extended to other cities
of the Commonwealth. The clerks of the dif-
ferent cities meet for discussion of matters
pertaining to tlicir duties, and his word and
suggestions are treated with the most respect-
ful consideration in such gatherings. Many
citizens and even lawyers in Brockton ha.Ne
consulted him on important questions regard-
ing municipal affairs and certain legal prob-
lems, and the highest compliment that could
be paid to his acquisitions in this respect is
the standing of those who regard him as a
reliable authority. He has a record almost
unique.
While a young man, or rather in youth, Mr.
Packard had some connection with the news-
paper press, serving as a reporter on the North
Bridgewater Gazette, and also occasionally con-
tributing to the Boston Post, Traveller, Satur-
day Evening Gazette, New England Farmer,
and, later, the Rural New Yorker.
On Jan. 5, 1865, Mr. Packard was married
to Clarissa J. Leach, daughter of Oliver and
Susannah (Howland) Leach. Mrs. Packard
is a woman of intelligence and executive abil-
ity, and is her husband's able assistant in the
city clerk's office. They have had two chil-
dren, Clinton Francis and Clara Washburn.
(IX) Clinton Francis Packard, born Sept.
11, 1867, in Brockton, received his early edu-
cation in the public and high schools of his
native place, and finished his schooling at
Wilbraham Academy. He is serving as as-
sistant city clerk under his father. On Dec.
25, 1887, he married Annie J. Stewart, and
they have had one child, Blanche L., born Sept.
10," 1890.
(IX) Clara Washburn Packard, born March
12, 1872, was married to Frank N. Sherman,
who died March 7, 1897. She died May 33,
1903. They had three children, Marian Nel-
son, Mary Wilbur and Carlton Packard.
LUTHER (Fall River family). For three-
quarters of a century and more there has lived
in and been prominent in the commercial life
of Fall River the family of the late Samuel
Martin Luther, where father and .son, respec-
tively, have figured as contractor and builder
and manufacturer; the son being the present
Charles Bateman Luther, treasurer of the
Luther Manufacturing Company.
This Warren (R. I.) -Fall River Luther fam-
ily is a branch of the earlier Swansea family,
whose progenitor, Capt. John Luther, came to
the shores of New England some two hundred
and seventy-five years ago.
(I) The name of John Luther appears the
twenty-seventh on the list of the forty-six
ancient or original purchasers of Taunton,
1638. Nothing definite seems to have been set
forth by the writers of the early comers to
New England of Mr. Luther. A captain of a
vessel trading to Delaware, from Boston, of
684 SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
this name in 1644 was killed by the Indians first pastor as well as in his broadly catholic
in that river [see Winthrop II, 203, 237]. spirit. "The Congregational element found
The General Court decreed 22d of May, 1646, the ne\Y minister less ready to grant the same
that the widow Luther should have the balance liberal privileges as to church fellowship, in-
of her husband's wages according to sea cus- fant baptism, etc. The new version of Bap-
tom, after allowing to the merchants what tism and Christian Communion, as given by
they had paid for the redemption of her son. Elder Ijuther, was not acceptable to the Pedo-
On Oct. 19, 1672, Samuel Luther, son of John, baptists of the town, and, whether intended or
made a demand for his father's purchase rights not, helped to established the dividing line of
of the to\vn. In November following James denominationalism between the hitherto united
Walker made reply to this demand in sub- parties." These changes in the church
stance that he or his predecessors had enjoyed covenant with reference to baptism and com-
the rights for thirty years, had paid all charges, munion instituted by Elder Luther which de-
etc, and that Samuel Luther had no claim to stroyed the fellowship between Anabaptists and
it. From a branch of the Warren Peck-Luther Pedobaptists enjoyed by Mr. Myles and his
family comes the information that Capt. John associates, and made the church distinctly
Luther came to Boston in one of two Dutch Baptist, this change so distasteful to the Con-
vessels that arrived there in 1635 bringing a gregationalists, opened a religious controversy
number of Flemish mares, cattle and some which twenty-five years later split Swansea, on
passengers; that Mr. Luther was a native of sectarian lines, into two townships.
Germany and a direct descendant of the The children of Elder Samuel Luther and
mother of the great Martin Luther (she was his wife Mary were: Samuel, born Oct. 25,
formerly Margaret Lindeman, and married 1663; Theophilus, born Oct. 9, 1665; Mary,
John Luther, and the birthplace of Martin born July 80, 1668; Joshua, born Nov.. 25,
Luther was Eisleben, Saxony, 1483); that in 1670; Elizabeth, born Feb. 2, 1672; Experi-
1637 he became associated with Elizabeth's ence, born March 3, 1674; Mehetabel, bom
company in the purchase of Taunton; that in Aug. 26, 1676; Ebenezer, born Dec. 27, 1678;
1644 a charter was granted to certain mer- Martha, born Dee. 9, 1681; Susanna; Joanna,
chants of Boston authorizing them to trade (III) Samuel Luther (2), son of Elder
with a colony of Dutch and Swedes on Dela- Samuel, born Oct. 25, 1663, married Sarah
ware bay; that John Luther was sent as super- Chaffee. Mr. Luther went on the expedition
intendent of the ship and interpreter, while in 1690 against Quebec, under Phipps. The
William Aspinwall went to prosecute the trade ; children of Samuel and Sarah, all born in
that a few years after, 1658, he joined with Swansea, were: Samuel, born Nov. 20, 1689;
Thomas Willett and otliers in the purchase of Caleb, born in 1692 ; James, born March 8,
Attleboro, but he soon sold his interest to Bos- 1693 ; Benjamin ; Consider ; Elizabeth, born
ton parties, and in 1667 joined with Willett June 22, 1702; Eleflzer, born Feb. 28, 1704;
and others in the purchase of Swansea, where Jabez ; and Sarah, born Dec. 25, 1707.
he took up his permanent residencje. (IV) Caleb Luther, son of Samuel (2),
Mr. Luther is made the father of Samuel born in 1692, married Mary Cole, of Swan-
and Hezekiah Luther, of Swansea, Mass., who sea, and their children were: Freelove, born
according to the source mentioned above were Jan. 15, 1715; Susanna, born Aug. 20, 1717;
born, Samuel (in Yocumtown), in 1638, and Hannah, born Sept. 22, 1720; Caleb, t)Orn
Hezekiah, in 1640. April 22, 1723; Jabez, born July 8, 15;25;
(II) (Elder) Samuel Luther, son of Capt. Samuel, born in 1727; and Frederick, born
John, bom in 1638 in Yocumtown, married Feb. 15, 1730.
Mary. Captain Luther, as he was at one time (V) Frederick Luther, son of Caleb, bom
styled, was one of the most influential towns- Feb. 15, 1730, married Feb. 16, 175J, in
men of Swansea. He was deputy from Swan- Swansea, Joanna Luther, and their children,
sea to the General Court of Plymouth Colony the first five born in Swahsea, Mass., and the
in 1677, 1678 and 1679, and his brother others in Warren, R. 1., were: Freelove, born
Hezekiah was representative from Swansea to Sept. 26, 1752 ; Lydia, born July 31, 1754 ;
the Great and General Court of Massachu- Hannah, born Dec. 10, 1756; Saraji, born Dec.
setts Bay Colony in 1706. Rev. John Myles, 7, 1758; Martin, born April 19, 1761; Fred-
pastor of the Baptist Church in Swansea, died erick, born June 8, 1763 ; Rejiecca, born April
in February, 1683, and Elder Samuel Luther 17, 1765; and Samuel, bom April 11, 1768.
became his successor in 1685. Luther, it is The father was a farmfer and )ived and died
said, was wanting in the scholarship of the in Warren, R. I., reaching advanced age.
'/,J£.^^
Uniji In, BUmai i Sm^.VeuTTT-h
SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
685
(VI) Samuel Luther (3), son of Frederick,
born April H, 1768, in Warren, R. I., mar-
ried Abigail Beers, and located in the towTi of
Swansea, Mass., where he was occupied in
farming and as a carpenter. He died in Fall
River, Mass., in 1843, and his widow Abigail
passed away in 1858 or 1859. Their children
were : Rebecca married James Bowen ; Polly
married Willard Barney; Abbey married James
Richards; Daniel B- was a seafaring man;
Priscjlla married John Bushee; Samuel M.;
and Nancy married John Baker.
(VII) Samuel Jfartin Luther, son of Sam-
uel and Abigail (Beers) Luther, was bom
Nov. 15, 1806, in Swansea, Mass. He was
reared on his father's farm, having such school
privileges as it was in those days the custom
to give farmers' sons — attendance at the neigh-
borhood school in the winters — and working in
season on the farm. Quitting the farm before
he was of age, he went to Providence, R. I.,
where he commenced to 3earn the mason's
trade. But he was dissatisfied, and in 1836
went to Fall River, where he served an ap-
prenticeship of three years at the mason's
trade under Mr. John Phinney, one of the
contractors ^nd builders of that day in the
town. He continued to work for this employer
after the expiration of the term of his ap-
prenticeship as a journeyman workman until
the year 1831. In the last named year he be-
gan the business of contracting and building
on his own account, an occupation he con-
tinued in, and most successfully, throughout
the rest of his active business life. After be-
ginning for himself the first work of any con-
siderable size that he did was the building of
the substantial edifice of the Congregational
Church still standing on North Main street.
Fall River. And many are the substantial
buildings in and about Fall River of to-day
that stand as monuments to his skill and
workmanship. A practical mechanic himself,
he knew how a building should go up and
saw to it that it was constructed well.
Beginning life a poor boy, Mr. Luther
through his own efforts and force of character
rose to position and wealth. Besides looking
after the business in which he made his prin-
cipal reputation, he became interested in and
a director of a number of Fall River enter-
prises, among them the Rotieson Mills.
Mr. Luther was twice married, his first wife,
Abby M. BoswQrth, of liy^^ren, R. I., born
Feb. 21, 1809, 4yiDg May 11, 1854. He mar-
ried (second) Nov. 18, 1857, Harriet, born
July 8, 1817, in Newport, R. I., daughter of
William and Susanna (Spencer) Bateman.
Three of his four children were born to the
first marriage and died when young; the
fourth, born to the second marriage, is the
present Charles Bateman Luther, of Fall River.
Samuel Martin Luther died May 14, 1887.
Mrs. Luther died Feb. 21, 1892.
(VIII) Charles Bateman Lutheh, born
in Fall River Nov. 15, 1860, received his early
education there in the public schools. Gradu-
ating from the high school in 1879, he entered
Brown University, from which institution he
was graduated in 1883, with the degree of
Ph. B. He was a member of the D. K. E.
fraternity. Following his school life Mr.
Luther was in the employ of the Edison Elec-
tric Illuminating Company at Fall River un-
til September, 1887, after which he was out of
business for a number of years. He became
president of the Robeson Mills upon the death
of Lloyd S. Earle in August, 1895, and con-
tinued as such nntil 1903; he was treasurer
pro tem from March, 1898, to January, 1899.
In 1903 he started the Luther Manufacturing
Company, named for his father, and organized
for the purpose of purchasing the property of
the Robeson Mills and enlarging and develop-
ing same by the addition of new buildings and
machinery for the manufacture of a higher
grade of cloth. Mr. Luther organized this com-
pany and became treasurer thereof, which posi-
tion he has since held; Mr. Leontine Lincoln
is president of the company and Mr. John H.
Estes vice president. Under the financial guid-
ance of Mr. Luther the plant has been most
successful and its product has attained a high
reputation. In addition to his connection with
this concern he is interested in the Stafford
and Flint Mills, being president and a direc-
tor of the first named and a director of the
latter. He is vice president and director of
the new Charlton Mills. He is a man of
broad capabilities, as he has proved in the
management and wisely planned development
of his properties, and ranks well among mill
interests for the skill he has displayed in their
promotion and evolution.
Mr. Luther married Lottie H. Robinson,
daughter of John H. and Charlotte (Brownell)
Robinson, of Fall River. They have no chil-
dren. Mr. Luther is a member of the Que-
quechan Club of Fall River, Squantum Club of
Providence, Fall River Cotton Manufacturers'
Association and the Rhode Island Country
Club.
ELWIN T. WRIGHT, one of Rockland's
leading business men and well-known shoe
manufacturers, is the treasurer of the shoe
686
SOUTHEASTERX MASSACHUSETTS
manufacturing corporation of E. T. Wright &