Frank E. Peirce.

LORING W. PUFFER. While the family
of Puffer is not a Bridgewater one in point of
antiquity, it is one here in what was long the
North parish (North Bridgewater, and now
Brockton) of some fifty and more years' stand-
ing, a period covering the birth and growth of
the great industrial center and city it has be-
come, and in the life of which its now repre-
sentative head — the venerable Dr. Loring Wil-
liam Puffer, surgeon dentist, underwriter, edi-
tor and writer — has been most active and use-
ful, ever alert in intelligent effort in the varied
lines that have brought about the wonderful
growth of the shoe city.

Dr. Puffer, the head of this Brockton fam-
ily, and the recognized local historian of the



576



SOUTHEASTEEN MASSACHUSETTS



town and city, is, however, representative of
Bridgewater stock, descending in maternal line
from one of the original proprietors and num-
bering among his forbears and family connec-
tions some of the ancient and honored names in
the Commonwealth's history. In the paternal
line he is remotely connected with that illustrious
son of Massachusetts, Charles Sumner. Through
the Southworths he is of royal descent. He
numbers among his ancestors Eev. Thomas Car-
ter, who was bred in St. John's College, Cam-
bridge, England, taking his degrees in 1629
and 1633; came to New England in 1635 in
the "Planter," was for a time at Watertown
and Dedham, and was ordained in 1643 the
first minister at Woburn. Another of his for-
bears was Maj. General Humphrey Atherton,
of Dorchester, 1636, who perhaps was from
Preston in Lancashire, and here became cap-
tain of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery
Company, served many years in civic oflScial
life and succeeded Sedgwick as major general
of the Colonial forces. Still other of his early
forbears were Eev. James Keith, the Scotch
divine who was educated at Aberdeen and on
coming to New England, in 1662, was two
years later ordained the first minister of Bridge-
water; and Judge Joseph Wilder, long chief
justice of the court of Common Pleas, a man of
great gifts.

On Feb. 24, 1640, the town of Boston
granted to George Poffer land for five heads,
that is twenty acres at Mount Wollaston, after-
ward Braintree, and still later Quincy. Of
him nothing more is known, but the family was
continued under tlie name of Puffer by two
persons, who may confidently be called his sons ;
and the Widow Puffer, who died at Braintree,
Feb. 13, 1677, was undoubtedly his relict.
Mary Puffer, "an aged woman," who died at
the same place July 23, 1700, is perhaps, more
likely to have been his daughter than the
widow of his eldest spn. Of the two probable
sons of George Poffer, James, born about 1684,
married at Braintree Feb. 14, 1656, Mary Lud-
den, remained. on the paternal homestead, and
had children : Ejchard, Martha, Mary, James,
Euth, Eachel and Jabez. Mr. Poffer lived at
Braintree and there died July 25, 1692. The
other son of George, Mathias Puffer, married
at Braintree May 12, 1662, Enchcl Farnsworth,
and their children were : Joseph, John, James,
Jonathan and Esther (who married William
Sumner, of Milton). After the death of the
mother, who was killed by the Indians, her
blood being the first shed in the Colony, the
father married (second) Feb. 11, 1677, Abigail,
daughter of Eichard Everett, of Dedham, and



had children, Benjamin, Eleazer and Abigail.
After the death of his second wife Mr. Puffer
married (third) May 14, 1697, Mary Crehore,
probably Widow Teague, of Milton. Mr. Puffer
was for a time at Mendon, going there as one
of the first promoters and settlers. His wife
and one son, however, being slain in the attack
on the town by the Indians, July 14, 1675, he
withdrew to his native place, but finally re-
moved to Dorchester, and likely to that part
which later became Stoughton. He held sev-
eral offices in Dorchester, lived to advanced age
and distributed among his children lands in
Dorchester, Milton and Dedham, near Wren-
tham. It was through Mathias that descended
such distinguished men as Charles Sumner,
William S. Appleton and Charles Endicott.

From the foregoing source came the Puffers
of Stoughton, which town was the birthplace
of Dr. Loring W. Puffer, of Brockton, he being
the son of Loring Puffer and grandson of
Nathan Puffer, the latter of whom was a sol-
dier under General Scott, serving with him in
all of the battles of the frontier, 1812-15. Dr.
Puffers lineage from George Poffer is through
(II) James and Mary (Ludden) Puffer; (III)
Jabez and Mary (Glazier) Puffer; (IV) Sam-
uel and Dorothy (Haynes) Puffer; (V) Nathan
and Katy (Clapp) Puffer; (VI) Nathan and
Abigail (Joslyn) Puffer; and (VII) Loring
and Lucy II. (Southworth) Puffer.

In the maternal line Dr. Puffer's immediate
ancestors were of Stoughton residence, and his
great-grandfather, Capt. Jedidiah Southworth,
an officer who saw much active service in the
Eevolution, being captain at South Boston
Point Fort, was in direct line from Constant
Southworth (who was the brother of Thomas,
and son of Sir Edward Southworth, of Eng-
land, who died at Leyden), who was born in
1615, in England, and came to New England
in 1628; was an early settler in Duxbury, where
he died in 1679. He served in the Pequot war
in 1637, was later ensign and lieutenant in the
Duxbury company; was for twenty-two years
from 1647 deputy to the General Court at
Plymouth; was treasurer of Plymouth Colony
for sixteen years; was member of the council
of war, 1658 ; was commissioner for the United
Colonies, 1668; commissary general during
King Philip's war, etc.

As the history of this Plymouth Southworth
family goes, Edward Southworth, of Duke
Place, London, 1595, was early at Leyden, Hol-
land, where lie died. He had married in 1613
Alice, daughter of Alexander Carpenter, of
Wrington (?), Somersetshire. Edward died in
1620, leaving sons Constant and Thomas. The



SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS



577



Avidow Alice came to Plymouth in the "Ann"
in July, 1683, and on Aug. 14th of that year
married Gov. William Bradford, of Plymouth.
The sons, Constant and Thomas Southworth,
came to New England in 1628 at Governor
Bradford's request. SufBce it to say that the
lineage of Edward Southworth has been traced
back to the Saxon kings of England and their
ancestors, Cerdic and Odin.

Constant Southworth was one of the original
proprietors of Bridgewater, the first interior
settlement of the Old Colony, he being one of
the three who purchased the land from the In-
dians. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Wil-
liam Collier, a prominent citizen of Duxbury,
and it is said at that time the richest man in
Plymouth Colony. From one of their descend-
ants, Edward Southworth, who married in 1711
Bridget Bosworth, Dr. Puffer's descent is
through Constant Southworth (2) and his wife
Martha (Keith) ; Capt. Jedidiah Southworth
and his wife Mary (Atherton), of Stoughton;
Jedidiah Southworth (2) and his wife Sally
(Hewett) ; and Lucy Hewett (Southworth)
Puffer, wife of Loring Puffer, of Dorchester.

Loring William Puffer, D. D. S., son of Lor-
ing and Lucy Hewett (Southworth) Puffer,
was bom Sept. 17, 1828, in Stoughton, Mass.
His general education was acquired in com-
mon and private schools, which he attended un-
til he reached the age of eighteen years, and
he graduated from the Boston Dental College
March 17, 1870. From eighteen to twenty-
five years of age he was engaged in mechani-
cal work and the manufacturing of pegging
awls, which failing health obliged him to re-
linquish. The three years following were de-
voted to the study of medicine and dentistry.
He began the practice of dentistry in 1854,
and for nearly fifty-five years followed the pro-
fession, actively, from 1856 established in
North Bridgewater, which afterward became
Brockton. A few years after his removal to
North Bridgewater he became connected with
fire insurance business (1858), since which
time he has represented a number of the old-
line companies of England and America. This
business in connection with real estate in time
almost entirely displaced his profession. Dr.
Puffer is a great reader, and for over sixty
years has devoted an average of five hours in
each twenty-four to reading.

Quite early in life Dr. Puffer became a
copious correspondent for various newspapers,
and later had experience in the editorial chair,
being editor of the Brockton Advance for one
year, and editor of the Brockton Eagle during

37



the years 1884 and 1885. He has done other
literary work, especially in historical and bio-
graphical lines, which has widened his reputa-
tion. In 1871-72 he was adjunct professor of
operative and clinical dentistry in the Boston
Dental College, and professor in the institute
of dentistry and dental therapeutics in 1872-
73. Previous to 1880 he had been secretary,
treasurer and president of the Old Colony Den-
tal Association and was a frequent essayist at
its meetings. He has at two periods during his
residence in North Bridgewater, or Bfockton,
been a member of the school committee (1875-
1885) ; and for over a third of a century he has
been one ef the trustees of the public library
(of which he is known as the father), having
served as president of the board; was one of a
number of citizens who originally purchased the
library, and some years later gave it to the town.
He was appointed a justice of the peace in 1855,
and is now holding a commission; in 1883 he
was appointed a notary public, and also holds
a commission to perform marriages in Brock-
ton. For several years he has been a trustee of
the Brockton Savings Bank.

Soon after attaining his majority Dr. Puffer
became interested in politics, and his interest
has never flagged. Originally an Antislavery
man, he was among the first to help form and
sustain the Eepublican party, and has been
steadfastly devoted to its cause. Outspoken and
frank with tongue and pen, he is counted one
of the most efficient, honorable and successful
political workers in Massachusetts. He has
been on the Republican city committee of
Brockton for many years, and has also served
as chairman of the same. In 1856 he became
an active member of the Plymouth County
Agricultural Society; was a trustee for many
years, and has been vice president. In 1860
Dr. Puffer built the first greenhouse ever con-
structed in North Bridgewater; and from that
date to the present he has been an ardent hor-
ticulturist, florist and frequent, contributor to
agricultural, horticultural and floricultural
publications. Dr. Puffer was one of the most
active originators of the Brockton Agricultural
Society founded in 1874, which was a success
from the start. Its opening exhibition, held in
a tent for ten days, received an income of
$7,400; and to-day (1910) its annual income
has exceeded $100,000. The Doctor is also a
member of the New England Historic Genea-
logical Society; of the Natural History Society
of Boston ; of the Old Bridgewater Historical
Society, of which he has served as president;
of the Stoughton Historical Society, of which
he is a trustee; of the Old Colony Historical



578



SOUTHBASTEKN MASSACHUSETTS



Society (honorary member), of Taunton; and
of the Massachusetts and Suburban Press Asso-
ciation. He is a charter member of Paul
Revere Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and of Satucket
Chapter, E. A. M., of Brockton.

On Sept. 18, 1856, Dr. Puffer was married
to Martha Mary Crane Worcester, niece and
adopted daughter of Hon. Samuel Thomas and
Mary Fenno Crane (Wales) Worcester, of Nor-
walk, Ohio. They have had four children, all
born in North Bridgewater, as follows: Loring
Worce^er, born Feb. 7, 1857, died July 29,
1858; Mary Crane, born April 11, 1859, is at
home, unmarried; William Loring, born May
27, 1863, married Dec. 5, 1888, Eliza Cook
Leonard, of Brockton, daughter of Cyrus and
Mary (Isaacs) Leonard, and has two daugh-
ters, Alice Louise and Catherine; and Clarence
Carter, born June 29, 1870, married June 19,
1901, Minnie Jean Rollins, of Jay, Maine,
daughter of William and Elmira J. (Mace)
Eollina.

AUGUSTUS TURNER JONES (deceased)
was born in North Bridgewater (now Brock-
ton) May 21, 1832, and there — except for the
time spent elsewhere in study or travel — passed
his entire life. As editor for many years of a
paper which under his management became one
of the most influential in this section, and as
a man of public spirit whose interest in the
community led him into active participation
in its administration, he was influential in
shaping the policies which characterize the best
features of the government of Brockton. He
bore an honored name, and his ancestors have
been noted for high ideals of citizenship in
every generation. As a son of Capt. Augustus
Jones and grandson of Capt. A^a Jones he
counted among his immediate forefathers men
who were both useful and active in local affairs.
Both received their titles for service in the
militia. Capt. Augustus Jones was one of the
honored guests at the inauguration of the first
municipal government of Brockton, at which
time he was a venerable man. A glance at the
records of the old North parish of Bridgewater
and of the later town of North Bridgewater
evidence the active part the earlier Joneses took
in its civil and political life.

On the maternal side Mr. Jones was
descended from several of the early settlers of
this section, including the Pilgrim John Alden
and Priscilla Mullins. From Lieut. James
Torrey and Thomas Snell the lines are as fol-
lows:

(I) Lieut. James Torrey, of Seituate, Massa-
chusetts.



(II) Jonathan Torrey, of Weymouth.

(III) Jonathan Torrey (2), of Weymouth.

(IV) David Torrey, of Weymouth.

(V) Deacon David Torrey, of Abington.
(VI') Turner Torrey married Sarah Snell.
(VII) Almeda Torrey married Augustus

Jones.



(I) Thomas Snell settled in what became
West Bridgewater about 1665.

(II) Josiah Snell married Dec. 21, 1699,
Anna Alden, of Duxbury, daughter of
Zachariah Alden.

(III) Zachariah Snell married Abigail Hay-
ward.

(IV) Ischar Snell, the next in line, married
Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Hayward.

(V) Sarah Snell married in 1803 Turner
Torrey.



Returning to the Joneses of Brockton, this
family should more properly be designated the
Raynham-Brockton family. It is an ancient
one in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the
late Augustus Turner Jones being a descend-
ant in the eighth generation from Thomas
Jones, of Hingham, England, who came to
America in the ship "Confidence" in 1638, and
settled at Taunton, Mass., his line of descent
being through Joseph (II) ; Nathan (III) ;
Nehemiah (IV); Nathan (V); Capt. Asa
(VI); and Capt. Augustus (VII).

The original Taunton included Raynham and
what became five other towns, and was settled
in 1638 or 1639 by emigrants principally from
Taunton in England. Settlements were made
in Raynham in 1652 by James Leonard, Henry
Leonard and Ralph Russell, who came from
Wales and first settled in Braintree. The act
setting off Raynham from Taunton as a distinct
subdivision or town bears date of April, 1731.
At the time it embraced thirty families. The
first name on the petition for such act was that
of Abraham Jones, who was the principal agent
in bringing the separation about.

From the late Samuel Jones of Raynham,
who either himself or the immediate family
traced out his line from Joseph Jones, we have
it that the latter settled in that part of Taun-
ton which later became the town of Raynliam;
that he died in 1726, aged sixty-seven years;
that he was a son of Thomas Jones of Hingham,
England, who came to New England in 1638
in the ship "Confidence," etc. The children
of Joseph Jones of Raynham, according to the
Probate records as stated by the late Samuel



SOUTHEASTEKN MASSACHUSETTS



579



Jones cited above, were: Abraham, Benjamin,
Nathan, Elnathan, Submit (married a Part-
ridge), Sarah, Lydia (married a Bosworth),
Rebecca (married a Dyer) and Mary. Of these
it was Abraham Jones who was the principal
agent in bringing about the separation of the
Raynham settlement from the parent town. He
was one of the thirty-two persons dismissed from
the parent church in Taunton to organize the
First Church in the new town — Raynham.
Abraham, Joseph and Mary Jones were all in
full communion with this church when formed.
Joseph Jones was one of the selectmen of the
new town in 1733, and was a justice of the
peace. Several of the daughters of Squire
Jones married men of talent who became dis-
tinguished in the learned professions, namely:
Mary Jones married Rev. John Wilder, of
Charlestown; Louisa Jones married Rev. Linus
Shaw, of Sudbury, and a third daughter be-
came the wife of Dr. Alden Hathaway.

From this Raynham stock has descended the
Brockton family which for a hundred years and
more has been one substantial and influential
there, and which had in the late Augustus
Turner Jones a worthy and highly honored rep-
resentative, a man who had been long and
prominently identified with the business and
financial interests of the community. Mr. Jones
was descended from the North Bridgewater set-
tler, Capt. Asa Jones, who was a son of Nathan
Jones, of Raynham. Nathan Jones, the eldest
son of Capt. Asa, was a corporal in Capt.Nehe-
miah Lincoln's company, called out during the
war of 1812 to guard the forts along the coast.
He was a captain in 1827, major in 1828 and
lieutenant colonel in 1829. He was selectman
of the town of North Bridgewater in 184o and
1844. He was moderator of town meetings in
1836, 1837 and from 1839 to 1842.

Capt. Asa Jones came from Raynham to the
North parish of Bridgewater some years after
the American Revolution and here married,
Dec. 4, 1792, Rachel, daughter of Capt. Jere-
miah Beals. After her death he married (sec-
ond) Nov. 27, 1806, Charity, daughter of Mark
PerkinB. They died, Mr. Jones Dec. 6, 1840,
and Mrs. Jones, March 20, 1849. The chil-
dren of Captain Jones, all born to the first mar-
riage, were : Nathan, born Aug. 19, 1794 ; Ros-
seter, born Sept. 16, 1797 (father of Bradford
Elliot Jones, of Brockton) ; Sally, born Aug.
12, 1799, who married Nov. 18, 1819, John
Thompson; Augustus, bom Oct. 12, 1801; and
Asa Beals, born Sept. 21, 1803.

Capt. Augustus Jones, father of Augustus
Turner Jones, was bom Oct. 12, 1801, in North
Bridgewater. He learned the trade of carpen-



ter, which he followed for a number of years
in partnership with his brother Rosseter, doing
considerable work in Sharon, Milton and Ran-
dolph, as well as in their native town. Some
years prior to his death he retired from carpen-
ter work, his remaining days being devoted to
agricultural pursuits. He was for a number
of years connected with the State militia, being
an ensign in 1803, 1809 and 1818; he held the
commission of captain in the same in 1809, and
in that same year served on the committee of
North parish. Though a man of quiet, unpre-
tentious nature, devoted to his home and fam-
ily, he was an active man in local affairs and in
the religious life of the community. In early
life he was active in the work of the First Con-
gregational Church, being one of the committee
in 1824, and one of the advising committee
when the meeting-house was erected, in 1827;
and he was one of the charter members of the
Porter Congregational Church when it was or-
ganized in 1850, and thereafter until his death
was active in the latter as well as very liberal
in his support.

On Nov. 27, 1828, Captain Jones was married
to Almeda Torrey, eldest daughter of Turner
Torrey, who came from Weymouth, and they
celebrated their golden wedding Nov. 27, 1878.
To this union there were bom the following
children: Augustus Turner, mentioned below,
and Sarah Fidelia, born Jan. 1, 1834. The
daughter married Oct. 18, 1857, Charles R.
Ford (now deceased), who was one of the lead-
ing shoe manufacturers of Brockton for a num-
ber of years. Mrs. Ford now lives with her
daughter, Mrs. Wallace C. Keith, of North
Main street, Brockton; and is also the mother
of Miss Jennie H. Ford of Brockton and Rev.
Edward T. Ford, a Congregational minister of
Tacoma, Washington.

Augustus Turner Jones began his education
in the public schools and then spent part of two
years as a pupil at the Adelphian Academy
(then conducted by the Lopmis Brothers) in his
home town, which at that time was known as
North Bridgewater. Then he entered Phillips
Andover Academy, of which Dr. Samuel H.
Taylor was principal at the time, and in 1854
completed the regular classical course to fit him-
self for college. The same year he entered Am-
herst, but in 1856 changed to Yale, where he
was graduated with high rank in 1858. For a
few years following his graduation he engaged
in teaching. Immediately upon leaving col-
lege he was given a position as classical instruc-
tor in a large training school at Stamford,
Conn., President Woolsey of Yale recommend-
ing him for this work, in which he continued



580



SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS



one year. Then he was ofEered the principal-
ship of a new institution which had been re-
cently opened in Haydenville, Mass., and which
he helped to place upon a practical and sub-
stantial footing, resigning after two years to
return home and enter the field of journalism.
In this line Mr. Jones made a name and place
for himself in the history of North Bridge-
water and Brockton which can never be forgot-
ten. He became proprietor and editorial man-
ager of the North Brid^ewater Gazette in 1863,
and for twenty years devoted his best efforts to
the welfare of that paper, which during that
period attained an amazing influence and popu-
larity. When he took charge it was a weekly
journal, of limited- circulation but great possi-
bilities, which Mr. Jones developed to the ut-
most. He was sincere and enthusiastic, and he
had ideals of what a newspaper should be in
its effect upon the morals and welfare of the
community. With perception, intelligence and
education beyond the ordinary, he had the
vision to see the needs of the growing town and
the demands which would be made upon his
journal, and he led progressive thought and
movements for many years, with an independ-
ence of spirit and a conscientious regard for the
right which won him the respect and support
of the best elements in all classes. When Mr.
Jones sold out and severed his connection with
the newspaper business, Sept. 1, 1884, he left
the Gazette firmly established both in a finan-
cial sense and in its position in the community,
for no paper in the State bore a higher reputa-
tion for honesty of purpose and unquestioned
standards. From 1881 it had been published
daily as the Evening Gazette, the North Bridge-
water Weekly Gazette being continued mean-
while. Both were sold to A. M. Bridgman.
The building in which the weekly and daily
issues were published stood at the northeast
corner of Main and Ward streets, and in 1910
was replaced by the present Marston block.

During this time Mr. Jones had personally
entered heartily into various enterprises des-
tined to keep the town and city abreast of the
times. In 1864, the year after he returned to
North Bridgewater, he was chosen a member
of the school committee, upon which he served
twelve years between that time and 1880, with
a devotion only too rarely found in public offi-
cials. In March, 1864, he was a member of a
committee appointed to consider the advisability
of establishing a high school in the town. In
1872 he was appointed postmaster by President
Grant, and had the appointment renewed in
1873, serving until 1876, when he resigned this
office. In 1874 he was elected first town mod-



erator and frequently thereafter, and his ability
as a presiding officer over public assemblies was
so generally recognized that he was often called
upon to act as such, and he was often chairman
at political conventions and various public
gatherings. In 1878, when it was decided to
establish the public water works in Brockton,
he was selected a member of the committee to
decide upon the best source of supply and the
best system to adopt, and he took an active part
in establishing what was for many years the
city's source of supply — the Avon reservoir. He
was appointed a member of the committee cho-
sen by the town to frame a city charter for
Brockton and represented his ward in 1882 in
the first city council, of which he was unani-
mously chosen president. In 1886, 1887 and
1891 he was elected tax collector, and in 1887
became city treasurer, which office he held for