registry division in 1884, which position he
now holds. He married Helen P. Baker, of
Duxbury. Massachusetts ; resides in Dorches-
ter. Child of second wife: 12. Edmund
Brownell. born in Duxbury, 1849, resides in
Providence. Rhode Island.
fVII) William Bradford, son of Gershom
I'radford VN'^eston. was born in Duxbury. June
20. 1830. He received his education in the
public schools, and at the age of fifteen entered
the counting room of Edward C. Bates &
Company, importers and shippers, as clerk.
.•\t the age of seventeen he became head book-
keeper, cashier and confidential clerk, in full
charge of the counting room, and at the age
of twenty-one was admitted to the firm. Mr.
MASSACHUSETTS.
399
Bates always fully appreciated yi:>uiig Weston's
business ability' and willingness to work at all
times, and as a partner placed great and full
confidence and reliance in him, leaving it in his
hands to execute and carry out all the busi-
ness affairs as planned by his senior. The
counting room of the company was located at
47 India Wharf. Boston, until 1851, when .Mr.
Bates was elected the first president of the
Bank of Commerce (which he was largely
instrumental in founding and organizing)
when the counting room was moved to 85
State street, over the bank. The business was
with the West Indies, especially Cuba. They
shipped goods also to various other countries —
Russia, England and Spain — having a very
large exporting and importing trade, ranking
then, as always, among the largest merchants
of his day and time. During the financial
panic of 1857 the firm went out of business,
when Mr. Bates, with his nephew Ives G.
Bates, under the firm name of E. C. & I. G.
Bates, were appointed and accepted the Boston
agency of the Cunard Steamship Company.
They had carried on an extensive trade, im-
porting molasses, sugar and cigars and export-
ing sugar box shooks, hogshead shocks, and
empty molasses hogsheads, salt fish, railroad
sleepers, and machinery for the manufacture
of sugar. The firm owned their ships, among
them being the old ships "Tirrell" and "Queen
of the Pacific," and barques "Lecocq" and
"Mimosa." Mr. Weston passed the winter of
1858 in Cuba and traveled all over the island,
renewing his acquaintance with the friends and
correspondents of his old firm and arranging
for his future business, and on his return to
Boston started in business on his own account,
importing sugar, the firm name being William
B. Weston, the counting room situated at
â– Rowe's Wharf, and afterward at 99 State
street, Boston. For seven years M r. W^cston car-
ried on the business, importing sugar, molasses
and cigars. He then entered into i)artncrship
with G. P. Carter, the firm name being Carter
& W'eston, successors to the old firm of Charles
Hickling & Company, having the largest book
printing and binding business in the state, in
the manufacture of school books and music
books. In 1880 Mr. Carter died and Mr.
Weston continued the business alone until
1895, when he retired. He resided in Boston
many years, and in i860 removed to Roxbury,
and ten years later to Milton, where he has
since lived. He was a director of the Kansas
City & Atlantic Railroad Company; in i860 a
director of the Fairfield Gold Mining Com-
pany of Colorado; treasurer of the East Bos-
ton Dock Company, I^xington Paint Com-
pany, and American Patent Tubing Company ;
also served as an expert accountant on several
occasions. He has voted the Republican ticket
at every election since i85(). and has often
served his ])arty as delegate to nominating con-
ventions, and has exerted a potent inlluencc in
political affairs. Mr.- Weston, being of a very
modest and retiring disposition, would never
accept public office (though urged to do so by
his friends) but always worked and voted for
highmindcd and honest men for public office.
Mr. Weston, in 1907, gave to the town of
Milton a handsome drinking fountain for man
and beast, and in other ways has shown his
interest in municipal welfare. This fountain,
cut from Quincy granite, is a very handsome
afifair. It is so arranged that clean water con-
stantly flows into three receptacles — one for
the human family and another for horses, and
a third for dogs. It stands at the corner of
Adams street and Randolph avenue, and bears
this inscription: "Adam's ale for man and
beast." "Presented to the town by William B.
W' cston, 1907." It is a credit in design to both
the donor and the town, and signifies the inter-
est taken by Mr. Weston in his town and his
kindness and forethought for the animal king-
dom. Mr. Weston, being a gentleman of high
sense of honor, integrity and honesty, always
lived a sim])le life, minding his own business
and i)rivate afl'airs, and never wronged any
one out of a cent, always having for his guid-
ance, "live and let live," and "Do unto others
as you would have others do unto you." He
was trustee of the Public Library for ten years
or more. The Westons were all large men,
mostly six fpoters or more.
He married, October 25, 1856, Charlotte
Louisa Fiske, born in Charlestown, Massachu-
setts, October 23, 1823, died I'ebruary i, 1900,
daughter of John J. and -Sarah (Stetson) Fiske,
of Charlestown, Massachusetts, and New York
City.
The surname Mann appears very
MAXN early in English history and no
doubt in Germany carder as a
patronymic. In the earliest records it is gen-
erally spelled Man, and in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries both Man and Mann. In
the Domesday I'.ook (1086), Willelmus filius
Manne is mentioned as a landholder in county
Hants, luiglanrl. \'arious branches of the
Maim family are foinid in counties Norfolk,
Northampton, Gloucester, Norfolk, Lincoln
400
MASSACHUSETTS.
and York. The principal. seat of the family
seems to have been at Bramley, county York,
and from this family the immigrant William
Mann, who settled at Cambridge. Massachu-
setts, is thought to have descended. There
are several coat-of-arms borne by various
branches of the Mann family, all somewhat
similar, some bearing three lions, others three
goats, and one. three legs conjoined, while a
tower appears in the crest. Arms of the Essex
family : .A chevron ermine between three lions
rampant sable. Crest : A tower or, issuant
from the top five tilting spears proper. Motto :
\ irtiis vincet invidiam. .Another: Argent
three anti(|ue boots sable spurs or. Crest : A
demi-man jiroper wreathed about the temples
and loins vert holding over the de.xter shoulder
an arrow proper. The Lancaster family bore
arms : Per fesse embattled argent, and azure,
three goats passant counter charged, attired or.
Richard Mann, immigrant ancestor, born in
England, settled in Scituate, Massachusetts,
before 1644, when he was the owner of land
there. He took the oath of fidelity Januarv
15. 1644. He has often been confounded
with Richard More, who came in the "May-
flower" with the family of Elder Brewster,
and many of the descendants of Richard
Mann, relying on the statement of the historian
of Scituate, who was misled by the similarity
of names when written, have claimed to have
Mayflower ancestry. Richard Mann was a
farmer, and was one of the twenty-si.x part-
ners in the celebrated Conihasset grant in 1646.
He was drowned February 16, 1655, while
crossing the ice on the pond near his house.
John Hoar, who subsequently went to Con-
cord, Massachusetts, was his near neighbor,
and was on the jury that held the inquest after
the death. The verdict shows that with the
vain attempts of those ])resent to help him, he
struggled for an hour, and finally succumbed
to the cold and was drowned. His widow
Rebecca married (second) March, 1656-7,
John Cowan, and lived in tJie .Mann house
until i-fio. Cowan was killed at Rehoboth in
the Indian fight in 1676. Rebecca had five
children by her second marriage. Children of
Richard M.mn: i. Xathaniel, Ixirn Sejjteniber
23, 1646; died July 20, 1688. 2. Thomas, born
August 15. 1650; mentioned below. 3. Rich-
ard, bom February 5. 1652: married Elizabeth
Sutton. 4. Josiah, born December 10, 1654,
prol)ably died young, though he may be tlie
Josiah who was in Boston, 1674-6.
(II) Thomas, son of Richard Mann, was
born in Scituate, August 15, if>50. He .served
on a coroner's jury, March 20, 1677. He
was admitted a freeman in 1680. In 1679 he
settled his father's estate, and in 1703 he pur-
chased of his brother, Richard Mann, lands on
Mann Hill, and deeded this land .April 9. 1713,
to his second son, Thomas, Jr. He also deeded
land to his sons Joseph and Benjamin, Febru-
ary 24. 1719, and to his son Ensign Mann,
March 6, 1722, and lastly, half his remaining
estate, in 1723, to his son Joseph. He married
Sarah . He died at Scituate in 1732,
and his will was proved July 12, 1732. Chil-
dren: I. Josiah. born ^larch 11. 1679: died
1708. 2. Thomas, born .April 5, 1681 : married
Deborah Joy. 3. Sarah, born November 15,
1684: married (jibbs. 4. Mary, born
March 15, 1688: died unmarried, 1723. 5.
Elizabeth, born March 10, 1692. died 1723. 6.
Joseph, born December 27, 1694; mentioned
below. 7. Benjamin, born February 19. 1697 ;
married Alartha Curtis. 8. Ensign, born about
1699; married widow Tabitha \'inall.
(HI) Joseph, son of Thomas Mann, was
born in Scituate, December 27, 1694. and died
in Braintree (now Randolph), about 1747. He
was e.xecutor of his father's will in 1732. His
father deeded to him a part of the estate on
.Mann Hill, February 24. 1719. In 1732 he
sold the pro])crty to Jeremiah Pierce, and
removed to I!oston. Later he was of Brain-
tree, where he had a farm of eighty acres of
Gideon Thayer in the south precinct of that
town, afterwards Randol])h. In 1742, calling
himself of Hanover, he transferred a part of
that estate to his brother, Benjamin ilann, of
Hanover. The farm remained in the family
for many generations, and is situated about
two miles north of the village of Randolph.
He married Mary . Children, born in
.Scituate: i. Joseph, October 10, 1722: mar-
ried Elizabeth Xilcs. 2. Seth, 1724, mentioned'
below. 3. Iqihraim, 1728; married Sarah
Glover. 4. Mary, 1730; married .August 27,
1751. Moses Littlefield. 5. Delight, born 1732;
married. October 11, 1750, Ephraim Hunt. Jr.
( 1\") Lieutenant Seth, son of Joseph Mann,
was born in 1724, and died January 28, 1815,
aged ninty-one years. He was a farmer and
a!i extensive land bolder, and resided on the
farm formerly owned by his father, situated
at what was known as the West Corner, where
his descendants at last accounts still lived, and
where his house .still stands. He married
(first) October 14. 1745, Rachel Spear;
(second) October 18. 1750, Elizabeth Dyer;
(third) Deborah Dyer, widow, d.iughter
of .Nathaniel Littlefield. Children: i. Deb-
MASSACHUSETTS.
401
orah. born April i. I74^>. died October 4,
1822; married Zacbeus Thayer. 2. Seth, born
December 3, 1747, married Mary Hayward.
3. Benjamin, born 1751 : married Hannah
Hayward. 4. Ephraim, born April 3, 1752;
married Comfort Jewett. 5. Tietsey, born Oc-
tober 20, 1753: died June 3. 1833; married
William Pilancliard. 6. Enos, born March 20,
1755; died aged thirty. 7. Rachel, born Feb-
rnary 11. 1757: died December 2(). 1833; mar-
ried Joseph Riford. 8. Mary, born December
19, 1758: married .Xdam Howard. 9. Samuel,
born September 13, 1760; married (first)
Nancy Pettee. 10. Sarah, born July 11, 1762;
died June 2. 1852: married Micah \\'hite. 11.
.Anna, born May 18, 1764; married Deacon
Eames. 12. Stephen, born March 11, 1766;
married Lucy Pettee. 13. Job. born March 26,
1769; married Matilda Fuller. 14. Elisha, born
February 4. 1771 : mentioned below. 15. Phebe,
born September 19, 1772: elied December 20,
1849; married Samuel Temple. 16. Olive,
born .August 4. 1774: died .April 9, 1855; mar-
ried Deacon Asa Thayer. 17. Esther, born
February 9. 1776: died .April 19, 1847; mar-
ried Rufus Thayer. 18. John, born November
18, 1777.
(\ ) Elisha, son of Lieutenant Seth Mann,
was born February 4. 1771. He inherited one-
half of his father's farm at Randolpli. He
was admitted a member of the First Congre-
gational Church there in 1800, and was elected
deacon in 1819, resigning in 1841. He married
.Abigail W'hitcomb. born 1775, died 1843,
daughter of Lieutenant Jacob \Vhitcomb. Chil-
dren, born in Randolph: i. Mary, May 4,
1798: died March 13, 1848; married (first)
Levi Mann; (second) Deacon Ziba Spear;
(third) Rollins. 2. Lorena, born Oc-
tober 7. 1800: married Warren White. 3.
Elisha. born March 31, 1803. mentioned below.
4. Adoniram Judson, March 28, 1805; married
Rosetta Howard. 5. F'iachel. May 17, 1807:
died December 23, 1857; married Deacon
Wales Thayer. 6. Esther, August 6, 1809;
died March 11, 1881 ; married Thomas
Lamson. 7. .Abigail Whitcomb. .X'ovember i,
181 1 : died suddenly December i, 1829. 8.
Lucinda, Ajiril 12, 1814; died September 4,
1879; married Zachariah Tucker. 9. Rev. Asa,
April 9, 1816; married Mary W. P.ruce. 10.
Anna, .April 9, 1816; married Ira Odcll. il.
Ephraim, .April 18, 1820; married (first)
Marv lane Leeds.
(\T")Elisha (2), son of Elisha (j) Mann,
was born in Randoli)h, March 31, 1803. He
resided on the homestead, and married (first)
Catherine Tucker, and (second) Naomi ^L^nn.
Children of fir.st wife: i. Elisha, born De-
cember 17, 1829; married (first) Sarah Jane
Howard. 2. Minerva, born July 17, 1831 ;
died February 4, 1847. ,3- Nelson, born Jan-
uary 23, 1834: mentioned below. 4. Catherine,
born March 5, 1836. 5. Rachel Lavinia, born
April 8, 1841 : married .April 8, 1868. Ceorge
M. I'rench. fx Charles llenry. born Novem-
ber 4. 1842: married June 11. 1867, Harriet
Aiuia i'hilli]js.
(VH) Nelson, son of Elisha (2) Mann,
was born in Randolph, January 23, 1834. He
received his education in the district schools
and at Pierce .Academy, Middleborough. He
worked on his father's farm until he was nine-
teen years of age. and was clerk for a time in
a grocery store, lie worked in various shoe
factories and learned the business thoroughly,
and then engaged in manufacturing boots and
shoes in Randolph. He retired from business
in 1884, and since then has been living in Ran-
dolph. He enlisted in Company D, I'ourth
Massachusetts Regiment, in the civil war, and
has kept a record of the members of that com-
pany down to the present time. He was band
master in his regiment. He lias always been
prominent in musical affairs, and was for
many years leader of the Randolph Brass
Band and director of the old Stoughton
Musical .Association. He is a Re|)ul)lican in
politics, and an attendant of tlie I'aplist
Church of Randoljih, and was leader of the
choir for forty years. He is interested in local
history, and has in his possession many old
deeds and other documents of historical
importance. He married, June 9, 1864, Jane
Elizabeth Howarrl, born in Randolph in 1840,
daughter of .Nathaniel and .Almira (Hough-
ton) Howard. Children, born at Ranrlolph:
I. Howard Nelson, August 24, 1865: died
-August 22, 1870. 2. .Mary Porter, May i,
1870; died .Sejnember 4, 1885.
(The Howard Line).
Jane Elizabeth ( Howard) Mann, wife of
Nelson Mann, is descended from John
Howard ((|. v), through Major Jonathan (n)
and
(III) Dr. .Abiel, son of .Major Jonathan
Howard, was a graduate of Harvard College,
1729, and married .Silence, daughter of Nehe-
miah Washburn. Children: i. .Silence, born
1738; married, 1757, Dr. Philij) Bryant. 2.
Nchemiah, born 1740, mentioned below. 3.
Jane, 1742, married, 17^)3, Ebenezer Ames. 4.
John, 1743. 5. Daniel, 1746. 6. Charity, 1748,
402
MASSACHUSETTS.
died unmarried. 7. Ann, 1750, married, 1776,
Jacob Foster, of Maine. 8. Joshua, 1751, lived
in Easton, and married, 1776, I'risciila Capen,
of Stoughton.
(IV'j Nehemiah, son of Dr. Abiel Howard,
was born in 1740, died September 30, 1825.
He resided in or near Easton, Massachusetts.
He was a soldier in the revolution in Captain
Seth Pratt's company, Colonel James Will-
iams's regiment (Bristol county) in August,
1780, on a Rhode Island alarm. He married,
1768, Hannah Dean, of Easton, born August,
1745, died November 2, 1820. Children: i.
Abiel, born May i, 1771, died December 25,
1859. 2. Dean, April 5, 1773, died March 11,
1862; married, 1800, Polly Perkins. 3. Asa,
April I, 1775, died January i, 1838. 4. Han-
nah, June 24, 1778, died February 6, 1864;
married Mitchell, of Easton. 5. Jep-
tiiali, April 22, 1780, died November 13, 1839;
married, 1804, Betsey Knapp. 6. Natlianiel,
July II, 1786, mentioned below.
(V) Nathaniel, son of Nehemiah Howard,
wah born at Easton, July 11, 1786, died there
Jainiary 28, 1857. He married Anna Tink-
ham, born in Middleborough, Massachusetts,
died at tlie home of Nelson Alann, 1871. Chil-
dren, born at Easton: i. Jane, born F'ebruary
22. 1814, died February 5, 1886; married the
Rev. Dr. James Porter. 2. Antoinette Frances,
May 7, 1815, died January 17, 1842; married
Charles Richardson. 3. 5y'athaniel, April 28,
1817, mentioned below. 4. Augustus Orville,
January 21, 1 82 1, died November 9, 1889.
(\'I) Nathaniel (i), son of Nathaniel (2)
Howard was born in North Easton, April 28,
1817, died July 11, 1897, at Randolph. He was
educated in the district schools, the Maiidell
school at West Rridgewater and the Randolph
Academy. He began his business career as a clerk
in a store in his native town, but after a short
time he went into a shoe factory and learned
the trade of shoe cutter. In October, 1836, he
formed a partnership with .\biel Howard for
the manufacture of boots and shoes; this con-
tinued until 1838 when Mr. Howard retired
and John L. F'rench came into the firm, the
firm becoming Howard, French & Company,
the company consisting of Nathaniel Howard,
Jr., John L. French and Cjeorge W. French.
In 1842 George W. French died, and in 1857
A. O. French was admitted and the firm
became Howard & French, which ct)ntinued
until 1873, when Nathaniel Howard retired
from the business, which was located in Ran-
dolph, Massachusetts. He was prominent in
town affairs, and from 1875 to 1878 was a
member of the board of selectmen; from 1870
to 1876 a member of the school committee;
justice of the peace from 1866 to 1894; treas-
urer of the Central cemetery in 1897. He was
a trustee of the Randolph Savings Bank for
many years; trustee of the Stetson high
school three years ; treasurer, trustee and col-
lector of the Baptist church from 1875 to 1891.
He was a Republican in politics. He married
.'\lmira Houghton, born November 20, 1817,
in New York, died September 27, 1899, at
Randolph. Children: I. Jane Elizabeth, born
December 30, 1840, married Nelson Mann, son
of Elisha Mann (see Mann family). 2. Fred
S., November 21, 1845, died December 7, 1845.
3. Antoinette Frances, October 18, 1856,
resides at Randolph on the homestead.
The Phelps family date from
PHELPS Eombardy. northern Italy, where
they were called Welf. In the
eleventh century they migrated to Germany
and changed the name to Guelph. In the si.x-
teenth century they crossed to Scotland and
the name became Phelps. The Royal House
of Hanover to which Queen Victoria belonged
was of the Welf lineage, and her family has
been distinctly traced back to the city of Padu.
The English seat of the family was in Tewkes-
bury, Gloucestershire, and beneath the old
Abbey church there remain the lettered tomb-
stones of the ancestors. The name has been
variously spelled. Philps, Phelipps, Phelpes,
Philipp, Philippes, Philipps, Phellips, Phil-
lippes, Phillipp and Phellips, Phylippes,Phelyp,
Phelpse and Felpes. The word Phelps has its
root Pilos, Greek for friend. The escutcheon
of the .\merican branch was "per pale, or and
argent a wolf salient azure with anorle of eight
crosses-crosslet and fitchie and gule, crest a
wolf's head erased, azure collard or, the coUard
charged with a martlet sable." Interpreted
this is supposed to mean : The parting per
pale indicates that a fortification had been
placed by ancestor in face of an enemy. The
wolf signifies courage and endurance, the
crosses-croslets fitchee being emblems of the
second crusade, shows that it was in that cam-
paign the arms were earned. The martlet on
the crest is the martin or swallows of Palestine,
and infers that the ancestor has been on a pil-
grimage to the Holy Land in addition to hav-
ing been in the second crusade.
(I) James Phel])s was born about 1520.
The name of his wife was Joan. According to
the prerogative court of Canterbury, adminis-
tration was granted on his estate May 10, 1588.
iMASSACHfSRTTS.
403
His children, baptized in the Tewkesbury
Abbey Church : \\illiain. Thomas, George,
Alice, Edward, Keneline, Richard and Robert.
(II) William, eldest son of James and Joan
Phelps, was born August 4, 1550. His wife
was Dorothy (surname unknown). Adminis-
tration was granted on his estate September
28. 161 1. His wife died in 1613. Children:
Mary. Mary, Thomas (who was the progeni-
tor of the Irish Phelps), Dorothy, William
(mentioned below), Elizabeth and George.
(III) William (2), second son of William
(i) and Dorothy Phelps, was born August 19.
1599. and emigrated to the new world, sailing
from Plymouth, England, March 30, i'')3o, in
the ship "Mary and John," Captain Sc|ueb, with
one hundred and forty passengers, landing at
Hull, Massachusetts, May 30, 1630. With
him was his wife and six children. The origi-
nal intention of the party w-as to land on the
bank of the Charles river, but a misunder-
standing arose between the captain and his
passengers and they were unceremoniously put
ashore at Hull, where they had to shift for
themselves. The cruel captain, however, had
to settle in damages for the uncivil act. Will-
iam was made a freeman October 19, 1630,
served on the first jury impanelled in New
England, September 27, was made constable,
was one of the committee to establish the
boundary line between Boston and Roxbury,
w'as on a committee to see about the enlarge-
ment of Boston and in 1635 was member of
the general court. That year he went with
Rev. Mr. Warham and his parishioners to
settle Windsor, Connecticut, which was first
called Dorchester. He w'as one of seven
appointed by the Massachusetts company, for
it was then supposed it belonged to the Alassa-
chusetts government, to govern the colony. It
was later learned that the colony was out of
the Massachusetts jurisdiction, and the several
colonies in Connecticut met at Hartford and
adopted a constitution. In the work of draft-
ing this document, William had a hand. The
principles enunciated in that constitution form
the body of the organic law of Connecticut
today. These simple ()ioneers in the wilder-
ness builded better than they knew. He held
the oflfice of magistrate fourteen years, and
was one of the committee to treat with the
Phenicke Indians. His residence in Windsor
was on the road running northerly and later
continued to Po(|uonoc and a short distance
north of the mill in the mill-river valley. He
was drowned out in the great flood of 1639,
after which he moved to the highlands. Marks
of the cellar of the old house may still be seen.
The first wife of Mr. Phelps died in iCr^s,
before he left Dorchester, Massachusetts. lie
married for his second wife, Mary Dover, in
1638, who was a passenger on the same ship
with him. He died July 14, 1672, his wife
surviving him three years. I le was an upright
man, walked humbly with his ( iod, and whose
])ul)lic and private life was without reproach.
He helped to found two commonwealths, Mass-
achusetts and Connecticut. Well may any
race be proud to bank upon such a forbear as
this noble man. Children by first marriage:
Richard, William, Sarah, Samuel, Nathaniel
and Joseph. By Mary Dover, he had Timothy
and Mary.
(IV) Deacon Nathaniel, fourth son of Will-
iam (2) Phelps, was born in Tewkesbury, Eng-
land, about 1627, died honored and respected
at Northampton, Massachusetts, in his seventy-
fifth year. He came to America with his
father and moved to Windsor with the Hooker
treke Conneclicutwards. He resided on the
Orton place opjjosite his father's. In 1656 he
removed to Northampton, of which he was a
first settler. The homestead he occui)ied for
forty-three years was later Margaret Dwight's
private school and afterward the Dudley Col-
lege Institute, and is now Shady Lawn. I-'eb-
niary 8, 1679, he took the oath of allegiance
and fidelity before Major Pynchon ; in 1685
was made a freeman by the general court of
I'.oston. He married Elizabeth Copley in