permanent business of his life. October 20, 1785, he married Miss Sylvia
Sturtevant, whose family connections were very worthy and highly
respected. Her father was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and
fell on the battle-field fighting for independence. The Sturtevant
people have received honorable mention in the annals of history, and
their name is written among those who deserve well of their country. Not
long after his marriage he moved to Sandwich, Mass., from that place to
Wayne, in the state of Maine, where he resided during the remainder of
his life. He was successful in business and became a prominent and
highly respected citizen. He was a man of modest and retiring habits and
exemplary character, but of indomitable will and inflexible adherence to
what he believed to be right. If his life were the subject of our
sketch, we could fill it with incidents showing his remarkable tenacity
of purpose. Robert Francis and Sylvia Cumner had two children,--John,
born January 19, 1788, and Polly, a few years younger. He died February
5, 1825, and his wife, March 26, 1826, and their remains were interred
in the Evergreen cemetery in Wayne.
John Cumner was but a few months old when the family moved from
Sandwich, Mass., to Wayne. He was of a sanguine active nature and early
evinced the character of a sincere and zealous worker in religious
matters. He obtained a fair education, and although to a certain extent
compelled to work on the farm and devote himself to that kind of
employment, his thoughts ran upon matters more congenial to his nature.
When about eighteen years of age he was employed by Gen. Landsell to
take charge of his farm in Bridgewater, Mass., where he remained several
summer seasons. During this time he became acquainted with Miss Hannah
Thomas Bartlett, of Bridgewater, whom he married July 11, 1813. He
settled in Wayne, upon the farm which became the homestead, and was so
occupied by the family during his many years of labor and life in the
ministry.
He was associated with the society of the Methodist Episcopal church,
and interested in the affairs of that denomination, at the early age of
nineteen years, and soon after appointed a class leader and licensed to
preach. His labors were attended with marked success, and at the annual
meeting of the general conference for Maine, in 1833, he was admitted to
membership and received his first appointment. He continued in the
active ministry until 1852, when failing health obliged him to cease
labor; but his love for the church and his zeal in the cause of its
established creeds continued unabated during his remaining years. He
died February 5, 1861, closing a life of industry and devotion, in which
he had accomplished more good than usually falls to the lot of man. His
wife died December 5, 1852. She was very beautiful when young, and was
much beloved and admired by her wide circle of friends. Possessed of an
earnest and devotional nature, she entered with ardent sympathy into the
plans and labors of her husband; faithfully bearing her share of life's
varied duties,--firmly in the hour of trial, and with amiable
companionship when prosperity filled the measure of their ambition. They
had eleven children, two of whom died in infancy. Three others have
deceased,--Maryetta in 1871, and Francis and James in 1881. The
remaining members of the family are Cathamander, William B., John T.,
Nathaniel W., Charles W., and Benjamin G. Cumner.
NATHANIEL WENTWORTH, the youngest but two of the children of John and
Hannah T. Cumner, was born at Wayne, November 28, 1829. His early life
was devoted to obtaining an education in the vicinity of his home,
passing from the district to the private school in the town of Wayne,
and to other schools and seminaries in the circuit where his father's
appointments were made. During some portion of the season, for a few
years he assisted the older brothers in cultivating the homestead farm,
but at the age of sixteen he went to Wilton, Me., and engaged in
learning the tailor's trade. He remained there about three years; then
went to Waltham, Mass., staying there about one year and a half; then to
Lowell, Mass., where he remained until 1851, when he came to Manchester,
N. H., and entered the employ of B. F. Manning, then doing business in
the store occupied in later years by the firm of Cumner & Company.
In January, 1854, Mr. Cumner became a partner in the business of
merchant tailors and clothiers, the firm name being Manning & Cumner.
This arrangement continued until August, 1857. Mr. Cumner then withdrew
and went to Washington, D. C., as a member of the firm of F. Tenney &
Co., proprietors of the National Hotel. In August, 1859, he returned to
Manchester and purchased the stock and "good will" of the Manning store,
and entered at once into business, in which he continued as the sole
proprietor until 1865, when his brother Benjamin G. Cumner became
associated with him, forming the copartnership of Cumner & Company. At
this time Mr. Cumner became also a member of the well known wholesale
house of Sibley, Cumner, & Co., in Boston, having purchased an interest
in the old house of Foster & Sibley, and devoted his attention largely
to the wholesale trade. In 1868, Lyman E. Sibley retired and Mr. Cumner
became the senior member, the name of the firm remaining the same.
In the great fire of November 9, 1872, their establishment was among the
first to be burned, and the firm suffered a total loss of their immense
stock; but their credit was so strong, and their energy and ability so
widely recognized, that their business received no check, and the
transactions of the house proceeded even upon a more extensive scale
than before. In 1879 the firm became Cumner, Jones, & Co., which is the
present style of the business. In 1881 he sold his interest in the
business of Cumner & Co. in Manchester, which had enjoyed unvarying
success and great prosperity from the beginning; and from that time
devoted himself entirely to the Boston house. The business had so
largely increased that it became necessary to give it his constant
personal attention. The reputation of Cumner, Jones, & Co., in
commercial circles, has become widely known, and its remarkable success
an acknowledged fact.
Mr. Cumner has been eminently successful as a business man. Possessing
in a large degree self-reliance and confidence in his own judgment, he
selected an honorable calling and devoted himself to its duties and
demands. He believed that industry and perseverance, with well matured
plans, were certain to produce the most desirable results. He knew the
energy and fidelity of his own character, and trusted to the safety of
sound principle; and he has proved that his plans were wisely laid and
his ways well chosen. At a comparatively early age he has acquired a
competence, and in his position of senior member of one of the soundest
and most prosperous, and at the same time conservative, wholesale houses
in New England, his influence is always in favor of that healthy and
reliable condition of trade which establishes public confidence and
guarantees general prosperity.
And not only in connection with his partnership associations is Mr.
Cumner known as a business man. In the circles where the leading
merchants and importers of our New England metropolis are accustomed to
meet and discuss the laws of trade and canvass the prospects of the
future, his judgment is greatly respected, and the intelligence and
foresight with which he is able to advise are highly regarded. He bears
an unblemished reputation as a man of honor and fairness, in all ways
commanding universal respect and esteem,--a gentleman in the true
significance of the term. In the wide range of personal distinction,
among all the marks of honor and renown which the world affords, the
title of a true gentleman stands first, and he who bears it worthily
need envy neither prince nor potentate.
As a citizen, Mr. Cumner has taken an earnest and unvarying interest in
public affairs. Politically, his associations have been with the
Democratic party; but his views have been conservative, looking to the
real purposes of the government rather than the aims and desires of
party politicians. While residing in Manchester he held important
offices in the municipal government, was a faithful public servant,
working zealously to promote the general interests and the common good
of his constituents, of whom he deserved well.
Mr. Cumner became a member of the celebrated military organization, the
Amoskeag Veterans, in the days of its origin, and has continued to do
active duty through the entire term of its existence. He held the office
of captain in 1870, and commander of the battalion, with the rank of
major, in 1879 and 1880. During his membership he has served in
countless capacities incident to the general management of the
organization, and while commander did very effective service in
promoting harmony and unity of purpose, and increased in a great degree
the interest and efficiency of the corps.
Mr. Cumner's connection with the Masonic fraternity has been a very
prominent feature of his life. He became a Mason in Lafayette Lodge,
Manchester. May, 1850, and was one of the petitioners and charter
members of Washington Lodge in 1857. He held many subordinate offices,
and was the Worshipful Master in 1862 and 1863, and has been treasurer
nearly all the time since. His keen scrutiny of its business affairs and
careful management of its accounts have done much to keep his lodge in
sound financial condition. In 1856 he received the capitular degrees in
Mt. Horeb Royal Arch Chapter, and, after serving at almost every post in
that body, became its High Priest from 1862 to 1864. He took the cryptic
degrees in Adoniram Council, in May, 1857, and soon after the orders of
knighthood were conferred upon him in Trinity Commandry, Knights
Templar. In all these subordinate bodies he sustained an ardent and
zealous membership, contributing freely to their support and aiding
materially in their prosperity. In 1802 he was admitted to the degree of
High Priesthood, and in 1803 received the degrees of the Ancient and
Accepted Rite to the 32d, inclusive, in Boston, and in September, 1881,
was elected to the 33rd and last grade in Masonry. In the Grand Masonic
bodies of New Hampshire he has been equally prominent, and his earnest
labors and sincere devotion to their interests have been recognized and
appreciated. After holding several offices in the M. E. Grand Royal Arch
Chapter of New Hampshire, he was elected Grand High Priest in 1867 and
1868, and gave eminent satisfaction by his management of affairs. In the
Grand Lodge of New Hampshire he held nearly all the subordinate
positions, and was elected Most Worshipful Grand Master in 1872, 1873,
and 1874. As the presiding officer in these grand bodies, whose duties
are mostly legislative, he commanded the respect of the fraternity for
fairness and impartiality, and was highly esteemed for his graceful and
courteous bearing. His addresses and official papers were regarded as
sound and creditable documents by the fraternity in other jurisdictions.
If Mr. Cumner has been prosperous and successful in other departments of
life, he has been remarkably happy and fortunate in his family and
social relations. He married Miss Harriet Elizabeth Wadley, daughter of
Moses D. Wadley, of Bradford, N. H., January 24, 1856. They have two
sons,--Harry Wadley Cumner, born July 18, 1860, and Arthur Bartlett
Cumner, born July 30, 1871. Harry Wadley graduated from the Manchester
high school in 1879, with high standing in his class and the reputation
of a faithful and efficient student. He entered the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, in Boston, in 1879, as a special student,
remaining two years. In 1881 he engaged in mercantile life; and having
integrity and the capacity to make the best use of his privileges and
attainments, he has certainly the earnest of a prosperous and honorable
life. Arthur Bartlett, a bright and beautiful boy of uncommon
intelligence, has yet to climb the pathway of youth; but if aught can be
predicted from such tender years he is not likely to disappoint the fond
hopes of parents and friends.
In the common judgment of mankind, woman receives very little credit for
the success of man in the struggles and achievements of this life. The
intuitive judgment and unfaltering support with which the faithful and
devoted wife aids her husband are unseen influences, the force and
importance of which never have been and probably never will be
understood or appreciated; and, although the remarkable success which
the subject of this sketch has gained may be attributed to his ability
and integrity, still the high social position to which the family have
attained, and the important and very creditable purposes which they have
accomplished, are equally due to the clear and well trained judgment,
the watchful care and oversight of domestic affairs, and the amiable
companionship of his estimable and accomplished wife. While in their
relative spheres, either in the busy marts of trade or the domestic
departments of life, "on change" or in the drawing-room, each to a
certain extent must be judged independently, in all the economy of life
her individuality and influence will be seen to have done their full
share in molding the fortunes of the family.
Anxiously we strive to look behind the "cloud curtains" that veil the
future and hide from view what lies in the untried ways beyond. Vainly
through the shadows which the sorrows of real life cast far in advance,
and into the misty lands "whence come the troops of good and evil
forces," so strangely and mysteriously mingled, we gaze and endeavor to
discern the hastening events upon which our happiness and success so
largely depend. But if we may predict of the future by the past, if we
can anticipate what is to come by what has been accomplished, then shall
the members of this family be blessed with the enjoyment of their full
share of all that is happiest and best.
COL. CHANDLER E. POTTER.
Col. CHANDLER EASTMAN POTTER was a native of East Concord, N. H., born
March 7, 1807, son of Joseph and Anna (Drake) Potter. He graduated at
Dartmouth College in 1831, taught high schools in Concord and Portsmouth
several years, read law, and was admitted to the bar and practiced in
Concord. In 1814 he moved to Manchester, where he owned and edited the
_Manchester Democrat_ until the fall of 1848, when he sold the paper.
From 1852 to 1856 he was editor of the _Monthly Visitor_ and _Granite
Farmer_. In June, 1848, he was appointed justice of the Manchester
police court, succeeding Hon. Samuel D. Bell, which office he filled
seven years, with honor and credit to himself. He was an able and
efficient member of the Historical Society in New Hampshire, and other
societies, and author of a very elaborate and correct history of
Manchester. His ennobling views of man and nature, and of sound, true
principles were always heard with profound attention and delight. He had
copiousness of ideas, and his writings were always filled with the
thoughts of a comprehensive mind, instructing all who read what he wrote
with a ready pen. He was interested in the study of the Indian language,
and has written many sketches of Indian character, and was a contributor
to Schoolcraft's Indian work. "Col. Potter was probably the best
informed man and antiquarian in the state, on all topics that related to
the early settlement of New Hampshire." He was genial and social, with a
keen relish for humor and anecdote, friendly with all classes. The rich
and the poor found in him a true friend in time of need. He was a
devoted friend of the militia organizations of the state, and second
commander of the Amoskeag Veterans, a company that adopted the uniform
of the continentals. They visited Washington during the administration
of President Pierce, commanded by Col. Potter, who entertained the
Veterans at his home, the McNeil (N. H.) mansion and birthplace of
Franklin Pierce, in 1865. A grand entertainment was given them in a
large tent upon the grounds.
In Dr. Loring's address to the Veterans he remarks:--
"As a strong, active, and useful son of New Hampshire, he will
long be remembered, and when all to whom his form and presence
were so familiar shall have passed away,--his associates, his
family, kindred, his daily companions to whom his anecdote and
good sense rendered his company desirable,--the fruits of his
labor as a careful historian and annalist will remain, a
valuable contribution to the literature of New Hampshire, a
tribute from one who loved every incident of her early and
aboriginal and heroic age. To his friends he left an honorable
reputation; to his company, a record which will not be forgotten
until the history of New Hampshire shall be blotted out."
Col. Potter's last able work, The Military History of New Hampshire,
published in 1866, consists of two volumes, from the settlement in 1623
to the close of the war of 1812, with valuable biographical sketches.
[Illustration: C. E. Potter]
Judge Potter married, November 1, 1832, Clara A., daughter of John
Underwood, of Portsmouth, by whom he had four children. She died March
19, 1854, and November 11, 1856, he married Frances Maria, daughter of
Gen. John McNeil, of Hillsborough. After this marriage he resided at the
Gov. Pierce homestead in Hillsborough during the remainder of his life.
Col. Potter loved the society of intelligent and worthy people, and
welcomed all without distinction. His domestic relations gave a great
charm to his existence. He died at Flint, Mich., whither he had gone
with his wife on business, August 3, 1868. After the funeral ceremonies
were performed at Manchester, the Veterans met at their armory and
passed the following resolution:--
"WHEREAS, an inscrutable Providence has seen fit to remove from
our midst our loved and chosen commander, and we have performed
the last sad rites of sepulture over his remains; therefore, be
it
"_Resolved_, That in the decease of their colonel, Chandler E.
Potter, the Amoskeag Veterans have sustained an irreparable
loss,--that their foremost man from the beginning, who at all
times, and under all circumstances, in sunshine and in storms,
unselfishly sought to promote their highest welfare, is no
more,--and for each one of us to resolve that in our day and
generation we will endeavor to follow his example is the highest
tribute we can pay his memory. We mourn not alone. Society has
lost an ornament; the state a historian whose labors, yet
incompleted, in compiling and preserving her military history,
will long outlive our feeble efforts."
HON. DANIEL BARNARD.
BY M. B. GOODWIN.
1. John Barnard, was among the early settlers of Massachusetts. He came
to this country in 1634, in the ship Elizabeth, from Ipswich, England,
and settled in Watertown.
2. John Barnard, son of the pioneer, John Barnard, had two sons,
Jonathan and Samuel.
3. Jonathan Barnard, son of John Barnard, was a resident of Amesbury,
Mass. Owing to the manifold duties of a busy professional life, DANIEL
BARNARD has not had the time or opportunity to trace out the genealogy
of his family fully, but there is much reason for believing that this
Jonathan Barnard was his great-grandfather. His great-grandfather was
Captain Jonathan Barnard, inn-holder in Amesbury, who kept "The Lion's
Mouth" in provincial days, was a captain in the colonial militia, and
was prominent in the affairs of the town in which he lived. He was one
of the sixty original grantees, in 1735, of the township of New
Amesbury, or "Number One," which was afterwards granted, in 1767, by the
Masonian proprietors, as Warner. His name heads the list of the
grantees.
4. Charles Barnard, son of Capt. Jonathan Barnard, was a soldier in the
patriot army of the Revolution, and settled in Warner, on the northeast
slope of Burnt Hill.
5. Thomas Barnard, son of Charles Barnard, was born in Warner in 1782;
married, first, Ruth Eastman, of Hopkinton; married, second, Phebe, his
first wife's sister. In the fall of 1826 he removed, with his young
family, from Warner to Orange. He died January 29, 1859; his second wife
died June 30, 1845.
6. DANIEL BARNARD, son of Thomas and Phebe (Eastman) Barnard, was born
in Orange, January 23, 1827. When his father, Thomas Barnard, went there
and planted his home on his lot of three hundred acres on the highlands
dividing the waters which flow into the Pemigewasset from those which
flow into the Connecticut, the whole territory was still covered by the
primeval forest. But rugged, courageous hearts and hands in due time
converted forest into field, and while a troupe of seven sons and a
daughter was springing up in the rugged mountain home, a good farm was
opened, which, with its abundant crops of grass, the stocks of cattle
and very large flocks of sheep, allowed no place for idleness, summer or
winter. The church and the district school stood together more than
three miles off, and so continued till the subject of this notice, the
fifth child of the family, was fourteen years old, no regular school
being established nearer till he was eighteen years old. But the father
being a man of sense and intelligence, and the mother an uncommonly
bright, capable woman, they not only made the utmost exertion to give
their children the full benefit of the meager chances of the district
school, but also systematically supplemented these opportunities with
regular study and teaching in the long winter evenings at home. The
father, a good mathematician, managed the flock in arithmetic, and the
mother handled them in other branches. From the age of seventeen, Daniel
Barnard was granted the privilege of attending the Canaan Academy every
season during the winter months, until he was twenty-one, being employed
during the summer on his father's farm.
[Illustration: Daniel Barnard]
When he arrived at man's estate he fearlessly took his stand with the
Free-soil Democrats, and was four times elected to represent his native
town in the state legislature.
During this time he was intent upon securing the advantages of a college
education, and with this end in view he taught school, during the
winter, in Orange, Grafton, Groton, Lyme, Enfield, and Amherst, and
pursued his preparatory studies at Canaan and Boscawen academies, and
under the tuition of Prof. William Russell at the Normal Institute at
Reed's Ferry.
Mr. Barnard's legislative experience materially changed his plans in
life; and he decided to enter at once upon his professional studies. He
was well known in the house from his first appearance in that body; not
merely because so youthful in appearance, but because, also, of the
uncommon capacity, the sincerity and sagacity with which, in unassuming,
almost diffident ways, he met all his duties; and in the latter sessions
of the four years' service he became a leader of the Independent party
in the house, and an influential member of that body. At home, during
the same period, he was sleepless in his vigilance, contriving by
sagacious management to hold the little band of Free-soil Democrats in a
solid column, and annually to carry the town till he left it, in the
autumn of 1851.