WORCESTER FIRE SOCIETY***


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Transcriber’s note:

      Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).





SKETCHES OF FIFTEEN MEMBERS OF WORCESTER FIRE SOCIETY,

by

ISAAC DAVIS.







Worcester:
Printed by Charles Hamilton,
Palladium Office.
1874.




                     ADDRESS BY HON. ISAAC DAVIS,

                 AT THE QUARTERLY MEETING, APRIL, 1874.


The history of the Worcester Fire Society is intimately connected with
the history of Worcester, of Massachusetts, and the United States. Ten
of its members have been Mayors of Worcester, three have been Governors
of the State, three have been Speakers of the House of Representatives,
and many have been Councillors, Senators and Representatives. Five have
been judges of the Supreme Judicial Court, five have been judges of the
Superior Court or Court of Common Pleas, ten have been Members of
Congress, and many have held office under the United States Government,
and one has been a Foreign Minister.

This Fire Society, organized in 1793, was precisely like one formed by
Benjamin Franklin, in the city of Philadelphia, in 1735:—The number of
members limited to thirty, the same equipments, the same rules and
regulations. No person could be admitted under thirty years of age, and
none over sixty. The Fire Society in Philadelphia was in existence when
this was formed.

Governor Lincoln gave his reminiscences of the twenty-two original
members in 1862. Eight years after, in 1870, a member of this society
gave a written account of the next _fifteen_ members. Both of these
historic papers were published by this society. Subsequently Judge
Thomas, in his fascinating language, gave a graphic biography of the
_next_ fifteen members, commencing with Governor Lincoln, and ending
with Edward D. Bangs. The object of the present historic sketch is to
give some account of the members from Edward D. Bangs to the oldest
living member, all of whom have long since passed to the “spirit land.”
Among them were distinguished scholars, statesmen, lawyers and
physicians, and five of them were graduates of Dartmouth College.


                            SAMUEL JENNISON

Was no ordinary man. He did not enjoy the advantages of a college
education, still he became a learned man and a very able writer. Some of
the choicest articles in periodical literature were from his pen. He was
born in the town of Brookfield, in 1788, and at the age of twelve years
came to Worcester to reside with his uncle, Hon. Oliver Fiske. In April,
1810, he was elected accountant in the Worcester Bank. In August, 1812,
he was elected cashier of said Bank, and continued to hold the office
and discharge the duties with promptness, fidelity and accuracy, for
more than thirty-four years. During much of the time while he was
cashier he was treasurer of the American Antiquarian Society, treasurer
of the State Lunatic Hospital, treasurer of the Worcester County
Institution for Savings, treasurer of the town of Worcester, and clerk
of the town, discharging all the duties of these offices, much of the
time without any assistant. No _irregularities_ were ever found in his
accounts. He was one of the Council of the American Antiquarian Society,
and was a member of many historical and literary societies. He was
admitted a member of this Society in October, 1816, and remained an
active member more than forty years, till his death, March 11th, 1860.

Mr. Jennison was a modest, unassuming man, a gentleman in his
deportment, a man of rare taste and discrimination, and of wonderful
executive talent. He would accomplish more business in a given time than
any man I ever saw; yet it was done quietly. He was loved and respected
by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. He wrote much in prose
and verse; his style was clear and lucid as a mirror. He gathered much
valuable biographical material, part of which he passed over to the Rev.
Dr. Allen just before the publication of the second edition of his
Biographical Dictionary. The large remainder is now in possession of the
American Antiquarian Society.


                             REJOICE NEWTON

Was born in Greenfield, October 18th, 1782. He was graduated at
Dartmouth College, in 1807, and was a classmate of George Ticknor and
Sylvanus Thayer. He commenced the study of the law with Judge Newcomb,
of Greenfield, and finished his studies in the office of Hon. Elijah H.
Mills, of Northampton, in 1810.

Mr. Newton then removed to Worcester, and formed a co-partnership in law
with Hon. Francis Blake, which continued till April, 1814. He was
selected by the citizens of Worcester, in 1814, to deliver an oration on
the fourth of July. This oration was published, and accelerated his
rising fame. Soon after, he was appointed County Attorney, which office
he held for ten years, when he resigned the position. In 1825 he formed
a co-partnership in law with William Lincoln. His talents and capacity
were appreciated by his fellow citizens, and he was elected to the House
of Representatives in Massachusetts, in the years of 1829, 1830, and
1831, and a State Senator in 1834. He had great equanimity of character,
and never lost or gained a case but the result was precisely what he
expected. Hence he was perfectly satisfied with the result of every
case. He was honest, confiding and capable. He became a member of this
society in October, 1816, and remained an active member for forty-seven
years, when his health became poor and he withdrew. He was long a member
and officer in the American Antiquarian Society. He died in Worcester,
February 4th, 1868. Major Newton married a sister of the late Governor
Lincoln, and was a resident in Worcester for more than half a century.
He was honored with important and responsible positions in the military,
legislative, and executive departments of the government of the State;
all the duties pertaining to these offices he discharged with ability
and fidelity, and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents.


                          SAMUEL M. BURNSIDE.

His ancestors were Scots. He was a son of Thomas Burnside, and was born
in Northumberland, New Hampshire, July 18th, 1783. His education was at
the common schools in New Hampshire, except nine months at an academy,
preparatory to his entering Dartmouth College.

After he was graduated from college, in 1805, he took charge of a Female
Academy in Andover, Mass., for two years. He read law with Hon. Artemas
Ward, so long Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas. He was
admitted to practice in 1810, commenced the practice of the law in the
Spring of 1810, in the town of Westborough, in this County, and removed
to Worcester in the autumn of the same year. He married the daughter of
Judge Foster of Brookfield.

Mr. Burnside was a well read lawyer, and it is no disparagement to any
lawyer of the Worcester Bar to say that none excelled him in his
extensive knowledge of the law. He was also well posted in theology, and
took a deep interest in our public schools. He was trustee in Leicester
Academy, and for many years was a member of the School Committee of
Worcester, a member of the American Antiquarian Society, and one of the
Council of said Society at the time of his death. He delivered an able
address before the schools of Worcester in 1826, and represented the
town in the Legislature the same year. In 1831 he was selected by the
citizens of Worcester to deliver an oration on the fourth of July, which
was considered a very able production. He was admitted to this society
in January, 1817, and remained an active member for thirty-three years.
He died in Worcester, July 25th, 1850, much respected by a large circle
of friends.

Mr. Burnside was a good classical scholar, an upright and honored
citizen, and a kind christian gentleman.


                             REUBEN WHEELER

Was a member of this society from 1817 to 1822. He came from Rutland,
where he was born, to Worcester, to execute the purposes of certain
members of the Fire Society, who had become convinced that the business
of _tanning_ was very profitable. They raised thirty thousand dollars to
put into the business—Mr. Wheeler was superintendent and manager—a large
yard was built on Market street, the largest in the county—Mr. Wheeler
built a spacious house on the corner of Main and Thomas streets, and
business went on swimmingly for five or six years, Mr. Wheeler always
assuring the proprietors that the business was very profitable. Some of
the proprietors having had no dividends for several years, succeeded in
raising a committee to investigate the affairs of the company, when it
turned out that the concern was bankrupt. It was a South Sea bubble on a
small scale. Wheeler left town, and the tannery rotted down. “_Sic
transit gloria mundi._”


                          BENJAMIN F. HEYWOOD

Was the son of Hon. Benjamin Heywood, of Worcester, who was judge of the
Court of Common Pleas for nine years.

Benjamin F. was born in Worcester, April 24th, 1792, and graduated at
Dartmouth College, in the class of 1812. He attended the medical
lectures at Dartmouth College, and at Yale College, and took his degree
of M. D. at Yale, in 1815. He formed a co-partnership with Dr. John
Green, in the practice of medicine, which existed for twenty years. Dr.
Heywood was councillor and censor in the Massachusetts Medical Society,
and became a member of the Society of Cincinnati in 1859, in the right
of his father, who was an original member. As a physician he was very
popular among his patients. He had the confidence of his fellow
citizens, being repeatedly elected to both branches of the City
Government. His manners were pleasant and agree