GEORGE B. CANTERBURY, a retired farmer of Ware, is a native of this town, where his birth occurred in 1837 and a son of Henry and Melintha (Leach) Canterbury. Henry Canterbury, born in Hingham, Mass., in 1799, who was a successful agriculturist of Ware, married for his first wife a daughter of Joseph Hawes, of Monson, Mass. ; and their union was blessed by the birth of five children. After her death, which occurred at an early age, he married Miss Melintha Leach, born in Belchertown, Mass., about the year 1809, who outlived him five years. Of this marriage there were born a son and daughter, George B. and Elizabeth, the latter residing in Ware. Their father died in 1884, eighty-five years of age.

George B. Canterbury graduated from the public schools of Ware. He then learned the trade of a mason, at which he was employed until the commencement of the Civil War. On November 20, 1861, he enlisted in Company D of the Thirty-first Massachusetts Regiment, and was appointed Third Sergeant of his company. On May 8, 1863, he was wounded at Sabine Crossroads, being shot through the lungs and liver. While disabled in this way he was taken prisoner and confined in the rebel prison at Mansfield, La., for ten months, he was then paroled, and returned to his home on a sixty days' furlough. After three years of service he was honorably discharged. By this time he had been promoted to the rank of First Sergeant, and was brevetted as First Lieutenant. For fifteen years prior to making his home in Ware he conducted a large dairy farm in the town of Hardwick, Worcester County, where he was one of the most progressive farmers of that section, and put in the first creamery used in that vicinity. He sold this establishment in February, 1895.

On August 9, 1864, he was married to Miss Martha J. Esterbrook, of Holden, Mass., a daughter of Josiah Esterbrook. She bore her husband three children, namely: Maud S., who married Emery Barnes, of Ware, and died June 1, 1893, the third day after her mother's death; Grace, who is the second wife of Emery Barnes; and Alvah G. Canterbury, a successful engineer, who married Miss Grace Campbell, of Ware. Their mother was fifty-four years of age at the time of her death. Mr. Canterbury is a stanch Republican. He has served as Constable for eleven years, and during his residence in Hardwick he was Road Commissioner for three years. He has also served on the police force in Ware for fifteen years, during which period he proved himself one of the most efficient and vigilant officers the town has had. He is a Master Mason, and is a member of J. W. Lawton Post, No. 85, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he has served as Adjutant. He is now residing with his daughter, Mrs. Barnes, in Ware.

JACOB   CARL, is a prosperous tobacco grower and real estate owner of Hatfield, Mass., where he has made his home upward of forty years.    He was born in Walldorf, Kingdom of Saxony, Germany, August 20, 1834, son of Christian and Maria (Hirsh) Carl. Mr. Carl's parents were thrifty farming people, who emigrated to the United States in 1855, and resided in Hatfield during the remainder of their lives.    Christian Carl died at the age of sixty-two years.    He was the father of the following children : Catherine, Dorothy, Jacob, Margaret,   Minnie,   Frederick,   Philip, and John.

Jacob Carl was educated in Germany, and in 1854, when about twenty years of age, came to the United States.    He settled in Hatfield, where he and his brother Frederick purchased the farm which the latter now owns. Industrious, painstaking, and capable, he realized good pecuniary results from his labors; and ten years later, selling his interest in that property, he bought the Amariah Strong farm situated   near the Hatfield   station, which he improved by building a new barn and remodeling the other buildings.    He resided there for twelve years, during which time he was successful in the cultivation of tobacco and did a great deal of teaming.    He finally sold the Strong farm and bought the T. Bagg property, which consists of fifteen acres, and is considered one of the best farms for the raising of tobacco in Hatfield.     He devotes ten acres annually to the cultivation of tobacco, and is looked upon as producing the finest crops in the Connecticut valley.

He was an inspector of tobacco for F. C. Linde, Hamilton & Co., acting as their agent for twenty-two years; but in 1895 he resigned in favor of his son, who is now filling his place. In 1893 Mr. Carl erected a handsome residence, enlarged his tobacco sheds, and increased his storage facilities. He deals largely in leaf tobacco, buying from the farmers and shipping it to market. He has invested to a considerable extent in real estate; and, besides possessing several pieces of valuable farm property, he owns the G. Waite house on Main Street, a new and handsome residence, containing all modern improvements.

On February 26, 1864, Mr. Carl was united in marriage to Abbie Partenheimer. She was born in Germany, daughter of Wendell Partenheimer, a weaver by trade, who emigrated to the United States and settled in Leeds, Mass. He became a respected citizen, and died at an advanced age.    Mr. and Mrs. Carl are the parents of three children, as follows: Nellie A., who married George Belden, and resides in North Hatfield; Henry W., who assists his father and is an inspector of tobacco; and Emma   L., an   accomplished musician, who resides at home.    Mr. Carl's success in life is due to patient industry and sound judgment in the management of affairs.    He is a thoroughly competent farmer, an intelligent and useful citizen, possessing the esteem and confidence of his fellow townsmen.    He is a Republican in politics and liberal in his religious views.

FRANK W. CARY, junior member of the firm of Kimball & Cary, dealers in coal, at Northampton, came here at the suggestion of his partner, Mayor H. A. Kimball, to engage in his present business, he and Mr. Kimball having been reared on adjoining farms, pupils in the same school, and later entering respectively into the relations of pupil and teacher. The friendship thus formed in early youth has continued without break to the present time, and has resulted in the establishment of this prosperous firm. Mr. Cary is a native of Connecticut, born in the town of Windham in 1850, a son of Dwight and Susan (Bass) Cary.

Sanford Cary, the paternal grandfather of Frank W., was a lifelong resident of Windham, and owned a good farm. He was a Selectman of the town for many years, and also represented the district in the legislature. He died in the year 1856, leaving a substantial farm property. His wife, whose maiden name was Caroline Tracy, survived him about ten years, leaving at her death three sons and a daughter, all of whom are living except the daughter.

Dwight Cary, son of Sanford, had a thorough knowledge of agriculture, and owns one of the best-managed farms in Windham County. In 1843 he married Susan Bass, of Scotland, Conn., the daughter of the late John Bass; and they became the parents of a large family of children. Of these, four are deceased, namely: two daughters, twins, who had lived eighteen months; Sanford, who had lived five years; and Ann B., who married George E. Wood, and was forty-two years old at the time of her death, in 1890. Those living are as follows: Rosella, wife of Joseph Congdon, residing in Hampton, Conn.; Frank W., the subject of this sketch; Jane, wife of Arthur Clark, of Scotland, Conn.; George, a farmer on the old homestead; and Susan, wife of Charles Willis, of Scotland, Conn. The parents are hale and vigorous people for their years. The father has served as Selectman, and has represented his district in the legislature.

Frank W. Cary was reared to farm life, receiving; a practical education, and might have taken a collegiate course had he then appreciated its importance. He, however, continued in the occupation to which he was reared until nearly thirty years old.   He came to Northampton, May 10, 1881, to engage in the coal and wood trade, as before mentioned. The firm conducts a wholesale and retail business. Under the wise management of the partners it has become quite large and remunerative. Mr. Cary belongs to the Knights Templars, and is a valued member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a zealous sup-porter of the Republican party, but steadily refuses office.

Mr. Cary was united in wedlock February 10, 1875, to Effie Fuller, a native of Brooklyn, Conn., daughter of Edwin T. and Louisa (Snow) Fuller. Her mother died in 1853, aged forty-three years, having borne her husband five children, two of whom are deceased. Mr. Fuller subsequently married Sarah Parsons, who bore him two children. She has survived him, being now a resident of Plainfield, Conn., where his death occurred in May, 1894, at the venerable age of fourscore years. Mr. and Mrs. Cary have lost one infant daughter. They have three children living, namely: Irving L., nineteen years of age, a graduate of Child's Business College, and now in the Northampton Savings Bank; Edwin T., fifteen years of age; and Freddie D., nine years old. Mr. and Mrs. Cary are much esteemed for their many admirable qualities. They have a pleasant home at 154 State Street, erected in 1886, where their many friends are hospitably welcomed. In their religious belief they are members of the Congregational church.

HENRY R. CHASE, enlisted as a private in the Civil War, and during his three years of service was gradually promoted till he reached the rank of Major. He is now a commercial traveler, residing at Northampton, Mass., and is widely known as a comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic and as a prominent Knight Templar. He was born January 26, 1838, in the town of Guilford, Vt., and there reared to a sturdy manhood. His father, Henry S. Chase, who was born in the same place, December 12, 1811, was a son of Jonathan Chase, a native of Pomfret, Conn., born November 24, 1776. His grandfather was three times married, his first two wives having been sisters bearing the name of Stuart; and his last wife was Sophia Houghton. Two sons and five daughters were born of his marriages, all of whom grew to mature years, the youngest to die being Caroline, who passed away when but sixteen years old. Three of his daughters married Universalist ministers, one, Mary, being the wife of the Rev. Levi Ballou, a nephew of the Rev. Hosea Ballou, the " Father of Universalism." Jonathan Chase was a prosperous farmer, and spent the larger part of his fourscore years of life in Guilford, where his death occurred in January, 1856.

Henry S. Chase received an excellent academic education, and was engaged as a teacher for nearly eighty terms. He was also superintendent of schools for many years, and served in the other town offices. He was strongly interested in military tactics, and organized a company of militia, of which he was chosen Captain. In 1836 he married Lucy M. Weatherhead, a daughter of Ira Weatherhead, a carpenter of Guilford, and they became the parents of three children, namely: Lucy Ann and Henry R., twins; and a daughter named Ellen, who died in infancy. Lucy Ann Chase passed to the higher life when seventeen years old. The mother died in 1842, being but twenty-nine years of age; and the father afterward married Martha Ward, a daughter of Henry Ward. Six children were born of this union, two of whom are deceased, Elizabeth having died when five years old, and Albert at the age of thirty-nine years, leaving a wife, now deceased, and one daughter. The record of the four living is as follows: Eliza P. is the wife of John E. Treveres, of Springfield; Jennie M., wife of Albert R. Willard, of Greenfield; Mary E., wife of Henry Rugg, of Brattleboro, Vt. ; and Etta E., the wife of David A. Young, of Brattleboro. The father departed this life February 24, 1892; and his widow a few weeks later, March 5, 1892.

Henry R. Chase was prepared for college at Powers Institute, subsequently spending one year at Middlebury College. He began teaching when a beardless boy of sixteen years, and taught much of the time thereafter until 1870, his first experience being in the district schools. Afterward he taught in the high school of Newport, N. H., and at Guilford, Vt. This position he resigned in 1862 to become a defender of his country, enlisting August 11, in Company E, Eleventh Vermont Volunteer Infantry, as a private. On the organization of the company Mr. Chase was appointed Second Sergeant, being promoted September 6, 1862, to the rank of Second Lieutenant, and August 19, 1863, to the rank of First Lieutenant. In that month the regiment was changed to artillery; and on January 30, 1865, Lieutenant Chase was appointed Captain of Battery M. This was followed by still another promotion, he being made Major of the First Vermont Artillery, July 25, 1865. He was an active participant in many of the most important battles of the Rebellion, winning distinction by his brave and meritorious conduct. For eleven months he was a prisoner, having been taken in front of Petersburg, and being confined from June 23, 1864, until July 3, 1864, in Libby Prison, whence he was taken successively to Lynchburg, Danville, and Macon, Ga., being in the last place from July 10 until August 25. He was next sent to Savannah, thence to Charleston, S. C, and from there to Columbia, Charlotte, and Raleigh, and thence to Goldsboro, where he was paroled on March 3, 1865.    He, with a comrade. Lieutenant Parker, made several ineffectual   attempts   to   escape while en route to Charleston, having learned that they were to go there via Savannah.    They agreed to jump the train near Fort Motte, and did so October 6, making their escape into the woods, but were recaptured.    On March 8, five days after his parole, Major Chase reached Annapolis. He was given a month's furlough, which he spent at home.    He rejoined his regiment at Danville, Va., where he was discharged, August 25, 1865, and was then sent to Burlington, Vt., on special duty, reaching his home on the 22nd of the following month.

On April 11, 1865, while on his furlough, Mr. Chase was united in marriage with Mary L. Wheeler, of Guilford, a daughter of Deacon Stephen and Maria (Emerson) Wheeler, the former of whom died in December, 1887. Mrs. Wheeler is now a remarkably strong and active woman for her age, eighty-one years. Two children were born to   Mr. and Mrs. Chase: Lucy M. and Charles H.    Lucy M., who was a student of the Smith College and subsequently graduated from   the Westfield State Normal   School,   is now a successful teacher at the   Easthampton High School. Charles H., a resident of this city, married Josephine Thompson; and they are the parents of one son, Leland Henry.    Mrs. Mary L. Chase's married life was not of long duration, she having passed to the silent land in 1874, in the thirty-fifth year of her age.    On August 19, 1875, Mr. Chase was united in wedlock with Elvira H. Wheeler, a sister of his former wife.    The only child of their union is Mary Louise, an ambitious and faithful student of eleven years, who during the school years of 1894 and 1895, was neither absent, tardy, nor dismissed from school, a record worthy of note. For twenty-three years Mr. Chase has traveled for Springfield houses, the past two years representing the well-known firm of Forbes & Wallace.    In 1885 he purchased his present home lot of two acres, erecting his fine residence the same year.    He is a steadfast Republican in his political views, and while in Guilford held the various town offices. Mr. Chase   is a member of the   First Baptist Church, of William L. Baker Post, No. 86, Grand Army of the Republic, and in Masonry has taken the thirty-third degree, and is Past High   Priest of   Northampton   Royal Arch Chapter, and Eminent Commander of Northampton Commandery of Knights Templars.

WILLIAM L. CHILSON, Postmaster of Swift River, a well known merchant and manufacturer, was born in Southampton, Mass., October 28, 1858, son of William W. and Sarah L. (Ludden) Chilson. Mr. Chilson's great-grandfather, Asaph Chilson, who was a native of Wales, emigrated to America, and settled in Albany, N. Y., where he followed the trade of a weaver.

His children were: Lucretia, Huldah, Nabby, John, and Asaph.   John Chilson, who seems to have been the elder son, was born in Albany in October, 1785.    He was one of the early teamsters between Albany and Boston; but, after going over the route many times, he bought a small farm in Buckland, Franklin County, Mass., upon which he settled, and resided there until his death, which occurred at a good old age.   John Chilson married Clarissa Butler, daughter of Levi Butler, of Buckland; and their children were: Haines H., Milo C, Nancy, Andrew M., Clarissa, William W., Elizabeth, and another child, who died young.

William W. Chilson was born in Buckland, Mass., November 15, 1824. He adopted agriculture as an occupation; and, after working upon different farms in that locality, he purchased a small farm in Easthampton, Hampshire County, but sold it shortly, and bought another in Goshen, Mass., which he cultivated successfully for twenty years. He then exchanged his Goshen farm for his present property in the village of Swift River, and has since resided here. In 1867 Mr. Chilson received injuries the result of which has caused him considerable disability; but, possessing a strong constitution, he is otherwise in good health. He is a Democrat in politics.

On January 21, 1855, William W. Chilson married Sarah L. Ludden, of Southampton. Mrs. Chilson was born November 2, 1838, daughter of Edwin C. and Elizabeth L. (Thorp) Ludden, the former of whom was a real estate owner and a farmer, and was also engaged in butchering. Mr. and Mrs. William W. Chilson have seven children, as follows: Milo B., who married Mary Demmond; William L., the subject of this sketch; Rose E. J., wife of Lewis Ferd; Lizzie S., wife of Charles Small; Edward A., who married Nellie A. McCoy; Juliet E., wife of George Preston; and Clara M. Mrs. Sarah L. Chilson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

William L. Chilson was educated in the schools of Southampton and Goshen. In 1S84 he bought the H. G. Wells property in Swift River, which he remodeled and enlarged by building an addition; and in this he opened a general store, the first to be established here, where he continues to conduct a profitable business. In 1S91, in company with H. G. Reed, he purchased the manufacturing establishment and water privilege of the Crosby Company, which included two tenement-houses, and engaged in the manufacture of tool handles of every description, gauge-cocks, radiator valve handles of the finest finish, also carrying on a general sawing and planing business.   The mills are equipped with improved machinery; and, in case the water supply falls, there is a thirty-horse power engine in readiness to be used as a substitute. Native beech, birch, and maple woods are used in their products, and also rosewood, which they import. A force of twelve men is constantly employed, and the business is firmly established and favorably known. Mr. Chilson likewise carries on the jewelry repairing business at his store, and he is a licensed auctioneer. He is a Republican in politics, and in 1891 was appointed Postmaster of Swift River, a position which he still holds.

On October 16, 1884, Mr. Chilson was united in marriage with Susan E. Willcott, daughter of Alvin and Mary A. (Crosby) Willcott, the former of whom was a prosperous farmer of Swift River. Mr. and Mrs. Chilson have two children: William Leroy and Wallace S. Mr. Chilson is a Congregationalist in religion.

LEVI CHURCH, deceased since August 24, 1889, who was a successful farmer for many years in South Hadley, was born April 27, 1828. Josiah Church, his father, born March 7, 1790, was one of the early settlers of the locality. He bought a tract of wild land, from which he cleared a farm, and on it spent the remainder of a long and useful life, which terminated April 23, 1855. Josiah's wife, whose maiden name was Sallie Smith, was born May 29, 1791, and died on the old homestead July 3, 1834. She bore her husband eight children, one of whom died in infancy. The record of the others is as follows: Luther, born April 18, 1830, is the only one now living; Waitstell, born December 10, 1818, died September 7, 1846; Russell, born October 3, 1820, died January 10, 1866; Eli, born June 5, 1822, died June 6, 1866; Dorcas, born October 6, 1825, died January 22, 1879; Levi, the subject of this notice; and Marinda, born February 17, 1832, died April 11, 1848.

After the death of his father Levi Church assumed the management of the home farm. In the course of time he made many substantial improvements, placing the eighty-two acres of land in an excellent state of cultivation, and rendering it one of the best farms in the vicinity.   He was a man of enterprise and energy, and had a spirit not easily daunted by difficulties. In due time his pluck and perseverance brought him competency. He was much respected for his integrity, and, though never very prominent in local matters, served two years as Assessor. He married Mary A. Stebbim, of Granby, a daughter of Austin Stebbim. Their household circle was enlarged by the birth of four children, as follows: Edgar, born February 22, 1859, died August 31, 1859; Edwin J., born November 6, 1860, now owner and occupant of the old homestead; Mary F., born September 22, 1862, married F. A. Luther, of Canton, Ohio; and Carrie M., born April 15, 1865, died in 1892. Mrs. Church, who was a true helpmeet to her husband, aiding and encouraging him in all his ventures, is still living, making her home by turns with her son and daughter.

Edwin J. Church, the only living son, received a practical training from his father in the business of farming. Since taking possession of the estate he has managed it with remarkable success. He married Eliza C. Judd ; and, of the two children that came of the union, one died in infancy. The survivor, Cleora Catherine, was born September 18, 1893. Mr. Church is a Republican in politics, and both he and his wife are members of the Congregational church.

DWIGHT PARKER CLAPP, a merchant of New York, whose family resides in Belchertown, was born in this town,   November 22,   1834.    He is a descendant of Captain Roger Clapp, who emigrated from England to the Colony of Massachusetts Bay by the ship "Mary and John," and settled in Dorchester, Mass., in the year 1630.    Captain Clapp in time became one of the foremost men in the colony.    He was formany years Commandant of the fort in Boston Harbor, and was buried with military honors in the King's Chapel burial-ground at Boston in the year 1690.    His descendants for two or three generations were closely identified with Colonial affairs; and for an extended account of them the reader is referred to a work entitled "Memories of Roger Clapp," which was issued by David Clapp in 1844, and may be found in the rooms of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Mr. Clapp's father, James Harvey Clapp, who was born at Northampton, March 5, 1792, was son of Ebenezer Clapp, who was born in the same town in 1730.    Ebenezer Clapp was a son of Ebenezer, whose birth occurred in 1707.   Ebenezer, Sr., was a son of Samuel Clapp, who, born at Northampton in 1677, died in 1761.   Samuel Clapp was a son of Preserved Clapp, who, born at Dorchester, November 23, 1643, died September 20, 1720. Preserved Clapp was a son of the original ancestor of the family in America, Captain Roger Clapp, as above mentioned. Preserved Clapp moved to Northampton in early life, and purchased land, upon which he settled, becoming one of the first settlers of that town, where he engaged in agriculture.    He was Captain of the town, Representative to the General Court, and Ruling Elder in the church.   His son Samuel inherited the homestead, where he resided his entire life. His third wife, who was Mary Sheldon, of Dorchester, together with the Rev. John Williams, was carried into captivity by the Indians of Deerfield in 1704. Ebenezer Clapp, who succeeded to his father's property, served as a soldier in Captain Phineas Stevens's company during the French and Indian War, and fought at "Number Four," now Charlestown, N.H., in 1746. He was succeeded in turn by his son Ebenezer, Jr., who married Nancy Tileston, of Dorchester, and moved to Pittsfield, where he died.

James Harvey Clapp, subsequent to completing his education, which was obtained in the common schools, settled at Belchertown in 1812, and married Marilla D., daughter of the Rev. John Francis, of Pittsfield, in 1815. Their eight children were: Juliet; John Francis, who founded the Belchertown Public Library; Ann Sophia; Everett; Jane Marilla; James Henry; Edward Lyman; and Dwight Parker. James Harvey Clapp was prominent in public affairs, having served the town as a Selectman, and having been County Commissioner, and a Representative to the legislature for three terms. He was one of the proprietors of the old Boston and Albany stage line. A man of the most rigid integrity, he had the sincere respect of the entire community. His decease occurred in his eightieth year, on April 23, 1871.

Dwight Parker Clapp was very carefully educated, as were his brothers and sisters, in the common schools and the Monson Academy.    Upon finishing his education, he immediately entered   mercantile   life   in New York City, becoming a very prominent and successful   merchant.

In 1865 he wedded Miss Illie Crawford, of Cleveland, Ohio. Their only daughter, Illie Crawford Clapp, who was born in Brooklyn, is now the wife of William Burr Hill, a very successful attorney of that city, having one son, William Burr Hill, Jr., whose birth occurred in May, 1892. The children of James Harvey Clapp have always shown an affectionate interest in the welfare of their native town, of which the magnificent public library, founded by John Francis Clapp, is ample testimony. John Francis Clapp, eldest son of James Harvey Clapp and   founder of the Clapp Memorial Library, was born in Belchertown in the year 1818.   By his will, probated in Brooklyn, N.Y., August   8,   1882,   he bequeathed in trust to his brothers, Everett and Dwight P. Clapp, the sum of forty thousand dollars for the purpose of establishing a public library in his native town.   By judicious investments the trustees increased the legacy to nearly forty-seven thousand dollars. The library building was commenced in the summer of 1883, and finished in 1887.   A charter was granted the Clapp Memorial Library Corporation by the Massachusetts legislature on March 31 of the same year. The library was dedicated on June 30, and opened to the public on the following September 1. The library grounds have a frontage of two hundred and thirty-eight feet on South Main Street and a depth of two hundred and sixty-eight feet. The building, which is in the form of a Latin cross, is one hundred and two feet in length and from forty to fifty-five feet in breadth, with an octagonal tower at the junction of the cross section and main building sixty-five feet in height. It consists of a basement and two stories, and is built of Longmeadow brownstone, the roof and tower being covered with red tiling. A reading-room and stage are on the first floor, and are so arranged that they can all be thrown into one large auditorium, twenty-six feet in height and capable of seating five hundred persons. On the second floor there is a directors room, and in the basement a room for classes. The present shelf capacity is fifteen thousand volumes, which, with slight alteration, can be increased to thirty thousand. At the north and south ends of the building are two large and beautiful memorial windows. The north window; presented by Mrs. Susan M. D. Bridgman in memory of her husband, Calvin Bridgman, who bequeathed four thousand dollars for the support of a public library, represents music. The south window was presented by Everett, Edward, and Dwight P. Clapp in memory of their brother, the subject being literature, and the figure symbolical of thought and repose. The library now contains six thousand volumes, besides numerous periodicals and newspapers of the day, and is open daily in the afternoon to the reading public. It is an imposing structure, the main feature of the town, and a monument to the generous founder and his sympathetic and noble minded brothers, who have shown in various ways the interest they take in the welfare of their native village, all of whom are successful merchants in the metropolis. Everett, Edward, and Dwight P. have fine country residences for the purpose of spending the summer months with their families on their native heath.

EDWIN B. CLAPP, prosperously engaged in general farming in Westhampton, is a man of push and energy, sparing no effort to make a success of whatever he undertakes.   He was born May 17, 1864, in Westhampton, which is also the birthplace of his parents,   Reuben Wright and Susan (Hurt) Clapp.    His father is a prominent agriculturist of this locality, and has served in various public offices,   having   been   Selectman and Assessor for many years.   Of the family of eight children the following is chronicled: Ellen, now a resident of Holyoke, is the widow of the late Augustus Allyn; Laura, residing in Northampton, is the wife of Frederick Dayton, George B. died at the age of thirty-two years; Lyman   W., Mattie died when fourteen years old; Edwin B. is the subject of this sketch; Susan M., wife of William H. Lyman, lives in Westhampton; and Mary died when but two years of age. Edwin B. Clapp attended the district schools, acquiring a substantial education in his early days.    When but eighteen years of age he began the battle of life for himself.

Leaving the home farm he secured a position as clerk, and later as book-keeper, in the Hadley Falls National Bank at Holyoke, where he remained three years. After this, deciding to engage in the occupation to which he was reared, Mr. Clapp came back to Westhampton.

On May 10, 1887, he was united in marriage with Miss Nellie Kingsley, a daughter of Joseph and Almina (Norton) Kingsley, of Southampton.    Of the happy union two children came to bless the parents, namely: Raymond,   whose birth occurred   in   1889; and Roger, born in 1893.    After his marriage Mr. Clapp bought his present farm, which contains two hundred acres of land and whereon he has labored with persevering industry since. Its appearance today gives ample evidence to the passer-by of his skill and good taste as a practical farmer.    The crops common to this section of the State are raised upon the land.

Mr. Clapp is an uncompromising Republican, and is a member of the Westhampton parish committee. For the past year he has been a Director in the Hampden Co-operative Creamery Association, and is likewise connected with the Cemetery Association. In religious matters both Mr. and Mrs. Clapp are members of the Congregational church, and active in the charitable work of that denomination.

EGBERT J. CLAPP, City Clerk of Northampton, Mass., was born at Easthampton, January 15, 1843. His father, Luther Clapp, was a son of Thaddeus Clapp, a native of Easthampton, the latter having been a son of Joseph Clapp. The family are descendants of Major Jonathan Clapp. For a more extended account of the early ancestors the reader is referred to Lyman's History of Easthampton.

Thaddeus Clapp, who was born March 31, 1770, died in the spring of 1861. He was a tavern keeper at Easthampton, and became prominent in public affairs, serving as a Representative to the General Court twelve years, and as Town Treasurer for a period of twenty years. He married a Miss Parsons, by whom he had ten children, three of whom died young, and four sons and three daughters lived to reach maturity. The sons were Theodore, Thornton, Thaddeus, and Luther. The latter and the daughters have passed away. Mr. Clapp's grandmother died at the age of about sixty-five years during his boyhood; but he remembers distinctly her kind, genial face, the large gold beads about her neck, and, perhaps more particularly than anything else, her delicious pumpkin pies.

Luther Clapp and Lucy Pomeroy, of Northampton, daughter of Herman and Lucy (Parsons) Pomeroy, were married on September 7, 1830.   Her father was for some years a button manufacturer and country merchant at Easthampton, and between the years 1870 and 1875 moved to Stoversville, N.Y., where he engaged in the wholesale silk and thread trade until 1890, in which time his wife died. His own decease occurred two years later while on a visit to Asheville, N.C. Of the thirteen children born to Luther Clapp, one son died in infancy and two daughters at the age of ten and twelve years. Augustus M. Pomeroy died from exposure while serving as a volunteer in the Civil War; Charles, a teacher, died in 1863, in the prime of life; Joseph Clapp, also a volunteer in the Civil War, died in service, and is buried at Nashville, Tenn.; Lucy P., widow of D. C. Dunfee, resides at Gloversville, N.Y.; Emma L. is the wife of Francis Clapp, of Deerfield; Luther H. resides at Pennington Gap, Va.; Egbert J. is in Northampton; Willis W. also is a resident of Northampton; Elizabeth H. is the wife of the Rev. William Slocum, a Presbyterian preacher of Iowa; and Leila J. married Edward Pollock, of Albany, N.Y. Luther Clapp died on February 18, 1888, his wife having passed away on June 13, 1886, aged seventy-four years.

Egbert J. Clapp abandoned the parental roof at the age of fourteen, and for three years was employed as a clerk in the store of Samuel Palmer at Feeding Hills. Returning then to Easthampton, he found employment in the same capacity at a store in which the post office was located, and later worked in the suspender factory. In 1861 he enlisted in Company D, Twenty-first Massachusetts Volunteers, in which he served through the war, and was mustered out at Mobile, Ala., in 1865. His regiment was mounted for about two years and a half; and during the Red River campaign he was disabled by his horse falling upon him, thus causing a permanent injury to his spine, from the effects of which he is lame and obliged to use crutches. After coming back to Hampshire County, Mr. Clapp secured a position as cashier in the freight office of the Connecticut River Railroad at Northampton, and remained in charge of the office for eight years.

He went to St. Johnsbury, Vt., in 1874, and in company with Dr. George W. Roberts entered mercantile business, establishing two stores, one in that place and another in Montpelier, which were devoted to the sale of fancy goods. After disposing of these, in 1875 they established the same business in New York City; and in the autumn of that year Mr. Clapp went to Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., for the purpose of opening branch stores in these cities. In 1876 he purchased his partner's interest in these; and, closing up the Charleston branch, he devoted his attention to the business in Savannah, until compelled to relinquish trade there on account of the continued prevalence of yellow fever, and moved his business to Atlanta. His limbs were in such a crippled state that he was obliged to keep his bed a greater portion of the time, and was there-fore unable to personally attend to business, which resulted in his losing the sum of six thousand dollars by the dishonesty of his partner. In 1877 he returned to Northampton, where he engaged in the dry goods business from 1878 to 1884, at which time he was elected City Clerk, the position he now holds.

Mr. Clapp is a charter member of W. L. Baker Post, No. 86, Grand Army of the Republic, having served as its Quartermaster for some years, or until his resignation, and is a Republican in politics. In 1869 he wedded Miss Annie L. Pratt, of Northampton, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Clapp) Pratt, and has one daughter, Bessie P., aged twelve years.   The family reside at 229 Elm Street.

JAMES CLAPP, the owner of a choice farm in Ward Seven of Northampton, which with its fine residence and out-buildings commands the attention of the passer-by, was born here on March. 27, 1827, son of Henry and Nancy (Root) Clapp. His grandfather, Thomas Clapp, of Westhampton, died in 1795, while yet in the prime of life, leaving a widow and five children. Mrs. Thomas Clapp, who before marriage was a Miss Kellogg, died in her eightieth year.

Henry Clapp, who was born November 5, 1789, was a blacksmith by trade, and successfully followed that vocation for many years at Roberts Meadow. He owned a farm of one hundred acres; and, being in other respects in good circumstances, toward the close of his long life he retired from active business. He died in 1882, at nearly ninety-three years of age. His wife, Nancy Root, was a daughter of John Root, of Roberts Meadow. They were married August 17, 1815; and during the years that followed their household circle was made cheerful and stirring by the advent of six sons, who became stalwart men with an average height of six feet. They were named : Edward, Nelson, Henry, Anson M., James, and John C. Their father in his younger days was also a man of fine physique, measuring five feet ten inches in height; but during his latter years he suffered from rheumatism, and was in consequence somewhat lame. Their mother died December 15, 1869, aged seventy-nine years. The remains of both parents are sleeping in the Northampton cemetery.

Edward, who kept the Northampton toll gate for many years, died April 28, 1867. He was the father of one son, Edward T. Clapp, now residing in Northampton. Nelson Clapp, a successful agriculturist of Westhampton, is unmarried. Henry Clapp, born in February, 1822, died May 27, 1888, leaving no family. He, too, was a prosperous farmer. Anson Morris Clapp is a carpenter of Florence, Mass. John Chapin Clapp, who was born July 16, 1831, is a mechanic, residing in Florence.

James Clapp remained with his parents on the homestead, received a good common-school education, and was reared to the vocation of a farmer. He is the owner of several hundred acres of good farming land, and, keeping a dairy of from twenty to twenty-five choice cows, makes a high grade of butter, which finds a ready sale among the best families of Northampton. His present commodious and attractive farm-house was built on the foundation of one that was burned in 1894; and the barn, which is one of the largest and best in this vicinity, was erected in 1883.

Mr. Clapp was married October 11, 1860, to Miss Juliette Amelia Miller, who was born in Williamsburg in 1835, and was the only daughter of Ebenezer and Hannah (Hunt) Miller, of Williamsburg and Belchertown, Mass. She had four brothers, of whom only one is now living-John Hunt Miller, of Marlboro, Mass.   The father, a prosperous farmer, died January 25, 1863, at fifty-nine years of age, and the mother on December 13, 1873, at sixty-two years of age.   Juliette A. Miller was educated in the high school and at the academies of Williamsburg and Easthampton, and before marriage was for some years a successful teacher.    Her brothers also enjoyed good educational advantages, and John Hunt Miller taught school in his younger days.   Edwin Harrison Miller, her eldest brother, was a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, and was stationed on the Mediterranean Sea during the greater part of the Civil War.

Mr. and Mrs. Clapp have three children: Henry Miller, Annah Juliette, and James Root. Henry Miller Clapp, a farmer in Westhampton, now president of the water works and one of the leading young men of the town, which he has served acceptably as Selectman, is also active in church work, and is President of the Christian Endeavor Society.    He married Miss Aurelia Montague, a graduate of South Hadley Academy, who was for several years a teacher in Northampton; and they are the parents of a son and daughter- Myron Miller Clapp and Esther Parsons Clapp - the whole. family being members of the Congregational church at Westhampton.

Annah Juliette   Clapp   is the wife of Dr. William   L.   Higgins, of   South Coventry, Conn.   James Root Clapp, a young man of twenty-three years, who was educated in Northampton, is unmarried, and resides at home.   Mrs. Clapp has been a member of the Congregational church since she was sixteen years of age.

LYMAN W. CLAPP, an enterprising agriculturist of Westhampton, was born in that town,   September 5, 1859, son of Reuben and Susan (Burt) Clapp.

Mr. Clapp was reared on the family homestead to the occupation he follows.   In his boyhood days he assisted on the farm in labors suitable for his years, while attending school in the neighborhood.   After finishing with school, he gave his whole time to farm work, putting into practice the lessons in agriculture imparted by his father, and in time attained the skill and thoroughness which mark his farming today.    His undertakings are invariably successful.   With characteristic enterprise he has also established a substantial business in manufacturing lumber, owning and operating a sawmill in this locality. He takes an earnest interest in public affairs, and is foremost in promoting all legitimate schemes designed for the advancement of the town or the county. For the past two years Mr. Clapp has held the office of Selectman and Assessor. He is also Road Commissioner, Field Driver, and Constable. Politically, he is a sound Republican. Both he and his wife are sincere and faithful members of the Congregational church.

On June 8, 1886, Mr. Clapp was united in marriage with Elizabeth Ewing, daughter of William Ewing. Their union has been blessed by the birth of four children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are: Herbert Wright, George Ewing, and Mary Elizabeth. He and his family reside on the old homestead with his parents, whose sunset years he is careful to see are spent in quietness and comfort.

WILLIAM N. CLAPP, a member of one of the old families of New England, who lives on a farm in Easthampton, was born November 3, 1810, near his present home, on a farm owned by his grandfather. He is a son of Solomon and Paulina (Avery) Clapp, and is a descendant, in the seventh generation, of Roger Clapp, who was born in Devon, England, April 6, 1609, a member of "a godly family reared in Christian culture."

Roger Clapp came to this country in the ship "Mary and John," which bore a goodly company, including two magistrates and two ministers, and reached port May 30, 1630. He settled in Dorchester, Mass., where he held various public offices. In 1665, he was ap-pointed Captain of the fortifications on Castle Island in Boston Harbor, a position which he creditably filled for twenty years, resigning his commission when the tyrannical Andros was made governor of New England. Shortly after, in 1686, he removed to Boston, where he died in 1691, in his eighty-second year. Roger Clapp married Joanna, daughter of Thomas Ford, who, with her parents, came over in the same ship. Preserved Clapp, one of their fourteen children, born November 23, 1643, settled in Northampton. He was a prominent man in the town, a Captain of a military company, a Representative to the General Court, and a ruling Elder in the church. He died from the effects of a gunshot wound received from an Indian.

Preserved Clapp married Sarah Newberry, of Windsor, Conn., who bore seven children, one of whom, named Roger, was the father of Major Jonathan Clapp, who settled in Easthampton about 1730. Jonathan Clapp was reared by his uncle, Samuel Bartlett, and inherited from him the corn-mill which he had had an early permit to build in Easthampton. Major Clapp was one of the leading men in the early history of the town. During the Revolution he showed his patriotism and his humanity by always keeping two large kettles of food over the fire to supply the soldiers who passed his house, each kettle holding thirty gallons; and the fire was constantly burning, so that the soldier could get his meal by day or night. He was the father of three sons and eight daughters.

His youngest son, Benjamin Clapp, was born December 16, 1738. In 1766 he settled in Easthampton, taking up a large tract of land, which is now divided into some six farms, mostly in the possession of the family, the farm occupied by his grandson, William N., being a part of the original property.

Benjamin Clapp, commonly called Quarter-master Clapp, served in the Revolutionary War. He died in 1815, at the age of seventy-seven. A journal which he started on March 9, 1767, is in the possession of his grandson, William N. Clapp, and is in a fair state of preservation. His wife, whose maiden name was Phebe Boynton, was a native of Coventry, Conn., born November 23, 1750. She was married in 1765, at fifteen, and lived to be ninety-seven, and died in December, 1847, retaining to the last activity of mind and body. Fifteen children were born to them, thirteen of whom reared families.

Solomon Clapp was the eighth child of Benjamin.    His life began September 2, 1782, Easthampton being his birthplace; and the confines of that town bounded the horizon of his existence.    He was engaged in general farming on the land bequeathed him by his father up to the time of his death, which occurred when he was forty-five years old. His wife, Paulina Avery, was a daughter of Abner Avery, a native of Wallingford, Conn., who removed to Northampton in middle life, later removing to Easthampton, where he died in 1836, at the age of eighty-eight.    He was a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary army. Mrs. Paulina A. Clapp lived to be seventy-six years of age.    Her remains are resting with those of her husband in the fine new cemetery at Easthampton.    She was the mother of ten children, of whom William N. and three sisters are living, and six brothers have passed away.   The youngest, George C, removed to Kasota, Minn., and, joining the army, soon rose from the ranks to a position of authority, his first service being in fighting the Indians.

William N. Clapp was the second son of his parents.    He acquired the rudiments of his education in the district schools, and was a student for a year at Hopkins Academy in Hadley, a noted school in those days.    In his seventeenth year he was apprenticed to a jeweler and watch-maker in Providence, with whom he remained but a few months, being called home in consequence of the death of his father.    He succeeded to the possession of the home farm, and with the exception of three winters spent in teaching at South Amherst, Westhampton, and Grafton, his life has since been devoted to general farming.    He has a roomy and homelike residence, which he built in 1836, and owns a fine estate.

Mr. Clapp has been married three times. His first wife, to whom he was united in 1833, was Tryphena Janes, the second daughter of Parsons Janes, of Easthampton.    Her grandfather, Jonathan Janes, was a soldier in the French and Indian War, and was present at the surrender of Louisburg.    Mrs. Tryphena J. Clapp died July 29, 1847, leaving four children, namely: Sarah Eugenia, who was educated at Williston and South Hadley Seminaries, for ten years was a successful teacher in the public schools of Ohio and Massachusetts, and is now the wife of George W. Guilford, of Swift River, Mass. ; William Edgar, who served   in the Fifty-second Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, taking part in the siege of Port Hudson, and now has a farm adjoining his father's, and a wife and two children; Solomon Parsons, who died in 1872, leaving a widow and one daughter, Rosa Ward, now deceased, another daughter, Minnie P., being born after her father's decease; and Eliza Tryphena, who was first wife of George Guilford, and died February 18, 1879, leaving one daughter, Ena.

On January 4,   1848, Mr. Clapp married Emily Janes, sister of his first wife.   The two children born of this union, Emily Maria and Harriet Ellen, are both graduates of Mount Holyoke Seminary.    Harriet Ellen, who also received a diploma for proficiency in music from Smith College, is now the wife of Fred E. Gates, of Springfield, Mo., and the mother of three children.    Miss Emily M. Clapp was three years a teacher in Utah.    Under the auspices of the New West Education Commission she founded a school at Provo in 1883, and taught   there two years.    The school, which she left in a good condition, is now a large institution.    She had peculiar difficulties to contend with, as Brigham Young Academy was at that time flourishing in Provo, which was the strongest   Mormon town   in Utah Miss Clapp was three years connected with the American Missionary Association in the South, and has taught in Massachusetts and Vermont.

Mr. Clapp married in October, 1862, his present wife, Prudence T., daughter of Charles Wait, of Easthampton, formerly of Williamsburg. Her grandfather, Joseph Wait, of Williamsburg, was a Revolutionary soldier. Two children were born of this marriage, both now deceased. Mr. Clapp's grand-daughter, Caroline T. Clapp, is a graduate of Mount Holyoke, has been a successful teacher in Waltham, and is now traveling in Europe. A grandson, William Clark Clapp, who was born on his grandfather's sixty-third birthday, is an enthusiastic market gardener with his father.

William N. Clapp is a Republican in politics, and has served many years as Collector of Taxes. He was Collector and Treasurer of the town from 1839 to 1854, and was Justice of the Peace twenty-one years, declining a renewal of his commission; and many other offices were at his command, but he refused to cater to the political tastes of the times. He has been Trustee of the savings bank since its organization. He is active in church work, and was collector and treasurer of the First Parish from 1839 to 1853, ceasing to act in that capacity on the formation of the Payson Congregational Church of Easthampton, to which he now belongs.

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