Page:One of a thousand.djvu/23

ALDKICH. ALDRICH. is always alive and active in promoting the temperance cause. He is a director in the Holbrook Co-operative Bank, a charter member of the Knights of Honor, having passed through every grade of office. ALDR1CH, JAMESMOTT, son of Arnold and Dollee Lang Aldrich, was born in Smithfield, Providence county, R. I., Octo- ber 30, 181 7. He attended the common schools and the academy at Union Village. He studied medicine in the office of Dr. J. A. Brown, Providence, R. I., Harvard medical school, and in the Botanic Medi- cal College, Cincinnati, Ohio ; and com- menced regular practice in Fall River in 1S43, in which city he has ever since lived. Dr. Aldrich was married in Dedham, May 24, 1844, to Mary A. Allen, who died in 1857. He was again married, Septem- ber 23, 1862, to Louisa G., the daughter of Hon. Nathaniel B. and Sarah (Gray) Borden, of Fall River. They have two chil- dren : Mary L. and Nathaniel B. Aldrich. From 1846 to '47 he was editor of the "Medical Enquirer." He has been for many years president of the Children's Home ; was a member of the school board fifteen years ; and is president of the Bar- nard Manufacturing Company. Dr. Aldrich was a strong abolitionist, and has been a life-long advocate of total abstinence from all intoxicants ; was a member of the Society of Friends, but left them when their New England yearly meeting forbade the opening of their meet- ing-houses for anti-slavery gatherings. He has been connected with the Unitarian society since 187 1. ALDRICH, P. EMORY, was born in New Salem, Franklin county. His an< es- tors came from England in 1635, residing at first in Dorchester and Braintree, and afterwards settling in Mendon, Worcester county. After obtaining his early education at the public schools, he fitted for college at the Shelburne Falls Academy, and in pri- vate study mastered a collegiate education. He studied law while engaged in teaching at the South, and later attended the Harvard law school. In 1S45 ne was admitted to the bar in Richmond, Va., but the following year returned to Massachu- setts, and after studying for six months with Chapman, Ashmun & Norton, in Springfield, he was admitted to practice in the courts of the State. He began practice in Barre, where he remained for seven years, for three years editing the " Barre Patriot." He was sent as a delegate to the Convention of 1S53 for the revision of the state constitution, and the same year Governor Clifford ap- pointed him district attorney for the mid- dle district, which office he held till 1866. Removing to Worcester in 1854, he became a partner of Hon. P. C. Bacon. In 1862 he was elected mayor of Worcester, declin- ing a re-election. He was sent as a repre- sentative to the Legislature in i866-'67, and for three years after its organization he was a member of the state board of health. In the cause of temperance and educa- tion he has ever taken a lively interest. He has been an active member of the American Antiquarian Society, and one of its council. He has also been a valued member of the board of trustees of the Worcester County Free Institution of In- dustrial Science. In 1850 Mr. Aldrich married Sarah, daughter of Harding P. Wood, of Barre. ALDRICH, Samuel Nelson, son of Sylvanus Bucklin and Lucy Jane (Stod- dard) Aldrich, was born in Upton, Worces- ter county, February 3, 1838. His education was conducted at the Worcester and Southington, Conn., acad- emies, and at Brown University, Provi- dence, R. I. Subsequently he taught schools at Upton, Holliston and Worces- ter, Mass. He entered upon the study of law with Hon. Isaac Davis and E. B. Stoddard, at Worcester, and completed the same at the Harvard law school. In 1863 Mr. Aldrich was admitted to the bar, and then com- menced practice at Marlborough. Since 1874 he has kept an office in Boston, though retaining his residence in Marl- borough and living in Boston during the winter. In the public affairs of Marlborough Mr. Aldrich has been prominent ; was for nine years on the school committee, was four years on the board of selectmen, officiating as chairman of both ; has been a director of the People's National Bank at Marlborough ; president of the Marl- borough Board of Trade ; president of the Framingham & Lowell Railroad (now a portion of the Old Colony system), and president of the Central Massachusetts Railroad. In 1879 Mr. Aldrich was elected to the state senate, where he served as chairman of the committee on taxation, and as a member of the committee on bills in the third reading, and on constitutional amend- ments. In 1880 he was again a member