Page:One of a thousand.djvu/389

I !• IS. LILLEV. 375 LEWIS, JOHN JAY, was bom July 6, 1840, in Montpelier, Washington county, Vt. He is seventh 111 descent from George Lewis, who landed at Plymouth 1630. His father, a well-to-do farmer, was Orlando F. Lewis, of Montpelier, and his mother, Cecilia B. (Nash) Lewis, came of an old English family that settled in Rehoboth in 1700. His early training was received in the district school of his native town. He fitted for an academic course in the Orleans Liberal Institute, at Glover, Vt.. and in 1858 entered the Barre (Vt.) Acad- emy, from which he graduated in June, 1859. The following August he entered Tufts College, from which he graduated as valedictorian, July 8, 1863, and the en- suing September became principal of the Green Mountain Liberal Institute, at South Woodstock, Vt., remaining there two years. The succeeding year found him financial agent for the Goddard Seminary, Barre, Vt. He preached his first sermon in Lyceum Hall before the old Fourth Universalist society of South Boston, in 1S66. Imme- diately afterwards he received two calls to settle as pastor — one from the above so- ciety, and one from the Universalist society of Williston, Vt. The latter was accepted. After serving one year he came to Boston, and preached again at South Boston, in July, 1867. This resulted in a second call from the old Fourth society, and he be- came its pastor in December of that year, Rev. A. A. Miner preaching the ordina- tion sermon. The society had been organ- ized in 1830 as the Fourth Universalist society. It subsequently changed its name to the Broadway Universalist society, and was one of the most influential of the city, when it dedicated its new church edifice two years after Mr. Lewis took charge. He was married at North Montpelier, Vt., November 23, 1863, to Abbie Good- win, an only daughter of Colonel Nathan- iel and Irene (Rich) Davis, of North Mont- pelier, the ancestors of both being of Ox- ford, Mass. The fruits of this union were two children : Leo R., born February 11, 1865, and Orlando F., born September 5, 1873- The elder of these, a graduate of the Boston high and Latin schools, also of Tufts College, subsequently spent two years at Harvard, where he took both the degree of A. B. and A. M. — the latter with the highest honors — and has done some notable work in musical composition. He edited, and in large part wrote the music of a Sunday-school service book, " The Redeemer," of which Rev. Mr. Lewis is the author; and also the musi- cal work of a half-score of cantatas and operettas for which his mother did the literary work. Young Lewis is at present continuing his musical studies in Munich, Germany. Mrs. Lewis is a popular writer for chil- dren and youth, her work appearing in " Youth's Companion," " Ladies' Home journal," "Wide Awake," the youths' de- partment of the American Press Associa- tion, and other publications of that class. Mr. Lewis confines his labors to the community wherein he resides. He has been honorably conspicuous in effecting many local reforms which have resulted in purifying and beautifying that portion of the city he has benefited by his faithful work. L1LLEY, Charles Sumner, son of Charles and Cynthia (Huntley) Lilley, was born in Lowell, Middlesex county, Decem- ber r3, 1851. CHARLES S LILLEY, He attended the public schools of his native city, and was prepared for college under private tutors, but owing to ill health was obliged to forego the pursuit of his collegiate course. Early in life he learned the business of carpet designing, and was with the Lowell