HINMAN
HINSDALE
HINMAN, Royal Ralph, historian, was born
in Soutlibury, Conn., June o, 1785; son of Gen.
Ephraini and Sj'lvania (French) Hinnian, and
grandson of Deacon David Hinnian and of Wil-
liam French. He prepared for college under the
instruction of Azel Backus, D.D.,and was gradu-
ated from Yale in 1804. He taught an academy
in Virginia, ISOi-Oo, and then returned to Con-
necticut and studied law at New Milford and
Litchtield. He was admitted to the bar in 1807,
and practised law at Koxbury and Sonthington,
Conn. He was married, Sept. 14, 1814, to Lydia,
youngest daughter of Maj.-Gen. John Ashley, a
descendant of Gov, John Winthrop. He was for
ten years postmaster of Roxbur\-, and was judge
and clerk of probate at Sonthington. In 1819 he
was appointed brigade major and inspector of the
6th infantry of Connecticut. He was a member
of the general assembly four sessions, and was
once nominated for representative in congress.
On being elected secretary of state of Connecti-
cut, he removed to Hartford, and held the office,
1835-42. In 1835-36 he was appointed by the
legislature cliairman of two committees, the first
to revise the public statutes of the state, and the
second to prepare and publish the acts of incor-
poration or private laws of Connecticut. He was
commissioner of deeds for Maine and other states.
1837, and notary public for Connecticut, 1842.
In 1844 he was appointed by President Tyler col-
lector of customs for the port of New Haven, and
superintendent of lighthovises in the district, and
held the office until the following March. He
was a delegate to the Democratic national con-
vention at Baltimore in 1844. He was an original
member of the Connecticut Historical society and
a member of various other liistorical societies;
a member of the Linonian Society of Yale; and
was elected an honorary member of the Par-
thencm Society of Trinity college in 1843. He
received the degree of A.M. from Yale in 1811.
He made a special study of the early history of
Connecticut, and published: Official Letters be-
ticeenthe Kings and Queens of England and the
Early Governors of Connecticut in 1635-79 (1836);
Historical Recollections of Connecticut in the
American Revolution (1842); Catalogue of the
First Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecti-
cut (1852-58); A Family Record of the De-
scendants of Sergeant Edivard Hinman (1856).
He died in New York city, Oct. 15, 1868.
HINSDALE, Burke Aaron, educator, was born atWadsworth, Ohio, March 31, 1837; son of Albert and Clarinda (Eyles) Hinsdale, grandson of Elisha Hinsdale, and a descendant of Robert Hinsdale. He attended the district school, and for a few terms the AVestern Reserve Eclectic institute, afterward Hiram college. In 1858 he entered upon a course of liberal study at Hiram,
the head of the institute being then James A.
Garfield, of whom he became a favorite pupil
and an intimate personal friend. He entered the
ministry of the Christian church in 1861; was
pastor at Solon, Ohio, 1864;-66; and at Cleveland,
HIRAAA COULEGE.
1866-68; and was assistant editor of the Chris- tian Standard, 1866-69. In 1869-70 he held the chair of history and English literature in Hiram college, and was its president, 1870-82. He was supei'intendent of piiblic schools in Cleve- land, Ohio, 1882-86, and became professor of the science and art of teaching in the University of jMichigan in 1888. He was elected a member of the American Historical association, and received the honorary degrees of A.M. from "Williams college in 1871, Ph.D. from Ohio State univer- sit}' in 1888, and LL.D. from Ohio university in 1892. He is the author of: The Genuineness and Authenticity of the Gospels (1872); The Jeirish- Christian Church (1878); Ecclesiastical Tradition (1879); Repuhlicun Text-Book for the Campaign of ISSO (1880); President Garfield and Education (1881); The Life and Worlcs of James Abram Gar- field (1882-83); Schools and Studies (1884); The Old Northwest (1888; rev. ed., 1899), The Ameri- can Government, National and State (1891; rev. ed., 1895); Hoio to Study and Teach History (1893); Teaching the Language Arts (1896); Horace Mann and the Common School Revival in the United States (1898), and voluminous contributions to journalistic and pamphlet litera- ture. He died at Atlanta. Ga., Nov. 29, 1900.
HINSDALE, John W., soldier and lawyer, was born in Butfalo, N.Y., Feb. 4, 1843; son of Samuel Johnston and Elizabeth (Christopher) Hinsdale, of Fayetteville, N.C.; a grand nephew of George E. Badger, U.S. secretary of the navy, 1841, and a descendant in the ninth generation of Robert Hinsdale, who came to America in 1638, and settled in Deerfield, Mass.; and on his motlier's side a lineal descendant of Gov. William Bradford and Elder Brewster, of the Mayfioiver. He was a student at Donaldson academy, Fayette- ville, at the military school of Colonel Starr, Yonkers, N.Y., 1853-58, and at the University of North Carolina, 1858-61. He joined the Confed-
