Page:One of a thousand.djvu/506

 492 PRINCE. PRINCE. daughter of Judge Lyman Hinckley of Thetford, Vt., and Ann (Smith) Hinckley of Ellsworth, Me., the latter of whom had formerly held a position as teacher in the Boston public schools. Of this union were five children : Arabella, Edward Lyman, Charles J., Jr., Anna Hinckley, and also Samuel Cobb Prescott, who died in 1881. Mr. Prescott was a member of the Bos- ton school board from 1S70 to '75, board of aldermen 1874 and '75, and board of direc- tors for public institutions of Boston 1876 to '81 ; member of the House of Represen- tatives 1877, '78, and '79, serving as chair- man of the committee on public charitable institutions ; has always been an active Republican in national and state affairs, serving on the ward and city committee, and Republican state central committee for several years — but always being non-parti- san in municipal politics. He has lived in Boston fifty-one years and has changed his residence but once. Mr. Prescott has always taken a great in- terest in educational matters and public institutions, ever alive to a thorough inves- tigation of all matters that properly come before him as a public man. He has the courage of his convictions, and possesses a strong individuality, both arguing well for a conscientious and successful discharge of duties. PRINCE, Frederick Octavius, son of Thomas and Caroline Prince, was born in Boston, January 18, 181S. He is one of an illustrious family which as long ago as 1584 was prominent in England, living at that time in Shrewsbury upon their estate known as " Abbey Foregate " — John Prince being then rector of East Sheffield. In 1633 his son, Elder John Prince, came to this country and settled in Hull. His grandson, Thomas Prince, graduated from Harvard College in 1707, and in 17 18 was ordained co-pastor with Dr. Sewall of the Old South Church in Boston. The late James Prince, the grandfather of Mr. Prince, well known in his day and genera- tion as a prominent merchant, was ap- pointed by President Jefferson as naval officer of the port of Boston, and afterward United States marshal for the district of Massachusetts. Frederick. Prince was prepared by Abel Whitney for the Boston Latin school, which he entered in 1827, graduating in 1832, receiving the Franklin medal and two other medals for scholarship. He en- tered Harvard College in 1832 and gradu- ated in 1836. He was class poet and sec- retary. In 1837 he commenced the study of law in the office of Franklin Dexter and William H. Gardiner, and was admitted at the Suffolk bar in 1840, when he imme- diately took an active part in politics as an active and earnest Whig. In 1848 Mr. Prince married Helen, daughter of Barnard Henry of Philadel- phia, for many years United States consul at Gibraltar, where Mrs. Prince was born. He made his residence in Winchester, re- taining his law office in Boston. In 1 85 1, '52 and '53 he represented Win- chester in the lower house of the state Legislature. In 1853 he was a prominent member of the famous Constitutional Con- vention. In 1854 he was elected to the state Senate, where he at once became an influ- ential member. Upon the disruption of the Whig party, in i860, he allied himself with the old opponents of the party, and has since acted with the Democrats. He was sent as a delegate to the memorable national Democratic convention which met in Charleston, S. C, in i860, and, adher- ing to the Douglas wing of that party, was appointed secretary of the national Demo- cratic committee for the campaign of i860, to which office he was re-elected by each succeeding convention until 1S88, repre- senting the Massachusetts members on the committee for twenty-eight years. In 1888, although again unanimously elected, he resigned, receiving a resolution of thanks for the " unflagging zeal and distinguished ability " with which he had served. In December, 1876, Mr. Prince was nom- inated by the Democrats as mayor of the city of Boston, and was elected by a large vote, although his party at that time was in the minority. The following year he was again nominated, and only defeated after one of the most hotly contested elections ever known in Boston. Again, the follow- ing year, there was a re-action in his favor, and he was re-elected by a handsome ma- jority. In 1879, '80 and '81 he was returned to the same office. In 1882, though ear- nestly pressed, he declined renomination. Among the notable achievements of his administration are the " park system " and the improvement in sewers. Mr. Prince was early interested in the " park system," and its final adoption and subsequent lay- ing out are largely due to his efforts. He appreciated keenly the necessity of an im- proved sewage for the rapidly growing city under his care, and by his earnest ad- vocacy of the measure, contributed not a little to the complete success of that won- derful piece of engineering known as the great intercepting sewer which takes to