Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/203

 CHESNUT.

CHESTER.

served at Chapel Hill and Durham, N.C.. estab- lishing a church at each of these places. From 1881 to 1893 he was rector of St. Peter's church, Charlotte, N.C. He was a deputy to the general conventions of 1886, 1889 and 1892, and a trustee of the Universit}^ of the South from 1885. He re- ceived his degree of D.D. from the University of North Carolina in 1890. and from the University of the South in 1894. He was consecrated bishop Oct. 15, 1893. and made coadjutor bishop of North Carolina, and on the death of Bishop Lyman in tlje same year succeeded him as diocesan. Bishop Cheshire became th^ historiographer of his diocese.

CHESNUT, James, senator, was born near Camden, S.C., in 1815; son of James Chesnut. He was graduated from Princeton in 1835. He was a member of the South Carolina legislature, 1842-"52. and of the state senate, 1851-'58. He was appointed United States senator to succeed Arthur P. Hayne, and was elected for the full term beginning Dec. 5, 1859. On Nov. 10. 1860. he resigned, anticipating the secession of South Caro- lina ; his resignation was not accepted ; and upon his appointment as a delegate in the Confederate provisional congress he was expelled from the United States senate. July 11. 1861. He served during the war in the Confederate army, receiv- ing a commission as colonel. He served on the staff of Jefferson Davis, and was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He was a delegate to the national Democratic convention in 1868. He died in South Carolina in 1885.

CHESTER, Colby Mitchel, naval officer, was born in New London, Conn.. Feb. 29, 1844; son of Melville and Frances C. (Harris) Chester. He was graduated at the United States naval academy and saw his first service on the Richmond, of the western gulf squadron, in the operations against Mobile, 1863-'64. He was advanced to the grade of master, Nov. 10, 1866; was promoted lieutenant, Feb. 21, 1867; lieutenant-commander, March 12, 1868; commander, Oct. 15, 1881. From 1881 to 1885, he was employed as hydrographic inspector of the coast survey, and on October 31 of the latter year took command of the Galena and rendered assistance to the British ship Hiatorian, which had struck on Magdalena river bar, Dec. 21, 1885; for which the officers of the Galena received a service of silver from the o\vners, and the thanks of the British government. He was detached from the Galena in 1888, was a member of the navy yard commission, 1888-'89 ; attached to bureau of navi- gation, July, 1890, to April, 1891 ; to naval academy, 1891-94. On June 12, 1896, he was made captain. He commanded the receiving slup liirhmnnd at the navy yard. League Island. Pa., 1896; the bat- tleship Xrvnrk. Nortli Atlantic squadron, 1897; and the battleship Cincinnati in 1898.

CHESTER, Frederick Dixson Walthall, geolo- gist, was born in Porte au Platte, Santo Domingo, Oct. 8, 1861. He was graduated at Cornell, B.S., 1882. M.S.. 1887 ; was professor of geology and botany at theDelawai-e state college, 1882-'85 ; was botanist and mycologist of the Delaware agricul- tural experimental station. 188.5-"99. and director of the laboratory of the Delaware state board of health in 1899. He became fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

CHESTER, John, soldier, was born in Wethers- field, Conn., Jan. 29. 1749. He was graduated at Yale college in 1766, and was a representative in the state legislature in 1772. He distinguished himself in the battle of Bunker Hill, where he served as a captain, remaining in the army until 1777, being promoted to the rank of colonel. He was speaker of the Connecticut legislature, a member of the council, 1788-'91, and again in 1803 ; was supervisor of the district of Connecticut 1791-1801, and was made a probate county judge. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Harvard in 1775, and those of A.B. and A.M. from Yale in 1776. He died in Wethersfield, Conn., Nov. 4, 1809.

CHESTER, Joseph Lemuel, antiquarian, was born in Norwich, Conn., April 30, 1821; son of Joseph and Prudee (Tracy) Chester, and was de- scended through Joseph and Elizabeth (Lee) Chester, Joseph and Elizabeth (Otis) Chester, and John Chester, from Captain Samuel, who removed from Boston to Connecticut in 1663. He was educated in Norwich, Conn., at Rome. Ohio, whither the family removed in 1835, and at Ash- tabula, Ohio. In 1838 he entered the employ of Arthur Tappan & Co.. silk merchants. New York city. He contributed to periodical literature under the pseudonym of " Julian Cramer." In the winter of 1839-'40 he entered the lecture field as a temperance advocate. In 1845 he removed to Philadelphia, and during 1848-'49-'50 was musi- cal editor of Godey's Ladies' Book, and in 1852 be- came one of the editors of the Philadelphia In- quirer and of the Daily Sun. He was assistant clerk of the U. S. house of representatives under John W. Forney, and from 1855 to 1858 was one of the aids of Governor Pollock of Pennsylvania, with the military rank of colonel. In 18.58 he went to London. England, where he permanently settled and acquired fame by his genealogical and antiquarian researches. He collated and edited much valuable information concerning the English origin of many American families, and was consulted as an authority on matters gene- alogical by distinguished antiquarians in England. He was one of the founders of the Harleian society and a voluminovis contributor to its records. He was made a member of the New England historical genealogical society in 1862