Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/103

 CUSHMAN

CUSHMAN

acters were Lady Macbeth, Queen Katherine, Nancy Sykes, and Meg Merrilies in " Guy Man- nering," which last she created. She frequently assumed male characters such as Hamlet, Romeo, Claude Melnotte, and Cardinal Wolsey, in which she was eminently successful. See Charlotte Cushman: Her Letters and Memoirs of Her Life (1878), by Emma Stebbins, the sculptor, a friend of Miss Cushman during her residence in Rome. She died in Boston, Mass., Feb. 18, 1876.

CUSHMAN, John Paine, representative, was born in Pomfret, Conn., March 8, 1784; son of Isaac and Sarah (Paine) Cushman. He was educated at Yale in 1807; studied law and prac- tised his profession in Troy, N.Y. He repre- sented his district in the 15th congress, 1817-19; was city recorder of Troy, 1834-38; was aj^pointed regent of the University of the state of New York, April 2, 1830, resigning in 1834; and judge of the 3d circuit of the state, Feb. 9, 1838, hold- ing the office until 1844. He was a trustee of Union college, 1833^8, and received the degree of A.M. from that institution in 1816. He died in Troy, N.Y., Sept. 16, 1848.

CUSHMAN, Joshua, representative, was born probably in Halifax, N.S., about 1758; son of Abner and Mary (Tillson) Cushman; and grand- son of Deacon Moses and Mary (Jackson) Cush- man. He was a member of the class of 1787 at Harvard and received his A.B. degree in 1791. He lived in early life in what is now North Bridge water, Mass., and on April 1, 1777, entered the Revolutionary army. He was discharged in March, 1780, studied divinity under the Rev. Ephraim Briggs, was licensed to preach, and was ordained as pastor at Wiuslow, Maine, June 10, 1785, preaching there nearly twenty, years, at first belonging to the Congregational and later to the Unitarian denomination. After, leaving the ministry at Winslow he continued to preach for a time in the churches there and elsewhere. He was a state senator, 1810, 1819 and 1820, and a, state representati^-e in 1811 and 1812. He represented Massachusetts in the 16th congress, 1819-21; and after the separation of Maine from Massachusetts represented the new state in the 17th and 18th congresses, 1821-25, and his dis- trict in the Maine legislature in 1834. He died while in office at Augusta, Maine, Jan. 27, 1834.

CUSHMAN, Pauline, see Fryer, Pauline Cush- man.

CUSHMAN, Robert, colonist, was born in Kent, England, about 1580. He was an ally of John Carver and aided the pilgrims in their exodus, joining them in Leyden, Holland, after they had been there several j-ears. He became a leader in the community and advocated their settlement in America, could they obtain from the king a promise of liberty of conscience in

their new home. He went with Deacon Carver to London in 1617 and the king refused a charter under his seal, but gave his promise not to molest them. He went to England again, with Elder Brewster, in 1619, when the king granted them a charter and toleration for their form of religion as long as they should remain faitliful subjects. At the same time they contracted with the Lon- don merchant adventurers for vessels, and soon after Cushman visited London again with Carver, collected funds, made purchases and chartered the Mayflower, which Carver fitted out at South- ampton, Cushman meanwhile so changing the contract with the adventurers on his own re- sponsibility, as to abandon the two days allowed the pilgrims each week for their private affairs. Cushman with liis family embarked in the Speed- well, Aug. 5, 1620, and the two vessels began the voyage. After being obliged to turn back the Mayfloioer sailed alone, Sei^tember 6, with part of the company and Cushman remained in England as financial agent and to forward supplies. In July, 1621, he sailed on the Fortune, taking with him his only son, Thomas, and arriving at Ply- mouth, New England, Nov. 21, 1621. Ujx)n his return, Dec. 13, 1621, he left Thomas in the family of Governor Bradford. On the voyage he was captured by the French, plundered and taken to France. After two weeks he was released and returned to England. In 1623 he obtained, in connection with Edward Winslow, a grant of the territory of Cape Ann from Lord Sheffield, and there a new band of pilgrims made the first permanent settlement in Massachusetts Bay colony. He published in London in 1621 a pamphlet on " Emigration to America," in which he urged the advantages of the new country, and in 1622 printed in London his first sermon preached in Anierica, Dec. 6, 1621, on "Sin and Danger of Self-love." This sermon was reprinted in Boston in 1724, in 1780, and, with a biographical sketch by Judge John Davis, in Plymouth in 1785. In 1622 he published an eloquent vindication of the colonial enterprise and an appeal for missions to the North Ameri- can Indians. He died in England in 1625.

CUSHMAN, Samuel, representative, was born in Portsmouth, N.H., June 8, 1783. He practised law in his native city where he was judge of the police court; county treasurer, 1823-28; state councillor, 1833-35; a representative in the 24th and 25th congresses, 1835-39, and naval officer, 1845-49. He died in Portsmouth, May 20, 1851.

CUSHMAN, Thomas, pilgrim, was born in England in 1608; son of Robert Cushman, the colonist. He came to Plymouth in November, 1621, with his father and made his home with Governor Bradford. He was married about 1635 to Mary, third daughter of Isaac Allerton. He