Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/314

 MASSE Y

MATHER

A^J^^^fyyyCcC^.diK, factures, and

member of th<

a Republican representatve from the 3d dis- trict of Illinois in the 50th and 51st congresses,

1887-91 ; was defeated for the 52d congress by Allen Cathcart Durborow, Jr., of Chicago, and was elected to the U.S. senate Jan. 20, 1897, as successor to Gen. John M. Palmer, whose term expired March 3, 1897, for the term expiring March 31, 1903. He served as chairman of the committee on manu- as a the com- mittees on claims, fisheries, immigrating, post offices and post roads, conunerce, and organization, conduct and expenditure of tlie executive department.

MAS5EY, John Edward, legislator, was born in Spottsylvania, Va., April 2, 1819; son of Ben- jamin and Elizabeth (Chewning) Massey and grandson of Reuben and Mary (Carter) Massey. He was admitted to t!>e bar, but soon after be- came a Baptist clergyman. He supported the Riildleljerger bill ; was a representative in the state legislature. 1875-78 ; state senator, 1878-79; was prominently named as an available candi- date for governor in 1881 ; was the successful candidate for representative from the state-at- large in the 49th congress, 1883; was lieutenant- governor, 1880-89 ; state superintendent of public institutions, 1890-98 ; and was elected a delegate to the Virginia constitutional convention in 1901. He died at Charlottesville, Va., April 24, 1901.

MAS5IE, Nathanlelt pioneer, was born in Goochland county, Va., Dec. 28, 1763. He served in the Revolutionary war, 1780 ; was a surveyor of wild lands in Virginia, 1780-91, and of the Vir- ginia military district north of the Ohio river, 1791-96, laying out on his own land the town of Chillicothe in 1796, and in 1800 was one of the largest land-owners in the Northwest territory. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1802, and secured the selection of Chillicothe as the state capital ; was state senator in the 1st and 2d general assemblies, 1803-04 ; si>eaker of the senate, 1803 ; was a Jefferson elector in 1804, and a Madison elector in 1808, and a representative in the 5th and 8th general assemblies, 1806-07, and 1809-10. He was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for gov- ernor of the state at the election on the second Tuesday of October 1807, as successor to Ed- ward Tiffin, who resigned to take his seat in the

U.S. senate in March, 1807. When his opponent, Return J. Meigs, was elected, Massie raised the question of his eligibility, and the general assembly in joint convention declared him ineligi- ble under the constitution, but Massie does not appear by the official records to have claimed the office. Thomas Kirker, acting governor, served until Dec. 12, 1808, when Samuel Huntington was inaugurated. Massie was major-general of the state militia for several years. He died at Paint Creek Falls, Ohio, Nov. 13, 1813.

MASTERS, Josiah, representative, was born in Woodbury, Conn., Nov. 23, 1763 ; son of James and Eunice Masters. He was graduated at Yale in 1784 ; was admitted to the bar, and removed to Schaghticoke, N.Y., where he practised law. He was a member of the state assembly in 1792, 1800 and 1801 ; associate judge of Rensselaer county, 1801-05 ; a Democratic representative in the 9th and 10th congresses, 1805-09 ; and was judge of the court of common pleas of Rensselaer county, 1809-22. He supported the war of 1812, opposed the embargo, non-intercourse and other commercial restrictions, and co-oi)erated with De Witt Clinton in promoting the Erie canal. He died at Schaghticoke, N.Y., June 30, 1822.

MATHER, Cotton, clergyman, was born in Boston, Mass., Feb. 12, 1663 ; son of Increase and Maria (Cotton) Mather. He was graduated from Harvard, A.B., 1678, A.M., 1681 ; taught school, 1678-85, meanwhile studying theology. An impediment in his speech caused him to devote himself to the study of medi- cine, but by constant effort he overcame the difficulty and resumed his theolog- ical studies. He preached his first sermon in his grand- father's church at Dorchester, Mass., Aug. 22, 1680; and declined a call to New Haven, Conn., in 1681. He was ordained as- sistant pastor of the North Church, Boston, Maas., as a colleague with his father. May 13, 1685. He was actively connected with the |>er8ecutions of the alleged " witches," and published " Memor- able Providences relating to Witchcraft and Pos- sessions " in 1685, the tendency of which was to increase the excitement. In 1688 he was one of the four ministers that held a day of fasting and prayer for the affected children of John Goodwin of Boston, and he took the eldest daughter to his house in order to observe and prescribe for

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