Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/458

 PUTNAM

PUTNAM

PUTNAM, Alfred Porter, clergyman and autlior, wiis born at Danvers, Mass., Jan. 10, 1827; son of the Hon. Elias and Eunice (Ross) Putnam; grandson of Israel and Anna (Endicott) Putnam, and of Adam Ross of Ipswich, a Bunker Hill and Revolutionary soldier; great-grandson of Capt. Edmuml Putnam, who commanded one of the Danvers-Lexington companies, April 19, 1775, and a descendant of John Putnam, John Porter, Gov, John Endicott, Maj. William Ha- thorne. and other leading settlers of Salem Vil- lage, now Danvers. He was a bank clerk in Danvers; a book-keeper in a Boston mercantile house; attended the Pembroke. N.H., Andover, Mass., and Springfield. Vt., academies; matricu- lated at Dartmouth in 1849, but changed to Brown in 1850, and was graduated there A.B., 1852, and from the Harvard Divinity school in 1855, being sent while a student as delegate from Dan- vers to the first Republican convention in Massa- chusetts, held at Worcester in 1854. He was appointed to preach b}' the Boston Association of Ministers, and was pastor of the Mount Pleas- ant church (Unitarian), Roxbury, 1855-64; being also elected president of the Unitarian Sunday- school society in 1863. In 1862-63 he traveled abroad with the Rev. Frederick Frothingham, visiting the principal European countries, ascend- ing the Nile for a tliousand miles, journeying by caravan to Mount Sinai, Petra. Mount Hor and Jerusalem, and sailing from Joppa to Constanti- nople. He was twice married; first, Jan. 10, 1856. to Louise P., daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Proctor) Preston of Danvers, who died June 12. 1860; and secondly, Dec. 27, 1865, to Eliza King, daughter of Ephraim and Mary (King) Buttrick of Cambridge. He was minister of the First Unitarian church (Church of the Saviour). Brooklyn, N.Y., 1864-86, and while there started its flourishing mission school, and also a third Unitarian church in the city. He was one of the founders of the Brooklyn Union for Christian Workers; one of the editors of the Liberal Christian, a Unitarian weekly; director, chairman of the executive committee, correspond- ing seorftary, and a life member of the Long Island Historical society, and after 1886 honorary meml>er of the Brooklyn New England society. He visited Europe in 1883 for the benefit of his health, and in 1886 resigned his pastorate to seek recovery in the country, soon settling in Con- cord, Mass. A year later, he began to preach in many places and to lecture before various historical societies, at the Meadville Theological school and at Tufts college, on subjects relating to history and hymnology. the Bible, ethnic reli- gions and archseology. In 1889 he established the Danvers Historical society, of which he was chosen president. In 1895 he removed to Danvers,

and in 1897 to Salem, Mass. He was made an honorary member of the Peabody and Lexington historical societies, a member of the American Historical association, and of several patriotic and kindred organizations. Brown conferred upon him the honorary degree of D.D. in 1871. His bibliography, embracing about fifty titles, and comprising books, pamphlets, and discourses, includes the following: Memorial discourses on Edward Everett (1865), William Lloyd Garrison (1879), and Abiel Abbot Low (1893); Unitarian- ism ill Brooklyn (1869); 7he Unitarian Denomi- nation, Past and Present (1870); Singers and Songs of the Liberal Faith (1874); Christianity the Laic of the Land (1876); Proceedings of the Brooklyn Celebration of the Hundredth Birthday of Dr. Charming (edited, 1880); A Unitarian Oberlin (1888); Rebecca Ntwse and Her Friends (1892); Old Anti-Slavery Do ys (1893); and Gen. Israel Piitnamand Bunker Hill (1901). He is also the author of many contributions to periodicals, notablj' the Danvers Mirror, for which he wrote (1876-1902) more than one hundred articles, his- torical, biographical, genealogical, and descrip- tive.

PUTNAM, Eben, genealogist, was born in Salem, Mass.. Oct. 10, 1868; son of Frederic Ward and Adelaide Martha (Edmands) Putnam; grandson of Eben and Elizabeth (Appleton) Put- nam and of William and Martha Adams (Tapley) Edmands. He was prepared for college at Cam- bridge high school, but did not matriculate, and in 1885 entered business life. He was married, Aug. 17, 1890. to Florence, daughter of Frank and Elizabeth Tucker of Boston, Mass. He was manager of the Salem Press, and editor of the Salem Press Historical Genealogical Record, and its .successors. Putnayn's Historical Magazine and Genealogical Quarterly Magazine. He was busi- ness manager of The International Monthly, 1899-1902, resigning in July, 1902, when he became president and manager of the Research Publication company of Boston. He was elected a member of the Essex Institute and of the New England Historic Genealogical society, in both of which societies he was a member of the library committee; and of the New Brunswick Histori- cal society. He was a founder, secretary and registrar, and member of the council of the Old Planters' society; member, secretary, and lieu- tenant-governor of the Society of Colonial Wars in Vermont, and delegate to its general assembly, 1902; librarian of the Vermont Antiquarian society, 1901-02. chairman of the executive com- mittee, and one of the editors of the Vermont Antiquarian. He is the author of: History of the Putnam Family in England and America (1892- 1901); Military and Naval Annals of Danvers (1895); editor and part author of Osgood Gene-