Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/294

 -WADSWORTH

WADSWORTH

to preach in November, 1693. lie was married in 1696, to Ruth Boardman. He was an assistant teaclier in the Fii-st church, Boston, Mass. (Sam- uel Willard, teacher), 1693-96, and was ordained colleague i»astor of the First church, Sept. 8, 1696, serving, 1696-1705. During his pastorate the old meeting-house on King street was burned, Oct. 2, 1711, and the new houseof worshipopeneJ on the old site, Jan S, 1717. He succeeded John Leverett as president of Harvard college, serving, 1725-37, and was also a fellow of the college, 1712-25. Al>out 1730 he erected a monument to the mem- ory of his father in Sudbury, Mass., where the latter was killed in contact with the Indians, April 18, 1676. A portrait of Benjamin "Wads- worth was hung in Sanders theatre, Cambridge, Mass. He left a legacy to Harvard college and to the First clmrch of Boston, Mass. His publi- cations include: An Artillery Election Sermon (1700): Five Sermons (1711); a Tliaiiksgiving Ser- mon for God's Goodness in jyroviding a New Meeting-house for the Old Church, and numerous other sermons. He died in Cambridge, Mass., March 16. 1737.

WADSWORTH, James, delegate, was born in Durham. Conn., July 6, 1730; son of James and Abigail (Pen field) Wadsworth; grandson of Col. James and Ruth (Noyes) Wadsworth, and great- grandson of John Wadsworth, who came from England with his father, William, in 1632. Col- onel Wadsworth served as the first justice of the peace of Durham; commanded the first military company of volunteers, the 10th regiment, was speaker of the house, 1717; assistant, 1718-52; justice of the superior court, 1725-52, and with several others a grantee of "Esquire's Farm." He died in 1756. James Wadsworth, Junior, was graduated from Yale college, A.B., 1748, A.M., 1751; served as lieutenant in the militia, 1753; took part in tlieTiconderoga campaign, 1758, and was commissioned captain, 1759. He succeeded his grandfatlit-r as town clerk in 1756, serving until 17S6. He was married, Jan. 13, 1757, to Katharine, daughter of Ebenezer and Rhoda Guernsey of Durham. He was a representative in the general assembly, 1759-85, being for two sessions a colleague of his fatlier and serving as speaker of the house, 1784-85; justice of the peace. 1762; assistant judge of New Haven county cov'.rt, 1775-78, and subsequently presiding justice. He was a member of the committee of safety, 1775; commissioned colonel of the 10th Connecticut regiment of militia, 1775; promoted brigadier-general in June, 1776, over the Connec- ticut regiments raised to reinforce Washington at New York; served in the latter j'ear as a mem- ber of the committee ap})ointed to revise the militia laws of the .state, and in May, 1777, suc- ceeded David Wooster as 2d major-general, serv-

ing on the defence of coast towns until his resig- nation in ]May, 1779. He was a delegate to the Continental congress, 1783-80; a member of the executive council of the state, 1786-88. serving at the same time as comptroller of the state, and a member of the convention of 1788, that ratified the U.S. constitution. He is theautlior of a mup of New Haven, taken in 1748, and engraved and first published in 1806. He died in Durham, Conn., Sept. 22, 1817.

WADSWORTH, James, philanthropist, was born in Duriiam, Conn.. April 20, 1768; nephew of James Wadsworth (1730-1817), (q.v.). Ho was graduated from Yale college, A.B., 1787; migrated to Genesee river, N.Y., in 1790, with his brother William (1772-1833), brigadier-general of N.Y. militia in the war of 1812, and with him founded the town of Geneseo, N.Y. He was actively interested in the promotion of education, endeavoring to foster its progress through pri- vately printed articles setting forth its advan- tages and by engaging lecturers for the same pur- pose. He also agreed to give premiums to the towns first founding libraries; advocated the idea of normal schools in 1811; accomplished the passage of a school-library law in 1838, and es- tablished a library and institution for scientific lectures at Geneseo, N.Y., to which he gave an endowment fund of $10,000. He was the owner of vast tracts of land, and in disposing of the same made the condition that 125 acres in every township should be gratuitously set aside for a church and an equal amount for a school. He married Naomi, daughter of Samuel and Jerusha (Wolcott) Wolcott. He died in Geneseo, N.Y., June 8. 1844.

WADSWORTH, James Samuel, soldier, was born in Geneseo, N.Y,, Oct. 30, 1807; son of James (17G8-1844) and Naomi (Wolcott) Wads- worth. He was a student at Hamilton. Harvard and Yale colleges; subsequently studied law with Daniel Webster, and was admitted to the bar in 1833. He was married, May 11, 1834, to Mary Craig, daughter of John and Nancy (Craig) Wharton of Philadelphia, Pa. He was the founder of the Geneseo public library; influential in jjro- moting the school district library system, and a contributor to the endowment fund of Geneseo college. He was a prominent supporter of the Free-soil party; a presidential elector on the Re- publican ticket in 1856 and 1860, and a delegate to the Peace convention at Washington, D.C., Feb. 4-27, 1861. In order to prevent the cutting off of supplies from Washington, D.C., he fitted out two relief ships at his own expense and ac- companied them from New York city to Anna- polis, Md. In the first battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, he was a volunteer member of Gen. Irviu McDowell's staff, with the rank of ma ji >y,