Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/376

 WELLES

WELLING

head) Weller and of Horace and Emma (Corbit) Look. His father removed to Jacksonville, Fla., where he was rector of bt. John's church, and the son attended St. John's academy, Jacksonville, and the L^niversity of the South, Sewanee, Tenn., and studied theology under the direction of his fatlier. He was admitted to the diaconate by Bishop Young in St. Jolin's church, Jackson- ville. May 9, 1880, and served at Ocala. Fla., and Providence. R. L He was graduated at Nashotah, 1884; and was advanced to the priestliood by the Bishop of Milwaukee (Edward R. Welles) Sept. 28, 1884. He was rector of Christ church. Eau Claire, Wis., 1884-88; of St. Mattliias. AVaukesha, 1888-90, and of the Church of the Intercession, Stevens Point, W^is., 1890-1901. He was a deputy to the general conventions of 1892, 1895 and 1898 from the diocese of Fond du Lac; archdeacon of Stevens Point, and trustee of Nashotah and of Grafton Hall. He was married. May 18, 1886, to Bessie, daughter of Dan Tliairand Sarah (Glover) Brown of Eau Claire, Wis. In 1900 he was elected bishop coadjutor of Fond du Lac and he was consecrated in St. Paul's cathedral, Nov. 8, 1900, by Bishops Grafton, McLaren, Nicholson, G. M. W^illiams, Francis, A. L. Williams, and Anderson. He received the honorarj- degree of S.T.D. from Nashotah in 1901.

WELLES, Edward Randolph, third bishop of Wisconsin and lOoth in succession in the Amer- ican episcopate, was born in Waterloo. N.Y., Jan. 10, 1830; son of Dr. Gardiner AVelles (1784- 1872), who was a prominent physician in New York. He was graduated from Hobart college, A.B., 18.->0, A.M., 1853; was a tutor at De Veaux college, N.Y., in 1857, and was gradu- ated from the Hobart Divinity school in 1857. He was ordered deacon, Dec. 20, 1857; ordained priest, Sept. 12, 1858; was rector and missionary in western New York, and rector of Christ church. Red Wing, Minn., which he had organ- ized in 1858. He was secretar)- of the diocese of Minnesota; was elected bishop of Wisconsin, and consecrated at St. Thomas's church. New York City, Oct. 24, 1874, by Bishops Smith, Wil- liams and Atkinson, assisted by Bishops W^hipple and Courtenay. In 1874 the northwestern por- tion of Wiscf)nsin was made a separate diocese under the title •' diocese of Fond du Lac," and Bishop Welles remained in the old diocese which became known as the diocese of Milwaukee. The honorary degree of S.T.D. was conferred on him by Racine college in 1874. He died in Wa- terloo. N.Y.. Oct. 19, 1888.

WELLES, Gideon, cabinet officer, was born in Glastoiil»nry, Conn., July 1, 1802; son of Samuel and Ann (Hale) Welles; grandson of Samuel and Lucy Kilbourne; great-grandson of Tliaddeus and Elizabeth (Cowles) W^elles, and a descendant

of Thomas Welles (1598-1660), governor of Con- necticut, 1655-57 and 1658. He entered the Amer- ican Literary, Scientific and Military academy at Norwich, Vt., in 1823. but was not graduated; studied law, and in 1826 became editor and part owner of the Hartford Times, with which he was connected until 1854, although he vacated the re- sponsible charge of its columns in 1836. As the organ of the Democratic party in Connecticut, the Times advocated the election of Andrew Jackson to the Presidency, and supported his ad- ministration. Mr. Welles was a representative in the state legislature, 1827-35, where he opposed the laws imprisoning debtors, and also special and private legislation, and was one of the first to propose a low postage law. He was married, June 18, 1835, to Mary Jane, daughter of Elias W^. and Jane (MulhoUand) Hale of Lewistown, Pa. He was comptroller of the state, having been elected by the legislature in 1835, and by popular vote iii 1842-43; was postmaster of Hartford, 1836—41, and chief of the bureau of provisions and clothing for the U.S. navy, 1846-49. He joined the Republican party in 1855, and in 1856 was its candidate for governor of Connecticut. He was chairman of the state delegation to the Chicago convention of 1860, which nominated Abraharii Lincoln for President, and was the first selection made by President Lincoln as a member of his cabinet, being appointed secretary of the navy. During his secretaryship, the navy was increased from forty to more than five hundred vessels; and the ironclad class of vessel was introduced. He was a member of the National Republican committee, and of the executive committee, and at the outbreak of the civil war objected to the blockade of the southern ports, holding that the action was equal to an acknowledgment of belligerent rights, and presenting his views in writing to the cabinet. In September, 1861, he ordered that Negro fugitives taking refuge on U.S. naval vessels should he enlisted as seamen. He held his portfolio until the close of President Johnson's administration in 1869; joined the Liberal Republican partj' in 1872; favored the election of Samuel J. Tilden as President, and de- nounced the electoral commission, and its de- cision in the matter. The honorary degree of A.M.was conferred on him by Norwich universitj' in 1836. He contributed articles on the political events of the civil war; in 1872 published a pajier claiming that the capture of New Orleans in 1862 was entirely due to the navy, and is the author of: Lincoln arid Seicard (1873). He died in Hartford. Conn., Feb. 11. 1878.

WELLING, James Clark, educator, was born in Trenton, N.J.. July 14, 1825: son of William and Jane (Hill) Welling; grandson of John and Mary (Hart) Welling, and a descendant of William