Trails to the Past

Kent County, Rhode Island Biographies

Personal Paragraphs of Warwick

M - P

Source: The History of Washington & Kent Counties
Written by J. R. Cole published in 1889 by W. W. Preston & Co.

John W. Martin, born in Connecticut in 1823, is a son of Otis Martin. At eight years of age he began working in a mill; at sixteen he went on a whaling voyage as cabin boy; at twenty years he was mate and then captain on a voyage to West Indies and South America. In 1849 he went to California, returning in 1851, and was then a merchant at Natick and Arkwright. In 1870 he retired to his farm. Mr. Martin was an active man and filled various town offices for some twenty years. His wife, Mary E., is a daughter of Ambrose Taylor of Warwick.

Bernard McCusker was born in Ireland and went to Scotland in 1849, where he learned bleaching. He served an apprenticeship at Glasgow seven years. He came to this country with Robert Reoch in 1867. Prior to coming here he had been overseer for ten years. Since coming to Phenix he has been overseer in the bleachery, and also has had charge of the white finishing department since 1871. His oldest son, James, is foreman in the bleaching department of a mill at Pontiac. Henry, his second son, is in a like position at Lewiston, Maine. John is learning the business with his father in the Clyde Print Works. William is assistant in the white cloth finishing department here. The oldest daughter, Margaret J., a graduate of Rhode Island State Normal School, is teaching at River Point. The three younger children, Thomas E., Ellen and Mary, are still at school.

Lewis C. Merrill was born at Centreville in 1830. His father is Josiah Merrill. His mother's maiden name was Phebe Greene. Mr. Merrill's grandfather, William G. Merrill, was a son of Spencer Merrill. In 1847 he began to learn carriage painting, and about 1860 he opened a shop of his own at Centreville. In 1880 he succeeded George P. Gould, who had a carriage manufactory here, and here Mr. Merrill is still engaged in business. He is a steward in the Methodist Episcopal church here. His wife is a daughter of William P. Arnold of this town. Their daughter is Anna L. Merrill.

Edwin Millerd was born in 1841. His father was Nathaniel Millerd and his mother Hannah M., now living at the age of seventy-five, is a daughter of Hale Gorton, granddaughter of Benjamin Gorton and great-granddaughter of Hezekiah Gorton, who was a descendant of Samuel Gorton, the proprietor. Mr. Millerd's farm has been in the Gorton family more than two hundred years, and on this farm was the home of one of Samuel Gorton's children, where it is believed Samuel Gorton died.  Edwin Millerd married Mary S. C. Sherman, daughter of Oliver Perry Sherman of Olneyville, R. I. Mr. Millerd has served two years as assessor, has been constable of the town and a member of the republican town committee.

Nehemiah Nicholas was born in Carbondale, Pa., in 1843, although his father, a Welchman, who died in California in 1849, was a resident of Warwick before and after that date. In 1852 Mr. Nicholas began work in the Stephen Harris mill, and three years later he went into the Sprague mill at Natick, where within ten years he was made overseer of the spinning and spooling department. This position he retained while the Sprague property passed to B. B. and R. Knight, and until January 1st, 1888, when he was made superintendent for the Knights at River Point. Mrs. Nicholas is a Connecticut lady. They have one daughter and two sons.

John C. Nichols was born in 1839 in Charlestown, R. I. He came to East Greenwich village in 1856, with Tucker, Pierce & Co., and learned segar making. In 1861 he made segars for T. J. Tilley and in April, 1871, he established a meat market at East Greenwich village. His residence is in the town of Warwick. He is past master of King Solomon's Lodge.

Captain John H. Northup was born at Apponaug. When but eight years old he went into a mill at Natick. From thirteen to seventeen he was at sea-whaling. At eighteen he entered the naval service of the United States, was in the service 39 months, being promoted to quartermaster. After coming home from, the war he was for eight years in charge of "the lighters " in the harbor in connection with Jordan, Marsh & Co's, print works. For the last fourteen years his business has been furnishing clams for Rocky Point dinners. His wife was a Miss Grinnell. They have two boys and two girls. Their eldest girl is a student in the academy.

William R. Northup, a son of Lebbeus Northup of Exeter hill, and grandson of Benjamin Northup, was born there in 1828. He worked as a factory hand for several years, then learned the machinist's trade, at which he worked until 1861, when he enlisted in the Seventh Regiment and served three years as a noncommissioned officer, then until 1876 was employed as a machinist for Thomas J. Hill. He was subsequently overseer of carding at Manchester, N. H., for the Langdon Manufacturing Company. This engagement and others in Pennsylvania and in some of the Southern states covered eight years, when in 1884 he took the position of superintendent at North Dighton, Mass., for the Stafford Manufacturing Company, who now own the Potowomut mill in Warwick, where since September, 1885, Mr. Northup has been superintendent. His only daughter, Abbie, was the wife of Walter Taylor. She died in 1876, leaving Mr. Northup's only grandchild, William R. Taylor.

George S. Northup, a brother of William R. Northup, was born in Coventry in 1831. Until recently, he has been engaged in mill work, having been thirty years in the Lapham mill in Centreville. He served three years in the First Rhode Island Cavalry as a non-commissioned officer. He was taken prisoner on the 18th of June, 1863, at Middleburgh, Va., and was in the enemies' hands six weeks. He has a wife, Ann F. Baton, and eight children : Alonzo (married, lives in Providence), Orminda (Mrs. George Spink), Sarah R. (Mrs. Levi Shepard), George S., Jr. (married, lives at Centreville), Annie F. (Mrs. Charles H. Angell of Lippitt), Elmer W. (married, lives at Harrisville), Edward E. and Charles. Since March, 1885, Mr. Northup has been a poultry farmer and market gardener at Old Warwick.

James L. Phillips, the oldest living native of Warwick, was born in 1800. He is a grandson of Jeremiah Phillips, who lived and died here. In 1818, when he was less than nineteen years of age, he became a preacher in the Free Will Baptist church, and was subsequently useful in organizing a church in Warwick. His early school advantages were very limited, practically nothing until he was twelve years old. His early days were spent at farming and he made one sea voyage. He was pastor of the Fourth Baptist church of Newport for eight years, a period covering the greatest growth in the history of that church. His wife was Ann Northup of South Kingstown. They have three children living: James, Elizabeth F. (Mrs. Albert S. Austin, who has one son Herbert H.), and Susan T., widow of Thomas Briggs of Natick. Mr. Phillips' son William R. (deceased) was a soldier in the civil war in Company K, Twelfth Regiment. The Jeremiah Phillips above mentioned was a revolutionary soldier.

Nathan D. Pierce, Jr., established at Norwood in 1876 the Home Nursery, where he is still engaged in the propagation of fruit and ornamental trees. The nursery occupies seven acres. Within the last five years he has sold 24,000 peach trees in the State and has successfully advocated the renewal of peach culture here. Mr. Pierce was born in Providence, where his father Nathan D. Pierce was for many years engaged as a blacksmith, and where he in company with Mr. Smith established the Union Coal Company. The family removed to that part of Warwick which is now Norwood in 1863. Here the senior Mr. Pierce purchased a farm, and began gardening and the cultivation of small fruits. The junior Mr. Pierce was educated as a manufacturing jeweler, and worked at this until 1876. He has been in the town council of Warwick three years, and is now one of her representatives in the general assembly.

William H. Place was born at East Greenwich July 16th, 1861. His father, Levi B. Place, is a son of Arba J. and a grandson of Philip Place. His mother is a daughter of William L. Holden. He learned the blacksmith's trade of his father and worked with him in the shop on the home farm in East Greenwich until 1881, when he began business for himself at Arctic Centre, where he is now carrying on general blacksmithing.

Elisha R. Potter, who owns and keeps the summer resort known as Reed's Palace, was born in 1830. His father, Elisha, was a son of Russel and a grandson of Russel Potter. He married Mary E. Vaughn, who deceased. His second wife was Eliza H. Tibbitts. Mr. Potter was clerk of the courts from 1857 to 1860, and from 1863 to 1872 was postmaster at East Greenwich. For several years he was vestryman of St. Luke's church at East Greenwich.

James R. Potter was born in Cranston in 1821. He lived in. Coventry from 1823 to 1844, when he removed to Phenix, where he still resides. At Fiskeville he learned the wheelwright trade and began business for himself at Lippitt in 1844. In 1847 he bought a farm near Phenix, on a part of which he still resides. Much of this farm he has divided into building lots. His wife was Abbie K. Whitford, of Charlestown, R. I. Their children are Carrie M. (Mrs. George Youngs) and Fred B.

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