Horatio Nelson 7 BIGELOW
15383.61 Horatio Nelson
7 Bigelow, son of Ephraim
6( Abel 5,
Amariah 4, Samuel 3, Samuel 2, John 1 ) and Polly (Brigham)
Bigelow was born 13 September 1816 at W. Boylston, Worcester, MA . He
had a genius equal to that of his younger brother: but it lay in organization
and management. In 1831 his father, recognizing this talent, placed him in
charge of the family cotton mill. He stayed their about a year, and then with
his brother Erastus , started in the manufacture of Coach Lace at Lancaster,
MA . where they founded the Clinton Company. On 24 Sept. 1834 Horatio Bigelow
married Emily Worcester.
Other enterprises followed: counterpanes in 1841,
Gingham Mills in 1843-44, the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1849, the Clinton
Wire and Cloth Company in 1856. Horatio lived in the town of Clinton (MA),
which his brother had founded. He was in effect its leading Citizen and benefactor.
Horatio was one of the founders of Congregational Church, the first President
of the Clinton Savings Bank, first President of the Clinton Gas Company, Vice
President of the Clinton National Bank, a Director of the Boston, Clinton
& Fitchburg RR Company, and also the Worcester Mutual Insurance Company.
Others duties included the first representative from Clinton to the Legislature
and the first Postmaster. In 1852 he and Erastus gave the land for a 4-acre
park which is the heart of Clinton, deeming that no structure should ever
be built thereon, and that it should remain as a park and be "beautified and
maintained" at public expense.
We knew the prestigious Bigelow carpeting company
was founded by Erastus Brigham Bigelow
and his older brother Horatio Nelson. While credit for forming Bigelow Carpet Co. belongs to Erastus Bigelow's
inventive mind, its development and administration was in the hands of his
brother Horatio Bigelow.
Horatio Bigelow served six years on Clinton's
school committee. Other generous acts included Horatio's gift of land to the
First Baptist Church and the First Congregational Church, plus an equal offer
to the First Methodist Church. He was a member of the First congregational
Church and its first Sunday School Superintendent. Horatio established conditions
for both residential and business districts, showing an instinct for city
planning, and founded Bigelow Public Library, as well as Bigelow Mechanics'
Institute.
He established Clinton's post office, was a lifelong
president of Clinton Savings Bank, and a member of the board of directors
of First National Bank (now the Clinton branch of Worcester County National
Bank). He proposed the construction of Clinton House, the town's hotel. Through
his efforts the Worcester and Nashua Railroad passed through Clinton, later
called the Boston & Maine RR Co. Horatio served on its board of directors.
In the midst of his work, he was stricken with disease and a trip to Europe
to recover was doomed to disappointment and he returned home and died 02 January
1868 from paralysis and softening of the brain. His widow died 16 January
1892 at Clinton.
( Bigelow Society Notes:)
He worked in his father's cotton mill from 1831 and became a general
overseer until his marriage to Emily Worcester on 24 September 1834. He then
became an overseer in a mill in W. Boylston and in 1836 went to Shirley,
MA as superintendent of a cotton mill. He stayed there about a year and then,
with his brother Erastus, started in the manufacture of coach lace at Lancaster,
MA known as the Clinton Company. Other enterprises followed: counterpanes
in 1841, gingham mills in 1843-44, the Bigelow Carpet Co. in 1849, the Clinton
Wire Cloth Co. in 1856. This did much to build up the village known as Clintonville,
which was set off and incorporated as a separate town on March 14, 1850 under
the name of Clinton. Horatio was one of the founders of the Congregational
Church, the first President of the Clinton Savings Bank, first President of
the Clinton Gas Co., Vice President of the Clinton National Bank, a Director
of the Boston, Clinton & Fitchburg R.R. Co., and also of the Worcester
Mutual Insurance Co. Other duties included the first representative from Clinton
to the Legislature and the first postmaster. He donated a plot of land for
the town common. With his brother, Erastus, founded the Public Library. In
the midst of his work, he was stricken with disease and a trip to Europe to
recover was doomed to disappointment and he returned home and died 02 January
1868 from "paralysis and softening of the brain". His widow died 16 January
1892 at Clinton.
Children of Horatio and Emily (Worcester) Bigelow were:
BFN
|
Name
|
Information
|
15383.612t |
Henry Nelson |
b 02 Oct 1839 Lancaster MA;died ???;m (1)
1866 Clarissa Forbes d. 01 November 1876; 5 Children and; m (2) Cornelia W.
Lathrop, 2 daughters. |
15383.611 |
Emily |
b 1834; d 01 July 1835; |
15383.613 |
Emma |
b 1846; d 23 May 1864; unmarried. retarded? |
15383.614t |
Charles Brigham |
born 5 May 1849; d 22 May 1922; m Fannie E. Wells; res.
Boston |
Sources:
Bigelow Society,The Bigelow Family Genealogy, Vol II, pg 106;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America;
several encyclopedias of prominent Americans;
clippings from Denton, Dallas, and Clinton newspapers.
Addendum 2003:
Vol. II, Page 106, renumber the children of 15383.61 as follows:
the child is identified as
611 Emily Bigelow, b 1834 and d 01 July 1835.
612 Henry Nelson Bigelow.
613 Emma Bigelow, b 1846, d 23 May 1864 (retarded?).
614 Charles Brigham Bigelow, m Fannie E. Wells - he d 22 May 1922.
Children of Charles and Fannie should be entered on page 394 as follows:
15383.6141 Charles Brigham Bigelow, b 04 March 1873.
15383.6142 Emily Bigelow, b 21 Feb 1876; d 31 Jan 1906.
15383.6143 Roy Clark Bigelow, b 16 Nov 1877; d 22 July 1878.
15383.6144 Fannie Louise Bigelow, b 22 Mar 1879.
;
SOURCES: Jenifer Bigelow, Sudbury, MA - e-mail: rarejewel@hotmail.com.
- she a family researcher; her family records; VT vital records; obituaries
Note:
From: "Jenn Bigelow" <rarejewel@hotmail.com>
Date Fri, 07 Mar 2003 16:10:28 -0500
Rod,
I have gone on the Bigelow website for many years and I have been
dying to update your information. I am attaching what I have for Ephraim,
Horatio, and Erastus Bigelow, my uncle has the full family tree of our side.
I will keep you posted should I come across any new discoveries. You will
find me 5th generation down on Horatio's side. Please feel free to contact
me with any questions. Thanks.
Jennifer Bigelow
Sudbury, MA
Horatio married Emily Worcester (b. 1814-d. 1/16/1892), their children:
Emily (b. 1834-d. 7/1/1835)
Emily (Emma) (b. 1846-d. 5/23/1864)
It was rumored that she either had Downs Syndrome or was mentally retarded.
Charles B. (b. 5/5/1849-d. 5/22/1922)
Charles married Fannie E. Wells, their children:
Charles Brigham (b. 3/4/1873)
Emily (b. 2/21/1876-d. 1/31/1906)
Roy Clark (b. 11/16/1877-d. 7/22/1878)
Fannie Louise (b. 3/22/1879)
Henry Nelson (b. 10-6-1839)
He married Clarrisa N. Forbes (b. 1841-d. 11/13/1876), their children:
Franklin F. (b. 3/12/1869-d. 6/20/1870)
Richard W. (b. 1/16/1872-d. 4/8/1875)
Charles Willard (b. 2/16/1874-d. 12/20/1962)
Horatio N. (b. 1870-d. 8/6/1955)
Henry married Cornelia, their children:
Rosmaund (b. 12/21/1891-d. 1/10/1966)
She never married.
Nina (b. 2/4/1879)
My part of the lineage comes from Horatio’s son, Henry Nelson’s son, Charles
Willard. His mother died from saving his life in a sleigh accident. The drive
had lost control of the horses and she jumped from the sleigh with Charles
in her arms. She hit her head on a rock, never regaining consciousness. The
nanny was with them and she had Charles’s brother Horatio N. with them. I
believe they jumped as well, but remained safe.
also see a Brief History of Clinton, MA http://bigelowsociety.com/rod7/clintonv.htm
Modified - 10/04/2007
(c) Copyright 2007 Bigelow Society, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rod Bigelow - Director
rodbigelow@netzero.net
Rod Bigelow (Roger Jon12 BIGELOW)
Box 13 Chazy Lake
Dannemora, N.Y. 12929
< rodbigelow@netzero.net >
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