Archive:NEHGR, Volume 103

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"Memoirs," NEHGR, vol. CIII (1948), p. 143.

MRS. CHARLES HENRY MEAD (CLARA LEARNED HAPGOOD), of Fitzwilliam, N. H., elected and annual member 6 March 1934, was born in Chelsea, Mass., 25 Nov. 1864, daughter of Cyrus Stowe and Clara Augusta (Conner) Hapgood, and died in Fitzwilliam 15 Nov. 1948.

She claimed descent from Shadrack¹ Hapgood, who came to America in the Speedwell in 1656, married Elizabeth Treadway and died in an Indian encounter at Brookfield, Mass., in August 1675. He was one of the original proprietors of Stow, Mass. The descent was through Nathaniel² Hapgood, 1665-1729, who married Elizabeth Ward; Captain Hezekiah³ Hapgood, 1699-1768, who married Sarah Whitney; Ensign Ephraim⁴ Hapgood, 1725-1780, who married Rebecca Gibson; Ephraim⁵ Hapgood, 1755-1828, who married Molly Tuttle; Nathaniel⁶ Hapgood, 1784-1874, of Acton, Mass., who married Rebecca Stowe; Cyrus⁷ Hapgood, 1818- ? , of Everett, Mass., who married Eleanor Wheeler; and Cyrus Stowe⁸ Hapgood, 1842-1935, who married Clara Augusta Conner, parents of the subject of this memoir.

Mrs. Mead graduated from the public high school in Chelsea, Mass., attended Boston University for two years, then the Berlitz school and specialized in music and painting. She was a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants, Daughters of the Revolution, Boston Woman's Club and the Everett Friday Club, being a founder of the latter.

She married, 27 April 1887, Charles Henry Mead, by whom she had three children: Charles Stanley Mead of Melrose, Mass., Clara Hapgood Mead of Fitzwilliam, N. H., and Edward Mead, the latter dying young.

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Wilson, Frank H., "Baptisms and Funeral Services Conducted by Rev. Obed Wilson of Bingham, Maine*," NEHGR, vol. CIII (1949), pp. 296ff.

* Attention is called to "Bingham, Maine, Marriages by Rev. Obed Wilson," THE REGISTER, vol. 103, p. 235, which should have read "Marriages by Rev. Obed Wilson of Bingham, Maine."

[p. 296]

Rev. Obed Wilson was born in Norridgewock, Maine, 15 Oct. 1778 and died 18 Nov. 1840. He was one of eleven children of Oliver Wilson and Sarah Heywood. Oliver was born in Townsend, Mass., 27 March 1749 and died in Starks, Maine, 27 Nov. 1812. Sarah, the daughter of Peter Heywood, Sr., and Sarah Weston, was born in Concord, Mass., in 1757 and died in Milan, Ind., in 1832. Obed spent his boyhood days on his father's farm in Starks, near Indian Old Point, at the mouth of Sandy River. He married first, Christiana Gray, daughter of Capt. John Gray, in 1798, who died 13 Nov. 1834; and secondly, Mrs. Martha Cox, in 1837. In 1802 he moved to Bingham, then called Caratunk, where he cleared and cultivated a farm. During a revival in 1804 he was converted and became impressed with the conviction that it was his duty to preach the Gospel. His first sermon was preached in 1806. He was ordained an Elder at the Methodist Conference in Vienna, Maine, in 1828. For more than thirty years he conducted funerals in his own and neighboring towns. In 1837 he moved to Skowhegan and took charge of the Methodist Church there. He was a member of the Board of Overseers of Maine Wesleyan Seminary from its organization until his death. He was admitted to membership in Somerset Lodge of Masons in Norridgewock, 3 Dec. 1821, the thirty-fourth member.

Obed and Christiana had seven sons and seven daughters. John M. married Sarah Reed Mills of Cincinnati, Ohio; Horace B. married Mary Chandler of Lawrenceburg, Ind., he was professor of mathematics at Hamline University, Minn.; Obed J. was head of the firm of Wilson, Hinkle Co., schoolbook publishers, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Oliver was a teacher in the Cincinnati Public Schools; Joshua and Daniel married the Baker sisters, Martha and Hannah of Bingham; Obed, Jr., died while a student attending college in Waterville, Maine. The daughters were: Christiana, Susana, Betty, Betsy, Martha, Susan, and Sally who married Elias Hilton of Anson, Maine.

Politically, Obed Wilson represented the towns of Bingham, Madison, Solon, Moscow, and Northhill (Somerset County) in the House of Representatives in the years 1820 and 1821. In 1823 and 1826 he represented Somerset County in the Senate. He was back in the House again in 1833 and in 1836 for Bingham. He was a member of the convention in 1816 and 1819 that formed the Constitution of Maine and a member of the first legislature after the Constitution was adopted.

[p. 297]

Obed was the grandson of Benjamin Wilson and Sarah Whitney. Benjamin, born in Billerica, Mass., 18 Sept. 1715, died in Townsend, Mass., 1 June 1774. Sarah was born 8 Jan. 1731, died 17 May 1771, daughter of Cornelius Whitney and Sarah Shepperd of Groton, Mass., descendant of the first Whitney child born in America.

He was a great-grandson of John Wilson and Elizabeth Foster. John was born in Woburn, Mass., 3 Jan. 1672. Elizabeth was born in Billerica, Mass., 7 Oct. 1673, daughter of Dea. Joseph and Alice -----.

Great-great-grandson of Lieut. John Wilson, Jr., and Johanna -----. Lieut. John, Jr., was born in 1650, died in Bedford, Mass., 1 Feb. 1735.

Great-great-great-grandson of John Wilson and Hannah James. John was born in England in 1611, died in Woburn, Mass., 2 July 1687.

Great-great-great-great-grandson of Roger Wilson and Mary Fuller. Roger was born in Scrooby Village, co. Nottingham, England, in 1588. A member of the Joint Stock Company that fitted out the Mayflower, a bondsman for three of the Mayflower band, namely, Isaac Allerton, William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth, and Degory Priest. Roger died in Leyden, Holland.

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