User:Dcottingham/Draft-JJB

Here's a draft article about John James Babson

John James Babson (15 June 1809 - 13 April 1886) wrote "History of the Town of Gloucester, Cape Ann, Including the Town of Rockport," first published in 1860. He also represented Gloucester in the Massachusetts legislature.

Life

Babson lived his entire life in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He was born there to Mary and William Babson in 1809. In 1832 he married Mary Coffin Rogers. They had five children, two of whom survived to adulthood. His wife died in 1842. In 1851 he married Lydia Ann Mason, and they had one child. In January 1886 he suffered a stroke, from which he never recovered.

Work

Babson worked for many years in banking, first as a teller, later as a bank manager. Later in life he served as one of the banking commissioners of Massachusetts. He served in the legislature, 5 years as a representative and 2 years as a senator. In 1860 he published the work for which he is remembered, "History of the Town of Gloucester, Cape Ann, Including the Town of Rockport." In 1876 he published the companion work "Notes and Additions to History of Gloucester."

References

Google Books: Memorial Biographies of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, vol. 8, p. 258

Google Books: Smith, Charles C., "Memoir of the Hon. John J. Babson," in Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. 3, pp. 138-143