William Eben Stone

Notes:

He appears in several sources as "William Ebenezer Stone," and while it's possible that this was how he was christened, it's obvious from the record of his doings as an adult that he went by "William Eben Stone."

From the The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, April 1922, page 83: "William Eben Stone, Ph.B.", by J. Gardner Bartlett:

WILLIAM EBEN STONE, of Cambridge, Mass., elected to resident membership in the New England Historic Genealogical Society 5 May 1880, died at his home in Cambridge 23 February 1921.

He was born at Walpole, Mass., 27 November 1845, the youngest son of Dr. Ebenezer⁷ and Elizabeth Holbrook (Hawes) Stone, the father being a graduate of Brown University and the Harvard Medical School and for over forty years a successful physician in Walpole and the surrounding towns. The progenitor of the family in America was Dea. Gregory¹ Stone of Cambridge, Mass., in 1637, from whom Mr. Stone was descended through John² of Sudbury, Mass., Nathaniel³ and Ebenezer⁴ of Framingham, Mass., Silas⁵ of Natick, Mass., and Dublin, N. H., who died near Saratoga while serving in the American Army in the Revolution, Silas⁶ of Sherborn, Mass., who also was a soldier in the American Army in the Revolution and was severely wounded at the Battle of White Plains, N. Y., and Dr. Ebenezer⁷ Stone of Walpole, Mass., his father. In all of his ancestral lines Mr. Stone traced his descent from the early Puritan founders of New England, including among his ancestors the Waites, Hills, Pratts, Russells, Coolidges, Twitchells, Bullards, Barbours, Haweses, and many other well-known families of Middlesex and Norfolk Counties, Mass.

Mr. Stone was graduated at Brown University in 1866 with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy, and then studied mining engineering for a year as a member of the first class ever graduated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1867 he went to Marquette, Mich., where he remained seven years as a chemist and engineer in the employ of various iron mining companies. In 1874 he secured an interest in the Champion Iron Company of Michigan, soon afterwards became treasurer and general manager of this company, with offices in Boston, and continued in these positions for twenty-five years. The mines of this iron company were rich in a scarce high-grade ore which was essential in the manufacture of steel by the earlier methods of the open-hearth process, so that the operations of the company, under the efficient, skillful direction of Mr. Stone, became extremely profitable. During all these years Mr. Stone's home was in Cambridge and his office in Boston; but four times each year he spent a few weeks at the mines in Michigan, supervising their management. About 1901 the company was very advantageously sold to Pennsylvania steel interests merged in the United States Steel Corporation, and Mr. Stone retired from active business with an ample fortune.

From his early years Mr. Stone was enthusiastically interested in the genealogy of the Stone family and the history of his ancestors, and by his persistent efforts from 1880 to 1896, through researches by Col. Joseph Lemuel Chester, Henry FitzGilbert Waters, and himself, he succeeded in locating Gregory Stone at Great Bromley, co. Essex, England, and in tracing back his ancestry there for several generations. These results were reported by Mr. Stone at the first meeting of the Stone Family Association, held in Boston 26 January 1897. Of this organization Mr. Stone was the predominant but unostentatious leader during the rest of his life, serving as its vice president, 1897-1904, its president, 1904-1909, and a member of its executive committee, 1909-1921. The activities of this association culminated in the appearance in 1918 of the Gregory Stone Genealogy, an important work of nine hundred pages, the compilation and publication of which were almost wholly due to the enthusiastic efforts and extreme liberality of Mr. Stone.

In 1907 Mr. Stone was appointed a member of the Committee on English Research of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and he served on this committee the remaining fourteen years of his life. During all this time he was not only a generous annual contributor to the funds raised by the committee for carrying on genealogical research in England, but, was also always warmly appreciative of the results secured and published in the Register. After holding membership in the Society for forty years, he was elected, at the annual meeting in February 1920, a councillor for a three-year term, only one year of which he had served at the time of his decease. During his later life he was a frequent visitor to the library of the Society and to the Boston Athenaeum, for the purpose of pursuing his favorite genealogical researches.

In 1874 Mr. Stone established his home in Cambridge, where he resided the rest of his life, and in later years he also had a summer house on Fisher's Island, in Long Island Sound. He travelled extensively in North and South America, and several times made extended trips to Europe, where the family lived at one time for three years while his children were being educated there.

He was a member of the Somerset Club of Boston, the Oakley Country Club, the New England Kennel Club, and the Cambridge Boat Club. He also held membership in the Cambridge Historical Society, the Boston Athenaeum, the Bostonian Society, the Bibliophile Society of Boston, the Society of Colonial Wars in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Society of Sons of the Revolution.

The finest qualities of our ancient New England stock came to their fairest fruition in the character and personality of Mr. Stone. His innate refinement, cultured mind, and delicate modesty were always apparent; his courteous, genial, engaging manner and frank, sincere cordiality ever gladdened the circles in which he moved; his gentle, serene disposition, sympathetic kindness, warmth of heart, and liberal generosity endeared him to all his relatives and friends; and his unswerving integrity, sound judgment, and intellectual abilities secured for him the respect and esteem of the community. Favored with a tall figure, fine physique, and handsome countenance, he had a distinguished bearing and appearance. Remarkably fine health and unimpaired keenness of mind enabled him to enjoy life with full zest to advanced age, until finally stricken with illness a few months before his decease in his seventy-sixth year.

He married at Cambridge, 22 June 1871, Katherine M. Fay, daughter of Rev. Dr. Charles and Charlotte E. (Hopkins) Fay. She survives him, together with their three daughters, Mrs. Arthur Loring Jackson (Pauline Fay Stone) of Cambridge, Mrs. Austin Tappan Wright (Margaret Garrad Stone) of Berkeley, Calif., and Amy Fay Stone of New York City. Their only son, Reginald Stone, died in 1892, in his fifteenth year.

William married Katherine Maria Fay on 22 Jun 1871 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Katherine (daughter of Rev. Charles Fay and Charlotte Emily Hopkins) was born on 6 Jul 1847 in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana; died on 29 May 1928 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Margaret Garrad Stone was born on 19 Jul 1886 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died on 1 Sep 1937 in London, England; was buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

Notes:

From Gregory Stone Genealogy (citation details below):

In early life [he] exhibited natural capacity and desire for learning, and after preparatory study under Rev. Joseph Wheaton of Holliston and Rev. Charles Train of Framingham, he was admitted to Brown University where he graduated A.B. in 1820 and A.M. in 1822. He then took up medical studies under Dr. John B. Kittredge of Framingham, completing them at the Harvard Medical School where he received the degree of M.D. in 1824. Soon afterwards he settled in Walpole, Mass., where he practiced his profession over forty years, until within a short time of his decease, 13 Aug. 1869, in his seventy-second year.

Dr. Stone was a skilful, successful, and popular family physician, and obtained an extensive practice in Walpole and the surrounding towns; and his high character, abilities, geniality, and sympathetic disposition secured for him the confidence, esteem, and affection of a large circle of patients. While assiduously and faithfully devoted to the duties of his profession, he was also much interested in education, labored for the improvement of the schools, and was one of the earliest open advocates of temperance during the first agitation on this subject in Massachusetts about 1830. He was a man of calm judgment, firm convictions, and scholarly tastes. In politics he was long a conservative adherent of the Whig party, and in religion was a consistent member of the Unitarian church and a constant attendant at its public worship. For some years he was a councillor of the Massachusetts Medical Society and president of the Norfolk District Medical Society.

Ebenezer married Elizabeth Holbrook Hawes on 23 Nov 1831 in Walpole, Norfolk, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of John Holbrook Hawes and Achsah Barber) was born on 10 May 1809 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts; died on 18 Aug 1860 in Walpole, Norfolk, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: of Sherborn, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Silas married Jennet Twitchell on 9 Jan 1781 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Jennet (daughter of Deacon Jonathan Twitchell and Deborah Bullard) was born on 5 Nov 1760 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died on 13 Jun 1816 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He was a farmer, and died of apoplexy.

John married Achsah Barber on 1 Jan 1807 in Medway, Norfolk, Massachusetts. Achsah (daughter of George Barber and Bethia) was born on 24 Jul 1784 in Medway, Norfolk, Massachusetts; died on 8 Sep 1822 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: of Natick, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Silas married Elizabeth Russell on 25 Jan 1750 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of Deacon Jonathan Russell and Mary Coolidge) was born on 7 Oct 1730 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died in 1816 in Shoreham, Addison, Vermont. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Deacon married Deborah Bullard on 1 Mar 1744 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Deborah (daughter of Benjamin Bullard and Miriam Morse) was born on 26 Oct 1725 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He was briefly a corporal on Capt. Oliver Clap's company, which marched on an alarm at Warwick, Rhode Island, 8 Dec 1776.

Benjamin married Elizabeth Holbrook on 3 Dec 1770 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of Capt. John Holbrook and Mary Palmer) was born on 29 Nov 1745 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts; died on 8 Feb 1774 in Sharon, Norfolk, Massachusetts; was buried on 11 Feb 1774 in Sharon, Norfolk, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

George married Bethia on 21 Sep 1769 in Medway, Norfolk, Massachusetts. Bethia was born in 1750; died on 19 Feb 1815 in Medway, Norfolk, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Called "Bathsheba" in the birth record of her daughter Achsah.

Contrary to what we originally thought, she was not the Bethia Jones who was a daughter of Thomas Jones and Bethia Whitney. In the record of her marriage to George Barber, "Mrs." is inserted by hand in front of her first name, indicating that she had previously been married to a man named Jones.