GRIFFING, David Thayer

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• _COLOR: 11
• Residence: 1940, Worcester, MA

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WWII Veteran, US Navy

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GRID=177123262

David married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _COLOR: 2
• Residence: 1900, Akron, OH
• Residence: 1920, Worcester, MA

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WWI Veteran

Herbert married NUTT, Dorothy May. Dorothy (daughter of NUTT, Charles Robinson and ROBINSON, Ada Sophia) was born on 23 Aug 1897 in New Rochelle, NY; died on 7 Feb 1992; was buried in Worcester, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _COLOR: 11
• Residence: 1900, Worcester, MA

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Graduate of the Classical High School, 1915; manager of the girls (Aletheia) basket ball team, 1914-5.

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GRID=138728059

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• Ref#: 375
• _COLOR: 11

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He was president and valedictorian of the class of 1886, Natick High School. He graduated from Harvard College in 1890 (A.B. magna cum laude), taking second year and final honors in physics. In 1890-1 he was a eporter on the Worcester Daily Spy and in 1891 founded the New Rochelle Paragraph at New Rochelle, NY. and afterward also acquired the Paragraph , Mamaroneck, NY. He bought the Worcester Spy, Oct 1, 1899, and in the following year sold both weekly papers in New York. He was editor and publisher of the Spy until May, 1904. Since that time he has been a writer of genealogical works and has compiled the genealogical sketches for some forty volumes published by Lew Historical Publishing Company of New York.
Until 1912 he was a Republican. He served on various ward and city committees of the Republican party; was delegate to the state convention that nominated Roosevelt for governor; was Republican candidate for supervisor in 1907. In 1912 and 1913 he was a candidate of the Progressive party for representative in Ward 10, Worcester, and in 1913 was chairman of the executive committee of the city organization of the Progressive Party.

He was Memorial Day orator at Natick in 1907; was secretary of the association that erected the Soldier's Monument at New Rochelle. He is a member of the Worcester Society of Antiquity; the New England Historic Genealogical Society; MA Society, Sons of the American Revolu tion; the American Historical Association; Huguenot Lodge, Free Masons, and Huguenot Council, Royal Arcanum, New Rochelle, and of the Church of the Unity (Unitarian). Resided at 7 Monroe Ave, Worcester, MA.

CHARLES NUTT, Journalist, genealogist, historian, was born in Natick, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, September 26, 1868, and died September 26. 1918, at Wareham, Massachusetts, the son of Colonel William and Abigail (Puffer) Nutt. His preparatory education was acquired in the schools of his native place, he graduating from the Natick High School in 1886, president and valedictorian of his class. He then entered Harvard University, took second-year honors in physics in 1887, and was graduated in 1890 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, both for general rank and for honors in physics. During his course in school and college, Mr. Nutt did newspaper work for the Natick "Bulletin," Natick "Citizen" and Boston "Evening Record," this experience laying the foundation for his after career in journalism, he having been one of the best known men in that line throughout his section of the State of Massachusetts. In 1890, the year of his graduation from Harvard, he accepted a position as reporter on the staff of the Worcester "Daily Spy," for many years the leading paper in that thriving city, and in the following, year, having gained additional experience, he founded "The Paragraph," in New Rochelle, New York, and later became the owner of newspaper and printing plants at New Rochelle and Mamaroneck, New York. On October 1, 1899, he purchased the Worcester "Daily Spy" and conducted it until June 1, 1904, a period of five years, when it passed out of his hands and was suspended. The plant was destroyed by fire. May 21, 1902, and the loss was disastrous to the business. He disposed of the New Rochelle "Paragrapli," November 1, 1900, and the Mamaroneck "Paragraph" to Charles F. Rice. With thorough training, true journalistic instinct, broad knowledge of affairs, he reflected honor upon his profession, and in his conduct of the various papers with which he was identified he made them the exponent of the highest interests of the community, of the State and of the Nation.

In addition to his journalistic work, Mr. Nutt devoted considerable time to genealogical research, in which he was an expert, and from 1904 until his death was associated with the Lewis Publishing Company, of New York, 'and at the time of his death was watching through the press the later pages of a monumental work which he had already completed—"A History of Worcester," which will be read with great interest by his many friends and acquaintances in Worcester, his adopted city. He completed a history of the First Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, which was begun by the late Hon. Alfred S. Roe; wrote a history of the Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, one of the largest enterprises in Worcester, and was the author of several other books which received favorable comment from the press and from the reading public.

Although so much of his time and thought were given to the duties above mentioned, Mr. Nutt was also an active participant in political affairs, in which he took a keen interest, and was chosen by his fellow-citizens to serve as delegate to various Republican conventions, including the State Convention when the late Theodore Roosevelt was nominated for Governor of New York. He was the candidate of the Republican party lor the office of supervisor; during the presidential campaign of 1904 was in charge of the Speakers' Bureau of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee; was chairman of the Fourth Ward Republican Committee of New Rochelle, New York, and treasurer of the New Rochelle Republican Club. Mr. Nutt held membership in the Massachusetts Sons of the American Revolution; the New England Historic-Genealogical Society; the Worcester Society of Antiquity; Huguenot Council, Royal Arcanum; and Huguenot Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, both of New Rochelle; and during his collegiate course was a member of the Pierian Sodality, in which he played the double bass, and he was also a member of various other clubs.

Mr. Nutt married (first) August 26, 1891, Ada Sophia Robinson, born March 5, 1871, at Natick, died November 17, 1909, at Worcester, daughter of Walter Billings arid Ella Maria (Bullard) Robinson. He married (second) at Haverhill, New Hampshire, November 28, 1911, Lucia Jeanette Morrill, born November 28, 1885, at Benton, New Hampshire, daughter of Eben and Nancy (Holt) Morrill, of Haverhill, New Hampshire. Children by first wife: 1. Isabel Ella, born at New Rochelle, New York, June 27, 1892; married, February 15, 1919, Robert Trumen Bamford. United States Navy, of Ipswich, Massachusetts. 2. Harold, born December 3, 1893. at New Rochelle, New York; graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, class of 1916. 3. Arthur, born February 6, 1895, at New Rochelle, New York; graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, class of 1916; married, November 29, 1917, Anne Josephine Dewey, of Buffalo, New York, daughter of Frank Cline and Helen May (Keon) Dewey. 4. Dorothy May, born August 23. 1897, at New Rochelle, New York. 5. Charles Stanley, born at Worcester, November 10, 1899; seaman, United States Navy, on United States Steamship "Kansas." Child by second wife, born at Worcester: Ruth Nutt, born April 7, 1913.

In the death of Mr. Nutt the city of Worcester lost a man who had made a name for himself in the city of his adoption, a man of courage and determination, of untiring energy, who added to these qualities the courtesy of a gentleman. Burial was in Dell Park Cemetery, Natick, Massachusetts. 

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GRID=115156985

Charles married ROBINSON, Ada Sophia on 26 Aug 1891 in Natick, MA. Ada (daughter of ROBINSON, Walter Billings and BULLARD, Ella Maria) was born on 5 Mar 1871 in Natick, MA; died on 17 Nov 1909 in Worcester, MA; was buried in Natick, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _COLOR: 11

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GRID=115157114

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• _COLOR: 11

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Both his grandfather William and his great grandfather Samuel Nutt, of Francetown, NH, served in the Revolution and his father was in the War of 1812. The father of Samuel and the first of the family in this country, was William Nutt, who was among the Scotch-Irish settlers in Londonderry, NH, in 1719. In 1852 Col. William Nutt came to Natick and learned the trade of shoemaker, and was associated intimately in business and politics with Henry Wilson, vice-president of the United States. In 1857 he took part in the struggle to keep Kansas a free state and was a squatter at Lawrence, Kansas. He cast his first vote for the Free Soil ticket and was one of the organizers of the Republican party. When the Civil War broke out, he was a member of Company C, Mechanics Rifles, Ninth Regiment, Natick, but left that organization to enlist in Company I, Second Regiment, May 15, 1861. He was made a corporal and, Aug. 11, 1861 sergeant. He was a very capable drill-master, and was detailed early in the service to instruct officers and men of the 27th Indiana Regiment. His first skirmish was Oct. 22, 1861, at Conrad's Ferry, VA. After the Battle of Ball's Bluff, in which he was engaged, he was in the hospital sick for several weeks, and when convalescent was detailed in December, 1861, to recruiting service at Springfield, Mass. He returned to his regiment in June at Martinsburg, Va., after being assigned to the 12th Mass. Regt. from April to June. His regiment lost nearly half its men and more than half its officers in a battle, Aug. 9, 1862, and from that time until March, 1863, he was acting first sergeant. At the Battle of Antietam a third of the regiment was killed or wounded. He was commissioned March 5, 1863, second lieutenant, and in May, first lieutenant, in the 54th regiment under Col. Robert G. Shaw, to whom the memorial opposite the state house was erected in later years. He was transferred to the 55th Regt. and commissioned captain. He was provost marshal of Jacksonville, Fla., in Feb. 1864; commissioned major, Nov., 1864; lieutenant colonel, June, 1865, and brevet colonel at the close of the war. He served with his regiment at the siege of Charleston. He was mustered out in September, 1865. He became a partner in the firm of Davis & Plummer, shoe manufacturers of Natick, after the war, but finding that business uncongenial, began to study law in the office of Walter N. Mason of Natick, in 1866. In February, 1868, he was appointed agent of the Freedmen's Bureau, Halifax and Lunenburg counties, Va. Here he continued to study law. He was admitted to the bar in Middlesex County August 9, 1868, and opened an office in Natick. He entered actively into public affairs and was during the rest of his life a leader in the Republican party, serving as chairman of the town committee and frequently as delegate to the state and other nominating conventions. He was elected moderator of the town in 1870 and from that time to 1896 often served in that office, for which he was well fitted. He was collector of taxes in 1869, 1870 and 1871; representative to the general court in 1871 and 1872, serving on the committee on labor in 1871 and on probate and insolvency and on woman suffrage in 1872. He was chairman of the board of selectmen in 1874, 1876 and 1881; member of the board of health in 1874; overseer of the poor three y ears; member of the school committee in 1873; on many important town committees; deputy sheriff from 1877 to 1886 inclusive; trial justice of t he Natick court 1886 to 1892. He was elected state senator by a vote of 7,328 to 4,204, in a district that had elected a Democrat to year previous. He served on the committee on constitutional amendments, military affairs and was chairman of the committee on taxation. He was also on the recess committee which revised the public statutes. He was just of the peace from 1867 and notary public from 1874 until the end of his life. Colonel Nutt made a specialty of probate practice and settled many large estates. He did much of the pension business in this section. In later years most of his practice was as attorney of the Natick Five Cents Savings Bank. He was on its investing board from May 1, 1909, when he resigned on account of ill health. He was a live member of Meridian Lodge, Free Masons; member of the Grand Army and Union Veterans Union; former president of the Officer's Association of the Fifty-fifth Regiment and also of the Second Regt.; member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion and of the Vermont Association of Boston. he was active in all kinds of temperance work and on t he day Fort Sumter was bombarded was elected R.S. of Neal Dow division, Sons of Temperance. He was an able public speaker and frequently heard in Natick. He was on the legislative committee that attended the dedication of the monument to Union soldiers who died in the rebel prison at Andersonville. He commanded the survivors of the 54th and 55th regiments at the dedications of the Shaw memorial, Boston.

FindaGrave:
GRID=117534270

William married PUFFER, Abigail Prentice on 25 Apr 1863 in Framingham, MA. Abigail (daughter of PUFFER, Josiah and RUSSELL, Patience) was born on 30 Dec 1839 in Sudbury, MA; died on 27 Jan 1906 in Natick, MA; was buried in Natick, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• Ref#: 268
• _COLOR: 11

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"Mrs. Nutt had lived in Natick for forty years and, for one who seldom c ared to leave her home, she had a wide acquaintance and many friends. S he was absolutely devoted to her family. She was, however, interested i n public matters, especially temperance work and in her younger days be longed to temperance organizations; she was interested in the schools a nd often voted when there were contests for school committee. She too p art in the various forms of work of the loyal women of the North during t he Civil War, making uniforms, sewing for the soldiers, preparing lint a nd bandages for the wounded and gathering other supplies and comforts t o send to the front." - Natick Bulletin

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GRID=117534703

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• _COLOR: 11

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GRID=87748839

Walter married BULLARD, Ella Maria. Ella (daughter of BULLARD, Daniel Whitney and HIXON, Marianne Harding) was born on 16 Dec 1846 in Sherborn, MA; died on 25 Mar 1872; was buried in Natick, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _COLOR: 11
• Birth: 16 Dec 1846, Sherborn, MA
• Death: 26 Mar 1872, Natick, MA

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GRID=87487302 Section III