History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

Personal Sketches 225
and Susan (Vinnicum) Mason. Mr. and Mrs. Gardner are members of
the First Christian Church of Swansea. To them were born four children
(1) Orrin Augustus, born July 21, 1867, is mentioned below. (2) Frank
Henry, born Jan. 16, 1869, graduated from the Warren (R. I.) High School,
1885, and the Bryant & Stratton Commercial College, 1886, attended the
Christian Biblical Institute, 1893, Stanfordville, N. Y., and was ordained to
the ministryof the Christian Denomination 1893. He married May 23, 1894,
Edith May Buflington, born June 13, 1874, daughter of George O., and
Ehzabeth (Langley) Buffington, (3) William Wilson, born Jan. 2, 1875,
graduated from the Warren (R. I.) High School, 1891, the Friends' School
at Providence, R. I., 1892, and Amherst College 1896.
He taught in the Newtown Academy, Conn., in the High School at
South Manchester, Conn., the B. M. C. Durfee High School of Fall River,
Mass., was Principal of the Hingham Mass. High School, 1914, and is now
head teacher of the Physics Dept. of the Providence Technical High. July
24, 1906, he married Josephine H. Cobb of New Bedford, born Oct. 18, 1874,
and they have one son, Hamilton Mason, born Nov. 7, 1911. Mrs. Gardner
is the daughter of Thomas H. and Phebe (Hamilton) Cobb, of New Bedford,
and is a descendant of John Howland and Ehzabeth (Tilley) Howland of
the Mayflower company.
(4) Mabel, born Aug. 16, 1876, died Sept. 2, 1876.
(VII) Orrin Augustus Gardner, son of Henry A., and Carohne
(Mason) Gardner, was born July 21, 1867. He graduated from the
Warren, (R. I.) High School, 1885, the Bryant & Stratton Commercial
Business College, 1888, and attended the Rhode Island State normal
School. He taught in the pubhc schools of Swansea, Tiverton, Somerset
and Fall River, was Principal of the Highland School 1901-1908, and of the
N. B. Borden School, 1908-12, in Fall River; and since 1912 has been an
agent of the Trustees of the State Industrial Schools for boys. He was at
one time Supt. of Public Schools of Swansea.
A member of Christ Church, Swansea, and Junior Warden of the
Parish and Supt. of the Sunday School during 25 years.
Hon. John Mason
He was sometimes called "Colonel," but generally at home he was
known as " Squire Mason. " He was chosen Town Clerk of Swansea, April
4, 1808, and held that oflSce a full half century, first and last, though not by
so many successive annual elections, as some have inferred. It has been
said of him that having completed the labors of forty-nine years in that
office, he remarked, "I would like to be elected one year more," and the
people, considerately, wisely, and kindly elected him the fiftieth time, and
when that year's services were ended he retired from office, fully satisfied
and perfectly contented. There were two interruptions in the period of his
office-holding as Town Clerk, between his first election and his last election.
Joseph G. Luther, the father of the gentleman now living (1916) by that
name, held the office for five years, between 1830 and 1840, and after that,
John A. Wood was Clerk for two years. Mr. Mason retired from the
office in 1865.
Mr. Mason was called "Colonel", perhaps because of his connection
with the local mihtia, when a young man he was an officer— probably
captain; or it may be for the reason that he had the natural bearing of a
mihtary man; for he was nearly six feet in height, erect in carriage, wellproportioned
in figure, and weighing about 190 pounds. He was regarded
as a handsome man; and as a member of the executive Council, when Levi
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