Family-histories and genealogies : containing a series of ...

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New York and was appointed U. S. District Attorney. He became
eminent in iiis profession, and died at Newport, R. I., s. p.
162 7- Catharine H., born July 16, 1806 ;
Salem, Mass.
who
married Joshua Dodge of
163 8. Nancy Bradford, born July 3, 1808; who married Fitz Henry
Homer of Boston, Mass.
164 9. William Bradford, born October 30, 18 10; who married,
October 22, 1834, Mary Russell daughter of Hon. John Soley of Boston,
Mass., "one of the most beautiful women ever seen," and was the father
165 of Mrs. General Lloyd Aspinwall of New York; and died January
15, 1862.
166 \o. Josephine Maria, born September 4, 181 2; who married,
November 18, 1836, Charles Walley Lovett.
To these notes on the Rhode Island branch of the family we add
some extracts from very interesting recent letters of Mr. John De Wolf
now of New York.
" The most distinguished member of our branch of the family was
my grandfather Prof. John (143) De Wolf, who alone of our connection
(on that side) was a man of brilliant education, and a learned scholar, and,
when he chose to exert his abilities as an orator, was always sure of a large
and interested audience. It is said of him that, so sound were his views
and brilliant his addresses, he never failed to carry conviction to his hearers,
both on political and scientific subjects. His scientific attainments were
considered equal to those of any man of his time, and in chemistry, to
which he gave great attention, he was noted for the success of his experi-
ments, never disappointing an audience by failure to show the promised
result. At one time he destroyed a large quantity of diamonds, to prove
to his class in chemistry that they were composed of carbon. He was
fond of reading the Bible in Hebrew and Greek, and condemned all
English translations. He was also a close student of the Koran. He was
somewhat eccentric in his manners, strong in his feelings, and unsparing in
his denunciations of hypocrisy in any form. Utterly indifferent to appear-
ances and this world's goods, he seemed nevertheless to have gained the
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