Strafford County New Hampshire

Delegates to the 1918 New Hampshire Constitutional Convention

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
STRAFFORD COUNTY 

BARRINGTON.- Frank McDaniel, Republican (post-office address, East Barrington); born in Barrington, July 15, 1854; educated in the town schools, at Northwood Seminary and New Hampton Institution; farmer and lumberman; Congregationalist; widower, five -sons and two daughters; member Junior O. U. A. M.; has been selectman, town treasurer and road surveyor.

DOVER, WARD ONE.- Clarence I. Hurd, Republican; born in Farmington in 1863; educated at New Hampton Literary Institution; retired shoe manufacturer; religious belief, Liberal; married; 32d degree Mason, Odd Fellow, Knight of Pythias, Red Man, member of 
Bellamy Club; member of the State. Senate of 1909 and delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1912.

William E. Rines, Republican; born in Bath, Me., June 20, 1846; educated at Dover; retired from business; Baptist; widower; member of I. 0. 0. F., Sons of Veterans and Bellamy Club; assessor twelve years.

WARD Two.- Eugene Smart, Republican; born in Sebacis, Me., September 14, 1846; educated in the public schools of Farmington and Maxfield, Me.; retired business man; married, two children; Methodist; member of the House of Representatives of 1917, serving on the committee on roads, bridges and canals.

WARD THREE.- Dwight Hall, Republican; born in Dover, April 13, 1871; educated at Phillips Andover Academy, Dartmouth College and Boston University Law School; lawyer; married; Congregationalist; Mason, Knight of Pythias, member of S. A. R. and Society of Colonial Wars; has been United States referee in bankruptcy, city solicitor, county solicitor, mayor, chairman Republican state committee, chairman state excise commission, trustee New Hampshire College.

John Tapley Welch, "always a Republican"; born in Dover, December 15, 1856; educated in Dover public schools and at Dartmouth College; city treasurer of Dover; Congregationalist; married; Odd Fellow, Knight of Pythias, member of S. A. R., state and city historical societies, Bellamy Club; has been clerk of Dover police court, register of probate, member of the House of Representatives and State Senate, trustee of city library, member of school board, chief clerk in government printing office at Washington, postmaster of Dover, 1898-1915.

WARD FOUR.- James H. McKeon, Democrat; born in Haverhill, Mass., September 7, 1882; educated there; construction foreman for the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company; Roman Catholic; married, four children; served in the Spanish War; member of the Red Men, U. S. W. V. and Bellamy Club.

James Marshall, Republican; born in Scotland, January 22, 1874; educated in the public schools of Dover; printer; married; Congregationalist; grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, Mason, Red Man; served in both branches of the city council and as a member of the House of Representatives of 1917, assigned to the committees on public improvements and railroads.

Thomas Sherry, Republican; born in Liverpool, England; public school education; insurance business; married, two children; Roman Catholic; member of the Foresters of America and Elks; member of the House of Representatives of 1911, serving on the committee on state hospital.

WARD FIVE.- John H. Wesley, Democrat; born in South Berwick, Me., October 16, 1873; public school education; real estate business; married, three children; Roman Catholic; member of the Foresters, Eagles, Hibernians, etc.; has served as councilman and alderman, on the school board, as delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1912 and nine terms as member of the House of Representatives.

DURHAM.- Charles H. Pettee, Republican; born in Manchester, February 2, 1853; A.B. and A.M., Dartmouth, 1874 and 1877, C.E., Thayer School, 1876, LL.D. (honorary), New Hampshire College, 1913; dean of New Hampshire College; Congregationalist; married, four children; chairman town Public Safety Committee; Patron of Husbandry, member executive committee State Grange, member K K K college fraternity, National Geographic Society, societies for the advancement of science and of engineering education.

FARMINGTON.- Eugene P. Nute, Republican; born in Farmington, June 14, 1852; educated at Colby and Phillips Andover academies; secretary of the New Hampshire Board of Fire underwriters; member of the House of Representatives of 1883; from 1899 until 1914, United States marshal for the district of New Hampshire; married, three children; Congregationalist; Mason, K. of P., Loyal Legion.

John Waldron, Republican; born in Farmington, December. 27, 1849; educated there and at Milton Classical Institute; insurance agent; Protestant; widower, one daughter; member of Knights of Pythias and Uniformed Rank; has been supervisor of checklist, special justice and justice of the Farmington police court.

LEE. - Josiah T. Bartlett, Democrat (post-office address, Newmarket); born in Lee, September, 1850; educated in the town schools and at Northwood Seminary; farmer and carpenter; Protestant; married, four children; Mason; has held various town offices, including selectman.

MADBURY - William H. Knox, Republican, (post-office address, Dover, R. F. D.); born in Charlestown, Mass.; educated in Boston public, schools; farmer, and state inspector of motor vehicles; Universalist; married, four children; served fourteen years in Massachusetts Volunteer Militia; Odd Fellow and Patron of Husbandry; member of the House of Representatives, 1911 and 1913, sergeant-at-arms of State Senate, 1915 and 1917; has been chairman of selectmen, town treasurer, etc.

MIDDLETON.- Meander H. Davis, Democrat (post-office address,. Union, R. F. D.); born in Middleton and educated there and at Dover; engaged in lumber business; Free Baptist; married; town treasurer; member of the Knights of Pythias.

MILTON.- Bard B. Plummer, Republican; born June 18, 1846; common school education; farmer; Protestant; married, four children; 32d degree Mason and Knight Templar; has been selectman, member of the school board, sheriff of Strafford County, delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1902.

NEW DURHAM.- Dana P. Jones, Democrat; born in New Durham, October 31, 1853; educated in public and private schools; farmer; Protestant; married, one child; selectman thirty-one years, also moderator, town treasurer and member of the Legislature in 1901.

ROCHESTER, WARD ONE.- Wilbur F. Cole, Republican (post-office address, East Rochester); born in Portsmouth, April 30, 1852; educated there and at Berwick, Me.; carpenter; Methodist; married, four children; has served as selectman and member of school board; member of the House of Representatives of 1917, serving on roads, bridges and canals committee.

WARD TWO.- Ernest Charles Wescott, Republican; born in Blue Hill, Me.; educated at the academy there; dry goods dealer; Protestant; married, one daughter; Mason, lodge, chapter, council and commandery; member of Rochester Country Club; publicity man of Rochester Chamber of Commerce, chairman of Red Cross membership committee.

WARD THREE.- John Levi Meader, Republican (post-office address, Gonic) ; born in Gonic, September 11. 1878; educated at Rochester and the Moses Brown School, Providence, R. I.; woolen manufacturer; religious belief, Friend; married,, three children; Mason, lodge, chapter, council, commandery and shrine; member Rochester City Club; ex-mayor of Rochester, member of Legislature of 1907, chairman of city and county Republican committees and member of State committee.

WARD FOUR.- J. E. Alcide Bilodeau, Republican; born at St. Elzear, P. 0., Canada, January 18, 1848; educated at Rochester and Sherbrooke, P. Q.; musician and wholesale and retail grocer; Catholic; unmarried; member of the Moose and Union St. Jean Baptist; has been ward clerk, member of the House of Representatives of 1917, member of county Republican club and Republican state committee.

John Young, Republican; born in Scotland in 1854; educated in schools of Glasgow; Methodist; Odd Fellow, Knight of Pythias, Mason; member of the House of Representatives in 1881 and 1887, doorkeeper of the House in 1905.

WARD FIVE.- Leslie Perkins Snow, Republican; born at Eaton, October 19, 1862; educated at Fryeburg and Bridgeton Academies, Dartmouth College and Columbian Law School; attorney-at-law; Congregationalist; married, two children; 32d degree Mason, Knight  Templar and Shriner, Odd Fellow, member of Rochester City and Country Clubs; member of the Legislature, 1887, pension examiner, 1887-90, member school board, 1899-1904, president Rochester National Bank, 1902-17, vice-president Rochester Trust Co., president Gafney Home for the Aged.

WARD Six.- Roy C. Horne, Republican; born in Rochester, August 26, 1875; educated there; printer; married; Protestant; Mason, lodge, chapter, council, commandery, Eastern Star, Knights of Birmingham; member of the House of Representatives in 1915 and in 1917.

Charles W. Varney, Republican; born in Lebanon, Me., June 4, 1884; educated at town schools and Bryant and Stratton's Business College; insurance business; married, one son; Methodist; 32d degree Mason, Odd Fellow, past state lecturer, Patrons of Husbandry; member of the House of Representatives of 1913, State Senate of 1915 and executive council of 1917-18.

ROLLINSFORD. William F. McNally, Democrat (post-office address, Salmon Falls); born in Salmon Falls, December 2, 1874; public school education; grocer and general merchant; married, two children; Catholic; member of Red Men, Knights of Columbus and A. O. H.; served on school committee, as supervisor, selectman, town treasurer, eighteen years, and member of the House of Representatives of 1905 trustee Rollinsford savings bank.

James Frank Philpott, Democrat (post-office address, Salmon Falls); born in Sanford, Me., August 28, 1850, and educated there; shoemaker; widower, three children; Protestant: Odd Fellow, Red Man; selectman, supervisor, road commissioner, member of the House of Representatives of 1917.

SOMERSWORTH, WARD ONE. - Elisha C. Andrews, Democrat; born in Somersworth, September 16, 1876, and educated there; manager Strafford-York Gas Company; Methodist; married, three children; Mason, lodge, chapter and council; member Royal Arcanum; has served as city clerk, councilman, member school board, member of the House of Representatives of 1901.

WARD Two.- Haven Doe, Democrat; born in Rollinsford, April 23, 1870; educated at Phillips Exeter Academy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology; railroad station agent; married, three children; Mason and Eagle; member of the House of Representatives of 1895 from Rollinsford, selectman of Rollinsford, mayor of Somersworth, representative from Somersworth, 1909, state senator, 1911, member of Somersworth school board, water board and board of library trustees.

WARD THREE.- Laurent J. Gaudreau, Democrat; born August 18, 1878, at L'Islet, P. Q., Canada; educated at St. Hyacinthe, P. Q., Seminary and Dover Business College; insurance business; Roman Catholic; married, two children; member of Catholic Order of Foresters, Association Canado-Americaine and Club Joffre; clerk of police court and health officer, 1914-18, member of the House of Representatives of 1905 and 1917.

WARD FOUR.- John Parsons, Democrat; born in Somersworth, May 15, 1853; member of Somersworth's first city government, trustee of its public library, superintendent of the city water system, twice a member of the House of Representatives; past state president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; Catholic.

Clement P. Roy, Democrat; born in Somersworth and educated there in the public schools; merchant; Catholic; delegate to Constitutional Convention of 1902, has been sanitary officer, member of school board and police commissioner.

WARD FlVE - Peter M. Gagne, Democrat; born in Somersworth, July 29, 1876; public school education; theater manager and tobacconist; married, three children; Catholic; has been overseer of the poor, member of school board, water commissioner, health officer, city messenger, supervisor, member of the House of Representatives of 1917; member of Joffre Club.

STRAFFORD.- Alvin E. Thomas, Republican (postoffice address, Center Strafford) ; farmer and school teacher.

These brief biographical sketches of the Rockingham County delegates to the New Hampshire Constitutional Convention of 1918 are found in The Brown Book of the Constitutional Convention of 1918, The Rumford Press, Concord, N. H., Compiled by Harlan C. Pearson, A. Chester Clark, Publisher, 1918.