FARNSWORTH, EZRA

[Farns10th at aol.com]

Subject:  Ezra Farnsworth
Source:   NEHGS Register Vol. 78 July 1924
Ezra Farnsworth of Minneapolis, Minn., a life member (NEHGS) since 1885
was born in Boston 3 January 1843 son of Ezra and Sarah Melville (Parker)
Farnsworth and died at Pasadena, Calif., 12 January 1923.

He traced his descent from Matthias 1 Farnsworth, who was at Lynn, Mass
in 1657 and became one of the original proprietors of Groton, Mass., through
Benjamin 2 Farnsworth of Groton, who married Mary Prescott of Groton.
Ezra 3 Farnsworth of Groton who married Abigail Pierce, Ezra 4 Farnsworth
of Groton who married Betsey Sheple, Abel 5 Farnsworth of Groton who was
born at Groton July 1776 and married Mary Rice Goodell born 1790 dau of Lieut
Asa Goodell of Millbury, Mass., and Ezra 6 Farnsworth who was born at Groton
5 January 1813 and died in Boston July 4, 1890.

Ezra Farnsworth married first in October 1840 Sarah Melville Parker who died
in Boston 28 June 1862, the daughter of Isaac Parker of Boston and by her had
four sons and four daughters, seven of whom survived their mother and six of
whom survived their father; and secondly, 30 March 1864 Mr. Henry H. Taylor of
New York.  He was a prominent business man of Boston, a deacon of the Park
Street Church and otherwise active in Congregational circles, interested in
philan-
thropic and educational work, a member of the Boston Common Council in 1856
and a life member of the NEHGS from 1870 until his death.  A memoir of him may
be found in "Memorial Biographies of the New England Historic Genealogical
Society," vol.9 p.10.  Three generations of this family represented by Ezra 3,
Ezra 4 and Ezra 5, brother of Abel 5 lived on the same farm in Groton.

Ezra 7 Farnsworth the subject of this memoir attended the Boston public
schools
and at the outbreak of the Civil War enlisted as a private in the 26th MA Vol.
Militia.  At the Battle of Cedar Creek, 19 Oct. 1864 he was severely wounded
and
lost his leg below the knee.  He was honorably discharged by the War
Department
with the rank of Captain.

Returning to civil life, he found employment with the firm of Parker, Wilder &
Co.
of Boston, a dry goods commission house in which his father was a partner.
and represented this firm in its New York office for several years.  In 1879
however, he severed his business connections in the East and went to Minnesota
where for several years he conducted an extensive wheat farm and then and then
settling in Minneapolis, became one of the leading citizens of that rapidly
growing
community   He lived there for more than forty years but retired from active
business about fifteen years before his death.

In 1922 Mr. Farnsworth and his wife went to CA tolive with their sons who had
resided there for several years and there he died.

Mr. Farnsworth was a member and past commander of John A. Rawlins Post
Grand Army of the Republic and also a member of the Loyal Legion of which he
was commander for Minnesota for several years.

He married 6 October 1869 Leila Frances Newcomb of Boston, daughter of John
Jay and Mary (Marshall) Newcomb.  His wife survived him, together with a dau.
Ethel Newcomb Farnsworth, three sons, Arthur Jay Farnsworth, John Jay 
Farnsworth and Ezra Farnsworth and a brother, William Farnsworth of Dedham
MA
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