My Genealogy Hound

ROBERT NEWLAND One of the best-known and most universally respected citizens of Jamestown is Mr. Robert Newland, the venerable ex-president of the Chautauqua County National Bank. He was born in Albany, N. Y., January 24, 1809, and was the son of David Newland, a native of Dumfries in Scotland, who at the age of eighteen years emigrated to America and settled in Albany, where he subsequently married Jane McHarg, who, like him, was of Scotch parentage. David Newland had a long and honorable mercantile career in Albany, where he died in 1855, at the age of eighty-two years. His widow who survived him only a short time was also an octogenarian at the time of her death.

Robert Newland, the son of this worthy couple, had the ordinary advantages of education afforded by the time, and among other schools of the city attended the well-known Albany boys’ academy. On quitting school he entered his father’s store as a clerk, where he remained until he was nearly twenty-five years of age. In 1834 he left Albany and came to Jamestown, where he became connected with the Chautauqua County Bank, a relation which has now (in 1891) been continuous for fifty-seven years. The history of this banking institution is almost coincident with the business life of Mr. Newland in point of duration, and he has been so closely identified with its fortunes and good name that a brief sketch of the bank is not inappropriate in this connection. The bank was chartered April 18, 1831, being what was then known as a “safety fund bank,” and was founded mainly by Albany capitalists, the famous “Albany Regency,” being largely interested in the enterprise. The first election for directors was held at the “Inn of Messrs. Jones,” in Jamestown, June 24, 1831, but the bank did not begin business until about January 13, 1832. When the bank was started there was no other bank in the southern tier of counties west of Orange county, and its nearest neighbors were the U. S. Branch Bank at Buffalo, and the State Bank at Lockport. The first president was Elial T. Foote, and one of the first board of directors the Hon. Richard P. Marvin, a brother-in-law of Mr. Newland, is still living. The first cashier was Arad Joy, who was succeeded by Fitch Shepard (father of Col. Elliott F. Shepard, of New York city), as cashier pro tem. Aaron D. Patchin succeeded Mr. Shepard, and he in turn was followed by Thaddeus W. Patchin as cashier. Mr. Newland entered the service of the bank September 30, 1834, a little less than three years after it commenced business, and on May 20, 1840, he was promoted to cashier, succeeding Mr. Thaddeus W. Patchin. After twenty years of service as cashier Mr. Newland was advanced to the vice-presidency, being succeeded as cashier by his nephew, Gen. Selden E. Marvin, now of Albany. In 1862 Mr. Newland again became cashier, owing to the Designation of Mr. Marvin to enter the army. In 1872, upon the death of Major Samuel Barrett, who had been president for thirty- seven years, Mr. Newland was advanced to the presidency, another nephew, Mr. David N. Marvin, succeeding him as cashier. After eighteen years service as president of the bank, in 1890 Mr. Newland then in his eighty-second year resigned his office of president, though still remaining a director of the bank, and each day going to the institution and occupying his accustomed seat and attending to certain official duties.

During all these fifty-seven years of service to the bank Mr. Newland has been a striking example of the ideal business man. Punctual, painstaking, industrious and watchful his name has been the synonym of business integrity and lofty character in all the region round about. To his executive ability and careful judgment the bank owes much of its prosperous career, while to his liberal policy toward the infant industries and enterprises of the place is due much of the growth and progress of the city.

In his private life Mr. Newland has endeared himself to all classes of people by his upright character and his open-handed though unostentatious benevolence. As has been well said of him, “Young men have found him a firm friend, public enterprises a wise and liberal promoter, the poor and needy a generous benefactor.”

Mr. Newland has always taken an earnest and intelligent interest in public affairs and local advancement. He was one of the original directors of the Erie and New York city railroad (now the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio railway); he was an assistant engineer in the fire department of Jamestown, he was for several terms one of the village trustees, and was also president of the village. In politics Mr. Newland has been a consistent and conscientious republican since the formation of the party, and has always kept abreast of the times in political and general reading. He possesses a marked taste for all works of art, and has found much pleasure in securing and enjoying a large and valuable collection of engravings, etchings and water-colors, as well as a large library of works upon general and art subjects.

Mr. Newland has for many years been a regular attendant upon the services of the Presbyterian church in Jamestown, and a liberal supporter of that body of which he is one of the trustees. He has also contributed, it is believed, to the erection of every church building in the place and the support of every religious society.

On January 21, 1847, Mr. Newland was married to Miss Evelyn Patchin, daughter of Dr. Aaron D. Patchin, of Hoosic Falls, N. Y., and a sister of Mr. Aaron D. Patchin, the second cashier of the bank. Mrs. Newland died on June 17, 1887. By this union there were two children — a son, Frank, who died in infancy, and a daughter, Evelyn M., the wife of Mr. Daniel H. Post, of Jamestown.

It has been well said of the subject of this sketch, that “there is probably no one in the community in which he lives, who deserves or possesses in a greater measure the respect, confidence and esteem of those who know him.” There is a human heart-throb in the utterance of his fellow-citizens when they mention the name of that strong, inflexible yet helpful business man, that liberal-handed, kind-hearted gentleman, that reserved, yet sympathetic friend — Robert Newland!