My Genealogy Hound

WOLCOTT HAMLIN, one of the oldest lawyers in Amherst, who was connected with the political centre at Washington during one of the most stirring epochs of the country’s history, was born in Livermore, Me., November 4, 1823, son of Isaac and Mary (Wolcott) Hamlin, the former a native of Harvard, Mass., the latter of Bolton. His grandfather, Major Eleazer Hamlin, who also was a native of Massachusetts, was an early settler on Cape Cod. He was an officer in the Revolutionary army, and received for his services grants of land in Ohio and Maine. His last years were spent in Westford, Mass., where he now lies buried. Major Hamlin was a man of considerable force of character, a prominent citizen wherever he made his home. He was three times married, and reared a large family, all of whom have passed away.

His son, Isaac Hamlin, grew to manhood in Harvard, Mass., early becoming familiar with agriculture, and adopting farming for his occupation. The greater part of his life was spent in Livermore, Me., where he was a prominent man. His last days were passed in Dover, N.H.; and there he breathed his last when eighty years of age. In politics Mr. Hamlin was a Whig. In religious belief he followed the teachings of the Baptist church. Mrs. Hamlin, who lived to be seventy-six years old, also spent her last days in Dover, N.H. They had a large family, one of whom died in infancy. Eight children attained maturity; namely, Isaac Green, Samuel B., Hannibal, Henry H., Mary, Lorinda, Augusta, and Wolcott.

Wolcott Hamlin, the subject of this sketch, was the youngest child of the family. He was reared on his father’s farm in Livermore, Me., attending the district schools in boyhood, and finishing his education at Kent’s Hill Seminary. He taught school for a while, and also engaged in other occupations. After spending some time in Boston, he went to Andover, N.H. In this place he was engaged in mercantile business for some years. He then took up the study of law, reading under Samuel Butterfield, and was admitted to the bar of New Hampshire in 1852. In 1856 he removed to Dover, N.H., and was there appointed Solicitor for Strafford County, his term of service to be five years. Just before its expiration he resigned, and in 1861 went to Washington, D.C., where for nine years he was engrossing clerk of the Senate. In the mean time he was elected Representative from the city of Dover, N.H., to the national legislature, and served in 1866 and 1867. In 1870 he was made Supervisor of Internal Revenue for the States of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, and filled the office until 1872, when the district was abolished. In the fall of that year he invested in a large tract of timber land in Connecticut, and for six years was engaged in lumbering; and in 1878 he moved to Amherst, and erected a large building for one of the college societies. In 1880 Mr. Hamlin again took up the work of his profession, and up to the present time has been actively engaged in legal practice.

On July 3, 1845, Mr. Hamlin was united in marriage with Miss Susan Westman, the ceremony taking place in Boston. Miss Westman, who was a daughter of Peter Westman, of Bath, Me., was born in the latter place, May 1, 1821. Mr. and Mrs. Hamlin had a family of nine children, of whom the following are living: Edward F., who resides in Boston; Emma A., wife of Dr. Danforth, of New York City; John, a lawyer in Thompsonville, Conn.; Mary, wife of Thomas Wood, of Utica, N.Y.; Frederick W., a physician in New York City; and Arthur W., who resides in Amherst.

In politics Mr. Hamlin favors the principles of the Prohibitionists. He and his wife are members of the First Congregational Church, of which he has been Deacon, and is now Treasurer. Mr. Hamlin’s career has been an eventful one. Engrossing clerk of the Senate during Lincoln’s administration, when his distinguished relative, Hannibal Hamlin, was Vice-President, he was in close touch with the pulse of the nation during the Civil War. He was in Washington at the time of the assassination of President Lincoln and the attempted murder of Secretary Seward, and his two years in the House of Representatives were respectively signalized by the laying of the first Atlantic cable and the purchase of Russian America by the United States.