one of the colonial governors of Massachusetts.
The father of our subject, Edward Standish Sherman, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and there spent his early life. In his younger manhood he began dealing in iron and other metals. He removed to Fairfield, Connecticut, where he made his home the greater part of the time until his death, which occurred in 1882. He was quite successful in his business dealings, but at the time of the civil war met with heavy losses. In politics he was a Republican, and was one of the charter members of the Union League Club, of New York city. He married Catharine Augusta Townsend, of Boston, a daughter of Dr. Solomon David and Catharine (Davis) Townsend. Her father was an eminent surgeon of Boston, and in his honor the Townsend ward in the Massachusetts General Hospital was named. Mrs. Sherman's grandparents were Dr. David and Elizabeth (Davis) Townsend, and the former was a son of Shippie Townsend and a grandson of David Townsend. Mrs. Sherman is still living, at the advanced age of seventy-three years, and is a member of the Episcopal church. In their family were eleven children, ten of whom are still living.
Frederick William Sherman, the honored representative of the family of Rye, New York, was born at No. 42 East Thirty-first street, New York city, February 10, 1862, and spent his childhood days in Fairfield, Connecticut, until about twelve or fourteen years of age, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Rye, New York. He was educated in the public schools and Park Institute of Rye, and, having determined to make the practice of law his life work, completed a course of study by his graduation in the Columbia Law School of New York, in 1883. He then began the practice of his profession in New York, where he remained for four or five years, after which he opened an office in Port Chester, near Rye, where he has since made his home in a sightly residence recently built by him and overlooking Long Island sound. He practiced in Port Chester, in White Plains and in Rye, and now has a distinctively representative clientage. Since his arrival in the county he has been connected with much of the important litigation heard in the courts, and is attorney for the local street railroad company and other local corporations. To an understanding of uncommon acuteness and vigor, he added a thorough and conscientious preparatory training. His preparation of cases is exhaustive; he seems almost intuitively to grasp the strong points of law and fact; his arguments are forcible and his logic convincing, while his familiarity with the facts, the law and with precedents is comprehensive and accurate.
Mr. Sherman was united in marriage to Miss Grace Blanchard, a daughter of Anthony Blanchard, ex-surrogate of Albany county and district attorney for Washington county. New York. Mr. Sherman is a member of the Episcopal church, and in politics is a Republican. In the fall of -1892 he was the candidate for county attorney, but the entire ticket was defeated at that election. In his profession he has attained a prominent position, and, being yet a young man, still greater successes are probably in store for him. His life has always been upright and honorable, in harmony with the untarnished record of the prominent family of which he is a representative.
COOPER, JAMES FENIMORE
James Fenimore Cooper is another distinguished author who may be included among the literati of Westchester county, for his first novel was written while he resided at Mamaroneck. Cooper was born at Burlington, New Jersey. September 15, 1789. His father, Judge William Cooper, removed the following year to the neighborhood of Otsego lake, New York, where he had purchased a large tract of land, on which he established a settlement, to which he gave the name of Cooperstown. In this frontier home, in the midst of a population of settlers, trappers and Indians, young Cooper imbibed that knowledge of backwoods life and of the habits of the aborigines which afterward served him so well in the construction of his romances. At the age of thirteen he entered Yale College, and after remaining there three years received an appointment as midshipman in the United States Navy. In the latter he obtained, during the six years of his service, a familiarity with nautical life which he utilized with splendid results in his famous sea stories.
In 1811 Cooper resigned bis commission in the navy and married Miss De Lancey, a member of the well-known New York family of that name and sister of the bishop of western New York. They settled in the village of Mamaroneck, in Westchester county, and not long afterward Cooper's mind was accidentally turned to the field of fiction. One day, after reading an English novel, he remarked to his wife that he believed he could write a better story himself. To test the matter he wrote "Precaution." He had not intended to publish the novel, but was induced to do so by his wife and his friend, Charles Wilkes. The descriptions of English life and scenery gave it great popularity in England, where it was republished. " The Spy," which followed, was as thoroughly American, and obtained great success, not only in this country but abroad. It was almost immediately republished in all parts of Europe. " The Pioneers " was the first of the series of frontier and Indian stories, on which the novelist's reputation chiefly rests. It was followed by "The Pilot," the first of the sea stories. Other novels followed in quick succession, and Cooper's reputation grew apace. He was also sharply criticized and became involved in various controversies, which culminated finally in a series of libel suits against his detractors in the newspapers. In 1826 he visited Europe, and upon his return to this country made his home at Cooperstown, New York. During his residence abroad (1826-33) he was everywhere received with marked attention. His literary activity was unchecked by his wanderings, and during his stay in Europe he wrote a number of novels. After his return to this country he wrote the "Naval History of the United States," which excited an acrimonious discussion as to the correctness of his account of the battle of Lake Erie. In one of his libel suits Cooper defended, in person, the accuracy of his Version of the battle. A lawyer, who was an auditor of the closing sentences of his argument, remarked, " I have heard nothing like it since the days of Emmet."
Cooper continued to write with amazing fertility and vigor almost to the close of his life, which was terminated by dropsy, September 14, 1851. Notwithstanding his defects of style, his romances are. conceded to be among the most vivid and original of all American works of fiction. He was the first of his countrymen who obtained a wide recognition in other portions of the world. His works were translated into many languages, and the Indian tales especially were universal favorites in Europe. The great French novelist, Balzac, said of him, "With what amazing power has he painted nature! How all his pages glow with creative fire! Who is there writing English among our contemporaries, if not of him, of whom it can be said that he has a genius of the first order.? " " The empire of the sea," says the Edinburg Review, " has been conceded to him by acclamation; " and the same journal adds, "In the lonely desert or untrodden prairie, among the savage Indians, or scarcely less savage settlers, all equally acknowledge his dominion."
CHADEAYNE, LEONARD
This gentleman was for many years one of the prominent and influential citizens of Westchester county. New York. He was born on the old Chadeayne homestead in this county, June 12, 1809, passed his life in this vicinity and lived to a venerable age, his death occurring February 11, 1893.
The Chadeayne family has long been identified with Westchester county. Daniel Chadeayne, the grandfather of Leonard, was one of the f:rst Democrats in this section of the country. His son, David, our subject's father, was born in Westchester county, October 11, 1766, and married Miss Hannah Underbill, whose birth occurred January 6, 1772. The fruits of this union were ten children, three of whom died in infancy, the others being John, Julia, Gilbert, Susan, Ann, Leonard and Sanford. The mother died in 1841, at the age of sixty-nine years; the father, in 1846, at the age of eighty-nine.
Leonard Chadeayne was reared on his father's farm and was engaged in agricultural pursuits all his life. In July, 1847, he married Miss Mary Ann Thorn, a native of Orange county, New York, reared and educated in Ulster county, this state, daughter of Thomas P. and Eliza (Gerow) Thorn. Mr. and Mrs. Thorn were the parents of four children, viz.: Eleanor, wife of John Carpenter; Mary Ann, wife of the subject of our sketch; Esther G. ; and Jane, wife of Amos Brown, of Orange county, New York. Mrs. Thorn died at the age of seventy-six years, and Mr. Thorn was eighty-four when he died. Mr. and Mrs. Chadeayne became the parents of six children, namely: Elizabeth; Hannah,
