at the age of ninety years. Their children .were William; Agnes, wife of Robert Taylor, a physician of New York city; and Herbert, who is living a retired life in Mount Vernon. Betsy Holmes, the wife of a Mr. Squires, who served in the Revolution, lived to be one hundred and two years of age.
William Holmes, the father of our subject, was born in Poughquag, Dutchess county, in December, 1844, attended the district schools of that neighborhood, and the public schools of New York city. There he engaged a business with his father, and subsequently became the owner of considerable property. For some time he carried on the grocery trade at the corner of Fortieth street and Sixth avenue, but in 1887 he removed with his family to Mount Vernon, where he has since conducted a large and profitable grocery and dairy business. He has admitted his son Frank to a partnership, under the firm name of Holmes & Son, and the firm ranks foremost among the leaders in the line. In his political views he is a Republican, socially he is connected with the Masonic fraternity, and in his religious views he is a Presbyterian. He was also at one time a member of the old volunteer fire department of New York city. He has two sons, Frank R. and Robert Wallace, the latter an electrician, formerly with the Edison Electric Company, but now a resident of Denver, Colorado.
Frank Riggs Holmes pursued his education in the public schools of New York city and was graduated with the class of 1888. He then engaged in the brush-importing business in the metropolis for a time, and later was connected with other enterprises. In the meantime he had become interested in the grocery and dairy business at Mount Vernon, and in 1897 removed his family to this city, where he has since resided. He now devotes his attention almost exclusively to the conduct of their extensive trade. They have a large and well-appointed grocery store and employ three wagons in the delivery of their goods. They also have a number of wagons used in delivering their dairy products to the customers, their trade in that line being larger than that of any other dairy firm in the city.
Mr. Holmes was married on the 7th of June, 1892, the lady of his choice being Miss Grace S. Baily, a daughter of Lewis and Ann M. (Scott) Baily. Her father is engaged in the leather business in New York city, and is a veteran of the Seventh Regiment, New York State National Guard. Mrs. Holmes is an only daughter, and by her marriage she has two children, Dorothy Anna and Frank R. Mr. Holmes and his family occupy a very fine residence on Clinton Place, Chester Hill, Mount Vernon, and their home is the center of a cultured society circle. Mr. Holmes is a member of Hiawatha Lodge, F. & A. M., and Golden Rod Council, Royal Arcanum. His political support is given the men and measures of the Republican party, but office-holding has had no attraction for him, his attention being fully occupied with his extensive business interests and his social duties. His genial manner renders him popular in all circles, and he is accounted one of the leading and valued citizens of Mount Vernon.
POWELL, EZRA M.
Ezra Marshall Powell, of Cortlandt township, Westchester county. New York, was born in this county, December 29, 1819, the son of Stephen Powell and grandson of John Powell. John Powell was of Scotch descent, and both he and his wife, Elizabeth, lived for many years at Somerstown, Westchester county, of which place they were early settlers, and there they died and were buried. Stephen Powell was born in Somerstown. He married Miss Fanny Hyatt, daughter of Samuel Hyatt, of Westchester county, and to them were born nine children, viz. : David, Daniel, Stephen, Joseph, William, Ezra M., Deborah, Earl and Mary. All of this large family are deceased except Ezra M., the subject of our sketch. The mother died at the age of seventy-three years, and the father was eighty-two when he died. He was a man of many sterling qualities, was by occupation a farmer, and in religion a member of the Society of Friends, commonly designated Quakers.
Ezra M. Powell was reared and educated in his native county, and farming has been his life work. He was, however, for some time interested in the insurance business. For the past thirty-two years he has lived on his present farm, formerly known as the Thonell Jacobs farm. It consists of twenty acres, is located a mile and a half from the village of Peekskill, and is under a most perfect state of cultivation.
Mr. Powell was married in Cortlandt township, November 20, 1849, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Miller, a native of this township and a daughter of Cornite Miller. They have had three children: Louisa, who died, aged eleven years; and Fanny and Hattie. Fanny is the wife of Charles Yellott. Hattie became the wife of Samuel Pugsley, who died, leaving his widow with two children. Flossy and Winnie. Mrs. Pugsley lost one child, Lilian, at the age of twelve years and six months. Mr. Powell's daughter, Fanny, was educated in the State Normal School at Albany, New York. Mr. Powell and his family are all consistent members of the Dutch Reformed church at Peekskill.
Mr. Powell has served as commissioner of highways in Cortlandt township for three terms of three years each, and is a very worthy citizen. Politically he affiliates with the Democratic party.
HOPKINS, JAMES
James Hopkins, of Armonk, Westchester county, was born March 1, 1830, in the county in which he now lives and in which he has made his home to the present time. He traces his ancestry back in a direct line to England and to the year 1616.
Thomas Hopkins, a son of William and Joanna (Arnold) Hopkins, was born in England, April 7, 1616, and came to Providence, Rhode Island, about 1640. He had three sons. With his daughter-in-law and her two children he removed to Little Neck, near Musketo Cove, now called Glen Cove, Long Island, and died there in 1684. His children were Ichabod, who married Sarah Coles and died in 1726, leaving children: Thomas, who married Margaret Pine in 1738; Daniel, who married Anny Weeks; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Benjamin Birdsall in 1734; Ann, who never married; and Sarah, who became the wife of Joseph Merritt in 1736.
Thomas, the son of Ichabod, moved to the town of North Castle, New York, about the year 1740. The children of Thomas and his wife Margaret were Thomas, Daniel, Benjamin, Margaret, Naomy and Ann. Thomas, the son of Thomas, was born in 1740, and married, January 14, 1767, Zeruiah Palmer, according to the rules of order of the Society of Friends, at their meeting-house in the Purchase, and to them six children were born, namely: James, born October 14, 1767, married Mary Tripp and died August 29, 1859; Elizabeth, born June 5, 1769, married Job Cox and died September 30, 1828; Samuel, born June 8, 1771, died September 1, 1828; Mary, who was born August 14, 1773, died unmarried, December 5, 1825; Thomas, Jr., who was born June 27, 1783, died July 17, 1837; and Pine, who was born February 14, 1786, married Hannah Tripp and died August 29, 1856.
James Hopkins, the first, married Mary Tripp, and to them were born two sons, — John and Alfred. The latter married Mary Brower, and their union was blessed in the birth of one child, Eleanor, who is now living at Stamford, Connecticut. John T. Hopkins married Hannah Dayton, a native of the same county in which he was born and a daughter of David and Martha (Wood) Dayton. This worthy couple became the parents of five children, viz.: Alexander, deceased; Ed. R., also deceased; James, the subject of this sketch; Josephine, deceased; and Mary Elizabeth, who married William Ireland. Their father was a merchant and a farmer, and died in 1868, at the age of seventy-six years; their mother lived to be sixty years of age. She was a member of the Episcopal church.
After reaching manhood James Hopkins turned his attention to merchandising, and from 1857 to 1880 kept a general store. He has for years been more or less interested in political matters, and has filled a number of positions of prominence and trust in his township. His first presidential vote was cast for John C. Fremont, in 1856, and he has ever since given his support to the Republican party. Among the offices tendered to him by his party are those of postmaster, which position he accepted and filled for twenty-three years; town supervisor, twelve years, and was chairman of the board the last year of his service; and township clerk and justice of the peace. He resides upon a farm near Armonk, where he has a pleasant and attractive home, which he is pleased to call Brookside.
In 1850 Mr. Hopkins married Miss Mary J. Smith, a daughter of Abram and Caroline Smith. Her father was a well-known and popular
