Samuel Atherton (January 26, 1815 – April 3, 1895) was a Massachusetts businessman who served as a member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

Early life

He was born on January 26, 1815, the son of Samuel Atherton (1784-1877) and Abigail Pope (1786-1868). His mother was the granddaughter of Colonel Ralph Pope, aide-de-camp to Gen. George Washington. His father was a farmer and a prominent citizen of

Stoughton, Massachusetts Stoughton (official name: Town of Stoughton) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 29,281 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town is located approximately from Boston, from Providence, Rh ...

. He was an active member of the

Stoughton Musical Society Organized in 1786 as The Stoughton Musical Society, it is America's oldest performing musical organization. For over two centuries it has had many distinguished accomplishments. In 1908, when incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Mass ...

. His grandfather John Atherton had been a founding member and had hosted many musical events for the Society at his home. His grandmother was Mary Adams, the daughter of Jedidiah Adams, a relative of

Samuel Adams Samuel Adams (, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, Political philosophy, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts, a le ...

Career

He began as a clerk in a shoe store. Four years later her was employed by

Caleb Stetson Caleb Stetson (January 6, 1801 – January 1885) was an American businessman and politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Democrat, in 1852 he was elected to serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In the legislatur ...

. He greatly improved the financial standing of the family, establishing himself as a retail dealer in boots and shoes, after entering into partnership with Stetson. By 1852 "Atherton, Stetson and Company", dealers in leather, were one of Boston's most successful business at the time. His two younger brothers,

James Atherton James Atherton (born James Conway; 16 July 1987) is an English actor, known for his roles as Will Savage on ''Hollyoaks'' and Jamie Bowman on ''Coronation Street''. In 2017, he appeared in the stage production of ''Rita, Sue and Bob Too''. In 2 ...

(1819-1879) and William, became his partners that same year.

Other business interests

He was a director of the New England Bank, Prescott Insurance Company, Massachusetts Loan and Trust Company, President of the Dorchester Gas-Light Company, Director of the

Central Massachusetts Railroad The Central Massachusetts Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. The eastern Train station#Terminus, terminus of the line was at North Cambridge Junction where it split off from the Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad, Middlesex Central B ...

, as well as being connected with many other corporations.

Political interest

He was a member of the

Massachusetts State Legislature The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. The name "General Court" is a holdover from the earliest days of ...

1867 There were only 354 days this year in the newly purchased territory of Alaska. When the territory transferred from the Russian Empire to the United States, the calendric transition from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar was made with only 1 ...

1870 Events January * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge be ...

and

1877 Events January * January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed Empress of India by the Royal Titles Act 1876, introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . * January 8 – Great Sioux War of 1876: Batt ...

, representing Dorchester.

Personal

Atherton was widowed twice. His first wife was Temperance “Tempie” Holbrook (1820–1849) and they had four children. Temperance died of consumption at the age of 29 when her youngest daughter, Sarah was just five months old. He subsequently married Susan Baker (1833–1858). She died two years later after giving birth to a child, named Susan, following the birth of Helen Louise “Nellie”. He married his last wife on 1869; Susan M Bassett (1831–1907). In 1890, Atherton was recorded as living in 121 Washington St, Boston.

Family

He was the uncle of the celebrated US Composer, Percy Lee Atherton; politician,

Frederick Atherton Frederick William Atherton (August 6, 1865 – April 4, 1936) was a Harvard-educated businessman from Boston, Massachusetts. He was a founding Trustee of Wentworth Institute of Technology and of other various academic institutions. He was associa ...

; and the architect, Walter Atherton. He was grandfather to the US diplomat,

Ray Atherton Ray Atherton (March 28, 1883 – March 14, 1960) was a career United States diplomat, who served as Ambassador to Greece, Bulgaria, and Denmark. He also served the role of Head of Mission as List of ambassadors of the United States to Canada, En ...

Interest in genealogy

He was elected to the

New England Historic Genealogical Society The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845. NEHGS provides family history services through its staff, scholarship, website,Humphrey Atherton Major-General Humphrey Atherton (c. 1607 – September 16, 1661), an early settler of Dorchester, Massachusetts, held the highest military rank in colonial New England.Adams, William Frederick, William Richard Cutter. ''Genealogical and pers ...

Death

He died on April 3, 1895. He was buried at

Mount Auburn Cemetery Mount Auburn Cemetery, located in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, is the first rural or garden cemetery in the United States. It is the burial site of many prominent Boston Brahmins, and is a National Historic Landmark. Dedicated in ...

in Cambridge, Massachusetts.