Samuel Stowell Symmes (1858 - 1946)

Born 22 Oct 1858 in Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Jennie Elizabeth (Metcalf) Symmes — married 3 Dec 1885 (to 13 Sep 1887) in Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA

Husband of Minerva Rice (Johnson) Symmes — married 5 Mar 1895 in Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA

Descendants

Died 6 Oct 1946 at age 87 in Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA

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Biography

Birth & Life Facts

Samuel Stowell Symmes was born in Winchester, Massachusetts, on October 22, 1858; the second son of Marshall Symmes, Jr. and Abby Stowell.^[1][2][3][4]

When a young man he helped run his father's 100 acre farm as a "market gardener." The farm was on a part of the original 300-acre tract that had been deeded to Samuel's fifth great-grandfather, the Rev. Zechariah Symmes, by the town of Charlestown in the mid-1600s. After his father's death in 1911, he began a successful business as a "Milk Contractor."^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Samuel was active in Winchester affairs and was known by all to be an authority on the history of "old" Winchester. His first official office was that of "Field Driver," to which he was appointed in 1886 at the age of 28, his duties were to drive horses or cattle from fields or other property where they did not belong. He was president of the Winchester Cooperative Bank and vice president of the Winchester Savings Bank. He served as Selectman 1903-1906, and on a number of important committees. At the time of Winchester's Tercentenary Celebration he was one of the speakers at the reception given by the town to its official guests, Mayor and Mrs. Harry Collis of Winchester, England.^[4] He also published the short story, A Medford Midnight Marauder, about his father's 1865 encounter with a wild hog which had been wreaking some havoc in Medford.^[9]

Marriages & Children

He married first, Jennie Elizabeth Metcalf, daughter of Robert C. And Martha (Stone) Metcalf, in Winchester, on December 3, 1885. Jennie died in Winchester on September 13, 1887, at the age of 29. They had been married for less than two years. They had one child:^[4][10][11]

1. Laurence Metcalf Symmes, born November 11, 1886; married Dorothy M. Boericke; died February 17, 1969.^{[4][12][13][14]}

On June 19, 1894, he hired a contractor to build a home for his family at 7 Sanborn Street in Winchester, to be completed by November 1, 1894, for a total cost of $4,232.^[15]

He married second, Minerva Rice Johnson, of Nahant, Massachusetts, daughter of Benjamin and Maria (Parlin) Johnson, in Winchester, on March 5, 1895. Minerva died after a three month illness on March 2, 1934, at the age of 63. They had been married for close to 39 years. They had three children:^[4][16][17]

1. Elizabeth Symmes, born November 28, 1896; married Walter Prescott Keyes; died February 10, 1986.^{[4][18][19][20][21][4]}
2. Samuel Stowell Symmes, Jr., born December 25, 1897; died unmarried, December 31, 1930, aged 33.^[22][23]
3. Russell Symmes, born August 3, 1899; married, September 3, 1927, Flora Elizabeth Whitney Hawkes; died October 26, 1981.^[4][24][25]

Children of Minerva & Samuel Stowell Symmes: Samuel Stowell Jr., Elizabeth, Russell (c1905)

Death & Burial

Samuel Stowell Symmes died Sunday morning, October 6, 1946, at his home, 7 Sanborn Street, Winchester, Massachusetts, at the age of 87. He is buried in the Symmes Family lot at Wildwood Cemetery in Winchester.^[4]

Obituary

Samuel Stowell Symmes, president of the Winchester Cooperative Bank, former Selectman and authority on old Winchester, died Sunday morning, Oct. 6, at his home, 7 Sanborn street. He was 88 years old and although he had not been in good health, due to his advanced age, it was not until the Friday before his death that he was confined to his room.

Mr. Symmes was born in Winchester Oct. 22, 1858, son of Marshall and Abbie (Stowell) Symmes. A member of one of Winchester's pioneer families, he was of the eighth generation in direct line from Rev. Zachariah Symmes who settled in Charlestown in 1634 and who received from Charlestown a grant of 300 acres substantially in the location of present-day Winchster, extending from what was then called "Mistik Pond" to Woburn. Rev. Mr. Symmes in his writings often referred to the grant as his "farm near Woburn", and it is of interest that in 1671 it was valued at five pounds.

Samuel Symmes attended the Winchester schools and Bridgewater Normal School. As a young man he engaged in the market garden business with his father, running his father's 100 acre farm, located on both sides of Main street at Symmes corner and extending through the present-day locations of Stowell and Everell roads to the end of Highland avenue.

After his father's death in 1911 Mr. Symmes started the successful milk business which he conducted until his retirement, and which is now conducted by his son, Russell.

Mr. Symmes was greatly interested in old Winchester and was an authority on the early history and anecdotes of the town. He was often called upon to settle disputes over old dates and happenings and seldom were his decisions questioned. He had an interesting collection of Indian relics taken from his farm which he was always happy to show and explain, and while his health permitted, he was much in demand as a speaker on old Winchester.

At the time of Winchester's Tercentenary Celebration he was one of the speakers at the reception given by the town to its official guests, Mayor and Mrs. Harry Collis of Winchester, England. He was actively interested in, and a charter member of the Winchester Historical Society, which he served at one time as treasurer. Long a member of the Winchester Unitarian Society, he was an old-time superintendent of the Sunday School and a member of many church committees.

Mr. Symmes was active civically, his first office being that of "Field Driver", to which he was appointed in 1886 at the age of 28, his duties to drive horses or cattle from fields or other property where they did not belong.

From 1888 to 1901 Mr. Symmes served the town as School Committeeman, he was Selectman from 1903 to 1906, and Tree Warden from 1909 to 1933. He was a member of the Appropriations Committee, now the Finance Committee, from 1907 to 1909, Fence Viewer in 1915 and served on a number of school building committees.

In 1900 he was a member of the Grammar School Building Committee, under whose guidance the Wadleigh School building was erected. In 1894 he was a member of the Committee on the Addition to the High School Building, known as the Prince School Building and located at the corner of Church and School streets; and in 1895 he was a member of the Washing School building committee, responsible for the former building located on Cross street. His last service on a School building committee was in 1900 when he was on the Mystic School Committee responsible for the building on Bacon street near Symmes Corner, now used as a storage building by the School Department.

Mr. Symmes was elected a director of the Winchester Cooperative Bank in 1900, had served as president since 1937 and was a member of the security committee. He was also vice president and corporator of the Winchester Savings Bank, of which he had been a trustee since 1925. Widely known by all residents of all walks of life, he was universally called "Sam" Symmes and beloved by all with whom he came in contact.

Mr. Symmes was twice married. His first wife, Jennie E. Metcalf, whom he married in 1885, died in 1887. In 1895 he married Minerva R. Johnson, who died in 1934.

He is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Walter P. Keyes of Winchester, by two sons, Laurence M. Symmes of New York City and Russell Symmes of Winchester, a sister Mrs. Alfred S. Hall of Revere; 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday afternoon at the Unitarian Church with the minister, Rev. Paul Harmon Chapman, and the minister emeritus, Rev. George Hale Reed, officiating. Mary Ranton Witham, church director of music, played organ selections.

Bearers were Laurence and Russell Symmes, sons of the deceased; and Dean Chandler, Marshall and Alden Symmes, all of Winchester. Interment was in the family lot in Wildwood Cemetery.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Vinton, John Adams. The Symmes Memorial. (David Clapp & Son, Boston, 1873). Page 115. Citing: "Child of 355. Marshall Symmes."
2. ↑ "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FXCR-L4C : 1 March 2016), Samuel S. Symmes, 1858.
3. ↑ Hurd, Charles Edwin. New England Library of Genealogy and Personal History. This Volume of the New England Library Contains Genealogy and History of Representative Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Boston: New England Historical Publishing Company, 1902. Citing: Samuel Stowell Symmes, Child of Marshall⁷ Symmes - Page 178 (Upper Right).
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10} The Winchester Star., Friday, October 11, 1946. SAMUEL STOWELL SYMMES, Page 1. Obituary.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M9TK-KYL : accessed 18 June 2017), Samuel Symmes, Winchester Town (south & east part), Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 996, sheet 21A, family 437, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,668.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M2V1-SF6 : accessed 18 June 2017), Samuel S Symmes, Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1065, sheet 40A, family 782, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 606; FHL microfilm 1,374,619.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MX12-4X8 : accessed 18 June 2017), Samuel S Symmes, Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; citing ED 532, sheet 30A, line 49, family 630, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 720; FHL microfilm 1,820,720.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XQ5M-13B : accessed 18 June 2017), Samuel S Symmes, Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 542, sheet 14A, line 17, family 346, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 932; FHL microfilm 2,340,667.
9. ↑ Symmes, Samuel S. A Medford Midnight Marauder. The Medford Historical Register (Medford Historical Society, Medford, Mass., 1911) Vol. XIV(14). Pages 7-9.
10. ↑ Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4W4-FTL : 17 February 2016), Samuel S. Symmes and Jennie E. Metcalf, 03 Dec 1885; citing , Winchester, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,415,221.
11. ↑ "Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N752-NRX : 10 December 2014), Jennie M. Symmes, 13 Sep 1887; citing Winchester, Massachusetts, v 383 p 257, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 960,235.
12. ↑ "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXDG-7XT : 1 March 2016), Laurence W. Symmes, 11 Nov 1886, Winchester, Massachusetts; citing reference ID #p 288, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,428,209.
13. ↑ "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FXDG-7X5 : 1 March 2016), Samuel S. Symmes in entry for Laurence W. Symmes, 1886.
14. ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VPHC-MH6 : 26 November 2014), Laurence M Symmes, 17 Feb 1969; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
15. ↑ Samuel Stowell Symmes. "Copy of Contract to Build Home". 19 Jun 1894.
16. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N478-L6J : 17 February 2016), Samuel S Symmes and Minerva R Johnson, 05 Mar 1895; citing , Winchester, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,651,244.
17. ↑ "The Winchester Star". Friday March 9, 1934. Obituary Sec., Mrs. Minerva Rice Symmes Citing: "wife of Samuel S. Symmes, died late Friday, Mar. 2, at her home, 7 Sanborn street, after a three months' illness. ... born Mar. 11, 1870, in Nahant, the eldest daughter of Benjamin Coleman and Maria (Parlin) Johnson. ... on Mar. 5, 1895, she married Mr. Symmes ... Interment was in the family lot in Wildwood Cemetery."
18. ↑ "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXXD-115 : 1 March 2016), Elizabeth Symms, 28 Nov 1896, Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts; citing reference ID #v 458 p 478, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,843,693.
19. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4NS-LL8 : accessed 8 October 2017), Elizabeth Keyes in household of Walter P Keyes, Winchester Town, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 9-632, sheet 5A, line 9, family 84, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1622.
20. ↑ "Massachusetts Death Index, 1970-2003," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZ5P-TQ7 : 4 December 2014), Elisabeth S Keyes, 10 Feb 1986; from "Massachusetts Death Index, 1970-2003," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Winchester, Massachusetts, death certificate number 017066, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Health Services, Boston.
21. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 22 August 2019), memorial page for Elizabeth Symmes Keyes (28 Nov 1896–10 Feb 1986), Find A Grave: Memorial #193803257, citing Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Chip White (contributor 49288196).
22. ↑ "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXXV-F3X : 1 March 2016), Samuel S. Symmes, 25 Dec 1897, Winchester, Massachusetts; citing reference ID #, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,843,699.
23. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/Q249-FBFJ : 19 September 2016), Samuel Stowell Symmes, 1930; Burial, Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States of America, Wildwood Cemetery; citing Find A Grave: Memorial #166705272, Find a Grave, Samuel Stowell Symmes, Jr.
24. ↑ "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXF9-RN1 : 1 March 2016), Russell Symmes, 03 Aug 1899, Winchester, Massachusetts; citing reference ID #v 485 p 668, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,843,711.
25. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JK61-32C : 19 May 2014), Russell Symmes, Oct 1981; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

See also:

• The Symmes Memorial (Online). (597) Samuel Stowell (Child)". Accessed 9 May 2017.

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 26 December 2020), memorial page for Samuel Stowell Symmes (22 Oct 1858–6 Oct 1946), Find A Grave: Memorial #166705025, citing Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Virginia Meadowcroft (contributor 47446774).