- JAMES G. ALDEN, a retired merchant and an early settler of
Janesville, was born in the town of
- Union, then Lincoln County, Maine, on the 1st day of March,
1819, and is the son of Ebenezer and Patience (GILMORE) ALDEN.
He is a lineal descendent of John and Priscilla (MULLENS) ALDEN,
the Puritan youth and maiden, whose names are endeared to every
reader of Longfellow's beautiful poem entitled "The Courtship
of Miles Standish."
- Mr. ALDEN is of the seventh generation from the original
John ALDEN, the Puritan founder of the
- family in America. The genealogical record is as follows:
- Hon. John ALDEN, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, in
1599, was a Pilgrim of the
- Mayflower Colony, and signed the compact in the cabin of
that celebrated vessel, in 1620. The following year he married
Miss Priscilla MOLINES or MULLENS, and settled in Duxbury, Mass.
Priscilla was a daughter of William MULLENS, who with his wife
also came to this country in the "Mayflower," and both
died in February, succeeding the landing of the Pilgrims. John
ALDEN was a farmer by occupation, was the father of a large family,
and died at Duxbury, on the 12th day of September, 1687, at the
age of eighty-eight years.
- Of the second generation in the line of descent to our subject,
we find Joseph ALDEN, son of
- John and Priscilla, who was born in 1624. He also followed
the occupation of farming, and wedded Mary, daughter of Moses
SIMMONS, and died in 1697, when seventy-three years of age.
- John ALDEN, son of Joseph and Mary (SIMMONS) ALDEN, resided
in Bridgewater and
- Middleborough, Mass., where he too engaged in farming. He
married Hannah, daughter of Capt. Ebenezer WHITE, of Weymouth.
- David, son of John and Hannah ALDEN, was of the fourth generation.
He was born May 18,
- 1702, resided in Middleborough, married Juda PADDLEFORD,
and died Aug. 24, 1763.
- The next in line of descent is Job ALDEN, son of David and
Juda. His birth occurred in 1757, and
- he was united in marriage with Lucy SPOONER.
- Ebenezer ALDEN, of Union, Maine, was of the sixth generation,
and was a son of Job and Lucy
- ALDEN. He was born Sept. 20, 1774, married Patience GILMORE,
and died Aug. 10, 1862, at the age of eighty-eight years.
- James G. ALDEN, their son and the subject of this sketch,
received his education at China
- Academy, and when a youth of sixteen years went to Bangor,
Maine, where he spent two years as a merchant's clerk, and at
the age of eighteen years engaged in business for himself. On
the 24th day of October, 1842, he led to the marriage altar Miss
Alvita C. MILLER, who was born at Wiscassett, Dec. 7, 1821, and
is a daughter of Capt. John MILLER, of Wiscassett, Maine. Their
union was graced by two children, a son and daughter. James Francis,
who was born Sept. 20, 1843, married Miss Lillian DAY, and resides
in Janesville; Louisa, who was born May 11, 1845, is now the
wife of Jonas L. FORD, a merchant tailor of this city.
- Until the month of June, 1846, Mr. ALDEN carried on merchandising
in his native State, but at that
- time, having resolved to cast his lot with the pioneers of
the West, he emigrated to Wisconsin and settled at Janesville,
Rock County. In 1848, he embarked in the grocery business and
by an earnest desire to please his customers, and careful attention
to his business, built up a good trade, successfully operating
in that line until 1856, when he sold out and purchased a farm
in the town of Rock. He then engaged in farming for eleven years,
and at the expiration of that time, he sold his land and once
more resumed the grocery business at Janesville. This he continued
with good success until 1885, when he retired from active life.
- Both by his ballot and influence, Mr. ALDEN supports the
Republican party, and has been
- honored by his fellow citizens with several local offices
of trust. He served for several years as Deputy Sheriff, was
Coroner for two years, from 1856 until 1858; was also Supervisor
of Rock County, for ten years, and was assistant Sergeant-at-Arms
of the Wisconsin Assembly.
- In 1867, Mr. ALDEN was called upon to mourn the loss of his
wife, who died on the 25th day of
- November of that year. During his entire business career,
our subject was reckoned one of the influential and leading business
men of Janesville. He now lives in quiet retirement, spending
his declining years in reading and in the study of historical
subjects that have always occupied more or less of his leisure
hours.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 439-440.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|