Biography: Stephen Kenrick :Franklin, Merrimack County, New Hampshire

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Submitted by: Rick Giirtman  rickman@worldpath.net
Date: November 20, 2000
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Biography of Stephen Kenrick by Hon. Geo. W. Nesmith

This biography is from "The History of Merrimack and Belknap Counties, New
Hampshire". Edited by D. Hamilton Hurd and Published in 1885.


    Stephen Kenrick, Esq., one of the oldest and most influential citizens
of Franklin, died on the morning of the 4th of August, A.D. 1884, after a
lingering illness of several months.

    He was born in Haverhill, Mass., June 15, A.D. 1806; his age, therefore
exceeded seventy-eight years. He was the youngest member of a family of nine
children, born to John Kenrick and Sarah Colby. They were both natives of
Amesbury, but became citizens of Haverhill soon after their marriage. The
husband was born December 16, 1764; the wife January 25, 1771. John died by
a casualty in 1806. His widow subsequently became the wife of David Marsh,
and the mother of two other children, viz.: Nathaniel, of Staten Island,
N.Y., deceased, and Mary, wife of Rev. G. W. Kelley, resident in Haverhill,
Mass., now deceased.

    The name of Kenrick, or Kendrick, or Kendricke appears to be of early
English origin. The name of John seems to have been adopted as an early
favorite by the family. We find the name of John Kendrick, sheriff in
London, in 1645. The same name appears as Lord-Mayor of London in 1651. John
Kenrick was in Ipswich, Mass., in 1657. John Kenrick, John Kenrick, Jr., and
Elijah Kenrick were among the petitioners, in May, 1678 to the Legislature,
to set off part of Cambridge and to establish the town of Newton. John
Kenrick, Jr., of Newton, marched from that town, and was engaged in the
Lexington battle, April 19, 1775. Among the many immediate descendants of
John Kenrick, of Amesbury, Mass., who were distinguished in the walks of
business and professional life, were Professors Henry L. Kendrick, of West
Point Academy, and John Kendrick, of Marietta College, Ohio, both first
cousins, and James R. Kendrick, superintendent of the Old Colony Railroad, 
who was also second cousin of Stephen Kenrick, Esq. These gentlemen were all
natives of the town of Lebanon, in this State, and we might enumerate many
others of the same family, and their " kith and kin ", or collaterals, in
different parts of the Union, as being prominent and successful business
men, and highly respected in their respective localities.

    Early in this century, and prior to 1820, Timothy Kenrick, the elder
brother of Stephen, had emigrated to the town of Lebanon, and established
there a profitable mercantile business. He had acquired early a good
education, and was known and honored by his fellow citizens as a man of
integrity by several public trusts. He was town clerk thirty-seven
consecutive years, and was several times elected their pepresentative to
the Legislature. He was often employed in the settlement of estates of his 
vicinity, and was for many years director of the Northern Railroad. He well
discharged these important trusts. In the meantime his brother Stephen was
with his kind father-in-law, Marsh, in Haverhill, where he received good
paternal protection  and the benefits of the best schools found there until

he arrived at the age of fifteen years. He then was commited to the care of
his brother Timothy, then of Lebanon, and was employed in his brother's
store. Here he received that valuable systematic instruction which proved
useful to him in after-life. We next find him for a short time in Bangor,
Me. Afterwards he was engaged in trade for himself with Mr. James Howe, at
Barnet, Vt.; next, for a short time, at Boscawen Plain, N. H. Then, in 
1831, he formed an advantageous co-partnership with Mr. Brewer, of
McIndoe's Falls village, Vt., and there continued his business until 1836,
when he came to Franklin, and ever since has made his permanent residence
here, identifying himself with the business of this town, and becoming one
of it's most active and prosperous citizens.

    For many years he was largely interested in various railroad projects
and contracts, in connection with Joseph A. Gilmore and John A. Lyon. From
these enterprises he derived much profit, and became a large propietor in
several railroads. He was president of the Concord and Portsmouth Railroad
from about 1861 to the time of his death. For many years before his death 
he was president of the national bank located at Hillsborough Bridge, and
was interested in its stock. He was also trustee of the Franklin Savings
Bank. He took also a deep interest in the management of the prudential and
financial matters of the town, occupying many of the official stations,
conferred by his fellow-citizens. He was elected one of the selectmen of
the town during the years 1849, 1850, 1851, 1854, and 1872. In 1859 and
1861 he represented the town in the House of Representatives in this State.
For many years he was a member of the Congregational Church in Franklin,
and was one of its most generous supporters.

    In 1833 he married Clarissa A., youngest daughter of Captain Ebenezar
Blanchard, late of Franklin, who still survives him. To them were born seven
children, four of whom were removed in infancy by death. Another, Dr.
Timothy G. Kenrick, died in Naples, Italy, January 29, 1879. He was born
July 8, 1849; graduated at Dartmouth College in 1871; studied the medical 
profession, graduating at the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York,
June 1, 1874. With much enthusiam he applied himself to the study of
insanity, and to the best mode of treating and managing those affected with
this unfortunate disease. His mild temper and great power of self-control,
united with his skill and learning, gave him signal success in this
deaprtment of his profession. He was fortunate in early securing the
patronage and friendship of Dr. I. W. Barstow, the eminent manager of the 
Sandford Hall Asylum, at Flushing, N. Y. He had the full confidence of Dr.
Barstow, and was employed by him, to the mutual advantage of both parties,
up to 1876, when Dr. Kenrick was called into a larger sphere of duties as
assistant surgeon in the New York State Lunatic Asylum, at Utica. It is
enough to say that his success here met the expectations of his friends,
and that his professional attainments commanded the respect and confidence
of his associates and the managers of that institution. His life was
sacrificed to the malarial climate of Naples while, in devotion to duty, he
was traveling for the benefit of the health of one of his diseased and
wealthy friends, who was very wisely committed to his professional care. His
early, premature death brought extreme sorrow to the hearts of his parents
and his many friends, who had witnessed his progress and reasonably 
indulged  high hopes of his future success in life. The lamentation over
his loss at home was most sincere. Abroad " he was by strangers honored and
by strangers mourned."

    Of the two surviving children, Stephen, the eldest, many years since
removed to the West, where he has been extensively engaged in various
railroad enterprises. We find him now in Wisconsin, married, but without
children, and prosperous in other respects, enjoying the income of the
office of general superintendent of the Fort Madison and Northwestern
Railroad. He is cheerful, and apparently enjoys life well.

    The remaining child is a son, in the full vigorof life, under the name
of Charles C. Kenrick, now very active, doing the labor of two men, being
extensively engaged in building houses, barns, stables, shops. As a farmer,
raising more hay and corn than any other person in town, improving largely,
by judicious cultivation, his lands; selecting good breeds of cattle and
horses, and increasing their number; giving promptly a fair day's pay to a
fair day's labor, thus rewarding a large number of laborers, and expending
profitably a good amount of capital daily; improving the condition of his
estates, and augmenting the wealth of the town. We might here also, with
propiety, refer to the extensive traffic in wood and lumber recently
carried on by him, not without profit.

    During the long life of his father, Charles has enjoyed the benefit of
his advice, and followed it. Thereby he gained his father's confidence, and
before his death he received from him the conveyance of a large estate,
under the sole obligation to render all needed aid to his aged mother in
sickness and in health. This obligation his kind nature prompts him to obey
to her entire satisfaction.

    We now leave the history of the children and again refer briefly to that
of the father. While Mr. Kenrick was a citizen of Franklin we found him
interested and well informed in the important interests of the town, State
and nation. He had leisure, and opportunity to inform himselfso as to
discharge intelligently his own private trusts and duties, as well as those
belonging to the good citizen. His knowledge and experience, acquired by him
in trade, banking and railroad affairs, were of much value to himself and
useful to others. We have already alluded to his great ability in acquiring
and retaining successful a large estate. We must not forget to give due
credit to a diligent help-meet, in the name of his wife, who brought to him
a considerable pecuniary inheritance that descended from her paternal estate.
This inheritance, comin down from a worthy ancestry, would, of course, be 
highly appreciated. It constituted a valuable accession to the estate, now
constantly increasing through the harmonius action, kind care and economy of
both husband and wife. It is an acknowledged fact that the accumulation of
property generally requires much patience and great mental resources; but a
critical world tells us that a wise appropriation or disposition of a large
estate requires the exercise of still more sagacity, good judgement and
wisdom.