Portrait and biographical album of Ingham and Livingston counties, Michigan, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties ... the governors of the state and of all the presidents of the United States.

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM.

287

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Abraham Bartholomew who died in Connecticut
while yet in early manhood. His father was also
named Abraham and his father was Isaac. The
next ancestor was William and the one preceding
him was also William Bartholomew, who was born
at Buford, England, in 1602. The town of Buford is only eighteen miles northwest of the old
University City of Oxford. This last named William Bartholomew came to America September 18,
1635, landing in Boston at that time. Ile made
the journey hither on the sailing vessel " Griffin"
and soon after landing located at Ipswich, Mass.
He was there engaged as a merchant and at that
early day was the hero of many adventures. His
daughter, Abigail, was taken prisoner by the Indians when only four years old and with twelve
other children was carried away to Canada. They
were kept in the tribe until their parents lhad paid
a ransom of ~200 sterling, their return home being
made in May, 1678, and having been prisoners for
eight months. They were the first prisoners taken
by the Indians from Massachusetts to Canada for
the purpose of exacting a ransom. This ancestor
of our subject was the general court representative
for Suffolk County and received a commission as
Lieutenant in command of the militia of the town.
Charles 1). Bartholomew, the father of the original of our sketch was reared on the home farm in
St. Lawrence County, N. Y. le followed his
calling of agriculture steadily, never having been
away from the home farm for a whole month. He
was considered well-to-do for the time, having
been the owner of four hundred acres of good
land in Waddington and Lisbon. HIe was Captain
of the State Militia and was elected major of the
company, but refused the commission. tie died
February 11, 1889. For a number of years before
his death he was Deacon in the Universalist
Church.
As a young lady Mr. Bartholomew's mother was
Betsey Hawley. She also was born in Waddington, although her father, John Hawley, was a native of Vermont. He, however, emigrated at an
early day to St. Lawrence County, locating on a
farm there in 1803. His first home here was on
the banks of the St. Lawrence River at the narrows, but six years later he located in Madrid Town

ship and there resided until his decease. His father
who was of English descent, was born in Connecticut but died in Vermont, and his mother
died in the year of 1862. She was the parent of
eight children, four of whom are still living. Of
the eight he of whom we write is the third in order
of birth. HIe was reared on the home farm and in
his boyhood attended the common schools in the
district and was thoroughly grounded in the English branches. He remained at home on the farm
until he was past twenty years of age attending
school at the Ogdensburg and Canton Academy.
During the winter he pursued the study of the
Latin and French languages, following the same
outline of study that he had in school. When
twenty years of age lie entered the New York Central College at McGrawville, Cortland County,
and there attended over one year. In 1853 he
entered the University of Michigan with a determination to acquire a degree in the classical course.
HIe entered the junior year and was graduated in
June, 1854, having the right to append to his name
the honorable initials A. B. He then became the
assistant of J. M. Gregory in his school at Detroit
and continued with him until 1856.
In the spring of that year, he of whom we write,
went to Chicago and became a teacher in the
Gregory Commercial School, remaining in that position for one year. The following year he became
a book-keeper in the packing establishment of
Cragin & Co., and the next year was engaged in
teaching in Gregory's Kalamazoo Commercial
School. January 1, 1859, Mr. Bartholomew came
to Lansing, Ingham County, and soon after went
into partnership with Dr. I. H. Bartholomew in the
drug business. They were also proprietors of the
grocery store. At the end of two years, however,
our subject sold out his interest and in 1861 became a clerk under John Owen, the State Treasurer, and in 1867 he succeeded James Turner 'as
the Deputy State Treasurer, and held that office
until April, of 1874, during which time he had entire charge of the business. These offices were all
tendered him and were entirely unsought. In
1874 he resigned his position and soon after went
to New York and went back to his old home on the
farm where he remained for four years. His wife's