William North (July 13, 1794 – January 3, 1872) was a well known civic leader in

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...

, for whom the William North Lodge, A.F. & A.M. was named.

Early life

He was born in

Wethersfield, Connecticut Wethersfield is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut. It is located immediately south of Hartford along the Connecticut River. Its population was 27,298 at the time of the 2020 census. Many records from colonial times spell the name ...

, to Salmon North and Jerusha Leeds. His paternal grandfather, Isaac North was a lieutenant in the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

. William joined the Methodist Church in

Goshen, Connecticut Goshen is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,150 at the 2020 census. Geography Goshen is in central Litchfield County and is bordered to the east by the city of Torrington. According to the United State ...

, in 1815.

Time in Lowell

He came to Lowell in 1834. In Lowell, he was a member of the Chapel Hill Methodist Church. He was a founder of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, where he was a trustee, and remained active for many years. The church building is now the United Teen Equity Center. In Lowell, William North was overseer of the Dyeing at the Middlesex Manufacturing Company. He was a member of the Board of Aldermen, the School Committee, and the vice president and director of the City Institution for Savings. He was also a member of the Lowell City Council, and the

Massachusetts State Legislature The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...

. He was a master of three lodges; Seneca Lodge in Torrington, Connecticut, Libanus Lodge in New Hampshire, and Pentucket Lodge in Lowell. He was also Deputy Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and Senior Grand Warden of the same lodge. When he died, his lodge was renamed "William North Lodge"

Family life

He married Laura Hyde (1792-1847) of

Oxford, Connecticut Oxford is a residential town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,706 at the 2020 Census. Oxford is the 26th-wealthiest town in the state by median household income. Distinct settled areas in the ...

. She was the daughter of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe, and sister of

Orson Hyde Orson Hyde (January 8, 1805 – November 28, 1878) was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement and a member of the first Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus ...

. Their children were Caroline Laura North (1819-1899), William Leeds North (1821-1882), and Frederick Thorpe North (1828-1873). Caroline Laura North married the Reverend William Rice, and they named a son

William North Rice William North Rice (1845–1928) was an American geologist, educator, and Methodist minister and theologian concerned with reconciliation of science and religious faith. Early life and education William North Rice was born November 21, 1845 in ...

Genealogy

*William North, son of :* Salmon North (1763–1867), son of :* Isaac North (1729–1804), son of :* Isaac North (1702–1788), son of ::* Thomas North (1673–1763), son of ::* Thomas North (1657–1722), son of ::* John North (1611–1691)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:North, William 1794 births 1872 deaths People from Lowell, Massachusetts American Freemasons Methodists from Massachusetts People from Wethersfield, Connecticut 19th-century Methodists