John Newton Hungerford (December 31, 1825 – April 2, 1883) was an American banker, philanthropist, and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1877 to 1879.
Early years John Newton Hungerford was born in Vernon Centre, New York to Lot and Celinda (Smith) Hungerford on December 31, 1825."A Summary Of The Families Hungerford, Descendants of Thomas of Connecticut, 2nd edition, 1980, (second printing - 1982), Including A Brief History of the Hungerford Family In England from the 12th Century, And Descendants of: Thomas of Ireland, William of Maryland, and Thomas of Maryland," by Stanley W. Hungerford, (Microfiche FHL #6088572), page 87. His father was born at Bristol, Connecticut, December 8, 1777, and moved with his grandfather Jacob to New York about 1800. On December 25, 1804, his father married his mother Celinda at Vernon Centre, New York.Reference page 111 of a Hungerford genealogy put together by Orville Hungerford, son of Congressman Orville Hungerford, sometime in 1894--with an index added by H. Hungerford Drake July 1901. Lot was a farmer. His family claims descent from Thomas Hungerford of Hartford, who arrived in the New World some time prior to 1640.The two main genealogical sources for the Hungerford family in North America are 1. "For Thomas Hungerford of Hartford and New London, Conn. and his Descendants in America," by F. Phelps Leach, published by F. Phelps Leach, East Highgate, Vermont, 1932 and, 2. "A Summary Of The Families Hungerford, Descendants of Thomas of Connecticut, 2nd edition, 1980, (second printing - 1982), Including A Brief History of the Hungerford Family In England from the 12th Century, And Descendants of: Thomas of Ireland, William of Maryland, and Thomas of Maryland," by Stanley W. Hungerford. (Microfiche FHL #6088572).
John was the youngest child of ten children—five boys and five girls. His siblings were: Sextus Heman (Jan. 14, 1806-May 15, 1867); Caroline Hannah (Feb. 7, 1808-Jan. 23, 1895); Adaline Mary (Oct. 27, 1809-Jan. 3, 1878); Rollin Newell (Mar. 2, 1813-Feb. 5, 1890); Ruth (May 24, 1815- ?); Asahel Smith (Feb. 10, 1817-May 3, 1900); Paulina Rolinda (Feb. 28, 1819- ?); Celinda (Sep. 21, 1821-Jan. 18, 1895); Elias B. (Sep. 1, 1822- ?) Hungerford.
On January 9, 1827, John's father Lot died, leaving his one-year-old son to the care of his mother and siblings.FHL #1435190, Bronsom Cemetery records. Although John did not remember his father growing up, Lot did imprint upon the family an appreciation for thrift and industriousness, leaving them with his "good and honored name."Reference page 272 of the "History of Steuben County, New York, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers," by Prof. W. W. Clayton, Philadelphia, Lewis, Peck & Co., 1879. John grew up on the family farm until age twelve when he moved in with his older brother Sextus Hungerford.
Family John married his first wife, Mary Woods Gansevoort, in Steuben County, New York on June 22, 1859.Reference page 367 of "Marriage Notices From Steuben County, New York, Newspapers, 1797-1884," compiled by Mary S. Jackson and Edward F. Jackson, published by Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, MD 20716, 1998. It is an extraction from the Corning Journal. Mary was the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Ten Eyck Gansevoort of Bath, Steuben County, New York, and died October 24, 1871, in Corning.Page 52 of "1630-1897 A Brief History of the Ancestors and Descendants of John Roseboom (1739-1805) and of Jesse Johnson (1743-1832), compiled by Catharine Roseboom, Dr. J. Livingston Roseboom, Rev. Henry U. Swinnerton and Joseph H. White, Cherry Valley, New York, 1897. John married again on October 18, 1881, in Corning to Mrs. Susan Medora Forrester at the home of his friend and ill-fated attorney Absalom Hadden.Reference page 168 of "Hamilton Literary Monthly," November, 1881. Susan was born September 13, 1836, in Bath, New York to Daniel and Susan (______) Aber. No children were born to either marriage.
Education Hungerford attended common schools until he was twelve years old at which time he moved to Westfield, Chautauqua County, New York to live with his eldest brother Sextus Heman Hungerford.Reference pages 272-273 of the "History of Steuben County, New York, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers," by Prof. W. W. Clayton, Philadelphia, Lewis, Peck & Co., 1879. John's philanthropy in later life, as well as other admirable traits, surely were learned by the example his much older brother Sextus exhibited while John was under his care.See pages 620-623 of "Biographical And Portrait Cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York. With A Historical Sketch Of The County," by Hon. Obed Edson, published by John M. Gresham & Co., edited by Butler F. Dilley, Philadelphia, July, 1891. Sextus involved his younger brother in mercantile pursuits while he was there until 1838 at which time he went to Westfield Academy to prepare for college.See pages 114-115 of a Hungerford genealogy put together by Orville Hungerford, son of Congressman Orville Hungerford, sometime in 1894--with an index added by H. Hungerford Drake July 1901. Extremely bright, Hungerford excelled in English, Latin and Greek grammar, which gave him a solid foundation for a liberal arts education.
After completing his preparatory studies, John entered Hamilton College in the fall of 1843 as a sophomore. Established as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793, the trustees of this institution, located in Clinton, New York, successfully petitioned the New York State Board of Regents to approve a charter transforming the school into a college on May 26, 1812. John joined the Fraternity Chi Psi - the Hamilton chapter was known as Alpha Phi. He graduated in 1846.
In the late eighteenth century a portion of the Hungerford family moved from Connecticut to western New York in search of greater economic opportunity; these pioneers and their offspring had some of their brightest sons matriculate at the college on the Hill, an affectionate name for Hamilton College. For example, John Newton Hungerford encouraged his sister, Pauline Hungerford Miner, to enroll her son, Payson Hungerford Miner, at his alma mater; Payson graduated on July 21, 1864."Seventy-Eighth Annual Report of the Regents of the University of the State of New York," C. Wendell, Printer, Albany, 1865, page 59 Another nephew, Sextus Hungerford Knight, died in 1865 one year prior to graduating with the Hamilton Class of 1866."Directory of Living Graduates, General Roll of Hamilton College 1812-1908," The Courier Press, Clinton, New York, June 1908, page 78 Both Payson and Sextus were members of the fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi, founded by Hamilton Class of 1832 alumnus Samuel Eells."Catalogue of the Alpha Delta Phi Society 1832-1922," Executive Council of the Delta Phi Fraternity, New York City 1922, pages 6-7.
Bank president and future U.S. Congressman, Orville Hungerford of Watertown, New York, sent his son, Richard Esselstyne to join the Hamilton College Class of 1844."The Hamilton Literary Monthly (Vol. XXX, No. 1)," Louis K. R. Laird, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, page 220. Much as John Newton worked in his brother's store prior to taking up his collegiate studies, Richard Esselstyne worked in his father's store before going to Hamilton at age sixteen."Through Eleven Decades of History: Watertown (A History from 1800 to 1912 with Illustrations and Many Incidents)," by Joel H. Monroe, Hungerford-Holbrook Co., Watertown, N.Y., 1912, page 230. In 1988, Orville Hungerford Mann III, known as Terry, the great (x4) grandson of Orville Hungerford, graduated from Hamilton College; his brother Garrett Mann also graduated from New York's third oldest college.
Religion John Newton Hungerford was baptized at the Vernon, New York Presbyterian church on August 31, 1827.Reference "Baptisms in the Vernon Presbyterian Church 1812-1828," found at the Oneida County website--http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyoneida/vernonbapt.htm last reviewed on September 21, 1999. He was raised a Presbyterian and remained throughout his life a faithful church member. The example set by Christ was never far from his mind and permeated his deeds.
While John lived with his older brother in Westfield, New York, the Hungerfords became close with the family of local Presbyterian minister, Reuben Tinker, previously a missionary in Honolulu, the capital of the future state of Hawaii. Reverend Tinker's son, Robert Hall Tinker, discussed numerous boyhood visits to the Hungerford household in his journals, which also detailed his father's ministerial duties, including preaching and calling on his congregants."Life at Tinker Swiss Cottage The Journals of Robert Hall Tinker, 1851-1869" Black Oak Media, Inc. in conjunction with Robert Hall Tinker Press, Rockford, Illinois, 2012. For example, on Friday, July 16, 1852, Robert entered into his journal: "John Hungerford got his hair cut so that I couldn't pull it.""Life at Tinker Swiss Cottage The Journals of Robert Hall Tinker, 1851-1869" Black Oak Media, Inc. in conjunction with Robert Hall Tinker Press, Rockford, Illinois, 2012, page 61. In a journal entry on Friday, August 20, 1852, Tinker recorded: "Mother made John Hungerford the present of an apple for which he seemed very thankful.""Life at Tinker Swiss Cottage The Journals of Robert Hall Tinker, 1851-1869" Black Oak Media, Inc. in conjunction with Robert Hall Tinker Press, Rockford, Illinois, 2012, page 68. The journals show that the Tinkers were friends not only with the Hungerfords, but also the politically powerful Patterson family."Life at Tinker Swiss Cottage The Journals of Robert Hall Tinker, 1851-1869" Black Oak Media, Inc. In conjunction with Robert Hall Tinker Press, Rockford, Illinois, 2012, page 79. After John moved to Corning, New York, on November 24, 1854, Tinker, whose father died almost a month earlier, stated in his journal: "Wrote to John Hungerford, telling him that I could not comply with his request to make him a visit.""Life at Tinker Swiss Cottage The Journals of Robert Hall Tinker, 1851-1869" Black Oak Media, Inc. in conjunction with Robert Hall Tinker Press, Rockford, Illinois, 2012, page 95. Tinker ended up touring Europe and then moving to Rockford, Illinois where he married a wealthy widow, became mayor, and built his home the Tinker Swiss Cottage, now a museum.http://www.tinkercottage.org (last visited March 8, 2016).
Hungerford was first elected to a leadership position as an Elder in the church at Corning, New York in 1868.See the April 6, 1883 issue of page 2, column 2 of Bath, New York's "Steuben Courier." On November 20, 1870, the Reverend B.I. Ives solicited his congregation for donations to eliminate debt burdening the First Presbyterian Church of Corning. The building and fixtures cost $43,000.00. Reverend Ives raised $17,000.00 during his Sunday morning service. Not surprisingly, Hungerford pledged by far the largest sum, $2,000.00."Pioneer Days and Later Times in Corning and Vicinity 1789-1920" by Uri Mulford, Printed and published by Uri Mulford, Corning, N.Y., 1922, page 256
In 1872, Hungerford was elected president of the South Steuben County, New York auxiliary chapter of the American Bible Society."Fifty-Sixth Annual Report of the American Bible Society" American Bible Society, New York City, 1872, page 20
Hungerford would continue to be honored with re-election to the position of Elder in Corning until he died—the last election being October 19, 1881Reference the October 20, 1881 issue of the "Watkins (NY) Express." in which he was unopposed.Reference the 27 Oct 1881 issue of "The Canisteo (NY) Times."