886 ABNER CHENEY GOODELL. 



ABNER CHENEY GOODELL (1831-1914) 



Fellow in Class III, Section 3, 1891. 



Abner Cheney Goodell was born in Cambridgeport on the first of 

 October, 1S31. While he was yet a mere child his father moved to 

 Salem and it was in the public schools of this latter place that Goodell 

 received his education. In the High School he came in competition 

 with the brothers William G. and Joseph H. Choate and it is said that 

 he led the class in scholarship. 



After leaving School, he began his life in the outer world in his 

 father's machine shop but an opportunity soon offered him to read 

 law in the office of an Uncle practising in Ipswich of which he availed 

 himself. Following that up he concluded his studies in a Salem office 

 and was admitted to the bar in 1852. 



He began the practice of Law in Lynn, where he had an office for 

 about five years. In 1856 he was appointed Register of the Court of 

 Insolvency in Essex County and in 1858 he became Register of the 

 joint Courts of Probate and Insolvency, and for twenty years there- 

 after was annually reelected to that office. He served the city of 

 Salem in the year 1865 as alderman. He became President of the 

 Salem and South Danvers Street Railroad in 1865, an office which he 

 retained until 1884. He took over a bankrupt road and delivered to 

 his successor a valuable paying property. He was appointed in 1865 

 one of a commission to prepare for publication copies of the Province 

 Laws and Resolves. This board performed its work and was suc- 

 ceeded in 1867 by a commission appointed to supervise the publica- 

 tion of the Laws. Of this body he was also a member. The second 

 commission remained in power until 1890, when a new board was 

 appointed of which he also was one. This latter commission was 

 superceded in 1896, at which time the work of supervising the publica- 

 tion of the Laws was lodged in the hands of the Governor and Council. 



In 1879, he assumed the editorship of the publication of the Laws. 

 Up to that time he had received no pay for his services on the com- 

 mission. Thence forward, so long as he was connected with the work, 

 he practically gave all his time to it, and received in return a meagre 

 and inadequate salary. 



He was President of the New England Historic Genealogical 

 Society from January 1887 until June 1892. He was a member of the 

 Massachusetts Historical Society, of the Colonial Society of Massa- 



