40 



by the addition of new names and the withdrawal of some 

 by resignation, removal from the county or vicinity, and 

 by death. Fifty-six resident members have been elected. 

 The present number is five hundred and fifteen. Four- 

 teen members have died, all having passed the meridian 

 of life, and eight the alloted period of three score years 

 and ten. Some of them had been connected with the 

 Institute from its organization. 



Samuel Gardner Drake, born at Pittsfield, N. H., Oct. 

 11, 1798; died in Boston, June 14, 1875. Son of Sim- 

 eon and Love Muchamore (Tucke) Drake. At the age of 

 eighteen he went as a clerk to his uncle's store in Boston. 

 Taught school several years in London, N. H., and in 

 New Jersey. In 1828 began business as a bookseller, 

 and except about a year and a, half spent in Europe, was 

 identified with that business in Boston until his decease. 

 In July, 1830, he established the first antiquarian book- 

 store in Cornhill, Boston. This store soon became the 

 resort of the literary men of that day, Bancroft, Hildreth, 

 Prescott, Sparks, Everett, and others well known, and 

 became a kind of literary exchange. In 1845 five gentle- 

 men, one of whom was Mr. Drake, originated the New 

 England Historic-Genealogical Society, whose building is 

 now on Somerset street, Boston. He originated the New 

 England Historical and Genealogical Register, the first 

 number of which was issued in January, 1847. For the 

 first fourteen years, 1847 to 1861, he was the publisher, 

 and a large part of the time, editor of the Register. His 

 best known works are "Book of the Indians," "History 

 and Antiquities of Boston," ' r Fouuders of New England," 

 etc. He possessed a large library of 15,000 volumes 

 and 30,000 pamphlets directly or collaterally relevant to 

 American History. He had been President of N. E. 

 Hist. Gen. Society and of the Prince Society, and was 



