68 THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 



when he became one of its constituent members and served 

 it in the capacity of Deacon until he died. Admitted to 

 membership Oct. 7, 1857. 



CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS died on Sunday morning, 

 Nov. 22, 1886, at his home on Mt. Vernon street, Boston. 

 He was the son of John Quincy and Louisa Catherine 

 (Johnson) Adams and was born in Boston, August 18~, 

 1807. Graduated at Harvard College, 1825. The next 

 two years were passed in Washington as the confidential 

 secretary of his father. After preliminary studies with 

 Daniel Webster, he was admitted to the Suffolk Bar in 

 1828 ; in 1829, 3d Sept., married Abigail Brown, young- 

 est daughter of Hon. Peter C. Brooks. During the pe- 

 riod before the war he wrote several articles for the North 

 American Review ; was member of both Houses of Massa- 

 chusetts legislature, and a member of the 36th Congress. 

 One of the first appointments of President Lincoln was that 

 of Mr. Adams as minister to England. Early in 1868 

 Mr. Adams, after seven years of absence, asked to be re- 

 leased from longer service. On his return home he be- 

 came again a resident of Boston and Quiucy devoting 

 himself to those literary pursuits in which he always 

 found great pleasure. The record of his election to cor- 

 responding membership, bears date, Wednesday, Aug. 

 11, 1852. 



NATHANIEL ELLIS AT WOOD, son of John At wood of 

 Provincetown, Mass., was born in that town, Sept. 13, 

 1807. In 1816, the family removed to Long Point, the 

 very tip of Cape Cod, to enable them the better to pursue 

 their calling, and here their son Nathaniel, at the age of 

 nine, began his service in the open fishing boat. In early 

 manhood he had risen to the command of a vessel engaged 

 in the fisheries on the banks of Newfoundland. Fishing 



