No. 3117 William Francis Humphrey, 1839-
From: Men of Progress. One Thousand Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Leaders in Business and Professional Life in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Boston: New England Magazine, 1894), 973.
William Francis Humphrey, of Boston, was born in Dorchester, July 28, 1839, son of Micah and Celia (Marsh) Humphrey. His father, a native of Cohasset, was a ship-master, sailing out of Boston, and traced his descent to John Humphrey, a deputy governor of Massachusetts Bay Company, and Susan, his wife, the daughter of the Earl of Lincoln. His mother belonged to the Marshs of Hingham. A happy childhood was spent in the old Humphrey mansion at Dorchester, and he was educated in the Dorchester public schools. His preparation for college was terminated by the financial crisis of 1857, when he entered business life in the employment of the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company. After six months, his health failing, he made a winter voyage on one of his father’s ships to the West Indies ; and, returning the following spring, he entered the office of A. A. Fraser & Co. on State Street. After a few months a return of ill-health necessitated another voyage to the West Indies. Thriving at sea, he determined to follow it as an occupation. Rising rapidly in rank, he became captain of the ship ” Dolphin ” in 1861. One of his earliest voyages was to Christinestadt, in Northern Russia, with the first cargo of cotton that ever entered that port. After making several voyages to Europe and South America, Captain Humphrey purchased in 1863 an interest in the ship ” Horatio Harris ” (then building in Medford), in connection with James Sturgis and James O. Curtis, the builder ; and on her completion he took command, sailing first to San Francisco, and thence to Bolivia for a cargo of guano, which he discharged in Edinburgh, from which latter port he returned home with restored health, and retired from the seas. His next venture was in manufacturing, in Lewiston, Me., in which he continued for about two years. In 1872 he re¬turned to Boston, and engaged in the shipping business as partner of Samuel Weitch, under the firm name of Weitch, Humphrey, & Co.. which he followed successfully until 1887, when he became treasurer of the Boston Tow-boat Company, the position he now holds. He is a director of the Philadelphia Steamship Company and of the Boston & Bangor Steamship Company. He is a member of the Boston Marine Society (which was chartered in 1742), and served as its president for several years. While in Edinburgh, he became a Freemason, and was entered under the Scottish rites. In politics he has occupied the independent position of voting for the best man and purest government, regardless of party preju¬dice. Mr. Humphrey was married in 1868 to Mary Lilley Campbell, daughter of Benjamin F. Campbell, who died in 1888, leaving two children, Celia Campbell (born 1872) and Campbell Humphrey (born in 1879). In October, 1892, he married Ellen Lizette Fowler, widow of M. Field Fowler, and daughter of John Gilbert, who traces her de-scent back to Sir Humphrey Gilbert, the past, singularly enough, combining the two family names. Mr. Humphrey has been a resident of Brookline for the last fifteen years, and is much interested in the growth and development of that beautiful suburb.