Boscawen New Hampshire Author, Lecturer, Activist for Peace and Social Reform: Lucia True Ames Mead (1856-1936)

While researching notables of New Hampshire, I frequently ‘discover’ amazing women who are not often mentioned in popular history books–Lucia is one of these.

I am grateful to the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, for their permission to post the photo of Lucia True Ames Mead on my blog.

She was born in Boscawen N.H., the same town as my paternal grandmother.  Her desire for peace, and her dissatisfaction with how history is taught to children, struck a deep chord in my own heart.  Being a pacifist for my entire life, it was a happy surprise when I discovered an ancestral branch what followed Quaker traditions.  In researching her family, I also discovered that Lucia is my 6th cousin 3x removed through her Kilburn line.

——–About Lucia True (Ames) Mead——–

Lucia True (Ames) Mead was born on 5 May 1856 in Boscawen, New Hampshire, daughter of Nathan P. and Elvira (Coffin) Ames. She married on  19 September 1898 to Edwin Doak Mead, son of Bradley and Sarah (Stone) Mead.  He was an author, publisher and peace activist. She died on 1 November 1936.

Lucia devoted her life to the international peace movement, social reform, women’s suffrage, and racial injustice. One of her important contributions to education at that time (and unfortunately long forgotten) was her efforts to change how history is taught to young students.  Rather than being focused on the glorification of war, she promoted that history education should include a broader, and more peaceful view.  She wrote “What Young People Ought to Know about War and Peace” in 1916.

She conducted classes in Nineteenth Century Thought in Boston, MA, and lectured on economic and social questions and international arbitration. She was a delegate to several peace conferences; national secretary Woman’s Peace Party (which she helped found); member Twentieth Century Club; author, “Great Thoughts for Little Thinkers,” “Memoirs of a Millionaire,” “To Whom Much is Given,” “Primer of the Peace Movement,” Patriotism and the New Internationalism,” “Swords and Ploughshares,” and other books.

She was President of Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association (1903-1909), and supported the Women’s Municipal League, the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union (of Boston, MA), the Consumer’s League, the NAACP, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

A fervid pacifist she was vice president of the National Council for the Prevention of War, a director of the American Peace Society, and secretary of the American Committee of the League for Permanent Peace.

For additional biographical information see “Notable American Women 1907-1950” Cambridge MA 1971.

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.A M E S     G E N E A L O G Y.
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Robert Ames/Eames, born possibly Boxford or Bristol, England b about 1639-40, d. 22 July 1693. He married abt 1660 in MA to Rebecca Blake, dau of George & Dorothy Blake of Gloucester MA  She was b. 1641 in Gloucester MA. He was one of the early settlers of Boxford MA.  In the witchcraft excitement of 1692 Mrs. Rebecca Eames was accused, tried and condemned to death (for bewitching Timothy Swan), but after being imprisoned 7 months in Salem jail she was released and lived some 20 years afterward, dying 8 May 1721 in Boxford at the age of more than 80 years. Robert died during his wife’s imprisonment. The family were in those times poor. They lived in Bradford MA near the Andover MA border so some records are found in that town
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Children of Robert & Rebecca (Blake) Ames:
1. Hannah Ames, b 18 Dec 1661 m abt 1678 Ephraim Foster, son of Abraham & Lydia (Burbank) Foster.
2. +Daniel Ames, b 7 Apr 1663 Andover MA
3. Robert Ames, b. 1666-7; m. Bethiah Gatchell of Seekonk on 20 April —-; lived in Boxford and had children.
4. John Ames, b 11 Oct 1670; m. Priscilla Kimball of Bradford and had 7 children, lived in Boxford MA.
5. Dorothy Ames, b. 20 Dec 1674; m. Samuel Swan of Haverhill
6. Jacob Ames, b. 20 July 1677
7. Joseph Ames, b. 9 Oct 1681, m. Jemimah — and d. 27 Dec 1753 at the age of 73 years.  Two of his sons, Jacob and Jonathan settled in Boxford MA.
8. Nathaniel/Nathan Ames, b. 19 Nov 1685; m. bef 1710 Mary Spofford Kimball. He died 11 Jan 1765 at Boxford MA. She d. 17 July 1765. He had at least one child, Jeremiah.

Daniel Ames, son of Robert & Rebecca (Blake) Ames/Eames/etal was b. 7 Apr 1663 in Andover, Essex Co MA and d. about 1695 in Andover MA.  He married 28 Apr 1683 in Andover, Essex MA to Lydia Wheeler, dau of David & Sarah (Wise) Wheeler.  She was b. 7 May 1662 in Newbury, Essex Co MA prob Newbury MA. He married 2nd) abt 1693 Mary Case, dau of Richard & Elizabeth (Purchas) Case.  She was b abt 1680 and d. 10 Sep 1757 in Simsbury MA.  The family settled in Boxford MA. One source stated “In the beginning of the winter of 1693-94 he left his wife and six small children in destitution. She applied to the selectmen for help, and John Peabody took the family to his home, and supplied them with the necessaries of life during the winter. We know no more of him.”
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Children of Daniel & Lydia (Wheeler) Ames:
1. Lydia Ames (1683-1706)
2. Rebecca Ames, twin (1683/4-?)
3. Simon Eames (1686-?)
4. Solomon Ames (1686-?)
5. +Daniel Ames, b. 5 March 1688 in Boxford, Essex Co. MA
6. David Ames (1690-?)
7. Jethro Ames (1692-1725)
8. Hannah Ames (1693-?)
Child of Daniel & Mary (Case) Ames
9. Kezia Ames, b. abt Sep 1695; died unknown.

Daniel Ames, son of Daniel & Lydia (Wheeler) Ames, was b. 5 March 1688 in Boxford, Essex Co MA and d. 12 Jan 1754 in Holliston, Middlesex Co. MA.  He married in 1706 in Boxford MA to Mary Pease, dau of Samuel & Elizabeth Pease.  She was born about 1698 and died 1721 in Massachusetts. He married 2nd) 12 July 1722 in Bridgewater, Plymouth Co. MA to Mary Reynolds. She was b. in 1695 in Boxford, Essex Co. MA and d. in Exeter NH.
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Children of Daniel & Mary (Pease) Ames:
1. Lydia Ames, was b. 24 Feb 1710 in Boxford MA and d. 15 Sep 1764 in Rutland, Worcester Co MA
2. Jacob Ames, b. 5 March 1711 in Exeter, Rockingham Co NH and d. 1806 in New Market NH
3. Mary Ames (1710-1749)
4. Simon Ames (1721-1783)
Children of Daniel & Mary (Reynolds) Ames:
5. +Samuel Ames, b. 13 Feb 1723 in Exeter, Rockingham Co. NH
6. Nathaniel Ames, b. 1727 in Exeter NH and d. 28 Aug 1782 in Newmarket NH.

Samuel Ames, son of Daniel & Mary (Reynolds) Ames, was b. 13 Feb 1723 in Exeter, Rockingham Co. NH and d. 16 Jan 1803 in Canterbury, Merrimack Co. NH.  He m. 1743 in Canterbury NH to Hannah Dolloff, dau of Samuel & Esther (Beard) Dolloff.  She was b. 18 Jan 128 in Exeter, Rockingham Co. NH and d. 16 Jan 1803 in Canterbury, Merrimack Co. NH.
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Children of Samuel & Hannah (Dolloff) Ames:
1. +Samuel Ames, b. 12 May 1745 New Market, NH
2. Sarah Ames, b 25 March 1747 in Canterbury, Merrimack Co NH and d. 25 July 1827 in New Market, Rockingham Co. NH
3. David Ames, b. 27 May 1749 in Exeter, Rockingham Co. NH and d. 22 Sep 1812 in Canterbury, Merrimack Co. NH
4. Hannah Ames, b. 23 June 1754 in Canterbury, Merrimack Co. NH and d. 19 Dec 1817 in Wheelock VT.

Samuel Ames, son of Samuel & Hannah (Dollof) Ames, was b. 12 May 1745 in New Market, Rockingham Co. NH and d. 1 Sep 1825 in Boscawen, Merrimack Co. NH.  He married in Boscawen NH to Jane Gerrish, dau of Stephen & Joanna (Hale) Gerrish.  She was b. 20 Apr 1745 in Boscawen NH and d. 30 March 1814 in Boscawen NH.
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Children of Samuel & Jane (Gerrish) Ames:
1. +Joseph Ames, b. 31 May 1771 in Boscawen NH
2. Hannah Ames, was b 14 jan 1776 and d. 18 Nov 1834 in Boscawen NH; she m. 7 Feb 1796 in Boscawen NH to Stephen Gerrish, son of Henry & Martha (Clough) Gerrish.  He was b. 16 Apr 1770 and d. 11 Nov 1815 in Boscawen NH. They had children: Sarah A. Gerrish (1796-1849), Jane Gerrish (1798-1844), Martha Gerrish (1800-1868), Sam Gerrish (1803-1845), Hannah C. Gerrish (1806-1893), Sewall Gerish (1809-1879), Harriet Gerrish (1812-1874), and Henry Gerrish (1814-1814).
3. Sarah Ames, b. 15 Nov 1780 and d. 25 Feb 1842 in Boscawen NH.
4. Polly Ames, b. 1783, d. 7 Dec 1843, probably Boscawen NH

Joseph Ames, son of Samuel & Jane (Gerrish) Ames, was b. 31 May 1771 in Boscawen, Merrimack Co. NH and d. 15 June 1851 in Boscawen, Merrimack Co. NH. Before 1804 he married his cousin, Hannah Ames, dau of David & Phebe (Hoyt) Ames.  She was b. 11 Aug 1775 in Canterbury, Merrimack Co. NH and d. 18 June 1827.  They resided on High street in Boscawen, where he kept a tavern; a man highly respected; was elected selectman in 1812-1814; and represented the town in the legislature of 1826.
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Children of Joseph & Hannah (Ames) Ames:
1. Myra Ames, b. 4 Jan 1804 in Boscawen, Merrimack Co. NH, d. 17 June 1869 West Creek, Lake Co. Indiana; m. 2 Juen 1829 in Boscawen NH to Thomas Little, son of Jesse & Martha (Gerrish) Little.  He was b. 2 Jan 1802 and d. 19 Aug 1877 in West Creek, Lake Co. Indiana.  Children: Joseph Ames Little (1830-1892), Sara Higley Little (1833-1874), and Lucy Jane Little (1837-?)
2. Joseph Ames, was b. 29 June 1806 and d. 19 Sep 1826.
3. Lucy Ames, b. 13 Sep 1808 and d. 30 Nov 1840.
4. David Ames, b 20 Dec 1810 and d. 26 Apr 1885 in Elkhart, Elkart Co. Indiana. In 1880 he was living with his brother Samuel, a single man, carpenter by trade.
5. Samuel Ames, b. 14 July 1813, prob. died in West Creek, Lake Co., Indiana, as was living there in 1880 with wife and brother.  He married Emily J. Hubbard.
6. +Col. Nathan Plummer Ames, b. 6 June 1816 in Boscawen NH [see more]
7. Stephen Gerrish Ames, b. 16 June 1816 and d. 1 Oct 1826.
8. Phebe Jane Ames, b. 22 Dec 1819 and d. 6 Aug 1836.

Colonel Nathan Plummer Ames, son of Joseph & Hannah (Ames) Ames, was born 6 June 1816 in Boscawen NH and d. 2 August 1880 in Boston, Middlesex Co. MA.  He married 1st) 18 March 1841 at the Corser Hill Church in Webster, Merrimack Co., NH to Elvira Coffin, dau of Thomas & Hannah (Kilburn) Coffin.  She b. 8 Aug 1819, and d. Jan 1861 at West Creek Indiana. They resided on High street in Boscawen, where he kept a tavern; a man highly respected; was elected selectman in 1812-1814; and represented the town in the legislature of 1826. They remained on the homestead inherited from his father unfil 2 Jan 1861 when he with his family went to West Creek, Indiana where Elvira died.   On 31 March 1863 he married 2nd) in Geneva IL to Emily Knight Brown.  She died 16 Sep 1869 in Chicago, Cook Co., IL. After she died he returned with his family to Boston. He 2 Aug 1880 in Boston MA. He is buried in the Water Street Cemetery, Boscawen NH. He served during the Civil War as a Lieut. Colonel in the 21st NH Regiment, under Col. Frederick W. Coffin. [THIS Nathan P. Ames should NOT be confused with the Nathan P. Ames who founded a weapons factory in Massachusetts during the Civil War].
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Children of Nathan P. & Elvira (Coffin) Ames:
1. Livonia Coffin Ames b 18 Apr 1843 Boscawen, Merrimack Co. NH, d. 1938 in Queens NY; m. 8 Sep 1865 to George Whitefield Ware. He was b. in 1834 in Boston, MA.  They had four children: William Bradford Ware (1870), Mary Coffin Ware (1872-1947), Richard Ames Ware (1874-1875) and Clara Winnifred Ware (1877)
2. Charles Henry Ames, b 5 Feb 1847, married Henrietta Burton Hunt and resided in Newton MA; had four children, Margaret Ames (1888-1888), Charles Burton Ames (1892-1942), Helen Hunt Ames (1894-1980) and Lawrence Coffin Ames (1897-1981); worked for a publishing company.
3. +Lucia True Ames, 1856-1936 [SEE THIS ARTICLE]
4. Clara Preston Ames 1859; in 1915 single living at 39 Newbury St., Boston MA

.MAJOR SOURCES.
1. One Thousand New Hampshire Notables, p 421, by Frances Matilda Abbott, 1919
2. The history of Boxford, Essex Co. MA by Sidney Perley, 1880
3. Various newspaper clippings, and her own published material