History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield ...

Biographical Sketches. Pratt. 199
led on to fortune. He continued in business forty years, manufa6luring
the various kinds of shoes in demand for the southern
and western markets, and at one period employing between four
hundred and five hundred operatives, turning out some two
hundred and forty thousand pairs a year, which was a very large
business for a time before machinery had to much extent been
introduced in the business.
Being a member of the society of Friends, he was but little
in public life, though he held some positions of responsibility,
where his integrity and business capacity appeared conspicuous.
He was a6tive in promoting the usefulness of the Institution for
Savings, established in 1826 ;
was president of the First National
Bank of Lynn, and of the Lynn Fire and Marine Insurance
Company. His manners were genial and his tendencies benevolent
and social.
On the 26th of November, 18 12, he married Theodate B.
Brown, and by her had six children. His second wife, whom he
married late in life, was Abby Newhall, by whom he had no
children. His residence was on the north side of Broad street,
a little east of Silsbee.
Pratt, Sidney Bowne.
Among the liberal and unassuming
sons of Lynn may surely be reckoned this one. He was a son
of James Pratt, who died in 1832, and who was a prominent
shoe-manufa6lurer. The subjeft of this notice was born on the
14th of May, 1 8 14, and died on the 29th of January, 1869. About
the time of the opening of the Eastern Rail-road, in 1839, he
engaged in the express business, and by faithfulness and assiduity
soon found himself on the high road of success, and continued
on, till the time of his death, always possessing the confidence
of the public. He was at the head of the well-known firm
of Pratt and Babb.
His manners were affable, and his disposition
to accommodate unvarying. Indeed he seemed to possess just
those elements of chara6ler which are best calculated to ensure
success in any business ;
and he was certainly successful in that
which he chose. He was successful, too, in gaining an enduring
name, by his liberal bequest to the Free Public Library, the
first gift of the kind received by that institution, the amount
being ;^ 10.000. His funeral took place from the Friends' meet-