Marshall Pinckney Wilder

Marshall P. Wilder is best known for hybridizing camellias and among them are the award winning Camellias Wilderi, Mrs. Abby Wilder, Mrs. Julia Wilder and the Jenny Wilder.

M.P. Wilder married Trypesa Jewett (d. 1831), Dec. 31, 1820; married Abigail Baker (d. 1854), Aug. 29, 1833; married Julia Baker (d. 1885), Sep. 8, 1855.

The Hon. M.P. Wilder was a man of considerable accomplishment and enjoyed a level of fame in his lifetime, if relatively unknown today. He was the originator of numerous hybrid varieties of plants of many kinds including flowers and especially fruit, most notably, pears. Wilder helped establish the State Board of Agriculture of Massachusetts in 1852. He was considered instrumental in building support for establishing an agricultural college in Massachusetts and was a trustee of Massachusetts Agricultural College from 1863 until 1886, now a part of UMASS Amherst. His dedication in this field led to the founding or principal involvement of many agricultural organizations still existing today. Mr. Wilder served as president of many of these organizations. Wilder traveled extensively and spoke before many of these organizations and agricultural expositions.

–New England Horticultural Society –Massachusetts Academy of Agriculture –American Pomological Society –Massachusetts Agricultural Club –Norfolk Agricultural Society –United States Agricultural Society

Outside agricultural and horticultural organizations he was president of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (1868–1886) Wilder also advocated for the founding of MIT.

In his early life he was active in the state militia in his native New Hampshire as an Adjutant of the 12th Regiment New Hampshire Militia, in 1828 he was made Lt. Col. and in 1824 made Col. After his removal to Boston he became a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Co. and became commander in 1857. Beside his other accomplishments he could rightly be addressed as Colonel.

Additionally, Wilder made his start in life in the mercantile business, at first with his father then later on in Boston he enjoyed considerable success in several partnerships, "Wilder and Payson", "Wilder and Smith", "Parker, Blanchard, and Wilder" later becoming "Parker, Wilder and Co."

Mr. Wilder represented the town of Dorchester in the Legislature in 1839, in 1849 was a member of the Governors Council and the following year was elected to the Massachusetts Senate and selected Senate President.

It should be noted that Mr. Wilder shared the same name with a nephew who was a notable actor around the turn of the 20th century.

The W.E.B. Du Bois Library at UMASS has a Web page outlining the Marshall P. Wilder collection with a brief biography.

There is a more extensive biography of Marshall P. Wilder written in his life time that appears in the History of the town of Rindge, New Hampshire by Ezra S. Stearns (1875) (ISBN 0-914659-38-3) pages 335–342. Genealogical information for the Wilder family appears on pages 764–768. This book may be downloaded for free.

(The above detailed biography was provided by Find A Grave contributor CapnKen.)

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=76892446

The American Wilders trace their family back to Nicholas Wilder, a military chieftain in the army of the Earl of Richmond, who fought and won the battle of Bosworth in 1485. Thomas Wilder came from England, in company with his brother Edward, and his widowed mother, Martha Wilder, and settled in Lancaster, Massachusetts, about 1638. Thomas Wilder died in 1667. His lineal descendants rendered meritorious services to the country in the Indian wars, in the Revolution, and in Shay's rebellion. Nathaniel Wilder, his son, was killed by Indians at Lancaster in July, 1704. Ephraim Wilder, son of Nathaniel, was wounded in a fight with the Indians at Lancaster in 1707, and died in the same town in 1769. Captain Ephraim Wilder, grandson of Nathaniel, was one of the delegates to the State Convention of Massachusetts, held in 1788, and voted in favor of adopting the Constitution of the United States. He was the father of Samuel Locke Wilder, and grandfather of Marshall Pinckney Wilder, who is thus of the eighth American generation, reckoning the first maternal immigrant ancestor as the first. Marshall Pinckney Wilder was born at Rindge, New Hampshire; September 22, 1798. He was sent to school at the early age of four years. At twelve he entered the New Ipswich Academy. At sixteen he was requested to choose preparation for agricultural, mercantile, or collegiate life. In his choice to be a farmer, he is indebted in no small degree for the mental and physical energy so remarkably characteristic of his long and beneficent career. His father's business increased so much, however, that Marshall was taken into the store, and soon acquired such habits of industry and mastery of detail, that he was admitted to partnership as soon as he had attained his majority. He removed to Boston in 1825, began business in Union Street, under the firm of Wilder & Payson, pursued the same business under the firm of Wilder & Smith, in North Market Street, and next in his own name at No. 3, Central Wharf. In 1837 he became a partner in the commission house of Parker, Blanchard & Wilder, Water Street, and afterward in that of Parker, Wilder & Co.,Winthrop Square. They were burned out in the Boston conflagration of November 9, 1872, but soon afterward resumed business. Through all the checkered fortunes of mercantile life, and in all the commercial crises of the past half-century, Marshall P. Wilder has never failed to meet his pecuniary obligations. But trade and wealth were not the all-engrossing pursuits of his mind; he devoted all his leisure hours to horticultural and agricultural pursuits; gardens, greenhouses, and fruit trees have all been sources of purest pleasure. He has cultivated his own grounds, imported seeds, plants, and trees, and by personal example striven to stimulate agriculture, and to raise the rank of husbandmen in the social scale. Massachusetts today owes much of her wealth, comfort, and innocent gratifications to his example and instructions. In 1840, Mr. Wilder was chosen President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. The corner stone of their elegant hall, in School Street, was laid September 14,1844, in presence of a large assemblage, and in his address on that occasion, said: " Be it remembered that to this society the community are indebted for the foundation and consecration of Mount Auburn Cemetery." At the convention of fruit-growers, which was held in New York, October 10, 1848, a national society was organized, which now bears the name of the American Pomological Society, Mr. Wilder was chosen its first President, and still (1880) retains the office. He assisted in the organization of the Norfolk Agricultural Society, in February, 1849, when he was chosen President and the Hon. Charles Francis Adams, Vice-President, the State Board of Agriculture, the Massachusetts Agricultural College, and the United States Agricultural Society, of which he was President. In January, 1S08, Mr. Wilder was solicited to take the office of President of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, made vacant by the death of that illustrious statesman, Governor John A. Andrew. He consented, was unanimously elected, and still holds the position. In 1869 he made a tour in the south, for the purpose of examining its resources; and in 1870 visited California. The results of his observations have been given to the public in lectures before the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, the Boston Mercantile Library Association, Amherst College, Dartmouth College, the merchants of Philadelphia, and in other places. As a zealous patron and promoter of the noblest of all material sciences, His name must ever shine brilliantly in the pages which record the history of human progress and improvement. His work will have its interpreter on every hillside and in every valley where rural taste and refinement are found. He still retains many official positions.

http://capecodhistory.us/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I27205&tr...

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Marshall P. Wilder is best known for hybridizing camellias and among them are the award winning Camellias Wilderi, Mrs. Abby Wilder, Mrs. Julia Wilder and the Jenny Wilder.

M.P. Wilder married Trypesa Jewett (d. 1831), Dec. 31, 1820; married Abigail Baker (d. 1854), Aug. 29, 1833; married Julia Baker (d. 1885), Sep. 8, 1855.

The Hon. M.P. Wilder was a man of considerable accomplishment and enjoyed a level of fame in his lifetime, if relatively unknown today. He was the originator of numerous hybrid varieties of plants of many kinds including flowers and especially fruit, most notably, pears. Wilder helped establish the State Board of Agriculture of Massachusetts in 1852. He was considered instrumental in building support for establishing an agricultural college in Massachusetts and was a trustee of Massachusetts Agricultural College from 1863 until 1886, now a part of UMASS Amherst. His dedication in this field led to the founding or principal involvement of many agricultural organizations still existing today. Mr. Wilder served as president of many of these organizations. Wilder traveled extensively and spoke before many of these organizations and agricultural expositions.

–New England Horticultural Society –Massachusetts Academy of Agriculture –American Pomological Society –Massachusetts Agricultural Club –Norfolk Agricultural Society –United States Agricultural Society

Outside agricultural and horticultural organizations he was president of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (1868–1886) Wilder also advocated for the founding of MIT.

In his early life he was active in the state militia in his native New Hampshire as an Adjutant of the 12th Regiment New Hampshire Militia, in 1828 he was made Lt. Col. and in 1824 made Col. After his removal to Boston he became a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Co. and became commander in 1857. Beside his other accomplishments he could rightly be addressed as Colonel.

Additionally, Wilder made his start in life in the mercantile business, at first with his father then later on in Boston he enjoyed considerable success in several partnerships, "Wilder and Payson", "Wilder and Smith", "Parker, Blanchard, and Wilder" later becoming "Parker, Wilder and Co."

Mr. Wilder represented the town of Dorchester in the Legislature in 1839, in 1849 was a member of the Governors Council and the following year was elected to the Massachusetts Senate and selected Senate President.

It should be noted that Mr. Wilder shared the same name with a nephew who was a notable actor around the turn of the 20th century.

The W.E.B. Du Bois Library at UMASS has a Web page outlining the Marshall P. Wilder collection with a brief biography.

There is a more extensive biography of Marshall P. Wilder written in his life time that appears in the History of the town of Rindge, New Hampshire by Ezra S. Stearns (1875) (ISBN 0-914659-38-3) pages 335–342. Genealogical information for the Wilder family appears on pages 764–768. This book may be downloaded for free.

(The above detailed biography was provided by Find A Grave contributor CapnKen.)

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Wilder&GSfn=m...