36 BANCROFT. BANKS. tion, the regiment has steadily gained in proficiency, and, in 1889, was detailed by the commander-in-chief, on account of its military excellence, as escort to the state delegation at the centennial celebration at New York, of Washington's inauguration as president of the United States. In this duty the regiment acquitted itself with much credit, and was in numbers nearly eight hundred strong — the largest regiment that has ever left the State before or since the civil war. Having been elected a member of the common council of Cambridge for the year 18S2, at the state election of that WILLIAM A. BANCROFT. year, Mr. Bancroft was elected a represen- tative to the General Court from the Old Cambridge district, and was returned at the two subsequent elections. During his three years' service in the Legislature he was House chairman of the military com- mittee, and also of the committee on library ; was clerk of the street railway, and the finance committees ; and was a member of the committee on probate and chancery, and of bills in the third reading. On the iSth of January, 1879, he was married to Mary, daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Perry) Shaw, of Boston. He has three children : Hugh, Guy and Cath- erine Bancroft. BANKS, Nathaniel Prentiss, son of Nathaniel Prentiss and Rebecca ( Green- wood) Banks, was born in Waltham, Mid- dlesex county, January 30, 1816. After receiving a common school train- ing, when about ten years of age he worked as bobbin boy in a cotton factory of which his father was superintendent. It was in this factory that the first cotton cloth was made that was manufactured in the United States. He subsequently learn- ed the trade of machinist in the machine shop of Kendall & Wallace, Waltham, and with Coolidge, Sibley & Treat, Stony Brook. His leisure hours were employed in study. He early developed an aptitude for speaking, and was engaged in lecturing while but a youth. He became editor of a local paper, and was concerned in news- paper ventures both in Waltham and Low- ell. He has ever been a diligent student, and his attainments in the modern lan- guages, in history, politics and science have contributed not a little to the marked suc- cess which hascharacterizedhis publicutter- ances during his long and eventful career. He was married in Waltham, April it, 1847, to Mary, daughter of Jeduthan and Sarah (Turner) Palmer. Of this union were four children, of whom three are liv- ing — Joseph W., a civil engineer, settled in the west ; Mary Binney, wife of Rev. Paul Sterling, and Maud Banks, who has so suc- cessfully devoted herself to histrionic art. Miss Banks inherited her dramatic tastes from her father, who fifty years ago faced the footlights as an amateur. In 1837 he enacted the part of " Claude Melnotte " with marked acceptance. Choosing the profession of law, he pur- sued his legal studies in the office of Rob- ert Rantoul, Jr., and was admitted to the bar, but never practiced much in the courts. His first public service was as inspector in the Boston custom house. In 1849 ne was elected to the Legislature. He was chosen speaker of the House in 1851 and 1852. In 1853 he was elected to a seat in the state Constitutional Convention, and was made president of that body. He joined the Native American party, was elected to Congress in 1S53 as a coali- tion Democrat, and in the next Congress was re-elected by the American party, and chosen speaker of the National House of Representatives, after an unparalleled and exciting contest, lasting over two months, and resulting in the casting of one hundred and thirty-two ballots ere the dead-lock was broken. As a speaker of the House he has had but few equals.
