TRASK. TRAVIS. 609 He received a common school education in his native town, and served an appren- ticeship there at the cabinet-making busi- ness, which he followed about a score of years, including a short residence in Lock- port, N. Y., in 1855 ; subsequently in Johns- town, Pa., and Philadelphia, working at his trade in those places until the spring of 1 S37, when he returned home. He was after- wards for a short time a member of the school committee in Dorchester, and one year an assistant assessor. On account of ill health he was obliged to relinquish mechanical labors, when his attention was drawn to historical and genealogical pursuits, in which he has been much engaged for the past forty years, materially assisting others by his studies and investigations. He copied the ancient town records of Boston, furnishing thereby, with fac-similes of autographs made also by him, a large quantity of matter for Samuel G. Drake's valuable history of that city, and was a great aid to General Wil- liam H. Sumner in preparing a " History of East Boston " (1858). He has been a prolific and valuable contributor to the " New England Histori- cal and Genealogical Register," most of the volumes containing articles from his pen ; was editor of the work in 1S65, having previously, from the year 1852, edited several volumes in part ; has made copies of entire documents from the " Mas- sachusetts Archives " for this publication, and prepared indexes of names and many of the general indexes for the nineteen volumes, from 1851 to '69 ; to each of the four " Memorial Biographies of the New England Historic Genealogical Society " (rS8o-'85) he has furnished a memoir, the first being that of the late Rev. John Pierce, D. 1>., of Brookline. The "History of Dorchester" (1859) owed much to his researches, the chapters on schools and school-masters, nearly a fifth of the work, being written by him. Several articles contributed to the " Register " have been published in pamphlet form, among them, " Memoir of Andrew H. Ward " (1805): "Early Records of the Town of Dorchester, with Notes " (1867); " Memoir of Calvin Fletcher" (1869); "The Bird Family " (1871); " Early Matters Relating to the Town and First Church of Dorches- ter " (1886); "Memoir of Rev. Elias Nason" (1888). His separate published books are: " Seaver Genealogy " (1872) and "Jones Family" (1878). He transcribed and edited volumes i., ii., iii., of Suffolk deeds (1880-85), and corrected and carried through the press volume iv. (1887). He was historiographer of the New England Historic Genealogi- cal Society from 186 1 to '68, and a mem- ber of the society from 1851 ; has been one of the publishing committee, librarian, and one of the board of directors. He is a corresponding member of vari- ous historical societies in the United States, and one of the vice-presidents of the Prince Society, Boston. He received the honorary degree of A. M. from Dart- mouth College, June 28, 1888. Mr. Trask was married in Dorchester, November 25, 1844, to Rebecca, daughter of Richard and Mary (Blake) Clapp. They have no children. TRAVIS, George Clark, son of George Clark and Rachel Parker (Currier) Travis, was born in Holliston, Middlesex county, August 19, 1847. He received his early educational train- ing in the public schools of Holliston, at- tended Phillips Academy, Exeter, N. H., GEORGE C TRAVIS. three years, where he fitted for Harvard College. He was graduated from Har- vard in the class of 1S69 Previous to his graduation he had taught one term of school in North Berwick, Me., in the winter of 1864 and '65. After grad- uating he taught Greek and Latin in the
