56 BILLINGS. BIRD. BILLINGS, Gilbert M., son of Wm. L. and Eunice E. (Kelly) Billings, was born in Blackstone, Worcester count)', Feb- ruary 18, 1853. He went to Milford when nine years of age, attended the public schools and graduated from the high school in 1869. He passed an examination for Brown University, but illness prevented his attendance. He spent several months in a general store at Elizabethtown, N. Y., after which he was a book-keeper one year at the boot factory of Underwood, Sons & Fisher, in Milford, until the firm gave up business. For a year he was clerk in a shoe store in Fitchburg, and afterwards book-keeper four years for the firm of Clement, Col- burn & Company, in Milford, followed by six years at the factory of Houghton, Coolidge & Company. In 1882 Mr. Billings, in company with Charles A. King, started the " Milford Gazette." In 1885 he purchased the inter- est of Mr. King, and has since conducted the business alone with success. He was married in Milford, November 26, 1874, to Edith L., daughter of George B.Blake. They have one son: George YV. Billings. Mr. Billings has served two terms as trustee of the public library, and has been through the presiding officer's chair in local lodges of Knights of Honor, Royal Arcanum, and Eastern Associates. BILLINGS, Sanford Waters, son of Sanford and Caroline Davis (Waters) Bill- ings, was born in Sharon, Norfolk county, October 3, 1834, on the homestead farm, which has been held in unbroken succession by his paternal ancestors for over a hun- dred and twenty-five years. He comes of sturdy old New England stock, and on the maternal side is descended from Governor Bradford of colonial fame. He received his early education at the schools of his native town, fitted for college at the Opalic Institute at Attleborough, graduating at Amherst College in 1859. The following year he began teaching, organizing the Stoughtonham Institute, which he carried on with success until the establishment of the free high schools in Sharon and the neighborhood, when he was made principal of the Sharon high school, which position he still occupies. He was always active in literary and debating circles. In Amherst he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa, and presi- dent of the Athenian Society, and has re- mained president of the class of 1859 ever since graduation. Besides his immediate occupation, he finds time to devote to town affairs, having acted on the school committee for more than twenty years, as justice of the peace — appointed by Governor Andrew in 1861 — as moderator at more than fifty town meetings, and as representative in the state Legislature in 1873 and '74, where he served on the committee on education. He introduced the bill authorizing cities and towns to provide free text-books in the public schools, and was instrumental in securing the provision of the law in his native town. He is an active worker in church affairs, serving as superintendent of the Con- gregational Sunday-school for twenty years, and for several years he was president of the Norfolk County Temperance Union. He has long been a member of the Repub- lican town committee, and was for many years its chairman. On the 17th of June, 1S62, at Sharon, Mr. Billings was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Lewis and Anna (Pierce) Morse. Their two living children are : Abbie Caro- line and Osmond Jesse Billings. Mr. Billings is endeared to hundreds of his former pupils, to whom he has been not only instructor, but, also, counselor and friend. He is a most ardent friend of the soldiers of the Grand Army, and expresses, by both word and act, the high estimation in which he holds their patriotic service. He is pre-eminently a leader in all the educational and moral measures in the town of Sharon, easily holding such a position by reason of natural endowment and Christian training. BIRD, Francis William, son of George and Martha . (Newell) Bird, was born in Dedham, Norfolk county, October 22, 1809. He attended the public schools of Ded- ham until 1824, then Day's Academy, Wrentham, Isaac Perkins, preceptor. Here he fitted for college, entered Brown Uni- versity, 1827, and was graduated in the class of 1 S3 1. He began business as a paper maker in 1S33. This industry he has followed and done much to develop, continuing in the same to the present time. He has associ- ated with himself various partners at different times, but always held control of the business, and in 1882 the firm became F. VV. Bird & Son. Their mills are at East Walpole, where Mr. Bird now resides. Mr. Bird was first married in Providence, R. I., January 1, 1834, to Rebecca Hill, daughter of Benoni and Amy (brown)
