Simon Sayles Lapham (1832 - 1900)

Born 30 Oct 1832 in Burrillville, Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Ancestors

Died 1 Nov 1900 at age 68 in Burrillville, Providence, Rhode Island, United States

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Biography

(VI) SIMON. S. LAPHAM was born in Burrillville, on the farm of his father, Oct. 30, 1832. He attended the neighboring schools, also working on his father's farm until he had passed all the courses that could be taken in these schools, and completed his education at the Smithville Seminary, at North Scituate, and at Pierce Academy, Middleboro, Mass., remaining at the latter place three terms. His schooling over, he taught school at the Old Scituate Academy, in the town of Scituate, R.I., board ing with the neighboring farmers during his stay there. After leaving the Old Scituate Academy he commenced studying law with his brother Benjamin, on May 9, 1854. Some time during the year 1855 he left the office of Benjamin, and attended the Law School at Albany, N.Y., staying there for one term. On Dec. 18, 1855, he returned to B. N. Lapham's office and remained until March, 1856. He then returned to the home farm and, boarding at home, continued the study of law in H. A. Keach's office at Harrisville. On June 1, 1857, Mr. Lapham was admitted to the Rhode Island Bar, and began the practice of law. He returned to the office of B. N. Lapham in Providence and was employed there at a salary of $350 a year. Work ing under these conditions apparently was not pleas ing to him, and on March 20, 1858, he opened an office in the village of Harrisville, boarding at home, and practiced law in the village about one year, in April, 1859, returning to Providence and opening an office there. On Jan. 1, 1860, he again returned to the office of B. N. Lapham, and a co-partnership was formed under the firm name of B. N. & S. S. Lapham. During the continuance of the co-partnership the firm handled the largest and best business in the State and established a reputation known throughout New England. The co-partnership with B. N. Lapham continued for just twenty years, and when, on Jan. 1, 1880, S. S. Lapham decided that he would retire from the firm and open an office for himself, had the reputation of being one of the largest law firms of the State. After the dissolution of the firm he practiced law continuously in the city of Providence until November, 1898. In that month he left his office upon advice of his physicians for a rest, which was much needed after continuous work for nearly twenty years, after separating from his brother Benjamin. At the time of leaving his office his physicians recommended entire rest, not considering his condition as serious, but from the time of leaving his office he did not improve in health and for two years suffered from an attack of nervous prostration, from the effects of which he died at his summer home in Burrillville, the place of his birth, and boyhood days, on Nov. 1, 1900.

On Feb. 1, 1863, Mr. Lapham married Mary J. Mowry, daughter of Daniel Mowry, the postmaster at Harrisville, and commenced housekeeping in Providence. He was survived by his widow and four children, two of the six born to them having died in infancy. They were born as follows: Cora R., Sept. 28, 1865 (deceased); Ella H., June 30, 1867 (married Henry Y. Stites, of Providence); Simon M., July 28, 1869 (deceased); Emma M., March 10, 1872 (married Prof. F. P. Gorham, of Brown University); Simon S., Jr., March 29, 1875; Myron D., July 18, 1877.

In business life Simon S. Lapham was probably best known through his ability as a jury lawyer. He had risen from a farmer's boy to a lawyer under the most trying circumstances. Although from the best of New England stock, coming from a large family he started in life poor. It was through persistent effort that he obtained his education, and it was only after a long struggle that his practice yielded even a moderate income. All this time he had been thrown in with all kinds and conditions of people, and gained for himself that knowledge of human nature which so well fitted him for his work as a jury lawyer, in which he excelled. He was fond of out-door life, and in his later years spent considerable time on the home farm in Burrillville, which he had purchased from his mother's heirs and fitted for a summer place. --"Representative Men and Old Families of Rhode Island," Vol 1, J. H. Beers, & Co., Chicago, 1908.

The 1880 census for Providence, Providence, Rhode Island lists:

Simon S (transcribed 'L') Lapham Head M 47 Rhode Island

Mary J. Lapham Wife F 40 Rhode Island,

Ella Lapham Daughter F 13 Rhode Island,

Emma Lapham Daughter F 8 Rhode Island

Simon S. Lapham Son M 5 Rhode Island,

Myron Lapham Son M 3 Rhode Island, ^[1]

Note Simon & Mary are at the bottom of the page, the others on the following.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4SX-LFX : 14 January 2022), Simon L. Lapham, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .

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