Alexander Stevenson Twombly papers

ALEXANDER STEVENSON TWOMBLY, son of Alexander Hamilton and Mary (Perley) Twombly, was born March 14, 1832, in Boston, Mass. Before fitting for college he spent two years in a store, and after preparation in the school of Lewis J. Dudley (Y.C. 1838) in Northampton, Mass., he joined the class at the beginning of Sophomore year.

After graduation he entered the Andover Theological Seminary and finished his course in 1858, having meantime spent part of the years 1856-1857 in travel and study at Heidelberg, Germany. He was ordained February 10, 1859, and was pastor of the Presbyterian church in Cherry Valley, N.Y., for three years. In 1862 he accepted a call as the first pastor of the State Street Presbyterian Church of Albany, N.Y., where he remained five years. From the spring of 1867 to 1872 he was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, Conn., and then for nineteen years of the Winthrop (Congregational) Church, in Charlestown, Mass. (now Bunker Hill District of Boston). He remained with this church, admired and beloved, until his retirement from pastoral service in 1891, when he bought a home in Newton, Mass. He spent the year 1886-1887 abroad. During four months of the winter and spring of 1894 he was the acting pastor of the Central Union Church at Honolulu. As the result of his sojourn there he wrote "Hawaii and its People" and "Kelea, the Surf Rider: a Story," both published in 1900.

He often contributed to the religious and secular press and for a time in 1891 was editorially connected with the Boston Traveler. From 1896 to 1898 he was Literary Editor for the publishing house of Silver, Burdett & Co., issuing during that time "The Silver Series of English Classics," in ten volumes. Besides this work he was the author of "Merry Maple Leaves," 1872; "The Choir Boy of York Cathedral, and other Christmas Stories," 1890; "Masterpieces of Michelangelo and Milton"; and "Life of Dr. John Lord," 1896.

In 1883 he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Yale, and from 1881 to 1885 was President of the Yale Alumni Association of Boston. He was for five years Vice-President of the Associated Charities of Newton and President from 1902 to 1908.

Dr. Twombly died after a brief illness at his home in Newton, November 19, 1907, at the age of 75 years.

He married, December 23, 1858, Abby, daughter of Jacob Bancroft, of Boston, and had five sons, all of whom with Mrs. Twombly survive him. Four of the sons graduated from the Academical Department of Yale, in 1881, 1884, 1891, and 1896, respectively, and the other from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1887.

Yale Obituary Record, 1900-1910.