William Nutt

William Nutt (August 5, 1836 – August 30, 1909) was a colonel in the American Civil War, a representative to the Massachusetts General Court from 1871 to 1872 and again in 1901, he was also the chairman of the board of the Natick Five Cents Savings Bank.

Biography He was born on August 5, 1836, in Topsham, Vermont, to Isaac Brewster Nutt and Sally Ann Munroe. His paternal grandparents were William Nutt and Mary Brewster. His grandfather's grandfather William Nutt was one of the first settlers of Londonderry, New Hampshire. Both his grandfather and his great grandfather Samuel served in the revolution and his father in the War of 1812. His early education was limited to a few terms in the district school of his native town. As soon as he was old enough he began to work on the farm of his father and for neighboring farmers.

In his sixteenth year, in 1852, he moved to Natick, Massachusetts, where he began to work at the shoemaker's trade. He supplemented his schooling by much reading and study, and attended private schools when he had the opportunity. As a shoemaker, associated with Henry Wilson, who afterwards became vice-president of the United States, he became interested in the slavery question, and in 1857, took part in the Kansas movement, the result of which was to keep that state free from slavery. He 'squatted' at Lawrence, Kansas. in a district that had the previous year elected a democrat. He served on the committees on constitutional amendments, military affairs, and chairman of the committee on taxation. He was also on the important special committee which revised the public statutes. He was justice of the peace from 1867 and notary public from 1874.

Death Colonel Nutt made a specialty of probate court practice, and has had the settlement of many important estates and trusts. He did most of the pension business for his locality. In his later years most of his practice was as attorney for the Natick Five Cents Savings Bank a very prosperous institution. He was a member of the investing board from 1869 until 1909, and chairman of the board and first vice-president of the bank until his resignation, on account of ill-health, May 1, 1909, a period, of forty years. Nutt had been suffering from hardening of the arteries for a long time, his fatal illness having really begun many months ago, and when he retired from practice last December it was hoped that he might enjoy at least a few years of rest in his old age, but fate willed otherwise. His condition grew steadily worse and Saturday he became unconscious. The members of the family were summoned and were all at the homestead waiting for the end which came Monday without his having regained consciousness.

Legacy He married at Framingham, Massachusetts, April 25, 1863, Abigail Prentice Puffer, who died January 27, 1906. He leaves four sons; William Harrison of Everett, Massachusetts; Charles of Worcester, Massachusetts; George of Natick, Massachusetts, and Henry of Winthrop, Massachusetts; three daughters, Nellie A. of Elwyn, Pennsylvania; Mrs Ralph D. Sutherland and Matilda of Natick, Massachusetts; two brothers, Isaac Brewster of Natick, Massachusetts, and Samuel of South Haven, Kansas, and one sister, Mrs. Nathan P. Rice, West Boylston, Massachusetts.