James Draper, the Puritan, son of Thomas Draper, of the priory of Heptonstall vicarage of Halifax, Yorkshire county, England, was born at Heptonstall, 1618, died at Roxbury, Massachusetts, July 6, 1694. He married, at Heptonstall, April 21, 1646, Miriam, daughter of Gideon and Grace (Eastwood) Stansfield, of Wadsford, Yorkshire, England. She was born at Heptonstall, November 27, 1625, and died at Roxbury, Massachusetts, January, 1697. James Draper's first residence in America was in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and there his first American children were born. From Roxbury he removed to Dedham. Later he probably returned to Roxbury, where he and his wife died and are buried. He was made a freeman of Roxbury in 1690. Children:
- Miriam, born February 7, 1647, in Heptonstall, England, died in infancy.
- Susanna, about 1650, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, married, 1668, John Bacon.
- Sarah, 1652, married, May 9, 1669, James Hadlock.
- James, see forward.
- John, June 24, 1656, died April 5, 1749, in Dedham.
- Moses, September 26, 1663, died August 14, 1693, in Boston.
- Daniel, May 30, 1665, died in Dedham.
- Patience, August 17, 1668, married, March 13, 1689, Ebenezer Cass.
- Jonathan, March 10, 1670, died February 28, 1746-47, in Roxbury.
(II) James (2), son of James (1) and Miriam (Stansfield) Draper, was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, 1654, died there April 30, 1698. He married, February 18, 1681, Abigail, daughter of Nathaniel and Hannah (Dwight) Whiting, of Dedham, Massachusetts, born in Roxbury, June 7, 1663, died there, October 25, 1721. She was a granddaughter of John Dwight, from whom President Timothy Dwight, of Yale, and other prominent men are descended. James Draper was a soldier in King Philip's war during the year 1675. He received from his father, part of the farm at Roxbury. This he subsequently sold to John Aldis. He then bought the estate below Baker street, where he, and after his death his widow, kept an ordinary. James Draper and his wife are buried in the First Parish cemetery at Dedham, Massachusetts. Children:
- Abigail, born December 29, 1681; married James Griggs.
- Nathaniel; April 2, 1684, died December 30, 1721; married, January 22, 1706, Abigail Lyon.
- William, May 15, 1686, died young.
- Eunice, June 5, 1689, died June 13, 1714; married, June 24, 1708, Nathaniel Aldis.
- James, 1691, died April 24, 1768; married, May 2, 1716, Rachel Aldis.
- Gideon, 1694; married, April 22, 1713, Abigail Aldis.
- Ebenezer, April 27, 1698, died June 3, 1798; married, May 2, 1723, Dorothy Child.
(III) James (3), son of James (2) and Abigail (Whiting) Draper, was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, 1691, died April 24, 1768. He removed to Glen Lodge, a settlement about two miles east of Dedham, afterward part of the latter. He was a captain of the trained band, was elected a selectman in 1746, to serve one year, and again in 1756, to serve two years. He was a prosperous man, a large landowner, prominent in the town affairs of Dedham, and much respected. He married (first) May 2, 1715, Rachel, daughter of John and Mary Aldis, born March 15, 1690, died May 16, 1717. He married (second), November 12, 1719, Abigail, daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth (Morris) Child, of Brookline, Massachusetts, born 1698, died November 23, 1767. Child by first wife:
- John, born January 29, 1716, died March 10, 1717.
Children by second wife:
- James, born September 22, 1720, at Stoughton, died at Spencer, March 2, 1781; married (first) November 1, 1743, Mehitable Whiting; (second) Mrs. Martha (Burnett) Ward, a widow.
- Abigail, December 12, 1721, at Stoughton, died November 3, 1817; married (first) September 30, 1741, Henry White; (second) March 7, 1750, Major Asa Baldwin.
- John, June 16, 1723, at Stoughton, died November 8, 1745, at Dedham.
- Joshua, see forward.
- Josiah, April 3, 1726, at Stoughton, died August 18, 1726.
- Josiah, September 12, 1727, at Stoughton.
- Rebecca, June 30, 1729, at Stoughton, died January 30, 1830.
- Mary, September 24, 1731, at Stoughton.
- Abijah, July 13, 1734, at Dedham, died November 18, 1734.
- Abijah, July 11, 1735, at Dedham, died February 13, 1737.
- Abijah, May 10, 1737, at Dedham; died there, May 1, 1780; married (first) April 8, 1762, Alice Eaton; (second) March 25, 1778, Mrs. Desire Metcalf.
- Samuel, December 5, 1740, died November 29, 1750.
(IV) Joshua, son of James (3) and Abigail (Child) Draper, was born at Dorchester, Massachusetts, December 25, 1724, died at Spencer, Massachusetts, October 27, 1792. He removed from Dedham to Spencer. He was a member of the revolutionary committeee of correspondence for the years 1776-77, assessor, from 1765 to 1771, and was considered for those times to be a wealthy man. He married (first) at Dedham, Massachusetts; April 14, 1748, Abigail Fairbanks, who died February 17, 1762. Married (second) Widow Sarah Wright, of Brookfield, Massachusetts, who died April 12, 1820. Children by first wife:
- Joshua, see forward.
- Sarah, born March 19, 1751, died about 1777; married, May 2, 1771, Jonas Muzzy.
- Samuel, May 8, 1752; married his cousin, Millie Draper.
- Abigail, May 2, 1756, unmarried.
Children by second wife:
- Asa, March 11, 1763, died at Claremont, New Hampshire; married, July 19, 1785, Ruth Whittemore.
- Simeon, March 27, 1765, married (first), August 24, 1786, Mary Bemis; married (second), September 10, 1832, Catherine C. Lewis, a widow.
- Ira, February 18, 1767; went to sea and was never heard of after.
- Joel, June 18, 1769; died unmarried in Otsego, New York.
- William, December 9, 1771, died December 30, 1845.
Abigail (Fairbanks) Draper, born December 4, 1724, traced her ancestry to Jonathan Fairebanke (Fairbank, Fairbanks), who came from Sowerby in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, to Boston, Massachusetts, in the year 1633, and settled in Dedham, Massachusetts, 1636, where he built the noted "Old Fairbanks House," which is still standing, the oldest dwelling house in New England that has been continuously occupied by the builder and his lineal descendants. He was born in England before 1600. He married Grace Lee. Their youngest son, Jonathan, was born in England, admitted townsman in Dedham "ye 1 of ye 11; 1654." He died January, 28, 1711-12. He was a soldier in King Philip's war, serving in the first or Mt. Hope campaign in 1675, also in several subsequent campaigns. He married Deborah, daughter of Edward Shepard, of Cambridge. Their youngest son, Jonathan, was born probably about 1677; lived in Dedham, south parish (now Norwood); married (first) Mary Hartshorn, February 3, 1702, who died August, 1704-05; married (second) Deborah, daughter of Captain Samuel and Mary (Woodcock) Guild, of Dedham, born July 16, 1685, died August 3, 1773. Their eighth child and fourth daughter was Abigail, above-mentioned.
(V) Joshua (2), son of Joshua (1) and Abigail (Fairbanks) Draper, was born in Spencer, Massachusetts, May 25, 1749, died at Westford, New York, May 12, 1839. He lived for many years in Chester, Massachusetts. He was a soldier in the revolutionary war, serving as a private in Captain Benjamin Richardson's company from Spencer, Colonel Nicholas Dike's regiment. He was at the battle of Bunker Hill, and at the relief of Dorchester, September, 1776. The musket he carried is still in the possession of the family. His services were rewarded by a government pension. After the war he migrated with his family to New York state and settled at Westford, Otsego county, where he cleared a tract of land of timber in what was then a wilderness, built a house on it, and engaged in farming. After the death of his wife, 1823, he made his home with his son Sylvester. He married, August 5, 1773, Mary Pratt, born in Hanover, Massachusetts, January 28, 1750, died of consumption, September 1, 1823, Children:
- Bethuel, born August 27, 1774, died March 25, 1814; married Polly Vaughn.
- Lucy, January 22, 1776, died November 9, 1811;married Asa Bidlake.
- Hazor Enor, September 6, 1777; married (first), September 6, 1803, Hannah Pratt; (second) Mrs. Ruth (Pratt) Lane, widow, and sister of his first wife.
- Rufus, January 28, 1779, died January 19, 1822; married Hannah Inglis.
- Mary, September 14, 1780, died October 1, 1780.
- Abijah, September 3, 1781; married, January 30, 1812, Isabelle Van Tuyl.
- Sylvester, see forward.
- Joshua, January 23, 1785; married Betsey Vaughn.
- Dexter, December 8, 1786; married, August 1, 1816, Oriel Babcock.
- Abigail, April 14, 1790, died April 21, 1827; married Reuben Wilder.
- Achsah, February 16, 1792, died June 22, 1823, unmarried.
(VI) Sylvester, son of Joshua (2) and Mary (Pratt) Draper, was born in Chester, Massachusetts, May 14, 1783, died May 8, 1852, in Westford, Otsego county, New York. He married, in Worcester, New York, December 22, 1808, Sukey, daughter of Dr. Uriah Bigelow, a prominent physician. She was born at Boylston, Massachusetts, August 21, 1789, died at Westford, New York, June 12, 1863. All his children, excepting the two eldest, were born at Westford, New York. Children:
- Sylvester Bigelow, see forward.
- Susan Gregory, born May 22, 1811; married, September 5, 1838, Alden Chester, of Maryland.
- Josiah Harrington, February 6, 1813; died in Albany, February 10, 1894; married (first) February 22, 1837, Adelia W. Babcock; (second), October 15, 1861, Mrs. Helen Avery, of Albany; (third), November 31, 1878, Fanny Rathbone, of Albany.
- Caroline Maria, June 19, 1815; died in Richmondville, New York, June 3, 1896; married (first), January 22, 1846, Benjamin Westcott; (second) July 31, 1878, Asa H. Cleveland.
- Adelia Sophia, October 11, 1817; died at Whitestown, New York, March 7, 1892; married, April 13, 1842, Henry W. Wilson.
- Fernando Pratt, August 9, 1819; died at San Francisco, California, January 16, 1896; married, June 16, 1846, Lucy A. Preston.
- Lysander, October 2, 1821; died at Maryland, New York, April 30, 1898; married, October 11, 1855, Rachel Anne Gurney.
- Marinda, October 10, 1823; died at Richmondville, New York, March 28, 1899; married, October 5, 1853, Luther M. Robinson.
- Lucy, August 12, 1826, died August 14, 1827.
- Milton, June 24, 1829, died in Goodland, Indiana, November 24, 1877.
- Maria, September 12, 1832; married (first) January 29, 1865, John E. Moore; (second) John H. Rider.
(VII) Sylvester Bigelow, son of Sylvester and Sukey (Bigelow) Draper, was born in Worcester, New York, February 19, 1810, died in Albany, April 21, 1890. He removed to Albany in 1855, and remained there until his death. He married (first), Amy Westcott, of Milford, May 4, 1836; she died February 19, 1845. Married (second) Jane Sloan, of Worcester, June 14, 1846. Children by first wife, all born in Westford:
- Olive, May 25, 1837, died July 22, 1891, married, July 2, 1863, Silos H. Walker.
- Anne Elizabeth, June 28, 1839, died December 19, 1885, in Albany; married, December 13, 1858, John M. Brightenger, of Albany.
- Pedia Marinda, July 11, 1842.
- Orlo Westcott, December 29, 1844, died January 9, 1845.
Children by second wife:
- Andrew Sloan, see forward.
- Harlen Page, June 19, 1851, at Westford, married, May 14, 1874, Anabel Bryce.
- Julia Isabella, July 12, 1852, at Westford, died there March 9, 1855.
- Margaret Jane, August 30, 1864, at Albany, died there July 16, 1865.
(VIII) Dr. Andrew Sloan, son of Sylvester Bigelow and Jane (Sloan) Draper, was born on a farm in the town of Westford, New York, June 21, 1848. He attended the public schools of Albany from 1855 to 1863, when he won a scholarship at the Albany Academy, from which institution he graduated in 1866. During his entire academic course he supported himself by work in the office of the Albany Evening Journal. Through the four succeeding years he was employed in the office of a leading house in the Albany lumber district in the summers and taught school winters. One winter he taught at the Westford Literary Institute at Westford, New York; another in the Albany Academy; a third he was principal of a graded school at East Worcester, New York. In 1870 he took the course of study at the Albany Law School and was admitted to the bar in May, 1871. He then formed a partnership with his cousin, Alden Chester, under the firm name of Draper & Chester, and entered upon and continued to practice the legal profession until 1885, when his practice was interrupted, and in 1887 the firm dissolved. In January, 1885, he was appointed by President Arthur one of the judges of the United States court of Alabama claims. Dr. Draper has always been an active member of the Republican party. He made many addresses in the presidential campaign of 1868, although he was not old enough to vote for General Grant on election day, and he has been heard in every state and national campaign until he became state superintendent of public instruction, in 1886. In 1880-81-82, he was chairman of the Republican county committee of Albany county. In 1880 he was elected to the state legislature, was a member of the standing committees on ways and means, judiciary, public education and printing. He was a member of the special committee which investigated the charges of bribery against Senator Loren B. Sessions, growing out of the celebrated contest over the selection of United States senators to succeed Messrs. Roscoe Conkling and Thomas C. Platt. In that contest Dr. Draper supported Mr. Conkling and Mr. Platt. In 1883-84 he represented the nineteenth congressional district upon the Republican state committee. He was a delegate to the national convention in 1884, and zealously supported the candidacy of General Arthur for renomination to the presidency. Immediately following the convention he was chosen chairman of the executive committee of the Republican state committee, and as such had the immediate charge of the business of the committee in the ensuing campaign. He accompanied Mr. Blaine upon his two famous journeys through the state of New York. Dr. Draper has always been actively identified with educational work. He was state superintendent of public instruction from 1886 to 1892; superintendent of schools in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1892 to 1894; president of the University of Illinois from 1894 to 1904; elected commissioner of education of the state of New York by the legislature in 1904, which office he continues to fill. He is a member of the Chicago Historical Society and State Historical Societies of New York, Illinois and Wisconsin. Dr. Draper is the author of a number of literary works, among which is the "Rescue of Cuba." He received the silver medal at the Paris exposition for a monograph on "American Educational Organization"; a gold medal and two commemorative diplomas for educational writings, and one of the two grand prizes for conspicuous services to education, at the St. Louis exhibition. He has served as president of the National Association of School Superintendents and of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, and chairman of the department of education in the international congresses at St. Louis. He was appointed by President Roosevelt a member of the United States board of Indian commissioners in 1902, and is now (1909) chairman of the board. He received the honorary degree of LL. D. from Colgate University in 1889, Columbia University in 1903, and the University of Illinois in 1905.
Dr. Draper married, May 8, 1872, Abbie Louise Lyon, of New Britain, Connecticut. Children:
- Charlotte Leland, born November 21, 1875, married, May 8, 1907, Arthur A. Brown, of New York City, an officer in the Westinghouse Electric Company; resides in New York City.
- Edwin Lyon, born August 19, 1882, graduated from the University of Illinois with the degree of Bachelor of Arts and from Harvard University with degree of Doctor of Medicine; he resides in Albany, New York; he married, October 14, 1908, Frances Haeden, of Shelbyville, Illinois, and is a surgeon, practicing in Albany, New York.