My Genealogy Hound

HON. JEROME BABCOCK, ex-member of the general assembly of New York, and a well-known business man of Jamestown, is a son of George and Abigail (Pickering) Babcock, and was born in the town of Busti, Chautauqua county, New York, July 21, 1835. His great-grandfather, Barber Babcock, was of English extraction, and was a resident of Rensselaer county, where he followed farming until his death. He owned a large tract of land which is still in the hands of the Babcocks of that county who are descended from him. He married a Miss Cropsey, of German extraction, and reared a family of four sons and four daughters. One of these sons, Henry Babcock (grandfather), was born in Rensselaer county, April 16, 1782, and came in 1807 to the town of Ellery, this county, where he was engaged in farming for several years. He then removed to Cherry Creek, in 1815, and then to Busti, where he passed the remainder of his days. He was an old-line whig in politics. He married Lovina Boyd, who was born March 15, 1780, and their union was blessed with nine children: Harry, born March 18, 1804; John B., born June 17, 1805; Palmyra, born April 4, 1807; Sophronia, born March 13, 1809; George, born April 10, 1811; Amanda, born February 3, 1813; Emeline, born September 6, 1816; Leonora, born September 22, 1818; Laura, born December 3, 1820; and Lovina, born October 31, 1822. George Babcock (father) first settled in Cherry Creek, but afterwards removed to Busti, where he followed farming until his death, which occurred August 18, 1867. He was a whig and afterwards a republican, and favored compromise in reference to the slavery question. He served as constable and held various other town offices during his lifetime. He was twice married; his first wife was Abigail Pickering, a daughter of Artemus Pickering, and sister to Angeline Pickering, wife of John B. Babcock, who taught the first summer school in the town of Cherry Creek, and a relative of the celebrated Timothy Pickering, of Revolutionary fame, who settled in Cherry Creek at an early day. By his first marriage George Babcock had two children: Jerome, and Abigail, wife of Hon. L. T. Palmer, a prominent lawyer of Warren, Pa., who served for several years as collector of the port of Philadelphia, and was a member of the Legislature of Pennsylvania for two terms. Mrs. Babcock died in November, 1836, and Mr. Babcock married for his second wife Sarah (Miller) Andrews. By his second marriage he had four sons and three daughters. One of these sons, Perry Babcock, is a lawyer of Minnesota, where he was elected and served as a probate judge of one of the counties of that State. He was elected, after retiring from the bench, president of the State Bar association, of Minnesota.

Jerome Babcock was reared on a farm, received his education in the common schools of his boyhood days, and commenced life for himself as a farm hand. He soon quit working on the farm, and engaged in the lumber business on the Allegheny river in Pennsylvania which he followed for fifteen years. He then went to Sugar Grove, Warren county, that State, where he purchased a farm which he cultivated for about eight years. At the end of that time he returned to this county where he located at Busti, and was in the hotel and mercantile business for several years. Leaving that place, he followed farming for one year and then (1889) purchased his present business establishment on Brooklyn square in Jamestown.

On January 1, 1863, he married Celia O. Smith, daughter of Asa Smith, of Warren county, Pa. They have one child, Grant B., who was born November 28, 1868, graduated from the Jamestown business college, and now is bookkeeper for his father.

Jerome Babcock has been a republican ever since the organization of that party. He voted for John C. Fremont in 1856, and while in Sugar Grove was president of the school board of that place for four years, and president of Union agricultural society for two years. After he returned to Busti he was elected supervisor of the town in 1873-75, and in 1887 and 1888. In 1885 he was elected to represent the First Assembly district of Chautauqua county in the Legislature of New York, and served one term. Mr. Babcock devotes his time largely to his mercantile and other business interests. He is a member of the Busti Lodge, No. 85, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and a man who encourages all worthy enterprises.