Anne McKeen Houghton1

F, #91771, b. 4 June 1989

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
BirthJun 4, 1989Pittsburgh, PA, USA1

Citations

  1. [S601] Family Group Sheet, from Brother Thomas Smith, OFM, July 7, 2008: Desc. of William Houghton of Ireland.

M. Houghton1

M, #91772, b. circa 1815

Family: Mrs. (?) Houghton b. c 1817

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Birthcirca 1815MA, USA, age 35 in 1850 census1
Marriage1
1850 Census1850Boston, Suffolk Co., MA, USA, age 35, none1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Boston Ward 6, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_336; Page: 391; line 13, dwl 758-1057.

Mrs. (?) Houghton1

F, #91773, b. circa 1817

Family: M. Houghton b. c 1815

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1817MA, USA, age 33 in 1850 census1
Marriage1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Boston Ward 6, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_336; Page: 391; line 13, dwl 758-1057.

Daniel Baird Wesson

M, #91774, b. 18 May 1825, d. 14 August 1906

Family: Cynthia Maria Hawes b. 1825, d. 11 Aug 1906

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
NotableY
BirthMay 18, 1825Worcester, Worcester Co., MA, USA1
MarriageMay 26, 1847
Notable1854Gunsmith: invented repeating mechanism for small arms and founded the firm of Smith and Wesson in Springfield MA in 1857 with partner Horace Smith, in Springfield, Massachusetts. They invented the repeating action, self contained cartridge revolver.
DeathAug 14, 1906Springfield, MA, USA1
Children+Daughter: Sarah Janette Wesson Bull (b. 1848)
Son: Walter Wesson (Smith & Wesson executive, b. 1850)
Son: Frank Wesson
Son: Joseph Wesson (Smith & Wesson executive)
BiographyHorace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson formed a firearms manufacturing partnership in Springfield, Massachusetts, that held many patents in the mid-1800s. They produced a variety of rifles, pistols, and revolvers. The Smith & Wesson .22 caliber revolver became a worldwide success.

Smith, born in Cheshire, Massachusetts, moved to Springfield at the age of four, and upon completing his public school education, joined his father working in the United States Armory as an apprentice.

Through his early career, he worked his own gun-manufacturing business, as well as producing pistols and tools for the manufacture of rifles for other companies.

He patented an improvement on the breech-loading rifle in 1851, a year before he met Wesson through their work at Allen, Brown, and Luther rifle barrel manufacturers.

Wesson was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and was the son of a farmer and manufacturer of wooden plows. He attended public school until he was eighteen years old, and then apprenticed himself to his eldest brother, a gunsmith.

After his brother died, Wesson owned the business for a short time, then became employed by Allen, Brown, and Luther. In his off-hours, Wesson experimented on an improved metallic cartridge, and in 1853, convinced Smith to go into business with him.

The following year, the pair patented a pistol that used a cartridge with powder and lubricant, and had a new repeating action, which became the basis for the famous Winchester rifle.

Smith retired from the business in 1855, when Wesson became superintendent of the Volcanic Arms Co., and they sold their patents to the company.

Under Wesson, the Volcanic Arms Co. produced the self-primed metallic cartridge used throughout the Civil War. In 1857, the two men rejoined to produce the Smith & Wesson revolver. Manufactured with interchangeable parts, it used repeating action, metallic cartridges, and an open cylinder. It was the only one of its type, and it became an enormous success.

It was adopted by U.S. military authorities and also secured foreign markets in European and South American countries, as well in China and Japan.

In 1860 Smith & Wesson expanded their 25-member workforce to 600 and built a factory in Springfield, Massachusetts. Smith and Wesson improved their inventions with patents of their own and those purchased from other inventors.

In 1869, they bought a design by William C. Dodge that emptied shells from the gun. Wesson patented a safety revolver that prevented unintentional firing in 1887.

In 1883, Smith sold his interest in the company to Wesson and retired, involving himself in local business activities. Wesson took on his two sons as partners ten years later. Smith & Wesson is still one of the largest gun manufacturers in America.


Industrialist. He co-founded the Smith and Wesson firearms manufacturing company with his partner Horace Smith, in Springfield, Massachusetts. In the 1850s they invented the repeating action, self contained cartridge revolver. Today, the Smith and Wesson name and logo are one of the most widely recognized brands of firearms in the world today. Daniel Wesson endowed the former Wesson Memorial Hospital, also in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was a strong advocate of homeopathy. The White Cliffs Estate, a summer residence in Northborough, Massachusetts, still in existence today, was built for his wife Cynthia, upon her request

Daniel B. Wesson partnered with Horace Smith in Norwich, Connecticut in the early 1850's to develop the first repeating rifle, the Volcanic rifle.

Joel Wesson1

M, #91775, b. 1746, d. 26 December 1832

Family: Hannah Bigelow b. 2 Jul 1748, d. 29 Dec 1829

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Birth1746Framingham, MA, USA1
MarriageMay 23, 1770Worcester, Worcester Co., MA, USA1
DeathDec 26, 1832Milbury, Worcester Co., MA, USA1

Hannah Bigelow1

F, #91776, b. 2 July 1748, d. 29 December 1829

Family: Joel Wesson b. 1746, d. 26 Dec 1832

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
BirthJul 2, 1748Weston, Middlesex Co., MA, USA1
MarriageMay 23, 1770Worcester, Worcester Co., MA, USA1
DeathDec 29, 1829Worcester, Worcester Co., MA, USA1

George Eastman1

M, #91777, b. circa 1829

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Birthcirca 1829Leominster, MA, USA, age 21in 1850 census1
Duplicate

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Leominster, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_340; Page: 195; line 31, dwl 16-17.

Patricia M. Havens

F, #91778, b. circa 1928

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1928CT, USA

Betsey (?)1

F, #91779, b. circa 1822

Family: Alfred Houghton b. 10 Apr 1818

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1822MA, USA, age 28 in 1850 census1
Marriage1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Bolton, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_341; Page: 6;
    line 11, dwl 87-98.

Mary J. Houghton1

F, #91780, b. circa 1845

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1845MA, USA, age 5 in 1850 census1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Bolton, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_341; Page: 6;
    line 11, dwl 87-98.

Charles L. Houghton1

M, #91781, b. circa June 1850

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca Jun, 1850MA, USA, age 2/12 in 1850 census1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Bolton, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_341; Page: 6;
    line 11, dwl 87-98.

Allen Houghton1

M, #91782, b. circa 1823

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1823VT, USA, age 27 in 1850 census1
1850 Census1850Palmer, Hampden Co., MA, USA, age 27, laborer, with Alanson and Emily Curran, latter 28, VT1
Duplicate

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Palmer, Hampden, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_319; Page: 306; line 28, dwl 621-634.

John Houghton1

M, #91783, b. circa 1828

Family: Almira (?) b. c 1831

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Birthcirca 1828MA, USA, age 22 in 1850 census1
Marriage1
1850 Census1850Milford, Worcester Co., MA, USA, age 22, brick mason; and John Bliss and Seth Bartlett1
Duplicate

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Milford, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_344; Page: 41;
    line 1, dwl 593.

Almira (?)1

F, #91784, b. circa 1831

Family: John Houghton b. c 1828

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Birthcirca 1831RI, USA, age 19 in 1850 census1
Marriage1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Milford, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_344; Page: 41;
    line 1, dwl 593.

Charles E. Houghton1

M, #91785, b. circa 1849

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1849RI, USA, age 1 in 1850 census1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Milford, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_344; Page: 41;
    line 1, dwl 593.

Frances J. Houghton1

F, #91786, b. circa 1849

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Birthcirca 1849MA, USA, age 31 in 1880 census
1880 Census1880Middleborough, Plymouth Co., MA, USA, Frances J. Houghton, age 31, MA, both parents born NH, with Southworth and Elvira Loring1
ParentsDparents born NH1
Duplicate

Citations

  1. [S1229] 1880 U.S. Federal Census , Middleborough, Plymouth, Massachusetts; Roll: T9_551; Family History Film: 1254551; Page: 444A; Enumeration District: 568; sheet 9, line 49, dwl 78-93.

Robert Haughton1

M, #91787, b. 1793, d. 1861

Family: Ann Dixon b. 1798, d. 6 Feb 1868

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birth1793Ireland, age 55 in 1850 census1
Marriage1
Immigration1850
1850 Census1850Northampton, Hampshire Co., MA, USA, age 55, a joiner1
Death1861
BurialBridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, MA, USA, All the children buried here

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_320; Page: 94; line 23, dwl 231-291.

Ann Dixon1

F, #91788, b. 1798, d. 6 February 1868

Family: Robert Haughton b. 1793, d. 1861

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birth1798Ireland, age 52 in 1850 census1
Marriage1
BurialBridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, MA, USA, All the children buried here
DeathFeb 6, 1868Northampton, MA, USA

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_320; Page: 94; line 23, dwl 231-291.

Hannah Haughton1

F, #91789, b. circa 1838

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1838Ireland, age 12 in 1850 census1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_320; Page: 94; line 23, dwl 231-291.

Robert Haughton1

M, #91790, b. 1829, d. 10 December 1899

Family: Emma J. Tetlow b. 1827, d. 23 Jan 1892

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birth1829Ireland, age 21 in 1850 census; age 40 in 1870 census; age 50 in 1880 census1
Occupation1850a tinner2
Marriage3
1870 Census1870Lawrence, Essex Co., MA, USA, an age 40, a tin smith, property $3500-$10001,3
1880 Census1880Lawrence, Essex Co., MA, USA, age 50, tinsmith4
DeathDec 10, 1899Northampton, MA, USA
BurialBridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, MA, USA
ParentsSparents born in Ireland

Citations

  1. [S235] U.S. Census, 1870 US Census, Lawrence, Ward 3, Essex Co., MA, Reel 609, p. 256b, line 8, dwl 386.
  2. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_320; Page: 94; line 23, dwl 231-291.
  3. [S1228] 1870 U.S. Federal Census , Lawrence Ward 4, Essex, Massachusetts; roll: M593_609; Page: 256B; Image: 517; Family History Library Film: 552108; line 8, dwl 386-518.
  4. [S1229] 1880 U.S. Federal Census , Lawrence, Essex, Massachusetts; Roll: 530; Family History Film: 1254530; Page: 478D; Enumeration District: 199; Image: 0578; line 39, dwl 144-60-88.

Ehab Salah Kouta1

M, #91792, b. 1 July 1981

Family: Lisa Kay Hughes b. 12 Sep 1964

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectY
BirthJul 1, 19811
MarriageJul 18, 2007Alexandria, Egypt, religious ceremony / wedding party1
Contributn
ParentsSfather is Salah Abdel Kouta; Mother is Mohdia El-Basuone.1

Citations

  1. [S415] E-mail from Lisa Kay Kouta, Aug 1, 2008.
  2. [S415] E-mail from grandmother Carolyn Sue Houghton Chapman, on July 7, 2011.

Stephanie Joy Wynia1

F, #91793, b. 4 February 2000

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
BirthFeb 4, 2000Columbus, Franklin Co., OH, USA1

Citations

  1. [S415] E-mail from Lisa Kay Kouta, Aug 1, 2008.

Joseph Willard1

M, #91794, b. 14 March 1798, d. 12 May 1865

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
BirthMar 14, 1798Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA, USA2
Author1826Lancaster, MA, USA, Topographical and historical sketches of the town of Lancaster
DeathMay 12, 1865Boston, Suffolk Co., MA, USA2
BiographyAnother son of Joseph, Joseph, author, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 14 March, 1798; died in Boston, Massachusetts, 12 May, 1865, studied at Phillips Exeter academy, was graduated at Harvard in 1816, studied law in Amherst, practised in Waltham and Lancaster, and settled in Boston in 1829. He became master of chancery in 1838, was appointed joint clerk with George C. Wilde, of the supreme court and court of common pleas of Suffolk county, and held these offices until 1856, when they became elective. He was then chosen clerk of the superior court for five years, and re-elected for a like term in 1861. Mr. Willard was corresponding secretary of the Massachusetts historical society from 1829 till 1864, and many years a trustee of the old Boston library, lie was the author of " Topographical and Historical Sketches of the Town of Lancaster in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts" (Worcester, 1826); " Address to the Members of the Bar of Worcester County, 2 October, 1829" (Lancaster, 1830); "Address in Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Incorporation of Lancaster, Massachusetts, with an Appendix" (Boston, 1853); " The Willard Memoir, or Life and Times of Major Simon Willard, and Some Account of the Name and Family in Europe from an Early Day" (1858); "Naturalization in the American Colonies" (1859); and "Letter to an English Friend on the Rebellion in the United States and on the British Policy" (1862). He edited the fifth edition of the "Narrative of the Captivity and Removes of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson among the Indians" (Lancaster, 1828), and was the author of many addresses, pamphlets, and contributions to various magazines. He left, incomplete, a "Life" of Gem Henry Knox.2
Research1826Topographical and historical sketches of the town of Lancaster

Citations

  1. [S1085] Joseph Willard, Lancaster MA Hx - Willard.
  2. [S654] Electronic Web Site, , http://virtualology.com/simonwillard/

Edward Houghton1

M, #91795, b. circa 1817

Family: Eliza (?) b. c 1813

Biography

Corresponded with authorN
A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Birthcirca 1817MA, USA, age 33 in 1850 census1
Marriage1
1850 Census1850Boston, Suffolk Co., MA, USA, age 33, clerk1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Boston Ward 10, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_337; Page: 380; line 40, dwl 705-1111.

Eliza (?)1

F, #91796, b. circa 1813

Family: Edward Houghton b. c 1817

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1813MA, USA, age 37 in 1850 census1
Marriage1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Boston Ward 10, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_337; Page: 380; line 40, dwl 705-1111.

Edward Houghton1

M, #91797, b. circa 1842

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1842MA, USA, age 8 in 1850 census1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Boston Ward 10, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_337; Page: 380; line 40, dwl 705-1111.

Ann Houghton1

F, #91798, b. circa 1843

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1843MA, USA, age 7 in 1850 census1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Boston Ward 10, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_337; Page: 380; line 40, dwl 705-1111.

Maria Houghton1

F, #91799, b. circa 1847

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1847MA, USA, age 3 in 1850 census1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Boston Ward 10, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_337; Page: 380; line 40, dwl 705-1111.

Eliza Houghton1

F, #91800, b. circa 1845

Biography

A Contributor to Houghton Surname ProjectN
Corresponded with authorN
Birthcirca 1845MA, USA, age 5 in 1850 census1

Citations

  1. [S1226] 1850 U.S. Federal Census , Boston Ward 10, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_337; Page: 380; line 40, dwl 705-1111.