336
��Hon. JosiaJi Quincy.
��treated with great kindness and consid- eration ; and it seems that he profited by all these good opportunities, as he was himself a good conversationalist, and could always interest almost any company, and seemed well fitted for a leader in any society.
When young Quincy came to Rum- ney to stay, he had a good suit of clothes, about twenty dollars' worth . of books, and owed Mr. Jones for his law tuition two hundred dollars. This was all he owed. Mr. Weld gave him six months' board and office-rent. The first year of his practice in Rumney, he paid from its avails his board for the remainder of the year, his debt to Jones in full, and for his clothing, and had two thousand dollars left. This was certainly a very good year's work to begin with. But it was a time when every one bought on credit at the stores, and most every one got sued once a year, and many twice. I am told on good authority, that it was not uncom- mon for him, in his early practice, to make forty justice writs per month, which would be entered on the last Saturday of each month, which was the day for the justice courts at the lawyer's office. His entries at the terms of the court of Common Pleas were propor- tionately large ; but more than three- fourths of all these actions were mere matters of collection, most of which were defaulted at the first term.
But among so many suits there were of course many causes that were liti- gated, and Mr. Quincy soon exhibited the qualities necessary to make a suc- cessful lawyer. He had courage, energy, great diligence, and perseverance ; and he showed early a talent for debate and argument, an appreciation of the prin- ciples of law involved in his causes, and a knowledge of the reported cases, which
��gave promise of the sound lawyer and the able advocate which he afterwards became. He early acquired the repu- tation of being " plucky," a good fight- er. The practice of making great numbers of writs, of suing almost all the people in a town in the course of the year, was not confined to Rumney, nor peculiar to Mr. Quincy. At that time in Grafton County it was the com- mon practice to multiply suits for mere purposes of collection far beyond any thing that is known or practised at the present day. I presume this was not confined to Grafton County, but my information in regard to other counties is not so full and reliable as in relation to that county.
A year or two after coming to Rum- ney, Mr. Quincy and Mr. Weld went to Boston together on some business, Weld being a merchant. While there, there, came up a very cold easterly storm, during which Mr. W^eld took a violent cold. They started for home, and reached Londonderry, stopping at a hotel then kept by a Mr. Adams. Mr. Weld became worse, and could go no farther. Mr. Quincy went on as fast as possible for his wife, but before she arrived Mr. Weld was dead. Mr. Quincy administered on his estate. He had an only child, a son, who died soon after the death of his father. Mrs. Weld lived with Mr. Quincy after this, until she died.
Mr. Quincy married Mary Grace Weld, a daughter of Jabez H. Weld of Plymouth, April 5, 181 9. They moved at once upon the place where they afterwards lived in Rumney. Before this his office had been at first in or connected with the store of Mr. Oliver Weld, near where the Baptist meeting- house stands ; then it was removed to an ell part of the house now occupied
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