James Creighton Odiorne was an American businessman and author
Background
Odiorne was born in London, England, June 4, 1802. His father, George Odiorne, was a merchant of Boston, Mass, and while spending two years in England for purposes connected with his business, he married as his third wife Maria, daughter of Review James Creighton, an intimate associate of John Wesley.
Education
He graduated from Yale College in 1826.
Career
The family came to America in the summer of 1802, and James was fitted for college at Phillips Academy, Andover. He was again married, June 8, 1870, to Frances M, youngest daughter of George Meacham, Esq, of Cambridge, Massachusetts He died suddenly, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, February 5, 1879, while on the cars in a journey from Framingham to Boston.
After his retirement from business he indulged his tastes for historical and scientific studies, and also gave considerable attention to the law.
In 1830 he took a deep interest in the movement against the Free Masons, and published a volume of 300 pages, entitled Opinions on Speculative Masonry. In 1832 he assisted in the formation of the New England Anti-Slavery Society, and for many years he served as its Treasurer.
In 1875 he published a Genealogy of the Odiorne Family (222 pages, octavo). This article incorporates public domain material from the Yale Obituary Record.
Membership
He was also an active member of the American Statistical Association, and of the Boston Society of Natural History.