MR. NORMAN MALTBY

(CFE-DGC)

“Mr. Norman Maltby, whose portrait we publish, was born on his father’s farm near Vernon Centre, Oneida County, New York, April 15, 1814; when he was about eighteen years of age it was recommended that he take a sea voyage on account of his health, so he went on a sailing vessel to England.  During the voyage an incident occurred which he often related, the ship had been becalmed for several days, and on the day the first breeze came up he was standing on the deck with a companion who asked him, ‘When did the Captain say we should reach land?’  He replied: ‘In about six days.’  A sailor standing near remarked: ‘The ship may, but you will go over the side before that.’  His companion, who was really a robust man but imagined he had imagined he had every kind of disease, burst into tears and said, ‘What will become of me, I certainly will die before you do.’  To which Mr. Maltby answered: ‘What does an old ignoramus of a sailor know about whether I shall live or die, I am going to England on this ship and not only that but I am going back to America.’  The sailor looked him over and said: ‘Well, when a man looks as you do, has that much grit and nerve it wouldn’t surprise me if he did.’

This spirit of never-give-up carried him through many trials in after life.

On his return to America he went to Westmorland where he became a clerk in a general merchandise store; one of the first instructions he had from his employer was ‘Obey orders if you break owners.’ And, ‘If you sell anything that is to be charged, if the store is on fire make the charge, then save the books and anything else you can.’  Later he went to Verona and entered into partnership in the general merchandise business with William S. Armitage, under the firm name of Maltby and Armitage.  In 1861 he removed to Cleveland, N.Y., and from there in 1863 to Rome, Y.Y., where he, in connection with Samuel Wardwell organized the firm of Wardwell and Company, dealers in hardware, at 54 Dominick Street.  In 1865 he went to Missouri in farming and sheep raising in Henry county.  In 1868 he removed to Sedalia, Mo., and engaged in mercantile business, in which he continued until his death in 1876.  While he was never a politician he was elected in 1875 Mayor of Sedalia.  He was a States Rights Democrat, was opposed to the war, was a delegate to the peace convention at Charleston, was for many years a member of the Methodist Church, but left it in 1863 as he said ‘He could hear all the polities and war talk he wanted to hear during the week, and did not want to hear it from the pulpit.’  He soon after became a member of the Episcopal Church at Rome, and was vestryman and warden of the church at Sedalia, being senior warden at the time of his death.  He was a conscientious Christian, a man noted for many sterling qualities of head and heart, and for his honesty and integrity.

Mr. Norman Maltby married Sept. 16, 1841, Lovina Maria Wright, daughter of William and Susanna (Sessions) Wright.  Mrs. Maltby descended from a great many prominent families, some of them being: John Wales of Idle, Eng.; John Greenaway, Dorchester, Mass.; Thomas Stevens, London, England; Major Simon Willard; Thomas Brigham, b. 1603; Ralph Wheelock; William Ward; John Pope; William Blake, b. 1594; Thomas Axtell; John Corbin; the Spoffords; Alexander Sessions; Edward Wright, etc.

The children of Norman and Lovina (Wright) Maltby were:

1. Lucy Jane Maltby (Mrs. Edward Payson Powell).

2. Helen Lovina Maltby (Mrs. William Taylor Thornton, widow of Ex-Gov. Thornton of New Mexico).

3. Mary Persis Maltby (Mrs. John P. Victory of Santa Fe, New Mexico).

4. William John Maltby

5. Arthur Norman Maltby, of Kansas City, Mo., who very kindly furnished this record.