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James Hartness Beardsley
(20 March 1914 - 23 June 2004)
3 gen navigation 3 gen. navigation
8th cousin 2 times removed of Darrell Allen Martin.

     James was born in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, on 20 March 1914.1,2 He was the son of Doctor William Henry Beardsley and Anna Jackson Hartness. He was usually called Hartness.1 Hartness Beardsley graduated in 1937 from the Dartmouth School of Engineering in Hanover, Grafton County, New Hampshire.3 One event gives a glimpse of the family's means and situation. His sister Mary "became critically ill in Italy on her wedding trip." Their mother Anna and he "received a cable to that effect about 4:30 p.m. July 17th, and after a hectic time involving two airplane journeys and a train ride just managed to catch the liner 'Bremen' from New York for Europe sailing at midnight that same night. Mrs. Fenn recovered." He married Margaret Whitcomb in Ellsworth, Hancock County, Maine, on 28 August 1937.1,4 He was associated with Jones & Lamson in Springfield, Windsor County, Vermont from 1938 to 1948.5 Hartness Beardsley became General Manager of Bryant, in Springfield, 1 June 1949.6 In a 1951 controversy over standards at Springfield High School, he was a member of the committee charged with evaluating the situation and making recommendations. The majority expressed confidence in the school administration; "J. Hartness Beardsley" was among those who issued a minority report, suggesting among many things that "Scholarship should be reinstated to a position of importance."7 In November, 1957, Bryant announced "a proposal to merge with Ex-Cell-O of Detroit ... Bryant stockholders almost unanimously accepted the offer and Bryant became an Ex-Cell-O subsidiary February 1, 1958. Ex-Cell-O officials joined the Bryant Board ... J. Hartness Beardsley became President. Thus one of Springfield's 'big three' passed from ownership and control of local people."8 "Bryant had a change in management in May, 1959. President Beardsley resigned, and presently moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada where he became an official of the British-Newfoundland Corporation."9 James died on 23 June 2004 in Blue Hill, Hancock County, Maine, at age 90.10,2

     Children of James Hartness Beardsley and Margaret Whitcomb:
Christopher Beardsley +   (30 Jul 1939 - )
William Henry Beardsley   (4 Jul 1942 - )
Anthony Beardsley   (26 Jan 1948 - )
Anna Katherine Beardsley   (5 Apr 1955 - )

Cited documentation:

  1. [S237] Beardsley Gen. 1951.
  2. [S167] In a RootsWeb online database, "the Obituary Times", found in April, 2005: "BEARDSLEY, J Hartness; 90; Springfield MA>Blue Hill ME; Bangor D-N; 2004-6-24"; 90 is the age at death; the first place is that of birth, the second that of death; "Bangor D-N" is the "Bangor Daily News" of Bangor, Me.; the date is the date of publication.
  3. [S239] Springfield Hist. 2, pg. 417, 1945 events; during a union dispute at Jones & Lamson, a banner was displayed which included the phrase, "Harty's Alma Mater gets $25,000 ..." citing Springfield Reporter, Dec. 20, 1945. The author explains, "The banner reference is to a $25,000 gift by J&L to the Dartmouth School of Engineering. 'Harty' referred to Hartness Beardsley, grandson of James Hartness and at the time a J&L official"; and pg. 461, "Hartness Beardsley ... Dartmouth 1937."
  4. [S239] Springfield Hist. 2, pg. 332, events of 1937 "Hartness Beardsley married Margaret Whitcomb of Ellsworth, Maine, in that city August 28th."
  5. [S239] Springfield Hist. 2, pg. 461, "Hartness Beardsley ... had been with J&L from 1938 to 1948."
  6. [S239] Springfield Hist. 2, pg. 461, 1949 events, "J.B. Johnson resigned as General Manager of Bryant effective June 1st ... Hartness Beardsley succeeded him ..."
  7. [S239] Springfield Hist. 2, pgs. 488-9.
  8. [S239] Springfield Hist. 2, pg. 550. The end of local ownership was probably inevitable, given the nationwide loss of the machine tool and related industries. The situation was not helped by the confrontational nature of labor relations in Springfield, with neither side being very realistic about the future, in my personal opinion. The sale of Bryant led quite directly to my family's move to Walled Lake, Michigan in 1967, when Excello (as it was by then spelled) relocated Bryant Computer Products, my father's employer. As I write this in April, 2005, there is little or nothing left in Springfield of the industry that for so many years defined its character.
  9. [S239] Springfield Hist. 2, pg. 572, where it is also noted that by this time rumors of the Computer Products Division being moved to Detroit were out in the open.
  10. [S240] SSDI Beardsley, J., d. "23 Jun 2004" verified by family, last residence Blue Hill, ME.
The author strongly cautions the reader about making any assumption concerning the existence of uncited documentation (whether the assumption is that it does exist -- or that it does not).


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