Hollis Lemuel Blood, a well-to-do farmer and dairyman of Bradford, Merrimack County, N.H., was born July 16, 1845, in Goshen, Sullivan County, this State, a son of Lemuel and Eliza (Dodge) Blood. On the paternal side he is of Scotch ancestry and on the maternal of English. His paternal grandfather served throughout the Revolutionary War, and in later life was always called General Blood. After the war he removed from Maine to New Hampshire, locating on Blood Hill in Bradford Centre, his son Moody, who later settled in the South, coming here with him. The General subsequently made his home with his son Lemuel in Goshen, living there until his death.
Lemuel came from Maine to New Hampshire at the time his father did, but located Goshen, taking up a tract of three hundred acres of wild land, from which he redeemed a farm. He was three times married, his first and second wives, named Bates, having been sisters. He had by his three unions twenty-one children, his last wife, formerly Miss Eliza Dodge, being the mother of five, namely: George F., who served in the war of the Rebellion, taking part in three of the hardestfought battles-Antietam, South Mountain, and another-and died a few years later from the effects of wounds received at the battle of South Mountain; Hollis L., the subject of this sketch; Jeannette, wife of Harland Wilcox, of Newport, N.H.; Mark A., of Melrose, Mass.; and Frank J., who is employed in a shoe factory at Nashua, N.H., and is also one of the special police of that city. One of the older children, Albertus Blood, was killed September 4, 1894, by the falling of a tree. His widow still lives in Bradford village; and his daughter Ida is the wife of C. W. Redington, of whom a short sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Another son, Moody E., resides in Newport; Harvey is in California; Joel is in the State of Washington; Rocira is the wife of Wellman George, of Manchester; and another sister, Luretta, the widow of Hosea Brockaway, lives in Manchester. The father, Lemuel Blood, died at the age of seventy-three years; and at his funeral fifteen of the sixteen children then living were present, five of each marriage.
Hollis L. Blood was a boy of thirteen when his father died. He remained with his mother some four years, and then began working on a neighboring farm, receiving fifty dollars a year, board, clothes, and schooling. When his brother George enlisted, he went back to the home farm, continuing there until twenty years old. After that he again worked out as a farm laborer, his wages being twenty-five dollars a month; and he soon came to Bradford Centre, where he was employed for two seasons by E. W. Dodge. He then bought a half-interest in the saw-mill of Wadleigh & Seavey in the village of Bradford, and for eight years, in company with Benjamin E. Wadleigh, carried on an extensive business in custom trade. He made money, starting in with a capital of one hundred dollars, and clearing one thousand dollars above all expenses. Selling his interest in that mill, he purchased another one, and eventually he repurchased his former mill, running both for a year or two with John E. French as partner. Later Mr. Blood carried on the entire business himself for a time, owning both of the mills, one of which he dismantled, and the other he sold. He then bought the steam mill; and three years afterward he sold that, and purchased a grist-mill in the village, which he operated four and one-half years, at the same time having a large trade in grain and feed. In March, 1890, giving up milling, in which he had been engaged for twenty-four years, he bought a new store in the village, on the site of an old business house, and for three and one-half years he was engaged in the sale of general merchandise. In the fall of 1893 he disposed of his store, and bought the Jonathan Peaslee farm, an old landmark of the town, one mile west of the village. He has since added to his acreage, his estate being nearly two miles in length. He carries on general farming, including dairying, for which he keeps ten or more cows.
On November 24, 1867, Mr. Blood married Miss Frances L. Seavey, who was born in Newbury, a daughter of Andrew Seavey, now residing in the village of Bradford. Mr. and Mrs. Blood have three children, namely: Mabel F., wife of Frank P. Craig, of Bradford village; L. Estella, who was educated at the New London Academy, and teaches at Bradford in School No. 6; and Nettie E., who is yet a school-girl.
In politics Mr. Blood is a firm advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and besides serving several years as secretary of the local committee has been a delegate to numerous conventions. He is an active member of the School Board, having the supervision of two schools, Nos. 6 and 12. He is prominent in Masonic circles, belonging to St. Peter’s Lodge, No. 31, F. & A. M., in which he is a Past Master, and is now serving his third term as Worthy Master, being one of the most enthusiastic workers in the organization. He is also a member of Massasecum Lodge, No. 34, I. O. O. F., in which he has passed all the chairs, and is likewise a member of the Grand Lodge. Mr. Blood is a very genial, social man, popular with his townspeople. He has a most cosey and attractive farm-house home, which it is a pleasure to visit.
