John Francis Webster, of Concord, the treasurer of the Concord & Montreal Railroad, was born in Dorchester, Mass., November 18, 1837, son of Nathaniel F. and Miriam (Couch) Webster, both natives of Salisbury, N.H. He was educated in the public schools of Savannah, Ga., and Concord, N.H., and completed his studies at the age of nineteen. His first employment for salary was that of book-keeper for Moore, Cilley & Co., hardware merchants of this city, with whom he remained for a year and a half. On March 14, 1857, he entered the employ of the Concord Railroad Corporation as cashier in the local freight office, where he continued until 1862, when he was promoted to the general freight office. On May 1, 1865, he was made cashier of the road, a position that he subsequently filled for nearly twenty-five years. In September, 1889, he was appointed to his present office, that of treasurer of the Concord & Montreal Railroad. His long experience in the financial department of a carrying corporation had previously qualified him for this position. He is now a well-known railroad financier. He is also interested in the Mechanics’ National Bank, of which he is a Director, and in the Loan and Trust Savings Bank of Concord, of which he is a Trustee. Politically, he is a Republican. He represented Concord in the legislature during the years 1889 and 1890, and was a member of the Board of Aldermen from Ward Four in 1895, 1896, 1897, and 1898.
On June 18, 1856, Mr. Webster was united in marriage with Mary J. Cutting, of this city. She died in November, 1893, leaving four children, namely: Jennie Margaret, now the wife of Edward E. Brown, of Concord; Clara Helen, the wife of Joseph S. Mathews, of this city; Jessie Marion; and Frances May. Mr. Webster was again married February 6, 1897, to Miss Stella Hutchinson, of Manchester, N.H. A Mason of high standing, he is a member of Blazing Star Lodge, No. 11; of Trinity Chapter, No. 2, Royal Arch Masons; of Horace Chase Council, No. 4, Royal and Select Masters; of Mount Horeb Commandery, Knights Templar; of Edward A. Raymond Consistory, of Nashua; and of the Royal Order of Scotland. He has been the presiding officer of all of the Masonic bodies in Concord, and Grand Master, Grand High Priest, and Grand Commander of the State bodies. He is one of the few whose qualifications enable them to reach the thirty-third September 17, 1885, by the Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America. Mr. Webster is a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
