Biography
Parton was born in Canterbury, England in 1822. He was taken to the United States when he was five years old, studied in New York City and White Plains, New York, and was a schoolmaster in Philadelphia and then in New York. He moved to Newburyport, Massachusetts, where he died on October 17, 1891.
Parton was the most popular biographer of his day in America. His most important books are Life of Horace Greeley (1855), Life and Times of Aaron Burr (1857), Life of Andrew Jackson (1859–1860), Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin (1864), Life of Thomas Jefferson (1874), and Life of Voltaire (1881). Among his other publications are General Butler in New Orleans (1863), Famous Americans of Recent Times (1867), The Peoples Book of Biography (1868); Noted Women of Europe and America (1883), and Captains of Industry (two series, 1884 and 1891), for young people.
His first wife, Sara (1811–1872), sister of Nathaniel Parker Willis, and widow of Charles H. Eldredge (d. 1846), attained considerable popularity as a writer under the pen-name Fanny Fern. They were married in 1856. Her works include the novels, Ruth Hall (1854), reminiscent of her own life, and Rose Clark (1857); and several volumes of sketches and stories.
In 1876 Parton married Ellen Willis Eldredge, his first wife's daughter by her first husband, Charles Eldredge. His adopted daughter, Ethel, the daughter of Grace Eldrege (Fanny Fern's daughter) and writer Mortimer Thomson (also known as Philander Doesticks), was adopted by Parton in 1872, and she later adopted Parton's last name. Ethel Parton became a famous writer of children's books about 19th century life in Newburyport, MA, published in the 1930s and 1940s.
James and Ellen had two children, Hugo and Mabel. Hugo's children (James Parton's actual grandchildren) were James Parton and Niké (pronounced Ni-KAY) Parton. James Parton (1912–2001) was founder and publisher of American Heritage and Horizon Magazines. Niké Parton (1922–2005) was a prominent Florida artist.
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