Joseph Milne

As printed in 1902

JOSEPH MILNE.NORMAND.

Viewed from a standpoint of financial advancement and from that of the regard of his fellow men the life of Joseph Milne Normand may be termed a successful one. He is a machinist by trade and has placed upon the market his own valued inventions. He was also one of the organizers of the United States Tool Holder Company which is doing business in Springfield and is an important factor in the industrial interests of the city.

More than a quarter of a century has passed since Mr. Normand came to Springfield, having arrived here on the 28th of September, 1872. ‘He was born in Brooklyn, New York, September 8, 1843, and is of Scotch lineage. His father, Alexander Normand, was born in Edinburg, Scotland, in 1812 and died in 1845 at the age of thirty-three years. He was anarchitect and builder of New York. His education was-acquired in the University of Edinburg, and after coming to America he followed the line of work for which he had prepared in his native land. The year 1833 witnessed his arrival in the new world and here he soon established a successful business. He was one of the architects of the old Trinity church of New York city and many other important edifices there still show his handiwork. He belonged to the old Scotch Covenanter church and was a man of unquestioned probity. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Isabella Milne, was borne in Dalkeith, Scotland, in 1825 and died in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1897, By her first marriage she had three children: Joseph M., of this review; John C., who is superintendent of the Wire Cloth works, for the firm of Wright € Colton, of Worcester, Massachusetts, is married and has three children: Joseph, Charles and John C., Jr.; and Agnes, who died in infancy. After the death of her first husband Mrs. Normand became the wife of James Neale, who was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and the children born of the union were Charlotte, Isabelle and Edward. The father of our subject was a burgess in Scotland, and came of a wellto-do family, noted for longevity. He met his death, however, by accident. Like the other members of his family he. was - connected with the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Mount Moriah lodge in Scotland. After the death of Mr. Normand his widow went to Worcester, Massachusetts, where her children were reared and educated. The subject of this review had but limited advantages in his youth. He attended school until he was eight years of age, at which time he was bound out.to a millwright of Spencer, Massachusetts, and residedupon a farm. - There our subject worked for seven years, after which time he ran awayand went home to his mother. After visiting her he started to go to sea, but stopping at Norwich, Connecticut, he there accepted’a position in a machine shop. After he had been there for about four months his former employer found him. Not wishing to return to the old service Mr. Normand again ran away and this time went to sea as a stowaway. He was compelled to work his passage at first but he. was an apt

As printed in A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.