Introduction

Biography

Francis was the son of Na­than­iel Wal­ker Ap­ple­ton and Ma­ry Cof­fin Green, and hus­band of Har­ri­ett White Hodg­es.

He gra­du­at­ed from Har­vard Di­vi­ni­ty School, Cam­bridge, Mas­sa­chu­setts, in 1845.

He was then set­tled ov­er the Un­i­tar­i­an So­cie­ty in South Dan­vers (now Pea­bo­dy), Mas­sa­chu­setts.

In 1853, he left South Dan­vers and went to Low­ell, Mas­sa­chu­setts, to man­age the Low­ell Bleach­ery & Dye Works, with which he was con­nect­ed un­til 1885.

In 1881, he built a house in Dor­ches­ter (Bos­ton), where he lived dur­ing the win­ter, and an­o­ther in Co­has­set, Mas­sa­chu­setts, his sum­mer re­si­dence.