FRANK A. SCOTT, architect and builder, of Newburgh, was born here July 18, 1830, a son of John and Jane (Gedney) Scott. The Gedney family is of French-Huguenot origin. David Gedney came from France and located in Newburgh in 1754. Mr. Scott attended the old Glebe School, of which some years ago he made a very accurate drawing from memory. At the age of seventeen he went to New York City to learn the builders' trade and study architecture. In 1863 Mr. Scott went west and was engaged in business in Montana, Colorado and Missouri. Since 1872 he has made his home in his native city and has erected many buildings in the Hudson Valley. In 1852 he married Miss Mary Banks, of Ulster County. They have two daughters: Elsie Banks and Anna Gedney. In 1894 Mr. Scott received from Mayor Odell the appointment of excise commissioner and served as president of the board. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and trustee of the Unitarian Church.
W. CLEMENT SCOTT, secretary and treasurer of the Newburgh Planing Mill, was born in Newburgh in 1869, and is a son of the late Hon. David A. Scott. His education was obtained at Newburgh Academy and Yale College, from which he graduated with the degree of A.B. in 1893. He has been connected with the above firm since 1899 and is identified with local social organizations. In 1897 he married Miss Mary L., daughter of John Schoonmaker. Two children have been born to them: Elizabeth M. and William C., Jr.
FRANK H. SCUDDER, treasurer of Middletown, was born November 19, 1871, in Otisville, Orange County, and graduated from the Otisville public school. He learned telegraphy and was operator for the Erie Railroad from 1888 to 1892, and for the Ontario & Western Railroad from the last date to 1900. He was then transferred to the traffic department of the Ontario & Western as assistant to the traveling freight agent, which position he still holds. He was elected city treasurer of Middletown in 1904, and his third term in this office expired January 1, 1908. He is a member of the Concordia Council, Royal Arcanum, and also of the Monhagen Hose Company. Politically he is a republican. He married Miss Elizabeth E. Scott, of Jersey City, N. J., October 12, 1904, and both are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Middletown.
HENRY SEACORD, republican, who represents the first assembly district of Orange County in the assembly, was born September 19, 1829, at Lincolndale (formerly known as St. David's Corners, or Decker's Mills), and has resided there since. The Seacord family are direct descendants of the French Huguenots that fled from Rochel, France, in the year 1684, went to England, and from there to America in 1684, and Amroise Sicard, a French Protestant refugee, of La Rochelle, France, who fled to England in 1682, and from there came to America in 1684, locating at New Rochelle, Westchester County, and in the year 1692, on February 9, bought from William La Count land on which is now the city of New Rochelle. Mr. Seacord's father represented Orange County in the assembly in 1846, as a free soil democrat, but when the republican party was organized he came out as a republican and was made chairman of the mass meeting and appointed the committee which organized the party in the county.
At an early age Mr. Seacord entered his father's blacksmith shop, to learn the trade, which he followed until the year 1891, when he left the forge and engaged in the real estate and insurance business, which he still follows.
He was present and took part in the organization of the republican party in Orange County in the year 1855, and has taken an active part in its councils ever since. He has attended many of the state, county and district conventions, and was acquainted with Horace Greeley, Roscoe Conkling, President Arthur and many others of their time.
He was elected to represent his town in the board of supervisors in 1876, being the first republican supervisor elected from the town of Hamptonburgh. In the fall of 1876 the town gave a democratic majority of sixty-seven out of a total vote of two hundred and ninety-five.
He was elected to the assembly in 1907, receiving 5,625 votes, while his democratic opponent received 4,871.
Speaker Wadsworth, in 1908, appointed Mr. Seacord a member of the assembly committees on insurance and agriculture.
WILLIAM H. SEACORD was born at Lincolndale, Orange County. N. Y., formerly known as Decker's, July 17, 1860. After leaving the district school he learned blacksmithing, and when twenty-one years old engaged in business for himself.