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[[newspaper clipping]] OBITUARY.

ROBERT BARRY COFFIN.

Robert Barry Coffin, the author and journalist, better known as “Barry Gray,” died on Thursday from bronchitis at his home in Fordham. He was born on July 21, 1826, in Hudson, N.Y. He was the great-grandson of Alexander Coffin, one of the original proprietors of Hudson, and was seventh in line of descent from Tristam Coffin, of Buxton, England, who settled in Nantucket in 1660. He got a private school education at College Hill, Poughkeepsie, where he was a classmate of Clarkson N. Potter and Sandford R. Gifford. After that he studied theology under several tutors and became a candidate for orders in the Western Diocese (Protestant Episcopal) of New-York. He began writing for The Churchman, however, and drifted into journalistic work without finishing his theological course. In 1854 he married Abigail S. Burdick, a daughter of the late William Pendleton Burdick, of Utica, and in 1857 moved to New-York City. He took an active interest in The Home Journal in 1858 and at the same time became the art critic of The Evening Post. He also contributed largely to The New-York Mirror. His first book, “Married Life at Hillside,” appeared serially in The Home Journal during 1864, and was published in one volume in 1865. “Matrimonial Infelicities” followed in 1866. Then came “Out of Town,” in 1866, and “Cakes and Ale,” in 1868. “Castles in the Air,” a volume of sketches gathered from Harper’s Magazine, Harper’s Bazar, The Home Journal, The Eastern States Journal, The Weekly Leader and The Saturday Press, appeared in 1871. In 1864 Mr. Coffin was appointed a clerk in the Auditor’s Office in the New-York Custom House, and in 1865 he moved out of the city to Fordham.

In 1871 he lost his position in the Custom House, but regained it in 1875. He kept up his literary work, however, and contributed to papers and magazines all over the country. “Barry Gray” was chosen poet at the reunion of the Coffin family in 1881 at Nantucket, and delivered some verses on that occasion which have been widely copied. In 1884 Mr. Coffin’s health began to fail, but he stuck to his desk in the Custom House until last winter and continued his writing almost to the day of his death.

He leaves a wife, one son and one daughter. The funeral will take place to-morrow at 3 p. m. at his house in Fordham. The burial will be on Monday at Hudson. [[/newspaper clipping]]

Sunday June 13" 1886. Rained this forenoon and has been grey and chilly all day so that I put on my winter clothes. Calvert and talked over affairs. After dinner I wrote to Mr. Kurtz from whom I had a letter last night telling me the Louisville people would pay the Art Union claim this month and urging me to send them a picture or pictures. I told him I would try to get the one from Detroit and the Winter from New Haven, and accordingly wrote to Weir and to Jay Smith the Art Director at Minneapolis to release me from sending the Detroit picture if not sold. I also wrote Hanna & Ives to know whether the picture sold and if not when it would be returned. Calvert and I walked out back of the cemetery. I keep my mind on the rack about our affairs and am trying to know what is best to do. 

Monday 14" Rainy, cheerless and cold. Between the showers Calvert and I went out and made some measurements and laid out the five lots in the garden. We also discussed other points and just before dinner I went down to Girards office and got the map. He made the alterations in it reducing Jervis St from 124 feet (or thereabouts) in width to 60 and rearranging the lots. We decided it would be advisable to put an advertisement in the Freeman. This evening in discussing about the North Corner of the map which for some reason unknown to me has not been laid out, we both both got saucy and had a little tilt. Calvert however does not retain ill feeling and I am sure I am sorry it occurred. He has an unfortunate manner which irritates me and I fear others with whom he has business. I saw by the Freeman that Barry Gray was buried in Hudson today. Sara had a letter from Emily Warren today telling her of the suicide by shooting of Miss Rhodes who was a neighbor of theirs and once Janettes pupil. It seems a very sad case and will undoubtedly startle Janette. She was an intimate friend of Miss Trukerman.

Tuesday 15" It was three years yesterday since poor Maurice died. I did not think of it until Sara mentioned it this morning although I did only a day or two ago. The recollection of that day is full of sadness and it all comes back to me. I drove Calvert up to the morning train. I felt a little silent and severe as he did, but he always tries more than I do to forget our tiffs. I drive down to Rondout taking Mary and Dwight to take the little boat up to her mothers. I met Cantine in the street and he asked me if I would come to his office for a moment which I did. I had the map of our place with me to leave with Girard and an advertisement of the lots for sale for the Freeman. Cantine told me he had in a jocose way asked Sam when he was coming up on the hill to live and after they got to talking about it Cantine told him what I had said about my interest to put lots upon the market and said if I did that and he had any intention of buying it would be a great mistake for him as he could not get it back and advised him not to let four or five thousand dollars stand in the way of getting the place if he wanted it. He acknowledged he wanted it but that he had consulted two different people and they 

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