FRYE, Joseph, soldier, born in Andover, Mass.. in April 1711 ; died in Fryeburg, Maine, in 1794. He was a second cousin of James Frye, noticed above. He was a justice of the peace and a member of the general court of Massachusetts, and was an ensign in Hale's regiment at the capture of Louisburg in 1745. He was a colonel when Montcalm captured Fort William Henry in 1757, and escaped by killing the Indian that had charge of him. He was appointed major general by the Massachusetts provincial congress on 21 June 1775, and was commissioned brigadier general by the Continental congress on 10 January 1776, but resigned on account of infirmity on 23 April. He was an early settler of Fryeburg, Maine

His great grandson, William Pierce Frye, senator, born in Lewiston, Maine, 2 September 1830, was graduated at Bowdoin in 1850, studied law with William P. Fessenden, and, after practicing for a few years in Rockland, Maine, removed to Lewiston, Maine, where he has since resided. He was a member of the legislature in 1861'2 and 1867, a presidential elector on the Lincoln ticket in 1864, mayor of Lewiston in 1866'7, and attorney general of Maine in 1867'9. He was then elected to congress as a Republican six times in succession, serving from 1871 till 1881, when he took his seat as U. S. senator, having been chosen to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of James G. Blaine. He was reelected in 1883 for a full term. Mr. Frye has interested himself especially in the distribution of the Geneva award, in commercial legislation, and in the fishery question. He has been a member of the Republican national committee since 1872, and earnestly supported James G. Blaine for the presidency in 1884. He was made a trustee of Bowdoin in 1880, and received the degree of LL.D. from Bates in 1881.