Henry Wetherby Benchley

Henry Wetherby Benchley (February 20, 1822 – February 24, 1867) was an American politician. A member of the Massachusetts Senate and the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, he helped found the Republican Party in the 1850s.
Benchley was allegedly jailed for helping run an Underground Railroad station, and died in Houston, Texas, shortly after founding a small township nearby, Benchley, Texas.
His grandson, Robert Benchley, was a famed humorist, and his great-grandson, Nathaniel Benchley, and great-great-grandson, Peter Benchley, were both noted authors.