▁John ▁R . ▁C ory ell ▁under w ent ▁an ▁ar du ous ▁sea ▁voyage ▁to ▁China . ▁At ▁age ▁twenty , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁magistr ate ▁in ▁the ▁Shang hai ▁civil ▁courts . ▁ ▁After ▁returning ▁from ▁China , ▁C ory ell ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁ship - bro ker age ▁business ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁and ▁lost ▁his ▁fortune . ▁He ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁to ▁Santa ▁Barbara ▁by ▁publish er ▁Harrison ▁Gray ▁Ot is ▁to ▁write ▁for ▁the ▁Santa ▁Barbara ▁Press , ▁though ▁C ory ell ▁admitted , ▁“ I ▁was ▁a ▁mighty ▁poor ▁newspaper ▁man .” ▁ ▁Family ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁after ▁returning ▁from ▁China , ▁C ory ell ▁met ▁his ▁future ▁wife , ▁Abb y ▁L yd ia ▁H edge ▁( 1 8 5 8 - 1 9 5 7 ). ▁ ▁Following ▁a ▁seven - year ▁eng agement , ▁the ▁couple ▁married ▁on ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁They ▁had ▁four ▁sons : ▁Harold ▁H edge ▁C ory ell ▁( 1 8 8 4 - 1 9 4 8 ), ▁Roland ▁Smith ▁C ory ell ▁( 1 8 8 6 - ?? ?? ), ▁Hub ert ▁V ans ant ▁C ory ell ▁( 1 8 8 9 - 1 9 7 9 ), ▁and ▁Russell ▁M iers ▁C ory ell ▁( 1 8 9 1 - 1 9 4 1 ). ▁All ▁four ▁attended ▁Harvard ▁University . ▁Following ▁in ▁their ▁father ' s ▁foot steps , ▁Hub ert ▁V