Andrews, Frank DeWette (1847-1937), was born on August 1, 1847 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut, the son of Bennet Josiah Andrews (1806-1860) and Lavinia Frost (1817-1899).

He was a descendant of John Andrews an original proprietor of Farmington in 1640. As a young boy Andrews developed what would grow into a life-long avid interest in geology, genealogy, numismatics, philatelics, antiquarian history and Indian relics.

According to the 1870 U. S. Census the family owned and worked a prosperous estate farm and Andrews personal estate was valued at $4,000. While farming in Southington, Andrews married Kittie Gallup (1842-1880) on December 16, 1868. In 1869 he and his family moved to South 7th Street, in what was then called Landis Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey.

His wife having died sometime prior to June 1880, led him to occupy his mind by writing his book, A Description of 268 Varieties of United States Cents, 1816-1857 in the Collection of Frank D. Andrews (1881). He tells us about this in his own words :

Andrews self-published the book in only forty copies. He explains this in his author's preface in the fifty-four page pamphlet :

The scarcity of copies drove up the price of this fifty-four page pamphlet and by 1884 we find a record that it realized a price of $4.00 at public auction.

His numismatic interests also led him to become a corresponding member of the ANS since June 12, 1883. During this time he lived with his twice-widowed mother Lavinia A. Norton and his elder widowed sister Emma Belinda Gridley at his home in Vineland, New Jersey.

It was at his home in Vineland that Andrews found himself publishing a revised edition of his original 1881 pamphlet on United States cents. Andrews' second book on Large Cents, An Arrangement of United States Copper Cents 1816-1857, for the Assistance of Collectors (Vineland, N. J., 1883), printed in forty-two pages is given its first public notice in March 1883.

Several years later, he became a Trustee of the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society in 1888. Two years later, he married Rebecca "Bessie" Graham Ayars (1849-1921) on April 10, 1890 at Greenwich, New Jersey. About this time he began to assist in land acquisition for the Library building of the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society, which he endowed. By July 1894 the small building housed a collection of curiosities and relics as well as books and documents.

In 1931 an addition was built onto the Vineland Historical Society Library containing "Andrews Room". In 1932 a stately portrait of Andrews was painted by August Franceschi. He continued as Editor-in-Chief of the Vineland Historical Magazine up until his death at Philadelphia on January 28, 1937.

To read the 1881 Andrews work on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
A description of 268 varieties of U.S. cents, 1816-57, in the collection of Frank D. Andrews, 1881.(https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/562598)

To read the complete article, see:
ANDREWS, FRANK DEWETTE(http://www.numismaticmall.com/numismaticmall-com/andrews-frank-dewette)