Josiah BARTLETT

Josiah BARTLETT

Male 1729 - 1795  (65 years)

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  • Name Josiah BARTLETT  [1, 2, 3
    Birth 21 Nov 1729  Amesbury, Essex Co., Massachsuetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Gender Male 
    Fact Chief Justice of Common Please Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Fact First Governor of the State Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Fact Delegate to the Congress at Yorktown Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Fact Justice of the Superior Court Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Fact Chosen Delegate to the Continental Congress Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Fact President of New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Fact Chief Justice Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Fact Re-Elected to the Continental Congress Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Fact Senator to Congress Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Fact Representative from Kingston, New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Death 19 May 1795  Kingston, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Burial Plains Cemetery, Kingston, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Notes 
    • Josiah was a signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Hampshire; he was the first to vote for and the second after John Hancock to sign it.

      Studied medicine under Dr. Ordway of Amesbury
      Finished his medical education in 1750
      At 21 years of age, began the practice of medicine in Kingston, New Hampshire
      Was a member of the convention which adopted the Federal Constitution

      Excerpt from "Early New England People": After an imperfect medical education, he began the practie of medicine at Kingston, N.H., and soon became eminent by his success intreating a malignant throat disease which was fatal among children and very prevalent in the towns of New Hampshire. The method, hitherto, of treating this disease, was as higly phlogistic complaint, but he was led from his own reason and observation to manage it differently. He made use of the Peruvian bark as an antidote and preventative, and his practice was very successful. In 1765, and annually until the Revolution, he was chosen to the Legislature. He was a member of the committee of safety, upon whom devolved for a time the whole executive government of the State, and on the organization of government by a Provincial Congress, of which he was a member he was appointed a justice of the peace and Colonel of the 7th regiment. Being a delegate to Congress in 1775 and 1776, he was the first to give his vote for the Declaration of Independence, and its first signer after the President. He accompanied Gen. Start to Bennington, as agent of the State to provide medicines and other necessaries for the New Hampshire troops. He was again a delegate to Congress He was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pease in 1779, a Justice of the Superior Court in 1784, and Chief Justice in 1788. He was an active member of the convention called to adopt the Federal Constitution. He was for three years President of the State, and under the new Constitution, Governor. He was also President of the New Hampshire Medical Society, which he was chiefly instrumental in founding. He received an honorary degree of M.D., from Dartmouth College. He was always a patron of learning, and a friend to learned men. His son Josiah was a physician of extensive practice.
    • Declaration of Independence Signer. He was also the first man to vote for independence, when the issue came up for vote on July 2, 1776. Born in Amesbury, Massachusetts, the youngest of seven children, where his parents ran a farm called "The Lion's Mouth" in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Josiah's father was also a shoemaker. After some formal schooling, 16 year old Josiah was apprenticed to an Amesbury physician, where for the next five years, he studied medicine and became a doctor, setting up his practice in Kingston, New Hampshire, about ten miles from Amesbury. In 1754, he married his cousin, Mary Bartlett, and they would have twelve children, eight of whom lived to adulthood. In 1765, Dr. Bartlett was elected to the New Hampshire legislature, where he became known as a sharp critic of British policies in the colonies. He was chosen to serve in the First Continental Congress, in 1774, but his house burned down under mysterious circumstances and had to be rebuilt, so he decided not to go. He twice served in the Second Continental Congress, from 1775 to 1776, and again from 1778 to 1779. On July 2, 1776, he was the first congressman to vote for independence, and two days later, he was the first man to vote to approve the Declaration of Independence. During the War for Independence, he worked in Congress to build the American Navy and in spare hours, he worked in a hospital treating wounded soldiers. After the American Revolution, he served as the Chief Justice for the New Hampshire State Supreme Court, from 1788 to 1790, and then as Governor of New Hampshire from 1790 to 1794. In 1787, when the US Constitution was being voted upon in the New Hampshire legislature, he worked tirelessly to have the Constitution adopted. He died at age 65, within a year after leaving office as Governor. The town of Bartlett, New Hampshire, was named after him.

      Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson [4]
    Person ID I04079  Main Tree
    Last Modified 23 May 2021 

    Father Stephen BARTLETT,   b. 21 Apr 1691, Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 10 Apr 1773 (Age 81 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Mother Hannah WEBSTER,   b. 05 Oct 1692, Newbury, Essex Co., Mass. Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Jan 1768 (Age 75 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Marriage 18 Dec 1712  Salisbury, Essex Co., Mass. Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 5
    Family ID F04212  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Mary BARTLETT,   b. 27 Dec 1730, Newton, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 14 Jul 1789, Kingston, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 58 years) 
    Marriage 15 Jan 1754  Kingston, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 6
    Family ID F07664  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 23 May 2021 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsFact - - First Governor of the State Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsFact - - Delegate to the Congress at Yorktown Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsFact - - Justice of the Superior Court Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsFact - - Chief Justice Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 15 Jan 1754 - Kingston, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 19 May 1795 - Kingston, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Josiah Bartlett
    Josiah Bartlett
    Josiah is the son of Stephen Bartlett and Hannah Webster. A signer of the Declaration of Independence and Governor of New Hampshire.

    Photo added by: Anoymous

    Headstones
    Josiah and Mary Bartlett Headstone
    Josiah and Mary Bartlett Headstone
    Josiah Bartlett and his wife Mary Bartlett, are buried in the Plains Cemetery in Kingston, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire.

    Created by: Star Rhodes
    Photo added by: Star Rhodes

  • Sources 
    1. [S02356] Genealogical Records of Descendants of John and Anthony Emery 1590-1890.

    2. [S01653] A Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England 1620-1675 by John Farmer.

    3. [S02197] Early New England People by Sarah Elizabeth Titcomb.

    4. [S02329] Find A Grave Website.

    5. [S02871] Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury Massachusetts, Vol. 1.

    6. [S04348] Yates Publishing, Ancestry.com: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004;).