Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795

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Josiah Bartlett (December 2, 1729 [O.S. November 21, 1729] – May 19, 1795) was an American Founding Father, physician, statesman, a delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire, and a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the Declaration of Independence. He served as the first governor of New Hampshire and chief justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature.

Born in Amesbury in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, by age 17, he had learned some of both Latin and Greek and began the study of medicine, working in the office of Dr. Ordway of Amesbury at the same time. Before Bartlett turned 21, he moved to Kingston, New Hampshire, in Rockingham County, and began his practice. Bartlett actively practiced medicine for 45 years. Bartlett became active in the political affairs of Kingston, and in 1765 he was elected to the colonial assembly. In 1767, he became the colonel of his county's militia, and Governor John Wentworth appointed him justice of the peace. As the Revolution neared, his Whig policies brought him into opposition with Wentworth.

In 1774, Bartlett joined the Assembly's committee of correspondence and began his work with the revolutionary leaders of the other 12 colonies. Later that year, when Wentworth dismissed, or prorogued, the Assembly, Josiah was elected to its revolutionary (and illegal) successor, the Provincial Assembly. When the assembly appointed Bartlett and John Pickering as delegates to the Continental Congress, he declined because he wished to attend to his family, but remained active in New Hampshire's affairs. In one of Governor Wentworth's last acts before being expelled from New Hampshire in 1775, he revoked Bartlett's commissions as justice, militia colonel, and assemblyman. Bartlett was selected as a delegate again in 1775, and attended that session as well as the meetings in 1776. Indeed, for a time in late 1775 and early 1776, he was the only delegate attending from New Hampshire. Much of the work of the Congress was carried out in committees. The most important of these had a delegate from each state, which meant that Bartlett served on all of them, including those of safety, secrecy, munitions, marine, and civil government. In 1777, he declined a return to the Congress, citing fatigue. But when trouble threatened, he used his medical skills and accompanied John Stark's forces to the Battle of Bennington in August. He was re-elected to Congress in 1778 and served on the committee that drafted the Articles of Confederation. But, after the articles were adopted, he returned to New Hampshire to attend to personal business.

Although he remained in the state after 1778, in 1779 he returned to his role as a judge, serving in the Court of Common Pleas. Then in 1782 he was appointed to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. In 1788, Bartlett was made the chief justice of the state supreme court. That same year he was a delegate to the New Hampshire convention for adoption of the U.S. Constitution, serving part of the time as its chairman. He argued for ratification, which took place on June 21, 1788. The legislature of the new state of New Hampshire selected him to be a U. S. Senator, but he declined the office. When the new state constitution took effect in 1792, he became governor. He resigned in 1794 after four years because of declining health. He retired to his home in Kingston and died there on May 19, 1795. The cause of death was paralysis. He is buried next to his wife Mary in the Plains Cemetery, also at Kingston.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Henry A. Willard II Collection, 1743-1888, (bulk 1770-1840) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
creatorOf Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952,. Signers of the Declaration of Independence autograph collection, 1756-1818. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. Papers, 1743-1795. Winterthur Library
referencedIn Houghton Library printed book provenance file, A-D Houghton Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Letter, 1778 Sept. 7, to Josiah Bartlett. New Hampshire Newspaper Project
creatorOf Bartlett family. Papers, 1710-1918. New Hampshire Historical Society Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. ALS, 1776 September 3, Philadelphia, to "Col Whipple". Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf United States. Continental Congress. Committee of Secret Correspondence. Charter of the brigantine Cornelia, 1776 Feb. 1. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Washington Irving's Life of George Washington Volume 13, Miscellany, 1771-1832 Cornell University Library
referencedIn Reynard, Michael,. Letters and documents, 1769-1974. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Marian S. Carson collection of manuscripts, 1656-1995 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Langdon, John, 1741-1819. Papers, 1716-1841. New Hampshire Historical Society Library
referencedIn Ledyard family. Ledyard family collection, 1754-1808. New-York Historical Society Library
referencedIn Langdon, John, 1741-1819. John Langdon, William Whipple, and Elwyn family papers, 1713-1965 (bulk 1761-1853). Portsmouth Athenaeum Library & Museum
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Autograph letter signed Wm. Whipple to: Josiah Bartlett November 17, 1778. Wellesley College
creatorOf Gilman, Peter, 1704-1788. Letter, 1773 Aug. 14, Exeter, N.H., to Josiah Bartlett, Kingstown. Dartmouth College Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
creatorOf United States. Continental Congress. Miscellaneous manuscripts, 1776-1778. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Autographs of American politicians, [ca. 1780-1915]. Ohio History Connection, Ohio Historical Society
creatorOf Langdon, John, 1741-1819. ALS, 1776 July 1 : Portsmouth, [N.H.], to Josiah Bartlett. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf [Josiah Bartlett, biographical materials] University of Wisconsin - Madison, General Library System
referencedIn Nathaniel Freeman papers 1773- [1818] Freeman, Nathaniel papers William L. Clements Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. Papers, 1774-1794. New Hampshire Newspaper Project
creatorOf New Hampshire. Commission, 1793 October 5, appointing Abel Parker Justice of the Peace and Unus Quorum for the County of Chesire. Massachusetts Historical Society
creatorOf Josiah Bartlett letters and miscellany, 1783, 1787, 1795, undated New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. Letter to unidentified "Gentlemen" and portrait, 1776 January 13. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. ALS, 1777 Sept. 22, Kingston, N.H., to Levi Bartlett, Dummer's School. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. DS, 1777, April 9, [s.l.]. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Collection of documents concerning the American Revolution, 1740-1866 Houghton Library
creatorOf Langdon, John, 1741-1819. ALS, 1776 June 14, Boston, to Josiah Bartlett, Member of Congress, Philadelphia. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. Autograph affidavit : Kingston, 1760 Jan. 16. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Fowler, Eunice. Deposition, 1777 Nov. 26. UNH Durham, Dimond Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. Legal document, 1784 December 10-14. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Albert H. Small Declaration of Independence Collection (University of Virginia) corporateBody
parentOf Bartlett, Ezra, 1770-1848. person
memberOf Bartlett family. person
parentOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1768-1838. person
grandparentOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1803-1853. person
parentOf Bartlett, Levi, 1763-1828. person
associatedWith Bartlett, Mary. person
associatedWith Belknap, Jeremy, 1744-1798. person
associatedWith Blanchard, Jonathan, 1738-1788. person
associatedWith Carson, Marian S., person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
associatedWith Fowler, Eunice. person
associatedWith Freeman, Nathaniel, 1741-1827 person
associatedWith Gilman, John Taylor, 1753-1828. person
associatedWith Gilman, Nicholas, 1755-1814. person
associatedWith Gilman, Peter, 1704-1788. person
associatedWith Houghton Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Howe, William, 1729-1814. person
associatedWith Knox, Henry, 1750-1806. person
associatedWith Langdon, John, 1741-1819. person
associatedWith Ledyard family. family
associatedWith New Hampshire. corporateBody
associatedWith New Hampshire. General Assembly. corporateBody
associatedWith New Hampshire. General Court. corporateBody
associatedWith New Hampshire. Governor (1793-1794 : Bartlett) corporateBody
associatedWith New Hampshire. President (1790-1793 : Bartlett) corporateBody
associatedWith New Hampshire. Provincial Congress. corporateBody
associatedWith Peabody, Nathaniel, 1741-1823. person
associatedWith Republican Party (N.H.) corporateBody
associatedWith Reynard, Michael, person
associatedWith Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952, person
associatedWith Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813. person
associatedWith Schuyler, Philip John, 1733-1804. person
associatedWith Scribner, John. person
associatedWith Smith, Jeremiah, 1759-1842. person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Thompson, Ebenezer, 1737-1802. person
associatedWith Trumbull, John, 1756-1843. person
associatedWith United States. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Continental Army corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Continental Congress. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Continental Congress. Committee of Secret Correspondence. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Navy. corporateBody
associatedWith Weare, Meshech, 1713-1786. person
associatedWith Wheelock, John, 1754-1817. person
associatedWith Whig Party (N.H.) corporateBody
associatedWith Whilliams, Whilliam, 1731-1811. person
associatedWith Whipple, Whilliam, 1730-1785. person
associatedWith Willard, Henry A. (Henry Augustus), 1902- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Kingston NH US
Amesbury MA US
Subject
Slavery
Slavery
Bennington, Battle of, N.Y., 1777
Canadian Invasion, 1775-1776
Depressions
Indians of North America
Indians of North America
Medicine
Medicine
Missouri compromise
New Hampshire
Retail trade
Seminole Indians
Shipbuilding
Occupation
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Governors
Jurists
Militia officers
Physicians
Politicians
Activity

Person

Birth 1729-11-21

Death 1795-05-19

Male

Britons,

Americans

English,

Greek, Modern (1453-),

Latin

Information

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