Freeman Harlow Morse (February 18, 1807 – February 5, 1891) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

Early life and education

He was born in Bath, Massachusetts (now in

) on February 18, 1807. He attended private schools and the academy in Bath. He engaged in business as a carver of figureheads for ships.

Early political career

Morse was elected a member of the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via p ...

. He was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845). Morse was elected Mayor of

Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,766 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its ...

Congressional career

Morse was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861). Morse was Chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs (Thirty-sixth Congress). He was not a candidate for renomination.

Diplomatic career

Morse was a delegate to the Peace Convention held in Washington, D.C. in 1861, in an effort to devise means to prevent the impending war. He was appointed by President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

as United States

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

March 22, 1861, and

Consul General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

April 16, 1869. He resided in England after his retirement from office.

Death and burial

Morse died in

Surbiton Surbiton is a suburban neighbourhood in South West London, within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK). It is next to the River Thames, southwest of Charing Cross. Surbiton was in the historic county of Surrey and since 1965 it has ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

U.K. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

on February 5, 1891. His interment was in the parish churchyard of St. Mary’s in

Long Ditton Long Ditton is a residential suburb in the Borough of Elmbridge, Surrey, England on the boundary with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. In medieval times it was a village, occupying a narrow strip of land. Neighbouring settlem ...

, England.

External links

''Information incorporated from the public domain Bioguide of the US Congress''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morse, Freeman H. 1807 births 1891 deaths People from Bath, Maine Businesspeople from Maine Maine Whigs Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American businesspeople