Edward Hempstead (June 3, 1780 – August 10, 1817) was an American lawyer, pioneer, and one of the early settlers in the new

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase () was the acquisition of the Louisiana (New France), territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River#Watershed, Mississipp ...

in 1805. Born in

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...

, Hempstead was the delegate in the

U.S. House The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

for the

Missouri Territory The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812, until August 10, 1821. In 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was created from a portion of its southern area. In 1821, a southe ...

from 1812 to 1814. He served as territorial attorney general in Upper Louisiana and in the Missouri Territorial Legislature. He is the older brother of Charles S. Hempstead, the first Mayor of

Galena, Illinois Galena is the largest city in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 3,308 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Plac ...

Accident

Hempstead was raised in

Hebron, Connecticut Hebron ( ) is a New England town, town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. The population was 9,098 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

, where he studied under Rev. Amos Basset. He studied law under Sylvester Gilbert when he was eighteen and was licensed in 1801. He practiced for a year in

Middlesex County, Connecticut Middlesex County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 164,245. The county was created in May 1785 from portions of Hartford County and New London County. Middlese ...

, then two years in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...

, then was admitted to the bar. He moved to

Vincennes Vincennes (; ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Vincennes is famous for its castle: the Château de Vincennes. It is next to but does not include the ...

Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by an organic act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the United States, organized incor ...

, in 1804. There, he befriended

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

, and assisted with Harrison's government of the

District of Louisiana The District of Louisiana, or Louisiana District, was an official and temporary United States government designation for the portion of the Louisiana Purchase that had not been organized into the Territory of Orleans or "Orleans Territory" (the p ...

. When Harrison was replaced with

James Wilkinson James Wilkinson (March 24, 1757 – December 28, 1825) was an American army officer and politician who was associated with multiple scandals and controversies during his life, including the Burr conspiracy. He served in the Continental Army du ...

, Hempstead resigned and moved to

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

. Hempstead later served with other Governors of the Louisiana and Missouri Territory, including attorney general. In 1812, the Territory of Missouri (renamed to avoid confusion with

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

) became entitled to a

delegate to Congress Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives (called either delegates or resident commissioner, in the case of Puerto Rico) are representatives of their territory in the House of Representatives, who do not have a right to vot ...

. Hempstead was elected and served a two-year term, declining re-election. He returned to private law practice. Hempstead alter served in the Missouri Territory General Assembly, rising to Speaker of the House. After Edward's election, his younger brother Charles S. Hempstead was forced to move to Illinois. Hempstead died at his home outside of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

on August 10, 1817, six days after an accident in which he was thrown from his horse. He was buried on his farm, on a plot which later became part of

Bellefontaine Cemetery Bellefontaine Cemetery is a nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery and arboretum in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1849 as a rural cemetery, Bellefontaine has several architecturally significant monuments and mausoleums such as the Louis Su ...

. Hempstead's grave is thus among the oldest in the entire cemetery.

Hempstead County, Arkansas Hempstead County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,065, down from 22,609 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Hope. Hempstead County is Arkansas's fourth county, formed on Decem ...

, is named in his honor. Hempstead was friends with Thomas Hart Benton. Benton later said that he thought Hempstead would have become Missouri's first senator, had he lived long enough. Benton was with Hempstead when he died and spent the wake with his body. When Benton came home from the wake Benton received a challenge to a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

with

Charles Lucas Sir Charles Lucas, 1613 to 28 August 1648, was a professional soldier from Essex, who served as a Royalist cavalry leader during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Taken prisoner at the end of the First English Civil War in March 1646, he was re ...

following a dispute over a court case. Benton replied that he would meet Lucas as soon as Hempstead was buried. The two went on to fight two duels, with Benton ultimately killing Lucas.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hempstead, Edward 1780 births 1817 deaths Burials at Bellefontaine Cemetery Deaths by horse-riding accident in the United States Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Missouri Territory Members of the Missouri Territorial Legislature People from Hebron, Connecticut Politicians from New London, Connecticut 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives

Accident

See also

References

External links