George Baxter Upham (December 27, 1768 – February 10, 1848) was an American politician and a

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, 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 Artic ...

from the U. S. state of

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Early life

Born in Brookfield in the

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in New England which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of Eng ...

, Upham attended the common schools and

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population was 16,049 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county ...

. He graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1789, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1792.

Career

Upham practiced law in Claremont, New Hampshire, and served as

solicitor A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...

for Cheshire County from December 15, 1796, to 1804. Elected as a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

to the Seventh

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

and served as

for the state of New Hampshire from March 4, 1801, to March 3, 1803. He declined to be a candidate for reelection in 1802. Upham was a member of the

New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral State legislature (United States), legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members com ...

from 1804 to 1813 and again in 1815. He served as Speaker of the

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

in 1809 and 1815. He served in the

State Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

in 1814. He resumed the practice of law and was president of Claremont Bank for twenty years after retiring from public life. He was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1815.

Death

Upham died in Claremont, Sullivan County, New Hampshire, on February 10, 1848 (age 79 years, 45 days). He is interred at Pleasant Street Cemetery, Claremont, New Hampshire.

Family life

Upham was the son of Phineas and Susanna Buckminster Upham, brother of

Jabez Upham Jabez Upham (August 23, 1764 – November 8, 1811) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, brother of George Baxter Upham, and cousin of Charles Wentworth Upham, both were also U.S. Representatives. Born in Brookfield in the Province ...

, and cousin of Charles Wentworth Upham. He married Mary Duncan on December 31, 1805, and they had six children: George Baxter, Robert Harris, Jabez Baxter, Harriet Harris, James Phineas, and Edward B.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Upham, George 1768 births 1848 deaths Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives New Hampshire state senators People from Brookfield, Massachusetts Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Harvard University alumni Speakers of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the New Hampshire General Court