James Wheelock Ripley (March 12, 1786 – June 17, 1835) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

attorney and Jacksonian politician. He served as a member of the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

and the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

during the 1800s.

Early life and career

Ripley was born in

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a New England town, town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university ...

the son of Sylvanus Ripley and Abigail Wheelock Ripley. He attended the common schools and

Fryeburg Academy Fryeburg Academy is a private secondary school located in Fryeburg, Maine. The academy was founded in 1792, making it the oldest high school in Maine and one of the oldest private schools in the United States. Daniel Webster was one of the fir ...

, studied law and was admitted to the bar. He began the practice of law in

Fryeburg, Maine Fryeburg is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,369 at the 2020 census. Fryeburg is home to Fryeburg Academy, a semi-private preparatory school, and the International Musical Arts Institute. The town is also si ...

, (which was a part of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

until 1820). He served in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

and was elected a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, serving from 1814 to 1819. He was elected from Maine to the Nineteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of

Enoch Lincoln Enoch Lincoln (December 28, 1788 – October 8, 1829) was an American politician, serving as U.S. Representative from, successively, Massachusetts and from Maine. He was the son of Levi Lincoln Sr. and his wife, and the younger brother of Levi ...

. On the same day he was elected to the Twentieth Congress. He was reelected to the

Twenty-first Congress The 21st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1829 ...

, serving in Congress from September 11, 1826, to March 12, 1830, when he resigned. After leaving Congress, Ripley resumed the practice of law and was a collector of customs for the district of Passamaquoddy, Maine, from December 16, 1830, until his death in Fryeburg on June 17, 1835. He is interred in the Village Cemetery in Fryesburg.

Personal life

Ripley married Abigail Osgood, and they had eight children. Ripley was the brother of

Eleazar Wheelock Ripley Eleazer Wheelock Ripley (April 15, 1782 – March 2, 1839) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the War of 1812, eventually rising to the rank of brigadier general, and later served as a U.S. Representative from Louisiana, f ...

, a brigadier general in the

and a

U. S. Representative 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 the ...

from

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 ...

References

External links

1786 births 1835 deaths Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Politicians from Hanover, New Hampshire Politicians from Fryeburg, Maine American military personnel of the War of 1812 Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine Fryeburg Academy alumni 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court {{Maine-politician-stub