Joseph M. Bell (March 21, 1787 – July 25, 1851) was a

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 ...

and

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 ...

lawyer, abolitionist, and politician. Bell served as 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 ...

in 1821 and from 1828 to 1830 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 ...

from 1845 to 1847. He served as a member of the

Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...

from 1848 to 1849 and

President of the Massachusetts Senate The president of the Massachusetts Senate is the presiding officer. Unlike the United States Congress, in which the vice president of the United States is the ''ex officio'' president of the United States Senate, in Massachusetts, the president ...

in 1849.

Early life

Joseph M. Bell was born on March 21, 1787 (or March 27, 1787), in

Bedford, New Hampshire Bedford is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 23,322, reflecting a growth of 10% from 2010. Bedford is a suburb of Manchester, New Hamps ...

to Mary (née Houston) and Joseph Bell. He graduated from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

in 1807. He then worked as principal of Haverhill Academy in

Haverhill, New Hampshire Haverhill is a town and the seat of Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,585 at the 2020 census. Haverhill includes the villages of Woodsville, Pike, and North Haverhill, the historic town center at Haverhill Corn ...

for one year. He studied law; reading law in the offices of Governor Samuel Bell, Judge Samuel Dana and Governor Jeremiah Smith. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1811.

Career

Bell worked as a cashier with the Coos Bank and later became the bank president. In 1811, he started a law practice in Haverhill. Bell joined the

New Hampshire Militia The New Hampshire Militia was a militia of what is now the U.S. state of New Hampshire. First organized in 1631, it was redesignated as the New Hampshire National Guard in 1879. History The Militia was first organized within the Province of Ne ...

, Second Division, around 1818. Bell was appointed as Solicitor for

Grafton County, New Hampshire Grafton County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 91,118. Its county seat is the town of Haverhill, New Hampshire, Haverhill. In 1972, the ...

. He worked in that role from 1815 to 1820. He served in the

, representing Haverhill, in 1821 and from 1828 to 1830. Bell ran for U.S. Congress as a Whig in 1835. In 1842, Bell moved his law practice to

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

and partnered with Henry F. Durant, founder of Wellesley College. Bell also practiced law with his uncle and father-in-law

Rufus Choate Rufus Choate () (October 1, 1799July 13, 1859) was an American lawyer, orator, and Senator who represented Massachusetts as a member of the Whig Party. He is regarded as one of the greatest American lawyers of the 19th century, arguing over a ...

. Bell represented Boston in the General Court from 1844 to 1847. Bell served as a member of the

, representing Suffolk County, from 1845 to 1847. Bell served as a member of the

, representing Suffolk County, from 1848 to 1849. He served as

in 1849.

Personal life

Bell married Catherine Olcott, daughter of Mills Olcott of

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 ...

. Bell married Helen Olcott Choate, daughter of Rufus Choate and niece of his former wife. He had five children, including two daughters. Bell was friends with

Daniel Webster Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the 14th and 19th United States Secretary of State, U.S. secretary o ...

. In December 1821, Bell purchased the Wentworth Brown House in Haverhill. Later in life, Bell lived in Boston. He owned property in Massachusetts,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

and

. Bell died on July 25, 1851, at

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

, while on vacation with his family.

Awards

Bell received an honorary

LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

degree from Dartmouth College in 1837.

References

External links

Tufts (A New Nation Votes): Bell, Joseph
1787 births 1851 deaths People from Bedford, New Hampshire People from Haverhill, New Hampshire Politicians from Boston Dartmouth College alumni Massachusetts state senators Presidents of the Massachusetts Senate Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Massachusetts lawyers New Hampshire lawyers American abolitionists Massachusetts Whigs New Hampshire Whigs New Hampshire militia 19th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court {{Massachusetts-MASenate-stub