Lewis Bigelow (August 18, 1785 – October 2, 1838) was 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 th ...

from

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 ...

. Born in Petersham, Massachusetts, Bigelow graduated from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1803. 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 ...

and commenced practice in Petersham. He served as member of the State senate 1819–1821. He was editor of the first seventeen volumes of Massachusetts Reports and of a digest of six volumes of Pickering's Reports. Bigelow was 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 Seventeenth Congress (March 4, 1821 – March 4, 1823). He moved to

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...

, in 1831 and continued the practice of law. He was interested in the real estate business and in the operation of ferry boats. He served as Justice of the Peace. He was appointed clerk of the circuit court of Peoria County, November 26, 1835, and served until his death in

, October 2, 1838.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bigelow, Lewis 1785 births 1838 deaths People from Petersham, Massachusetts Williams College alumni Politicians from Peoria, Illinois Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives