Nathaniel Peabody (March 1, 1741 – June 27, 1823) was an American physician from

Rockingham County, New Hampshire Rockingham County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 census, the population was 314,176, making it New Hampshire's second-most populous county. The county seat is Brentwood. Rockingham County is part of the Boston ...

. He represented

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 ...

as a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

in 1779 and 1780.

Biography

Nathaniel was born to Jacob Peabody in Topsfield, Massachusetts. He attended local common schools and the studied medicine with his father. In 1761, he removed to Plaistow, New Hampshire and began the practice of medicine. He was to remain a resident of Rockingham County for the rest of his life, but in 1761 he moved his practice to the larger town of

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

. Dr. Peabody became active in county affairs and 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 ...

. He was made a Lt. Colonel in the militia and participated in the early stages of the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

including the raid on Fort William and Mary in December 1774. After this event, he resigned his commission, since it came from the crown through the royal government. Nathaniel was elected to New Hampshire's revolutionary assembly in 1776. He would ultimately serve in the state's

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

in 1776–1779, 1781–1785, 1787–1790, and 1793–1796. Also in 1776, he became a member of the '' Committee of Safety'', which acted as a revolutionary government when the assembly was not in session. In 1777, he was named the Adjutant General of the state militia, and held that post until 1779. Peabody was named to the

on April 3, 1779, to replace

Josiah Bartlett Josiah Bartlett ( – May 19, 1795) was an American Founding Father, physician, statesman, a delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire, and a signatory to the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation. He was a ...

, who had resigned that post. Peabody served in congress through the 1780 session. He was a member in 1782, when the New Hampshire convention met to create a constitution for the new state, and served as chairman of the drafting committee. Under the new constitution, he represented Rockingham County 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 1785–1786 and 1790–1793. Although re-appointed to the national congress in 1785, he did not attend any sessions. He unsuccessfully ran for

New Hampshire's at-large congressional district The New Hampshire at-large congressional district is obsolete, with representation having since been divided into districts. However, from 1789 to 1847, New Hampshire elected members to the United States House of Representatives at-large: *From ...

5 times: in

1788 Events January–March * January 1 – The first edition of ''The Times'', previously ''The Daily Universal Register'', is published in London. * January 2 – Georgia ratifies the United States Constitution, and becomes the fourth U.S ...

, a June 1789 special election,

1790 Events January–March * January 8 – United States President George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City. * January 11 – The 11 minor states of the Austrian Netherlands, which took pa ...

1792 Events January–March * January 9 – The Treaty of Jassy ends the Russian Empire's war with the Ottoman Empire over Crimea. * January 25 – The London Corresponding Society is founded. * February 18 – Thomas Holcrof ...

, and

1796 Events January–March * January 16 – The first Dutch (and general) elections are held for the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic. (The next Dutch general elections are held in 1888.) * February 1 – The capital of Upper Can ...

(as a Democratic-Republican). He was also a candidate in the 1790 gubernatorial election and the

U.S. Senate election. During the later years of his life, Peabody's support for the revolution caused him trouble. For about 20 years he was confined to the parole limits for debtors at the Exeter jail. He died Exeter in 1823, and was reportedly buried in the Old Cemetery in South Hampton, but the exact location is uncertain.

External links

Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peabody, Nathaniel 1741 births 1823 deaths Continental Congressmen from New Hampshire Peabody, Natheniel Peabody, Natheniel People from Exeter, New Hampshire 18th-century American physicians 19th-century American people Candidates in the 1788–1789 United States elections Candidates in the 1792 United States elections New Hampshire Democratic-Republicans Candidates in the 1790–1791 United States elections Candidates in the 1796 United States elections