Seth Wakeman (January 15, 1811 – January 4, 1880) was an American attorney and politician from

Batavia, New York Batavia is a city in and the county seat of Genesee County, New York, United States. It is near the center of the county, surrounded by the Town of Batavia, which is a separate municipality. Batavia's population as of the 2020 census was 15,6 ...

. Initially a

Whig Whig or Whigs may refer to: Parties and factions In the British Isles * Whigs (British political party), one of two political parties in England, Great Britain, Ireland, and later the United Kingdom, from the 17th to 19th centuries ** Whiggism ...

, and later a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...

, he was most notable for his service in the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from 1856 to 1857 and the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

from 1871 to 1873.

Early life

Wakeman was born in

Franklin, Vermont Franklin is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,363 at the 2020 census. The original name was "Huntsburgh", but the name was changed to "Franklin" in 1817. Geography Franklin is located along the northern bor ...

on January 15, 1811, the son of Nathan Wakeman and Phoebe Johnston. The Wakeman family soon moved to

Pembroke, New York Pembroke is a town in Genesee County, Western New York, United States. The population was 4,292 at the 2010 census. The town is named for a town in west Wales. Pembroke lies on the west border of Genesee County, west of Batavia. History Pembr ...

, where Nathan Wakeman joined the New York Militia for the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

. He died in

Malone, New York Malone ( moh, Tekanatà:ronhwe) is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 14,545 at the 2010 census. The town contains a village also named Malone. The town is an interior town located in the north-central part ...

while on military duty. Seth Wakeman attended the local schools of Pembroke and became a farmer. He served in local offices including constable and justice of the peace, and studied law. In 1844, Wakeman 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

. Originally a

, he served as Genesee County Treasurer (1845 to 1846), and Genesee County District Attorney (1850 to 1855). He was also active in several business ventures, including serving as secretary of the Batavia and

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

Plank Road A plank road is a road composed of wooden planks or puncheon logs. Plank roads were commonly found in the Canadian province of Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geog ...

Company. He was also a member of the board of directors of the Batavia and Oakfield Plank Road Company. In 1852, Wakeman was appointed secretary of the Buffalo and Batavia Plank Road Company.

Continued career

Wakeman became a

when the party was founded in the mid-1850s. He was a member of the

(Genesee Co., 1st D.) in

1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatlantic voy ...

and

1857 Events January–March * January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, ''Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. * January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating. * J ...

. Wakeman was also a delegate to the State constitutional convention of 1867 and 1868. In 1868, Wakeman was a candidate for the Republican nomination for a seat in the

, which was won by

John Fisher John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI. Fisher was executed by o ...

, who went on to win the general election. In 1870, Wakeman was elected to the

42nd United States Congress The 42nd 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, 1871, ...

. He served one term, March 4, 1871 to March 3, 1873.

Later life

After leaving Congress, Wakeman resumed practicing law. In 1875 his health began to decline, and he retired from most of his legal and business interests. For the last few years of his life, Wakeman was nearly invalid and largely confined to his home. Wakeman died in Batavia on January 4, 1880. He was interred at Elmwood Cemetery in Batavia.

Family

In 1832, Wakeman married Demis Powers of Pembroke. They were the parents of two children, Eugene (b. 1834) and Demie (1836–1904). In 1856, Wakeman married Laura Winans of

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...

. They were the parents of Mary Emma (1860–1919), Bryan Seth (b. 1862), Henry Clay (1864–1870), and William Sprague (1868–1954).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wakeman, Seth 1811 births 1880 deaths Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American politicians