Stephen Badlam (May 7, 1751 – August 25, 1815) was an American artisan and military officer. Raised in

Dorchester, Massachusetts Dorchester () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood comprising more than in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Originally, Dorchester was a separate town, founded by Puritans who emigrated in 1630 from Dorchester, Dorset, E ...

, Badlam was orphaned as a young child following the death of his father, a tavern-keeper and cabinetmaker. Badlam worked as a surveyor prior to the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, where he served as an artillery commander in engagements in New York, Canada, and Vermont, serving as a major in General

Richard Montgomery Richard Montgomery (2 December 1738 – 31 December 1775) was an Irish-born American military officer who first served in the British Army. He later became a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and ...

's ill-fated 1775 invasion of Quebec. After serving at Fort Stanwix, he fell gravely ill and was forced to return home with his wife to Dorchester. While continuing to work as a surveyor for some time, he became a successful furniture artisan, specializing in the construction of ornate cabinets and looking-glasses, alongside frames, chairs, and windows. He served for over two decades as a justice of the peace in Dorchester, as well as a brigadier-general in the

Massachusetts militia This is a list of militia units of the Colony and later Commonwealth of Massachusetts. * Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts (1638) * Cogswell's Regiment of Militia (April 19, 1775) * Woodbridge's Regiment of Militia (April ...

. He helped to organize the Second Church of Dorchester, where he served as a deacon and supporter of controversial Reverend John Codman.

Early life

Stephen Badlam was born in

Milton, Massachusetts Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Milton is an immediate southern suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. The population was 28,630 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Milton is located in the relatively hilly ...

, on May 7, 1751, to Hannah ( – ) and Stephen Badlam Sr. (1721–1758), a tavern-keeper and part-time cabinetmaker originally from Weymouth. Stephen Badlam Sr. was appointed as a deacon in Canton (at the time part of Stoughton) at age 29, and served in this capacity until his death eight years later. Badlam's siblings included Hannah, William, and Ezra Badlam. Orphaned at a young age, Stephen Badlam grew up at the Lower Mills in Dorchester (now part of

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 ...

), receiving limited formal education at a local district school. He trained in cabinetmaking and pursued

surveying Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the land, terrestrial Plane (mathematics), two-dimensional or Three-dimensional space#In Euclidean geometry, three-dimensional positions of Point (geom ...

as a profession.

Career

Revolutionary War

As the

began in 1775, Badlam enlisted in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

artillery under General Henry Lee, and was over the following year promoted to first lieutenant and captain. While stationed in New York, he became acquainted with

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

, and was appreciated for his engineering abilities. He reportedly was well-liked by

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, who would serve as a political inspiration for Badlam throughout his life. He was appointed to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

and transferred to service as an artillery commander under General

in his invasion of Quebec, sailing north along the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

. Following the invasion's failure, he returned to

Fort Crown Point Fort Crown Point was built by the combined efforts of British and Colonial troops from New York and the New England Colonies in 1759 at a narrows on Lake Champlain on the border between New York and Vermont. It was erected to secure the region ag ...

. On July 4, 1776, he captured a fortified

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 ...

hill near Ticonderoga, and on July 18 named it Mount Independence, a name later confirmed by General

Horatio Gates Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727April 10, 1806) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the early years of the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War. He took credit for the Ameri ...

. There, he had helped and directed the building of fortifications in the region. During his service, he met the

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

, who granted Badlam a sword. After fighting at

Fort Stanwix Fort Stanwix was a colonial fort whose construction commenced on August 26, 1758, under the direction of British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York, but was not completed until about 1762. The bastion fort was bui ...

under Colonel Marinus Willett in August 1777, Badlam fell under a serious fever. Gravely ill and unable to serve military duties, physicians considered his recovery unlikely, and he resigned service to return to Dorchester. While ill, he reported to have undergone an intense religious experience and prayed for his recovery.

Cabinet and furniture artistry

Badlam recovered from his illness soon after returning to Dorchester with his wife Mary. Shortly afterwards, Badlam had his first daughter, Polly. Continuing in his career as a surveyor, he plotted Dorchester and neighboring towns. By 1780, he had become a very well-respected cabinet artisan, with a workshop on Old Plymouth Road (now River St.) in the Lower Mills. He frequently collaborated with other artisans and cabinetmakers, frequently doing

turning Turning is a machining process in which a cutting tool, typically a non-rotary tool bit, describes a helix toolpath by moving more or less linearly while the workpiece rotates. Usually the term "turning" is reserved for the generation of ...

for others. As well as cabinetry, he built and sold picture frames, chairs, windows, looking-glasses, and advertised skills in molding and

gilding Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...

. Badlam's apprentices included Abiel White and Abner Hersey. He built many cabinets for wealthy Boston merchant

Elias Hasket Derby Elias Hasket Derby (August 16, 1739 — September 8, 1799) was an American merchant based in Salem, Massachusetts who owned or held shares in numerous privateers. The crews of these ships took more than 150 prizes during the American Revoluti ...

. In 1791, he built for Derby a chest-on-chest in

mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...

and

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

, featuring neoclassical personifications of Peace, Plenty, and America sculpted by brothers John and Simeon Skillin. This chest would be used as a wedding present for Derby's daughter. He built various pieces of furniture in Heppelwhite style, including a side chair held at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

Civil and religious service

In 1791 Badlam was appointed as a local justice of the peace, reappointed to this position five times until his death in 1815. In 1800, he was reappointed to military service as a brigadier-general of the First Brigade of the

Massachusetts Militia This is a list of militia units of the Colony and later Commonwealth of Massachusetts. * Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts (1638) * Cogswell's Regiment of Militia (April 19, 1775) * Woodbridge's Regiment of Militia (April ...

, serving in this position until 1808. Despite having no formal education, he served on various school committees. Along with multiple other local figures, he raised $1200 to build four schoolhouses in Dorchester, as well as giving up the southwest corner of his house to be used as an annual school. He was the first vice-president of the Dorchester Washington Benevolent Society, part of a network of

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 ...

political clubs. He also helped organize the Second Church of Dorchester, where he served as a senior deacon from 1808 until his death. Here he was an active supporter of Reverend John Codman during a prolonged theological controversy with other church authorities. He was heavily opposed to

Unitarianism Unitarianism () is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian sect of Christianity. Unitarian Christians affirm the wikt:unitary, unitary God in Christianity, nature of God as the singular and unique Creator deity, creator of the universe, believe that ...

and

Universalism Universalism is the philosophical and theological concept within Christianity that some ideas have universal application or applicability. A belief in one fundamental truth is another important tenet in universalism. The living truth is se ...

, believing them to discredit the holiness of

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

and lessen moral obligations.

Personal life

Badlam had seven children, all with his first wife, Mary: Polly, Stephen, Abigail, Nancy, Lucretia, John, and Clarissa. Abigail died at age 11, but all others lived to adulthood. Stephen Badlam Jr. (b. December 2, 1779) would continue his father's work of a surveyor and artisan of cabinets and looking-glasses, with one of his labels known from a surviving mahogany shaving mirror. His first wife, Mary, died in 1794. In 1798, Badlam remarried to Elizabeth Turner. Badlam died in Dorchester on August 25, 1815, recorded as due to a stroke of

palsy Palsy is a medical term which refers to various types of paralysisDan Agin, ''More Than Genes: What Science Can Tell Us About Toxic Chemicals, Development, and the Risk to Our Children'' (2009), p. 172. or paresis, often accompanied by weakness and ...

. Rev. Codman conducted and published a sermon in his honor.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Badlam, Stephen People from Dorchester, Boston 1751 births 1815 deaths 1800s in Massachusetts Cabinetmakers Furniture makers United States military personnel of the American Revolution People from Milton, Massachusetts Continental Army officers from Massachusetts