Jeremiah Smith | |
|---|---|
 Frontispiece of 1845'sLife of the Hon. Jeremiah Smith by John Hopkins Morison | |
| 6thGovernor of New Hampshire | |
| In office June 8, 1809 – June 5, 1810 | |
| Preceded by | John Langdon |
| Succeeded by | John Langdon |
| Judge of theUnited States Circuit Court for the First Circuit | |
| In office February 20, 1801 – July 1, 1802 | |
| Appointed by | John Adams |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 2 Stat. 89 |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Hampshire'sat-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1791 – July 26, 1797 | |
| Preceded by | Abiel Foster |
| Succeeded by | Peleg Sprague |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jeremiah Smith (1759-11-29)November 29, 1759 |
| Died | September 21, 1842(1842-09-21) (aged 82) Dover,New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Resting place | Winter Street Cemetery Exeter,New Hampshire |
| Party | Federalist |
| Relatives | Samuel Smith Robert Smith |
| Education | Harvard College Queen's College |
| Profession | Attorney |
Jeremiah Smith (November 29, 1759 – September 21, 1842) was aUnited States representative forNew Hampshire,United States Attorney for New Hampshire, aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Circuit Court for the First Circuit, the sixthgovernor of New Hampshire and chief justice of theNew Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature and theNew Hampshire Supreme Judicial Court. He was a member of theFederalist Party.
Born on November 29, 1759, inPeterborough,Province of New Hampshire,British America,[1] Smith was fifth of seven sons born to William Smith, an immigrant fromIreland and Elizabeth (Morison) Smith.[2]: 1–2 Smith's siblings also included three sisters.[2]: 2 William Smith was a successful farmer who served in local offices including justice of the peace and was a member of New Hampshire's Provincial Congress in 1774.[2]: 2 Jeremiah Smith received instruction from his father and several private tutors.[2]: 12–17 [3] He attendedPhillips Exeter Academy[4] in Exeter, New Hampshire for his preliminary education.
At age 16, Smith enlisted for theAmerican Revolution in theContinental Army company of Captain Stephen Parker ofNew Ipswich, New Hampshire.[1][2]: 17 He participated in theBattle of Bennington and was grazed by a musket ball which left a permanent scar on his throat.[3][2]: 17 Smith attendedHarvard College, though also graduated from Queen's College (nowRutgers University) in 1780.[2]: 17–19 He returned to military service in 1781and performed garrison duties in and aroundPeekskill, New York before returning home.[1][2]: 17–20 In 1782, Smith began tostudy law with attorneyShearjashub Bourne ofBarnstable, Massachusetts, while working as a tutor in the home of Joseph Otis.[2]: 22 He completed his legal studies with attorney William Pynchon ofSalem, Massachusetts, while serving as headmaster of a school for girls.[2]: 23 Smith wasadmitted to the bar in 1786 and entered private practice in Peterborough.[1]
In 1786, Smith was elected Peterborough's town clerk, and in 1787 he was elected as the town's surveyor of highways.[2]: 33 In addition, Smith served terms as town agent and a member of Peterborough's board of selectmen.[2]: 35 He was a member of theNew Hampshire House of Representatives from 1788 to 1791.[1] As a House member, Smith voted against the impeachment ofWoodbury Langdon, a judge of the state superior court.[2]: 38 The legislature voted in favor, and appointed Langdon to conduct the impeachment, despite the fact that he had voted no.[2]: 38 Langdon resigned before the trial took place, and the legislature took no further action.[2]: 41
Smith was a member of the New Hampshire constitutional convention in 1791 and 1792.[3] Though he was not the convention's official clerk, most of its records are in his handwriting.[2]: 42 As a delegate, he fought unsuccessfully to remove a clause from the state constitution which required that members of the state legislature adhere to Protestant Christianity.[2]: 42
Smith was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives as aPro-Administration candidate fromNew Hampshire's at-large congressional district and served in the2nd and3rd United States Congresses. He was reelected as aFederalist and served in the4th and5th United States Congresses. Smith was a member of the House from March 4, 1791, until his resignation July 26, 1797.[3] He was Chairman of theUnited States House Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business for the 5th United States Congress.[3]
Following his departure from Congress, Smith moved toExeter, New Hampshire,[3] and served as theUnited States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire from 1797 to 1800.[1] He was Judge of theRockingham County, New Hampshire Probate Court from 1800 to 1801.[1]
Smith was nominated by PresidentJohn Adams on February 18, 1801, to theUnited States Circuit Court for the First Circuit, to a new seat authorized by 2 Stat. 89.[1] He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on February 20, 1801, and received his commission the same day.[1] His service terminated on July 1, 1802, due to abolition of the court.[1]
Smith was the chief justice of theSuperior Court of Judicature of New Hampshire from 1802 to 1809, and chief justice of theSupreme Judicial Court of New Hampshire from 1813 to 1816,[1] his service on the later court terminating due to removal of the court by the legislature.[5] He was the 6thGovernor of New Hampshire from 1809 to 1810.[1] He resumed private practice in New Hampshire from 1810 to 1813, and from 1816 to 1820,[1] when he retired.[3]
Smith served as President of a bank and as treasurer ofPhillips Exeter Academy.[3] Following his retirement, he moved toDover, New Hampshire.[3] Smith was elected a member of theAmerican Antiquarian Society in 1814.[6]
Smith received thehonorary degree oflegum Doctor (LL.D.) fromDartmouth College in 1804 andHarvard University in 1807.[2]: 382
Smith died on September 21, 1842, in Dover.[1] He was interred in Winter Street (also called Old) Cemetery in Exeter.[3]
In March 1797, Smith married Eliza Ross ofBladensburg, Maryland, whom he met at thePhiladelphia boarding house they were staying at while he was attending a session of Congress and she was attending to her sick mother.[2]: 102, 115 Their children included Ariana (1797–1829), William (1799–1830), and Jeremiah (1802–1808).[2]: 241, 243, 285, 290, 478
In 1831, Smith married Elizabeth Hale (1800–1882), a daughter ofWilliam Hale.[2]: 385 They were the parents of a son, Jeremiah Smith (1837–1921).[2]: 444 In addition, they raised the daughter of William Smith and several nieces and nephews, as well as orphans they took into their home.[2]: 431
Smith was the brother ofSamuel Smith, aUnited States representative from New Hampshire, and the uncle ofRobert Smith, a United States Representative fromIllinois.[3]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Federalist nominee forGovernor of New Hampshire 1809,1810,1811 | Succeeded by John Taylor Gilman |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | United States Representative fromNew Hampshire's at-large congressional district 1791–1797 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | United States Attorney for theDistrict of New Hampshire 1797–1800 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Seat established by 2 Stat. 89 | Judge of theUnited States Circuit Court for the First Circuit 1801–1802 | Succeeded by Seat abolished |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | 6thGovernor of New Hampshire 1809–1810 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
