John Fairfield | |
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| United States Senator fromMaine | |
| In office December 4, 1843 – December 24, 1847 | |
| Preceded by | Reuel Williams |
| Succeeded by | Wyman B. S. Moor |
| 13th & 16thGovernor of Maine | |
| In office January 5, 1842 – March 7, 1843 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Kent |
| Succeeded by | Edward Kavanagh |
| In office January 2, 1839 – January 12, 1841 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Kent |
| Succeeded by | Richard H. Vose |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMaine's1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1835 – December 24, 1838 | |
| Preceded by | Rufus McIntire |
| Succeeded by | Nathan Clifford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1797-01-30)January 30, 1797 |
| Died | December 24, 1847(1847-12-24) (aged 50) |
| Resting place | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Saco, Maine |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Anna Paine Thornton (m. 1825-1847, his death) |
| Children | 9 |
| Occupation | Attorney |
John Fairfield (January 30, 1797 – December 24, 1847) was an attorney and politician fromMaine. He served as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives, the 13th and 16thgovernor of Maine, and aU.S. senator.
Fairfield was born in Pepperellborough, Massachusetts (nowSaco, Maine) and attended the schools ofYork County. After serving in theWar of 1812, he pursued a business career before deciding to become an attorney, and after in the office of an established lawyer and judge, Fairfield attained admission to the bar in 1826. He practiced in Saco andBiddeford, and became active in politics as aDemocrat.
He was elected to the US House in 1834, reelected in 1836, and served from 1835 until 1838, when he resigned to become governor. Elected in 1838, he served from 1839 to 1841. He returned to the governorship in 1842, and served until resigning in 1843 to accept election to the U.S. Senate. He was elected to the final four years of the term in 1844, and served until his death.
Fairfield died inWashington, D.C., and was buried atLaurel Hill Cemetery in Saco.
Fairfield was born in Pepperellborough, Massachusetts (nowSaco, Maine),[1] and was the eldest of six children born to Ichabod and Sarah (Nason) Fairfield.[2] He attended the Saco schools,Thornton Academy, andLimerick Academy.[1] Fairfield is known to have served on the crew of aprivateer during theWar of 1812, which led to the nickname "Sailor Boy", but the exact circumstances of his wartime service are not known.[1][3] After completing his education, Fairfield began a career as a merchant before deciding to pursue a legal career.[1] Hestudied law in the office of attorney and judgeEther Shepley, and wasadmitted to the bar in 1826.[1]
Fairfield practiced Saco andBiddeford in partnership with George Thacher, and specialized in courtroom pleadings and trials.[1] Fairfield was appointed a trustee of Thornton Academy in 1826 and served as president of the board from 1845 to 1847.[4] He was appointedReporter of Decisions for theMaine Supreme Judicial Court in 1832,[1] and authoredSupreme Court Reports, published inAugusta between 1835 and 1837.[5] In 1845,Bowdoin College awarded Fairfield thehonorary degree ofMaster of Arts.[6]
In 1834 he was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives as aDemocrat.[7] He was reelected in 1836, and served from March 4, 1835, to December 24, 1838, when he resigned to begin his first term as governor.[8] During his time in the House, Fairfield became nationally known when he spoke in the House to demand an investigation into the duel between CongressmenJonathan Cilley andWilliam J. Graves, which resulted in Cilley's death.[9] In insisting on an investigation, Fairfield broke with the custom of the time, largely favored by pro-slavery Southern members, of not referring to private "affairs of honor" on the House floor.[10] Fairfield's efforts resulted in passage of a law making it illegal to issue a dueling challenge within the city limits ofWashington, D.C., even if the duel was planned for a site outside the city.[10]
Fairfield was theGovernor of Maine from 1838 to 1841.[11] He returned to office again in 1842, and served until resigning in 1843.[11] During Fairfield's governorship, theAroostook War erupted as the U.S. andGreat Britain continued a dispute over the boundary between Maine andNew Brunswick,Canada.[12] Both sides dispatched militia to the contested area and several Canadian militiamen were captured.[13] No one was killed, but two Canadians were injured by bears prior to the enactment of theWebster–Ashburton Treaty that ended the dispute.[13]
He resigned during his second tenure as governor to accept election to The U.S. Senate, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation ofReuel Williams.[11] He was elected in 1844 to complete the final four years of the term, and served from March 7, 1843, until his death.[11] Fairfield was chairman of theCommittee on Naval Affairs in the29th and30th Congresses.[14] At the1844 Democratic National Convention, Fairfield's name was placed in nomination for vice president afterSilas Wright declined;[11] He received the most votes on the second ballot, but on the third ballot the nomination went toGeorge M. Dallas.[11]
Fairfield died suddenly inWashington, D.C., on December 24, 1847.[5] According to published reports, Fairfield suffered from knee pain, and had been operated on previously.[5] When he sought treatment on this occasion, his doctor punctured the skin around his knees to drain built-up fluid, then injected acopper sulfate solution, which was thought at the time to provide relief of the pain and swelling associated with rheumatism.[5] The doctor did not remove the solution before it was absorbed into Fairfield's circulatory system, and intense pain, paralysis and death resulted.[5]
Fairfield's funeral was held at Saco's Congregational Church on December 1, 1848.[5] He was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco.[15]
On September 25, 1825, Fairfield married Anna Paine Thornton, the daughter of Dr. Thomas G. Thornton, a former U.S. Marshal for Maine and a niece ofRichard Cutts and Anna Paine Cutts.[1] They were the parents of nine children, and Mrs. Fairfield died on July 18, 1882.[5]
John Fairfield is the namesake of the town ofFort Fairfield, Maine.[16] In 1962, theSaco school district constructed an elementary school which was named for him.[17]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Maine 1838,1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMaine's 1st congressional district 1835–1838 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Maine 1839–1841 | Succeeded by Edward Kent |
| Preceded by Edward Kent | Governor of Maine 1842–1843 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Maine 1843–1847 Served alongside:George Evans,James W. Bradbury | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 | ||
Chairs of theUnited States Senate Committee on Armed Services | ||
|---|---|---|
| Military Affairs Committee (1816–1947) | | |
| Naval Affairs Committee (1816–1947) | ||
| Armed Services Committee (1947–present) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
