Josiah Gardner Abbott | |
|---|---|
 Abbott c. 1870s | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's4th district | |
| In office July 28, 1876 – March 3, 1877 | |
| Preceded by | Rufus S. Frost |
| Succeeded by | Leopold Morse |
| Member of theMassachusetts House of Representatives | |
| In office 1836 | |
| Member of theMassachusetts Senate | |
| In office 1841–1842 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1814-11-01)November 1, 1814 |
| Died | June 2, 1891(1891-06-02) (aged 76) Wellesley, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | St. Mary's Church Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Caroline Livermore |
| Alma mater | Harvard University Williams College |
| Occupation | Teacher,lawyer |
| Signature |  |
Josiah Gardner Abbott (November 1, 1814 – June 2, 1891) was an American politician who served in theMassachusetts General Court and as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromMassachusetts.
Abbott was born inChelmsford,Middlesex County, Massachusetts on 1 November 1814.[1] He was the son of Caleb Abbott (1779–1846) and Mercy Abbott (1782–1834).[2] His first American ancestors, George Abbott and William Fletcher, were English Puritans, who settled in Massachusetts in 1640 and 1653, respectively.[1]
He attended theChelmsford Academy inConcord and graduated fromHarvard University in 1832 with high honors, the youngest of his class,[1] and then attendedWilliams College inWilliamstown.[2] In 1862, Williams conferred on him the degree ofLL.D.[1]
Following his schooling, Abbott worked as a teacher and a lawyer, then became a member of theMassachusetts House of Representatives in 1836. In 1837, he was admitted to the bar and began practice in Lowell, the same year, he was elected to the house of representatives of his state, the youngest member of that body.[1] He became a member of theMassachusetts State Senate from 1841 to 1842. He was an aide toGovernorMarcus Morton in 1843. From 1850 to 1855 he was a master inchancery. He also served as a member of the Massachusetts state constitutional convention, justice of the superior court forSuffolk County, an overseer of Harvard University, and several times was the unsuccessfulDemocratic candidate forUnited States Senator.
In 1860, Abbott declined an appointment to theMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and in 1861 declined the Democratic nomination for stateattorney general. He finally was victorious as a Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives, and served from July 28, 1876 to March 3, 1877. He was a member of the Electoral Commission created by the act of Congress approved January 29, 1877, to decide thepresidential election of 1876.
Upon leaving the Congress, he returned to the practice of law. His fifty years of active practice as a lawyer connected his name with some of the most celebrated litigations of his time.[1]
Abbott was married to Caroline Livermore (1814–1887), the daughter of U.S. CongressmanEdward St. Loe Livermore.[3] Both Josiah and Caroline were descended from officers who served in theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War.[4] Together, they were the parents of:[2]
He died at his home inWellesley Hills on 2 June 1891,[1] and was interred inSt. Mary's Church Cemetery, in nearbyNewton Lower Falls, Massachusetts.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Johnson, Rossiter, ed. (1906). "Abbott, Josiah Gardner".The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. Boston: American Biographical Society. p. 29.| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 4th congressional district July 28, 1876 – March 3, 1877 | Succeeded by |
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