Elbridge Gerry (Maine politician)
Elbridge Gerry | |
---|---|
![]() From 1880's History of Cumberland Co., Maine. | |
Member of U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 1st district | |
In office March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 | |
Preceded by | David Hammons |
Succeeded by | Moses Macdonald |
Member of the Maine House of Representatives | |
In office 1846[1]–1847[1] | |
Preceded by | Josiah Monroe[1] |
Succeeded by | John Hill[1] |
Prosecuting Attorney for Oxford County | |
In office 1842–1845 | |
Clerk of the Maine House of Representatives | |
In office 1840[2]–1841[2] | |
Preceded by | George Robinson[2] |
Succeeded by | George C. Getchell[2] |
Personal details | |
Born | Waterford, Massachusetts (now Maine) | December 16, 1813
Died | April 10, 1886 Portland, Maine | (aged 72)
Resting place | Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, Maine |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Anna St. Clair Jenness (m. 1849) |
Children | 3 |
Profession | Attorney |
Elbridge Gerry (December 6, 1813 – April 10, 1886) was an American lawyer, who served as a U.S. Congressman from Maine from 1849 to 1851.
Biography
Gerry was born on December 6, 1813 in Waterford, Massachusetts (now in Maine); he was the son of Peter and Mary "Polly" (Cutler) Gerry.[3] He attended Bridgton Academy, and studied law with Judge Stephen Emery (who also served as Maine's Attorney General).[3] Gerry was admitted to the bar in 1839 and established a practice in Waterford.[3]
Gerry's father served in the Maine House of Representatives and in local offices including selectman and town meeting moderator.[1] Gerry also served in local offices in Waterford, including town clerk (1842-1843), and town meeting moderator (1847, 1852).[1]
He was clerk of the Maine House of Representatives in 1840, and was appointed a United States commissioner in bankruptcy in 1841.[3] From 1842 to 1845 he was prosecuting attorney for Oxford County.[3] In 1846 he served in the Maine House of Representatives, including holding the post of Speaker Pro tempore during the absence of Speaker Ebenezer Knowlton.[3]
He was elected to a single term in Congress as a Democrat in 1848, and served from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1851.[3] He did not run for reelection in 1850, and moved to Portland to continue the practice of law.[3]
He died in Portland on April 10, 1886,[4] and was buried at Portland's Evergreen Cemetery.[5]
Family
In 1849, Gerry married Anna St. Clair Jenness, the daughter of Richard and Caroline Jenness of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.[3] They were the parents of three children: Alice, Elbridge, and Elizabeth.[3]
Alice Gerry (1850-1921) was the wife of Arthur Melville Patterson of Baltimore, Maryland.[3][6] After his death, she married John Stewart, the grandson of David Stewart.[6] After her 1913 divorce, she married Francis B. Griswold.[7]
Elbridge Gerry (1853-1907) graduated from Bowdoin College and Harvard Law School.[8] He practiced law in Maine and New York City before accepting appointment as vice consul in Le Havre, France in 1885.[8] He remained in Europe after resigning in 1887, and died in Siena, Italy.[8]
Elizabeth Jenness Gerry (1852-1912), was the wife of Greek diplomat Constantin Pangiris.[9]
Note
Many sources indicate that Elbridge Gerry (1813-1886) was the grandson of Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814).[5] This seems to be in error; the ancestry of Elbridge Gerry (1813-1886) can be traced to his father Peter (1776-1847);[10] Peter's father Nathaniel Gerry (or Geary) (1733-1791);[10] Nathaniel's father Thomas;[11] Nathaniel's grandfather, also named Thomas;[11] and Nathaniel's great-grandfather Thomas Gery (or Gary).[11]
References
- ^ a b c d e f The History of Waterford, Oxford County, Maine.
- ^ a b c d Maine State Year-book, and Legislative Manual for the Year 1876-67.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k History of Cumberland Co., Maine.
- ^ "Death of Elbridge Gerry".
- ^ a b Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005.
- ^ a b Some Account of Capt. John Frazier and His Descendants.
- ^ "Wedding Tragedy".
- ^ a b c Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College.
- ^ "Mme. Pangiris Dies in Switzerland".
- ^ a b Biographical Review: Oxford and Franklin Counties, Maine.
- ^ a b c Historic Homes and Places.
Sources
Books
- Biographical Review: Oxford and Franklin Counties, Maine. Boston, MA: Biographical Review Publishing Company. 1897. p. 20.
- Bowdoin College (1911). Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine. Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College Library. p. 408.
- Clayton, W. W. (1880). History of Cumberland Co., Maine. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck. pp. 99–100.
- Cutter, William Richard. Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Vol. II. New York, NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. pp. 666–667.
- Hoyt, Edmund S. (1876). Maine State Year-book, and Legislative Manual for the Year 1876-67. Portland, ME: Hoyt, Fogg & Donham. p. 85.
- Leach, Josiah Granville (1910). Some Account of Capt. John Frazier and His Descendants. Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott Company. p. 96.
- United States House of Representatives (2005). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1112. ISBN 978-0-16-073176-1.
- Warren, Henry Pelt (1879). The History of Waterford, Oxford County, Maine. Boston, MA: Hoyt, Fogg & Donham. pp. 208–212.
Newspapers
- "Death of Elbridge Gerry". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. April 11, 1886. p. 7.
- "Mme. Pangiris Dies in Switzerland" (PDF). New York Times. New York, NY. July 1, 1912.
- "Wedding Tragedy". The Advertiser. Adelaide, Australia. August 11, 1914. p. 10.
External links
- United States Congress. "Elbridge Gerry (id: G000138)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Elbridge Gerry at Find a Grave
- 1813 births
- 1886 deaths
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine
- People from Waterford, Maine
- Maine Democrats
- Maine lawyers
- Gerry family
- Politicians from Portland, Maine
- Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Portland, Maine)
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- 19th-century American politicians