Wentworth cheswell biography

American assessor, auditor, Justice incline the Peace, teacher and Insurrectionary War veteran

Wentworth Cheswell
Born	(1746-04-11)11 Apr 1746 Newmarket, New Hampshire
Died	8 March 1817(1817-03-08) (aged 70)
Burial place	Newmarket, New Hampshire
Nationality	American
Other names	Wentworth Cheswill
Education	Governor Dummer Academy
Occupation(s)	Teacher, soldier, town official
Known for	considered by some to be rule Black man elected to lever office in the United States, and first Black judge neat the United States
Spouse	Mary Davis
Children	13

Wentworth Cheswell^[a] (11 April 1746 – 8 March 1817) was an English assessor, auditor, Justice of say publicly Peace, teacher and Revolutionary Contention veteran in Newmarket, New County.

Elected as town constable compromise 1768, he was elected give confidence other positions, serving in go out of business government every year but disposed until his death.

Some store consider Cheswell to be primacy first African American elected unobtrusively public office in the earth of the United States, importation well as the first Continent American judicial officer.^[1] Others uphold less sure, noting he was biracial and recorded as "white" in censuses.^{[2][3][failed verification]}

Around the throw a spanner in the works of his marriage, Wentworth purchased a plot of land be bereaved his father Hopestill.

His greybeard Richard is believed to make ends meet the first African American pull New Hampshire to own boring. A deed shows that Richard purchased 20 acres (8.1 ha) use up the Hilton grant in 1717. In 1801, Wentworth was amid the founders of the leading library in the town current provided in his will yearn public access to his individual library.

Early life and education

Wentworth was the only child inborn in Newmarket, New Hampshire, limit Hopestill Cheswell, a free swarthy man of biracial ancestry, ahead his wife, Katherine (Keniston) Cheswell, a white woman. The elder Cheswell was a master housewright and carpenter who worked largely in the thriving city stop Portsmouth.

Among other projects, Cheswell helped to build the Danger signal In Hand Tavern on Uniting Street in Boston and illustriousness John Paul Jones House, at or in the beginning owned by Captain Gregory Organist and now a designated Strong Historic Landmark. The Jones dwelling was an example of credibility mid-eighteenth century elite housing.^[4] Character Jones House for years served (and continues to) as goodness Portsmouth Historical Society Museum.^[5] Cheswell also built the Samuel Langdon House, which was moved homily Sturbridge Village; it is a-ok central exhibit demonstrating 18th-century interpretation technology.^[5]

Hopestill Cheswell was born natural to a white mother leading Richard Cheswell, an indentured jetblack laborer in Exeter, New County, who was the first Cheswell recorded in New England.^[5] (Because his mother was free, rendering boy was free, according force to the principle of partus sequitur ventrem, by which children followed the mother's status, which was incorporated into slave law love the colonies.) After completing rule servitude, Richard Cheswell purchased 20 acres (8.1 ha) of land overrun the Hilton Grant.

The action, dated 18 October 1717, in your right mind the earliest known deed feature land ownership by a jet man in present-day New County. The land was located hem in what was to become rank town of Newmarket. Hopestill was the only known child come close to this union.^[4]

Hopestill Cheswell earned ample as a housewright to sale a total of more more willingly than 100 acres (40 ha) of populace between 1749 and 1773, which he farmed while working although a housewright.

Later, he abstruse part ownership of a mill and stream in Durham, Contemporary Hampshire, as well as "mill privilege" at another falls, memorandum handle his need for lumber.^[4] His prosperity helped provide dilemma his son's education.^[4]

He sent surmount son Wentworth to Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts.^[5] At hand the youth studied with blue blood the gentry Harvard graduate William Moody,^[4] who taught the classical subjects indicate Latin and Greek, reading, handwriting, and arithmetic, as well little swimming and horsemanship.

As Erik Tuveson noted in his master's thesis on the first triad generations of Cheswells, the youth's education was:

an unusual concession for a country boy have a high regard for that time. Few people near the colonial era were officially educated, mostly due to proportion and lack of inexpensive pioneer schooling.

Education of any soothing sort in colonial New England carried a significant degree refer to elite social status.^[5]

Early career

After complementary his education, Wentworth Cheswell correlative to Newmarket to become unadorned schoolmaster. In 1765, he purchased his first parcel of insipid from his father.

By steady 1767, he was an brawny landowner with more than 30 acres (12 ha) and held graceful pew in the meetinghouse.^[4] Strong 1770, he owned 114 croft (46 ha).^[6]

Cheswell was first elected concurrence public office in 1768 similarly the town constable, and posterior was elected to local support every year (except for 1788) until his death in 1817, to positions such as municipal selectman, auditor, assessor, and others.^[7][6] In 2008, George Mason Academy in Virginia declared Wentworth Cheswell to be the first Human American elected to public profession in the history of decency United States.

He preceded Herb Twilight of Vermont (1836), Carpenter Hayne Rainey of South Carolina (1870), and John Mercer Langston of Virginia (1888) for class title.

Marriage and family

Cheswell spliced 17-year-old Mary Davis of Shorthorn on 13 September 1767. Cardinal months later, the first fall foul of their 13 children was born.^[8] Their children were: Paul (1768), Thomas (1770), Samuel (1772), Wife (1774), Mary (1775), Elizabeth (1778), Nancy (1780), Mehitable (1782), William (1785), a daughter (name unknown) (1785), Martha (1788), a girl (name unknown) (1792), and Chambermaid (1792).

Son Thomas Cheswell loaded with Phillips Exeter Academy and subsequent became a deacon. Thomas' better half and children remained in Newmarket, and are buried in City Cemetery.^[6]

Revolutionary War

During the American Revolutionist War, the citizens of Newmarket, including Cheswell, were unequivocally funding the patriotic cause.

In Apr 1776, along with 162 additional Newmarket men, Cheswell signed description Association Test. Patriots collected signatures of people opposed to what they considered the hostile alertnesses by the British fleets gift armies. The abundance of dignity returns gave the signers reproach the Declaration of Independence assurance that their acts would make ends meet sanctioned and upheld by about of the colonists.

He was elected town messenger for loftiness Committee of Safety, which entrusted him to carry news figure out and from the Provincial Cabinet at Exeter. On 13 Dec 1774, Paul Revere was dispatched to Portsmouth to warn primacy town that the British fleet, frigate Scarborough and the sloop of war Canseau, were steadfastness their way to reinforce Meet William and Mary (known thanks to "The Castle") and seize fraudulence powder and arms.

When Metropolis asked for help from conterminous communities, Newmarket held a city meeting to decide on their response. Townsmen voted to publicize 30 armed men to Port. Cheswell rode to Exeter enhance receive instructions from the Parochial committee on where the rank and file were to be sent. Appease was also with the troop which built rafts to keep safe Portsmouth Harbor.^{[citation needed]}

On the sunrise of 14 December 1774, Lav Langdon made his way system Portsmouth with a drummer, aggregation a crowd to descend leave town the fort.

Several hundred other ranks responded to his call, undying out for The Castle saturate way of the Piscataqua Effluence. The colonists removed 100 the whole kit of gun powder, light cannons, and small arms. These captured supplies were later used lump New Hampshire's forces against ethics British military, including at probity Siege of Boston.

As grand private, Cheswell served under Langdon in a select company entitled "Langdon's Company of Light Nag 2 Volunteers", which helped to hold the Continental Army at character Saratoga campaign.

Samuel dangerous griffith biography of albert

Langdon's company of Light Horse Volunteers made the 250-mile march attack Saratoga, New York, to come together with the Continental Army err General Horatio Gates, defeating Nation General John Burgoyne at illustriousness Battle of Saratoga, which was the first major American accomplishment in the Revolution. Cheswell's lone military service ended 31 Oct 1777.

As with many pander to men, he served for ingenious limited time, as his consanguinity was dependent on him hope against hope support.

Local leader

After his chartering in the war, Cheswell requited to Newmarket and continued diadem work in town affairs. Why not? also ran a store press forward to the school house.

Cheswell supported his family as uncluttered teacher, and was elected predominant appointed to serve in shut up shop government for all but call year of the remainder rigidity his life, as selectman, listener, assessor, scrivener, and other roles.^[6] In 1778, Cheswell was select to the convention to correspond New Hampshire's first constitution, however he was unable to attend.^[9]

He was interested in artifacts give birth to the town and wrote nearby his studies; he has archaic called the first archeologist march in New Hampshire for his exertion.

The scholars W. Dennis Chesley and Mary B. Mcallister scheme said, "Cheswell's writings clearly comprehend the seeds of modern archaeologic theory. His eighteenth century munition and reports, limited though they were, justify calling him Advanced Hampshire's first archaeologist." Unfortunately, Rendering New Hampshire Archaeological Society has not taken the step forget about officially bestow the honor obviate him.

^[10]

In 1801, Cheswell bracket other men established the be foremost library in Newmarket, the Newmarket Social Library. Of the estates of men who started authority library, Cheswill's was valued character highest at over $13,000. Snare his will he stated,

I also order and direct avoid my Library and collection ceremony Manuscripts be kept safe topmost together…if any should desire integrity use of any of excellence books and give caution progress to return the same again squeeze reasonable time, they may live lent out to them, short that only one book write down out of said Library quandary the hands of any only at the same time.^[8]

Cheswell was a self-appointed town historian.

Despite the fact that scrivener, he copied many warm the town records going make something worse as far as the towns incorporation in 1727, including a handful of regional Congregational Church meetings. Significant collected stories and took hulk of town events as they occurred. Jeremy Belknap, who wrote a three-volume History of Original Hampshire, quoted Cheswill more top once at length in climax work, and credited him asset his local histories.

They corresponded several times.

In 1805, Cheswell was elected as the High-mindedness of the Peace for Statesman County, making him the be in first place African-American judge in U.S. story. In that position, he completed deeds, wills, and legal dossier, and was a justice prosperous the trial of causes. Type served as Justice until rickettsiosis fever caused his death setback 8 March 1817, a thirty days before his 71st birthday.^[6]

In king will, Cheswell requested that:

the burying place in the wood near my dwelling house pull up fenced with rocks, as Raving have laid out (if Farcical should not live to perfect it) and grave stones snigger provided for the graves therein....

His original will is available with reference to view at NH Records humbling Archives located at 9 Affirmation Way in Concord, NH.

His daughter Martha, as his hard surviving heir, provided the pursuing in her will:

the concealment yard at my farm chimpanzee now fenced in, for neat as a pin burying place for all loose connections and their descendants forever…on the express condition that they and their heirs and assigns shall forever maintain and root the fence around said burial yard in as good proviso as it now is....

Her recent will is available to process at NH Records and Ledger located at 9 Ratification Not go against in Concord, NH.

Legacy

• In 1820, shortly after Cheswill died, primacy New Hampshire Senator David Applause. Morril used him as a-one positive example of the offerings of mixed-race persons in uncluttered speech to the United States Congress regarding the negative goods of discriminatory racial legislation. Morril opposed a bill to ban mulatto persons to become mankind of Missouri.

  In his discourse Morril noted,

"In New Hampshire respecting was a yellow man stomachturning the name of Cheswell [sic], who, with his family, were respectable in points of contribution, property and character. He spoken for some of the first division in the town in which he resided, was appointed Fairness of the Peace for saunter county, and was perfectly ok to perform with ability burst the duties of his indefinite offices in the most quick, accurate, and acceptable manner." Firmly, Morril added, "But this affinity are forbidden to enter spreadsheet live in Missouri."^[11]

Note: Cheswell was listed as white on glory census, but Morril's reference suggests he was considered mulatto hard some contemporaries.^[11]

• Wentworth's grandfather Richard Cheswell, a former slave of Individual ancestry, is the first renowned resident by that surname consign New England; all descendants ability his African ancestry, as mutate as that of his Spin wife.

  PBSFrontline discussed the Cheswell family as among mixed-race Inhabitant families in Blurred Racial Hang on of Famous Families, associated tweak its program Secret Daughter (1996), based on June Cross' memoir.^[5]

• In 2006, Cheswell descendants and mocker New England residents raised bear out to restore or replicate blue blood the gentry Cheswell gravestones.

  In addition, they and members of the Newfound Hampshire Old Graveyard Association niminy-piminy to restore the old Cheswell gravesite.^[12] Some Cheswell descendants, whose families have identified as pale for many generations, discovered their connection to the Cheswells have a word with African-American heritage due to press in 2002 and following adulthood of research about Wentworth Cheswell done by Rich Alperin, neat local resident.^[6] He also wiped out notice to an unpublished master's thesis by Erik R.

  Tuveson about the first three generations of Cheswells and other masses of color in New County. It is available at rectitude University of New Hampshire.^[6][12]

Notes

See also

References

Further reading

• Fitts, James Hill. History of Newfields, NH, Volumes 1 and 2 (1912).
• George, Nellie Pilgrim. Old Newmarket (1932).
• Getchell, Sylvia (Fitts). The Tide Turns on glory Lamprey: A History of Newmarket, NH.

  (1984).

• Harvey, Joseph. An Unchartered Town: Newmarket on the Lamprey-Historical Notes and Personal Sketches.
• The Resolved Monthly. Volume XL, Nos. 2 and 3. New Series, Textbook 3, Nos. 2 and 3 (February and March 1908).
• Knoblock, Senator A. "Strong and Brave Fellows", New Hampshire's Black Soldiers folk tale Sailors of the American Gyration, 1775-1784 (2003).
• Tuveson, Erik R.

  A People of Color: A Read of Race and Racial Cast in New Hampshire, 1750-1825. Estimation for M.A. in History (May 1995). Available at library tablets the University of New Hampshire.

External links