Abijah Bigelow

American politician (1775–1860)

Abijah Bigelow

portrait by James Sullivan Lincoln

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Massachusetts's 11th district
In office
October 8, 1810 – March 3, 1815
Preceded by| William Stedman
Succeeded by| Elijah Brigham
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office
1807-1809
Personal details
Born| (1775-12-05)December 5, 1775
Westminster, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America
Died| April 5, 1860(1860-04-05) (aged 84)
Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party| Federalist
Alma mater| Dartmouth College
Profession| Lawyer

Abijah Bigelow (December 5, 1775 – April 5, 1860) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.

Born in Westminster in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, the son of Elisha and Sarah (Goodridge) Bigelow, Abijah Bigelow studied at Leicester (Massachusetts) Academy and New Ipswich Academy at New Ipswich, New Hampshire. He graduated from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1795. He studied law in Groton, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the Worcester County bar in 1798 and commenced practice in Leominster, Massachusetts, in the same year. He was town clerk of Leominster 1803–1809. He served as member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 1807–1809. He was a Justice of the Peace 1809-1860 and justice of the quorum 1812–1860.

Bigelow was elected as a Federalist to the Eleventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William Stedman. He was reelected to the Twelfth and Thirteenth Congresses and served from October 8, 1810, to March 3, 1815. He viewed the War of 1812 in a decidedly negative light.

Bigelow moved to Worcester in 1817, and served as clerk of the courts of Worcester County 1817–1833. He resumed the practice of law, and served as trustee of Leicester Academy in 1819-1820 and as treasurer 1820–1853. He was appointed a master in chancery in 1838. He died in Worcester, Massachusetts, April 5, 1860, and was interred in the Rural Cemetery.

Bigelow was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1813,[1] and subsequently served on its board of councilors from 1817 to 1828.[2] The Antiquarian Society also holds a collection of manuscripts generated by Abijah and his extended family from 1785 to 1883.[3] His correspondence with his wife Hannah Gardner Bigelow (1780–1857) while he was a congressman was also published in 1930 in volume 40 of the Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, with the title "The Letters of Abijah Bigelow, Member of Congress, to his Wife, 1810-1815."[4]

Abijah and his wife Hannah had nine children, seven of whom survived their father. Hannah Bigelow's brother Francis was also a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ American Antiquarian Society Members Directory
2. ^ Dunbar, B. (1987). Members and Officers of the American Antiquarian Society. Worcester: American Antiquarian Society.
3. ^ "Bigelow family".
4. ^ "Letters of Abijah Bigelow, Member of Congress, to his Wife, 1810-1815." Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society 40: 305-406. 1930

## References

[edit]

* United States Congress. "Abijah Bigelow (id: B000453)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

U.S. House of Representatives

Preceded by

William Stedman

|  Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Massachusetts's 11th congressional district
1810–1815  | Succeeded by

Elijah Brigham

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Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts

1st district|

* F. Ames
* Dexter
* Goodhue
* Holten
* Sedgwick
* Skinner
* Sedgwick
* J. Bacon
* Eustis
* Quincy
* Ward Jr.
* Mason
* Gorham
* Webster
* Gorham
* N. Appleton
* Gorham
* A. Lawrence
* Fletcher
* A. Lawrence
* Winthrop
* N. Appleton
* Winthrop
* S. Eliot
* W. Appleton
* Scudder
* T. D. Eliot
* Hall
* T. D. Eliot
* Buffington
* Crapo
* R. Davis
* Randall
* Wright
* G. Lawrence
* Treadway
* Heselton
* Conte
* Olver
* Neal

2nd district|

* Goodhue
* Foster
* W. Lyman
* Sedgwick
* Ward Sr.
* W. Lyman
* Shepard
* J. Crowninshield
* Story
* Pickman
* W. Reed
* Pickering
* Silsbee
* Barstow
* B. Crowninshield
* Choate
* Phillips
* Saltonstall
* D. King
* Rantoul
* Fay
* Crocker
* Buffington
* O. Ames
* Harris
* Long
* E. Morse
* Gillett
* Churchill
* Bowles
* Kaynor
* Granfield
* Clason
* Furcolo
* Boland
* Neal
* McGovern

3rd district|

* Gerry
* Bourne
* Coffin
* S. Lyman
* Mattoon
* Cutler
* Nelson
* Livermore
* White
* Pickering
* Nelson
* Varnum
* Nelson
* Osgood
* Cushing
* A. Abbott
* Duncan
* Edmands
* Damrell
* C. Adams
* Thomas
* A. Rice
* Twichell
* Whiting I
* Pierce
* Field
* B. Dean
* Field
* Ranney
* L. Morse
* J. Andrew
* Walker
* J. R. Thayer
* R. Hoar
* C. Washburn
* J. A. Thayer
* Wilder
* Paige
* F. Foss
* Casey
* Philbin
* Drinan
* Donohue
* Early
* Blute
* McGovern
* N. Tsongas
* Trahan

4th district|

* Sedgwick
* Dearborn
* G. Thatcher
* Wadsworth
* Foster
* L. Lincoln Sr.
* Hastings
* Varnum
* W. Richardson
* Dana
* Stearns
* Fuller
* E. Everett
* Sa. Hoar
* Parmenter
* Thompson
* Palfrey
* Thompson
* Sabine
* Walley
* Comins
* A. Rice
* Hooper
* Frost
* J. Abbott
* L. Morse
* Collins
* O'Neil
* Apsley
* Weymouth
* Tirrell
* Mitchell
* Wilder
* Winslow
* Stobbs
* P. Holmes
* Donohue
* Drinan
* Frank
* Kennedy III
* Auchincloss

5th district|

* Partridge
* Bourne
* Freeman
* L. Williams
* T. Dwight
* Ely
* Mills
* Lathrop
* Sibley
* J. Davis
* L. Lincoln Jr.
* Hudson
* C. Allen
* W. Appleton
* Burlingame
* W. Appleton
* Hooper
* Alley
* Butler
* Gooch
* Banks
* Bowman
* L. Morse
* Hayden
* Banks
* Sh. Hoar
* Stevens
* Knox
* B. Ames
* J. Rogers
* E. Rogers
* B. Morse
* Cronin
* P. Tsongas
* Shannon
* Atkins
* Meehan
* N. Tsongas
* Markey
* Clark

6th district|

* G. Thatcher
* Leonard
* J. Reed Sr.
* J. Smith
* Taggart
* S. Allen
* Locke
* Kendall
* Grennell
* Alvord
* Baker
* Ashmun
* G. Davis
* Upham
* T. Davis
* Alley
* Gooch
* Banks
* Butler
* Thompson
* Loring
* Stone
* Lovering
* Lodge
* Cogswell
* Moody
* Gardner
* Lufkin
* A.P. Andrew
* G. Bates
* W. Bates
* Harrington
* Mavroules
* Torkildsen
* Tierney
* Moulton

7th district|

* Leonard
* Ward Sr.
* Leonard
* Bullock
* Bishop
* Mitchell
* Barker
* Baylies
* Turner
* Baylies
* Hulbert
* Shaw
* H. Dwight
* S. Allen
* Grennell
* Briggs
* J. Rockwell
* Goodrich
* Banks
* Gooch
* Boutwell
* Brooks
* Esty
* E. Hoar
* Tarbox
* Butler
* W. Russell
* Stone
* Cogswell
* W. Everett
* Barrett
* Roberts
* Phelan
* Maloney
* W. Connery
* L. Connery
* Lane
* Macdonald
* Markey
* Capuano
* Pressley

8th district|

* Grout
* G. Thatcher
* F. Ames
* Otis
* Eustis
* L. Williams
* Green
* Gardner
* Green
* J. Reed Jr.
* Baylies
* Sampson
* Hobart
* Lathrop
* Bates
* Calhoun
* J. Adams
* Mann
* Wentworth
* Knapp
* Train
* Baldwin
* G. Hoar
* J. M. S. Williams
* Warren
* Claflin
* Candler
* W Russell
* C. H. Allen
* Greenhalge
* Stevens
* McCall
* Deitrick
* Dallinger
* H. Thayer
* Dallinger
* Healey
* Goodwin
* Macdonald
* O'Neill
* Kennedy II
* Capuano
* Lynch

9th district|

* Varnum
* Bishop
* J. Dean
* Wheaton
* J. Reed Jr.
* Folger
* J. Reed Jr.
* H. Dwight
* Briggs
* Jackson
* Hastings
* H. Williams
* Hale
* Fowler
* Little
* De Witt
* E. Thayer
* Bailey
* A. Walker
* W. Washburn
* Crocker
* G. Hoar
* W. Rice
* T. Lyman
* Ely
* Burnett
* Candler
* G. Williams
* O'Neil
* Fitzgerald
* Conry
* Keliher
* Murray
* Roberts
* Fuller
* Underhill
* Luce
* R. Russell
* Luce
* T. H. Eliot
* Gifford
* Nicholson
* Keith
* McCormack
* Hicks
* Moakley
* Lynch
* Keating

10th district|

* Goodhue
* Sewall
* Read
* Hastings
* Upham
* J. Allen
* Brigham
* Wheaton
* Morton
* F Baylies
* Bailey
* H. A. S. Dearborn
* W. Baylies
* Borden
* H. Williams
* Borden
* Burnell
* Grinnell
* Scudder
* Dickinson
* Chaffee
* Delano
* Dawes
* Crocker
* Stevens
* Seelye
* Norcross
* W. Rice
* J. E. Russell
* J. Walker
* McEttrick
* Atwood
* Barrows
* Naphen
* McNary
* O'Connell
* Curley
* Murray
* Tague
* Fitzgerald
* Tague
* Douglass
* Tinkham
* Herter
* Curtis
* Martin
* Heckler
* Studds
* Delahunt
* Keating

11th district|

* Bradbury
* Bartlett
* Cutler
* Stedman
* A. Bigelow
* Brigham
* B. Adams
* J. Russell
* Hobart
* J. Richardson
* J. Adams
* J. Reed Jr.
* Burnell
* Goodrich
* Trafton
* Dawes
* Chapin
* Robinson
* Whiting II
* Wallace
* Coolidge
* Draper
* Sprague
* Powers
* Sullivan
* Peters
* Tinkham
* Douglass
* Higgins
* Flaherty
* Curley
* Kennedy
* O'Neill
* Burke
* Donnelly

12th district|

* H. Dearborn
* I. Parker
* Lee
* S. Thatcher
* Skinner
* Larned
* Bidwell
* Bacon
* Dewey
* Hulbert
* Strong
* Kendall
* L. Bigelow
* Baylies
* Hodges
* J. Adams
* Robinson
* F. Rockwell
* Crosby
* E. Morse
* Lovering
* Powers
* Weeks
* Curley
* Gallivan
* McCormack
* Keith
* Studds

13th district|

* Wadsworth
* Seaver
* Ruggles
* Dowse
* Eustis
* J. Reed Jr.
* Randall
* Simpkins
* Greene
* Weeks
* Mitchell
* Carter
* Luce
* Wigglesworth
* Burke

14th district|

* G. Thatcher
* Cutts
* C. King
* J. Holmes
* Lovering
* E. Foss
* Harris
* Gilmore
* Olney
* Frothingham
* Wigglesworth
* Martin

15th district|

* Wadsworth
* Ilsley
* Whitman
* Widgery
* Bradbury
* Whitman
* Greene
* Leach
* Martin
* Gifford

16th district|

* S. Thatcher
* Cook
* Tallman
* S. Davis
* Brown
* Orr
* Hill
* Thacher
* Walsh
* Gifford

17th district|

* Bruce
* Chandler
* Gannett
* F. Carr
* Wood
* J. Carr
* Wilson

* Kinsley

18th district|

* Wilson
* T. Rice
* J. Parker

19th district|

* J. Parker
* Conner
* Gage
* Cushman

20th district|

* Hubbard
* Parris
* E. Lincoln

At-large|

* Cobb

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