Nehemiah Abbott

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox officeholder Nehemiah Abbott (March 29, 1804 – July 26, 1877) was an American attorney and politician from Maine. Originally active in politics as a Democrat, he became a Republican when the party was founded in the mid 1850s. Among the offices in which he served were member of the Maine House of Representatives (1842–1844, 1845–1846), member of the United States House of Representatives (1857–1859), and mayor of Belfast (1865–1866).

Biography

Abbott was born in Sidney, Maine on March 29, 1804, a son of Asa Abbott and Hepzibah (Brooks) Abbott.<ref name="Directory">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Butler">Template:Cite book</ref> He attended Litchfield Law School, was admitted to the bar in 1836 and began to practice in Calais, Maine.<ref name="Directory"/> In 1839, he moved to Columbus, Mississippi, where he continued the practice of law.<ref name="Directory"/> In 1840, he returned to Maine and settled in Belfast.<ref name="Directory"/>

Originally a Democrat,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> in 1842, 1843, and 1845 he was elected to the Maine House of Representatives.<ref name="Directory"/> Abbott became a Republican when the party was founded in the mid-1850s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1856, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives.<ref name="Directory"/> He served one term, March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1859.<ref name="Directory"/> During his U.S. House service, Abbott was a member of the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He did not run for reelection in 1858, and resumed the practice of law.<ref name="Directory"/>

During the American Civil War, Abbott supported the Union.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1864, he was appointed temporary chairman of the National Union Party nominating convention for Maine's 5th congressional district.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He served as mayor of Belfast from 1865 to 1866.<ref name="Directory"/>

Abbott died in Belfast on July 26, 1877.<ref name="Directory"/> He was buried at Grove Cemetery in Belfast.<ref name="Directory"/>

Family

In 1836, Abbott married Caroline Williams Belcher.<ref name="Butler"/> They were the parents of six children— Caroline Belcher, Howard, Emma Fuller, Clifford Belcher, Annie Gill, and Henry Fuller.<ref name="Butler"/>

External links

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