History of Rumney, (Grafton County) New Hampshire United States of America

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Nathan Clifford, jurist, was born in Rumney, N. H., Aug. 18, 1803; son of Nathan and Lydia (Simpson) Clifford, and a lineal descendant in the eighth generation of George and Elizabeth Clifford, who emigrated from England to New England in 1644. He supported himself while attending Haverhill academy and New Hampton literary institution, and in 1827 located in Cornish, York county, Maine, in the practice of law. He was elected to the state legislature as a Democrat in 1830 and was re-elected for the three succeeding terms, serving as speaker in 1833-34. He was attorney-general of the state, 1834-38 and a representative in the 26th and 27th congresses, 1839-43. President Polk appointed him attorney-general, Dec. 23, 1846, to succeed John. T. Mason, who had been transferred to the navy department. He was sent to Mexico in March, 1848, with Assistant Secretary of State Trist, and arranged the treaty of peace between that country and the United States, having the powers of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary. He remained in Mexico until September, 1849, when he resumed the practice of law in Portland, Maine. On Jan. 28, 1858, President Buchanan appointed him associate justice of the supreme court. President Polk gave to Maine her first cabinet officer and President Buchanan gave to her her first representative in the supreme court, in the person of Mr. Clifford. He was president of the electoral commission which decided the presidential election of 1876, by virtue of his seniority on the supreme bench. He was married to Hannah, daughter of Capt. James Ayer of Newfield, Mass., and of their children, William Henry was graduated from Dartmouth in 1858, was admitted to the bar in 1861, was U.S. commissioner for the U.S. circuit court for the district of Maine, 1865-76, and the author of four volumes of "Clifford's reports." Justice Clifford received the honorary degree of LL. D., from Bowdoin college in 1860, from Dartmouth college in 1862, from Brown university in 1868, and from Harvard in 1878. He published "United States Circuit Court Reports" (2 vols., 1869). He died in Cornish, Maine, July 25, 1881.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Rumney, (Grafton County) New Hampshire

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