History of Dover, (Strafford County) New Hampshire United States of America

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Biographies:

Jesse Chickering, statistician, was born at Dover, N.H., Aug. 21, 1797. He was graduated at Harvard college in 1818, and pursued a divinity course there, graduating in 1821, and in the same year receiving his A.M. He became a Unitarian minister, but later returned to his alma mater to pursue the study of medicine. He was graduated M.D. in 1833, and practised as a physician in Boston and West Roxbury. He published: Statistical View of the Population of Massachusetts from 1765 to 1840 (1846); Emigration into the United States (1848); Reports on the Census of Boston (1851), and A Letter Addressed to the President of the United States on Slavery considered in Relation to the Principles of Constitutional government in Great Britain and the United States (1855). He died in West Roxbury, Mass., May 29, 1855.

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

John Parker Hale, senator, was born in Rochester, N.H., March 31, 1806; son of John Parker and Lydia Clarkson (O'Brien) Hale; and grandson of Samuel Hale, and of William O'Brien, an Irish exile, who captured the first armed British vessel in the war of the Revolution and died a prisoner of war at the age of twenty-three. He was prepared for college at Phillips Exeter academy and was graduated at Bowdoin in 1827. He studied law under J. H. Woodman a Rochester and Danie M. Christie at Dover, N.H., and was admitted to the bar in 1830. He was married, Sept. 2, 1834, to Lucy Hill Lambert. He was a Democrat in politics, was a representative in the New Hampshire general court, 1834-38, and U.S. district attorney 1832-33, under appointment of President Jackson, being continued in office by President Van Buren. He was removed in 1841 by President Tyler, as a party measure. He was a representative in the 28th congress, 1843-45, and opposed the suppression of antislavery petitions to the house; supported James K. Polk as presidential candidate in 1844, and opposed the policy of President Polk in reference to the annexation of Texas. The state Democratic convention of 1845 substituted the name of John Woodbury for that of Mr. Hale on the general ticket for representative in congress, and he thereupon ran as an independent candidate. After repeated ineffectual attempts to secure a choice, March 11, 1845, Sept. 23, 1845, Nov. 29, 1845, and March 10. 1846, during which time he vigorously canvassed the state in his own behalf and held a notable debate with Franklin Pierce, New Hampshire continued throughout the 29th congress with only three representatives. His efforts, however, defeated the Democratic candidate for governor by a combination of Whigs and Independent Democrats and secured an opposition majority in the general court of the state. Mr. Hale was elected to the general court and was chosen speaker, June 3, 1846, and on June 5, the legislature elected Anthony Colby, the Whig candidate, governor. the same legislature elected Mr. Hale to the U.S. senate from March 4, 1847, and on Oct. 20, 1847, the National Liberty party convened at Buffalo, N.Y., nominated him for President with Leicester King for Vice-President and he declined the nomination. He was a candidate before the Free-Soil Democratic convention at Buffalo, N.Y., Aug. 9, 1848, and received 183 votes and when Martin Van Buren was nominated Mr. Hale gave him his unqualified support. In the 30th congress, that convened Dec. 6, 1847, he was the only avowed anti-slavery advocate in the senate, being followed, Dec. 3, 1849, by Salmon P. Chase and William H. Seward, and on Dec. 1, 1851, by Charles Sumner. He served in the U.S. senate until March 4, 1853, when he was succeeded by Charles G. Atherton, Democrat. His six years' service in the senate was marked by a gradual growth of the anti-slavery sentiment and his speeches and votes aroused the admiration of the friends of freedom and the bitter hatred of the conservative party, not only in congress, but throughout the United States. He alone voted against a resolution thanking Generals Scott and Taylor for their victories in Mexico. He also met and defeated Senator Foote in a debate which gave to the Mississippian the epithet "Hangman Foote." He also advocated the abolition of flogging in the navy and of spiritrations to sailors and secured the passage of the anti-flogging law, Sept. 23, 1850, and the anti-spiritration law, July 14, 1862. In 1851 he was counsel for Shadrach, a fugitive slave rescued from the U.S. marshal in Boston, and in 1852, as the representative of the Free-soil party, received the nomination of the national convention at Pittsburg, Pa., for President, with George W. Julian for Vice-President. In the general election held in November, 1852, the ticket received 156,149 popular votes. On retiring from the senate on the accession of President Pierce, March 4, 1853, Mr. Hale determined to leave New Hampshire and find a broader field for his Work as an agitator, and in the following winter he opened a law office in New York city. The overthrow of the Democrats in New Hampshire in 1853-54 determined him to return to his native state and on June 13, 1855, he was elected by the legislature of the state to the U.S. senate to fill the four years' vacancy caused by the death of Senator Atherton. In the Republican national convention of 1856 he failed to Secure the support his prominence had promised and he did not receive a single vote. He was re-elected to the U.S. senate in 1858 and on the expiration of his term, March 4, 1865, he was appointed by President Lincoln U.S. minister to Spain, receiving his oommission, March 10, 1865. In his diplomatic life he was less successful than in his political career, and serious disagreements with Horatio J. Perry, U.S. secretary of legation, resulting from the abuse of offial privileges, into which Hale had been led by the craft of a designing commission merchant through the intrigue of Perry (as charged by Mr. Hale), led to his recall, April 5, 1869, and he left Madrid, July 29, 1869. Mr. Perry was removed. June 28, 1867, before Mr. Hale left Madrid. Mr. Hale was one of the numerous victims to the poisoning at the National Hotel, Washington, in 1857, and from that time his health gradually failed. His physical decline was aggravated by two serious accidents and both his mental and physical powers finally gave way. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Dartmouth in 1861. A statue executed by Ferdinand yon Miller, Jr., was erected to his memory at Concord, N.H., and presented to the state by his son-in-law, the Hon. William E. Chandler. He died at Dover, N.H., Nov. 19, 1873.

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