Biography Nathaniel Gorham

1 biography

1.1 life , family
1.2 marriage
1.3 career
1.4 death , legacy

biography
early life , family

gorham born in charlestown, boston, massachusetts, , son of captain nathaniel gorham , father s wife mary soley. 3rd great grandfather john howland (c. 1599–1673), 1 of pilgrims traveled england north america on mayflower, signed mayflower compact, , helped found plymouth colony. sister, elizabeth gorham, married john leighton, ancestor of edith kermit carow roosevelt, second wife of theodore roosevelt, served first lady of united states during presidency 1901 1909.

marriage

he married rebecca call, descended anglican vicar , first minister of dorchester, massachusetts, john maverick, , royally descended wife, mary gye maverick. rev. john maverick born in awliscombe, devon, baptized there on december 28, 1578, , enrolled @ oxford october 24, 1595, age 18. son of rev. peter maverick (spelled mavericke in old english records), vicar of awliscombe. on september 6, 1763, in charlestown, massachusetts. born on may 14, 1744, in charlestown, , died there on november 18, 1812. daughter of caleb call , rebecca stimson. parents of 9 children.

career

starting @ 15, served apprenticeship merchant in new london, connecticut, after opened merchant house in charlestown, massachusetts, in 1759. took part in public affairs @ beginning of american revolution: member of massachusetts general court (legislature) 1771 until 1775, delegate provincial congress 1774 until 1775, , member of board of war 1778 until dissolution in 1781. in 1779 served in state constitutional convention. delegate continental congress 1782 until 1783, , 1785 until 1787, serving president 5 months june 6 november 5, 1786, after resignation of john hancock. gorham served term judge of middlesex county court of common pleas.

in 1786 might have been gorham suggested alexander hamilton prince henry of prussia become president or king of united states. however, offer revoked before prince make reply.

for several months in 1787, gorham served 1 of massachusetts delegates united states constitutional convention. gorham served chairman of convention s committee of whole, meaning (rather president of convention, george washington) presided on convention sessions during delegates first deliberations on structure of new government in late may , june 1787. after convention, worked hard see constitution approved in home state. in connection oliver phelps, purchased state of massachusetts in 1788 pre-emption rights immense tract of land in western new york state straddled genesee river, sum of $1,000,000 (about $14.1 million today) (the phelps , gorham purchase). land in question had been ceded massachusetts state of new york under 1786 treaty of hartford. pre-emption right gave them first or preemptive right obtain clear title land indians. extinguished indian title portion of land east of genesee river, 185,000 acres (750 km) tract west of genesee, mill yard tract, surveyed of it, laid out townships, , sold large parts speculators , settlers. nathaniel gorham jr. (died october 22, 1836, canandaigua, new york) pioneer settler of tract, having been placed in charge of father s interests there.

in 1790, after gorham , phelps defaulted in payment, sold of unsold lands east of genesee robert morris, resold lands pulteney association. phelps , gorham unable fulfill contract in full massachusetts, in 1790, surrendered massachusetts portion of lands remained under indian title, namely, land west of genesee. acquired robert morris, resold of holland land company. morris did keep 500,000 acres (2,000 km) of land became known morris reserve.

death , legacy

gorham died in charlestown, massachusetts, in 1796. eulogy delivered in memory dr. thomas welch of charlestown. buried in phipps street cemetery in charlestown, massachusetts.

gorham street in madison, wisconsin, named in honor. town of gorham, new york, named in honor.