Elisha Litchfield
Encyclopedia
Elisha Litchfield was an American merchant and politician from New York
.
. He fought in the War of 1812
and was promoted to Major. He was a Justice of the Peace
and Supervisor of Onondaga County
. He abandoned carpentry
, and became a merchant. He was appointed Postmaster of Delphi on November 28, 1817, and served until June 25, 1821.
He was a member of the New York State Assembly
in 1819. Litchfield was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the 17th
, and as a Crawford Democratic-Republican to the 18th United States Congress
, holding office from December 3, 1821, to March 3, 1825. In 1828, he married Mrs. Lucy Bacon, widow of Dr. Enos Bacon, and they had four children.
He was again a member of the State Assembly in 1831, 1832, 1833 and 1844, and was Speaker
in 1844. Afterwards he removed to Cazenovia and died there on August 4, 1859. He was buried at the City Cemetery in Delphi Falls.
His son Edwin C. Litchfield ran for Congress as a Democrat in 1858 in the 2nd District
, but was defeated by Republican James Humphrey.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Life
He attended the common schools, and learned the carpenter's trade. In November 1808, he married Percy Tiffany (d. 1827), and they had five children, among them Edwin Clark Litchfield (1815-). In 1812, he removed to DelphiDelphi Falls, New York
Delphi Falls, New York is a hamlet in the town of Pompey, Onondaga County, New York. It was prosperous in the early 19th century. It is the location of a post office, a store or two, several blocks of houses, and two places listed on the U.S. National Register: the Delphi Baptist Church and the...
. He fought in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and was promoted to Major. He was a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and Supervisor of Onondaga County
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. He abandoned carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, and became a merchant. He was appointed Postmaster of Delphi on November 28, 1817, and served until June 25, 1821.
He was a member of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
in 1819. Litchfield was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the 17th
17th United States Congress
The Seventeenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1823, during the fifth and sixth...
, and as a Crawford Democratic-Republican to the 18th United States Congress
18th United States Congress
The Eighteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1823 to March 3, 1825, during the seventh and eighth...
, holding office from December 3, 1821, to March 3, 1825. In 1828, he married Mrs. Lucy Bacon, widow of Dr. Enos Bacon, and they had four children.
He was again a member of the State Assembly in 1831, 1832, 1833 and 1844, and was Speaker
Speaker of the New York State Assembly
The Speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party....
in 1844. Afterwards he removed to Cazenovia and died there on August 4, 1859. He was buried at the City Cemetery in Delphi Falls.
His son Edwin C. Litchfield ran for Congress as a Democrat in 1858 in the 2nd District
New York's 2nd congressional district
The 2nd Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in central Long Island. It includes all of the town of Huntington and parts of the towns of Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County as well as part of the town of Oyster Bay...
, but was defeated by Republican James Humphrey.
Source
- The New England Historical and Genealogical Register published by the New England Historic Genealogical SocietyNew England Historic Genealogical SocietyThe New England Historic Genealogical Society is the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845. A charitable, nonprofit educational institution, NEHGS is located at 99-101 Newbury Street, in Boston, Massachusetts, in an eight-story archive and research center....
(1855; Vol. IX; pages 215f) - The Nominee of the Second Congressional District in NYT on October 6, 1858
- EDWIN C. LITCHFIELD obit in NYT on July 23, 1885