Nathaniel Folsom
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Folsom was an American merchant and statesman.
He was a delegate for New Hampshire
in the Continental Congress
in 1774 and 1777 to 1780, as well as the Major General of the New Hampshire Militia
.
. His ancestors were among Exeter's earliest settlers, having arrived with the Gilman family, to whom they were related, from Hingham, Massachusetts
, where both families settled for a time before moving on to New Hampshire. (The original spelling of the family name was Foulsham. The Folsoms continued to hold land outside Hingham
, Norfolk
, England
, many years after leaving for the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. In 1673, John Folsom of Exeter gave his son Peter 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land in Norfolk County, England, which he had inherited from his family.) Nathaniel Folsom's father, Jonathan (c. 1685-1740) married Ann Ladd (1691-1742), and she gave birth to Anna, Sarah, Lydia, Elizabeth, Abigail, John, Mary, Nathaniel, Jonathan, Samuel, Josiah and Trueworthy (named for Folsom's Treworgy ancestors).
When Folsom's father died, in January 1740, the thirteen-year-old went to work for a merchant. He invested in timber and opened a saw-mill. Then in 1761, he went into business with some distant cousins, Joseph and Josiah Gilman. They became Folsom, Gilman & Gilman and opened a general store, built ships, and carried on an import/export business. The firm operated in Exeter and Portsmouth
. Though the partners went their separate ways in 1768, Folsom continued in foreign commerce, timber, and lumber operations for the rest of his life.
Folsom married twice, first to Dorothy Smith (1726-1776). Their children included: Nathaniel, Dorothy, Jonathan, Anna, Arthur, and Mary (1751-1812), and Deborah; (Dorothy was New Hampshire Governor John Taylor Gilman's first wife, Deborah his second). By his second wife, Mary Sprague, he had one daughter, Ruth Weare Folsom.
he was Captain of a company in the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment
during the Crown Point
expedition led by Sir William Johnson
in 1755. At the Battle of Lake George
, his company, supported by artillery from Massachusetts
surprised and captured Baron Dieskau
, the French commander-in-chief. Besides capturing the Baron, they dispersed the French troops, took the French baggage train and seized a critical mass of supplies, with the loss of only six men.
Folsom went on to become a colonel in the militia. His formal commission was revoked by Governor Wentworth
after the raid on Fort William and Mary
in December 1774. Disregarding this, Colonel Folsom marched his regiment to Portsmouth, and escorted the captured cannons safely back to Durham
.
On May 29, 1775, the Provincial Congress named him a Brigadier General in command of New Hampshire's forces. This created some confusion, as the Massachusetts provisional government had named John Stark
to the same position. At the time, Colonel Stark was the senior commander of the New Hampshire men who had marched to the Siege of Boston
. The confusion was resolved in June, when the Continental Congress named John Sullivan
General of those New Hampshire forces in service with the Continental Army
. Folsom was the senior officer for militia forces within the state. He was later named a Major General, and continued recruiting, training, and supply efforts throughout the war.
that met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
In 1775, Folsom continued his service in the provincial congress, as he would do until 1783. He became a close political ally of Meshech Weare
and Josiah Bartlett
, as he was named to the New Hampshire Committee of Safety
. In January 1776, he also became a justice in the Rockingham County
court of common pleas. In 1777 and 1779 he was also returned to his old post as a delegate to the Continental Congress.
In 1783 he became the chief judge in the common pleas court. That same year he went to, and presided over, the state's constitutional convention. When a constitution was adopted, as president of the convention, he wrote a cover letter, then forwarded it to the towns for ratification. Ironically, one problem addressed by the constitution was to limit the number of offices held by one man. Folsom resigned from the Assembly, and as head of the militia, and from the Governor's Council.
He held the job of chief judge in Rockingham County until his death in Exeter on May 26, 1790. He is buried in Exeter's Winter Street Cemetery.
He was a delegate for New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
in the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
in 1774 and 1777 to 1780, as well as the Major General of the New Hampshire Militia
New Hampshire Militia
The New Hampshire Militia was first organized in March 1680, by New Hampshire Colonial President John Cutt. The King of England authorized the Provincial President to give commissions to persons who shall be best qualified for regulating and discipline of the militia. President Cutt placed Major...
.
Private life
Folsom was born into a large family in Exeter, New HampshireExeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
. His ancestors were among Exeter's earliest settlers, having arrived with the Gilman family, to whom they were related, from Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
, where both families settled for a time before moving on to New Hampshire. (The original spelling of the family name was Foulsham. The Folsoms continued to hold land outside Hingham
Hingham, Norfolk
Hingham is a market town and civil parish in the Forehoe district in the heart of rural Norfolk, in England. The civil parish covers an area of and had a population of 2,078 in 944 households as of the 2001 census. Grand architecture surrounds the market place and village green...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, many years after leaving for the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. In 1673, John Folsom of Exeter gave his son Peter 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land in Norfolk County, England, which he had inherited from his family.) Nathaniel Folsom's father, Jonathan (c. 1685-1740) married Ann Ladd (1691-1742), and she gave birth to Anna, Sarah, Lydia, Elizabeth, Abigail, John, Mary, Nathaniel, Jonathan, Samuel, Josiah and Trueworthy (named for Folsom's Treworgy ancestors).
When Folsom's father died, in January 1740, the thirteen-year-old went to work for a merchant. He invested in timber and opened a saw-mill. Then in 1761, he went into business with some distant cousins, Joseph and Josiah Gilman. They became Folsom, Gilman & Gilman and opened a general store, built ships, and carried on an import/export business. The firm operated in Exeter and Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
. Though the partners went their separate ways in 1768, Folsom continued in foreign commerce, timber, and lumber operations for the rest of his life.
Folsom married twice, first to Dorothy Smith (1726-1776). Their children included: Nathaniel, Dorothy, Jonathan, Anna, Arthur, and Mary (1751-1812), and Deborah; (Dorothy was New Hampshire Governor John Taylor Gilman's first wife, Deborah his second). By his second wife, Mary Sprague, he had one daughter, Ruth Weare Folsom.
Military career
Folsom joined the militia as did most young men. During the French and Indian WarFrench and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
he was Captain of a company in the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment
New Hampshire Provincial Regiment
The New Hampshire Provincial Regiment was a composite regiment made up of units of the New Hampshire Militia during the French and Indian War for service with the British Army in North America. It was first formed in 1754 with the start of hostilities with France.-1755:In 1755 Col...
during the Crown Point
Crown Point, New York
Crown Point is a town in Essex County, New York, USA. The population was 2,119 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is a direct translation of the original French name, "Point au Chevalure."...
expedition led by Sir William Johnson
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish official of the British Empire. As a young man, Johnson came to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Admiral Peter Warren, which was located amidst the Mohawk, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League...
in 1755. At the Battle of Lake George
Battle of Lake George
The Battle of Lake George was fought on 8 September 1755, in the north of the Province of New York. The battle was part of a campaign by the British to expel the French from North America in the French and Indian War....
, his company, supported by artillery from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
surprised and captured Baron Dieskau
Jean Erdman, Baron Dieskau
Jean Erdman, Baron Dieskau or Jean-Armand Dieskau, Baron de Dieskau or Ludwig August von Dieskau was a German-born soldier remembered mostly as a French general and commander in America for a part of the French and Indian War.-Biography:He was aide-de-camp of Marshal Maurice de Saxe, and visited St...
, the French commander-in-chief. Besides capturing the Baron, they dispersed the French troops, took the French baggage train and seized a critical mass of supplies, with the loss of only six men.
Folsom went on to become a colonel in the militia. His formal commission was revoked by Governor Wentworth
John Wentworth
John Wentworth may refer to:*John Wentworth , lieutenant governor of New Hampshire from 1717-1730*John Wentworth , jurist and revolutionary leader in New Hampshire...
after the raid on Fort William and Mary
Fort William and Mary
Fort William and Mary was a colonial defensive post on the island of New Castle, New Hampshire at the mouth of the Piscataqua River estuary. First fortified by the British in 1632, the fort guarded access to the harbor at Portsmouth....
in December 1774. Disregarding this, Colonel Folsom marched his regiment to Portsmouth, and escorted the captured cannons safely back to Durham
Durham, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 565.5 people per square mile . There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 130.5 per square mile...
.
On May 29, 1775, the Provincial Congress named him a Brigadier General in command of New Hampshire's forces. This created some confusion, as the Massachusetts provisional government had named John Stark
John Stark
John Stark was a New Hampshire native who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.-Early life:John Stark was born in Londonderry, New...
to the same position. At the time, Colonel Stark was the senior commander of the New Hampshire men who had marched to the Siege of Boston
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
. The confusion was resolved in June, when the Continental Congress named John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
General of those New Hampshire forces in service with the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. Folsom was the senior officer for militia forces within the state. He was later named a Major General, and continued recruiting, training, and supply efforts throughout the war.
Political career
Folsom had served several years as moderator of the town meetings at Exeter. When a revolutionary Assembly, the Provincial Congress, first met on July 21, 1774, he was a delegate. The Provincial Congress, in turn named him their delegate to the first Continental CongressContinental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
that met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
In 1775, Folsom continued his service in the provincial congress, as he would do until 1783. He became a close political ally of Meshech Weare
Meshech Weare
Meshech Weare was an American farmer, lawyer and revolutionary statesman from Seabrook, New Hampshire. He served as the first President of New Hampshire from 1776 to 1785.-Family life:...
and Josiah Bartlett
Josiah Bartlett
Josiah Bartlett was an American physician and statesman, delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire and signatory of the Declaration of Independence...
, as he was named to the New Hampshire Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
. In January 1776, he also became a justice in the Rockingham County
Rockingham County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 277,359 people, 104,529 households, and 74,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 399 people per square mile . There were 113,023 housing units at an average density of 163 per square mile...
court of common pleas. In 1777 and 1779 he was also returned to his old post as a delegate to the Continental Congress.
In 1783 he became the chief judge in the common pleas court. That same year he went to, and presided over, the state's constitutional convention. When a constitution was adopted, as president of the convention, he wrote a cover letter, then forwarded it to the towns for ratification. Ironically, one problem addressed by the constitution was to limit the number of offices held by one man. Folsom resigned from the Assembly, and as head of the militia, and from the Governor's Council.
He held the job of chief judge in Rockingham County until his death in Exeter on May 26, 1790. He is buried in Exeter's Winter Street Cemetery.
Further reading
- http://books.google.com/books?id=x-dCdmnX6FcC&pg=PA251&lpg=PA251&dq=%22gen.+nathaniel+folsom%22+a+genealogy+of+the+folsom+family&source=bl&ots=aKVufPJzhD&sig=HVEmTy8XE9enHxh9MobBYzFOoN0&hl=en&ei=rZESTOP-MNGonQeW-4WSAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=falseGen. Nathaniel Folsom of Exeter, A Genealogy of the Folsom Family: John Folsom and His Descendants, 1615-1882, Jacob Chapman, The Republican Press Association, Concord, N.H., 1882]