Samuel Tenney
Encyclopedia
Samuel Tenney was a United States Representative from New Hampshire
. Born in Byfield, Massachusetts
, he attended Dummer Academy there and graduated from Harvard College
in 1772. He taught school at Andover and studied medicine, beginning practice in Exeter, New Hampshire
. He was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War
. He tended the wounded patriots following the Battle of Bunker Hill
then for the next year served as Surgeon's Mate alongside Massachusetts troops. For the balance of the war he was a surgeon attached primarily to the 1st Rhode Island Regiment
. He was present at the surrenders of Burgoyne
and Cornwallis
; encamped at Valley Forge
, PA, during that fierce Winter 1777/78; was designated Acting Surgeon General of the Army upon general orders of General George Washington; and then returned to Exeter at the close of the war where he took up politics and other scholarly pursuits. He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention
in 1788 and a judge of probate
for Rockingham County
from 1793 to 1800. He was secretary of the New Hampshire Medical Society and commissioned Paul Revere
to produce the first engraving of that organization's seal. Used the pseudonym "Alfredus" to publish commentary as part of public debate over the design and ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Circa 1800 he commissioned a home which was built in the center of Exeter on Front Street next to the First Church
, now part of the Front Street Historic District
. It would be his primary residence in New Hampshire. In 1893, long after Samuel's death, the home was relocated to 65 High Street to make way for construction of a new County Courthouse. On November 25, 1980 the Samuel Tenney House
was placed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire.
Tenney was elected as a Federalist to the 6th U.S. Congress
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William Gordon
; he was reelected to the 7th
, 8th
, and 9th
Congresses and served from December 8, 1800, to March 3, 1807. While in the House, he was chairman of the Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business (Eighth and Ninth Congresses). Upon retiring from Congress, he continued to pursue literary, historical, and scientific studies and died in Exeter in 1816; interment was at the Winter Street Burial Ground.
In 1788, Tenney married Tabitha Gilman
(1762–1837). Tabitha, born in Exeter, was descended from one of New England's mainline families. Tabitha's father Samuel Gilman died in 1778 and it is believed she stayed at home helping to raise her six younger siblings. Tabitha Gilman Tenney is a notable author in early American Literature
. In 1801, while living with Samuel in Washington D.C., Tabitha wrote and published her most recognized work, Female Quixotism: Exhibited in the Romantic Opinions and Extravagant Adventure of Dorcasina Sheldon. Samuel and Tabitha Tenney had no children. Upon her 1837 death in Exeter, she too was buried at the Winter Street Burial Ground.
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...
. Born in Byfield, Massachusetts
Byfield, Massachusetts
Byfield is a village in the town of Newbury, in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It borders West Newbury, Georgetown, and Rowley. It is located about 30 miles north-northeast of Boston, along Interstate 95, about 10 miles south of the border between New Hampshire and...
, he attended Dummer Academy there and graduated from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in 1772. He taught school at Andover and studied medicine, beginning practice in Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, 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...
. He was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He tended the wounded patriots following the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
then for the next year served as Surgeon's Mate alongside Massachusetts troops. For the balance of the war he was a surgeon attached primarily to the 1st Rhode Island Regiment
1st Rhode Island Regiment
The 1st Rhode Island Regiment was a Continental Army regiment from Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War . Like most regiments of the Continental Army, the unit went through several incarnations and name changes. It became well-known as the "Black Regiment" because, for a time, it had...
. He was present at the surrenders of Burgoyne
Surrender of General Burgoyne
The Surrender of General Burgoyne is an oil painting by John Trumbull. The painting was completed in 1821, and hangs in the rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D. C....
and Cornwallis
Surrender of Lord Cornwallis
The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis is an oil painting by John Trumbull. The painting was completed in 1820, and hangs in the rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D...
; encamped at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, PA, during that fierce Winter 1777/78; was designated Acting Surgeon General of the Army upon general orders of General George Washington; and then returned to Exeter at the close of the war where he took up politics and other scholarly pursuits. He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
in 1788 and a judge of probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
for 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...
from 1793 to 1800. He was secretary of the New Hampshire Medical Society and commissioned Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
to produce the first engraving of that organization's seal. Used the pseudonym "Alfredus" to publish commentary as part of public debate over the design and ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Circa 1800 he commissioned a home which was built in the center of Exeter on Front Street next to the First Church
First Church (Exeter, New Hampshire)
First Church in Exeter, New Hampshire, also known as Congregational Church or United Church of Christ, was built in 1798. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.It is included in the Front Street Historic District....
, now part of the Front Street Historic District
Front Street Historic District (Exeter, New Hampshire)
Front Street Historic District in Exeter, New Hampshire was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973.. It includes Dudley House and First Church, which are separately NRHP-listed. It dates back to 1809....
. It would be his primary residence in New Hampshire. In 1893, long after Samuel's death, the home was relocated to 65 High Street to make way for construction of a new County Courthouse. On November 25, 1980 the Samuel Tenney House
Samuel Tenney House
The Samuel Tenney House is an historic building in Exeter, New Hampshire. This mansion was built circa 1800 as the primary residence of Samuel Tenney -- noted scholar, scientist, physician, Revolutionary War surgeon, patriot, judge and member of Congress—and his wife Tabitha Gilman Tenney, the...
was placed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire.
Tenney was elected as a Federalist to the 6th U.S. Congress
6th United States Congress
The Sixth 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 at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1799...
to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William Gordon
William Gordon (1763-1802)
William Gordon was a United States Representative from New Hampshire. Born near Boston, Massachusetts, he graduated from Harvard College in 1779, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1787 and commenced practice in Amherst, New Hampshire. He was appointed register of probate in 1793 and was a...
; he was reelected to the 7th
7th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Senate:* President: Aaron Burr * President pro tempore:** Abraham Baldwin , first elected December 7, 1801** Stephen R. Bradley , first elected December 14, 1802-House of Representatives:...
, 8th
8th United States Congress
- Senate :* President: Aaron Burr * President pro tempore: John Brown , October 17, 1803 – February 26, 1804** Jesse Franklin , March 10, 1804 – November 4, 1804** Joseph Anderson , January 15, 1805 – December 1, 1805- House of Representatives :...
, and 9th
9th United States Congress
- Senate :* President: George Clinton * President pro tempore: Samuel Smith - House of Representatives :* Speaker: Nathaniel Macon -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
Congresses and served from December 8, 1800, to March 3, 1807. While in the House, he was chairman of the Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business (Eighth and Ninth Congresses). Upon retiring from Congress, he continued to pursue literary, historical, and scientific studies and died in Exeter in 1816; interment was at the Winter Street Burial Ground.
In 1788, Tenney married Tabitha Gilman
Tabitha Gilman Tenney
Tabitha Gilman Tenney was an early American author from Exeter, New Hampshire. Her novel Female Quixotism first appeared in 1801. She married Samuel Tenney, a politician....
(1762–1837). Tabitha, born in Exeter, was descended from one of New England's mainline families. Tabitha's father Samuel Gilman died in 1778 and it is believed she stayed at home helping to raise her six younger siblings. Tabitha Gilman Tenney is a notable author in early American Literature
American literature
American literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
. In 1801, while living with Samuel in Washington D.C., Tabitha wrote and published her most recognized work, Female Quixotism: Exhibited in the Romantic Opinions and Extravagant Adventure of Dorcasina Sheldon. Samuel and Tabitha Tenney had no children. Upon her 1837 death in Exeter, she too was buried at the Winter Street Burial Ground.
Sources
. accessed 2010.07.08- Tenney, Jonathan and Tenney, M.J. The Tenney family , or, The Descendants of Thomas Tenney of Rowley, Massachusetts, Pages 86–87. Rumford Press, 1904. accessed 2010.07.10
- Bell, Charles Henry. History of the town of Exeter, New Hampshire, Pages 382 & 383. Press of J. E. Farwell & Co., Boston, 1888. accessed 2010.07.07
- Ewell, John Louis. The story of Byfield: a New England Parish. G.E. Littlefield, 1904. accessed 2010.07.10