Charles Humphrey Atherton

Charles Humphrey Atherton (August 14, 1773 – January 8, 1853), an American Federalist politician, banker and a distinguished attorney from New Hampshire. [1]

Charles Humphrey Atherton
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Hampshire's At-large Congressional district
In office
March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817
Preceded bySamuel Smith
Succeeded byNathaniel Upham
Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
In office
1823–1839
Personal details
Born(1773-08-14)August 14, 1773
Amherst, Province of New Hampshire, British America
DiedJanuary 8, 1853(1853-01-08) (aged 79)
Amherst, New Hampshire, U.S.
Resting placeOld Cemetery
Amherst, New Hampshire
CitizenshipU.S.
Political partyFederalist
Spouse(s)Mary Ann Toppan Atherton
RelationsWilliam Gordon
ChildrenCharles Gordon Atherton
Alma materHarvard University
ProfessionLawyer
Politician
Farmer
Banker

Atherton served once as a United States Representative from New Hampshire from 1815-1817, but did not seek re-election. He was thrice elected to the state legislature and was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1823, 1838 and 1839. [2]

Early life

Born in Amherst in the Province of New Hampshire, Atherton was the son of Joshua Atherton and Abigail (Goss) Atherton.[3] He graduated from Harvard University in 1794,[4] and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.[5] He was admitted to the bar in 1797 and started practicing law in Amherst.[6]

Career

He served as register of probate for Hillsborough County from 1798-1807.[7]

He delivered a eulogy on George Washington, who died on December 14, 1799; at Amherst. [8]

He was elected as a Federalist candidate to the United States House of Representatives in the Fourteenth United States Congress, he served in Congress from March 4, 1815 to March 3, 1817.[9] He declined to run for reelection in 1816 and instead served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1823-1839.

He was painted by artist Gilbert Stuart in Boston in 1823.

Atherton was a prominent figure in the local Unitarian movement, he later helped establish The Christian Society in Amherst.[10]

After leaving the State House, he resumed the practice of law and was one of the founders of the Hillsborough County Agricultural Society.

He was president of the board of directors of the Farmers' Bank when it was formed in 1825 and served during the existence of the corporation. He was a member of the New Hampshire Historical Society,[11] and was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1815.[12] He prepared various papers for the New Hampshire Historical Society. [13] In his final years he published his father's memoirs titled “Memoir of the Hon Joshua Atherton“, published in 1852, by Crosby, Nichol and Company of Boston. [14]

Death

Atherton died in Amherst, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, on January 8, 1853 (age 79 years, 147 days). He is interred at Old Cemetery in Amherst, New Hampshire, along with his wife Mary (died on October 15, 1817) and five of their children. He had accumulated one of the largest estates ever left in Amherst.[15]

Personal life

On October 30, 1803, Atherton married Mary Ann Toppan.[16] They had seven children, and their son Charles Gordon Atherton was a United States Senator.[17][18] Atherton's brother-in-law William Gordon was also a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire.[3]

He became a widow after the passing of his wife Mary, who died on October 15, 1817, just five months after childbirth and left four surviving children: James (aged 4), Mary (aged 7), George (aged 9) and Charles (aged 13).

Atherton who had not sought re-election in 1816, is likely to have focused on his family's needs. He returned to politics, albeit at State level in 1823.

Descendants

The following 4 children died young:

  • Mary Anne Atherton (July 11, 1806 - September 24, 1807, aged 14 months).
  • Christopher Atherton (Aug 6, 1815 - May 3, 1816, aged nine months).
  • Henry Atherton (May 19, 1817 - May 19, 1817, aged 1 day).
  • George Atherton (September 25, 1808 - April 10, 1825, aged 16). He was a member of the Junior Class of Harvard College.

All were laid to rest in the family grave at Old Cemetery, Amherst, NH.

The following children died after the death of Charles Humphrey Atherton:

  • James Humphrey Atherton (1813-1837, died in New York, aged 24)
  • Mary Ann Toppan Atherton (December 18, 1810 - January 26, 1853, aged 42). She survived her father by just 18 days.
  • Charles Gordon Atherton (July 4, 1804 – November 15, 1853, aged 49)

One other child (unknown)

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gollark: It's the town we took you to. On that very long trip. Through the nether.
gollark: Well, Void Town™ mostly needs... more resources generally, I guess, but particularly ender pearls and End access.
gollark: It's a country.
gollark: I have a solar panel and some machines.

References
  1. "Atherton One Name Study - Entry for Charles Humphrey Atherton".
  2. "Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume 1". 1888.
  3. Bell, Charles Henry (1893). The bench and bar of New Hampshire: including biographical notices of deceased judges of the highest court, and lawyers of the province and state, and a list of names of those now living. Houghton, Mifflin and company. p. 147.
  4. Harvard University (1915). Quinquennial Catalogue of the Officers and Graduates of Harvard University, 1636-1915. Harvard University Press. p. 158.
  5. Phi Beta Kappa. Mass. Alpha, Harvard university (1839). A Catalogue of the Fraternity of # B K, Alpha of Massachusetts... Harvard University, Cambridge, 1839. Folsom, Wells, and Thurston. p. 10.
  6. Poore, Benjamin Perley (1878). The Political Register and Congressional Directory: A Statistical Record of the Federal Officials, Legislative, Executive, and Judicial, of the United States of America, 1776-1878. Houghton, Osgood. p. 264.
  7. Palmer, Joseph (1864). MECROLOGY OF ALUMNI OF HARVARD COLLEGE. Joseph Palmer. p. 12.
  8. "Eulogy on Gen. George Washington, Late President of the United States, Who Died December 14, 1799; Delivered at Amherst, N. H. Before the Inhabitants of the Town of Amherst".
  9. O. Everett (1852). The Christian Examiner, Volumes 53-54. O. Everett. p. 349.
  10. "Charles Humphrey Atherton". The Cabinet © 2013. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  11. J. T. White Company (1901). The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography: Being the History of the United States as Illustrated in the Lives of the Founders, Builders, and Defenders of the Republic, and of the Men and Women who are Doing the Work and Moulding the Thought of the Present Time, Volume 11. J. T. White Company. p. 460.
  12. "American Antiquarian Society Members Directory". Americanantiquarian.org. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  13. "Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume 1". 1888.
  14. "Memoir of the Hon. Joshua Atherton. - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. March 14, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  15. Spencer, Thomas E. (1998). Where They're Buried: A Directory Containing More Than Twenty Thousand Names of Notable Persons Buried in American Cemeteries, with Listings of Many Prominent People who Were Cremated. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 221. ISBN 9780806348230.
  16. Means, Anne Middleton (1921). Amherst and Our Family Tree. Priv. print. p. 66.
  17. "Charles Gordon Atherton". 2014 Geni.com. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  18. "ATHERTON, Charles Gordon, (1804 - 1853)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 18, 2014.


U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Samuel Smith		 United States House of Representatives Seat 2 Of New Hampshire's At-large congressional district
1815—1817		 Succeeded by
Nathaniel Upham
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