Samuel Dinsmoor

Samuel Dinsmoor (July 1, 1766 – March 15, 1835) was an American teacher, lawyer, banker and politician from New Hampshire. He served as the fourteenth Governor of New Hampshire and as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Samuel Dinsmoor
14th Governor of New Hampshire
In office June 2, 1831 – June 5, 1834
Preceded by	Matthew Harvey
Succeeded by	William Badger
Member of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire's At large district
In office March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813
Preceded by	John Curtis Chamberlain
Succeeded by	Samuel Smith
Personal details
Born	July 1, 1766 Windham, Province of New Hampshire, British America
Died	March 15, 1835 (aged 68) Keene, New Hampshire, U.S.
Resting place	Washington Street Cemetery Keene, New Hampshire
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse(s)	Mary Boyd Reid Dinsmoor
Relations	General George Reid
Children	Mary Eliza Dinsmoor Means Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr. William Dinsmoor
Alma mater	Dartmouth College
Profession	Teacher Lawyer Politician Banker

Early life

Born in 1766 in Windham in the Province of New Hampshire, Dinsmoor was the son of William and Elizabeth (Cochran) Dinsmoor.[1] He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1789,[2] worked as a teacher, studied law and was admitted to the bar. He established a law practice in Keene, New Hampshire, where he was appointed as Postmaster in 1808.[3] He helped organize the Keene light infantry and was the infantry commander.[4]

Political career

Elected as a Democratic-Republican, Dinsmoor represented New Hampshire in the United States House of Representatives during the Twelfth Congress, serving from March 4, 1811 to March 3, 1813.[5] Dinsmoor was an 1820 presidential elector, and served on New Hampshire Governor's Council in 1821.[6] He was a commission member that negotiated and established the boundary line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 1825.[7] He also served as state court judge in New Hampshire from 1823 to 1831.[8]

Securing the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, Dinsmoor was elected Governor by a popular vote in 1831.[9] He was reelected to a second term in 1832,[10][11] and to a third term in 1833, serving from 1831–1834.[12] During his tenure, new manufacturing businesses were incorporated, railroads and banks flourished, and the first free public library in the United States was established in Peterborough.[13][14]

During his governorship, he also made the first official recommendation to establish a state asylum for the insane to remove the insane from prisons, dungeons, and cages.[15] In 1838, a bill for the establishment of an asylum was finally passed by the state.[16] He retired from political life and entered the private sector, serving as the first president of the Ashuelot Bank in Keene. He served in that position until his death.[17]

Death

Dinsmoor died in Keene, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, on March 15, 1835 (age 68 years, 257 days). He is interred at Washington Street Cemetery in Keene, New Hampshire.

Personal life

Dinsmoor was the grandson of Robert and Margaret (Orr) Dinsmoor who settled in Nutfield in 1723. In 1798, he married Mary Boyd Reid, daughter of General George Reid and Molly (Woodburn) Reid.[18]

His son was Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr., the 22nd Governor of New Hampshire.[19][20]

References

1. 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. 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. p. 316. samuel dinsmoor Windham, New Hampshire.
2. Hammond, Otis Grant (1887). The Granite Monthly: A Magazine of Literature, History and State Progress, Volume 10. J.N. McClintock. p. 283.
3. McClintock, John Norris (1888). History of New Hampshire. B. B. Russell. p. 664. samuel dinsmoor Windham, New Hampshire.
4. 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. 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. p. 316. samuel dinsmoor Windham, New Hampshire.
5. United States. Congress. House (1826). Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States: Being the First Session of the First Congress-3rd Session of the 13th Congress, March 4, 1789-Sept. 19, 1814, Volume 8. Gales and Seaton.
6. Shinn, Josiah Hazen (1908). Pioneers and Makers of Arkansas. Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 36. samuel dinsmoor Windham, New Hampshire.
7. Green, Samuel Abbott (1894). The Boundary Line Between Massachusetts and New Hampshire: From the Merrimack River to the Connecticut : a Paper Read Before the Old Residents' Historical Association of Lowell, on December 21, 1893, the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Formation of the Society. Lowell Courier Publishing Company. p. 27. samuel dinsmoor established the boundary line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 1825.
8. Benjamin, W.R. (1899). The Collector, Issues 128–137. W.R. Benjamin. p. 83.
9. "Samuel Dinsmoor". Historical Society of Cheshire County, New Hampshire. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
10. New Hampshire. General Court. Senate (1832). Journal of the Senate of New Hampshire. New Hampshire. General Court. Senate. p. 13.
11. Morrison, Leonard Allison (1843). Historical : the earliest history and genealogy, covering nearly three hundred years, from about 1600 to 1891, of the Dinsmoor-Dinsmore family of Scotland, Ireland, and America ; with that of many of their descendants, and additional facts relating to the sixteen first settlers and their families of Londonderry, New Hampshire, who emigrated to America in 1719. Lowell, Mass. : Morning Mail Print.
12. Chapman, George Thomas (1867). Sketches of the Alumni of Dartmouth College: From the First Graduation in 1771 to the Present Time, with a Brief History of the Institution. Riverside Press. p. 50. samuel dinsmoor dartmouth.
13. Pearlmutter, Jane and Nelson, Paul (2012). Small Public Library Management. American Library Association. p. 2.
14. Brown, Dottie (2002). New Hampshire. Lerner Publications. p. 61.
15. "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). Keene Public Library. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
16. "Samuel Dinsmoor". New Hampshire State Hospital. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
17. "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). Keene Public Library. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
18. "Historical : the earliest history and genealogy, covering nearly three hundred years, from about 1600 to 1891, of the Dinsmoor-Dinsmore family of Scotland, Ireland, and America ; with that of many of their descendants, and additional facts relating to the sixteen first settlers and their families of Londonderry, New Hampshire, who emigrated to America in 1719". Internet Archive. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
19. Ellery, Harrison and Bowditch, Charles Pickering (1897). The Pickering genealogy: being an account of the first three generations of the Pickering family of Salem, Mass., and of the descendants of John and Sarah (Burrill) Pickering, of the third generation, Volume 2. University Press, J. Wilson and Son. p. 691.
20. McClintock, John Norris (1888). History of New Hampshire. B. B. Russell. p. 607. samuel dinsmoor son was Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr.

External links

• United States Congress. "Samuel Dinsmoor (id: D000357)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Samuel Dinsmoor at Find a Grave
• National Governors Association profile