The Plumer Project
Information about the source
Was born at Boston, Massachusetts, on the 11th of March 1731. His
father for a few years was pastor of a church at Weymouth, but the delicate
& feeble state of his health induced him to seperate from his people, &
remove to Boston, where he engaged in business as a merchant, in which
he was unfortunate. His mother was the grand-daughter of governor
Treat of Connecticut, from whom he derived his second name.
The early preparatory & classical education of the son, was under the,
direction of the celebrated Mr Level, an instructor of youth in Boston.
In the year 1745, being about fourteen years of age, he entered as a stu=
=dent at Harvard University; & in 1749 graduated there.
For several years after he left college, his pursuits appear to have been of a
miscellancous nature. For some time he was employed in teaching a
public school in a country town. He devoted a portion of his time to
the study of theology; & on that subject formed opinions that were liberal
& rational. In 1755 he was a few months with the troops of Massachusetts;
& occasionally preached in the pulpits of the regular clergy in Boston. He
made a voyage to Europe, to which he was induced by a desire to acquire
means to assist his father & family, who were in reduced circumstan=
=ces, & some of whom were of a very infirm & sickly constitution. His
conduct in this respect, was highly credible to him; & he continued to
afford support to a maiden sister till her death, which was not till
she was far advanced in years. He never suffered her to want.
tho he had a large family to maintain, & no estate but such as he
acquired by his own industry & prudence. He also contributed to the sup=
=port of his father for several years in the latter part of his life, who
had been unsuccessful in business; & the attention & respect which he
always shewed to an unfortunate, but worthy parent, merits
commendation.
After his return from Europe, he engaged in the study of law, with
Benjamin Pratt an eminent lawyer, who afterwards was chief justice of
New York. But having no pecuniary assistance from his father, he was
obliged, during this period, to resort again to the profession of a school
=master for his support; which prevented him from finishing his
professional studies, & entering into the practise of the law as soon as
otherwise, he would have done; but he came to the courts with more
weight of character, maturity of judgment, & knowledge of men and
things then most of his contemporaries.
He was admitted to the Bar, & took up his residence in Boston, where
he remained a short time, & then removed to Taunton in the county of
Bristol, where he continued for many years; & there married a lady
who survived him. While he remained at Taunton he fequently
attended courts in other counties. As a lawyer he was learned, as an ad-
=vocate argumentative, discriminating, prompt, & satirical. He was
thoroughly acquainted with the great principles of common law, with decisions &
precedents of courts; & ever ready to reply to his opponents with pertinence &
effect, or to fixe the attention of the jury by just & appropriate remarks.
He was attentive to every thing he undertook, & rapidly acquired busi=
=ness & confidence; & stood high in the profession.
He was devoted to the interest of his country, & early opposed the encroach=
=ments of the British government; & was a constant, firm, & zealous
advocate for the American revolution. About the year 1769 he was a re=
presentative in the provincial legislature. In 1773 he was a representative,
& member of the committee who reported an address to Lord Dartmouth
upon the oppressive acts of the British administration; & one of the
committee to manage the impeachment against Peter Oliver chief justice
of the Supreme court. He was also chairman of the committee of Taunton
upon the subject of American grievances, & took a decided part in=
=dicating the rights of the colonies. In 1774 he was again a representative
in the legislature, & was an active influential member; & one of the com=
=mittee who recommended the calling of a general congress.
In 1774 the Massachusetts house of representatives elected him a member of
the continental congress; & by annual elections he held that place till the
close of the year 1778. In 1796 he signed the declaration of independence.
As a member of congress he was firm, resolute, & determined active and
efficient. He was a member of several important committees, & one
the general committee from the northern States, to regulate the price of
labor, provisions, manufactures etc. In congress, & in committees, he displayed
sound discriminating judgment, & practical wisdom; yet with these qualities
he had a frankness & severity which produced enemies to him, & obstructed
his usefulness. He had a voice whose tones were a deep base, & a serious
if not stern expression of countenance, which gave him an appearance of
greater severity than he possessed. Yet he had kind feelings, & a
strong relish of humor,
tho with this peculiarty, that his perception of it was not quick, & the
report of his laugh was sometimes not heard, till the flash of the jest had
entirely vanished. But his talents, integrity, & great decision of character
commanded respect - indeed few men contributed more than he did
to the support of the revolution.
In 1774 & 1775 he was a member of the Massachusetts provincial con=
=gress. In 1777 was a representative in the legislature of that State, and
part of the time speaker of the house; in 1778 he was also a representative,
& a member of the committee who drafted a constitution for that State;
but the people did not approve of it. In 1779 he was a member of
the Massachusetts convention, & of the committee who drew the constitution,
which the people in 1780 adopted. In 1775 & 1779 he was a mem
=ber of the executive council. There appointments occupied nearly the whole
of his time in public service.
In 1778 he was appointed attorney general of Massachusetts; & in October
1780, as soon as the government was organized under the constitution,
he was again appointed the attorney general of the commonwealth
& held & executed that office with great fidelity till 1790. To those
who were habitually vicious & dissolute, he was severe & indignant.
In 1775 he was appointed a judge of the supreme court under the Massa
=chusetts provincial congress, but it being incompatible with his
duty as a member of the continental congress, he declined the appoint=
=ment. In January 1790 he was again appointed a judge of that court;
accepted & held that office till 1804, when he had attained the age of seven=
=ty three years. Being too infirm to travel the circuit of the court,
which was a journey of several hundred miles; & his deafness in a
great measure disqualified him for the trust; & after having performed
the duties of that important office fourteen years, he resigned. During
the time he was on the bench, he used his official authority & influ=
=ence in favor of literary & religious institutions; which he considered
essential to the support of morals & rational freedom. He constantly
urged upon grand jurors the importance of seeing the laws duly
executed, for the maintainance of schools & a learned ministry,
in all the towns. But with all his good qualities, as a judge he
was too severe against offenders, too prone to convict, and too
ready to punish.
He was a decided friend to the constitution of the United States, which
he supported both by his writings & conversations. He employed his
influence in favor of the administrations of Washington & the older
Adams; & during the initial periods of 1794 & 1779 he advocated the
measures of government, with great zeal, energy, & ability; believing
those measures essential to the interest of his country.
He was a patron of useful learning, & held a high rank among the
literary men our country. He was one of the founders of the Ameri=
=can Academy of Arts & Sciences & one of its councillors from its
establishment in 1780 till his death. In 1806, Harvard University
conferred on him the degree of doctor of laws. He read much & thot
much. His knowledge was extensive & well digested. His memory
retentive & ready & his measures practical & operative.
He possessed much of the peculiar spirit of the early settlers of New
England. He was a firm decided believer in christianity; but laid
little stress on speculative opinions, which have been so often,
unhappily, the occasion of bitter & disreputable contentions among
professors of religion. He was the friend of christians, & the patron of
their ministers.
He was literally a man of decision, & of strong passions, but was
upright & strictly honest. His language was plain & blunt, & his
manner partook more of roughness than of the polish of the polite
world. For a man of such strong passions, his habits were regular
& mild, & his temper cheerful.
Tho he devoted much of his time to the public, he was much withÂ
family; & as a companion & father was affectionate, provident, ex=
emplary, & endeared. He was domestic in his habits, & his family
circle was the scene of unrestrained freedom & enjoyment. His
children were well educated, & every effort was made, on his
part, to make them useful & respectable in society. But he did not
allow his fondness for them, to countenance any extravagance which
his pecuniary circumstances would not warrant, without being
unjust to others. His attachments, public & private, were warm &
sincere. Of a most active mind, & social dispositions, he cheered
the circle of kindred, friendship, & neighbourhood.
Soon after he resigned the office of judge, he was elected a mem=
=ber of the executive council in the commonwealth for the year
1805; but declined a re-election, & resolutely withdrew from pub=
=lic life. After that period, & till his death, he retained his mental
faculties in great vigor. He was intelligent, inquisitive, &
judicious. His memory was strong-he would relate, with
much satisfaction, the scenes thro which he had passed, con=
=nected with the danger & prosperity of his country. In conversa=
=tion with old & young, he was sprightly, communicative,
& instructive. He was prone to indulge in repartee & wit. And
while he allowed himself in playful severity towards others,
he was not offended in being the subject of similar raillery.
Many of his last years were spent in Boston; & then he
died on the 11th day of May 1814 in the 84th year of his age.