# Abijah Bigelow

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American politician (1775–1860)

Abijah Bigelow portrait by James Sullivan Lincoln Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 11th district In office October 8, 1810 – March 3, 1815 Preceded by William Stedman Succeeded by Elijah Brigham Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives In office 1807-1809 Personal details Born (1775-12-05)December 5, 1775 Westminster, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America Died April 5, 1860(1860-04-05) (aged 84) Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. Party Federalist Alma mater Dartmouth College Profession Lawyer

**Abijah Bigelow** (December 5, 1775 – April 5, 1860) was a [U.S. representative](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) from [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts).

Born in [Westminster](/source/Westminster%2C_Massachusetts) in the [Province of Massachusetts Bay](/source/Province_of_Massachusetts_Bay), the son of Elisha and Sarah (Goodridge) Bigelow, Abijah Bigelow studied at Leicester (Massachusetts) Academy and [New Ipswich Academy](/source/New_Ipswich_Academy) at [New Ipswich, New Hampshire](/source/New_Ipswich%2C_New_Hampshire). He graduated from [Dartmouth College](/source/Dartmouth_College), [Hanover, New Hampshire](/source/Hanover%2C_New_Hampshire), in 1795. He studied law in [Groton, Massachusetts](/source/Groton%2C_Massachusetts). He was [admitted to the Worcester County bar](/source/Admission_to_the_bar_in_the_United_States) in 1798 and commenced practice in [Leominster, Massachusetts](/source/Leominster%2C_Massachusetts), in the same year. He was [town clerk](/source/Town_clerk) of Leominster 1803–1809. He served as member of the [Massachusetts House of Representatives](/source/Massachusetts_House_of_Representatives) 1807–1809. He was a [Justice of the Peace](/source/Justice_of_the_Peace) 1809-1860 and justice of the quorum 1812–1860.

Bigelow was elected as a [Federalist](/source/Federalist_Party_(United_States)) to the [Eleventh Congress](/source/11th_United_States_Congress) to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of [William Stedman](/source/William_Stedman). He was reelected to the [Twelfth](/source/12th_United_States_Congress) and [Thirteenth](/source/13th_United_States_Congress) Congresses and served from October 8, 1810, to March 3, 1815. He viewed the [War of 1812](/source/War_of_1812) in a decidedly negative light.

Bigelow moved to Worcester in 1817, and served as clerk of the courts of Worcester County 1817–1833. He resumed the practice of law, and served as trustee of [Leicester Academy](/source/Leicester_Academy) in 1819-1820 and as treasurer 1820–1853. He was appointed a master in [chancery](/source/Court_of_equity) in 1838. He died in [Worcester, Massachusetts](/source/Worcester%2C_Massachusetts), April 5, 1860, and was interred in the [Rural Cemetery](/source/Rural_Cemetery_(Worcester%2C_Massachusetts)).

Bigelow was elected a member of the [American Antiquarian Society](/source/American_Antiquarian_Society) in 1813,[1] and subsequently served on its board of councilors from 1817 to 1828.[2] The Antiquarian Society also holds a collection of manuscripts generated by Abijah and his extended family from 1785 to 1883.[3] His correspondence with his wife Hannah Gardner Bigelow (1780–1857) while he was a congressman was also published in 1930 in volume 40 of the *Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society*, with the title "The Letters of Abijah Bigelow, Member of Congress, to his Wife, 1810-1815."[4]

Abijah and his wife Hannah had nine children, seven of whom survived their father. Hannah Bigelow's brother Francis was also a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts.

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [American Antiquarian Society Members Directory](http://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlistb)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Dunbar, B. (1987). *Members and Officers of the American Antiquarian Society*. Worcester: American Antiquarian Society.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Bigelow family"](http://catalog.mwa.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=271229).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Letters of Abijah Bigelow, Member of Congress, to his Wife, 1810-1815."](http://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44806872.pdf) *Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society* **40**: 305-406. 1930

## References

- United States Congress. ["Abijah Bigelow (id: B000453)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000453). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*.

This article incorporates [public domain material](/source/Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States) from [*Biographical Directory of the United States Congress*](http://bioguide.congress.gov). [Federal government of the United States](/source/Federal_government_of_the_United_States).

U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by William Stedman Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 11th congressional district 1810–1815 Succeeded by Elijah Brigham

Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States People US Congress Other Open Library SNAC Yale LUX

v t e United States representatives from Massachusetts 1st district F. Ames Dexter Goodhue Holten Sedgwick Skinner Sedgwick J. Bacon Eustis Quincy Ward Jr. Mason Gorham Webster Gorham N. Appleton Gorham A. Lawrence Fletcher A. Lawrence Winthrop N. Appleton Winthrop S. Eliot W. Appleton Scudder T. D. Eliot Hall T. D. Eliot Buffington Crapo R. Davis Randall Wright G. Lawrence Treadway Heselton Conte Olver Neal 2nd district Goodhue Foster W. Lyman Sedgwick Ward Sr. W. Lyman Shepard J. Crowninshield Story Pickman W. Reed Pickering Silsbee Barstow B. Crowninshield Choate Phillips Saltonstall D. King Rantoul Fay Crocker Buffington O. Ames Harris Long E. Morse Gillett Churchill Bowles Kaynor Granfield Clason Furcolo Boland Neal McGovern 3rd district Gerry Bourne Coffin S. Lyman Mattoon Cutler Nelson Livermore White Pickering Nelson Varnum Nelson Osgood Cushing A. Abbott Duncan Edmands Damrell C. Adams Thomas A. Rice Twichell Whiting I Pierce Field B. Dean Field Ranney L. Morse J. Andrew Walker J. R. Thayer R. Hoar C. Washburn J. A. Thayer Wilder Paige F. Foss Casey Philbin Drinan Donohue Early Blute McGovern N. Tsongas Trahan 4th district Sedgwick Dearborn G. Thatcher Wadsworth Foster L. Lincoln Sr. Hastings Varnum W. Richardson Dana Stearns Fuller E. Everett Sa. Hoar Parmenter Thompson Palfrey Thompson Sabine Walley Comins A. Rice Hooper Frost J. Abbott L. Morse Collins O'Neil Apsley Weymouth Tirrell Mitchell Wilder Winslow Stobbs P. Holmes Donohue Drinan Frank Kennedy III Auchincloss 5th district Partridge Bourne Freeman L. Williams T. Dwight Ely Mills Lathrop Sibley J. Davis L. Lincoln Jr. Hudson C. Allen W. Appleton Burlingame W. Appleton Hooper Alley Butler Gooch Banks Bowman L. Morse Hayden Banks Sh. Hoar Stevens Knox B. Ames J. Rogers E. Rogers B. Morse Cronin P. Tsongas Shannon Atkins Meehan N. Tsongas Markey Clark 6th district G. Thatcher Leonard J. Reed Sr. J. Smith Taggart S. Allen Locke Kendall Grennell Alvord Baker Ashmun G. Davis Upham T. Davis Alley Gooch Banks Butler Thompson Loring Stone Lovering Lodge Cogswell Moody Gardner Lufkin A.P. Andrew G. Bates W. Bates Harrington Mavroules Torkildsen Tierney Moulton 7th district Leonard Ward Sr. Leonard Bullock Bishop Mitchell Barker Baylies Turner Baylies Hulbert Shaw H. Dwight S. Allen Grennell Briggs J. Rockwell Goodrich Banks Gooch Boutwell Brooks Esty E. Hoar Tarbox Butler W. Russell Stone Cogswell W. Everett Barrett Roberts Phelan Maloney W. Connery L. Connery Lane Macdonald Markey Capuano Pressley 8th district Grout G. Thatcher F. Ames Otis Eustis L. Williams Green Gardner Green J. Reed Jr. Baylies Sampson Hobart Lathrop Bates Calhoun J. Adams Mann Wentworth Knapp Train Baldwin G. Hoar J. M. S. Williams Warren Claflin Candler W Russell C. H. Allen Greenhalge Stevens McCall Deitrick Dallinger H. Thayer Dallinger Healey Goodwin Macdonald O'Neill Kennedy II Capuano Lynch 9th district Varnum Bishop J. Dean Wheaton J. Reed Jr. Folger J. Reed Jr. H. Dwight Briggs Jackson Hastings H. Williams Hale Fowler Little De Witt E. Thayer Bailey A. Walker W. Washburn Crocker G. Hoar W. Rice T. Lyman Ely Burnett Candler G. Williams O'Neil Fitzgerald Conry Keliher Murray Roberts Fuller Underhill Luce R. Russell Luce T. H. Eliot Gifford Nicholson Keith McCormack Hicks Moakley Lynch Keating 10th district Goodhue Sewall Read Hastings Upham J. Allen Brigham Wheaton Morton F Baylies Bailey H. A. S. Dearborn W. Baylies Borden H. Williams Borden Burnell Grinnell Scudder Dickinson Chaffee Delano Dawes Crocker Stevens Seelye Norcross W. Rice J. E. Russell J. Walker McEttrick Atwood Barrows Naphen McNary O'Connell Curley Murray Tague Fitzgerald Tague Douglass Tinkham Herter Curtis Martin Heckler Studds Delahunt Keating 11th district Bradbury Bartlett Cutler Stedman A. Bigelow Brigham B. Adams J. Russell Hobart J. Richardson J. Adams J. Reed Jr. Burnell Goodrich Trafton Dawes Chapin Robinson Whiting II Wallace Coolidge Draper Sprague Powers Sullivan Peters Tinkham Douglass Higgins Flaherty Curley Kennedy O'Neill Burke Donnelly 12th district H. Dearborn I. Parker Lee S. Thatcher Skinner Larned Bidwell Bacon Dewey Hulbert Strong Kendall L. Bigelow Baylies Hodges J. Adams Robinson F. Rockwell Crosby E. Morse Lovering Powers Weeks Curley Gallivan McCormack Keith Studds 13th district Wadsworth Seaver Ruggles Dowse Eustis J. Reed Jr. Randall Simpkins Greene Weeks Mitchell Carter Luce Wigglesworth Burke 14th district G. Thatcher Cutts C. King J. Holmes Lovering E. Foss Harris Gilmore Olney Frothingham Wigglesworth Martin 15th district Wadsworth Ilsley Whitman Widgery Bradbury Whitman Greene Leach Martin Gifford 16th district S. Thatcher Cook Tallman S. Davis Brown Orr Hill Thacher Walsh Gifford 17th district Bruce Chandler Gannett F. Carr Wood J. Carr Wilson Kinsley 18th district Wilson T. Rice J. Parker 19th district J. Parker Conner Gage Cushman 20th district Hubbard Parris E. Lincoln At-large Cobb

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Abijah Bigelow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abijah_Bigelow) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abijah_Bigelow?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.