William S. Damrell

{{Short description|American politician (1809–1860)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = William Shapleigh Damrell | image = William S. Damrell (Massachusetts Congressman).jpg | state = [[Massachusetts]] | district = [[Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district|3rd]] | term_start = March 4, 1855 | term_end = March 3, 1859 | preceded = [[J. Wiley Edmands]] | succeeded = [[Charles Francis Adams Sr.]] | birth_date = {{birth date text|November 29, 1809}} | birth_place = [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] | death_date = {{death date and age|May 17, 1860|November 29, 1809}} | death_place = [[Dedham, Massachusetts]] | party = {{ubl|[[Free Soil Party]]|[[Know Nothing|American Party]]|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]}} | spouse = Adeline A. Naef | children = 5 | occupation = Printer and publisher | profession = | signature = }} '''William Shapleigh Damrell''' (November 29, 1809 – May 17, 1860) was a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from [[Massachusetts]].

==Career== Damrell was born in [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] on November 29, 1809. He attended public schools, learned the art of printing and became the proprietor of a large printing establishment in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]. He published books, almanacs, and government publications of all types, but was primarily known for printing books, broadsides and pamphlets for temperance and other reform organizations. He also became the city's main supplier of stationery and office supplies.

[[December 1845 Boston mayoral election|In December 1845]], Damrell was the unsuccessful Native American Party ([[Know Nothing]]) nominee for [[mayor of Boston]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mayor of Boston |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/9392606 |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com |publisher=Huron Reflector |access-date=17 April 2023 |language=en |date=December 23, 1845}}</ref>

Damrell was active in the [[Free Soil Party]]. In 1854 he was elected to the Thirty-fourth Congress as a Free Soiler with American Party (Know Nothing) support (March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857). He was reelected as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] to the Thirty-fifth Congress (March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859).

Damrell suffered a paralytic stroke before the expiration of his second term, and was not a candidate for renomination in 1858. He resumed his printing business activities.

==Death and burial==

He died in [[Dedham, Massachusetts|Dedham]] on May 17, 1860. His interment was at [[Forest Hills Cemetery]] in the [[Jamaica Plain]] neighborhood of [[Boston, Massachusetts]].

In 1892 his former estate was purchased and converted into the [[Fairview Cemetery (Boston, Massachusetts)|Fairview Cemetery]].{{Citation needed|reason=Unsourced assertion initially made on the article for the Fairview Cemetery|date=December 2020}}

==Family== Damrell was married to Adeline A. Naef (1807-1880). Their children included: Lucius Manlius Sargent Damrell (1833-1872); Catherine Shapley Damrell Gowland (1835-1860); William Shapleigh Damrell (1838-1873); Andrew Naef Damrell (1840-1909); and Horace Sargent Damrell (1842-1862).

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{CongBio|D000019}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=Massachusetts | district=3 | before=[[J. Wiley Edmands]] | after= [[Charles F. Adams, Sr.]] | years=March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1859 }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Damrell, William S.}} [[Category:1809 births]] [[Category:1860 deaths]]

[[Category:American printers]] [[Category:Politicians from Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] [[Category:Know-Nothing United States representatives from Massachusetts]] [[Category:Republican Party United States representatives from Massachusetts]] [[Category:Politicians from Dedham, Massachusetts]] [[Category:19th-century United States representatives]]