Compiled by Russell Bastedo
State Curator
1998

Governor Jared Williams 1847, 1848. Williams (1796-1864) was born at West Woodstock (CT). He graduated from Brown University (Class of 1818), read law at the Lichfield (CT) law school, and was admitted to the Bar in 1822. He established a law practice at Lancaster (NH) that year, and two years later married (Sarah Bacon, of Woodstock, CT).

Williams was a State Representative (1830, 1835). As Coos County Register of Probate (1832-1837), Williams was elected to the State Senate (1833-1835; President of the Senate, 1834-1835). He then served two terms as a (Democrat) congress-man in the U. S. House of Representatives (1837-1839, 1839-1841).

After losing the 1846 election for governor (to Anthony Colby, in a race decided in the legislature), Williams won against the same opponents in 1847. He was reelected in 1848.

Governor Williams supported legislative resolutions in favor of the War With Mexico, and he supported a $2 million govern-ment appropriation to resolve issues raised by the Wilmot Proviso, an amendment tacked on to legislation governing land newly annexed from Mexico. Within New Hampshire, Governor Williams and the legislature struggled over legisla-tion to regulate property ownership and divorce among persons joining the celibate Shaker religion. Williams also asked the legislature to control the power of corporations within the state.

In 1852 Williams was appointed a Judge of Probate; but a year later U.S. Senator Charles Atherton died in office. Judge Williams won the election to fill out Atherton's term; he served at Washington, D.C. December 12, 1853-March 3, 1855.

Location: State House, Second Floor, Corridor, West Face, Beginning at Room 208
Portrait by A. Tenney, date unknown; At State House by 1872