Bailey Bartlett

Bailey Bartlett (January 29, 1750 – September 9, 1830) was a Federalist member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts and a long-serving local and state official in Essex County. He was born in Haverhill, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, to Enoch Bartlett (April 5, 1715 – January 1789) and Anna Bayley (March 4, 1725 – January 23, 1750). Raised in a prominent local family in colonial New England, he came of age during the period of rising tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain, circumstances that would shape his later public career.

Bartlett received his early education in Haverhill and entered mercantile pursuits there, engaging in trade and business activities that reflected the commercial character of the town and the broader economy of coastal Massachusetts. He continued in these mercantile endeavors until 1789, gaining experience in local economic affairs that would inform his later work in public office. In 1786 he married Peggy Leonard White, with whom he had twelve children, establishing a large family that was closely tied to the civic and social life of Haverhill.

Bartlett’s political career began during the Revolutionary and early post-Revolutionary period. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, serving from 1781 to 1784 and again in 1788. In this capacity he participated in the governance of the Commonwealth during its formative years under the state constitution. In 1788 he was also a member of the Massachusetts convention that debated and ultimately adopted the Constitution of the United States, aligning him with the movement to establish a stronger federal government. The following year he served in the Massachusetts Senate, continuing his involvement in state-level legislative affairs.

In addition to his legislative work, Bartlett held important county offices that anchored his long public service. On July 1, 1789, Governor John Hancock appointed him high sheriff of Essex County, a position of significant responsibility in law enforcement and local administration. He served in this role until December 5, 1811, overseeing the execution of court orders, management of county jails, and maintenance of public order during a period of rapid political and social change in the new republic. His experience as sheriff complemented his legislative background and reinforced his standing as a leading public figure in Essex County.

Bartlett entered national politics as a member of the Federalist Party representing Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to the Fifth Congress to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Theophilus Bradbury and was subsequently reelected to the Sixth Congress. He served two terms in the House of Representatives from November 27, 1797, to March 3, 1801. During this significant period in American history, which encompassed the later years of the John Adams administration and the early development of the federal government under the Constitution, Bartlett contributed to the legislative process, participating in the democratic governance of the new nation and representing the interests of his Massachusetts constituents. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1800, concluding his service in Congress at the end of his second term.

After leaving Congress, Bartlett continued his long association with county and state affairs. In 1812 he served as treasurer of Essex County, managing the county’s financial matters at a time of national strain associated with the War of 1812. On June 20, 1812, he was again appointed high sheriff of Essex County, resuming the office he had previously held and continuing in that capacity until his death. His return to the sheriff’s post underscored the confidence placed in his administrative abilities and his enduring influence in local government.

Bartlett remained engaged in public life into his later years. He was a delegate to the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1820–1821, which considered revisions to the state constitution and addressed questions arising from the political and social changes of the early nineteenth century. His participation in both the 1788 federal ratifying convention and the 1820–1821 state constitutional convention reflected a career that spanned the founding and early consolidation of American constitutional government at both the state and national levels.

Bailey Bartlett died on September 9, 1830, in his native Haverhill, Massachusetts. He was buried in Pentucket Cemetery in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts. His life encompassed service as a merchant, state legislator, county sheriff, county treasurer, constitutional delegate, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, marking him as a significant figure in the political and civic history of Massachusetts during the early years of the United States.