Barker Burnell

Barker Burnell (January 30, 1798 – June 15, 1843) was an American politician who was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Born on January 30, 1798, in Nantucket, Massachusetts, he came of age in the early national period, when the maritime economy and whaling industry shaped the life and politics of his native island community. His Nantucket origins and lifelong association with Massachusetts framed his subsequent public career at both the state and national levels.

Burnell entered public life at a relatively young age. He was a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1820–1821, a gathering convened to consider revisions to the state’s foundational charter in the wake of the separation of Maine from Massachusetts and broader democratic reforms. His participation in this convention placed him among the state’s political leadership during a formative moment in Massachusetts governance and reflected the early trust placed in his judgment and abilities.

Following his work on the constitutional convention, Burnell served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1821 and 1822. He then advanced to the Massachusetts Senate, where he served in 1823, returned in 1825, and continued as a state senator through 1833, and again in 1838. Over these years he was repeatedly chosen to represent his constituents in the state legislature, contributing to debates on state policy and law during a period of economic expansion, internal improvements, and evolving party alignments in Massachusetts politics.

As national party structures solidified in the 1830s, Burnell aligned with the Whig Party. He served as a delegate to the Whig National Convention in 1840, participating in the nomination process that elevated William Henry Harrison as the party’s presidential candidate. His role at the convention underscored his standing within the Whig organization in Massachusetts and connected his state-level experience to the broader national political arena.

Burnell was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Congresses, representing Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives. His service in Congress began on March 4, 1841, and continued until his death in 1843. As a member of the Whig Party representing Massachusetts, Barker Burnell contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by contentious debates over economic policy, the national bank, and executive power, and he participated in the democratic process by representing the interests of his constituents in these national deliberations.

Burnell died in office in Washington, D.C., on June 15, 1843, while serving in the Twenty-eighth Congress. He was originally interred in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, reflecting the customary practice for members of Congress who died while in service. In 1844, his remains were re-interred in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Nantucket, Massachusetts, returning him to his native island community. His career, spanning state constitutional reform, legislative service in both houses of the Massachusetts General Court, national party activity, and two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, placed him among the notable Massachusetts Whig politicians of the early nineteenth century.