Jeduthun Wilcox

Jeduthun Wilcox (November 18, 1768 – July 18, 1838) was an American politician and a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He was born on November 18, 1768, in Middletown in the Connecticut Colony, the son of John and Eunice Wilcox. Little is recorded about his early youth, but his upbringing in colonial Connecticut placed him in a generation that came of age during the American Revolution and the early years of the new republic, experiences that would later inform his public service and Federalist political views.

Wilcox pursued legal studies as a young man, reading law under the direction of Benjamin A. Gilbert. This traditional method of legal education, based on apprenticeship rather than formal law school, culminated in his admission to the bar in 1802. Following his admission, he moved to New Hampshire and commenced the practice of law in Orford, Grafton County. His legal career in Orford established him as a respected member of the local bar and provided the professional foundation for his subsequent entry into politics.

Wilcox’s public career began at the state level. He served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1809 to 1811, representing his community in the state legislature. During this period, he participated in the legislative affairs of New Hampshire at a time when the young state was still defining its political institutions and policies within the broader framework of the early United States. His service in the state house helped to elevate his profile and prepared him for national office.

Elected as a member of the Federalist Party, Wilcox won a seat in the United States House of Representatives and served two consecutive terms in Congress. He was elected to the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Congresses as a Representative from New Hampshire, serving from March 4, 1813, to March 3, 1817. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, encompassing the War of 1812 and its aftermath. As a Federalist representative, he contributed to the legislative process, participated in the democratic governance of the nation, and represented the interests of his New Hampshire constituents in debates over war, finance, and national policy during a formative era of the republic.

In his personal life, Wilcox married Sarah Fisk, with whom he had a son, Leonard Wilcox. Leonard later followed his father into public service and became a United States Senator from New Hampshire, extending the family’s influence in national politics into the next generation. After the death of his first wife, Wilcox married Elisabeth Todd. This second marriage produced six daughters, and his family life in Orford was closely intertwined with his legal and political career.

Jeduthun Wilcox spent his later years in Orford, New Hampshire, where he continued to be regarded as a prominent lawyer and former congressman. He died in Orford on July 18, 1838. His career, spanning state and national office, reflected the trajectory of many early American lawyers who moved from local practice to legislative service, and his tenure in Congress as a Federalist placed him among those shaping federal policy during the nation’s early decades.