Nathaniel Appleton Haven

Nathaniel Appleton Haven (July 19, 1762 – March 13, 1831) was an American physician, merchant, and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire during the early national period of the United States. He was born in Portsmouth, in the Province of New Hampshire, on July 19, 1762, to Samuel Haven and Mehitable Appleton, members of a prominent New England family whose connections linked him to both the religious and professional elite of the region.

Haven received his early education in New England and pursued classical studies under the guidance of the Reverend Dr. Nathaniel Appleton, from whom he also derived his middle name and part of his intellectual formation. He went on to study medicine at Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1779. His medical education, obtained during the closing years of the American Revolutionary War, prepared him for both professional practice and service in the conflict. Although some later accounts associate him with Phillips Exeter Academy, the dates given for a graduation there in 1807 are inconsistent with his established birth and professional chronology; his principal formal higher education is reliably recorded as his medical training at Harvard.

During the latter part of the Revolutionary War, Haven served as a ship’s surgeon, applying his medical training in naval service. While engaged in this capacity, he was captured by the British and held as a prisoner of war aboard the notorious Jersey prison ship in New York Harbor for a short time. This experience, shared by many American prisoners during the conflict, exposed him to the harsh conditions of wartime captivity and formed part of the background to his later public life in the new republic.

After the war, Haven returned to Portsmouth, where he established himself as a practicing physician. In addition to his medical work, he engaged in mercantile pursuits, reflecting the commercial character of Portsmouth as a significant New England port. His dual involvement in medicine and commerce placed him among the professional and business leadership of the town. Haven married Mary Tufton Moffat, with whom he had three children: Maria Tufton Haven, Nathaniel Appleton Haven, Jr., and Charlotte Ann Haven. His son, Nathaniel A. Haven, Jr., became editor of the Portsmouth Journal and remained in that position until 1825, extending the family’s influence into the local press and public discourse.

Haven’s prominence in Portsmouth and his Federalist political sympathies led to his election to national office. As a member of the Federalist Party representing New Hampshire, he was elected to the Eleventh Congress and served one term as a United States Representative from March 4, 1809, to March 3, 1811. His congressional service occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by growing tensions with Great Britain, debates over trade restrictions, and the policies that would soon lead to the War of 1812. Within this context, Haven participated in the legislative process, contributing to the democratic governance of the young republic and representing the interests of his New Hampshire constituents in the House of Representatives.

After completing his single term in Congress, Haven returned to private life in Portsmouth. He resumed his medical practice and continued his involvement in local affairs and business activities. Remaining in his native city for the rest of his life, he was regarded as a respected figure in the community, combining the roles of physician, former legislator, and civic leader over several decades.

Nathaniel Appleton Haven died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on March 13, 1831, at the age of 68 years and 237 days. He was interred at the Proprietors’ Burying Ground in Portsmouth, a historic cemetery that contains the remains of many of the town’s leading citizens. His life spanned from the colonial era through the Revolution and into the formative decades of the United States, and his career reflected the intertwined paths of professional service, commerce, and Federalist politics in early New England.