Simon Larned (August 3, 1753 – November 16, 1817) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, Revolutionary War officer, and long-serving local official in Berkshire County. He was born in Thompson in the Connecticut Colony on August 3, 1753, and attended the common schools. Little is recorded about his family background or early youth, but his formative years in colonial Connecticut preceded his entry into military service during the American Revolution.
During the Revolutionary War, Larned served in the Continental Army as adjutant and captain in Colonel William Shepard’s regiment from January 1, 1777, to December 31, 1780. From October 1, 1779, he was aide-de-camp to General John Glover, a role that placed him in close association with senior command and operations. In recognition of his wartime service, Larned was admitted in 1783 as an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati in the state of Massachusetts, an organization formed by officers of the Continental Army to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the Revolution.
After the war, Larned settled in western Massachusetts and became active in business and local affairs. In 1784 he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, contributing to the commercial development of the growing Berkshire County town. His standing in the community led to a series of public offices. He served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1791, participating in state legislative affairs in the early years of the Commonwealth. He was appointed county treasurer of Berkshire County in 1792, a position he held for two decades, serving from 1792 to 1812 and overseeing county finances during a period of regional expansion.
Larned also held important local law enforcement responsibilities. He served as sheriff of Berkshire County, a role that placed him at the center of county administration, the enforcement of court orders, and the maintenance of public order. In addition to his public offices, he was active in regional finance and served as president of the Berkshire Bank, reflecting his prominence in the economic life of Pittsfield and the surrounding area.
Larned entered national politics as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. He was elected to the Eighth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Thomson J. Skinner and served as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from November 5, 1804, to March 3, 1805. His brief tenure in the House of Representatives occurred during the administration of President Thomas Jefferson, at a time when issues of westward expansion, commerce, and relations with European powers were central to national debate.
During the War of 1812, Larned again took up military responsibilities for the United States. He served as colonel of the Ninth United States Infantry and was engaged in action at Plattsburg and along the Mohawk River. His service in this conflict extended his military career beyond the Revolutionary era and underscored his continued commitment to national defense.
In his later years, Larned remained a respected figure in Pittsfield, associated with both its civic institutions and its financial and commercial life. He died in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on November 16, 1817. He was interred in Pittsfield Cemetery, where his burial marked the resting place of a Revolutionary officer, public servant, and former member of Congress whose career spanned the formative decades of the United States.
Sources
Congressional Record
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