Benjamin Ames (October 30, 1778 – September 28, 1835) was the

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of the

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, who served from December 5, 1821, to January 2, 1822.

Biography

Ames was born in

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. He graduated

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1803, studied law with

Samuel Dana Samuel Dana (June 26, 1767 – November 20, 1835) was an American lawyer and politician who served in both branches of the Massachusetts General Court, as President of the Massachusetts Senate and as a United States representative from Massachu ...

, and attained admission to the bar in 1806. He then relocated to

Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,766 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its ...

, where he established a practice. Beginning in 1811 he practiced with his brother in law Abel Boynton. Ames served as County Attorney for Lincoln County from 1807 to 1811, and Judge of Common Pleas Court until 1814. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, Ames was commissioned as a

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and commanded a cavalry battalion in the Maine Militia. From 1818 to 1828 he served as a member of

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

's Board of Overseers. In 1819 he was a delegate to the constitutional convention that led to Maine's separation from Massachusetts and statehood. In 1820, Ames was also elected to the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via p ...

, and he was selected as that body's first

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. Upon the resignation of William D. Williamson in December 1821, Ames served as governor until Daniel Rose took office in January 1823. Ames was elected to the

Maine Senate The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution ...

in 1824, and served as its fifth

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. With the elections of 1827, he returned to the state House of Representatives. In 1827, Ames became involved in a dispute with former Governor William King over who would be appointed as the federal Collector of Customs for the Port of Bath; the dispute became personal, with each accusing the other of violating the national trade embargo with England to supply the British Army in

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during the

. King received the appointment, and served from 1829 to 1834. The prolonged dispute with King caused Ames to lose legal clients; his law practice failed, and he moved to

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. In 1829, he decided to return to Maine; while in

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, Ames suffered a debilitating stroke. He never fully recovered, and he died at the

Houlton, Maine Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the Canada–United States border. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 6,055. It is perhaps best known for being at the northern terminus of Interstate 95 and as the birthplace of Sam ...

home of his brother in law Benjamin A. Boynton on September 28, 1835. He was buried at Soldiers Cemetery in Houlton.

Family

In 1809, Ames married Mary Boynton of

Westford, Massachusetts Westford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was at 24,643 at the time of the 2020 Census. History Westford began as 'West Chelmsford', a village in the town of Chelmsford. The village of West Chelmsfor ...

. She died in 1810, and they had no children. In 1812, he married Sarah "Sally" Boynton, the sister of his first wife. They were the parents of three children, son George, and two daughters.

References

Past presidents of the Maine Senate - Benjamin Ames, Democratic-Republican, 1824
Accessed September 13, 2005.

External links

at ''National Governors Association'' * 1778 births 1835 deaths Harvard University alumni People from Andover, Massachusetts People from Bath, Maine People from Houlton, Maine Governors of Maine Maine Democratic-Republicans Presidents of the Maine Senate Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States {{Maine-politician-stub