John Varnum (June 25, 1778July 23, 1836) was a United States representative from Massachusetts. He was born in Dracut on June 25, 1778. He graduated from Harvard University in 1798, studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Haverhill. Varnum was elected as a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

to the Massachusetts State Senate. He moved to Lowell. Varnum was elected to the Nineteenth, Twentieth, and Twenty-first Congresses (March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1831) and later moved to Niles in the

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit w ...

where he died July 23, 1836. His interment was in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Personal life

Varnum was the son of Parker Varnum (1747–1824) and his wife, Dorcas Brown Varnum (1754–1800). He was a second cousin, once removed of

Joseph Bradley Varnum Joseph Bradley Varnum (January 29, 1750/1751September 21, 1821) was an American politician from Massachusetts. He served as a U.S. representative and United States senator, and held leadership positions in both bodies. He was a member of the ...

and

James Mitchell Varnum James Mitchell Varnum (December 17, 1748 – January 9, 1789) was an American legislator, lawyer, generalHeitman, ''Officers of the Continental Army'', 559. in the Continental Army, and a pioneer to the Ohio Country.Wilkins, ''Memoirs of the Rho ...

. He married his first wife, Mary Cooke Saltonstall (1781–1817) on October 9, 1806, in

Haverhill, Massachusetts Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located 35 miles north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 17 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States Cen ...

. She was the older sister of

Leverett Saltonstall I Leverett Saltonstall (June 13, 1783 – May 8, 1845), was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts who also served as Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, President of the Massachusetts Senate, ...

and member of the Saltonstall family. He married secondly, on May 23, 1826, in Washington, D.C., Mary (née Pease) Varnum, widow of James Mitchell Varnum II, his second cousin(and son of Joseph B. Varnum). She was the niece of

Calvin Pease Calvin Pease (September 9, 1776–September 17, 1839) was a lawyer and legislator in the U.S. State of Ohio who was in the Ohio Senate, in the Ohio House of Representatives, and an Ohio Supreme Court Judge 1816-1830. Early life Calvin Pease ...

and Gideon Granger. Varnum also shares a common ancestor, John Prescott (abt. 1604-abt. 1682) with President

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

, his son, President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

, Vice Presidents Charles W. Fairbanks and Garret Hobart, First Lady

Abigail Fillmore Abigail Fillmore ( née Powers; March 13, 1798 – March 30, 1853), wife of President Millard Fillmore, was the First Lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853. She began work as a schoolteacher at the age of 16, where she took on Millard Fillm ...

, and poet

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloq ...

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Varnum, John 1778 births 1836 deaths People from Dracut, Massachusetts Politicians from Lowell, Massachusetts Massachusetts state senators Harvard University alumni Massachusetts Federalists 19th-century American politicians National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts