Nathaniel Peabody (March 1, 1741 – June 27, 1823) was an American physician from

Rockingham County, New Hampshire Rockingham County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the population was 314,176, making it New Hampshire's second-most populous county. The county seat is Brentwood. Rockingham County is part of the Boston-Cam ...

. He represented

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

as a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

in 1779 and 1780. Nathaniel was born to Jacob Peabody in

Topsfield, Massachusetts Topsfield is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,569 at the 2020 census. Topsfield is located in the North Shore region of Massachusetts. Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Topsfiel ...

. He attended local common schools and the studied medicine with his father. In 1761, he removed to

Plaistow, New Hampshire Plaistow (, ) is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,830 at the 2020 census. History Plaistow was officially established as a town in 1749 after the 1739 resolution ...

and began the practice of medicine. He was to remain a resident of Rockingham County for the rest of his life, but in 1761 he moved his practice to the larger town of

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

. Dr. Peabody became active in county affairs and the

New Hampshire Militia The New Hampshire Militia was first organized in 1631 and lasted until 1641, when the area came under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. After New Hampshire became an separate colony again in 1679, New Hampshire Colonial Governor John Cutt reorgan ...

. He was made a Lt. Colonel in the militia and participated in the early stages of the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

including the raid on

Fort William and Mary Fort William and Mary was a colonial fortification in Britain's worldwide system of defenses, defended by soldiers of the Province of New Hampshire who reported directly to the royal governor. The fort, originally known as "The Castle," was situ ...

in December 1774. After this event, he resigned his commission, since it came from the crown through the royal government. Nathaniel was elected to New Hampshire's revolutionary assembly in 1776. He would ultimately serve in the state's lower house in 1776-1779, 1781–1785, 1787–1790, and 1793-1796. Also in 1776 he became a member of the '' Committee of Safety'', which acted as a revolutionary government when the assembly was not in session. In 1777, he was named the Adjutant General of the state militia, and held that post until 1779. Peabody was named to the Continental Congress on April 3, 1779 to replace

Josiah Bartlett Josiah Bartlett ( – May 19, 1795) was an American Founding Father, physician, statesman, a delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire, and a signatory to the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation. He served as ...

who had resigned that post. He served in congress through the 1780 session. He was a member in 1782, when the New Hampshire convention met to create a constitution for the new state, and served as chairman of the drafting committee. Under the new constitution he represented Rockingham County in the State Senate in 1785-1786 and 1790-1793. Although re-appointed to the national congress in 1785 he did not attend any sessions. During the later years of his life Peabody's support for the revolution caused him trouble. For about twenty years he was confined to the parole limits for debtors at the Exeter jail. He died Exeter in 1823, and was reportedly buried in the Old Cemetery in South Hampton, but the exact location is uncertain.

External links

Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peabody, Nathaniel 1741 births 1823 deaths Continental Congressmen from New Hampshire 18th-century American politicians Peabody, Natheniel Peabody, Natheniel People from Exeter, New Hampshire 18th-century American physicians 19th-century American people