Henry Shaw (1788 – October 17, 1857) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Massachusetts, son of

Samuel Shaw Samuel Shaw may refer to: Sports *Dexter Lumis (born 1984), American professional wrestler also known as Samuel Shaw * Samuel Shaw (bowls player) from Lawn bowls at the 1996 Summer Paralympics * Samuel Shaw (tennis), played in 1883 U.S. National ...

Life

Born near Putney, Vermont, Shaw completed preparatory studies. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Albany, New York, in 1810. He moved to

Lanesboro, Massachusetts Lanesborough is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,038 at the 2020 census. History One of the first Berkshire communities to ...

, in 1813. Shaw was elected as a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

to the

15th 15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 (number), 14 and preceding 16 (number), 16. Mathematics 15 is: * A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and . * A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky ...

and

16th United States Congress The 16th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1819, ...

es, holding office from March 4, 1817, to March 3, 1821. He served as member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1824-1830 and 1833, and served in the Massachusetts State Senate in 1835. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 1845 and moved to New York City in 1848. He was a member of that city's Board of Education, and was a member of the Common Council. He was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

(New York Co., 10th D.) in

1853 Events January–March * January 6 – Florida Governor Thomas Brown signs legislation that provides public support for the new East Florida Seminary, leading to the establishment of the University of Florida. * January 8 – Taiping Reb ...

. Shaw moved to Newburgh, New York in 1854, and died in Peekskill, New York on October 17, 1857.Crosby, Nathan
Annual obituary notices of eminent persons who have died in the United States for 1857
p.326-27 (1858) He was interred in the Lower Cemetery,

. His son Henry Wheeler Shaw (1818–1885) became a well-known humorist under the pen name Josh Billings.Biographical Introduction to The complete works of Josh Billings (Henry W. Shaw)
p. xiv (1876)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Henry 1788 births 1857 deaths Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Massachusetts state senators Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts 19th-century American politicians