James Fenner (January 22, 1771April 17, 1846) was an American politician who served as a

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

as well as the 7th, 11th and 17th

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, o ...

(on three occasions). He was the son of

Arthur Fenner Arthur Fenner (December 10, 1745October 15, 1805) was an American politician who served as the fourth Governor of Rhode Island from 1790 until his death in 1805. He has the seventh longest gubernatorial tenure in post-Constitutional U.S. histor ...

, the fourth governor of Rhode Island.

Biography

Fenner was born in

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

in the

Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until ...

. He graduated from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

in 1789, and was married to Sarah Whipple Jenckes (his first cousin, once removed) on November 17, 1792. He served as United States senator from 1805 to 1807, then gave up his senatorship to become Governor of Rhode Island, two years after his father died in office. Fenner served as governor from 1807 to 1811, from 1824 to 1831, and from 1843 to 1845. Fenner was elected to his first two terms 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 ...

and as his third term as a member of the

Law and Order Party of Rhode Island The Law and Order Party of Rhode Island was a short-lived political party in the U.S. state of Rhode Island in the 1840s, brought into existence as a consequence of the Dorr Rebellion. Background In 1840, Rhode Island still used as its consti ...

. In his final term, Fenner became the first governor to serve under the

Rhode Island Constitution The Constitution of the State of Rhode Island is a document describing the structure and function of the government of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. 1842 Constitution Constitutional Convention Prior to 1842, Rhode Island was still governed by ...

, adopted in 1842. Fenner died in his mansion "What Cheer" in 1846, and was interred in the

North Burial Ground The North Burial Ground is a cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island dating to 1700, the first public cemetery in Providence. It is located north of downtown Providence, bounded by North Main Street, Branch Avenue, the Moshassuck River, and Ceme ...

in Providence. Fenner had four children with his wife, Sarah Jenckes: *Almira Theodosia (January 17, 1793 – October 10, 1872) *Sarah *Freelove (ca. 1799 – August 2, 1817) *Arthur (ca. 1810 – March 8, 1832)

External links

Gov. James Fenner in the Fenner Genealogy
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fenner, James Governors of Rhode Island 1771 births 1846 deaths Brown University alumni Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island United States senators from Rhode Island Rhode Island Democratic-Republicans Law and Order Party of Rhode Island state governors of the United States Democratic-Republican Party United States senators Burials at North Burying Ground (Providence) Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States