Thursday, July 21, 2011

Shearjashub Bourne (1746-1806)



  Here is yet another obscure U.S. Representative, this time going by the name Shearjashub Bourne. A native of Barnstable, Massachusetts, I have searched far and wide for a picture of Bourne over the past few years and have come up empty on all fronts. Little can be found on the web about his life, other than his short stint in Congress. The picture above is from an early state register that listed members of the U.S. House during Bourne's tenure.
  What is known is that Bourne was born in Barnstable on June 14, 1746. He graduated from Harvard in 1764 and in 1782 was elected to the Massachusetts State House of Representatives. Bourne served until 1785 and later won re-election to this body in 1788, serving until 1790. The next year Bourne was elected as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts and served two terms, the last of which concluded in 1795. After leaving Congress, Bourne was elected as the judge of the Suffolk County, Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas, and served until his death on March 11, 1806, at age 59.
   Bourne's first name is an ancient one, originating from Shearjashub, the firstborn son of Isaiah (a prophet.) Anyon
e who might have more information to contribute on Shearjashub Bourne or leads on where to locate a picture of him, please comment below!

1 comment:


  1. See https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hingham-Then-and-Now/412179998858223. See also History of the Town of Hingham, Vol II, Genealogical, at pg. 88 (https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofh0203hing) which has a brief note about his wife and children.

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