Global InformationWentworth Cheswell information
Wentworth Cheswell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 April 1746 Newmarket, New Hampshire |
| Died | 8 March 1817 (aged 70) |
| Burial place | Newmarket, New Hampshire |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Wentworth Cheswill |
| Education | Governor Dummer Academy |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, soldier, town official |
| Known for | first black man elected to public office in the United States, and first black judge in the U.S. |
| Spouse | Mary Davis |
| Children | 13 |
Wentworth Cheswell[a] (11 April 1746 – 8 March 1817) was an American assessor, auditor, Justice of the Peace, teacher and Revolutionary War veteran in Newmarket, New Hampshire. Elected as town constable in 1768, he was elected to other positions, serving in local government every year but one until his death.
Some sources consider Cheswell to be the first African American elected to public office in the history of the United States, as well as the first African American judicial officer.[1] Others are less sure, noting he was biracial and recorded as "white" in censuses.[2][3]
Around the time of his marriage, Wentworth purchased a plot of land from his father Hopestill. His grandfather Richard is believed to be the first African American in New Hampshire to own land. A deed shows that Richard purchased 20 acres (8.1 ha) from the Hilton grant in 1717. In 1801, Wentworth was among the founders of the first library in the town and provided in his will for public access to his personal library.
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- ^ [1] (see also: African-American officeholders in the United States, 1789–1866)
- ^ Sammons, Mark; Cunningham, Valerie (2004). Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African-American Heritage. UPNE. ISBN 978-1-58465-289-2. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ Nielsen, Euell A. (9 June 2019). "Wentworth Cheswell (1746-1817)". BlackPast. Retrieved 30 April 2022.