Seth Hastings
Encyclopedia
Seth Hastings was a United States Representative from Massachusetts
. Born in Cambridge
to Seth & Hannah (Soden) Hastings, he was a descendant of Thomas Hastings (colonist)
who came from the East Anglia
region of England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
in 1634. He graduated from Harvard University
in 1782, studied law, was admitted to the bar
in 1786 and commenced practice in Mendon, Massachusetts
. He was town treasurer in 1794 and 1795, and was elected one of the first school commissioners in 1796.
Hastings was elected as a Federalist to the Seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Levi Lincoln
. He was reelected to the Eighth and Ninth Congresses and served from August 24, 1801 to March 3, 1807. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1806 and was a member of the Massachusetts State Senate in 1810 and 1814. From 1819 to 1828, he was chief justice
of the court of sessions
for Worcester County
. Hastings died in Mendon; interment was in the Old Cemetery.
, Seth Hastings' son, also represented Massachusetts in the House of Representatives.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Born in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
to Seth & Hannah (Soden) Hastings, he was a descendant of Thomas Hastings (colonist)
Thomas Hastings (colonist)
Thomas Hastings was a prominent English immigrant to New England, one of the approximately 20,000 immigrants who came as part of the Great Migration. A Deacon of the church, among his many public offices he served on the Committee of Colony Assessments in 1640 and as Deputy for Watertown to the...
who came from the East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
region of England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
in 1634. He graduated from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1782, studied law, was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1786 and commenced practice in Mendon, Massachusetts
Mendon, Massachusetts
Mendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,839 at the 2010 census.Mendon is very historic and is now part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the oldest industrialized region in the United States.- Early history :The Nipmuc people...
. He was town treasurer in 1794 and 1795, and was elected one of the first school commissioners in 1796.
Hastings was elected as a Federalist to the Seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Levi Lincoln
Levi Lincoln, Sr.
Levi Lincoln, Sr. was an American revolutionary and statesman who served as a Minuteman at the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, a state legislator in Massachusetts, a participant in Massachusetts' state constitutional convention, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, a U.S...
. He was reelected to the Eighth and Ninth Congresses and served from August 24, 1801 to March 3, 1807. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1806 and was a member of the Massachusetts State Senate in 1810 and 1814. From 1819 to 1828, he was chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the court of sessions
Court of Sessions
A court of sessions is the name of a type of court in a number of countries which derive their legal system largely from English law. The name is, however, not of English, but Scottish origin...
for Worcester County
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
. Hastings died in Mendon; interment was in the Old Cemetery.
Legacy
William Soden HastingsWilliam Soden Hastings
William Soden Hastings was a United States Representative from Massachusetts.-Life and career:Born in Mendon, Massachusetts, his father was Seth Hastings, also a U.S. Representative. On his father's side of the family, he was a descendant of Thomas Hastings who came from the East Anglia region of...
, Seth Hastings' son, also represented Massachusetts in the House of Representatives.