William Widgery was a U.S. Representative

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from Massachusetts

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 Devonshire, England, Widgery immigrated to America with his parents, who settled in Philadelphia.
He attended the common schools.
He engaged in shipbuilding.
He served in the Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

 as a lieutenant on a privateer.
He studied law.
He was admitted to the bar

Admission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...

 and commenced practice in Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine

Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...

 (until 1820 a district of Massachusetts), about 1790.
He served as member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Massachusetts House of Representatives

The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...

 1787-1793 and 1795-1797.
He served as delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1788.
He served in the State senate in 1794.
He served as member of the executive council in 1806 and 1807.

Widgery was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Twelfth

12th United States Congress

- House of Representatives :During this congress, one new House seat was added for the new state of Louisiana.- Senate :*President: George Clinton *President pro tempore: William H. Crawford -House of Representatives:*Speaker: Henry Clay...

 Congress (March 4, 1811-March 3, 1813).
He was an unsuccessful for reelection in 1812 to the Thirteenth

13th United States Congress

- Senate :* President: Elbridge Gerry , until November 23, 1814, thereafter vacant.* President pro tempore: Joseph B. Varnum , December 6, 1813 – February 3, 1814** John Gaillard , elected November 25, 1814- House of Representatives :...

 Congress.
He served as judge of the court of common pleas 1813-1821.
He died in Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine

Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...

, July 31, 1822.
He was interred in the Eastern Cemetery

Eastern Cemetery

The Eastern Cemetery is an historic cemetery at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Congress Street in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland, Maine. Located at the base of Munjoy Hill, the Eastern Cemetery is the oldest major cemetery in Portland. Established in 1668, with the earliest...

 in the Munjoy Hill

Munjoy Hill

Munjoy Hill is an historically Irish-American neighborhood and prominent geographical feature of Portland, Maine. It is located east of downtown, and south of East Deering, the neighborhood it is connected to by Tukey's Bridge.-Geography:...

 neighborhood of Portland, Maine.

Widgery Wharf

Widgery Wharf

Widgery Wharf is an historic wharf in Portland, Maine. Built in in the late 1700s, the wharf is named for the Widgery family which controlled the local molasses trade at the time of completion. Members of the Widgery family include Congressman William Widgery...

was built and owned by the Widgery family during William Widgery's early life.