Representative Daniel Wardwell

Daniel Wardwell (May 28, 1791 – March 27, 1878) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1831 to 1837. Born in Bristol, Rhode Island, he spent his early years in New England before pursuing higher education in Providence, Rhode Island. He was graduated from Brown University in 1811, an education that prepared him for a professional life in the law and public affairs.

After completing his studies at Brown, Wardwell read law and undertook the traditional legal apprenticeship of the period. He was subsequently admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Rome, New York. In 1814 he moved to Mannsville, New York, where he continued to build his legal practice and establish himself in the civic and political life of Jefferson County. His work as an attorney in these growing communities laid the foundation for his later judicial and legislative service.

Wardwell’s legal reputation led to his appointment as a judge of the court of common pleas for Jefferson County, New York, where he served as a jurist handling civil and local matters in a period of expanding settlement and economic development in upstate New York. He also entered elective office as a member of the New York State Assembly, serving multiple terms in 1826, 1827, and 1828. His legislative work in Albany during these years reflected his growing prominence within the Jacksonian wing of the Democratic movement in the state.

Building on his state legislative experience, Wardwell was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-second, Twenty-third, and Twenty-fourth Congresses, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1831, to March 3, 1837. As a member of the Jackson Party representing New York, he contributed to the legislative process during three terms in office. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by the presidency of Andrew Jackson, debates over the national bank, internal improvements, and expanding democratic participation. Wardwell participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his New York constituents in these national controversies.

During his congressional tenure, Wardwell held a leadership role as chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions in the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Congresses. In this capacity he helped oversee legislation and claims related to pensions for veterans of the American Revolution and their survivors, an important responsibility at a time when the nation was still addressing the obligations owed to those who had fought for independence. His work on this committee reflected both his legal background and his engagement with issues of public finance and veterans’ welfare.

After leaving Congress in 1837, Wardwell returned to Rome, New York, where he resumed the practice of law. He remained a respected figure in his community and continued to be involved in public affairs. In 1838 he again served in the New York State Assembly, adding a further term to his earlier legislative service and maintaining his influence in state politics even after his national career had concluded.

Wardwell spent his later years in Rome, continuing his legal and civic activities as an established member of the bar and community elder. He died in Rome, New York, on March 27, 1878. His remains were interred in Maplewood Cemetery in Mannsville, New York, linking his final resting place to the Jefferson County community where he had earlier lived, practiced law, and begun his public career.