Representative Hedge Thompson

Hedge Thompson (January 28, 1780 – July 23, 1828) was a physician, jurist, and U.S. Representative from New Jersey during the early national period. Born in Salem, Salem County, New Jersey, on January 28, 1780, he came of age in the years immediately following the American Revolution, in a region that was developing rapidly as part of the new republic. Little is recorded about his parents or early family life, but his subsequent professional and political career indicates access to formal education and engagement with the civic affairs of his native community.

Thompson pursued higher education in medicine at one of the leading institutions of the time. He attended the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, then the foremost medical school in the United States, and graduated in 1802. Following his graduation, he returned to his birthplace of Salem, where he established a medical practice. His work as a physician placed him among the professional class in southern New Jersey and helped to anchor his standing in local society, from which he soon moved into public service.

Thompson’s political career began at the state level. In 1805 he was elected a member of the New Jersey General Assembly, representing his home area in the lower house of the state legislature. His early legislative service occurred during a period when New Jersey was refining its state institutions and laws in the wake of the federal Constitution’s adoption. After several years devoted primarily to his medical practice and local affairs, he returned to state government in a higher capacity, serving in the New Jersey Legislative Council (now the New Jersey Senate) in 1819. In that role, he participated in the upper chamber of the state legislature, which was responsible for reviewing legislation and helping to shape statewide policy.

In addition to his legislative duties, Thompson held important judicial responsibilities in Salem County. He was appointed an associate judge of Salem County, New Jersey, in 1815, reflecting the confidence placed in his judgment and legal understanding despite his primary training as a physician. He was again appointed to the same judicial position in 1824, underscoring his continued prominence in county affairs. His service on the bench coincided with a period of expanding local governance and the refinement of county-level judicial structures in New Jersey.

Thompson also held an executive fiscal office at the county level. From 1826 to 1828 he served as collector for Salem County, overseeing the collection of certain public revenues and contributing to the administration of local government finances. This position, combined with his medical practice, legislative service, and judicial appointments, illustrates the breadth of his involvement in public life and the multifaceted nature of early nineteenth-century public service in a relatively small but important New Jersey community.

Thompson’s state and local experience led to his election to national office. Identified with the Adams Party, aligned with the supporters of President John Quincy Adams and often associated with the National Republican movement, he was elected as a representative from New Jersey to the Twentieth Congress. He took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 4, 1827. During his single term in Congress, he participated in the legislative process at a time marked by growing sectional tensions, debates over internal improvements, tariffs, and the evolving party system that would soon give rise to the Second Party System. As a member of the Adams Party representing New Jersey, he contributed to the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in the national legislature.

Thompson’s service in Congress was cut short by his death in office. He died in Salem, New Jersey, on July 23, 1828, while still serving as a member of the Twentieth Congress. His passing placed him among the early group of United States legislators who died during their terms of service in the nineteenth century. He was interred in St. John’s Protestant Episcopal Churchyard in Salem, reflecting both his local roots and his enduring connection to the community where he was born, practiced medicine, held judicial and fiscal offices, and from which he rose to national office.