Representative Joseph Hammons

Joseph Hammons (March 3, 1787 – March 29, 1836) was an American politician, physician, and a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives during a formative period in the nation’s political development, aligning himself with the Jacksonian movement and representing the interests of his New Hampshire constituents in the federal legislature.

Hammons was born on March 3, 1787, in Cornish, York County, Maine, at a time when Maine was still part of Massachusetts. He received his early education from private tutors and in the common schools, a typical pattern for young men of his region and era who aspired to professional careers. This foundational education prepared him for advanced study and eventual entry into the learned professions.

Pursuing a career in medicine, Hammons studied in Ossipee, Carroll County, New Hampshire. After completing his medical training, he commenced practice in Farmington, Strafford County, New Hampshire, in 1817. In Farmington he became the only physician in the town for many years, a role that placed him at the center of community life and public welfare. His medical practice not only established his professional reputation but also likely contributed to the local prominence that would support his later political career.

Hammons entered national politics as a supporter of Andrew Jackson and the emerging Democratic movement of the late 1820s. Elected as a member of the Jackson Party, commonly referred to as a Jacksonian, he won a seat in the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire. He served in the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Congresses, holding office from March 4, 1829, to March 3, 1833. During these two terms in Congress, Hammons participated in the legislative process at a time marked by intense debates over federal power, economic policy, and democratic reform, contributing to the representation of New Hampshire’s interests in the national government.

After concluding his congressional service in March 1833, Hammons returned to New Hampshire and resumed his medical practice, continuing to serve the communities of Strafford County. In addition to his work as a physician, he accepted a federal appointment as postmaster at Dover, Strafford County, New Hampshire. He held the postmastership from June 1833 until his death, managing the town’s postal affairs during a period when the postal service was a vital link in the nation’s communication and commercial networks.

Joseph Hammons died in Farmington, Strafford County, New Hampshire, on March 29, 1836, at the age of 49 years and 26 days. He was interred in the Hammons Family Cemetery in Farmington. His career combined medical service, local leadership, and national legislative responsibility, reflecting the multifaceted public roles often undertaken by early nineteenth-century American officeholders.