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Noah Martin (1801-1863)

Noah Martin was born on July 26, 1801 in Epsom, New Hampshire, son of Samuel Martin, a shoemaker of probable Scotch-Irish descent, and Sally (Cochran) Martin. He had seven brothers and sisters: Mary, Thomas, James, Elizabeth, Caroline and Nancy Martin. He married on Oct. 25, 1825, Mary Jane Woodbury, daughter of Dr. Robert Woodbury of Barrington, NH, and had two daughters, Elizabeth A. and Caroline M. Martin. Noah Martin attended Epsom District schools and had private tutoring from the Rev. Jonathan Curtis before attending Permbroke Academy. He apprenticed under physicians in Pembroke and Deerfield, New Hampshire for threre years before attending the Dartmouth College medical school, from which he gratudated in the class of 1824. He practiced medicine in Pembroke (1824-1825), Great Falls (1825-1834) and in Dover from 1834, where he later was founder and first president of the Dover Medical Association in 1849. He was a member of the Strafford District Medical Society from 1835-1863; its president 1841-1842, and in 1836 was elected a fellow of the New Hampshire Medical society and was its president in 1858. Among other duties he was a member of the American Medical Association, president of the Strafford County Savings Bank (1844-1852), Director of the Dover Bank(1847-1855) and Director of the Strafford Bank (1860-1863). His service also included being elected a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society in 1853, and became its vice president in 1855; a member of the New Hampshire Historical Society in 1855; and was a trustee of the New Hampshire Reform School from 1855 to1863. Further, his strong interest in agriculture saw him as an incorporator of the New Hampshire Agricultural Society and was its vice president from 1849 to 1851.

Politically, he was a Jacksonian Democrat, and as such was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1830, 1832 and 1837. During the years 1835 and 1836 he was a member of the state Senate. As a Democrat he was elected Governor of the State of New Hampshire in 1852 defeating John Atwood of the Free Soil party (30,800 votes to 9,497), and Thomas E. Sawyer, a Whig (19, 857 votes). He was re-elected in 1853 (30,934 votes) defeating John F. White of the Free Soil party (7,995 votes) and James Bell, the Whig candidate (17, 590 votes).

As Governor, Samuel Martin proposed a state Agricultural Commission and urged that agriculture came under the responsibility of state educational institutions and cautioned the legislature against chartering competitive railroad lines where there was enough business to support only one, urging them to make railroads penally responsible for loss of life or injury through carelessness. He was an advocate for private rather than state ownership of public utilities and natural resources.

He was Governor of New Hampshire at the same time as New Hampshire's native son Franklin Pierce was President, and the Governor advocated the enforcement of the national fugitive slave law (made legal by the Supreme Court, 1857, Dred Scott decision). During the time of his governorship the state continued with economic expansion and prosperity. Following his two years as Governor, Noah Martin returned to Dover and his medical practice where he died May 28, 1863. He was a member of the Masonic Fraternity and the Order of Odd-Fellows.

Information from the 20th Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans; an aritcle by Frank C. Meyers, NHHS; and the "History of Belknap and Merrimack Counties by Hurd."

Portrait copied by A. Tenney from original by N.B. Onthank. Presented by his widow (1873).

Location: State House, Second Floor, Corridor, West Face, Beginning at Room 208