Person:Tristram Dalton (1)

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Tristram Dalton (May 28, 1738 – May 30, 1817) was an American politician and merchant from Massachusetts. He served a single term as one of the first United States senators, from 1789 to 1791. He was for many years one of the leading citizens of Newburyport, Massachusetts, but lost most of his fortune due to ill-timed and mismanaged investments in the real estate of Washington, D.C.

Tristram's father Michael was a man of means and bought significant property in Newbury [now Newburyport]. When Tristram was a child, his parents built a house on that land that still stands today. Michael deeded the house to Tristram in 1764, and, per the Historical Commission application for the house, it was visited by George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others.

Tristram attended Harvard College, graduating in 1755 in the same class as John Adams. Although he read the law at Salem, he returned home and joined his father in business. His wife Ruth was the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Marblehead. Tristram was active in town affairs, and known to be on the side of independence during the Revolutionary War. He served in the Massachusetts legislature for several years afterward before being elected as Massachusetts' first senator, along with Caleb Strong. He served one term (two years, as the junior senator) before losing re-election in 1791.

After the government moved to Washington several years later, Dalton decided to sell his land in Newburyport and move to Washington D.C. He sold Dalton House to Moses Brown in 1796, and his household goods were shipped by boat to DC. Unfortunately the ship wrecked in route, and his real estate ventures in DC failed, and he thus lost nearly all his wealth. He eventually moved to Boston as the surveyor of the port there in 1815, and died two years later.^[3]

1. ↑ Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Salem, Mass.: The Essex Institute, 1911).

   Dalton, Tristram, s. [Capt. C.R.3] Michel and Mary, May 28, 1738.

2.   Dalton House Application to Massachusetts Historical Commission
   [1].
3. ↑ Currier, John J. "Ould Newbury": Historical and Biographical Sketches. (Boston: Damrell and Upham, 1896)
   pp. 474-483.
4.   Tristram Dalton, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.