Josiah BARTLETT, 2nd cousin and Founding Father
Karen K | Monday, July 4, 2011 A physician, statesman, delegate to the Continental Congress, Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court Judicature, 6th governor of that state, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
What a guy.
No, I'm not directly descended from Josiah BARTLETT, but he is a collateral relative: a second cousin eight times removed through both sets of his paternal great-grandparents: John EMERY II/Mary WEBSTER and Richard BARTLETT/Abigail WELLS.
I don't know if many people realize it, but signing that Declaration of Independence was a very gutsy thing to do: you were openly declaring yourself to be a traitor to the British monarchy-- for which the penalty was death. When Benjamin Franklin said, "If we do not hang together, we will most assuredly hang separately", he wasn't kidding or exaggerating.
Dr. Bartlett had set up his medical practice in Kingston, New Hampshire, which was a pretty small town; he was the only doctor around at that time. Like many men back then who had a regular occupation, he farmed as well.
You can read more about this fascinating man here.
