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This is a complete list of members of the United States House of Representatives during the 11th United States Congress listed by seniority. For the most part, representatives are ranked by the beginning of their terms in office. [1]
The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they compose the legislature of the United States.
The Eleventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1809 to March 4, 1811, during the first two years of James Madison's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Second Census of the United States in 1800. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.
As an historical article, the districts and party affiliations listed reflect those during the 11th Congress (March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1811). Seats and party affiliations on similar lists for other Congresses will be different for certain members.
This article describes the criteria for seniority in the House of Representatives and sets out the list of members by seniority. It is prepared on the basis of the interpretation of seniority applied to the House of Representatives in the current congress. In the absence of information to the contrary, it is presumed that the twenty-first-century practice is identical to the seniority customs used during the 11th Congress. [2]
Seniority in the House, for Congressmen with unbroken service, depends on the date on which the members first term began. That date is either the start of the Congress (4 March in odd numbered years, for the era up to and including the 73rd Congress starting in 1933) or the date of a special election during the Congress. Since many members start serving on the same day as others, ranking between them is based on alphabetical order by the last name of the congressman.
Congressmen, in early Congresses, were often elected after the legal start of the Congress. Such representatives are attributed with unbroken seniority, from the legal start of the congressional term, if they were the first person elected to a seat in a Congress. The date of the election is indicated in a note.
The seniority date is normally taken from the members entry in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, except where the date given is the legal start of the Congress and the actual election (for someone who was not the first person elected to the seat in that Congress) was later. The date of election is taken from United States Congressional Elections 1788-1997. In a few instances the latter work provides dates, for the start and end of terms, which correct those in the Biographical Directory.
The Biographical Directory normally uses the date of a special election, as the seniority date. However, mostly in early Congresses, the date of the member taking his seat can be the one given. The date of the special election is mentioned in a note to the list below, when that date is not used as the seniority date by the Biographical Directory.
Representatives who returned to the House, after having previously served, are credited with service equal to one less than the total number of terms they served. When a representative has served a prior term of less than two terms (i.e. prior term minus one equals less than one), he is ranked above all others whose service begins on the same day.
In this Congress the only formal leader was the Speaker of the House. Two Speakership ballots were held on May 22, 1809 and Joseph B. Varnum (DR-MA) was re-elected for a second consecutive term. [3]
Candidate | 1st Ballot | 2nd Ballot |
---|---|---|
Joseph B. Varnum (DR-MA) | 60 | 65 |
Nathaniel Macon (DR-NC) | 36 | 45 |
Timothy Pitkin (F-CT) | 20 | 6 |
Charles Goldsborough (F-MD) | 1 | 1 |
Benjamin Howard (DR-KY) | 0 | 1 |
Roger Nelson (DR-MD) | 1 | 1 |
blank ballots | 2 | 0 |
The title Dean of the House (sometimes known, in the nineteenth century, as Father of the House) was held by the member with the longest continuous service. It was not a leadership position.
The House created its first standing committee, on April 13, 1789. There were nine standing committees, listed in the rules initially used by the 11th Congress.
Committees, in this period, were appointed for a session at a time by the Speaker.
This list refers to the standing committees of the House in the 11th Congress, the year of establishment as a standing committee, the number of members assigned to the committee and the dates of appointment in each session, the end of the session and its chairman. Chairmen, who were re-appointed after serving in the previous Congress, are indicated by an *. [4]
The first session was May 22, 1809-June 28, 1809 (38 days), the second session was November 27, 1809-May 1, 1810 (156 days) and the third session was December 3, 1810-March 3, 1811 (91 days).
No. | Committee | From | Mbrs | Appointed | Chairman |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Accounts | 1805 | 3 | May 23, 1809-June 28, 1809 | *Nicholas R. Moore (DR-MD) |
November 28, 1809-May 1, 1810 | William Milnor (F-PA) | ||||
December 6, 1810-March 3, 1811 | Nicholas R. Moore (DR-MD) | ||||
2 | Claims | 1794 | 7 | May 23, 1809-June 28, 1809 | Richard M. Johnson (DR-KY) |
November 28, 1809-May 1, 1810 | |||||
December 6, 1810-March 3, 1811 | Erastus Root (DR-NY) | ||||
3 | Commerce and Manufactures | 1795 | 7 | May 23, 1809-June 28, 1809 | *Thomas Newton, Jr. (DR-VA) |
November 28, 1809-May 1, 1810 | |||||
December 6, 1810-March 3, 1811 | |||||
4 | District of Columbia | 1808 | 7 | May 23, 1809-June 28, 1809 | John Love (DR-VA) |
November 28, 1809-May 1, 1810 | |||||
December 6, 1810-March 3, 1811 | Archibald Van Horne (DR-MD) | ||||
5 | Elections | 1789 | 7 | May 23, 1809-June 28, 1809 | *William Findley (DR-PA) |
November 28, 1809-May 1, 1810 | |||||
December 6, 1810-March 3, 1811 | |||||
6 | Post Office and Post Roads | 1808 | 17 | May 23, 1809-June 28, 1809 | *John Rhea (DR-TN) |
16 | November 28, 1809-May 1, 1810 | ||||
December 6, 1810-March 3, 1811 | |||||
7 | Public Lands | 1805 | 7 | May 23, 1809-June 28, 1809 | *Jeremiah Morrow (DR-OH) |
November 28, 1809-May 1, 1810 | |||||
December 6, 1810-March 3, 1811 | |||||
8 | Revisal and Unfinished Business | 1795 | 3 | May 23, 1809-June 28, 1809 | Henry Southard (DR-NJ) |
November 28, 1809-May 1, 1810 | |||||
December 6, 1810-March 3, 1811 | |||||
9 | Ways and Means | 1802 | 7 | May 23, 1809-June 28, 1809 | John W. Eppes (DR-VA) |
November 28, 1809-May 1, 1810 | |||||
December 6, 1810-March 3, 1811 | |||||
A numerical rank is assigned to each of the 142 members initially elected to the 11th Congress. Other members, who were not the first person elected to a seat but who joined the House during the Congress, are not assigned a number.
One Representative-elect was not sworn in, as he did not qualify before he resigned. The list below includes the Representative-elect (with name in italics), with the seniority he would have held if he had been sworn in.
Party designations used in this article are DR for Democratic-Republican members and F for Federalist representatives. Designations used for service in the first three congresses are (A) for Anti-Administration members and (P) for Pro-Administration representatives.
Rank | Representative | Party | District | Seniority date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ten consecutive terms | |||||
1 | Nathaniel Macon | DR | NC-6 | March 4, 1791 | (A) Previously served 1791-95 while as a member of the House. Dean of the House. |
Eight consecutive terms | |||||
2 | Joseph B. Varnum | DR | MA-4 | March 4, 1795 | Speaker of the House |
3 | Samuel W. Dana | F | CT-al | January 3, 1797 | Resigned to become US Senator: May 10, 1810 |
Eight non-consecutive terms | |||||
4 | William Findley | DR | PA-8 | March 4, 1803 | Previously served (A) 1791-95 and (DR) 1795-99 while as a member of the House. Chairman: Elections. |
Seven consecutive terms | |||||
5 | Matthew Clay | DR | VA-14 | March 4, 1797 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 |
6 | John Dawson | DR | VA-10 | ||
7 | Richard Stanford | DR | NC-8 | ||
8 | Robert Brown | DR | PA-2 | December 4, 1798 | |
Seven non-consecutive terms | |||||
9 | John Clopton | DR | VA-22 | March 4, 1801 | Previously served (DR) 1795-99 while as a member in the House. Elected to this Congress: April 1809. |
10 | John Smilie | DR | PA-9 | March 4, 1799 | Previously served (A) 1793-95 while as a member of the House. |
11 | Richard Winn | DR | SC-5 | January 24, 1803 | Previously served (A) 1793-95 and (DR) 1795-97 while as a member of the House. |
Six consecutive terms | |||||
12 | Willis Alston | DR | NC-2 | March 4, 1799 | |
13 | John Davenport | F | CT-al | ||
14 | Edwin Gray | DR | VA-19 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 | |
15 | John Randolph | DR | VA-15 | ||
Six non-consecutive terms | |||||
16 | David Bard | DR | PA-4 | March 4, 1803 | Previously served (DR) 1795-99 while as a member of the House. |
17 | James Holland | DR | NC-11 | March 4, 1801 | Previously served (DR) 1795-97 while as a member of the House. Last term while serving as a member of the House. |
18 | Matthew Lyon | DR | KY-1 | March 4, 1803 | Previously served (DR-VT) 1797-1801 while as a member of the House. Last term while serving as a member of the House. |
Five consecutive terms | |||||
19 | William Butler | DR | SC-2 | March 4, 1801 | |
20 | John Campbell | F | MD-1 | Last term while serving as a member of the House. | |
21 | William Helms | DR | NJ-al | ||
22 | Thomas Moore | DR | SC-7 | ||
23 | Thomas Newton, Jr. | DR | VA-20 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809. Chairman: Commerce and Manufactures. | |
24 | John Smith | DR | VA-3 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 | |
25 | Henry Southard | DR | NJ-al | Chairman: Revisal and Unfinished Business. Last term while serving as a member of the House until 14th Congress. | |
26 | Killian K. Van Rensselaer | F | NY-7 | Last term while serving as a member of the House. | |
27 | Richard Cutts | DR | MA-14 | June 22, 1801 | |
28 | Benjamin Tallmadge | F | CT-al | September 21, 1801 | |
Five non-consecutive terms | |||||
29 | Walter Jones | DR | VA-8 | March 4, 1803 | Previously served (DR) 1797-99. Elected to this Congress: April 1809. Last term while serving as a member of the House. |
Four consecutive terms | |||||
30 | Martin Chittenden | F | VT-4 | March 4, 1803 | |
31 | John W. Eppes | DR | VA-16 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809. Chairman: Ways and Means. Last term while still serving as a member of the House until 13th Congress. | |
32 | Peterson Goodwyn | DR | VA-18 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 | |
33 | John G. Jackson | DR | VA-1 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809. Resigned on September 28, 1810 while still serving as a member of the House. Last term while serving as a member of the House until 13th Congress. | |
34 | Joseph Lewis, Jr. | F | VA-7 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 | |
35 | Nicholas R. Moore | DR | MD-5 | Chairman: Accounts (1809 and 1810–11). Last term while serving as a member of the House until 13th Congress. | |
36 | Jeremiah Morrow | DR | OH-al | Chairman: Public Lands | |
37 | John Rea | DR | PA-7 | Last term while serving as a member of the House until 13th Congress | |
38 | John Rhea | DR | TN-1 | Elected to this Congress: May 4–5, 1809. Washington District. Chairman: Post Office and Post Roads. | |
39 | Ebenezer Seaver | DR | MA-13 | ||
40 | William Stedman | F | MA-11 | Resigned on July 16, 1810 while still serving as a member of the House. | |
41 | Samuel Taggart | F | MA-6 | ||
42 | Roger Nelson | DR | MD-4 | November 6, 1804 | Resigned on May 14, 1810 while still serving as a member of the House. |
Three consecutive terms | |||||
43 | Burwell Bassett | DR | VA-12 | March 4, 1805 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 |
44 | Orchard Cook | DR | MA-16 | Last term while serving as a member of the House. | |
45 | William Ely | F | MA-5 | ||
46 | Charles Goldsborough | F | MD-8 | ||
47 | Robert Marion | DR | SC-1 | Resigned on December 4, 1810 while still serving as a member of the House. | |
48 | Jonathan O. Moseley | F | CT-al | ||
49 | Gurdon S. Mumford | DR | NY-2 | Last term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
50 | Josiah Quincy | F | MA-1 | ||
51 | Thomas Kenan | DR | NC-5 | August 8, 1805 | Last term while still serving as a member of the House. |
52 | Timothy Pitkin | F | CT-al | September 16, 1805 | |
53 | Lewis B. Sturges | F | CT-al | ||
54 | Samuel Smith | DR | PA-11 | November 7, 1805 | Last term |
55 | Robert Whitehill | DR | PA-4 | ||
56 | Dennis Smelt | DR | GA-al | September 1, 1806 | Last term while still serving as a member of the House. |
57 | William A. Burwell | DR | VA-13 | December 1, 1806 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 |
58 | John Porter | DR | PA-1 | December 8, 1806 | Last term while still serving as a member of the House. |
59 | William W. Bibb | DR | GA-al | January 26, 1807 | |
Three non-consecutive terms | |||||
60 | Thomas Sammons | DR | NY-9 | March 4, 1809 | Previously served (DR) 1803-07 |
61 | John Thompson | DR | NY-8 | March 4, 1807 | Previously served (DR) 1799-1801 while as a member of the House. Last term while still serving as a member of the House. |
62 | Adam Boyd | DR | NJ-al | March 8, 1808 | Previously served (DR) 1803-05 while as a member of the House. |
Two consecutive terms | |||||
63 | Lemuel J. Alston | DR | SC-8 | March 4, 1807 | Last term while serving as a member of the House. |
64 | Epaphroditus Champion | F | CT-al | ||
65 | Howell Cobb | DR | GA-al | ||
66 | Joseph Desha | DR | KY-6 | ||
67 | Meshack Franklin | DR | NC-12 | ||
68 | Barent Gardenier | F | NY-5 | Last term while serving as a member of the House. | |
69 | Benjamin Howard | DR | KY-5 | Resigned on April 10, 1810 while serving in the House. | |
70 | Robert Jenkins | F | PA-3 | Last term while serving as a member of the House. | |
71 | Richard M. Johnson | DR | KY-4 | Chairman: Claims (1809–10) | |
72 | Philip B. Key | F | MD-3 | ||
73 | Edward S. Livermore | F | MA-3 | Last term while serving as a member of the House. | |
74 | John Love | DR | VA-9 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809. Chairman: District of Columbia (1809–10). Last term while serving as a member of the House. | |
75 | William Milnor | F | PA-2 | Chairman: Accounts (1809–10). Last term while serving as a member of the House until 14th Congress. | |
76 | John Montgomery | DR | MD-6 | ||
77 | Thomas Newbold | DR | NJ-al | ||
78 | Wilson C. Nicholas | DR | VA-21 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809. Resigned on November 27, 1809 while still serving as a member of the House. | |
79 | Matthias Richards | DR | PA-3 | Last term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
80 | Lemuel Sawyer | DR | NC-1 | ||
81 | John Taylor | DR | SC-4 | Resigned, to become US Senator: December 30, 1810 | |
82 | George M. Troup | DR | GA-al | ||
83 | Jabez Upham | F | MA-10 | Resigned in 1810 while still serving as a member of the House. | |
84 | Archibald Van Horne | DR | MD-2 | Chairman: District of Columbia (1810–11). Last term while serving as a member of the House. | |
85 | Joseph Calhoun | DR | SC-6 | June 2, 1807 | Last term while still serving as a member of the House. |
86 | Ezekiel Bacon | DR | MA-12 | September 16, 1807 | |
87 | Nicholas Van Dyke | F | DE-al | October 6, 1807 | Last term while serving as a member of the House. |
88 | Samuel Shaw | DR | VT-1 | September 6, 1808 | |
89 | Thomas Gholson, Jr. | DR | VA-17 | November 7, 1808 | |
90 | Richard Jackson, Jr. | F | RI-al | November 11, 1808 | |
91 | Benjamin Say | DR | PA-1 | November 16, 1808 | Resigned in June 1809 while still serving as a member of the House. |
Two non-consecutive terms | |||||
92 | William Chamberlain | F | VT-3 | March 4, 1809 | Previously served (F) 1803-05 while as a member of the House. Last term while serving as a member of the House. |
93 | William Kennedy | DR | NC-3 | Previously served (DR) 1803-05 while as a member of the House. Last term while serving as a member of the House until seated in 12th Congress. | |
94 | Erastus Root | DR | NY-12 | Previously served (DR) 1803-05 while as a member of the House. Chairman: Claims (1810–11). Last term while serving as a member of the House until 14th Congress. | |
95 | John Stanly | F | NC-4 | Previously served (F) 1801-03 while as a member of the House. Last term while serving as a member of the House. | |
96 | James Stephenson | F | VA-2 | Previously served 1803-05. Elected to this Congress: April 1809. Last term while serving as a member of the House until 17th Congress. | |
97 | Uri Tracy | DR | NY-13 | Previously served (DR) 1805-07 while serving as a member of the House. | |
98 | Elisha R. Potter | F | RI-al | Previously served (F) November 15, 1796–97 while as a member of the House. | |
One term | |||||
99 | William Anderson | DR | PA-1 | March 4, 1809 | |
100 | William Baylies | F | MA-7 | Unseated, after election contest: June 28, 1809. Only term while serving as a member of the House until 13th Congress. | |
101 | Daniel Blaisdell | F | NH-al | Only term while serving as a member of the House. | |
102 | James Breckinridge | F | VA-5 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 | |
103 | John Brown | DR | MD-7 | Resigned while still serving as a member of the House: 1810 | |
104 | John C. Chamberlain | F | NH-al | Only term while serving as a member of the House. | |
105 | James Cochran | DR | NC-9 | ||
106 | James Cox | DR | NJ-al | Died while still serving as a member of the House: September 12, 1810 | |
107 | William Crawford | DR | PA-1 | ||
108 | Henry Crist | DR | KY-3 | Only term while serving as a member of the House. | |
109 | William Denning | DR | NY-2 | Resigned, as Representative-elect: c. February 1810 [5] | |
110 | James Emott | F | NY-4 | ||
111 | Jonathan Fisk | DR | NY-3 | Only term while still serving as a member of the House until 13th Congress. | |
112 | Barzillai Gannett | DR | MA-17 | ||
113 | Gideon Gardner | DR | MA-8 | Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
114 | Thomas R. Gold | F | NY-11 | ||
115 | William Hale | F | NH-al | Only term while still serving as a member of the House until 13th Congress. | |
116 | Nathaniel A. Haven | F | NH-al | Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
117 | Daniel Hiester | DR | PA-3 | ||
118 | Jonathan H. Hubbard | F | VT-2 | ||
119 | Jacob Hufty | DR | NJ-al | ||
120 | Herman Knickerbocker | F | NY-6 | Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
121 | Robert L. Livingston | F | NY-6 | ||
122 | Aaron Lyle | DR | PA-10 | ||
123 | Vincent Mathews | F | NY-14 | Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
124 | Archibald McBryde | F | NC-7 | ||
125 | Samuel McKee | DR | KY-2 | ||
126 | Alexander McKim | DR | MD-5 | ||
127 | Pleasant M. Miller | DR | TN-3 | Elected to this Congress: May 4–5, 1809. Hamilton District. Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
128 | John Nicholson | DR | NY-10 | Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
129 | Joseph Pearson | F | NC-10 | ||
130 | Benjamin Pickman, Jr. | F | MA-2 | Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
131 | Peter B. Porter | DR | NY-15 | ||
132 | John Roane | DR | VA-11 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 | |
133 | John Ross | DR | PA-2 | Only term while still serving as a member of the House until 14th Congress. | |
134 | Ebenezer Sage | DR | NY-1 | ||
135 | Daniel Sheffey | F | VA-6 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809 | |
136 | George Smith | DR | PA-5 | ||
137 | Jacob Swoope | F | VA-4 | Elected to this Congress: April 1809. Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
138 | Robert Weakley | DR | TN-2 | Elected to this Congress: May 4–5, 1809. Mero District. Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
139 | Laban Wheaton | F | MA-9 | ||
140 | Ezekiel Whitman | F | MA-15 | Only term while still serving as a member of the House until 15th Congress. | |
141 | James Wilson | F | NH-al | Only term while still serving as a member of the House. | |
142 | Robert Witherspoon | DR | SC-3 | ||
Members joining the House, after the start of the Congress [6] | |||||
... | Charles Turner, Jr. | DR | MA-7 | June 28, 1809 | Seated after election contest |
... | Adam Seybert | DR | PA-1 | October 10, 1809 | Special election |
... | David S. Garland | DR | VA-21 | January 17, 1810 | Special election: December 1809. Only term while serving as a member of the House. |
... | William T. Barry | DR | KY-5 | August 8, 1810 | Special election: August 6, 1810. Only term while serving as a member of the House. |
... | Joseph Allen | F | MA-10 | October 8, 1810 | Special election. Only term while serving as a member of the House. |
... | Abijah Bigelow | F | MA-11 | Special election | |
... | Ebenezer Huntington | F | CT-al | October 11, 1810 | Special election: September 17, 1810. Only term while serving as a member of the House until 15th Congress. |
... | Samuel Ringgold | DR | MD-4 | October 15, 1810 | Special election: October 1, 1810 |
... | John A. Scudder | DR | NJ-al | October 31, 1810 | Special election: October 30–31, 1810. Only term while serving as a member of the House. |
... | Robert Wright | DR | MD-7 | November 29, 1810 | Special election: November 15, 1810 |
... | Samuel L. Mitchill | DR | NY-2 | December 4, 1810 | Previously served (DR) 1801-November 22, 1804. Special election: April 24–26, 1810. |
... | William McKinley | DR | VA-1 | December 21, 1810 | Special election: November 1810. Only term while serving as a member of the House. |
... | Langdon Cheves | DR | SC-1 | December 31, 1810 | Special election |
Non voting members | |||||
a | George Poindexter | - | MS-al | March 4, 1807 | Delegate from Mississippi Territory |
b | Julien De L. Poydras | - | OL-al | March 4, 1809 | Delegate from Orleans Territory. Only term while serving in the House. |
c | Jonathan Jennings | - | IN-al | November 27, 1809 | Delegate from Indiana Territory |
The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress and its predecessor, the Continental Congress. Also included are Delegates from territories and the District of Columbia and Resident Commissioners from the Philippines and Puerto Rico.