List of people from Portsmouth, New Hampshire explained

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Academics and science

• John Knowlton Bartlett (1816–1899), physician^[1]
• Edmund March Blunt (1770–1862), navigator, publisher^[2]
• E. Warren Clark (1849–1907), educator^[3]
• Alfred L. Elwyn (1804–1884), physician, pioneer in the training and care of the mentally disabled^[4]
• Laurence G. Leavitt (1903–2000), headmaster of Vermont Academy^[5]
• Richard A. Searfoss (1956–2018), astronaut^[6]
• Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford (1753–1814), physicist, inventor; Count of the Holy Roman Empire^[7]
• Frederick Pearson Treadwell (1857–1918), chemist^[8]
• Elizabeth Virgil (1903–1991), educator^[9]

Arts and architecture

• Alfred Thompson Bricher (1837–1908), artist^[10]
• Marc Drogin (1936–2017), writer and illustrator^[11]
• William Harrison Folsom (1815–1901), architect^[12]
• Jim McDermott (born 1960), painter, illustrator, cartoonist

Business

• Brooke Astor (1902–2007), socialite, philanthropist; chairwoman of the Vincent Astor Foundation^[13]
• Robert Harris (1830–1894), railway president^[14]
• Paul Waterman (1964-present), businessman, conservationist, owner of the Library Restaurant^[15]

Judiciary

• Edward Henry Durell (1810–1887), US federal judge^[16]
• John L. Rand (1861–1942), 22nd Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court^[17]
• John Samuel Sherburne (1757–1830), soldier, US federal judge^[18]
• Samuel Treat (1815–1902), US federal judge^[19]
• Joshua Winslow (1726–1801), soldier, politician, judge^[20]

Media

• Bill Alfonso (born 1957), former pro wrestling referee and manager (born William Matthew Sierra in Portsmouth)
• Tom Bergeron (born 1955), TV presenter, game show host^[21]
• Peter Bonerz (born 1938), actor, director^[22]
• Samantha Brown (born 1970), Travel Channel host, TV personality^[23]
• William F. Haddock (1877–1969), film director of the silent film era^[24]
• Jean Kasem (born 1954), actress^[25]
• Milton Selzer (1918–2006), stage, film, and television actor^[26]
• Ilene Woods (1929–2010), actress, voice of Cinderella^[27]

Military

• Charles C. Carpenter (1834–1899), United States Navy rear admiral who rose to command of the Asiatic Squadron; resided in Portsmouth^[28]
• Francis Cogswell (1887–1939), U.S. Navy captain; Navy Cross recipient for actions during World War I^[29]
• Frederick Franklin (1840–1873), U.S. Navy quartermaster; Medal of Honor recipient (1871 Korean Campaign)^[30]
• Mark G. Ham (1820–1869), U.S. Navy sailor; Medal of Honor recipient (American Civil War)^[31]
• John Hart (1706–1777), colonel in the New Hampshire militia^[32]
• Charles Hovey (1885–1911), U.S. Navy officer (Philippine–American War)^[33]
• John Paul Jones (1747–1792), "father" of U.S. Navy^[34]
• Nathaniel Meserve (1704–1758), shipwright, soldier^[35]
• Enoch Greenleafe Parrott (1814–1879), U.S. Navy rear admiral (Mexican–American War and American Civil War)^[36]
• Fitz John Porter (1822–1901), Union Army major general (American Civil War)^[37]
• Robert H. Wyman (1822–1882), U.S. Navy rear admiral^[38]

Music

• Al Barr (born 1968), musician^[39] & lead singer of Dropkick Murphys and The Bruisers
• Gina Catalino (born 1984), singer-songwriter^[40]
• Ronnie James Dio (1942–2010), heavy metal singer-songwriter,^[41] frontman for Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, and Heaven and Hell
• Geoff Palmer (born 1980), musician, singer, and songwriter. Member of The Connection, The Kurt Baker band, and The Queers
• Tom Rush (born 1941), singer-songwriter^[42]
• Bill Staines (1947–2021), folk musician
• Joseph P King also known by the stage Joe Queer. Lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band The Queers.

Politics

• Amos T. Akerman (1821–1880), US attorney general^[43]
• Ichabod Bartlett (1786–1853), US congressman^[44]
• Clifton Clagett (1762–1829), US congressman^[45]
• Renny Cushing (1962–2022), New Hampshire state representative^[46]
• Samuel Cushman (1783–1851), US congressman^[47]
• John Cutt (1613–1681), merchant, mill owner, and provincial president of New Hampshire^[48]
• Charles Cutts (1769–1846), US senator^[49]
• Charles M. Dale (1893–1978), mayor, state senator, and the 66th governor of New Hampshire^[50]
• William S. Damrell (1809–1860), US congressman^[51]
• John A. Durkin (1936–2012), US senator^[52]
• Eileen Foley (1918–2016), eight-term mayor of Portsmouth (1968–1971, 1984–1985, 1988–1997), state senator, and former minority leader of the New Hampshire Senate^[53]
• Ichabod Goodwin (1794–1882), 34th governor of New Hampshire^[54]
• William Hale (1765–1848), US congressman^[55]
• Nathaniel Appleton Haven (1762–1831), US congressman^[56]
• Andrew Jarvis (1890–1990), mayor and member of the Governor's Council^[57]
• Frank Jones (1832–1902), businessman, US congressman, mayor^[58]
• John Langdon (1741–1819), Founding Father of the United States, merchant, President pro tempore of the US senate, and the governor of New Hampshire (2nd, 4th, 8th & 10th)^[59]
• Woodbury Langdon (1739–1805), Founding Father, merchant, statesman, judge; Delegate from New Hampshire to the Continental Congress^[60]
• Tobias Lear (1762–1816), personal secretary to President George Washington; Lear served Washington from 1784 until the former-President's death in 1799^[61]
• Edward St. Loe Livermore (1762–1832), US congressman^[62]
• Pierse Long (1739–1789), colonel of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, merchant, US senator^[63]
• Henry B. Lovering (1841–1911), US congressman^[64]
• Daniel Marcy (1809–1893), US congressman^[65]
• Richard Martyn (1630–1694), early Portsmouth representative, speaker of the house, chief justice^[66]
• John Fabyan Parrott (1767–1836), US congressman and senator^[67]
• Charles H. Peaslee (1804–1866), US congressman and lawyer^[68]
• Joseph Peirce (1748–1812), US congressman and soldier^[69]
• John J. Perry (1811–1897), US congressman^[70]
• Wesley Powell (1915–1981), lawyer and 70th Governor of New Hampshire^[71]
• John Randall Reding (1805–1892), US congressman^[72]
• James Sheafe (1755–1829), US congressman and senator^[73]
• James R. Splaine (born 1947), New Hampshire state legislator, Portsmouth vice-mayor^[74]
• Clement Storer (1760–1830), US congressman, senator^[75]
• Daniel Webster (1782–1852), US senator from Massachusetts and the 14th and 19th US Secretary of State^[76]
• Benning Wentworth (1696–1770), colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766^[77]
• Sir John Wentworth (1737–1820), the British colonial governor of New Hampshire at the time of the American Revolution; he was later also Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia^[78]
• William Whipple (1731–1785), ship's captain, merchant, Founding Father, signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence; represented New Hampshire as a member of the Continental Congress from 1776 through 1779^[79]
• Oren Elbridge Wilson (1844–1917), Mayor of Albany, New York, raised in Portsmouth^[80]

Religion

• Joseph Stevens Buckminster (1784–1812), minister^[81]
• Samuel Langdon (1723–1797), clergyman, educator, college president^[82]
• Samuel Parker (1744–1804), bishop^[83]

Sports

• Jane Blalock (born 1945), golfer with the LPGA Tour^[84]
• George Haddock (1866–1926), Major League Baseball pitcher from 1888 to 1894
• Eric Jenkins (born 1991), Olympic 1500m athlete
• Josh Owens (born 1988), basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Dick Scott (1933–2020), pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs^[85]

Slavery

• Oney Judge (1773–1848), runaway slave^[86]

Writing

• John Greenleaf Adams (1810–1897), hymn writer^[87]
• Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907), poet, novelist, editor^[88]
• Helen Dore Boylston (1895–1984), author^[89]
• Elliott Coues (1842–1899), surgeon, historian, author^[90]
• Clayton Emery (born 1953), author^[91]
• James T. Fields (1817–1881), publisher, author^[92]
• Harriet McEwen Kimball (1834–1917), poet, hymnwriter, philanthropist, hospital co-founder
• Eliza Lee (1792–1864), author^[93]
• John Lord (1810–1894), historian, lecturer ^[94]
• Samuel Penhallow (1665–1726), historian, militia leader in present-day Maine during Queen Anne's War and Father Rale's War^[95]
• Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber (1814–1890), printer, editor, humorist^[96]
• Celia Thaxter (1835–1894), poet, writer^[97]

References

Notes and References

1. Web site: Term: Bartlett, John Knowlton 1816 - 1889 . Wisconsin Historical Society. March 1, 2014.
2. Book: Samuel Austin Allibone. A critical dictionary of English literature, and British and American authors living and deceased. 22 May 2013. 1859. 211.
3. Web site: Term: Promoting Japan in America: the Life Work of E. Warren Clark (1849 – 1907) . Portsmouth Peace Treaty. March 1, 2014.
4. Book: Ashmeade. Henry Graham. History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. 1884. L.H. Everts & Co.. Philadelphia. 625–628. 15 June 2017.
5. Book: Bunting, J. E.. Private Independent Schools. 1955. J. E. Bunting. 400.
6. Web site: RICHARD A. SEARFOSS (COLONEL, USAF, RET.) NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER) . National Aeronautics and Space Administration. March 1, 2014.
7. Web site: Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford . https://web.archive.org/web/20061024052417/http://www.robinsonlibrary.com/science/science/biography/b-thompson.htm . usurped . October 24, 2006 . The Robinson Library . March 1, 2014.
8. Book: Colby, Frank Moore Colby and Wade, Herbert Treadwell. The New International Year Book. 1919. Dodd, Mead and Company. 648.
9. Book: Sammons, Mark J. . Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African-American Heritage . Cunningham . Valerie . . 2004 . 978-1-58465-289-2 . 163–165 . en-US.
10. Book: J. T. White. The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. 1906. J. T. White. 453.
11. Book: Smith, Warren Allen. In The Heart Of Showbiz - Vol. 1. 2011. Lulu.com. 258. 9781257042524.
12. Web site: William Harrison Folsom . Ancestry.com. March 1, 2014.
13. Web site: Brooke Astor biography . A+E Television Networks, LLC. . March 1, 2014.
14. Book: Foster, Joseph and Grand Army of the Republic. The soldiers' memorial. Portsmouth, N.H., 1893-1921: Storer Post, No. 1, Department of New Hampshire, Grand Army of the Republic, Portsmouth, N.H., with record of presentation of flags and portraits by the post to the city. 1890 and 1891. 1893. Portsmouth (N.H.). 121.
15. News: Lenahan . Ian . 4 Feb 2023 . Couple living above Library Restaurant in Portsmouth 'deliriously' happy to buy it .
16. Web site: Edward Henry Durell. Federal Judicial Center. 24 December 2013.
17. Web site: Earliest Authorities of Oregon: John L. Rand. Oregon Secretary of State. 24 December 2013.
18. Web site: John Samuel Sherburne. Federal Judicial Center. 24 December 2013.
19. Web site: Samuel Treat. Federal Judicial Center. 24 December 2013.
20. Joshua Winslow . 5 . WG . Godfrey . 24 December 2013.
21. Web site: Tom Bergeron . New Hampshire.com . March 1, 2014.
22. Web site: Peter Bonerz . tv.com . March 1, 2014.
23. Web site: Samantha Brown . New Hampshire.com . March 1, 2014.
24. Web site: William F. Haddock. 26 January 2018. .
25. Web site: Playing Dumb, Jean Kasem Gives a Brassy Tint to The Tortellis . Time Inc. . March 1, 2014.
26. Web site: Stephen Bowie . Portsmouth NH Herald . March 1, 2014.
27. News: Ilene Woods, the Voice of Disney's Cinderella, Dies at 81 . The New York Times . March 1, 2014. 2010-07-06 . The Associated Press .
28. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1899/04/03/102410256.pdf Anonymous. "Naval Officers Suicide: Rear Admiral Carpenter Takes His Own Life at Boston," The New York Times, April 3, 1899.
29. Web site: FRANCIS COGSWELL, 52, NAVAL CAPTAIN, DIES . Arlington National Cemetery . March 1, 2014.
30. Web site: Frederick H. Franklin. Military Times. March 1, 2014. https://archive.today/20140301213240/http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=975. March 1, 2014. live.
31. Book: Foster, Joseph Foster and Grand Army of the Republic. he soldiers' memorial. Portsmouth, N.H., 1893–1921: Storer Post, No. 1, Department of New Hampshire, Grand Army of the Republic, Portsmouth, N.H., with record of presentation of flags and portraits by the post to the city. 1890 and 1891. 1893. Portsmouth (N.H.). 31.
32. Book: Foster, Joseph Foster and Grand Army of the Republic. Dept. of New Hampshire Storer Post, No. 1 (Portsmouth). The soldiers' memorial. Portsmouth, N.H., 1893–1921: Storer Post, No. 1, Department of New Hampshire, Grand Army of the Republic, Portsmouth, N.H., with record of presentation of flags and portraits by the post to the city. 1890 and 1891. 1893. Portsmouth (N.H.). 76.
33. Book: Foster, Joseph Foster and Grand Army of the Republic. Dept. of New Hampshire Storer Post, No. 1 (Portsmouth). The soldiers' memorial. Portsmouth, N.H., 1893–1921: Storer Post, No. 1, Department of New Hampshire, Grand Army of the Republic, Portsmouth, N.H., with record of presentation of flags and portraits by the post to the city. 1890 and 1891. 1893. Portsmouth (N.H.). 99.
34. Web site: John Paul Jones Museum . SacoastNH.com . March 1, 2014.
35. Book: Heritage Books. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register,: Volume 23 1869. 1994. Heritage Books. 201. 9780788400704.
36. Book: Wright, John D Wright. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Civil War Era Biographies. 2012. Routledge. 450. 9781136331503.
37. Book: Britannica Educational Publishing. The American Civil War and Reconstruction: People, Politics, and Power. 2009. Britannica Educational Publishing. 146. 9781615300457.
38. Book: U.S. Government Printing Office. Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and Reserve Officers on Active Duty. 1881. U.S. Government Printing Office. 152.
39. Web site: Gossip Lady chats with Dropkick Murphys lead singer Al Barr. Seacoastonline . March 1, 2014.
40. Web site: Gina Catalino is 'Swept in Sound'. 26 January 2018.
41. Web site: Ronnie James Dio Dead At 67 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110119073440/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1639314/ronnie-james-dio-dead-at-67.jhtml. dead. January 19, 2011. MTV News . March 1, 2014.
42. Web site: Tom Rush . 2013-02-22 . . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170317054227/http://www.newhampshire.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/NEWHAMPSHIRE09/120329813/-1/NEWHAMPSHIRE02 . 2017-03-17 . 26 January 2018.
43. Web site: Amos T. Akerman. the Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press.. 22 December 2013.
44. Web site: Ichabod Bartlett. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 22 December 2013.
45. Web site: CLAGETT, Clifton, (1762 - 1829). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . January 19, 2014.
46. https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/14688/robert-cushing-jr Robert Reynolds "Renny" Cushing-biography
47. Web site: CUSHMAN, Samuel, (1783 - 1851). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. December 12, 2013.
48. Web site: John Cutt . nh.gov . 22 December 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101006115801/http://www.nh.gov/council/history.html . 6 October 2010 .
49. Web site: Charles Cutts. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 22 December 2013.
50. Web site: Charles M. Dale. National Governors Association. 22 December 2013.
51. Web site: William S. Damrell. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 22 December 2013.
52. Web site: John A. Durkin. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 22 December 2013.
53. News: Kimberly. Haas . Ex-Portsmouth Mayor Eileen Foley dies; city, state officials mourn . . 2016-02-22 . 2016-03-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160223095209/http://www.unionleader.com/Ex-Portsmouth-Mayor-Eileen-Foley-dies . 2016-02-23 . live.
54. Web site: Ichabod Goodwin. Old Berwick Historical Society.. 22 December 2013.
55. Web site: HALE, William, (1765 - 1848)publisher= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . December 4, 2013.
56. Web site: Nathaniel Appleton Haven. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 22 December 2013.
57. Web site: Former Councilors | New Hampshire Executive Council. 26 January 2018.
58. Web site: Frank Jones. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 22 December 2013.
59. Web site: John Langdon. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
60. Web site: Woodbury Langdon. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
61. Web site: Tobias Lear. Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.. 23 December 2013.
62. Web site: Edward St. Loe Livermore. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
63. Web site: Pierse Long. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
64. Web site: Henry B. Lovering. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
65. Web site: Daniel Marcy. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
66. Web site: Richard Martyn. 26 January 2018.
67. Web site: John Fabyan Parrott. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
68. Web site: Charles H. Peaslee. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
69. Web site: Joseph Peirce. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
70. Web site: John J. Perry. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
71. Web site: Wesley Powell. National Governors Association. 23 December 2013.
72. Web site: John Randall Reding. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
73. Web site: James Sheafe. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
74. http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/8538/james-splaine Votesmart.org.-James R, Splaine
75. Web site: Clement Storer. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
76. Web site: Daniel Webster. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 23 December 2013.
77. Benning Wentworth. The William and Mary Quarterly. 23. 1. 76–105. Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture. 2936157. Daniell. Jere R.. 1966. 10.2307/2936157.
78. Web site: John Wentworth. SeacoastNH.com.. 23 December 2013.
79. Web site: William Whipple. nps.gov. 23 December 2013.
80. Book: 1927 . The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography . XVII . New York, NY . James T. White & Company . 7 . Google Books.
81. Book: Lee, Eliza Buckminster. Memoirs of Rev. Joseph Buckminster, D.D., and of His Son, Rev. Joseph Stevens Buckminster. 1849. W. Crosby & H. P. Nichols. 474.
82. Book: Granite Monthly: A New Hampshire Magazine, Volume 5. 1882. 393.
83. Book: Sprague, William Buell. Annals of the American Pulpit: Episcopalian. 1859. 1859. Robert Carter & Brothers. 296.
84. Web site: Jane Blalock. golf.about.com/. 23 December 2013. 16 May 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080516185403/http://golf.about.com/od/golferswomen/p/janeblalock.htm. dead.
85. Web site: Dick Scott. Pro-Baseball-Reference.com. 23 December 2013.
86. Book: Horton, James Oliver and Horton, Lois E.. Slavery And Public History: The Tough Stuff of American Memory. 2013. The New Press. 9781595587442.
87. Web site: Adams, John Greenleaf. Andover-Harvard Theological Library. March 2, 2014.
88. Web site: The House Where the Bad Boy Lived. SeacoastNH.com. March 2, 2014.
89. News: Helen Dore Boylston Is Dead;Authorof'SueBarton'Series. The New York Times. March 2, 2014. 1984-10-05.
90. Web site: Biographical Memoir of Elliott Coues. National Academy of Sciences. March 2, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140302205031/http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/Coues_Elliott.pdf. March 2, 2014.
91. Web site: My Vote: Emery eyes "democratic mix".
92. Web site: James T. Fields. Encyclopædia Britannica. March 2, 2014.
93. Book: Alcott, Amos Bronson. Notes of Conversations, 1848-1875. 2007. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. 263. 9780838641187.
94. Book: Lord, John. Beacon Lights of History: Nineteenth century writers. The life of John Lord, by Alex. S. Twombly, D.D.. 1896. Fords, Howard and Hulber. 8.
95. Book: The Western Antiquary; Or, Devon and Cornwall Notebook, Volume 8. 1889. 110.
96. Book: Gilder, Jeannette Leonard Gilde. Masterpieces of the world's best literature, Volume 8. 1910. Classic pub. co. 36.
97. Web site: Flowers in Winter: Celia Thaxter's Island Garden Exhibit Blooms this Winter. Discover Portsmouth. March 2, 2014.