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Biographical Sketches

	NICHOLAS GILMAN New Hampshire	Nicholas Gilman
Gilman's career ranged from clerking in a store to long tours of duty in the U.S House of Representatives and Senate. Although never in the front rank of politics, he associated with some of the leading Americans of his time. He was one of the three bachelor signers.

Member of a distinguished New Hampshire family and second son in a family of eight, Nicholas Gilman was born at Exeter in 1755. He received his education in local schools and worked at his father's general store. When the War for Independence began, he enlisted in the New Hampshire element of the Continental Army, soon won a captaincy, and served throughout the war.

Gilman returned home, again helped his father in the store, and immersed himself in politics. In the period 1786-88 he sat in the Continental Congress, though his attendance record was poor. In 1787 he represented New Hampshire at the Constitutional Convention. He did not arrive at Philadelphia until July 21, by which time much major business had already transpired. Never much of a debater, he made no speeches and played only a minor part in the deliberations. He did, however, serve on the committee on postponed matters. He was also active in obtaining New Hampshire's acceptance of the Constitution and in shepherding it through the Continental Congress.

Gilman later became a prominent Federalist politician. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1789 until 1797; and in 1793 and 1797 was a Presidential elector. He also sat in the New Hampshire legislature in the years 1795, 1802, and 1804, and in 1805-8 and 1811-14 held the office of State treasurer.

Meantime, Gilman's political philosophy had begun to drift toward the Democratic-Republicans. In 1802, when he was defeated for the U.S. Senate, President Jefferson appointed him as a bankruptcy commissioner, and 2 years later as a Democratic-Republican he won election to the U.S. Senate. He was still sitting there when he passed away at Philadelphia, while on his way home from the Nation's Capital, in 1814 at the age of 58. He is interred at the Winter Street Cemetery at Exeter.

Drawing: Lithograph (1900) by Albert Rosenthal after his oil painting, which was based on a life sketch by Hensel, a miniature attributed to Malbone, and an oil by Henry Williams. Ladd-Gilman House, Exeter, N.H.