William Appleton

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William Appleton

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 1st & 5th district
In office March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855 March 4, 1861 – September 27, 1861
Preceded by	Samuel A. Eliot Charles Allen Anson Burlingame
Succeeded by	Zeno Scudder Anson Burlingame Samuel Hooper

Born	November 16, 1786 Brookfield, Massachusetts, USA
Died	February 15, 1862 Longwood, Massachusetts, USA
Political party	Whig, Constitutional Union
Spouse	Mary Ann Appleton
Profession	Politician, Banker, Merchant

William Appleton (November 16, 1786 – February 15, 1862) was a congressman from Massachusetts from 1851 to 1855 and briefly during the Civil War.

Born in Brookfield, Massachusetts, the son of Reverend Joseph Appleton, he attended schools in New Ipswich, New Hampshire, Francestown, New Hampshire and Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. At fifteen years of age he started work at a country store in Temple, New Hampshire and later moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1807 to engaged in mercantile pursuits. He became President of the Boston Branch of the United States Bank in 1832 and served until 1836. He was also at one time president of Massachusetts General Hospital.

In 1850, Appleton was elected a Whig to the 32nd Congress to represent Massachusetts's first district. He won reelection to the 33rd Congress, this time representing Massachusetts's fifth district, however lost the elections to the two following congresses in 1854 and 1856. He was later elected back into congress in 1860 as a Constitutional Unionist and started in 1861, but resigned later the same year due to failing health.

Appleton died the year after his resignation on February 15, 1862 in Longwood, Massachusetts. He was interred in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

His diaries were published in 1922 entitled Selections from the diaries of William Appleton, 1786-1862. Appleton was the first cousin of congressman Nathan Appleton and first cousin, once removed of writer and artist Thomas Gold Appleton.

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Preceded by Samuel A. Eliot	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 1st congressional district March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853	Succeeded by Zeno Scudder
Preceded by Charles Allen	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 5th congressional district March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	Succeeded by Anson Burlingame
Preceded by Anson Burlingame	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 5th congressional district March 4, 1861 – September 27, 1861	Succeeded by Samuel Hooper