Governor Increase Sumner, Jr.

Governor Increase Sumner, Jr.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7809583/increase_sumner

Governor Sumner was an American politician from Massachusetts. He served as the fifth governor of Massachusetts from 1797 to 1799. Increase Sumner was born on 27 November 1746 in Roxbury, Massachusetts to Increase Sumner and Sarah Sharp. His father was a farmer, who by dint of hard work built and left a considerable property. Increase Sumner, the elder, held a number of public offices including Coroner for the County of Suffolk, and Selectman of Roxbury. Sumner's father died on 28 November 1774 and left eight children. Shortly after his father's death, the Sumner family moved temporarily to the Sumner farm in Dorchester, called "Morgan's", because their house was exposed to enemy fire during the Siege of Boston.

In 1752 Sumner enrolled in the Grammar School in Roxbury, now Roxbury Latin School, headed by William Cushing, future justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and excelled to the extent of winning admission to Harvard University in 1763, from which he graduated in 1767.
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Grave Inscription:

Here Repose the Remains of INCREASE SUMNER. He was born at Roxbury November 27th, 1746 and died at the same place, June 7th, 1799 in the 53d year of his age.

He was for some time a practitioner at the bar, and for fifteen years an associate judge of the Supreme Judicial Court, was thrice elected Governor of Massachusetts, in which office he died.

As a lawyer, he was faithful and able; as a judge, patient, impartial and decisive; as a chief magistrate, accessible, frank, and independent.

In private life, he was affectionate and mild; in public life, he was dignified and firm. Party feuds were allayed by the correctness of his conduct; calumny was silenced by the weight of his virtues; and rancor softened by the amenity of his manners.

In the vigor of intellectual attainments and in the midst of usefulness, he was called by divine providence to rest with his fathers; and went down to the chambers of death, in the full belief that the grave is the pathway to future existence.

As in life he secured the suffrages of the free and was blessed with the approbation of the wise, so in death he was honored by the tears of the patriotick and is held in sweet remembrance by a discerning and affectionate people.

DISCITE VIRTUTEM EXHOC. VERUMOUE LABOREM