N. Bowditch Blunt
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Bowditch Blunt (ca. 1804 Newburyport
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...

, Essex County, Massachusetts
Essex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...

 - July 17, 1854 Lebanon Springs
New Lebanon, New York
New Lebanon is a town in Columbia County, New York, U.S., southeast of Albany. In 1910, 1,378 people lived in New Lebanon, New York. The population was 2,454 at the 2000 census.The town of New Lebanon is in the northeast part of Columbia County...

, Columbia County, New York
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...

) was an American lawyer and politician from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

.

Life

He was the youngest of four sons of Edmund March Blunt (1770-1862), a newspaper publisher and book seller in Newburyport, who in 1796 compiled and published the American Coast Pilot, a description of all ports on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 coast. In 1802, Edmund M. Blunt published the American Practical Navigator by Nathaniel Bowditch
Nathaniel Bowditch
Nathaniel Bowditch was an early American mathematician remembered for his work on ocean navigation. He is often credited as the founder of modern maritime navigation; his book The New American Practical Navigator, first published in 1802, is still carried on board every commissioned U.S...

 who became the godfather of Edmund's youngest son.

N. B. Blunt was New York County District Attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....

 from 1851 until his death in July 1854, elected in 1850 and 1853 on the Whig ticket. In 1853, he defeated the Democratic candidate Chauncey Shaffer by a majority of only 78 votes.

In 1851, Blunt appointed as his Assistant D.A. the then 24-year old A. Oakey Hall who was elected D.A. of New York in November 1854, and was Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...

 from 1869 to 1872.

Nathaniel's oldest brother, Joseph Blunt
Joseph Blunt
Joseph Blunt was an American lawyer, author, editor and politician from New York.-Life:...

, was New York County District Attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....

 in 1858. The other two brothers, Edmund (1799-1866) and George William (1802-1878) followed their father's steps and got involved in nautical affairs. Edmund assisted Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler
Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler
Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler was a surveyor who worked mostly in the United States and also in Switzerland. He headed the United States Coast Survey and the Bureau of Weights and Measures.-Biography:...

 in surveying the port of New York for the United States Coast Survey in 1817. George William Blunt was for decades a member, and later secretary, of the Board of Pilot Commissioners, and in 1857 was appointed a New York Harbor Commissioner.

Sources

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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