Gen. James Appleton (1785-1862)
of Ipswich; State Representative & Brigadier-General in the Massachusetts Militia
He was born at Appleton Farms, Ipswich, Massachusetts. He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Massachusetts Militia during the War of 1812 and was later promoted to Brigadier-General in the U.S. Army. In 1813, he was elected to the Massachusetts Legislature, and embarking in a legal and political career he moved to Portland, Maine. In 1824, he was chosen to act as escort to the Marquis de Lafayette on his tour of Boston. In 1833, he was elected to the state’s legislature and was a candidate for Governor in 1836. He was an outspoken opponent of slavery and is sometimes called “The Father of Prohibition” in the States. In 1857, he returned to Ipswich and buying out his surviving brothers succeeded to operating Appleton Farms. He married Sarah, daughter of the Rev. Daniel Fuller, of Boston. They had 10-children and 36-grandchildren.
