Background
He was born on June 10, 1762, Plymouth, Massachussets, the son of Sylvanus and Martha (Wait) Bartlett.
adventurer lawyer politician author
He was born on June 10, 1762, Plymouth, Massachussets, the son of Sylvanus and Martha (Wait) Bartlett.
He graduated at Harvard in 1782, where his scholarship was such that he was one of the three charter members of the Phi Beta Kappa chapter; and then went to Salem to study law.
Here he also conducted a school, in connection with which his interest in dramatics appeared, for in The Holyoke Diaries, under date of January 21, 1783, is recorded, "We were at a play at the Brick Store. " Note: "The Distracted Mother, presented by Mr. Bartlett's school. Music, two fiddles and a drum. " An entry of April 29, 1783, mentions another play by "Mr. Bartlett's scholars. " With no motive, apparently, but love of adventure, he went to London, where at a play in which American soldiers were ridiculed he arose and shouted, "Hurrah, Great Britain beaten by barbers, tailors, and tinkers. "
This audacity won him favor with the bloods of the day, and for a time he lived a gay life which ended in the debtors' prison. From this he secured funds for release by writing a play, which he claimed was the first American play presented on the English stage. Unfortunately, the title has not been preserved. Going to Edinburgh, he acted under the stage name of "Mr. Maitland, " appearing as Belcour in The West Indian.
Tiring of this life, he bought a ship-load of merchandise with borrowed money and sailed with it for America. The ship was wrecked on Cape Cod, and Bartlett is said to have shown unseemly haste in saving himself. He resumed the study of law in Boston, and at the time of Shays's Rebellion started for Worcester at the head of a company of volunteers, but news that the insurrection had been put down halted the expedition. Bartlett was admitted to the bar, and began his legal and political career in Woburn, Massachussets, where, to attract attention, seemingly, he painted his house black and called it "The Coffin. " "As odd as Joe Bartlett" soon became a common expression.
He was interested in educational matters and in 1792 was one of a committee of seven "to examine into the government of the schools and recommend some uniform system of instruction. " His fellow lawyer, Samuel Lorenzo Knapp, who was too prejudiced to be entirely trustworthy, said that Bartlett's clients were chiefly "harlots, rogues, and knaves of every size and grade. " As a political speaker he had the power of setting his audience in a roar, and even sober, thinking men found him irresistible.
His political writings had a pungency and satire that made them very effective. From Woburn, Bartlett removed to Cambridge, without changing his manner of life. He was sufficiently respected, however, to be selected as poet for the Harvard Phi Beta Kappa celebration of 1799. His poem on that occasion, Physiognomy, published in 1810, attracted much notice, and even Knapp reluctantly acknowledges that it has "taste and no little splendor, however unjust and satirical it may be. " At several sessions, also, Bartlett represented Cambridge in the General Court. By 1803, however, he had moved to Saco, in the present state of Maine, and in 1804 was chosen senator in the Massachusetts legislature from the County of York. He missed an election to Congress by about six votes.
In 1805 he was editor of the Saco Freeman's Friend. Later he lived in Portsmouth. A book of more than 400 aphorisms was issued by him in 1810, among which are such sayings as "Conceit more than knowledge influences men to write"; "There never was a party man who acted as cool reason would approve"; and "Men had rather be censured for want of morals than for want of understanding. " On the downward road financially and otherwise, he returned to Boston, where he delivered a Fourth-of-July address at the Exchange Coffee-House Hall in 1823, which was published the same year in a pamphlet entitled The Fourth of July Anticipated, which also included "The New Vicar of Bray, " probably his best known work. He spent his last days in poverty, supported by his friends.
Possessed of exceptional gifts, he lacked sufficient mental and moral balance to use them to the highest advantage. Shortly before his death he wrote his own epitaph: " 'Tis done! The fatal stroke is given, And Bartlett's fled to Hell or Heaven; His friends approve it, and his foes applaud, --Yet he will have the verdict of his God. "
He was an ardent democrat and a disciple of Thomas Paine.
Bartlett is described as "fat, jolly, and infinitely amusing. "
His wife, Anna May, daughter of Thomas and Ann Wetherell, whom he married November 15, 1795, was not able long to live with him.