George B. Loring

George Bailey Loring (November 8, 1817 – September 14, 1891)^[1] was an American politician and member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts.

George Bailey Loring
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 6th district
In office March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881
Preceded by	Charles Perkins Thompson
Succeeded by	Eben F. Stone
United States Minister to Portugal
In office March 30, 1889 – May 31, 1890
President	Benjamin Harrison
Preceded by	Edward Parke Custis Lewis
Succeeded by	George S. Batcheller
5th United States Commissioner of Agriculture
In office 1881–1885
President	James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur
Preceded by	William Gates LeDuc
Succeeded by	Norman Jay Coleman
President of the Massachusetts Senate
In office 1875–1876
Member of the Massachusetts Senate
In office 1873–1876
Chair of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee
In office 1869–1876
Succeeded by	Alanson W. Beard
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office 1866–1868
In office May 4, 1853 – February 16, 1858
Postmaster of Salem, Massachusetts
In office May 4, 1853 – February 16, 1858
Personal details
Born	November 8, 1817 North Andover, Massachusetts, USA
Died	September 14, 1891 (aged 73) Salem, Massachusetts, USA
Resting place	Harmony Grove Cemetery.
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Harvard University
Profession	Physician
Signature

Biography

A son of Unitarian minister Bailey Loring and Sally Pickman (Osgood) Loring, and fourth great grandson of early settler Deacon Thomas Loring,^[2] George B. attended Franklin Academy at Andover, Massachusetts and later briefly taught school. He graduated from Harvard University in 1838 and from the Harvard medical school in 1842. He practiced medicine for a short time in North Andover. Served as surgeon of the marine hospital at Chelsea, Massachusetts (1843–1850) and as surgeon of the Seventh Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia (1842–1844).

He was appointed commissioner to revise the United States marine hospital system in 1849.

Moved to Salem, Massachusetts in 1851; appointed postmaster of Salem on May 4, 1853, and served until his successor was appointed on February 16, 1858.

He was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1866–1867); chair of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee (1869–1876); served in the Massachusetts Senate (1873–1876) and was also president of that body.

He was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1868, 1872, and 1876; appointed United States centennial commissioner for the state of Massachusetts in 1872; elected as a Republican to the 45th and 46th Congresses.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1880. Made United States commissioner of agriculture (1881–1885); appointed United States minister to Portugal in 1889 and served until his resignation in 1890.

Loring married Mary Toppan Pickman (1816-1878), daughter of Dr. Thomas Pickman and his wife, Sophia Palmer Pickman, and also his cousin.^[3] His great-uncle, and his wife's uncle, was Benjamin Pickman Jr., Congressman from Massachusetts; his third cousin, once removed, and her first cousin, twice removed was George P. Wetmore, Governor and United States Senator from Rhode Island. Another great-uncle is Samuel Osgood. After Mary's death, Loring married Anna Smith Hildreth, daughter of former U.S. consul to Siam Isaac Townsend Smith and widow of Charles Henry Hildreth, in 1880.^[3][4][5]

Loring died in Salem, Massachusetts on September 14, 1891, aged 73, and was interred in Harmony Grove Cemetery.^[6]

See also

• 94th Massachusetts General Court (1873)
• 95th Massachusetts General Court (1874)
• 96th Massachusetts General Court (1875)
• 97th Massachusetts General Court (1876)

References

1. Pope gives death date as 13 September, not 14th. Charles Henry Pope, Loring Genealogy (1917), pp. 193–194 accessed December 4, 2015
2. Charles Henry Pope, Loring Genealogy (1917), pp. 193–194 accessed December 4, 2015
3. "Collection: George Baily Loring Papers, 1831-1904, undated | Phillips Library Finding Aids". pem.as.atlas-sys.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
4. Yellin, Jean Fagan (December 1, 2015). The Harriet Jacobs Family Papers. UNC Press Books. ISBN 978-1-4696-2579-9.
5. of 1864, Harvard College (1780-) Class (1889). Secretary's Report. The Class.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
6. "George B. Bailey Loring" (PDF). The New York Times. September 15, 1891. p. 5. Retrieved June 7, 2022.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Charles Perkins Thompson	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 6th congressional district 1877–1881	Succeeded by Eben F. Stone
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Edward Parke Custis Lewis	United States Ambassador to Portugal 1889–1890	Succeeded by George Sherman Batcheller