Folsom, Nathaniel, 1726-1790

Nathaniel Folsom (September 28, 1726 – May 26, 1790) was an American merchant and statesman. He was a delegate for New Hampshire in the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1777 to 1780, signing the Continental Association. He served as major general of the New Hampshire Militia during the American Revolutionary War and is a Founding Father of the United States.

Born in Exeter in the Province of New Hampshire, Folsom went to work for a merchant after the death of his father. He invested in timber and opened a sawmill. Then in 1761, he went into business with some distant cousins, Joseph and Josiah Gilman. They became Folsom, Gilman & Gilman and opened a general store, built ships, and carried on an import/export business. The firm operated in Exeter and Portsmouth. Though the partners separated in 1768, Folsom continued in foreign commerce, timber, and lumber operations for the rest of his life. During the French and Indian War he was captain of a company in the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment during the Crown Point expedition led by Sir William Johnson in 1755. Folsom went on to become a colonel of the Fourth Regiment of New Hampshire Militia. During the Revolutionary War, Folsom served as the senior officer for militia forces within New Hampshire. He was later named a major general, and continued recruiting, training, and supply efforts throughout the war.

Folsom had served several years as moderator of the town meetings at Exeter. When the revolutionary Provincial Congress first met on July 21, 1774, he was a delegate. The Provincial Congress named him their delegate to the First Continental Congress that met in Philadelphia, during which he was a signatory to the Continental Association. In 1775, Folsom continued his service in the provincial congress, as he would do until 1783. In 1783, he became the chief judge in the common pleas court. That same year he went to, and presided over, the state's constitutional convention. When a constitution was adopted, as president of the convention, he wrote a cover letter, then forwarded it to the towns for ratification. Ironically, one problem addressed by the constitution was to limit the number of offices held by one man. Folsom thus resigned from the Assembly, as head of the militia, and from the Governor's Council. He held the position of chief judge in Rockingham County until his death in Exeter. He is buried in Exeter's Winter Street Cemetery.