James Sheafe

{{Short description|American politician (1755–1829)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = James Sheafe

| image = JamesSheafe.jpg

| imagesize=150px

| jr/sr1=United States Senator

| state1= New Hampshire

| term_start1= March 4, 1801

| term_end1= June 14, 1802

| preceded1= John Langdon

| succeeded1= William Plumer

| office2=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's at-large district (Seat 1)

| term_start2=March 4, 1799

| term_end2=March 3, 1801

| predecessor2=Peleg Sprague

| successor2=George B. Upham

| office3=Member of the New Hampshire Senate

| term3=1791
1793
1799

| office4=Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives

| term4=1788–1790

| birth_date={{birth date|1755|11|16}}

| birth_place=Portsmouth, Province of New Hampshire, British America

| death_date={{death date and age|1829|12|5|1755|11|16}}

| death_place=Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.

| residence=Portsmouth

| spouse=

| profession=

| religion=

| alma_mater=Harvard University

| party=Federalist

|}}

James Sheafe (November 16, 1755{{spaced ndash}}December 5, 1829) was a United States representative and Senator from New Hampshire. Born in Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire, he completed preparatory studies and graduated from Harvard College in 1774. He engaged in mercantile pursuits, was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1788 to 1790, a member of the New Hampshire Senate in 1791, 1793 and 1799, and a member of the state Executive Council in 1799. He was an unsuccessful candidate in both the 1789 special election and 1790 election for New Hampshire's at-large congressional district.{{cite web |date=November 13, 2017 |title=NH At-Large - Special Race - Jun 22, 1789 |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=279423 |access-date=April 12, 2022 |work=Our Campaigns}}{{Cite web |title=A New Nation Votes |url=https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/zw12z628w |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=elections.lib.tufts.edu}}

Sheafe was elected as a Federalist to the Sixth Congress (March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1801); he was then elected to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1801, until his resignation on June 14, 1802. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of New Hampshire in 1816 and died in Portsmouth; interment was in St. John's Church Cemetery.

In 1815, Sheafe was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society.[http://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlists American Antiquarian Society Members Directory]