About Sumner Ely
Lived 1787 – 1857 (aged 69). Sumner Ely was an American politician and physician.
Sumner Ely (May 22, 1787 in Lyme, New London County, Connecticut – February 3, 1857) was an American medical doctor and politician from New York.
Life He was the son of Adriel Ely and Sarah (Stowe) Ely. He graduated from Yale College in 1804. Then he studied medicine with Dr. Thomas Broadhead at Clermont, New York, and was licensed to practice in 1809. In 1810, he removed to Middlefield, New York, and practiced medicine there. On June 11, 1816, he married Hannah Knapp Gilbert (1791–1868), and they had five sons, among them Assemblyman William H. Ely (b. 1829).
Sumner Ely was Postmaster of Middlefield and a brigadier general of the New York State Militia.
He was a member of the New York State Assembly (Otsego Co.) in 1836.
He was a Democratic member of the New York State Senate (5th D.) from 1840 to 1843, sitting in the 63rd, 64th, 65th and 66th New York State Legislatures.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sumner Ely's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sumner Ely?
American physician and politician (1787-1857)
When was Sumner Ely born?
Sumner Ely was born on 22 May 1787.
When did Sumner Ely die?
Sumner Ely died on 3 February 1857.
What was Sumner Ely's occupation?
Sumner Ely was a politician and physician.
What nationality was Sumner Ely?
Sumner Ely was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sumner Ely. https://biography.guide/sumner-ely/
MLA: "Sumner Ely." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sumner-ely/.
Chicago: "Sumner Ely." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sumner-ely/.
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