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CUSHING THOMAS, Lieut. Governor of Massachusetts, was the son of Mr. Speaker Cushing, and rose to higher offices in the state than his father or grandfather, each of whom had been distinguished with peculiar honours. He had good talents, and was a very useful man in many departments, though he had not their splendid abilities. He was graduated at Harvard College, 1744; engaged in mercantile business, but his mind was turned much to political affairs. The father enjoyed the affluence of wealth with all the honours his country could bestow upon him: the son was fonder of public life, and paid too little attention to pecuniary considerations. He was sent representative from his native town for a number of years, and, A.D. 1761, when the governor negatived Mr. Otis, who had been chosen speaker, he was elected in his place; and he continued to fill the chair, till he was chosen one of the members of the congress which met at Philadelphia, 1774. He was then commissary general, but the province was in such a state, that there was no great call for a person in this office, nor did any material profit attend it. In 1779 Mr. Cushing declined going to Congress; and the government of Massachusetts being then organized, he was elected to the second office in the state He was Lieut. Governor from the time he was chosen till his death, 1788. There was a time when Mr. C. was considered in Great Britain as the leader of the Whigs in this country. He was not esteemed so in Boston. He had less political zeal than Otis, or Adams, or Hancock; but by his pleasant temper, his moderation, his conversing with men of different parties, though he sometimes was lashed by their strokes for want of firmness, he obtained more influence than either, except Mr. Hancock. The reason of his being known so much in the mother country was, that his name was signed to all the public papers, as speaker of the house. Hence he was sometimes exposed to the sarcasms of the ministerial writers. In the pamphlet of Dr. Johnson, called, "Taxation no Tyranny," one object of the Americans is said to be, to adorn the brows of Mr. C---g with a diadem." He had a rank among the patriots, as a sincere friend to the public good, and he was also a friend to religion, which he manifested by a constant attendance upon all pious institutions. He was also very attentive to the affairs of the college, an example to others of the overseers, being often chairman of committees, and always present at the board; he was also fellow of the corporation from the year 1785, in which Mr. Bowdoin resigned. He received a diploma of doctor of laws from the university. Mr. Gushing left a number of children; one of his daughters married John Avery, Esq. who for many years was secretary of the commonwealth. Eliot: Biographical Dictionary of New England, p. 141.⁴

He published The history of ancient Sheepscot and Newcastle: including early Pemaquid, Damariscotta, and other contiguous places, from the earliest discovery to the present time: together with the genealogy of more than four hundred families. Bath, Maine: E.Upton & Son.