John C. Thompson (1790–June 27, 1831) was a Vermont lawyer, politician, and judge who served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1830 until his death.

Biography

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John C. Thompson was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, probably in 1790.[1][2] He studied law with an attorney in Hartford, Connecticut, and attained admission to the bar.[2][3] He moved to Windsor, Vermont in 1813, where he established himself as an attorney[3] and also became active in politics as a Democratic-Republican, including serving as editor of the Vermont Republican newspaper.[4] He practiced law in Windsor until 1818, when he moved to Hartland.[2][3] Thompson moved to Burlington in 1822.[2][3]

In 1827, Thompson was elected to the Vermont Executive Council, and he served until 1830.[2][3] In 1830, Chief Justice Samuel Prentiss of the Vermont Supreme Court resigned because he had been elected to the United States Senate, and Associate Justice Titus Hutchinson was elevated to chief justice.[3][5] Thompson was appointed to succeed Hutchinson as an Associate Justice, and he served until his death.[3][5]

Thompson was traveling from Burlington to Montpelier in June 1831 when he was suddenly taken ill.[2][3] He returned to Burlington, where he died on June 27.[2][3] He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Burlington,[6] and was succeeded on the court by Samuel S. Phelps.[5]

Family

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In 1816, Thompson married Nancy Patrick (1796-1865) of Windsor.[2][3][4][7] They were the parents of Sophia Patrick Thompson (1826-1833),[8] and Charles Henry Thompson (1830-1846).[9] Charles died when he drowned after a sailing accident on Lake Champlain.[2]

In her later years, Nancy Patrick Thompson resided in Troy, New York with her sister Sophia and brother-in-law Gardner Stow. According to a November 1847 newspaper article, another daughter of John C. Thompson and Nancy Patrick, also named Nancy, married John D. Duggan in Troy in a ceremony performed by Reverend John H. Hopkins of Burlington.[10][11] This article also indicated that at the time of the wedding, Duggan was a resident of Cuba, West Indies.[10]

References

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Sources

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Books

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  • Fleetwood, Frederick G. (1902). Vermont Legislative Directory. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Watchman Co.
  • Thompson, Zadock (1842). History of Vermont, Natural, Civil and Statistical. Burlington, VT: Chauncey Goodrich. p. 124.
  • Ullery, Jacob G. (1894). Men of Vermont Illustrated. Brattleboro, VT: Transcript Publishing Company. p. 181.

Magazines

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Internet

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Newspapers

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Political offices
Preceded by Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
1830–1831
Succeeded by