Charles Henry Burns (January 19, 1835 – May 22, 1909) was an American attorney and politician who served in the New Hampshire Senate and as the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire.

Early life

Burns was born in

Milford, Massachusetts Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,379 according to the 2020 census. First settled in 1662 and incorporated in 1780, Milford became a booming industrial and quarrying community in the 19th c ...

, to Charles A. and Elizabeth (Hutchinson) Burns on January 19, 1835. He spent his early life on his father's farm. From the age of seventeen, to when he was twenty one, Burns taught school in Ashby, Massachusetts, New Ipswich, New Hampshire, and

Lyndeborough, New Hampshire Lyndeborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,702 at the 2020 census. History Originally granted by the Massachusetts General Court to veterans from Salem, Massachusetts, of New England's fi ...

Early legal career

Burns graduated from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1858. In May 1858 he was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar at

Suffolk County, Massachusetts Suffolk County is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 797,936, making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts. The county comprises the cities of Boston, Chel ...

. Early in 1859, Burns was admitted to the New Hampshire Bar, and in January 1859 he began practicing law in Wilton, New Hampshire.

Family life

Burns married Sarah N. Mills on January 19, 1856. They had eight children.

Public service

County Solicitor

In 1864 and 1865, Burns was appointed as the County Treasurer of

Hillsborough County, New Hampshire Hillsborough County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 census, the population was 422,937, almost one-third the population of the entire state. Its county seats are Manchester and Nashua, the state's ...

County Treasurer

In 1876, Burns was appointed as the County Solicitor of

. Burns was subsequently elected twice to this position after the state constitution was changed to make this an elective office.

New Hampshire Senate

Burns was a member of the New Hampshire Senate in 1873 and in 1879. Burns was the Charmain of the Judiciary Committee during both of his terms in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

US Attorney

In February 1881, Burns was appointed the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. Burns was reappointed in February 1881, he served as United States Attorney for six years because he resigned in his second term.

Death

Burns died at Wilton, New Hampshire, on May 22, 1909.

References

1835 births 1909 deaths People from Milford, Massachusetts United States Attorneys for the District of New Hampshire Republican Party New Hampshire state senators New Hampshire lawyers Harvard Law School alumni 19th-century American legislators 19th-century New Hampshire politicians {{US-gov-bio-stub