Charles Linsley (August 29, 1795 – November 3, 1863) was a

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

lawyer and politician. The son-in-law of

Daniel Chipman Daniel Chipman (October 22, 1765April 23, 1850) was an American politician. He served as a United States representative from Vermont. Biography Chipman was born in Salisbury in the Connecticut Colony to Samuel and Hannah Austin Chipman. He gradu ...

, he was notable for his service as

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

for the District of Vermont (1845-1849), member of the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

(1858-1859), and U.S. Collector of Customs for Vermont (1860-1861).

Early life

Charles Linsley was born in

Cornwall, Vermont Cornwall is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. It was founded November 3, 1761. The population was 1,207 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Geography Cornwall is located in south-central Addison County, in the Champlain ...

on August 29, 1795. He was the son of

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

veteran Judge Joel Linsley and Levina (Gilbert) Linsley, and he was raised and educated in

Addison County Addison County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 37,363. Its shire town (county seat) is the town of Middlebury (town), Vermont, Middle ...

. Initially trained for a mercantile career, he decided to become an attorney and studied law with his father and

in Middlebury, afterwards continuing his studies under

Stephen Royce Stephen Royce (August 12, 1787November 11, 1868) was an American lawyer, judge and politician. Originally a Democratic-Republican, and later a Whig Party, he became a Republican when the party was formed in the mid-1850s. Royce served as an ass ...

St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1823, and established a successful practice in Middlebury.

Career

In addition to practicing law, Linsley was active in business, politics and government. He served in several local offices, including justice of the peace and commissioner of jail delivery. (The commissioners of jail delivery were responsible for keeping track of sentences and releasing prisoners at their completion. They also ensured that individuals on parole or probation complied with the terms of their sentences.) A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, he campaigned for Congress as opposition to slavery was becoming the dominant issue in Vermont politics, which enabled the rise of first the

Anti-Masonic Party The Anti-Masonic Party was the earliest third party in the United States. Formally a single-issue party, it strongly opposed Freemasonry, but later aspired to become a major party by expanding its platform to take positions on other issues. After ...

, then the Whigs, and then the Republicans. Linsley was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives from Vermont's 2nd District in 1833, 1838, and 1840, and lost each time to incumbent

William Slade William Slade may refer to: * William Slade (politician) (1786–1859), American politician, governor of Vermont * William Slade (valet), employee of President Lincoln * Will Slade Will Slade (born 24 October 1983) is a former Australian rule ...

. from 1845 to 1849, Linsley served as

for the District of Vermont, succeeding Charles Davis and preceding Abel Underwood. He served for several years as counsel and board of directors member for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad. When the state legislature created the position of state railroad commissioner in 1855 to regulate railway construction, maintenance and operations, Linsley was the first person appointed to the position, and he served until 1857, when he was succeeded by

George Perkins Marsh George Perkins Marsh (March 15, 1801July 23, 1882), an American diplomat and philologist, is considered by some to be America's first environmentalist and by recognizing the irreversible impact of man's actions on the earth, a precursor to the ...

. Linsley's other business interests included serving as a director of the Champlain and Connecticut River Railroad, the Middlebury Savings Bank, and the Middlebury Hotel Company. In 1856, Linsley moved to

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...

to practice law in partnership with John Prout, and in 1858 he served as Rutland's member of the

. From 1860 to 1861 he served as the U.S. Collector of Customs for Vermont. Linsley returned to Middlebury in 1862. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, he was initially a pro-

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Democrat and a strong opponent of secession, which led him to join the Republican Party in 1862.

Honors

In 1835, Linsley received the

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

Death and burial

During the final two years of his life, Linsley suffered from ill health. He died in Middlebury on November 3, 1863 and was buried at Middlebury Cemetery in Middlebury.

Family

In 1827, Linsley married Sarah Chipman (1806-1841), the daughter of

. They were the parents of

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

(1827-1889), Sarah (1828-1854), Charles (1831-1853), George (1833-1889), Susan (1835-1835), Edward (1837-1841), Eliza (1838-1861), and Emma (1840-1854). Linsley married Emmeline Wells in 1841. Their children included David (1842-1842), Mary (b. 1844), Emmeline (1845-1858), Joel (1847-1899), John Gilbert (1849-1851), William (1851-1910), Hellena (1854-1857), Julius Gilbert (1856-1930), and Richard (1859-1860). Charles Linsley's siblings included Joel H. Linsley, a prominent clergyman who served as president of

Marietta College Marietta College (MC) is a private liberal arts college in Marietta, Ohio. It offers more than 50 undergraduate majors across the arts, sciences, and engineering, as well as Physician Assistant, Psychology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, an ...

References

Sources

Internet

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Books

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Newspapers

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Linsley, Charles 1795 births 1863 deaths People from Cornwall, Vermont People from Middlebury, Vermont People from Rutland (city), Vermont Vermont Democrats Vermont Republicans Vermont lawyers United States Attorneys for the District of Vermont Burials in Vermont 19th-century American lawyers