Ezra Butler (September 24, 1763July 12, 1838) was an American clergyman, politician, lawyer, judge, the
11th
11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables.
Name
"Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...
governor of Vermont, and a
United States representative from Vermont.
Biography
Butler was born in
Lancaster in the
Province of Massachusetts Bay. In 1770 he moved with his parents to
West Windsor, Vermont. His mother died while he was still a boy, and, after living with his elder brother for several years, he engaged in agricultural pursuits in
Claremont, New Hampshire, until he was an adult. He served in the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
for six months in 1779 during the
American Revolution.
Career
In 1775 Butler staked a claim as the second settler in
Waterbury, Vermont. He returned in 1776 with his wife, Tryphena Diggins, with whom he eventually had eleven children.
In 1785, Butler studied law in
Waterbury, Vermont, and after he passed the bar, in 1786, he practiced law, and served as
Town Clerk in 1790. In 1790, he began to think seriously on religious subjects, became a
Baptist in 1791, and in 1800 began to preach at
Bolton, Vermont. A Baptist church was organized in Waterbury in 1800, and he was its pastor for more than thirty years. He did not allow his ordination to the ministry to interfere with his public career.
[
Butler was one of the first three selectmen of Waterbury. He was elected 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 ...
, an office he held from 1794 to 1797; from 1799 to 1804; in 1807; and in 1808. He was the first judge of the Chittenden County Court from 1803 to 1806; Chief Justice in Chittenden County from 1806 to 1811; and Chief Justice of Jefferson County from 1812 to 1825 (excepting periods of congressional service). He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Thirteenth Congress and a member of the State Constitutional Convention Constitutional convention may refer to:
* Constitutional convention (political custom), an informal and uncodified procedural agreement
*Constitutional convention (political meeting), a meeting of delegates to adopt a new constitution or revise an e ...
in 1822.
Butler was elected as a National Republican
The National Republican Party, also known as the Anti-Jacksonian Party or simply Republicans, was a political party in the United States that evolved from a conservative-leaning faction of the Democratic-Republican Party that supported John Qu ...
Governor of Vermont from 1826 to 1828. During his tenure, lotteries were abolished, and legislation was passed to require the examination of teachers.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 ...
candidate William Wirt. Butler was one of Vermont's electors, and cast his vote for Wirt.[Vermont Secretary of State]
Legislative Directory
1888, page 77
Death
Butler died in Waterbury on July 12, 1838, and is interred at Waterbury Cemetery.
References
External links
Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Ezra
1763 births
1838 deaths
People from Lancaster, Massachusetts
Vermont National Republicans
Anti-Masonic Party politicians from Vermont
Governors of Vermont
Members of the Vermont House of Representatives
People from Waterbury, Vermont
Vermont state court judges
People of Vermont in the American Revolution
People of colonial Massachusetts
Continental Army soldiers
Burials in Vermont
Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont
National Republican Party state governors of the United States
People from West Windsor, Vermont