Ezra Meech (July 26, 1773September 23, 1856) was an American fur trader and politician. He served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

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 ...

Biography

Meech was born in

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa * New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town * ...

in the

Connecticut Colony The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...

to Elisha Meech and Faith Satterly Meech. He moved to Hinesburg in the

Vermont Republic The Vermont Republic ( French: ''République du Vermont''), officially known at the time as the State of Vermont ( French: ''État du Vermont''), was an independent state in New England that existed from January 15, 1777, to March 4, 1791. The ...

with his parents in 1785 and attended the common schools. Meech engaged in the

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the mos ...

in the Northwest and in ship-timber contracts in

British Canada British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

. In 1795 he opened a store at Charlotte Four Corners, Vermont. He moved to

Shelburne, Vermont Shelburne is a New England town, town in Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Located along the shores of Lake Champlain, Shelburne's town center lies approximately south of the city center of Burlington, Vermont, ...

and owned a farm. He also raised cattle and horses, and manufactured potash. In 1806 he was an agent of the Northwestern Fur Company. Meech was a 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 ...

from 1805 until 1807. He was elected as a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

candidate to the

Sixteenth United States Congress The 16th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1819, ...

, serving from March 4, 1819 until March 3, 1821. He was a delegate to the state constitutional conventions in 1822 and 1826, and was chief judge of the Chittenden County Court in 1822 and 1823. Meech was elected as a Jacksonian candidate to the

Nineteenth United States Congress The 19th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1825, ...

, serving from March 4, 1825 until March 3, 1827. He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

in 1830, 1831, 1832, and 1833. Meech served as a

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

on the Whig ticket in 1840. He then resumed agricultural pursuits.

Personal life

Meech married Mary McNeil Meech in 1800. They had eight children.

Death

Meech died on September 23, 1856 in Shelburne, Vermont. He is interred at the Shelburne Village Cemetery.

References

External links

Biographical Director of the United States Congress

Govtrack.us

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Ancestry.com

19th Century Biographies

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mech, Ezra 1773 births 1856 deaths Politicians from New London, Connecticut Vermont Jacksonians Vermont Democrats Vermont Whigs Burials in Vermont Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century American politicians

Biography

Personal life

Death

References

Further reading

External links