Francis Gillette (December 14, 1807 – September 30, 1879) was a politician from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, USA. He was the father of actor and playwright

William Gillette William Hooker Gillette (July 24, 1853 – April 29, 1937) was an American actor-manager, playwright, and stage-manager in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best remembered for portraying Sherlock Holmes on stage and in a 1916 ...

and politician and editor

Edward H. Gillette Edward Hooker Gillette (October 1, 1840 – August 14, 1918) was a nineteenth-century Populism, populist politician and editor from Iowa. He was elected on the United States Greenback Party, Greenback Party ticket to represent Iowa's 7th con ...

. Gillette was born in Old Windsor, Connecticut (today part of the town of Bloomfield), Gillette moved with his parents, Rev. Ashbel and Achsah Francis, to

Ashfield, Massachusetts Ashfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Ashfield was first settled in 1743 and was offi ...

as a child. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1829 and commenced the study of law, but his health becoming impaired he instead engaged in agricultural pursuits in Bloomfield. He was a member of the

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an ...

in 1832, 1836 and 1838 and was an unsuccessful candidate for

Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticu ...

1842 Events January–March * January ** Michael Alexander takes office, as the first appointee to the Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem. ** American medical student William E. Clarke of Berkshire Medical College becomes the first pe ...

, losing to Chauncey F. Cleveland, and nine times subsequently. Gillette served as chairman of the

Connecticut Board of Education The Connecticut State Board of Education is the governing body of the Connecticut State Department of Education, which oversees the public education in the U.S. state, state, distribute funds to the state's 166 school districts, and operates the Co ...

from 1849 to 1865 and moved to

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

in 1852 and later developed the neighborhood, " Nook Farm" with his brother-in-law,

John Hooker John Hooker may refer to: *John Hooker (English constitutionalist) (c. 1527–1601), English writer, solicitor, antiquary, civic administrator and advocate of republican government *John Lee Hooker (1912–2001), American blues singer-songwriter an ...

. He was elected a Free Soiler to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in 1854 to fill a vacancy and served until the end of the term in 1855, not being a candidate for reelection. Afterwards, Gillette became a lecturer on agriculture and

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

and was a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

of the Connecticut State Normal School, also serving as its president for many years. He aided in the formation of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

and for several years was a silent partner in the ''Evening Press'', the organ of the party. He engaged in the real estate business in

until his death there on September 30, 1879. He was interred in Riverside Cemetery in

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 miles s ...

. The

Francis Gillette House The Francis Gillette House is a historic house at 545 Bloomfield Ave. in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Built in 1833, it is locally unusual as a stone house, but is most significant for its association with Francis Gillette, one of the state's leadin ...

Bloomfield, Connecticut Bloomfield is a suburb of Hartford in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town's population was 21,535 at the 2020 census. Bloomfield is best known as the headquarters of healthcare services company Cigna. History Originally land ...

, his home in early years of his antislavery involvement, is listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Legacy

Gillette Ridge Golf Club Gillette Ridge Golf Club is a public golf course located in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Located on the Cigna headquarters campus (formerly known as Connecticut General Life Insurance), it is the only public Arnold Palmer designed course in the Northe ...

is named after Francis Gillette.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gillette, Francis 1807 births 1879 deaths People from Bloomfield, Connecticut Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Yale College alumni Politicians from Hartford, Connecticut Connecticut Free Soilers Free Soil Party United States senators Republican Party United States senators from Connecticut American temperance activists People from Ashfield, Massachusetts