Henry C. Chipman (July 25, 1784 – May 31, 1867) was a judge of the Supreme Territorial Court of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

from 1827 until 1832.

Biography

Chipman was the son of Vermont senator

Nathaniel Chipman Nathaniel Chipman (November 15, 1752February 13, 1843) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Vermont and Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. A Yale College graduate and Continental Army veteran of the ...

. He studied with his father and

Jeremiah Atwater Jeremiah Atwater (December 27, 1773 – July 29, 1858) was notable as an educator, minister, and college president. Atwater became principal of the Addison County Grammar School in 1799 and, a year later, when the school became Middlebury Coll ...

in preparation for entering

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 ...

. He graduated from Middlebury in 1803, and then studied law with his father. In 1806 he received his

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 ...

degree from Middlebury. He moved to

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

because of ill health, and resided there for a year. Upon his return, he taught school in

Barnwell, South Carolina Barnwell is a city in and county seat of Barnwell County, South Carolina, United States, located along U.S. Route 278. The population was 4,750 at the 2010 census. Geography Barnwell is located east of the center of Barnwell County at (33.244 ...

, while studying law with

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (February 25, 1746 – August 16, 1825) was an American Founding Father, statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention where he signed the United States Constit ...

, and then practiced law in

Walterboro, South Carolina Walterboro is a city in Colleton County, South Carolina, United States. The city's population was 5,398 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Colleton County. Walterboro is located west of Charleston and is located near the ACE Basin reg ...

. He served as adjutant of a South Carolina regiment stationed at

Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort ( , a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South ...

, during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. In 1823 Chipman and his wife decided to move to a state that did not allow slavery, and they settled in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

. Chipman continued practicing law and was co-publisher of the ''Morning Herald'' newspaper. He also served as chief justice of the Wayne County Court from 1825 to 1827. In 1827 Chipman was appointed to the Supreme Court of Michigan Territory and served until 1832. From 1833 to 1835 he served as Detroit's city recorder. He returned to practicing law, and from 1840 to 1844 served as judge of the Wayne County Criminal Court. He then resumed his law practice and also contributed articles to newspapers, writing regularly until shortly before his death. In 1844 he was one of the vice presidents of the Whig National Convention. From 1827 until his death Chipman was the oldest living alumnus of Middlebury College, and Middlebury awarded him an honorary

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

in 1866. Chipman was an Episcopalian and served as a vestryman. Chipman died in Detroit on May 31, 1867. He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery, Section A, Lot 166.

Family

In 1812 Chipman married Martha Mary Logan. Their children included Henry Logan (1814–1846), Catherine S. (b. 1816), Laura B. (1818–1896), Eliza C. (b. 1823), Emma (b. 1826), and John Logan (1830–1893). Henry Logan Chipman was an officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

from 1833 until resigning shortly before his death. Laura B. Chipman was the wife of Henry Laurens Chipman, an officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

who attained the rank of brevet

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

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 ...

. Eliza Chipman was the wife of William L. Baby.

John Logan Chipman John Logan Chipman (June 5, 1830 – August 17, 1893) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan who was most notable for his service as a United States representative from 1887 until his death. Early life Chipman was born in Detroit in t ...

served in the

United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

Sources

Henry Chipman
at ''Michigan Supreme Court History''
Henry Chipman
at ''American Biographical History of Eminent and Self-Made Men of Michigan''. 1878. Western Biographical Publishing Company (Cincinnati, Ohio) publisher. {{DEFAULTSORT:Chipman, Henry C. 1784 births 1867 deaths Middlebury College alumni South Carolina lawyers American militiamen in the War of 1812 Michigan lawyers Michigan state court judges Michigan Whigs 19th-century American politicians Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Detroit) American militia officers 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American Episcopalians Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court Michigan Territory officials